Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Absent presences: the recognition of social class and gender dimensions within peer assessment interactions

This paper focuses on the discursive characteristics of peer assessment interactions, drawing upon recent research into formative assessment within a task design involving extended project-based work tackled in groups by pupils. Case studies were conducted within two schools in socially-deprived areas of Scotland. They included classroom observation, digital video and audio data collection, and a series of interviews with pupils and teachers. The task design created opportunities for interdisciplinary, collaborative learning and generated strong pupil engagement. However, a disjuncture is seen between the conflictual characteristics of peer assessment, which are suggested to have gendered and social class dimensions, and the discourses of teamwork and community-building that were privileged in the classrooms observed. Although recognised more in research conversations, the article argues that teachers could be better supported in considering how social class and gender are implicated in peer assessment and in developing classroom discourse that addresses social equity issues.
Proactive personality and job performance: The role of job crafting and work engagement

The article examines the role of proactive personality in predicting work engagement and job performance. On the basis of the literature on proactive personality and the job demands–resources model, we hypothesized that employees with a proactive personality would be most likely to craft their own jobs, in order to stay engaged and perform well. Data were collected among 95 dyads of employees (N = 190), who were working in various organizations. The results of structural equation modeling analyses offered strong support for the proposed model. Employees who were characterized by a proactive personality were most likely to craft their jobs (increase their structural and social job resources, and increase their job challenges); job crafting, in turn, was predictive of work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption) and colleague-ratings of in-role performance. These findings suggest that, to the extent that employees proactively adjust their work environment, they manage to stay engaged and perform well.
Peripheral Blood miR-328 Expression as a Potential Biomarker for the Early Diagnosis of NSCLC

Lung cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, with subsequently poor prognosis. There are no biomarkers available to facilitate early diagnosis or to discriminate between benign and malignant nodules. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are stable molecules that can be found and measured in peripheral blood, thus representing potential diagnostic biomarkers. We evaluated 100 individuals comprising 86 patients with predominantly early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 24 healthy donors. RNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and the expression of a panel of miRNAs was analyzed by Real-Time PCR method. Expression levels of miR-328, miR-18a, miR-339 and miR-140 were significantly higher in NSCLC patients than in healthy donors (p < 0.05). In particular, miR-328 showed good diagnostic accuracy in discriminating between patients with early NSCLC and healthy donors (AUC ROC 0.82, 95% CI 0.72–0.92), with 70% sensitivity and 83% specificity at the best relative expression cut-off of 300. Moreover, miR-339 was a good discriminant between healthy donors and late-stage NSCLC patients (AUC ROC 0.79, 95% CI 0.68–0.91). In conclusion, miR-328 represents a potential diagnostic biomarker of NSCLC, especially for the identification of early-stage tumors. Its role in discriminating between benign and malignant nodules detected by spiral CT warrants further investigation.
Talking City Trouble: Interactional Vandalism, Social Inequality, and the “Urban Interaction Problem”1

This article uses ethnography and conversation analysis to pinpoint what “goes wrong” when certain so‐called street people “harass” pas‐sersby. The technical properties of sidewalk encounters between particular black street men and middle‐class white female residents of Greenwich Village are compared with interactions expected from studies of other conversation situations. The men attempt to initiate conversations and to deal with efforts to close them in ways that betray the practical ethics fundamental to all social interaction. In this way they undermine the requisites not just for “urbanism as a way of life,” but the bases for how sociability generally proceeds. These acts of “interactional vandalism” both reflect and contribute to the larger structural conditions shaping the local scene.
MERIS Land Products Validation

Over land, the aerosol remote sensing is based on the observation of Dense Dark Vegetation (DDV) and this concept is applied on MERIS with a spectral index (ARVI, Atmospherically Resistant Vegetation Index) to detect the DDV and the use of the bands at 412, 443 and 670 nm to characterize the aerosols. The aerosol size distribution is assumed to follow the Junge law while the aerosol refractive index is set to 1.44. The aerosol product consists on the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 865 nm and on the spectral dependence of the aerosol path radiance (Epsilon coefficient e which is the ratio of the aerosol reflectance at 765 nm to that at 865 nm). The validation exercise is mostly based on the use of ground based optical measurements from the AERONET network. A classical validation of the aerosol product is conducted using the extinction measurements. A deeper validation is done in order to investigate the different assumptions used in the aerosol remote sensing module by: (i) using the ground based measurements to validate the DDV reflectance model. Atmospheric correction will be done, including the aerosols, to derive DDV reflectances for comparison to standard values. (ii) using the ground based measurements to validate the choice of the Junge size distribution by comparing the simulated radiances with this model to the measurements in the principal plane. The AOT at 865 nm is badly retrieved because of the inaccuracy of the DDV reflectance model in the red whereas the AOT at 443 nm is in good agreement with AERONET data and accuracy is comparable to what is achieved by MODIS over comparable sites. The Junge size distribution is well adapted for the representation of aerosols optical properties. The main algorithm improvement we recommend consists in introducing a dynamical DDV reflectance model that is a reflectance which varies with the ARVI of the target. Under clear sky conditions, the surface pressure is a level-2 MERIS product based on a two band ratio between 761.75 nm and 753 nm. This ratio is first corrected from the coupling between scattering and absorption to get the oxygen transmittance TO2. TO2 is pre computed versus the air mass m time P to simply derive P from look up tables. The validation of the product itself is done by comparison to the barometric pressure collected from ECMWF and Digital Elevation Model attached to the MERIS product.
Size and socio-economic resources of core discussion networks in the Netherlands: differences by national-origin group and immigrant generation

