Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study on Bilinguals and Monolingual Learner' Reading Comprehension

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between simultaneous bilingual and Iranian EFL monolingual learners on reading comprehension. To perform this study, 110 third grade three high school bilingual and monolingual participants studying in four different schools of Mahshahr were selected non-randomly. They took Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) and 60 of them were assigned into four homogeneous male and female (i.e. bilingual and monolingual) groups. Then, the four groups were given a teacher-made pre-test of reading comprehension before the treatment to determine how well the participants know the contents. During an eight session courses, four groups covered eight passages selected from Select Readings: Intermediate (Lee & Gunderson, 2011). Finally, at the end of the course which lasted two months, the participants sat for their post-test of reading comprehension which was the modified version of pre-test. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the means of the pre-test and the post-test in four groups and Paired Samples t-test was used to compare the pre and post-test of each group. The findings revealed that the reading comprehension of four groups improved and there was a significant difference between the groups concerning reading comprehension post-test. According to the findings of this research, the researcher concluded that monolinguals performed better than the simultaneous bilinguals and also female students were more successful than the male learners. Implications of the study may be useful to teachers and learners who study reading comprehension in bilingual contexts.
A Part II of the Reports on the Ongoing HMD Technology Research

The report continues reporting of results of an ongoing research verifying a hypothetic energy generation mechanism for reengineering of Gritskevich’s Hydro Magnetic Dynamo (HMD). The HMD technology is a patented technology for electric power generation. It was invented in Russia and deployed in a semi-industrial scale (1.5 MW power unit) in Armenia in 1992. After its successful exploitation during 5 years no more units were assembled. Nowadays the technology needs verification of its physical mechanisms for its successful reengineering. The aim of the report is to present current results of an ongoing theoretical and experimental research of hypothetic physical mechanisms providing energy generation in the unit. It is written without disclosure of its construction and technical details. Thus the theory of hypothetic energy generation mechanisms is described in a general way. The reported experimental results provide only partial support for the theory. They should be independently reproduced and verified.
Computer Applications to Second Language Acquisition

This thesis is intended to give a panorama of technology in foreign language pedagogy. Although my field of study is French, the computer applications under scrutiny do not relate solely to the teaching of French. This paper begins with a criticism of the rigid listen-and-repeat language laboratory concept while tracking the rise of communicative language learning theory; follows the microprocessor revolution in language consoles; documents the development of computer-assisted instruction; showcases software evaluations of computer-assisted language learning; explores telecommunications; discusses satellite dishes and other computer peripherals; presents the results of a survey of Texas universities; and concludes with the presentation of the evolving language media center.
Extreme I/O on HPC for HEP using the Burst Buffer at NERSC

In recent years there has been increasing use of HPC facilities for HEP experiments. This has initially focussed on less I/O intensive workloads such as generator-level or detector simulation. We now demonstrate the efficient running of I/O-heavy analysis workloads on HPC facilities at NERSC, for the ATLAS and ALICE LHC collaborations as well as astronomical image analysis for DESI and BOSS. To do this we exploit a new 900 TB NVRAM-based storage system recently installed at NERSC, termed a Burst Buffer. This is a novel approach to HPC storage that builds on-demand filesystems on all-SSD hardware that is placed on the high-speed network of the new Cori supercomputer. We describe the hardware and software involved in this system, and give an overview of its capabilities, before focusing in detail on how the ATLAS, ALICE and astronomical workflows were adapted to work on this system. We describe these modifications and the resulting performance results, including comparisons to other filesystems. We demonstrate that we can meet the challenging I/O requirements of HEP experiments and scale to many thousands of cores accessing a single shared storage system.
Low-cost, self-paced, educational programmes increase birth satisfaction in first-time mothers

