Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical Thinking in Preservice Teachers: A Rubric for Evaluating Argumentation and Statistical Reasoning

The authors implemented a cognitive apprenticeship learning community (Collins, Brown, & Newman, 1989) in a class of preservice teachers at the University of Missouri - Columbia to enhance their argumentation and critical thinking skills about complex, educational problems. A detailed rubric based on the literature in argumentation and scientific reasoning was developed to evaluate the students' performance before and after the intervention. The rubric was designed to measure students' (a) conceptions and use of evidence, (b) notions about research and its applicability in evaluating complex social problems, and (c) ability to consider alternative perspectives. This article describes the intervention, the theoretical underpinnings of the rubric, and the use of the rubric in measuring the development of critical thinking in a group of preservice teachers. Strengths and weaknesses of the rubric are outlined and avenues for future research are discussed.
Occupational stress and teaching approaches among Chinese academics

The primary objective of this study was to examine the predictive power of occupational stress for teaching approaches. Participants were 246 faculty members from a large university in Guangzhou in the People’s Republic of China, who completed the Approaches to Teaching Inventory, four scales from the Occupational Stress Inventory‐Revised (assessing role overload, role insufficiency, psychological strain, and rational/cognitive coping), and the Self‐rated Ability Scale. Results suggested that after the participants’ self‐rated abilities were controlled for, the combination of role overload and the use of rational/cognitive coping was conducive to the conceptual‐change teaching approach (both intention and strategy), and that role insufficiency negatively predicted the conceptual‐change teaching strategy. Furthermore, together, rational/cognitive coping and psychological strain contributed to an information‐transmission teaching strategy. The implications of these findings for university academics and for university senior managers are discussed.
The Drug-User Husband and His Wife: Attachment Styles, Family Cohesion, and Adaptability

This study which assesses the association between the attachment styles of drug-user husbands (n = 56) and their wives (n = 56) and their perceptions of family dynamics was conducted in 1998. The population study included heroin (52.9%) and multidrug detoxified outpatients. All subjects completed the Adult Attachment Style Scale and the FACES III. Results indicated that the perceptions of family adaptability and cohesion among the drug-user husbands and their wives did not differ from the Israeli norm. Most of the drug users (60.7%) were characterized by the avoidant attachment style, followed by the secure style (26.8%), and the anxious/ambivalent style (12.5%). Half the wives (53.6%) were characterized by the secure style, followed by the avoidant style (42.9%) and the anxious/ambivalent style (3.6%). A secure style in husband and wife was associated with higher levels of family cohesion and adaptability, and the anxious/ambivalent style with a lower perception of family cohesion and adaptability. These findings have important implications for rehabilitation prospects and for planning intervention programs.
Female Polymorphism, Frequency Dependence, and Rapid Evolutionary Dynamics in Natural Populations

Rapid evolutionary change over a few generations has been documented in natural populations. Such changes are observed as organisms invade new environments, and they are often triggered by changed interspecific interactions, such as differences in predation regimes. However, in spite of increased recognition of antagonistic male‐female mating interactions, there is very limited evidence that such intraspecific interactions could cause rapid evolutionary dynamics in nature. This is because ecological and longitudinal data from natural populations have been lacking. Here we show that in a color‐polymorphic damselfly species, male‐female mating interactions lead to rapid evolutionary change in morph frequencies between generations. Field data and computer simulations indicate that these changes are driven by sexual conflict, in which morph fecundities are negatively affected by frequency‐ and density‐dependent male mating harassment. These frequency‐dependent processes prevent population divergence by maintaining a female polymorphism in most populations. Although these results contrast with the traditional view of how sexual conflict enhances the rate of population divergence, they are consistent with a recent theoretical model of how females may form discrete genetic clusters in response to male mating harassment.
Short-term heart rate variability in young athletes.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine whether the type of training in a young population differentiates heart rate variability parameters between athlete groups and sedentary subjects. METHODS The effect of different types of physical training on heart rate variability was evaluated in 10 aerobic trained athletes, in 7 anaerobic trained athletes, in 7 rugby players (mixed type training) and in 10 sedentary control subjects. All groups were age matched (18-34 years). Electrocardiogram tracings were recorded digitally in the supine position and standing position. Measures of heart rate variability were obtained, from both time- and frequency analysis of 10 min resting heart rate. After these tests, blood pressure was measured using an automatic inflation cuff. RESULTS Resting heart rate was lower in aerobic and mixed type athletes compared to controls. Only aerobic athletes had evidence of increased vagal activity in the time domain compared with control subjects (increased SDNN supine, increased rMSSD supine and standing and pNN50 standing). In the frequency domain, aerobic athletes presented with both higher low-frequency and high-frequency power in the standing position and low-frequency power in the supine position compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS It can be concluded that heart rate variability is affected by chronic exercise, especially in endurance trained athletes. This infers that especially aerobic exercising can have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular risk profile.
Independent and joint effects of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking on the risk of esophageal cancer in men and women

