Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automation is the Answer, but What is the Question? Progress and Prospects for Central and Eastern European Libraries

In the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Bloc countries of Central and Eastern Europe most information technology was unavailable, unaffordable or discouraged for forty years. These countries realise that they must improve their internal infrastructures if they are to become integral parts of the global information infrastructure. We report the results of a mail survey conducted in late 1994 and early 1995 of seventy research libraries in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, building on the findings from interviews conducted with 300 persons in the region in 1993–1994. Results show that these libraries are acquiring automated processing systems, CD‐ROM databases, and connections to computer networks at a rapid rate and that automation activity has increased substantially since 1989; we report specific data on system implementation and network services by country and by type of library. ‘Access’ is their top reason to automate, which appears to mean placing the catalogue online with better search capabilities and putting items on the shelves faster — but does not necessarily mean improvements in self‐service for library users. Co‐operation and standards are highly‐ranked automation goals, yet we find anomalous results on each. Management goals focus more on speed and processing than on management information, staffing or advancing the mission of the parent organisation. Management of human resources ranks low, despite the need for wider staff involvement in the system selection process, education of technically‐trained library professionals, continuing training of staff and training of library users. We conclude with implications of these results for the region.
Coupling of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Fusion to Virion Maturation: a Novel Role of the gp41 Cytoplasmic Tail

ABSTRACT Retrovirus particles are not infectious until they undergo proteolytic maturation to form a functional core. Here we report a link between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) core maturation and the ability of the virus to fuse with target cells. Using a recently developed reporter assay of HIV-1 virus-cell fusion, we show that immature HIV-1 particles are 5- to 10-fold less active for fusion with target cells than are mature virions. The fusion of mature and immature virions was rendered equivalent by truncating the gp41 cytoplasmic domain or by pseudotyping viruses with the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus. An analysis of a panel of mutants containing mutated cleavage sites indicated that HIV-1 fusion competence is activated by the cleavage of Gag at any site between the MA and NC segments and not as an indirect consequence of an altered core structure. These results suggest a mechanism by which binding of the gp41 cytoplasmic tail to Gag within immature HIV-1 particles inhibits Env conformational changes on the surface of the virion that are required for membrane fusion. This “inside-out” regulation of HIV-1 fusion could play an important role in the virus life cycle by preventing the entry of immature, noninfectious particles.
Problem-Based Learning in Management Education: A Framework for Designing Context

Problem-based learning has great potential for management education. Placing students in a problem-centered environment may help bridge the gap between theory and practice. One important but underdeveloped issue for problem-based learning is the context design of the problem-solving situation. This article’s purpose is to develop a framework for designing the context for problem-based learning in management education. Background information is presented for problem-based learning, situated cognition, and the organization, leading to the development of such a framework. Cases are presented that illustrate the framework’s use, and learning outcomes are discussed.
Individual and Routine Forces in Gatekeeping

Lewin's concept of “force” is explored in this study, which shows support for the proposition that newspaper gatekeeping is influenced more by forces on the routine level of analysis than by individual staff writers' characteristics. Newspaper stories about fifty Congressional bills were content analyzed, and two surveys were conducted of the stories' writers and of editors at their newspapers. No individual-level force was related to the quantity of coverage the bills received, whereas editors' aggregated assessment of bills' newsworthiness was positively related to quantity of bills' newspaper coverage.
The Impact of Editorial Slant : Evidence from the Hearst Media Empire

We examine whether editorial slant influences electoral outcomes in the context of one of the most powerful media conglomerates in US history. In the early 1900s, the Hearst newspaper empire was politically charged and considered influential. We test if the Hearst newspapers affected elections. Using a difference-in-differences and matching methodology, we find that the introduction of a Hearst newspaper into a county did not change electoral outcomes compared to similar counties in contrast to other studies of media effects. We consider explanations for the results, and offer historical perspective to an issue that remains both salient and
Personality Development among Executives: A Career Stage Perspective

Personality development has been viewed in several perspectives. Of early theorists, the perspectives of Freud, Erikson, and James represent the full spectrum on personality change, from very little (Freud) to potentially very much (Erikson). James proposed that personality develops to a point, and then is effectively 'set like plaster' by the age of thirty, which was later supported by the five-factor theorists. Contextualist perspectives predict plasticity: Change is complex and ongoing, owing to the many factors that can affect personality traits. This study was designed to test which perspective is appropriate for executives in Indian organizations. The research was conducted on 210 front-level Indian managers. The results reveal that the executives exhibited a gradual change in the scores on personality traits throughout their career stages (trial, establishment and maintenance stage). The mean differences in score for personality traits between trial stage and establishment stage were significant, although the mean difference between establishment stage and maintenance stage was found to be trivial.
The Use of Metaphor in University Lectures and the Problems that it Causes for Overseas Students

