Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Work Relationships in Telephone Call Centres: Understanding Emotional Exhaustion and Employee Withdrawal

This paper examines the nature of employment and the conditions of work in five telephone call centres in the telecommunications industry in Australia. Call centre work typically requires high levels of sustained interpersonal interaction with customers which can lead to burnout and employee withdrawal. Customer service staff can also become targets of customer hostility and abuse. In addition, this form of work tends to involve extensive employee monitoring and surveillance with little job discretion or variety of tasks. The paper draws upon survey data from 480 telephone service operators to identify the factors that are associated with emotional exhaustion and the frequency of absence amongst the employees. A modelling of the data using LISREL VIII revealed that a number of job and work-setting variables affected the level of emotional exhaustion of employees. These included interactions with the customer, a high workload and a lack of variety of work tasks. Moreover, higher rates of absence were associated with emotional exhaustion.
Pharmacokinetic studies of practolol, a beta adrenergic antagonist, in man

The disposition of practolol after oral and intravenous administration was studied in hypertensive patients. The plasma half‐life was 13.2 hours. After intravenous administration practolol was recovered quantitively in the urine. Its volume of distribution was larger than that of body water, 1.6 L. per kilogram, and its clearance from this volume, 135 ml. per minute, was equal to renal clearance of the drug; both were slightly higher than the creatinine clearance. Despite its weakly basic character, this aromatic alkylamine was not affected by changes in urinary pH from 5.4 to 8.0. These studies indicate that practolol is slowly removed from the body and that it is excreted entirely by the kidneys.
The Generalizability of Critical Thinking: Paranormal Beliefs Versus Statistical Reasoning

Abstract The generalizability of general (content-independent) critical thinking ability, assessed by the Cornell Critical Thinking Test, was assessed in university undergraduates. Study 1 (N = 97) examined the relationship between performance on the Cornell test and level of belief in paranormal phenomena. Study 2 (N = 109) examined the relationship between the Cornell test scores and statistical reasoning in novices. Cornell test scores accounted for a significant proportion of the variability in statistical reasoning, but not in level of belief in the paranormal. Level of purported paranormal experience was not related to either Cornell test score or intelligence, but it was a significant predictor of paranormal belief. The pattern of results suggested that, although the evaluation of paranormal claims is amenable to critical thinking, it is more likely to be characterized by “axiological” approaches. The distinction between critical thinking skills and the disposition to apply them suggests a multivar.
COMPASS: A complex of proteins associated with a trithorax-related SET domain protein

The trithorax genes encode an evolutionarily conserved family of proteins that function to maintain specific patterns of gene expression throughout cellular development. Members of this protein family contain a highly conserved 130- to 140-amino acid motif termed the SET domain. We report the purification and molecular identification of the subunits of a protein complex in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that includes the trithorax-related protein Set1. This protein complex, which we have named COMPASS (Complex Proteins Associated with Set1), consists of seven polypeptides ranging from 130 to 25 kDa. The same seven proteins were identified in COMPASS purified either by conventional biochemical chromatography or tandem-affinity tagging of the individual subunits of the complex. Null mutants missing any one of the six nonessential subunits of COMPASS grow more slowly than wild-type cells under normal conditions and demonstrate growth sensitivity to hydroxyurea. Furthermore, gene expression profiles of strains missing either of two nonessential subunits of COMPASS are altered in similar ways, suggesting these proteins have similar roles in gene expression in vivo. Molecular characterization of trithorax complexes will facilitate defining the role of this class of proteins in the regulation of gene expression and how their misregulation results in the development of human cancer.
Changing Institutional Logics and Executive Identities

In this article, the authors analyze whether and to what extent an “old” administrative orientation is being replaced by a new managerial logic in the Austrian public sector. They illustrate that shifts in institutional logics can be analyzed by the extent to which actors draw on the social identities derived from the competing logics and show that the vocabularies and accounts the actors employ to communicate their identity claims reflect the local translation of global logics.
The broaden and build process: Positive affect, ratio of positive to negative affect and general self-efficacy

Previous research indicates that increases in positive affect enhance personal resources and bring about improvements in various realms of life. The present study examined the role of general self-efficacy as a mediator between increases in positive affect and change in work and relationship satisfaction and mental health. Participants randomly assigned to a three-week intervention intended to increase positive affect showed significantly greater change in positive affect, ratio of positive to negative affect, self-efficacy, work satisfaction and mental health than participants in a control condition. Changes in affect were associated with changes in self-efficacy, work satisfaction, relationship satisfaction and mental health. Changes in self-efficacy were associated with increases in work satisfaction and mental health. The findings incorporate the concept of general self-efficacy into the broaden and build model and provide information regarding the utility of ratio of positive to negative affect indices.
Socialization into marijuana use among French adolescents: a cross-cultural comparison with the United States.

