Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Some Recent Studies in Social Acquiescence

Since publication of the Social Acquiescence scale accompanied by preliminary evaluations (Bzss, 1956), a number of studies have been completed including several unpublished analyses of interest. The test of 56 proverbs, to be accepted as true or rejected by examinees, was administered by Robert Bond to 20 male senior Chemical or Electrical Engineering majors at LSU and 16 upperclassmen majoring in Psychology. The Psychology majors earned a mean of 19.4 in social acquiescence while engineers earned a significantly different mean of 33.8 resembling closely the mean of 32.6 obtained for 1491 LSU freshmen in general. There was hardly any overlap berween the number of proverbs accepted by psychology students and the number accepted by engineering seniors. Another extremely low-scoring group was uncovered by Dr. Edgar Schein who gave the scale to 50 first year graduate students in management at MIT. Their median score was only 18. This low value contrasted significantly with a mean of 26.9 for a group of 45 LSU seniors and graduate students from a course in Industrial Psychology at LSU reported earlier (Bass, 1956). Gaier and Bass (1959) found means of 28.7 and 29.9 for Kansas and Maryland freshmen while Hoffman (1960) reported a mean of 24.0 for Washington State scudents. One guesses that an interesting map could be drawn of the United Sra~es showing systematic fluctuations from "high acquiescence areas" of the Deep South to "low acquiescense areas" in New England and the West Coasr with intermediate values occurring in the Border States. Further, the performance of LSU Psychology seniors points to the possible sensitivity of the Social Acquiescence scale to a specific educational effect of increasing skepticism, assuming that this performance was not due to selection factors alone. Social acquiescence seems to be working as a negative predictor of supervisory success according to some unpublished work with sales supervision by the author and the uses to which the scale is being put by a large utility company. The high degree of selection and the outstanding training at MIT in contrast to what is possible at an average state university with unselected students may be reflected in the performance of MIT in contrast to almost comparable LSU scudents. This, in turn, fits with the falling trend in social acquiescence associated with increasing education from high school to graduate school reporred earlier (Bass, 1956). Consistent with these results also is
Framework of Channel Estimation for Hybrid Analog-and-Digital Processing Enabled Massive MIMO Communications

We investigate a general channel estimation problem in the massive multiple-input multiple-output system which employs the hybrid analog/digital precoding structure with limited radio-frequency (RF) chains. By properly designing RF combiners and performing multiple trainings, the proposed channel estimation can approach the performance of fully-digital estimations depending on the degree of channel spatial correlation and the number of RF chains. Dealing with the hybrid channel estimation, the optimal combiner is theoretically derived by relaxing the constant-magnitude constraint in a specific single-training scenario, which is then extended to the design of combiners for multiple trainings by sequential and alternating methods. Further, we develop a technique to generate the phase-only RF combiners based on the corresponding unconstrained ones to satisfy the constant-magnitude constraints. The performance of the proposed hybrid channel estimation scheme is examined by simulations under both nonparametric and spatial channel models. The simulation results demonstrate that the estimated channel state information can approach the performance of fully-digital estimations in terms of both mean square error and spectral efficiency. Moreover, a practical spatial channel covariance estimation method is proposed and its effectiveness in hybrid channel estimation is verified by simulations.
Cuffed tube tracheostomy in the dog

A surgical technique of performing tracheostomy in dogs requiring prolonged intubation with either cuffed or uncuffed tubes is described. Cannulae used in humans are anatomically unsuitable for the dog. The cannula and cuff described in this paper did not predispose to severe mechanical trauma to the trachea and we attempted to minimize factors that may predispose to tracheal damage during the period of intubation and the subsequent development of late tracheal injuring after extubation. A simple method of humidification in these healthy dogs proved adequate; neither tenacious tracheobronchial secretion nor the retention of secretions were seen.
Visualising traditional performance: ‘co-directed observation’ as an ethnographic tool

‘Co-directed observation’ is a methodology in photography in which a cultural performer is interviewed while co-directing his/her performance for the camera. This method, discovered in research on ritual wailing of Yemenite-Jewish women in Israel in 2001–2005, tackles the fact of the decline of this cultural phenomenon, its stereotyped social images and, above all, the character of the women performers who identify with and are immensely knowledgeable about it. Co-directed observation (CDO) makes its main contribution by adding a dynamic dimension to the documentation in a way that applies the photo-voice orientation in visual anthropology. CDO proves to be an especially effective ethnographic tool for the collection of data in situations where performers find it difficult to explain their performative knowledge. This article describes the CDO method as discovered in and applied to the research topic – characteristics of the Yemenite-Jewish wailing culture – and reports the specific findings that this method elicited. It also discusses main characteristics and advantages of the method.
Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusion: Factors Influencing Classroom Practice

