Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Affective identities and the recontextualisation of elite schools for globalisation in Singapore

ABSTRACT This paper discusses how the elite schools in Singapore have been recontextualising their pedagogical programmes, as the public education system adjusts to the developmental state's balancing act to continue with nation building while remaking Singapore into a global city. The elite schools have been updating their pedagogical programmes to produce the new generation of national leaders and, at the same time, preserve the formally meritocratic system amidst the challenges of internationalisation and increasing inequalities as Singapore globalises. Sociological studies of the reproduction of elites in schools have largely taken their theoretical cues from Pierre Bourdieu. However, the focus on character building, symbolic capital and cultivation of noblesse oblige is not sufficient to account for the educational reproduction of elites in globalising societies, as least for the case of Singapore. Instead, I draw on the works of Basil Bernstein on pedagogic identities to look at the historical pedagogical realignments in four elite schools in Singapore and argue that the focus has shifted to personality cultivation, emotional control and worlding activism. The result is the shaping of affective identities that promise to empower students to navigate and move between the global and local and engage the class inequalities that they contribute to.
Socially Responsible Firms Outsource Less

Implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in supply chains is not a trivial task. In fact, many firms in recent years have publicly proclaimed that in order to keep their CSR commitments, they had to reduce reliance on external suppliers by vertically integrating their operations. Our aim in this article is to examine whether there is truly a relationship between a firm’s CSR performance and its level of vertical integration. Drawing on a multi-industry sample of 2,715 firm-year observations, and after addressing endogeneity concerns, we demonstrate that firms with higher CSR performance tend to vertically integrate more (or, outsource less). We also demonstrate that this tendency is weaker for firms that have higher degrees of asset specificity or international diversification. Our core conclusion is that CSR performance and outsourcing are at odds, but firms can reconcile this tension by deepening their collaborations with suppliers.
Measuring patient experience in diabetes care in England and Wales: proof of concept from the Patient Experience of Diabetes Services (PEDS) pilot

Collecting patient experience information is now very important for the NHS. A detailed questionnaire to record patient experience of diabetes services has been developed and piloted in paper form. However, the costs of using a paper-based system means that this cannot be used nationally. The questionnaire has therefore been put into a web format and this paper reports on a pilot feasibility study asking patients to fill out their experiences using their home computers. Patients recruited from general practice and hospital diabetes clinics were able to successfully complete the questionnaire online. Compared with national prevalence figures, more people with type 1 diabetes than with type 2 diabetes took part in the study.
Musical taste, in-group favoritism, and social identity theory: Re-testing the predictions of the self-esteem hypothesis

Musical taste is thought to function as a social “badge” of group membership, contributing to an individual’s sense of social identity. Following from this, social identity theory predicts that individuals should perceive those who share their musical tastes more favorably than those who do not. Social identity theory also asserts that this in-group favoritism is motivated by the need to achieve, maintain, or enhance a positive social identity and self-esteem (i.e., the “self-esteem hypothesis”). The findings of the present study supported both of these predictions. Participants rated fans of their favorite musical style significantly more favorably than fans of their least favorite musical style. The present findings also offer, for the first time, evidence of significant positive correlations between an individual’s self-esteem and the in-group bias shown to those who share their musical tastes. However, significant relationships with in-group identification also indicate that self-esteem is unlikely to be the sole factor responsible for this apparent in-group bias. Together these findings suggest that those who share our musical taste are likely to be regarded as in-group members and will be subject to in-group favoritism according to our self-esteem and how strongly we identify with our fellow music fans.
Inviting Ethnographic Conversations to Inspire Design: Towards a Design Research Method

Abstract In this study, we explore how designers made sense of user narratives that are generated through casual conversations in the context of discursively informed design. Our aim is to propose a method for utilizing these narratives in idea generation process. To do this, we designed a special process at which 13 designers voluntarily participated: First, we provided the designers with user narratives and gave them a design task we previously formulated. Then, we asked them to read and identify the contents that stimulated any design ideas accordingly. After that, we had conversations with the designers on the narratives, the design ideas they generated and how they related them altogether. Finally, we conducted a qualitative content analysis on the outcomes of this process and developed a method to help designers in systematically interpreting user narratives through four different categories of design implications.
Study on the Setting of TCM Curriculums for Undergraduate Nursing Profession in TCM Universities

