Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Children and adults talking and doing mathematics: A study of an after-school math club

This paper outlines examples of children learning mathematics in a bilingual and culturally inclusive environment utilizing the lens of student identity as a way to understand the intersection of multiple factors affecting their learning. The research is situated in an afterschool setting located in a majority Latino/a school. Several studies highlight the importance of community knowledge, situating it on the same level as academic knowledge. Our findings indicate that the inclusion of community knowledge and use of home language are elements that mediate mathematics learning, particularly in the context of social justice mathematics. The study has implications for teachers who wish to create more inclusive and potentially transformative learning environments for all students. Objectives Schools in the United States are increasingly becoming locations where children from different cultures of origin and backgrounds come together. These multicultural contexts raise important challenges to professionals who work in educational settings, particularly in light of inequitable educational outcomes for marginalized populations. In this paper we address these challenges within the context of mathematics teaching and learning, in the hopes of uncovering how apparent “challenges” can be transformed into assets by creating learning environments in which they are valued and drawn upon. In particular we focus on the relationship between mathematics education, language, and culture through the lens of identity. With our research we seek to provide insight into what a linguistically and culturally inclusive learning environment might look like as well as to describe the impact of embedding mathematics learning within social justice mathematics. Theoretical Framework This research takes place in an after-school “math club” for fourth and fifth graders in a predominantly Latino/a (primarily of Mexican origin), border community. Our approach to the activities in the Math Club is grounded in our belief in education as a tool to transform exclusionary situations and to fight for social justice (Freire, 1998). To this end, many of the activities in this mathematics club have a social justice component. Our main goal is to analyze the teaching and learning of mathematics in this after-school setting, in order to identify strategies that provide learning opportunities to all students. In this particular setting, we analyze the relationships that exist between mathematics, language, culture, and social justice. We focus our analysis on student identity to attempt to understand the impact of an inclusive and transformative learning environment. Several authors emphasize the importance of considering identity in the form of narratives about persons in analyzing sociological and educational processes related to learning and teaching. A student’s evolving identity influences how they learn and how they make sense of mathematical ideas. Sfard and Prusak (2005) view “identity-making as a communicational practice” (p. 16), and therefore interaction would be a
Oct-4 controls cell-cycle progression of embryonic stem cells

Mouse and human ES (embryonic stem) cells display unusual proliferative properties and can produce pluripotent stem cells indefinitely. Both processes might be important for maintaining the ‘stemness’ of ES cells; however, little is known about how the cell-cycle fate is regulated in ES cells. Oct-4, a master switch of pluripotency, plays an important role in maintaining the pluripotent state of ES cells and may prevent the expression of genes activated during differentiation. Using ZHBTc4 ES cells, we have investigated the effect of Oct-4 on ES cell-cycle control, and we found that Oct-4 down-regulation in ES cells inhibits proliferation by blocking cell-cycle progression in G0/G1. Deletion analysis of the functional domains of Oct-4 indicates that the overall integrity of the Oct-4 functional domains is important for the stimulation of S-phase entry. We also show in the present study that the p21 gene is a target for Oct-4 repression. Furthermore, p21 protein levels were repressed by Oct-4 and were induced by the down-regulation of Oct-4 in ZHBTc4 ES cells. Therefore the down-regulation of p21 by Oct-4 may contribute to the maintenance of ES cell proliferation.
PERCEPTIONS OF THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION AMONG RELIGIOUS TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS IN ISRAEL

This research examines the purposes of education perceived by teacher education students preparing for a career in Israeli public religious schools. Participants were 164 men and 364 women in their first or final year of teacher education. They responded to questionnaires that explored educational purposes in four ways. Twenty-four students also were interviewed. Major results indicate that: 1) universal and religious purposes of education are considered highly important; 2) men attribute greater importance than women to religious- Torah purposes; 3) academic-intellectual growth is not considered an important educational purpose. Implications of these and other findings are considered for educational policy and practice in public religious schools.
Characterization of root response to phosphorus supply from morphology to gene analysis in field-grown wheat

