Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Achievement status and growth as predictors of educational outcomes and effectiveness

Students in Germany are tracked into different forms of secondary schooling based on teachers’ recommendations. The literature shows that school tracking is largely affected by academic achievement levels, but neglects the influence of individual achievement growth. The authors used data from the Berlin study ELEMENT (N = 2242) to characterize math growth trajectories, obtain reliability-adjusted measures of individual growth, and evaluate their effect on teacher’s recommendations. The findings suggest that teachers reward math growth while issuing track recommendations. Females, immigrants, and higher SES students are more likely to obtain a college track recommendation other things being equal. And, the probability of a college track recommendation decreases in classes with higher achievement levels and smaller proportion of immigrants. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel. : +49 40 48 500 672; fax: +49 40 48 500 501. E-mail addresses: daniel.caro@iea-dpc.de (D.H. Caro), jenny.lenkeit@uni-hamburg.de (J. Lenkeit), rlehmann@educat.hu-berlin.de (R. Lehmann), knut.schwippert@uni-hamburg.de (K. Schwippert).
Robust Partitioned Scheduling for Static-Priority Real-Time Multiprocessor Systems with Shared Resources

We focus on the partitioned scheduling of sporadic real-time tasks with constrained deadlines. The scheduling policy on each processor is static-priority. The considered tasks are not independent and the consistency of these shared data is ensured by a multiprocessor synchronization protocol. Considering these assumptions, we propose a partitioned scheduling algorithm which tends to maximize the robustness of the tasks to the Worst Case Execution Time (WCET) overruns faults. We describe the context of the problem and we outline our solution based on simulated annealing.
Participatory Governance: Planning, Conflict Mediation and Public Decision-Making in Civil Society

Contents: Foreword, Christian Huillet. Section I: Introduction: Participatory governance in a changing world, W. Robert Lovan, Michael Murray and Ron Shaffer. Section II: Institutional Perspectives on Participatory Governance: Evolving participatory governance and developmental local government in post-apartheid South Africa, Etienne Nel Local government, local development and citizen participation: lessons from Ireland, Jeanne Meldon, Michael Kenny and Jim Walsh The national rural development partnership in the United States: a case study in collaboration, Richard Gardner and Ron Shaffer Governance and community engagement: the Australian experience, Jim Cavaye Faith based service programs in the public sector: illustrations from Virginia of faith in action, Randall Prior. Section III: Operational Dimensions of Participatory Governance: Regional transportation strategies in the Washington, DC area: when will they be ready to collaborate? , W. Robert Lovan Conflict management and collaborative problem-solving in a protected area in Ghana, David Deshler and Kirby Edmonds Participatory regional planning in Northern Ireland, Michael Murray and John Greer From enemies, to higher ground, to allies: the unlikely partnership between the tobacco farm and public health communities in the United States, Frank Dukes Rural action: participatory planning for healthy communities in Appalachian Ohio, Christopher S. Rice and Carol Kuhre Advancing knowledge and capacity for community-led development in rural America, Norman Reid and Cornelia Butler Flora Managing partners: performance based contracting in Baltimore's empowerment zone, Robert Stoker. Section IV: Reflections on Participatory Governance: Interactive public decision-making in civil society, W. Robert Lovan, Michael Murray and Ron Shaffer Index.
A New Analysis of RR Lyrae Kinematics in the Solar Neighborhood

Full space velocities are computed for a sample of 130 nearby RR Lyrae variables using both ground-based and Hipparcos proper motions. In many cases proper motions for the same star from multiple sources have been averaged to produce approximately a factor of 2 improvement in the transverse space velocity errors. In most cases, this exceeds the accuracy attained using Hipparcos proper motions alone. The velocity ellipsoids computed for halo and thick-disk samples are in agreement with those reported in previous studies. A distinct sample of thin-disk RR Lyrae variables has not been isolated, but there is kinematic evidence for some thin-disk contamination in our thick-disk samples. Using kinematic and spatial parameters, a sample of 21 stars with [Fe/H] < -1.0 and disklike kinematics have been isolated. From their kinematics and spatial distribution we conclude that these stars represent a sample of RR Lyrae variables in the metal-weak tail of the thick disk that extends to [Fe/H] = -2.05. In the halo samples, the distribution of V velocities is not Gaussian, even when the metal-weak thick-disk stars are removed. Possibly related, a plot of U and W velocities as a function of V velocity for the kinematically unbiased halo sample shows some curious structure. The cause of these kinematic anomalies is not clear. In addition, systematic changes to the distance scale within the range of currently accepted values of Mv(RR) are shown to significantly change the calculated halo kinematics. Fainter values of Mv(RR), such as those obtained by statistical parallax (∼0.60 to 0.70 at [Fe/H] = -1.9), result in local halo kinematics similar to those reported in independent studies of halo kinematics, while brighter values of Mv(RR), such as those obtained through recent analysis of Hipparcos subdwarf parallaxes (∼0.30 to 0.40 at [Fe/H] = -1.9), result in a halo with retrograde rotation and significantly enlarged velocity dispersions.
Evaluation of the composite burn index for assessing fire severity in Alaskan black spruce forests

