Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Delving Into Teacher Collaboration: Untangling Problems and Solutions for Leadership

This article offers description and interpretation for understanding the exercise of leadership in teacher collaboration. Data gathered in two urban high schools through observations and interviews were coded and categorized following Miles and Huberman’s modified analytic induction technique. The analysis contributes to emerging theory on leadership through examining and reframing Heifetz’s typology of technical and adaptive work to include nonrational properties evidenced in teacher teamwork. The findings forward questions, insights, and recommendations for practitioners about distributing leadership in efforts to reform teacher practice.
A study of the emergence of the Kuwaiti Association of Accountants and Auditors

This study contributes to the accounting literature on professionalization projects and is specifically located in the literature on projects in the British Empire. The study investigates the case of Kuwait, which was a British protectorate (neither settler nor non-settler) from 1899 to 1961. It deploys the enabling factors identified by Poullaos and Sian (2010) in professionalization projects in former British colonies to explore whether these factors were present in Kuwait as an Arabic British protectorate. The study also explores the role of the state in facilitating the creation of indigenous accountants and the Kuwaiti Association of Accountants and Auditors (KAAA). An outline of the Dewaniya, a distinctive aspect of Kuwaiti culture, is provided to help explain the motivation for the creation of the KAAA in 1973. This study finds that the nature of the protectorate treaty and the rise of Arabic nationalism movements led to minimal British imperial influence on Kuwait’s accounting profession, and to a greater reliance on Arabic laws and accountants. The data to support this study’s interpretation of events were obtained from semi-structured interviews with founders of the KAAA and a pioneer professional accountant, and from surviving archival records.
Ventilatory efficiency during exercise in healthy subjects.

When evaluating dyspnea in patients with heart or lung disease it is useful to measure the quantity of ventilation needed to eliminate metabolically produced CO2 (i.e., the ventilatory efficiency). Mathematically, the relationship between ventilation (VE) and CO2 output is determined by the arterial CO2 pressure and the physiologic dead space-tidal volume ratio. We decided to determine how age, sex, size, fitness, and the type of ergometer influenced ventilatory efficiency in normal subjects. Three methods were compared for expressing this relationship: (1) the VE versus CO2 output slope below the ventilatory compensation point, commonly used by cardiologists for estimating the severity of heart failure; (2) the VE/CO2 output ratio at the anaerobic threshold, commonly used by pulmonologists; and (3) the lowest VE/CO2 output ratio during exercise, the latter parameter not previously reported. We studied 474 healthy adults, between 17 and 78 years of age during incremental cycle and treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise tests at three test sites, correcting the total VE for the equipment dead space. The lowest VE/CO2 output ratio was insignificantly different from the ratio at the anaerobic threshold, less variable than that for the slope relationship, and unaffected by the site, ergometer, and gas exchange measurement systems. The regression equation for the lowest VE/CO2 output ratio was 27.94 + 0.108 x age + (0.97 = F, 0.0 = M) - 0.0376 x height, where age is in years and height is in centimeters. We conclude that the lowest VE/CO2 output ratio is the preferred noninvasive method to estimate ventilatory inefficiency.
Enhanced multi-objective optimization algorithm for renewable energy sources: optimal spatial development of wind farms

A new approach for treating multi-objective spatial optimization problems is introduced in this study, aiming at deriving the optimal spatial allocation of Wind Farms on a Greek Island (Lesvos). This work builds on the knowledge gained from numerous applications of multi-objective genetic algorithms, either for spatial planning purposes or for other engineering-related topics, by incorporating modified genetic operators and sophisticated planning criteria. Hence, a stand-alone genetic optimizer was developed that incorporates the controlled non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (CNSGA-II), in which the user can model all planning criteria and constraints for every spatial entity to be allocated, and handle the genetic solver via a built-in computational framework that permits the analysis of large terrains. The presented paradigm provides interesting findings for the optimal development of renewable energy sources projects whose spatial allocation is governed by conflicting criteria and strict constraints.
William James's “psychologist's fallacy” and contemporary human science research

