Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Flipped Classroom Model on Indonesian EFL Students’ Writing Achievement across Cognitive Styles

Recently, there have been a lot of studies examining the effect of the application of flipped classroom model. However, most of the studies focused on students’ achievement without much regard on cognitive styles. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of flipped classroom model on Indonesian EFL students’ writing achievement across cognitive styles (i.e., field dependent and field independent). It involved 58 university students from two intact classes which were divided into experimental and control groups. Both groups were given a pre-test and a post-test to know their writing achievement before and after treatment. The results of the study revealed that the mean score of the students from the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the students from the control group (p < 0.016). This study also uncovered the significantly different interaction of students from each cognitive style.
HIV/HBV co-infection is a significant risk factor for liver fibrosis in Tanzanian HIV-infected adults.

BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of liver disease associated with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV is unknown. We characterized liver disease using aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and FIB-4 in patients with HIV, HBV, and HIV/HBV co-infection in Tanzania. METHODS Using a cross sectional design, we compared the prevalence of liver fibrosis in treatment-naive HIV mono-infected, HBV mono-infected, and HIV/HBV co-infected adults enrolled at Management and Development for Health (MDH)-supported HIV treatment clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Risk factors associated with significant fibrosis (APRI>0.5 and FIB-4 >1.45) were examined. RESULTS 267 HIV-infected, 165 HBV-infected and 63 HIV/HBV co-infected patients were analyzed [44% male, median age 37 (IQR 14), BMI 23 (7)]. APRI and FIB-4 were strongly correlated (r = 0.78, p = < .001, R2 0.61). Overall median APRI scores were low [HIV/HBV [0.36 (IQR 0.4)], HIV [0.23 (0.17)], HBV [0.29 (0.15)] (p <0.01)]. In multivariate analyses, HIV/HBV co-infection was associated with APRI >0.5 [HIV/HBV vs. HIV: OR 3.78 (95% CI 1.91, 7.50)], [HIV/HBV vs. HBV: OR 2.61 (1.26, 5.44)]. HIV RNA per 1 log10 copies/ml increase [OR 1.53 (95% CI 1.04, 2.26)] and HBV DNA per 1 log10 copies/ml increase [OR 1.36 (1.15, 1.62)] were independently associated with APRI >0.5 in HIV-infected and HBV-infected patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS HIV/HBV co-infection is an important risk factor for significant fibrosis. Higher levels of circulating HIV and HBV virus may play a direct role in liver fibrogenesis. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive monitoring of liver disease in HIV/HBV co-infection is warranted.
High-Level Geometry-based Features of Video Modality for Emotion Prediction

The automatic analysis of emotion remains a challenging task in unconstrained experimental conditions. In this paper, we present our contribution to the 6th Audio/Visual Emotion Challenge (AVEC 2016), which aims at predicting the continuous emotional dimensions of arousal and valence. First, we propose to improve the performance of the multimodal prediction with low-level features by adding high-level geometry-based features, namely head pose and expression signature. The head pose is estimated by fitting a reference 3D mesh to the 2D facial landmarks. The expression signature is the projection of the facial landmarks in an unsupervised person-specific model. Second, we propose to fuse the unimodal predictions trained on each training subject before performing the multimodal fusion. The results show that our high-level features improve the performance of the multimodal prediction of arousal and that the subjects fusion works well in unimodal prediction but generalizes poorly in multimodal prediction, particularly on valence.
Efficient circuit and EM model of electrostatic discharge generator

In this work, a new technique for an efficient, simple and fast equivalent circuit and full wave numerical modeling of the electrostatic discharge (ESD) generator is presented. A novel circuit model of the NoiseKen ESD simulator is proposed based on the frequency domain measurement of the standard waveform calibration setup. The simple full wave electromagnetic (EM) model of the same generator, which requires much less computation resources, is also proposed using commercial CST Microwave Studio (MWS) software. The good agreement between the ESD reference waveform obtained through measurement, circuit model and 3D model of the generator is observed.
Graphics processing unit based acceleration of electromagnetic transients simulation

