Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of teacher experience on interaction in two Japanese as a foreign language classrooms

OF THE THESIS The Effects of Teacher Experience on Interaction in Two Japanese as a Foreign Language Classrooms by Rina Otsuka Pasamonik Master of Arts in Linguistics San Diego State University, 2011 This study investigates interactions between two Japanese foreign language teachers and their students in the United States. Specifically, the goal is to consider the effect of teaching experience on the nature of interaction in their classes. To this end, the analysis focuses on one teacher with twenty years’ experience and another in her first year as a foreign language teacher. It was found that the experienced teacher’s interactions with her students are similar to those commonly used in the United States. It was also observed that her students might not realize what the Japanese discourse rules are, and that they might not be able to use them appropriately in the classroom. On the other hand, the students in the beginning teacher’s class are exposed to more examples of Japanese discourse style. However, as expected from previous research one point of concern is that English speaking students might feel uneasy using the Japanese discourse style in terms of receiving corrective feedback. Therefore, the study concludes that contextual factors must be considered when foreign language teachers decide how to interact with their students in class. Specifically, it is argued that they need to consider when it is more appropriate to interact in a manner preferred in the country where the target language is used, or when students’ familiar discourse style is more suitable.
Efficient fine-grained analysis of urban transport accessibility

We describe a novel computationally efficient method for the fine-grained analysis of accessibility in multimodal (urban) transport systems. In contrast to existing work, we use a full-detail representation of the transport system, including exact timetables and complete maps of road, footpath and cycleway networks, which enables more accurate accessibility assessment. Compared to existing work, our approach also calculates a wider range of location- and time-dependent transport accessibility metrics, including service frequency and the number of transfers for public transport and physical effort and elevation gain for cycling. Because it employs efficient single-origin multiple-destination shortest-path graph search techniques, our method is also faster than existing approaches relying on point-to-point search algorithms. We demonstrate our method on the city of Prague, showing the interactive frontend for location accessibility analysis as well as the application of our algorithms for comparing the city-wide transport accessibility before and after large-scale timetable change.
Finger detection based on data fusion of fish-eye stereo camera for 3D-gesture input interface

There is a growing importance of the in-air hand operation for the input devices. In order to introduce such in-air operation, we require an image sensing technology that enables 3D position detection of the user's hand in wide range. In this paper, as a practical application system, we focus on the Zooming Touch Panel [1] that connects the touch-panel and in-air operations seamlessly. In order to provide wide operation space for this type of the system, we propose a new hand detection method based on data fusion of fish-eye stereo camera. This technique enables both high-accuracy and wide-range 3D hand detection. Also this paper shows two example demonstrations.
WIN55,212‐2, a cannabinoid receptor agonist, protects against nigrostriatal cell loss in the 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons leading to motor disturbances and cognitive impairment. Current pharmacotherapies relieve PD symptoms temporarily but fail to prevent or slow down the disease progression. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which the non‐selective cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212‐2 (WIN) protects mouse nigrostriatal neurons from 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)‐induced neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation. Stereological analyses showed that chronic treatment with WIN (4 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), initiated 24 h after MPTP administration, protected against MPTP‐induced loss of tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta independently of CB1 cannabinoid receptor activation. The neuroprotective effect of WIN was accompanied by increased dopamine and 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels in the substantia nigra pars compacta and dorsal striatum of MPTP‐treated mice. At 3 days post‐MPTP, we found significant microglial activation and up‐regulation of CB2 cannabinoid receptors in the ventral midbrain. Treatment with WIN or the CB2 receptor agonist JWH015 (4 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) reduced MPTP‐induced microglial activation, whereas genetic ablation of CB2 receptors exacerbated MPTP systemic toxicity. Furthermore, chronic WIN reversed MPTP‐associated motor deficits, as revealed by the analysis of forepaw step width and percentage of faults using the inverted grid test. In conclusion, our data indicate that agonism at CB2 cannabinoid receptors protects against MPTP‐induced nigrostriatal degeneration by inhibiting microglial activation/infiltration and suggest that CB2 receptors represent a new therapeutic target to slow the degenerative process occurring in PD.
DNA Polymerase η, the Product of the Xeroderma Pigmentosum Variant Gene and a Target of p53, Modulates the DNA Damage Checkpoint and p53 Activation

