Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Student experience of school science and its relationship to post-16 science take-up

This study investigated the experience of school science and its relationship to take-up of science amongst post-16 students in England. The empirical work was based on a two-phased mixed methods approach. The first phase consisted of survey questionnaires involving the ‘storyline’ method in which students in Year 12 (ages 16-17) indicated the high and low points of their experience of school science covering Years 6 - 11. They were also asked to complete survey items to explain the factors that influenced their decisions to take science or not post-16. The second phase consisted of interviews of a sample of surveyed students in which they detailed aspects of their school science experiences and decisions to take science or not after GCSE. The results showed that the average pattern of graph trajectory became increasingly positive for scientists while the pattern for non-scientists remained the same as slightly positive throughout their years in secondary school. Students in this study tended to make their science choices later in Year 11. Three main factors - interest in school science, success in science and the utility value of science (mainly for careers) mediate a network of influences that includes experience of school science and these drive the decision to take up science or not. The main conclusion is that school experience of science does play a role in post-16 science take-up. Science choice is based on a rational model of decision making in which interest, success and value of science are the key factors determining the outcome. This has implications for practice suggesting that uptake of science can be increased by improving the quality of student school experience of school science.
Negotiating ‘Difference’: Representing Disabled Employees in the British Workplace

Drawing on qualitative interviews with disabled employees, union officers and disability-related organizations, this article examines employee attempts to negotiate workplace adjustments and associated issues of workplace representation. UK employment law utilizes an individual medical model of disability, which conflicts with traditional collective approaches favoured by trade unions, which has implications for disabled employees and union representation. We explore the different strategies available to unions and conclude that, despite the role played by disability-related organizations in supporting employees, unions are the only workplace actors who are capable of reconfiguring the ‘personal as political’ and integrating disability concerns into wider organizational agendas.
Role of intermediate phase for stable cycling of Na7V4(P2O7)4PO4 in sodium ion battery

Significance Utilizing low-cost materials, sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are beginning to attract considerable attention, particularly for large-scale utility grid applications. However, electrochemical performance of most SIB active materials is still insufficient for various practical applications. In the current study, we discovered a vanadium-based ortho-diphosphate, Na7V4(P2O7)4PO4, or VODP, that holds exceptional electrochemical properties represented by well-defined high voltage profiles at 3.88 V (vs. Na/Na+) and substantial capacity retention over 1,000 cycles. A theoretical analysis suggests that an intermediate phase encountered during phase transformation of VODP is crucial for better kinetics during battery operations, which can be expanded as a general principle in understanding diverse battery materials. Sodium ion batteries offer promising opportunities in emerging utility grid applications because of the low cost of raw materials, yet low energy density and limited cycle life remain critical drawbacks in their electrochemical operations. Herein, we report a vanadium-based ortho-diphosphate, Na7V4(P2O7)4PO4, or VODP, that significantly reduces all these drawbacks. Indeed, VODP exhibits single-valued voltage plateaus at 3.88 V vs. Na/Na+ while retaining substantial capacity (>78%) over 1,000 cycles. Electronic structure calculations reveal that the remarkable single plateau and cycle life originate from an intermediate phase (a very shallow voltage step) that is similar both in the energy level and lattice parameters to those of fully intercalated and deintercalated states. We propose a theoretical scheme in which the reaction barrier that arises from lattice mismatches can be evaluated by using a simple energetic consideration, suggesting that the presence of intermediate phases is beneficial for cell kinetics by buffering the differences in lattice parameters between initial and final phases. We expect these insights into the role of intermediate phases found for VODP hold in general and thus provide a helpful guideline in the further understanding and design of battery materials.
Targets' Tax Shelter Participation and Takeover Premiums

This paper examines the effect of targets' participation in tax shelters on takeover premiums in mergers and acquisitions. Using a novel data set in which targets disclose that they have not participated in tax shelters, we find that targets that make this statement in their merger filings are associated with 4.6 percent higher takeover premiums, on average. These findings suggest that acquirers are concerned about the potential future liabilities when targets have engaged in tax sheltering. Consistent with this interpretation, the results also indicate that the positive association between targets' nonsheltering disclosure and acquisition premiums is stronger for less tax-aggressive acquirers. This paper demonstrates the importance of targets' aggressive tax positions in the determination of premiums offered to targets' shareholders.
The Spatial Dispersion of Informal Investment at a Regional Level: Evidence from the UK

