Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Setting Achievable Goals to Maintain Motivation in Japanese Learners of English as a Foreign Language

Setting achievable goals for students makes teaching and learning more effective. Our study aimed to examine how language learners are kept motivated by showing them improvements made by peer learners. We used two types of motivational tools to achieve this: video clips of the performance of former students and a visual demonstration of the changes in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) scores of peer learners. The study participants were 56 Japanese college students enrolled in either test preparation courses or speaking courses. Before and after demonstrating the improvements of other learners, students answered written questions regarding their language learning experiences, their beliefs about language learning, and what they learned from observing other students’ improvements. The results indicated that the motivational tools were useful in building positive attitudes toward language learning. These findings also suggested that both tools were beneficial for students in either the test preparation or speaking courses. Based on these quantitative results, we propose that it is essential to set achievable goals to keep learners motivated for task performance.
DDDT_A_201135 2127..2134

1Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Anesthesiology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, People’s Republic of China
Total factor productivity growth accounting in the construction industry of Singapore

Total factor productivity (TFP) determines long‐term economic growth and is a comprehensive industry‐level productivity measure. This paper proposes Jorgenson's method as an appropriate TFP measurement for the construction industry. The method is less restrictive than the conventional Chau's approach, as it does not impose the Hick Neutral Technical Change assumption. Jorgenson's method is then applied to estimate TFP growth in the construction industry of Singapore over 1984–1998. TFP growth is found down by 1.53% per annum over this period, indicating that the performance of TFP in the construction industry lags behind the rest of economy. TFP growth is also found to be fluctuating over time and tends to move in tandem with the construction business cycle. As a monitor of progress towards TFP achievement, factors influencing TFP growth in the construction industry of Singapore over 1984–1997 are identified. Seven factors are found to be significantly related to TFP growth. Among them, economies of scale, R&D by the industry, investment allowance granted and labour unions are leading contributors to TFP growth; while foreign worker, construction accidents and pre‐cast are major hampers. The general methodology presented in this study can be applied to other countries. Future studies are required to find appropriate indicators for factors unquantified.
Ethical leadership and organizational commitment in the Canadian Armed Forces : an analysis of perceived supervisor ethical leadership as a predictor of organizational commitment in a Canadian Armed Forces sample

Ethical leadership and organizational commitment are two concepts that have been important to organizations in recent years. Research has demonstrated that these two concepts are linked. The current study set out to determine the antecedents and consequences of supervisor ethical leadership and in particular, organizational commitment as a consequence of supervisor ethical leadership. The current study investigated these relationships using a sample consisting of Canadian Armed Forces Army personnel (N = 468). Perceived supervisor ethical leadership was found to be directly and positively correlated with employee affective and normative commitment, and not correlated with employee continuance commitment. As well, no difference was found in the perceptions of supervisor ethical leadership for female military personnel as compared to male military personnel. The hypotheses that employee education level would be positively related to perceptions of ethical leadership and that employee age and rank would moderate the relationship between perceived supervisor ethical leadership and employee affective commitment were not supported.
Photosensitised HULIS (humic-like substances) formation processes of atmospheric significance: A review

Photosensitised reactions can produce compounds that closely resemble the humic-like substances (HULIS) occurring in atmospheric aerosols. The relevant processes have been observed in the laboratory, in both gas-solid systems and the aqueous phase. They involve triplet sensitisers (such as benzophenones, anthraquinones and nitroaromatic compounds, which yield reactive triplet states after sunlight absorption) or photogenerated oxidants like • OH, in the presence of substrates that undergo oligomerisation reactions upon oxidation. Formation of higher molecular weight compounds, modification of the wettability properties of organic films and photoproduction of substances with humic-like fluorescence properties have been observed as a consequence of the photosensitised reactions. Ozone plays an important but still not completely clear role in gas-solid systems.
Satellite-based auroral tomography and time-varying volume reconstruction

SATELLITE-BASED AURORAL TOMOGRAPHY AND TIME-VARYING VOLUME RECONSTRUCTION by Hyojin Kim University of New Hampshire, September, 2008 Tomography, originally developed to observe the internal structure of a human body in medical applications, can also be applied to research in Space Science applications. An upcoming satellite mission incorporates two imagers for auroral observation in the upper atmosphere. For this mission, development of auroral volume reconstruction using tomographic imaging is useful for understanding the internal structure of auroras. We have shown that beam-pixel clipping in image reconstruction improves the quality of reconstructed images, compared to previous techniques. The goal is to develop a suitable algorithm for auroral volume reconstruction using auroral images measured from satellite-borne optical instruments. We have demonstrated that weighting factor approximation in algebraic methods plays a crucial role in the quality of volume reconstruction. We also have evaluated the effectiveness of this algorithm with measured images of known volumes using perspective projections. In addition, a time-varying volume reconstruction scheme is discussed where auroras move over time.
Effect of Superfine Grinding on Physicochemical Properties of Apple Pomace

