Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining Peer Selection and Influence Processes on Early Adolescents' Academic Adjustment with Longitudinal Social Network Analysis

The overall objective of this dissertation is to advance understanding of peer relationships and early adolescents' adjustment at school. Peer relationships are a salient part of the classroom context and important for students' adjustment at school. Despite the progress that has been made understanding early adolescents' peer relationships and adjustment at school in recent years (see Rodkin & Ryan, 2012 for a review), there is much we do not know about the peer associations and peer selection and influence processes in regards to academic beliefs and behaviors in the classroom. Further, we do not know how peer selection and influence processes vary by classroom and are associated with teaching practices. This dissertation addresses these questions applying recent developments in Social Network Analysis. Advances and application of Social Network Analysis has provided many insights into social networks and behavior in a variety of settings but has not yet been fully applied to classroom beliefs and behaviors of early adolescent students. This dissertation aims to advance understanding of peer selection and influence processes on early adolescents' academic motivation, engagement, and achievement using recently developed longitudinal Social Network Analysis. In Study 1, I examine the extent to which friendship selection and influence processes are occurring in regards to early adolescents' academic adjustment. I examine three facets of academic adjustment outcomes: motivation (intrinsic value and academic self-efficacy), engagement (effortful and disruptive behavior) and achievement (report card grades). Study 1 provides the foundation for Study 2. In Study 2, I examine how peer selection and influence processes vary by classrooms and may be associated with different levels of emotional support provided by the teacher. Such connections between the classroom context and peer relationships and how they operate together and influence student vi adjustment have received scant attention. Such an approach has important implications as it illustrates how classroom contexts can affect peer relationships and students' learning. The present research expands the use of longitudinal social network analysis techniques to early adolescents' academic adjustment. Using longitudinal social network analyses in both studies, this dissertation aims to provide insights into how friendship networks are organized, how friendship networks impact changes of students' academic beliefs and classroom behaviors, and how classroom contexts are associated with early adolescents' peer network and behavior changes.
ANTHROPOMETRIC DETERMINANTS OF ROWING ERGOMETER PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICALLY INACTIVE COLLEGIATE FEMALES

The aim of the study was to evaluate anthropometric characteristics as determinants of 500 m rowing ergometer performance in physically inactive collegiate females. In this cross-sectional study, which included 196 collegiate females aged 19-23 years not participating in regular physical activities, body mass (BM), body height (BH), length of upper limbs (LA), length of lower limbs (LL), body mass index (BMI), slenderness index (SI), and the Choszcz-Podstawski index (CPI) were measured and a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed. Participants performed 500 m maximal effort on a Concept II rowing ergometer. BM, BH, LA, LL, and the BMI, SI and CPI indices were found to be statistically significant determinants of 500 m performance. The best results (T) were achieved by females whose BH ranged from 170 to 180 cm, with LA and LL ranging from 75 to 80 cm and 85 to 90 cm, respectively. The best fitting statistical model was identified as: T = 11.6793 LR – 0.1130 LR2 – 0.0589 LN2 + 29.2157 CPI2 + 0.1370 LR·LN - 2.6926 LR·CPI – 211.7796. This study supports a need for additional studies focusing on understanding the importance of anthropometric differences in rowing ergometer performance, which could lead to establishing a better quality reference for evaluation of cardiorespiratory fitness tested using a rowing ergometer in collegiate females.
Identification of chromosomally integrated human herpesvirus 6 by droplet digital PCR.

BACKGROUND Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) latently infects a majority of adults. In about 1% of the population HHV-6 exists in a chromosomally integrated form (ciHHV-6) that resides in every somatic and germ cell and can be transmitted through the germ line. Patients with ciHHV-6 have been misdiagnosed and unnecessarily treated for active HHV-6 infection, sometimes with important side effects, based on results from quantitative molecular HHV-6 tests. METHODS A droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay was developed to identify ciHHV-6 in cellular patient samples by precisely determining the ratio of HHV-6 to cellular DNA. We validated the assay on confirmed ciHHV-6 patient samples and a cell line derived from a ciHHV-6 patient, and we analyzed hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients suspected of having ciHHV-6. We additionally evaluated whether the assay could be applied to stored plasma samples from a study of clinical correlates of HHV-6. RESULTS The ddPCR assay accurately identified ciHHV-6 in cellular samples (buffy coat, peripheral blood mononuclear cells), giving a ratio very close to 1 HHV-6/cell [mean (SD), 1.02 (0.03)] in fluorescence in situ hybridization-confirmed sample). In stored plasma samples, the assay performance was set by design to have 100% sensitivity, which resulted in 82% specificity for ciHHV-6. CONCLUSIONS The possibility of ciHHV-6 is often overlooked in patients with detectable HHV-6 viral loads by quantitative PCR. Our ddPCR test provides rapid and accurate laboratory identification of ciHHV-6 from easily obtained cellular samples. In addition, the assay provides excellent sensitivity and specificity using stored plasma samples, facilitating retrospective analysis of the clinical significance of ciHHV-6.
The Impacts of Multiple Intelligences on Tolerance of Ambiguity and English Proficiency—A Case Study of Taiwanese EFL College Students

