Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring perception of communicative ability: the development and evaluation of the La Trobe communication questionnaire

The La Trobe communication questionnaire (LCQ) was designed to measure perceived communicative ability. It was developed to enable collection of information from various sources including the self-perceptions of individuals as well as the perceptions of close others. In this paper we report the development of the questionnaire, its psychometric properties and normative data for the perceptions of young adults and the comparative perceptions of their close others. Participants in the study were 256 adults comprising 147 primary subjects and 109 close others. Primary subjects ranged in age from 16-39 years with a mean age of 20.6 years. The 30 item questionnaire was structured using a modified Likert-type scale with four possible levels of response: (1) never or rarely; (2) sometimes; (3) often; and (4) usually or always. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.8596) and good stability over time for self-report was demonstrated (r = 0.7558). There was a significant difference (p < 0.0001) between the perceptions of primary subjects and close others with primary subjects perceiving themselves to have more frequent communication difficulties, than did their close others. Overall, our findings suggest that the LCQ is a promising means of measuring perceived communicative ability in young adults.
Efficient Algorithms for Computing RiskParity Portfolio Weights

This article presents two simple algorithms to calculate the portfolio weights for a risk parity strategy, where asset class covariance information is appropriately taken into consideration to achieve “true” equal risk contribution. Previous implementations of risk parity either used a naïve 1/vol solution, which ignores asset class correlations, or computed “true” risk parity weights using relatively complicated optimizations to solve a quadratic minimization program with nonlinear constraints.The two iterative algorithms presented require only simple computations and quickly converge to the optimal solution. In addition to the technical contribution, the authors compute the parity in portfolio “risk allocation” using the Gini coefficient, and confirm that portfolio strategies with parity in “asset class allocation” can actually have high concentration in its “risk allocation. ”
Reduction of false recognition through haptic presentation of objects

False recognition of an item that is not presented (the lure) can occur when participants study and are tested on their recognition of items related to the lure. False recognition is reduced when the study and test modalities are congruent (e.g., both visual) rather than different (e.g., visual study and auditory test). The present study examined whether such a congruency effect occurs for haptic and auditory modalities. After studying items presented haptically or auditorily, participants took a haptic or auditory recognition test. False recognition was reduced when both the study and test were haptic, but not when the study was auditory and the test was haptic. These results indicate that cues encoded through the haptic modality can reduce false recognition.
The Customer Orientation of Service Workers: Personality Trait Effects on Self-and Supervisor Performance Ratings

Prior research indicates that market orientation is associated with positive outcomes for firms. For service organizations, a market orientation is implemented largely through individual service workers. The authors investigate the mediational role of customer orientation in a hierarchical model of the influence of personality traits on self-rated and supervisor-rated performance. The results support a partially mediated hierarchical model. Three basic personality traits (emotional stability, agreeability, and the need for activity) account for 39% of the variance in the customer orientation of employees. In turn, the customer orientation measure and conscientiousness account for 26% of the variance in self-rated performance. The customer orientation measure, along with the direct effects of conscientiousness and agreeability, account for 12% of the variance in manager ratings. The authors discuss the results and their implications for marketing researchers and managers.
It's not all doom and gloom for teenage mothers – exploring the factors that contribute to positive outcomes

This biographical qualitative study explored the factors that contributed to positive outcomes for 11 UK respondents who were teenage mothers. A number of adaptation strategies and protective factors were found to be contributory factors to positive outcomes in a number of areas of the respondents and their children's lives. These strategies began with a rejection of the common negative stereotypes associated with teenage pregnancy and a very strong resistance to perceiving their pregnancies as an adversity. Their strong desire to be role models for their children had given them the momentum to pursue educational and career goals, because they have someone else for whom they have responsibility. The findings strengthen the growing consensus that an early pregnancy, despite its many reported adverse consequences, can lead to positive outcomes for both mother and child in the presence of the right protective factors and adaptation strategies.
Treatment outcome of asthma after one year follow-up in health centres of several developing countries.

SETTING Seven selected out-patient clinics caring for asthma patients in Algeria, Guinea, Morocco, Syria, Turkey and Vietnam. DESIGN Evaluation of treatment outcomes after one year of follow-up of a cohort of asthma patients consecutively enrolled in a prospective study evaluating routine practice. RESULTS Among 310 asthma patients registered, the following outcomes were recorded after one year of follow-up: 95 (31%) successful, 61 (20%) under control, 35 (11%) failed, 116 (37%) defaulted and 3 (1%) transferred. Among the 167 (53.9%) patients still on treatment after one year there was a substantial increase in the proportion of patients classified as intermittent at the end of treatment (from 11% to 53%), with a decrease in all categories of persistent asthma (from 34% to 12% for mild, 45% to 28% for moderate and 10% to 8% for severe asthma). CONCLUSIONS While patients' quality of life can be improved if they follow regular treatment, the key challenge in providing care is to ensure that patients adhere to their treatment.
Sensory transduction at the frog semicircular canal: how hair cell membrane potential controls junctional transmission