Abstract William James (1950/1890) insisted repeatedly that it was fallacious to assume that the research participant's experience was to be understood in terms of the readily-available categories of the researcher. The psychologist's fallacy (of which all researchers concerned with experience may fall foul, not only psychologists) involves a confusion of the standpoints of the researcher and the researched. The “subjective world” of the research participant must be understood in its own terms. In this paper, I review debates in the history of phenomenology which show the difficulty of thoroughly incorporating James's insight, and outline some tendencies in contemporary qualitative research which seem to make the error James pointed out: Impoverished account of experience, neglecting the horizon of the lifeworld. Emphasiz on the noesis—the mental orientation of the person—and neglect of the noema—the thing that is experienced. Treating a feature which is found in the subjective world of a research participant as an outcome of an “objective situation”. The strongest line of phenomenological thinking which illuminates the issue is Merleau-Ponty's treatment of our embodied membership of the world: “flesh”. This brings out the radicality of the notion of intentionality: collapsing the objective/subjective divide. The world is one's lifeworld; “flesh of my flesh”.
Repeated Parallel Evolution Reveals Limiting Similarity in Subterranean Diving Beetles

The theory of limiting similarity predicts that co-occurring species must be sufficiently different to coexist. Although this idea is a staple of community ecology, convincing empirical evidence has been scarce. Here we examine 34 subterranean beetle communities in arid inland Australia that share the same habitat type but have evolved in complete isolation over the past 5 million years. Although these communities come from a range of phylogenetic origins, we find that they have almost invariably evolved to share a similar size structure. The relative positions of coexisting species on the body size axis were significantly more regular across communities than would be expected by chance, with a size ratio, on average, of 1.6 between coexisting species. By contrast, species’ absolute body sizes varied substantially from one community to the next. This suggests that self-organized spacing according to limiting-similarity theory, as opposed to evolution toward preexisting fixed niches, shaped the communities. Using a model starting from random sets of founder species, we demonstrate that the patterns are indeed consistent with evolutionary self-organization. For less isolated habitats, the same model predicts the coexistence of multiple species in each regularly spaced functional group. Limiting similarity, therefore, may also be compatible with the coexistence of many redundant species.
Sustainable Behavior in the Business Sphere

This conceptual article illuminates multiple determinants of sustainable behavior in companies by adapting the comprehensive action determination model proposed by Klöckner and Blöbaum. We apply this behavioral model specifically to the corporate sphere and illustrate that its determinants match the theoretical and empirical research on sustainable behavior in companies. By extending the model to the business context and by applying it to the broad sphere of sustainability, we build a connection between psychological findings (especially those related to environmental psychology) and research on organizational behavior and provide a coherent framework for corporate interventions to enforce individual sustainable behavior fostering corporate sustainability. In doing so, we provide an extensive overview of contemporary research on the psychological determinants of sustainable behavior within companies.
SENP1 and SENP2 affect spatial and temporal control of sumoylation in mitosis

Proper temporal and spatial regulation of sumoylation during mitosis is critical for mitotic progression. The SUMO isopeptidases SENP1 and SENP2 localize to key mitotic structures, including kinetochores. Overexpression and RNAi studies demonstrate that SENP1 and SENP2 are important modulators of SUMO function in mitosis.
Exposure of Rana ridibunda to lead II. Impact of lead on various parameters of liver metabolism of the frog Rana ridibunda

