Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Academic Optimism of Schools: A Force for Student Achievement

Researchers have been challenged to go beyond socioeconomic status in the search for school-level characteristics that make a difference in student achievement. The purpose of the present study was to identify a new construct, academic optimism, and then use it to explain student achievement while controlling for socioeconomic status, previous achievement, and urbanicity. The study focused on a diverse sample of 96 high schools. A random sample of teachers from each school provided data on the school’s academic optimism, and student achievement scores and demographic characteristics were obtained from the state department of education. A confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis tests were conducted simultaneously via structural equation modeling. As predicted, academic optimism made a significant contribution to student achievement after controlling for demographic variables and previous achievement. The findings support the critical nature of academic optimism.
An In Vivo Model for Studying Function of Brain Tissue Temporarily Devoid of Glial Cell Metabolism: The Use of Fluorocitrate

Abstract: The effect of intrastriatal injection of fluorocitrate on amino acid pattern, cell enzyme markers, and ultrastruc‐tural appearance was investigated. A dose of 1 nmol of fluorocitrate resulted in temporarily decreased levels of glutamine, glutamate, and aspartate, whereas the level of alanine was increased. The glutamine level was severely reduced after 4 h but was reversed after 24 h. The activity of different cellular enzyme markers did not change markedly after this dose. Ultrastructural changes in glial cells were observed, concomitant with the biochemical changes. A dose of ≥2 nmol of fluorocitrate resulted in more marked and irreversible changes in amino acid levels. By 24–72 h after the injection of this dose, several marker enzyme activities decreased markedly. The ultrastructural changes affected the neurons as well as the glial cells and were not reversible. The use of microinjection of 1 nmol of fluorocitrate into the neostria‐tum of the rat to provide a model for studying transmitter amino acid metabolism in brain devoid of glial cell activity is discussed.
A General Framework for Dimensionality-Reducing Data Visualization Mapping

In recent years, a wealth of dimension-reduction techniques for data visualization and preprocessing has been established. Nonparametric methods require additional effort for out-of-sample extensions, because they provide only a mapping of a given finite set of points. In this letter, we propose a general view on nonparametric dimension reduction based on the concept of cost functions and properties of the data. Based on this general principle, we transfer nonparametric dimension reduction to explicit mappings of the data manifold such that direct out-of-sample extensions become possible. Furthermore, this concept offers the possibility of investigating the generalization ability of data visualization to new data points. We demonstrate the approach based on a simple global linear mapping, as well as prototype-based local linear mappings. In addition, we can bias the functional form according to given auxiliary information. This leads to explicit supervised visualization mappings with discriminative properties comparable to state-of-the-art approaches.
Expression of WASF3 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: Correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member 3 (WASF3) is required for invasion and metastasis in different cancer cell types, and has been demonstrated to possess prognostic value in various types of human cancer. However, to the best of our knowledge, the expression profile of WASF3 and its correlations with the clinicopathological features of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not yet been described. In the present study, the mRNA expression levels of WASF3, in 38 NSCLC patients and in matched normal tissues, were assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the protein expression in 96 specimens was analyzed using immunohistochemistry. In addition, patient survival data were collected retrospectively and the association between WASF3 expression and five-year overall survival was evaluated. The results demonstrated that the mRNA expression level of WASF3 in cancer tissues was markedly (approximately five times) higher compared with that of the normal tissues. The WASF3 protein expression profile in NSCLC was consistent with the mRNA expression result, which also correlated with the histological subtype and tumor stage. Furthermore, patients with WASF3-positive expression were associated with a poorer prognosis compared with those exhibiting WASF3-negative expression, and the five-year survival rate was 20.8 and 46.5%, respectively (Kaplan-Meier; log-rank, P=0.004). In the multivariate analysis, which included other clinicopathological features, WASF3 emerged as an independent prognostic factor (relative risk, 0.463; 95% CI, 0.271–0.792). These results indicate that WASF3 may be critical in the pathogenesis of NSCLC, in addition to being a valuable prognostic factor for NSCLC patients. Further investigations are required to identify the efficacy of WASF3 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.
The social fabric of elementary schools: a network typology of social interaction among teachers

