Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Croatian EFL Learners’ Interlanguage Requests: A Focus on Request Modification

This paper explores the development of pragmatic competence in the interlanguage of Croatian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) at three proficiency levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced). It investigates the way Croatian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) use internal and external supportive moves to modify their requests. Data were collected using an oral Discourse Completion Test consisting of ten school-related situations. The research participants were 60 EFL learners aged between 11 and 18. The coding categories developed in the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP, Blum-Kulka et al. 1989) and adapted by Schauer (2009) were used to analyse the data. Overall results indicated that the request production of EFL learners showed little variation regarding the type of modification and frequency of their use. Results also indicated weak evidence of pragmalinguistic development across levels, particularly in the use of grounders. The infrequent use of request modification suggests that pragmatic instruction should be included in FL classrooms to facilitate the development of L2 pragmatic ability.
Utility of Japanese oriental medicine for the alternative target in the treating rheumatoid arthritis to target: 2014 recommendations update

The therapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has markedly changed over the past 10 years. The aim of this study was to describe the position of Japanese oriental (kampo) medicine (JOM) in the therapeutic strategy for RA, termed ‘treat to target’ by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR).
Normal interpupillary, inner canthal distance and outer canthal distance in a normal population of Pakistan

Objective: This study was conducted to quantify the normal indices of anthropometric measures related to ophthalmology including Interpupillary distance (IPD), Inner canthal distance (ICD), Outer canthal distance (OCD) in a normal, healthy Pakistani population. Methods: This is a cross sectional study. Total 500 patients were chosen randomly but 499 were included in this study. Patients were selected randomly in an outpatient department of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre Karachi, over the period of five months. IPD, ICD & OCD all measurements were taken with the help of plastic rule by only one researcher to minimize chances of error as much as possible. IPD was reconfirmed from auto refractometer while ICD and OCD readings were taken twice by occluding one eye of researcher to reduce error. Participants were divided into four categories on basis of: Age, Gender, ethnicity and geographical location. Patients were further categorized on basis of Ethnicity to Urdu Speaking, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pathan, and others. Moreover, four age groups were drawn ranging from 15-24 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years and 65 years and greater. Results: Our study comprised a total of 499 patents of which 272(54.5%) were males, and 227(45.5%) were females. The mean age of the participants was 39.3 ± 14.5 years. The mean values for the IPD, ICD and OCD in mm were 61.8 ± 6.2, 30.9 ± 2.9 and 85.2 ± 6.6 respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between IPD, ICD and OCD Indices among male and female study participants (p<0.001, p=0.043, p<0.001). While comparing the IPD, ICD and OCD indices amongst the different ethnic groups, we found no statistically significant difference (p=0.09. p=0.28, p=0.06). Overall, there was no correlation between the age and other variables i.e. IPD, ICD, OCD, (r = 0.07, p = 0.085), (r = 0.005, p = 0.906), (r = -0.08, p = 0.058). Conclusion: This work has recommended normative values of IPD, ICD and OCD in Pakistani population on the basis different variables including gender, age, and ethnicity.
Psychiatric Comorbidity among Alcohol Dependants

Background: Alcohol dependence is often associated with other psychiatric disorders in clinical and community samples of alcoholics. In turn, co-morbid mental illness complicates the psychopathology of substance dependence and its treatment. Aim: This study was aimed to identify the psychiatric co morbidity among the patients diagnosed with alcoholic dependence syndrome. (ADS) Methods: A descriptive design with quantitative method was conducted to assess the level of depression, anxiety and stress among ADS patients in a selected hospital at Puducherry. The study was restricted to the sample size of about 100 samples, which were selected by purposive sampling technique. The investigator used the semi-structured proforma to record the sociodemographic variables and the factors acessing the alcohol abuse. The study excludes the samples who were already diagnosed and taking medication for other psychiatry disorders. The short version of Depression anxiety stress scale (DASS 21), was used to assess level of depression anxiety and stress among ADS. Data analysis was done using SPSS v 16.0 software. Results: In the assessment of depression level, majority 36% of samples are experiencing severe depression , in the assessment of anxiety level 36% of samples is having severe anxiety, and in the assessment of stress level, majority 38% of samples had severe stress . Privacy and the confidentiality of the information provided are strictly maintained throughout the research process. Conclusion: The study results concludes that person with alcoholic use are experiencing extremely severe level of stress ,anxiety and depressive symptoms accordingly, and hence preventive measures should be planned and implemented for the vulnerable population to prevent the co morbidity.
ACCESS TO ORPHAN DRUGS: A CROSS COUNTRY COMPARISON OF LEGISLATIVE APPROACH AMONG SERBIA, CROATI A AND MACEDONIA

