Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Between-School Variation in Students' Achievement, Motivation, Affect, and Learning Strategies: Results from 81 Countries for Planning Group-Randomized Trials in Education

ABSTRACT To plan group-randomized trials where treatment conditions are assigned to schools, researchers need design parameters that provide information about between-school differences in outcomes as well as the amount of variance that can be explained by covariates at the student (L1) and school (L2) levels. Most previous research has offered these parameters for U.S. samples and for achievement as the outcome. This paper and the online supplementary materials provide design parameters for 81 countries in three broad outcome categories (achievement, affect and motivation, and learning strategies) for domain-general and domain-specific (mathematics, reading, and science) measures. Sociodemographic characteristics were used as covariates. Data from representative samples of 15-year-old students stemmed from five cycles of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA; total number of students/schools: 1,905,147/70,098). Between-school differences as well as the amount of variance explained at L1 and L2 varied widely across countries and educational outcomes, demonstrating the limited generalizability of design parameters across these dimensions. The use of the design parameters to plan group-randomized trials is illustrated.
TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR AMONG THE DISABLED TOURISTS IN KUALA LUMPUR

This paper is an exploratory study with the aim to examine travel motivation, travel difficulty and destination preference among the disabled community in Kuala Lumpur. A questionnaire was derived from focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and literature review. The questionnaires were distributed using convenience sampling and 176 of them returned and analyzed. The majority of respondents are young, pre-dominantly male and unemployed. They do take holidays especially to domestic destinations and most times accompanied by friends and family members. Disabled people face considerable difficulty especially in terms of accessibility and finance. The main travel motivations are to see new places and to relax, and the most preferred destination is nature. The result reveals significant relationships between the components of destination preference with the components of travel motivation and travel difficulty. It is proposed that both government and society should intensify the present effort to raise the living standard of disabled people, to improve general accessibility, and to increase public awareness of disabled people’s equal status in the society. The disabled themselves also should be out there in the public scene to further justify their needs of accessible facilities and infrastructure.
the Head of State ’ s Spouse ! A comparative study of the political rise of the First Lady in Poland , France and Spain

Profound changes in media and political communication contributed to granting private life greater importance in political reporting. Not only did media shift their attention from parties to politicians, they also took an interest in the politicians’ entourage. The first lady, as the wife of the supposedly most powerful man in the country, became an object of public attention. Her ability to comply with social demands became of capital importance for the good image of her husband. Over the course of the last century, and despite an ambiguous media towards her political empowerment, the first lady has managed to emancipate herself as a new actor on the public stage. This article studies the way in which the media became a key player in the creation, empowerment and definition of modern first ladyship in selected democratic countries: Poland, France and Spain. It does this through a mixed-methods approach: qualitative and quantitative content analysis of the press and extensive documentary research in the fields of political science, media and gender studies, political communication and first ladyship studies. The research finds that the press normalizes the presence of first ladies on the public stage and shapes public expectations toward spouses of heads of state.
Formation of Fe X{Fe XIV coronal lines in the accretion shock of T Tauri stars

Specic intensities of the strongest Fe x{Fe xiv coronal lines were calculated in the framework of our accretion shock model (Lamzin 1998). These lines are formed in a region immediately behind the front of the accretion shock, therefore, the gas velocity in the line formation region is close to 1/4 of the infall velocity. It appears that iron coronal lines in the optical band (e.g. (Fe x) 6376 Aa nd (Fexiv) 5304 A) are too weak to be observed in spectra of T Tauri stars, but the UV lines (e.g. (Fe xi) 1467 Aa nd (Fexii) 1349 A) can possibly be detected. In agreement with our calculations we could not detect the (Fe x) 6376 Aa nd (Fexiv) 5304 A lines in low noise UVES spectra of RU Lup where the accretion luminosity is ten times larger than the bolometric luminosity of the underlying star. At the same time we detected the (Fe xi) 1467 A line in a HST/GHRS spectrum of RY Tau which suggests that the accretion rate of the star in its quiescent state is 21 0 9 M/yr. As a byproduct of the study we found that for RY Tau the interstellar extinction coecient AV is closer to 0:5 m than to 1:0 m . F or DF Tau, the observed upper limit for the flux of the (Fe xii) 1349 A line in HST/GHRS spectra is in agreement with an accretion rate of 2 10 9 M/yr as found by Lamzin et al. (2000). As a critical test of our calculations we predict that the (Fe xi) 1467 A line in the spectrum of RU Lupi should be relatively strong: we expect the flux to be near 10 15 erg/s/cm 2 :
The Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Ambivalence, and Relationship Outcomes within Romantic Partnerships

