Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Percieved relationship between psychological contract and organizational citizenship behavior at world vision Somaliland

xi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.1.1 Concept of Perception . 3 1.1.2 Psychological Contract . 4 1.1.3 Organizational Citizenship Behavior . 6 1.1.4 World Vision Somaliland . 7 1.2 Research Problem . 8 1.3 Research Objective . 11 1.4 Value of the Study . 11 1.5 Chapter Summary . 12 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW . 13 2.
Effect of burden and origin sites of premature ventricular contractions on left ventricular function by 7-day Holter monitor

Abstract Recent studies have shown that premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) could enlarge the heart, but its risk factors are incompletely understood as a single 24-hour recording cannot reflect the true PVC burden due to day-to-day variability. Our purpose was to investigate the effect of burden and origin sites on left ventricular (LV) function in patients with PVCs by 7-day Holter electrocardiography (ECG). From May 2012 to August 2013, 112 consecutive patients with PVCs were recruited from the authors' affiliated hospital. All patients received 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, 12-lead routing ECG and 7-days Holter ECG. Serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured. A total of 102 participants with PVCs were included in the final analysis. Origin of PVCs from the tricuspid annulus had the highest burden and NT-proBNP level. LV papillary muscle had a higher LV ejection fraction (EF) level and a lower LV end-systolic dimension (ESD) than other PVC foci (P<0.05). The high burden group had a higher LV end-diastolic dimension (EDD) and LVESD but lower LVEF than the other two groups (P<0.05). Female, older age, physical work, and history of PVCs had a significantly positive correlation with symptoms. Male, older age, physical work, and high burden were positive predictors of enlarged LVEDD, LVESD and higher serum NT-proBNP level, but lower LVEF. Seven-day dynamic ECG Holter monitor showed the true PVC burden on patients with PVCs. PVCs with a lower burden or origin from the LV papillary muscle and the fascicle were relatively benign, while PVCs with a higher burden or origin from the tricuspid annulus may lead to cardiac dysfunction.
EFFECTS OF HIGH VOLUME UPPER EXTREMITY PLYOMETRIC TRAINING ON THROWING VELOCITY AND FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH RATIOS OF THE SHOULDER ROTATORS IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL PLAYERS

To achieve maximal force output, clinicians and coaches have been experimenting with upper extremity plyometric exercises for years, without sufficient scientific validation of this training method. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of an 8-week course of high volume upper extremity plyometric training on the isokinetic strength and throwing velocity of a group of intercollegiate baseball players. Twenty-four Division I collegiate baseball players (age: 19.7 ± 1.3 years; height: 183.9 ± 5.9 cm; mass: 90.7 ± 10.5 kg) were recruited to participate in this study. Throwing velocity, isokinetic peak torque, isokinetic functional strength ratios, and time to peak torque were measured pre- and posttraining. Subjects were rank-ordered according to concentric internal rotation (IR) strength and were assigned randomly to either the plyometric training group (PLY) or the control group (CON). Training consisted of 6 upper extremity plyometric exercises (“Ballistic Six”) performed twice per week for 8 weeks. Subjects assigned to CON performed regular off-season strength and conditioning activities, but did not perform plyometric activities. PLY demonstrated significant increases (p < 0.05) in throwing velocity following 8 weeks of training when compared with CON (83.15 mph [pre] vs. 85.15 mph [post]). There were no statistically significant differences in any of the isokinetic strength measurements between PLY and CON groups pre-to posttraining. Statistically significant differences were seen within PLY for concentric IR and eccentric external rotation (ER) isokinetic strength at 180°·s−1 and 300°·s−1; and within CON for eccentric ER isokinetic strength at 300°·s−1 and concentric IR isokinetic strength at 180°·s−1. The Ballistic Six training protocol can be a beneficial supplement to a baseball athlete's off-season conditioning by improving functional performance and strengthening the rotator cuff musculature.
The effects of sensory processing and behavior of toddlers on parent participation: A pilot study

ABSTRACT Occupational therapists treat children with sensory processing and behavioral concerns, however, little information exists on how these issues affect parent participation. This pilot study examined the sensory processing and behaviors of toddlers with developmental delays and correlated these with parents’ perceived ability to participate in occupations. Correlation analysis (n = 43) revealed weak inverse relationships existed between anxious/depressed, sleep problems, and aggressive behavior in children and parent participation but no predictive nature between these constructs and parent participation in regression analysis. Clinicians can use the results to enhance parent understanding of how child sensory and behavioral differences impact family participation and foster team collaboration.
Implementing Image Processing Algorithms on FPGAs