Early childhood teachers may express positive views about inclusive practices but are the practices implemented in their classrooms? This study examined preservice and inservice teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive practices as reflected in the teachers’ behaviors. This qualitative study utilized open-ended initial interviews, observations with follow-up interviews, and observer field notes that were analyzed using content analysis with emergent themes from the different data sources. The results suggest that teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion appear to be influenced by their previous experiences in inclusive classrooms, and that the teachers implemented inclusive practices by involving all children in classroom activities, including those with disabilities. While the teachers did implement inclusive practices, they indicated that appropriate preservice training, support from administrators, and support from resource personnel are important to provide a successful inclusive environment. Implications are discussed for teacher education programs in training preservice professionals to work with children with disabilities and providing appropriate practica experiences in inclusive environments.
Perception of Performance Appraisal by Employees and Supervisors: Self-Serving Bias and Procedural Justice

Employees (N = 78) and supervisors (N = 33) completed a questionnaire to evaluate Performance Appraisal (PA) sessions. Hypotheses derived from procedural justice theory were confirmed. Employees’ satisfaction with PA sessions covaried with “voice” and with receiving adequate information beforehand. Good conversational techniques of supervisors enhanced satisfaction with PA. Data also demonstrated the predicted self-serving bias of supervisors. Supervisors perceived that they used more participative leadership and had better conversational techniques than the subordinates perceived. Supervisors also had a more positive perception of the number of topics that were discussed in PA sessions. Performance appraisal (PA) systems are frequently used in organizations for a variety of reasons [1-3]. These systems belong to the most important human resource management instruments in organizations. Good PA systems provide valuable information about the development of employees. PA systems may enhance the effectiveness of human resource decisions and offer much potential for satisfying employees’ needs, such as the need for (performance) feedback. As for the effectiveness of decisions , PA is frequently used to allocate merit pay and to justify promotions. Assessment of training needs is one of the goals frequently mentioned. And there’s even more: Performance documentation may be used
Behavioral and Brain Functions

Background: Recent directions in the treatment of ADHD have involved both a broadening of pharmacological perspectives to include nor-adrenergic as well as dopaminergic agents. A review of animal and human studies of pharmacological and therapeutic directions in ADHD suggests that the D1 receptor is a specific site for dopaminergic regulation of the PFC, but optimal levels of dopamine (DA) are required for beneficial effects on working memory. Animal and human studies indicate that the alpha-2A receptor is also important for prefrontal regulation, leaving open the question of the relative importance of these receptor sites. The therapeutic effects of ADHD medications in the prefrontal cortex have focused attention on the development of working memory capacity in ADHD. Hypothesis: The actions of dopaminergic vs noradrenergic agents, currently available for the treatment of ADHD have overlapping, but different actions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and subcortical centers. While stimulants act on D1 receptors in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, they also have effects on D2 receptors in the corpus striatum and may also have serotonergic effects at orbitofrontal areas. At therapeutic levels, dopamine (DA) stimulation (through DAT transporter inhibition) decreases noise level acting on subcortical D2 receptors, while NE stimulation (through alpha-2A agonists) increases signal by acting preferentially in the PFC possibly on DAD1 receptors. On the other hand, alpha-2A noradrenergic transmission is more limited to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and thus less likely to have motor or stereotypic side effects, while alpha-2B and alpha-2C agonists may have wider cortical effects. The data suggest a possible hierarchy of specificity in the current medications used in the treatment of ADHD, with guanfacine likely to be most specific for the treatment of prefrontal attentional and working memory deficits. Stimulants may have broader effects on both vigilance and motor impulsivity, depending on dose levels, while atomoxetine may have effects on attention, anxiety, social affect, and sedation via noradrenergic transmission. Tests of the hypothesis: At a theoretical level, the advent of possible specific alpha-2A noradrenergic therapies has posed the question of the role of working memory in ADHD. Head to head comparisons of stimulant and noradrenergic alpha-2A, alpha-2B and alpha-2C agonists, utilizing vigilance and affective measures should help to clarify pharmacological and therapeutic differences. Published: 28 February 2008 Behavioral and Brain Functions 2008, 4:12 doi:10.1186/1744-9081-4-12 Received: 21 October 2007 Accepted: 28 February 2008 This article is available from: http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions. com/content/4/1/12 © 2008 Levy; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Structure and Content of Gender Stereotypes: Effects of Somatic Appearance and Trait Information

