Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness in measuring character development outcomes in Singapore schools through the Character Development Award

In 2006, Singapore’s Ministry of Education started recognising schools for their effort in using effective character development programmes in producing holistic students who are both competent in their academic studies and possess good moral character. Although the history of character education in schools started in 1959, it is only in the recent years that formal awards with a set of evaluation criteria are used to recognise schools for their high quality character development programmes. Literature review shows that measuring the effectiveness of character development outcomes is a constant issue among critics of character education to validate the claim. The latest empirical research findings have given a strong indication that the outcomes of character development can be measured as long as the constructs of character are properly defined. The objective of the research is to examine if the current awarding process and criteria used for schools are accurately measuring the character development outcomes of schools. The quantitative research instrument used is the Collective Responsibility for Excellence and Ethics version 2.7 Short designed by Khemelkov and Davidson (2008a). The instrument is designed to capture the inputs and outputs of the key stakeholders of students, teachers and parents in the school community towards character development. A total of 1266 students, 210 staff and 396 parents were involved in the research across five schools with different awards. The findings highlighted the need for a constant review of the evaluation criteria used by awarding body to evaluate schools that are involved in character education. It is also imperative for schools that are involved in character education to have well defined constructs for character. These constructs will determine the outcomes to be measured, and hence, the character development programmes’ effectiveness. Through the findings, the study also made recommendations for policy makers and educators on areas that require careful consideration when implementing character development programmes.
NOTES ON OPTIMAL DEBT MANAGEMENT

Consider the finance of an exogenous path of public expenditure, G(t), with taxes and public debt issues. In the absence of unexpected default, borrowing does not allow the government to escape taxes in a present-value sense. But the choices of how much to borrow and in what form affect the timing of tax collections and the ways in which these collections are contingent on economic outcomes. This note assesses these choices from an optimal-tax perspective. That is, the government manages its debt to minimize the expected present value of the distortions from financing its expenditures. The optimal-tax solution can be analyzed in three stages. In the first stage, the conditions hold for Ricardian equivalence, so that choices between debt and taxes do not matter. Sufficient conditions for this result are lumpsum taxes; certainty about future levels of income, public spending, rates of return, etc.; perfect capital markets; and infinite horizons for households. Under these conditions, the known present value of taxes is fixed by the given path of government spending. This result—the absence of a free lunch for the government—applies as long as the government cannot pursue Ponzi schemes or chain letters in which the public debt can grow faster than the economy forever. In this case, public borrowing can change the timing of taxes but not the present value. Therefore, the issue of an extra dollar of debt to cut current taxes by one dollar implies an increase by one dollar in the present value of future taxes. With lump-sum taxes, infinite horizons, and perfect capital markets, the representative household cares only about the present value of taxes. The timing of these levies does not matter. Since a deficit-financed tax cut does
Induction of immune and adjuvant immunoglobulin G responses in mice by Brucella lipopolysaccharide

The immunogenic and adjuvant properties of Brucella abortus and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) were studied in endotoxin-responsive, athymic, and euthymic BALB/c mice and in responsive C3H/HeAu mice and congenic nonresponsive C3H/HeJ mice. Consistent with previous reports, E. coli LPS did not stimulate significant primary or secondary antibody responses in C3H/HeJ mice and induced the production of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and low levels of IgG in C3H/HeAu mice. In contrast, B. abortus smooth and rough LPS stimulated primary and secondary antibody responses and induced the production of IgM and high levels of IgG in both responsive and nonresponsive strains of C3H/He mice and in nude mice. When used as adjuvant, B. abortus LPS augmented the IgG plaque-forming-cell response of C3H/HeAu and BALB/c euthymic mice to the T-dependent antigen sheep erythrocytes. E. coli LPS augmented only the IgM plaque-forming-cell response in the same mouse strains. Neither B. abortus nor E. coli LPS was adjuvant for C3H/HeJ or nude mice. The dichotomy between the antibody and adjuvant responses of both C3H/HeJ mice and athymic mice to B. abortus LPS may be a function of the true thymus independence and dependence of these responses. In addition, the refractiveness of C3H/HeJ and nude mice to B. abortus LPS as adjuvant, but not as mitogen or polyclonal B cell activator, clearly dissociates these phenomena.
Depth Reduction for Circuits of Unbounded Fan-In

