Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effective Professional Development: Which Factors Matter in Implementation?

Effective professional development is designed to produce sustainable changes in instructional methods that extend teachers’ skills and strategies to meet the needs of all the learners in their classrooms. In this case study, the researcher identified school, district and teacher factors that affected the implementation of the professional development content in participating teachers’ classrooms and found that teachers identified the support they received from instructional coaches and resource teachers as a primary factor that affected their implementation. Teachers also identified the alignment between the district’s existing literacy curriculum and functional grammar as another factor that affected their implementation of the functional grammar content. The most important factor, however, was the effects they saw on their students as a result of the functional grammar lessons. Elementary teachers increasingly need to adapt their instruction for teaching reading to English Language Learners (ELLs) and at-risk students for whom academic English is a second or even a third language. Professors from a local university designed and provided professional development workshops in several schools in a single school district to assist teachers with skills and strategies to address the needs of these struggling students. The workshops were based in the functional grammar approach to give teachers language to explore the syntax and semantics found in written texts with their students. The functional grammar workshops incorporated the features of effective professional development that have been identified in the research. Recommendations about designing professional development that will result in sustainable implementation within existing classroom practices are provided.
Evaluation method for in-situ electric field of different TMS coils in human brain

This study proposes a method to evaluate focal stimulation in the target area of the brain for non-invasive electro-/magneto-stimulation. The feasibility of three different coils used in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is considered for clinical applications. In the second part, we investigate the induced electric fields in the brain using ten individual anatomically realistic models of the head. The group-average electric fields are studied using a registration procedure to map each individual's brain to the standard brain space. From computational results, it is difficult to localize the induced electric field in the target area of the brain due to the morphological variability of the human brain, at least for the coils considered herein. The evaluation method proposed is useful for future design of the coils.
College students' multiracial identity perceptions and experiences of programs and associations

approved: _________________________________________________________________________ Jessica E. White This thesis examined the identity transitions that occurred prior to enrollment at a predominantly, White, large, public research university and after completing at least one year of college for students who identify as multiracial. As a secondary purpose, this thesis also examined whether these students sought support through groups that are similar to their ethnic and cultural identities. Using a sample of 10 interviews and a review of the secondary research literature, the principal findings of this thesis are that multiracial students identify differently based on their age, physical appearance, and consciousness about their racialized heritage. Participation in student programs and associations was examined in conjunction with student identity development. In order to encourage success for the multiracial students at a large, public, research institution, the findings from this research suggest that there is a need to expand existing monoracial programs to include broader definitions of racialized categories. There is also a need to develop new programs and associations that are specifically targeted to multiracial students. By making these changes university administrators may be able to support the adjustment and transition to college for students who are often not included in one of the five recognized racial categories. © Copyright by Lauren S. Plaza April 19, 2011 All Rights Reserved College Students’ Multiracial Identity Perceptions and Experiences of Programs and Associations
Acrolinx: a controlled-language checker turned into an accessibility evaluation tool for image text alternatives

Producing appropriate text alternatives for images in the web is a widely extended accessibility recommendation which, if successfully implemented, facilitates an enhanced web experience for all users, particularly for the visually impaired. Typically, most web accessibility evaluation tools can detect the presence or absence of an alt attribute within the element in a web page. Nevertheless, they rarely perform a deeper linguistic analysis of its content. In the present paper, we introduce Acrolinx, a state-of-the-art controlled-language checker for which we have developed an accessibility-oriented rule set for French, specifically designed to help content authors automatically verify the appropriateness of text alternatives for images.
Distress tolerance moderates the relationship between anger experience and elevated blood pressure

Previous studies have linked anger to elevated blood pressure. However, the nature of the association between anger and elevated blood pressure is unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the moderating effect of distress tolerance on the relationship between anger experience and elevated blood pressure. A total of 310 patients drawn from a university teaching hospital in southeast Nigeria participated in this study. They comprised 156 men and 154 women who were aged between 20 and 80 years (mean age = 50.45). Participants responded to the measures of distress tolerance and Novaco Anger Inventory—Short Form. The blood pressures of the participants were obtained with sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that anger experience significantly predicted both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The results also showed that distress tolerance was a significant predictor of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Distress tolerance moderated the relationship between anger experience and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The relationships between anger and systolic and diastolic pressure were stronger for patients with low distress tolerance compared to patients with high distress tolerance. It is recommended that psychological interventions aimed at increasing people’s level of distress tolerance are emphasized in the management of elevated blood pressure.
Detecting key features in popular music: case study ? singing voice detection