We evaluated the utility of the composite burn index (CBI) for estimating fire severity in Alaskan black spruce forests by comparing data from 81 plots located in 2004 and 2005 fire events. We collected data to estimate the CBI and quantify crown damage, percent of trees standing after the fire, depth of the organic layer remaining after the fire, depth of burning in the surface organic layer (absolute and relative), and the substrate layer exposed by the fire. To estimate pre-fire organic layer depth, we collected data in 15 unburned stands to develop relationships between total organic layer depth and measures of the adventitious root depth above mineral soil and below the surface of the organic layer. We validated this algorithm using data collected in 17 burned stands where pre-fire organic layer depth had been measured. The average total CBI value in the black spruce stands was 2.46, with most of the variation a result of differences in the CBI observed for the substrate layer. While a quadratic equation using the substrate component of CBI was a relatively strong predictor of mineral soil exposure as a result of fire (R 2 = 0.61, P < 0.0001, F = 60.3), low correlations were found between the other measures of fire severity and the CBI (R 2 = 0.00-0.37). These results indicate that the CBI approach has limited potential for quantifying fire severity in these ecosystems, in particular organic layer consumption, which is an important factor to understand how ecosystems will respond to changing climate and fire regimes in northern regions.
Organizational Learning by Colleges Responding to Performance Funding: Deliberative Structures and Their Challenges

This paper identifies and analyzes the deliberative structures used by colleges and universities to respond to performance funding demands and the factors that aid and hinder their working. Our investigation found that colleges use a variety of deliberative structures, including both their general administrative structures and more specialized and evanescent structures such as strategic planning committees and accreditation review committees, to engage in organizational learning. The aids and hindrances to effective deliberation that colleges encounter principally involve organizational commitment and leadership, effective communication and collaboration, timely and relevant data, and enough time for deliberation. Our data come from telephone interviews with over 200 college personnel at nine community colleges and nine public universities in three states: Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee. The respondents were senior administrators, middle-level administrators, academic deans, and department chairs at these institutions.
The Persistence of Poverty: Why the Economics of the Well-Off Can't Help the Poor

In this important book, one of our boldest and most original thinkers charges that conventional explanations of poverty are mistaken, and that the anti-poverty policies built upon them are doomed to fail. Using science, history, fables, philosophical analysis, and common observation, Charles Karelis engages us and takes us to a deeper grasp of the link between consumption and satisfaction--and from there to a new and persuasive explanation of what keeps poor people poor. Above all, he shows how this fresh perspective can reinspire the long-stalled campaign against poverty.
Culture and Neuroplasticity

The last two decades of research have established substantial cultural variations in cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes along the axis of independent versus interdependent self-construal. It is not clear, however, whether these variations are due to controlled processes such as self-presentation and rule-based behavioral regulation or, alternatively, whether they reflect brain mechanisms that are spontaneously engaged and automatically executed. Here we draw on both behavioral and neuroscientific studies to show that many cultural variations occur through mechanisms that are engaged in early processing; thus they are spontaneous and automatic. We review six domains of psychological processes that are likely mediated by the construal of the self as independent or interdependent. We interpret this evidence within a theoretical framework of cultural task analysis, which holds that culture is composed of a variety of tasks designed to accomplish the culture’s imperatives, such as independence and interdependence. Future research directions are discussed.
The Scottish Electorate: The 1997 General Election and Beyond

PART ONE: THE POLITICAL CONTEXT Introduction: The Distinctiveness of Scottish Politics The 1997 General Election: Background, Campaign, Results, Consequences PART TWO: THE SCOTTISH ELECTORATE AND THEIR VALUES Identity and Nationality Political Values Policy Preferences PART THREE: THE SCOTTISH ELECTORATE AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM The Scottish Electorate and the Constitution Conclusion: The Future of Scottish Politics Index
Chromosome 7q31 POAG locus: ocular expression of caveolins and lack of association with POAG in a US cohort

