Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coaching for Confidence: An Examination of the Relationship Between Literacy Coaching and Teacher Efficacy in Middle School English Language Arts Classrooms

The focus of this study was to portray the work of middle school literacy coaches as agents to increase teacher efficacy. Coaches and teachers in New York school districts participated in the study, which attempted to add to the research on teacher efficacy and coaching by authentically examining the experiences and perceptions of coaching. Data was collected using the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale, interviews, focus groups, observations notes, and researcher notes. This study revealed that participating in the coaching experience increased teachers’ self-efficacy and that the teachers valued their literacy coach to provide resources, model lessons, assist with lesson planning, and most of all, provide classroom support with instructional strategies and classroom management. Teachers found that the coaching process provided the needed resources, collegiality, and expertise needed to support the execution of new instructional strategies and programs. The coaches in this study identified many improvements in teachers’ instructional delivery as they participated in the coaching process. Teachers indicated that the most important aspect of the coaching process was the character of the literacy coach. Literacy coaches who possessed good listening skills, patience, and were personable made the coaching process more effective. Thus, teachers expressed the impact of coaches’ personality on the success of the coaching process. The main findings of this study were that teachers perceived literacy coaching as a useful form of professional development. Teachers believed the coaching process strengthened their ability to deliver innovative instructional strategies, increase student engagement, and maintain classroom management. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor Jerry Willis Second Supervisor Donna L. Marable Third Supervisor Velma Whiteside This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: http://fisherpub.sjfc. edu/education_etd/12 Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: http://fisherpub.sjfc. edu/education_etd/12 Coaching for Confidence: An Examination of the Relationship Between Literacy Coaching and Teacher Efficacy in Middle School English Language Arts Classrooms By Gayle N. White-Wallace Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Ed.D. in Executive Leadership Supervised by Dr. Jerry Willis Committee Members Dr. Donna L. Marable Dr. Velma Whiteside Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education St. John Fisher College August 2011
A 16, 24, 32 kbit/s wideband speech codec based on ATCELP

This paper describes a combined adaptive transform codec (ATC) and code-excited linear prediction (CELP) algorithm, called ATCELP, for the compression of wideband (7 kHz) signals. The CELP algorithm applies mainly to speech, whereas the ATC mode is selected for music and noise signals. We propose a switching scheme between CELP and ATC mode and describe a frame erasure concealment technique. Subjective listening tests have shown that the ATCELP codec at bit rates of 16, 24 and 32 kbit/s achieved performances close to those of the CCITT G.722 at 48, 56 and 64 kbit/s, respectively, at most operating conditions.
Snapshot Estimators of Recent HIV Incidence Rates

The recent HIV incidence rate (or hazard rate for infection) is an important quantity for use in monitoring the HIV/AIDS epidemic, evaluating HIV prevention programs, and allocating HIV prevention resources. Direct measurement of HIV incidence is difficult and time consuming, while estimating HIV incidence via backcalculation (deconvolution) using AIDS incidence data and the (presumed known) HIV incubation time distribution yields little information about recent infection. We propose a method for estimating recent HIV incidence in a population via a single sample at a single point in time. The method relies on understanding the progression of certain markers such as CD4 counts following infection. The actual formulas derived for the point and interval estimates of HIV incidence are simple and easy to use while the sample sizes needed to implement our approach are reasonable. We present two applications of our approach, comparing our results to those obtained from more conventional methods where possible.
Privacy and Cybersecurity: The Next 100 Years

The past and the future of privacy and cybersecurity are addressed from four perspectives, by different authors: theory and algorithms, technology, policy, and economics. Each author considers the role of the threat from the corresponding perspective, and each adopts an individual tone, ranging from a relatively serious look at the prospects for improvement in underlying theory and algorithms to more lighthearted considerations of the unpredictable futures of policy and economics.
ROLE OF ITRACONAZOLE METABOLITES IN CYP3A4 INHIBITION

