Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Journalists’ and Educators’ Perspectives on News Media Reporting of Islam and Muslim Communities in Australia and New Zealand

ABSTRACT We know much about how the news media report on the topic of Muslims and Islam, but we know very little about the journalistic practices and processes that contribute to the way these issues are framed and reported. Whereas research has until now largely focused on the ways in which Islam and Muslims are represented in various news media, there is relatively little research that explores the issue from the perspective of key people working in the news media. In order to address what we perceive as a significant gap in the research, we draw on data from interviews with 29 journalists, editors, media trainers, and journalism educators located in Australia and New Zealand to explore their understandings of the ways stories about Islam and Muslims are reported and why. The article also investigates the interviewees’ perceptions of the effects of news media coverage of Muslims and Islam. Our findings present a starting point to improving practice for those reporting on Islam and Muslim and inform the development of training modules in the reporting of Islam for journalists and journalism students.
Ultrazvučna metoda obrade korijenskoga kanala tijekom endodontskog tretmana

Svrha rada: Svrha je rada refleksijskom elektronskom mikroskopi­ jom istražiti površinu stijenki korijenskih kanala i procijeniti djelotvor­ nost ultrazvučne tehnike obrade tijekom endodontskog tretmana. Materijal i metode: Eksperimentalni dio studije izveden je na izva­ đenim ljudskim zubima. U obradi korijenskih kanala uporabljen je ul­ trazvučni uređaj ENAC Osada Electric CO.LTD. Fizikalne osnove ra­ da ultrazvučnih endodontskih uređaja temelje se na transverzalnim osci­ lacijama strugača. Slobodno vibrirajuči vrh instrumenta uz akustično strujanje otopine Na-hipoklorita proizvodi hidrodinamični stres dovolj­ no jak da čisti stijenke korijenskoga kanala. Rezultati: Raščlamba mikrofotografija istraživanih uzoraka nedovojbeno potvrđuje čiste i glatke površine stijenki korijenskoga kanala, oštre i jasne konture oko ulaza u dentinske tubuluse i dobru prohodnost tubulusa. Rezultatai istraživanja potvrđuju djelotvornost i pred­ nost istodobne uporabe ultrazvučnog instrumenta i Na-hipoklorita ti­ jekom endodontskog tretmana. Zaključak: Ultrazvučna tehnika obrade endodotnskog prostora me­ toda je izbora, te uz kontinuiranu irigaciju djelotvorno uklanja infici­ rano tkivo iz korijenskoga kanala, konično ga proširuje ostavljajući čiste i glatke stijenke bez zaostatnoga sloja. Ključne riječi: endodontski tretman, ultrazvučna obrada, zaostatni
A New Approach to Country Segmentation Utilizing Multinational Diffusion Patterns

Country segmentation has been proposed to assist in marketing strategy decisions for international marketing managers. Such schemes typically consist of grouping or clustering a set of specified countries on the basis of a wide array of macroeconomic variables. The authors focus on the merits of such country classification schemes in gaining an understanding about multinational diffusion patterns. More specifically, they analyze the extent to which countries belonging to the same (different) grouping reveal similar (dissimilar) diffusion patterns. To that end, they compare the results of traditional segmentation approaches with diffusion-based country segments derived for three different consumer durable goods. For the latter, they rely on a recently developed latent-structure methodology, here modified to accommodate the Bass diffusion model, which simultaneously determines the segments and segment-level estimates of the diffusion parameters. They find that the market segments derived from these two approaches differ dramatically and that macro-level variables do not fully explain differences in diffusion patterns across countries. In addition, country segments formed on the basis of diffusion patterns often differ by product. Finally, they discuss some managerial implications and directions for future research.
Assessment for learning: a catalyst for student self-regulation