While researchers are currently studying various forms of social network interaction among teachers for their impact on educational policy implementation and practice, knowledge on how various types of networks are interrelated is limited. The goal of this study is to understand the dimensionality that may underlie various types of social networks in schools. We assessed seven types of social interaction using social network data of 775 educators from 53 Dutch elementary schools. The quadratic assignment procedure, multidimensional scaling and network visualisations were used to discern underlying dimensions that may explain the interrelatedness of these seven types of social networks. Findings suggest small to moderate similarity between the seven forms of social interaction. Results support a distinction between instrumental and expressive networks and suggest a second dimension of mutual in(ter)dependence to explain differences in social interaction among teachers. Implications for practice and research on teacher collaboration are discussed.
Lesional mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and limited resections: prognostic factors and outcome

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of clinical, investigational, surgical, and histopathological factors on postoperative seizure relief in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) due to lesions other than ammonshornsclerosis (AHS). Methods: Of 738 patients operated for TLE, 78 patients underwent limited resections for lesional MTLE (1990–2000). Seventy four patients with a follow up of more than one year were included. The preoperative clinical, neuropsychological, electroencephalogram, and neuroimaging characteristics were prospectively collected in a database. The histopathological material was re-examined. Results: The mean follow up was 49 months. Fifty eight patients were classified as seizure free (78.4% Class I), and six as almost seizure free (8.1% Class II), grouped together as satisfactory seizure control (64 patients, 86.5%). Five patients (6.8%) were categorised in Classes III and IV, respectively. These were grouped as unsatisfactory seizure control (10 patients, 13.5%). Surgical procedures were: 32 amygdalohippocampectomies (AH), 17 partial anterior AH, 15 AH plus polar resection, seven AH plus basal resection, and three AH plus extended temporal lesionectomy. There was no mortality and 2.7% mild permanent morbidity. Seizure relief did neither differ significantly with these approaches, nor with different classes of pathological findings (43 developmental tumours, 12 glial tumours, 10 dysplasias, and nine others). Even operation of dysplasias resulted in 80% satisfactory seizure control. Seizure onset during childhood proved to be a negative predictor for seizure relief (p = 0.020). MRI revealed 73 suspected lesions (98.6%), one dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour was missed, in four cases no structural abnormalities could be confirmed with histopathological exam. Additionally, multifactorial regression revealed the factors “seizure onset after 10 years of age”, “presence of complex partial seizures”, “absence of a neurological deficit”, and a “correlating neuropsychological deficit” as predictive for satisfactory seizure control. Conclusions: “Preoperative tailoring” resulting in limit resections has proven to be safe and to provide a very good chance for satisfactory seizure relief in patients with lesional MTLE.
Mechanism of Protection against Aflatoxin Tumorigenicity in Rats Fed 5-(2-Pyrazinyl)-4-methyl-l,2-dithiol-3-thione (Oltipraz) and Related l,2-Dithiol-3-thiones and l

