Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Student Connections: An Integrative Model of Cohorts, Community and Learning

There is a growing body of literature about "community" in learning, or "cohorts" of learners, but there is relatively little empirical evidence about what these communities and cohorts might be. This paper reviews the literature, recognizes variations in meaning in discussions of community, and takes the first steps toward a model that describes and frames some of these issues in postsecondary education. The model presented is embedded in the concept of student "Connections," whether defined as "cohorts," "task groups," "Communities," "collaborative partnerships," or other entities. The model seeks to account for the many formal and informal ways that students connect as learners in and out of the classroom. The model is merely suggestive; there are not yet enough data to explain student learning connections fully. The suggestive model demonstrates the interrelationships and processes that launch connective learning situations. Communities of learners may begin purposely through an administrative structure or by student initiative. This model goes further by examining three elements related to connections among students in educational settings: (1) processes that initiate connections; (2) occurrences within connections; and (3) outcomes of connections. A figure illustrates the proposed model. (Contains 40 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Student Connections: An Integrative Model of Cohorts, Community and Learning Iris Saltiel, Troy State University Katherine Reynolds, University of South Carolina PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Vrhis document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. A paper prepared for presentation at the American Educational Research Association 2001 Annual Meeting. Seattle, Washington. April 12, 2001 Do not quote without permission of the authors. Contacts: IRISSALTIE @AOL.COM and KREYNOLDP,GWM.SC. EDU 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE
STUDY OF HYDRATION KINETICS AND RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF GUAR GUM

BACKGROUND Guar galactomannan is a plant polysaccharide with extensive applications in food, paper, textile and petroleum industries. The main advantages for using guar are its low cost, easy availability and capacity to form viscous solutions and gels at low concentration. Additionally, chain architecture of guar galactomannan can be selectively modified to tailor properties of guar formulations and open up new opportunities for guar usage.The parameters such as hydration of guar, intrinsic viscosity measurements for determining the molecular weight of guar, rheological properties of guar were studied. RESULTS Experimental data have been correlated with the different models: flow curves with the Cross, Carreau and MeterBird model . The volume mean size of guar gum was 53. 7μm and the molecular weight of guar near neutral pH was 967000 g/mol which were determined by intrinsic viscosity measurements. Hydration kinetics followed the logarithmic model. The behaviour of guar was interpreted in terms of Carreau model. CONCLUSION In this investigation the parameters such as hydration of guar, intrinsic viscosity measurements for determining the molecular weight of guar, rheological properties of guar were studied which would be very useful in modifying chain architecture of galactomannan to alter its properties which would open new opportunities for the use of guar.
AspectLua - A Dynamic AOP Approach

In this paper we describe AspectLua - a dynamic aspect-oriented language based on Lua. It relies on a meta-object protocol, LuaMOP, which unifies the introspective and reflective mechanisms provided by Lua and handles the weaving process. In order to improve support for dynamicity, AspectLua allows the association of aspects with undeclared elements of the application code (virtual join points). In addition, it provides an automatic support for managing aspects execution order.
Neuro-Fuzzy System for Routing in a Computer Network

This research offers a new method to message routing in a Computer Network using a Neuro-Fuzzy System (NFS) model. A NFS employed in this research combines the learning ability of artificial neural network with the intelligence of fuzzy logic to route messages from source to destination. The model displays the stored knowledge in terms of fuzzy linguistic rules, which allows the model decision – making process to be examined and understood in detail. According to previous research, routing in a network is difficult because the network topology may change constantly and available state information for routing is inherently indefinite. Therefore NFS will work with vague information and selects the most qualified route/path with sufficient resources to satisfy a certain delay and bandwidth requirement in a dynamic environment. The NFS is tested on hypothetical computer network and the advantages are discussed using the case study. The result revealed that the NFS developed was better in performance than the traditional Random and Shortest path method.
Contemporary Sociological Theory: An Integrated Multi-Level Approach

