Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sources of Leadership for Inclusive Education: Creating Schools for All Children

This study examined leadership for inclusion in three schools using Heller and Fire-stone’s leadership function theory. Data sources included interviews with school personnel and parents, and observations of inclusion meetings. Analysis revealed not only that all functions were carried out by multiple individuals in different roles, but also that people with and without formal authority made unique contributions to the success of the program. Additionally, redundant function performance was associated with institutionalization.
TU-C-12A-08: Thermally-Stabilized Isotropic Diffusion Phantom for Multisite Assessment of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Reproducibilty.

PURPOSE To construct an appropriate phantom for quality control use in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), to establish ground truth for measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and to characterize measurement linearity across a relevant physiological range of ADC. METHODS Aqueous solutions containing the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were mixed at concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% by mass PVP. These solutions were placed in 20 mL vials, arranged in concentric inner and outer circles, with a central water vial, and were fixed in a spherical phantom with a diameter of 194 mm, designed to fit into commercially-available MRI head coils. Two prototype phantoms were constructed, and underwent inter-site comparison in the US and EU. The phantoms were filled with an ice-water bath to ensure stable temperature; 0 °C temperature was verified by use of a thermocouple before and after scans. The phantoms were scanned using b-values of 0, 500 and 900 s/mm2 at several sites, using coronal and/or axial orientations and scan planes. RESULTS ADC values ranged from 0.12 to 1.12 × 10-3 mm2 /s, and exhibited a high degree of reproducibility across different scanners and imaging sites (coefficient of variations (CoV) ranged from 1.1 to 2.2% for 0 to 40% PVP, with 50% PVP at 11.3%). Little difference in ADCs was seen between inner and outer ring vials of the same PVP concentration (average CoV< 5% across vials, 10.3% for 50% PVP). CONCLUSION The range of ADCs covers a relevant physiological range, most notably in brain white matter. The ADCs of water vials were in excellent agreement with literature values of the diffusion coefficient of water at 0 °C (1.1 × 10-3 mm2 /s). The phantom provides a much needed quality control tool for DWI, and provides ground truth with the diffusion coefficient of water at 0 °C.
Probabilistic methods in BCI research

This paper suggests a probabilistic treatment of the signal processing part of a brain-computer interface (BCI). We suggest two improvements for BCIs that cannot be obtained easily with other data driven approaches. Simply by using one large joint distribution as a model of the entire signal processing part of the BCI, we can obtain predictions that implicitly weight information according to its certainty. Offline experiments reveal that this results in statistically significant higher bit rates. Probabilistic methods are also very useful to obtain adaptive learning algorithms that can cope with nonstationary problems. An experimental evaluation shows that an adaptive BCI outperforms the equivalent static implementations, even when using only a moderate number of trials. This suggests that adaptive translation algorithms might help in cases where brain dynamics change due to learning effects or fatigue.
Intermediate Logics Preserving Admissible Inference Rules of Heyting Calculus

The aim of this paper is to look from the point of view of admissibility of inference rules at intermediate logics having the finite model property which extend Heyting's intuitionistic propositional logic H. A semantic description for logics with the finite model property preserving all admissible inference rules for H is given. It is shown that there are continuously many logics of this kind. Three special tabular intermediate logics λ, 1 ≥ i ≥ 3, are given which describe all tabular logics preserving admissibility: a tabular logic λ preserves all admissible rules for H iff 7λ has width not more than 2 and is not included in each λ. MSC: 03B55, 03B20.
Fuzzy Filter Design for ItÔ Stochastic Systems With Application to Sensor Fault Detection

The paper deals with the robust fault detection problem for Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy Ito stochastic systems. Our aim is to develop a robust fault detection approach to the T-S fuzzy systems with Brownian motion. By using a general observer-based fault detection filter as a residual generator, the robust fault detection is formulated as a filtering problem. Attention is focused on the design of both the fuzzy-rule-independent and the fuzzy-rule-dependent fault detection filters guaranteeing a prescribed noise attenuation level in an Hinfin sense. Sufficient conditions are proposed to guarantee the mean-square asymptotic stability with an Hinfin performance for the fault detection system. The corresponding solvability conditions for the desired fuzzy-rule-independent and fuzzy-rule-dependent fault detection filters are also established. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed theory.
Social Goals in Conversational Cooperation

We propose a model where dialog obligations arise from the interplay of social goals and intentions of the participants: when an agent is addressed with a request, the agent's decision to commit to the requester's linguistic and domain goals is motivated by a trade-off between the preference for preventing a negative reaction of the requester and the cost of the actions needed to satisfy the goals.
Clinical prognostic factors for bladder function recovery of patients with spinal cord and cauda equina lesions