The study was conducted to investigate how students’ multiple intelligences were related to their tolerance of ambiguity and English proficiency. Subjects were 173 English major students in a private university in northern Taiwan, including 49 males and 124 females. They helped to fill out questionnaires of Multiple Intelligences (MI) (Gardner, 1983) and Second Language Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale (SLTAS) (Ely, 1995). In addition, students’ English scores and English levels of Taiwan College Entrance Exam were used as their English proficiency. All available data received from the returned questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics derived from SPSS 17. The results revealed that a correlation among students’ multiple intelligences, tolerance of ambiguity, and their English proficiency did exist. In addition, by using t-test, findings showed that genders made a difference in students’ multiple intelligences, tolerance of ambiguity, and English proficiency as well. Furthermore, implications derived from the study were provided for more effective English teaching and learning.
Value Added Services and Adoption of Mobile Payments

In this paper, we investigate the role of Value Added Services (VAS) in consumers' adoption of mobile payments. VAS are supplementary digital services offered in connection with mobile payments; in this study exemplified by receipts, loyalty cards, and coupons. A research model is derived from existing literature and empirically tested through an experimental design survey, in which the experimental group is exposed to a mobile payment solution with VAS, including receipts, loyalty cards, and coupons, and the control group is exposed to a mobile payment solution without VAS. Our findings show that intention to adopt mobile payments increases as VAS are introduced and that this increase comes from a positive change in Perceived Usefulness, compatibility, and Convenience.
Activation of NF-κB Is Essential for Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Mediated Proliferation and Tubulogenesis

ABSTRACT Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, Met, regulate a number of biological functions in epithelial and nonepithelial cells, such as survival, motility, proliferation, and tubular morphogenesis. The transcription factor NF-κB is activated in response to a wide variety of stimuli, including growth factors, and is involved in biological responses in part overlapping with those triggered by HGF. In this work we used the liver-derived MLP29 cell line to study the possible involvement of NF-κB in HGF/Met signaling. HGF stimulates NF-κB DNA binding and transcriptional activation via the canonical IκB phosphorylation-degradation cycle and via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is not involved in Met-mediated NF-κB activation. Blockage of NF-κB activation in MLP29 cells by forced expression of the NF-κB super-repressor IκBα2A does not interfere with HGF-induced scatter but inhibits proliferation and tubulogenesis. Surprisingly, in the same cells NF-κB appears to be dispensable for the antiapoptotic function of HGF.
Fluorescent pseudomonads isolated from Hebridean cloud and rain water produce biosurfactants but do not cause ice nucleation

Abstract. Microorganisms were discovered in clouds over 100 years ago but information on bacterial community structure and function is limited. Clouds may not only be a niche within which bacteria could thrive but they might also influence dynamic processes using ice nucleating and cloud condensing abilities. Cloud and rain samples were collected from two mountains in the Outer Hebrides, NW Scotland, UK. Community composition was determined using a combination of amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis and sequencing. 256 clones yielded 100 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of which half were related to bacteria from terrestrial psychrophilic environments. Cloud samples were dominated by a mixture of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. , some of which have been reported to be ice nucleators. It was therefore possible that these bacteria were using the ice nucleation (IN) gene to trigger the Bergeron-Findeisen process of raindrop formation as a mechanism for dispersal. In this study the IN gene was not detected in any of the isolates using both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Instead 55% of the total isolates from both cloud and rain samples displayed significant biosurfactant activity when analyzed using the drop-collapse technique. All isolates were characterised as fluorescent pseudomonads. Surfactants have been found to be very important in lowering atmospheric critical supersaturations required for the activation of aerosols into cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). It is also known that surfactants influence cloud droplet size and increase cloud lifetime and albedo. Some bacteria are known to act as CCN and so it is conceivable that these fluorescent pseudomonads are using surfactants to facilitate their activation from aerosols into CCN. This would allow water scavenging,~countering desiccation, and assist in their widespread dispersal.
An adaptive quantum-based multiobjective evolutionary algorithm for efficient task assignment in distributed systems

