Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Lists of the Characteristics of Effective Professional Development to Promote Visionary Leadership

In recent years, different researchers and research agencies, teacher associations, national education organizations, and the U.S. Department of Education have published lists of the characteristics of effective professional development to guide school leaders in their improvement efforts. This study analyzed 13 of the better known of these lists to determine whether they were derived through similar procedures, based on similar frames of reference, and included the same elements or characteristics. Results show that individual characteristics vary widely in their frequency of inclusion in the lists and that no characteristic is consistently named in all lists. In addition, research evidence supporting most of the identfied characteristics is inconsistent and often contradictory. Implications for leaders interested in improving professional development activities are discussed, as well as ways to enhance efforts to identify the characteristics of effective professional development.
Perceiving Age and Attractiveness in Facial Photographs1

In two experiments, 492 male and female subjects from three different age groups estimated the age of adult men and women on the basis of photographs and provided attractiveness ratings of the stimulus persons. With regard to the age estimates there was almost perfect agreement between the mean judgments of the different groups, and there was high consensus among the individual judges within each group. For each single picture, however, there was high variability in the age estimates; and although the estimates were generally quite accurate, in some cases they deviated substantially from the stimulus person's true age. In both experiments there was a negative relationship between age and attractiveness for female stimuli. For male stimuli a negative relationship was found in one experiment only, whereas in the other experiment these two variables were almost uncorrelated. Both experiments yielded two kinds of ingroup-favoritism: The relationship between age and attractiveness was seen to be less negative (a) when the judges and the judged were of the same sex, and (b) when the subjects themselves belonged to the oldest age group.
Effects of chloroquine and colchicine on the degradation of chyle cholesteryl ester and phospholipids in vivo.

1. Both chloroquine and cholchicine given intraperitoneally delayed the hydrolysis of chyle cholesteryl ester after the uptake by the liver. The cholesteryl ester radioactivity per mg protein of hepatocytes isolated from the drug-treated rats was 97.2 and 96.5%, respectively, of that in the intact liver. The decrease could be accounted for by hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester during cell isolation. Most of the unhydrolyzed cholesteryl ester was thus intracellular or firmly bound to the cells. Also in perfused rat livers chloroquine inhibited the hydrolysis of chyle cholesteryl ester that had been taken up in vivo. 2. After subcellular fractionation of livers from chloroquine-treated rats, that had been injected with cholesterol-labelled chyle 60 min earlier, 55% of the radioactive cholesteryl ester was in the large granule fractions (mitochondrial plus light mitochondrial pellet). The 600 x g and 100000 x g pellets contained a higher proportion of the unesterified radioactive cholesterol. Similar findings were made with colchicine-treated animals. 3. 60 min after injection of chyle labelled with 32P and [3H]cholesterol only 6 % of the injected [32P]phospholipid radioactivity was in the liver in normal rats and 7.3 % and 7.8 % in the liver of rats treated with chloroquine and colchicine, respectively. Whereas the cholesteryl ester radioactivity in the large granule fractions in rats treated with chloroquine and colchicine was increased by 2.4 and 3.1 times, there was no such increase in the 32P radioactivity of any of the phospholipid classes. 4. Three conclusions are drawn. Chylomicron remnant cholesteryl esters are likely to be interiorized by the hepatocytes before their degradation. The data are compatible with a role of the acid cholesterol esterase in their hydrolysis. There was no positive evidence that any significant part of the chylomicron phospholipids are taken up by the liver and metabolized by lysosomal enzymes.
Remodeling of Synaptic Structure in Sensory Cortical Areas In Vivo

Although plastic changes are known to occur in developing and adult cortex, it remains unclear whether these changes require remodeling of cortical circuitry whereby synapses are formed and eliminated or whether they rely on changes in the strength of existing synapses. To determine the structural stability of dendritic spines and axon terminals in vivo, we chose two approaches. First, we performed time-lapse two-photon imaging of dendritic spine motility of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in juvenile [postnatal day 28 (P28)] mice in visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortices. We found that there were differences in basal rates of dendritic spine motility of the same neuron type in different cortices, with visual cortex exhibiting the least structural dynamics. Rewiring visual input into the auditory cortex at birth, however, failed to alter dendritic spine motility, suggesting that structural plasticity rates might be intrinsic to the cortical region. Second, we investigated the persistence of both the presynaptic (axon terminals) and postsynaptic (dendritic spine) structures in young adult mice (P40–P61), using chronic in vivo two-photon imaging in different sensory areas. Both terminals and spines were relatively stable, with >80% persisting over a 3 week period in all sensory regions. Axon terminals were more stable than dendritic spines. These data suggest that changes in network function during adult learning and memory might occur through changes in the strength and efficacy of existing synapses as well as some remodeling of connectivity through the loss and gain of synapses.
Suppressing steady-state portions of speech for improving intelligibility in various reverberant environments

