Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
"It makes me feel not so alone”: Features of a physical activity intervention that reduce loneliness in older adults. A Choose to Move study

Background: Despite the well-known health benefits of physical activity (PA), older adults are the least active citizens. Older adults are also at risk for loneliness. Given that lonely individuals are at risk for accelerated loss of physical functioning and health with age, PA interventions that aim to enhance social connectedness may decrease loneliness and increase long-term PA participation. The objectives of this mixed-method study are to: (1) evaluate whether an evidence-based PA intervention (Choose to Move; CTM) influenced PA and loneliness differently among self-identified ‘lonely’ versus ‘not lonely’ older adults and (2) to describe factors within CTM components most likely to promote social connectedness/reduce loneliness.Methods: ﻿ Choose to Move is a flexible, scalable, community-based health promoting physical activity intervention for older adults. Two community delivery partner organizations delivered 56 CTM programs in 26 urban locations across British Columbia. We collected survey data from participants (n=458 at baseline) at 0 (baseline), 3 (mid-intervention) and 6 (post-intervention) months. We conducted in depth interviews with a subset of older adults at baseline (n=43), mid-intervention (n=38) and post-intervention (n=19). Results: PA increased significantly from baseline to 3 months in lonely and not lonely participants. PA decreased significantly from 3-6 months in lonely participants; however, PA at 6 months remained significantly above baseline levels in both groups. Loneliness decreased significantly from baseline to 3 and 6 months in participants identifying as lonely at baseline. Factors within CTM components that promote social connectedness/reduce loneliness include: Activity coach characteristics/personality traits and approaches; opportunity to share information and experiences and learn from others; engagement with others who share similar/familiar experiences; increased opportunity for meaningful interaction; and accountability.Conclusion: Health promoting interventions that focus on PA and social connectedness through group-based activities can effectively reduce social isolation and loneliness of older adults. Given the ‘epidemic of loneliness’ that plagues many countries currently, these kinds of interventions are timely and important. Research that clearly delineates mechanisms that modify the effect of an intervention on social connectedness outcomes for older adults engaged in community-based PA programs would be a welcome addition to the literature.
Localization of pulp stem cells in chronic pulpitis

Background: Our study aimed to observe the distribution of stem cells in chronic pulpitis and to investigate the expression of specific molecules. Methods: Extracted third molar teeth were collected and divided into two groups. Experiment group was from patients with previous history of spontaneous pain and diagnosed as having chronic pulpitis. Noncarious third molars were used as control group. Dental pulp tissues were collected from these two groups. Real-time RT-PCR test was used to detect the expression of several embryonic and dentinogenic genes in dental pulp. The expression of the mesenchymal cell markers (STRO-1, CD146) and stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α)/CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) proteins were examined by immunohistochemical and triple immunofluorescence analysis. Results: ThemRNA levels of most embryonic and dentinogenic genes were not statistically different (p > 0.05) between the two groups. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that in inflamed pulp, STRO-1- and CD146-positive cells mainly reside in two specific niches, both adjacent to inflammatory sites: one in the pulp core, and another in odontoblast layer. In contrast, fewer STRO-1- and CD146- positive cells appeared in the vicinity of the root apex. SDF-1α- and CXCR4-positive cells increased in zone I and II, and decreased in zone III, showing a significant correlation with STRO-1. Triple immunofluorescence analysis indicated that most STRO-1-positive cells overlapped with SDF-1α- and CXCR4-positive cells around the perivascular areas near the inflammatory site. Conclusions: This study gave a direct observation of stem cells distribution in chronic pulpitis for the first time and implies the important role of SDF-1α/CXCR4signaling in stem cells-based therapies for reparative dentinogenesis.
Progress report of the National Weatherization Assistance Program

The National Weatherization Evaluation of the 1989 Program Year and the Metaevaluation of 1996 are described in two ways in this summary document. The text pages summarize the results of the two evaluations conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The photographs and explanations illustrate weatherization operations and tactics. An overview and history of the program is provided, followed by the scope of weatherization, metaevaluation methods and results for 1996, national evaluation methods and results for 1989, response to evaluation findings, remaining opportunities, and next steps. Conclusions and significant findings are then given.
Creating Transformation Through Art The Role Of Community Arts in a Transitioning Society Ballymun, Dublin and Belfast Northern Ireland

