Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
State of the Art of Agile Governance: A Systematic Review

Context: Agility at the business level requires Information Technology (IT) environment flexible and customizable, as well as effective and responsive governance in order to deliver value faster, better, and cheaper to the business. Objective: To understand better this context, our paper seeks to investigate how the domain of agile governance has evolved, as well as to derive implications for research and practice. Method: We conducted a systematic review about the state of art of the agile governance up to and including 2013. Our search strategy identified 1992 studies in 10 databases, of which 167 had the potential to answer our research questions. Results: We organized the studies into four major groups: software engineering, enterprise, manufacturing and multidisciplinary; classifying them into 16 emerging categories. As a result, the review provides a convergent definition for agile governance, six metaprinciples, and a map of findings organized by topic and classified by relevance and convergence. Conclusion: The found evidence lead us to believe that agile governance is a relatively new, wide and multidisciplinary area focused on organizational performance and competitiveness that needs to be more intensively studied. Finally, we made improvements and additions to the methodological approach for systematic reviews and qualitative studies.
Buffering Effects of Family and Friend Support on Associations between Partner Unsupportive Behaviors and Coping among Women with Breast Cancer

This study examined the role of family and friend support in moderating the association between partner unsupportive behaviors and avoidance coping and coping efficacy experienced by women with breast cancer. This study also evaluated whether partner unsupportive behaviors had an indirect effect on patient distress via patient avoidance coping and coping efficacy. One hundred and forty women with recently diagnosed breast cancer who were either married or in cohabiting relationships participated. Results of structural equation analyses supported a moderational role for family and friend support on the association between partner unsupportive behaviors and coping efficacy. Among women who had high support from family and friends, partner unsupportive behaviors were not significantly associated with patient avoidance and coping efficacy appraisals. Among women who had low support from family and friends, partner unsupportive behaviors were strongly associated with greater avoidance and poorer estimates of coping efficacy. However, findings regarding the indirect effects of partner unsupportive behavior on patient distress via avoidance and coping efficacy were inconsistent. The findings underscore the importance of testing moderated models of social support.
The Basis of Differential Responses to Folic Acid Supplementation

Background/Aims: Elevated levels of total homocysteine (tHcy) are associated with an increased risk of many common diseases. Supplementation with folic acid has been shown to significantly reduce tHcy levels. We used the classical twin model to partition the variability in changes in plasma tHcy levels through folic acid supplementation into genetic, environmental, and confounding epidemiological factors. Methods: We carried out an intervention study of folic acid using 101 healthy, female, identical and non-identical twins aged 50–80 years. Each twin was administered folic acid (0.8 mg/day) for 6 weeks. Total plasma folate, cobalamin and tHcy were measured at both baseline and after dosing. We calculated the heritability and tested for associations between the MTHFR C677T functional variant and response to folic acid supplementation. Results: Supplementation with folic acid led to a significant reduction in tHcy levels. The mean tHcy changed from 12.14 to 10.42 µmol/l after supplementation (p < 10–5). Moreover, the change in tHcy levels was highly heritable (64%), not associated with the C677T functional variant at MTHFR and not confounded by age, BMI or diet. Conclusions: Our results highlight the need to identify genetic factors associated with biomarkers of response to folate supplementation.
Pupils as Consumers of School Psychological Services

This article describes the results of an empirical investigation studying pupils' views of the work of school psychologists in Estonia. In addition, the characteristics and problems of pupils who have sought help from a psychologist are analysed. The answers of 227 ninth and 206 twelfth graders (201 boys and 232 girls) from 21 schools from different parts of Estonia are analysed. There is a psychologist working in 13 of these schools, whilst eight are served from service centres. It was found that the pupils who had visited psychologists (as compared with those who had not) considered themselves to be less successful in school, to have more conflicts with parents and to be more frequently in a bad mood. The work of school psychologists was evaluated positively by the majority of pupils; the evaluations were higher in the ninth grade. The evaluations of the work were positively associated with the time the psychologist worked in school: the work of the psychologists working in school was evaluated at a higher level than the work of those who worked in centres; also, full-time psychologists were given a higher rating. The implications of these findings for the delivery of psychological services are discussed.
Comparing measures of travel distances in primates: Methodological considerations and socioecological implications

