Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Study on Development of an Instrument to Determine Turkish Kindergarten Students' Understandings of Scientific Concepts and Scientific Inquiry Processes.

The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure Turkish kindergarten students' understandings of some science concepts and scientific inquiry processes which are grounded in the Turkish Preschool Curriculum. The sample of the study was 371 kindergarten students, 12 Subject Area Experts (SAE), and 7 Turkish Language Experts (TLE). Six stages were followed in the development process of the instrument: (i) item formulation, (ii) content validity, (iii) language validity, (iv) item difficulty and discrimination index, (v) factor analysis, and (vi) reliability. First, an item pool was constituted with 42 items. Second, SAEs and TLEs rated these items in respect to the degree to which they reflected the content and their understandability and grammar accuracy in Turkish. Third, all items were implemented kindergarten students, and 26 items were eliminated according to their item difficulty and discrimination index values. Last, factor analysis and reliability were studied by means of the data belonging to the rest of items. Results revealed that the instrument with 16 items had two factor structure and acceptable reliability.
Overlapping computation and communication: Barrier algorithms and ConnectX-2 CORE-Direct capabilities

This paper explores the computation and communication overlap capabilities enabled by the new CORE-Direct hardware capabilities introduced in the InfiniBand Network Interface Card (NIC) ConnectX-2. We use the latency dominated nonblocking barrier algorithm in this study, and find that at 64 process count, a contiguous time slot of about 80% of the nonblocking barrier time is available for computation. This time slot increases as the number of processes participating increases. In contrast, Central Processing Unit (CPU) based implementations provide a time slot of up to 30% of the nonblocking barrier time. This bodes well for the scalability of simulations employing offloaded collective operations. These capabilities can be used to reduce the effects of system noise, and when using non-blocking collective operations may also be used to hide the effects of application load imbalance.
System integration and fin trajectory Design for a robotic sea-turtle

This paper presents a novel underwater robot based on biological locomotion principle. A robotic platform imitating sea-turtle fin propulsion is described and tested. As fin locomotion is a novel and complex research area, basic control concepts are analyzed and implemented. Based on a simulation, a fin-trajectory morphing control strategy is developed in order to control the robots roll, pitch and yaw rates, thus allowing the robot to follow a given vector. Absolute position control or depth control, however, is not yet implemented. The paper concludes with the presentation of a working system that demonstrated motion capabilities in air as well as the first dive test in a swimming pool.
A dimer method for finding saddle points on high dimensional potential surfaces using only first derivatives

The problem of determining which activated (and slow) transitions can occur from a given initial state at a finite temperature is addressed. In the harmonic approximation to transition state theory this problem reduces to finding the set of low lying saddle points at the boundary of the potential energy basin associated with the initial state, as well as the relevant vibrational frequencies. Also, when full transition state theory calculations are carried out, it can be useful to know the location of the saddle points on the potential energy surface. A method for finding saddle points without knowledge of the final state of the transition is described. The method only makes use of first derivatives of the potential energy and is, therefore, applicable in situations where second derivatives are too costly or too tedious to evaluate, for example, in plane wave based density functional theory calculations. It is also designed to scale efficiently with the dimensionality of the system and can be applied to ve.
Estimation of Lane Marker Parameters With High Correlation to Steering Signal

This paper considers the design and analysis of lane marker parameters in 2-D images. Five different parameters, which have high correlation to the steering angle of a vehicle, are proposed, and their correspondence to the steering signal is analyzed. The parameters are based on the position, angle, area, and curvature of the lane marker and have not been reported in the literature before, except the curvature. A new derivative-free method is proposed for curvature estimation. The stability of the proposed parameters is analyzed with respect to the look-ahead distance. Possible application of the parameters for overtaking detection is presented. This paper is performed using signals from real country road driving.
Performance modeling of heterogeneous systems

Predicting how well applications may run on modern systems is becoming increasingly challenging. It is no longer sufficient to look at number of floating point operations and communication costs, but one also needs to model the underlying systems and how their topology, heterogeneity, system loads, etc, may impact performance. This work focuses on developing a practical model for heterogeneous computing by looking at the older BSP model, which attempts to model communication costs on homogeneous systems, and looks at how its library implementations can be extended to include a run-time system that may be useful for heterogeneous systems. Our extensions of BSPlib with MPI and GASnet mechanisms at the communication layer should provide useful tools for evaluating applications with respect to how they may run on heterogeneous systems.
Metabolic Engineering of Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803 for Isobutanol Production

