Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retained Students and Classmates’ Absences in Urban Schools

Research in grade retention has predominantly focused on the effect of this practice on the retained student. This study contributes to the limited body of research examining the effect of retained classmates on the outcomes of other students in the same classroom. Using a longitudinal data set of all elementary school students in a large urban school district, this study evaluates how the percentage of retained classmates affects other students’ absence patterns, both unexcused and excused. Focusing on absences as an outcome is key, as they signal educational disengagement and highly correlate with schooling and lifelong success. Based on quasi-experimental methods, the results indicate that a greater percentage of retained classmates increases other students’ absences. The effect is only present on unexcused absences, not excused absences, hence signaling an increase in disengagement in other students. Individual- and classroom-level moderating effects are evaluated, and policy implications for classroom assignment are discussed.
More Women Constituency Party Presidents

The purpose of this article is to explore the idea that the gender of constituency party presidents makes a difference in the recruitment of women as candidates in federal politics in Canada, notably by examining the attitudes of female and male party gatekeepers towards the presence of women in politics. Two hypotheses inspired us. The first suggests that female presidents are more likely than male presidents to assess candidates using traits more likely to be possessed by women. The second hypothesis proposes that women are more likely than men to support measures for increasing the number of women in politics. The first hypothesis is not confirmed: female presidents do not appreciate feminine traits any more than male presidents. The second is only partly confirmed. Far from being the only variable to influence support for measures promoting women candidates, gender appears to be a secondary determinant when the variables of political party and the feminist consciousness are taken into account. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to neglect the gender variable because, depending on the political party, a woman president can make a difference, especially when it comes to the Right and Centre parties.
A greedy algorithm for deriving optical orthogonal codes using rejected delays reuse

This paper proposes a novel algorithm for constructing optical orthogonal codes (OOC). The proposed algorithm is a modified element-by-element greedy algorithm based on the extended set representation of optical orthogonal codes. The algorithm employs a technique that reuses previously rejected delay elements during the construction process. We call this method the rejected delays reuse (RDR) greedy algorithm. We show that employing the RDR method leads to code lengths that are significantly shorter than those achieved for OOCs constructed using the classical greedy algorithm for the same code weight and the same number of simultaneous codes constraints. To quantify the effect of the reduction in the code length on sub-wavelength multiplexing, we introduce a factor called the expansion efficiency factor and use it to show that the RDR generated codes have higher efficiency
Visualization of bonding at an inclusion boundary using axial-shear strain elastography: a feasibility study

Ultrasound elastography produces strain images of compliant tissues under quasi-static compression. In axial-shear strain elastography, the local axial-shear strain resulting from application of quasi-static axial compression to an inhomogeneous material is imaged. The overall hypothesis of this work is that the pattern of axial-shear strain distribution around the inclusion/background interface is completely determined by the bonding at the interface after normalization for inclusion size and applied strain levels, and that it is feasible to extract certain features from the axial-shear strain elastograms to quantify this pattern. The mechanical model used in this study consisted of a single stiff circular inclusion embedded in a homogeneous softer background. First, we performed a parametric study using finite-element analysis (FEA) (no ultrasound involved) to identify possible features that quantify the pattern of axial-shear strain distribution around an inclusion/background interface. Next, the ability to extract these features from axial-shear strain elastograms, estimated from simulated pre- and post-compression noisy RF data, was investigated. Further, the feasibility of extracting these features from in vivo breast data of benign and malignant tumors was also investigated. It is shown using the FEA study that the pattern of axial-shear strain distribution is determined by the degree of bonding at the inclusion/background interface. The results suggest the feasibility of using normalized features that capture the region of positive and negative axial-shear strain area to quantify the pattern of the axial-shear strain distribution. The simulation results showed that it was feasible to extract the features, as identified in the FEA study, from axial-shear strain elastograms. However, an effort must be made to obtain axial-shear strain elastograms with the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNRasse) possible, without compromising the resolution. The in vivo results demonstrated the feasibility of producing and extracting features from the axial-shear strain elastograms from breast data. Furthermore, the in vivo axial-shear strain elastograms suggest an additional feature not identified in the simulations that may potentially be used for distinguishing benign from malignant tumors—the proximity of the axial-shear strain regions to the inclusion/background interface identified in the sonogram.
The fission yeast &bgr;-arrestin-like protein Any1 is involved in TSC-Rheb signaling and the regulation of amino acid transporters

