Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Teachers' Supportive Behaviour in Middle High School Classroom in Taiwan, Shanghai-China, and Finland: Evidence from PISA 2012

When evaluating the students' learning process, the previous mathematics curriculum in Taiwan valued rarely the role of inquiry and formative assessment. As an effort to understand the impact of this movement, the purpose with this study is to evaluate how Taiwan mathematics teachers perform specific tasks associated with three domains of instructional practices, including Teacher-directed Instruction, Formative Assessment and Teacher Support, drawing upon PISA 2012 data. Firstly, this study investigated the association between students' test scores in mathematics and student related factors that influence students' assessment of teachers in those skills. Next, compared the mathematics teachers in Taiwan with the mathematics teachers in Shanghai and Finland, which Taiwanese are always interested in. The study indicated that: controlling for the student characteristics, there is significant negative relationship between Formative Assessment and student mathematics achievement; the analyses suggested that there is no meaningful relationship between Teacher-directed Instruction and student mathematics score; Teacher Support is significantly but positively related to student mathematics achievement. Taiwan and Shanghai-China students are more likely to agree with availability of teacher support in their schools when compared with students in Finland.
A two-dimensional model of the earth's atmosphere with application to stratospheric debris transport

McKeen, Stuart A . , k.A. , June 12, 197? Physics A Tffo-JJimensional fcodel of the Rarth's Atmosphere with Application to Stratospheric Debris Transport (,67pp.) Director; Richard J. Hayden Q,j,M A two-dimensional transport model of the atmosphere from 0 to 50 km is developed. The transport includes advection by the mean meridional circulation and a unique method of modeling the diffusion by large scale eddies. This method utilizes the assumption that, the large scale eddies can be characterized by random fluctuations in the velocity field. The mean winds and the magnitude of the random fluctuations vary with latitude, height and season. A Gaussian distribution is assumed for the random fluctuations at each grid point. Observed mean winds are used below fifteen kilometers. Above this level the mean winds are computed by solving the thermodynamic and continuity equations. The horizontal random velocity fluctua­ tions are made proportional to the observed root mean square of the meridional wind variance from seasonal averages. The vertical random velocity fluctuations are parameterized in terms of the static sta­ bility. The model is capable of simulating the transport of tracers from both low and high latitude sources. As a test of the model, the behavior of Tungsten-185 from low latitude U.S. tests and Zirconium-95 from the high latitude Chinese tests were simulated. The overall distribution of the tracer, rate of spread and the rate of decrease of the maximum concentration agree qualitatively with observations. Discrepancies in the low latitude simulation are discussed in terms of the method used in deriving the characteristic time of the random fluctuations in the equatorial region. This work demonstrates that diffusion due to eddy fluxes can be modeled under the assumption that the diffusion is due to random processes. This work also shows that the parameterization of dif­ fusion coefficients typical of existing two-dimensional transport models can be circumvented.
Structure and properties of the ceramics based on quasicrystal powders processed by plasma coating method

Homogeneous incorporation of a small amount of binding material or modifying agent in the batch consisting of micron size particles is a problem of a composite material production process. In this work the problem is solved by deposition of a thin coating consisting of binding material on the initial powder particles by means of high-rate magnetron sputtering. The confinement of dusty particles in plasma was used in fine powder processing procedure. Composite powders based on the Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystalline particles with nickel coating were obtained. Their investigation showed that the method provides uniform incorporation of small quantities of additives (at concentration of about 3 wt. %) to fine powders. The powders were pressed at room temperature under quasi-hydrostatic conditions at high pressures. After pressing the samples were sintered in hydrogen at normal pressure. Structure and mechanical properties of the sintered samples were studied. The conditions of sintering the composite powder, which provide producing compacts with improved performance data, were established.
Arbitrary view action recognition via transfer dictionary learning on synthetic training data

Human action recognition is an important problem in robotic vision. Traditional recognition algorithms usually require the knowledge of view angle, which is not always available in robotic applications such as active vision. In this paper, we propose a new framework to recognize actions with arbitrary views. A main feature of our algorithm is that view-invariance is learned from synthetic 2D and 3D training data using transfer dictionary learning. This guarantees the availability of training data, and removes the hassle of obtaining real world video in specific viewing angles. The result of the process is a dictionary that can project real world 2D video into a view-invariant sparse representation. This facilitates the training of a view-invariant classifier. Experimental results on the IXMAS and N-UCLA datasets show significant improvements over existing algorithms.
Devices Used for Non-Invasive Tele Homecare for Cardiovascular Patients - A Systematic Literature Review

