Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Informal Science Education and Rural Science: A Case Study of Two Seventh Grade Life Science Teachers

ii Acknowledgements.iv List of Tables.ix List of Abbreviations.x Chapter 1 . 1 Statement of the Problem.1 Purpose of the Study.5 Subjectivity Statement.6 Role of the Researcher.8 The Role of Informal Science Education.9 Strategies Using an Informal Science Education Curriculum.12 Science Interests.16 Significance of the Study.18 Background on Environmental Literacy and the Field of Science Education.21 Theoretical Framework.23 Constructivism from a science teacher’s view on science.24 The Role of Misconceptions and How Students Understand Concepts.26 Chapter 2 . 28 vii Review of the Related Literature.28 Informal Science Education (ISE) and Rural Science Education (RSE). 33 Citizen Science (CS) and Stewardship in Rural Science.39 Citizen Science and Water Monitoring.46 Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR). 50 Chapter 3 . 53 Methodology.53 Limitations of the Study.62 Data Collection.65 Data Analysis.69 Researcher’s Role.72 Reliability.74 Validity.75 Chapter 4 . 77 Findings.77 Case Outline.78 Qualitative.79 Teacher Outdoor Observations.89
Depiction of Pelvic Fractures Using 3D Volumetric Holography: Comparison of Plain X‐Ray and CT

Objective The goal of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility and test the diagnostic performance of a new technology, 3D volumetric holography, for imaging pelvic fractures. The management of pelvic fractures may be complex, and advanced imaging studies such as CT are frequently indicated. Multiplanar CT reformations and 3D renderings provide clinically useful and complementary display of the directly acquired CT data. With the recent availability of volumetric multiple exposure holograms, produced from serial image data, it is now possible to produce true 3D images of the pelvis. In the hologram, one may view the CT data in 3D or as individual planar slices constituting the whole 3D pelvis. The diagnostic performance of the volumetric multiple exposure holograms was tested against routine radiography, CT, and 3D volumetric CT reconstructions. Materials and Methods Routine radiography and CT were performed in 15 patients with suspected pelvic fractures. Volumetric multiple exposure holograms and 3D volumetric CT reconstructions were created from the CT data. Axial and multiplanar reformation CT images were used as the standard for fracture, diastasis, and intraarticular fragment detection. Results Radiograms detected 39 of 50 of the fractures and diastases and no intraarticular fragments. The 3D CT reconstructions and the holograms viewed as 3D objects alone missed two small fractures of the anterior column and one hip with intraarticular bone fragments. When the volumetric multiple exposure holograms were viewed as a 3D object and as individual planar slices constituting the whole, their results were the same as the standard. Conclusion Volumetric multiple exposure holograms were as sensitive and specific as axial CT and multiplanar reformations in detecting fracture pathology. By containing and making available, from one image, both planar and 3D information, volumetric multiple exposure holograms detected subtle anatomical features that were hidden by overlapping structures in the radiographs and the 3D CT images.
The DNMT3B -579G>T Polymorphism Is Significantly Associated With the Risk of Gastric Cancer but not Lung Cancer in Chinese Population

The -149C>T and -579G>T, 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms in de novo methyltransferase 3B gene promoter, have been previously reported to potentially alter the promoter activity and to influence cancer risk. However, the results from previous studies remain conflicting rather than conclusive. In view of this, we conducted a case–control study and then a meta-analysis to examine the association between these 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with risk of lung and gastric cancer in Chinese population. The genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and confirmed by sequencing. In this case–control study, no significant association with lung or gastric cancer risk was observed for -149C>T, while -579G>T was significantly correlated with the risk of gastric cancer but not lung cancer. Moreover, haplotype analysis showed that haplotype -149T/-579 T, which carried the risk -579 T allele, significantly increased the susceptibility to gastric cancer. However, none of the haplotypes was associated with the risk of lung cancer. The following meta-analysis involved only Chinese population and further confirmed the significant association of -579G>T with gastric cancer but not lung cancer and suggested no significant association between -149C>T and risk of lung or gastric cancer. Collectively, DNMT3B -579G>T polymorphism is associated with gastric cancer risk in Chinese population, and the -579G>T may be used as a genetic biomarker to predict the risk of gastric cancer in Chinese population.
The Crisis of Social Change for Simple Livers: How a Faith-Based Organization and its Members Affect the Voluntary Simplicity Movement

