Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CORRELATES OF CLOSENESS AND CONFLICT IN EARLY ELEMENTARY TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the joint and collective contributions of student and teacher factors to observed variance in reports of conflict and closeness in first and second grade teacher-student relationships (STR). This study uses two data sets previously collected from elementary schools in the greater Pittsburgh area, to examine the association between child and teacher factors with the relationship qualities of closeness and conflict in early elementary teacher child relationships. Children from each sample were followed from 1st to 2nd grade (N=96 and N=44 respectively), and data were collected from parents and teachers, as well as through direct observation in each academic year. Parents reported on child externalizing behavior using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (Achenbach, 1981), and sociability using the Buss and Plomin Emotionality Activity Level and Sociability Inventory (EAS) (Buss & Plomin, 1984). Teachers reported on the quality of their relationship each participating student using the Student Teacher Relationship Survey (STRS) (Pianta, 2001). Additionally, observations were made of teacher classroom behavior using the Arnett Caregiver interaction scale. Child externalizing behavior and teacher sensitivity, detachment and punitiveness were tested for association with 1st and 2nd grade teacher reported conflict. Child sociability and teacher sensitivity, detachment and punitiveness were tested for association with 1st and 2nd grade teacher reported closeness. These factors were also used to predict change in teacher student relationship quality between 1st and 2nd grades. Results showed student externalizing behavior to be positively associated with contemporaneous relationship conflict, and teacher detachment and punitiveness to be associated inversely with contemporaneous closeness. Teacher sensitivity and student externalizing behavior interacted when predicting change in relationship conflict. Teacher sensitivity and change in teacher sensitivity both predicted change in relationship closeness. These results both replicate and extend the body of existing research on teacher student relationship quality. The association of child externalizing behavior to relationship conflict was replicated, although the observed effect size was significantly different from previous findings. The contribution of teacher classroom behavior to the prediction of variance in relationship closeness is unique to this study. Additionally, the prediction of change in relationship quality using student and teacher factors, as well as the joint contribution of each, is an extension of existing research. Results are discussed in terms of functional avoidance by the teacher and the student of difficult behaviors exhibited by each other. Implications for early elementary teacher training and preparation are also discussed.
Experimental Study of Particle Interactions in Moderate to Dense Granular Shear Flows of Disks

To find the status of multiple collisions in transitional granular flow, moderate to densely packed monosized plastic disks were sheared in experimental 2D shear flow apparatus by applying shear strain rate in the range of 14.8 s−1 to 34.6 s−1. Application of high speed video camera and subsequent image processing techniques precisely measure the spatial positions of the particles involved in making the flow. Collision detection and contact duration finding algorithms were formulated to detect inter particle collision in each time step. The proportion of binary and multiple collisions was quantified in each time step. It is found that the contribution of multi particle collision is 13% for the lowest normalized solid fraction ( ν * = 0.50) and 68% for the highest normalized solid fraction ( ν * = 0.85) under consideration. The inter particle collision time is also found greater than binary collision time in all the flows under consideration. The group size is determined for each time step as an additional length scale associated with multi-particle interactions. Number of groups was made of more than two particles in all the flows under consideration, and the amount of such groups increased on increasing the solid fraction irrespective of the shear rate. In the dense cases (solid fraction > 0.60), rapid increase in the group size and the formation of occasional force chains should be attributed for the change in the stress generation pattern.
Incremental Phi*: Incremental Any-Angle Path Planning on Grids

We study path planning on grids with blocked and unblocked cells. Any-angle path-planning algorithms find short paths fast because they propagate information along grid edges without constraining the resulting paths to grid edges. Incremental pathplanning algorithms solve a series of similar pathplanning problems faster than repeated single-shot searches because they reuse information from the previous search to speed up the next one. In this paper, we combine these ideas by making the anyangle path-planning algorithm Basic Theta* incremental. This is non-trivial because Basic Theta* does not fit the standard assumption that the parent of a vertex in the search tree must also be its neighbor. We present Incremental Phi* and show experimentally that it can speed up Basic Theta* by about one order of magnitude for path planning with the freespace assumption.
Weak Gravitational Lensing and X-Ray Analysis of Abell 2163