Abstract The development of students as lifelong, self-regulating learners is a valued outcome of higher education. To this end, the current project investigated how students in an undergraduate course experienced and responded to a teaching–learning environment where they were expected to take responsibility for their learning. The pedagogic environment of this course was grounded in strategies and activities associated with assessment for learning (AfL). As such, students were expected to participate in activities that provided them with opportunities to exercise control over their learning. Data gathering comprised individual semi-structured interviews and the collection of artefacts. Findings indicated goals helped students know where they were going; exemplars provided insights into what was expected and what constituted quality work; course activities elicited evidence of learning; dialogic interactions around these generated feedback about understandings and progress; the evaluation of exemplars developed evaluative knowledge, skill and expertise; peer review and feedback provided an authentic context for evaluation and monitoring of works-in-progress. It was concluded that, while each of the AfL strategies contributed to student self-regulation, the full impact of AfL as a catalyst for self-regulated learning was realised in the cumulative and recursive effect these strategies had on students’ thinking, actions and feelings.
On the synchronization of spatially coupled oscillators

Over the past decade, considerable attention has been devoted to the problem of emergence of synchronization patterns in a network of coupled oscillators, which can be observed in a variety of disciplines, from the biological to the engineering fields. In this context, the Kuramoto model is a classical model for describing synchronization phenomena that arise in large-scale systems that exploit local information and interactions. In this work, an extension of such a model is presented, that considers the spatial distances among the oscillator nodes. In detail, coupling strength and spatial conditions are derived, needed to reach phase cohesiveness and frequency synchronization, both in the scenario when a single population of agents is present and when two different populations interact. These theoretical findings are confirmed by extensive numerical Monte Carlo simulations and statistical analysis.
.2 Interactive Systems and Non-modular-functionalism Post-modular Systems

ought to have well-defined functional encapsulation. Conversely, each functional unit of the system ought to correspond to an encapsulated component. In this way, the modular decomposition of a system mimics its natural functional decomposition, and its functional synthesis is achieved by composition of appropriate structural components. This equivalence between structural modules and functionality goes hand-in-hand with the prevalent abstractions of computer science. In a world in which a structural component is defined by its I/O function, what other kind of decomposition is there? Nor is modular-functionalism strictly restricted to the computational realm. Consider the classic AI problem of describing a cup. Finding a structural decomposition here refers to the natural decomposition into " pieces " or components of the system. For example, a cup might logically be decomposed into its handle and its bowl. Alternately, we can talk about the functional decomposition of the cup: it can be used to hold liquid, and it can be carried. In this case, there is a clear coupling between the structural and functional decompositions of the system: the handle admits the carrying function, while the bowl is responsible for the holding-liquid part of the job. If the bowl were to break, the handle would still work, and vice versa. But not all systems can be easily described in these terms. Contrast the cup with a simple wind-up toy that alternates between travelling in a line and turning. A common way of designing such a toy involves a winding mechanism that drives two wheels on a single axis. In addition, a lever positioned next to one of the wheels rotates about the same axis as the wheels, but more slowly. When the lever periodically comes into contact with the ground, it lifts the adjacent wheel, causing the wind-up toy to turn. In this case, the wheels (together with the winding mechanism) are responsible for going straight; but the turning behavior is a property of the interaction between the lever and the wheels. If the lever were to break, the toy might still go straight, but the lever itself is not sufficient to turn the toy. The lever has functional significance only by virtue of its modulation of the wheel-function. The idea of shared modular-functional decomposition is pervasive in computer science, from introductory courses to theoretical models to industry-standard software engineering practice. The value of this idea has been repeatedly demonstrated in these domains. 3 …
Grandiose and persecutory beliefs: exploring perceptions of interpersonal relationships