Detecting distinct features in modern pop music is an important problem that can have significant applications in areas such as multimedia entertainment. They can be used, for example, to give a visually coherent representation of the sound. We propose to integrate a singing voice detector with a multimedia, multi-touch game where the user has to perform simple tasks at certain key points in the music. While the ultimate goal is to automatically create visual content in response to features extracted from the music, here we give special focus to the detection of voice segments in music songs. The solution presented extracts the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients of the sound and uses a Hidden Markov Model to infer if the sound has voice. The classification rate obtained is high when compared to other singing voice detectors that use Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients.
Integrating Query Performance Prediction in Term Scoring for Diachronic Thesaurus

A diachronic thesaurus is a lexical resource that aims to map between modern terms and their semantically related terms in earlier periods. In this paper, we investigate the task of collecting a list of relevant modern target terms for a domain-specific diachronic thesaurus. We propose a supervised learning scheme, which integrates features from two closely related fields: Terminology Extraction and Query Performance Prediction (QPP). Our method further expands modern candidate terms with ancient related terms, before assessing their corpus relevancy with QPP measures. We evaluate the empirical benefit of our method for a thesaurus for a diachronic Jewish corpus.
A physical Human Robot Interaction architecture for flexible joint robots

In this work a physical Human Robot Interaction (pHRI) architecture for flexible joint robot is proposed. At its core, a prescribed performance tracking controller is designed at the operational space, to guarantee fast, accurate and robust position tracking. Assuming that a sensing and interpretation task of the human touch is accomplished, a position reference shaping signal reflecting the desired robot reaction is produced. Simulation studies are performed to clarify and verify the approach.
A field programmable gate array-based digital temperature sensor's response to supply voltage variation

Digital temperature sensing sometimes suffer inaccuracy as a result of Vdd variation generating noise within a digital temperature sensor, built around ring oscillators. Thus, noise generated affects ring oscillator's frequency. In this paper, a delay-based digital temperature sensor is formulated, implemented and evaluated on a Field Programmable Gate Array Chip. The temperature sensor is realized using Very High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language and synthesized in Quartus II. The realized digital circuit was implemented on an Altera DE3 board with a Stratix III Field Programmable Gate Array chip. Data obtained was analysed using Least-Square interpolation method to determine the effect of voltage drop. The result is a resource efficient digital temperature sensor sensitive to variation in Vdd less than 3.3V. A measurement error of -2.3°C ~ +2.1°C was obtained at Vdd of 3.3V and -2.7°C ~ +1.7°C when Vdd equal 1.5V for a temperature range within 40°C ~ 120°C.
Are conditional cash transfers effective in urban areas? Evidence from Mexico

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have spread worldwide as a new form of social assistance for the poor. Previous evaluations of CCT programs focus mainly on rural settings, and little is known about their effects in urban areas. This paper studies the short-term (1- and 2-year) effects of the Mexican Oportunidades CCT program on urban children/youth. The program provides financial incentives for children/youth to attend school and for family members to visit health clinics. To participate, families had to sign up for the program and be deemed eligible. Difference-in-difference propensity score-matching estimates indicate that the program is successful in increasing school enrollment, schooling attainment and time devoted to homework for girls and boys and in decreasing working rates of boys.
Privatization in Education: A Growth Curve Analysis of Achievement.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the students who attended one elementary school in Miami-Dade County, Florida, run by The Edison Project (Edison Schools, Inc.) made greater academic progress than comparable students who attended other district schools. The paper provides a longitudinal examination of the students' academic achievement during the school's first 3 years of operation, 1996-1997 through 1998-1999. The study also extends the range of statistical techniques commonly used in program evaluations. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used in an individual growth curve analysis to examine the students' achievement in reading and mathematics. Project and control groups' reading and mathematics scores on the Stanford Achievement Test were compared. Two panels of students in the project school were compared. Panel A was comprised of 114 students initially enrolled in grade 2, and Panel B of 159 students initially enrolled in grade 3. Using stratified random sampling, equal numbers of students who attended other district schools were selected as control groups. Analyses were completed in reading and mathematics. Results of the HLM analyses indicate that significant levels of growth were achieved across the 3-year period in both subject areas for all groups of students. In reading, there were no statistically significant differences between project and control groups that could be attributed to group membership, but in mathematics the results were less consistent. In Panel A, no significant source of between-group variation was identified. In Panel B, however, the rate of growth in mathematics over time was greater for project students than for control students. This was the only statistically significant difference attributed to group membership across the analyses. After 3 years of instruction through the Edison model, reading and mathematics performance levels did not differ significantly from those of students in other district schools. (Contains 6 figures, 12 tables, and 30 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. kr) PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND 71DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIALHAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Interference-aware Precoding Schemes for Multicell MIMO/TDD Systems

