Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why people co-produce within activation services: the necessity of motivation and trust – an investigation of selection biases in a municipal activation programme in the Netherlands

Activation services that aim at re-employment of jobseekers often suffer from ‘creaming’, i.e. selecting those who have the best qualifications to re-enter the labour market. New ways of delivery, such as co-production, are supposed to be less subject to selection mechanisms. To analyse whether co-produced activation programmes suffer from selection biases, participants in a local innovative activation programme (n = 60) were compared to non-participants (n = 18). Participants are more motivated in general and showed higher levels of generalized, municipal and interpersonal trust. Moreover, high general motivation relates to high levels of trust and perceived control. This indicates that there is indeed a selection bias within co-produced activation programmes. Therefore, it remains uncertain whether co-production is more successful in dealing with creaming than common types of service delivery. Points for practitioners Public services, in the field of activation policies for instance, are increasingly delivered in a fashion that requires more responsibility and effort from users. This study shows that such demands elicit a selection of users. Professionals dealing with co-produced services should be aware that when they choose clients they are likely to leave out vulnerable individuals. In particular, when intrinsic motivation is an important selection criterion, those who have low levels of trust and perceived control will not be involved. Consequently, seemingly inclusive strategies could in fact lead to exclusion.
Predicting Students' Academic Performance in College Using a New Non-cognitive Measure: An Instrument Design and a Structural Equation Exploration of Some Non-cognitive Attributes and Academic Performance

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi VITA vii TABLE OF CONTENTS viii List of Tables xii List of Figures xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Academic Success/Performance in College 2 Background of Study 4 Conventional Correlates of Students‘ Collegian Academic Success 4 Non-cognitive Correlates of Students‘ Collegian Academic Success 7 Rationale of the Study 9 Research Questions 11 Significance of the Study 12 Definition of Terms 14 Research Assumptions 16 Chapter Summary 17 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 18 Research on cognitive/ academic predictors of academic performance 18 Research on non-cognitive predictors 20 Research on engagement and academic performance 31 Research on designing measures of non-cognitive predictors of students‘ academic performance 37 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 40
High Expression of IGFBP7 in Fibroblasts Induced by Colorectal Cancer Cells Is Co-Regulated by TGF-β and Wnt Signaling in a Smad2/3-Dvl2/3-Dependent Manner

Fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment are a key determinant in cancer progression and may be a promising target for cancer therapy. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) is known as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study investigated the inductive mechanism of IGFBP7 expression in fibroblasts by supernatant from the CRC cell line, SW620. The results showed that the expression of IGFBP7 was up-regulated in the fibroblasts when treated with SW620 supernatant and exogenous TGF-β1. The IGFBP7 induced by SW620 supernatant or TGF-β1 was partially inhibited by the TGF-β1 specific antibody AF and TGF-β1 receptor antagonist SB431542. The Wnt signaling-targeted genes, c-Myc, CCND1 and the proteins Dvl2/3, were all up-regulated in fibroblasts expressing high levels of IGFBP7, and the up-regulation could be inhibited both by the Wnt signaling antagonist Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) and by the TGF-β1 receptor antagonist SB431542. In conclusion, CRC cells promote the high expression of IGFBP7 in fibroblasts, most likely through the co-regulation of TGF-β and Wnt signaling in a Smad2/3-Dvl2/3 dependent manner. Taken together, these data suggest that the fibroblasts could be a novel therapeutic target in tumor therapy.
Designing interaction in digital tabletop games to support collaborative learning in children

According to Dillenbourg et al. 1996, collaborative learning occurs when two or more people try to learn something together. This process consists of four successive stages, one of which concerns collaborative interactions. In this paper we present two studies that implemented two different ways of increasing the number of collaborative interactions. To increase the number of collaborative interactions in a game, the first study focused on degrees of collaboration Kahn and Mentzer, 1996 and the second study focused on cooperative gestures Morris et al., 2006a, which were used in the third degree of the first study. In order to facilitate collaborative interactions and its properties Dillenbourg, 1991, we decided to design two digital tabletop games with tangible interaction that both require collaboration to win. The evaluations in both studies, by means of the Wizard of Oz method, showed a significant increase in collaborative interactions. We also found that verbal and gestural interactions are a better measure criterion for tabletop games than how much people look at each other.
Linking Emotion Recognition and Income: An Examination of the Interpersonal Mechanisms

This study integrates the emotion and social influence literatures to examine how emotion recognition ability (ERA) facilitates performance and increases income through political skill. In a sample of 142 employee-peer-supervisor triads from a broad range of jobs and organizations, we find that people’s level of ERA relates to how much they earn. The relationship between ERA and annual income is mediated sequentially through political skill and interpersonal facilitation. The results imply that emotional abilities allow people not only to process affect-laden information effectively, but also to use this information to successfully navigate the social world of organizations in the pursuit of high performance and high income.
Students’ Perceptions of Person–Environment Fit

