Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire in English and Spanish

Data from a study of family service center clients are analyzed to assess how a measure of client satisfaction operates when used with different ethnic populations. The eight-item version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) is a measure of general satisfaction with services that was developed to provide a brief, standard assessment procedure suitable for use in a wide variety of service settings. Based on the results of this survey, the CSQ-8 seems to operate about the same, whether administered to Anglos or to persons of Hispanic origin, or in English or Spanish. There were essentially no differences among the various ethnic and language groups across statistical criteria such as internal consistency reliability, central tendency, dispersion, item intercorrelation, or missing values. These results suggest that the CSQ-8 is a measure of general satisfaction with services suitable for use with a variety of client populations, including Hispanics.
Durum wheat diversity for heat stress tolerance during inflorescence emergence is correlated to TdHSP101C expression in early developmental stages

The predicted world population increase along with climate changes threatens sustainable agricultural supply in the coming decades. It is therefore vital to understand crops diversity associated to abiotic stress response. Heat stress is considered one of the major constrains on crops productivity thus it is essential to develop new approaches for a precocious and rigorous evaluation of varietal diversity regarding heat tolerance. Plant cell membrane thermostability (CMS) is a widely used method for wheat thermotolerance assessment although its limitations require complementary solutions. In this work we used CMS assay and explored TdHSP101C genes as an additional tool for durum wheat screening. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses of TdHSP101C genes were performed in varieties with contrasting CMS results and further correlated with heat stress tolerance during fertilization and seed development. Although the durum wheat varieties studied presented a very high homology on TdHSP101C genes (>99%) the transcriptomic assessment allowed the discrimination between varieties with good CMS results and its correlation with differential impacts of heat treatment during inflorescence emergence and seed development on grain yield. The evidences here reported indicate that TdHSP101C transcription levels induced by heat stress in fully expanded leaves may be a promising complementary screening tool to discriminate between durum wheat varieties identified as thermotolerant through CMS.
Differences in N-linked glycosylation between human surfactant protein-B variants of the C or T allele at the single-nucleotide polymorphism at position 1580: implications for disease.

Human surfactant protein-B (SP-B), a hydrophobic protein, is essential for normal lung function. SP-B is expressed and secreted by specific lung cell types, i.e. alveolar type II and Clara cells, of the respiratory epithelium. The SP-B precursor (42 kDa) undergoes post-translational processing to generate an 8 kDa mature SP-B. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at nucleotide 1580 (C/T) in exon 4 of SP-B that changes amino acid 131 from threonine to isoleucine (Thr131-->Ile) is associated with several pulmonary diseases. The Thr131-->Ile substitution can eliminate a potential N-linked glycosylation site, Asn129-Gln-Thr131, which is present in the SP-B variant of the C allele (ACT/Thr) but not in that of the T allele (ATT/Ile). To determine whether the C allele SP-B variant is indeed glycosylated at Asn(129)-Gln-Thr131, we first generated stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary cell lines that expressed each version of SP-B, and developed specific SP-B polyclonal anti-peptide antibodies. Using both the stably transfected cell lines and fetal lung explants, we observed that the C allele variant is indeed glycosylated at the Asn129-Gln-Thr131 site, whereas the T allele variant, which served as a control, is not. In addition, we also confirmed that both SP-B variants contain another N-linked glycosylation site, Asn311-Ser-Ser313. Given its association with several pulmonary diseases, this finding provides useful information for future studies in disease systems associated with this SNP. Further, we speculate that, given the fact that this SNP is found frequently in the general population, N-linked glycosylation at residue Asn129 interferes with SP-B processing, secretion and folding under certain disease conditions.
Islam and the struggle for religious pluralism in indonesia; a political reading of the religious thought of Mukti Ali

Problems of inter-religious dialogue is one of the important discourse in the development of religious thought in modern Indonesia . One of the leading Muslim intellectuals seoran put a great interest in the discourse of religious thought is Prof . HA Mukti Ali , former Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, which has served as Rector of IAIN Yogyakarta . In the view of many people , known as Mukti Ali Muslim leaders who have diverse Islamic thought . He , set in the traditional students and the cast of revivalist organization , Muhammadiyah is the pioneer of Comparative Studies of Religion in Indonesia . He is also known as the man who chose the problem of inter - religious dialogue in Indonesia as ' immortal work ' throughout his life . Equally important , Mukti Ali is an Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister re - orientation is important in the political - religious wisdom in the New Order . DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v3i1. 814
Flappy voice: an interactive game for childhood apraxia of speech therapy

