Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Copyright Heritage: Preservation, Carnival and the State in Trinidad

This essay addresses the place of Carnival in the creation of a national cultural narrative in Trinidad and Tobago and examines the role that such a narrative plays in the formation of a coherent national cultural identity. The paper is organized in two parts: The first section looks at the process of cultural heritage preservation in relation to the Trinidad Carnival. The second looks at the effects of preservation on middle class women who participate in Carnival. Positioning the Carnival as a central expressive form in a cultural identity that transcends ethnic, class or gender divisions has long been part of the nationalist agenda in Trinidad. Recently, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has pursued the possibility of copyrighting certain aspects of the festival to prevent their theft, degradation or misappropriation by both locals and foreigners. This paper describes how a "sit-down" protest during the Carnival by one of Trinidad's most popular masquerade groups set off a discussion about the true spirit of Carnival. The ensuing debate highlighted the narrative about Carnival and its history that is most valued by the state and demonstrated the ways in which acts of preservation and protection of heritage serve to exclude significant portions of the population, most notably women. Finally, the paper shows how certain parties control the formation of heritage and culture, and seek global endorsement for their brokerage of national cultural identity. [Trinidad, Carnival, nationalism, heritage, copyright, intellectual property, gender].
Examining impacts of technostress on the professional salesperson's behavioural performance

This paper examines the concept of technostress in the professional sales area and shows it to be a possible reason for low technology-enabled behavioural performance of professionals in the sales function. Integrating literature from sales, technostress and social cognitive theory, we examine relationships between technostress creators, role stress, technology-enabled innovation and technology-enabled performance. We hypothesize that technostress adversely affects the technology-enabled performance of the salesperson through two distinct paths, one by increasing role stress and two, by decreasing technology-enabled innovation. We further examine the role of factors that mitigate these adverse effects. We find that organizational technostress-inhibiting mechanisms negatively moderate the positive relationship between technostress creators and role stress, and technology self-efficacy dampens the negative association of technostress and technology-enabled innovation. We also find that technology-enabled innovation enhances technology-enabled performance. Our results are based on survey data collected from 237 institutional sales professionals. Theoretical contributions and practice-based implications of findings are discussed.
Previewing modulates attentional capture

Capture by an abrupt onset can still succeed even when attention had been prioritized, but only if the onset object is presented infrequently (Neo & Chua, 2006). This set of experiments examined why repeated presentation of an onset weakened its attention-capturing capacity. The experimental logic involved undercutting the onset's novelty by previewing it. To the extent that a particular stimulus feature plays a role in attentional capture, previewing that feature should undermine its novelty, and thereby diminishes its capacity to capture attention. In separate experiments, different aspects of the onset stimulus were previewed. The results showed that previewing merely the object's form, but not its mode of appearance, failed to inoculate against capture. Likewise, previewing only the luminance change that accompanied the onset failed to prevent capture. Attentional capture was modulated only when both the form, and the mode of appearance, of the critical stimulus were previewed.
The real functions of evaluation and response systems

This article is intended to contribute to the understanding of evaluation use in the context of policy making and governance. It does this, first, by developing a framework that sets out the prerequisites of six possible functions of an evaluation ‘management response system’; and second, by analysing three aid organizations’ management response systems in relation to this framework. The prerequisites of the different functions are theoretically derived. The analysis finds that response systems have contributed to organizational legitimacy and achieved many of their intended functions, but only to an extent. Two factors – the system design, and top managers’ support for the system – were found to be critical for how these systems worked. The article also discusses whether a management response system meets the needs of public organizations and stakeholders operating in multi-actor policy making.
Retirement: Phantasy and reality – Dying in the saddle or facing up to it?

Tir na nOg: in Irish mythological tradition Tir na nOg is the land of youth or the forever young, established by the defeated Irish chieftain Tuatha de Danaan as a place where pain, old age, decay and ugliness were unknown. However, the price of eternal youth was ‘forgetfulness’ and for some the price was too high. These ‘mere mortals’ preferred to hold onto their memories and to sit around their ‘camp fires’ reminiscing about times past and the glories and feats of their ‘youthful’ encounters; remembering the faces of their loved ones; their first encounter with their ‘newborns’; and with the passage of time the same faces grown old, wise and kind by their side. Apparently those who could face death were more likely to come from the ‘parents’, i.e. those who had the capacity to manage life’s sorrows, joys, failures, disappointments, separations and losses; while those who resisted the ‘ageing process’ and the ‘finality’ of life opted for Tir na nOg (Swire, 1964). There is a common phantasy that retirement will be a time for doing all the things that a person may not have done previously. There will be time to travel, take holidays, and develop creative activities such as art, music, theatre or academic pursuits. Much of this is possible for many people. Some people do manage to go on to take up another career or job or sit on committees that demand time and energy. It may well be true that in this dream there is the hope that anything not achieved so far in life can be fulfilled in retirement. Does this deny the reality of retirement, which we think is about facing the prospect of ageing and eventual death? We live in a society besotted by youth but the reality of retirement is that whatever activities we may enjoy, retirement also brings up anxieties and uncertainties about health, incapacity and financial security and many fears about ageing and death.
Modern Management: Good for the Environment or Just Hot Air?