This article describes a study that looked at the presence of metaphor in lectures given in an International Development department at a British university, and at the problems that this caused for overseas students. It was found that metaphor was extremely prevalent and that it was used mainly for evaluative purposes. The interpretations given by overseas students differed significantly from those offered by university lecturers. The overseas students tended to focus on inappropriate connotations of the vehicle in the metaphor. This often meant that they misunderstood the main points of the lecture and, more importantly, misinterpreted the lecturer's stance towards the topic of the lecture. A number of ways are suggested in which this problem might be alleviated.
Expression of regulator of G protein signalling protein 5 (RGS5) in the tumour vasculature of human renal cell carcinoma

The gene expression profiles of tumour and normal vasculature are distinctively different. The altered expression of various angiogenesis‐related genes in tumour‐derived endothelial cells has been investigated intensively, but there may be as yet unidentified molecules that regulate tumour angiogenesis. In the present study, the distinctive expression of regulator of G protein signalling protein 5 (RGS5) in tumour vessels in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been clarified. RGS5 is a member of the RGS superfamily and acts as a negative regulator of heterotrimeric G protein‐mediated signalling through G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs). RT‐PCR showed strong expression of RGS5 in all RCCs examined, but expression was very weak or undetectable in normal kidneys. By real‐time RT‐PCR, the ratio of RGS5 mRNA in RCC to that in normal kidney was 6.6 : 1 (p = 0.0012). In situ hybridization showed strong expression of RGS5 in vessels within tumour cell nests. It was expressed neither in tumour cells nor in normal renal capillaries. Immunohistochemical staining using serial sections for endothelial cell markers (CD31 and CD34) and smooth muscle cell markers (α‐SMA and desmin), as well as fluorescence double staining, strongly suggested that tumour endothelial cells were the main location of RGS5 in RCC. These findings suggest that RGS5 may be involved in G protein‐mediated signalling in tumour vessels in human RCC. Copyright © 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantum algorithmic information theory

The agenda of quantum algorithmic information theory, ordered ‘top-down,’ is the quantum halting amplitude, followed by the quantum algorithmic information content, which in turn requires the theory of quantum computation. The fundamental atoms processed by quantum computation are the quantum bits which are dealt with in quantum information theory. The theory of quantum computation will be based upon a model of universal quantum computer whose elementary unit is a two-port interferometer capable of arbitrary U(2) transformations. Basic to all these considerations is quantum theory, in particular Hilbert space quantum mechanics.
The impact of executive job demands on dismissals of newly appointed CEOs

Abstract Why are some newly appointed CEOs dismissed from their positions while others are not? Is it hard for newly appointed CEOs to survive in highly diversified firms? Drawing upon the concepts of executive job demands and information-processing theory, we argue that newly appointed CEOs face entirely different degrees of complexity and challenges in their role, and that firms’ product diversification and international diversification predict dismissals of newly appointed CEOs after controlling for other possible explanatory variables. Additionally, we propose that appointment of a new outsider CEO makes newly appointed CEOs more vulnerable to dismissal and consequently strengthens the predicted relationships. The empirical results support our arguments. These results suggest that the demands faced by a high degree of (product or international) diversification are likely to present challenges that increase the likelihood of corporate disruption through the departures of newly appointed CEOs. Contributions to the CEO dismissal and succession literature are discussed.
Thyroid stimulating hormone and left ventricular function.

