Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The usefulness of commercially available 'culture fair' tests in the assessment of educational success in Grade 1 Black pupils in South Africa — an explorative study

School failure among Grade 1 pupils and the subsequent drop out rate is of major concern in South Africa, especially as far as Black pupils are concerned. The school drop out rate is estimated to be four times higher in Black pupils than White children. The dilemma for the professionals in assessing children, who are experiencing difficulty at school, and who are from disadvantaged, non-English speaking communities, is the paucity of reliable, objective tests to identify children at risk. The purpose of this study was to determine whether commercially available 'culture fair' tests could be used to evaluate Black pupils early in Grade 1 and if they were associated with educational success. A parental questionnaire was used to examine non-academic predictors of educational success, such as birth history, socio-economic status and the medical profile. One hundred and three Grade 1 pupils were tested in the first term. The tests used were the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales, WISC mazes, Raven's Progressive Matrices, Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI), Motor-free Visual Perceptual Test (MVPT), Test of Visual Perceptual Skills (TVPS) and the Draw-a-Person Test (DAP). Several backward elimination stepwise regression analysis procedures were used to examine the multivariate associations between the psychometric and nonacademic variables and three outcome variables, namely the mid and end of year aggregates and a pass/fail dichotomous variable. Non-academic variables that were significantly associated with academic success were asphyxia, overcrowding and maternal education. The psychometric subtests that were significantly associated with academic achievement were the VMI, DAP, the Raven's Progressive Matrices, TVPS and WISC mazes. Commercially available 'culture fair' tests are significantly associated with educational success in Black Grade 1 pupils where standardised, comprehensive tests are not available. To evaluate to what extent these tests would be reliable predictors of educational success further studies would have to analyse a larger cohort of pupils.
Nerve Growth Factor Uses Ras/ERK and Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Cascades to Up-regulate theN-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptor 1 Promoter*

We reported previously that nerve growth factor (NGF) up-regulates activity of theN-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 (NR1) promoter. We have explored the pathways and nuclear targets of NGF signaling in regulating the NR1 promoter. PD98059 and wortmannin, but not rapamycin, significantly attenuated NGF-induced transcriptional activity from an NR1 promoter-luciferase construct. Coexpressing constitutively active forms of Ras, Raf, or MAPK/ERK kinase 1 (MEK1) increased promoter activity dramatically. The MEK1-induced increase was largely prevented by mutations of the tandem GC boxes in the promoter. Promoter activity was also increased significantly by coexpressed GC box-binding proteins (Sp1, 3, or 4) in nonstimulated PC12 cells. Either an extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 (ERK1)- or Sp1-specific antibody coprecipitated Sp1 with ERKs, and the coprecipitation was enhanced significantly by NGF treatment of PC12 cells. ERK2 also incorporated radioactivity of [γ32P]ATP into recombinant Sp1. However, ERK2-treated Sp1 and PC12 nuclear extracts or nuclear extracts from NGF-treated cells exhibited reduced binding to the promoter or a consensus GC box. Our results suggest that NGF utilizes both the Ras/ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways to up-regulate NR1 promoter activity and that Sp1 is a novel substrate of NGF-activated ERKs. NGF-increased NR1 promoter activity may involve a complicated mechanism of Sp1 phosphorylation and possible transcription factor exchange.
Expression of Platelet‐Derived Growth Factor Receptors is Induced on Connective Tissue Cells During Chronic Synovial Inflammation

The tissue distribution of the receptor for platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) was investigated by immunohistochemistry on frozen sections from normal and inflamed synovial tissue using monoclonal antibodies to the receptor. Non‐inflamed synovial tissue showed no staining, indicating that PDGF receptor expression is low or absent in normal tissue. In contrast, tissue from synovitis with prominent neovascularization showed a strong staining in the tunica media of the proliferating blood vessels as well as on connective tissue cells in the stroma. Tissue from synovitis with prominent proliferation of synovial lining showed intense staining for PDGF receptors in fibroblast‐like cells of the lining and a less intense staining on vascular and connective tissue cells deeper in the stroma. Staining for PDGF receptors was also intense in the pannus tissue close to infiltrated bone and cartilage. In all these forms of synovitis, PDGF receptor staining was associated with increased HLA‐DR staining and infiltration of macrophages and T lymphocytes. The finding that PDGF receptor expression is induced in conjunction with the chronic synovial inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis and some other forms of arthritides suggests that PDGF may play a role in the stimulation of mesenchymal cell proliferation that often accompanies chronic inflammatory disease.
Calcification of the aortic arch: risk factors and association with coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

