Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Possibilities and Limitations of Assessment for Learning: Exploring the Theory of Formative Assessment and the Notion of "Closing the Learning Gap".

Black and Wiliam (1998a, 1998b) demonstrate that formative assessment is one of the most effective strategies for promoting student learning. Since the publication of their reviews, formative assessment has gained increasing international prominence in both policy and practice. However, despite this early innovation, the theory and practice of formative assessment are currently at a crossroads. It is widely understood that problems emerge when formative assessment is being reduced to a mini-summative assessment or to a series of teaching techniques for coaching to improve grades and levels. On the one hand, a serious threat to the effectiveness of formative assessment occurs when it is assimilated into larger accountability systems such as National Curriculum Assessment in England. On the other hand, a defense of formative assessment is offered by some researchers who suggest that the threat stems from misinterpretation of the evolved form of formative assessment. In this paper, although I am alert to the rich potential of the evolved form of formative assessment, I suggest that the threat stems not from “misrepresentation” but that it exists in the original theoretical framework of Black and Wiliam and the early ARG definition of Assessment for Learning. I will illustrate that this type of formative assessment becomes “convergent assessment” (Torrance & Pryor, 1998) and identify the widespread notion of “closing the learning gap”(Sadler, 1989) as the mechanism of “convergent assessment”. I also claim that formative assessment characterised by “convergent assessment” can lead to the practice of “criteria compliance” (Torrance, 2007). Together these claims point towards the theoretical problems of the evolved form of formative assessment and lead to a discussion of the main dilemmas for formative assessment: the kind of learning that is taking place, the effects of explicit learning objectives, the tension of accountability pressure and high-stakes summative assessments. Finally, by applying the suggestions above, this paper provides a critical analysis of recent assessment policy in Japan, emphasizing criterion-referenced approach in classroom assessment and proposes a pathway for developing formative assessment further.
Visual field constriction in children with shunt-treated hydrocephalus.

OBJECT Many ophthalmological abnormalities are described in conjunction with hydrocephalus. The results of visual field diagnosis remain a matter of further discussion. The aim of this study was to investigate visual field deficits in children with shunt-treated hydrocephalus. METHODS All children over 6 years of age treated for hydrocephalus at the authors' institute between December 2007 and December 2008 were included in the study. The children underwent an ophthalmological investigation for strabismus and binocular function, ophthalmoscopy, visual acuity, and refraction. The special focus was the visual field diagnosis, which the authors established in all children with cognitive conditions. The investigation was made by using the Goldmann visual field examination (kinetic perimetry). Children with and without visual field defects were compared concerning age at the time of ophthalmological examination, genesis of hydrocephalus, and fronto-occipital horn ratio measured on current CT or MR images. RESULTS Complete investigations were undertaken in 56 children (24 girls and 32 boys, mean age 15.1 years). The following orthoptic pathological entities were diagnosed: 29 children have a strabismus in 29 cases, 17 of these have an exotropia, 12 an esotropia, 4 children a hypotropia, 2 a hypertropia and 3 children a heterophoria. A nystagmus was found in 10 children. The ocular fundus investigation showed 13 children with an optic nerve atrophy. A visual field diagnosis was possible in 44 of the 56 patients and was incomplete in 12 patients with cognitive deficits or inadequate compliance. In 24 of 42 children there was a concentric visual field constriction between 10° and 50° out of the center. Children with visual field deficits were older than those with a normal visual field (p = 0.051). Nine of 10 children with postmenigitic hydrocephalus had a visual field defect (p = 0.025). In children with visual field defects the fronto-occipital horn ratio was significantly higher (p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that children with shunt-treated hydrocephalus have a higher risk of having ophthalmological abnormalities. Visual field deficits are often a problem in these patients. A diagnostic visual field examination can complete the ophthalmological monitoring in patients with hydrocephalus, especially in patients with large ventricles. Children with postmeningitic hydrocephalus should be ophthalmologically monitored more frequently and intensively.
Essays on Gender, Competition, and Educational Outcomes

