Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and implementation of a simulated cricket batting innings for testing and training

This study followed a repeated-measures design (n = 12, age range 18-22 years) and measured times to run a single: holding the bat in one hand (1H), or „paddling‟ with the bat in two hands (2H); and times to turn when running a two and three run: holding the bat in the stronger hand and turning on the perceived strong side (1H+S); holding the bat in two hands and turning on the perceived strong side (2H+S); or, holding the bat in two hands and turning on the perceived weak side (2H+W). For the singles, time was measured between 0 and 17.7 m. For the 2 and 3 runs, turn time was measured for the 5 m deceleration into and 5 m acceleration out of the 180o turn. Values are mean ± typical error. It was significantly quicker to run a one using the 1H compared to the 2H technique (1H vs. 2H: 3.110 ± 0.099 s vs. 3.165 ± 0.080 s, p = 0.032). There was a significant trial effect for turning in a two (1H+S vs. 2H+S vs. 2H+W: 2.318 ± 0.114 s vs. 2.363 ± 0.098 vs. 2.399 ± 0.097 s; p = 0.027). Similarly, 1H+S was the quickest turn technique when running a three (p = 0.018). The fastest running between the wicket (RbW) technique is to hold the bat in one hand and turn on the perceived strongest side.
Victimization and PTSD in a Lithuanian National Youth Probability Sample

Twenty-one potentially traumatizing and distressing events, and the impact of these events were described in a representative sample of 183 9th grade Lithuanian adolescents (M = 15.1 years). The participants had been directly exposed to a mean of 1.9 events, and indirectly exposed to a mean of 2.4 events. The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 6.1%. Subclinical levels of PTSD reached 12.2%. Results are generally comparable to other European youth studies. Variables pertaining to female gender, living with a single parent, direct and indirect exposure to traumatic events, number of traumatic events, and the temporal proximity of trauma events, predicted higher PTSD levels. Both direct and indirect exposure to traumatic events may lead to subsequent mental health problems and PTSD in adolescents.
A GCN2-Like eIF2α Kinase (LdeK1) of Leishmania donovani and Its Possible Role in Stress Response

Translation regulation in Leishmania parasites assumes significance particularly because they encounter myriad of stresses during their life cycle. The eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) kinases, the well-known regulators of translation initiation in higher eukaryotes have now been found to control various processes in these protozoan parasites as well. Here, we report on cloning and characterization of a GCN2-like eIF2α kinase from L. donovani and also on its modulation during nutrient starvation. We cloned a GCN2-like kinase from L. donovani, which we named as LdeK1 and validated it to be a functional eIF2α kinase by in vitro kinase assay. LdeK1 was found to be localized in the cytoplasm of the promastigotes with a five-fold higher expression in this stage of the parasite as compared to the axenic amastigotes. Phosphorylation of eIF2α and a G1-arrest was observed in response to nutrient starvation in the wild-type parasites. In contrast, phosphorylation was significantly impaired in a dominant-negative mutant of LdeK1 during this stress with a subsequent failure to bring about a G1-arrest during cell cycle. Thus, LdeK1 is a functional GCN2-like kinase of L. donovani which responds to nutrient starvation by phosphorylating its substrate, eIF2α and a G1-arrest in the cell cycle. Nutrient starvation is encountered by the parasites inside the vector which triggers metacyclogenesis. We therefore propose that global translational regulation by activation of LdeK1 followed by eIF2α phosphorylation and G1-arrest during nutrient starvation in the gut of sandfly vector could be one of the mechanisms to retool the cellular machinery required for metacyclogenesis of Leishmania promastigotes.
Gravothermal catastrophe in anisotropic spherical systems

In this paper we investigate the gravothermal instability of spherical stellar systems endowed with a radially anisotropic velocity distribution. We focus our attention on the effects of anisotropy on the conditions for the onset of the instability and in particular we study the dependence of the spatial structure of critical models on the amount of anisotropy present in a system. The investigation has been carried out by the method of linear series which has already been used in the past to study the gravothermal instability of isotropic systems. We consider models described by King, Wilson and Woolley-Dickens distribution functions. In the case of King and Woolley-Dickens models, our results show that, for quite a wide range of amount of anisotropy in the system, the critical value of the concentration of the system (defined as the ratio of the tidal to the King core radius of the system) is approximately constant and equal to the corresponding value for isotropic systems. Only for very anisotropic systems the critical value of the concentration starts to change and it decreases significantly as the anisotropy increases and penetrates the inner parts of the system. For Wilson models the decrease of the concentration of critical models is preceded by an intermediate regime in which critical concentration increases, it reaches a maximum and then it starts to decrease. The critical value of the central potential always decreases as the anisotropy increases.
The Mobile Mathematics Curriculum-based Measurement Application for Elementary Students