FPGAs are often used as implementation platforms for real-time image processing applications because their structure is able to exploit spatial and temporal parallelism. Such parallelisation is subject to the processing mode and hardware constraints of the system. These constraints can force the designer to reformulate the algorithm. This paper presents some general techniques for dealing with the various constraints and efficient mappings for three types of image processing operations.
A Candidate Neutron Star Associated with Galactic Center Supernova Remnant Sagittarius A East

We present imaging and spectral studies of the supernova remnant (SNR) Sagittarius (Sgr) A East from deep observations with Chandra. The spatially resolved spectral analysis of Sgr A East reveals the presence of a two-temperature thermal plasma (kT ~ 1 and 5 keV) near the center of the SNR. The central region is dominated by emission from highly ionized Fe-rich ejecta. We estimate a conservative upper limit to the total Fe ejecta mass of the SNR, MFe < 0.27 M☉. Comparisons with standard SN nucleosynthesis models suggest that this Fe mass limit is consistent with a Type II SN explosion for the origin of Sgr A East. On the other hand, the soft X-ray emission extending toward the north of the SNR can be described by a single-temperature (kT ~ 1.3 keV) thermal plasma with normal chemical composition. This portion of the SNR is thus X-ray emission from the heated interstellar medium rather than the metal-rich stellar ejecta. We point out that a hard pointlike source CXOGC J174545.5-285829 (the so-called cannonball) at the northern edge of the SNR shows X-ray characteristics unusual among other Galactic center sources. The morphological, spectral, and temporal characteristics of this source suggest identification as a high-velocity neutron star. Based on the suggested Type II origin for the SNR Sgr A East and the proximity between the two, we propose that CXOGC J174545.5-285829 is a high-velocity neutron star candidate, born from the core-collapse SN that also created the SNR Sgr A East.
Mycobacterial MazG Safeguards Genetic Stability via Housecleaning of 5-OH-dCTP

Generation of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species in phagocytes is an important innate immune response mechanism to eliminate microbial pathogens. It is known that deoxynucleotides (dNTPs), the precursor nucleotides to DNA synthesis, are one group of the significant targets for these oxidants and incorporation of oxidized dNTPs into genomic DNA may cause mutations and even cell death. Here we show that the mycobacterial dNTP pyrophosphohydrolase MazG safeguards the bacilli genome by degrading 5-OH-dCTP, thereby, preventing it from incorporation into DNA. Deletion of the (d)NTP pyrophosphohydrolase-encoding mazG in mycobacteria leads to a mutator phenotype both under oxidative stress and in the stationary phase of growth, resulting in increased CG to TA mutations. Biochemical analyses demonstrate that mycobacterial MazG can efficiently hydrolyze 5-OH-dCTP, an oxidized nucleotide that induces CG to TA mutation upon incorporation by polymerase. Moreover, chemical genetic analyses show that direct incorporation of 5-OH-dCTP into mazG-null mutant strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) leads to a dose-dependent mutagenesis phenotype, indicating that 5-OH-dCTP is a natural substrate of mycobacterial MazG. Furthermore, deletion of mazG in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) leads to reduced survival in activated macrophages and in the spleen of infected mice. This study not only characterizes the mycobacterial MazG as a novel pyrimidine-specific housecleaning enzyme that prevents CG to TA mutation by degrading 5-OH-dCTP but also reveals a genome-safeguarding mechanism for survival of Mtb in vivo.
Transformational school leadership and teacher self-efficacy as predictors of perceived collective teacher efficacy

Although scholars have acknowledged the role of collaborative relationships of teachers in improving the quality of instruction, teacher collective efficacy continues to be a neglected construct in educational research. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations between transformational school leadership, teacher self-efficacy and perceived collective teacher efficacy, using a sample of 120 permanent secondary-school teachers in Serbia, whose average age was 42.5. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that transformational school leadership and teacher self-efficacy were independent predictors of teacher collective efficacy. The research findings also showed that individually-focused transformational leadership contributed significantly to an explanation of collective efficiency after controlling specific predictor effects of group-focused dimensions of transformational leadership. It is argued that the results have a double meaning. First, this study expanded the understanding of the relationship between different dimensions of transformational school leadership and collective teacher efficacy. Second, a contribution of teacher self-efficacy to collective efficacy beliefs was established, confirming the assumptions of social cognitive theory on reciprocal causality between two types of perceived efficacy: individual and collective.
Do Urban Rail Transit Facilities Affect Housing Prices? Evidence from China

