Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Good Practice Guidelines in Phonetic Transcription: Survey in Clinical Practice.

Background: The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (2012) have recently published ‘Good Practice Guidelines for Transcription of Children’s Speech Sample in Clinical Practice and Research’. The guidelines have been developed in order to ensure the maintenance of the good standard of clinical practice. Aims: To investigate to what extend the guidelines reflect current clinical practice. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to paediatric speech and language therapists (SLTs) from one of NHS teams in the UK. Results: Thirty two therapists with varied clinical experience responded. Children that require articulation and/or phonological analysis dominate the caseloads of most paediatric therapists. A majority of therapists use phonetic transcription while carrying out a screening assessment. Most of the screening assessments do not fulfil the recommendation of the good practice guidelines. The confidence in phonetic transcription is affected by the frequency of practicing, rather than years of experience. A majority of the therapists do not record speech samples and do not check their phonetic transcription for reliability. In addition, some therapists feel that they do not have time or knowledge to fulfil the requirements of the good practice guidelines. Conclusion: The results provide confirmation of previously raised concerns that the guidelines recommended in the research literature do not fully reflect current clinical practice. In addition, assessments that allow for complete phonological assessment as opposed to a screening procedure are little used.
Different Governments, Different Interests: The Gender Gap in Political Interest

Abstract:In recent decades, differences between men and women have blurred in many social dimensions, including levels of educational attainment or access to the labor market. However, this increase in equality has not been reflected in a proportional reduction in the gender gap in political interest. This paper evaluates the extent of gender differences in political interest regarding different arenas, considering the moderating effect of marriage and caring for others using data from the Citizenship, Involvement, and Democracy Project. Although women generally find local politics more interesting than national politics, family, and caring responsibilities are still a source of disadvantage.
The Impact of Classroom Climate on Aggression and Victimization in Early Adolescence

Identifying factors that influence peer aggression and victimization is important because of their high prevalence rates and associated negative outcomes during early adolescence. Limited research has examined the impact of environmental and contextual factors, such as school climate, on peer aggression and victimization. This study longitudinally examined bidirectional relations between school climate and peer aggression and between school climate and victimization over 6 months. Participants were 265 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students (50% female; 82% African American). Bidirectional path regression analyses showed that students who reported higher levels of positive student-teacher relationships at Time 1 engaged in lower frequencies of aggression and experienced less victimization at Time 2. Students who reported higher levels of awareness and reporting of violence at Time 1 had more positive student-teacher relationships and engaged in lower frequencies of aggression at Time 2.
Proceso de resiliencia en el trastorno bipolar desde la perspectiva de pacientes y profesionales de la salud

Research about resilience in bipolar disorders (sBDs is scarce, or lacking in reference to qualitatve studies. A qualitatve phenomenological study was performed to understand the intrapersonal process of resilience as experienced by patents in remission from BD and from the perspectves of clinicians experts in BD. A total of 15 partcipants in remission from BD (smean age = 42.88 and SD = 11.99s partcipated in individual interviews or in a focus group. Six mental health clinicians atended two focus groups. Data were transcribed for thematic analysis. All partcipants reported a meaningful experience of resilience during the remission journey from BD, identfying seven main themes. Although data were retrospectve and sensitve to memory bias, fndings are relevant for interventons in BD.
Comparing transformational and instrumental leadership

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of transformational and instrumental leadership on the individual performance of the employee and the financial performance in Brazilian startups. Design/methodology/approach The adopted methodological construction strategy was structural equation modeling, with the purpose of applying the model to primary data collected from a sample of leaders of Brazilian startups (n = 126). Findings Results suggest that when leadership types are analyzed separately, both directly influence employee performance. Originality/value This study has four main contributions: to test the influence of the two leadership styles on employee performance and thus to help advance the theoretical understanding of leadership; to perform this test in the context of Brazilian startups; to equip professionals with more information about the effects of crucial leadership types on individual type of employee performance; and to expand knowledge for recruitment and managerial training in initial-stage companies.
Infertility and Women’s Life Courses in Northern Malawi