In this paper, interference-aware precoding schemes for multicell MIMO/TDD systems are discussed. By exploiting channel reciprocity in TDD systems, we propose decentralized linear precoding schemes without feedback. We first define a new metric called signal to generating interference plus noise ratio (SGINR). Based on SGINR, we propose a single stream scheme that balances between maximizing the desired signal power and minimizing the interference power each transmitter generates to the adjacent cells. And we develop multi-stream schemes which adaptively determine both the number of streams and the power allocated to each stream in order to increase capacity. Simulation results show that proposed schemes offer significant performance gain over the conventional ones which are designed without considering inter-cell interference, and provide suboptimal performance in multicell MIMO systems.
PAMAM Dendrimers Cross the Blood–Brain Barrier When Administered through the Carotid Artery in C57BL/6J Mice

Drug delivery into the central nervous system (CNS) is challenging due to the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and drug delivery into the brain overcoming the BBB can be achieved using nanoparticles such as dendrimers. The conventional cationic dendrimers used are highly toxic. Therefore, the present study investigates the role of novel mixed surface dendrimers, which have potentially less toxicity and can cross the BBB when administered through the carotid artery in mice. In vitro experiments investigated the uptake of amine dendrimers (G1-NH2 and G4-NH2) and novel dendrimers (G1-90/10 and G4-90/10) by primary cortical cultures. In vivo experiments involved transplantation of G4-90/10 into mice through (1) invasive intracranial injections into the striatum; and (2) less invasive carotid injections. The animals were sacrificed 24-h and 1-week post-transplantations and their brains were analyzed. In vivo experiments proved that the G4-90/10 can cross the BBB when injected through the carotid artery and localize within neurons and glial cells. The dendrimers were found to migrate through the corpus callosum 1-week post intracranial injection. Immunohistochemistry showed that the migrating cells are the dendrimer-infected glial cells. Overall, our results suggest that poly-amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers may be used as a minimally invasive means to deliver biomolecules for treating neurological diseases or disorders
Robust estimation of the fundamental matrix and stereocorrespondencesNuno

This paper addresses the problem of robustly estimating correspondences between stereo images, together with the computation of the Fundamental Matrix-F. The fundamental matrix describes the epipolar geometry of a pair of stereo images, and a number of algorithms have been described in the literature to estimate this matrix. However, most of these algorithms assume that a number of correct point correspondences has been established a priori, which is hardly ever the case in practice. In the paper, we focus on the joint estimation of point correspondences and F, in the practical situation where a number of points may correspond to erroneous matches. We compare various methods for the estimation of the fundamental matrix using a robust procedure to select good point correspondences from a larger data set. A new algorithm based on the Least Median of Squares is presented. It compares favourably to various existing ones, both in accuracy and computational eeort. The robust estimation of F and point correspondences is a determinant step for numerous applications like 3D reconstruction and video mosaicing, that are discussed in the paper.
Expression and translocation of fluorescent‐tagged p21‐activated kinase‐binding domain and PH domain of protein kinase B during murine neutrophil chemotaxis