Correlates and predictors of marijuana use among French adolescents are described and compared to correlates among adolescents in the United States. Although prevalence of marijuana use is much lower among the French than among the Americans, within each country, adolescent marijuana use is governed by similar socio-psychological processes. Peer influences are the strongest predictors of marijuana use, especially in terms of modeling effects, and are consistently stronger than parental influences. The modeling effect of peers is consistently stronger in the United States than in France. Alcohol use, a stage of drug involvement preceding marijuana use, has only an indirect effect on marijuana involvement.
Antigen and Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptors Contribute to Long Term Functional and Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Memory CD8 T Cells

Pathogen-specific CD8 T cells provide a mechanism for selectively eliminating host cells that are harboring intracellular pathogens. The pathogens are killed when lytic molecules are injected into the cytoplasm of the infected cells and begin an apoptotic cascade. Activated CD8 T cells also release large quantities of pro-inflammatory cytokines that stimulate other immune cells in the local vicinity. As the alveoli are extraordinarily sensitive to cytokine induced damage, multiple layers of immune regulation limit the activities of immune cells that enter the lungs. These mechanisms include receptor-mediated signaling pathways in CD8 T cells that respond to peptide antigens and transforming growth factor β. Both pathways influence the functional and phenotypic properties of long-lived CD8 T cells populations in peripheral and lymphoid tissues.
Flexible spatial perspective-taking: conversational partners weigh multiple cues in collaborative tasks

Research on spatial perspective-taking often focuses on the cognitive processes of isolated individuals as they adopt or maintain imagined perspectives. Collaborative studies of spatial perspective-taking typically examine speakers' linguistic choices, while overlooking their underlying processes and representations. We review evidence from two collaborative experiments that examine the contribution of social and representational cues to spatial perspective choices in both language and the organization of spatial memory. Across experiments, speakers organized their memory representations according to the convergence of various cues. When layouts were randomly configured and did not afford intrinsic cues, speakers encoded their partner's viewpoint in memory, if available, but did not use it as an organizing direction. On the other hand, when the layout afforded an intrinsic structure, speakers organized their spatial memories according to the person-centered perspective reinforced by the layout's structure. Similarly, in descriptions, speakers considered multiple cues whether available a priori or at the interaction. They used partner-centered expressions more frequently (e.g., “to your right”) when the partner's viewpoint was misaligned by a small offset or coincided with the layout's structure. Conversely, they used egocentric expressions more frequently when their own viewpoint coincided with the intrinsic structure or when the partner was misaligned by a computationally difficult, oblique offset. Based on these findings we advocate for a framework for flexible perspective-taking: people weigh multiple cues (including social ones) to make attributions about the relative difficulty of perspective-taking for each partner, and adapt behavior to minimize their collective effort. This framework is not specialized for spatial reasoning but instead emerges from the same principles and memory-depended processes that govern perspective-taking in non-spatial tasks.
Effectiveness of Aloe Vera gel compared with 1% silver sulphadiazine cream as burn wound dressing in second degree burns.

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of Aloe Vera gel compared with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream as a burn dressing for the treatment of superficial and partial thickness burns. METHODS This Interventional Comparative study was carried out at the Burn unit and Plastic surgery department, Nishtar Hospital Multan, Pakistan from July 2008 to December 2010. A total of 50 patients with superficial and partial thickness burns were divided into two equal groups randomly by consecutive sampling method, one group was dressed with Aloe Vera gel while the other was treated with 1% silversulphadiazine cream, and the results regarding duration of wound epithelialization, pain relief and cost of treatment were compared. RESULTS In patients treated with Aloe Vera gel, healing of burn wounds were remarkably early than those patients treated with 1% silver sulfadiazine. All the patients of Aloe Vera group were relieved of pain earlier than those patients who were treated with SSD. CONCLUSION Thermal burns patients dressed with Aloe Vera gel showed advantage compared to those dressed with SSD regarding early wound epithelialization, earlier pain relief and cost-effectiveness.
Examining service-learning in a graduate physical education teacher education course