Urban rail transit facilities play a critical role in citizen’s social activities (e.g., residence, work and education). Using panel data on housing prices and urban rail transit facilities for 35 Chinese cities for 2002 to 2013, this study constructs a panel data model to evaluate the effect of rail transit facilities on housing prices quantitatively. A correlation test reveals significant correlations between housing prices and rail transit facilities. Empirical results demonstrate that rail transit facilities can markedly elevate real estate prices. Quantitatively, a 1% increase in rail transit mileage improves housing prices by 0.0233%. The results highlight the importance of other factors (e.g., per capita GDP, land price, investment in real estate and population density) in determining housing prices. We also assess the effects of expectations of new rail transit lines on housing prices, and the results show that expectation effects are insignificant. These findings encourage Chinese policy makers to take rail transit facilities into account in achieving sustainable development of real estate markets.
A deterministic epidemic model taking account of repeated contacts between the same individuals

We introduce a certain population contact structure and derive, in three different ways, the final size equation for a quite general superimposed epidemic process. The contact structure is characterized by the following two properties: (i) each individual contacts exactly k other individuals; (ii) these k acquaintances are a random sample of the (infinite) population.
Tracking Multiple Items Through Occlusion: Clues to Visual Objecthood

In three experiments, subjects attempted to track multiple items as they moved independently and unpredictably about a display. Performance was not impaired when the items were briefly (but completely) occluded at various times during their motion, suggesting that occlusion is taken into account when computing enduring perceptual objecthood. Unimpaired performance required the presence of accretion and deletion cues along fixed contours at the occluding boundaries. Performance was impaired when items were present on the visual field at the same times and to the same degrees as in the occlusion conditions, but disappeared and reappeared in ways which did not implicate the presence of occluding surfaces (e.g., by imploding and exploding into and out of existence instead of accreting and deleting along a fixed contour). Unimpaired performance did not require visible occluders (i.e., Michotte's tunnel effect) or globally consistent occluder positions. We discuss implications of these results for theories of objecthood in visual attention.
A synthetic antagonist to laminin inhibits the formation of osteolytic metastases by human melanoma cells in nude mice.

The mechanisms by which tumor cells metastasize to bone are not well understood. We have investigated the role of the basement membrane glycoprotein, laminin, in bone metastasis, since antagonists to laminin have been shown to inhibit the formation of lung metastases. We studied the formation of osteolytic metastases caused by a human tumor which is known to cause osteolysis and hypercalcemia in nude mice. We found that tumor-bearing nude mice developed hypercalcemia, cachexia, and characteristic osteolytic lesions throughout the skeleton after injection of this human melanoma cell line (A375) into the left ventricle. When we gave injections to nude mice with A375 cells which had been exposed to C(YIGSR)3-NH2, a laminin-derived synthetic peptide containing three linear sequences of YIGSR with an amino-terminal cysteine which competes with laminin for its receptor, we found a decrease in the formation of detectable osteolytic bone metastases. The tumor cells were incubated with the antagonist and then inoculated into nude mice which were administered the antagonist i.p. Hypercalcemia and cachexia were also decreased in tumor-bearing mice treated with the laminin antagonist. In contrast, laminin itself increased the number of osteolytic bone metastases, as has been shown for other tumor cells. These data suggest that laminin plays a role in the formation of osteolytic bone metastases in this model and that laminin antagonists may be useful in the prevention of bone metastases in some human tumors.
WEATHER AND CRIME

In studying the causes of crime, most criminologists have concentrated on traditional socio-demographic variables, such as age, sex, race, and socio-economic status. However, some researchers have investigated the influence of the physical environment on criminal behaviour. There is a recent theoretical basis for research into the influence of weather on crime: the situational approach, rational choice theory, and routine activities theory all suggest that weather could significantly influence crime rates and criminal behaviour. This paper brings together for the first lime the accumulated research on weather and crime. It discusses the theoretical background, examines research into the influence of different weather conditions (such as high temperatures, rain, and wind) on various types of criminal behaviour, outlines problems with the current research, and suggests ways of advancing knowledge about weather and crime.
Mechanisms of Sunitinib Resistance in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Harboring KITAY502-3ins Mutation: An In vitro Mutagenesis Screen for Drug Resistance

