Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fathers' perceptions regarding parenting and discipline based on community norms and practices

FATHERS’ PERCEPTIONS REGARDING PARENTING AND DISCIPLIN E BASED ON COMMUNITY NORMS AND PRACTICES by ANNA YELICK MAY 2011 Advisor: Dr. Shawna Lee Major: Social Work Degree: Master of Social Work Determining fathers’ perceptions of community norms on discipline is paramount to understanding how to develop social work interventions that target fathe rs’ parenting behaviors. Understanding why a father engages in one form of discipline over another in child rearing and understanding how fathers view their parenting role is important whe n discussing implementation of parenting programs. This study was conducted using qualitative focus groups comprised of men ranging from late adolescents to mid-adulthood. The majority of the men were lower economic status, African American fathers recruited f rom a human services agency in Detroit. One-hour long, semi-structured focus group discussions wer e content coded, resulting in narratives based on several themes. There were four major theme s presented; community resources for men to learn how to parent, discipline techniques used in t he community, effective versus ineffective discipline, and an overarching ideology of the group. Tw o other themes were discussed in less depth: types of discipline not frequently used by p arents in the community and fathering programs that are available or could be available to help men learn about parenting. The main conclusion was that while corporal punishment is practiced, h majority of these men
The Role of Sanctions and Incentives in Promoting Successful Reentry: Evidence From the SVORI Data

Prior work on the efficacy of incentives and sanctions in community supervision practices suggests both can encourage desistance during prison reentry. Yet limited scholarship has investigated how sanctions and incentives impact reentry together and most research in this area is cross-sectional. Using four waves of data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative, results of cross-lagged dynamic panel models reveal that certain incentives, namely supervision officer praise, relate to significantly lower levels of offending and substance use. Conversely, supervision sanctions and supervision officer reprimands relate to higher levels of offending and substance use over time. Overall, supervision practices that emphasize recognizing prosocial behavior over punishing noncompliance appear to hold greater promise for promoting successful reentry. Findings suggest that supervision agencies should consider the potential negative outcomes of sanctions during the reintegration process, and policies should be put into place that more closely consider the role of sanctions on behavior.
From particle to kinetic and hydrodynamic descriptions of flocking

We discuss the Cucker-Smale's (C-S) particle model for flocking, deriving precise conditions for flocking to occur when pairwise interactions are sufficiently strong long range. We then derive a Vlasov-type kinetic model for the C-S particle model and prove it exhibits time-asymptotic flocking behavior for arbitrary compactly supported initial data. Finally, we introduce a hydrodynamic description of flocking based on the C-S Vlasov-type kinetic model and prove flocking behavior without closure of higher moments.
A GENERALIZED APPROXIMATE CROSS VALIDATION FOR SMOOTHING SPLINES WITH NON-GAUSSIAN DATA

In this paper, we propose a Generalized Approximate Cross Validation (GACV) function for estimating the smoothing parameter in the penalized log likeli- hood regression problem with non-Gaussian data. This GACV is obtained by, first, obtaining an approximation to the leaving-out-one function based on the negative log likelihood, and then, in a step reminiscent of that used to get from leaving-out- one cross validation to GCV in the Gaussian case, we replace diagonal elements of certain matrices by 1/n times the trace. A numerical simulation with Bernoulli data is used to compare the smoothing parameter λ chosen by this approximation procedure with the λ chosen from the two most often used algorithms based on the generalized cross validation procedure (O'Sullivan et al. (1986), Gu (1990, 1992)). In the examples here, the GACV estimate produces a better fit of the truth in term of minimizing the Kullback-Leibler distance. Figures suggest that the GACV curve may be an approximately unbiased estimate of the Kullback-Leibler distance in the Bernoulli data case; however, a theoretical proof is yet to be found.
Novel Bartonella Species in Insectivorous Bats, Northern China

Bartonella species are emerging human pathogens. Bats are known to carry diverse Bartonella species, some of which are capable of infecting humans. However, as the second largest mammalian group by a number of species, the role of bats as the reservoirs of Bartonella species is not fully explored, in term of their species diversity and worldwide distribution. China, especially Northern China, harbors a number of endemic insectivorous bat species; however, to our knowledge, there are not yet studies about Bartonella in bats in China. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of Bartonella species in bats in Northern China. Bartonella species were detected by PCR amplification of gltA gene in 25.2% (27/107) bats in Mengyin County, Shandong Province of China, including 1/3 Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, 2/10 Rhinolophus pusillus, 9/16 Myotis fimbriatus, 1/5 Myotis ricketti, 14/58 Myotis pequinius. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Bartonella species detected in bats in this study clustered into ten groups, and some might be novel Bartonella species. An association between Bartonella species and bat species was demonstrated and co-infection with different Bartonella species in a single bat was also observed. Our findings expanded our knowledge on the genetic diversity of Bartonella in bats, and shed light on the ecology of bat-borne Bartonella species.
Reduced Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Is a Late Adaptation of Trypanosoma brucei brucei to Isometamidium Preceded by Mutations in the γ Subunit of the F1Fo-ATPase