There are no data at present on the impact of lead (Pb) on amphibian metabolism, although declines of amphibian populations due to man‐made changes in the environment have been recorded in recent years. We studied the impact of Pb on the liver metabolism of the frog Rana ridibunda by measuring the hepatic levels of glycogen, lactate, total fat, protein and glucose. Liver is one of the primary target organs of Pb bioaccumulation. Frogs were exposed for 4, 10 and 30 days to 14 mg l−1 of Pb (in the form of Pb(NO3)2 dissolved in water) and compared with matched controls. The level of glycogen in the liver increased until day 30. The increase of the metabolite was time‐dependent because there was a positive correlation (r = 0.994, P = 0.006) between glycogen concentration and the days of Pb exposure. Lactate concentration declined continuously up to day 30. Liver fat content decreased from day 10 to day 30. Protein concentration declined continuously until day 30. Glucose concentration increased up to day 30. Glycogen concentration was correlated negatively with liver fat content (r = −0.474, P = 0.005), liver protein content (r = −0.562, P = 0.0004) and lactate concentration (r = −0.472, P = 0.005), whereas it was correlated positively with the Pb burden of the liver (r = 0.578, P = 0.0005). The frog appeared to face a metabolic stress over the 30 days of Pb exposure, without being able to control it. We concluded that the increase of liver glycogen concentration was due to gluconeogenesis via lactate and lipolysis. Further experimentation on key gluconeogenic and lipolytic enzymes over the 30 days of Pb exposure would elucidate the mechanisms that may lead to such phenomena. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local Community Identification through User Access Patterns

Community identification algorithms have been used to enhance the quality of the services perceived by its users. Although algorithms for community have a widespread use in the Web, their application to portals or specific subsets of the Web has not been much studied. In this paper, we propose a technique for local community identification that takes into account user access behavior derived from access logs of servers in the Web. The technique takes a departure from the existing community algorithms since it changes the focus of in terest, moving from authors to users. Our approach does not use relations imposed by authors (e.g. hyperlinks in the case of Web pages). It uses information derived from user accesses to a service in order to infer relationships. The communities identified are of great interest to content providers since they can be used to improve quality of their services. We also propose an evaluation methodology for analyzing the results obtained by the algorithm. We present two case studies based on actual data from two services: an online bookstore and an online radio. The case of the online radio is particularly relevant, because it emphasizes the contribution of the proposed algorithm to find out communities in an environment (i.e., streaming media service) without links, that represent the relations imposed by authors (e.g. hyperlinks in the case of Web pages).
Charismatic Leadership and Cooperation in Social Dilemmas: A Matter of Transforming Motives?1

The present experiment examined whether leaders high in charisma are able to motivate decision-makers to cooperate more in a public goods dilemma. On the basis of charismatic leadership theories, it was expected that a charismatic leader would be able to transform people's motives beyond self-interest, consequently increasing cooperation. This transformation effect was expected to occur among individuals aimed at maximizing their own self-interest (i.e., pro-selfs), but not among those aimed at maximizing joint or collective outcomes (i.e., pro-socials). Furthermore, leader's charisma was experimentally manipulated by means of describing the leader as either self-sacrificing or benefiting. The results revealed that self-sacrificing leaders, contrary to benefiting leaders, were perceived as more charismatic and were able to motivate decision-makers to cooperate more. The latter effect appeared to be more pronounced among pro-selfs rather than pro-socials, as such supporting the transformational idea of charismatic leaders. Further results showed that this behavioral effect was mediated by perceptions of legitimacy. The meaning and conception of charismatic leadership in decision-making situations are discussed by using insights from the social dilemma and charismatic leadership literature.
Trust and Preferences: Evidence from Survey Data

This paper considers the role of preferences in explaining trust. By using the Bank of Italyi? ½s Survey on Household Income and Wealth (SHIW), the paper shows that time preferences and risk preferences are key covariates of self-reported trust. They both predict negatively a measure of generalized trust; however, risk aversion is positively correlated with an index of particularized trusting behaviour (which refers to family and friends). Moreover, the results are robust to using a different data source to gauge the role of social preferences and personality traits. The study highlights that neglecting preferences when analysing the role of trust in explaining socio-economic outcomes might pose serious challenges in terms of omitted variables.
Dissociated Contextual Interference Effects in Children and Adults

