Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Error correction techniques in the EFL class

Errors are regarded as a natural part of the learning process, with the teacher performing the role of facilitator, providing help when necessary and creating a supportive environment in which students can obtain a successful enhanced learning outcome. They are significant indicators of the learning progress showing what learners have attained and what remains to be acquired and provide the language teacher the necessary information about how to deal with the problems that may arise and give a meaningful comprehensible feedback which proves to be beneficial in the long run. Furthermore, the teacher should guide learners to use the appropriate meta- language needed to communicate ideas and beliefs about their learning process. In addition, educators should be sensitive and sympathetic toward the different learning capabilities present in their classes and try to avoid learners‟ embarrassment and encourage them to take risks using the language. The influence of learners‟ age, level of proficiency and learning style lead them to react differently to error correction. In order to prevent students to feel misled and confused, teachers should avoid over-correction. Teachers should provide a positive affective feedback, reduce the tension caused by error correction and encourage all their students to improve their works. Language anxiety may affect students‟ self-esteem, self-confidence, hamper proficiency in language acquisition, and hinder their achievement. Encouragement and non-threatening instruction are good ways to ease learner anxiety and strengthen their motivation
Concentration of oxytocin receptors in the placenta and fetal membranes of cows during pregnancy and labour.

The concentrations of oxytocin receptors were measured in intercaruncular and caruncular endometrium, fetal cotyledons, chorioallantois and amnion during pregnancy and parturition in cows. Tissues were obtained on days 20 (endometrium only), 50, 100, 150, 200, 225, 250, 275, at term (days 280-284), during labour and within 24 h after calving. Receptor concentrations in intercaruncular endometrium were low on day 20 of pregnancy, 39 +/- 11 fmol mg-1 protein. By day 50, receptor concentrations had increased more than tenfold to 572 +/- 52 fmol and rose steadily until day 250 and then levelled off at about 4500 fmol mg-1. Shortly before parturition, on day 282 +/- 1, a further rise to 7300 +/- 1418 fmol mg-1 was observed, these concentrations were maintained throughout labour. By contrast, caruncular endometrial receptor concentrations remained low until term, mean 145 +/- 15 fmol mg-1, and then rose to 720 +/- 163 fmol mg-1 during labour (cervix 17 cm--fully dilated). Fetal cotyledons and membranes had very low oxytocin receptor concentrations during most of pregnancy, on average only 20 fmol mg-1 protein. At term and during labour, receptor concentrations were significantly increased in both tissues. Mean concentrations during labour were 163 +/- 36 fmol mg-1 for cotyledons, 270 +/- 61 fmol mg-1 for chorioallantois and 311 +/- 121 fmol mg-1 for amnion. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Location of Mobile Station With Maneuvers Using an IMM-Based Cubature Kalman Filter

In this paper, we consider the problem of mobile location estimation in a rough wireless environment. To mitigate the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) effects, the transition between the line of sight and the NLOS is described by a discrete-time Markov chain. The multiple-model approach is applied first time for locating a mobile station (MS), and a location estimation algorithm is developed by employing the basic interacting-multiple-model approach to a jump Markov system with two independent switching parameters. The data fusion of the time of arrival and the received signal strength measurements is utilized, and the cubature Kalman filter is applied for nonlinear estimation. Simulations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm involving locating an MS with maneuvers.
Essays in Applied Microeconomics

Author(s): Mirza, Arshad | Advisor(s): Robinson, Jonathan | Abstract: This dissertation comprises of three original essays on different subjects, a culmination of six years of my graduate work. Two of the three chapters are co-authored with Prof. Nirvikar Singh, who is also one of my mentors on the dissertation committee.In the first chapter, I present an analysis of the impact of the unconditional transfers intended for the elderly, the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pensions program of India. I use the panel of individual-level data in the two waves of India Human DevelopmentSurvey. Using propensity score matching techniques, I estimate the effect of these transfers on the labor supply of the beneficiary elderly and their household members. I find that the in the households of beneficiaries, the elderly retire or reduce work and the young adults are delaying entering the workforce. The second chapter is a joint work of Prof. Singh and I. In this essay we present the results of our analysis of an original panel data of the richest persons in the USA based on the Forbes 400 list. We gathered twelve years of data, 2004-2015, across the financial crisis. In this panel, other than the Forbes’ estimation of wealth and rank, we also have other characteristics of these individuals such as source of wealth, age, and education. We use this panel data set to analyze the changing sources of wealth and the dynamics of wealth accumulation among the super-rich. We find that post-crisis the overall turnover in the list has reduced, indicating that the wealth is not changing hands as fast. Individuals with advanced degrees and those who have self-made wealth, were doing better in wealth generation before the crisis. In the third chapter, also a joint work with Prof. Singh, we study the of mental healthcare provision in India using secondary data, published research, and government policy and law documents. We structure this essay using seven question for which we providepartial answers. We find that while there are many new ideas in the policy and law that will make things better in the future, for the time-being, mental health care provision in India, both public and private, is in need of attention. We identify the areas that areespecially neglected, and ideas from literature that can contribute to rapid improvements. We also identify areas where more information and research is needed.
Nac1 interacts with the POZ-domain transcription factor, Miz1

