Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Establishing and maintaining international collaborative research teams: an autobiographical insight

Despite the growing impetus for international collaborative research teams (ICRT), there are relatively few resources available to guide and support researchers through the processes of establishing and maintaining ICRTs. In particular, no articles were found that provided researchers’ firsthand accounts of being a member of such a team. Having access to such personal accounts can help both experienced and novice researchers learn more directly about what to expect, as well as the benefits, challenges, pitfalls, and success strategies for establishing and maintaining ICRTs. The authors used phenomenological autobiographical reflective journaling to capture their experiences as members of ICRTs. In this article we provide an overview of key themes that emerged from the analysis of our reflections as members of ICRTs. These themes include: benefits, challenges, and strategies for success. Our aim is to share our first-hand experiences of what it is like to establish and participate in ICRT. It is not our intention to provide readers with prescriptive guidelines on how to set up and maintain ICRTs. Every ICRT is unique and some of these ideas may or may not apply in every case. Instead, we are describing what worked for us, hoping that others may benefit from our experience. Consequently, we suggest that the focus of ICRT should be on the benefits thereof which promote and encourage interaction between disciplines, transfer of knowledge and techniques and personal and professional development. Keywords: international, collaborative, research, teams, interdisciplinary
Institutional herding in bond markets 31

Recent research has shown that institutional herding is a relevant phenomenon in stock markets. Do institutional investors also follow each other in bond markets? This paper focuses on the German bond market and uses data from 57 German mutual funds that invest mainly in DM-denominated bonds, which represents 71% of the total market volume. Due to the variety and large number of bonds that exist, we do not expect mutual funds to herd with regard to separate bonds. We believe instead that bonds with the same characteristics such as interest rate, maturity, collateral, or issuer are considered to be equivalent by institutional investors. Consequently, we construct "bond groups" consisting of similar bonds and analyze herding at a "bond group" level. Our results indicate that there is strong evidence of herding, albeit it is weaker than in stock markets. Further analysis suggests that mutual funds do not place an equal weight on different bond characteristics. Nominal interest rates appear to be most important in the bond selection process. JEL Classification: D7, G21
Evolution and maintenance of sexual size dimorphism: aligning phylogenetic and experimental evidence

Integrating the insights derived from both phylogenetic and experimental approaches offers a more complete understanding of evolutionary patterns and processes, yet it is rarely a feature of investigations of the evolutionary significance of trait variation. We combine these approaches to reinterpret the patterns and processes in the evolution of female biased sexual size dimorphism in Nephilidae, a spider lineage characterized by the most extreme sexual size dimorphism among terrestrial animals. We use a molecular phylogeny to reconstruct the size evolution for each sex and reveal a case of “sexually dimorphic gigantism”: both sexes steadily outgrow their ancestral sizes, but the female and male slopes differ, and hence sexual size dimorphism steadily increases. A review of the experimental evidence reveals a predominant net selection for large size in both sexes, consistent with the phylogenetic pattern for females but not for males. Thus, while sexual size dimorphism in spiders most likely originates and is maintained by fecundity selection on females, it is unclear what selection pressures prevent males from becoming as large as females. This integrated approach highlights the dangers of inferring evolutionary significance from experimental studies that isolate the effects of single selection pressures.
The Transmission of US Cyclical Developments to the Rest of the World

The US economy is often considered to play a pivotal role in global growth. Such a view has persisted despite the falling contribution of the US economy to global growth (from almost 30% in 1950 to around 20% at present). In this paper, we analyse the veracity of this conjecture and consider the implications of cyclical developments in the US economy on the rest of the world. Overall we find that while US economic developments would indeed affect the rest of the world, developments in most countries and regions remain primarily affected by idiosyncratic shocks as well as by global factors, which do not originate from a single country. JEL Classification: E32, E37, F41
Self-certainty: Parallels to Attitude Certainty