We present Flappy Voice, a mobile game to facilitate acquisition of speech timing and prosody skills for children with apraxia of speech. The game is adapted from the popular game Flappy Bird, and replaces touch interaction with voice control. Namely, we map the child's vocal loudness into the bird's position by means of a smoothing filter. In this way, children control the game via the duration and amplitude of their voice. Flappy Voice allows the therapist to create new exercises with different difficulty levels, including an assisted mode for children with limited skills, and a free mode for advanced players. Results from a pilot user study with children support the feasibility of the game as a speech training tool.
Air-ground channels for UAS: Summary of measurements and models for L- and C-bands

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are being used in an ever-expanding variety of applications. For their safe integration into the worldwide airspace, reliable control and non-payload communication (CNPC) systems must be developed. The performance of any CNPC system depends critically upon the characteristics of the air-ground (AG) channel. Hence the authors, supported by NASA Glenn Research Center, gathered data from an air-ground measurement campaign explicitly aimed at characterizing this channel in two bands recently allocated for UAS, the L- and C-bands. The measurements were conducted in 2013, and produced the largest set of AG channel data ever gathered to date. This data, for seven ground site (GS) environments, was subsequently processed to develop models for the AG channel's characteristics. In this paper we summarize the measurement campaign, measurement results, and completed models for propagation path loss, small-scale fading, airframe shadowing, wideband multipath characteristics, and correlations among the channel effects on two antennas and in the two bands. Path loss in the line-of-sight (LOS) AG channels generally follows that of free-space, but with significant two-ray attenuation peaks (exceeding 18 dB) recorded for relatively smooth earth surfaces. Small-scale fading was found to be well-modeled as Ricean, with K-factors on the order of 12 dB for L-band, 28 dB for C-band. Airframe shadowing was also found to be potentially severe, yielding attenuations of larger than 30 dB for both bands. As expected in the LOS conditions, channels were highly correlated for signals in the same band, but essentially uncorrelated between the two bands. Wideband models contain from one to seven intermittent multipath components, with power levels ~ 20 dB down from that of the LOS component; these yield root-mean square delay spreads up to ~ 2 microseconds. These results have been incorporated into the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RCTA)'s Special Committee (SC)-228 work on UAS, and should be of use to future designers and developers of UAS communication systems.
Image-Based BRDF Measurement Including Human Skin

We present a new image-based process for measuring the bidirectional reflectance of homogeneous surfaces rapidly, completely, and accurately. For simple sample shapes (spheres and cylinders) the method requires only a digital camera and a stable light source. Adding a 3D scanner allows a wide class of curved near-convex objects to be measured. With measurements for a variety of materials from paints to human skin, we demonstrate the new method's ability to achieve high resolution and accuracy over a large domain of illumination and reflection directions. We verify our measurements by tests of internal consistency and by comparison against measurements made using a gonioreflectometer.
Changing narrative accounts: How young men tell different stories when arrested, enduring jail time and navigating community reentry

Using fieldwork, interviews, and survey data collected from male adolescent prisoners who completed a cognitive treatment program, this study addresses two questions: how do adolescent prisoners account for past and possible future acts to illegally acquire money? What frames are identifiable across these accounts? We identify three frames in adolescent prisoner narratives: a ‘victim’; ‘rebirth/redemptive’; and ‘critical’ frame. While the first frame is used to rationalize crime, the second promises that, as changed individuals, future crime will be avoided. The third frame questions the moral and structural hierarchies that render certain groups susceptible to being labeled deviant. Drawing on narrative-identity and intersectional theory, we argue that adolescents' narratives of economic prospects change over time as a function of navigating the different strains associated with initial incarceration, enduring jail programming, and reentering communities. We argue that these changing social conditions provide the context for adolescent males to shift their accounts from ‘hegemonic’ to ‘subversive’ narratives. To conclude, we discuss the implications of study findings for research on desistance.
Some empirical evidence on the superiority of the problem-based learning (PBL) method

This study compares the effects of two different teaching methods used concurrently on two comparable classes of accounting theory. The first method is the traditional lecture along with assignments and examinations. The second method is an application of the problem-based learning approach, the hypothesis being that such a method will produce better results in terms of acquisition of knowledge and aptitude to deal with problems in a long term perspective. The experimental group was submitted to this method and the control group was lectured as usual. Significant differences in the marks for the final examinations between both groups were found. The PBL group was associated with better marks to most questions. Another interesting finding was the perception of the PBL group to have acquired better and longer lasting knowledge.
Algorithms: Algorithm 324: Maxflow

b e g i n p := sqrt(z); d := 0.5 X z X p; p := 1 p e n d e l s e b e g i n d : = z X z ; p : = w X z e n d ; y := 2 X w / z ; for j := b + 2 s t e p 2 u n t i l n do b e g i n d := (1 + a / ( j -2 ) ) X d X z; p := i f a = 1 t h e n p + d X y / ( j 1 ) e l s e ( p + w ) X z e n d j; y := w X z; z := 2/z; b := n 2; for i := a + 2 s t e p 2 u n t i l m do b e g i n j : = i + b; d := y X d X j / ( i 2 ) ; p := p -z X d / j e n d i; Fisher := p e n d Fisher
Solid-state masers without inversion: Theoretical prediction for high-efficiency oscillators or phase-sensitive detectors.

