Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Evaluations of a Model of Mental Workload

The present experiments were designed to test predictions from a model of mental workload. The model predicts non-linear increases in mental workload as perceived distance from a task goal grows and effective time for action is reduced. Diminution of mental workload is achieved by application of effort which brings the task goal into the region of acceptable time/distance constraints for successful resolution. Two experiments are reported which tested these assertions using the timepools performance task. Timepools is unique as a performance task in that it generates a spatial representation of a shrinking temporal target. The independent effects of path length, i.e., the number of sequential targets to be acquired, and shrink rate, i.e., the collapse time during which the circle is halved in area, may be assessed using performance variables such as reaction time (RT), movement time (MT), error rate (E), and the subjective perception of workload. Data from Experiment 1, indicate systematic effects for task related factors across performance and workload measures, although such a pattern was not isomorphically mapped to the a priori assumed difficulty of the task. In Experiment 2, shrink rate and path length had independent effect on RT and MT respectively, which were reflected in components of the individual workload scales. The ramifications with respect to the model are elaborated.
Political Control and Managerial Survival in State‐Owned Enterprises

This article explores the impact of political determinants on the survival of managers in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Drawing on theories of bureaucratic delegation, it is argued that preference divergence between principals and agents as well as among principals is a major driver of managerial turnover. More specifically, the partisan affiliation of SOE-managers with the government, the opposition, or individual ministers can serve to explain the length of their tenure. The analysis employs Cox proportional hazard regressions to test these hypotheses on an original data set of 1,671 managers serving in 87 public corporations in Austria between 1995 and 2010, thus presenting one of the first large-n analyses of political appointments in a parliamentary system. The results strongly support the proposition that partisan affiliation drives managerial survival.
A novel quality control compartment derived from the endoplasmic reticulum.

Degradation of proteins that, because of improper or suboptimal processing, are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) involves retrotranslocation to reach the cytosolic ubiquitin-proteasome machinery. We found that substrates of this pathway, the precursor of human asialoglycoprotein receptor H2a and free heavy chains of murine class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC), accumulate in a novel preGolgi compartment that is adjacent to but not overlapping with the centrosome, the Golgi complex, and the ER-to-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC). On its way to degradation, H2a associated increasingly after synthesis with the ER translocon Sec61. Nevertheless, it remained in the secretory pathway upon proteasomal inhibition, suggesting that its retrotranslocation must be tightly coupled to the degradation process. In the presence of proteasomal inhibitors, the ER chaperones calreticulin and calnexin, but not BiP, PDI, or glycoprotein glucosyltransferase, concentrate in the subcellular region of the novel compartment. The "quality control" compartment is possibly a subcompartment of the ER. It depends on microtubules but is insensitive to brefeldin A. We discuss the possibility that it is also the site for concentration and retrotranslocation of proteins that, like the mutant cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, are transported to the cytosol, where they form large aggregates, the "aggresomes. "
Aspects of values in human-technology interaction design : a content-based view to values

Maksimainen, Johanna Aspects of Values in Human-Technology Interaction Design—A Content-Based View to Values Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2011, 111 p. (Jyvaskyla Studies in Computing ISSN 1456-5390; 144) ISBN 978-951-39-4570-1 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-4571-8 (PDF) In this dissertation, values in human-technology interaction (HTI) are discussed within a content-based framework. In this approach, human thinking in different contexts is set at the focal point. Attention is devoted to those cognitive processes through which mental representations are constructed as well as to the information contents of mental representations. In content-based reference frame mental contents are in decisive role for understanding human behaviour. To explain the differences in HTI design in the behavioural patterns of professionals and their respective mental representations, together with an examination of values, which are traditionally studied through multidisciplinary methods typically conceived as a type of knowledge that guides the principles of actions and perceptions is extended in this study to mental contents. Herein the content-based perspective of designers’ values is presented as linked to ethics. By applying content-based analysis to an examination of conceptual contents and through interpreting those processes of values, it is possible to reach a deeper view of the cognitive mechanisms which lie as the motivational foundation of human behaviours, such as professional practices. In the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs), specifically HTI design, this study intends to explore the role of values; their formulation and functioning. This study stresses the importance of internalized values among HTI designers and other actors in the ICT field when ensuring systems such as eLearning applications that would empower their users through their subjective choices. The content-based approach is applied not only to participants in the field of HTI design, but also to various sorts of texts, such as to declarations and IT policies. The scope of values within technology depends to a large extent on how technology is conceptualized. The last few decades has witnessed a variety of interpretations of technology that move beyond the conceptualization of technology as a neutral tool or a historical necessity. This study introduces the conceptualization of technology as primarily a sociocultural, professional and cognitive activity. The examples herein are presented through selected articles. The results provide a more comprehensive understanding of specific values at play within HTI design practices.
The demand for external auditing: managerial share ownership, size, gearing and liquidity influences

