Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aligning Tests with States' Content Standards: Methods and Issues

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires states to have developed content standards in Reading and Mathematics, and to employ some form of statewide assessment. For accurate inferences about student achievement and growth over time, these assessments must measure the knowledge and skills deemed valuable and described in these content standards. This article provides a description of models for evaluating the degree of alignment between assessments and content standards. Challenges to these models are described and discussed, and solutions are suggested. Two empirical alignment studies are summarized and implications of using different alignment models for aligning commercially available tests with content standards are also discussed.
Realizing underactuated bipedal walking with torque controllers via the ideal model resolved motion method

This paper presents experimentally realized bipedal robotic walking using ideal torque controllers via a novel approach termed the ideal model resolved motion method (IM-RMM), where a system's ideal closed-loop dynamics are integrated forward from the actual state of the hardware to provide desired positions and velocity commands to a PD controller. By combining this method with gaits generated using the Human-Inspired Control framework, walking was realized experimentally on the DURUS platform, designed and built by SRI, and achieved with minimal system identification. For comparison, two controllers, one using feedback linearization and one using Control Lyapunov Function based Quadratic Programs (CLF-QP), both realized through IM-RMM, are compared with a benchmark procedure, the Hybrid Zero Dynamics reconstruction, that is shown to provide reliable walking in literature. The results of both simulations and experiments are presented, with the CLF-QP implemented via IM-RMM resulting in the lowest experimental specific energetic cost of transport of cet = 0.63 achieved during sustained walking on the 31.5 kg bipedal robot.
Handedness predicts motivation to switch from the status quo

Degree of handedness is a correlate of structural brain asymmetries and predicts individual differences in episodic memory, belief updating and various biases in decision-making. We examined whether handedness moderated the status quo bias given previous research suggests that both constructs are related to loss aversion. Participants answered hypothetical scenarios in which they decided either to stay with the status quo or to switch. Results indicated that consistent and inconsistent right-handers both exhibited status quo bias (Experiment 1; N = 180), but inconsistent right-handers were more (or less) likely to stick with the status quo when informed of a positive (or negative) past experience. When provided with more equivocal information about the quality of the status quo and alternative, consistent-handers (CH) were more likely to show a status quo bias (Experiment 2; N = 222). Compared to CH, we argue that inconsistent-handers (IH) more readily update their beliefs in a manner consistent with how the status quo and alternative options are presented—switching when finding a reason to favour the alternative and staying when the status quo is described more favourably. These handedness differences fit a motivational account explaining status quo bias rather than a loss aversion account.
Tradeoffs for task parallelization in distributed optimization

We consider the problem of solving multiple optimization tasks on the same data in a distributed setting. We focus on consensus-based and incremental optimization strategies. Consensus-based distributed optimizers converge in fewer iterations, but the multiple tasks must be run serially. Incremental optimization algorithms, where the iterate is passed from node to node, have slower convergence guarantees but they can be parallelized to work on multiple tasks concurrently. When there are many tasks to solve, this approach can suffer from queuing delay. We provide an analysis of this delay which suggests that incremental algorithms may have superior performance for a moderate number of tasks. The main factor that controls this effect is the communication time. We show experimentally that there is a regime in which parallel instances of incremental algorithms can outperform serial instances of consensus-based algorithms.
Visualization on charge distribution behavior in thickness-scalable HfO2 trapping layer by in-situ electron holography and Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy technology

In this paper, charge transportation and storage characteristics of HfO2 charge-trapping layer with various thicknesses were systematically investigated for three dimension (3D) memory device application. For the first time, charge transportation behavior is visualized by introducing in-situ electron holography technology. Under programming transient state mode, charge distribution near blocking oxide is clearly observed followed by lateral charge spreading through HfO2 grain boundary. Meanwhile, steady state behaviors are also given by Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy technique. With HfO2 trapping layer is scaled from 10nm into 3nm, although enough charge storage capability guaranteed mainly by Interface trap sites, severe degradation in data retention characteristics becomes bottleneck. Also, it is proved that the interfaces provide dominate trap sites and vertical decay plays a superior role in charge loss. Finally, nano-scale effects of HfO2 trapping layer are demonstrated from experiment which is well agreed with our characterization results. The study may provide optimization for charge trapping structures, especially for high-density 3D NAND flash applications.
A Review of the Single Phase Photovoltaic Module Integrated Converter Topologies With Three Different DC Link Configurations

