Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research and Policy: The Search for Inclusion: Deficit Discourse and the Erasure of Childhoods

In this column, Anne Haas Dyson probes the persistence of deficit discourse in language arts education. Her major conceptual tool for this probing is language ideology, that is, the intersection of attitudes and opinions about language with attitudes and opinions about groups of people. In our field, assumed deficits of whole groups of children have become taken for granted, and thus children’s resources and strengths are discounted and disappeared. Moreover, the academic transformation of early schooling into a ladder of literacy benchmarks has narrowed the ways in which children can find, and be seen as finding, success in school. The “erasure”(Gal, 2012) of child strengths leads to the violation of an old pedagogical truth: Teaching every child depends on building on what that child knows and can do, to which I add, and what that child feels, fears, and socially longs for in the company of other children. To help clarify her ideas, Dyson draws on a case study of kindergartener Ta’Von whose social agency supported what his teacher deemed “amazing” success as a writer but, alas, did not allow him to merit the educational label “bright. ”—
Aquatic colloids: Concepts, definitions, and current challenges

Colloidal phases in natural waters may be important to various environmental questions, especially those concerning the cycling of vital and toxic trace chemicals. Current treatments of the role of colloids in chemical speciation largely rely on operational definitions of phases such as 1,000‐Da ultrafilter and 0.45‐µm filter cut‐offs. Defining chemical phases exclusively by a physical parameter such as size is contributing to a situation where the observed filterable vs. unfilterable distribution coefficients, D, are not well predicted from thermodynamically derived sorbed vs. solute equilibrium constants, K. Achieving the goal of relating the natural distributions of chemicals to theoretical expectations is contingent upon progress in development of a functionally meaningful colloid definition and interpretation of observed distributions of trace substances in terms of the relevant physicochemical properties of the system.
Understanding the gendered coaching workforce in Spanish sport

The present study focuses on the demographic and labor characteristics of coaches in Spain. Kanter’s theory on occupational sex segregation will be used as a guiding framework. The study was conducted with 1685 coaches (82.3% men and 17.7% women) from different sports and performance domains. The results show that there is an underrepresentation of women as coaches in Spain and data highlight that coaches’ gender is related to three structural factors: opportunity, power, and proportion. The present data reveal that women are younger, less likely to be in a marriage-like relationship, less likely to have children, and more likely to have competed at a high level as an athlete when compared to their male counterparts. However, fewer women than men access and participate in coach education in Catalonia and the working status of women was different to that of men. To expand, women worked less hours, were more likely to be assistant coaches, and had less years of coaching experience. Understanding of how gender influences women’s access, progression, and retention in coaching in Spain illustrates the need for gender sport policies and practices in sport organizations. This approach can benefit not only women, but the diversity and enrichment of the coaching system.
Cross-linguistic transfer effects of verb-production therapy in two cases of multilingual aphasia

ABSTRACT Background: Verb retrieval is challenging for monolingual and multilingual speakers with aphasia. Previous research on bilingual aphasia shows equivocal results of cross-linguistic transfer and inhibition. Aims: This study explores the impact of verb-production treatment in the treated and untreated languages of two bilingual speakers with aphasia. The main goals were to explore treatment effects, possible cross-linguistic transfer effects and to investigate possible inhibition of the untreated languages. Methods & Procedures: The participants were one trilingual speaker (Portuguese-Ronga-Norwegian) with nonfluent aphasia and one bilingual speaker (English-Norwegian) with fluent aphasia. They received two types of treatment: communication-based therapy and Semantic Feature Analysis. Treatment was conducted in Norwegian, a late-acquired language for both speakers. Treatment effects were measured in action naming tasks and narrative tasks in the treated language as well as the untreated languages. Outcomes & Results: Overall, the participants responded positively to the verb production treatments. This was demonstrated at the lexical level and also in discourse production, especially in the treated, but also in the untreated languages. No inhibition of the untreated languages was found. Conclusions: The data provide evidence for positive effects of verb-retrieval treatment provided in sentence contexts in a late-learned weaker language of multilingual speakers with aphasia. The treatments did not lead to an unwanted inhibition of the untreated language, which is an important finding for clinicians as well as for researchers. The results provide evidence for a shared conceptual network of the languages in bilingual speakers, supporting current models of bilingual language processing.
Therapeutic Social Control of People with Serious Mental Illness: An Empirical Verification and Extension of Theory