24 7-yr. -old children and 24 university-age adults practiced a ballistic aiming task under either low contextual interference (blocked practice) or high contextual interference (random practice). All subjects performed 90 acquisition trials, followed by 20 transfer trials and 15 retention trials. Similar to previous findings, the adults performed the acquisition trials better under blocked than under random conditions, yet performed the retention and transfer tests better after random than blocked practice. No differences in acquisition were found between blocked and random practice conditions for the children; nevertheless, the random group performed the retention and transfer tests better than the blocked group. The results are discussed in relation to applied and theoretical issues of contextual interference.
Population Attributable Risks of Hypertension and Diabetes for Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in the Northern Manhattan Study

Background Understanding the population‐level risk factor contribution to disease incidence is critical for effective allocation of resources for prevention. There are little data on the contribution of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in multiethnic elderly populations. Methods and Results The Northern Manhattan Study (n=3298) is a population‐based prospective cohort study of CVD outcomes in a multiethnic urban population. Multivariable Cox's models were used to calculate hazard ratios, population attributable risk (PAR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for (1) combined vascular event (VE) endpoint of stroke/myocardial infarction/vascular death (n=835) and (2) stroke (n=347). The PAR resulting from hypertension (HTN) was 24.3% (95% CI, 13.2 to 35.4) for VE and 29.9% (95% CI, 12.5 to 47.4) for stroke; PAR resulting from diabetes was 12.7% (95% CI, 8.2 to 17.2) for VE and 19.5% (95% CI, 12.4 to 26.5) for stroke. The PAR resulting from HTN and diabetes for stroke differed by race‐ethnicity and age (P for differences <0.05). PAR for stroke reslting from HTN was greater among Hispanics (50.6%; 95% CI, 29.2 to 71.9) than non‐Hispanic whites (2.6%; 95% CI, −33.2 to 38.6) and in those <80 years of age (35.6%; 95% CI, 18.9 to 52.3) than in those ≥80 (−0.3%; 95% CI, −34.2 to 33.6). Similarly, the PAR for stroke resulting from diabetes was 23.6% among those <80 years of age (95% CI, 15.7 to 31.5) and 2.3% among those ≥80 (95% CI, −8.2 to 12.7; P for difference=0.001). The PAR for VE did not differ by age/sex/race‐ethnicity. Conclusions HTN and diabetes have important effects on the burden of stroke, particularly among those younger than age 80 and Hispanics. Public health campaigns targeted at specific risk factors in specific populations can lead to a greater reduction in CVD.
Enhancing the quality of the student experience online: Revisiting the imperative of learning as socially based

