Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The causal analysis of cognitive outcomes in the Coleman, Hoffer and Kilgore report.

In their report to the National Center for Education Statistics, James Coleman, Thomas Hoffer and Sally Kilgore (henceforth referred to as CHK) (1981) address three questions with respect to cognitive outcomes (= test scores) in the American high school system (= 3 sectors: public, Catholic and other-private): (1) Do mnean test scores differ across the three sectors? (2) Do the sectors actually produce the differences in outcome? (3) How do the sectors produce those differences-that is, by what policies do they accomplish their effects? CHK provide these answers: (1) Yes: Mean test scores are higher in the private sectors than in the public sector. (2) Yes: Test scores are higher in the private sector even after controlling for differences in student characteristics. Furthermore, the private sectors produce larger gains in test scores during the last two years of high schoolthan does the public sector. Furthermore, the Catholic schools come closer to the "common schoorl ideal, by educating students of varying background more nearly alike than do the other-private and public schools. (3) The private schools produce their higher test scores by placing higher academic demands and imposing stricter discipline on their students than do the public schools. Our task is to assess the validity of these answers-that is, to evaluate the evidence and reasoning that generated them. We have been handicapped by the style of the Report, a document of 233 pages + appendices. Elaborate calculations from various regression equations are given, but the equations themselves are rarely presented. Sample sizes are seldom in-, dicated. The definitions of variables are often cryptic. In such circumstances one might want to rely on the objectivity and scientific judgment of the authors as a substitute for the documentation one expects to find in a scientific report. But there is so much advocacy in the CHK Report that this option was unavailable to us. We have, however, been assisted by access to some of the authors' computer output provided to us on request and by access to unpublished studies by others who have been reanalyzing the original data set. Finally, we have tapped CHK's article, "Cognitive outcomes in public and private schools" (Coleman et al., 1982), and Coleman's own restatement, "Private schools, public schools and the public interest" (Coleman, 1981). Our summary assessments are that the methods and interpretations used by CHK fall below the minimum standards for socialscientific research, and that the CHK answers to the questions posed above are not warranted by their evidence.
Cellular and Synaptic Mechanisms of Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis

We recently described a severe, potentially lethal, but treatment-responsive encephalitis that associates with autoantibodies to the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) and results in behavioral symptoms similar to those obtained with models of genetic or pharmacologic attenuation of NMDAR function. Here, we demonstrate that patients' NMDAR antibodies cause a selective and reversible decrease in NMDAR surface density and synaptic localization that correlates with patients' antibody titers. The mechanism of this decrease is selective antibody-mediated capping and internalization of surface NMDARs, as Fab fragments prepared from patients' antibodies did not decrease surface receptor density, but subsequent cross-linking with anti-Fab antibodies recapitulated the decrease caused by intact patient NMDAR antibodies. Moreover, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of miniature EPSCs in cultured rat hippocampal neurons showed that patients' antibodies specifically decreased synaptic NMDAR-mediated currents, without affecting AMPA receptor-mediated currents. In contrast to these profound effects on NMDARs, patients' antibodies did not alter the localization or expression of other glutamate receptors or synaptic proteins, number of synapses, dendritic spines, dendritic complexity, or cell survival. In addition, NMDAR density was dramatically reduced in the hippocampus of female Lewis rats infused with patients' antibodies, similar to the decrease observed in the hippocampus of autopsied patients. These studies establish the cellular mechanisms through which antibodies of patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis cause a specific, titer-dependent, and reversible loss of NMDARs. The loss of this subtype of glutamate receptors eliminates NMDAR-mediated synaptic function, resulting in the learning, memory, and other behavioral deficits observed in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis.
PPARγ‐inactive Δ2‐troglitazone independently triggers ER stress and apoptosis in breast cancer cells