Itraconazole (ITZ) is a potent inhibitor of CYP3A in vivo. However, unbound plasma concentrations of ITZ are much lower than its reported in vitro Ki, and no clinically significant interactions would be expected based on a reversible mechanism of inhibition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reasons for the in vitro-in vivo discrepancy. The metabolism of ITZ by CYP3A4 was studied. Three metabolites were detected: hydroxy-itraconazole (OH-ITZ), a known in vivo metabolite of ITZ, and two new metabolites: keto-itraconazole (keto-ITZ) and N-desalkyl-itraconazole (ND-ITZ). OHITZ and keto-ITZ were also substrates of CYP3A4. Using a substrate depletion kinetic approach for parameter determination, ITZ exhibited an unbound Km of 3.9 nM and an intrinsic clearance (CLint) of 69.3 ml·min-1·nmol CYP3A4-1. The respective unbound Km values for OH-ITZ and keto-ITZ were 27 nM and 1.4 nM and the CLint values were 19.8 and 62.5 ml·min-1·nmol CYP3A4-1. Inhibition of CYP3A4 by ITZ, OH-ITZ, keto-ITZ, and ND-ITZ was evaluated using hydroxylation of midazolam as a probe reaction. Both ITZ and OH-ITZ were competitive inhibitors of CYP3A4, with unbound Ki (1.3 nM for ITZ and 14.4 nM for OH-ITZ) close to their respective Km. ITZ, OH-ITZ, keto-ITZ and ND-ITZ exhibited unbound IC50 values of 6.1 nM, 4.6 nM, 7.0 nM, and 0.4 nM, respectively, when coincubated with human liver microsomes and midazolam (substrate concentration < Km). These findings demonstrate that ITZ metabolites are as potent as or more potent CYP3A4 inhibitors than ITZ itself, and thus may contribute to the inhibition of CYP3A4 observed in vivo after ITZ dosing.
Combined ursodeoxycholic acid and glycyrrhizin therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection: a randomized controlled trial in 170 patients.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN To assess the efficacy and safety of combination therapy using ursodeoxycholic acid with glycyrrhizin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection, we conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial of glycyrrhizin (group G) compared with glycyrrhizin plus ursodeoxycholic acid (group G+U) in 170 patients. METHODS All patients had elevated serum aminotransferase levels over 6 months before entry into the trial. Glycyrrhizin was administered to both groups for 24 weeks, and in group G+U, ursodeoxycholic acid (600 mg/day) was administered orally as well. RESULTS Serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase concentrations significantly decreased during treatment in both groups, but serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase concentrations fell significantly only in group G+U. Concentrations of all three enzymes fell significantly more in group G+U than in group G, and had normalized in more cases when the trial ended at 24 weeks. However, levels of HCV viraemia did not change during the trial in either group. Multiple regression analysis linked only the treatment regimen, not HCV-related factors or liver histology, to the degree of serum enzyme reduction. No adverse effects were noted in either group. CONCLUSIONS The combined therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid and glycyrrhizin is safe and effective in improving liver-specific enzyme abnormalities, and may be an alternative to interferon in chronic hepatitis C virus infection, especially for interferon-resistant or unstable patients.
Serum Vitamin D and Facial Aging: Is There a Link?

Background: The vitamin D endocrine system, besides multiple other functions, regulates aging in many tissues, including the skin. It protects the skin against the hazardous effects of many skin age-inducing agents, including ultraviolet radiation. Thus, in the present study we aimed to investigate the relationship between facial skin aging and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum levels in healthy Egyptian adults. Methods: Sixty-one healthy adult subjects were included. Photodamage scores (erythema/telangiectasias, lentigines, hyperpigmentation and coarse wrinkling) were assessed and graded. Serum vitamin D was measured using enzyme immunoassay and subjects were classified as sufficient, insufficient or deficient according to the vitamin level. Results: The mean 25(OH)D serum level was 43.90 nmol/l. A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was detected in the studied subjects regardless of their age or gender. Also, vitamin D levels were not correlated with photodamage scores and were not affected by the Fitzpatrick skin phototype, duration of sun exposure per day or the use of sunscreens (p > 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Aging is a complex process that is influenced by many genetic and environmental factors. Facial aging is not correlated with serum vitamin D level, and clinical trials using oral or topical vitamin D to combat aging are better predictors of its effects rather than in vivo studies.
Production of multiple cytokines by Hodgkin's disease derived cell lines

