Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Boards of Directors in Family Businesses: A Literature Review and Research Agenda

This paper offers a review of the theoretical and empirical literature addressing boards of directors within the unique organizational setting of family businesses. By reviewing and structuring past research, this paper aims to improve the understanding of how family involvement in firms affects the roles and behaviours of boards. The review of the literature is structured according to the family business board's two primary tasks as an internal administrative body, namely the exercise of control and the provision of advice. For both board tasks, theoretical perspectives and the match between theory and empirical findings will be discussed. The review concludes by offering an integrative discussion of the relevant theories and by highlighting the need for multi-theoretic, process and contextualized approaches in future research on boards of directors in family businesses.
Quantification of the microvascular blood flow of the ovine corpus luteum with contrast ultrasound

The ovine corpus luteum is an ideal model for the development of methodologies for angiogenesis monitoring with contrast enhanced ultrasound. We employ three indicator dilution models, namely, the lognormal function, the gamma variate function, and the local density random walk model to fit contrast ultrasound time-intensity curves from ovine corpora lutea at the peak of the estrus cycle. We extract hemodynamic-related parameters such as the mean transit time, the wash-in time, the area under the curve and the peak intensity and measure inter- and intra-animal reproducibility. The mean transit time and the wash-in time are reproducible with acceptable relative dispersions whereas the peak intensity and the area under the curve have large variabilities.
Specular reflection removal on high-speed camera for robot vision

High-speed cameras make it possible to detect luminance variations in images of a scene under AC illuminations. This paper proposes a method for estimating an image when AC illumination components are eliminated. If the eliminated illumination component is the source of specular reflection, the image produced only contains the diffuse reflection components of other illuminations. Removal of the specular reflection enhances the adaptability of a robot vision system to real environments. Experimental results show the advantage of the proposed method over using previous methods. The results also show that the method is applicable to moving objects while some errors are generated depending on the illumination frequency and the speed of the objects.
Abuse or learning?

dim view of employees spending time surfing the Web for personal pleasure. Some organizations go to extreme measures to limit such " abuse " through monitoring activities and strict bans. However, our position is that a certain amount of playful use of computer applications in the right situation can lead to learning—learning that may be of value to organizations. Several years ago, a small sales organization implemented a simple email system in order to improve internal communications. Employees sat through a 30-minute training session on the rudiments of the system, including sending, reading, and replying to messages. Following this introduction, employees were encouraged to experiment with the system. At first, most messages were not work-related. These included such topics as deciding where to go for lunch, seeing who wanted to order pizza, and jokes of the day. Management made no attempt to monitor or curtail this activity. In fact, the owner was notorious for her flurry of frivolous messages that seemed to come in torrents late every Friday afternoon. In the eyes of many, this would constitute abusive system use in much the same way personal Web surfing is viewed as Internet abuse. During this period of free play, an interesting phenomenon occurred. Employees not only started using email for a variety of work-related communication , they also greatly expanded their knowledge of the system's capabilities without any additional formal training. Employees began to build distribution lists, attach files, and use other advanced features of the system. After several weeks, management put a new rule in place. Requests for technical staff would only be accepted via email. This was the main reason for implementing the system—to improve communications between sales and technical staff. There was little resistance to this new rule, primarily because through a period of play, email communication had become a matter of routine. This rule also forced employees to apply their knowledge of email to a work domain. Soon, they began to use email for myriad work-related communications, not limiting their use to requesting technical staff assistance. In a relatively short period, email became ingrained into the fabric of the organization. Many readers may be able to think of similar experiences. We have seen similar phenomena with facsimile machines, Web searching, and groupware. The learning that results from application play (defined as enjoyment-based use of computer applications [2]) seems to be quite persistent and easily transferable to …
Rock Point, A Navajo Way to Go to School: A Valediction

Roughly two-thirds of school-age Navajo children now attend public schools; roughly a quarter still attend federal schools. Since the mid-1950s, the federal government has put large amounts of money into effecting a shift on the Navajo Reservation from smaller one-community federal schools to larger multicommunity public schools on the Navajo Reservation. The federal schools that remain have become multicommunity boarding schools. The public schools tend to draw students from more Anglo-like, more English-speaking, homes, but these Navajo students and particularly Navajo-speaking students average some years behind state averages. This article is about a Navajo community and school that went back to parental involvement and community control, that went back to the native language and to the community and Reservation as a source of content and curriculum, and that went forward to a more appropriate, more effective education for their children.
Effect of Indirect Neural Decompression Through Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion for Degenerative Lumbar Disease