In previous studies (Arai et al., 2001; Arai et al., 2002), we hypothesized that segments of an acoustic signal are masked by reverberation components of previous segments, degrading speech intelligibility. To reduce masking influences, we suppressed steady-state portions having more energy, but which are less crucial for speech perception. We have presently conducted a perceptual test with a set of artificial reverberations to explore the relationship between steady-state suppression and several reverberation conditions. The results indicated clear improvements for some reverberation conditions. We certified that Arai’s technique was an effective pre-processing method for improving speech intelligibility under reverberant conditions.
Solitude in the School: A Neglected Facet of Children's Development and Education

H uman aloneness has various meanings. Objective aloneness is the state of having no one around, or, more precisely, the state of communicative rather than physical isolation. Painful aloneness, that is, loneliness, is the experience of sadness in the absence of intimacy or belonging, accompanied by a longing for human contact. Loneliness may or may not emerge from aloneness. Moreover, one may experience loneliness even if not literally alone; loneliness is a subjective condition experienced even if others (important or not) are present. Beneficial aloneness is a third type of aloneness, frequently denoted by the word “solitude. ” Solitude is a state of voluntary aloneness, in which personality development and creative activity may take place. Artists, writers, and scientists often describe solitude as their most creative and productive state. Therefore, the objective state of being alone may result in feelings of loneliness or in an active, constructive use of time alone, which is the essence of solitude (Buchholz, 1997; Larson, 1999; Marcoen & Goossens, 1993; Moustakas, 1961; Peplau & Perlman, 1982; Rubenstein & Shaver, 1982; Storr, 1988; Suedfeld, 1982). Volition and the desire for aloneness are critical aspects of solitude. Also, solitude is not a nonsocial state; it acquires its meaning within the social context (Long & Averill, 2003). Furthermore, solitude can be experienced even in the presence of others: ”People can maintain a sense of solitude in the presence of others by choosing not to interact with people around them” (Burger, 1995, p. 86). Solitude is a
Empirical versus Logical Solutions to Part-Whole Comparison Problems concerning Classes and Collections

MARKMAN, ELLEN M. Empirical versus Logical Solutions to Part-Whole Comparison Problems concerning Classes and Collections. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 168-177. When initially solving the Piagetian class-inclusion problem, children may take the greater numerosity of the superordinate class, compared to its subordinate class, to be an empirical fact rather than a logical consequence of the part-whole relation. This hypothesis was tested in study 1, where second through sixth graders, all of whom could answer inclusion questions, were given tasks which required them to answer the questions in the absence of empirical information about relative quantity and to predict whether a subordinate class could be made larger than its superordinate class. Results indicated that until about sixth grade children treat the greater numerosity of the superordinate class as an empirical fact. Given this age range, it seemed possible that formal operations are required to appreciate necessity. To test this stage theory, in study 2 children's performance in 2 part-whole domains, classes and collections, was compared. Collections are the referents of collective nouns (e.g., "forest," "family," "army"). Collections are argued to form better psychological units and to have more literal part-whole relations than classes. Previous work has demonstrated that part-whole comparisons are simpler when made on collections than on classes. The results of study 2 suggest that conceptualizing elements as collections also enhances children's awareness of the logical necessity of their answers. The good performance of elementary school children that was found for collections argues against a stage-theory interpretation of the appreciation of necessity.
Media in "Democratic" Zambia: Problems and Prospects

Zambia's transition to multiparty politics in 1991 has not led to significant changes in state-media relations. There was a brief period (just before and soon after 1991) when it ap-peared that the media would become an independent in-fluence in a democratic environment. But any movement in that direction has been thwarted by the continued state con-trol of the country's major news establishments. The inde-pendent media is weak due to a hostile political and legal environment and severe economic conditions. The ability of the independent press to contribute effectively to democratic discourse is further constrained by its failure to live up to the professional role of the press in pluralist politics. This paper examines the factors that have incapacitated the media and proposes that the same local and international civil society organizations that precipitated the 1991 transition to multiparty politics must again be mobilized to bring about a lasting transformation of state-media relations in Zambia.
The Coxsackievirus–Adenovirus Receptor Reveals Complex Homophilic and Heterophilic Interactions on Neural Cells

