Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying the Local Impacts of National ATE Centers on Their Host Institutions

The purpose of this study is to identify the local impacts of national advanced technological education (ATE) centers on their host institutions. A sample of three mature, national ATE centers are chosen, with each center serving as a case for a mixed-methods, collective case study research design. Results, drawn from interviews and surveys, indicate that national ATE centers create a variety of direct local impacts (i.e., impacts related to improving education in the targeted technology field) and indirect local impacts (i.e., impacts on the host institution that are beyond the targeted technology field). Direct impacts are created by a depth of focus on and connections to the targeted technology field, whereas indirect impacts are created by diversification within the host institution through collaborations with other projects on campus. The organizational structure and physical location of a center are also found to be important factors affecting the types of impacts created. In addition, characteristics such as strong center–industry partnerships, leadership qualities of the center directors, and a culture that promotes grant getting at the host institution are found to contribute to both types of impacts. The authors suggest that local impacts can be sustained through development and articulation of an ATE center’s core competencies.
Who Is Exposed to Secondhand Smoke? Self-Reported and Serum Cotinine Measured Exposure in the U.S., 1999–2006

This study presents self-reported and serum cotinine measures of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) for nonsmoking children, adolescents, and adults. Estimates are disaggregated by time periods and sociodemographic characteristics based on analyses of the 1999–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-reported exposure rates are found to be highest for children, followed by adolescents and adults. Important differences in exposure are found by socioeconomic characteristics. Using serum cotinine to measure exposure yields much higher prevalence rates than self-reports. Rates of SHS exposure remain high, but cotinine levels are declining for most groups.
Large scale manifold transduction

We show how the regularizer of Transductive Support Vector Machines (TSVM) can be trained by stochastic gradient descent for linear models and multi-layer architectures. The resulting methods can be trained online, have vastly superior training and testing speed to existing TSVM algorithms, can encode prior knowledge in the network architecture, and obtain competitive error rates. We then go on to propose a natural generalization of the TSVM loss function that takes into account neighborhood and manifold information directly, unifying the two-stage Low Density Separation method into a single criterion, and leading to state-of-the-art results.
Prevalence and Molecular Epidemiology of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) Strains Isolated from Animals and Humans in Korea

Background To assess the possibility of VRE transmission from animals to humans, we studied the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in farm animals, raw chicken meat, and healthy people. We then determined the molecular relatedness of VRE isolates between animals and humans in Korea. Methods We aimed to isolate VRE from 150 enterococci specimens of farm animals, 15 raw chicken meat samples, and stools from 200 healthy people. Species differentiation was done with conventional biochemical tests. Vancomycin resistance genotyping was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using the agar dilution method, antimicrobial susceptibility was tested for 8 antimicrobials and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was done to evaluate the molecular relatedness of VRE isolates. Results The prevalence of VRE was 14.7% (22/150) in farm animal specimens, 1% (2/200) in healthy people, and 60% (9/15) in raw chicken meat. Of 22 animal VRE isolates, 1 vanA E. faecium, 15 vanC1 E. gallinarum, and 6 vanC2 E. casseliflavus were identified. All of the 9 VRE from raw chicken meat and all of the 20 clinical VRE strains were vanA E. faecium. However, in healthy people, only 2 vanC2 E. casseliflavus were isolated. These showed low-level resistance to vancomycin and susceptibility to teicoplanin. However, 9 VRE strains from raw chicken meat had high-level resistance to vancomycin (MIC50,90: >128 µg/mL), teicoplanin (MIC50,90: >128 µg/mL), ampicillin (MIC50,90: >128 µg/mL), erythromycin (MIC50,90: >128 µg/mL), and tetracycline (MIC50,90: 128/>128 µg/mL). Conclusion This study demonstrated little evidence of VRE colonization in healthy people despite high recovery of VRE among raw chicken meat. It is suggested that there is little evidence of VRE transmission from animals to healthy people. However, we assumed that there exists the possibility of VRE contamination during the processing of chicken meat.
Does a stepped approach using mixed-mode data collection reduce attrition problemns in a longitudinal mental health study?

