Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Siyavula Case: Digital, Collaborative Text-Book Authoring to Address Educational Disadvantage and Resource Shortage in South African Schools

Siyavula is known as a pioneer developer of high-quality free digital maths and science textbooks to address resource gaps and disadvantage in South African schools. This case study analysis identifies the success factors might be replicated in other contexts. Siyavula has developed expertise in digital developing, editing and improving maths and science workbooks and teachers’ guides and distributing them in multiple digital and mobile formats for free. In 2013 the government took the free texts and sponsored the printing and distribution of c500K copies per book, saving the government approximately USD$83.5 Million per text book. The collaborative authoring system is identified as instrumental to the success of the project to address under-resourced schools, through a combination of personal (attitudinal), technical (online systems) and social (volunteers and stakeholders) resources. Siyavula leaves a legacy of multi-stakeholder volunteer text-books sprints where an intense face-to-face experience provides the ground-work for constructive virtual authoring inclusive of diverse stakeholder input across different roles and ranks. Collaborative authoring advances curriculum and pedagogy sharing, expertise and capacity building. Collaborative authoring systems are found to have potential in many under-resourced school contexts not only for school texts, but also for early reading, multi-lingual and culturally appropriate book adaptations.
A Young Stellar Cluster Surrounding the Peculiar Eruptive Variable V838 Monocerotis

V838 Monocerotis is an unusual variable star that underwent a sudden outburst in 2002. Unlike a classical nova, which quickly evolves to high temperatures, V838 Mon remained an extremely cool, luminous supergiant throughout its eruption. It continues to illuminate a spectacular series of light echoes, as the outburst light is scattered from nearby circumstellar dust. V838 Mon has an unresolved B3 V companion star. During a program of spectroscopic monitoring of V838 Mon, we serendipitously discovered that a neighboring 16th magnitude star is also of type B. We then carried out a spectroscopic survey of other stars in the vicinity, revealing two more B-type stars, all within 45″ of V838 Mon. We have determined the distance to this sparse, young cluster based on spectral classification and photometric main-sequence fitting of the three B stars. The cluster distance is found to be 6.2 ± 1.2 kpc, in excellent agreement with the geometric distance to V838 Mon of 6.1 kpc obtained from Hubble Space Telescope polarimetry of the light echoes. An upper limit to the age of the cluster is about 25 Myr, and its reddening is E(B - V) = 0.85. The absolute luminosity of V838 Mon during its outburst, based on our distance measurement, was very similar to that of M31 RV, an object in the bulge of M31 that was also a cool supergiant throughout its eruption in 1988. However, there is no young population at the site of M31 RV. Using our distance determination, we show that the B3 V companion of V838 Mon is sufficient to account for the entire luminosity of the variable star measured on sky-survey photographs before its outburst. The B3 star is currently, however, about 1 mag fainter than before the eruption, suggesting that it is now suffering extinction due to dust ejected from V838 Mon. These results indicate that, whatever the nature of the progenitor object, it was not of high luminosity. Nor does it appear possible to form a nova-like cataclysmic binary system within the young age of the V838 Mon cluster. These considerations appear to leave stellar collision or stellar merger scenarios as one of the remaining viable explanations for the outbursts of V838 Mon and M31 RV.
SURVEY ON LOAD BALANCING AND DATA SKEW MITIGATION IN MAPREDUCE APPLICATIONS

Since few years Map Reduce programming model have shown great success in processing huge amount of data. Map Reduce is a framework for data-intensive distributed computing of batch jobs. This data-intensive processing creates skew in Map Reduce framework and degrades performance by great value. This leads to greatly varying execution time for the Map Reduce jobs. Due to this varying execution times results into low resource utilization and high overall execution time since new Map Reduce cycle can start only after all reducers are completed. During this paper, we are going to study various methodologies and techniques used to mitigate data skew and partition skew, and describe various advantages and limitations of these approaches.
Task‐specific Dystonias

