Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors relating to classroom implementation of computer technology in elementary schools

This researcher examined the levels of educational computer technology integration and stages of instructional practices in elementary schools in a selected New York City school district. This investigator had a four-fold purpose: (1) to ascertain the reliability of the LoTi instrument; (2) to determine whether and how educational computer technology is being integrated in a public elementary school district in New York; (3) to evaluate the relationships among teachers' personal computer use, levels of technological implementation, and teachers' instructional practices; (4) to determine factors that both hinder and contribute to classroom teachers' use of technology. K–6 classroom teachers (N = 237) in 12 elementary schools completed the LoTi questionnaire and addenda questionnaire. Reliability calculations using Cronbach's alpha indicated that the LoTi instrument demonstrated internal consistency on LoTi, PCU, and CIP components (r = .7427, .8148, and .7353, respectively). A profile of teachers' levels of technology implementation was constructed. Results indicated that nearly one-in-four teachers did not use computers at all in school. Thirty-nine percent of teachers were just beginning to make use of computers in any manner, 32% of teachers were beginning to integrate technology to solve authentic problems within their classrooms, and 5% of teachers provided students with ready access to computers to solve authentic problems. Hardware problems, time-management problems, inadequate staff development, and software problems accounted for 89% of all responses to questions on factors that hinder computer implementation. Not owning a computer and lack of technical support were also mentioned often. Technophobia was cited 1% of the time. District staff development, new or better software, formal coursework, and purchasing their own computers accounted for 71% of all responses to questions about factors that aided classroom implementation of computer technology. Other factors mentioned included teacher trial and error, use of manuals and other literature, administrative support, and the help of others. Factor analysis revealed LoTi levels to be significantly correlated to Personal Computer Use (PCU) (r = .579). In addition, LoTi levels was found to be significantly correlated to Stages of Instructional Practice (CIP) (r = .422).
Bounds for minimum Euclidean distance for coded multiuser CDMA systems

We study two properties of the minimum Euclidean distance (d/sup 2//sub min/) for a coded multiuser system. They are the upper bound of d/sup 2//sub min/ and the effect of non-orthogonal spreading. We prove that if all users use trellis codes with same memory length and same number of input bits but different mapping signal sets, then the upper bound of the normalized minimum distance for trellis coded multiuser CDMA system with non-orthogonal spreading is identical to that of the single-user case. It indicates that the trellis coded multiuser system may recover the minimum distance loss of the uncoded multiuser system due to the non-orthogonal spreading (if there is a such loss). Then we investigate the effect of non-orthogonal spreading on a coded system. We derive and study several upper and lower bounds for the ratio of d/sup 2//sub min/ between the system with non-orthogonal spreading and orthogonal spreading. The numerical results are presented to illustrate the theories.
New lessons on TDP‐43 from old N. furzeri killifish

Frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are fatal and incurable neurodegenerative diseases linked to the pathological aggregation of the TDP‐43 protein. This is an essential DNA/RNA‐binding protein involved in transcription regulation, pre‐RNA processing, and RNA transport. Having suitable animal models to study the mechanisms of TDP‐43 aggregation is crucial to develop treatments against disease. We have previously demonstrated that the killifish Nothobranchius furzeri offers the advantage of being the shortest‐lived vertebrate with a clear aging phenotype. Here, we show that the two N. furzeri paralogs of TDP‐43 share high sequence homology with the human protein and recapitulate its cellular and biophysical behavior. During aging, N. furzeri TDP‐43 spontaneously forms insoluble intracellular aggregates with amyloid characteristics and colocalizes with stress granules. Our results propose this organism as a valuable new model of TDP‐43‐related pathologies making it a powerful tool for the study of disease mechanism.
Preschool Teachers’ Psychological Distress and Work Engagement During COVID -19 Outbreak: The Protective Role of Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation

The COVID-19 has dramatically affected mental health and work environment of many labor sectors, including the educational sector. Our primary aim was to investigate preschool teachers’ psychological distress and work engagement during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, while examining the possible protective role of participating in mindfulness-based intervention (C2C-IT) and emotion regulation. Emotional distress, work engagement and COVID-19 concerns’ prevalence were evaluated among 165 preschool teachers in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel, using self-report questionnaires. Findings show that preschool teachers have experienced increased emotional distress. Teachers who had participated in the C2C-IT intervention six month before the pandemic outbreak (N=41) reported lower emotional distress, higher use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies and higher work engagement, compared to their counterparts that had not participated in the mindfulness training (N = 124). Emotion regulation strategies mediated the link between participating in the CTC-IT intervention and emotional distress and work engagement. Teaching is a highly demanding occupation, especially during a pandemic, therefore it is important to invest resources in empowering this population. According to the findings of the current study, implementation of mindfulness-based intervention during the school year, may benefit teachers’ well-being, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Analysis of individual preferences for tuning of noise-reduction algorithms

There is little research on user preference for different settings of noise reduction, especially for individual users. We therefore measured individual preferences for pairs of audio streams differing in the trade-off between noise reduction and speech distortion. A logistic probability model was developed that allowed for interpolation of the data so that the optimal trade-off for each individual subject could be determined. All ten normally hearing subjects strongly preferred noise reduction over unprocessed (the average choice-odds were 24:1). For five out of ten subjects the optimized setting (ranging from 5.5 to 11.5 dB) differed significantly from the optimum obtained for the grouped data (7.9 dB, highest choice-odds were about 2:1). This shows that individuals differ in their preference and this could play a role for the application of noise reduction
A vibration model of a rotor system with the sinusoidal waviness by using the non-Hertzian solution

The nonlinear contact forces and deformations between the balls and raceways can cause very complex vibration behaviours of rotor systems with the waviness in the support bearings. However, almost all previous works that used sinusoidal waviness took the Hertzian solution as the calculation method, which is not an accurate method based on Johnson’s formulation since the changes in the curvature at the sinusoidal contact surfaces. To overcome this issue, a new dynamic model of a rigid rotor system with the waviness in the support bearings is proposed. To provide a more accurate nonlinear contact force formulation for the sinusoidal waviness profile, the model used the Johnson’s extended Hertzian contact model to replace Hertzian contact model. This model can consider the time-varying curvature between the mating sinusoidal surfaces. The lubricating condition in the support bearing is also considered. A comparative study on the effects of Hertzian contact model, simplified Hertzian contact model, and Johnson's extended Hertzian contact model on the nonlinear vibrations of the rotor system is developed. The effects of the waviness amplitude and orders on the vibrations of the rotor system are discussed. The comparative simulations show that the proposed model can provide a more reasonable approach for predicting the vibrations of the rigid rotor system. Moreover, the simulations give that the nonlinear contact forces in the support bearings can greatly affect the system vibrations.
The impact on skylark numbers of reductions in pesticide usage in Denmark Subtitle: Predictions using a landscape-scale individual-based model

The impact of pesticide usage reduction scenarios on skylarks was evaluated using a landscapescale individual-based model. The results of the scenarios indicated that the general reductions in pesticides scenarios would have a negative impact on skylarks due to side-effects of altered farm management, despite the positive influence of having less pesticide in the environment. Technical scenarios indicated that the greatest benefit to skylarks is by altering the structure of the crop such that they have access for nesting and feeding. Of the scenarios investigated the greatest benefit was obtained from the use of unsprayed field margins. Large benefits could also be achieved using unsprayed margins even if they were not added to all fields. Unsprayed field margins will also have other significant benefits to wildlife by protecting the non-cultivated areas from spray drift.
Tailored first-line biologic and targeted synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: 2021 updated ITABIO statements

ABSTRACT Introduction In 2015, the Italian board for the TAilored BIOlogic therapy (ITABIO) proposed evidence-based decisional statements for first-line tailored biologic therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Taking into account the new licensed drugs, the aim of the present review was to update the previous statements. Areas covered A narrative review of the most recent evidence on the efficacy and safety of old and newly licensed drugs for the treatment of articular and extra-articular RA was performed. In addition, host-related variables potentially driving the therapy choice, such as the infection risk, the cardiovascular risk, the risk of deep vein thrombosis, thromboembolism, pregnancy, and obesity were analyzed. Consequently, several statements for personalized therapy were formulated, thus providing a decisional algorithm useful for proper personalized therapy of RA patients in clinical practice. Expert opinion Several clinical variables related to specific drug and host characteristics may drive the choice toward anti-TNF and non-anti-TNF biologics, or anti-JAKs, thus allowing to personalize the therapy. Consequently, the right therapy for the right patient would ensure a successful therapeutic intervention.
Fibre optic Bragg grating sensors: a new technology for smart structure monitoring in Malaysia

