Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facing and Uncertain Future: An Investigation of the Preparation and Readiness of First-Time Superintendents to Lead in a Democratic Society

Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton. edu/eda_fac_pub Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Economics Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Special Education Administration Commons, and the Urban Education Commons
Market Share Instability in Commercial Airline Markets and the Impact of Deregulation

While the degree of rivalry in a market is often concealed and therefore difficult to observe directly, various measures of market-share variation have been used in the literature as an indicat or of behavior. Using a similar measure, the primary task of this stu dy is to estimate the degree to which rivalry (both price and nonpric e) had actually increased during the first two years of deregulation. The paper also provides an analytical framework which may be used to assess the impact of regulatory reform on rivalry in other industrie s. Copyright 1988 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Delivering Quality Service

ABSTRACT Quality in tourism-related services, like in services in general, are basically about balancing customer perceptions and expectations. Successful service providers are able to meet and, whenever possible, exceed consumers' needs and wants. This way, it is possible to provide memorable experiences to visitors. In delivering services, due to certain specific characteristics of services (e.g., intangibility, simultaneity, variability and perishability), the human element, in particular the ‘face-to-face’ interaction with the customer, plays a fundamental role. The study stresses the contribution of interpersonal variables for the success of service organisations. It discusses how commitment to customer service, and supportive supervisors and co-workers, influence the relationship managers' ability to satisfy customers. The main findings were as follows: (i) commitment to customer service and co-workers' support have direct and positive effects on the ability to satisfy customers; (ii) commitment to customer service is the most important determinant of the ability to satisfy customers, and works as a mediator for the other independent variables; (iii) co-workers' support, having both direct and mediated effects, is a more important predictor than supervisors' support. The available data indicates that there is a need for specific training for supervisors, in order to increase their awareness of the impact of their performance on the service delivered by contact employees. Moreover, it is important that service organisations are capable of providing employees with a holistic view of the service delivery chain. This includes not only relationship managers, but also those who are not in direct contact with external customers. Apart from these training aspects, the results of this study should also be considered in relation to other management issues, namely in human resources management. Organisations should prevent the risk of losing those employees that show more commitment to customer service and more ability to satisfy customers. Employee retention exerts a positive impact on repurchase, which, in turn, influences profitability. In light of these findings, some managerial implications are suggested.
Kv7/KCNQ Channels Control Action Potential Phasing of Pyramidal Neurons during Hippocampal Gamma Oscillations In Vitro

While the synaptic mechanisms involved in the generation of in vitro network oscillations have been widely studied, little is known about the importance of voltage-gated currents during such activity. Here we study the role of the M-current (IM) in the modulation of network oscillations in the gamma-frequency range (20–80 Hz). Kv7/KCNQ subunits, the molecular correlates of IM, are abundantly expressed in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons, and IM is an important modulator of pyramidal neuron firing. Using hippocampal slices, we recorded field activity and pyramidal neuron action potential timing during kainate-induced gamma oscillations. Application of the specific IM blocker XE991 causes a significant reduction of gamma oscillation amplitude with no significant change in oscillation frequency. Concomitant CA3 pyramidal neuron recordings show a significant increase in action potential frequency during ongoing gamma oscillations after the application of XE991. This increase is associated with a significant loss of periodicity of pyramidal neuron action potentials relative to the phase of the gamma oscillations. Using dynamic clamp, we show that IM acts to improve the periodicity of action potential timing and to decrease action potential frequency. We further validate these results in a compartmental model of a pyramidal neuron. Our work suggests that IM modulates gamma oscillations by regulating the phasing of action potential firing in pyramidal neurons.
Cardiopulmonary exercise variables are associated with postoperative morbidity after major colonic surgery: a prospective blinded observational study.

