Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Labour Market, Welfare Reform and Inequality in the United Kingdom

Employment has risen by more and unemployment has risen less than expected, given the path of output. Nevertheless, long-term and youth unemployment and involuntary part-time work are high. A polarised labour market risks worsening income inequality, which is high by OECD standards, despite a recent and likely temporary decline. The UK welfare system is an essential safety net, which needs to promote employment, while protecting the most vulnerable. The reformed welfare system, Universal Credit, and the employment programme for disadvantaged workers, Work Programme, will generally improve work incentives and provide support for return to work, but need to be refined. Skill deficiencies are holding back employment and fostering inequality, as low education achievements penalise children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Vocational training needs to be strengthened and cooperation with employers reinforced. Transition from education to work can prove challenging, requiring more attention to the integration of university graduates into the labour market. Marche du travail, reforme de la protection sociale et inegalites au Royaume-Uni L’emploi a progresse plus et le chomage a augmente moins que prevu au regard de l’evolution de la production. Neanmoins, le chomage de longue duree et le chomage des jeunes, ainsi que le travail a temps partiel involontaire, sont eleves. La polarisation du marche du travail risque d’accentuer les inegalites de revenu, qui sont tres marquees par rapport aux autres pays de l’OCDE, malgre une attenuation recente et probablement temporaire. Le systeme de protection sociale du Royaume-Uni constitue un filet de securite essentiel, qui doit favoriser l’emploi tout en protegeant les plus vulnerables. Le systeme reforme de protection sociale (Universal Credit) et le programme d’emplois pour les travailleurs defavorises (Work Programme) renforceront generalement les incitations a travailler et faciliteront le retour a l’emploi, mais des ameliorations sont necessaires. L’insuffisance des qualifications bride l’emploi et creuse les inegalites, de faibles niveaux d’instruction penalisant les enfants issus de milieux socio-economiques defavorises. Il est indispensable de developper la formation professionnelle et la cooperation avec les employeurs. Le passage de l’ecole a l’emploi est parfois difficile, d’ou la necessite de preter une plus grande attention a l’integration des diplomes de l’universite sur le marche du travail.
INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING: THE PROFESSIONAL ROUTE TO TECHNICIAN STATUS

Summary Trends in the status of teacher education can be examined through proposals for alternative models of course structure and delivery and the implications of these for teacher trainers and teachers. This paper implies that there exists a political will to move responsibility for teacher training from Colleges of Education and Universities to ‘training’ schools. It indicates that, while the introduction of a market led education service suggests greater autonomy for teachers and schools, the reality is that through strengthening the role of bureaucracy in education, the Government retains strong central control over the whole service.
Distributed Relay Pairing for Bandwidth Exchange Based Cooperative Forwarding

This letter develops a distributed algorithm for relay pairing in bandwidth exchange (BE) based cooperative forwarding scenarios, where each node can delegate a fraction of its allocated resources to a neighboring node as an incentive for relaying. Determining the relay pairs that maximize the overall network utility yields a non-bipartite matching problem, which incurs a considerable computational load when implemented in a centralized way. To resolve this challenge, we use a message-passing framework to develop an efficient distributed solution. Simulation results verify that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing approaches.
Reflections on Gifted Education in China — with a Particular Focus on Provisions for Science and Technology, and Cultural Creativity

The philosophical underpinnings for the education of the gifted, provision for the gifted and talented, and teacher education in both countries. The author reflects on the special provision for the gifted in China, as it serves to meet the needs of the Chinese society, which is moving towards democratisation and a capitalist, entrepreneurial economy. There is an overview of the ‘enterprising creativity’ of the Chinese people and a discussion of the development of a new ‘mandarin’ class of gifted individuals. Their education, reminiscent of a traditional British grammar school education, may be described in terms of broad-based content, accelerated progress beyond idyllic kindergarten days and individual persistence In striving to be ‘the best in the class’, where the ultimate achievement is early entry to university. Creativity is fostered at the kindergarten level, but appears, except for some individuals attending the extra-curricular programs and isolated examples in middle school, to be ‘put on hold’ until the university's environment again encourages research projects. Great strengths of gifted education in China are the dedicated mentorship of teachers at every level; the complementary respect between students and teachers; and the mutual pursuit of knowledge. Weaknesses are reflected in the paucity of resources and their ineffective use in fostering thinking, problem-solving and creativity; and in formal teacher education for the gifted. Finally, the state of the art in China and future prospects are discussed.
Causal Inference from Big Data: Theoretical Foundations and the Data-fusion Problem