This study examines the validity of the three-factor model of person–environment (P-E) fit perceptions in a sample of German university students (N = 326) and examines the connection between these fit types, the Big Five personality traits, and markers of academic success, namely, academic satisfaction, academic performance, and major change intention. Building upon previous research, a three-factor model of P-E fit perceptions with complex loadings was hypothesized differentiating between interest-major (I-M) fit, needs-supplies (N-S) fit, and demands-abilities (D-A) fit. Results from confirmatory factor analyses supported the suggested three-factor solution. Zero-order correlations, multiple regression analyses, and relative weight analyses identified perceived I-M fit as the key predictor of academic satisfaction and major change intention. D-A fit was the strongest predictor of academic performance. Finally, a hierarchical regression approach revealed that personality traits did not improve the prediction of any outcome over perceived P-E fit.
Interactional dynamics and the emergence of language games

Meaning is highly activity-specific, in that the action that a particular sequence of words is taken to perform is severely underdetermined in the absence of an overarching activity, or a ‘language-game’. In this paper, we combine a formal, incremental model of interactional dynamics and contextual update Dynamic Syntax and Type Theory with Records (DSTTR) with Reinforcement Learning for word selection. We show, using an implemented system, that trial and error generation with a DS-TTR lexicon – a process we have dubbed babbling – leads to particular domain-specific dialogue acts to be learned and routinised over time; and thus that higher level dialogue structures or how actions fit together to form a coherent whole can be learned in this fashion. This method therefore allows incremental dialogue systems to be automatically bootstrapped from small amounts of unannotated dialogue transcripts, yet capturing a combinatorially large number of interactional variations. Even when the system is trained from only a single dialogue, we show that it supports over 8000 new dialogues in the same domain. This generalisation property results from the structural knowledge and constraints present within the grammar, and highlights limitations of recent state-of-the-art systems that are built using machine learning techniques only.
An exploration of female offenders’ memorable messages from probation and parole officers on the self-assessment of behavior from a control theory perspective

ABSTRACT Guided by control theory, this study examines memorable messages that women on probation and parole receive from their probation and parole agents. Women interviewed for the study were asked to report a memorable message they received from an agent, and to describe situations if/when the message came to mind in three contexts likely to emerge from a control theory perspective: when they did something of which they were proud, when they stopped themselves from doing something they would later regret, and when they did something of which they were not proud. The types of memorable messages and the reactions to these messages within the three contexts were coded, and differences between women on probation versus parole were examined. Overall, a greater proportion of women on parole recalled memorable messages, and the most frequently reported type of memorable message was behavioral advice. Women reported that the message helped them do things of which they were proud, such as engaging in routine activities and fulfilling goals; helped them to not give into urges that could lead to further negative sanctions or feelings of regret; and came to mind when they relapsed. Practical implications of the findings for training are presented.
Mobility Tracking in Cellular Networks Using Particle Filtering

Mobility tracking based on data from wireless cellular networks is a key challenge that has been recently investigated both from a theoretical and practical point of view. This paper proposes Monte Carlo techniques for mobility tracking in wireless communication networks by means of received signal strength indications. These techniques allow for accurate estimation of mobile station's (MS) position and speed. The command process of the MS is represented by a first-order Markov model which can take values from a finite set of acceleration levels. The wide range of acceleration changes is covered by a set of preliminary determined acceleration values. A particle filter and a Rao-Blackwellised particle filter are proposed and their performance is evaluated both over synthetic and real data. A comparison with an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is performed with respect to accuracy and computational complexity. With a small number of particles the RBPF gives more accurate results than the PF and the EKF. A posterior Cramer Rao lower bound (PCRLB) is calculated and it is compared with the filters' root- mean-square error performance.
The Relationship Between Psychosocial State and Exercise Behavior of Older Women 2 Months After Hip Fracture

&NA; Despite the potential benefits associated with exercise after hip fracture, those who have sustained hip fractures are among the least likely to engage in regular exercise (resistive or aerobic). This article describes the psychosocial state, specifically the self‐efficacy expectations and outcome expectations related to exercise, mood, fear of falling, pain, and health status of older women who enrolled in either of two Baltimore Hip Studies (BHS), BHS‐4 and BHS‐5, and to test a self‐efficacy‐based model to explain exercise behavior after hip fracture. A total of 389 older women with hip fractures participated in these studies. The participants reported moderate confidence in their ability to exercise and a general belief in the benefits of exercise, high perceived health status, limited depressive symptoms, and some pain and fear of falling. Consistently across these two samples, age and mental status or depressive symptoms influenced outcome expectations, such that older women with more depressive symptoms or lower mental health status had weaker outcome expectations for exercise. Self‐efficacy expectations consistently influenced exercise behavior across both samples. It was also consistent across both models that age, cognitive status, physical and mental health status, pain, fear, outcome expectations, and depressive symptoms did not directly influence exercise behavior.
Chinese Borrowings in English