We use an innovative methodology to measure management practices in over 300 manufacturing firms in the UK. We then match this management data to production and energy usage information for establishments owned by these firms. We find that establishments in better managed firms are significantly less energy intensive. They use less energy per unit of output, and also in relation to other factor inputs. This is quantitatively substantial: going from the 25th to the 75th percentile of management practices is associated with a 17.4% reduction in energy intensity. This negative relationship is robust to a variety of controls for industry, location, technology and other factor inputs. Better managed firms are also significantly more productive. One interpretation of these results is that well managed firms are adopting modern lean manufacturing practices, which allows them to increase productivity by using energy more efficiently. This suggests that improving the management practices of manufacturing firms may help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Sexuality Education: What Daughters in Their 30s Wish Their Mothers Had Told Them.

ality education. The memories were primarily of negative, nonverbal messages and limited discussion focused on warnings and rules. The women wishedfor openness and discussion offeelings and choices. Most exonerated the motherfor her inadequacies and hoped to do better with their own children. Direct quotations of the subjects illustrate the findings. Implications forfamily professionals are discussed.
Evaluation of the Merlin MICRONAUT System for Rapid Direct Susceptibility Testing of Gram-Positive Cocci and Gram-Negative Bacilli from Positive Blood Cultures

ABSTRACT Bloodstream infections are life-threatening conditions which require the timely initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. We evaluated the automated Merlin MICRONAUT system for rapid direct microtiter broth antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of gram-positive cocci and gram-negative bacilli from BACTEC 9240 bottles with positive blood cultures in comparison to the standard method for the Merlin MICRONAUT system. This prospective study was conducted under routine working conditions during a 9-month period. Altogether, 504 isolates from 409 patients and 11,819 organism-antibiotic combinations were evaluated for comparison of direct and standard AST methods. For gram-negative bacilli, direct and standard AST of 110 isolates was evaluated and MIC agreement was found for 98.1% of 2,637 organism-antibiotic combinations. Category (susceptible, intermediate susceptible, resistant [SIR]) agreement was found for 99.0%, with results for 0.04% of combinations showing very major errors, those for 0.2% showing major errors, and those for 0.8% showing minor errors. For gram-positive cocci, 373 isolates were evaluated and MIC agreement was found for 95.6% of 8,951 organism-antibiotic combinations. SIR agreement was found for 98.8%, with results for 0.3% of combinations showing very major errors, those for 0.4% showing major errors, and those for 0.5% showing minor errors. Although the number of tested isolates was limited (n = 33), direct AST of streptococci was performed for the first time, yielding promising results with SIR agreement for 98.6% of 363 organism-antibiotic combinations. In conclusion, direct AST of gram-negative bacilli and gram-positive cocci from positive blood cultures with the MICRONAUT system is a reliable technique that allows for the omission of repeat testing of subcultured isolates. Thereby, it reduces the time to results of blood culture testing and may have a positive impact on patient care.
A comparative analysis of classification algorithms in diabetic retinopathy screening

Automated screening of diabetic retinopathy plays an important role in diagnosis of the disease in early stages and preventing blindness in patients with diabetes. Various machine learning approaches have been studied in literature with the purpose of improving the accuracy of the screening methods. Although the performance of the machine learning algorithm depends on the application and the type of data, yet there is no comprehensive analysis of different approaches in the diabetic retinopathy screening to choose the best approach. To this end, in this study a comparative analysis of nine common classification algorithms is performed to select the most applicable approach for the specific problem of screening diabetic retinopathy patients. Individual algorithms are optimized with respect to their tunable parameters, and are compared together in terms of their accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Simulation results demonstrate the difference between the performances of individual classification algorithms and can be used as a deciding factor in method selection for further research.
Clinical Relevance of Cytokines Gene Polymorphisms and Protein Levels in Gingival Cervical Fluid from Chronic Periodontitis Patients.

