Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of membership change on open discussion and team performance: The moderating role of team tenure

This study identified temporal conditions when membership change may enhance or diminish team functioning. Using a longitudinal repeated measures design surveying 41 R&D teams, this study examined whether team tenure moderated the relationship of membership change with open discussion and team performance. The results illustrated that increasing membership change was positively associated with both open discussion and team performance for newly formed teams, whereas this association was negative for long-serving teams. Thus, what matters is not so much whether a team's membership changes but rather whether the team's longevity supports or impedes adaptation to personnel changes.
Motivation for Reading and Middle School Students' Performance on Standardized Testing in Reading

This study examined middle school students' reading motivation and its relations to their performance on a standardized test (ISTEP+) in reading. Participants included 388 sixth- and eighth-grade students from two public middle schools. There were 229 females and 159 males. Participants responded to the Reading Motivation Questionnaire after they had completed the ISTEP+ test. Results showed that students who had high self-efficacy in their reading, read challenging material, and read for aesthetic enjoyment did better on the ISTEP+ test. Students who read mostly for social reasons did poorly on the ISTEP+ test. Grade, gender, and racial differences were found.
Min-max control of uncertain multi-inventory systems with multiplicative uncertainties

In this note, we consider production-distribution systems with buffer and capacity constraints. For such systems, we assume that the model is not known exactly. More precisely, the entries of the matrix representing the system structure may be affine functions of some uncertain time-varying parameters that take values within assigned bounds. We give stabilizability conditions that can be checked, in principle, by solving a min-max problem on the surface of the state-space (buffer level space) unit ball. Then, we consider a special case in which each uncertain parameter affects a single column of the system matrix and is independent of all the other ones. In this case, we propose a mixed integer linear programming algorithm to check the stabilizability conditions and we provide a stabilizing control in an explicit form.
Condition dependence of male and female reproductive success: insights from a simultaneous hermaphrodite

Abstract Sexually selected traits are predicted to show condition dependence by capturing the genetic quality of its bearer. In separate‐sexed organisms, this will ultimately translate into condition dependence of reproductive success of the sex that experiences sexual selection, which is typically the male. Such condition dependence of reproductive success is predicted to be higher in males than females under conditions promoting intense sexual selection. For simultaneous hermaphrodites, however, sex allocation theory predicts that individuals in poor condition channel relatively more resources into the male sex function at the expense of the female function. Thus, male reproductive success is expected to be less condition dependent than female reproductive success. We subjected individuals of the simultaneously hermaphroditic snail Physa acuta to two feeding treatments to test for condition dependence of male and female reproductive success under varying levels of male–male competition. Condition dependence was found for female, but not for male, reproductive success, meaning that selection on condition is relatively stronger through the female sex function. This effect was consistent over both male–male competition treatments. Decomposition of male and female reproductive performance revealed that individuals in poor condition copulated more in their male role, indicating an increased male allocation to mate acquisition. These findings suggest that sex‐specific condition dependence of reproductive success is at least partially driven by condition‐dependent sex allocation. We discuss the implications of condition‐dependent sex allocation for the evolution of sexually selected traits in simultaneous hermaphrodites.
An Agenda That Sets the Frames: Gender, Language, and NBC’s Americanized Olympic Telecast

This study used theories of agenda setting and framing to examine NBC’s Americanized telecast in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Five sports (gymnastics, diving, swimming, track and field, and beach volleyball) received more than 90% of the prime-time coverage, which set an agenda about which sports were most relevant for Americans to watch. The limited scope within NBC’s televised agenda, in turn, facilitated the gendered framing of Olympians through sport commentator accounts. Gendered differences were statistically present in only four sports; diving had no significant differences, whereas beach volleyball contained the most differences. Implications and directions for future research are explored.
Mother-child conversations at 36 months and at pre-kindergarten: Relations to children's school readiness

The contributions of mothers’ and children's oral language to children's school readiness were longitudinally examined among 75 low-income mothers and children. When children were 36 months, mothers’ and children's lexical diversity, mothers’ wh-questions, and children's PPVT-III scores were assessed from play interactions. At pre-kindergarten, mothers and children shared a personal narrative, and various aspects of mothers’ and children's narratives were coded. Children were assessed on their knowledge about print, letter-word identification, mathematical skills and sustained attention, and scores were combined into a single factor of school readiness. Structural equation analyses yielded two pathways to school readiness. Mothers’ wh-questions and lexical diversity predicted children's PPVT-III scores at 36 months, which in turn predicted children's school readiness. Mothers’ 36-month lexical diversity predicted mothers’ narrative prompts, which related to children's narrative contributions. Children's narrative contributions in turn predicted school readiness. Mother-child conversations support the school readiness of children from low-income backgrounds.
Effects of three-dimensional and color patterns on nest location and progeny mortality in alfalfa leafcutting bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae).

