Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Timing is Everything: Getting Students Back on Track to College Readiness in High School

National trends and goals have pushed beyond the dropout crisis and are now focused on raising the percentage of graduates prepared for college and career. This study examined a longitudinal cohort (n = 6443) of students in an urban, public school district in order to explore how districts and communities can redirect off-track high school students. The researchers explored timing to first-time college readiness in English and math using Event History Analysis. Variables under investigation included gender, first-generation college student status, college aspiration, enrollment in college preparatory courses, and participation in organized, extracurricular, college preparatory activities. Results indicated a student’s chances of being on the college-ready trajectory were highest in the 8th grade. Findings also revealed a positive association between higher parent education levels and college preparatory course enrollment, particularly in math.
Robust object tracking with a hierarchical ensemble framework

Autonomous robots enjoy a wide popularity nowadays and have been applied in many applications, such as home security, entertainment, delivery, navigation and guidance. It is vital for robots to track objects accurately in real time in these applications, so it is necessary to focus on tracking algorithms to improve the robustness, speed and accuracy. In this paper, we propose a real-time robust object tracking algorithm based on a hierarchical ensemble framework which incorporates information including individual pixel features, local patches and holistic target models. The framework combines multiple ensemble models simultaneously instead of using a single ensemble model individually. A discriminative model which accounts for the matching degree of local patches is adopted via a bottom ensemble layer, and a generative model which exploits holistic templates is used to search for the object based on the middle ensemble layer as well as an adaptive Kalman filter. We test the proposed tracker on challenging benchmark image sequences. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed tracker performs superiorly against several state-of-the-art algorithms, especially when the appearance changes dramatically and the occlusions occur.
QUALITY OF LIFE RESEARCH AND SOCIOLOGY

This review examines research literature on the Quality of Life (QOL) pub­ lished in Canada and the United States since 1975. Of particular interest are the definition and measurement of QOL, theoretical perspectives of QOL, the findings of QOL research, and the impact of this research on public policy. A brief critical assessment accompanies the discussion of each topic, and a forecast is ventured of the future of QOL research in sociology.
Neutral pH and copper ions promote eumelanogenesis after the dopachrome stage

The diversity of pigmentation in the skin, hair, and eyes of humans has been largely attributed to the diversity of pH in melanosomes with acidic pH being proposed to suppress melanin production. Tyrosinase has an optimum pH of 7.4 and its activity is suppressed greatly at lower pH values. The first step of eumelanogenesis is the oxidation of tyrosine to dopachrome (DC) via dopaquinone. However, how eumelanogenesis is controlled by pH beyond this stage is not known. In this study, we examined the effects of pH (5.3–7.3) on the conversion of DC to 5,6‐dihydroxyindole (DHI) and 5,6‐dihydroxyindole‐2‐carboxylic acid (DHICA) and the subsequent oxidation of DHI and DHICA to form eumelanin. The effects of Cu2+ ions on those reactions were also compared. The results indicate that an acidic pH greatly suppresses the late stages of eumelanogenesis and that Cu2+ ions accelerate the conversion of DC to DHICA and its subsequent oxidation.
Test agent system design

The concept of an agent has become important in computer science and has been applied to a number of application domains, such as electronic commerce and information retrieval. However, to our knowledge, no one has yet proposed a test tool using intelligent agent technology. In this paper, we present a test agent system that employs intelligent agent techniques to provide active assistance to a tester. The main contribution of the paper is the description of a test agent system that consists of three agents, each of which has attributes such as autonomy, social ability, and intelligence.
Populism versus Democracy

This article provides a comparative conceptual analysis of the logic of populism and the logic of (constitutional) democracy. Populism is defined as a thin-centered ideology which advocates the sovereign rule of the people as a homogeneous body. The logic of this ideology is further developed in reference to the work of Carl Schmitt and is shown to generate all the characteristics typically ascribed to populism. The logic of democracy is analyzed on the basis of the work of Claude Lefort and defined as a regime in which the locus of power remains an empty place. This analysis replaces the widespread model of constitutional democracy as a paradoxical combination of a constitutional and a democratic pillar. This two-pillar model fails to appreciate the internal coherence and some of the main features of the (constitutional) democratic logic. Thereby, the two-pillar approach gives rise to an understanding of populism as continuous with the democratic promise of constitutional democracy. In contrast, our analysis explains populism as the closure of the empty place of democracy. This highlights the antagonistic discontinuity between the logic of populism and the logic of democracy.
A Star of Connection Between Pancreatic Cancer and Diabetes:Adrenomedullin