Objective. To investigate the relationship between lesion severity and other clinical factors and bladder function recovery. Patients and methods. The charts of 269 patients with traumatic and non traumatic spinal cord lesion (SCL) were reviewed and the following information was recorded: lesion to admission time, injury variables, length of stay and neurological status. At five months, urological outcome was assessed by voiding modalities, and urodynamics according to International Continence Society. Statistics. Logistic approach with univariate and multivariate analysis. Results. Both ASIA impairment at admission and age were significantly correlated with bladder function outcome. None of the patients with ASIA A impairment at admission reached volitional voiding at five months. ASIA B patients had a 90% lower probability of achieving good bladder control and ASIA C ones a 65% lower than ASIA D patients (p < 0.05). Older patients had a significant lower probability (60%) of achieving volitional voiding than younger ones (p < 0.05). Of the 121 patients with ASIA D impairment at discharge only 78 voided spontaneously and showed a higher frequency of cervical lesions and a lower frequency of detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia. Discussion and conclusion. Bladder recovery in patients with complete SCL is limited. ASIA B patients showed a better neurological recovery and, concurrently, better bladder function recovery than ASIA A patients, thus demonstrating the importance of sensation preservation for recovery. Younger patients show better bladder recovery than older ones, probably because of different efficiency of spinal cord plasticity. Finally, patients with good neurological recovery may not achieve volitional voiding. Patients with bladder function recovery show a higher frequency of central cord and Brown-Sequard syndromes (with better prognosis) and a lower frequency of detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia.
Lakes as sentinels of climate change

While there is a general sense that lakes can act as sentinels of climate change, their efficacy has not been thoroughly analyzed. We identified the key response variables within a lake that act as indicators of the effects of climate change on both the lake and the catchment. These variables reflect a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological responses to climate. However, the efficacy of the different indicators is affected by regional response to climate change, characteristics of the catchment, and lake mixing regimes. Thus, particular indicators or combinations of indicators are more effective for different lake types and geographic regions. The extraction of climate signals can be further complicated by the influence of other environmental changes, such as eutrophication or acidification, and the equivalent reverse phenomena, in addition to other land‐use influences. In many cases, however, confounding factors can be addressed through analytical tools such as detrending or filtering. Lakes are effective sentinels for climate change because they are sensitive to climate, respond rapidly to change, and integrate information about changes in the catchment.
Student Recreation Centers: A Comparison of Users and Non-Users on Psychosocial Variables

Undergraduate (n = 561) and graduate (n = 104) students at a large mid-Atlantic university were surveyed to determine their usage patterns and beliefs about the climate of a newly constructed student recreation center (SRC) on their campus. Analyses attempted to identify differences between those students who used the facility (n = 547) and those who did not (n = 118) in relation to gender, age, year on campus, stage of change for exercise, and motivational orientation. Results revealed that SRC users were at higher stages along the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983) and were significantly more likely to have participated in high school athletics than non-users. Non-users were significantly more likely to live off-campus, smoke, and be female than SRC users. The discussion offers suggestions for enticing non-users to exercise and use the facility, and feel more comfortable while doing so.
Measuring Accounting Professionals' Attitudes Regarding Alternative Work Arrangements

ABSTRACT: Drawing on the work-life balance and organizational justice literatures, we developed a 20-item scale of individual attitudes and beliefs regarding alternative work arrangements (AWAs) in public accounting. We administered the scale to 412 highly experienced accounting professionals (primarily managers) from two Big 4 firms and two large national firms. Principal components analysis of scale responses yielded three identifiable dimensions regarding AWA attitudes and beliefs: (1) ideals and benefits of AWAs, (2) costs and inequities related to AWAs at the office level (organization-level or procedural justice issues), and (3) costs and inequities related to individuals' use of AWAs (person-level or distributive justice issues). Scale responses were significantly influenced by gender and AWA participation. In addition, the principal components were related in a predictable pattern to hypothetical performance evaluation judgments related to AWA use. Implications of these findings for the accountin.
Path computation element in telecom networks: Recent developments and standardization activities

This paper provides an overview of the recent developments in research and the IETF standardization body on using a path computation element in complex telecom networking scenarios such as the multi-layer and multi-domain cases. Implications on the control plane when using such element are addressed as well as the required protocol extensions. The emerging impairment-aware routing and wavelength assignment problem is extensively treated for networks using lightpaths.
Critical issues in peripheral arterial disease detection and management: a call to action.

