Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TV Literacy and academic/artistic giftedness: Understanding time leaps and time lags

This investigation reinforces the conceptualization of television viewing as a learned activity by highlighting the interrelatedness of children's linguistic, cognitive, and perceptual skills for accurate comprehension of television's most basic narrative device—temporal sequencing. It also explores the impact of highly divergent skills and abilities by sampling children school‐labeled as academically gifted and artistically gifted. Findings reveal that children with exceptional information processing and/or visual representation capabilities, even at the young age of six, are capable of a higher level of comprehension of basic and modified ("time leaps,” “flashback") modes of temporal sequencing when compared to children without those capabilities. It was also found that televiewing experience facilitated comprehension, although heavy consumption by children who do not possess the prerequisite visual literacy was ineffective.
Continuous-Time Consensus Under Non-Instantaneous Reciprocity

We consider continuous-time consensus systems whose interactions satisfy a form of reciprocity that is not instantaneous, but happens over time. We show that these systems have certain desirable properties: They always converge independently of the specific interactions taking place and there exist simple conditions on the interactions for two agents to converge to the same value. This was until now only known for systems with instantaneous reciprocity. These results are of particular relevance when analyzing systems where interactions are a priori unknown, being for example endogenously determined or random. We apply our results to an instance of such systems.
The uses of Gandhi in education in Bali: different responses to globalisation—implications for social justice

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948) is well‐remembered as a man of peace who entered into a life of renunciation to overcome India’s caste, class and religious differences for the purpose of independence as much as personal liberation. Less well‐ known is Gandhi’s critique of the education system established in India under the circumstances of globalising British capitalist industrial imperialism. Believing that the colonialist education system was fundamentally unjust in that it reproduced India’s social and economic inequalities, Gandhi argued for a return to Basic Education or Nai Talim. It is, then, in the light of Gandhi’s challenge to hegemonic socio‐economic structures through education that this paper presents findings from a research project undertaken at two Gandhian education sites in Bali. The paper shows that the larger site reproduced a globalisation from above discourse while the smaller site deployed a globalisation from below discourse. Acknowledging that debate about the closeness of the relationship between ‘religious’ schools and the economy is not new, it is argued that the difference in the approach to globalisation at the two sites, nonetheless, holds significant implications for the logics that underpin their curriculum and, ultimately, their approach to social justice.
The Boundary Vector Cell Model of Place Cell Firing and Spatial Memory

We review evidence for the boundary vector cell model of the environmental determinants of the firing of hippocampal place cells. Preliminary experimental results are presented concerning the effects of addition or removal of environmental boundaries on place cell firing and evidence that boundary vector cells may exist in the subiculum. We review and update computational simulations predicting the location of human search within a virtual environment of variable geometry, assuming that boundary vector cells provide one of the input representations of location used in mammalian spatial memory. Finally, we extend the model to include experience-dependent modification of connection strengths through a BCM-like learning rule - the size and sign of strength change is influenced by historic activity of the postsynaptic cell. Simulations are compared to experimental data on the firing of place cells under geometrical manipulations to their environment. The relationship between neurophysiological results in rats and spatial behaviour in humans is discussed.
Language Outcomes Using Hearing Aids in Children with Auditory Dys-Synchrony

There is a considerable debate on the use of hearing aid in children with auditory dys-synchrony (AD). To current date there are no similar Studies which show the effect of acoustic amplification on outcomes on speech and language development in children with AD are found in the literature. Thus, in the present study three children diagnosed to have AD were recruited and subjected to hearing aid trial and fitting based on the late latency response thresholds. Ranging from 7 months to 41 months of intervention period, each child’s language age was reassessed and compared with that of their pre-therapy language age. The comparison showed a good improvement in receptive age, though the children had moderate to severe degree of hearing loss. But their expressive age was significantly delayed irrespective of their age of identification and duration of intervention. Thus the delay in expression with a good amount of improvement in reception can be a characteristic of an AD child with amplification.
Prevalence of the Brugada sign in idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and healthy controls