ABSTRACT In alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. , seed production where high bee densities are released, alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (F.) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), females may enter several nesting holes before locating their nests. Such levels of "wrong hole" visits lead to an increase in the time spent by females locating their own nests, thereby decreasing alfalfa pollination efficiency and possibly healthy brood production. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of different nesting board configurations in commercial alfalfa leafcutting bee shelters (separating nesting boards, applying a three-dimensional pattern to the boards, applying a color contrast pattern, or applying a combination of three-dimensional and color contrast patterns) on nest location performance, on the incidence of chalkbrood disease, and on the incidence of broodless provisions. Separating the nesting boards inside shelters improved the ability of females to locate their nests. An increase in nest location performance also occurred in boards with the three-dimensional pattern and the combined three-dimensional and color contrast pattern, compared with the uniform board (a standard configuration currently used commercially). The percentage of provisioned cells that were broodless was not statistically different between treatments, but the percentage of larvae infected with chalkbrood decreased by half in the three-dimensional board design, compared with the uniform board.
Characteristics of murine model of genital infection with Chlamydia trachomatis and effects of therapy with tetracyclines, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, or azithromycin

Following intravaginal inoculation of progesterone-treated outbred mice with Chlamydia trachomatis MoPn, 4 to 6 log10 inclusion-forming units were recovered in vaginal swabs for 21 days but all animals were culture negative after 28 days. Serum antibody titers were elevated and remained high for at least 70 days. Between 28 and 70 days, upper tract infection (inflammation and distension of the uterine horns, occlusion of oviducts with inflammatory exudate, pyosalpinx, and hydrosalpinx) was seen in > 80% of the animals. Mice were dosed orally, commencing at 7 days after infection, with minocycline, doxycycline, or amoxicillin-clavulanate. Further groups received azithromycin either as a single high dose or as lower once-daily doses. In addition, minocycline and amoxicillin-clavulanate were administered at 24 h after infection, and this early treatment prevented elevation of antibody titers whereas delayed therapy did not. Vaginal swabs from mice in all treatment regimens were culture negative except for 25% of mice receiving either early amoxicillin-clavulanate or low-dose azithromycin, which yielded low numbers (20 to 70 inclusion-forming units) of chlamydiae. Numbers of fertile mice in the early treatment regimens and their litter sizes were similar to those of noninfected controls, although 25% of amoxicillin-clavulanate-treated mice had unilateral hydrosalpinges. In comparison, 88% of untreated mice developed hydrosalpinges and only 25% conceived. Delayed dosing did not affect the outcome of amoxicillin-clavulanate therapy but did diminish the protective efficacy of minocycline such that 50% of treated mice had either unilateral hydrosalpinges or ovarian abscesses. Doxycycline and azithromycin were highly effective in restoring fertility. This model makes possible the study of both short- and long-term outcomes of chlamydial infection.
Electromyographic activity of the jaw muscles and mandibular kinematics in young adults with theoretically ideal dental occlusion: Reference values

Background A necessary step to use neuromuscular analysis as diagnostic tool is to establish normal reference values for the physiological range in a healthy population. Surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the jaw muscles and mandibular kinematics were measured in young adults with theoretically ideal dental occlusion to determine normal reference values during different tasks. Differences between the sexes were evaluated. Material and Methods Forty young adults (20 men, 20 women; mean age 22.8 ± 3.9 years) with theoretically ideal dental occlusion were selected using very restrictive criteria. sEMG activity of the anterior temporalis (AT), posterior temporalis, masseter (MA), and suprahyoid muscles were evaluated in the rest position and during swallowing, mastication, and clenching. Mandibular kinematics in the rest position and during maximum excursions were assessed. Asymmetry, activity, and torque indices and MA/AT ratios were calculated. Results For all muscles, sEMG values were 1.01-3.57 µV at rest, 3.50-10.85 µV during swallowing, and 41.04-86.59 µV during mastication. During clenching, values were 230.08-243.55 µV for the AT and MA muscles. Mean total asymmetry, activity, and torque indices at rest were 20.34 %, -15.04 %, and 19.02 %, respectively; during clenching, these values were 6.14 %, -2.62 %, and 4.46 %. MA/AT ratios were near 1. Kinematic measurements during lateral excursion, protrusive and maximum opening were 7.54, 8.44, and 37.38 mm respectively; lateral mandibular shift was 1.41 mm; free way and lateral displacement at rest were 1.40 and 0.26 mm. Right MA activity during mastication and clenching was higher in men than women. Conclusions Reference values for sEMG activity and mandibular kinematics were determined. Some muscular asymmetry and torque were observed. Key words:Electromyography, masticatory muscles, kinesiography, jaw movements, normal dental occlusion, sexual dimorphism.
Total osteocalcin in serum predicts testosterone level in male type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between total osteocalcin (total OC) and testosterone level in the serum of male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS 98 male T2DM were recruited in our cross-section study. Their anthropometric parameters were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Serum markers including glucose, insulin, HbA1c, testosterone, total OC and other bone metabolic markers were examined. Simple Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were performed. RESULTS Poor level of glucose control was found in the patients (HbA1c 9.19±2.53 and FPG 8.20±2.98). In simple Pearson correlation, total OC was positively related with testosterone (r=0.236, P=0.019), and this relation still existed after considering all the parameters of the patients (Model 1, 2 and 3). CONCLUSION In male patients with T2DM, total OC was positively correlated with testosterone, so total OC might predict the testosterone level in the serum.
Coordinate Control of Energy Saving Programmable Valves

