Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An investigation of factors identified by novice teachers that influence performance on standardized assessments and teacher performance

Entry in the teaching profession is often dependent on a number of steps or phases involving standardized assessments and performance assessments. The relationships between and among the variables incorporated in such instruments are typically assumed, but not necessarily substantiated. Furthermore, the relationships between the variables assessed and factors involved in teacher preparation have not been investigated. This study was designed to investigate the nature of such relationships in one particular case. In the spring of 1997, the Louisiana legislature changed the Louisiana Teacher Assessment Program to create the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP). LaTAAP is a uniform statewide program for new teachers entering service for the first time in a Louisiana Public School System. Through LaTAAP, each new teacher is assigned a mentor teacher who helps him or her transition into the career of education as successfully and effectively as possible (Louisiana Department of Education, Professional Development Manual, 2002-2003). The Praxis is a series of tests developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) that provides tests and other services for states to use as a part of their teacher licensing and certification process. The Praxis Series is currently required for teacher licensure in Louisiana and 43 other states and U.S. jurisdictions (Educational Testing Service [ETS], 2005-2006). The purpose of this study was intended to address relationships by investigating the factors identified by novice teachers as influencing their performance on Praxis and LaTAAP. Additionally, this study addressed whether the mentoring component increased teachers' sense of their capacity to teach effectively. The central research question was: What factors or issues are identified by novice teachers as influences on their performance in standardized assessments and classroom teaching effectiveness? This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological approach employing data collection techniques consisting of personal questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Data were collected exclusively from ten participants who completed LaTAAP over the past four years and passed Praxis. An analysis of the data revealed several commonalities of the participants' Praxis and LaTAAP experiences which have had an effect on their professional practice. The issues in common included professional growth, mentoring, and testing.
Latent Variable Models and Factor Analysis: A Unified Approach

Latent Variable Models and Factor Analysis provides a comprehensive and unified approach to factor analysis and latent variable modeling from a statistical perspective. This book presents a general framework to enable the derivation of the commonly used models, along with updated numerical examples. Nature and interpretation of a latent variable is also introduced along with related techniques for investigating dependency. This book: Provides a unified approach showing how such apparently diverse methods as Latent Class Analysis and Factor Analysis are actually members of the same family. Presents new material on ordered manifest variables, MCMC methods, non-linear models as well as a new chapter on related techniques for investigating dependency. Includes new sections on structural equation models (SEM) and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods for parameter estimation, along with new illustrative examples. Looks at recent developments on goodness-of-fit test statistics and on non-linear models and models with mixed latent variables, both categorical and continuous. No prior acquaintance with latent variable modelling is pre-supposed but a broad understanding of statistical theory will make it easier to see the approach in its proper perspective. Applied statisticians, psychometricians, medical statisticians, biostatisticians, economists and social science researchers will benefit from this book.
Religions Of Star Trek

Is there a God? What evil lurks beyond the stars? Can science save one's soul? Profound questions like these have consumed human thought over the ages; they also inspired the original creators of the Star Trek canon of TV series and films. Religions of Star Trek tackles these challenging questions head-on in a remarkable look at one of sci-fi's great success stories.Analyzing more than three decades of screen adventure, the authors depict a Star Trek transformed, corresponding to the resurgence of religion in American public discourse. The authors identify the many religious characters in Star Trek, tracing the roots of scientific humanism to more contemporary aspects of religion and spirituality. Through it all, the creators' visionary outlook remains constant: a humanistic faith in free will and the salvific nature of dispassionate scientific inquiry.This book was not prepared, licensed, approved, or endorsed by any entity involved in creating or producing the Star Trek television series or films.
THE CAUSAL HISTORY OF AFRICA: A RESPONSE TO HOPKINS

ABSTRACT In a recent paper for the Journal of African History, A.G. Hopkins writes that economists have spent the last decade writing a “new” economic history of Africa that has escaped the notice of historians. He labels the “ethnolinguistic fractionalization” and “reversal of fortune” theses as this literature's key insights. In this paper, I shall argue that the most valuable contributions to the new economic history of Africa are not distinguished by their broad theories, but by their careful focus on causal inference. I shall survey recent contributions to this literature, compare them with the “old” economic history of Africa, and revise Hopkins's advice to historians accordingly.
Intellectual Capital, Technology And Management Accounting Information System For Creative City: Bandung