The production of cytokines was analysed in Hodgkin's disease (HD) derived cell lines by enzyme linked immunosorbent tests (ELISA) and Northern blot experiments. Our results demonstrate that HD derived cell lines produce a variety of cytokines, such as ILlα, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL8, TNFα, TNFβ and GM‐CSF but not ILlβ IL2, IL3 and G‐CSF. In cell lines with a high expression of CD25 (the light chain of the IL2 receptor), we found soluble IL2 receptors in the supernatants. In addition, receptors for IL6 could be detected in most of the HD derived cell lines. However the growth of HD derived cell lines, which produce IL6 and IL6 receptors could not be inhibited by anti‐IL6 antibodies. From our data we conclude, that IL6 and additional cytokines may be involved in the biology of HD.
GPUvm: GPU Virtualization at the Hypervisor

Graphic processing units (GPUs) provide a massively-parallel computational power and encourage the use of general-purpose computing on GPUs (GPGPU). The distinguished design of <italic>discrete GPUs</italic> helps them to provide the high throughput, scalability, and energy efficiency needed for GPGPU applications. Despite the previous study on GPU virtualization, the tradeoffs between the virtualization approaches remain unclear, because of a lack of designs for or quantitative evaluations of the hypervisor-level virtualization for discrete GPUs. Shedding light on these tradeoffs and the technical requirements for the hypervisor-level virtualization would facilitate the development of an appropriate GPU virtualization solution. <italic/><inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $\sf{GPUvm}$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="suzuki-ieq1-2506582.gif"/></alternatives> </inline-formula><italic/>, which is an open architecture for hypervisor-level GPU virtualization with a particular emphasis on using the Xen hypervisor, is presented in this paper. <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $\sf{GPUvm}$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="suzuki-ieq2-2506582.gif"/></alternatives> </inline-formula> offers three virtualization modes: the full-, naive para-, and high-performance para-virtualization. <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf{GPUvm}$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="suzuki-ieq3-2506582.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> exposes low- and high-level interfaces such as memory-mapped I/O and DRM APIs to the guest virtual machines (VMs). Our experiments using a relevant commodity GPU showed that <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf{GPUvm}$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="suzuki-ieq4-2506582.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> incurs different overheads as the level of the exposed interfaces is changed. The results also showed that a coarse-grained fairness on the GPU among multiple VMs can be achieved using GPU scheduling.
Magnetic Interactions Sense Changes in Distance between Heme bL and the Iron−Sulfur Cluster in Cytochrome bc1†

During the operation of cytochrome bc1, a key enzyme of biological energy conversion, the iron−sulfur head domain of one of the subunits of the catalytic core undergoes a large-scale movement from the catalytic quinone oxidation Qo site to cytochrome c1. This changes a distance between the two iron−two sulfur (FeS) cluster and other cofactors of the redox chains. Although the role and the mechanism of this movement have been intensely studied, they both remain poorly understood, partly because the movement itself is not easily traceable experimentally. Here, we take advantage of magnetic interactions between the reduced FeS cluster and oxidized heme bL to use dipolar enhancement of phase relaxation of the FeS cluster as a spectroscopic parameter which with a unique clarity and specificity senses changes in the distance between those two cofactors. The dipolar relaxation curves measured by EPR at Q-band in a glass state of frozen solution (i.e., under the conditions trapping a dynamic distribution of FeS positions that existed in a liquid phase) of isolated cytochrome bc1 were compared with the curves calculated for the FeS cluster occupying distinct positions in various crystals of cytochrome bc1. This comparison revealed the existence of a broad distribution of the FeS positions in noninhibited cytochrome bc1 and demonstrated that the average equilibrium position is modifiable by inhibitors or mutations. To explain the results, we assume that changes in the equilibrium distribution of the FeS positions are the result of modifications of the orienting potential gradient in which the diffusion of the FeS head domain takes place. The measured changes in the phase relaxation enhancement provide the first direct experimental description of changes in the strength of dipolar coupling between the FeS cluster and heme bL.
Cantonese text-to-speech synthesis using sub-syllable units