CONTEXT Calcium deposits in coronary and extracoronary arterial beds may indicate the extent of atherosclerosis. However, the incremental predictive value of vascular calcification, beyond traditional coronary risk factors, is not clearly established. OBJECTIVE To evaluate risk factors for aortic arch calcification and its long-term association with cardiovascular diseases in a population-based sample. DESIGN AND SETTING Cohort study conducted at a health maintenance organization in northern California. PARTICIPANTS A total of 60,393 women and 55,916 men, aged 30 to 89 years at baseline who attended multiphasic health checkups between 1964 and 1973 and for whom incidence of hospitalizations and/or mortality data were ascertained using discharge diagnosis codes and death records through December 31, 1997 (median follow-up, 28 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Hospitalization for or death due to coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, or peripheral vascular disease, as associated with aortic arch calcification found on chest radiograph at checkup from 1964-1973. RESULTS Aortic arch calcification was present in 1.9% of men and 2.6% of women. It was independently associated with older age, no college education, current smoking, and hypertension in both sexes, but it was inversely related to body mass index and family history of myocardial infarction. In women, aortic arch calcification was also associated with black race and elevated serum cholesterol level. After adjustment for age, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, serum cholesterol level, hypertension, diabetes, and family history of myocardial infarction, aortic arch calcification was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (in men, relative risk [RR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.45; in women, RR, 1. 22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.38). Among women, it was also independently associated with a 1.46-fold increased risk of ischemic stroke (95% CI, 1.28-1.67). CONCLUSION In our population-based cohort, aortic arch calcification was independently related to coronary heart disease risk in both sexes as well as to ischemic stroke risk in women. JAMA. 2000;283:2810-2815
Robust martingale selection problem and its connections to the no‐arbitrage theory

We analyze the martingale selection problem of Rokhlin in a pointwise (robust) setting. We derive conditions for solvability of this problem and show how it is related to the classical no‐arbitrage deliberations. We obtain versions of the Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing in models spanning frictionless markets, models with proportional transaction costs, and models for illiquid markets. In all these models, we also incorporate trading constraints.
In vivo bite and grip forces, morphology and prey-killing behavior of North American accipiters (Accipitridae) and falcons (Falconidae)

SUMMARY Raptors exhibit a diversity of strategies to procure their prey but ultimately kill using their beaks and/or talons. Thus, bite and grip forces are ecologically important variables that have direct survival implications. Whereas hawks rely primarily on their feet for killing prey, falcons tend to employ their beaks. Consequently, falcons are expected to achieve relatively greater bite forces, and hawks are expected to generate relatively greater grip forces. Force estimates predicted from musculoskeletal morphology in a previous study indicated that falcons (Falco spp.) possess greater jaw force capabilities than accipiters (Accipiter spp.) but there were no clear differences in predicted grip-force capacity outside of differences in scaling. The objective of this study was to complement those results with measurements of in vivo forces by inducing captive and wild accipiters and falcons to bite and grasp force transducers. Bite force increased isometrically in both groups whereas grip force tended toward positive allometry. After adjusting for body mass, falcons produced greater bite forces, and accipiters produced greater grip forces. Thus, previous anatomical estimates of forces predicted the expected direction and magnitude of differences in bite forces but the overall greater in vivo grip forces of accipiters deviated from the pattern obtained from biomechanical estimates. Although the scaling relationships were similar between data sets, forces generated by live birds were consistently lower than those predicted from biomechanics. Estimated and in vivo jaw and digital forces were nevertheless correlated, and therefore provide an important link between morphology and killing behavior in these raptors.
Analysis of Outcomes of Microinvasive Adenocarcinoma of the Uterine Cervix by Treatment Type

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of metastatic disease in microinvasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix in a large cohort. METHODS: Thirty-six cases were identified from the Mayo Clinic health information database, and 30 cases were identified using the University of Southern California gynecologic oncology patient database. Histopathology was reviewed by a single pathologist at each institution to confirm histologic subtype and grade of tumor, depth of invasion, linear extent of the tumor, the presence or absence of lymphovascular space invasion, margin status, parametrial involvement, and the presence of nodal metastasis. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients had stage IA1 cancers and 14 had stage IA2 cancers. Therapy ranged from cold knife conization to radical hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy. No parametrial involvement was noted in any of the patients who underwent parametrial resection. One patient with stage IA1 cancer had micrometastasis to a pelvic lymph node. No recurrences were noted with an average follow-up of 80 months. CONCLUSION: The management of microinvasive adenocarcinoma remains controversial, and radical therapy is applied more frequently to microinvasive adenocarcinoma than microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. The risk of extracervical disease is low and the risk of recurrence is not affected by the radicality of resection. Our data suggest that microinvasive adenocarcinoma is amenable to treatment with nonradical surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III
Phase I/II study of an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody (MDX-060) in Hodgkin's lymphoma and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

