Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virginia's Instructional Technology Resource Teacher Program: Ten Years Later, What We Know, -Where Do We Need to Go?

VIRGINIA’S INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE TEACHER PROGRAM: TEN YEARS LATER, WHAT WE KNOW, WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO? By Cherise Ann Hodge, PhD A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017 Director: Dr. Whitney Newcomb, Professor, Educational Leadership In 2004, Virginia’s Department of Education (VDOE) identified the need for technology integration in instruction to meet the needs of the 21st century student. For this to happen effectively, Virginia legislators authorized and funded an instructional position, the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT), for each 1000 students in Virginia’s 132 school divisions (Virginia Standards of Quality [SOQ], 2004). The VDOE established guidelines for this position to direct school division implementation. Primary responsibilities for the position involve activities relating to teacher professional development. Virginia divisions chose varying models for deploying the ITRT to meet this requirement. In 2012, the legislature edited the directive for the position to give localities the option to use the position as an ITRT, as a data coordinator, or as both positions (Virginia Standards of Quality, 2012). This study uses survey data to determine how ITRTs are spending their time, ten years after the implementation of the program.
Coevolution and coexistence of cooperation and competition in interorganizational collaboration

Purpose This study aims to understand the coevolution and coexistence of cooperation and competition in the interorganizational collaboration of management consulting firms (MCFs) in India. Design/methodology/approach The narrative inquiry method was applied to understand the central phenomenon. The narrative inquiry method was found pertinent because the aim of the research was to inquire human-based phenomenon, especially life experiences, tensions, feeling, thought processes, emotions and personal puzzles. Narrations from 47 respondents from 32 MCFs from various consortiums were collected to make textual and phenomenal narrative inquiry. Finally, causal relationships were designed using the mapping method. Findings The study noticed coevolution and coexistence of cooperation and competition in the MCF consortiums. Cooperation was higher than the competition at the entry level, and the competition was higher than cooperation at the operational level of the consortium life cycle. Organizational side of coopetition was higher than human side of coopetition at the entry level, and human side of coopetition was higher than organizational side of coopetition at the operational level. A higher level of competition (than cooperation) pushes the consortium beyond the threshold level, creating a lesser value creation. Further higher level of competition (than cooperation) shoved the consortium beyond the injury limit, leading the consortium to collapse. Research limitations/implications This study paid major attention on the human side and organizational side of coopetition from the life cycle perspective, but the findings and discussions concentrated more on entry level and operational level. The study, in fact, did not capture the status of coopetition at the termination phase of the consortium. Originality/value This study is one of the few studies that examined cooperation and competition as a single construct in interorganizational collaboration in the management consulting industry. This study is unique in two ways, one, examination from the human side of coopetition and organizational side of coopetition, and two, life cycle analysis of the consortium from the perspective of coopetition.
LIFE-HISTORY EVOLUTION AND THE MICROEVOLUTION OF INTERMEDIARY METABOLISM: ACTIVITIES OF LIPID-METABOLIZING ENZYMES IN LIFE-HISTORY MORPHS OF A WING-DIMORPHIC CRICKET

Abstract Although a considerable amount of information is available on the ecology, genetics, and physiology of life-history traits, much more limited data are available on the biochemical and genetic correlates of life-history variation within species. Specific activities of five enzymes of lipid biosynthesis and two enzymes of amino acid catabolism were compared among lines selected for flight-capable (LW[f]) versus flightless (SW) morphs of the cricket Gryllus firmus. These morphs, which exist in natural populations, differ genetically in ovarian growth (100–400% higher in SW) and aspects of flight capability including the size of wings and flight muscles, and the concentration of triglyceride flight fuel (40% greater in LW[f]). Consistently higher activity of each enzyme in LW(f) versus SW-selected lines, and strong co-segregation between morph and enzyme activity, demonstrated genetically based covariance between wing morph and enzyme activity. Developmental profiles of enzyme activities strongly paralleled profiles of triglyceride accumulation during adulthood and previous measures of in vivo lipid biosynthesis. These data strongly imply that genetically based elevation in activities of lipogenic enzymes, and enzymes controlling the conversion of amino acids into lipids, is an important cause underlying the elevated accumulation of triglyceride in the LW(f) morph, a key biochemical component of the trade-off between elevated early fecundity and flight capability. Global changes in lipid and amino-acid metabolism appear to have resulted from microevolutionary alteration of regulators of metabolism. Finally, strong genotype × environment (diet) interactions were observed for most enzyme activities. Future progress in understanding the functional causes of life-history evolution requires a more detailed synthesis of the fields of life-history evolution and metabolic biochemistry. Wing polymorphism is a powerful experimental model in such integrative studies.
Factors associated with postpartum care among Massachusetts users of the Maternal and Infant Care Program.