We prove that constant depth circuits of size nlogO(1)n over the basis AND, OR, PARITY are no more powerful than circuits of this size with depth four. Similar techniques are used to obtain several other depth reduction theorems; in particular, we show every set in AC0 can be recognized by a family of depth-three threshold circuits of size nlogO(1)n. The size bound nlogO(1)n is optimal when considering depth reduction over AND, OR, and PARITY. Most of our results hold for both the uniform and the nonuniform case.
Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics: The Challenge of Complexity

1. The Nature of Strategy and Organisational Change Part 1. Orthodox Perspectives on Strategy and Organisational Dynamics 2. The Foundations of Strategic Choice Theory: Cybernetic Systems and Cognitivist Psychology 3. Strategic Choice: Formulating the Strategy 4. Strategic Choice: Designing the Systems to Deliver the Strategy 5. Strategic Choice: Taking Account of Uncertainty and Conflict 6. Strategic Choice: Motivation, Leadership, Politics and Culture 7. Review of Strategic Choice Theory 8. The Foundations of Learning Organisation Theory: Systems Dynamics and Cognitivism 9. The Learning Organisation 10. Obstacles to Strategic Choice and Organisational Learning: Open Systems and Psychoanalytic Perspectives Case Studies: 1. Enigma Chemicals 2. Apex Engineering 3. Managing Creativity in Pharmaceuticals 4. The Co-operative Alliance Between The Bank of St Helier of the UK, and Banco Real of Spain Part 2. Towards a Radical Perspective on Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics 11. Chaos Theory, Dissipative Structures and Synergetics 12. Complex Adaptive Systems 13. How Organisation Theorists are Using Chaos and Complexity Theory 14. Complexity: The Problem with Notion of the Autonomous Individual 15. Complexity: Self-Organising Experience 16. Understanding Organisations as Complex Responsive Processes 17. The Implications of Understanding Organisations as Complex Responsive Processes Management Narratives: 1. Innovation in Water Utility 2. The Budget Meeting 3. Performance Measurement 4. Experiencing a Change Program 5. Consulting and Culture Change 6. Culture Change at a Factory Index
Association of Anthropogenic Disturbances and Intestinal Parasitism in Ecuadorian Mantled Howler Monkeys, Alouatta palliata aequatorialis

Forest disturbance and human encroachment have the potential to influence intestinal parasite communities in animal hosts by modifying nutritional health, physiological stress, host densities, contact rates, and ranging patterns. Anthropogenic disturbances also have the ability to affect the ecological landscape of parasitic disease, potentially impacting the health of both wildlife and people. Our research investigated the association of forest disturbance and human encroachment on intestinal parasite communities in mantled howler monkeys, Alouatta palliata aequatorialis. We found that individual parasite species prevalence was associated with group size and forest disturbance. Proximity to people was not a direct factor influencing intestinal parasitism; rather, several human proximity indices were related to group size, which was in turn related to overall species richness and the presence of specific parasite species. These results, coupled with previous findings, suggest that anthropogenic disturbances are likely influencing intestinal parasite communities. Though no single study has definitively explained all relationships between anthropogenic disturbances and intestinal parasitism, we propose that our models are appropriate for meta-analysis testing across other species and environments.
Characterizing quality of life among patients with chronic mental illness: a critical examination of the self-report methodology.

