Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MoocViz: A Large Scale, Open Access, Collaborative, Data Analytics Platform for MOOCs

In this paper we present an open access large scale analytics platform that helps researchers analyze MOOC data from multiple platforms with out the need to share the data. It allows researchers to share scripts/eﬀort, compare results and attempts to engage the community to achieve shared educational science goals. The platform utilizes some well known tools and packages and provides multiple levels of access to address a wide variety of needs around the data. We demonstrate the platforms capability by analyzing data from two MOOCs, one from coursera (oﬀered by Stanford University) and one from edX (oﬀered by MITx). This is the ﬁrst time two courses from two platforms have been jointly analyzed. The analysis and the platform is made possible due to joint adoption of a data model called MoocDB.
Identifying Violent-Toward-Staff Juvenile Delinquents via the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory and Neuropsychological Measures

Abstract Objective: Investigate personality and neuropsychological characteristics of violent-towards-staff (VTS) and non-VTS juvenile offenders (JOs). Methods: 68 JOs; 11 VTS and 57 non-VTS, completed the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MACI). Twenty JOs; 4 VTS and 16 non-VTS; completed Trails A, B, and ABC; Luria sensorimotor; and the WISC-III Mazes. Results: Discriminant analysis based on the 3 MACI scales measuring traits similar to psychopathic personality traits correctly categorized all 68 JOs to the correct VTS or non-VTS category (p < .01). Discriminant analysis based on the 6 most salient MACI scales correctly categorized all 68 JOs to the correct VTS or non-VTS category (p < .05). Discriminant analysis based on the 10 most salient MACI questions correctly categorized 100% of VTS JOs (p = .0002). VTS JOs completed Trails B slower than non-VTS JOs (p < .02). VTS JO scores did not differ from non-VTS JO scores on Trails A, Trails ABC and Mazes. Discriminant analysis of Trails A, B, and ABC, and the WISC-III Mazes tests failed to categorize JOs at a significant level. JCF = Juvenile Correctional Facility, VTS = Violent towards staff, JO = Juvenile Offender.
What no bedtime story means: Narrative skills at home and school

Abstract Abstract “Ways of taking” from books are a part of culture and as such are more varied than current dichotomies between oral and literate traditions and relational and analytic cognitive styles would suggest. Patterns of language use related to books are studied in three literate communities in the Southeastern United States, focusing on such “literacy events” as bedtime story reading. One community, Maintown, represents mainstream, middle-class school-oriented culture; Roadville is a white mill community of Appalachian origin; the third, Trackton, is a black mill community of recent rural origin. The three communities differ strikingly in their patterns of language use and in the paths of language socialization of their children. Trackton and Roadville are as different from each other as either is from Maintown, and the differences in preschoolers' language use are reflected in three different patterns of adjustment to school. This comparative study shows the inadequacy of the prevalent dichotomy between oral and literate traditions, and points also to the inadequacy of unilinear models of child language development and dichotomies between types of cognitive styles. Study of the development of language use in relation to written materials in home and community requires a broad framework of sociocultural analysis. (Crosscultural analysis, ethnography of communication, language development, literacy, narratives.)
A parent report instrument for early language assessment

A structured questionnaire for evaluating the level of communicative and linguistic development at 12, 16 and 20 months of age respectively was administered to the parents of 23 children for three different assessments. For a subsample of 14 subjects the questionnaire was filled in by the parents and by a trained observer in a two-hour observational session at home. The aim of the study was two-fold: (a) to verify the validity of the instrument and specifically its predictive validity; (b) to verify the reliability of the information given by parents through a direct comparison between the data in the questionnaire filled in by the parents and the data in the same questionnaire filled in by the observer. Results show that, on the basis of measures reported at 12 months, the instrument can predict linguistic development at 20 months as evaluated by means of a Vocabulary Checklist. Furthermore, the pattern of communicative and linguistic development reported by parents is consistent with that reported by the observer. Finally, the sample's lexical development exhibits a wide range of individual variation, with lexicons consisting of about 8 to 628 different words at 20 months of age.
A probabilistic model for ligand-cytoskeleton transmembrane adhesion: predicting the behavior of microspheres on the surface of migrating cells.