ABSTRACT Global warming and decreasing fossil fuel reserves have prompted great interest in the synthesis of advanced biofuels from renewable resources. In an effort to address these concerns, we performed metabolic engineering of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 to develop a strain that can synthesize isobutanol under both autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions. With the expression of two heterologous genes from the Ehrlich pathway, the engineered strain can accumulate 90 mg/liter of isobutanol from 50 mM bicarbonate in a gas-tight shaking flask. The strain does not require any inducer (i.e., isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside [IPTG]) or antibiotics to maintain its isobutanol production. In the presence of glucose, isobutanol synthesis is only moderately promoted (titer = 114 mg/liter). Based on isotopomer analysis, we found that, compared to the wild-type strain, the mutant significantly reduced its glucose utilization and mainly employed autotrophic metabolism for biomass growth and isobutanol production. Since isobutanol is toxic to the cells and may also be degraded photochemically by hydroxyl radicals during the cultivation process, we employed in situ removal of the isobutanol using oleyl alcohol as a solvent trap. This resulted in a final net concentration of 298 mg/liter of isobutanol under mixotrophic culture conditions.
Symptoms in patients with takotsubo syndrome: a qualitative interview study

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the meaning of narrated symptoms in connection to takotsubo syndrome. Design, method, participants and setting Qualitative study consisting of 25 interviews, 23 women and 2 men aged 39–84 and living in Region Västra Götaland, Sweden. The transcribed text was analysed with phenomenological hermeneutics. Results The interviewees reported a large number of symptoms before, during and after the acute onset of takotsubo syndrome, including pain, affected breathing, lassitude, malaise and nausea. Several of these have not been reported previously. Symptoms before the acute onset were, even if they had been prominent, ignored by the interviewees for various reasons. During the acute phase, the symptoms could no longer be ignored and the interviewees sought healthcare. The remaining residual symptom after discharge from hospital caused a great deal of worry because the interviewees feared that they would be permanent and they felt they could not live this way. On the whole, becoming ill and having a large number of symptoms greatly impacted the lives of the interviewees and made them re-evaluate how they had been living. Furthermore, they reported feeling alone and lost regarding their symptom burden, especially in relation to their residual symptoms, which affected their health and ability to return to daily life. Conclusions Acute symptoms, and symptoms before and after the acute ones, are a major part of the illness experience for patients with takotsubo syndrome and affect their health and well-being. Assessment of symptoms should be an integrated part of care to promote health. One way of achieving this is through the patients’ own narratives of their experiences, which are an important component in person-centred care.
Forensic Science in Transition: Critical Leadership Challenges

Abstract Our nation needs strong forensic leaders. National leaders are needed to champion reforms recommended by the National Research Council and Committee on Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Sciences Community (2009). Leaders are also needed in laboratories to address difficult challenges in the context of resource limitations and constraints that hamper progress toward important goals. Business tools, strategies, and tactics are reviewed from the extant literature to help forensic leaders develop necessary skills. Specifically, leader influence tactics can be used to gain commitment for important projects. We draw from our experience and research to facilitate a discussion of the “best practices” for developing leader effectiveness in forensic science. In this regard, we offer six recommendations for effectiveness measures. Finally, we describe four components of a laboratory that must be in alignment going forward. Leadership is needed at both the national and local levels to provide new direction for the forensic science community.
From prejudice to reasonable judgement: integrating (moral) value discussions in university courses

The central question addressed in this article is how (moral) values discussions in university courses can be integrated in a systematic way. Discussion of (moral) values is fundamental to the Dublin descriptor about judgement formation in use in European universities. To integrate this descriptor and its (moral) values aspects in university courses, we developed a tool for evaluating academic judgement learning: the Dilemma-Oriented Learning Model. We introduce this model and discuss the way it has been implemented and evaluated in some university courses. We aim for students to develop critical, balanced and responsible judgements. The learning outcomes are used as the basis for the improvement of teaching. We found that our approach can be helpful in integrating the descriptor. However, the (moral) values dimension requires more attention. We intend to go on developing and implementing our approach as a means of integrating reflection on moral values into disciplinary courses.
A path analysis of basic need support, self-efficacy, achievement goals, life satisfaction and academic achievement level among secondary school students

Teachers’ support of basic psychological needs, self-efficacy, achievement goals, life satisfaction and academic achievement level was measured in a sample of 240 secondary school students (8th and 10th grades). Correlation analysis showed significant positive relations between all of the variables, except for the relation between need support of competence and performance goals. A subsequent path analysis showed that these variables could be accounted for by a structural model that described basic need support as predictors of self-efficacy and achievement goals, which in turn predicted academic achievement level and perceived life satisfaction. Analysis of intra-class correlation and design effect showed that need support of relatedness also was accounted for by class level responses. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed in terms of the importance of basic need support as a predictor of personal motives in educational settings as well as the students adjustment to school and life.
Learning Disability and the History of Science: Paradigm or Paradox?

