Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Education or pedagogy

This paper explores the meaning of education in contrast with ‘pedagogy’. Whereas education can be defined as ‘learning for its own sake’, pedagogy can be defined as learning oriented towards social goals. An attempt to find an adequate conceptualisation is first of all sought in Aristotle, but his concept of education is found to depend on too narrow a concept of rational activity. A more adequate conceptualisation is found in Michael Oakeshott's contrast between morality and enterprise associations. However Oakeshott's definition of education needs modifying if it is to take account of the idea of critical knowing, which is seen as crucial to any definition of education.
The norm of internality in the explanation of psychological events

The norm of internality is defined as a social valorization of explanations of behaviours (attribution) and outcomes (locus of control) which emphazise the causal role of the actor. It is shown in this paper: (1) that internal explanations are linked to self-presentation strategies; (2) that internal explanations are more often selected by middle-class subjects; (3) that these explanations are learned by children and by adults in psycho-socio-educational settings. Finally, the norm of internality is assumed to be linked to social practices (evaluation practices).
Film, Culture and Identity: Critical Intercultural Literacies for the Language Classroom

Abstract Language teaching in the last 10–15 years has seen a shift away from the communicative approach and towards the paradigm of intercultural (communicative) competence. It has also been influenced by a broader educational shift away from an emphasis on print literacy and towards multiliteracies. At the same time, we have witnessed the rise of interrelated sociocultural and critical discourses which have made their presence felt, somewhat belatedly, in the areas of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL). Film is an ideal medium through which to exploit the tools offered by sociocultural and critical discourses for the exploration of visual literacy and intercultural perspectives. Such exploration, it is suggested, should take place with full awareness of the transformational power of language learning which can, on the one hand, stimulate students’ exploration of their own identities and, on the other, help prepare them for global citizenship. The model of intercultural literacies proposed here seeks to tie together these strands of possibility and serve as a practical guide for the pedagogical use of films in language courses. It is, more broadly, applicable to the use of any nontraditional literacies in developing students’ intercultural competence. Depuis 10 à 15 ans, l'enseignement des langues a connu le revirement d'une perspective axée sur la communication vers un modèle de compétence de la communication interculturelle. L'enseignement a aussi été influencé par un mouvement plus général qui tend à diminuer l'importance de la compétence écrite et à donner plus de poids à des multicompétences linguistiques. En même temps, nous avons été témoins de la montée de discours socioculturels et critiques qui sont en corrélation et qui se sont fait sentir avec quelque retard dans le cadre de Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) [Enseigner l'anglais à ceux qui parlent une autre langue] et de Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) [Les langues vivantes étrangères]. Le film est un véhicule idéal pour exploiter les outils que les discours socioculturels et critiques offrent pour l'exploration de la culture visuelle et des perspectives interculturelles. Une telle exploration, suggérons-nous, devrait se faire avec la pleine conscience du pouvoir transformationnel de l'apprentissage d'une langue, qui peut d'un côté stimuler les étudiants à explorer leur propre identité, et d'un autre côté les aider à se préparer pour une citoyenneté mondiale. Le modèle d'apprentissage interculturel proposé ici vise à rassembler ces échantillons de possibilité et servira de guide pratique à l'usage pédagogique de films dans les cours de langue. De façon plus générale, ce modèle est applicable à tout apprentissage de langue nontraditionnel pour développer la compétence interculturelle des étudiants.
A numerical approach to stochastic reach-avoid problems for Markov Decision Processes

We consider finite horizon reach-avoid problems for discrete time stochastic systems with additive Gaussian mixture noise. Our goal is to approximate the optimal value function of such problems on dimensions higher than what can be handled via state-space gridding techniques. We achieve this by relaxing the recursive equations of the finite horizon reach-avoid optimal control problem into inequalities, projecting the optimal value function to a finite dimensional basis and sampling the associated infinite set of constraints. We focus on a specific value function parametrization using Gaussian radial basis functions that enables the analytical computation of the one-step reach-avoid reward in the case of hyper-rectangular safe and target sets, achieving significant computational benefits compared to state-space gridding. We analyze the performance of the overall method numerically by approximating simple reach-avoid control problems and comparing the results to benchmark controllers based on well-studied methods. The full power of the method is demonstrated on a nonlinear control problem inspired from constrained path planning for autonomous race cars.
Proteus mirabilis biofilms and catheter-associated urinary tract infections