As applications of electro-hydraulic systems become increasingly widespread, the demand for low cost, high-level control performance and significant energy saving schemes gets stronger and stronger. The recently developed energy-saving programmable valves, a unique configuration of five independently controlled poppet type cartridge valves, provide hardware possibility to meet the demand. Preliminary research work has shown that the program valves' increased flexibility and controllability lead to significant energy-saving, due to the reduced working pressures of the hydraulic actuators and the full use of free regeneration cross-port flows. However, the increased hardware flexibility also results in increased complexity in controlling the system: for each system, instead of one control input to be synthesized to meet the sole objective of control performance, five control inputs have to be simultaneously determined for all five poppet valves to achieve the dual objectives of both high precision control performance and significant energy saving. This paper proposes a two-level coordinated control scheme: the task-level configures the valve usage for maximal energy saving and the valve-level utilizes adaptive robust control (ARC) technique to guarantee the closed-loop system stability and performance under various model uncertainties and disturbances. Comparative experimental results were obtained to show the high precision control performance and significant energy saving achieved with the proposed low-cost programmable valves.
DETERMINANTS OF ISLAMIC INSURANCE ACCEPTANCE : AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

This study is aimed at investigating the factors influencing the Islamic insurance acceptance among Malaysian bank customers. It focuses on the relationships among attitude, subjective norm, amount of information (AOI) and acceptance of Islamic insurance. For the purpose, the study used existing theory to identify factors, which are of paramount importance to explain the Islamic insurance acceptance. Multiple regression analyses are employed in order to confirm the relationship of the antecedents involved. We collected 176 valid survey responses. The study found that that attitude, subjective norm, and AOI are influential predictors of Islamic insurance acceptance. The study provides an insight into the understanding of factors leading to the customers’ acceptance of Islamic insurance. Importantly, it is also of interest for future planning of Islamic insurance products. Policy implications, limitations and future research directions of the study are provided.
The Higher Education Boom in Russia: Scale, Causes, and Consequences

The past ten years in Russia have been a period of rapid growth of the system of higher education. The number of college students, which fell to the lowest point in the mid-1990s, began to rise both in the country as a whole and in just about all of the country’s regions. From the 1993–94 academic year (or the 1994–95 academic year, because in the different regions of the country the move through the low point was shifted forward one year) to the 2002–3 academic year, the number of college students in the country as a whole nearly doubled and reached 5.9 million, just about doubling the record set in the same territory during the Soviet era, which was 3.0 million students in the 1980–81 academic year. A total of 1.3 percent of the GDP of Russia is produced in the sphere of higher education [Savitskaia].
Enterprise Architecture Stakeholders - a Holistic View

The importance of identifying and managing stakeholders and their needs has been emphasized in literature from various fields, including management, Information Systems (IS), Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Software Architecture (SA). The concept of stakeholder has been extensively discussed especially in management literature, but in the domain of EA, no comprehensive and generalizable view of stakeholders has yet been introduced. In this exploratory study, a holistic and generic view of EA stakeholders is constructed by identifying the stakeholders and their EA-related concerns through an extensive literature review, supplemented and validated by a focus group interview of EA practitioners. Moreover, a classification scheme for the stakeholders is suggested. The results are applicable by a wide range of academics and practitioners alike, potentially in other related contexts as well.
A prospective study of coping and adjustment before and after a parent's death from cancer

