Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Item Functioning (Test Bias) Analysis Paradigm across Manifest and Latent Examinee Groups (On the Construct Validity of IELTS)

When important decisions are made based on test scores, it is critical to avoid bias, which may unfairly influence examinees' scores. Bias is the presence of some characteristics of an item that results in differential performance for individuals of the same ability but from different ethnic, age, sex, academic, cultural, or religious groups. The investigation of differential item functioning (DIF) is crucial in language proficiency tests in which test-takers with adverse backgrounds are involved, because DIF items pose a considerable threat to the validity of tests. This study mainly focuses on the detection and investigation of the possible multi-dimensional causes of DIF in IELTS, Listening and Reading sub-sections. The main aim of this project is to provide test constructors with information as detailed as possible about sources of DIF in order to help them avoid item bias in future forms of the test. The study was carried out in three steps. First, DIF items were identified using Item Response Theory (IRT) Likelihood Ratio Approach (LR) and Mantel-Haenszel statistical procedure. The second stage was an investigation of the multi-variant sources of DIF for different groups of candidates and whether it worked to their advantage or disadvantage. At the third stage, it was decided whether a possible source of DIF was relevant or irrelevant to the construct the test claimed to measure.
Green's function of the electromagnetic field in biaxial media.

Asymptotic properties of the Green's function of an electromagnetic field in the far zone of biaxial anisotropic media are examined, based on ideas proposed by Lax and Nelson [Phys. Rev. B 4, 3694 (1971)]. The rather complicated structure of the wave surface and the ray surface, in particular the existence of their singular points, is taken into account. Starting from a detailed analysis of the wave-surface Gaussian curvature, we find the directions of Green's-function asymptotic behavior differing from the usual R -1 relationship. These directions are the directions along the biradials of a biaxial medium, and the infinite sets of directions defined by a wave vector directed along every one of the binormals
The Mediating Processes Linking Applicant Personality Traits and Interviewer Evaluation

This study examines interview preparations (i.e., social preparation and background preparation) and impression management (IM) tactics (i.e., self‐focused IM and other‐focused IM) as the mechanisms between applicant personality characteristics and interviewer evaluation. Data were collected from both actual job applicants and interviewers. Results show that personality characteristics (i.e., extraversion and conscientiousness) have indirect effects on interviewer evaluation in terms of perceived person–job fit (P–J fit) and interpersonal liking through these two types of applicant behaviors. This study accomplishes two goals: (1) it extends the socioanalytic theory of personality (Hogan, 1996) by testing the intervening roles played by applicants' behaviors that correspond to getting along with and getting ahead of others; and (2) it suggests that these applicant behaviors might be important cues for practical interviewers' effective assessment of applicants' performance‐related characteristics.
Achieving a Sense of Control in a Context of Uncertainty: Nurses and AIDS

This article describes how nurses cope with their concerns about acquiring HIV infection when caring for persons with AIDS (PWAs). In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 nurses who had cared for PWAs in an active treatment hospital in a Western Canadian city. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative methodology of grounded theory. The findings suggest that nurses work to create and maintain a sense of control by making risk manageable through the use of behavioral and cognitive coping strategies. More specifically, nurses maximize their safety through the use of precautions, reappraise risk as less threatening, and distance from situations that tend to elicit fear. The article concludes with suggestions for further research and implications for practice.
Fabrication of Copper Wire Using Glyoxylic Acid Copper Complex and Laser Irradiation in Air

Preparation of a glyoxylic acid copper complex and fabrication of fine copper wire by CO2 laser irradiation in air to a thin film of that complex have been investigated. Irradiating laser to the complex thin film spin-coated on a glass substrate, thin film of metallic copper was fabricated in areas that were subjected to laser irradiation in air. The thickness of this thin copper film was approx. 30 to 40 nm, and as non-irradiated areas were etched and removed by a soluble solvent of the copper complex, fine copper wire with 200 μm width was formed by laser direct patterning. The resistivity of this thin copper film depended on the irradiation intensity of the laser and was 3.0 × 10–5 Ω·cm at 12 W intensity (sweep speed: 20 mm/s). This method enables the high-speed deposition of copper wiring in air by a printing process, indicating an inexpensive and useful process for fabricating copper wiring.
Efficacy and safety of gemcitabine-docetaxel combination therapy for recurrent or refractory high-grade osteosarcoma in China: a retrospective study of 18 patients.