The effect of superfine grinding on the physicochemical properties of apple pomace was investigated in this study. The optimal ultrafine powder could be obtained under the conditions of motor speed 450 rpm and fan speed 300 rpm, whose particle size, water-solubility index, angle of repose, total phenolic content and total sugar content were 10.23±0.42 μm, 33.65±0.91%, 39.36±1.59°, 12.62±0.34 mg GAE/g and 136.14±3.1 mg/g, respectively. Compared with the traditional powder, the significant increase of water-solubility, total phenolic content and total sugar content could be found while the decrease of angle of repose could be observed. It could be concluded that the bioavailability of functional and nutritional ingredients of apple pomace could be significantly improved by superfine grinding.
Evaluation of Pleiotropic Effects of Statins in Chronic Renal Failure Patients

OBJECTivES: Atherosclerosis is seen more frequently in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) due to the oxidative stress, chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Besides lowering total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, statins also lower the frequency of cardiovascular incidents in patients with chronic renal failure by their pleiotropic effects. We aimed to investigate whether atorvastatin had pleiotropic effects in dialysis patients.
ESTIMATIONS OF DOWNWIND CLOUD SEEDING EFFECTS IN UTAH

Estimations of effects on precipitation downwind of a long-standing operational snowpack augmentation project in Utah are made, using an adaptation of the historical target/control regression technique which has been used to estimate the seasonal effects over more than twenty seasons within the project’s target area. Target area analyses of December-March high elevation precipitation data for this project indicate an overall season-average increase of about 14%. Estimations of downwind effects are made for distance bands downwind as far as 150 miles. The downwind analyses indicate increases of similar magnitude to those for the target, expressed as percentages or ratio values, extending to about 100 miles downwind. Beyond 100 miles the ratio values decay, reaching 1.0 at about 125 miles. Expressed as average-depth precipitation amounts, the target area precipitation difference is about 1.4 inches of additional water, while the values within downwind distance bands range from 0.4 to 0.25 inches, reaching zero at about 125 miles.
An Analysis of Perception of Tobacco Consumers Towards the De-Marketing of Tobacco Product(s)

De-marketing is an effort or tool to reduce or bound demand for consumption of a particular product or service on a permanent or temporary basis. De-marketing can be used as a device to decrease or reduce total demand, or types of demand and uses in relation to a particular stage of supply. Therefore, de-marketing is able to be applied on both private and public sector goals. Injurious goods are sometime being promoted to the consumers by manufacturer and their distributors. The effect of this fact has made it essential for government and private sector to make use of de-marketing plan to tackle with these circumstances. The present study shows the effectiveness of de-marketing strategies for diminishing the use of tobacco products in India. The objective of this study is to find out the perception of tobacco users towards the de-marketing of tobacco goods. In other word, the objective of this study is to examine how de-marketing tools have been effectively used against consumption of harmful products in India. The results of the findings indicated that there is a positive perception of tobacco user towards the de-marketing of tobacco products.
PRESENT SITUATION ANALYSIS : STUDENTS ’ EARLY CHARACTERISTICS IN WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

Present situation analysis is considered to be the umbrella that embraces students’ lacks in language proficiencies. The aims of this study were to (1) find out current students’ writing competence level; (2) identify students’ entry behaviors and characteristics; (3) identify students’ perception concerning with writing skill for academic purposes at non-English education study programs of STKIP Kusuma Negara Jakarta. The descriptive inquiry was used in identifying students’ present situation. The respondents were non-English education study programs students of STKIP Kusuma Negara Jakarta in the academic year 2016-2017 and English lecturers. Non-English education study programs students of STKIP Kusuma Negara Jakarta had low-level writing competence for academic purposes, in the area of academic styles and genres based on their disciplines. Their previous experience in studying English was different with college requirement. They were not interested in studying writing for an academic purpose due to it was difficult and made them confusing. Most of them never practiced and learned it seriously but they realized the importance of having competence in writing for academic purposes, especially related with the learning process in the university level.
Predictive validity of high school grade average on educational progress

