Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of a parent-implemented language and literacy intervention in the home language

Few studies explore parent-implemented literacy interventions in the home language for young children with problems in language acquisition. A shift in children’s use of the home language to English has been documented when English is the only language of instruction. When parents are not proficient in English, such language shift can limit communication at home. In this study we examine a parent-implemented language-literacy intervention in the home language on building vocabulary in preschool children with difficulty acquiring language. Twenty-four mother–child dyads were randomly assigned to an intervention or to a comparison group. Mothers in the intervention group learned how to stimulate language literacy through play, reading, and routine activities at home. They received interactive picture books in Spanish. Findings showed substantial gains in expressive vocabulary in Spanish, in English, and for conceptual scores (total vocabulary minus duplets) for children in the intervention group. Mothers’ perceptions regarding use of the home language improved after the intervention. Findings suggest that mothers in the intervention group were able to transform their children’s home educational environment into an additive one, where the home language was valued.
The relationship between physical competence and peer acceptance in the context of children's sports participation

Youth sport literature contends that the development of self-esteem is influenced by social interactions in the physical domain. However, little research has investigated the role of the peer group in developing perceptions of physical competence and social acceptance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship, between competence in physical skills and interpersonal competence with peers in a sport setting. Children (N=126) completed measures assessing perceptions of physical competence and peer acceptance» perceptions of success for athletic performance and interpersonal skills, causal attributions for physical performance and interpersonal success» and expectations for future success in these two areas. Teachers' ratings of children's actual physical ability and social skills with peers were also obtained. Canonical correlation analyses indicated a strong relationship (rc = .75) between indices of physical competence and peer acceptance. Children who scored high in actual and perceived p.
Brazilian Mothers’ Beliefs About Child-Rearing Practices

Mothers’ beliefs about their practices in different Brazilian contexts were investigated in this study. A sample of 350 primiparous Brazilian mothers from seven cities, each from one of the five geographic regions of the country, participated in this study. As part of a major project, mothers answered an inventory concerning their beliefs about practices of child care and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Factorial analysis revealed three factors, named Proper Presentation (the importance mothers attribute to parental practices oriented by socially accepted daily rules), Stimulation (the importance attributed by mothers to practices that stimulate their children’s development), and Responsiveness and Bonding (the importance attributed by mothers to the immediate responses to children’s needs and to a bond of intense proximity and protection). The sample studied valued most Proper Presentation, followed by Stimulation. Less importance was attributed to Responsiveness and Bonding. Mothers’ educational level was a predictor of scores on Stimulation, and fathers’ educational level was a predictor of scores on Proper Presentation. Some regional differences were identified regarding Proper Presentation. A general model that encompasses aspects of socialization for group interaction and also cognitive and social stimulation seems to be shared by mothers of the different geographic regions of the country. This model is influenced by educational level and cultural conditions. Future studies need to address the development of instruments to analyze Brazilian parental cultural models and the implications of these models to children’s development.
Communicative cultures in cetaceans: Big questions are unanswered, functional analyses are needed

Demonstrating cetacean communicative cultures requires documenting vocal differences among conspecific groups that are socially learned and stable across generations. Evidence to date does not provide strong scientific support for culture in cetacean vocal systems. Further, functional analyses with playbacks are needed to determine whether observed group differences in vocalizations are meaningful to the animals themselves.
Home advantage in southern hemisphere rugby union: national and international.

Abstract This study evaluates home advantages both for national (Super 12) and international (Tri-nations) rugby union teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, over the five-year period 2000 – 2004 using linear modelling. These home advantages are examined for statistical and practical significance, for variability between teams, for stability over time and for inter-correlation. These data reveal that the overall home advantage in elite rugby union has a mean of +6.7 points, and that this changes little from year to year. Closer scrutiny nevertheless reveals a high degree of variability. Different teams can and do have different home advantages, which ranges from a low of −0.7 to a high of +28.3 points in any one year. Furthermore, some team home advantages change up or down from one year to the next, by as much as −36.5 to +31.4 points at the extremes. There is no evidence that the stronger teams have the higher home advantages, or that a high home advantage leads to a superior finishing posi.
Improving capacity in ethnicity and health research: report of a tailored programme for NHS Public Health practitioners