AbstractThis study examines differences in the size and socio-economic resources of core discussion networks across national-origin groups and immigrant generation. The analysis is based on the Netherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study (2008–10), a nationally representative, large-scale survey of the Dutch population that contains an over-sample of first- and second-generation immigrants from Turkey and Morocco, the two largest non-western immigrant groups in the Netherlands. Results show that Dutch majority members have larger and more resourceful core discussion networks than Turks and Moroccans. Second-generation immigrants from Turkey and Morocco have larger core discussion networks than their foreign-born parents. However, there is no clear evidence for intergenerational increase in resources. The larger and more resourceful core discussion networks of the Dutch are partly attributable to the Dutch being higher educated and employed more often.
Leadership and Influence: Evidence from an Artefactual Field Experiment on Local Public Good Provision

This paper studies the effect of leadership on the level and evolution of pro-social behavior using an artefactual field experiment on local public good provision. Participants decide how much to contribute to an actual conservation project. They can then revise their donations after being randomly matched in pairs on the basis of their authority and having observed each other’s contributions. Authority is measured through a social ranking exercise identifying formal and moral leaders within the community. I find that giving by a pair is higher and shows a lower tendency to decrease over time when a leader is part of a pair. This is because higher-ranked pair members in general, and leaders in particular, donate more and are less likely to revise contributions downwards after giving more than their counterparts. Leadership effects are stronger when moral authority is made salient within the experiment, in line with the ethical nature of the decision under study. These findings highlight the importance of identifying different forms of leadership and targeting the relevant leaders in projects aimed at local public good provision.
Cultural Identity and Acculturation Preferences among South Asian Adolescents in Britain: An Exploratory Study.

The study reported in this article is part of a wider research project on the adaptation of South Asians in Britain. It examines and compares the acculturation attitudes and cultural identity of Indian and Pakistani second-generation adolescents Indian (Punjabi Sikh and Gujarati Hindu) and Pakistani (Muslim) in Britain. The research project integrates a social psychological approach to ethnic identity, Berry’s (Cross-cultural Perspectives. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1990) acculturation strategy and stress models, and Phinney’s (Journal of Early Adolescence, 9, 1989:34) model of ethnic identification. There were 240 adolescents, aged 13–18 years, with an even split between the genders. Results from this study suggested that the majority of Indian youth adopted integration strategies as opposed to Pakistani Muslims who adopted a separation strategy. Cultural identity is a term used to include both ethnic and national identities. Ethnic identity scores were high for Indian and Pakistani adolescents. National identity was more important for Indian adolescents but ethnic identity was more important than national identity for all groups. Perceived discrimination was related to acculturation strategies.
Rhizosphere Microbiome Recruited from a Suppressive Compost Improves Plant Fitness and Increases Protection against Vascular Wilt Pathogens of Tomato

