Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Complexity of Change in Universities.

This paper relates to the implementation process of the Universitaetsorganisationsgesetz 1993 (University Organisation Act of 1993) at an Austrian university. In accordance with the idea of a managed university, the Austrian government aimed this law at transferring a greater scope of responsibility for strategic decisions and management issues from the ministry to the universities. The empirical basis is derived from a 2-year, in-depth field study showing that the transformation to a ‘simple’ management orientation is in itself complex. We suggest therefore a frame of reference that is based on an understanding of universities as complex and self-referential organisations. This view explains changes in universities as nontrivial transformation and conceptualises the management of change in universities as a paradoxical intervention.
Astrocyte changes in aging cerebral cortex and hippocampus: A quantitative immunohistochemical study

Glial cells are sensitive to aging, but the real extent of age‐related quantitative and qualitative changes of these brain cellular elements has not yet been clarified. Brain volume undergoes age‐related changes, but several studies on the number of glial cells have not taken this important variable into account. In this study we quantitatively evaluated the number and morphology of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐immunoreactive astroglia in the frontal cortex and in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus of male Sprague‐Dawley rats of aged 12 and 24 months, considered adult and aged, respectively. The volume of frontal cortex was unchanged in the two age groups investigated, whereas the volume of hippocampus was higher in aged rats. An increase in the number and size of GFAP‐immunoreactive astrocytes was observed in the frontal cortex and in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus of aged rats. The numeric increase in astrocytes was more pronounced in the hippocampus than in the frontal cortex, whereas age‐related hypertrophy of astroglia was more accentuated in the frontal cortex. The possible significance of hyperplasia and hypertrophy of GFAP‐immunoreactive astrocytes in the frontal cortex and in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus of aged rats is discussed. Microsc. Res. Tech. 43:29–33, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the Stationarity of Current Account Deficits in the European Union

In this paper, we test for the stationarity of EU current account deficits. Our testing strategy addresses two key concerns with regard to unit root panel data testing, namely (i) the identification of which panel members are stationary, and (ii) the presence of cross-sectional dependence. For this purpose, we employ an AR-based bootstrap approach to the Hadri (2000) test. While there is only mixed evidence that current account stationarity applies when examining individual countries, this does not appear to be case when considering panels comprising both EU and non-EU members.
A large air-gap capacitive power transfer system with a 4-plate capacitive coupler structure for electric vehicle charging applications

This paper proposes a compact 4-plate capacitive coupler structure for large-air-gap capacitive power transfer (CPT). An LCL-compensated circuit topology is applied at both the primary and secondary sides to resonate with the power transmitting plates. The resonance boosts the voltage on the plates to kV levels to increase the power capacity of the CPT system. On each side, the two plates are aligned vertically with a small distance between them to provide a large coupling capacitance, which can eliminate the need for an external capacitor. An equivalent circuit model of the 4-plate coupler is presented to simplify the design process of the system parameters. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used to determine the coupler capacitance. The leakage electric field is also simulated at high power to demonstrate the potential safety issues. A 2.2kW input power CPT system is designed and implemented, which can achieve a dc-dc efficiency of 85.87% at a 150 mm air-gap distance. This study demonstrates that the CPT system is also a solution to electric vehicle charging applications.
Explicit Object Representation by Sparse Neural Codes

Neurons have been identified in the human medial temporal lobe (MTL) that display a strong selectivity for only a few stimuli (such as familiar individuals or landmark buildings) out of perhaps 100 presented to the test subject. While highly selective for a particular object or category, these cells are remarkably insensitive to different presentations (i.e., different poses and views) of their preferred stimulus. This invariant, sparse, and explicit representation of the world may be crucial to the transformation of complex visual stimuli into more abstract memories. In this thesis I first discuss the issue of how best to quantify sparseness, particularly in very sparse systems where biases are significant, and show the results of this analysis applied to human MTL data. I also provide an overview of existing results from other investigators on measuring sparseness both elsewhere along the primate visual pathway and in selected other sensory processing systems. From there I move into the computational realm. Sparse coding as a computational constraint applied to the representation of natural images has been shown to produce receptive fields strikingly similar to those observed in mammalian primary visual cortex. I apply sparse coding as a model for processing further along the visual hierarchy: not directly to images but rather to an invariant feature-based representation of images analogous to that found in the inferotemporal cortex. This combination of sparseness and invariance naturally leads to explicit category representation. That is, by exposing the model to different images drawn from different categories, units develop that respond selectively to different categories. After extending an existing model of sparse coding and providing some mathematical analysis of its operation, I show results obtained by applying this method both to unsupervised category discovery in images and to differentiation between images of different individuals.
Dominant stressors on expatriate couples during international assignments

