Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Importance of Relative Salience: Comparing Overt Selection Behavior of Single versus Simultaneously Presented Stimuli

The goal of the current study was to investigate time-dependent effects of the number of targets presented and its interaction with stimulus salience on oculomotor selection performance. To this end, observers were asked to make a speeded eye movement to a target orientation singleton embedded in a homogeneous background of vertically oriented lines. In Experiment 1, either one or two physically identical targets were presented, whereas in Experiment 2 an additional orientation-based salience manipulation was performed. The results showed that the probability of a singleton being available for selection is reduced in the presence of an identical singleton (Experiment 1) and that this effect is modulated by the salience of the other singleton (Experiment 2). While the absolute orientation contrast of a target relative to the background contributed to the probability that it is available for selection, the crucial factor affecting selection was the relative salience between singletons. These findings are incompatible with a processing speed account, which highlights the importance of visibility and claims that a certain singleton identity has a unique speed with which it can be processed. In contrast, the finding that the number of targets presented affected a target's availability suggests an important role of the broader display context in determining oculomotor selection performance.
Teaching Character Education to College Students Using Bildungsromans.

The paper reports a study on the teaching of character education in higher education using English Bildungsroman, Jane Eyre. The participants were 35 sixth-semester students of English Literature program in an Indonesian state university. Guided by the approach to teaching character education exemplified by Ryan & Bohlin (1999), the teaching was focused on the virtues of the story. To find whether students were able to identify, get involved, and have insights with the virtues contained in the story, a textual analysis drawing upon Parker and Ackerman’s (2007) of the students’ literary response essays was then conducted. The results show that most students have successfully identified the virtues in the novel and can relate to the characters and their events. However, only a few students are able to show their involvement with and insight of the virtues contained in the novel. It can be inferred then that Bildungsromans such as Jane Eyre can help the teaching of character education. Nevertheless, character education should be integrated with all subjects for better results.
Review of Undergraduate Student Retention and Graduation Since 2010: Patterns, Predictions, and Recommendations for 2020

A plethora of research spanning several decades has attempted to understand predictors of retention and graduation in undergraduate bachelor’s degree programs. The topic is no less important today, as larger and larger swaths of the American population attend college each year. Studies have demonstrated that key demographic variables, indicators of academic readiness, and financial challenges all appear to be important predictors of student retention and graduation. In addition to these historically important indicators, other modern considerations, such as an increasing number of nontraditional students and the availability of online programs, deserve mention. In this review, we covered both historical predictors of success, as well as more novel challenges to the college experience, limiting our discussion to research published since 2010. We also discuss relevant theoretical models for synthesizing this broad array of findings and provide suggestions for the future of research on this topic for the upcoming decade.
Nitrate Intake Promotes Shift in Muscle Fiber Type Composition during Sprint Interval Training in Hypoxia

Purpose: We investigated the effect of sprint interval training (SIT) in normoxia, vs. SIT in hypoxia alone or in conjunction with oral nitrate intake, on buffering capacity of homogenized muscle (βhm) and fiber type distribution, as well as on sprint and endurance performance. Methods: Twenty-seven moderately-trained participants were allocated to one of three experimental groups: SIT in normoxia (20.9% FiO2) + placebo (N), SIT in hypoxia (15% FiO2) + placebo (H), or SIT in hypoxia + nitrate supplementation (HN). All participated in 5 weeks of SIT on a cycle ergometer (30-s sprints interspersed by 4.5 min recovery-intervals, 3 weekly sessions, 4–6 sprints per session). Nitrate (6.45 mmol NaNO3) or placebo capsules were administered 3 h before each session. Before and after SIT participants performed an incremental VO2max-test, a 30-min simulated cycling time-trial, as well as a 30-s cycling sprint test. Muscle biopsies were taken from m. vastus lateralis. Results: SIT decreased the proportion of type IIx muscle fibers in all groups (P < 0.05). The relative number of type IIa fibers increased (P < 0.05) in HN (P < 0.05 vs. H), but not in the other groups. SIT had no significant effect on βhm. Compared with H, SIT tended to enhance 30-s sprint performance more in HN than in H (P = 0.085). VO2max and 30-min time-trial performance increased in all groups to a similar extent. Conclusion: SIT in hypoxia combined with nitrate supplementation increases the proportion of type IIa fibers in muscle, which may be associated with enhanced performance in short maximal exercise. Compared with normoxic training, hypoxic SIT does not alter βhm or endurance and sprinting exercise performance.
Synesthetic Approach in the Design Process for Enhanced Creativity and Multisensory Experiences