ABSTRACT Seventeen adolescents and young adults (mean age = 16.8 years) whose parents had cancer were interviewed before and after the parent's death. They were compared to 17 matched controls whose parents had survived cancer. The fact that the two groups did not differ in degree of anxiety or depression suggests at least short-term adaptation to the loss. Adolescents showed more anxiety and depression than did young adults, regardless of group membership. The respondents* adjustment at follow-up was predicted best by their previous adjustment.
Applying Computer Technology to Substance Abuse Prevention Science: Results of a Preliminary Examination

ABSTRACT This manuscript reports on the development and evaluation of a computer-based substance abuse prevention program for middle school-aged adolescents, called HeadOn: Substance Abuse Prevention for Grades 6–8™. This self-guided program was designed to deliver effective drug abuse prevention science to youth via computer-based educational technologies that effectively promote learning of key skills and information. Results of a controlled, school-based evaluation demonstrated that the HeadOn substance abuse prevention program promoted significantly higher levels of accuracy in objective knowledge about drug abuse prevention relative to the demonstrably effective Life Skills Training Program. Participants in the HeadOn and Life Skills groups also generally achieved comparable, positive outcomes after completing their substance abuse prevention intervention in actual self-reported rates of substance use, intentions to use substances, attitudes toward substances, beliefs about prevalence of substance use among both their peers and adults, and likelihood of refusing a drug offer. The HeadOn program may be of substantial benefit in providing drug abuse prevention to middle school-aged youth in a manner that ensures the fidelity of the intervention. It may also provide comprehensive substance abuse prevention science that is more cost-effective than the labor-intensive prevention interventions that have been demonstrated to be efficacious, and thereby expand the reach of effective drug abuse prevention science.
Assay Reproducibility in Clinical Studies of Plasma miRNA

There are increasing reports of plasma miRNAs as biomarkers of human disease but few standards in methodologic reporting, leading to inconsistent data. We systematically reviewed plasma miRNA studies published between July 2013-June 2014 to assess methodology. Six parameters were investigated: time to plasma extraction, methods of RNA extraction, type of miRNA, quantification, cycle threshold (Ct) setting, and methods of statistical analysis. We compared these data with a proposed standard methodologic technique. Beginning with initial screening for 380 miRNAs using microfluidic array technology and validation in an additional cohort of patients, we compared 11 miRNAs that exhibited differential expression between 16 patients with benign colorectal neoplasms (advanced adenomas) and 16 patients without any neoplasm (controls). Plasma was isolated immediately, 12, 24, 48, or 72 h following phlebotomy. miRNA was extracted using two different techniques (Trizol LS with pre-amplification or modified miRNeasy). We performed Taqman-based RT-PCR assays for the 11 miRNAs with subsequent analyses using a variable Ct setting or a fixed Ct set at 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, or 0.5. Assays were performed in duplicate by two different operators. RNU6 was the internal reference. Systematic review yielded 74 manuscripts meeting inclusion criteria. One manuscript (1.4%) documented all 6 methodological parameters, while < 5% of studies listed Ct setting. In our proposed standard technique, plasma extraction ≤12 h provided consistent ΔCt. miRNeasy extraction yielded higher miRNA concentrations and fewer non-expressed miRNAs compared to Trizol LS (1/704 miRNAs [0.14%] vs 109/704 miRNAs [15%], not expressed, respectively). A fixed Ct bar setting of 0.03 yielded the most reproducible data, provided that <10% miRNA were non-expressed. There was no significant intra-operator variability. There was significant inter-operator variation using Trizol LS extraction, while this was negligible using modified miRNeasy. For standardized reporting, we recommend plasma extraction ≤ 12 h, using modified miRNeasy extraction and utilizing a 0.03 Ct.
An assessment of mathematics self-efficacy of secondary school students in Osun State, Nigeria

The study examined an assessment of mathematics self-efficacy of secondary school students in Osun State. It drawn on 500 students comprising 250 males and 250 females randomly selected from 5 secondary schools in Osogbo. Their ages range between 11-17 years with a mean age of 14 years and a standard deviation of 4. A self –efficacy instrument developed by (Morgan & Jinks 1995) was adapted with mathematics achievement test with r= 0.72 developed by the researcher were used for data collection. Three hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using student–t test, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical tools. The results indicated that significant difference exists in the mathematics self-efficacy of the subjects based on gender and age groups, and that of mathematics achievement. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Secondary School teachers should always make mathematics class more interesting as this will go a long way to improve the student’s self efficacy and achievements in the subjects.