Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kiasu and Creativity in Singapore: An Empirical Test of the Situated Dynamics Framework

ABSTRACT This article investigates how Singaporeans’ creativity is influenced by Kiasu, an indigenous construct corresponding to fear of losing out. We examine the impact of Kiasu on creativity, both as a personal value and a shared cultural norm in four studies. Study 1 showed that Singaporeans’ Kiasu value endorsement predicts lower individual creativity. Study 2 demonstrated that this negative relationship is mediated by a self-regulatory focus on prevention. Study 3 further showed the impact of Kiasu as a personal value and a cultural norm by finding a significant three-way interaction effect of Kiasu prime, personal Kiasu value endorsement, and need for cognitive closure on participants’ creativity. Study 4 addressed the Singaporean paradox and found that Singaporeans exhibit higher creativity when primed with their multi-ethnic culture than under control conditions. However, those who associated Singapore with Kiasu lost this advantage. These findings support the situated dynamics framework of cultural influence on behavior such that values, norms, and situational cues play a role in producing a cultural pattern of creative performance. This research also has implications for how to incubate creative performance in Asian countries.
Application of Neural Network Minimum Parameter Learning Algorithm in Ship's Heading Tracking Control

Ship heading sliding mode tracking control algorithm was investigated based on the minimum parameter learning algorithm of Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network. RBF neural network has been used to approach the uncertainty function of ship nonlinear motion system and unknown external interference. In consideration that the RBF neural network weights is difficult to adjust quickly, the minimum parameter learning algorithm of RBF neural network was used in this paper to design a single estimated parameter instead of neural network adjustment weights. Finally, by means of Lyapunov stability theory, the tracking control law of ship heading was deduced by RBF Neural network. The above controller's solving speed of an adaptive law is faster than traditional neural network control algorithm with less parameters. By this way, the controller's structure is more simple and therefore easier to be implemented and achieved in application.
The Effects of Video Recording on Students' Speaking Ability

Speaking is a very important skill that should be mastered when someone learn a language. The ability to speak English well can be measured as the successful in teaching speaking. Video recording is the best way to create the students became a best speaker. Because video recording has ability to play and replay the recording, and helps the students to have good recollection toward their performances. Consequently, this research explores the effects of video recording on the students’ speaking ability. In so doing, the research carried out on Students of Department of English Language Educations including 29 students of Unit 1 batch of 2016. The pre-experimental design was employed in this research, the data were gainned from Pre-test and Post-test and were analyzed by using the tscore formula. The results are shown by the mean of the pre-test = 72,34 and the post-test = 144,52 which indicates the improvement before and after implementing video recording and the result of the t-score was 34,79 an the ttable was 2,02. It indicates that the t-score is higher than ttable 34,79>2,02 which indicates there is significant difference between students' speaking ability after implementing video recording. Accordingly, the researcher concludes that video recording give positive effect toward students’ speaking ability which is shown on the improvement of the students’ speaking scores.
Maximum likelihood segmentation of ultrasound images with Rayleigh distribution

This study presents a geometric model and a computational algorithm for segmentation of ultrasound images. A partial differential equation (PDE)-based flow is designed in order to achieve a maximum likelihood segmentation of the target in the scene. The flow is derived as the steepest descent of an energy functional taking into account the density probability distribution of the gray levels of the image as well as smoothness constraints. To model gray level behavior of ultrasound images, the classic Rayleigh probability distribution is considered. The steady state of the flow presents a maximum likelihood segmentation of the target. A finite difference approximation of the flow is derived, and numerical experiments are provided. Results are presented on ultrasound medical images as fetal echography arid echocardiography.
Reconceptualising play: Balancing childcare, extra‐curricular activities and free play in contemporary childhoods

This paper rethinks geographical approaches to children’s play in the Global North. One narrowly conceived strand of past research considered the erosion of outdoor free play, but overlooked children’s views of alternative play environments (e.g. out-of-school activities). A separate thread examined the feminisation of employment and growth in childcare, but investigations into children’s play in care-based environments are rare, and explorations of their ability to balance different play landscapes are lacking. This paper builds upon insights from both lines of research, and challenges their deficiencies to map out a more broadly conceived geography of play. Drawing on rigorous quantitative and qualitative research with middle- and working-class parents and children, the paper examines the socially-differentiated reconciliation of neighbourhood, extra-curricular and care-based play in contemporary British childhoods. The analysis highlights stark class differences in the balance between these play environments. Middle-class children’s elective engagement in extra-curricular activities results in reduced outdoor free play, but they have little control over the total time they play in care environments. Working class children have greater experience of playing out, but are underscheduled as they have less than desired access to play in structured activities and wraparound care. In conclusion, the paper argues that geographers must: (i) move beyond the romanticisation of free play and recognise children’s right to participate in a diversity of playful spaces; (ii) embrace an intergenerational approach which recognises that play is not a matter for children alone – adults can facilitate as well as limit play, but reliance on women’s unpaid labour makes play a feminist issue; and (iii) uncover play’s role in social reproduction as wider inequalities emerge in, and are reproduced through, children’s landscapes of play in times of austerity, whether as here in terms of class, or along other axes of social differentiation or location.
Extreme efficiency power electronics