Neutrophils are key cells of the innate immune system; they are terminally differentiated and therefore difficult to genetically manipulate and study in vitro. In the present study, we describe a protocol to transiently express two fluorescent markers, the PH domain of protein kinase B fused to red fluorescent protein and the p21‐activated kinase‐binding domain fused to a yellow fluorescent protein, in primary neutrophils. Using this approach, we are able to achieve a transfection efficiency of ∼30%. The expression of the transfected probes occurred within 2 h and allowed for real‐time monitoring of intermediates in key neutrophil activation pathways at the leading edge of migrating cells. We describe here a transfection protocol for primary neutrophils, which preserves fMLP‐mediated cell polarization and cytoskeleton reorganization with simultaneous accumulation of PI‐3K products and active Rac at the leading edge. The visualization and analysis of transfected fluorescent markers in primary neutrophils are a powerful technique to monitor chemotaxis signaling pathways in real time.
School-based interventions targeting stigma of mental illness: systematic review

Aims and method To systematically review the published literature on the effectiveness of classroom-based interventions to tackle the stigma of mental illness in young people, and to identify any consistent elements within successful programmes. Results Seventeen studies were included in the analysis. A minority of studies reported a positive impact on stigma or knowledge outcomes at follow-up and there were considerable methodological shortcomings in the studies reviewed. These interventions varied substanitally in content and delivery. It was not possible to use this data to draw out what aspects make a successful intervention. There is currently no strong evidence to support previous conclusions that these types of intervention work for children and adolescents. Clinical implications When anti-stigma interventions for young people are rolled out in the future, it is important that the programme design and method of delivery have evidence to prove their effectiveness, and that the audience and setting are the most appropriate to target. There is a current lack of strong evidence to inform this.
Firm size and innovation policy

This study analyses the additionality effects of R&D subsidies on innovation activity: specifically, the allocation of in-house R&D expenditures and economic returns from the innovation process. The magnitude of these effects has been established in the context of a common variable informing the design of innovation policies: firm size. The study reveals that regardless of firm size, public funding stimulates investment within the firm’s technological domain (applied research and technological development), but did not expand the technological knowledge frontier (basic research). The findings also show that R&D subsidies have different additionality effects upon economic returns derived from the innovation process. Although subsidies increased private R&D effort quite significantly in small firms, this only prompted an expansion in the sale of products new for the firm. However, large subsidized firms which only increased investment in technological development improved the sale of products new to the market.
Overlapping Podospora anserina Transcriptional Responses to Bacterial and Fungal Non Self Indicate a Multilayered Innate Immune Response

Recognition and response to non self is essential to development and survival of all organisms. It can occur between individuals of the same species or between different organisms. Fungi are established models for conspecific non self recognition in the form of vegetative incompatibility (VI), a genetically controlled process initiating a programmed cell death (PCD) leading to the rejection of a fusion cell between genetically different isolates of the same species. In Podospora anserina VI is controlled by members of the hnwd gene family encoding for proteins analogous to NOD Like Receptors (NLR) immune receptors in eukaryotes. It was hypothesized that the hnwd controlled VI reaction was derived from the fungal innate immune response. Here we analyze the P. anserina transcriptional responses to two bacterial species, Serratia fonticola to which P. anserina survives and S. marcescens to which P. anserina succumbs, and compare these to the transcriptional response induced under VI conditions. Transcriptional responses to both bacteria largely overlap, however the number of genes regulated and magnitude of regulation is more important when P. anserina survives. Transcriptional responses to bacteria also overlap with the VI reaction for both up or down regulated gene sets. Genes up regulated tend to be clustered in the genome, and display limited phylogenetic distribution. In all three responses we observed genes related to autophagy to be up-regulated. Autophagy contributes to the fungal survival in all three conditions. Genes encoding for secondary metabolites and histidine kinase signaling are also up regulated in all three conditions. Transcriptional responses also display differences. Genes involved in response to oxidative stress, or encoding small secreted proteins are essentially expressed in response to bacteria, while genes encoding NLR proteins are expressed during VI. Most functions encoded in response to bacteria favor survival of the fungus while most functions up regulated during VI would lead to cell death. These differences are discussed in the frame of a multilayered response to non self in fungi.