This paper presents a novel parallelization approach to speedup EMT simulation, using GPU-based computing. This paper extends earlier published works in the area, by exploiting additional parallelism to accelerate EMT simulation. A 2D-parallel matrix-vector multiplication is used that is faster than previous 1D-methods. Also this paper implements a simpler GPU-specific sparsity technique to further speed up the simulations as available CPU-based sparse techniques are not suitable for GPUs. Additionally, as an extension to previous works, this paper demonstrates modelling of a power electronic subsystem. A low granularity system, i.e. one with a large cluster of busses connected to others with a few transmission lines is considered, as is also a high granularity where a small cluster of busses is connected to other clusters thereby requiring more interconnecting transmission lines. Computation times for GPU-based computing are compared with the computation times for sequential implementations on the CPU. The paper shows two surprising differences of GPU simulation in comparison with CPU simulation. Firstly, the inclusion of sparsity only makes minor reductions in the GPU-based simulation time. Secondly excessive granularity, even though it appears to increase the number of parallel computable subsystems, significantly slows down the GPU-based simulation.
Active electromagnetic suspension system for improved vehicle dynamics

This paper offers motivations for an active suspension system which provides for both additional stability and maneuverability by performing active roll and pitch control during cornering and braking as well as eliminating road irregularities, hence increasing both vehicle and passenger safety and drive comfort. Various technologies are compared to the proposed electromagnetic suspension system which uses a tubular permanent magnet (PM) actuator together with a passive spring. Based upon on-road measurements and results from the literature, several specifications for the design of an electromagnetic suspension system are derived. The measured on-road movement of the passive suspension system is reproduced by electromagnetic actuation on a quarter car setup proving the dynamic capabilities of an electromagnetic suspension system.
Causes and effects of inhomogeneity in lithium-ion battery modules: A physicochemical modelling approach

Inhomogeneity in lithium-ion battery modules can either be caused by the assembly of cells which show cell-to-cell variations or by thermal management design or cell connector design. The parametric cell-to-cell variation of different cell parameters and the correlation between them is experimentally investigated and statistically analysed. Moreover, a multiphysics modelling framework for lithium-ion battery modules is developed to investigate the effects of inhomogeneity by simulation.
Distribution of large-spored Alternaria species associated with early blight of potato and tomato in Algeria.

Potato and tomato are important crops in Algerian agriculture, and both are threatened by abiotic and biotic stresses, and early blight is a major disease affecting both crops. Surveys carried out from 2012 to 2015 in 12 major growing regions for these crops yielded a total of 247 Alternaria isolates having morphological and cultural characteristics of sections Alternaria and Porri . Since early blight symptoms and morphological characteristics of the isolates did not allow sharp distinction between the different large-spored species of Alternaria , the isolates in section Porri , often considered primary causes of the diseases, were selected for molecular characterization by diagnostic PCR using specific primers. This allowed species identification of 147 Alternaria isolates as A. solani , A. protenta, A. grandis or A. linariae . These species were present on potato and tomato crops at varying frequencies, depending on the hosts and on bioclimatic locations. Pathogenicity tests for the four species, on detached leaflets and whole seedlings, showed that all were pathogenic to potato and tomato, with varying virulence. These results suggest that parasitic specialization of these Alternaria species on solanaceous plants should be reconsidered.
Admittance Shaping-Based Assistive Control of SEA-Driven Robotic Hip Exoskeleton

This paper presents an admittance shaping-based assistive control for a series elastic actuator (SEA) driven robotic hip exoskeleton that can assist individuals with hip muscle weakness to restore normative mobility. The motivation for this paper is to develop a unified controller framework for designing an SEA-driven hip exoskeleton to assist walking and enhance gait stability. The controller design aims to modify the dynamic response of a coupled human-exoskeleton system, i.e., the relationship between the net muscle torque exerted by the human and the resulting angular motion, to ensure strong human-exoskeleton synergy to provide the effective assistance. This controller was preliminarily evaluated on a healthy subject walking on a treadmill at a speed of 1.0 m/s. Results showed that the exoskeleton can effectively provide walking assistance to the human by reducing electromyography (EMG) activation and increasing agility during locomotion. Specifically, EMG was reduced 3.3%–38% when walking with the hip exoskeleton when compared to walking without wearing the hip exoskeleton. In addition, timing of the maximum hip flexion angle increased by 10% (moved from 42% to 32% of gait cycle) when the controller had an inertia compensation of 60%. The faster onset of the maximum flexion angle will allow the wearer to more quickly generate reactive steps when trying to avoid a fall. Future work will aim to apply the hip exoskeleton to persons having hip muscle weakness or other musculoskeletal impairment, to restore hip movement and enough hip force to walk normally.
Perceived effects of climate change on tourism and natural resources in protected areas in Kenya: a case of Maasai Mara National reserve

