Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Network Mediation Models

Title Page Title: Social Network Mediation Models Author Information: Tracy M. Sweet University of Maryland tsweet@umd.edu Preferred Session: Research Methods Social Network Mediation Models Background / Context Social networks are particularly informative for studies aiming to change the ways in which individuals interact, whether it is an increase in collaboration among certain researchers, a push toward small learning communities of teachers or breaking up adolescent cliques. Social networks may provide insight into the mechanisms that affect individual outcomes and act as a powerful mediator between the intervention and outcome, especially in largescale interventions. Of course, the ultimate purpose or theory of action is not simply to change the social or professional relationships among the individuals in the network, it is rather to influence network-level or individual outcomes as a result of changes in the network. In educational studies, for example, changes in the social network are merely the mechanisms through which schools become more effective: teachers become better teachers and students become better learners. For example, an initiative aimed at increasing teacher collaboration does so in the hopes of improving teacher quality and student outcomes. Purpose / Objective / Research Question / Focus of Study The focus on this work is to introduce a general framework for modeling social networks as mediators. In addition, we will introduce the Hierarchical Mixed Membership Stochastic Blockmodel (HMMSB) for Mediation as an example. We present an example illustrating the effects of instructional coaches on beliefs about mathematics being mediated through social network structures. Significance / Novelty of study Although social network data are being collected in education and behavioral research, until recently social network modeling has been noticeably absent in large-scale studies. Further, social networks are natural mediators in such studies, but we do not know of any studies in which networks have been used as mediators. We believe there are two reasons for this. First, until recently, there were very few statistical models that could easily accommodate multiple school network data inherent in these studies, and second, there are no known statistical social network models that accommodate a social network as a mediator.
Structural Analysis of Linking Urdu WordNet to PWN 2.1

Multiple cross language WordNets such as Euro WordNet (EWN), Multi WordNet, Asian WordNet and Indo WordNet, have been developed that involve mapping Princeton WordNet (PWN) with the respective language WordNet [1,2,3,4,5]. Majority of these projects have employed the transfer-and-merge method developed during the construction of Euro WordNet for WordNet linkage. This paper discusses the process, challenges and results of linking Urdu WordNet, to the Princeton WordNet Version 2.1 from a linguistic and lexicographic perspective. Based on the synset alignment experience, cross language (Urdu – English) linkage issues have been highlighted followed by a contextual strategy for the resolution. Urdu language concepts that could not be aligned with the PWN 2.1 are also highlighted and discussed.
THE PROPOSED LLE-BASED POST-FILTERS FOR SPEECH ENHANCEMENT

We present a novel speech enhancement (SE) method based on locally linear embedding (LLE). The proposed method works as a post-filter to further suppress the residual noises in the enhanced speech signals obtained by an SE system to attain improved speech quality and intelligibility. We design two types of LLE-based post-filters: the direct LLE-based post-filter (called the DL post-filter) and the LLE-based difference compensation post-filter (called the LDC post-filter). The key technique of the proposed post-filters is to apply the LLE-based feature prediction (FP) method, which integrates the LLE algorithm, a classical manifold learning method, with the exemplar-based FP method, to predict either the spectral features of the clean speech from those of the enhanced speech (for DL) or the spectral difference of {clean speech; noisy speech} from that of {enhanced speech; noisy speech} (for LDC). As a result, for DL, the predicted clean speech signals can be directly reconstructed from the predicted clean spectral features. On the other hand, for LDC, the predicted clean spectral features are obtained by compensating the spectral features of the noisy speech with the predicted clean-noisy spectral difference, and then the predicted clean speech signals can be reconstructed accordingly. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed post-filters for two representative SE methods, namely the deep denoising autoencoder (DDAE) and the minimum mean-square-error (MMSE) spectral estimation methods.
Molecular and morphological diversity in photobionts associated with Micarea s. str. (Lecanorales, Ascomycota)

