Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facebook Use and Texting Among African American and Hispanic Teenagers

The present study explores the usage and attitude toward Facebook and text messaging among African American and Hispanic teenagers. It also examines the influence of personality and gender on the new communication technologies. The study further investigates the status of parental monitoring and control. Finally, it examines the possible effect of the new communication tools on the teens’ academic performance. A total of 314 middle and high school students participated in the survey. Nearly 91% had Facebook account and 84% of the students owned cell phone. Fewer Hispanic students own cell phones compared with African American students. There was significant relationship between Facebook use and anxiety, while cell phone owners perceived themselves as more outgoing, cheerful, and sensitive. A significant proportion of teenagers indicated that their cell phone was inextricably wrapped with their identity and even their sense of self-worth. Results from the survey suggested a statistically significant, negative relationship between Facebook activity and math grades of the respondents. Implications for future research on the potential effects of excessive use of Facebook and cell phones on the academic performance are discussed.
Feature fusion for fake Indian currency detection

Fake currency detection is a serious issue worldwide, affecting the economy of almost every country including India. The possible solutions are to use either chemical properties of the currency or to use its physical appearance. The approach presented in this paper is based upon physical appearance of the Indian currency. Image processing algorithms have been adopted to extract the features such as security thread, intaglio printing(RBI logo) and identification mark, which have been adopted as security features of Indian currency. To make the system more robust and accurate, the decisive score of all the three features has been fused to differentiate between real and fake currencies. The fake currency detection accuracy of the proposed system is 100%. Another parameter used to measure the performance of the proposed system is mean square error, which is approximately 1%. It may be adopted by the common people as well, who quite often face the problem of differentiating between real and fake currencies.
Negotiating the Labyrinth from Margin to Center: Adult Degree Program Administrators as Program Planners within Higher Education Institutions

This qualitative study examined how eight adult degree program administrators negotiate power and interest while planning programs in specific higher education settings: small, private, nonprofit, higher education institutions. The conceptual framework was grounded in Cervero and Wilson’s program-planning model in combination with Bourdieu’s concept of cultural and social capital and Raven’s consideration of types of power at play in organizations. The primary means of data collection were in-depth interviews and qualitative questionnaires. There were four primary categories of findings dealing with how these adult degree program planners negotiate power and interest, centering on (a) moving the institutional interest in adult learners from the margins closer to the center, (b) gaining influence by drawing on multiple forms of capital, (c) building a bridge of common interests among key players as a way of leveraging power, and (d) balancing institutional expectations for growth with resource limitations.
Oppression Within Safe Spaces

Racial microaggressions are often unintentional and subtle forms of racism that manifest in interpersonal communications, behaviors, or environments. The purpose of this study was to explore the presence of racial microaggressions within domestic violence shelters and to understand how women respond to them. Using a phenomenological approach to data collection and analysis, 14 Black women from 3 different shelters were interviewed. Twelve women reported experiencing at least one racial microaggression, although few identified the experience as racist. Additional themes were also examined to understand why women did not identify their experiences of racial microaggressions as racist. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Mechanisms for Asporin Function and Regulation in Articular Cartilage*

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most prevalent form of skeletal disease, represents a leading cause of disability following middle age. OA is characterized by the loss of articular cartilage; however, the details of its etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear. Recently, we demonstrated a genetic association between the cartilage extracellular matrix protein asporin and OA (Kizawa, H., Kou, I., Iida, A., Sudo, A., Miyamoto, Y., Fukuda, A., Mabuchi, A., Kotani, A., Kawakami, A., Yamamoto, S., Uchida, A., Nakamura, K., Notoya, K., Nakamura, Y., and Ikegawa, S. (2005) Nat. Genet. 37, 138-144). Furthermore, we showed that asporin binds to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a key cytokine in OA pathogenesis, and inhibits TGF-β-induced chondrogenesis. To date, functional data for asporin have come primarily from mouse cell culture models of developing cartilage rather than from human articular cartilage cells, in which OA occurs. Here, we describe mechanisms for asporin function and regulation in human articular cartilage. Asporin blocks chondrogenesis and inhibits TGF-β1-induced expression of matrix genes and the resulting chondrocyte phenotypes. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of asporin increases the expression of cartilage marker genes and TGF-β1; in turn, TGF-β1 stimulates asporin expression in articular cartilage cells, suggesting that asporin and TGF-β1 form a regulatory feedback loop. Asporin inhibits TGF-β/Smad signaling upstream of TGF-β type I receptor activation in vivo by co-localizing with TGF-β1 on the cell surface and blocking its interaction with the TGF-β type II receptor. Our results provide a basis for elucidating the role of asporin in the molecular pathogenesis of OA.
Infusing English Language Learner Issues Throughout Professional Educator Curricula: The Training All Teachers Project