PART I SETTING THE STAGE FOR CONTEMPORARY THEORY Chapter 1 Introduction: From Implicit to Explicit Theories Chapter 2 Classical Stage European Sources of Sociological Theory Chapter 3 The Development of American Sociology: A Brief Historical Overview Chapter 4 Formal Theory Construction: Developing Sociological Theory as Part of a Scientific Enterprise PART II MOVING FROM MICRO TO MESO TO MACRO LEVELS Chapter 5 Symbolic Interaction: Constructing the Social World - Plus the Identities of Its Participants Chapter 6 Phenomenological Sociology and Ethnomethodology: The Everyday Life World of Common Sense Chapter 7 Social Exchange and Rational Choice at the Micro Level: Looking out for #1 Chapter 8 Networking and Belonging: Opportunity Structures, Rational Choice Transactions, and the Sociology of Emotions Chapter 9 From Micro Level Exchanges to Meso and Macro Level Organizations and Institutions Chapter 10 Meso-level Structures: Communities and Organizations Chapter 11 Meso Level Structures: Markets and Socioeconomic Classes Chapter 12 Integration and Social Order at the Macro Level: The Functional Approach Chapter 13 Functional Analysis Continued: Middle-range Functional Analysis and Neofunctionalism Chapter 14 Conflict and Competition: Analytical Macro Level Theories of Conflict in Social Life Chapter 15 Critical Theory: Changing Priorities From Macro Level Functional Requirements to Fulfillment of Basic Human Needs PART III EXPLORING MULTI-LEVEL THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Chapter 16 Feminist Theory at Multiple Levels: Analytical and Critical Chapter 17 Human Agency, the Structuration Process, and the Dynamics of Social Systems Chapter 18 Biological Versus Cultural Influences on Human Behavior Chapter 19 The Dynamics of Cultural Systems and Their Fragmentation in the PostmodernWorld Chapter 20 Summary
Biological monitoring of organophosphorus pesticide exposure among children of agricultural workers in central Washington State.

Children up to 6 years of age who lived with pesticide applicators were monitored for increased risk of pesticide exposure: 48 pesticide applicator and 14 reference families were recruited from an agricultural region of Washington State in June 1995. A total of 160 spot urine samples were collected from 88 children, including repeated measures 3-7 days apart. Samples were assayed by gas chromatography flame photometric detector for dimethylphosphate metabolites. Dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP) was the dominant metabolite. DMTP levels were significantly higher in applicator children than in reference children (p = 0.015), with median concentrations of 0.021 and 0.005 microg/ml, respectively; maximum concentrations were 0.44 and 0.10 microg/ml, respectively. Percentages of detectable samples were 47% for applicator children and 27% for reference children. A marginally significant trend of increasing concentration was observed with decreasing age among applicator children (p = 0.060), and younger children within these families had significantly higher concentrations when compared to their older siblings (p = 0.040). Applicator children living less than 200 feet from an orchard were associated with higher frequency of detectable DMTP levels than nonproximal applicator children (p =0.036). These results indicate that applicator children experienced higher organophosphorus pesticide exposures than did reference children in the same community and that proximity to spraying is an important contributor to such exposures. Trends related to age suggest that child activity is an important variable for exposure. It is unlikely that any of the observed exposures posed a hazard of acute intoxication. This study points to the need for a more detailed understanding of pesticide exposure pathways for children of agricultural workers. ImagesFigure 1.Figure 2.Figure 3.
Detection of Cattle Naturally Infected with Anaplasma marginale in a Region of Endemicity by Nested PCR and a Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Recombinant Major Surface Protein 5

ABSTRACT A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant major surface protein 5 (rMSP5-cELISA) of Anaplasma marginale was validated in a naturally infected cattle herd in an area of eastern Oregon where A. marginale is endemic. The true positive and negative A. marginale infection status of 235 randomly selected cattle was determined by using a nested PCR (nPCR) coupled with msp5 sequence analysis and hybridization. Judgment of the reliability of the nPCR and hybridization for detection of persistent infections was based on three observations. First, the nPCR was able to detect as few as 30 infected erythrocytes per ml. Second, the nPCR was able to consistently detect low levels of rickettsemia in seven carrier cattle experimentally infected with A. marginale. Third, msp5sequence analysis showed >95% identity among 30 nPCR amplicons from cattle naturally infected with field strains of A. marginale. The nPCR and hybridization identified 151 infected and 84 uninfected cattle among the 235 animals tested. With a cutoff point of 28%, the rMSP5-cELISA showed a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 95%. These results indicate that the rMSP5-cELISA can sensitively and specifically detect cattle with naturally acquired persistent A. marginale infections and suggest that it is an excellent assay for epidemiological studies, eradication programs, and regulation of international cattle movement.
The applicability of the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) for fatigue data editing

This paper presents the fatigue data editing technique for accelerating the simulation of fatigue durability testing. This technique was performed by removing low amplitude cycles contained in the original signal in order to produce a shortened signal using the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) method. The transformation of time domain signal into time-frequency domain provides the energy distribution display with respect to the particular time and frequency information. In this study, low amplitude cycles were eliminated according to the cut-off level of the signal energy distribution in the time representation. The simulation results showed that, the edited signal contained at least 94% of the original fatigue damage in the 124-seconds edited signal, i.e. 78% of the original signal time length. Thus, it has been suggested that this shortened signal can then be used in the laboratory fatigue testing for the purpose of accelerated fatigue testing. Finally, this STFT-based fatigue data editing approach is also suggested to be an alternative technique in fatigue durability study.
A Constant Flux of Diverse Thermophilic Bacteria into the Cold Arctic Seabed

