Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Half-Day versus Full-Day Kindergarten Programs on Student Outcomes: A Pilot Project. Project Report.

This pilot study compared developmental outcomes, academic achievement, and parent involvement for children attending a Title I full-day kindergarten with those of children attending a Title I half-day program in New Albany, Indiana. The subjects were nine children from the full-day program and ten children from the half-day program. The curriculum in each of the classrooms was evaluated using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS). To record student gains in September and May of the school year, teachers administered the Developmental Checklist of The Work Sampling System. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Revised) and a teacher-formulated checklist were also given. Demographic and attendance information was gained from parent/guardian interviews or school records. Parent involvement information was gained on frequency of checking out materials from a lending library and attendance at parent meetings. Findings revealed no differences in the curricula of the two programs. There were few differences in demographic data, except that a greater percentage of parents in the half-day program were employed than in the full-day program. There were no differences in any child assessment measures; the greatest gains for both groups were in the domains of language and literacy and mathematical thinking, and the smallest gains were in personal and social development. There was greater parent workshop attendance in the full-day program. Further study with a larger sample was recommended. (KDFB) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. IMPARTMENT OF VEXATION Mc* of Educations! Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) "7<fnis document has been reproduced as tscuiyed trom the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions slatd in this document do not nett/Manly represent official OERI position or policy PROJECT REPORT The Impact of Half-Day Versus Full-Day Kindergarten Programs on Student Outcomes: A Pilot Project
The location of KIT and PDGFRA gene mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumours is site and phenotype associated

Aims: To assess the relation between KIT and PDGFRA mutations and the site of origin, histological phenotype, and pathomorphologically determined risk assessment in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). Methods: A series of 83 clinicopathologically characterised GISTs from 79 patients was analysed for KIT and PDGFRA mutations by polymerase chain reaction amplification, single strand conformation polymorphism analysis, and direct DNA sequencing. Results: KIT or PDGFRA mutations were found in 57 and 11 GISTs, respectively. Most KIT mutations involved exon 11 (46 cases), followed by exon 9 (10 cases). The PDGFRA mutations mostly affected exon 18 (eight cases), followed by exon 12 (three cases). There was a significant association between KIT exon 9 mutations and an intestinal origin of GISTs, and between PDGFRA mutations and gastric origin of the tumours. In addition, the presence of PDGFRA mutations was significantly associated with epithelioid/mixed histology, as was the absence of identified receptor tyrosine kinase mutations. Vice versa, KIT exon 11 mutations were almost exclusively found in spindle cell GISTs. Furthermore, the presence of any KIT and PDGFRA mutations and the presence of KIT mutations alone were significantly associated with high risk/malignant GISTs. Conclusions: The location of KIT and PDGFRA mutations in GISTs is associated with the site of origin and histological phenotype. Genotyping of GISTs may be a helpful additional parameter in determining the biological profile of these tumours.
Lipopolysaccharide increased the expression levels of IL-18, ICE and IL-18 R in murine Leydig cells.

PROBLEM This study examined the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the capacity of Leydig cells to produce and express interleukin-18 (IL-18), IL-18 receptor (IL-18R) and the IL-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE) (IL-18 family), under in vitro conditions. METHOD OF STUDY Primary Leydig cells (LCs) were isolated from murine testis by the Percoll technique, and cultured both in the presence and absence of LPS (0.1, 1, 5 microg/mL) for 3 and 24 hr. LCs were examined for their capacity to produce and express IL-18 family molecules by using immunohistochemical staining (IHC), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. RESULTS Leydig cells were shown to constitutively express IL-18, as examined by IHC, ELISA, Western blot and real-time PCR analysis. Addition of LPS to LC cultures was shown to significantly increase the basal levels of IL-18, in a dose- and time course-dependent manner, as examined by ELISA, Western blot and real-time PCR analysis. In addition, LPS increased LC cultures to express ICE and IL-18 R, as examined by real-time PCR analysis. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that LPS increased the capacity of murine LCs to produce the IL-18 family molecules. IL-18, in the testis, might be involved in the regulation of physiological and infection/inflammatory processes, and thus, could be a component of the autocrine/paracrine factor net that controls steroidogenesis and male fertility; further studies are needed to confirm this possibility.
Electrostatic and magnetic instabilities in the transition layer of a collisionless weakly relativistic pair shock

