Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of perceived authentic leadership and core self-evaluations on organizational citizenship behavior: The role of psychological empowerment as a partial mediator

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the perceived authentic leadership of supervisors and employees’ core self-evaluations on their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and to examine the role of psychological empowerment as a partial mediator of those relationships. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was used to obtain individual perceptions from employees working in one of the biggest companies in Korea. Data from 374 samples was analyzed. Construct validity of each measurement model is examined using confirmatory factor analysis and the hypothesized structural model is tested by structural equation modeling. Findings The authors found that perceived authentic leadership, core self-evaluation, and employees’ psychological empowerment had significant impact on employees’ OCB, accounting for 58 percent of the variance in OCB. In addition, 54 percent of the variance in psychological empowerment was explained by authentic leadership and core self-evaluations, partially mediating the relationship between authentic leadership and OCB and the relationship between core self-evaluations and OCB. Originality/value Positivity is instrumental in driving intrinsic motivation for work and voluntary devotion to colleagues and organizations. This study contributed to the emerging research branch of management and organizational psychology such as positive organization scholarship and positive organizational behavior by exploring the relationship among the relevant constructs. More specifically, the authors found that positive contextual factor (i.e. authentic leadership), positive personality factor (i.e. core self-evaluations), and positive work experience (i.e. psychological empowerment) do have positive influence on employees’ extra-role performance (i.e. OCB).
Model-Free Machine Learning in Biomedicine: Feasibility Study in Type 1 Diabetes

Although reinforcement learning (RL) is suitable for highly uncertain systems, the applicability of this class of algorithms to medical treatment may be limited by the patient variability which dictates individualised tuning for their usually multiple algorithmic parameters. This study explores the feasibility of RL in the framework of artificial pancreas development for type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this approach, an Actor-Critic (AC) learning algorithm is designed and developed for the optimisation of insulin infusion for personalised glucose regulation. AC optimises the daily basal insulin rate and insulin:carbohydrate ratio for each patient, on the basis of his/her measured glucose profile. Automatic, personalised tuning of AC is based on the estimation of information transfer (IT) from insulin to glucose signals. Insulin-to-glucose IT is linked to patient-specific characteristics related to total daily insulin needs and insulin sensitivity (SI). The AC algorithm is evaluated using an FDA-accepted T1D simulator on a large patient database under a complex meal protocol, meal uncertainty and diurnal SI variation. The results showed that 95.66% of time was spent in normoglycaemia in the presence of meal uncertainty and 93.02% when meal uncertainty and SI variation were simultaneously considered. The time spent in hypoglycaemia was 0.27% in both cases. The novel tuning method reduced the risk of severe hypoglycaemia, especially in patients with low SI.
Effect of PCSK9 Inhibition by Alirocumab on Lipoprotein Particle Concentrations Determined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Background In patients with discordance between low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and LDL particle (LDL‐P) concentrations, cardiovascular risk more closely correlates with LDL−P. Methods and Results We investigated the effect of alirocumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, on lipoprotein particle concentration and size in hypercholesterolemic patients, using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Plasma samples were collected from patients receiving alirocumab 150 mg every 2 weeks (n=26) or placebo (n=31) during a phase II, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial in patients (LDL cholesterol ≥100 mg/dL) on a stable atorvastatin dose. In this post hoc analysis, percentage change in concentrations of LDL−P, very‐low‐density lipoprotein particles, and high‐density lipoprotein particles from baseline to week 12 was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance. Alirocumab significantly reduced mean concentrations of total LDL‐P (−63.3% versus −1.0% with placebo) and large (−71.3% versus −21.8%) and small (−54.0% versus +17.8%) LDL‐P subfractions and total very‐low‐density lipoprotein particle concentrations (−36.4% versus +33.4%; all P<0.01). Total high‐density lipoprotein particles increased with alirocumab (+11.2% versus +1.4% with placebo; P<0.01). There were greater increases in large (44.6%) versus medium (17.7%) or small high‐density lipoprotein particles (2.8%) with alirocumab. LDL‐P size remained relatively unchanged in both groups; however, very‐low‐density and high‐density lipoprotein particle sizes increased to a significantly greater extent with alirocumab. Conclusions Alirocumab significantly reduced LDL‐C and LDL‐P concentrations in hypercholesterolemic patients receiving stable atorvastatin therapy. These findings may be of particular relevance to patients with discordant LDL‐C and LDL‐P concentrations. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01288443.
Filaments and ridges in Vela C revealed by Herschel: from low-mass to high-mass star-forming sites

