Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing Academic Growth through Motivating Students To Read.

This report describes a program for increasing academic growth through motivating students to read. The targeted population includes kindergarten, first, third, and high school special education students. The lack of motivation in reading was documented through data revealed by pre-surveys and post-surveys of students' interest in books. Analysis of probable cause data reveals that reading performance could be affected by lack of parental involvement, accessibility to a public library, and the value of books in the students' home. Students from low-income families lack appropriate book and reading materials in their home. A review of literature solutions states results in the selection of several categories of intervention. In order to determine the effects of the intervention, teachers kept records that tracked reading logs, grades, journals, participation, and parent involvement. Comparisons of the results of the pre-test and post-test intervention surveys provide an insight to changes of student attitudes towards reading. Students demonstrated a slight improvement in their enjoyment of reading. The motivation of students is greatly affected by the support at home. (Contains 44 references and 4 tables of data. Three appendixes contain the following: the student reading survey; an Individual Story Conference Form; and an observation checklist.) (PM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Stem cells for neonatal stroke- the future is here

STEM CELLS In recent years stem cell therapy has emerged as a potential treatment for neonatal ischemic brain injury. The efficacy of cellbased therapies in restoring damaged brain tissue has been tested in a multitude of models for different CNS diseases. Several different stem and progenitor cell populations have been utilized as cell-based therapy, including neural stem cells, embryonic stem cells, human umbilical cord blood cells (HUBCs), hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Most stem cell types appear to enhance recovery to some extent (Pimentel-Coelho and Mendez-Otero, 2010). However, because of their low immunogenicity, availability and positive results obtained from preclinical studies, MSCs are a particularly promising candidate to repair the devastating effects that are associated with neonatal stroke. MSCs were first isolated and identified in bone marrow, but can now be isolated from many tissues, including adipose tissue, muscle, skin and extraembryonic tissues like the placenta, umbilical cord and Wharton’s jelly. The latter sources are of particular interest for neonates that experience an ischemic event around the time of birth, at which time cells can be harvested and transplanted from an autologous source. MSCs derived from different sources have slightly different characteristics, but as of yet it is unknown whether this influences their therapeutic potential. Our group and others have shown that administration of MSCs reduces lesion volume, provides positive effects on the white matter and improves motor function (van Velthoven et al., 2012). Numerous studies have been done under the premise that transplanted stem cells contribute to brain repair by directly replacing damaged or lost tissue. While there is evidence that transplanted cells undergo differentiation toward neuronal lineages, improved outcomes have been observed even when survival of transplanted cells is low and engrafted cells are absent. This suggests that rather than replacing damaged cells, transplanted cells may improve outcome via indirect mechanisms. For example, MSCs have been shown to secrete many factors that can influence important processes like apoptosis, neurogenesis, angiogenesis and synaptogenesis.
The Neural Basis of Musical Consonance

Three studies were designed to determine the relation between subcortical neural temporal coding and the perception of musical consonance. Consonance describes the pleasing perception of resolution and stability that occurs when musical notes with simple frequency ratios are combined. Recent work suggests that consonance is likely to be driven by the perception of ? harmonicity? , i.e. the extent to which the frequency components of the combined spectrum of two or more notes share a common fundamental frequency and therefore resemble a single complex tone (McDermott et al, 2010, Curr Biol). The publication in Chapter 3 is a paper describing a method for measuring the harmonicity of neural phase locking represented by the frequency-following response (FFR). The FFR is a scalp-recorded auditory evoked potential, generated by neural phase locking and named from the characteristic peaks in the waveform with periods corresponding to the frequencies present in the fine structure and envelope of the stimulus. The studies in Chapters 4 and 5 demonstrate that this method predicts individual differences in the perception of consonance in young normal-hearing listeners, both with and without musical experience. The results of the study in Chapter 4 also demonstrate that phase locking to distortion products resulting from monaural cochlear interactions which enhance the harmonicity of the FFR may also increase the perceived pleasantness of consonant combinations of notes. The results of the study in Chapter 5 suggest that the FFR to two-note chords consisting of frequencies below 2500 Hz is likely to be generated in part by a basal region of the cochlea tuned to above this frequency range. The results of this study also demonstrate that the effects of high-frequency masking noise can be accounted for by a model of a saturating inner hair-cell receptor potential. Finally, the study in Chapter 6 demonstrates that age is related to a decline in the distinction between the representation of the harmonicity of consonant and dissonant dyads in the FFR, concurrent with a decline in the perceptual distinction between the pleasantness of consonant and dissonant dyads. Overall the results of the studies in this thesis provide evidence that consonance perception can be explained in part by subcortical neural temporal coding, and that age-related declines in temporal coding may underlie a decline in the perception of consonance.
Basic processes and human development