Author(s): Zhang, Yiqin Jane | Advisor(s): Miguel, Edward; Kariv, Shachar | Abstract: Recent experimental economics research documents substantial gender differences in the willingness to compete in a tournament, suggesting that women may be underrepresented in positions of power because they lack competitive drive. The second chapter of this dissertation examines whether competitive inclination measured in the lab is predictive of the subsequent propensity to take a competitive and highly consequential high school entrance exam in rural China. Using a discrete choice mixed logit model, I estimate individual parameters of competitive inclination from lab data for my sample of ethnically diverse middle school students. I find that a middle school student with a taste for competition one standard deviation above the mean is 7.2 percentage points more likely to take the exam, controlling for prior test scores. Contrary to results from studies in adult populations, no gender differences were found in competitive inclination. Likewise, no gender difference was found in exam taking behavior, controlling for prior test scores.The underrepresentation of women in leadership roles could also reinforce gender differences in competitive inclination in a "low" equilibrium. The third chapter of this dissertation studies adult competitive inclination in China, a country which has deliberately sought to move to a "high" equilibrium through massive coordinated government action. Competitive inclination is elicited from three ethnic groups in a "cultural laboratory": the majority Han Chinese, a matrilineal minority group, and a patrilineal minority group. The Han Chinese exhibited no statistically significant gender differences in competitive inclination. Women in the patrilineal minority, where clan leaders arrange marriages, are less competitively inclined than the men, and the men are as competitively inclined than the Han Chinese. Women in the matrilineal minority are as competitively inclined as the Han Chinese but the men are more competitively inclined. This non-intuitive result may be explained by the special non-exclusive nature of "marriages" in the matrilineal group. These findings suggest that coordinated government action can shape competitive preferences, which have the potential to lead to organic increases in gender diversity in leadership roles. More broadly, they support the case for quotas for women in parliament and corporate boardrooms.
Public Perception of Carbon Capture and Sequestration

While most Americans have heard of the idea of “clean coal,” very few are well-acquainted with the actual processes behind the concept. When polled about Carbon Capture Sequestration (CCS), the main “clean coal” technology, approval ratings are drastically lower than approval ratings for CCS. The causes of this difference in approval have not been thoroughly investigated previously. In order to determine why Americans tend to disapprove of CCS the more they know about it, I conducted an invention-based survey online via Amazon Mechanical Turk (n=156). Respondents answered a pre-test survey with likert-scale items registering their approval and a short answer section to measure their level of knowledge of CCS. Following the pre-test, the respondents read a 300-word explanation of the goals and methods involved in CCS. The respondents then answered the same survey questions in the pre-test again. This intervention revealed distinct increases in both self-rated knowledge of the technology and actual knowledge of CCS (p<.01) and decreases in overall acceptance (p<.05). Multi-way variance analysis showed that gender and political belief accounted for the majority of differences between respondents. Women tended to alter their acceptance of CCS based upon perceived affordability, conservatives tended to base their opinions mostly upon affordability, and men tended to focus on safety.
Toward a Theoretical Model of Employee Turnover: A Human Resource Development Perspective

This article sets forth the Organizational Model of Employee Persistence, influenced by traditional turnover models and a student attrition model. The model was developed to clarify the impact of organizational practices on employee turnover from a human resource development (HRD) perspective and provide a theoretical foundation for research on that topic. What is unique about this unified longitudinal model in which organizational factors that impact human resources are the focal point is that these organizational factors are hypothesized to be symbiotically and reciprocally linked to key individual variables—intention, goals, commitment, and satisfaction. Implications include evaluating HRD practices on the basis of reduced costs of turnover, thus enhancing the strategic role of HRD in organizations.
The Enrollment Effects of Merit-Based Financial Aid: Evidence from Georgia's Hope Scholarship

Introduced in 1993, Georgia’s HOPE Program sponsors a merit‐based scholarship for students attending in‐state colleges and a grant for those entering technical schools. There are no income restrictions. Comparing Georgia with other southeastern states over the 1988–97 period, HOPE increased freshmen enrollment by 5.9%, or 2,889 students per year, which amounts to only 15% of freshmen scholarship recipients. Four‐year colleges account for most of the gain; a reduction in students leaving the state explains two‐thirds of the 4‐year‐school effect attributable to freshmen who have recently graduated from high school. White and black enrollments increased because of HOPE.
Edge and Total Choosability of Near-Outerplanar Graphs

It is proved that, if $G$ is a $K_4$-minor-free graph with maximum degree $\Delta \ge 4$, then $G$ is totally $(\Delta+1)$-choosable; that is, if every element (vertex or edge) of $G$ is assigned a list of $\Delta+1$ colours, then every element can be coloured with a colour from its own list in such a way that every two adjacent or incident elements are coloured with different colours. Together with other known results, this shows that the List-Total-Colouring Conjecture, that ${\rm ch}"(G) = \chi"(G)$ for every graph $G$, is true for all $K_4$-minor-free graphs. The List-Edge-Colouring Conjecture is also known to be true for these graphs. As a fairly straightforward consequence, it is proved that both conjectures hold also for all $K_{2,3}$-minor free graphs and all $(\bar K_2 + (K_1 \cup K_2))$-minor-free graphs.
EVALUATION OF THE WORKING ALLIANCE IN ASYNCHRONOUS THERAPY VIA INTERNET 1

