Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leadership and Gender Differences—Are Men and Women Leading in the Same Way?

In this chapter, we aim to highlight the main gender differences in terms of leadership, to provide a critical comparative analysis, to discuss potential barriers that need to be overcome, and to find some ways of increasing organizational performance through a better leadership style. The focus will not be placed on the gender differences by themselves but on the ways these differences can positively influence the organizational performance. Our proposed chapter is mainly based on literature review as a methodology in its own right. Since literature review has revealed quite many divergent opinions, we also used questionnaires and interviews as data collection tools and we intend to present some of our results, without aiming to generalize all these results to different cultures. We cannot conclude that men's leadership skills are more powerful and more important than women's skills or vice versa, but it is clear that gender differences do exist and people should capitalize on them. We consider the word 'complementary' is better than the word 'different' when talking about leadership styles and that it is possible for leaders to develop a series of skills that are not necessarily traditionally linked to their own gender.
Identifying Individuals at High Risk of Psychosis: Predictive Utility of Support Vector Machine using Structural and Functional MRI Data

The identification of individuals at high risk of developing psychosis is entirely based on clinical assessment, associated with limited predictive potential. There is, therefore, increasing interest in the development of biological markers that could be used in clinical practice for this purpose. We studied 25 individuals with an at-risk mental state for psychosis and 25 healthy controls using structural MRI, and functional MRI in conjunction with a verbal memory task. Data were analyzed using a standard univariate analysis, and with support vector machine (SVM), a multivariate pattern recognition technique that enables statistical inferences to be made at the level of the individual, yielding results with high translational potential. The application of SVM to structural MRI data permitted the identification of individuals at high risk of psychosis with a sensitivity of 68% and a specificity of 76%, resulting in an accuracy of 72% (p < 0.001). Univariate volumetric between-group differences did not reach statistical significance. By contrast, the univariate fMRI analysis identified between-group differences (p < 0.05 corrected), while the application of SVM to the same data did not. Since SVM is well suited at identifying the pattern of abnormality that distinguishes two groups, whereas univariate methods are more likely to identify regions that individually are most different between two groups, our results suggest the presence of focal functional abnormalities in the context of a diffuse pattern of structural abnormalities in individuals at high clinical risk of psychosis.
Linear response subordination to intermittent energy release in off-equilibrium aging dynamics

The interpretation of experimental and numerical data describing off-equilibrium aging dynamics crucially depends on the connection between spontaneous and induced fluctuations. The hypothesis that linear response fluctuations are statistically subordinated to irreversible outbursts of energy, so-called quakes, leads to predictions for the average values and the fluctuation spectra of physical observables in reasonable agreement with experimental results (see e.g. Sibani et al 2006 Phys. Rev. B 74 224407). Using simulational data from a simple but representative Ising model with plaquette interactions, direct statistical evidence supporting the subordination hypothesis is presented and discussed in this work. Both energy and magnetic fluctuations are analyzed, with and without an external magnetic field present. In all cases, fluctuation spectra have a Gaussian zero centered component. For large negative values, the energy spectrum additionally features an intermittent tail describing the quakes. In the magnetization spectrum, two intermittent tails are present. These are symmetric around zero for zero-field, but asymmetric in other cases. The field has thus a biasing effect on the spontaneous intermittent magnetic fluctuations. Furthermore, the field has a negligible effect on the energy fluctuation spectra. From the observed strict temporal correlation between quakes and intermittent magnetization fluctuations, it is possible to conclude that the linear response is controlled by the quakes and inherits their temporal statistics. On this basis, the information culled from intermittent linear response data can be analyzed in the same way as spontaneous thermal energy fluctuations. The latter have a central rôle in thermally activated dynamics, but are harder to measure than linear response data.
Government Ownership of Banks

In this paper, we investigate a neglected aspect of financial systems of many countries around the world: government ownership of banks. We assemble data which establish four findings. First, government ownership of banks is large and pervasive around the world. Second, such ownership is particularly significant in countries with low levels of per capita income, underdeveloped financial systems, interventionist and inefficient governments, and poor protection of property rights. Third, government ownership of banks is associated with slower subsequent financial development. Finally, government ownership of banks is associated with lower subsequent growth of per capita income, and in particular with lower growth of productivity rather than slower factor accumulation. This evidence is inconsistent with the optimistic development' theories of government ownership of banks common in the 1960s, but supports the more recent political' theories of the effects of government ownership of firms.
Variable Very High Energy γ-Ray Emission from Markarian 501