Background Isometamidium is the main prophylactic drug used to prevent the infection of livestock with trypanosomes that cause Animal African Trypanosomiasis. As well as the animal infective trypanosome species, livestock can also harbor the closely related human infective subspecies T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense. Resistance to isometamidium is a growing concern, as is cross-resistance to the diamidine drugs diminazene and pentamidine. Methodology/Principal Findings Two isometamidium resistant Trypanosoma brucei clones were generated (ISMR1 and ISMR15), being 7270- and 16,000-fold resistant to isometamidium, respectively, which retained their ability to grow in vitro and establish an infection in mice. Considerable cross-resistance was shown to ethidium bromide and diminazene, with minor cross-resistance to pentamidine. The mitochondrial membrane potentials of both resistant cell lines were significantly reduced compared to the wild type. The net uptake rate of isometamidium was reduced 2-3-fold but isometamidium efflux was similar in wild-type and resistant lines. Fluorescence microscopy and PCR analysis revealed that ISMR1 and ISMR15 had completely lost their kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and both lines carried a mutation in the nuclearly encoded γ subunit gene of F1 ATPase, truncating the protein by 22 amino acids. The mutation compensated for the loss of the kinetoplast in bloodstream forms, allowing near-normal growth, and conferred considerable resistance to isometamidium and ethidium as well as significant resistance to diminazene and pentamidine, when expressed in wild type trypanosomes. Subsequent exposure to either isometamidium or ethidium led to rapid loss of kDNA and a further increase in isometamidium resistance. Conclusions/Significance Sub-lethal exposure to isometamidium gives rise to viable but highly resistant trypanosomes that, depending on sub-species, are infective to humans and cross-resistant to at least some diamidine drugs. The crucial mutation is in the F1 ATPase γ subunit, which allows loss of kDNA and results in a reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential.
Purification and characterization of microbial gellan lyase

Gellan lyase was purified from the culture fluid of soil samples incubated in a medium containing gellan as a sole carbon source. The enzyme was a monomer with a molecular mass of 140 kDa and was most active at pH 7.5 and 45 degrees C. The enzyme was highly specific to gellan and lowered the viscosity of the polymer.
Early Language Development in Context: Interactions Between Infant Temperament and Parenting Characteristics

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study considered the interplay between infant temperament and maternal caregiving behaviors in relation to early language. A total of 118 mother–infant dyads participated in the study. Mothers rated infant positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), and maternal behaviors were coded during a free-play task when infants were 10 months old. Infant expressive language (EL) and receptive language (RL) were assessed at 14 months of age. Findings revealed significant outcomes for EL but not RL. The association between maternal support and EL was positive for infants with higher PA and negative for infants lower in PA. There was a negative association between maternal intrusiveness and EL for infants higher in PA and NA; this association was positive for infants lower in PA and NA. Practice or Policy: Infants who express more PA and NA may benefit from more supportive and less intrusive parenting with regard to EL development. Infants who express less affect do not appear to benefit from more involved caregiving in regard to EL development. Because early language has implications for academic achievement in elementary school and beyond, these findings highlight the importance of understanding individual and contextual factors that impact early language.
Psychological profiles and adolescent adjustment: A person-centered approach

The association between young adolescents' psychological profiles and their subsequent adjustment was examined in a sample of 606 adolescents (ages 12–13) drawn from the mother–child data set of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Cluster analysis was used to identify distinct groups of youth based on self-regulation, proneness to risk, self-worth, and perceived academic competence. Five replicable clusters were identified corresponding to optimal, average, behavioral risk, low self-regulation, and emotional risk groups. These clusters were associated with distinct patterns of adjustment 4 years later. At ages 16–17, youth in the optimal group tended to report better academic performance, less problem behavior, and less depression than youth in the three risk groups; however, their functioning did not differ significantly from youth in the average group. The three risk groups differed in self-reported depression symptoms and academic performance but not in levels of problem behavior. Differences among the five groups persisted when demographic and contextual variables were controlled. These results support the existence of different groups of youth who follow distinct developmental trajectories and may experience different patterns of adjustment.This research was funded by a grant to M. Raffaelli and L. Crockett from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH62977). We thank Rebecca Colman, Yuh-Ling Shen, Sam Hardy, Rebecca Goodvin, Myesha Albert, Andy Peytchev, Jenenne Geske, Jennifer Bowers, Devan Starks, and Brett Avila for their contributions to the project. We also thank Cal Garbin for his statistical advice and several anonymous reviewers for their suggestions.
Association of Renalase SNPs rs2296545 and rs2576178 with the Risk of Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis

Background/Aims Two renalase single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2296545 and rs2576178 have been reported to be associated with the susceptibility to hypertension (HT). Given the inconsistent results, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between these two SNPs and the risk of HT. Methods Electronic databases were systematically searched to find relevant studies. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to the different concomitant diseases and ethnicities in the study population. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed-effect or random-effect models. Results A total of six case–control studies on rs2296545 and six studies on rs2576178 were included. In the combined analysis, results showed a significant association between SNP rs2296545 and risk of HT in all genetic models (dominant model CG+CC/GG: OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.24–1.65; recessive model CC/CG+GG: OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.09–1.69; codominant model CC/GG: OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.20–2.20, CG/GG: OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.12–1.52; allelic model C/G: OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.10–1.51). In subgroup analysis, we observed a significant association between rs2296545 and risk of essential HT. Although we did not observe an association between rs2576178 polymorphism and HT in the combined analysis, an increased risk was observed in the essential HT patients versus healthy controls (subgroup 1) analysis under the dominant, recessive, and codominant genetic models. Conclusions Renalase gene rs2296545 polymorphism is significantly associated with increased risk of HT, whereas rs2576178 polymorphism may not be associated with the susceptibility to HT.
Does bariatric surgery improve the patient's quality of life?

OBJECTIVE The aim of this investigation was to assess the effect of malabsorptive bariatric surgery (BS) on the quality of life (QoL), applying the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the bariatric analysis and reporting outcome system (BAROS). DESIGN A prospective cohort study was performed in 100 adult patients (> 18 years) undergoing bariatric surgery by malabsorptive technique for one year. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Patients were monitored from the beginning of the BS program until a year after the intervention, applying the NHP and the BAROS test. At baseline, the mean weight of the women was 132 ± 22 kg and the Body Mass Index (BMI) was 50.7 kg/m². RESULTS The values obtained from different areas applying the NHP questionnaire showed statistical significant differences (p < 0.001) with respect to baseline values. According to the BAROS test, 48% of patients lost 25-49% of weight excess and 80.8% had resolved major comorbidities at 1 yr. According to the Moorehead-Ardelt QoL score, there were major improvements in employment and self-esteem in 89% and 87% of patients, respectively, and improvements in physical activity, sexual and social relationships. According to the total mean BAROS score, the outcome was considered "very good". CONCLUSION NHP and BAROS questionnaires appear to be useful and easily applicable tools to assess the QoL of obese patients.
Mapping Lexical Innovation on American Social Media

In this paper, we introduce a method for mapping lexical innovation, which we then use to track the origin and spread of new words on American Twitter, based on a multi-billion-word corpus of Tweets collected between 2013 and 2014. We first extract fifty-four emerging words from the corpus by searching for words that are very uncommon at the end of 2013 but whose use rises dramatically over the course of 2014. We then map the origin and spread of each of these words. Based on these results, we identify five main regional patterns of lexical innovation on American Twitter, primarily associated with the West Coast, the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Deep South, and the Gulf Coast. We conclude by proposing explanations for these results and by discussing their significance to theories of language variation and change, including both the actuation and diffusion of lexical innovations.
Genetics of antisocial personality disorder : literature review

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is characterized by an incapacity of an individual to adapt themselves to social norms. These social norms are extremely important because they govern many aspects of behavior during adolescence and adulthood. Patients with ASPD typically have irritability problems and aggressive feelings toward other people. These aggressive feelings are expressed in a context of threat and intimidation. ASPD is less common in clinical settings comparing the total population, in which the prevalence is 1.1. The familial aggregation for ASPD has been recorded, in which some 40%-50% of the variance can be explained by genetic influences. Most of the studies of ASPD in molecular genetics have been applying the hypothesis of association of candidate genes, focusing on genes associated with neurotransmission pathways. This has been extremely relevant to the monoamine oxidase gene (MAO). Genes that promote specific behavior between individuals must have been selected through the process of natural selection. Aggressive behaviors and other types of behavior that have an evolutionary origin are similar in the fact that they have to be codified in the genes and will later be transmitted to their descendants.
A Multiple Streams Analysis of Recent Changes to State-Level Dyslexia Education Law

