Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Curriculum development in language teaching

Розвиток та імплементацію навчальних мовних програм можливо здійснювати декількома шляхами, кожен з яких має різні імплікації дизайну курикулуму. У статті робиться спроба описати та порівняти три курикулумних підходи. Поняття форвардного, центрального та зворотного дизайну забезпечує ефективне модельне уявлення про різноманітні підходи дизайну курикулуму та їх практичне застосування. Ключові слова: навчальний план; форвардний, центральний та зворотний дизайн; методи, методика, оцінювання.
Frequency and causes of anemia in Lymphoma patients

Objective: Purpose of this study was to find out frequency of anemia and its causes in newly diagnosed treatment naive lymphoma patients. Methods: We retrospectively studied all lymphoma patients (> 18 years age) diagnosed and treated at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, from January 2016 till January 2017. The data was collected from electronic Hospital Information System. Descriptive statistics were done by using summary measures for categorical variables as well as continuous variables. Results: Out of a total 408 patients, 272 were males and 136 females. Median age of patients was 33 years (18-76). Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were the diagnosis in 201 and 134 patients respectively; rest of the patients had low grade lymphomas. Anemia was present in 184 (45%) patients. Anemia of chronic disease was the commonest cause of anemia and was present in 61 (33.1%) patients. Remaining patients had anemia secondary to marrow involvement 50(27.17%); iron deficiency anemia, Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia and hemolytic anemia were the causes in 7.6, 1.6%, % and 0.54% respectively. Conclusion: Anemia is a common feature in newly diagnosed lymphoma patients with anemia of chronic disease as the commonest cause. It is more frequent in patients with higher stages of lymphoma especially when bone marrow is involved by lymphoma. Since anemia is an important adverse prognostic factor for the outcome of lymphoma patients, work up for anemia prior to initiation of chemotherapy should be done in every lymphoma patient in order to help improve the management of these patients.
La educación a distancia

The development of new technologies of information and communications have made possible the exchange of ideas, experiences and knowledge among millions of human beings. Education is a complex and expensive task for institutions. Distance education has become an alternative to solve this problem. A review of literature made to determine its background, current state and the influence of the so called new technologies.
Chinese character learning: Using embodied animations in initial stages

The purpose of the study is to investigate a new approach, Embodied Animations, to Chinese character learning (CCL) for beginning learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL). The study adopted a between-subjects experimental design to examine the effectiveness of three groups: Traditional Learning (TL), Animation Learning (AL), and Embodied Animation Learning (EAL). Thirty-six adults were randomly assigned to one of the groups. The CALL programs were created using Flash. The results indicated that the EAL group outperformed the other two groups in the total recall number of learned characters and the post-test scores. In addition, the AL group outperformed the TL. There were statistical significances and large effect sizes found between the AL and EAL groups. The study also found practice effect to be a significant predictor of CCL outcomes. Given the positive results, this empirical study recommends the use of EA to CCL for beginning learners of CFL. 摘要:本研究目的是探討一種新方法,即用體現動畫來幫助漢語作為 外語學習者的漢字學習。 研究採用實驗設計,檢查三個學習組的有效 性:傳統學習,動畫學習,和體現動畫學習。 36 名參與者被隨機分配 並被要求盡力學習計算機輔助方案中所呈現的漢字。 結果表明,體現 動畫組漢字的總回憶數量和後測成績優於其他兩組。 研究還發現,練 習效用是一個學習成果顯著的預測。 這一實證研究給予了積極的結果, 建議初級漢語學習者在漢字學習上使用體現動畫。
Face-to-face interaction: Research, methods, and theory

Preface Part 1: Face-to-Face Interaction: The Research Area and Some Basic Issues 1. Introduction 2. Measurement Techniques and Research Strategies Part 2: Individual Differences in Brief Conversations 3. A Study of Individual Differences in Five-Minute Interactions 4. Descriptive Statistics and Group Differences 5. Relationships Between the Acts 6. Actions, Self-Descriptions, and Reactions 7. Overview and Critique of Our Studies of Act Scores Part 3: Studies of the Organisation of Face-to-Face Interaction 8. Presuppositions of Research Strategy 9. Data Generation 10. Preliminaries to Analysis 11. The Turn System Part 4: A Proposed Metatheory and Research Approach 12. A Metatheory for Face-to-Face Interaction 13. A Research Program for Face-to-Face Interaction. Appendices
Oral health status of young people with cerebral palsy in Hong Kong

