Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crowded field 3D spectroscopy of LBV candidates in M 33

We present integral field spectroscopy of the LBV candidate stars B 416 and v 532 in the local group galaxy M 33. B 416 is surrounded by an elongated ring-like nebula, which has a projected radius of $20 \times 30$ pc. From the datacube we create ionization and radial velocity maps of the nebula. The excitation of the gas decreases towards the outer part of the ring, while the inner part of the nebula is filled with a more excited gas. In the EW direction the ring is seen to expand with a maximum projected velocity amplitude of about 40 km s -1 . The eastern part approaches the observer. We estimate the nebula dynamical lifetime ∼ $8 \times 10^5$ years. It could be a residual MS bubble, which indicates a main-sequence or pre-LBV status of the star. We classify B 416 as an “iron star” or B[e]-supergiant. In v 532 an elongated nebula has been marginally detected. The total projected size of the nebula along the main axis is 30 pc, and the total radial velocity gradient is $44 \pm 11$ km s -1 . v 532 exhibits both strong photometric and spectral variability. At the time of our observations it was in an intermediate brightness state with a rich nitrogen spectrum. We classify v 532 as an LBV, showing LBV $\leftrightarrow$ Ofpe/WN transitions. We stress the importance of integral field spectroscopy as the optimal technique for studying nebulae and the evolution of LBV-like stars in nearby galaxies.
Mobilizing Government: Inter-Organizational Collaboration Using Open Social Media Platforms

The nature of inter-organizational collaboration between government and other stakeholders is rapidly changing with the introduction of open social media (OSM) platforms. Characterized by a high degree of informality as well as a blurred personal/professional nature, OSM can potentially introduce changes and tensions in the well-established routines of the public sector. This paper aims at shedding light on such changes, presenting findings from a study on the use of an OSM platform, WeChat, in an inter-organizational collaboration project between government, university, and industry stakeholders in China. Drawing on the framework of the theory of temporary organizations, we analyze data from interviews and participant observations to single out the characteristics of inter-organizational collaboration afforded by OSM. The findings outline the features of collaboration practices afforded by OSM in the four dimensions of time, task, team, and transition. Specifically, we report on new collaboration procedures that are characterized by an ad-hoc and non-linear management of time; a sense of shared commitment to the accomplishment of tasks; a serendipitous recruitment of team members based on expertise rather than on organizational affiliation; and a transition from formal to informal as well as from professional to private collaboration.
The Perceived Effectiveness of Mentoring by Company Grade Officers in the United States Air Force

Abstract : Businesses and organizations are continuously trying to make people more productive by using mentoring. The benefits of mentoring include higher levels of career satisfaction, incomes, promotions, self-efficacy and productivity. Past research has supported two general approaches referred to as informal and formal mentoring. Informal mentoring relationships are spontaneous and occur between two people without the involvement of the organization. Formal relationships are managed and sanctioned by the organization. The United States Air Force has a formal mentoring program. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the perceptions of mentoring effectiveness by company grade officers in the United States Air Force. Specifically, this thesis sought to determine the perceived effectiveness of mentoring by participants in a formal mentoring relationships compared to participants in informal mentoring relationships using secondary data collected by the Defense Manpower Data Center. The results indicated that formal mentoring was perceived as more effective than informal mentoring in overall mentoring and career development functions. The results for psychosocial mentoring were insignificant. Results suggested that the current formal mentoring program is effective in terms of CGOs perceptions of general and career related mentoring.
Length-dependent conductance and thermopower in single-molecule junctions of dithiolated oligophenylene derivatives: A density functional study

We study theoretically the length dependence of both conductance and thermopower in metal-moleculemetal junctions made up of dithiolated oligophenylenes contacted to gold electrodes. We find that while the conductance decays exponentially with increasing molecular length, the thermopower increases linearly as suggested by recent experiments. We also analyze how these transport properties can be tuned with methyl side groups. Our results can be explained by considering the level shifts due to their electron-donating character as well as the tilt-angle dependence of conductance and thermopower. Qualitative features of the substituent effects in our density functional calculations are explained using a tight-binding model. In addition, we observe symmetry-related even-odd transmission channel degeneracies as a function of molecular length.
Which Behaviors Do Attitudes Predict? Meta-Analyzing the Effects of Social Pressure and Perceived Difficulty

A meta-analysis of 797 studies and 1,001 effect sizes tested a theoretical hypothesis that situational constraints, such as perceived social pressure and perceived difficulty, weaken the relationship between attitudes and behavior. This hypothesis was confirmed for attitudes toward performing behaviors and for attitudes toward issues and social groups. Meta-analytic estimates of attitude-behavior correlations served to quantify these moderating effects. The present results indicated that the mean attitude-behavior correlation was . 41 when people experienced a mean level of social pressure to perform a behavior of mean difficulty. The mean correlation was . 30 when people experienced social pressure 1 standard deviation above the mean to perform a behavior that was 1 standard deviation more difficult than the mean. The results suggest a need for increased attention to the “behavior” side of the attitude-behavior equation. Attitudes predict some behaviors better than others.
I rate you. You rate me. Should we do so publicly?