A theoretical model describing the attachment and cytoskeletal coupling of microspheres to the dorsal surface of motile cells was developed. Integral membrane receptors beneath a ligand-coated microsphere are allowed to be either free, attached to the microsphere, bound to the rearward moving actin network, or linked to both the bead and the cytoskeleton, and to switch between these four states. The binding transitions being modeled as chemical reactions governed by rate constants taken from literature, the chance for a receptor to be in each binding state over time is obtained by solving mass-balance equations for the probability functions. The population of n such receptors beneath the microsphere is accounted for by a binomial distribution for each state. Adhesion and transmembrane coupling (resulting in microsphere transport) being defined by a minimal number of ligand-receptor and receptor-cytoskeleton bonds, respectively, the probabilities of attachment and transport of the microsphere over time are expressed in terms of state probability distributions. It is found that increasing the ligand density raises the attachment and transport probabilities, in good quantitative agreement with recent experiments using optical tweezers and accurate position tracking. Increasing the bead size does not affect attachment, but raises the transport probability with a marked transition for bead diameter around 100 nm, as for experimental data. Increasing the restraining force decreases the transport probability, probably by inducing a rupture of receptor-cytoskeleton bonds. This study thus provides a framework that helps understand the process of cortical flow associated with cell locomotion.
Dual selection diversity SNR performance in spatially correlated scattering environments

A new expression is given for the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a dual selection-combining receiver where the antenna signals are correlated in a Rayleigh fading multipath environment. This formula is based on a recently developed expression for the bivariate Rayleigh cumulative distribution function by associating the correlation parameter of the distribution with the spatial correlation of the multipath field. By examining various multipath and receiver antenna geometries we can determine the critical parameters which affect the average SNR performance. Our results are shown to generalize and subsume well-known expressions based on an independence assumption of the signals at the antennas. We relate the average SNR diversity gain to critical parameters such as the spatial correlation, beamwidth, angle of arrival and antenna separation. These results show the subtle interplay between these parameters and reveal there is a reduction in performance relative to unrealistic models previously studied.
Review: Managing without Leadership: Towards a Theory of Organizational Functioning. G. Lakomski. Oxford: Elsevier, 2005. 183 pp. £69.95. ISBN 0080433529

factors. Leadership itself was less salient for owner managers and they were more likely to use metaphors of family when discussing leadership. In pulling together these findings and conclusions from the literature, Kempster argues strongly for the importance of observational or vicarious learning as discussed by Bandura (1986), particularly in groups where leadership is seen to be important, than notable people, who represent good or bad leadership, become a considerable influence. Role modelling is under-researched and Kempster’s findings that women managers tend to cite strong women leader examples of effective leadership, while men focus on the distinction between good and bad male leaders, offers an intriguing direction for further enquiry. The surfacing of key gender issues in discussing leadership learning appears to have arisen in true grounded theory fashion, not as a sought outcome, but one generated from, and grounded in, the data. Women’s leadership learning deserves further study as it seems mediated by marginalization, role identities, problematic career pathways and self-efficacy beliefs. Theoretical claims are perhaps not quite so well warranted in the reported differences between public and private sector leaders, but the owner manager group also seems to produce divergence from employed managers, focussing on family models and the limitations of the SME context in providing leadership role models and opportunities for informal learning. The book concludes with some advice for aspiring leaders and experienced leaders which loosely joins the key concepts of the work: observational learning, trying out leadership roles, identifying the situational factors affecting the leader’s own context, identifying the leadership identity aspired to, developing self-efficacy and improving salience of the notion of leadership. All these claims are warranted through literature review and backed up by some interesting findings from this initial research study. I was initially worried that the concluding chapter offered a programme intervention as a good model, in view of the poor evidence for formal interventions throughout the book, but the reader can be reassured that this programme was not of the two day workshop variety.
Policy and practice implications of permanent placement disruption

Abstract This paper is based on research undertaken as part of a Master of Social Work at the University of Melbourne, looking at the experience of placement disruption for parents and social workers. Adoption and permanent placement disruption statistics are presented for Victoria for the decade of the 1980s. One complete disruption ‘episode’ has been costed at over $25,000.00 for the first seven months after the disruption. The policy and practice implications of placement disruptions are examined in the light of this information.
Intraflagellar transport proteins cycle between the flagellum and its base