Although there have been various studies on the geographical specialization of venture capital in the UK, there remains a gap in the research on regional differences in the behaviour of those informal investors who make a significant contribution to the funding of entrepreneurial ventures. Utilizing a unique data set from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project, this study will estimate the level of informal investment activity across the different regions of the UK. The relationship between informal investment and early stage formal venture capital availability is also examined to determine which areas display the greatest funding gaps in the provision of equity finance. It shows that while formal and informal investments are heavily concentrated in highly prosperous areas such as London and the South East of England, informal investments make a larger relative contribution to early stage and expansion equity capital within poorer regions.
The Geography of International Portfolio Flows, International CAPM, and the Role of Monetary Policy Frameworks

Using bilateral data on international equity and bond flows, we find that (i) the prediction of the International Capital Asset Pricing Model is partially met and that global equity markets might be more integrated than global bond markets, and (ii) asset allocators engage in trend-chasing activities, particularly in bond markets. Moreover, over the turbulent 1998-2001 period characterized by an equity bubble and the subsequent burst, we find evidence that investors preferred portfolio assets of countries where the central bank gave relative importance to money. As for EMU, once controlling for diversification benefits and the elimination of the exchange rate risk, we show that cross-border portfolio flows among euro-area countries have increased due to the catalyst effect of EMU. Countries’ shares in the world market portfolio, home bias, initial degree of misallocation across countries, past returns, diversification benefits, and EMU can explain 35-40 percent of the total variation in equity and bond asset flows.
/spl mu/-Synthesis for Frequency Uncertainty of the ICPT System

A μ-controller is designed based on the structured singular value with regard to the frequency uncertainty of a real inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT) system. Due to system-parameter variations (such as system load) and nonlinear features of ICPT systems, the operating frequency will be perturbed accordingly. Uncertainty in the operating frequency will contribute to electromagnetic interference and power losses, and even instability of ICPT systems. To fulfill a robust stability and robust performance (RSRP) design, a generalized state-space averaging model for a nominal ICPT system is established by developing the equivalent circuit equations and expanding the related circuit variables as the Fourier series. A linear fractional transformation of this nominal model and its uncertainty is discussed to generate a standard configuration for μ-synthesis. The D-K iteration method is proposed for the “optimal” RSRP design. Computer simulation and a practical experiment are conducted to verify the RSRP of the μ-synthesis control system to ensure that the μ-synthesis algorithm is effective for ICPT systems.
Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with advanced cirrhosis

Objective:Most available data on screening for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis originate from Asia and Europe. These data may not be applicable to patients from the United States because of geographic variation in the underlying etiology and other factors. Our aim was to assess the risk of HCC in U.S. patients with cirrhosis undergoing standardized screening.Methods:All cirrhotic patients evaluated for liver transplantation at our institution from January 1, 1994–December 31, 1997 were included in this study. The screening strategy included initial screening, which was offered to all patients and consisted of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), abdominal ultrasound, and computed tomography (CT) scan, and extended screening, which was performed only on transplant-eligible patients and consisted of semiannual AFP and ultrasound.Results:During the study period, 285 patients with cirrhosis were evaluated for transplantation and underwent initial screening. Of these, 166 were eligible for transplantation and underwent extended screening during a median follow-up of 15 months (range 6–42 months). Twenty-seven HCC were found, 22 during initial screening and five during extended screening. The cancer-free proportions of the cohort who underwent extended screening at 1, 2, and 3.5 yr were 98.6%± 1.4%, 96.4 ± 1.8%, and 77.1%± 1.7%, respectively (mean ± SE). Hepatitis C, either alone or in part, was the etiology in 63% of patients with HCC. The sensitivity of CT scan (88%) was significantly higher than AFP >20 ng/ml (62%) and ultrasound (59%) for detecting HCC (p < 0.001). Conclusion:In patients with established cirrhosis, the risk of detecting HCC is maximal at the baseline screening (7%). Hepatitis C was the most common etiology for cirrhosis in study. In U.S. patients with established cirrhosis, CT scan exhibited higher sensitivity for detecting HCC than ultrasound or AFP.
The new public management and the UK Police Service

This article explores the impact of the introduction of the New Public Management (NPM) within the UK Police Service since the mid-1990s. A specific focus upon individual performance management (one of the central features of NPM) is examined from the perspective of the police sergeant who has primary responsibility for managing performance and ultimately the delivery of policing services within one of the UK's ‘essential’ public services. After a discussion of the literature on individual performance management within the context of the NPM, the article identifies four major research questions relating to: the job role demands of performance management; access to valid and reliable performance management information; the capacity to provide follow-up development and support; and the wider integration of performance management with organization strategy and service objectives. After reporting on interview data collected from role sets in which the sergeant is a focal member, the article concludes with a discussion of the constraints upon effective performance management within the NPM.
The Impact of Welfare Reform on the Employment and Labor Supply of Female High School Dropouts

