Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and application of a two‐tier diagnostic test measuring college biology students' understanding of diffusion and osmosis after a course of instruction

This study involved the development and application of a two-tier diagnostic test measuring college biology students' understanding of diffusion and osmosis after a course of instruction. The development procedure had three general steps: defining the content boundaries of the test, collecting information on students' misconceptions, and instrument development. Misconception data were collected from interviews and multiple-choice questions with free response answers. The data were used to develop 12 two-tier multiple choice items in which the first tier examined content knowledge and the second examined understanding of that knowledge. The conceptual knowledge examined was the particulate and random nature of matter, concentration and tonicity, the influence of life forces on diffusion and osmosis, membranes, kinetic energy of matter, the process of diffusion, and the process of osmosis. The diagnostic instrument was administered to 240 students (123 non-biology majors and 117 biology majors) enrolled in a college freshman biology laboratory course. The students had completed a unit on diffusion and osmosis. The content taught was carefully defined by propositional knowledge statements, and was the same content that defined the content boundaries of the test. The split-half reliability was . 74. Difficulty indices ranged from 0.23 to 0.95, and discrimination indices ranged from 0.21 to 0.65. Each item was analyzed to determine student understanding of, and identify misconceptions about, diffusion and osmosis.
The Criminology of the Amygdala

A central part of the brain’s limbic system, the amygdala is crucial for emotional learning, aversive conditioning, and response to fear and other emotions. Although the amygdala is a vibrant area of study in the neurosciences, it is virtually ignored in criminology. Here, we review the anatomical location, connectivity, and functions of the amygdala, explore its role in James Blair and colleagues’ recently advanced theory of psychopathy, explicate amygdala abnormalities in diverse populations, and explore genetics research relating to amygdala functioning. Because of its role in the regulation of fear and other emotional memory and response, the amygdala is importantly related to psychopathy; callous-unemotional traits; and the vibrant, neuroscience-based investigations of the etiology of antisocial behavior.
The Impact of Changes in the TOEFL® Exam on Teaching in a Sample of Countries in Europe: Phase 3, The Role of the Coursebook Phase 4, Describing Change

The aim of this report is to present the findings of the 3rd and 4th phases of a longitudinal study into the impact of changes in the TOEFL® exam on teaching in test preparation classrooms. Phase 1 (2003–2004) described the type of teaching taking place in 12 TOEFL preparation classrooms before the introduction of the new TOEFL. Phase 2 (2004–2006) followed 6 of the Phase 1 teachers as they became aware of the requirements of the new test and faced the challenges of designing new courses to help students to prepare for it effectively. The objectives of the Phase 3 study (2006–2007) were to analyze the coursebooks that 4 of these teachers were using as they continued to prepare students for the TOEFL computer-based test (CBT) and began to plan courses for the TOEFL iBT®, and to find out how the teachers were using the coursebooks as they developed their courses and planned individual classroom sessions. The coursebook analysis revealed that the TOEFL iBT coursebooks differed considerably from the TOEFL CBT coursebooks in terms of content, with the inclusion of integrated writing tasks and independent and integrated speaking tasks and the absence of attention to grammatical form on its own. They did not differ greatly in terms of their general methodological approach, however. Information about how the teachers used their coursebooks was gathered via tracking questions and tasks eliciting self-report data. The coursebooks seemed to be playing an important role in shaping the teachers' understanding of the requirements of the new TOEFL, and the teachers depended on them heavily as they developed their courses and planned their lessons. The objectives of Phase 4 (2007–2008) were to interview and observe 3 of the same teachers, to find out what their preparation classes looked like 1 year after the introduction of the TOEFL iBT in their countries. While some aspects of teaching seemed not to have changed greatly, considerable changes occurred in the amount of attention the teachers paid to the development of speaking and to the integration of different skills. The teachers differed from each other in how much they had changed their methods to develop their students' language skills. The report concludes with a discussion of the role the new test, new coursebooks, and other factors in the educational context played in shaping current practices in these TOEFL preparation classrooms.
Subthalamotomy for advanced Parkinson disease.