The setting of the main TCM curriculums in the undergraduate nursing profession of TCM colleges and universities is directly related to the realization of the characteristics of TCM nursing education. In this paper, the horizontal contrast analysis method is used to visualize the main curriculum materials of the undergraduate nursing profession of 24 TCM colleges and universities, and descriptive statistical analysis is used to describe the TCM curriculums and their proportions in the core curriculums. The study found that there is a lack of reasonable and feasible unified standards for the undergraduate nursing profession in colleges and universities of TCM, the number of TCM main courses is small, the content is old and its structure is irrational. Aiming at the above problems, this paper puts forward some suggestions for establishing a reasonable and feasible standard for setting up TCM curriculums for undergraduate nursing profession in TCM colleges and universities, optimizing the content of TCM curriculums and organically integrating TCM curriculums.
A Compact, Low Power Consumption, and Highly Sensitive 95 GHz Doppler Radar

We report on the architecture and performance of a highly sensitive 95 GHz Doppler radar instrument with 0.6Watt transmit power designed for low power consumption and small size. The radar’s sensitivity is validated using a calibration target, and its remote sensing capabilities are demonstrated through the detection of clouds, rain, insects, and distant vehicles. The radar uses a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) waveform, a single antenna with ultra-high-isolation quasioptical transmit/receive duplexing, an InP low-noise amplifier for receiving, and a GaN power amplifier for transmitting. A DC power consumption of 22 W for the RF and digital subsystems is achieved, in part, by a combination of a power-efficient waveform generation/detection and signal processing board and a CMOS-based system-on-chip W-band oscillator. Excluding power supplies and a computer interface, the radar system mass is under 6 kg, making it attractive for future deployment from platforms with constrained accommodation resources.
Accuracy of CT angiography in the detection of pulmonary embolism in patients with high body weight

Poster: "ESTI 2014 / P-0010 / Accuracy of CT angiography in the detection of pulmonary embolism in patients with high body weight" by: "B. Megyeri1, A. Christe2, S. Schindera3, E. Horkay1, J. Sikula1, J. L. Cullmann2, J. Kollar1, J. Heverhagen2, Z. Szucs-Farkas4; 1Debrecen/HU, 2Bern/CH, 3Basel/CH, 4Biel/ Bienne/CH"
Effect of multiple episodes of acute kidney injury on mortality: an observational study

Abstract Background Patients who survive an episode of acute kidney injury (AKI) are more likely to have further episodes of AKI. AKI is associated with increased mortality, with a further increase with recurrent episodes. It is not clear whether this is due to AKI or as a result of other patient characteristics. The aim of this study was to establish whether recurrence of AKI is an independent risk factor for mortality or if excess mortality is explained by other factors. Methods This observational cohort study included adult people from the Tayside region of Scotland, with an episode of AKI between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009. AKI was defined using the creatinine-based Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes definition. Associations between recurrent AKI and mortality were examined using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results Survival was worse in the group identified to have recurrent AKI compared with those with a single episode of AKI [hazard ratio = 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37–1.63; P < 0.001]. After adjustment for comorbidities, stage of reference AKI, sex, age, medicines that predispose to renal impairment or, in the 3 months prior to the reference AKI, deprivation and baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), recurrent AKI was independently associated with an increase in mortality (hazard ratio = 1.25, 95% CI 1.14–1.37; P < 0.001). Increasing stage of reference AKI, age, deprivation, baseline eGFR, male sex, previous myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease and diuretic use were all associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with recurrent AKI. Conclusions Recurrent AKI is associated with increased mortality. After adjusting for patient characteristics, the increase in mortality is independently associated with recurrent AKI and is not solely explained by other risk factors.
Understanding the Impact of Learning Community Support for STEM students with Low Mathematics Placement

As a residential college within Michigan State University that focuses on STEM fields, Lyman Briggs College developed a STEM learning community to support students with low mathematics placement test scores, the Instilling Quantitative and Integrative Reasoning program (INQUIRE). INQUIRE serves some of those students considered historically at-risk based on STEM retention and graduation rates. INQUIRE was developed as learning community using curricular design, cohort-building activities, and academic resources to assist students’ transition to college. Participating students were surveyed to understand the student experience of INQUIRE. Students’ responses indicated that the program helped them adjust to college, prepare for introductory STEM courses, collaborate with other students and faculty, and experience academic and personal growth. A few students (4%) stated that the program put them behind their peers. Quantitatively, four-year STEM retention showed an increase from 43 to 56% for students starting in college-level algebra but remained statistically unchanged for those beginning in pre-college algebra (moving from 31 to 37%). The six-year graduation rates for both groups remained unchanged. These results indicate the difficulty in improving the graduation rates of students with low mathematics placement but indicate that INQUIRE made a positive and meaningful impact on students’ experience.
Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers’ Experiences With Unusual End-of-Life Phenomena