OBJECTIVE The purposes of the study were 1) to characterize the quality of life of three patient groups with chronic mental illness, 2) to evaluate differences in reported life quality among the three groups, and 3) to evaluate the validity of a self-report methodology by comparing these results with several objective indicators of life quality. METHOD The study group consisted of chronically mentally ill patients with schizophrenia (N = 69), bipolar disorder (N = 37), or major depression (N = 35). Subjects were administered the Quality of Life Index, and comparisons of both objective and self-report life quality indices were made among the three groups. Quality of life ratings of these subjects were also compared with those of patients with a chronic physical illness. RESULTS The two groups with mood disorders reported significantly lower scores on the Quality of Life Index than the patients with schizophrenia. Moreover, the scores on the Quality of Life Index for patients with schizophrenia were very similar to those of the comparison group of physically ill patients. The opposite trend emerged when groups were compared with respect to objective indicators of life quality. Schizophrenic patients experienced more objectively aversive life circumstances than either of the affectively disturbed groups. CONCLUSIONS The validity of self-report measures of life satisfaction is questioned, particularly for use with affectively disturbed populations, since scores may be influenced by affective bias, poor insight, and recent life events.
SIRT1 Negatively Regulates the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin

The IGF/mTOR pathway, which is modulated by nutrients, growth factors, energy status and cellular stress regulates aging in various organisms. SIRT1 is a NAD+ dependent deacetylase that is known to regulate caloric restriction mediated longevity in model organisms, and has also been linked to the insulin/IGF signaling pathway. Here we investigated the potential regulation of mTOR signaling by SIRT1 in response to nutrients and cellular stress. We demonstrate that SIRT1 deficiency results in elevated mTOR signaling, which is not abolished by stress conditions. The SIRT1 activator resveratrol reduces, whereas SIRT1 inhibitor nicotinamide enhances mTOR activity in a SIRT1 dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that SIRT1 interacts with TSC2, a component of the mTOR inhibitory-complex upstream to mTORC1, and regulates mTOR signaling in a TSC2 dependent manner. These results demonstrate that SIRT1 negatively regulates mTOR signaling potentially through the TSC1/2 complex.
A Comprehensive Study of Backdoors for RSA Key Generation

Young and Yung devised various backdoors for RSA key generation. However, due to their backdoor constructing method, the two MSBs of the modulus n generated by their systems have di¤erent distribution than that generated by the normal RSA. Thus, someone may observe the abnormal distribution of n to detect the existence of backdoors. Recently, Crepéau and Slakmon further suggested four simple ways to construct RSA backdoor mechanisms. Although their schemes have roughly the same running time as the normal RSA, they are still not StrongSETUPs. Hence, in this paper, we propose three RSA backdoor cryptosystems. The rst two, RSA-SBLT and RSA-SBES, have the same advantages as Crépeau and Slakmons RSA-HP but provide new ways to construct the backdoors. As for our third backdoor cryptosystem, RSA-BDH, we exploit the relationship between p and q to devise a backdoor which can solve the problem occurring in Young and Yongs methods successfully. Moreover, we prove that RSA-BDH is a real Strong-SETUP based on DH assumption.
Interferon monotherapy for dialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C: an analysis of the literature on efficacy and safety

OBJECTIVES:Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is prevalent in patients with end stage renal disease who are on dialysis. Liver disease from HCV is a cause of substantial morbidity and mortality after kidney transplantation in infected recipients. Effective treatment of chronic HCV is needed in this group of patients. We aimed to determine from the literature the efficacy and safety of interferon monotherapy in dialysis patients with chronic HCV.METHODS:We reviewed the literature from 1986 to 2001 on the efficacy of interferon monotherapy in patients with HCV and end stage renal disease who were on dialysis. The outcomes measured were sustained viral response (SVR) and drop-out rate.RESULTS:We reviewed 17 studies, of which 11 studies with a total of 213 patients met criteria for our analysis. Eight studies evaluated 3 million units (MU) three times/wk (t.i.w.), and three studies evaluated higher doses. The pooled SVR for 3 MU was 33% (95% CI = 21–51%). The pooled SVR for genotype 1 patients was 26% (95% CI = 15–37%). Of 152 patients in eight studies treated with 3 MU t.i. w. of interferon monotherapy, 45 patients (29.6%) discontinued therapy because of side effects.CONCLUSIONS:Our analysis suggests that interferon monotherapy is more effective in patients on dialysis than in patients with normal renal function. Interferon monotherapy is associated with more adverse events in dialysis patients. The optimal dose and duration of interferon monotherapy and selection criteria of dialysis patients need to be studied further in clinical trials.
In Vitro and In Situ Expression of IL-23 by Keratinocytes in Healthy Skin and Psoriasis Lesions: Enhanced Expression in Psoriatic Skin

