Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of e-learning coaches in Australian secondary schools

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal experiences of e-learning coaches working in secondary schools in order to provide information about the role of an e-learning coach. Seven secondary schools in the outer-eastern region of Melbourne, Australia, were involved in a 3-year e-learning project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by an independent researcher with an e-learning coach from each of the seven schools involved in the research. A number of themes emerged from the interviews, including role confusion, changes in the role over time, the importance of establishing relationships, barriers to the uptake of information and communication technology (ICT) and ICT usage. To facilitate the integration of ICT with teaching practices in the secondary school setting, we recommend that a full-time position for an on-site e-learning coach receiving the total support of school leaders is needed to provide relevant professional development and ongoing support to classroom teachers.
ERRβ splice variants differentially regulate cell cycle progression

Orphan receptors comprise nearly half of all members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Despite having broad structural similarities to the classical estrogen receptors, estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) have their own unique DNA response elements and functions. In this study, we focus on 2 ERRβ splice variants, short form ERRβ (ERRβsf) and ERRβ2, and identify their differing roles in cell cycle regulation. Using DY131 (a synthetic agonist of ERRβ), splice-variant selective shRNA, and exogenous ERRβsf and ERRβ2 cDNAs, we demonstrate the role of ERRβsf in mediating the G1 checkpoint through p21. We also show ERRβsf is required for DY131-induced cellular senescence. A key novel finding of this study is that ERRβ2 can mediate a G2/M arrest in response to DY131. In the absence of ERRβ2, the DY131-induced G2/M arrest is reversed, and this is accompanied by p21 induction and a G1 arrest. This study illustrates novel functions for ERRβ splice variants and provides evidence for splice variant interaction.
The effects of conflict on risk perception and travelling intention of young tourists

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the evaluations of various risks by young Israelis living in conflict area and their Polish counterparts, who do not live in conflict area and how these perceptions affect their traveling intentions to destinations with different types of risks – Egypt, Turkey, India and Japan. Design/methodology/approach – The research participants were 713 Israeli and Polish students who responded to a structured questionnaire. Findings – The findings validate the assumption that contextual distinctions shape differently factors affecting traveling risk estimation and the intention of young people to travel abroad. The results indicated that the priming effect is substantial, reflected in Israelis’ significantly higher assessments of risks concerning destinations with terror, health and natural disasters hazards in comparison to Poles’ evaluations. As predicted, Israeli students exhibit lesser intentions to travel to Turkey, Egypt and India than their Polish counterparts.
Results of a Survey and Follow-up Interview with Head Start Staff Concerning Social Skills Instruction in Preschool Classrooms

Failure to promote preschoolers’ social competence can lead to significant deficits in social skills development, school readiness, and academic success. While early childhood teachers play an essential role in fostering children’s social competence, there is limited research available about the value teachers place on social skill instruction and the instructional strategies they use. This study employed a survey and interviews to investigate the practices used by five Head Start (HS) programs in the Mid-Atlantic region to promote childrens’ social competence. Results indicated that respondents: (a) identified peer interaction and friendship skills most often as important social skills to teach; (b) reported using classroomwide and naturalistic interventions to teach these skills; and (c) described challenges to addressing children’s social skill needs. Implications of these findings for preschool programs are discussed in terms of professional development to support teachers to implement evidence-based social skill methods.
AVALIAÇÃO DA QUALIDADE EM SERVIÇO DE UM HOTEL PELO MÉTODO SERVPERF

