Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Top Management Team Diversity

Empirical research investigating the impact of top management team (TMT) diversity on executives’ decision making has produced inconclusive results. To synthesize and aggregate the results on the diversity-performance link, a meta-regression analysis (MRA) is conducted. It integrates more than 200 estimates from 53 empirical studies investigating TMT diversity and its impact on the quality of executives’ decision making as reflected in corporate performance. The analysis contributes to the literature by theoretically discussing and empirically examining the effects of TMT diversity on corporate performance. Our results do not show a link between TMT diversity and performance but provide evidence for publication bias. Thus, the findings raise doubts on the impact of TMT diversity on performance.
Acetylcholine receptors in the retinas of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor knockout mouse

Purpose The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is widely expressed in the nervous system, including in the inner retinal neurons in all species studied to date. Although reductions in the expression of α7 nAChRs are thought to contribute to the memory and visual deficits reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and schizophrenia , the α7 nAChR knockout (KO) mouse is viable and has only slight visual dysfunction. The absence of a major phenotypic abnormality may be attributable to developmental mechanisms that serve to compensate for α7 nAChR loss. We hypothesized that the upregulation of genes encoding other nAChR subunits or muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes during development partially accounts for the absence of major deficiencies in the α7 nAChR KO mouse. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the deletion of the α7 nAChR subunit in a mouse model resulted in changes in the regulation of other cholinergic receptors or other ion channels in an α7 nAChR KO mouse when compared to a wild-type (WT) mouse. Methods To examine gene expression changes, we employed a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using whole retina RNA extracts as well as RNA extracted from selected regions of the retina. These extracts were collected using laser capture microdissection (LCM). The presence of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunit and subtype proteins was determined via western blotting. To determine any differences in the number and distribution of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) amacrine cells, we employed wholemount and vertical immunohistochemistry (IHC) and cell counting. Additionally, in both WT and α7 nAChR KO mouse retinas, the distribution of the nAChR subunit and mAChR subtype proteins were determined via IHC for those KO mice that experienced mRNA changes. Results In the whole retina, there was a statistically significant upregulation of α2, α9, α10, β4, nAChR subunit, and m1 and m4 mAChR subtype transcripts in the α7 nAChR KO mice. However, the retinal layers showed complex patterns of transcript expression. In the ganglion cell layer (GCL), m2 and m4 mAChR subtype transcripts were significantly upregulated, while β3 and β4 nAChR subunit transcripts were significantly downregulated. In the inner portion of the inner nuclear layer (iINL), α2, α9, β4, nAChR subunit, and m3 and m4 mAChR subtype transcripts were significantly downregulated. In the outer portion of the inner nuclear layer (oINL), β2, β4, and m4 AChR subunit transcripts were significantly upregulated. Western blot experiments confirmed the protein expression of α3–α5 and α9-containing nAChR subunits and m1–m2 mAChR subtypes in mouse retinas. IHC results supported many of the mRNA changes observed. Finally, this is the first report of α9 and α10 nAChR subunit expressions in the retina of any species. Conclusions Rather than a simple upregulation of a single AChR subunit or subtype, the absence of the α7 nAChR in the KO mice was associated with complex layer-specific changes in the expression of AChR subunits and subtypes.
Experimental study of coated carbide tools behaviour: application for Ti-5-5-5-3 turning

The goal of this paper is to study the relation between the input data (conditions and geometry of cut) and answers (wear of tool, forces and cutting temperatures) when machining the Ti-5-5-5-3 alloy treated. This study has shown that the cutting process is different and that the slip forces are preponderates. Compared with other materials, the specific cutting pressure is higher and does not vary according to the cutting speed but depend on feed rate. Moreover, both edge preparation and feed rate have an influence on cutting force direction. Besides, cutting temperatures are high and almost similar to those provided by high speed machining with low cutting speed. Finally, we have shown that failure modes are different from those obtained when machining other titanium alloys. Built-up edge is the most deteriorating phenomenon and no flank wear was met in our study context.
Revisiting literature observations on photodarkening in Yb3+doped fiber considering the possible presence of Tm impurities

Ytterbium (Yb) doped fiber lasers are known to be affected by the creation of color centers during lasing (so-called photodarkening (PD)). In a previous work, this defect creation was investigated from a spectroscopic point of view, showing the presence of traces (ppb) of thulium (Tm) in the Yb doped fiber. It was shown that Tm has a strong impact on the defect creation process involved in PD. In this paper, we compare the results from the literature with our Tm hypothesis, without finding any contradiction. Moreover, this hypothesis can be an explanation for the discrepancies in the literature.
Research Efficacy beliefs and work stress: Note An exploratory study