BACKGROUND: Anthropological and epidemiological studies have identified infertility as a significant health and social problem, yet it remains largely overlooked in reproductive and sexual health policy and practice in developing countries. This study examined the effects of infertility across women’s lives in rural northern Malawi. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected during in-depth life history interviews with forty-nine fertile and infertile women. These data were supplemented by key informant interviews, group discussions, field notes and observations. Demographic survey data were analysed to contextualise findings and quantify selected outcomes related to infertility. The importance of infertility for current understandings of sexual and fertility related behaviour was evaluated. FINDINGS: Women experienced infertility within a complex social and metaphysical context, in which they had few alternative life course options apart from marriage and childbearing. Little help was available at hospitals, and most women took long courses of traditional medicine. Infertile women were more likely to be HIV positive, but only a minority of infertile women reported ‘risky’ sexual behaviour. Divorce was more common among infertile women, as children stabilised marriages in a variety of ways, but infertile women were no more likely to be polygynously married. Many infertile women had supportive marriages, often with polygynous men who had children with other wives. Infertile women negotiated marriages and living arrangements to make the most of their compromised situation, and were unwilling to tolerate secondary social status. Infertility was on a continuum of risks to successful childbearing: most fertile women had also experienced reproductive health problems and/or marital disruptions. IMPLICATIONS: Routine health services and information are inaccessible and inappropriate for infertile women. Current reproductive and sexual health programmes focus on fertility reduction, but there are feasible ways to improve infertility management in resource-poor settings, which could contribute to meeting other objectives such as tackling STIs and building trust around contraceptive use.
Prevalence of MRSA and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in Maryland Ground Meat Products

Title of Document: PREVALENCE OF MRSA AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN MARYLAND GROUND MEAT PRODUCTS Twain Brown, Nicole Dupuy, Kourtney Johnson, Alina Kelman, Edward Kestler, William Richbourg, Daniel Shafer, Yee-Ann Soong Directed By: Dr. Jianghong Meng, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D. Department of Nutrition and Food Science The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of exposure to antimicrobialresistant Staphylococcus aureus from food-grade raw ground meat products in Maryland. Samples of ground beef (n = 198), pork (n = 300), and turkey (n = 196), were collected by random sampling from March-August, 2008. All isolates were tested for resistance to methicillin and confirmed S. aureus isolates (n = 200) were tested for susceptibility to 21 additional antimicrobials. Overall, turkeyand porkderived isolates were more likely to be resistant to commonly used antimicrobials. One isolate from pork was confirmed to be the USA100 strain of MRSA and was resistant to 10 antibiotics. In addition, antibiotic-resistant non-S. aureus isolates were characterized and may represent a source for the transfer of resistance genes to S. aureus. Our findings suggest that meat production practices may impact the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus in ground meat. PREVALENCE OF MRSA AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN MARYLAND GROUND MEAT PRODUCTS By Team Antibiotic Resistance Twain Brown Nicole Dupuy Kourtney Johnson Alina Kelman Edward Kestler William Richbourg Daniel Shafer Yee-Ann Soong Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors Gemstone Program, University of Maryland, College Park 2010 Advisory Committee: Dr. Jianghong Meng, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., Mentor Dr. Vincent Lee, Ph.D., Discussant Dr. Patrick McDermott, Ph.D., Discussant Dr. Jie Zheng, Ph.D., Discussant Dr. Kevin McIver, Ph.D., Discussant © Copyright by Team Antibiotic Resistance Twain Brown, Nicole Dupuy, Kourtney Johnson, Alina Kelman, Edward Kestler, William Richbourg, Daniel Shafer, Yee-Ann Soong 2010
DOES CUSTOMERS SATISFACTION MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEDONIC AND UTILITARIAN VALUES TO BEHAVIORAL INTENTION?

This study investigated the effects of hedonic and utilitarian values on behavioral intentions and the mediating effects of satisfaction in the restaurant industry. A survey was conducted in the setting of culinary industry. Purposive sampling method was used to collect 125 samples. The data was analyzed using linier regression. The result showed that the hedonic and utilitarian value has a significant and positive direct effect on satisfaction. The hedonic and utilitarian values, and the satisfaction as well also have significant and positive effect on behavioral intention. This study also showed that customer satisfaction acts as a partial mediator in the relationship between hedonic value and utilitarian value on behavioral intentions.
REASSEMBLING THE SOCIAL: AN INTRODUCTION TO ACTOR-NETWORK THEORY, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2005.

