Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language proficiency and executive control in bilingual children

The relation between language proficiency and executive functions has been established for monolingual children. The present study addresses this issue in bilingual children, comparing the language proficiency of sequential English–Hebrew bilingual preschool children as determined by standardized assessment instruments and generic executive control in inhibition, sorting and shifting tasks. Participants were recruited from regular and language preschools and classified according to their language proficiency as bilinguals with high language proficiency in at least one of their languages (including balanced bilinguals with high language proficiency in both languages, L2-dominant, and L1-dominant) and bilinguals showing low language proficiency in both languages. As reported for monolingual preschool children, positive relationships between language proficiency and inhibition and shifting abilities were found, with significantly lower performance among low language proficiency bilinguals. Significantly better performance was also found for shifting among children who had already mastered their L2 compared to those who were still in the process of acquiring the new language.
DISCRIMINATION. Methodological controversies and sociological perspectives on future research

Abstract Field experiments have proved productive in documenting the continuing relevance of race and ethnicity in the shaping of opportunities in modern societies. However, methodological questions have been raised concerning the existence of unobservable variables and the subsequent danger of drawing inferences on a wrong basis. In this article, we address these debates and discuss a research strategy which to a large degree exceeds the challenges posed in the literature. By supplementing a correspondence test study with in-depth interviews with employers who were subjected to the fictitious job applicants in the experiment, we get access to the extent of discrimination in the labour market as well as to the mechanisms involved in discriminatory hiring practices. The design has several advantages compared to ‘singlemethod’ approaches and provides a more substantial understanding of the processes leading to ethnic inequality in the labour market.
The effect of affective characterizations on the size of children's drawings

Previous research has yielded conflicting findings about the existence and the direction of the size changes which occur in children's drawings when they are asked to draw topics which have been given an affective characterisation. The present study was designed to investigate whether children scale up the size of drawings of topics which have been given a positive characterisation, and scale down the size of drawings of topics which have been given a negative characterisation. Two hundred and fifty-eight children aged between 4 and 11 years completed three drawings of either a man, a dog or a tree. Each child drew a baseline drawing of a neutrally characterised figure, and two further drawings of a positively and a negatively characterised version of the same figure. It was found that the children drew the positively characterised topics larger than the neutrally characterised topics, and reduced the size of the negatively characterised topics relative to the baseline drawings. These patterns occurred at all ages and with all three drawing topics. Two possible explanations of the findings are discussed: the operation of an appetitive-defensive mechanism in children, and the acquisition of pictorial conventions.
Topic-Based Dissimilarity and Sensitivity Models for Translation Rule Selection

Translation rule selection is a task of selecting appropriate translation rules for an ambiguous source-language segment. As translation ambiguities are pervasive in statistical machine translation, we introduce two topic-based models for translation rule selection which incorporates global topic information into translation disambiguation. We associate each synchronous translation rule with source- and target-side topic distributions. With these topic distributions, we propose a topic dissimilarity model to select desirable (less dissimilar) rules by imposing penalties for rules with a large value of dissimilarity of their topic distributions to those of given documents. In order to encourage the use of non-topic specific translation rules, we also present a topic sensitivity model to balance translation rule selection between generic rules and topic-specific rules. Furthermore, we project target-side topic distributions onto the source-side topic model space so that we can benefit from topic information of both the source and target language. We integrate the proposed topic dissimilarity and sensitivity model into hierarchical phrase-based machine translation for synchronous translation rule selection. Experiments show that our topic-based translation rule selection model can substantially improve translation quality.
Ultrasound-Guided Strategy for Provisional Stenting With Focal Balloon Combination Catheter: Results From the Randomized Strategy for Intracoronary Ultrasound-Guided PTCA and Stenting (SIPS) Trial

BackgroundIntracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) has provided insights into vascular pathology and interventional therapy. The Strategy for ICUS-Guided PTCA and Stenting (SIPS) trial tested the hypothesis that routine ICUS guidance of coronary interventions improves outcome. Methods and ResultsA single-center consecutive-patient randomized design (with 6-month angiographic and 2-year clinical follow-up) was used. Consecutive patients (no chronic total occlusions or emergency procedures) were randomized to ICUS-guided provisional stenting or standard angiographic guidance. Quantitative angiographic minimal lumen diameter (MLD), angiographic restenosis, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were evaluated. A total of 291 procedures (356 lesions) were included. Procedure success was higher in the ICUS-guided group than the group randomized to standard guidance (94.7% versus 87.4%, respectively;P =0.033), whereas time (65.2±31.0 versus 60.5±34.0 minutes, P =0.18) and contrast use (209.3±94.1 versus 197.5±89.5 mL, P =0.23) were not significantly different. Stenting rates were similar (49.7% versus 49.5%, P =0.89). Acute gain was greater in the ICUS-guided group than in the standard guidance group (1.85±0.72 versus 1.67±0.76 mm, respectively;P =0.02). Angiographic 6-month analysis revealed no difference in MLD (1.71±0.94 versus 1.57±0.90, P =0.19) or binary restenosis rate (>50% diameter stenosis) (29% versus 35%, P =0.42). Clinical follow-up (602±307 days) showed a significant decrease in clinically driven target lesion revascularization in the ICUS group compared with the standard guidance group (17% versus 29%, respectively;P =0.02). ConclusionsAlthough angiographic MLD did not differ significantly after 6 months, ICUS-guided provisional stenting improved 2-year clinical results after intervention.
“Cognitive Diagnosis and Q-Matrices in Language Assessment”: A Commentary

This commentary appraises the 2009 special issue of Language Assessment Quarterly on “Cognitive Diagnosis and Q-matrices in Language Assessment. ” Despite a number of weaknesses, specifically in attempting inappropriately to retrofit a suite of proficiency tests to diagnostic purposes, the special issue is seen as a landmark in the development of our understanding of the need for research into diagnostic language assessment.
[11C]PIB in a nondemented population

Background: Beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques are the hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD). A PET imaging tracer that binds to Aβ plaques in vivo, N-methyl-[11C]2-(4′-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole (or [11C]PIB for “Pittsburgh Compound-B”), has significantly higher binding in subjects diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) compared to nondemented controls. The authors used this imaging technique to investigate whether abnormal binding occurs in clinically normal individuals, prior to the development of cognitive changes. Methods: Forty-one nondemented subjects (age range 20 to 86 years) and 10 patients with DAT (age range 66 to 86 years) underwent [11C]PIB PET scanning. Regions of interest were drawn on the MRI over the cerebellar, prefrontal, lateral temporal, occipital, gyrus rectus, precuneus, and striatal cortex. Binding potential values (BPs), proportional to the density of [11C]PIB-Aβ binding sites, were calculated using the Logan graphical analysis and the cerebellar cortex for a reference tissue. Results: Patients with DAT had elevated BP values vs nondemented subjects (p < 0.0001). Four of the 41 nondemented subjects had elevated cortical BP values and their BP values as a group were not significantly different from the DAT subjects' BP values. Two of these four nondemented subjects had [11C]PIB uptake, both visually and quantitatively, that was indistinguishable from the DAT subjects. Conclusions: Elevated [11C]PIB binding in nondemented subjects suggests that [11C]PIB amyloid imaging may be sensitive for detection of a preclinical Alzheimer disease state. Longitudinal studies will be required to determine the association of elevated [11C]PIB binding and risk of developing dementia of the Alzheimer type.
An alternative pseudolikelihood method for multivariate random-effects meta-analysis

Recently, multivariate random‐effects meta‐analysis models have received a great deal of attention, despite its greater complexity compared to univariate meta‐analyses. One of its advantages is its ability to account for the within‐study and between‐study correlations. However, the standard inference procedures, such as the maximum likelihood or maximum restricted likelihood inference, require the within‐study correlations, which are usually unavailable. In addition, the standard inference procedures suffer from the problem of singular estimated covariance matrix. In this paper, we propose a pseudolikelihood method to overcome the aforementioned problems. The pseudolikelihood method does not require within‐study correlations and is not prone to singular covariance matrix problem. In addition, it can properly estimate the covariance between pooled estimates for different outcomes, which enables valid inference on functions of pooled estimates, and can be applied to meta‐analysis where some studies have outcomes missing completely at random. Simulation studies show that the pseudolikelihood method provides unbiased estimates for functions of pooled estimates, well‐estimated standard errors, and confidence intervals with good coverage probability. Furthermore, the pseudolikelihood method is found to maintain high relative efficiency compared to that of the standard inferences with known within‐study correlations. We illustrate the proposed method through three meta‐analyses for comparison of prostate cancer treatment, for the association between paraoxonase 1 activities and coronary heart disease, and for the association between homocysteine level and coronary heart disease. © 2014 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Residents' perceptions of communication skills in postgraduate medical training programs of Pakistan.

