Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rocketing to the Top: Promotion Tournament Rewards and Innovation at NASA

Competitions for promotion among knowledge workers are ubiquitous in modern organizations, yet we know little about their implications for knowledge creation. This paper investigates the effect of promotion tournament rewards on innovation and teamwork at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) utilizing original, employee-level panel data and qualitative interviews. I find that larger promotion tournament rewards correlate with an increase in innovation – measured by publications and patents – despite a decrease in internal collaboration – measured by coauthoring with NASA employees. Additional results suggest that promotion tournament rewards also correlate with increases in external collaboration outside of NASA. These results indicate that extrinsic promotion rewards can be effective in promoting innovation despite the risk of crowding out intrinsic motivation, though the long-term nature of these rewards is likely important. Given recent trends in the flattening of firms and increasing use of promotion rewards, managers can benefit from taking into account the complex tradeoffs based on the nature of the firm’s knowledge and innovation strategy when designing promotion tournaments.
QTL analysis of rice yield components at two different environmental circumstances

The 190 recombinant inbred lines were created by the single-seed descent method using 93-11 and Nippinbare rice varieties as parents. A genetic linkage map was made employing 202 SSR, CAPs, and STS markers. Applying composite interval mapping, we carried out quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis at two different ecological sites (Sanya and Hefei) on 6 rice yield traits. The traits included panicle number per seed (PNP), total grains per plant (TGP), filled grain per plant (FGP), blighted grains per plant (BGP), seed rate per plant (SRP), as well as 1000-grains weigh per plant (TGW). A total of 33 QTLs were identified. The single trait QTLs ranged from 2 to 9, indicating the yield-related traits are controlled by multiple genes. 4 QTLs were detected in both sites, in which two of them (qBGP-3 and qTGP-10a) detected twice with the contribution rate of 35.85% and 27.33%, respectively. 11 QTLs were pleiotropic, controlling up to 4 yield traits. As example, RM5493-RM458 on chromosome 8 control BGP, TGP, SRP and TGW.
Efficiency in Islamic Banking: an Empirical Analysis of 18 Banks

Do Islamic banks perform efficiently? Although the phenomenon of Islamic banking and finance has developed significantly in recent years, only very few studies have tackled this central question. This paper provides new evidence on the performance of 18 Islamic Islamic banks over the period 1997-2000. Unlike previous studies, this paper is based on efficiency measurement in which the non-parametric approach, Data Envelopment Analysis, is utilised to analyse the technical and scale efficiencies of Islamic banking. In specifying input-output variables of Islamic banks, the intermediation approach is selected as it is in line with the principle of Islamic financial system. Overall, the results suggest that Islamic banks suffer slight inefficiencies during the global crisis 1998-9. Efficiency differences across the sample data appear to be mainly determined by country specific factors.
Knowledge Commons : The Relationship between Governance Frameworks and Intellectual Property Rights in the Development of Open Source Bioinformatics Software

Whilst the majority of bioinformatics software, or software for the statistical analysis of genomic sequence data, is openly licensed, there is increasing interest in the commercialisation of bioinformatics software, and by extension the potential for patent protection. However, the impact of this commercialisation on other important features of scientific software development, such as sustainability and reproducibility, remains heavily debated. This article describes a mixed methods approach for examining bioinformatics software development using the knowledge commons framework, a modified version of Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Design (IAD) framework. This framework involved both examining bioinformatics patents filed in the US, EU, Australia and New Zealand, as well as interviewing a broad range of molecular biologists and bioinformatics developers from these jurisdictions. Whilst there has been an incremental rise in the number of bioinformatics patents, interviewees broadly expressed a disinclination towards patenting due to the transaction costs associated with patent filing. Nevertheless, the results of this study reveal a tension between scientific software developers (and ecosystem stewards), and mainstream scientific researchers over both publication and commercialisation rights. The interviewees interviewed for this article reported the greatest success in open source development when intellectual property rights and organisational policies provided sufficient flexibility for open source licensing and collaboration, not only between different departments but also between different disciplines. In line with these observations, this article posits a set of preliminary observations on when open source licensing is appropriate for bioinformatics software development. 1 PhD (Doctor of Laws) candidate, Centre for Law and Genetics, University of Tasmania. The author is extremely grateful to his supervisors Professor Dianne Nicol, Dr Jane Nielsen and Associate Professor Michael Charleston (research supervisor) for their contributions to this paper. In addition, the author wishes to thank Dr Linda Kahl, Dr Janet Hope, Dr Andrezj Killian, Professor Drew Endy and Professor Tania Bubela for their contributions.
Phycoremediation Efficacy Of Synechocystis Salina On The Characteristics Of Coffee , Tea And Sugar Effluents From Bungoma , Nandi And Kakamega Counties ; Kenya