The aim of this Systematic Review (SLR) was to provide an overview of devices used for non-invasive tele health care by patients diagnosed with heart failure (HF). All English studies published in the past 10 years that focused on tele home care for coronary heart diseases, cardiac arrhythmia or heart failure patients were systematically searched in Scopus and Pubmed. Articles were selected if added value of tele-monitoring for these patients was studied. Selected titles and abstracts were screened to determine eligibility for further review. Types and number of devices per disease were then withdrawn and categorized for the three diseases. Eight devices were found in the literature to be used in non-invasive tele homecare for patients diagnosed with heart failure, of which weight scales and blood pressure monitors were most commonly used and are the most frequently occurring combination. The knowledge on which tele homecare devices are most commonly used gives insights into which devices are the best choice needed for patients with heart failure, where product suppliers and healthcare providers can respond to. The results create future directions for studying different aspects of tele homecare devices, such as usability aspects, which is an important factor for acceptance of telemedicine.
Automated Speed and Lane Change Decision Making using Deep Reinforcement Learning

This paper introduces a method, based on deep reinforcement learning, for automatically generating a general purpose decision making function. A Deep Q-Network agent was trained in a simulated environment to handle speed and lane change decisions for a truck-trailer combination. In a highway driving case, it is shown that the method produced an agent that matched or surpassed the performance of a commonly used reference model. To demonstrate the generality of the method, the exact same algorithm was also tested by training it for an overtaking case on a road with oncoming traffic. Furthermore, a novel way of applying a convolutional neural network to high level input that represents interchangeable objects is also introduced.
Influence of nanoclay on urea‐formaldehyde resins for wood adhesives and its model

The addition of small percentages of Na+-montmorillonite (NaMMT) nanoclay appears to improve considerably the performance of thermosetting urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins used as adhesives for plywood and for wood particleboard. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies indicated that NaMMT loses the periodic atomic structure when mixed in small proportions in the acid-curing environment characteristic of the curing of UF resins. This can be interpreted as becoming exfoliated under such conditions. The partly crystalline structure of the ordered zones of the UF resins is maintained but at a slightly lower level. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that NaMMT has an accelerating effect on the curing of the UF resin. It also appears to lead to a more controlled rate of crosslinking implying a more regular hardened network. The influence of NaMMT addition was particularly noted in plywood by the increase in water resistance of the UF-bonded panel. In the case of wood particleboard even the dry internal bond strength of the panel, a direct indication of the performance of the resin, improved with small additions of NaMMT. A hypothesis and model of the reasons why such improvement to the performance of UF resins by addition of nanoclay should occur has been presented. This is based on the application of percolation theory to the networking capability of the clay nanoplatelets. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Modelling Dry Powder Inhaler Operation with the Discrete Element Method

Dry powder inhalers (DPI) are a common asthma treatment. Despite the number of commercial devices available, little is known about their internal operation: the process of fluidising a powder dose into an inhalation airflow. This PhD aims to investigate this process and demonstrate that it can be modelled computationally. Experimental work is described to record high speed video of the dose fluidisation from simplified DPIs. Typical DPI powders such as lactose are tested along with cohesionless glass spheres and aluminium flakes. Two distinct dose fluidisation mechanisms are identified, labelled ‘fracture’ and ‘erosion’. Lactose exhibits a fracture mechanism – large agglomerates are produced as the powder bed cracks along lines of weakness. Glass or aluminium particles exhibit an erosion mechanism: powder is entrained into the flow as individual particles from the bed surface. The recorded video is quantitatively analysed to determine fluidisation timescales and pressures. Shear cell test results show that predicting the mechanism of fluidisation is not possible using averaged bulk powder properties. This suggests any DPI model must include the fundamental particle interactions. The discrete element method (DEM) is introduced as a computational technique capable of predicting DPI behaviour from individual particle properties. The numerical accuracy of the method is assessed, showing that time integration is limited to a maximum of 2nd order accuracy due to discontinuities in particle contact forces. A sensitivity analysis shows interparticle cohesion is the dominant factor affecting DEM predictions. DEM is used to create a simple model of the dose fluidisation that occurs within a DPI. The results are compared with real powder behaviour. DEM is shown to capture the realistic fluidisation of both lactose and glass powder doses. It is concluded that DEM is a promising technique to predict DPI behaviour, although further work is required to quantify inter– particle cohesive parameters.
The Enlightened Brain: Novel Imaging Methods Focus on Epileptic Networks at Multiple Scales

