Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation Study in the Educational Context of the Portuguese Version of the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale

Abstrac The self-determination theory proposes a multidimensional concept of motivation and distinguishes how different types of motivation can be promoted or discouraged. For the application of the theory of self-determination to the educational context, this study aimed to adapt and validate the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (MWMS) in the educational context. The scale was answered by 419 teachers from 30 schools from the North and Center of Portugal. Factor analysis indicated that the 19-item scale has the same factor structure as that obtained in the original study. In this study, it was possible to identify that the items that constitute the MWMS are good indicators of constructs to be measured in an educational context and the factors are properly individualized. The scale showed five robust dimensions that permit a broad understanding of motivation, similar to the studies of the original scale. The dimension with the best internal consistency is demotivation, while introjected regulation obtained the lowest coefficient.
Combining Gene Signatures Improves Prediction of Breast Cancer Survival

Background Several gene sets for prediction of breast cancer survival have been derived from whole-genome mRNA expression profiles. Here, we develop a statistical framework to explore whether combination of the information from such sets may improve prediction of recurrence and breast cancer specific death in early-stage breast cancers. Microarray data from two clinically similar cohorts of breast cancer patients are used as training (n = 123) and test set (n = 81), respectively. Gene sets from eleven previously published gene signatures are included in the study. Principal Findings To investigate the relationship between breast cancer survival and gene expression on a particular gene set, a Cox proportional hazards model is applied using partial likelihood regression with an L2 penalty to avoid overfitting and using cross-validation to determine the penalty weight. The fitted models are applied to an independent test set to obtain a predicted risk for each individual and each gene set. Hierarchical clustering of the test individuals on the basis of the vector of predicted risks results in two clusters with distinct clinical characteristics in terms of the distribution of molecular subtypes, ER, PR status, TP53 mutation status and histological grade category, and associated with significantly different survival probabilities (recurrence: p = 0.005; breast cancer death: p = 0.014). Finally, principal components analysis of the gene signatures is used to derive combined predictors used to fit a new Cox model. This model classifies test individuals into two risk groups with distinct survival characteristics (recurrence: p = 0.003; breast cancer death: p = 0.001). The latter classifier outperforms all the individual gene signatures, as well as Cox models based on traditional clinical parameters and the Adjuvant! Online for survival prediction. Conclusion Combining the predictive strength of multiple gene signatures improves prediction of breast cancer survival. The presented methodology is broadly applicable to breast cancer risk assessment using any new identified gene set.
Three Ways That Non-associative Knowledge May Affect Associative Learning Processes

Associative learning theories offer one account of the way animals and humans assess the relationship between events and adapt their behavior according to resulting expectations. They assume knowledge about event relations is represented in associative networks, which consist of mental representations of cues and outcomes and the associative links that connect them. However, in human causal and contingency learning, many researchers have found that variance in standard learning effects is controlled by “non-associative” factors that are not easily captured by associative models. This has given rise to accounts of learning based on higher-order cognitive processes, some of which reject altogether the notion that humans learn in the manner described by associative networks. Despite the renewed focus on this debate in recent years, few efforts have been made to consider how the operations of associative networks and other cognitive operations could potentially interact in the course of learning. This paper thus explores possible ways in which non-associative knowledge may affect associative learning processes: (1) via changes to stimulus representations, (2) via changes to the translation of the associative expectation into behavior (3) via a shared source of expectation of the outcome that is sensitive to both the strength of associative retrieval and evaluation from non-associative influences.
Comparison of Different Electroporation Parameters on Transfection Efficiency of Sheep Testicular Cells

Objective Electroporation can be a highly efficient method for introducing the foreign genetic materials into the targeted cells for transient and/or permanent genetic modification. Considering the application of this technique as a very efficient method for drug, oligonucleotide, antibody and plasmid delivery for clinical applications and production of transgenic animals, the present study aimed to optimize the transfection efficiency of sheep testicular cells including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) via electroporation. Materials and Methods This study is an experimental research conducted in Biotechnology Research Center (Avicenna Research Institute, Tehran, Iran) from September 2013 to March 2014. Following isolation and propagation of one-month lamb testicular cells (SSCs and somatic testicular cells including; Sertoli, Leydig, and myoid cells), the effect of different electroporation parameters including total voltages (280, 320, and 350 V), burst durations (10, 8, and 5 milliseconds), burst modes (single or double) and addition of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were evaluated on transfection efficiency, viability rate and mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) of sheep testicular cells. Results The most transfection efficiency was obtained in 320 V/8 milliseconds/single burst group in transduction medium with and without DMSO. There was a significantly inverse correlation between transfection efficiency with application of both following parameters: addition of DMSO and double burst. After transfection, the highest and lowest viability rates of testicular cells were demonstrated in 320 V/8 milliseconds with transduction medium without DMSO and 350 V/5 milliseconds in medium containing DMSO. Ad- dition of DMSO to transduction medium in all groups significantly decreased the viability rate. The comparison of gene expression indicated that Sertoli and SSCs had the most fluorescence intensity in 320 V/double burst/DMSO positive. However, myoid and Leydig cells showed the maximum expression in 320 V/single burst and/or 350 V/double burst/ DMSO positive. Conclusion We optimized the electroporation method for transfection of sheep testicular cells and recommended the application of 320 V/8 milliseconds/single pulse/DMSO negative for transduction of plasmid vector into these cells. Among testicular cells, the most external gene expression was demonstrated in SSC population.
Emergency Tracheal Intubation: Techniques and Outcomes