We find that ratings are not absolute, but rather depend on whether they are given anonymously or under one's own name and whether they are displayed publicly or held confidentially. The potential to reciprocate produces higher and more correlated ratings than when individuals are unable to see how others rated them. Ratings further depend on the gender and nationalities of the raters and ratees. All of these findings indicate that ratings should not be taken at face value without considering social nuances.
Child Welfare Social Work and the Promotion of Client Self-Determination

Self-determination, the concept that individuals are qualified to make their own decisions about their lives, is a central concept in the social work profession. It is described in the NASW Code of Ethics as one of a social worker’s primary ethical responsibilities, and it provides a framework for practitioners working with the many populations that social workers serve. Despite the NASW’s professional mandate, self-determination has been the subject of decades of discipline-wide debate. Proponents argue that self-determination is empowering and acknowledges that clients are the best resource on their own needs. Critics argue that one can never fully be self-determined and that social workers face an impossible dilemma: they must promote client selfdetermination while upholding societal and agency conventions, oftentimes, in contradiction with each other. Informed by the historical development of self-determination described in the professional social work literature, eleven, seasoned MSW level child welfare social workers were interviewed in a qualitative study. Participants were asked about how they conceptualized self-determination within their practice, and how they handle working with mandated clients whose rights and decision-making can be limited by the state or agency. In the interviews, workers described self-determination in terms consistent with the literature, and also revealed themes about conflicts that they experience within their job function. Participants also described similar factors that hinder their ability to promote self-determination in practice. The study revealed several newly emerging themes regarding factors that promote a worker’s ability to promote client self-determination in practice. These findings provide insight into how professional social workers engage and interpret the professional mandate of promoting self-determination in the field, and provide direction to help educate and prepare social workers to address key ethical dilemmas, and foster important relationships with clients facing agency mandates and societal oppression. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Social Work (DSW) First Advisor Lani Nelson-Zlupko, PhD, LCSW Second Advisor Richard J. Gelles, PhD Third Advisor Lina Hartocollis, PhD
DELTA SCUTI AND RELATED STARS.

An extensive review is given of the current status of our knowledge of the stars in the lower instability strip. Current problems are emphasized. Particular attention is given to the following areas: the confusion concerning naming and the implied astrophysical properties (often erroneous), single and multiple periods, the effect of rotation and metallicism on pulsation, the nature of the so-called dwarf cepheids, and pulsation in Ap stars. Various reports of unusal and strange effects are also discussed with personal, possibly biased judgment on their reality.
USING VARIETIES OR CUTTING SCHEUDULES TO ACHIEVE QUALITY HAY — WHAT ARE THE TRADEOFFS ?

The use of ‘high quality’ varieties has been proposed as a method to achieve high forage quality. However, there is strong evidence that high quality often comes at the expense of yield. Studies conducted at UC Davis indicate the powerful influence of Fall Dormancy (FD) on both yield potential and forage quality. More dormant varieties (FD 2-4) produce lower fiber (approximately 2 points ADF) and higher protein forage (approximately 2 points CP on the average) than nondormant lines (FD 8-10). However, yields were almost always lower with the more dormant varieties. The average yield penalty for each unit of FD ranged from about 0.3 tons/acre to 0.6 tons/acre per year in these studies—total annual yield differences of up to 3.5 tons/A between some varieties. Cutting intervals varying from approximately 24 days to 33 days between cuts had a stronger influence on quality than did variety. Early cutting schedules resulted in 85% production in the ‘Premium’ and ‘Supreme’ categories, whereas Medium and Late cutting schedules resulted in 53% and 45% of the production in those categories, respectively in 2002 (average of 18 varieties). Growers need to determine the amount of yield loss that can be sacrificed for higher quality under different market conditions, since under some market conditions the yield sacrifice is justified while in other market conditions it is not. While selecting varieties with lower FD has the potential to improve quality, the tradeoff between yield and quality are fundamental issues when choosing a variety for improved forage quality.
Improving TCP performance over mobile wireless environments using cross layer feedback