At the frog semicircular canals, the afferent fibers display high spontaneous activity (mEPSPs), due to transmitter release from hair cells. mEPSP and spike frequencies are modulated by stimulation that activates the hair cell receptor conductance. The relation between receptor current and transmitter release cannot be studied at the intact semicircular canal. To circumvent the problem, we combined patch-clamp recordings at the isolated hair cell and electrophysiological recordings at the cytoneural junction in the intact preparation. At isolated hair cells, the K channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA) is shown to block a fraction of total voltage-dependent K-conductance (IKD) that depends on TEA concentration but not on membrane potential (Vm). Considering the bioelectric properties of the hair cell, as previously characterized by this lab, a fixed fractional block of IKD is shown to induce a relatively fixed shift in Vm, provided it lies in the range −30 to −10 mV. The same concentrations of TEA were applied to the intact labyrinth while recording from single afferent fibers of the posterior canal, at rest and during mechanical stimulation. At the peak of stimulation, TEA produced increases in mEPSP rate that were linearly related to the shifts produced by the same TEA concentrations (0.1–3 mM) in hair cell Vm (0.7–5 mV), with a slope of 29.8 Hz/mV. The membrane potential of the hair cell is not linearly related to receptor conductance, so that the slope of quantal release vs. receptor conductance depends on the prevailing Vm (19.8 Hz/nS at −20 mV; 11 Hz/nS at −10 mV). Changes in mEPSP peak size were negligible at rest as well as during stimulation. Since ample spatial summation of mEPSPs occurs at the afferent terminal and threshold-governed spike firing is intrinsically nonlinear, the observed increases in mEPSP frequency, though not very large, may suffice to trigger afferent spike discharge.
Unusual optical quiescence of the classical BL Lac object PKS 0735+178 on intranight time-scale

We present the result of our extensive intranight optical monitoring of the well-known lowenergy peaked BL Lac (LBL) object PKS 0735+178. This long-term follow-up consists of R-band monitoring for a minimum duration of ∼4 hours, on 17 nights spanning 11 years (1998–2008). Using the CCD as an N-star photometer, a detection limit of around 1 per cent was attained for the intranight optical variability (INOV). Remarkably, an INOV amplitude of ≥3 per cent on hour-like time-scale was not observed on any of the 17 nights, even though the likelihood of a typical LBL showing such INOV levels in a single session of 4 hours duration is known to be high (∼50 per cent). Our observations have thus established a peculiar long-term INOV quiescence of this radio-selected BL Lac object. Moreover, the access to unpublished optical monitoring data of similarly high sensitivity, acquired in another programme, has allowed us to confirm the same anomalous INOV quiescence of this LBL all the way back to 1989, the epoch of its historically largest radio outburst. Here, we present observational evidence revealing the very unusual INOV behaviour of this classical BL Lac object and discuss this briefly in the context of its other known exceptional properties.
A longitudinal study of teacher change: what makes professional development effective?

This preliminary analysis is part of the baseline phase of a longitudinal study designed to investigate the professional development of primary and secondary teachers across England. The study addresses four key research areas. The prevailing models of professional development for teachers in England are identified in this baseline phase and the scene is set for the remaining areas of investigation to be addressed (annual data collection sweeps will continue).
Contextualizing rationality: Mature student carers and higher education in England