Suppressive composts represent a sustainable approach to combat soilborne plant pathogens and an alternative to the ineffective chemical fungicides used against those. Nevertheless, suppressiveness to plant pathogens and reliability of composts are often inconsistent with unpredictable effects. While suppressiveness is usually attributed to the compost’s microorganisms, the mechanisms governing microbial recruitment by the roots and the composition of selected microbial communities are not fully elucidated. Herein, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of a compost on tomato plant growth and its suppressiveness against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Foxl) and Verticillium dahliae (Vd). First, growth parameters of tomato plants grown in sterile peat-based substrates including 20 and 30% sterile compost (80P/20C-ST and 70P/30C-ST) or non-sterile compost (80P/20C and 70P/30C) were evaluated in a growth room experiment. Plant height, total leaf surface, and fresh and dry weight of plants grown in the non-sterile compost mixes were increased compared to the plants grown in the sterile compost substrates, indicating the plant growth promoting activity of the compost’s microorganisms. Subsequently, compost’s suppressiveness against Foxl and Vd was evaluated with pathogenicity experiments on tomato plants grown in 70P/30C-ST and 70P/30C substrates. Disease intensity was significantly less in plants grown in the non-sterile compost than in those grown in the sterile compost substrate; AUDPC was 2.3- and 1.4-fold less for Foxl and Vd, respectively. Moreover, fungal quantification in planta demonstrated reduced colonization in plants grown in the non-sterile mixture. To further investigate these findings, we characterized the culturable microbiome attracted by the roots compared to the unplanted compost. Bacteria and fungi isolated from unplanted compost and the rhizosphere of plants were sequence-identified. Community-level analysis revealed differential microbial communities between the compost and the rhizosphere, suggesting a clear effect of the plant in the microbiome assembly. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were highly enriched in the rhizosphere whereas Firmicutes were strongly represented in both compartments with Bacillus being the most abundant species. Our results shed light on the composition of a microbial consortium that could protect plants against the wilt pathogens of tomato and improve plant overall health.
Hypothalamic Alterations in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Their Relation to Abnormal Energy Metabolism

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are disorders characterized by progressive deterioration of brain structure and function. Selective neuronal populations are affected leading to symptoms which are prominently motor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Huntington’s disease (HD), or cognitive in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). Besides the common existence of neuronal loss, NDDs are also associated with metabolic changes such as weight gain, weight loss, loss of fat mass, as well as with altered feeding behavior. Importantly, preclinical research as well as clinical studies have demonstrated that altered energy homeostasis influences disease progression in ALS, AD and HD, suggesting that identification of the pathways leading to perturbed energy balance might provide valuable therapeutic targets Signals from both the periphery and central inputs are integrated in the hypothalamus, a major hub for the control of energy balance. Recent research identified major hypothalamic changes in multiple NDDs. Here, we review these hypothalamic alterations and seek to identify commonalities and differences in hypothalamic involvement between the different NDDs. These hypothalamic defects could be key in the development of perturbations in energy homeostasis in NDDs and further understanding of the underlying mechanisms might open up new avenues to not only treat weight loss but also to ameliorate overall neurological symptoms.
Antecedents of Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intentions Among Professional Accountants in Different Employment Settings in Singapore

Abstract Although the employment of professionals in organizational settings is a global phenomenon, most of the country-specific and cross-cultural studies on professionals' role orientations and behavior have been done in the industrialized Western hemisphere. Data obtained from professional accountants (N = 245) in Singapore were used to replicate the work of Aranya and his associates on the determinants of organizational commitment and turnover intentions among professional accountants. Multiple regression analyses were performed for the entire sample and then for professional and nonprofessional employment settings. In general, the findings here provide support for the congruity thesis and for Tuma and Grimes' (1981) psychological and organizational mechanisms of professional role orientations; they also support the withdrawal model of turnover intentions.
An analysis of blood utilization for elective surgery in a tertiary medical centre in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to determine the efficiency of blood utilization for elective surgery at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). A similar study conducted six years earlier in the same unit resulted in the introduction and implementation in December 1997 of the local Maximum Surgical Blood Order Schedule (MSBOS) and the Group Screen and Hold (GSH) procedure instead of a full crossmatch. This paper compares the findings of the current study with that conducted earlier. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective survey of the blood ordering practice for elective surgery over a 3-month period, from February to April 2001 was conducted in the Transfusion Medicine Unit (TMU) of the UMMC. Outcome measures used in this study were (a) decision on whether to perform a full cross match or a GSH procedure using the MSBOS guidelines, (b) the crossmatch transfusion ratio (CT), (c) the transfusion index (TI) and (d) the degree of over transfusion calculated from the pre and postoperative hemoglobin levels. The CT ratio and the TI were calculated for each type of elective surgery performed during the study period. RESULTS In the present study 31.2% of cases had blood crossmatched as against 40.6% in the earlier one The overall CT ratio was 5.0 and many procedures were found to have a high CT ratio and a low transfusion index. It was observed that 47.7% of patients were over transfused as compared to 45.5% in the earlier study. CONCLUSION The introduction of MSBOS and GSH has led to a significant decrease in the percentage (p= < 0.05) of cases for which a full crossmatch is done. The conservation policies have led to a decreased crossmatch workload and reduced blood outdating. Although the CT ratio has improved for many individual procedures, the overall CT ratio in fact increased from 4.4 to 5.0. There remains therefore, a continuous opportunity to improve transfusion practices by reviewing the local MSBOS. The transfusion index (TI) calculated for each procedure in this study can be utilized to recommend a GSH for those procedures with low TI.
A high fill-factor comb-driven XY-stage with topological layer switch architecture

