Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Speaking Ability of EFL Students through Debate and Peer Assessment

The objective of the study was to implement the debate technique and peer assessment to improve the third semester student’s speaking ability. This study employed classroom action research and it was done in two cycles. There were four meetings in each cycle; three meetings was for the implementation of debate in the teaching of speaking and one meeting was for conducting speaking test. The instruments used to collect the data were: (1) observation checklist, (2) field-note, (3) score sheet, and (4) questionnaire. The result of the research showed that the criteria of success had been reached in cycle 2. There were two aspects determined as the success criteria; score improvement and classroom atmosphere. The result of speaking test showed that the students had made some progress, the average scores raised from 60 in pre-test, 69 in cycle 1 and 75 in cycle 2. These scores indicated that there is an increasing ability from being ‘fair’ to being ‘good’. The classroom atmospheres were also increasing positively. The result shows that the students gradually could express their thought and opinions in debate practice. This activity encouraged the students’ creativity to explore the language, since they were asked to develop their arguments from certain motions. The motions were made familiar to them so that they found it easy to speak on the topics. By practicing speaking in the debate practice, they improved their fluency as well as their confidence.
A Comparative Characterization of Different Host-sourced Lactobacillus ruminis Strains and Their Adhesive, Inhibitory, and Immunomodulating Functions

Lactobacillus ruminis, an autochthonous member of the gastrointestinal microbiota of humans and many animals, is a less characterized but interesting species for many reasons, including its intestinal prevalence and possible positive roles in host–microbe crosstalk. In this study, we isolated a novel L. ruminis strain (GRL 1172) from porcine feces and analyzed its functional characteristics and niche adaptation factors in parallel with those of three other L. ruminis strains (a human isolate, ATCC 25644, and two bovine isolates, ATCC 27780 and ATCC 27781). All the strains adhered to fibronectin, type I collagen, and human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29), but poorly to type IV collagen, porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-1), and human colon adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2). In competition assays, all the strains were able to inhibit the adhesion of Yersinia enterocolitica and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC, F4+) to fibronectin, type I; collagen, IPEC-1, and Caco-2 cells, and the inhibition rates tended to be higher than in exclusion assays. The culture supernatants of the tested strains inhibited the growth of six selected pathogens to varying extents. The inhibition was solely based on the low pH resulting from acid production during growth. All four L. ruminis strains supported the barrier function maintenance of Caco-2 cells, as shown by the modest increase in trans-epithelial electrical resistance and the prevention of dextran diffusion during co-incubation. However, the strains could not prevent the barrier damage caused by ETEC in the Caco-2 cell model. All the tested strains and their culture supernatants were able to provoke Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2-mediated NF-κB activation and IL-8 production in vitro to varying degrees. The induction of TLR5 signaling revealed that flagella were expressed by all the tested strains, but to different extents. Flagella and pili were observed by electron microscopy on the newly isolated strain GRL 1172.
Everyday activism and transitions towards post-capitalist worlds

This article aims to broaden and deepen debates on the everyday practices of autonomous activists. To do this we present three main research findings from a recent research project that looked in detail at what we called ‘autonomous geographies’. First, in terms of political identity, we highlight how participants in political projects problematise and go beyond the simple idea of the militant subject, set apart from the everyday who opposes the present condition. Second, we highlight how everyday practices are used to build hoped-for futures in the present, but that this process is experimental, messy and contingent, and necessarily so. Finally, we illuminate the contested spatialities embedded within political activism that are neither locally bounded nor easily transferable to the transnational. This exploration of everyday activism has illuminated that the participants we engaged with express identities, practices and spatial forms that are simultaneously anti-, despite- and post- capitalist. We argue that it is through its everyday rhythms that meaning is given to post-capitalism and it is this reconceptualisation that makes post-capitalist practice mundane, but at the same time also accessible, exciting, feasible and powerful. This paper draws upon material collected during a 30-month empirical research project into the everyday lives of grassroots, non-party political activists in the UK between 2005 and 2008. Three case studies were explored in detail – autonomous social centres, Low Impact Developments, and tenants’ networks resisting gentrification.
ELEVATED RATES OF MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL DIVERSIFICATION IN REEF‐DWELLING HAEMULID FISHES