Abstract : We review concepts, principles, and tools that unify current approaches to causal analysis, and attend to new challenges presented by big data. In particular, we address the problem of data-fusion-- piecing together multiple datasets collected under heterogeneous conditions (i.e., different populations, regimes, and sampling methods) so as to obtain valid answers to queries of interest. The avail- ability of multiple heterogeneous datasets presents new opportunities, since the knowledge that can be acquired from combined data would not be possible from any individual source alone. However, the biases that emerge in heterogeneous environments require new analytical tools. Some of these biases, including confounding, sampling selection, and cross-population biases, have been addressed in isolation, largely in restricted models. We here present a general, non-parametric framework for handling these biases and, ultimately, a theoretical solution to the problem of data-fusion in causal and counterfactual inference.
Precedence Constrained Scheduling to Minimize Weighted Completion Time on a Single Machine

We consider the problem of scheduling a set of jobs on a single machine with the objective of mimizing weighted (average) completion time. The problem is NP-hard when there are precedence constraints between jobs, [12] and we provide a simple and e cient combinatorial 2-approximation algorithm. In contrast to our work, earlier approximation algorithms [9] achieving the same ratio are based on solving a linear programming relaxation of the problem.
ATR inhibition disrupts rewired homologous recombination and fork protection pathways in PARP inhibitor-resistant BRCA-deficient cancer cells

Yazinski et al. show that the functions of BRCA1 in homologous recombination and replication fork protection are sequentially bypassed during the acquisition of PARP inhibitor (PARPi) resistance. Despite the lack of BRCA1, PARPi-resistant cells regain RAD51 loading to DNA double-stranded breaks and stalled forks, enabling two distinct mechanisms of PARPi resistance.
Predictors of Children's Kindergarten Classroom Engagement: Preschool Adult–Child Relationships, Self-Concept, and Hyperactivity/Inattention

The aim of this prospective study was to identify preschool factors that are associated with children's classroom engagement during their 1st school year. The study was guided by a social-motivational process model that highlights the importance of parent–child and teacher–child relationships in promoting engagement. In preschool, parents and teachers completed questionnaires assessing children's (n = 562) parent–child and teacher–child relationships, global self-concept, and mental health problems. Teachers rated children's engagement levels 1 year later in kindergarten. Research Findings: Results from structural equation modeling suggested that experiencing good-quality relationships with parents and teachers and positive self-concept during preschool were only indirectly associated with children's kindergarten classroom engagement through their negative associations with hyperactivity/inattention; only hyperactivity/inattention had a significant direct (small-moderate and negative) association with children's engagement. Practice or Policy: Interventions that improve adult–child relationships may reduce childhood hyperactivity/inattention during preschool and potentially improve children's engagement, helping them start school ready and eager to learn.
Clustering Individual Transactional Data for Masses of Users

Mining a large number of datasets recording human activities for making sense of individual data is the key enabler of a new wave of personalized knowledge-based services. In this paper we focus on the problem of clustering individual transactional data for a large mass of users. Transactional data is a very pervasive kind of information that is collected by several services, often involving huge pools of users. We propose txmeans, a parameter-free clustering algorithm able to efficiently partitioning transactional data in a completely automatic way. Txmeans is designed for the case where clustering must be applied on a massive number of different datasets, for instance when a large set of users need to be analyzed individually and each of them has generated a long history of transactions. A deep experimentation on both real and synthetic datasets shows the practical effectiveness of txmeans for the mass clustering of different personal datasets, and suggests that txmeans outperforms existing methods in terms of quality and efficiency. Finally, we present a personal cart assistant application based on txmeans
Asian American Youth Language Use

Recent studies of Asian American youth language practices have presented compelling insights about the identities and migration experiences of young people of Asian descent. This chapter offers a detailed examination of the relationship between language use and select issues concerning Asian American youth, including social life, schooling, acculturation, and intergenerational relationships. Specifically, how do Asian American youth negotiate aspects of their migration experience through their language practices? And, what insights about race, ethnicity, class, and gender can be learned about migration and diaspora through a focus on youth language use? The chapter covers three main topics about the language practices of Asian American youth: identity, style, and stereotypes. The first portion of the chapter discusses performances of Asian American youth identity through language practices. Studies of bilingualism, heritage language learning, language socialization, and the role of language in intergenerational relationships are explored. Engagements with media, new media, and consumption offer further examples of how language use enables youth to make diasporic connections and to express aspects of language and culture in their everyday lives. Heritage language shift, in some cases an inevitable outcome of generational change, underscores the dynamic nature of languages and their usage in migration contexts. The next section delves into ethnographic case studies of “style,” a linguistic anthropological and sociolinguistic framework that foregrounds the everyday speech practices of Asian American youth. Youth perform regionally available styles of speaking as well as locally created, group-specific styles, along with varieties of English that provide exemplification not only of identity formation but also of gender, ethnicity, and race.
Introduction to the Special Section on Cognition in Everyday Life: Adult Developmental Aspects

