Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of Social Climate in a Juvenile Correctional Institution

ABSTRACT This research investigates the social climate of a juvenile training school utilizing a modified therapeutic community model. It was presumed that there would be two major structural characteristics to affect the social climate of the institution: institutional goals and organizational form. It was hypothesized that although there would be variations in the perception of social climate between staff members and residents, variation among staff categories would be less significant than perceptions among staff at adult institutions. One juvenile training school with a mixed-goal approach (having both custodial and treatment institutional goals) was examined for this study. The data were collected using Form R of the Correctional Institution Environment Scale questionnaire. Researchers collected completed questionnaires from 90 staff members and 97 residents. An analysis of variance lends support to the main hypothesis that there are few significant differences among perceptions of various types of .
Development of myelination and cholinergic innervation in the central auditory system of a prosimian primate (Otolemur garnetti)

Change in the timeline of neurobiological growth is an important source of biological variation, and thus phenotypic evolution. However, no study has to date investigated sensory system development in any of the prosimian primates that are thought to most closely resemble our earliest primate ancestors. Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter critical to normal brain function by regulating synaptic plasticity associated with attention and learning. Myelination is an important structural component of the brain because it facilitates rapid neuronal communication. In this work we investigated the expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and the density of myelinated axons throughout postnatal development in the inferior colliculus (IC), medial geniculate complex (MGC), and auditory cortex (auditory core, belt, and parabelt) in Garnett's greater galago (Otolemur garnetti). We found that the IC and MGC exhibit relatively high myelinated fiber length density (MFLD) values at birth and attain adult‐like values by the species‐typical age at weaning. In contrast, neocortical auditory fields are relatively unmyelinated at birth and only attain adult‐like MFLD values by the species‐typical age at puberty. Analysis of AChE expression indicated that, in contrast to evidence from rodent samples, the adult‐like distribution of AChE in the core area of auditory cortex, dense bands in layers I, IIIb/IV, and Vb/VI, is present at birth. These data indicate the differential developmental trajectory of central auditory system structures and demonstrate the early onset of adult‐like AChE expression in primary auditory cortex in O. garnetti, suggesting the auditory system is more developed at birth in primates compared to rodents. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:3804–3816, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Understanding and Modeling Health Behavior

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Multi-Stage Model (MSM). The MSM proposes eight different stages that are distinguished by cognitions and behavior and concepts of habituation as well. The MSM stages were assessed in 835 rehabilitation patients with a questionnaire. People in the different stages were compared and trends across the means of individuals in the different stages were evaluated to test for discontinuity patterns. Discontinuity patterns across the stages were found in social-cognitive variables such as intention, self-efficacy, outcome expectancies and social support. Most predictions according to stage differences were empirically found. This supported the validity of the MSM. Implications for further investigations and stage-specific interventions are discussed.
Emerging Issues and Trends in International Curriculum Discourse: Theoretical, Philosophical, and Pedagogical Positions

Abstract Internationalization of curriculum discourse (ICD), one of the most important issues in the curriculum field, can mean different things to different scholars. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe curriculum scholars' perception of the internationalization of curriculum discourse and investigate emerging issues and trends. Participants were eight curriculum scholars selected from Africa, Europe, and the United States of America. Data were collected through e-mail conversations and interviews. The findings showed that ICD might not only bring opportunities to collaborate, openness to diversity, inclusion of multiple voices, expansions of knowledge, and collaboration on various projects, but also concerns of ideological domination, philosophical hegemony, and post-colonial agenda.
Guiding Unsupervised Grammar Induction Using Contrastive Estimation

We describe a novel training criterion for probabilistic grammar induction models, contrastive estimation [Smith and Eisner, 2005], which can be interpreted as exploiting implicit negative evidence and includes a wide class of likelihood-based objective functions. This criterion is a generalization of the function maximized by the ExpectationMaximization algorithm [Dempster et al., 1977]. CE is a natural fit for log-linear models, which can include arbitrary features but for which EM is computationally difficult. We show that, using the same features, log-linear dependency grammar models trained using CE can drastically outperform EMtrained generative models on the task of matching human linguistic annotations (the MATCHLINGUIST task). The selection of an implicit negative evidence class—a “neighborhood”—appropriate to a given task has strong implications, but a good neighborhood one can target the objective of grammar induction to a specific application.
Minimizing a weighted error criterion for spatial error concealment of missing image data

