Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Welcome Interferences: Dealing with Obstacles Promotes Creative Thought in Goal Pursuit

Life often presents us with obstacles to goals and the work arena is no exception. Two studies examined whether dealing with such obstacles promotes creative thought in goal pursuit. In Study 1, thinking about how to reach a goal with (versus without) an obstacle led participants to broaden especially goal-relevant categories, which suggests that people first and foremost open up to more unusual means when tackling an obstacle. Moving beyond a passive broadening of categories, thinking about how to reach a goal with (versus without) an obstacle in Study 2 also led participants to actively generate more original means. Together these findings suggest that people's basic cognitive responses to obstacles are in the service of goals. Theoretical and organizational implications as well as the role of motivation and emotions are discussed.
An Ethnographic–Feminist Study of Jordanian Women's Experiences of Domestic Violence and Process of Resolution

We interviewed 12 Jordanian women who had experienced domestic violence (DV) and were receiving assistance at the Jordanian Women's Union (JWU). Our aim was to explore the history and factors supporting attainment of freedom from DV. Narratives revealed themes of DV toward girls; forced marriage; physical, psychological, or sexual abuse before and during marriage; and escalation and enduring DV. Escaping from DV required family and JWU support. In the context of a strongly patriarchal, religious society, we observed a process of resolution by shifting cultural values and themes of empowerment, with an undercurrent of suffering blamed on inequalities in the legal process.
Individual Letter Contrast Thresholds: Effect of Object Frequency and Noise

Purpose To compare differences in contrast threshold among individual Sloan letters presented in additive white luminance noise and in the absence of noise. Methods Contrast threshold for letter identification was measured for three visually normal subjects (aged 22, 25, and 34 years) using letters from the Sloan set (C, D, H, K, N, O, R, S, V, and Z). The letter size was equivalent to 1.5 logMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution), and the letters were either unfiltered or band-pass filtered to limit the object frequency content (cycles per letter) to a one-octave wide band centered at 1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10 cycles per letter. Letters were presented for an unlimited duration against a uniform adapting field or in the presence of additive white luminance noise. Contrast threshold for each letter was determined using a 10-alternative forced-choice interleaved staircase procedure. Results For standard unfiltered Sloan letters presented against a uniform field, contrast threshold for individual letters differed by as much as a factor of 1.5, consistent with a previous report. When measured in luminance noise, the individual letters differed by as much as a factor of 1.8. Band-pass filtering the letters to include only low object frequencies increased the differences in contrast threshold among the individual letters (about a factor of 3) compared with unfiltered letters and letters filtered into high object frequency bands. Conclusions The addition of white luminance noise had relatively small effects on interletter contrast threshold differences, whereas band-pass filtering had large effects on interletter threshold differences, greatly increasing variation among the letters that contained only low object frequencies. Letters that contain only high object frequencies may be useful in the design of letter charts because the interletter threshold differences are relatively small for these optotypes and the object frequency information mediating identification is known.
Implications of ketogenic diet on weight gain, motor activity and cicatrization in Wistar rats

The ketogenic diet (KD) was initially developed for the treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy and a possible alternative for the obesity treatment, dyslipidemia, resistance to insulin, and nonalcoholic steatosis. However, few studies evaluate the diet effects in rats behavior or cicatrization. The objective of this work was to analyze the influence of the ketogenic diet on the weight gain, emotional behavior of the rats submitted to experimental models such as elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF). The cicatrization time and leukocyte differentiations were also observed. Twenty male Wistar rats of two months age were divided into two groups. One was submitted to ketogenic diet (KD), and the control group (Co) was fed on commercial rations. After 7 days, the animals were weighed and submitted to EPM and OF. A small surgical incision was made and their blood was collected to a leukocyte count. It was verified that the rats from the KD presented less weight gain as compared with the rats from the Co (p < 0.05). The KD did not reveal differences on the behavior measures in the EPM model, but in the OF presented an ambulatory activity significantly bigger. The animals from the KD presented a cicatrization significantly better than Co after 72 h (p = 0.0035) and 96 h (p < 0.1). There was no difference between the groups for leukocyte count. Our results suggest that the KD can interfere on rats deambulation in animal models and improve the cicatrization response.
Psychiatric outcomes in operatively compared with non-operatively managed patients with facial trauma: Is there a difference?

