Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Racial Socialization in Cross-Racial Families

The purpose of this study was to investigate how multiracial people of African descent experience racism in schools and to understand how their parents or guardians prepare them to cope with incidents of racism in school. Through qualitative in-depth interviews with multiracial and transracially adopted adults of African descent, this study seeks to raise awareness regarding the complexity of family racial dynamics and how family racial socialization processes affect students’ ability to navigate racism. Findings suggested that racial socialization processes varied by the racial composition of the family, that is, families in which there was at least one Black parent or guardian present tended to more openly address issues of race and racism in comparison with families in which there was no Black parent or guardian present. Findings from this study hold theoretical implications for how racial socialization is conceptualized and practical implications for programs and policies designed to support families raising children of African descent.
Renting to Owning: An Exploration of the Theory of Planned Behavior in the Homeownership Domain

This study extends the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) to the domain of homeownership. We used a 4-year longitudinal data set of 919 low-and-moderate income renters to explore factors associated with greater homeownership intentions and actual home purchases. Our findings provide strong support for the TPB. Favorable attitudes and subjective norms and greater perceptions of control were all associated with greater homeownership intentions. Homeownership intentions, in turn, predicted home purchases during the following year. The analysis included relevant demographic and economic variables, and the significance of income and geographic location suggests a distinction between respondents' perceived versus actual control. Our use of a longitudinal panel data set represents an important advance over much of the prior TPB literature, which tends to use cross-sectional designs and focus on short-term goals. We discuss implications for behavioral prediction using the TPB as well as implications for housing policy.
Achiral Mannich-Base Curcumin Analogs Induce Unfolded Protein Response and Mitochondrial Membrane Depolarization in PANC-1 Cells

Achiral Mannich-type curcumin analogs have been synthetized and assayed for their cytotoxic activity. The anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activity of curcuminoids has been tested on human non-small-cell lung carcinoma (A549), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and pancreatic cancer cell line (PANC-1). Based on the highest anti-proliferative activity nine drug candidates were further tested and proved to cause phosphatidylserine exposure as an early sign of apoptosis. Curcumin analogs with the highest apoptotic activity were selected for mechanistic studies in the most sensitive PANC-1 cells. Cytotoxic activity was accompanied by cytostatic effect since curcumin and analogs treatment led to G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Moreover, cytotoxic effect could be also detected via the accumulation of curcuminoids in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the up-regulation of ER stress-related unfolded protein response (UPR) genes: HSPA5, ATF4, XBP1, and DDIT3. The activated UPR induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization, caspase-3 activation and subsequent DNA breakdown in PANC-1 cells. Achiral curcumin analogs, C509, C521 and C524 possessed superior, 40-times more potent cytotoxic activity compared to natural dihydroxy-dimetoxycurcumin in PANC-1 cells.
Impact of Administrative Practices on Job Performance: With Reference to Public Banks in Sri Lanka

To attain a competitive advantage and remain in the competitive market, organizations should focus on the employee job performance significantly. Achieving the Job performance of the employees has been a critical issue in both private and public sector organizations. Hence it is needed to investigate how the practices of the public banks in Sri Lanka, affect the job performance of their employees. Thus the objective of this research was to investigate the impact of administrative practices on job performance of the public banks in Sri Lanka. The independent variable was administrative practices, with two sub variables named Reward Management and Decision Making and the dependent variable was job performance. The reliability of the instruments were tested against the survey data. This study was engaged in hypothesis testing and it was corelational. This research was conducted in the natural environment where work proceeds normally, with less interference of the researchers (noncontrived). Data was collected from each individual: employees of the public banks, and the study was cross sectional. The analysis was based on the information collected using a self administered questionnaire from 92 Managerial, Executive and Non Executive employees doing a variety of jobs in the Public Banks in Colombo District. Data used for analysis were totally based on primary data which was collected using a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The analysis was done by simple regression models using the software SPSS 15.0. According to the results, there is an impact on administrative practices on job performance, but it is not significant. Based on that it can be concluded employee‘s job performance have been impacted by administrative practices, and the job performance can be improved by developing the administrative practices.
Water Stress Affects Development Time but Not Takeoff Performance in the Butterfly Pararge aegeria

