Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Timely graduation in the lower vocational track

In this article, we study the impact of the so‐called non‐meritocratic factors gender, immigrant origin and social origin, and the meritocratic factors ability and achievement, on timely graduation within a specific high school type. Furthermore, the possible influence of teacher assessments of students in elementary school is investigated. Although the group of graduated students contains more girls, fewer students from immigrant origin and more students of higher social origin, multivariate analyses show that only grade point average during high school significantly affects the chances of graduating. Teachers’ assessments that distinguished between graduation chances of students did not affect graduation when controlled for the non‐meritocratic and meritocratic factors in the multivariate model.
Family Contributions to Work Commitment.

This study is designed to test an empirical model that hypothesizes linkages between organizational support for family and job commitments of personnel. The data were collected from probability samples of military personnel and analyzed by means of LISREL. The results indicate that the job commitment of these personnel is significantly related to organizational support for families and to the support provided by the immediate family.
Optical single-sideband modulation based on silicon-on-insulator coupled-resonator optical waveguides

Abstract. We propose and demonstrate for the first time an optical single-sideband (OSSB) modulation generation based on silicon-on-insulator coupled-resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) capable of operating at wide bandwidth with enhanced sideband suppression. The optimum order of the CROW filter was synthesized based on comprehensive performance analysis including optical sideband suppression and electrical power variation. Experimental results demonstrate an OSSB signal with sideband suppression as large as 23 dB. The performance of the proposed OSSB was demonstrated via compensating radio frequency (RF) power degradation in the transmission of the RF signal within the fiber.
EFFECTS OF GENERALIZATION INSTRUCTION ON THE WRITTEN LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE OF ADOLESCENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE MAINSTREAM CLASSROOM

Much of the instructional success realized with youth with learning disabilities in remedial settings often dissipates once these students return to their mainstream classes. The purpose of this study was to design and validate an instructional sequence that would promote the generalization of written expression learning strategies to mainstream settings. This article delineates some of the elements necessary to promote generalization of skills with learning disabled (LD) populations.
Coping with Threats, Losses, and Challenges

College students participated in an analogue study designed to compare threat, loss, and challenge life events on the elicitation of specific coping strategies. Subjects responded to items from Folkman and Lazarus's (1988) Ways of Coping Questionnaire in addition to new items designed to tap religious coping. A series of factor analyses produced the specific coping scales. Subjects predicted more use of Problem Solving, and less use of Religious Coping and Wishful Thinking, when confronted with Challenges compared to Threats and Losses. For Threats compared to Losses, subjects planned to use more Problem Solving and Religious Coping, and less Emotional Social Support. The findings support the value of studying coping responses as a function of stressor type, and highlight the potential importance of religious coping as a specific coping strategy
Bell's Palsy: The Spontaneous Course of 2,500 Peripheral Facial Nerve Palsies of Different Etiologies

Objective - The Copenhagen Facial Nerve Study aims to explain the spontaneous course of idiopathic peripheral facial nerve palsy which occurs without any kind of treatment. In this study Bell's palsy and idiopathic palsy are considered to be synonymous and specify an acute, monosymptomatic, unilateral peripheral facial paresis of unknown etiology. Material and methods - The material includes 2,570 cases of peripheral facial nerve palsy studied during a period of 25 years. It includes 1,701 cases of Bell's palsy and 869 of non-Bell's palsy. In the total patient sample, 116 had herpes zoster, 76 were diabetic, 46 were pregnant and 169 were neonates. A total of 38 different etiologies were observed. At the first consultation a standard ENT examination was performed, including a thorough description of the grade and localization of the paresis, taste, stapedius reflex and nasolacrimal reflex tests and acoustic-vestibular examination. Follow-up was done once a week during the first month and subsequently once a month until normal function was restored or for up to 1 year. Results - The initial examination revealed 30% incomplete and 70% complete palsies. Follow-up showed that in 85% of patients function was returned within 3 weeks and in the remaining 15% after 3-5 months. In 71% of patients normal mimical function was obtained. Sequelae were slight in 12% of patients, mild in 13% and severe in 4%. Contracture and associated movements were found in 17% and 16% of patients, respectively. Conclusion - A survey of the literature showed that no kind of treatment, including prednisone, was able to give a better prognosis. The use of prednisone raises a big ethical problem because no evidence of its efficacy exists and the euphoric side-effect induces a false feeling of benefit in the patients.
THE FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF LAYOFFS: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