Summary Rheb GTPase and the Tsc1–Tsc2 protein complex, which serves as a GTPase-activating protein for Rheb, have crucial roles in the regulation of cell growth in response to extracellular conditions. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Rheb and Tsc1–Tsc2 regulate cell cycle progression, the onset of meiosis and the uptake of amino acids. In cells lacking Tsc2 (&Dgr;tsc2), the amino acid transporter Aat1, which is normally expressed on the plasma membrane under starvation conditions, is confined to the Golgi. Here, we show that the loss of either pub1+, encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase, or any1+, encoding a &bgr;-arrestin-like protein, allows constitutive expression of Aat1 on the plasma membrane in &Dgr;tsc2 cells, suggesting that Pub1 and Any1 are required for localization of Aat1 to the Golgi. Subsequent analysis revealed that, in the Golgi, Pub1 and Any1 form a complex that ubiquitylates Aat1. Physical interaction of Pub1 and Any1 is more stable in &Dgr;tsc2 cells than in wild-type cells and is independent of Tor2 activity. These results indicate that the TSC-Rheb signaling pathway regulates the localization of amino acid transporters via Pub1 and Any1 in a Tor2-independent manner. Our study demonstrates that, unlike in budding yeast (in which Rsp5 and ARTs, a pair of proteins analogous to Pub1 and Any1, respectively, primarily act to reduce expression of the transporters on plasma membrane when nutrients are abundant), the primary role of fission yeast Pub1 and Any1 is to store the transporter in the Golgi under nutrient-rich conditions.
Averaging bounds for lattices and linear codes

General random coding theorems for lattices are derived from the Minkowski-Hlawka theorem and their close relation to standard averaging arguments for linear codes over finite fields is pointed out. A new version of the Minkowski-Hlawka theorem itself is obtained as the limit, for p/spl rarr//spl infin/, of a simple lemma for linear codes over GF(p) used with p-level amplitude modulation. The relation between the combinatorial packing of solid bodies and the information-theoretic "soft packing" with arbitrarily small, but positive, overlap is illuminated. The "soft-packing" results are new. When specialized to the additive white Gaussian noise channel, they reduce to (a version of) the de Buda-Poltyrev result that spherically shaped lattice codes and a decoder that is unaware of the shaping can achieve the rate 1/2 log/sub 2/ (P/N).
The location of energetic compartments affects energetic communication in cardiomyocytes

The heart relies on accurate regulation of mitochondrial energy supply to match energy demand. The main regulators are Ca2+ and feedback of ADP and Pi. Regulation via feedback has intrigued for decades. First, the heart exhibits a remarkable metabolic stability. Second, diffusion of ADP and other molecules is restricted specifically in heart and red muscle, where a fast feedback is needed the most. To explain the regulation by feedback, compartmentalization must be taken into account. Experiments and theoretical approaches suggest that cardiomyocyte energetic compartmentalization is elaborate with barriers obstructing diffusion in the cytosol and at the level of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM). A recent study suggests the barriers are organized in a lattice with dimensions in agreement with those of intracellular structures. Here, we discuss the possible location of these barriers. The more plausible scenario includes a barrier at the level of MOM. Much research has focused on how the permeability of MOM itself is regulated, and the importance of the creatine kinase system to facilitate energetic communication. We hypothesize that at least part of the diffusion restriction at the MOM level is not by MOM itself, but due to the close physical association between the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondria. This will explain why animals with a disabled creatine kinase system exhibit rather mild phenotype modifications. Mitochondria are hubs of energetics, but also ROS production and signaling. The close association between SR and mitochondria may form a diffusion barrier to ADP added outside a permeabilized cardiomyocyte. But in vivo, it is the structural basis for the mitochondrial-SR coupling that is crucial for the regulation of mitochondrial Ca2+-transients to regulate energetics, and for avoiding Ca2+-overload and irreversible opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.
Texture segmentation using Voronoi polygons

The authors have developed a texture-segmentation algorithm based on the Voronoi tessellation. The algorithm first builds the Voronoi tessellation of the tokens that make up the image. It then computes a set of features from the Voronoi polygons. Finally, it performs a probabilistic relaxation labeling on the tokens, to identify the interior and the border regions of the textures. The algorithm has successfully segmented images containing textures whose primitives have identical second order statistics. <<ETX>>
HIERARCHICAL ROUTING PROTOCOLS IN WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

Due to recent advancement and changes in wireless sensor network, various routing protocols have emerged. Hierarchical-based routing is a cluster based routing in which high energy nodes are randomly selected for processing and sending data while low energy nodes are used for sensing and send information to the cluster heads. This property of hierarchical-based routing contributes greatly to the network scalability, lifetime and minimum energy. In this paper, we will discuss various hierarchical routing protocols in wireless sensor networks.
Mean-Level Change in Self-Esteem from Childhood through Adulthood: Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

This study performs a meta-analysis of the mean-level of change in self-esteem across the life span. Fifty-nine studies yielded data from 130 independent samples. Results indicate that, despite slightly increasing from childhood to the first decade of young adulthood, self-esteem does not change beyond 30 years old. Self-esteem changes the most during the first decade of young adulthood. The effects of gender and time span between assessments on change in self-esteem were minimal during adolescence, while the way self-esteem is measured significantly affects change. The mean effect size was the largest with the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the smallest with Harter's Self-Perception Profile. Birth cohort also significantly influences change, whereas older cohorts change to a smaller extent compared to younger cohorts.
Targeting Oxidative Injury and Cytokines' Activity in the Treatment with Anti‐Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α Antibody for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 1

