Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arguments, contradictions, resistances, and conceptual change in students' understanding of atomic structure

Most general chemistry courses and textbooks emphasize experimental details and lack a history and philosophy of science perspective. The objective of this study is to facilitate freshman general chemistry students' understanding of atomic structure based on the work of Thomson, Rutherford, and Bohr. It is hypothesized that classroom discussions based on arguments/counterarguments of the “heuristic principles,” on which these scientists based their atomic models, can facilitate students' conceptual understanding. This study is based on 160 freshman students enrolled in six sections of General Chemistry I (three sections formed part of the experimental group). All three models (Thomson, Rutherford, and Bohr) were presented to the experimental and control group students in the traditional manner, as found in most textbooks. After this, the three sections of the experimental group participated in the discussion of six items with alternative responses. Students were first asked to select a response and then participate in classroom discussions leading to arguments in favor or against the selected response and finally select a new response. Three weeks after having discussed the six items, both the experimental and control groups presented a monthly exam (based on the three models) and after another 3 weeks a semester exam. Results obtained show that given the opportunity to argue and discuss, students' understanding can go beyond the simple regurgitation of experimental details. Performance of the experimental group showed contradictions, resistances, and progressive conceptual change with considerable and consistent improvement in the last item. It is concluded that if we want our students to understand scientific progress and practice, then it is important that we include the experimental details not as a “rhetoric of conclusions” (Schwab, 1962, The teaching of science as enquiry, Cambridge, MA, Harward University Press; Schwab, 1974, Conflicting conceptions of curriculum, Berkeley, CA, McCutchan) but as “heuristic principles” (Lakatos, 1970, Criticism and the growth of knowledge, Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, pp. 91–195), which were based on arguments, controversies, and interpretations of the scientists. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed86:505–525, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10035
The influence of appraisals in understanding children's experiences with medical procedures.

OBJECTIVE To examine the influence of cognitive appraisals on anticipatory anxiety, procedural distress, and postprocedural evaluations in 100 children (ages 8-17) undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). METHOD Children's knowledge about the procedure, appraisals of the procedure's aversiveness, coping ability, and state anxiety prior to the procedure were assessed by self-report. Distress during the EGD was assessed by observer ratings. Postprocedural evaluations were assessed by self-report 1 hour after the procedure. RESULTS Structural equation modeling indicated that children who knew more about the EGD appraised it as less threatening, and, in turn, children who appraised the procedure as less threatening experienced less anxiety. Decreased anxiety was associated with decreased distress, which, in turn, was associated with decreased pain, evaluations of less aversiveness, and less negative attitudes toward future procedures. CONCLUSIONS This study has implications for how children are prepared for EGDs and supports the utility of an appraisal-based model in understanding children's experiences with medical procedures.
Smart tablet for smart self-administered treatment of verb anomia: two single-case studies in aphasia

Background: Studies of verb anomia therapy in poststroke aphasia are rare, even though verbs are central to speech. In the great majority of studies, a traditional face-to-face setting with phonological, semantic, and/or sensorimotor cues is used to enhance lexical access. Technology-based therapy is expanding rapidly and has the potential to help individuals with aphasia improve verb retrieval abilities. Aims: This study aimed to assess the treatment outcome of and satisfaction with a therapy for verb anomia in chronic poststroke aphasia using a tablet for self-administered treatment at home. Methods & Procedures: Single-case studies were conducted with two participants who presented with chronic poststroke verb anomia. The following four phases were completed: (1) baseline measures; (2) training on the use of the tablet; (3) self-administered therapy with the tablet; and (4) follow-up, generalisation, and rating of the therapy measures. Twenty self-administered sessions were completed. Outcomes & Results: A significant improvement in verb naming was observed for the two participants following therapy. No generalisation was found for untreated verbs or for treated verbs in a novel task. Both participants were very satisfied with the self-administered treatment using a tablet. Conclusions: The use of tablet-based therapy to improve verb naming could be an interesting way to enhance rehabilitation of acquired language deficits. New technologies are promising and further studies are needed to demonstrate their usefulness and determine the pros and cons of using them in clinical settings.
A Test of Beck's Cognitive Diathesis-Stress Theory of Depression in Early Adolescents

The current study tested the diathesis-stress component of Beck's cognitive theory of depression in a sample of early adolescents. The study also examined whether high levels of social support and self-esteem buffer against depressive reactions in children with high levels of dysfunctional attitudes. At Time 1, 184 seventh graders completed measures assessing dysfunctional attitudes, social support, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms. Six weeks later, they completed measures assessing depressive symptoms and hassles. In support of Beck's theory, higher levels of dysfunctional attitudes were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Contrary to hypotheses, however, dysfunctional attitudes served as a vulnerability to depressive reactions following negative events in children with high but not low levels of self-esteem. Similarly, contrary to hypotheses, dysfunctional attitudes served as a vulnerability to depressive reactions following negative events in children with high but not low levels of social support. Results are interpreted within a self-esteem lability framework.
Disaffected learners and school musical culture: an opportunity for inclusion