The aim of this study was to develop the application software, mathematics curriculum based measurement (iCBM), for children on the mobile tablet device. The iCBM was developed by various mobile technologies. Two features of iCBM were stated in this paper including the online measurement design and the automatically digital scoring rules. To exam students’ perceptions about the use of iCBM system, 34 fifth-grade elementary students participated in the study. The results of this study indicated that students showed the positive attitudes toward using the iCBM system as well as using mobile tablet devices for taking math tests.
Extreme Cranial Ontogeny in the Upper Cretaceous Dinosaur Pachycephalosaurus

Background Extended neoteny and late stage allometric growth increase morphological disparity between growth stages in at least some dinosaurs. Coupled with relatively low dinosaur density in the Upper Cretaceous of North America, ontogenetic transformational representatives are often difficult to distinguish. For example, many hadrosaurids previously reported to represent relatively small lambeosaurine species were demonstrated to be juveniles of the larger taxa. Marginocephalians (pachycephalosaurids + ceratopsids) undergo comparable and extreme cranial morphological change during ontogeny. Methodology/Principal Findings Cranial histology, morphology and computer tomography reveal patterns of internal skull development that show the purported diagnostic characters for the pachycephalosaurids Dracorex hogwartsia and Stygimoloch spinifer are ontogenetically derived features. Coronal histological sections of the frontoparietal dome of an adult Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis reveal a dense structure composed of metaplastic bone with a variety of extremely fibrous and acellular tissue. Coronal histological sections and computer tomography of a skull and frontoparietal dome of Stygimoloch spinifer reveal an open intrafrontal suture indicative of a subadult stage of development. These dinosaurs employed metaplasia to rapidly grow and change the size and shape of their horns, cranial ornaments and frontoparietal domes, resulting in extreme cranial alterations during late stages of growth. We propose that Dracorex hogwartsia, Stygimoloch spinifer and Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis are the same taxon and represent an ontogenetic series united by shared morphology and increasing skull length. Conclusions/Significance Dracorex hogwartsia (juvenile) and Stygimoloch spinifer (subadult) are reinterpreted as younger growth stages of Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis (adult). This synonymy reduces the number of pachycephalosaurid taxa from the Upper Cretaceous of North America and demonstrates the importance of cranial ontogeny in evaluating dinosaur diversity and taxonomy. These growth stages reflect a continuum rather than specific developmental steps defined by “known” terminal morphologies.
Geometry variations analysis of TiO2 thin-film and spintronic memristors

The fourth passive circuit element, memristor, has attracted increased attentions since the first real device was discovered by HP Lab in 2008. Its distinctive characteristic to record the historic profile of the voltage/current through itself creates great potentials in future system design. However, as a nano-scale device, memristor is facing great challenge on process variation control in the manufacturing. In this work, we analyze the impact of the geometry variations on the electrical properties of both TiO2 thin-film and spintronic memristors, including line edge roughness and thickness fluctuation. A simple algorithm was proposed to generate a large volume of geometry variation-aware three-dimensional device structures for Monte-Carlo simulations. Our simulation results show that due to the different physical mechanisms, TiO2 thin-film memristor and spintronic memristor demonstrate very different electrical characteristics even when exposing them to the same excitations and under the same process variation conditions.
Demographic Profile of the Internet-Using Population of India

The study seeks to investigate the Internet usage habits among the online population in India. It intends to confirm if respondents differed on the basis of demographic variables such as age, gender, occupation and city/town tier. Based on primary research, the present study examines the differential effects of demographic variables on various online activities, their usage frequency and duration. The study proposes a possible segmentation of Internet users and a classification of Internet activities. K-mean cluster analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) have been used to capture the same. The results suggest that activity-wise usage and duration of Internet usage vary with age, occupation and city/town tier of the respondents, but not much with gender. The factor analysis suggested grouping the dependent usage and activity variables into five major factors. The article would be helpful for the Internet service providers in segmenting the Internet users and enhancing the scholars’ understanding of effect of given demographic variables on Internet usage.
Validated Spectral Angle Mapper Algorithm for Geological Mapping : Comparative Study between Quickbird and Landsat-TM

The aim of this study is to validate the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm for geological mapping in Central Jebilet Morocco and compare the results between high and medium spatial resolution sensors, such as Quickbird and Landsat TM respectively. The geology of the study area is dominated by the Sahrlef schist, which is intruded by numerous bodies of acidic and basic magmatic rocks and lens-shaped pyrrhotite stratabound massive deposits. The results show that SAM of TM data can provide mineralogical maps that compare favorably with ground truth and known surface geology maps. Even do, Quickbird has a high spatial resolution compared to TM; its data did not provide good results for SAM because of the low spectral resolution.
Integration of Smart Boards in EFL Classrooms

The current study described the uses of smart boards in English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms. This study also investigated the role of smart boards in promoting student engagement, the benefits of smart boards for teachers, using smart boards for improving motivation, and smart boards in the service of linguistic and cultural elements. The review of previous studies revealed that smart boards are very innovative and powerful support for language acquisition. Moreover, they increased learning process.
[Smoking relapse and related factors within one year among successes of the smoking cessation clinics of public health centers].