Os hoteis tentam oferecer qualidade em seus servicos como uma maneira de se diferenciarem uns dos outros competitivamente. Mas, a diferenciacao so pode ser verificada atraves da avaliacao do servico prestado. Uma ferramenta para esta avaliacao e o metodo SERVPERF, que retrata as variacoes de qualidade em relacao as cinco dimensoes: confiabilidade, tangibilidade, sensibilidade, seguranca e empatia. Desta forma, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a percepcao dos consumidores quanto aos servicos oferecidos por um hotel. Para a coleta dos dados foi aplicado o questionario SERVPERF com 45 hospedes do hotel estudo de caso. Entre os resultados foi observada a necessidade da realizacao de treinamento para o melhor atendimento e para melhorar o empenho dos funcionarios em atender os clientes com agilidade e presteza. A maior contribuicao deste artigo e oferecer aos gestores hoteleiros um guia metodologico para avaliacao do servico hoteleiro.
Volatility Jumps

The article undertakes a nonparametric analysis of the high-frequency movements in stock market volatility using very finely sampled data on the VIX volatility index compiled from options data by the CBOE. We derive theoretically the link between pathwise properties of the latent spot volatility and the VIX index, such as presence of continuous martingale and/or jumps, and further show how to make statistical inference about them from the observed data. Our empirical results suggest that volatility is a pure jump process with jumps of infinite variation and activity close to that of a continuous martingale. Additional empirical work shows that jumps in volatility and price level in most cases occur together, are strongly dependent, and have opposite sign. The latter suggests that jumps are an important channel for generating leverage effect.
Time Limit and V·O2 Slow Component at Intensities Corresponding to V·O2max in Swimmers

The purpose of this study was to measure, in swimming pool conditions and with high level swimmers, the time to exhaustion at the minimum velocity that elicits maximal oxygen consumption (TLim at vVO(2)max), and the corresponding VO(2) slow component (O(2)SC). The vVO(2)max was determined through an intermittent incremental test (n = 15). Forty-eight hours later, TLim was assessed using an all-out swim at vVO(2)max until exhaustion. VO(2) was measured through direct oximetry and the swimming velocity was controlled using a visual light-pacer. Blood lactate concentrations and heart rate values were also measured. Mean VO(2)max for the incremental test was 5.09 +/- 0.53 l/min and the corresponding vVO(2)max was 1.46 +/- 0.06 m/s. Mean TLim value was 260.20 +/- 60.73 s and it was inversely correlated with the velocity of anaerobic threshold (r = -0.54, p < 0.05). This fact, associated with the inverse relationship between TLim and vVO(2)max (r = -0.47, but only for p < 0.10), suggested that swimmers' lower level aerobic metabolic rate might be associated with a larger capacity to sustain that exercise intensity. O(2)SC reached 274.11 +/- 152.83 l/min and was correlated with TLim (r = 0.54), increased ventilation in TLim test (r = 0.52) and energy cost of the respiratory muscles (r = 0.51), for p < 0.05. These data suggest that O(2)SC was also observed in the swimming pool, in high level swimmers performing at vVO(2)max, and that higher TLim seems to correspond to higher expected O(2)SC amplitude. These findings seem to bring new data with application in middle distance swimming.
Practice, Pedagogy and Policy: the influence of teachers’ creative writing practice on pedagogy in schools

This research aims to develop understanding of how teachers’ experience of practising creative writing influences pedagogy in schools. The research is located within a literary studies domain, responding to the context in which creative writing is most commonly taught in schools and in higher education. The central research question explored is: • How is the pedagogy of creative writing in schools influenced by teachers’ creative writing practice? The research explores the premise that creative writing practice has the potential to raise teachers’ ‘confidence as writers’, enabling them to ‘provide better models for pupils’ (Ofsted, 2009: p.6). This thesis examines what ‘creative writing practice’ means in the context of developing pedagogy; considers how creative writing is conceptualised by teachers; and investigates how teachers’ creative writing practice connects to pedagogic methods and approaches. The research sub questions that underpin the research are: • How has creative writing been conceptualised in educational policy, and how do these conceptions influence pedagogy in schools? • Does the practice of creative writing influence teachers’ conceptualisations of creative writing, and, if so, what is the impact on pedagogy? • Does the practice of creative writing influence teachers’ perceptions of themselves as writers, and, if so, what is the impact on pedagogy? • Does the experience of working with writers influence teachers’ pedagogic approaches in the classroom, and if so, how? The research includes a case study involving 14 primary and secondary school teachers, engaged in developing their own creative writing practice under the guidance of professional writers. The case study approach enables exploration of the research questions through analysis of participants’ lived experience of creative writing practice and pedagogy. The analysis of the case study at the heart of this research is situated within an interpretive framework, acknowledging the complexity of multiple meanings at play in socio-cultural learning contexts. The analysis draws on Bruner’s exploration of how pedagogical approaches imply conceptions of the learner’s mind and pedagogy (Bruner, 1996), and considers the interplay between teachers’ experiences of creative writing, and their choice of pedagogical methods and approaches.
Chromosomes and Expression in Human Testicular Germ‐Cell Tumors