Globalization is increasing the demand for expatriates, but there is evidence of resistance to international assignments in the traditional source pools due to career, family and stress concerns. Assignments increase stress on family members, and while its existence is well-established, much less is known about the specific sources of that stress. This study investigated the dominant sources of stress on expatriate couples while on assignment. It confirmed the findings of expatriate interview studies, and tested the hypothesis that longer assignment duration is associated with lower stress ratings. It also tested the hypothesis that the stressors differ between employee and spouse roles. Couples were jointly stressed by spending insufficient time together and by the uncertainty about their future after this assignment. Spouses were more stressed by the dominant stressors of Reduced Self, Local Pressures and Isolation, while employees were more stressed by Relationship Strains. The findings offer guidance for expatriates to initiate self-help activities, and for human resources and relocation professionals to tailor organizational policies and practices so that assignment stressors can be reduced.
Regulation of Viral RNA Synthesis by the V Protein of Parainfluenza Virus 5

ABSTRACT Paramyxoviruses include many important animal and human pathogens. The genome of parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5), a prototypical paramyxovirus, encodes a V protein that inhibits viral RNA synthesis. In this work, the mechanism of inhibition was investigated. Using mutational analysis and a minigenome system, we identified regions in the N and C termini of the V protein that inhibit viral RNA synthesis: one at the very N terminus of V and the second at the C terminus of V. Furthermore, we determined that residues L16 and I17 are critical for the inhibitory function of the N-terminal region of the V protein. Both regions interact with the nucleocapsid protein (NP), an essential component of the viral RNA genome complex (RNP). Mutations at L16 and I17 abolished the interaction between NP and the N-terminal domain of V. This suggests that the interaction between NP and the N-terminal domain plays a critical role in V inhibition of viral RNA synthesis by the N-terminal domain. Both the N- and C-terminal regions inhibited viral RNA replication. The C terminus inhibited viral RNA transcription, while the N-terminal domain enhanced viral RNA transcription, suggesting that the two domains affect viral RNA through different mechanisms. Interestingly, V also inhibited the synthesis of the RNA of other paramyxoviruses, such as Nipah virus (NiV), human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV3), measles virus (MeV), mumps virus (MuV), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This suggests that a common host factor may be involved in the replication of these paramyxoviruses. IMPORTANCE We identified two regions of the V protein that interact with NP and determined that one of these regions enhances viral RNA transcription via its interaction with NP. Our data suggest that a common host factor may be involved in the regulation of paramyxovirus replication and could be a target for broad antiviral drug development. Understanding the regulation of paramyxovirus replication will enable the rational design of vaccines and potential antiviral drugs.
Disability measures as an indicator of poverty: A case study from Viet Nam

This paper examines the relationship between disability and poverty at a health- demographic surveillance site in Viet Nam using alternative measures of disability severity. Analysis of the site population (n ¼65400) is combined with interviews of 27 households containing members with disabilities. Results show that disability severity is positively associated with poverty. Results support recent efforts of the Vietnamese government to extend programmes of social protection for households containing members with severe disabilities. However, a higher level of disability targeting is required, both in terms of eligibility and of benefit levels. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Market power and merger activity in Taiwan banking

This paper analyses the market power of the Taiwan banking industry, by employing a dynamic economic error-correcting model. The main result is that banks are competitive and the degree of competition is stronger in the short run compared to the long run. Our empirical studies also show that the Taiwan banking industry increased market power after undertaking merger activities. Mergers can increase the size of banks, and large banks are more competitive. We also find that the dynamic Error Correction Model (ECM) analysis offers an appropriate method by which to study market power issues, while the static model, from the statistical perspective, seems inappropriate.
TLR4 Signaling Shapes B Cell Dynamics via MyD88-Dependent Pathways and Rac GTPases

B cells use a plethora of TLR to recognize pathogen-derived ligands. These innate signals have an important function in the B cell adaptive immune response and modify their trafficking and tissue location. The direct role of TLR signaling on B cell dynamics nonetheless remains almost entirely unknown. In this study, we used a state-of-the-art two-dimensional model combined with real-time microscopy to study the effect of TLR4 stimulation on mouse B cell motility in response to chemokines. We show that a minimum stimulation period is necessary for TLR4 modification of B cell behavior. TLR4 stimulation increased B cell polarization, migration, and directionality; these increases were dependent on the MyD88 signaling pathway and did not require ERK or p38 MAPK activity downstream of TLR4. In addition, TLR4 stimulation enhanced Rac GTPase activity and promoted sustained Rac activation in response to chemokines. These results increase our understanding of the regulation of B cell dynamics by innate signals and the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Optimal Interest Rate Rules Under One-Sided Output and Inflation Targets