Purpose: Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors have improved survival in advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), complete response is rare and most patients eventually fail the first-line treatment with imatinib. Sunitinib malate is the only approved second-line therapy for patients with imatinib-resistant or imatinib-intolerant GIST. The clinical benefit of sunitinib is genotype-dependent in regards to both primary and secondary mutations, with GIST patients harboring the KITAY502-3ins exon 9 mutation being the most sensitive. Experimental Design: As sunitinib resistance is now emerging, our goal was to investigate mechanisms of progression and to test the efficacy of novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor on these resistant mutants in vitro. N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis of Ba/F3 cells expressing the KITAY502-3ins mutant was used to investigate novel patterns of resistant mutations evolving in the presence of sunitinib. Results: Tumors from patients who developed sunitinib resistance after at least 1 year of radiographic response were analyzed, showing similar findings of a primary KITAY502-3ins mutation and a secondary mutation in the KIT activation loop. Ba/F3 cells expressing these sunitinib-resistant double mutants showed sensitivity to both dasatinib and nilotinib. Conclusions: Sunitinib resistance in GIST shares similar pathogenetic mechanisms identified in imatinib failure, with acquisition of secondary mutations in the activation domain after an extended initial response to the drug. Moreover, in vitro mutagenesis with or without N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea of Ba/F3 cells expressing KITAY502-3ins showed acquisition of secondary mutations restricted to the second kinase domain of KIT. In contrast, in vitro resistance to imatinib produces a broader spectrum of secondary mutations including mutations in both KIT kinase domains. (Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(22):686270)
Sex Differences in the Processing of Global vs. Local Stimulus Aspects in a Two-Digit Number Comparison Task – An fMRI Study

It has been debated for several decades, whether number magnitudes are processed global/holistically (whole number magnitudes) or in a local/decomposed fashion (digit magnitudes). However, while it has been suggested that men attend stronger to the global level, while women attend stronger to the local level, the question has never been studied with regards to sex differences. In two-digit number comparison men should engage a more holistic processing strategy, while women should engage a more decomposed strategy. To test this hypothesis, we employed number comparison stimuli of varying decade crossing and unit-decade compatibility in men (n = 16) and women (n = 16) during their early follicular and mid-luteal cycle phase. In within-decade (WD) items both numbers had the same decade digits. Non-WD items were unit-decade-compatible, if the smaller number contained the smaller unit-digit and incompatible otherwise. In incompatible items the two local features require different responses. Thus, processing of the local level should result in a compatibility effect in RT and recruitment of differential neural networks for compatible and incompatible items. The results support the view of a holistic strategy in men and a decomposed strategy in women. In men RT and BOLD-response did not differ for incompatible compared to compatible items. Women respond slower to incompatible compared to compatible items. They show a BOLD-response compatibility effect in regions of the default mode network during their follicular phase and in prefrontal areas involved in inhibitory control during their luteal phase. Furthermore, lateralization indices interacted with decade crossing and menstrual cycle phase in a way consistent with the hypothesis of progesterone-mediated interhemispheric decoupling.
Oncology health care professionals' attitudes to cancer: a professional concern.

BACKGROUND Despite the known benefits of screening, early detection and advances in treatment modalities, negative attitudes to cancer persist among health care professionals, and cancer remains the most feared disease in modern society. Attitudes to cancer may create a barrier to communication between patients and health care professionals, hinder early detection, treatment and rehabilitation, and may influence decision making about referral to specialist services and the selection of appropriate treatments. DESIGN A descriptive survey was conducted, within a Regional Cancer Centre, to evaluate oncology health care professionals' attitudes towards cancer. Attitudes were measured using the Burns' Cancer Belief Scales. RESULTS Regardless of gender, profession and clinical experience, all health care professionals displayed persistently negative attitudes towards cancer. No statistically significant difference was detected between gender, profession, clinical experience or specialist education, and although small in number, no major differences were found between group means. CONCLUSIONS Oncology health care professionals hold negative attitudes towards cancer and changing these attitudes presents a significant challenge. Educational programmes and supportive strategies may alleviate fears and promote a more positive image of cancer. However, such strategies must be based on an understanding of current attitudes towards this phenomenon.
A new classifier applied to biological early warning systems for toxicity detection

Biological early warning systems(BEWS) has been developed in recent years. BEWS detects toxicity by tracking the physiologic responses of the whole organisms. In the paper, we apply the classification technique to the biological early warning systems and propose a new BEWS which is meaningful to biological field. Meanwhile, how to select the features in such classification application is also a contribution of this paper. By using the fractal dimension theory, we define the input features which represent the organism characteristics in non-toxic or toxic environment. The experiment results show that the proposed new bio-monitoring system is effective for environmental toxicity detection.