Abstract Patients who sustain facial injury and who require an operation may be at greater risk for developing psychological distress and maladaptive coping. The purpose of this study was to examine psychological responses in adult victims of facial trauma after operation. A consecutive group of adult patients attending specialist outpatient clinics after facial trauma were evaluated for psychological distress. The subjects were divided into two groups based on whether their facial injuries were managed operatively or conservatively. The primary predictor variable in this study was surgical intervention. The main outcome variable was Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. Chi-squared, Mann Whitney U-test, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse data. The sample consisted of 102 subjects; 71 patients had been managed operatively and 31 patients treated non-operatively. Psychometric scores suggestive of anxiety were present in 21% (n = 15) of the operatively managed group compared with 13% (n = 4) of the non-operatively managed group of patients. The prevalence of depression was comparable between both groups (14% compared with 13%). The median anxiety subscale scores for the operatively managed group when compared with the conservatively managed group of patients were significantly higher (6.6 compared with 4.4, p = 0.02); however, differences in the depression subscale scores did not reach statistical significance (6.2 compared with 4.6, p = 0.06). This study shows an association between anxiety disorders and operative interventions in patients with facial trauma (HADS-A, β = 2.2, p = 0.04). Similar rates of depression were found in the surgically and conservatively managed patients.
An international comparison of income statement and balance sheet information: Germany, Japan and the US

As accounting regulators develop international standards, it is helpful for them to understand the use of financial statements by investors in different countries. In this study we compare the value relevance of earnings relative to book value of equity in Germany, Japan and the US owing to the size of their capital markets and differences in accounting systems and institutional structures. Accounting in Germany and Japan is conservative, creditor-oriented and tax-based, with institutional structures that rely on bank financing and close relationships between capital providers and investee firms, while the US is used as a basis for comparison. This study hypothesizes that book values are more value relevant than earnings in Germany and Japan while earnings are more value relevant in the US, because capital providers in Germany and Japan are more concerned with balance sheet measures such as liquidity. Also, accounting characteristics such as conservatism and tax conformity may lead to greater value relevance of the balance sheet compared to the income statement in those countries. Our results provide evidence that book value of equity is more value-relevant than earnings, particularly in Germany, with mixed results for Japan. In the US, positive earnings are more value relevant than book value of equity, but not negative earnings. In summary, we provide evidence concerning the relative value relevance of summary measures of the balance sheet versus the income statement. Standard-setters can then look at potential causes for these differences and determine if proposed accounting standards will have a desired outcome.
Work and family practices in Japanese firms: their scope, nature and impact on employee turnover

Using firm-level data from Japan, this study examines the effects of four commonly used work and family practices on employee turnover: flextime, maternity leave, child care leave, and nursing care leave. Overall, we find statistically significant associations between work and family practices and female employee turnover in Japan. In stark contrast, we do not find such a statistically significant linkage between work and family practices and male employee turnover. As such, this study highlights the potential moderating effect of individual characteristics such as gender on the relationship between work and family practices and employee attitudes and behaviours.
The Dynamic Relation Between Returns, Trading Volume, and Volatility: Lessons from Spillovers Between Asia and the United States

This paper investigates the dynamic relationship between index returns, return volatility, and trading volume for eight Asian markets and the US. We find cross‐border spillovers in returns to be non‐existent, spillovers in absolute returns between Asia and the US to be strong in both directions, and spillovers in volatility to run from Asia to the US. Trading volume, especially on the Asian markets, depends on shocks in domestic and foreign returns as well as on volatility, especially those shocks originating in the US. However, only weak evidence is found for trading volume influencing other variables. In the light of the theoretical models, these results suggest sequential information arrivals, with investors being overconfident and applying positive feedback strategy. Furthermore, new information causes price volatility to rise due to differences in its interpretation among traders, but the subsequent market reaction takes the form of adjustment in price level, not volatility. Lastly, the intensity of cross‐border spillovers seems to have increased following the 1997 crisis, which we interpret as evidence of increased noisiness in prices and diversity in opinions about news originating abroad. Our findings might also help to understand the nature of financial crises, to predict their further developments and consequences.
Sharing Learning through Documents: Conflicting Outcomes

Project team working is increasingly common in all types of organization and industry. However, research has also illustrated that often project teams do not meet their objectives and, moreover, there appears to be limited learning from the experiences of project teams so that the same mistakes and problems are encountered time and again. Drawing upon the work of Zoller and Winter one would anticipate that building a project working capability would depend on formalized processes of learning reviews and documentation of that learning. However, in practice, while such processes are common, they are not considered to be very helpful. Qualitative data presented in this paper supports this. However, the quantitative data suggests an opposite picture. The opposing results from the two different methods are explored in relation to Boland and Tenkasi's notions of perspective-making and perspective-taking. More importantly perhaps the difference in the results from the two sets of data provides an indication that organizations need to emphasize the benefits from project reviews and documentation and explore ways in which the documents produced can be made more useful as boundary objects to encourage the sharing of learning across projects
Manipulative and Coercive Power and the Social-Ecological Determinants of Violent Conflicts in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

