Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Study Toward Teaching The Nature of Science to Pre-Service Teachers

This study investigated the influence of the nature of science teaching activities, based on explicit-reflective inquiry oriented approach on pre-service teachers’ nature of science concepts. This study is interpretive in nature because it focused on the meanings that participant ascribed to the emphasize aspects of nature of science. Twelve teaching activities based on the empirical, tentative, inferential, creative and imaginative, subjective, socially and culturally and relationships between scientific theories and laws nature of scientific knowledge were designed and implemented to a group of 36 pre-service teachers. Study was implemented in Science Teaching Laboratory Application-I lesson. In lesson, participants determined a problem case and studied on this problem like a scientist. Besides, explicit-reflective teaching activities were implemented to participants. After each of activity, pre-service teachers wrote reflective notes. Data was gathered by a pre-post “nature of science questionnaire”, semi structured interviews, and also reflective notes for each of the activity by participants. Each pre-service teachers’ pre and post nature of science profiles were constructed and compared, thus, effect of the activities on the participants was determined. While participants’ profiles were constructed, the data by categorizing each participants’ views of the seven emphasized aspects of NOS into “adequate”, “variable” and “poor”. In order to learn about the effects of the explicit-reflective nature of science teaching activities on views on scientific knowledge, paired t test was used. From the data, it was concluded that pre-service teachers had uncertain views about the nature of science at the beginning, however after the intervention; pre-service teachers had very informed views about it. Especially, there was a significant change in pre-service teachers’ views on four aspects of the nature of science; tentative, relationships between scientific theories and laws, creative of scientific knowledge and inference of nature of science. It is suggested that developing informed conceptions of the nature of science for pre-service teachers is a cognitive instructional outcome that requires an explicitreflective instructional approach.
The vegetation and floristics of the Letaba exclosures, Kruger National Park, South Africa

The construction of exclosures along two of the most important rivers in the Kruger National Park was done to investigate how patterns of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the riparian zone is affected by fire, flood and herbivory. To assist this research programme, vegetation surveys were conducted within exclosures along the Letaba River to classify and map the vegetation of the area. The history and experimental design of the Letaba exclosures are similar to that of the Nkhuhlu exclosures along the Sabie River, which is directly related to questions surrounding elephant management. The main difference between the Nkhuhlu and Letaba exclosures is local heterogeneity, since the latter lies within the Mopaneveld, which is floristically and physiognomically much more homogenous than the vegetation of the southern Kruger National Park. Nevertheless, four plant communities, eight sub-communities and six variants were recognised and mapped for the Letaba exclosures. The vegetation description was done in relation to prevailing soil forms, differences in species richness, diversity and community structure, and therefore should serve as a basis for further detailed and broad-based botanical studies. Vegetation mapping was done to sub-community level and, where possible, to variant level. As expected in Mopaneveld vegetation, the plant communities could broadly be related to soil types, although smaller-scale variations correspond to soil moisture availability because the Mopaneveld is considered ‘event-driven’, especially in the herbaceous layer. Conservation implications: Floristic surveying and vegetation mapping of a long-term monitoring site, such as the Letaba exclosures, is seen as a baseline inventory to assist natural resource management. Linking mapping units to biodiversity strengthens the understanding needed to maintain biodiversity in all its natural facets and fluxes.
Piloting IP multicast conferencing over SuperJANET: the PIPVIC Project

The paper gives an introduction and overview of the activities conducted under the PIPVIC (Piloting IP Videoconferencing) project. The partner sites – who represent a range of UK Higher Education Institutions are using IP multicast conferencing tools to support a range of collaborative teaching, research and administrative activities over a period of 5 months. The aim of the project is to understand the potential issues involved in running a large-scale IP videoconferencing service, and to document working local set-up and support requirements for sites using such a service.
The student experience of preceptorship in nursing : learning through guided participation

