Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Professional Development on Educators' Instructional Conversations in Preschool Classrooms

This study investigated the influence of professional development on 20 preschool teachers' use of instructional conversations in classrooms for 2- to 5-year-old children. Instructional conversation is a small group discussion that builds on children's prior knowledge to assess and assist conceptual understanding. Over a 3-year period, the educators participated in professional development designed to increase their use of the strategy in their classrooms. Each teacher was video-recorded six times annually while teaching. Two coders rated the video recordings, and the data were analyzed using a longitudinal multilevel model. Results indicated that regardless of their prior teaching experience, all of the teachers increased their use of instructional conversation throughout their participation in the professional development program. These increases were along the same trajectory for all teachers, suggesting that the professional development was effective for both new and veteran teachers. Results suggest that those who taught older children tended to use instructional conversation to a greater degree, indicating that the strategy may be easier to implement with older preschoolers.
Heat stress during seed filling interferes with sulfur restriction on grain composition and seed germination in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

In coming decades, increasing temperatures are expected to impact crop yield and seed quality. To develop low input systems, the effects of temperature and sulfur (S) nutrition in oilseed rape, a high S demanding crop, need to be jointly considered. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperatures [High Temperature (HT), 33°C/day, 19°C/night vs. Control Temperature (Ctrl T), 20°C/day, 15°C/day] and S supply [High S (HS), 500 μm SO2−4 vs. Low S (LS), 8.7 μM SO2−4] during seed filling on (i) yield components [seed number, seed dry weight (SDW) and seed yield], (ii) grain composition [nitrogen (N) and S contents] and quality [fatty acid (FA) composition and seed storage protein (SSP) accumulation] and (iii) germination characteristics (pre-harvest sprouting, germination rates and abnormal seedlings). Abscisic acid (ABA), soluble sugar contents and seed conductivity were also measured. HT and LS decreased the number of seeds per plant. SDW was less affected due to compensatory effects since the number of seeds decreased under stress conditions. While LS had negative effects on seed composition by reducing the FA contents and increasing the ratio S-poor SSPs (12S globulins)/S-rich SSPs (2S albumins) ratio, HT had positive effects by increasing S and FA contents and decreasing the C18:2/C18:3 ratio and the 12S/2S protein ratio. Seeds produced under HT showed high pre-harvest sprouting rates along with decreased ABA contents and high rates of abnormal seedlings. HT and LS restriction significantly accelerated germination times. High conductivity, which indicates poor seed storage capacity, was higher in HT seeds. Consistently, the lower ratio of (raffinose + stachyose)/sucrose in HT seeds indicated low seed storage capacity. We demonstrated the effects of HT and LS on grain and on germination characteristics. These results suggest that hormonal changes might control several seed characteristics simultaneously.
Re-Visiting the Use of Behavior Theory in Graduate Education

Abstract The purpose of this study is to improve educators' feedback mechanisms in ways that will reduce student anxiety. The relationship between graduate student anxiety levels, instructor feedback, and the effects of the use of red or green ink as instruments of feedback is examined. The sample (N =52) comprised first year full-time and parttime MSWstudents enrolled in an introductory Research Methods course, a course in which writing assignments were submitted and returned with instructor feedback. Using the Posttest-Only Control Group Design, a 30-item questionnaire was administered measuring student perceptions of instructor feedback, ink color, and graduate student anxiety. The study found that students who were given feedback in red ink experienced higher levels of anxiety than students given feedback in green ink. Implications for social work education and reflexive approaches to student feedback are discussed.
Distortion Model Considering Rich Context for Statistical Machine Translation

This paper proposes new distortion models for phrase-based SMT. In decoding, a distortion model estimates the source word position to be translated next (NP) given the last translated source word position (CP). We propose a distortion model that can consider the word at the CP, a word at an NP candidate, and the context of the CP and the NP candidate simultaneously. Moreover, we propose a further improved model that considers richer context by discriminating label sequences that specify spans from the CP to NP candidates. It enables our model to learn the effect of relative word order among NP candidates as well as to learn the effect of distances from the training data. In our experiments, our model improved 2.9 BLEU points for Japanese-English and 2.6 BLEU points for Chinese-English translation compared to the lexical reordering models.
Peer Selection Strategies for Improved QoS in Heterogeneous BitTorrent-Like VoD Systems

