Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Music teachers in Turkey: their proficiency, working environments and problems

The aim of this study was the collection of data concerning Turkish music teachers’ proficiency and their place in the primary and secondary education system. In addition, information was collected regarding the teachers’ working environment and professional complications. A total of 200 music teachers’ opinions were compiled for the determination and evaluation of existing conditions. Opinions in different areas were analysed with statistical results indicating a government need to provide facilities and supply budgets for all levels of art and music education. Suggestions have been offered regarding the importance of educating qualified teachers and avoiding the impediments to their work. If carried out, music teachers’ job satisfaction will increase.
The Deviant Dead in the Norfolk Landscape

Abstract This article examines the geographical and historical context of gibbets in Norfolk at the end of the eighteenth century. By adopting a broad chronological perspective it is argued that a deep-rooted knowledge existed among local communities; parish boundaries, and the tracts of commonland that they crossed, carried symbolism and meaning if used for the purpose of burying or displaying the bodies of executed criminals and other 'deviant' deaths. The memory of this practice was created and sustained through the naming of the landscape, and in the interpretation of the material remains of the past, in particular, prehistoric burial mounds. While important strands of continuity can be traced in the landscape context of the 'deviant' dead, it is also argued that these meanings and associations changed across time. Finally the article considers the impact of large-scale Parliamentary enclosure on popular memory and perceptions of the landscape.
Mother-Child Interaction around a Teaching Task: An African-American Comparison

DIXON, SUZANNE D. ; LEVINE, R. A. ; RICHMAN, AMY; and BRAZELTON, T. BERRY. Mother-Child Interaction around a Teaching Task: An African-American Comparison. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1984, 55, 1252-1264. 36 American and African mothers and their children in 3 age cohorts from 6 to 36 months of age were asked to interact around age-appropriate teaching tasks. The interactional behaviors were videotaped and scored in 1-sec epochs. Major behavioral differences between cultural groups and tasks were demonstrated. These differences included an increased frequency of repeated instructions, hand pulling, and lesser use of verbalization by the African mothers. They tended to use repeated focusing and modeling of the task in its entirety, and used little reinforcement for their infants' efforts except simple confirmation of success. The American mothers used much praise, encouragement, and reflective speech in their efforts to shape the child's activity. The African infants tended to be persistent in their efforts, used social interactions with their mothers often, and showed no resistance to hand tugging or pulling. The American children demonstrated more diverse play activities with the toys, shorter attention spans with some tasks, and frustration with tugging or restraining activities. Both cultural groups demonstrated contingent, reciprocal, and affectively positive interactions. These differences and similarities were explored within the context of culture-specific values, expectations for children, and the goals for and assumptions of the teaching process. The teaching situation was shown to be invaluable as a window into the universal and culture-specific aspects of mother-child interaction.
Private Sector Contracting and Democratic Accountability

Public officials are increasingly contracting with the private sector for a range of educational services. With much of the focus on private sector accountability on cost-effectiveness and student performance, less attention has been given to shifts in democratic accountability. Drawing on data from the state of New York, one of the most active contracting contexts, the authors examine how contracting poses challenges to democratic accountability and provide suggestions for how policy makers engaging with private sector providers might better attend to the broader public purposes of schooling.
The Prekindergarten Age-Cutoff Regression-Discontinuity Design

Much of the currently available evidence on the causal effects of public prekindergarten programs on school readiness outcomes comes from studies that use a regression-discontinuity design (RDD) with the age cutoff to enter a program in a given year as the basis for assignment to treatment and control conditions. Because the RDD has high internal validity when its key assumptions are met, these studies appear to provide strong evidence for the effectiveness of these programs. However, there are overlooked methodological problems in the way this design has typically been applied that have the potential to produce biased effect estimates. We describe these problems, argue that they deserve more attention from researchers using this design than they have received, and offer suggestions for improving future studies.
Frequent Contributors Within U.S. Newspaper Comment Forums

News organizations’ online commenting tools have been touted as a boon for the deliberative process, yet only to the extent that they are used by a diverse group of participants who are civil and who provide information that enriches dialogue. The researchers in this study analyzed the degree to which posts in newspaper forums originated from frequent contributors and the civil and informational characteristics of those contributions. A content analysis of comments (N = 2,237) within forums adjacent to opinion articles on websites of 15 U.S. newspaper dailies was conducted to assess their civility (uncivil character attacks and uncivil language) and informational attributes. Frequent contributors—people who post often on a forum in a short period—were less likely to be civil and informational.
Conceptual, Computational and Attitudinal Correlates of Student Performance in Introductory Statistics