Proteus mirabilis inhabits the environment and causes a number of infections including those of the skin, respiratory tract, wounds and urinary tract. These organisms express virulence factors associated with adhesion, motility, immunoavoidance, nutrient acquisition, host damage, as well as biofilm formation. P. mirabilis produces biofilms in diverse habitats with those formed in the human host playing a key role in indwelling device infections. The most studied P. mirabilis biofilms are those formed when the organism is grown in urine, resulting in unique features including the presence of swarmer cells and struvite and hydroxyapatite crystals upon growth in urine. Factors relevant to P. mirabilis biofilm formation include adhesion factors, proteins involved in LPS production, transporters, transcription factors, two component systems, communication factors and enzymes. P. mirabilis biofilm research will lead to a better understanding of the disease process and will subsequently lead to the development of new prevention, and treatment options.
Thiamine biosynthesis in algae is regulated by riboswitches

In bacteria, many genes involved in the biosynthesis of cofactors such as thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) are regulated by ribo switches, regions in the 5′ end of mRNAs to which the cofactor binds, thereby affecting translation and/or transcription. TPP riboswitches have now been identified in fungi, in which they alter mRNA splicing. Here, we show that addition of thiamine to cultures of the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii alters splicing of transcripts for the THI4 and THIC genes, encoding the first enzymes of the thiazole and pyrimidine branches of thiamine biosynthesis, respectively, concomitant with an increase in intracellular thiamine and TPP levels. Comparison with Volvox carteri, a related alga, revealed highly conserved regions within introns of these genes. Inspection of the sequences identified TPP riboswitch motifs, and RNA transcribed from the regions binds TPP in vitro. The THI4 riboswitch, but not the promoter region, was found to be necessary and sufficient for thiamine to repress expression of a luciferase-encoding reporter construct in vivo. The pyr1 mutant of C. reinhardtii, which is resistant to the thiamine analogue pyrithiamine, has a mutation in the THI4 riboswitch that prevents the THI4 gene from being repressed by TPP. By the use of these ribo switches, thiamine biosynthesis in C. reinhardtii can be effectively regulated at physiological concentrations of the vitamin.
The Importance of Confirmatory Validation: Short Version of the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale

Herek’s Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men-Short Version (ATLG-S) is widely used in research about anti-lesbian/gay bias (formerly called homophobia), yet the scale has not been validated with rigorous methods. This study addresses weaknesses identified in the original validation studies, specifically to verify the instrument’s factor structure in samples of students in social work and other helping professions. We performed an exploratory factor analysis to determine if the factor structure would be reproduced as Herek had hypothesized. We tested the resulting model and a variety of other possible models using confirmatory factor analysis with a different sample. In addition, we tested for evidence of internal consistency reliability, convergent construct, known groups, and predictive validity. The exploratory factor analysis supported the single factor structure but the confirmatory factor analysis did not, requiring excessive and inappropriate error term correlations to obtain acceptable model fit. Despite outdated items, the scale was reliable and otherwise empirically valid. We conclude that the ATLG-S has both conceptual and empirical problems that should be considered before use with a socially progressive sample. We suggest that the development of the ATLG and the ATLG-S is a cautionary tale illustrating the importance of a priori theoretical conceptualization of the latent construct to be measured. Further, we recommend that researchers, practitioners, and educators not assume a measure’s validity, and especially a short version of a validated longer measure, just because the measure appears frequently in the literature.
Multiple mechanisms govern the dynamics of depression at neocortical synapses of young rats

Synaptic transmission between pairs of excitatory neurones in layers V (N= 38) or IV (N= 6) of somatosensory cortex was examined in a parasagittal slice preparation obtained from young Wistar rats (14–18 days old). A combined experimental and theoretical approach reveals two characteristics of short‐term synaptic depression. Firstly, as well as a release‐dependent depression, there is a release‐independent component that is evident in smaller postsynaptic responses even following failure to release transmitter. Secondly, recovery from depression is activity dependent and is faster at higher input frequencies. Frequency‐dependent recovery is a Ca2+‐dependent process and does not reflect an underlying augmentation. Frequency‐dependent recovery and release‐independent depression are correlated, such that at those connections with a large amount of release‐independent depression, recovery from depression is faster. In addition, both are more pronounced in experiments performed at physiological temperatures. Simulations demonstrate that these homeostatic properties allow the transfer of rate information at all frequencies, essentially linearizing synaptic responses at high input frequencies.
Differences Among Teachers in a Task Characterized by Simultaneity, Multidimensional, and Immediacy

Expert, beginning, and novice teachers viewed three television monitors, each focusing on a work group of a junior high science class, simultaneously. Participants expressed their thoughts as they viewed the monitors, indicated the monitor to which they were referring, and answered questions about classroom management and instruction. Differences among the groups were found in their perceptions, monitoring, and understanding of classroom events characterized by simultaneity, multidimensionality, and immediacy. This study illustrates how more than content knowledge is required for successful teaching, and that learning to teach requires a great deal of time. Findings from this study have implications for the development of preservice and inservice training programs, which may require redesign to facilitate the development of pedagogical expertise.
Successful principalship: the Swedish case