Records of the 21 Maternal and Infant Care (MIC) offices run by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health located in community-based facilities in high-risk areas provided data for the period 1985-87. MIC services include a postpartum visit within 2-6 weeks after birth. 24% of the deliveries in the MIC program were to teenagers. Unmarried women, high school dropouts, and minority group members were greatly overrepresented in the MIC program. 78% (10,854) of the women who received MIC care returned for a postpartum visit. Maternal age, educational status, parity, ethnicity, primary language, adequacy of prenatal care, length of maternal hospitalization, transfer of the infant to a neonatal intensive care unit, length of pregnancy, birth outcome, type of delivery, and birth weight were factors studied. The largest effect appeared to be correlated with adequacy of prenatal care utilization (the Kessner Index is used). Only 63% of women with inadequate utilization returned, compared with 76% of those with intermediate care and 86%, adequate care. The higher the women's level of education, the more likely she was to have a postpartum visit. The more children she had, the less likely she was to return. 82% of those with 1st births returned and 70% of those with 4 or more children. Women who did not speak English were more likely to return, (82%) than those who did (78%). NonEnglish speaking Asian women had the highest return rate (92%). Women under age 26 were likely to return than older ones. Factors associated with postpartum care were analyzed by year of delivery, so time trends could be seen. In 1985 and 1986, 78.9% returned for postpartum care; in 1987, the figure decreased to 76.4%. The % with adequate prenatal care who returned for postpartum care declined each year, from 87.4% in 1985 to 85.9% in 1986, and 83.8% in 1987. This was statistically significant. The % of Blacks who received postpartum care also declined, significantly. There was no change in the proportion getting adequate postpartum care among nonBlack groups. Factors associated with the lack of postpartum care in the multivariate analysis included Hispanic ethnicity, or later birth, and having a repeat cesarean section. The findings were shown to be stable across the years. In 1986 and 1987, women on the Healthy Start (a state-funded reimbursement program that pays for obstetric care of women with incomes between 100 and 185% of the poverty level) were less likely to miss their postpartum visit than those with commercial insurance.
Dengue virus replication in human hepatoma cells activates NF-kappaB which in turn induces apoptotic cell death

The severe outcome of the dengue (DEN) virus infection known as DEN hemorrhagic fever-DEN shock syndrome (DHF-DSS) is, in some cases, accompanied by liver injury. Councilman bodies observed in liver biopsies of DHF-DSS cases may correspond to hepatocytes in apoptosis. We show here that infection of the hepatoma cell line HepG2 with DEN type 1 virus induced cell death typical of apoptosis late in the virus cycle. The transcription factor NF-kappaB was activated concomitantly with viral protein synthesis and thus before the appearance of apoptotic cells. Inhibition of apoptosis was observed when DEN virus-infected cells were treated with NF-kappaB decoys, indicating the involvement of this transcription factor in induction of cell death. Thus, infected hepatocytes appear to be subject to apoptosis in vitro, and this may be a key element in the pathophysiology of hepatic failure associated with DHF-DSS.
The cross-section and time-series effects of individual stock sentiment on stock prices

ABSTRACT In this article, we construct an individual stock sentiment index by using the principal component analysis method. We empirically study the cross-section and time-series effects of investor sentiment on the stock prices based on the panel data model with dummy variable. The results indicate that individual stock sentiment has greater impact on small-firm stock prices than big-firm stock prices, which presents obvious cross-section effect. Moreover, individual stock sentiment leads to much sharper ﬂuctuations of stock prices in the stock market downturn than in the stock market expansion, which shows obvious time-series effect. Specifically, the individual stock sentiment has the greatest impact on small-firm stock prices under the stock market downturn, exerting significant dual asymmetric effect. Our results are helpful to understanding the micro-mechanism of sentiment effect.
Environmental Kuznets curve and energy consumption in Malaysia: A cointegration approach

ABSTRACT This study examines the long- and short-run relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, economic growth, energy consumption, foreign trade, and urbanization based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in Malaysia for the period 1980–2008. This study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) methodology for empirical analysis. The results obtained suggest the existence of three forms of long-run relationships among variables when CO2 emissions, foreign trade, and urbanization are the dependent variables. The long-run results support the EKC hypothesis, which assumes an inverted U-shaped relationship between income and environmental degradation. Moreover, both energy consumption and urbanization are found to have positive effects on CO2 emissions in the long run, while trade has a negative effect on CO2 emissions in both short and long runs. The stability of the variables in the estimated model is also examined. Results suggest that the estimated model is stable over the study period.
Effect of beta-adrenoceptor blockade on H+ and K+ flux in exercising humans.