This study was designed to explore the impact of service-learning on graduate physical education teacher education students. Social-Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986; 1999) served as the framework to examine graduate student's experiences in a service-learning program. Participants were graduate students (N =16) enrolled in a curriculum and instruction in physical education course at a major university in the southwest United States. The course's service-learning component provided graduate students opportunities to teach physical activity to Hispanic-American and African-American children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Participant's described their experiences through weekly reflections and discussions. Content analysis of data sources indicated that participation in the service-learning program strengthened graduate student's efficacy for teaching, contributed to their acquisition of varied teaching strategies, and enhanced graduate students understanding of children living in low-income, minority households. Findings suggest service-learning can be a valuable pedagogy to infuse into graduate teacher education programs.
Marriage in colour: race, religion and spouse selection in four American mosques

Abstract In this study, marriage serves as the point of entry into discussions about race, religion, and identity in American mosques. The experience of minority status in the US shapes the ways Muslim immigrants construct difference. The intersections of race, class, gender and religion emerge as Arab and South Asian Muslim Americans talk about interracial marriage and preferences for lighter-skinned mates. Muslim American children of immigrants test the boundaries of what constitutes an eligible spouse by drawing on religious sources that challenge their parents’ ideologies of colour and racial prejudices. Islam serves as a common moral ground between generations that came of age in different cultures, creating a space for negotiating conflicting visions. Long after religion has faded as the cornerstone of social protest against racism in the US, Muslim youth in American mosques revive it in debates about race and colour.
Which Factors Affect Farmers' Willingness for Soil Testing Technology Adoption: A Case Study of Tai Lake Watershed, China

This study examines the factors influencing China’s farmers’ degree of willingness to adopt soil testing technology (STT). A case study around Tai Lake Watershed (specifically in Jiangsu Province) was conducted, using a double bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method. Factors affecting farmers’ willingness to use less harmful fertilizer and their application in organic production were analyzed; farm characteristics in terms of size, land distribution pattern and type of crop growing; gender, age and education level and usage of private lending are all found significant in the study. Information channels, however, do not appear to contribute to enhancing adoption rates. Similarly, social capital in governmental sectors does not significantly influence farmers’ choices on STT adoption.
Effects of caffeine on cognitive, psychomotor, and affective performance of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Studies examining caffeine's effects on cognitive, psychomotor, and affective functioning of children with ADHD were reviewed. For children with ADHD, caffeine was more effective than no treatment in decreasing impulsivity, aggression, and parents' and teachers' perceptions of children's symptom severity, and more effective than placebo in decreasing hyperactivity and teachers' perceptions of children's symptom severity, and in improving executive functioning/planning. Methylphenidate was more effective than caffeine in decreasing hyperactivity, aggression, and parents' and teachers' perceptions of children's symptom severity, and in improving executive functioning/planning and motor coordination. Amphetamines were more effective than caffeine in reducing hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggression, and teachers' perceptions of children's symptom severity. Combining caffeine and stimulants to produce moderate levels of arousal may produce better functioning than caffeine or stimulant drugs alone. Research is needed regarding caffeine's effects on the functioning of adolescents and adults with ADHD.
Plasma serotonin and histamine levels in hemodialysis-related pruritus are not significantly influenced by 5-HT3 receptor blocker and antihistaminic therapy.

BACKGROUND Elevated plasma histamine levels are considered to play a part in the pathophysiology of hemodialysis-related pruritus. However, antihistaminic therapy often fails to provide sufficient relief. Elevated serotonin levels in patients on dialysis therapy have also been described but the effects of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists on hemodialysis-related pruritus remain controversial. METHODS we conducted a study to determine plasma histamine and serotonin levels before and after treatment with 5-HT3 receptor antagonists (tropisetron 5 mg and ondansetron 8 mg) and an antihistamine (cetirizine 10 mg). Eleven hemodialysis patients with a history of pruritus participated in this study,10 healthy volunteers served as control group. RESULTS Histamine and serotonin values were normal in patients and controls. Treatment with cetirizine did not significantly reduce histamine levels in patients or in controls. Tropisetron and ondansetron likewise did not alter serotonin levels in patients. Tropisetron treatment did not significantly change serotonin levels in controls. CONCLUSION Histamine and serotonin are no major mediators of pruritus in hemodialysis patients. Elevated histamine levels are occassionally seen and may be due to the increased mast cell number found in a subgroup of hemodialysis patients. Our findings explain the only marginal relief of antihistamines and the controversial antipruritic effect of serotonin receptor antagonists in hemodialysis-related pruritus.
Bringing Worlds Together: Cultural Brokerage in Multicultural Teams

