Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the educational outcome gains of students enrolled in residential colleges: An application of the block design

The rebirth of the residential college system of education in Taiwan is already at its peak with several universities already immersed in the new learning design for quite some time. To evaluate its performance, the theoretical concept behind student engagement is adapted as a basis of analysis. However, in order to effectively determine the value-adding effects of undergoing a residential type of system some statistical considerations must be acknowledge. Therefore, in order to compare the educational outcome gains of students who studied under the residential college with non-residential (ordinary) students, the current study considers the factor school as a block variable, while the residential college as treatment variable. Data collected are from 536 residential college and 823 non-residential students enrolled at four key universities that practices the residential college learning design from school year 2014 to 2015. Statistical analysis utilizing the block design results show that there exist a significant difference between the residential and non-residential college students’ practical and social competencies, while no significant differences were found on the students’ general competencies. In essence, the use of a block analysis denotes that residential colleges are quite unique and contextual in nature, which focuses not only on domain specific knowledge, but more importantly on diverse skills including nationalism and active participation. Current findings should be able to help higher education institutions design better course programs and activities that promote student-faculty interaction towards more holistic and meaningful student engagement.
Vascular dysfunction in monkeys with diet-induced hyperhomocyst(e)inemia.

Elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine may predispose to complications of vascular disease. Homocysteine alters vasomotor regulatory and anticoagulant properties of cultured vascular endothelial cells, but little is known about effects of hyperhomocyst(e)inemia on vascular function in vivo. We tested the hypothesis that diet-induced moderate hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is associated with vascular dysfunction in cynomolgus monkeys. Plasma homocyst(e)ine increased from 4.O +/- O.2 microM when monkeys were fed normal diet to 10.6 +/- 2.6 microM when they were fed modified diet (mean +/- SE; P = 0.02). Vasomotor responses were assessed in vivo by quantitative angiography and Doppler measurement of blood flow velocity. In response to activation of platelets by intraarterial infusion of collagen, blood flow to the leg decreased by 42 +/- 9% in monkeys fed modified diet, compared with 14 +/- 11% in monkeys fed normal diet (P = 0.008), Responses of resistance vessels to the endothelium-dependent vasodilators acetylcholine and ADP were markedly impaired in hyperhomocyst(e)inemic monkeys, which suggests that increased vasoconstriction in response to collagen may be caused by decreased vasodilator responsiveness to platelet-generated ADP. Relaxation to acetylcholine and, to a lesser extent, nitroprusside, was impaired ex vivo in carotid arteries from monkeys fed modified diet. Thrombomodulin anticoagulant activity in aorta decreased by 34 +/- 15% in hyperhomocyst(e)inemic monkeys (P = 0.03). We conclude that diet-induced moderate hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is associated with altered vascular function.
Possible role of exogenous cAMP to improve vascular endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive rats

The study has been designed to investigate the effect of 8‐Br‐cAMP, an activator of protein kinase A, in hypertension‐induced vascular endothelial dysfunction. Rats were uninephroctomized and desoxycortisone acetate (DOCA) (40 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered to rats to produce hypertension (mean arterial blood pressure > 140 mmHg). Vascular endothelial dysfunction was assessed using isolated aortic ring preparation, electron microscopy of thoracic aorta and serum concentration of nitrite/nitrate. The expression of mRNA for p22phox and eNOS was assessed by using reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction. Serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration and aortic superoxide anion concentration were estimated to assess oxidative stress. 8‐Br‐cAMP (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or atorvastatin (30 mg/kg, p.o.) prevented hypertension‐induced attenuation of acetylcholine‐induced endothelium‐dependent relaxation, impairment of vascular endothelial lining, decrease in expression of mRNA for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), serum nitrite/nitrate concentration and increase in expression of mRNA for p22phox, superoxide anion and serum TBARS. The ameliorative effect of 8‐Br‐cAMP was prevented by N‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (25 mg/kg, i.p.) and glibenclamide (30 mg/kg, i.p.). It may be concluded that 8‐Br‐cAMP may stimulate expression and activity of eNOS and suppress expression of p22phox subunit of NADPH oxidase to reduce oxidative stress and subsequently improve vascular endothelial dysfunction.
Inflight application of three pilot workload measurement techniques.

