Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is Q for you?: using Q methodology within geographical and pedagogical research

Q methodology is receiving growing interest as a research technique. Its use of factor analysis and a well-defined methodological approach may appeal to quantitative researchers who need to investigate issues more commonly associated with qualitative techniques. Such issues frequently arise when investigating student learning. This paper suggests that, appropriately used, Q is a methodology to be embraced by quantitative and qualitative researchers alike. Drawing on work within the field of education, as well as two case studies, the method's utility is illustrated, and Q is suggested as another potential method for investigating the subjective views of our students.
How Are the Player's Ideas Conveyed to the Audience?

Psychological experiments and analyses have been done to investigate quantitatively how the ideas of a musician are conveyed to the audience. The musician performed 1 minute of the beginning of the first movement of Mendelssohn9s Violin Concerto with 10 different nuances: weak, powerful, bright, sad, sophisticated, beautiful, dreamy, fashionable, simple, and deep. Sixteen listeners, including the violinist, were asked to give their impressions of each of the 10 performances by the semantic differential method. The data obtained were analyzed by Kruskal9s multidimensional scaling technique. The results revealed that, on the whole, the player9s intention and the listener9s impression, although there were individual discrepancies, were in general agreement.
Seasonal methane accumulation and release from a gas emission site in the central North Sea

Abstract. We investigated dissolved methane distributions along a 6 km transect crossing active seep sites at 40 m water depth in the central North Sea. These investigations were done under conditions of thermal stratification in summer (July 2013) and homogenous water column in winter (January 2014). Dissolved methane accumulated below the seasonal thermocline in summer with a median concentration of 390 nM, whereas during winter, methane concentrations were typically much lower (median concentration of 22 nM). High-resolution methane analysis using an underwater mass-spectrometer confirmed our summer results and was used to document prevailing stratification over the tidal cycle. We contrast estimates of methane oxidation rates (from 0.1 to 4.0 nM day−1) using the traditional approach scaled to methane concentrations with microbial turnover time values and suggest that the scaling to concentration may obscure the ecosystem microbial activity when comparing systems with different methane concentrations. Our measured and averaged rate constants (k') were on the order of 0.01 day−1, equivalent to a turnover time of 100 days, even when summer stratification led to enhanced methane concentrations in the bottom water. Consistent with these observations, we could not detect known methanotrophs and pmoA genes in water samples collected during both seasons. Estimated methane fluxes indicate that horizontal transport is the dominant process dispersing the methane plume. During periods of high wind speed (winter), more methane is lost to the atmosphere than oxidized in the water. Microbial oxidation seems of minor importance throughout the year.
“Reality Shock”: New Early Childhood Education Teachers

Beginning teaching is challenging; this article examines the realities of practice for beginning early childhood teachers. Fourteen participants in their first year of teaching were interviewed; they worked in private and public early childhood education settings. Findings reveal that the reality of moving from the role of the student to teacher was disconcerting for these new teachers. This article reports the beginning teachers' views about the issues they faced, their perceptions of preservice teaching, and the impact that this had on their transition from student to teacher. While in college they were encouraged to start developing their philosophy of teaching, and they describe their experiences of putting their philosophy into practice. They also conveyed their opinions about working in environments where there was a lack of teaching and learning resources. The move to being a “real” teacher was a formidable experience for these participants and this should be recognized relatedly. Early childhood teachers work in a different context from teachers in general, so as beginning teachers the uniqueness of their concerns needs to be addressed.
Mapping Tropical Forest Biomass by Combining ALOS-2, Landsat 8, and Field Plots Data

This research was carried out in a dense tropical forest region with the objective of improving the biomass estimates by a combination of ALOS-2 SAR, Landsat 8 optical, and field plots data. Using forest inventory based biomass data, the performance of different parameters from the two sensors was evaluated. The regression analysis with the biomass data showed that the backscatter from forest object (σ° forest ) obtained from the SAR data was more sensitive to the biomass than HV polarization, SAR textures, and maximum NDVI parameters. However, the combination of the maximum NDVI from optical data, SAR textures from HV polarization, and σ° forest improved estimates of the biomass. The best model derived by the combination of multiple parameters from ALOS-2 SAR and Landsat 8 data was validated with inventory data. Then, the best validated model was used to produce an up-to-date biomass map for 2015 in Yok Don National Park, which is an important conservation area in Vietnam. The validation results showed that 74% of the variation of in biomass could be explained by our model.
An area-efficient on-chip temperature sensor with nonlinearity compensation using injection-locked oscillator (ILO)

