Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Under-representation of males in the early years

This article investigates why there appears to be an under-representation of males in comparison to their female colleagues in the Early Years (EY) sector, and the perception of male teachers progressing more quickly to leadership positions when they do enter this context. Using case studies of final year male students on an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) undergraduate degree course at one university, we attempt to analyse data on male under-representation in Early Years against contemporary theories of identity, power and leadership. Questionnaires and interviews were conducted with the male sample group and male senior leaders in primary schools to gain an overview as to the leadership support they needed and provided. Our tentative findings suggested that male trainees are happy to work in an Early Years context and take leadership positions, but the challenge for leaders is that male trainees require strong leadership mentoring processes to help overcome perceived contextual barriers.
Strategies for Cross-Organizational Service Composition

The automation of cross-organizational business processes bears great potential for companies to extend their market reach, save time, cut costs and respond to customer queries more agilely. However, technological support for the efficient organization of providing and consuming services across corporate boundaries is still not mature enough to allow for a large-scale adoption particularly among small-and medium-sized enterprises. In this article, we propose and evaluate different strategies with regard to architectures supporting the organization of service interconnections: In case of rather standardized and stable business relationships and interactions, a central service orchestration architecture, a hybrid orchestration approach with hub support and finally a fully decentralized peer-to-peer solution without any central control entity are proposed and compared in detail. In cases where business processes are highly complex, variable and dependent on situational factors, we propose a more implicit, declarative service orchestration methodology which builds upon Event-Driven Architectures (EDAs). For the different architectural strategies, we provide real-world exemplary implementations to prove their applicability and to investigate their strengths and weaknesses.
Evaluating the comparative managerial efficiency of leading third party logistics providers in North America

Purpose – This paper aims to measure the comparative managerial efficiency of 24 leading third‐party logistics providers (3PLs) in North America and identify best‐practice firms among these 3PLs.Design/methodology/approach – This paper proposes data envelopment analysis to measure the slack‐based efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and mixed efficiency of 24 leading 3PLs in North America, relative to their rivals in world‐wide 3PL markets. In particular, this paper develops both the Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes (CCR) model under constant returns to scale and the Banker, Charnes, and Cooper (BCC) model under varying returns to scale that are designed to derive weights without being fixed in advance.Findings – With respect to managerial efficiency, this study did not find any significant performance differences between asset based 3PLs and non‐asset based 3PLs. Defying the common sense, relatively small but niche‐oriented 3PLs with limited service offerings tended to perform better than their larger counte.
Insights into aerosol chemistry during the 2015 China Victory Day parade: results from simultaneous measurements at ground level and 260 m in Beijing

Abstract. Strict emission controls were implemented in Beijing and adjacent provinces to ensure good air quality during the 2015 China Victory Day parade. Here, we conducted synchronous measurements of submicron aerosols (PM1) at ground level and 260 m on a meteorological tower by using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer and an aerosol chemical speciation monitor, respectively, in Beijing from 22 August to 30 September. Our results showed that the average PM1 concentrations are 19.3 and 14.8 µg m−3 at ground level and 260 m, respectively, during the control period (20 August–3 September), which are 57 and 50 % lower than those after the control period (4–30 September). Organic aerosols (OAs) dominated PM1 during the control period at both ground level and 260 m (55 and 53 %, respectively), while their contribution showed substantial decreases (∼ 40 %) associated with an increase in secondary inorganic aerosols (SIAs) after the parade, indicating a larger impact of emission controls on SIA than OA. Positive matrix factorization of OA further illustrated that primary OA (POA) showed similar decreases as secondary OA (SOA) at both ground level (40 % vs. 42 %) and 260 m (35 % vs. 36 %). However, we also observed significant changes in SOA composition at ground level. While the more oxidized SOA showed a large decrease by 75 %, the less oxidized SOA was comparable during (5.6 µg m−3) and after the control periods (6.5 µg m−3). Our results demonstrated that the changes in meteorological conditions and PM loadings have affected SOA formation mechanisms, and the photochemical production of fresh SOA was more important during the control period. By isolating the influences of meteorological conditions and footprint regions in polluted episodes, we found that regional emission controls on average reduced PM levels by 44–45 %, and the reductions were close among SIA, SOA and POA at 260 m, whereas primary species showed relatively more reductions (55–67 %) than secondary aerosol species (33–44 %) at ground level.
The Relationship between Corporate Governance and Financial Performance

