Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A sharp bound for the ratio of the first two Dirichlet eigenvalues of a domain in a hemisphere of ⁿ

For a domain Q contained in a hemisphere of the n-dimensional sphere Sn we prove the optimal result A2/Ai(Q) < A2/Al(0*) for the ratio of its first two Dirichlet eigenvalues where Q*, the symmetric rearrangement of Q in Sn', is a geodesic ball in $n having the same n-volume as Q. We also show that A2/A1 for geodesic balls of geodesic radius 01 less than or equal to 7r/2 is an increasing function of 01 which runs between the value (jn/2,1/in/2-1,1)2 for 1 = 0 (this is the Euclidean value) and 2(n + l)/n for 01 = 7r/2. Here jv,k denotes the kth positive zero of the Bessel function J,(t). This result generalizes the Payne-Polya-Weinberger conjecture, which applies to bounded domains in Euclidean space and which we had proved earlier. Our method makes use of symmetric rearrangement of functions and various technical properties of special functions. We also prove that among all domains contained in a hemisphere of Sn and having a fixed value of A1 the one with the maximal value of A2 is the geodesic ball of the appropriate radius. This is a stronger, but slightly less accessible, isoperimetric result than that for A2/1i. Various other results for A1 and A2 of geodesic balls in Sn are proved in the course of our work.
From Ontology to Semantic Similarity: Calculation of Ontology-Based Semantic Similarity

Advances in high-throughput experimental techniques in the past decade have enabled the explosive increase of omics data, while effective organization, interpretation, and exchange of these data require standard and controlled vocabularies in the domain of biological and biomedical studies. Ontologies, as abstract description systems for domain-specific knowledge composition, hence receive more and more attention in computational biology and bioinformatics. Particularly, many applications relying on domain ontologies require quantitative measures of relationships between terms in the ontologies, making it indispensable to develop computational methods for the derivation of ontology-based semantic similarity between terms. Nevertheless, with a variety of methods available, how to choose a suitable method for a specific application becomes a problem. With this understanding, we review a majority of existing methods that rely on ontologies to calculate semantic similarity between terms. We classify existing methods into five categories: methods based on semantic distance, methods based on information content, methods based on properties of terms, methods based on ontology hierarchy, and hybrid methods. We summarize characteristics of each category, with emphasis on basic notions, advantages and disadvantages of these methods. Further, we extend our review to software tools implementing these methods and applications using these methods.
The Study of Motivation in Library and Information Management Education: Qualitative and Quantitative Research

The application of new technologies and media has changed the concept of teaching and learning, offering effective and attractive possibilities to the educational system, particularly to the learning of languages in specific contexts. Educators in general will agree on the importance of motivation as a key to success in language acquisition as it is both a condition and a result of effective instruction. However, although research has recognized the positive effect of intrinsic motivation on learning and academic achievement, little is known about the impact of different technologysupported learning activities on students’ intrinsic motivation, the most critical factor for success in language teaching through computers according to some scholars.
The Impact of Strategies Used in the Balanced Literacy Approach on Story Grammar Acquisition of Three Turkish Students with Hearing Loss: An Action Research Study

Abstract This action research study investigated the impacts of teaching strategies based on the balanced literacy approach on story grammar acquisition of three Turkish students with hearing loss. Data were collected from students' work, archival information, interviews and observations during lessons which were audio- and video-recorded. The pre- and post-test results and student portfolios were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results indicated that, although the students seemed to need further intervention, they all progressed in their acquisition of story grammar. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression by interleukin-1β (IL-1β), insulin-like growth factors I (IGF-I) and II (IGF-II) in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes

OBJECTIVE: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha regulates genes related to cellular survival under hypoxia. This factor is present in osteroarthritic chondrocytes, and cytokines, such as interleukin-1 beta, participate in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, thereby increasing the activities of proteolytic enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinases, and accelerating cartilage destruction. We hypothesize that Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) can regulate cytokines (catabolic action) and/or growth factors (anabolic action) in osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the modulation of HIF-1α in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and insulin-like growth factors I (IGF-I) and II (IGF-II) and to determine the involvement of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3K) pathway in this process. METHODS: Human osteroarthritic chondrocytes were stimulated with IL-1β, IGF-I and IGF-II and LY294002, a specific inhibitor of PI-3K. Nuclear protein levels and gene expression were analyzed by western blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses, respectively. RESULTS: HIF-1α expression was upregulated by IL-1β at the protein level but not at the gene level. IGF-I treatment resulted in increases in both the protein and mRNA levels of HIF-1α, whereas IGF-II had no effect on its expression. However, all of these stimuli exploited the PI-3K pathway. CONCLUSION: IL-1β upregulated the levels of HIF-1α protein post-transcriptionally, whereas IGF-I increased HIF-1α at the transcript level. In contrast, IGF-II did not affect the protein or gene expression levels of HIF-1α. Furthermore, all of the tested stimuli exploited the PI-3K pathway to some degree. Based on these findings, we are able to suggest that Hypoxia inducible Factor-1 exhibits protective activity in chondrocytes during osteoarthritis.
Power in Dreams? The Spatial Effects of Chicago's Failed Olympic Bid