The blazar Mrk 501 was observed at energies above 0.10 TeV with the MAGIC Telescope from 2005 May through July. The high sensitivity of the instrument enabled the determination of the flux and spectrum of the source on a night-by-night basis. Throughout our observational campaign, the flux from Mrk 501 was found to vary by an order of magnitude. Intranight flux variability with flux-doubling times down to 2 minutes was observed during the two most active nights, namely, June 30 and July 9. These are the fastest flux variations ever observed in Mrk 501. The ~20 minute long flare of July 9 showed an indication of a 4 ± 1 minute time delay between the peaks of F(<0.25 TeV) and F(>1.2 TeV), which may indicate a progressive acceleration of electrons in the emitting plasma blob. The flux variability was quantified for several energy ranges and found to increase with the energy of the γ-ray photons. The spectra hardened significantly with increasing flux, and during the two most active nights, a spectral peak was clearly detected at 0.43 ± 0.06 and 0.25 ± 0.07 TeV, respectively, for June 30 and July 9. There is no evidence of such a spectral feature for the other nights at energies down to 0.10 TeV, thus suggesting that the spectral peak is correlated with the source luminosity. These observed characteristics could be accommodated in a synchrotron self-Compton framework in which the increase in γ-ray flux is produced by a freshly injected (high energy) electron population.
Dirac Cones in Graphene, Interlayer Interaction in Layered Materials, and the Band Gap in MoS2

The 2D outlook of graphene and similar layers has initiated a number of theoretical considerations of electronic structure that are both interesting and exciting, but applying these ideas to real layered systems, in terms of a model 2D system, must be done with extreme care. In the present review, we will discuss the applicability of the 2D concept with examples of peculiarities of electronic structures and interactions in particular layered systems: (i) Dirac points and cones in graphene; (ii) van der Waals interaction between MoS2 monolayers; and (iii) the issue of a 2D screening in estimates of the band gap for MoS2 monolayers.
L2 motivation in focus: the case of Finnish comprehensive school students

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to explore whether latent classes, i.e. subgroups of students, representing specific motivational profiles can be found among learners of different foreign languages (L2s) in Finnish comprehensive schools. The focus is on whether motivational profiles are different for learning a compulsory foreign language (English) or an optional foreign language (German, French, Russian or Spanish). The statistically representative sample was over 1200 completed questionnaires from ninth-graders (ages 15–16) at the upper level of comprehensive school. The data were analysed with latent profile analysis. The results show that five latent classes, i.e. subgroups of students, representing different motivational profiles can be found: the most motivated, the averagely motivated, the averagely motivated with low anxiety, the least motivated and students with high anxiety. The results are discussed from the perspective of language education policies.
Major Depression in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Clinical Investigation

Objective: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by a high frequency of comorbidity with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of 2 groups of patients with MDD: those with concomitant BPD and those with other concomitant personality disorders. Methods: We assessed 119 outpatients, using a semistructured interview for demographic and clinical features, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Hamilton anxiety and depression scales, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS), the Sheehan Disability Scale, and the Revised Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. We performed a regression analysis, using the number of criteria for BPD as the dependent variable. Results: Severity of BPD was positively related to the ZSDS score, to self-mutilating behaviours, and to the occurrence of mood disorders in first-degree relatives; it was negatively related to the SOFAS score and age at onset of MDD. Conclusions: Patients with comorbid MDD and BPD present differential characteristics that indicate a more serious and impairing condition with a stronger familial link with mood disorders than is shown by depression patients with other Axis II codiagnoses.
Selectively Using Relations to Improve Precision in Question Answering

Despite the intuition that linguistically sophisticated techniques should be beneficial to question answering, real gains in performance have yet to be demonstrated empirically in a reliable manner. Systems built around sophisticated linguistic analysis generally perform worse than their linguistically-uninformed cousins. We believe that the key to effective application of natural language processing technology is to selectively employ it only when helpful, without abandoning simpler techniques. To this end, we identify two linguistic phenomena that current information extraction driven systems have difficulty with, and demonstrate how syntactic processing can help. By indexing syntactic relations that can be reliably extracted from corpus text and matching questions with documents at the relation level, we demonstrate that syntactic analysis enables a question answering system to successfully handle these phenomena, thereby improving precision.
Comparison of eight evolutionary crossover operators for the vehicle routing problem