Summary Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is necessary for the construction of cilia and flagella. IFT proteins are concentrated at the base of the flagellum but little is known about the actual role of this pool of proteins. Here, IFT was investigated in Trypanosoma brucei, an attractive model for flagellum studies, using GFP fusions with IFT52 or the IFT dynein heavy chain DHC2.1. Tracking analysis by a curvelet method allowing automated separation of forward and return transport demonstrated a uniform speed for retrograde IFT (5 µm s−1) but two distinct populations for anterograde movement that are sensitive to temperature. When they reach the distal tip, anterograde trains are split into three and converted to retrograde trains. When a fast anterograde train catches up with a slow one, it is almost twice as likely to fuse with it rather than to overtake it, implying that these trains travel on a restricted set of microtubules. Using photobleaching experiments, we show for the first time that IFT proteins coming back from the flagellum are mixed with those present at the flagellum base and can reiterate a full IFT cycle in the flagellum. This recycling is dependent on flagellum length and IFT velocities. Mathematical modelling integrating all parameters actually reveals the existence of two pools of IFT proteins at the flagellum base, but only one is actively engaged in IFT.
Physical functioning is associated with processing speed and executive functions in community-dwelling older adults.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine the association between physical functioning and cardiovascular burden on the cognitive performance of community-dwelling older adults. METHOD Ninety-three adults aged 60 and older completed a medical evaluation by a geriatrician, performance-based physical tests, and neuropsychological assessments. Cognitive composite scores (memory, speed, and executive) as well as a physical functioning score were created by averaging standardized z-scores of selected tests. A cardiovascular burden index was also computed by totalling the number of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. RESULTS Multiple hierarchical regression analyses reveal that higher level of physical functioning was significantly associated with greater processing speed and better executive functions but was not associated with memory performance. These relations were independent of age, sex, and level of education. Cardiovascular burden was not significantly associated with any cognitive domain. DISCUSSION These results suggest that cognition is related to simple performance-based physical tests and highlight the importance of intervention studies aimed at enhancing cognitive and physical functioning in older adults.
Oedema Disease (Entero-Toxaemia) in Swine - I. Experiments Designed To Reproduce The Disease.

The experiments recorded in this paper were designed to throw some light on the etiological aspects of the baffling disease, "gut oedema. " Reports of veterinarians in the field indicate that the disease is increasing in those districts of the Province of Ontario where pig raising is extensively followed. Up to the present, no clues have been discovered which might lead to the elucidation of this disease.
Academic Advisee Motives for Pursuing Out-of-Class Communication with the Faculty Academic Advisor

This study examined advisee communication motives for engaging in out-of-class communication (OCC) with the faculty academic advisor. Undergraduate students (n = 21) were interviewed about their motives for engaging in OCC with their faculty academic advisors. In a thematic analysis, six motives emerged for engaging in OCC with faculty academic advisors: relational, participatory, encouragement, sycophanting, functional, and excuse-making. Given the variety of motives, findings support the value of establishing clear expectations about the academic advising relationship.
An exploration of a community-based LEGO social-skills program for youth with autism spectrum disorder

Clinical interventions have been effective at increasing social skills of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, generalization of those skills to non-clinical environments is often low. To reduce this generalization gap, community-based programs have been designed to help youth develop social skills in naturalistic settings. This paper describes a community-based social-skills intervention for youths with ASD aged 7–12, which was designed to build on the findings of a previous study. In this program, youths with ASD co-operated with siblings and peers in structured and unstructured play over the course of four weeks. The researchers conducted extensive observations of the play by the youths and conducted interviews with the youths with ASD, their parents, and program staff. Both in our observations and in the perceptions of the parents, the youths with ASD increased their play and socialization. Using Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural theory as a guiding framework, we describe the components of this intervention that contributed to the This Article (Subscription-only) is brought to you by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Exceptionality Education International by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact jspecht@uwo.ca. Recommended Citation MacCormack, J. W. , Matheson, I. A. , & Hutchinson, N. L. (2015) An Exploration of a Community-Based LEGO® Social-Skills Program for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Exceptionality Education International, 25, 13-32. Retrieved from http://ir.lib. uwo.ca/eei/vol25/iss3/2 changes observed in the youths’ play and social interactions. We developed a model that includes components of instruction, interest, playbased learning, and the structure of program, and which provides an explanation of intervention effectiveness to be explored in future research. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 1332 Follow this and additional works at: http://ir.lib. uwo.ca/eei Exceptionality Education International 2015, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 13–32 ISSN 1918-5227 13 An Exploration of a Community-Based LEGO Social-Skills Program for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder Jeffrey W. H. MacCormack
Nuclear Intonation in Swedish : Evidence from Experimental-Phonetic Studies and a Comparison with German