Abstract Plans change the world in subtle ways, through persuasive power with reframing effects, that precede their actual execution. We empirically tested this persuasive power, taking a failed Olympic bid as a case. Bidding entails making very detailed plans for sites and infrastructure that are not easily forgotten, even when another city is picked to organize the games. We chose Chicago to test whether a plan, despite being unsuccessful in the sense of not being executed, might still change a city. We sought spatial change that was caused by the Olympic plan. The study limited itself to effects on infrastructure, zoning, real estate ownership, and governance structures. Few lasting legacies, however, were found, warranting a discussion on what the conditions are to allow for a plans' persuasive power.
Islamic schools in three western countries: policy and procedure

In this article, the authors compare Islamic schools in three countries: the United States, the Netherlands, and Belgium. In each country, the authors take care to situate Islamic schools within the broader context of educational policy and practice. In particular, the authors examine the mechanisms for funding, choice and control, noting that for reasons specific to each context monitoring either by the state or accrediting agencies poses both challenges and opportunities for Islamic schools.
Effects of Having Pets at Home on Children's Attitudes toward Popular and Unpopular Animals

ABSTRACT Having pets at home provides various social, health, and educational benefits to children. The question of how keeping pets at home affects the attitudes of children toward wild animals still has not been answered, due to various methodological issues, such as ignorance of some attitude dimensions and/or questionnaires that include items focused on very different animals. We conducted three independent research surveys (using three independent samples) of Slovakian primary school children aged 10 to 15 years (n = 1297). These surveys focused on the effects of keeping pets on the attitudes of children towards, and knowledge of, three unpopular animals in Slovakia. These animals were pests (potato beetle) (Study 1), predators (wolf) (Study 2), and those that pose a threat of disease to humans (mouse) (Study 3). Each survey also included a popular animal (ladybird beetle, rabbit, and squirrel, respectively), which served as a “control”; these were compared by pair-wise statistics. Results consistently showed that children had better knowledge of, but less favorable attitudes towards, unpopular animals compared with popular ones. Having pets at home was associated with more positive attitudes to, and better knowledge of, both popular and unpopular animals. Girls were less favorably inclined than boys to animals that may pose a threat, danger, or disease to them. Implications for humane education are discussed, especially in terms of keeping pets, the link between knowledge and attitudes, and children's understanding of ecological adaptations.
Simulation-Based Training for Thoracoscopy

Introduction An increasing proportion of thoracic procedures are performed using video-assisted thoracic surgery. This minimally invasive technique places special demands on the surgeons. Using simulation-based training on artificial models or animals has been proposed to overcome the initial part of the learning curve. This study aimed to investigate the effect of simulation-based training and to compare self-guided and educator-guided training. Methods The study included a surgeon group (n = 10) and 30 randomized novices in 3 groups. A control group (n = 10) and the group of surgeons (n = 10) were tested with no previous simulator training. A self-guided training group (n = 10) and an educator-guided training group (n = 10) trained for 3 hours on 3 scenarios of increasing fidelity and difficulty before taking a standardized test consisting of performing a wedge resection on a porcine lung, which was recorded and assessed blindly and independently by 2 thoracoscopic experts using a modified version of a validated assessment tool. Results Interrater reliability was acceptable (Spearman &rgr; = 0.73, P < 0.001). The control group and the self-guided training group performed significantly worse than the experienced surgeons (P = 0.012 and P = 0.010, respectively). There was no significant difference between the educator-guided training group and the experienced surgeons (P = 0.271). Conclusions This randomized study concerning simulation-based training for thoracoscopy showed that 3 hours of intensive simulator training with a dedicated educator enables novices to perform an acceptable wedge resection in a simple, simulated model. Although not significant, it seemed that having an educator present during training had a beneficiary effect. Transfer studies are required for further conclusions.
The impact of Irrigation on Agricultural Productivity: Evidence from India