We explore the relationship between firm value and corporate governance (CG) and also the relationship between profitability performance and corporate governance (CG) of Turkish companies. We employ corporate governance scores of 31 companies published by Corporate Governance Asssociation of Turkey as well as stock market data and financial statement data of the companies investigated. Regarding corporate governance and firm valuation, CG is not found to have a statistically significant relationship with Tobin’s Q. Regarding Corporate governance and profitability, CG is not found to have a statistically significant relationship with ROE or ROA. The findings of the study do not support the hypothesis that better corporate governance is associated with higher firm values and better performance.
A Relaxed Small-Gain Theorem for Interconnected Discrete-Time Systems

This technical note presents a relaxation of the small-gain theorem for the stability analysis of interconnected discrete-time nonlinear systems. The distinctive feature of this relaxation is that separate systems may be unstable, while global asymptotic stability (GAS) of the overall interconnected systems equilibrium is obtained. In addition, a Lyapunov function for the overall interconnected system is explicitly derived. Necessity of the hypothesis of the small-gain theorem is established for a rather general class of GAS nonlinear systems. An illustrative example demonstrates the non-conservatism of the developed small-gain theorem.
Brain reactivity to emotional, neutral and cigarette‐related stimuli in smokers

Addiction has been described as the pathological usurpation of the neural mechanisms normally involved in emotional processing. Event‐related potentials (ERPs) can provide a non‐invasive index of neural responses associated with the processing of emotionally relevant stimuli and serve as a tool for examining temporal and spatial commonalities between the processing of intrinsically motivating stimuli and drug cues. Before beginning a smoking cessation program, 116 smokers participated in a laboratory session in which dense‐array ERPs (129 sensors) were recorded during the presentation of pictures with emotional (pleasant and unpleasant), neutral and cigarette‐related content. ERP differences among categories were analyzed with use of randomization tests on time regions of interest identified by temporal principal component analysis. Both emotional and cigarette‐related pictures prompted significantly more positivity than did neutral pictures over central, parietal, and frontal sites in the 452–508 ms time window. During the 212–316 ms time window, both pleasant and cigarette‐related pictures prompted less positivity than neutral images did. Cigarette‐related pictures enhanced the amplitude of the P1 component (136–144 ms) above the levels measured in the emotional and neutral conditions. These results support the hypothesis that for smokers, cigarette‐related cues are motivationally relevant stimuli that capture attentional resources early during visual processing and engage brain circuits normally involved in the processing of intrinsically emotional stimuli.
The Chornobyl accident , stress and well-being 145 Current stress Economic deprivation Lack basics Lack economic skills Marital dissatisfaction Social isolation Recent life events Background Age Education Working Body mass Smoking Early trauma Life depression Chornobyl stress

Background. This paper examines the association between exposure to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant explosion and the psychological and physical well-being of mothers with young children. The study also examines whether exposure to Chornobyl increased the vulnerability of mothers to subsequent economic and social stress, and thus represents a unique test of the stress–vulnerability model in a non-Western setting. Method. The sample consisted of mothers evacuated from the contamination zone surrounding the plant (evacuees) and mothers who had never lived in a radiation-contaminated area (controls). In addition to exposure status, the interview obtained data on perceived economic stress, social stress and stress moderators. The dependent variables were measured by the SCL-90 global severity index (GSI), perceived physical health and number of days unable to work due to illness. Results. Overall, evacuees reported fewer stressors and greater personal and social resources than control mothers. Nevertheless, evacuees scored higher on the GSI, reported lower perceived physical health and took more sick days relative to control mothers, even after controlling for demographic factors, stressors and stress moderators. Tests of interaction effects were not statistically significant. Conclusions. The findings confirmed that married women with young children evacuated to Kyiv following the Chornobyl nuclear power plant explosion reported significantly poorer psychological and perceived physical health than controls 11 years later. Although perceived social and economic adversities also affected these outcomes, there was no evidence that exposure to the Chornobyl accident increased the vulnerability of mothers to these stressors, giving support to the additive burden model of stress.
Executive function in children with Tourette Syndrome and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract Tourette Syndrome (TS) in children is associated with various neurobehavioral disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with TS and ADHD show some difficulties with neuropsychological tasks, but we do not know if children with TS alone have neuropsychological deficits. To assess specific cognitive differences among children with TS and/or ADHD, we administered a battery of neuropsychological tests, including 10 tasks related to executive function (EF), to 10 children with TS-only, 48 with ADHD-only, and 32 with TS+ADHD. Children in all groups could not efficiently produce output on a timed continuous performance task [Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) mean reaction time and reaction time variability]. Children with TS-only appeared to have fewer EF impairments and significantly higher perceptual organization scores than children with TS+ADHD or ADHD-only. These findings suggest that deficiencies in choice reaction time and consistency of timed responses are common to all three groups, but children with TS-only have relatively less EF impairment than children with TS+ADHD or ADHD-only. (JINS, 1995, 1, 511–516.)
Financial Distress Prediction and Operating Leases