Forty-five Canadian hospice palliative care volunteers responded to a survey examining whether they had witnessed or been told about any unusual end-of-life phenomena (EOLP) in their work with dying patients and their families in the past year. The most commonly witnessed EOLP were patients talking to or reaching out their hands toward deceased relatives or friends (34%), occurrences of terminal lucidity (33%), and patients seemingly getting ready for a trip or journey (28%). At least a third of the volunteers indicated that a patient or a patient’s family member had told them about visions or dreams of deceased relatives or friends (47% and 44%, respectively), seeing beautiful places or colors or hearing wonderful music (38%), terminal lucidity (38%), and deathbed coincidences (33%). The majority of volunteers were accepting of spiritual explanations for EOLP and rejecting of scientific or medical ones. Ninety-six percent of the volunteers felt that information about EOLP should be included as part of their volunteer training.
The Impact and the Prevention of Burnout on Psychic activity and Nervous and Immune Systems

The aim of my study is to analyze the causes and consequences of burnout on the dysfunction of psychic activity and weakening of the nervous and immune systems in their interaction. By presenting different research studies and my own analytical and practical results, this article traces the various orientations and identifies the symptoms, ranging from the quasi-normal state to the serious pathology in individuals suffering from burnout. The burnout methods and the psychotherapeutic techniques presented, which can generate the burnout cases, present a common backbone to the different approaches exposed in order to try to explain what this concept covers and the way it manifests itself.
A Fuzzy Dynamic Programming Approach to Fuzzy Least Cost Route Problem

This paper focuses on obtaining a solution to generalized trapezoidal fuzzy least cost route problem using fuzzy dynamic programming approach. Using the fuzzy forward and backward recursive equations the fuzzy optimal solution is developed by without converting them into an equivalent crisp problem. Using appropriateranking and arithmetic operation in terms of parametric form the minimized fuzzy cost is attained. To explain the procedure an example is illustrated.
English Language Learner Autonomy in the Vietnamese Higher Education Context: Enabling Factors and Barriers Arising from Assessment Practice

viii Thesis declaration . x Acknowledgements . xi List of abbreviations . xii List of tables . xiii List of figures . xv Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Chapter overview . 1 1.1. Background to the research . 1 1.2. Research focus . 6 1.3. Research question and research objectives . 8 1.4. Significance of the study . 9 1.5. Key concepts in relation to learner autonomy . 9 1.6. Structure of the thesis . 10 Chapter 2: Context of the study . 13 Chapter overview . 13 2.1. Broader research context . 13 2.1.1. Vietnam in brief . 13 2.1.2. Vietnamese higher education . 18 2.1.3. History of foreign language education in Vietnam . 23 2.2. Research site . 27
Evaluating Teachers’ Assignment Implementation as School Principals Preparation Program in Indonesia

Study about policy education based on its criteria benefits to develop science by having new knowledge to enrich research in public evaluation discipline and educational management research area. Policy evaluation of teachers’ assignment as school principals will not only be able to give inputs to ministry of education and culture. But it will also give reinforcement to policy decision to make it successful for what it has been done. The role of principals is very essential to make the school have capability to shape intelligent and competitive Indonesian human capital. School principals as leaders are expected to become contributor to the success of governance reinforcement, accountability and public image of education. Their success to develop educational quality at school is very determined by their professionalism to do their duties, roles and function as principals. To develop their professionalism, it is very imperative to prepare selection of principal candidates. The implementation of proper selection system is hoped to bring about principal candidates who have high credibility since it has important role for education nowadays. It is also hoped that competent principals have capability to build good school cultural organization by emphasizing excellent service to learners and its community. Keywords—educational evaluation; school principals; professionalism
MFDC‐net: Multifeature‐based deep convolutional neural network for single image haze removal

When it comes to the dehazing method based on the ambient light scattering model, there are ill‐conditioning problems of great concern. Therefore, the inaccurate estimation of the global atmospheric light and transmittance can bring about hue error phenomena, halo artifacts, and image noises. In this paper, we present an effective and efficient approach to solve above problems. Firstly, we adopt single‐threshold segmentation method and quad‐tree algorithms, which can break through the limitation that the dark channel prior theory (DCP) is not suitable for sky region, to quickly and accurately locate and estimate the global atmospheric light. Secondly, we design a new deep convolutional network architecture, which can effectively suppress the halo effect of image edges and restrain image noises, to optimize transmittance. Numerous of outdoor and synthesis haze image test results indicate that the optimized approach could shorten the processing time greatly. Besides, with more accurate global atmospheric light value and transmittance, the image noise and the halo artifact can be effectively suppressed and removed respectively, the hue error phenomenon improved, and the image contrast significantly enhanced in the dehazing results.
A decision support system for managing results-based financed mega infrastructure programs

