Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From IDEA to Implementation: A Discussion of Foundational and Future Responsiveness–to–Intervention Research

The IDEA reauthorization of 2004 highlights the application of responsiveness to intervention (RTI) to both early intervention (EI) service delivery and learning disabilities (LD) identification practices, creating the potential for wide–scale execution. Implementation of any educational reform necessitates more than simply changing practices: It is important to understand the foundation upon which the reform stands, as well as the questions yet unanswered by research. This review of literature, therefore, emphasizes what is known about RTI as well as what remains to be learned, beginning with foundational concepts—model iterations—and moving to applications—EI and LD identification. Ultimately, the complexities of the RTI construct, with its potential for systemic change, necessitate a partnership between researchers and practitioners to both implement and further investigate RTI on a wide scale.
Study 2000—Problems and Perspectives for the Development of Multimedia Tools for Teaching and Learning on the Internet

In various fields of science, technology, industry, and politics, the importance of modern information and communication techniques has been stressed in connection with the need for maintaining competitiveness in modern society. These rapidly developing information technologies are providing, it would seem, a multitude of new opportunities for study and lifelong learning. Developments in information technology make it possible to go beyond what computer-assisted learning has conventionally been used for. It is, for example, now possible to store resources from seminars or lectures, libraries, and media libraries in digital form and retrieve this information using networked information systems that do not depend on a particular storage place (see Hammond, McKendree, & Scott, 1996; Kieley, 1996; Krantz & Eagley, 1996). This improves the accessibility of learning and study materials considerably. The positive aspect of modern information systems is that they can be accessed at all times and from all places. However, this is not always unproblematic, as the following shows: 1. The quality of sound and graphics in multimedia information systems is often worse than that in video or television transmissions and print media. For this reason, it is not sufficient simply to transmit seminars and the teaching materials used in them without first adapting them for multimedia purposes (Neumann, Stocker, Schill, Irmscher, & Korndle, 1997). Rather, the materials offered online must conform to ergonomic principles and reflect psychological findings on perception and cognition. But the transferral of teaching
Pedagogical Practices That Contribute to Social Justice Outcomes

The authors investigated the extent to which classroom pedagogical practices and disciplinary course focus contributed to understandings of social justice outcomes among 406 undergraduate students enrolled in five college courses. They found that gender, enrollment in Intergroup Dialogue, service-learning, Introduction to Sociology courses, and practices encouraging reflection, discussions about diversity, and diverse peer interactions contributed to students' social justice learning. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings' implications.
Meeting the Maasai

This article reflects on implications of a brief ethnographic field trip to visit a remote Maasai clan in Northern Kenya. The author, approaching the inquiry from an interest in evolutionary psychology and the study of family business, conducted in-depth interviews with a range of elders, warriors, women, and children, asking questions relating to the intersection of kinship, culture, and organization. The reflections take the form of eight messages for management. These relate to such themes as the relationship between social harmony and the clarity and simplicity of social structure, collectivist values and stewardship models of leadership, the role of mythical beliefs in sustaining cultural integrity, the fragility of strong cultures to certain kinds of change, and the ethical challenges and dilemmas posed by some of the factors that help to sustain them. The article concludes by emphasizing the degree to which one can choose how to configure business cultures to generate outcomes that one regards as desirable and ethical.
How to Choose a Timing Model?

When employing a consensus algorithm for state machine replication, should one optimize for the case that all communication links are usually timely, or for fewer timely links? Does optimizing a protocol for better message complexity hamper the time complexity? In this paper, we investigate these types of questions using mathematical analysis as well as experiments over PlanetLab (WAN) and a LAN. We present a new and efficient leader-based consensus protocol that has O(n) stable-state message complexity (in a system with n processes) and requires only O(n) links to be timely at stable times. We compare this protocol with several previously suggested protocols. Our results show that a protocol that requires fewer timely links can achieve better performance, even if it sends fewer messages.
Resolving the interactions between population density and air pollution emissions controls in the San Joaquin Valley, USA

