Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fat Kids Can't Do Maths: Negative Body Weight Stereotyping and Associations with Academic Competence and Participation in School Activities Among Primary School Children

Aim: To investigate children's body image, perceptions of the academic abilities of thin and fat children and whether body image influences student's academic confidence and/or participation in school classroom activities. Methods: The Children's Body Image Scale (CBIS) depicting seven figures ranging from thin (A) to fat (G) and individual one-on-one interviews were completed by 15 children aged 8 to 10 years. Results: The thinnest CBIS figures (A, B) were the most nominated 'ideals'. Children with two largest figures, F or G were not nominated as ideal. Thin children were generally ranked as best and perceived as kind; happy; small eaters and socially successful. Fat children were perceived as unintelligent; lazy; greedy; unpopular; bullying and unable or unwilling to play physical games. Thin children were perceived as best at sport; dancing; mathematics and giving speeches. No fat children were perceived as best at any of the academic skills. Conclusion: Body image ideals and fat stereotypes are well entrenched among children although it did not appear to adversely affect their academic confidence and participation in school activities at this age. Teachers and health educators could promote children's participation in academic activities and encourage well being by implementing programs that increase acceptance of a wide range of healthy, and active body shapes. behavior and job competence. The results of this study showed that the girls considered themselves to be less intelligent and academically competent than their lower weight peers, based purely on their body weight perceptions. These findings suggest that adolescent's poor self image is reflected in their poor body image and their desire to seek the "perfect" body, which is characterized by slimness in females and slim/muscularity in males. These "perfect" body ideals are largely unattainable by most individuals and the pursuit of them often translates into repeated failure, further weight gain and lower self worth. The current study seeks to investigate these phenomena in younger children to examine if body image issues affect primary school children's academic self concept as well as self image related to children's participation in classroom and physical education activities. The major research question in the current study was "How do primary school children perceive their own bodies and those of others and do children's body image perceptions relate to their perceptions of and confidence in academic activities, sporting ability and other school activities? "
THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENTS AND WORK INVOLVEMENTS ON JOB SATISFACTION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR (OCB) (Case Study on PT Batulicin Enam Sembilan)

This study aims to determine and analyze the effect of organizational commitment (X1) and job involvement (X2) on job satisfaction (Z) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) (Y). This research method uses questionnaires distributed to 66 employees who work at PT Batulicin Enam Sembilan. The measurement of this study uses a Likert scale with a weight scale from 1 to 5. The data analysis technique used is Partial Least Square (PLS). The results concluded that (i) organizational commitment (X1) had no effect on organizational citizenship behavior (Y), (ii) work involvement (X2) had a significant effect on organizational citizenship behavior (Y), (iii) organizational commitment (X1) had no effect on job satisfaction (Z), (iv) work involvement had significant effect on job satisfaction, (v) job satisfaction (Z) had a significant effect on organizational citizenship behavior (Y).
Altered Membrane Potential and Electrolyte in Sickle Cell Anemia

Aim: This study has been to evaluate the level of membrane potential and electrolyte in sickle cell disease patients. Material and methods: 100 sickle cell patients in steady state ages 5 to 30 years attending General Hospital Owerri were used in the study while 100 normal subjects (HbAA) were used as control. Also 30 HbSS in crisis have been involved. Results: The results obtained showed that the level of membrane potential was significantly lower in sickle cell anemia as compared to the controls. Also, the level of the electrolyte was found significantly decreased in HbSS when compared with HbAA at P<0.05. Conclusion: The membrane potential translates to energy which means that there is less energy in sickle cell disease which is linked to electrolyte imbalance. Hence people with sickle disease should be monitored closely for their electrolytes to avoid crisis.
B cell growth factors and B cell differentiation factor from human T hybridomas. Two distinct kinds of B cell growth factor and their synergism in B cell proliferation

Human T hybridomas secreting B cell growth factors (BCGF) and B cell differentiation factor (BCDF) have been established. Hybrid clones 77- A, 94-C, and 98-F secreted BCGF that induced proliferation of anti-IgM- stimulated normal B cells. The culture supernatant from 77-A cells could also maintain continuous proliferation of colony-forming B cells, but the factor from 94-C could not. The addition of the supernatant from 94-C cells to that from 77-A cells, however, synergistically augmented the proliferation of colony-forming B cells, demonstrating the existence of two distinct kinds of BCGF and the synergism between them. These supernatants, however, showed no interleukin 2 (IL-2) or BCDF activity. A hybrid clone, 90-E, secreted BCDF. The culture supernatant induced Ig production in Cowan I-stimulated normal B cells or in a transformed B cell line, CESS. However, the supernatant had no BCGF or IL-2 activity. Anti-Ig-stimulated B cells, but not IL-2- dependent T cells, absorbed BCGF activity and CESS cells absorbed BCDF activity but not BCGF activity in the culture supernatants from T hybridomas. Taken collectively, the results demonstrated that IL-2, BCGF, and BCDF were different molecules and acceptors specific for the each molecule are present on the each target cell.
Explaining Chinese identification in Hong Kong: the role of beliefs about group malleability

