Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Organizational Commitment and Determinants of the Commitment in the context of Changing Working Conditions: Turkey Example*

There are 3 aims of this study. These are 1) to determine whether there is a significant difference between affective, normative and continuance commitment of the academicians in foundation and state universities against the universities where they work or not, 2) to determine whether the affective, normative and continuance commitment of the academicians at foundation and state universities differs or not according to the perception of age, gender, marital status, academic title, wage, total working year in the organization, type of assignment, quality of work life and perception of protectiveness of the organization, 3) to present which variable and/or variables are more effective on the affective, normative and continuance commitment of the academicians working at foundation and state universities. The sample of the study is consisted of 570 academicians who work at foundation and state universities and are selected by using random sampling method. The data of the study was collected by using questionnaire form and Organizational Commitment Scale revised by Meyer, Allen and Smith (1993). The ? t? test was applied in order to test the relationship between the type of university and organizational commitment level and the ? correlation analysis? was made in order to determine the relationship between the type of university, social-demographic characteristics, working conditions, perception of protectiveness of the organization, quality of work life and affective, normative and continuance commitment. The ? Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis? was made in order to determine the effect of quality of work life, working conditions, perception of protectiveness of the organization and socio-demographic characteristics on the affective, normative and continuance commitment and the level of this effect. It was revealed that there is not any difference between academicians working at both types of university in terms of affective, normative and continuance commitment and the affective, normative and continuance commitment of the academicians working at both foundation and state universities differs according to the age, gender, marital status, academic title, wage, total working year in the organization, type of assignment, quality of work life and perception of protectiveness of the organization. On the other hand, it was also determined that the quality of work life is the most effective variable on the affective, normative and continuance commitment of the academicians working at both foundation and state universities and there is a low but negative relationship between quality of work life and continuance commitment of the academicians working at both foundation and state universities
Box-based convergent close-coupling method for solving Coulomb few-body problems

We present an implementation of the convergent close-coupling (CCC) method, in which the Laguerre-based target states are replaced with box-based eigenstates. Discrete energies are obtained by taking the states that vanish at the box radius R0, with convergence being established by simply varying R0. Excellent agreement between box- and Laguerre-based CCC, exterior complex scaling, and renormalized experiment is obtained for one of the most difficult three-body Coulomb breakup problems, near-threshold electron-impact ionization of atomic hydrogen. The simplicity of the box-based CCC method is expected to lead to a greater understanding of the close-coupling formalism generally.
Intergenerational Persistence of Earnings: The Role of Early and College Education

Recent empirical studies show that the intergenerational persistence of economic status in the U.S. is much higher than previously thought. We develop a quantitative theory of inequality and intergenerational transmission of human capital where parents invest in early and college education of their children subject to borrowing constraints. Children differ exogenously in innate abilities, which can be correlated with their parent's innate ability. An important feature of the environment is that the quality of early education determines the probability of college completion. We calibrate a stationary equilibrium of this economy to relevant statistics in aggregate U.S. data, and use it to investigate the sources of inequality and persistence in earnings. In our benchmark model, about half of the intergenerational persistence and one fourth of the inequality in earnings are accounted for by endogenous investments in education. We find that early investments in education account for most of the endogenous persistence in earnings, while college education generates most of the endogenous inequality in earnings. Our theory is suited to study the effect of educational policies on the persistence of inequality. We show that public resources devoted to early education have the largest impact on earnings mobility. Moreover, non-progressive college subsidies generate more intergenerational persistence of earnings.
Relation between ABO blood groups and Helicobacter pylori infection in symptomatic patients

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated higher frequencies of the O blood group and the nonsecretor phenotype of ABH antigens among patients suffering from peptic ulcers. Since Helicobacter pylori has been established as the main etiological factor in this disease, controversies about the associations of the ABO and Lewis blood group phenotypes and secretor and nonsecretor phenotypes in relation to susceptibility towards infection by this bacillus have been presented. The aim of this study was to verify the frequencies of ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood groups in H. pylori seropositive symptomatic patients. The study included (n = 1108) patients with dyspepsia symptoms referred from an outpatient clinic in Erbil city for investigation. Age, sex, and residency were recorded as a routine laboratory framework. Patients underwent SD Bioline (Standard Diagnostics Inc, Kyonggi-do, South Korea) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serologic tests for H. pylori. ABO blood group phenotypes were determined by a standard hemagglutination test. Results showed that 64.8% of patients (n = 718/1108) were seropositive for H. pylori infection, and (35.2%) (n = 390/1108) were seronegative. Of the seropositive patients, 40.8% (n = 293/718) were male and 59.2% (n = 425/718) were female; while of the seronegative patients, 46.7% (n = 182/390) were male and 53.3% (n = 208/390) were female. The mean age for seropositives and seronegatives was (38.0 ± 14.6) years and (37.6 ± 15.7) years respectively. The frequency of the ABO and Rh-positive (Rh+) blood groups among seropositive patients was (A = 32.0%, B = 19.5%, AB = 6.7%, O = 41.8%, and Rh+ = 92.5%) and was (A = 32.3%, B = 28.2%, AB = 8.0%, O = 31.5%, and Rh+ = 92.5%) in seronegatives. The results of this study suggest that ABO blood groups, age, and gender influence seropositivity for H. pylori infection.
Power-aware scheduling of virtual machines in DVFS-enabled clusters

