Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Black Jack: Do company benefits and feelings have an impact on my happiness?

The aim of this study was to determine whether casino employees’ benefits and their feelings about the company influence their experienced happiness. A total of 1 502 casino employees were surveyed (females = 57%; males = 43%). They completed a company benefits, feelings and happiness questionnaire within the work context. Data were analysed to predict what company benefits and whether feelings about the company impact on the casino employees’ happiness; and also to test the mediation effects of company benefits on their happiness experienced through feelings about the company. In addition, structural relations between happiness and feelings about the company, and happiness and company benefits were tested. Findings from the regression analyses and structural equation modelling suggest that feelings about the company and company benefits such as staff meals and pension funds do predict personal happiness and positive feelings about the company where they are employed. Moreover, feelings about the company mediated the effect of stay-in facilities, staff meals and a bonus on happiness. Positive feelings about their company seem to explain employee happiness, particularly with the availability of company benefits such as stay-in facilities, staff meals and a bonus scheme.
Ambivalence about behavior change: utilizing motivational interviewing network of trainers’ perspectives to operationalize the construct

Abstract Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an empirically-supported approach for helping people change, but more research on its active ingredients and mechanisms of change is needed. One explanation, the conflict resolution hypothesis, states that it is MI’s specific focus on exploring and resolving ambivalence – the simultaneous presence of both wanting and not wanting to change – that accounts for change. However, given that recognizing and appropriately responding to ambivalence is a central tenet of MI theory and practice, there has been little research on the conceptualization of ambivalence. In this study, 70 certified Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers members responded to an online survey regarding: 1) the definition of ambivalence, 2) whether ambivalence was cognitive, emotional, or both, and 3) concepts that are often confused with, but are different from, ambivalence. Qualitative analysis of their responses revealed six related themes: 1) Coexistence of Opposites/Pros versus Cons Dynamic, 2) Emotions/Cognitions, 3) Behavioral Inertia, 4) Context of Ambivalence, 5) Factors Affecting Ambivalence, and 6) Cognitive versus Emotional Controversy. The second theme, Emotions/Cognitions, was further comprised of five subthemes: Conflict/Competition, Mixed Feeling or Thinking, Decision-making/Indecision, Desire, and Fear/Anxiety. The majority of respondents described ambivalence as both cognitive and emotional; the remainder supported either a primarily cognitive or emotional definition. Constructs that were commonly identified as being related to but distinct from ambivalence were resistance, denial, discrepancy, lack of motivation, and precontemplation/contemplation. These results highlight the apparent multifaceted nature of ambivalence. Ideally these findings also will be useful in the subsequent development of measures to assess ambivalence.
A-SUMMABILITY AND APPROXIMATION OF CONTINUOUS PERIODIC FUNCTIONS

The aim of this paper is to present a generalization of the classical Korovkin approximation theorem by using a matrix summability method, for sequences of positive linear operators defined on the space of all real-valued continuous and 2π-periodic functions. This approach is motivated by the works of O. Duman [4] and C. Orhan, Ö. G. Atlihan [1].
Chapter 13 Language and simulation in conceptual processing

Theories of cognition often assume that a single type of rep1esentation underlies knowledge. Traditionally, most theories have assumed that amodal symbols provide unifo1m knowledge representation (e. ., while other theories have proposed that knowledge is grounded in linguistic context-vectors Our theme in this chapter is that multiple systems-not just one-represent knowledge . . We focus on two sources of knowledge that we believe have strong empirical support: linguistic forms in the brain's language systems, and situated simulations in the brain's modal systems. . Although we focus on these two sources of knowledge, we do not exclude the possibility that other types are important as well In particula1, we believe that statistical representations play central roles throughout the brain, and that they underlie linguistic forms and situated simulations. . At this point, we are somewhat skeptical that completely amodal representations exist in the brain, for both theoretical and empirical reasons (Barsalou 1999, 2008a; Simmons and Barsalou, 2003), but we are open to compelling arguments othe1wise We begin by reviewing linguistic and modal approaches to the representation of knowledge. We then propose the language and situated simulation (LAS~) theory as a preliminary framework for integrating these approaches. We then turn to empirical evidence for the LASS theory, including evidence for dual code theory (Pa1vio 19 71, 1986), evidence for Glaser's (1992) revision of dual code theory (the lexical hypothesis), evidence from our laboratory, and evidence from other laboratories Finally, we address future issues that research from the LASS perspective could address.
Transformation and framework of teacher professional development in Taiwan