The field of learning disabilities faces a fundamental problem of providing a definition acceptable to a broad constituency. In attempting to explain why this situation exists, we offer arguments based upon concepts from the history and philosophy of science. I t is concluded that learning disability is a victim of its own history, and a breaking from the past is necessary for the definitional problem to move closer to resolution. Few of us take the pains to study the origin of our cherished convictions; indeed, we have a natural repugnance to so doing. We like to continue to believe what we have been accustomed to accept as true, and the resentment aroused when doubt is cast upon any of our assumptions leads us to seek every manner of excuse for clinging to them. -J. H. Robinson
Disparity-Specific Spatial Interactions: Evidence from EEG Source Imaging

Using cortical source estimation techniques based on high-density EEG and fMRI measurements in humans, we measured how a disparity-defined surround influenced the responses to the changing disparity of a central disk within five visual ROIs: V1, V4, lateral occipital complex (LOC), hMT+, and V3A. The responses in the V1 ROI were not consistently affected either by changes in the characteristics of the surround (correlated or uncorrelated) or by its disparity value, consistent with V1 being responsive only to absolute, not relative, disparity. Correlation in the surround increased the responses in the V4, LOC, and hMT+ ROIs over those measured with the uncorrelated surround. Thus, these extrastriate areas contain neurons that are sensitive to disparity differences. However, their evoked responses did not vary systematically with the surround disparity. Responses in the V3A ROI, in contrast, were increased by correlation in the surround and varied with its disparity. We modeled these V3A responses as attributable to a gain modulation of the absolute disparity response, where the gain amplitude is proportional to the center–surround disparity difference. An additional experiment identified a nonlinear center–surround interaction in V3A that facilitates the responses when center and surround are misaligned but suppresses it when they share the same disparity plane.
Equivalence Checking in the Presence of Incompletely Specified Boxes

We consider the problem of checking whether an implementation which contains parts with incomplete information is equivalent to a given full specification. We study implementations which are not completely specified, but contain boxes which are associated with incompletely specified functions (called Incompletely Specified Boxes or IS–Boxes). After motivating the use of implementations with Incompletely Specified Boxes we define our notion of equivalence for this kind of implementations and present a method to solve the problem. A series of experimental results demonstrates the effectiveness and feasibility of the methods presented.
‘Family is Family … It Does Affect Everybody in the Family‘: Black Birth Relatives and Adoption Support1

The voices of black birth relatives are rarely, if ever, heard in discussions on adoption support services. Drawing on findings from a larger study of service users' views and experiences of such services, Perlita Harris focuses on a small group of black birth relatives' experiences of post-adoption support, highlights some of their specific support needs, as identified by themselves, and makes concrete suggestions for ensuring that services are appropriate, accessible and welcoming to them. The article demonstrates the importance of developing non-Eurocentric, non-stigmatising, culturally appropriate and anti-oppressive services that are tailored to meeting the specific needs of this group.
Constrained PDF Controller Optimization for Film Winding Processes

For the speed control of film winding system, the pseudo-derivative feedback (PDF) controller is first selected. Controller parameters tuning then becomes a nonlinear constrained optimization problem with nonlinearity and load variations of film winding system. To avoid the selection of penalty parameters in constraint handling, NSGA-II is utilized by converting the nonlinear constrained optimization problem into bi-objective optimization problem. Simulation results show the optimized controller has strong robustness and quick step responses without overshoot and oscillation.
One cycle control for a half-bridge cascaded multilevel inverter

The conventional one cycle control cannot realize the function of eliminating harmonic component in the output voltage waveform of a cascaded multilevel inverter. To overcome these problems, this paper proposes a modified one cycle control(OCC) scheme based on a sample time staggered technique. Through the stagger of the sample time in the control system of cascaded units, the output voltage waveform of the cascaded multilevel inverter controlled with the modified OCC is synthesized by the voltage waveforms of each unit. Then, specified harmonic components of the output voltage waveform can be eliminated. Furthermore, the modified OCC produces superior ability of suppressing the disturbances in the dc sources. The simulation results verify the feasibility of the modified one cycle control in cascaded multilevel inverters in comparison with phase shifted PWM.
IDENTIFICATION OF VIRULENCE GENES IN CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI AND C. COLI ISOLATES BY PCR