l,2-Dithiol-3-thiones, reported constituents of cruciferous vegetables, are five-membered cyclic sulfur-containing compounds with antioxidant, chemotherapeutic, and chemoprotective activities. The effects of dietary administration of a substituted l,2-dithiol-3-thione, oltipraz |5-( 2-pyrazinyl)-4-inethyl-l,2-dithiol-3-thione|, a potent antischistosomal agent, on Â»fiatimi! BI (AFBi) metabolism, DNA adduct formation, and hepatic tumorigenesis were examined in male F344 rats. Rats were fed graded doses of oltipraz (0.01-0.1%) for 4 wk. During the second and third wk of oltipraz feeding rats were gavaged with 250 Â«ig of AFBi/kg five times a wk. Rats were finally restored to control diet 1 wk after cessation of Al H, dosing. At 4 months focal areas of hepatocellular alteration were identified and quantitated by staining sections of liver for >-glutamyl transpeptidase activity. Treatment with oltipraz at all doses reduced by >90% the volume of liver occupied by 7-glutamyl transpeptidase-positive foci. levels of AFBi bound to hepatic DNA were reduced between 40 and 80% in animals fed increasing doses of dietary oltipraz (0.01-0.1%) for 1 wk prior to a single exposure to AFBi. Feeding of the higher levels of oltipraz led to marked increases in the specific activity of glutathione S-transferases, presumably serving to facilitate the detoxication of the ultimate electrophilic form of AFBi, the 8,9-oxide. At low dietary con centrations of oltipraz (0.01%), the only inductive effects seen were on the activities of selected cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases. Therefore, the protection afforded by oltipraz may be due to both the enhancement of electrophile detoxication pathways as well as modified oxidative metabolism of M H,. In in vitro metabolism studies with hepatic postmitochondrial supernatant, low-dose oltipraz pretreatment facilitated the oxidative production of aflatoxins I', and Qi, but not MI, from AFBi. High-dose (0.1%) oltipraz pretreatment enhanced the primary metabo lism of AFBi to aflatoxins IV M,. and Qi as well as the formation of chloroform-insoluble metabolites. Feeding studies with a series of 1,2dithiol-3-thioneand l,2-dithiol-3-one derivatives of oltipraz demonstrated that the inductive activity for cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygen ases and electrophile detoxication enzymes, such as glutathione . S'-transferases, could be readily separated by minor modifications of the 1,2dithiol-3-thione structure. The unsubstituted l,2-dithiol-3-thione nucleus strongly induced electrophile detoxication enzymes, but not the monoox ygenases, and was the most effective inhibitor of the binding of AFBi to hepatic DNA Âinvivo. The high potency, low toxicity, and selectivity of enzyme inductive effects may render some of the l,2-dithiol-3-thiones as excellent compounds for chemoprotection in humans.
A Novel Approach for Personalized Article Recommendation in Online Scientific Communities

Rapid proliferation of information technologies has generated sheer volume of information which makes scientific research related information searching more challenging. Personalized recommendation is the widely adopted technique to recommend relevant documents to researchers. Current methods are suffering from mismatch problem and match irrelevance problem and fail to generate highly related results. To overcome these problems, we propose a novel approach to recommend articles to the researchers. In our approach we integrate three types of similarity measures: keyword similarity, journal similarity, and author similarity to measure the relevance of the articles to researchers. The keyword similarity is used to generate candidate list of articles, and the journal similarity and author similarity are used to select most suitable articles from the candidate list. The integrated similarity measure is used to rank the articles based on their relevance. The proposed method is implemented in Scholar Mate (www.scholarmate.com), the online research social network platform. The evaluation results exhibit that proposed method is more effective than existing ones.
Exploring the role of religion and spirituality in the development of purpose: case studies of purposeful youth

This study investigated the role of spirituality and religion in supporting purpose during adolescence. Two case studies of adolescents who were coded as purposeful in the religious and/or spiritual domain as part of a larger study at the Stanford Centre on Adolescence were analysed and discussed. The results showed religion and spirituality as overlapping domains with authenticity to self as expressed though spirituality as a distinguishing factor between the two cases. Authenticity fosters one of the key elements of purpose – meaningfulness to the self – but only if done with equal attention to the world beyond the self.
Comparative Thermal Requirements of Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout: Implications for Species Interactions and Development of Thermal Protection Standards

Abstract Water temperature appears to play a key role in determining population persistence of westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi, but specific thermal performance and survival criteria have not been defined. We used the acclimated chronic exposure laboratory method to determine upper thermal tolerances and growth optima of westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout O. mykiss, a potential nonnative competitor that occupies much of the former range of westslope cutthroat trout. Rainbow trout had a distinct survival advantage over westslope cutthroat trout at water temperatures above 20°C. The ultimate upper incipient lethal temperature of rainbow trout (24.3°C; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 24.0–24.7°C) was 4.7°C higher than that of westslope cutthroat trout (19.6°C; 95% CI = 19.1–19.9°C). In contrast, both species had similar growth rates and optimum growth temperatures (westslope cutthroat trout: 13.6°C; rainbow trout: 13.1°C) over the temperature range of 8–20°C, although rainbow tr.
Polyclonal Population Structure of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates in Spain Carrying mef and mef plus erm(B)