Our aim was to better understand peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)‐independent pathways involved in anti‐cancer effects of thiazolidinediones (TZDs). We focused on Δ2‐troglitazone (Δ2‐TGZ), a PPARγ inactive TZD that affects breast cancer cell viability. Appearance of TUNEL positive cells, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, cleavage of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP)‐1 and caspase‐7 revealed that apoptosis occurred in both hormone‐dependent MCF7 and hormone‐independent MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells after 24 and 48 h of treatment. A microarray study identified endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as an essential cellular function since many genes involved in ER stress were upregulated in MCF7 cells following Δ2‐TGZ treatment. Δ2‐TGZ‐induced ER stress was further confirmed in MCF7 cells by phosphorylation of pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum kinase‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and its target eIF2α after 1.5 h, rapid increase in activating transcription factor (ATF) 3 mRNA levels, splicing of X‐box binding protein 1 (XBP1) after 3 h, accumulation of binding immunogloblulin protein (BiP) and CCAAT‐enhancer‐binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) after 6 h. Immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that CHOP was relocalized to the nucleus of treated cells. Similarly, in MDA‐MB‐231 cells, overexpression of ATF3, splicing of XBP1, and accumulation of BiP and CHOP were observed following Δ2‐TGZ treatment. In MCF7 cells, knock‐down of CHOP or the inhibition of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) did not impair cleavage of PARP‐1 and caspase‐7. Altogether, our results show that ER stress is an early response of major types of breast cancer cells to Δ2‐TGZ, prior to, but not causative of apoptosis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Attribution and Self-Evaluation of Continuous Performance Test Task Performance in Medicated and Unmedicated Adults With ADHD

Objective: To determine if adults with ADHD differed from children with ADHD, in assessing their performance on the Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Method: ADHD-diagnosed adults (n = 13) and adults without ADHD (n = 17) were tested twice on the CPT and then completed self-evaluation and attribution surveys. Results: Nonmedicated ADHD-diagnosed adults performed significantly more poorly than controls; when medicated, they performed as well as controls and significantly better than when they were unmedicated. AD/HD adults evaluated their performance accurately, whether medicated or not. They also attributed their performance to medication significantly more than to ability or task difficulty. Conclusion: Unlike children, ADHD-diagnosed adults attributed their performance to medication rather than ability or task. It remains to be seen whether this difference is associated with lower self-esteem than non-ADHD adults or if the same outcome would occur in children with ADHD if they were also tested under naturalistic conditions. (J. of Att. Dis. 2009; 12(4) 291-298)
Adaptive Support Ventilation: An Appropriate Mechanical Ventilation Strategy for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome?

Background:Adaptive support ventilation (ASV) allows the clinician to set a maximum plateau pressure (PP) and automatically adjusts tidal volume to keep PP below the set maximum. Methods:ASV was compared to a fixed tidal volume of 6 ml/kg. ASV determined the respiratory rate and tidal volume based on its algorithms. Maximum airway pressure limit was 28 cm H2O in ASV. Six sets of lung mechanics were simulated for two ideal body weights: 60 kg, Group I; 80 kg, Group II. Positive end expiratory pressure was 8, 12, and 16 cm H2O, and target minute volume 120%, 150%, and 200% of predicted minute volume. Results:ASV “sacrificed” tidal volume and minute ventilation to maintain PP in 9 (17%) of 54 scenarios in Group I and 20 (37%) of 54 scenarios in Group II. In Group I, the number of scenarios with PP of 28 cm H2O or more was 14 for ASV (26%) and 19 for 6 ml/kg (35%). In these scenarios, mean PP were ASV 28.8 ± 0.86 cm H2O (min 28, max 30.3) and 6 ml/kg 33.01 ± 3.48 cm H2O (min 28, max 37.8) (P = 0.000). In group II, the number of scenarios PP of 28 cm H2O or more was 10 for ASV (19%) and 21 for 6 ml/kg (39%). In these cases, mean PP values were ASV 28.78 ± 0.54 cm H2O (min 28, max 29.6) and 6 ml/kg 32.66 ± 3.37 cm H2O (min 28.2, max 38.2) (P = 0.000). Conclusion:In a lung model with varying mechanics, ASV is better able to prevent the potential damaging effects of excessive PP (greater than 28 cm H2O) than a fixed tidal volume of 6 ml/kg by automatically adjusting airway pressure, resulting in a decreased tidal volume.
Elaborated metaphors support viable inferences about difficult science concepts

