Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Exploration of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) in Companies and Organisations in Ireland Valorisation, Return on Investment, and Emerging Trends

II Declaration.III Acknowledgements.IV List of Tables and Figures.XIV Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations as used in this Research Study.XVIII CHAPTER ONE 1 1.1 Purpose of the research and problems addressed . 2 1.1.1 The immediate national labour market context . 2 1.1.2 The international labour market context . 4 1.1.3 Research questions and study audience . 6 1.1.4 Changes to the economic environment during the research . 8 1.1.5 Perspective shifts during the research . 10 1.2 Research positionality . 12 1.2.1 From ‘value’ to ‘valorisation’ . 13 1.2.2 Return on Training Investment (ROTI) . 14 1.3 Research Design . 15 1.3.1 Research paradigm . 15 1.3.2 Research Methodology . 17 1.3.2.1 Historical analysis of previous industry-academic RPL projects . 19 1.3.2.2 Comparative analysis of company case studies in RPL practice . 19 1.3.2.3 Delphi future-oriented survey . 21 1.4 Unexpected dimensions and changes . 22 1.5 Organisation of Chapters . 23 1.6 Chapter Summary . 25 CHAPTER TWO RESEARCH DESIGN 26 2.1 Genesis of the research approach . 26 2.2 Epistemology and theoretical perspective . 29 2.2.1 Postmodernism, complexity, and poststructuralism . 29 2.2.1.1 Development of Postmodernism . 30 vi 2.2.1.2 Antifoundationalism, postmodernism and grand-narratives . 30 2.2.1.3 The neo-liberal grand narrative . 31 2.2.1.4 Complexity and chaos . 32 2.2.1.5 Structuralism and poststructuralism . 33 2.2.2 Constructionism . 34 2.2.2.1 Constructionism versus Constructivism . 35 2.2.2.2 Guba and Lincoln’s Constructivism . 35 2.2.2.3 Constructivism and the rise of social constructionism. 36 2.2.3 Social Constructionism . 38 2.2.3.1 Moderate social constructionism . 40 2.2.3.2 Relativist and subjectivist criticisms . 41 2.3 Methodology . 43 2.3.1 Abductive research logic . 45 2.3.2 Historical analysis of previous industry-academic RPL projects . 47 2.3.2.1 Justification of the methodology . 47 2.3.2.2 The Sample . 48 2.3.2.3 Methods of the Historical Analysis . 50 2.4. 2 Comparative Analysis of Company Case Studies in RPL Practice . 52 2.4. 2.1 Justification of the methodology . 52 2.4. 2.2 The Sample . 53 2.4. 2.3 Methods of the study . 57 2.4. 3 Delphi Future Oriented Survey . 59 2.4. 3.1 Justification of the Study . 59 2.4. 3.2 The sample. 62 2.4. 3.3 Methods of the Delphi Survey . 63 2.5 Ethical Considerations . 64 2.5. 1 Consent, confidentiality, anonymity . 64 2.5. 2 Accuracy and transparency . 65 2.5. 3 Validity of the thesis research . 65 2.6 Challenges and Limitations . 66 2.6. 1 Privilege . 66 2.6. 2 Validity . 67
An Attitudes to School Scale for Primary School Children