Abstract Lichenization is a symbiotic ecological strategy that is widely distributed among the fungi, but in which the diversity of partners is relatively poorly known. Limited morphological diversity has hindered the recognition of true diversity in many lichen fungi, and also in their algal partners. In the temperate and boreal zones, the crustose microlichens are the most speciose but arguably the least studied, particularly in terms of their photobiont partners. In this study, we sampled eight species of Micarea s. str. collected from Europe, culturing and sequencing their green-algal partners using chloroplast (rbcL) and nuclear ribosomal (nucSSU) markers. All specimens collected in Great Britain were associated with members of Coccomyxa (including Pseudococcomyxa), but in the smaller sample of Ukrainian material, both Coccomyxa and Elliptochloris were found. This study extends the known range of fungal hosts for symbionts in the genus Coccomyxa, and supports earlier findings that a separate lineage of predominantly non-symbiotic Coccomyxa exists.
DEGENERATION AND TREATMENT OF GEOGRAPHIC ATROPHY

Ding et al. (2009) Molecular pathology of age-related macular degeneration. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, 28:1-18. * Doyle et al. (2012) NLRP3 has a protective role in age-related macular degeneration through the induction of IL-18 by drusen components. Nature Medicine, 18(5):791-799. * Hirano et al. (2014) IL-18 is not therapeutic for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Nature Medicine, 20(12): 1372 1375. * ljima et al. (2014) Interleukin-18 Induces Retinal Pigment Epithe lium Degeneration in Mice. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 55(10):6673-6678. * Chen et al. (2012) Protective inflammasome activation in AMD. Nature Medicine, 18(5), 658-660. * Doyle et al. (2014) Reply to IL-18 is not therapeutic for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Nature Medicine, 20(12): 1376 1377. * Sobrinet al. (2011) ARMS2/HTRA1 Locus Can Confer Differential Susceptibility to the Advanced Subtypes of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Journal of Ophthalmology, 151:345-352. * Kaneko et al. (2011) DICER1 deficit induces Alu RNA toxicity in age-related macular degeneration. Nature, 471:325-330. * Schroder et al. (2010) The Inflammasomes. Cell, 140:821-832. * Bleicher et al. (2003) Hit and Lead Generation: Beyond High Throughput Screening. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2:369 378. * Novick et al. (1999) Interleukin-18 Binding Protein: A Novel Modulator of the Th1 Cytokine Response. Immunity, 10(1): 127 136. Plater-Zyberk et al. (2001) Therapeutic effect of neutralizing endog enous IL-18 activity in the collagen-induced model of arthritis. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 108(12): 1825-1832. * Juliana et al. (2008) Anti-inflammatory Compounds Parthenolide and Bay 11-7082 Are Direct Inhibitors of the Inflammasome. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285(13):9792-98.02. * Franchi et al. (2009) The inflammasome: a caspase-1-activation platform that regulates immune responses and disease pathogenesis. Nature Immunology, 10(3):241-247. * Ijima et al., “Interleukin-18 Induces Retinal Pigment Epithelium Degeneration in Mice. ” Invest Ophtalmol Vis Sci., 2014, 18:55(10), pp. 6673-6678, doi:10.1167/iovs. 14-15367. Hirano et al., “IL 18 is not therapeutic for neovascular age-related macular degeneration', Nature Medicine, doi:10.1038/nm.3671. Hirano et al., “IL 18 is not therapeutic for neovascular age-related macular degeneration', Nature Medicine, 2014, vol. 20, No. 12, pp. 1372-1375. Ambati, J., Ambati, B.K. , Yoo, S.H. , Ianchulev, S. , and Adamis, A.P. (2003). Age-related macular degeneration: etiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic strategies. Surv Ophthalmol 48, 257-293. Schroder, K. , and Tschopp, J. (2010). The inflammasomes. Cell 140, 821-832.
Vertical shifts in the microbial community structure of organic-rich Namibian shelf sediments

