Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Hardiness and Cultural Distance on Sociocultural Adaptation in an Expatriate Sales Manager Population

International corporations are increasingly concerned about expatriate executive attrition. There is an urgent need to develop methods for identifying the antecedents to successful expatriate performance. In choosing sales managers for international assignments, special attention should be paid to the candidate’s psychological hardiness and cultural distance between the home and host countries. An empirical study was conducted based on 544 responses from expatriate sales managers originating from 62 countries who are serving in 77 different countries around the globe. Using hierarchical regression, the authors tested main effects of both cultural distance and psychological hardiness on the sales manager’s ability to adapt to a new cultural environment. In addition, psychological hardiness was tested as a moderator of the relationship between cultural distance and sociocultural adaptation. Results suggest that practitioners now include both scales as determinants for justification when selecting expatriate sales assignments. Practically speaking, with both global cultural distance and hardiness scores in hand, companies can better select appropriate personnel who will be able to cope with cultural differences in international placements. Finally, this research provides the first known scholarly study of psychological hardiness in the marketing and sales literature.
Radiation mitigation at the Moon by the terrestrial magnetosphere

The Moon spends 25% of its orbit within the terrestrial magnetosphere. The magnetic field from the terrestrial magnetosphere can potentially provide radiation shielding from solar energetic particle events and lower energy galactic cosmic rays, which can be a significant hazard during extra‐vehicle activities or during human exploration of the lunar surface. The level of shielding provided by the terrestrial magnetosphere is calculated in conjunction with 3D multi‐fluid simulations of the terrestrial magnetospheres. It is shown that the level of shielding is dependent on IMF orientation and location of the lunar base. The natural terrain could be used to augment the terrestrial shielding for an equatorial lunar base. A polar lunar base would be exposed to twice as much radiation. But in both cases shielding of GeV particles is possible, with the upper range depending on the prevailing solar wind conditions.
Low Complexity Polynomial Expansion Detector With Deterministic Equivalents of the Moments of Channel Gram Matrix for Massive MIMO Uplink

We consider a low complexity polynomial expansion (PE) detector in a massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) uplink channel. In contrast to most massive MIMO systems in the literature, where single antenna user equipments (UEs) are assumed, multiple antenna UEs are employed in this paper. Moreover, the channel between a base station (BS) and a UE is a jointly correlated Rician fading channel. The PE detector reduces the computational complexity of the minimum mean square error (MMSE) detector by replacing the matrix inversion with an approximate matrix polynomial. The coefficients of the approximate matrix polynomial are computed from the deterministic equivalents of the moments of the channel Gram matrix. We use operator-valued free probability, which is a more general version of free probability, to derive the deterministic equivalents. In particular, we use the operator-valued moment-cumulant formula. The proposed low complexity PE detector is easy to compute. Simulation results show that the proposed detector can achieve performance close to the MMSE detector.
Music and the Baby's Brain Early Experiences

n recent years, popular understanding of the importance of the early childhood years has increased dramatically. Studies such as the Perry Preschool Project, which followed children in different preschool programs from age three through adulthood, have shown us that these early educational experiences significantly impact the longterm direction of children's development.1 Documentation of the role of
Activity theory for designing mobile learning

Mobile computing offers potential opportunities for students' learning. It is important to have an operational understanding of the context in developing a user interface that is both useful and flexible. The author believes that the complexity of the relationships involved can be analysed using activity theory. Activity theory, as a social and cultural psychological theory, can be used to design a mobile learning environment. This paper presents the use of activity theory as a framework for describing the components of an activity system for the design of a context-aware mobile learning application.
The Effects of Three Years of Piano Instruction on Children's Cognitive Development