Two components of gender stereotypes were examined in order to determine their influence on judgments of gender-related characteristics. Male and female subjects were presented with photographs of female stimulus persons who differed in somatic appearance and were given information about traits. Subjects were asked to estimate the probability that the stimulus person possessed other gender-related traits and engaged in gender-related behaviors. Results provide support for a multiple-component construction of stereotypes, with physical appearance being the most potent component. An unfavorable image of low attractive women was also indicated.
Monitoring Pancreatic Carcinogenesis by the Molecular Imaging of Cathepsin E In Vivo Using Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy

The monitoring of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in high-risk populations is essential. Cathepsin E (CTSE) is specifically and highly expressed in PDAC and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs), and its expression gradually increases along with disease progression. In this study, we first established an in situ 7,12-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene (DMBA)-induced rat model for PanINs and PDAC and then confirmed that tumorigenesis properties in this model were consistent with those of human PDAC in that CTSE expression gradually increased with tumor development using histology and immunohistochemistry. Then, using in vivo imaging of heterotopically implanted tumors generated from CTSE- overexpressing cells (PANC-1-CTSE) in nude mice and in vitro imaging of PanINs and PDAC in DMBA-induced rats, the specificity of the synthesized CTSE-activatable probe was verified. Quantitative determination identified that the fluorescence signal ratio of pancreatic tumor to normal pancreas gradually increased in association with progressive pathological grades, with the exception of no significant difference between PanIN-II and PanIN-III grades. Finally, we monitored pancreatic carcinogenesis in vivo using confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) in combination with the CTSE-activatable probe. A prospective double-blind control study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of this method in diagnosing PDAC and PanINs of all grades (>82.7%). This allowed us to establish effective diagnostic criteria for CLE in PDAC and PanINs to facilitate the monitoring of PDAC in high-risk populations.
Retention Throughout the HIV Care and Treatment Cascade: From Diagnosis to Antiretroviral Treatment of Adults and Children Living with HIV—Haiti, 1985–2015

Abstract. Monitoring retention of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the HIV care and treatment cascade is essential to guide program strategy and evaluate progress toward globally-endorsed 90–90–90 targets (i.e., 90% of PLHIV diagnosed, 81% on sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 73% virally suppressed). We describe national retention from diagnosis throughout the cascade for patients receiving HIV services in Haiti during 1985–2015, with a focus on those receiving HIV services during 2008–2015. Among the 266,256 newly diagnosed PLHIV during 1985–2015, 49% were linked-to-care, 30% started ART, and 18% were retained on ART by the time of database closure. Similarly, among the 192,187 newly diagnosed HIV-positive patients during 2008–2015, 50% were linked to care, 31% started ART, and 19% were retained on ART by the time of database closure. Most patients (90–92%) at all cascade steps were adults (≥ 15 years old), among whom the majority (60–61%) were female. During 2008–2015, outcomes varied significantly across 42 administrative districts (arrondissements) of residence; cumulative linkage-to-care ranged from 23% to 69%, cumulative ART initiation among care enrollees ranged from 2% to 80%, and cumulative ART retention among ART enrollees ranged from 30% to 88%. Compared with adults, children had lower cumulative incidence of ART initiation among care enrollees (64% versus 47%) and lower cumulative retention among ART enrollees (64% versus 50%). Cumulative linkage-to-care was low and should be prioritized for improvement. Variations in outcomes by arrondissement and between adults and children require further investigation and programmatic response.
Estimating the Effect of a Predictor Measured by Two Informants on a Continuous Outcome: A Comparison of Methods

Investigators sometimes use information obtained from multiple informants about a given variable. We focus on estimating the effect of a predictor on a continuous outcome, when that (true) predictor cannot be observed directly but is measured by 2 informants. We describe various approaches to using information from 2 informants to estimate a regression or correlation coefficient for the effect of the (true) predictor on the outcome. These approaches include methods we refer to as single informant, simple average, optimal weighted average, principal components analysis, and classical measurement error. Each of these 5 methods effectively uses a weighted average of the informants' reports as a proxy for the true predictor in calculating the correlation or regression coefficient. We compare the performance of these methods in simulation experiments that assume a rounded congeneric measurement model for the relationship between the informants' reports and a true predictor that is a mixture of zeros and positively distributed continuous values. We also compare the methods' performance in a real data example–the relationship between vigorous physical activity (the predictor) and body mass index (the continuous outcome). The results of the simulations and the example suggest that the simple average is a reasonable choice when there are only 2 informants.
Factors that influence women's technical skill development in outdoor adventure