Pancreatic cancer belongs to the most aggressive cancer types, with an incidence rate equallig mortality rate. It is well? known that type 2 diabetes is a significant risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Interestingly, several studies have shown that pancreatic cancer can also lead to type 2 diabetes, as part of the pancreatic cancer induced paraneoplastic syndrome. Multiple factors have been proposed to be involved in the interaction between pancreatic cancer and diabetes. Adrenomedullin, a multifunctional hormone, is nominated as a strong candidate influencing the connection of pancreatic cancer with diabetes. Evidence so far suggest that adrenomedullin upregulation is linked with pancreatic cancer growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Most importantly, adrenomedullin exerts paracrine effects on pancreatic β cells impairing insulin secretion, causing glucose intolerance, and thus leading to β cell dysfunction. This review will explain recent advances regarding the involvement of adrenomedullin in pancreatic cancer and pancreatic cancer? associated diabetes.
Disability, poverty and development: critical reflections on the majority world debate

Beyond rough estimates, little is known about disability in the majority world and complexities related to context and poverty are too often unacknowledged in the quest to simplify, generalise and export disability discourse, models and strategies. Disability remains peripheral to the larger development agenda and the disability studies debate maintains an almost exclusive focus on western settings, loaded with associated historical, social and cultural assumptions. In the light of this, this paper seeks to elucidate and engage with complex issues surrounding the disability and majority world debate, critique and challenge the exportation of western focused disability models and discourse and engage with possible avenues for bridging the gap between disability and development.
A current-folded up-conversion mixer and VCO with center-tapped inductor in a SiGe-HBT technology for 5-GHz wireless LAN applications

This paper describes a 5.8-GHz up-conversion mixer core based on a current-folded architecture and a 5-GHz differential emitter-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) utilizing a center-tapped inductor and a substrate shield. Both circuits are fabricated in a 0.8-/spl mu/m 45-GHz f/sub T/ SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology. The supply voltage range is between -2.3 V and -3.3 V to meet the requirements of mobile circuits. Special care has been taken with the inductor model. A distributed modeling approach was used to generate an inductor model from a geometrical description. This type of model also has the advantage that it can simulate RF effects in both time and frequency domain.
Plasma disposition and milk excretion of eprinomectin following pour-on administration in lactating donkeys.

H. S. YALINKILINC* & V. VENEZIANO *Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Adnan Menderes, Aydin, Turkey; Veterinarian in practice, Potenza, Italy; DISCIZIA, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Pathology and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Teams or Tournaments? A Field Experiment on Cooperation and Competition in Academic Achievement

This paper assesses the effect of two stylized and antithetic non-monetary incentive schemes on students’ effort. We collect data from a field experiment where incentives are exogenously imposed, performance is monitored and individual characteristics are observed. Students are randomly assigned to a tournament scheme that fosters competition between coupled students, a cooperative scheme that promotes information sharing and collaboration between students and a control treatment in which students can neither compete, nor cooperate. In line with theoretical predictions, we find that competition induces higher effort with respect to cooperation and cooperation does not increase effort with respect to the baseline. However, this is true only for men, while women do not seem to react to non-monetary incentives.
DOES GROUP PARTICIPATION WHEN USING BRAINSTORMING FACILITATE OR INHIBIT CREATIVE THINKING

In an experiment designed to answer the title question, twelve groups of four men each and forty-eight individuals followed the four basic rules of brainstorming in attacking the same three problems in the same order. Upon completion of the experiment, a table of random numbers was used to divide the forty-eight individual subjects into twelve nominal groups of four men each. The performance of each nominal group was then scored as though its members had actually worked together. The achievement of these nominal groups thus provided a measure of the performance to be expected if group participation neither facilitates nor inhibits creative thinking. When compared with that of the twelve nominal groups, the performance of the twelve real groups was found to be markedly inferior with respect to: (a) mean total number of ideas produced; (b) mean number of unique ideas produced; (c) three different measures which weighted the ideas produced differentially with respect to quality. To the extent that the results of the present experiment can be generalized, it must be concluded that group participation when using brainstorming inhibits creative thinking. '
Location, Location, Location! Demonstrating the Mnemonic Benefit of the Method of Loci