The relationship between music and cognitive abilities was studied by observing the cognitive development of children provided (n = 63) and not provided (n = 54) with individual piano lessons from fourth to sixth grade. There were no differences in cognitive abilities, musical abilities, motor proficiency, self-esteem, academic achievement, or interest in studying piano between the two groups of children at the beginning of the study. It was found that the treatment affected children's general and spatial cognitive development. The magnitude of such effects (omega squared) was small. Additional analyses showed that although the experimental group obtained higher spatial abilities scores in the Developing Cognitive Abilities Test after 1 and 2 years of instruction than did the control group, the groups did not differ in general or specific cognitive abilities after 3 years of instruction. The treatment did not affect the development of quantitative and verbal cognitive abilities.
Low dystrophin levels increase survival and improve muscle pathology and function in dystrophin/utrophin double‐knockout mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe muscle‐wasting disorder caused by the lack of functional dystrophin. There is no cure, but several clinical trials aimed to restore the synthesis of functional dystrophin are underway. The dystrophin levels needed for improvement of muscle pathology, function, and overall vitality are not known. Here, we describe the mdx/utrn–/–/XistΔhs mouse model, which expresses a range of low dystrophin levels, depending on the degree of skewing of X inactivation in a utrophin‐negative background. Mdx/utrn–/– mice develop severe muscle weakness, kyphosis, respiratory and heart failure, and premature death closely resembling DMD pathology. We show that at dystrophin levels < 4%, survival and motor function in these animals are greatly improved. In mice expressing >4% dystrophin, histopathology is ameliorated, as well. These findings suggest that the dystrophin levels needed to benefit vitality and functioning of patients with DMD might be lower than those needed for full protection against muscle damage. —Van Putten, M. , Hulsker, M. , Young, C. , Nadarajah, V. D. , Heemskerk, H. , van der Weerd, L. , 't Hoen, P. A. C. , van Ommen, G. J. B. , Aartsma‐Rus, A. M. Low dystrophin levels increase survival and improve muscle pathology and function in dystrophin/utrophin double‐knockout mice. FASEB J. 27, 2484–2495 (2013). www.fasebj. org
An evaluation of the management of patients with sore throats by practice nurses and GPs.

BACKGROUND Practice nurses are increasingly involved in the management of minor illnesses in primary care. However, there has been little work published that evaluates the quality of the service they offer to patients. In our practice (semi-rural, 14,000 patients) a nursing triage system for minor illnesses has been established since 1992. AIM To compare the quality of management of sore throats by practice nurses and general practitioners (GPs) in a routine nursing triage system. METHOD An observational study assessing all patients over the age of two years presenting over a six-month period (February-August 1997) to either the practice nurse or GP with a sore throat as the chief presenting complaint. Patients were followed up at five to seven days by a researcher and recovery rates, analgesic requirements, reconsultation rates, and satisfaction rates were recorded. Patients who were still symptomatic at five to seven days were followed up again at 28 days and outcomes recorded. RESULTS A total of 44% of patients consulted the practice nurse and 56% consulted the GP. Severity of presenting illness was similar in the two groups. The number of patients whose sore throats had settled, reconsultation rates, antibiotic prescription, and dissatisfaction rates were the same for both groups. However, the patients consulting the nurse had a more favourable outcome on indices such as patients' perception of being back to normal health (64% versus 53%) and median number of days for the sore throat to settle (four versus five). Nurses tended to see younger patients (mean age = 22.5 years versus 28.3 years) and more patients seeing the practice nurse recalled receiving advice about home remedies (76% versus 54%). CONCLUSION Practice nurses can establish a safe and effective service for treatment of sore throats in a time-restricted triage system.
Role of Uniforms in the Body Image of Female College Volleyball Players

Female student athletes often desire a muscular body to be successful in sport, but this body type does not conform to traditional cultural norms of femininity. In this study, the authors qualitatively examined the experiences of female intercollegiate volleyball players to better understand their beliefs about their bodies—both as athletes and as women outside of sport—in addition to whether perceptions about their revealing sports uniforms were related to body image. Results indicated that body image among female student athletes is a multidimensional construct. Participants reported conflicting messages about their bodies in regard to how they look on the court and how they are supposed to look off the court. In addition, results suggested that revealing uniforms contributed to decreased body esteem, and these uniforms also distracted players and impacted on-court performance. Results are interpreted within the framework of objectification theory, and implications for psychologists working with female student athletes are provided.
Attributional Focus of Praise and Children's Intrinsic Motivation

The present experiment was designed to examine whether children's gender would moderate the effects of ability-focused versus effort-focused praise on their performance, perceived competence, and intrinsic motivation. A secondary goal was to examine whether type of involvement might also serve to moderate the effects of effort-focused praise. Fifth and sixth grade boys and girls were introduced to hidden-figures puzzles in eithera task-involving (ie., gamelike) or an ego-involving (i.e., test like) manner and then received either ability-focused or effort-focused praise for their performance. The results showed that boys reported feeling relatively more competent, performed relatively better, and displayed relatively more free choice intrinsic motivation after receiving ability praise than effort praise, whereas girls reported feeling relatively more competent, performed relatively better, and evidenced relatively greater intrinsic motivation after receiving effort than ability praise. The differential impact of ability-focused versus effort-focused praise was especially pronounced for boys. These findings are discussed in terms of boys' and girls' previous history with verbal rewards and gender differences in performance attributions. No effects were found for type of involvement.
Change in Work Values and Norms among Dutch Young Adults: Ageing or Societal Trends?