This study examines the financial environment of layoffs in large corporations, a topic that has received limited empirical attention. Based on the diverse, sometimes inconsistent arguments in previous layoff and downsizing literature, we formulate four research questions about firm financial performance in the years preceding and following layoffs. We then answer those questions with data from a study of 210 layoff announcements and associated firm financial performance trends. The results suggest that average firm financial performance declines significantly prior to a layoff, and that financial performance increases significantly following a layoff, but only in the first year. Furthermore, relatively large layoffs are preceded by larger declines in financial performance, and followed by larger increases in performance, than small layoffs.
US warfare in Somalia and the trade-off between casualty-aversion and civilian protection

This article examines the ways in which the two normative concerns of casualty-aversion and civilian protection influenced US military strategy in the particular context of the asymmetric conflict in Somalia in the early 1990s. The article critically evaluates US military operations through the prism of international humanitarian law and examines whether American forces started prioritizing casualty-aversion over the safeguarding of Somali civilians. Finally, by drawing on emerging moral guidelines (such as Michael Walzer's idea of ‘due care’), the article examines whether lower numbers of Somali civilian deaths could have been achieved if marginal increases to the risks faced by US soldiers had been accepted.
Üç Aşamalı Sorularla Sınıf Öğretmeni Adaylarının Bazı Temel Fen Kavramları Hakkında Sahip Oldukları Kavram Yanılgıları

This study has been conducted to explore misconceptions about fundamental science conceptions of primary school teacher candidates with three stage questions. For this purpose, the conceptual test consisting of tree-annotated 10 multiple choice questions was developed. The conceptual framework of the test is constructed by using primary school science curriculum in Turkey. This conceptual test was given to 301 senior class students of primary school teaching programme in seven education faculties. This paper involves one part of the study in which students' misconceptions about matter and change, and liveliness and life conceptions have been discussed. It has been found that an average of the teacher candidates have got misconceptions: 60,4% with one annotated questions, 48,43% with two annotated questions, 18,93% with three annotated questions. Moreover, it has been determined that students are rather inefficient in answering accurately and being exactly sure about the questions.
Risk Factors Associated With Biliary Pancreatitis in Children

Objectives: Little is known about risk factors for biliary pancreatitis in children. We characterized cases of pediatric biliary pancreatitis, compared biliary with nonbiliary cases, examined differences in presentation between younger and older children, and studied features distinguishing gallstone- from sludge-induced pancreatitis. Methods: We evaluated 76 episodes of biliary pancreatitis from 271 cases of acute pancreatitis in children admitted to a tertiary care hospital from 1994 to 2007. Results: Of the 76 cases, 55% had gallstones, 21% had sludge, and 24% had structural defects. Hispanic children had 2.85 (P = 0.01) and 5.59 (P = 0.003) times higher probability for biliary pancreatitis than white and black children, respectively. Median serum amylase and lipase in children with biliary pancreatitis were 64% and 49% higher, respectively, compared with other causes (P < 0.05). In multiple logistic regression, aspartate aminotransferase was an independent predictor of biliary pancreatitis (odds ratio 6.69, P = 0.001). When comparing gallstone- with sludge-induced causes, obesity was an independent predictor (38% more prevalent, P < 0.01) of gallstone cases. Conclusions: Hispanic ethnicity is a risk factor and aspartate aminotransferase is a biomarker for biliary pancreatitis over other causes. Furthermore, obesity can distinguish gallstone- from sludge-induced pancreatitis. These findings may spur prospective studies to determine the optimal evaluation and management of children with biliary pancreatitis.
The murine SPC promoter directs type II cell-specific expression in transgenic mice