Bruno Latour, frances, e antropologo, sociologo e filosofo da ciencia. Um dos fundadores dos chamados Estudos Sociais da Ciencia e Tecnologia (ESCT), sua principal contribuicao teorica - ao lado de outros autores como Michel Callon e John Law - e o desenvolvimento da ANT - Actor Network Theory (Teoria ator-rede) que, ao analisar a atividade cientifica, considera tanto os atores humanos como os nao humanos, estes ultimos devido a sua vinculacao ao principio de simetria generalizada.
From fragmentation to integration : an interpretive analysis of entrepreneurial learning during social engagement

Existing entrepreneurial learning literature is fragmented, with a divide between cognitive-, practice- and social-experiential approaches. Of these, social-experiential approaches have received the least attention. Despite a general agreement between scholars that social networks play an important part in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial learning, the role of social interactions in entrepreneurial learning is underdeveloped. The aim of this research is to explore this gap and provide insights into the role of social interactions in entrepreneurial learning, how entrepreneurial learning during social engagement can be aided and/or impeded, the outcomes of entrepreneurial learning during social engagement, and how learning during social engagement benefits entrepreneurs. An interpretive approach, influenced by a social constructionist epistemology, underpinned the research, which comprised semi-structured qualitative interviews with 17 entrepreneurs across 15 companies. The data was analysed using thematic networks – a process which involved six steps across three levels of interpretation. This revealed three core principles: firstly, multiple, interwoven social interactions combine with other learning mechanisms and influencers for entrepreneurs to learn; secondly, learning during social engagement results in multi-layered and intertwined outcomes; and thirdly, learning during social engagement is contextually dependent and affected by various factors. These principles are interlinked; the first principle is foundational as it reflects how entrepreneurs learn (i.e. in a variety of learning sequences), with the other principles stemming from this to give a wider picture of entrepreneurial learning during social engagement. This thesis contributes to entrepreneurial learning literature by providing insight in three ways. Firstly, by demonstrating a need for integration rather than fragmentation within entrepreneurial learning. Secondly, by extending Bingham and Davis’ (2012) framework of learning sequences. Finally, in the presentation of a new model of entrepreneurial learning during social engagement, developed to show the interlinkage of the three principles identified in this study.
The Effectiveness of Inquiry and Computer Based Learning in Remediation of Science Students

The state of Virginia requires science Standards of Learning tests to be conducted as a graduation requirement as well as a measure of teacher performance. In an attempt to increase graduation rates, the state has adopted an expedited retake policy allowing certain students to retest if their scores were close to passing but fell short. No requirement, however, was given as to the means of remediation that the students must attend in order to retest. This quantitative study examined the effectiveness of three instructional strategies in improving student performance during the retest. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was used to examine two variables—inquiry-based instruction and computer-based instruction—and their effectiveness in raising SOL scores for students in the remediation program compared to the traditional method of direct instruction utilized in an urban southeastern Virginia public school district.
From Symbol to (Some) Substance: Costa Rica’s Carbon Neutral Pledge

In 2007, Costa Rican politicians announced that the country would be carbon neutral by 2021. This paper investigates whether this pledge has moved beyond a symbolic commitment and, if so, how. Data consist of interviews conducted with officials in Costa Rica’s industry, government, science, and civil society as well as archival research. The findings show that carbon emissions declined after the pledge, but the effects of the great recession mean these declines cannot be directly attributed to the pledge. However, since 2007, there have also been numerous political changes that may contribute to future emissions reductions. Future research on symbolic politics would benefit from investigating how political acts can change from symbolic to more substantive over time as social groups grapple with how to act to fulfill the stated aims. This case study provides an important historical analog for understanding the aftermath of other nations’ pledges made at the 2015 global climate meeting.
Structured Prediction using cGANs with Fusion Discriminator

We propose the fusion discriminator, a single unified framework for incorporating conditional information into a generative adversarial network (GAN) for a variety of distinct structured prediction tasks, including image synthesis, semantic segmentation, and depth estimation. Much like commonly used convolutional neural network -- conditional Markov random field (CNN-CRF) models, the proposed method is able to enforce higher-order consistency in the model, but without being limited to a very specific class of potentials. The method is conceptually simple and flexible, and our experimental results demonstrate improvement on several diverse structured prediction tasks.
Comparing Empathy Levels in Doctor of Pharmacy Students and Exemplary Pharmacist Preceptors

