Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ambidextrous Leadership and Sustainability-Based Project Performance: The Role of Project Culture

Most studies in the project management field emphasized the effects of leaders or managers, but these effects have rarely been examined at the project level. To cover this research gap, this study applies organizational ambidexterity theory to examine the effects among ambidextrous leadership, ambidextrous culture and sustainability-based project performance. Using a valid sample of 217 project leaders and members from Chinese construction projects, the method of multiple linear regression was adopted to assess the direct relationship among ambidextrous leadership, ambidextrous culture and project performance. Moreover, the bootstrapping technique through structural equation modeling, has been used to analyze the mediating effect of ambidextrous culture. Additionally, the sample data was divided into different groups according to the median value of the variables to conduct the ANOVA and to assess the within-group differences. The results indicated a positive and direct relationship that ambidextrous leadership has on project performance and ambidextrous culture. In addition, there was also a mediating impact of ambidextrous leadership on project performance via ambidextrous culture. Thus, ambidextrous leadership combined with transformational leadership as well as transactional leadership likely has a stronger positive impact on project performance through fostering the adaptive culture and consistent culture. Our findings contribute to an in-depth understanding of the role of the leader and culture for project outcomes. The project-based organization in construction projects could train project leaders’ ambidextrous leadership behavior to facilitate the formation of an ambidextrous culture and to increase project performance. Moreover, this study enriches the existing literature on leadership and project management by highlighting the important path of ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous culture on the performance at the project level and going beyond the single leadership behavior or single culture.
A Critical Study on Availability and Price Variation Between Different Brands : Impact on Access to Medicines

Seed oils of Gynandropsis gynandra, Impatiens balsamina, Celastrus paniculata, Embelia ribes and Mucuna pruriens were investigated for their anthelmintic property against Pheritima posthuma. Three concentrations (10, 50 and 100 mg/ml) of each oil were studied in a bioassay, which involved the determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the worm. All the oils exhibited moderate to significant anthelmintic activity. Embelia ribes showed the best anthelmintic activity in both the parameters. Piperazine citrate (10 mg/ml) was included in the assay as standard reference drug.
The Microbiota of Recreational Freshwaters and the Implications for Environmental and Public Health

The microbial communities in recreational freshwaters play important roles in both environmental and public health perspectives. In this study, the bacterial community structure and its associations with freshwater environments were investigated by analyzing the summertime microbiomes of three beach waters in Ohio (East Fork, Delaware, and Madison lakes) together with environmental and microbial water quality parameters. From the swimming season of 2009, 21 water samples were collected from the three freshwater beaches. From the samples, 110,000 quality-checked bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained and analyzed, resulting in an observation of 4500 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The most abundant bacteria were Mycobacterium and Arthrobacter of the Actinobacteria (33.2%), Exiguobacterium and Paenisporosarcina of the Firmicutes (23.4%), Planktothrix and Synechococcus of the Cyanobacteria (20.8%), and Methylocystis and Polynucleobacter of the Proteobacteria (16.3%). Considerable spatial and temporal variations were observed in the bacterial community of Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes, where the bacterial community structure was greatly influenced by hydrological and weather conditions. The most influential factors were (1) water inflow for Bacteroidia and Clostridia, (2) turbidity for Gammaproteobacteria, (3) precipitation for Bacilli, and (4) temperature and pH for Cyanobacteria. One noticeable microbial interaction in the bacterial community was a significant negative relationship between Cyanobacteria and Bacilli (P < 0.05). Concerning beach water quality, the level of the genetic markers for cyanobacterial toxin (mcyA) was linked to the abundance of Cyanobacteria. In addition, unique distributions of the genera Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Finegoldia, Burkholderia, and Klebsiella, together with a high density of fecal indicator Escherichia coli, were markedly observed in the sample from Madison Lake on July 13, suggesting a distinctly different source of bacterial loading into the lake, possibly fecal contamination. In conclusion, deep sequencing-based microbial community analysis can provide detailed profiles of bacterial communities and information on potential public health risks at freshwater beaches.
Microbial degradation of lignin: how a bulky recalcitrant polymer is efficiently recycled in nature and how we can take advantage of this