Nac1 (nucleus accumbens 1) is a POZ (poxvirus and zinc finger)-domain transcriptional repressor that is expressed at high levels in ovarian serous carcinoma. Here we identify Nac1 as a novel interacting partner of the POZ-domain transcriptional activator, Miz1 (Myc-interacting zinc-finger protein 1), and using chemical crosslinking we show that this association is mediated by a heterodimeric interaction of the Nac1 and Miz1 POZ domains. Nac1 is found in discrete bodies within the nucleus of mammalian cells, and we demonstrate the relocalization of Miz1 to these structures in transfected HeLa cells. We show that siRNA (small interfering RNA)-mediated knockdown of Nac1 in ovarian cancer cells results in increased levels of the Miz1 target gene product, p21Cip1. The interaction of Nac1 with Miz1 may thus be relevant to its mechanism of tumourigenesis in ovarian cancer.
Response decision, emotions, and victimization of police officers

This study explores the question of whether response decision and situation-dependent emotions, concepts of the Social Information Processing model of Crick and Dodge (1994), are useful in explaining differences involving the victimization of police officers. Officers from five regional police forces in the Netherlands completed a digital questionnaire, based partially on the Social Information Processing Interview. Results indicated that victimization involving verbal violence, threats, and physical violence were associated with response decision but not with negative emotions. Police officers who had more negative outcome expectations of aggressive or assertive responses, or who selected an aggressive rather than a passive or assertive response, were more likely to report being a victim of violence than were other police officers. Not all results were as hypothesized, and associations were discussed in the context of police officers’ work situations, protocols, and training.
Do In Seung Gi-Tang extract suppresses adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells

Blood stasis syndrome (BSS), additionally called Eohyul, is a basic pathological concept in Traditional Korean Medicine. Do In Seung Gi-Tang (DISGT) is herbal medicine used for the treatment of BSS. It primarily treats metabolic diseases (MDs) including obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and gynecological diseases, by promoting blood circulation. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-adipogenesis effect of DISGT in 3T3-L1 adipocytes using Oil Red O staining, and assessing levels of triglycerides (TGs) and leptin in adipocytes by ELISA and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that DISGT treatment had inhibitory effects on fat droplet formation, TG accumulation, leptin production and cytokine content, during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation, without affecting cell viability. Additionally, DISGT treatment significantly suppressed the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and CAAT/enhancer binding protein α. These results provide evidence that DISGT has anti-adipogenesis effects on preadipocytes and adipocytes by significantly blocking adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation, and suppressing adipogenic gene expression. Therefore, the present study demonstrated the potential of DISGT as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of MDs.
The Small GTPase Cdc42 Regulates Actin Polymerization and Tension Development during Contractile Stimulation of Smooth Muscle*

Contractile stimulation induces actin polymerization in smooth muscle tissues and cells, and the inhibition of actin polymerization depresses smooth muscle force development. In the present study, the role of Cdc42 in the regulation of actin polymerization and tension development in smooth muscle was evaluated. Acetylcholine stimulation of tracheal smooth muscle tissues increased the activation of Cdc42. Plasmids encoding wild type Cdc42 or a dominant negative Cdc42 mutant, Asn-17 Cdc42, were introduced into tracheal smooth muscle strips by reversible permeabilization, and tissues were incubated for 2 days to allow for protein expression. Expression of recombinant proteins was confirmed by immunoblot analysis. The expression of the dominant negative Cdc42 mutant inhibited contractile force and the increase in actin polymerization in response to acetylcholine stimulation but did not inhibit the increase in myosin light chain phosphorylation. The expression of wild type Cdc42 had no significant effect on force, actin polymerization, or myosin light chain phosphorylation. Contractile stimulation increased the association of neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein with Cdc42 and the Arp2/3 (actin-related protein) complex in smooth muscle tissues expressing wild type Cdc42. The agonist-induced increase in these protein interactions was inhibited in tissues expressing the inactive Cdc42 mutant. We conclude that Cdc42 activation regulates active tension development and actin polymerization during contractile stimulation. Cdc42 may regulate the activation of neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and the actin related protein complex, which in turn regulate actin filament polymerization initiated by the contractile stimulation of smooth muscle.
Direct activation of full-length proapoptotic BAK

Proapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) antagonist/killer (BAK) and BCL-2–associated X (BAX) form toxic mitochondrial pores in response to cellular stress. Whereas BAX resides predominantly in the cytosol, BAK is constitutively localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane. Select BCL-2 homology domain 3 (BH3) helices activate BAX directly by engaging an α1/α6 trigger site. The inability to express full-length BAK has hampered full dissection of its activation mechanism. Here, we report the production of full-length, monomeric BAK by mutagenesis-based solubilization of its C-terminal α-helical surface. Recombinant BAK autotranslocates to mitochondria but only releases cytochrome c upon BH3 triggering. A direct activation mechanism was explicitly demonstrated using a liposomal system that recapitulates BAK-mediated release upon addition of BH3 ligands. Photoreactive BH3 helices mapped both triggering and autointeractions to the canonical BH3-binding pocket of BAK, whereas the same ligands crosslinked to the α1/α6 site of BAX. Thus, activation of both BAK and BAX is initiated by direct BH3–interaction but at distinct trigger sites. These structural and biochemical insights provide opportunities for developing proapoptotic agents that activate the death pathway through direct but differential engagement of BAK and BAX.
Rearrangement of cortex proteins constitutes an osmoprotective mechanism in Dictyostelium

Dictyostelium responds to hyperosmotic stress of 400 mOsm by a rapid reduction of its cell volume to 50%. The reduced cell volume is maintained as long as these osmotic conditions prevail. Dictyostelium does not accumulate compatible osmolytes to counteract the osmotic pressure applied. Using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis, we demonstrate that during the osmotic shock the protein pattern remains unaltered in whole‐cell extracts. However, when cells were fractionated into membrane and cytoskeletal fractions, alterations of specific proteins could be demonstrated. In the crude membrane fraction, a 3‐fold increase in the amount of protein was measured upon hyperosmotic stress. In the cytoskeletal fraction, the proteins DdLIM and the regulatory myosin light chain (RMLC) were shown to be regulated in the osmotic stress response. The elongation factors eEF1α (ABP50) and eEF1β were found to increase in the cytoskeletal fraction, suggesting a translational arrest upon hyperosmotic stress. Furthermore, the two main components of the cytoskeleton, actin and myosin II, are phosphorylated as a consequence of the osmotic shock, with a tyrosine residue as the phosphorylation site on actin and three threonines in the case of the myosin II heavy chain.
Combined Extracorporeal Therapy for Severe Sepsis in Patients after Cardiac Surgery

Introduction: Sepsis still represents an obstacle in modern medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combined use of lipopolysaccharide adsorption and haemodialysis (HD) with high cut-off haemofilters as part of the complex intensive care of patients with severe sepsis after cardiac surgery. Methods: The study group included 26 patients, 57 (48-62) years of age, with severe sepsis. The inclusion criteria were clinical signs of severe sepsis (systemic inflammatory response syndrome + infection site + failure of two or more organs) together with endotoxin activity assay (EAA) ≥0.6 and procalcitonin (PCT) levels ≥2 ng/ml. Antimicrobial therapy was initiated in the first hour after the diagnosis of severe sepsis and extracorporeal therapy was initiated within 24 h. All of the patients in the study group received standard therapy. Additionally, they received treatment consisting of two LPS adsorption procedures and HD procedures with high cut-off haemofilters in a single circuit. For the control group, 30 comparable patients, 57 (51-61) years of age, were selected and received only standard therapy. Results: After the last HD procedure within the extracorporeal therapy, we noted an increase in the mean arterial pressure from 76 to 90 mm Hg, p < 0.01, and oxygenation index (from 226 to 291, p < 0.02), in addition to decreases in the LPS concentration according to EAA (from 0.73 to 0.59, p < 0.01) and the Limulus amebocyte lysate test (from 1.44 to 0.36 IU/ml, p < 0.01); PCT falls from 8.19 to 2.44 ng/ml, p < 0.01, and sepsis-related organ failure assessment scores decreases from 13 to 10, p = 0.007. When we compared the data between the study group the day after the procedures and the control group 3 days after the start of intensive care, we discovered that there were statistically significant differences in mean arterial pressure (90 vs. 81 mm Hg, p = 0.0004), oxygenation index (291 vs. 229, p = 0.01), and EAA levels (0.59 vs. 0.67, p = 0.05). Differences in the PCT were not significant (2.44 vs. 3.41, p = 0.15). The 28-day survival rate in the study group was higher than that in the control group (65.4 vs. 33.3%, p = 0.03). Conclusion: The combined use of LPS adsorption and HD with high cut-off haemofilters in conjunction with standard therapy is a safe, effective method for treating patients who have severe sepsis.
Consensus in multi-agent systems and bilateral teleoperation with communication constraints