Abstract: Human germ‐cell tumors (GCTs) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms. Based on epidemiology, anatomical site of presentation, histology, chromosomal constitution, and pattern of genomic imprinting, GCTs are classified into five entities. Within the testis, three types of GCTs can be diagnosed: type I (teratomas and yolk‐sac tumors of neonates and infants); type II (seminomas and nonseminomas); type III (spermatocytic seminomas). Here the focus is on the type II GCTs, the most frequent type in the adult testis (so‐called TGCTs). They can also be diagnosed in dysgenetic gonads (an incomplete or defective formation of the gonad, caused by a disturbed process of migration of the germ cells and/or their correct organization in their fetal gonadal ridge), the anterior mediastinum, and pineal/suprasellar region. In the testis, they originate from the malignant counterpart of primordial germ cells/gonocytes, referred to as carcinoma in situ (CIS)/intratubular germ‐cell neoplasia unclassified (ITGCNU). CIS/ITGCNU and seminomatous cells are characterized by expression of OCT3/4 and NANOG, while in addition embryonal carcinoma expresses SOX2, all identified as transcription factors related to pluripotency in embryonic stem (ES) cells. With the exception of teratomas, most histological elements of TGCTs are sensitive for (cisplatin‐based) chemotherapy; CIS/ITGCNU and seminoma cells are also sensitive to DNA damage induced by irradiation. Similar observations have been made for ES cells and their derivates. Moreover, the genetic constitution of TGCTs (low incidence of mutations and frequent uniparental disomies) can also be linked to characteristics of ES cells, likely related to their specific inability to repair DNA damage and their high sensitivity to apoptotic cell death. The unusual presence of wild‐type P53 in TGCTs is explained by specific expression of a cluster of micro‐RNAs (miRNAs), that is, hsa‐miR 371–373, also expressed in ES cells, which prevents P53‐driven cellular senescence upon oncogenic stress. Many characteristics of human TGCTs reflect the nonmalignant counterparts from which they originate. Demonstration of these characteristics, in combination with the knowledge of the abnormal niche of these cells, normally occupied by spermatogonia, allows an informative method for (early) diagnosis. The conclusion is that TGCTs are embryonic cancers found in adults.
World system analysis: Trade and diplomacy

World system analysis is performed by various methods and techniques. Among these methods Social Network Analysis approach presents interesting propositions about the world system structure. In this work, using SNA technique, we analyze world trade and diplomatic data and show the world system structure using positional analysis. In fact we perform our blockmodeling attempt on trade and diplomacy relation independently and try to discover world system structure and interpret result of blockmodeling for each relation separately.
LLC resonant converter with matrix transformer

In this paper, a high efficiency high power density matrix transformer structure for LLC resonant converters is proposed. Matrix transformer is help to reduce leakage inductance and the AC resistance of windings. Flux cancellation method is utilized to reduce core size and loss. Synchronous Rectifier (SR) devices and output capacitors are integrated into secondary windings to eliminate termination related winding losses, via loss and leakage inductance. A detail design procedure is proposed. A 1MHz 390V /12 V 1kW LLC resonant converter prototype is built.
Performance of a three-branch orthogonal polarization diversity scheme

