Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Out of Context - Understanding the Practicalities of Learning Games

The aim of this paper is to highlight the lack of studies examining the contexts in which learning games are used. Learning game research tends to focus heavily on the game artefact by examining how different types of designs foster both engagement and learning and how well the axiomatic definitions of good game design correspond to sound learning principles. While the dissection of the anatomy of games is important, there is an overabundance of studies on learning games as isolated systems at the expense of examinations of the constraints, possibilities, and requirements imposed by their realworld context of use. Learning games that are intended to work in formal settings like K12 classrooms constitute systems that significantly differ from the traditional game scenarios between game artefacts and their players. As of yet few researchers have set out to survey these systems in their entirety. This paper presents a small literature review of learning game research that highlight the absence of studies focused on understanding the practicalities of the development and use of learning games. The paper also juxtaposes the results of the review with outcomes of a study conducted “within” the identified gap to present arguments for why the current lack of practical research is problematic.
Juvenile Justice and Public Policy: Toward a National Agenda.

Billions of federal, state and local dollars are spent every year dealing with juvenile crime in America and indications are that crime prevention and control will consume an increasingly larger share of scarce public resources in the future. Despite the pressing interest in this issue, little progress has been made in reducing the rate of serious juvenile crime. Public policy decisions aimed at preventing and controlling juvenile crime are usually made within an atmosphere of rhetoric and with a remarkable lack of facts. This volume examines a number of critical and troubling issues in juvenile justice - including delinquency prevention, youth gangs, the future of juvenile court, and race, gender and ethnicity - and aims to serve as a catalyst and resource for the development of sound policy decisions.
Effect of World Bank Loan Withdrawal on the Performance of Agricultural Extension in Nigeria

This paper examined the effect of World Bank loan withdrawal on the performance of extension services in Nigeria. This was because agricultural extension activities were tripartitely funded by World Bank, State and Federal governments in Nigeria. The final withdrawal would then have serious implications for the performance of the extension organizations. Data were obtained from secondary sources and analyzed using t-test statistics. The result indicates that there were sharp decline in the performance of extension activities after the loan withdrawal and thus the question of sustainability of the Agricultural Development Programme.
Conservation in the Age of Consensus

1. Conservation, Culture and Planning 2. Modern Conservation 3. Policies and Plans 4. The 1970s 5. Conservation, Conservatives and Consensus 6. The Commodification of Heritage 7. Conservation and the Community 8. World Heritage 9. Postmodern Conservation 10. Conservation Reformed 11. Conservation and the Challenge of Consensus
Physiological Responses of General vs. Specific Aerobic Endurance Exercises in Soccer

Purpose The study aimed to compare the physiological and perceptual responses of two high intensity intermittent aerobic exercises (HIIE), i.e. the 15s/15s exercise and an exercise on the Hoff track (HTE). Methods In this within-subject repeated measures study, seven high-level soccer players (Age: 24.1± 4.5yr; Height: 175± 0.04cm; Body mass: 67.9± 9.0kg;% Body fat: 14.2± 2.4%) performed the two exercises with same total duration (25 minutes) in a randomized order: 1) a 15s/15s protocol at 120% of maximal aerobic speed (MAS), and 2) HTE. Heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2) were measured continuously throughout both exercises. The rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was measured 15 min after the end of each exercise. Blood lactate concentration ([La]) was measured at rest before each exercise, between and at the end of each set. Results The mean VO2 during HTE was significantly higher than 15s/15s exercise (39.3±2.3 vs. 36.8±1.9 mL/min/kg, P<0.05. The total O2 consumed was significantly higher (P<0.05) during HTE (66.8±7.6 L) than during the 15s/15s (62.3±8.6 L). Blood lactate [La] after the first set of HTE was significantly higher than the 15s/15s (12.5±2.0 vs. 10.6±2.0 mmol/L, P<0.05). However, RPE provided by players suggested that the 15s/15s was more intense than the HTE (13±1.8 vs. 11.7±1.4, P<0.05). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that VO2 and [La] were higher during HTE than during the 15s/15s when matched with duration. However, HTE was perceived less intense than 15s/15s. Thus, the use of HTE appears as an effective alternative for fitness coaches to develop aerobic endurance in soccer players.
How Has Regionalism in the 1990s Affected Trade