To estimate the independent and joint effects of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking, we analyzed data from a series of 5 hospital‐based case‐control studies of squamous‐cell carcinoma of the esophagus conducted in high‐risk areas in South America. A total of 830 case subjects and 1779 control subjects were included in the pooled analysis. All exposure characteristics of amount, duration, cessation and type of alcohol and tobacco consumed were strongly related to esophageal‐cancer risk in both sexes. Women had the same exposure profile as men, but the magnitudes of the associations were lower than were those among men. Black‐tobacco smoking was associated with a 2‐fold increased risk as compared with the smoking of blond or mixed tobacco. Quitting either of the 2 habits significantly reduced esophageal‐cancer risk. Alcohol and tobacco alone were strongly related to the risk of esophageal cancer, even in the absence of the other exposure. A history of simultaneous exposure to cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking had a strong multiplicative effect on risk. Concomitant exposure to heavy alcohol drinking and black‐tobacco smoking identified the group with the highest risk for developing esophageal cancer (odds ratio = 107). A synergistic interaction was found between the 2 habits, particularly in women and in moderately exposed men. Moderate cigarette smoking without drinking and moderate alcohol drinking without smoking had a negligible effect on esophageal‐cancer risk. However, simultaneous exposure to the same moderate amounts increased the risk 12‐ to 19‐fold in men and in women respectively. The overall public‐health implications of these findings are obvious for a tumor that depends on preventive strategies for its control. Int. J. Cancer 82:657–664, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leadership Satisfaction Structural Model among School Teachers

The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents of leadership satisfaction among teachers in Malaysian secondary schools. All variables were measured using 7- point interval scale: school leadership satisfaction (6 items) and overall job's satisfaction (4 items) as the endogenous variable, school infrastructure satisfaction (6 items) and satisfaction on teacher's duties (6 items) as exogenous variables. Questionnaires were distributed to 100 teachers based on a random sampling method. The data was input into SPSS 14 and exploratory factor analysis result shows that the school leadership satisfaction and overall job satisfaction were combined as one variable which is named as leadership satisfaction. The data was then analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through AMOS 16. The result shows that the goodness of fit indices of structural equation model are adequate at GFI=0.902, P-Value=0.349, RMSEA=0.024 and ratio (cmin/df)=1.056. The finding supports one significant direct effect in the revised model, thus supporting the hypothesis regarding school infrastructure satisfaction is positively related to leadership satisfaction (β=0.88, cr=4.404, p<0.001). The result is discussed in the perspective of teacher's satisfaction towards school leadership.
Category Repetition and False Recognition: Effects of Instance Frequency and Category Size☆

Three experiments investigated the basis of false recognition errors caused by category repetition. The subjective nature of the false alarms was measured by asking participants to make “remember-know” decisions to each item they judged as “old. ” Experiment 1 replicated the finding by Dewhurst and Anderson (1999) that false remember responses to nonstudied category members increased with the number of items from the same category that were presented at encoding. Participants in Experiment 2 made more false remember responses to category members of high instance frequency than to members of low instance frequency. Participants in Experiment 3 made more false remember responses to members of small categories than to members of large categories. These findings support the view that the false positive remember responses result from associative responses made to items presented at encoding.
Personally controlled & privacy preserving medication management system

An RFID and Weight Sensor based Medication Management System built at the University of Melbourne collects medication usage information for elderly patients within their homes. This will greatly improve the ability of doctors to monitor patients, thus leading to better health outcomes. We have implemented a working prototype of a personally controlled and privacy preserving mechanism to securely share the data collected in these devices with medical professionals, relatives and friends. We handle the personally controlled mechanism through the use of secret codes, which solves the current issues of access control that exist in a centrally controlled system where patients have no control over their own data. We securely synchronize the data generated with the central server through a dynamic uploading mechanism. In this paper, we address the security and privacy aspects of the data residing on the server and during the transmission of data. Specifically, we utilize symmetric key encryption for exchange and storage of data, and human memorable secret codes to implement the access control. We also address the key management issues by storing the keys on the central server, which are then further encrypted with the secret codes.
Metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas putida for the simultaneous biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and p‐xylene mixture