The performance of a three-branch orthogonal polarization scheme consisting of one vertically polarized and two orthogonal horizontally polarized antennas at the receiver with a horizontally and vertically polarized transmitter is investigated. The paper shows that such a scheme provides diversity improvement of about 2dB more than the dual-branch system. Also the signals received at the three branches are highly uncorrelated. This scheme can make significant improvements in the link budget of a mobile network.
Gelatin-Based Materials in Ocular Tissue Engineering

Gelatin has been used for many years in pharmaceutical formulation, cell culture and tissue engineering on account of its excellent biocompatibility, ease of processing and availability at low cost. Over the last decade gelatin has been extensively evaluated for numerous ocular applications serving as cell-sheet carriers, bio-adhesives and bio-artificial grafts. These different applications naturally have diverse physical, chemical and biological requirements and this has prompted research into the modification of gelatin and its derivatives. The crosslinking of gelatin alone or in combination with natural or synthetic biopolymers has produced a variety of scaffolds that could be suitable for ocular applications. This review focuses on methods to crosslink gelatin-based materials and how the resulting materials have been applied in ocular tissue engineering. Critical discussion of recent innovations in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine will highlight future opportunities for gelatin-based materials in ophthalmology.
The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness

The Soul of Leadership decodes the mysterious qualities that have propelled history's greatest leaders to the top of the ranks and shrouded them in legend - Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Buddha - and provides a hands-on approach to understanding and mastering these qualities. The 10 Fundamental Principles, which Deepak Chopra believes all leaders should follow, include: * A leader is the symbolic soul of the group * Inner qualities determine the outcome of any situation * For every need, the right response can be found * Great leaders can respond to all situations from the higher levels of spirit * A leader focused only on external goals (money, victory, power) will fail. Using well-known examples of great leaders and a clear, concise breakdown of the virtues that a great leader must possess, The Soul of Leadership demystifies leadership and empowers us all to become leaders in our own right - from managing a family crisis to starting our own business.
Surrounding Word Sense Model for Japanese All-words Word Sense Disambiguation

This paper proposes a surrounding word sense model (SWSM) that uses the distribution of word senses that appear near ambiguous words for unsupervised all-words word sense disambiguation in Japanese. Although it was inspired by the topic model, ambiguous Japanese words tend to have similar topics since coarse semantic polysemy is less likely to occur than that in Western languages as Japanese uses Chinese characters, which are ideograms. We thus propose a model that uses the distribution of word senses that appear near ambiguous words: SWSM. We embedded the concept dictionary of an Electronic Dictionary Research (EDR) electronic dictionary in the system and used the Japanese Corpus of EDR for the experiments, which demonstrated that SWSM outperformed a system with a random baseline and a system that used a topic model called Dirichlet Allocation with WORDNET (LDAWN), especially when there were high levels of entropy for the word sense distribution of ambiguous words.
A Multiobjective Frontier Search Algorithm

The paper analyzes the extension of frontier search to the multiobjective framework. A frontier multiobjective A* search algorithm is developed, some formal properties are presented, and its performance is compared to those of other multiobjective search algorithms. The new algorithm is adequate for both monotone and non-monotone heuristics.
Quality performance assessment as a source of motivation for lecturers: A teaching network experience

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present findings derived from research work carried out by a team of six university lecturers who are members of a teaching quality improvement network. The aim is to increase the motivation of the lecturers involved, so that better performance can be achieved, and the teaching‐learning process enriched.Design/methodology/approach – Three complementary performance measures are used: students' active participation; lecturers' personal reflections; and lecturer peer‐to‐peer assessment.Findings – These tools have provided the teaching staff with information about their strengths and weaknesses, as a consequence of which they have learned to deploy their skills inside the classroom and prepare their subjects more effectively. In this way, it is shown that the public teaching system can assess the potential of its human resources, and increase their motivation.Originality/value – From an institutional point of view, performance quality assessment practices can also hel.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN TRAFFIC VISION SYSTEMS USING SVMS