This study investigates whether including operating lease commitments in financial distress prediction models would increase the classification accuracy of these models. Classification accuracy measures the percentages of correctly classified companies in either of the two categories (healthy or financially distressed). This study includes 38 listed companies in financial distress (of which 21 companies eventually went bankrupt) and 62 healthy companies in the period from 2000 to 2004. It is concluded that financially distressed companies use relatively more operating leases than healthy companies. However, the accuracy of the financial distress prediction models did not significantly improve by taking operating leases into account. These results may contribute to the discussion on which type of lease-accounting is preferred: the current method in which operating leases only appear in the notes to the financial statement, or the method of capitalizing financial and operating leases.
Structure-function relationships of apolipoprotein A-I: a flexible protein with dynamic lipid associations

Purpose of review Apolipoprotein A-I is the major structural protein of HDL. Its physicochemical properties maintain a delicate balance between maintenance of stable lipoproteins and the ability to associate with and dissociate from the lipid transported. Here we review the progress made in the last 2-3 years on the structure-function relationships of apolipoprotein A-I, including elements related to the ATP binding cassette transporter A1. Recent findings Current evidence now supports the so-called ‘belt’ or ‘hairpin’ models for apolipoprotein A-I conformation when bound to discoidal lipoproteins. In-vivo expression of apolipoprotein A-I mutant proteins has shown that both the N- and C-terminal domains are important for lipid association as well as for the esterification reaction, particularly binding of cholesteryl esters and formation of mature α-migrating lipoproteins. This property is apparently quite distinct from the activation of the enzyme lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase, which requires interaction with the central helix 6. The interaction of apolipoprotein A-I with the ATP binding cassette transporter A1 has been shown to require the C-terminal domain, which is proposed to mediate the opening of the helix bundle formed by lipid-free or lipid-poor apolipoprotein A-I and allow its association with hydrophobic binding sites. Summary Significant progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling the folding of apolipoprotein A-I and its interaction with lipids and various other protein factors involved in HDL metabolism.
Sifting Through the Wreckage: Lessons from Recent Hedge-Fund Liquidations

AbstractWe document the empirical properties of a sample of 1,765 funds in the TASS Hedge Fund database from 1977 to 2004 that are no longer active. The TASS sample shows that attrition rates differ significantly across investment styles, from a low of 5.2% per year on average for convertible arbitrage funds to a high of 14.4% per year on average for managed futures funds. We relate a number of factors to these attrition rates, including past performance, volatility, and investment style, and also document differences in illiquidity risk between active and liquidated funds. We conclude with a proposal for the US Securities and Exchange Commission to play a new role in promoting greater transparency and stability in the hedge-fund industry.
A holistic model for total quality service

Total quality service (TQS) is a socio‐technical approach for revolutionary and effective management. However, the contemporary quality management literature is overridingly manufacturing oriented and there seems to be a dearth of comprehensive studies (from the management’s perspective) addressing the critical dimensions of TQS that will depict a holistic TQM philosophy in service organizations. The present study is an earnest endeavour to fill this void. Based on a thorough review of the prescriptive, practitioner, conceptual and empirical literature, the study has identified 12 dimensions as crucial for the inculcation of a TQM ambience in a service set‐up. The criticality of each of these dimensions from a service perspective is corroborated in detail. An instrument for measuring TQS with specific reference to the banking sector has been developed. Data have been collected from executives from banks in a developing economy. The instrument has been empirically tested for unidimensionality, reliability and construct validity using a confirmatory factor analysis approach. A model for TQS has also been proposed, illustrating the relationships between the various dimensions. The present research work offers a systematic framework for the conceptual and empirical understanding of TQS and its critical factors.
A field‐based microcosm method to assess the effects of polluted urban stream sediments on aquatic macroinvertebrates