The adaptations of root morphology, physiology, and biochemistry to phosphorus supply have been characterized intensively. However, characterizing these adaptations at molecular level is largely neglected under field conditions. Here, two consecutive field experiments were carried out to investigate the agronomic traits and root traits of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at six P-fertilizer rates. Root samples were collected at flowering to investigate root dry weight, root length density, arbusular-mycorrhizal colonization rate, acid phosphatase activity in rhizosphere soil, and expression levels of genes encoding phosphate transporter, phosphatase, ribonucleases, and expansin. These root traits exhibited inducible, inhibitory, or combined responses to P deficiency, and the change point for responses to P supply was at or near the optimal P supply for maximum grain yield. This research improves the understanding of mechanisms of plant adaptation to soil P in intensive agriculture and provides useful information for optimizing P management based on the interactions between soil P dynamics and root processes.
Conditional Facilitation of an Aphid Vector, Acyrthosiphon pisum, by the Plant Pathogen, Pea Enation Mosaic Virus

Abstract Plant pathogens can induce symptoms that affect the performance of insect herbivores utilizing the same host plant. Previous studies examining the effects of infection of tic bean, Vicia faba L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), by pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV), an important disease of legume crops, indicated there were no changes in the growth and reproductive rate of its primary vector the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Here, we report the results of laboratory experiments investigating how A. pisum responded to PEMV infection of a different host plant, Pisum sativum L. , at different stages of symptom development. Aphid growth rate was negatively related to the age of the host plant, but when they were introduced onto older plants with well-developed PEMV symptoms they exhibited a higher growth rate compared to those developing on uninfected plants of the same age. In choice tests using leaf discs A. pisum showed a strong preference for discs from PEMV-infected peas, probably in response to visual cues from the yellowed and mottled infected leaves. When adults were crowded onto leaves using clip-cages they produced more winged progeny on PEMV-infected plants. The results indicate that PEMV produces symptoms in the host plant that can enhance the performance of A. pisum as a vector, modify the production of winged progeny and affect their spatial distribution. The findings provide further evidence that some insect vector/plant pathogen interactions could be regarded as mutualistic rather than commensal when certain conditions regarding the age, stage of infection and species of host plant are met.
Understanding driver behavior at grade crossings through signal detection theory.

This report uses signal detection theory (SDT) to model motorists’ strategies at grade crossings in order to understand the factors that influence such decisions and to establish a framework for evaluating the impact of proposed countermeasures. This report is intended to update and expand the original analysis conducted by Raslear (1996), which examined the effectiveness of grade crossing warning devices and determined whether their effectiveness was due to variations in the signal-to-noise ratio (sensitivity), bias to stop, or a combination of these two components of signal detection theory. This report documents the results of four empirical and theoretical tests of the SDT model to understand how different warning devices and countermeasures influenced drivers’ decisions at grade crossings in the 21 years from 1986 (as reported by Raslear) to 2007 (the most current year available when this effort began). In the first analysis, the authors compare accident data from 2007 with that from 1986 and describe the necessary adjustments to their assumptions in setting up the model. In the second analysis, the authors apply this revised framework to a more detailed historical analysis of driver at grade crossings. The third analysis describes the authors' test of the robustness of the SDT model and their application of SDT to predict the effect of proposed countermeasures and safety factors. The fourth analysis was based on a theoretical model to test the predictive abilities of the SDT framework through performance by an ideal observer. While the previous analyses examine the empirical changes in sensitivity and bias over time and with changes in the grade crossing environment, the analysis of the ideal observer posits theoretical mechanisms for those changes and compares theoretical outcomes with actual outcomes.
Between faith, expertise and advocacy: the role of religion in European Union policy-making on immigration

ABSTRACT This article analyses the place of religion in European immigration policy. Focusing on the role of faith-based organizations, the purpose is to know how religious issues, actors and references are dealt with in the policy-making process. The method relies on document analysis and qualitative interviews. Our conclusion is mixed: overall, the logics of interactions between religion and immigration are the same at the European and national levels. Religion is neither a proper policy issue nor a legitimizing resource. It is an ethical inspiration and gives credentials to actors from majority denominations, but religious contents have to be translated into secular terms. However, whereas at the national level tensions surrounding Islam have strengthened the political role of minority religions, this is not the case in the European Union. Rather, the policy field is dominated by Christian organizations, who utilize their expertise and influence to act as immigrants’ advocates rather than immigrant representatives.
Quantitative measurement of tooth and ceramic wear: in vivo study.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to quantitatively measure tooth and ceramic wear over a 2-year period using a novel superimposition technique. Three ceramic systems--experimental hot-pressed ceramic (EC), Procera AllCeram (PA), and metal-ceramic--were used. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 90 posterior crowns in 48 patients were randomized into 3 groups, and impressions were made at baseline and at 6-month intervals for 2 years. Clinical images were taken after using a dye to highlight surface changes. The impressions were digitized and modeled as superimposable 3-dimensional colored surface images. The depth of wear at the occlusal contact areas was quantitatively measured at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. RESULTS The quantitative evaluation showed more wear in Procera AllCeram at the occlusal contact areas, whereas the experimental and metal-ceramic systems showed less wear. There was a significant difference in the amount of enamel worn between all types of restorations (P < .05). There was a statistically significant difference (P < .05) in the mean depth of wear between all systems. CONCLUSIONS The metal-ceramic and experimental systems showed less change, indicating improved wear resistance compared with Procera AllCeram. In addition, enamel opposing metal-ceramic and experimental crowns showed less wear compared to enamel opposed by Procera AIICeram crowns.
Interferon beta treatment: Bioavailability and antiviral activity in multiple sclerosis patients