A Corresponding Author: nicola. swain@otago.ac. nz B Department of Psychological Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine Introduction: Birth satisfaction is an important aspect of giving birth. It is a subjective way to quantify how the experience went for new mothers. Aim: This research aimed to assess whether either of two self-directed educational programmes could improve birth satisfaction in New Zealand first-time mothers. Method: One hundred and eighty-two women were recruited and randomly assigned to a skills preparation group, a birth stories booklet group, or a treatment as usual (TAU) group. Findings: One hundred and thirty-seven women completed the three questionnaires relevant for this report (a 75% retention rate). Birth satisfaction was measured soon after birth. It was found that women who received either of the birth preparation programmes (skills or birth stories booklet) had significantly higher birth satisfaction scores. A post-hoc analysis found that, irrespective of programme, having either an induction or a caesarean birth had a negative effect on birth satisfaction, while having birth expectations met had a positive impact on birth satisfaction. Conclusions: Increased preparation for childbirth may be important for birth satisfaction; both induction and caesarean section reduce satisfaction; and expectations around birth might be managed to improve satisfaction. This study found evidence that simple low-cost programmes can improve birth satisfaction.
Convolutional Methods for Music Analysis

This dissertation presents novel convolution-based methods for music analysis. The aim of this research project was two-fold: first, to design, implement and evaluate a convolution-based automated framework for the analysis of music with applications to music segmentation, pattern discovery, and classification; and second, to study convolution in relation to music-analytical and perceptual properties. In this framework, we systematically studied and evaluated the effect of filtering and other processing techniques for representation and segmentation. Moreover, we studied and optimised the parameters of filters (Haar, Morlet, Gaussian and learnt filters), and machine learning algorithms (k-nearest neighbours, single linkage, support vector machines, convolutional neural networks) in pattern discovery and classification applications. This framework was designed, implemented and evaluated in the one-dimensional (1-D) space and the two-dimensional (2-D) space. The proposed methods were intended to be as general as possible, avoiding the use of domain-specific knowledge features. We found that filtering can improve recognition compared to non-filtered representations by improving robustness to musical variations. Moreover, local processing and processing at a large scale prove to be important in music classification, and a combination of large-scale and small-scale feature extraction strategies can be complementary for ensembling. In 1-D, our convolution-based segmentation method is comparable to a state-of-the-art Gestalt-based segmentation approach in classification experiments. In the last three Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange campaigns, our proposed method for the discovery of repeated themes and sections applied to monophonic symbolic music has been shown to be a competitive approach over all measures in that evaluation. In 2-D, our convolution-based ensemble of classifiers reaches the state-of-the-art on composer recognition and achieves similar performance on genre classification. Moreover, our classifiers perform equally well on symbolic and audio music data. Finally, observation of filters automatically learnt by a convolutional neural network provides musicological insight on composer style. Future work might include the evaluation of the framework on larger datasets and on tasks not related to music.
A preliminary investigation into the patterns of performance on a computerized adaptive test battery implications for admissions and placement

The fallibility of human judgment in the making of decisions requires the use of tests to enhance decision-making processes. Although testing is surrounded with issues of bias and fairness, it remains the best means of facilitating decisions over more subjective alternatives. As a country in transition, all facets of South African society are being transformed. The changes taking place within the tertiary education system to redress the legacy of Apartheid, coincide with an international trend of transforming higher education. One important area that is being transformed relates to university entrance requirements and admissions procedures. In South Africa, these were traditionally based on matriculation performance, which has been found to be a more variable predictor of academic success for historically disadvantaged students. Alternative or revised admissions procedures have been implemented at universities throughout the country, in conjunction with academic development programmes. However, it is argued in this dissertation that a paradigm shift is necessary to conceptualise admissions and placement assessment in a developmentally oriented way. Furthermore, it is motivated that it is important to keep abreast of advances in theory, such as item response theory (IRT) and technology, such as computerized adaptive testing (CAT), in test development to enhance the effectiveness of selecting and placing learners in tertiary programmes. This study focuses on investigating the use of the Accuplacer Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs), an adaptive test battery that was developed in the USA, to facilitate unbiased and fair admissions, placement and development decisions in the transforming South African context. The battery has been implemented at a university in the Eastern Cape and its usefulness was investigated for 193 participants, divided into two groups of degree programmes, depending on whether or not admission to the degree required mathematics as a matriculation subject. Mathematics based degree programme learners (n = 125) wrote three and non-mathematics based degree programme learners (n = 68) wrote two tests of the Accuplacer test battery. Correlations were computed between the Accuplacer scores and matriculation performance, and between the Accuplacer scores, matriculation performance and academic results. All yielded significant positive relationships excepting for the one subtest of the Accuplacer with academic performance for the non-mathematics based degree group. Multiple correlations for both groups indicated that the Accuplacer
Determinants of tax compliance by small and medium businesses in Embu County, Kenya