Analytic steady-state solutions of the density-matrix equation are derived by means of a formalism suitable for multilevel spin systems in dilute paramagnetic solids at high temperature and subjected to several strong fields. It is shown that solid-state masers without inversion may be obtained in the presence of one, two, or three quasimonochromatic strong fields at resonance. In the usual cases of two fields, the maser action with or without inversion cannot achieve high-efficiency microwave generation or detection, since for strong emitted fields, the saturating and nonlinear effects are strong too. On the contrary, whenever three frequency-correlated fields fulfill the ``spectroscopic bridge'' conditions, the saturating effects do not occur, and linear effects prevail, even when all these fields are strong. In this case, high-efficiency microwave generations or phase-sensitive detections may be achieved.
Higher-rank instanton cohomology and the quilted Atiyah-Floer conjecture

Given a closed, connected, oriented 3-manifold with positive first Betti number, one can define an instanton Floer group as well as a quilted Lagrangian Floer group. The quilted Atiyah-Floer conjecture states that these cohomology groups are isomorphic. We initiate a program for proving this conjecture.
Predicting the Location and Time of Mobile Phone Users by Using Sequential Pattern Mining Techniques

In recent years, using cell phone log data to model human mobility patterns became an active research area. This problem is a challenging data mining problem due to huge size and the non-uniformity of the log data, which introduces several granularity levels for the specification of temporal and spatial dimensions. This paper focuses on the prediction of the location of the next activity of the mobile phone users. There are several versions of this problem. In this work, we have concentrated on the following three problems: Predicting the location and the time of the next user activity, predicting the location of the next activity of the user when the location of the user changes, and predicting both the location and the time of the activity of the user when the user's location changes. We have developed sequential pattern mining based techniques for these three problems and validated the success of these methods with real data obtained from one of the largest mobile phone operators in Turkey. Our results are very encouraging, since we were able to obtain quite high accuracy results under a small prediction sets.
Reform Implementation and the Realities within which Teachers Work: A Namibian case study

Implementation is currently considered a critical stage of educational reform. This article focuses on the pivotal role of teachers in the achievement of effective implementation. They ultimately implement reforms. The teacher's role in the reform process however, has received little empirical research attention and tends not to be seriously considered by policy makers. This article discusses the findings of a three-year (1995-1997) research study in Namibia which suggests that the failure of policy makers to take into account the realities within which teachers work, their 'classroots realities', led to the development of English Language Teaching reforms that were significantly beyond teachers' capacity. Consequently, teachers did not successfully implement them. The article explores this within a framework of objective and subjective 'classroots reality' implementation factors. In view of the paucity of empirical research that explores implementation, this framework can improve our understanding of the depth and complexity of the implementation process and provide useful guidelines upon which policy makers can draw.
LIP operators: Simulating exposure variations to perform algorithms independent of lighting conditions

Logarithmic Image Processing (LIP) Model consists of a mathematical and physical framework dedicated to image processing. In this paper, a novel application of LIP operators is presented: we explain how LIP addition and subtraction can be used to simulate a variation of sensor sensitivity or changes in source intensity depending on the transmitted or reflected imaging context. Such a property generates an interesting result on another LIP operator: the LIP additive contrast is independent of brightness variations, due to exposure time modification for instance. The results are presented through different image processing techniques like image enhancement, contour detection and a lot of other possible applications.
Noise reduction in 3D perfusion imaging by attenuating the static signal in arterial spin tagging (ASSIST)

Phase‐encoded multishot SPIRAL approaches were used to acquire true 3D cerebral blood flow images of the human head using arterial spin tagging approaches. Multiple‐inversion background suppression techniques, which suppress phase noise due to interacquisition fluctuations in the static magnetic field, reduced the temporal standard deviation of true 3D ΔM images acquired using arterial spin tagging approaches by ∼50%. Background suppressed arterial spin tagging (ASSIST) approaches were used to obtain high‐resolution isotropic true 3D cerebral blood flow images, and to obtain true 3D activation images during cognitive (working memory) tasks. Magn Reson Med 44:92–100, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acid Catalyzed Alcoholysis of Sulfinamides: Unusual Stereochemistry, Kinetics and a Question of Mechanism Involving Sulfurane Intermediates and Their Pseudorotation