Aim To determine whether an intervention designed to enhance research capacity among commissioners in the area of ethnicity and health was feasible and impactful, and to identify programme elements that might usefully be replicated elsewhere. Background How healthcare commissioners should be equipped to understand and address multiethnic needs has received little attention to-date. Being able to mobilise and apply evidence is a central element of the commissioning process that requires development. Researching ethnicity and health is widely recognised as challenging and several prior interventions have aimed to enhance competence in this area. These have, however, predominantly taken place in North America and have not been evaluated in detail. Methods An innovative research capacity development programme was delivered to public health staff within a large healthcare commissioning organisation in England. Evaluation methodology drew on ‘pluralistic’ evaluation principles and included formative and summative elements. Participant evaluation forms gave immediate feedback during the programme. Participants also provided feedback at two weeks and 12 months after the programme ended. In addition, one participant and one facilitator provided reflective accounts of the programme's strengths and weaknesses, and programme impact was traced through ongoing partnership work. Findings The programme was well received and had a tangible impact on knowledge, confidence and practice for most participants. Factors important to success included: embedding learning within the participants’ work context; ensuring a balance between theory and practical tips to enhance confidence; and having sustained interaction between trainers and participants. Despite positive signs, the challenging nature of the topic was highlighted, as were wider structural and cultural factors that impede progress in this area. Although it is unrealistic to expect such programmes to have a major impact on commissioning practices, they may well make an important contribution to raising the confidence and competence of staff to undertake work in this area.
d-VMP: Distributed Variational Message Passing

Motivated by a real-world financial dataset, we propose a distributed variational message passing scheme for learning conjugate exponential models. We show that the method can be seen as a projected natural gradient ascent algorithm, and it therefore has good convergence properties. This is supported experimentally, where we show that the approach is robust wrt. common problems like imbalanced data, heavy-tailed empirical distributions, and a high degree of missing values. The scheme is based on map-reduce operations, and utilizes the memory management of modern big data frameworks like Apache Flink to obtain a time-efficient and scalable implementation. The proposed algorithm compares favourably to stochastic variational inference both in terms of speed and quality of the learned models. For the scalability analysis, we evaluate our approach over a network with more than one billion nodes (and approx. 75% latent variables) using a computer cluster with 128 processing units.
Seasonality and diversity of Group A rotaviruses in Europe

Group A rotaviruses are a mojor cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under 4 y of age worldwide. Group A rotaviruses have been identified in many animal and bird species, they are antigenically complex, and multiple serotypes infect humans. Re‐assortant rotavirus vaccines are now available which confer protection against severe illness due to rotavirus serotypes G1‐4. Before vaccines are introduced it is necessary to establish the diversity of rotavirus in the target population to ensure efficacy and to establish a baselinefor future surveillance strategies. The purpose of this review is to describe our current knowledge of the diversity of rotaviruses accross Europe. Since multinatinal studies with standardized methodology have not been performed, this review is based on the available published studies. In Europe, more than 90% of Group A rotavirus strains that have been typed are of serotypes G1‐4, with an average 8% of non‐G1‐4 Strains in published studies. The percentage of non‐typeable strains may fluctuate from one year to another, and has been as high as 18% in one study in Great Britain, indicating the need for a more systematic study. Group A rotavirus infection typically occurs as a winter peak in the European countries studied. Comparison of seasonality data from national laboratory surveillance systems showed seasonal differences, with the annual rotavirus peak occuring first in Spain, usually in December, followed by France in February, and ending in Northern Europe in England and Wales in February or March, and the Netherlands and Finland in March. □Europe, G‐types, P‐types, rotavirus, seasonality, serotypes.
How patients manage gastrointestinal symptoms after pelvic radiotherapy

Background : Approximately 13 000 patients undergo pelvic radiotherapy annually in the UK. It is not clear how frequently patients develop a permanent change in bowel habit after pelvic radiotherapy that affects their quality of life because the measures of gastrointestinal toxicity used in trials in the past have generally been inadequate. It has been suggested that patients who are symptomatic are only rarely referred to a gastroenterologist and it is not known how patients manage their symptoms.
Channeled Autonomy

Past research suggests that autonomy has highly variable effects on team performance, and that one explanation for this pattern of findings is that autonomous teams fall into a state of disorder where they lack clarity regarding the goals of the broader organization. Following this perspective, the authors develop a model proposing that performance feedback coupled with high autonomy enables teams to have greater clarity of the organization’s goals, which in turn increases team performance. This model was tested on 110 teams in a defense industry manufacturing firm in South Korea using mediated-moderation techniques. Results indicate that highly autonomous teams that receive a high degree of performance feedback outperform other teams because of their heightened level of organizational goal clarity. In contrast, highly autonomous teams that receive low levels of feedback perform at the lowest levels compared to other teams because of a lack of organizational goal clarity. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for theory, research, and practice.
The Ensemble Director as Effective Teacher: A Review of Selected Research

