Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generating numerical ODE formulas via a symbolic calculus of divided differences

Divided differences of vector functions can be applied to generate numerical update formulas for ODEs, as proposed by W. Kahan. A computer algebra system renders the symbolic manipulations practical to perform. The technique is presented here using the Maple system. Some examples illustrate the potential applications of this hybrid symbolic-numeric approach to solving initial-value problems.
Finding Joy in Teaching Students of Diverse Backgrounds: Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Practices in U.S. Classrooms

Finding Joy in Teaching Students of Diverse Backgrounds: Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Practices in U.S. Classrooms by Sonia Nieto. Heinemann, 2013, 179 pp., ISBN 978-0-325-02715-9 (paperback)". all teachers can find joy in teaching students of diverse backgrounds. It takes humility, a willingness to learn, an openness to acknowledging and valuing the tremendous assets of students of diverse backgrounds, and a commitment to public education. " (p. xiv)In this poignant book, Nieto tells the stories of teachers who, despite the context of an educational system driven by the push for high standards, "have found joy in teaching our most vulnerable and marginalized students" (p. xv). Nieto invites readers into the world of practicing teachers to understand how they thrive in teaching students of diverse backgrounds.To identify with current sociopolitical contexts, Nieto reviews federal policy from the past three decades in order to help readers understand how such policies "are wreaking havoc on the lives of students, teachers, and the educational system as a whole [. She encourages us to] envision another kind of education, one that is joyful and liberatory" (p. 5). Readers will identify with sociopolitical issues in schools and society that prevent equal education for all children. Nieto posits that because all classrooms today are diverse, the best way to teach students who embody differences in social class, religion, sexual orientation, ability, and other areas is to develop a social justice approach to teaching. A social justice approach is a "set of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in relation to teaching, learning, and students that form the foundation of one's pedagogy" (p. 21). Such an approach also challenges stereotypes, provides students with material and emotional resources needed to learn to their full potential, draws on students' talents and strengths, and promotes critical thinking and agency for change in a democratic society.Inspired by their "humility, stamina, and enthusiasm" (p. xv), Nieto tells stories of thriving teachers across diverse schools in the United States and highlights features that define these teachers, such as modeling great caring, instilling values of empathy and responsibility, or affirming family and community resources. Readers will meet teachers like Angeles Perez, a fourth-grade bilingual teacher in Texas, who incorporates students' identities into the curriculum and focuses on culture, language, and identity while teaching. …
MonetDB/X100 - A DBMS In The CPU Cache

X100 is a new execution engine for the MonetDB system, that improves execution speed and overcomes its main memory limitation. It introduces the concept of in-cache vectorized processing that strikes a balance between the existing column-at-a-time MIL execution primitives of MonetDB and the tuple-at-a-time Volcano pipelining model, avoiding their drawbacks: intermediate result materialization and large interpretation overhead, respectively. We explain how the new query engine makes better use of cache memories as well as parallel computation resources of modern super-scalar CPUs. MonetDB/X100 can be one to two orders of magnitude faster than commercial DBMSs and close to hand-coded C programs for computationally intensive queries on in-memory datasets. To address larger disk-based datasets with the same efficiency, a new ColumnBM storage layer is developed that boosts bandwidth using ultra lightweight compression and cooperative scans.
On the Fractal Structure of the Universe

Despite the observational evidence that the Universe appears hierarchically structured up to a distance of at least 30 Mpc/h (and possibly up to 100 Mpc/h), the fractal paradigm has not yet been recognized by the majority of cosmologists today. In this work we provide a brief overview of the recent observational and theoretical advances relevant to the question of the global cosmic structure and present some simple calculations which indicate how the hierarchical structure may pass over to the homogeneous Universe at very large scale. We show that the fractal structure may be derived from the moderately nonuniform matter distribution. We address a number of epistemological questions relevant to a general outlook of the Cosmos at large too.
The distance of M 33 and the stellar population in its outskirts