Glasser, Stephan W. , Susan K. Eszterhas, Emily A. Detmer, Melissa D. Maxfield, and Thomas R. Korfhagen. The murine SP-C promoter directs type II cell-specific expression in transgenic mice. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 288: L625–L632, 2005. First published December 3, 2004; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00250. 2004. — Genomic DNA from the mouse pulmonary surfactant protein C (SP-C) gene was analyzed in transgenic mice to identify DNA essential for alveolar type II cell-specific expression. SP-C promoter constructs extending either 13 or 4.8 kb upstream of the transcription start site directed lung-specific expression of the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated alveolar cell-specific expression in the lungs of adult transgenic mice, and the pattern of 4.8 SP-C-CAT expression during development paralleled that of the endogenous SP-C gene. With the use of deletion constructs, lung-specific, low-level CAT activity was detected in tissue assays of SP-C-CAT transgenic mice retaining 318 bp of the promoter. In transient and stable cell transfection experiments, the 4.8-kb SP-C promoter was 90-fold more active as a stably integrated gene. These findings indicate that 1) the 4.8-kb SP-C promoter is sufficient to direct cell-specific and developmental expression, 2) an enhancer essential for lung-specific expression maps to the proximal 318-bp promoter, and 3) the activity of the 4.8-kb SP-C promoter construct is highly dependent on its chromatin environment.
Organizational Perceptions, Leadership, Performance and Organizational Citizenship Among Older Employees in Work Settings: Can They Interelate?

An in depth review of literature shows there exists a pressing need to understand how and the organizational leadership process affects differently organizational behavior in outcomes (e.g. job performance) various national culture settings. One approach may seek to unveil the mediation of cultural values on the relationship between preferred as well as exhibited styles of leadership and behavioral organizational outcomes. An alternative approach may explore how and why cultural values affect differently the relationship of the quality of leader – subordinate relationships (LMX) to behavioral organizational outcomes. Moreover, as we notice a constant growth of aged workers in the composition of work force in the Western World , these approaches should be addressed in relation to older managers and workers. Our present paper attempts to reconcile these two diametrically opposed approaches by conceiving a theoretical model linking between organizational justice, organizational leadership styles, LMX and behavioral organizational outcomes (i.e., job performance, organizational citizenship) as mediated by organizational culture different national values settings and in relation to older employees.
Iterative detection for multicarrier transmission employing time-frequency concentrated pulses

We consider multicarrier transmission schemes in which the elementary signal pulses relate to the elements of a Weyl-Heisenberg system, i.e., resulting from a prototype function shifted in time and frequency. The overlapping of the information-bearing signal parts at the output of doubly dispersive channels and the resulting interference are confined by utilizing a prototype function whose energy is concentrated in both time and frequency. We derive a symbol detector which first calculates a sufficient statistic for the unknown data symbols from the linearly combined output signals of a filter bank, and second, performs an iterative maximization of the likelihood function. The presented receiver takes full advantage of the confined pulse overlapping to limit the computational effort. An analysis of the computational complexity and bit-error rate performance of the iterative detection scheme is provided for wide-sense stationary uncorrelated scattering channels.
Internet-based transfer of cardiac ultrasound images

A drawback to large-scale multicentre studies is the time required for the centralized evaluation of diagnostic images. We evaluated the feasibility of digital transfer of echocardiographic images to a central laboratory for rapid and accurate interpretation. Ten patients undergoing trans-oesophageal echocardiographic scanning at three sites had representative single images and multiframe loops stored digitally. The images were analysed in the ordinary way. All images were then transferred via the Internet to a central laboratory and reanalysed by a different observer. The file sizes were 1.5-72 MByte and the transfer rates achieved were 0.6-4.8 Mbit/min. Quantitative measurements were similar between most on-site and central laboratory measurements (all P > 0.25), although measurements differed for left atrial width and pulmonary venous systolic velocities (both P < 0.05). Digital transfer of echocardiographic images and data to a central laboratory may be useful for multicentre trials.
Protective T Cell and Antibody Immune Responses against Hepatitis C Virus Achieved Using a Biopolyester-Bead-Based Vaccine Delivery System