Keratinocytes contribute to cutaneous immune responses through the expression of cytokines. We investigated whether human keratinocytes can express IL-23, a newly defined IFN-γ-inducing cytokine composed of a unique p19 subunit and a p40 subunit shared with IL-12. Cultured keratinocytes from normal and lesional psoriatic skin were found to express constitutively mRNA for both subunits of IL-23. Low but significant levels of the heterodimeric IL-23 protein could be detected in cell lysates and supernatants from stimulated keratinocytes by immunoblotting and ELISA. Functional analysis showed that these low levels of keratinocyte-derived IL-23 were sufficient to enhance the IFN-γ production by memory T cells. Immunostaining of skin sections confirmed expression of both subunits of IL-23 by keratinocytes in situ and also revealed expression of this cytokine in the dermal compartment. IL-23 expression was significantly higher in psoriatic lesional skin, compared with normal and psoriatic nonlesional skin. The immunostained preparations of cultured cells and IL-23 levels in culture supernatants did not show any difference between normal and psoriatic keratinocytes indicating no intrinsic aberration of IL-23 expression in keratinocytes from psoriatic skin. Double staining of cytospin preparations demonstrated that IL-23 p19 is also expressed by epidermal Langerhans cells, dermal dendritic cells, and macrophages. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease mediated by IFN-γ-expressing type 1 memory T cells. As IL-23 is important to activate memory T cells to produce IFN-γ, its augmented expression of IL-23 by keratinocytes and cutaneous APC may contribute to the perpetuation of the inflammation process in this disease.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate decreases the transport and metabolism of simvastatin in rats

Abstract 1. This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the pharmacokinetic behaviors of simvastatin and its metabolite simvastatin acid and explored the possible role of metabolizing enzymes and transporters of this food–drug interaction. 2. Female SD rats were intravenously administered with EGCG (5 mg/kg), ketoconazole (10 mg/kg) and rifampin (10 mg/kg), followed by intravenous administration of 2 mg/kg simvastatin. In vitro, the effects of EGCG on Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450) and organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) were studied using human hepatic microsomes and human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells overexpressing OATP1B1 or OATP1B3. The results showed that areas under concentration–time (AUC) curves of simvastatin and simvastatin acid increased by 2.21- and 1.4-fold while the clearance was reduced by 2.29- and 1.4-fold, respectively, when co-administered with EGCG. In vitro experiments suggested the inhibitory effect of EGCG on CYP enzymes (IC50: 18.37 ± 1.36 μM, 26.08 ± 1.51 μM for simvastatin and simvastatin acid, respectively). Simvastatin transport by OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 was also inhibited by EGCG (IC50: 8.68 ± 1.27 μM and 22.67 ± 1.42 μM, respectively). 3. The presently reported novel food–drug interaction between EGCG and simvastatin involves the inhibition of not only CYP450 enzymes but also OATPs by EGCG.
Are the Interlaminar Zones of the Ferret Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus Actually Part of the Perigeniculate Nucleus?

The ferret dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) contains interneurons within the interlaminar zones situated between the laminae corresponding to the ipsi- and contralateral eyes. We found that a subset of these neurons exhibits electrophysiological properties similar to those previously reported for perigeniculate (PGN) neurons, including the generation of rhythmic sequences of rebound low-threshold Ca2+ spikes at a frequency of 1–4 Hz after the intracellular injection of a hyperpolarizing current pulse. These “PGN-like” interlaminar interneurons innervated restricted regions of the A-laminae, inhibited thalamocortical cells through GABAA, and perhaps GABAB, receptors, and were excited by axon collaterals from thalamocortical cells. This reciprocal relationship is identical to that formed by PGN cells and allowed the PGN-like interlaminar neurons to participate in the generation of spindle waves and other network oscillations. Pharmacologically, PGN-like interlaminar interneurons were also similar to PGN neurons: both generated a prolonged depolarization in response to the local application of serotonin, 1S,3R-ACPD, and CCK8S, and a rapid depolarization followed by a more prolonged hyperpolarization in response to acetylcholine. Examination of parvalbumin and calbindin staining in the ferret LGNd revealed that both PGN and a subset of interlaminar neurons were parvalbumin-positive. In contrast, calbindin-positive cells were relatively absent in the PGN and sparsely present in the interlaminar zones, but were numerous in the A and C laminae. Our results indicate that the interlaminar zone in between laminae A and A1 and A1 and C in the ferret LGNd possesses a cell type that is electrophysiologically, pharmacologically, anatomically, immunocytochemically, and functionally similar to neurons in the PGN.
Academic Acceleration: Is it Right for My Child?