We present the first Herschel PACS and SPIRE results of the Vela C molecular complex in the far-infrared and submillimetre regimes at 70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 um, spanning the peak of emission of cold prestellar or protostellar cores. Column density and multi-resolution analysis (MRA) differentiates the Vela C complex into five distinct sub-regions. Each sub-region displays differences in their column density and temperature probability distribution functions (PDFs), in particular, the PDFs of the 'Centre-Ridge' and 'South-Nest' sub-regions appear in stark contrast to each other. The Centre-Ridge displays a bimodal temperature PDF representative of hot gas surrounding the HII region RCW 36 and the cold neighbouring filaments, whilst the South-Nest is dominated by cold filamentary structure. The column density PDF of the Centre-Ridge is flatter than the South-Nest, with a high column density tail, consistent with formation through large-scale flows, and regulation by self-gravity. At small to intermediate scales MRA indicates the Centre-Ridge to be twice as concentrated as the South-Nest, whilst on larger scales, a greater portion of the gas in the South-Nest is dominated by turbulence than in the Centre-Ridge. In Vela C, high-mass stars appear to be preferentially forming in ridges, i.e., dominant high column density filaments.
Product Market Competition and Optimal Debt Contracts : The Limited Liability E ® ect Revisited

This paper shows that asymmetric information between lenders and borrowers plays a crucial role in the existence of interactions between ̄nancial decisions and output market strategies. Lenders o®er an optimal, renegotiation-proof ̄nancial contract which resembles a standard debt contract. Computing Cournot equilibria, debt causes ̄rms to compete less aggressively: the usual (positive) limited liability e®ect on quantities is o®set by a negative one due to (endogenous) ̄nancial costs.
On perturbations of Dirac operators with variable magnetic field of constant direction

We carry out the spectral analysis of matrix valued perturbations of three-dimensional Dirac operators with variable magnetic field of constant direction. Under suitable assumptions on the magnetic field and on the pertubations, we obtain a limiting absorption principle, we prove the absence of singular continuous spectrum in certain intervals and state properties of the point spectrum. Various situations, for example, when the magnetic field is constant, periodic or diverging at infinity, are covered. The importance of an internal-type operator (a two-dimensional Dirac operator) is also revealed in our study. The proofs rely on commutator methods.
The effect of psychological state and social support on nail-biting in adolescents: An exploratory study

Nail-biting is one of the most common behavioral problems in children. This study aimed to examine factors affecting nail-biting among adolescents and the effects of psychological state and social support on nail-biting. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May of 2014 in seven schools in Istanbul (N = 724). Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Brief Symptom Inventory, and Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale. This study found that 48.2% of adolescents in the 11- to 17-years-old age group had a habit of nail-biting. Anxiety, depression, negative self image, somatization, hostility, and three global index scores of adolescents who bit their nails were significantly higher than in those who did not. Social support scores of those who bit their nails were significantly lower than in those who did not in the ‘mother’ and ‘classmates’ subscales and total scores. Psychological state and social support were factors affecting nail-biting among adolescents.
Sex differences in facial asymmetry indices among Hausa ethnic group of Nigeria

Background: Evaluation of facial symmetry in a given population may help in understanding the level of environmental stress exposed by the population. Within the same population, males and females may respond differently to environmental stressors, which can be manifested as deviation from perfect symmetry. Objectives: The study seeks to investigate the sex differences in three asymmetry indices and to also determine the side dominance and type of asymmetry in facial features among Hausas of Kano state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out on Hausas of Kano state. A total of 283 individuals comprising 147 males and 136 females of age range 18–25 years were selected using simple random sampling technique. Photometric methods were used to capture the face. Three indices, signed asymmetry (SA), absolute asymmetry (AA), and composite asymmetry (CA), were used to assess asymmetry in facial dimensions. Independent sample t-test was used to test for sex differences in the variables, and one sample t-test was used to determine fluctuating asymmetry. Results: The result showed that females tend to have statistically significant mean value only in orbital width. For zygon to gnathion facial distance, the statistically significant higher mean was observed in males. For the three indices asymmetry, no significant sexual dimorphism in SA index was observed. However, males tend to have leftward SA in orbital width and zygon to gnathion distance. In AA and CA, a significant sexual dimorphism was noticed only in zygon to gnathion distance. Females had higher mean value in AA than the males; however, CA tended to be higher in male population. The facial variables exhibited fluctuating type of asymmetry. Conclusion: There are sex differences in AA and CA indices. Left warded type of SA was exhibited in male of Hausa origin. The facial asymmetry in Hausa ethnic group of Kano is more of fluctuating type of asymmetry.
Mind-wandering and dysphoria