Instructional metaphors scaffold learning better when accompanied by an elaboration. Applying structure mapping theory, we developed and used an elaborated instructional metaphor (text and illustrations) for introductory chemistry concepts. In two studies (N 1 = 44, N 2 = 57), college students with little chemistry background read either the elaborated metaphor, sub‐concept metaphor statements (e.g. an atom is like a tile) only or (Study 2) sub‐concept labels (e.g. atom) only. When asked to write what they knew about the sub‐concept, those in the elaborated metaphor condition wrote more sophisticated domain inferences than those in the other condition(s), p < . 05. The elaborated metaphor helped participants construct accurate pre‐conceptual mental models that could prepare them for future learning (i.e. acquisition of new knowledge). The results also suggested that acquisition of high‐level concepts may require active learner transactions with the analogue, as can be had in interactive instructional game worlds.
The Effects of Continuous Application of the TASER X26 Waveform on Sus scrofa ,

This study investigated and evaluated the safety margins of the continuous long duration (up to 30 min) effect of the TASER X26 waveform, using a Sus scrofa model. Long duration continuous stimulus has not been evaluated on humans or human surrogates prior to this study. Swine were used as models due to similarities with humans in their skin and cardiovascular systems. Very long duration was used to determine both exposure dose and possible adverse physiological effects of dose. The trial began with an application of 10 min, and subsequent animals received increasing exposure time up to a survived maximum duration of 30 min. At the onset of this work, it was hypothesized that there would be a time limit after which most animals would not survive consistent with increased dose response. However, this hypothesis was not supported by the experimental results. All animals (10 of 10) survived up to 3 min. Seven of the 10 animals survived up to a 10‐min exposure and 3 of 5 animals with a 30‐min target exposure survived the full exposure. Surviving animals were recovered and observed for 24 h, with no postrecovery deaths. This suggests that swine (based on physiology) will not experience a fatal event when exposed to the TASER X26 for a continuous 3 min. Conclusions regarding longer duration (10–30 min) are not as certain due to the small sample sizes at these time intervals.
Dogmatism Updated: A Scale Revision and Validation

Dogmatism represents an individual difference in cognitive style characterized by closed-mindedness. The concept of dogmatism has received a great deal of research attention in such topics as information selection, information processing, message selection, and source-message distinction. Previous dogmatism scales, however, have psychometric problems, and item wordings have become outdated. The present study updates the scale items based on a simplified conceptualization of dogmatism and assesses the validity of the new scale. Factor analyses and item analyses were employed to assess the unidimensionality of the scale. Two validation studies (N = 165 for study 1; N = 175 for study 2) were conducted. Both studies provided evidence consistent with construct validity. The updated dogmatism correlated positively with dominance and submission and negatively with perspective-taking and empathic concern. The predictive validity of the scale was only partially consistent with the data.
The relation between student motivation and student grades in physical education: A 3‐year investigation