Aims: The aims of the study were to describe caries and periodontal status of young people aged 12 or above with cerebral palsy studying in special schools in Hong Kong. Method: Students aged 12 or above studying in the three special schools of the Spastics Association of Hong Kong were invited for this study. Parental consent was sought and the medical history of each participant was checked before the examination. They were examined in their schools with CPI probe and dental mirror with fibre-optic light. Each participant or a parent was asked to respond to a questionnaire on oral hygiene habits. Results: In total, 89 students were invited and 65, 36 boys and 29 girls, participated in this survey. Their mean age was 15 ± 2. About 74% of them were spastic and 47% were quadri/triplegia. About half of the subjects (49%) had mild mental retardation and another 31% were moderately retarded. The caries experience as measured by DMFT was 1.2 ± 1.9. Many of them (62%) had no caries experience. None of the surveyed students had healthy gum and many of them (57%) had calculus. They all practiced daily tooth brushing and about one third (32%) used mouthrinse. Conclusion: The caries experience of young people with cerebral palsy in Hong Kong was not high, but their periodontal conditions were poor and more than half of them had calculus.
A Novel Weight-Shared Multi-Stage CNN for Scale Robustness

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated remarkable results in image classification for benchmark tasks and practical applications. The CNNs with deeper architectures have achieved even higher performance recently thanks to their robustness to the parallel shift of objects in images and their numerous parameters and the resulting high expression ability. However, CNNs have a limited robustness to other geometric transformations such as scaling and rotation. This limits the performance improvement of the deep CNNs, but there is no established solution. This paper focuses on scale transformation and proposes a network architecture called the weight-shared multi-stage network (WSMS-Net), which consists of multiple stages of CNNs. The proposed WSMS-Net is easily combined with existing deep CNNs such as residual network and densely connected convolutional network and enables them to acquire robustness to object scaling. Experimental results on the CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100, and ImageNet datasets demonstrate that existing deep CNNs combined with the proposed WSMS-Net achieve higher accuracies for image classification tasks with only a minor increase in the number of parameters and computation time.
Valuing meteorological information

This paper approaches the value of meteorological information from the perspectives of value engineering, pricing or valuation techniques and information economics. The value of information can be looked at from at least two angles: the value of information to the decision maker and the value of information realized through the impact occurring as a result actions and decisions based on information. The value of information is not a singular, uniform concept. It consists of multiple attributes weighed in different ways by different actors who evaluate information according to their own particular preferences. When designing information value chains the value build‐up and relative importance of different attributes in different sections of the chain cannot be neglected. There are multiple methods and techniques for measuring the value, but these must be applied with care, being aware of the relevant attributes and in which part of the information value chain the measurement takes place. With the valuation tools described in this paper, the valuation problem can be clarified and appropriate methods selected. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Indications and Spectrum of Haematological Disorders from Bone Marrow Aspiration Examination: A Three Year Review Study

Background: Haematological disorders have diverse modes of presentation that often requires bone marrow examination for both diagnosis and management. This simple and relatively safe procedure is important particularly in resource poor centres since access to adjuvant diagnostic techniques are often lacking or absent. This study was conducted to determine the indications and the spectrum of Haematological diseases diagnosed using this procedure. Methodology: This was a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Haematology University of Uyo Teaching Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013. Bone marrow aspiration cytology records of 62 suspected cases of haematological diseases were reviewed and analyzed using STATA software version 10. Results: Majority of the patients who had bone marrow aspiration were adults aged 19 years and above. The male to female ratio was 1.2:1. Most (93.5%) of the marrow aspirate examined had definitive pathologic features while 4 (6.5%) were normal marrow elements. The main indications for BMA examination in order of decreasing frequency include; anaemia (37.1%), diagnosis of Leukaemia (30.7%) and pancytopaenia (5.1%). Acute leukaemia was the most common haematological disease diagnosed using this procedure. Acute myeloid leukaemia was twice as common as acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Also, mixed nutritional deficiencies occurred more commonly than single nutrient deficiency. Conclusion: The indications for BMA examination in this study are similar to those reported in other studies. This procedure remains a veritable tool in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of haematological diseases especially in a resource poor centre like ours.
An evaluation of the implementation of a multidisciplinary persistent pain service in the inner London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation phase of a multidisciplinary persistent pain service (PPS). Background A multidisciplinary PPS was established in January 2008 at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Referral is made into the service via general practitioners (GPs). Patients see an appropriate mix of clinicians; they include a pain specialist, physiotherapists, an occupational therapist, psychologists and/or health and advice worker. Method Data were collected by using patient questionnaires, monthly activity reports from clinicians, service administration and patient and staff interviews. Findings Service activity steadily increased to full capacity after nine months. Eighty-two percent (31/38) of Tower Hamlets GP clinics referred patients to the service; the referrals were appropriate. The discharge rate at nine months was 5% while 9% failed to attend or declined to attend. Patients saw on average two clinical specialities, post multidisciplinary team discussion and had four appointments. The majority of patients were female (89/144, 62%); between 41 and 60 years old (55%), unemployed (79%), received disability or incapacity allowances (28%), had pain for more than 10 years (27%) and were not fluent in English (37%). The patient and practitioner interviews highlighted: difficulties keeping track of patients as they progressed through the service, inconsistent administration that affected patient satisfaction, lack of understanding of treatment process and plans and cross discipline learning benefit for staff. Conclusion Implementing a multidisciplinary service requires forethought, and regular monitoring to ensure efficiency. For multidisciplinary services we recommend: GP education, clear delineation of responsibilities between staff, efficient systems for tracking patient progress, regular staff meetings and jointly negotiated treatment plans that patients can keep.
Altered insemination timing improves pregnancy rates after a CO-Synch + progesterone insert protocol