The authors apply a gravity model to data on annual non-fuel imports for 58 countries for the years 1980-96, to quantify the effects on trade of recently created or revamped preferential trade agreements (PTAs). They modify the usual gravity equation to identify the separate effects of PTAs on intra-bloc trade, members'total imports, and members'total exports. They also formally test the significance of changes in the estimated coefficients before and after the blocs'formation. Their estimates give no indication that the"new wave"of regionalism boosted intra-bloc trade significantly. They found convincing evidence of trade diversion only for the European Union and the European Free Trade Association. For the same blocs they also observed"export diversion", which would be consistent with these blocs'imposing a welfare cost on the rest of the world. Trade liberalization efforts in Latin America have had a positive impact on the imports of bloc members (Andean Group, Central American Common Market, Latin American Integration Association, and MERCOSUR). Increasing propensities to export generally accompanied increasing propensities to import, suggesting that general trade liberalization had a strong effect. The exception was MERCOSUR, for which import and export propensities displayed opposite movements, with exports performing worse than expected over the mid-1990s. Although MERCOSUR members have undoubtedly liberalized since the mid-1980s, these results suggest that their trade performance has been influenced more by competitiveness than by trade policy.
Physiological Condition Differentially Affects the Behavior and Survival of Two Populations of Sockeye Salmon during Their Freshwater Spawning Migration

Recently, a segment of the Adams‐Shuswap sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) population initiated freshwater migration several weeks earlier than historically recorded, resulting in high mortality rates. The comigrating Chilko population maintained their historic river entry timing and did not experience elevated mortality. To test the hypothesis that population‐specific differences in physiological condition would differentially influence behavior and survival when exposed to fisheries capture stress, we physiologically sampled individuals from both populations at the onset of the freshwater phase of their reproductive migration and tracked the remainder of their migrations using radio telemetry. Adams‐Shuswap individuals had slower migration rates and were less likely to reach natal subwatersheds relative to Chilko individuals. Metabolic and osmoregulatory impairment was related to mortality for Adams‐Shuswap individuals but not for Chilko individuals. Similarly, physiological condition correlated with migration rate for Adams‐Shuswap but not Chilko fish. Survival to natal subwatersheds was 1.9 times higher for Chilko relative to Adams‐Shuswap, a result that did not emerge until individuals approached natal subwatersheds several days after the stressor was applied. We conclude that physiological condition differentially affects the behavior and survival of these two populations, which may be a consequence of the early‐entry phenomenon by a segment of the Adams‐Shuswap population.
Relation between depolarization and repolarization phases in body surface QRST integral map