physical atmosphere for learning. Children cannot fully achieve some of the desired learning targets if they lack love, empathy, and reinforcement. In the modern world they also need educational facilities such as audio-visual materials, playgrounds, special drawing rooms, gymnasiums, showrooms and material for learning tasks and activities. If primary schools provide children with these essential requirements for learning they may be more attracted to school. In Jordan most primary schools lack appropriate learning environments. For example, classrooms are crowded, not only in the government sector but in other sectors as well. Insufficient equipment is available, there are no comfortable children’s-size seats and there is not enough space for play at break time. In addition heavy bags need to be carried by each child for a long distance to reach school or home. Jordanian teachers still use lecturing as the main method of teaching and traditional methods of evaluation dependent on examination, even in the early years of learning. Homework takes a long time. A long school day with no entertainment and very short breaks which do not allow children time even to eat their sandwiches are extra factors that children experience in Jordanian primary schools. The question to be asked is whether or not children enjoy going to their schools and find them pleasant and interesting places? In other words, do they or do they not have positive attitudes towards school? In order to answer this question and obtain meaningful feedback in such areas as student changes in attitudes, reliable and valid evaluation is required.
Anti-MDA5 Antibody Dermatomyositis Overlap with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background: Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease that primarily targets the muscle, skin, and lungs. Many patients have autoantibodies that correspond to distinct clinical phenotypes. Melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) antibody, a specific antibody that targets the melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), has been reported in DM cases and is significant for a distinct cutaneous presentation and rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease. Objective: Herein, we describe a patient with DM with a positive anti-MDA5 antibody and characteristic clinical phenotype, who subsequently developed coexisting systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A diagnosis of SLE was supported by his clinical phenotype, positive serologies, hypocomplementemia, and progression to glomerulonephritis and lupus cerebritis, features of which fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE. Conclusion: DM is known to overlap with other autoimmune diseases, including SLE, and coexistence can lead to a wide variety of clinical presentations. SLE overlapping with anti-MDA5 positive DM may present with distinct clinical features.
Intelligent anticipated exploration of Web sites

In this paper we describe a Web search agent, called Global Search Agent (hereafter GSA for short). GSA integrates and enhances several search techniques in order to achieve significant improvements in the userdperceived quality of delivered information as compared to usual Web search engines. GSA features intelligent merging of relevant documents from different search engines, anticipated selective exploration and evaluation of links from the current result set, automated derivation of refined queries based on user relevance feedback. System architecture as well as experimental accounts are also illustrated.
Capturing the Justice Judgment: An Application of the Theory of Representative Design in two Policy Capturing Studies in Organizational Justice

An understanding of how justice judgments are formed is essential knowledge for practitioners given the adverse consequences which may arise due to perceptions of unfairness. In this thesis, two studies are conducted to explore the overall justice judgment, complying with the principles of representative design in order that the stimuli and situations are relevant and realistic for the sampled participants, and reflect real world decision making processes. Study 1 adopts a policy capturing design using a sample of 12 Judges to rate the overall fairness of 56 performance appraisals (N=672 situations). Study 2 uses Mouselab, a process-tracing tool, to present the stimuli and record the information acquisition processes used by individuals. This study uses N=2744 situations on which within- and between- individual analyses are conducted. The selection process of the 10 cues on which judgments were formed explained around 82% of variance in overall justice judgments. Objective decision making policies are inferred using regressions, and are compared to subjective policies stated by each Judge. Results illustrate that unequal weights are assigned to justice antecedents in the formation of overall judgments, and that the presence of antecedents does not ensure their salience to an overall judgment. Furthermore, the salience of the role of justice dimensions varies between individuals. Judges are mostly consistent in making justice judgments between situations (r=0.63), but exhibit poor self-insight into their own mental processes. Comparison of objective and subjectively ranked cues was low (r=0.02), and between objectively and subjectively rated cues (r=0.26). Measures of personality and cognitive control (CRT) are included to explore decision making between individuals. This thesis demonstrates possibilities for representative design in justice research, and illustrates how it can enhance the capabilities of policy capturing studies. Practical implications for appraisers are discussed in light of how fair performance appraisals are perceived to be.
Mutational comparison of the single-domained APOBEC3C and double-domained APOBEC3F/G anti-retroviral cytidine deaminases provides insight into their DNA target site specificities