Abstract One hundred and twenty-one social science students enrolled in an introductory statistics course were administered four paper and pencil measures which were chosen as operational indices of conceptual, computational and attitudinal skill areas. Multiple regression analyses showed that measures of self-confidence, deduction and numeracy accounted for 49.4% of the variance of final statistics grade (p < .001). The assessment and role of these variables in prospective student performance in introductory statistics is discussed.
Conflicted scientists: the “shared pool” dilemma of scientific advisory committees

Science advisors play a critical role in government policy making, yet these advisors are often equally attractive to regulated industry. Despite efforts to manage conflicts of interest among science advisors, allegations of conflict frequently plague advisory committee deliberations or outcomes. This article examines what we term the “shared pool” dilemma using data collected from 92 members of 11 US Food and Drug Administration advisory committees. The results suggested science advisors were generally positive about their experiences on advisory committees and viewed the committee process as impartial. Written comments suggested that advisors linked the neutrality of the process to the success of the FDA’s conflict-of-interest procedures. Even so, the advisors acknowledged the challenges associated with recruiting disinterested and qualified scientists to serve on advisory committees, reflecting the shared pool dilemma. Many advisors seemed more troubled about advisors participating when they lacked expertise than when they had minor conflicts of interest.
Global Journal Prestige and Supporting Disciplines: A Scientometric Study of Information Systems Journals

Many argue that the Information Systems (IS) field is at a critical juncture in its evolving identity. In debating whether the IS field is in crisis, we agree with Hirschheim and Klein (2003) that reflective analysis will contribute to the field's continued prosperity. Indeed, reflective analysis is needed to evaluate the journals of the field as well as IS journal rankings, which evaluate the effectiveness and productivity of researchers and the effectiveness and productivity of journals in communicating research results. After all, where and how we publish are fundamental aspects of the identity of the IS field - reflecting our value systems, paradigms, cultural practices, reward systems, political hierarchy, and aspirations.This article reviews the results of the largest global, scientometric survey to date of IS journal rankings that targeted 8741 faculty from 414 IS departments world-wide, and resulted in 2559 responses, or a 32% response rate. Rather than using predetermined journal lists, the study required respondents to freely recall their top-four research journals.This research improves on the usual scientometric journal ranking studies by providing a foundation for further reflection and self-analysis. For instance, it first examines the global structure of the IS field and investigates perceptions among global IS academics concerning current research outlets. Specific results then illustrate the values and cultural norms in the global IS community that affect the evaluation of research and publication outlets. Finally, in addition to rankings of scholarly journals by the entire world-wide sample of IS academics, rankings are provided for top IS practitioner journals, most frequently read IS journals, top journals for the major IS supporting disciplines, and top journals by world region.
The History of Widowhood: A Bibliographic Overview

Historical research on widowhood in the United States and in Europe, with an emphasis on the period from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, is still in its infancy. So far certain general perspectives in the changing demographic, economic, and cultural aspects of widowhood have been outlined, and a multitude of cross-cultural variations from the general patterns have also been found. This, as well as the fact that gender-specific consequences of widowhood result in an unequal distribution of sources concerning widows and widowers respectively, indicate the need for future research in the field.
The Effects of Leadership Style and Team Process on Performance and Innovation in Functionally Heterogeneous Teams

This study focused on leadership style (participative leadership/directive leadership) as a key factor, which has an intervening impact on a functionally heterogeneous team’s process and outcomes. In a study of 136 primary care teams, the author found that in high functionally heterogeneous teams, participative leadership style was positively associated with team reflection, which in turn fostered team innovation; however, this leadership style decreased team in-role performance. The impact of directive leadership was in promoting team reflection under the condition of low functional heterogeneity, whereas no such impact was found under the condition of high functional heterogeneity.
CLASS DIFFERENCES IN GENERAL INTELLIGENCE: III