Classroom demonstrations of empirically supported learning and memory strategies have the potential to boost students’ knowledge about their own memory and convince them to change the way they approach memory tasks in and beyond the classroom. Students in a Human Learning and Memory course learned about the Method of Loci (MoL) mnemonic technique, then created and used their own Memory Palaces based on campus locations to remember a grocery list. Pretest to posttest improvements in memory for the serially recalled list, along with significant increases in self-reported use of MoL in daily life, suggest that this activity may improve knowledge and application of this powerful memory strategy. More broadly, these types of activities can strengthen undergraduates’ metacognitive sophistication.
Influence of Scale on SWAT Model Calibration for Streamflow

The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was implemented in the 281,000 ha St. Joseph River Watershed (SJRW) to investigate the influence of multiple scales on stream flow model calibration parameters (Fig.1). The relationship between model calibration parameters and associated hydrological response units (HRU) between different scales is not well understood. In this investigation, two scales were used within the SJRW where such factors as land use, soil type, topography and management practices are considered similar, thus, conforming to the concept of downscaling rather than regionalization. The model was calibrated for streamflow in the SJRW. Critical parameters optimized for calibration were: 1) CN2, curve number, 2) ESCO, soil evaporation compensation factor, and 3) SOL_AWC, available water holding capacity. Using optimized parameters at the SJRW scale, stream flow estimates were evaluated in the 70,820 ha Cedar Creek Watershed (CCW), the largest subbasin and tributary in the SJRW. These same parameters were then optimized at the CCW scale and streamflow estimates for the CCW and the SJRW were evaluated by examination of the coefficient of determination (R) and the Nash and Sutcliffe (1970) model efficiency coefficient (ENS). Modeled and measured streamflow data were statistically analysed at both scales based on their respective calibrations.
NGOs, IOs, and the ICC: Diagnosing and Framing Darfur

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have become influential forces in global society. They exert their influence in part by framing issues and thereby suggesting particular courses of action. This article examines how NGOs with distinct missions represent mass violence for the case of Darfur. Content analysis of reports, speeches, and other documents from Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, and Save Darfur reveals distinct patterns across organizations. In addition to the organizations' specialized fields, interventions by external actors such as the United Nations and the International Criminal Court affect NGO framing, but they do so in organization-specific ways. Against presumptions of a uniform Western position on Darfur, this analysis documents that depictions of violence by Western NGOs show field-specific patterns and distinct responses to international political and judicial interventions.
Low-Density Lipoprotein in Hypercholesterolemic Human Plasma Induces Vascular Endothelial Cell Apoptosis by Inhibiting Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Transcription

Background—Apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) can be induced in vitro by experimentally modified LDL. Description of proapoptotic circulating lipoproteins may significantly enhance understanding of atherothrombosis pathophysiology. Methods and Results—Fast protein liquid chromatography of LDL samples from 7 asymptomatic, hypercholesterolemic patients yielded subfractions L1–L5 in increasing electronegativity. L4 and L5 were not detectable or collectible in normolipidemic samples. In bovine aortic EC cultures, L5 induced marked apoptosis and L4 had a mild effect, whereas hypercholesterolemic or normolipidemic L1–L3 had negligible effects. Compared with copper-oxidized LDL, L5 was only mildly oxidized, although its propensity to form conjugated dienes in response to copper exceeded that of other subfractions. L5-induced apoptosis was associated with suppressed fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) transcription, as assessed by nuclear run-on analysis. Degrading platelet-activating factor (PAF)-like lipids in L5 by a recombinant PAF acetylhydrolase prevented both FGF-2 downregulation and apoptosis. Furthermore, the ability of L5 lipid extract to induce calcium influx into neutrophils was lost after pretreatment of the extract with PAF acetylhydrolase. FGF-2 supplementation, PAF receptor (PAFR) blockade with WEB-2086, and inactivation of PAFR-coupled Gi protein with pertussis toxin all effectively attenuated L5-induced apoptosis. Conclusions—Our findings indicate that a highly electronegative, mildly oxidized LDL subfraction present in human hypercholesterolemic but not normolipidemic plasma can induce apoptosis in cultured ECs. The evidence that a freshly isolated LDL species modulates transcription of FGF-2 may provide a physiological insight into the mechanism of vascular EC apoptosis in hypercholesterolemia.
A Survey of Ontology Learning Approaches

The problem that ontology learning deals with is the knowledge acquisition bottleneck, that is to say the difficulty to actually model the knowledge relevant to the domain of interest. Ontologies are the vehicle by which we can model and share the knowledge among various applications in a specific domain. So many research developed several ontology learning approaches and systems. In this paper, we present a survey for the different approaches in ontology learning from semi-structured and unstructured date
Lesbian and Gay People's Concerns about Ageing and Accessing Services