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of the Brugada sign (right bundle branch block with ST elevation in V1–V3) in idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and in an age matched healthy population. DESIGN ECGs from 39 consecutive patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and 592 healthy controls were reviewed. They were classified as definite, questionable, and no Brugada sign (according to predetermined criteria) by four investigators blinded to the subjects' status. RESULTS Eight patients (21%) with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation but none of the 592 controls had a definite Brugada sign (p < 0.005). Thus the estimated 95% confidence limits for the prevalence of a definite Brugada sign among healthy controls was less than 0.5%. A questionable Brugada sign was seen in two patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (5%) but also in five controls (1%) (p < 0.05). Normal ECGs were found following resuscitation and during long term follow up in 31 patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (79%). Patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and a normal ECG and those with the Brugada syndrome were of similar age and had similar spontaneous and inducible arrhythmias. However, the two groups differed in terms of sex, family history, and the incidence of sleep related ventricular fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS A definite Brugada sign is a specific marker of arrhythmic risk. However, less than obvious ECG abnormalities have little diagnostic value, as a “questionable” Brugada sign was observed in 1% of healthy controls. In this series of consecutive patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, most had normal ECGs.
Extension theorems for spheres in the finite field setting

Abstract In this paper we study the boundedness of extension operators associated with spheres in vector spaces over finite fields. In even dimensions, we estimate the number of incidences between spheres and points in the translated set from a subset of spheres. As a result, we improve the Tomas-Stein exponents, previous results by the authors in [Iosevich and Koh, Illinois J. of Mathematics: 2008]. The analytic approach and the explicit formula for Fourier transform of the characteristic function on spheres play an important role to get good bounds for exponential sums.
Cooperation in Intergroup and Single-Group Social Dilemmas

Abstract The fundamental intragroup problem in intergroup conflict can be characterized as a social dilemma: All group members are better off if they all cooperate in competing against the outgroup, but, at least when the group is large, each individual group member is always better off defecting. Are people less or more likely to cooperate in a social dilemma when it is embedded in the context of an intergroup conflict? To answer this question we contrasted the Intergroup Prisoners Dilemma (IPD) team game (Bornstein, 1992) with a structurally identical (single-group) Prisoners Dilemma (PD) game. The results indicate that subjects were almost twice as likely to cooperate in the IPD game than in the PD game even though: (a) the cost of cooperation for the individual group member is identical in the two games, (b) the external benefit to the individual′s group resulting from a cooperative choice is also identical, and (c) cooperation in the intergroup dilemma is collectively deficient whereas in the single-group dilemma it is collectively optimal. The motivational implications of this finding are discussed.
Size Matters The Effects of Political Orientation, Majority Status, and Majority Size on Misperceptions of Public Opinion

According to cognitive research, members of a social majority are better than minority members at estimating the consensus, since the latter tend to overestimate the popularity of their opinion. These differences have been explained using the motivational reasoning model. The purpose of the current study is twofold: to verify that majority members indeed provide more accurate public consensus estimations and to test the effect of political orientation on this relation. Following the motivational reasoning model, it is suggested that proponents of right-wing ideology will overestimate support for their group, especially when in the minority, since they have a stronger reaction to political threat. The research involved three case studies. In the first, data from 33 surveys conducted over 10 years (N = 15,129) were analyzed using multilevel analysis. The results showed that (a) majority members are more accurate in gauging consensual opinions than minority members; (b) the gap in accuracy between majority and minority members increases with the size of the majority; and (c) those holding right-wing attitudes tend to overestimate their group size, more so when in the minority or when support for their opinion declines. The second case study analyzed data on four different issues, using a within-subject approach (N = 450). The findings were similar, with the exception of a nonsignificant effect for majority size. Finally, in the third case study, the causal mechanism suggested was supported by an experimental setting (N = 388). The results are discussed in light of the motivational reasoning model regarding information processing and ideology.
Effects of chronic cocaine in rat C6 astroglial cells