ABSTRACT The population structure (serotypes, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE] types, and multilocus sequencing types) of 45 mef-positive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates [carrying mef alone (n = 17) or with the erm(B) gene n = 28)] were studied. They were selected from among all erythromycin-resistant isolates (n = 244) obtained from a collection of 712 isolates recovered from different Spanish geographic locations in the prevaccination period from 1999 to 2003. The overall rates of resistance (according to the criteria of the CLSI) among the 45 mef-positive isolates were as follows: penicillin G, 82.2%; cefotaxime, 22.2%; clindamycin, 62.2%; and tetracycline, 68.8% [mainly in isolates carrying erm(B) plus mef(E); P < 0.001]. No levofloxacin or telithromycin resistance was found. Macrolide resistance phenotypes (as determined by the disk diffusion approximation test) were 37.7% for macrolide resistance [with all but one due to mef(E)] and 62.2% for constitutive macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance [cMLSB; with all due to mef(E) plus erm(B)]. Serotypes 14 (22.2%), 6B (17.7%), 19A (13.3%), and 19F (11.1%) were predominant. Twenty-five different DNA patterns (PFGE types) were observed. Our mef-positive isolates were grouped (by eBURST analysis) into four clonal complexes (n = 18) and 19 singleton clones (n = 27). With the exception of clone Spain9V-3, all clonal complexes (clonal complexes 6B, Spain6B-2, and Sweden15A-25) and 73.6% of singleton clones carried both the erm(B) and the mef(E) genes. The international multiresistant clones Spain23F-1 and Poland6B-20 were represented as singleton clones. A high proportion of mef-positive S. pneumoniae isolates presented the erm(B) gene, with all isolates expressing the cMLSB phenotype. A polyclonal population structure was demonstrated within our Spanish mef-positive S. pneumoniae isolates, with few clonal complexes overrepresented within this collection.
Negative Cycle Detection in Dynamic Graphs

We examine the problem of detecting negative cycles in a dynamic graph, which is a fundamental problem that arises in electronic design automation and systems theory [1, 2, 3, 4]. Previous approaches used for this have tried to modify Dijkstra’s algorithm since it is the fastest known Single-Source Shortest Path algorithm. We introduce the concept of batch mode negative cycle detection, in which a graph changes over time, and negative cycle detection needs to be done periodically. Such scenarios arise, for example, during iterative design space exploration for hardware and software synthesis. We present an algorithm for this problem, based on the Bellman-Ford algorithm, which outperforms previous approaches. We also show that this technique leads to very fast algorithms for the computation of the maximum-cycle mean (MCM) of a graph, especially for a certain form of sparse graph. Such sparseness often occurs in practice, as demonstrated for example by the ISCAS 89/93 benchmarks. We present experimental results that demonstrate the advantages of our batch-processing techniques, and illustrate their application to designspace exploration by developing an automated local-search technique for multiple-voltage scheduling of iterative data-flow graphs.
Results and Discussion