The June issue of PHP focuses on the topic of acceleration. I am a product of acceleration. Early admission to first grade was my school district’s solution to the precocious 5-year-old who showed up with her mother to the district offices. In fact, my mother sought out the district’s help because she wasn’t sure what to do with me at home anymore. I could read, had a large vocabulary, and far more enjoyed the company of adults than my same-aged peers. It seemed like a logical next step— off to first grade I went, and by third grade I had been placed in the district’s new gifted program. There are certainly some things I would have changed about my educational history but skipping kindergarten would not be one of them (even though this meant that as I got older there were arguments with my parents about why I couldn’t do the things some of my older friends were doing! ). Graduating early from high school gave me time after college to go to graduate school, which then planted the seed for me to pursue a doctoral degree. After working with gifted children and their families for nearly two decades, I rarely see the option to accelerate offered or even considered by schools despite the large body of literature supporting its use. This issue provides background information and practical advice regarding acceleration to share with other parents, caregivers, and school personnel.
Magnetic field influence on the proximity effect in semiconductor - superconductor hybrid structures and their thermal conductance

We show that a magnetic field can influence the proximity effect in NS junctions via diamagnetic screening current flowing in the superconductor. Using ballistic quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) electron channels as an example, we show that the supercurrent flow shifts the proximity-induced minigap in the excitation spectrum of a Q1D system from the Fermi level to higher quasiparticle energies. Thermal conductance of a Q1D channel (normalized by that of a normal Q1D ballistic system) is predicted to manifest such a spectral feature as a nonmonotonic behavior at temperatures corresponding to the energy of excitation into the gapful part of the spectrum.
Developmental psychophysiology : theory, systems, and methods

Foreword Steve W. Porges Preface Louis A. Schmidt and Sidney J. Segalowitz 1. A psychophysiological interactionist manifesto Sidney J. Segalowitz and Louis A. Schmidt Part I. Central System: Theory, Methods, and Measures: 2. Event-related oscillations in normal development Juliana Y. Yordanova and Vasil N. Kolev 3. Event-related potential (ERP) measures in auditory developmental research Lauren J. Trainor 4. Event-related potential (ERP) measures in visual developmental research Michelle de Haan 5. Electrophysiological measure in research on social and emotional development Peter Marshall and Nathan A. Fox 6. Electroencephalograpm (EEG) in research on cognitive development Martha Ann Bell and Christy D. Wolfe Part II. Autonomic and Peripheral Systems: Theory, Methods, and Measures: 7. Infant heart rate: a developmental psychophysiological perspective Gregory D. Reynolds and John E. Richards 8. Examining cognitive development using psychophysiological correlates: evidence of a hierarchy of future-oriented processes across measures W. Keith Berg and Dana L. Bryd 9. Measuring the electromyographic startle response: developmental issues and findings Marie Balaban and W. Keith Berg 10. The measurement of electrodermal activity (EDR) in children Don Fowles Part III. NeuroEndocrine System: Theory, Methods, and Measures: 11. Emotion, temperament, vulnerability, and development: evidence from nonhuman primate models Kristine Erickson, J. Dee Higley, and Jay Schulkin 12. Neuroendocrine measures in developmental research Megan R. Gunnar and Nicole M. Talge Part IV. Data Acquisition, Reduction, Analysis, and Interpretation: Considerations and Caveats: 13. Psychophysiology principles, pointers, and pitfalls Anita Miller and James Long 14. Obtaining reliable psychophysiological data with child participants: methodological considerations William Gavin and Patricia L. Davies.