Purpose To determine the role of the recently discovered primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) risk factor mapped to chromosome 7q31 in glaucoma patients from Iowa and to determine the expression pattern of genes in the locus in human eyes. Methods A cohort of 545 POAG patients and 297 control subjects from Iowa were genotyped with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; rs4236601) in the chromosome 7q31 locus using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The expression of genes within the 7q31 locus, caveolin-1 (CAV1) and caveolin-2 (CAV2) in human eyes was investigated with immunohistochemistry. Results The minor allele frequency (MAF) of rs4236601 was 27% in control subjects and 29% in POAG patients. We detected no statistical difference when we compared the allele frequencies of rs4236601 between POAG patients and control subjects (p=0.5). Similarly, we detected no statistical difference in the frequency of the three possible rs4236601 genotypes between patients and controls (p=0.22). Immunohistochemistry showed caveolin expression in human retina, ciliary muscle, trabecular meshwork, and Schlemm’s canal. In our small cohort of donor eyes, the genotype of rs4236601 did not obviously influence labeling intensity or distribution of CAV1 and CAV2 in the retina. Conclusions A genome-wide association study of subjects from Iceland mapped the first common genetic risk factor for POAG to a small region of the genome on chromosome 7q31 that contains the caveolin genes CAV1 and CAV2. We were unable to detect this association in our patients from Iowa, suggesting that this risk factor may not have a strong effect in all populations.
The Role of Interactivity in Control Learning

The scenario for control education is changing and we must adapt to the new situation. Information technology opens a whole new world of real opportunities. Computers show a great potential to enhance student achievement, but only if they are used appropriately as part of a coherent education approach. Computers do not change in the way books or labs doÐthey allow us to go deeper and faster. This paper presents the personal experience of the authors in the use of interactive tools in order to make students more active and involved in their own control engineering learning process. Some examples, with different degrees of complexity, have been selected in order to show how we can use the control visualization concept in a new family of interactive tools for control education.
ΔNp63 Is Essential for Epidermal Commitment of Embryonic Stem Cells

In vivo studies have demonstrated that p63 plays complex and pivotal roles in pluristratified squamous epithelial development, but its precise function and the nature of the isoform involved remain controversial. Here, we investigate the role of p63 in epithelial differentiation, using an in vitro ES cell model that mimics the early embryonic steps of epidermal development. We show that the ΔNp63 isoform is activated soon after treatment with BMP-4, a morphogen required to commit differentiating ES cells from a neuroectodermal to an ectodermal cell fate. ΔNp63 gene expression remains high during epithelial development. P63 loss of function drastically prevents ectodermal cells to commit to the K5/K14-positive stratified epithelial pathway while gain of function experiments show that ΔNp63 allows this commitment. Interestingly, other epithelial cell fates are not affected, allowing the production of K5/K18-positive epithelial cells. Therefore, our results demonstrate that ΔNp63 may be dispensable for some epithelial differentiation, but is necessary for the commitment of ES cells into K5/K14-positive squamous stratified epithelial cells.
Work-life Balance by Area, Actual Situation and Expectations – the Overlapping Opinions of Employers and Employees in Slovenia

Abstract Background: The question of work-life balance (WLB) is an area where increasing attention is being paid nowadays. States, organisations and employees all have responsibility and a role to play in WLB. This article presents the important areas of the WLB by key players in this field. Purpose: The purpose of the research was to compare and analyse the differences between the actual situation and the expectations of employers and employees with regard to specific areas of WLB in Slovenia. Methodology: Data was gathered using the Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method. In the first part of the research project, employers across all sectors of the economy in Slovenia were questioned and in second part focussed on employees. In order to verify the areas in which employers and employees agree and those in which there are differences in perception, multidimensional scaling (MDS) was used. Results: The results of our research show that Slovenian organisations must pay more attention to flexible working time, the employees’ ability to take time off to care for family members, time and stress management workshops and paid leave for parents on a child’s first day of school. Conclusion: A significant role in WLB is played by organisations. The incorporation of WLB strategies into the strategic and financial planning of an organisation can, in fact, have positive business, economic and social effects. Employees have to express their expectations and needs, which is the only way that employers can be made aware of their problems and help with WLB. State responsibility is to encourage all social partners to shape the living environment in which employees’ can achieve a good WLB with an emphasis on gender equality
Auditory Brainstem Correlates of Perceptual Timing Deficits

Children with language-based learning problems often exhibit pronounced speech perception difficulties. Specifically, these children have increased difficulty separating brief sounds occurring in rapid succession (temporal resolution). The purpose of this study was to better understand the consequences of auditory temporal resolution deficits from the perspective of the neural encoding of speech. The findings provide evidence that sensory processes relevant to cognition take place at much earlier levels than traditionally believed. Thresholds from a psychophysical backward masking task were used to divide children into groups with good and poor temporal resolution. Speech-evoked brainstem responses were analyzed across groups to measure the neural integrity of stimulus-time mechanisms. Results suggest that children with poor temporal resolution do not have an overall neural processing deficit, but rather a deficit specific to the encoding of certain acoustic cues in speech. Speech understanding relies on the ability to attach meaning to rapidly fluctuating changes of both the temporal and spectral information found in consonants and vowels. For this to happen properly, the auditory system must first accurately encode these time-varying acoustic cues. Speech perception difficulties that often co-occur in children with poor temporal resolution may originate as a neural encoding deficit in structures as early as the auditory brainstem. Thus, speech-evoked brainstem responses are a biological marker for auditory temporal processing ability.
Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque Morphology in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Unable to Make Ascorbic Acid