Viral infections have been appointed as the main component of environmental susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). Interferon beta is an immunomudulatory treatment that is able to modify the natural course of the disease; nonetheless, its mechanism of action in not well established yet. The objectives of the present study were (1) to evaluate the bioavailability of interferon beta through the measurement of the expression of myxovirus resistance protein (MxA), metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and its inhibitor (TIMP-1); (2) to analyze its antiviral efficiency through the measurement of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) prevalence; and (3) to correlate both parameters (bioavailability and antiviral efficiency) with the relapse rate in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with interferon beta. Pairs of blood and serum samples were collected from 54 MS patients during five visits in 1 year: one before the start of the treatment and four during interferon beta treatment. Expression of MxA, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 was analyzed by quatitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and HHV-6 genomes were detected by qPCR. The results showed a correlation between MxA and relapse rate (P = .014). MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was increased among the patients with relapses, and decreased among the relapse-free patients, although differences were not statistically significant. Furthermore, our results suggest a possible role for HHV-6 in MS, because 42.8% of patients with viral reactivations experienced at least one relapse versus 22.5% of patients without viral reactivations. Lastly, regarding the antiviral effectiveness of the interferon beta, the HHV-6 prevalence decreased from 58% to 36% in PBMCs and from 18.5% to 12.2% in sera; furthermore, a good correlation with the bioavailability of interferon beta was found, because patients with a decrease in HHV-6 prevalence had higher levels of MxA (P = .046, at the third month).
Human Activity Recognition Based on Silhouette Directionality

Recent advances in computer vision and pattern recognition have fueled numerous initiatives that aim to intelligently recognize human activities. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for nonintrusive human activity recognition. We use an adaptive background-foreground separation technique to extract motion information and generate silhouettes (foreground) from the input videos. We then derive directionality-based feature vectors (directional vectors) from the silhouette contours and use the distinct data distribution of directional vectors in a vector space for clustering and recognition. We also exploit the dynamic characteristic of human motion in order to smooth decisions over time and reduce errors in activity recognition. Our approach is monocular, tolerant to moderate view changes, and can be applied to both frontal and lateral views of most activities. Experiments with short and long video sequences show robust recognition under conditions of varying view angles, zoom depths, backgrounds, and frame rates.
On the Efficiency of Angular Intraprediction

Angular intraprediction (AIP) is a coding tool that has been incorporated into the video coding standards H.264/AVC (Advanced Audio Coding) and High Efficient Video Coding. In this paper, we study how the efficiency of AIP depends on its prediction parameters. To carry out this paper, we first theoretically analyze the variance of the error incurred when a perfectly directional signal is predicted in a certain direction. The results of this analysis are then used to study the efficiency of AIP when it is applied to a distribution of directions. To facilitate mathematical derivations, we make several assumptions about the signal and the prediction process, and we use some approximations. This allows us to obtain simple expressions for the variance of the AIP prediction error as a function of signal and prediction parameters. Finally, we compare our theoretical results with the results obtained from the prediction of images containing rectilinear edges. This comparison shows that our theoretical expressions follow the main trends of the experimental results except when AIP is performed with a very high accuracy.
Downregulation of CD99 and upregulation of human leukocyte antigen class II promote tumor aggravation and poor survival in patients with osteosarcomas