The aim of the study was to assess the relations between QRST and STT, QRS integral maps in three groups: healthy volunteers, patients without arrhythmia and patients with implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The obtained results showed that the mean correlation coefficient between STT and QRST integral maps was highest in the group of healthy subjects while the mean correlation coefficient between QRS and QRST integral maps was lowest in the same group of subjects. The relation of depolarization phase with repolarization phase and the influence of depolarization sequence on repolarization sequence is noticeably disrupted in patients with impaired systolic function. In such cases the QRST integral maps seems to reflect depolarization-repolarization disorder rather than only repolarization dispersion.
Association of the Vitamin D Metabolism Gene CYP27B1 With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE—Epidemiological studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with the susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. Higher levels of the active metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1α,25(OH)2D) could protect from immune destruction of the pancreatic β-cells. 1α,25(OH)2D is derived from its precursor 25-hydroxyvitamin D by the enzyme 1α-hydroxylase encoded by the CYP27B1 gene and is inactivated by 24-hydroxylase encoded by the CYP24A1 gene. Our aim was to study the association between the CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 gene polymorphisms and type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We studied 7,854 patients with type 1 diabetes, 8,758 control subjects from the U.K., and 2,774 affected families. We studied four CYP27B1 variants, including common polymorphisms −1260C>A (rs10877012) and +2838T>C (rs4646536) and 16 tag polymorphisms in the CYP24A1 gene. RESULTS—We found evidence of association with type 1 diabetes for CYP27B1 −1260 and +2838 polymorphisms, which are in perfect linkage disequilibrium. The common C allele of CYP27B1 −1260 was associated with an increased disease risk in the case-control analysis (odds ratio for the C/C genotype 1.22, P = 9.6 × 10−4) and in the fully independent collection of families (relative risk for the C/C genotype 1.33, P = 3.9 × 10−3). The combined P value for an association with type 1 diabetes was 3.8 × 10−6. For the CYP24A1 gene, we found no evidence of association with type 1 diabetes (multilocus test, P = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS—The present data provide evidence that common inherited variation in the vitamin D metabolism affects susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.
The long and winding road: collaborative IT and organisational change

The role of collaborative information technology in organisational changes continues to be a source of controversy in the CSCW literature. We report organisational changes in a Ftih computer consukancy accompanying the introduction and use of Lotus Notes over a period of three years. The case shows that collaborative information technologies, such as Lotus Notes, are capable of supporting a variety forms of organisation. The uptake and use of Notes appeared to be more strongly Muenced by aspects of the organisational contex< intemd social structure and the users’ capabihties – in this case economic recessio~ changing foci of cmttrol and the role changes in the company – than by any intilc logic of the technology.
The Phase of Ongoing EEG Oscillations Predicts Visual Perception

Oscillations are ubiquitous in electrical recordings of brain activity. While the amplitude of ongoing oscillatory activity is known to correlate with various aspects of perception, the influence of oscillatory phase on perception remains unknown. In particular, since phase varies on a much faster timescale than the more sluggish amplitude fluctuations, phase effects could reveal the fine-grained neural mechanisms underlying perception. We presented brief flashes of light at the individual luminance threshold while EEG was recorded. Although the stimulus on each trial was identical, subjects detected approximately half of the flashes (hits) and entirely missed the other half (misses). Phase distributions across trials were compared between hits and misses. We found that shortly before stimulus onset, each of the two distributions exhibited significant phase concentration, but at different phase angles. This effect was strongest in the theta and alpha frequency bands. In this time–frequency range, oscillatory phase accounted for at least 16% of variability in detection performance and allowed the prediction of performance on the single-trial level. This finding indicates that the visual detection threshold fluctuates over time along with the phase of ongoing EEG activity. The results support the notion that ongoing oscillations shape our perception, possibly by providing a temporal reference frame for neural codes that rely on precise spike timing.
Dosage Compensation in the Mouse Balances Up-Regulation and Silencing of X-Linked Genes

Dosage compensation in mammals involves silencing of one X chromosome in XX females and requires expression, in cis, of Xist RNA. The X to be inactivated is randomly chosen in cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) at the blastocyst stage of development. Embryonic stem (ES) cells derived from the ICM of female mice have two active X chromosomes, one of which is inactivated as the cells differentiate in culture, providing a powerful model system to study the dynamics of X inactivation. Using microarrays to assay expression of X-linked genes in undifferentiated female and male mouse ES cells, we detect global up-regulation of expression (1.4- to 1.6-fold) from the active X chromosomes, relative to autosomes. We show a similar up-regulation in ICM from male blastocysts grown in culture. In male ES cells, up-regulation reaches 2-fold after 2–3 weeks of differentiation, thereby balancing expression between the single X and the diploid autosomes. We show that silencing of X-linked genes in female ES cells occurs on a gene-by-gene basis throughout differentiation, with some genes inactivating early, others late, and some escaping altogether. Surprisingly, by allele-specific analysis in hybrid ES cells, we also identified a subgroup of genes that are silenced in undifferentiated cells. We propose that X-linked genes are silenced in female ES cells by spreading of Xist RNA through the X chromosome territory as the cells differentiate, with silencing times for individual genes dependent on their proximity to the Xist locus.
Half Gaussian Kernels Based Shock Filter for Image Deblurring and Regularization

