Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teacher Awareness of Social Emotional Learning Standards and Strategies

This study investigated teacher knowledge and attitudes of both special education and general education teachers towards social emotional learning. A total of twenty-five certified special education teachers and twenty-five certified general education teachers were surveyed regarding their familiarity with the State of Illinois Social Emotional Learning Standards. Teachers’ perceptions of the competency of their higher education preparation and professional development to meet their students’ social emotional needs were solicited. The data gathered from this study suggests that universities should prepare teachers more adequately in the areas of social emotional learning. The data also supports that there is a need for districts to offer more workshops and professional development regarding students’ social emotional needs. Educational implications and recommendations based upon the findings of this study, for future research in social emotional learning are discussed.
Hemodialysis of Theophylline in Uremic Patients

Hemodialysis of theophylline was studied in three uremic patients. The dialysis clearance ranged from 75.6 to 97.9 ml/min and averaged 88.1 ml/min. A much smaller value of 32.8 ml/min was reported by Levy and associates. The difference may be attributed to the two monitoring factors during hemodialysis, namely, blood and dialyzate flow rates. Both were higher in our study. Analysis of the semilogarithmic plots of the arterial plasma concentration versus time over a 3-hour period gave apparent half-lives of 3.15, 2.04, and 2.73 hours, respectively, for the three patients. Half-life of theophylline in normal subjects ranged from 4 to 6 hours or even longer. A prolonged half-life of theophylline in uremia could be expected. Our kinetic study indicated an approximately 50 per cent reduction in terminal half-life during hemodialysis. Hourly dialyzate was collected from one patient to account for drug recovery in the dialysis fluid. Forty per cent of the administered dose was recovered in the dialyzate during a 3-hour dialysis period, indicating effective removal. Dialysis clearance for creatinine was calculated by arterial-venous difference and correlated with that of theophylline. We found that theophylline was cleared by the dialyzer at a rate approximating 63 per cent of creatinine removal.
The Light Field Attachment: Turning a DSLR into a Light Field Camera Using a Low Budget Camera Ring.

We propose a concept for a lens attachment that turns a standard DSLR camera and lens into a light field camera. The attachment consists of 8 low-resolution, low-quality side cameras arranged around the central high-quality SLR lens. Unlike most existing light field camera architectures, this design provides a high-quality 2D image mode, while simultaneously enabling a new high-quality light field mode with a large camera baseline but little added weight, cost, or bulk compared with the base DSLR camera. From an algorithmic point of view, the high-quality light field mode is made possible by a new light field super-resolution method that first improves the spatial resolution and image quality of the side cameras and then interpolates additional views as needed. At the heart of this process is a super-resolution method that we call iterative Patch- And Depth-based Synthesis (iPADS), which combines patch-based and depth-based synthesis in a novel fashion. Experimental results obtained for both real captured data and synthetic data confirm that our method achieves substantial improvements in super-resolution for side-view images as well as the high-quality and view-coherent rendering of dense and high-resolution light fields.
Social Security Reform and the Surveillance State: Exploring the Operation of ‘Hidden Conditionality’ in the Reform of Disability Benefits Since 2010

The application of formal conditionality to address ‘dependence’ on social security has been an important trend since the 1990s. Reforms between 2010 and 2015 saw a renewed interest in this approach. This article will focus on conditionality in disability benefits in that period. It will present findings from a qualitative study of twenty-three disabled people living in the central-belt of Scotland, exploring the operation of surveillance as a form of ‘hidden conditionality’. It will find that this had a significant impact on participants’ daily lives, affecting who they interacted with, and what activities they felt they could take part in. The implications of this for disabled people's ability to realise equal citizenship will be examined.
Multi-service scheduling mechanism with QoS guarantee for centralized scheduling of WiMax mesh mode

IEEE 802.16 mesh mode is connection-less, and can not provide quality of service (QoS) according to different requirements of different data flows as Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) mode. In view of this problem, a new centralized scheduling mechanism to guarantee QoS of multiple services in IEEE 802.16 mesh network was proposed. In this mechanism, connections are classified into four classes, i.e., Unsolicited Grant Service (UGS), real-time Polling Service (rtPS), non-realtime Polling Service (nrtPS) and Best Effort (BE), which is similar to PMP mode. To reduce control overhead, Subscriber Stations (SS) request the base station (BS) to assign aggregate end-to-end bandwidth for each of its service classes. BS allocates slots to every service class of all SSs, and the SSs allocate the granted slots further for each service class among its connections. The proposed scheduling algorithms in both BS and SSs first ensure minimum bandwidth request and then allocate the residual slots fairly according to the maximum bandwidth request. Simulation using ns-2 reveals the proposed solution can ensure QoS requirements of all the connections in centralized scheduling of mesh mode.
Participants on the Margins: #BlackLivesMatter and the Role That Shared Artifacts of Engagement Played Among Minoritized Political Newcomers on Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter

Using ethnographic methods, this article explores social media as a contested public space for diverse young people at the margins of politics, focusing on social media use in a school walkout held in solidarity with Ferguson protesters. The article offers a conceptualization of what are termed artifacts of engagement—the photos, messages, and other materials signaling political involvement that young students of color shared with peers through Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. Shared artifacts of engagement are described as key to how individuals personalize expressions of a movement’s goals in what Bennett and Segerberg termed connective action. But the sharing of such artifacts in online spaces is not unproblematic, as this article attests.
Ulmus americana (Ulmaceae) is a polyploid complex.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Exotic diseases are threatening many North American tree species, and management of diseases requires understanding the biology of the host as well as the pathogen. Ulmus americana is a widespread dominant tree of eastern North America that has been widely planted as an ornamental and shade tree. Populations of the species have suffered heavy mortality from Dutch elm disease, caused by an introduced fungus. Ulmus americana is generally reported to be tetraploid, but the discovery of triploid trees in cultivation suggested that lower ploidy levels may exist in the wild, so the species was surveyed for nuclear DNA content. METHODS Ploidy level was estimated by flow cytometry for 81 individuals from wild populations of U. americana from throughout the range of the species and for four cultivated trees of interest. KEY RESULTS Most specimens were tetraploid, as previously reported for the species, but 21% of the wild trees sampled were diploid, a ploidy level not previously confirmed for the species. Tetraploids are found throughout the range of the species. Diploids are most common on the Atlantic coastal plain, Cumberland Plateau, and in southern Ohio, but isolated diploids were also found in central Texas, Oklahoma, and eastern Missouri. Diploids and tetraploids grew in proximity in several areas, but no wild triploids were found in the course of this survey. CONCLUSIONS The species is genetically heterogeneous, but further research is needed to understand the origin and relations of the different ploidy levels. Understanding the ploidy situation in U. americana will be important in the search for further genotypes that are resistant to Dutch elm disease.
Optimal Pilot Design for Pilot Contamination Elimination/Reduction in Large-Scale Multiple-Antenna Aided OFDM Systems

This paper considers the problem of pilot contamination (PC) in large-scale multi-cell multiple-input multiple-output-aided orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems. We propose an efficient scheme relying on an optimal pilot design conceived for time-domain channel estimation, which can either completely eliminate PC or significantly reduce it, depending on the channel's coherence time. This is achieved by designing an optimal pilot set allowing us to beneficially group the users in all the cells and to assign a time-shifted pilot transmission to the different groups. Unlike the existing PC elimination schemes, which require an excessively long channel coherence time, our proposed scheme is capable of completely eliminating PC under a much shorter coherence time. Moreover, the existing PC elimination schemes can no longer be used if the channel coherent time is insufficiently large. By contrast, even for extremely short channel coherent time, our scheme can still be implemented to significantly reduce PC. This is particularly beneficial for high velocity scenarios. Our simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Sleep loss and fatigue in medical training

The effects of sleep loss and fatigue in the context of medical training is a topic that has generated considerable interest, as well as controversy, over the past two decades. The sleep deprived state in medical trainees potentially impacts on a variety of domains relevant to medical care, including performance on neurobehavioral and work-related tasks, mood and affect, learning, risk for and commission of medical errors, and the health and well-being of medical students and residents. The following review provides a summary of research conducted on this topic in the past decade, including the relation of sleep loss and fatigue to medical errors and the quality of patient care. Those few studies that have analyzed the use of operational alertness management strategies, countermeasures, and educational interventions to address and mitigate the effects of sleep loss and fatigue are also reviewed. There is clearly a need for additional research to further explore the complex interaction between sleep and fatigue and medical care, and to support the development and implementation of regulatory policies based on sound science.
Paradoxes of eukaryotic DNA replication: MCM proteins and the random completion problem

Eukaryotic DNA replication initiates at multiple origins. In early fly and frog embryos, chromosomal replication is very rapid and initiates without sequence specificity. Despite this apparent randomness, the spacing of these numerous initiation sites must be sufficiently regular for the genome to be completely replicated on time. Studies in various eukaryotes have revealed that there is a strict temporal separation of origin “licensing” prior to S phase and origin activation during S phase. This may suggest that replicon size must be already established at the licensing stage. However, recent experiments suggest that a large excess of potential origins are assembled along chromatin during licensing. Thus, a regular replicon size may result from the selection of origins during S phase. We review single molecule analyses of origin activation and other experiments addressing this issue and their general significance for eukaryotic DNA replication. BioEssays 25:116–125, 2003. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Allocation of Cash Flows in Unionized Firms