BACKGROUND Postoperative complications are associated with reduced fitness. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has been used in risk stratification. We investigated the relationship between preoperative CPET and in-hospital morbidity in major colonic surgery. METHODS We prospectively studied 198 patients undergoing major colonic surgery (excluding neoadjuvant cancer therapy), performing preoperative CPET (reported blind to clinical state), and recording morbidity (assessed blind to CPET), postoperative outcome, and length of stay. RESULTS Of 198 patients, 62 were excluded: 11 had emergency surgery, 25 had no surgery, 23 had incomplete data, and three were unable to perform CPET. One hundred and thirty-six (89 males, 47 females) were available for analysis. The median age was 71 [inter-quartile range (IQR) 62-77] yr. Sixty-five patients (48%) had a complication at day 5 after operation. Measurements significantly lower in patients with complications than those without were O2 uptake (VO₂) at estimated lactate threshold (θ(L)) [median 9.9 (IQR 8.3-12.7) vs 11.2 (9.5-14.2) ml kg(-1) min(-1), P<0.01], VO₂ at peak [15.2 (12.6-18.1) vs 17.2 (13.7-22.5) ml kg(-1) min(-1), P=0.01], and ventilatory equivalent for CO2 (V(E)/VCO₂) at θ(L) [31.3 (28.0-34.8) vs 33.9 (30.0-39.1), P<0.01]. A final multivariable logistic regression model contained VO₂ at θ(L) {one-point change odds ratio (OR) 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66-0.89], P<0.0005; two-point change OR 0.61 (0.46-0.81) and gender [OR 4.42 (1.78-9.88), P=0.001]}, and was reasonably able to discriminate those with and without complications (AUC 0.71, CI 0.62-0.80, 68% sensitivity, 65% specificity). CONCLUSIONS CPET variables are associated with postoperative morbidity. A multivariable model with VO₂ at θ(L) and gender discriminates those with complications after colonic surgery.
Public sector accountability failure in an emerging economy: The case of the National Bank of Fiji

Adoption of new public sector management (NPM) is commonplace in both developed and emerging economies. One premise of NPM is that an effective accountability mechanism is in place. It is argued here that where bad management and corruption are present, this fundamental accountability mechanism may fail for two reasons. These are considered further through the situation existing in Fiji in relation to problems experienced at the National Bank of Fiji (NBF). The demise of the NBF provides an example of a country where NPM has been introduced, where poor management and corruption are entrenched and where accountability has not worked because parties do not provide a proper account of their actions. This scandal illustrates the need for proponents of NPM to consider the context into which the system is being fitted, such as poor management, the extent of corruption and presence of political favours, when considering the net benefits likely to arise from its introduction.
Gender and the marketisation of further education : a study of two colleges /

Abstract This thesis investigates the marketisation of further education (FE) in England in the 1990s with specific reference to gender. A major restructuring of the public sector has taken place in recent years, and colleges have undergone significant changes, with reductions in funding, an increased emphasis on efficiency and accountability, and a new business ethos all evident. This research was conducted in two inner-city colleges m 1997-98, usmg a combination of in-depth interviews, observation, and the examination of documents. The main aim was to identify dominant discourses and practices in the newly corporatised colleges, and to investigate the impact of these on gendered (raced, and classed) power relations. The thesis explores issues of funding and quality, new managerialism, and the restructuring of staffing, spaces and spatial relations. The importance given to new technological developments and their perceived role in the reconstruction of learning, learner and professional identities are also discussed. A further chapter explores the attention paid to equality concerns. A Foucauldian concept of discourse is used to examine the knowledges and perspectives that are legitimised or suppressed within the new FE, and the research draws upon feminist and other critical analyses of marketisation, organisation and management. It is argued that the Cartesian mind-body dichotomy, with its reification of 'rationality' and gendered implications, can be 3 seen to underpin the dominant discourses of the market, managerialism and new learning technologies in further education, and the thesis explores the processes by which gendered identities and power relations are maintained and reconstructed in this context. Differences within and between the colleges are discussed, and oppositional discourses which assert professional educational values, an ethic of care and a commitment to challenging inequalities are all identified. The thesis concludes with an analysis of resistance, and an account of more recent policy developments in the sector.
Lack of BCL10 mutations in multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia

To determine whether the BCL10 mutation plays a role in the oncogenesis of plasma cell dyscrasias, we used polymerase chain reaction–single‐strand conformation polymorphism (PCR‐SSCP) and direct sequencing analysis and examined the genomic BCL10 mutations in 57 patients with multiple myeloma or plasma cell leukemia and 52 normal bone marrow samples. We found three polymorphic sequence variants, either alone or in combination, at codons 5 and 8, and in intron 1 at base 58 of the BCL10 gene in 37 patients with plasma cell dyscrasia. Identical aberrant band shifts were also observed in 34 normal marrow samples. No polymorphic variants were identified in exon 2 or 3 in either patient or control samples, and no pathogenic mutations were detected. Patients with plasma cell dyscrasias in Taiwan appeared to have a higher frequency of polymorphisms at codon 5 and intron 1 at base 58, and a lower frequency at codons 8 and 213. Our results suggest that BCL10 is not involved in the oncogenesis of plasma cell dyscrasias. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spread of an Enterococcus faecalis sequence type 6 (CC2) clone in patients undergoing selective decontamination of the digestive tract

Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is a common cause of nosocomial infection in immunocompromised patients. The presence and dissemination of high‐risk clonal complexes, such as CC2, is an ongoing problem in hospitals. The aim of this work was to characterize 24 E. faecalis isolates from ICU patients undergoing selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) by phenotypical (antimicrobial susceptibility) and genotypical (presence of virulence genes, RAPD‐PCR and MLST) methods. Our results showed high prevalence of the ST6 E. faecalis clone (91.6%), especially adapted to the hospital environment, with a multidrug resistance pattern and a multitude of putative virulence genes. In addition, ST179 (4.2%) and ST191 (4.2%) were detected. By RAPD–PCR analysis, the 22 isolates identified as ST6 showed six different DNA patterns, while the two remaining isolates, ST179 and ST191, showed two additional profiles. CC2 is a known clonal complex with high adaptability to hospital environment and worldwide distribution. The high prevalence of the ST6 clone in the studied population could be related to the presence of gentamicin in the SDD mixture since most strains were gentamicin resistant. Consequently, strict surveillance should be applied for rapid detection and control of this clone to prevent future spread outside the ICU.
Risk factors of mortality in neonates with congenital heart disease after cardiopulmonary bypass : a retrospective study in China

Objective: Increasing congenital heart disease (CHD) neonates receive cardiac surgery especially after two-child policy in China. This study was to investigate the risk factors for the mortality of CHD neonates after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: CHD neonates (n=123) undergoing CPB were prospectively enrolled. According to the early outcome, neonates were divided into survivor group and non-survivor group. The demographics and peri-operative factors were collected and compared between them. Variables with significant difference in univariate analysis were screened out by forward likelihood selection procedure, and included for multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 23 neonatesdied after CPB. The overall in-hospital mortality was 18.70%. Univariate analysis indicated that the RACHS-1 score (P=0.029), time of CPB (P=0.003), incidence of cardiac arrest (CA) (P=0.005), proportion of neonates receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (P=0.040) and lactate level (P=0.003) were significantly different between two groups. These 5 variables with significant difference in univariate analysis were screened out by forward likelihood selection procedure and multivariatelogistic regression analysis was performed. Results showed the odds ratio (OR) of death was increased by 1.009 for every unit increase in the time of CPB (OR: 1.009, P=0.046) and by 4.937 for CA present postoperatively (OR: 4.937, P=0.009). Conclusion: Long CPB and postoperative presence of CA were independent risk factors for mortality in neonates after CPB. Thus, clinicians should shorten the time of CPB and take measures to reduce CA, aiming to reduce the post-operative mortality.
Influences of Potential Evapotranspiration Estimation Methods on SWAT's Hydrologic Simulation in a Northwestern Minnesota Watershed

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a widely used watershed hydrology and water quality model, provides three different methods (Hargreaves, Priestley-Taylor, and Penman-Monteith) for estimating potential evapotranspiration (PET) and the corresponding actual evapotranspiration (AET). Although these methods have been extensively tested, the effects of using them within SWAT's framework are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to test the three PET methods within SWAT's framework using data collected in the Wild Rice River watershed, located in northwestern Minnesota. The performance of the SWAT models was measured using three statistics: the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (Ej2), coefficient of determination (R2), and performance virtue (PVk). The three models were independently calibrated and validated using the observed daily stream flows at two USGS gauging stations. The simulated stream discharges were compared with the corresponding observed values and the estimated evapotranspiration examined in accordance with the wet-environment areal evapotranspiration (ETW) derived from the evaporation data for Williams Lake, located about 100 km southeast of the study watershed. The use of the three PET methods resulted in different values for two calibration parameters, namely the soil evaporation compensation factor and SCS curve number. At the lower station, which is near the watershed outlet, the observed annual mean discharge (8.33 m3/s) during the model validation period was predicted to be 10.25, 10.87, and 9.69 m3/s by SWAT-Penman, SWAT-Priestley, and SWAT-Hargreaves, respectively. The annual mean discharge (10.83 m3/s) was more accurately predicted during the model calibration period, with an absolute error of less than 0.5 m3/s. The prediction errors for the upper station were comparable with those for the lower station. In addition, all three models exhibited good performance when simulating the monthly, seasonal, and annual mean discharges (Ej2 >0.75 and PVk >0.80) and satisfactory performance when predicting the daily stream flows (Ej2 >0.36 and PVk >0.70). In estimating evapotranspiration for the study watershed, SWAT-Hargreaves seemed to be slightly superior to the other two models, while SWAT-Priestley might be more appropriate for an ETW value greater than 8.0 mm/d. Nevertheless, the AET values estimated by the three models shared a concurrent spatial pattern and temporal trend, and were insignificantly different from each other at a 5% significance level (p-values > 0.05). The results indicated that after calibration, using the three ET methods within SWAT produced very similar hydrologic (AET and discharge) predictions for the study watershed.
Short Selling and Earnings Management: A Controlled Experiment