Using plot level production data from a nation-wide survey in India, we study the impact of irrigation on crop productivity, land prices and cropping intensities. Our main identification strategy is based on a sufficient number of households cultivating multiple plots of different irrigation status. After household fixed effects and plot characteristics are controlled for, our estimations show that irrigation has a strong and significant impact on all these outcomes with the dominant effects on cropping intensities. We find quality of irrigation also matters. Our results provide support for continuing investments to improve access and quality of irrigation in India.
A cohort study of thiazolidinediones and fractures in older adults with diabetes.

CONTEXT Thiazolidenediones (TZDs) are selective ligands of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and have been shown to reduce bone mineral density. Recent results from several randomized controlled trials find an increased risk of fracture with TZDs compared with other oral antidiabetic agents. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine the association between TZD use and fracture risk among older adults with diabetes. DESIGN We conducted a cohort study. PARTICIPANTS Medicare beneficiaries with at least one diagnosis of diabetes initiating monotherapy for an oral hypoglycemic agent participated in the study. MAIN OUTCOME We measured the incidence of fracture within the cohort. RESULTS Among the 20,964 patients with diabetes eligible for this study, 686 (3.3%) experienced a fracture during the median follow-up of approximately 10 months. Although not statistically significant, patients using only a TZD were more likely to experience a fracture than those using metformin (adjusted relative risk, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.77; P = 0.071) or a sulfonylurea (adjusted relative risk, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.55; P = 0.12). Each individual TZD was associated with an increased risk, with confidence intervals overlapping unity, compared with both metformin and sulfonylureas. The adjusted risk of any fracture associated with TZD use compared with metformin was elevated for non-insulin-using patients, women and men. If TZD use is associated with fractures, the number needed for one excess fracture when comparing TZD users to sulfonylurea users was 200, and the number was 111 when comparing TZDs with metformin. CONCLUSIONS As has been found with other analyses, our data suggest that TZDs may be associated with an increased risk of fractures compared with oral sulfonylureas and metformin.
Stressor and personal variables in the commuting experience

The past few years have seen an increase in studies on the effects of commuting stress on various measures of strain. In particular, commuting impedance, a combination of time and distance between home and work, has been suggested as the independent variable that best describes the commuting experience. As demographic characteristics have been hypothesized as affecting strain, data were collected on personal variables and mode of transportation. Presents results from subjects in the present study consisting of 200 employees of a service organization near Tel Aviv, Israel. Whereas results verified the impact of commuting impedance on strain measures related to the commuting experience, the association between personal variables and strain was found to be inconsistent. Although the subjects were drawn from one organization only, they manifested many of the commuting patterns observed in other western nations. Proposes several suggestions for investigating the relationship among commuting stress and strain variables in future studies.
Reliability and validity of the short Hong Kong Chinese Self-Regulation of Learning Self-Report Scale (SRL-SRS-C)

Objectives: This study translated and shortened the original English, six-factor, Self-Regulated Learning Self-Report Scale (SRL-SRS). This version was subsequently assessed for its reliability and validity, for use in a Hong Kong Chinese adolescent population. Design and methods: The SRL-SRS was translated into Chinese following the back-translation procedure. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and test–retest reliability analysis, were conducted on a sample of 314 Hong Kong Chinese adolescents aged 12–17 years (mean age = 13.2 years, SD = .99; male = 155) from one Hong Kong secondary school. Cross-validation was conducted on a second sample of adolescents (n = 477; mean age = 14.92 years; male = 283) from three Hong Kong secondary schools. Results: EFA results supported the original six-factor model. Subsequent CFA results supported the short version with sufficient goodness-of-fit statistics (comparative fit index; CFI = 0.93; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.92; root square mean error of approximation (RMSEA; 95% CI) = 0.0047 (0.041 – 0.053); SRMR = 0.044). Further support was also found by cross-validation in the second sample (CFI = 0.915; TLI = 0.906; RMSEA = 0.052; SRMR = 0.043). Internal consistency analysis revealed that Cronbach's α ranged from.72 to . 89 for all subscales (sample 1); test–retest reliability analysis (sample 1) produced Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values ranging from . 69 to . 80 for all subscales. Conclusions: The short SRL-SRS-C is a sufficiently reliable and valid instrument to measure self-regulation of learning in a Chinese adolescent population. In addition, the SRL-SRS-C has demonstrated sufficient content, construct validity, and test–retest reliability.
Maintenance of Voluntary Self-regulation Learned through Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback based on real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an emerging technique that allows for learning voluntary control over brain activity. Such brain training has been shown to cause specific behavioral or cognitive enhancements, and even therapeutic effects in neurological and psychiatric patient populations. However, for clinical applications it is important to know if learned self-regulation can be maintained over longer periods of time and whether it transfers to situations without neurofeedback. Here, we present preliminary results from five healthy participants who successfully learned to control their visual cortex activity and who we re-scanned 6 and 14 months after the initial neurofeedback training to perform learned self-regulation. We found that participants achieved levels of self-regulation that were similar to those achieved at the end of the successful initial training, and this without further neurofeedback information. Our results demonstrate that learned self-regulation can be maintained over longer periods of time and causes lasting transfer effects. They thus support the notion that neurofeedback is a promising therapeutic approach whose effects can last far beyond the actual training period.
Combinative aspects of leadership style and the interaction between leadership behaviors