Summary This study investigated the possible role of self-efficacy in the stress process by examining relations between stressors (role ambiguity, situational constraints, and hours), strains (job dissatisfaction, anxiety, frustration, and turnover intent), and efficacy beliefs (both individual and collective). Individual efficacy was related to only two of the four strains and had no mediating or moderating effects. Collective efficacy, however, was strongly related to both stressors and strains. Collective efficacy also moderated the effect of work hours and mediated the relation between situational constraints and two of the strain measures. It was concluded that the theory of individual self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977) may not adequately explain collective efficacy. Future research on the self-efficacy construct as well as its role in the stress process was suggested.
On the largest prime factor of n! + 2 n 1

Pour un entier n > 2, notons P(n) le plus grand facteur premier de n. Nous obtenons des majorations sur le nombre de solutions de congruences de la forme n! + 2" - 1 ≡ 0 (mod q) et nous utilisons ces bornes pour montrer que lim sup P(n! + 2 n - 1)/n ≥ (2π 2 + 3)/18. n→∞.
Evidence for a fast evolution of the UV luminosity function beyond redshift 6 from a deep HAWK-I survey of the GOODS-S field

We perform a deep search for galaxies in the redshift range 6.5<z<7.5, to measure the evolution of the number density of luminous galaxies in this redshift range and derive useful constraints on the evolution of their Luminosity Function. We present here the first results of an ESO Large Program, that exploits the unique combination of area and sensitivity provided in the near-IR by the camera Hawk-I at the VLT. We have obtained two Hawk-I pointings on the GOODS South field for a total of 32 observing hours, covering ~90 arcmin2. The images reach Y=26.7 mags for the two fields. We have used public ACS images in the z band to select z-dropout galaxies with the colour criteria Z-Y>1, Y-J<1.5 and Y-K<2. The other public data in the UBVRIJHK bands are used to reject possible low redshift interlopers. The output has been compared with extensive Monte Carlo simulations to quantify the observational effects of our selection criteria as well as the effects of photometric errors. We detect 7 high quality candidates in the magnitude range Y=25.5-26.7. This interval samples the critical range for M* at z>6 (M_1500 ~- 19.5 to -21.5). After accounting for the expected incompleteness, we rule out at a 99% confidence level a Luminosity Function constant from z=6 to z=7, even including the effects of cosmic variance. For galaxies brighter than M_1500=-19.0 we derive a luminosity density rho_UV=1.5^{+2.0}_{-0.9} 10^25 erg/s/Hz/Mpc3, implying a decrease by a factor 3.5 from z=6 to z~6.8. On the basis of our findings, we make predictions for the surface densities expected in future surveys surveys, based on ULTRA-VISTA, HST-WFC3 or JWST-NIRCam, evaluating the best observational strategy to maximise their impact.
Efficient sensor selection based on spatial correlation in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we study the selection of active sensors in wireless sensor networks (WSN) subject to a limited energy consumption and a given estimation error. A cost function based on spatial correlation is derived for active sensor selection. Accordingly, a new adaptive algorithm is proposed in which the number of active sensors is adaptively determined and the best topology of active set is selected based on the add one sensor node at a time method. Simulation results show that the distortion of the optimum defined cost function is less than suboptimum one. Also, the performance of the proposed algorithm for sensor selection in computational burden is better than the other algorithm.
Evaluator and Program Manager Perceptions of Evaluation Capacity and Evaluation Practice

The evaluation community has demonstrated an increased emphasis and interest in evaluation capacity building in recent years. A need currently exists to better understand how to measure evaluation capacity and its potential outcomes. In this study, we distributed an online questionnaire to managers and evaluation points of contact working in grantee programs funded by four large federal public health programs. The goal of the research was to investigate the extent to which assessments of evaluation capacity and evaluation practice are similar or different for individuals representing the same program. The research findings revealed both similarities and differences within matched respondent pairs, indicating that whom one asks to rate evaluation capacity in an organization matters.
Citation in business management research articles

Citation is a common, recurrent feature of written academic discourse in general and of research articles in particular. It has been found that different disciplinary discourse communities develop particular citation conventions (Hyland 1999, 2000, 2002). It is believed, however, that not only the discipline but also the language in which the RA is written and the cultural context within which the RA is published, might influence the use made of citations. Hence, this paper investigates citation conventions in RAs from a single discipline, business management, written in two languages, American English and Spanish, published in two different socio-cultural environments. The aim of this paper is to carry out a contrastive analysis of (i) the frequency of use of citations, (ii) their distribution across the different moves of a RA, (iii) the type of citation (non-integral vs. integral), and (iv) the use of reporting structures. Both similarities and differences were found between the citation practices of American and Spanish scholars. It can be inferred from this that whereas the rhetorical similarities can be discipline-bound, the differences are to be seen as language and culture-driven and should be best explained in terms of the different socio-cultural contexts in which the RAs composing the corpus were produced and distributed.
The Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale. XXIV. The Calibration of Tully-Fisher Relations and the Value of the Hubble Constant

