Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energy-Saving Potential of Building Envelope Designs in Residential Houses in Taiwan

The key factors in the energy-saving design of a building’s exterior in Taiwan are the thermal performance of the roof and window glazing. This study used the eQUEST software to investigate how different types of roof construction, window glasses and sunshield types affect the energy consumption in residential buildings under common scenarios. The simulation results showed that the use of an appropriate window glass significantly reduced the annual energy consumption, followed by the shading device, whereas the roof construction produced less of an energy-efficiency benefit. By using a low-E glass and a 1.5 × 1.5 m box shading (e.g., balcony), this could save approximately 15.1 and 13.6% of the annual electricity consumption of air conditioners, respectively. Therefore, having control over the dominant factors in the building envelope is indeed an important step in the path to achieving energy savings and carbon reduction in residential houses.
Synergistic effects of light-emitting probes and peptides for targeting and monitoring integrin expression

Integrins mediate many biological processes, including tumor-induced angiogenesis and metastasis. The arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptide sequence is a common recognition motif by integrins in many proteins and small peptides. While evaluating a small library of RGD peptides for imaging αVβ3 integrin (ABI)-positive tumor cell line (A549) by optical methods, we discovered that conjugating a presumably inactive linear hexapeptide GRDSPK with a near-infrared carbocyanine molecular probe (Cypate) yielded a previously undescribed bioactive ligand (Cyp-GRD) that targets ABI-positive tumors. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay with A549 cells showed that Cyp-GRD was not cytotoxic up to 100 μM in cell culture. The compound was internalized by cells, and this internalization was blocked by coincubation with a cyclic RGD peptide (cyclo[RGDfV], f is d-phenylalanine) that binds ABI with high affinity. In vivo, Cyp-GRD selectively accumulated in tumors relative to surrounding normal tissues. Blocking studies with cyclo[RGDfV] inhibited the in vivo uptake of Cyp-GRD, suggesting that both compounds target the same active site of the protein. A strong correlation between the Cyp-GRD peptide and mitochondrial NADH concentration suggests that the new molecule could also report on the metabolic status of cells ex vivo. Interestingly, neither a Cypate-labeled linear RGD peptide nor an 111In-labeled DOTA-GRD conjugate was selectively retained in the tumor. These results clearly demonstrate the synergistic effects of Cypate and GRD peptide for molecular recognition of integrin expression and suggest the potential of using carbocyanines as optical scaffolds for designing biologically active molecules.
Acoustic Estimation of Infestations and Population Densities of White Grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Turfgrass

Abstract Incidental sounds produced by Phyllophaga crinita (Burmeister) and Cyclocephala lurida (Bland) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) white grubs were monitored with single- and multiple-sensor acoustic detection systems in turf fields and golf course fairways in Texas. The maximum detection range of an individual acoustic sensor was measured in a greenhouse as approximately the area enclosed in a 26.5-cm-diameter perimeter (552 cm2). A single-sensor acoustic system was used to rate the likelihood of white grub infestation at monitored sites, and a four-sensor array was used to count the numbers of white grubs at sites where infestations were identified. White grub population densities were acoustically estimated by dividing the estimated numbers of white grubs by the area of the detection range. For comparisons with acoustic monitoring methods, infestations were assessed also by examining 10-cm-diameter soil cores collected with a standard golf cup-cutter. Both acoustic and cup-cutter assessments of infestation and estimates of white grub population densities were verified by excavation and sifting of the soil around the sensors after each site was monitored. The single-sensor acoustic method was more successful in assessing infestations at a recording site than was the cup-cutter method, possibly because the detection range was larger than the area of the soil core. White grubs were recovered from >90% of monitored sites rated at medium or high likelihood of infestation. Infestations were successfully identified at 23 of the 24 sites where white grubs were recovered at densities >50/m2, the threshold for economic damage. The four-sensor array yielded the most accurate estimates of the numbers of white grubs in the detection range, enabling reliable, nondestructive estimation of white grub population densities. However, tests with the array took longer and were more difficult to perform than tests with the single sensor.
Role of C-reactive protein as a marker for microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetics.