Small companies with a turnover of up to £90,000 have been exempted from a compulsory audit since 1994. This paper is an investigation of why some small companies chose to continue with the audit whilst others abandoned it. The basic hypothesis of the paper is that a major reason why some small companies continue to be audited is to help control the conflict of interests among managers, shareholders, and outside creditors. Based on this analysis, the probability that a company will be audited voluntarily are predicted to increase as company size and gearing ratio increase, and to decrease as managerial share ownership and liquidity ratios increase. Univariate and multivariate tests were applied to the data of 92 small independent companies randomly selected from the Companies House CD‐ROM database. The results from the two tests support the hypothesised effects of managerial share ownership, company size (turnover), and gearing ratio. There is no support for the company size (total assets) and liquidity ratio effects.
Reexamining China's Fertility Puzzle: Data Collection and Quality over the Last Two Decades

China's fertility level has become a matter of considerable debate since the early 1990s. Despite the widespread concern over data quality, a review of the literature reveals little systematic examination of how fertility data are collected, what specific problems they pose, and how they have been used in demographic research. This article examines five major fertility data sources and identifies problems in producing and using fertility data and discusses their implications. Issues relating to China's controversial 2000 census results and the reported low fertility are examined. The analysis concludes that the prevalent uncertainty about fertility levels may not only be related to the problem of data quality, but could also arise from misinterpreting fertility data and exaggerating the problem of undercounting. Copyright 2006 The Population Council, Inc.
An eye movement disorder in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Defective pursuit eye movements were recorded by electrooculography (EOG) in 11 of 18 patients (61%) with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Pursuit defects consisted of a breakdown of smooth tracking into saccadic motions that were grossly in excess (frequencies and amplitudes) of saccadic interruptions of pursuit in normal subjects. In nine patients, defective pursuits (cogwheeling) were obvious by visual inspection as well as by EOG; in two, this abnormality was seen only by EOG. In eight patients, the pursuit defect was the only abnormality of oculomotor function; in three, there were also saccadic defects (optokinetic nystagmus or conjugate gaze) discerned by EOG. Autopsy revealed neuronal degeneration in substantia nigra and demyelination in internal capsule in one patient with the pursuit defect but not in another patient without the defect. The pursuit defect may be a sign of extrapyramidal or supratentorial pyramidal involvement in ALS.
A Greener Company Makes for Happier Employees More so than Does a More Valuable One: A Regression Analysis of Employee Satisfaction, Perceived Environmental Performance and Firm Financial Value

This paper tests two hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that employee satisfaction is positively impacted when a company is perceived as performing well environmentally. The second hypothesis is that employee satisfaction is positively impacted by firm financial performance. To test these hypotheses, the relationships between perceived environmental performance, financial performance and employee satisfaction were tested using regression analysis. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between employee satisfaction and level of perceived environmental performance. This study does not find a significant relationship between employee satisfaction and firm financial value. The practical implication for managers is that investments in environmental performance and related communications are important for reasons beyond those that are more commonly discussed, such as external stakeholder relations. This study suggests that environmental performance and related communications should be an integral part of human resources management strategies to recruit, motivate and retain the best talent. For scholars, this study suggests future directions for research in, for example, determining the causal mechanisms between actual environmental performance, perceptions of relative environmental performance and employee satisfaction.
Intermediate-term results of the Ludloff osteotomy in one hundred and eleven feet. Surgical technique.