This paper presents the calibration of BVRIH-0.5 Tully-Fisher relations based on Cepheid distances to 21 galaxies within 25 Mpc and 23 clusters within 10,000 km s-1. These relations have been applied to several distant cluster surveys in order to derive a value for the Hubble constant, H0, mainly concentrating on an I-band all-sky survey by Giovanelli and collaborators, consisting of total I magnitudes and 50% line width data for ~550 galaxies in 16 clusters. For comparison, we also derive the values of H0 using surveys in the B and V bands by Bothun and collaborators, and in H band by Aaronson and collaborators. Careful comparisons with various other databases from the literature suggest that the H-band data, which have isophotal magnitudes extrapolated from aperture magnitudes rather than total magnitudes, are subject to systematic uncertainties. Taking a weighted average of the estimates of Hubble constants from four surveys, we obtain H0 = 71 ± 4 (random) ± 7 (systematic). We have also investigated how the value of H0 is affected by various systematic uncertainties, such as the internal extinction correction method used, Tully-Fisher slopes and shapes, a possible metallicity dependence of the Cepheid period-luminosity relation, and cluster population incompleteness bias.
BOREAS in 1997: Experiment overview, scientific results, and future directions

The goal of the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) is to improve our understanding of the interactions between the boreal forest biome and the atmosphere in order to clarify their roles in global change. This overview paper describes the science background and motivations for BOREAS and the experimental design and operations of the BOREAS 1994 and BOREAS 1996 field years. The findings of the 83 papers in this journal special issue are reviewed. In section 7, important scientific results of the project to date are summarized and future research directions are identified.
Genomic variants at the PINK1 locus are associated with transcript abundance and plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations in European whites

The purpose of this study was to characterize associations between PINK1 genotypes, PINK1 transcript levels, and metabolic phenotypes in healthy adults and those with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We measured PINK1 skeletal muscle transcript levels and 8 independent PINK1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a cohort of 208 Danish whites and in a cohort of 1701 British whites (SNPs and metabolic phenotypes only). Furthermore, we assessed the effects of PINK1 transcript ablation in primary adipocytes using RNA interference (RNAi). Six PINK1 SNPs were associated with PINK1 transcript levels (P<0.04 to P<0.0001). Obesity modified the association between PINK1 transcript levels and T2D risk (interaction P=0.005);transcript levels were inversely related with T2D in obese (n=105) [odds ratio (OR) per sd increase in expression levels = 0.44; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23, 0.84; P=0.013] but not in nonobese (n=103) (OR=1.20;95% CI: 0.82, 1.76; P=0.34) individuals. In the British cohort, several PINK1 SNPs were associated with plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations. Nominal genotype associations were also observed for fasting glucose, 2‐h glucose, and maximal oxygen consumption, although these were not statistically significant after correcting for multiple testing. In primary adipocytes, Pink1 knockdown affected fatty acid binding protein 4 (Fabp4) expression, indicating that PINK1 may influence substrate metabolism. We demonstrate that PINK1 polymorphisms are associated with PINK1 transcript levels and measures of fatty acid metabolism in a concordant manner, whereas our RNAi data imply that PINK1 may indirectly influence lipid metabolism. —Franks, P. W. , Scheele, C. , Loos, R. J. F. , Nielsen, A. R. , Finucane, F. M. , Wahlestedt, C. , Pedersen, B. K. , Wareham, N. J., Timmons, J. A. Genomic variants at the PINK1 locus are associated with transcript abundance and plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations in European whites. FASEB J. 22, 3135–3145 (2008)
Developmental Trajectories of Academic Achievement in Chinese Children: Contributions of Early Social-Behavioral Functioning.

This study explored the developmental trajectories of academic achievement and the contributions of early social behaviors and problems to these trajectories in Chinese children. Data were collected each year in 5 consecutive years from a sample of elementary schoolchildren in China (initially N = 1,146, 609 boys, initial M age = 8.33 years). Four distinct academic achievement trajectories were identified: low-stable, high/moderate-decreasing, high-increasing, and high-stable. Children high on sociability and low on externalizing behaviors and girls were more likely to be classified in the higher academic achievement trajectories. Initial higher levels of social competence were associated with lower decreasing rates of academic achievement within the high/moderate-decreasing trajectory. Initial lower levels of shyness and fewer externalizing behaviors predicted higher growth rates within the high-increasing trajectory. In addition, within the low-stable trajectory, children initially low on shyness and high on social-behavioral problems remained poor in academic achievement over time. The results suggest the significance of social-behavioral functioning in predicting the distinctive trajectories of academic achievement in Chinese children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Embodying Deficiency Through ‘Affective Practice’: Shame, Relationality, and the Lived Experience of Social Class and Gender in Higher Education