According to epidemiological standards for longitudinal studies, any appropriate attempt should be made to reach a high response rate. This also concerns re-contacting respondents in follow-up waves. In the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), respondents, who refused to visit the study site for a follow-up interview and would have been lost in a single step approach, were offered an interview at their home (in a second step) or an interview by telephone (in a third step). The stepped approach intended to increase response rates, but as a by-product, the switching of the interview response setting introduced effects due to the three different modes for obtaining data. This study aimed to evaluate the benefits and detriments of the introduction of a stepped approach using mixed-mode data collection. The attained attrition in the stepped approach was compared to the attrition rate that would have been achieved if the design had remained in a single mode. Logistic regression models were used to study if the attrition was related to patient characteristics, i.e. the attrition was selective. Propensity score matching was used to study if similar respondents reacted differently to different modes. The stepped approach using mixed-mode collection reduced the attrition from 22% to 13%, while the selectivity of the attrition was reduced on almost all socio-demographic variables, although the selectivity increased in variables that reflect the respondents’ mental health. Propensity score matching demonstrated no evidence of mode effects. Although the introduction of the stepped approach using mixed mode data collection did not completely solve the problem of attrition, we conclude that adding different modes was worthwhile.
The Racialization of Islam in American Law

After 9/11, the “Muslim terrorist” trope altered the American understanding of Islam. This article argues that the Muslim terrorist in our popular culture should not be seen as new but within an established tradition of racializing Asian Americans. The article employs three dimensions of racialization: raced body, racial category, and ascribed subordination. The raced body is the “brown” body of immigrants and descendants of immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Southern Asia. “Muslim” as a racial category has acquired meaning beyond religion and now also describes a racial category: those whose ancestry traces to countries where Islam is significant. Linked to that category are the stereotypes of “terrorist,” “spy,” or “saboteur”—understandings within the tradition of characterizing Asian Americans as permanent, unassimilable foreigners. Inscribing the linked racial category and ascribed subordination of permanent foreignness upon the “brown” raced body is the racialization of Muslims into Muslim terrorists.
Prospective Teachers’ Tendencies to Utilize From the Facilities of Contemporary Educational Technology

In terms of effectiveness and efficiency, it is important to determine the views of prospective teachers related to taking advantage of the facilities of contemporary educational technology. This study which aims to identify prospective teachers’ attitudes towards computer-assisted learning was conducted with 140 prospective teachers (86 female, 54 male) who have been attending pedagogical formation education at Suleyman Demirel University in the 2013 academic year. In this study, in eight different fields of prospective teachers' attitudes towards computer assisted education were examined with different variables such as gender, major and graduation year. As a data collection tool, the "Computer Assisted Education Attitude Scale" was used in order to determine the tendencies of prospective teachers towards the use of computer-assisted learning in different fields such as physical sciences, social sciences, health sciences, fine arts, theology, mathematics and Turkish language. In the statistical analysis, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, nonparametric statistical technics were used. As a result of the analysis it was identified that teachers participating our study exhibited substandard attitudes towards computer-assisted education. In computer-assisted education, female prospective teachers had higher attitude level than men prospective teachers. In addition, attitude scores of participants of mathematics, health sciences, fine arts and science was higher than the participants of the Turkish language, foreign languages, social sciences and theology departments. There were statistically significant difference between attitude scores of participants of different disciplines. Results of the research findings are expected to contribute to the widespread use of instructional technology, and are expected to lead to applications in other fields.Keywords: Teaching Profession, Education, Technology, Computer-Assisted Education, Attitude
Investigation of International Students’ Perception of ‘Community’ in a British Higher Education Institute

This paper investigates the perceptions of members of our international student community by giving them a voice and a platform to explore their feelings as part of a Higher Education institute in the UK and whether they consider that the university is a global environment. Our data is based on a series of structured interviews with twelve students from twelve different countries, inclusive of four postgraduate research students. Our findings reveal that our international students commonly feel part of multiple smaller communities but interestingly, they were less sure of their part within an institute-wide community. The postgraduate students’ perceptions of community were quite divergent when compared to the undergraduate perceptions, which we will continue to explore in our future work. Our data supports the perception from international students that their university is a global community, but there were distinct differences in how individuals defined it and some limitations to consider. Some defined it as students and staff of different nationalities being present at a university whilst other definitions relied on cultural characteristics within the institution as a whole. We reflect upon the implications of our research as these perceptions shape international student opinion of Higher Education institutes and what is understood by the term ‘global community’.
QoS Modeling for End-to-End Performance Evaluation over Networks with Wireless Access