This study investigates the diversity and abundance of bacteria in organic-rich Namibian shelf sediments from two sampling stations, using the 16S rRNA library approach and Catalyzed Reporter Deposition Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH). Six clone libraries were constructed. Clone libraries were dominated by Delta-proteobacteria (up to 48%) and Gamma-proteobacteria (up to 98%). Bacteroidetes were dominant in the clone library of the top 6 cm (up to 17%), while actinobacteria dominated at a depth of 10 to 12 cm (up to 34%). Sequences that were related to bacteria with hydrolytic and fermenting abilities include members from the Gamma-proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria. Cloned sequences within the Delta-proteobacteria affiliates to sulfate reducing bacteria, including Desulfarculaceae, Desulfobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae, and Desulfuromonadales and were detected throughout the sediment. The two sampling stations differed in microbial diversity with a higher diversity prevailing at the station with higher metabolic rates for organic matter decomposition. At both sampling stations a shift in microbial community composition with depth was observed and is explained by gradients in organic substrate availability within the sediment, which affects the life strategies adopted by bacteria, resulting in niche diversification and ultimately affects bacterial community composition and structure throughout the sediment depth.
GROWTH OF DISTORTION-PRODUCT OTOACOUSTIC EMISSIONS IN A NONLINEAR, ACTIVE MODEL OF COCHLEAR MECHANICS

Evidence of compressive growth of basilar membrane displacement can be observed in measurements of DPOAE. When the levels of the two stimulus tones are related by the formula L1=0.4 L2+39, then the DPOAE I/O function resembles the classic Fletcher-Munson (1933) loudness function. In order to understand how the DPOAE I/O function relates to the perception of loudness, we need to also understand how each of these response measures relates to basilar membrane displacement. The model of cochlear mechanics described here provides a means to directly compare the rate of growth of these three response measures.
Incarceration Length, Employment, and Earnings

This paper estimates effects of increases in incarceration length on employment and earnings prospects of individuals after their release from prison. I utilize a variety of research designs including controlling for observable factors and using instrumental variables for incarceration length based on randomly assigned judges with different sentencing propensities. The results show no consistent evidence of adverse labor market consequences of longer incarceration length using any of the analytical methods in either the state system in Florida or the federal system in California.
Comparing Respiratory Monitoring Performance of Commercial Wireless Devices

This paper addresses the performance of systems which use commercial wireless devices to make bistatic RF channel measurements for non-contact respiration sensing. Published research has typically presented results from short controlled experiments on one system. In this paper, we deploy an extensive real-world comparative human subject study. We observe twenty patients during their overnight sleep (a total of 160 hours), during which contact sensors record ground-truth breathing data, patient position is recorded, and four different RF breathing monitoring systems simultaneously record measurements. We evaluate published methods and algorithms. We find that WiFi channel state information measurements provide the most robust respiratory rate estimates of the four RF systems tested. However, all four RF systems have periods during which RF-based breathing estimates are not reliable.
TASK ANALYSIS METHOD TO MODELING WHEELED MOBILITY USER INGRESS-EGRESS IN BUSES

Investigative research studies of problems in wheeled mobility users’ ingress-egress on transit vehicles often prioritize individual design features like access ramps. Spatial and temporal conditions impacting safety and efficiency are often not considered. This study describes use of on-board surveillance videos to develop a task analytic framework for identifying patterns, dependencies and variability in events and sequence of tasks performed by key actors (i.e., wheeled mobility passenger, drivers, and other passengers) in wheeled mobility users’ ingress/egress on lowfloor buses. The analysis produces a systematic temporal description of sub-tasks attributed to the WMDU, driver, and other passengers involved in ingress/egress. Preliminary analysis comprised 15 pairs of ingress and egress (13 powered and 2 manual wheelchairs) on-board video recordings. The analysis indicated that dwell times across observations ranged from 97.5s to 443.4s, though tasks attributed the wheeled mobility user alone during ingress ranged from 43.1s to 125.8s. The analysis revealed four unique patterns of ingress activities characterized by the sequence and timing of tasks performed by the driver and wheelchair occupant. Potential safety and efficiency implications for each sequence can be identified. Three potential applications of this work are discussed: (i) identifying conditions leading to unsafe and inefficient wheeled mobility ingress/egress, (ii) improving recommended best practices in wheeled mobility ingress/egress, and (iii) aiding in systematic investigation and documenting of ingress-egress accidents involving passengers using wheeled mobility devices.
School Performance, Accountability, and Waiver Reforms: Evidence From Louisiana