Abstract Synesthesia –involuntary cross-modal sensory associations– is in very close relationship with perception, creativity, and imagination. Since design appeals to senses and provides multisensory experiences to users, synesthesia can be developed as a multisensory design method and framework –a multisensory instrument– having the potential to change the perception of the practice and the embodiment of a design idea accordingly. It can prompt creativity and imagination as well as enhancing the user experience and interaction with the product. Within this perspective, this paper aims to suggest a new territory for design research by investigating the relationship among synesthesia, creativity, and perception in order to contextualize the association between synesthesia and design and presenting a few exemplary designs that are found inspirational within the context. Then, synesthetic approach as a design method and framework is proposed with the intention to utilize and provide unique and intersubjective experiences in the field of product design.
Writing for Their Lives

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ursinus. edu/president_pub Part of the Communication Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, and the Liberal Studies Commons Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits you.
Characteristic Kernels on Groups and Semigroups

Embeddings of random variables in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs) may be used to conduct statistical inference based on higher order moments. For sufficiently rich (characteristic) RKHSs, each probability distribution has a unique embedding, allowing all statistical properties of the distribution to be taken into consideration. Necessary and sufficient conditions for an RKHS to be characteristic exist for ℝn. In the present work, conditions are established for an RKHS to be characteristic on groups and semigroups. Illustrative examples are provided, including characteristic kernels on periodic domains, rotation matrices, and ℝn+.
Ensemble Learning with Decision Tree for Remote Sensing Classification

In recent years, a number of works proposing the combination of multiple classifiers to produce a single classification have been reported in remote sensing literature. The resulting classifier, referred to as an ensemble classifier, is generally found to be more accurate than any of the individual classifiers making up the ensemble. As accuracy is the primary concern, much of the research in the field of land cover classification is focused on improving classification accuracy. This study compares the performance of four ensemble approaches (boosting, bagging, DECORATE and random subspace) with a univariate decision tree as base classifier. Two training datasets, one without ant noise and other with 20 percent noise was used to judge the performance of different ensemble approaches. Results with noise free data set suggest an improvement of about 4% in classification accuracy with all ensemble approaches in comparison to the results provided by univariate decision tree classifier. Highest classification accuracy of 87.43% was achieved by boosted decision tree. A comparison of results with noisy data set suggests that bagging, DECORATE and random subspace approaches works well with this data whereas the performance of boosted decision tree degrades and a classification accuracy of 79.7% is achieved which is even lower than that is achieved (i.e. 80.02%) by using unboosted decision tree classifier. Keywords—Ensemble learning, decision tree, remote sensing
Iop Publishing Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Global Gyrokinetic Particle Simulations with Kinetic Electrons

A toroidal, nonlinear, electrostatic fluid-kinetic hybrid electron model is formulated for global gyrokinetic particle simulations of driftwave turbulence in fusion plasmas. Numerical properties are improved by an expansion of the electron response using a smallness parameter of the ratio of driftwave frequency to electron transit frequency. Linear simulations accurately recover the real frequency and growth rate of toroidal ion temperature gradient (ITG) instability. Trapped electrons increase the ITG growth rate by mostly not responding to the ITG modes. Nonlinear simulations of ITG turbulence find that the electron thermal and particle transport are much smaller than the ion thermal transport and that small scale zonal flows are generated through nonlinear interactions of the trapped electrons with the turbulence.
Employees’ Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations in Innovation Implementation: The Moderation Role of Managers’ Persuasive and Assertive Strategies

ABSTRACT Successful innovation implementation is key for organizations to benefit from the adopted innovation. In this study, we examine the impact of employees’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations on their attitudes toward, and use of, the innovation, with both managers’ persuasive and assertive strategies as moderators. The sample consisted of 34 teams and 234 employees from a Taiwanese manufacturing company that implemented an e-learning system. The results showed that employees’ intrinsic motivation and managers’ persuasive strategy were positively associated with employees’ attitudes, whereas managers’ assertive strategy was negatively associated with employees’ attitudes. Employees’ extrinsic motivation and managers’ assertive strategy were both positively associated with employees’ behaviour. Managers’ persuasive strategy negatively moderated the relationship between employees’ intrinsic motivation and employees’ behaviour. Managers’ assertive strategy positively moderated the relationship between employees’ intrinsic motivation and employees’ behaviour and negatively moderated the relationship between employees’ extrinsic motivation and employees’ behaviour. Implications of managers using both persuasive and assertive strategies to motivate employees are discussed.
Elusive active galactic nuclei