In this paper, a shock-diffusion model is presented to restore both blurred and noisy image. The proposed approach uses a half smoothing kernel to get the precise edge directions, and use different shock-diffusion strategies for different image regions. Experiment results on real images show that the proposed model can effectively eliminate noise and enhance edges while preserving small objects and corners simultaneously. Compared to other approaches, the proposed method offers both better visual results and qualitative measurements.
Nitrogen Metabolite Repression of Metabolism and Virulence in the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Proper regulation of metabolism is essential to maximizing fitness of organisms in their chosen environmental niche. Nitrogen metabolite repression is an example of a regulatory mechanism in fungi that enables preferential utilization of easily assimilated nitrogen sources, such as ammonium, to conserve resources. Here we provide genetic, transcriptional, and phenotypic evidence of nitrogen metabolite repression in the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. In addition to loss of transcriptional activation of catabolic enzyme-encoding genes of the uric acid and proline assimilation pathways in the presence of ammonium, nitrogen metabolite repression also regulates the production of the virulence determinants capsule and melanin. Since GATA transcription factors are known to play a key role in nitrogen metabolite repression, bioinformatic analyses of the C. neoformans genome were undertaken and seven predicted GATA-type genes were identified. A screen of these deletion mutants revealed GAT1, encoding the only global transcription factor essential for utilization of a wide range of nitrogen sources, including uric acid, urea, and creatinine—three predominant nitrogen constituents found in the C. neoformans ecological niche. In addition to its evolutionarily conserved role in mediating nitrogen metabolite repression and controlling the expression of catabolic enzyme and permease-encoding genes, Gat1 also negatively regulates virulence traits, including infectious basidiospore production, melanin formation, and growth at high body temperature (39°–40°). Conversely, Gat1 positively regulates capsule production. A murine inhalation model of cryptococcosis revealed that the gat1Δ mutant is slightly more virulent than wild type, indicating that Gat1 plays a complex regulatory role during infection.
Electrical properties of insect neurones with spiking and non-spiking somata: normal, axotomized, and colchicine-treated neurones.

r. The paired motorneurones in the metathoracic ganglion of the locust have non-spiking somata whereas the dorsal unpaired media (DUM) neurones have spiking somata. We have studied the electrical properties of two identified neurones in the metathoracic ganglion that have spiking axons innervating the same muscle: the fast extensor tibiae (FETi) motorneurone has a non-spiking soma and the dorsal unpaired median extensor tibiae (DUMETi) neurone has a spiking soma. 2. The inward current of the peripheral axon spikes of both DUMETi and FETi is carried predominantly by Na, since the spikes are blocked only by removal of Na or addition of tetrodotoxin (TTX). 3. The inward current of the soma spike of DUMETi is carried by Na and Ca, since it is blocked by either removal of Na+, addition of TTX, or addition of Co. 4. The non-spiking soma of FETi shows delayed rectification. When some of the outward K current is blocked by TEA or 3-AP, the soma is capable of generating overshooting action potentials. The inward current of the TEA-induced soma spike of FETi is carried by Na+ and Ca, since it is blocked by either removal of Na, addition of TTX or addition of Co. 5. Axotomy or treatment with colchicine converts the non-spiking soma of FETi into a spiking soma within 4 days. The inward current of the soma spike is carried predominantly by Na+, since it is blocked only by removal of Na+. 6. Five days after axotomy of one of the peripheral axons of DUMETi, Na+ is sufficient for the generation of the soma spike. Increased excitability is also observed in the neuropil of DUMETi after axotomy. 7. When some of the outward K current is blocked by Ba, the normal and axotomized somata of FETi and DUMETi are all capable of generating long duration Ba action potentials that are blocked by addition of Co. The overshooting Ba action potentials in all cases are similar in amplitude and duration. 8. It is concluded that the soma membrane of DUMETi and FETi normally contains both Na and Ca inward current channels. The normal difference in excitability between these two somata may result in part or entirely from differences in the outward K+ current. It is suggested that
Stability of model predictive control with soft constraints