Volume 2: Basic Processes and Human Development, Edited by J.W. Berry, P.R. Dasen & T.S. Saraswathi. Introduction, P.R. Dasen and T. S. Saraswathi 1. The Cultural Structuring of Child Development, C Super and S. Harkness. 2. Socialization and Identity Strategies, C. Camilleri and H. Malewska-Peyre. 3. Human Development in Culture Across the Life Span, J. Valsiner and J. Lawrence. 4. Perception and Aesthetics, P. Russell J. Deregowski and P. Kinnear. 5. Cognition and Cognitive Development, R. C Mishra. 6. Everyday Cognition, A. Schliemann, D. Carraher, and S. J. Ceci. 7. Language Acquisition and Bilingualism, A. K. Mohanty and C Perregaux. 8. Culture and Emotion, B. Mesquita, N. Frijda, and K. Scherer. 9. The Development of Moral Judgment, L. Eckensberger and R. Zimba. 10. Education, Schooling, and Literacy, R. Serpell and G. Hatano. 11. Children in Particularly Difficult Circumstances, L. Aptekar and D. Stcklin. Index
Two waves of recombinase gene expression in developing thymocytes

During T cell development in the thymus, T cell receptor (TCR) alpha, beta, gamma, and delta genes are rearranged and expressed. TCR rearrangement strictly depends upon the coordinate activity of two recombinase activating genes, Rag-1 and Rag-2. In this study we have followed the expression of these genes at different stages of intrathymic development. The results indicate that there are two periods of high Rag-1 and Rag-2 mRNA expression. The first wave peaks early at the CD25+CD4-CD8-CD3- stage of development and coincides with the initial appearance of transcripts derived from fully rearranged TCR beta, gamma, and delta genes, whereas the second wave occurs later at the CD4+CD8+ stage coincident with full-length TCR alpha mRNA expression. Active downregulation of Rag-1 and Rag-2 mRNA expression appears to occur in vivo between the two peaks of recombinase activity. This phenomenon can be mimicked in vitro in response to artificial stimuli such as phorbol myristate acetate and calcium ionophore. Collectively our data suggest that recombinase expression is actively regulated during early thymus development independently of cell surface expression of a mature heterodimeric TCR protein complex.
The Soul of Latin America: The Cultural and Political Tradition