This paper deals with evolutionary algorithms for solving the vehicle routing problem. More precisely, the paper is concerned with eight evolutionary crossover operators, which have originally been designed for the traveling salesman problem but can also be used for vehicle routing. The considered crossovers are tested on a set of well known benchmark problem instances. The obtained experimental results clearly show that the behavior and relative ranking of the operators within the vehicle routing environment is different than within the traveling salesman environment.
Effects on colour discrimination during long term exposure to high altitudes on Mt Everest

Aim To investigate changes in colour discrimination as a result of chronic hypoxic exposure induced by extreme altitudes (above 8000 m) during an expedition to Mt Everest. Methods Colour discrimination thresholds for tritan, protan and deutan axes were measured extensively in two male participants (four eyes) during an expedition to Mt Everest, using a quantitative, computer controlled psychophysical colour vision test (modified version of the Cambridge Colour Test). The tests were carried out over a period of 54 days at altitudes of 1300 m, 3450 m, 4410 m, 5060 m, 5300 m, 6450 m, 7200 m and 8000 m. Results Colour vision tests 1 week before and 6 months after the expedition indicated normal colour discrimination in both participants. With increasing altitude, colour discrimination thresholds were found to rise, predominantly for the tritan (blue) axes in both observers. Deutan (green) thresholds were minimally elevated at high altitude, whereas protan (red) was altered in one observer. Tritan colour discrimination thresholds decreased as a function of time spent at a given altitude and normalised upon return to low altitude. Conclusions Chronic hypoxia induced by high altitude exposure transiently affects colour discrimination, in particular tritan axis discrimination. Decreased tritan discrimination is partly reversible upon physiological adaptation to high altitude and completely normalised upon return to low altitude.
Beyond “Socially Constructed” Disasters: Re-politicizing the Debate on Large Dams through a Political Ecology of Risk

ABSTRACT Questions of dam safety and hazard potential most often do not take center-stage in contestations and articulations concerning large dams. Through a comparative study of two of Europe’s most emblematic dam disasters – Vajont (Italy) and Ribadelago (Spain) – and the ongoing conflict over the safety of the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project in Northeast India, this article argues that the damage caused by dam disasters is often not unavoidable or unforeseen but instead allowed to happen. Our cases show that power relations, economic pressures and profit influence “risky” dam management decisions, often disregarding the vernacular knowledge of concerned communities and silencing critical voices that do not fit dominant narratives of modernization and progress. We posit that an essential requirement for re-politicizing the question of dam safety is to unpack the apolitical notion of “socially constructed disasters,” thinking instead about “capital-driven destructions. ” By emphasizing resistance against dam projects and against dominant risk discourses across space and time, this article seeks to underline the legitimacy of past and ongoing struggles surrounding the construction of large dams.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE IN SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS, AND LATENT AND MANIFEST BENEFITS OF WORKDIFFERENCES BETWEEN EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE IN SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS, AND LATENT AND MANIFEST BENEFITS OF WORK

The problem of this study was to explore differences in well-being between employed and unemployed persons in Serbia, as well as the differences between the employed and the unemployed in prediction of well-being based on manifest and latent benefits of employment. The study consisted of 237 participants from Serbia, whereby 61.6% were employed. Participants varied by gender, work status, education, place of living and socioeconomic status, but employed and unemployed participants did not differ according to socio-demographic variables. The used instruments were Satisfaction With Life Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, and The Latent and Manifest Benefits Scale, which measured benefits of employment. Results showed that the employed people had higher satisfaction with life, more financial security, and more structured time than the unemployed. However, there was no difference in subjective happiness between the employed and unemployed participants. Using hierarchical regression analysis it was shown that the best predictor of satisfaction with life in the subsample of the employed was financial status, followed by more social contacts and better time structure and social status. The best predictor of satisfaction with life in the subsample of unemployed was latent benefit which included social contacts, and then financial status. Based on these results we could assume that, in Serbia, financial strain is more important than latent benefits in prediction of satisfaction with life, at least in the case of employed people.
Global boundary work tactics: managing work and family transitions in a 24–7 global context

