Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
School Centralization and Organizational Effectiveness: The Role of Teacher Alienation.

Hie focus of educational reform in recent years has shifted to the restructuring of schools. Many reformers have defined restructuring in terms of the decentralization of power within schools (Elmore et ah, 1990). Yet, there is little research to suggest how such decentralization will affect teachers and improve schools. Given this scarcity, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between the degree of centralized decision-making which exists in a school, teachers’ cognitive and affective work-alienation, and multiple indices of school effectiveness. Such relationships were examined within the context of Seeman’s (1972) framework of social change as applied to schools. Viewing teacher work-alienation as a mediator of the relationship between school centralization and effectiveness, five hypotheses were constructed and tested. Sixty schools from a mixed set of districts in a southeastern state were selected for study. Survey data were collected from teachers in this sample; each school made available the appropriate effectiveness data. Using schools as the unit of analysis, the following results were obtained: 1) a significant, positive correlation was found to exist between centralization and both measures of work-alienation; 2) relationships between work-alienation and the various effectiveness indices were mixed in both direction and magnitude; 3) relationships between centralization and the effectiveness indices were likewise mixed in direction and magnitude; and 4) when the effects of alienation were statistically controlled, the magnitude of the relationship between centralization and effectiveness was considerably reduced. These results suggest that Seeman’s framework is formulated at a level of abstraction that does not easily fit schools as organizations. The framework fails to account for the mixed results obtained between centralization and the various indices of effectiveness. Given this inconsistency, it would appear that the concept of school effectiveness stands in need of further clarification. Development of a taxonomy which considers the various levels and nuances of school effectiveness is needed to guide future research. In addition, it would appear that work-alienation docs mediate the relationship between school centralization and effectiveness. Such findings call into question the appropriateness of the tight-ship metaphor as a descriptor of the effective school.
Modulation by Eicosapentaenoic Acid Myoblasts : 12 C 2 Synthesis / Degradation in Murine C Effect of a Cancer Cachectic Factor on Protein Updated

The effect of a proteolysis inducing factor (PIF) on protein synthesis and degradation and the modulation of this effect by the polyunsaturated fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), have been examined using a surrogate model system, C2C12 myoblasts in vitro. After 90 min of incubation, PIF produced a significant inhibition of protein synthesis in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal inhibition at a concentration of 4 nM. The effect was attenuated both by treatment with a monoclonal antibody to PIF and by treatment with insulin at physiological concentrations (1 nM) and below (0.1 nM), but not by EPA (50 mM). The inhibitory effect on protein synthesis was transitory and was not seen after prolonged incubation with PIF. An increased rate of protein degradation was observed in C2C12 myoblasts after addition of PIF, which was also maximal at a concentration of PIF of 4 nM. Higher concentrations of PIF did not produce an increase in protein degradation. Unlike the effect on protein synthesis, the enhanced protein degradation was completely abolished by pretreatment with 50mM EPA, suggesting that the two effects are mediated by different mechanisms. PIF produced an increased release of [H]arachidonic acid from prelabeled myoblasts with a dose-response curve parallel to that of protein degradation and with a maximum at 4 nM PIF. Release of [ H] arachidonic acid was completely blocked in cells pretreated with 50 mM EPA, suggesting that the effect was related to protein degradation. The [H]arachidonic acid was rapidly metabolized to prostaglandins E2 and F2a and to 5-, 12-, and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs). Production of all eicosanoids was attenuated in cells pretreated with EPA. Of all of the metabolites, only 15-HETE produced a significant increase in protein degradation in C2C12 myoblasts with a maximal effect at 30 nM and with a bell-shaped dose-response curve similar to that produced by PIF. These results suggest that PIF enhances protein degradation as a result of an increased production of 15-HETE.
Current Trend of Robotic Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeries in Korea: Analysis of Seven-Year National Data