BACKGROUND One of the most important complications of Type 2 diabetes mellitus is diabetic nephropathy which is reported as the leading cause of premature deaths due to renal failure. This study was being conducted to see the role of C-reactive protein a marker in type 2 diabetic patient with micro-albuminuria. METHODS This cross sectional study was carried out in the Diabetic Clinic of Pakistan Medical Research Council, Research Centre Lahore. Personal history about the disease was collected on a questionnaire. Blood and urine sample of 50 type 2 diabetic patients between the ages of 40-65 years were collected to analyze C-reactive protein and micro-albuminuria respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS-15. The Pearson correlation coefficient test was used to determine correlation between urine albumin and C-reactive protein. RESULTS There were 22 micro- albuminuria positive cases out of total 50 diabetic cases. Of these 14 (63%) showed raised C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.00). CONCLUSION There is significant association between the level of serum C- reactive proteins and micro-albuminuria in type 2 diabetics.
Tapping the Principal Pipeline

Purpose: In light of the difficulty many districts face finding quality principal candidates, this article explores an informal recruitment mechanism of teachers to become principals, which the authors call tapping. The authors assess the extent to which current teachers are being approached by school leaders to consider leadership and whether this tapping prompts these teachers to consider pursuing leadership positions. Research Design: This study uses survey and administrative data on teachers and principals from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools from the 2007–2008 school year. The authors describe the extent to which principals tap teachers to become school leaders. They use multiple regression with and without school fixed effects to model which teachers are most likely to be tapped and which principals are most likely to tap teachers. They also estimate the extent to which tapping is effective at motivating teachers to become school leaders. Findings: A vast majority of principals report having been tapped by their own principal when they were teachers. The authors find that principals tend to tap teachers who feel better equipped to take on the principalship and who have more school-level leadership experience, but they also disproportionately tap teachers who are male and share their ethnicity. Conclusions: The findings provide evidence that principals are capable of effectively identifying and encouraging teachers with strong leadership potential to enter the principal pipeline, although additional training and a succession management plan may help ensure that teachers are selected based on clear leadership competencies.
Downregulation of PU.1 Leads to Decreased Expression of Dectin-1 in Alveolar Macrophages during Pneumocystis Pneumonia

ABSTRACT Dectin-1 is an important macrophage phagocytic receptor recognizing fungal β-glucans. In this study, the mRNA levels of the Dectin-1 gene were found to be decreased by 61% in alveolar macrophages (AMs) from Pneumocystis-infected mice. The expression of Dectin-1 protein on the surface of these cells was also significantly decreased. By fluorescence in situ hybridization, mRNA expression levels of the transcription factor PU.1 were also found to be significantly reduced in AMs from Pneumocystis-infected mice. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that PU.1 protein bound Dectin-1 gene promoter. With a luciferase reporter gene driven by the Dectin-1 gene promoter, the expression of the PU.1 gene in NIH 3T3 cells was found to enhance the luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner. PU.1 expression knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) caused a 63% decrease in Dectin-1 mRNA level and 40% decrease in protein level in AMs. Results of this study indicate that downregulation of PU.1 during Pneumocystis pneumonia leads to decreased expression of Dectin-1 in AMs.
Polymorphisms of TGFB 1 and VEGF genes and survival of patients with gastric cancer

Background: Some TGFB1 and VEGF polymorphisms are believed to be functional. Given that these genes are involved in tumor growth and progression including angiogenesis, dissemination, and invasiveness, we hypothesized that these polymorphisms would be associated with survival in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: We genotyped TGFB1 -509 C>T, +1869 T>C, and +915 G>C and VEGF -1498T>C, 634G>C, and +936C>T in 167 patients with gastric cancer. Using the Kaplan and Meier method, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazard models, we evaluated associations among TGFB1 and VEGF variants with overall, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates. Results: Although there were no significant differences in overall survival rates among all polymorphisms tested, patients with TGFB1+915CG and CC genotypes had a poorer 2-year survival (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 3.06; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09–8.62; P = 0.034) than patients with the GG genotype had. In addition, patients heterozygous for VEGF -634CG also had a poorer 1-year survival (adjusted HR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.03–4.22; P = 0.042) than patients with the 634GG genotype. Conclusion: Our study suggested that TGFB1+915CG/CC and VEGF -634CG genotypes may be associated with short-term survival in gastric cancer patients. However, larger studies are needed to verify these findings. Introduction In gastric caner, patients with the same clinicopathologic characteristics and the same treatment regimens may have different clinical outcomes. Although stage is the best available clinical measure of tumor aggression and prognosis, there are clearly important differences even within the same tumor stage [1,2]. Therefore, it would be helpful to improve the prognostic accuracy by identifying readily accessible molecular markers that predict some of the variation in clinical outcomes. In recent decades, many studies have shown that genetic alterations play roles in the development and progression of gastric cancer [3]. Published: 30 June 2009 Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research 2009, 28:94 doi:10.1186/1756-9966-28-94 Received: 8 April 2009 Accepted: 30 June 2009 This article is available from: http://www.jeccr. com/content/28/1/94 © 2009 Guan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Flexibility Characteristics Among Athletes Who Weight Train