Lignin is the second most abundant constituent of the cell wall of vascular plants, where it protects cellulose towards hydrolytic attack by saprophytic and pathogenic microbes. Its removal represents a key step for carbon recycling in land ecosystems, as well as a central issue for industrial utilization of plant biomass. The lignin polymer is highly recalcitrant towards chemical and biological degradation due to its molecular architecture, where different non‐phenolic phenylpropanoid units form a complex three‐dimensional network linked by a variety of ether and carbon–carbon bonds. Ligninolytic microbes have developed a unique strategy to handle lignin degradation based on unspecific one‐electron oxidation of the benzenic rings in the different lignin substructures by extracellular haemperoxidases acting synergistically with peroxide‐generating oxidases. These peroxidases posses two outstanding characteristics: (i) they have unusually high redox potential due to haem pocket architecture that enables oxidation of non‐phenolic aromatic rings, and (ii) they are able to generate a protein oxidizer by electron transfer to the haem cofactor forming a catalytic tryptophanyl‐free radical at the protein surface, where it can interact with the bulky lignin polymer. The structure–function information currently available is being used to build tailor‐made peroxidases and other oxidoreductases as industrial biocatalysts.
Efficient face detection by a cascaded support–vector machine expansion

We describe a fast system for the detection and localization of human faces in images using a nonlinear ‘support–vector machine’. We approximate the decision surface in terms of a reduced set of expansion vectors and propose a cascaded evaluation which has the property that the full support–vector expansion is only evaluated on the face–like parts of the image, while the largest part of typical images is classified using a single expansion vector (a simpler and more efficient classifier). As a result, only three reduced–set vectors are used, on average, to classify an image patch. Hence, the cascaded evaluation, presented in this paper, offers a thirtyfold speed–up over an evaluation using the full set of reduced–set vectors, which is itself already thirty times faster than classification using all the support vectors.
Phylogeographical structure, postglacial recolonization and barriers to gene flow in the distinctive Valais chromosome race of the common shrew (Sorex araneus)

Using one male‐inherited and eight biparentally inherited microsatellite markers, we investigate the population genetic structure of the Valais chromosome race of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) in the Central Alps of Europe. Unexpectedly, the Y‐chromosome microsatellite suggests nearly complete absence of male gene flow among populations from the St‐Bernard and Simplon regions (Switzerland). Autosomal markers also show significant genetic structuring among these two geographical areas. Isolation by distance is significant and possible barriers to gene flow exist in the study area. Two different approaches are used to better understand the geographical patterns and the causes of this structuring. Using a principal component analysis for which testing procedure exists, and partial Mantel tests, we show that the St‐Bernard pass does not represent a significant barrier to gene flow although it culminates at 2469 m, close to the highest altitudinal record for this species. Similar results are found for the Simplon pass, indicating that both passes represented potential postglacial recolonization routes into Switzerland from Italian refugia after the last Pleistocene glaciations. In contrast with the weak effect of these mountain passes, the Rhône valley lowlands significantly reduce gene flow in this species. Natural obstacles (the large Rhône river) and unsuitable habitats (dry slopes) are both present in the valley. Moreover, anthropogenic changes to landscape structures are likely to have strongly reduced available habitats for this shrew in the lowlands, thereby promoting genetic differentiation of populations found on opposite sides of the Rhône valley.
Short versus long-segment posterior fixation in the treatment of thoracolumbar junction fractures: a comparison of outcomes