OBJECT The aim of this study was to determine if subthalamotomy is effective in treating advanced Parkinson disease (PD). METHODS The authors performed microelectrode mapping-guided stereotactic surgery on the subthalamic nucleus in eight patients with PD. Lesioning was performed using radiofrequency heat coagulation and confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. Three patients who underwent unilateral and four with bilateral subthalamotomy were evaluated for up to 18 months according to the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS). One patient who underwent unilateral subthalamotomy died 6 months postsurgery. At 3 months into the "off" period after surgery, there were significant improvements in contralateral bradykinesia (p < 0.0002), rigidity (p < 0.0001), tremor (p < 0.01), axial motor features (p < 0.02), gait (p < 0.03), postural stability (p < 0.03), total UPDRS scores (p < 0.03), and Schwab and England scores (p < 0.04). The benefits were sustained at 6, 12, and 18 months, except for the improvement in tremor. At 12 months into the "on" period, significant benefits were present for motor fluctuation (p < 0.04), on dyskinesia (p < 0.006), off duration (p < 0.05), total UPDRS score (p < 0.02), and contralateral tremor (p < 0.05). Benefits for motor fluctuation, off duration, and off-period tremor were lost after the 18-month follow-up period. The levodopa requirement was reduced by 66% for the unilateral and 38% for the bilaterally treated group. Bilateral subthalamotomy offered more benefits than did unilateral surgery for various parkinsonian features in both the on and off periods. Three patients suffered hemiballismus, two recovered spontaneously, and one died of aspiration pneumonia after discontinuation of levodopa. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that subthalamotomy can ameliorate the cardinal symptoms of PD, reduce the dosage of levodopa, diminish complications of the drug therapy, and improve the quality of life.
Retrieving Objects, People and Places from a video Collection: TRECVID'12 Instance Search Task

—We participated in 2012’s TRECVID instance search task (INS) and wanted to measure how much we can positively impact the performance of a state-of-the-art video retrieval system based on local features and relying solely on content-based retrieval methods. Our agenda consisted in the implementation of some incremental additions to the system that included ﬁltering of local features, custom codebook generation and tailored ranking metrics for the indexed videos. We got three versions of our system tested which iteratively included algorithms that consistently pushed further the performance of the system. Given the terms under which the system had to be implemented – ground-truth was not available–, we used artiﬁcially generated datasets to get an idea of how much progress were we making with each additional component. We showed that improvements requiring small computational and human effort can already have positive impacts on the system’s performance.
Learning to Teach: A self-study of a new teacher educator's introductory education course

This two-year self-study explores my experiences as a new teacher educator learning to teach in an introductory foundations course. I was interested in better understanding how and what I can learn from the complexity of my early teaching. As my Freirian orientation to transformational learning was challenged, two key themes emerged: developing voice, and the tension between accountability and authenticity. I learned about recognizing the implications of modeling practice for students and of speaking up and out (or not), as well as coming to terms with the self-reproof associated with the incongruence between my intentions and my actions.
A Consistency Test of the Time Trade-Off

This paper tests the internal consistency of time trade-off utilities. We find significant violations of consistency in the direction predicted by loss aversion. The violations disappear for higher gauge durations. We show that loss aversion can also explain that for short gauge durations time trade-off utilities exceed standard gamble utilities. Our results suggest that time trade-off measurements that use relatively short gauge durations, like the widely used EuroQol algorithm, are affected by loss aversion and lead to utilities that are too high.
Productive Tensions in a Cross-Cultural Peer Mentoring Women’s Network: A Social Capital Perspective

A growing body of researchers documents the unique barriers women face in their academic career progression and the significance of mentoring networks for advancement of their academic trajectories as faculty. However, few researchers explore the embedded tensions and conflicts in the social processes and relations of mentoring networks, and the implications this has for social capital. Using this as our starting point, our narrative reflections suggest that while productive orientations and shared experiences as women faculty of color promote supportive professional roles; the structural, relational, and cultural dynamics subtly frame the basis of our tensions. In moving beyond these, we advance the need for structured and constructive engagement of our differences in building the social capital of peer mentoring networks. While this is not an easy task, we hold that it requires fluid and ongoing negotiations of these relationships if collective goals are to be realized.
Comparing Neuropsychological Profiles Between Girls With Asperger’s Disorder and Girls With Learning Disabilities

Research examining neuropsychological profiles of girls with Asperger’s disorder (AD) is sparse. In this study, we sought to characterize neurocognitive profiles of girls with AD compared to girls with learning disabilities (LD). Two groups of school-age girls referred for neuropsychological assessment participated in the study. A total of 23 girls with AD were compared to 50 girls with LD using intellectual, academic, neuropsychological, and behavioral assessments. Standard two-tailed t-tests revealed statistically significant discrepancies in a number of areas, and results were interpreted to conclude that the participants with AD had a more severe cognitive and behavioral presentation than same-age girls with LD. The severity of these discrepancies indicates the need for routine neuropsychological and behavioral screening to promote early diagnosis and intervention. Based on this study, we challenge the idea that girls present with a more benign expression of AD than boys.
The glycophospholipid-linked folate receptor internalizes folate without entering the clathrin-coated pit endocytic pathway