ABSTRACT This study addresses how today’s global managers navigate their work and family transitions through employing various boundary work tactics in a global context. Interviews with 25 global travelers or international business travelers in dual-career families uncovered how they handle global workflows and protect family time when working domestically or abroad. Patterns emerged across a typology of temporal, communicative, behavioral and physical boundary work tactics. A key contribution is that workplace flexibility in addition to technology allows global managers to maintain connectivity beyond spatial or temporal boundaries. Moreover, technology was perceived as an integral tool by global managers, with few cases of tensions reported from a blurring of boundaries. The research contributes to the nascent literature on work-life balance among global managers. It also provides evidence of how mobile and telepresence technologies are being used in performing global work. Companies are encouraged to foster flexibility among their global managers around viewing time and using communication techniques and technology to manage role transitions. Results suggest that global work approached in this manner can be sustainable as well as beneficial to the individual, his/her family, and the organization.
The Political Dynamics of District Reform: The Form and Fate of the Los Angeles Public School Choice Initiative

Background Scholars widely acknowledge that politics help explain why policies are adopted and how they play out in states, districts, and schools. To date, political analyses of education reform tend to isolate a particular policy and examine the politics of its adoption or implementation, but pay less attention to the effects of the politics of surrounding reforms and broader issues. Purpose In this article, I use the instrumental case of the Los Angeles Public School Choice Initiative (PSCI) to demonstrate the ways in which the political dynamics of other policy issues in the same local environment greatly affect the form and fate of a reform. The article examines what led to the adoption of PSCI and what explains its implementation and adaptation over time. Research Design The study employed an embedded case study design and gathered 3 years of data from leader interviews, observations, interviews, and focus groups in nine case study schools, media articles, and documents. I drew on an ecological-political framework to analyze these data and to understand the evolution of PSCI. Findings I find that PSCI provided a vehicle to advance the goals of six education reform “subgames”—decentralization, charter expansion, accountability, union reform, academic rigor, and community empowerment—as well as goals of two broader local “games” of electoral politics and bridging, and that each was consequential to at least one or more phase of PSCI. At times in its evolution, players seeking success in one area of reform aligned with, used, or were used by players seeking success in other areas of reform. It is the interactions of these players in relation to the environment and to others working to advance complementary and conflicting reform issues and goals that explains how a reform touted to improve accountability and learning for low-performing schools and to empower the community became a broader referendum on school governance and reform writ large. Conclusions Consistent with recent scholarship, this research demonstrates that an increasingly broad set of actors are engaging in decisions around public schooling and changing the nature of educational governance. The study also illustrates the value of examining local policy with an ecological-political lens and poses several hypotheses that could be explored in future studies. Finally, it suggests that prior to adoption, policymakers consider the extent to which a new policy advances or competes with the goals of surrounding reforms and investigate ways to bolster bridging games.
Jointly Estimating Interactions and Head, Body Pose of Interactors from Distant Social Scenes

We present joint estimation of F-formations and head, body pose of interactors in a social scene captured by surveillance cameras. Unlike prior works that have focused on (a) discovering F-formations based on head pose and position cues, or (b) jointly learned head and body pose of individuals based on anatomic constraints, we exploit positional and pose cues characterizing interactors and interactions to jointly infer both (a) and (b). We show how the joint inference framework benefits both F-formation and head, body pose estimation accuracy via experiments on two social datasets.
Collaborative augmented reality for inorganic chemistry education

Augmented Reality (AR) is a computer related research area that allows users to see views of the real world enhanced with text and virtual information. AR with 3D models can be used as an educational aid to help students gain spatial intuition. This intuition is very useful in many disciplines like, for example, Inorganic Chemistry. We present in this paper an AR system for teaching spatial relationships and chemical problem solving skills to university-level students. Our system is based on inexpensive webcams and open-source software. Our students quickly gained visual cues and 3D intuition when the system was implemented. A survey we conducted after the experience shows great acceptance of the system as well as better results when solving Inorganic Chemistry problems related to 3D crystal structures.