During 2005 to 2007, the SEC ordered a pilot program in which one-third of the Russell 3000 index were arbitrarily chosen as pilot stocks and exempted from short-sale price tests. Pilot firms’ discretionary accruals and likelihood of marginally beating earnings targets decrease during this period, and revert to pre-experiment levels when the program ends. After the program starts, pilot firms are more likely to be caught for fraud initiated before the program, and their stock returns better incorporate earnings information. These results indicate that short selling, or its prospect, curbs earnings management, helps detect fraud, and improves price efficiency.
The nature of an operations strategy: combining strategic decisions from the resource‐based and market‐driven viewpoints

To date, the exact nature and classification of an operations strategy vis‐a‐vis other popular operational solutions have eluded many commentators. Against a background of the various approaches to strategy formulation, including the resource‐based and market‐driven views, the composition of an operations strategy is discussed in terms of the decisions involved. Research findings conclude that such strategies contain diverse building‐blocks initially reflecting various resources, capabilities and competencies. However, their composition and subsequent interconnections are also influenced by the exigencies of the market and other supply network forces. Finally, the work debates how these strategies and their components can be customised to reflect different competitive agendas. This latter aspect breaks new ground, takes the study beyond mere definitions, and has clear implications for both practice and further research.
The paradox of power in a People's Republic of China middle school

Inner Asia - in premodern times the little-known land of nomads and semi-nomads - has moved to the world's front page in the 20th century as the complex struggles for the future of Afghanistan, Soviet Central Asia, Tibet and other territories make clear. But because Inner Asia as a whole is divided among several states politically and among area specialists academically, broad perspectives on recent events are difficult to find. This work treats the region as a single unit, providing both an account of the region's past and an analysis of its present and its prospects in a thematic, rather than a strictly country-by-country manner.
Interaction of sweet proteins with their receptor. A conformational study of peptides corresponding to loops of brazzein, monellin and thaumatin.

The mechanism of interaction of sweet proteins with the T1R2-T1R3 sweet taste receptor has not yet been elucidated. Low molecular mass sweeteners and sweet proteins interact with the same receptor, the human T1R2-T1R3 receptor. The presence on the surface of the proteins of "sweet fingers", i.e. protruding features with chemical groups similar to those of low molecular mass sweeteners that can probe the active site of the receptor, would be consistent with a single mechanism for the two classes of compounds. We have synthesized three cyclic peptides corresponding to the best potential "sweet fingers" of brazzein, monellin and thaumatin, the sweet proteins whose structures are well characterized. NMR data show that all three peptides have a clear tendency, in aqueous solution, to assume hairpin conformations consistent with the conformation of the same sequences in the parent proteins. The peptide corresponding to the only possible loop of brazzein, c[CFYDEKRNLQC(37-47)], exists in solution in a well ordered hairpin conformation very similar to that of the same sequence in the parent protein. However, none of the peptides has a sweet taste. This finding strongly suggests that sweet proteins recognize a binding site different from the one that binds small molecular mass sweeteners. The data of the present work support an alternative mechanism of interaction, the "wedge model", recently proposed for sweet proteins [Temussi, P. A. (2002) FEBS Lett.526, 1-3. ].
Regional Economic Integration and Economic Growth in the COMESA Region, 1980–2010

type="main" xml:lang="en"> A key goal of the COMESA Treaty ( ) was to stimulate sustainable economic growth in the region through increased trade between member states. On the basis of a 1980–2010 annual panel dataset, we examine the contribution of COMESA integration to economic growth in the region using instrumental variables GMM regression in the framework of a cross-country growth model. Contrary to a priori expectation, we find no significant empirical support for a positive growth impact, as yet, on the region from the integration. Growth in capital stock, population, world GDP and the level of openness to international trade turned out to be the most robust drivers of growth in the COMESA region over the period.
National Parliaments and Transposition of EU Law: A Matter of Coalition Conflict?

This article analyses to what extent the mechanism of the coalition conflict model of executive-legislative relations can account for the extent and policy direction of parliamentary control over domestic transposition, focusing on EU migration law. Our empirical approach is based on an in-depth cross-country comparison of the transposition of the Returns Directive in Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. We find that in all four countries the legislatures left their marks on the final laws, and the policy direction of amendments was largely in line with the predictions of the model. Yet, the policy adjustments were not always triggered by coalition partners correcting ministerial drift, but also by factions within the ministerial party, and by opposition parties.