Energetic electromagnetic emissions by astrophysical jets like those that are launched during the collapse of a massive star and trigger gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are partially attributed to relativistic internal shocks. The shocks are mediated in the collisionless plasma of such jets by the filamentation instability of counterstreaming particle beams. The filamentation instability grows fastest only if the beams move at a relativistic relative speed. We model here with a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation the collision of two cold pair clouds at the speed c/2 (c: speed of light). We demonstrate that the two-stream instability outgrows the filamentation instability for this speed and is thus responsible for the shock formation. The incomplete thermalization of the upstream plasma by its quasi-electrostatic waves allows other instabilities to grow. A shock transition layer forms, in which a filamentation instability modulates the plasma far upstream of the shock. The inflowing upstream plasma is progressively heated by a two-stream instability closer to the shock and compressed to the expected downstream density by the Weibel instability. The strong magnetic field due to the latter is confined to a layer 10 electron skin depths wide.
Positive Allosteric Modulation of the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: Ligand Interactions with Distinct Binding Sites and Evidence for a Prominent Role of the M2-M3 Segment

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), a homopentameric, rapidly activating and desensitizing ligand-gated ion channel with relatively high degree of calcium permeability, is expressed in the mammalian central nervous system, including regions associated with cognitive processing. Selective agonists targeting the α7 nAChR have shown efficacy in animal models of cognitive dysfunction. Use of positive allosteric modulators selective for the α7 receptor is another strategy that is envisaged in the design of active compounds aiming at improving attention and cognitive dysfunction. The recent discovery of novel positive allosteric modulators such as 1-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(2-chloro-5-trifluoromethylphenyl)urea (NS-1738) and 1-(5-chloro-2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)urea (PNU-120596) that are selective for the α7 nAChRs but display significant phenotypic differences in their profile of allosteric modulation, suggests that these molecules may act at different sites on the receptor. Taking advantage of the possibility to obtain functional receptors by the fusion of proteins domains from the α7 and the 5-HT3 receptor, we examined the structural determinants required for positive allosteric modulation. This strategy revealed that the extracellular N-terminal domain of α7 plays a critical role in allosteric modulation by NS-1738. In addition, α7-5HT3 chimeras harboring the M2-M3 segment showed that spontaneous activity in response to NS-1738, which confirmed the critical contribution of this small extracellular segment in the receptor gating. In contrast to NS-1738, positive allosteric modulation by PNU-120596 could not be restored in the α7-5HT3 chimeras but was selectively observed in the reverse 5HT3-α7 chimera. All together, these data illustrate the existence of distinct allosteric binding sites with specificity of different profiles of allosteric modulators and open new possibilities to investigate the α7 receptor function.
Corporate Governance and Accounting Scandals*

This paper empirically examines whether certain corporate governance mechanisms are related to the probability of a company restating its earnings. We examine a sample of 159 U.S. public companies that restated earnings and an industry‐size matched sample of control firms. We have assembled a novel, hand‐collected data set that measures the corporate governance characteristics of these 318 firms. We find that several key governance characteristics are unrelated to the probability of a company restating earnings. These include the independence of boards and audit committees and the provision of nonaudit services by outside auditors. We find that the probability of restatement is lower in companies whose boards or audit committees have an independent director with financial expertise; it is higher in companies in which the chief executive officer belongs to the founding family. These relations are statistically significant, large in magnitude, and robust to alternative specifications. Our findings are consistent with the idea that independent directors with financial expertise are valuable in providing oversight of a firm’s financial reporting practices.
Comparison of clonidine and dexmedetomidine for short-term sedation of intensive care unit patients

Background and Objectives: Patients on mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit (ICU) are often uncomfortable because of anxiety, pain, and endotracheal intubation; therefore, require sedation. Alpha-2 agonists are known to produce sedation. We compared clonidine and dexmedetomidine as sole agents for sedation. Study Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled open-label study. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 patients requiring a minimum of 12 h of mechanical ventilation with concomitant sedation, were randomly allocated into two groups. Group C (n = 35) received intravenous (IV) clonidine (1 μg/kg/h titrated up to 2 μg/kg/h to attain target sedation), and Group D (n = 35) received IV dexmedetomidine for sedation (loading 0.7 μg/kg and maintenance 0.2 μg/kg/h titrated up to 0.7 μg/kg/h to achieve target sedation). A Ramsay Sedation Score of 3-4 was considered as target sedation. Additional sedation with diazepam was given when required to achieve target sedation. The quality of sedation, hemodynamic changes and adverse effects were noted and compared between the two groups. Results: Target sedation was achieved in 86% observations in Group D and 62% in Group C (P = 0.04). Additional sedation was needed by more patients in Group C compared with Group D (14 and 8 in Groups C and D, respectively, P = 0.034), mainly due to concomitant hypotension on increasing the dose of clonidine. Hypotension was the most common side-effect in Group C, occurring in 11/35 patients of Group C and 3/35 patients of Group D (P = 0.02). Rebound hypertension was seen in four patients receiving clonidine, but none in receiving dexmedetomidine. Conclusion: Both clonidine and dexmedetomidine produced effective sedation; however, the hemodynamic stability provided by dexmedetomidine gives it an edge over clonidine for short-term sedation of ICU patients.
Power-delay tradeoffs for radix-4 and radix-8 dividers