This paper presents an end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) model for assessing the performance of data services over networks with wireless access. The proposed model deals with performance degradation across protocol layers using a bottom-up strategy, starting with the physical layer and moving on up to the application layer. This approach makes it possible to analytically assess performance at different layers, thereby facilitating a possible end-to-end optimization process. As a representative case, a scenario where a set of mobile terminals connected to a streaming server through an IP access node has been studied. UDP, TCP, and the new TCP-Friendly Rate Control (TFRC) protocols were analyzed at the transport layer. The radio interface consisted of a variable-rate multiuser and multichannel subsystem, including retransmissions and adaptive modulation and coding. The proposed analytical QoS model was validated on a real-time emulator of an end-to-end network with wireless access and proved to be very useful for the purposes of service performance estimation and optimization.
Extrarenal Factors Influencing Resistance Index in Stable Kidney Transplant Recipients

Background Increased intrarenal resistance index (RI) has been associated with decreased long-term allograft and patient survival in kidney transplant recipients. Taking into account the potential role of endothelial dysfunction, systemic inflammation, arteriosclerotic lesions, and left ventricle remodeling, we performed a cross-sectional study that aimed to evaluate extrarenal factors that may have influence on kidney graft RI in a large cohort of stable kidney transplant recipients. Methods One hundred seventy-four kidney transplant recipients were enrolled into the study. Mean time after transplantation was 8.4±1.8 years. Echocardiography, carotid ultrasound (intima-media thickness), pulse wave velocity, and Doppler examination of kidney graft were performed. The inflammatory markers, adhesion molecules, and plasma N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide concentrations were also measured. Patients were divided into quartile subgroups based on RI value (Q1: RI⩽0.68, Q2: RI=0.69–0.72, Q3: RI=0.73–0.76, and Q4: RI≥0.77). Results The analyzed subgroups were comparable with respect to demographics (except age) and anthropometric parameters as well as comorbidities. The values of age, serum phosphate, pulse wave velocity, left ventricular mass (LVM), and LVM index (LVMI) increased in subsequent RI quartile subgroups. The strongest correlation was found between RI and age, LVM, LVMI, and plasma parathormone concentration and was negative with estimated glomerular filtration rate. In backward stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the RI variability was explained by age, LVMI, and serum phosphate concentration. Conclusion Arterial stiffness and left ventricular hypertrophy may significantly influence the intrarenal vascular resistance measured using Doppler sonography in stable kidney transplant recipients.
Nonfatal all-terrain vehicle-related injuries to youths living on farms in the United States, 2001.

CONTEXT Use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture appears to be growing. PURPOSE To provide estimates of ATV ownership and exposure on US farms and an overview of injuries to youths as a result of ATV use on the farm in 2001. METHODS Analysis of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and US Department of Agriculture 2001 Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey. These data, collected via telephone surveys, provide information on nonfatal injuries that occurred to youths younger than 20 years living on US farms during 2001. The injuries included both occupational and nonoccupational incidents. FINDINGS Of an estimated 1.1 million youths living on farms, 36% had operated an ATV in 2001. Youths younger than 16 years were more likely to have operated an ATV than a tractor on these farms. An estimated 2,246 nonfatal ATV-related injuries occurred to youths younger than 20 years on US farms during 2001. The majority of these ATV injuries (1,668, 74%) occurred to youths identified as members of the household. Males accounted for 1,145 (69%) of the ATV injuries to household youths. The majority of the injuries were to youths aged 10-15 years (1,170, 70%). Most ATV injuries were the result of recreational activities (970, 58%). In addition, many of these injury events involved youths riding without helmets and using ATVs that were larger than the recommended size for their age.
Diversity and natural hybridization in a highly endemic species of Petunia (Solanaceae): a molecular and ecological analysis

Intrinsic reproductive barriers among the species of Petunia are weak and genetic isolation is obtained mainly by geographical separation and ecological diversification. The Serra do Sudeste region in the extreme south of Brazil is one of the centres of diversity of this genus and is characterized by the presence of species with different pollination syndromes. Petunia exserta is known only from four sandstone towers in a restricted area of this region (about 500 km2) and is characterized by its differentiated habitat (shelters in the sandstone towers) and by its floral characteristics adapted to ornithophily. In towers where this species is sympatric with the sphingophilous Petunia axillaris, phylogenetically close to P. exserta, we found plants with intermediate floral morphology, suggesting hybridization between them. To test this hypothesis and to better understand its consequences we analysed the sequences of the plastid trnH‐psbA, trnS‐trnG and psbB‐psbH intergenic spacers in 121 individuals sampled all over the P. exserta distribution. The joint analysis of the three markers revealed 13 haplotypes and the network showed two main genetic clades, which probably represent the original gene pool of the two species in the region. In general, individuals of a given population presented the same haplotype, independently of phenotype, corroborating the hybridization hypothesis. Field observations suggest that hummingbirds are responsible for the interspecific gene flow. Analysis of molecular variance revealed high interpopulational diversity among the towers. The low gene flow between populations is possibly related to the autochoric seed dispersion system.
Making predictions from speech with repairs: Evidence from eye movements