Abstract Purpose: To compare clinical and radiological outcomes between short (SSPF) and long-segment (LSPF) posterior fixation for thoracolumbar junction (TLJ) fractures. Materials and methods: Retrospective review of adult patients, with single-level, TLJ (T11-L2) fractures, treated with posterior fixation between 2007 and 2014 at a regional spinal centre. SSPF and LSPF were defined as transpedicular screw fixation at one and two levels above and below the fractured vertebra, respectively. Construct failure was defined as instrument breakage or screw pull-out requiring operative intervention. Two independent assessors measured the kyphotic Cobb angle at up to six months. Results: A total of 28 patients were included with a median age of 38 years (range 20–76 years) and median follow-up period of 14 months (4–41 months). All patients sustained traumatic fractures and the male to female ratio was 19:9. AO fracture classes were: A (29%), B (50%) and C (21%). SSPF and LSPF were performed in 17 (61%) and 11 (39%) patients, respectively. There was no significant difference in age (Fisher’s exact, p > 0.99), AO fracture class (chi-squared, p = 0.510), preop TLICS score (independent t-test, p = 0.668) and length of stay (independent t-test, p = 0.106) between the groups. Construct failure occurred in three SSPF cases (3–14 months postop) and was associated with an increased mean loss of correction. By six months, the Cobb angle had increased significantly in the SSPF group (paired t-test, p = 0.049), but not the LSPF group (paired t-test, p = 0.157). Conclusions: Our data identified a trend towards better clinical and radiological outcomes in the LSPF, compared to the SSPF group. Although supported by some studies, these findings should be evaluated in future clinical trials.
Nanotechnology in Geotechnical Engineering

The present paper reviews the application of nanotechnology in geotechnical engineering, in which the concept of nanotechnology as well as the new concept of nanosol is explained. We have also given explanation for nanometer additives used in the introduced soil, different forms of nanoparticles, their specific properties, and effects of these nanoparticles on engineering properties of soil including index properties and strength, and analyzed the reasons through which these effects are caused. Furthermore, influence of recent advances in nanoinstruments and electron microscopes as well as their application in geotechnical studies.
Pain exposure physical therapy may be a safe and effective treatment for longstanding complex regional pain syndrome type 1: a case series

Objective: To determine if treatment of longstanding complex regional pain syndrome type 1, focusing on functional improvement only while neglecting pain, results in clinical improvement of this syndrome. Design: Prospective description of a case series of 106 patients. Setting: Outpatient clinic for rehabilitation. Interventions: Physical therapy of the affected limb directed at a functional improvement only while neglecting the pain, was performed following an extensive explanation. Normal use of the limb between the treatments was encouraged despite pain. A maximum of five of these sessions were performed in three months. Measures: Radboud Skills Test was used to monitor functional improvement of the arms. Speed and walking distance was used as the measure of outcome for the legs. Results: The function of the affected arm or leg improved in 95 patients. Full functional recovery was experienced in 49 (46%) of them. A reduction in pain presented in 75 patients. In 23 patients functional recovery was reached despite an increase in pain. Four patients stopped early due to pain increase. Conclusions: Our results suggest that ‘pain exposure physical therapy’ is effective and safe for patients who are unresponsive to accepted standard therapies. Avoiding the use of a limb due to pain will result in loss of function. Forced usage of limbs restores the function, reverses these adaptive processes and leads to regain of control by practice with a reduction of pain in most cases.
Noncanonical TATA Sequence in the UL44 Late Promoter of Human Cytomegalovirus Is Required for the Accumulation of Late Viral Transcripts