Access to orphan drugs (In EU regulation Orphan Drugs are refered as Orphan Medi- cinal Products (OMP)) is a key role in determining whether patients with rare diseases (RDs) will receive adequate and efficient treatment. The objective of this article is to identify differences in patient access to orphan drugs in 3 pharmaceutical markets: Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia. Patient access was defined: as the market access (availability) and affordability (financial accessibility). We analysed the legislative requirements for the authorisation process and made a cross country comparison. Retrospective cross-sectional analysis was done on drug lists in selected countries and a cross-comparison between the List of Orphan Drugs in Europe (LODE) for a six-month period (May 2014-October 2014). We included all 179 OMPs marketed in EU in our analysis, which had received market authorization in Croatia upon its membership in the EU. Total number of marketed drugs in Serbia was 59 (32.96%) drugs and in Macedonia 52 (29.05%) drugs. However, market authorization does not guarantee patient access to any given drug, so only 39.11% of OMPs could be accessed by Croatian patients (70 drugs). The number of refunded drugs in Serbia and Macedonia was smaller (32 and 20, respectively) which makes respectively, 17.88% and 11.17% of drugs on the LODE. The present study showed some variations between countries in selected indicators of availability and access to orphan drugs. Patients in Croatia had greater number of registered and refunded drugs, but in Serbia more than a half of registered OMPs could be refunded from National Health Insurance Fund. Macedonia had smaller number of inhabitants and also had the smaller number of patients from certain RDs which results in lower total number of OMPs. Acta Medica Medianae 2018;57(4):43-51. (OMP), affordability, availability, rare diseases, legislative requirements
Library directors’ concerns and attitudes towards going green and sustainability in China: An unexplored area

Environmental issues are one of today’s growing concerns. Numerous associations, organizations and individuals are waging an active world preservation campaign. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine an important aspect of library directors’ attitudes towards environmental protection and the level of their concerns and green practices regarding sustainable development that has generally been overlooked in the literature. Multiple means of data collection (interviews, observation and document analysis) involving 14 libraries in China were conducted between March and May 2015; seven main thematic areas emerged from the data, such as: levels of awareness and commitment to sustainability issues in Chinese libraries are relatively low, and the current efficiency of facilities and operations have been seriously wasted. These findings indicate that the main priority of the library has been to attain economic and social development rather than environmental sustainability, while ignoring the energy costs and serious waste to some extent in the rapid development process of the Chinese library. The author notes just from observation of daily practices that there is definitely room for improvement to minimize the negative impact of their activities on the environment. This paper discusses for the first time the library directors’ concerns and attitudes towards “going green” and sustainability. The ideas are expected to inform and improve library directors’ environmental consciousness and sustainable practices, as well as open new vistas for research into the economic, social and environmental sustainability of library information services. How to achieve the social, economic and environmental requirements of present and future generations from libraries, especially library environmental sustainability is discussed intensively.
Faster algorithms for geometric clustering and competitive facility-location problems

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ANALISIS BUKU SISWA MATA PELAJARAN IPA KELAS VIII SMP/MTs BERDASARKAN KATEGORI LITERASI SAINS

Buku teks pelajaran dapat digunakan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan literasi sains siswa. Buku siswa adalah buku teks yang dikeluarkan Kemendikbud yang mengacu pada PISA. PISA adalah salah satu program internasional untuk mengukur kemampuan literasi sains siswa berusia 15 tahun. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif yang bertujuan untuk memperoleh gambaran literasi sains pada buku siswa IPA Kelas VIII SMP/MTs yang dikeluarkan oleh kemendikbud pada tahun 2014. Bab yang dianalisis yaitu Indera Pendengaran dan Sistem Sonar Pada Makhluk Hidup, Indera Penglihatan dan Alat Optik dan Sistem Tata Surya dan Kehidupan di Bumi.Data dijaring dengan lembar kategori yang berisi indikator-indikator literasi sains yang kemudian diidentifikasi pada setiap paragraf. Kemunculan indikator-indikator tersebut diubah ke dalam persentase untuk masing-masing kategori. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kategori yang paling banyak muncul adalah kategori pengetahuan sains, yakni sebesar 46,3%. Kategori penyelidikan hakikat sain sebesar 30,2%, kategori sains sebagai cara berpikir sebesar 19,5% dan kategori interaksi sains, teknologi dan masyarakat sebesar 4,0%. Dengan demikian, dapat disimpulkan bahwa buku siswa yang dianalisis sudah merefleksikan keempat kategori literasi sains namun belum adanya keseimbangan pada keempat kategori tersebut, dimana kategori pengetahuan sains lebih ditekankan dan kategori interaksi sains, teknologi dan masyarakat mendapat proporsi yang paling sedikit.Tapi dari segi keluasan materi yang disajikan dalam buku siswa mata pelajaran IPA kelas VIII SMP/MTs sudah baik. Namun demikian, buku yang ideal belum tentu sesuai dengan kondisi siswa di sekolah, sehingga pemilihan buku ajar tetap harus disesuaikan dengan kondisi yang ada, khususnya kondisi siswa.Apabila buku teks yang dipilih tepat, diharapkan akan lebih meningkatkan pemahaman sains yang pada akhirnya dapat meningkatkan literasi sains.
Designing the Part: Drama and Cultural Identity Development Among Ghanaian Teenagers