This paper presents my findings from an Independent Study Project conducted over a three-­‐week period in Belfast on the role of community arts in a transitioning society, with a focus primarily on youth. I have found three themes concurrent with my research being that community arts can boost self-­‐confidence and build positive identity, they can be used as a tool for addressing difficult issues, and finally, that community arts can unify a community. The arts, as a cause of these themes, have the potential to help a society transition and transform from conflict.
Analysis of the effect of reasonable close planting on respiration characteristics of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) artificial grassland

: The degree of dense planting affects the respiration characteristics of alfalfa artificial grassland. In the process of alfalfa seed production, high plant and multibranch forage can be obtained by reasonable close planting. Therefore, an analysis method of the effect of reasonable close planting on respiration characteristics of garden alfalfa artificial grassland is put forward. In this method, the density characteristics of alfalfa planting were determined from three aspects of plant horizontal density, vertical density and three-dimensional density. The infrared carbon dioxide gas analyser was used to measure the carbon dioxide flux of the garden. The combined analysis method was constructed to obtain the respiration characteristics of alfalfa artificial grassland through multiple validations, so as to achieve the degree of impact on the respiration characteristics of the grassland analysis. The experimental results show that the proposed verification methods can explain the existence of growth redundancy and propose a method to reduce redundancy. Moreover, the proposed analysis method has more complete respiratory characteristics and the analysis results of photosynthesis and total vegetation yield are more consistent with the reality.
Spatial-nonparametric regression: an approach for monitoring image data

Abstract Statistical process control plays a significant role in manufacturing industries as processes become more advanced and manufactured products more complex. Because of the increasing sensitivity of the processes and the inadequacy of the methods based on human inspection, use of product images in statistical process control has been considered by some researchers. In this paper, a regression-based method is developed to monitor image data under two-scale analysis. In the first scale, wavelet transformation is used to extract the main features of geometric profile created from the images. The next scale is to monitor the small-scale components which could be expressed by correlation in error terms. To monitor correlation in error terms, a parametric method is developed. Parameters of the parametric model including spatial correlation coefficient and error term variance are estimated using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Generalized Least Squares (GLS) estimators, respectively. After extracting features for both scales, some appropriate test statistics are computed. Then, monitoring the process is performed by plotting these test statistics on corresponding control charts. Performance of the proposed method is evaluated in terms of run length measures and the difference between the actual value and the estimated value of change-points. Simulation studies are performed on tile images, and the results show the capability of the proposed method in detecting out-of-control conditions and estimating the change-point. The results also indicate the proper performance of the proposed method in monitoring industrial processes to detect out-of-control conditions and identifying the source of variability.
Analysis of SWO Fundamentals Exam Scores

Abstract : Since August 2008, the newly commissioned Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) has been trained for SWO qualification through the INTRO/ASAT program. Through this program, USNA and NROTC officers check onto their first ship and subsequently attend a five-week introductory course given by the Afloat Training Group (ATG) located in one of the Fleet Concentration Areas, and OCS officers attend the course in Newport, RI. Following this training, they report to their ship for on-the-job training (OJT). Computer Based Training (CBT) discs are available to use as references. About 17 months following commissioning, the officer then reports to Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS) for three weeks of Advanced Shiphandling and Tactics (ASAT) training. Upon arrival at ASAT, the officer is administered the SWO Fundamentals exam, designed to measure knowledge and retention of information covered during the OJT period. This thesis analyzes the SWO Fundamentals exam scores from 2007 to 2010 to determine which demographic and background variables affect a student's success and failure rates on the exam. Significant differences were found in gender, race, commissioning source, ship type, homeport, and class year.
Actor and Partner Effects of Parenting Stress and Co-parenting of Parents of Children with Atopic Dermatitis on Marital Conflict: Multiple-group Analysis Based on Mother’s Employment Status