Based on empirical research with participants from working-class backgrounds studying and working in higher education in England, this article examines the lived experience of shame. Building on a feminist Bourdieusian approach to social class analysis, the article contends that ‘struggles for value’ within the field of higher education precipitate classed judgements, which have the potential to generate shame. Through an examination of the ‘affective practice’ of judgement, the article explores the contingencies that precipitate shame and the embodiment of deficiency. The article links the classed and gendered dimensions of shame with valuation, arguing that the fundamental relationality of social class and gender is not only generative of shame, but that shame helps in turn to structure both working-class experience and a view of the working classes as ‘deficient’.
Diffusion based projection method for distributed source localization in wireless sensor networks

Source localization based on energy measurements is an important problem in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). It is well known that the associated objective function is not convex and may have multiple local optima and saddle points. Most of the existing algorithms can not achieve global optima. In this paper, we formulate the source localization as a convex feasibility problem (CFP) and propose a diffusion based projection method as a solution. In the proposed method, no fusion center is required; the sensor nodes need to communicate only with their closest neighbors and all the sensors update their estimations simultaneously and finally they are able to achieve consensus on a possible minimizer asymptotically. The proposed method has low complexity and achieves global optimality. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed method has good estimation performance whether or not the CFP is consistent or inconsistent.
Early Intervention in Reading

This study documents the implementation of research-based strategies to minimize the occurrence of reading difficulties in a first-grade population. Three strategies were implemented: (a) A system of progress monitoring was used to assess student progress and skill acquisition; (b) instruction was characterized by high intensity through the use of groups with a low student–teacher ratio; and (c) an explicit instructional approach was used for children who lacked phonemic awareness or an understanding of the alphabetic principle. Furthermore, teachers were supported in working collaboratively with one another and were provided with ongoing support from a literacy coach. Ninety percent of participants met or exceeded grade-level expectations by the end of the year, and 75% of treatment resisters were eligible for special education. Challenges related to implementation are discussed.
Change to costs and lengths of stay in the emergency department and the Brisbane protocol: an observational study

Objective To compare health service cost and length of stay between a traditional and an accelerated diagnostic approach to assess acute coronary syndromes (ACS) among patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) of a large tertiary hospital in Australia. Design, setting and participants This historically controlled study analysed data collected from two independent patient cohorts presenting to the ED with potential ACS. The first cohort of 938 patients was recruited in 2008–2010, and these patients were assessed using the traditional diagnostic approach detailed in the national guideline. The second cohort of 921 patients was recruited in 2011–2013 and was assessed with the accelerated diagnostic approach named the Brisbane protocol. The Brisbane protocol applied early serial troponin testing for patients at 0 and 2 h after presentation to ED, in comparison with 0 and 6 h testing in traditional assessment process. The Brisbane protocol also defined a low-risk group of patients in whom no objective testing was performed. A decision tree model was used to compare the expected cost and length of stay in hospital between two approaches. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was used to account for model uncertainty. Results Compared with the traditional diagnostic approach, the Brisbane protocol was associated with reduced expected cost of $1229 (95% CI −$1266 to $5122) and reduced expected length of stay of 26 h (95% CI −14 to 136 h). The Brisbane protocol allowed physicians to discharge a higher proportion of low-risk and intermediate-risk patients from ED within 4 h (72% vs 51%). Results from sensitivity analysis suggested the Brisbane protocol had a high chance of being cost-saving and time-saving. Conclusions This study provides some evidence of cost savings from a decision to adopt the Brisbane protocol. Benefits would arise for the hospital and for patients and their families.
Glacial water mass geometry and the distribution of D 13 C of 2 CO 2 in the western Atlantic Ocean

[1] Oxygen and carbon isotopic data were produced on the benthic foraminiferal taxa Cibicidoides and Planulina from 25 new piston cores, gravity cores, and multicores from the Brazil margin. The cores span water depths from about 400 to 3000 m and intersect the major water masses in this region. These new data fill a critical gap in the South Atlantic Ocean and provide the motivation for updating the classic glacial western Atlantic dC transect of Duplessy et al. (1988). The distribution of dC of SCO2 requires the presence of three distinct water masses in the glacial Atlantic Ocean: a shallow ( 1000 m), southern source water mass with an end-member dC value of about 0.3–0.5% VPDB, a middepth ( 1500 m), northern source water mass with an end-member value of about 1.5%, and a deep (>2000 m), southern source water with an end-member value of less than 0.2%, and perhaps as low as the 0.9% values observed in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean (Ninnemann and Charles, 2002). The origins of the water masses are supported by the meridional gradients in benthic foraminiferal dO. A revised glacial section of deep water dC documents the positions and gradients among these end-member intermediate and deep water masses. The large property gradients in the presence of strong vertical mixing can only be maintained by a vigorous overturning circulation.