Background Robotic surgery is an alternative to minimally invasive surgery. The aim of this study was to report on current trends in robotic thoracic and cardiovascular surgical techniques in Korea. Methods Data from the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA) between January 2006 and June 2012 were used in this study, including a total of 932 cases of robotic surgeries reported to NECA. The annual trends in the case volume, indications for robotic surgery, and distribution by hospitals and surgeons were analyzed in this study. Results Of the 932 cases, 591 (63%) were thoracic operations and 340 (37%) were cardiac operations. The case number increased explosively in 2007 and 2008. However, the rate of increase regained a steady state after 2011. The main indications for robotic thoracic surgery were pulmonary disease (n=271, 46%), esophageal disease (n=199, 34%), and mediastinal disease (n=117, 20%). The main indications for robotic cardiac surgery were valvular heart disease (n=228, 67%), atrial septal defect (n=79, 23%), and cardiac myxoma (n=27, 8%). Robotic thoracic and cardiovascular surgeries were performed in 19 hospitals. Three large volume hospitals performed 94% of the case volume of robotic cardiac surgery and 74% of robotic thoracic surgery. Centralization of robotic operation was significantly (p<0.0001) more common in cardiac surgery than in thoracic surgery. A total of 39 surgeons performed robotic surgeries. However, only 27% of cardiac surgeons and 23% of thoracic surgeons performed more than 10 cases of robotic surgery. Conclusion Trend analysis of robotic and cardiovascular operations demonstrated a gradual increase in the surgical volume in Korea. Meanwhile, centralization of surgical cases toward specific surgeons in specific hospitals was observed.
Performance Comparison between Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree and k-Nearest Neighbor in Searching Alternative Design in an Energy Simulation Tool

Energy simulation tool is a tool to simulate energy use by a building prior to the erection of the building. Commonly it has a feature providing alternative designs that are better than the user's design. In this paper, we propose a novel method in searching alternative design that is by using classification method. The classifiers we use are Naive Bayes, Decision Tree, and k-Nearest Neighbor. Our experiments hows that Decision Tree has the fastest classification time followed by Naive Bayes and k-Nearest Neighbor. The differences between classification time of Decision Tree and Naive Bayes also between Naive Bayes and k-NN are about an order of magnitude. Based on Percision, Recall, F- measure, Accuracy, and AUC, the performance of Naive Bayes is the best. It outperforms Decision Tree and k-Nearest Neighbor on all parameters but precision. Energy simulation tool is a tool to simulate energy use by a building prior to the erection of the building. The output of such simulation is a value in kWh/m 2 called energy performance. The calculation of the building energy performance must be carried out by developers as part of requirements to get permit to build the building. The building can only be built if the energy performance is below the allowable standard. In order to get building energy performance below the standard, architects must revise the design several times. And in order to ease the design work of the architects, an energy simulation tool must have a feature that suggests a better alternative design. Since the alternative design search is actually a classification problem, hence in this paper we propose a novel method to search alternative design by using classification method. The classification methods used in here are Decision Tree, Naive Bayes, and k-Nearest Neighbor. We will then compare the performance of these three methods in searching alternative design in an energy simulation tools.
Integration of Multiple Determinants in the Neuronal Computation of Economic Values

Economic goods may vary on multiple dimensions (determinants). A central conjecture in decision neuroscience is that choices between goods are made by comparing subjective values computed through the integration of all relevant determinants. Previous work identified three groups of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of monkeys engaged in economic choices: (1) offer value cells, which encode the value of individual offers; (2) chosen value cells, which encode the value of the chosen good; and (3) chosen juice cells, which encode the identity of the chosen good. In principle, these populations could be sufficient to generate a decision. Critically, previous work did not assess whether offer value cells (the putative input to the decision) indeed encode subjective values as opposed to physical properties of the goods, and/or whether offer value cells integrate multiple determinants. To address these issues, we recorded from the OFC while monkeys chose between risky outcomes. Confirming previous observations, three populations of neurons encoded the value of individual offers, the value of the chosen option, and the value-independent choice outcome. The activity of both offer value cells and chosen value cells encoded values defined by the integration of juice quantity and probability. Furthermore, both populations reflected the subjective risk attitude of the animals. We also found additional groups of neurons encoding the risk associated with a particular option, the risky nature of the chosen option, and whether the trial outcome was positive or negative. These results provide substantial support for the conjecture described above and for the involvement of OFC in good-based decisions.
Apolipoprotein A5 gene variants and the risk of coronary heart disease: A case-control study and meta-analysis

Previous studies have shown that apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5) gene variants are genetic determinants of the concentration of triglycerides, which are a known risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Using the standardized coronary angiography method, 290 CHD patients and 198 non-CHD controls were recruited from Ningbo Lihuili Hospital. In addition, 331 unrelated healthy volunteers were recruited as healthy controls from Ningbo Ximen Community residents. Three variants of the APOA5 gene, S19W, -1131T>C and 553G>T, were analyzed for their association with CHD. Under a dominant inheritance model, -1131CT>C was shown to be a CHD risk factor (P=0.030; OR, 1.422; 95% CI, 1.036–1.952). The single nucleotide polymorphism, 553G>T, was found to correlate with the severity of CHD in males (P=0.032). Meta-analysis showed that -1131T>C was significantly associated with CHD (P<0.0001). By contrast, negative correlations with CHD were observed for S19W and 553G>T. In the present case-control study, APOA5 gene variants were not found to correlate with the risk of CHD in the populations studied; however, -1131CT>C was shown to be a CHD risk factor under a dominant inheritance model. Meta-analysis showed a significant contribution of -1131T>C to the risk of CHD, implying an ethnic difference in APOA5 gene variants.
Cross-Talk between Metabolism and Reproduction: The Role of POMC and SF1 Neurons