Using the PCR technique, the presence of the seven genotypic virulence markers of Campylobacter has been tested. It was found that all C. coli (92 strains) and C. jejuni (105 strains) possessed the flaA and cadF markers. Several strains were positive for the CDT toxin genes (76.6%, 85.3%, and 83.2% strains with the A, B, and C cdt gene variants, respectively). On the other hand, only 66.0% and 20.8% isolates had the iam and virB genes.
Non-rigid registration for deformable objects

We present an efficient algorithm for non-rigid registration of two partially overlapping 3D surfaces in which a target surface is a deformed instance of a source surface. The algorithm is implemented in two main phases. In the first phase, the robust algorithm that is used is based on a probability density estimation to find reliable correspondences between the two surfaces. Then, in the second phase, a deformation algorithm is applied for non-rigid registration where the displacement of each point is described by an affine transformation in relation with other points of the same surface and its corresponding point on the other surface. Combined with initial correspondences in the first phase, an effective strategy for optimization of a cost function is carried out to align the two surfaces without using any assumption and user-intervention on the algorithm. We test the robustness of our method by efficiently aligning pairs of surfaces of realistic scan data of human body models.
Effect of surface treatments on shear bond strength of denture teeth to denture base resins

Background: Debonding of denture teeth from denture bases is the most common failure in removable dentures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface treatments on shear bond strength of denture teeth to heat-polymerized and autopolymerized denture base resins. Materials and Methods: In this experimental in vitro study, 60 maxillary central incisor acrylic teeth were divided into two groups. Group M was polymerized with heat-polymerized acrylic resin (Meliodent) by compression molding technique and group F was processed by autopolymerized acrylic resin (Futura Gen) by injection molding technique. Within each group, specimens were divided into three subgroups according to the teeth surface treatments (n = 10): (1) ground surface as the control group (M1 and F1), (2) ground surface combined with monomer application (M2 and F2), and (3) airborne particle abrasion by 50 μm Al2O3 (M3 and F3). The shear bond strengths of the specimens were tested by universal testing machine with crosshead speed of 5 mm/min. Data were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) tests (P < 0.05). Results: The mean shear bond strengths of the studied groups were 96.40 ± 14.01, 124.70 ± 15.64, and 118 ± 16.38 N for M1, M2, and M3 and 87.90 ± 13.48, 117 ± 13.88, and 109.70 ± 13.78 N for F1, F2, and F3, respectively. The surface treatment of the denture teeth significantly affected their shear bond strengths to the both the denture base resins (P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between the groups treated by monomer or airborne particle abrasion (P = 0.29). The highest percentage of failure mode was mixed in Meliodent and adhesive in Futura Gen. Conclusion: Monomer application and airborne particle abrasion of the ridge lap area of the denture teeth improved their shear bond strengths to the denture base resins regardless of the type of polymerization.
Using causal diagrams to guide analysis in missing data problems

Estimating causal effects from incomplete data requires additional and inherently untestable assumptions regarding the mechanism giving rise to the missing data. We show that using causal diagrams to represent these additional assumptions both complements and clarifies some of the central issues in missing data theory, such as Rubin's classification of missingness mechanisms (as missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR) or missing not at random (MNAR)) and the circumstances in which causal effects can be estimated without bias by analysing only the subjects with complete data. In doing so, we formally extend the back-door criterion of Pearl and others for use in incomplete data examples. These ideas are illustrated with an example drawn from an occupational cohort study of the effect of cosmic radiation on skin cancer incidence.
A core approach to practice-based evidence: A brief history of the origins and applications of the CORE-OM and CORE System

Abstract This article reviews the development of the CORE-OM and CORE System from 1995 to 2005 in the context of the need to measure, monitor, and manage the delivery of counselling and the psychological therapies in service of providing best quality care for clients. The origins and philosophy of these tools are summarised and practical aspects of how to use them in routine service settings are set out, including an easy to use look-up table of differing ways of presenting CORE-OM scores and their associated meaning. The wider family of CORE outcome measures is briefly outlined to show the relationship between the various versions and how each is designed for a specific purpose. These outcome tools are set within the broader context of the CORE System. In turn, the CORE-OM and CORE System are placed within the paradigm of practice-based evidence and examples are provided of how these tools have been applied in routine as well as more traditional evaluative settings. The aim of the present article is two-.