ABSTRACT During productive infection, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL44 transcription initiates at three distinct start sites that are differentially regulated. Two of the start sites, the distal and the proximal, are active at early times, whereas the middle start site is active only at late times after infection. The UL44 early viral gene product is essential for viral DNA synthesis. The UL44 gene product from the late viral promoter affects primarily viral gene expression at late times after infection rather than viral DNA synthesis (H. Isomura, M. F. Stinski, A. Kudoh, S. Nakayama, S. Iwahori, Y. Sato, and T. Tsurumi, J. Virol. 81:6197, 2007). The UL44 early viral promoters have a canonical TATA sequence, “TATAA. ” In contrast, the UL44 late viral promoter has a noncanonical TATA sequence. Using recombinant viruses, we found that the noncanonical TATA sequence is required for the accumulation of late viral transcripts. The GC boxes that surround the middle TATA element did not affect the kinetics or the start site of UL44 late transcription. Replacement of the distal TATA element with a noncanonical TATA sequence did not affect the kinetics of transcription or the transcription start site, but it did induce an alternative transcript at late times after infection. The data indicate that a noncanonical TATA box is used at late times after HCMV infection.
Impact of childhood anthropometry trends on adult lung function.

BACKGROUND Poor fetal growth rate is associated with lower respiratory function; however, there is limited understanding of the impact of growth trends and BMI during childhood on adult respiratory function. METHODS The current study data are from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy birth cohort. Prospective data were available from 1,740 young adults who performed standard spirometry at 21 years of age and whose birth weight and weight, height, and BMI at 5, 14, and 21 years of age were available. Catch-up growth was defined as an increase of 0.67 Z score in weight between measurements. The impact of catch-up growth on adult lung function and the relationship between childhood BMI trends and adult lung function were assessed using regression analyses. RESULTS Lung function was higher at 21 years in those demonstrating catch-up growth from birth to 5 years (FVC, men: 5.33 L vs 5.54 L; women: 3.78 L vs 4.03 L; and FEV1, men: 4.52 L/s vs 4.64 L/s; women: 3.31 L/s vs 3.45 L/s). Subjects in the lowest quintile of birth (intrauterine growth retardation) also showed improved lung function if they had catch-up growth in the first 5 years of life. There was a positive correlation between increasing BMI and lung function at 5 years of age. However, in the later measurements when BMI increased into the obese category, a drop in lung function was observed. CONCLUSIONS These data show evidence for a positive contribution of catch-up growth in early life to adult lung function. However, if weight gain or onset of obesity occurs after 5 years of age, an adverse impact on adult lung function is noted.
Understanding of slow traps generation in plasma oxidation GeOx/Ge MOS interfaces with ALD high-k layers

A small amount of slow trap density in Ge gate stacks is a crucial issue for Ge CMOS, in addition to thin equivalent oxide thickness and low interface state density. In this paper, we study the slow trap position and the generation mechanism in the high-k/GeO<inf>x</inf>/Ge interfaces fabricated by plasma oxidation. The slow trap density in Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>/GeO<inf>x</inf>/Ge interfaces by plasma pre-oxidation is compared with different GeO<inf>x</inf> and Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> thickness, and the interfaces by plasma post oxidation (PPO). ALD Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>, HfO<inf>2</inf>, La<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> and Y<inf>2</inf>yO<inf>3</inf>/GeO<inf>x</inf>/Ge MOS interfaces are compare in terms of the slow trap density. It is found the main slow traps in Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>/GeO<inf>x</inf>/Ge can locate near the GeO<inf>x</inf>/Ge interfaces for electrons and the Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>/GeO<inf>x</inf> interface for holes. It is also found that additional slow traps near conduction band side are generated during the PPO process. It is revealed that slow traps are generated by post high-k ALD, while Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> provides the lowest slow trap density in comparison with Y<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>, HfO<inf>2</inf> and La<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> high-k films.
Defective regulation of contractile function in muscle fibres carrying an E41K β‐tropomyosin mutation