We present deep V,I photometry of two 9.4 ' × 9.4 ' field in the outer regions of the M 33 galaxy. We obtain a robust detection of the luminosity of the Red Giant Branch Tip (I T RGB = 20.72± 0.08) from which we derived a new estimate of the distance modulus of M 33, (m− M)0 = 24.64± 0.15, corresponding to a distance D = 847± 60 Kpc. By comparison of the color and magnitude of the observed Red Giant Branch stars with ridge lines of template globular clusters we obtained the photometric metallicity distribution of the considere d fields in three di fferent metallicity scales. The derived metallicity distributions are very similar over a range of distances fro m the galactic center 10 ' ≤ R≤ 33 ' , and are characterized by a well defined peak at ( M/H)≃−0.7 ((Fe/H)≃−1.0, in the Zinn & West scale) and a weak metal-poor tail reaching (M/H) < ∼ − 2.0. Our observations demonstrate that Red Giant Branch and Asymptotic Giant Branch stars have a radial distribution that is much more extended than the young MS stars associated with the star-forming disc.
Protective Effects of a Rhodiola Crenulata Extract and Salidroside on Hippocampal Neurogenesis against Streptozotocin-Induced Neural Injury in the Rat

Previously we have demonstrated that a Rhodiola crenulata extract (RCE), containing a potent antioxidant salidroside, promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus of depressive rats. The current study was designed to further investigate the protective effect of the RCE on neurogenesis in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) induced by an intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ), and to determine whether this neuroprotective effect is induced by the antioxidative activity of salidroside. Our results showed that pretreatment with the RCE significantly improved the impaired neurogenesis and simultaneously reduced the oxidative stress in the hippocampus of AD rats. In vitro studies revealed that (1) exposure of neural stem cells (NSCs) from the hippocampus to STZ strikingly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, induced cell death and perturbed cell proliferation and differentiation, (2) hydrogen peroxide induced similar cellular activities as STZ, (3) pre-incubation of STZ-treated NSCs with catalase, an antioxidant, suppressed all these cellular activities induced by STZ, and (4) likewise, pre-incubation of STZ-treated NSCs with salidroside, also an antioxidant, suppressed all these activities as catalase: reduction of ROS levels and NSC death with simultaneous increases in proliferation and differentiation. Our findings indicated that the RCE improved the impaired hippocampal neurogenesis in the rat model of AD through protecting NSCs by its main ingredient salidroside which scavenged intracellular ROS.
Enhancing the Capacity of Substance Abuse Prevention Coalitions Through Training and Technical Assistance

Community capacity may be enhanced through intermediary supports that provide training and technical assistance (TA). This study used a randomized pre/posttest design to assess the impact of training and TA on coalition capacity. Seven community coalitions from the Midwest participated in the 2-year study, which included 36 hours of training, followed by monthly TA calls to support action planning implementation for prioritized processes. Collaborative processes most commonly identified as high-need areas for TA were Developing Organizational Structure, Documenting Progress, Making Outcomes Matter, and Sustaining the Work. Based on a coalition survey, the average change for processes prioritized through TA across all seven coalitions was . 27 (SD = .29), while the average change for non-prioritized processes was . 09 (SD = .20) (t(6) = 4.86, p = . 003, d = 1.84). The findings from this study suggest that TA can increase coalition capacity for implementing collaborative processes using a participatory approach.
Effect of Leguminous Lectins on the Growth of Rhizobium tropici CIAT899

Rhizobium tropici is a Gram-negative bacterium that induces nodules and fixed atmospheric nitrogen in symbiotic association with Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) and some other leguminous species. Lectins are proteins that specifically bind to carbohydrates and, consequently, modulate different biological functions. In this study, the d-glucose/d-mannose-binding lectins (from seeds of Dioclea megacarpa, D. rostrata and D. violacea) and d-galactose-binding lectins (from seeds of Bauhinia variegata, Erythina velutina and Vatairea macrocarpa) were purified using chromatographic techniques and evaluated for their effect on the growth of R. tropici CIAT899. All lectins were assayed with a satisfactory degree of purity according to SDS-PAGE analysis, and stimulated bacterial growth; in particular, the Dioclea rostrata lectin was the most active among all tested proteins. As confirmed in the present study, both d-galactose- and d-glucose/d-mannose-binding lectins purified from the seeds of leguminous plants may be powerful biotechnological tools to stimulate the growth of R. tropici CIAT99, thus improving symbiotic interaction between rhizobia and common bean and, hence, the production of this field crop.
Faint galaxies in deep acs observations