States that receive federal waivers to the No Child Left Behind Act were required to implement reforms in designated “Focus Schools” that contribute to achievement gaps. We examine the performance effects of such “differentiated accountability” reforms in Louisiana. These Focus School reforms emphasized school-needs assessments and aligned technical assistance. These reforms may have also been uniquely high-powered because they were linked to a letter-based school-rating system. We examine the impact of these reforms in a sharp regression-discontinuity (RD) design. We find that, over each of 3 years, Louisiana’s Focus School reforms had no measurable impact on school performance. We discuss evidence that these findings reflect policy reform fatigue and poor quality of implementation at the state and local level.
CORPORATE INNOVATION CYCLES AND CEO CONTRACTS

This paper documents a striking new fact about U.S. corporate innovation. Innovative activity in public firms follows a cyclical pattern, with the length of each cycle matching the duration of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)’s employment contract. Whichever way the data are cut, CEOs with more years remaining in their contract are seen to pursue more influential, broad and varied innovations. Different interpretations are offered for this result, but the most plausible interpretation appears to be that incentives to innovate decrease as CEO contracts reach expiration. JEL classifications: G31, G34, J41, J63, O31
Reader in Nursing and Learning Technology, Director of the Centre for Learning and Workforce Research in Health and Social Care

Aims: International evaluation of Early Stroke Discharge (ESD) has concentrated on measuring the impact of service provision. This research aimed to address the question, „How did the ESD team members and external stakeholders experience the service implementation process? ‟ Methodology: Between October 2009 and February 2010, six team members and four external stakeholders were interviewed as part of a participatory evaluation. Interviews were used to explore the experiences of the process of inception and implementation of the team. Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Five themes related to the experiences of the introduction of the ESD team: Setting up the team; Team working experience; Team within the context of other services and professionals; Effectiveness in achieving aims; Learning for the future. Within the themes issues relating to funding, leadership, team management and working were highlighted. Conclusions: It is clear that at the inception of a new ESD service it is crucial to engage all stakeholders in the development of the service and review the interface with existing care provision requires reviewing. Decisions regarding the management and leadership of the team and professionals within it are also required and should be guided by an understanding of the patient care pathway.
The WEBT campaign to observe AO 0235+16 in the 2003-2004 observing season : Results from radio-to-optical monitoring and XMM-Newton observations

A multiwavelength campaign to observe the BL Lac object AO 0235+16 (z = 0.94) was set up by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration during the observing seasons 2003-2004 and 2004-2005, involving radio, near-IR and optical photometric monitoring, VLBA monitoring, optical spectral monitoring, and three pointings by the XMM-Newton satellite. Here we report on the results of the first season, which involved the participation of 24 optical and near-IR telescopes and 4 radio telescopes, as well as the first XMM-Newton pointing, which occurred on January 18-19, 2004. Unpublished data from previous epochs were also collected (from 5 optical-NIR and 3 radio telescopes), in order to fill the gap between the end of the period presented in Raiteri et al. (2001) and the start of the WEBT campaign. The contribution of the southern AGN, 2 arcsec distant from the source, is taken into account. It is found to especially affect the blue part of the optical spectrum when the source is faint. In the optical and near-IR the source has been very active in the last 3 years, although it has been rather faint most of the time, with noticeable variations of more than a magnitude over a few days. In contrast, in the radio bands it appears to have been quiescent since early 2000. The major radio (and optical) outburst predicted to peak around February-March 2004 (with a six month uncertainty) has not occurred yet. When comparing our results with the historical light curves, two different behaviours seem to characterize the optical outbursts: only the major events present a radio counterpart. The X-ray spectra obtained by the three EPIC detectors are well fitted by a power law with extra-absorption at z = 0.524; the energy index in the 0.2-10 keV range is well constrained: a = 0.645 ± 0.028 and the 1 keV flux density is 0.311 ± 0.008 μJy. The analysis of the X-ray light curves reveals that no significant variations occurred during the pointing. In contrast, simultaneous dense radio monitoring with the 100 m telescope at Effelsberg shows a ∼2-3% flux decrease in 6-7 h, which, if intrinsic, would imply a brightness temperature well above the Compton limit and hence a lower limit to the Doppler factor 6 > 46.
STEREO VISUAL ODOMETRY FOR AUTONOMUS MOBILE