CONTEXT Overt hypo- and hyperthyroidism are associated with cardiac disease, whereas this relation is more uncertain regarding subclinical thyroid dysfunction. OBJECTIVE The objective was to assess the relation between serum TSH level and cardiac function. DESIGN We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study and a nested case-control study. SETTING The study was performed at a university hospital. SUBJECTS A total of 2035 subjects were included in the epidemiological study and 204 subjects in the nested case-control study (serum TSH < 0.50, 0.50-3.49, and 3.50-10.0 mIU/liter in 20, 118, and 66 subjects, respectively, all with normal serum free T(4) and free T(3) levels). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Left ventricular mass by body surface area (LVMI) and indices of left ventricular function, as assessed by conventional and pulsed-wave tissue Doppler (PWTD) echocardiography, were recorded. RESULTS No significant relation was found between serum TSH level and LVMI. In the nested case-control study, the subjects with serum TSH 3.50-10.0 mIU/liter had no signs of cardiac dysfunction. However, the PWTD data showed higher velocities at all measurement sites in the subjects with serum TSH less than 0.50 mIU/liter as compared with the euthyroid group. CONCLUSIONS With the possible exception of overt hypo- and hyperthyroidism, there is no significant association between serum TSH level and LVMI. Subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism, in whom the mean serum TSH level is slightly above the reference range, appear to have normal cardiac function, whereas subjects with serum TSH levels less than 0.5 mIU/liter appear to have changes in myocardial velocities detected by PWTD.
Coping with work‐related stressors and building resilience in mental health workers: A comparative focus group study using interpretative phenomenological analysis

Experiencing excessive stress in the workplace can lead to mental ill health, which has costs both personally for individuals and for the wider economy in terms of lost working days. This study used two in-depth focus groups, one with NHS mental health workers (n = 9) and one with Samaritans’ volunteers (n = 8), to investigate how they cope with work-based stressors, and build and maintain resilience. The qualitative data derived from the focus groups were compared and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of those working in both statutory and voluntary adult mental health settings. Four superordinate themes emerged: (1) Perceived lack of control as a stressor; (2) Ways of building resilience; (3) The dual impact of values; and (4) The effect of environment. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of recommendations for training to help foster resilience within mental health care systems, along with possible areas of future investigation. Practitioner points Resilience has been shown to be an important element in allowing those working and volunteering in mental health settings to cope with the stressors inherent in their chosen field. Allowing staff reasonable control over their work, and providing an adequate environment in which to carry out their work, is conducive to building and maintaining resilience. Consideration should be given to the dual nature of some elements of working in a mental health context, in terms of both the positive and negative impact they can have (e.g., values and environment). Training programmes using aspects of developments such as mindfulness and acceptance and commitment training may also be able to contribute to building and maintaining resilience in mental health workers.
Analysis of the kinetics of osteoclastogenesis in arthritic rats.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the kinetics of osteoclastogenesis in 2 models of chronic immune-mediated arthritis and 1 model of acute arthritis. METHODS Adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in Lewis rats were used as models of chronic arthritis. Acute arthritis was induced in Lewis rats by injecting carrageenan into the hind paw. Osteoclasts were identified by cathepsin K immunohistochemistry at various time points after the onset of arthritis. The location, size, and nucleation of osteoclasts were also analyzed. RESULTS In both AIA and CIA, multinucleated and cathepsin K-positive osteoclasts first were observed on the day of disease onset. Initially, osteoclasts were localized at the periosteum next to the synovial membrane and in subchondral bone channels. The number, size, and nucleation of osteoclasts rapidly increased, leading to severe bone loss within days after disease onset. In addition, numerous mononucleated cathepsin K-positive osteoclast precursor cells emerged in the synovial membrane. All osteoclasts (cathepsin K-positive, multinucleated, attached to bone) and osteoclast precursors (cathepsin K-positive, mononucleated or multinucleated, within synovial tissue) were also positive for a macrophage-specific marker. Upon induction of acute arthritis with carrageenan, osteoclasts formed transiently in subchondral bone, but regressed 7 days after disease onset. CONCLUSION Functional osteoclasts are generated at the earliest stage of arthritis, and new precursors are continuously formed in the synovial membrane to replenish the osteoclast pool. These data indicate that anti-resorptive therapies may provide the most effective bone protection, when treatment is started soon after the onset of arthritis.
Professional Learning for Teachers Without Special Education Qualifications Working With Students With Severe Disabilities

In this article, the authors report on an individualized professional learning activity, based on the principles described by Gersten and colleagues, implemented by two academics with three teachers without special education qualifications teaching students with severe and multiple disabilities. The professional learning consisted of consultation based around observation of classroom practice (live or by video recording) focusing on the use of strategies to increase the number of opportunities for communication offered to students. Analysis of video recordings of targeted activities over baseline and intervention sessions demonstrated an increase in the opportunities teachers offered, with larger effects in two of the classes.
A Preliminary Model of Wood Stork Population Dynamics in the Southeastern United States R