Mental health services and psychiatric professional values have shifted in the past several decades toward a model of client autonomy and informed consent, at least in principle. However, it is unclear how much has changed in practice, particularly in cases where client behavior poses ethical challenges for clinicians. Drawing on the case of clients’ sexual behavior and contraception use, we examine whether sociological theories of “soft” coercion remain relevant (e.g., therapeutic social control; Horwitz 1982) in contemporary mental health treatment settings. Using structured interview data from 98 men and women with serious mental illness (SMI), we explore client experiences of choice, coercion, and the spaces that lie in between. Patterns in our data confirm Horwitz’s (1982) theory of therapeutic social control but also suggest directions for updating and extending it. Specifically, we identify four strategies used to influence client behavior: coercion, enabling, education, and conciliation. We find that most clients’ experiences reflect elements of ambiguous or limited autonomy, wherein compliance is achieved by invoking therapeutic goals. However, women with SMI disproportionately report experiencing intense persuasion and direct use or threat of force. We argue that it is critical to consider how ostensibly noncoercive and value-free interventions nonetheless reflect the goals and norms of dominant groups.
The impact of a coordinated transitional care programme on adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE There is an extensive evidence base for the need of transitional care, but a paucity of robust outcome data. The aim of the study was to determine whether the quality of life of adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) could be improved by a co-ordinated, evidence-based programme of transitional care. METHODS Adolescents with JIA aged 11, 14 and 17 yrs and their parents were recruited from 10 rheumatology centres in the UK. Data were collected at baseline, 6 and 12 months including core outcome variables. The primary outcome measure was health-related quality of life (HRQL): Juvenile Arthritis Quality of Life Questionnaire (JAQQ). Secondary outcome measures included: knowledge, satisfaction, independent health behaviours and pre-vocational experience. RESULTS Of the 359 families invited to participate, 308 (86%) adolescents and 303 (84%) parents accepted. A fifth of them had persistent oligoarthritis. Median disease duration was 5.7 (0-16) yrs. Compared with baseline values, significant improvements in JAQQ scores were reported for adolescent and parent ratings at 6 and 12 months and for most secondary outcome measures with no significant deteriorations between 6 and 12 months. Continuous improvement was observed for both adolescent and parent knowledge with significantly greater improvement in the younger age groups at 12 months (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS This study represents the first objective evaluation of an evidence-based transitional care programme and demonstrates that such care can potentially improve adolescents' HRQL.
Motivational Teaching Strategies in Indonesian EFL Writing Classrooms

This qualitative study explores motivational teaching strategies employed in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing classrooms and designs a sample of lesson plans elaborating the strategies that were reflected from open-ended questionnaires of sixty-five first-year students at English Language Education Program in a private university in Indonesia. The data analysis reveals possible motivational strategies that are classified into Dornyei’s (2001) framework of motivational teaching practice. Based on the analysis, the study reinforces a view that teachers can motivate their students to learn and they use particular teaching strategies to motivate their students. Eventually, this study hopes to provide insights for EFL teachers espousing similar teaching practices, so they can enhance their students’ motivation, particularly in their EFL writing classrooms.
Eye Movements Enhance Recollection of Re-Imagined Negative Words: A Link between EMDR and Sire?

Do eye movements primarily affect emotion, as in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR), or memory retrieval, as in Saccade-Induced Retrieval Enhancement (SIRE)? Despite growing confidence in the effectiveness of the former, the latter memory effect is sometimes not replicated. I argue here that the memory enhancement due to eye movements can be obtained, when conditions are made more similar to EMDR: a) participants are explicitly instructed to retrieve and re-imagine the memories during the eye movements, and b) emotionally negative material is involved. An exploratory memory experiment is presented that compares horizontal eye-movement and eye-fixation conditions. Mixed lists of positive, neutral, and negative words were studied and explicitly recollected during the eye manipulation. Results showed evidence for enhanced recollection due to eye movements, with a large effect size specifically for negative words. The crosstalk between these different domains may not only be helpful for gaining a better understanding of SIRE but also for improving the effectiveness of EMDR.
Natural Language Communication with Robots

We propose a framework for devising empirically testable algorithms for bridging the communication gap between humans and robots. We instantiate our framework in the context of a problem setting in which humans give instructions to robots using unrestricted natu-ral language commands, with instruction sequences being subservient to building complex goal conﬁgurations in a blocks world. We show how one can collect meaningful training data and we propose three neural architectures for interpreting contextually grounded natural language commands. The proposed architectures allow us to correctly understand/ground the blocks that the robot should move when instructed by a human who uses unrestricted language. The architectures have more difﬁ-culty in correctly understanding/grounding the spatial relations required to place blocks correctly, especially when the blocks are not easily identiﬁable.
Predicting peer-assisted study session attendance

Peer-assisted study session attendance is associated with multiple indicators of student success. However, attendance levels are generally low. We applied an extended theory of planned behaviour model, incorporating student role identity, to the prediction of peer-assisted study session attendance. Participants were 254 undergraduate students enrolled in 24 peer-assisted study session supported units. Attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control each had a significant direct effect on attendance intentions, which had a significant direct effect on attendance. All three predictors also had significant indirect effects on attendance, mediated by intentions. After controlling for intentions, only perceived behavioural control had a significant direct effect on attendance. The model accounted for 61% and 42% of the variance in intentions and attendance, respectively. Student role identity did not improve the predictive utility of the model. Theory of planned behaviour–informed strategies for increasing peer-assisted study session attendance are recommended.
Generation of Attosecond Light Pulses from Gas and Solid State Media