The relationship between habitat complexity and species richness is well established but comparatively little is known about the evolution of morphological diversity in complex habitats. Reefs are structurally complex, highly productive shallow‐water marine ecosystems found in tropical (coral reefs) and temperate zones (rocky reefs) that harbor exceptional levels of biodiversity. We investigated whether reef habitats promote the evolution of morphological diversity in the feeding and locomotion systems of grunts (Haemulidae), a group of predominantly nocturnal fishes that live on both temperate and tropical reefs. Using phylogenetic comparative methods and statistical analyses that take into account uncertainty in phylogeny and the evolutionary history of reef living, we demonstrate that rates of morphological evolution are faster in reef‐dwelling haemulids. The magnitude of this effect depends on the type of trait; on average, traits involved in the functional systems for prey capture and processing evolve twice as fast on reefs as locomotor traits. This result, along with the observation that haemulids do not exploit unique feeding niches on reefs, suggests that fine‐scale trophic niche partitioning and character displacement may be driving higher rates of morphological evolution. Whatever the cause, there is growing evidence that reef habitats stimulate morphological and functional diversification in teleost fishes.
Pain Immediately Upon Sitting Down and Relieved by Standing Up Is Often Associated With Radiologic Lumbar Instability or Marked Anterior Loss of Disc Space

Study Design. Comparison of functional radiographs in consecutive patients with low back pain with or without pain on sitting down and relieved by standing up. Objectives. To detect radiologic signs possibly associated with a clinical symptom. Summary of Background Data. No link has been established between increased vertebral mobility and a specific pain pattern or a clinical symptom. Methods. Forty-two patients seen consecutively with low back pain occurring immediately on sitting down and relieved on standing up were compared with 32 controls whose low back pain did not show this pattern. Dynamic radiographs were taken in extension, erect, flexion, and sitting in the painful position. The segments thought to be responsible for the pain were identified by comparing clinical, radiographic, and magnetic resonance data. Endplate angles, rotation, and translation were measured. The radiographs were read twice each by two independent observers. Results. Eighty-six percent (95% confidence interval, 72–99%) of the patients with the symptom were female. The segments identified as the source of pain were as follows: L4–L5 in 20 cases and L1–L2 to L3–L4 in 22 cases. Mean rotation of these segments was 13.9 ± 4.5° in the patient group versus 7.5 ± 4.3° in the control group (P < 0.001). In 14% of the patients (vs. 3% of controls), it exceeded 20° (P = 0.13). Anterior or posterior translation >10% was seen in 31% of the patients (vs. 0% of controls;P < 0.001). In flexion, the endplate angle was −5.2 ± 3.6° (patients) versus 1.2 ± 5.7° (controls) (P < 0.01) and <−5° in 55% of patients versus 12.5% of controls (P < 0.001). This value of <−5° was associated with marked anterior loss of disc space. Conclusion. Low back pain occurring immediately on sitting down and relieved on standing up was statistically associated with instability (specificity 100%, sensitivity 31%) or marked anterior loss of disc space in flexion (specificity 87%, sensitivity 55%).
Subsurface Radar Sounding of the Jovian Moon Ganymede