The current study analyzes self-esteem and the apparent mood of one’s partner as predictors of perceived responsibility, level of felt rejection, and relationship satisfaction in romantic relationships. The study hypothesizes that ambivalence will act as a moderating variable between self-esteem and romantic relationship outcomes. Previous research on the topic suggests that self-esteem is associated with how participants react to their romantic partner when they are in a specific mood. The current study will be one of the first to examine how ambivalence affects self-esteem’s effect on romantic relationships. The results replicate previous research, showing that self-esteem interacts with partner’s mood to predict perceived responsibility. Results also show that level of rejection and relationship satisfaction are associated with self-esteem. Ambivalence was not a significant moderator of these effects. Additionally, self-concept clarity was a significant predictor of how responsible participants felt when their romantic partner was in a certain mood.
Labour shares and the personal distribution of income in the OECD

We model income distribution by considering a population composed by 4 groups of economic agents: capitalists, skilled and unskilled workers, and unemployed. By assuming wage bargaining between capitalists and workers represented by a union, we show that income inequality and wage differentials decline when unions are stronger and/or the welfare state is more generous with unemployed people. These propositions are then tested in an unbalanced panel of OECD countries for the period 1970-96, finding strong support for both claims. Endogeneity of labour market institutions is taken into account through instrumental variable estimators.
A spatial-hormetic approach to urban resilience

While the complexity of urban environments is growing, the effectiveness of action-driven strategies appears to be decreasing. This paper speculates on three alternative approaches: (1) strategies of inaction; (2) strategies of subtraction or, even more, (3) strategies of hormesis, that keep their subject (cities, neighbourhoods, communities, etc. in our case) under a small, controlled and continuous dosage of stress, with the purpose of strengthening it for the eventuality of a possible future large shock of the same kind. The last strategy may be rooted in the first two if inaction or subtraction causes deprivation, especially when, say, consciously inducing lower-than-usual levels in relative comfort of living. In this sense, the paper is testing the hypothesis that by applying such strategies in urban environments we will improve social-ecological resilience. And this “requires understanding of ecosystems that incorporates the knowledge of local users” (Folke et al., 2002, p. 438), but also – as claimed in this paper – the understanding of how social processes can minimize their impact through calculated and targeted inaction, with the ultimate goal of improving the capacity of our urban environments to face disruptive change. Social processes need to embrace change and let ecological processes help in responding to it. Three cases will illustrate real-world situations that may offer insight into the potential effect of such strategies in resilience building. The first case – an abandoned 189 hectares large retention lakeinside the city of Bucharest transformed into an ecological ‘oasis’ with the biodiversity of a delta – shows how inaction can lead to unexpectedly high ecological qualities. Second, the Dutch woonerf and the concept of shared space are shown as examples of targeted subtraction. The third case looks at the inhabitants of Venice and their lifestyle adapted to regular seasonal floods. Of course, this is a situation where ecological resilience is very low, but, as the interaction between social and ecological systems forced people to adapt, social resilience seems to be high. These three cases will be concluded with a discussion on how to formulate strategies that eliminate unnecessary action and on understanding to what extent urban systems can live with induced stress without suffering from it.
Receptor Status and Associated Clinico- Histopathological Characteristics among Women with Breast Cancer in a Ugandan Tertiary Hospital

Background: The breast cancer landscape in Uganda is characterized by late disease and poor outcomes. Even though receptor status is an important prognostic factor, it is not routinely conducted in the country. This study was set to describe the oestrogen receptors (ER) status and associated clinico-histopathological features of breast cancer among women in Uganda. Method: A cross sectional descriptive study, carried out among women with histologically confirmed breast cancer, recruited at the Mulago Hospital breast clinic and determined their receptor status determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC), which was preceded by H&E staining. Results: In total 114 women were enrolled over a 5 months period. Mean age was 47years (13-87), half (50%) of the women had advanced disease (T4 tumours), 48/114 (42%) presented more than 12 months after onset of symptoms and most had poorly differentiated (grade III) invasive ductal carcinomas, 61/114 (53%) and 50/114 (44%) were ERnegative tumours. Conclusion: Breast cancer is common among young African premenopausal women, it presents mostly as T4 tumours and close to half are ER negative. This is an over representation of ER negative tumours.
Influence of Selected Pain Characteristics on Segmental Spine Range of Motion in Patients with Low-Back Pain