The synthesis of optically active sulfinic acid esters has been accomplished by the acid catalyzed alcoholysis of optically active sulfinamides. Sulfinates are formed in this reaction with a full or predominant inversion of configuration at chiral sulfur or with predominant retention of configuration. The steric course of the reaction depends mainly on the size of the dialkylamido group in the sulfinamides and of the alcohols used as nucleophilic reagents. It has been found that bulky reaction components preferentially form sulfinates with retention of configuration. It has been demonstrated that the stereochemical outcome of the reaction can be changed from inversion to retention and vice versa by adding inorganic salts to the acidic reaction medium. The unusual stereochemistry of this typical bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction, as confirmed by kinetic measurements, has been rationalized in terms of the addition-elimination mechanism, A-E, involving sulfuranes as intermediates which undergo pseudorotations.
Self-Determination Skills of Adolescents Enrolled in Special Education: An Analysis of Four Cases

This study provides information about four adolescent students participating in an occupation-based self-determination program drawn from the Model of Self-Determination and the Model of Human Occupation. Students were selected from a Career Lab based on their ability to participate. The analysis of the cases demonstrate that psycho-educational strategies incorporated into a special education curriculum can instill in the students the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for personal goal setting and attainment.
Fusing Local Binary Patterns with Wavelet Features for Ethnicity Identification

Ethnicity identification of face images is of interest in many areas of application, but existing methods are few and limited. This paper presents a fusion scheme that uses block-based uniform local binary patterns and Haar wavelet transform to combine local and global features. In particular, the LL subband coefficients of the whole face are fused with the histograms of uniform local binary patterns from block partitions of the face. We applied the principal component analysis on the fused features and managed to reduce the dimensionality of the feature space from 536 down to around 15 without sacrificing too much accuracy. We have conducted a number of preliminary experiments using a collection of 746 subject face images. The test results show good accuracy and demonstrate the potential of fusing global and local features. The fusion approach is robust, making it easy to further improve the identification at both feature and score levels.
Upwelling around Cabo Frio, Brazil: The importance of wind stress curl

Data from the SeaWinds scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite are used to estimate upwelling around Cabo Frio, Brazil, due to Ekman transport and Ekman pumping. The region close to shore (up to 200 km from the coast) is characterized by negative wind stress curl (upwelling favorable) year‐round, with maximum values during summer, and minimum values during fall. Integrated values from São Sebastião Island to Vitória reveal that during summer, Ekman pumping and Ekman transport are of the same magnitude in the region. Estimates of Ekman transport are relatively uniform along the coast during summer. Ekman pumping, on the other hand, is strongly enhanced between São Sebastião Island and Vitória, the region where the coldest water on satellite images is frequently found. This suggests that wind stress curl‐driven upwelling is a major contributor to the coldest surface water being found near Cabo Frio.
Is Tropical Cyclone Intensity Guidance Improving

The mean absolute error of the official tropical cyclone (TC) intensity forecasts from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) shows limited evidence of improvement over the past two decades. This result has sometimes erroneously been used to conclude that little or no progress has been made in the TC intensity guidance models. This article documents statistically significant improvements in operational TC intensity guidance over the past 24 years (1989–2012) in four tropical cyclone basins (Atlantic, eastern North Pacific, western North Pacific, and Southern Hemisphere). Errors from the best available model have decreased at 1%–2% yr−1 at 24–72 h, with faster improvement rates at 96 and 120 h. Although these rates are only about one-third to one-half of the rates of reduction of the track forecast models, most are statistically significant at the 95% level. These error reductions resulted from improvements in statistical–dynamical intensity models and consensus tec.
Mature B Cell Selection Signal in Differentiation to a Evidence for a Ligand-Mediated Positive

Positive selection is required for B cell differentiation, as indicated by the requirement for expression of the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) and the BCR at the pre-B and immature B cell stages, respectively. Positive selection mediated by a tonic signal from these receptors is sufﬁcient to drive B cell differentiation beyond the pre-B and immature B cell stages, but it is unclear whether additional positive selection signals are required for differentiation to a mature B-2 cell. We have identiﬁed a population of Ig transgenic B cells that differentiatively arrest at a transitional B cell stage in the spleen. They exhibit no evidence of Ag encounter or negative selection and can differentiate to mature B-2 cells in vivo upon weak BCR stimulation or adoptive transfer to irradiated hosts. These data are consistent with a requirement for a ligand-mediated BCR signal for differentiation to a mature B-2 cell. The Journal of Immunology, 2003, 171: 6381–6388. Our 12 (cid:3) supports (cid:3) mature (cid:3) (28). We show in this study
Heterogeneous stacking silicon controlled rectifier design with improved ESD performance

A novel design consisting of a heterogeneous stacking of silicon control rectifier is proposed in this paper. A latch-up free design in a high voltage BCDMOS process is demonstrated. Structures based on this method are compared with conventionally stacked SCR structure. Comprehensive characterization, including DC and transmission line pulsing (TLP), is undertaken to demonstrate the performance.