The efficiency of Bit Torrent in disseminating content has inspired a number of P2P protocols for on-demand video streaming (VoD). Prior work on adapting Bit Torrent to VoD mainly focused on the piece selection policy, since streaming requires a somewhat "in order" download progress. Conversely, not much effort has been spent into adapting Bit Torrent's peer selection policy, where nodes mainly serve those that have recently uploaded to them at the highest rates. This mechanism incentivizes cooperation among peers but, in a heterogeneous system (i.e. where peers have different bandwidth capacities), it causes faster peers to receive higher download speeds than slower peers. This might hurt the system's ability of providing as many nodes as possible with the minimum download speed necessary to sustain the video playback rate. Furthermore, peers gain little utility in downloading at rates much higher than the video playback rate. Inspired by these observations, in this work, we extend the peer selection mechanism of an existing Bit Torrent-like VoD protocol, give-to-get (G2G), with techniques that allow peers to relax their reciprocity-based peer selection and choose more random nodes when their current QoS is high. In this way, more peers can be granted a good QoS and free-riding is tolerated only when bandwidth resources are abundant. To demonstrate the benefits of our approach, we present extensive simulations of the introduced techniques.
Solar cell parameter extraction using genetic algorithms

In this paper, a technique based on genetic algorithms is proposed for improving the accuracy of solar cell parameters extracted using conventional techniques. The approach is based on formulating the parameter extraction as a search and optimization problem. Current–voltage data used were generated by simulating a two-diode solar cell model of specified parameters. The genetic algorithm search range that simulates the error in the extracted parameters was varied from ± 5t o±100% of the specified parameter values. Results obtained show that for a simulated error of ±5% in the solar cell model values, the deviation of the extracted parameters varied from 0.1 to 1% of the specified values. Even with a simulated error of as high as ±100%, the resulting deviation only varied from 2 to 36%. The performance of this technique is also shown to surpass the quasi-Newton method, a calculus-based search and optimization algorithm.
The Modalities of Nostalgia

Nostalgia has been viewed as the conceptual opposite of progress, against which it is negatively viewed as reactionary, sentimental or melancholic. It has been seen as a defeatist retreat from the present, and evidence of loss of faith in the future. Nostalgia is certainly a response to the experience of loss endemic in modernity and late modernity, but the authors argue that it has numerous manifestations and cannot be reduced to a singular or absolute definition. Its meaning and significance are multiple, and so should be seen as accommodating progressive, even utopian impulses as well as regressive stances and melancholic attitudes. Its contrarieties are evident in both vernacular and media forms of remembering and historical reconstruction. The authors argue that these contrarieties should be viewed as mutually constitutive, for it is in their interrelations that there arises the potential for sociological critique.
The spinal distribution of sympathetic preganglionic and visceral primary afferent neurons that send axons into the hypogastric nerves of the cat

The spinal distribution of sympathetic preganglionic neurons (PGN) and visceral primary afferent neurons sending axons into the hypogastric nerve of the cat has been studied with HRP tracing techniques. After application of HRP to the cat hypogastric nerve, labeled PGN were identified in segments L2‐L5. Most of these neurons were oriented transversely and were divided approximately equally between two nuclei: the principal, nucleus and the intercalated nucleus. Cells were distributed in clusters at 160‐361‐μm intervals along the length of the cord. Sensory neurons were labeled in dorsal root ganglia from T12 to L5. Central axons of these visceral afferents were observed in the medial half of Lissauer's tract from T13 to L7. Afferent axon collaterals extended through lamina I on both sides of the dorsal horn but were most prominent on the lateral side, where they continued into lateral lamina V and VII, often overlapping the dorsal dendrites of PGN in this region. Labeled afferent projections exhibited a periodic distribution in lamina I with clusters of axons occurring at 235‐343‐μm intervals in the rostrocaudal axis. The central projection of hypogastric nerve primary afferents was qualitatively similar to the distribution of visceral afferent projections at other levels of the spinal cord.
Comparison of Sexual Functions in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women.

PURPOSE The physiology and anatomy of pregnant women change during pregnancy. Pregnancy is an anatomically and physiologically amended process experienced by women and as a result of these changes, sexual life of pregnant women alters during pregnancy. We aimed to compare sexual functions of pregnant and non-pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sexually active 246 pregnant women were included into this cross-sectional controlled study. A total of 210 non-pregnant women were served as control. Both groups were compared in terms of age, gestational age, presence of urinary incontinence, body mass index, and obstetrical history. Sexual functions of the women were evaluated with Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Data were analyzed using chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Fisher's Exact, Shapiro Wilk, Kruskal Wallis and Dunnett's tests where appropriate. The Pvalues < . 05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS Mean age in both groups were comparable (P = .053). Median total FSFI scores in the pregnant women were significantly lower than those non-pregnant (18.9 vs. 22.7; P < .05). Additionally, the subgroup analyses of the FSFI scores were found that, total FSFI score is significantly lower in the pregnant group compared to non-pregnant group (P < .05). Furthermore, rate of sexual dysfunction in pregnant women was significantly higher than those non-pregnant women (91.08% vs. 67.61%, P = .0001). However, in pregnant women, no meaningful difference in rate of sexual dysfunction was found according to the trimesters (P = .632). Moreover, gravidity and parity exhibited negative impacts on the sexual functions. But number of abortions did not affect sexual function. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that pregnancy significantly diminishes sexual function in women. We believe that, couples need to be counseled regarding the impact of pregnancy on sexual functions.
Women's Employment During Pregnancy and After the First Birth: Occupational Characteristics and Work Commitment