Small and medium enterprises are a key engine of economic growth in both developing and developed countries. Small and medium businesses being profit making institutions are expected to pay taxes to the government. Therefore, tax compliance is critical in all economies which recognize the role played by revenue collected from tax in national development. Nonetheless, developing countries are dominated by low tax compliance levels, in the face of the frequent appeal from tax collectors for voluntary compliance. As a result, identification of tax evasion approaches and ways to diminish it is one of the central aims of many governments’ agenda with the view of achieving higher levels of compliance. As such, many governments have embraced administrative measures such as fines, penalties, rates and tax audits to enforce tax compliance. Interestingly, despite the phenomenal growth of small and medium businesses, the tax collection from the sector is still low. This study therefore, sought to establish the determinants of tax compliance among small and medium businesses in Embu County, Kenya. The study sampled 185 enterprises in Embu County using stratified random technique. The findings show that fines and penalties, tax compliance costs and tax knowledge and education significantly influence tax compliance among small and medium businesses in Embu County. The study recommends that the Kenya Revenue Authority should prepare education and training programs to ensure that small and medium businesses embrace voluntary compliance with all the tax requirements. Further, the study recommends that Kenya Revenue Authority should also evolve policies to decrease tax compliance cost incurred by small and medium businesses to avoid curtailing their growth potential and inspire voluntary tax compliance.
Characteristics of family therapists

Keren M. Humphrey, Ed.D, The College of William and Mary in Virginia, July 1989 Chairman: Fred L. Adair, Ph.D. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe certain psychosocial characteristics of family therapists according to three different theoretical orientations within the family systems field. The characteristics examined were psychological type preference, personality factors, and the occurrence of loss/transition events in the family of origin. A review of the literature revealed that, while some research on psychological type preferences and personality characteristics of therapists from various theoretical orientations has been undertaken, there is a serious lack of research on therapists representing the various models of family therapy. Additionally, there has been very little research done on family of origin experiences of therapists in general, and of family therapists specifically. The sample for this study consisted of 77 family therapists across the United States and Canada representing three different theoretical orientations within the family therapy field: Satir's Process model, Minuchin's Structural l
Implementation Of Problem Based Learning Into Engineering Thermodynamics

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional pedagogy founded on the promises of knowledge construction by inquiry. Learning occurs by asking and obtaining answers for questions that are open-ended and challenging. This approach presents many challenges to students but capitalizes on having a real-life problem as the starting point. PBL is known for naturally combining classroom learning with real-life applications. This approach places the burden of knowledge acquisition on the students and utilizes the instructor as a facilitator. It is a student-centered approach emphasizing self-confidence and creativity. This paper presents the implementation of PBL curricular materials (modules) in Engineering Thermodynamics that are supported by technology through simulations and target higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning. Undergraduate students go on to future courses with enhanced thinking skills and greater retention of knowledge. Thermodynamics is restructured as modules presenting practical applications first whereas principles are introduced just-in-time and as encountered. Theoretical information is presented to support the understanding of knowledge as students apply inquirybased learning. These modules are carefully designed to reflect traditional concepts but made more exciting as students discover the need for the laws and principles. The paper documents steps and challenges in implementation and presents formative and summative assessment data for examining the effectiveness of the PBL approach.
Joint Source-Channel Turbo Techniques for Discrete-Valued Sources: From Theory to Practice By efficiently combining source codes and channel codes, turbo techniques can improve the overall performance of practical communication systems.

The principles which have been prevailing so far for designing communication systems rely on Shannon's source and channel coding separation theorem. This theorem states that source and channel optimum performance bounds can be approached as close as desired by designing indepen- dently the source and channel coding strategies. However, this theorem holds only under asymptotic conditions, where both codes are allowed infinite length and complexity. If the design of the system is constrained in terms of delay and complexity, if the sources are not stationary, or if the channels are none- rgodic, separate design and optimization of the source and channel coders can be largely suboptimal. For practical systems, joint source-channel (de)coding may reduce the end-to-end distortion. It is one of the aspects covered by the term cross-layer design, meaning a rethinking of the layer separation principle. This article focuses on recent develop- ments of joint source-channel turbo coding and decoding techniques, which are described in the framework of normal factor graphs. The scope is restricted to lossless compression and discrete-valued sources. The presented techniques can be applied to the quantized values of a lossy source codec but the quantizer itself and its impact are not considered.
Effects of HoloLens in Collaboration: A Case in Navigation Tasks