Epilepsy research is rapidly adopting novel fluorescence optical imaging methods to tackle unresolved questions on the cellular and circuit mechanisms of seizure generation and evolution. State of the art two-photon microscopy and wide-field fluorescence imaging can record the activity in epileptic networks at multiple scales, from neuronal microcircuits to brain-wide networks. These approaches exploit transgenic and viral technologies to target genetically encoded calcium and voltage sensitive indicators to subclasses of neurons, and achieve genetic specificity, spatial resolution and scalability that can complement electrophysiological recordings from awake animal models of epilepsy. Two-photon microscopy is well suited to study single neuron dynamics during interictal and ictal events, and highlight the differences between the activity of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal classes in the focus and propagation zone. In contrast, wide-field fluorescence imaging provides mesoscopic recordings from the entire cortical surface, necessary to investigate seizure propagation pathways, and how the unfolding of epileptic events depends on the topology of brain-wide functional connectivity. Answering these questions will inform pre-clinical studies attempting to suppress seizures with gene therapy, optogenetic or chemogenetic strategies. Dissecting which network nodes outside the seizure onset zone are important for seizure generation, propagation and termination can be used to optimize current and future evaluation methods to identify an optimal surgical strategy.
Using publicly reported hospital data to predict obstetric quality

Abstract Purpose: To determine the association between obstetric outcomes and publicly reported hospital data on patient satisfaction, surgical quality measures and medical outcomes. Materials and methods: Hospitals in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample in 2011 were linked to Hospital Compare, a source of hospital data on patient satisfaction, quality and mortality for medical conditions. The risk-adjusted hospital-level rates of obstetric morbidity, episiotomy and lacerations were compared across the hospitals and reported as the absolute reduction in risk (ARR). Results: We identified 528 708 women. There was no association between any of the metrics and risk-adjusted obstetric morbidity (range −0.15% to 0.03% difference). Hospitals with a high mortality rate for pneumonia had a 0.38% (95% CI: 0.13% to 0.64%) higher rate of risk-adjusted third- and fourth-degree lacerations, while hospitals with a higher death rate for myocardial infarction had a −0.74% (95% CI, −1.34% to −0.14%) lower risk-adjusted episiotomy rate. The differences in the remainder of the publicly reported metrics and the risk adjusted rates of third- and fourth-degree lacerations and episiotomy were small and not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: There is little association between currently available, publically reported hospital data and obstetric quality. Obstetric-specific hospital measures of quality and satisfaction are needed.
Sensitivity of Polythiophene Planar Light‐Emitting Diodes to Oxygen

Surface light emitting diodes (SLEDs) with a polymer-on-top geometry were used to study the sensitivity of light emission to oxygen. In these devices, pre-fabricated electrodes were coated with a conjugated polymer, which was thus directly exposed to the environment. Oxygen caused an immediate ten-to hundred fold decrease in electroluminescence efficiency relative to that in nitrogen or argon. Above the voltage for light emission, there was a sharp increase in current. Removing the oxygen led to recovery of the light intensity over a period of minutes, but the current returned immediately to its lower, original level. The electroluminescence and photoluminescence spectra were identical and were unaltered in shape by oxygen exposure (only decreasing in size). However, photoluminescence was unaffected by oxygen alone. This result indicates that oxygen does not affect excitons directly, but rather influences an intermediate species on the path to exciton formation, one that is significant only in electroluminescence and not in photoluminescence. Under simultaneous exposure to oxygen and UV light, the photoluminescence irreversibly decreased, presumably due to photo-oxidation
Relation between denaturation time measured by optical coherence reflectometry and thermal lesion depth during radiofrequency cardiac ablation: Feasibility numerical study

Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation is a minimally invasive medical procedure used to thermally destroy the focus of cardiac arrhythmias. Novel optical techniques are now being integrated into RF catheters in order to detect the changes in tissue properties. Loss of birefringence due to fiber denaturation at around 70°C is related to changes in accumulated phase retardation and can be measured by polarization‐sensitive optical coherence reflectometry (PS‐OCR). Since irreversible thermal lesions are produced when the tissue reaches 50°C, our goal was to seek the mathematical relationship between both isotherms.
Effect of Different Substrate Material onPerformance of H Shaped Patch Antenna

In this paper we design and simulate H shape microstrip patch antenna. The antenna is designed using fr4-epoxy & epoxy-Kevlar material. The effect of change in substrate material on the performance of antenna is studied, in terms of antenna performance parameter like, gain, return loss & radiation pattern. It is analysed that how antenna performance changes when we vary substrate material.
Asymmetric Adaptation of Deep Features for Cross-Domain Classification in Remote Sensing Imagery

