Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Massive Binaries in the Cygnus OB2 Association

As part of an ongoing study to determine the distribution of orbital parameters for massive binaries in the Cyg OB2 association, we present the orbital solutions for two new single-lined spectroscopic binaries, MT 059 (O8 V) and MT 258 (O8 V), and one double-lined eclipsing binary (Schulte 3). We also constrain the orbital elements of three additional double-lined systems (MT 252, MT 720, and MT 771). Periods for all systems range from 1.5 to 19 days, and eccentricities range from 0 to 0.11. The six new OB binary systems bring the total number of multiple systems within the core region of Cyg OB2 to 11. The current sample does not show evidence for a “twin-heavy” binary distribution.
Kurt Lewin and complexity theories: back to the future?

Many writers acknowledge the significance of Kurt Lewin's contribution to organizational change. However, over the last 20 years, where the focus has been on rapid, transformational change, Lewin's work has increasingly become seen as outmoded and irrelevant to the needs of modern organizations. It might be expected that this tendency would increase as academics and practitioners draw on the work of complexity theorists to portray organizations as complex, dynamic, non-linear self-organizing systems. Though there are some who do take this view, there are others who point to the similarities between Lewin's work and that of complexity theorists. In order to examine these conflicting views, the article begins by reviewing Lewin's Planned approach for change and arguing that it is a more robust approach than many of its detractors acknowledge. This is followed by a review of the literature on complexity theories which draws out the main implications of these for organizational change. The discussion of the t.
The Relationship between Native American Ancestry, Body Mass Index and Diabetes Risk among Mexican-Americans

Higher body mass index (BMI) is a well-established risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes are substantially higher among Mexican-Americans relative to non-Hispanic European Americans. Mexican-Americans are genetically diverse, with a highly variable distribution of Native American, European, and African ancestries. Here, we evaluate the role of Native American ancestry on BMI and diabetes risk in a well-defined Mexican-American population. Participants were randomly selected among individuals residing in the Houston area who are enrolled in the Mexican-American Cohort study. Using a custom Illumina GoldenGate Panel, we genotyped DNA from 4,662 cohort participants for 87 Ancestry-Informative Markers. On average, the participants were of 50.2% Native American ancestry, 42.7% European ancestry and 7.1% African ancestry. Using multivariate linear regression, we found BMI and Native American ancestry were inversely correlated; individuals with <20% Native American ancestry were 2.5 times more likely to be severely obese compared to those with >80% Native American ancestry. Furthermore, we demonstrated an interaction between BMI and Native American ancestry in diabetes risk among women; Native American ancestry was a strong risk factor for diabetes only among overweight and obese women (OR = 1.190 for each 10% increase in Native American ancestry). This study offers new insight into the complex relationship between obesity, genetic ancestry, and their respective effects on diabetes risk. Findings from this study may improve the diabetes risk prediction among Mexican-American individuals thereby facilitating targeted prevention strategies.
HIDDEN CURRICULUM IN RELATION TO LOCAL CONDITIONS IN FIJI

Hidden curriculum is a concept that refers to a range of things which includes opinions, attitudes and values that students learn, not from a formal curriculum but are unarticulated and unacknowledged and learnt from experience of being in school. These stem from the unspoken messages conveyed through the composition and organization of the institution, the relations between students and teachers, the punitive administration, the appraisal structure and the various subcultures that are present. This presentation will critically evaluate the international concept of the Hidden curriculum in relation to local conditions in Fiji. It will provide an insight of the theorists’ definition of the concept with supporting examples on which they agree that it is a very real phenomenon and is pervasive in the school system and then discuss how hidden curriculum is evident in the local context. Article visualizations:
Detection of Chromosomal Structural Alterations in Single Cells by SNP Arrays: A Systematic Survey of Amplification Bias and Optimized Workflow

Background In single-cell human genome analysis using whole-genome amplified product, a strong amplification bias involving allele dropout and preferential amplification hampers the quality of results. Using an oligonucleotide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, we systematically examined the nature of this amplification bias, including frequency, degree, and preference for genomic location, and we assessed the effects of this amplification bias on subsequent genotype and chromosomal copy number analyses. Methodology/Principal Findings We found a large variability in amplification bias among the amplified products obtained by multiple displacement amplification (MDA), and this bias had a severe effect on the genotype and chromosomal copy number analyses. We established optimal experimental conditions for pre-screening for high-quality amplified products, processing array data, and analyzing chromosomal structural alterations. Using this optimized protocol, we successfully detected previously unidentified chromosomal structural alterations in single cells from a lymphoblastoid cell line. These alterations were subsequently confirmed by karyotype analysis. In addition, we successfully obtained reproducible chromosomal copy number profiles of single cells from the cell line with a complex karyotype, indicating the applicability and potential of our optimized workflow. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that the quality of amplification products should be critically assessed before using them for genomic analyses. The method of MDA-based whole-genome amplification followed by SNP array analysis described here will be useful for exploring chromosomal alterations in single cells.
The value co-destruction process: a customer resource perspective