In order to understand why adolescents who fail in all other subjects can be highly engaged with music learning, a case study was conducted in a compulsory general music class at a Spanish public secondary school. In the context of this study, the students' general disengagement from learning seemed to be a reaction to teachers' declarative, textbook-based, teaching strategies. Contrastingly, the music teacher had generated student enthusiasm through an inclusive pedagogy in which the principle of `music for all' created the expectation of the orchestral performance of arrangements for percussion instruments in 4 to 12 parts of pop, classical and film music by each class. The subject narrative, `the goal is the concert', was shared both by the teacher and the students, and had been widely accepted as an important part of the school culture. Through observations and video-stimulated interviews with the teacher, the students, parents and administrators, it was found that although the group of students rejected the school academic culture, in the end they decided to work diligently to be included in the school musical culture.
Ethnic Identity and the Labour Market 1 Ethnic Identity and the Labour Market

We examine the consequences of ethnic identity on getting a job. We define ethnic identity as the attachment to the group who shares one’s ancestral heritage, and use a direct measure of the depth of ethnic identity based on a survey question which asks “is your ethnic origin very important to you, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important”. This measure is used to explore how ethnic identity affects two labour market processes often presumed to depend on it: the use of informal networks to find jobs, and the quality of jobs found. We find that for European ethnic minorities, the depth of ethnic identity is positively correlated with the propensity to use informal methods to find jobs. This is consistent with ethnic identity playing a role in ethnically based job-finding networks. We find also that for visible minority men, ethnic identity is correlated with much lower occupational prestige. This is consistent with ethnic identity being correlated with behaviour that serves to separate ethnic minorities from majority populations. 1 Corresponding author: Krishna Pendakur, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University, pendakur@sfu.ca; and Ravi Pendakur, Strategic Directions Branch, Social Development Canada. Krishna Pendakur acknowledges the financial support of the Center for Excellence on Research on Immigration and Integration in the Metropolis and of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The authors wish to acknowledge the intellectual support of our colleagues on this work: George Akerlof, Edward Glaeser, Rachel Kranton, Brian Krauth, Ted Miguel, Clyde Reed and Dick Stanley. Ethnic Identity and the Labour Market 2
Intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes, loyalty and buying intention: an analysis for a PDO product

Purpose – To examine the influence of the perceived quality of a protected designation of origin (PDO) product on consumer loyalty and buying intentions.Design/methodology/approach – The study examines the relationships between intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes, loyalty and buying intention. Information was obtained from an initial qualitative approach based on a group dynamic to allow the development of scales to quantify the different concepts. Personal interviews were then conducted with 251 consumers based on a structured questionnaire.Findings – The study reveals the existence of a positive and significant relationship between the extrinsic attributes of a traditional food product and loyalty expressed by consumers. It also shows that the perceived quality associated with the intrinsic attributes of the product has a positive and significant influence on buying intentions.Practical implications – The PDO should seek to foster the perceived quality of intrinsic attributes in order to enhance .
Engendering local democracy: The impact of quotas for women in India's panchayats

In 1992, India's Parliament enacted two constitutional amendments that sought to democratize local governance and engender it through quota-based reservations for women. This article asks whether participation in these institutions has enabled women to articulate and advance their interests. To evaluate this, the article deploys the distinction in feminist literature between strategic and practical gender interests. Through a survey of a wide range of studies conducted in different parts of India it points to the constraints, both of institutional design as well as of social inequalities of gender and caste, that inhibit a fuller and more effective participation by women. There is nevertheless evidence to suggest that the quotas have enabled women to address their practical gender needs and interests, even if the articulation and realization of strategic interests is moving at a somewhat slower pace.
Self- and Collective Interests in Public Organizations: An Empirical Investigation