Like in other developing countries, the tourism industry in Kenya depends heavily on the recreational opportunities presented by the natural environments, which include pristine nature, spectacular landscapes, rare species, wildlife in their natural habitat, as well as, idyllic beaches. Despite this reality, Kenya is facing many environmental challenges and risks, perceived to be associated with climate change, that are increasingly threatening Kenya‘s future of tourism and natural resource base. This scenario accentuates the need for a paradigm shift in Kenya's tourism and natural resources management to counteract the adverse risks of climate change. Thus, the general objective of this study was to establish the perceived effect of climate change on tourism and natural resources in Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR). Specifically, the study established (i) the perceived effect of climate change on animal community; (ii) the perceived effect of climate change plant community; (iii) the perceived effect of climate change quantity of surface water; (iv) tourism and tourists activities, as well as, (v) the adaptation strategies to climate change adopted in MMNR. The study employed a survey research design and mixed research methods for data collection. The sample size comprised of 400 respondents, where 300 were the local community and 100 were the staff of MMNR. The findings of the study revealed that climate change negatively affect animals, especially in causing changes in their breeding grounds (β=0.69), changes in animal populations (β=0.65), increased animal deaths (β=0.65), changes in migration routes (β=0.65) and patterns (β=0.63). Important perceived effect of climate change on plants were changes in plant species (β=0.70), plants‘ adaptation strategies (β=0.65), changes in distribution of plants (β=0.64), changes in vegetation cover (β=0.63), and emergence of alien species (β=0.62). Climate change was also found to affect changes in rainfall seasons/patterns (β=0.72), water level in Mara River and its tributaries (β=0.71), and changes in the availability of fresh water (β=0.70). With regard to tourism, climate change was found to alter tourists‘ visitation patterns (β=0.74), their activity patterns (β=0.72), and tourists‘ numbers and activity diversity (β=0.68). Although most respondents (73.5%) felt that, the MMNR had put into place some climate change adaptation strategies, deficiencies in the strategies were evident, as respondents felt that there was a need for more research on climate change impacts (90.5%). The study concluded that climate change has a significant effect on the quantity of surface water, followed by tourism, animals and lastly plants. The study recommends that a comprehensive legislative framework that will exclusively address all facets of climate change should be developed and the relevant institutional frameworks should embrace it for implementation.
Strategy Group Differentiation: The Effect On Literacy Development Of Accuracy, Fluency, And Comprehension

v LIST OF TABLES.x LIST OF FIGURES.xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.1 Background of the Problem.2 Problem of Practice Statement.4 Research Question.5 Purpose of the Study.5 Theoretical Base.5 Operational Definitions.6 Assumptions.7 Limitations.7
Effects of Sleep Loss on Subjective Complaints and Objective Neurocognitive Performance as Measured by the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing

OBJECTIVE This study examined the effects of total and partial sleep deprivation on subjective symptoms and objective neurocognitive performance, as measured by the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) in a sample of healthy adults. METHOD One-hundred and two, right-handed, healthy participants (between ages 18 and 30 years old) completed three consecutive nights in the sleep laboratory with concurrent continuous polysomnography monitoring. Night 1 served as a baseline night. Prior to Night 2, they were randomly assigned to one of three sleep conditions: undisrupted normal sleep (N = 34), sleep restriction (50% of habitual sleep, N = 37), or total sleep deprivation (N = 31). Participants slept undisturbed on Night 3. ImPACT was administered on three separate occasions. RESULTS Sleep loss was associated with increased severity of subjectively reported affective, cognitive, physical, and sleep symptoms. Although objective neurocognitive task scores derived from the ImPACT battery did not corroborate subjective complaints, sleep loss was associated with significant differences on tasks of visual memory, reaction time, and visual motor speed over time. CONCLUSIONS While self-report measures suggested marked impairments following sleep loss, deficits in neurocognitive performance were observed only on three domains measured with ImPACT. ImPACT may capture subtle changes in neurocognitive performance following sleep loss; however, independent and larger validation studies are needed to determine its sensitivity to acute sleep loss and recovery sleep. Neurocognitive screening batteries may be useful for detecting the effects of more severe or chronic sleep loss under high-stress conditions that mimic high-risk occupations.
ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PENDAPATAN ASLI DAERAH SUMATERA SELATAN

The purposed of this research is to analize the factors with influence Pendapatan AsliÂ Daerah (PAD) of South Sumatera Province. Data used in this research is secondary, such as gross domestic product, PAD, Population, and income percapita. Estimated regression show there is positive correlation between PAD, population, economics growth and income percapita.
The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance for the Value of Banking Companies in Indonesia

