Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
a field study to escalation of commitment in new product development teams

Escalation of commitment is defined as the human trait to pursue the original course of action or even increase commitment towards an ongoing project, although new information suggest to cancel the project 2013; 2002). Field studies on escalation of commitment are rare Turino Moreover, there is a lack of studies focusing on the decision making groups and their social factors in relation to escalation of commitment (Sleesman et al., 2012). This research aims to fill the methodological gap by conducting a field-study on group decision making and escalation of commitment in particular. 31 teams participated in this study by filling in a survey. Additionally, an electronic manufacturing company participated in a decision making task and allowed to conduct interviews with its employees. The results indicate that trust and information elaboration are negatively related to escalation of commitment, such that higher levels of intra-group trust and higher levels of information elaboration are related to less escalation of commitment. Contrary to expectations, task conflict is positively related to escalation of commitment, such that high levels of task conflict relate to more escalation of commitment. Furthermore the interviews reveal that expertise localization was negatively related to escalation of commitment. Depending on the level of shared leadership, participation in decision making was negatively (low shared leadership) or positively (high shared leadership) related to escalation of commitment. This report presents my Master Thesis project for the Master program Innovation Management of the Eindhoven University of Technology. In all I can look back on a great couple of months as a graduation student, during which I received all sorts of support from many people who got themselves involved in this project one way or another. intra-group
Child Abuse and the Internet

The past decade has seen rapid development and exponential growth in the use of electronic, computer-based communication and information sharing via the internet, particularly across the western world. Clearly there are many benefits that result from internet usage, but until recently there has been little recognition of the dangers that may also result from the use of such technology. There is now growing evidence that the internet is a new medium through which some commonly recognised forms of child maltreatment, sexual and emotional abuse, may be pursued. In this paper the relationship between child abuse and the internet is explored, in particular: child sexual exploitation; children’s exposure to sexually explicit or offensive material; and the use of the internet by paedophiles to legitimise, reinforce and facilitate their sexual activities. Current efforts to prevent internet-related child abuse are described. These can be broadly categorised as: the monitoring and criminal prosecution of offenders; community education; the restriction of children’s access to offensive material on the internet; and the regulation of the internet industry. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for further action.
The effect of dispersant on toughening mechanism and structure behaviors of Polypropylene Nanocomposites reinforced with nano α-alumina particles

This article presents a comparative study on the effects of using nano α-alumina (Al2O3) on toughening mechanisms and structural behaviors of polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites. The role of using dispersant in nanocomposite preparation was also investigated. For nanocomposite preparation, mixing of the elements was performed using a Haake Poly Drive blending machine at 175°C and the rotor speed of 50 rpm. The notched Izod impact energy obtained for PP was about 27 J/m and by the addition of nano α-Al2O3 (4 wt%) to PP, the notched Izod impact energy increases up to ∼43 J/m. However, higher concentration of nano α-Al2O3 in the nanocomposite resulted in the reduction of Izod impact property due to nano α-Al2O3 agglomeration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of pure PP and PP/nano α-Al2O3 composites demonstrated Al–O bond at 568 cm−1 for nanocomposite spectrum that indicates the creation of nano α-Al2O3 particles. The x-ray diffraction patterns and FTIR spectra of PP/nano α-Al2O3 composites showed that the intensity of the peaks when dispersant was used slightly increased and the arrangement of the peaks are normalized. This observation is attributed to homogeneous dispersion of nano α-Al2O3 filler in the matrix when dispersant was used. Scanning electron micrograph of impact fractured surface showed that the fracture surface of PP/nano α-Al2O3 composite becomes rougher with increasing the content of filler.
Comprehensive characterization of cancer genes in hepatocellular carcinoma genomes

The present study was performed to detect moderate or low-frequency mutated cancer driver genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using OncodriveFM and Dendrix. Following this, integrated analyses were conducted on these novel cancer driver genes. A total of 112,980 somatic mutations were retrieved from TCGA and classified into 11 categories based on their function. Driver genes and pathways were predicted by OncodriveFM and Dendrix, followed by differential expression, DNA-methylation, copy number variations and survival analyses. Overall, non-synonymous mutations accounted for >60% (72,149/112, 980) of total variants, 108 and 3 driver genes were determined by OncodriveFM and Dendrix, respectively. Tumor protein p53, SWI/SNF related, matrix associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a, member 4, smad family member 3, RB transcriptional corepressor 1, catenin β 1, smad family member 4, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 and TSC complex subunit 2 are at the core of the driver gene interaction network. Two genes, transportin 1 (TNPO1) and chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 3 (CCT3), were hypomethylated and overexpressed, and high expression of TNPO1 and CCT3 indicated a poor prognosis in patients with HCC. β-carotene oxygenase 2 was hypermethylated, under-expressed and associated with favorable prognosis in HCC. The present study has identified a set of novel cancer genes and pathways, offering potential therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers for the treatment of HCC.
Turbulence structure of open channel flows over permeable and impermeable beds : A comparative study