Task‐specific dystonias are primary focal dystonias characterized by excessive muscle contractions producing abnormal postures during selective motor activities that often involve highly skilled, repetitive movements. Historically these peculiar postures were considered psychogenic but have now been classified as forms of dystonia. Writer's cramp is the most commonly identified task‐specific dystonia and has features typical of this group of disorders. Symptoms may begin with lack of dexterity during performance of a specific motor task with increasingly abnormal posturing of the involved body part as motor activity continues. Initially, the dystonia may manifest only during the performance of the inciting task, but as the condition progresses it may also occur during other activities or even at rest. Neurological exam is usually unremarkable except for the dystonia‐related abnormalities. Although the precise pathophysiology remains unclear, increasing evidence suggests reduced inhibition at different levels of the sensorimotor system. Symptomatic treatment options include oral medications, botulinum toxin injections, neurosurgical procedures, and adaptive strategies. Prognosis may vary depending upon body part involved and specific type of task affected. Further research may reveal new insights into the etiology, pathophysiology, natural history, and improved treatment of these conditions.
Singular Perturbation Methods in Control Theory

the usual theory of continuous dependance of the solutions with respect to the parameters cannot be applied. The analysis of such systems is achieved with the aid of the Singular Perturbation Theory. The purpose of Singular Perturbation Theory is to investigate the behaviour of solutions of (1) as e → 0 for 0 ≤ t ≤ T and also for 0 ≤ t < +∞. This chapter is organized as follows. In Section 2 we recall Tikhonov’s theorem on fast and slow systems, its extension to infinite time intervals, and Khalil’s theorem on exponential stability of the origin of a fast and slow system. In Section 2.4 we define the notion of practical stability in a system depending on a parameter and we show that the extension of Tikhonov’s theorem to infinite time intervals can be reformulated as a result of practical stability of the origin. In Section 3 we use the results of the preceeding section to reduce the dimension of systems in the problem of feedback stabilization. In Section 4 we discuss the peaking phenomenon in triangular systems of the form ẋ = f(x, y), ẏ = G(y, e). (2)
Author's Personal Copy Behavioural Brain Research Neurorestorative Effect of Fty720 in a Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease: Comparison with Memantine

In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: • Protective effect of FTY720, the S1P analog, is compared to Memantine in AD rats. • FTY720 as well as Memantine restores memory in male and female AD rats. • FTY720 as well as Memantine prevents from hippocampal neuron loss in AD rats. • FTY720 as well as Memantine alters gene transcript profile toward neuroprotection. Keywords: FTY720 Sphingosine-1-phosphate Alzheimer's disease Memantine Gene profiling a b s t r a c t Alzheimer's disease (AD) as a neurodegenerative brain disorder is the most common cause of demen-tia. To date, there is no causative treatment for AD and there are few preventive treatments either. The sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator FTY720 (fingolimod) prevents lymphocytes from contributing to an autoimmune reaction and has been approved for multiple sclerosis treatment. In concert with other studies showing the anti-inflammatory and protective effect of FTY720 in some neurodegen-erative disorders like ischemia, we have recently shown that FTY720 chronic administration prevents from impairment of spatial learning and memory in AD rats. Here FTY720 was examined on AD rats in comparison to the only clinically approved NMDA receptor antagonist, Memantine. Passive avoidance task showed significant memory restoration in AD animals received FTY720 comparable to Memantine. Upon gene profiling by QuantiGene Plex, this behavioral outcomes was concurrent with considerable alterations in some genes transcripts like that of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and some inflammatory markers that may particularly account for the detected decline in hippocampal neural damage or memory impairment associated with AD. From a therapeutic standpoint, our findings conclude that FTY720 may suggest new opportunities for AD management probably based on several modulatory effects on genes involved in cell death or survival.
From slots to tubes: The influence of dimensionality on fracture dissolution models