Performing emergency endotracheal intubation necessarily means doing so under less than ideal conditions. Rates of first-time success will be lower than endotracheal intubation performed under controlled conditions in the operating room. Some factors associated with improved success are predictable and can be modified to improve outcome. Factors to be discussed include the initial decision to perform endotracheal intubation in out-of-hospital settings, qualifications and training of providers performing intubation, the technique selected for advanced airway management, and the use of sedatives and neuromuscular blocking agents.
Automatic Assignment of ICD9 Codes To Discharge Summaries

Three diierent types of classiiers were implemented for assigning ICD9 codes automatically to dictated inpatient discharge summaries: A k-nearest-neighbor, relevance feedback, and Bayesian independence classifers. In the k-nearest-neighbor paradigm, a test document is treated as a query against a collection of already-coded training documents. Experiments were carried out to optimize the means of selecting and ranking candidate codes for the test document, based on the scores associated with the retrieved documents. Another line of investigation within the k-nearest-neighbor paradigm determined how best to turn a test discharge summary into a structured query to maximize the chance of retrieving documents with the correct codes for the test document. A combination of diierent classiiers produced better results than any single type of classiier.
SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF G AND K DWARFS IN THE HIPPARCOS CATALOG. I. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE HIPPARCOS AND PHOTOMETRIC PARALLAXES

The tension between the Hipparcos parallax of the Pleiades and other independent distance estimates continues even after the new reduction of the Hipparcos astrometric data and the development of a new geometric distance measurement for the cluster. A short Pleiades distance from the Hipparcos parallax predicts a number of stars in the solar neighborhood that are sub-luminous at a given photospheric abundance. We test this hypothesis using the spectroscopic abundances for a subset of stars in the Hipparcos catalog, which occupy the same region as the Pleiades in the color–magnitude diagram. We derive stellar parameters for 170 nearby G- and K-type field dwarfs in the Hipparcos catalog based on high-resolution spectra obtained using KPNO 4 m echelle spectrograph. Our analysis shows that, when the Hipparcos parallaxes are adopted, most of our sample stars follow empirical color–magnitude relations. A small fraction of stars are too faint compared to main-sequence fitting relations by Δ M V ≳ 0.3 ? > mag, but the differences are marginal at a 2 &sgr; ? > level, partly due to relatively large parallax errors. On the other hand, we find that the photometric distances of stars showing signatures of youth as determined from lithium absorption line strengths and R HK ′ ? > chromospheric activity indices are consistent with the Hipparcos parallaxes. Our result is contradictory to a suggestion that the Pleiades distance from main-sequence fitting is significantly altered by stellar activity and/or the young age of its stars, and provides an additional supporting evidence for the long-distance scale of the Pleiades.
Faculty norms and university/industry linkages in STEMM

ABSTRACT This study investigated academic norms related to faculty engagement with industry in one public research-intensive university in the United States in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical (STEMM). Primary methods included exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, logistic regression, and ANOVA applied to responses to a survey instrument we implemented based on current literature on university/industry linkages. Results show how faculty embrace the coexistence of different logics in their norms differing by rank, type of engagement with industry, prior experience working in the industry, and field. Overall, faculty in this study hold values traditionally associated with the academic profession except when there are possibilities of participating in the market and seek commercial gain from research.
The Nlrc4 Inflammasome Contributes to Restriction of Pulmonary Infection by Flagellated Legionella spp. that Trigger Pyroptosis

