Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chapter 2: Assessment as a Policy Tool

This chapter focuses on the use of tests or assessments as instruments for promoting educational change. Recent large-scale education reform efforts, along with state and federal legislation, illustrate the growing importance that policymakers and education reformers are attaching to accountability for student performance. The emphasis on testing and accountability may be attributable to a number of factors, including the relatively low cost of these reforms; the fact that they can be externally mandated and, to some extent, controlled; and the relative speed with which these policies can be implemented (Linn, 2000). Despite their popularity, in most cases these reforms are not guided by a careful investigation of the probable consequences of using tests as accountability tools. In this chapter, I provide some brief background on recent and current uses of largescale achievement tests and discuss what is currently known about the effects of largescale testing on several outcomes. I provide some recommendations to foster more effective use of tests and discuss some of the limitations of relying heavily on tests as policy tools. The focus of the chapter is on tests used at the K–12 level in the United States, but much of the discussion is applicable to postsecondary testing and to test use in other countries. Also, the chapter focuses primarily on large-scale, externally mandated tests, such as those administered as part of district and state testing programs, but it also addresses classroom-based assessments as a potentially important component of any testing policy initiative. Finally, the chapter addresses tests that are used to support accountability systems and to provide instructional feedback to teachers; it does not address tests intended primarily for selecting students into programs or institutions or for diagnosing individual learning needs (e.g., college admissions tests or IQ tests; for a recent review of the history and uses of these types of tests, see Gipps, 1999). When examining the use of tests, it is critical to take into consideration the purpose of the testing system. The National Research Council Committee on the Foundations of Assessment (2001) noted three broad purposes for large-scale achievement tests: (a) assessment to assist learning, also called formative assessment; (b) assessment of individual achievement, also called summative assessment, and (c) assessment to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of educational programs. Most uses of tests fall into one
The Renal Outer Medullary Potassium Channel Inhibitor, MK-7145, Lowers Blood Pressure, and Manifests Features of Bartter’s Syndrome Type II Phenotype

The renal outer medullary potassium (ROMK) channel, located at the apical surface of epithelial cells in the thick ascending loop of Henle and cortical collecting duct, contributes to salt reabsorption and potassium secretion, and represents a target for the development of new mechanism of action diuretics. This idea is supported by the phenotype of antenatal Bartter’s syndrome type II associated with loss-of-function mutations in the human ROMK channel, as well as, by cardiovascular studies of heterozygous carriers of channel mutations associated with type II Bartter's syndrome. Although the pharmacology of ROMK channels is still being developed, channel inhibitors have been identified and shown to cause natriuresis and diuresis, in the absence of any significant kaliuresis, on acute oral dosing to rats or dogs. Improvements in potency and selectivity have led to the discovery of MK-7145 [5,5′-((1R,1′R)-piperazine-1,4-diylbis(1-hydroxyethane-2,1-diyl))bis(4-methylisobenzofuran-1(3H)-one)], a potential clinical development candidate. In spontaneously hypertensive rats, oral dosing of MK-7145 causes dose-dependent lowering of blood pressure that is maintained during the entire treatment period, and that displays additive/synergistic effects when administered in combination with hydrochlorothiazide or candesartan, respectively. Acute or chronic oral administration of MK-7145 to normotensive dogs led to dose-dependent diuresis and natriuresis, without any significant urinary potassium losses or changes in plasma electrolyte levels. Elevations in bicarbonate and aldosterone were found after 6 days of dosing. These data indicate that pharmacological inhibition of ROMK has potential as a new mechanism for the treatment of hypertension and/or congestive heart failure. In addition, Bartter’s syndrome type II features are manifested on exposure to ROMK inhibitors.
Limitations of state estimation: absolute lower bound of minimum variance estimation/filtering, Gaussianity-whiteness measure (joint Shannon-Wiener entropy), and Gaussianing-whitening filter (maximum Gaussianity-whiteness measure principle)