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major worldwide problem. Chronic hepatitis C is recognized as one of the major causes of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. Although new, directly acting antiviral therapies are suggested to overcome the low efficacy and adverse effects observed for the current standard of treatment, an effective vaccine would be the only way to certainly eradicate HCV infection. Recently, polyhydroxybutyrate beads produced by engineered Escherichia coli showed efficacy as a vaccine delivery system. Here, an endotoxin-free E. coli strain (ClearColi) was engineered to produce polyhydroxybutyrate beads displaying the core antigen on their surface (Beads-Core) and their immunogenicity was evaluated in BALB/c mice. Immunization with Beads-Core induced gamma interferon (IFN-γ) secretion and a functional T cell immune response against the HCV Core protein. With the aim to target broad T and B cell determinants described for HCV, Beads-Core mixed with HCV E1, E2, and NS3 recombinant proteins was also evaluated in BALB/c mice. Remarkably, only three immunization with Beads-Core+CoE1E2NS3/Alum (a mixture of 0.1 μg Co.120, 16.7 μg E1.340, 16.7 μg E2.680, and 10 μg NS3 adjuvanted in aluminum hydroxide [Alum]) induced a potent antibody response against E1 and E2 and a broad IFN-γ secretion and T cell response against Core and all coadministered antigens. This immunological response mediated protective immunity to viremia as assessed in a viral surrogate challenge model. Overall, it was shown that engineered biopolyester beads displaying foreign antigens are immunogenic and might present a particulate delivery system suitable for vaccination against HCV.
Protograph-Based Raptor-Like LDPC Codes

This paper proposes protograph-based Raptor-like (PBRL) codes as a class of rate-compatible low-density parity-check codes for binary-input AWGN channels. As with the Raptor codes, exclusive-OR operations on precoded bits produce additional parity bits providing extensive rate compatibility. Unlike Raptor codes, each additional parity bit in the protograph is explicitly designed to optimize the density evolution threshold. During the lifting process, approximate cycle extrinsic message degree (ACE) and circulant progressive edge growth (CPEG) constraints are used to avoid undesirable graphical structures. Some density-evolution performance is sacrificed to obtain lower error floors, particularly at short block-lengths. Simulation results are shown for information block sizes of k = 1032 and 16 384. For a target frame error rate of 10-5, at each rate, the k = 1032 and 16 384 code families perform within 1 dB and 0.4 dB of both the Gallager bound and the normal approximation, respectively. The 16 384 code family outperforms the best known standardized code family, namely, the AR4JA codes. The PBRL codes also outperform DVB-S2 codes that have the advantages of longer blocklengths and outer BCH codes. Performance is similar to RC code families designed by Nguyen et al. that do not constrain codes to have the PBRL structure and involve simulation in the optimization process at each rate.
Cyclical Risk Aversion, Precautionary Saving and Monetary Policy

This paper analyses the conduct of monetary policy in an environment in which cyclical swings in risk appetite affect households’ propensity to save. It uses a New Keynesian model featuring external habit formation to show that taking note of precautionary saving motives justifies an accommodative policy bias in the face of persistent, adverse disturbances. Equally, policy should be more restrictive following positive shocks.
Speleothem evidence from Oman for continental pluvial events during interglacial periods