A fraction of active galactic nuclei do not show the classical Seyfert-type signatures in their optical spectra, i.e. they are optically 'elusive'. X-ray observations are an optimal tool to identify this class of objects. We combine new Chandra observations with archival X-ray data in order to obtain a first estimate of the fraction of elusive active galactic nuclei (AGN) in local galaxies and to constrain their nature. Our results suggest that elusive AGN have a local density comparable to or even higher than optically classified Seyfert nuclei. Most elusive AGN are heavily absorbed in the X-rays, with gas column densities exceeding 10(24) cm(-2), suggesting that their peculiar nature is associated with obscuration. It is likely that in elusive AGN the nuclear UV source is completely embedded and the ionizing photons cannot escape, which prevents the formation of a classical narrow-line region. Elusive AGN may contribute significantly to the 30-keV bump of the X-ray background.
Hepatic structural alteration in adult programmed offspring (severe maternal protein restriction) is aggravated by post-weaning high-fat diet

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of a post-weaning high-fat (HF) diet upon hepatic morphology in rats subjected to perinatal protein restriction. Pregnant Wistar rats were assigned to a normal-protein diet (NP; with 19 % of protein) or a low-protein (LP) diet (with 5 % of protein). At weaning, the following groups were formed: NP and NP-HF, males and females, which were fed standard chow and an HF diet, respectively. Likewise, LP rat dams originated LP and LP-HF offspring, both sexes. Euthanasia was performed at 6 months of age. Three-way ANOVA disclosed a three-factor interaction among sex, perinatal diet and HF diet in relation to body mass, retroperitoneal fat pad, liver mass:tibia length ratio, binucleation rate and hepatocyte area at 6 months old (P < 0·05). The high-fat diet intensified the effects of perinatal protein restriction concerning systolic blood pressure, genital fat pad and hepatocyte number (P < 0·05; two-way ANOVA). Furthermore, higher steatosis rates and insulin and leptin concentrations were found in males fed on the HF diet, indicating a sex–post-weaning diet interaction (P < 0·05; two-way ANOVA). Fetal programming and HF diet as a single stimulus caused mild hypertension at 3 months, an important reduction in hepatocyte number as well as stage 1 steatosis at 6 months. However, hypertension and hepatocyte number deficit were worsened and grade 2 steatosis occurred after exposure to the HF diet. All of these serve to highlight the paramount importance of intra-uterine conditions and postnatal diet quality when it comes to the pathogenesis of chronic diseases.
Assessment of Local Cold Tolerance of Individuals by using Conventional and Unconventional Methods Based on Observation of CIVD Reactivity

Abstract : Cold-induced vasodilatation (CIVD), which occurs in fingers and toes exposed to extreme cold, is a defensive reaction of protecting the extremities against frostbite. Yoshimura and Iida (1950) developed a practical method, based on observation of CIVD reactivity, for assessing peripheral resistance against frostbite (local cold tolerance). Thereafter, many studies using this test method to clarify the factors affecting the local cold tolerance, such as occupation, gender, race, environmental temperature, clothing, ambient pressure and cold acclimatization have been conducted. Recent Japanese clinical studies have suggested that this local cold tolerance test is also useful for evaluating the sympathetic skin vasomotor function and a peripheral sensory nerve disturbance. These tests have, however, consisted of a 30-min immersion of fingers in ice water (0 C). Under these test conditions, most of the participants have tended to feel much pain and distress, and some have either fainted or had to withdraw prematurely from the experiment as a result. This means that vulnerable individuals, such as older persons or children, cannot participate in this stressful test. Consequently we proposed a simplified and less painful test for assessing the local cold tolerance (1983, 1984), as a substitute for the conventional test. Here I review some Japanese pioneering studies on factors governing the individual difference of the local cold tolerance which Yoshimura and Iida conducted by using their original method (conventional method). Also I refer to a study on applicability of our modified method (unconventional method) for assessing the local cold tolerance and summarize some of our recent findings on the factors affecting the local cold tolerance obtained by using the unconventional method.
Modification of Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes by Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly as Observed by Small Angle X-ray Scattering

Multilayer modified spherical polyelectrolyte brushes were prepared through alternate deposition of positively charged poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and negatively charged poly-l-aspartic acid (PAsp) onto negatively charged spherical poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) brushes (SPBs) on a poly(styrene) core. The charge reversal determined by the zeta potential indicated the success of layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition. The change of the structure during the construction of multilayer modified SPBs was observed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). SAXS results indicated that some PAH chains were able to penetrate into the PAA brush for the PAA-PAH double-layer modified SPBs whereas part of the PAH moved towards the outer layer when the PAsp layer was loaded to form a PAA-PAH-PAsp triple-layer system. The multilayer modified SPBs were stable upon changing the pH (5 to 9) and ionic strength (1 to 100 mM). The triple-layer modified SPBs were more tolerated to high pH (even at 11) compared to the double-layer ones. SAXS is proved to be a powerful tool for studying the inner structure of multilayer modified SPBs, which can establish guidelines for the a range of potential applications of multilayer modified SPBs.
Putting Welfare on the Map in Madagascar Africa