This paper provides an overview of the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) and of its scientific objectives, focusing the attention on the subsurface radar (SSR) instrument included in the model payload of the Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO). The SSR instrument is a radar sounder system at low frequency (HF/VHF band) designed to penetrate the surface of Ganymede icy moon of Jupiter for performing a subsurface analysis with a relatively high range resolution. This active instrument is aimed at acquiring information on the Ganymede (and partially on the Callisto during flybys) shallow subsurface. The paper addresses the main issues related to SSR, presenting its scientific goals, describing the concept and the design procedure of the instrument, and illustrating the signal processing techniques. Despite the fact that SSR can be defined on the basis of the heritage of the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) and SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) instruments currently operating at Mars, the EJSM mission poses additional scientific and technical challenges for its design: 1) the presence of a relevant Jupiter radio emission (which is very critical because it has a significant power spectral density in proximity of the expected SSR central frequency); 2) the properties of the subsurface targets, which are different from those of the Mars subsurface; 3) the different orbit conditions; and 4) the limited available resources (in terms of mass, power, and downlink data rate). These challenges are analyzed and discussed in relation to the design of the instrument in terms of: 1) choice of the central frequency and the bandwidth; 2) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); 3) signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR); and 4) definition of the synthetic aperture processing. Finally, the procedure defined for SSR performance assessment is described and illustrated with some numerical examples.
Software process improvement at Hughes Aircraft

In 1987 and 1990, the Software Engineering Institute conducted process assessments of the Software Engineering Division (SED) of Hughes Aircraft in Fullerton, CA. The first assessment found the SED to be a level two organization, based on the SEI's process-maturity scale of one to five, where one is worst and five is best. The first assessment identified the strengths and weaknesses of the SED, and the SEI made recommendations for process improvement. Hughes then established and implemented an action plan in accordance with these recommendations. The second assessment found the SEP to be a strong level three organization. The authors outline the assessment method used, the findings and recommendations from the initial assessment, the actions taken by Hughes, the lessons learned, and the business and product consequences. <<ETX>>
Goal-Driven Cognition in the Brain: A Computational Framework

Current theoretical and computational models of dopamine-based reinforcement learning are largely rooted in the classical behaviorist tradition, and envision the organism as a purely reactive recipient of rewards and punishments, with resulting behavior that essentially reflects the sum of this reinforcement history. This framework is missing some fundamental features of the affective nervous system, most importantly, the central role of goals in driving and organizing behavior in a teleological manner. Even when goal-directed behaviors are considered in current frameworks, they are typically conceived of as arising in reaction to the environment, rather than being in place from the start. We hypothesize that goal-driven cognition is primary, and organized into two discrete phases: goal selection and goal engaged, which each have a substantially different effective value function. This dichotomy can potentially explain a wide range of phenomena, playing a central role in many clinical disorders, such as depression, OCD, ADHD, and PTSD, and providing a sensible account of the detailed biology and function of the dopamine system and larger limbic system, including critical ventral and medial prefrontal cortex. Computationally, reasoning backward from active goals to action selection is more tractable than projecting alternative action choices forward to compute possible outcomes. An explicit computational model of these brain areas and their function in this goal-driven framework is described, as are numerous testable predictions from this framework.
RGC-32 Promotes Th17 Cell Differentiation and Enhances Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Th17 cells play a critical role in autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Response gene to complement (RGC)-32 is a cell cycle regulator and a downstream target of TGF-β that mediates its profibrotic activity. In this study, we report that RGC-32 is preferentially upregulated during Th17 cell differentiation. RGC-32−/− mice have normal Th1, Th2, and regulatory T cell differentiation but show defective Th17 differentiation in vitro. The impaired Th17 differentiation is associated with defects in IFN regulatory factor 4, B cell–activating transcription factor, retinoic acid–related orphan receptor γt, and SMAD2 activation. In vivo, RGC-32−/− mice display an attenuated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis phenotype accompanied by decreased CNS inflammation and reduced frequency of IL-17– and GM-CSF–producing CD4+ T cells. Collectively, our results identify RGC-32 as a novel regulator of Th17 cell differentiation in vitro and in vivo and suggest that RGC-32 is a potential therapeutic target in multiple sclerosis and other Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases.
Functional Comparison of the Binding of Factor H Short Consensus Repeat 6 (SCR 6) to Factor H Binding Protein from Neisseria meningitidis and the Binding of Factor H SCR 18 to 20 to Neisseria gonorrhoeae Porin