omy, cultui-e, and gender relations. She presents an intriguing and, in most cases, convincing argument. Glover argues that family ties contributed to the economic and political success of Carolina’s first generation. Settlers with wellpositioned siblings in England or the Caribbean had an advantage over others, as they often received financial or commercial support that made the difference between success and failure. This cohort protected its position by adopting family patterns that helped maintain their dominance. They remarried more often and more quickly than did their counterparts in England, frequently marrying cwsins or other kin, and modified inheritance patterns to protect family fortunes. Glover suggests that by the 1730s “the foundation of powerful kin-based economic and political coalitions was firmly in place. ” These sibling connections also influenced the lives of‘ women in early Carolina. Most scholars focus on women as daughters and wives, arguing that those relationships were patriarchal. leaving women little power or influence. Glover shifts the focus to sibling ties, suggesting a different relationship. Sisters discus\ed business, politics, and other “public sphere” issues more freely. They would chide their brothers, or speak with open affection. When one looks at sibling relations the lines between public and private blur. and we see how women contributed to the continued domination of Carolina’s gentry. Overall, Glover, an assistant professor of history at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is convincing, but there are a few weaknesses. Glover does an excellent job of demonstrating that family patterns among Carolina’s charter generation differed from patterns i n England. She does not, however, compare those patterns with those in other colonial settlements. Most new settlements modified their situations to accommodate the demands of colonization. In later chapters she suggests some reasons why the Carolina pattern continued to be unique, but she does not fully develop this reasoning. Glover’s underlying assumptions conform to the general themes of Carolina historiography: that colonists were commercially minded and culturally homogeneous and that economics shaped most aspects of colonial settlement. The strength of Glover’s work is her use of family to help explain these themes. Moreover, hy using the family as a variable to examine larger issues of economy, culture, and clash, Glover provides a model that can be used to study other colonial settlements, The book would be an exciting addition to graduate seminars, as it provides great opportunities for discussion. It will also encourage scholars to re-evaluate ideas about family patterns, suggesting opportunities for future research.
Traffic network ramp metering based on High Order Sliding Mode and flatness approaches: A case study

Freeway traffic control is achieved using High Order Sliding Mode Control (HOSMC) and the concept of differentially flat systems. The main objective of this paper, which follows the work in [22] is to evaluate the impact of the traffic ramp metering on the freeway network using real field data of the French motorway A6.
Several Carcinoembryonic Antigens (CD66) Serve as Receptors for Gonococcal Opacity Proteins

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) is a human pathogen that adheres to and invades genital surfaces. Although pili are required for the initial adherence, the interaction of GC with epithelial cells is also promoted by a family of outer membrane proteins, the opacity (Opa) proteins such as OpaA protein from strain MS11. Studies have demonstrated that the interaction of the OpaA GC with epithelial cells involves binding to heparan sulfate attached to syndecan receptors. However, other Opa proteins interact with CEA gene family member 1 (CGM1) or biliary glycoprotein (BGP), members of the CD66 antigen family. In this study, we demonstrate that, in addition, the 180-kD carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a receptor for Opa proteins. This conclusion was based on the following observations. First, transfected HeLa cells expressing CEA (HeLaCEA) and the CEA-expressing colon cancer cell line (LS 174T) bound and subsequently engulfed the Opa+ bacteria. These interactions were inhibited by anti-CEA antibody, but could not be inhibited by addition of heparin. Furthermore, OpaI E. coli directly bound purified CEA. We also compared the adherence and invasion by Opa+ bacteria of CD66 transfected HeLa cells: HeLa-BGPa, HeLa-CGM6, HeLa-NCA, HeLa-CGM1a, HeLa-CEA, and HeLa-Neo serving as negative control. Using OpaI as the prototype, the relative ability of the transfected HeLa cell lines to support adherence was (CEA = BGPa >CGM1a >NCA >>CGM6 = Neo). The ability to mediate invasion of the transfectant cells was (CGM1a >CEA >BGPa >NCA >CGM6 = Neo). Among the Opa proteins tested, OpaC proved to be bifunctional, able to mediate adherence to both syndecan receptors and to CD66 antigens.
Daikenchuto (TU‐100) Suppresses Tumor Development in the Azoxymethane and APCmin/+ Mouse Models of Experimental Colon Cancer