Investigations with astroglial cells carry equal importance as those with neurons in drug abuse studies. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of chronic cocaine administration on cell viability, nitric oxide (NO) production, general respiratory status of mitochondria and total protein levels in rat astroglioma cells after 24 h of treatment. In addition, the effect of cocaine was assessed for 24 h on brine shrimp larvae in order to study their sensitivity to the drug. It was observed that cocaine caused a significant dose-dependent decrease in astroglial cell viability with an LC50 of 4.717 mM. It was found that cocaine did not induce or inhibit NO production in the cells. Evaluation of mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity in terms of formazan production in astroglial cells indicated that cocaine significantly interfered with the general respiratory status of mitochondria with an ED50 of 6.153 mM. Furthermore, cocaine was shown to deplete the total protein levels in the cells with an ED50 of 5.435 mM. In vivo study with brine shrimp larvae showed that these larvae were highly sensitive to cocaine with an ED50 of 2.41 mM. In summary, our findings suggest that cocaine-induced cytotoxicity in the cells was non-specific. The cumulative effect arising from the significant loss of respiration and total cellular proteins is the cause of astroglial cell death.
Positioning oneself for leadership: feelings of vulnerability among aspirant school principals

The research context for this article is the difficulty being experienced by a number of school systems, especially in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, in recruiting principals. In our discussion we draw on preliminary findings from ongoing research into the experiences of a cohort of aspiring primary and secondary school principals. Our data comprise the electronic journal (E‐journal) entries of the 21 aspirants. We characterize the E‐journal reflections as identity narratives in which the aspirants are able to explore a range of feelings, challenges and uncertainties associated with the possibility of future principal role incumbency. The significance of these E‐journalling narratives, therefore, is that they provide aspirants with an opportunity, through semi‐private reflection, to begin positioning themselves for leadership. For this reason we articulate the idea of ‘positioning space’, a supportive holding environment which facilitates the exploration of potential and possible selves and we explore some properties and protocols associated with occupancy of this space.
Self-Employment and Poverty Alleviation: Women's Work in Artisanal Gold Mines

Development policy makers increasingly focus on the informal sector as an area to alleviate poverty and promote gender equity. Female self-employment is especially encouraged because higher incomes for women empower them, improve the health of their families, and alleviate poverty in society at large. In this context, development institutions have been urged to increase female participation in artisanal mining. However, knowledge about the gains and costs to women who earn a living in informal, artisanal mines is sparse. This study analyzes women's self-employment in artisanal gold mines in Suriname, South America. The results suggest that if long-term social and health conditions are considered, work in the informal mining sector is not likely to improve the quality of life in the interior of Suriname. The analysis contributes to informal-sector research by focusing on women and on rural regions, two areas of investigation that have received relatively little attention. The author cautions against develo.
Networks for Civic Engagement? Neighbourhood Councils and Faith-based Organizations in Los Angeles

Understanding how civic associations shape individuals' understanding of and participation in local political affairs requires a focus on the structural and affective networks engendered by associations. Using micro-level network data, we analyse the networks developed by two different forms of voluntary associations: neighbourhood councils and faith-based organizations. These associations were chosen to examine common assumptions about the bridging and bonding characteristics of differing associational types and the contention that faith-based associations provide their members with compensating network resources. We find that associations' internal (bonding) networks varied more within type than across types. Moreover, the affective content of relationships play an important contextualizing effect, calling into question the usefulness of common associational typologies. We also find that neighbourhood councils have richer bridging networks, which qualifies the degree to which faith-based associations can compensate for inequitable distribution of political resources.
Gender, culture, and power: barriers to HIV-prevention strategies for women

The rapid increase of HIV infection among women in the U.S. has been attributed primarily to sexual contact with HIV‐infected men. Strong cultural gender norms regarding sexual behaviors among Latinos exacerbates this risk for Latino women. In this study we assessed contraceptive use patterns and predictors of condom use with steady male partners among a random sample of 513 Latino and 184 non‐Latino White women (N = 697). The women were assessed for ethnic differences in sexual behaviors and psychosocial variables using t‐tests. We used multiple regression analysis to assess predictors of condom use with steady male partners for all women. Although Latino and non‐Latino White women differed significantly on most psychosocial factors, predictors of condom use were the same for the two groups: positive attitude about condom use, not using other forms of contraception, belief that friends use condoms, self‐efficacy to use condoms, more sexual power (i.e., less concern that the male partner would become angr.
14‐ to 16‐year‐olds in further education colleges: lessons for learning and leadership