Real-time observation of ultrafast dynamics in the microcosm is a fundamental approach for understanding the internal evolution of physical, chemical and biological systems. Tools for tracing such dynamics are flashes of light with duration comparable to or shorter than the characteristic evolution times of the system under investigation. While femtosecond (fs) pulses are successfully used to investigate vibrational dynamics in molecular systems, real time observation of electron motion in all states of matter requires temporal resolution in the attosecond (1 attosecond (asec) = 10−18 s) time scale. During the last decades, continuous efforts in ultra-short pulse engineering led to the development of table-top sources which can produce asec pulses. These pulses have been synthesized by using broadband coherent radiation in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectral region generated by the interaction of matter with intense fs pulses. Here, we will review asec pulses generated by the interaction of gas phase media and solid surfaces with intense fs IR laser fields. After a brief overview of the fundamental process underlying the XUV emission form these media, we will review the current technology, specifications and the ongoing developments of such asec sources.
Modulatory Role of Simvastatin against Aluminium Chloride-Induced Behavioural and Biochemical Changes in Rats

Objectives. Aluminium, a neurotoxic agent in humans, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we examined the behavioral and biochemical effects of aluminium in rats with special emphasis on memory centres, namely, hippocampus and frontal cortex. Further, the effect of simvastatin treatment on aluminium intoxication was evaluated. Methods. Rats were exposed to aluminium chloride (AlCl3) for 60 days. Simvastatin (10 mg/kg/p.o.) and rivastigmine (1 mg/kg/p.o.) were administered daily prior to AlCl3. Behavioral parameters were assessed using Morris water maze test and actophotometer followed by biochemical investigations, namely, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, TNF-α level, antioxidant enzymes (GSH, catalase), lipid peroxidation, and nitrite level in hippocampus and frontal cortex. Triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels in serum were also determined. Key Findings. Simvastatin treatment improved cognitive function and locomotor activity in rats. Simvastatin reversed hyperlipidemia and significantly rectified the deleterious effect of AlCl3 on AChE activity. Further, in hippocampus and frontal cortex, aluminium-induced elevation in nitrite and TNF-α and reduction in antioxidant enzymes were inhibited by simvastatin. Conclusion. To conclude, the present study suggests that simvastatin per se protects the neurons in hippocampus and frontal cortex from AlCl3, an environmental toxin.
A pipelined semi-parallel LDPC Decoder architecture for DVB-S 2

The implementation of an LDPC Decoder for the DVB-S2 standard is a challenging task, specially because of 1) the large parity-check matrices and 2) the iterative decoding algorithm, which may represent a bottleneck within the receiver data flow. This paper presents a pipelined architecture for LDPC decoding based on a semi-parallel implementation of the Minimum-Sum algorithm, a simplification of the BeliefPropagation decoding algorithm, and the results of a model simulation and an early synthesis for FPGA prototyping.
Iron Therapy, Advanced Oxidation Protein Products, and Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness in End-Stage Renal Disease

Background—Increased common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) is a marker of early atherosclerosis. Low-grade inflammation is associated with the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Low-grade inflammation and increased CCA-IMT are observed in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Oxidative stress is involved in uremia-related inflammation. Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) are markers of oxidant-mediated protein damage in ESRD. Intravenous iron given to patients on hemodialysis (HD) might induce oxidative stress. We investigated the relationships between AOPP, iron therapy, and CCA-IMT in stable HD patients. Methods and Results—Plasma AOPP and blood chemistry, including iron status, were analyzed in a cohort of 79 ESRD patients on HD. Measurements of CCA-IMT and CCA diameter, as assessed by B-mode ultrasonography, were obtained in 60 patients. AOPP levels were elevated in ESRD patients, and in univariate (r =0.42, P <0.0001) and multivariate analyses (r =0.38, P <0.001), they correlated with serum ferritin and with the intravenous iron dose received during the 12 months preceding the study (ferritin, P <0001; AOPP, P <0.01). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the AOPP concentration as being significantly associated with CCA-IMT (P =0.0197) and CCA wall-to-lumen ratio (r =0.560, P <0.0001). Independently of AOPP concentration, cumulative iron dose was positively related to CCA-IMT (P =0.015) in patients <60 years. Conclusion—In ESRD patients, CCA-IMT and CCA wall-to-lumen ratio were associated with plasma AOPP, serum ferritin, and the annual intravenous iron dose administered. These findings support the concept of a role of oxidative stress in the early atherosclerosis of ESRD patients, which may be increased by the usually recommended doses of intravenous iron.
An integrated ADAS for assessing risky situations in urban driving