We report on the detection of dark matter in the cluster of galaxies Abell 2163 using the weak gravitational distortion of background galaxies and an analysis of the X-ray emission from the cluster. We find that while the qualitative distributions of the cluster light and the dark matter are similar—shallow and extended, with significant substructure—the X-ray morphology shows a more regular overall appearance. We interpret the joint lensing and X-ray observations as a signature of a merger event in the cluster. We present new ROSAT/HRI data and reanalyze ROSAT/PSPC data, accounting for the effect of a varying background to determine the best-fit parameters in the β-model formalism. We combine the surface brightness fits with two determinations of the radial temperature profile using Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics and Ginga data to determine the total mass. Although there are slight variations in the total mass determinations introduced by the uncertainties in the β-fit, the main contribution to the error arises from the uncertainties in the temperature determinations. Even though the morphologies of the dark matter/light and X-ray gas are somewhat different, we find that the total mass determined from the X-ray and weak lensing estimates are consistent with each other within the 2 σ error bars, with the X-ray inferred mass a factor of ≃2 larger. However, since the lensing mass estimates are differential (the surface density at any point is determined relative to the mean in a control annulus), the shallow, extended nature of the mass profile biases the lensing inferred mass downward. We estimate the correction for this effect and find very good agreement between the corrected lensing and X-ray results. We determine the gas mass fraction in this cluster and find fg ≃ 0.07 h-3/2 at all radii and a constant mass-to-light ratio of M/LV = (300 ± 100) h M/L☉V.
Ionic Liquid-Based Thermoplastic Solid Electrolytes Processed by Solvent-Free Procedures

A series of thermoplastic polymer electrolytes have been prepared employing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a polymer matrix, bis(trifluoromethane sulfonimide) (LiTFSI), and different room-temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) with bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI) or TFSI anions. This formulation makes them safe and non-flammable. The electrolytes have been processed in the absence of solvents by melt compounding at 120 °C, using sepiolite modified with d-α-tocoferol-polyethyleneglycol 1000 succinate (TPGS-S) as a physical cross-linker of PEO. Several concentrations of RTILs, lithium salt, and TPGS-S have been tested in order to obtain the highest ionic conductivity (σ) without losing electrolytes’ mechanical stability. The materials’ rheology and ionic conductivity have been extensively characterized. The excellent crosslinking ability of TPGS-S makes the electrolytes behave as thermoplastic materials, even those with the highest liquid concentration. The electrolytes with the highest concentrations of FSI anion present a σ over 10−3 S·cm−1 at 25 °C and close to 10−2 S·cm−1 at 70 °C, and notably behave as solids at temperatures up to 90 °C despite over 65 wt % of their formulation being liquid. The electrolytes thus obtained are safe solid thermoplastics prepared by industrially scalable procedures and are suitable for energy storage devices, proving the adequacy of polymer-based materials as solid electrolytes for batteries or supercapacitors.
The impact of written exposure on worry : efficacy and mechanisms

The main goal of this research was to examine the effect of written exposure on GAD-related symptoms in high worriers. Thirty (30) nonclinical high worriers were randomly assigned to either a written exposure condition ( n = 15) or a control writing condition ( n = 15). Participants in the exposure condition wrote emotional descriptions of feared outcomes, whereas participants in the control condition wrote objectively about a neutral, hypothetical situation. All participants wrote for 30 minutes each day over five consecutive days. Self-report measures were used to assess worry, GAD somatic symptoms, depression, and intolerance of uncertainty at four time points during the study: pretest, posttest, and 1- and 2-week follow-ups. Given that exposure-based treatments are effective for GAD and related symptoms (e.g., Borkovec, Wilkinson, Folensbee, & Lerman, 1983; Dugas et al., 2003), we hypothesized that the exposure group would show greater decreases in symptoms (i.e., worry, GAD somatic symptoms, and depression) than would the control group. Further, considering that changes in intolerance of uncertainty generally precede changes in worry over the course of treatment for GAD (Dugas & Ladouceur, 2000), we expected that intolerance of uncertainty scores would predict subsequent symptom scores in the exposure group. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we found that all symptoms significantly decreased over time in the written exposure group (although GAD somatic symptoms also decreased in the control group). Moreover, intolerance of uncertainty scores predicted subsequent scores on all symptom measures in the experimental group, whereas worry and depression scores predicted subsequent intolerance of uncertainty scores in the control group.
Towards a benchmark for RGB-D SLAM evaluation

We provide a large dataset containing RGB-D image sequences and the ground-truth camera trajectories with the goal to establish a benchmark for the evaluation of visual SLAM systems. Our dataset contains the color and depth images of a Microsoft Kinect sensor and the ground-truth trajectory of camera poses. The data was recorded at full frame rate (30 Hz) and sensor resolution (640x480). The ground-truth trajectory was obtained from a high-accuracy motion-capture system with eight high-speed tracking cameras (100 Hz). Further, we provide the accelerometer data from the Kinect. Finally, we propose an evaluation criterion for measuring the quality of the estimated camera trajectory of visual SLAM systems.
NMDA-Based Pattern Discrimination in a Modeled Cortical Neuron

