Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous Group Decision Making in Distributed Collaborative Learning: Toward a New Research Direction

This paper attempts to identify and establish spontaneous group decision making in collaborative learning as a new research direction, with particular attention to collaborative learning in distributed online environments. After a brief introduction, related concepts and theories are examined for differentiation of interpretation. The concept of “spontaneous group decision making” is established in the context of collaborative learning. Literature review is conducted to glean anecdotal observations from past research to identify potentially influential factors, and a diagram framework is proposed to charter the territory. The paper also reports findings from a preliminary survey of 159 graduate students on their group decision making activities in online collaboration. The findings indicate that spontaneous group decision making is prevalent in distributed collaborative learning activities and suggest that this area be investigated from a perspective different from the mainstream research on group decision making in other settings.
Teacher Knowledge of Learners' Help-seeking in Mathematics Problem Solving

This study is concerned with teacher knowledge of learners' help-seeking behaviour. Teacher estimates of expected help-seeking behaviours of learners were compared with actual help-seeking of the learners. An in-depth study was deployed with one mathematics teacher and her grade 8 class of 20 learners solving mathematical word problems. Data were collected using a single-case design with semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observations before, during and after two lessons. The help-seeking behaviour was conceptualised and analysed using 11 dimensions (clustered into 4 aspects) as used in the work by Gurtner. The four aspects include: intention to seek help; source of help (teacher vs classmate); type of help (hints and/or self-regulatory content knowledge) and reasons for help-seeking avoidance. The analyses indicate that the teacher had detailed knowledge of her learners' intended help-seeking behaviour. In many instances this teacher's knowledge of the source of help was congruent with learners' actual help-seeking. The congruency was taken to indicate how accurate knowledge on the part of the teacher can aid interaction and learning support. The teacher data provided evidence to expand Gurtner's 11 dimensions to 13, providing two additional reasons for help-seeking avoidance by the learners. These are termed ‘uncaring’ (referring to lack of engagement on the part of the learners) and ‘ignorance’ (referring to a lack of meta-cognitive awareness that help is needed).
Dynamical emergence of Markovianity in local time scheme

Recently we pointed out the so-called local time scheme as a novel approach to quantum foundations that solves the preferred pointer-basis problem. In this paper, we introduce and analyse in depth a rather non-standard dynamical map that is imposed by the scheme. On the one hand, the map does not allow for introducing a properly defined generator of the evolution nor does it represent a quantum channel. On the other hand, the map is linear, positive, trace preserving and unital as well as completely positive, but is not divisible and therefore non-Markovian. Nevertheless, we provide quantitative criteria for dynamical emergence of time-coarse-grained Markovianity, for exact dynamics of an open system, as well as for operationally defined approximation of a closed or open many-particle system. A closed system never reaches a steady state, whereas an open system may reach a unique steady state given by the Lüders–von Neumann formula; where the smaller the open system, the faster a steady state is attained. These generic findings extend the standard open quantum systems theory and substantially tackle certain cosmological issues.
Substrate bias effects in vertical SiGe HBTs fabricated on CMOS-compatible thin film SOI

A comprehensive investigation of substrate bias effects on device performance, thermal properties, and reliability of vertical SiGe HBTs fabricated on CMOS-compatible, thin-film SOI, is presented for the first time. Calibrated 2D MEDICI simulations are used to support our explanations, and the resultant device design trade-offs encountered in building SiGe HBTs on thin-film SOI are quantitatively assessed.
One doll fits all: validation of the Leiden Infant Simulator Sensitivity Assessment (LISSA)