In this contribution we present an algorithm for spatial error concealment of lost image data caused by transmission of images in error prone environments. The surrounding correctly received image signal is approximated by a weighted linear combination of basis functions and the missing image data is obtained by a frequency selective extrapolation. During the approximation a novel weighted error criterion is minimized. We use an isotropic correlation model for the weighting function taking the correlation among pixels into account and emphasizing pixels which are closer to the missing area. 2D DFT basis functions are especially suited for the signal extrapolation in order to be able to reconstruct monotone areas, edges and noisy regions and allow an efficient realization of the algorithm in the frequency domain. Due to the weighting function we could improve the concealing performance of the algorithm considerably while halving the required FFT size.
The Effect of Clarion Transitions on Student Academic Performance and Retention

Developed in 1999 by teams of faculty, staff, and students, Clarion Transitions is a multi-year student success program designed to increase student retention at a public university in western Pennsylvania. Clarion Transitions: Exploration is a credit-bearing, peer/faculty-facilitated co-curricular that engages freshmen in activities designed to encourage high levels of academic performance, campus knowledge, and social integration, thus encouraging higher levels of retention to the second semester and second year of college. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Exploration co-curricular on first-year students' academic performance and retention. Results indicate that, compared to students who do not complete the Exploration program, completers of the Exploration program earn higher semester GPAs, are more likely to attempt and earn more credit hours, are less likely to be placed on probation or suspension, and are more likely to return for their second semester and their second year.
Particle filter based on partial accurate observation for high dimensional stochastic dynamic system

With the improvement of computer performance, particle filter as a method of state estimation, is widely used for nonlinear non-Gaussian dynamic systems. In order to reduce the partical degeneracy in the state estimation process of high-dimensional stochastic dynamic systems which commonly occurs in the conventional particle filter, an improved particle filter method based on adding more accurate direct observations of some dimensions of the system state is proposed in this paper. By arranging a plurality of sensors in the stochastic dynamic system which are able to directly and precisely measure some dimensions of the state, lots of accurate state information can be obtained. Combined the information with the inverse process of the system measurement, the particles move towards the high observation likelihood region, so that the effectiveness and accuracy of resampling process can be greatly enhenced. In the case study, a stochastic dynamic system of near-surface wind farm is established by the theory of computational fluid mechanics. Numerical results show that the proposed PF method is able to enhance the accuracy of the estimation for high dimensional stochastic dynamic system.
EEG based hearing threshold diagnosis using feed-forward network

In this paper, a simple analysis has been made to distinguish the normal and abnormal hearing subjects using acoustically stimulated EEG signals. Independent power spectral features of the brain rhythms (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) were extracted from the recorded EEG signals. The extracted power spectral features were then associated to the auditory perception and neural network models for the left and right ears were developed. The result indicates that the gamma-power derived from the electrodes can be deployed independently to characterize the EEG dynamics of normal hearing and abnormal hearing perception of a person. The effects of brain rhythms on perceiving two different auditory frequencies namely 500 Hz and 1000 Hz their associated auditory response have been investigated. From the network models, it has been inferred that the neural network models were able to discriminate the normal hearing and abnormal hearing persons.
Home‐based Parental Involvement in Young Children’s Education: Examining the effects of maternal education across U.S. ethnic groups

This study investigated the contributions of maternal education and ethnicity to three dimensions of home‐based parental involvement in young children’s education and development: parental expectations about educational attainment, children’s activities at home and outside the home, and family routines. Controlling for family background variables such as family size and structure, household income, and neighbourhood safety, we examined these relations in a nationally representative U.S. sample of 9,864 Asian American, African American, Latino American, and European American five‐year‐old children. Multiple regression models suggested that maternal education explained small to moderate amounts of variation in parental home‐based involvement, and was more strongly associated with these outcome variables than was income. Ethnicity significantly predicted additional variation in only two outcome variables: parental educational expectations and family discussions. Maternal education plays a unique role in explaining U.S. ethnic group variations in parental involvement in young children’s education.
Combat Stress Control and Prevention: What Can Be Learned from an Application of Workplace Behavioral Health in a Deployed Combat Environment?