Growth periods and stable isotope analyses of speleothems from Hoti Cave in northern Oman provide a record of continental pluvial periods extending back over the past four of Earth’s glacial-interglacial cycles. Rapid speleothem growth occurred during the early to middle Holocene (6‐10.5 ka B.P.), 78‐82 ka B.P., 120‐135 ka B.P., 180‐200 ka B.P., and 300‐325 ka B.P. The speleothem calcite deposited during each of these episodes is highly depleted in 18 O compared to modern speleothems. The d 18 O values for calcite deposited within pluvial periods generally fall in the range of 24‰ to 28‰ relative to the Vienna Peedee belemnite standard, whereas modern speleothems range from 21‰ to 23‰. The growth and isotopic records indicate that during peak interglacial periods, the limit of the monsoon rainfall was shifted far north of its present location and each pluvial period was coincident with an interglacial stage of the marine oxygen isotope record. The association of continental pluvial periods with peak interglacial conditions suggests that glacial boundary conditions, and not changes in solar radiation, are the primary control on continental wetness on glacial-interglacial time scales.
AN ACCURATE AND AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF INTRACARDIACTUMOR AND THROMBI USING ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Intracardiac masses identification in echocardiograms is an important task in cardiac disease diagnosis. To improve the diagnostic accuracy, the tumour and thrombi is identified using a automatic classification method based on the sparse representation. A region of interest is cropped to define the mass area. Then, a globally denoising method is employed to remove the speckle and preserve the structures. Subsequently, the contour of the mass and its connected atrial wall are described by our proposed adaptive cosegmentation localized region level set model. These method is used to distinguish intracardiac tumor and thrombi in echocardiography. The adaptive technique, the gradient direction, the shape dissimilarity measure which help to guide the contour evolution and the localization radius is automatically approximated based on the initial contour and the automated selection of localization radius are integrated into an LRLSM.Segmentation of intracardiac tumour in echocardiography videos is an ill-posed problem due to the presence of weak boundaries, intratumoral degeneration and nearby structures and clutter. our proposed method demonstrates the best performance by achieving an accuracy of more than 96.91%, a sensitivity of 100%, and a specificity of more than 93.02%. Finally, the motion, the boundary as well as the texture features are processed by a sparse representation classifier to distinguish two masses.
Selective protein loss in lactating sows is associated with reduced litter growth and ovarian function.

This study was designed to test the degree of protein loss that may be sustained by lactating sows before milk biosynthesis and ovarian function will be impaired. First-parity Camborough x Canabrid sows were allocated to receive isocaloric diets (61 +/- 2.0 MJ of ME/d) and one of three levels of protein intake in lactation: 1) 878 g of CP and 50 g of lysine/d (n = 8), 2) 647 g of CP and 35 g of lysine/d (n = 7), or 3) 491 g of CP and 24 g of lysine/d (n = 10). Every 5 d during a 23-d lactation, sow live weight, backfat depth, and litter weight were recorded, and a preprandial blood sample was collected. Milk samples were collected on d 10 and 20 of lactation. Sows were slaughtered on the day of weaning, and liver and ovarian variables were measured. Lower dietary protein intakes elicited progressively larger live weight losses during lactation (-13, -17, and -28 +/- 2.3 kg; P < 0.001), but similar and minimal backfat losses (-1.3 +/- 0.29 mm). Approximately 7, 9, and 16% of the calculated body protein mass at parturition was mobilized by d 23. Lactation performance did not differ among treatments until d 20, at which time approximately 5, 6, and 12% of the calculated protein mass at parturition had been lost. The milk protein concentration on d 20 of lactation reflected the amount of body protein lost, and was lowest (P < 0.05) in sows that lost the most protein. After d 20, piglet growth rate decreased (P < 0.05) in a manner related to the amount of body protein lost. At weaning, ovarian function was suppressed in sows that had mobilized the most body protein; they had fewer medium-sized follicles (> 4 mm; P < 0.05), their follicles contained less (P < 0.01) follicular fluid, and had lower estradiol (P < 0.05) and IGF-I (P < 0.10) contents. Culture media containing 10% pooled follicular fluid (vol/vol) from high-protein-loss sows were less able to support nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes in vitro, evidenced by more oocytes arrested at metaphase I (P < 0.05) and showing limited cumulus cell expansion (P < 0.06). Plasma insulin and IGF-I concentrations did not seem to be related to the observed differences in animal performance. Our data suggest that no decline in lactational performance or ovarian function when a sow loses approximately 9 to 12% of its parturition protein mass. However, progressively larger decreases in animal performance are associated with a loss of larger amounts of body protein mass at parturition.