Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Data-Driven Definition Of Volunteer Types : The Key To Adjusted Volunteer Management Practices

Many seminal contributions have been made in economic, psychology and managerial academic literature that support improvement of volunteer management practices. Despite the great value of this vast amount of academic literature, an important gap still remains regarding generalizability across the many heterogeneous types of volunteers that exist, and for providing concrete recommendations towards practitioners (Cnaan et al., 1996). Literature in general agrees about the fact that many distinct volunteer types exist and that reported findings might be limited to the particular type of volunteers studied and/or tested in a specific study (Wilson and Musick, 1997). As a result, from a scientific point of view, other academics are often left puzzled about the lack of generalizability of particular findings to other types of volunteers; and from a practitioner point of view, recommendations provided might be less relevant for other volunteer contexts (Wilson, 2000). Given this challenge it is our aim to complement the existing body of literature with a data driven classification of volunteer types. In particular, we aim to describe several homogeneous clusters of types of volunteers, within the broad and heterogeneous range of types that exist. Such classification, will allow, both academics and practitioners, to frame findings and recommendations within and across boundaries of volunteer types. Furthermore, we use a data-driven approach, as this allows us to maximize similarity of different volunteer criteria within types of volunteers, and to maximize clearly observable distinct and mutually-exclusive types of volunteers. Both from an academic and practitioner point of view this is desirable, as it allows for defining clear-cut homogeneous types, in which generalizability can be high, and for which comparability with other types is more straightforward. For our study we utilize the 2009-wave of the German Volunteer Survey; a large-scale survey (N=20,000) on volunteering and civic engagement among individuals of 14 years and older. The sample was drawn through random-digit-dialing and stratified according to state size, thus, it is representative of the German-speaking population in Germany (Müller et al., 2013). Given the selection of core variables of interest, this study looks at respondents that in a broad sense considered themselves being a volunteer (defined as " having responsibilities that are done voluntarily without being paid " in activities like sports or welfare associations, arts, culture or education). This resulted in a useable sample of N= 7,023 volunteers that are actively doing volunteer work in various activities and organizational types and come …
Sexuality education in rural Lesotho schools: challenges and possibilities

The aim of this paper is to present and discuss some of the obstacles to effective sexuality education in rural Lesotho schools and offer some suggestions that could facilitate positive change in the current status of sexuality education. The call for education as a ‘vaccine’ against new HIV infections places teachers at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, and thus it is imperative to understand how they experience teaching about sexuality. Findings in the present study derive from data generated through a research project that sought to explore women teachers' experiences of teaching sexuality education in rural schools in Lesotho. Twelve women teachers' narratives are used to examine the obstacles to effective sexuality education in rural contexts. The study highlights the role of gender dynamics and culture in the effectiveness of school-based sexuality education. The paper argues for a more concerted effort and collaboration between curriculum developers and education stakeholders such that the Lesotho sexuality education curriculum is more context-specific and relevant to the communities it serves, so that it can achieve the desired goals of, amongst other things, reducing the transmission of HIV.
Outer membrane proteins and cell surface structure of Selenomonas ruminantium

The protein compositions of the membrane preparations from Selenomonas ruminantium grown in glucose or lactate medium were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate- and two-dimensional (first, isoelectric focusing; second, sodium dodecyl sulfate) polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis. The outer membrane from both glucose- and lactate-grown cells contained two major proteins with apparent molecular weights of 42,000 and 40,000. These proteins existed as peptidoglycan-associated proteins in the outer membrane. The critical temperature at which they were dissociated completely into the monomeric subunits of 42,000 and 40,000 daltons was found to be 85 degrees C. The amount of each protein varied considerably depending upon the cultural conditions. The absence of the lipoprotein of Braun in S. ruminantium was suggested in our preceding paper (Y. Kamio, and H. Takahashi, J. Bacteriol. 141:888--898, 1980), and the possible absence of the protein components corresponding to the Braun lipoprotein in this strain was confirmed by electrophoretic analysis of the outer membrane and the lysozyme-treated peptidoglycan fractions. Examination of the cell surface of S. ruminantium by electron microscopy showed that the outer membrane formed a wrinkled surface with irregular blebs, some of which pinched off forming vesicles of various sizes. Rapid cell lysis occurred with the addition of a low level of lysozyme to the cell suspension. These findings led us to conclude that the physiological and morphological properties of this strain were similar to those of "deep rough" and mlp or lpo mutants of Escherichia coli K-12, respectively.
Social Factors Affecting Landlords in the Determination of Rent