Phycoremediation is defined as the effective process of removal or biotransformation of environmental pollutants by use of algal species, Olguin (2003). The process is cheaper and a most effective remedial approach to remove excess nutrients in wastewater like phosphates and nitrates besides producing potentially valuable biomass (Sengar et al., 2011). Large-scale Abstract: Phycoremediation is an alternative way to remove nutrients and other contaminants from potentially polluted wastewater. The conventional treatment by physical and bacteriological processes results in a clear apparently clean effluent but heavily loaded with pollutants. The study set out to investigate the phycoremediation efficacy of Synechocystis salina in tea, coffee and sugar wastewater from Nandi, Bungoma and Kakamega counties.10ml of serial dilutes of pure S.salina in test tubes were mixed with 100ml of the wastewater in a beaker from the three types of waste water then incubated at 25 0 c and monitored for nutrient absorption of TDS, BOD, COD, pH and conductivity levels. The BOD and the COD were determined using the BOD/COD track machine and pH meter for estimation of pH, while the phosphate and nitrate contents were determined using the colorimetric method before and after specific algal inoculation. Results showed statistical significant differences (p<0.05) in the phycoremediation of TDS in coffee, tea and sugar effluents across the studied period except in coffee effluent where the S.salina had a non significant difference in phycoremediation. The phycoremediation effect showed an increase in pH levels of the effluents in day 5 before stabilized in day 15.The phycoremediation effect of all the other physicochemical parameters in all the three effluents showed a significant difference in the pollutants reduction (p<0.05) with the Synechocystis salina inoculation across the study period.The comparison of the phycoremediation efficacy of Synechocystis salina in the three effluents showed an insignificant difference in phycoremediation of p>0.05 in the physiochemical parameters except for TDS (p<0.05) and that sugar and coffee waste water had high levels of nitrates while tea waste water had high levels of phosphates. The phycoremediation efficacy of Synechocystis salina was much more significant in tea effluent (p<0.001) than in coffee and sugar effluents. The study has provided information that can be used as a basis for follow-up to medical facilities in the study area to find out on the potential health effects of nitrates and phosphates elevated levels stemming from contaminated effluent discharge. The information generated will also be useful in Community sensitization on public health impacts on the use and discharge of the waste water to the nearby ecosystems and also help the factories treat the effluents effectively before discharge.
NEW EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH ON REINFORCED NODE IN SPACE TRUSS

In the first stage of this research the proposal of the reinforced node used in space truss was presented. Computer simulations and experimental lab tests were performed with small changes on the staking flattened-end connections, such as reinforcement and eccentricity correction. The results showed 68% increase in the truss load carrying capacity when the proposed changes were applied. However, small prototypes measuring 4 m2 were used for laboratory testing. In this paper, for proposal validation, the same research was developed, this time in prototypes with 54 m2. The outcome results of this research, confirmed a significant increase in the truss load carrying capacity. It is expected that factories can apply the reinforced node in space truss constructions to come.
Memory Rating Scale in a Longitudinal School-Based Study Screening for Working Memory Deficits in the Classroom : The Psychometric Properties of the Working

Objective: The aim of this 18-month longitudinal study was to explore the psychometric properties of the recently developed Working Memory Rating Scale (WMRS) within a general school population of 524 sixto nine-year-old children (259 boys, 265 girls) and with an examination of sex and time differences. Method: Teachers completed the WMRS and children completed objective measures of WM and standardized measures of academic achievement. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses indicated a poor fit for the 20 original WMRS items. Post hoc analyses, however, revealed that the factor structure of an alternative five-item short form was strong for both boys and girls and at the two time points, spanning two consecutive academic years. Internal consistency, criterion-related validity, and convergent validity of this alternative fiveitem WMRS were also excellent. Conclusion: The short five-item WMRS may eventually provide teachers with a useful and time-effective method to screen for WM deficits at school. (J. of Att. Dis. 2014; 18(4) 294-304)
A Study on Examining the Relationship between Pre-Service Teachers ’ Collective Efficacy and Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs

It was aimed to investigate the relationship between collective efficacy and science teaching efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers. The study was composed of four junior pre-service science teachers working together to fulfill the tasks of a science methods course. They were interviewed at regular intervals during one semester. The results revealed that the sources of collective efficacy played an essential role in the development of personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy of the group members. The participants most emphasized the effect of the positive influence of mastery experience. It was concluded that science teacher educators could consider collective efficacy when designing their courses to improve pre-service teachers’ science teaching efficacy beliefs.
APPLICATIONS OF FERROELECTRIC POLYMERS AS MEMBRANES , PROTON CONDUCTIVE MATERIALS AND IN GEL POLYMER ELECTROLYTES