BACKGROUND The modified Ludloff proximal first metatarsal osteotomy is indicated for the surgical correction of moderate-to-severe hallux valgus deformity associated with metatarsus primus varus. We report the intermediate-term results of this procedure. METHODS Ninety-nine patients (111 feet) with a mean age of fifty-six years underwent a modified Ludloff proximal first metatarsal osteotomy and a distal soft-tissue procedure at two institutions for the treatment of a moderate-to-severe hallux valgus deformity. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score and weight-bearing radiographs of the foot were assessed preoperatively and after a mean duration of follow-up of thirty-four months. Clinical and radiographic outcome was also compared between younger and older patients, with the arbitrarily chosen age of sixty years dividing the two groups. RESULTS The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score improved significantly (p < 0.0001) from 53 points preoperatively to 88 points at the time of the most recent follow-up. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score for patients who were sixty years of age or less was significantly higher than that for patients who were more than sixty years of age (91 compared with 83 points; p = 0.0057). The mean hallux valgus angle decreased significantly from 35 degrees preoperatively to 9 degrees at the time of the most recent follow-up (p < 0.0001), and the mean intermetatarsal angle decreased significantly from 17 degrees to 8 degrees (p < 0.0001). All osteotomy sites united without dorsiflexion malunion but with a mean first metatarsal shortening of 2.2 mm. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, the present report describes the largest cohort of patients undergoing a modified Ludloff osteotomy for the correction of hallux valgus deformity that has been reported in the literature. Our intermediate-term results demonstrate that the procedure achieves significant correction of moderate-to-severe hallux valgus deformity, significant reduction in forefoot pain, and significant improvement in functional outcome. Patients with an age of sixty years or less appear to have a more favorable outcome.
Penetrability of White Rot-Degraded Pine Wood by the Lignin Peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The penetration of enzymes into wood cell walls during white rot decay is an open question. A postembedding immunoelectron microscopic technique was the method of choice to answer that question. Infiltration of pine wood specimens with a concentrated culture filtrate greatly improved the labeling density and, thereby, reproducibility. Characterization of the concentrated culture filtrate by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting (immunoblotting) revealed three closely spaced proteins of molecular weights about 42,000 showing immunoreactivity against anti-lignin peroxidase serum. It was shown by immunogold labeling that lignin peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium is located on the surface of the wood cell wall or within areas of heavy attack. It did not diffuse into undecayed parts of the cell wall. The reasons for preventing lignin peroxidase from penetrating wood cell walls during white rot decay are discussed.
The World is Spiky: An Internationalization Framework for A Semi-Globalized World

Firms operate in a semi-globalized world wherein opportunities and constraints arise at both the country and regional levels; however, extant theories of firm internationalization focus mostly on country-level determinants. We aim to overcome this deficiency by developing a theoretical model that explicates the mechanisms driving firm internationalization in a semi-globalized world. Integrating the organizational learning literature with research on semi-globalization, we argue that firms internationalize through the interplay among three mechanisms: (1) intraregional exploitation; (2) intraregional reconfiguration; and (3) inter-regional exploration. We define and integrate these three mechanisms to derive two ideal typical internationalization trajectories that firms follow in a semi-globalized world: home regionalization and multiregionalization. We then elaborate on how macro-level contingencies moderate these two ideal types and conclude with implications for future research.
Impact of fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine-18F positron emission tomography on management of adult patients with documented or occult digestive endocrine tumors.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES Fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine-(18F) (FDOPA) positron emission tomography (PET) is a recent imaging modality used to localize endocrine tumors. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of FDOPA-PET on the management of patients referred for carcinoid or noncarcinoid digestive tumors and the clinical relevance of the treatment decisions based on this examination. METHODS AND PATIENTS Between March 2002 and December 2006, 101 FDOPA-PET examinations were performed in 78 adult patients for follow-up of histologically documented carcinoid tumor of the ileum (23 patients) or noncarcinoid digestive tumor (26 patients) or to screen for occult digestive endocrine tumors (29 patients). More than one FDOPA-PET examination was performed in 12 patients. The impact of FDOPA PET was evaluated on a per-patient basis by means of a questionnaire completed by the referring physician, and the relevance of the treatment decision was assessed on the basis of follow-up data. RESULTS The survey response rate was 91% (71 of 78). The overall impact rate of FDOPA-PET on patient management was 25% (18 of 71). The greatest impact was observed for carcinoid tumors (50%: 11 of 22) and was clinically relevant in every case, followed by occult endocrine tumors (16%: four of 25), and was clinically relevant in three of the four cases, and noncarcinoid tumors (13%: 3 of 22), clinically relevant in only one case. CONCLUSION FDOPA-PET appears to be a major tool for the management of carcinoid tumors with excellent diagnostic performances and induced relevant changes in patient management. FDOPA-PET was less sensitive and less useful for the management of noncarcinoid tumors.
The Effects of Race and Sex Discrimination Laws