In this paper a generalized description and an overview of degrees of freedom and selected measures for efficiency improvement of power electronics converters is given. The background of all considerations is formed by single-phase PFC rectifier systems, but the concepts shown are fundamental and fully applicable for other converter systems. First, the influence of the main components of the losses of a converter on the efficiency characteristic over the output power is discussed. Subsequently, a detailed analysis of the possibilities, of minimizing the semiconductor losses, the losses of the passive components including the EMI filter, and the power requirements of auxiliary systems in the course of the design process are given. In this context also the technological boundaries that limit the maximum efficiency of a converter are clarified and the compromise that always has to be made between efficiency and power density is highlighted. Furthermore, a control procedure is discussed to maximize the efficiency in the partial load range and a resonant transition mode ZVS converter system is presented that allows to attain efficiencies significantly over 99% without the use of SiC semiconductors. In addition the accuracy of the input and output power measurements required for measuring highest efficiencies is clarified, whereby the advantage of a direct loss measurement by means of a calorimeter becomes immediately clear. Finally, results of measurements on a demonstrator of a CCM single-phase PFC rectifier system with 99.1% max. efficiency and η > 99% above half rated power, and on a resonant transition mode PFC rectifier system with ηmax = 99.3% and η > 99% above 15% rated power are presented.
Of Hedgehogs and Foxes : The Influence of Individual Cognition on Public Value

This study links individual cognitive style as classified by the hedgehog-fox dichotomy originally introduced by Isaiah Berlin to the perception of businesses' value creation for society, building on the public value approach. The empirical study is based on quantitative survey data on cognitive styles and socio-demographic characteristics of the interviewees as well as their perception of public value created by a major Swiss financial institution. Our analysis yields three major results: firstly, it confirms the significant influence of cognitive styles on the perception of public value. Hedgehogs tend to perceive public value more strongly than foxes. Secondly, the study confirms the three dimensions of public value: Institutional Performance, Moral Obligation and Political Stability. These have been identified in previous studies in a public sector environment. Our study demonstrates that the concept is also applicable in the private sector context. Thirdly, we show that the impact of cognitive style does not differ across these dimensions. This points to cognitive styles as different ways of processing new information and a corresponding difference in the intensity of value perception. This research helps to bridge the organizational macro view with the micro view of the individual by accounting for factors at the individual level in the context of an organization's public value. The results are of relevance not only to the academic community, but also to practitioners who may use these insights to align organizational strategies and value propositions.
High-Order Surface Relaxation vs . the Ehrlich-Schwoebel Effect

We consider a class of continuum models of epitaxial growth of thin films with two competing mechanisms: (1) the surface relaxation described by high-order gradients of the surface profile; and (2) the Ehrlich-Schwoebel (ES) effect which is the asymmetry in the adatom attachment and detachment to and from atomic steps. Mathematically, these models are gradient-flows of some effective free-energy functionals for which large slopes are preferred for surfaces with low energy. We characterize the large-system asymptotics of the minimum energy and the magnitude of gradients of energy-minimizing surfaces. We also show that, in the large-system limit, the renormalized energy with an infinite ES barrier is the Γlimit of those with a finite one, indicating the enhancement of the ES effect in a large system. Introducing λ-minimizers as energy minimizers among all candidates that are spatially λ-periodical, we show the existence of a sequence of such λminimizers that are in fact equilibriums. For the case of a finite ES effect, we prove the well-posedness of the initial-boundary-value problem of the continuum model; and obtain bounds for the scaling laws of interface width, surface slope, and energy, all of which characterize the surface coarsening during the film growth. We conclude with a discussion on implications of our rigorous analysis. MSC: 34K26, 49J45, 74G65, 74K30. PACS: 68.35. Ct; 68.43. Jk; 81.15. Aa.
Percolation on dual lattices with k‐fold symmetry

Zhang found a simple, elegant argument deducing the nonexistence of an infinite open cluster in certain lattice percolation models (for example, p = 1/2 bond percolation on the square lattice) from general results on the uniqueness of an infinite open cluster when it exists; this argument requires some symmetry. Here we show that a simple modification of Zhang's argument requires only two‐fold (or three‐fold) symmetry, proving that the critical probabilities for percolation on dual planar lattices with such symmetry sum to 1. Like Zhang's argument, our extension applies in many contexts; in particular, it enables us to answer a question of Grimmett concerning the anisotropic random cluster model on the triangular lattice. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. , 2008
What Is Moving in Hybrid Halide Perovskite Solar Cells?