Children vary hugely in how demanding of their caregivers they are. This creates differences in demands on parents during observation, making the comparison of sensitivity between parents difficult. It would therefore be of interest to create standard situations in which all caregivers are faced with the same level of demand. This study developed an ecologically valid but standardized setting using an infant simulator with interactive features, the Leiden Infant Simulator Sensitivity Assessment (LISSA). The infant simulator resembles a real infant in appearance and it produces crying sounds that are life-like. The simulator begins with fussing and progresses to more intense crying in case of no care or inappropriate care. It responds by being calm again if appropriate care is given. One hundred and eighty-one female participants took care of the infant simulator for two evenings and in a 30 min lab session with increasing competing demands. Sensitive parenting behavior during the lab session was coded with the Ainsworth Sensitivity Scale. Sensitivity ratings covered the whole range of the scale (1–9), and were stable across settings (free play, competing demands). Sensitivity was related to an increase of positive affect during caretaking, and insensitivity was related to intended harsh caregiving response during a computerized cry paradigm. Sensitivity was unrelated to social desirability and self-reported quality of care given to the infant simulator. We discuss the potentials of the infant simulator for research on sensitive parenting, for preventive interventions, and for clinical practices.
Energetics of best performances in middle-distance running.

Oxygen consumption (VO2) and blood lactate concentration were determined during constant-speed track running on 16 runners of intermediate level competing in middle distances (0.8-5.0 km). The energy cost of track running per unit distance (Cr) was then obtained from the ratio of steady-state VO2, corrected for lactate production, to speed; it was found to be independent of speed, its overall mean being 3.72 +/- 0.24 J.kg-1 x m-1 (n = 58; 1 ml O2 = 20.9 J). Maximal VO2 (VO2max) was also measured on the same subjects. Theoretical record times were then calculated for each distance and subject and compared with actual seasonal best performances as follows. The maximal metabolic power (Er max) a subject can maintain in running is a known function of VO2max and maximal anaerobic capacity and of the effort duration to exhaustion (te). Er max was then calculated as a function of te from VO2max, assuming a standard value for maximal anaerobic capacity. The metabolic power requirement (Er) necessary to cover a given distance (d) was calculated as a function of performance time (t) from the product Crdt-1 = Er. The time values that solve the equality Er max(te) = Er(t), assumed to yield the theoretical best t, were obtained by an iterative procedure for any given subject and distance and compared with actual records. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Overview of smartphone augmented reality applications for tourism.

Invisible, attentive and adaptive technologies that provide tourists with relevant services and information anytime and anywhere may no longer be a vision from the future. The new display paradigm, stemming from the synergy of new mobile devices, context-awareness and AR, has the potential to enhance tourists’ experiences and make them exceptional. However, effective and usable design is still in its infancy. In this publication we present an overview of current smartphone AR applications outlining tourism-related domain-specific design challenges. This study is part of an ongoing research project aiming at developing a better understanding of the design space for smartphone context-aware AR applications for tourists.
Tumor necrosis factor and immune interferon act in concert to slow the lateral diffusion of proteins and lipids in human endothelial cell membranes