The transmission control protocol (TCP) is known to suffer from performance degradation in mobile wireless environments. This is because such environments are prone to packet losses due to high bit error rates and mobility induced disconnections. TCP interprets packet losses as an indication of congestion and inappropriately invokes congestion control mechanisms, which leads to degraded performance. We show how cross-layer feedback, i.e. information from layers above and below, may be used to improve TCP performance over wireless networks. To illustrate the power of cross layer feedback, we present two novel mechanisms. We incorporate user feedback into the protocol stack by which the TCP throughput of a desired set of applications running on the mobile host can be dynamically controlled. We propose an approach to use the lower layer connection and disconnection information, for improving TCP performance. Both these mechanisms entail minimal modification to the mobile host and no modifications to the sender or other network entities. We have implemented both these mechanisms in ns-2 and the simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of cross layer feedback.
Contraction stimulates muscle glucose uptake independent of atypical PKC

Exercise increases skeletal muscle glucose uptake, but the underlying mechanisms are only partially understood. The atypical protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms λ and ζ (PKC‐λ/ζ) have been shown to be necessary for insulin‐, AICAR‐, and metformin‐stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, but not for treadmill exercise‐stimulated muscle glucose uptake. To investigate if PKC‐λ/ζ activity is required for contraction‐stimulated muscle glucose uptake, we used mice with tibialis anterior muscle‐specific overexpression of an empty vector (WT), wild‐type PKC‐ζ (PKC‐ζWT), or an enzymatically inactive T410A‐PKC‐ζ mutant (PKC‐ζT410A). We also studied skeletal muscle‐specific PKC‐λ knockout (MλKO) mice. Basal glucose uptake was similar between WT, PKC‐ζWT, and PKC‐ζT410A tibialis anterior muscles. In contrast, in situ contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake was increased in PKC‐ζT410A tibialis anterior muscles compared to WT or PKC‐ζWT tibialis anterior muscles. Furthermore, in vitro contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake was greater in soleus muscles of MλKO mice than WT controls. Thus, loss of PKC‐λ/ζ activity increases contraction‐stimulated muscle glucose uptake. These data clearly demonstrate that PKC‐λ/ζ activity is not necessary for contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake.
Program standards for disability services in higher education.

The promulgation of Program Standards for disability services in higher education provides a research-based direction for postsecondary institutions, consumers and governmental agencies with respect to the services necessary to provide equal access for college students with disabilities. Twenty-seven Program Standards across nine categories are presented. Myths challenged by these Standards and the implications of the Standards for the future of disability services in postsecondary education are discussed. Following the process described by Dukes (this issue), Program Standards for disability services in higher education were overwhelmingly approved by the membership of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) in June 1999. Although postsecondary services to students with disabilities has been growing rapidly in recent years, little research has addressed the planning and organization of these services (Bursuck, Rose, Cowen & Yahaya, 1989; Sergent, Carter, Sedlacek & Scales, 1988; Shaw, McGuire & Brinckerhoff, 1994). Service providers in both the United States and Canada have, therefore, been left to develop programming for their students based on little or no empirical evidence (Gajar, 1992). Many studies have called for a more systematic approach to service provision for students with disabilities (Hill, 1996; Sergent et al., 1988). Though the growth in services for these students likely indicates a sincere desire to meet the needs of this cohort, services must be “grounded in theory or supported by evaluation data” (McGuire, Norlander, & Shaw, 1990, p. 71) in order to be most effective. The purpose of this article is to discuss myths about disability services which have been challenged by the development of these Standards, present the Program Standards, and discuss implications of their use for postsecondary disability services.
Comparison of auditory brainstem response results in normal-hearing patients with and without tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate electrophysiologically the auditory nerve and the auditory brainstem function of patients with tinnitus and normal-hearing thresholds using the auditory brainstem response (ABR). DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Ambulatory section of the Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital de Base de Brasília. PATIENTS Thirty-seven individuals with tinnitus and 38 without tinnitus, with ages ranging from 20 to 45 years and pure-tone thresholds of 25 dB or better at frequencies between 500 and 8000 Hz. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We compared the latencies of waves I, III, and V; the interpeak intervals I-III, III-V, and I-V; the interaural latency difference (wave V); and the V/I amplitude ratio between the 2 groups. RESULTS Among the 37 patients in the study group, abnormal results were found in 16 (43%) in at least 1 of the 8 parameters evaluated. When we analyzed the latencies, although the values were on average in the normal range used in the present study, the tinnitus group presented a significant prolongation of the latencies of waves I, III, and V when compared with the control group. Furthermore, we found the interpeak I-III, III-V, and I-V values to be within the normal limits, but the interpeak III-V value was significantly (P = .003) enlarged in the study group compared with the control group. The V/I amplitude ratio found in the tinnitus group was within normal limits; however, a significant (P = .004) difference was found when the 2 groups were compared. The averages of the interaural latency difference (wave V) did not show significant differences in relation to the control group. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that, although the averages obtained in several analyzed parameters were within normal limits, the ABR results from the patients with and without tinnitus and normal hearing are different, suggesting that ABR might contribute to the workup of these patients. Our data show that there are changes in the central pathways in the study group. The meaning of these changes must be further investigated.
Morphologies of Galaxies in and around a Protocluster at z = 2.300