For the complete biodegradation of a mixture of benzene, toluene, and p―xylene (BTX), a critical metabolic step that can connect two existing metabolic pathways of aromatic compounds (the tod and the tol pathways) was determined. Toluate―cis‐glycol dehydrogenase in the tol pathway was found to attack benzene―cis―glycol, toluene―cis―glycol, and p―xylene―cis―glycol, which are metabolic intermediates of the tod pathway. Based on this observation, a hybrid strain, Pseudomonase putida TB101, was constructed by introduction of the TOL plasmid pWW0 into P. putida F39/D, a derivative of P. putida F1, which is unable to transform cis―glycol compounds to corresponding catechols. The metabolic flux of BTX into the tod pathway was redirected to the tol pathway at the level of cis―glycol compounds by the action of toluate―cis―glycol dehydrogenase in P. putida TB101, resulting in the simultaneous mineralization of BTX mixture without accumulation of any metabolic intermediates. The profile of specific degradation rates showed a similar pattern as that of the specific growth rate of the microorganism, and the maximum specific degradation rates of benzene, toluene, and p‐xylene were determined to be about 0.27, 0.86, and 2.89 mg/mg biomass/h, respectively. P. putida TB101 is the first reported microorganism that mineralizes BTX mixture simultaneously. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Contagious Flow

The current study examined undergraduate student understanding of, and interest in, course material as potential antecedents to student experiences of flow within a classroom setting. In addition, the social, informative, and contagious nature of flow were examined, as was the influence of being in flow during classroom coverage of material on subsequent quiz performance. Data from 14 students in an intensive course were collected over 15 days. All students provided ratings of their mood at the start of each class and ratings of their experienced flow, their interest in and understanding of material, and perceptions of their classmates’ and the instructor’s flow at the end of each class. In addition, the instructor provided ratings of her flow and perceptions of the class at the start and end of each class. Finally, students completed daily quizzes over the previous day’s material. Results revealed that, controlling for prior mood, understanding of and interest in material were related to daily reports of flow experiences. In addition, evidence for the social validation and contagion effects of flow emerged. Contrary to expectations, flow during knowledge acquisition was not related to subsequent quiz performance over the material. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Off white: colour-blind ideology at the margins of whiteness

This study examines the relationship between racial contestation and colour-blind ideology adherence. Using the first nationally representative study to ask respondents directly about personal racial identity and external racial ascription, I compare the racial conceptualizations of contested and non-contested whites. Contested whites are individuals who identify racially as white, but who are perceived by others as non-white. Contested whites find themselves at the margins of whiteness, betwixt and between categories of racial dominance and racial marginalization. One might hypothesize that because contested whites are socially perceived as non-white, that they would be more aware of racial marginalization in social life, and would therefore exhibit more progressive racial views. However, this study finds that the opposite is true. Results of ordinal logistic regression analyses suggest that individuals placed at the margins of whiteness may seek to legitimate group membership as white by expressing similar and sometimes even amplified notions of colourblindness than their non-contested white counterparts.
Summer Diatom Blooms in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre: 2008–2009

The summertime North Pacific subtropical gyre has widespread phytoplankton blooms between Hawaii and the subtropical front (∼30°N) that appear as chlorophyll (chl) increases in satellite ocean color data. Nitrogen-fixing diatom symbioses (diatom-diazotroph associations: DDAs) often increase 102–103 fold in these blooms and contribute to elevated export flux. In 2008 and 2009, two cruises targeted satellite chlorophyll blooms to examine DDA species abundance, chlorophyll concentration, biogenic silica concentration, and hydrography. Generalized observations that DDA blooms occur when the mixed layer depth is < 70 m are supported, but there is no consistent relationship between mixed layer depth, bloom intensity, or composition; regional blooms between 22–34°N occur within a broader temperature range (21–26°C) than previously reported. In both years, the Hemiaulus-Richelia and Rhizosolenia-Richelia DDAs increased 102–103 over background concentrations within satellite-defined bloom features. The two years share a common trend of Hemiaulus dominance of the DDAs and substantial increases in the >10 µm chl a fraction (∼40–90+% of total chl a). Integrated diatom abundance varied 10-fold over <10 km. Biogenic silica concentration tracked diatom abundance, was dominated by the >10 µm size fraction, and increased up to 5-fold in the blooms. The two years differed in the magnitude of the surface chl a increase (2009>2008), the abundance of pennate diatoms within the bloom (2009>2008), and the substantially greater mixed layer depth in 2009. Only the 2009 bloom had sufficient chl a in the >10 µm fraction to produce the observed ocean color chl increase. Blooms had high spatial variability; ocean color images likely average over numerous small events over time and space scales that exceed the individual event scale. Summertime DDA export flux noted at the Hawaii time-series Sta. ALOHA is probably a generalized feature of the eastern N. Pacific north to the subtropical front.
Meaningful Work, Employee Engagement, and Other Key Employee Outcomes