Energy homeostasis and reproduction require tight coordination, but the mechanisms underlying their interaction are not fully understood. Two sets of hypothalamic neurons, namely pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the arcuate nucleus and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF1) neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, are emerging as critical nodes where metabolic and reproductive signals communicate. This view is supported by recent genetic studies showing that disruption of metabolic signals (e.g., leptin and insulin) or reproductive signals (e.g., estradiol) in these neurons leads to impaired regulation of both energy homeostasis and fertility. In this review, we will examine the potential mechanisms of neuronal communication between POMC, SF1, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the regulation of metabolism and reproduction.
Predictors of recovery from prenatal depressive symptoms from pregnancy through postpartum.

BACKGROUND Identifying predictors of the course of depressive symptoms from pregnancy through postpartum is important to inform clinical interventions. METHODS This longitudinal study investigated predictors of recovery from prenatal elevated depressive symptoms in the postpartum period. Forty-one pregnant women completed demographic, interpersonal, and psychosocial self-report assessment measures at 32 weeks of gestation and again 12 weeks postpartum. RESULTS Of those with elevated depressive symptoms, defined as a Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score ≥10, at the prenatal baseline, 39% (n=16) recovered to nonelevated symptom levels postpartum, whereas 61% (n=25) experienced sustained elevated symptoms. Women who recovered evidenced significantly lower baseline depression severity and more frequent engagement in physical activity and cohabitated with a romantic partner. In multiparous women (n=25), history of past postpartum depression (PPD) differentiated between those with transient and those with persisting symptoms, although history of lifetime depression did not. None of the additional demographic, interpersonal, or psychosocial variables investigated differentiated between groups. Logistic regression analysis showed prenatal depression severity and exercise frequency as predictors of recovery postpartum. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest most women will not experience spontaneous recovery. Women with prenatal heightened symptom severity and previous experiences with PPD are acutely vulnerable to experience sustained symptoms. In contrast, having a cohabitating partner and engagement in prenatal exercise predicted symptom improvement. Physical exercise may be an important clinical recommendation, as it may improve mood. Given the small sample size, these results are preliminary. Implications and future research recommendations are discussed.
A Geometric Determination of the Distance to the Galactic Center

We report new astrometric and spectroscopic observations of the star S2 orbiting the massive black hole in the Galactic center that were taken at the ESO VLT with the adaptive optics-assisted, near-IR camera NAOS/CONICA and the near-IR integral field spectrometer SPIFFI. We use these data to determine all the orbital parameters of the star with high precision, including the Sun-Galactic center distance, which is a key parameter for calibrating stellar standard candles and an important rung in the extragalactic distance ladder. Our deduced value of R0 = 7.94 ± 0.42 kpc is the most accurate primary distance measurement to the center of the Milky Way and has minimal systematic uncertainties of astrophysical origin. It is in excellent agreement with other recent determinations of R0.
Acute chromosomal DNA damage in human lymphocytes after radiation exposure in invasive cardiovascular procedures.

AIMS We evaluated whether radiation exposure during interventional cardiovascular procedures can induce damage to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). METHODS AND RESULTS Micronucleus assay (MN) was performed as biomarker of chromosomal damage and intermediate endpoint in carcinogenesis. Seventy-two patients (54 males, age = 63.8 +/- 10.5 years) undergoing a wide range of radiation exposure during invasive cardiovascular procedures (coronary angiography, n = 9; percutaneous coronary intervention, n = 9; peripheral transluminal angioplasty, n = 37; and cardiac resynchronization therapy, n = 17) were enrolled. MN frequency was evaluated before, 2, and 24 h after the radiation exposure. Dose-area product (DAP; Gy cm(2)) was assessed as physical measure of radiation load. DAP value was 96.0 +/- 63.9 Gy cm(2). MN frequency was 15.1 +/- 7.1 per thousand at baseline and showed a significant rise at 2 h (17.5 +/- 6.5 per thousand, P = 0.03) and 24 h (18.5 +/- 7.3 per thousand, P = 0.004) after procedures. CONCLUSION Our results corroborate the current radioprotection assumption that even modest radiation load can damage the DNA of the cell and induce chromosome alterations which are early predictors of increased cancer risk.
Does Shadow Education Help Students Prepare for College?