I would like to express my deep gratitude for my PhD thesis advisor Dr A.Samer Ezeldin. I would like to thank him for the great support and guidance he provided me. I am grateful for the time and effort he invested for guiding me throughout my PhD journey. I have learned a lot from him on an academic and personal level. I would like to express my deepest gratitude for his advice, patience, understanding and precious advice. I am also thankful for the internal examiners, Dr. Amr Hassanein, Dr. Ahmed Waly and Dr Khaled Nassar. I would like also to thank Dr. Ezeldin Yazeed for his support throughout my PhD journey. A special thanks for Dr. Ossama Hosny for Chairing my PhD defense, and for the knowledge I gained under his supervision during my MSc degree. I would like also to thank Dr. Safwan Khedr for attending my PhD defense. Moreover, I would like to thank Dr. Ossama El Husseiny and Dr. Mohamed Mahdy Marzouk, the external examiners, for their valuable comments. I would like to thank Dr. Sayed Ismael for providing me with information about the SRSSP program in Egypt. Further gratitude for Dr. Ahmed Al Hady for his support since beginning in my MSc degree, and Dr. Ibrahim Abotaleb for his valuable assistance. I would like to thank AUC for financially supporting my conference publications. Finally, I would like to thank all AUC professors and staff for supporting me in making this dissertation possible.
Recent advances and opportunities for improving diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of upper and lower motor neurons causing progressive weakness, and in nearly all cases, death. The diagnosis of ALS is currently limited to physical exam and electrodiagnostic testing, with use of diagnostic testing to exclude ALS mimics. There is growing interest in developing improved biomarkers to make an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of ALS, for use in clinical practice and for recruitment into trials. A number of promising biomarkers have been recently described, including imaging modalities, blood and CSF biomarkers, genetic testing, and electrodiagnostic techniques. Areas covered: This review describes the current diagnostic criteria for ALS and emerging biomarkers showing promise in the diagnosis and tracking of disease progression in ALS. Types of biomarkers and testing modalities reviewed include genetic, electrodiagnostic, imaging, and blood and CSF markers. Expert opinion: ALS currently remains a clinical diagnosis, but many emerging testing modalities and biomarkers show promise in ALS diagnosis and tracking disease progression. Some of the most promising biomarkers include genetic testing, volume based MRI modalities, and serum and CSF light chain neurofilament. The greatest challenge to ALS diagnostic testing is the broad pathogenic heterogeneity underlying a common clinical phenotype.
Seasonal Characteristics of Model Uncertainties From Biogenic Fluxes, Transport, and Large‐Scale Boundary Inflow in Atmospheric CO2 Simulations Over North America

Regional estimates of biogenic carbon fluxes over North America from both atmospheric inversions (“top‐down” approach) and terrestrial biosphere models (“bottom‐up”) remain highly uncertain. We merge these approaches with an ensemble‐based, regional modeling system able to diagnose and quantify the causes of uncertainties in top‐down atmospheric estimates of the terrestrial sink over North America. Our ensemble approach quantifies and partitions the uncertainty stemming from atmospheric transport, the biosphere, and large‐scale CO2 boundary inflow (boundary conditions). We use meteorological data, CO2 fluxes, and CO2 mole fraction measurements to assure the reliability of the ensemble system. Our results show that all uncertainty components have clear seasonal variations. The biogenic flux component dominates modeled boundary layer CO2 uncertainty, ranging from 2.5 ppm in summer and winter to 1.5 ppm in fall and spring. Spatially, it remains highly uncertain in the U.S. Corn Belt regions. Transport uncertainty reaches a maximum of 2.5 ppm in the summer months and stays at 1.2 ppm for the rest of the year and is highly correlated with the biogenic CO2 fluxes. Boundary conditions play the smallest role in atmospheric boundary layer CO2 uncertainty with a magnitude smaller than 1 ppm. However, boundary conditions are the most important uncertainty component in column‐averaged CO2 (XCO2). The spatiotemporal variations of the uncertainties in modeled XCO2 are similar to those in atmospheric boundary layer CO2.
Modeling and Analysis of an Absorption Column Connected to a Microalgae Culture

We build and analyze a mathematical model of a system for biogas upgrading: an absorption column connected to a microalgae culture. The construction of the model is based on a chemical engineering approach and classical models of microalgae cultures. In our analysis, we prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions of a boundary value problem describing the absorption column. Some properties of this solution are also proved. Then, we use these results to study the long-term behavior of the mathematical model describing the coupled system. We state sufficient conditions for the existence of a globally attracting steady state characterized by the presence of microalgae. Finally, we find numerically the steady states of the system to test the efficiency of the system for purifying biogas.