Study Design. Prospective consecutive clinical study to assess the decompressive benefit and outcome of oblique lateral interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative diseases. Objective. To evaluate radiologically the effect of interbody distraction upon neural patency via an anterolateral retroperitoneal approach for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. Summary of Background Data. Traditional treatment for symptomatic lumbar stenosis uses direct posterior decompression with or without fusion. Symptoms of radiculopathy and neurological claudication may also be alleviated indirectly through restoration of intervertebral and foraminal heights and correction of spinal alignment. Methods. Twenty-eight consecutive patients presenting with degenerative conditions that included concomitant lumbar stenosis underwent oblique lateral interbody fusion combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation at 52 lumbar levels without neuromonitoring. Magnetic resonance images were obtained successfully for 48 of 52 levels. The cross-sectional area of the thecal sac (CSA) was measured preoperatively and postoperatively on T2-weighted axial magnetic resonance images. Differences in CSA were compared, and the relationship between the ratio of CSA extension and that of the preoperative CSA was assessed. The change in disc height and segmental disc angle were measured. The relationships between CSA, disc height, segmental disc angle, and clinical results were assessed by correlational analysis. Results. Twenty-eight oblique lateral interbody fusions were performed successfully without neural complications. There was clinical improvement in all cases. The mean CSA increased from 99.6 mm2 preoperatively to 134.3 mm2 postoperatively (P < 0.001). The median CSA extension ratio was 30.2% and this correlated inversely with preoperative CSA. Disc height, segmental disc angle, and clinical results improved significantly. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the preoperative CSA was the only independent factor that correlated inversely with the CSA extension ratio (corrected R2 = 0.361; P < 0.001). Conclusion. Spinal stenosis was resolved successfully by indirect decompression through a miniopen anterolateral retroperitoneal approach without the need for neuromonitoring. Level of Evidence: 3
Early Murine Polymicrobial Sepsis Predominantly Causes Renal Injury

ABSTRACT Multiple organ failure in sepsis substantially increases mortality. This study examined if there was greater hepatic, pancreatic, splenic, or renal injury in mice that would die during sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) compared with that of those that would survive. Mice were stratified into groups predicted to die (Die-P) or predicted to live (Live-P) in the first 5 days after CLP based on plasma interleukin 6 levels. Groups were sacrificed to harvest organs for histology. Separate animals were followed for survival with daily blood sampling to examine renal function. No significant histological evidence of organ injury was observed in either the Live-P or Die-P mice. Minimal hepatic injury occurred as plasma aspartate transaminase demonstrated less than a 2-fold increase over normal in both groups. In addition, pancreatic injury was minimal as there was also less than a 2-fold increase in plasma amylase levels. In contrast, blood urea nitrogen levels were nearly five times higher within 24 h in Die-P mice compared with those of mice predicted to live. Mice with blood urea nitrogen levels higher than 44 mg/dL had a 17.6 higher relative risk of dying (95% confidence interval, 4.5–69.4). Cystatin C, a more specific kidney function biomarker, was also elevated at 24 h after CLP. When the cystatin C levels were analyzed relative to the hours before death, rather than hours after CLP, they were also significantly increased in mice Dead by day 5 compared with those Alive after day 5. We conclude that limited liver, pancreas, and spleen injury develops during murine CLP-induced sepsis while significant kidney injury is present. The renal injury becomes worse closer to death.
The Transforming Self

The study examined the extent to which a service trip to Nicaragua affected college students’ narrative understanding of themselves and their commitment to volunteer service. College students who went on a spring break service trip to work with poor citizens of Nicaragua wrote narrative accounts of three important experiences on the trip shortly after they returned. Measures of volunteerism were collected before the trip and at two points afterward: 1 week and 3 months later. Themes of self-transformation in service trip narratives predicted trip-related volunteerism one week and 3 months later, even after controlling for prior volunteerism. Themes of sympathy in the narratives predicted trip-related volunteerism one week but not 3 months, and themes of helplessness negatively related to prior volunteerism. The results underscore the importance of examining the role of life narratives in the development of volunteer behavior and service mindedness among emerging adults.
Prejudice: rethinking geographies of oppression