The purpose of this article is to apply theory and research on attitude certainty to the study of the self. Our main goal is to show that research on attitudes, and in particular attitude certainty, can provide useful insights into self-related phenomena. By considering research on attitudes, we may be able to re-interpret previous self-related findings, make new predictions regarding the self, and increase the precision with which we can make existing predictions. Furthermore, this framework can offer new ideas for research on attitudes as well and foster integration between the areas. In this paper, we will 1) outline some fundamental parallels between attitudes and self research, 2) discuss the specific construct of self-certainty, including both the consequences and the origins of certainty, using research on attitude certainty as our organizing framework, and 3) suggest new ideas that this analysis can produce.
Understanding and addressing community opposition to affordable housing development

In this chapter, we bring together the data from the four case studies and the literature review, looking at what they tell us about the phenomenon of community opposition to affordable housing. What is the relationship between opposition to affordable housing development and different policy emphases? Who objects to affordable housing development and why do they object? What form does the opposition take? How and why does the opposition escalate? What impact does affordable housing development have on host areas? The chapter is structured in line with the study's first four research questions. In the next chapter, we then look at what implications the research findings have for policy-makers and practitioners as they seek to mitigate or address community opposition to affordable housing development.
Surgical hip dislocation in treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis

Background: Most surgeons advocate in situ fixation of the slipped epiphysis with acceptance of any persistent deformity in the proximal femur [Aronsson DD, Loder RT, Breur GJ, Weinstein SL (2006) Slipped capital femoral epiphysis: current concepts. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 14, 666–679]. This residual deformity can lead to osteoarthritis due to femoroacetabular cam impingement (FAI) [Leunig M, Slongo T, Ganz R (2008) Subcapital realignment in slipped capital femoral epiphysis: surgical hip dislocation and trimming of the stable trochanter to protect the perfusion of the epiphysis. Instr Course Lect 57, 499–507]. Objective: The primary aim of our study was to report the results of the technique of capital realignment with Ganz surgical hip dislocation and its reproducibility to restore hip anatomy and function. Patients and methods: This prospective case series study included 30 patients (32 hips, 13 left (Lt) hips, 19 right (Rt) hips) with stable chronic slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) after surgical correction with a modified Dunn procedure. This study included 22 males and eight females. The mean age of our patients was 14 years (10–18 years). The mean follow-up period was 14.5 months (6–36 months). Results: Thirty hips had excellent and good clinical and radiographic outcomes with respect to hip function and radiographic parameters. Two patients had fair to poor clinical outcome including three patients who developed Avascular Necrosis (AVN). The difference between those who developed AVN and those who did not develop AVN was statistically significant in postoperative clinical scores (p = 0.0000). The mean slip angle of the femoral head was 52.5° ± 14.6 preoperatively and was corrected to a mean value of 5.6° ± 8.2° with mean correction of 46.85° ± 14.9° (p = 0.0000). The mean postoperative alpha angle was 51.15° ± 4.2° with mean correction of 46.70 ± 14.20 (p = 0.0000). In our series, the mean postoperative Harris hip score (HHS) was (96.16 ± 9.7) and the mean improvement was (29.6 ± 9.6) (p = 0.0000). Conclusions: The modified Dunn procedure allows to restore the normal proximal femoral anatomy by complete correction of the slip angle. This technique may reduce the probability of secondary osteoarthritis and femoroacetabular cam impingement.
Direct Observation of the Photodegradation of Anthracene and Pyrene Adsorbed onto Mangrove Leaves

An established synchronous fluorimetry method was used for in situ investigation of the photodegradation of pyrene (PYR) and anthracene (ANT) adsorbed onto fresh leaves of the seedlings of two mangrove species, Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) Blanco (Ac) and Kandelia obovata (Ko) in multicomponent mixtures (mixture of the ANT and PYR). Experimental results indicated that photodegradation was the main transformation pathway for both ANT and PYR in multicomponent mixtures. The amount of the PAHs volatilizing from the leaf surfaces and entering the inner leaf tissues was negligible. Over a certain period of irradiation time, the photodegradation of both PYR and ANT adsorbed onto the leaves of Ac and Ko followed first-order kinetics, with faster rates being observed on Ac leaves. In addition, the photodegradation rate of PYR on the leaves of the mangrove species in multicomponent mixtures was much slower than that of adsorbed ANT. Compared with the PAHs adsorbed as single component, the photodegradation rate of ANT adsorbed in multicomponent mixtures was slower, while that of PYR was faster. Moreover, the photodegradation of PYR and ANT dissolved in water in multicomponent mixtures was investigated for comparison. The photodegradation rate on leaves was much slower than in water. Therefore, the physical-chemical properties of the substrate may strongly influence the photodegradation rate of adsorbed PAHs.
Sphingolipids and glycoproteins are differentially trafficked to the Chlamydia trachomatis inclusion