The objective of this project is to study the effects of HoloLens™ and companion devices in collaboration. We designed an experiment to test the impact of HoloLens™ in support of collaboration in navigation tasks while the users used Skype™ with and without the video in a university library. Results showed that the HoloLens™ system led to improved performance (smaller number of errors, shorter completion time of one subtask) and lower workload (mental demand, temporal demand, and effort). However, the task completion time of two other subtasks became longer while using HoloLens. In addition, the users gave negative comments on the HoloLens, such as “uncomfortable to wear”, “eyestrain”, “heavy”, “blurred view”, and “inaccurate pointer”.
Performance measurement and evaluation in arts management

This study analyzes the performance measurement and evaluation literature in (nonprofit) arts management by conducting a meta-synthesis, which is both a process and a product of explorative scientific enquiry. Meta-syntheses go beyond the well-known procedure of literature reviews, often used to summarize the current state of knowledge in a particular field, in that they produce formal integrations that offer novel understandings of the reviewed literature. This article presents, in the results section, the consolidated understandings under four thought-provoking titles: First, ‘Third time’s a charm? ’ describes the development phases identified in the body of performance measurement and evaluation literature. Second, ‘A paradigm on the move? ’ refers to the dominance of the positivist research tradition and signals the quest for alternative approaches. Third, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ illustrates that the international literature tends to emphasize the benefits and learnings of performance measurement and evaluation practices (pride) while a rather prejudicial attitude is observed among the German-written literature. Fourth, ‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ takes the debate to a higher level by thematizing the interplay between arts management research and cultural policy. The conclusion discusses the four titles through the lens of system theoretical discourse.
The role of kinematic mental simulation in creating false memories

ABSTRACT Our investigation focuses on memory for scenes depicted in photos. According to the mental model theory, the observation of a static scene depicted in a photo which portrays an actor near to perform an action can trigger a kinematic mental simulation of that action unfolding in time. The deriving prediction is that such a kinematic mental model supports the creation of a false memory of the actor performing an advanced phase of the action. We test this prediction in three experiments in which participants are presented with static scenes of actions, and after three days they perform a recognition task in which they assess recognition of old and novel static scenes depicting actions. The results confirm that false memories occur for actions that represent the unfolding over time of the static action initially observed. Our theoretical framework can accommodate also several previous findings in the literature on false memories.
The Students' Responses on the Implementation of Student-Made Video Project in ESP Classroom to Train 21st Century Skills

English mastery and 21st century skills are two important considerations for every educator as education is striving to prepare today’s students to become prepared for the competitive global market of tomorrow. In the previous study, the researcher had implemented student-made video project to develop students’ English. Having observed the students’ English skills development in each phase of student-made video project, in this further study the researcher investigated the students’ responses of English for Management class toward the project. The points cover in the students’ responses are in relevance to 21 century skills, which are the students’ responses toward autonomy in learning English, the students’ responses toward teamwork, and the students’ responses toward technology used in English learning environment. The data was obtained through questionnaires and interview. The result revealed that despite the students’ difficulties in running the project, they responded positively to the project. However, even though students realize the benefit of the video project related to the development of 21 century skills, the statements and high average score from the questionnaire do not suffice, as it can be argued that the students of the responses might be due to their awareness that the project must be useful. It is important, therefore, to scrutinize further what the students associated with their positive attitudes as they answered the questions for this research, which will in turn lead to the knowledge of important factors to students’ learning motivation. Keywords—students’ responses; student-made video project; ESP classroom project; 21 century skills
Archaic Spindle Whorls of Cowboy Cave and Walters Cave in Utah

The theory that spindle whorls were used in the Archaic Southwest is proposed to explain the presence of spindle whorls at the Archaic hunter-gatherer of sites Cowboy and Walters Caves. The objects in question were evaluated at the Natural History Museum of Utah to determine if they have the characteristics of whorls. Also, cordage from these caves is compared with cordage from other sites to determine if it could be spindle spun as opposed to thigh-spun. If so, this would support the theory that the objects in question were used as whorls. The use of spindle whorls by hunter-gatherers is not new but finding their use in the hunter-gatherers of the Archaic Southwest is.