Enhancing students' academic engagement is the key element of the educational process; hence, research in this area has focused on understanding the mechanisms that can lead to increased academic engagement. The present study investigated the relation between motivation and grades in physical education (PE) employing a 3‐year longitudinal design. Three hundred fifty‐four Greek high school students participated in the study. Students completed measures of motivation to participate in PE on six occasions; namely, at the start and the end of the school year in the first, second, and third year of junior high school. Students' PE grades were also recorded at these time points. The results of the multilevel growth models indicated that students' PE grades increased over the 3 years and students had better PE grades at the end of each year than at the beginning of the subsequent year. In general, students and classes with higher levels of controlling motivation achieved lower PE grades, whereas higher levels of autonomous motivation were associated with higher PE grades. These findings provide new insight on the associations between class‐ and individual‐level motivation with objectively assessed achievement in PE.
The role of lysyl oxidase in SRC-dependent proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence implicates lysyl oxidase (LOX), an extracellular matrix-modifying enzyme, in promoting metastasis of solid tumors. We investigated whether LOX plays an important role in the metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS We analyzed LOX expression in a patient CRC tissue microarray consisting of normal colon mucosa (n = 49), primary (n = 510), and metastatic (n = 198) tissues. LOX was overexpressed in CRC cell line SW480 (SW480+LOX), and the expression was knocked down in CRC cell line SW620 using LOX-specific short hairpin RNA (SW620+shLOX). Effect of LOX manipulation on three-dimensional cell proliferation and invasion was characterized in vitro. Effect of LOX manipulation on tumor proliferation and metastasis was investigated in a subcutaneous tumor mouse model (n = 3 mice per group) and in an intrasplenic metastatic mouse model (n = 3 mice per group). The mechanism of LOX-mediated effects via v-src sarcoma (Schmidt-Ruppin A-2) viral oncogene homolog (avian) (SRC) was investigated using dasatinib, an inhibitor of SRC activation. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Compared with normal colon tissue (n = 49), LOX expression was statistically significantly increased in tumor tissues (n = 510) of CRC patients (P < .001), and a greater increase was observed in metastatic tissue (n = 198). SW480+LOX cells showed a statistically significantly increased three-dimensional proliferation (P = .037) and invasion (P = .015), whereas SW620+shLOX cells showed reduced proliferation (P = .011) and invasion (P = .013) compared with controls. Subcutaneous tumor growth in mice was statistically significantly increased in SW480+LOX tumors (P = .036) and decreased in SW620+shLOX tumors (P = .048), and metastasis was statistically significantly increased in SW480+LOX tumors (P = .044) and decreased in SW620+shLOX tumors (SW620 control vs SW620+shLOX, mean = 1.0 luminescent signal, 95% confidence interval = 0.3 to 1.7 luminescent signal, vs mean = 0.3 luminescent signal, 95% confidence interval = 0.1 to 0.5 luminescent signal; P = .035) compared with controls. LOX-mediated effects on tumor progression were associated with SRC activation, and these effects were inhibited by dasatinib. CONCLUSIONS LOX showed an important role in CRC cell proliferation and metastasis and was dependent on the activation of SRC. These results have the potential to identify patients with high SRC activity, who may benefit from dasatinib treatment.
An Empirical Study on Factors Influencing Parents' School Choice

Parent-directed initiatives at educating their children at home have engaged the attention of families and educators since the 1980s. Americans are embracing homeschooling over public and private schooling in a bid to preserve their children’s religious, cultural, and family values. A report conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics revealed that there was an increase in homeschooled students in the United States from 850,000 students in the spring of 1999 (1.7 percent of the total student population) to 1.1 million students in the spring of 2003 (2.2 percent of the total student population) to 1.5 million students in the spring of 2007 (2.9 percent of the total student population). 1 In another study, the Oregonbased National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) estimated that 1.9 to 2.4 million children were home schooled during 2005-2006.2 Thus, in various communities across the country, home schooling has become a recognized option for parents who wish to provide for their children a quality education, religious training or social environment that they believe is nonexistent in public or private schools. Early in a child’s life, most parents become preoccupied with the pervasive concern of the type of school choice for the child. Outcomes of empirical studies point to parent choice of home schooling as a viable alternative for shaping children into adults that parents would like them to become. These parents, like early proponents of home education, have argued that home education should not be seen as an attempt to bring the formal school construct into the home. Rather, they perceive home schooling as a natural, experiential feature of life that occurs as the members of the household are involved with one another in daily living and functioning. Several studies have documented the popularity of home schooling in the United States.3 Despite its widespread appeal in different communities, home schooling has been a controversial and thought-provoking topic. Critics posit that home schooling hinders children from developing social rela-
Randomized trial comparing partial versus complete chordal-sparing mitral valve replacement: effects on left ventricular volume and function.