The effectiveness of emissions control programs designed to reduce concentrations of airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) in California's San Joaquin Valley was studied in the year 2030 under three growth scenarios: low, medium, and high population density. Base-case inventories for each choice of population density were created using a coupled emissions modeling system that simultaneously considered interactions between land use and transportation, area source, and point source emissions. The ambient PM2.5 response to each combination of population density and emissions control was evaluated using a regional chemical transport model over a 3-week winter stagnation episode. Comparisons between scenarios were based on regional average and population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations. In the absence of any emissions control program, population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5 in the future San Joaquin Valley are lowest under growth scenarios that emphasize low population density. A complete ban on wood burning and a 90% reduction in emissions from food cooking operations and diesel engines must occur before medium- to high-density growth scenarios result in lower population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5. These trends partly reflect the fact that existing downtown urban cores that naturally act as anchor points for new high-density growth in the San Joaquin Valley are located close to major transportation corridors for goods movement. Adding growth buffers around transportation corridors had little impact in the current analysis, since the 8-km resolution of the chemical transport model already provided an artificial buffer around major emissions sources. Assuming that future emissions controls will greatly reduce or eliminate emissions from residential wood burning, food cooking, and diesel engines, the 2030 growth scenario using “as-planned” (medium) population density achieves the lowest population-weighted average PM2.5 concentration in the future San Joaquin Valley during a severe winter stagnation event. Implications: The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most heavily polluted air basins in the United States that are projected to experience strong population growth in the coming decades. The best plan to improve air quality in the region combines medium- or high-density population growth with rigorous emissions controls. In the absences of controls, high-density growth leads to increased population exposure to PM2.5 compared with low-density growth scenarios (urban sprawl).
Screening for Chinese Children with Dyslexia in Hong Kong: The use of the Teachers' Behaviour Checklist

Primary school teachers rated the frequency of occurrence of 65 reading‐related behavioural characteristics in a sample of 251 Grade 1 to Grade 6 Chinese school children in Hong Kong. These behavioural characteristics were in the areas of general performance, reading, dictation, writing, mathematics, language, memory, concentration, sequential ability, motor co‐ordination, spatial orientation, and social/emotional adjustment. Of these 12 areas, 10 yielded scale scores that could distinguish children with dyslexia from those without dyslexia, identified on the basis of their performance in five domains of literacy and cognitive skills. Using a summary score derived from the 10 relevant scales, an optimal cut‐off score was suggested to arrive at a balance between high sensitivity and an acceptable rate of false positives in screening for children with dyslexia. The need for cross‐replication in screening children with dyslexia using the behaviour checklist with different samples of school students is emphasised.
Parathyroid Hormone‐Related Protein Is Required for Normal Intramembranous Bone Development

It is well established that parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP) regulates chondrocytic differentiation and endochondral bone formation. Besides its effect on cartilage, PTHrP and its major receptor (type I PTH/PTHrP receptor) have been found in osteoblasts, suggesting an important role of PTHrP during the process of intramembranous bone formation. To clarify this issue, we examined intramembranous ossification in homozygous PTHrP‐knockout mice histologically. We also analyzed phenotypic markers of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro and in vivo. A well‐organized branching and anastomosing pattern was seen in the wild‐type mice. In contrast, marked disorganization of the branching pattern of bone trabeculae and irregularly aligned osteoblasts were recognized in the mandible and in the bone collar of the femur of neonatal homozygous mutant mice. In situ hybridization showed that most of the osteoblasts along the bone surfaces of the wild‐type mice and some of the irregularly aligned osteoblastic cells in the homozygous mice expressed osteocalcin. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and expression of osteopontin messenger RNA (mRNA) in primary osteoblastic cells did not show significant differences between cultures derived from the mixture of heterozygous mutant and wild‐type mice (+/? mice) and those from homozygous mutant mice. However, both mRNA and protein levels of osteocalcin in the osteoblastic cells of homozygous mutant mice were lower than those of +/? mice, and exogenous PTHrP treatment corrected this suppression. Immunohistochemical localization of characteristic markers of osteoclasts and ruffled border formation did not differ between genotypes. Cocultures of calvarial osteoblastic cells and spleen cells of homozygous mutant mice generated an equivalent number of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase‐positive (TRAP+) mononuclear and multinucleated cells and of pit formation to that of +/? mice, suggesting that osteoclast differentiation is not impaired in the homozygous mutant mice. These results suggest that PTHrP is required not only for the regulation of cartilage formation but also for the normal intramembranous bone development.
Accurate 3D measurement using a structured light system

This paper discusses a method for obtaining accurate 3D measurements using a temporally encoded structured light system. An objective of the work was to have a balance in the accuracy of all components in the system. This was achieved by including lens distortion in the modes for both the camera and projector which comprise the structured light system. In addition, substripe estimation was used to estimate projector stripe values as a complement to subpixel estimators used for locating image features. Experimental evaluation shows that it is important to use substripe estimation and incorporate lens distortion in the projector model.
Do reading disabilities explain the increase of depressive symptoms in late adolescence?

