Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical Race Theory and the Meaning of “Community” in District Partnerships

This article uses a critical race theory lens to explore how members of one community-district partnership understand “community. ” Engaging the community through full service schools (Dryfoos & Maguire, 2002), parent engagement programs (Comer & Emmons, 2006), lab schools through universities (Goldring & Sims, 2005), and other partnerships have become a major strand of reform in schools and districts. However, there is a dearth of critical scholarship that explores the contested meanings and implications of evoking community-laden terminology and approaches (Sanders, 2003; Warren, 2005). Using a grounded theory approach, this case study draws from a combination of ethnographic observations of governance meetings, committee meetings, and events over a year and a half; semi-structured interviews with 11 governance council members from the school district and other partners; and document analysis. Iterative rounds of coding identified ten concepts that were organized into three key categories: geographical and sociocultural conceptualizations of community, “community” as a euphemism, and structuring constraints and empowerment through advisory roles. These findings have broad implications for how we engage in community development and district partnership work in ways that are constructive, effective, and socially just.
Cross-Cultural Assessment and Measurement Issues

This paper describes issues related to cross-cultural measurement, and the assessment of Aboriginal people. We discuss clinical implications as well as suggestions for completing assessments with different cultural groups. The issues described can be generalized to the measurement and assessment of Aboriginal people across the entire mental measurement spectrum. Much of the discussion however, will be focussed on the measurement of cognitive ability, and reviewing an established literature on the shortcomings of cognitive ability assessment amongst culturally diverse groups. Special care should be taken during the assessment procedure and when interpreting Aboriginal people's scores. Culture can have significant impact on the performance of a minority group on an instrument designed and standardized within the majority culture. Developing psychological measures that produce dependable results is a significant concern in psychological testing. Psychological measures are standardized, norm-referenced tests. In the present article, the terms: measurement instrument, measure, instrument, and test, will refer to standardized, norm-referenced tests. Behavioural researchers should be most interested in obtaining scores that are accurate, reliable reflections and best estimates of an individual's true level of functioning on any construct (Eason, 1991). To be both reliable and valid, measures must provide reproducible responses, that accurately measure what they purport to measure (Oesterheld & Haber, 1997). Researchers have ensured the reliability and validity of measures within the dominant culture and have developed many instruments that work very well for the assessment of many constructs. Often, however, measurement instruments are utilized with cultural groups for which proper normative or psychometric research has not been conducted.
The Plant Heat Stress Transcription Factors (HSFs): Structure, Regulation, and Function in Response to Abiotic Stresses

Abiotic stresses such as high temperature, salinity, and drought adversely affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of plants. Plants respond to such unfavorable changes through developmental, physiological, and biochemical ways, and these responses require expression of stress-responsive genes, which are regulated by a network of transcription factors (TFs), including heat stress transcription factors (HSFs). HSFs play a crucial role in plants response to several abiotic stresses by regulating the expression of stress-responsive genes, such as heat shock proteins (Hsps). In this review, we describe the conserved structure of plant HSFs, the identification of HSF gene families from various plant species, their expression profiling under abiotic stress conditions, regulation at different levels and function in abiotic stresses. Despite plant HSFs share highly conserved structure, their remarkable diversification across plants reflects their numerous functions as well as their integration into the complex stress signaling and response networks, which can be employed in crop improvement strategies via biotechnological intervention.
Fast Finite Volume Simulation of 3D Electromagnetic Problems with Highly Discontinuous Coefficients