This article describes the situation of teacher professional development in Taiwan, including the history and the framework of teacher professional development. With diversification of teacher education systems and institutions, teacher professional development in Taiwan is undergoing a gradual governance shift from the model of centralised state regulation to that of new professionalism and marketisation. The evolution of teacher professional development in Taiwan can be divided into three stages. Approaches towards teacher professional development in Taiwan are undergoing a governance shift, with state power being gradually decentralised to local authorities, schools and teachers, and new methods of conceptualising teacher professional development in Taiwan are emerging.
Bridging Past and Future Climate across Paleoclimatic Reconstructions, Observations, and Models: A Hydroclimate Case Study*

AbstractPotential biases in tree-ring reconstructed Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) are evaluated using Thornthwaite (TH), Penman–Monteith (PM), and self-calibrating Penman–Monteith (SC) PDSI in three diverse regions of the United States and tree-ring chronologies from the North American drought atlas (NADA). Minimal differences are found between the three PDSI reconstructions and all compare favorably to independently reconstructed Thornthwaite-based PDSI from the NADA. Reconstructions are bridged with model-derived PDSI_TH and PDSI_PM, which both closely track modeled soil moisture (near surface and full column) during the twentieth century. Differences between modeled moisture-balance metrics only emerge in twenty-first-century projections. These differences confirm the tendency of PDSI_TH to overestimate drying when temperatures exceed the range of the normalization interval; the more physical accounting of PDSI_PM compares well with modeled soil moisture in the projection interval. Remaining reg.
Using a Contingency Graph to Discover Representational Practices in an Online Collaborative Environment

People implicitly negotiate use of representations during learning, even in distributed online settings, but due to the temporally and spatially distributed nature of interaction, special analytic tools are required to uncover the development of representational practices in such settings. In this paper, we show how logs of online activity can be analyzed using specialized tools to recognize patterns in the participants' use of representations and show how negotiated representational practices affect how learners collaborate and influence each other.
Evaluation of Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Fuchs' Uveitis Syndrome

Purpose. We aimed to investigate retinal and choroidal thickness in the eyes of patients with Fuchs' uveitis syndrome (FUS). Methods. Fifteen patients with unilateral FUS and 20 healthy control subjects were enrolled. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis HRA+OCT, 870 nm; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) was used to obtain retinal and choroidal thickness measurements. The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, macular thickness, and choroidal thickness of the eyes with FUS were compared with the unaffected eye and the eyes of healthy control subjects. Results. The mean choroidal thickness at fovea and at each point within the horizontal nasal and temporal quadrants at 500 μm intervals to a distance of 1500 µm from the foveal center was significantly thinner in the affected eye of FUS patients compared with the unaffected eye of FUS patients or the eyes of healthy control subjects. However, there were no significant differences in RNFL or macular thickness between groups. Conclusions. Affected eyes in patients with FUS tend to have thinner choroids as compared to eyes of unaffected fellow eyes and healthy individuals, which might be a result of the chronic inflammation associated with the disease.
HAb18G/CD147 Regulates Vinculin-Mediated Focal Adhesion and Cytoskeleton Organization in Cultured Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Focal adhesions (FAs), integrin-mediated macromolecular complexes located at the cell membrane extracellular interface, have been shown to regulate cell adhesion and migration. Our previous studies have indicated that HAb18G/CD147 (CD147) is involved in cytoskeleton reorganization and FA formation in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. In the current study, we determined that CD147 was involved in vinculin-mediated FA focal adhesion formation in HCC cells. We also found that deletion of CD147 led to reduced vinculin-mediated FA areas (P<0.0001), length/width ratios (P<0.0001), and mean intensities (P<0.0001). CD147 promoted lamellipodia formation by localizing Arp2/3 to the leading edge of the cell. Deletion of CD147 significantly reduced the fluorescence (t 1/2) recovery times (22.7±3.3 s) of vinculin-mediated focal adhesions (P<0.0001). In cell-spreading assays, CD147 was found to be essential for dynamic focal adhesion enlargement and disassembly. Furthermore, the current data showed that CD147 reduced tyrosine phosphorylation in vinculin-mediated focal adhesions, and enhanced the accumulation of the acidic phospholipid phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Together, these results revealed that CD147 is involved in vinculin-mediated focal adhesion formation, which subsequently promotes cytoskeleton reorganization to facilitate invasion and migration of human HCC cells.
Low complexity cooperative multicast beamforming in multiuser multicell downlink networks