Multi-criterion quantum programming is a new paradigm of decision making for complex systems. Quantum-based multiobjective algorithm utilizes a new representation, called a Q-bit, for the probabilistic representation that is based on the concept of qubits. Evolutionary computing with Q-bit representation has a better characteristic of population diversity than other representations, since it can represent linear superposition of states probabilistically. We consider the multi-criterion problem of task assignment, where both a workload of a bottleneck computer and the cost of system are minimized; in contrast, a reliability of the distributed system is maximized.
Robust stereo visual odometry from monocular techniques

Visual odometry is one of the most active topics in computer vision. The automotive industry is particularly interested in this field due to the appeal of achieving a high degree of accuracy with inexpensive sensors such as cameras. The best results on this task are currently achieved by systems based on a calibrated stereo camera rig, whereas monocular systems are generally lagging behind in terms of performance. We hypothesise that this is due to stereo visual odometry being an inherently easier problem, rather than than due to higher quality of the state of the art stereo based algorithms. Under this hypothesis, techniques developed for monocular visual odometry systems would be, in general, more refined and robust since they have to deal with an intrinsically more difficult problem. In this work we present a novel stereo visual odometry system for automotive applications based on advanced monocular techniques. We show that the generalization of these techniques to the stereo case result in a significant improvement of the robustness and accuracy of stereo based visual odometry. We support our claims by the system results on the well known KITTI benchmark, achieving the top rank for visual only systems*.
Evidence for Diversity in Transcriptional Profiles of Single Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Hematopoietic stem cells replenish all the cells of the blood throughout the lifetime of an animal. Although thousands of stem cells reside in the bone marrow, only a few contribute to blood production at any given time. Nothing is known about the differences between individual stem cells that dictate their particular state of activation readiness. To examine such differences between individual stem cells, we determined the global gene expression profile of 12 single stem cells using microarrays. We showed that at least half of the genetic expression variability between 12 single cells profiled was due to biological variation in 44% of the genes analyzed. We also identified specific genes with high biological variance that are candidates for influencing the state of readiness of individual hematopoietic stem cells, and confirmed the variability of a subset of these genes using single-cell real-time PCR. Because apparent variation of some genes is likely due to technical factors, we estimated the degree of biological versus technical variation for each gene using identical RNA samples containing an RNA amount equivalent to that of single cells. This enabled us to identify a large cohort of genes with low technical variability whose expression can be reliably measured on the arrays at the single-cell level. These data have established that gene expression of individual stem cells varies widely, despite extremely high phenotypic homogeneity. Some of this variation is in key regulators of stem cell activity, which could account for the differential responses of particular stem cells to exogenous stimuli. The capacity to accurately interrogate individual cells for global gene expression will facilitate a systems approach to biological processes at a single-cell level.
Iop Publishing Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering Storing Elastic Energy in Carbon Nanotubes

The potential performance of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as springs for elastic energy storage is evaluated. Models are used to determine an upper bound on the energy density that can be stored in defect-free individual CNTs and in assemblies of such CNTs. The models reveal that optimal energy density may be achieved in small-diameter single-walled CNTs loaded in tension, with a maximum theoretical energy density for CNT groupings of 7.8 × 10 6 kJ m −3. Millimeter-scale CNT springs are constructed using 3 mm tall forests of multi-walled CNTs as the starting material, and tensile tests are performed to measure the springs' stiffness, strength and elastic properties. The measured strain energy density of these continuous CNT fibers is comparable to the energy density of steel springs.
Ethnic Differences in the Food Intake Patterns and Its Associated Factors of Adolescents in Kelantan, Malaysia