The use of higher radices in division reduces the number of iterations to complete the operation, but increases the complexity of the circuit. In this paper we explore the influence of the radix on the power dissipation of a floating-point divider and the power-delay tradeoffs. We compare the performance and the energy consumption per operation for a radix-4 and a radix-8 divider, realized in CMOS technology. A reduction of about 40% in the energy consumption is obtained for both radices (about 70% if low-voltage gates, for dual voltage implementation, are available). Also the results show that the radix-8 divider is about 20% faster and the energy dissipated to perform a division is about the same, with respect to the radix-4.
Corticosterone Response Underlying Tolerance to Stress Induced by a Gaseous (Nitrous Oxide) Environment

Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) was demonstrated in tats following a single pairing between ingestion of a novel saccharin solution (CS) and 60 min. inhalation of an 80% N2O2:20% N2O gas mixture (UCS). CTA from a single novel CS-N2O UCS pairing was achieved by methodological improvements including: an inhalation chamber for small animals that achieved complete gas diffusion, an increased UCS duration (60 min. of inhalation) and a decreased CS-UCS interval (1 min.). The increased N2O UCS inhalation probably contributed to CTA, since no duration less than 60 min. of N2O inhalation produced significantly greater plasma corticosterone elevation than 60 min. of Na:O2 inhalation. The hypothesis that CTA is stress-induced was supported, in that plasma corticosterone levels were elevated by N2O inhalation and adrenal catecholamines (CA) were depleted. Further, after 4 N2O pretreatments, which produced partial behavioral tolerance to N2O treatment, plasma corticosterone elevation abated somewhat. However, corticosterone level also was raised by N2:O2 treatment. As a result, abatement of corticosterone elevation cannot account for behavioral tolerance to N2O-induced CTA, though it may be a contributor. Since adrenal CA were depleted by N2O inhalation, this response also might abate and underlie or contribute to behavioral tolerance.
Defect Density Measurements Using COSMIC - Experiences with Mobile Apps and Embedded Systems

Defect Density Measurements based on functional size have big advantages over traditional approaches based on counting entries in defect repositories. Using structural information, defects can be located within data movements using the ISO/IEC 19761 COSMIC framework. Consequently, defect counts and defect density indicators become comparable among different projects and products, and can even be used for contracting purposes and in acceptance criteria. This article explores modern defect density measurements in two different areas: first, in mobile apps, where functionality spreads between server and devices and defects might arise at communication interfaces between server and devices, and second, in instruments with embedded software ("Internet of Things"), where defects occur when interfacing between different functional users. This yields new insights into origin of defects, and, consequently, leads to defect avoidance strategies. Also, it is shown how ISO/IEC 20926 IFPUG can be used to identify layered application boundaries within the counting scope, establishing effective test scenarios useful for counting defects with ISO/IEC 19761 COSMIC. A best practice for setting application boundaries is proposed that applies both to IFPUG and COSMIC.
FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY AND THE INTELLIGIBILITY OF COMPETING VOICES

When two people speak at the same time, it is easier to understand what either of them is saying if the voices differ in fundamental frequency (F0). The contribution of F0 to the intelligibility of pairs of simultaneous sentences was investigated using a high-quality speech vocoder. Word identification accuracy improved by 23% as the F0 difference between the voices increased from 0 to 8 semitones. With a 4semitone difference, benefits of F0 were asymmetrical: the sentence with the higher F0 was more intelligible. F0 differences provided similar gains when F0 was held constant using a monotone pitch, and when the natural pattern of F0 variation was preserved in each sentence. Time-varying F0 did not result in improved identification compared to constant F0, except at 0 and 1 semitones where marginal improvements could be attributed to perceptual segregation based on momentary differences in static F0, rather than F0 dynamics.
The Respiratory Pattern in Drosophila melanogaster Selected for Desiccation Resistance Is Not Associated with the Observed Evolution of Decreased Locomotory Activity

We examined spontaneous locomotory behavior and respiratory pattern in replicate outbred populations of Drosophila melanogaster selected for desiccation resistance or starvation resistance, as well as their control and ancestral populations. Use of these populations allows us to compare evolved behavioral changes in response to different stress selections. We also reasoned that previously observed changes in respiratory patterns following selection for increased desiccation resistance might be associated with or even caused by changes in locomotory behavior. We measured spontaneous locomotory behavior using video recordings and a computer‐based tracking system while simultaneously measuring patterns of CO2 release from single fruit flies. Statistically significant differences in behavior were observed to be correlated with selection regime. Reduced levels of spontaneous locomotory activity were observed in moist air in both desiccation‐ and starvation‐selected populations compared with their controls. Interestingly, in dry air, only the desiccation‐selected flies continue to show reduced spontaneous locomotory activity. No correlation was found between the level of locomotory activity of individual flies and the respiratory patterns of those flies, indicating that the reduced activity levels that have evolved in these flies did not directly cause the documented changes in their respiratory pattern.
Prokaryotic Chaperones Support Yeast Prions and Thermotolerance and Define Disaggregation Machinery Interactions