The coxsackievirus–adenovirus receptor (CAR) is a member of the Ig superfamily strongly expressed in the developing nervous system. Our histological investigations during development reveal an initial uniform distribution of CAR on all neural cells with a concentration on membranes that face the margins of the nervous system (e.g., the basal laminae and the ventricular side). At more advanced stages, CAR becomes downregulated and restricted to specific regions including areas rich in axonal and dendritic surfaces. To study the function of CAR on neural cells, we used the fiber knob of the adenovirus, extracellular CAR domains, blocking antibodies to CAR, as well as CAR-deficient neural cells. Blocking antibodies were found to inhibit neurite extension in retina organ and retinal explant cultures, whereas the application of the recombinant fiber knob of the adenovirus subtype Ad2 or extracellular CAR domains promoted neurite extension and adhesion to extracellular matrices. We observed a promiscuous interaction of CAR with extracellular matrix glycoproteins, which was deduced from analytical ultracentrifugation experiments, affinity chromatography, and adhesion assays. The membrane proximal Ig domain of CAR, termed D2, was found to bind to a fibronectin fragment, including the heparin-binding domain 2, which promotes neurite extension of wild type, but not of CAR-deficient neural cells. In contrast to heterophilic interactions, homophilic association of CAR involves both Ig domains, as was revealed by ultracentrifugation, chemical cross-linking, and adhesion studies. The results of these functional and binding studies are correlated to a U-shaped homodimer of the complete extracellular domains of CAR detected by x-ray crystallography.
Language intervention in Arabic–English bilingual aphasia: A case study

Background: Bilingual speech and language therapists (SLTs) who speak the languages of their bilingual patients are not always available; hence, the question of cross-language transfer in bilingual aphasia rehabilitation has arisen. Aims: The study aims to determine whether treatment provided in the L2 of a bilingual Arabic–English speaker with moderate to severe chronic aphasia will lead to improvement in both the treated L2 and the untreated L1 (cross-language transfer). Furthermore, the study aims to describe how treatment may be conducted in the mutual, non-native language of both the client and the SLT in an ordinary clinical setting. Methods & Procedures: Language measurements were made in both languages pre- and post-treatment using the Bilingual Aphasia Test (BAT). Therapy was provided in the participant’s L2 (English) 3 hours a week for 10 weeks. The treatment targeted the production of semantically and phonologically cued verbs, as well as communication-based treatment of verbs. All procedures focused on producing verbs in complete sentences. Outcomes & Results: Results demonstrate a significant increase in the overall BAT scores in both languages, with the greatest improvement occurring for semantically cued verbs in the participant’s L1 (Arabic). Moreover, there was a positive change in the participant’s language behaviour at home, as reported by his family. Conclusions: The treatment of the weaker L2 of bilingual aphasic patients can lead to cross-language transfer to the untreated L1. This transfer may be due to a shared conceptual system for the two languages, or it may be explained by the fact that the L1 was the dominant language at the time of treatment. The success of providing therapy in the SLTs L2 suggests that the provision of therapy in a mutual, non-native language of both the client and the SLT could constitute an effective intervention.
Engaging Student Resistance to Feminism: 'How is this stuff going to make us better teachers?'

This article examines the written language of student resistance to feminism in teacher education. Inductive textual analysis of data in the form of standardized student narrative evaluations of teaching and course content uncovers students' situated conceptions of women's subordination, ranging from complete denial of its existence to confused despair over an absence of definitive solutions. Implications for pedagogy of these student postures are discussed, and strategies are offered for engaging students in assessing the coherence of their own positions.
Protestant Growth and Change in El Salvador: Two Decades of Survey Evidence

Using data from three surveys of religion in El Salvador from 1988 to 2009, this research looks at changes in the demographic characteristics, religious orientations and practices, and political attitudes of Salvadorans as they transition from civil war to democracy and participation in global capitalism, and from mostly Catholic affiliation to increasing affiliation with Pentecostal Protestant churches. Over the two decades encompassed by the study, the Protestant population has become less clearly differentiated from the Catholic majority in terms of education, income, occupation, and even political beliefs, while remaining distinct in terms of religious beliefs and practices. Unlike much previous research, this study allows for comparisons among practicing and nonpracticing Catholics as well as Protestants and those identifying themselves as unaffiliated.
Validity Evidence for the Test of Silent Reading Efficiency and Comprehension (TOSREC)

An essential component of a response to intervention (RTI) framework is a screening process that is both accurate and efficient. The purpose of this study was to analyze the validity evidence for the Test of Silent Reading Efficiency and Comprehension (TOSREC) to determine its potential for use within a screening process. Participants included 226 students in Grades 1 to 5. Validity evidence was analyzed through (a) correlation with performance on concurrent, individually administered oral reading fluency (ORF) measures, (b) correlation with performance on concurrently administered reading comprehension measures, (c) correlation of fall and winter TOSREC performance with a state reading outcome measure administered in spring, (d) a binary classification analysis to predict whether students met grade-level performance benchmarks on a state reading assessment, and (e) a stepwise regression analysis examining the variance in performance on a state assessment accounted for by TOSREC and ORF. The concurrent correlations of TOSREC with ORF were high, with the exception of the fall fourth grade administration. Correlations of TOSREC and outcome measures were consistent with those of ORF. The binary classification analysis examining the TOSREC’s ability to accurately predict those students who did not meet grade-level performance benchmarks on the state’s reading assessment demonstrated high classification accuracy (90%) as well as high sensitivity (78%) and specificity (86%). Finally, a regression analysis indicated that the TOSREC accounted for additional unique variance in state assessment performance above and beyond ORF. Implications for practice are discussed.
Binding of SeqA Protein to Hemi-methylated GATC Sequences Enhances Their Interaction and Aggregation Properties*