ABSTRACT Both Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae recruit the alternative pathway complement inhibitory protein factor H (fH) to their surfaces to evade complement-dependent killing. Meningococci bind fH via fH binding protein (fHbp), a surface-exposed lipoprotein that is subdivided into three variant families based on one classification scheme. Chimeric proteins that comprise contiguous domains of fH fused to murine Fc were used to localize the binding site for all three fHbp variants on fH to short consensus repeat 6 (SCR 6). As expected, fH-like protein 1 (FHL-1), which contains fH SCR 6, also bound to fHbp-expressing meningococci. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we identified histidine 337 and histidine 371 in SCR 6 as important for binding to fHbp. These findings may provide the molecular basis for recent observations that demonstrated human-specific fH binding to meningococci. Differences in the interactions of fHbp variants with SCR 6 were evident. Gonococci bind fH via their porin (Por) molecules (PorB.1A or PorB.1B); sialylation of lipooligosaccharide enhances fH binding. Both sialylated PorB.1B- and (unsialylated) PorB.1A-bearing gonococci bind fH through SCR 18 to 20; PorB.1A can also bind SCR 6, but only weakly, as evidenced by a low level of binding of FHL-1 relative to that of fH. Using isogenic strains expressing either meningococcal fHbp or gonococcal PorB.1B, we discovered that strains expressing gonococcal PorB.1B in the presence of sialylated lipooligosaccharide bound more fH, more effectively limited C3 deposition, and were more serum resistant than their isogenic counterparts expressing fHbp. Differences in fH binding to these two related pathogens may be important for modulating their individual responses to host immune attack.
Teacher Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in Tier 1

Federal mandates more than a decade old require the use of evidence-based practices in schools, and an abundance of meta-analytic evidence for reading instruction exists; however, the long lamented research to practice gap in education gives reason to explore whether this evidence has translated to classrooms. This study examined the extent to which a national sample of kindergarten, first- and second-grade teachers (n = 534) reported using evidence-based reading curricula. Results indicated that very few curricula teachers used have been evaluated using research designs that meet federal guidelines. In addition, teachers reported supplanting their core reading curricula with other materials. Results of the survey indicate the need, despite a federal push for evidence-based practices, for new models of developing, testing, and disseminating evidence-based curricula.
The Effects of Family Stressors on Depression in Latino Adolescents as Mediated by Interparental Conflict

The Effects of Family Stressors on Depression in Latino Adolescents as Mediated by Interparental Conflict Jenny Carolina Mondragon School of Family Life, BYU Master of Science Extensive literature suggests that Latino youth experience higher levels of depression when compared to youth from other ethnic backgrounds; yet, relatively little is known regarding why this particular population is especially susceptible to depression. This study focused on family level stressors and the link between interparental conflict and adolescent depressive symptoms in Latino families. The sample consisted of 400 girls and 290 boys; they were distributed into four groups based on gender and family structure. Written surveys were completed in their respective English classes measuring the aforementioned variables. Results indicated a significant relationship across all four groups between family stressors and interparental conflict, along with interparental conflict and depression. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. ]
Predicting Leadership Performance and Potential in the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School (OCS)

The purpose of this article was to determine proximal and distal antecedents of leadership in the U.S. Army’s Officer Candidate School (OCS). A model composed of motivation to lead, leadership self-efficacy, implicit leadership, organizational commitment, general cognitive ability, and personality was proposed. Results from a longitudinal examination of 1,232 officer candidates suggest partial support for the model, and limited evidence for enlisted experience as a moderator. Candidate personality (partially mediated by interest in leadership and leadership self-efficacy) best predicted leadership performance during OCS and peer ratings of leadership potential. Implications for OCS selection and models of leadership performance are discussed.
Transition without Justice, or Justice without History: Transitional Justice in Taiwan