PURPOSE MDX-060 is a human anti-CD30 immunoglobulin (Ig) G1kappa monoclonal antibody that inhibits growth of CD30-expressing tumor cells in preclinical models. To determine the safety, maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), and efficacy of MDX-060 in patients with relapsed or refractory CD30+ lymphomas, sequential phase I and II studies were performed. PATIENTS AND METHODS In the phase I portion, MDX-060 was administered intravenously at doses of 0.1, 1, 5, or 10 mg/kg weekly for 4 weeks to cohorts of three to six patients. Twenty-one patients--16 with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), three with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL), and two with CD30+ T-cell lymphoma--were enrolled. Because of the lack of a defined MTD or dose-response correlation, the phase II portion was amended to include several dose levels. In the phase II portion, an additional 51 patients, 47 with HL and four with ALCL, were treated at doses of 1, 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg. RESULTS MDX-060 was well tolerated, and an MTD has not been identified. Only 7% of patients experienced grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events. Among the 72 patients treated, clinical responses were observed in six. Twenty-five patients had stable disease, including five who remained free from progression 1 year after treatment. CONCLUSION MDX-060 was well tolerated at doses up to 15 mg/kg. MDX-060 has limited activity as a single agent, but the minimal toxicity observed and the significant proportion of patients with stable disease suggests that further study of MDX-060 in combination with other therapies is warranted.
Disappearing and Reappearing Dividends

We decompose the decrease (1970s-2000) and subsequent recovery (2000-current) in the percent of dividend-paying ﬁrms. Changes in ﬁrm characteristics and the proclivity to pay dividends (probability of paying dividends conditional on characteristics) each drive half of the dividend disappearance. By contrast, a higher proclivity to pay dividends drives 82% of the reappearing dividends. The remaining reappearance is driven by a single characteristic: reduced earnings volatility. Firm characteristics change because of low-proﬁtability and high-earnings-volatility ﬁrms, whereas proclivity changes because of stable, proﬁtable ﬁrms. Rather than dividend initiations or omissions, newly listed and delisted ﬁrms drive trends. Finally, the magnitude and duration of disappearing payout (dividends+repurchases) is substantially smaller than that of disappearing dividends, indicating some substitution between dividends and repurchases.
Adolescent mothers’ anthropometrics and grandmothers’ schooling predict infant anthropometrics in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam

We investigated intergenerational associations of adolescent mothers’ and grandmothers’ anthropometrics and schooling with adolescent mothers’ offspring's anthropometrics in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. We examined birthweight (n = 283), birthweight Z‐score (BWZ), conditional growth in weight‐for‐age Z‐score (cWAZ, residuals from a regression of WAZ at last survey round on BWZ, sex, and age), and height‐for‐age Z‐score (HAZ) of children born to older cohort adolescent girls in the Young Lives study. Our key independent variables were adolescent mothers’ body size: HAZ and body‐mass‐index‐for‐age Z‐score (BMIZ) at age 8, conditional HAZ (cHAZ, residuals from a regression of HAZ at the end of a growth period on prior HAZ, age, and sex), conditional BMIZ growth (cBMIZ, calculated analogously), and grandmaternal BMIZ, HAZ, and schooling. We adjusted for child, maternal, and household characteristics. Adolescent mothers’ cHAZ (ages 8–15) predicted birthweight ( β = 130 g, 95% confidence interval (CI) 31–228), BWZ ( β = 0.31, CI 0.09–0.53), and cWAZ ( β = 0.28, CI 0.04–0.51). Adolescent mothers’ BMIZ at age 8 predicted birthweight ( β = 79 g, CI 16–43) and BWZ ( β = 0.22, CI 0.08–0.36). Adolescent mothers’ cBMIZ (ages 12–15) predicted child cWAZ and HAZ. Grandmothers’ schooling predicted grandchild birthweight ( β = 22 g, CI 1–44) and BWZ ( β = 0.05, CI 0.01–0.10).
Negotiating fairness and diversity: Stories from an Aotearoa New Zealand kindergarten

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv DEDICATION . vii LIST OF TABLES . xiii LIST OF FIGURES . xiii GLOSSARY OF MĀORI WORDS . xiv PROLOGUE: STORIES OF FAIRNESS, FANTASY AND DIVERSITY . 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 4 The significance of this thesis . 6 Approaches to diversity education . 7 Paradigms for constructing diversity . 7 Historical approaches . 9 Contemporary approaches . 13 Rationale for project . 15 The ECE context . 17 Te Whāriki – the New Zealand early childhood curriculum framework . 18 Bicultural practice in Aotearoa New Zealand . 21 Assessing children’s learning . 23 The potential of Te Whāriki . 25 The ‘critical’ teacher . 27 The thesis aims, objectives and the research questions. 27 The structure of this thesis . 30 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK . 3
Specific amino acid recognition by aspartyl-tRNA synthetase studied by free energy simulations.