The federally funded Training All Teachers (TAT) project is an innovative program of curricular enhancement for preservice and inservice educators across disciplines. The project focuses on English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools and the fact that the training of school personnel in issues related to these learners’ needs has not kept pace with the growing numbers of these learners. The goal of the TAT project is to increase opportunities for all pre-/inservice teachers, pupil services personnel, administrators, and other education personnel to learn about issues specific to ELLs. To these ends, School of Education faculty across departments and disciplines participated in a variety of activities designed to support integration of ELL issues into their teacher/professional graduate courses. The goals and structure of these faculty development activities and their outcomes are discussed, as well as the implications of such training.
The effect of long-term training program on balance in children with cerebral palsy: Results of a pilot study for individually based functional exercises

This study examines the effects of long-term training program on balance and center of pressure (COP) for four male children (13 years of age) with cerebral palsy (CP). These children were classified into one hemiplegic (level II), one diplegic (level II) and two quadriplegic children (levels III and II) using the Gross Motor Function Classification System. Balance measurements (static balance: double leg and dynamic balance: single leg) were evaluated with a force platform for 30 s. In addition, Berg Balance Scale, Modified Ashworth Scale, maximum handgrip strength, modified apley test, body composition measurements were performed for all the subjects. The intervention corresponded to at least three sessions per week as a mixed training regimen for 7 months. All evaluations were repeated 3 times: One prior to the start of the training; the second one after 16 weeks and the third one after 28 weeks. Mixed training program improved performances for all the measured parameters. The greatest static balance improvement was observed in one quadriplegic child (level III) and 5 years old hemiplegia was able to stand unaffected after training. We suggest that children with CP will benefit from long-term mixed training program.
Control of cortical neuronal migration by glutamate and GABA

Neuronal migration in the cortex is controlled by the paracrine action of the classical neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA. Glutamate controls radial migration of pyramidal neurons by acting primarily on NMDA receptors and regulates tangential migration of inhibitory interneurons by activating non-NMDA and NMDA receptors. GABA, acting on ionotropic GABAA-rho and GABAA receptors, has a dichotomic action on radially migrating neurons by acting as a GO signal in lower layers and as a STOP signal in upper cortical plate (CP), respectively. Metabotropic GABAB receptors promote radial migration into the CP and tangential migration of interneurons. Besides GABA, the endogenous GABAergic agonist taurine is a relevant agonist controlling radial migration. To a smaller extent glycine receptor activation can also influence radial and tangential migration. Activation of glutamate and GABA receptors causes increases in intracellular Ca2+ transients, which promote neuronal migration by acting on the cytoskeleton. Pharmacological or genetic manipulation of glutamate or GABA receptors during early corticogenesis induce heterotopic cell clusters in upper layers and loss of cortical lamination, i.e., neuronal migration disorders which can be associated with neurological or neuropsychiatric diseases. The pivotal role of NMDA and ionotropic GABA receptors in cortical neuronal migration is of major clinical relevance, since a number of drugs acting on these receptors (e.g., anti-epileptics, anesthetics, alcohol) may disturb the normal migration pattern when present during early corticogenesis.
Students' reading of innovative images of energy at secondary school level

Science textbooks contain a great number and diversity of images that can help students to construct concepts and can, consequently, be interesting tools for science teachers. Students may encounter difficulties in understanding images and it is important to analyse how different features of the images affect the comprehension of the message transmitted by the images. This paper focuses on images of energy that may help to construct key concepts. Documents containing images evoking ideas that are seldom visually explained have been designed, with special attention paid to avoiding possible problems with their use and reading. Interpretations given by students of these documents have been analysed within a theoretical semiotic frame. The results seem to confirm the utility of this frame and have suggested some abilities needed for students to correctly interpret them. Information on teachers' awareness on the students' difficulties when reading documents has been obtained from their comments on students' readings of the images and can provide useful ideas for teacher training courses.
Earthquake nucleation on rate and state faults - Aging and slip laws