The argument put forward in the following paper is based on three main premises, for which ample evidence is now available: (i) individual differences in ‘general intelligence’ are transmitted in accordance with the multifactorial theory of inheritance; (ii) in our own country for thirty generations or more, there has been a discernible tendency for individuals endowed with high intelligence to rise to a higher social class and for those of low intelligence to drop to a lower; (iii) with minor fluctuations, this twofold movement has increased at an accelerated rate from almost negligible amounts to the comparatively large proportions reported in recent sociological surveys. From these three propositions it is concluded that there must now be appreciable differences in the genetic composition of different social classes, and that these differences will show themselves most plainly in differences between the mean level of intelligence obtaining within each class. But it also follows that, within each class, there will be wide individual variations, so that each class remains highly heterogeneous; and these differences in innate ability will be still further magnified by environmental differences and by innate differences in temperament. The conclusions thus deduced appear to be fully confirmed by surveys carried out with tests of intelligence and other devices. But the test-results themselves by no means form the only ground, as is so often supposed, for accepting the conclusions thus reached. The various objections urged against the foregoing arguments are discussed; and their practical consequences briefly indicated.
Iterative Source-Channel Decoding With Markov Random Field Source Models

We propose a joint source-channel decoding approach for multidimensional correlated source signals. A Markov random field (MRF) source model is used which exemplarily considers the residual spatial correlations in an image signal after source encoding. Furthermore, the MRF parameters are selected via an analysis based on extrinsic information transfer charts. Due to the link between MRFs and the Gibbs distribution, the resulting soft-input soft-output (SISO) source decoder can be implemented with very low complexity. We prove that the inclusion of a high-rate block code after the quantization stage allows the MRF-based decoder to yield the maximum average extrinsic information. When channel codes are used for additional error protection the MRF-based SISO source decoder can be used as the outer constituent decoder in an iterative source-channel decoding scheme. Considering an example of a simple image transmission system we show that iterative decoding can be successfully employed for recovering the image data, especially when the channel is heavily corrupted
Cross-Cultural Collaborative Research: Toward Reflexivity

We examine the methodological and philosophical implications of cross-cultural management research, comparing a field study conducted collaboratively in the United Kingdom and China with Teagarden and colleagues' survey-based international study. Our findings confirm those authors' calls for flexibility in cross-cultural research and for careful management of research team relationships but also highlight the significant effects that power differences and contrasting views about research can have on the conduct of cross-cultural research. Further, we identified reflexivity as a valuable component of cross-cultural management research, especially when there is a need to combine insider and outsider perspectives.
Facebook usage among teenagers – the effect of personality and peer group pressure; an exploratory study in Greece

Teenagers have become the most electronically connected generation of all time and the most avid users of social networking sites. The present study examines Facebook usage among teenagers (12–14 years old) and investigates the mediating effect of personality characteristics and peer group pressure on its use. A survey among 567 teenagers in Greece indicated that intensity of Facebook usage is positively related to increased extraversion and peer group pressure. The majority of Greek teenagers are ardent Facebook users mainly for two reasons: First, because it is a trend and second, in order to keep in touch with them.
Demographics of the library and information profession in Kuwait

In feminized professions like library and information science, it is surprising that examining the status of gender within the field and as part of the sociology of the profession has been evaded in the literature generally. This study looks at women LIS alumni in Kuwait as a subpopulation and also investigates gender relevant issues. Based on the results of a questionnaire survey and phenomenological discussion groups, the paper discuses issues such as employment, management, academic positions, and ICT skills, in addition to barriers to professional progression. Other issues, such as professional development and lifelong learning skills, curricular changes in MLIS, title of the MLIS and image of the profession and finally career positions and salaries of the professional LIS community are discussed in light of the experience of the MLIS alumni in Kuwait. This paper is a complement to the authors’ paper, ‘Library and information science alumni of Kuwait University: Tracking positions and functions’ (IFLA Journal 38(3): 111–122).
Co‐localization of μ opioid receptor is greater with dynorphin than enkephalin in rat striatum

Using a combination of radioactive and non-radioactive in situ hybridization, the μ opioid receptor mRNA was localized in enkephalin as well as dynorphin neurones of the rat striatum. The proportion of enkephalin neurones showing co-localized μ opioid receptor mRNA was dependent on the rostrocaudal level (17–39% in rostral/ intermediate levels vs 0.4–5% caudally) but did not differ between striatal subregions. For dynorphin neurones the reverse was true, with consistently higher levels of co-localization in the caudate-putamen (56–77%) than the nucleus accumbens (15–43%), but no differences along the rostrocaudal axis. Furthermore, the degree of enkephalin/μ co-localization was significantly lower than that of dynorphin/μ. These results suggest a finegrained topological differentiation of μ receptor modulation of striatal opioid systems.
Child Sexual Abuse: An Overview