The behavior of turbulent open channel flows over permeable surfaces is not well understood. In particular, it is not clear how the surface and the subsurface flow within the permeable bed interact and influence each other. In order to clarify this issue we carried out two sets of experiments, one involving velocity measurements in open channel flows over an impermeable bed composed of a single layer of spheres, and another one where velocities were measured over and within a permeable bed made of five such layers. Comparison of surface flow velocity statistics between the two sets of experiments confirmed that bed permeability can significantly affect flow resistance. It was also confirmed that even in the hydraulically rough regime, the friction factors for the permeable bed increase with increasing Reynolds number. Such an increase in flow resistance implies a different distribution of normal form-induced stress between the permeable and impermeable bed cases. Subsurface flow measurements performed within the permeable bed revealed that there is an intense transport of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) occurring from the surface to the subsurface flow. We provide evidence that the transport of TKE toward the lower bed levels is driven mainly by pressure fluctuations, whereas TKE transport due to turbulent velocity fluctuations is limited to a thinner layer placed in the upper part of the bed. It was also confirmed that the turbulence imposed by the surface flow gradually dissipates while penetrating within the porous medium. Dissipation occurs faster for the small scales than for the large ones, which instead are persistent, although weak, even at the lowest bed levels
CORPORATE BOARD DIVERSITY AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA

This paper investigates the impact of corporate board diversity on the financial performance of Nigerian quoted firms using a panel data of 122 quoted Nigerian firms. Aspects of board diversity studied comprise board nationality, board gender and board ethnicity. The Fixed Effect Generalised Least Square Regression is used to examine the impact of board diversity on firm performance for the period: 1991-2008. The results show that gender diversity was negatively linked with firm performance, while board nationality and board ethnicity were positive in predicting firm performance. One of the policy implications of our findings is that foreign board members provide a firm with better qualified candidates who have broader industry experience. Additionally, the presence of women on the board could be perceived by shareholders as a sign of impending significant change, thereby making them more confident in the company’s success, which results in increase in share price.
A Hybrid Feature Selection Method for Complex Diseases SNPs

Machine learning techniques have the potential to revolutionize medical diagnosis. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are one of the most important sources of human genome variability; thus, they have been implicated in several human diseases. To separate the affected samples from the normal ones, various techniques have been applied on SNPs. Achieving high classification accuracy in such a high-dimensional space is crucial for successful diagnosis and treatment. In this work, we propose an accurate hybrid feature selection method for detecting the most informative SNPs and selecting an optimal SNP subset. The proposed method is based on the fusion of a filter and a wrapper method, i.e., the Conditional Mutual Information Maximization (CMIM) method and the support vector machine-recursive feature elimination, respectively. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated against four state-of-the-art feature selection methods, minimum redundancy maximum relevancy, fast correlation-based feature selection, CMIM, and ReliefF, using four classifiers, support vector machine, naive Bayes, linear discriminant analysis, and $k$ nearest neighbors on five different SNP data sets obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information gene expression omnibus genomics data repository. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the adopted feature selection approach outperforming all of the compared feature selection algorithms and achieving up to 96% classification accuracy for the used data set. In general, from these results we conclude that SNPs of the whole genome can be efficiently employed to distinguish affected individuals with complex diseases from the healthy ones.
Real‐time optical motion correction for diffusion tensor imaging

Head motion is a fundamental problem in brain MRI. The problem is further compounded in diffusion tensor imaging because of long acquisition times, and the sensitivity of the tensor computation to even small misregistration. To combat motion artifacts in diffusion tensor imaging, a novel real‐time prospective motion correction method was introduced using an in‐bore monovision system. The system consists of a camera mounted on the head coil and a self‐encoded checkerboard marker that is attached to the patient's forehead. Our experiments showed that optical prospective motion correction is more effective at removing motion artifacts compared to image‐based retrospective motion correction. Statistical analysis revealed a significant improvement in similarity between diffusion data acquired at different time points when prospective correction was used compared to retrospective correction (P < 0.001). Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vision-dependent changes in the choroidal thickness of macaque monkeys.