Organization and management scholars have long been interested in the question of how to get individual employees to contribute high levels of effort and performance to their organization's collective interests. In addressing this issue, a primary assumption held by many scholars is that self-interests and collective interests are in conflict, such that appropriate control and incentive mechanisms must be utilized to ensure that employees act in the organization's interest. In contrast, other scholars have assumed that there is no inherent conflict between individual and collective interests, such that employees are readily inclined to contribute to the organization's well-being. These two theoretical orientations—labeled here as the rational-economic and humanistic views—thus constitute well-established yet contradictory perspectives regarding the nature of and relation between self- and collective interests. This study empirically investigates the nature of the relation between self- and collective interests as perceived by employees themselves. Analysis of data collected from a sample of graduate students in public service-oriented programs at a major university reveals a complex and somewhat paradoxical picture of the nature of the conflicts of interest they experience at work. Findings reveal that, in most cases, the self-interests identified by respondents do not necessarily run counter to the organization's overall interests, in that they reflect a desire to make a useful contribution to the performance of their organization. These findings suggest that the assumption of an inherent conflict between self- and collective interests is not always valid, particularly in a public sector context, and that organizational designs and managerial strategies should take into account the fact that many employees want to contribute more to their organization than they are given the opportunity to do.
Recent research advances in Reinforcement Learning in Spoken Dialogue Systems

Abstract This paper will summarize and analyze the work of the different research groups who have recently made significant contributions in using Reinforcement Learning techniques to learn dialogue strategies for Spoken Dialogue Systems (SDSs). This use of stochastic planning and learning has become an important research area in the past 10 years, since it promises automatic data-driven optimization of the behavior of SDSs that were previously hand-coded by expert developers. We survey the most important developments in the field, compare and contrast the different approaches, and describe current open problems.
Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Iranian Researchers’ Scientific Production in Dentistry Subfields

Background: As in other fields of medicine, scientific production in the field of dentistry has significant placement. This study aimed at quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating Iranian researchers’ scientific output in the field of dentistry and determining their contribution in each of dentistry subfields and branches. Methods: This research was a scientometric study that applied quantitative and qualitative indices of Web of Science (WoS). Research population consisted of927indexed documents published under the name of Iran in the time span of 1993-2012 which were extracted from WoS on 10 March 2013. The Mann-Whitney test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to data analyses in SPSS 19. Results: 777 (83. 73%) of indexed items of all scientific output in WoS were scientific articles. The highest growth rate of scientific productionwith90% belonged to endodontic sub field. The correlation coefficient test showed that there was a significant positive relationship between the number of documents and their publication age (P < 0. 0001). There was a significant difference between the mean number of published articles in the first ten- year (1993-2003) and that of the second one (2004-2013), in favor of the latter (P = 0. 001). Conclusions: The distribution frequencies of scientific production in various subfields of dentistry were very different. It needs to reinforce the infrastructure for more balanced scientific production in the field and its related subfields.
Assessment of orthodontic treatment needs of Iraqi Kurdish teenagers using the Dental Aesthetic Index.

This oral health survey aimed to determine the orthodontic treatment needs of teenagers in Sulaimaniya, Iraq. A clinical examination was made of a random sample of 998 Kurdish schoolchildren aged 13 years. Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) scores ranged from 13 to 65, with a mean of 25.4 (SD 9.2). From these scores, treatment needs were assessed as: no or slight need 58.6%, elective 18.5%, highly desirable 12.5% and mandatory (handicapping malocclusion) 10.3%. Highly desirable or mandatory treatment need (DAI ≥ 31) was found in equal proportions of males (23.2%) and females (22.6%), but in more rural (25.1%) than urban (20.6%) residents. بسنم مادختساب داركلأا ينيقارعلا ينقهارلما ىدل نانسلأل ةيميوقتلا ةلجاعملل تاجايتحلاا مييقت ينسلا ليمجتلا ديشر ليع ةرات ،يزيولحا لصيف مركأ نانسلأل ةيميوقتلا ةلجاعملل تاجايتحلاا لىع فرعتلا مفلا ةحص لوانت يذلا حسلما اذه فده :ةـصلالخا 998 مضت ةيئاوشع ةنيعل اصحف نوثحابلا ىرجأ دقو . قارعلا في ،ةينمايلسلا في ينقهارلما ىدل )سايق تاجرد( زارحأ نأ اودجو دقو ؛رمعلا نم اماع 13 نوغلبي نيذلا ،ةيدركلا سرادلما لافطأ نم .)9.2 هرادقم يرايعم فارحناب( 25.4 اله يطسولا غلبيو 65 و 13 ينب حواترت ينسلا ليمجتلا بسنم وأ تاجايتحا دجوت لا :لياتلا هجولا لىع ةلجاعملل تاجايتحلاا نوثحابلا م هذه نم اقلاطناو ةيرابجإ تاجايتحا ، %12.5 ةدشب ةبوغرم تاجايتحا ،
Neuronal Activity, TGF&bgr;-Signaling and Unpredictable Chronic Stress Modulate Transcription of Gadd45 Family Members and DNA Methylation in the Hippocampus