Background and objectives:Pain is an important etiology in the dysfunction and impairment of spinal architecture, biomechanics and function. However, there are conflicting findings in studies investigating the relationship between lumbar spine mobility and pain characteristics in patients with Low-Back Pain (LBP). This study compared cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine Range of Motion (ROM) between patients with Low-Back Pain (LBP) and their age, sex and somatotype-matched healthy controls. The study also investigated the influence of selected pain characteristics (intensity and duration of pain) on spinal range of motion in the patients. Methods: Two hundred and two participants (101 patients and healthy controls respectively) were purposively recruited from five selected physiotherapy out-patient clinics in South Western, Nigeria. The control participants were recruited from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and OAU Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. ROM and pain intensity were assessed using dual inclinometry technique and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) respectively. Somatotype was determined using the wrist girth measurement and body perception scale respectively. Data were also obtained on demographic and anthropometric variables. Results: The patients and control group were comparable in age (48.1 ± 15.1 vs. 48.0 ± 15.1yrs; p=0.996). The control group had significantly higher ROM in the cervical (t= -6.82; p= 0.001), thoracic (t= -6.59; p= 0.001) and lumbar (t= -4.36; p= 0.001) spine respectively. There was significant inverse correlation between pain intensity and lumbar ROM in flexion (r = -0.402, p = 0.001) and extension (r = -0.303, p = 0.002) respectively. Pain duration was not significantly correlated with ROM in any of the spinal segments (p>0.05). Conclusion: Patients with LBP had significantly lower cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine ROM compared with controls. Patients with higher pain intensity had lower lumbar spine ROM in flexion and extension respectively.
Computational EEG in Personalized Medicine: A study in Parkinson's Disease

Recordings of electrical brain activity carry information about a person's cognitive health. For recording EEG signals, a very common setting is for a subject to be at rest with its eyes closed. Analysis of these recordings often involve a dimensionality reduction step in which electrodes are grouped into 10 or more regions (depending on the number of electrodes available). Then an average over each group is taken which serves as a feature in subsequent evaluation. Currently, the most prominent features used in clinical practice are based on spectral power densities. In our work we consider a simplified grouping of electrodes into two regions only. In addition to spectral features we introduce a secondary, non-redundant view on brain activity through the lens of Tsallis Entropy $S_{q=2}$. We further take EEG measurements not only in an eyes closed (ec) but also in an eyes open (eo) state. For our cohort of healthy controls (HC) and individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD), the question we are asking is the following: How well can one discriminate between HC and PD within this simplified, binary grouping? This question is motivated by the commercial availability of inexpensive and easy to use portable EEG devices. If enough information is retained in this binary grouping, then such simple devices could potentially be used as personal monitoring tools, as standard screening tools by general practitioners or as digital biomarkers for easy long term monitoring during neurological studies.
Macrolichen Communities of Quercus garryana in the Puget Trough and Columbia River Gorge Areas of Washington State

We investigated macrolichen diversity on Quercus garryana at ten sites in the Puget Trough and Columbia River Gorge areas of Washington. The known ranges of some oak-associated species are expanded within Washington and occurrences of several species new to the state are reported. We identified 111 lichen taxa, 80 of which occurred at more than one site and three species, Fuscopannaria pulveracea, Placidium fingens and Collema quadrifidum , which are reported for the first time for Washington. We report four additional species, Bryoria furcellata, Dendriscocaulon intricatulum, Usnea cavernosa and Waynea californica , which are reported from oaks on two or fewer sites in Washington prior to this study. We compiled records from herbaria and other Washington oak lichen studies to evaluate the rarity of observed species and potentially rare species known from nearby locations. Using macrolichens we developed an Index of Ecological Continuity for oak habitats in Washington to help land managers assess the health of the lichen communities on oaks. We also recorded lichen species diversity and abundance in air quality monitoring plots at six of our sites in order to assess the threat level from increasing air pollution to oak lichens. We discuss the effects of management practices on lichen diversity and abundance at oak sites and suggest species of interest for future conservation efforts.
Market Risk and Volatility in the Brazilian Stock Market

We estimate in this paper the market risk implied by the prices of different options traded in the Brazilian stock market. The fundamental theory to handle this problem is the one implied by the Arrow-Debreu contingent claim concept. Using that theory, we are able to construct the term structure of market risk, and to obtain a surface that provides slices for a particular “volatility smile. ” The methodology that we use follows the one proposed by Shimko (1993), which is able to calculate a non-lognormal probability density function (PDF) consistent with the volatility observed in a relatively small sample of option prices. This methodology goes beyond the one proposed originally by Black and Scholes (1973), since it does not require log-normality of the PDF nor that volatility remains constant.
High and Low Sodium Biotypes of Fourwing Saltbush: Their Repsonses to Sodium and Potassium in Retorted Oil Shale.