ABSTRACT DNA polymerase η (PolH) is the product of the xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV) gene and a well-characterized Y-family DNA polymerase for translesion synthesis. Cells derived from XPV patients are unable to faithfully bypass UV photoproducts and DNA adducts and thus acquire genetic mutations. Here, we found that PolH can be up-regulated by DNA breaks induced by ionizing radiation or chemotherapeutic agents, and knockdown of PolH gives cells resistance to apoptosis induced by DNA breaks in multiple cell lines and cell types in a p53-dependent manner. To explore the underlying mechanism, we examined p53 activation upon DNA breaks and found that p53 activation is impaired in PolH knockdown cells and PolH-null primary fibroblasts. Importantly, reconstitution of PolH into PolH knockdown cells restores p53 activation. Moreover, we provide evidence that, upon DNA breaks, PolH is partially colocalized with phosphorylated ATM at γ-H2AX foci and knockdown of PolH impairs ATM to phosphorylate Chk2 and p53. However, upon DNA damage by UV, PolH knockdown cells exhibit two opposing temporal responses: at the early stage, knockdown of PolH suppresses p53 activation and gives cells resistance to UV-induced apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner; at the late stage, knockdown of PolH suppresses DNA repair, leading to sustained activation of p53 and increased susceptibility to apoptosis in both a p53-dependent and a p53-independent manner. Taken together, we found that PolH has a novel role in the DNA damage checkpoint and that a p53 target can modulate the DNA damage response and subsequently regulate p53 activation.
A Comparative Review of Thermography as a Breast Screening Technique

guidelines vary in North America. In the United States, the US Preventive Services Task force (USPSTF) “recommends screening mammography, with or without clinical breast exam, every 1 to 2 years for women aged 40 or older. ” In addition, there are no recommendations for or against the use of CBE or breast self exam (BSE) in screening. In Canada, mammography and CBE are accepted procedures for breast cancer screening. There are, however, different recommendations based on age. For women aged 50 and older, mammography screening Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer of women in North America. The National Cancer Institute of Canada estimates that 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 27 will die from the disease. The statistics on the United States are similar with incidence estimated to be 1 in 8 women developing breast cancer. The probability of developing breast cancer increases with age (see Table 1) and the largest risk factors associated with the development of breast cancer, specifically age and gender, are not modifiable. Despite advances in treatment that have reduced breast cancer mortality over the past two decades, next to lung cancer, breast cancer still remains the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Clinical breast exam (CBE) and mammography are the two most widely A Comparative Review of Thermography as a Breast Screening Technique
Synthesis of biocompatible multicolor luminescent carbon dots for bioimaging applications

Abstract Water-soluble carbon dots (C-dots) were prepared through microwave-assisted pyrolysis of an aqueous solution of dextrin in the presence of sulfuric acid. The C-dots produced showed multicolor luminescence in the entire visible range, without adding any surface-passivating agent. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies revealed the graphitic nature of the carbon and the presence of hydrophilic groups on the surface, respectively. The formation of uniformly distributed C-dots and their luminescent properties were, respectively, revealed from transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The biocompatible nature of C-dots was confirmed by a cytotoxicity assay on MDA-MB-468 cells and their cellular uptake was assessed through a localization study.
A new approach for disparity map determination

This article presents a new method to determine disparity map useful for three-dimensional (3D) scene reconstruction. The main task behind the computation of disparity map is stereo correspondence matching. In recent years, several stereo matching algorithms have been developed to find corresponding pairs in two images: left and right images captured by a stereo camera. But these algorithms exhibit a very high computational cost. With a view to reduce the computation time and produce a smooth and detailed disparity map, a fast and new approach based on average disparity estimation is proposed in this research, which can tackle additive noise. Experimental results confirm that the method achieves a substantial gain in accuracy with less expense of computation time. Key Words: Disparity map, Stereo correspondence, Stereo Vision, 3D Scene Reconstruction. DOI: 10.3329/diujst.v4i1. 4348 Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.4(1) 2009 pp.9-13
Management of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation after allogeneic stem cell transplantation by simultaneous analysis of EBV DNA load and EBV-specific T cell reconstitution.