This paper presents a low complexity sub-optimal algorithm for the max-min beamforming problem in multicell multicast transmission. The beam pattern is jointly optimized for all users inside a cell in a multicell scenario such that the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the worst users is maximized subject to a limited sum power. The presented algorithm is based on the Lagrangian dual problem of the downlink max-min beamforming problem. The SINR of the presented algorithm is very close to the SINR of the known solution based on the more complex semidefinite programming.
Improvement of a data based bandwidth selector

A recently proposed data based method for choosing the bandwidth of a kernel density estimator is considered. Intuitive and asymptotic reasons are given for why the selected bandwidth should be smaller than is appropriate. This conflicts with the results of a simulation study. The conflict is resolved through a deeper asymptotic analysis. Further simulation results investigate the issue of what sample sizes are required for the asymptotics to properly describe the situation. The analysis is extended to motivate a remedy, which leads to the widely known least-squares cross-validation, hence providing a new characterization of the latter.
Two new species of the ground beetle subgenus Sadonebria Ledoux & Roux, 2005 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nebria) from Japan and first description of larvae of the subgenus

Abstract Sadonebria Ledoux & Roux, 2005 is one of the more diverse subgenera of the genus Nebria Latreille, 1802 in East Asia, and its taxonomy remains unrevised at the subgeneric and specific levels. In this paper, two new species of this subgenus are described from Japan. Nebria quinquelobata sp. n. is described from Mt. Myôkô and is externally similar to Nebria saeviens Bates, 1883, to which specimens of this new species previously had been assigned. Nebria yatsugatakensis sp. n. is described from the Yatsugatake Mountains and is externally similar to locally adjacent species that had been recognized as Nebria sadona Bates, 1883 and were recently revealed as separate species. Both new species are distinguished by morphological (the shape of the endophallus) and morphometric (geometric morphometrics of the pronotum and aedeagus) features. For Nebria yatsugatakensis, the morphology of all larval instars is described based on specimens reared from eggs laid by collected adults. These results, together with previous studies of the species-level taxonomy of Sadonebria and larval morphology of other Nebria subgenera, suggest (i) the utility of geometric morphometrics in species-level taxonomy; (ii) the importance of larval secondary setae in the subgeneric taxonomy of the genus Nebria; and (iii) the presence of further cryptic species in Sadonebria.
Robots, Pancakes, and Computer Games: Designing Serious Games for Robot Imitation Learning