The protracted conflict in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is linked to the power dynamics that define the interaction among micro-and macro-sociopolitical factors related to oil production. This paper examines how individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors fuel violent conflict and affect efforts to build peace through cooperation, dialogue, and participation in the Niger Delta. Using a cohort of eighty-five focus group participants from fifteen oil-producing communities in Rivers State, this article analyzes the extent to which violent conflicts in the Niger Delta are produced by the exercise of manipulative and coercive power by the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies operating in the region. The participants identified several primary sources of conflict, including divide and rule policies, unemployment, rigging of elections, military raids and suppression, chieftaincy tussle, secrecy, bribery, corruption, and environmental degradation. These factors pertain to the exercise of manipulation and coercion by government and oil companies in the Niger Delta.
A Biochemical Analysis Linking APOBEC3A to Disparate HIV-1 Restriction and Skin Cancer*

Background: Apo3A restricts HIV-1 in myeloid cells and mutates genomic DNA. Results: Optimal Apo3A activity and narrow deamination specificity occur at acidic pH; weak activity and broad specificity, featuring CC → TT mutations, occur at physiological pH. Conclusion: The pH-dependent catalytic properties of Apo3A reflect targeting of HIV-1 cDNA and “off targeting” of genomic DNA. Significance: Apo3A enzymology provides a molecular basis to elucidate viral exclusion and cancer induction. Human deoxycytidine deaminase APOBEC3A (Apo3A) acts as an HIV-1 restriction factor in cells of myeloid lineage yet functions separately as a potent mutator for genomic DNA. Apo3A activity and C motif deamination specificity exhibit a striking dependence on pH that reflects these two distinct biological processes. Upon infection of macrophages, HIV-1 induces the formation of autophagosomes, and requires autophagosomes for replication, whereas inhibiting lysosomal fusion indicative of late stage autophagy. Here we show that Apo3A has optimal activity and a strict 5′-YYCR motif specificity in the pH 5.8–6.1 range, characteristic of enclosed autophagosomal membrane compartments, and reflective of the mutation pattern of HIV-1. In contrast to the high activity and narrow specificity of Apo3A at acid pH, a 13–30-fold reduction in specific activity is accompanied by relaxed C deamination specificity at pH 7.4–8. Notably, Apo3A is also expressed in keratinocytes, and is up-regulated in skin lesions. At pH 7.9, we show that Apo3A generates transcription-dependent CC → TT tandem mutations on the non-transcribed strand, a hallmark signature of skin cancer. The biochemical data taken in conjunction with the biological up-regulation of Apo3A in skin lesions suggests that enzyme-catalyzed deaminations at adjacent C sites followed by normal replication generating CC → TT mutations provides an alternative molecular basis for the initiation events in skin cancer in contrast to well established pathways in which CC dimers formed in response to UV radiation either undergo nonenzymatic spontaneous deaminations or aberrant replication.
Unemployment and the separation of married couples

This article analyzes whether unemployment has an effect on the splitting of a marital relationship. The study uses 40000 observations on unemployment spells and marital status during the period from 1987 to 1996. Random effects probit and conditional likelihood logit models for panel data are applied. Using several control variables, it was confirmed that unemployment does actually lead to a higher probability of the separation of married couples. Copyright 2001 by WWZ and Helbing & Lichtenhahn Verlag AG
Do Teams Always Lose to Win? Performance Incentives and the Player Draft in the Australian Football League

This article examines whether the player draft used since 1986 in the Australian Football League has caused clubs to tank; that is, to seek to lose matches to obtain improved draft choices. A comparison of clubs’ performances in regular season matches played before and after introduction of the draft provides no evidence that clubs have engaged in tanking. The main potential explanations for the absence of tanking in the Australian Football League are the relatively low benefits to clubs from tanking and limited opportunities for them to engage in this behavior.
Does the Management’s Forecast of Merger Synergies Explain the Premium Paid, the Method of Payment, and Merger Motives?