We present the analysis of the faint galaxy population in the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Early Release Observation fields VV 29 (UGC 10214) and NGC 4676. Here we attempt to thoroughly consider all aspects relevant for faint galaxy counting and photometry, developing methods which are based on public software and that are easily reproducible by other astronomers. Using simulations we determine the best SExtractor parameters for the detection of faint galaxies in deep HST observations, paying special attention to the issue of deblending, which significantly affects the normalization and shape of the number count distribution. We confirm, as claimed by Bernstein, Freedman and Madore (2002), that Kron-like magnitudes, such as the ones generated by SExtractor, can miss more than half of the light of faint galaxies, what dramatically affects the slope of the number counts. We present catalogs for the VV 29 and NGC 4676 fields with photometry in the g,V and I bands. We also show that combining the bayesian software BPZ with superb ACS data and new spectral templates enables us to estimate reliable photometric redshifts for a significant fraction of galaxies with as few as three filters. After correcting for selection effects, we measure slopes of 0.32+- 0.01 for 22 25.5 can be well approximated in all our filters by a passive luminosity evolution model based on the COMBO-17 luminosity function (\alpha=-1.5), with a strong merging rate following the prescription of Glazebrook et al. (1994), \phi^*\propto (1+Qz), with Q=4.
Risk Factors of Developmental Defects of Enamel-A Prospective Cohort Study

Background and objective Current studies on the aetiology of developmental defects of enamel (DDE) are subject to recall bias because of the retrospective collection of information. Our objective was to investigate potential risk factors associated with the occurrence of DDE through a prospective cohort study. Methods Using a random community sample of Hong Kong children born in 1997, we performed a cohort study in which the subjects’ background information, medical and dental records were prospectively collected. A clinical examination to identify DDE was conducted in 2010 when the subjects were 12 years old. The central incisor, lateral incisor and first molar in each quadrant were chosen as the index teeth and were examined ‘wet’ by two trained and calibrated examiners using the modified FDI (DDE) Index. Results With a response rate of 74.9%, the 514 examined subjects had matched data for background information. Diffuse opacites were the most common type of DDE. Of the various possible aetiological factors considered, only experience of severe diseases during the period 0–3 years was associated with the occurrence of ‘any defect’ (p = 0.017) and diffuse opacities (p = 0.044). The children with experience of severe diseases before 3 years of age were 7.89 times more likely to be affected by ‘any defect’ compared with those who did not have the experience (OR 7.89; 95% CI 1.07, 58.14; p = 0.043). However, after adjusting for confounding factors, the association no longer existed. Conclusion No variables could be identified as risk factors of DDE in this Hong Kong birth cohort.
Magnetic resonance and ultrasound contrast imaging of polymer-shelled microbubbles loaded with iron oxide nanoparticles

Dual-mode contrast agents (CAs) have great potential for improving diagnostics. However, the effectiveness of CAs is strictly related to both the solution adopted to merge the two agents into a single probe unit, and the ratio between the two agents. In this study, two dual-mode CAs for simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound imaging (UI) were assessed. For this purpose, different densities of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were anchored to the external surface of polymer-shelled microbubbles (MBs) or were physically entrapped into the shell. In vitro static and dynamic experiments were carried out with a limited concentration of modified MBs (106 bubbles ml−1) by avoiding destruction during UI (performed at a peak pressure lower than 320 kPa) and by using a low-field MRI system (with a magnetic flux density equal to 0.25 T). Under these conditions, different imaging techniques, set-up parameters and SPION densities were used to achieve satisfactory detection of the CAs by using both UI and MRI. However, when the SPION density was increased, the MRI contrast improved, whereas the UI contrast worsened due to the reduced elasticity of the MB shell. For both UI and MRI, MBs with externally anchored SPIONs provided better performance than MBs with SPIONs entrapped into the shell. In particular, a SPION density of 29% with respect to the mass of the MBs was successfully tested.
Application of a New Fracture-Injection/Falloff Model Accounting for Propagating, Dilated, and Closing Hydraulic Fractures