ABSTRACT How do unionized firms use cash inflows? To answer this hitherto unexplored question, we adopt the system of equations developed by Dasgupta, Noe, and Wang (2011) to explicitly address possible interdependence of cash allocation decisions in unionized firms. Based on comprehensive firm-level unionization data for Korean companies from 1998 to 2008, we document that unionized firms allocate less cash to cash reserves and retirement of external financing than nonunionized firms do. More interestingly, inconsistent with previous findings, we also find that unionized firms utilize a greater portion of cash inflows to investment. This unexpected result of greater investment in unionized firms is in fact consistent with the view that employees are an important nonfinancial stakeholder who naturally cares about the long-term survival of the company; thus, they do not necessarily suppress value-increasing investments. Overall, our findings suggest that researchers need to consider cash flow sensitivities when examining interrelated cash allocation decisions.
DNA Isolation from Fresh and Cryopreserved Semen of Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum)

Semen cryopreservation is an import toll for reproductive management of fish species, which increasingly it is applied in the commercial production of fish. Cryopreservation need of the cryoprotectors agents (CPAs) that may be a complication factor in DNA extraction that can affect the quality of isolated DNA. Genomic DNA constitutes the total genetic information of an organism and it is used for a many finalities, such as to determine gene structure or to detect the presence or absence of genes of interest. However, simple questions to be analyzed become slow to be answered due to troubles in the execution of basic techniques like DNA isolation. This article describes a protocol for the isolation of genomic DNA from fresh and cryopreserved semen.
Atypical Employment and In-Work Poverty: A Different Story for Part-Timers and Temporary Workers?

Both part-time and temporary employment have been shown to be associated with particular high poverty rates across Europe. Yet, theoretical arguments as to why this is the case remain scarce. Given the multifaceted nature of in-work poverty, the main aim of this chapter is unravel the different mechanisms that either cause or potentially limit the poverty risk of both groups of atypical workers. The results indicate that both groups are unable to secure a decent income to maintain themselves, not to mention their inability to sustain a family. However, their poverty risk remains remarkably limited when we take all income sources into account. We find that temporary and part-time workers tend to be protected against poverty differently. Government transfers are particularly important for temporary workers as they partially compensate periods out of work. Part-timers are more likely to rely on the earnings of other household members to avoid poverty, but with important differences across countries.
Induced metabolic alkalosis affects muscle metabolism and repeated-sprint ability.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of induced metabolic alkalosis, via sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingestion, on muscle metabolism and power output during repeated short-duration cycle sprints. METHODS : Ten active females (mean +/- SD: age = 19 +/- 2 yr, VO2max = 41.0 +/- 8.8 mL x kg x min ) ingested either 0.3 g x kg NaHCO3 or 0.207 g x kg of NaCl (CON), in a double-blind, random, counterbalanced order, 90 min before performing a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test (5 x 6-s all-out cycle sprints every 30 s). RESULTS Compared with CON, there was a significant increase in resting blood bicarbonate concentration [HCO3] (23.6 +/- 1.1 vs 30.0 +/- 3.0 mmol x L ) and pH (7.42 +/- 0.02 vs 7.50 +/- 0.04), but no significant difference in resting lactate concentration [La] (0.8 +/- 0.2 vs 0.8 +/- 0.3 mmol x L ) during the NaHCO3 trial. Muscle biopsies revealed no significant difference in resting muscle [La], pH, or buffer capacity (beta(in vitro)) between trials (P > 0.05). Compared with CON, the NaHCO3 trial resulted in a significant increase in total work (15.7 +/- 3.0 vs 16.5 +/- 3.1 kJ) and a significant improvement in work and power output in sprints 3, 4, and 5. Despite no significant difference in posttest muscle pH between conditions, the NaHCO3 trial resulted in significantly greater posttest muscle [La]. CONCLUSIONS As NaHCO3 ingestion does not increase resting muscle pH or beta(in vitro), it is likely that the improved performance is a result of the greater extracellular buffer concentration increasing H efflux from the muscles into the blood. The significant increase in posttest muscle [La] in NaHCO3 suggests that an increased anaerobic energy contribution is one mechanism by which NaHCO3 ingestion improved RSA.
The impact of a misspecified random‐effects distribution on the estimation and the performance of inferential procedures in generalized linear mixed models