Our objective was to determine the optimal time to inseminate artificially cows following the standard CO-Synch protocol that also included a progesterone-releasing intravaginal controlled internal drug release (CIDR) insert. Lactating females from 3 Kansas locations were utilized. Crossbred Angus cows (n = 212) from the Agriculture Research Center in Hays (ARCH; location 1); Angus-Hereford crossbred cows (n = 249) from the Kansas State University Cow-Calf Unit (location 2); and purebred Angus, Hereford, and Simmental cows (n = 144) from the Kansas State University Purebred Beef Unit (location 3) were used in this study. Cows within each location were blocked by parity and assigned randomly within blocks to be artificially inseminated (AI) at 4 different times after the PGF2α injection of the protocol: 48, 56, 64, or 72 h. Pregnancy diagnosis occurred at 32 and 63 d after insemination. Blood samples were collected 9 to 10 d and just before the first GnRH injection. Radioimmunoassays were performed on the blood sera samples to determine progesterone concentrations. Progesterone concentrations determined that approximately 60% of cows were cycling at the initiation of the study. A difference in cyclicity was observed with regards to age as well as body condition score. Pregnancies per AI (P/AI) at d 32 varied according to location and cycling status. Pregnancy loss between d 32 and 63 also was greatest for cows inseminated at 48 and 72 h. As pregnancy rates at d 63 increased with the 56and 64-h treatments, pregnancy loss decreased. A significant difference in calving interval was detected among treatments, the shortest calving interval at 56 h. Results indicated that in most situations, the 56and 64-h treatments presented the most desirable outcomes. The 56-h treatment presented the greatest number of P/AI for younger cows (≤ 3 yr), but for older cows, inseminations anytime 56 h or later produced the most P/AI. Overall pregnancy rates at d 63 were greatest for the 56-h treatment, with the fewest pregnancy losses. Given the interactions that seem to exist among location, cycling status, and age, further work is necessary to better define these relationships with the applied protocol.
Why do more girls than boys smoke cigarettes?

A COMPREHENSIVE review of the scientific litera ture on adolescent smoking published in English since 1970 shows a remarkable worldwide pattern of development in adolescent smoking. One developed country after another has reported figures showing that girls now have a higher prevalence than boys. No single factor known to be associated with the uptake of smoking in this age range would have had a large enough effect or changed enough to account for this phenomenon. Advertising and the introduction of low-tar cigarettes may have partly contributed to this development, but a new hypothesis is proposed. The fact that girls mature earlier has combined with a steady change in social attitudes, helped by the commercial pressures, so that girls now exhibit smoking behaviour similar to boys one or more years older. Advertising aimed at young women must be discouraged, and anti-smoking education pro grammes in schools should be revised with particu lar reference to their relevance for adolescent girls.
Acoustic Analysis of Taiwanese Learners' Pronunciation in English Vowels

"Acoustic phonetics" is the method of dealing with the speech measurement and providing a record of speakers' pronunciation in terms of intensity, frequency, and the articulatory properties. This study focuses on utilizing native speaker's vowel patterns for comparing the measurement obtained from Mandarin Chinese speakers, in order to employ the quantitative evidence for the absence or presence of certain features. The analysis of acoustic phonetics enhances our understanding and perception of the fundamental components of speech sounds. The comparison between the Chinese subjects' productions of English vowels and Chinese vowels indicates that the problem of inaccurate pronunciation results from L1 interference. Based on the findings of this acoustic study, some pedagogical implications are suggested.
Rural but not remote! Access in outback Australia. Report on the implementation of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) for medical students, clinical teaching staff and health librarians at the Rural Clinical Division, School of Medicine, University of Que