Travel costs can influence numerous aspects of the lives of primates, including net energy balance (and therefore reproductive success of females) and maximum group size. Despite their potential impact, there has been no systematic comparison of different measures of travel distance. We compared three measures of travel distance in 30 min (actual distance of individuals, straight‐line distance of individuals, and straight‐line distance of groups) and their ratios in a small group and a large group of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) and between the large group of vervets and a group of patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) of roughly similar size. The large group of vervets traveled farther than the small group regardless of the measure used, but the ratios of the different measures were not significantly different between those groups. Patas monkeys traveled significantly farther than the large group of vervets regardless of the measure used. In both vervets and patas, straight‐line distances of individuals (ISLD) and groups (GSLD) underestimated actual distances traveled by individuals (IAD), but the degree to which they did so differed between species. IAD is more accurate than the other two measures and is preferred for studies of energetics and individual reproductive success, although ISLD or GSLD may be substituted when the ratios of IAD/ISLD or IAD/GSLD do not differ between groups or species. The ratio of IAD/ISLD was larger in vervets than in patas, suggesting that individual vervets meander more over short periods of time than patas. The ratio of ISLD/GSLD was larger in patas than in vervets, suggesting that patas move at angles or across the group's center‐of‐mass whereas vervets move more consistently along with others in their group. This has implications for the formation of spatial subgroups and alliances within groups. Am. J. Primatol. 48:87–98, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Principals, agents and research programmes

Research programmes appear to represent one of the more powerful instruments through which research funders (principals) steer and shape what researchers (agents) do. The fact that agents navigate between different sources and styles of programme funding and that they use programmes to their own ends is readily accommodated within principal-agent theory with the help of concepts such as shirking and defection. Taking a different route, I use three examples of research programming (by the UK, the European Union and the European Science Foundation) to argue that principal-agent theory cannot capture the cumulative and collective consequences of the relationships it seeks to describe. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
Author ' s personal copy Chronology of glaciations in the Sierra Nevada , California , from 10 Be surface exposure dating

We use 10Be surface exposure dating to construct a high-resolution chronology of glacial fluctuations in the Sierra Nevada, California. Most previous studies focused on individual glaciated valleys, whereas our study compares chronologies developed throughout the range to identify regional patterns in the timing of glacier response to major climate changes. Sites throughout the range indicate Last Glacial Maximum retreat at 18.8 1.9 ka (2s) that suggests rather consistent changes in atmospheric variables, e.g., temperature and precipitation, throughout the range. The penultimate glacial retreat occurred at ca 145 ka. Our data suggest that the Sierra Nevada landscape is dominated by glacial features deposited during marine isotope stage (MIS) 2 and MIS 6. Deposits of previously recognized glaciations between circa 25 and 140 ka, e.g., MIS 4, Tenaya, early Tahoe, cannot be unequivocally identified. The timing of Sierra Nevada glacial retreat correlates well with other regional paleoclimate proxies in the Sierra Nevada, but differs significantly from paleoclimate proxies in other regions. Our dating results indicate that the onset of LGM retreat occurred several thousand years earlier in the Sierra Nevada than some glacial records in the western US. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Search for School Climate: A Review of the Research

School climate has been studied with a multitude of variables, methodologies, theories, and models, resulting in a not easily defined body of research. This analysis of the school climate literature, based on over 200 references, uses an organizational theory taxonomy to organize the diverse body of research and to draw conclusions about common findings. The history of school climate research is reviewed, noting the influence of climate instruments developed to study climate in settings other than the total school building, such as business, college, and classroom settings. The difficulty of defining school climate is reflected in the diversity of climate typologies that have evolved, despite their often common roots. The debate about school climate is tied to differences among researchers in theory base, variables to study (and their hypothesized interrelationships), unit of measurement choices, and the validity of subjective and qualitative data (based on participant or observer perception). Some common conclusions about school climate (considered as an independent, intervening, or dependent variable) do emerge in the literature. The paper concludes with a summary of the methodological issues common to school climate studies and suggestions for dealing with the concomitant problems
Occupation is not a Cross‐Cultural Universal: Some Reflections From an Ethnographer

Abstract First Nations person illustrates that occupational access often falls by the wayside when mainstream assumptions about the nature of occupation and the criteria for occupational success remain unexamined. The possibility of cross‐cultural miscommunication needs to be addressed explicitly, particularly when applicant and client population differ from the cultural background of interviewers. Occupational success depends at least as much on the match between applicant and clients as on abstract and generalized criteria defining occupation and job description. Increased sensitivity to cultural barriers to occupational access and success provides challenging opportunities to extend the parameters of occupational research and thus to make it more inclusive. This opens up the possibility of training in effective cross‐cultural communication as well as opportunities for research on barriers in particular cases.
The Control of Autumn Senescence in European Aspen1[W][OA]