Most organisms are limited in the amount and type of resources they are able to extract from the environment. The juvenile environment is particularly important in this regard, as conditions over ontogeny can influence the adult phenotype. Whole-organism performance traits, such as locomotion, are susceptible to such environmental effects, yet the specific biotic and abiotic factors driving performance plasticity have received little attention. We tested whether speckled wood Pararge aegeria L. butterflies reared under conditions of water stress exhibited poorer flight morphology and performance than control individuals. Despite large differences in mortality between treatments, we found no effects of water stress treatment on takeoff performance and only minor treatment effects on flight morphology. However, butterflies reared on water-stressed diets exhibited both significantly greater mortality and longer development times than did control individuals. Pararge aegeria larvae may compensate for this stress by prolonging development, resulting in similar realized performance capacities at least in takeoff performance in surviving adult butterflies; other measures of flight performance remain to be considered. Alternatively, the adult phenotype may be insulated from environmental effects at the larval stage in these insects.
l‐DOPA Up‐Regulates Glutathione and Protects Mesencephalic Cultures Against Oxidative Stress

Abstract: Incubation with l‐DOPA induced a rise in GSH level in cultures of fetal rat mesencephalon, mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro‐2A), human neuroblastoma (SK‐N‐MC), pig kidney epithelial cells (LLC‐PK1), and glia from newborn rat brain, but not C6 glioma cells or neuronal cultures (no glia) from the mesencephalon. The pure neuronal cultures were destroyed by incubation with l‐DOPA; added ascorbic acid or superoxide dismutase protected the cells. Washout of l‐DOPA after 48 h amplified the rise in GSH content in mixed cultures (neurons plus glia). Examination of structure‐activity relationships for elevating GSH levels in responsive cell types revealed that autooxidizable compounds (α‐methyl‐DOPA, dopamine, apomorphine, catechol, and hydroquinone) behaved similarly to l‐DOPA, whereas structural analogues that cannot undergo autooxidation (3‐O‐methyl‐DOPA, tyrosine, 2,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine, and resorcinol) failed to elevate GSH levels. Therefore, up‐regulation of GSH appears to be a response to a mild oxidative stress. When mixed mesencephalic cultures were exposed to a strong oxidant stress by incubation with tert‐butyl hydroperoxide, a loss in viability was seen. Cultures pretreated with l‐DOPA or hydroquinone were protected from loss of viability. However, when cultures were pretreated with both l‐DOPA and ascorbate, which prevents the rise in GSH level, protection was lost, in accord with the failure to up‐regulate GSH. These results show that the up‐regulation of cellular GSH evoked by autooxidizable agents is associated with significant protection of cells. Glia play an essential role in the response of mesencephalic cell cultures. An ability to up‐regulate GSH may serve a protective role in vivo.
Can different teaching strategies or methods of preparing pupils lead to greater improvements from GCSE to A level performance?

There is no published empirically based research on the new GCE synoptic assessment. Consequently no published research has been undertaken on its role, how it is taught or how pupils are prepared for the assessment. Neither is there a published evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching the synoptic units. It is these issues which are addressed in the present study. One hundred and twenty‐five chemistry teachers replied to a questionnaire about the teaching strategies that they used and how they prepared candidates for A2 assessments. The analysis of the questionnaire responses found that it is the type of assessment—coursework or examination—that closely corresponded with the teaching strategies, perceived learning outcomes and approaches to preparing pupils for A2 assessments. The questionnaire responses were merged with GCSE and A level results. A series of multilevel models were fitted to identify any relationship between relative progress from mean GCSE scores to A level unit results and the questionnaire responses. Only significant results are presented and discussed. The synoptic unit and another A2 unit were assessed by a traditional written examination. Teaching the latter unit separately to other units and teachers’ question spotting related to lower relative progress from mean GCSE to A level examination results. For the synoptic unit, teachers’ question spotting related to a lower relative progress from mean GCSE to unit marks. For this unit the following related to higher relative progress from mean GCSE to synoptic unit results: (i) the teachers using grade descriptors to inform their preparation of pupils for the assessment; (ii) including the whole of the AS curriculum in revision sessions. For the coursework, the following related to higher relative progress from mean GCSE to unit marks: (i) pupils doing worked examples or exercises; (ii) teachers using statistical information about examination performance prepared by an external organisation for their centre.
Environmental Factors and Puberty Onset: An Update

Puberty is a process that results from a coordinated series of complex neuroendocrine changes which eventually leads to external and internal physical changes. These changes include attainment of primary and secondary sexual characteristics. Puberty as a temporal process is subdivided into different stages. These pubertal stages occur in a sequential manner but significant variations have been seen among different individuals in the timings of pubertal onset as well as a certain degree of gender difference is also present where puberty is occurring earlier in girls than boys. Among many aetiologies which have been hypothesized to be involved, environmental cues are the most ones. This review article describes the recent findings of the influences of the key environmental clues on pubertal timings, emphasizing on the aspects for which the most scientific evidences exist.
Salient Object Detection via Objectness Proposals