Purpose – This paper aims to adopt a conservation of resources (COR) theoretical approach to examine the process of value co-destruction (VCD) emanating from the misuse of customer resources by organisations. Design/methodology/approach – A critical incidents approach was adopted where 120 customers recounted their negative experiences. The analysis identified both the nature of resources and processes involved. Findings – From a customer perspective, the VCD process is triggered by a failure of the resource integration process to co-create expected value (resources). This involves customers in unexpected primary, and often secondary, resource loss. Loss “cycles” or “spirals” develop impacting negatively on well-being. Customers' attempts to restore their resources through coping strategies typically involve loss of well-being for the organisation. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited to a relatively small sample of UK customers involving diverse contexts. However, COR theory provid.
Understanding the Links Between Social Support and Physical Health: A Life-Span Perspective With Emphasis on the Separability of Perceived and Received Support

Social support has been reliably related to physical health outcomes. However, the conceptual basis of such links needs greater development. In this article, I argue for a life-span perspective on social support and health that takes into account distinct antecedent processes and mechanisms that are related to measures of support over time. Such a view highlights the need to distinguish measures of perceived and received support and its links to more specific diseases (e.g., chronic, acute) and stages of disease development (e.g., incidence). I discuss both the novel implications of these theoretical arguments for research on social support and physical health, as well as the potential intervention approaches that are apparent from this perspective.
Peripheral platelet/lymphocyte ratio predicts lymph node metastasis and acts as a superior prognostic factor for cervical cancer when combined with neutrophil

AbstractInflammation-based indicators such as neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived NLR (dNLR), and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been reported to possess significant predictive value for several types of cancer. We investigated the predictive value of these 3 biomarkers on lymph node metastasis (LNM) and clinical outcome in patients with stage Ib1–IIa cervical cancer undergoing radical surgery.A total of 407 patients with FIGO stage Ib1–IIa cervical cancer, who underwent radical surgery between January 2006 and December 2009 at the Department of Gynecological and Oncology of Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University were recruited. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between PLR, NLR, dNLR, and LNM. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the 3 indices and recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Optimal cut-off values for the 3 indices were determined by applying receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. Univariate and binary logistic regression analyses both indicate that PLR was significantly associated with increased LNM (P < 0.05). In the multivariate survival analysis, increased preoperative PLR and NLR were significantly associated with reduced RFS (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively), whereas a combination of both PLR and NLR revealed a more significant association with reduced RFS (P < 0.001). Furthermore, increased preoperative PLR and NLR were significantly associated with reduced OS (P = 0.007 and P = 0.009, respectively), whereas the combined use of PLR and NLR revealed a more significant association with reduced OS (P = 0.003). PLR is an independent risk factor for increased LNM and clinical outcome in patients with stage Ib1–IIa cervical cancer. A combination of PLR and NLR may enable better risk stratification for predicting survival.
Standards of pancreaticoduodenectomy in a tertiary referral centre in Hong Kong: retrospective case series.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the perioperative outcomes of pancreaticoduodenectomy in a tertiary referral centre in Hong Kong. DESIGN Retrospective case series. SETTING University teaching hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS One hundred and forty patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy from July 1989 through June 2001. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Mortality and morbidity. RESULTS Overall hospital mortality among 140 patients was 2.9% (n=4), and 30-day operative mortality was 2.1% (n=3). There was no significant difference in the hospital mortality rate between 43 elderly patients aged 70 years or older and 97 younger patients (2.3% versus 3.1%). The overall morbidity rate was 38.6% (n=54). Intra-abdominal abscess (13.6%) and pancreaticojejunal anastomotic leakage (12.9%) were the two most common complications. Presence of co-morbid illness (risk ratio, 2.823; 95% confidence interval, 1.541-4.385; P=0.01), preoperative cholangitis (risk ratio, 2.565; 95% confidence interval, 1.166-5.643; P=0.02), and intra-operative blood loss >/=1.5 L (risk ratio, 2.236; 95% confidence interval, 1.132-6.213; P=0.03) were independent risk factors for postoperative morbidity. CONCLUSIONS Pancreaticoduodenectomy is associated with a low risk of operative death when performed in a tertiary referral setting in Hong Kong. The postoperative morbidity rate remains high, however. Further improvement by reducing intra-operative blood loss may help curtail the high postoperative morbidity.
Inhibitory Effects of Terpenoids on Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2- and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein-Mediated Transport