Two of 5 populations of fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescem) examined in eastern Utah did not accumulate appreciable amounts of sodium in leaf tissue while 3 populations did accumulate sodium in leaves. The characteristics of sodium accumulation and nonaccumulation were exhibited in these populations when leaf tissue was collected from plants growing in the field or from plants grown in saline retorted oil shale in 2 greenhouse pot experiments. The plants that were low in sodium were higher in potassium but lower in total sodium plus potassium. Growth of plants from the low sodium populations was enhanced by addition of potassium to the retorted oil shale but potassium addition had no effect on growth of the high sodium plants. Top growth of the high sodium plants was greater than growth of the low sodium plants on retorted oil
Evaluation of groundwater potential and saline water intrusion using secondary geophysical parameters: A case study from western Maharashtra, India

Aquifers along the coastal regions around the world are facing severe level of saline water intrusion problems. Rapid development and the associated increase in groundwater withdrawals intensify the problem. Extensive mapping of migration and extent of salt water plumes is difficult and costly. Several surficial geophysical methods have been developed for measuring salinity levels in coastal aquifers. The present study is an attempt to delineate the saline water and fresh water intrusion in parts of west coast of Maharashtra, India. A total of 86 vertical electrical soundings were carried out using the Schlumberger configuration. The contour maps for Dar-Zarrouk parameters viz. the transverse resistance (T), longitudinal conductance (S), and coefficient of anisotropy (λ) were computed at 84 sites to generate the resistivity regime of saline and fresh water bearing formations. The results exemplify that the Dar-Zarrouk parameters provide a practical elucidation in demarcating the saline and fresh water aquifers, particularly when the resistivity data interpretation encounters constraints due to intermixing of saline water aquifers, fresh water aquifers etc. Several NE-SW and NW-SE oriented major lineaments and its cris-crosses have been observed in this region.
Holomorphic morse inequalities on manifolds with boundary

Let X be a compact complex manifold with boundary and let L-k be a high power of a hermitian holomorphic line bundle over X. When X has no boundary, Demailly's holomorphic Morse inequalities give asymptotic bounds on the dimensions of the Dolbeault cohomology groups with values in Lk, in terms of the curvature of L. We extend Demailly's inequalities to the case when X has a boundary by adding a boundary term expressed as a certain average of the curvature of the line bundle and the Levi curvature of the boundary. Examples are given that show that the inequalities are sharp.
Occurrence and leave extractable essential oil of Lippia multiflora M. (Verbenaceae) as affected by soil acidity, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents in North Cote d'Ivoire.

For generating a strategy of quantitative and qualitative productions of invasive Lippia multiflora, influence of soil pH and the contents of organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (Nt), total (Pt) and available (Pa) phosphorus were explored via dominant-abundance (DAI) and aggregation (AI) index of the species as well as the leave extractable essential oil. In three sites (Labelekaha, Taoura and Zievogo) of L. multiflora ecosystem in north Cote d’Ivoire (Sudan savanna), corresponding DAI and AI were recorded coupled with soil and leave sampling at different topographic sections. Soil pH and the contents of C, Nt, Pt and Pa were determined as well as the concentrations of essential oils. Occurrence of L. multiflora was highest in the down slope position of the landscapes with significant influence of Pa also noticed for essential oils mainly characterized by highest concentrations of Geranial, Neral, a-Phellandrene, Para-Cymene, Limonene+B-Phellandrene and a-Humulene. The effect of soil organic C, and Nt were accounting for hydromorphic condition as occurred at Zievogo. The cultivation of L. multiflora may be possible in down slope position applying P for high yields of leaves and essential oils mainly composed of terpenoid derivatives. Further applications of organic C and N are required for hydromorphic soil.
Improving reliability of state estimation programming and computing suite based on analyzing a fault tree

Reliable information on the current state parameters obtained as a result of processing the measurements from systems of the SCADA and WAMS data acquisition and processing through methods of state estimation (SE) is a condition that enables to successfully manage an energy power system (EPS). SCADA and WAMS systems themselves, as any technical systems, are subject to failures and faults that lead to distortion and loss of information. The SE procedure enables to find erroneous measurements, therefore, it is a barrier for the distorted information to penetrate into control problems. At the same time, the programming and computing suite (PCS) implementing the SE functions may itself provide a wrong decision due to imperfection of the software algorithms and errors. In this study, we propose to use a fault tree to analyze consequences of failures and faults in SCADA and WAMS and in the very SE procedure. Based on the analysis of the obtained measurement information and on the SE results, we determine the state estimation PCS fault tolerance level featuring its reliability.