Funding to provide 95 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to medical students, located at the Rural Clinical Divisions (RCD) in outback Australian Queensland regions, was obtained in 2003 from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The PDA Project commenced in October 2003 and will continue until the end of 2004. The objectives of the Project were to provide access to authoritative, evidence-based information to rural medical students at their point of need and to address equity issues for students placed in remote or isolated areas with limited access to information and technology infrastructure. The project will be used to identify how such technology can help to educate and prepare students for practicing medicine in the 21st Century and as a means to identify appropriate resources, training and support required to utilise PDAs. The Herston Medical Library, University of Queensland, provided a senior Liaison Librarian as the Rural Pack Project Coordinator, along with two Liaison Librarians, who are based at the rural sites in the Central Region and the South West Region of Queensland, each working at the main hospital within each region. The Coordinator of the Project has led a team of clinicians, librarians, information technology representatives, a medical education officer and medical students to evaluate the technology. Included on each PDA distributed to PDA Project participants are e-resources, including a major drug index, medical textbooks, a medical dictionary and a medical calculator. The Microsoft Office Suite of software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook are also included on each PDA. A report on the implementation of the Project, study design and outcomes reported during 2004 is provided. Various challenges, such as licensing complexities, that were encountered with the introduction of this innovative service are outlined, as well as future plans.
An Isometric Strength Testing Device for Use with the Elderly: Validation Compared with Isokinetic Measures

Objective: To estimate the concurrent validity of a new isometric strength-testing device, the Leg Press Sled (LPS), using a criterion measure of isokinetic strength among a frail elderly population. Design: Prospective validation study. Setting: University of Houston. Participants: Eleven elderly subjects (81.7 ± 7.0 yrs) from an assisted-living facility. Measurements: Measurements of isometric leg strength using the LPS were compared with measurements of isokinetic leg strength using the Biodex System 3, as a reference standard. For isometric measures, a sample of elderly subjects (mean 81.7 ± 7.0 yrs) was measured at knee angles 60° and 90°. Results: Significant relationships (R2 > 0.50, P < 0.05) between lower-limb-strength measures performed using the LPS and the Biodex System 3 were observed at both angles measured. Conclusion: The LPS is a valid measure of leg strength in elderly populations. The device is portable, inexpensive, easy to use, and specifically suited for special-needs populations such as the home-bound elderly due to its supine mode of operation.
Formal in-company networks: a rainbow colored perspective

This study explores how regular members of a Dutch formal in-company LGBT network view the goals and activities of the formal in-company LGBT network along with their individual goals and activities related to the formal in-company LGBT network. Two theoretical perspectives were used to examine the goals and activities of and related to the formal incompany LGBT network namely, (1) community, visibility, voice and (2) tempered radicalism. To examine the views of formal in-company LGBT network members, a case-study was conducted in a professional consultancy organization. Where in order to collect data 14 interviews with regular in-company LGBT network members were conducted alongside, a document analysis and participant observations. The results of this study showed that the concepts of community and visibility were detectable amongst the individual amongst the goals and activities of the organization and the individual goals and activities of the regular in-company LGBT network members. The results also indicated that the concept of visibility needs to be broadened. The concept of voice was not detectable amongst the regular in-company LGBT network members. The results indicated that the concept of tempered radicalism was not detectable the regular incompany network members. This study contributed to the literature by providing insights and expanding the already existing literature into the Dutch context, the views of regular in-company LGBT network members and the applicability of community, visibility, voice and tempered radicalism.
Internet use among faculty members of universities in Ghana

Lack of access to current materials in libraries of universities in developing countries is a major problem that hinders research and teaching. Interlibrary loans and document delivery projects have not solved this problem by themselves. The Internet makes it possible for users to have access to large volumes of information irrespective of their geographical location. The three older universities in Ghana are all linked to the Internet. The assumption then is that their faculty now have access to current information through the Internet. Research results show that in spite of the benefits of the Internet, its use among faculty is still very low. The main reasons for this are lack of access to the Internet and the need for training. Clearly, university authorities need to take immediate steps to provide general access points for faculty through computer laboratories. Again, the expertise of librarians, information professionals and computer scientists needs to be tapped to provide training and refresher sessions for faculty to keep up to date on harnessing the immense potential of the Internet as a source of information for teaching and research.
Lung cancer surgery in octogenarians revisited-risk factors and survival in a long lifespan population.

The outcome of patients above 80 years undergoing lung surgery has been investigated by numerous studies proving that the majority of these patients can safely undergo effective surgery (1-3). Age itself is thus no longer a contraindication for surgery (4,5). To find out which patient profits which does not, each study identifies one or more variables that represent a potential risk factor for postoperative complications or impairs long time survival compared to their younger counterparts.