This research examines how a faith-based simple liv ing organization and its members, Simple Livers, navigate and give meaning to the ide a of living a simple lifestyle within the context of their religious faith. Analyzing dat a from four years of participant observation, interviews, and textual analysis of or ganizational documents and drawing from symbolic interaction and social movement liter a u e, especially the literature on lifestyle movements, I describe the ways Simple Liv ers produce and negotiate individual and organizational identities situated within syste ms of religion, race, class, gender and emotions. I examine the interplay of emotions with Christian and voluntary simplicity ideologies, which creates an over-conforming moral self, a distinctive identity that is rooted in the belief that a Simple Liver should be more moral than the general population. I also discuss participants’ boundary work and desc ribe an intragroup boundary crisis , a situation that occurs when groups cannot create or maintain an organizational identity because of conflicting inclusive and exclusive boun daries at the individual level. To my family and friends for all your love and laug hter. To the Simple Livers who opened their hearts and li ves with me. Thank you for pushing me into a deeper understanding about our world.
Phenotypic heterogeneity in study populations may significantly confound the results of genetic association studies on alcohol dependence

Background The interpretation of genetic studies on alcohol dependence may be confounded by the co-occurrence of substance dependence, psychiatric disorders and alcohol-related comorbidities, for example, cirrhosis. Significant single-marker and haplotypic associations between polymorphisms in the zinc finger gene, ZNF699, and alcohol dependence were reported in the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence population, one-third of whom had co-occurring substance dependence while 80% had identified psychiatric comorbidity. The aim of this study was to explore variant ZNF699 associations with alcohol dependence while exercising controls for potential confounders. Methods The study population was comprised of 1449 alcohol-dependent cases and 1283 population controls; all were of British or Irish ancestry. None of the cases had a history of dependence on other substances, and the frequency of comorbid depression was low. A separate, ancestry-matched cohort of 196 opioid-dependent cases was also included. Genotyping for the four previously identified SNPs of interest in ZNF699 was performed using K-Biosciences Competitive Allele Specific PCR. Results No single-marker associations were found between polymorphisms in ZNF699 and alcohol dependence per se. A significant allelic association was found between rs7254880 in ZNF699 and alcohol-related cirrhosis (n=292), using cases with no biopsy evidence of liver disease (n=314) as controls (P=0.013). Significant allelic associations were also found between rs12460279 (P=0.028), rs7252865 (P=0.012) and rs10854142 (P=0.016) in ZNF699 and opioid dependence. Conclusion Phenotypic variation in study populations may contribute towards the nonreplication of genetic association studies on alcohol dependence; controls for recognised confounding variables should be exercised whenever possible.
Academic Misconduct Benchmarking Research Project (Part I): The Range and Spread of Penalties Available for Student Plagiarism among UK Higher Education Institutions

3.3) When is it possible (or recommended) for a student to be expelled for plagiarism? ___________ 9 3.4) How large a range of penalties is available for a specific act of plagiarism? __________________ 10 3.5) What factors are involved in recommending appropriate penalties? ________________________ 12 3.6) To what extent are penalty regulations gradated to consider the scale of the offence committed? 13 3.7) Are these clusters associated with institution type? _____________________________________ 15
The influence of trust perceptions on German tourists’ intention to book a sustainable hotel: a new approach to analysing marketing information

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship between German tourists’ trust perceptions and their intention to book a sustainable hotel, pioneering a new quantitative approach to sustainable tourism marketing. Data came from 300 respondents who participated in an online survey. Respondents were given a digital brochure to read containing information about a “fictitious” three-star beach hotel in Portugal, before completing a questionnaire that measured inter alia their intention to book this sustainable hotel. Both individual “general trust” (perception of others’ trustworthiness) and “specific trust” towards the fictitious hotel in the brochure were measured. The survey also evaluated respondents’ perceptions about the usefulness of the information in the brochure. Multiple regression analysis of the data indicated that general trust, trusting the hotel and perceived usefulness of the brochure were positively and significantly related to booking intentions. An interaction between general trust and perceived usefulness was also observed. This means that the higher the perception rate about the brochure's usefulness, the higher general trust was for booking intentions and vice versa. The practical implications of the results suggest that tourists could be motivated to book a hotel if its sustainability attributes and amenities were communicated in a trust inspiring way in marketing material.
Circulating endothelial progenitor cells in systemic sclerosis: relation to impaired angiogenesis and cardiovascular manifestations.