In 1974, the American Psychologist devoted a special section to issues of translating gerontological research from ‘‘lab to life’’. Three distinguished researchers in adult development and ageing attempted to apply principles of age-related changes in cognition to real world phenomena. Their discussion of applied issues ranged from encouraging older adults to reduce conversations during driving given their inability to ignore irrelevant information (Schoneld, 1974), to the need for cohortappropriate assessment techniques (Schaie, 1974), to implications of slowing for reducing accidents in the elderly population (Birren, 1974). These papers represented important and, at that time, relatively novel attempts to address problems of ecological validity and everyday cognition in gerontological research. Given the relative lack of relevant empirical data, the authors mainly speculated about how existing laboratory-based research ndings on ageing and cognition might apply to real world settings. The authors also called upon researchers in adult development and ageing to produce more real world applications of principles and ndings of basic research on cognition and ageing in order to explain better how older adults operate in daily life. In a very real sense, this Special Section illustrates the fact that tangible progress has been made in generating empirical evidence on everyday cognition and how it is affected by adult development. Since the early 1970s, the study of everyday cognition and ageing has witnessed considerable growth in several domains, including human factors, practical memory, everyday problem solving, and the pragmatics of intelligence, among others. The papers in this Special Section illustrate the nature and
The Value of Premarital Education

Premarital education programs have been designed with the aim of helping prospective spouses examine and evaluate their relationship prior to marriage. It is widely considered as preventative skills training and assumes that exposing couples to the skills to improve their relationship will help them deal with interpersonal difficulties as they arise. Skills commonly included in the programs involve communication, negotiation, problem-solving and decision making. There are a number of problems identified with the current status of premarital education programs including the atheoretical nature of most programs, the lack of specific goals in the program format, and poor evaluation procedures which are used to examine effectiveness. Overall it is concluded that although the concept of preparation for marriage is a good one, the current value of these programs is limited. A personal account of one premarital education program is also provided.
Uncertainty visualization: why might it fail?

There is a gulf between the rhetoric in visualization about the importance of uncertainty, and the practice of visualization in which uncertainty is rarely seen other than as a laboratory exercise. We reflect on why something viewed as fundamental in science and engineering is rarely if ever adopted in visualization practice. Our analysis is informed both by research progress and by our own experience in an ongoing industrial case study on modelling and mapping underground assets, where it would appear that uncertainty plays a major role. In this case study, we try to identify promoting and limiting factors. We conclude that the value of uncertainty visualization is severely limited by the quality and scope of uncertainty data, by the limited confidence in the data itself, and by the perceptual and cognitive confusion that the depiction of this data can generate. We hope to broaden the discussion on the utility of uncertainty in visualization from the purely technical and perceptual issues to social and organizational factors.
Dietary differences among women of Polish descent by country of birth and duration of residency in the United States.

OBJECTIVES Changes in breast and gastric cancers and coronary artery disease among people of Polish descent after migration to the United States suggest there may be potentially modifiable factors affecting incidence of these diseases. We examined relationships of dietary factors associated with these diseases with stage of migration among Polish women in Chicago. DESIGN Women of Polish descent (N = 396) were selected from Polish women's social organizations. Women completed a modified Health Habits and History Questionnaire. SETTING The questionnaire was completed either at the participant's home or at a Polish social organization. PARTICIPANTS Participants ranged in age from 17-81 years, and included women born in Poland or the United States, who had at least one parent of Polish. INTERVENTIONS Participants were stratified by country of birth and migration period (1935-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1997). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The average daily intake of food groups and nutrients was assessed using multiple linear regression. RESULTS We found statistically significant differences by birth country for 19 of 34 nutrients, 4 of 7 food groups, and for 21 nutrients, and 5 food groups among the different migration tertiles. CONCLUSIONS Women from Poland and more recent migrants had generally more nutritious intakes, compared to US-born women, or earlier migrants. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS There are significant dietary differences among women of Polish descent that vary by duration of US residency and birth country. Women with dietary intakes which place them at higher risk for cancers and cardiovascular disease could be targeted for interventions to lower their disease risk.
RobOtol: from design to evaluation of a robot for middle ear surgery