BACKGROUND The importance of communication skills in postgraduate medical training is likely to be highlighted given the convergence of research and educational forces. Assessment of these skills in residency training is vital since it can provide basis for policy undertaking among Pakistani medical academia for improving postgraduate training programs. AIM To assess the perceived status of communication skills of residents in different specialties. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross sectional survey was conducted in four teaching hospitals of Karachi between July 1999 and January 2001. A total of 455 residents in different residency programs were contacted. Residents registered both with College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan and Postgraduate Medical Education office of selected hospitals were included in this study. Responses of residents were obtained on 5-point Likert scale. Indices were formed for three components of communication skills: informative, affective and professional communication. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Differences between residents' groups were assessed through analysis of variance. RESULTS Total informative communication index was lowest for multi-disciplinary (12.05, SD = 4.87) and highest for surgical (15.27, SD = 2.51) residents. Total affective index was lowest for multi-disciplinary (12.58, SD = 5.68) and highest for medical (15.74, SD = 3.59) residents. The group differences for four groups of residency programs were not statistically significant for either professional attributes separately or for the total professional index. CONCLUSIONS The residency programs must establish goals, process and outcomes to incorporate communication skills in postgraduate medical training since this can enhance residents' performance as effective health care providers. Accomplishment of better communication skills can be achieved if the importance of its teaching and training is valued by residency program coordinators.
GROUP‐BASED SYMPTOM TRAJECTORIES IN INDICATED PREVENTION OF ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION

Adolescent depression prevention research has focused on mean intervention outcomes, but has not considered heterogeneity in symptom course. Here, we empirically identify subgroups with distinct trajectories of depressive symptom change among adolescents enrolled in two indicated depression prevention trials and examine how cognitive‐behavioral (CB) interventions and baseline predictors relate to trajectory membership.
Randomly Connected Networks Have Short Temporal Memory

The brain is easily able to process and categorize complex time-varying signals. For example, the two sentences, “It is cold in London this time of year” and “It is hot in London this time of year,” have different meanings, even though the words hot and cold appear several seconds before the ends of the two sentences. Any network that can tell these sentences apart must therefore have a long temporal memory. In other words, the current state of the network must depend on events that happened several seconds ago. This is a difficult task, as neurons are dominated by relatively short time constants—tens to hundreds of milliseconds. Nevertheless, it was recently proposed that randomly connected networks could exhibit the long memories necessary for complex temporal processing. This is an attractive idea, both for its simplicity and because little tuning of recurrent synaptic weights is required. However, we show that when connectivity is high, as it is in the mammalian brain, randomly connected networks cannot exhibit temporal memory much longer than the time constants of their constituent neurons.
Representation and Reality in the Portrayal of Blacks on Network Television News

This paper probes the images of African Americans in a thirty-day sample of videotaped news programs on ABC, CBS, and NBC, and in a computer analysis of verbatim transcripts of ABC's nightly news program for one year. Network news appears to convey more stereotyped impressions — a narrower range of positive roles — for blacks than for whites. Representations of whites in network news are more varied and more positive than of blacks, not because of conscious bias, but because of the way conventional journalistic norms and practices interact with political and social reality. The findings raise theoretical and normative questions about journalists' ability to “represent” the “reality” of black America while adhering to the professional practices that currently shape network news.
Classification and Framing of the Curriculum in Evangelical Christian and Muslim Schools in England and The Netherlands

This article examines some of the ways that Muslim and evangelical Christian schools in England and The Netherlands deal with religious education. Various schools take different views about how aspects of religious belief should be taught and how Christian or Muslim belief should be related to the wider curriculum of the school. While some of the schools have attempted to integrate, for example, evangelical Christianity throughout the whole of the curriculum, others have been content to have the religious teaching as a separate component of the curriculum. This paper uses the work of Basil Bernstein to describe and understand the nature of the religious curriculum in these schools. Through a series of case studies of schools and curricula it examines the nature of the curricula and their possible effects on children.
Redesigning work through idiosyncratic deals

This study links idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) to job design theory. It investigates the impact of individually negotiated job changes on performance, self-efficacy, and psychological strain through their intervening effects on work design. Based on a sample of 187 health care professionals employed by a hospital in Germany, three types of work design-related i-deals were investigated: (1) task, (2) career, and (3) flexibility i-deals. Consistent with hypotheses, the three types of i-deal had differential effects on work characteristics, and each in turn related to different outcomes. Specifically, job autonomy mediated the task i-deals—job performance relationship; skill acquisition mediated the career i-deals—occupational self-efficacy relationship; and reduced work overload mediated the flexibility i-deals—emotional and affective irritation relationships. Leader–Member Exchange was confirmed as an antecedent of all three types of i-deals. Task, career, and flexibility i-deals are discussed as ways to make work more intrinsically motivating, ensure one’s professional advancement, and balance workplace stressors.
Sharp Time–Data Tradeoffs for Linear Inverse Problems