Cytokines and oxygen free radicals have been implicated in the potential pathogenic development of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). We aimed to analyze the relationship between clinical status, circulating levels of cytokines, and markers of oxidative damage during the treatment with anti‐TNFα antibodies. The patient chosen for treatment had not had improvement through a number of conventional therapies and fulfilled the current diagnostic criteria for CRPS‐1. We investigated the clinical variables before and after systemic administration of 1.4 mg/kg anti‐TNFα antibody (infliximab), repeated after 1 month in a dose of 3 mg/kg. Blood samples were collected before and after anti‐TNFα antibodies administration, and plasma was analyzed for 8‐isoprostane‐prostaglandin F2α (8‐iso‐PGF2α, a marker of oxidative injury) and cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐4, IL‐6, IL‐7, IL‐8, IL‐10, IL‐17A). Plasma concentrations of 8‐iso‐PGF2α were measured with radioimmunoassay (RIA), and the kinetics of cytokines were detected in plasma by antibody‐based proximity ligation (PLA). Pathologically high levels of 8‐iso‐PGF2α were found in the patient. Immediately after each administration of infliximab, the levels of 8‐iso‐PGF2α decreased. Although the patient showed an improvement of the cutaneous dystrophic symptoms and diminished pain associated with these lesions, the levels of circulating TNFα increased after the administration of anti‐TNFα antibodies. In a patient with CRPS‐1 treated with anti‐TNFα antibodies, we report increased levels of circulating TNFα and a temporary mitigation of oxidative stress as measured by plasma F2‐isoprostane. This case report provides evidence 2 supporting the indication of monitoring the oxidative stress biomarkers during treatment with anti‐TNFα antibodies in CRPS 1.
Photoelectric neural interface combining wire-bonding μleds with iridium oxide microelectrodes for optogenetics

This paper reports the design, fabrication, electrical and thermal characterization, as well as attachment and stability of a flexible photoelectric neural interface (PENI). Upon the wire-bonding technology, three micro LED (μLED) chips are well-connected to the polyimide substrate as an array, with their luminous surfaces over against the holes. Meanwhile, a Parylene-C-based array with four microelectrodes (200 μm in diameter) modified by sputtering iridium oxide film is fabricated to record micro electrocorticography (μECoG) signals. Then, the back-to-back assembly is utilized to allow blue light through the aligned holes on both arrays with almost no attenuation. As an optogenetics tool, the PENI can be attached on the cortical surface of a mouse expressing ChR2 to realize synchronized light modulating and neural signal recording.
Development of Multi-FrameworkModel Components

: A number of environmental modelling frameworks have been developed recently, and plans for new frameworks are under way. Examples such as TIME, OpenMI, SME and OMS share an approach to environmental modelling based on model components, and offer improved model development and deployment. These approaches have methods for ensuring model component-linking compatibility using manual and machine processes either internal or external to the model component. Examples include matching output to input and checking data type compatibility. Semantic integration is also possible, such as with the OpenMI, where a component requests and receives particular data. However, each framework does model component checking in a different way and interoperability between model components of different frameworks is limited. To improve the use of model components it is necessary to consider the development of multi-framework model components (MFMC). Existing software standards enable communication at a low level, but many problems remain at high levels. This paper discusses development of an MFMC in each of TIME and the OMS, that can be accessed from the other framework. Additionally, the requirements for further framework compatibility, such as the OpenMI, are considered. Six main approaches are described, covering methods relevant to both between-and cross-platform compatibility, which range from re-implementation, through Web Services, to declarative modelling. Web services are suggested as a viable option for the problem considered here, although the other techniques warrant further investigation in particular cases.
Impact of climate change on ozone-related mortality and morbidity in Europe

Ozone is a highly oxidative pollutant formed from precursors in the presence of sunlight, associated with respiratory morbidity and mortality. All else being equal, concentrations of ground-level ozone are expected to increase due to climate change. Ozone-related health impacts under a changing climate are projected using emission scenarios, models and epidemiological data. European ozone concentrations are modelled with the model of atmospheric transport and chemistry (MATCH)-RCA3 (50×50 km). Projections from two climate models, ECHAM4 and HadCM3, are applied under greenhouse gas emission scenarios A2 and A1B, respectively. We applied a European-wide exposure–response function to gridded population data and country-specific baseline mortality and morbidity. Comparing the current situation (1990–2009) with the baseline period (1961–1990), the largest increase in ozone-associated mortality and morbidity due to climate change (4–5%) have occurred in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK. Comparing the baseline period and the future periods (2021–2050 and 2041–2060), much larger increases in ozone-related mortality and morbidity are projected for Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal, with the impact being stronger using the climate projection from ECHAM4 (A2). However, in Nordic and Baltic countries the same magnitude of decrease is projected. The current study suggests that projected effects of climate change on ozone concentrations could differentially influence mortality and morbidity across Europe.
A New Illusion at Your Elbow