OBJECTIVE The merits of retaining the subvalvular apparatus during mitral valve replacement for chronic mitral regurgitation have been demonstrated in numerous retrospective clinical investigations but not in a randomized study. In this report we analyzed the early and late effects of complete versus partial chordal preservation on left ventricular mechanics. METHODS Forty-seven patients undergoing isolated surgical correction of mitral insufficiency were prospectively randomized to either total or partial chordal-sparing mitral valve replacement. Complete data from 36 patients were available for analysis. Of these individuals, 15 had preservation of the posterior leaflet only (P-MVR group), and 21 had complete preservation of all chordal structures (C-MVR group). Echocardiography was performed preoperatively, at the time of discharge, and after 1 year to determine dimensions, wall stress, left ventricular mass, and ejection function. RESULTS End-diastolic volume decreased in both groups initially but continued to decline only in the C-MVR cohort. Similarly, although end-systolic volume decreased over time with total chordal preservation, no notable changes were observed in the P-MVR group. In the C-MVR group, end-systolic stress decreased initially but rose slightly by 1 year. In contrast, end-systolic stress remained unchanged at discharge in the P-MVR group and increased at 1 year. In terms of systolic performance, ejection fraction declined after surgical intervention with partial chordal-sparing techniques and did not improve by 1 year. Ejection fraction returned to the preoperative level after an initial decrease in the C-MVR group. Finally, left ventricular mass was reduced in the C-MVR cohort versus no change in the P-MVR group. CONCLUSION Complete retention of the mitral subvalvular apparatus during mitral valve replacement confers a significant early advantage by reducing left ventricular chamber size and systolic afterload compared with partial chordal preservation. Furthermore, left ventricular ejection performance continues to improve over time, probably because of more favorable left ventricular remodeling.
Nonadaptive Quasi-Optimal Points Selection for Least Squares Linear Regression

In this paper we present a quasi-optimal sample set for ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The quasi-optimal set is designed in such a way that, for a given number of samples, it can deliver the regression result as close as possible to the result obtained by a (much) larger set of candidate samples. The quasi-optimal set is determined by maximizing a quantity measuring the mutual column orthogonality and the determinant of the model matrix. This procedure is nonadaptive, in the sense that it does not depend on the sample data. This is useful in practice, as it allows one to determine, prior to the potentially expensive data collection procedure, where to sample the underlying system. In addition to presenting the theoretical motivation of the quasi-optimal set, we also present its efficient implementation via a greedy algorithm, along with several numerical examples to demonstrate its efficacy. Since the quasi-optimal set allows one to obtain a near optimal regression result under any affordable nu.
Yaw-rate control for electric vehicle with active front/rear steering and driving/braking force distribution of rear wheels

Direct yaw-moment control (DYC) is an effective method to make vehicle motion stable. In the DYC of vehicles having in-wheel motors and both active front steering system and active rear steering system, the control input generally has redundancy. The input variables can not be decided uniquely to generate the same yaw-moment. The equalization of workload for each wheel by the longitudinal force and lateral force distribution enhances vehicle cornering performance. Therefore, we propose the longitudinal force and lateral force distribution method based on least squares solution of equations of longitudinal, lateral and yawing motion in this paper. Moreover, we propose a method of lateral force control and a method of yaw moment compensation to attenuate tracking error in this controller. we show that the equalization of workload for each wheel and quick yaw-rate response are achieved in the proposed methods. Simulations and experiments are carried out to confirm effectiveness of the proposed methods.