This research aims to know the role of intellectual capital and technology to management accounting information for creative city policy in Bandung. The city was awarded Creative City in design which was set by UNESCO at the end of 2015. This research is a quantitative study based on a survey to be conducted in Bandung. This review will address the issue of how management accounting information system can meet the needs of quality information for users in the creative industries for creative city development. The study discusses the creative industries in which government strongly encourages this emerging sector as an alternative source of economic and urban development. The results of this study will help municipalities in making strategic decisions to spur the growth of creative economy. In a nutshell, intellectual capital in Bandung as creative city supports management accounting information systems to generate accountable information to improve efficiency and effectiveness in structuring sustainable urban economy. It is required to meet the needs of the city policy maker based on the advancement of technology.
Object-oriented technology in a broadband network software architecture

This paper describes the technical elements of the successful use of object-oriented technology in the Experimental ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Network Services Environment (EXPANSE) project at Bellcore and the Broadband Experimental Systems Testbed (BEST) at Pacific Bell. The EXPANSE project adopted an object-oriented software architecture for a connection manager that provides services for multimedia multiparty connections over a broadband network. The BEST project offers an object-oriented applications environment that provides multimedia multiparty end-user services such as video telephony, video conferencing, video mail, video-on-demand and video broadcasting. These end-user services request connection management services from the TRM via an application interface module that performs call/session control. The application interface and many applications are implemented in Smalltalk. This paper discusses the technical efforts that integrated these two different object-oriented systems and provides an assessment of why the object-oriented technology helped make the transfer successful.
From Spelling Checkers to Robot Judges? Some Implications of Normativity in Language Technology and AI & Law

In language technology, the process of turning language analysis tools into language checkers offers a viable model for the development of decision support or judicial automation tools based on current software for electronic discovery. This paper presents arguments for why the cases are more analoguous than one might think and based on that presents some lessons learned from normative language technology and the implications they might have for AI software projects in a judicial setting.
Variations in Exploit methods between Linux and Windows

A motorcycle swingarm is shown in which each arm is an extrusion of lightweight metal which in cross-section is a diamond with a cross rib and integral upper and lower fins. The upper fin is the larger, and is shaped to taper from both ends. The arms are bent slightly intermediate their ends, and at one end have a sleeve bearing welded thereto. At such one end, arcuate plates are also located between the arms and welded to them. At their other ends, each arm is slotted to receive an oblong slotted block which is welded to the arm. Also, the arms intermediate their ends have tabs welded thereto for providing connection points for shock absorbers and chain tensioners.
Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability in eastern Ethiopia

Agricultural production in Ethiopia is vulnerable to climate change. Adaptation is one of the options to abate the negative impact of climate changes. This study has analyzed factors influencing different climate change adaptation choices by farm households in eastern Ethiopia. The study were analyzed by using the data obtained from 330 household heads randomly and proportionately sampled from two agroecologies in Eastern Hararghe zone of Oromiya Region and Dire Dawa Administration, Ethiopia. The study used a multinomial logistic regression model to identify factors affecting the choice of adaptation strategies to climate change where changing planting date, irrigation water use, soil and water conservation, and crop variety selection. The result indicated that factors determining choice of climate adaptation options were sex of household head, family size, education status of household head, agroecology, distance to market, cultivated land, credit access, decreasing precipitation and change of temperature. Policy thrust should focus on linking farmers to fertilizer usage, credit access and social participation as well as creates awareness to climate change. Keywords: climate change, adaptation strategies, multinomial logit model
Determinants of Liquidity Risk in Commercial Banks in the European Union