With the advent of Cloud computing, large-scale virtualized compute and data centers are becoming common in the computing industry. These distributed systems leverage commodity server hardware in mass quantity, similar in theory to many of the fastest Supercomputers in existence today. However these systems can consume a cities worth of power just to run idle, and require equally massive cooling systems to keep the servers within normal operating temperatures. This produces CO2 emissions and significantly contributes to the growing environmental issue of Global Warming. Green computing, a new trend for high-end computing, attempts to alleviate this problem by delivering both high performance and reduced power consumption, effectively maximizing total system efficiency. This paper focuses on scheduling virtual machines in a compute cluster to reduce power consumption via the technique of Dynamic Voltage Frequency Scaling (DVFS). Specifically, we present the design and implementation of an efficient scheduling algorithm to allocate virtual machines in a DVFS-enabled cluster by dynamically scaling the supplied voltages. The algorithm is studied via simulation and implementation in a multi-core cluster. Test results and performance discussion justify the design and implementation of the scheduling algorithm.
Lipid Transfer Protein: A Pan-Allergen in Plant-Derived Foods That Is Highly Resistant to Pepsin Digestion

Background: Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are small molecules of approximately 10 kD that demonstrate high stability. They have recently been identified as allergens in the Rosaceae subfamilies of the Prunoideae (peach, apricot, plum) and of the Pomoideae (apple). They belong to a family of structurally highly conserved proteins that are also present in non-Rosaceae vegetable foods. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-reactivity to non-Rosaceae LTPs, and to study the role of protein stability in allergenicity. Methods: Thirty-eight patients with a positive SPT to Rosaceae fruit extracts enriched for LTP were characterized by interview and SPT. To investigate IgE cross-reactivity between Rosaceae and non-Rosaceae LTPs, RAST and RAST inhibition as well as ELISA and ELISA inhibition were performed, using whole food extracts and purified LTPs. Both purified natural LTPs (peach, carrot and broccoli) and Pichia pastoris recombinant LTPs (carrot and wheat) were included. Pepsin digestion was used to address the role of stability in the allergenicity of LTPs. Results: IgE antibodies to Rosaceae LTPs reacted to a broad range of vegetable foods, including Gramineae (cereals), Leguminosae (peanut), Juglandaceae (walnut), Anacardiaceae (pistachio), Brassicaceae (broccoli), Umbelliferae (carrot, celery), Solanaceae (tomato), Cucurbitaceae (melon), and Actinidiaceae (kiwi). Binding and inhibition studies with purified natural and recombinant LTPs confirmed their role in this cross-reactivity. Many of these cross-reactivities were accompanied by clinical food allergy, frequently including systemic reactions. Antibody binding to LTP was shown to be resistant to pepsin treatment of whole extract or purified LTP. Conclusion: LTP is a pan-allergen with a degree of cross-reactivity comparable to profilin. Due to its extreme resistance to pepsin digestion, LTP is a potentially severe food allergen.
Spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal databases - hot issues and directions for phd research

Spatial and temporal database systems, both in theory and in practice, have developed dramatically over the past two decades to the point where usable commercial systems, underpinned by a robust theoretical foundation, are now starting to appear. While much remains to be done, topics for research must be chosen carefully to avoid embarking on impractical or unprofitable areas. This is particularly true for doctoral research where the candidate must build a tangible contribution in a relatively short time.The panel session at the Eighth International Symposium on Spatial and Temporal Databases (SSTD 2003) held on Santorini Island, Greece [7] in July 2003 thus took as its focus the question What to focus on (and what to avoid) in Spatial and Temporal Databases: recommendations for doctoral research. This short paper, authored by the panel members, summarizes these discussions.
Spatial memory performances of aged rats in the water maze predict levels of hippocampal neurogenesis