Preceptorship has been introduced into pre registration nursing courses to facilitate student learning during periods of clinical practice. Empirical evidence to support the use of preceptorship in the UK context is, however, limited. This study aims to examine the perceptions of student nurses and illuminate their experiences of preceptorship. The purpose is, to develop a theoretical understanding of the practice, to analyse the influence of preceptorship on students' learning, and to inform future planning. A qualitative research approach was adopted to explore and interpret student nurses' experience of preceptorship and learning in the clinical setting. Semi-structured interviews were the predominant mode of acquiring information from twenty five student nurses in one college of nursing. The principles of grounded theory were used to guide data collection and analysis in the first phase of the study. However, questions arising from the data directed the subsequent analysis towards existing theories of learning and cognitive development. A framework of explanation, based on sociocultural theories of learning, was brought to the second phase of the study. The student experience was then interpreted and the process of learning and cognitive development in practice explained within this framework. The study findings emphasise that learning to become a nurse requires access to, and participation in, the diverse practices of nursing. Preceptorship not only provides a means of sponsorship into the complex social environment of 'nursing', but also opportunity for learning through collaboration with experienced practitioners in care delivery. The process of entry, described by the students as 'fitting in', to the new cultural situation of nursing and the impact of sponsorship on learning are identified. The concept of 'guided participation' (Rogoff 1990) is used to interpret and explain the complex processes involved in learning through practice. Previous studies and earlier literature identify role modelling as a central feature of preceptorship. Findings from this study, however, point up the limited extent to which social learning theories such as role modelling are useful in explaining the influence of preceptorship on learning. The works of Vygotsky (1978), Rogoff (1990) and Lave and Wenger (1991) are used to explain the mechanisms through which social interaction facilitates cognitive development. This thesis highlights the importance of social and cultural influences on the appropriation of knowledge by nursing students. The findings of the study provide evidence to inform future planning, particularly in relation to practice based learning support in nurse education.
TAX COSTS AND CORPORATION DIVIDEND POLICY: Evidence from the 1986 U.S. Tax Reform Acts

Scholes and Wolfson (1992) predict that following the 1986 Tax Reform Act, the tax cost of the corporate form relative to that of the partnership form (the incremental tax cost) increased significantly. This study hypothesizes that since dividends represent a tax disadvantaged form of income relative to capital gains, then in response to an increase in incremental tax costs, corporations would decrease their dividend payout ratios. The response is expected to be stronger for corporations owned by shareholders with long investment horizons because the tax cost saved from decreasing dividend payout ratios is an increasing function of shareholders’ investment horizon. The empirical tests support the hypothesis and show a negative relationship between the change in incremental tax costs and the change in dividend payout ratios for firms with long average investment horizons.
Brazilian municipalities: Agglomeration economies and development levels in 1997 and 2007

This article sets out to analyse the relation between agglomeration economies —both the Marshall-Arrow-Romer type (economies of specialization) and the Jacobs-Porter type (economies of diversification)— and the unequal development of Brazilian municipalities as estimated by labour productivity (measured by the average wage). To that end, measures of specialization were constructed for 1997 and 2007, and the data were used to test the relation between the industrial specialization and diversification indices and productivity, using finite-mixture regressions to capture the heterogeneity of the data. The results confirm the duality existing between the north-northeast and south-southeast-centre-west regions of Brazil, which has been widely documented in other research. Nonetheless, this duality needs to be analysed further, because some cities do not reflect the general dynamic of their region.
An Engine, Not a Camera: How Financial Models Shape Markets

In An Engine, Not a Camera, Donald MacKenzie argues that the emergence of modern economic theories of finance affected financial markets in fundamental ways. These new, Nobel Prize-winning theories, based on elegant mathematical models of markets, were not simply external analyses but intrinsic parts of economic processes. Paraphrasing Milton Friedman, MacKenzie says that economic models are an engine of inquiry rather than a camera to reproduce empirical facts. More than that, the emergence of an authoritative theory of financial markets altered those markets fundamentally. For example, in 1970, there was almost no trading in financial derivatives such as "futures. " By June of 2004, derivatives contracts totaling $273 trillion were outstanding worldwide. MacKenzie suggests that this growth could never have happened without the development of theories that gave derivatives legitimacy and explained their complexities. MacKenzie examines the role played by finance theory in the two most serious crises to hit the world's financial markets in recent years: the stock market crash of 1987 and the market turmoil that engulfed the hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management in 1998. He also looks at finance theory that is somewhat beyond the mainstream—chaos theorist Benoit Mandelbrot's model of "wild" randomness. MacKenzie's pioneering work in the social studies of finance will interest anyone who wants to understand how America’s financial markets have grown into their current form.
1 ARE E UROPEAN BANKS TOO BIG ? EVIDENCE ON ECONOMIES OF SCALE Mario Anolli

In light of the policy debate on too-big-to-fail we investigate evidence of economies of scale for 103 European listed banks over 2000 to 2011. Using the Stochastic Frontier Approach, the results show that economies of scale are widespread across different size classes of banks and are especially large for the biggest banks. At the country level, banks operating in the smallest financial systems and the countries most affected by the financial crises realize the lowest scale economies (including diseconomies) due to the reduction in production capacity. As for the determinants of scale economies, these mainly emanate from banks oriented towards investment banking, with higher liquidity, lower Tier 1 capital, those that contributed less to systemic risk during the crises, and those with too-big-to-fail status.
Antitakeover Amendments and Analysts' Long-Term Earnings Forecasts