Dr. Bruce Collet, Advisor As arts educators seek to defend their programs, and scholars explore human development in a rapidly globalizing world this paper explores how involvement in the dramaticarts may influence the development of identity among a group of teenage students in the country of Ghana. The literature reviewed for this study includes analyses of native, colonial and postcolonial cultures in the country as well as the educational environment that surrounds the participants. Since contemporary Ghanaian culture melds tribal and colonial practices in both education and the arts, this literature helps illuminate the initial research findings. Observations of rehearsals and interviews with twenty students contributed to the data in this qualitative case study that seeks to explain ways that students construct identity within an extra-curricular theatre group in modern Ghana. Ultimately, the data suggest that a high school drama club may help students develop their cultural identities by offering a space for students to experience and affirm long-standing traditions, discuss diversity with fellow actors and audiences, and construct a new culture through diverse performances.
Compositional Synthesis of Large-Scale Stochastic Systems: A Relaxed Dissipativity Approach

Abstract. This paper is concerned with a compositional approach for the construction of finite abstractions (a.k.a. finite Markov decision processes) for networks of discrete-time stochastic control systems that are not necessarily stabilizable. The proposed approach leverages the interconnection topology and finite-step stochastic storage functions, that describe joint dissipativity-type properties of subsystems and their abstractions, in order to establish a finite-step stochastic simulation function between the network and its abstraction. In comparison with the existing notions of simulation functions, a finite-step stochastic simulation function needs to decay only after some finite numbers of steps instead of at each time step. In the first part of the paper, we develop a new type of compositional conditions, which is less conservative than the existing ones, for quantifying the probabilistic error between the interconnection of stochastic control subsystems and that of their abstractions. In particular, using this relaxation via a finite-step stochastic simulation function, it is possible to construct finite abstractions such that stabilizability of each subsystem is not required. In the second part of the paper, we propose an approach to construct finite Markov decision processes (MDPs) together with their corresponding finite-step storage functions for general discrete-time stochastic control systems satisfying an incremental passivablity property. We show that for a particular class of stochastic control systems, the aforementioned property can be readily checked by matrix inequalities. We also construct finite MDPs together with their storage functions for a particular class of nonlinear stochastic control systems. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed results, we first apply our approach to an interconnected system composed of 4 subsystems such that 2 of them are not stabilizable. We then consider a road traffic network in a circular cascade ring composed of 50 cells, each of which has the length of 500 meters with 1 entry and 1 way out, and construct compositionally a finite MDP of the network. We employ the constructed finite abstractions as substitutes to compositionally synthesize policies keeping the density of traffic lower than 20 vehicles per cell. Finally, we apply our proposed technique to a fully connected network of 500 nonlinear subsystems and construct their finite MDPs with guaranteed error bounds on their probabilistic output trajectories.
Identifying Predictors of Stress and Job Satisfaction in a Sample of Merchant Seafarers Using Structural Equation Modeling

Background: Seafarers are amongst occupational groups with the highest risk for stress, a factor known to impact on mental health. Psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and alcohol or drug dependence are recognized health problems within the maritime sector. The primary aim of this study was to identify which individual and occupational factors, known to impact on psychological functioning across the maritime industry and other sectors, best predict perceived stress and job satisfaction among a sample of merchant seafarers. Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using a work experiences and attitudes questionnaire administered by a large shipping company to seafarers within their organization. Structural equation modeling was conducted using a proposed theoretical model of perceived stress and job satisfaction in a sample of merchant seafarers. Results: While the structural equation model produced acceptable fit to the sample data according to numerous goodness-of-fit statistics, the comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index results indicated less than satisfactory model fit. The model explained 23.8% of variance in the criterion variable of perceived stress, and the strongest predictive effect was for dispositional resilience. The model explained 70.6% of variance in the criterion variable of job satisfaction, and the strongest predictive effect was for instrumental work support. Conclusion: When addressing the psychosocial well-being of merchant seafarers, findings of this study suggest that dispositional resilience may be a particularly important factor with regards to perceived stress, while instrumental work support appears to be a critical factor in relation to job satisfaction. Importantly, however, an overall work environment that is perceived by employees as supportive, equal and just is a cornerstone for the psychosocial well-being of seafarers.
Cardiorespiratory Temporal Causal Links and the Differences by Sport or Lack Thereof