Many people believe that weight training decreases flexibility. Because of the popularity of weight training today, there are difference types of programs to develop strength, endurance and bulk. There is a need to know more about various weight-training programs and their possible effects on flexibility. The purpose of this ex-post facto study was to compare right shoulder and elbow flexibility in male bodybuilders, college football players, students from an overload conditioning class, olympic-style lifters and students from a control group. All subjects were male volunteers in excellent health. The bodybuilders were members of three weight-training clubs in one county. The football players were both starters and nonstarters from an NAIA college, while the students from an elective overlad conditioning class were involved in a basic weight-training program twice a week and also jogged once or twice a week. The olympic-style lifters were members of the teams involved in any weight-training program and had not been involved for the previous six months. Circumference measurements of the subjects were taken at the right shoulder, upper arm, forearm and chest, and subjects performed the following flexibility tests: right shoulder joint flexion, shouolder joint hyperextension, shoulder joint horizontal flexion, shoulder joint horizontal extension and elbow joint flexion. All measurements were made with a protractor-type goniometer. Percent body fat was estimated from generalized equaltions. Significant differences existed on the five flexibility measurments. Further analyses reveled that the olympic-style lifters and the other groups on all measurements. Finally, selected muscle girths, skinfolds and percent fat were not good predictors of right shoulder and elbow flexibility.
Effects of Threat to a Valued Social Identity on Implicit Self-Esteem and Discrimination

This research provides an experimental test of the self-esteem hypothesis that avoids potential hypothesis guessing and self-presentational concerns associated with previous research by including subtle measures of both social self-esteem and intergroup discrimination. The role of group identification and social self-esteem as determinants of ingroup bias was examined under high and low identity-threatening conditions utilizing an implicit measure of social self-esteem. Participants read a fictitious statement indicating whether their university received a good or bad evaluation relative to a rival university and then made attributions for this situation. High group identifiers had a greater decrease in implicit social self-esteem after a threat than low group identifiers did and they displayed the greatest ingroup favoritism. Greater ingroup-serving bias was associated with a subsequent increase in implicit social self-esteem.
Measuring stoat (Mustela erminea) and ship rat (Rattus rattus) capture success against micro-habitat factors

The influence of micro-habitat on stoat (Mustela erminea) and rat (Rattus rattus) capture success was explored using trapping data collected from large scale predator control operations at the Okarito and Moehau Kiwi (Apteryx spp.) sanctuaries. Generalised linear models were used to explore the relationship between micro- habitat predictors and predator kill trapping records from individual trap sites. Our results suggest that micro- habitat information can provide useful predictors of rat and stoat capture success. Evidence from other studies and the current trapping regime provided a reasonable explanation for why some micro-habitat variables were or were not significantly associated with capture success. However, model complexity and the subjective trapping layout made interpretation of some variables challenging. Model results varied considerably between sanctuaries for the same species. We recommend reducing the number of micro-habitat variables to better reflect biological mechanisms; where possible recording variables continuously; nesting small-scale spatial variables within large-scale spatial variables; and standardising micro-habitat variables to allow model comparisons between trapping areas. Future research also needs to disentangle the effects of trapping edge and biased topographical layout from trap capture success. Good study design would resolve many of these problems. Results should help generate new and/or prioritise existing hypotheses for more focused research in the future.
The limits of legitimacy: Service providers’ views on maintenance treatment in Sweden

Background: It is widely acknowledged that the social meaning of maintenance treatment (MT) with methadone is context-dependent and that different discourses influence how this approach to opiate addiction problems is practised. In Sweden, MT has long been ideologically controversial, even if the past decade's emphasis on evidence-based interventions has made it more accepted and prevalent in the treatment system. MT may thus be seen as a discursive field where science and values are intertwined and impact practice jointly, which emphasises the importance of analysing how MT is attributed with meaning. Objectives: The study aims to identify and analyse the discourses that service providers in Swedish opiate addiction treatment refer to in their efforts to legitimise MT. Methods: Twenty-eight interviews focused on MT-related issues were conducted with Swedish social workers and health care workers. The material was analysed qualitatively according to discourse theory. Findings: Three key features of MT were identified: as therapeutic intervention; as beyond harm reduction and as pragmatic solution. The respondents constructed MT as a necessary medical and psychosocial treatment aimed at rehabilitation and patients’ complete break with drug abuse, which reflects a policy-context where solutions to drug problems are supposed to be resolute, thorough and abstinence-oriented. Conclusions: The service providers handled the controversy between science and values by drawing on a decent-life discourse, where opiate addiction problems are solved with a pragmatic stance towards evidence and where only interventions that make patients’ lives allegedly decent are considered legitimate (excluding, e.g. heroin prescription and liberal methadone distribution).
Some Factors in the Acquisition of the Present Subjunctive in Spanish