BACKGROUND Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation is a frequent event after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and may progress to life-threatening lymphoproliferative disease (EBV-LPD) in the absence of adequate EBV-specific T cell immunity. Quantification of EBV DNA load in asymptomatic individuals who are at risk is a useful (although not entirely predictive) indicator of progression to EBV-LPD and guide for preemptive treatment with CD20 antibodies. METHODS With the aim of improving the identification of patients at risk, we retrospectively analyzed, within a cohort of 25 consecutive allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients at risk for EBV-LPD, the pattern of T cell reconstitution during EBV reactivation in all preemptively treated patients (8 patients). RESULTS In 6 of 8 cases, a significant T cell reconstitution (i.e., a CD3+ T cell count of >300 cells/microL) was documented during EBV reactivation, which included an expansion of EBV-specific memory T cells, as shown by human leukocyte antigen class I tetramer analysis. Additional evidence for the antiviral potential of this T cell reconstitution was obtained prospectively from a cohort of 14 consecutive allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients at risk for EBV-LPD. EBV reactivation occurred in 3 patients. Preemptive treatment was successfully withheld for 2 of these patients in light of concurrent (EBV-specific) T cell recovery. CONCLUSION We conclude that analysis of the level of (EBV-specific) T cell reconstitution during EBV reactivation is an important second parameter, in addition to quantification of EBV DNA load, that will be instrumental in a more accurate definition of patients at risk for EBV-LPD who, given their immunoincompetence, will be most certainly dependent on preemptive interventions.
Why are Airplanes so Safe Structurally? Effect of Various Safety Measures on Structural Safety of Aircraft

§Passenger aircraft structural design is based on a safety factor of 1.5, and this safety factor alone is equivalent to a probability of failure of between 10 -2 and 10 -3 . Yet airliners are much safer, with crashes due to structural failure being extremely rare based on accident records. The probability of structural failure of transport aircraft is of the order of 10 -8 per flight segment. This paper looks at two other contributions to safety--the use of conservative material properties and certification tests--using a simple model of structural failure. We find that the three safety measures together may be able to reduce the calculated probability of failure to about 10 -7 , and that additional measures, such as conservative load specifications, may be responsible for the higher safety encountered in practice. In addition, the paper sheds light on the effectiveness of certification tests for improving safety. It is found that certification tests reduce the calculated failure probabilities by reducing the modeling error. We find that these tests are most effective when safety factors are low and when most of the uncertainty is due to systemic errors rather than variability. HIS paper explores the effects of various safety measures taken during aircraft structural design using the deterministic design approach based on FAA regulations. We use Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the effect of these safety measures on the probability of failure of a structural component. The safety measures that we include here are (1) the use of safety factors, (2) the use of conservative material properties (A-basis), and (3) the use of final certification tests. We do not include in this discussion the additional safety due to structural redundancy and due to conservative design load specification. The effect of the three individual safety measures and their combined effect on the probability of structural failure of the aircraft are demonstrated. We start with a structural design employing all considered safety measures. The effect of variability in geometry, loads, and material properties is readily incorporated by the appropriate random variables. However, there is also uncertainty due to lack of knowledge (epistemic uncertainty), such as modeling errors in the analysis. To simulate these epistemic uncertainties, we transform the error into a random variable by considering the design of multiple aircraft models. As a consequence, for each model the structure is different. It is as if we pretend that there are hundreds of companies (Airbus, Boeing, etc.) each designing essentially the same airplane, but each having different errors in their structural analysis. For each model we simulate certification testing. If the airplane passes the test, then an entire fleet of airplanes with the same design is assumed to be built with different members of the fleet having different geometry, loads, and
Is there epidemiology in Russia?

OBJECTIVE To examine the current state of epidemiology in Russia. DESIGN The structure of clinical research and statistical methods was used to shed light on the epidemiology in Russia. The frequencies of specific study designs were evaluated using Medline data for 1970–1997. To determine the proportion of advanced design clinical studies the frequency of cohort, prospective, follow up, or longitudinal studies, and controlled trials was evaluated. All diagnosis related studies were found to determine the usage of advanced statistical technique (ROC analysis). The adequacy of Medline information was checked by hand search of journals. All dissertations in epidemiology defended in Russia in 1995 and 1996 were evaluated for their methodology. The curriculum recommended by Ministry of Health to Medical Universities was evaluated. Available literature and library indexing of epidemiological terms examined. MAIN RESULTS Russian medical research uses less frequently advanced study designs and methods of data analysis. Medical students are taught epidemiology as a science of spread of infectious diseases. There is no department of epidemiology in Russian universities where epidemiology is taught in the modern sense and no epidemiological and biostatistical periodicals available in Russia. CONCLUSION Epidemiology in Russia remains in an archaic state of science of the spread of infectious diseases and it is detrimental to methodology of medical research in Russia.
Business Unity and Anticorporate Protests: The U.S. Fortune 500 in 2010*

