Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Who Becomes an Unwed Mother in Greece? Sociodemographic and Geographical Aspects of an Emerging Phenomenon

Out of all European countries, the one with the lowest rate of childbearing outside marriage is Greece. However, it seems that the traditional attitudes towards family formation and childbearing have begun to change in Greece as well. Illegitimacy ratio has increased fourfold in less than 30 years. It is by using the vital statistics provided by the National Statistical Service of Greece that this paper answers to research questions regarding the sociodemographic profile of unwed mothers in Greece, in terms of educational level, age, and nationality. It also tries to find out what are the reasons of non-marital childbearing in Greece and to investigate the geographical variation of this phenomenon within the country. A key finding is that the rise in the illegitimacy ratio from the 1990s onwards is largely due to the inflow of immigrants from other countries, mostly from the former Eastern Bloc. The social profile of these unwed mothers is totally different from their Greek counterparts, implying that foreign nationals who have children outside marriage do so by conviction and not because an unwanted pregnancy resulted to birth, which is mostly the case with Greek unwed mothers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parallelizing RRT on Large-Scale Distributed-Memory Architectures

This paper addresses the problem of parallelizing the Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) algorithm on large-scale distributed-memory architectures, using the message passing interface. We compare three parallel versions of RRT based on classical parallelization schemes. We evaluate them on different motion-planning problems and analyze the various factors influencing their performance.
TAXONOMIC STUDY OF TWO NEW GENERA OF FUSIFORM GREEN FLAGELLATES, TABRIS GEN. NOV. AND HAMAKKO GEN. NOV. (VOLVOCALES, CHLOROPHYCEAE) 1

On the basis of LM, we isolated strains of two species of fusiform green flagellates that could be assigned to former Chlorogonium (Cg.) Ehrenb. One species, “Cg. ”heimii Bourr. , lacked a pyrenoid in its vegetative cells and required organic compounds for growth. The other was similar to Cg. elongatum (P. A. Dang.) Francé and “Cg. ”acus Nayal, but with slightly smaller vegetative cells. Their molecular phylogeny was also studied based on combined 18S rRNA, RUBISCO LSU (rbcL), and P700 chl a‐apoprotein A2 (psaB) gene sequences. Both species were separated from Chlorogonium emend. , Gungnir Nakada and Rusalka Nakada, which were formerly assigned to Chlorogonium. They were accordingly assigned to new genera, Tabris Nakada gen. nov. and Hamakko (Hk.) Nakada gen. nov. as T. heimii (Bourr.) Nakada comb. nov. and Hk. caudatus Nakada sp. nov., respectively. Tabris is differentiated from other genera of fusiform green flagellates by its vegetative cells, which only have two apical contractile vacuoles and lack a pyrenoid in the chloroplast. Hamakko, on the other hand, is distinguishable by the fact that its pyrenoids in vegetative cells are penetrated by flattened thylakoid lamellae.
The Commodification of Language

Although language can always be analyzed as a commodity, its salience as a resource with exchange value has increased with the growing importance of language in the globalized new economy under the political economic conditions of late capitalism. This review summarizes how and in which ways those conditions have a commodifying effect on language and focuses on contemporary tensions between ideologies and practices of language in the shift from modernity to late modernity. It describes some of these tensions in key sites: tourism, marketing, language teaching, translation, communications (especially call centers), and performance art.
Coteaching An Inclusive Curriculum for Transition

dents. This article describes how coteaching in a general education life skills class became an effective way to provide inclusive instruction—to benefit all of the students, both with and without disabilities. By discussing a specific collaborative effort in some detail, including the students involved, the nature of collaboration, and the transition curriculum with inclusive accommodations, this article shows how coteaching can promote inclusion and meet the needs of all students. The collaborative team unified separate special education and general education transition efforts within a general education transition class. Inclusive Changes The coteachers of the “Survival Skills” class restructured their curriculum in the midst of larger inclusion and restructuring efforts at Ralston High School in Ralston, Nebraska, with an enrollment of about 1,200 students. General education course offerings at Ralston included a full array of college preparatory and basic academic classes, elective courses, and honors classes. Special education services within the building provided a continuum of
Real-time rendering of large-scale terrain based on GPU