Abstract There is growing awareness in Australia of the issues faced by lesbian and gay people as they grow older. The present paper examines concerns regarding their health-related ageing; growing older in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community; and accessing carers’ and aged care services in later life. It is based on a secondary data analysis of a subsample of 371 lesbians and gays, drawn from a survey of LGBT ageing conducted by the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities. The original survey was primarily quantitative and was delivered online between January 2007 and January 2008. The findings of the present study, based on univariate and bivariate analyses of the subsample, highlight that a majority of lesbians and gays were concerned that their sexuality or gender identity may affect the quality of services received. Many also expected to be discriminated against and were concerned that same-sex relationships would not be recognised and that staff would not be aware of LGBT issues. Among other findings, gay men were more likely than lesbians to be concerned about being alone in later life, whereas lesbians were more likely to be concerned about a lack of LGBT-specific accommodation and lack of recognition of same-sex partners.
Using Online Videos for Disability Awareness

JOPERD • Volume 80 No. 8 • October 2009 T he increase of inclusive education in the United States has heightened the need for disability awareness among individuals without disabilities. As more students with and without disabilities share classrooms, teachers must help their students be aware and respectful of individual differences, including disabilities. However, many educators need to develop the skill of fostering awareness and openness toward different ability levels in the classroom. Literature that addresses best practice in teaching students about disabilities can be helpful in this regard. This article describes how teachers can develop disability awareness in their students, specifically with the use of online videos.
Mobile phone data highlights the role of mass gatherings in the spreading of cholera outbreaks

Significance Big data and, in particular, mobile phone data are expected to revolutionize epidemiology, yet their full potential is still untapped. Here, we take a significant step forward by developing an epidemiological model that accounts for the spatiotemporal patterns of human mobility derived by directly tracking properly anonymized mobile phone users. Such data allow us to investigate, with an unprecedented level of detail, the effect that mass gatherings can have on the spreading of waterborne diseases like cholera. Identifying and understanding transmission hotspots opens the way to the implementation of novel disease control strategies. The spatiotemporal evolution of human mobility and the related fluctuations of population density are known to be key drivers of the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks. These factors are particularly relevant in the case of mass gatherings, which may act as hotspots of disease transmission and spread. Understanding these dynamics, however, is usually limited by the lack of accurate data, especially in developing countries. Mobile phone call data provide a new, first-order source of information that allows the tracking of the evolution of mobility fluxes with high resolution in space and time. Here, we analyze a dataset of mobile phone records of ∼150,000 users in Senegal to extract human mobility fluxes and directly incorporate them into a spatially explicit, dynamic epidemiological framework. Our model, which also takes into account other drivers of disease transmission such as rainfall, is applied to the 2005 cholera outbreak in Senegal, which totaled more than 30,000 reported cases. Our findings highlight the major influence that a mass gathering, which took place during the initial phase of the outbreak, had on the course of the epidemic. Such an effect could not be explained by classic, static approaches describing human mobility. Model results also show how concentrated efforts toward disease control in a transmission hotspot could have an important effect on the large-scale progression of an outbreak.
Is frozen section analysis of the urethra at the time of radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder urinary diversion mandatory?

Introduction: This study was aimed at analyzing the need for routine use of frozen section analysis (FSA) before performing orthotopic neobladder (ONB) after radical cystectomy for carcinoma urinary bladder. Materials and Methods: A total of 233 patients underwent radical cystectomy from January 2000 to June 2013. Of these, 151 (65.6%) patients were planned for ONB. In the initial 109 (72%) patients, FSA of urethral margin was performed, but, in the subsequent 42 (28%) patients, frozen section of urethral margin was not sent. Impact of hydroureteronephrosis, tumor size and location of tumor in relation to the bladder neck on the status of the urethral margin was analyzed. Results: Only three of the 109 (2.7%) patients had a positive urethral margin. Two of them had ileal conduit and one, after negative re-resection, had ONB. Although none of the factors was found to be significant, all three patients with a positive urethral margin had growth at the bladder neck and died of cancer at a mean follow up of 29.33 ± 18.3 months, without urethral recurrence. Among the negative FSA (106), two patients had recurrence in the penile urethra. The mean follow-up was 46.3 ± 25.1 months. None of the patients without FSA (42) had urethral recurrence at the mean follow-up of 36 ± 9.3 months. Of the 28 patients who had their growth located at the bladder neck, three had positive FSA, while none with growth away from the bladder neck had positive FSA. Conclusion: Routine FSA of the urethra before performing ONB can be avoided in those patients where the tumor does not reach the bladder neck.