The Problem. Meaningful work is underrepresented in current models and measures of work characteristics. Ironically, past research suggests that meaningful work may have substantive impacts on employee outcomes. The current study addresses this problem by demonstrating the value of meaningful work in human resource development (HRD) practices involving employee engagement. The Solution. A web-based survey of employed North Americans (n = 574) was conducted. Meaningful work characteristics were compared to other work characteristics as correlates and predictors of employee engagement, burnout, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover cognitions. Meaningful work characteristics had the strongest relative correlations with multiple employee outcomes. They also predicted substantive variance in employee engagement while controlling for other work characteristics in regression analyses. The Stakeholders. Since meaningful work contains themes of human development (e.g., self-actualization, social impact), this variable represents an opportunity for human resource development (HRD) practitioners to increase levels of employee engagement as a strategic leverage point within organizations.
Behavioral treatment of insomnia: a proposal for a stepped-care approach to promote public health

Chronic insomnia is a highly prevalent condition that has psychological and medical consequences for those who suffer from it and financial consequences for both the individual and society. In spite of the fact that nonpharmacologic treatment methods have been developed and shown to be as or more effective than medication for chronic insomnia, these methods remain greatly underutilized due to an absence of properly trained therapists and a general failure in dissemination. A stepped-care model implemented in a primary-care setting offers a public health solution to the problem of treatment accessibility and delivery of behavioral treatments for insomnia. Such a model would provide graduated levels of cognitive behavioral intervention, with corresponding increases in intensity and cost, including self-help, manualized group treatment, brief individual treatment, and finally, individualized behavioral treatment provided by a specialist. To provide such a systematic approach, future research would need to confirm several aspects of the model, and a cadre of professionals would need to be trained to administer manualized care in both group and individualized formats.
Epigenetic Properties and Identification of an Imprint Mark in the Nesp-Gnasxl Domain of the Mouse Gnas Imprinted Locus

ABSTRACT The Gnas locus in the mouse is imprinted with a complex arrangement of alternative transcripts defined by promoters with different patterns of monoallelic expression. The Gnas transcript is subject to tissue-specific imprinted expression, Nesp is expressed only from the maternal allele, and Gnasxl is expressed only from the paternal allele. The mechanisms controlling these expression patterns are not known. To identify potential imprinting regulatory regions, particularly for the reciprocally expressed Nesp and Gnasxl promoters, we examined epigenetic properties of the locus in gametes, embryonic stem cells, and fetal and adult tissues. The Nesp and Gnasxl promoter regions are contained in extensive CpG islands with methylation of the paternal allele at Nesp and the maternal allele at Gnasxl. Parental allele-specific DNase I-hypersensitive sites were found at these regions, which correlate with hypomethylation rather than actual expression status. A germ line methylation mark was identified covering the promoters for Gnasxl and the antisense transcript Nespas. Prominent DNase I-hypersensitive sites present on paternal alleles in embryonic stem cells are contained within this mark. This is the second gametic mark identified at Gnas and suggests that the Nesp and Gnasxl promoters are under separate control from the Gnas promoter. We propose models to account for the regulation of imprinting at the locus.
Effects of bazedoxifene alone and with conjugated equine estrogens on coronary and peripheral artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal monkeys

ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of bazedoxifene acetate (BZA), a new selective estrogen receptor modulator, on coronary and peripheral artery atheroscleroses and to determine if it would antagonize the atheroprotective effects of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) on a monkey model. MethodsNinety-eight surgically postmenopausal monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were fed a moderately atherogenic diet and randomized to receive no treatment or women’s equivalent doses of BZA (20 mg/d), CEE (0.45 mg/d), or BZA + CEE. The experimental period lasted for 20 months (equivalent to approximately 5 y in humans) during which interim measures of cardiovascular risk factors were made. At the end of the experimental period, the extent and severity of coronary and iliac artery atheroscleroses were quantified. ResultsBody weight, adiposity, fasting glucose concentrations, and plasma lipid profiles were not different among treatment conditions. BZA had no adverse effects on the extent or severity of coronary or common iliac artery atherosclerosis when compared with no treatment. CEE, administered soon after inducing menopause, had robust atheroprotective effects on both the extent and the severity of iliac and coronary artery atheroscleroses. The addition of BZA to CEE treatment antagonized the atheroprotective effects of CEE. ConclusionsIn this nonhuman primate trial, treatment with BZA alone, CEE alone, and combined BZA and CEE does not have significant effects on plasma lipid profiles. CEE markedly inhibits the progression and complications of both coronary and iliac artery atheroscleroses. BZA has no adverse effects on atherosclerosis but attenuates the atheroprotective effects of CEE.