PURPOSE To determine whether changes in the eye's effective refractive state produce changes in the thickness of the choroid in infant monkeys. METHODS Normal developmental changes in choroidal thickness were studied in 10 normal rhesus monkeys. Hyperopia or myopia was induced by rearing 26 infant monkeys with either spectacle or diffuser lenses secured in front of one or both eyes. The treatment lenses were worn continuously beginning at approximately 3 weeks of age for an average of 120 days. Refractive status and ocular axial dimensions, including choroidal thickness, were measured by retinoscopy and high-frequency A-scan ultrasonography, respectively. RESULTS Three lines of evidence indicate that the normal increase in choroidal thickness that occurs during early maturation can be altered by the eye's refractive state. First, in monkeys experiencing form deprivation or those in the process of compensating for imposed optical errors, choroidal thickness and refractive error were significantly correlated with eyes developing myopia having thinner choroids than those developing hyperopia. Second, the choroids in eyes recovering from binocularly induced myopia increased in thickness at a faster rate than the choroids in recovering hyperopic eyes. Third, monkeys recovering from induced anisometropias showed interocular alterations in choroidal thickness that were always in the appropriate direction to compensate for the anisometropia. These changes in choroidal thickness, which were on the order of 50 microm, occurred quickly and preceded significant changes in overall eye size. CONCLUSIONS Changes in the eye's effective refractive state produce rapid compensating changes in choroidal thickness. Although these choroidal changes are small relative to the eye's refractive error, they may play an important role in the visual regulation of axial growth associated with emmetropization.
Illuminating the nomological network of digital aggression: Results from two studies

We examined the nomological network surrounding digital aggression (DA), in regards to other forms of aggression/antisocial behavior and individual difference variables commonly associated with other forms of aggression/antisocial behavior. Two large samples of university students (N = 713 and 633, respectively) completed a series of questionnaires and in some cases, an additional experience sampling study. Results revealed that, in emerging adulthood, DA appears to have a unique demographic profile relative to the other forms of aggression and antisocial behavior. Results further suggested that, when examined simultaneously, only social aggression and non-aggressive rule-breaking evidenced independent associations with DA. These associations persisted even in the absence of social media use. Unique associations with most individual difference variables dissipated once we controlled for social aggression and rule-breaking, although DA was independently associated with extraversion and alcohol use problems. Such findings begin to embed DA in its broader nomological network and suggest clear functional links with both social aggression and non-aggressive rule-breaking.
Performance Implications of Strategic Performance Measurement in Financial Services Firms

This study examines the relation between measurement system satisfaction, economic performance, and two general approaches to strategic performance measurement: greater measurement diversity and improved alignment with firm strategy and value drivers. We find consistent evidence that firms making more extensive use of a broad set of financial and (particularly) non-financial measures than firms with similar strategies or value drivers have higher measurement system satisfaction and stock market returns. However, we find little support for the alignment hypothesis that more or less extensive measurement than predicted by the firm's strategy or value drivers adversely affect performance. Instead, our results indicate that greater measurement emphasis and diversity than predicted by our benchmark model is associated with higher satisfaction and stock market performance. Our results also suggest that greater measurement diversity relative to firms with similar value drivers has a stronger relationship with stock market performance than greater measurement on an absolute scale. Finally, the balanced scorecard process, economic value measurement, and causal business modeling are associated with higher measurement system satisfaction, but exhibit almost no association with economic performance.
How Does Corporate Social Responsibility Promote Innovation? The Sequential Mediating Mechanism of Employees' Meaningfulness of Work and Intrinsic Motivation

Based on group creativity framework, our research investigates how corporate social responsibility (CSR) promotes innovation of firms by revealing sequential mediating mechanisms of employee’s meaningfulness of work and intrinsic motivation. By applying a multi-level approach, this study examines the internal processes of micro-level variables between two macro-level variables (i.e., CSR and innovation). Utilizing a 3-wave longitudinal data from 4,178 organizational members in 502 branches as well as objective CSR records from one of the largest Korean commercial banks, we found that employee’s meaningfulness of work and intrinsic motivation sequentially mediate the CSR-innovation link. The results suggest that CSR functions as a powerful driver of innovation through enhancing employees’ perceptions and attitudes toward their job.
Portal Vein Thrombosis Is a Risk Factor for Poor Early Outcomes After Liver Transplantation: Analysis of Risk Factors and Outcomes for Portal Vein Thrombosis in Waitlisted Patients

