Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

IT outsourcing’s adoption by some of the largest international corporations has seen outsourcing become a key component of the Information Management agenda. However, the process of evaluating, selecting, and subsequently contracting out or selling the organization’s IT assets, people and/or activities to a third party supplier raises significant concern in light of the inherent ‘Winner’s Curse’ that may arise when the supplier over-promises on what can be delivered for the contract price. This paper presents a longitudinal outsourcing case study that explicates the often abstruse Winner’s Curse, its effect on post-contract management and the relationship, and how it was alleviated by agreeing to mutually renegotiate the terms of the deal. Building on auction and IT outsourcing theory, the paper provides both a model of IT outsourcing processes, and a Winner’s Curse typology for understanding IT outsourcing ventures. The study finds that a Winner’s Curse in outsourcing may not be evident to either party during negotiations. However, it will result in additional costs for both parties in the form of increased management time and resources; may result in service slippage and high dissatisfaction levels and possibly demand service level renegotiations; may lead to relational loggerheads; and ultimately may result in early contract termination. To avoid experiencing such a relational trauma as a consequence of a Winner’s Curse, this paper identifies six lessons that client and supplier companies should consider before signing IT outsourcing deals. The key message being ‘never mistake a relationship for just an auction’ – outsourcing is a long-term venture.
Urban Movement and Alcohol Intake Strongly Predict Defaulting from Tuberculosis Treatment: An Operational Study

Background High levels of defaulting from treatment challenge tuberculosis control in many African cities. We assessed defaulting from tuberculosis treatment in an African urban setting. Methods An observational study among adult patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis receiving treatment at urban primary care clinics in Kampala, Uganda. Defaulting was defined as having missed two consecutive monthly clinic visits while not being reported to have died or continued treatment elsewhere. Defaulting patients were actively followed-up and interviewed. We assessed proportions of patients abandoning treatment with and without the information obtained through active follow-up and we examined associated factors through multivariable logistic regression. Results Between April 2007 and April 2008, 270 adults aged ≥15 years were included; 54 patients (20%) were recorded as treatment defaulters. On active follow-up vital status was established of 28/54 (52%) patients. Of these, 19 (68%) had completely stopped treatment, one (4%) had died and eight (29%) had continued treatment elsewhere. Extrapolating this to all defaulters meant that 14% rather than 20% of all patients had truly abandoned treatment. Daily consumption of alcohol, recorded at the start of treatment, predicted defaulting (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] 4.4, 95%CI 1.8–13.5), as did change of residence during treatment (ORadj 8.7, 95%CI 1.8–41.5); 32% of patients abandoning treatment had changed residence. Conclusions A high proportion of tuberculosis patients in primary care clinics in Kampala abandon treatment. Assessing change of residence during scheduled clinic appointments may serve as an early warning signal that the patient may default and needs adherence counseling.
Interactive Cluster Visualization for Information Retrieval

This study investigates the ability of cluster visualization to help a user rapidly identify relevant documents. It provides added support for the truth of the Cluster Hypothesis on retrieved documents and shows that clustering of relevant documents is readily visible. The study then shows the visual eeect of a technique similar to relevance feedback and shows how to enhance that eeect to further help the user locate relevant material. A ranked list returned by a text search engine purports to present the documents in the order they are most likely to be relevant: the rst document is the best match for the user's query, the second is the next most likely to be helpful, and so on. We are interested in situations where this simple model breaks down|where the user is unable to nd enough relevant material in the rst or second screens of the list. In particular, we are interested in helping a searcher nd all of the relevant material in the top ranked list without forcing him or her to wade through all of the non-relevant material. Our approach is based on a combination of document clustering and vi-sualization. We have observed that when documents are clustered and their relationships are visually displayed, the relevant documents generally clump together in the visualization. In this study, we investigate several hypotheses related to this observation: 1. Clustering is useful for separating relevant and non-relevant documents. This hypothesis is critical to our work, but not at all novel or surprising 1
The ZIP5 Ectodomain Co-Localizes with PrP and May Acquire a PrP-Like Fold That Assembles into a Dimer

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) was recently observed to co-purify with members of the LIV-1 subfamily of ZIP zinc transporters (LZTs), precipitating the surprising discovery that the prion gene family descended from an ancestral LZT gene. Here, we compared the subcellular distribution and biophysical characteristics of LZTs and their PrP-like ectodomains. When expressed in neuroblastoma cells, the ZIP5 member of the LZT subfamily was observed to be largely directed to the same subcellular locations as PrPC and both proteins were seen to be endocytosed through vesicles decorated with the Rab5 marker protein. When recombinantly expressed, the PrP-like domain of ZIP5 could be obtained with yields and levels of purity sufficient for structural analyses but it tended to aggregate, thereby precluding attempts to study its structure. These obstacles were overcome by moving to a mammalian cell expression system. The subsequent biophysical characterization of a homogeneous preparation of the ZIP5 PrP-like ectodomain shows that this protein acquires a dimeric, largely globular fold with an α-helical content similar to that of mammalian PrPC. The use of a mammalian cell expression system also allowed for the expression and purification of stable preparations of Takifugu rubripes PrP-1, thereby overcoming a key hindrance to high-resolution work on a fish PrPC.
Trends in Indications and Techniques of Corneal Transplantation in Iran from 2006 to 2013; an 8-year Review