Salient object detection has gradually become a popular topic in robotics and computer vision research. This paper presents a real-time system that detects salient object by integrating objectness, foreground and compactness measures. Our algorithm consists of four basic steps. First, our method generates the objectness map via object proposals. Based on the objectness map, we estimate the background margin and compute the corresponding foreground map which prefers the foreground objects. From the objectness map and the foreground map, the compactness map is formed to favor the compact objects. We then integrate those cues to form a pixel-accurate saliency map which covers the salient objects and consistently separates fore- and background.
Qualified Public Support for Bilingual Education: Some Policy Implications

Bilingual education has become politicized. It is surrounded by controversy, the outcome of which may play a greater role in deciding its future as an educational program than its educational successes. To better understand this political debate and its possible outcome, the present article examines attitudes toward bilingual education among the Anglo majority, in terms of general support levels, the origins of support, and its future trajectory. We find that currently the majority feels moderately positive toward bilingual education. Opposition is greatest among those who have generally negative attitudes toward minority groups and immigrants and who oppose special favors for them and among those who oppose increased government spending and spending on foreign-language instruction. Anglos' actual personal experience with bilingual education plays only a minor role. Opposition is greater among the well informed, suggesting that opposition may increase further as the issue attains greater national visibility. Opposition is also likely to increase if bilingual education is presented as promoting linguistic and cultural maintenance among language-minority students rather than as a mechanism for teaching English.
A Monolithic Buck Converter With Near-Optimum Reference Tracking Response Using Adaptive-Output-Feedback

A monolithic output-ripple-based buck converter with adaptive output and ultra-fast reference tracking is presented. Fixed-switching-frequency V2-control is used in steady-state operation; while its speed limitation during reference tracking is eliminated by employing end-point prediction, a novel oscillator with clock-holding function, and the proposed adaptive-output-feedback (AOFB)-scheme. The AOFB-scheme is obtained from a detailed analysis of the dynamics of general output-ripple-based controller during reference tracking. Then, an adaptive feedback voltage which satisfies the switching criterion for optimum switch control in reference tracking is formulated, and is incorporated into the controller design. The resultant single ON/OFF-switching during reference tracking is very close to the optimal solution for fast reference tracking. Moreover, it also leads to the lowest switching loss and minimized conduction loss at the fastest tracking speed, making the converter very suitable for adaptive-output applications. Fabricated in a 0.35 mum CMOS process, the 3-V input prototype chip exhibits stable operation across a wide output range of 0.7-2.4 V. High tracking speed within 10 mus/V is measured with different output voltages and output voltage steps. Maximum efficiency of 96% is obtained at 260 mA output current, while maximum output current is 800 mA.
Time in the Ditch: American Philosophy and the McCarthy Era

In "Time in the Ditch, "John McCumber explores the effect of McCarthyism on American philosophy in the 1940s and 1950s. The possibility that the political pressures of the McCarthy era might have skewed the development of the discipline has rarely been addressed in the subsequent half century. Why was silence maintained for so long? And what happens, McCumber asks, when political events and pressures go beyond interfering with individual careers to influence the nature of a discipline itself?
Has Austerity Succeeded in Ameliorating the Economic Climate? The Cases of Ireland, Cyprus and Greece

The Great Recession that began in 2008 hit the economy of the European Union extremely hard. The year 2009 brought decline to the majority of the member states, inducing a desperate crisis management process. The few common EU-level crisis management measures that were implemented have brought about little success due to the modest volume of the common budget and the inertia of decision making attempting to harmonize often contradicting interests. As there was no credible crisis management at the EU level, most member states introduced their own set of measures. The efficiency of these was influenced by the economic performance of primary trading and investing partners, and by the volatility of the bond markets. In terms of economic performance, member states of the EU followed various paths and experienced various levels of recession in 2009, then various levels of upswing in 2010–2011, only to be hit by a second wave of recession of various extents after 2011. Although many member states took their own measures, general tendencies in crisis management can be defined. At first, the restoration of the functioning of the markets was targeted by generating additional demand through fiscal stimulus, but was then gradually replaced by imperative fiscal consolidation and austerity measures. The effectiveness of austerity programs is questionable: while the bond markets’ volatility called for the correction of fiscal balances, tax hikes and governmental spending cuts tendentiously pushed back economic performance and postponed recovery, making economic growth possible only by increasing public debts. In this study, I present arguments in favour of the view that, in the current economic climate of the EU, prosperity could not be restored exclusively by austerity. Accordingly, I present case studies of the three member states with the largest increases in public debts: Ireland, Cyprus and Greece. My aim is to assess the efficiency of these member states’ crisis management procedures: whether state interventions financed by public debt could result in economic recovery. I also argue that, given the current economic situation, the recovery in these member states in times of crisis is not foreseen.
The Socio‐Educational Model of Second‐Language Learning: Assumptions, Findings, and Issues*