The effect of beta-adrenoceptor blockade (beta B) on muscle release and uptake of H+ and K+ in humans during maximal exercise has been investigated. Eight volunteers cycled intermittently at power outputs corresponding to 100% of maximal O2 uptake. Prior to exercise either propranolol (beta B) or saline (control) was infused into the femoral vein. Arterial and femoral venous blood samples were drawn at rest, during exercise, and during 30-min recovery. Peak arterial blood values for K+, lactic acid (LA), and base deficit (BD) (mean +/- SE) were respectively 5.5 +/- 0.1, 9.5 +/- 0.6, and 11.7 +/- 0.9 mmol/l during beta B and 5.1 +/- 0.1, 8.3 +/- 0.6, and 10.3 +/- 1.0 for control (P less than 0.05). The release of K+ from the working leg did not differ between treatments during exercise, but K+ uptake during late recovery (5-30 min) was slightly lower during beta B. Thus the higher arterial K+ levels during exercise (beta B) cannot be attributed to greater release by active muscle but are likely due to decreased K+ uptake by noncontracting muscle. Arterial-femoral venous differences for LA and BD did not differ significantly between treatments. Additionally LA exchange across the leg was similar to H+ exchange (arterial-femoral venous differences for BD) under all conditions. During early recovery (1-5 min), regardless of experimental treatment, BD levels iin arterial blood were higher than LA (P less than 0.05). These elevated BD levels may be due to unequal removal rates between LA and H+ equivalents by nonexercised tissue. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Molecular Identification of the Urea Uptake System and Transcriptional Analysis of Urea Transporter- and Urease-Encoding Genes in Corynebacterium glutamicum

ABSTRACT The molecular identification of the Corynebacterium glutamicum urea uptake system is described. This ABC-type transporter is encoded by the urtABCDE operon, which is transcribed in response to nitrogen limitation. Expression of the urt genes is regulated by the global nitrogen regulator AmtR, and an amtR deletion strain showed constitutive expression of the urtABCDE genes. The AmtR repressor protein also controls transcription of the urease-encoding ureABCEFGD genes in C. glutamicum. The ure gene cluster forms an operon which is mainly transcribed in response to nitrogen starvation. To confirm the increased synthesis of urease subunits under nitrogen limitation, proteome analyses of cytoplasmic protein extracts from cells grown under nitrogen surplus and nitrogen limitation were carried out, and five of the seven urease subunits were identified.
How Does Serious M‐Game Technology Encourage Low‐Income Households To Perform Socially Responsible Behaviors?

Despite the increasing use of technology, there is little research in the marketing literature that examines how games can encourage households to achieve socially responsible behaviours such as energy efficiency. Social marketing is a sub-discipline of marketing that applies technology such as serious games in the pursuit of socially responsible behaviours. This study investigates how a serious mobile game (m-game) (Reduce Your Juice) can encourage households to perform energy efficient behaviours by conducting group interviews with six households (n=17) in Brisbane, Australia. The findings reveal that households gained knowledge and were motivated and persuaded to engage in energy efficient behaviours as the result of the customer experience of playing the serious m-game. This study provides practitioners with implications for game design and evidence that serious m-games can encourage group level behaviours such as household energy efficiency.
Tax Administration Reforms in Kenya Identifying Lessons to Model a Strategy for Sustainable Administration of County Taxes

The several tax administration reforms undertaken in Kenya do not exhibit a discernible methodology. There is no clear, deliberate and integrated reform mechanism to avoid haphazard implementation of reforms. With this background, implementation of county tax administration is bound to be haphazard, and without measurable expectations. The problems at the national tax administration will inevitably be devolved to the counties. A number of the past tax administration reform efforts have mainly been donor-led (IMF, World Bank, DFID, etc.), largely intended to tackle neopatrimonialism in governance in Kenya, as in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. The devolved system of government is a creation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. As such, the legal regime for county tax administration is lacking. There is no literature specific to the Kenyan situation. There is no history to learn from. Towards solving the problem, this study conducted research on national level tax administration reform together with insights from other jurisdictions. It also considered the tax administration structures under the previous system of local government. Taxation is largely local and therefore national experiences are better sources of solutions for county taxation than experiences from other jurisdictions. The reforms at the national level have shown that neopatrimonialism is unlikely to be a key issue in tax administration reform. County tax administration largely deals with property tax and entertainment tax. There is need to take cognisance of the overridding principle contained in Article 209(5) of the Constitution. In the course of formulating a strategy for property tax administration, the sustainability should be tested against the effective rate of property tax (ERPT). This study has suggested the need to undertake several law reform measures to guide county tax administration reforms. This entails the amendment of the Constitution, the repeal and amendment of several Acts of Parliament, the enactment of a new Act of Parliament, the enactment of several county legislation and the formulation of a specific policy paper. All this should be geared towards administering the subnational taxes in a sustainable manner taking cognisance of the tax culture, with minimal cultural lags and shocks to achieve the intentions of the framers of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Key words: tax administration, tax administration reform, county tax administration, county tax administration strategy
The Mediating Effect of Absorptive Capacity and Relational Capital in Alliance Learning of SMEs