This article provides an overview of recent changes to state-level dyslexia legislation. It begins by applying a variant of Kingdon’s multiple streams approach to explain how the dyslexia education “policy window” came to be opened. The article then describes the most likely effects and side effects of the new laws. Likely short-term effects include (a) a greater focus in schools on dyslexia screening and intervention, (b) greater use of multitiered systems of support and explicit instruction, and (c) changes in teacher preparation and training. Possible long-term effects include a reconceptualization of what constitutes “normal” school practice.
Preschoolers Favour Teachable Agent’s Action over Distraction

Studies on teachable agents (TA) have repeatedly demonstrated their benefits in primary school pupils’ learning, but no study has yet been devised to investigate whether the same effects can be observed in preschoolers. Preschool age is an important time for development of executive functions (EF) and theory of mind (ToM), and it can be argued that preschoolers might not be able to pay enough attention to a TA due to underdevelopment of these cognitive abilities. In this study, visual distractions in the form of animated objects were incorporated into a mathematics game for preschoolers which utilises a TA. 65 preschoolers participated in the study which investigated whether they were able to ignore these distractions in favour of focusing on the TA’s actions. The results showed a statistically significant difference in preschoolers visual attention to the animations played during the TA’s action to those played after the TA’s action. This result is a crucial step forward in further development of TA-based games for preschoolers.
Isolation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Strains with Antifungal Activities from Meju

Bacilli with fibrinolytic activities were isolated from traditionally-prepared Meju and some of these strains showed strong antifungal activities. One isolate, MJ1-4, showed the strongest antifungal activity. MJ1-4 and other isolates were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens strains by recA gene sequencing and RAPD-PCR results. B. amyloliqufaciens MJ1-4 efficiently inhibited an Aspergillus spp. -producing aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and a Penicillium spp. -producing ochratoxin (OTA) in addition to other fungi. Antifungal activity of B. amyloliquefaciens MJ1-4 culture reached its maximum (40 AU/mg protein) in LB or TSB medium around 48 hr at 37°C. Antifungal activity of the concentrated culture supernatant was not decreased significantly by protease treatments, implying that the antifungal substance might not be a simple peptide or protein. Considering its antifungal and fibrinolytic activities together, B. amyloliquefaciens MJ1-4 can serve as a starter for fermented soyfoods such as Cheonggukjang and Doenjang.
English Teachers’ Perception toward The Use of Authentic Materials in Teaching English at School

This research investigated the English teachers’ perception toward the use of authentic materials in teaching English at school. It aimed at analyzing the evolved information regarding the use of authentic materials in teaching English at school, to investigate why the English teachers use authententic materials in teaching English, and to find out significant information on any challenges of using authentic materials in teaching English. This research employed a qualitative research approach in which its data were qualitatively collected through interview and observation process. This research was conducted at SMAN 1 Tapaktuan, and three English teachers of the school were chosen as participants who participated in the process of collecting data via semi-structured interview and classroom observation by taking field notes. This research found that the English teachers showed positive perceptions and awareness toward the use of authentic materials in teaching English. All of them had used authentic materials in their teaching. The reasons they used authentic materials were due to the materials are real materials, interesting materials, and enjoyable materials that could increase students’ interest, motivation, and enthusiast in learning English. Besides, the majority of the teachers found some challenges in using authentic materials such as the lack of students’ vocabularies mastery, technical problems, a lot of time consuming of using authentic materials, and the lack of teacher’s IT skills in finding any types and sources of authentic materials.
Probabilistic Dynamic Belief Logic for Image and Reputation

Since electronic and open environments became a reality, computational trust and reputation models have attracted increasing interest in the field of multi-agent systems (MAS). Some of them are based on cognitive theories of reputation that require cognitive agents to display all their potential. One of them is Repage, a computational system based on a cognitive theory of reputation that focuses on the study of two important concepts: Image and Reputation. The possible integration of these Repage predicates into a cognitive agent architecture, like the well-known Belief, Desire, Intention (BDI) approach implies the definition of these two concepts as mental states, as a set of beliefs. In this paper, we specify a belief logic that captures the necessary elements to express Image and Reputation and we study their interplay by analyzing a classical definition of trust on information sources.