This dissertation introduces and illuminates the phenomenon of cultural brokerage— the act of managing cross-cultural interactions in multicultural teams. Across four studies, I develop and test a theoretical model of cultural brokerage, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. I find that members of multicultural teams who have relatively more cross-cultural experience actively engage in cultural brokerage, even without being appointed to do so. Specifically, cultural insiders (those who have deep knowledge of the culture of the other members on the team) and cultural outsiders (those who have deep knowledge of multiple cultures other than the ones represented in the rest of the team) both engage in cultural brokerage, albeit in different ways. Insiders are more likely than outsiders to broker by directly resolving cultural issues; outsiders are more likely to broker by facilitating interactions. Both types of brokerage enhance team effectiveness. A key insight of this dissertation is that while cultural outsiders are generally perceived as being far less valuable than cultural insiders, they are actually equally effective in improving team performance, and even outperform insiders when it comes to enhancing certain aspects of team viability. This work contributes to the literatures on global teams, multicultural individuals, and creativity. In addition, it provides practical implications for effectively composing and managing multicultural teams.
p53 And proliferating cell nuclear antigen in endocrine tumors of pancreas and intestinal carcinoids

Summary Twenty six endocrine tumors of the pancreas and 19 carcinoids of the intestinal tract were studied with immunocytochemical staining for p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) to detect any correlation between PCNA and p53 immunostaining. PCNA immunostaining is somewhat variable in endocrine tumors of the pancreas whereas p53 overexpression was detected in one out of eight insulinomas (12.5%), four out of eight gastrinomas (50%) and none of two glucagonomas, six PPomas and two nonfunctioning tumors. In 19 intestinal carcinoids, two of eight small‐intestinal carcinoids (25%) were positive for p53 whereas five appendiceal and two colonic carcinoids were negative for p53. It was concluded that:PCNA staining is variable with no clear distinction between benign and malignant endocrine tumors of the pancreas and intestinal carcinoids, although positive PCNA staining may assess growth fraction of tumors;p53 overexpression is relatively rare both in endocrine tumors of the pancreas (one out of 18 non‐gastrinomas) and intestinal carcinoids, except for gastrinomas, in which 50% were positive for p53; andnon‐neoplastic islet cells are positive for p53.Abbreviations: PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen; PPoma, pancreatic polypeptide secreting tumor.
Poverty Prefers Company

In three web-based experiments, we show that both actual poverty and experimentally induced (imagined) poverty create a preference for greater inequality. Study 1, a cross-national comparison between Americans and Swedes, showed that respondents who were actually poor and those who were experimentally induced to imagine that they were poor tended to express a heightened preference for greater inequality, and for a higher proportion of poor citizens. Study 2 replicated the effects using different procedures. Study 3 showed that imagining oneself being poor increases preferences for a greater proportion of poor people, but imagining oneself being rich does not increase preferences for a greater proportion of rich people. This poverty prefers company effect might affect support for policies aiming at reducing the number of poor people.
Chapter 7: Commitment and Control: Alternative Strategies for the Organizational Design of Schools

This paper describes two strategies for the organizational design of schools and demonstrates how these strategies reflect current themes in the school improvement literature. The paper is based on the increasingly common observation that two "waves" of inconsistent and potentially incompatible reform initiatives occurred during the 1980s (Bacharach, Bauer, & Shedd, 1988; Kirst, 1988; Passow, 1989). In a first wave of reform, many large urban districts and several state legislatures responded to the problem of low achievement in schools by increasing bureaucratic controls over curriculum and teaching (Furhman, Clune, & Elmore, 1988; Rowan, Edelstein, & Leal, 1983). However, a reaction to this approach formed when it was argued that bureaucratic controls over schools are incompatible with the professional autonomy of teachers and potentially damaging to teacher morale (Darling-Hammond & Wise, 1985; Rosenholtz, 1987). Thus, many observers now see the formation of a second wave of school reform, one that advocates a decrease in bureaucratic controls in education and the creation of working conditions in schools that enhance the commitment and expertise of teachers. These observations pose a challenge to research on school organization. Throughout most of the 1970s, organization theorists described schools as loosely coupled systems that lacked both tight bureaucratic controls over teaching and the kinds of organizational supports that encourage professionalized teaching (Lortie, 1975; March & Olsen, 1976; Meyer & Rowan, 1978; Weick, 1976). This literature constituted a major theoretical advance, both in organization theory generally and in research on schools, but recent trends in school reform suggest that a continued fascination with loose coupling may be outdated. The educational reforms of the 1980s are designed to strengthen the weak bureaucratic and professional controls that led organization theorists to label schools as loosely