A novel E41K β‐tropomyosin (β‐Tm) mutation, associated with congenital myopathy and muscle weakness, was recently identified in a woman and her daughter. In both patients, muscle weakness was coupled with muscle fibre atrophy. It remains unknown, however, whether the E41K β‐Tm mutation directly affects regulation of muscle contraction, contributing to the muscle weakness. To address this question, we studied a broad range of contractile characteristics in skinned muscle fibres from the two patients and eight healthy controls. Results showed decreases (i) in speed of contraction at saturated Ca2+ concentration (apparent rate constant of force redevelopment (ktr) and unloaded shortening speed (V0)); and (ii) in contraction sensitivity to Ca2+ concentration, in fibres from patients compared with controls, suggesting that the mutation has a negative effect on contractile function, contributing to the muscle weakness. To investigate whether these negative impacts are reversible, we exposed skinned muscle fibres to the Ca2+ sensitizer EMD 57033. In fibres from patients, 30 μm of EMD 57033 (i) had no effect on speed of contraction (ktr and V0) at saturated Ca2+ concentration but (ii) increased Ca2+ sensitivity of contraction, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach in patients carrying the E41K β‐Tm mutation.
The essential role of Broca's area in imitation

The posterior sector of Broca's area (Brodmann area 44), a brain region critical for language, may have evolved from neurons active during observation and execution of manual movements. Imaging studies showing increased Broca's activity during execution, imagination, imitation and observation of hand movements support this hypothesis. Increased Broca's activity in motor task, however, may simply be due to inner speech. To test whether Broca's area is essential to imitation, we used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), which is known to transiently disrupt functions in stimulated areas. Subjects imitated finger key presses (imitation) or executed finger key presses in response to spatial cues (control task). While performing the tasks, subjects received rTMS over the left and right pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus (where Brodmann area 44 is probabilistically located) and over the occipital cortex. There was significant impairment in imitation, but not in the control task, during rTMS over left and right pars opercularis compared to rTMS over the occipital cortex. This suggests that Broca's area is a premotor region essential to finger movement imitation.
Optimal flow control allocation policies in communication networks with priorities

M(>or=2) transmitting stations sending packets to a single receiver over a slotted time-multiplexed link are considered. The objective is to characterize dynamic policies that minimize the discounted and long-term average costs due to holding packets at the M stations. This flow control problem is modeled as a Markov decision process and treated by dynamic programming methods. The authors derive properties of optimal (discounted) policies that reduce the computational complexity of the flow control algorithm, and prove two properties of optimal policies. These properties are used to show that the optimization reduces to the calculation of optimal allocations for a finite number of states. Some special cases are considered. <<ETX>>
Conformational risk factors of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs

Extremely brachycephalic, or short-muzzled, dog breeds such as pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs are prone to the conformation-related respiratory disorder—brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Affected dogs present with a wide range of clinical signs from snoring and exercise intolerance, to life-threatening events such as syncope. In this study, conformational risk factors for BOAS that could potentially aid in breeding away from BOAS were sought. Six hundred and four pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs were included in the study. Soft tape measurements of the head and body were used and the inter-observer reproducibility was evaluated. Breed-specific models were developed to assess the associations between the conformational factors and BOAS status based on functional grading. The models were further validated by means of a BOAS index, which is an objective measurement of respiratory function using whole-body barometric plethysmography. The final models have good predictive power for discriminating BOAS (-) and BOAS (+) phenotypes indicated by the area under the curve values of >80% on the receiver operating curves. When other factors were controlled, stenotic nostrils were associated with BOAS in all three breeds; pugs and bulldogs with higher body condition scores (BCS) had a higher risk of developing BOAS. Among the standardized conformational measurements (i.e. craniofacial ratio (CFR), eye width ratio (EWR), skull index (SI), neck girth ratio (NGR), and neck length ratio (NLR)), for pugs EWR and SI, for French bulldogs NGR and NLR, and for bulldogs SI and NGR showed significant associations with BOAS status. However, the NGR in bulldogs was the only significant predictor that also had satisfactory inter-observer reproducibility. A NGR higher than 0.71 in male bulldogs was predictive of BOAS with approximately 70% sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, stenotic nostrils, BCS, and NGR were found to be valid, easily applicable predictors for BOAS (+).