This paper aims at obtaining performance limitations of state estimation in terms of variance minimization (minimum variance estimation and filtering) using information theory. Two new notions, negentropy rate and Gaussianity-whiteness measure (joint Shannon-Wiener entropy), are proposed to facilitate the analysis. Topics such as Gaussianing-whitening filter (the maximum Gaussianity-whiteness measure principle) are also discussed.
Predicting Achievement and the Theory of Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence

Measures of fluid and crystallized intelligence, intellectual disposition, need for achievement, and level of aspiration were administered to 80 students enrolled in an introductory course in educational psychology. Fluid intelligence and intellectual disposition correlated significantly with crystallized intelligence. For the 77 students who finished the course, crystallized intelligence and level of aspiration correlated significantly with performance on five tests in educational psychology. Need for achievement did not correlate with this criterion. When fluid intelligence was partialled from the relationships, crystallized intelligence was significantly related to intellectual disposition and course test performance. However, when crystallized intelligence was removed from the relationships, fluid intelligence demonstrated no significant correlation with these variables. These results were viewed as supportive of the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence.
Spectral Energy Distributions of Hard X-ray selected AGNs in the XMDS Survey

We present the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of a hard X-ray selected sample. The sample contains 136 sources with F(2-10 keV)>10^-14 erg/cm^2/s and 132 are AGNs. The sources are detected in a 1 square degree area of the XMM-Newton-Medium Deep Survey where optical data from the VVDS, CFHTLS surveys, and infrared data from the SWIRE survey are available. Based on a SED fitting technique we derive photometric redshifts with sigma(1+z)=0.11 and 6% of outliers and identify AGN signatures in 83% of the objects. This fraction is higher than derived when a spectroscopic classification is available. The remaining 17+9-6% of AGNs shows star-forming galaxy SEDs (SF class). The sources with AGN signatures are divided in two classes, AGN1 (33+6-1%) and AGN2 (50+6-11). The AGN1 and AGN2 classes include sources whose SEDs are fitted by type 1 and type 2 AGN templates, respectively. On average, AGN1s show soft X-ray spectra, consistent with being unabsorbed, while AGN2s and SFs show hard X-ray spectra, consistent with being absorbed. The analysis of the average SEDs as a function of X-ray luminosity shows a reddening of the IR SEDs, consistent with a decreasing contribution from the host galaxy at higher luminosities. The AGNs in the SF classes are likely obscured in the mid-infrared, as suggested by their low L(3-20micron)/Lcorr(0.5-10 keV) ratios. We confirm the previously found correlation for AGNs between the radio luminosity and the X-ray and the mid-infrared luminosities. The X-ray-radio correlation can be used to identify heavily absorbed AGNs. However, the estimated radio fluxes for the missing AGN population responsible for the bulk of the background at E>10 keV are too faint to be detected even in the deepest current radio surveys.
Conditional Use of Aided and Unaided AAC

Individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities often have severe communication impairment and are therefore candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). For these individuals, successful communication across a range of situations, settings, and communicative partners may depend on their type or mode of AAC. An aided AAC mode may be more effective under some circumstances, whereas an unaided mode may be more effective under other circumstances. This situation suggests the need to develop conditional use of multiple modes of AAC and to teach individuals when to use each mode. In this article we examine aspects of multimodal AAC and review instructional strategies for developing conditional use of aided and unaided AAC. This is followed by a case study involving an adolescent boy with developmental disability who acquired conditional use of aided and unaided AAC based on the presence or absence of an aided device. Results suggest that careful programming during intervention may promote conditional use of multiple modes of AAC.
Provable Optimal Algorithms for Generalized Linear Contextual Bandits