The Nlrc4 inflammasome is triggered in response to contamination of the host cell cytoplasm with bacterial flagellin, which induces pyroptosis, a form of cell death that accounts for restriction of bacterial infections. Although induction of pyroptosis has been extensively investigated in response to Salmonella typhimurium and Legionella pneumophila, little is known regarding the role of the inflammasome for restriction of non-pneumophila Legionella species. Here, we used five species of the Legionella genus to investigate the importance of the inflammasome for restriction of bacterial infection in vivo. By infecting mice deficient for inflammasome components, we demonstrated that caspase-1 and Nlrc4, but not Asc, contribute to restriction of pulmonary infection with L. micdadei, L. bozemanii, L. gratiana, and L. rubrilucens. L. longbeachae, a non-flagellated bacterium that fails to trigger pyroptosis, was not restricted by the inflammasome and induced death in the infected mice. In contrast to L. longbeachae, flagellin mutants of L. pneumophila did not induce mice death; therefore, besides bypassing the Nlrc4 inflammasome, L. longbeachae may employ additional virulence strategies to replicate in mammalian hosts. Collectively, our data indicate that the Nlrc4 inflammasome plays an important role in host protection against opportunistic pathogenic bacteria that express flagellin.
Multiple level factors associated with bullying victimization in Taiwanese middle school students

ABSTRACT The present study applied the social-ecological framework to explore factors associated with adolescents’ experiences in bullying victimization in Taiwanese middle schools. Data include a random sample of 1,262 students, ages 13–15, from 43 middle schools in Taiwan’s New Taipei City. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling was utilized to analyze the data, which included hierarchical and nested structures, such as individual and area level variables. Descriptive statistics and basic inferential analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses that individual (delinquency), family (parental monitoring), school (teacher support and teacher/staff punishment), community (community environment), and area levels (poverty rate) were associated with bullying victimization. Findings reveal that individual (Grade 7, conduct problems), school (teacher/staff punishment), community environment, and criminal activities had significant effects on bullying victimization in Taiwan. Implications for practice are discussed.
X-ray spectral analysis of elliptical galaxies from ASCA: the Fe abundance in a multiphase medium

We present spectral analysis of ASCA data of 17 elliptical and three lenticular galaxies most of which have high Lx/LB. Single-temperature models ( mekal and Raymond–Smith) give unacceptable fits (χ2red > 1.5 in most cases and, in agreement with previous studies, give very subsolar abundances, 〈 Z〉 = 0.19 ± 0.12 Z⊙ ( mekal). The spectra for approximately half the sample are fitted better by a cooling-flow model, which in three cases gives a substantially better fit. The abundances derived from the cooling-flow model are also significantly larger, 〈Z〉 = 0.6 ± 0.5 Z⊙. We empirically tested the reliability of the plasma codes in the Fe L region and found no evidence for serious problems with the determined temperatures and abundances. Two-temperature models give substantially better fits that are formally acceptable (χ2red ∼ 1.0) in all but a few cases. The highest signal-to-noise ratio galaxies (which also have highest Lx/LB) have fitted temperatures < 2 keV for both components consistent with each being distinct phases of hot gas. The lowest signal-to-noise ratio galaxies (which also have lowest Lx/LB) generally have a hot component with temperature, TH ≳ 5 keV, which is consistent with emission from discrete sources. (We discuss the origin of these two components from analysis of Lx − LB and Lx/LB.) The abundances of these two-temperature models are approximately solar, 〈Z〉 = 0.9 ± 0.7 Z⊙ ( mekal), consistent with a recent multiphase model for the evolution of hot gas in ellipticals. Finally, for several galaxies we find evidence for absorption in excess of the Galactic value and discuss its implications.
‘Working’ the international child protection case: a snapshot of local authorities’ experiences within an evolving legal context

ABSTRACT Child protection proceedings often concern children with international connections. In recent years, the courts of England and Wales have handed down a number of significant judgments examining the application of international legal instruments (in particular Brussels IIa) to care proceedings. This article considers the impact of court judgments on the practical ‘working’ by Local Authorities of international child protection cases. A case study was conducted, oriented by socio-legal theory, consisting of a small number of qualitative interviews with Local Authority lawyers and social workers. The article concludes that some judgments have acted as a catalyst to change working practices for Local Authorities. However, international child protection cases present a variety of challenges for Local Authorities, and judgments provide an imperfect site for the provision of procedural and substantive guidance in this complex area. Further, there was often a tension between the need to conscientiously adhere to such guidance, and the welfare needs of the children with whom the Local Authority was concerned.
Parallel scalable libraries and algorithms for computer vision

We describe a project that integrates applications requirements, parallel algorithm design, models of parallel computing, and software tools in order to improve the ability of applications researchers in the fields of computer vision and image processing (CVIP) to realize the performance potential of high performance parallel computers. This objective is achieved by pursuing four directions of research: the development of efficient and practical scalable algorithms for fundamental CVIP problems; the implementation of realistic CVIP scenarios on high performance computers; the development of a scalable, architecture-independent parallel model and a metric for estimating the performance of an algorithm on an existing parallel machine; and the development of prototype software tools. In this paper we describe work in each of these areas.
World culture and social justice in a divided society: evaluations of Israeli Jewish and Arab teachers and students