Human APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G are double-domained deaminases that can catalyze dC→dU deamination in HIV-1 and MLV retroviral DNA replication intermediates, targeting T–C or C–C dinucleotides, respectively. HIV-1 antagonizes their action through its vif gene product, which has been shown (at least in the case of APOBEC3G) to interact with the N-terminal domain of the deaminase, triggering its degradation. Here, we compare APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G to APOBEC3C, a single-domained deaminase that can also act on both HIV-1 and MLV. We find that whereas APOBEC3C contains all the information necessary for both Vif-binding and cytidine deaminase activity in a single domain, it is the C-terminal domain of APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G that confer their target site specificity for cytidine deamination. We have exploited the fact that APOBEC3C, whilst highly homologous to the C-terminal domain of APOBEC3F, exhibits a distinct target site specificity (preferring Y–C dinucleotides) in order to identify residues in APOBEC3F that might affect its target site specificity. We find that this specificity can be altered by single amino acid substitutions at several distinct positions, suggesting that the strong dependence of APOBEC3-mediated deoxycytidine deamination on the 5′-flanking nucleotide is sensitive to relatively subtle changes in the APOBEC3 structure. The approach has allowed the isolation of APOBEC3 DNA mutators that exhibit novel target site preferences.
Relation between Speech-in-Noise Threshold, Hearing Loss and Cognition from 40–69 Years of Age

Background Healthy hearing depends on sensitive ears and adequate brain processing. Essential aspects of both hearing and cognition decline with advancing age, but it is largely unknown how one influences the other. The current standard measure of hearing, the pure-tone audiogram is not very cognitively demanding and does not predict well the most important yet challenging use of hearing, listening to speech in noisy environments. We analysed data from UK Biobank that asked 40–69 year olds about their hearing, and assessed their ability on tests of speech-in-noise hearing and cognition. Methods and Findings About half a million volunteers were recruited through NHS registers. Respondents completed ‘whole-body’ testing in purpose-designed, community-based test centres across the UK. Objective hearing (spoken digit recognition in noise) and cognitive (reasoning, memory, processing speed) data were analysed using logistic and multiple regression methods. Speech hearing in noise declined exponentially with age for both sexes from about 50 years, differing from previous audiogram data that showed a more linear decline from <40 years for men, and consistently less hearing loss for women. The decline in speech-in-noise hearing was especially dramatic among those with lower cognitive scores. Decreasing cognitive ability and increasing age were both independently associated with decreasing ability to hear speech-in-noise (0.70 and 0.89 dB, respectively) among the population studied. Men subjectively reported up to 60% higher rates of difficulty hearing than women. Workplace noise history associated with difficulty in both subjective hearing and objective speech hearing in noise. Leisure noise history was associated with subjective, but not with objective difficulty hearing. Conclusions Older people have declining cognitive processing ability associated with reduced ability to hear speech in noise, measured by recognition of recorded spoken digits. Subjective reports of hearing difficulty generally show a higher prevalence than objective measures, suggesting that current objective methods could be extended further.
Compositional differences in simulated root exudates elicit a limited functional and compositional response in soil microbial communities

Inputs of low molecular weight carbon (LMW-C) to soil – primarily via root exudates– are expected to be a major driver of microbial activity and source of stable soil organic carbon. It is expected that variation in the type and composition of LMW-C entering soil will influence microbial community composition and function. If this is the case then short-term changes in LMW-C inputs may alter processes regulated by these communities. To determine if change in the composition of LMW-C inputs influences microbial community function and composition, we conducted a 90 day microcosm experiment whereby soils sourced from three different land covers (meadows, deciduous forests, and white pine stands) were amended, at low concentrations, with one of eight simulated root exudate treatments. Treatments included no addition of LMW-C, and the full factorial combination of glucose, glycine, and oxalic acid. After 90 days, we conducted a functional response assay and determined microbial composition via phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Whereas we noted a statistically significant effect of exudate treatments, this only accounted for ∼3% of the variation observed in function. In comparison, land cover and site explained ∼46 and ∼41% of the variation, respectively. This suggests that exudate composition has little influence on function compared to site/land cover specific factors. Supporting the finding that exudate effects were minor, we found that an absence of LMW-C elicited the greatest difference in function compared to those treatments receiving any LMW-C. Additionally, exudate treatments did not alter microbial community composition and observable differences were instead due to land cover. These results confirm the strong effects of land cover/site legacies on soil microbial communities. In contrast, short-term changes in exudate composition, at meaningful concentrations, may have little impact on microbial function and composition.
Ideology and Curriculum