BACKGROUND Cytokines are suggested to play a role in periodontitis. OBJECTIVES To determine and compare the levels of Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples amongst healthy individuals and those with chronic periodontitis. Further to compare the GCF cytokine levels in three genotype classes defined by the respective gene polymorphisms. METHODS The study was conducted on 41 chronic periodontitis patients and 40 healthy volunteers. IL-1β and TNF-α were quantified in GCF by cytometric bead array. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and genotyping of IL1B +3954C/T (rs1143634) IL1B -511G/A (rs16944), TNFA -1031T/C (rs1799964) and TNFA -863C/A (rs1800630) polymorphisms were performed using Sanger sequencing and Taqman SNP genotyping assays methods. RESULTS Both IL-1β and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in chronic periodontitis group compared to the controls. IL-1β and TNF-α levels did not significantly differ in genotype classes of the respective polymorphism (IL1B -511G/A, TNFA -1031T/C and TNFA -863C/A). However, individuals with CT genotype of IL1B +3954C/T showed higher levels of IL-1β in the gingival crevicular fluid (ANOVA p<0.05). CONCLUSION The results of this study revealed the presence of higher levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in subjects with periodontitis and genetic control of IL-1β levels in our samples of Indians.
Effect of telmisartan on kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease: an observational study

Abstract Background: Globally the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rising, an important cause of death and loss of disability-adjusted life years. Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is involved in its pathogenesis. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of telmisartan (40 mg/day), an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) in Indian patients with CKD in real-life setting. Method: This was a prospective observational study. Fifty-six patients (>18 years) diagnosed with CKD were enrolled into the study. Serum creatinine, 24-h urinary protein, spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and blood pressure (BP) were assessed along with safety. Results: A total of 55 patients (96.36% hypertensive; 63.61% diabetic) with mean age of 48.23 years completed the study. At the end of 3 months treatment with telmisartan, 24-h urinary protein, spot urine protein-to-creatinine, serum creatinine and BP significantly reduced (p < .05) by 806.78 mg, 0.95, 0.44 mg/dl and 8.9/4.7 mmHg in the overall population. GFR increased from the baseline value of 52.13 to 65.01 ml/min. Telmisartan was well tolerated and treatment was discontinued in one patient because of hyperkalemia. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that telmisartan effectively and safely reduces proteinuria in chronic kidney disease patients.
ANÁLISIS DE LOS ELEMENTOS CONFIGURATIVOS DE LA CIUDADANÍA COMO CONDICIÓN PARA LA INTEGRACIÓN DE LA JUVENTUD DE ORIGEN MAGREBÍ EN CATALUÑA

This article presents the main results of a survey research on integration of Moroccan youths in Catalonia (Spain) and is part of a larger study. The sample gathered youths aged 14 to 18 and involved 47 secondary education schools in 37 Catalonian municipalities. Integration was analyzed taking the elements that play a part in the development of citizenship as a starting point. We start with the theoretical grounding of the concept of integration and its implementation. We describe the research process through the characterisation of population and data collection and analysis, and finally present the main results obtained, which show that integration of Moroccan youths depends on factors such as reception atmosphere at a local level, characterisation of relationships among individuals and personal skills that come into play.
Educational level as a determinant of access to and outcomes after kidney transplantation in the United States.

BACKGROUND Disparities in access to kidney transplantation exist, yet few studies investigated educational level as a determinant of access to and outcomes after kidney transplantation. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS Nationally representative sample of incident US dialysis patients, in which 3,245 patients reported their educational level. PREDICTOR Educational level, categorized as some high school, high school graduate, some college, and college graduate. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS Access to kidney transplantation was defined as time from first dialysis treatment to: (1) the day of being wait-listed and (2) first kidney transplantation. Outcomes after kidney transplantation were: (3) all-cause mortality and graft failure ([4] all-cause and [5] death censored). Using Cox regression, we studied the relationship between predialysis educational level and access to and outcomes after kidney transplantation. RESULTS During follow-up, 692 patients were wait-listed and 670 underwent kidney transplantation. Of those, 164 died and 241 lost their allograft (121 from nondeath causes). After multivariate adjustment, college graduates experienced 3 times greater rates of wait-listing (hazard ratio, 2.81; 95% confidence interval, 2.21 to 3.58) or kidney transplantation (hazard ratio, 3.06; 95% confidence interval, 2.38 to 3.92) compared with patients without a high school degree (P for trend across educational level for both outcomes < 0.001). Although mortality was not associated with educational level, increased rates of death-censored allograft loss were observed with less education (P for trend = 0.03). LIMITATIONS Not a randomized study. CONCLUSION The latter finding is novel and important and requires confirmation. Its possible mechanisms (eg, adherence to immunosuppressants) warrant additional study.
A sociolinguistic view of linguistic taboo in Jordanian Arabic