In the present study, data were analysed longitudinally on the basis of lifespan developmental psychology to determine if work values and norms change as a result of ageing/maturation or societal trends (i.e. period effects between two measurement waves). Moreover, data were collected to determine if the younger participants showed more change than the older participants. Participants were three age groups, 18, 22, and 26 years old, respectively, in 1987 (N 806). The participants completed a questionnaire in 1987 and 1991. Measures of work values and norms included Absolute Work Centrality, Relative Importance of Work, Obligation Work Norm, Emancipation Norm and Spare Time Norm, and Intrinsic, Extrinsic and Social Work Values. Using tests of differences in over time correlation coefficients, paired t-tests and analyses of variance, the results show that work, and especially intrinsic work values become more important by ageing than by societal trends and that younger participants indeed changed more than the older participants. These results underscore the plea of Schulenberg, Vondracek, and Kim (1993) for a combination of a developmental and individual difference perspective of work value change in career theory and practice.
From Obstacle to Opportunity: Parkour, leisure, and the reinterpretation of constraints

Abstract Parkour is both a leisure practice and a method of navigating the objects and spaces of urban environments. Leisure practices are increasingly being acknowledged as contested political arenas and being theorised as resistance. Constraints have traditionally been characterised as impeding participation in a leisure practice. Recent research has, however, suggested a more situational understanding that seeks to account for the experience of leisure constraints and their negotiation. Issues of power and resistance must therefore be included within discussions of the organisation of, and access to, leisure settings and the complex processes through which individuals negotiate constraints. This paper draws upon original empirical research to explore leisure constraints within the context of post‐structural theorisations of power, resistance, and the organisation of public space. Multi‐method qualitative research was conducted with an international sample of participants and texts comprising semi‐structured interviews and textual and discursive analysis of media articles and Website material. Key findings relate to the spatial‐cognitive processes through which participants reinterpret material‐spatial restrictions upon public behaviour to facilitate unscripted leisure practice and creative play. A significant conclusion is reached, that the spontaneous fun and creativity characteristic of Parkour is not achieved by the removal of constraint, but by the reinterpretation and utilisation of constraints — by empowering the individual to wrest (admittedly partial and momentary) control of the power relations embedded within public urban spaces.
Serum uric acid as an index of impaired renal function in congestive heart failure

Background Hyperuricemia is frequently present in patients with heart failure. Many pathological conditions, such as tissue ischemia, renal function impairment, cardiac function impairment, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory status, may impact uric acid (UA) metabolism. This study was to assess their potential relations to UA metabolism in heart failure. Methods We retrospectively assessed clinical characteristics, echocardiological, renal, metabolic and inflammatory variables selected on the basis of previous evidence of their involvement in cardiovascular diseases and UA metabolism in a large cohort of randomly selected adults with congestive heart failure (n = 553). By clustering of indices, those variables were explored using factor analysis. Results In factor analysis, serum uric acid (SUA) formed part of a principal cluster of renal functional variables which included serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Univariate correlation coefficients between variables of patients with congestive heart failure showed that the strongest correlations for SUA were with BUN (r = 0.48, P < 0.001) and SCr (r = 0.47, P < 0.001). Conclusions There was an inverse relationship between SUA levels and measures of renal function in patients with congestive heart failure. The strong correlation between SUA and SCr and BUN levels suggests that elevated SUA concentrations reflect an impairment of renal function in heart failure.
Visual Imagery Processing in Japanese Abacus Experts

Two experiments were conducted to examine the ability of visual imagery processing in abacus experts. Abacus experts and normal control subjects (university students) with no abacus training were given word and picture matching tasks for Experiment 1, and digit sequence and abacus-picture matching tasks for Experiment 2. The pictures, comparison stimuli, were tachistoscopically presented in either the left or the right visual field. The results indicated that: 1) the abacus experts performed matching tasks under all conditions of both experiments faster than the control group; 2) the abacus experts showed a left visual field advantage regarding the imagery condition in both Experiments; and 3) the control group showed a right visual field advantage in the rehearsal conditions of both experiments and in the imagery condition of Experiment 2. The effects of abacus practice on imagery processing ability were discussed based upon the different patterns of visual field differences between the abacus experts and the control group.
Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for qPCR Normalization under Abiotic Stresses in Oenanthe javanica (BI.) DC