ABSTRACT Using the Israeli case, our study delves into teachers’ and students’ notions of social justice, exploring how they are shaped by both world culture trends and local conditions. We first identify social justice notions in the world culture perspective and Israeli society. Then, we empirically examine how these notions are understood by educational agents – teachers and students – across sectors that mirror Israeli society’s major divide: Jewish and Arab-Palestinian. Findings suggest that educational agents and ethnonational affiliation play a major role in recreating national heritages and the different ways in which they understand social justice their lives.
Homologous (beta/alpha)8-barrel enzymes that catalyze unrelated reactions: orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase and 3-keto-L-gulonate 6-phosphate decarboxylase.

The 3-keto-L-gulonate 6-phosphate decarboxylase (KGPDC) encoded by the ulaD gene in the Escherichia coli genome [Yew, W. S. , and Gerlt, J. A. (2002) J. Bacteriol. 184, 302-306] and orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC) are homologous (derived from a common ancestor) but catalyze different reactions. The metal-independent decarboxylation reaction catalyzed by OMPDC avoids the formation of a vinyl anion intermediate; the Mg2+-dependent decarboxylation reaction catalyzed by KGPDC involves the formation of an enediolate anion intermediate. Based on the available structures of OMPDC, a sequence alignment allows the predictions that (1) KGPDC is a dimer of (beta/alpha)8-barrels, with the active sites located at the dimer interface; (2) KGPDC and OMPDC share an aspartate residue at the end of the first beta-strand and an Asp-x-Lys-x-x-Asp motif at the end of the third beta-strand with OMPDC; but (3) KGPDC has a Glu instead of a Lys at the end of the second beta-strand. The structure of KGPDC has been determined in the presence of Mg2+ and the substrate analogue L-gulonate 6-phosphate and confirms these predictions. The carboxylate functional groups at the ends of the first, second, and third beta-strands in KGPDC are ligands of the Mg2+; in OMPDC, the homologues of these residues participate in a hydrogen-bonded network that facilitates the decarboxylation reaction. The 3-OH group of the substrate analogue is coordinated to the Mg2+, supporting the hypothesis that the mechanism of the decarboxylation catalyzed by KGPDC involves stabilization of an enediolate anion intermediate. These structural studies establish the existence of the OMPDC "suprafamily," in which members catalyze reactions that occur in different metabolic pathways and share no mechanistic relationship. The existence of this suprafamily demonstrates that divergent evolution can be opportunistic, conscripting active site features of a progenitor to catalyze unrelated functions. Accordingly, sequence or structure homology alone cannot be used to infer the functions of new proteins discovered in genome projects.
Perfect Packing Theorems and the Average-Case Behavior of Optimal and Online Bin Packing

A process for producing alkoxy ketones of formula I wherein R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, R2 represents hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and n represents 1 or 2, by dehydrogenation of a corresponding alkoxyalkanol on a copper-containing catalyst which has been activated by treatment with hydrogen at 120 DEG to 450 DEG C. , in which process the activated catalyst is firstly brought into contact at 230 DEG to 350 DEG C. with the vapor of the alkoxyalkanol to be dehydrogenated; hydrogen is subsequently passed over the catalyst at 250 DEG to 450 DEG C. ; and then the dehydrogenation is performed at 150 DEG to 450 DEG C. on the catalyst pretreated in this manner, is disclosed.
Sense Making and Professional Identity in the Implementation of edTPA

edTPA is designed to strengthen teacher professionalization and provide a framework for program redesign. However, using a national assessment to shift the content of local programs is challenging because of their inherent organizational complexity. In this article, we focus on this complexity, using a systems lens to analyze edTPA implementation at a large, public university. Employing a mixed-methods case study design, we survey 250 teacher educators and candidates to understand how they interpret the demands of edTPA and how their varied perspectives impact each other. We interview a stratified, purposive subset of participants to explore mechanisms underlying quantitative findings. We find substantial internal variation in edTPA implementation that translates into differential support for candidates. This variation could not be explained by duration of implementation of edTPA. Varied perspectives may stem from distinct perceptions of teacher educators’ professional roles and the role they see edTPA playing in teacher professionalization.
Risk in Islamic Banking

This article investigates risk and stability features of Islamic banking using a sample of 553 banks from 24 countries between 1999 and 2009. Small Islamic banks that are leveraged or based in countries with predominantly Muslim populations have lower credit risk than conventional banks. In terms of insolvency risk, small Islamic banks also appear more stable. Moreover, we find little evidence that Islamic banks charge rents to their customers for offering Sharia-compliant financial products. Our results also show that loan quality of Islamic banks is less responsive to domestic interest rates compared to conventional banks. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.