The present study examined how depressive symptoms change in late adolescence and whether reading disabilities (RD) affect the level or change of the symptoms. The sample consisted of 293 Finnish adolescents (150 girls, 143 boys; 58 with RD). Participants completed a screening test for reading and spelling skills in ninth grade (age 15), and a depression screening test three times during upper secondary education (ages 16–18). Longitudinal data were analysed using repeated measures ANOVA. Adolescents' self-reported level of depressive symptoms increased in late adolescence (p < 0.001). RD did not directly affect the level or change of depressive symptoms. Girls reported a greater increase in depressive symptoms than boys, and this interaction effect held especially for girls with RD.
Liposome Encapsulation of Ciprofloxacin Improves Protection against Highly Virulent Francisella tularensis Strain Schu S4

ABSTRACT Liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin for inhalation (CFI) was investigated as a putative postexposure therapeutic for two strains of Francisella tularensis. The efficacies of oral ciprofloxacin and intranasally instilled CFI could not be distinguished in a mouse model of infection with the F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS), where a single dose of either formulation offered full protection against a lethal challenge. However, mouse studies with the more virulent Schu S4 strain of F. tularensis demonstrated that a higher level of protection against a lethal aerosol infection is provided by CFI than by oral ciprofloxacin. In addition, using this infection model, it was possible to discriminate the efficacy of intranasally instilled CFI from that of aerosolized CFI, with aerosolized CFI providing full protection after just a single dose. The improved efficacy of CFI compared to oral ciprofloxacin is likely due to the high sustained concentrations of ciprofloxacin in the lung. In summary, CFI may be a promising therapy, perhaps enabling the prophylactic regimen to be shortened, for use in the event of a deliberate release of F. tularensis. The prophylactic efficacy of CFI against other biological warfare (BW) threat agents also warrants investigation.
Control of chronic Strongyloides stercoralis infection in an endemic community may be possible by pharmacological means alone: Results of a three-year cohort study

Objectives To assess the effect of treatment with ivermectin on the prevalence of S. stercoralis infection in an Australian Aboriginal population over a three year period, and to assess the validity of using a lower ELISA cut-off in diagnosis. Methods A three-year cohort study of 259 adult Australian Aboriginals living in a remote community in northern Australia. S stercoralis infection was diagnosed using commercial ELISA testing, and employed a lower threshold for treatment than that recommended. Follow up was conducted at 6 months and 3 years following ivermectin treatment. Findings Treatment with ivermectin was highly effective and resulted in a sustained fall in the prevalence of infection in the study group (Initial prevalence 35.3%, 3 year prevalence 5.8%, McNemar’s chi2 = 56.5, p<0.001). Results of treatment suggested use of a lower ELISA threshold for treatment was valid in this setting. Follow up identified a small group of subjects with persistently positive ELISA serology despite repeated treatment. Interpretation Control of S. stercoralis infection in this cohort appears to be feasible using pharmacological treatment alone.
Vulnerabilities in e-governments

This paper shows that more than 80% of the e-governments in the world are vulnerable to common web-application attacks such as Cross Site Scripting and Structured Query Language (SQL) injection. Industrialised countries were found to be more vulnerable than under-developed countries (90% versus 50%). This paper also describes some malicious data mining possibilities on the Norwegian e-government and how information can be combined and used to create other practical attacks.
Left Atrial Strain at Different Stages of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease in Dogs

Background Decreased function of the left atrium (LA) is a useful prognostic indicator in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). In humans, LA strain is a novel severity indicator of mitral regurgitation, but its clinical utility in dogs has not been confirmed. Objectives To examine whether LA strain as evaluated with speckle‐tracking echocardiography is associated with MMVD stage in dogs. Animals Fifty‐two client‐owned dogs with MMVD. Methods Cross‐sectional study. Dogs were classified as stage B1, B2, C, or D, according to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine consensus. Physical examination findings and echocardiographic variables were compared among the groups. To assess the comparative accuracy of echocardiographic variables in identifying dogs with the presence or history congestive heart failure (CHF), receiver operating characteristic curves and multivariate logistic analysis were used. Results There were no significant differences in parameters of LA strain between B1 and B2 groups. However, LA longitudinal strain during atrial contraction (εA) (median, 19.1%; interquartile range, 15.3–24.3% in B1, 19.6%; 14.1–21.4% in B2, 6.2%; 3.18–11.2% in C/D) and during ventricular systole (εS) (32.7%; 28.9–39.2% in B1, 35.6%; 31.7–41.9% in B2, 23.6%; 16.9–26.1% in C/D) were significantly lower in stages C/D than in stages B1 and B2. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, εA and peak early diastolic mitral inflow velocity were identified as independent indicators of stage C/D. Conclusions and Clinical Importance εA was the best predictor of the presence or history of CHF. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical implications of these findings for treatment decisions and prognosis determination.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genetic polymorphisms and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma susceptibility: a meta-analysis of case-control studies.