With the advancement of communication technology, more and more control processes happen in networked environment. This makes it possible for us to deploy multiple systems in a spatially distributed way such that they could finish certain tasks collaboratively. While it brings about numerous advantages over conventional control, challenges arise in the mean time due to the imperfection of communication. This thesis is aimed to solve some problems in cooperative control involving multiple agents in the presence of communication constraints. Overall, it is comprised of two main parts: Distributed consensus in multi-agent systems and bilateral teleoperation. Chapter 2 to Chapter 4 deal with the consensus problem in multi-agent systems. Our goal is to design appropriate control protocols such that the states of a group of agents will converge to a common value eventually. The robustness of multi-agent systems against various adverse factors in communication is our central concern. Chapter 5 copes with bilateral teleoperation with time delays. The task is to design control laws such that synchronization is reached between the master plant and slave plant. Meanwhile, transparency should be maintained within an acceptable level. Chapter 2 investigates the consensus problem in a multi-agent system with directed communication topology. The time delays are modeled as a Markov chain,
Analysis of Human Capital Level and Inequality Interrelation

This article presents the results of the relationship between human capital and inequality in income distribution in European countries analysis. To test the hypothesis of research the cluster approach was applied, that allowed to divide investigated countries into 9 clusters. The study has concluded that countries with high level of human capital are characterized by a lower degree of inequality in income distribution. Correlation and regression analysis confirm the presence of feedback between the HDI and Gini index. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015. v6n1s3p252
Mindfulness, acceptance and value-based intervention for burnout : mediational roles of learning the elements of the intervention on outcomes

The effects of mindfulness-based interventions and ACT on mindfulness and well-being have received a lot of interest, and their mechanisms of change have been studied recently, but still some mechanisms are missing the research attention. The mechanisms of the change that happens during an intervention with people who suffer from work related burnout, have been examined by only a couple of studies. The present study aimed to investigate these mechanisms by looking at the mediating effects of learning mindfulness, acceptance and value-based working (MAV) skills which were measured with a novel Learning Questionnaire developed for the present research project. The data of the present study was driven from 88 participants who took part in the 8-week Muupu-program which is a mindfulness, acceptance and value-based intervention. Results, based on paired samples ttests, showed that there were significant changes in mindfulness (FFMQ), frequency (ATQ-F) and believability (ATQ-B) of automatic negative thoughts, work ability (WAQ) and illegitimate tasks (BITS). Learning value-based working, or learning mindfulness, acceptance and value-based working in the context of work, partially mediated all of these changes except in illegitimate tasks. The explored new method assessing learning experiences of MAV related skills provided valuable information on the intervention and its strengths and possible weaknesses. This kind of assessment method could provide valuable information in future research on the progress of participants, the mechanisms of change, and the qualities of the interventions in question.
Mobility in hospital work: towards a pervasive computing hospital environment

Handheld computers are increasingly being used by hospital workers. With the integration of wireless networks into hospital information systems, handheld computers can provide the basis for a pervasive computing hospital environment; to develop this designers need empirical information to understand how hospital workers interact with information while moving around. To characterise the medical phenomena we report the results of a workplace study conducted in a hospital. We found that individuals spend about half of their time at their base location, where most of their interactions occur. On average, our informants spent 23% of their time performing information management tasks, followed by coordination (17.08%), clinical case assessment (15.35%) and direct patient care (12.6%). We discuss how our results offer insights for the design of pervasive computing technology, and directions for further research and development in this field such as transferring information between heterogeneous devices and integration of the physical and digital domains.
A Method for Watermarking in Digital Videos by using Hybrid Transforms and Edge Detection

An approach for three robust and semi-blind digital video watermarking algorithms has been proposed in this paper. These algorithms are based on hybrid transforms using the combination of Discrete Cosine Transform and Singular Value Decomposition (DCTSVD), Discrete Wavelet Transform and Singular Value Decomposition (DWT-SVD) and Discrete Wavelet Transform, Discrete Cosine Transform and Singular Value Decomposition (DWT-DCT-SVD). The original video is divided to number of frames. On one frame, the three hybrid transform algorithms have been applied separately. The process is repeated for all the reaming frames. The performance of the proposed algorithms is evaluated with respect to imperceptibility and robustness. The results show that the proposed algorithms give a good Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), however their performance varied with respect to robustness.
A object classification method using product of randomly selected elements

In recent years, we treat a lot of images easily because of the spread of smart phones, internet and digital cameras, etc. To search or put tags to images automatically, an object classification method with high accuracy is required and many object classification methods have been proposed. Recent some papers demonstrated the effectiveness of features obtained by the CNN trained from 1000 categories in the ImageNet. To improve the accuracy of features obtained by the pretrained CNN, we propose to use the combination of elements selected randomly from a feature vector obtained by the pretrained CNN. We do not know which combination is effective for a classification task. Thus, we compute many combinations of two or three randomly selected elements and trained a linear SVM with the combination feature. Only the combinations with large absolute weight of SVM are selected and used for final classification. In the experiments using the CIFAR10 dataset, we confirmed that accuracy is improved by the combination of randomly selected elements.