This paper describes our recent investigation on the use of both intra-syllable and cross-syllable acoustic units for Cantonese text-to-speech synthesis. In our previous work, isolated monosyllable units were used for concatenative speech synthesis of Cantonese. The synthetic speech was considered to be unnatural in such a way that there was an obvious lack of perceptual continuity. The proposed system adopts an acoustic inventory that covers all legitimate intrasyllable and cross-syllable acoustic units. Synthetic speech produced via concatenation of such sub-syllable units better captures the pertinent transitory effects that are crucial to perceived naturalness. Different strategies are used to concatenate speech segments with different acoustic-phonetic properties. Subjective listening test shows a noticeable performance improvement that is accounted for mainly by smoother transition between sonorant segments.
Modulation of BK channels contributes to activity-dependent increase of excitability through MTORC1 activity in CA1 pyramidal cells of mouse hippocampus

Memory acquisition and synaptic plasticity are accompanied by changes in the intrinsic excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons. These activity-dependent changes in excitability are mediated by modulation of intrinsic currents which alters the responsiveness of the cell to synaptic inputs. The afterhyperpolarization (AHP), a major contributor to the regulation of neuronal excitability, is reduced in animals that have acquired several types of hippocampus-dependent memory tasks and also following synaptic potentiation by high frequency stimulation. BK channels underlie the fast AHP and contribute to spike repolarization, and this AHP is reduced in animals that successfully acquired trace-eyeblink conditioning. This suggests that BK channel function is activity-dependent, but the mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we found that blockade of BK channels with paxilline (10 μM) decreased IAHP amplitude and increased spike half-width and instantaneous frequency in response to a +100 pA depolarization. In addition, induction of long term potentiation (LTP) by theta burst stimulation (TBS) in CA1 pyramidal neurons reduced BK channel’s contribution to IAHP, spike repolarization, and instantaneous frequency. This result indicates that BK channel activity is decreased following synaptic potentiation. Interestingly, blockade of mammalian target of rapamycin (MTORC1) with rapamycin (400 nM) following synaptic potentiation restored BK channel function, suggesting a role for protein translation in signaling events which decreased postsynaptic BK channel activity following synaptic potentiation.
Does Mentoring Reduce Turnover and Improve Skills of New Employees? Evidence from Teachers in New York City

Mentoring has become an extremely popular policy for improving the retention and performance of new teachers, but we know little about its effects on teacher and student outcomes. I study the impact of mentoring in New York City, which adopted a nationally recognized mentoring program in 2004. I use detailed program data to examine the relationship between teacher and student outcomes and measures of mentoring quality, such as hours of mentoring received and the characteristics of mentors. Although assignment of teachers to mentors was non-random, I use instrumental variables and school fixed effects to address potential sources of bias. I find strong relationships between measures of mentoring quality and teachers' claims regarding the impact of mentors on their success in the classroom, but weaker evidence of effects on teacher absences, retention, and student achievement. The most consistent finding is that retention within a particular school is higher when a mentor has previous experience working in that school, suggesting that an important part of mentoring may be the provision of school specific knowledge. I also find evidence that student achievement in both reading and math were higher among teachers that received more hours of mentoring, supporting the notion that time spent working with a mentor does improve teaching skills.
Breast cancer and serum organochlorines: a prospective study among white, black, and Asian women.

