Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spiritual well-being, meaning and work performance: Narratives of healthcare sales representatives in Malaysia

This research focuses on spiritual well-being in the workplace and its relation to work performance. Extant empirical studies have mostly focused on demonstrating statistical links between these two concepts to the exclusion of qualitative studies that can better explain what spiritual well-being may be and how the experience is possibly related to work performance. Especially under-researched is the ground-level employees’ perspectives and the possible incompatibility of spiritual and organisational goals. This research thus examined the experiences of spiritual well-being among successful healthcare sales representatives in Malaysia, particularly on how their spiritual inclinations or their inclination for meaningfulness interfaced with the need to meet work targets. This qualitative research is exploratory and is framed within a constructionist epistemological stance. It used narrative inquiry as its methodology. Its primary data were stories successful healthcare sales representatives in Malaysia told about their work. These were collected and analysed using narrative interviews and narrative analysis respectively. What the research found was that the relation between spiritual well-being and work performance was depicted to be diverse, fragile and transitory. This was predicated on the ground-level employees’ experience of the interface between their spiritual inclinations and the need to meet work targets, which was diverse and changeable. What the research also found was that spiritual well-being resembled an experience that was constructed as employees engaged with their work. Spiritual well-being is thus neither merely found at work nor merely brought to work but constructed in the interplay between the employees’ spiritual inclinations and what they do at work. The research contributes to theoretical development in the area by advancing an expanded understanding of spirituality in the workplace. It demonstrates that spiritual well-being is contingent upon the work employees do, and the extent to which the work may be amenable for the construction of the experience. Thus, the relation between spiritual well-being and work performance ought to be understood from the way individual employees construct and individualise their experience of work. The research also foregrounds the importance of using models of organisation that accommodate the constructed, interactive and evolving nature of spiritual well-being in the workplace.
Teachers for "Smart Classrooms": The Extent of Implementation of an Interactive Whiteboard- based Professional Development Program on Elementary Teachers' Instructional Practices

This study investigates the implementation of an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) professional development program on instructional practices of elementary teachers. The research assesses to what extent teachers implement IWB-related strategies (e.g., technology-pedagogy correspondence, interactivity types, teaching-learning mode, differentiated learning, student-centered learning, multimedia principles, and appropriate design of IWB slides) in their instructional practices after completion of a 30-hour IWB professional development program. A case study design was used. The data was collected immediately after the course using the instrument for assessing IWB lessons through non-participant observations of 43 elementary teachers coming from different subject-matters and schools. The results are discussed in terms of constructivist and cognitive approaches to teaching and learning. Consistent with the constructivist pedagogy, teachers encouraged IBW-student interactions; however, they did not stimulate enough student-student communication. They adapted non-linear learning techniques across the Internet; however, they continued the linear use of prepared IWB files. The lessons' time was divided between the whole class teaching (50%) and more differentiated individual or small group activities. The teachers functioned more as "guide on the side", scaffolding student learning, rather than transferring knowledge. Regarding the cognitive approach, the participants' abilities to apply the multimedia principles and the level of their digital design skills were very high. IWB programs should promote interactivity among students, emphasize saving IBW files for further review, and using nonlinear learning through IBW files.
Job resources, engagement, and proactivity: a moderated mediation model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating impact of work engagement on the relationship between three developmental job resources (i.e. autonomy, task variety, and feedback) and proactive work behaviors. It also attempted to explore the moderating role of job fit (demands-abilities (D-A) fit and needs-supplies (N-S) fit) in the proposed model. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 225 employees in 20 small and medium-size enterprises in Istanbul, Turkey. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple regressions and hierarchical moderated regressions. Findings It was found that engagement mediated the relationships between job autonomy, task variety, and proactive behaviors. Results also revealed that the relationships between autonomy, task variety, and engagement were positive and significant only for the employees with low D-A fit while the positive impact of engagement on proactive behaviors existed only for those employees with high N-S fit. The conditional indirect impact of job resources on proactive behaviors was strongest when the D-A fit was low and the N-S fit was high while this effect was non-significant when the D-A fit was high and the N-S fit was (either) low or high. Research limitations/implications The generalizability of the findings is limited. Moreover, as the data are cross-sectional, it is not possible to derive causal inferences about the hypothesized relationships. Practical implications Organizations should provide their employees with more autonomy and task variety to enhance their engagement and proactivity. Moreover, organizations need to consider their employees’ level of job fit when they provide certain job resources. Originality/value This study tests the mediating role of engagement on the relationships between three developmental job resources and proactive behaviors. It also sheds light on the moderating role of job fit in the proposed mediation model.
Women as Care Managers: The Effect of Gender and Partnership Status on Grandparent Care for Grandchildren