Estimation in generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) is often based on maximum likelihood theory, assuming that the underlying probability model is correctly specified. However, the validity of this assumption is sometimes difficult to verify. In this paper we study, through simulations, the impact of misspecifying the random‐effects distribution on the estimation and hypothesis testing in GLMMs. It is shown that the maximum likelihood estimators are inconsistent in the presence of misspecification. The bias induced in the mean‐structure parameters is generally small, as far as the variability of the underlying random‐effects distribution is small as well. However, the estimates of this variability are always severely biased. Given that the variance components are the only tool to study the variability of the true distribution, it is difficult to assess whether problems in the estimation of the mean structure occur. The type I error rate and the power of the commonly used inferential procedures are also severely affected. The situation is aggravated if more than one random effect is included in the model. Further, we propose to deal with possible misspecification by way of sensitivity analysis, considering several random‐effects distributions. All the results are illustrated using data from a clinical trial in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effects of Gender Composition and Fertility on Mothers’ Marital Status and Labor Supply: Using Twin Births As a Natural Experiment

I employ the twin-first methodology to analyze the exogenous relationship between fertility, gender composition, and mothers’ marital status and labor supply. The regressions are based on the combination of genders and fertility in the first birth. The results show that white mothers with first birth as single boy are more likely to be involved in marriage than those with single girl. Comparing with non-twin mothers, holding the same gender, twin mothers have lower probabilities of marital dissolution, and they are less likely to participate in the labor market when the children were under 6. There is no impact of gender composition on mothers’ labor supply. Among twin mothers, there is no significant impact of gender composition on either mothers’ marriage stability or labor supply. For black mothers, neither the gender composition, nor birth of twins has impact on mothers’ marriage stability and labor supply.
Design Guidelines for a Double Scattering Compton Camera for Prompt-$\gamma$  Imaging During Ion Beam Therapy: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

In hadrontherapy in order to fully take advantage of the assets of the ion irradiation, the position of the Bragg peak has to be monitored accurately. Here, we investigate a monitoring method relying on the detection in real time of the prompt γ emitted quasi instantaneously during the nuclear fragmentation processes. Our detection system combines a beam hodoscope and a double scattering Compton camera. The prompt-γ emission points are reconstructed by intersecting the ion trajectories given by the hodoscope and the Compton cones reconstructed with the camera. We propose here to study in terms of point spread function and efficiency the theoretical feasibility of the emission points reconstruction with our set-up in the case of a photon point source in air. First we analyze the nature of all the interactions which are likely to produce an energy deposit in the three detectors of the camera. It is underlined that upper energy thresholds in both scatter detectors are required in order to select mainly Compton events (one Compton interaction in each scatter detector and one interaction in the absorber detector). Then, we study the influence of various parameters such as the photon energy and the inter-detector distances on the Compton camera response. These studies are carried out by means of Geant4 simulations. We use a source with a spectrum corresponding to the prompt-γ spectrum emitted during the carbon ion irradiation of a water phantom. In the current configuration, the spatial resolution of the Compton camera is about 6 mm (Full Width at Half Maximum) and the detection efficiency 10-5. Finally, provided the detection efficiency is increased, the clinical applicability of our system is considered.
A pilot randomized controlled trial of renal protection with pioglitazone in diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy progresses relentlessly to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Animal experiments have found that peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma)-based therapy can have a glucose independent effect on renal protection. We hypothesized that PPAR-gamma-based antidiabetic therapy would result in greater reduction in proteinuria compared to sulfonylurea-based therapy. METHODS In 44 patients with overt diabetic nephropathy, an open-label, blinded end point trial was conducted in which subjects were randomized to either pioglitazone or glipizide to achieve similar glucose control. Proteinuria was assessed by two collections of 24-hour urine samples each month for 4 months. RESULTS The glipizide group had an adjusted mean increase in proteinuria of 6.1% (95% CI -11.7%, 23.8%), whereas the pioglitazone group had a reduction of 7.2% (95% CI -24.9%, 10.6%). The adjusted reduction with pioglitazone of 13.2% (95% CI -38.4%, 11.9%) was not statistically significant (P= 0.294). Baseline proteinuria, diastolic ambulatory blood pressure, and serum albumin concentration were independent predictors of reduction in proteinuria. The frequency and patterns of adverse events were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION In patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy, we found no reduction in proteinuria over 4 months. These data are useful to design larger studies with longer duration of follow-up to demonstrate renal protection of PPAR-gamma agonists.
Exploiting synchrony spectra and deep neural networks for noise-robust automatic speech recognition

This paper presents a novel system that exploits synchrony spectra and deep neural networks (DNNs) for automatic speech recognition (ASR) in challenging noisy environments. Synchrony spectra measure the extent to which each frequency channel in an auditory model is entrained to a particular pitch period, and they are used together with F0 estimates either in a DNN for time-frequency (T-M) mask estimation or to augment the input features for a DNN-based ASR system. The proposed approach was evaluated in the context of the CHiME 3 Challenge. Our experiments show that the synchrony spectra features work best when augmenting the input features to the DNN-based ASR system. Compared to the CHiME-3 baseline system, our best system provides a word error rate (WER) reduction of more than 14% absolute and achieved a WER of 18.56% on the evaluation test set.