This paper describes CMOS time-domain temperature sensors. A principle of this type of sensors is CMOS inverter's time-delay variation with temperature. The variation, however, has nonlinearity which is a fundamental error source. Therefore, we propose a new temperature sensor that improves linearity using an injection-locked oscillator (ILO). Since the ILO has the opposite curvature of an inverter delay line in temperature domain, nonlinear error induced by the CMOS inverters can be eliminated. Integral nonlinearity (INL) error is reduced from 3.6 LSB to 0.56 LSB (84% reduction), resulting in under 1-bit error by nonlinearity. The proposed design has -0.19°C~0.2°C inaccuracy which is only quantization error over 0°C~100°C. The power consumption is 2.88mW including an 8-bit temperature-to-digital code conversion block at the sampling rate of 15.6M samples/s.
The Effects of Positively and Negatively Worded Items on the Factor Structure of the UCLA Loneliness Scale

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale and examine possible wording effects on a sample of 1,429 students from the United Arab Emirates University. Correlated traits-correlated uniqueness as well as correlated traits-correlated methods were used to examine the scale’s eight-factor models. The results of confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation indicated two models provided the best fit. The first, a one-dimensional model, assumes the correlation of the standard errors in the positive items. The second assumes a one-dimensional model and two method factors that correspond to the negative and positive items.
“Until I Became a Professional, I Was Not, Consciously, Indigenous”: One Intercultural Bilingual Educator’s Trajectory in Indigenous Language Revitalization

Drawing from long-term ethnographic research in the Andes, this paper examines one Quechua-speaking Indigenous bilingual educator’s trajectory as she traversed (and traverses) from rural highland communities of southern Peru through development as teacher, teacher educator, researcher, and advocate for Indigenous identity and language revitalization across urban, periurban, and rural spaces. Neri Mamani grew up in highland Peru and at the time I met her in 2005 was a bilingual intercultural education practitioner enrolled in master’s studies at the Program for Professional Development in Bilingual Intercultural Education for the Andean Region (PROEIB-Andes) at the University of San Simón in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Drawing from my ethnographic research at PROEIB that year, situated also within a broader context of my ethnographic research on bilingual education in the Andes across several decades and Neri’s life trajectory across those same decades, this paper analyzes her narrative as it emerged in a 4-hour interview with me. I argue that Neri and her peers’ recognizing, valorizing, and studying the multiple and mobile linguistic, cultural, and intercultural resources at play in their own and others’ professional practices around bilingual intercultural education enable them to co-construct an Indigenous identity that challenges deep-seated social inequalities in their Andean world.
Comparison of Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Orthopantomography with Direct Ridge Mapping for Pre-Surgical Planning to Place Implants in Cadaveric Mandibles: An Ex-Vivo Study

Background: Implant treatment is today a common and most widely accepted prosthetic therapy worldwide. The quality and quantity of the bone available at the anticipated implant site is of prime importance. Accurate measurement of alveolar bone and adjacent anatomic structures are of paramount importance in implant insertion. Proper pre-surgical assessment requires precise radiographic visualization of anatomic structures and pathologic conditions. However, the concern for radiation exposure has also grown. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 partially or completely edentulous human cadaveric mandibles were used which were further subdivided into three further groups for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), orthopantomography (OPG), and direct measurements (DM). Mandibles were prepared for each sample and subjected to radiographs according to the respective techniques, and radiographic measurements were done using the appropriate software. The cadaveric mandibles were then sectioned, and the actual measurements were done using a digital vernier caliper. Results: Analysis of variance test revealed that there was no significant difference among the three different measurements techniques. Conclusion: A sizable portion of the CBCT measurements with respect to width showed slight overestimation when compared to DMs. There were no statistically significant differences found between CBCT, OPG, and DM when height was taken into consideration.
Just more of the same, or different? An integrative theoretical framework for the study of cumulative interruptions at work

We propose a theoretical framework that explores the accumulation of work interruptions and their effects. Most research studies have dealt with interruptions as isolated phenomena, ignoring the simultaneous or sequential occurrence of interruptions common in everyday life. We fill this gap and provide insight into the process of the accumulation of interruptions by mapping deep-level regulation onto an observable sequence of actions. Furthermore, we explain how cumulative interruptions can lead to qualitatively different effects because of the interaction and joint development of isolated effects, identifying some mediating and moderating factors. In doing so, we disclose the relationships between the effects of single interruptions found in laboratory studies and the impacts on health and well-being of multiple interruptions found in applied research.
Increasing prevalence of smoke-free homes and decreasing rates of sudden infant death syndrome in the United States: an ecological association study