Grandparental care of grandchildren is a highly gendered institution, with women being more likely to participate in it than men. This article studies whether and why care by grandmothers and grandfathers is influenced by their family arrangement. Following previous research, the authors focus on the mediating role of grandmothers in the involvement of men in caring for their grandchildren. We use a combination of quantitative and qualitative data about grandparents with small grandchildren (under ten years of age). The quantitative analysis is based on SHARE data and identifies whether the involvement in care depends on gender and the partnership arrangements of grandparents, controlling for a number of other characteristics of families. The analysis reveals a strong positive impact of the presence of a partner on the engagement of men (but not women) in grandparental care. This effect is present among both intact families and families with more complex arrangements. The qualitative analysis of 20 interviews with mothers and 20 interviews with grandmothers provides a deeper understanding of these results. It shows that the involvement of grandparents is shaped by the gender-specific notions of care competence and grandparental roles held by the participants and also by the kin-keeping activities of women. Grandmothers, compared to their male counterparts, are perceived as more capable of satisfying the needs of a small child. They also do more work on maintaining intergenerational family relationships and arranging care. They actively (sometimes in very sophisticated ways) involve their partners in the care of grandchildren.
The Effect of Baryon Cooling on the Statistics of Giant Arcs and Multiple Quasars

The statistics of giant arcs and large-separation lensed quasars provide powerful constraints for the parameters of the underlying cosmological model. So far, most investigations have been carried out using pure dark matter simulations. Here we present a recipe for including the effects of baryon cooling (i.e., large galaxy formation) in dark matter N-body simulations that is consistent with observations of massive galaxies. Then we quantitatively compare lensing with and without applying this baryon correction to the pure dark matter case. Including the baryon correction significantly increases the frequency of giant arcs and lensed quasars, particularly on scales of 10'' and smaller: the overall frequency of multiple images with splittings larger than 3'' increases by about 25% for source redshifts between zs = 1.5 and 7.5. The baryon rearrangement also slightly increases the fraction of quadruple images over doubles.
Long-term controlled release of 125I-tagged BMP-2 by mesoporous bioactive glass with ordered nanopores

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of mesoporous bioactive glass with ordered nanopores (80S MBG) to adsorb and provide the delayed release of 125I-tagged bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). A 50 mg piece of 80S MBG was produced, which comprised SiO2, CaO and P2O5 in a component molar ratio of 80:15:5. Each MBG piece adsorbed 30 μg 125I-BMP-2. Persistent radioactivity in the MBG was periodically measured in simulated body fluid. The total amount of BMP-2 released and the mean amount released per day were calculated. A delayed release curve of BMP-2 was constructed. SPSS 15.0 software was used to perform a statistical analysis. The amount of BMP-2 released in the first two days was one-quarter of the total load. A line equation, y = 490.55×1/2 + 7268.82, was obtained from the square root of protein release doses value at 3–94 days. The total amount of BMP-2 released over 94 days was 11.894 μg, which was ~39.6% of the total load. The half-life of the release time was 248 days. From the second week, the rate of BMP release had stabilized to a mean of 37.42±18.67 ng/day and the difference of the mean amount released per day had no statistical significance (P>0.05). High adsorption and delayed release effects of BMP-2 were observed in 80S MBG. The delayed release conforms to the Higuchi equation, which indicates possible applications in promoting bone healing.
Understanding users with reading disabilities or reduced vision : towards a universal design of an auditory , location-aware museum guide L Pareto and U

We present ongoing work on the design of an information system for users with reading disabilities and users with reduced vision. The design target is a portable, auditory, locationaware information system, to complement visually displayed information in exhibitions. Applying a user-centred, we identify non-typical user-groups’ specific requirements, which are turned into a design. The first design-iteration, which includes a formative evaluation, using a mock-up prototype, with dyslectic and visually impaired participants, is completed. The evaluation indicates that the user-group’s specific aspects we have identified are relevant, while designing for these groups.
Governance of open innovation networks with national vs international scope