Introduction In vertebrate striated muscle cells, the most peripherally located myofi brils are attached to the sarcolemma through costameres, structures compositionally and functionally similar to focal adhesions (Ervasti, 2003; Samarel, 2005). Costameres are thought to laterally transmit the force of muscle contraction across the cell membrane to the ECM and serve to keep sarcomeres in register. The protein assemblies that compose the costameres are located beneath the Z-disks of peripheral myofi brils. Some components of focal adhesions (Porter et al., 1992), including α v integrin (McDonald et al., 1995), have also been found located at peripheral M-lines. For both focal adhesions and Z-disk costameres, integrins are coupled to cytoskeletal actin fi laments and myofi brillar thin fi laments, respectively. However, the means of attaching myosin thick fi laments to the muscle cell membrane is unknown. In Caenorhabditis elegans muscle, the actin thin fi laments are attached to dense bodies (Z-disk analogues) and the myosin thick fi laments are organized around M-lines (for review see Moerman and Williams, 2006). All the dense bodies and M-lines appear to be anchored to the cell membrane and, thus, also serve the same function as vertebrate costameres. In C. elegans, clustered on the cytoplasmic side of the sarcolemma at the base of dense bodies and M-lines, is a complex of proteins associated with the cytoplasmic tail of PAT-3 (β-integrin). These proteins include UNC-112 (Mig-2), PAT-4 (integrin-linked kinase), PAT-6 (actopaxin), and UNC-97 (PINCH; Moerman and Williams, 2006). At the dense bodies, vinculin, α-actinin, and talin likely link integrins to actin thin fi laments. However, at the M-lines, the identity of the molecule or molecules that directly link the membrane-proximal integrin complex to the myosin thick fi laments is unknown. Among UNC-97–interacting molecules is UNC-98, a 310-residue protein containing four C2H2 Zn fi n-gers that localizes by antibodies to the M To identify additional functional partners of UNC-98 at the M-line, we screened a yeast two-hybrid library, using as bait the N-terminal, non-Zn fi nger–containing 112 residues of UNC-98 (Fig. 1 A). 33 positive clones were identifi ed encoding 18 unique proteins that interact with the N terminus of UNC-98 (Table S1, available at Three of the confi rmed clones encoded myosin heavy chain (MHC) A, a body wall muscle–specifi c myosin.
Middle School Climate: An Empirical Assessment of Organizational Health and Student Achievement

Researchers and reformers have suggested that school climate is an important aspect of effective schools; however, the notion of climate is defined in a myriad of ways, is frequently nebulous, and is often merely a slogan for better schools. The current analysis uses a health metaphor to conceptualize and measure important aspects of school climate and then examines relationships between school health and student achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics in a sample of middle schools. As predicted, dimensions of organizational health were significantly related to student achievement even when the socioeconomic status of the school was controlled.
Species variation in the enantioselective metabolism of tegafur to 5‐fluorouracil among rats, dogs and monkeys

Tegafur (FT), a pro‐drug of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), is a racemate consisting of two enantiomers, R and S‐FT. The aim of this study was to clarify interspecies variation in the enantioselective metabolism of FT.
On the placement of software mechanisms for detection of data errors

An important aspect in the development of dependable software is to decide where to locate mechanisms for efficient error detection and recovery. We present a comparison between two methods for selecting locations for error detection mechanisms, in this case executable assertions (EAs), in black-box, modular software. Our results show that by placing EAs based on error propagation analysis one may reduce the memory and execution time requirements as compared to experience- and heuristic-based placement while maintaining the obtained detection coverage. Further, we show the sensitivity of the EA-provided coverage estimation on the choice of the underlying error model. Subsequently, we extend the analysis framework such that error-model effects are also addressed and introduce measures for classifying signals according to their effect on system output when errors are present. The extended framework facilitates profiling of software systems from varied dependability perspectives and is also less susceptible to the effects of having different error models for estimating detection coverage.
Mere nip and tuck? Training and development's changing role

Purpose – This paper seeks to study the changing role of training and development over a seven‐year period.Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative analysis; comparative analysis of 763 training and development/HRD job advertisements featured over a seven month‐period in 1996‐1997 and in 2003‐2004.Findings – Change in the training and development role has been patchy and not as extensive as some of the literature has suggested.Research limitations/implications – The study was confined to training and development/HRD job advertisements from one, albeit leading, UK HR magazine and only allowed a seven‐year gap between the two sets of data gathered. It would have been interesting to have analysed job advertisements from multiple sources and over a longer period of time, and to have had a ten‐year gap between the two sets of data. However, the data gathering was a very time‐consuming process which limited the scope of the data gathered.Practical implications – Practitioners need to consider how the training.