Using data on womens employment in the US the authors examined the argument that predominantly "female" occupations attract women because they are relatively easy to combine with family responsibilities. Some traditionally female occupations offer relatively low penalties for labor force withdrawal but others reduce the costs of employment to mothers by facilitating the combination of worker and mother roles. The authors test the hypothesis that a womans response to the characteristics of her occupation and to other factors depends on her preference for employment vs homemaking over the long run. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in the US the analysis focuses on the period from the year prior to the 1st birth through the 2 years following the birth as a time of maximum conflict between employment and childrearing. The authors find no effect of occupational sex composition on the likelihood that prospective or recent mothers are employed. Occupational characteristics that raise the cost of labor force withdrawal (high education high wages and job-specific training) tend to decrease the probability of womens withdrawal from work as do nonmonetary occupational characteristics. All women are influenced by the cost of labor force withdrawal but women with low work commitment are also influenced by financial pressures and convenience of the work setting. (authors)
Rounding Methods for Discrete Linear Classification (Extended Version)

Learning discrete linear classifiers is known as a difficult challenge. In this paper, this learning task is cast as combinatorial optimization problem: given a training sample formed by positive and negative feature vectors in the Euclidean space, the goal is to find a discrete linear function that minimizes the cumulative hinge loss of the sample. Since this problem is NP-hard, we examine two simple rounding algorithms that discretize the fractional solution of the problem. Generalization bounds are derived for several classes of binary-weighted linear functions, by analyzing the Rademacher complexity of these classes and by establishing approximation bounds for our rounding algorithms. Our methods are evaluated on both synthetic and real-world data.
Some comments on Morel and Renvoise's “global optimization by suppression of partial redundancies”

There has been much continuing interest in the global optimization method of Morel and Renvoise as extended by Joshi-Dhamdere and Chow. Unfortunately, the original formulation of Morel and Renvoise and those of Joshi-Dhamdere and Chow do not agree as to the form of the algorithm. The precise form of the algorithm's boolean equations is critical to the algorithm's performance and efficient implementation. Some of the problems with the algorithm noted by other authors can be solved by using a slightly different formulation of the algorithm.
Regulated production of proteins from muscle using gene transfer: potential therapeutic applications

The ability to produce high-level transgene expression following the introduction of genetic material into a host cell has been well documented. Various vectors and methods for in vivo gene delivery have been shown to provide long-term expression from many different tissue types in rodents and large animals. However, many potential therapeutic targets for gene therapy involve the production of proteins that are toxic or lead to undesirable effects if overexpressed. Thus, the ability to achieve regulated gene expression following treatment will be required to ensure the safety of long-acting gene therapy products. Skeletal muscle, in particular, has been widely used as a target for gene therapy protocols, due to the ease of accessibility and ability to produce and secrete some proteins at very high levels. This review focuses on regulated gene therapy systems that are being evaluated for use in muscle, and discusses two classes of system: those dependent on exogenously administered drugs and those dependent on endogenously produced metabolites.
An atlas of musical memories: popular music, leisure and urban change in Liverpool

Liverpool, famously once the home of the Beatles and still the locus of many thriving music scenes, is a city of dramatic memories and transformations. Recently, the city has witnessed an ambitious regeneration agenda that is predicated upon leisure, heritage, culture and entertainment that culminated with the city's re-invention as 2008 European Capital of Culture (ECoC), a year-long celebration of the city's physical redevelopment and arts renaissance. This article draws upon ethnographic research conducted with Liverpool musicians to make three points about these transformations. First, I describe the relations between popular music, leisure, social and spatial change. Second, I focus in particular on hand-drawn maps created by musicians and the narratives musicians told about their mappings. These mappings and narratives highlight continuing struggles over physical spaces for musical leisure in the “creative” city and the ways that city spaces are perceived, remembered or forgotten. Third, I link these maps and mappings to the concepts of “cultural regeneration” and urban change. Across the article, “popular memory” is a key concept in characterizing the relations between music, leisure and space, as to re-invent itself, Liverpool has had to remember itself.
Solar grid parity for Malaysia: Analysis using experience curves