Despite equal opportunities legislation in many western societies, overt prejudice against minority groups is still evident. Yet, despite the persistence of equality issues, ‘prejudice’ is a term that is not widely employed in geography because of its association with a particular history of meaning within social psychology. In this paper I explore the concept of prejudice and its relationship to geographical research on discrimination and oppression. Then using original empirical research in three communities I examine how prejudice is justified and articulated by majority people. In doing so, I explore the complex intersectionalities of negative attitudes towards specific minority groups and the ways that specific mechanisms of sub-ordination can reinforce and support one another.
Politics and Professional Advancement Among College Faculty

This article first examines the ideological composition of American university faculty and then tests whether ideological homogeneity has become self-reinforcing. A randomly based national survey of 1643 faculty members from 183 four-year colleges and universities finds that liberals and Democrats outnumber conservatives and Republicans by large margins, and the differences are not limited to elite universities or to the social sciences and humanities. A multivariate analysis finds that, even after taking into account the effects of professional accomplishment, along with many other individual characteristics, conservatives and Republicans teach at lower quality schools than do liberals and Democrats. This suggests that complaints of ideologically-based discrimination in academic advancement deserve serious consideration and further study. The analysis finds similar effects based on gender and religiosity, i.e., women and practicing Christians teach at lower quality schools than their professional accomplishments would predict.
A low-complexity blind CFO estimation for OFDM systems

The estimation of carrier frequency offset (CFO) is an important issue in the study of the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. In the past, many CFO estimation methods have been proposed. In this paper, we propose a new blind CFO estimation for OFDM systems based on the so-called remodulated received vectors [8]. The CFO estimate is given by a closed form formula. The proposed method has very low complexity and its performance is robust to different modulation symbols and the presence of virtual carriers.
Family time economies and democratic division of work

Abstract Much has been written about time use and the gender division of labour. There is also a sizeable literature examining teenagers’ time use, particularly in relation to what are seen as valuable skills and dispositions. Most of this literature takes individuals rather than families or households as units of analysis. Several recent publications focus on couples with small children. However, we have not been able to find any studies dealing with more or less equitable division of labour within family households containing parent[s] and teenage children. This paper takes up the challenge to develop a model which starts with families rather than individuals as units of analysis. We use this model, and data from three successive Australian time-use surveys, to examine which variables help predict households that have more or less even – or ‘democratic’ – division of total productive, domestic and childcare activities between family members.
Play and Divergent Problem Solving: Evidence Supporting a Reciprocal Relationship.

A series of three studies was conducted to examine the relationship between specific forms of social and pretend play and divergent (figural and semantic) and convergent problem solving in preschool aged children. Naturalistic and experimental designs were used to provide a clearer account of the nature of the relationship between play and problem solving and to challenge the assumption that there is a single direction bf influence (play influencing problem solving) rather than the influence being complex and reciprocal. Overall, the results support a complex reciprocal causality model in which the development of divergent problem solving skills facilitates the development of play skills and vice versa.
A Longitudinal Examination of the Fourth Grade Slump in Creativity

From September 1959 to May 1964 the children enrolled in a university and a public elementary school were tested each year with a battery of tests of creative thinking. Relatively complete data were obtained for 350 children. A random sample of 100 cases was drawn from this pool for further analysis. All raw scores were converted to standard or T-scores based on fifth grade comparison group norms. The results showed that when studied longitudinally, there are statistically significant slumps in fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration. Although from 45 to 61 percent of the subjects showed significant slumps (losses of five or more standard score points), there were a few who showed significant increases ranging from 11 percent on fluency to 38 percent on elaboration. There is a general recovery trend in the fifth grade but from 16 to 29 percent show decreases of five or more standard score points between the third and fifth grades. Many children end up with lower scores in the fifth grade than they attained in the third grade. The proportion ranges from 21 percent on elaboration to 52 percent on fluency. In general there is the strongest tendency for growth in elaboration and the weakest In fluency.
Synergies and Post-Acquisition Performance: Differences versus Similarities in Resource Allocations