Vascular endothelial surface-related activities may depend on the lateral mobility of specific cell surface macromolecules. Previous studies have shown that cytokines induce changes in the morphology and surface antigen composition of vascular endothelial cells in vitro and at sites of immune and inflammatory reactions in vivo. The effects of cytokines on membrane dynamic properties have not been examined. In the present study, we have used fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) to quantify the effects of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and immune interferon (IFN-gamma) on the lateral mobilities of class I major histocompatibility complex protein, of an abundant 96,000 Mr mesenchymal cell surface glycoprotein (gp96), and of a phospholipid probe in cultured human endothelial cell (HEC) membranes. Class I protein and gp96 were directly labeled with fluorescein-conjugated monoclonal antibodies; plasma membrane lipid mobility was examined with the phospholipid analogue fluorescein phosphatidylethanolamine (Fl-PE). In untreated, confluent HEC monolayers, diffusion coefficients were 30 x 10(-10) cm2 s-1 for class I protein, 14 x 10(-10) cm2 s-1 for gp96, and 80 x 10(-10) cm2 s-1 for Fl-PE. Fractional mobilities were greater than 80% for each probe. Cultures treated at visual confluence for 3-4 d with either 100 U/ml TNF or 200 U/ml IFN-gamma did not exhibit significant changes in protein or lipid mobilities despite significant changes in cell morphology and membrane antigen composition. In HEC cultures treated concomitantly with TNF and IFN-gamma, however, diffusion coefficients decreased by 71-79% for class I protein, 29-55% for gp96, and 23-38% for Fl-PE. Fractional mobilities were unchanged. By immunoperoxidase transmission electron microscopy, plasma membranes of untreated and cytokine-treated HEC were flat and stained uniformly for class I antigen. "Line" FPR measurements on doubly treated HEC demonstrated isotropic diffusion of class I protein, gp96, and Fl-PE. Finally, although TNF and IFN-gamma retarded the growth of HEC cultures and disrupted the organization of cell monolayers, the slow diffusion rates of gp96 and Fl-PE in confluent doubly treated monolayers were not reproduced in sparse or subconfluent untreated monolayers. We conclude that the slowing of protein and lipid diffusion induced by the combination of TNF and IFN-gamma is not due to plasma membrane corrugations, to anisotropic diffusion barriers, or to decreased numbers of cell-cell contacts. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Family Comes First or Open All Hours?: How Low Paid Women Working in Food Retailing Manage Webs of Obligation at Home and Work

This paper draws on qualitative findings from a study exploring work-life balance issues amongst female employees within food retailing. Whilst female employment is fundamental to this sector, there is limited evidence on employees’ experiences of reconciling relatively low-paid work and the particular demands of food retailing with domestic and caring responsibilities. Managing competing discourses and demands at home and work is a feature of many women's lives. For those in low-paid jobs, with fewer material resources to fall back on, such webs of obligation, often stretching over the lifecourse, may be particularly difficult to navigate or escape. In food retail work, as in caring/domestic emergencies, timeframes may be tight and demands made on workers at short notice and outwith the standard working day. The study showed that sustaining their moral identities both as good mothers/daughters/family members (‘family comes first’) and as good and reliable workers (‘the store must be staffed’) was, therefore, an everyday practical accomplishment for these food retail employees. We explore women's accounts against the backdrop of particular familial, workplace and socio-cultural expectations and constraints, identifying overlapping sets of values between home and work as well as points of contradiction and tension.
A hybrid genetic algorithm and coordinate descent optimization for graph clustering

Graph based clustering has received much attention from researchers in the last decade. In this paper we present a genetic algorithm that is hybridized with a coordinate descent optimization of a novel fuzzy cut objective function. A niching method is integrated to preserve the population diversity and prevent premature convergence. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on several social network and text data sets.
Variation of edema scores from herd-year, age, calving month, and sire.

Edema was scored by herd personnel in six Holstein herds in North Carolina. Scores ranged from 1 (none) to 5 (extremely severe) at calving and at 1 and 2 wk postpartum. Mean scores and standard deviations were 2.91 +/- . 71 at calving, 2.12 +/- . 71 at 1 wk, and 1.54 +/- . 64 at 2 wk. Total score, the sum of the three ratings for each calving, averaged 6.57 +/- 1.89. Scores differed by herd-year and lactation but not by month of calving. Heritabilities within first, second, and grouped later (greater than or equal to 3) lactations were estimated by paternal half-sister covariance analyses from two subsets of the data. The first data set included sires with 5 or more daughters; the second, sires with 10 or more daughters. Heritabilities averaged . 13 for first lactations, . 10 for second lactations, and . 12 for later lactations. When adjusted to underlying normal distribution, heritabilities were increased. These heritabilities suggest that progeny tests based on 50 or more daughters should identify bulls transmitting more persistent edema. The desirability of such progeny tests depends on the relative importance and economic impact of reduced edema severity in the dairy cattle population.
Multi-objective Optimization Based Differential Evolution Constrained Optimization Algorithm