The mainstream economist explanation of intercity rent differentials as determined solely by supply and demand is incomplete and sociologically naive. Rents within any particular area are set by landlords, and landlords' decisions in these matters take into account and are shaped by a variety of social as well as economic factors. This article uses open-ended interview data collected from landlords in one city to identify social factors that differentially affect the rent-setting decisions of three categories of landlord-the amateur, the small-scale professional, and the large-scale professional. Contrary to the assumptions of conventional economists, the study suggests that landlords operate in a more cooperative than competitive fashion.
Facilitating the development of pre-service teachers as reflective learners: a Malaysian experience

Studies of reflective practices among pre-service teachers focus mostly on teaching practice and very rarely on the acquisition of academic knowledge. The aim of this study was to examine the reflections of 25 pre-service teachers in online forums and weblogs focused on their learning in two literary pedagogical courses. A total of 97 online forum entries and 189 weblog entries were analysed. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were also undertaken. A five-level framework for reflection in response to a literary text was derived from the reflective entries. Although this study indicated a positive outcome in reflective quality, the number of reflections at the highest level of reflection (Transformation) was low. It is suggested that the mixed outcomes of the project were related in part to the mismatch of syllabi and learning outcomes, and the medium of reflection (online forums and weblogs).
Controlling Fibroblast Adhesion with Ph Modified Polyelectrolyte Multilayers

Tissue cells need to adhere to a biomaterial surface to promote their growth and differentiation and, thus, foster the integration of implants. As a result, surface features and their modification play an important role in biomedical applications. In this study, the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique was used to design self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coatings of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and heparin (HEP) on glass, which will control the adhesion of primary human dermal fibroblasts in a model system. The study showed that, among other surface features, the wettability of surfaces can be controlled by changing the conditions during multilayer self-assembly. Here, the pH value of the HEP solution was adjusted to acidic or alkaline values for terminal layers, which also led to a change in multilayer growth. Further, the study revealed that plain terminal layers were rather cytophobic. Upon pre-adsorption of fibronectin (FN), a clear effect on cell adhesion and morphology in dependence on the pH setup was evident. Proliferation studies clearly showed that terminal layers, which impaired cell adhesion, also inhibited growth of human fibroblasts under serum-conditions. On the other hand, on layers with pronounced cell adhesion an elevated cell growth was also observed. As a result, HEP terminated multilayers are interesting for applications requiring cell repellent properties, whereas PEI terminated multilayers could be used to promote cell adhesion and growth on implant surfaces.
Adolescent Delinquency, Drinking, and Smoking

Youths who have deviant and delinquent friends are more likely to engage in delinquency. Interestingly, most quantitative studies of the association between deviant peers and deviant behavior have assumed that all peer connections have similar effects. Yet, it is possible that peer influence may vary depending on the characteristics of peers. Using social network data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study examines the impact of same-sex and cross-sex friendships on deviance and delinquency in adolescent networks. The findings demonstrate that peer association is a significant predictor of delinquency for males, although its effects depend on the gender of boys’ friends. For females, by contrast, the link between associating with deviant peers and behavior is minimal once the stable characteristics of individuals are taken into account. Rather, social bonds are the most important predictors of delinquency.
Using concurrent planning to establish permanency for looked after young children

Many looked after children spend lengthy periods in impermanent care, and their frequent moves probably contribute to subsequent disturbed behaviour. Concurrent planning aims to reduce the number of moves and the length of time before placement in a permanent family. In this study 24 young children in three concurrent planning (CP) projects and 44 from two ‘traditional’ adoption teams were followed for 12–15 months. Records were obtained of the number of moves between households and the dates of key events before the child's permanent family placement was confirmed by the courts. The CP children moved into permanent families significantly faster and with significantly fewer previous moves than the two comparison groups. Unexpectedly, the CP children were significantly younger than the children following ‘traditional’ adoption programmes, making direct comparison impossible. Among those birth parents who were interviewed, the majority saw advantages in the CP approach. Concurrent planning carers reported high levels of personal anxiety but positive views of the advantages for the children. We conclude that CP can be used to achieve earlier permanence and fewer moves between carers for young children from selected birth families. The success of a CP team is dependent on the support of other professionals involved in determining permanent placements, based on a shared acknowledgement of the damaging effects of delay for the looked after child.
Statistical Methods for Causal Mediation Analysis