Purpose The realisation of joint innovation outcomes in open innovation networks is closely related to an efficient utilisation of governance mechanisms, which coordinate joint processes (e.g. knowledge sharing) and eliminate undesired behaviours (e.g. opportunism). Hence, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the complex effects of multiple governance approaches on outcomes of open innovation networks with a national and an international scope. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on a large-scale survey-based study of 100 mechanical engineering firms involved in open innovation networks. Hypotheses are tested by means of PLS structural equation modelling. Findings The evidence shows that the three governance mechanisms: transactional governance, relational governance and institutionalised governance significantly foster innovation outcomes of open innovation networks. In national open innovation networks, only relational governance exerts positive effects, internationally transactional and institutionalised governance is necessary. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to research in multiple ways. First, it shows that governance of open innovation networks is crucial for their innovation performance, thereby providing some explanations for the performance differences between certain networks. Second, the results indicate that the effects of governance mechanisms depend on the scope of the network. By showing that the effect of governance mechanisms varies under different contextual conditions the study also contributes to the ongoing debate on combined effects of governance mechanisms. Originality/value The paper fills important gaps in the existing research on the link between governance and performance in open innovation networks and delineates interesting areas for further research.
Prediction-based Approaches to Construct the Energy Map for Wireless Sensor Networks

The key challenge in the design of wireless sensor networks is maximizing their lifetime. The information about the amount of available energy in each part of the network is called the energy map and can be useful to increase the lifetime of the network. In this paper, we address the problem of constructing the energy map of a wireless sensor network using prediction-based approaches. We also present an energy dissipation model that is used to simulate the behavior of a sensor node in terms of energy consumption. Simulation results compare the performance of the prediction-based approaches with a naive one in which no prediction is used. The results show that the prediction-based approaches outperform the naive in a variety of parameters. Resumo. O maior desafio enfrentado no projeto de redes de sensores sem fio e maximizar o seu tempo de vida. A informacao sobre a quantidade de energia disponivel em cada parte da rede e chamada de mapa de energia e este mapa pode ser util para maximizar o tempo de vida da rede. Neste artigo, e avaliado o problema da construcao do mapa de energia para redes de sensores sem fio utilizando abordagens baseadas em predicao. Um modelo de dissipacao de energia tambem e apresentado e utilizado para simular o comportamento de um nodo sensor em termos do consumo de energia. Resultados de simulacao comparam o desempenho das abordagens baseadas em predicao com uma abordagem simples na qual nenhuma predicao e utilizada. Os resultados mostram que para uma variedade de parâmetros, as abordagens baseadas em predicao sao mais eficazes que as abordagens simples.
Diversification , Income Inequality and Social Capital in Northern Ethiopia

This paper explores the level of diversification and income inequality at a micro level using data from 385 rural households in Northern Ethiopia. We found out that diversification intensifies income inequality. Income sources outside crop production have an inequality increasing effect. A rise in income from non-farm income and livestock increases income inequality. However, some non-farm income sources such as food for work program run by the government and involve the poor heavily have an inequality reducing effect. We also found out that social capital is an important factor determining non-farm income but not so for crop income. Furthermore, we found supporting evidence that social capital is more important to women headed than men headed households.
Land Subsidence in the Venetian area : known and recent aspects

The paper reviews three major factors responsible for the relative land settlement occurred in the Venice lagoon area over the XX century. The anthropogenic geomechanical subsidence, induced by groundwater over-exploitation, the geological subsidence, and the eustatic sea level rise have lowered Venice of about 23 cm with respect to the m.s.l. Other causes deeply studied over the last years are: a) land sinking due to the expected gas production from the Chioggia-Mare reservoir, but the development project is to date shelved despite the reassuring results obtained by a modeling analysis, and b) geochemical subsidence due to peat oxidation and salinisation of clayey sediments taking place in the southern catchment of the Venice lagoon. Finally, an integrated subsidence monitoring system, based on leveling, GPS, and InSAR techniques, has been elaborated and used to provide a comprehensive image of the land displacements in the Venice region over the past decade. Key terms: Geological subsidence, Geomechanical subsidence, Geochemical subsidence, Eustacy, Saltwater intrusion, InSAR
Detection of Left Ventricular Regional Function in Asymptomatic Children with beta-Thalassemia Major by Longitudinal Strain and Strain Rate Imaging

Objective: Cardiac failure due to iron overload remains the most common cause of death in patients with beta-thalassemia major. This study aimed to evaluate myocardial function in children with beta-thalassemia major using standard echocardiography technique and strain rate imaging. Materials and Methods: Conventional echocardiographic analysis, tissue velocity imaging, and strain/strain rate imaging of the left ventricle were evaluated in 48 children with beta-thalassemia major (19 girls, 29 boys; 8.39±4.05 years) and 22 healthy children (11 girls, 11 boys; 8±3.72 years). Results: Conventional echocardiographic examinations revealed that beta-thalassemia patients had larger left ventricular end-systolic diameter, end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, left ventricular mass index, and mitral early/late diastolic flow velocity ratio (p<0.05). Strain and strain rate imaging study of the basal lateral wall of the left ventricle was higher in patients than in controls, at p=0.035 and p=0.008, respectively. Conclusion: We found that superior systolic strain and strain rate imaging of the left ventricle indicated the presence of regional systolic function in the left ventricular wall. We suggest that left ventricle volume and mass index parameters might be more sensitive than the other conventional and strain/strain rate imaging parameters during childhood. However, the adulthood strain and strain rate imaging values may be lower than controls, exceeding the critical level of iron overload. Conflict of interest:None declared.
Here, there and everywhere: a study of consumer centrism