Optical fibres are well known for their importance as transporter of information. However, much has been said and proved that optical fibres are essential and play their role as producers of information, that is as sensors. Recent research has proved that fibre optic sensors can be integrated in structure such as multistorey buildings, dams and bridges with the capability to monitor their strength and integrity. One component that is increasingly being used in communication and sensing is Bragg grating. A study in the implementation of a fibre optics Bragg grating (FOBG) sensors system is discussed in this paper. This study concentrates on the issues related to the utilization of FOBG sensors in smart structures.
Will You Protect Me or Make the Situation Worse?: Teachers’ Responses to School Violence Against Students With Disabilities

School violence is a global public health epidemic, with students with disabilities at a significantly greater risk than their non-disabled peers. Students with disabilities are more vulnerable to school violence from peers, teachers, and school staff due to stereotypes and prejudice. Teachers are pivotal in preventing violence and intervening, but literature on the role that teachers play in responding to disability-based violence is limited. Guided by the social–ecological framework of bullying, this qualitative study explored educators’ responses to school violence against students with disabilities in Zambia. Data generation included document review, interviews, and focus groups with 33 teachers and 12 parents, and child-friendly methods with 90 students with disabilities. Findings illuminated that students with disabilities are less safe in schools. Teachers are not responding to violence seen or heard about due to stigmatizing beliefs and cultural norms surrounding disability and violence, with students with disabilities blamed for the violence and the response being their burden. Students with disabilities felt protected by special education teachers; however, disability-based stigma did not end with the student. By association, special education teachers were experiencing stigma from other teachers and were discouraged to respond. This stigma undermined the support special education teachers could provide to decrease school violence. Findings provide direction so teachers can respond to school violence in prosocial ways that create an environment where students with disabilities feel safe.
H-NOX proteins in the virulence of pathogenic bacteria

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) is a toxic gas encountered by bacteria as a product of their own metabolism or as a result of a host immune response. Non-toxic concentrations of NO have been shown to initiate changes in bacterial behaviors such as the transition between planktonic and biofilm-associated lifestyles. The heme nitric oxide/oxygen binding proteins (H-NOX) are a widespread family of bacterial heme-based NO sensors that regulate biofilm formation in response to NO. The presence of H-NOX in several human pathogens combined with the importance of planktonic–biofilm transitions to virulence suggests that H-NOX sensing may be an important virulence factor in these organisms. Here we review the recent data on H-NOX NO signaling pathways with an emphasis on H-NOX homologs from pathogens and commensal organisms. The current state of the field is somewhat ambiguous regarding the role of H-NOX in pathogenesis. However, it is clear that H-NOX regulates biofilm in response to environmental factors and may promote persistence in the environments that serve as reservoirs for these pathogens. Finally, the evidence that large subgroups of H-NOX proteins may sense environmental signals besides NO is discussed within the context of a phylogenetic analysis of this large and diverse family.
Environmental supply-chain management versus green procurement in the scope of a business and leadership perspective

This paper presents two different approaches, related to the integration of environment quality in the supply chain of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The approach of green procurement (GP) and environmental supply chain management (ESCM) are outlined and discussed from a business and leadership perspective. This means attention for such aspects as strategy, costs, short and long-term, awareness, products, processes and innovations from an environmental perspective. Furthermore, both approaches are compared and discussed in the scope of realization of a sustainable supply chain.
WEED SCIENCE Cutleaf Eveningprimrose Control with Preplant Burndown Herbicide Combinations in Cotton

Successful elimination of vegetation prior to planting cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in reduced tillage production is critical for adequate stand establishment, eliminating early-season weed interference, and maintaining yields. Cutleaf eveningprimrose (Oenothera laciniata Hill) often is prevalent in cotton fields in the spring prior to planting. Field experiments were conducted during 1995 and 1996 in Louisiana and in 1999 in North Carolina to compare cutleaf eveningprimrose control
Benchmark Evaluation of Protein–Protein Interaction Prediction Algorithms