ABSTRACT Hong Kong is an epicentre of identity conflicts in China. While numerous accounts have been proposed to explain the rise of “localism”, few have explained why many Hong Kong Chinese have maintained their ethnic identification with China. Based on an original survey of a representative sample of the population and an experiment conducted among college students, this article advances a novel explanation, arguing that people who perceive the core character of groups as shaped by context (i.e. it is malleable) are more likely to have a higher level of Chinese identification. The explanation is that in the face of deep cultural and political differences between mainland and Hong Kong Chinese, the belief induces the latter to understand those differences as stemming from people’s current situations rather than from some unchangeable national traits, thus reducing their need to adopt an alternative identity. The findings have important implications on (ethno) nation-building policies.
Improving EFL Students’ English Pronunciation by Using the Explicit Teaching Approach

Due to several reasons, pronunciation instruction had often been neglected in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes. Consequently, many EFL learners always find it difficult to speak confidently because of their poor pronunciation. This study is a three-cycled action research aimed at enhancing EFL students’ pronunciation by using the explicit teaching approach. The participants were 21 students majoring in English Education at Universitas Kristen Indonesia who attended Integrated Skills IV class in the even semester of 2015/2016 Academic Year. The participants were provided with special practices on pronunciation, including watching video or listening to English expressions containing elements of English pronunciation difficult to them, drillings the elements, recording and transcribing their utterances, and comparing the transcriptions with those of native speakers’. Data were collected through tests and questionnaires. The results revealed that the explicit teaching approach enhanced the participants’ English pronunciation skills, as shown by the increase of their average scores in the four tests administered during the actions implementation. The survey results revealed that for the participants the approach was interesting, helped pronunciation development, and increased self-confidence in English speaking. Keywords: action research, pronunciation, explicit teaching
Intra-articular implantation of collagen scaffold carriers is safe in both native and arthrofibrotic rabbit knee joints

Objectives Sustained intra-articular delivery of pharmacological agents is an attractive modality but requires use of a safe carrier that would not induce cartilage damage or fibrosis. Collagen scaffolds are widely available and could be used intra-articularly, but no investigation has looked at the safety of collagen scaffolds within synovial joints. The aim of this study was to determine the safety of collagen scaffold implantation in a validated in vivo animal model of knee arthrofibrosis. Materials and Methods A total of 96 rabbits were randomly and equally assigned to four different groups: arthrotomy alone; arthrotomy and collagen scaffold placement; contracture surgery; and contracture surgery and collagen scaffold placement. Animals were killed in equal numbers at 72 hours, two weeks, eight weeks, and 24 weeks. Joint contracture was measured, and cartilage and synovial samples underwent histological analysis. Results Animals that underwent arthrotomy had equivalent joint contractures regardless of scaffold implantation (-13.9° versus -10.9°, equivalence limit 15°). Animals that underwent surgery to induce contracture did not demonstrate equivalent joint contractures with (41.8°) or without (53.9°) collagen scaffold implantation. Chondral damage occurred in similar rates with (11 of 48) and without (nine of 48) scaffold implantation. No significant difference in synovitis was noted between groups. Absorption of the collagen scaffold occurred within eight weeks in all animals Conclusion Our data suggest that intra-articular implantation of a collagen sponge does not induce synovitis or cartilage damage. Implantation in a native joint does not seem to induce contracture. Implantation of the collagen sponge in a rabbit knee model of contracture may decrease the severity of the contracture. Cite this article: J. A. Walker, T. J. Ewald, E. Lewallen, A. Van Wijnen, A. D. Hanssen, B. F. Morrey, M. E. Morrey, M. P. Abdel, J. Sanchez-Sotelo. Intra-articular implantation of collagen scaffold carriers is safe in both native and arthrofibrotic rabbit knee joints. Bone Joint Res 2016;6:162–171. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.63. BJR-2016-0193.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute a Sentiment-based Explanation of the Forward Premium Puzzle