Welfare participation began to decline dramatically and low-skill female employment began to rise substantially in the United States during the 1990's. Two competing explanations for these developments are the strong economy and welfare reform. Using pooled cross-sectional data from the 1989-2004 CPS-ORG surveys and employing a sample of female high school dropouts that is not restricted to unmarried women or single mothers, I find that TANF is associated with an increase in both employment and labor supply. The results in this paper, then, strengthen the case in the literature that it was not just the strong economy but also federal welfare reform that contributed to the work gains of low-skill women in the post-1996 period.
Imperialism Old And New

"Imperialism is the eve of the socialist revolution," wrote Lenin whilst revolutionary hearts were still warm with the apocalyptic vision of the social transformation that was about to take place following the disintegration of moribund capitalism. Monopoly capitalism was in the last throes of its general crisis; imperialism was the highest stage of its development. National liberation movements in colonial territories were an important part of the revolutionary process, for they undermined the positions of imperialism and intensified its contradictions.
Comparison of Intravitreal Ceftazidime and Meropenem in Treatment of Experimental Pseudomonal Posttraumatic Endophthalmitis in a Rabbit Model

We developed an experimental animal model of posttraumatic pseudomonal endophthalmitis in rabbits to compare the relative efficacy of intravitreal cef- tazidime and 3 doses of meropenem. A penetrating eye injury was made in the right eyes of 40 rabbits and 0.1 mL of 10 4 colony-forming units (cfu/mL) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was injected into the mid- vitreous body the rabbits.Most animals showed the first signs of endophthalmi- tis 4 to 5 hours after the inoculation. The animals were examined clinically at 2,4,12,and 22hours after surgery using slit-lamp biomicroscopy and indirect ophthalmoscopy.
The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment and Imports on Economic Growth: The Case of Jordan

This study aims to measure and analyze the impact of both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Imports (M) on the Economic Growth (EG) of Jordan, over the period (1976‐2003). To achieve this, a production function was utilized by using FDI and Imports as two distinct factors among other factors of production. This study examines the relationship between variables (FDI, M and EG) through Vector Autoregression (VAR). The estimated results indicate the existence of bidirectional relationships between FDI and output, and between imports and output as well. The same bidirectional causal relationship exists also between FDI and imports. The results show that FDI affect human capital indirectly through gross domestic output, while, on the other hand, human capital affect FDI indirectly through domestic capital and imports. The results emphasize and support the FDI and import‐Led Growth Hypothesis for Jordan.
A split‐face comparative study to evaluate efficacy of combined subcision and dermaroller against combined subcision and cryoroller in treatment of acne scars

Acne scars occur consequent to abnormal wound healing following sebaceous follicular inflammation in acne. Various types of acne scars are icepick, rolling, boxcar, hypertrophic, and keloidal. Different modalities of treatment include subcision, dermaroller, cryoroller, punch excision, chemical peeling, and lasers.
The Performance Persistence of Equity and Blended Mutual Funds in Kenya

This paper evaluates the performance persistence of equity and blended mutual funds in Kenya for the period 2006 to 2009. The objective of the study was to establish persistence of funds’ performance. The target population was seven mutual funds for which net asset values were available over the period from 1st January 2006 to 31 st December 2009. The data was collected from the funds database and annual reports available in the business daily newspapers and in some cases from fund managers’ themselves. The data included mutual funds daily returns and annual reports for the period 2005 to 2009. The data was used to calculate the performance persistence of mutual funds in Kenya. Performance persistence of mutual funds was analyzed using regression equation developed by Grinblatt and Titman (1993). The general finding was that for both equity and blended fund, there was evidence of performance differences which tend to persist over time. This implies that there is significant performance persistence over the research period and therefore investors can successfully use the measures of past performance as a decision tool for fund selection.
Trends in the Use of Biomass as an Energy Source

In this study, biomass sources were investigated. In recent years, many attempts have been made to utilize biomass, such as wood, hazelnut shell, agricultural waste residues, waste paper and wheat straw, tea waste, and olive husk. The amount of annual biomass potential of Turkey is approximately 32 million tons of oil equivalent (mtoe) and domestic energy consumption accounts for about 37% of total energy consumption. Of this, about 52% are from biomass-based fuels. The amount of usable biomass potential of Turkey is approximately 17 Mtoe. Electrical production from usable biomass has a net impact of $4.4 billion in personal and corporate income and represented more than 160,000 jobs.
Pathogenicity of morphological and auxotrophic mutants of Candida albicans in experimental infections