Fitness level, fatigue and adaptation are important factors for determining the optimal training schedule and predicting future performance. We think that adding analysis of the mutual relationships between cardiac and respiratory activity enables better athlete profiling and feedback for improving training. Therefore, the main objectives were (1) to apply several methods for temporal causality analysis to cardiorespiratory data; (2) to establish causal links between the signals; and (3) to determine how parameterized connections differed across various subgroups. One hundred elite athletes (31 female) and a control group of 20 healthy students (6 female) took part in the study. All were asked to follow a protocol comprising two 5-min sessions of free breathing - once supine, once standing. The data were collected using Pneumonitor 2. Respiratory-related curves were obtained through impedance pneumography, along with a single-lead ECG. Several signals (e.g., tidal volume, instantaneous respiratory rate, and instantaneous heart rate) were derived and stored as: (1) raw data down-sampled to 25Hz; (2) further down-sampled to 2.5Hz; and (3) beat-by-beat sequences. Granger causality frameworks (pairwise-conditional, spectral or extended), along with Time Series Models with Independent Noise (TiMINo), were studied. The connections enabling the best distinctions were found using recursive feature elimination with a random forest kernel. Temporal causal links are the most evident between tidal volume and instantaneous heart rate signals. Predictions of the “effect” variable were improved by adding preceding “cause” samples, by medians of 20.3% for supine and 14.2% for standing body positions. Parameterized causal link structures and directions distinguish athletes from non-athletes with 83.3% accuracy on average. They may also be used to supplement standard analysis and enable classification into groups exhibiting different static and dynamic components during performance. Physiological markers of training may be extended to include cardiorespiratory data, and causality analysis may improve the resolution of training profiling and the precision of outcome prediction.
Is CQT more suitable for monaural speech separation than STFT? an empirical study

Short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is used as the front end of many popular successful monaural speech separation methods, such as deep clustering (DPCL), permutation invariant training (PIT) and their various variants. Since the frequency component of STFT is linear, while the frequency distribution of human auditory system is nonlinear. In this work we propose and give an empirical study to use an alternative front end called constant Q transform (CQT) instead of STFT to achieve a better simulation of the frequency resolving power of the human auditory system. The upper bound in signal-to-distortion (SDR) of ideal speech separation based on CQT's ideal ration mask (IRM) is higher than that based on STFT. In the same experimental setting on WSJ0-2mix corpus, we examined the performance of CQT under different backends, including the original DPCL, utterance level PIT, and some of their variants. It is found that all CQT-based methods are better than STFT-based methods, and achieved on average 0.4dB better performance than STFT based method in SDR improvements.
New Insights for RANKL as a Proinflammatory Modulator in Modeled Inflammatory Arthritis

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), a member of the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) superfamily, constitutes the master regulator of osteoclast formation and bone resorption, whereas its involvement in inflammatory diseases remains unclear. Here, we used the human TNF transgenic mouse model of erosive inflammatory arthritis to determine if the progression of inflammation is affected by either genetic inactivation or overexpression of RANKL in transgenic mouse models. TNF-mediated inflammatory arthritis was significantly attenuated in the absence of functional RANKL. Notably, TNF overexpression could not compensate for RANKL-mediated osteopetrosis, but promoted osteoclastogenesis between the pannus and bone interface, suggesting RANKL-independent mechanisms of osteoclastogenesis in inflamed joints. On the other hand, simultaneous overexpression of RANKL and TNF in double transgenic mice accelerated disease onset and led to severe arthritis characterized by significantly elevated clinical and histological scores as shown by aggressive pannus formation, extended bone resorption, and massive accumulation of inflammatory cells, mainly of myeloid origin. RANKL and TNF cooperated not only in local bone loss identified in the inflamed calcaneous bone, but also systemically in distal femurs as shown by microCT analysis. Proteomic analysis in inflamed ankles from double transgenic mice overexpressing human TNF and RANKL showed an abundance of proteins involved in osteoclastogenesis, pro-inflammatory processes, gene expression regulation, and cell proliferation, while proteins participating in basic metabolic processes were downregulated compared to TNF and RANKL single transgenic mice. Collectively, these results suggest that RANKL modulates modeled inflammatory arthritis not only as a mediator of osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption but also as a disease modifier affecting inflammation and immune activation.