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate smoking relapse and the related factors within 1 year after discharge from the smoking cessation clinics (SCCs) of public health centers (PHCs). METHODS Data were collected with a structured questionnaire from 395 people who success fully stopped smoking at 4 SCCs in Busan between May and June 2009, and this data were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS The rate of smoking relapse within 1 year after discharge from SCCs was 39.2% and this decreased rapidly over 6 months after discharge. The factors related to smoking relapse within 1 year after discharge from SCCs were being female (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.17 to 3.82), a trial of smoking cessation with any assistants (HR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.19 to 3.19), more than 7 ppm of exhaled CO2 on the SCCs' registration (HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.64), use of pharmacotherapy after discharge from SCCs (HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.93), alcohol drinking more than once a week after discharge from SCCs (HR, 3.32; 95% CI, 2.15 to 6.78), and a perceived barrier (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.30) after discharge from the SCCs. CONCLUSIONS According to the results, at least 6 months follow-up after discharge from SCCs of public health centers is recommended to reduce the rate smoking relapse. It is also recommended to strengthen the education on how to overcome barriers such as drinking in the course of smoking cessation clinics.
SELF-DIRECTED LANGUAGE AND PRIVATE GESTURES IN THE EARLY EMERGENCE OF SELF REGULATION: CURRENT RESEARCH ISSUES

This paper gives an overview of the research concerning the mediating role of self- directed language (SDL) and private gestures (PG) in the early development of self-regulation, and discusses issues which arise from the presented studies in this area of research. In general, studies on the relationship between SDL and PG and higher mental functions have emphasised the importance of such semiotic systems in problem solving, suggesting that SDL and PG are one of the tools for thinking and learning. However, there are several issues arising from the research methodologies in this area, which include the overlooked early signs of self-regulatory skills in infants and toddlers in the preverbal stage, the reliance on level of performance as a proxy for self-regulation, and the lack of a microgenetic approach in exploring these phenomena. The review concludes with suggestions and directions for future research.
Osmoregulation by slow changes in aldose reductase and rapid changes in sorbitol flux.

Renal medullary extracellular NaCl concentration is high during antidiuresis. To compensate, the cells accumulate large amounts of nonperturbing, osmotically active solutes (organic "osmolytes"), including sorbitol. GRB-PAP1 is a continuous line of epithelial cells from rabbit inner medulla. These cells accumulate sorbitol when medium NaCl concentration is elevated. The accumulation involves increase in aldose reductase, which catalyzes production of sorbitol from glucose. The purpose of the present study was to investigate control of cell sorbitol once aldose reductase was induced. We measured cell sorbitol, cell-to-medium sorbitol flux, and aldose reductase in cells grown in medium made hyperosmotic (600 mosmol/kg) with added NaCl and at intervals after medium osmolality was reduced to 300 mosmol/kg. In the hyperosmotic medium, cell sorbitol averaged 990 mmol/kg protein (approximately 260 mM), and its flux into the medium was 740 mmol.kg cell protein-1.day-1 (permeability less than 2 X 10(-9) cm/s). Within 5 min after return to isosmotic medium, sorbitol efflux increased greater than 150-fold. By the end of 1 day, cell sorbitol fell 77% but aldose reductase decreased only 10%. Aldose reductase then fell slowly to low levels over 2 wk. Thus renal medullary cells, chronically adapted to high NaCl, reduced their sorbitol level on return to isosmotic conditions by at least two mechanisms: 1) rapid increase in sorbitol flux into the medium, and 2) slow changes in the amount of aldose reductase.
Phonological Memory and Implications for the Second Language Classroom