No business can create all the resources needed to prosper and grow. Collaboration among businesses that possess complementary resources is often necessary for survival and growth. Despite their importance and implications for alliance learning, no empirical study has to date attempted to investigate how the determinants of learning interact with each other, and are linked to the outcomes of alliance learning. This study contributes to the role of learning intent, absorptive capacity, and relational capital in enhancing learning activities and outcomes by empirically examining the relationships among these learning determinants and how they affect innovative SMEs’ technological and nontechnological learning in alliance relationships.
RIBOSOMAL DNA AND THE PHYLOGENY OF FROGS

Phylogenetic analysis of 1656 aligned sites in the 28S ribosomal RNA gene of frogs supports some of the recently recognized higher groups of anurans but provides counter-support for others. The 28S rDNA data support the monophyly of the recently recognized Pipanura (me- sobatrachians plus neobatrachians), which in turn indicates paraphyly of archaeobatrachians. Me- sobatrachians (pelobatoids plus pipoids), which are either considered paraphyletic or weakly sup- ported as monophyletic in morphological analyses, also receive support as a monophyletic group from the 28S rDNA data. Hyloidea (= Bufonoidea), which is widely recognized but lacks mor- phological support, receives some molecular support as being monophyletic. However, Ranoidea, which is supported by morphology, is counter-supported by ribosomal DNA. In particular, den- drobatids do not group with ranids (but sometimes group with hyloids). A combined analysis of the molecular data with the morphological data of Duellman and Trueb (1986:Biology of Am- phibians) supports Pipanura, Mesobatrachia, Neobatrachia, and Hyloidea, but shows the ranoids as paraphyletic (with Dendrobatidae related to Hyloidea). The agreement between molecular and morphological data in several regions of the anuran tree indicates an approaching stabilization of traditionally labile higher frog classification.
A Gaussian Process Surrogate Model Assisted Evolutionary Algorithm for Medium Scale Expensive Optimization Problems

Surrogate model assisted evolutionary algorithms (SAEAs) have recently attracted much attention due to the growing need for computationally expensive optimization in many real-world applications. Most current SAEAs, however, focus on small-scale problems. SAEAs for medium-scale problems (i.e., 20-50 decision variables) have not yet been well studied. In this paper, a Gaussian process surrogate model assisted evolutionary algorithm for medium-scale computationally expensive optimization problems (GPEME) is proposed and investigated. Its major components are a surrogate model-aware search mechanism for expensive optimization problems when a high-quality surrogate model is difficult to build and dimension reduction techniques for tackling the “curse of dimensionality. ” A new framework is developed and used in GPEME, which carefully coordinates the surrogate modeling and the evolutionary search, so that the search can focus on a small promising area and is supported by the constructed surrogate model. Sammon mapping is introduced to transform the decision variables from tens of dimensions to a few dimensions, in order to take advantage of Gaussian process surrogate modeling in a low-dimensional space. Empirical studies on benchmark problems with 20, 30, and 50 variables and a real-world power amplifier design automation problem with 17 variables show the high efficiency and effectiveness of GPEME. Compared to three state-of-the-art SAEAs, better or similar solutions can be obtained with 12% to 50% exact function evaluations.
Evaluation of the Rapid Strep system for the identification of clinical isolates of Streptococcus species

A total of 247 strains of streptococci isolated from humans were tested for identification in the Rapid Strep system. The identification rates and identification levels were different for each Streptococcus species. Our data indicate that the Rapid Strep system will identify nearly all the beta-hemolytic Streptococcus species if serological procedures are used in conjunction with the rapid physiological procedures. Of the group D streptococci, 98% of the enterococci and 95% of the non-enterococci were correctly identified. Of the commonly occurring viridans species, 85% were correctly identified, but only 10% of the less frequently occurring viridans species were identified. A total of 90% of the Streptococcus pneumoniae and 60% of the Aerococcus strains were correctly identified.