This article details a Combat Stress Control and Prevention (CSCP) team's tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It highlights the similarities between battlefield and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) behavioral health care methods and practices. A CSCP team's mission is to provide battle-front direct mental health services to commanders and combatants via consultation, education, advocacy and proximal prevention, intervention and stabilization, and if indicated, evacuation of overstressed troops. This team's access, credibility, and social networking were critical in preventing and responding to war-fighter's combat stressors in a timely manner. As in EAP work, credibility with leadership and bridging social capital are essential components for workplace behavioral health prevention success.
Toward Mature Talent Management: Beyond Shareholder Value

Talent management has become one of the most prevalent topics in the field of people management and development for practitioners and academics alike. However, while managers do appear to appreciate the importance of talent management, they often fail to manage it effectively, and the linkages between talent management and organizational performance remain unclear. In this invited feature article, I argue that the failure to effectively manage and develop talent can be traced, in part, to a narrow conceptualization of performance in much thinking on talent management. At an organizational level, this means that performance is generally considered solely in terms of shareholder returns while ignoring other stakeholders. This translates into HR systems that fail to effectively align individuals and organizations in the generation of value. This article foregrounds employees as stakeholders and argues that organizations that are defined by a sense of purpose and that prioritize employees as stakeholders generally have higher levels of alignment between organizational and employee goals with more highly motivated employees and ultimately more sustainable performance. Some implications for research on talent management are developed.
A comparison of nine scales to detect depression in Parkinson disease

Objective: The Methods of Optimal Depression Detection in Parkinson's Disease (MOOD-PD) study compared the psychometric properties of 9 depression scales to provide guidance on scale selection in Parkinson disease (PD). Methods: Patients with PD (n = 229) from community-based neurology practices completed 6 self-report scales (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]–II, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Rating Scale–Revised [CESD-R], 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS-30], Inventory of Depressive Symptoms–Patient [IDS-SR], Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9], and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [UPDRS]–Part I) and were administered 3 clinician-rated scales (17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D-17], Inventory of Depressive Symptoms–Clinician [IDS-C], and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] and a psychiatric interview. DSM-IV-TR diagnoses were established by an expert panel blinded to the self-reported rating scale data. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to estimate the area under the curve (AUC) of each scale. Results: All scales performed better than chance (AUC 0.75–0.85). Sensitivity ranged from 0.66 to 0.85 and specificity ranged from 0.60 to 0.88. The UPDRS Depression item had a smaller AUC than the BDI-II, HAM-D-17, IDS-C, and MADRS. The CESD-R also had a smaller AUC than the MADRS. The remaining AUCs were statistically similar. Conclusions: The GDS-30 may be the most efficient depression screening scale to use in PD because of its brevity, favorable psychometric properties, and lack of copyright protection. However, all scales studied, except for the UPDRS Depression, are valid screening tools when PD-specific cutoff scores are used.
Which codes have cycle-free Tanner graphs?

If a linear (n,k,d) code C has a Tanner graph without cycles, then maximum-likelihood soft-decision decoding of C can be achieved in time O(n/sup 2/). However, we show that cycle-free Tanner graphs cannot support good codes: we prove that d/spl les/max{2,2/R} for any linear code of rate R that can be represented by a cycle-free Tanner graph. Moreover, we explicitly construct codes that meet this bound with equality. We also show that all binary codes that have cycle-free Tanner graphs belong to the class of graph-theoretic cut-set codes. We conclude that the number of cycles in a Tanner graph must increase exponentially with the length n for asymptotically good codes.
Toward a Historical Sociology of Working-Class Formation

Following the enormous international expansion of labor history, comparative approaches have been developed to systematize and explain the peculiarities of national patterns of working-class formation. One of the most fully elaborated recent approaches in this area is the collective investigation by Ira Katznelson, Aristide Zolberg, and associates (1986). Conceptually, this approach follows Jürgen Kocka's Weberian-Marxist class model in reducing E. P. Thompson's cultural Marxist class notion to only one analytical level amongst others. I argue that this approach is limited its failure to adequately integrate the cultural and moral bases of working-class formation in relation to the legitimacy of the social order. I exemplify this criticism, first, by referring to the strength of Thompson's interpretative method in The Making of the English Working Class; second, by indicating some weaknesses of Jürgen Kocka's analytical method in his recent social history of the German working class; and third, by suggesting some comparative cultural hypotheses for explaining the different English and German patterns of working-class formation.
Failed culture change aimed at more service provision: a test of three agentic factors