There is mounting evidence that phonological memory (PM), a sub-component of working memory, is closely related to various aspects of second language (L2) learning in a variety of populations, suggesting that PM may be an essential cognitive mechanism underlying successful L2 acquisition. This article provides a brief critical review of the role of PM in the L2 context, examines the issue of trainability associated with PM, and discusses pedagogical techniques that may facilitate or enhance PM function in the L2 classroom. Communicative classrooms, as a result of their emphasis on oral input, place heavy processing demands on PM. The authors argue that more recourse to audio-lingual activities and reliance on written and visual support, including text-supported oral input, may help to offset the burden on PM and enhance L2 learning, particularly for individuals with low PM capacity. Il est de plus en plus manifeste que la mémoire phonologique (MP), une sous-composante de la mémoire de travail, est étroitement liée à différents aspects de l’apprentissage d’une langue seconde (L2) chez diverses populations, ce qui suggère que la MP peut être un mécanisme cognitif essentiel à la réussite de l’apprentissage d’une langue seconde. Le présent article offre un résumé critique du rôle de la MP dans le contexte L2, examine la question de l’aptitude à la formation associée à la MP, et discute des méthodes pédagogiques pouvant faciliter ou améliorer la fonction MP dans une classe L2. En particulier, les auteurs font valoir que les classes communicatives, parce qu’elles sont axées sur la communication orale, imposent une charge intensive à la MP lors du traitement, et que le fait d’avoir davantage recours à des activités audio-orales et de se fier plus globalement à un support visuel et écrit, y compris la communication orale à l’aide d’un texte, peut aider à réduire la pression sur la MP et permettre alors d’améliorer l’apprentissage de la langue seconde, en particulier pour les personnes ayant une faible mémoire phonologique.
Attitude towards Learning Oral Arabic as a Foreign Language among Malaysian Students

The Arabic course in UiTM is an elective course offered to undergraduate students. Students’ attitude towards language learning has been identified to influence the learning process. This study was aimed to determine (1) students’ attitude level in learning oral Arabic at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia, and (2) the differences in attitude level among students with different prior experience and gender. It was a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative study using questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaire was adapted from Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) involving 445 subjects who had been selected using stratified random sampling technique. As for qualitative data, 13 interviews were conducted. This study found that (1) the attitude level among UiTM students was high. It was also discovered that the cognitive and affective components were high while conative was moderate. (2) There were statistically significant differences in the attitude level among the students with different prior experience and gender. In specific, more experienced learners and female learners were found to have higher positive attitude as compared to their counterparts. It was thus recommended that the teaching approach used should be appropriate to students’ prior experience and gender. Appropriate approach is therefore vital in moulding students’ behaviour, as this will consequently affect their performance in learning spoken Arabic. The uses of collaborative learning strategies as well as portfolio and e-portfolio assessments are suggested based on the individuals’ performance.
Abnormal Regulation of Renal 25‐Hydroxyvitamin D‐1α‐Hydroxylase Activity in X‐Linked Hypophosphatemia: A Translational or Post‐Translational Defect

The hyp mouse exhibits abnormal metabolic/hormonal regulation of renal 25(OH)D‐1α‐hydroxylase activity. Whether this results from aberrant transcriptional regulation of the 1α‐hydroxylase gene, CYP27B1, remains unknown. To investigate this possibility, we compared phosphate and parathyroid hormone effects on renal proximal convoluted tubule and thyrocalcitonin effects on proximal straight tubule enzyme activity and mRNA expression in normal and hyp mice. We assayed 25(OH)D‐1α‐hydroxylase activity by measuring 1,25(OH)2D production and mRNA by ribonuclease protection. Phosphate‐depleted mice exhibited a 3‐fold increment of 25(OH)D‐1α‐hydroxylase activity compared with normals, whereas hyp mice displayed no enhanced enzyme function. Phosphate‐depleted mice concurrently displayed a 2‐fold increase in mRNA transcripts; in contrast, despite failure to alter enzyme activity, hyp mice exhibited a similar increment in mRNA transcripts. Parathyroid hormone stimulation of normal mice increased 25(OH)D‐1α‐hydroxylase activity 10‐fold, while eliciting only a 2‐fold increment in hyp mouse enzyme function. This disparity occurred despite increments of mRNA transcripts to comparable levels (22.2 ± 3.5‐ vs. 19.9 ± 1.8‐fold). The dissociation between phosphate‐ and parathyroid hormone‐mediated transcriptional activity and protein function was not universal. Thus, thyrocalcitonin stimulation of normal and hyp mice resulted in comparable enhancement of mRNA transcripts and enzyme activity. These observations indicate that abnormal regulation of vitamin D metabolism in hyp mice occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule and results, not from aberrant transcriptional regulation, but from a defect in translational or post‐translational activity.
Heredity of Geographically and Ecologically Isolated Races

MOST plant species are composed of races, which are aggregations of scattered local populations that have certain fundamental characteristics in common. Some of these races can be recognized on sight, because they are morphologically different; others look alike but are physiologically so distinct that they can occupy different climatic zones; still others are both morphologically and ecologically distinct. Some races are very local; others, of wider distribution. Some seem to have arisen through chance spatial isolation from other populations of the species, whereas those in ecologically different environments appear to have evolved in response to the selective effect of these environments. Geographically and ecologically isolated races are biological units just below the species level. They are of evolutionary importance, because they are probably often the forerunners of new species. Very little experimental evidence on the heredity of such races is on record. In the following account, the genetic basis will be discussed of four sets of races that exemplify kinds of intraspecific differentiation.