This paper presents a sentiment-based explanation of the forward premium puzzle. Agents over-or underestimate the growth rate of the economy. All else equal, when perceived domestic growth is higher than perceived foreign growth, the domestic interest rate is higher than the foreign interest rate. At the same time, an econometrician would expect an increase in the home currency value. Together, the model with investor misperception can account for the forward premium puzzle. In addition, it helps explain the low correlation of consumption growth differentials and exchange rate growth and the high stock market correlation across countries, despite a low correlation of fundamentals. Finally, this paper provides direct empirical evidence supporting the mechanism in the sentiment-based explanation. and 2011 WFA for comments. I also thank Malcolm Baker and JeffreyWurgler for making their investor sentiment data available. I gratefully acknowledge financial support from Dean's small research grant at the University of Minnesota. All errors are my own. The views in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.
Aboriginal Young People in the Children's Court of Western Australia: Findings from the National Assessment of Australian Children's Courts

This article presents the findings of recent research involving stakeholders in the Children's Court of Western Australia (CCWA). This research found that the needs of Aboriginal children and their families are not being properly addressed due to resource deficiencies, especially in rural and remote areas. There was a clear awareness that the CCWA is responding to behavioural symptoms of disenfranchisement and poverty amongst Aboriginal people, and that solving these deeply embedded systemic issues was beyond the scope of the CCWA. The urgent need to address systemic issues in an inclusive and empowering way was also identified.
Uncoupling of dysgranular retrosplenial “head direction” cells from the global head direction network

Spatial cognition is an important model system with which to investigate how sensory signals are transformed into cognitive representations. Head direction cells, found in several cortical and subcortical regions, fire when an animal faces a given direction and express a global directional signal which is anchored by visual landmarks and underlies the “sense of direction”. We investigated the interface between visual and spatial cortical brain regions and report the discovery that a population of neurons in the dysgranular retrosplenial cortex, which we co-recorded with classic head direction cells in a rotationally symmetrical two-compartment environment, were dominated by a local visually defined reference frame and could be decoupled from the main head direction signal. A second population showed rotationally symmetric activity within a single sub-compartment suggestive of an acquired interaction with the head direction cells. These observations reveal an unexpected incoherence within the head direction system, and suggest that dysgranular retrosplenial cortex may mediate between visual landmarks and the multimodal sense of direction. Importantly, it appears that this interface supports a bi-directional exchange of information, which could explain how it is that landmarks can inform the direction sense while at the same time, the direction sense can be used to interpret landmarks.
Gaussian Process Regression for Predictive But Interpretable Machine Learning Models: An Example of Predicting Mental Workload across Tasks

There is increasing interest in real-time brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for the passive monitoring of human cognitive state, including cognitive workload. Too often, however, effective BCIs based on machine learning techniques may function as “black boxes” that are difficult to analyze or interpret. In an effort toward more interpretable BCIs, we studied a family of N-back working memory tasks using a machine learning model, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), which was both powerful and amenable to analysis. Participants performed the N-back task with three stimulus variants, auditory-verbal, visual-spatial, and visual-numeric, each at three working memory loads. GPR models were trained and tested on EEG data from all three task variants combined, in an effort to identify a model that could be predictive of mental workload demand regardless of stimulus modality. To provide a comparison for GPR performance, a model was additionally trained using multiple linear regression (MLR). The GPR model was effective when trained on individual participant EEG data, resulting in an average standardized mean squared error (sMSE) between true and predicted N-back levels of 0.44. In comparison, the MLR model using the same data resulted in an average sMSE of 0.55. We additionally demonstrate how GPR can be used to identify which EEG features are relevant for prediction of cognitive workload in an individual participant. A fraction of EEG features accounted for the majority of the model’s predictive power; using only the top 25% of features performed nearly as well as using 100% of features. Subsets of features identified by linear models (ANOVA) were not as efficient as subsets identified by GPR. This raises the possibility of BCIs that require fewer model features while capturing all of the information needed to achieve high predictive accuracy.
Agency theory, national culture and management Control Systems

Management control system of an organization is the structured facet of management, the formal vehicle by which the management process is executed. In most organizations, systems exist for planning, organizing, directing, controlling and motivating. Depending on the level of appropriateness and quality of the management control systems, the task of management is either facilitated or hindered. The end goal of a management control system is achieving organizational objectives. Because employees (agents) do not always give their best efforts for achieving organizational objectives, management control systems need to strive for aligning goals of agents (e.g., employees, subordinates) with that of principals (e.g., senior management, owners). Agency theory and its extension, principal agent model, provide insights to the problem of goal congruence and suggest remedies, at least in the Western cultural context. Whether the agency theory presumptions, predictions and prescriptions are universally applicable is an important issue in management. Their validity in different cultural contexts is largely unknown. The available literature to date indicates the possibility that agency theory may not be valid in non-western cultures. However, further empirical research is needed in non-western cultures to shed more light to this issue.
Specific Cellular Incorporation of a Pyrene-Labelled Cholesterol: Lipoprotein-Mediated Delivery toward Ordered Intracellular Membranes