The SeqA protein regulates chromosome initiation and is involved in segregation in Escherichia coli. One SeqA protein binds to two hemi-methylated GATC sequences to form a stable SeqA-DNA complex. We found that binding induced DNA bending, which was pronounced when the two sequences were on the same face of the DNA. Two SeqA molecules bound cooperatively to each pair of hemi-methylated sites when the spacing between the sites was <30 bp. This cooperative binding was able to stabilize the binding of a wild type to a single hemi-methylated site, or mutant form of SeqA protein to hemi-methylated sites, although such binding did not occur without cooperative interaction. Two cooperatively bound SeqA molecules interacted with another SeqA bound up to 185 bp away from the two bound SeqA proteins, and this was followed by aggregation of free SeqA proteins onto the bound proteins. These results suggest that the stepwise interaction of SeqA proteins with hemi-methylated GATC sites enhances their interaction and leads to the formation of SeqA aggregates. Cooperative interaction followed by aggregation may be the driving force for formation of the SeqA foci that appear to be located behind replication forks.
Emerging treatment options for patients with castration‐resistant prostate cancer

Most prostate cancer‐related deaths occur in patients with castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Recent preclinical and clinical studies have identified intracellular signaling pathways and changes in the tumor and bone microenvironment as potential key drivers of CRPC. This increased understanding of mechanisms associated with CRPC has driven the development of numerous new agents, many of which are poised to alter the current CRPC treatment landscape.
Empirical evidence for selective reporting of outcomes in randomized trials: comparison of protocols to published articles.

CONTEXT Selective reporting of outcomes within published studies based on the nature or direction of their results has been widely suspected, but direct evidence of such bias is currently limited to case reports. OBJECTIVE To study empirically the extent and nature of outcome reporting bias in a cohort of randomized trials. DESIGN Cohort study using protocols and published reports of randomized trials approved by the Scientific-Ethical Committees for Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, Denmark, in 1994-1995. The number and characteristics of reported and unreported trial outcomes were recorded from protocols, journal articles, and a survey of trialists. An outcome was considered incompletely reported if insufficient data were presented in the published articles for meta-analysis. Odds ratios relating the completeness of outcome reporting to statistical significance were calculated for each trial and then pooled to provide an overall estimate of bias. Protocols and published articles were also compared to identify discrepancies in primary outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Completeness of reporting of efficacy and harm outcomes and of statistically significant vs nonsignificant outcomes; consistency between primary outcomes defined in the most recent protocols and those defined in published articles. RESULTS One hundred two trials with 122 published journal articles and 3736 outcomes were identified. Overall, 50% of efficacy and 65% of harm outcomes per trial were incompletely reported. Statistically significant outcomes had a higher odds of being fully reported compared with nonsignificant outcomes for both efficacy (pooled odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-4.0) and harm (pooled odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.8-12.0) data. In comparing published articles with protocols, 62% of trials had at least 1 primary outcome that was changed, introduced, or omitted. Eighty-six percent of survey responders (42/49) denied the existence of unreported outcomes despite clear evidence to the contrary. CONCLUSIONS The reporting of trial outcomes is not only frequently incomplete but also biased and inconsistent with protocols. Published articles, as well as reviews that incorporate them, may therefore be unreliable and overestimate the benefits of an intervention. To ensure transparency, planned trials should be registered and protocols should be made publicly available prior to trial completion.
Effect of TEGDMA/BisGMA Ratio on Stress Development and Viscoelastic Properties of Experimental Two-paste Composites

In this study, we explored the reduction of shrinkage stresses in restored teeth by stimulating viscous flow of adhesive restoratives during curing, by increasing the TEGDMA/BisGMA ratio in the resin of composite restoratives. We studied a series of experimental two-paste composites with different amounts of TEGDMA (30, 50, 70 wt%, respectively) in the resin by mechanical testing, infrared spectroscopy, and dilatometry, to determine how comonomer composition affects the mechanical and chemical properties of the composite during curing. It was found that the polymerization rate of BisGMA-TEGDMA composites is indicative of the viscoelastic behavior during curing: The higher the reactivity, the higher the stiffness and viscosity development. Composites with 50 wt% TEGDMA in the resin displayed the highest maximum polymerization rate. High amounts of TEGDMA in the resin only modestly increased the pre-gel viscous flow (= lowered viscosity) property of composites. Of these composites, high post-gel shrinkage is the decisive factor in high shrinkage stress development.