H ISTORIES OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE and particularly Serjeantson's famous book on borrowings in English indicate that exotic languages like Japanese and Chinese (a general term which we will use for Peking Chinese, Cantonese, and a few related languages) have contributed few items, though some of the items enjoy high frequency. For Japanese, the same few examples are cited again and again in the histories, and Serjeantson lists only 20 borrowings principally beginning in the nineteenth century (1935, 239-40). A recent search (Cannon 1981, 1982) discovered 587 main entries of Japanese provenience and another 216 derived from the old borrowingJapan, which Japanese originally borrowed from Chinese. Seven desk-dictionaries recorded 151 different entries of Japanese items presumably in general English. Similarly, Serjeantson lists only 27 items from Chinese, some of which overlap with Japanese in that they came into English through that intermediary language (237-40). Our purpose in this paper is to make a study of Chinese borrowings which will provide a useful comparison with the two Japanese studies and with the total borrowings in the 13,683 main-entry items recorded in The Barnhart Dictionary of New English since 1963 (1973), The Second Barnhart Dictionary of New English (1980), and Merriam's 9,000 Words (1983-see Cannon 1987). We will shed light on Chan and Kwok's 1985 book-length study of Chinese in Hong Kong English by seeing how many of their 108 items have gained general acceptance in English, as opposed to being part only of a geographically restricted oral and written vocabulary. We will also consider the chronology of the items and their history in English, any regional distributions and stylistic labeling of these borrowings from a tonal language into a nontonal one, their possible place and productivity in general international English, problems caused by the source languages, and the meanings (including onomastics) and grammar of the items. Finally, this study will fit the borrowings into a revised, expanded taxonomy based on the classic studies by Haugen (1950) and Bloomfield (1933). Perhaps predictably, Serjeantson's figures for Chinese borrowings are badly omissive. Even the contemporary Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language (2nd ed., 1934, xiv-hereafter, Webster's Second) notes that, "in addition to proper names, more than a hundred words of Chinese origin have come into the English language, largely as a result of early trade contacts with China," and cites examples not in Serjeantson like
Consequences of cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibition in patients with familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia.

To the Editor: A large proportion of clinical events cannot be prevented during statin therapy, which calls for novel drug targets to further improve cardiovascular outcome. In particular, HDL-increasing strategies hold great promise. The impact of decreased HDL-C on cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related morbidity and mortality has been sharply delineated in individuals affected by familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia (FHA). 1 HDL exerts multiple antiatherogenic actions beyond its role in reverse cholesterol transport, comprising antiinflammatory, antioxidative, and direct vascular effects.2 Whereas current strategies to raise HDL-C are limited, novel CETP-inhibitors are capable of mediating significant HDL-C elevation.3,4 Therefore, we evaluated the effects of CETP inhibition on lipid metabolism and markers of oxidation in subjects with FHA. Subjects were recruited from a Dutch population-based study to identify genes that control HDL-C levels,1 meeting the following criteria: (1) plasma HDL-C level below 10th percentile for age and sex; (2) absence of secondary lipid disorders; and (3) high likelihood of inherited low HDL (defined as HDL-C below 10th percentile in at least one first-degree family member). Nineteen FHA patients (13 men and 6 women; mean±SD age: 42.9±13.9 years), all free of overt macrovascular disease, were enrolled in the study. In 9 of these subjects the underlying defect was defined: heterozygosity for an apolipoprotein A-I (L178P) mutation,1 whereas in the remainder this genetic defect was excluded. The study protocol was approved …
Team Incivility Climate Scale: Development and Validation of the Team-Level Incivility Climate Construct

Guided by a framework for multilevel construct validation, this study identified incivility climate as a new facet-specific climate construct. Referring to shared perceptions about the uncivil behaviors, practices, and norms that exist within a team, the construct of incivility climate is fundamental for future research investigating and estimating the effect of workplace incivility at the team level. Data from three separate samples totaling 1,110 employees and 50 work teams were used to test the internal consistency, confirm factor structure, and assess convergent and incremental validity of a new measure at both the individual and team level. The results support the construct validity of incivility climate along with the utility of the Team Incivility Climate Scale. Theoretical implications and practical applications of the construct and measure are described.
Hardware Acceleration of Approximate Tandem Repeat Detection