In this paper, we characterize sharp time–data tradeoffs for optimization problems used for solving linear inverse problems. We focus on the minimization of a least-squares objective subject to a constraint defined as the sub-level set of a penalty function. We present a unified convergence analysis of the gradient projection algorithm applied to such problems. We sharply characterize the convergence rate associated with a wide variety of random measurement ensembles in terms of the number of measurements and structural complexity of the signal with respect to the chosen penalty function. The results apply to both convex and nonconvex constraints, demonstrating that a linear convergence rate is attainable even though the least squares objective is not strongly convex in these settings. When specialized to Gaussian measurements our results show that such linear convergence occurs when the number of measurements is merely four times the minimal number required to recover the desired signal at all (also known as the phase transition). We also achieve a slower but geometric rate of convergence precisely above the phase transition point. Extensive numerical results suggest that the derived rates exactly match the empirical performance.
Customer stressors in service organizations: The impact of age on stress management and burnout

This study examined the impact of age on stress management strategies and burnout as a response to customer stressors. Questionnaire data from 273 retail sector employees revealed that age is negatively related to customer stressors but no direct relationships were found with stress management strategies. Moderation analysis revealed no pattern of interaction between customer stressors and age on burnout, although the older retail employees were less likely to experience cynicism when exposed to disliked customers. A key finding of this study is that older employees’ stress management strategies of emotion control and active coping had a more positive effect on emotional exhaustion and cynicism compared to younger employees. As with previous studies few significant results were found for professional efficacy. The stress management strategies of humour and downplay had limited interaction effects with age. Exploratory analyses of three-way interactions between humour and downplay, customer stressors, and age on burnout revealed systematic findings in the expected direction in high stress situations with younger employees less successfully using these strategies to reduce levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism. This article shows the competencies of older employees and argues against the deficits of older workers. Practical implications for organizations and supervisors are discussed.
Traditional African Religion in Natural Resources Conservation and Management in Cross River State, Nigeria

This article assessed the roles Traditional African Religion can play in the conservation and management of natural resources especially forest resources in Cross River State Nigeria. Some religious practices in the African Traditional Religion like methods worship, initiation rites, and the invocation of the sacred powers of the supreme beings, how these gods communicate their will to humans through the chief priests and how the gods are atoned if provoked were examined. The stronghold of African religion rests wholly on the ascription of psychic powers to any part of the natural environment as the abodes of the gods and goddesses of the land and the protection of these abodes of the gods/goddesses. The protection of the abodes of the gods from entrance, utilization and exploitation overtly or covertly encourages conservation and management of natural resources. Forbidden areas associated with worship contribute to natural resources conservation and management in Cross River State. These African traditional religious strategies for natural resource conservation and management have somehow been eroded by acculturation and enculturation of most African communities through the introduction of Christianity as a modern way of worship. The use of literature review and personal interviews was adopted by the authors for the study. The authors recommended a re-visitation of the principles of traditional African religious practices where modern conservation programs could integrate traditional knowledge systems into their activities in the conservation and management of our natural resources.
Nucleotide sequence analysis of NIPBL gene in Indian Cornelia de Lange syndrome cases

BACKGROUND: Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a multisystem developmental disorder in children. The disorder is caused mainly due to mutations in Nipped-B-like protein. The molecular data for CdLS is available from developed countries, but not available in developing countries like India. In the present study, the hotspot region of NIPBL gene was screened by Polymerase Chain Reaction which includes exon 2, 22, 42, and a biggest exon 10, in six CdLS patients and ten controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The method adopted in present study was amplification of the target exon by using polymerase chain reaction, qualitative confirmation of amplicons by Agarose Gel Electrophoresis and use of amplicons for Conformation Sensitive Gel Electrophoresis to find heteroduplex formation followed by sequencing. RESULTS: We report two polymorphisms in the studied region of gene NIPBL. The polymorphisms are in the region of intron 1 and in exon 10. The polymorphism C/A is present in intron 1 region and polymorphism T/G in exon 10. CONCLUSION: The intronic region polymorphism may have a role in intron splicing whereas the polymorphism in exon 10 results in amino acid change (Val to Gly). These polymorphisms are disease associated as these are found in CdLS patients only and not in controls.