The article deals with the regularities in the formation of membranes based on fluorine-containing polymeric ferroelectrics with different morphologies. The latter can be controlled by changing the conditions of the polymer crystallization from a good solvent-precipitant mixture. By varying the temperature of the material precipitation, a particular polymorph modification of crystalline polymer can also be controlled. It has been found that this emerging membrane morphology (and, accordingly, its characteristics) also differs markedly. Due to the introduction of sulfonic acid groups in the chain, the hydrophobic behavior and water absorption of the membrane increase. According to the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) method, it was found that the dynamic structure of water in the sample is different from that of pure water. This is attributed to the rapid exchange of protons processes between water molecules and sulfonic acid group. It was noted that the materials under consideration are the promising ones, when used in fuel cells. In the issue with lithium power sources, the plasticized PVDF (Polyvinulidene Fluoride) and its copolymers are used as a matrix through which lithium ions migrate with high mobility. The latter, in case of the matrix transition gel state, increases several times. When using acidic electrolytes, the phenomenon of the increase in their dissociation constants due to the high permittivity of PVDF was found. The relationship of such parameters of the membrane as porosity and average pore size with the conductivity value has also been discussed. The introduction of the oxide nanoparticles into the plasticized polymer can significantly affect the electrochemical stability of the gel polymer electrolyte. Upon the modification of the gel-polymer electrolytes with inorganic clays, the hybridization at the organic-inorganic interface was registered. The possibility of using PVDF and its copolymers as the electrode material has been discussed; different ways to improve its mechanical stability in the charge-discharge cycles are sought. V.V. Kochervinskii*et al. /International Journal of Pharmacy & Technology IJPT| Dec-2016 | Vol. 8 | Issue No.4 | 27238-27265 Page 27239
CAMA Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis Dutch disease , real effective exchange rate misalignments and their effect on GDP growth in the EU CAMA Working Paper 28 / 2016 May 2016

In this article we study the impact of real effective exchange rate misalignments, based on determinants, including different types of foreign capital inflows, on GDP growth in the EU. This can provide a useful contribution to understanding the causal link between inflows, real effective exchange rate disequilibria and GDP growth during both the boom and the crisis period. For this analysis, we use a panel of 27 EU countries for the period 1994–2012, with annual frequency. We find that the core countries have been mostly undervalued from the crisis onwards, while the periphery (excluding Ireland) were overvalued starting from 2003–2004, as expected. Concerning the new Member States, these are persistently overvalued for the entire time span. The results seem to be generally driven by the inflows of banking loans more than by FDIs or portfolio investments. In the second stage, we study the influence of exchange rate misalignments and volatilities on growth. We argue that the real effective exchange rate misalignments associated with the inflows have been a further cause for decline in GDP, in a long-run perspective, while they do not play a role in the short run. The exchange rate volatilities and the undervaluation dummy are not robust in affecting GDP growth, while spillovers and global factors seem to matter in all the specifications both in the short and long run. | T H E A U S T R A L I A N N A T I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y
Three 280 THE EFFECT OF BRAND IMAGE AND SERVICE QUALITY ON PERCEIVED VALUE AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTION ( EMPIRICAL STUDY IN CULINARY BUSINESS UNIVERSITAS CIPUTRA )

This study aims to determine the relation of brand image, service quality, perceived value, and behavioral intention in the concentration of Culinary Business of Ciputra University, Surabaya. The object of this research is the Culinary Business 150 students of Ciputra University who have taken the lectures for at least one year and have filled out the questionnaire. This research uses quantitative approach with data collection technique of Structural Equation Model (SEM) based on variant that is statistical technique of Partial Least Square (PLS). The results of this study indicate that the variables of brand image and service quality give effect on perceived value variable; And perceived value variable influences behavioral intention variable. In contrast, brand image and service quality variables do not directly affect behavioral intention variable, but indirectly affect behavioral intention variable which is mediated by perceived value variable. The implications of this research are: (1) planning and curriculum development in Culinary Business of Ciputra University; (2) planning and marketing strategy in accordance with perceived value received by students; (3) the performance of employees in order to provide quality services; and (4) for educational institutions as well as companies engaged in services in taking strategic policy.
Health , taxation , and fresh starts