We investigate the derivation of optimal interest rate rules in a simple stochastic framework. The monetary authority chooses to minimise an asymmetric loss function, where the monetary authority places positive weight on negative (positive) deviations of output (inflation) and zero weight on positive (negative) deviations. Our focus is on deriving optimal interest rate rules in a series of special cases where shocks come from only one sector. We show that whether or not the optimal rules derived under asymmetric loss functions will be different than the optimal rules derived under symmetric loss functions is crucially dependent on the interest rate rule chosen. Under a fixed interest rate rule, the optimal rules differ. However, under a more flexible linear interest rate rule that incorporates additional information about contemporaneous shocks, the optimal rules are the same. The approach adopted here could be used, in conjunction with computational techniques, to calculate the precise coefficients of optimal interest rate rules derived from asymmetric preferences.
The Conduct of Global Monetary Policy and Domestic Stability

The purpose of this paper is to examine how important an improvement in global monetary policy might be for the macroeconomic performance of a small open economy such as the United Kingdom. Our paper contributes to the literature by proposing a new methodology to treat indeterminate solutions (the most-robust solution), and by analysing a policy improvement within a three-country framework. Both contributions yield a rich set of theoretical and policy implications. We find that the performance of the domestic macroeconomy depends crucially on domestic monetary policy, but there remains significant potential for monetary policy abroad to improve the stability of inflation and output in a small open economy. Importantly, how much of this potential spillover from policy abroad crystallises is still endogenous to the conduct of domestic policy. We also show that an improvement in policy abroad may not reduce domestic volatility when domestic policy is the only poor policy globally. In such a case domestic volatility can even become worse. Our paper also yields interesting results related to the impact of a policy improvement abroad on inflation persistence in the domestic economy and her exposure to foreign shocks.
An exploratory study of the role of HRM and the transfer of German MNC sustainability values to Brazil

Sustainability, defined here as the triple bottom line, is rapidly gaining importance as a societal and strategic business concern. Research on sustainability linked with Human Resource Management (HRM) is very limited. Although HR is often tasked with training and transferring values related to corporate strategy, an investigation of 10 German multinationals and their Brazilian subsidiaries found varying levels of HR involvement in the organisation of sustainability programmes or the transfer of German sustainability values to Brazilian subsidiaries. Content analysis of company reports resulted in an original model that includes five core components that characterise sustainability management in this sample: rationale, conceptual framework, direction, transfer and evaluation. Follow-up interviews with German and Brazilian executives specified the role of HRM in sustainability and the German-Brazilian transfer process. We conclude with suggestions for future research directions and a discussion of the model's practical HR implications for implementing sustainability initiatives.
PERCEPTIONS OF THE LEADERSHIP PRACTICES OF MALE AND FEMALE FIELD DIRECTORS AT A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - ARE THERE DIFFERENCES?

The purpose of this dissertation was to build upon the theory of transformational leadership and specifically the research of Kouzes and Posner (1995). The objective was completed by evaluating the leadership practices of Field Directors at a pharmaceutical company affiliate based in the United States. The five leadership practices evaluated in this study included: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. The Leadership Practices Inventory for self and observer was used to survey Field Directors and the Medical Liaisons who report to them. The self-rated scores of the Field Directors were higher than the Kouzes-Posner norms. The scores given to the Field Directors by their Medical Liaisons were numerically higher than the self-rated scores of the Field Directors. The age and gender of the Medical Liaison had no effect on the perceptions of their Field Directors’ leadership practices. An interesting finding was the results of the ratings of the Medical Liaisons that showed that the female Field Directors were demonstrating the five exemplary leadership practices at a higher level than the male Field Directors. This study confirmed the findings in the literature that women are more transformational leaders than men. The female Field Directors were rated higher than the male Field Directors by their Medical Liaisons in all five of the leadership practices. Four of the five leadership practices had differences that were statistically significant.
School Budgets and Student Achievement in California: The Principal's Perspective