The ensemble director, like any other music teacher, is responsible for providing materials, instruction, and a classroom atmosphere that will facilitate learning. The various types of learnings that can take place within the setting of the music ensemble can each be classified under one of the domains of learning identified by Benjamin Bloom: cognitive, psychomotor, or the affective domain. Ensemble directors vary in the amount of emphasis they place on each of these domains; this emphasis is reflected in part by the ways directors use their time in rehearsal, the types of music they select, and the inclusion or exclusion of music learnings other than performance skills as objectives for students in the ensemble.
Stability of Psychopathic Characteristics in Childhood

The current study is a preliminary longitudinal investigation of the stability of psychopathic characteristics, including social relationships as a moderator, within a group of aggressive children (N = 80). Data were collected from the children, their parents, teachers, and peers. Results indicated that the psychopathic characteristics (callous—unemotional traits, impulsive conduct problems, and narcissism) were relatively stable across three time points. Social relationship variables (child self-report of social competence, teacher-rated social competence, and peer-rated social preference) were generally correlated with psychopathic characteristics. Self-report of social competence moderated change from Time 1 to Time 2 narcissism based on parent report. Both peer-rated social preference and teacher-rated social competence moderated change from Time 1 to Time 3 impulsive conduct problems. These results provide preliminary support that psychopathic characteristics are generally stable in aggressive children and that social relationships are a potentially valuable point of intervention when children present with these characteristics.
Probabilistic seismic hazard map for Bulgaria as a basis for a new building code

Abstract. A seismic hazard map proposed as part of a new building code for Bulgaria is presented here on basis of the recommendations in EUROCODE 8. Seismic source zones within an area of about 200 km around Bulgaria were constructed considering seismicity, neotectonic and geological development. The most time consuming work was to establish a homogeneous earthquake catalogue out of different catalogues. The probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in terms of intensities is performed following Cornell (1968) with the program EQRISK (see McGuire, 1976), modified by us for use of intensities. To cope with the irregular isoseismals of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes a special attenuation factor is introduced (Ardeleanu et al., 2005), using detailed macroseismic maps of three major earthquakes. The final seismic hazard is the combination of both contributions, of zones with crustal earthquakes and of the Vrancea intermediate depth earthquakes zone. Calculations are done for recurrence periods of 95, 475 and 10 000 years.
The Eye of the Follower

The effects of inference-based and recognition-based processes on attributions of leadership responsibility were examined. Participants (126 women, 42 men) competed in small groups in this 2 (performance: win vs. lose) 2 (material sabotage: sabotaged vs. not sabotaged) design study. A third factor addressed how well group leaders matched participants’leader-ship prototypes. Winning leaders were attributed more responsibility for the group outcome than losing leaders; also, sabotage served as a discounting cue, and losing leaders of sabotaged groups were held less responsible. Unexpectedly, no prototype matching was revealed. Participants’ attributions regarding responsibility of the group and self were similar to leader attributions, suggesting that followers’ perceptions differ from those of outside observers. Thus, leaders may not be the only cause of group outcomes in the minds of actual followers.
Global Models for the Evolution of Embedded, Accreting Protostellar Disks

Most analytic work to date on protostellar disks has focused on those in isolation from their environments. However, observations are now beginning to probe the earliest, most embedded phases of star formation, during which disks are rapidly accreting from their parent cores and cannot be modeled in isolation. We present a simple, one-zone model of protostellar accretion disks with high-mass infall rates. Our model combines a self-consistent calculation of disk temperatures with an approximate treatment of angular momentum transport via two mechanisms. We use this model to survey the properties of protostellar disks across a wide range of stellar masses and evolutionary times and make predictions for disks’ masses, sizes, spiral structure, and fragmentation that will be directly testable by future large-scale surveys of deeply embedded disks. We define a dimensionless accretion-rotation parameter that, in conjunction with the disk’s temperature, controls the disk evolution. We track the dominant mode of angular momentum transport and demonstrate that for stars with final masses greater than roughly one solar mass, gravitational instabilities are the most important mechanism as most of the mass accumulates. We predict that binary formation through disk fission, fragmentation of the disk into small objects, and spiral arm strength all increase in importance to higher stellar masses.
Population structure and genetic diversity of Indian Major Carp, Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) from three phylo-geographically isolated riverine ecosystems of India as revealed by mtDNA cytochrome b region sequences