We compare 2-D, quasi-static earthquake nucleation on rate-and-state faults under both “aging” and “slip” versions of the state evolution law. For both versions mature nucleation zones exhibit 2 primary regimes of growth: Well above and slightly above steady state, corresponding respectively to larger and smaller fault weakening rates. Well above steady state, aging-law nucleation takes the form of accelerating slip on a patch of fixed length. This length is proportional to b^−1 and independent of a, where a and b are the constitutive parameters relating changes in slip speed and state to frictional strength. Under the slip law the nucleation zone is smaller and continually shrinks as slip accelerates. The nucleation zone is guaranteed to remain well above steady state only for values of a/b that are low by laboratory standards. Near steady state, for both laws the nucleation zone expands. The propagating front remains well above steady state, giving rise to a simple expression for its effective fracture energy G c . This fracture energy controls the propagation style. For the aging law G c increases approximately as the square of the logarithm of the velocity jump. This causes the nucleation zone to undergo quasi-static crack-like expansion, to a size asymptotically proportional to b/(b−a)^2. For the slip law G c increases only as the logarithm of the velocity jump, and crack-like expansion is not an option. Instead, the nucleation zone grows as an accelerating unidirectional slip pulse. Under both laws the nucleation front propagates at a velocity larger than the slip speed by roughly μ′/bσ divided by the logarithm of the velocity jump, where μ′ is the effective elastic shear modulus. For this prediction to be consistent with observed propagation speeds of slow slip events in subduction zones appears to require effective normal stresses as low as 1 MPa.
Incorporating Term Selection Into Separable Nonlinear Least Squares Identification Methods

In this paper, a method for the integration of the Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) into Separable Nonlinear Least Squares (SNLS) algorithms is presented. Lasso is reformulated as an equality constrained linear regression. The original SNLS problem is then solved subject to the resulting equality constraints. Simulations using the proposed algorithm to fit a Laguerre model to the output of a linear system are used to demonstrate its performance.
Moving across Status Lines: Low Concern for the Ingroup and Group Identification

This research examines individuals' concern for the ingroup when they move from a socially disadvantaged inherited background (in terms of gender, ethnicity, and nationality) to a higher social standing through individual achievement. Studies 1– 2 show that the status inconsistency between the disadvantaged and the achieved groups undermines concern for the disadvantaged ingroup. Studies 3–4 demon- strate that this lower concern for the ingroup is concomitant with maintaining the identification with the low-status ingroup and the increase of the identification with the achieved group. These findings suggest that low concern for the ingroup is not explained by a decrease in identification with the disadvantaged, but rather by an increase in identification with the high-status group.
Information Aversion

Information aversion—a preference-based fear of news flows—has rich implications for decisions involving information and risk-taking. It can explain key empirical patterns on how households pay attention to savings, namely, that investors observe their portfolios infrequently, particularly when stock prices are low or volatile. Receiving state-dependent alerts following sharp market downturns, such as during the financial crisis of 2008, improves welfare. Information-averse investors display an ostrich behavior: overhearing negative news prompts more inattention. Their fear of frequent news encourages them to hold undiversified portfolios.
A COMPARISON BETWEEN OT AND HG FROM A COMPUTATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Optimality Theory (OT) and Harmonic Grammar (HG) differ because the former assumes a model of constraint interaction based on strict domination, while the latter assumes a weighted model of interaction. As Prince and Smolensky (1997) admit, “that strict domination governs grammatical constraint interaction is not currently explained”. Yet, Legendre et al. (2006, 911-912) make two suggestions. The first suggestion is that OT’s strict domination might have algorithmic advantages, in the sense that it “may enable quick-and-dirty optimization algorithms [. ] to consistently find a single global [. ] optimum, whereas arbitrarily weighted constraints typically lead such algorithms to produce widely varying solutions, each only a local optimum. ” The second suggestion is that OT’s strict domination might have learnability advantages: “another possibility is that demands of learnability provide a pressure for strict domination among constraints”, although they note that “it remains an open problem to formally characterize exactly what is essential about strict domination to guarantee efficient learning. ”
Effect of the inhaled anesthetics isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane on the neuropathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (Review)

The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in individuals >65 years of age is 13% and ~66 million individuals in this age group undergo surgery annually under anesthesia. It is therefore important to determine whether commonly used inhaled anesthetics induce cytotoxicity, which may lead to neurodegeneration. Findings from several studies suggest that the anesthetics, isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane, may activate caspases, increase the synthesis and accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) protein, and induce hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins, all of which are cellular responses consistent with the neuropathogenesis of AD. Other studies have arrived at different and occasionally contradictory conclusions. The present review attempts to resolve this discrepancy by reviewing previous studies, which have investigated the effects of commonly used inhaled anesthetics on the synthesis and accumulation of Aβ, tau pathology and cognitive function. The possible underlying mechanism was also reviewed. However, several aspects of this phenomenon remain to be elucidated. Further studies are required to fully examine anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity and elucidate the effect of inhaled anesthetics on the onset and progression of AD.
Vitrification by Cryotop and the Maturation, Fertilization, and Developmental Rates of Mouse Oocytes