We briefly review the models of fracture dissolution process, discussing the experimental and numerical evidence showing that this phenomenon is inherently two-dimensional and hence cannot be accurately described by one-dimensional models. The physical reason for this incompatibility is that a dissolution front in a single rock fracture is potentially unstable to small variations in local permeability, leading to spontaneous formation of dissolution channels in the rock. This leads to a dramatic increase of fissure opening rates, which must be taken into account not only in the estimation of karstification times but also in the assessment of ground subsidence, dam collapse or toxic seepage risks.
Stability of a multi-state repairable system with two repair distributions

In this paper, the well-posed-ness and stability of the multi-state system with two repair distributions were discussed by applying the c0 semigroups theory of function analysis. As application of the above results, a new method of computing the stationary availability of the repairable system was given. Moreover, Numerical results were provided to investigate the effects of various system parameters on the steady-state availability of the system.
SENSORY EVALUATION OF ICE CREAM MADE WITH PREBIOTIC INGREDIENTS SUBSTITUTED FOR SUGAR

Adviser: Julie Albrecht Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating growth and/or activity of beneficial bacteria in the colon. The project objective was to determine consumer acceptability of ice cream with prebiotic ingredients substituted for part of the sugar and to determine sensory attributes of sweetness, smoothness, and vanilla flavor. A commercial ice cream mix was made substituting 0%, 10%, 20%, or 30% of the sugar for either Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) or inulin. Sensory analyses were conducted using 95 non-trained panelists. Overall consumer acceptability and sensory attributes were measured on a 175 mm anchored hedonic scale. When 10% and 20% inulin ice cream were compared to the control (0%), no significant differences in sweetness, smoothness, vanilla flavor or overall acceptability were found (P < 0.05). The 30% inulin ice cream was significantly less sweet than the control and 10% and 20% inulin ice cream, less smooth and less vanilla flavor than the control, and less acceptable than the control and 10% inulin ice cream (P < 0.05). For 10% and 20% FOS ice cream, no significant differences were found in sweetness, smoothness, vanilla flavor or overall acceptability compared to the control (P < 0.05). The 30% FOS ice cream was significantly less sweet than 10% FOS ice cream but not significantly different than the control or 20% FOS ice cream (P < 0.05). The 30% FOS ice cream was significantly less smooth than the control, 10% and 20% FOS (P < .05). Vanilla flavor was not significantly different. Overall acceptability was significantly less for 30% FOS compared to the control and 10% FOS ice cream but not significantly different than 20% FOS (P < .05). These results suggest that FOS and inulin may be acceptable ingredients in ice cream when substituted for up to 20% of the sugar. i Acknowledgements I would like to thank Laurie Keeler, Senior Manager for Food Technology Transfer of University of Nebraska-Lincoln Food Processing Center for her technical expertise in ice cream production and David Girard, Research Technologist for his assistance during sensory evaluation. ii Table of Contents Page Chapter 1 Review of literature Health concerns 1 Functional foods may improve health 2 Probiotics 2 Understanding bifidobacterium 3 How colonic bifidobacteria are established 4 The role of bifidobacteria in human health 5 The role of prebiotics in human health 7 Bifidogenic properties of inulin-type FOS 12 FOS in infant formula …
Changes in the Onset of Spring in the Western United States

Abstract Fluctuations in spring climate in the western United States over the last 4–5 decades are described by examining changes in the blooming of plants and the timing of snowmelt–runoff pulses. The two measures of spring's onset that are employed are the timing of first bloom of lilac and honeysuckle bushes from a long–term cooperative phenological network, and the timing of the first major pulse of snowmelt recorded from high–elevation streams. Both measures contain year–to–year fluctuations, with typical year–to–year fluctuations at a given site of one to three weeks. These fluctuations are spatially coherent, forming regional patterns that cover most of the west. Fluctuations in lilac first bloom dates are highly correlated to those of honeysuckle, and both are significantly correlated with those of the spring snowmelt pulse. Each of these measures, then, probably respond to a common mechanism. Various analyses indicate that anomalous temperature exerts the greatest influence upon both interannual .
On the Fundamental Properties of Linear Parameter-Varying Dynamic Systems Under Parametrical Multi-Perturbations. Applications to Time-Delay Systems. Preliminary Results