Objective This study aims to determine the effect of parenting stress and co-parenting on marital conflict and the actor and partner effects of parental variables and to identify the control effect based on the mother’s employment status. Method In this study, among all children who participated in the panel study and health questionnaire survey, 161 fathers and 161 mothers raising seven-year-old children recently treated for atopic dermatitis for 12 months were selected as the final study participants. Results The father’s parenting stress had an actor and a partner effect on the co-parenting, and the mother’s parenting stress had an actor and a partner effect on the co-parenting. The father’s parenting stress only had an actor effect on the marital conflict(β=.32, p<.001). The father’s co-parenting had an actor(β=-.29, p<.001) and a partner effect(β=-.22, p<.001) on the marital conflict, and the mother’s co-parenting had an actor(β=-.39, p<.001) and a partner(β=-.19, p<.001) effect on the marital conflict. There were statistically significant differences between two groups in terms of the path coefficient of the father’s parenting stress affecting father’s marital conflict, path coefficient of the father’s co-parenting affecting father’s marital conflict, and path coefficient of the mother’s co-parenting affecting father’s marital conflict Conclusions This study is meaningful in providing basic data for the development of an atopic dermatitis family management program by investigating the actor and partner effects of parenting stress and co-parenting on marital conflict as well as the control effect based on the mother’s employment status.
IBM: A Smarter Planet

Design firm Office collaborated with Ogilvy & Mather, New York to develop a visual vocabulary for IBM’s “A Smarter Planet” campaign. Inspired by IBM’s vision to help solve the world’s biggest problems, and influenced by Paul Rand’s and Eliot Noyes original design vision for the company. The campaign related to topics such as energy, food,…
The InCalf Book for dairy farmers

he InCalf Book is the “must-have” book for dairy farmers. It is a practical easy-to-use reference to help farmers as they strive to achieve measured improvement in their herd’s reproductive performance. The InCalf Book is also useful for professionals providing advice to farmers. It pulls together the accepted knowledge on dairy herd fertility, drawing on InCalf’s extensive on-farm research project as well a huge number of experts.
The effect of the Texas Student Success Initiative on grade 5 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) failures

THE EFFECT OF THE TEXAS STUDENT SUCCESS INITIATIVE ON GRADE 5 TEXAS ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS (TAKS) FAILURES In an effort to end social promotion and hold students’ accountable for learning, retention in grade is included in promotion policies that require students to pass state tests and courses to be advanced to the next grade. This study examined the impact of promotion and retention on the achievement of grade 5 students who failed the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. The study compared the achievement of the grade 5 students who failed the TAKS tests in reading and math and were promoted to the grade 5 students who failed and were retained to determine if there was a significant difference in their grade 6 TAKS reading and math scores and grade 6 end of course reading and math grades. The participants in this study were selected from the first two cohorts of grade 5 students who failed to meet the Texas Student Success Initiative promotion policy requirements in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, when they failed to pass the reading, math or both tests after multiple opportunities. The students under study were enrolled in a single Texas public school district. To compare the achievement of the students who were retained and promoted, a statistical analysis was performed on the grade 6 TAKS reading and math scale scores and grade 6 end of course reading and math grades, acknowledging that the retained students would reach grade 6 one year after the promoted students.
Experimental Modal Analysis of Micron-scale Structures

Micron-scale structures, including but not limited to MEMS devices, are a class of mechanical systems with a wide range of real-world applications. One important type of dynamic properties are modal, or vibrational, characteristics, which can have great effects on performance, reliability, and useful life of a system. This makes the determination of these characteristics an important element in the design and testing of these systems. The research described in this thesis addresses important challenges in experimental modal characterization of micron-scale structures, including difficulties in: applying suitable known excitations; measuring small magnitude response motions; avoiding excessive mass loading; and dealing with high natural frequencies. Two forms of experimental modal analysis are investigated, being output-only and base excitation based methodologies. In the case of output-only, an existing implementation of the Stochastic Subspace Identification algorithm, known as MACEC, was used, while for base excitation, an algorithm based on the complex exponential method was implemented. Several representative structures were tested in this research: a set of micro-cantilever MEMS-based switches, cercal mechanosensory hairs of crickets, and several lengths of fine wire, selected to have first natural frequencies in the range expected for the mechanosensory hairs. The switches and wires were examined using both output-only and base excitation methods, while the mechanosensory hairs were examined using the output-only method alone. In applying excitations, a piezoelectric stack actuator was used as a shaker for applying base excitations, while for output-only identification excitation was provided by way of the integrated electrostatic actuator for the switches, and by moving air with a loudspeaker for the wires and mechanosensory hairs. The micro-cantilever switches were found to have modal characteristics substantially in agreement with those predicted by Euler-Bernoulli beam theory for their design parameters. Notably, no significant effect on modal parameters of actuator position or size was found. For the mechanosensory hairs, behaviours significantly different from those previously reported in the literature were observed, with highly complex modes being seen.
Circuit Properties of Dispersive Coupled Transmission Lines and Waveguides.