Mediation analysis is a popular approach in the social an biomedical sciences to examine the extent to which the effect of an exposure on an outcome is through an intermediate variable (mediator) and the extent to which the effect is direct. We first develop statistical methods and software for the estimation of direct and indirect causal effects in generalized linear models when exposure-mediator interaction may be present. We then study the bias of direct and indirect effects estimators that arise in this context when a continuous mediator is measured with error or a binary mediator is misclassified. We develop methods of correction for measurement error and misclassification coupled with sensitivity analyses for which no auxiliary information on the mediator measured with error is needed. The proposed methods are applied to a lung cancer study to evaluate the effect of genetic variants mediated through smoking on lung cancer risk and to a perinatal epidemiological study on the determinants of preterm birth.
Qualitative and descriptive research: Data type versus data analysis

Qualitative and descriptive research methods have been very common procedures for conducting research in many disciplines, including education, psychology, and social sciences. These types of research have also begun to be increasingly used in the field of second language teaching and learning. The interest in such methods, particularly in qualitative research, is motivated in part by the recognition that L2 teaching and learning is complex. To uncover this complexity, we need to not only examine how learning takes place in general or what factors affect it, but also provide more in-depth examination and understanding of individual learners and their behaviors and experiences. Qualitative and descriptive research is well suited to the study of L2 classroom teaching, where conducting tightly controlled experimental research is hardly possible, and even if controlled experimental research is conducted in such settings, the generalizability of its findings to real classroom contexts are questionable. Therefore, Language Teaching Research receives many manuscripts that report qualitative or descriptive research. The terms qualitative research and descriptive research are sometimes used interchangeably. However, a distinction can be made between the two. One fundamental characteristic of both types of research is that they involve naturalistic data. That is, they attempt to study language learning and teaching in their naturally occurring settings without any intervention or manipulation of variables. Nonetheless, these two types of research may differ in terms of their goal, degree of control, and the way the data are analyzed. The goal of descriptive research is to describe a phenomenon and its characteristics. This research is more concerned with what rather than how or why something has happened. Therefore, observation and survey tools are often used to gather data (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2007). In such research, the data may be collected qualitatively, but it is often analyzed quantitatively, using frequencies, percentages, averages, or other statistical analyses to determine relationships. Qualitative research, however, is more holistic and often involves a rich collection of data from various sources to gain a deeper understanding of individual participants, including their opinions, perspectives, and attitudes. Qualitative research collects data qualitatively, and the method of analysis is 572747 LTR0010.1177/1362168815572747Language Teaching ResearchEditorial editorial2015
Open to influence: what counts as academic influence in scholarly networked Twitter participation

Within the academy, signals of a scholar's academic influence are made manifest in indices like the h-index, which rank output. In open scholarly networks, however, signals of influence are less codified, and the ways in which they are enacted and understood have yet to be articulated. Yet the influence scholars cultivate in open networked publics intersects with institutional academia in grant-required measures of ‘public impact’, in media visibility, and in keynote and job opportunities. How do scholars within open networks judge whether another scholar's signals are credible or worthy of engagement? What counts as academic influence on a platform like Twitter? This paper concludes that scholars employ complex logics of influence to assess the networked profiles and behaviors of peers and unknown entities. Significantly, these logics of influence depart from the codified terms of rank and bibliometric indexing on which conventional academic influence is judged. While some are numeric – participants recognized relatively large-scale accounts as a general signal of influence – recognizability and commonality are as important as or more important than quantifiable measures or credentials. The paper suggests that the impression of capacity for meaningful contribution is key to cultivating influence and the regard of actively networked peers.
The Effects of High‐Intensity Exercise on a 10‐Second Sprint Cycle Test