Theory suggests that synergy is an essential ingredientfor value creation to occur as a result of acquisitions. This dominant theory often argues for similarities among resources in the acquiring and targetfirms. However; it is argued here that uniquely valuable synergy might be created where differences (versus similarities) exist between resources in the acquiring and target firms. Tests of these competing hypotheses confirmed that differences contributed significantly to performance in the mergedfirm. Thisfinding may suggest that traditional distinctions between related and unrelated mergers may not be as useful as once thought. A focus on specific resources rather than strategy types in the merger and acquisition research may better explain firm performance.
Beyond the Marathon: (De)Construction of Female Ultrarunning Bodies

This article examines the ways in which high-performance female ultrarunning bodies are created by and understood through the discourses of the normative running body, the ideal female body and pain. Using a Foucauldian framework, this paper shows how the ultrarunning body becomes a desired body beyond the marathon and how these same desires produce multiple and complex subjectivities for female ultrarunners. In-depth interviews were conducted with 8 high performance female ultrarunners. Findings suggest that ultrarunning is a sporting space which gives rise to more diverse subjectivities than previously found in distance running literature. Simultaneously, this discourse produces disciplined bodies through the mode of desire and "unquestioned" social norms, paralleling the constructs of extreme sports and (re)producing middle-classness. Cet article examine comment, par le biais de discours sur la douleur, le corps feminin et le corps normatif du coureur, sont crees et compris les corps feminins de haute performance en marathon. En utilisant une approche foucaldienne, l�auteur demontre comment le corps de course ultra devient un corps desire audela du contexte du marathon et comment les desirs produisent des subjectivites complexes et multiples pour les coureuses. Des entrevues en profondeur ont ete realisees aupres de huit coureuses de haute performance. Les resultats suggerent que la course ultra constitue un espace sportif qui permet des subjectivites plus diversifiees que ne l�ont laisse entendre les ecrits sur la course a distance. Simultanement, le discours ci-haut mentionne produit des corps disciplines par le biais du desir et des normes sociales qui ne sont pas remises en question, ce qui fait echo aux construits sur les sports extremes et ce qui reproduit l�appartenance a la classes moyenne.
Exposure to airborne microorganisms in Polish sawmills.

Microbiological air sampling was performed in four sawmills located in eastern Poland, of which two were processing coniferous wood (pine, fir) and other two deciduous wood (oak, birch). Total concentration of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in the air of sawmills processing coniferous wood was on average 20.2 +/- 5.6 x 10(3) cfu/m(3) (mean +/- S.E.) and significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared to those processing deciduous wood where the mean concentration of airborne microorganisms was 9.8 +/- 3.0 x 10(3) cfu/m(3). The greatest concentrations of microorganisms in the sawmills processing coniferous wood were noted at debarking and at first-cut frame sawing of pine logs (42.1 +/- 7.6 x 10(3) cfu/m(3) and 39.8 +/- 7.0 x 10(3) cfu/m(3), respectively). Microflora released into air during debarking consisted mostly of allergenic fungi (mainly Aspergillus fumigatus) and corynebacteria, whereas airborne microflora recovered during first-cut frame sawing constituted mostly of endotoxin-producing Gram- negative bacteria of the genus Rahnella, developing in the sapwood of pine. In the sawmills processing deciduous wood, the largest concentration of microorganisms (30.6 +/- 3.4 x 10(3) cfu/m(3)) was found at sorting of the oak parquet boards and was due to the secondary infection of the boards with moulds Penicillium citrinum during prolonged storing in the open air. Values of the respirable fraction of airborne microflora in the examined sawmills varied within fairly wide limits and were between 22.5 86.6%. Altogether, 34 species or genera of bacteria and 21 species or genera of fungi were identified in the air of sawmills, of which respectively 13 and 9 species or genera were reported as having allergenic and/or immunotoxic properties. The concentrations of airborne bacterial endotoxin which were determined on two sampling sites in the sawmills processing pine and fir, were 0.24 microg/m(3) and 4.00 microg/m(3) respectively, distinctly exceeding the suggested safe level. In conclusion, the workers of Polish sawmills may be exposed on some working stands to airborne microorganisms posing respiratory hazard, of which the greatest risk is represented by allergenic fungi developing on bark of logs or stored wood products and endotoxin-producing Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Rahnella, developing in sapwood of coniferous logs