Neurogenesis occurs within the adult dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation and it has been proposed that the newly born neurons, recruited into the preexistent neuronal circuits, might be involved in hippocampal-dependent learning processes. Age-dependent spatial memory impairments have been related to an alteration in hippocampal plasticity. The aim of the current study was to examine whether cognitive functions in aged rats are quantitatively correlated with hippocampal neurogenesis. To this end, we took advantage of the existence of spontaneous individual differences observed in aged subjects in a hippocampal-dependent task, the water maze. We expected that the spatial memory capabilities of aged rats would be related to the levels of hippocampal neurogenesis. Old rats were trained in the water maze, and, 3 weeks after training, rats were injected with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd, 50 or 150 mg/kg) to label dividing cells. Cell proliferation was examined one day after the last BrdUrd injection, whereas cell survival and differentiation were determined 3 weeks later. It is shown that a quantitative relationship exists between learning and the number of newly generated neurons. Animals with preserved spatial memory, i.e., the aged-unimpaired rats, exhibited a higher level of cell proliferation and a higher number of new neurons in comparison with rats with spatial memory impairments, i.e., the aged-impaired rats. In conclusion, the extent of memory dysfunction in aged rats is quantitatively related to the hippocampal neurogenesis. These data reinforce the assumption that neurogenesis is involved in memory processes and aged-related cognitive alterations.
Exiting the Cleanroom: On Ecological Validity and Ubiquitous Computing

ABSTRACT Over the past decade and a half, corporations and academies have invested considerable time and money in the realization of ubiquitous computing. Yet design approaches that yield ecologically valid understandings of ubiquitous computing systems, which can help designers make design decisions based on how systems perform in the context of actual experience, remain rare. The central question underlying this article is, What barriers stand in the way of real-world, ecologically valid design for ubicomp? Using a literature survey and interviews with 28 developers, we illustrate how issues of sensing and scale cause ubicomp systems to resist iteration, prototype creation, and ecologically valid evaluation. In particular, we found that developers have difficulty creating prototypes that are both robust enough for realistic use and able to handle ambiguity and error and that they struggle to gather useful data from evaluations because critical events occur infrequently, because the level of use necessary to evaluate the system is difficult to maintain, or because the evaluation itself interferes with use of the system. We outline pitfalls for developers to avoid as well as practical solutions, and we draw on our results to outline research challenges for the future. Crucially, we do not argue for particular processes, sets of metrics, or intended outcomes, but rather we focus on prototyping tools and evaluation methods that support realistic use in realistic settings that can be selected according to the needs and goals of a particular developer or researcher.
Classroom Teachers' Views Of Intervention Strategies For Learning And Behavior Problems: Which Are Reasonable And How Frequently Are They Used?

This study investigated intervention strategies that general educators use and believe are reasonable for implementation when dealing with children with mild learning and behavior problems. Two sources of data were used. Teachers from Wisconsin and Illinois (n = 232) rated how often they used 57 intervention strategies and how reasonable these strategies were for implementation in the classroom as a means of accommodating the needs of students with mild learning and behavior problems. Teacher ratings of use and reasonability were factor-analyzed, and five factors were generated for each. The two factor structures were interrelated and had similar factors. Factors generated for use were principal involvement, teacher intervention, special education, teacher consultation, and parent involvement. Factors generated for reasonability were teacher intervention, principal/teacher consultation, student alternatives, special education, and data collection. Eighty-seven of these teachers then were interviewed to determine specific issues they consider when determining whether an intervention strategy can be implemented reasonably in their classrooms. These data provide a clear profile of interventions teachers use and find reasonable, as well as an indication of factors that inhibit teachers from selecting intervention strategies to address the mild learning and behavior problems of their students.
Teachers' Self-efficacy Beliefs: The Relationship between Gender and Instructional Strategies, Classroom Management and Student Engagement

The study investigated the relationship between gender and self-efficacy beliefs in instructional strategies, classroom management and student engagement among senior high school teachers in Kumasi metropolis, as most previous studies tend to focused on the developed countries other than developing countries like Ghana. Specifically, descriptive survey design was used to determine the levels of self-efficacy beliefs among the teachers and the relationship between gender and teachers’ self-efficacies were also ascertained. The sample included 259 male and 178 female teachers who were randomly drawn from both private and public senior high schools. Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) was used to collect data from the respondents. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that generally teachers have relatively higher self-efficacy beliefs especially at the student engagement aspect. It was found that male and female teachers differed in relation to their instructional strategies with female teachers on average have better instructional strategies efficacy than male teachers. On contrary, both male and female teachers did not differ in terms of classroom management and student engagement efficacies. Based on these findings, it was recommended that teacher training institutions should emphasise the teaching of instructional practices, student engagement and classroom management practices to the teacher trainees so as to improve their efficacies level. Keywords : Teachers’ Self-efficacy beliefs, Gender, Instructional Strategies, Classroom Management, Student Engagement
Give the bench the boot! Using manning theory to design youth-sport programs