Depending on their particular historical-political situations, new democratic regimes have adopted different strategies to tackle the problems of transitional justice, such as how to deal with the perpetrators of the former regime, how to compensate victims, and how to rectify the history of that traumatic past. This essay discusses how Taiwan's unique approach to the problems-reparations for victims but not holding anyone accountable, much less prosecuting the perpetrators-has been affected by the mode of democratic transition, the ethnic situation, ”the moment of repression,” and other factors. Moreover, in Taiwan, the historical records of atrocities received little attention. Contending that the historical memory of the authoritarian past has an important role to play in the civic education for a democratic citizenry, this essay also calls for rendering truth to history, but in a way that can bridge the ethnic divisions in the historical memory.
Magnetic resonance imaging in multiple myeloma: diagnostic and clinical implications.

PURPOSE Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) permits the detection of diffuse and focal bone marrow infiltration in the absence of osteopenia or focal osteolysis on standard metastatic bone surveys (MBSs). PATIENTS AND METHODS Both baseline MBS and MRI were available in 611 of 668 myeloma patients who were treated uniformly with a tandem autologous transplantation-based protocol and were evaluated to determine their respective merits for disease staging, response assessment, and outcome prediction. RESULTS MRI detected focal lesions (FLs) in 74% and MBS in 56% of imaged anatomic sites; 52% of 267 patients with normal MBS results and 20% of 160 with normal MRI results had FL on MRI and MBS, respectively. MRI- but not MBS-defined FL independently affected survival. Cytogenetic abnormalities (CAs) and more than seven FLs on MRI (MRI-FLs) distinguished three risk groups: 5-year survival was 76% in the absence of both more than seven MRI-FLs and CA (n = 276), 61% in the presence of one MRI-FL (n = 262), and 37% in the presence of both unfavorable parameters (n = 67). MRI-FL correlated with low albumin and elevated levels of C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatinine, but did not correlate with age, beta-2-microglobulin, and CA. Resolution of MRI-FL, occurring in 60% of cases and not seen with MBS-defined FL, conferred superior survival. CONCLUSION MRI is a more powerful tool for detection of FLs than is MBS. MRI-FL number had independent prognostic implications; additionally, MRI-FL resolution identified a subgroup with superior survival. We therefore recommend that, in addition to MBS, MRI be used routinely for staging, prognosis, and response assessment in myeloma.
On the physical origin of dark matter density profiles

The radial mass distribution of dark matter haloes is investigated within the framework of the spherical infall model. We present a new formulation of spherical collapse including non-radial motions, and compare the analytical profiles with a set of high-resolution N-body simulations ranging from galactic to cluster scales. We argue that the dark matter density profile is entirely determined by the initial conditions, which are described by only two parameters: the height of the primordial peak and the smoothing scale. These are physically meaningful quantities in our model, related to the mass and formation time of the halo. Angular momentum is dominated by velocity dispersion, and it is responsible for the shape of the density profile near the centre. The phase-space density of our simulated haloes is well described by a power-law profile, ρ/σ 3 = 10 1.46±0.04 (ρ c /υ 3 vir) (r/r vir ) -1.90±0.05 . Setting the eccentricity of particle orbits according to the numerical results, our model is able to reproduce the mass distribution of individual haloes within 20 per cent accuracy.
Diagnostic Risk Adjustment for Medicaid: The Disability Payment System

This article describes a system of diagnostic categories that Medicaid programs can use for adjusting capitation payments to health plans that enroll people with disability. Medicaid claims from Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Ohio are analyzed to demonstrate that the greater predictability of costs among people with disabilities makes risk adjustment more feasible than for a general population and more critical to creating health systems for people with disability. The application of our diagnostic categories to State claims data is described, including estimated effects on subsequent-year costs of various diagnoses. The challenges of implementing adjustment by diagnosis are explored.