Do large corporations respond to social movement protests following a firm-centric rationale or do they develop their strategies relationally? If they do so relationally, do corporate networks help foster class-wide unity in their responses to protests? We address these questions through an examination of protests against U.S. Fortune 500 firms. We incorporate data on board of director interlocks and corporate involvement in policy planning organizations to test the effect of corporate networks on firm behavior. Utilizing firm- and dyadiclevel analyses, we show that firms more embedded in the capitalist class concede to protest demands less often while retaliating against protesters more. However, this resistance is moderated by the ideologies of the networks in which the firm is embedded: firms connected to relatively liberal groups instead display the reverse pattern. These findings suggest class-wide networks shape corporate responses to protests in ideologically identifiable ways and enable greater un.
Silicon carbide membrane relative humidity sensor with aluminium electrodes

We report a new RH sensor based on a porous SiC membrane and Al electrodes. The RESET function has also been successfully tested. Using SiC allows us to fabricate sensors that can withstand harsh environments, while using Al for the electrodes makes the fabrication process much more cleanroom friendly. SEM images were used to examine the fabricated devices. The response of our sensors to RH between 10% and 90% RH, as well as the effects on the response after being exposed to extreme environments such as the outlet of a car exhaust, an environmental oven operating at 85/spl deg/C & 85%RH for 24hours, and an ammonia atmosphere for /spl sim/5 days, is discussed. It is seen that our sensors survived the exposures, with only small decrease in sensitivity after ammonia exposure.
Using reciprocal relationships to avoid the inclusion trap

Abstract In order to fulfill the requirements for human rights as promulgated by the United Nations, professionals need the competences to collaborate with people with disabilities to fulfill their rights. It should be taken into consideration that the idea of inclusion can entail also several occupational traps. Research was carried out based on a 10-year longitudinal study concerning the therapeutic collaboration phenomenon and 5 years testing of the concept. One way to avoid the traps is to work collaboratively through a reciprocal relationship. It is critical that professionals are willing and competent to work in a reciprocal relationship with people with disabilities. To avoid traps in the present system concerning the fulfillment of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities for affected people, the researchers conclude that therapeutic collaboration is an ethical and enabling way forward. Therefore knowledge and knowhow about therapeutic collaboration should be included in occupational therapy curricula.
Shackle’s potential surprise function and the formation of expectations in a monetary economy

Abstract: G.L. S. Shackle’s potential surprise function attacks the determinism that is central to neoclassical economics. He builds a model of creative individual choice that is nondeterministic and fits well with Keynes’s macroanalysis of monetary economies. Shackle provides a language and a method that allows a translation of originative thoughts into observable actions that can be represented and measured in scalar monetary terms. This provides a bridge between the subjective individual and a nondeterministic macroeconomic outcome. Shackle’s method dovetails with a conventional-evolutionistic approach that is able to explain social context and history under conditions of fundamental uncertainty.
Folding of the tectal cortex by local remodeling of neural differentiation

The folding pattern of the brain cortex is a precisely regulated process, but the mechanism involved during development remains unclear. A proposed theory predicts that the initiation of cortical folding depends, at least partly, on nonuniform distribution of neuronal differentiation and neurite growth. We tested this theory experimentally, by remodeling the normal pattern of neuronal cell differentiation within the embryonic optic tectum. Multiple foci of activated fibroblast growth factor signaling were created in the tectal cortex to locally change the neural differentiation and axonal growth patterns. At these foci, tectal cells remained undifferentiated and their radial and tangential migration was suppressed. These local changes in the neuronal cell differentiation resulted in a conversion of the tectal cortex from smoothly extended into precociously folded. The results provide in vivo experimental evidence that microscopic changes in the neuronal cell differentiation pattern can induce or remodel the folding pattern of the brain cortex. Developmental Dynamics 229:475–479, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Revisions to Macroeconomic Data: Ireland and the OECD

This paper examines revisions to Irish quarterly macroeconomic data focusing on growth rates of real GDP as well as the main expenditure components. A real-time database is constructed from the Central Statistics Office’s Quarterly National Accounts release. This is used to measure the extent of data revisions while also formally testing the presence of statistical bias in Irish data. Although estimates of GDP are found to be unbiased, the same cannot be said for some of the subcomponents, most notably investment spending. Using data from the OECD, we compile an additional data set for 25 OECD economies to assess the relative scale of revisions to Irish data. Finding that revisions to Irish real GDP growth rates are among the largest observed – even when allowing for differences in growth rates – we examine a number of factors that may indicate why cross-country differences emerge. The scale of data revisions, particularly in Ireland, appears to bear some relation to the structure of the traded sector. More generally the paper also highlights the potential for weaker forecasting performances in countries where data revisions are likely to be relatively high.