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that multiples within the confines of a membrane-bound vacuole called an inclusion. Approximately 40-50% of the sphingomyelin synthesized from exogenously added NBD-ceramide is specifically transported from the Golgi apparatus to the chlamydial inclusion (Hackstadt, T., M.A. Scidmore, and D.D. Rockey. 1995. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 92: 4877- 4881). Given this major disruption of a cellular exocytic pathway and the similarities between glycolipid and glycoprotein exocytosis, we wished to determine whether the processing and trafficking of glycoproteins through the Golgi apparatus to the plasma membrane in chlamydia-infected cells was also disrupted. We analyzed the processing of several model glycoproteins including vesicular stomatitis virus G- protein, transferrin receptor, and human histocompatibility leukocyte class I antigen. In infected cells, the posttranslational processing and trafficking of these specific proteins through the Golgi apparatus and subsequent transport to the plasma membrane was not significantly impaired, nor were these glycoproteins found associated with the chlamydial inclusion membrane. Studies of receptor recycling from endocytic vesicles employing fluorescently and HRP-tagged transferrin and anti-transferrin receptor antibody revealed an increased local concentration of transferrin and transferrin receptor around but never within the chlamydial inclusion. However, Scatchard analysis failed to show either an increased intracellular accumulation of transferrin receptor or a decreased number of plasma membrane receptors in infected cells. Furthermore, the rate of exocytosis from the recycling endosomes to the plasma membrane was not altered in chlamydia-infected cells. Thus, although C. trachomatis disrupts the exocytosis of sphingolipids and the Golgi apparatus appears physically distorted, glycosylation and exocytosis of representative secreted and endocytosed proteins are not disrupted. These results suggest the existence of a previously unrecognized sorting of sphingolipids and glycoproteins in C. trachomatis-infected cells.
Group I mGluR Agonist-Evoked Long-Term Potentiation in Hippocampal Oriens Interneurons

Several subtypes of interneurons in the feedback circuit in stratum oriens of the hippocampus exhibit NMDA receptor-independent long-term potentiation (LTP) at glutamatergic synapses made by local pyramidal neurons. LTP has been reported with both “Hebbian” and “anti-Hebbian” induction protocols, where high-frequency presynaptic stimulation is paired with either postsynaptic depolarization or hyperpolarization. Do these phenomena represent distinct forms of plasticity, dependent on group I metabotropic receptors (mGluRs) and rectifying Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors, respectively? Blockade of either mGluR1 or mGluR5 prevented anti-Hebbian LTP induction in stratum oriens interneurons in rat hippocampal slices. Exogenous activation of group I mGluRs by the selective agonist (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) was unable to induce LTP on its own, and instead depressed excitatory transmission. However, when paired with postsynaptic hyperpolarization, DHPG or the group I metabotropic receptor (mGluR5)-selective agonist (R,S)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine (CHPG) elicited a delayed long-lasting potentiation, which was accompanied by a decrease in paired-pulse facilitation. Anti-Hebbian LTP occluded the effect of DHPG paired with hyperpolarization, implying that the induction cascades triggered by both conjunctions of stimuli converge on common expression mechanisms.
Uniform s-Boundedness and Convergence Results for Measures with Values in Complete l-Groups☆