The views of 14‐ to 16‐year‐olds who have undertaken vocational courses in further education, and those of parents and staff, raise issues regarding the ways in which schools and colleges support learning. Staff differ in how they understand vocational education, reflecting not only conceptual differences but also differences in the market position and interests of their organization. Nevertheless, the experience of young people in further education is generally seen as very positive. The article suggests that the success is due to a pedagogy that makes use of experiential and social forms of learning in an environment which allows students to connect more fully to a future adult world. The article concludes by exploring the possibilities of making this successful experience more widely available to 14‐ to 16‐year‐olds. Government plans are suggested to be inadequate in addressing the degree to which the competitive environment and different cultures will undermine collaborative arrangements.
Grief in caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia: A qualitative synthesis

This article provides a meta-synthesis of studies focusing on grief in caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Through a systematic search, 11 articles met the inclusion criteria that care receivers had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia, caregivers were informal caregivers, and the study focused on caregiver grief. The meta-synthesis followed a meta-ethnography approach based on reciprocal translation. Six themes were identified, namely challenges of caregiving, losses and changes in the relationship, the role of dementia in grief, striving despite dementia, utilising social support and death as a relief from caregiving. Themes are discussed within an integrated framework showing the connected relationships between themes. The devised framework of themes illustrates the general experience of caregiver grief and can be used to devise specific, targeted interventions to help caregivers to identify and work through their grief.
Some tracking problems for aerospace models with input constraints

We study tracking controller design problems for key models of planar vertical takeoff and landing (PVTOL) aircraft and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The novelty of our PVTOL work is the global boundedness of our controllers in the decoupled coordinates, the positive uniform lower bound on the thrust controller, the applicability of our work to cases where the velocity measurements may not be available, the uniform global asymptotic stability and uniform local exponential stability of our closed loop tracking dynamics, the generality of our class of trackable reference trajectories, and the input-to-state stability of the controller performance under actuator errors of arbitrarily large amplitude. The significance of our UAV results is the generality of the trackable trajectories, the input-to-state stability properties of the tracking dynamics with respect to additive uncertainty on the controllers, and our ability to satisfy command amplitude and command rate constraints as well as state dependent command constraints and a state constraint on the velocity. Our work is based on a Matrosov approach for converting a nonstrict Lyapunov function for the UAV tracking dynamics into a strict one, in conjunction with asymptotic strict Lyapunov function methods and bounded backstepping.
The Complex Planning Of Innovation

Planning processes of nature bridges in densely populated urban fringe areas in the Netherlands have been studied. They are seen as highly innovative; therefore more insight is necessary in their planning processes. As the planning processes are considered as dynamic open complex systems, they have been redescribed using terms and graphs of Complexity Theory in order to better understand the processes. The Breda urban corridor has been described in depth using data gathered by open in depth interviews following a Grounded Theory approach. The redescription showed that the innovation was an unexpected result of a complex planning process. It is discussed that this example is not anecdotic. Unexpected results are part of the development of complex processes. A narrative can be constructed looking back in time. Looking forward the only possible prediction can be that unexpected results can occur in every complex planning process.
Assessment of Spare Transformer Requirements for Distribution Stations

This paper describes a probabilistic method for determining the number of spare transformers (regular spare transformers and mobile unit substations) required for a group of distribution transformers in order to meet a predetermined level of the group availability. The method is based on a Markov model and accounts for a number of factors that affect the number of spare units. The factors include the use of both regular spare transformers (RSTs) and mobile unit substations (MUSs), type of transformer failure and the various parameters of regular transformers, and spare transformers. Sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the factors that affect most the number of spare units. The proposed method is illustrated using a sample system of the Hydro One's distribution stations.