Abstract This overview examines the nature, prevalence, and impact of child sexual abuse. Associations and potential risk factors are identified, thus showing that child sexual abuse is not randomly distributed through the population. Finally, we discuss the ways in which clinicians and researchers have conceptualised the impact of child sexual abuse. A social and developmental model is outlined.
Social participation and cognitive functioning in older adults

The association between aspects of social participation and components of cognitive functioning and the ability of these aspects to predict cognitive performance was studied in an age and gender stratified sample of 116 individuals aged 55‐89 years in the Netherlands. Measures of social participation included questionnaires on societal participation, sociocultural activities and media use. Cognitive functioning was measured by tests of fluid intelligence, processing speed, word learning and recall, and everyday memory. All aspects of social participation showed significant bivariate correlations with all components of cognitive functioning. Independent of age, gender, education and functional limitations, societal participation and sociocultural activities contributed significantly to the prediction of processing speed and of delayed recall. Tendencies of independent association were apparent between both societal participation and sociocultural activities and word learning. No aspect of social participation independently predicted fluid intelligence or everyday memory. The evidence suggests independent associations between social participation characterized by an organizational setting and high level of activity, and basic components of cognitive functioning, such as information‐processing speed and measures of learning and delayed recall. Further research needs to clarify the process underlying the causal relation between cognitive functioning and forms of participation.
Gait Disorders in Older Adults

Both aging and diseases that are more prevalent with aging affect how older adults walk. This review addresses the evaluation and treatment of gait disorders in older adults. The focus is on comfortable gait, the most common clinically evaluated aspect of walking. GAIT AND DISABILITY From 8 to 19% of noninstitutionalized older adults have difficulty walking or require the assistance of another person or special equipment to walk. J,2 Walking disability increases with age. For example, 6% of female East Boston respon­ dents aged 65 to 69, compared with 38% of those aged 85 and older, need assistance in walking. :' Limitations in walk­ ing can be seen in as many as 63% of nursing home resi­ dents. " In older adults with diseases such as arthritis, 35% admit to difficulty in walking one-quarter mile:' Measures such as gait speed provide an index of func­ tional status. Even in those who report no difficulty in walk­ ing one-half mile, a timed 8-foot walk, in addition to other lower-extremity function tests, ultimately predicts mobility­ related and ADL disability at 4-year follow-up. " Self-selected gait speed predicts self-perceived physical function, as mea­ sured by the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), better than other physical measures such as balance and grip strength, partic­ ularly among frail nursing home residents. " Prolonged 50­ foot walk time relates to increased arthritis activity, although improvements in symptoms and signs predict walk time im­ provement inconsistently.v" Walking speed is particularly important for crossing traffic intersections safely. In a 1994 study, 27% of 592 older adult pedestrians were unable to reach the opposite curb before the light changes to allow cross traffic to enter the intersection. " Finally, faster gait speed on admission predicts success in rehabilitation, 11 and slow gait speed on discharge predicts institutionalization. 12 Fifty-four percent of those requiring skilled care compared with none of those discharged home or to nonskilled levels of care have discharge walking speeds below 0.15 m/sec. '? Gait speed assessment is particularly useful in patients with cardiopulmonary disease.Pv'" Self-paced 6-minute walking distance discriminates between NYHA levels of con­ gestive heart failure l5-17 and predicts hospitalization rates
Choosing the enemy

This article examines which political parties are the most likely targets of negative campaigning in a multiparty system. The choice of target is an important strategic decision parties make when deciding on their campaign strategy. The article advances existing research on negative campaigning in several ways. First, it is the only paper of its kind to statistically test which parties are most likely to be attacked in a multiparty system and in a non-US setting. Second, it contributes to the development of a general theory on negative campaigning by examining its use in a multiparty system. Finally, it presents new content analysis data on negative campaigning from ten Dutch Parliamentary elections between 1981 and 2010. The findings show that large parties, ideologically proximate parties, parties close to the median party position and government parties are the most likely targets of negative campaigning in the Dutch multiparty system.