Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the use of wikis for EFL: a case study of an undergraduate English writing course in China

This study aims at examining the effectiveness of applying wikis in tertiary-level English as a foreign language EFL classes. The use of wikis in English for specific purposes ESP course - Business English Writing - by undergraduate students in a university in China was investigated through data analysis of test results as well as interviews. Performance results on Business English Certificates BEC preliminary pre-test and BEC vantage post-test revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in writing in the post-test. Interviews showed that students held a rather positive view towards the use of wikis in the ESP writing class and they favoured the tool mainly for its effect of enhancing their learning motivation and its function for collaborative learning. Still, a few students were not accustomed to this type of e-learning for varied reasons. Implications of the results are that wikis can benefit EFL learners by improving their writing skills in a collaborative environment.
Online community environment promoting engagement in higher education

Online community environment promoting engagement in higher education This paper illustrates how university students describe the benefits and challenges of online community environment (OCE) in promoting engagement in university studies. The sociocultural framework allows gaining understanding of the engagement in learning processes as well as the collaborative dimensions of OCE in developing higher education in the 21th century. The study was conducted by using the method of empathy-based stories. The data were collected from two student groups representing samples of presumed forerunners of online and offline environments. The results revealed the importance of multidimensionality of engagement, with interaction among and between students and staff. OCE was seen beneficial in strengthening the sense of belonging to the university, in networking and in enhancing active citizenship. The students saw the academic and social world overlapping. OCE was not seen as an alternative but supplementary to offline community, being beneficial for learning and extracurricular activities. The results represent four overlapping spheres that reflect the potentials of OCE in enhancing engagement in studies: supportive reciprocity, collegial contribution, growth of expertise and shared direction. In order to enhance engagement in university studies via OCE, the results suggest that the focus should be on the sociocultural practices and pedagogical processes.
The acute effect of topical beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agents on retinal and optic nerve head circulation.

PURPOSE Topical beta-blockers are the most common treatment for ocular hypertension in glaucoma, but their ocular hemodynamic effects are not well known. We investigated the acute effects of betaxolol (beta-1 selective antagonist), levobunolol (non-selective antagonist with active polar metabolite), and timolol (non-selective antagonist) on retinal and superficial optic nerve head circulation. METHODS Intraocular pressure (IOP), heart rate, blood pressure, and retinal circulation were evaluated in 12 healthy subjects (6F/6M; mean age=24+/-2 years) before and two hours after instillation of each drug on separate occasions at least two weeks apart. Macular capillary blood velocity (MCBV), epipapillary blood velocities (EBV), arteriovenous passage (AVP) times, and arterial and venous diameters were measured by digital image analysis of scanning laser fluorescein angiograms. RESULTS All drugs significantly (p<0.05) reduced IOP. There was no significant effect on blood pressure or calculated ocular perfusion pressure. Only levobunolol significantly lowered heart rate (p<0.05). Each drug produced a significant (p<0.01) decrease in AVP time of approximately 25%. MCBV was significantly (p<0.01) increased by approximately 20% in all three conditions; each drug also produced significant (p<0.01) increases in EBV. Arterial and venous diameters remained unaffected. CONCLUSION All three drugs, despite different beta-adrenergic properties, increased blood velocities in retinal and epipapillary capillaries. These changes, occurring as they do in concert with decreased retinal arteriovenous passage time at constant retinal arterial and venous diameter, may indicate improved retinal perfusion after drug treatment. Improved circulation, if it indeed occurs, in tandem with reduced IOP, might explain in part the beneficial effect of beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agents in glaucomatous patients.
Environmental Reporting Practices of Malaysian Government Linked Companies (GLCs)

The main objective of the study is to examine the extent Malaysian government-linked companies (GLCs) report on the environment. The government has strongly emphasised social and environmental responsibility amongst GLCs through the introduction of the ‘Silver Book’ and other “green” initiatives. Given this and the fact that GLCs are affiliated to the government and clearly “visible”, the primary concern is their “accountability” to the people. More importantly, the extent these GLCs promote sustainable development and accord with the government’s vision is indeed a topic worthy of study. The results show that albeit the “visibility” and “accountability” aspects attached to GLCs, the level of environmental disclosure was rather low. Additionally, almost 30 percent of the companies did not report on the environment. In the matched-pair analysis (matching with the non-GLCs), the study found that there is no statistical difference in the level of environmental disclosure of GLCs and non-GLCs in environmentally sensitive industries. Further, the study found no significant difference in the level of environmental disclosure between GLCs in environmentally sensitive industries and less sensitive industries. The nature of the disclosure was also consistent between both categories of industries where most of the environmental information disclosed was in the declarative form.
THE VALUE OF A WATER VIEW: VARIABILITY OVER 25 YEARS IN A COASTAL HOUSING MARKET

Given a relatively inelastic supply of locations with coastal water views, the price of a water view is likely to rise during housing market upturns and fall during downturns. Using 25 years of data and more than 20,000 home sales for Bellingham, Washington, this study uses the hedonic methodology to estimate water view premiums over different phases of the housing cycle. Views are differentiated both by scope and by distance from the water. Results show real dollar premiums associated with water views move with the housing cycle, rising when housing demand and overall market prices increase and falling when the overall price of housing declines. In addition, the relative value of a view fluctuates as well.
Prognostic value of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria clone presence in aplastic anaemia patients treated with combined immunosuppression: results of two‐centre prospective study