Preface to the 25th Anniversary Third Edition Preface to the Second Edition 1. On Analyzing Hegemony 2. Ideology and Cultural and Economic Reproduction 3. Economics and Control in Everyday School Life (with Nancy King) 4. Curricular History and Social Control (with Barry Franklin) 5. The Hidden Curriculum and the Nature of Conflict 6. Systems Management and the Ideology of Control 7. Commonsense Categories and the Politics of Labeling 8. Beyond Ideological Reproduction 9. Pedagogy, Patriotism, and Democracy: Ideology and Education after September 11 10. On Analyzing New Hegemonic Relations: An Interview
Handheld vs. Non-Handheld Traffic: Implications for Campus WiFi Networks

Smartphones, portable music players, and other handheld devices have become a major computing platform. Wherever users go, they utilize 3G and WiFi connectivity to access a wide array of Internet services. The small, mobile nature of these devices results in a unique mix of applicatio n and network usage. As more handheld devices connect to campus, enterprise, and community WiFi networks, administrators need to adjust their network’s configuration to co pe with the unique traffic characteristics of handhelds. Other studies have used WiFi and 3G wireless traces to analyze session, mobility, and performance characteristics for ha ndheld devices. We complement these studies by examining how the content and flow characteristics of handheld traffic elicit network management changes. We analyze packet traces from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and computer science wireless networks, with 3 days of traffic for over 32,000 unique devices. Trends for handheld devices include a lower usage of UDP, a high volume of HTTP traffic, and a greater proportion of video traffic. We summarize key implications for network management and suggest configuration changes to maintain suitable network per formance as handheld devices become the primary users of wireless networks.
Inclusion of sorghum, millet and cottonseed meal in broiler diets: a meta-analysis of effects on performance

A meta-analysis was conducted (i) to evaluate broiler response to partial or total substitution of corn by sorghum and millet and (ii) to determine the effect of soybean meal replacement by cottonseed meal in broiler diet. The database included 190 treatments from 29 experiments published from 1990 to 2013. Bird responses to an experimental diet were calculated relative to the control (Experimental−Control), and were submitted to mixed-effect models. Results showed that diets containing millet led to similar performance as the corn-based ones for all parameters, whereas sorghum-based diets decreased growth performance. No major effect of the level of substitution was observed with millet or cottonseed meal. No effect of the level of substitution of sorghum on feed intake was found; however, growth performance decreased when the level of substitution of corn by sorghum increased. Cottonseed meal was substituted to soybean meal up to 40% and found to increase feed intake while reducing growth performance. Young birds were not more sensitive to these ingredients than older birds since there was no negative effect of these ingredients on performance in the starter phase. Results obtained for sorghum pointed out the necessity to find technological improvements that will increase the utilization of these feedstuffs in broiler diet. An additional work is scheduled to validate these statistical results in vivo and to evaluate the interactions induced with the simultaneous inclusions of sorghum, millet and cottonseed meal in broiler feeding.
Early-branching euteleost relationships: areas of congruence between concatenation and coalescent model inferences