Purpose: To report changing trends in indications and techniques of corneal transplantation in Iran. Methods: We reviewed eye bank records of 47,129 patients who had undergone corneal transplantation between 2006 and 2013 at different eye centers throughout Iran. Results: The most common indication for corneal transplantation was keratoconus (KCN, n = 21,350 eyes, 45.3%), followed by bullous keratopathy (BK, n = 8,566 eyes, 18.2%), corneal opacity and scar (COS, n = 7,158 eyes, 15.2%), graft failure (n = 3,252 eyes, 6.9%), corneal dystrophies (n = 2,553 eyes, 5.4%), and infectious keratitis (n = 2,238 eyes, 4.7%). Over the study period, there was a significant increase in the frequency of BK (P = 0.001) and graft failure (P = 0.025), and a significant decrease in the relative frequency of COS (P = 0.012). The prevalence of KCN (P = 0.172), infectious keratitis (P = 0.107), and corneal dystrophies (P = 0.836) remained unchanged. The most common technique of corneal transplantation was penetrating keratoplasty (PKP, n = 33,476 eyes, 71.0%), followed by deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK, n = 8,363 eyes, 17.7%), Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK, n = 3,516 eyes, 7.5%), tectonic (n = 1752, 3.7%), and keratolimbal allograft (KLAL, n = 19 eyes, 0.1%). Regarding the shift in surgical techniques, a significant increase was observed in DSAEK (P < 0.001), whereas PKP was significantly decreased (P = 0.005) over the 8-year period. No significant change was seen in the rates of DALK (P = 0.354), tectonic graft (P > 0.999) and KLAL (P = 0.151). Conclusion: KCN was the most common indication and PKP was the most prevalent technique used for corneal transplantation. Significant changes in surgical techniques were observed over the past 8 years; DSAEK demonstrated an increasing trend while PKP showed a decrease.
ehp Perfluoroalkyl Substances , Sex Hormones , and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 at 6 – 9 Years of Age : A Cross-Sectional Analysis within the C 8 Health Project

U SIR is a digi t al collec tion of t h e r e s e a r c h ou t p u t of t h e U nive r si ty of S alford. Whe r e copyrigh t p e r mi t s, full t ex t m a t e ri al h eld in t h e r e posi to ry is m a d e fre ely availabl e online a n d c a n b e r e a d , dow nloa d e d a n d copied for no nco m m e rcial p riva t e s t u dy o r r e s e a r c h p u r pos e s . Ple a s e c h e ck t h e m a n u sc rip t for a ny fu r t h e r copyrig h t r e s t ric tions.
Analysing the spatial scale of population concentrations by religion in Northern Ireland using global and local variograms

The spatial structure of population subgroups is important for many reasons. Information on the spatial concentrations of people in particular groups may be used for guiding government policy and is central to understanding issues such as differential access to resources. In addition, any geographical analysis of populations is partly a function of the spatial scale of variation of subgroups of the population. This article applies variograms to characterise spatial variation in the population of Northern Ireland. The specific interest in this context is the division of the majority of the population of the region into two major groups – those people whose religion is Catholic or Protestant, and the case study presented contributes to previous research on residential segregation by religion. In 2001, the population was more spatially concentrated by community background (‘religion or religion brought up in’) than by housing tenure, employment or any of a range of other socio-economic and demographic characteristics. In this article, previous analyses are expanded to account explicitly for the spatial scale of variation in the population by religion across Northern Ireland using census data for 1971, 1991 and 2001. The primary focus of the analysis is on the use of global and local variograms to explore spatial variation in the religion variable which is expressed as percentages or as logratios. Local variograms are a novel means of summarising the spatial scale of population concentrations locally, and this article is the first to use them in this way. The analysis contributes to an enhanced understanding of the spatial distribution of the population of Northern Ireland by religion. The analytical framework presented offers a powerful means of capturing information which is likely to be important in a range of contexts from assessing residential segregation to generating population grids.
Decreasing Returns to IT Investment? New Firm-Level Evidence from Post-Dot Com Boom 2003-2005 Period