Chemopreventative properties of traditional medicines and underlying mechanisms of action are incompletely investigated. This study demonstrates that dietary daikenchuto (TU‐100), comprised of ginger, ginseng, and Japanese pepper effectively suppresses intestinal tumor development and progression in the azoxymethane (AOM) and APCmin/+ mouse models. For the AOM model, TU‐100 was provided after the first of six biweekly AOM injections. Mice were sacrificed at 30 weeks. APCmin/+ mice were fed diet without or with TU‐100 starting at 6 weeks, and sacrificed at 24 weeks. In both models, dietary TU‐100 decreased tumor size. In APC min/+ mice, the number of small intestinal tumors was significantly decreased. In the AOM model, both TU‐100 and Japanese ginseng decreased colon tumor numbers. Decreased Ki‐67 and β‐catenin immunostaining and activation of numerous transduction pathways involved in tumor initiation and progression were observed. EGF receptor expression and stimulation/phosphorylation in vitro were investigated in C2BBe1 cells. TU‐100, ginger, and 6‐gingerol suppressed EGF receptor induced Akt activation. TU‐100 and ginseng and to a lesser extent ginger or 6‐gingerol inhibited EGF ERK1/2 activation. TU‐100 and some of its components and metabolites of these components inhibit tumor progression in two mouse models of colon cancer by blocking downstream pathways of EGF receptor activation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Introduction of screening guidelines for men who have sex with men at an STD clinic, the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia.

BACKGROUND A recent audit indicated that a substantial proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM) were not screened for rectal gonorrhoea and chlamydia at the Melbourne Sexual Health Clinic, Melbourne, Australia. In response, screening guidelines for MSM were introduced at the clinic using a computer reminder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the guidelines and alert on screening MSM for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. METHODS The medical records of MSM were reviewed for gonorrhoea and chlamydia screening by site (pharyngeal, urethral and rectal), four months before the implementation of the guidelines and alert (July to October 2002), and one year thereafter (beginning November 2002). RESULTS After the introduction of the guidelines there was a significant increase in rectal chlamydia testing (55% to 67%, P < 0.001), and significant reduction in pharyngeal chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing (65% to 28%, P < 0.001, and 83% to 76%, P = 0.015 respectively). The proportion of tests that were positive by any site did not change (7% to 7%). CONCLUSIONS The introduction of a computer reminder for new guidelines was temporally associated with screening that conformed more closely to clinical guidelines.
Sensitivity and specificity of the Distress Thermometer and a two‐item depression screen (Patient Health Questionnaire‐2) with a ‘help’ question for psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity in patients with advanced cancer

Brief screening tools may help clinicians in busy settings detect patients who are experiencing severe psychological distress. This study examined the performance of the Distress Thermometer (DT) and a two‐item depression screen [the Patient Health Questionnaire‐2 (PHQ‐2)] with a ‘help’ question in screening for distress and psychiatric morbidity among patients with advanced cancer.
Parallel Recruitment of Multiple Genes into C4 Photosynthesis

During the diversification of living organisms, novel adaptive traits usually evolve through the co-option of preexisting genes. However, most enzymes are encoded by gene families, whose members vary in their expression and catalytic properties. Each may therefore differ in its suitability for recruitment into a novel function. In this work, we test for the presence of such a gene recruitment bias using the example of C4 photosynthesis, a complex trait that evolved recurrently in flowering plants as a response to atmospheric CO2 depletion. We combined the analysis of complete nuclear genomes and high-throughput transcriptome data for three grass species that evolved the C4 trait independently. For five of the seven enzymes analyzed, the same gene lineage was recruited across the independent C4 origins, despite the existence of multiple copies. The analysis of a closely related C3 grass confirmed that C4 expression patterns were not present in the C3 ancestors but were acquired during the evolutionary transition to C4 photosynthesis. The significant bias in gene recruitment indicates that some genes are more suitable for a novel function, probably because the mutations they accumulated brought them closer to the characteristics required for the new function.
Self commutation soft switched bridgeless PFC without any extra switch

In this paper a soft switching technique is applied to a bridgeless PFC circuit. The proposed circuit has the benefits of soft switching and low conduction losses. In addition, this converter does not employ any extra switch to provide soft switching. The proposed circuit is controlled by variable frequency method and a simple control method is introduced for this converter. The proposed converter is analyzed and operating modes are discussed. The simulation results justify the theoretical analysis.
What Future for the Professional in American Society