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) perform various functions and regulate processes throughout cells. Knowledge of the full network of PPIs is vital to biomedical research, but most of the PPIs are still unknown. As it is infeasible to discover all of them experimentally due to technical and resource limitations, computational prediction of PPIs is essential and accurately assessing the performance of algorithms is required before further application or translation. However, many published methods compose their evaluation datasets incorrectly, using a higher proportion of positive class data than occuring naturally, leading to exaggerated performance. We re-implemented various published algorithms and evaluated them on datasets with realistic data compositions and found that their performance is overstated in original publications; with several methods outperformed by our control models built on ‘illogical’ and random number features. We conclude that these methods are influenced by an over-characterization of some proteins in the literature and due to scale-free nature of PPI network and that they fail when tested on all possible protein pairs. Additionally, we found that sequence-only-based algorithms performed worse than those that employ functional and expression features. We present a benchmark evaluation of many published algorithms for PPI prediction. The source code of our implementations and the benchmark datasets created here are made available in open source.
Arc voltage for arcing faults on 25(28)-kV cables and splices

Hazards to people and property due to arching faults on medium-voltage underground cables and splices are related to the arc power dissipated in the environment by the arc. If the fault current may be accurately predicted from known circuit parameters, the arc voltage needed to evaluate the arc's power has no analytical expression due to the fact that the arc resistance is nonlinear. The arc voltage is also strongly dependent on the inherent physical properties of the faulted equipment, so that in order to establish the arc voltage value and shape developed by different currently used types of equipment, a series of staged tests was performed at a high-power laboratory, and other available data were collected. The results prove that for arc power calculation purposes the arc voltage curve may be considered flat-topped and of constant amplitude specific to the type of faulted equipment. >
Social mobility and pro-government mobilization: the case of July 15th pro-government mobilization in Turkey

ABSTRACT What are the economic determinants of pro-government mobilizations? While recent studies have contributed to our understanding of the relationship between a defined set of economic variables and political unrest – including revolts, riots, and uprisings against the status quo – there has been relatively little attempt to understand how these models might apply to demonstrations in support of the existing regime, which remain an understudied phenomenon within the literature. The coup attempt, which took place in Turkey on 15 July 2016 and was organized by a religious movement within the Turkish military, led to widespread public protests which ultimately succeeded in overcoming the threat. This case affords us a valuable opportunity to study the phenomenon of pro-government mobilization and its political and economic underpinnings. By applying the theoretical contributions of the already well-established literature on social mobility, we argue that higher earnings, economic equality and social mobility will foster a greater likelihood of mass mobilizations in support of the regime. Our study contributes to the literature theoretically by extending the scope of the existing theories on mass mobilization and empirically by examining a rare case of pro-government mobilization in Turkey by using individual and regional level datasets.
Affectivity and physical habits in adolescents: A systematic review

Introduction: Affectivity has a fundamental role in educational systems' training process. However, there are no updated studies that show the different socio-affective agents used in the creation of physical habits in the child and adolescent population in school systems. Objective: To review and analyze previously published research that studied the influence of affectivity on children and adolescents' physical habits in school systems. Materials and methods: A systematic review was conducted with articles published between 2010 and 2020, which connected affectivity and physical habits. The electronic search was performed through Web of Science, Scopus, and Scielo databases. All articles that studied the influence of affectivity on the population's physical habits were included. Results: Three studies that analyzed the influence of affectivity on children and adolescents' physical habits were found. Conclusions: At the end of the systematic review, it was demonstrated that there is a significant relationship between affectivity and the physical habits in child and adolescent populations. It was also possible to observe that this influence, positive or negative, determines the child and adolescent population's interest in physical activity and sports in adult life.
A Compact Wind Tunnel for Evaluating Aerosol Samplers

Abstract A small wind tunnel (305 cm in length and with an inside diameter of 59 cm) was designed, fabricated, evaluated, and modified to meet flow field uniformity criteria consistent with those established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for PM10 sampler testing. With an arrangement of three jet pumps located near the intake of the wind tunnel, velocity profiles in the plane of the test section near the exhaust of the wind tunnel demonstrated low variability. The coefficients of variation (CVs) of the mean velocities at traverse points within the test section were < 5 percent in the velocity range of 0.6 to 1.4 m/s. Stable particle size distributions of polydisperse aerosols of ceramic beads injected along the centerline of the wind tunnel through one of the jet pumps were generated with a vibrating feed generator [type 200 Zeeospheres®; count median aerodynamic diameter (CMAD), 1.6 to 1.8 μm; mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), 5.1 μm; and geometric standard deviation (GSD), 1.7 to 1.8.