Modified children’s sport programs are intended to increase opportunities for participation, skill acquisition, satisfaction, and enjoyment. Unfortunately, teams in modified programs sometimes consist of more players than can participate at any one time. Barker and Gump’s (1964) manning theory is used to analyze the effects of a modified children’s soccer program that excludes children from game participation by relegating them to the role of substitutes. Participant observation and interviews with coaches, parents, and players were conducted over 2 seasons. Findings are consistent with propositions from manning theory. Children’s teams provide a better social climate, more skill development, and greater enjoyment and satisfaction when teams are not allocated substitutes. These advantages are not reduced, and are sometimes elevated, when teams must sometimes play short handed. Administrative concerns about the potential risks of fielding teams without substitutes are found to be unwarranted, and the prese.
Imaging the Single Cell Dynamics of Cd4 Ϩ T Cell Activation by Dendritic Cells in Lymph Nodes

The adaptive immune response is initiated in secondary lymphoid organs by contact between antigen-bearing dendritic cells (DCs) and antigen-specific CD4 ϩ T cells. However, there is scant information regarding the single cell dynamics of this process in vivo. Using two-photon microscopy, we imaged the real-time behavior of naive CD4 ϩ T cells and in vivo–labeled DCs in lymph nodes during a robust T cell response. In the first 2 h after entry into lymph nodes, T cells made short-lived contacts with antigen-bearing DCs, each contact lasting an average of 11–12 min and occurring mainly on dendrites. Altered patterns of T cell motility during this early stage of antigen recognition promoted serial engagement with several adjacent DCs. Subsequently , T cell behavior progressed through additional distinct stages, including long-lived clusters, dynamic swarms, and finally autonomous migration punctuated by cell division. These observations suggest that the immunological synapse in native tissues is remarkably fluid, and that stable synapses form only at specific stages of antigen presentation to T cells. Furthermore, the serial nature of these interactions implies that T cells activate by way of multiple antigen recognition events.
Enhancing LTP-Driven Cache Management Using Reuse Distance Information

Traditional caches employ the LRU management policy to drive replacement decisions. However, previous studies have shown LRU can perform significantly worse than the theoretical optimum, OPT [1]. To better match OPT, it is necessary to aggressively anticipate the future memory references performed in the cache. Recently, several researchers have tried to approximate OPT management by predicting last touch references [2, 3, 4, 5]. Existing last touch predictors (LTPs) either correlate last touch references with execution signatures, like instruction traces [3, 4] or last touch history [5], or they predict cache block life times based on reference [2] or cycle [6] counts. On a predicted last touch, the referenced cache block is marked for early eviction. This permits cache blocks lower in the LRU stack–but with shorter reuse distances–to remain in cache longer, resulting in additional cache hits. This paper investigates two novel techniques to improve LTP-driven cache management. First, we propose exploiting reuse distance information to increase LTP accuracy. Specifically, we correlate a memory reference’s last touch outcome with its global reuse distance history. Our results show that for an 8-way 1 MB L2 cache, a 74 KB RD-LTP can reduce the cache miss rate by 11.5% and 14.5% compared to LvP and AIP [2], two state-of-the-art last touch predictors. These performance gains are achieved because RD-LTPs exhibit a much higher prediction rate compared to existing LTPs, and RD-LTPs often avoid evicting LNO last touches [5], increasing the proportion of OPT last touches they evict. Second, we also propose predicting actual reuse distance values using reuse distance predictors (RDPs). An RDP is very similar to an RD-LTP except its predictor table stores exact reuse distance values instead of last touch outcomes. Because RDPs
PH-domain-dependent selective transport of p75 by kinesin-3 family motors in non-polarized MDCK cells

A key process during epithelial polarization involves establishment of polarized transport routes from the Golgi to distinct apical and basolateral membrane domains. To do this, the machinery involved in selective trafficking must be regulated during differentiation. Our previous studies showed that KIF5B selectively transports vesicles containing p75-neurotrophin receptors to the apical membrane of polarized, but not non-polarized MDCK cells. To identify the kinesin(s) responsible for p75 trafficking in non-polarized MDCK cells we expressed KIF-specific dominant-negative constructs and assayed for changes in post-Golgi transport of p75 by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. Overexpression of the tail domains of kinesin-3 family members that contain a C-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, KIF1A or KIF1Bβ, attenuated the rate of p75 exit from the Golgi in non-polarized MDCK cells but not in polarized cells. Analysis of p75 post-Golgi transport in cells expressing KIF1A or KIF1Bβ with their PH domains deleted revealed that vesicle transport by these motors depends on the PH domains. Furthermore, purified KIF1A and KIF1Bβ tails interact with p75 vesicles and these interactions require the PH domain. Knockdown of canine KIF1A also inhibited exit of p75 from the Golgi, and this was rescued by expression of human KIF1A. Together these data demonstrate that post-Golgi transport of p75 in non-polarized epithelial cells is mediated by kinesin-3 family motors in a PH-domain-dependent process.