We consider solving three-dimensional electromagnetic problems in parameter regimes where the quasi-static approximation applies and the permeability, permittivity, and conductivity may vary significantly. The difficulties encountered include handling solution discontinuities across interfaces and accelerating convergence of traditional iterative methods for the solution of the linear systems of algebraic equations that arise when discretizing Maxwell's equations in the frequency domain. The present article extends methods we proposed earlier for constant permeability [E. Haber, U. Ascher, D. Aruliah, and D. Oldenburg, J. Comput. Phys., 163 (2000), pp. 150--171; D. Aruliah, U. Ascher, E. Haber, and D. Oldenburg, Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci., to appear. ] to handle also problems in which the permeability is variable and may contain significant jump discontinuities. In order to address the problem of slow convergence we reformulate Maxwell's equations in terms of potentials, applying a Helmholtz decomposition to either the electric field or the magnetic field. The null space of the curl operators can then be annihilated by adding a stabilizing term, using a gauge condition, and thus obtaining a strongly elliptic differential operator. A staggered grid finite volume discretization is subsequently applied to the reformulated PDE system. This scheme works well for sources of various types, even in the presence of strong material discontinuities in both conductivity and permeability. The resulting discrete system is amenable to fast convergence of ILU-preconditioned Krylov methods. We test our method using several numerical examples and demonstrate its robust efficiency. We also compare it to the classical Yee method using similar iterative techniques for the resulting algebraic system, and we show that our method is significantly faster, especially for electric sources.
An asymptotic Berry-Esseen result for the largest eigenvalue of complex white Wishart matrices

A number of results concerning the convergence in distribution of the largest eigenvalue of a large class of random covariance matrices have recently been obtained. In particular, it was shown in Johansson (2000), Johnstone (2001), and El Karoui (2003) that if X is an n×N matrix whose entries are i.i. d standard complex Gaussian and l1 is the largest eigenvalue of X∗X , there exist sequences mn,N and sn,N such that (l1 −mn,N)/sn,N converges in distribution to the Tracy-Widom law of order 2, denoted W2, a distribution whose density is known and computable. Its cumulative distribution function is denoted F2. In this paper, we show that we can find a function M , and sequences μ̃n,N and σ̃n,N such that when n and N go to infinity, with n/N → γ ∈ (0,∞), we have, with ln,N = (l1 − μ̃n,N )/σ̃n,N , ∀s, (n ∧N)|P (ln,N ≤ s) − F2(s)| ≤M(s) . The surprisingly good 2/3 rate helps explain the fact that the limiting distribution F2 is a good approximation to the empirical distribution of ln,N in simulations, an important fact from the point of view of (for instance, statistical) applications.
Language attitudes, ethnicity and social class in New Zealand

The extent to which ethnic speech styles can be detected, and how they and English R.P. are evaluated, have been problematic issues in the small literature devoted to New Zealand speech varieties. In the present study, samples of spontaneous speech of English, Dutch, Maori and Pakeha speakers (from three status groups) were presented on audiotapes to 120 students. Ratings were made on four Social and four Personal Scales, while an attempt to describe type of accent was invited. The results showed that Maori speakers were the least successfully identified by ethnic group. Prestige ratings were: English, Dutch, and then Maori. English and Pakeha speakers were equally prestigeful, though this effect interacts with occupational class: speech styles approximating R.P. were rated highest. Ethnicity was also used as a cue to attribute a limited number of personal stereotypes.
Collaborative Inquiry as a Framework for Exploring Transformative Learning Online

Seven adult students in a full-time, online master's degree program in human and organizational transformation at the California Institute of Integral Studies explored the question, “What transformative learning is occurring in my life right now that this online program has stimulated or supported? ” A core focus of the program was transformative learning, a process that assists in widening frames of reference and transforming worldviews. Although initially choosing cooperative inquiry as the research methodology, what ultimately emerged was a multidimensional peer inquiry experience more closely fitting the definition of collaborative inquiry that drew heavily on cooperative inquiry and extended epistemology. The students engaged their inquiry question in four action and reflection cycles over 3 months, identifying key individual and group capacities and dynamics that were deep, connected, and transformative.
Feature Extraction and Power Quality Disturbances Classification Using Smart Meters Signals

This paper presents a methodology aimed at extracting features to obtain information that will highlight disturbances related to the field of power quality. Due to the concept of smart grids, it is clear that the classification of the disturbances should be undertaken using smart meters, so that a large amount of data corresponding to the voltage and current waveforms are not exchanged using the communication channels, i.e., between smart meter and Utility's database server. Thus, it is necessary to ensure a balance between computational effort (arising from the implementation of algorithms on hardware) and the satisfactory performance of the algorithm for the classification of disturbances. Based on the assumption that the classification task is onerous, this paper proposes a step of feature extraction that may be calculated and analyzed offline using synthetic waveforms/signals, which are subsequently validated using field measurements. It should be noted that this offline analysis is required to determine the most relevant features for the process of classifying each disturbance. However, in order to establish the effectiveness of the feature extraction step, the response of decision trees of the C4.5 type and of artificial neural networks of the multilayer perceptron type were verified during the phase of disturbance classification. In short, good results were obtained that corroborate the hypothesis that the feature extraction step is necessary to classify disturbances effectively and with low computational effort.
A systematic review of the efficacy of equine-assisted interventions on psychological outcomes