The relative pathogenicities of yeast and mycelial forms of Candida albicans were determined after intravenous injection of the two forms into mice. Yeast and mycelial forms of C. albicans CMI45348 were prepared in chemostat culture. Both morphological forms were pathogenic, but the histology of kidney sections always showed a mixture of the yeast and mycelial elements of the organism. Similarly, infection of mice with prototrophic strains produced a mixture of morphological forms at the site of infection. The yeast (CA2) and mycelial (hOG301) morphological mutants of C. albicans were pathogenic, and sections from the kidneys of the infected mice showed that the mutants retained their original morphological forms. These data indicate that both the yeast and mycelial forms of C. albicans can adhere, invade, and proliferate in an infected host. Auxotrophic diploid mutants were nonpathogenic. However, construction of a prototrophic tetraploid strain from two auxotrophs restored the pathogenicity of the organism.
Proinflammatory Cytokines Found in Amniotic Fluid Induce Collagen Remodeling, Apoptosis, and Biophysical Weakening of Cultured Human Fetal Membranes1

Abstract The mechanisms by which fetal membranes (FM) rupture during the birth process are unknown. We have recently reported that FM weaken, at least in part, because of a developmental process of extracellular matrix remodeling and apoptosis. We now hypothesize that cytokines that normally increase in amniotic fluid at term induce FM collagen remodeling and apoptosis with concomitant weakening. Full-thickness FM fragments were cultured with (0–100ng/ml) or without tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or interleukin 1, beta (IL1B). Physical properties were then examined with specially adapted industrial rupture strength testing equipment. Cultured FM were also evaluated for evidence of collagen remodeling and apoptosis. Cytokine-treated FM exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in strength and work to rupture. Compared with controls, the highest TNF dose caused maximal decrease in FM rupture strength (13.2 ± 1.2 N versus 3.8 ± 1.5 N; P = 0.0003) and work to rupture (0.035 ± 0.005 J versus 0.005 ± 0.002 J; P < 0.0001). The highest IL1B dose also decreased rupture strength (12.9 ± 3.2 versus 4.6 ± 1.1 N; P = 0.0027) and work to rupture (0.018 ± 0.005 J versus 0.005 ± 0.002 J; P < 0.01). Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) protein increased, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3) protein decreased, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1) cleavage increased with increasing TNF or IL1B doses (all P < 0.05), suggesting collagen remodeling and apoptosis. TNF and IL1B cause significant weakening of cultured FM. Both cytokines induce biochemical markers in the FM in a manner characteristic of the weak zone of FM overlying the cervix. TNF and or IL1B may be involved in the development of the weak zone of the FM.
Investigating the Application of Deontology Among U.S. Public Relations Practitioners

In this study we examine the perceptions of four scenarios about public relations ethics and the application of the theory of deontology to those scenarios among 449 members of the Public Relations Society of America. The results indicate that (a) the members' application of deontological principles is fairly high, (b) the members' overall application of deontology to the scenarios is predicted by age and supervision of employees, (c) the members' dominant roles that emerge from this national sample are those of manager and technician, and (d) the members' roles have some significant relations with their application of deontology to decision making. Implications of these findings for the continuing practitioner struggle with workplace ethics are discussed; suggestions for further research are outlined.
Performance measurement for stakeholders: the case of Scottish local authorities

With continuing pressures for transparency, accountability and value for money, measuring the performance of public sector organisations is attracting increasing academic and management attention. However, little attention appears to have been paid to the performance information needs of stakeholders. This paper describes work with a number of Scottish local authority services to develop an information portfolio that would meet the performance measurement needs of diverse stakeholders. Overall, the approach was found to be useful, allowing services to identify the key stakeholders with an interest in their service's performance, the judgements about performance that each group wanted to make and the key information that stakeholders would need.
Marshaling Resources to Form Small New Ventures: Toward a More Holistic Understanding of Entrepreneurial Support

This article makes two contributions to our understanding of the core entrepreneurial activity of assembling resources to pursue an opportunity. First, a conceptual framework is presented to organize the research on resource mobilization. Second, a study is presented based upon interviews with a random sample of 48 entrepreneurs to identify the supporters whom the entrepreneurs considered to have been key to their success and the resources obtained from these individuals. Results indicate that maximizing the overall effectiveness of resource combinations is a complex undertaking involving trade–offs between the quantity and quality of available resources and the efficiency versus effectiveness of supporters.