Research suggests that interpersonal difficulties are reported by those who experience grandiose beliefs, however the processes and the relationship with the belief have seen limited exploration and are poorly understood. The present study aimed to explore the perceptions of interpersonal relationships and self-esteem of people who have grandiose beliefs and to explore if these accounts are consistent with existing theory. A qualitative design was employed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore participants' subjective understanding of experiences. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight individuals who were purposively sampled. Transcripts were analysed using IPA. Four superordinate themes emerged: ‘Others as disregarding’; ‘Fragile sense of self’; ‘Lost in a frightening world’ and ‘Surviving’. The study found that participants' accounts were characterised by difficult interpersonal relationships in both early and adult life. The participants' sense of self was complex and lacking in coherence, thus previously used measures of “self-esteem” may not adequately capture the subtleties of the experiences. The sense of self was set in a social context characterised by feelings of powerlessness isolation and lack of trust. In the context of limited resources the results suggest the beliefs function to make sense of experiences and to help the participants survive. These findings confirm that the belief may, in part, serve to protect participants from poor “social self-esteem”. These findings provide avenues to further exploration of processes and provide recommendations for clinicians and services.
Conflict and cooperation in eukaryogenesis: implications for the timing of endosymbiosis and the evolution of sex

The complex eukaryotic cell is a result of an ancient endosymbiosis and one of the major evolutionary transitions. The timing of key eukaryotic innovations relative to the acquisition of mitochondria remains subject to considerable debate, yet the evolutionary process itself might constrain the order of these events. Endosymbiosis entailed levels-of-selection conflicts, and mechanisms of conflict mediation had to evolve for eukaryogenesis to proceed. The initial mechanisms of conflict mediation were based on the pathways inherited from prokaryotic symbionts and led to metabolic homeostasis in the eukaryotic cell, while later mechanisms (e.g., mitochondrial gene transfer) contributed to the expansion of the eukaryotic genome. Perhaps the greatest opportunity for conflict arose with the emergence of sex involving whole-cell fusion. While early evolution of cell fusion may have affected symbiont acquisition, sex together with the competitive symbiont behaviour would have destabilized the emerging higher-level unit. Cytoplasmic mixing, on the other hand, would have been beneficial for selfish endosymbionts, capable of using their own metabolism to manipulate the life history of the host. Given the results of our mathematical modelling, we argue that sex represents a rather late proto-eukaryotic innovation, allowing for the growth of the chimeric nucleus and contributing to the successful completion of the evolutionary transition.
Sex differences in cell proliferation and N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene sulfotransferase levels in rat liver during 2-acetylaminofluorene administration.

Summary This study was initiated in an effort to determine the mechanism responsible for the different susceptibilities of male and female rats to the induction of liver tumors by 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF). Gain in body weight of male and female rats maintained on a diet containing 0.04% AAF for 8 weeks was inhibited 38 and 32%, respectively, when compared with animals on a control diet. Liver weights (g liver per 100 g body weight) of females remained the same during the 8-week period, while those of males decreased slightly between Weeks 3 and 8. During the first 4 weeks of AAF administration, livers of male rats had 5 to 10 times the levels of N-hydroxy-AAF sulfotransferase activity as had livers of females. The absolute amount of sulfotransferase activity in livers of both male and female rats declined markedly and was approximately 10 to 30% of control values at the end of 2 weeks. In spite of the marked decrease in sulfotransferase activity, activity of the enzyme in livers of male rats remained 2 to 3 times that of females throughout the 8-week period. The mitotic index and incorporation of tritiated thymidine in livers of female rats were low and constant throughout the 8-week period. In contrast, both thymidine incorporation and mitotic index in livers of male rats exhibited a marked increase after 3 weeks. Little or no change in content of liver RNA or DNA was observed in either male or female rats during the 8-week period.
TO REGULAR AND IRREGULAR INFLECTION Continuous Processing of Linguistic Categories : Behavioral and Electrophysiological Responses to Regular and Irregular Verb Inflection in German 1