Three measures of workload were tested during 11 routine missions conducted by the NASA Kuiper Airborne Observatory: communications performance, subjective ratings, and heart rate. The activities that contributed to crewmember workload varied; the commander was responsible for aircraft control and navigation whereas the copilot handled communications with ATC and the astronomers. Ratings of workload, stress, and effort given by the two crewmembers were highly correlated and varied across flight segments, peaking during takeoff and landing. Since the pilots performed different tasks during each segment, their ratings appeared to reflect overall crew workload, rather than experiences specific to each pilot. Subjective fatigue increased significantly from takeoff to landing for all flights, although the increase was significantly greater as landing times shifted from 10:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. The type, source, number, and frequency of communications varied significantly across flight segments, providing an objective indicator of pilot workload. Heart rate was significantly higher for the aircraft commander than for the copilot. Although heart rate peaked for both positions during takeoff and landing, the amount of change was significantly greater for the aircraft commander. Subjective ratings of stress, workload, and mental effort were significantly correlated with heart rate and communications frequency but were unrelated to mission duration, rated fatigue, or pilot evaluation of performance.
Management of Single Malignant Lung Nodules in Elderly Patients (70 Years or Older) Who are Not Candidates for Lobectomy

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate and compare sublobar resection plus intraoperative seed implant (IOS) versus stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with single malignant lung nodules in patients 70 years of age or older. Materials and MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed and 47 patients with adequate information were selected for analysis. Thirty patients with single malignant lung nodules received SBRT. Seventeen patients received limited surgical resection plus radioactive seed implantation for solitary malignant lung nodules. Univariate statistical analysis showed a significant difference only for the age in the 2 groups: the mean age in the radioactive seed group, 78.8 years versus 76.1 years in the SBRT group (2-sided, P=0.05). ResultsThere was high local control and minimal toxicity with either treatment modality and no significant difference among the 2 groups in terms of local control, survival, and toxicity. However, the distant failure was higher but not statistically significant in the SBRT group (9 of 30 patients in SBRT vs. 0 of 17 in IOS, P=0.1). ConclusionsOur study has shown excellent outcomes and limited toxicity in both IOS and SBRT for treatment of single malignant lung nodules in patients who are not candidates for lobectomy. However, a randomized trial is needed in this group of elderly patients to determine the most appropriate treatment.
Dendritic cell recruitment in lesions of human and experimental pulmonary hypertension

In the present study, the hypothesis that dendritic cells (DCs), key players in immunity and tolerance, might be involved in the immunopathology of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) was tested. The phenotype and localisation of DCs were characterised by immunohistochemistry and double-labelling immunofluorescence in lung samples from controls, human IPAH patients and an experimental pulmonary hypertension model (monocrotaline-exposed rats). As compared with controls, morphometric analysis demonstrated increased numbers of dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN)-positive cells in muscular pulmonary arteries in IPAH and OX-62-positive DCs in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. In human samples, the mean±sem number of DC-SIGN-positive cells·artery−1 of 100–300 μm diameter was 1.4±0.4 in controls versus 26.4±2.7 in IPAH. In rats, the number of OX-62-positive cells·artery−1 of 50–150 μm diameter was 0.5±0.2 in controls, and 0.7±0.5, 3.1±0.5 and 8.4±0.6 at day 7, 14 and 28 after monocrotaline exposure, respectively. Human complex lesions of muscular pulmonary arteries showed transmural DC infiltration. Phenotyping revealed an immature DC profile in human and experimental pulmonary hypertension. The results support the concept that immature dendritic cells accumulate in remodelled pulmonary vessels and hence could be involved in the immunopathology of pulmonary hypertension.
Subjective needs of people with dementia: a review of the literature