Mind-wandering shares a number of important similarities with thinking in depression. This experiment examines whether mind-wandering provides a useful marker of cognition in dysphoria during a word learning task. Dysphoria was associated with more accessible mind-wandering when attempting to encode verbal items. In addition, in the dysphoric population, periods when the mind wandered led to greater decoupling from task-relevant processing as indexed by slower response times, and greater physiological arousal, as indexed by faster heart rates. In the general population, periods of mind-wandering when attempting to encode information were associated with poor retrieval and high skin conductance. Finally, the extent to which mind-wandering was associated with poor retrieval was associated with an individuals’ latency to retrieve specific autobiographical memories from outside the laboratory. These results provide strong evidence for the utility of mind-wandering as a marker for depressive thinking and suggest a number of important implications for therapy for depression.
A pr 2 00 7 Wavepacket preservation under nonlinear evolution

We study nonlinear systems of hyperbolic (in a wider sense) PDE's in R d describing wave propagation in dispersive nonlinear media such as, for example, electromagnetic waves in nonlinear photonic crystals. The initial data is assumed to be a finite sum of wavepackets referred to as a multi-wavepacket. The wavepackets and the medium nonlinearity are characterized by two principal small parameters β and ̺ where: (i) 1 β is a factor describing spatial extension of involved wavepackets; (ii) 1 ̺ is a factor describing the relative magnitude of the linear part of the evolution equation compared to its nonlinearity. A key element in our approach is a proper definition of a wavepacket. Remarkably, the introduced definition has a flexibility sufficient for a wavepacket to preserve its defining properties under a general nonlinear evolution for long times. In particular, the corresponding wave vectors and the band numbers of involved wavepack-ets are " conserved quantities ". We also prove that the evolution of a multi-wavepacket is described with high accuracy by a properly constructed system of envelope equations with a universal nonlinearity. The universal nonlinearity is obtained by a time averaging applied to the original nonlinearity, in simpler cases the averaged system turns into a system of Nonlinear Schrodinger equations.
“Club Reports” Queered Considerations of Children’s Understandings of Families, Relationships,Social Practices, and Literature in an Afterschool Reading Club

This qualitative inquiry uses queer theory and an epistemic justice framework to analyze interactions in a reading club for first graders. The title “Club Reports” is a play on words referring both to this dissertation and to a bound book of the children’s work. The literary event of a weekly reading club is a lens to consider literacy as a social practice. I ask: what happens when a diverse group of children participate in an afterschool reading club that focuses on representations of families? Data was gathered using ethnographic methods including audio and video recordings, participant interviews, artifact collection, parent interviews, and researcher documentation. Through the analytic framework, I consider if and how our meetings queered normative understandings of gender, family, relationships, literacy practices, childhood, and child cultures. Findings suggest that current knowledge resources about families, children, and social organization more broadly situate cisgender males and heterosexual relationships as the norm. This pervasive heteronormativity may have limited how the group discussed variations in their homes and personal beliefs. This epistemic injustice – or lack of collective resources that reflect the true breadth of experiences – has the potential to harm all participants. This study raises awareness of ways that variations in family and child experiences may be stultified in normative social discourses. Findings are potential resources for researchers, educators, and those interested in inclusiveness in educational settings for children. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Education First Advisor Vivian L. Gadsden
ATTITUDES AND SOCIAL COGNITION On the Genesis of Confidence

Confidence in personality impressions is proposed to stem from the richness of people's mental representations of others. Representational richness produces confidence because it enhances the fluency with which people can make judgments, and it increases confidence even when it does not result in more accurate impressions. Results of 3 experiments support these propositions. A 4th experiment suggests that representational richness is increased by both pseudorelevant and relevant information, but not by irrelevant information. A 5th experiment suggests that representational richness has effects on confidence above and beyond the effects of metainformation (i.e., extracontent aspects of information). The implications of these findings for evaluating evidence of error in person perception and for reducing stereotyping and prejudice are discussed. "We grew up together—I know her better than I know myself. " "I've only talked to him twice, so I may be wrong about him. " People often qualify reports of their impressions with statements such as these, suggesting that some of their beliefs about others are held with great conviction, whereas other beliefs are held only tentatively. In this article, we investigate the origin of these differences in confidence. Understanding the origin of confidence is important because confidence seems to affect whether people translate their beliefs into behaviors. For example, a hiring committee may be intrigued by a job candidate on skimming her vita but will hire her only after boosting its confidence through conversations with the candidate herself. Likewise, one would entrust a large sum of money to a broker only after becoming confident that the broker will not take the money and run. This tendency for confidently held beliefs to be a more potent impetus for behavior than tentatively held beliefs has been confirmed in several empirical
The semiotic hierarchy: life, consciousness, signs and language