BACKGROUND Five small case-control studies have examined the relationship between exposure to organochlorines and the risk of breast cancer and have found inconsistent results. In these studies, organochlorine levels in breast cancer patients were measured after (or at most 6 months before) diagnosis. PURPOSE We tested the hypothesis that organochlorines are a risk factor for breast cancer, using prospectively gathered data on serum levels of DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene] (the main metabolite of the pesticide DDT [2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane]) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). METHODS Study subjects belonged to a cohort of 57,040 women (46,629 white, 8123 black, and 2288 Asian) from the San Francisco Bay Area who took a multiphasic health examination, independent of concern about risk of breast cancer, in the late 1960s. At that time, a sample of blood was obtained, then frozen and stored. Follow-up was through December 31, 1990. We conducted a nested case-control study of 150 case patients and 150 matched control subjects. A random sample of 50 women per racial/ethnic group who had been diagnosed with breast cancer more than 6 months after the multiphasic examination (mean follow-up = 14.2 years) was selected, and each case patient was matched to a cancer-free control subject. RESULTS Matched analyses found no differences in the case patients' and control subjects' serum levels of DDE (mean difference = 0.2 parts per billion [ppb]; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -6.7, 7.2) or PCBs (mean difference = -0.4 ppb; 95% CI = -0.8, 0.1). DDE levels, however, tended to be higher among black case patients compared with black controls (mean difference = 5.7 ppb; 95% CI = -3.3, 14.8), and PCBs were lower among white case patients compared with white controls (mean difference = -0.6 ppb; 95% CI = -1.2, -0.1). Organochlorine levels were significantly higher among black and Asian women compared with white women. The mean difference for DDE was 11.0 ppb for black women (95% CI = 4.3, 17.6) and 12.6 ppb for Asian women (95% CI = 6.0, 19.2); for PCBs, the respective differences were 0.8 ppb for black women (95% CI = 0.2, 1.4) and 1.4 ppb for Asian women (95% CI = 0.8, 1.9). The results were not altered by adjusting for relevant confounders, and the lack of association between exposure to organochlorines and breast cancer was present regardless of length of follow-up, year of diagnosis, or the case patient's menopausal and estrogen-receptor status. CONCLUSION The data do not support the hypothesis that exposure to DDE and PCBs increases risk of breast cancer. IMPLICATIONS Future investigations must consider the biologic mechanisms involved and variations in exposure to chemical pollutants and of breast cancer incidence rates among diverse groups of women.
An experience of representing knowledge and data in mechanical design using Smalltalk-80

The experience of representing design knowledge and data in developing an intelligent design system for mechanical devices using the object oriented programming language --- Smalltalk-80 is summarized in this paper. Many object oriented programming techniques, especially the representation of inheritance and class-instance relations, are used for representing the design knowledge and data within the system. The characteristics of Smalltalk-80, including its rapid prototyping and large library properties, make it an excellent tool for this application. It is concluded from this work that object oriented programming language is a good tool for modeling design objects and for representing design knowledge.
GPM6B regulates osteoblast function and induction of mineralization by controlling cytoskeleton and matrix vesicle release

Neuronal membrane glycoprotein gene (GPM6B) encodes a membrane glycoprotein that belongs to the proteolipid protein family. We identified GPM6B as a gene that is strongly upregulated during osteoblast differentiation. To investigate the role of GPM6B in the process of bone formation, we silenced GPM6B expression during osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). GPM6B silencing in hMSCs resulted in reduced alkaline phosphate (ALP) activity along with reduced mineralization of extracellular matrix (ECM). Microarray expression analysis of GPM6B‐depleted osteogenic hMSCs revealed significant changes in genes involved in cytoskeleton organization and biogenesis. Immunocytochemistry results confirm changes in the distribution of actin filaments, as well as the shape and size of focal adhesions on GPM6B silencing. Moreover, we demonstrated that production and release of ALP‐positive matrix vesicles (MVs) were reduced. In conclusion, we identified GPM6B as a novel regulator of osteoblast function and bone formation. This finding demonstrates the significance of cytoskeleton organization for MV production and subsequent mineralization. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research