OBJECTIVE Given the essential role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in endothelial repair and neovascularization, it is likely that insufficient angiogenesis seen in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is related to EPC alterations. The present study was aimed to analyze in SSc the number of circulating EPCs and their contribution into cardiovascular involvement. METHODS EPC (CD34+VEGF-R2+ and CD133+VEGF-R2+) circulating levels were evaluated in 40 SSc patients and 24 controls by FACS; their correlations with peripheral vascular manifestations, heart involvement, Framingham risk score, carotid artery disease, endothelial function and morphological signs of microangiopathy were studied. RESULTS Early stage SSc and high disease activity were accompanied by a rise in circulating EPC levels in association with increased membrane expression of Fas (CD95) that correlated positively with severity of peripheral vascular manifestations. EPC reduction with disease progression was linked with endothelial dysfunction and capillary loss, and showed a strong relation to the development of severe internal organ (predominantly cardiac) involvement and pulmonary hypertension. There was a tendency to decreased EPC levels in SSc pts with low HDL values, but no significant correlations were found between EPCs and Framingham risk factor score, carotid artery IMT and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS In early stage SSc mobilization of EPCs in response to tissue ischemia was preserved, but dropped with disease progression. EPC reduction may contribute to endothelial dysfunction and impaired angiogenesis, leading to the development of severe vascular life-threatening complications of SSc. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis did not influence EPC levels in SSc patients.
Are We more Consistent when Talking about Ourselves than when Behaving? Consistency Differences through a Questionnaire and an Objective Task

The present paper aimed to examine questionnaire response patterns and objective task-based test behavioral patterns in order to analyze the differences people show in consistency. It is hypothesized that people tend to be more consistent when talking about themselves (when describing themselves through verbal statements) that when they solve a task (when behaving). Consistency is computed using the π* statistic (Hernandez, Rubio, Revuelta, & Santacreu, 2006). According to this procedure, consistency is defined as the value and the dimensionality of the latent trait of an individual (θ) remaining invariant through out the test of. Participants who are consistent must show a constant θ and follow a given response pattern during the entire course of the test. A sample of 3,972 participants was used. Results reveal that 68% of participants showed a consistent response pattern when completing the questionnaire. When tackling the task-based test, the percentage was 66%. 45% of individuals showed a consistent pattern in both tests. Implications for personality and individual differences assessment are discussed. El presente artículo pretende examinar las diferencias que muestran las personas en cuanto a su consistencia entre los patrones de respuesta a un cuestionario y los patrones de respuesta ante un test objetivo basado en tareas. Se hipotetiza que las personas tienden a ser más consistentes cuando hablan sobre ellos mismos (es decir, cuando se describen en base a declaraciones verbales, como es el caso de los cuestionarios) que cuando resuelven una tarea (cuando se comportan). La consistencia se calcula utilizando el estadístico π* (Hernandez, Rubio, Revuelta, & Santacreu, 2006). De acuerdo con este procedimiento, la consistencia se define como la invarianza del valor y la dimensionalidad del rasgo latente de un individuo (θ) a lo largo de un test. Los participantes que son consistentes mostrarán una θ constante y seguirán un patrón de respuesta dado a lo largo del curso completo del test. Para este estudio se utilizó una muestra de 3972 personas. Los resultados muestran que el 68% de los participantes mostraron un patrón de respuesta consistente cuando cumplimentaron el cuestionario. Sin embargo, cuando se enfrentaron al test objetivo basado en tareas, el porcentaje fue del 66%. El 45% de los participantes mostraron un patrón consistente en los dos tests. El artículo analiza las implicaciones para la evaluación de la personalidad y las diferencias individuales.
Differential regulation of trophic factor receptor mRNAs in spinal motoneurons after sciatic nerve transection and ventral root avulsion in the rat

After sciatic nerve lesion in the adult rat, motoneurons survive and regenerate, whereas the same lesion in the neonatal animal or an avulsion of ventral roots from the spinal cord in adults induces extensive cell death among lesioned motoneurons with limited or no axon regeneration. A number of substances with neurotrophic effects have been shown to increase survival of motoneurons in vivo and in vitro. Here we have used semiquantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry to detect the regulation in motoneurons of mRNAs for receptors to ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophin‐3 (NT‐3) 1–42 days after the described three types of axon injury. After all types of injury, the mRNAs for GDNF receptors (GFRα‐1 and c‐RET) and the LIF receptor LIFR were distinctly (up to 300%) up‐regulated in motoneurons. The CNTF receptor CNTFRα mRNA displayed only small changes, whereas the mRNA for membrane glycoprotein 130 (gp130), which is a critical receptor component for LIF and CNTF transduction, was profoundly down‐regulated in motoneurons after ventral root avulsion. The BDNF full‐length receptor trkB mRNA was up‐regulated acutely after adult sciatic nerve lesion, whereas after ventral root avulsion trkB was down‐regulated. The NT‐3 receptor trkC mRNA was strongly down‐regulated after ventral root avulsion. The results demonstrate that removal of peripheral nerve tissue from proximally lesioned motor axons induces profound down‐regulations of mRNAs for critical components of receptors for CNTF, LIF, and NT‐3 in affected motoneurons, but GDNF receptor mRNAs are up‐regulated in the same situation. These results should be considered in relation to the extensive cell death among motoneurons after ventral root avulsion and should also be important for the design of therapeutical approaches in cases of motoneuron death. J. Comp. Neurol. 426:587–601, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Emotions and sentiment: An exploration of artist websites