Objective. To determine how student pharmacists’ empathy compares to that of exemplary pharmacist preceptors. Methods. First- through third-year Doctor of Pharmacy students and nominated preceptors demonstrating a model level of empathy in patient care were invited to take the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and answer demographic questions. A comparison of total JSE scores was made between students and preceptors. Comparisons of total JSE scores were performed between male and female students, students with and without direct patient care experience, students with and without chronic care experience, and among students based on class year. A factor analysis was completed. Results. The response rate for students and preceptors was 70.3% (n=318) and 73.7% (n=14), respectively. No significant differences in median JSE scores were identified for any of the comparisons. Factor analysis revealed two factors as underlying constructs: “compassionate care” and “perspective taking. ” Seven of 20 items on the JSE had mean scores >6.0 (possible range 1-7). Conclusion. The majority of students had moderately high cognitive empathy not related to class year that was similar to that of exemplary pharmacist preceptors. A possible ceiling effect was found in several items on the JSE, potentially limiting its use for measuring changes in empathy longitudinally in students with baseline high empathy.
Evaluating the Knowledge of Conversational Agents

Several studies have tested chatbots for their abilities to emulate human conversation, but few have evaluated the systems’ general knowledge. In this study, we asked two chatbots (Mitsuku and Tutor) and a digital assistant (Cortana) several questions and compared their answers to 67 humans’ answers. Results showed that while Tutor and Cortana performed poorly, the accuracies of Mitsuku and the humans were not significantly different. As expected, the chatbots and Cortana answered factual questions more accurately than abstract questions.
Regulation of perceptual learning by mindfulness meditation : experiential and neurophysiological evidence

Due to its widespread implementation in clinical settings, the neuroscientific study of mindfulness meditation has seen a rapid growth in the last two decades. Despite the evidence of changes in brain activity and structures, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying meditation practices are largely unknown. In this work, we investigated the hypothesis that mindfulness meditation entails a cognitive stance towards experience which impacts the formation of mental habits. With this aim, we studied the relationship between the phenomenology of different styles of mindfulness meditation, in expert and novice practitioners, and neurophysiological markers of perceptual learning (i.e. auditory mismatch negativity) and attention in neutral and emotional settings. We found that a nondual style of mindfulness meditation increased sensory monitoring and reduced perceptual learning compared to a focused attention practice. Additionally, we demonstrated that auditory perceptual learning is not affected by unpredictable threat, except for individuals with high dispositional anxiety; an effect that might be downregulated by meditation states. Finally, we identified components of the auditory evoked response as putative neural correlates of monitoring processes during mindfulness practices and we highlighted a direct link between changes in subjective experience and emotion regulation in expert practitioners.Overall, the present work fosters the dialogue between cognitive neuroscience and phenomenological models of meditation and provides evidence of the possible neurocognitive mechanisms underlying meditation practices and expertise
A review of the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and threat appraisal in anxiety

Abstract The development and conceptual relationship of the constructs of threat appraisal (TA) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) are explored in the context of anxiety disorders. A narrative review tracking the development of these constructs and their relationship is undertaken. There is some evidence to suggest that the interaction between the components of threat appraisal (probability × cost) may partially account for or provide a theoretical framework which explains presenting levels of anxiety. Furthermore, research suggested that IU is a construct which contributes to a broad range of anxiety disorders. It was concluded that distinctive cognitive biases linked with IU – such as interpreting ambiguous and uncertain (both positive and negative) information as highly concerning – suggests that IU is interpreted negatively independent of threat appraisal. These findings mean a number of issues remain unclear, including whether IU in anxiety-provoking situations is sufficient in itself – independent of threat appraisal – in eliciting high levels of anxiety. Additionally, it is unclear whether threat appraisal and IU act as independent constructs, or more in an interactive manner in anxiety. To achieve further clarity on these issues, methodological recommendations for future research are made. Key learning aims (1) To understand the conceptual foundations of TA and IU in the cognitive model of anxiety. (2) To understand the empirical evidence supporting the role of both TA and IU in anxiety. (3) To appreciate the potential relationship between these concepts in anxiety.
Financial Reporting Opacity and Informed Trading by International Institutional Investors

Using cross-country data on trading by international mutual funds, I find that firms with more opaque information environments, as captured by firm- and country-level measures of the availability of financial reporting information, experience more privately informed trading by institutional investors. The association between firm-level opacity and informed trading is most pronounced where country-level disclosure infrastructures are less developed and for those investors for whom the incentives and opportunities to acquire private information are greatest. A difference-in-differences analysis of the returns earned by institutions in opaque stocks suggests that this information advantage is economically significant.