The possibility of interactions between natural products/supplements and conventional prescription medicines is one of the most important issues in pharmacotherapeutic safety. Recently, we reported that some terpenoids such as (R)-(+)-citronellal and glycyrrhetic acid, which are present in herbal medicines, can act as inhibitors of P-glycoprotein (MDR1/ABCB1). In the present study, the effects of seven terpenoids on multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2/ABCC2) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2)-mediated transport were investigated in vitro. Membrane vesicles were prepared from MRP2 cDNA transfected Sf9 cells derived from pupal ovarian tissue of Spodoptera frugiperda, a fall armyworm, and BCRP cDNA transfected LLC-PK1 cells derived from porcine kidney. MRP2- or BCRP-mediated efflux transport was measured as ATP-dependent accumulation of [3H]estradiol 17-β-d-glucuronide (E217βG) into membrane vesicles collected by a rapid filtration technique. The effects of (R)-(+)-citronellal, (S)-(-)-β-citronellol, α-terpinene, terpinolene, (-)-β-pinene, abietic acid, and glycyrrhetic acid on the intravesicular accumulation of [3H]E217βG were examined. Large decreases in the [3H]E217βG accumulation into vesicles from MRP2-overexpressing Sf9 cells were observed in the presence of glycyrrhetic acid and abietic acid, and their IC50 values were about 20 and 51 μM, respectively. [3H]E217βG accumulation into vesicles from BCRP-overexpressing LLC-PK1 cells was suppressed by only glycyrrhetic acid, with an IC50 value of about 39 μM. Other terpenoids used in this study did not alter the ATP-dependent accumulation of [3H]E217βG. These findings suggest that glycyrrhetic acid and abietic acid can potently inhibit MRP2- or BCRP-mediated membrane transport and may interact with their substrates in pharmacokinetic processes.
No Rest for the Weary: The Weight of Race, Gender, and Place inside and outside a Southern Classroom

In this article, I reflect on my lived experience as an African American woman teaching in the racialized and gendered context of a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the Deep South. I use the context of a southern campus in the Deep South to provide insight into the ways place, race, and gender continue to shape experiences of people of color and in so doing highlight the fallacy that the United States is a colorblind or post-racial society. To do so, I utilize counter-storytelling—a tool advanced by critical race theory (CRT) scholars; while CRT is useful to understand the conditions that produce the unequal weight borne by faculty of color, it is insufficient to understand the social processes that create and maintain it. I argue that the dynamic nature of racism requires new theoretical approaches to understand it. For this, I advance a new theory—bodies out of place (BOP). I utilize my narrative to provide greater clarity regarding how BOP fills gaps left by CRT and other racial ideologies. My narrative illustrates how the intersections of race, gender, and place can operate to create a disproportionate burden (professionally, personally, physically, and psychologically) on faculty women of color. Ironically, I conclude that this disproportionate burden often falls on a continuum between empowering and encumbering. However, both ends of the spectrum contribute to racial battle fatigue.
Wealth Destruction on a Massive Scale? A Study of Acquiring-Firm Returns in the Recent Merger Wave

Acquiring-firm shareholders lost 12 cents at the announcement of acquisitions for every dollar spent on acquisitions for a total loss of $240 billion from 1998 through 2001, whereas they lost $7 billion in all of the 1980s, or 1.6 cents per dollar spent. Though the announcement losses to acquiring-firm shareholders in the 1980s are more than offset by gains to acquired-firm shareholders, the losses of bidders exceed the gains of targets from 1998 through 2001 by $134 billion. The 1998-2001 aggregate dollar loss of acquiring-firm shareholders is so large because of a small number of acquisition announcements by firms with extremely high valuations. Without these announcements, the wealth of acquiring-firm shareholders would have increased. The large losses are consistent with the existence of negative synergies from the acquisitions, but the size of the losses in relation to the consideration paid for the acquisitions is large enough that part of the losses most likely results from investors reassessing the standalone value of the bidders. Firms that announce acquisitions with large dollar losses perform poorly afterwards.
Intention to Use Dietary Supplements: The Role of Self-Identity and Past Behavior in the Theory of Planned Behavior

INTENTION TO USE DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: THE ROLE OF SELF-IDENTITY AND PAST BEHAVIOR IN THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR by David James Kiefer The purpose of this study was to investigate individuals’ motivations to take dietary supplements using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). In addition to the standard TPB constructs, selfidentity and past behavior were tested as additional variables to increase the theory’s predictive power, and because of conflicting past research, the interaction between self-identity and past behavior was examined. The results of this study indicated that two TPB constructs — attitudes and subjective norms — were independent predictors of individuals’ intentions to use dietary supplements. Additionally, this study found that that self-identity and past behavior independently predicted intention and captured additional variance not accounted for by the standard TPB constructs. Furthermore, this study found that self-identity was a stronger predictor of behavioral intention at lower levels of past behavior rather than at higher levels. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. INTENTION TO USE DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: THE ROLE OF SELF-IDENTITY AND PAST BEHAVIOR IN THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR
Why Britain Voted for Brexit: An Individual-Level Analysis of the 2016 Referendum Vote