Purpose This study utilises an ecological design to analyse the relation between concurrent temporal trends in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates and prevalence of smoke-free households with infants in the USA, controlling for an important risk factor, infant supine sleep position. Methods Annual state-specific SIDS cases were computed using period linked birth/infant death files; the prevalence of 100% smoke-free homes with infants using Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey data, and percentage of infants in supine sleep position from National Infant Sleep Position data, for years 1995–2006. Incidence rate ratios relating trends in SIDS cases and risk factors were determined using time-series negative binomial regression. Population-level health effects were assessed with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure population attributable fractions and excess attributable SIDS deaths. Results For every 1% absolute increase in the prevalence of smoke-free homes with infants, SIDS rates decreased 0.4% from 1995 to 2006, controlling for supine sleep position. Nationally, it is possible that 20% of the 1326 total SIDS cases were attributable to childhood SHS exposure at home in 2006 with potentially 534 fewer infant deaths attributable to SHS exposure in 2006 than in 1995, owing to an increasing prevalence of 100% smoke-free homes with infants. Cumulatively, 4402 (lower 95% CI) to 6406 (upper 95% CI) excess SIDS cases may have been attributable to SHS exposure in the home over the 12-year study period. Conclusions The uptake of voluntary restrictions on smoking inside the home may present a public health benefit for infants in their first year of life. In light of inherent ecological study design limitations, these results warrant further individual level research linking postnatal SHS exposure and SIDS.
Using Self-Organizing Maps for Fraud Prediction at Online Auction Sites

Online auction sites have to deal with a enormous amount of product listings, of which a fraction is fraudulent. Although small in proportion, fraudulent listings are costly for site operators, buyers and legitimate sellers. Fraud prediction in this scenario can benefit significantly from machine learning techniques, although interpretability of model predictions is a concern. In this work we extend an unsupervised learning technique -- Self-Organizing Maps -- to use labeled data for binary classification under a constraint on the proportion of false positives. The resulting technique was applied to the prediction of non-delivery fraud, achieving good results while being easier to interpret.
Coverage and adaptive scheduling algorithms for criticality management on video wireless sensor networks

In WSN-based surveillance systems power conservation is an important issue but one must also ensure that the application's objectives are met. In this paper, we jointly address the problem of coverage, disambigation and adaptive scheduling of sensor node's activity to extend the network lifetime while fulfilling a critical surveillance application needs. We first present a distributed algorithm that ensures both coverage of the deployment area and network connectivity by providing multiple cover sets to manage Field of View redundancies. The availability of multiple cover sets leads to a simple but efficient disambigation algorithm. Then, we propose a multiple levels activity model that uses behavior functions modeled by modified Bezier curves to define application classes and allow for adaptive scheduling. Simulation results are presented to validate the performance of the proposed approach.
Assessment of flow events at the ductus venosus-inferior vena cava junction and at the foramen ovale in fetal sheep by use of multimodal ultrasound.

BACKGROUND Previous techniques for the study of the fetal circulation did not permit assessment of phasic events associated with the cardiac cycle. We used multimodal ultrasound techniques to examine flow events that occur in the major veins and across the foramen ovale in the circulation of the fetal lamb. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied eight fetal lambs instrumented with catheters in the superior and inferior venae cavae and a peripheral umbilical vein and performed ultrasound studies that included M-mode and two-dimensional imaging, pulsed and Doppler color flow ultrasound, and contrast echocardiography to evaluate flow in the ductus venosus, in both venae cavae, and through the foramen ovale. Two blood streams of different flow velocities were identified within the cephalic portion of the inferior vena cava. The stream that originated from the narrowed ductus venosus had a higher velocity than that from the caudal inferior vena cava (mean velocity, 57 +/- 13 versus 16 +/- 3 cm/s; P < .0002). Facilitated by the eustachian valve and the septum primum, the ductus venosus stream preferentially passed through the foramen ovale to the left atrium. This flow occurred during most of the cardiac cycle, except for 19.6 +/- 2.3% of the cycle when the foramen ovale was closed during atrial contraction. Superior vena cava flow passed almost exclusively into the right atrium and tricuspid valve; a small amount that was refluxed from the right atrium into the inferior vena cava subsequently passed through the foramen into the left atrium. CONCLUSIONS Visualization of fetal circulatory streaming at the venous sites by ultrasound techniques aids in understanding the function of the fetal circulation and may be helpful in detecting the human fetus that is hemodynamically compromised.
Strike kinematics and performance in juvenile ball pythons (Python regius)