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming more and more popular. Many of these systems though are limited to specific scenes and often detect risky situations very late so they can only mitigate accidents. These effects are mainly caused by the use of simple physical prediction methods, e.g. to estimate the time-to-contact with another vehicle. In this paper we show an ADAS that extends the functionality of physical collision warnings by additionally estimating potential risks based on implicit predictions. As an example we demonstrate the use of vehicle orientation information for classifying situations. Through this, we can in particular assess the risk of static cars, for which physical prediction does not apply, but which can nevertheless easily cause an accident if they start moving into our driving corridor. The proposed system is evaluated online in a test car and is shown to reliably detect classical risky situations as well as those involving static cars.
Is It the Job or the Support? Examining Structural and Relational Predictors of Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention for Nonprofit Employees

We examine the relative efficacy of two theoretically distinct variables for predicting job satisfaction and turnover intentions for workers in nonprofit organizations. The first, perceived job characteristics, reflects the structure of jobs in terms of autonomy, skill variety, task identity, task significance, and feedback. The second, perceived organizational support, reflects the quality of the employee–organization relationship. We collected data from 196 full-time, nonprofit employees across two time periods, and we tested hypotheses using hierarchical regression and relative importance analysis. Results emphasize the significance of managing employees in a supportive manner and structuring jobs so that employees can work autonomously.
Involvement of APC and K-ras mutation in non-polypoid colorectal tumorigenesis

The aim of this study was to clarify the role of APC and K- ras mutations in non-polypoid colorectal tumorigenesis. DNA from 63 adenomas (31 polypoid, 17 superficial elevated, 15 superficial depressed), 66 submucosally invasive carcinomas (47 polypoid, 19 non-polypoid) and 34 advanced carcinomas were examined for K- ras codon 12 point mutations and APC mutations in the mutation cluster region. K- ras mutation: the frequency in superficial depressed adenomas was lower than that in polypoid adenomas (0% vs 31%: P = 0.018). The frequency in non-polypoid carcinomas was lower than that in polypoid carcinomas (11% vs 56%: P = 0.0008), and was relatively low compared with that in polypoid adenomas (11% vs 31%). APC mutation: the frequency in superficial depressed adenomas was lower than that in polypoid adenomas (7% vs 43%: P = 0.016), and that in polypoid carcinomas was similar to that in non-polypoid carcinomas. Polypoid adenomas, polypoid carcinomas and advanced carcinomas had almost the same frequency. There may be some pathway other than the conventional adenoma-carcinoma sequence in development of non-polypoid carcinomas. The precursors of most non-polypoid carcinomas are considered to be de novo or superficial depressed adenomas. In this non-polypoid pathway, APC mutation seems to be requisite but K- ras mutation not. It is possible that new APC mutations are acquired after the development of superficial depressed adenomas. © Copyright 2000 Cancer Research Campaign
Translating Evidence-Based Practices to Usable Interventions for Young Children With Autism

Increased numbers of young children identified with autism combine with changing paradigms for service delivery models to create a need to ensure that information is available to facilitate implementation of effective practices in children’s natural learning environments. A recent synthesis that identifies evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children with autism is used as the basis for exploring the degree to which existing literature provides information that meaningfully supports the translation of those practices to usable interventions within the routine services provided by educators. Our review of 113 studies focusing on 13 EBPs for children with autism below the age of 6 revealed inconsistent and incomplete reporting within and across practices. Based on this review, we offer a discussion on how the reporting practices of researchers may facilitate or hinder the generation of usable knowledge needed by implementation science when guiding large-scale adoption and use of interventions.
Leadership of Ece Principal in Growth Character Through Stifin Method in Kindergarten

Early Childhood Education (ECE) is the stage and stage of learning era of golden age. At this time the child experiencing the process of growing the most optimal, both cognitive and mental attitudes. For that required a quality learning process that is able to grow the character. The leadership of ECE heads influences the effectiveness of character education. One STIFIn method is believed to have a formulation in character education. The study used a qualitative approach, with a single case study design. The results showed that the principal in TK Plus Mutiara Ilmu, Pandaan was quite effective in interpersonal communication with the teacher. The principal implements a transactional leadership pattern that brings the teacher's moral imperative in applying the child's character development. Teachers with STIFIn methods are more open and have a positive attitude. Based on the STIFIn circulation theory, the principal has relatively good team, and is in a strong position. In addition supported by subordinates, it also effectively affects subordinates, in addition STIFIn methods are able to provide differences and effective changes in interpersonal communication to teachers and children in growth character. Keywords—early childhood leadership, character growth, STIFIn method