Conspectus Organic–inorganic semiconductors, which adopt the perovskite crystal structure, have perturbed the landscape of contemporary photovoltaics research. High-efficiency solar cells can be produced with solution-processed active layers. The materials are earth abundant, and the simple processing required suggests that high-throughput and low-cost manufacture at scale should be possible. While these materials bear considerable similarity to traditional inorganic semiconductors, there are notable differences in their optoelectronic behavior. A key distinction of these materials is that they are physically soft, leading to considerable thermally activated motion. In this Account, we discuss the internal motion of methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) and formamidinium lead iodide ([CH(NH2)2]PbI3), covering: (i) molecular rotation-libration in the cuboctahedral cavity; (ii) drift and diffusion of large electron and hole polarons; (iii) transport of charged ionic defects. These processes give rise to a range of properties that are unconventional for photovoltaic materials, including frequency-dependent permittivity, low electron–hole recombination rates, and current–voltage hysteresis. Multiscale simulations, drawing from electronic structure, ab initio molecular dynamic and Monte Carlo computational techniques, have been combined with neutron diffraction measurements, quasi-elastic neutron scattering, and ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy to qualify the nature and time scales of the motions. Electron and hole motion occurs on a femtosecond time scale. Molecular libration is a sub-picosecond process. Molecular rotations occur with a time constant of several picoseconds depending on the cation. Recent experimental evidence and theoretical models for simultaneous electron and ion transport in these materials has been presented, suggesting they are mixed-mode conductors with similarities to fast-ion conducting metal oxide perovskites developed for battery and fuel cell applications. We expound on the implications of these effects for the photovoltaic action. The temporal behavior displayed by hybrid perovskites introduces a sensitivity in materials characterization to the time and length scale of the measurement, as well as the history of each sample. It also poses significant challenges for accurate materials modeling and device simulations. There are large differences between the average and local crystal structures, and the nature of charge transport is too complex to be described by common one-dimensional drift-diffusion models. Herein, we critically discuss the atomistic origin of the dynamic processes and the associated chemical disorder intrinsic to crystalline hybrid perovskite semiconductors.
Supplementation of Atherogenic Diet With B Vitamins Does Not Prevent Atherosclerosis or Vascular Dysfunction in Monkeys

Background —Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic and thrombotic vascular disease. In many patients, hyperhomocysteinemia can be treated or prevented by dietary supplementation with B vitamins, but the clinical benefit of B vitamins for the prevention of vascular disease has not been proven. Methods and Results —Using an atherogenic diet that produces both hyperhomocysteinemia and hypercholesterolemia, we tested the hypothesis that dietary supplementation with B vitamins (folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6) would prevent hyperhomocysteinemia, vascular dysfunction, and atherosclerotic lesions in monkeys. After 17 months, plasma total homocysteine increased from 3.6±0.3 to 11.8±1.7 &mgr;mol/L in monkeys fed an unsupplemented atherogenic diet (P <0.01) but did not increase in monkeys fed an atherogenic diet supplemented with B vitamins (3.8±0.3 &mgr;mol/L). Serum cholesterol increased from 122±7 to 550±59 mg/dL in the unsupplemented group (P <0.001) and from 118±5 to 492±55 mg/dL in the supplemented group (P <0.001). Responses to endothelium-dependent vasodilators, both in resistance vessels in vivo and in the carotid artery ex vivo, were impaired to a similar extent in groups that did and did not receive vitamin supplements. Anticoagulant responses to the infusion of thrombin were also impaired to a similar extent in both groups. Vitamin supplementation failed to prevent intimal thickening in the carotid or iliac arteries. Conclusions —These findings demonstrate that supplementation with B vitamins prevents hyperhomocysteinemia but is not sufficient to prevent the development of vascular dysfunction or atherosclerotic lesions in monkeys with marked hypercholesterolemia, even in the absence of preexisting atherosclerosis.
Changes in Teachers’ Discourse About Students in a Professional Development on Learning Trajectories

This study examines teachers’ discussions in a professional development setting to understand the ways in which learning a mathematics learning trajectory may change aspects of their discourse about students as learners. Using mixed methods, we bring together two theoretical frames that use a Vygotskian perspective on learning to analyze professional discussions among 22 elementary-grade teachers participating in a yearlong, 60-hour mathematics professional development program. Results indicate that over time, some discursive patterns for explaining students’ academic performance changed to incorporate the trajectory, while others remained unaffected. Whereas this change transformed one of the patterns in a way that led to new explanations for student performance, another pattern changed only slightly and was still used to express the same explanations for performance.
Clinical Manifestations among Children with Chronic Functional Constipation