Abstract In England, the Government has implemented policies to increase and diversify participation in higher education (HE). Changes in funding arrangements that shift the burden of paying for education from the state to individuals have also been introduced. To reconcile the contradiction between widening participation and the individualization of the costs of study, HE is being framed as a risk-free and individualized financial investment. Informed by critiques from feminist economics and the philosophy of “rational economic man,” this paper argues that the government's HE policies are permeated by a narrow concept of reason and presuppose highly individualized, instrumental, and economic actors. Drawing on the findings from two studies conducted at the University of Hull, this paper demonstrates how this understanding of human behavior is incongruent with the experiences of one group of students – mature student carers – whose life choices are informed by their caring responsibilities.
Team cognition using collaborative technology: a behavioral analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of collaboration mode (face‐to‐face versus non‐collocated using collaborative technology) on team‐based problem solving behaviors associated with team learning, team reflexivity (i.e. reflectiveness) and team mental model development.Design/methodology/approach – The study used a single factor (collaboration mode) between subjects randomized experimental design. The experimental manipulations of collaboration mode were face‐to‐face versus technology‐mediated collaboration. Observer ratings of problem solving behaviors were used to generate data analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance.Findings – Multivariate analysis of variance results indicated that face‐to‐face collaboration is superior to technology‐mediated collaboration in facilitating team level cognitive functions such as team learning, team reflexivity, and shared mental model development.Practical implications – To better manage the psychological/cognitive aspects of teamwork,.
VALVULAR AND STRUCTURAL HEART DISEASES Original Studies Predictors and Clinical Impact of Pre-existing and Acquired Thrombocytopenia Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background: Data are limited regarding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)related thrombocytopenia (TP). We sought to thoroughly characterize the presence, clinical impact, and severity of TP associated with TAVR. Methods and Results: Data were collected from 90 patients who underwent TAVR using the Edwards SAPIEN valve (59 TF, 29 TA, 2 Tao). Platelet counts were evaluated peri-procedurally and for 8 days following TAVR. Platelet levels were compared and patients were divided into a no TP (No-TP) group 1, acquired (new) TP (NTP) group 2, pre-existing (pre-TAVR) TP (PTP) group 3, and further stratified based on the severity of TP: mild (M) TP (100–149 3 10 cell/mL) and moderate–severe (MS) TP (<100 3 10 cell/mL). Pre-TAVR point prevalence and post-TAVR incidence of TP were 40% and 79%, respectively (P < 0.001); nadir platelet count in all groups occurred day 4 post-TAVR. Baseline predictors for developing MS TP in groups 2–3 included baseline TP, leaner body mass, smaller pre-procedural aortic valve area, higher peak aortic jet velocity, and worsening baseline renal function. Development of “major” TP (nadir platelet count <100 3 103 cell/mL, 50% decrease) predicted a higher risk of major vascular complications (OR 2.78 [95% CI, 1.58–3.82]) and major bleeding (OR 3.18 [95% CI, 1.33–5.42]) in group 3. Conclusion: TAVR-related TP is predictable and classification by PTP and TP severity prior to TAVR allows for better risk stratification in predicting in-hospital clinical outcomes. Major TP in the presence of worsening TP is predictable and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. VC 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Facial expressions of emotion in speech and singing

An experiment dealing with the recognition of emotions in speech and in singing for two subject populations (opera amateurs and non-amateurs) was conducted to assess the respective roles of a professional singer's voice and facial expressions in the perception of emotions, and to determine how the audience decodes those emotions. The results of visual, auditory, and audiovisual perception tests showed that emotions expressed during speech were identified better than those expressed during singing. While facial expressions appear to play an important role, the voice proved to be a relatively poor conveyor of emotional information. When voice and facial expression were combined, the recognition of emotions improved slightly for speech but not for singing, where the acoustic cues of emotions are partially destroyed and therefore do not provide any additional information
A Step Beyond Maternal Depression and Child Behavior Problems: The Role of Mother–Child Aggression

Previous researchers have identified problematic mother–child interaction patterns as a potential pathway through which maternal depressive symptoms impact child behavior problems, but could not establish the temporal precedence of these associations. This longitudinal study investigated mother–child aggression as a mechanism in the association between maternal depressive symptoms that occurred during infancy and subsequent child behavior problems among high-risk families. Two hundred thirty-four socioeconomically disadvantaged families were recruited from neighborhoods with high rates of family violence. During infancy (12–18 months), early childhood (4 years), and middle childhood (6 years), mothers reported their current depressive symptoms and use of psychological and physical aggression with their child. During early and middle childhood, mothers reported their children’s behavior problems. Using path analyses, a temporal process was identified in which mother–child aggression during early childhood mediated the association between maternal depressive symptoms during infancy and higher levels of externalizing behavior problems during middle childhood. Mother–-child aggression did not mediate the association between maternal depressive symptoms during infancy and higher levels of internalizing behavior problems during middle childhood. Early maternal depressive symptoms that occur during infancy are important risk factors for subsequent mother–child aggression, which, in turn, contributes to more child externalizing behavior problems. Therefore, screening mothers for depressive symptoms and providing intervention and prevention services to improve mother–child interactions may be crucial to preventing the exacerbation of externalizing behavior problems. Additional research is needed to identify pathways to child internalizing behavior problems.
Chronic cyclic vagus nerve stimulation has beneficial electrophysiological effects on healthy hearts in the absence of autonomic imbalance