The initiation, progression, and natural variation of autumn senescence in European aspen (Populus tremula) was investigated by monitoring chlorophyll degradation in (1) trees growing in natural stands and (2) cloned trees growing in a greenhouse under various light regimes. The main trigger for the initiation of autumn senescence in aspen is the shortening photoperiod, but there was a large degree of variation in the onset of senescence, both within local populations and among trees originating from different populations, where it correlated with the latitude of their respective origins. The variation for onset of senescence with a population was much larger than the variation of bud set. Once started, autumn senescence was accelerated by low temperature and longer nights, and clones that started to senescence late had a faster senescence. Bud set and autumn senescence appeared to be under the control of two independent critical photoperiods, but senescence could not be initiated until a certain time after bud set, suggesting that bud set and growth arrest are important for the trees to acquire competence to respond to the photoperiodic trigger to undergo autumn senescence. A timetable of events related to bud set and autumn senescence is presented.
Different Patterns of Sexual Identity Development over Time: Implications for the Psychological Adjustment of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youths

Despite research documenting variability in the sexual identity development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths, it remains unclear whether different developmental patterns have implications for the psychological adjustment of LGB youths. This report longitudinally examines whether different patterns of LGB identity formation and integration are associated with indicators of psychological adjustment among an ethnically diverse sample of 156 LGB youths (ages 14–21) in New York City. Although differences in the timing of identity formation were not associated with psychological adjustment, greater identity integration was related to less depressive and anxious symptoms, fewer conduct problems, and higher self-esteem both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Individual changes in identity integration over time were associated with all four aspects of psychological adjustment, even after controlling for rival hypotheses concerning family and friend support, gay-related stress, negative social relationships, and other covariates. These findings suggest that difficulties in developing an integrated LGB identity may have negative implications for the psychological adjustment of LGB youths and that efforts to reduce distress among LGB youths should address the youths' identity integration.
Sexism in single-sex and coeducational independent secondary school classrooms

This study investigated how engenderment (socialization to gender) operates in three types of independent secondary schools—boys' schools, girls' schools, and coeducational schools. Observational data were collected in 86 classrooms in 21 schools in specific curricular areas. The study found that teachers initiated most of the incidents in six categories of sexism. Furthermore, although the frequency of incidents was similar in the three types of schools, the forms of sexism were different. Chemistry classes were the major locus of sexism in coeducational schools, and the severest form of sexism was found in boys' schools. Although girls' schools exhibited the most gender-equity events, they also perpetuated a pernicious form of sexism: academic dependence and nonrigorous instruction. Schools with policies that actively promoted gender equity in enrollment, in the hiring of faculty, and in personal relations were the least likely sites of sexism.
Assumptive Worlds and the Stress of Traumatic Events: Applications of the Schema Construct

Work on the psychological aftermath of traumatic events suggests that people ordinarily operate on the basis of unchallenged, unquestioned assumptions about themselves and the world. A heuristic model specifying the content of people's assumptive worlds is proposed. The schema construct in social cognition is used to explore the role of these basic assumptions following traumatic events. A major coping task confronting victims is a cognitive one, that of assimilating their experience and/or changing their basic schemas about themselves and their world. Various seemingly inappropriate coping strategies, including self-blame, denial, and intrusive, recurrent thoughts, are discussed from the perspective of facilitating the victim's cognitive coping task. A scale for measuring basic assumptions is presented, as is a study comparing the assumptive worlds of people who did or did not experience particular traumatic events in the past. Results showed that assumptions about the benevolence of the impersonal world.
Stereo vision and IMU based real-time ego-motion and depth image computation on a handheld device

Real-time environmental depth perception and ego-motion estimation is essential for all mobile robotic systems. We present a system that computes high quality depth images with 0.5 MPixel resolution using Semi-Global Matching (SGM) and estimates the ego-motion by key frame based visual odometry fused with the data of an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The hardware includes a pair of cameras, a small Intel Core2Duo CPU board, a Spartan 6 FPGA board, an OMAP3530 ARM processor board as well as an IMU. The total weight of the experimental setup is 830 g and is, thus, also feasible for hand-held or flying platforms. Experiments show that the vision system runs at 14.6 Hz with a latency of around 250 ms and produces high quality depth images as well as reliable 6D ego-motion estimates. In the fusion algorithm of visual odometry and IMU data, time delays of the vision system are compensated and a system state estimate is available at the full data rate of the IMU which is important for system control. This paper presents the integration of different techniques into a fast, light weight, real-time system and validates its performance by experiments on real data.
Seeking Concert Hall Acoustics