This thesis investigates Swedish intonation patterns and their interaction with word accent realisation in various pragmatic conditions, using German as a reference language. The point of departure is the wide-spread assumption that Swedish, as a language with a tonal word accent distinction, has a considerably smaller repertoire of nuclear intonation contours than German and other so-called intonation languages. In particular, whereas only one sentence accent has been modelled for Swedish so far (a high focal accent H-), a multiple paradigmatic contrast of sentence accents (e.g. H*, L*+H, H+L*) has been assumed for German. It is hypothesised, however, that the contemporary models of German and Swedish intonation are based on different research traditions, and hence, that the intonation of the two languages might be more similar than commonly assumed. Three production studies, based on recordings from 21 speakers, and one perception (reaction time) experiment involving 20 listeners are reported. In the first two production studies, the intonation of test phrases elicited in German and Swedish speakers in a variety of pragmatic conditions is compared by analysing F0 and to some degree duration patterns. The most central pragmatic distinction treated in this thesis involves the focussing of new vs. given information, the latter case occurring in confirmations. The main result of these studies is that Swedish and German seem to have a similar inventory of nuclear intonation patterns, which have basically the same pragmatic functions in the two languages. For instance, an "early fall", a pattern involving a fall onto a low-pitched stressed vowel, can signal a confirmation in both German and Swedish. This result suggests that, in addition to the well-established high accent (H-), Swedish also has a paradigmatic choice of sentence accents, involving a falling accent (H+L-). The third production study and the reaction time experiment concentrate on the "early fall" found in confirmations and investigate the interaction of word accent and intonation. The results show that the Swedish word accent distinction can be neutralised in connection with the "early fall", a situation which may be related to the perceptual enhancement of the intonational contrast between a high (H-) and a falling (H+L-) sentence accent. (Less)
Local introduction and heterogeneous spatial spread of dengue-suppressing Wolbachia through an urban population of Aedes aegypti

Dengue-suppressing Wolbachia strains are promising tools for arbovirus control, particularly as they have the potential to self-spread following local introductions. To test this, we followed the frequency of the transinfected Wolbachia strain wMel through Ae. aegypti in Cairns, Australia, following releases at 3 nonisolated locations within the city in early 2013. Spatial spread was analysed graphically using interpolation and by fitting a statistical model describing the position and width of the wave. For the larger 2 of the 3 releases (covering 0.97 km2 and 0.52 km2), we observed slow but steady spatial spread, at about 100–200 m per year, roughly consistent with theoretical predictions. In contrast, the smallest release (0.11 km2) produced erratic temporal and spatial dynamics, with little evidence of spread after 2 years. This is consistent with the prediction concerning fitness-decreasing Wolbachia transinfections that a minimum release area is needed to achieve stable local establishment and spread in continuous habitats. Our graphical and likelihood analyses produced broadly consistent estimates of wave speed and wave width. Spread at all sites was spatially heterogeneous, suggesting that environmental heterogeneity will affect large-scale Wolbachia transformations of urban mosquito populations. The persistence and spread of Wolbachia in release areas meeting minimum area requirements indicates the promise of successful large-scale population transformation.
Creating and Maintaining Safe College Campuses: A Sourcebook for Evaluating & Enhancing Safety Programs (review)

of a variety of women faculty to balance their professional and personal lives. Since many of the women’s experiences cut across gender lines, both male and female readers new to the research on women faculty will likely find these stories illuminating for the view they provide of life in the academy. Those seeking a more nuanced portrayal of women faculty’s experiences may find the book to be somewhat disappointing.
Human alpha-defensin 1 (HNP-1) inhibits adenoviral infection in vitro.

Adenoviral gene transfer is a promising tool for direct treatment of cystic fibrosis by local application of the CFTR-gene via the airway. However, various host defense mechanisms reduce the adenoviral infectivity and hereby the success of adenoviral transduction. Twenty-eight of 62 BALs from various patients exerted strong inhibition of adenoviral infection of 293 cells. This soluble activity could be attributed to larger peptides rather than to small molecules. Beside immunoglobulins, certain epithelial cell-derived anti-microbial polypeptides called defensins might be involved. Therefore, we investigated the inhibitory potential of the defensins HNP-1 and HBD-2 on adenoviral infectivity. 293 cells infected with adenovirus-type 5 were treated with both peptides. Compared to control, HNP-1 reduced adenoviral infection by more than 95% if administered at 50 microg/ml, and the IC50-value was 15 microg/ml. In contrast, HBD-2 was much less efficient and did not block adenoviral infection at doses up to 50 microg/ml. Our data demonstrate that the presence of certain polypeptides in the BAL, i.e. the defensin HNP-1, might be the major obstacle for adenoviral gene transfer, particularly in patients with inflammatory diseases.
On the impact of UML analysis models on source-code comprehensibility and modifiability

We carried out a family of experiments to investigate whether the use of UML models produced in the requirements analysis process helps in the comprehensibility and modifiability of source code. The family consists of a controlled experiment and 3 external replications carried out with students and professionals from Italy and Spain. 86 participants with different abilities and levels of experience with UML took part. The results of the experiments were integrated through the use of meta-analysis. The results of both the individual experiments and meta-analysis indicate that UML models produced in the requirements analysis process influence neither the comprehensibility of source code nor its modifiability.