Cardiovascular disease degrades the regulatory function of the autonomic nervous system. Cyclic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an already FDA‐approved therapy for drug‐resistant epilepsy and depression, and has been shown to normalize autonomic function and improve objective measures of heart function and subjective measures of heart failure symptoms. However, it remains unclear whether VNS may induce negative effects in patients with potentially healthy hearts where VNS can be used for epileptic patients. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effects of VNS on the hearts of healthy rats with normal autonomic balance. Sprague–Dawley rats were implanted with stimulators and randomized to either Sham or VNS groups. Rats in VNS group received 10 weeks of chronic intermittent VNS via stimulation of the right cervical vagus nerve. Echocardiography was performed at Baseline (prior to VNS), Week 2, and Week 9. After 10 weeks, high‐resolution optical mapping was performed in ex vivo perfused hearts to evaluate the electrophysiological remodeling that occurs in the heart as a result of the VNS therapy. Chronic VNS modified the electrophysiological properties of healthy rat hearts by reducing the action potential duration at 50% (APD50) and 80% (APD80) repolarization. Chronic VNS also affected the restitution properties of the heart at the APD50 level and increased myocardial conduction velocity (CV). VNS did not induce any significant changes to ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and spatial dispersion of APD, thus indicating that VNS did not negatively affect cardiac function. VNS also reduced the susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation [VF] and ventricular tachycardia [VT]) during ex vivo programmed electrical stimulation. In summary, chronic application of cyclic VNS induces changes to the electrophysiological properties of healthy rat hearts. The observed decrease in APD and increase in CV suggest that the beneficial effects of VNS do not require the presence of existing autonomic imbalance.
Impact of Aortic Annulus Size on Valve Hemodynamics and Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: Insights From the PARTNER Trial

Background—The objective was to evaluate the effects of aortic annulus size on valve hemodynamics and clinical outcomes in those patients included in the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) randomized controlled trial cohort A and the nonrandomized continued access cohort. Methods and Results—Patients included the randomized controlled trial (n=574) and nonrandomized continued access (n=1358) cohorts were divided in tertiles according to aortic annulus diameter (small aortic annulus tertile, medium aortic annulus tertile, and large aortic annulus tertile [LAA], respectively) as measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Severe prosthesis–patient mismatch was defined as an effective aortic orifice area of <0.65 cm2/m2. In the randomized controlled trial cohort, patients in the small aortic annulus tertile who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement had a lower incidence of severe prosthesis–patient mismatch (19.7% versus 37.5%; P=0.03) and only a trend toward a higher incidence of moderate-to-severe paravalvular leaks compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (5.7% versus 0%; P=0.06). In the LAA tertile, there were no differences in the rate of prosthesis–patient mismatch between groups, and a significant increase in moderate-to-severe paravalvular leaks was associated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (9% versus 0%; P=0.01). There were no differences in mortality between transcatheter aortic valve replacement and surgical aortic valve replacement. In the nonrandomized continued access cohort, there were no differences in prosthesis–patient mismatch between the small aortic annulus and LAA tertiles, but a higher rate of moderate-to-severe paravalvular leaks was observed in the LAA tertile (5.9% versus 11.5%; P=0.009). Patients in the LAA tertile had a higher mortality rate at 1-year follow-up (P=0.02), and differences persisted in multivariable analysis (P=0.048 for LAA versus medium aortic annulus tertile, P=0.035 for LAA versus small aortic annulus tertile). Conclusions—Aortic annulus size had a major impact on valve hemodynamics and clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement and surgical aortic valve replacement. This study highlights the importance of considering aortic annulus size in the evaluation of high-risk patients who are candidates for aortic valve replacement. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT00530894.
A preliminary study to investigate the influence of different teaching styles on pupils’ goal orientations in physical education

Via a Greek sample of 75 sixth grade pupils, the influences of teaching styles on pupils’ goal orientations were investigated. LAPOPECQ was distributed twice, before and after the application of the teaching programme consisting of four teaching style groups. Employing a paired samples t test, the results indicated significant pre-to-post changes. Thereafter, a two-way independent analysis of variance and post-hoc Bonferroni tech niques resulted in significant differences in the pre-to-post changes of pupils’ goal orientations. The effect of gender differed only for the knowledge assimilation (KAG) and mainly for the production (KPG) groups, examined with the use of independent t tests. Pearson product-moment correlations were applied to determine the degree of relationships in the changes of LAPOPECQ components for each teaching group and for the whole sample. The results indicated that the teaching group denoting reproduction of knowledge (KRG) affected negatively pupils’ perceived motivational orientations towards learning/task, while the teaching groups implying assimilation (KAG), discovery (KDG) and production (KPG) of knowledge revealed a positive effect.
Mate Selection and Marital Fertility: The Case of The Yorubas in the Rural Areas

Abstract This study demonstrates that marital fertility varies according to mode of mate selection among the Yorubas. Data for the study were obtained from a survey conducted in two rural communities in Osun State, Nigeria. The study reveals that (i) the involvement of family in choice of partner is declining in the rural communities just as it is happening among the Yorubas in the urban areas (ii) the level of marital fertility is still high among the group in spite of the changing attitudes of the people. The study therefore indicates the need to re-orientate the views of people towards achieving a lower fertility in the rural communities through such measures as incentive giving, education and extension of family planning programmes to the rural areas.