In order to attain the "superior" level on the ACTFL oral proficiency scale, an individual is allowed to display only "occasional (unpatterned) errors" in the basic grammatical structures of the language being tested (Omaggio). In Spanish this requires consistent control of the indicative/subjunctive contrast, due to the fact that subjunctive forms are pervasive in the language.1 Many second-language learners become quite fluent in Spanish, but fail to gain control over the subjunctive. This study seeks to shed light on some of the factors which may either facilitate or inhibit acquisition of the Spanish indicative/subjunctive contrast, as well as on the difficulty level of various structures which require a mode selection.
Responsiveness of the One-Leg Hop Test and the Square Hop Test to Fatiguing Intermittent Aerobic Work and Subsequent Recovery

Abstract Ros, AGM, Holm, SE, Fridén, C, and Heijne, A.I.-L.M. Responsiveness of the one-leg hop test and the square hop test to fatiguing intermittent aerobic work and subsequent recovery. J Strength Cond Res 27(4): 988–994, 2013—The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the responsiveness of the 1-leg hop test and the square hop (SH) test to fatiguing intermittent aerobic work and during recovery. A further aim was to study sex differences in trends. Members of 4 sub-elite-level soccer teams were invited to participate. Ten men (mean ± SD) aged 20.7 ± 3.4 years and 10 women aged 21.8 ± 4.8 years accepted to participate in the test. The Yo-Yo intermittent Endurance test Level 2, was used as a standardized sport-specific fatiguing protocol. The 1-leg hop test and the SH test were performed before, immediately after, 15, and 30 minutes after the fatiguing exercise. To quantify the level and progression of fatigue and recovery, blood lactate and heart rate were measured, and general fatigue was estimated on Borg's rating of perceived exertion scale. No significant difference in performance in either of the hop tests was found immediately after intermittent aerobic fatiguing work. Performance in the 1-leg hop test significantly decreased (p = 0.002), whereas that in the SH test increased (p = 0.001) between baseline and 15–30 minutes after fatiguing work. No significant difference in trends between sexes was found. The performance in the 1-leg hop test significantly decreased during 30 minutes of recovery compared with that in the nonfatigued conditions and might therefore be used on the field as a complement to other physical parameters to detect remaining fatigue. Note that the 1-leg hop test did not immediately respond to intermittent aerobic work. It is not recommended to use the SH test for measuring fatigue and subsequent recovery because the performance constantly increased despite the present objective and subjective fatigue.
Motivational Factors Influencing Teaching as a Career Choice: Development and Validation of the FIT-Choice Scale

The authors apply current influential models from the motivational literature to develop the comprehensive factors influencing teaching choice (FIT-Choice) scale, to measure factors influencing the choice to teach for beginning preservice teacher education candidates. They validate the scale using 2 large cohorts (N = 488; 652) and describe the factors that teacher education candidates identified as most important in their decision to teach. Furthermore, the authors examine longitudinal relationships for participants who have now completed their teaching qualification (N = 294) to determine how entry motivations relate to exit levels of teaching engagement and professional development aspirations. The study makes several important theoretical contributions: The authors extend the values component of the expectancy-value motivational framework, go beyond high school students to examine career choices of adults, and specifically examine the domain of teaching as a career choice. The new FIT-Choice measure provides a theoretical and analytical framework to help guide future investigations in this area. Understanding teacher candidates' motivations for choosing teaching has implications for teacher education planning and curriculum design, teacher recruitment authorities, and government and intergovernmental planning and policy decisions—especially when many.
Preschool as an Arena of Gender Policies: The Examples of Sweden and Scotland

As many countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have developed more universal provision for early childhood education during the last decades, preschool increasingly has become a central policy arena. Gender politics, especially with an aim to promote female labour market participation, but also policies addressing children and preschool staff, constitute one vital aspect. This article analyses staff responsibilities for promoting gender equality in preschool in Sweden and Scotland. These countries represent different welfare regimes, but also display common features, both influenced by tradition and recent transnational policies and discourses. Based on national policy documents from 1970 to the early 2000s, this study shows that gender equality has continuously been brought up in the Swedish context since the 1970s, but entered the Scottish context at a later stage. Since the late 1990s, such questions have been addressed in both countries. In both cases, teachers are constructed as role models who should promote certain gender values and provide children with opportunities. The Swedish curriculum places more emphasis on similarities between girls and boys, while the Scottish counterpart tends to emphasize difference more, paying attention to boys and the need for male role models. Scottish gender policies are influenced by the travelling discourse of ‘the boys' underachievement crisis’, whereas Swedish gender policies in preschool demonstrate little of this.