The question of the effects of race and sex discrimination laws on relative economic outcomes for blacks and women has been of interest at least since the Civil Rights and Equal Pay Acts passed in the 1960s. We present new evidence on the effects of these laws based on variation induced first by state anti-discrimination statutes passed prior to the federal legislation and then by the extension of anti-discrimination prohibitions to the remaining states with the passage of federal legislation. This evidence improves upon earlier time-series studies of the effects of anti-discrimination legislation. It is complementary to more recent work that revisits this question using data and statistical experiments that provide 'treatment' and 'comparison' groups. We examine the effects of race and sex discrimination laws on employment and earnings, in each case focusing on outcomes for black females, black males, and white females relative to white males. Overall, we interpret the evidence as corroborating the general conclusion that race discrimination laws positively impacted the relative employment and earnings of blacks, although the evidence is less dramatic than that reported in other research, and there are some cases (in particular, earnings effects for black males) and periods for which we find little positive impact. We find some evidence that sex discrimination/equal pay laws boosted the relative earnings of black and white females. Finally, we find that sex discrimination/equal pay laws reduced the relative employment of both black women and white women.
Virtual inertia-based load modulation for power system primary frequency regulation

Future power systems are more vulnerable to contingencies due to the fluctuating power generation arising from the integration of renewable resources with intermittent patterns. Aside from their intermittent nature, most of these resources can not participate in system reserves and in the entire system inertia. Therefore, higher amount of frequency deviation is foreseeable in future power systems with large penetration of renewable energy sources. In this paper, enjoying the smart load technology, a virtual inertia-based load modulation strategy is presented and compared to the conventional load modulation approach. Simulation results indicate that virtual inertia-based load modulation can achieve better generalization performance with minimum performance sacrifice compared to the conventional strategy. The detailed simulation is performed using SimPowerSystems (SPS) toolbox, in phasor mode, on the IEEE 39-bus New England test system.
Fix or fixation? The contributions and limitations of entrepreneurship and small firms to combating social exclusion

Notions of social inclusion and the need to combat social exclusion have become popular areas of attention in academic and policy circles. The importance of small firms and entrepreneurship as a means to raising inclusion has been emphasized in these new agendas. A priori, there are a number of reasons why small businesses may be regarded as providing opportunities for social inclusion. However, in this paper we argue that the recent expectations of the role of small firms and entrepreneurship in combating social exclusion are over optimistic. Some of the assumptions on which these expectations are based are questioned. Instead, we suggest that attention should start by a clearer understanding of the concept of social exclusion. Individual economic strategies, in the form of small business activity, can make some contribution but because of the complex multidimensional nature of social exclusion, over-inflated claims should be avoided. When these claims are not achieved there may be a danger of a policy backlash against the promotion of business ownership and disaffection amongst those who fail to realize their goals. This paper draws on secondary evidence and concludes with implications for policy and suggestions for further research.
Public information arrival and volatility persistence in financial markets

This paper explores the relationship between daily market volatility and the arrival of public information in four different financial markets. Public information is measured as the daily number of economic news headlines, divided in six categories of news. Statistical analysis of the news data suggests the presence of particular seasonality effects, as well as a strong degree of autocorrelation. Over the period 1994–1998, significant effects of specific news categories on the volatility of US stocks, treasury bills, bonds and dollar were detected. However, the effects – in size and duration – vary by news category and by financial market. It is demonstrated that most of the volatility persistence, as observed by GARCH models, tends to disappear when news is included in the conditional variance equation.
The economic implications of unsuspected findings from CT urography performed for haematuria.

OBJECTIVES We set out to determine the prevalence of unsuspected findings from CT urography (CTU) performed for haematuria and to evaluate the economic implications associated with the subsequent management of these findings. METHODS We analysed the results of 778 consecutive CTU scans performed in a haematuria clinic between 2008 and 2010. We excluded cases where diagnosis of an abnormality had been made prior to CTU. Costs incurred during the follow-up of unsuspected findings were calculated following guidance set out in the NHS Costing Manual 2009/10. RESULTS 778 CTU scans were performed for patients attending a haematuria clinic from 2008 to 2010. 455 men and 323 women underwent CTU scan; they had a median age of 62 years. 56% of scans were found to have unexpected extra-urinary findings (587 abnormalities in 439 scans). Common findings included diverticular disease (138, 17.7%), adrenal masses [85, 10.9%; 40 (5.1%) of which were indeterminate], lung abnormalities (67, 8.6%), gall bladders containing calculi (44, 5.7%), adnexal cysts (25, 7.7% of women) and aortic aneurysms (18, 2.3%). These findings led to a total of 136 outpatient appointments, 88 radiological investigations and 11 procedures (4 of which were major). The overall cost incurred was £47,366, or £60 per patient. CONCLUSION CTU is associated with a high rate of unsuspected findings. There is an economic implication to performing CT scanning in this setting, in which further unanticipated investigation and treatment cost is approximately £60 per patient.