In this paper, the authors apply a recently developed small-area estimation technique to derive detailed geographic estimates of consumption-based poverty and inequality in Madagascar by combining detailed information from the 1993 household survey with the 1993 population census. In addition to generating Faritany (province) level welfare estimates that are comparable to, but more precise than, the previous survey-based estimates, the authors also provide estimates for 111 Fivondronas (districts) and 1,248 Firaisanas (communes). Some key findings are as follows: (a) despite the high overall level of poverty in Madagascar, there is considerable spatia l heterogeneity in poverty levels across administrative units within provinces; (b) this heterogeneity is pronounced at the Fivondrona level but less so at the Firaisana level, and is particularly striking in urban areas; (c) while on average most of the inequality in Madagascar is attributable to inequality within communes, the vast majority of the communes—especially those in rural areas—have low rates of inequality vis-àvis the national average. Authors’Affiliation and Sponsorship Johan A. Mistiaen, Consultant Development Research Group Poverty Cluster (DECRG-PO), The World Bank Email: jmistiaen@worldbank.org Berk Özler, Economist Development Research Group Poverty Cluster (DECRG-PO), The World Bank Email: bozler@worldbank.org Tiaray Razafimanantena, Economist Direction des Statistiques des Ménages (DSM) de l’Institut National de la Statistique, Madagascar Email: joujou@iris.mg Jean Razafindravonoma, Director Direction des Statistiques des Ménages (DSM) de l’Institut National de la Statistique, Madagascar Email: epm@dts.mg _______________________________ The Africa Region Working Paper Series expedites dissemination of applied research and policy studies with potential for improving economic performance and social conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Series publishes papers at preliminary stages to stimulate timely discussion within the Region and among client countries, donors, and the policy research community. The editorial board for the Series consists of representatives from professional families appointed by the Region’s Sector Directors. For additional information, please contact Paula White, managing editor of the series, (81131), Email: pwhite2@worldbank.org or visit the Web site: http://www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/index.htm. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the author(s), they do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank Group, its Executive Directors, or the countries they represent and should not be attributed to them. Putting Welfare on the Map in Madagascar
Examining the Influence of Interval Length on the Dependability of Observational Estimates

Abstract Systematic direct observation is a tool commonly employed by school psychologists to investigate student behavior. As these data are used for educational decision-making, ensuring the psychometric adequacy of the obtained data is an important consideration. Given that procedural aspects of systematic direct observation have been shown to influence the psychometric properties of obtained data, this study was designed to explore how interval length influences the dependability of academic engagement data when using a momentary time sampling procedure. Twenty seventh-grade students were each observed for two 15-min sessions during math instruction. A series of generalizability studies were conducted to examine how manipulations to interval length influenced reliability-like coefficients. In general, shorter interval lengths (i.e., 10 s, 15 s) were shown to produce higher levels of dependability. For example, an acceptable level of dependability (i.e., ϕ = .70) required twice as many 30-min observations when utilizing 20- or 30-s sampling as were required when utilizing 10- or 15-s sampling. Furthermore, whereas an acceptable level of dependability (i.e., ϕ = .70) could not be obtained using any interval length when conducting a single observation, this criterion was met using either 10- or 15-s sampling across two 30-min observations.
MMTF-Hα AND HST-FUV IMAGING OF THE FILAMENTARY COMPLEX IN ABELL 1795

We have obtained deep, high spatial resolution images of the central region of Abell 1795 at Hα and [N ii] λ6583 with the Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter (MMTF), and in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) with the Advanced Camera for Surveys solar blind channel on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The superb image quality of the MMTF data has made it possible to resolve the known SE filament into a pair of thin, intertwined filaments extending for ∼50 kpc, with a width <1 kpc. The presence of these thin, tangled strands is suggestive of a cooling wake where runaway cooling is taking place, perhaps aided by an enhanced magnetic field in this region. The HST data further resolve these strands into chains of FUV-bright stellar clusters, indicating that these filaments are indeed sites of ongoing star formation, but at a rate ∼2 orders of magnitude smaller than the mass-deposition rates predicted from the X-ray data. The elevated [N ii]/Hα ratio and large spatial variations of the FUV/Hα flux ratio across the filaments indicate that O-star photoionization is not solely responsible for the ionization. The data favor collisional heating by cosmic rays either produced in situ by magnetohydrodynamical processes or conducted from the surrounding intracluster medium.