Background Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is common in patients with cirrhosis, but the risk factors associated with PVT and its impact on outcomes following liver transplantation (LT) are not well defined. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of PVT on post-LT patient and graft survival, waitlist outcomes, and the factors associated with PVT. Methods A retrospective review of Organ Procurement and Transplant Network waitlist and LT data between 2002 and 2013 identified 48,570 patients undergoing their first LT, with 3321 (6.8%) reported to have PVT at LT. Results Portal vein thrombosis was independently associated with increased 90-day mortality (odds ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-1.99; P < 0.001) and graft failure (odds ratio, 1.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-1.97; P < 0.001). Portal vein thrombosis at listing was not associated with lower transplant rates, or delisting for death, or deterioration. Only 31% of patients with PVT at LT had PVT reported at listing. The predictors of PVT at LT in patients without PVT at listing included: fatty or cryptogenic liver disease, ascites, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. “New” PVT at LT was associated with longer wait-time, higher rate of model of end-stage liver disease increase, and intermediate 90-day survival rates compared to patients with or without PVT at both listing and LT. Conclusions Portal vein thrombosis at LT is associated with early (90 days) mortality and graft failure, though a likely but undefined reporting bias for more extensive PVT would overstate estimated risks for all PVT. Further study is needed to better define risks of LT with PVT.
Tubulointerstitial expression and urinary excretion of connective tissue growth factor 3 months after renal transplantation predict interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy at 5 years in a retrospective cohort analysis

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is an important mediator of renal allograft fibrosis, and urinary CTGF (CTGFu) levels correlate with the development of human allograft interstitial fibrosis. We evaluated the predictive value of CTGF protein expression in 160 kidney transplant recipients with paired protocol biopsies at 3 months and 5 years after transplantation. At month 3 and year 1, CTGFu was measured using ELISA, and biopsies were immunohistochemically stained for CTGF, with semiquantitative scoring of tubulointerstitial CTGF‐positive area (CTGFti). Predictors of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) severity at 5 years were donor age [OR 1.05 (1.02–1.08), P = 0.001], female donor [OR 0.40 (0.18–0.90), P = 0.026], induction therapy [OR 2.76 (1.10–6.89), P = 0.030], and CTGFti >10% at month 3 [OR 2.72 (1.20–6.15), P = 0.016]. In subgroups of patients with little histologic damage at 3 months [either ci score 0 (n = 119), IF/TA score ≤1 (n = 123), or absence of IF/TA, interstitial inflammation, and tubulitis (n = 45)], consistent predictors of progression of chronic histologic damage by 5 years were donor age, induction therapy, CTGFti >10%, and CTGFu. These results suggest that, even in patients with favorable histology at 3 months, significant CTGF expression is often present which may predict accelerated accumulation of histologic damage.
Methods to Evaluate the Aging Grades of Reclaimed Asphalt Binder

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is of great significance for alleviating the problem of resource waste and land space occupation in the context of asphalt pavement. However, the use rate of RAP is still low in many countries because of limited understanding and no unified recycling guidelines, especially in terms of materials classification and aging grades. In this study, reclaimed asphalt pavements from sixteen different sections in southern China were collected, including with base and polymer modified asphalt (PMA). The performance of the reclaimed asphalt binder (RAB) at low, average and high temperatures was tested, using various methods, to find suitable indexes for categorizing aging grades. The viscosity (135 °C) and penetration (25 °C) were found to distinguish the aging degree of RAB the most consistently, and served as the indices to classify the RAB into different grades. To simplify the evaluation of aging grades, a comprehensive service life was determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, taking service years and surface levels into account. As a result, a good correlation was found between comprehensive service life and the aging grades.
Differential Neural Processing during Motor Imagery of Daily Activities in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients

Chronic low back pain (chronic LBP) is both debilitating for patients but also a major burden on the health care system. Previous studies reported various maladaptive structural and functional changes among chronic LBP patients on spine- and supraspinal levels including behavioral alterations. However, evidence for cortical reorganization in the sensorimotor system of chronic LBP patients is scarce. Motor Imagery (MI) is suitable for investigating the cortical sensorimotor network as it serves as a proxy for motor execution. Our aim was to investigate differential MI-driven cortical processing in chronic LBP compared to healthy controls (HC) by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty-nine subjects (15 chronic LBP patients, 14 HC) were included in the current study. MI stimuli consisted of randomly presented video clips showing every-day activities involving different whole-body movements as well as walking on even ground and walking downstairs and upstairs. Guided by the video clips, subjects had to perform MI of these activities, subsequently rating the vividness of their MI performance. Brain activity analysis revealed that chronic LBP patients exhibited significantly reduced activity compared to HC subjects in MI-related brain regions, namely the left supplementary motor area and right superior temporal sulcus. Furthermore, psycho-physiological-interaction analysis yielded significantly enhanced functional connectivity (FC) between various MI-associated brain regions in chronic LBP patients indicating diffuse and non-specific changes in FC. Current results demonstrate initial findings about differences in MI-driven cortical processing in chronic LBP pointing towards reorganization processes in the sensorimotor network.