Contextual bandits are widely used in Internet services from news recommendation to advertising. Generalized linear models (logistical regression in particular) have demonstrated stronger performance than linear models in many applications. However, most theoretical analyses on contextual bandits so far are on linear bandits. In this work, we propose an upper confidence bound based algorithm for generalized linear contextual bandits, which achieves an $\tilde{O}(\sqrt{dT})$ regret over $T$ rounds with $d$ dimensional feature vectors. This regret matches the minimax lower bound, up to logarithmic terms, and improves on the best previous result by a $\sqrt{d}$ factor, assuming the number of arms is fixed. A key component in our analysis is to establish a new, sharp finite-sample confidence bound for maximum-likelihood estimates in generalized linear models, which may be of independent interest. We also analyze a simpler upper confidence bound algorithm, which is useful in practice, and prove it to have optimal regret for the certain cases.
Nonrecursive Models of Internet Use and Community Engagement: Questioning Whether Time Spent Online Erodes Social Capital

Although some argue that Internet use may erode involvement in public life, the most common Internet behaviors, social communication and information searching, may actually foster social and civic participation. To examine this possibility, we test a series of non-recursive models using a national survey of nearly 3,400 respondents. Two-stage least squares regressions were performed to simultaneously test the reciprocal relationship between frequency of Internet use (i.e., hours per day) and three sets of community engagement behaviors: informal social interaction, attendance at public events, and participation in civic volunteerism (i.e., annual frequency). Time spent online has a positive relationship with public attendance and civic volunteerism. No evidence of time displacement from frequency of Internet use is observed.
Interpersonal influence and destination brand equity perceptions

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the effect of two types of social influence, normative and informational, on travelers' perceptions of a destination's brand equity.Design/methodology/approach – A brand equity measurement model, previously developed for a tangible product brand, is applied and validated in the context of a destination brand. The structural model is then estimated to test the effects of normative and informational influence on brand equity.Findings – Normative but not informational influence has a significant effect on brand equity perceptions.Originality/value – The empirical results help to strengthen the claim that branding principles can be readily generalized to tourism destinations.
Non-volumetric echocardiographic indices and qualitative assessment of right ventricular systolic function in Ebstein's anomaly: comparison with CMR-derived ejection fraction in 49 patients.

AIMS Ebstein's anomaly (EA) is often associated with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. Data on echocardiographic quantification of RV function are, however, rare. The aim of this study was to determine how non-volumetric echocardiographic indices and qualitative assessment of global systolic RV function correlate with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived RV ejection fraction (EF). METHODS AND RESULTS We compared six echocardiographic indices and qualitative assessment of RV function with the gold standard CMR. A total of 49 unoperated patients with EA and a mean age of 32 ± 18 years were examined. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, tissue Doppler myocardial velocities (peak S and IVA) and 2D strain and strain rate measures for the RV were compared with CMR-derived EF. Only 2D global longitudinal strain (2D-GLS), out of the six parameters investigated, showed a weak, although statistically significant correlation with CMR-derived RVEF (R = -0.4, P = 0.01). Using a cut-off value of -20.15, 2D-GLS sensitivity (77%) and specificity (46%) in detecting patients with a CMR-derived EF of <50% were comparable with qualitative assessment (sensitivity 77%, specificity 45%). CONCLUSION Overall echocardiographic parameters of RV function correlate poorly with CMR-derived EF in patients with EA. Only 2D global longitudinal RV strain correlated weakly with CMR-derived RVEF. However, the sensitivity and specificity for detecting RV dysfunction using 2D strain imaging were comparable with qualitative RV functional assessment.
A CHC Theory-Based Analysis of Age Differences on Cognitive Abilities and Academic Skills at Ages 22 to 90 Years

Age differences for nine age groups between 22 and 25 years and 81 and 90 years were evaluated, covarying educational attainment, on five Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) abilities: fluid reasoning (Gf), crystallized ability (Gc), quantitative knowledge (Gq), reading (Grw-Reading), and writing (Grw-Writing). Data were from the adult portions of the stratified standardization samples of the second editions of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (N = 570) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement—Brief Form (N = 555). Gc and Grw-Reading were maintained through old age, whereas Gf, Gq, and Grw-Writing were vulnerable abilities. The age-related decline in mean scores on Gf was powerful, as even the maintained CHC abilities of Gc and Grw-Reading proved to be vulnerable when the component tasks of each were analyzed separately. All Gender × Age interactions were nonsignificant, indicating that age differences for all CHC abilities studied were essentially the same for men and women.
Role of the Acidic Hirudin-like COOH-Terminal Amino Acid Region of Factor Va Heavy Chain in the Enhanced Function of Prothrombinase