Given the fundamental nature of the IT-productivity link in the IS discipline, the diversity of firm-level data in terms of sources and time periods analyzed in prior research has not been very encouraging. Further, although the IT productivity paradox has been laid to rest on the basis of prior firm-level and industry-level studies, the nature of the relationship in terms of how IT returns evolve over time needs continuous investigation. We present here the first econometric analysis of a large primary source firm-level dataset about IT investments that spans the 2003-2005 period, which is post dot-com boom and post-recession in the United States. In doing so we have extended previous firm-level work done by Brynjolfsson and Hitt (1995), Lichtenberg (1995), Hitt and Brynjolfsson (1996), and Kudyba and Diwan (2002). We not only confirm the positive and highly statistically significant relationship between IT and gross output or value-added and compute IT returns for the most recent time period, but in contrast to Kudyba and Diwan’s (2002) observation about increasing returns to IT based on their analysis of the 1995-1997 Internet boom era dataset, we present evidence of an inverted U-shaped returns curve, with returns now close to what they were in the pre-Internet era.
Free DNA in Cystic Fibrosis Airway Fluids Correlates with Airflow Obstruction

Chronic obstructive lung disease determines morbidity and mortality of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). CF airways are characterized by a nonresolving neutrophilic inflammation. After pathogen contact or prolonged activation, neutrophils release DNA fibres decorated with antimicrobial proteins, forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs have been described to act in a beneficial way for innate host defense by bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal actions. On the other hand, excessive NET formation has been linked to the pathogenesis of autoinflammatory and autoimmune disease conditions. We quantified free DNA structures characteristic of NETs in airway fluids of CF patients and a mouse model with CF-like lung disease. Free DNA levels correlated with airflow obstruction, fungal colonization, and CXC chemokine levels in CF patients and CF-like mice. When viewed in combination, our results demonstrate that neutrophilic inflammation in CF airways is associated with abundant free DNA characteristic for NETosis, and suggest that free DNA may be implicated in lung function decline in patients with CF.
Managing with Modernity

This article critiques an increasingly abstract management that is being advocated in organizations. It locates the foundations of an abstract management in what Foucault and others have identified as the epistemic foundations of modernity. Using the example of a strategic performance management system it shows how these systems have such epistemic assumptions as their foundations. The article concludes by considering the role of practical reason in guiding management practice.
Feasibility and Efficiency of Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Culture with Allogeneic Platelet Lysate-Supplementation for Cell Therapy against Stroke

Currently, there is increasing interest in human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) as regeneration therapy against cerebral stroke. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility and validity of hBMSC cultures with allogeneic platelet lysates (PLs). Platelet concentrates (PC) were harvested from healthy volunteers and made into single donor-derived PL (sPL). The PL mixtures (mPL) were made from three different sPL. Some growth factors and platelet cell surface antigens were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The hBMSCs cultured with 10% PL were analyzed for their proliferative potential, surface markers, and karyotypes. The cells were incubated with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) agents and injected into a pig brain. MRI and histological analysis were performed. Consequently, nine lots of sPL and three mPL were prepared. ELISA analysis showed that PL contained adequate growth factors and a particle of platelet surface antigens. Cell proliferation capacity of PLs was equivalent to or higher than that of fetal calf serum (FCS). No contradiction in cell surface markers and no chromosomal aberrations were found. The MRI detected the distribution of SPIO-labeled hBMSCs in the pig brain. In summary, the hBMSCs cultured with allogeneic PL are suitable for cell therapy against stroke.
Effects of left-sided movements on line bisection in unilateral neglect

Abstract Thirteen patients with left neglect performed line bisection under four conditions: no cue, visual cueing involving the report of a digit placed at the left end of the line, circling the left-end digit, and digit circling plus tracing of the line with the right index finger from its left end to its midpoint before bisection. Digit circling plus finger tracing was unequivocally more effective in reducing left neglect than digit circling alone, which was in turn more effective than visual cueing; indeed, digit circling with tracing completely abolished the rightward bisection bias. Thus continuously directing visuomotor control to the left side of the line (even with the right hand) until bisection is performed reduces neglect more than only requiring patients to attend to left-sided visual cues. The facilitatory effects of the cueing procedures may reflect their differential efficacy in constraining as well as attracting attention and action to the left part of the target line. These findings have implications for neglect rehabilitation. (JINS, 1996, 2, 404–411.)
Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology : On the dynamics between growth and decline