Computer vision system is one of important research topics in ITS(Intelligent Transport Systems). Moreover, Neural Networks have been increasingly and successfully applied to many problems for ITS. Even though there are currently many different types of neural network models, Backpropagation is the most popular neural network model. It is however known that the Support Vector Machines (SVMs) based on the statistical learning theory is currently another efficient approach for pattern recognition problem since their remarkable performance in terms of prediction accuracy. In this research, two different models, Backpropagation and SVMs have been studied to compare their performance in predictive accuracy through the experiment with real world image data of traffic scenes. Experimental results show that SVMs can provide higher performance in terms of prediction performance than any other models.
2005 7 th International Conference on Information Fusion ( FUSION ) Shedding New Light on Zadeh ' s Criticism of Dempster ' s Rule of Combination

Shortly afterproposing Dempster's rule ofcombination as a general aggregation rule for evidence from independent sources, Zadehformulated an annoying examplefor which Dempster's rule seemed to produce counter-intuitive results. Since then, many authors have used Zadeh's example either to criticize Demster-Shafer theory as a whole, or as a motivation for constructing alternative combination rules. This paper shows that the counter-intuition of Zadeh's example is not a problem of Dempster's rule, but a problem of Zadeh's model that does not correspond to reality. Two different ways to fix the problem will be discussed, showing that Dempster's rule ofcombination perfectly behaves as one would expect. 1,2
DTI registration with exact finite-strain differential

We propose an algorithm for the diffeomorphic registration of diffusion tensor images (DTI). Previous DTI registration algorithms using full tensor information suffer from difficulties in computing the differential of the Finite Strain tensor reorientation strategy. We borrow results from computer vision to derive an analytical gradient of the objective function. By leveraging on the closed-form gradient and the one-parameter subgroups of diffeomorphisms, the resulting registration algorithm is diffeomorphic and fast. Registration of a pair of 128 x 128 x 60 diffusion tensor volumes takes 15 minutes. We contrast the algorithm with a classic alternative that does not take into account the reorientation in the gradient computation. We show with 40 pairwise DTI registrations that using the exact gradient achieves significantly better registration.
Brachial Flow-Mediated Dilation Predicts Incident Cardiovascular Events in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Background— The relationship between impaired brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and subsequent clinical cardiovascular events is not well established, especially in older adults whose FMD is often diminished. We assessed the hypothesis that FMD predicts incident cardiovascular events in a population-based cohort of older adults. Methods and Results— FMD was measured at the 1997 to 1998 Cardiovascular Health Study clinic visit in 2792 adults aged 72 to 98 years (82.7% white, 58.6% women) recruited at 4 clinic sites in the United States. Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between FMD and adjudicated cardiovascular events. A total of 674 subjects (24.1%) had an adjudicated event over the 5-year follow-up period. Event-free survival rates for cardiovascular events were significantly higher in subjects with FMD greater than the sex-specific medians than in subjects with FMD less than or equal to the sex-specific medians (78.3% versus 73.6%, log-rank P=0.006). FMD remained a significant predictor of cardiovascular events after adjustment for age, gender, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, baseline cardiovascular disease status, and total cholesterol (hazard ratio, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.83 to 0.99], P=0.02 per unit SD of FMD) but added only ≈1% to the prognostic accuracy of the best Cox model. Brachial artery diameter was also predictive of CV events in the adjusted Cox proportional hazard model (hazard ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02 to 1.28], P=0.025) and also added ≈1% to the accuracy of our best Cox model. Conclusions— FMD is a predictor of future cardiovascular events but adds very little to the prognostic accuracy of traditional cardiovascular risk scores/factors in older adults. FMD and brachial artery diameter may have similar predictive values for cardiovascular events in older adults.