Abstract : The frequency domain behavior of lossless, uniform, dispersive coupled transmission line systems and of lossless waveguides uniform in the direction of propagation but not necessarily in the transverse direction are investigated. Some frequency domain properties of the propagation constants of such systems implied by losslessness and uniformity are explored, and ways of approximating waveguide propagation constants are developed. (Author)
Using Diffusion of Innovation Theory to explain the degree of faculty adoption of web-based instruction in a Thai university

Using the framework of Rogers’s (1995) Diffusion of Innovation Theory, the purpose of the study is to examine the use of web-based instruction and faculty perceptions of webbased instruction in a Thai university, Prince of Songkla University (PSU). In this study, interviews with seven participants were used as the primary method to collect data.Meanwhile, other sources of data including course documents analysis, web pages on Course Management System (CMS) observations, and face-to-face classroom observations were used. The findings of this study revealed that at PSU, a blended learning approach was used in web-based instruction. Seven participants held an optimistic view towards the practice ofweb-based learning as a supplementary tool to enhance a traditional mode of teaching and learning. Web-based instruction benefited faculty members, students, and the university. The results of the study showed that four attributes of innovation—relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, and observability—accelerated the rate of web-based instruction use. Another attribute, complexity, is negatively related to the rate of adoption in that if technology is difficult to understand and use, it will be refused. However, from the findings,CMS, which was used for web-based instruction, was not complex to use. Thus, faculty members did adopt CMS as a part of teaching and learning. These five basic characteristics of innovation were interwoven throughout the teaching and learning process. The participants were concerned about the workload and time demand for nonadopters, infrastructure, and students’ access and familiarity with computers and web-based instruction. Moreover, they suggested that ongoing workshop training, support staff, and a Technology Unit were also needed.
From Wood to Coal May Well Be from Malthus to Solow

Why did the Industrial Revolution happen in England and at that time, but not somewhere else and around a different time? By using an endogenous growth model of directed technical change and natural resources, we provide an explanation of the Industrial Revolution as a transition from wood to coal as the main source of energy. We calibrate the model to historical data on energy uses and growth in England. Switching to the wood and coal stocks of France, the model matches the income gap between the two countries in 1600 and slightly overpredicts the gap in their 1600-1900 growth rates.
Modularisation of system architecture to improve system recoverability: a unique application of design structure matrix

This study addresses the problem of design of systems for recoverability and discusses that a modularisation of the system architecture can effectively facilitate the recovering operations for a damaged system. To modularise the system architecture, Design Structure Matrix (DSM) methodology along with Axiomatic Design (AD) theory are employed. The study discusses that preventing propagation of the failure(s) to the rest of the system architecture can significantly contribute to the recovery of the system and proposes a methodology and utilises the Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) as a good indicator reflecting the stochastic behaviour of system recoverability. The present study mathematically shows that modularisation of the system architecture can considerably augment the probability of success in recovering and fulfilling the physical components following experiencing a failure in the system, significantly reduce the length of recovery time and improve the system recoverability. To verify the presented method, architecture of information flow in a real contract is addressed. Results from the application of the method indicated that modularisation of the architecture of the information flow in the contract significantly reduces the volume of time and effort required for adjusting content of the clauses and improves the system recoverability considerably.
Effect of GA3 on growth and yield of mustard.

An experiment was conducted in pot house at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh during November 2003 to February 2004 to evaluate the effects of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) on growth, and yield of mustard var. Binasarisha-3. Four concentrations viz., 0, 25, 50 and 75 ppm of GA3 were sprayed on canopy at 30 days after sowing. The results showed that different levels of GA3 significantly influenced the plant height, number of fertile siliqua/plant, number of seeds/siliqua, number of flowers/plant, setting of siliqua/plant (%), and harvest index. Results revealed that GA3 at 50 ppm significantly increased plant height, number of fertile siliqua/plant, number of flowers/plant, setting of siliqua/plant (%), dry matter yield, number of seeds/siliqaua, and harvest index, while the number of flowers/plant was significantly increased with the application of 75 ppm GA3. The highest seed yield/plant was recorded from the application of 50 ppm GA3 at optimum harvest date. The seed yield/plant was positively correlated with plant height, number of seeds/siliqua, number of fertile siliqua/plant and % of setting siliqua/plant.