Middle ear surgery requires micro-surgical techniques and may benefit from robotic assistance. A prototype of tele-operated system is presented. Methods to determine design specifications, kinematic structure and optimization of the micro-manipulator are described. First evaluation of the robot by a stapedial removal through the external auditory meatus in human temporal bone specimens, simulating the surgery of otosclerosis, is presented. In this procedure, the robot yielded accessibility to the target area with a reduced visual impairment and, an enhanced tool stability compared to the surgeon's hand.
Step-flow growth on strained surfaces

A theoretical study is presented of the effect of misfit strain on the transition from step flow to island nucleation dominated epitaxial layer growth on a vicinal surface. The analysis generalizes a set of reaction‐diffusion equations used for homoepitaxy to include the fact that heteroepitaxial strain changes the Arrhenius barrier for diffusion and promotes the detachment of atoms from the edge of strained terraces and islands. The first effect is equivalent to changing the deposition flux; the latter can drive the system into a new layer growth mode characterized by moving steps that engulf very many very small islands. Experiments to test these predictions are suggested.
The Role of Textured Material in Supporting Perceptual-Motor Functions

Simple deformation of the skin surface with textured materials can improve human perceptual-motor performance. The implications of these findings are inexpensive, adaptable and easily integrated clothing, equipment and tools for improving perceptual-motor functionality. However, some clarification is needed because mixed results have been reported in the literature, highlighting positive, absent and/or negative effects of added texture on measures of perceptual-motor performance. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of textured materials for enhancing perceptual-motor functionality. The systematic review uncovered two variables suitable for sub-group analysis within and between studies: participant age (groupings were 18–51 years and 64.7–79.4 years) and experimental task (upright balance and walking). Evaluation of studies that observed texture effects during upright balance tasks, uncovered two additional candidate sub-groups for future work: vision (eyes open and eyes closed) and stability (stable and unstable). Meta-analysis (random effects) revealed that young participants improve performance by a small to moderate amount in upright balance tasks with added texture (SMD = 0.28, 95%CI = 0.46–0.09, Z = 2.99, P = 0.001; Tau2 = 0.02; Chi2 = 9.87, df = 6, P = 0.13; I2 = 39.22). Significant heterogeneity was found in, the overall effect of texture: Tau2 = 0.13; Chi2 = 130.71, df = 26, P<0.0001; I2 = 85.98%, pooled samples in upright balance tasks: Tau2 = 0.09; Chi2 = 101.57, df = 13, P<0.001; I2 = 72.67%, and in elderly in upright balance tasks: Tau2 = 0.16; Chi2 = 39.42, df = 5, P<0.001; I2 = 83.05%. No effect was shown for walking tasks: Tau2 = 0.00; Chi2 = 3.45, df = 4, P = 0.27, I2 = 22.99%. Data provides unequivocal support for utilizing textured materials in young healthy populations for improving perceptual-motor performance. Future research is needed in young healthy populations under conditions where visual and proprioceptive information is challenged, as in high-speed movements, or where use of equipment mediates the performer-environment interaction or where dysfunctional information sources ‘compete’ for attention. In elderly and ailing populations data suggests further research is required to better understand contexts where texture can facilitate improved perceptual-motor performance.
An Additive Model of Test Anxiety: Role of Exam-Specific Expectations.

The study tested a hypothesis whereby anxiety concerning examinations covering different subjects is an additive function of dispositional test anxiety and the anticipated results of individual tests. This hypothesis was generated on the basis of the integration of test anxiety theory and appraisal models of emotion. The study involved 118 students who took 3 examinations during the course of a Scholastic Aptitude Test preparation class, namely Quantitative, Verbal, and English (as a foreign language). Results with a repeated-measures design indicated that expected success, measured with self-efficacy for grade attainment 3 days before each test, incrementally predicted anxiety level during the test (i.e., beyond the prediction offered by test anxiety [trait], general efficacy [trait], and self-efficacy ratings for the previous exam). The same results were obtained when anxiety level was residualized on the basis of anxiety level associated either with the previous exam or with the Quantitative exam. These data indicate that anxiety level associated with different exams is an incremental function of dispositional and situational factors.