For efficient visualization, storage and management of massive datasets in current large-scale terrain rendering system, a real-time rendering algorithm of large-scale terrain based on GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) is proposed. The algorithm is an out-of-core supported aggregated LOD (Level of Detail) rendering method and focuses on the use of GPUs' ability in the computation and programmability. The two-ratio filtering simplification method and quadtree-based chunk hierarchy are used to generate a simple and regular chunk structure for view-dependent LOD visualization. Based on this structure, a GPU-oriented data compression strategy is given for reducing data transfer bandwidth and storage consumption; a template-based triangle stripification method is used for optimizing visualization efficiency and generating a conforming terrain without cracks. Besides the management strategy of massive datasets which is based on a two-level caching mechanism makes the algorithm breakthrough the hardware limitation and realize the out-of-core rendering. During the typical fly-over for large-scale datasets, a very high frame rate can be guaranteed by the algorithm.
Iatrogenic pneumothorax: safety concerns when using acupuncture or dry needling in the thoracic region

Abstract Background: Pneumothorax is a very rare but serious complication associated with acupuncture and dry needling around the thoracic region. Physiotherapists and other health practitioners should be aware of the risks associated with needling in this region and should take care to minimize the possibility of an iatrogenic pneumothorax. Findings: An awareness of the signs and symptoms of a pneumothorax is necessary for practitioners using acupuncture and dry needling in the thoracic region. Understanding the normal anatomy and its variants can minimize risk associated with needling practices in this region. Various technique modifications are suggested so that the pleura or lungs are avoided while using acupuncture or dry needling in the thoracic region. Discussion/Conclusion: Acupuncture and dry needling in this region administered by well-trained physiotherapists and other health practitioners is very safe; however, to maximize safety therapists should consider the relevant anatomy and not practise using advanced acupuncture and dry needling techniques without adequate competency-based training.
G-hash: towards fast kernel-based similarity search in large graph databases

Structured data including sets, sequences, trees and graphs, pose significant challenges to fundamental aspects of data management such as efficient storage, indexing, and similarity search. With the fast accumulation of graph databases, similarity search in graph databases has emerged as an important research topic. Graph similarity search has applications in a wide range of domains including cheminformatics, bioinformatics, sensor network management, social network management, and XML documents, among others. Most of the current graph indexing methods focus on subgraph query processing, i.e. determining the set of database graphs that contains the query graph and hence do not directly support similarity search. In data mining and machine learning, various graph kernel functions have been designed to capture the intrinsic similarity of graphs. Though successful in constructing accurate predictive and classification models for supervised learning, graph kernel functions have (i) high computational complexity and (ii) non-trivial difficulty to be indexed in a graph database. Our objective is to bridge graph kernel function and similarity search in graph databases by proposing (i) a novel kernel-based similarity measurement and (ii) an efficient indexing structure for graph data management. Our method of similarity measurement builds upon local features extracted from each node and their neighboring nodes in graphs. A hash table is utilized to support efficient storage and fast search of the extracted local features. Using the hash table, a graph kernel function is defined to capture the intrinsic similarity of graphs and for fast similarity query processing. We have implemented our method, which we have named G-hash, and have demonstrated its utility on large chemical graph databases. Our results show that the G-hash method achieves state-of-the-art performance for k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification. Most importantly, the new similarity measurement and the index structure is scalable to large database with smaller indexing size, faster indexing construction time, and faster query processing time as compared to state-of-the-art indexing methods such as C-tree, gIndex, and GraphGrep.
Let the Weakest Link Go! Empirical Explorations on the Relative Importance of Weak and Strong Ties on Social Networking Sites

Theoretical approaches as well as empirical results in the area of social capital accumulation on social networking sites suggest that weak ties/bridging versus strong ties/bonding social capital should be distinguished and that while bonding social capital is connected to emotional support, bridging social capital entails the provision of information. Additionally, recent studies imply the notion that weak ties/bridging social capital are gaining increasing importance in today’s social media environments. By means of a survey ( N = 317) we challenged these presuppositions by assessing the social support functions that are ascribed to three different types of contacts from participants’ network (weak, medium, or strong tie). In contrast to theoretical assumptions, we do not find that weak ties are experienced to supply informational support whereas strong ties first and foremost provide emotional support. Instead we find that within social networking sites, strong ties are perceived to provide both emotional and informational support and weak ties are perceived as less important than recent literature assumes.
Are Homeschoolers Prepared for College Calculus?

Homeschooling in the United States has grown considerably over the past several decades. This article presents findings from the Factors Influencing College Success in Mathematics (FICSMath) survey, a national study of 10,492 students enrolled in tertiary calculus, including 190 students who reported homeschooling for a majority of their high school years. The authors found that, compared with students who received other types of secondary schooling, students who homeschooled: (a) were demographically similar to their peers, (b) earned similar SAT Math scores, and (c) earned higher tertiary calculus grades.
Does using digital media in assessment affect teacher practices in infant and toddler classrooms?