Nine men (25.11 ± 1.16 years) performed 3 different test sessions. In the control session, subjects performed a 10-second sprint cycle test and 1 repetition maximum (1RM) in the back squat. The 5-minute test session consisted of 10 × 1 repetition in the parallel back squat exercise at 90% of their 1RM, 5 minutes of rest, and then a 10-second sprint cycle test. The 20-minute test session consisted of the same test protocol as the 5-minute test session except that the subjects rested for 20-minutes prior to the sprint cycle test. Significant differences were found in average power and average power relative to body weight (F = 5.684, p = 0.014, and F = 1.258, p = 0.006, respectively) for the 5-minute test session. The authors conclude that this particular squat protocol could have a potential carry-over effect into improvements in 100-m sprint times when performing the squats 5-minutes prior to performance.
Evaluability Assessment of a National Driver Retraining Program: Are We Evaluating in the Right Lane?

Abstract: An evaluability assessment (EA) of the 55 Alive program, a national older driver refresher course aimed at improving driving skills, was conducted. This EA adds to the evaluation literature as previous outcome evaluations neglected to explore whether this program was prepared for such assessments. A mixed-method protocol was executed across three community sites. Based on the results of this EA, several suggestions for future evaluations are discussed: (a) sampling all stakeholder levels for a more holistic snapshot of the program, (b) using EA to facilitate stakeholders’ engagement in the evaluation, and (c) incorporating scientists specializing in the area within the evaluation.
Public('s) nutrition

Abstract Objective To promote the new field of ‘public nutrition’ as a means to address, in a more efficient, sustainable and ethical manner, the world-wide epidemic of malnutrition – undernutrition and specific nutrient deficiencies, and also obesity and other nutrition-related chronic diseases. Strategy Grounded in the health promotion model, public nutrition applies the population health strategy to the resolution of nutrition problems. It encompasses ‘public health nutrition’, ‘community nutrition’ and ‘international nutrition’ and extends beyond them. It fits within the conceptual framework of ‘the new nutrition science’ and is an expression of this reformulated science in practice. Its fundamental goal is to fulfil the human right to adequate food and nutrition. It is in the interest of the public, it involves the participation of the public and it calls for partnerships with other relevant sectors beyond health. Public nutrition takes a broader view of nutritional health, addressing the three interrelated determinant categories of food systems and food security; food and health practices; and health systems. It assesses and analyses how these influence the immediate determinants that are dietary intake and health status so as to direct action towards effective progress. To further enhance the relevance and effectiveness of action, public nutrition advocates improved linkages between policies and programmes, research and training. A renewed breed of professionals for dietetics and nutrition, trained along those lines, is suggested. Conclusion There is a critical need to develop new knowledge, approaches and skills to meet the pressing nutrition challenges of our times.
Processors as SoC building blocks

In this paper we study the requirements on processors for implementing the different system functions of a System-on-Chip (SoC). We illustrate the impact of architecture and implementation choices on processor performance and power consumption. We conclude that a palette of processor technologies is required for building advanced SoCs that meet constraints on power consumption.
Temporal Dynamics for Blind Measurement of Room Acoustical Parameters

In this paper, short- and long-term temporal dynamic information is investigated for the blind measurement of room acoustical parameters. In particular, estimators of room reverberation time (T60) and direct-to-reverberant energy ratio (DRR) are proposed. Short-term temporal dynamic information is obtained from differential (delta) cepstral coefficients. The statistics computed from the zeroth-order delta cepstral sequence serve as input features to a support vector T60 estimator. Long-term temporal dynamic cues, on the other hand, are obtained from an auditory spectrotemporal representation of speech commonly referred to as modulation spectrum. A measure termed as reverberation-to-speech modulation energy ratio, which is computed per modulation frequency band, is proposed and serves as input to T60 and DRR estimators. Experiments show that the proposed estimators outperform a baseline system in scenarios involving reverberant speech with and without the presence of acoustic background noise. Experiments also suggest that estimators of subjective perception of spectral coloration, reverberant tail effect, and overall speech quality can be obtained with an adaptive speech-to-reverberation modulation energy ratio measure.