Jill J. F. Belch, MD; Eric J. Topol, MD; Giancarlo Agnelli, MD; Michel Bertrand, MD; Robert M. Califf, MD; Denis L. Clement, MD; Mark A. Creager, MD; J. Donald Easton, MD; James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD; Philip Greenland, MD; Graeme Hankey, MD; Peter Hanrath, MD; Alan T. Hirsch, MD; Jurgen Meyer, MD; Sidney C. Smith, MD; Frank Sullivan, PhD; Michael A. Weber, MD; for the Prevention of Atherothrombotic Disease Network
Taking the e-train

Like many other countries in the Arab world, Egypt is trying to harness the internet as a powerful new medium to bridge the digital divide. This article starts by tracing the development of broadcast media technologies in Egypt, arguing that Egypt has historically made use of its position as a leader of media content in the Arab world to enhance development and culture as well as to advance the government’s political agenda. The article pays special attention to the development of the internet in Egypt, examining such issues as online connectivity, content and its Arabization. It argues that as a major provider of media content in the Arab world, and particularly with a new technocrat government, Egypt has the potential to lead the way towards greater democratization of communication and strengthening of civil society in the region.
Consumptive Labor: The Increasing Importance of Consumers in the Labor Process

In this article I demonstrate that consumers not only consume, but the work-like tasks they perform while consuming constitute an increasingly important part of production. To theoretically explore the labor of consumers, I introduce the term consumptive labor and three ideal types of consumptive laborers: (1) consumer as quasi-employee, (2) consumer as quasi-supervisor, and (3) consumer as quasi-marketer/advertiser. Those espousing a management perspective argue that the use of consumers in the labor process improves customer service. Alternatively, using a labor process perspective, I demonstrate that organizations use consumptive labor to maximize the production of surplus value from paid employees and tighten control over the labor process. Although consumptive labor may yield benefits for consumers and especially business organizations, it also raises cause for concern. When organizations use consumers as quasi-employees, they may reduce the employment of service workers. By using consumers as quasi-supervisors, organizations may reduce supervisory employment and/or increase levels of stress in the work environment. When using consumers as quasi-marketers and advertisers, organizations perpetuate an excessively materialistic culture that values brands, products, and services over the well-being and needs of people.
A novel micro-to-macro approach for cardiac tissue mechanics

Abstract For studying cardiac mechanics, hyperelastic anisotropic computational models have been developed which require the tissue anisotropic and hyperelastic parameters. These parameters are obtained by tissue samples mechanically testing. The validity of such parameters are limited to the specific tissue sample only. They are not adaptable for pathological tissues commonly associated with tissue microstructure alterations. To investigate cardiac tissue mechanics, a novel approach is proposed to model hyperelasticity and anisotropy. This approach is adaptable to various tissue microstructural constituent’s distributions in normal and pathological tissues. In this approach, the tissue is idealized as composite material consisting of cardiomyocytes distributed in extracellular matrix (ECM). The major myocardial tissue constituents are mitochondria and myofibrils while the main ECM’s constituents are collagen fibers and fibroblasts. Accordingly, finite element simulations of uniaxial and equibiaxial tests of normal and infarcted tissue samples with known amounts of these constituents were conducted, leading to corresponding tissue stress–strain data that were fitted to anisotropic/hyperelastic models. The models were validated where they showed good agreement characterized by maximum average stress-strain errors of 16.17 and 10.01% for normal and infarcted cardiac tissue, respectively. This demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed models in accurate characterization of healthy and pathological cardiac tissues.
Rumen Bacteria Communities and Performances of Fattening Lambs with a Lower or Greater Subacute Ruminal Acidosis Risk

Several ruminal cellulolytic bacteria species are sensitive to pH and could therefore be used as biomarkers to determine the risk of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in finishing lambs. This study compared a 2–4 h post feeding ruminal pH measurement to abundances of the ruminal pH-sensitive bacteria to evaluate the risk of SARA in a herd of 120 finishing lambs. The lambs were reared in individual units for 50 days. Ruminal fluid was collected by use of an orogastric tube on day 51 2-4 h after feeding. Although the lambs were fed an identical diet, they responded differently in the abundances of four ruminal pH sensitive cellulolytic bacteria (Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Fibrobacter succinogenes and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens). Lambs with the most or the least cellulolytic bacteria were then classified as either lower SARA risk (LSR, n = 10) or higher SARA risk group (HSR, n = 10), respectively. Data showed that the ruminal pH and VFA profiles were uncorrelated with the number of cellulolytic bacteria (P > 0.050). Lambs with the HSR showed lower ruminal pH (P = 0.013) and acetate to propionate ratio (P = 0.018), higher concentrations of lactate (P = 0.035) and proportion of propionate (P = 0.033) compared to those with the LSR. The DMI and ADG did not differ in LSR and HSR lambs (P > 0.050). A diversity analysis revealed significantly lower diversity in HSR lambs than in LSR (Simpson index, P = 0.004). The relative abundances of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Fibrobacteres, Verruomicrobia, and Proteobacteria were higher in LSR lambs than in HSR (P < 0.050). The abundances of several phyla including Firmicutes, Tenericutes and Actinobacteria were higher in the HSR than in the LSR group (P < 0.050). The bacterial communities of the LSR and HSR clustered separately in rumen based on the Unifrac distances, indicating distinct bacteria communities at OTU level between the LSR and HSR lambs. Overall, there was no correlation between 2 and 4 h post-feeding ruminal pH and the abundance of pH-sensitive bacteria and the amount of these bacteria could be used as a potential biomarker of SARA in lamb herd.
Muslim in Australia: Celebrating National Days