Abstract Child outcome studies consistently emphasize the effects of quality childcare on the early development of young children. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of assessment training and digital media on teacher-child interactions measured using the Caregiver Child Interaction Scale (CCIS). The participants included six infant toddler teachers who participated in an assessment and digital media training session delivered at a university child development centre. An explanatory research model was used to determine whether there were any differences in CCIS scores obtained pre and post-training. The results indicate that training significantly improves the quality of teacher-child interaction; particularly in the social/emotional domain. In addition, it serves to raise teachers' awareness about tailoring play sessions to the meet the child's level of development.
The Effectiveness of the Barton’s Intervention Program on Reading Comprehension and Reading Attitude of Students with Dyslexia

Objective: The current research tested the differences in reading attitude and reading comprehension in the dyslexic students between the control group and the experimental group following the Barton intervention program. Methods: Dyslexia screening instrument and reading text were employed in order to identify dyslexic students. The population of the study included 138 dyslexic students studying in schools in Ilam, Iran. From this population, 64 students were randomly selected and assigned to an experimental group as well as a control group. The experimental group was taught for 36 sessions, using the Barton’s method at two levels, and ten lessons were provided to improve the reading skill. The reading comprehension and reading attitude instruments were employed for the measurement of the attitude and comprehension before and after the intervention program. Results: The analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between the control group and the experimental group following the Barton intervention program. Conclusion: This study showed that dyslexic students learned to read, and a more direct instruction related to decoding could influence their progress more than the general exposure to education.
Osteochondritis Dissecans Involving the Trochlear Groove Treated With Retrograde Drilling

AbstractOsteochondritis dissecans (OCD) occurs frequently in the humeral capitellum of the upper extremity, whereas OCD involving the trochlear groove (trochlear groove OCD) is rarely reported. A standard treatment for trochlear groove OCD has therefore not been determined, although several methods have been tried.The case of a 14-year-old male gymnast with bilateral trochlear groove OCD is presented. Retrograde drilling from the lateral condyle of the humerus was applied for the OCD lesion of the left elbow, since it was larger in size than that in the right elbow and was symptomatic. Conversely, since the right lesion was small and asymptomatic, it was managed conservatively.After treatment, consolidation of the OCD lesions was observed in both elbows. However, the time to healing was shorter in the left elbow treated surgically than in the right elbow managed conservatively.In conclusion, retrograde drilling is a very simple and minimally invasive treatment. This case suggests that retrograde drilling for trochlear groove OCD may be a useful procedure that may accelerate the healing process for OCD lesions.
Integrating Configuration Management and Process Management Based on Life Cycle Control

Currently Configuration Management (CM) tool and Process Management (PM) tool are both largely applied in software organizations. However, neither of them can effectively support the complex evolutions in today's software development. So we must integrate CM and PM together to provide a systematic framework for managing evolutions. This paper introduces a configuration management framework based on life cycle control of the system. In this framework, the life cycle is represented by a series of iterations, which can be started by change requests. Each iteration is based on the process model and CM activities such as check in/check out are performed in it. Strict life cycle control can make evolutions of artifacts more methodical. Furthermore measurements can be effectively performed on the rich information stored in the repository. Process-based reuse is also simplified in this framework.
Does Government Financing have a Detrimental Effect on the Autonomy of Voluntary Associations? Evidence from German Sports Clubs

At first glance, the answer to this question seems all too obvious: The greater the share of government finances the greater the loss of autonomy. But from a resource-dependency and institutional approach, three more influential factors come to mind: the association's counterinfluence, the calculations of the governmental agencies (their alternatives, costs and benefits); and cultural factors. The paper presents evidence from a German survey in which 397 registered associations of four widely differing types were investigated with the aid of a standardized questionnaire: sport clubs in comparison with philanthropic associations, interest associations and self-help groups. The findings support the importance of the perspective of the government agencies, whereas the association's counterinfluence seems to be to small to limit a loss of autonomy. Last but not least, the results support the reasonable assumption that cultural factors might be of importance which restrict governmental interference.
Robotic roommates making pancakes

In this paper we report on a recent public experiment that shows two robots making pancakes using web instructions. In the experiment, the robots retrieve instructions for making pancakes from the World Wide Web and generate robot action plans from the instructions. This task is jointly performed by two autonomous robots: The first robot opens and closes cupboards and drawers, takes a pancake mix from the refrigerator, and hands it to the robot B. The second robot cooks and flips the pancakes, and then delivers them back to the first robot. While the robot plans in the scenario are all percept-guided, they are also limited in different ways and rely on manually implemented sub-plans for parts of the task. We will thus discuss the potential of the underlying technologies as well as the research challenges raised by the experiment.
Rates and modes of body size evolution in early carnivores and herbivores: a case study from Captorhinidae