We present results from the first robust investigation of galaxy morphology as a function of environment at z > 1.5. Our study is motivated by the fact that star-forming galaxies contained within a protocluster at z = 2.3 in the HS 1700+64 field have significantly older ages and larger stellar masses on average than those at similar redshifts but more typical environmental densities. In the analysis of HST ACS images, we apply nonparametric statistics to characterize the rest-frame UV morphologies of a sample of 85 UV-selected star-forming galaxies at z = 1.7-2.9, 22 of which are contained in the protocluster. The remaining 63 control sample galaxies are not in the protocluster but have a similar mean redshift of ~ 2.3. We find no environmental dependence for the distributions of morphological properties. Combining the measured morphologies with the results of population synthesis modeling, we find only weak correlations, if any, between morphological and stellar population properties such as stellar mass, age, extinction, and star formation rate. Given the incomplete census of the protocluster galaxy population, and the lack of correlation between rest-frame UV morphology and star formation history at z ~ 2 within our sample, the absence of environmental trends in the distribution of morphological properties is not surprising. In addition, using a larger sample of photometric candidates, we compare morphological distributions for 282 UV-selected and 43 near-IR-selected galaxies. While the difference in the degree of nebulosity between the two samples appears to be a by-product of the fainter average rest-frame UV surface brightness of the near-IR-selected galaxies, we find that, among the lowest surface brightness galaxies, the near-IR-selected objects have significantly smaller angular sizes.
Intensification of precipitation extremes with warming in a cloud resolving model

AbstractA cloud-resolving model is used to investigate the effect of warming on high percentiles of precipitation (precipitation extremes) in the idealized setting of radiative-convective equilibrium. While this idealized setting does not allow for several factors that influence precipitation in the tropics, it does allow for an evaluation of the response of precipitation extremes to warming in simulations with resolved rather than parameterized convection. The methodology developed should also be applicable to less idealized simulations.Modeled precipitation extremes are found to increase in magnitude in response to an increase in sea surface temperature. A dry static energy budget is used to relate the changes in precipitation extremes to changes in atmospheric temperature, vertical velocity, and precipitation efficiency. To first order, the changes in precipitation extremes are captured by changes in the mean temperature structure of the atmosphere. Changes in vertical velocities play a secondary role .
Who fires ministers? A principal-agent approach to ministerial deselection

Despite extensive research on government and ministerial duration, there are still relatively few comparative studies of ministerial survival and accountability. This thesis uses the analytical tools provided by the agency theory to study the variation in the length of ministerial tenure and makes an original contribution to the study of this topic from two points of view. First, whereas earlier literature studied cabinet members solely as prime ministerial agents, this thesis explicitly adopts a three-principal-agent model to analyse the accountability of cabinet ministers to their own parties, directly-elected presidents, and prime ministers. For this reason, the variation in the length of ministerial tenure is analysed in countries with semi-presidential constitutions, which maximise the intra- and inter-case variation in principal-agent relationships. Adopting an interactionist view on the factors that explain the variation in the ability of presidents, prime ministers, and parties to control cabinet members in semi-presidential systems, we expect that the ministers’ survival in office depends on the interaction between institutional scenarios and party relationships between the minister, the president and the prime minister. The second contribution of this thesis is empirical. A unique data set on the tenures of French, Portuguese and Romanian ministers during two legislative terms has been collected in order to test these theoretical expectations. In addition to fixed characteristics at the moment of appointment, the data set records resignation calls and conflicts between ministers and their principals. This data allow one to measure the variation in the political influence of presidents, prime ministers and political parties that is not easily observable. The results indicate that principals who act as de facto party leaders are more likely to control the process of ministerial deselection under certain institutional scenarios. Such a study is important because it addresses the link between institutional design and political accountability and emphasises the extra- constitutional factors accounting for the variation in political practices across and within similar institutional frameworks over time.