The folate receptor, also known as the membrane folate-binding protein, is maximally expressed on the surface of folate-depleted tissue culture cells and mediates the high affinity accumulation of 5- methyltetrahydrofolic acid in the cytoplasm of these cells. Recent evidence suggests that this receptor recycles during folate internalization and that it is anchored in the membrane by a glycosyl- phosphatidylinositol linkage. Using quantitative immunocytochemistry, we now show that (a) this receptor is highly clustered on the cell surface; (b) these clusters are preferentially associated with uncoated membrane invaginations rather than clathrin-coated pits; and (c) the receptor is not present in endosomes or lysosomes. This receptor appears to physically move in and out of the cell using a novel uncoated pit pathway that does not merge with the clathrin-coated pit endocytic machinery.
An Examination of a Culturally Sensitive University Career Center: Outreach, Services, and Evaluation

The demographic composition in the United States has changed considerably in the past few decades. The size of racial/ethnic minority populations is expected to continue to grow substantially into the next millennium due to high immigration rates and birth rates within these groups. In particular, the growth rate among Hispanics and Asian Americans is expected to be considerable. At the same time, the projected increase of European Americans is small in comparison to other groups. By the year 2050, the demographic composition is expected to shift from a predominantly White American society to one in which the total number of racial/ethnic minorities actually out number European Americans (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992). This marks a significant change in the look of our society: one that points to diversification and difference. These changing demographics are being mirrored on university and college campuses, as the number of racial and ethnic minority student enrollment has been on the rise. Since the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's, there has been a greater awareness of the experiences of people of color in our society. In addition, the Civil Rights movement led to the proliferation of other movements from oppressed groups in our society, namely, women and sexual orientation minorities. Overall, these have led to an increased awareness of contextual factors which affect certain individuals in our society. On university campuses, this has been reflected in part by the formation of special interest groups (i.e., Gay,
Pediatric Laryngotracheal Surgery

INTRODUCTION Since 1970 there have been tremendous advances in the surgical management of diseases of the larynx and trachea in children. The vast majority of laryngotracheal stenoses can now be surgically corrected. Surgical procedures have also been developed to correct many congenital abnormalities of the larynx, such as laryngomalacia and vocal cord paralysis, which previously would have required a tracheostomy. In this report we review the surgical procedures in regular use for pediatric laryngeal and tracheal disease. We focus on the management strategies and the decision-making processes involved.
Intention to pay conventional-hotel prices at a green hotel – a modification of the theory of planned behavior

Numerous studies have employed the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to understand customers’ behaviors in various fields, but none has tested and extended the theory to explain customers’ decision formation to pay comparable regular-hotel prices for a green hotel. This is the first study designed to test and modify the TPB by including environmental concerns, perceived customer effectiveness and environmentally conscious behaviors, which are critical in explaining eco-friendly consumer behaviors. Salient belief items were identified using an elicitation method (focus group and open-ended survey). A survey obtained 389 respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that measurement items for all study variables had an adequate level of reliability and validity. The findings from the structural equation modeling showed that the proposed model had a satisfactory fit to the data and better predicted hotel customers’ intention than the original TPB. The results also indicated that all antecedent variables of intention significantly contributed to forming the intention to pay conventional-hotel prices for a green hotel. Respondents were happy to have minor inconveniences, e.g. reusing towels and using recycled products, and were keen to learn about the positive environmental attributes of green hotels. Benefit awareness was shown to be important in customer decision-making.
Beyond the Victim/Empowerment Paradigm: The Gendered Cosmology of Mormon Women

Women's participation in traditional religions is often explained in terms of their victimization and/or their opportunities for empowerment. This paper seeks to use Mormon women as a framework in order to explore some of the consequences of this phenomenon and to advocate for the creation of multiple, complex spaces where traditional religious women may be understood beyond the paradigm of victim/empowerment. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the LDS or Mormons, maintains a cosmology that is based upon highly differentiated gendered practices. A belief in a female deity, Mother in Heaven, and a related belief that all pious Mormon men and women have the ability to become gods and goddesses in a post-mortal existence are central to the Mormon gendered cosmology. Despite these beliefs, Mormon women generally resist feminism because they perceive feminism to be at odds with motherhood and family. Ironically, their belief in a female divine and their potential divinity strengthens their commitment to interdependence through maternal practices and kinship.
Origin and Functional Prediction of Pollen Allergens in Plants1[OPEN]