Delivery of quality educational services and opportunities is becoming increasingly more complex as Web-based learning tools and support structures continue to evolve. Although much effort is devoted to examining the use of technology to teach course content, an emerging area of some importance in online teaching is how to enhance the student experience of learning and communicating online. Associated with this is the creation of social and supportive environments for learning when there is little face-to-face contact between distance learners and their teachers. This paper provides a framework and a set of strategies that can be used to create a supportive learning climate, and illustrates a range of tasks that create positive social, learning experiences.
Sex Differences in Methamphetamine Use and Dependence in a Thai Treatment Center.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Males and females who use methamphetamine (MA) differ in sociodemographics, MA diagnoses, comorbidities, and brain activity. The objective of this study was to investigate sex differences in the characteristics of MA use and dependence in patients at a Thai substance treatment center. METHODS Demographic, MA use, and diagnostic data for 782 MA users were obtained by using the Semi-Structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism-Thai version. Categorical comparisons of males (n = 413, 53%) and females (n = 369, 47%) were made by chi-square test. Factors significantly differentiating men and women with respect to MA-dependence were identified by logistic regression analysis controlling for demographic, diagnostic, and MA use variables. RESULTS Males admitted to residential drug treatment for MA use had an earlier age of onset for both MA use (17.7 ± 4.1 vs 19.7 ± 6.2 years; t = -5.3, P < 0.001) and dependence (20.4 ± 5.2 vs 22.2 ± 6.4 years; t = -3.6, P < 0.001). Females were more likely than males to be MA-dependent (79% vs 60%; χ1 = 33.7, P < 0.001), and to experience MA withdrawal (65.3% vs 48.9%; χ1 = 21.4, P < 0.001), withdrawal-related hypersomnia (77.2% vs 64.8%; χ1 = 14.5, P < 0.001), fatigue (77.5% vs 70.3%; χ1 = 5.2, P = 0.02), and psychomotor retardation (64.5% vs 57.0%; χ1 = 4.5, P = 0.03). Similarly, females had heavier (eg, largest daily amount [χ1 = 12.4, P < 0.001), more frequent (χ1 = 5.1, P = 0.02]) and greater lifetime episodes of MA use (χ1 = 24.1, P < 0.001) than males. After controlling for such variables by logistic regression, being female remained a significant factor influencing the occurrence of MA-dependence (odds ratio [OR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-4.1, P < 0.001). Shared associated factors (or comorbidities) for MA-dependence in both sexes included nicotine dependence (in males: OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.4-7.0, P < 0.001; and in females: OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.4, P = 0.007), greater lifetime episodes of MA use (in males: OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.9-6.4, P < 0.001; and in females: OR 5.9, 95% CI 3.1-11.4, P < 0.001), and more frequent use (in males: OR 5.1, 95% CI 2.8-9.1, P < 0.001; and in females: OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.9-6.9, P < 0.001). Comorbid antisocial personality disorder predicted MA-dependence in males only (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.6-8.6, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS The current study highlights both common (eg, nicotine dependence and severity of MA use) and sex-specific differences (eg, MA use/dependence characteristics and comorbidities), including sex itself, with respect to MA-dependence in a Thai treatment cohort.
An evaluation of heart rate variability and its modifying factors in children with type 1 diabetes

Abstract Objective: To evaluate heart rate variability by Holter monitoring in type 1 diabetic children compared with a healthy control group and determine the factors modifying heart rate variability. Methods: This was designed as a prospective study comparing 28 patients, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and under follow-up, with 27 healthy control group subjects. Results: The patients were aged 9.9 ± 4.2 years in the diabetic group, including 13 (46.5%) girls and 15 (53.5%) boys. The healthy control group comprised 20 (74%) girls and seven boys (26%) with an average age of 8.6 ± 3.7 years. The search for factors modifying heart rate variability yielded the following correlations: for the time-dependent variables, negative between age and both average and maximal heart rate (r = −0.263 and −0.460, respectively), negative between haemoglobin A1c and percentage of differences between adjacent RR intervals >50 ms, positive between diabetes duration and square root of the mean of the sum of squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals. The average heart rate and percentage of differences between adjacent RR intervals >50 ms was significantly higher in the girls than the boys in all groups. With regard to the frequency-dependent factors affecting heart rate variability, correlations were found between haemoglobin A1c level and both total power and very low frequency (r = −0.751 and −0.644) and between very low frequency and diabetes duration. Conclusion: A reduction in heart rate variability parameters was observed in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients who had a long disease duration or were poorly controlled, as compared with healthy controls.
Structural Health Monitoring of a Tall Building during Construction with Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Fiber Bragg grating sensors demonstrate a great potential as a structural health monitoring tool for civil structures to ensure structural integrity, durability, and reliability. The advantages of applying fiber optic sensors to a tall building include their immunity to electromagnetic interference and their multiplexing ability to transfer optical signals over a long distance. In the work, fiber Bragg grating sensors, consisting of strain and temperature sensors, are applied to structural monitoring of an 18-floor tall building since the date of its construction. The strain transferring rate from host material to the fiber core is discussed and the calibration of packaged fiber Bragg grating sensor is presented. The main purposes of the investigation are monitoring temperature evolution history within concrete during the pouring and curing process, measuring variation of the main column strains on the underground floor while upper 18 floors were subsequently added on, and monitoring relative displacement between two foundation blocks. Fiber Bragg grating sensors have been installed and integrated continuously for more than five months. Monitoring results of temperature and strain are presented in the paper. Furthermore, temperature lag behavior between concrete and its surrounding air is investigated.