The phenomenon of linguistic taboo has not been adequately explained in sociolinguistic theory. This paper attempts to bring this phenomenon into focus by investigating it in terms of its relationship with the social context in which it is used and the socio‐cultural factors affecting it—education, age, setting and topic. Linguistic taboo is examined in the light of a number of theoretical orientations which have recently been advanced by sociolinguists and anthropologists, including Hymes, Halliday, Fishman, Leach, Frykman and Lofgren, among others. Different processes are considered which involve the creation, development, violation and replacement of taboo words. The study maintains that these processes are clearly conditioned by the sociological parameters investigated together with the cultural norms of the society.
‘Developing the “whole me”’: Citizenship, neo-liberalism and the contemporary health and physical education curriculum

Abstract In several Australian states in recent years, the fields of health education and physical education have been united in schools as a single learning area. This article identifies the discourses on health that are evident in the context of a specific contemporary health and physical education curriculum–that operating in Australian schools in the state of Victoria. By analysing the curriculum document and teachers' accounts of the principles of the curriculum and their experiences in teaching it, it is shown that particular notions of health, related to neo-liberal ideas about citizenship, holism and personal identity, currently dominate. There is strong evidence of the influence of ‘the new public health’ tenets and ideas about the importance of emotional management and self-esteem in both the curriculum document and teachers' accounts. It is argued, however, that while the dominant tenets of the curriculum are generally espoused by teachers, there is also evidence of resistance, either intended .
Gender Differences in Growth in Mathematics Achievement: Three-Level Longitudinal and Multilevel Analyses of Individual, Home, and School Influences

This study focused on gender differences in growth in mathematics achievement in relation to various social-psychological factors such as attitude toward mathematics, self-esteem, parents' academic encouragement, mathematics teachers' expectations, peer influence, and so on. The study was based primarily on the data collected by the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (Miller, Hoffer, Suchner, Brown, & Nelson, 1992) and focused on students from Grade 7 to Grade 10. The key methodology used in the study was 3-level longitudinal and multilevel modeling. Results indicated that gender differences in growth in mathematics varied by one's initial status in mathematics. For those who started low, girls started higher than boys, but their average growth rate was slightly lower than boys. Although the average gender gap in growth rate was not statistically significant, the gap varied across schools. In some schools girls' average growth rate was higher, whereas in other schools boys' average growth rate was higher. For those who started high, there were no gender differences in initial status and growth rate. However, the effect of math attitude and math teacher encouragement on mathematics differed for boys and girls who started high. The effect of math attitude on mathematics was stronger for boys than for girls. The effect of math teacher encouragement on mathematics varied across schools for boys, but no math teacher encouragement effect was found for girls. Results also show that home resources, individual behavior problems, and attitude toward mathematics were related to growth in mathematics. In addition, aggregated school resources had a significant effect on growth in mathematics. The effect of math teacher encouragement on mathematics varied across schools for boys and girls who started low as for boys who started high. Implications of these results are discussed.
Some Comparative Economics of the Organization of Sports: Competition and Regulation in North American vs. European Professional Team Sports Leagues

The paper presents the differences between the design of a closed and an open team sports league. Then it compares the theoretical models of a closed league with profit maximizing clubs and an open league with win maximizing clubs. Both models are now outdated by a Nash equilibrium model which is briefly sketeched. In the case of open leagues, a disequilibrium model seems more appropriate and a first attempt at elaborating it are exhibited.
Recombinant Property in East European Capitalism

Recombinant property is a form of organizational hedging in which actors respond to uncertainty by deversifying assets, redefining and recombining resources. It is an attempt to hold resources that can be justified by more than one legitimating principle. Property tansformation in postsocialist Hungary involves the decentralized reorganization of assets and the centralized management of liabilities. Together they blur the boundaries of public and private, the boundaries of enterprises, and the boundedness of justificatory principles. Enterprise-level field research, data on the ownership structure of Hungary's 220 largest enterprises and banks, and an examination of the government's recent debt consolidation programs suggest the emergence of a distinctively East European capitalism that will differ as much from West European capitalism as do contemporary East Asian variants.
The (In)visible Body: Feminism, Phenomenology, and the Case of Cosmetic Surgery

This paper will examine the experience of and drive for bodily invisibility in women through the theoretical approaches of phenomenology and social constructionism. An examination of the social disruptions of bodily invisibility and the compulsive avoidance of such instances, particularly with respect to the fastidious maintenance of body comportment and appearance within the narrow parameters afforded by social norms, will lead to an exploration of the conflation of biomedicine with the beauty industry.