Monitoring Massive Microbial Dispersal Quantifying the relative influence of present-day environmental conditions and geological history on the spatial distribution of species represents a major challenge in microbial ecology. Ecological approaches to distinguish between these two biogeographic controls are limited by environmental variability both in space and through time (see the Perspective by Patterson). Using a 1.5-million-year fossil record of marine diatoms, Cermeño and Falkowski (p. 1539) show that, even at the largest (global) spatial scale, the dispersal of marine diatoms is not very limited. Environmental factors are the primary control shaping the global biogeography of marine diatom morphospecies. Thermophilic microorganisms are routinely detected in permanently cold environments from deep sea sediments to polar soils. Hubert et al. (p. 1541) provide a quantitative analysis of a potentially large-scale dispersion of thermophilic bacteria in the ocean. Approximately 108 thermophilic spores are deposited each year on every square meter of Arctic sediment. Spore-forming bacteria adapted to the hot subsurface biosphere are continually deposited in polar marine sediments. Microorganisms have been repeatedly discovered in environments that do not support their metabolic activity. Identifying and quantifying these misplaced organisms can reveal dispersal mechanisms that shape natural microbial diversity. Using endospore germination experiments, we estimated a stable supply of thermophilic bacteria into permanently cold Arctic marine sediment at a rate exceeding 108 spores per square meter per year. These metabolically and phylogenetically diverse Firmicutes show no detectable activity at cold in situ temperatures but rapidly mineralize organic matter by hydrolysis, fermentation, and sulfate reduction upon induction at 50°C. The closest relatives to these bacteria come from warm subsurface petroleum reservoir and ocean crust ecosystems, suggesting that seabed fluid flow from these environments is delivering thermophiles to the cold ocean. These transport pathways may broadly influence microbial community composition in the marine environment.
Rapid Changes in the Optical Intensity and Radial Velocities of the X-Ray Source SCO X-1

The optical flux of Seo X-1 was continuously monitored on five separate nights between April and June 1967. Pulse counting was used with sampling intervals of 5 sec on the 100- and 200-inch telescopes and 15 sec on the 60-inch reflector. The error due to photon statistics per sample interval was smaller than 0.007 mag in all cases. The data were processed entirely by computer, using a variety of special digital techniques. Rapid optical flickering with amplitudes of ~0.02 mag on a time scale of minutes was found on all five nights. These high-frequency fluctuations are superposed on slower continuous variations with amplitudes ~0.15 mag, and on occasional bursts of 0.2 mag which last about 10 min with very short rise and decay times. Radial velocities have been measured by a digital method of cross-correlation of microphotometer records of the original photographic plates (Westphal 1966). Velocity changes of about 100 km sec^(-1) were found on two different singly trailed plates, each of 3 hours' duration. The hydrogen lines and He II (⋋4686) change in opposite directions, similar to the extar Cyg X-2, suggesting, but not proving, binary motion. Systematic changes of velocity from night to night are set out in Table 2. The distance to Seo X-1 is estimated to be D ≃ 500 pc by three methods, based on the strength of interstellar Ca II K, and on the old nova hypothesis. A firm lower limit of D ≥ 300 pc seems well established. The total X-ray power is ≃2 x 10^(37) h^2 ergs sec^1, where his the distance in units of 500 pc. If the Xray energy is due to bremsstrahlung, this level requires Seo X-1 to continuously pump energy into the hot plasma, replenishing the entire energy store of gas in the cooling time of t_c = 3 X 10^(-15) h^(-1) R^(3/2) sec where R is the radius (in centimeters) of the plasma system. Reasonable values of 10^(11) cm < R < 10^(12) cm give 100 h^(-1) < t_o < 3000 h^(-1) sec, which, remarkably, is the characteristic time of the light flicker. Mechanical energy due to some type of low-Q oscillation of the system, similar in many respects to that observed in the Sun, seems capable of providing 10^(37) ergs sec^(-1) to the plasma gas. The crucial experiment remains to simultaneously monitor the optical and the X-ray flux over periods of several hours. Detailed correlation of fluctuations is not expected, but the mean X-ray flux might plausibly be expected to vary in periods of fractions of an hour as the mean amplitude of the optical fluctuations changes.
On multi-column foreign key discovery

A foreign/primary key relationship between relational tables is one of the most important constraints in a database. From a data analysis perspective, discovering foreign keys is a crucial step in understanding and working with the data. Nevertheless, more often than not, foreign key constraints are not specified in the data, for various reasons; e.g., some associations are not known to designers but are inherent in the data, while others become invalid due to data inconsistencies. This work proposes a robust algorithm for discovering single-column and multi-column foreign keys. Previous work concentrated mostly on discovering single-column foreign keys using a variety of rules, like inclusion dependencies, column names, and minimum/maximum values. We first propose a general rule, termed Randomness, that subsumes a variety of other rules. We then develop efficient approximation algorithms for evaluating randomness, using only two passes over the data. Finally, we validate our approach via extensive experiments using real and synthetic datasets.
Circulating iodide concentrations during and after pregnancy.