Prothrombinase activates prothrombin through initial cleavage at Arg320 followed by cleavage at Arg271. This pathway is characterized by the generation of an enzymatically active, transient intermediate, meizothrombin, that has increased chromogenic substrate activity but poor clotting activity. The heavy chain of factor Va contains an acidic region at the COOH terminus (residues 680−709). We have shown that a pentapeptide from this region (DYDYQ) inhibits prothrombin activation by prothrombinase by inhibiting meizothrombin generation. To ascertain the function of these regions, we have created a mutant recombinant factor V molecule that is missing the last 30 amino acids from the heavy chain (factor VΔ680−709) and a mutant molecule with the 695DYDY698 → AAAA substitutions (factor V4A). The clotting activities of both recombinant mutant factor Va molecules were impaired compared to the clotting activity of wild-type factor Va (factor VaWt). Using an assay employing purified reagents, we found that prothrombinase assembled with factor VaΔ680−709 displayed an ∼39% increase in kcat, while prothrombinase assembled with factor Va4A exhibited an ∼20% increase in kcat for the activation of prothrombin as compared to prothrombinase assembled with factor VaWt. Gel electrophoresis analyzing prothrombin activation by prothrombinase assembled with the mutant molecules revealed a delay in prothrombin activation with persistence of meizothrombin. Our data demonstrate that the COOH-terminal region of factor Va heavy chain is indeed crucial for coordinated prothrombin activation by prothrombinase because it regulates meizothrombin cleavage at Arg271 and suggest that this portion of factor Va is partially responsible for the enhanced procoagulant function of prothrombinase.
Patterns of recurrence in patients with high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas.

From July 1975 to December 1982, 563 patients were referred to the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute with the diagnosis of soft-tissue sarcoma. Three hundred and seven of these patients had fully resectable, localized high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas and were treated at the National Cancer Institute using standard protocols with surgery alone, or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. An aggressive surgical approach was undertaken in the management of patients who subsequently developed recurrent disease. These 307 cases have been reviewed, with a median duration of follow-up of 30 months, to determine the frequency of recurrent disease, the patterns of recurrence, and the impact of surgery on the survival of patients who developed recurrent disease. Disease recurred in one hundred seven patients (107/307, 35%), with a median disease-free interval of 18 months (range, 0.5 to 72.0 months). The frequency of recurrence by site of primary sarcoma was extremity, 31% (65/211); head and neck, 33% (4/12); trunk, 40% (17/42); retroperitoneum, 47% (17/36); and breast, 67% (4/6). Isolated pulmonary metastatic disease was the most common pattern of initial recurrence (56/107, 52%) followed by isolated local recurrence (21/107, 20%). Single other sites of recurrence and multiple concurrent sites of recurrence each accounted for 14% (15/107) of all initial recurrences. The relative frequency of each of these four patterns of recurrence varied with the site of the primary sarcoma. The outcome for patients with recurrent disease depended on the site of recurrence, rather than on the site of the primary sarcoma. Sixty-six patients (66/107, 62%) with recurrent disease were rendered surgically disease-free with the first recurrence, including 40 (40/56, 72%) patients with isolated pulmonary metastases, 20 patients (20/21, 96%) with isolated local recurrences, five patients (5/15, 33%), with isolated other sites of recurrence and one patient (1/15, 7%) with multiple sites of initial recurrence. Following surgical resection, the actuarial three-year survival for the 66 patients rendered disease-free was 51%. The median survival for the 41 patients not rendered surgically disease-free with the first recurrence was only 7.4 months. Thirty of the sixty-six patients (30/66, 45%) rendered disease-free with the first recurrence remained disease-free at follow-up, with a median follow-up of 28 months from the time of resection of the first recurrence. The remaining 36 patients (36/66, 55%) subsequently recurred, with a median disease-free interval of 7.3 months. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Consideration on Normal Form of Not-Necessarily-Normalized Relation in the Relational Data Model