Understanding the structure and function of DNA sequences represents an important area of research in modern biology. Unfortunately, analysis of such data is often complicated by the presence of mutations introduced by evolutionary processes. At the lowest scale, these usually occur in biological sequences as character substitutions, insertions or deletions (indel). They increase the time-complexity of algorithms for sequence analysis by introducing an element of uncertainty, complicating their practical usage. One class of such algorithms has been designed to search for tandem repeats with possible errors - approximate tandem repeats. This paper investigates the possibilities for hardware acceleration of approximate tandem repeat searching and describes a parametrized architecture suitable for chips with FPGA technology. The proposed architecture is able to detect tandems with both types of errors (mismatches and indels) and does not limit the length of detected tandem. A prototype of the circuit was implemented in VHDL language and synthesized for Virtex5 technology. Application on test sequences shows that the circuit is able to speed up tandem searching in orders of thousands in comparison with the best-known software method relying on suffix arrays.
Calmodulin plays a dominant role in determining neurotransmitter regulation of neuronal adenylate cyclase

Ca2+, through the mediation of calmodulin, stimulates the activity of brain adenylate cyclase. The growing awareness that fluctuating Ca2+, concentrations play a major role in intracellular signalling prompted the present study, which aimed to investigate the implications for neurotransmitter (receptor) regulation of enzymatic activity of this calmodulin regulation. The role of Ca2+/calmodulin in regulating neurotransmitter‐mediated inhibition and stimulation was assessed in a number of rat brain areas. Ca2+/calmodulin stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in EGTA‐washed plasma preparations from each region studied—from 1.3‐fold (in striatum) to 3.4‐fold (in cerebral cortex). The fold‐stimulation produced by Ca2+/calmodulin was decreased in the presence of GTP, forskolin, or Mn2+. In EGTA‐washed membranes, receptor‐mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase was strictly dependent upon Ca2+/calmodulin stimulation in all regions, except striatum. A requirement for Mg2+ in combination with Ca2+/calmodulin to observe neurotransmitter‐mediated inhibition was also observed. In contrast, receptor‐mediated stimulation of activity was much greater in the absence of Ca2+/calmodulin. The findings demonstrate that ambient Ca2+ concentrations, in concert with endogenous calmodulin, may play a central role in dictating whether inhibition or stimulation of adenylate cyclase by neurotransmitters may proceed.
Oxidatively Damaged DNA in Rats Exposed by Oral Gavage to C60 Fullerenes and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

BACKGROUND C60 fullerenes and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are projected to be used in medicine and consumer products with potential human exposure. The hazardous effects of these particles are expected to involve oxidative stress with generation of oxidatively damaged DNA that might be the initiating event in the development of cancer. OBJECTIVE In this study we investigated the effect of a single oral administration of C60 fullerenes and SWCNT. METHODS We measured the level of oxidative damage to DNA as the premutagenic 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in the colon mucosa, liver, and lung of rats after intragastric administration of pristine C60 fullerenes or SWCNT (0.064 or 0.64 mg/kg body weight) suspended in saline solution or corn oil. We investigated the regulation of DNA repair systems toward 8-oxodG in liver and lung tissue. RESULTS Both doses of SWCNT increased the levels of 8-oxodG in liver and lung. Administration of C60 fullerenes increased the hepatic level of 8-oxodG, whereas only the high dose generated 8-oxodG in the lung. We detected no effects on 8-oxodG in colon mucosa. Suspension of particles in saline solution or corn oil yielded a similar extent of genotoxicity, whereas corn oil per se generated more genotoxicity than the particles. Although there was increased mRNA expression of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase in the liver of C60 fullerene-treated rats, we found no significant increase in repair activity. CONCLUSIONS Oral exposure to low doses of C60 fullerenes and SWCNT is associated with elevated levels of 8-oxodG in the liver and lung, which is likely to be caused by a direct genotoxic ability rather than an inhibition of the DNA repair system.
Learning from the challenges of Ebola Virus Disease contact tracers in Sierra Leone, February, 2015

Introduction Sierra Leone was in the process of strengthening tracing of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) contact with training of contact tracers, continuous mentoring and monitoring, supervision and continuous support. This was through various national and international organizations. This study aimed at identifying the challenges of contact tracers with a view of improving contact tracing activities in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone. Methods In-depth interview was conducted among contact tracers who were actively involved in contact tracing within the 4 weeks preceding the interview. In-depth interview guide was used to interview the contact tracers. Questions were asked about the state of EVD outbreak, challenges of contact tracing, ways to improving contact tracers activities and ways to ensure community participation and follow up action. Results A total of 12 Contact tracers were interviewed. Most of the contact tracers saw the lifting of ban by the Government on movement as a delay to stopping the outbreak. Some of them were being threatened by their communities and insulted. Some communities with EVD cases felt it was no longer in Sierra Leone and that the contact tracers were the ones infecting the people with Ebola. More than 80% of the participants indicated that retraining of contact tracers and re-orientation of community members would help in putting a stop to the outbreak. Conclusion All participants indicated interest in improving their activities and performance. They suggested that more social mobilization is needed to ensure the cooperation of their communities.