Phylogenetic inference based on evidence from DNA sequences has led to significant strides in the development of a stable and robustly supported framework for the vertebrate tree of life. To date, the bulk of those advances have relied on sequence data from a small number of genome regions that have proven unable to produce satisfactory answers to consistently recalcitrant phylogenetic questions. Here, we re-examine phylogenetic relationships among early-branching euteleostean fish lineages classically grouped in the Protacanthopterygii using DNA sequence data surrounding ultraconserved elements. We report and examine a dataset of thirty-four OTUs with 17,957 aligned characters from fifty-three nuclear loci. Phylogenetic analysis is conducted in concatenated, joint gene trees and species tree estimation and summary coalescent frameworks. All analytical frameworks yield supporting evidence for existing hypotheses of relationship for the placement of Lepidogalaxias salamandroides, monophyly of the Stomiatii and the presence of an esociform + salmonid clade. Lepidogalaxias salamandroides and the Esociformes + Salmoniformes are successive sister lineages to all other euteleosts in the majority of analyses. The concatenated and joint gene trees and species tree analysis types produce high support values for this arrangement. However, inter-relationships of Argentiniformes, Stomiatii and Neoteleostei remain uncertain as they varied by analysis type while receiving strong and contradictory indices of support. Topological differences between analysis types are also apparent within the otomorph and the percomorph taxa in the data set. Our results identify concordant areas with strong support for relationships within and between early-branching euteleost lineages but they also reveal limitations in the ability of larger datasets to conclusively resolve other aspects of that phylogeny.
How often do condoms fail? A cross-sectional study exploring incomplete use of condoms, condom failures and other condom problems among black and white MSM in southern USA

Objectives To compare the occurrence of risk-inducing condom events (condom failures and incomplete use) and the frequency of their antecedents (condom errors, fit/feel problems and erection problems) between black and white men who have sex with men (MSM), and determine the associations between risk-inducing condom events and their antecedents. Methods We studied cross-sectional data of 475 MSM who indicated using a condom as an insertive partner in the previous 6 months enrolled in a cohort study in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Results Nearly 40% of black MSM reported breakage or incomplete use, and they were more likely to report breakage, early removal and delayed application of a condom than white MSM. Only 31% and 54% of MSM reported correct condom use and suboptimal fit/feel of a condom, respectively. The use of oil-based lubricants and suboptimal fit/feel were associated with higher odds of reporting breakage (p=0.009). Suboptimal fit/feel was also associated with higher odds of incomplete use of condoms (p<0.0001). Conclusions Incomplete use of condoms and condom failures were especially common among black MSM. Our findings indicate that condoms likely offered them less protection against HIV/sexually transmitted infection when compared with white MSM. More interventions are needed, particularly addressing the use of oil-based lubricants and suboptimal fit/feel of condoms.
Impact of Tacrolimus Intraindividual Variability and CYP3A5 Genetic Polymorphism on Acute Rejection in Kidney Transplantation

Background: Wide variation in tacrolimus concentrations and low tacrolimus exposure have been reported to be associated with poor renal graft outcomes in non-Asians. The CYP3A5 polymorphism is a representative genetic factor that might affect this association, together with environmental factors. We investigated whether tacrolimus variability or the mean tacrolimus trough concentration can influence kidney allograft outcomes in Asians and whether the CYP3A5 polymorphism (rs776746) can affect this relationship. Methods: Data from renal transplant patients between 2000 and 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. The tacrolimus intraindividual variability (IIV) and the mean tacrolimus trough concentration were calculated from the tacrolimus concentrations between 6 and 12 months after transplantation. Results: A total of 249 renal transplant patients were enrolled. The patients with higher tacrolimus IIV had shorter rejection-free survival (P = 0.002). However, there was no difference in rejection-free survival between CYP3A5 expressers and nonexpressers. The tacrolimus IIV was not associated with the CYP3A5 polymorphism. High IIV of tacrolimus was an independent risk factor of biopsy-proven acute rejection after adjusting for mean tacrolimus concentration, HLA mismatch, induction therapy, donor type, and CYP3A5 polymorphism (hazard ratio 2.655, 95% confidence interval 1.394–5.056). Interestingly, the impact of tacrolimus IIV on acute rejection was significant in CYP3A5 expressers, whereas it was not in CYP3A5 nonexpressers. Conclusions: The IIV of tacrolimus trough concentrations had a significant impact on rejection-free survival. The effect was influenced by CYP3A5 polymorphism, although the tacrolimus variability itself was not determined by the CYP3A5 polymorphism.