Over the past three decades, the forces of globalisation – economic, political and cultural – have significantly affected institutions and people across the world: altering in some ways the very terrain of public and private life. Public education has in no small way been challenged by new realities and new demands in an increasingly interdependent yet competitive world environment. School principals are uniquely positioned as formal leaders of diverse and complex educational systems to mediate the often times opposing forces of globalisation and localism with their communities. This article examines school leaders’ understanding of their work and their work role priorities, especially with regard to teaching and learning, within a policy environment characterised by increasingly convergent policy and leadership discourse. Two major questions are addressed, theoretically and empirically: in what ways do school principals in Sweden, which has strong democratic traditions, address the tension between localism and national interests and the press for conformity to new global imperatives and demands; and to what degree, if any, has globalisation created a new hegemony in school leadership? It is concluded that school principals in Sweden respond to questions about their schools without any reference to new global imperatives and demands. Their attention was generally related to national demands. Also, we see no clear evidence that globalisation has created a new hegemony in school leadership in Sweden.
The effect of kindergarten principals’ leadership behaviors on teacher work performance

In this study 732 Taiwanese kindergarten teachers, divided into 4 regional areas: northern, central, southern, and eastern, completed a questionnaire about their work performance and how it is affected by principals’ leadership behaviors. Regression and structural equation modeling analysis showed that the use of empathetic concern by kindergarten principals had a positive effect on teachers’ work performance. Although assertive orders were found to have a positive influence, the correlation with work performance was lower than that with empathetic concern. Rewards and punishments had no significant effect on improving teachers’ work performance. Emotion-based leadership in the form of showing empathetic concern could be used to improve kindergarten teachers’ work performance.
Prolonged exercise-induced stimulation of skeletal muscle glucose uptake is due to sustained increases in tissue perfusion and fractional glucose extraction.

CONTEXT The mechanisms behind the positive effects of physical activity on glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle and the time course of the effects need to be more elucidated. OBJECTIVE The aim was to examine the prolonged effects of an acute bout of one-legged exercise on local skeletal muscle glucose utilization and tissue perfusion. DESIGN AND SETTING Interstitial glucose concentration, local tissue perfusion, glucose uptake, and effects of insulin infusion were studied 12 h after an acute bout of exercise and without prior exercise. PARTICIPANTS Ten healthy subjects, five women and five men, participated in the study. INTERVENTION Microdialysis measurements, (133)Xe clearance, and a 2-h hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp were performed on two occasions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We measured interstitial glucose concentration and tissue perfusion in the quadriceps femoris muscle of both legs. RESULTS Tissue perfusion (3.3 ± 0.6 ml × 100 g(-1) × min(-1) vs. 1.4 ± 0.2 ml × 100 g(-1) × min(-1); P = 0.007) and basal glucose uptake (2.3 ± 0.5 μmol × 100 g(-1) × min(-1) vs. 0.9 ± 0.2 μmol × 100 g(-1) × min(-1); P = 0.006) were increased in the leg that had exercised compared to the resting leg; the findings in the resting leg were comparable to those in the control experiment without prior exercise. The relative effect of insulin on fractional skeletal muscle glucose uptake was the same in all experimental settings, and insulin did not affect tissue perfusion. CONCLUSIONS The prolonged stimulatory effect of physical exercise on skeletal muscle glucose uptake was mediated via vascular effects combined with an increase in basal glucose transport independent of enhancement of insulin responses.
Transcranial Infrared Laser Therapy Improves Clinical Rating Scores After Embolic Strokes in Rabbits

Background and Purpose— Because photon energy delivered using a low-energy infrared laser may be useful to treat stroke, we determined whether transcranial laser therapy would improve behavioral deficits in a rabbit small clot embolic stroke model (RSCEM). Methods— In this study, the behavioral and physiological effects of laser treatment were measured. The RSCEM was used to assess whether low-energy laser treatment (7.5 or 25 mW/cm2) altered clinical rating scores (behavior) when given to rabbits beginning 1 to 24 hours postembolization. Behavioral analysis was conducted from 24 hours to 21 days after embolization, allowing for the determination of the effective stroke dose (P50) or clot amount (mg) that produces neurological deficits in 50% of the rabbits. Using the RSCEM, a treatment is considered beneficial if it significantly increases the P50 compared with the control group. Results— In the present study, the P50 value for controls were 0.97±0.19 mg to 1.10±0.17 mg; this was increased by 100% to 195% (P50=2.02±0.46 to 2.98±0.65 mg) if laser treatment was initiated up to 6 hours, but not 24 hours, postembolization (P50=1.23±0.15 mg). Laser treatment also produced a durable effect that was measurable 21 days after embolization. Laser treatment (25 mW/cm2) did not affect the physiological variables that were measured. Conclusions— This study shows that laser treatment improved behavioral performance if initiated within 6 hours of an embolic stroke and the effect of laser treatment is durable. Therefore, transcranial laser treatment may be useful to treat human stroke patients and should be further developed.
Spacing and Presentation Modes Affect the Unit-Decade Compatibility Effect During Number Comparison