This article outlines a general theory of meaning, The Semiotic Hierarchy, which distinguishes between four major levels in the organization of meaning: life, consciousness, sign function and language, where each of these, in this order, both rests on the previous level, and makes possible the attainment of the next. This is shown to be one possible instantiation of the Cognitive Semiotics program, with influences from phenomenology, Popper’s tripartite ontology, semiotics, linguistics, enactive cognitive science and evolutionary biology. Key concepts such as “language” and “sign” are defined, as well as the four levels of The Semiotic Hierarchy, on the basis of the type of (a) subject, (b) value-system and (c) world in which the subject is embedded. Finally, it is suggested how the levels can be united in an evolutionary framework, assuming a strong form of emergence giving rise to “ontologically” new properties: consciousness, signs and languages, on the basis of a semiotic, though not standardly biosemiotic, understanding of life.
Parental Capital and Strategies for School Choice Making: Polish Parents in England and Scotland

Based on a study of Polish migrants living in England and Scotland, this paper explores how Polish families who have decided to bring up their children in the UK make initial school choices. The Polish parents taking part in our study generally had low levels of social and cultural capital (Bourdieu 1986) upon arrival in the UK: they had limited networks (predominantly bonding capital) (Putnam 2000) and a poor command of English, and lacked basic knowledge of the British education system. Meanwhile, this is a highly complex system, very much different from the Polish one; moreover, school choice plays a much more important role within the UK system, especially at the level of secondary education. We found that while some parents acted as ‘disconnected choosers’ (Gewirtz, Ball, Bowe 1995) following the strategy they would use in Poland and simply enrolling their children in the nearest available school, others attempted to make an informed choice. In looking for schools, parents first and foremost turned to co-ethnic networks for advice and support; nevertheless, parents who attempted to make an informed choice typically lacked ‘insider knowledge’ and often held misconceptions about the British education system. The one feature of the system Polish parents were very much aware of, however, was the existence of Catholic schools; therefore, religious beliefs played a key role in school choice among Polish parents (with some seeking and others avoiding Catholic schools). The ‘active choosers’ also made choices based on first impressions and personal beliefs about what was best for their child (e.g. in terms of ethnic composition of the school) or allowed their children to make the choice. Parents of disabled children were most restricted in exercising school choice, as only certain schools cater for complex needs. All in all, the Polish parents in our sample faced similar barriers to BME (Black Minority Ethnic) parents in exercising school choice in the UK and, regardless of their own levels of education, their school selection strategies resembled those of the British working class rather than of the middle class. However, the risk of ‘bad’ initial school choice may be largely offset by a generally strong preference for Catholic schools and parents’ high educational ambitions for their children.
Positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the management of recurrent/metastatic breast cancer: a large retrospective study from the Royal Marsden Hospital.

BACKGROUND Despite the increasing use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the management of patients with breast cancer, its role is yet to be defined. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed PET/CT scans carried out in breast cancer patients, the indication, concordance/discordance with other imaging and whether their use had altered patient management. RESULTS PET/CT scans (233) were carried out in 122 patients between July 2004 and October 2008. Indications were as follows: staging (S) (91), response assessment (RA) (87), clarification (C) of findings on other imaging (32) and reassurance (ASS) (23). In the S group, positive scans were helpful in accurately defining the extent of disease and guided localised or systemic treatment. PET/CT was particularly useful for detecting lytic bone metastases. One-third of the scans was carried out for RA. PET/CT allowed early RA and in some cases appropriate discontinuation of ineffective treatment. PET/CT was used effectively for the clarification of indeterminate lesions on CT (18), magnetic resonance imaging (15) and bone scan (13). In the ASS group, all scans were negative. CONCLUSIONS PET/CT is useful in accurately staging metastatic disease, assessing response to systemic treatment and clarifying equivocation on other imaging. Incorporation of PET/CT in these areas contributes to breast cancer management optimisation.