Au criticizes the socio-educational model of second-language learning and argues that the research literature does not offer strong support for it. The present article responds to these criticisms, indicating where they are based on invalid assumptions and/or a simplistic interpretation of the model, and reviews research findings that attest to the validity of the model. It is argued that Au's criticisms are valuable, however, in that they highlight issues in this research area, and some of the ones that are believed to be most important are then reviewed.
Life satisfaction among older people in Italy in a gender approach

ABSTRACT Over the last few decades, increasing attention has been paid to the issue of wellbeing among older people, and life satisfaction has been used as an indicator to evaluate older people's life conditions. This paper sheds some light on this topic with reference to Italy, a country characterised by an increasing ageing population. The aim is to examine life satisfaction among people aged 65 and older and its predictors. We adopt a gender approach to examine whether – as suggested by the literature – older men and women have different sources of satisfaction. We test this hypothesis in Italy, a country still characterised by an unbalanced public and private gender system. In doing this, we also control whether living arrangements – specifically living alone – influence the determinants of life satisfaction of older men and women. The data used are from the cross-sectional surveys ‘Aspects of Daily Life’, undertaken in Italy by the National Statistical Institute. The results do not show clear gender differences in the determinants of life satisfaction, with only some slight gender differences among those living alone. This suggests that the social and cultural environment may play a relevant role for older people's life satisfaction.
The neurobiology of methamphetamine induced psychosis

Chronic methamphetamine abuse commonly leads to psychosis, with positive and cognitive symptoms that are similar to those of schizophrenia. Methamphetamine induced psychosis (MAP) can persist and diagnoses of MAP often change to a diagnosis of schizophrenia over time. Studies in schizophrenia have found much evidence of cortical GABAergic dysfunction. Methamphetamine psychosis is a well studied model for schizophrenia, however there is little research on the effects of methamphetamine on cortical GABAergic function in the model, and the neurobiology of MAP is unknown. This paper reviews the effects of methamphetamine on dopaminergic pathways, with focus on its ability to increase glutamate release in the cortex. Excess cortical glutamate would likely damage GABAergic interneurons, and evidence of this disturbance as a result of methamphetamine treatment will be discussed. We propose that cortical GABAergic interneurons are particularly vulnerable to glutamate overflow as a result of subcellular location of NMDA receptors on interneurons in the cortex. Damage to cortical GABAergic function would lead to dysregulation of cortical signals, resulting in psychosis, and further support MAP as a model for schizophrenia.
Distinct soil bacterial communities along a small-scale elevational gradient in alpine tundra

The elevational diversity pattern for microorganisms has received great attention recently but is still understudied, and phylogenetic relatedness is rarely studied for microbial elevational distributions. Using a bar-coded pyrosequencing technique, we examined the biodiversity patterns for soil bacterial communities of tundra ecosystem along 2000–2500 m elevations on Changbai Mountain in China. Bacterial taxonomic richness displayed a linear decreasing trend with increasing elevation. Phylogenetic diversity and mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) exhibited a unimodal pattern with elevation. Bacterial communities were more phylogenetically clustered than expected by chance at all elevations based on the standardized effect size of MNTD metric. The bacterial communities differed dramatically among elevations, and the community composition was significantly correlated with soil total carbon (TC), total nitrogen, C:N ratio, and dissolved organic carbon. Multiple ordinary least squares regression analysis showed that the observed biodiversity patterns strongly correlated with soil TC and C:N ratio. Taken together, this is the first time that a significant bacterial diversity pattern has been observed across a small-scale elevational gradient. Our results indicated that soil carbon and nitrogen contents were the critical environmental factors affecting bacterial elevational distribution in Changbai Mountain tundra. This suggested that ecological niche-based environmental filtering processes related to soil carbon and nitrogen contents could play a dominant role in structuring bacterial communities along the elevational gradient.
How to Support Meta-Cognitive Skills for Finding and Correcting Errors?

Meta-cognitive skills to be developed in learning for the 21st century is the detection and correction of errors in solutions. These meta-cognitive skills can help to detect errors the learner has made her/himself as well as errors others have made. Our investigations in learning from errors have the ultimate goal to adapt the selection and presentation to the learner so that he/she can better learn from erroneous examples others have made. In our experiments we found that (1) erroneous examples with help provision can promote students skill of find errors, (2) the benefit from erroneous examples depends on the relation between the student's level and the example's difficulty, i.e. if the student is prepared for the problem, (3) for many students it is very difficult to correct errors.