Background—Oxidative stress is thought to play an important role in atherogenesis, suggesting that antioxidants could prevent coronary artery disease. However, the efficacy of vitamin C in reducing atherosclerosis is debatable in humans and has not been tested rigorously in animals. Methods and Results—Gulo−/−Apoe−/− mice were used to test a hypothesis that chronic vitamin C deficiency enhances the initiation and development of atherosclerosis. These mice are dependent on dietary vitamin C because of the lack of L-gulonolactone-&ggr;-oxidase and are prone to develop atherosclerosis because of lacking apolipoprotein E. Beginning at 6 weeks of age, the Gulo−/−Apoe−/− mice were fed regular chow or Western-type diets containing high fat and supplemented with either 0.033 g or 3.3 g/L of vitamin C in their drinking water. This regimen produced mice with chronically low vitamin C (average 1.5 &mgr;g/mL in plasma) or high vitamin C (average 10 to 30 &mgr;g/mL in plasma). Morphometric analysis showed that within each sex, age, and diet group, the sizes of the atherosclerotic plaques were not different between low vitamin C mice and high vitamin C mice. However, advanced plaques in the low vitamin C mice had significantly reduced amounts of Sirius red–staining collagen (36.4±2.2% versus 54.8±2.3%, P <0.0001), larger necrotic cores within the plaques, and reduced fibroproliferation and neovascularization in the aortic adventitia. Conclusions—Chronic vitamin C deficiency does not influence the initiation or progression of atherosclerotic plaques but severely compromises collagen deposition and induces a type of plaque morphology that is potentially vulnerable to rupture.
The Effects of Principal Leadership Behavior on New Teachers' Overall Job Satisfaction.

The Effects of Principal Leadership Behavior on New Teachers’ Overall Job Satisfaction by Sherree L. Thomas MA, Prairie View A & M University, 2005 BS, University of Houston-Downtown, 2001 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University January 2014 Abstract Teacher attrition has become a concern at local, state, and national levels. As a result, a number of researchers have examined the factors that affect teacher job satisfaction and retention. However, in spite of all the efforts in research to find a solution, problems associated with teacher attrition have not significantly improved. This study wasTeacher attrition has become a concern at local, state, and national levels. As a result, a number of researchers have examined the factors that affect teacher job satisfaction and retention. However, in spite of all the efforts in research to find a solution, problems associated with teacher attrition have not significantly improved. This study was developed to examine new teachers’ job satisfaction as based on their perceptions of principals’ transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. Hezberg, Maunser, and Snyderman’s 2-factor theory and Burns’s and Bass’s transformational and transactional leadership theory guided the research questions. A convenience sample of 71 new teachers with 1 to 3 years of experience participated in this study. Instruments used to collect data for the study were the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Job Satisfaction Survey. Pearson product-moment correlations and partial correlational methods were employed to examine the relationships between the variables. Findings revealed statistically significant positive relationships between new teachers’ perceptions of principals’ transformational leadership behavior and their overall job satisfaction. Further, the findings showed that perceptions of more transactional leadership behavior were significantly and negatively related to their overall job satisfaction. Results suggest that organizational leaders who adopt the transformational leadership model and implement effective leadership practices can cultivate positive change within the organization through the development of a team-centered environment that fosters inclusion, support, growth, recognition, stability, and satisfaction. The Effects of Principal Leadership Behavior on New Teachers’ Overall Job Satisfaction by Sherree L. Thomas MA, Prairie View A & M University, 2005 BS, University of Houston-Downtown, 2001 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University January 2014
Relative Factor Abundance and Relative Factor Price Equality in Punjab

This study tests the relative factor price equality across districts in Punjab using the methodology developed by Bernard, Redding, and Schott (2009) and data from the Census of Manufacturing Industries for 2000/01 and 2005/06. The results indicate the absence of relative factor price equalization due to the uneven distribution of factors in the province. Nonproduction (white-collar) workers) are relatively scarce in Punjab, which results in a wage premium for this type of labor. The study adjusts for worker quality by using a Mincerian wage equation as worker quality could explain the wage differential between white-collar and blue-collar workers. However, this exercise yields similar results, implying that factors are distributed unevenly across the districts of Punjab even after controlling for worker quality differences.