To be a professional in American society is somehow to be special. A profes sional is thought to have special knowledge, special skills, special resources, and special responsibilities. A professional is the object of special respect, special envy, and special demands. Individuals, and mofe recently organized groups, aspire to professional status? while that status is thought to be uniquely in the power of professionals to bind or to loose. Yet there are reasons to believe that the status of the professional in America has begun to decline in recent years, and that current trends in American so ciety will continue and even accelerate that decline, unless professionals modify their practices and their attitudes in response to these trends while maintaining a fundamental commitment to the intellectual core of the professional functions.
Concerns related to eating, weight, and shape: typologies and transitions in men during the college years.

OBJECTIVE How to best classify concerns related to eating, weight, and shape (CREWS) in men remains an open question. Research on men considering CREWS during different developmental periods could be particularly informative. METHOD Focusing on one potentially dynamic developmental period, this study charts the course of CREWS in men over the college years. Latent class/latent transition analysis identified typologies of weight- and shape-influenced self judgment, limiting attempts, fasting, overeating, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, and laxative or diuretic abuse for 1,025 men over the four traditional college years. RESULTS Three classes emerged: (1) no obvious pathological eating-related concerns (61-65%); (2) a high likelihood of limiting attempts and a moderately high likelihood of overeating (31-34%); (3) pervasive bulimic-like concerns (4-6%). Class membership was highly stable across assessment occasions. DISCUSSION The results contribute to the growing literature on empirically derived classifications of CREWS and indicate that for many men CREWS are a chronic presence during the college years.
Global aphasia as a predictor of mortality in the acute phase of a first stroke.

OBJECTIVE To establish whether vascular aphasic syndromes can predict stroke outcomes. METHOD Thirty-seven adults were evaluated for speech and language within 72 hours after a single first-ever ischemic brain lesion, in blind association to CT and/or MR. RESULTS Speech or language disabilities were found in seven (87.5%) of the eight deceased patients and twenty-six (89.7%) of the twenty-nine survivors. Global aphasia was identified in eleven patients, all with left hemisphere lesions (nine mute; five deceased), consisting on a risk factor for death in the acute stroke phase (ρ=0.022). Age (z=1.65; ρ>0.09), thrombolysis (ρ=0.591), infarct size (ρ=0.076) and side (ρ=0.649) did not significantly influence survival. Absence of aphasia did not predict a better evolution, regardless of the affected hemisphere. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was similar for all patient groups. CONCLUSION Global aphasia in acute stroke can adversely affect prognosis, translated into impairment of dominant perisylvian vascular territories, with mutism as an important semiological element.
Enhancement of a text clustering technique for the classification of Thai tourism websites

Tourism is an industry that is vital to the economic development of a country. Publicity and promotion of tourism is continuously carried out, especially with the help of the Internet. When tourists need to get more information, they usually search the web and use search engines. However, the number of search results can be huge and unwanted information that is uncategorized and incoherent may be presented. Furthermore, the results of the search are not presented in a single site. Extracting all the relevant information can waste time and is an inconvenient method of gathering information from a single information source, e.g. where to travel, dine, stay, and shop. We solved the problem by modifying the algorithms for the classification of travel sites with a Thai text analysis technique using five parts of the website HTML structure: the title tag, the body tag, the meta name description, the meta name keywords, and the links to other pages. Next, we developed algorithms to analyze and categorize websites with 31 combinations, based on various website structures, and measured the efficiency using the F-measure statistic. Then, we compared our results with another technique. These new results showed that our modified technique was better. To find the best pattern from 31 different combinations, we tested the algorithms using 200 Thai tourist websites and used four categories: attractions, accommodation, restaurants, and gift shops. Our results showed that the content within the HTML body tag alone was sufficient to classify the sites.