Abstract Absolute continuity, s-boundedness, and extensions are studied, in the context of the so-called RD -convergence, for set functions taking values in Dedekind complete l-groups. Subsequently, we obtain results of uniform s-boundedness for RD -convergent sequences of measures (Vitali–Hahn–Saks–Nikodým theorem) and deduce a Schur-type theorem for measures defined on P ( N *).
Oligomerization and Ca2+/calmodulin control binding of the ER Ca2+-sensors STIM1 and STIM2 to plasma membrane lipids

Ca2+ (calcium) homoeostasis and signalling rely on physical contacts between Ca2+ sensors in the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) and Ca2+ channels in the PM (plasma membrane). STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1) and STIM2 Ca2+ sensors oligomerize upon Ca2+ depletion in the ER lumen, contact phosphoinositides at the PM via their cytosolic lysine (K)-rich domains, and activate Ca2+ channels. Differential sensitivities of STIM1 and STIM2 towards ER luminal Ca2+ have been studied but responses towards elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and the mechanism of lipid binding remain unclear. We found that tetramerization of the STIM1 K-rich domain is necessary for efficient binding to PI(4,5)P2-containing PM-like liposomes consistent with an oligomerization-driven STIM1 activation. In contrast, dimerization of STIM2 K-rich domain was sufficient for lipid binding. Furthermore, the K-rich domain of STIM2, but not of STIM1, forms an amphipathic α-helix. These distinct features of the STIM2 K-rich domain cause an increased affinity for PI(4,5)P2, consistent with the lower activation threshold of STIM2 and a function as regulator of basal Ca2+ levels. Concomitant with higher affinity for PM lipids, binding of CaM (calmodulin) inhibited the interaction of the STIM2 K-rich domain with liposomes in a Ca2+ and PI(4,5)P2 concentration-dependent manner. Therefore we suggest that elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration down-regulates STIM2-mediated ER–PM contacts via CaM binding.
Uncertainty Principles and Ideal Atomic

Suppose a discrete-time signal S(t), 0 t < N, is a superposition of atoms taken from a combined time/frequency dictionary made of spike sequences 1 ft= g and sinu-soids expf2iwt=N)= p N. Can one recover, from knowledge of S alone, the precise collection of atoms going to make up S? Because every discrete-time signal can be represented as a superposition of spikes alone, or as a superposition of sinusoids alone, there is no unique way of writing S as a sum of spikes and sinusoids in general. We prove that if S is representable as a highly sparse superposition of atoms from this time/frequency dictionary, then there is only one such highly sparse representation of S, and it can be obtained by solving the convex optimization problem of minimizing thè 1 norm of the coeecients among all decompositions. Here \highly sparse" means that N t + N w < p N=2 where N t is the number of time atoms, N w is the number of frequency atoms, and N is the length of the discrete-time signal. Related phenomena hold for functions of a real variable. We prove that if a function f() on the circle 0; 2) is representable by a suuciently sparse superposition of wavelets and sinusoids, then there is only one such sparse representation; it may be obtained by minimum`1 norm atomic decomposition. The condition \suuciently sparse" means that the number of wavelets at level j plus the number of sinusoids in the j-th dyadic frequency band are together less than a constant times 2 j=2. Parallel results hold for functions of two real variables. If a function f(x 1 ; x 2) on R 2 is a suuciently sparse superposition of wavelets and ridgelets, there is only one such decomposition and minimum`1-norm decomposition will nd it. Here \suuciently sparse" means that the total number of wavelets and ridgelets at level j is less than a certain constant times 2 j=2. Underlying these results is a simplè 1 uncertainty principle which says that if two bases are mutually incoherent, no nonzero signal can have a sparse representation in both bases simultaneously. The results have idealized applications to bandlimited approximation with gross errors, to error-correcting encryption, and to separation of uncoordinated sources. for discussions on Basis Pursuit; and Stephen Boyd for teaching us about the use of convex optimization to solve relaxed versions of combinatorial optimizations.
Oral feeding of an immunodominant MHC donor‐derived synthetic class I peptide prolongs graft survival of heterotopic cardiac allografts in a high‐responder rat strain combination