Objective: The aim of the study was to identify the ethnic differences in dietary patterns and its association with socio-economic, dietary and lifestyle practices among adolescents in Kelantan, Malaysia. Methods: A population-based study of 454 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years was included. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary patterns and three dietary patterns were identified based on the principal component analysis method. Results: Malay adolescents had significantly higher scores for the Western-based food pattern and local-based food pattern, whereas Chinese adolescents showed higher scores for the healthy-based food pattern. Multivariate analyses show that age and physical activity (PA) levels were positively associated with healthy-based food pattern in Malay (All, p < 0.001), whereas higher consumption of eating-out from home (EatOut) (p = 0.014) and fast food (p = 0.041) were negatively associated. High weekly breakfast skipping (p < 0.001) and EatOut (p = 0.003) were positively associated with a Western-based pattern, whereas age (p < 0.001) and household income (p = 0.005) were negatively associated. Higher frequency of daily snacking (p = 0.013) was positively associated with local-based food pattern. For Chinese adolescents, age (p < 0.001), PA levels (p < 0.001) and maternal education level (p = 0.035) showed positive associations with the healthy-based pattern, whereas high EatOut (p = 0.001) and fast food intakes (p = 0.001) were negatively associated. Higher weekly consumption of EatOut (p = 0.007), fast food (p = 0.023) and carbonated beverages (p = 0.023), and daily snacking practice (p = 0.004) were positively associated with higher Western-based food pattern, whereas age (p = 0.004) was inversely associated. Conclusion: This study showed that there were significant differences in dietary patterns and its association factors between Malay and Chinese adolescents. More importantly, these findings suggest that unhealthy dietary and lifestyle practices could increase the risk of adherence to unhealthy Western-based food pattern that is high in fat, sugar and salt contents, and, consequently, increase the risk of developing obesity and metabolic-related disorders during these critical years of growth.
Goal setting and task performance: 1969–1980.

Abstract : A review of both laboratory and field studies on the effect of setting goals when learning or performing a task found that specific, challenging goals led more often to higher performance than easy goals, 'do your best' goals or no goals. This is one of the most robust and replicable findings in the psychological literature, with 90% of the studies showing positive or partially positive results. The main mechanisms by which goals affect performance are by directing attention, mobilizing effort, increasing persistence, and motivating strategy development. Goal setting is most likely to improve task performance when the goals are specific and sufficiently challenging, when the subjects have sufficient ability (and ability differences are controlled), when feedback is provided to show progress in relation to the goal, when rewards such as money are given for goal attainment, when the exerimenter manager is supportive, and when the assigned goals are actually accepted by the individual. No reliable individual differences have emerged in goal setting studies, probably because goals were typically assigned rather than self-set. Need for achievement and self esteem may be the most promising individual difference variables. (Author)
Optimization Algorithms Inspired by Biological Ants and Swarm Behavior

Ants are simple creatures that inspire many researchers in the field of Computer Science to develop new solutions for optimization and artificial intelligence problems. Some aspects of ant behavior can be implemented in a computer environment in order to solve a particular problem or to derive emergent behavior similar to ant colonies behavior. In this paper we give a brief overview of some functions of biological ants and the colony behavior generated from the interaction of a swarm of ants. Following we review the main existing work from the main researchers in the field on applying the ant metaphor in solving hard combinatorial optimization problems.
Relational Incentive Contracts

Standard incentive theory models provide a rich framework for studying informational problems but assume that contracts can be perfectly enforced. This paper studies the design of self-enforced relational contracts. I show that optimal contracts often can take a simple stationary form, but that self-enforcement restricts promised compensation and affects incentive provision. With hidden information, it may be optimal for an agent to supply the same inefficient effort regardless of cost conditions. With moral hazard, optimal contracts involve just two levels of compensation. This is true even if performance measures are subjective, in which case optimal contracts terminate following poor performance. (JEL C73, D82, L14)
When Moral Personality and Moral Ideology Meet Ethical Leadership: A Three-Way Interaction Model

We propose a three-way interaction model based on substitutes for leadership theory to explore the relationship among ethical leadership, moral personality, and moral ideology (i.e., idealism and relativism) on two types of employee voluntary behaviors (i.e., organizational citizenship behavior and workplace deviant behavior). Results from a sample of 218 supervisor–subordinate dyads indicate that moral personality attenuates the relationship between ethical leadership and employee voluntary behaviors. Idealism serves as the boundary condition for the moderating effect of moral personality. However, relativism only serves as the boundary condition for the moderating effect of moral personality when predicting workplace deviant behavior.