Compartmental simulations of an anatomically characterized cortical pyramidal cell were carried out to study the integrative behavior of a complex dendritic tree. Previous theoretical (Feldman and Ballard 1982; Durbin and Rumelhart 1989; Mel 1990; Mel and Koch 1990; Poggio and Girosi 1990) and compartmental modeling (Koch et al. 1983; Shepherd et al. 1985; Koch and Poggio 1987; Rall and Segev 1987; Shepherd and Brayton 1987; Shepherd et al. 1989; Brown et al. 1991) work had suggested that multiplicative interactions among groups of neighboring synapses could greatly enhance the processing power of a neuron relative to a unit with only a single global firing threshold. This issue was investigated here, with a particular focus on the role of voltage-dependent N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) channels in the generation of cell responses. First, it was found that when a large proportion of the excitatory synaptic input to dendritic spines is carried by NMDA channels, the pyramidal cell responds preferentially to spatially clustered, rather than random, distributions of activated synapses. Second, based on this mechanism, the NMDA-rich neuron is shown to be capable of solving a nonlinear pattern discrimination task. We propose that manipulation of the spatial ordering of afferent synaptic connections onto the dendritic arbor is a possible biological strategy for pattern information storage during learning.
A Phylogenetic Strategy Based on a Legume-Specific Whole Genome Duplication Yields Symbiotic Cytokinin Type-A Response Regulators1[C][W][OA]

Legumes host their Rhizobium spp. symbiont in novel root organs called nodules. Nodules originate from differentiated root cortical cells that dedifferentiate and subsequently form nodule primordia, a process controlled by cytokinin. A whole-genome duplication has occurred at the root of the legume Papilionoideae subfamily. We hypothesize that gene pairs originating from this duplication event and are conserved in distinct Papilionoideae lineages have evolved symbiotic functions. A phylogenetic strategy was applied to search for such gene pairs to identify novel regulators of nodulation, using the cytokinin phosphorelay pathway as a test case. In this way, two paralogous type-A cytokinin response regulators were identified that are involved in root nodule symbiosis. Response Regulator9 (MtRR9) and MtRR11 in medicago (Medicago truncatula) and an ortholog in lotus (Lotus japonicus) are rapidly induced upon Rhizobium spp. Nod factor signaling. Constitutive expression of MtRR9 results in arrested primordia that have emerged from cortical, endodermal, and pericycle cells. In legumes, lateral root primordia are not exclusively formed from pericycle cells but also require the involvement of the root cortical cell layer. Therefore, the MtRR9-induced foci of cell divisions show a strong resemblance to lateral root primordia, suggesting an ancestral function of MtRR9 in this process. Together, these findings provide a proof of principle for the applied phylogenetic strategy to identify genes with a symbiotic function in legumes.
Integrating psychosocial safety climate in the JD-R model : a study amongst Malaysian workers : original research

Orientation: Job characteristics are well accepted as sources of burnout and engagement amongst employees; psychosocial safety climate may precede work conditions. Research purpose: We expanded the Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) model by proposing psychosocial safety climate (PSC) as a precursor to job demands and job resources. As PSC theoretically influences the working environment, the study hypothesized that PSC has an impact on performance via both health erosion (i.e. burnout) and motivational pathways (i.e. work engagement). Motivation for the study: So far, integration of PSC in the JD-R model is only tested in a Western context (i.e. Australia). We tested the emerging construct of PSC in Malaysia, an Eastern developing country in the Asian region. Research design, approach and method: A random population based sample was derived using household maps provided by Department of Statistics, Malaysia; 291 employees (response rate 50.52%) from the State of Selangor, Malaysia participated. Cross-sectional data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Main findings: We found that PSC was negatively related to job demands and positively related to job resources. Job demands, in turn, predicted burnout (i.e. exhaustion and cynicism), whereas job resources predicted engagement. Both burnout and engagement were associated with performance. Bootstrapping showed significant indirect effects of PSC on burnout via job demands, PSC on performance via burnout and PSC on performance via the resources-engagement pathway. Practical managerial implications: Our findings are consistent with previous research that suggests that PSC should be a target to improve working conditions and in turn reduce burnout and improve engagement and productivity. Contribution/value-add: These findings suggest that JD-R theory may be expanded to include PSC as an antecedent and that the expanded JD-R model is largely valid in an Eastern, developing economy setting.
Phylogeography and Population Structure of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes in Uganda: Implications for Control of Tsetse