Neuronal activity is altered in several neurological and psychiatric diseases. Upon depolarization not only neurotransmitters are released but also cytokines and other activators of signaling cascades. Unraveling their complex implication in transcriptional control in receiving cells will contribute to understand specific central nervous system (CNS) pathologies and will be of therapeutically interest. In this study we depolarized mature hippocampal neurons in vitro using KCl and revealed increased release not only of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) but also of transforming growth factor beta (TGFB). Neuronal activity together with BDNF and TGFB controls transcription of DNA modifying enzymes specifically members of the DNA-damage-inducible (Gadd) family, Gadd45a, Gadd45b, and Gadd45g. MeDIP followed by massive parallel sequencing and transcriptome analyses revealed less DNA methylation upon KCl treatment. Psychiatric disorder-related genes, namely Tshz1, Foxn3, Jarid2, Per1, Map3k5, and Arc are transcriptionally activated and demethylated upon neuronal activation. To analyze whether misexpression of Gadd45 family members are associated with psychiatric diseases, we applied unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) as established model for depression to mice. UCMS led to reduced expression of Gadd45 family members. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Gadd45 family members are new putative targets for UCMS treatments.
Dual effects of Rho-kinase inhibitors on a rat model of inflammatory pain

Rho-kinases are a class of enzyme that have been implicated in the response to painful stimuli including heat and cold. The authors of this study performed experiments to assess the effects of inhibition of rho-kinases (using two small-molecule inhibitors) on nociceptive responses and edema formation in a rat model of peripheral nociception.
Contribution of genetic and environmental factors to individual differences in maximal walking speed with and without second task in older women.

BACKGROUND Among older people, distraction while walking may increase the risk of falls. Factors underlying individual differences in dual tasking are not fully understood. Our aim was to study the effect of a second task on maximal walking speed and to examine whether individual differences in walking speed measured with and without a second task are accounted for by genetic and environmental influences shared across tasks or specific to each task. METHODS The data were collected from the 101 monozygotic and 116 dizygotic twin pairs aged 63-76 years recruited from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Maximal walking speed (MWS) over 10 m was measured on a laboratory corridor and timed with photocells. The test was repeated while subjects performed, first, a manual task (MWSmanual) and, second, a verbal task (MWSverbal). RESULTS Mean walking speed without a simultaneous task was 1.72 m/s (standard deviation [SD] 0.33), with a manual task it was 1.52 m/s (SD 0.26), and with a verbal task it was 1.36 m/s (SD 0.27). Multivariate genetic analysis showed that an additive genetic factor in common accounted for 17% of individual differences in MWS, 19% in MWSmanual, and 12% in MWSverbal. In addition, MWSverbal had a genetic factor specific to it accounting for 10% of the variance. Shared environmental influences, common to all three traits, accounted for 39%, 27%, and 21% of the individual differences, respectively. CONCLUSION Approximately half of the individual differences in walking with or without another task were accounted for by genetic and nongenetic familial effects in common, and the rest of the variation was accounted for by unique environmental factors in common and factors specific to walking tests.
Feature hierarchies for object classification

The paper describes a method for automatically extracting informative feature hierarchies for object classification, and shows the advantage of the features constructed hierarchically over previous methods. The extraction process proceeds in a top-down manner: informative top-level fragments are extracted first, and by a repeated application of the same feature extraction process the classification fragments are broken down successively into their own optimal components. The hierarchical decomposition terminates with atomic features that cannot be usefully decomposed into simpler features. The entire hierarchy, the different features and sub-features, and their optimal parameters, are learned during a training phase using training examples. Experimental comparisons show that these feature hierarchies are significantly more informative and better for classification compared with similar nonhierarchical features as well as previous methods for using feature hierarchies.
Facing Challenges during Occupation: Middle Eastern Immigrants' Paths to Occupational Well-Being in Sweden

Occupational well-being is a central issue underpinning factors that constitute a good life. This study aimed to explore occupational well-being among Middle Eastern immigrants to Sweden, as reflected in the occupations performed in the context of psychosocial health care. Ten participants experiencing mental health issues, who received occupation-based rehabilitation, were interviewed. Grounded theory methods for data collection and analysis were employed. The core category, being empowered by getting support – a paradoxical pathway to occupational well-being, described the participants' experiences of striving for empowerment and at the same time desiring support. The core category comprised the categories: striving for control, grasping the meaning in occupation, and striving for self-respect. The participants' ambivalence in relation to empowerment and support reflected the realities and truths embedded in both collective and individualist cultural views, which influenced the ways they viewed themselves in relation to their occupational needs and occupational well-being. Moreover, findings indicated that oscillating between different cultural views related to occupational needs might amplify or diminish the participants' experiences of occupational well-being, depending on the type of support received.