Estimating its ego-motion is one of the most important capabilities for an autonomous mobile platform. Without reliable ego-motion estimation no long-term navigation is possible. Besides odometry, inertial sensors, DGPS, laser range finders and so on, vision based algorithms can contribute a lot of information. In this paper, we want to give an integrated overview of stereo odometry. We want to emphasize the fact that stereo odometry is a chain of several single subprocesses where each relies on its predecessor’s results. The key to a more accurate and efficient stereo odometry lies in an integrated analysis of its single subprocesses and the many algorithms available.
Toxic and genotoxic potential evaluation of soil samples by bioassays

Soil samples were obtained from Slovenian industrial region Šaleška dolina and aqueous leachates were prepared. The toxicity and genotoxicity potential of these aqueous fractions have been evaluated by in vitro toxicity and genotoxicity bioassays. Freshwater toxicity test (PROTOXKIT FTM) with a ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, and genotoxicity comet assay using Tetrahymena thermophila, Caco-2 and HepG2 cell lines were performed. Biological data were completed through chemical analyses. It has been shown that physico-chemical analyses alone may not be sufficient to characterize soil hazards. To study soil ecotoxcity it is therefore necessary to take into consideration both, the physico-chemical analyses, toxicity and genotoxicity assays.
STATISTICAL SIRENS: THE ALLURE OF NONPARAMETRICS'

1998. ~~~~~~ . Kj flOUGLAS It JOHNSON Ecoiogy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Voi~~~~~ 76, r. 6 Abstract. Although nonparametric statistical methods have a role to play in the analysis of data, often their virtues are overstated and their deficiencies overlooked. A recent Special Feature in Ecology advocated nonparametric methods because of an erroneously stated advantage that they require no assumptions regarding the distribution underlying the ob- servations. The present paper points out some often-ignored features of nonparametric tests comparing two means, and advocates parameter estimation as a preferred alternative to hypothesis testing in many situations.
School-community relationships and convivencia. An ethnographic study of conflict management, inclusion and participation in two Mexican primary schools

In Mexico, as in other Latin American countries, school relationships –crucial for ensuring the right to education— are framed under the concept of school convivencia. This Spanish language term refers to the experiences of living together and learning to live together. In Mexico the need to improve convivencia has gone hand in hand with concerns about the need to increase citizen protection and reduce social violence. Educational policies foster the role of schools in this regard, but schools are often perceived as victims of an external harsh context that hinders the possibility of transformation. The ethnographic research here presented is aimed to analyse the relationships between two Mexican schools and their local communities, particularly in terms of families’ engagement, and the implications of such relationships for school convivencia. Data from participant observations, interviews and surveys was analysed using grounded theory oriented coding and situational analysis. The notion of convivencia was theoretically developed using a distinction between restrictive and comprehensive approaches. School practices were examined through an analytical scheme based on explicit and tacit convivencia practices, highlighting processes of conflict management, inclusion and participation. The main findings show, firstly, a restrictive understanding of school convivencia in both the educational policy and in the schools’ explicitly recognized work on convivencia, which is based on modifying students’ individual wrong behaviour. Secondly, that a wider more comprehensive approach which includes other types of actors and relationships is needed to explain and intervene in school convivencia. Finally, four modes –alliance, confrontation, detachment, collaboration- are presented as forms to understand convivencia patterns between families and schools. These modes aid to explain how constructions around the “appropriate” family and the “appropriate” involvement –in relation especially to the notion of “dysfunctional families”— shape specific patterns of relationships that contribute to the exclusion of the schools’ most vulnerable population.