The annual world photovoltaic (PV) cell/module production is growing at almost an exponential rate and has reached 1727 MW in 2005. Building integrated PV (BIPV) projects are emerging as the strongest part of the PV market and grid interactive inverters are a key component in determining the total system cost. Module integrated converter (MIC) technology has become a global trend in grid interactive PV applications and may assist in driving down the balance of system costs to secure an improved total system cost. This paper concentrates on the topology study of the PV MICs in the power range below 500 W and covers most topologies recently proposed for MIC applications. The MIC topologies are classified into three different arrangements based on the dc link configurations. A systematic discussion is also provided at the end of the paper that focuses on the major advantages and disadvantages of each MIC arrangement. These are considered in detail and will provide a useful framework and point of reference for the next generation MIC designs and applications.
Perceptions of Psychological Adjustment, Achievement Outcomes, and Self-Esteem in Japan and America

Evidence reported in the present article suggests that the widely used Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) does not as unequivocally assess positive self-regard in Japan as it does in America. American (n = 98) and Japanese (n = 120) participants assessed high self-esteem (HSE) and low self-esteem (LSE) targets who were depicted endorsing or rejecting RSES items. Results indicate that although both groups of participants had more positive impressions of the HSE relative to the LSE target, the difference was greater for the Japanese. In addition, although the Americans had more positive impressions of the HSE target than the Japanese did, the Japanese had more positive impressions of the LSE target.
Alpha Mapping in Scene Simulation of Launch Vehicle

The display of third dimension graphics is the most crucial part in scene simulation, and alpha mapping plays an important role in the synthesization of third dimension graphics. Alpha mapping is a texture mapping technique with alpha channel for simulating transparent effects caused by patterned irregularities on otherwise locally smooth surfaces. In this paper, the current mathematic theory of alpha channel and alpha estimation in image matting, which were used in alpha mapping, was introduced. Based on the object-oriented graphics rendering engine (OGRE), alpha mapping was applied in the scene simulation system of launch vehicle, and achieved excellent result both in rendering time and quality. It is shown that the great improvement of real-time performance could be obtained based on the third dimension of the diversified objects and scene
Effect of Chronic Valproic Acid Treatment on Hepatic Gene Expression Profile in Wfs1 Knockout Mouse

Valproic acid (VPA) is a widely used anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing drug whose use is often associated with drug-induced weight gain. Treatment with VPA has been shown to upregulate Wfs1 expression in vitro. Aim of the present study was to compare the effect of chronic VPA treatment in wild type (WT) and Wfs1 knockout (KO) mice on hepatic gene expression profile. Wild type, Wfs1 heterozygous, and homozygous mice were treated with VPA for three months (300 mg/kg i.p. daily) and gene expression profiles in liver were evaluated using Affymetrix Mouse GeneChip 1.0 ST array. We identified 42 genes affected by Wfs1 genotype, 10 genes regulated by VPA treatment, and 9 genes whose regulation by VPA was dependent on genotype. Among the genes that were regulated differentially by VPA depending on genotype was peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (Ppard), whose expression was upregulated in response to VPA treatment in WT, but not in Wfs1 KO mice. Thus, regulation of Ppard by VPA is dependent on Wfs1 genotype.
On childhood and the good will: thoughts on ethics and early childhood education