Prediction and systematic analysis of pollen allergens in model plants suggest that pollen allergens evolved by gene duplication and then functional specification. Pollen allergies have long been a major pandemic health problem for human. However, the evolutionary events and biological function of pollen allergens in plants remain largely unknown. Here, we report the genome-wide prediction of pollen allergens and their biological function in the dicotyledonous model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and the monocotyledonous model plant rice (Oryza sativa). In total, 145 and 107 pollen allergens were predicted from rice and Arabidopsis, respectively. These pollen allergens are putatively involved in stress responses and metabolic processes such as cell wall metabolism during pollen development. Interestingly, these putative pollen allergen genes were derived from large gene families and became diversified during evolution. Sequence analysis across 25 plant species from green alga to angiosperms suggest that about 40% of putative pollen allergenic proteins existed in both lower and higher plants, while other allergens emerged during evolution. Although a high proportion of gene duplication has been observed among allergen-coding genes, our data show that these genes might have undergone purifying selection during evolution. We also observed that epitopes of an allergen might have a biological function, as revealed by comprehensive analysis of two known allergens, expansin and profilin. This implies a crucial role of conserved amino acid residues in both in planta biological function and allergenicity. Finally, a model explaining how pollen allergens were generated and maintained in plants is proposed. Prediction and systematic analysis of pollen allergens in model plants suggest that pollen allergens were evolved by gene duplication and then functional specification. This study provides insight into the phylogenetic and evolutionary scenario of pollen allergens that will be helpful to future characterization and epitope screening of pollen allergens.
Open data and the future of conservation biology

The efficiency of conservation measures largely depends on our ability to understand numerous biotic and abiotic factors, and the broad array of their interactions and dependencies, which are often scale-sensitive. To generate precise evidence for causes, outputs and processes, and thus to translate knowledge into conservation actions, advanced methods and an unbiased synthesis of data are required. Following scientific advances, along with the support of new technologies, research questions in conservation biology have gradually evolved. To deal with these questions, new methods and approaches have been developed aiming to capture a more holistic picture of the dynamic and multidimensional processes structuring biodiversity patterns. Such modern methodological tools can be satisfied through the use of transparent and credible data, collected over various spatial and temporal scales. Here, the basic concept behind recent methodological advances — viz. (1) decision support tools for spatial conservation planning, (2) cumulative effect assessments and (3) ecological niche models — which offer innovative analyses for conservation of biodiversity, is briefly presented. The need for standardized analytical methodologies seems to be properly acknowledged. Yet, the application, precision and validation of any such modern tool largely depend on the available data. The need for transparent and credible openaccess data is more urgent than ever.
From sequential programs to multi-tier applications by program transformation

Modern applications are designed in multiple tiers to separate concerns. Since each tier may run at a separate location, middleware is required to mediate access between tiers. However, introducing this middleware is tiresome and error-prone.We propose a multi-tier calculus and a splitting transformation to address this problem. The multi-tier calculus serves as a sequential core programming language for constructing a multi-tier application. The application can be developed in the sequential setting. Splitting extracts one process per tier from the sequential program such that their concurrent execution behaves like the original program.The splitting transformation starts from an assignment of primitive operations to tiers. A program analysis determines communication requirements and inserts remote procedure calls. The next transformation step performs resource pooling: it optimizes the communication behavior by transforming sequences of remote procedure calls to a stream-based protocol. The final transformation step splits the resulting program into separate communicating processes.The multi-tier calculus is also applicable to the construction of interactive Web applications. It facilitates their development by providing a uniform programming framework for client-side and server-side programming.
Effects of Person-Group and Intragroup Attitude Similarity on Perceived Group Attractiveness and Cohesiveness: II

The generalizability of the Byrne-Nelson attraction function to the evaluation of group attractiveness and group cohesiveness was investigated by varying both the proportion of person-group or intergroup attitude similarity (.25, .50, or .75) and the proportion of within-group or intragroup attitude similarity (.33, .50, or .83) and having the experimental S evaluate the stimulus group for its attractiveness and its probable level of cohesive functioning. The mythical 3-person stimulus group which each S evaluated was presented as being comprised of the likely participants in a discussion group being considered for another psychological experiment. Group attractiveness was measured by scales for liking and desire to work with the group, and group cohesiveness was assessed with scales asking for evaluations of the group's probable level of productivity, efficiency, feelings of belongingness, and morale. Evaluation of group attractiveness is a positive function of person-group attitude similarity or the similarity of the group's members to S (p < .001), whereas the evaluation of group cohesiveness is a positive function of similarity of intragroup attitude or the similarity of the group's members to one another independent of their similarity to the nonmember-evaluator (p < .001).