—We modeled population dynamics and extinction probabilities for the endangered Wood Stork ( Mycteria americana ) using count data from synoptic aerial surveys, annual measures of productivity from throughout the southeastern U.S., and survival data from satellite-tagged juveniles. Using a simple, count-based diffusion approximation approach we were able to quantify an increasing population trend since 1976. High inter-year variability resulted in wide confidence intervals and we could not eliminate the possibility of long-term population decline in spite of recently measured population increases. We also used a stage-based population matrix model to incorporate observed differences in survival rates among age classes. Fledging success, and survival of fledglings, one, and two-year-old birds were estimated using data from the satellite telemetry study. Because the survival rates of three-year-olds and adults are presently unknown, we analyzed population dynamics over a range of these values. Long-term population growth was most sensitive to changes in adult survivorship. This deterministic matrix model indicated that adult survival rates >0.94 were necessary to maintain a growing population, an estimate considerably higher than that observed in the European White Stork ( Ciconia ciconia ). This study underscores the need for reliable estimates of juvenile and adult survival in Wood Storks, and for a conservation focus on the factors that affect adult survival. It also provides a tool for understanding and projecting potential trajectories of the Wood Stork population in the Southeastern United States.
Foveal Load Affects the Functional Field of View

The results of three tachistoscopic experiments are reported, which suggest that the functional or useful field of view is very sensitive to foveal demands (load). As the foveal primary task becomes more difficult, peripheral information extraction is perturbed, and it is perturbed increasingly as the retinal eccentricity of the peripheral information increases. This is the case even when compensatory adjustments are made for acuity loss. The results are discussed in terms of tunnel vision and general interference models.
Specific Computerized Attention Training in Stroke and Traumatic Brain-Injured Patients

Abstract: In a multicenter European approach, the efficacy of the AIXTENT computerized training programs for intensity aspects (alertness and vigilance) and selectivity aspects (selective and divided attention) of attention was studied in 33 patients with brain damage of vascular and traumatic etiology. Each patient received training in one of two most impaired of the four attention domains. Control tests were performed by means of a standardized computerized attention test battery (TAP) comprising tests for the four attention functions. Assessment was carried out at the beginning and at the end of a four week baseline period and after the training period of 14 one-hour sessions. At the end of the baseline phase, there was only slight but significant improvement for the most complex attention function, divided attention (number of omissions). After the training, there were significant specific training effects for both intensity aspects (alertness and vigilance) and also for the number of omissions in the.
Association between Albuminuria, Glomerular Filtration Rate and Mortality or Recurrence in Stroke Patients

Background/Aims: In an attempt to find new predictors of stroke prognosis, we evaluated the association of albuminuria (AUr) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with the recurrence of stroke and mortality. Methods: We evaluated and followed for at least 7 months patients with first-ever stroke or transient ischemic attack admitted to a prospective cohort from March 2005 to December 2007. We analyzed traditional CV risk factors, albumin-to-creatinine ratio and eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) as predictors of mortality or recurrence. Results: From a total of 185 patients included [57% (104/185) men, 64 ± 13 years], 38 patients suffered from a recurrent stroke or died, with a mean follow-up of 25.1 ± 8.7 months. AUr (≧30 mg/g) was found in 50.2% (93/185), and 38.9% (72/185) presented an eGFR <60. In univariate analysis, age >65 years, eGFR ≤50, atrial fibrillation (AF), no alcohol intake and AUr >17 mg/g were associated with the composite endpoint. In a multivariate analysis, AF and AUr >17 mg/g were independent predictors of the composite endpoints, but eGFR ≤50 was not. Conclusion: The presence of AUr >17 mg/g is independently associated with death or recurrence after stroke. Further studies should consider the AUr as a predictor for a worse prognosis in these patients.
Functional Behavioral Assessment and Students at Risk for or with Emotional Disabilities: Current Issues and Considerations

The use of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is an effective tool to address a wide range of severe behavior problems of students at risk for or with emotional disabilities (ED). However, the transformation of a procedure proven effective under highly-controlled clinical conditions to a practical and effective strategy for use in applied settings has posed a number of challenges. We critically examine several of the most prominent of those challenges and related research. We concede that there is more to learn about FBA in applied settings, including how best to establish a goodness-of-fit between “necessity and sufficiency,” as described by Scott and Kamps (2007). Lastly, we assert that all school personnel should, at the very least, “think functionally” about pupil behavior.