I study a sample of 336 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals to investigate the effect of managements’ estimate of synergy on the reservation price and the payment method. I find that synergy does not explain the premium paid implying that it may have been announced to induce shareholders to endorse the deal. Acquiring firms are more likely to overpay if they have low growth potential, while the target firm is large, has higher premerger operating performance, and high growth potential. Acquirers may be serving their own self-interests as they are more likely to exceed their reservation price if they receive low compensation and if entrenchment provisions are in place. I also find that these acquisitions lead to postmerger shareholders’ wealth destruction, which is more pronounced when acquirers overpay. I document that the greater the synergy and the acquirer firm-specific overvaluation, the higher the likelihood of settling the deal with more shares.
Biophysical Impacts of Recreational Horse Riding in Multi-use National Parks and Reserves

Horse riding is one of many recreational uses of national parks and forest reserves that provides participants with varied experiences of the environment. Concerns have been raised by a range of stakeholders that impacts imposed by horse riding are increasingly unacceptable, and consequently, access is being reduced in some areas through new plans of management. Studies in recreational ecology that could support decision-making on this issue generally relate to northern hemisphere conditions, which may have limited relevance and application to Australian conditions. Little research has been undertaken in Australia, most of which refers to specific environments or to small scale experimental studies that cannot be meaningfully extrapolated to other areas. In this paper, the available literature is reviewed and key knowledge gaps are identified to provide a supportive framework for decision-makers and future research.
Essential oils of Origanum vulgare L. subsp. glandulosum (Desf.) Ietswaart from Tunisia: chemical composition and antioxidant activity.

BACKGROUND Characterisation of the essential oils from O. glandulosum collected in three locations of Tunisia, chemical composition and the evaluation of their antioxidant activities were carried out. RESULTS The essential oils from Origanum vulgare L. subsp. glandulosum (Desf.) Ietswaart collected from three localities of north Tunisia-Krib, Bargou and Nefza-were obtained in yields of 2.5, 3.0 and 4.6% (v/w), respectively. The essential oils were analysed by GC and GC/MS and assayed for their total phenolics content, by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant effectiveness, using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The main components of these essential oils, from Nefza, Bargou and Krib, were p-cymene (36%, 40% and 46%), thymol (32%, 39% and 18%), gamma-terpinene (24%, 12% and 16%) and carvacrol (2%, 2% and 15%), respectively). The ability to scavenge the DPPH radicals, expressed by IC(50), ranged from 59 to 80 mg L(-1). The total phenolic content, expressed in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g kg(-1) dry weight, varied from 9.37 to 17.70 g kg(-1) dw. CONCLUSIONS A correlation was identified between the total phenolic content of the essential oils and DPPH radical scavenger capacity. The occurrence of a p-cymene chemotype of O. glandulosum in the northern region of Tunisia is demonstrated.
Creative work careers: pathways and portfolios for the creative economy

This article examines the career opportunities, challenges and trajectories of creative work. As part of the Creative Trident approach to creative workforce measurements, the embedded mode draws attention to creative work as it is undertaken outside of the creative industries. This article further considers and conceptualises the complex careers pathways of creative workers. Firstly, creative workers in non-creative occupations in other industries are discussed to highlight the challenges and barriers to securing creative employment and the balance creative workers establish with other forms of employment. Secondly, students from creative courses going into non-creative occupations in other industries is discussed to highlight challenges students face in making the transition from higher education to creative employment in terms of workforce expectations and the competition amongst graduates. This article critically evaluates assumptions about transitions from education into creative work employment and associated career trajectories.
Metronidazole in treatment of children with amoebic liver abscess.

We have shown that metronidazole combined with dehydroemetine is an effective treatment of children with amoebic liver abscess and that the former drug has advantages over chloroquine (Scragg and Powell, 1970). In adults, metronidazole in the absence of other drug therapy is extremely effective in curing amoebic liver abscess and remains the best of the nitroimidazole derivatives that we have investigated (Powell, 1972; Powell and Elsdon-Dew, 1972). However, in the
Towards an understanding of continuous improvement in manufacturing industry in Ireland

Continuous improvement has been adopted in firms throughout the world. The extent of adoption in Ireland is unknown, although there is anecdotal evidence of recent initiatives and impressive achievements in subsidiaries of multi-national enterprises. In this paper, we will explore some of the issues facing manufacturing firms in Ireland as they attempt to engage in initiatives to improve the practice and performance of their activities on a continuous basis. This exploration will be with a view to informing the design of a detailed study of continuous improvement (CI) activities and achievements in Ireland as part of a Eureka Project.