The Brazilian Federal Council of Psychology has not yet approved Internet Therapy, however, research is recommended. The technical possibility of offering such a service and the possibility of developing Working Alliance were investigated. A system of registration and brief psychotherapy, which was asynchronously carried out, was created using free software. The therapeutic relationship was analyzed by using the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI). It was possible to conduct Internet therapy, and the therapeutic relationship presented characteristics similar to those described in the literature. Clients enrolled (373) were predominantly female, graduate, active Internet users and experienced in using computers. Therapists enrolled (20) presented demographic characteristics similar to clients, medium clinical experience and were academically active. In the 53 therapies created, there were significant differences, regarding the WAI, between clients who abandoned the therapy (19) and clients who completed it (29). On the other hand, in relation to the therapists (15), there were no significant differences between those whose clients abandoned the therapy and those whose clients completed it.
Sensitivity of Real-Data Simulations of the 3 May 1999 Oklahoma City Tornadic Supercell and Associated Tornadoes to Multimoment Microphysics. Part I: Storm- and Tornado-Scale Numerical Forecasts

AbstractNumerical predictions of the 3 May 1999 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, tornadic supercell are performed within a real-data framework utilizing telescoping nested grids of 3-km, 1-km, and 250-m horizontal spacing. Radar reflectivity and radial velocity from the Oklahoma City WSR-88D are assimilated using a cloud analysis procedure coupled with a cycled 3DVAR system to analyze storms on the 1-km grid for subsequent forecast periods. Single-, double-, and triple-moment configurations of a multimoment bulk microphysics scheme are used in several experiments on the 1-km and 250-m grids to assess the impact of varying the complexity of the microphysics scheme on the storm structure, behavior, and tornadic activity (on the 250-m grid). This appears to be the first study of its type to investigate single- versus multimoment microphysics within a real-data context.It is found that the triple-moment scheme overall performs the best, producing the smallest track errors for the mesocyclone on the 1-km grid, and str.
Deaf children's bimodal bilingualism and education

This paper provides an overview of the research into deaf children's bilingualism and bilingual education through a synthesis of studies published over the last 15 years. This review brings together the linguistic and pedagogical work on bimodal bilingualism to inform educational practice. The first section of the review provides a synthesis of the research, addressing linguistic, cognitive and social aspects of bimodal bilingualism. This is followed by a focus on bimodal bilingual language experience and use in different learning contexts. These first two sections provide the context for the main focus of the review: education and learning. The third section reports on links made between bimodal bilingualism and learning with regard to deaf children's literacy development. The fourth section examines further research into bimodal bilingual pedagogies. The final section considers the theoretical and practical implications of the field to date in developing a contemporary model of bimodal bilingual education for deaf children. It also charts future research priorities.
Mindfulness Decouples the Relation Between Automatic Alcohol Motivation and Heavy Drinking

Dual-process models of addiction propose that alcohol and drug use are influenced by automatic motivational responses to substance use cues. With increasing evidence that automatic alcohol motivation is related to heavy drinking, researchers have begun to examine interventions that may modulate the relation between automatic processes and alcohol use. Recent clinical trials suggest that mindfulness may be an effective treatment for substance use disorders. Little is known, however, about how mindfulness interventions may alter the influence of appetitive processes involved in addiction. The current research examined whether mindfulness decouples the relation between automatic alcohol motivation and heavy drinking. Regular drinkers completed a measure of automatic alcohol motivation at baseline, three mindfulness or control training sessions, and recent heavy drinking at a follow-up session. Regression analyses indicate that the relation between automatic alcohol motivation and heavy drinking was weaker in.
Proinflammatory Phenotype of Perivascular Adipocytes: Influence of High-Fat Feeding

Adipose tissue depots originate from distinct precursor cells, are functionally diverse, and modulate disease processes in a depot-specific manner. However, the functional properties of perivascular adipocytes, and their influence on disease of the blood vessel wall, remain to be determined. We show that human coronary perivascular adipocytes exhibit a reduced state of adipocytic differentiation as compared with adipocytes derived from subcutaneous and visceral (perirenal) adipose depots. Secretion of antiinflammatory adiponectin is markedly reduced, whereas that of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, is markedly increased in perivascular adipocytes. These depot-specific differences in adipocyte function are demonstrable in both freshly isolated adipose tissues and in vitro–differentiated adipocytes. Murine aortic arch perivascular adipose tissues likewise express lower levels of adipocyte-associated genes as compared with subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues. Moreover, 2 weeks of high-fat feeding caused further reductions in adipocyte-associated gene expression, while upregulating proinflammatory gene expression, in perivascular adipose tissues. These changes were observed in the absence of macrophage recruitment to the perivascular adipose depot. We conclude that perivascular adipocytes exhibit reduced differentiation and a heightened proinflammatory state, properties that are intrinsic to the adipocytes residing in this depot. Dysfunction of perivascular adipose tissue induced by fat feeding suggests that this unique adipose depot is capable of linking metabolic signals to inflammation in the blood vessel wall.
Quantitative study of caspase-3 activity in semen and after swim-up preparation in relation to sperm quality.