This study examined whether German regular and irregular verb inflection is processed in continuous or categorical ways. Two visual priming experiments contrasted regular (regular stem, regular suffix) with two types of irregular participle formation (regular/irregular stem, irregular suffix). We measured reaction times (RT; Experiment 1) and event-related potentials (ERPs; Experiment 2) and manipulated both the inflectional relation and the meaning relation between primes and targets. Inflected verb targets (e.g., stöhne, ‘moan’) were preceded by themselves, by their participle (gestöhnt, ‘moaned’), by a semantically related verb in the same inflection (seufze, ‘sigh’) or in the participle form (geseufzt, ‘sighed’), and by an unrelated verb in the same inflection (blinke, ‘blink’) or in the participle form (geblinkt, ‘blinked’). The behavioral results showed no distinction between regular and irregular verbs as such, but rather a complex interaction of the factors frequency, meaning, and inflectional relation between primes and targets. The electrophysiological data showed that verb regularity gradually affected priming: regular participles produced a widely distributed frontal and parietal effect, irregular participles a small left parietal effect, with semi-irregular participles in between. The data thus provide evidence that the linguistic categories of verb inflection are not processed categorically but gradually. We present a single-system model that can adequately account for such graded effects.
The ratio of STAT1 to STAT3 expression is a determinant of colorectal cancer growth

The role of STAT1 and STAT3 for colorectal carcinoma (CRC) development and progression is controversial. We evaluated 414 CRC patient samples on tissue microarrays for differential expression of STAT1 and STAT3 protein levels and correlated ratios with clinical parameters. Concomitant absence of nuclear STAT1 and STAT3 expression was associated with significantly reduced median survival by ≥33 months (p=0.003). To gain insight into underlying mechanisms, we generated four CRC cell lines with STAT3 knockdown. The cell lines harbor different known mutational drivers and were xenografted into SCID mice to analyze the influence of STAT3 on their tumor growth behavior. Experimental downregulation of STAT3 expression had differential, cell-line specific effects on STAT1 expression levels. STAT1 consistently showed nuclear localization irrespective of its tyrosine phosphorylation status. Two characteristic STAT1/3 expression patterns with opposite growth behavior could be distinguished: cell lines with a low STAT1/high STAT3 ratio showed faster tumor growth in xenografts. In contrast, xenografts of cell lines showing high STAT1 and low STAT3 levels grew slower. Importantly, these ratios reflected clinical outcome in CRC patients as well. We conclude that the ratio of STAT1 to STAT3 expression is a key determinant of CRC progression and that STAT1 counteracts pro-tumorigenic STAT3 signaling. Thus, we suggest that the STAT3/STAT1 ratios are better clinical predictors in CRC as compared to STAT3 or STAT1 levels alone.
Administration the American Review of Public Performance-based Contracting in Social Welfare Programs on Behalf Of: American Society for Public Administration Performance-based Contracting in Social Welfare Programs Study Objectives and Approach Theoretical Models of Government Contracting Incomplet

The Wisconsin Works (W-2) program changed the administrative structure for social welfare services delivery from county government administration to one that includes performance-based contracting and private sector management of programs. We present a theoretical discussion of government contracting and the implications of alternative contract structures for service provider behavior and performance. We then analyze W-2 contract design and management across four contract periods (1997-2005) as the state transitioned to a performance-based contracting regime. We find that the state made rational changes in the W-2 contract specifications and performance measures that should have improved contract efficiency and effectiveness over time, and service providers responded to these changes in allocating effort toward the achievement of priority performance goals. At the same time, deficiencies in program administration and contract management contributed to some contract and performance failures and setbacks. Introduction The Wisconsin Works (W-2) program is widely regarded as a pioneer in welfare reform, both nationally and internationally (Mead, 2004). Although its dramatic effects on reducing welfare caseloads initially overshadowed other remarkable features of W-2, increasing attention is now being given to major changes made in the administrative structures for welfare services delivery. In 1997, concurrent with the introduction of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Wisconsin ended the county government monopoly on public assistance administration by inviting private sector agencies to compete for contracts to manage local-level programs. Performance-based contracting was also introduced as a primary mechanism for motivating and monitoring the performance of W-2 agencies. Thirteen private sector agencies in nine counties came to manage more than 70% of the W-2 case-load in September 1997. 1 Wisconsin is one of many states that have shifted to greater use of contracting for social welfare services delivery under TANF. These changes reflect, in part, the transformation of 409 public assistance from a program that primarily determined eligibility for cash payments and managed participants' access to these benefits to one that now offers a range of services intended to eliminate individuals' need for public welfare. Before TANF officially took effect in Wisconsin, for example, the state had established contracts with public and private agencies to offer Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) services to help welfare recipients become employed. As Sanger (2003) noted, state and local governments have long outsourced these types of services (employment and training, case management) that are now a major component of TANF service strategies. A U.S. Government Accountability Office …
Seasonal wireless sensor network link performance in boreal forest phenology monitoring