Abstract The population structure and genetic diversity of Rohu (Labeo rohita Hamilton, 1822) was studied by analysis of the partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b region. We examined 133 samples collected from six locations in three geographically isolated rivers of India. Analysis of 11 haplotypes showed low haplotype diversity (0.00150), nucleotide diversity (π) (0.02884) and low heterogeneity value (0.00374). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed the genetic diversity of L. rohita within population is very high than between the populations. The Fst scores (−0.07479 to 0.07022) were the indication of low genetic structure of L. rohita populations of three rivers of India. Conspicuously, Farakka-Bharuch population pair Fst score of 0.0000, although the sampling sites are from different rivers. The phylogenetic reconstruction of unique haplotypes revealed sharing of a single central haplotype (Hap_1) by all the six populations with a point mutations ranging from 1–25 nucleotides.
Assessing the Concurrent Validity of the Revised Kinder, Lydenberg, and Domini Corporate Social Performance Indicators

This article examines the concurrent validity of the Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini Research & Analytics (KLD) corporate social performance (CSP) measures. Because KLD changed its evaluation methods to richer approaches, a new look at the concurrent validity of the indicators is necessary. To do this new look, the authors examine the new “Binary” and “Continuous” versions of the KLD and compare them with previous versions of KLD. The results suggest that the continuous scores provide better measurement characteristics than do the binary version. Overall, the new versions of the KLD data demonstrate concurrent validity with the original version.
Television Viewing and Perceptions About Race Differences in Socioeconomic Success

Content analyses indicate two predominant portrayals of African Americans in U.S. television: comfortable and successful, or unemployed and criminal. It is argued that this dichotomized presentation influences the public's perceptions of socio-economic success as well as perceived reasons for lack of success. This is explored in a survey (N = 139) of perceptions about the success of Blacks and Whites and the reasons for socioeconomic differences. Observed relationships between news viewing and perceived lack of motivation, as well as contradictory relations between estimates of educational achievement and sitcom and drama viewing, are discussed in the terms of modern racism.
Gender Differences in Psychosocial Factors Associated with Athletic Success during Childhood

The purposes of this study were to (a) identify psychosocial factors associated with athletic success by talented English school children and (b) examine potential gender differences in their perceptions of athletic success. Thirty-nine athletically talented English children (20 females, 19 males, M age = 13 years, SD = 1.4 years) participated in structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and subjected to an inductive-deductive analysis procedure. Results revealed nine categories (comprising 28 themes) of psychosocial factors associated with athletic success during childhood: Ambitions, Choice of Sport, Motives, Success Attributions, Sacrifices, Obstacles, Emotional Support, Informational Support, and Tangible Support. Gender differences are considered and findings are compared to previous talent development and youth sport research.
Is the Leftward Cradling Bias Related to Lateral Asymmetries in Attention

Abstract A recent explanation for human females' strong leftward preference when cradling infants in nonfeeding interactions relies on the neuropsychological variable of hemispheric asymmetry of function. Normal individuals also tend to bisect lines to the left of center, a tendency probably related to asymmetries in the cerebral attentional system. A possible relationship between this attentional asymmetry and left-sided cradling was investigated in two experiments. The well-established findings of a leftward cradling bias and of a leftward line bisection bias were replicated. However, there was no significant relationship between the two variables.
The Implementation of Cooperative Learning in an Elementary Physical Education Program

The purpose of this study was to explore (a) a teacher’s perspective of the implementation of cooperative learning in an elementary physical education program, and (b) the students’ responses to the implementation into their own physical education classes. Data collection included interviews with a physical education teacher and students in two mixed third- and fourth-grade classes and two fourth-grade classes, nonparticipant observation, fieldnotes, a teacher journal, and documents. Inductive analysis and constant comparison methods were used to analyze and organize the data throughout the research process. The findings revealed that the teacher and students held similar perceptions of cooperative learning. This was evident from the categories that emerged from the data: goals of the lessons, student roles, accountability, communication skills, working together, and practice time. This study demonstrated that the cooperative learning instructional format holds much promise for physical education, but tha.