OBJECTIVE In this study, we describe experiences with gemcitabine-docetaxel combination therapy as salvage treatment for Chinese patients with recurrent or refractory high-grade osteosarcoma. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 18 patients with recurrent or refractory high-grade osteosarcoma who had undergone gemcitabine-docetaxel combination treatment as salvage chemotherapy. Gemcitabine at 675 mg/m(2) was administered on Days 1 and 8, and docetaxel at 75-100 mg/m(2) was administered on Day 8. The combination therapy was repeated every 3 weeks. Treatment was continued until evidence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS The patients (ages 12-57 years) received a total of 44 cycles of chemotherapy (median: 2 courses; range: 2-6 courses). The overall response rate was 5.6% and the disease control rate was 22.3%, with one partial response and three patients with stable disease. The median time to progression and overall survival time were 2 months (range: 2-6 months) and 8 months (range: 3-21 months), respectively. Major severe toxicities were hematologic toxicities, including Grade 3 or 4 anemia (9.1%), leucopenia (29.5%) and thrombocytopenia (18.1%) in total cycles; mild toxicities included Grade 1 or 2 nausea and vomiting (31.8%), fatigue (38.6%) and alopecia (20.5%). There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS In the current study, gemcitabine-docetaxel combination therapy at this dosage and schedule was found to be well tolerated and marginally effective, which could be considered as salvage therapy for patients with recurrent or refractory high-grade osteosarcoma.
Estimation of surface roughness in a semiarid region from C-band ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar data

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using the C-band European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to estimate surface soil roughness in a semiarid rangeland. Radar backscattering coefficients were extracted from a dry and a wet season SAR image and were compared with 47 in situ soil roughness measurements obtained in the rocky soils of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, southeastern Arizona, USA. Both the dry and the wet season SAR data showed exponential relationships with root mean square (RMS) height measurements. The dry C-band ERS-1 SAR data were strongly correlated (R2 = 0.80), while the wet season SAR data have somewhat higher secondary variation (R2 = 0.59). This lower correlation was probably provoked by the stronger influence of soil moisture, which may not be negligible in the wet season SAR data. We concluded that the single configuration C-band SAR data is useful to estimate surface roughness of rocky soils in a semiarid rangeland.
Research Note—A New Method for Mapping Population and Understanding the Spatial Dynamics of Disease in Urban Areas: Asthma in the Bronx, New York

Determining an accurate depiction of population distribution for urban areas in order to develop an improved "denominator" is important for the calculation of higher-precision rates in GIS analyses, particularly when exploring the spatial dynamics of disease. Rather than using data aggregated by arbitrary administrative boundaries such as census tracts, we developed the Cadastral-Based Expert Dasymetric System (CEDS), an interpolation method using ancillary information to delineate areas of homogeneous values. This method uses cadastral data, land-use filters, modeling by expert system routines, and validation against various census enumeration units and other data. The CEDS method is presented through a case study of asthma hospitalizations in the borough of the Bronx in New York City, in relation to proximity buffers constructed around major sources of air pollution. The analysis using CEDS shows that asthma hospitalization risk due to proximity to pollution sources is greater than previously calculated using traditional disaggregation methods.
Neodymium‐yag laser intranasal photocoagulation in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: An update report

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is a challenging problem for the otolaryngologist since frequent, often severe epistaxis is the major symptom. Options for therapy in the past have included nasal packing, electrocautery, systemic estrogens, septal dermatoplasty, arterial embolization, and arterial ligation. Although successful treatment has been achieved with some of these methods, particularly septal dermatoplasty, other forms of therapy are needed prompting the use of laser photocoagulation.
Love it or hate it: students' responses to the experience of virtual worlds

Effective experiential learning within virtual worlds requires students to engage with the virtual world, not only as active learners but also as embodied actors, fully immersed in the world, with a developed inworld identity and body image. These elements are one source of the added value that immersive virtual worlds bring to the educational experience, but can also be a source of anxiety and resistance for many students. In order to move forward with teaching and learning in virtual worlds, it is important that educators seek to understand these reactions and, furthermore, develop strategies to address them. This paper will describe the range of responses displayed by students to virtual worlds, drawn from evidence collated during the authors’ seven years collective experience of teaching in virtual worlds. The responses can be attributed to a variety of cultural and value-based attitudes held by students to technology in general and to virtual worlds in particular. In addition, the authors note the potential existence of an “embodiment tendency” which may be the basis of an innate engagement with, or failure to connect with, virtual worlds. Drawing on particular cases, and evidenced by students’ testimonies, the authors will set out a typology of students’ responses, both positive and negative. They will describe a framework proposal of strategies for engaging with these responses, and discuss the ethical implications that students’ negative opinions raise for educators making use of immersive virtual worlds.
The ‘romance of teams’: Toward an understanding of its psychological underpinnings and implications