This article investigates forces that shaped the decisions voters made in the 23 June 2016 referendum on the UK’s continued membership in the European Union. A multivariate model informed by previous research on voting in major ‘‘polity-shaping’ referendums is employed assess factors affecting how voters cast their ballots in the EU referendum. Employing data gathered in a national panel survey conducted before and after the referendum, analyses document that economic- and immigration-focused benefit-cost evaluations strongly influenced voters’ decisions. Risk assessments, emotional reactions to EU membership and leader image heuristics were other major proximate forces driving the choices voters made. National identities were influential as well, but operated further back in the set of forces affecting attitudes towards the EU. The June 23rd Brexit decision thus reflected a diverse mix of calculations, emotions and cues. Given the close division of the vote, it is plausible that a substantial change in any of these factors could have changed the referendum outcome.
Pengaruh Keadilan Distributif Kompensasi Dan Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional Terhadap Komitmen Afektif Karyawan Jne Banten Dengan Kepuasan Kerja Sebagai Variabel Intervening

Each of the organizations concerned towards the best performance that produced by a series of systems that apply in these organizations. Human resource management is one of the key factors to get the best performance, because in addition to addressing the issue of expertise, skills and human resource management are also obliged to establish employee behavior conducive to getting the best performance. This research was conducted in Banten JNE to test four variables i.e. Justice distributif compensation, transformational leadership style as exogenous, job satisfaction as an intervening variable and affective commitment as an endogenous variable. Technique of data analysis in this study uses the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling). The respondents in this study as many as 130 employees comprising the whole permanent employees, contract and freelance. The results showed a positive effect compensation distributif justice significantly to job satisfaction, affective commitment and leadership style of influential positive significantly to job satisfaction however does not affect the commitment of the affective. Job satisfaction does not influential significantly to affective commitment.
Acoustically-Driven Talking Face Synthesis using Dynamic Bayesian Networks

Dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) have been widely studied in multi-modal speech recognition applications. Here, we introduce DBNs into an acoustically-driven talking face synthesis system. Three prototypes of DBNs, namely independent, coupled, and product HMMs were studied. Results showed that the DBN methods were more effective in this study than a multilinear regression baseline. Coupled and product HMMs performed similarly better than independent HMMs in terms of motion trajectory accuracy. Audio and visual speech asynchronies were represented differently for coupled HMMs versus product HMMs
Competitive DNA-RNA hybridization of microsomal and nuclear RNA in normal tissues of the rat.

Purified nuclear and microsomal RNA from rat brain, spleen, kidney, and liver were compared by means of competitive DNA-RNA hybridization. In the experiments described in this report a close similarity in the sequences detected by this technique is noted in the nuclear RNA of kidney, brain, and liver, while a portion of these sequences appear to be missing from the nuclear RNA of spleen. Microsomal RNA from each of the four tissues appears to be qualitatively different.
Toxoplasma gondii transmembrane microneme proteins and their modular design

Host cell invasion by the Apicomplexa critically relies on regulated secretion of transmembrane micronemal proteins (TM‐MICs). Toxoplasma gondii possesses functionally non‐redundant MIC complexes that participate in gliding motility, host cell attachment, moving junction formation, rhoptry secretion and invasion. The TM‐MICs are released onto the parasite's surface as complexes capable of interacting with host cell receptors. Additionally, TgMIC2 simultaneously connects to the actomyosin system via binding to aldolase. During invasion these adhesive complexes are shed from the surface notably via intramembrane cleavage of the TM‐MICs by a rhomboid protease. Some TM‐MICs act as escorters and assure trafficking of the complexes to the micronemes. We have investigated the properties of TgMIC6, TgMIC8, TgMIC8.2, TgAMA1 and the new micronemal protein TgMIC16 with respect to interaction with aldolase, susceptibility to rhomboid cleavage and presence of trafficking signals. We conclude that several TM‐MICs lack targeting information within their C‐terminal domains, indicating that trafficking depends on yet unidentified proteins interacting with their ectodomains. Most TM‐MICs serve as substrates for a rhomboid protease and some of them are able to bind to aldolase. We also show that the residues responsible for binding to aldolase are essential for TgAMA1 but dispensable for TgMIC6 function during invasion.