Life-span developmental psychology involves the study of constancy and change in behavior throughout the life course. One aspect of life-span research has been the advancement of a more general, metatheoretical view on the nature of development. The family of theoretical perspectives associated with this metatheoretical view of life-span developmental psychology includes the recognition of multidirectionality in ontogenetic change, consideration of both age-connected and disconnected developmental factors, a focus on the dynamic and continuous interplay between growth (gain) and decline (loss), emphasis on historical embeddedness and other structural contextual factors, and the study of the range of plasticity in development. Application of the family of perspectives associated with life-span developmental psychology is illustrated for the domain of intellectual development. Two recently emerging perspectives of the family of beliefs are given particular attention. The first proposition is methodological and suggests that plasticity can best be studied with a research strategy called testing-the-limits. The second proposition is theoretical and proffers that any developmental change includes the joint occurrence of gain (growth) and loss (decline) in adaptive capacity. To assess the pattern of positive (gains) and negative (losses) consequences resulting from development, it is necessary to know the criterion demands posed by the individual and the environment during the lifelong process of adaptation. The study of life-span development is not a homogeneous field. It comes in two major interrelated modes. The first mode is the extension of developmental studies across the life course without a major effort at the construction of metatheory that emanates from life-span work. The second mode includes the endeavor to explore whether life-span research has specific implications for the general nature of developmental theory. The second approach represents the topic of this article. Specifically, the purpose of this article is twofold. First, after a brief introduction to the field of life-span developmental psychology, some "prototypical" features of the life-span approach in developmental psychology are presented. Second, these features are illustrated by work in one domain: intellectual development. Although the focus of this paper is on life-span developmental psychology and its theoretical thrust, it is important to recognize at the outset that similar perspectives on developmental theory have been advanced in other quarters of developmental scholarship as well (Hetherington & Baltes, in press; Scan; 1986). There is, however, a major difference in the "gestalt" in which the features of the theoretical perspective of life-span psychology are organized.
Measuring Social and Economic Change in Rural Russia: Surveys from 1991 to 2003. By David J. O’Brien and Valery V. Patsiorkovsky. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2006. Pp. 280. $90.00.

1781 theless, because workers’ voices emerge mainly between the lines, it is difficult to gauge the accuracy of some of her conclusions, especially when they concern the extent to which workers accepted elements of the communist program and cultural norms. (On the basis of my interviews with retired workers who had been employed in Chinese factories in the 1950s and 1960s, I think it is possible that she underestimates the level of acceptance.) Republic of Labor, the product of two decades of archival research, provides a valuable account of the conflictive process through which the Soviet system of labor relations was established. This system served as a model for ruling Leninist parties in many other countries, and scholars interested in these countries or in Russian society in subsequent decades will be intrigued to learn about the origins of social institutions with which they are familiar. Koenker’s critique is particularly poignant because she sympathizes with the effort to create a republic of labor based on workplace democracy; in the end, her message is not that the project was misguided, but rather that it suffocated because of the Bolsheviks’ aversion to pluralism.
Understanding the collinearity problem in regression and discriminant analysis

This paper presents a discussion of the collinearity problem in regression and discriminant analysis. The paper describes reasons why the collinearity is a problem for the prediction ability and classification ability of the classical methods. The discussion is based on established formulae for prediction errors. Special emphasis is put on differences and similarities between regression and classification. Some typical ways of handling the collinearity problems based on PCA will be described. The theoretical discussion will be accompanied by empirical illustrations. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Understanding employment barriers among older Korean immigrants.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This study involved an in-depth exploration of the employment barriers of older Korean immigrants in Los Angeles. DESIGN AND METHODS This qualitative study used data obtained from 6 focus groups and 5 individual interviews. Participants were 36 older Korean immigrants living in Los Angeles, aged 50 years and older, and either unemployed or employed in part-time or full-time work. A grounded theory analytical approach and constant comparison method were used. RESULTS Ten major themes emerged as employment barriers for older Korean immigrants and were categorized as stereotype, human capital, and acculturation barriers. Ageism among employers specific to Korean culture, lack of English proficiency, separation from U.S. culture, marginalization from both Korean and U.S. cultures, and lack of social networks were important themes. In addition, older Korean immigrants experienced multiple interconnected barriers. IMPLICATIONS The findings highlight the importance of using a multidimensional approach to explore employment barriers among older Korean immigrants who face multiple obstacles in finding jobs. Implications for local governments and Korean communities and potential services to support employment opportunities for older Korean immigrants are discussed.
Complex assessment model for advanced technology deployment

AbstractThe construction sector constantly offers new products, more effective technologies and novel solutions aimed at improvement of the quality of human habitats and wider distribution of technologies. Currently, effective technologies that require less time and costs for production, installation and use are gaining greater significance. Among them are construction materials and technologies with increasingly popular sustainability features. Considering the above, the article offers a complex algorithm for assessing the deployment and distribution potential of a new technology/product. For this purpose, a multi-stage model of alternatives and criteria was suggested and an analytical multi-stage evaluation model has been designed. The practical example illustrates the assessment of micro environment using a combination of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and Permutation methods. The designed multi-criteria assessment model promotes accessibility of users to a technology, new product, a part of the prod.