Although advocates of teamwork suggest that teams enhance performance, empirical evidence does not consistently, or robustly, support these claims. Still, a belief in the effectiveness of teams—among managers, employees, and the general lay population—seems very strong. What accounts for this ‘romance of teams’? In this paper, we offer a psychological answer to this question. We review evidence regarding the actual effectiveness of teams, in order to show that teams are not as effective as many believe them to be, and we argue that the romance of teams stems from the psychological benefits of group-based activity. Specifically, we propose that team members experience both social-emotional, and competence-related, benefits, and we review an eclectic mix of research in support of this claim. We argue that these psychological benefits of teams lead people to assume that teams are ‘high performance’, thus, causing the romance of teams. Finally, we discuss potential implications of the romance for organizations, researchers, and employees.
Relative validation of a beverage frequency questionnaire in children ages 6 months through 5 years using 3-day food and beverage diaries.

OBJECTIVE To determine the relative validity of a quantitative beverage frequency questionnaire in assessing beverage, calcium, and vitamin D intakes using 3-day food diaries for reference. DESIGN Parents were asked to complete questionnaires for the preceding week and diaries for the following week for their children. Calcium and vitamin D intakes were estimated from human milk, infant formulas, and cow's milk ("beverages") for questionnaires and diaries and from "all foods and beverages" for diaries. Data collected at 6 and 12 months and 3 and 5 years of age as part of the Iowa Fluoride Study (N=700) were analyzed cross-sectionally. SUBJECTS Children (N=240); 60 randomly selected from each quartile of energy intake at 6 months of age. STATISTICAL ANALYSES Spearman correlation coefficients, weighted kappa statistics, and percentages of exact agreement were used to assess associations between tools. RESULTS Correlations between mean daily beverage intakes estimated from questionnaires and diaries ranged from 0.95-0.99 for human milk, 0.84-0.85 for infant formula, 0.63-0.86 for cow's milk, 0.54-0.69 for juice/drinks, 0.26-0.59 for liquid soft drinks, 0.35-0.74 for powdered soft drinks and 0.54-0.70 for water. Correlations between mean daily nutrient intakes estimated from questionnaires and diaries "beverages" ranged from 0.64-0.74 for calcium and 0.60-0.80 for vitamin D; and between questionnaires and diaries "all foods and beverages" ranged from 0.41-0.63 for calcium and 0.43-0.80 for vitamin D. APPLICATIONS A quantitative beverage frequency questionnaire can provide a relative estimate of beverage, calcium, and vitamin D intakes.
Self-efficacy and sexual offending against children: Construction of a measure and changes following relapse prevention treatment

The enhancement of self-efficacy beliefs is considered a pivotal aspect in the successful treatment of sex offenders and represents a central feature in the relapse prevention model of sexual crimes (Hall, 1989). The possible relationship between self-efficacy and recidivism has not been investigated.The paper describes a relapse prevention treatment study of 50 male sex offenders against children employing a new measure of self-efficacy which applies to sexual crimes. The test was constructed based on Kirsch's (1985) causal model of self-efficacy. The three subscales of the test represent: 1. demands of high-risk situations; 2. efficacy of coping skills and ability; 3. appreciation and expectation of rewards. Treatment outcome showed significant changes for the three self-efficacy test subscales. A preliminary analysis demonstrated that subscale 3 and the speed at which a coping response was produced accurately classified recidivist and non-recidivist participants at a three-year follow-up period. The findings suggest the importance of assessing self-efficacy beliefs when treating child sex offenders and their relevance to treatment is discussed. Language: en
Inflammation Partially Mediates the Association of Multimorbidity and Functional Limitations in a National Sample of Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Objective: Older adults are increasingly likely to have two or more chronic medical conditions (multimorbidity) and are consequently at greater risk of disability. Here we examine the role of inflammation in mediating the relationship between multimorbidity and disability. Method: Data are from the Survey of Mid-Life in the United States (MIDUS), a national sample of middle-aged and older adults. Structural equation models were used to assess direct relationships between multimorbidity and activities of daily living as well as indirect associations with a latent variable for inflammation (indicated by circulating levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen) as a mediator. Results: After adjustment for potential confounds, multimorbidity was positively associated with inflammation (p < .001) and functional limitations (p < .001), and inflammation partially mediated the link between multimorbidity and functional limitations (p < .01). Discussion: Inflammation may be an important biological mechanism through which chronic medical conditions are linked to disability in later life.
Erosion of case and agreement in Hindi heritage speakers