Based on differential evolution algorithm and the concept of multi-objective optimization, a differential evolution algorithm for constrained optimization problem based on multi-objective constraint handling is proposed in this paper. This proposed algorithm can achieve global search and local search effectively by using of the differential evolution algorithm. For the constrained optimization problems, this paper presents a new comparison mechanism based on the concept of Pareto optimal solution. The grades of Pareto optimal solutions, feasible solutions and infeasible solutions are prescribed and enable them to be selected at different probabilities during the evolutionary process, which can lead the search towards the direction of the global optimum. In addition, an infeasible solution of replace mechanism is also given. When the algorithm gets into a local optimal, we use infeasible solution, which contains useful information, to replace those redundant and repeat feasible solutions to improve the exploration capabilities of the algorithm in the search space. Compared to Evolutionary Algorithm based on Homomorphous Maps (EAHM), Artificial Immune Response Constrained Evolutionary Strategy (AIRCES), Constraint Handling Differential Evolution (CHDE) and Evolutionary Strategies based on Stochastic Ranking (ESSR), the results of the 13 Standard tests show that the proposed algorithm has certain advantages in the convergence speed and solution accuracy.
Hypohydration Effects on Physical and Cognitive Performance in Cold Environments

Abstract : Persons exercising in cold weather can incur substantial fluid losses and are advised to maintain hydration to sustain performance. Body water deficits or hypohydration (HYP) in excess of 2% body mass impairs endurance exercise performance in hot and temperate environments and HYP may also degrade cognitive performance in hot-temperature conditions. However the extent to which these performance decrements occur in cold environments with HYP is unknown. This study investigated whether HYP degrades physical and cognitive performance during cold exposure and if physical exercise could mitigate any cold-induced cognitive performance decline. On four occasions, eight volunteers (6 men, 2 women) were exposed to 3 h of passive heat stress, with or without fluid replacement. Later in the day, volunteers sat in a cold or temperate environment for 1 hour before performing 30 min of cycle ergometry followed immediately by a 30-min performance time trial. Performance was assessed by the total amount of work completed during the 30-min performance time trial.
How parenting and filial piety influence happiness, parent–child relationships and quality of family life in Taiwanese adult children

This study explored how parenting shapes Taiwanese young adults’ filial piety, which in turn affects their life outcomes. The study utilized data from 2007 and 2011 collected from 1186 young adults, 316 fathers, and 870 mothers; the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The main findings were the following: (1) reciprocal filial piety mediates the influence of supportive parenting on young adults’ happiness and the quality of parent-adolescent relationships; (2) reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety mediate the effect of supportive parenting on the quality of family life; (3) supportive maternal parenting has a positive influence on mother–adult child relationships through facilitation of both reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety; and (4) supportive parenting as reported by parents is less strongly associated with young adults’ filial piety and other indicators, including happiness, parent–child relationships, and the quality of family life, compared to supportive parenting as reported by young adults.
Capacity Utilisation, Constraints and Price Adjustments Under the Microscope

This paper analyses the interplay of capacity utilisation, capacity constraints, demand constraints and price adjustments, employing a unique firm-level data set for Swiss manufacturing firms. Theoretically, capacity constraints limit the ability of firms to expand production in the short run and lead to increases in prices. Our results show that, on the one hand, price increases are more likely during periods when firms are faced with capacity constraints. Constraints due to the shortage of labour, in particular, lead to price increases. On the other hand, we also find evidence that firms are not reluctant to reduce prices in response to demand constraints. At the macro level, the implied capacity-utilisation Phillips curve has a convex shape during periods of excess demand and a concave shape during periods of excess supply. Our results are robust to the inclusion of proxies for changes in costs and the competitive position of firms.
Incidence and description of stroller-related injuries to children.