Body size is an extremely important characteristic, impacting on a variety of ecological and life-history traits. It is therefore important to understand the factors which may affect its evolution, and diet has attracted much interest in this context. A recent study which examined the evolution of the earliest terrestrial herbivores in the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian concluded that in the four herbivorous clades examined there was a trend towards increased body size, and that this increase was more substantial than that observed in closely related carnivorous clades. However, this hypothesis was not based on quantitative examination, and phylogenetic comparative methods provide a more robust means of testing such hypotheses. Here, the evolution of body size within different dietary regimes is examined in Captorhinidae, the most diverse and longest lived of these earliest high fibre herbivores. Evolutionary models were fit to their phylogeny to test for variation in rate and mode of evolution between the carnivorous and herbivorous members of this clade, and an analysis of rate variation throughout the tree was carried out. Estimates of ancestral body sizes were calculated in order to compare the rates and direction of evolution of lineages with different dietary regimes. Support for the idea that the high fibre herbivores within captorhinids are being drawn to a higher adaptive peak in body size than the carnivorous members of this clade is weak. A shift in rates of body size evolution is identified, but this does not coincide with the evolution of high-fibre herbivory, instead occurring earlier in time and at a more basal node. Herbivorous lineages which show an increase in size are not found to evolve at a faster rate than those which show a decrease; in fact, it is those which experience a size decrease which evolve at higher rates. It is possible the shift in rates of evolution is related to the improved food processing ability of the more derived captorhinids rather than a shift in diet, but the evidence for this is circumstantial.
Effects of a Pre-Exercise Meal on Plasma Growth Hormone Response and Fat Oxidation during Walking

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a pre-exercise meal on the plasma human growth hormone (hGH) response and fat oxidation during walking. Subjects (n=8) were randomly provided with either 1 g/kg body weight of glucose in 200 mL water (CHO) or 200 mL water alone (CON) 30 min prior to exercise and subsequently walked on a treadmill at 50% of VO2max for 60 min. Plasma hGH concentrations were significantly higher in subjects who received CHO compared to those who received CON at 15 and 30 min. The fat oxidation rate in the CHO was significantly lower than the CON while walking for 5~15, 25~35 and 45~55 min. Plasma FFA levels were also significantly lower in the CHO compared to the CON at 30, 45 and 60 min. Plasma glucose levels in the CHO were significantly lower while plasma insulin levels were significantly higher than in the CON at 15 and 30 min. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the elevation of plasma hGH levels due to the intake of a pre-exercise meal may not be strongly related to fat oxidation and plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels during low-intensity exercise.
Difference metric soft-output detection: architecture and implementation

The forward-backward (FB, also known as the MAP or BCJR) detection algorithm provides "soft" reliability estimates for each bit that it decodes. This paper presents a VLSI architecture for soft-output forward-backward detection of Class-IV partial response signaling (PR4) used in magnetic recording. A difference metric version of the FB algorithm is derived. A novel low-complexity architecture implements the computational kernel as a limiter. A 0.35-/spl mu/m 3-level metal CMOS ASIC was implemented and verified to operate at 20 MHz (20 Mbps), the highest speed of our IC tester. Simulations predict operation of up to 150 Mbps.
The e (P4) outer membrane protein of Haemophilus influenzae: biologic activity of anti-e serum and cloning and sequencing of the structural gene

Outer membrane proteins of nontypeable (NT) Haemophilus influenzae are among the major candidates for inclusion in vaccines against these organisms. This article reports the purification of the e (P4) lipoprotein of H. influenzae and the subsequent production of antiserum directed against this protein. The anti-e polyclonal serum cross-reacted with e protein in multiple clinical NT H. influenzae isolates. Monoclonal antibody analysis of e protein showed at least one surface-exposed epitope to be conserved among NT H. influenzae strains. Anti-e serum also had bactericidal activity against multiple clinical isolates of NT H. influenzae. These results are in contrast to previous reports in the literature that purified P4 protein did not elicit biologically active antibodies. Anti-e antibodies exhibited synergistic bactericidal activity directed against NT H. influenzae when mixed with antibodies directed against another Haemophilus lipoprotein, PCP. This bactericidal synergy was observed against a variety of NT clinical isolates. We also report the cloning of the Haemophilus e lipoprotein, or hel, gene encoding the e protein and its expression and processing in Escherichia coli. The nucleotide sequence of the gene and deduced amino acid sequence of the protein are given. These results demonstrate that e protein is a viable candidate to be a component of a vaccine against NT H. influenzae.