This paper presents experience curve analysis in forecasting future costs of photovoltaic (PV) and hence estimating the grid parity year for Malaysia. Using the historical prices of the PV module and PV system from 2011-2013, the future PV module and system costs for 2014-2030 are extrapolated. The PV cost analysis requires forecasted PV production growth rate in Malaysia which is obtained from Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA). These forecasted PV costs are then used to estimate the solar grid parity year for Malaysia. From the analysis, it is found that the solar grid parity for Malaysia will be in year 2026 which is one year earlier than the projected solar grid parity i.e. 2027 determined by SEDA using FiT rate. Factors that influence the solar grid parity year are studied using sensitivity analysis i.e. 1) sensitivity to progress ratio and 2) sensitivity to cumulative PV production. Sensitivity to progress ratio shows that increasing the learning rate of the PV system cost will result in earlier solar grid parity. On the other hand, the sensitivity to cumulative PV production shows that, increasing the cumulative PV production in Malaysia will reduce the solar PV system cost and hence could help in achieving earlier solar grid parity.
European Union support for a Turkish reproductive health project to assess alternative cervical cancer screening methods in Sanliurfa (rural south-east Turkey).

Recently, in February 2005, the European Federation for Colposcopy welcomed the Turkish Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology as its 27th member. A first activity was the organization of the ‘VIA, VILI and Comprehensive Colposcopy Workshop’ (Ankara, 16–18 March, 2005; www.trsccp.org), which was sponsored by the European Union, the Ministry of Health and the Ankara Ortadogu Lions Club Association. More than 100 gynaecologists attended the conference. Several national and international experts discussed the current incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer in Turkey, Europe and developing countries and how the burden of this disease can be reduced by organized cytological cervical cancer screening, as well as by alternative strategies such as direct visual inspection after application of acetic acid (VIA) or visual inspection after application of Lugol’s iodine (VILI) and new technologies such as human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and vaccination. The workshop also included a theoretical colposcopy course, and a demonstration session of colposcopy, VIA and VILI.
VerICS 2007 - a Model Checker for Knowledge and Real-Time

The papers presents the current stage of the development of VerICS - a model checker for real-time and multi-agent systems. Depending on the type of a system considered, it enables to test various classes of properties - from reachability to temporal, epistemic and deontic formulas. The model checking methods used to this aim include both SAT-based and enumerative ones. In the paper we focus on new features of the verifier: SAT-based model checking for multi-agent systems and several extensions and improvements to real-time systems' verification.
Graph linear prediction results in smaller error than standard linear prediction

Linear prediction is a popular strategy employed in the analysis and representation of signals. In this paper, we propose a new linear prediction approach by considering the standard linear prediction in the context of graph signal processing, which has gained significant attention recently. We view the signal to be defined on the nodes of a graph with an adjacency matrix constructed using the coefficients of the standard linear predictor (SLP). We prove theoretically that the graph based linear prediction approach results in an equal or better performance compared with the SLP in terms of the prediction gain. We illustrate the proposed concepts by application to real speech signals.
Psychological Aspects of the Disposition Effect: An Experimental Investigation

This thesis focuses on the so-called disposition effect, one of the most intriguing phenomena in decision making under risk, particularly in financial markets. The disposition effect describes the investors' tendency to hold their losing investments too long and sell their winning investments too early. Previous studies regarding the disposition effect primarily focus on comparing the propensity of selling in the gain versus the loss domain, but little is known about the investors' decision-making process in a more realistic dynamic setting with multiple decision moments. A key question remains unanswered: what are the determinants of investors' decisions to sell their winning or losing investments in a dynamic setting? This thesis attempts to gain new insight into the key drivers of investors' decisions to sell their investments.
Children and Marital Disruption

Children constitute the prime example of "marital-specific capital," a resource worth substantially more inside a marriage than outside it. This article examines the effect of children on marital stability, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and tests the propositions that (1)children enhance marital stability, (2) younger children increase stability more than older children, and (3) under some circumstances children have no stabilizing effect or even increase chances that their parents' marriage will end. A proportional hazards model in continuous time is estimated and the modified to accommodate key features of the data. The results indicate that fistborn children increase the stability of marriage through their preschool years. Other children increase marital stability only when they are very young. Older children and children born before marriage significantly increase chances of disruption. The initially stabilizing and later destabilizing effects of children combine over the course of the marriage to give parents only a modestly higher change than childless couples of reaching their twentieth wedding annivesary.