In the aim of testing tools for tracing cell trafficking of exogenous cholesterol, two fluorescent derivatives of cholesterol, 22-nitrobenzoxadiazole-cholesterol (NBD-Chol) and 21-methylpyrenyl-cholesterol (Pyr-met-Chol), with distinctive chemico-physical characteristics, have been compared for their cell incorporation properties, using two cell models differently handling cholesterol, with two incorporation routes. In the Caco-2 cell model, the cholesterol probes were delivered in bile salt micelles, as a model of intestinal absorption. The two probes displayed contrasting behaviors for cell uptake characteristics, cell staining, and efflux kinetics. In particular, Pyr-met-Chol cell incorporation involved SR-BI, while that of NBD-Chol appeared purely passive. In the PC-3 cell model, which overexpresses lipoprotein receptors, the cholesterol probes were delivered via the serum components, as a model of systemic delivery. We showed that Pyr-met-Chol-labelled purified LDL or HDL were able to specifically deliver Pyr-met-Chol to the PC-3 cells, while NBD-Chol incorporation was independent of lipoproteins. Observations by fluorescence microscopy evidenced that, while NBD-Chol readily stained the cytosolic lipid droplets, Pyr-met-Chol labelling led to the intense staining of intracellular structures of membranous nature, in agreement with the absence of detectable esterification of Pyr-met-Chol. A 48 h incubation of PC-3 cells with either Pyr-met-Chol-labelled LDL or HDL gave same staining patterns, mainly colocalizing with Lamp1, caveolin-1 and CD63. These data indicated convergent trafficking downwards their respective receptors, LDL-R and SR-BI, toward the cholesterol-rich internal membrane compartments, late endosomes and multivesicular bodies. Interestingly, Pyr-met-Chol staining of these structures exhibited a high excimer fluorescence emission, revealing their ordered membrane environment, and indicating that Pyr-met-Chol behaves as a fair cholesterol tracer regarding its preferential incorporation into cholesterol-rich domains. We conclude that, while NBD-Chol is a valuable marker of cholesterol esterification, Pyr-met-Chol is a reliable new lipoprotein fluorescent marker which allows to probe specific intracellular trafficking of cholesterol-rich membranes.
Social media, politics, and young adults : the impact of social media use on young adults’ political efficacy, political knowledge, and political participation towards 2014 Indonesia general election

The 2014 Indonesia General Election is a fourth general election that is conducted after the downfall of Soeharto’s authoritarian regime. This is the last general election that separates parliamentary election and presidential election. As the largest group of internet users in Indonesia, young adults were occupied 30 percent of total voters in this general election. This study tried to investigate the impact of social media use for political activities on young adults’ political efficacy, political participation, and political knowledge. Using an online questionnaire, a total of 593 young adults participated in this study. The results show that social media use for political activities influenced young adults’ political efficacy, political participation, and political knowledge. The highest influence was on young adults’ political efficacy. When trying to control social media use for political activities with frequency of general social media use, it was found that frequency of general social media use influenced social media use for political activities. Those with higher frequency of general social media use were also having higher frequency of social media use for political activities. After that, the investigation tried to work other way around. It was found that those with greater political efficacy, greater political participation, and greater political knowledge were also having higher frequency of social media use for political activities. These findings suggest that other intermediary factors may influence the relationships among variables in this study. Thus, further studies are needed to understand other intermediary factors that may influence these causal relationships.
Increased perceived self-efficacy facilitates the extinction of fear in healthy participants

Self-efficacy has been proposed as an important element of a successful cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT). Positive changes in perceived self-efficacy have been linked to an improved adaptive emotional and behavioral responding in the context of anxiety-provoking situations. Furthermore, a positive influence of increased self-efficacy on cognitive functions has been confirmed. The present study examined the effect of verbal persuasion on perceived self-efficacy and fear extinction. Healthy participants were subjected to a standardized differential fear conditioning paradigm. After fear acquisition, half of the participants received a verbal persuasion aimed at increasing perceived self-efficacy. The extinction of fear was assessed immediately thereafter on both the implicit and explicit level. Our results suggest that an increased perceived self-efficacy was associated with enhanced extinction, evidenced on the psychophysiological level and accompanied by more pronounced decrements in conditioned negative valence. Changes in extinction were not due to a decrease in overall emotional reactivity to conditioned stimuli (CS). In addition, debriefing participants about the false positive feedback did not affect the processing of already extinguished conditioned responses during a subsequent continued extinction phase. Our results suggest that positive changes in perceived self-efficacy can be beneficial for emotional learning. Findings are discussed with respect to strategies aimed at increasing extinction learning in the course of exposure-based treatments.