The rapid strike of snakes has interested researchers for decades. Although most work has focused on the strike performance of vipers, recent work has shown that other snakes outside of the Viperidae can strike with the same velocities and accelerations. However, to date all of these examples focus on performance in adult snakes. Here, we use high-speed video to measure the strike kinematics and performance of 10 juvenile (<6 months of age) ball pythons, Python regius. We find that juvenile P. regius strike at levels comparable to larger snakes, but with shorter durations and over shorter distances. We conclude that the juvenile P. regius maintain performance likely through manipulation of the axial musculature and accompanying elastic tissues, and that this is a first step to understanding ontogenetic changes in behavior and a potential avenue for understanding how captivity may also impact behavior.
Hepatotoxicity of Halogenated Inhalational Anesthetics

Context: Halogenated inhalational anesthetics are currently the most common drugs used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. Postoperative hepatic injury has been reported after exposure to these agents. Based on much evidence, mechanism of liver toxicity is more likely to be immunoallergic. The objective of this review study was to assess available studies on hepatotoxicity of these anesthetics. Evidence Acquisition: We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Index Copernicus, EBSCO and the Cochrane Database using the following keywords: “inhalational Anesthetics” and “liver injury”; “inhalational anesthetics” and “hepatotoxicity”; “volatile anesthetics” and “liver injury”; “volatile anesthetics” and hepatotoxicity for the period of 1966 to 2013. Fifty two studies were included in this work. Results: All halogenated inhalational anesthetics are associated with liver injury. Halothane, enflurane, isoflurane and desflurane are metabolized through the metabolic pathway involving cytochrome P-450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and produce trifluoroacetylated components; some of which may be immunogenic. The severity of hepatotoxicity is associated with the degree by which they undergo hepatic metabolism by this cytochrome. However, liver toxicity is highly unlikely from sevoflurane as is not metabolized to trifluoroacetyl compounds. Conclusions: Hepatotoxicity of halogenated inhalational anesthetics has been well documented in available literature. Halothane-induced liver injury was extensively acknowledged; however, the next generation halogenated anesthetics have different molecular structures and associated with less hepatotoxicity. Although anesthesia-induced hepatitis is not a common occurrence, we must consider the association between this disorder and the use of halogenated anesthetics.
Static security analysis of power system networks using soft computing techniques

In this paper an EP and PSO based optimization algorithms have been proposed for solving optimal power flow problems with multiple objective functions. These algorithms take into consideration all the equality and inequality constraints. The improvement in system performance is based on reduction in cost of power generation and fuzzy based network security. The proposed algorithms have been compared with the other methods reported in the literature. Simulation studies have been carried out for the optimal solutions of the IEEE 30-bus systems.
Why is a transnational approach important to historical research?

This report is concerned with the use of a transnational approach in historical research, specifically, in the study of the history of pre-modern Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The paper is divided into three sections. In the first section, I use my experience of learning languages as part of my master’s and doctoral training to introduce the intrinsically transnational nature of this area of research. The second part of this paper discusses the transnational nature of original sources for early Kazakh history. In the third section, I look into the transnational character of modern studies of Kazakh history. I conclude by providing an argument for the use of a transnational approach in the study of intrinsically transnational history of nation-states in Central Asia and beyond.
Characterization of urease genes cluster of Streptococcus thermophilus

Aims: The milk acidification rate of Streptococcus thermophilus strains can be affected by several factors, one of which is the hydrolysis of urea by the urease complex. To evaluate the technological suitability of S. thermophilus strains deprived of urease activity in milk fermentation, the genetic cluster related to urease enzymatic activity has been characterized in the type strain DSM 20167T.
The Influence of a Serial Killer on Changes in Fear of Crime and the Use of Protective Measures: A Survey-Based Case Study of Baton Rouge

When a serial killer is present, the media and local authorities often claim that public attitudes and behaviors change sharply, usually becoming more fearful and less outgoing. Unfortunately, much of the evidence on this score is either speculative or anecdotal. This study reports quantified results from a series of surveys conducted over the course of a serial killing spree in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The temporal trend in fear of crime is punctuated by a moderate increase during the serial killing spree, and a sharp decline after the apprehension of the serial killer. Moreover, post apprehension data reveal that nearly 56% of respondents report experiencing an increase in their fear of crime specifically in response to the serial killer. This was fairly evenly distributed across races and marital statuses, but, as expected, females and younger people were more likely to report increases in fear. Additionally, 46% of respondents took the extra step of implementing some sort of protective measure, with the most frequent being carrying mace or pepper spray or adding a security device to their home. In the latter case, respondents were motivated by a mix of concern over their own safety and that of their family.