BACKGROUND There are no studies relating the apoptotic marker caspase-3 in human sperm to different degrees of abnormal sperm concentration, morphology and rapid progressive motility. METHODS Semen from 67 males with abnormal semen analyses (n = 61) and normozoospermia (n = 6) were used. In each case, sperm from the neat semen (semen fraction) and after gradient centrifugation and swim-up (swim-up fraction) were incubated with a caspase-3 profluorogenic substrate. Caspase-3 activity was quantified in 119 850 sperm, 67 488 from semen and 52 362 from swim-up fractions. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio (with 99% confidence intervals) for the presence of caspase-3-positive sperm. RESULTS In semen fractions, no relationship was found between abnormal semen analysis subgroups and sperm caspase-3 activity. On the contrary, a significantly increased number of sperm with caspase-3 activity was found in the swim-up fractions from samples with poor sperm morphology. When analysis was restricted to single semen analysis defects, a significant increase of caspase-3-positive sperm was found in the semen fractions of cases with asthenozoospermia, and in the swim-up fractions of cases with teratozoospermia. CONCLUSIONS Sperm caspase-3 activity seems to be associated with teratozoospermia and asthenozoospermia, thus suggesting that nuclear, mitochondrial and cytoskeletal abnormalities induce caspase-3 activation during spermiogenesis or sperm maturation.
The Impact of Condom Use Negotiation Self-Efficacy and Partnership Patterns on Consistent Condom Use Among College-Educated Women

This study sought to explore the impact of condom negotiation self-efficacy, interpersonal factors, and sensational factors on condom use behavior among a population of college-educated women with different patterns and types of sexual partner. We administered an online questionnaire capturing sexual behavior, partnership patterns, perceived benefits of and barriers to condom use, and condom use negotiation self-efficacy. A total of 433 women completed the online survey. Perceived sensual, erotic, and interpersonal benefits and barriers to condom use, along with negotiation self-efficacy, were found to be significantly associated with consistent condom use. When compared to respondents reporting only main partners, respondents reporting only casual partners were more likely to use condoms while respondents reporting both main and casual partners were least likely to use condoms. Previous negative experiences with condoms were significantly associated with decreased condom use, while history of sexually transmitted infection diagnosis was not consistently associated with condom use. This study supports the importance of negotiation self-efficacy in promoting condom use; however, building women’s self-efficacy is not enough for effective condom use promotion among women. The impact of interpersonal, sensual and erotic factors, as well as the context of different partnership patterns, must be considered in future interventions.
Impact du changement climatique sur la productivité des cultures céréalières dans la région de Béja (Tunisie)

L’objectif principal de ce travail est d’analyser l’impact du changement climatique sur la productivite des cultures cerealieres dans la region de Beja, situee au nord-ouest de la Tunisie. Pour ce faire, des modeles de regression multiple ont ete estimes pour trois cultures cerealieres (ble dur, ble tendre et orge). Les variables explicatives du rendement utilisees dans l’analyse sont celles d’ordre climatique (precipitations et temperatures) et le progres technique. La periode d’analyse est de 1980 a 2009. Les estimations des modeles de regression semi-logarithmiques ont montre que les rendements des differentes cultures cerealieres dependaient des variables climatiques et du progres technique. L’analyse de la projection des effets du changement climatique sur les rendements cerealiers dans la zone d’etude, en utilisant les scenarios du modele HadCM3, a montre que l’impact est important a l’horizon de 2030. Cet impact sera plus accentue pour le ble tendre. Ainsi, l’encouragement de la recherche en matiere d’identification de nouvelles techniques agricoles, la diffusion de varietes tolerantes a la diminution des precipitations, dans les periodes critiques de croissance, et de varietes precoces, font partie des strategies d’adaptation pour la reduction des effets du changement climatique sur le rendement cerealier a long terme. This article analyzes the potential impact of climate change on cereal productivity in the Beja region of northwestern Tunisia. Multiple regression models were estimated for the cereal crops durum wheat, bread wheat and barley, using annual data from 1980 to 2009. The yield of each crop was used as the dependent variable, while the explanatory variables were mainly related to the climate (precipitation and temperature) and technological progress. The results show that yield variability is affected by climate and technological progress variables. The projected climate change scenarios predicted by the HadCM3 model will have a significant effect on crop yields by 2030, particularly for bread wheat. Some adaptation strategies that could alleviate climate change effects on cereal crops yields in the long run are the identification of new agricultural practices in this area, the widespread diffusion of varieties that can tolerate rainfall shortage during the critical periods, and the adoption of early maturing varieties.