Aims. Academic performance of medicine students explain their professional merit and are influenced by various factors. One of these factors which is less appreciated in the admission of university students is educational background. So, this study was carried out in order to determine the predictive validity of high school grade average (HSGA) on the academic performance of medical alumni. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, all the medical alumni of Kashan University of medical sciences (KAUMS) from 1986 to 2003 (n=586) were selected. The questionnaire including demographic data, HSGA and academic performance status was used. Data was analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, bivariate linear regression analysis, cut-off point, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predicative value. Results. The difference between HSGA and the averages of each educational courses except final average of faculty were significant (p<0.01). HSGA had highest correlation with basic sciences course average. The highest predictive validity coefficient of HSGA was related to basic sciences course. HSGA had high specificity for determination of academic performance. the best specificity and PPV were related to externship course. Conclusion. HSGA is a specific test for prediction of academic performance; its PPV and NPV are almost acceptable and it can be used as a valid criterion for acceptance of students to medical schools.
Ankle Arthritis

Ankle arthritis is a major source of morbidity impacting a younger working age population than hip and knee arthritis. Unlike the hip and knee, more than 70% of ankle arthritis cases are post-traumatic, with the remainder being inflammatory or primary arthritis. Nonoperative treatment begins with lifestyle and shoe-wear modifications and progresses to bracing, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and intra-articular injections. Ankle arthrodesis and total ankle arthroplasty are the 2 main surgical options for end-stage ankle arthritis, with debridement, realignment osteotomy, and distraction arthroplasty being appropriate for limited indications. Level of Evidence: Level V, expert opinion.
Patterns of interaction between plants and pollinators along an environmental gradient

Patterns of variation in plant-pollinator (p-p) systems in response to environmental variables have been the focus of much recent attention. We analyzed species diversity and generalization of interactions of flower visitors belonging to eight p-p networks along a steep rainfall gradient in NW Patagonia, Argentina. To our knowledge, this is the first published study that applies a humidity - gradient approach to p-p networks analysis. Throughout the gradient, we recorded 1232 interactions between 413 different animal species and 111 plant species. We found that (a) specialization measures showed no clear pattern of variation throughout the rainfall gradient, (b) the diversity of flower-visiting insects does not consistently respond to rainfall gradients along the gradient, and (c) as we predicted, flies dominated the wetter end of the gradient, while at the drier end bees prevailed. The lack of differences in diversity could be explained by the repeated cycles of species extinctions undergone in the past by the southern temperate forests, which dominate the wetter end of the gradient. A logistic model that related the flies' dominance of the visitor assemblage with latitude was good predictor of the average fly composition of the entire region, although we found major between-site variations in response to local environmental conditions. The replacement of flies by bees towards the drier end of the gradient seemed to repeat a worldwide pattern where flies dominate humid regions while bees attain their greatest abundance in xeric regions. Regional patterns in the structure of our p-p systems (composition of the visitor fauna were better explained by altitudinal differences, while function (percentage of interactions established by each taxon) seemed to be more influenced by precipitation.
A Switchable UWB Slot Antenna using SIS-HSIR and SIS-SIR for Multi-Mode Wireless Communications Applications

─ A coplanar waveguide (CPW) fed ultra wideband (UWB) antenna with switchable functions and notched band characteristics for multi-mode wireless communication applications is proposed in this paper. The proposed UWB antenna has two stop bands which are achieved by using stepped impedance stub (SIS) loaded stepped impedance resonators (SIR) and SIS loaded hexagon stepped impedance resonators (HSIR). The switchable characteristics are obtained by employing two ideal switches on SISHSIR and SIS-SIR. By controlling the two switches ON and OFF, the proposed UWB antenna can work in multiple modes. The proposed switchable UWB antennas have been designed, analyzed, fabricated and measured. Simulated and experimental results show that the proposed antenna has switchable characteristics, tunable notch band functions and good radiation patterns. The proposed switchable UWB slot antenna can be used as a multi-mode antenna for multiple protocol communications. Index Terms ─ UWB antenna; notch band characteristics; switchable antenna; resonator filters; reconfigurable antenna
What Have We Learned About SSI Receipt Among Children?

TUCSON, AZ WASHINGTON, DC WOODLAWN, MD The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is an important, means-tested source of income for the families of children with disabilities. Although some research has shown that SSI improves outcomes for these families, policymakers have been concerned about the program’s growth and the poor outcomes that many former child SSI recipients experience in adulthood. In this brief, we summarize research funded by SSA’s Disability Resource Consortium (DRC) on the program’s recent growth and the factors related to receipt of SSI by children. This research reveals dramatic variation in the rate of child SSI receipt at the state and county level, which is partly due to geographic differences in both the population and the economic circumstances that influence program eligibility. Changes in these two factors can explain a substantial share of the growth in caseloads since 2000. When children who receive SSI become adults, their employment rates and SSI receipt rates also vary from one state to another. The findings from these studies suggest that the SSI program is generally, if imperfectly, successful in delivering cash support to children with disabilities living in low-income households in a uniform manner. However, this cash support is not sufficient to lead to uniform outcomes throughout the country. Outcomes for such children with significant disabilities in low-income families depend on where they live, not just their disability or their family’s financial circumstances. Lessons about how policies and programs have contributed to substantially better outcomes for SSI children in some areas can help policymakers and program administrators improve outcomes in areas where outcomes are poor. What Have We Learned About SSI Receipt Among Children? Purvi Sevak and Steven Bruns
The Downturn in Solar Activity during Solar Cycles 5 and 6