Recent research has identified several vulnerable areas in heritage language grammars, among which morphosyntax is among the most affected. In this study, we report on the morphosyntactic competence of Hindi heritage speakers living in the U.S and show that these speakers have representational problems with ergative, accusative and dative case morphology, albeit to different degrees. Hindi is a split ergative language with a complex interaction of case and agreement. Transitive predicates in perfective aspect co-occur with subjects marked with ergative case (-ne) and object agreement. Animate specific direct objects are marked with the particle -ko, and so are the indirect objects and dative subjects. 21 Hindi native speakers and 28 Hindi heritage speakers completed a sociolinguistic questionnaire, a Hindi cloze test, an oral narrative task and a bimodal acceptability judgment task. The results showed significant differences between the fluent native speakers and the heritage speakers on all measures.
An Examination of the Relationship Between Anxiety and Performance on Prospective and Retrospective Memory Tasks

The present study investigated the association between self-reported state anxiety, trait anxiety and performance on losely matched prospective and retrospective memory tasks and on a working memory (reading span) task. Eysenck and alvo's (1992) processing efficiency theory suggests that the deleterious effects of anxiety on cognitive task erformance are mediated by worry occupying working memory. They suggest that the adverse effects of anxiety would be ost marked when people are experiencing acute anxiety states on tasks that place high demands on working memory apacity and are treated as secondary tasks, conditions that typically occur for prospective remembering. Sixty-three ndergraduate students were allocated to high, medium and low anxiety conditions using tertile splits of ranked state nd trait anxiety scores. It was found that people with elevated levels of state anxiety performed more poorly on a rospective memory test than people with lower levels of state anxiety. No difference between these g.
Beyond resilients, undercontrollers, and overcontrollers? an extension of personality prototype research

Prototypes of personality were investigated in two studies. In study I, clusters of Big‐Five‐based prototypes were examined using a general population sample of 1908 German adults. Convergent evidence suggested the appropriateness of a five‐cluster solution, which corresponds to previously identified temperament based prototypes. In study II, the five‐cluster solution was cross‐validated in a sample of 256 prisoners. Moreover, it was shown that a population‐based approach (using discriminant functions derived from study I) was superior over the traditional sample‐based cluster approach (using Ward followed by k‐means). The authors argue that future typological research can be sufficiently grounded on a five‐prototype conception rather than on a three‐prototype conception, and suggest a new and flexible assignment procedure. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CD4-Independent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Involves Participation of Endocytosis and Cathepsin B

During a comparison of the infectivity of mNDK, a CD4-independent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strain, to various cell lines, we found that HeLa cells were much less susceptible than 293T and TE671 cells. Hybridoma cells between HeLa and 293T cells were as susceptible as 293T cells, suggesting that cellular factors enhance the mNDK infection in 293T cells. By screening a cDNA expression library in HeLa cells, cystatin C was isolated as an enhancer of the mNDK infection. Because cathepsin B protease, a natural ligand of cystatin C, was upregulated in HeLa cells, we speculated that the high levels of cathepsin B activities were inhibitory to the CD4-independent infection and that cystatin C enhanced the infection by impairing the excessive cathepsin B activity. Consistent with this idea, pretreatment of HeLa cells with 125 µM of CA-074Me, a cathepsin B inhibitor, resulted in an 8-fold enhancement of the mNDK infectivity. Because cathepsin B is activated by low pH in acidic endosomes, we further examined the potential roles of endosomes in the CD4-independent infection. Suppression of endosome acidification or endocytosis by inhibitors or by an Eps15 dominant negative mutant reduced the infectivity of mNDK in which CD4-dependent infections were not significantly impaired. Taken together, these results suggest that endocytosis, endosomal acidification, and cathepsin B activity are involved in the CD4-independent entry of HIV-1.
Unsupervised document summarization using clusters of dependency graph nodes

In this paper, we investigate the problem of extractive single document summarization. We propose an unsupervised summarization method that is based on extracting and scoring keywords in a document and using them to find the sentences that best represent its content. Keywords are extracted and scored using clustering and dependency graphs of sentences. We test our method using different corpora including news, events and email corpora. We evaluate our method in the context of news summarization and email summarization tasks and compare the results with previously published ones.