BACKGROUND Genetic factors and environmental factors play a role in pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Previous studies regarding the association of folate intake and Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism with ESCC was conflicting. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association of MTHFR C677T and folate intake with esophageal cancer risk. METHODS MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Chinese Biomedical Database were searched in our study. The quality of studies were evaluated by predefined scale, and The association of polymorphisms of MTHFR C677T and folate intake and ESCC risk was estimated by Odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS 19 studies (4239 cases and 5575 controls) were included for meta-analysis. A significant association was seen between individuals with MTHFR 677 CT [OR(95%)=1.47(1.32-1.63)] and TT [OR(95%)=1.69(1.49-1.91)] genotypes and ESCC risk (p<0.05). Low intake of folate had significantly higher risk of esophageal cancer among individuals with CT/TT genotype [OR(95%)=1.65(1.1-2.49)], while high intake of folate did not find significant high risk of esophageal cancer among individuals with CT/TT genotype [OR(95%)=1.64 (0.82-3.26)]. CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis indicated the folate intake and MTHFR 677CT/TT are associated with the risk of ESCC, and folate showed a significant interaction with polymorphism of MTHFR C677T.
The Family Impact of Expatriate Assignments: An Experiential Exercise

This article presents an experiential exercise that focuses on issues related to workers facing international assignments. It illustrates that those workers face a multitude of issues. It further demonstrates that managers who want employees to realize the maximum benefits of international assignments should be aware of, and be prepared to deal with, those issues. Some of the topics that are easily addressed with this exercise include the need for culture and language training for the employees and their families, the impact that international assignments may have on an employee’s family, and how that may affect an employee’s willingness to seek such assignments.
Key Range Locking Strategies for Improved Concurrency

“Phan~oma” are records inserted into a concurrently aelected set of records specified by a predicate such that Ihe selection does not eee a transaction conaietent result. The usual locking slrategy is lo lock only czisling records. However, records that satisfy the eeleclion predicate muat be locked even when they are nol present in the database to prevent their insertion. One way to cope with phantoms is through range locking, 4 limited form of predicate locking. We investigate lock modes for ranges and describe new lock modes lhal greatly increase concurrency. We explore locking strategies involving range, key, and record resources that permit trade-offs between concurrency and lock overhead.
Relative Distance Based Localization for Mobile Sensor Networks

Many sensor network applications exploit the mobility of sensor nodes and the location-awareness plays an important role in these applications. However, it is too expensive to equip special hardware in each sensor node for localization, thus a distributed range-free localization scheme in mobile sensor network is highly desired. Several such localization techniques have been developed but few of them consider leveraging the feature of node mobility. Leveraging node mobility, in this paper, both static constrain set by transmission range and velocity constrain set by node movement are introduced. Based on these two types of constrain, we propose a range-free mobile inequality localization (MIL) algorithm, which uses ring inequalities to restrict and estimate the possible location in numerical method. Our approach is distributed, quickly re-localizable and works well when all sensors are moving uncontrollably. We analyze the theoretical bound for the accuracy of the position estimation and the comprehensive simulations demonstrate that our algorithm performs much better than the existing works.
Item Response Theory to Quantify Longitudinal Placebo and Paliperidone Effects on PANSS Scores in Schizophrenia

As biomarkers are lacking, multi‐item questionnaire‐based tools like the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) are used to quantify disease severity in schizophrenia. Analyzing composite PANSS scores as continuous data discards information and violates the numerical nature of the scale. Here a longitudinal analysis based on Item Response Theory is presented using PANSS data from phase III clinical trials. Latent disease severity variables were derived from item‐level data on the positive, negative, and general PANSS subscales each. On all subscales, the time course of placebo responses were best described with Weibull models, and dose‐independent functions with exponential models to describe the onset of the full effect were used to describe paliperidone's effect. Placebo and drug effect were most pronounced on the positive subscale. The final model successfully describes the time course of treatment effects on the individual PANSS item‐levels, on all PANSS subscale levels, and on the total score level.