This paper utilizes the one year changes in analysts’ long-term earnings growth forecasts from the I/B/E/S database to provide evidence on whether antitakeover charter amendments promote stockholders’ interests or lead to managerial entrenchment. One year changes in analysts’ longterm earnings growth forecasts have a number of advantages over previous measures that have been used to study the financial effects of antitakeover amendments. The results for the entire sample show a negative and weakly significant one year change in long-term earnings forecasts following antitakeover charter amendment proposals, providing some support for managerial entrenchment. The findings appear to be driven by firms with amendments that receive high shareholder support. For these firms, the long-term earnings forecasts strongly decrease in the year following the amendment proposal. The high support could indicate a lack of stock held by dissident shareholders who monitor the actions of management, implying that the adoption of antitakeover amendments without sufficient monitoring of management leads to managerial entrenchment.
Association of platelet endothelial cellular adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphisms and its plasma level with severe coronary atherosclerosis

Objective To explore the association of platelet endothelial adhesion molecule-1(PECAM-1) C+373G polymorphism and plasma soluble PECAM-1(sPECAM-1) with severe coronary atherosclerosis.Methods The study group consisted of 97 coronary artery disease(CAD) patients with three diseased main coronary arteries,and the control group included 89 patients with coronary artery stenosis50% diagnosed by coronary angiography during the same time.One single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) of PECAM-1 gene C+373G at exon 3 was analyzed by pyrosequencing method.Level of plasma sPECAM-1 was measured by ELISA.Results The percentage of GG genotype of C+373G polymorphisms in CAD group was significantly higher than that in control group(26.3%:14.6%,P=0.047). The level of sPECAM-1 was found to be decreased in CAD patients compared with control ones((61.14±34.57) vs(33.62±38.58)μg/L,P0.001)). Moreover,subjects with the homozygous GG genotype of C+373G polymorphisms had higher sPECAM-1 levels,followed by GC and CC genotypes in all subjects(CC:(41.68±33.60)μg/L;GC:(47.17±38.15)μg/L;GG:(53.18±46.51)μg/L;P=0.433). However,in CAD subgroup,the levels of sPECAM-1 in GG genotype are significantly higher than those in GC and CC genotypes(CC:(23.64±16.90)μg/L;CG:(27.68±30.16)μg/L;GG:(53.97±54.90)μg/L;P=0.012). Conclusion The mutation of PECAM-1 C+373G at exon 3 may be a genetic risk factor for severe coronary artery disease in Chinese population.The mean level of sPECAM-1 is associated with CAD.The study suggests that PECAM-1 play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis.
C1 lateral mass working window size and head position: correlation of flexion-extension CT scans and cadaver specimens

BackgroundMovement between the posterior elements of C1 and C2 has not been quantified. Cervical flexion and extension have been previously shown to affect the craniovertebral junction (C0–C1–C2). Prior studies have not reported the change in the posterior C1–C2 interval with flexion and extension. Head position may increase the exposure of the C1 lateral mass by opening the posterior C1–C2 interval and increasing the C1 working window. MethodsThe C1 lateral mass was exposed in four male and five female cadaver specimens. The C2 nerve root was left intact. The C1 working window was measured from the superior aspect of the C2 pars to the overhang of the C1 arch. Cervical flexion and extension were then applied and the intervals were re-measured. The maximal C1 working window was measured in flexion, neutral, and extension with calipers and on CT. The distance from the C1 arch to the pars was measured in each position. Overhang of the C1 arch also was measured. The occipital-cervical angle was measured on CT scan in each position using McRae's line to the inferior endplate of C2. ResultsOn average, flexion increased the C1 working window by 4.9 mm in cadavers according to measurement with a caliper. In comparison, CT scan demonstrated an average increase of 6.9 mm in the C1 working window in flexion compared with extension. Measurements of the occipital-cervical angle across all ranges of motion correlated with prior published data; therefore the measurements at the C1–C2 interval seem reliable. ConclusionsThis study demonstrated significant movement between the posterior elements of C1 and C2 in flexion and extension. The C1 working window (C1–C2 interval) increased 145% in flexion compared with extension when measured on CT scan. This finding underscores the importance of head position in posterior cervical surgery. If flexion is not possible because of cervical instability or neurologic compromise, the neutral position is a viable alternative. Positioning in neutral compared with extension increased the C1 working window by 80%. Reducing the overhang also can increase exposure. In this study, the average overhang of the C1 arch was 1.2 mm. Using a diamond burr to make the arch flush can yield a 10% increase in working space (in flexion).
AMBIENT NOISE HORIZONTAL-TO-VERTICAL SPECTRAL RATIO FOR ASSESSING SITE EFFECTS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS : THE CASE OF THESSALONIKI CITY ( NORTHERN GREECE )