In this letter, we introduce an asymmetric adaptation neural network (AANN) method for cross-domain classification in remote sensing images. Before the adaptation process, we feed the features obtained from a pretrained convolutional neural network to a denoising autoencoder (DAE) to perform dimensionality reduction. Then the first hidden layer of AANN (placed on the top of DAE) maps the labeled source data to the target space, while the subsequent layers control the separation between the available land-cover classes. To learn its weights, the network minimizes an objective function composed of two losses related to the distance between the source and target data distributions and class separation. The results of experiments conducted on six scenarios built from three benchmark scene remote sensing data sets (i.e., Merced, KSA, and AID data sets) are reported and discussed.
A comprehensive review of sexual health concerns after cancer treatment and the biopsychosocial treatment options available to female patients

The repercussions of cancer diagnosis and treatment profoundly impact the sexual wellbeing of women prior to, during, and following cancer treatment. Sexual health concerns are often under-addressed within clinical and research settings, and information tends to be limited to women with breast or gynecological cancers. In this narrative literature review, the authors critically evaluate research published between 1990 and 2016, pertaining to sexual health concerns of women diagnosed with cancer, of any type or stage, and to the psychosocial and biomedical interventions that currently exist for the treatment of sexual health-related side-effects (e.g. vaginal dryness, dyspareunia and vulvo-vaginal atrophy). The findings of 109 published articles are discussed and summarised according to four central themes: how cancer affects female sexual wellbeing; physical impacts of cancer diagnosis and treatment; emotional impacts of cancer diagnosis and treatment; and interventions for sexual dysfunction. Suggestions to enhance research and clinical practice in relation to the sexual health concerns of women following cancer treatments are also presented. Concerns pertaining to women's sexual health are diverse, multiple, and pervade all types and stages of cancer. Several evidence-based psychosocial and biomedical interventions exist to help women manage physical and psychosocial ramifications of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Childhood Self-Control Predicts Smoking Throughout Life: Evidence From 21,000 Cohort Study Participants

Objective: Low self-control has been linked with smoking, yet it remains unclear whether childhood self-control underlies the emergence of lifetime smoking patterns. We examined the contribution of childhood self-control to early smoking initiation and smoking across adulthood. Methods: 21,132 participants were drawn from 2 nationally representative cohort studies; the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS) and the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS). Child self-control was teacher-rated at age 10 in the BCS and at ages 7 and 11 in the NCDS. Participants reported their smoking status and number of cigarettes smoked per day at 5 time-points in the BCS (ages 26–42) and 6 time-points in the NCDS (ages 23–55). Both studies controlled for socioeconomic background, cognitive ability, psychological distress, gender, and parental smoking; the NCDS also controlled for an extended set of background characteristics. Results: Early self-control made a substantial graded contribution to (not) smoking throughout life. In adjusted regression models, a 1-SD increase in self-control predicted a 6.9 percentage point lower probability of smoking in the BCS, and this was replicated in the NCDS (5.2 point reduced risk). Adolescent smoking explained over half of the association between self-control and adult smoking. Childhood self-control was positively related to smoking cessation and negatively related to smoking initiation, relapse to smoking, and the number of cigarettes smoked in adulthood. Conclusions: This study provides strong evidence that low childhood self-control predicts an increased risk of smoking throughout adulthood and points to adolescent smoking as a key pathway through which this may occur.
Laser bioprinting of human induced pluripotent stem cells—the effect of printing and biomaterials on cell survival, pluripotency, and differentiation

Research on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is one of the fastest growing fields in biomedicine. Generated from patient’s own somatic cells, hiPSCs can be differentiated towards all functional cell types and returned to the patient without immunological concerns. 3D printing of hiPSCs could enable the generation of functional organs for replacement therapies or realization of organ-on-chip systems for individualized medicine. Printing of living cells was demonstrated with immortalized cell lines, primary cells, and adult stem cells with different printing technologies and biomaterials. However, hiPSCs are more sensitive to handling procedures, in particular, when dissociated into single cells. Both pluripotency and directed differentiation are influenced by numerous environmental factors including culture media, biomaterials, and cell density. Notably, existing literature on the effect of applied biomaterials on pluripotency is rather ambiguous. In this study, laser bioprinting of undifferentiated hiPSCs in combination with different biomaterials was performed and the impact on cells’ behavior, pluripotency, and differentiation was investigated. Our findings suggest that hiPSCs are indeed more sensitive to the applied biomaterials, but not to laser printing itself. With appropriate biomaterials, such as the hyaluronic acid based solutions applied in this study, hiPSCs can be successfully laser printed without losing their pluripotency.