A new fracture-injection/falloff type-curve analysis method is presented for reservoirs containing slightly compressible and compressible fluids. Type-curve analysis augments conventional before- and after-closure methods, which are also reformulated in terms of adjusted pseudopressure and adjusted pseudotime to account for compressible reservoir fluids. Unlike before- and after-closure methods which only apply to specific (i.e., small) portions of the falloff data, the new type-curve method allows for analyzing all falloff data from the end of the injection through fracture closure, pseudolinear flow, and pseudoradial flow. Similar to conventional well test analysis, a satisfactory interpretation requires comparable and consistent results between the special analysis methods, before- and after-closure, and type-curve analysis.
Atherogenic index of plasma [log(triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol)]: theoretical and practical implications.

In individuals with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and the combined dyslipidemia, cardiovascular risk is increased by a clustering of risk factors such as abdominal obesity, impaired fasting glucose, increased blood pressure, low HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), increased triglycerides (TGs), and an increase in small, dense LDL particles. The current increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the population perhaps poses the most urgent cardiovascular risk (1). Although insulin resistance is crucial to the pathogenesis of the disease, the associated atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype considerably enhances the risk. Hence there is an ongoing intense search for a medication capable of modifying the atherogenic lipid profile as well as lowering glucose. Medications of the thiazolidinedione class traditionally used for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes seem to hold promise in this respect. In this issue of Clinical Chemistry , Tan et al. (2) studied the effect of pioglitazone, a thiazolidinedione that reduces insulin resistance, on the atherogenic lipoprotein profile in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Data were obtained from four randomized, placebo-controlled dose–response clinical trials examining the efficacy of therapy with pioglitazone when added to sulfonylurea, metformin, or insulin therapy. To evaluate changes in the lipoprotein profile induced by their therapy, Tan et al. (2) used the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), calculated as log(TG/HDL-C), with TG and HDL-C expressed in molar concentrations (3). Changes in the AIP of pioglitazone-treated patients were evaluated by a statistical model of single-slope analysis of covariance, and each of the pioglitazone treatments was compared with placebo. All pioglitazone treatment groups had a high AIP at baseline, and pioglitazone treatment significantly decreased the AIP in each study group. Pioglitazone treatment groups had significantly lower AIP than did their respective placebo controls. AIP correlated inversely with insulin sensitivity measures, i.e., the homeostasis model measurement (HOMA-S) and …
Educational resiliency in teen mothers

Abstract While recent research has shown the long-term effects of teen pregnancy are not as devastating as once predicted, more than 40 years after the passage of Title IX legislation mandating equal educational opportunities for pregnant and parenting teens, only 50% of teen parents graduate high school, lagging far behind their non-parenting peers. This qualitative case study examined six parenting teen mothers attending three different educational settings to discover what factors contributed to their educational resiliency and helped them graduate from high school. The portraiture method was used to create life stories and their voices resonate throughout the study to paint a portrait of the struggles and triumphs they faced as they navigated life as a high school mother. Five themes emerged of struggle, support, hope, and perseverance. An in-depth look at how these themes played into their educational resiliency is explored, as well as advice for educators and policy-makers alike.
PSYCHIATRIC GENETICS '99 Candidate-Gene Association Studies of Schizophrenia