Abstract The atmospheric 14C record, the corresponding WM values derived from a carbon reservoir model, auroral numbers and the Zurich relative annual sunspot numbers all demonstrate a substantial downturn in solar activity for the duration of solar cycles 5 and 6. This reduction is also imbedded in some dendrochronological proxy data sets, which describe an annual index radial growth rate for trees at high-altitude sites. A significant lagged correlation can exist between tree-ring indices and the 11–year solar cycle during periods of high solar activity, a feature which is not evident during quiescent periods.
Prey consumption by cetaceans reveals the importance of energy-rich food webs in the Bay of Biscay

Ecosystem-based management requires a clear understanding of marine ecosystem functioning, particularly the transfer of energy (consumption) to higher trophic levels. However, robust estimates of consumption are generally hampered by a dearth of data for predators (diet and abundance), and by methodological weaknesses. We undertook a comprehensive assessment of energy requirements and prey consumption for the 10 most abundant cetacean species in the Bay of Biscay (northeastern Atlantic Ocean, France) by combining recent data on their abundances from aerial surveys, and diets from stomach content analyses. We also incorporated functional considerations to group prey and address interspecific differences in the cost of living of cetaceans that are independent of body size. Species considered included harbour porpoise, common dolphins, striped dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, long-finned pilot whales, Risso's dolphins, sperm whales, Cuvier's beaked whales, minke whales and fin whales. We used Monte Carlo resampling methods to estimate annual and seasonal (winter and summer) consumption over the continental shelf and slope—and found that small toothed whale populations (which were much more abundant than other cetacean groups) required about twice as much resources as baleen whales and deep-diving toothed whales combined. Our results show that small energy-rich schooling fish are the key prey group sustaining a large part of the cetacean community in the Bay of Biscay. The biomass removal of small energy-rich schooling fish by cetaceans is 6 times higher than removals of all other prey groups. High quality nutritional resources appear to be crucial to sustaining cetaceans and maintaining ecosystem functions and services in the Bay of Biscay, and should be carefully monitored.
The value of ascitic fluid calprotectin and calprotectin-to-albumin ratio in the diagnosis and prognosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Introduction Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a potentially fatal condition, characterized by infection of ascitic fluid (AF) in the absence of any intra-abdominal surgically treatable source of infection. It is the most frequent and severe complication of cirrhotic ascites. SBP is a condition that requires a high index of suspicion, rapid and accurate diagnosis, in addition to prompt and effective therapy. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate AF calprotectin as a diagnostic marker in detecting SBP. In addition, we have evaluated AF calprotectin-to-albumin ratio in the diagnosis and prognosis of SBP. Patients and methods A total of 72 patients with cirrhotic ascites were included in this study. They were divided into two groups: SBP group included 50 patients with cirrhotic ascites and SBP diagnosed by presence of polymorphonuclear leukocyte count at least 250 cells/mm3 in AF with or without positive AF culture, and non-SBP group included 22 patients with cirrhotic ascites without evidence of SBP. All patients were subjected to complete clinical evaluation, laboratory investigations, diagnostic abdominal paracentesis, serum and AF C-reactive protein levels, which were assessed quantitatively, and AF calprotectin levels, which were measured by quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results AF calprotectin was significantly elevated in patients with SBP in comparison with non-SBP patients (P<0.001), with the best cutoff value for the detection of SBP (372 ng/ml) with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and an accuracy of 100% for each. Moreover, there was a positive correlation with total leukocytic count, polymorphonuclear leukocyte, and C-reactive protein in serum and AF. Moreover, calprotectin-to-albumin ratio was increased in SBP group versus non-SBP group (P<0.001). Conclusion AF calprotectin can be used as a valuable marker in rapid diagnosis of SBP. Moreover, calprotectin-to-albumin ratio in ascites is useful in the diagnosis of SBP, as well as it provides prognostic information on short-term survival of patients with SBP with follow-up treatment.