Autonomous manipulation robots can be valuable aids as interactive agents in the home, yet it has proven extremely difficult to program their behavior. Imitation learning uses data on human demonstrations to build behavioral models for robots. In order to cover a wide range of action strategies, data from many individuals is needed. Acquiring such large amounts of data can be a challenge. Tools for data capturing in this domain must thus implement a good user experience. We propose to use human computation games in order to gather data on human manual behavior. We demonstrate the idea with a strategy game that is operated via a natural user interface. A comparison between using the game for action execution and demonstrating actions in a virtual environment shows that people interact longer and have a better experience when playing the game.
Genomic analysis of codon, sequence and structural conservation with selective biochemical-structure mapping reveals highly conserved and dynamic structures in rotavirus RNAs with potential cis-acting functions

Rotaviruses are a major cause of acute, often fatal, gastroenteritis in infants and young children world-wide. Virions contain an 11 segment double-stranded RNA genome. Little is known about the cis-acting sequences and structural elements of the viral RNAs. Using a database of 1621 full-length sequences of mammalian group A rotavirus RNA segments, we evaluated the codon, sequence and RNA structural conservation of the complete genome. Codon conservation regions were found in eight ORFs, suggesting the presence of functional RNA elements. Using ConStruct and RNAz programmes, we identified conserved secondary structures in the positive-sense RNAs including long-range interactions (LRIs) at the 5′ and 3′ terminal regions of all segments. In RNA9, two mutually exclusive structures were observed suggesting a switch mechanism between a conserved terminal LRI and an independent 3′ stem–loop structure. In RNA6, a conserved stem–loop was found in a region previously reported to have translation enhancement activity. Biochemical structural analysis of RNA11 confirmed the presence of terminal LRIs and two internal helices with high codon and sequence conservation. These extensive in silico and in vitro analyses provide evidence of the conservation, complexity, multi-functionality and dynamics of rotavirus RNA structures which likely influence RNA replication, translation and genome packaging.
The Relationship between Neuropsychological and Ecological Measurements of Executive Functioning in Childhood and the Prediction of Mathematics Performance. A Pilot Study.

Introduction . This study explored the variables of executive functioning (EF) that permitted the evaluation of EF both at home and at school. The objective was to compare the results of the evaluations of these functions in children aged 5 to 6 years, and see to what extent these variables predicted mathematics performance best. Method. Sixty-six third year early childhood education students took part, who were given verbal memory and visuospatial tests, of inhibition, of estimation of mathematical performance and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), carrying out a correlational and descriptive study. Results. The results showed correlations between the evaluation of children with neuropsychological tests and the ecological assessments of teachers and parents; and between the BRIEF evaluations, in the metacognitive domain. Conclusion. The measurement that best predicted mathematics performance was the teacher BRIEF, especially in working memory.
Measuring the Speed of Dark: Detecting Dark Energy Perturbations

The nature of dark energy can be probed not only through its equation of state but also through its microphysics, characterized by the sound speed of perturbations to the dark energy density and pressure. As the sound speed drops below the speed of light, dark energy inhomogeneities increase, affecting both cosmic microwave background and matter power spectra. We show that current data can put no significant constraints on the value of the sound speed when dark energy is purely a recent phenomenon, but can begin to show more interesting results for early dark energy models. For example, the best fit model for current data has a slight preference for dynamics [w(a){ne}-1], degrees of freedom distinct from quintessence (c{sub s{ne}}1), and early presence of dark energy [{Omega}{sub de}(a<<1){ne}0]. Future data may open a new window on dark energy by measuring its spatial as well as time variation.
Interferon- c Release Assays for Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Adults in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background. The diagnostic value of interferon- c release assays (IGRAs) for active tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries is unclear. Methods. We searched multiple databases for studies published through May 2010 that evaluated the diagnostic performance of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and T-SPOT.TB (T-SPOT) among adults with suspected active pulmonary tuberculosis or patients with conﬁrmed cases in low- and middle-income countries. We summarized test performance characteristics with use of forest plots, hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curves, and bivariate random effects models. Results. Our search identiﬁed 789 citations, of which 27 observational studies (17 QFT-GIT and 10 T-SPOT) evaluating 590 human immunodeﬁciency virus (HIV)–uninfected and 844 HIV-infected individuals met inclusion criteria. Among HIV-infected patients, HSROC/bivariate pooled sensitivity estimates (highest quality data) were 76% (95% conﬁdence interval [CI], 45%–92%) for T-SPOT and 60% (95% CI, 34%–82%) for QFT-GIT. HSROC/ bivariate pooled speciﬁcity estimates were low for both IGRA platforms among all participants (T-SPOT, 61% [95% CI, 40%–79%]; QFT-GIT, 52% [95% CI,
Differential expression of Toll-like receptor-2, -4 and -9 in follicle-associated epithelium from epithelia of both follicle-associated intestinal villi and ordinary intestinal villi in rat Peyer’s patches