This paper deals with a unifying approach to the problems of computing the admissible sets of parametrical multi perturbations in appropriate bounded sets such that some fundamental properties of parameter-varying linear dynamic systems are maintained provided that the so-called (i.e. perturbation-free) nominal system possesses such properties. The sets of parametrical multi perturbations include any combinations of parametrical multi perturbations in the matrix of dynamics as well as in the control, output and input-output interconnection matrices which belong to some prescribed bounded domain in the complex space. The various properties which are investigated are controllability, observability, output controllability and existence of minimal state-space realizations together with the associate existence or not of associate decoupling, transmission and invariant zeros. All the matrices of parameters including the nominal and the disturbed ones which parameterize the dynamic system may be real or complex. The radii of the multi- parametrical perturbations are calculated in a simple way. The obtained results are then applied to systems subject to a finite number of point internal delays and parametrical multi perturbations by comparing the state- space descriptions of such systems with the general descriptions previously investigated. In particular, the contributions of the delays to the spectral descriptions are assimilated to the contributions of a set of varying parameters in a domain for the general description.
Up‐regulation of the inward rectifier K+ current (IK1) in the mouse heart accelerates and stabilizes rotors

Previous studies have suggested an important role for the inward rectifier K+ current (IK1) in stabilizing rotors responsible for ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF). To test this hypothesis, we used a line of transgenic mice (TG) overexpressing Kir 2.1–green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein in a cardiac‐specific manner. Optical mapping of the epicardial surface in ventricles showed that the Langendorff‐perfused TG hearts were able to sustain stable VT/VF for 350 ± 1181 s at a very high dominant frequency (DF) of 44.6 ± 4.3 Hz. In contrast, tachyarrhythmias in wild‐type hearts (WT) were short‐lived (3 ± 9 s), and the DF was 26.3 ± 5.2 Hz. The stable, high frequency, reentrant activity in TG hearts slowed down, and eventually terminated in the presence of 10 μm Ba2+, suggesting an important role for IK1. Moreover, by increasing IK1 density in a two‐dimensional computer model having realistic mouse ionic and action potential properties, a highly stable, fast rotor (≈45 Hz) could be induced. Simulations suggested that the TG hearts allowed such a fast and stable rotor because of both greater outward conductance at the core and shortened action potential duration in the core vicinity, as well as increased excitability, in part due to faster recovery of Na+ current. The latter resulted in a larger rate of increase in the local conduction velocity as a function of the distance from the core in TG compared to WT hearts, in both simulations and experiments. Finally, simulations showed that rotor frequencies were more sensitive to changes (doubling) in IK1, compared to other K+ currents. In combination, these results provide the first direct evidence that IK1 up‐regulation in the mouse heart is a substrate for stable and very fast rotors.
International Union of Pharmacology. XXV. Nomenclature and classification of adenosine receptors.

Four adenosine receptors have been cloned and characterized from several mammalian species. The receptors are named adenosine A(1), A(2A), A(2B), and A(3). The A(2A) and A(2B) receptors preferably interact with members of the G(s) family of G proteins and the A(1) and A(3) receptors with G(i/o) proteins. However, other G protein interactions have also been described. Adenosine is the preferred endogenous agonist at all these receptors, but inosine can also activate the A(3) receptor. The levels of adenosine seen under basal conditions are sufficient to cause some activation of all the receptors, at least where they are abundantly expressed. Adenosine levels during, e.g., ischemia can activate all receptors even when expressed in low abundance. Accordingly, experiments with receptor antagonists and mice with targeted disruption of adenosine A(1), A(2A), and A(3) expression reveal roles for these receptors under physiological and particularly pathophysiological conditions. There are pharmacological tools that can be used to classify A(1), A(2A), and A(3) receptors but few drugs that interact selectively with A(2B) receptors. Testable models of the interaction of these drugs with their receptors have been generated by site-directed mutagenesis and homology-based modelling. Both agonists and antagonists are being developed as potential drugs.
The protective and attractive covering of a vegetated embankment using coir geotextiles