A method using field‐based microcosms was developed to determine the effects of contaminated sediments on aquatic macroinvertebrates. Fine sediments from nonpolluted, moderately polluted, and severely polluted bodies of water were placed in microcosms positioned within the littoral zone of a nonpolluted wetland near Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). In three experiments, 47 taxa, including 18 Chironomidae, 6 taxa from other Diptera families, and 7 Hemiptera taxa, colonized the microcosms, mostly via eggs deposited by flying adults. The effects of sediment type on the presence and abundance of common taxa were considered statistically. Pollution levels in sediments (indexed either by a principal components analysis or by the concentration of zinc, the predominant metal) resulted in reduced occurrence and abundance of eight taxa but had no effect on another five taxa. These findings were validated with an extensive field database for the distribution of macroinvertebrates and associated concentrations of zinc in sediments from streams and wetlands in the Melbourne region. The occurrence of eight taxa and the abundance of two taxa varied at similar zinc concentrations in sediments from both the microcosms and the field. Patterns for another two species did not match the microcosm results, but these groups contained multiple species with potentially diverse responses. The present results suggest that contaminant levels in sediments probably have a direct effect on the occurrence and abundance of macroinvertebrates in bodies of water in urban areas. The microcosm method can be used to gather information regarding the effects of sediment quality on macroinvertebrates in lentic habitats, particularly for indigenous species that cannot be easily reared or tested in laboratory conditions. Because almost all macroinvertebrates in microcosms develop from eggs, the most sensitive life stages (i.e., first and second instars) are exposed to polluted sediments.
Determinants of Corporate Investment in China: Evidence from Cross-Country Firm Level Data

This paper analyzes the evolution of investment in China, its main features, and its key determinants. In recent years, manufacturing, real estate, and infrastructure have been the main drivers of investment. Investment remains largely concentrated in coastal areas, but there has been a shift to greater investments inland in recent years. The empirical analysis of the determinants of investment indicates that financial variables, such as interest rates, the exchange rate, and the depth of the domestic capital market are important determinants of corporate investment. The results suggest in particular that financial sector reform, including that which deregulates and raises real interest rates as well as appreciates the real effective exchange rate, would lower investment and help rebalance growth away from exports and investment toward private consumption.
Digitization of selling activity and sales force performance: An empirical investigation

Firms are creating a digitized selling capability by developing Web sites designed to provide information and conduct transactions with customers, replacing many routine sales force activities. The authors use the motivationability framework to shape a conceptual model that examines the effects of the digitization of selling activity on two salesperson outcomes: salesperson effectiveness and salesperson job-insecurity. Using data from salespeople in 168 firms, they assess the moderating effects of environmental-level motivational factors and firm-level ability factors on the impact of digitization of selling activity on salesperson effectiveness and job insecurity. The results reveal that digitization has the paradoxical effect of improving salesperson effectiveness and heightening job insecurity concerns, and also that managers can improve the technology-enabled multichannel capabilities of the firm by giving priority attention to human capital improvement, sales force control systems, and communication of the digitization strategy.
Evaluation of Genomic Evidence for Oxidative Stress in Experimental Radiation Nephropathy.

BACKGROUND Chronic persistent oxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism for late radiation injury to normal tissue. Using biochemical, histological, and pharmacological techniques, we have not been able to confirm this hypothesis for late renal radiation injury. Gene expression may be more revealing, especially since the initial effects of radiation are to damage DNA. METHODS Gene array studies were done using kidney tissue from irradiated rats, with particular attention to genes pertinent to oxidative stress. The time points were from 1 to 49 days after irradiation. Cellular RNA and mitochondrial DNA were isolated, for gene expression analysis and common deletion testing, respectively. RESULTS For the gene expression studies, and from over 30,000 transcripts, only nine related to oxidative stress had 1.4 fold or greater changes in expression. Mitochondrial DNA showed no changes in the common deletion. CONCLUSION These studies do not support the hypothesis of chronic oxidative stress as a mechanism for radiation nephropathy.
Risk Factors Affecting Mortality in Children with Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem in the world and particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The recent World Health Organization (WHO) annual report estimated that 10.4 million new cases (incidents) of tuberculosis worldwide occurred, of which 61% of all cases were in Asia and 26% in Africa [1]. Pulmonary form accounted for more than 80% of the cases diagnosed. The DRC is among the 22 countries in the world most affected by TB; it occupies the eleventh place in the world and the third in Africa [1]. The DRC has reported 119,000 cases of all forms of TB in 2015. Tuberculosis accounts for 10% of all reported TB cases. According to the WHO report, the annual incidence of tuberculosis in children is estimated at 1 million, with 170,000 deaths in 2015 [1]. Tuberculosis in children remains poorly understood and a diagnostic challenge and therapeutic. This disease has a double impact on children: it is a major cause of mortality due to the rapid development of severe forms and is a source of precariousness in the health and social life of children following the death of their parents [2,3].