250 ambient noise measurements were performed in a dense grid (about 150mX150m) covering the historical center of the city of Thessaloniki (Northern Greece), that was strongly affected by the 20/6/1978 (M=6.5) damaging earthquake. The data were processed using the method of horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral ratio (Nogoshi and Igarashi, 1971; Nakamura, 1989). In order to evaluate diurnal and seasonal variation (summer – winter) of the ambient noise H/V spectral ratio, systematic measurements were performed in eight sites. The fundamental frequency (fo) and the corresponding H/V amplitude level (Ao) from the ambient noise H/V spectral ratio for each site were calculated. Spatial interpolation of the fundamental frequency (fo) and the corresponding H/V amplitude level (Ao) was attempted between all points and respective contour maps were produced. Diurnal variation of the ambient noise H/V spectral ratio showed that it is preferable to perform measurements during the calm hours of a day, when manmade noise is relatively low. However, no systematic seasonal fluctuation effect on the ambient noise H/V spectral ratio was identified for the city of Thessaloniki. Contour maps of both fundamental frequency (fo) and corresponding H/V amplitude level (Ao) were compared versus the macroseismic data of the 1978 earthquake (Leventakis, 2003), as well as with related geological (IGME, 1978) and geotechnical (Anastasiadis et al., 2001) studies for the same area. Damage distribution due to 20/6/1978 earthquake (Penelis et al., 1985) was also converted to EMS_98 (European Macroseismic Scale, 1998). For seventy buildings, made of reinforced concrete, we have also compared the obtained results with the dynamic amplification of the buildings (Ubuilding) at the fundamental soil frequency (fo). The results encourage the use of ambient noise measurements along with the (H/V) spectral ratio technique as a nonexpensive and fast tool in microzonation studies to be carried out in urban environments.
Platelet-Rich Plasma: Have We Reached a Consensus or Understanding?

ABSTRACT PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP) IS AN EMERGING BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OPTION FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS INTERVENTION, A CONSENSUS REMAINS DISTANT REGARDING PREPARATION PARAMETERS, NUMBER OF INJECTIONS, POSTPROCEDURAL CARE, AND VALUE WITHIN THE REALM OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS. THIS POINT-COUNTERPOINT COLUMN PROVIDES A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE ON SOME OF THE MORE COMMON POINTS OF CONTENTION SURROUNDING THE USE OF PRP.
Corpus-Based Language Studies: An Advanced Resource Book

The corpus-based approach to linguistic analysis and language teaching has come to prominence over the past two decades. This book seeks to bring readers up to date with the latest developments in corpus-based language studies. In comparison with the existing introductory books in corpus linguistics, Corpus-based Language Studies is unique in a number of ways. First, this is a book which covers the 'how to' as well as the 'why'. In approaching 'how to', we obviously have to focus on specific concordance packages and corpora which are currently available. However, our aim is to embrace a range of corpora and packages, hence hopefully offsetting any problems due to corpora being withdrawn or software radically changed. It is the 'how to' focus which in large part makes this book stand out from other available volumes. This book includes six case studies, each exploring a particular research question using specific tools. This is where the reader learns how to do corpus linguistics, as the process of investigating the data using the package(s) concerned is spelt out step by step, using text and screenshots. Thus by the end of each case study, a corpus has been introduced, the reader has learnt how to use a retrieval package and some research questions have been explored. Readers are then encouraged to explore a related research question using the same corpus data, tools and techniques. As well as explaining 'how to', the book also addresses 'why'. While we may expect the reader to consult other books on corpus linguistics, we want this book, for two distinct reasons, to explore what one may do with corpus data and why one should want to do it. Firstly, and obviously, if we want the reader to be able to 'become' a corpus linguist having read the book, we clearly have to explain the rationale for corpus-based studies, and to use case studies both to exemplify the worth of corpus linguistics as well as the features of the packages concerned. Secondly, we want this book to tie in much more closely with linguistic theory than previous books in corpus linguistics have done. Our goal is to engage research questions and theory with corpus linguistics with an increasing depth and intensity as the book progresses. Second, this is a book which engages with a range of approaches to the use of corpus data, which makes it different from existing books in corpus linguistics, with each case study focusing on a major approach to the use of corpus data while paying little or no attention to other approaches. After reading this volume, readers are expected to understand when and how to combine these approaches with other methodologies. Finally, this is a book which is more focused on multilingual corpus linguistics than available corpus books. While this volume is concerned mainly with English corpus linguistics, we also cover issues in multilingual corpus linguistics, and have one case study focusing on a language other than English.