BACKGROUND Constipation is one of the most frequent cause of patient visits to pediatric gastroenterology clinics. Early diagnosis and treatment is important. There are few studies about clinical manifestations of constipation in children. We aimed to find the relative frequency of gastrointestinal manifestations of constipation among constipated children. METHODS This cross-sectional study was carried out on children aged < 18 years old with chronic functional constipation referred to Imam Reza Clinic of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Children with organic causes of chronic constipation were excluded from study. Rome III criteria were used for defining constipation. The duration of study was 1 year starting from September 2010. Abdominal pain, fecal mass, rectal bleeding, anorexia, fecal soiling, retentive posture, withholding behavior, anal fissure, and peri-anal erythema were recorded for each case based on history and physical examination. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 13.0 (Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS Of 222 children with functional constipation, 124(55.9%) were girls and 98 (44.1%) were boys with a mean ± SD age of 5±3.12 years. The mean ± SD duration of constipation was 2.2±1.9 years. Large and hard stool was present in 93.7% of the patients. Painful defecation and withholding behavior were seen in 92.3% and 91.9% of the patients, respectively. Fecal impaction was more frequent among boys compared with girls (p<0.01). Fecal soiling was present in 40.8% of the boys and 28.2% of the girls (p=0.04). CONCLUSION Large and hard stool, painful defecation and withholding behavior were the most frequent signs or symptoms among children with chronic functional constipation. Fresh rectal bleeding and anal fissure were the least frequent signs and symptoms in this group.
The role of social community and individual differences in minority mentoring programs

Abstract Researchers have examined various outcomes of undergraduate minority mentoring programs. However, there is a significant gap in research about how program members with different demographic backgrounds may not have the same experiences or outcomes as other members despite being subject to the same program elements. To address these gaps, we employed a social community framework to examine the differences across the perceptions of connectedness to a social community and participant outcomes of members of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Merit Program (MP) for Emerging Scholars. An ANOVA was performed for a study sample of n = 179 current and past MP participants. Results indicated a need to: (a) find ways to translate experiences to lower performing groups, (b) identify other approaches to build resilience and encourage connections and engagement in communities of practice, and (c) explicitly educate all participants in the importance of social community in their professional development.
The roles of island area per se and habitat diversity in the species-area relationships of four Lesser Antillean faunal groups

Summary 1. We analysed the relationships between species richness, island area, and habitat diversity for birds, bats, butterflies, and reptiles and amphibians on 19 islands in the Lesser Antilles. Habitat diversity was quantified by Simpson’s index based on the total areas of five vegetation types on each island. Island area varied over two orders of magnitude (13‐1510km 2 ) and habitat diversity varied between 1 and 3·7 equivalents of equally abundant habitat types. 2. Because the Lesser Antilles consist of an inner arc of high, volcanic islands and an outer arc of low-lying islands formed of uplifted marine sediments, correlations between area and elevation (r 2 =0·32) and between area and habitat diversity (r 2 =0·40) were weak. Habitat diversity was, however, strongly correlated with maximum island elevation (r 2 =0·85). 3. Simple correlations of species richness with island area were significant for all four faunal groups, and simple correlations of species richness with elevation and habitat were significant for all groups except bats. In multiple regressions of species richness on area and habitat diversity together, area was a significant eAect for birds and bats, and habitat diversity was a significant eAect for birds, butterflies, and reptiles and amphibians. 4. These results suggest that the four Lesser Antillean taxonomic groups diAer in their responses to area and habitat diversity. For butterflies and for reptiles and amphibians, the relationship of species richness to area is probably a fortuitous consequence of a relationship between habitat diversity and area. Bird species richness responds independently to both habitat diversity and area, and bat species richness is influenced by area but not by habitat diversity. 5. We suggest that this variation is related to diAerences in several biological traits of the diAerent faunal groups. Strong habitat-diversity eAects are likely in taxa with high degrees of habitat specialization, populations large enough to have a low probability of stochastic extinction, life-cycles that include a resistant resting stage that reduces vulnerability to catastrophic extinction, or a combination of these traits. In contrast, strong area eAects are likely in taxa with weak habitat specialization, low population density, or both. 6. At least in Lesser Antillean birds, it is unlikely that immigration depends on island size. Therefore, the species‐area relationship for birds is probably generated by island-size-dependent extinction. Among the four taxonomic groups we studied, only butterflies are likely to show a ‘rescue eAect’ stemming from frequent between-island movement of individuals, as only butterflies exhibited low levels of endemism and lacked a unique area eAect for species richness.