Much research attests to the beneficial effects of equine interventions on physical development and ability. However, less is known about the possible psychological benefits of horse activities, such as therapeutic riding or interactions with horses. Although there is public consensus that horses can have psychological benefits, it is an under-researched area and conclusions are largely based on anecdotal data. The little empirical evidence that is available about the efficacy of equine-assisted interventions on psychological outcomes tends to be mixed and is often difficult to interpret due to the lack of rigorous research designs. The purpose of this review was to examine the current state of the literature regarding the psychological effects of equine-assisted interventions, and to make recommendations for future research. Findings from this review suggest that equine-assisted interventions hold much promise, particularly in terms of child/adolescent social and behavioural issues, and perhaps adult affective disorders. However, the current state of the literature does not allow us to definitively conclude that equine-assisted interventions are efficacious. Well-designed randomised controlled trials are greatly needed in this area, as it is an appreciation of the need to standardise and document equine-assisted interventions and outcomes in future research.
Raf-1 Physically Interacts with Rb and Regulates Its Function: a Link between Mitogenic Signaling and Cell Cycle Regulation

ABSTRACT Cells initiate proliferation in response to growth factor stimulation, but the biochemical mechanisms linking signals received at the cell surface receptors to the cell cycle regulatory molecules are not yet clear. In this study, we show that the signaling molecule Raf-1 can physically interact with Rb and p130 proteins in vitro and in vivo and that this interaction can be detected in mammalian cells without overexpressing any component. The binding of Raf-1 to Rb occurs subsequent to mitogen stimulation, and this interaction can be detected only in proliferating cells. Raf-1 can inactivate Rb function and can reverse Rb-mediated repression of E2F1 transcription and cell proliferation efficiently. The region of Raf-1 involved in Rb binding spanned residues 1 to 28 at the N terminus, and functional inactivation of Rb required a direct interaction. Serum stimulation of quiescent human fibroblast HSF8 cells led to a partial translocation of Raf-1 into the nucleus, where it colocalized with Rb. Further, Raf-1 was able to phosphorylate Rb in vitro quite efficiently. We believe that the physical interaction of Raf-1 with Rb is a vital step in the growth factor-mediated induction of cell proliferation and that Raf-1 acts as a direct link between cell surface signaling cascades and the cell cycle machinery.
Use of Choice to Identify Behavioral Function Following an Inconclusive Brief Functional Analysis

In the current investigation, a concurrent operant paradigm was used with 3 young children who displayed severe problem behaviors to identify behavioral function. The children were given a series of choice options varying the availability of parent attention, access to preferred toys, and level of demand. The results showed that all children displayed differential patterns of behavior that appeared to be influenced by the presence or absence of attention and demands, suggesting a behavioral function. The results extended previous applications of reinforcer assessment procedures by using choice to identify antecedent conditions that set the occasion for problem behavior.
Diversity in Education Using Blended Learning in Sarawak