We have developed novel device architecture of comb-driven double-gimbal XY-stage of high fill-factor (stage area / chip size), which has been realized for the first time by topologically separating the actuator elements in two layers: all the electrical parts (electrodes and interconnections) are in the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) layer, while the mechanical parts (suspensions, frame, and XY-stage) are in the substrate. Thanks to the new layered structures, the overall footprint of the actuator has been made small. The XY-stage moved 19µm in the X and the Y direction independently, and also in the diagonal direction.
Mathematical Analysis of Omnidirectional Wireless Power Transfer—Part-I: Two-Dimensional Systems

This two-part paper aims at providing the basic mathematical theory of omnidirectional wireless power transfer (WPT). Based on current vector control, the magnetic field vector can be generated and pointed at any direction, thus achieving genuine omnidirectional wireless power flow. Part-I of this paper contains the mathematical analysis of the two-dimensional (2-D) system. The 2-D analysis shows that the total input power and the system energy efficiency of the WPT system can be expressed as functions of the angle of the input magnetic field vector. These functions follow the Lemniscates of Bernoulli on the 2-D plane. The directional nature of such curves provides the crucial information of the locations of the receivers so that the wireless power can theoretically be directed to the loads efficiently. The 2-D theory is presented here with the support of experimental verification. Understanding the 2-D omnidirectional WPT theory would make it relatively easy to appreciate the three dimensional one reported in Part II.
Strategy-Process Research: What Have We Learned and What Is Still to Be Explored

This article attempts to reflect the current state and progress of strategy-process research. Based on a literature review, an integrative framework is developed encompassing key antecedents, process and outcome factors, and the interrelationship among them. The review reveals that strategy-process research has made considerable progress in the past, shifting the focus from strategic planning to new areas, thereby emphasizing the exposed position of the individuals involved. The authors recommend that researchers conduct more studies that explore the effects of the individuals involved in strategy processes and the phases prior to and after the actual decision making.
Language Use and Attributional Biases in Close Personal Relationships

Attributional biases in close relationships can take the form of either an actor-observer bias (i. e., attributions to partner dispositions) or an egocentric bias (self-attributions). Hence, different theoretical approaches lead to contradictory predictions. To resolve this conflict, the language used to describe one's own and one's partner's behavior was analyzed. Free descriptions were coded with respect to sentence subjects (self vs. partner) and the abstractness of Predicates. Evidence was found for both types of biases, though at different levels of language use. An actor-observer bias was obtained at the abstract level of adjectives, whereas an egocentric bias was found at the level of interpretive action verbs (i.e., manifest behaviors). Language use is also shown to be related to satisfaction with the partnership, action verbs being a better predictor than adjectives. The role of language in mediating or elucidating social cognitive phenomena is discussed.
Microaggressions and Women in Short-Term Psychotherapy: Initial Evidence

The current study retrospectively examined the relationship between female clients’ perceptions of microaggressions directed toward women, working alliance, and therapeutic outcomes (N = 121). A measure, the Microaggressions Against Women Scale (MAWS), was developed specifically for this study, based on a content review of the literature, focus group, and a panel of seven female psychologists. A latent class factor analysis (returning one factor) and internal consistency estimates supported the measure. Clients’ MAWS scores were negatively correlated with working alliance and therapy outcomes, suggesting that clients’ perceptions of microaggressions can influence the process and outcome of therapy. Last, working alliance mediated the negative relationship between microaggressions and therapy outcomes. Implications for practice and further research are provided.
Acoustic model training based on node-wise weight boundary model increasing speed of discrete neural networks

Our purpose is to realize discrete neural networks (NNs), whose some parameters are discretized, as a low-resource and fast NNs for acoustic models. Two essential problems should be tackled for its realization; 1) the reduction of discretization errors and 2) the implementation method for fast processing. We propose a new parameter training algorithm for 1) and an implementation using look-up table (LUT) on general-purpose CPUs for 2), respectively. The former can set proper boundaries of discretization at each node of NNs, resulting in the reduction of discretization error. The latter can reduce the memory usage of NNs within the cache size of CPU by encoding parameters of NNs. Experiments with 2-bit discrete NNs showed that our algorithm maintained almost the same word accuracy as 8-bit discrete NNs and achieved a 40% increase in speed of the NN's forward calculation.