Forgiveness is a fairness ideal that defends that a fresh start should be conferred on those who regret their past choices. Despite the ethical debate that such an ideal has generated, too few models include either a full axiomatic justification of it, or additional source of unfairness. Moreover, the principle of forgiveness has been virtually neglected in relation to health, which is a very particular good that has attracted a lot of attention nowadays. In a model where individuals differ in both their health care needs and their lifestyle preferences, we first axiomatically present a social ordering function that allows us to bring the forgiveness ideal and the compensation problem together. The social preferences that we derive give top priority to that individual with the maximum level of what we call regret, which is the distance, in terms of consumption, between the individual’s final bundle and an ideal choice without any regret or disability whatsoever. Next, we characterise an incentive-compatible fresh start policy which satisfies that social preferences, and we describe some features of the optimal tax-redistribution scheme that it generates. The policy advocates balancing both health care treatments and reductions to non-medical consumption. Results are mainly driven by incentive-compatibility and the health care needs heterogeneity. The full egalitarian ideal can only be achieved in a very limited and specific form.
Effects of Natural Variability in Cross-Modal Temporal Correlations on Audiovisual Speech Recognition Benefit

In audiovisual (AV) speech, correlations over time between visible mouth movements and the amplitude envelope of auditory speech help to reduce uncertainty as to when peaks in the auditory signal will occur. Previous studies demonstrated greater AV benefit to speech detection in noise for sentences with higher cross-modal correlations than sentences with lower cross-modal correlations. This study examined whether the mechanisms that underlie AV detection benefits have downstream effects on speech recognition in noise. Participants were presented 72 sentences in noise, in auditory-only and AV conditions, at either their 50% auditory speech recognition threshold in noise (SRT-50) or at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) 6 dB poorer than their SRT-50. They were asked to repeat each sentence. Mean AV benefit across subjects was calculated for each sentence. Pearson correlations and mixed modeling were used to examined whether variability in AV benefit across sentences was related to natural variation in the degree of cross-modal correlation across sentences. In the more difficult listening condition, higher crossmodal correlations were associated with higher AV sentence recognition benefit. The relationship was strongest in the 0.82. 2 kHz and 0.8-6 kHz frequency regions. These results demonstrate that cross-modal correlations contribute to variability in AV speech recognition in noise.
Different types of wedges in deposits of Würm age from the Murten area ( Western Swiss Plain )

Three different types of wedges were observed in Würmian deposits in the area northwest of Fribourg. Of these three the type one wedges are interpreted as fossil permafrost soil wedges, indicating a maximum mean annual air temperature of — 6°C during their formation, possibly between 30.000 and 25.000 BP. The type two wedges appear after all not to be real wedges, but glaciteclonically distorted varve-like beds, sometimes having a wedge-like form. The type three wedges differ from the first two types in position and also in their filling. They consist of till instead of vertically oriented fine laminations. They are interpreted as till wedges as defined by Drlimanis 1969).
ARTICULATION OF ENGLISH “PROMINENCE” BY L1 (ENGLISH) AND L2 (FRENCH) SPEAKERS

This study examines jaw and tongue blade (TB) articulation of prominence in two English sentences (one with target words containing mid front vowels, the other with all low vowels) produced by L1 and L2 (French) speakers of English. The results show that even though the phonological target vowels are kept constant in the sentence, the amount of jaw lowering and the corresponding tongue position in the sentences vary for each word. This is true for both L1 and L2 speakers. However, the patterns of the L2 speakers can be different from those of the L1 speakers; for instance, the L1 speakers show consistent patterns of Low-High jaw position for each word in a phrase in these sentences, with a step-wise lowering at TB position and one word at the lowest jaw position in the utterance, whereas L2 speakers generally do not have a consistent word with the lowest jaw position.
How to measure hepatic insulin resistance ?

The liver plays a pivotal role in energy metabolism. Under the control of hormones, especially insulin, the liver stores or releases glucose as needed by the body’s systems. It is also responsible for an important part of non-esterifi ed fatty-acid and aminoacid metabolism. Assessing hepatic insulin resistance is almost always synonymous with measuring hepatic glucose production (HGP) and calculating indices of hepatic insulin resistance. The most frequently used method to this end is the isotope dilution technique using a tracer. Among tracers, stable isotope-labelled glucose molecules are particularly advantageous over radioactive isotope-labelled glucose and are, therefore, the tracers of choice. The tracer is infused either on its own after an overnight fast to evaluate fasting HGP, or with some among the usual insulinsensitivity tests to assess HGP suppression by insulin and/or glucose. In a fasting state, HGP is easily calculated whereas, during insulin or glucose infusion, some formula are needed to correct for the non-steady-state condition. The hepatic insulin-resistance index is the product of HGP and the corresponding plasma insulin concentration. Although subject to error, the isotope dilution method nevertheless remains an irreplaceable tool for assessing hepatic insulin resistance in clinical research. From a practical point of view, some easily obtainable indices and clinical or biochemical parameters can serve as surrogates or markers of hepatic insulin resistance in clinical practice. Finally, drugs such as metformin or glitazones can improve hepatic insulin resistance, hence their use in hepatic insulin-resistant states such as type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. © 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.