Abstract. This paper presents the results of a field experiment conducted in Kerala, South India, to test the effectiveness of coir geotextiles for embankment protection. The results reveal that treatment with geotextile in combination with grass is an effective eco-hydrological measure to protect steep slopes from erosion. In the context of sustainable watershed management, coir is a cheap and locally available material that can be used to strengthen traditional earthen bunds or protect the banks of village ponds from erosion. Particularly in developing countries, where coir is abundantly available and textiles can be produced by small-scale industry, this is an attractive alternative for conventional methods. This paper analyses the performance of coir geotextile in different treatments with respect to soil moisture content, protection against erosion and biomass production.
An Argument For Design Space Reflection

We argue that documenting, revisiting and reflecting on the design space of a project provides three important benefits. First it increases our awareness of the constraints introduced by particular design choices. Second, this qualifies our understanding of the way a design space has been filtered by design activities. Third we are prompted to challenge these constraints and reconsider disregarded opportunities. To support this argument, we revisit key activities from two projects in our interaction design lab's portfolio, selected because of the detailed documentation available. We also introduce SnapShot, the web-based tool we are developing for this method of design space reflection. Based on these examples, we present a critical discussion and outline areas of future research.
Experimental restriction of sleep opportunity in children: effects on teacher ratings.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of experimental restriction of sleep opportunity on teacher ratings of academic performance and behavior in healthy normal children. DESIGN Home-based, within-subjects design in which participants followed 3 week-long sleep schedules-Baseline (self-selected), Optimized, and Restricted-while attending school, with order of conditions counter-balanced (Optimized and Restricted). PARTICIPANTS Seventy-four children (39 boys; aged 6 to 12 years, mean = 10) screened for medical and psychological health. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Teachers masked to assigned hours of sleep completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires at the end of each study condition. Questionnaire items were selected from several published measures. Summary scores included Academic Problems, Hyperactive-Impulsive Behaviors, Internalizing, Oppositional-Aggressive, Sleepiness, Total Attention Problems, and Mean Severity of Attention Problems. Main effects of sleep condition were found forAcademic Problems, Sleepiness, Total Attention Problems, and Mean Severity of Attention Problems. Restricting sleep increased ratings of Academic Problems (medium effect) relative to both Baseline (P < .01, eta(p)2 = . 11) and Optimized (P < .05, eta(p)2 = . 10) conditions and increased the Mean Severity of Attention Problems (medium effect) relative to Baseline (P < .01, eta(p)2 = . 12). CONCLUSIONS These findings provide experimental support for widely held beliefs about the importance of sufficient time-in-bed for academic functioning in children. Reducing sleep opportunity had a direct effect on academic performance, as rated by teachers, even among healthy students with no history of behavioral problems or academic difficulty. Findings also support insufficient sleep as a direct source of variability in the manifestation of attention problems but not hyperactivity.
Usability of the Academic Websites of Jordan ' s Universities An Evaluation Study

The aim of this research study was to evaluate the websites of Jordan's universities from the usability perspective. Two online automated tools, namely: html toolbox and web page analyze were used along with a questionnaire directed towards users of these websites. Tools were used to measure the websites internal attributes which can not be perceived by users, such as html code error, download time, and size of html page. The questionnaire was developed and designed based on 23 usability criteria divided into 5 categories. Each category deals with one usability aspect. The results showed that the overall usability level of the studied Websites is acceptable. However, there are some weaknesses in some aspects of the design, interface, and performances. Suggestions are provided in the study to enhance the usability of these websites.