Artists of all genres express their emotions through their creations and market their works online. We argue that in marketing their work online, it is important to understand not only the emotional responses of the artistic works themselves but also that the sentiment evoked on their websites matters. Developing the correct website sentiment can have favorable consequences. It can increase the interest of potential consumers, assure that appropriate expectations are set for the actual consumption experience, and lead to increased sales and word of mouth marketing. Online sentiment that is ill-aligned to the emotions the actual offering evokes can have adverse consequences, including disappointment with the actual offering and buyer's remorse. To better understand the online sentiment of artists' websites, we begin by briefly revisiting the interplay between art, emotions, and the issue of online “sentiment. ” Then, we describe a study of a sample of artists' websites that had the objective of gauging both the nature of and the extent of the emotions present in its text, as well as gaining an indication of the sentiment of the website. We describe the use of a relatively new content analysis tool to do this. Following this, we explore the data gathered, with the specific purpose of determining whether the emptions expressed on artists' websites can significantly predict sentiment, if so, which emotions tend to be the strongest predictors. We conclude by discussing some managerial implications of the results and by identifying avenues for future research.
Essays on development economics

The concept of club convergence has been widely use d in empirical analysis to group countries in clubs with similar development p aths. However, there is no unified agreement on how to identify the clubs in t he first place. In this paper, I argue that economic history can guide us to identif y clubs. The argument is that economic history helps us understand when, where, a nd how institutions are formed and since institutions determine the way scarce res ources are used by their chosen policies, it allows us to understand economic growt h. Even though Latin America is typically considered a club itself, due to common c haracteristics, such as language, geography, religion and history, it still exhibits differences across countries. I study a period of more than 100 years, from 1900 to 2007, where first, I identify two main common external shocks to the region: the Great Dep ression in the 1930s and the oil price shock in 1974. Second, I classify countri es in clubs according, first, to their natural resources endowments, and then, after each shock, to their policy-response to the shocks. Lastly, I test convergence within ea ch club. I find significant and positive convergence speed within each of the clubs , implying that this way of finding clubs should not be ruled out.
An empirical analysis on the determinant of food price inflation in Malaysia

The identification on the main determinants of food price inflation in Malaysia was the focus of this study. Using the data from 1960 to 2013, the long run relationship among food price inflation and its determinants (per capita GDP, petrol prices, GST, population and unemployment) were found by utilizing Johansenâ€™s co-integration technique. All determinants affected food price inflation positively and significantly in the long run except GST which was proxied by the sale and service tax was insignificant with correct positive sign. The short run dynamics using the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) indicated that food price inflation was only affected by per capita GDP, sale tax, petrol price, and population.
Energy Efficient Resource Allocation for Mixed RF/VLC Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Developing energy efficient wireless communication networks has become crucial due to the associated environmental and financial benefits. Visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as a promising candidate for achieving energy efficient wireless communications. Integrating VLC with radio frequency (RF)-based wireless networks has improved the achievable data rates of mobile users. In this paper, we investigate the energy efficiency benefits of integrating VLC with RF-based networks in a heterogeneous wireless environment. We formulate and solve the problem of power and bandwidth allocation for energy efficiency maximization of a heterogeneous network composed of a VLC system and an RF communication system. Then, we investigate the impact of the system parameters on the energy efficiency of the mixed RF/VLC heterogeneous network. Numerical results are conducted to corroborate the superiority in performance of the proposed hybrid system. The impact of hybrid system parameters on the overall energy efficiency is also quantified.
Predictive Ability of Three Different Estimates of ‘Cay’ to Excess Stock Returns – A Comparative Study for South Africa and USA

The results of Lettau and Ludvigson (2001) show that Cay-LL has a significant predictive power both in the in-sample and the out-of-sample forecast of excess return. Our study departs from Lettau and Ludvigson (2001) in adding and comparing other two estimates of cay namely cay-OLS and cay-DLS besides cay-LL for forecasting excess return in both the United States and South Africa. Using quarterly data over the period 1988:1 to 2012:2, the results for the United States suggest that the three alternative measures of cay have positive significant predicting ability for the in-sample and out-of-sample forecasting models. Furthermore, and in line with the results of Lettau and Ludvigson (2001), cay-LL has the least mean squared forecasting errors. For the case of South Africa, lagged excess return and dividend yield beat the three alternative measures of cay in forecasting excess return. The results suggest that for the case of South Africa, the trend deviations of the macroeconomic variables is not a strong predictor of the excess stock returns over a treasury bill rate, and cannot account for a statistical significant variation in future excess returns.