Purpose: This study aims to determine the influence of the importance of corporate social responsibility and financial performance to the value of banking companies in Indonesia. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research was conducted on 30 companies engaged in Banking in Indonesia listing on JSE 2010-2016. Findings: The results show that corporate social responsibility and financial performance have influenced the value firm of banking companies in Indonesia. Practical Implications: Indonesian banks must strengthen their capital structure and improve efficiency in order to compete with foreign banks. The company's goal is to increase the company's value or the growth of the company. Originality/Value: The results highlighted that the higher the value of corporate social responsibility issued by the company the better the performance of the company, the better the value of firm generated by Indonesian Banking companies.
Portfolio Pumping and Fund Performance Ranking: A Performance-Based Compensation Contract Perspective

Abstract We collect compensation policy data from 60 Chinese mutual fund companies, which cover 88% of the assets managed by all active stock and stock-oriented hybrid mutual funds in China. Using the collected data, we investigate portfolio pumping from a performance-based perspective. We find that portfolio pumping is stronger for funds ranking around critical points of performance distribution (i.e., the top one-tenth, one-fourth, one third, and half cutoffs). This finding is mainly driven by funds from companies that set these critical points to grade fund managers’ bonus levels. Our findings provide evidence of portfolio pumping motivated by performance ranking instead of the flow-performance relationship documented in prior studies.
Acute Substance Use as a Warning Sign for Suicide Attempts: A Case-Crossover Examination of the 48 Hours Prior to a Recent Suicide Attempt.

OBJECTIVE The extent to which specific categories of acute substance use are short-term risk factors, or warning signs, for suicide attempts is unknown. The aim of the current study was to quantify the near-term effects of sole use and co-use of substances on medically attended suicide attempts. METHODS The current study used a case-crossover design, comparing substance use within the 24 hours prior to a suicide attempt (case day) to the control day, the matched 24 hours the day prior to the case day. Participants were 363 recent suicide attempters presenting to a Level 1 trauma hospital between October 2008 and April 2014. A timeline follow-back methodology was used to assess acute exposures within the 48 hours before the suicide attempt. Conditional logistic regression was used to report odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS Results indicated that patients were at increased odds of attempting suicide after drinking alcohol within a 24-hour period (OR = 4.40; 95% CI, 2.31-8.40) and using a drug from another class of substances with central nervous system (CNS) depressant characteristics (sedatives/anxiolytics and opioids; OR = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.13-7.01), after adjustment for other acute substance use. The acute use of cannabis and CNS stimulants (stimulants/amphetamines and cocaine) was not uniquely associated with suicide attempt. Co-use of alcohol synergized effects of other CNS depressants (OR = 8.76; 95% CI, 1.02-75.44). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest the importance of considering acute alcohol use and use of CNS depressants, and the concurrent use of both substances, when evaluating short-term risk for suicide attempts in clinical settings.
Structural Biology of Human H3K9 Methyltransferases

SET domain methyltransferases deposit methyl marks on specific histone tail lysine residues and play a major role in epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. We solved the structures of the catalytic domains of GLP, G9a, Suv39H2 and PRDM2, four of the eight known human H3K9 methyltransferases in their apo conformation or in complex with the methyl donating cofactor, and peptide substrates. We analyzed the structural determinants for methylation state specificity, and designed a G9a mutant able to tri-methylate H3K9. We show that the I-SET domain acts as a rigid docking platform, while induced-fit of the Post-SET domain is necessary to achieve a catalytically competent conformation. We also propose a model where long-range electrostatics bring enzyme and histone substrate together, while the presence of an arginine upstream of the target lysine is critical for binding and specificity. Enhanced version This article can also be viewed as an enhanced version in which the text of the article is integrated with interactive 3D representations and animated transitions. Please note that a web plugin is required to access this enhanced functionality. Instructions for the installation and use of the web plugin are available in Text S1.
Bilingualism as the Medium of Educational Instruction: An Exploratory Study of Student and Teachers’ Views in Lebanon

Bilingualism as the medium of educational instruction in institutions has led to much controversy. The challenge, however, for policy makers is to address the issue of what languages are to be the medium of instruction and the place of the home and minority languages in EFL contexts as English becomes the lingua franca worldwide. Further, research has shown that bilingual students when compared to monolingual students perform better in academic institutions as they have developed higher cognitive skills required for learning. Although bilingualism as the medium of instruction has been researched and has become more common in institutions worldwide, it is under researched in L1 Arabic contexts especially in the Lebanese multilingual/cultural context from the student and teachers’ point of view. This paper reports on an exploratory survey study of student and teachers’ preferences in one English medium institution in Lebanon as to what language(s) they prefer to study in at both the pre and university levels. Main findings indicate that both students and teachers show a high preference for bilingualism as the medium of instruction at both the pre and university levels with English the priority medium. Implications and recommendations for future research are made.