The expressions of Toll-like receptor (TLR) -2, -4 and -9 were immunohistochemically investigated in the follicle-associated epithelium (FAE), and epithelia of the follicle-associated intestinal villus (FAIV) and ordinary intestinal villus (IV) in rat Peyer’s patch regions with no bacterial colonies on the mucous membranes. TLR-2 was expressed in the striated borders of microvillous columnar epithelial cells (MV) in both FAIV and IV except in the apices. However, TLR-2 expression in the striated borders was weaker in the epithelium of the follicular side of FAIV (f-FAIV) than in epithelia of IV and the anti-follicular side of FAIV. TLR-4 and -9 were not expressed in the FAIV and IV. In the FAE, TLR-2, -4 and -9 were not expressed in the striated borders of MV, but the roofs of some typical M-cells were immunopositive for all TLRs. Especially, no TLR-positive MV were found at the FAE sites where M-cells appeared most frequently. In the follicle-associated intestinal crypt (FAIC), immunopositivity for all TLRs was observed in the striated borders of MV and the luminal substances. In conclusion, the lower levels of TLR-2 in both FAE and the epithelium of f-FAIV probably reduce recognition of indigenous bacteria. TLR-2, -4 and -9 appear not to participate directly in differentiation of MV into M-cells, because TLRs were not expressed in any MV in the upstream region of M-cells in FAE with no settlement of indigenous bacteria in the rat Peyer’s patches.
Infall Models of Class 0 Protostars

We have carried out radiative transfer calculations of infalling, dusty envelopes surrounding embedded protostars to understand the observed properties of the recently identified "class 0" sources. To match the far-infrared peaks in the spectral energy distributions of objects such as the prototype class 0 source VLA 1623, pure collapse models require mass infall rates ~10-4 M☉ yr-1. The radial intensity distributions predicted by such infall models are inconsistent with observations of VLA 1623 at submillimeter wavelengths, in agreement with the 1993 results of André and coworkers who found a density profile of ρ ∝ r-1/2 rather than the expected ρ ∝ r-3/2 gradient. To resolve this conflict while still invoking infall to produce the outflow source at the center of VLA 1623, we suggest that the observed submillimeter intensity distribution is the sum of two components: an inner infall zone plus an outer, more nearly constant density region. This explanation of the observations requires that roughly half the total mass observed within a 2000 AU radius of the source lies in a region external to the infall zone. The column densities for this external region are comparable to those found in the larger Oph A cloud within which VLA 1623 is embedded. This decomposition into infall and external regions is not unique, owing to uncertainty in the structure of the molecular gas outside of the infall zone, which in turn implies some uncertainty in estimating the infall rate. Nevertheless, the environment of Oph A is so dense that any protostellar clouds that fragment out are likely to collapse at very high infall rates, consistent with our spectral energy distribution modeling. The extreme environments of class 0 sources lead us to suggest an alternative or additional interpretation of these objects: rather than simply concluding with André and coworkers that class 0 objects represent only the earliest phases of protostellar collapse and ultimately evolve into older "class I" protostars, we suggest that many class 0 sources could be the protostars of very dense regions, and class I objects found in lower density regions may be in comparable evolutionary states.