On experiencing distal-proximal tactile motion on the volar side of the forearm starting at the wrist, subjects significantly anticipate touch of the elbow crook. This illusion, popular as a children's game, was quantified in ninety participants (forty-seven women) on both arms. As a top-down explanation of the illusion, we discuss a model of Bayesian inferences. As a bottom-up contribution, we consider afterdischarges of cortical neurons, which receive input from skin mechanoreceptors specifically driven by slow-motion tactile stimuli. Like previously described illusions, the elbow crook illusion is larger on the nondominant arm. Women showed a smaller illusion than men, giving testimony to their reportedly superior cutaneous sensitivity.
Pumping in an interacting quantum wire

We study charge and spin pumping in an interacting one-dimensional wire. We show that a spatially periodic potential modulated in space and time acts as a quantum pump, inducing a dc-current component at zero bias. The current generated by the pump is strongly affected by the interactions. It has a power-law dependence on the frequency or temperature, with the exponent determined by the interaction in the wire, while the coupling to the pump affects the amplitudes only. We also show that pure spinpumping can be achieved without the presence of a magnetic field.
Semantic Enriched Category Recommendation System for Large-Scale Emails Exploiting Big Data Processing Technologies

Nowadays, people who use the Internet have at least one email account. Email is important means of information sharing and communications. For example, email is used for business communications or business advertisements, and personal use, such as checking bills or keeping in touch with others. However, it has become difficult to manage email as the amount of email usage increases. In this paper, we propose a semantic enriched category recommendation system for large-scale emails exploiting big data technologies. First of all, an email pre-processing process is performed. And then, through Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm from Mahout the email contents in distributed server environment are clustered. A word representing the cluster, the category, from extracted cluster should determine. That way, the semantic relationships of cluster inner words analyze using the Flickr. Finally, the semantic enriched category is recommended to user.
Male fertility is reduced by chronic intermittent hypoxia mimicking sleep apnea in mice.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by intermittent hypoxia and oxidative stress. However, it is unknown whether intermittent hypoxia mimicking OSA modifies male fertility. We tested the hypothesis that male fertility is reduced by chronic intermittent hypoxia mimicking OSA in a mouse model. DESIGN Case-control comparison in a murine model. SETTING University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Eighteen F1 (C57BL/6xCBA) male mice. INTERVENTIONS Mice were subjected to a pattern of periodic hypoxia (20 sec at 5% O2 followed by 40 sec of room air) 6 h/day for 60 days or normoxia. After this period, mice performed a mating trial to determine effective fertility by assessing the number of pregnant females and fetuses. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS After euthanasia, oxidative stress in testes was assessed by measuring the expression of glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1) and superoxide dismutase-1 (Sod1) by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Sperm motility was determined by Integrated Semen Analysis System (ISAS). Intermittent hypoxia significantly increased testicular oxidative stress, showing a reduction in the expression of Gpx1 and Sod1 by 38.9% and 34.4%, respectively, as compared with normoxia (P < 0.05). Progressive sperm motility was significantly reduced from 27.0 ± 6.4% in normoxia to 12.8 ± 1.8% in the intermittent hypoxia group (P = 0.04). The proportion of pregnant females and number of fetuses per mating was significantly lower in the intermittent hypoxia group (0.33 ± 0.10 and 2.45 ± 0.73, respectively) than in normoxic controls (0.72 ± 0.16 and 5.80 ± 1.24, respectively). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the intermittent hypoxia associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could induce fertility reduction in male patients with this sleep breathing disorder.
Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE): Mission overview

SCISAT‐1, also known as the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), is a Canadian satellite mission for remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere. It was launched into low Earth circular orbit (altitude 650 km, inclination 74°) on 12 Aug. 2003. The primary ACE instrument is a high spectral resolution (0.02 cm−1) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) operating from 2.2 to 13.3 μm (750–4400 cm−1). The satellite also features a dual spectrophotometer known as MAESTRO with wavelength coverage of 285–1030 nm and spectral resolution of 1–2 nm. A pair of filtered CMOS detector arrays records images of the Sun at 0.525 and 1.02 μm. Working primarily in solar occultation, the satellite provides altitude profile information (typically 10–100 km) for temperature, pressure, and the volume mixing ratios for several dozen molecules of atmospheric interest, as well as atmospheric extinction profiles over the latitudes 85°N to 85°S. This paper presents a mission overview and some of the first scientific results.