In this paper we analyse the determinants of liquidity risk of commercial banks by comparing dependencies in two dichotomous groups, including banks operating in the countries of the so-called Old European Union (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, the UK, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal) and the countries of the so-called New European Union (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia). On the basis of two indicators of liquidity risk, we estimate the same group of determinants that co-create microeconomic factors (credit risk, effectiveness level, size of the bank, financial leverage level, engagement in the interbank market) and macroeconomic factors (weighted average for interest rates of the unsecured market of interbank O/N deposits, domestic credit provided by the banking sector to GDP, inflation, GDP). The determinants of liquidity risk specific for banks operating in the countries of the so-called Old European Union are slightly different from those for banks operating in the countries classified as the so-called New European Union [. ]
General Principles of Integrity Checking of Digital Images and Application for Steganalysis

Abstract The new common approach for integrity checking of digital images is developed. The new features of formal parameters defining image are revealed, theoretically grounded and practically tested. The characteristics of the mutual arrangement of left and right singular vectors corresponding to the largest singular value of the image’s matrix (block of matrix) and the vector composed of singular numbers is obtained. Formal parameters are obtained using normal singular decomposition of matrix (block of matrix) which is uniquely determined. It is shown that for most blocks of original image (no matter lossy or lossless) the angle between the left (right) mentioned singular vector and vector composed of singular numbers is defined by the angle between the n-optimal vector and the vector of standard basis of the range corresponding dimension. It is shown that the determined feature brakes for the mentioned formal parameters in a non-original image. This shows the integrity violation of the image, i.e. the existence of the additional information embedded using steganography algorithms. So this can be used as a basis for development of new universal steganography methods and algorithms, and one example of the realization is proposed. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm won’t depend on the details of steganography method used for embedding. All the obtained results can be easily adapted for the digital video and audio analysis.
The Methods for the Synthesis of Studies without Control Groups

Production of this paper has been made possible through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Public Health Agency of Canada. 1. Incorporate studies without control groups into systematic reviews, especially when there are no other studies to consider. Studies without control groups can also provide information on long-term effectiveness, rare events and adverse effects. 2. Do not generalize the direction of differences in outcome between randomized and non-controlled studies. While effect sizes are more often smaller in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), some show the reverse or the same results across study designs. 3. Use Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) approach to include results of non-randomized trials. Whittemore and Knafl provide a five-step integrative review method that incorporates problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis and presentation of data. 4. Recommendations for methods of systematic review including studies without control groups: a) Use a critical appraisal tool that has been tested for internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability, and at least face and criterion validity b) Do not meta-analyse results from observational studies. 5. Suggestions to authors of primary studies: a) Ensure a strong and transparent study design in all non-randomized trials. b) Confirm that the research question determines the study design. c) Incorporate detailed information about the study; lack of information means that readers cannot determine what has or has not been done in the study design. d) Ensure consistency in terminology and descriptions across non-random-ized studies to facilitate comparisons. 6. Implications for further research: a) Conduct reliability and validity testing of any critical appraisal tools. b) Conduct further studies to assess the different results obtained by random-ized versus non-randomized trials. 7. Including data from non-randomized trials is challenging; however, several benefits can be achieved: a) A wider body of literature can be included in search strategies (Thomas, Harden, Oakley et al., 2004). b) The scope of the questions that can be answered may be broadened. Summary There is currently no standardized model for synthesizing results of studies that do not have control groups. The purpose of this paper is to examine synthesis methods, critical appraisal tools and studies that deal with appraising and synthesizing quantitative studies without control groups. RCTs are achievable in clinical settings, but public health interventions can rarely replicate the controlled environment of the clinic. Researchers, policy-makers and practice decision-makers …
Determinants of Key Favorable Environment for Intrapreneurship Development:

The global economy is creating substantial changes for organizations and industries throughout the world. These changes make it necessary for business firms to carefully examine their purposes and to devote a great deal of attention to selecting strategies. These strategies pursue the levels of success that are highly probable to satisfy multiple stakeholders. In response to hyper-globalized changing economic environment, many established companies have restructured their operations in meaningful ways. This research gap induces the authors to undertake the present study. For primary data some companies have been selected randomly in Chittagong, Bangladesh with the sample size of forty. We used the sophisticated statistical model Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results of this analyzed study based on factor analysis, indicate the four important factors considered by the respondents when developing intrapreneurship such as: (1) Technically skilled labour force, (2) Layout of the organizations, (3) Knowledge of the market and (4) Availability of Secrecy.
The Ceremonial City: History, Memory and Myth in Renaissance Venice