Accurate normalization of gene expression data is an absolute prerequisite to obtain reliable results in qPCR analysis. Oenanthe javanica, an aquatic perennial herb, belongs to the Oenanthe genus in Apiaceae family, with known medicinal properties. In the current study, O. javanica was subjected to hormone stimuli (gibberellin, salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, and abscisic acid) and abiotic stresses (heat, cold, salt, and drought), and the expression of nine candidate reference genes (eIF-4α, ACT7, TIP41, GAPDH, SAND, EF-1α, PP2A, TBP, and TUB) was evaluated. Stability of the genes was assessed using geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. All the genes presented distinct expression profiles under the experimental conditions analyzed. Under abiotic stress conditions, ACT7 and PP2A genes displayed the maximum stability; PP2A and SAND were the most stable genes under hormone stimuli. Even though PP2A gene was most stable across all the samples, individual analysis revealed changes in expression profile. To further validate the suitability of the reference genes identified in this study, the expression level of M6PR gene under salt treatment was studied. Based on our data, we propose that it is essential to normalize the target gene expression with specific reference genes under different experimental conditions for most accurate results. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic analysis for reference genes under abiotic stress and hormone stimuli conditions in O. javanica. This will be beneficial for future studies on O. javanica and other plants in Apiaceae family at molecular level.
WHAT IS THE OBSERVED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECIES RICHNESS AND PRODUCTIVITY

Understanding the relationship between species richness and productivity is fundamental to the management and preservation of biodiversity. Yet despite years of study and intense theoretical interest, this relationship remains controversial. Here, we present the results of a literature survey in which we examined the relationship between species richness and productivity in 171 published studies. We extracted the raw data from published tables and graphs and subjected these data to a standardized analysis, using ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression and generalized linear-model (GLIM) regression to test for significant positive, negative, or curvilinear relationships between productivity and species diversity. If the relationship was curvilinear, we tested whether the maximum (or minimum) of the curve occurred within the range of productivity values observed (i.e., was there evidence of a hump? ). A meta-analysis conducted on the distribution of standardized quadratic regression coefficients showed that .
Emotions through Graphics Depicting Biometrical Sensor Data

This thesis explores a way to support self-reflection through simple graphical shapes that are mapped to biometrical sensor data. It consists of a design phase when images were created, followed by a study evaluating the design. Five subjects wore sensor equipment on a day in their ordinary life. A user-centered workshop was then conducted with each subject aimed to evaluate and develop the design. The study showed that most subjects could relate the graphical images to their experience of life. Insights in how to design for interpretation were also gained. Among these are the importance to support both overview and detailed viewing, and that expressions explicitly designed to carry an emotional meaning should be avoided. I would like to thank the following people for their help, support and guidance along the way. Kristina Höök, Ylva Fernaeus, Petra Sundström, Anna Ståhl, Gustav Cele, Roberto Bresin, Marie Sjölinder, Jarmo Laaksolahti, Martin Svensson, Markus Bylund, Staffan Jonsson, Pernilla Olausson, Susanna Hagenäs
The shifting discourses of educational leadership

Increasing emphasis has been placed on leadership within educational theory, policy and practice. Drawing on a wide range of academic literature and policy documents, this paper explores how the discourse of leadership has shifted and for what purposes. The authors are critical of the lack of conceptual underpinning for that discourse, evident both nationally and internationally, and they identify key issues that the teaching profession has been left to try to understand and make sense of. They caution that, despite attempts to align contemporary policy developments to position leadership as inherent in the role of every teacher, flaws in the conceptualisation of leadership, and particularly in favoured forms such as ‘distributed leadership’ and ‘teacher leadership’, pose significant challenges to a serious attempt to ‘reprofessionalise’ teachers. Contemporary developments in Scottish education are referred to, exemplifying key tensions inherent in translating international trends into practice.
Bullying als Gruppenphänomen

Zusammenfassung. Die Charakterisierung von Opfern und Tatern, die Beschreibung ihrer Beziehungen und die Erfassung moglicher Konsequenzen von systematischer, wiederholter Aggression gegen Schwachere reichen nicht aus, um die Dynamik von Bullying als Problem von Schulklassen darzustellen. Auf Basis des von Salmivalli entwickelten “Participant role“ Ansatzes (Salmivalli, Lagerspetz, Bjorkqvist, Osterman & Kaukiainen, 1996) untersuchten wir 104 Schulern aus vier sechsten Klassen an zwei Hauptschulen und konnen neun von zehn Schulern eine distinkte Rolle im Bullyingprozess zuordnen. Anhand der sozialen Positionen im Klassengefuge (soziale Praferenz/sozialer Einfluss) und anhand reziproker Beziehungen (Freundschaften) lassen sich Opfer, Verteidiger des Opfers, ausenstehende, Tater, Assistent oder Verstarker des Taters unterscheiden. Freundschaften verbinden im Wesentlichen Schuler ohne aggressive Verhaltenstendenzen einerseits und die, die aktiv daran beteiligt sind, dass jemand schikaniert wird andererseits.