Research publications reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, officers, or Board of Directors of the Public Policy Institute of California. Short sections of text, not to exceed three paragraphs, may be quoted without written permission provided that full attribution is given to the source and the above copyright notice is included. PPIC does not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor does it endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office. iii Foreword A solid education is crucial to many dimensions of life—good jobs, high wages, good health, and active civic engagement. Maybe for good reason, then, parents and the press alike now monitor student performance on standardized tests as if it were equivalent to the Dow-Jones industrial average. In recent years, California has set the most rigorous academic standards in the nation for its elementary and secondary school students. As students, teachers, and principals strive to meet these standards, schools and districts are coping with uncertain resource levels, students with widely divergent backgrounds and levels of preparation, and a shrinking supply of qualified teachers. In this context, the pressing public policy issues are no longer confined to funding equity. Rather, they have extended to adequacy—that is, the notion that school resource levels should enable students to meet performance objectives. For its part, the state legislature is seeking ways to link the school finance system to the State Board of Education's high performance expectations. In September 2002, it created a Quality Education Commission and asked it to identify and price school resources that would ensure that the " vast majority " of California's students meet the state's academic standards. Linking school resources to specific student outcomes will not be easy for the commission. To assist in the process, Heather Rose, Jon Sonstelie and Peter Richardson developed an innovative approach to calibrating the relationship between school resources and student outcomes. Working with 45 school principals, the authors sought to capture that relationship by combining a professional judgment approach with pseudo-experimentation of the sort economists and other social scientists have employed recently and successfully. Specifically, they gave the principals three budget constraints for two kinds of schools—one with disadvantaged children and the other with children who were better off. Using detailed spreadsheets, the principals iv listed the blends …
Design and evaluation of a detunable water‐based quadrature HEM11 mode dielectric resonator as a new type of volume coil for high field MRI

An annular dielectric resonator made from distilled water has been designed to operate in degenerate quadrature HEM11 modes at 298.1 MHz (7 Tesla). The circularly polarized B 1+ field has a high degree of homogeneity throughout a sample placed within the annulus. The sensitivity of the resonator was measured to be essentially identical to that of an eight‐rung high‐pass birdcage resonator with the same physical dimensions. High resolution in vivo images have been obtained from the human wrist. A new method of electronically detuning the resonator has also been evaluated. The design is extremely simple and rapid to build, with direct applicability to very high field imaging and also potential integration into human and animal hybrid position emission tomography (PET)/MRI and single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/MRI systems due to the lack of conductor attenuation‐induced artifacts in the reconstructed nuclear medicine images. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The lethal effects of transplantation of Socs1-/- bone marrow cells into irradiated adult syngeneic recipients

Injection of neonatal bone marrow cells from mice lacking the gene encoding suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) into irradiated syngeneic 129/Sv or C57BL/6 mice led to a decreased survival, more rapidly occurring in 129/Sv than in C57BL/6 mice. Moribund mice did not exhibit the acute or chronic diseases developed by Socs1-/- mice but developed a pathology characteristic of graft-versus-host disease with typical chronic inflammatory lesions in the liver, skin, lungs, and gut. The results indicate that cells derived from the Socs1-/- bone marrow are autoaggressive but did not identify the cell types involved. Failure of the engrafted Socs1-/- marrow cells to reproduce the tissue damage typical of Socs1-/- disease indicates that loss of SOCS1 from target tissues may also be required for the development of the Socs1-/- diseases, such as fatty degeneration of the liver, polymyositis, or corneal inflammation.
Psychiatric disorders in bone marrow transplant patients.

OBJECTIVE To identify the psychiatric illnesses in patients with hematological/oncological disorders encountered during blood and bone marrow transplantation. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Bismillah Taqee Institute of Health Sciences and Blood Diseases Centre, Karachi from December 2002 to December 2005. PATIENTS AND METHODS All consecutive patients, aged 15 years and above, who fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria and underwent blood and bone marrow transplantation, were enrolled in this study. Psychiatric assessment comprised of a semi-structured interview based on Present Status Examination (PSE). The psychiatric diagnosis was made on the basis of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) system of classification devised by W.H. O. RESULTS Eighty patients, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, were inducted in this study. Thirty (37.5%) cases were found to have psychiatric disorders. Out of the total, 60 (75%) were males and 20 (25%) females. Adjustment disorder was the most frequent diagnosis (n=12), followed by major depression (n=7). Rest of the diagnoses made were generalized anxiety disorder, acute psychotic disorder, delirium and depressive psychosis. CONCLUSION High psychiatric morbidity associated with blood and bone marrow transplantation was observed. It indicates the importance of psychiatric intervention during the isolation period of BMT as well as pre-transplant psychiatric assessment and counseling regarding procedure.