Objective: Insight into the individual care needs of the growing number of people with dementia is necessary to deliver more customized care. Our study aims to provide an overview of the literature on the subjective needs of people with dementia. Method: Electronic databases were searched for publications on subjective needs between January 1985 and July 2005, and reference lists were cross-referenced. Extracts of needs were classified within problem areas of the (Dutch) National Dementia Program and quality of life domains, and the extracts were classified as a “need” (an implicitly communicated felt state of deprivation), “want” (expression of a need) or “demand” (suitable solution to fulfill a need). Results: Subjective needs were found in 34 studies with various research aims, such as awareness and coping. Few studies aimed to measure needs of people with dementia. The most frequently reported needs of people with dementia were the need to be accepted and respected as they are, the need to find adequate strategies to cope with disabilities, and the need to come to terms with their situation. Explicit wants or demands were reported less frequently than needs. Conclusion: The high number of reported needs and the limited number of wants and demands show that people with dementia do not frequently mention how they want their needs to be met. Most reported needs are not instrumental, but are related to well-being and coping. Further research to inventory these needs could help achieve more demand-directed and better attuned care in the future.
pH-dependent modulation of the cloned renal K+ channel, ROMK.

pH is an important modulator of the low-conductance ATP-sensitive K+ channel of the distal nephron. To examine the mechanism of interaction of protons with the channel-forming protein, we expressed the cloned renal K channel, ROMK (Kir1.x), in Xenopus oocytes and examined the response to varied concentrations of protons both in the presence and in the absence of ATP. Initial experiments were performed on inside-out patches in the absence of ATP in Mg2+-free solution, which prevents channel rundown. A steep sigmoidal relationship was shown between bath pH and ROMK1 or ROMK2 channel function with intracellular acidification reducing channel activity. We calculated values for pK = 7.18 and 7.04 and Hill coefficients = 3.1 and 3.3, for ROMK1 and ROMK2, respectively. Intracellular acidification (pH 7.2) also increased the Mg-ATP binding affinity of ROMK2, resulting in a leftward shift of the relationship between ATP concentration and the reduction in channel activity. The K1/2 for Mg-ATP decreased from 2.4 mM at pH 7.4 to approximately 0.5 mM at pH 7.2. Mutation of lysine-61 to methionine in ROMK2, which abolishes pH sensitivity, modulated but did not eliminate the effect of pH on ATP inhibition of channel activity. We previously demonstrated that the putative phosphate loop in the carboxy terminus of ROMK2 is involved in ATP binding and channel inhibition [C. M. McNicholas, Y. Yang, G. Giebisch, and S. C. Hebert. Am. J. Physiol. 271 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 40): F275-F285, 1996]. Conceivably, therefore, protonation of the histidine residue within this region could alter net charge (i.e., positive shift) and increase affinity for the negatively charged nucleotide.
Moderate Exercise Increases Affinity of Large Very Low-Density Lipoproteins for Hydrolysis by Lipoprotein Lipase.