Purpose – Headquarters managers of a medium-sized manufacturing company initiated a culture change in five of their dispersed wholesale units. The aim was for more external service quality. This paper aims to report the results of a test of three hypotheses, shedding light on the behavior of the involved agents. The hypotheses are rooted in the change management literature. Design/methodology/approach – The present study rests both on quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interviews) field data collected in two discrete phases over 3.5 years and obtained from the operational employees. The authors use their quantitative survey data to examine agentic explanations for the failed change; their qualitative data corroborated the findings. Findings – No culture change or service improvement was detected. Despite the fact that local change agents were not the initiators or owners of the intended change, employee satisfaction with the local change agents (situated in the service units) was found to explain variance in the culture and climate scores. The results underscore, furthermore, the critical importance of training employees, or lack thereof, in instituting the required new behavior. Originality/value – Most change-management research collects data from the managers' point of view. There are relatively few studies like this one that have been conducted from the perspective of those employees working in frontline service units. Meeting the challenge to improve external and internal service through culture change is crucial in many firms, for their survival and growth; accomplishing such organisational change (in which both culture and climate are positively affected) does indeed require experienced change-management skills. Results of this study recommend the honing of the change-management skill “coaching” for experienced managers, even though they themselves may not feel such a need.
Weaving Protective Stories: Connective Practices to Articulate Holistic Values in the Stockholm National Urban Park

With rapid worldwide urbanization it is urgent that we understand processes leading to the protection of urban green areas and ecosystems. Although natural reserves are often seen as preserving ‘higher valued’ rather than ‘lower valued’ nature, it is more adequate to describe them as outcomes of selective social articulation processes. This is illustrated in the Stockholm National Urban Park. Despite strong exploitation pressure, a diverse urban movement of civil society organizations has managed to provide narratives able to explain and legitimize the need for protection—a ‘protective story’. On the basis of qualitative data and building on theories of value articulation, social movements, and actor-networks, we show how activists, by interlacing artefacts and discourses from cultural history and conservation biology, managed to simultaneously link spatially separated green areas previously seen as disconnected, while also articulating the interrelatedness between the cultural and the natural history of the area. This connective practice constructed holistic values articulating a unified park, which heavily influenced the official framing of the park's values and which now help to explain the success of the movement. In contrast to historically top-down-led designation of natural reserves, we argue that the involvement of civil society in protecting nature (and culture) is on the rise. This nonetheless begs the question of who can participate in these value-creating processes, and we also strive to uncover constraining and facilitating factors for popular participation. Four such factors are suggested: (i) the number and type of artefacts linked to an area; (ii) the capabilities and numbers of activists involved; (iii) the access to social arenas; and (iv) the social network position of actors.
Effect of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Salivary IgA, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Young Soccer Players

The physiologic stress induced by physical activity is reflected in immune system perturbations, oxidative stress, muscle injury, and inflammation. We investigated the effect of astaxanthin (Asx) supplementation on salivary IgA (sIgA) and oxidative stress status in plasma, along with changes in biochemical parameters and total/differential white cell counts. Forty trained male soccer players were randomly assigned to Asx and placebo groups. Asx group was supplemented with 4 mg of Asx. Saliva and blood samples were collected at the baseline and after 90 days of supplementation in preexercise conditions. We observed a rise of sIgA levels at rest after 90 days of Asx supplementation, which was accompanied with a decrease in prooxidant-antioxidant balance. The plasma muscle enzymes levels were reduced significantly by Asx supplementation and by regular training. The increase in neutrophil count and hs-CRP level was found only in placebo group, indicating a significant blunting of the systemic inflammatory response in the subjects taking Asx. This study indicates that Asx supplementation improves sIgA response and attenuates muscle damage, thus preventing inflammation induced by rigorous physical training. Our findings also point that Asx could show significant physiologic modulation in individuals with mucosal immunity impairment or under conditions of increased oxidative stress and inflammation.