The efficacy of two synthetic major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐derived DA (RT1.Aa) 25‐mer peptides (residues 56–80 and 96–120) to modulate alloreactivity was tested in Lewis (RT1.A1) responder animals. The DA peptide 56–80, but not peptide 96–120, induced delayedtype hypersensitivity (DTH). DTH was significantly reduced by oral feeding of peptide 56–80, P = 0.004. In addition, oral feeding of this peptide in combination with a short course of cyclosporin A (CsA) prolonged graft survival of 60% of heterotope transplanted DA cardiac allografts in Lewis recipient rats. Long‐term survivors developed low levels of allo‐antibodies against donor tissue as compared to rejecting animals and increased levels of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) within the allograft. Similarly, IL‐4‐secreting splenocytes were identified by flow cytometry in these animals, indicating a Th2‐type cytokine pattern. However, graft survival was particularly limited to cardiac allografts because donor‐type skin grafts were acutely rejected in tolerant animals. It is interesting that residue alignment of peptide 56–80 to the motif of the RT1.A1 molecule showed a preferred class I motif within this sequence, suggesting indirect presentation of this peptide to recipient T cells. Thus, peptide 56–80 appears to represent a dominant epitope that can be exploited for establishing tolerance in this transplantation strain combination. J. Leukoc. Biol. 67: 793–800; 2000.
Pedal force effectiveness in Cycling: a review of constraints and training effects

Pedal force effectiveness in cycling is usually measured by the ratio of force perpendicular to the crank (effective force) and total force applied to the pedal (resultant force). Most studies measuring pedal forces have been restricted to one leg but a few studies have reported bilateral asymmetry in pedal forces. Pedal force effectiveness is increased at higher power output and reduced at higher pedaling cadences. Changes in saddle position resulted in unclear effects in pedal force effectiveness, while lowering the upper body reduced pedal force effectiveness. Cycling experience and fatigue had unclear effects on pedal force effectiveness. Augmented feedback of pedal forces can improve pedal force effectiveness within a training session and after multiple sessions for cyclists and non-cyclists. No differences in pedal force effectiveness were evident between summarized and instantaneous feedback. Conversely, economy/efficiency seems to be reduced when cyclists are instructed to improve pedal force effectiveness during acute intervention studies involving one session. Decoupled crank systems effectively improved pedal force effectiveness with conflicting effects on economy/efficiency and performance.
Reflections on the Global Food Crisis: how did it happen? how has it hurt? and how can we prevent the next one?

Cheap food has been taken for granted for almost 30 years. From their peak in the 1970s crisis, real food prices steadily declined in the 1980s and 1990s and eventually reached an all-time low in the early 2000s. Rich and poor governments alike therefore saw little need to invest in agricultural production, and reliance on food imports appeared to be a relatively safe and efficient means of achieving national food security. However, as the international prices of major food cereals surged upward from 2006 to 2008 these perceptions quickly collapsed. Furthermore, although food prices are now lower than their 2008 peak, real prices have remained significantly higher in 2009 and 2010 than they were prior to the crisis, and various simulation models predict that real food prices will remain high until at least the end of the next decade.
The contribution of e-HRM to HRM effectiveness. Results from a quantitative study in a Dutch Ministry.

Purpose – Both for-profit and not-for-profit organisations have been replacing face-to-face HRM activities with web-based HRM tools, e-HRM for short, for employees and managers since the 1990s. This paper aims to look at whether this is of benefit to an organisation. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in The Netherlands, where e-HRM in the form of employee self-service applications was introduced. Findings – The study shows that individual assessment of e-HRM applications influences HRM technical and strategic effectiveness. This is especially so in the perceived quality of the content and the structure of e-HRM applications which have a significant and positive effect on technical and strategic HRM effectiveness. Research limitations/implications – It is difficult to form generalizations from the research into only one company. Practical implications – The basic expectations are that using e-HRM will decrease costs, will improve the HR service level and will give the HR department space to become a strategic partner. This study investigates whether this is the case. Originality/value – The area on which this study concentrates has not had extensive academic research conducted into it