CONTEXT Postprandial triglyceride (TG) concentration is independently associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Exercise reduces postprandial TG concentrations, but the mechanisms responsible are unclear. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine the effects of exercise on affinity of chylomicrons, large very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL1), and smaller VLDL (VLDL2) for lipoprotein lipase (LPL)-mediated TG hydrolysis. DESIGN This was designed as a within-participant crossover study. SETTING The setting was a university metabolic investigation unit. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 10 overweight/obese men. INTERVENTIONS Participants undertook two oral fat tolerance tests, separated by 7-14 days, in which they had blood taken while fasting and for 4 hours after a high-fat mixed meal. On the afternoon before one test, they performed a 90-minute treadmill walk at 50% maximal oxygen uptake (exercise trial [EX]); no exercise was performed before the control trial (CON). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We measured circulating TG-rich lipoprotein concentrations and affinity of chylomicrons, VLDL1, and VLDL2 for LPL-mediated TG hydrolysis. RESULTS Exercise significantly reduced fasting VLDL1-TG concentration (CON, 0.49 [0.33-0.72] mmol.L(-1); EX, 0.36 [0.22-0.59] mmol.L(-1); geometric means [95% confidence interval]; P = . 04). Time-averaged postprandial chylomicron-TG (CON, 0.55 ± 0.10 mmol.L(-1); EX, 0.39 ± 0.08 mmol.L(-1); mean ± SEM; P = . 03) and VLDL1-TG (CON, 0.85 ± 0.13 mmol.L(-1); EX, 0.66 ± 0.10 mmol.L(-1); P = . 01) concentrations were both lower in EX than CON. Affinity of VLDL1 for LPL-mediated TG hydrolysis increased by 2.2 (1.3-3.7)-fold [geometric mean (95% confidence interval)] (P = .02) in the fasted state and 2.6 (1.8-2.6)-fold (P = .001) postprandially. Affinity of chylomicrons and VLDL2 was not significantly different between trials. CONCLUSIONS Exercise increases affinity of VLDL1 for LPL-mediated TG hydrolysis both fasting and postprandially. This mechanism is likely to contribute to the TG-lowering effect of exercise.
Wi-Counter: Smartphone-Based People Counter Using Crowdsourced Wi-Fi Signal Data

Reliable people counting is crucial to many urban applications. However, most existing people counting systems are sensor-based and can only work in some fixed gateways or checkpoints where sensors have been installed. This high dependence on the exact locations of sensors leads to low accuracy. To overcome these limitations, in this paper, we propose a smartphone-based people counting system, Wi-Counter, by leveraging the pervasive Wi-Fi infrastructure. To collect comprehensive Wi-Fi signals and people count information based on crowdsource, Wi-Counter first adopts a preprocessor to overcome the noisy, discrepant, and fragile data based on the Wiener filter and Newton interpolation. It then makes use of the designated five-layer neural network to learn the relation model between the Wi-Fi signals and the number of people. By analyzing the received Wi-Fi signals, Wi-Counter can estimate the number of people based on the resulting model. We have conducted experiments by implementing a prototype of Wi-counter based on smartphones and evaluated the system in terms of accuracy and power consumption in an indoor testbed covering an area of 96 m $^2$. Wi-Counter achieved a counting accuracy of up to 93% and exhibited reliable and robust performance resisting temporal environmental changes with negligible power usage.
Identification of an ICP27-Responsive Element in the Coding Region of a Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Late Gene

ABSTRACT During productive herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, a subset of viral delayed-early (DE) and late (L) genes require the immediate-early (IE) protein ICP27 for their expression. However, the cis-acting regulatory sequences in DE and L genes that mediate their specific induction by ICP27 are unknown. One viral L gene that is highly dependent on ICP27 is that encoding glycoprotein C (gC). We previously demonstrated that this gene is posttranscriptionally transactivated by ICP27 in a plasmid cotransfection assay. Based on our past results, we hypothesized that the gC gene possesses a cis-acting inhibitory sequence and that ICP27 overcomes the effects of this sequence to enable efficient gC expression. To test this model, we systematically deleted sequences from the body of the gC gene and tested the resulting constructs for expression. In so doing, we identified a 258-bp “silencing element” (SE) in the 5′ portion of the gC coding region. When present, the SE inhibits gC mRNA accumulation from a transiently transfected gC gene, unless ICP27 is present. Moreover, the SE can be transferred to another HSV-1 gene, where it inhibits mRNA accumulation in the absence of ICP27 and confers high-level expression in the presence of ICP27. Thus, for the first time, an ICP27-responsive sequence has been identified in a physiologically relevant ICP27 target gene. To see if the SE functions during viral infection, we engineered HSV-1 recombinants that lack the SE, either in a wild-type (WT) or ICP27-null genetic background. In an ICP27-null background, deletion of the SE led to ICP27-independent expression of the gC gene, demonstrating that the SE functions during viral infection. Surprisingly, the ICP27-independent gC expression seen with the mutant occurred even in the absence of viral DNA synthesis, indicating that the SE helps to regulate the tight DNA replication-dependent expression of gC.
Secular change in height, sitting height and leg length in rural Oaxaca, southern Mexico: 1968–2000