OBJECTIVE To describe the incidence, circumstances, and types of stroller-related injuries among US children. DESIGN Retrospective review of data for children 3 years old and younger from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission for 1994-1998. RESULTS There were an estimated 64 373 stroller-related injuries (95% confidence interval [CI]: 49 223-79 514) to children 3 years old and younger treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States during the 5-year study period. The median age at the time of the injury was 11 months; 51% were males. The annual rate of injury among children <1 year old was 184.4 per 100 000. Seventy-six percent of injuries resulted from a fall from the stroller. A motor vehicle was involved in <1% of cases. Most injuries involved the head (44%) or face (43%). Injury diagnoses included contusions or abrasions (38%), lacerations (24%), closed head injury (22%), and extremity fractures (3%). Two percent of injured children, an estimated 992 (95% CI: 428-1556), were admitted to the hospital during the study period, an annual admission rate of 1.3 per 100 000. Seventy percent of admissions were for head trauma. CONCLUSIONS Injuries related to strollers are common, particularly among children in the first year of life. They often result from falls from the stroller. The data suggest that restraint use would prevent many stroller-related injuries.
Parental smoking behavior and caries experience in preschool children.

OBJECTIVES The study aimed to explore the association between parental smoking behavior and caries experience in young children, taking into account the socioeconomic status and oral health-related behavior. METHODS Cross-sectional data from 1250 3-year-old and 1283 5-year-old children from four geographical areas in Flanders (Belgium) were analyzed. Children were examined at school by trained dentist-examiners, using standard criteria and calibrated examination methodology. Data on oral hygiene and dietary habits, oral health behavior, sociodemographic variables, and parental smoking behavior were obtained through structured questionnaires, completed by the parents. RESULTS Visible caries experience (i.e. d(3)mft > 0) was seen in 7% of 3-year olds and 31% of 5-year olds. In both age groups, 30% of the parents reported smoking behavior. Univariable logistic regression analysis with caries prevalence as the dependent variable, revealed that parental smoking was a significant independent variable. After controlling for age, gender, sociodemographic characteristics, oral hygiene, and dietary habits, the effect of family smoking status was no longer significant in 3-year-old children (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 0.68-5.76). In 5-year olds the significant relationship between parental smoking behavior and caries experience persisted after adjusting for the other evaluated variables (OR = 3.36; 95% CI: 1.49-7.58). CONCLUSION The results of this study illustrate the existence of a significant association between parental smoking behavior and caries experience in 5-year-old children.
A multi-GHz 130ppm accuracy FLL for duty-cycled systems

A frequency-locked-loop optimized for output frequency accuracy and locking time is implemented in a 90nm CMOS technology. The output frequency ranges from 7–9.8GHz with a reference frequency at 130MHz. The accuracy of the output frequency is 130ppm, achieved by minimizing and dithering the fine tuning bits of the oscillator. The estimated locking-time is below 50 reference clock cycles, thanks to the frequency locking nature. A binary frequency detector is adopted, lending the FLL naturally to a digital implementation, therefore avoiding the control voltage leakage issue. The measured phase noise @1MHz is −67dBc/Hz. The implementation offers itself a suitable solution for duty-cycled system.
Üniversite Öğrencilerinde Ölüm Kaygısı: Türk Ve Ürdünlü Öğrenciler Üzerine Karşılaştırmalı Bir Araştırma

This research examining death anxiety is carried out to determine the relationship between death anxiety and cultural diversity, gender, age, socio-economic situation, social environment and self-perception of religiosity. In this research, survey method and questionnaire technique are used. Sample of the study covers theology students of Marmara University, Turkey and Yarmouk University, Jordan. “Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS)” is applied. The data is analyzed by SPSS statistical program. In the evaluation of data, analysis of factor and reliability and t-test and ANOVA are used. Females attained higher mean score than their male counterparts. Adults had a significantly lower mean in TDAS total score than adolescents. Jordanian students attained significantly higher mean TDAS score than their Turkish counterparts. Meanwhile, the findings indicate that religiosity positively affects acceptance of death and coping with death anxiety.