Background CD99 is involved in the intracellular transport of human leukocyte antigen class II (HLA-II) protein. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical value of CD99 and HLA-II expression in primary osteosarcoma. Methods One hundred and thirty pairs of osteosarcoma and matched noncancerous bone tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for CD99 and HLA-II expression. Results Compared with the noncancerous bone tissues, the expression levels of CD99 (tumor versus normal: 2.96±0.09 versus 5.89±1.26, P<0.001) and HLA-II (tumor versus normal: 5.01±1.39 versus 1.92±0.06, P<0.001) proteins were respectively downregulated and upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues. CD99 and HLA-II were highly expressed in 49/130 (37.69%) and 107/130 (82.31%) of osteosarcoma tissues, respectively. In addition, the osteosarcoma patients with downregulation of CD99 and upregulation of HLA-II more frequently showed the presence of metastasis and recurrence and poor response to chemotherapy. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between CD99 and HLA-II expression in osteosarcoma tissues (r=−0.69, P=0.01). The patients with low CD99 expression correlated with poor prognosis of osteosarcoma, as opposed to HLA-II. Patients with CD99-low/HLA-II-high expression had the lowest overall and disease-free survival rates, and conjoined expression of CD99/HLA-II was an independent prognostic indicator of osteosarcoma. Conclusion These findings suggest for the first time that CD99 downregulation or HLA-II upregulation may be an important feature of human osteosarcoma. The combined detection of CD99/HLA-II coexpression may present a predictive and prognostic indicator in osteosarcoma.
Effects of Various Methods of Assigning and Evaluating Required Reading in One General Education Course

Different approaches to creating out-of-class reading assignments for university general education courses might affect the amount of time students actually spend reading. Five instructors of a required religion/philosophy class used different approaches to assign out-of-class reading. Subsequently, their students (n = 504) were surveyed about their reading completion, their motivation to read, and ways that out-of-class readings affected their learning and personal study habits. Results showed that students who were assigned to read for a specific number of minutes outside of class completed the task more consistently than those who received other forms of reading assignments. Results also indicated that students who were graded on their outside reading completed it more frequently than those who were not graded.
Executive turnover in UK firms: the impact of Cadbury

Abstract This study examines whether the Cadbury Committee recommendations regarding board structure have increased the power of boards to replace poorly performing CEOs. It also looks at whether institutional investors have become more proactive in this regard post-Cadbury. The study employs a comprehensive sample of UK listed firms between 1990 and 1995. Firm performance, CEO ownership and institutional ownership are found to be significantly related to the probability of non-routine top executive turnover. It appears that the managerial labour market is disciplining managers more quickly after Cadbury. However, there is no evidence that this is because boards have become more likely to remove CEOs following poor performance. Neither is any evidence found to support the assertions of institutional investors who claim to be more proactive since Cadbury. It is concluded that neither the Cadbury board structure reforms, nor the professed change in behaviour of institutional investors, has reduced the agency problem of managerial entrenchment in large UK firms.
INTRA‐ORGANIZATIONAL NETWORK RESOURCES: RELATION TO CAREER SUCCESS AND PERSONALITY

The study investigated the relationship of career instrumental and expressive intra‐organizational network resources with extrinsic and intrinsic career success and with the Big‐Five of personality in a sample of 264 white‐collar workers. Total network resources were associated with extrinsic and intrinsic career success above the contribution of human capital, demographics and mentoring received. And instrumental network resources contributed more strongly than expressive network resources to extrinsic career success. Furthermore, instrumental network resources emerged as important for intrinsic evaluations of hierarchical and interpersonal career success while expressive network resources emerged as important for intrinsic evaluations of job and interpersonal career success. There was limited support for the influence of personality on the accumulation of network resources. As hypothesized, conscientiousness was negatively associated with instrumental network resources; however, extra‐version, openness and agreeableness failed to make significant contributions to network resources over and above the contribution of human capital and demographics. The implications of the findings for individual career tactics and for organizational practices are discussed and the limitations of the study are considered along with directions for future research.
Multi-band speech recognition in noisy environments

This paper presents a new approach for multi-band based automatic speech recognition (ASR). Previous work by Bourlard et al. (see Proc. Int. Conf. on Spoken Language Processing, Philadelphia, p.426-9, 1996) and Hermansky et al. (see Proc. Int. Conf. on Spoken Language Processing, Philadelphia, p.1579-82, 1996) suggests that multi-band ASR gives a more accurate recognition, especially in noisy acoustic environments, by combining the likelihoods of different frequency bands. Here we evaluate this likelihood recombination (LC) approach to multi-band ASR, and propose an alternative method, namely feature recombination (FC). In the FC system, after different acoustic analyzers are applied to each sub-band individually, a vector is composed by combining the sub-band features. The speech classifier then calculates the likelihood from the single vector. Thus, band-limited noise affects only a few of the feature components, as in the multi-band LC system, but, at the same time, all feature components are jointly modeled, as in conventional ASR. The experimental results show that the FC system can yield better performance than both the conventional ASR and the LC strategy for noisy speech.