Objective: To evaluate secular changes in height, sitting height and estimated leg length between 1968 and 2000 in residents in a rural Zapotec-speaking community in Oaxaca, southern Mexico. Materials and methods: Height and sitting height were measured in school children 6–13 years (1968, 1978, 2000), in adolescents 13–17 years (1978, 2002) and adults 19–29 years (1978, 2000). Leg length was estimated as height minus sitting height. The sitting height/height ratio was calculated. Subjects were grouped by sex into four age categories: 6–9, 10–13, 13–17 and 19–29 years for analysis. The Preece–Baines Model I growth curve was fitted to cross-sectional means for 1978 and 2000. Results: There were no differences between children 6–9 and 10–13 years in 1968 and 1978 with the exception of the sitting height ratio in girls 6–9 years. Children of both sexes 6–13 years and adolescent boys 13–17 years were significantly larger in the three dimensions in 2000 compared to 1978; adolescent girls differed only in height and sitting height. Adult males in 2000 were significantly taller with longer legs than those in 1978, but the samples did not differ in sitting height and the ratio. Adult females in 1978 and 2000 did not differ significantly in the three dimensions. Rates of secular change in height and sitting height between 1978 and 2000 were reasonably similar in the three age groups of male children and adolescents, but the rate for estimated leg length was highest in 10–13-year-old boys. Secular gains were smaller in adult males, but were proportionally greater in estimated leg length. Girls 6–9 and 10–13 years experienced greater secular gains in height, sitting height and estimated leg length than adolescent and young adult females, while secular gains and rates decreased from adolescent girls to young adult women. Ages of peak velocity for height, sitting height and estimated leg length declined in boys, while only ages of peak velocity for height and estimated leg length declined in girls. Conclusions: There are major secular increases in height, sitting height and estimated leg length of children and adolescents of both sexes since 1978. Secular gains in height are of similar magnitude in boys and girls 6–13 years, but are greater in adolescent and young adult males than females. The secular increase in height of young adults of both sexes is smaller than that among adolescents. Estimated leg length accounts for about 60% of the secular increase in height in children of both sexes. Estimated leg length and sitting height contribute equally to the secular increase in height in adolescent boys, whereas estimated leg length accounts for about 70% of the secular increase in height in young adult males. Sitting height contributes about two-thirds of the secular increase in height in adolescent and young adult females.
Effectiveness of parliamentary committees at the Kenya National Assembly

There is limited literature on the subject of measuring effectiveness of legislative bodies and/or their committees. Further, there are numerous general statements on the importance of the work done by the committees of the Parliament, but no one has yet embarked on the more demanding task of making the careful and detailed assessment necessary to determine their true value. Perhaps this can be explained partially by the difficulty of determining exactly how committee effectiveness is to be defined and measured. The Liaison Committee of the House of Commons recently recognized this problem when it for the first time assessed the effectiveness of Commons committees. The Liaison Committee had first to establish the criteria on which such an evaluation could be made. In broad terms, it determined that the measure of a committee's effectiveness is the extent of its influence on the actions or behaviour of the government. This being said, the task of assessing committee effectiveness is still not simple, as the Liaison Committee itself admitted. The committee provided no empirical evidence to back its conclusions and admitted in its reports that standards of effectiveness varied according to the observer (Kuntz, 2002). This paper investigated the effectiveness of parliamentary committees at the Kenya National Assembly (KNA). The paper consequently aims to address the following research question: "How effective are parliamentary committees at the Kenyan National Assembly? " A case study was undertaken focusing on twelve (12) parliamentary committees namely: the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Public Investment Committee (PIC); Departmental Committee on Health; Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security; Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs; Departmental Committee on Finance; Select Committee on Constituency Development Fund; Procedure and House Rules Committee; Budget Committee; Local Authorities and Funds Accounts Committee; Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations; and. the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Co-operatives.
Lectures On Government And Binding The Pisa Lectures

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