The new millennium has drawn renewed attention to Muslim presence in Australia despite the fact that the links between Muslims and the continent predate the European settlement. A complex set of informational, institutional, and political factors have shaped multiple identities of Muslims in the country with the set of views and identities ranging from orthodox to more modernist interpretations of what it means to be a Muslim in a majority non-Muslim state. The complexity is consistently being reinforced and rendered more complex due to the emergence of organizations, groups and forces that present what they assume to be the ‘definitive’ view of Islam. The phenomenon exists in both Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Australia. Among Muslims, this diversity has expressed itself, among other issues, with reference to national days that have come to symbolize Australian identity. This article will explore this diversity of views and responses with reference to Australia Day celebrations and the ANZAC Day. It argues that despite the presence of ideas promoting a global caliphate of Islam, as well as a tendency to present an essentialist nature of Islam and Muslims, the responses by Muslim communities in Australia have differed with respect to these national days—an indication of the flaws inherent in conceiving Muslim presence as a singular identity in Australia.
Attitude of teachers towards the inclusion of special needs children in general education classroom: the case of teachers in some selected schools in Nigeria

Attitudes about inclusion are extremely complex and vary from teacher to teacher and school to school. This article explores the attitudes of teachers about inclusion of special needs children in their secondary schools in general education. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design, with 60 teachers as participants from selected secondary schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. Four hypotheses were postulated at the significant level of . 05. The instrument, a questionnaire with question items on demographic information like gender, marital status, professionalism and teaching experience has a general reliability coefficient alpha of . 83. A t-test method of analysis was the main statistical method used to test the 4 generated hypotheses. The findings revealed that the attitude of male teachers is 39.4, while that of female teacher is 43.3, thus, the t-test analysis shows that the calculated t-test is 2.107, which is greater than the critical t (t=1.960). This implies that female teachers have more positive attitude towards the inclusion of special needs students than their male counterparts. Furthermore, the results reveal that significant difference exists between married and single teachers in their attitude towards special need students. And that professionally qualified teacher tends to have a more favourable attitude towards the inclusion of special need students than their non-professional qualified teachers. It was recommended that teachers should attend seminars and conferences to improve their knowledge about ways of practicing and accepting inclusion for a better tomorrow for our special needs children in Nigeria.
Threshold phenomena in chemoreception and taxis in slime mold Physarum polycephalum

The plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum reacts to various kinds of chemicals substances and moves towards or away from them. Threshold concentration of recognition of chemicals was examined in terms of membrane potential and of the averaged motive force of tactic movement by using a double-chamber method, i.e., a single plasmodium was placed between two compartments through a narrow ditch, and differences in membrane potential and in pressure between two compartments were measured. Results are summarized as follows: (a) By increasing the concentration of various substances in one compartment, the membrane potential started to change at a certain threshold concentration, C-th, for each chemical. Chemotactic movement of the plasmodium took place at the same threshold concentration. These results held both for attractants (glucose, galactose, phosphates, pyrophosphates, ATP, c- AMP, etc) and for repellents (various inorganic salts, sucrose, fructose, etc.). (b) The threshold concentration, Cth, for inorganic salts decreased remarkably with increase of the valences of cations, zeta, and was proportional to Z-6, I.E., THE Shultze-Hardy rule known in the field of colloid chemistry was found to be applicable. (c) The plasmodium distinguished the species of monovalent cations in the following order: H(Li(K(Na(Rb(Cs(NH-4 Plots of log Cth against the lyotropic number of anion fell on different straight lines for each monovalent cation species. (d) Plots of log Cth, against the reciprocal of the absolute tempe lines were almost the same and gave a value of 12 kcal/mol for the enthalpy change. These results suggest that the recognition of chemical substances appears as the result of a structural change of the membrane at the threshold point, and that the change in membrane structure is transmitted simultaneously to the motile system of the plasmodium.
An invariance principle for nonlinear hybrid and impulsive dynamical systems

In this paper we develop an invariance principle for dynamical systems possessing left-continuous flows. As a special case of this result we state and prove new invariant set stability theorems for a class of nonlinear impulsive dynamical systems; namely, state-dependent impulsive dynamical systems. These results provide less conservative stability conditions for impulsive systems as compared to classical results in literature and allow us to address the stability of limit cycles and periodic orbits of impulsive systems.