Abstract. The unit-decade compatibility effect has challenged the model of holistic number magnitude processing, suggesting decomposed processing of multi-digit numbers. Recent evidence confirms that decomposed processing of decade and unit magnitudes occurs in parallel. However, the mode of presentation of multi-digit numbers may affect the processing mode (holistic vs. decomposed, parallel vs. sequential). We therefore investigated in two studies, whether presentation mode (vertical, horizontal, or consecutive) or the distance between two vertically presented numbers affects the unit-decade compatibility effect during number comparison. We found that the compatibility effect did not differ significantly between vertical and horizontal presentation, adding to previous results on perceptual generality, but was nonsignificant with consecutive presentation. However, the compatibility effect was significantly smaller, if numbers are spaced further apart. Thus, stimulus size and distance between numbers affect the processing of multi-digit numbers and should be reported in future studies.
Effect of intranasal vaccination against bovine enteric coronavirus on the occurrence of respiratory tract disease in a commercial backgrounding feedlot.

OBJECTIVE To measure antibody titers against bovine coronavirus (BCV), determine frequency of BCV in nasal swab specimens, and compare calves treated for bovine respiratory tract disease (BRD) between those given an intranasally administered vaccine and control calves. DESIGN Randomized clinical trial. ANIMALS 414 heifer calves. PROCEDURE Intranasal BCV antigen concentration and antibody titer against BCV were measured on entry to a feedlot. Calves were randomly assigned to receive 3.0 mL of a modified-live virus vaccine against bovine enteric coronavirus and rotavirus or 3.0 mL of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Calves were confined to 1 of 2 pens, depending on vaccination status, for a minimum of 17 days of observation (range, 17 to 99). Selection of calves for treatment of BRD and scoring for severity of disease were done by veterinarians unaware of treatment status. RESULTS Intranasal BCV (125/407 [31%]) and serum antibody titers > or = 20 against BCV (246/396 [62%]) were identified in calves entering the feedlot. Vaccination was associated with significant decrease in risk of treatment for BRD; intranasal BCV on entry to the feedlot was associated with increased risk of treatment. Univariate analysis revealed that control calves with intranasal BRD on entry to the feedlot and those with antibody titer < 20 were significantly more likely to be treated for BRD. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE These data provide further evidence of an association between BCV and respiratory tract disease in feedlot calves. An intranasally administered vaccine appeared to reduce risk of treatment for BRD.
A survey of liver pathology in needle biopsies from HBsAg and anti-HBe positive individuals

Aims—To use laboratory data and liver biopsies, prospectively obtained from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe) positive patients, for the assessment of: (1) the relation between biopsy length/number of portal tracts and sampling error; (2) the relation between the severity of piecemeal necrosis and the new grading terminology (minimal, mild, moderate, and severe chronic hepatitis); and (3) liver pathology, which has not been studied in patients with this specific serological profile. Methods—The study group (n = 174) included 104 patients with normal aminotransferase concentrations and no cases with clinically apparent cirrhosis. The specimen length and number of portal tracts were measured at light microscopy examination. Sampling error analysis was related to the discrepancies between aminotransferase concentrations versus histological grade. Detailed histological scorings were undertaken by the reference pathologist and compared with laboratory and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA precore sequence data. Results—Sampling error seemed to be a constant feature, even for biopsies ≥ 20 mm, but increased dramatically in biopsies < 5 mm long and/or containing less than four portal tracts. Between 25% and 30% of biopsies, graded as “mild” or “moderate” activity showed features of moderate and severe piecemeal necrosis, respectively. Ten per cent of the patients with normal aminotransferase values had stage III–IV hepatic fibrosis, and 20% had piecemeal necrosis. Only cytoplasmic, not nuclear, core antigen expression was a strong predictor of high hepatitis B viraemia. There was no association between precore stop codon mutations, grade/stage of liver disease, and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) expression. Conclusions—The specimen available for light microscopical examination should be > 5 mm long and should contain more than four portal tracts. In addition, the new grading terminology might give the clinician an inappropriately mild impression of the severity of piecemeal necrosis. Furthermore, even in the presence of normal aminotransferase concentrations, considerable liver pathology can be found in 10–20% of HBsAg and anti-HBe positive individuals; such pathology is not associated with the occurrence of precore stop codon mutations.