Background Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, a riverine species of tsetse, is the main vector of both human and animal trypanosomiasis in Uganda. Successful implementation of vector control will require establishing an appropriate geographical scale for these activities. Population genetics can help to resolve this issue by characterizing the extent of linkage among apparently isolated groups of tsetse. Methodology/Principal Findings We conducted genetic analyses on mitochondrial and microsatellite data accumulated from approximately 1000 individual tsetse captured in Uganda and neighboring regions of Kenya and Sudan. Phylogeographic analyses suggested that the largest scale genetic structure in G. f. fuscipes arose from an historical event that divided two divergent mitochondrial lineages. These lineages are currently partitioned to northern and southern Uganda and co-occur only in a narrow zone of contact extending across central Uganda. Bayesian assignment tests, which provided evidence for admixture between northern and southern flies at the zone of contact and evidence for northerly gene flow across the zone of contact, indicated that this structure may be impermanent. On the other hand, microsatellite structure within the southern lineage indicated that gene flow is currently limited between populations in western and southeastern Uganda. Within regions, the average FST between populations separated by less than 100 km was less than ∼0.1. Significant tests of isolation by distance suggested that gene flow is ongoing between neighboring populations and that island populations are not uniformly more isolated than mainland populations. Conclusions/Significance Despite the presence of population structure arising from historical colonization events, our results have revealed strong signals of current gene flow within regions that should be accounted for when planning tsetse control in Uganda. Populations in southeastern Uganda appeared to receive little gene flow from populations in western or northern Uganda, supporting the feasibility of area wide control in the Lake Victoria region by the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign.
A comparison of gradual sedation levels using the Comfort-B scale and bispectral index in children on mechanical ventilation in the pediatric intensive care unit

Objective Compare the scores resulting from the Comfort-B scale with the bispectral index in children in an intensive care unit. Methods Eleven children between the ages of 1 month and 16 years requiring mechanical ventilation and sedation were simultaneously classified based on the bispectral index and the Comfort-B scale. Their behavior was recorded using digital photography, and the record was later evaluated by three independent evaluators. Agreement tests (Bland-Altman and Kappa) were then performed. The correlation between the two methods (Pearson correlation) was tested. Results In total, 35 observations were performed on 11 patients. Based on the Kappa coefficient, the agreement among evaluators ranged from 0.56 to 0.75 (p<0.001). There was a positive and consistent association between the bispectral index and the Comfort-B scale [r=0.424 (p=0.011) to r=0.498 (p=0.002)]. Conclusion Due to the strong correlation between the independent evaluators and the consistent correlation between the two methods, the results suggest that the Comfort-B scale is reproducible and useful in classifying the level of sedation in children requiring mechanical ventilation.
In utero surgery – current state of the art – part II

Summary Background Fetal surgery, also referred to as in utero, prenatal or intrauterine surgery, consists of treatment of congenital malformations during the fetal period. The idea of treating malformations diagnosed in the course of intrauterine life dates back to 1963, when Lilly performed the first blood transfusion in a fetus. Since then it has been introduced as a treatment option in a series of lethal malformations. Efforts are being made to treat nonlethal malformations by means of fetal surgery. Material/Methods A comprehensive search of the literature using MEDLINE and PubMed between 1925 and February 2009 was performed. Search terms for MEDLINE and PubMed were: fetal surgery, foetal surgery, in utero surgery, prenatal surgery, and in utero treatment. In addition, information was obtained at Web sites of the International Medicine and Surgery Society and the University of California Fetal Treatment Centre. Results Authors’ attention focused on the survey of indications to intrauterine operations. We outline potential directions of its development, quoting the groundwork of the most experienced researchers and clinicians. Moreover, owing to the authors’ interest in plastic surgery, some remarks on the role of intrauterine medicine and surgery in this branch of medicine are made. Conclusions In utero surgery may be regarded as an efficient tool of preventive medicine. It offers some advantages that no other branch of medicine may offer. However, its implementation is more troublesome than in the past, therefore only selected cases may benefit from its advantages. Nevertheless, current tendencies are to include, after thorough evaluation of benefit-risk ratio, some new indications for fetal surgery.
Variations on a human universal: Individual differences in positivity offset and negativity bias

The positivity offset refers to a tendency for the positive motivational system to respond more than the negative motivation system at low levels of evaluative input. The negativity bias refers to a tendency for the negative motivational system to respond more intensely than the positive motivational system when evaluative input increases. While there is evidence that these represent general aspects of evaluative responding, individuals also vary in their level of positivity offset and negativity bias. In two studies, we explore individual differences in these features of evaluative responding to determine if they are stable across time, internally consistent, only modestly related to self-report measures of affect, and have predictive validity. We found that individuals with stronger positivity offsets formed more positive impressions of targets described by only neutral information and individuals with stronger negativity biases formed even more negative impressions of targets described by negative information.