While indoor wireless sensor network (WSN) research has recently flourished for monitoring civil and industrial infrastructure, considerably less attention has been given to the development of reliable outdoor WSNs capable of long-term operation in challenging remote locations. We present wireless sensor network link performance results from the first year of monitoring micro-meteorological conditions alongside the 802.15. 4 link received signal strength indicator (RSSI) within an old growth stand of deciduous boreal Aspen forest (Populus tremuloides) in Northern Alberta, Canada. Thirty-six weather proof nodes were equipped with meteorological sensors and distributed across one hectare in the forest understory to assess the application of WSNs for observing high resolution changes in seasonal ecosystem productivity and forest phenology. We describe here the density distribution of node RSSI using Gaussian kernel density estimates in relation to node antenna-receiver orientation and vegetation seasonality. RSSI across the network displays a lognormal distribution with an increasing bimodal tendency with path length through the forest stand. Spatial variability in RSSI is discussed with respect to forest structure. A strong temporal relationship between RSSI variability and plant canopy development is observed with a 20dBm or 100 fold difference in mean network radio signal power from spring leaf presence to fall leaf absence. The meteorological and biophysical factors associated with this trend are explored using multiple regression and relative factor importance analysis. Our results indicate that in addition to meteorological data, spectral vegetation density metrics are useful in assisting deployment planning and network performance diagnostics when using wireless sensor networks for remote forestry applications. The longevity and performance of this outdoor WSN can be seen as a new standard for harsh network-climate tolerance in northern boreal environments.
IRF4Differentiation through Direct Suppression of That T-bet Controls Th17 Lineage Genome-Wide Regulatory Analysis Reveals

The complex relationship between Th1 and Th17 cells is incompletely understood. The transcription factor T-bet is best known as the master regulator of Th1 lineage commitment. However, attention is now focused on the repression of alternate T cell subsets mediated by T-bet, particularly the Th17 lineage. It has recently been suggested that pathogenic Th17 cells express T-bet and are dependent on IL-23. However, T-bet has previously been shown to be a negative regulator of Th17 cells. We have taken an unbiased approach to determine the functional impact of T-bet on Th17 lineage commitment. Genome-wide analysis of functional T-bet binding sites provides an improved understanding of the transcriptional regulation mediated by T-bet, and suggests novel mechanisms by which T-bet regulates Th cell differentiation. Speciﬁcally, we show that T-bet negatively regulates Th17 lineage commitment via direct repression of the transcription factor IFN regulatory factor-4 (IRF4). An in vivo analysis of the pathogenicity of T-bet–deﬁcient T cells demonstrated that mucosal Th17 responses were augmented in the absence of T-bet, and we have demonstrated that the roles of T-bet in enforcing Th1 responses and suppressing Th17 responses are separable. The interplay of the two key transcription factors T-bet and IRF4 during the determination of T cell fate choice signiﬁcantly advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of pathogenic T cells. The Journal of Immunology , 2013, 191: 5925–5932. essential in both and innate