Abstract This article provides a theoretical foundation for understanding women's technical skill development (TSD) in outdoor adventure. An examination of societal and biological factors influencing women's TSD focuses on gender role socialization, sense of competence, technical conditioning, sexism, spatial ability, and risk-taking. The article suggests leadership and instructional strategies for facilitating technical skill competency for women in outdoor education.
Memory and a priori best strategy in complex adaptive systems

We employ an agent-based model to show that memory and the absence of an a priori best strategy are sufficient for self-segregation and clustering to emerge in a complex adaptive system with discrete agents that do not compete over a limited resource nor contend in a winner-take-all scenario. An agent starts from a corner of a two-dimensional lattice and aims to reach a randomly selected site in the opposite side within the shortest possible time. The agent is isolated during the course of its journey and does not interact with other agents. Time-bound obstacles appear at random lattice locations and the agent must decide whether to challenge or evade any obstacle blocking its path. The agent is capable of adapting a strategy in dealing with an obstacle. We analyze the dependence of strategy-retention time with strategy for both memory-based and memory-less agents. We derive the equality spectrum to establish the environmental conditions that favor the existence of an a priori best strategy. We found that memory-less agents do not polarize into two opposite strategy-retention time distributions nor cluster toward a center distribution. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 9: 41– 46, 2004
Effect of a Disintegration Mechanism on Wetting, Water Absorption, and Disintegration Time of Orodispersible Tablets

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of disintegration mechanism of various types of disintegrants on the absorption ratio (AR), wetting time (WT), and disintegration time (DT) of orodispersible tablets (ODTs). ODTs were prepared by direct compression using mannitol as filler and disintegrants selected from a range of swellable, osmotic, and porous disintegrants. Tablets formed were characterized for their water AR, WT, and DT. The porosity and mechanical strength of the tablets were also measured. Results show that the DT of formulated ODTs was directly related to the WT and was a function of the disintegration mechanism of the disintegrant used. The lowest WT and DT were observed for tablets formulated using the osmotic disintegrant sodium citrate and these tablets also showed the lowest AR and porosity. The wetting and disintegration of tablets containing the highly swellable disintegrant, sodium starch glycollate, was slowest despite their high water AR and high tablet porosity. Rapid wetting and disintegration of ODTs were therefore not necessarily related to the porosity of the tablets.
Supraclavicular lymph node metastases in carcinoma of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction: assessment with CT, US, and US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

The preoperative assessment of supraclavicular lymph node metastases was prospectively studied in 100 patients with carcinoma of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction. Findings at computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), and palpation were compared, and US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of nodes with a small axis of 5 mm or greater was performed. Supraclavicular metastases were detected on CT scans in 11 of 13 patients (85%) and on US scans in 14 of 16 patients (88%) but were palpable in only three of the 16 patients (19%). The predictive value of a supraclavicular node indicating metastases was . 74 at US and . 85 at CT. Metastases were diagnosed in 10 of 46 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (22%) and five of 50 patients (10%) with adenocarcinoma. Nodes with metastases had a round configuration, with a statistically significant greater short-axis to long-axis ratio than that of benign nodes (0.89 vs 0.54; P = .05). In four of 16 patients (25%) with supraclavicular metastases proved with cytologic examination, neither CT nor US of the mediastinum and abdomen showed enlarged nodes.
Multiple Sequence Alignment : A Critical Comparison of Four Popular Programs

For both the computational biologist and the research biologist, the use of multiple sequence alignment (MSA) programs to simultaneously align multiple sequences of nucleic acids or proteins has become de rigueur. Successful alignments are used in a number of applications, such as (1) phylogenetic analysis, as a predictor of evolutionary relationships; (2) identifying conserved motifs and domains within related families of proteins that then may be inferred to play a role in structure and function; (3) structure prediction, in which the role of a residue in secondary or tertiary structure (e.g., α helix, β sheet, etc.,) is inferred.
An introduction to education research methods: exploring the learning journey of pre-service teachers in a transnational programme

Internationally there is interest in developing the research skills of pre-service teachers as a means of ongoing professional renewal with a distinct need for systematic and longitudinal investigation of student learning. The current study takes a unique perspective by exploring the research learning journey of pre-service teachers participating in a transnational degree programme. Using a case-study design that includes both a self-reported and direct measure of research knowledge, the results indicate a progression in learning, as well as evidence that this research knowledge is continued or maintained when the pre-service teachers return to their home university. The findings of this study have implications for both pre-service teacher research training and transnational programmes.