When listeners hear a spoken utterance, they are able to predict upcoming information on the basis of what they have already heard. But what happens when the speaker changes his or her mind mid-utterance? The present paper investigates the immediate effects of repairs on listeners' linguistic predictions. Participants listened to sentences like the boy will eat/move the cake while viewing scenes depicting the agent, the theme, and distractor objects (which were not edible). Over 25% of items included conjoined verbs (eat and move) and 25% included repairs (eat- uh, move). Participants were sensitive to repairs: where eat was overridden by move, fixations on the theme patterned with the plain move condition, but where there was a conjunct, fixations patterned with eat. However, once the theme had been heard, there were more fixations to the cake in all conditions including eat, showing that the first verb maintained an influence on prediction, even following a repair. The results are compatible with the view that prediction during comprehension is updated incrementally, but not completely, as the linguistic input unfolds.
Participatory ergonomics to reduce exposure to psychosocial and physical risk factors for low back pain and neck pain: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial

Objectives This study investigated the effectiveness of the Stay@Work participatory ergonomics programme to reduce workers′ exposure to psychosocial and physical risk factors. Methods 37 departments (n=3047 workers) from four Dutch companies participated in this cluster randomised controlled trial; 19 (n=1472 workers) were randomised to an intervention group (participatory ergonomics) and 18 (n=1575 workers) to a control group (no participatory ergonomics). During a 6 h meeting guided by an ergonomist, working groups devised ergonomic measures to reduce psychosocial and physical workload and implemented them within 3 months in their departments. Data on psychosocial and physical risk factors for low back pain and neck pain were collected at baseline and after 6 months. Psychosocial risk factors were measured using the Job Content Questionnaire and physical risk factors using the Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Intervention effects were studied using multilevel analysis. Results Intervention group workers significantly increased on decision latitude (0.29 points; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.52) and decision authority (0.16 points; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.28) compared to control workers. However, exposure to awkward trunk working postures significantly increased in the intervention group (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.15 to 3.01) compared to the control group. No significant differences between the intervention and control group were found for the remaining risk factors. After 6 months, loss to follow-up was 35% in the intervention group and 29% in the control group. Conclusion Participatory ergonomics was not effective in reducing exposure to psychosocial and physical risk factors for low back pain and neck pain among a large group of workers. Trial registration ISRCTN27472278.
Neurological soft signs with respect to type of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia

Introduction Neurological soft signs have been documented to occur in up to 60% of patients with schizophrenia and have been found even in neuroleptic-naive patients. Aims The aims of the study were to illustrate the presence of neurological soft signs among patients with schizophrenia and to show any relationship between neurological soft signs and type of symptoms. Patients and methods One hundred patients with schizophrenia were selected consecutively in a cross-sectional study. The patients were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) Axis of Disorders, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, complete neurological examination, and Cambridge Neurological Inventory for soft sign examinations (primitive reflexes, repetitive movement, sensory integration), and Trail Making Test. Results The main finding in this study indicates that the patients with schizophrenia have neurological impairment. There are positive correlations between soft neurological signs and positive symptoms in paranoid type, other types, and with the total; these indicate that neurological soft signs are more prominent in patients with positive symptoms than in those with negative symptoms. Conclusion Neurological Soft Signs (NSS) occur in a majority of the schizophrenia patient population and are largely distinct from symptomatic and cognitive features of the illness. Neurological signs in patients with schizophrenia are associated with prominent negative symptoms, relatively poor psychosocial performance, and significantly more cognitive impairment.
Geographic accessibility to higher education on the island of Ireland

This paper presents, for the first time, comprehensive measures of geographic accessibility to higher education both within and between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Using geographic information system techniques, we find high levels of geographic accessibility to higher education in both jurisdictions. However, when we differentiate by type of higher education institution, we find that overall accessibility to universities in the Republic of Ireland is poor relative to Northern Ireland. Using data on enrolment and mobility rates, we find evidence that these geographic inequalities in accessibility may play a role in determining the type of higher education an individual pursues in the Republic of Ireland. Our analysis also explores the potential accessibility implications of recently announced changes to the structure of the higher education system in the Republic of Ireland. These changes are shown to result in an improvement in geographic accessibility to a university education in the south-west and south-east, with the north-west remaining at a disadvantage.