High school students, across the world, prepare for college by participating in shadow education. Despite substantial investments in shadow education, however, little is known about whether it helps students prepare for college. The goal of our study is to provide rigorous evidence about the causal impacts of participating in shadow education on college preparation. We analyze unique data from Russia using a cross-subject student fixed effects model. We find that participating in shadow education positively impacts high-achieving students but not low-achieving students. Participating in shadow education further does not lead students to substitute time away from other out-of-school studies. Instead, the results suggest that low-achieving students participate in low-quality shadow education, which, in turn, contributes to inequality in college access
Gelsolin Induces Colorectal Tumor Cell Invasion via Modulation of the Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Cascade

Gelsolin is a cytoskeletal protein which participates in actin filament dynamics and promotes cell motility and plasticity. Although initially regarded as a tumor suppressor, gelsolin expression in certain tumors correlates with poor prognosis and therapy-resistance. In vitro, gelsolin has anti-apoptotic and pro-migratory functions and is critical for invasion of some types of tumor cells. We found that gelsolin was highly expressed at tumor borders infiltrating into adjacent liver tissues, as examined by immunohistochemistry. Although gelsolin contributes to lamellipodia formation in migrating cells, the mechanisms by which it induces tumor invasion are unclear. Gelsolin’s influence on the invasive activity of colorectal cancer cells was investigated using overexpression and small interfering RNA knockdown. We show that gelsolin is required for invasion of colorectal cancer cells through matrigel. Microarray analysis and quantitative PCR indicate that gelsolin overexpression induces the upregulation of invasion-promoting genes in colorectal cancer cells, including the matrix-degrading urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Conversely, gelsolin knockdown reduces uPA levels, as well as uPA secretion. The enhanced invasiveness of gelsolin-overexpressing cells was attenuated by treatment with function-blocking antibodies to either uPA or its receptor uPAR, indicating that uPA/uPAR activity is crucial for gelsolin-dependent invasion. In summary, our data reveals novel functions of gelsolin in colorectal tumor cell invasion through its modulation of the uPA/uPAR cascade, with potentially important roles in colorectal tumor dissemination to metastatic sites.
Reassessing the gap-hypothesis: Tough talk and weak action in migration policy?

Much of the literature on migration policy has proclaimed a gap between what parties say and what parties do. The “gap-hypothesis” expects political parties to deliver “tough talk” and “weak action” on the issue of migration. This article tests this idea empirically by asking whether political parties keep their electoral promises on migration policy. The analysis of governments across 18 West European countries between 1980 and 2014 makes use of a new cabinet-based data set of migration policy outputs and two different data sets measuring parties’ preferences on migration. The results show that governing parties enact systematically more liberal policies on immigration and integration than their electoral manifestos would suggest. The purported democratic deficit in migration policy is substantially the result of a limited fulfillment of the electoral mandate by governing parties. Nevertheless, governing parties act upon their electoral mandate dependent on the governing constraints and the electoral incentives. Overall, governments tend to deliver on their integration policy positions but not on their immigration policy positions. The manifesto–policy link is stronger in the domestic policy dimension where governments face fewer external constraints.
Choice of Fields of Study of Canadian University Graduates: The Role of Gender and Their Parents' Education

This paper examines the determinants of the choice of field of study by university students using data from the Canadian National Graduate Survey. The sample of 18,708 graduates holding a Bachelor degree is interesting in itself knowing that these students completed their study and thus represent a pool of high quality individuals. What impact expected post-graduation lifetime earnings have in choosing their field of study respectively to their non pecuniary preferences? Are these individuals less or more influenced by monetary incentives on their decision than was found in previous literature with samples of university students not all completing their studies successfully? Unlike existing studies, we account for the probability that students will be able to find employment related to their field of study when evaluating lifetime earnings after graduation. The parameters that drive students’ choices of fields of study are estimated using a mixed multinomial logit model applied to seven broadly defined fields. Results indicate that the weight put by a student on initial earnings and earnings’ rate of growth earnings depends upon the education level of the parent of the same gender. Surprisingly, lifetime earnings have no statistically significant impact when the parent of the same gender as the student has a university education. Results show that men are, in general, more sensitive than women to initial income variations, whilst women are more sensitive than men to the earnings’ rate of growth variations. Marital status, enrolment status and the vocation identified with each field of study are influential factors in students’ choices. From a policy perspective, a substantial increase in lifetime earnings, while all other factors remain constant, would be necessary to draw students into fields of study they are not inclined to choose initially.