The aim of this thesis is to critically examine how ethical principles are conceptualized and applied in educational contexts, focusing on the intersection of early childhood education and education for sustainable development. Its contribution to educational research in general, and to philosophy of education in particular, is to; first, discuss the presumed relation between ethical principles and individual actions and events, and to illustrate how this connection frames the understanding and application of ethics in educational situations. Second, it is to problematize the conditions for how the ethical framework is understood and applied by examining disturbances in the relation between ethical principles and its individualizations using a philosophy of immanent ethics as a conceptual framework. Education for sustainable development is targeted specifically as it offers some interesting examples of educational situations where children are working with ethical decision making and where ethical principles – manifested in the form of universal human rights – are commonly invoked. These examples are analyzed in terms of paradigmatic examples as they are taken to say something about the conditions for conceptualizing ethics in contemporary education. Looking at texts produced or commonly referred to within the discourse of education for sustainable development, the four articles of this thesis are looking to make visible some basic assumptions necessary for understanding and making sense of the examples looked at. The paradigmatic examples range from official documents on children’s rights to various forms of teaching materials produced within the discourse of education for sustainable development. The Kantian concept of the good will is identified as a useful way of describing the imagined link between principles and actions, facilitating the general understanding of the process whereby children are anticipated to make good ethical decisions in educational situations. The concept of the good will is, in turn, dependent on some form of transcendent ethics where ethical principles are presumed to exist independent of historical and social changes. Through the concept of immanent ethics, the presumed stability of the relation between principles and actions is scrutinized and destabilized. This is so as it introduces intrinsic dimensions of change and particularity into the overarching ethical scheme. Without the seemingly stable guarantors of universally valid ethical principles, the educational aspects of ethics appear to take on new characteristics, demanding the construction of new problems and the formulation of new questions regarding the relation between ethics and education. (Less)
Computational methods for diffusion-influenced biochemical reactions

MOTIVATION We compare stochastic computational methods accounting for space and discrete nature of reactants in biochemical systems. Implementations based on Brownian dynamics (BD) and the reaction-diffusion master equation are applied to a simplified gene expression model and to a signal transduction pathway in Escherichia coli. RESULTS In the regime where the number of molecules is small and reactions are diffusion-limited predicted fluctuations in the product number vary between the methods, while the average is the same. Computational approaches at the level of the reaction-diffusion master equation compute the same fluctuations as the reference result obtained from the particle-based method if the size of the sub-volumes is comparable to the diameter of reactants. Using numerical simulations of reversible binding of a pair of molecules we argue that the disagreement in predicted fluctuations is due to different modeling of inter-arrival times between reaction events. Simulations for a more complex biological study show that the different approaches lead to different results due to modeling issues. Finally, we present the physical assumptions behind the mesoscopic models for the reaction-diffusion systems. AVAILABILITY Input files for the simulations and the source code of GMP can be found under the following address: http://www.cwi. nl/projects/sic/bioinformatics2007/
Revolutionary Dreams and Terrorist Violence in the Developed World: Explaining Country Variation

This article presents a cross-country comparison of the intensity of revolutionary terrorism in the developed world after the wave of mobilization in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some countries were hit much more severely than others by this type of violence. The article tries to account for this variation with a new dataset of fatalities in 23 countries, for the period 1970—2000, based on local sources in six different languages. This dataset corrects in part the problems of underreporting that Jan Oskar Engene’s TWEED dataset suffers from. The dependent variable is a novel index of the intensity of terrorism that combines the number of fatalities and the number of years in which the terrorist organization has killed people. The unit of analysis is the country in the whole period. Six broad hypotheses about the influence of economic development, social change, mobilization, welfare provision, population and political factors are tested in the article. The statistical results show that three variables are almost sufficient to explain variance: past dictatorship, high population and strong communist parties. Given that past dictatorship is the most important variable, three different mechanisms by which to understand its effect are suggested: the role of repression in countries with past political instability; dictatorship as a proxy for polarization; and past breakdowns as an indicator of the chances of overthrowing the system.
Tangible 3D: hand gesture interaction for immersive 3D modeling