One of the objectives of Malaysia Ministry of Education is to provide educational opportunities for all Malaysians. Are education opportunities given fairly to all Malaysians who come from two big regions and divided by the South China Sea? The web infancy era, where the World Wide Web (WWW) is blooming fast, has changed the new millennium teaching and learning process tremendously. Although the online learning can reach to students regardless of their location and backgrounds, human contact is still very important in traditional face-to-face learning. Blended learning course comprising online learning and traditional face-to-face learning components is an effective teaching and learning method, where it combines the best from both worlds. Blended learning courses only started a few years ago in Malaysia higher learning institutions to give everybody equal opportunities to study. The key acceptance of blended learning approach and continuing improvement is students' satisfaction. This study focused on students' satisfaction related to the nine components of blended learning (course content, technical, flexibility, community learning, motivation, sharing, feedback, complementary learning and personalized learning) from two locations: urban and rural areas. The study employed a mixed method consisting of a survey questionnaire distributed first to collect the quantitative data and followed by the interview to refine and explain the data. The population of the study consisted of students who enrolled in the Mathematics Blended Learning Course in Sarawak state in semester July-November, 2007. Census was used in the study. The survey instrument was developed and validated using Rasch model. The semi-structured questionnaire was used in qualitative data collection. The quantitative data was analyzed by using SPSS v14.0 whilst the qualitative data was coded by using NVivo software. Results from the quantitative data showed that students were satisfied in all nine components regardless of the location. The grand mean of all components also indicated that respondents were satisfied with blended learning course. This result was supported by the qualitative data.
Changing the Ideology and Culture of Philosophy: Not by Reason (Alone)

There is a deep well of rage inside of me. Rage about how I as an individual have been treated in philosophy; rage about how others I know have been treated; and rage about the conditions that I’m sure affect many women and minorities in philosophy, and have caused many others to leave. Most of the time I suppress this rage and keep it sealed away. Until I came to MIT in 1998, I was in a constant dialogue with myself about whether to quit philosophy, even give up tenure, to do something else. In spite of my deep love for philosophy, it just didn’t seem worth it. And I am one of the very lucky ones, one of the ones who has been successful by the dominant standards of the profession. Whatever the numbers say about women and minorities in philosophy, numbers don’t begin to tell the story. Things may be getting better in some contexts, but they are far from acceptable.
False positives in imaging genetics using nonstationary cluster-size inference

Imaging genetic studies present a particular statistical challenge due to the high dimensionality of each domain's data. Specifically some issues have been raised about the adequate control of false positives in imaging genetics. A previous study assessed the effect of a set of 'null' SNPs on brain structure and function. Using voxelwise tests, they found that the empirical familywise error rate (FWE) was at or below 5%, indicating that false positive risk was controlled. Statistical tests based on the size of significant clusters of contiguous voxels are also widely used, due to their typically increased statistical power over voxel-wise tests. With VBM (voxel-based morphometry) data, an adjustment for non-stationarity is made to account for variations in smoothness across the brain. While non-stationary RFT tests have been validated with simulations in small datasets, they have not yet been evaluated with the large datasets typical to imaging genetics.
Intercultural training requirements for virtual assignments: results of an explorative empirical study

Virtual assignments are characterized by the spatial separation of private and business life. The virtual delegate lives and interacts in one culture, yet he or she works together mainly with people from another culture. Since face-to-face contacts with colleagues, customers or suppliers are reduced to a minimum, firsthand experience of foreign cultures does not take place. As a result, intercultural training becomes essential. The study suggests that virtual delegates are faced with several intercultural management problems such as different time zones and communication styles as well as language barriers. These problems are increased by the lack of face-to-face communication and common trust-building mechanisms. Intercultural training may be an instrument for overcoming these challenges. However, they have to be adapted to the specific requirements of virtual expatriates. Moreover, intercultural training should not only be offered to the virtual delegates themselves, but also to the individuals with whom they interact in the host country.
Citation for Published Item: Use Policy 3d Object Classification in Baggage Computed Tomography Imagery Using Randomised Clustering Forests

(2014) '3D object classication in baggage computed tomography imagery using randomised clustering forests. Publisher's copyright statement: c 2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. ABSTRACT We investigate the feasibility of a codebook approach for the automated classification of threats in pre-segmented 3D baggage Computed Tomography (CT) security imagery. We compare the performance of five codebook models, using various combinations of sampling strategies, feature encoding techniques and classifiers, to the current state-of-the-art 3D visual cortex approach [1]. We demonstrate an improvement over the state-of-the-art both in terms of accuracy as well as processing time using a codebook constructed via randomised clustering forests [2], a dense feature sampling strategy and an SVM classifier. Correct classification rates in excess of 98% and false positive rates of less than 1%, in conjunction with a reduction of several orders of magnitude in processing time, make the proposed approach an attractive option for the automated classification of threats in security screening settings.