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsp104 and Escherichia coli ClpB are Hsp100 family AAA+ chaperones that provide stress tolerance by cooperating with Hsp70 and Hsp40 to solubilize aggregated protein. Hsp104 also remodels amyloid in vitro and promotes propagation of amyloid prions in yeast, but ClpB does neither, leading to a view that Hsp104 evolved these activities. Although biochemical analyses identified disaggregation machinery components required for resolubilizing proteins, interactions among these components required for in vivo functions are not clearly defined. We express prokaryotic chaperones in yeast to address these issues and find ClpB supports both prion propagation and thermotolerance in yeast if it is modified to interact with yeast Hsp70 or if E. coli Hsp70 and its cognate nucleotide exchange factor (NEF) are present. Our findings show prion propagation and thermotolerance in yeast minimally require cooperation of species-specific Hsp100, Hsp70, and NEF with yeast Hsp40. The functions of this machinery in prion propagation were directed primarily by Hsp40 Sis1p, while thermotolerance relied mainly on Hsp40 Ydj1p. Our results define cooperative interactions among these components that are specific or interchangeable across life kingdoms and imply Hsp100 family disaggregases possess intrinsic amyloid remodeling activity.
Context Specificity of Conditioning and Latent Inhibition: Evidence for a Dissociation of Latent Inhibition and Associative Interference

Conditioning may generalize from one context to another when latent inhibition (the effect on subsequent conditioning of prior unreinforced exposure to the stimulus) does not. Experiment 1 studied conditioned approach and licking by rats to a stimulus paired with the delivery of water and confirmed that latent inhibition could be abolished by a change of context, while prior aversive conditioning to the stimulus, produced by pairing it with mild shock, interfered with the acquisition of conditioned approach and licking regardless of this change of context. Thus even when conditioning and latent inhibition were measured in the same way, the former generalized across contexts, and the latter did not. Experiment 2 showed that the effects not only of unreinforced exposure to a stimulus but also of presentation of the stimulus uncorrelated with the delivery of water were confined to the context in which they occurred. Thus the generalization of conditioning from one context to another and the failure of latent inhibition to generalize cannot be attributed to the occurrence of rein-forcers during conditioning and their absence in latent inhibition. This conclusion was confirmed in Experiment 3, where animals received both aversive conditioning trials and unreinforced presentations of other stimuli in the treatment phase of the experiment, but were then conditioned to one of these stimuli paired with water. Once again, the effects of aversive conditioning transferred perfectly from one context to another, while those of unreinforced presentations did not. Latent inhibition, these results suggest, is not easily explained by supposing that animals associate an unreinforced stimulus with zero consequences and have to unlearn this association when the stimulus is then paired with a reinforcer.
Autonomous Formation Flying for the PRISMA Mission

PRISMA is a technology demonstration mission for satellite formation ﬂying and in-orbit servicing. The space segment comprises the fully maneuverable Main minisatellite and the smaller Target satellite in a low Earth orbit at 700-km altitude. A key mission objective is to demonstrate onboard, fully autonomous, robust, safe, and precise formation ﬂying of spacecraft. This is accomplished by spaceborne global positioning system navigation, guidance, and control functionalities for the maintenance of the relative motion between the two spacecraft. An innovative estimation approach employs a common Kalman ﬁlter for the absolute states of Main and Target, which accounts for the interdependency of absolute and relative navigation without the need for an explicit relative state. As a result, the onboard navigation system provides absolute and relative orbit information in real time with a position accuracy of 2 and 0.1 m, respectively. The formation control achieves accuracies of a few tenths of meters with minimum usage of thrusters. The guidance and control concept is detailed with emphasis on a relative eccentricity and inclination vector separation strategy. The paper derives estimates of the expected relative orbit control performances based upon realworld simulations using typical global positioning system receiver and propulsion system characteristics.
Mobility support in IP: a survey of related protocols

This article presents an overview of a set of IP-based mobility protocols mobile IP, HAWAII, cellular IP, hierarchical MIP, TeIeMIP, dynamic mobility agent, and terminal independent MIP - that will play an important role in the forthcoming convergence of IP and legacy wireless networks. A comparative analysis with respect to system parameters such as location update, handoff latency and signaling overhead exposes their ability in managing micro/macro/global-level mobility. We use this observation to relate their features against a number of key design issues identified for seamless IP-based mobility as envisioned for future 4G networks.