In this paper definitions of unnormalized relation, functional dependency on it and Normal Form are presented. The Normal Form plays a key role in our relational data model in which unnormalized relations are admitted as does the Third Normal Form of Codd in the data model of normalized relation. Properties pertaining to Normal Form are discussed emphasizing comparison with 3NF along with analysis of some typical examples. Similarity and dissimilarity between new functional dependency and Fagin's multivalued dependency are also discussed and presented in the form of proposition.
Internet Abuse in the Workplace: New Trends in Risk Management

This paper empirically examines the effectiveness of emergent risk management practices that attempt to reduce and control employee Internet abuse and its potential for addiction. Over a 6-month period, 50 usable web-administered surveys were collected. Respondents ranged from human resource managers to company presidents. Data were stored in a database management system and analyzed utilizing statistical measures. Implementation levels of Internet use policies, management training, and clinical rehabilitation were examined and their level of perceived effectiveness to deter employee Internet abuse was evaluated. Organizational size and its impact on perceived effectiveness were also examined. This research will assist organizations in implementing effective corporate initiatives to improve employee Internet management practices. Limitations of the study and areas for future research are also explored.
Armodafinil in binge eating disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

This study evaluated the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of armodafinil in the treatment of binge eating disorder (BED). Sixty participants with BED were randomized to receive armodafinil (150–250 mg/day) (N=30) or placebo (N=30) in a 10-week, prospective, parallel-group, double-blind, flexible-dose, single-center trial. In the primary longitudinal analysis, armodafinil and placebo produced similar rates of improvement in binge eating day frequency (the primary outcome measure); however, armodafinil was associated with a statistically significantly higher rate of decrease in binge eating episode frequency. In the secondary baseline-to-endpoint analyses, armodafinil was associated with statistically significant reductions in obsessive–compulsive features of binge eating and BMI. The mean (SD) armodafinil daily dose at endpoint evaluation was 216.7 (43.9) mg. There were no serious adverse events, although one armodafinil recipient developed markedly increased blood pressure that resolved upon drug discontinuation. The small sample size may have limited the detection of important drug–placebo differences. As some of the observed effect sizes appeared clinically meaningful, larger studies of armodafinil in the treatment of BED are warranted.
Effects of intracisternal and intravenous dexmedetomidine on ischemia-induced brain injury in rat: a comparative study.

AIM To compare the effect of dexmedetomidine administered by intracisternal route with by intravenous route on brain tissue of rat after incomplete cerebral ischemia. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cerebral ischemia was produced by the combination of right common carotid artery occlusion and hemorrhagic hypotension during 30 minutes. Thirty minutes before the ischemia, 0.1 ml 0.9% NaCl (Group SIC, n=6) or 9 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (Group DIC, n=6) was administered into the cisterna magna. For the intravenous groups, 9 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (Group DIV, n=6) or 0.9% NaCl (Group CONTROL, n=6) 5 ml/kg/h was given in 2 hours. After 24 hours, the lipid peroxidation levels were measured in the brain tissue and plasma. Hippocampal formations were used for histopathological examination. RESULTS Intravenous dexmedetomidine produced a decrease in baseline mean arterial blood pressure and plasma glucose concentrations. There was a significant difference between the DIV group and DIC, SIC, CONTROL groups regarding the brain lipid peroxidation levels (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p=0.001, respectively), and regarding the picnotic neuronal cell count (p < 0.001, p=0.01, p=0.009, respectively). Mean plasma lipid peroxidation levels of the DIV group was different from the DIC group (p=0.003). CONCLUSION Systemically administered dexmedetomidine had neuroprotective effect in ischemia-induced neuronal damage, but centrally administered dexmedetomidine did not.