Purpose – Interactive or moderation effects are normally examined using hierarchical regression analysis and the product‐term. The purpose of this paper is to test an alternative perspective of interaction, which is based on how leaders combine different leadership behaviors (i.e. task‐oriented and socio‐emotional leadership). Design/methodology/approach – Data from 191 full‐time, white‐collar employees were obtained using a cross‐sectional design and a self‐administered questionnaire. Task‐oriented leadership (i.e. pressure) and socio‐emotional leadership (i.e. support) were measured using items from Misumi. Two measures were used for follower satisfaction with the leader: the satisfaction component of the job descriptive index and a single‐item measure. Satisfaction with how the leader combines leadership behaviors was measured using a single‐item measure.Findings – The findings show that follower satisfaction with the way the leader combines task‐oriented and socio‐emotional leadership augments the effe.
Distorted Metrics on Trees and Phylogenetic Forests

We study distorted metrics on binary trees in the context of phylogenetic reconstruction. Given a binary tree T on n leaves with a path metric d, consider the pairwise distances {d(u,v)} between leaves. It is well known that these determine the tree and the d length of all edges. Here, we consider distortions d of d such that, for all leaves u and v, it holds that |d(u,v)-dmacr(u,v)|<f/2 if either d(u,v)<M+f/2 or d(u,v)<M+f/2, where d satisfies flesd(e)lesg for all edges e. Given such distortions, we show how to reconstruct in polynomial time a forest T1.T0 such that the true tree T may be obtained from that forest by adding alpha-1 edges and alpha-1les2-Omega(M/g)n. Our distorted metric result implies a reconstruction algorithm of phylogenetic forests with a small number of trees from sequences of length logarithmic in the number of species. The reconstruction algorithm is applicable for the general Markov model. Both the distorted metric result and its applications to phylogeny are almost tight
Understanding Local Realities of Quality Education in Kenya: Pupil, Parent and Teacher Perspectives

In 2003, UNICEF-Kenya and the Kenyan Ministry of Education introduced the ‘Child Friendly Schools' initiative to encourage educational policy makers and practitioners to look for alternative ways to measure the quality of primary schools beyond pupils' test scores. In 2009, Kenyan government officials distributed the Child Friendly Schools Monitoring Toolkit (CMT) across all public primary schools, promoting it as an exercise in school self-evaluation for measuring educational quality. Senior education officials developed the CMT with 50 indicators for local stakeholders' use when measuring a school's level of child-friendliness. This study investigates the relevance of these 50 indicators to local perspectives of quality education. The study's findings suggest that the CMT's 50 indicators represent only 68% of what pupils, parents and teachers describe as factors that negatively or positively contribute to levels of child-friendliness in their schools. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach for data analysis, 33 ‘new’ indicators for child-friendliness emerge from the participants' responses. The study compares and synthesizes these new categories with the 50 original CMT indicators by creating an ‘Enhanced Child Friendly Schools Monitoring Toolkit’ (ECMT) for implementation in Kenyan primary schools. The revised ECMT indicators appear to capture 93% of what pupils, parents and teachers describe as factors influencing a school's level of child-friendliness. In the end, the study's findings call for a renewed dialogue between top-down and bottom-up perspectives of quality education in determining future criteria for measuring the levels of child-friendliness across Kenyan public primary schools.