Most of all interaction tasks relevant for a general three-dimensional virtual environment can be supported by 6DOF control and grab/select input. Obviously a very efficient method is direct manipulation with bare hands, like in real environment. This paper shows the possibility to perform non-trivial tasks using only a few well-known hand gestures, so that almost no training is necessary to interact with 3D-softwares. Using this gesture interaction we have built an immersive 3D modeling system with 3D model representation based on a mesh library, which is optimized not only for real-time rendering but also accommodates for changes of both vertex positions and mesh connectivity in real-time. For performing the gesture interaction, the user's hand is marked with just four fingertipthimbles made of inexpensive material as simple as white paper. Within our scenario, the recognized hand gestures are used to select, create, manipulate and deform the meshes in a spontaneous and intuitive way. All modeling tasks are performed wirelessly through a camera/vision tracking method for the head and hand interaction.
Towards sustainable capitalism in the development of higher education business school curricula and management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to account for, and conceptualize, the internal and external forces that influence higher education business schools as they strive to integrate sustainability issues into their curricula in the effort to achieve a more sustainable (yet capitalist) world. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach is used for the research, which is grounded in the relevant literature, to investigate sustainable development issues in the context of a Swedish business school (university level). The empirical data consists of a review of internal documents plus e-mail surveys and interviews and discussion seminars with university teachers/researchers and key administrators. Findings – Two tentative models are presented that map the various internal and external forces behind business schools’ curriculum change. One important finding describes how supply and demand influences business schools and recruiters of business students. Research limitations/implications – Because this r.
Query-friendly compression of graph streams

We study the problem of synopsis construction of massive graph streams arriving in real-time. Many graphs such as those formed by the activity on social networks, communication networks, and telephone networks are defined dynamically as rapid edge streams on a massive domain of nodes. In these rapid and massive graph streams, it is often not possible to estimate the frequency of individual items (e.g., edges, nodes) with complete accuracy. Nevertheless, sketch-based stream summaries such as Count-Min can preserve frequency information of high-frequency items with a reasonable accuracy. However, these sketch summaries lose the underlying graph structure unless one keeps information about start and end nodes of all edges, which is prohibitively expensive. For example, the existing methods can identify the high-frequency nodes and edges, but they are unable to answer more complex structural queries such as reachability defined by high-frequency edges. To this end, we design a 3-dimensional sketch, gMatrix that summarizes massive graph streams in real-time, while also retaining information about the structural behavior of the underlying graph dataset. We demonstrate how gMatrix, coupled with a onetime reverse hash mapping, is able to estimate important structural properties, e.g., reachability over high frequency edges in an online manner and with theoretical performance guarantees. Our experimental results using large-scale graph streams attest that gMatrix is capable of answering both frequency-based and structural queries with high accuracy and efficiency.
The extension of variability properties in gamma-ray bursts to blazars

Both gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and blazars have relativistic jets pointing at a small angle from our line of sight. Several recent studies suggested that these two kinds of sources may share similar jet physics. In this work, we explore the variability properties for GRBs and blazars as a whole. We find that the correlation between minimum variability time-scale (MTS) and Lorentz factor, Gamma, as found only in GRBs by Sonbas et al. can be extended to blazars with a joint correlation of MTS. alpha Gamma(-4.7 +/- 0.3). The same applies to the MTS. L-gamma(-1.0 +/- 0.1). correlation as found in GRBs, which can be well extended into blazars as well. These results provide further evidence that the jets in these two kinds of sources are similar despite of the very different mass scale of their central engines. Further investigations of the physical origin of these correlations are needed, which can shed light on the nature of the jet physics.
Improved quality of nursing documentation: results of a nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes implementation study.

PURPOSE To evaluate the impact of the quality of nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes in an acute care hospital following the implementation of an educational program. METHOD In a pretest-posttest experimental design study, nurses from 12 wards of a Swiss hospital received an educational intervention--an introductory class and consecutive classes, using a case discussion method--to implement nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes. Two sets of 36 randomly selected nursing records were evaluated before and after implementation. The quality of documented nursing diagnoses, interventions, and nursing-sensitive patient outcomes was assessed by 29 Likert-type items with a 0-4 scale instrument, called Quality of Nursing Diagnoses, Interventions, and Outcomes (Q-DIO) and tested using t-tests. FINDINGS Significant enhancements in the quality of documented nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes were found following the implementation of a planned educational program. CONCLUSIONS The implementation of NANDA, NIC, and NOC (NNN) nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes led to higher quality of nursing diagnosis documentation, etiology-specific nursing interventions, and nursing-sensitive patient outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE Educational measures support nurses to improve documentation of diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes. The Q-DIO is a useful audit tool.