1. Estimation of the plasma inorganic iodine (PII) as the difference between total serum iodine (TI) and protein-bound iodine (PBI) has been known for several decades, but not used extensively. It was judged not accurate enough, despite the paper by my late mentor Bob Vought and colleagues (2). Indeed, the level of the PII is usually so much lower than the TI and PBI, so that a small error in the estimation of either the TI or the PBI means a proportionally much higher one in the PII. 2. A low PII in pregnancy has been found not only in Scotland by Aboul-Khair et al. (3), but also in Greece by us (4), and by others, and is consistent with the fact that the renal iodide clearance increases considerably during pregnancy. So, it is difficult to accept a PII level similar to that before pregnancy if the iodine intake does not increase markedly. In the paper of Liberman et al. (1) there was not a marked increase in the iodine intake in pregnancy, as judged by the urinary iodine excretion, and so one wonders how the PII has not decreased. 3. The PII obtained by the isotope dilution technique and multiplied with the thyroidal iodide clearance rate leads to absolute iodine uptake rate estimates compatible with the amounts of iodide utilized by the thyroid, as discussed in the 1950s by Riggs (5) and in the 1960s by Wayne et al. (6), Rall et al. (7), and others. It should be noted that the thyroidal iodide clearance rate, as usually measured over a 1or 2-h period, corresponds more to the net one and not the unidirectional. With the PII values found by Liberman et al. (1), about 10 times higher than the PII values by the isotope dilution technique in iodine-sufficient countries, the thyroid is expected to trap and retain 10 times more iodide than it utilizes.
Elution of gentamicin and vancomycin from polymethylmethacrylate beads and hip spacers in vivo

Background and purpose Late infections after total hip arthroplasty are still a problem. Treatment procedures include resection arthroplasty with implantation of antibiotic-loaded beads or implantation of an antibiotic-impreganted spacer. However, little is known about antibiotic elution from bone cement beyond the first 2–3 postoperative days in humans. Methods 17 hip spacers (80g PMMA, 1g gentamicin, and 4 g vancomycin) and 11 chains (40 g PMMA, 0.5 g gentamicin, and 2 g vancomycin) in 28 patients were studied. The release of both agents was measured in the drainage fluid on a daily basis. The drains were left in situ until less than 50 mL was produced per day. The elution of both antibiotics was determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Systemic antibiotics were given postoperatively according to antibiogram. If possible, no gentamicin or vancomycin was given. Results Peak mean concentrations from beads and spacers were reached for gentamicin (1,160 (12–371) µg/mL and 21 (0.7–39) µg/mL, respectively) and for vancomycin (80 (21–198) µg/mL and 37 (3.3–72) µg/mL) on day 1. The last concentrations to be determined were 3.7 µg/mL gentamicin and 23 µg/mL vancomycin in the beads group after 13 days, and 1.9 µg/mL gentamicin and 6.6 µg/mL vancomycin in the spacer group after 7 days. Between the fifth and seventh day, an intermittent increase in elution of vancomycin from both beads and spacers and of gentamicin from spacers was noticed. No renal or hepatic dysfunction was observed. Interpretation Beads showed higher elution characteristics in vivo than the spacers due to their larger surface area; however, a great amount of inter-subject variability was seen for both beads and spacers. The inferior elution properties of spacers emphasize the importance of additional systemic antibiotics for this treatment procedure during the postoperative period. Future studies should clarify whether the dose of antibiotics or length of antibiotic therapy may be reduced in the case of bead implantation, without jeopardizing the control of infection.
Probing the holography of near-horizon AdS5 × S5 geometry

Using the AdS/CFT correspondence we study the holographic principle and the CFT/FRW relations in the near-horizon AdS5×S5 geometry with a probe D3-brane playing the role of the boundary to this space. The motion of the probe D3-brane in the bulk induces a cosmological evolution on the brane. As the brane crosses the horizon of the bulk Schwarzschild–AdS5 black hole, it probes the holography of the dual CFT. We test the holographic principle and we find corrections to CFT/FRW relations in various physical cases: for a radially moving, spinning and electrically charged D3-brane and for an NS/NS B-field in the bulk.