Specific amino acid binding by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases is necessary for correct translation of the genetic code. To obtain insight into the origin of the specificity, the binding to aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS) of the negatively charged substrate aspartic acid and the neutral analogue asparagine are compared by use of molecular dynamics and free energy simulations. Simulations of the Asn-AspRS complex show that although Asn cannot bind in the same position as Asp, several possible positions exist 1.5 to 2 A away from the Asp site. The binding free energy of Asn in three of these positions was compared to that of Asp through alchemical free energy simulations, in which Asp is gradually mutated ito Asn in the complex with the enzyme. To correctly account for the electrostatic interactions in the system (including bulk solvent), a recently developed hybrid approach was used, in which the region of the mutation site is treated microscopically, whereas distant protein and solvent are treated by continuum electrostatics. Seven free energy simulations were performed in the protein and two in solution. The various Asn positions and orientations sampled at the Asn endpoints of the protein simulations yielded very similar free energy differences. The calculated Asp-->Asn free energy change is 79.8(+/-1.5) kcal/mol in solution and 95.1(+/-2.8) kcal/mol in the complex with the protein. Thus, the substrate Asp is predicted to bind much more strongly than Asn, with a binding free energy difference of 15.3 kcal/mol. This implies that erroneous binding of Asn by AspRS is highly improbable, and cannot account for any errors in the translation of the genetic code. Almost all of the protein contributions to the Asp versus Asn binding free energy difference arise from an arginine and a lysine residue that hydrogen bond to the substrate carboxylate group and an Asp and a Glu that hydrogen bond to these; all four amino acid residues are completely conserved in AspRSs. The protein effectively "solvates" the Asp side-chain more strongly than water does. The simulations are analyzed to determine the interactions that Asn is able to make in the binding pocket, and which sequence differences between AspRS and the highly homologous AsnRS are important for modifying the amino acid specificity. A double or triple mutation of AspRS that could make it specific for Asn is proposed, and supported by preliminary simulations of a mutant complex.
Association of Physical Activity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: CASPIAN Study

Background/Aim: To determine the association of physical activity and the metabolic syndrome in a large national-representative sample of children. Methods: This study was performed in 2003–2004 on 4,811 school students aged 6–18 years, selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling from six provinces in Iran. We assessed the level of physical activity using a standardized questionnaire, and categorized it to the tertiles. The metabolic syndrome was defined based on criteria analogous to those of the Adult Treatment Panel III. Results: The participants comprised 2,248 boys and 2,563 girls with a mean age of 12.07 ± 3.2 years. In all age groups, boys were more physically active than girls. The metabolic syndrome was detected in 14.1% of participants, and its prevalence was higher in those subjects in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd tertiles of physical activity, respectively (15.1 vs.14.2 and 13.1%, respectively, p <0.05). This difference was seen in boys, while no difference was found between girls in the 2nd and 3rd tertiles of physical activity. Physical activity was linked to a cluster of factors consisting of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and waist circumference, followed by triglycerides in boys, and of triglycerides, waist circumference and blood pressure in girls. In both genders, before and after adjustment for age and body mass index, low levels of physical activity significantly increased the risk of having the metabolic syndrome [in boys: OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.1; and in girls, OR: 1.6 (1.1, 1.9)]. Conclusion: We found an association between physical activity and the metabolic syndrome, which was independent of body mass index and age. Children should be encouraged to have greater physical activity.
Effects of high electric field pulses on Lactobacillus brevis at elevated temperatures

The technique of electroporation has been successfully applied to caused a nonthermal lethal effect on the bacterial cells Lactobacillus brevis in a buffered phosphate solution. Tests were carried out at different temperatures (24 degrees C, 30 degrees C, 45 degrees C, and 60 degrees C) to determine if there is a synergistic effect of temperature and electric pulse treatment on the destruction of L. brevis cells. Experimental results indicate that the viability of L. brevis declines exponentially with treatment time and is electric field and temperature dependent. <<ETX>>
The COL5A1 gene and Achilles tendon pathology

Purpose: There is an increase in the incidence of Achilles tendon injuries as a result of the participation in physical activity. It has been suggested that some individuals have a genetic predisposition to Achilles tendon pathology (ATP). The aim of this study was to determine whether the α 1 type V collagen (COL5A1) gene, which encodes for a tendon protein, is associated with the symptoms of ATP.
Data‐Driven Identification Constraints for DSGE Models

We propose imposing dataâ€ driven identification constraints to alleviate the multimodality problem arising in the estimation of poorly identified dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models under nonâ€ informative prior distributions. We also devise an iterative procedure based on the posterior density of the parameters for finding these constraints. An empirical application to the Smets and Wouters () model demonstrates the properties of the estimation method, and shows how the problem of multimodal posterior distributions caused by parameter redundancy is eliminated by identification constraints. Outâ€ ofâ€ sample forecast comparisons as well as Bayes factors lend support to the constrained model.