Background: Oocyte cryopreservation is an important part of modern fertility treatment. The effect of vitrification on the fertilization and developmental rates of embryo is still a matter of debate. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitrification on the success of mouse oocyte maturation, fertilization, and preimplantation development in vitro. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, a total of 200 germinal vesicle (GV) and 200 metaphase II (MII) oocytes were obtained from ovaries and fallopian tubes of NMRI mice, respectively and divided into two control and experimental (vitrified) groups. Oocytes in the experimental group were vitrified by Cryotop using vitrification medium (Origio, Denmark) and kept in liquid nitrogen for one month. Then, they were cultured in maturation medium for 24 hours. In vitro maturated metaphase 2 (IVM-MII) and ovulated metaphase 2 (OV-MII) oocytes were inseminated and the fertilized embryos assessed until the hatching blastocyst stage. Outcomes were assessed for statistical significance by Chi-square test using SPSS software. Results: Vitrification caused a significant reduction in the maturation rate of oocytes. Of those that matured, the fertilization rate of vitrified IVM-MII (44.1%) and OV-MII oocytes (50%) was not significantly different from each other but both were significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in developmental rates of both vitrified groups and the control group. Conclusions: The present study showed that vitrification using Cryotop and freezing medium can damage oocytes by reducing the maturation and fertilization rates in both developmental stages.
Implementing on-the-job training: critical success factors

Post Offices Inc. in The Netherlands has developed and implemented a new instruction model for the training of desk employees. The quality of the new instruction model was assessed by means of the evaluation model of Jacobs and Jones for on-the-job training. It is concluded that the implementation of the training model has not been completely successful. Critical success factors, such as the performance of the mentors as well as the quality of the self-study material, have to be improved. Mentors are expected to serve as a behavioural model, to provide feedback, arrange an adequate environment for self-study, motivate trainees for self-study and evaluate trainees’ progress on a regular basis. This study shows that mentors must be fully convinced of the benefit of a new instructional model, if not, the implementation will not be successful. Besides, the study shows that the quality of the self-study material depends very much on the similarity between the knowledge needed in work and the knowledge presented in the self-study material.
FUNCTIONAL AND NEUROANATOMICAL ANALYSIS OF EXTRALINGUISTIC DISORDERS IN RIGHT HEMISPHERE-DAMAGED PATIENTS

The purpose of this article was to determine the prevalence of extralinguistic (non-aphasic) disorders, its clinical picture, and neuroanatomical correlates in right hemisphere – damaged patients. The cerebral perfusion pattern was determined by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in a group of 40 stroke patients with damage to the right hemisphere (RHD). The ontrol group included 60 healthy subjects. The Polish version of the Right Hemisphere Language Battery (RHLB-PL) was used in the study. The group of RHD patients was not homogeneous with respect to character and severity of language disturbances. Some patients show very mild and selective linguistic disturbances, while others demonstrate more serious and generalized difficulties. The RHD patients, in comparison to healthy individuals, exhibited several communicative impairments, “apragmatic” in nature, including difficulties in performing tests assessing inferential reasoning, lexical-semantic processes, metaphor comprehension, and receptive prosody. Discourse ability seems to be particularly susceptible to damage since 95% of patients obtained abnormal scores for Discourse Analysis. Language disorders assessed by the RHLB-PL were associated with a variety of SPECT findings: language difficulties coexisted with perfusion defects within RH mostly involving the frontal cortex and thalamus.
Distribution of Corticotropin Releasing Hormone in the Fetus, Newborn, Juvenile, and Adult Baboon

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) has previously been identified in extrahypothalamic tissues and may act in a paracrine fashion within these tissues. To date, CRH production and its role in the fetus and newborn have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to explore the distribution and ontogeny of CRH in extrahypothalamic tissues of the fetus, newborn, juvenile, and adult baboon. Pituitary, adrenal, kidney, liver, and lung tissues from baboons at 125 d gestation, 140 d gestation, 185 d gestation (term), juveniles, and adults were obtained at necropsy. The tissues were quantified for protein and immunoreactive CRH was determined by a RIA. CRH levels were normalized to the protein content of each tissue. CRH was present in all tissues and varied over a 100-fold range according to tissue type. The highest concentration of CRH was found in the pituitary, which did not differ with the gestation and/or age of the animal. In the lung tissues of 125- and 140-d gestation animals, CRH was greater than the term, juvenile, and adult lung (p < 0.02). CRH in the adrenal gland of the 125-d samples was greater than the other four ages tested (p < 0.02). Liver CRH levels were higher in the term animals compared with the juvenile baboons. Our study documents the existence of CRH in extrahypothalamic tissues of the baboon from 125 d of gestation to adulthood. Given its presence and distribution, we speculate that CRH may exert ongoing paracrine and/or autocrine actions in these tissues from the time of intrauterine life throughout adulthood.