We derive stability conditions for model predictive control (MPC) with hard constraints on the inputs and "soft" constraints on the outputs for an infinitely long output horizon. We show that with state feedback MPC is globally asymptotically stabilizing if and only if all the eigenvalues of the open loop system are in the closed unit disk. With output feedback the eigenvalues must be strictly inside the unit circle. The online optimization problem defining MPC can be posed as a finite dimensional quadratic program even though the output constraints are specified over an infinite horizon. <<ETX>>
On average derivative quantile regression

For fixed α ∈ (0,1), the quantile regression function gives the αth quantile θ α (x) in the conditional distribution of a response variable Y given the value X = x of a vector of covariates. It can be used to measure the effect of covariates not only in the center of a population, but also in the upper and lower tails. A functional that summarizes key features of the quantile specific relationship between X and Y is the vector β α of weighted expected values of the vector of partial derivatives of the quantile function θ α (x). In a nonparametric setting, β α can be regarded as a vector of quantile specific nonparametric regression coefficients. In survival analysis models (e.g., Cox's proportional hazard model, proportional odds rate model, accelerated failure time model) and in monotone transformation models used in regression analysis, β α gives the direction of the parameter vector in the parametric part of the model. β α can also be used to estimate the direction of the parameter vector in semiparametric single index models popular in econometrics. We show that, under suitable regularity conditions, the estimate of β α obtained by using the locally polynomial quantile estimate of Chaudhuri (1991a) is n 1/2 -consistent and asymptotically normal with asymptotic variance equal to the variance of the influence function of the functional β α . We discuss how the estimate of β α can be used for model diagnostics and in the construction of a link function estimate in general single index models.
New Perspectives on Economic Growth and Technological Innovation

Two hundred years ago, the first Industrial Revolution sparked a dramatic acceleration in the quantity of goods and services available to the average citizen--a trend of steadily increasing real income per capita that continues to this day. Since that time, economists have struggled to develop systematic explanations for what caused the sudden, rapid increase, why the economy keeps growing, and why the rate of growth varies in different time periods and nations. In this book, F. M. Scherer traces the evolution of economic growth theory from the Industrial Revolution to the present. Emphasizing technological change as the most crucial dynamic force for growth, Scherer analyzes early hypotheses that paid little attention to new technologies, follows the emergence of theories that increasingly emphasized technological change, and reviews the current state of economic growth theory. Pointing out a lack of solid microbehavioral foundations to support contemporary "new growth" ideas, Scherer then supplies some foundational "bricks" concerning financial investment and human capital, and concludes by exploring the prospects for sustaining rapid growth into the next century. Copublished with the British-North American Committee
Left-edge tonal events in Kayardild (australian) - a typological perspective

To date, most intonational typologies have been formulated on the basis of an analysis of a handful of the world's languages. In this study, intonational patterns were examined in an indigenous Australian language, Kayardild. This language appears to differ from other languages of the region in that intonation is not solely delimitative, and a wider variety of phrasal melodies are also observed, particularly at the left edge of intonational units. Moreover, the placement of certain intonational events gives rise to certain pragmatic or semantic nuances, suggesting that the intonational typology of the language is quite different from its geographical near-neighbours.