This wide-ranging study vividly presents the major events that took place in Venice in the 1570s, culminating in a deadly outbreak of the plague that claimed one-quarter of the Venetian population. Analyzing reactions to this dramatic decade, Iain Fenlon throws fresh light on the historical machine that produced the distinct civic and cultural ethos of the city and uncovers new aspects of its urban topography, ceremony, and cultural life. At the heart of the book is a detailed account of four historical events: the formation of the Holy League, a coalition that brought the Republic into conflict with the Ottoman Empire; the victory of that League against the Turkish fleet at the battle of Lepanto; the ceremonial welcoming of Henry III of France to the city in 1574; and the devastating plague of 1575--77. The author considers how these events, above all the victory at Lepanto, were reconfigured in the realms of memory and myth, and he describes in detail a religious matrix that provides the key to the civic ethos of the city in this era.
Performance analysis and improvement for BitTorrent‐like file sharing systems

In this paper, we present a simple mathematical model for studying the performance of the BitTorrent (http://www.bittorrent.com) file sharing system. We are especially interested in the distribution of peers in different states of the download job progress. With the model we find that the distribution of the download peers follows an asymmetric U‐shaped curve under the stable state, due to BitTorrent's unchoking strategies. In addition, we find that the seeds' departure rate and the download peers' abort rate will influence the peer distribution in different ways notably. We also analyze the content availability under the dying process of the BitTorrent file sharing system. We find that the system's stability deteriorates with decreasing and unevenly distributed online peers, and BitTorrent's built‐in ‘tit‐for‐tat’ unchoking strategy could not help to preserve the integrity of the file among the download peers. We propose an innovative ‘tit‐for‐tat’ unchoking strategy which enables more peers to finish the download job and prolongs the system's lifetime. By playing our innovative strategy, download peers could cooperate to improve the stability of the system by making a trade‐off between the current downloading rate and the future service availability. Finally, experimental results are presented to validate our analytical results and support our proposals. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Power, control and organisational learning

A review of managerial literature highlights the crucial importance of shared culture and common schemes of interpretation in organisational learning. The interpretative and sensemaking approaches of organisational learning insert themselves deeply in the process of the construction of social uniformity and cognitive homogeneity. Individual learning, culture, beliefs and rationality - the shared mental models - are the targets of confirmation processes. Thus, this specific kind of organisational learning cannot be considered as normatively neutral, but as a political process. A case study of a bank illustrates that organisational learning can be based on a structured social construction of cognitive homogeneity which generates an increase of control and enhances power of the management by reinforcing the legitimacy of decisions. However, this case study also shows that learning and non-learning are the two faces of the same process or, in other words, that organisational learning can produce unawareness and unintentional nonlearning by too much cultural uniformity.
SimCode: Agent-based Simulation Modelling of Open-Source Software Development

We present an original modeling tool, which can be used to study the mechanisms by which free/libre and open source software developers’ code-writing efforts are allocated within open source projects. It is first described analytically in a discrete choice framework, and then simulated using agent-based experiments. Contributions are added sequentially to either existing modules, or to create new modules out of existing ones: as a consequence, the global emerging architecture forms a hierarchical tree. Choices among modules reflect expectations of peer- regard, i.e. developers are more attracted a) to generic modules, b) to launching new ones, and c) to contributing their work to currently active development sites in the project. In this context, we are able – particularly by allowing for the attractiveness of “hot spots”-- to replicate the high degree of concentration (measured by Gini coefficients) in the distributions of modules sizes. The latter have been found by empirical studies to be a characteristic typical of the code of large projects, such as the Linux kernel. Introducing further a simple social utility function for evaluating the mophology of “software trees,” it turns out that the hypothesized developers’ incentive structure that generates high Gini coefficients is not particularly conducive to producing self-organized software code that yields high utility to end-users who want a large and diverse range of applications. Allowing for a simple governance mechanism by the introduction of maintenance rules reveals that “early release” rules can have a positive effect on the social utility rating of the resulting software trees.