groups have applied allele-sharing methods of linkage to schizophrenia, in the belief that such methods are more appropriate for complex diseases. To date, the strongest conclusions that can be drawn from both kinds of analysis are that single-gene forms of schizophrenia are, at most, extremely rare and are probably nonexistent and that the predictions made by Risch (1990) are most likely correct. It is unlikely that a locus with an effect size of ls 1 3 exists, but there is suggestiveevidence implicating that a number of regions are consistent for the existence of at least some genes of moderate effect (ls 1.5‐3). Unfortunately, none of these “linkages” can be regarded as unequivocal, nor are they sufficiently precise to launch large-scale efforts aimed at cloning disease genes. Thus, although the use of linkage methods has resulted in some progress in the pursuit of genes, this progress has largely consisted of delineations of what is not the case rather than determinations of the unequivocal location of susceptibility genes.
Shariah Governance Framework For Islamic Co-Operatives As An Integral Social Insitution In Malaysia

In Malaysia, Islamic cooperatives are recognized as providers of some form of Islamic financial service similar to Islamic Banks and Takaful Operators. An Islamic Co-operative refers to a co-operative conducting activities and businesses based on Shariah principles. Being a non-banking financial institution, its main objective is to enhance social economic welfare of its members. As a form of captive social institution, it enables the less economically privileged members of society to pool resources as a cooperative. Malaysia is spearheading the Islamic banking and finance industry globally by having in place a proper and well-designed legal and regulatory framework for Islamic Financial Institutions, which includes the area of Shariah governance. However, the Shariah governance framework for the Islamic Co-operative in Malaysia is still in its infancy stage. In this paper, this area will be given focus and properly highlighted. Later, comparison will be made with the Shariah governance framework for the Islamic financial institutions. This paper will conclude that the requirements with regard to Shariah governance for the Islamic Co-operative are flexible and not as strict as required for the Islamic financial institutions.
Three Molecules of Ubiquinone Bind Specifically to Mitochondrial Cytochrome bc 1Complex* 210

Bifurcated electron flow to high potential “Rieske” iron-sulfur cluster and low potential hemebL is crucial for respiratory energy conservation by the cytochrome bc1 complex. The chemistry of ubiquinol oxidation has to ensure the thermodynamically unfavorable electron transfer to heme bL . To resolve a central controversy about the number of ubiquinol molecules involved in this reaction, we used high resolution magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance experiments to show that two out of threen-decyl-ubiquinones bind at the ubiquinol oxidation center of the complex. This substantiates a proposed mechanism in which a charge transfer between a ubiquinol/ubiquinone pair explains the bifurcation of electron flow.
Observations of T Tauri Stars using Hubble Space Telescope GHRS. I. Far-Ultraviolet Emission Lines

We have analyzed Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph data of eight classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) and one weak-lined T Tauri star (WTTS). The GHRS data consist of spectral ranges 40 Å wide centered on 1345, 1400, 1497, 1550, and 1900 Å. These UV spectra show strong Si IV and C IV emission and large quantities of sharp (~40 km s-1) H2 lines. All the H2 lines belong to the Lyman band, and all the observed lines are single peaked and optically thin. The averages of all the H2 lines centroids for each star are negative, which may indicate that they come from an outflow. We interpret the emission in H2 as being the result of fluorescence, mostly by HLyα, and identify seven excitation routes within 4 Å of that line. We obtain column densities (1012-1015 cm-2) and optical depths (~1 or less) for each exciting transition. We conclude that the populations are far from being in thermal equilibrium. We do not observe any lines excited from the far blue wing of HLyα, which implies that the molecular features are excited by an absorbed profile. Si IV and C IV (corrected for H2 emission) have widths of ~200 km s-1 and an array of centroids (blueshifted lines, centered, redshifted). These characteristics are difficult to understand in the context of current models of the accretion shock. For DR Tau we observe transient strong blueshifted emission, perhaps the result of reconnection events in the magnetosphere. We also see evidence of multiple emission regions for the hot lines. While C IV is optically thin in most stars in our sample, Si IV is not. However, C IV is a good predictor of Si IV and H2 emission. We conclude that most of the flux in the hot lines may be caused by accretion processes, but the line profiles can have multiple and variable components.