Purpose A first objective is to add insight into how constructs of ethnocentrism, xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism relate to each other. Knowledge of how these constructs overlap or work together in affecting consumer preferences will offer global marketers insights for designing appropriate marketing strategies. The second objective is to extend this knowledge by examining the correspondence of these three constructs to a nomological network of dispositional concepts pertinent for product positioning and market segmentation. The third objective is to empirically examine the extent to which the measures, construct structure and associative relationships are robust in different national research settings. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Surveying British and American consumers, this study examines and analyzes the correspondence of these identity-relevant constructs within a nomological net of pertinent concepts: consciousness-of-kind, global consumption orientation, materialism and natural environment concern. Findings The hypothesized negative links between CET-XEN and CET-COS, and the predicted positive connection between XEN-COS were all confirmed on the latent factor results for the combined data set. The negative correlation between CET-XEN was of a considerably lower magnitude than that for CET-COS. Originality/value To date, no research has used an identity theory framework and simultaneously examined in a cross-cultural context the interrelationships of consumer ethnocentrism consumer xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism – and their differentiating linkages to a multiplicity of consumer dispositions.
Software Configurable Processor Array For Decoding Multiple

accelerating the compute-intensive application of multiple audio decoding. It discusses the implementation of four Ogg Vorbis decoders on the SCPA. Vorbis is an open-source, royalty-free audio codec and the Ogg is a free container format for holding the encoded data. The SCPA is a processor array system, built by interconnecting the software configurable processors (SCP) of Stretch Inc. The unique feature of the SCP is that the compute intensive part of the application code can be run on the on-chip hardware known as ISEF (Instruction Set Extension Fabric). The computational cost analysis of the Ogg Vorbis decoder identified the inverse modified discrete cosine transform (IMDCT) as the most computationally expensive part. We implemented the IMDCT on the ISEF, thereby speeding up the decoding process. The SCPA run time environment is utilized to simultaneously decode four encoded bit streams on the four processors. The PCIe interface on the SCPA is used to connect to a host personal computer (PC) for the transfer of encoded and decoded audio data.
Engineering truly automated data integration and translation systems

This thesis presents an automated, data-driven integration process for relational databases. Whereas previous integration methods assumed a large amount of user involvement as well as the availability of database meta-data, we make no use of meta-data and little end user input. This is done using a novel join and translation finding algorithm that searches for the proper key/foreign key relationships while inferring the instance transformations from one database to another. Because we rely only on the relations that bind the attributes together, we make no use of the database schema information. A novel searching method allows us to search the database for relevant objects without requiring server side indexes or cooperative databases.
Impedance Adapting Compensation for Low-Power Multistage Amplifiers

A power-efficient frequency compensation topology, Impedance Adapting Compensation (IAC), is presented in this paper. This IAC topology has, on one hand, a normal Miller capacitor, which is still needed to provide an internal negative feedback loop, and on the other hand, a serial RC impedance as a load to the intermediate stage, improving performance parameters such as stability, gain-bandwidth product and power dissipation. A three-stage IAC amplifier was implemented and fabricated in a 0.35 μm CMOS technology. Experiment results show that the implemented IAC amplifier, driving a 150 pF load capacitance, achieved a gain-bandwidth product (GBW) of 4.4 MHz while dissipating only 30 μW power with a 1.5 V supply.
Thermooptically Tuned Photonic Crystal Waveguide Silicon-on-Insulator Mach–Zehnder Interferometers

Ultracompact thermooptically tuned photonic crystal waveguide (PCW) silicon-on-insulator Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) have been proposed and fabricated. A novel thermal design was employed to improve the device switching performance. Both steady-state and transient thermal analyses were performed to evaluate the thermal performance of the thermooptic MZIs. A switching time less than 20 mus has been experimentally achieved, which clearly demonstrated the speed advantage using the new heating approach. The active length of the PCW-based MZIs was 80 mum, nearly one order of magnitude shorter than the conventional silicon waveguide-based MZIs. A maximum modulation depth of 84% for a switching power of 78 mW was obtained at a wavelength of 1548 nm