Violin acoustics and concert hall acoustics are significantly different. Violins evolved three centuries ago, and since then every violin builder and owner has demanded an instrument that duplicates the physical properties and sound of that early period. Concert halls have evolved differently; architects have desired to make each a unique visual statement - certainly not a copy. Faced with this situation, acousticians have attempted to find a set of measurable characteristics that, if duplicated in halls of different appearances, will result in sounds that musicians and owners will find excellent, or at least satisfactory. This article recollects my efforts to isolate these characteristics - from the sequence of events that led to an understanding of how audiences in concert halls absorb sound, to finding acoustical measures needed for design and augmentation of concert hall acoustics.
Velocity field design for the modular distributed manipulator system (MDMS)

The Modular Distributed Manipulator System (MDMS) is a novel materials handling system which is a (cid:12)xed array of actuated wheels capable of induc-ing arbitrary motions in the plane. This work de-velops control laws for transporting and manipulating macroscopic-scale objects (parcels) that rest on the array. The dynamics of parcel transport and manipulation lead to the necessary understanding of such laws. The dynamics are based on an exact discrete represen-tation of the system, unlike other methods where a con-tinuity assumption is made. Given a particular set of wheel speeds, the dynamics of a parcel’s motion are derived by examining the distribution of weight among the supporting cells subject to a friction model governing the parcel-wheel contact. The resulting relationship between parcel behavior and wheel speeds can be inverted, therefore wheel speeds can be calculated from desired parcel behavior.
Comparison of mianserin and dothiepin treatment on the serotonergic system in depressed patients

Depressed patients showed a decreased 5‐HT uptake rate and aggregation response and increased platelet ketanserin binding, compared to normal controls. Five weeks treatment with either mianserin or dothiepin improved the biochemical parameters in the patients, although the parameters still had not returned to control levels. There was no difference between the biochemical markers in the mianserin and dothiepin groups at any time during the study.
Several sources of error in estimation of left ventricular mass with M-mode echocardiography in elderly subjects

Abstract Introduction. M-mode echocardiography estimates of the left ventricular mass (LVM) were greater than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) estimates. There are substantial differences between the methods both in the means of measuring and the calculation formula. The aim of this study was to investigate whether any difference in estimates of LVM between M-mode echocardiography and MRI is due to the means of measuring or to the calculation formula, using MRI as the gold standard. Material and methods. M-mode echocardiography and MRI were performed on 229 randomly selected 70-year-old community-living subjects. LVM was calculated from echocardiography (LVMecho) and from MRI (LVMMRI) measurements using standard techniques. Additionally LVM was calculated with the echocardiography formula from echo-mimicking measurements made on MR images (LVMMRI/ASE). Results. There were significant differences between all three LVM estimates in women, in men, and in the entire population. Echocardiography estimated LVM to be larger than did MRI, and the LVMMRI/ASE estimate was larger than the LVMMRI. The difference between LVMMRI and LVMMRI/ASE was larger than the difference between LVMecho and LVMMRI/ASE. There was a low correlation between LVMecho and LVMMRI (R2 = 0.46) as well as between LVMMRI/ASE and LVMMRI (R2 = 0.65). Conclusion. The means of measuring and the calculation formula both independently add to the error in LVM estimation with M-mode echocardiography. The error of the calculation formula seems to be greater than the error of the means of measuring in a population of community-living elderly men and women.
Spontaneous deletion mutants resulting from a frameshift insertion in the simian virus 40 agnogene

The 61-amino-acid agnoprotein is a nonessential polypeptide encoded by the late leader region of simian virus 40 which appears to play a role in viral assembly. A 2-base-pair (bp) insertion mutant (in2379) was created by altering the coding region of this protein. This mutation prevents the synthesis of the agnoprotein and, in contrast to the more extensive deletion mutations previously described in this region, might be expected to have a lesser effect on the template for late viral transcription. In fact, the 2-bp insertion mutant grew significantly less well than most mutants containing larger deletions in the agnoprotein region and frequently gave rise to stock containing second-site alterations in the same region. These observations suggested that the defect in mutant in2379 extends beyond the loss of the agnoprotein. Characterization of a number of second-site mutants indicated that all of them grew more efficiently than the original 2-bp insertion mutant. Based on the nucleotide sequence of these mutants, we suggest possibilities for the deleterious effect induced by the insertion in mutant in2379.