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) clones are frequently detected in patients with aplastic anaemia (AA). To evaluate the prognostic role of PNH clone presence we conducted a prospective study in 125 AA patients treated with combined immunosuppressive therapy (IST). Seventy‐four patients (59%) had a PNH clone (PNH+ patients) at diagnosis, with a median clone size of 0·60% in granulocytes and 0·15% in red blood cells. The response rate at 6 months was higher in PNH+ patients than that in PNH‐ patients, both after first‐ and second‐line IST: 68% vs. 45%, P = 0·0164 and 53% vs. 13%, P = 0·0502 respectively. Moreover, 42% of PNH+ patients achieved complete remission compared with only 16% of PNH‐ patients (P = 0·0029). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, PNH clone presence (odds ratio 2·56, P = 0·0180) and baseline absolute reticulocyte count (ARC) ≥30 × 109/l (odds ratio 5·19, P = 0·0011) were independent predictors of response to treatment. Stratification according to PNH positivity and ARC ≥30 × 109/l showed significant distinctions for cumulative incidence of response, overall and failure‐free survival. The results of this prospective study confirmed the favourable prognostic value of PNH clone presence in the setting of IST for AA.
Psychological sequelae of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City.

BACKGROUND The scope of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, was unprecedented in the United States. We assessed the prevalence and correlates of acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among residents of Manhattan five to eight weeks after the attacks. METHODS We used random-digit dialing to contact a representative sample of adults living south of 110th Street in Manhattan. Participants were asked about demographic characteristics, exposure to the events of September 11, and psychological symptoms after the attacks. RESULTS Among 1008 adults interviewed, 7.5 percent reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of current PTSD related to the attacks, and 9.7 percent reported symptoms consistent with current depression (with "current" defined as occurring within the previous 30 days). Among respondents who lived south of Canal Street (i.e., near the World Trade Center), the prevalence of PTSD was 20.0 percent. Predictors of PTSD in a multivariate model were Hispanic ethnicity, two or more prior stressors, a panic attack during or shortly after the events, residence south of Canal Street, and loss of possessions due to the events. Predictors of depression were Hispanic ethnicity, two or more prior stressors, a panic attack, a low level of social support, the death of a friend or relative during the attacks, and loss of a job due to the attacks. CONCLUSIONS There was a substantial burden of acute PTSD and depression in Manhattan after the September 11 attacks. Experiences involving exposure to the attacks were predictors of current PTSD, and losses as a result of the events were predictors of current depression. In the aftermath of terrorist attacks, there may be substantial psychological morbidity in the population.
Acute myocardial infarction in Newark, N.J. A study of racial incidence.

The incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among urban blacks appears to be considerably less than that among whites. To evaluate this, all AMIs among Newark, NJ, residents in 1973 were evaluated, using the 1970 census for calculating age, race, and sex-specific rates. Death certificates of patients dead on arrival (DOA) from coronary heart disease (total 517) were also evaluated. Two hundred seventy-three AMIs were documented. Although crude rates per 100,000 population were higher for whites than for blacks, age-specific rates by decades from 20 to 80 revealed no differences. Coronary DOA rates were consistently higher among blacks than among whites, reaching approximately a 2:1 ratio in the older decades. The apparent rarity of AMI among Newark blacks is attributable to their relative youth compared to whites (77% under 40 vs 56%) and a higher out-of-hospital coronary death rate.
Role of Capacity Development, Employee empowerment and Promotion on Employee Retention in the banking sector of Pakistan

The research examines the role and impact of Capacity development, Employee Empowerment and Promotion in Employee retention. It is the quantitative study exploring various aspects of the focal area under taken. Self structured questionnaire tool has been used with a Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability score . 872, sample size is n = 74 and Correlation and Regression analysis is applied to check the relationship and strength of the variables via well designed research software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The sector selected is the Banking sector because it is the backbone of any country’s economy and growth.
Division of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry , Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Plasticity in Body Composition in Breeding Birds : What Drives the Metabolic Costs of Egg Production ?

Body composition in vertebrates is known to show phenotypic plasticity, and changes in organ masses are usually rapid and reversible. One of the most rapid and reversible changes is the transformation of the female avian reproductive organs before breeding. This provides an excellent system to investigate the effects of plasticity in organ size on basal metabolic rate (BMR) through relationships between organ masses and BMR. We compared body composition of female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) during various reproductive stages over 3 yr and investigated the pattern of changes in reproductive and nonreproductive organ mass during follicular development and ovulation. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between organ mass and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in nonbreeding, laying, and chick-rearing females. Our analysis revealed marked variation in organ masses between breeding stages but no consistent pattern among years except for kidney and pectoralis muscle. Furthermore, changes in nonreproductive organs did not parallel the cycle of growth and regression of the reproductive organs. The oviduct gained 62% of its 22-fold increase in mass in only 3 d, and oviduct regression was just as rapid and began even before the final egg of the clutch was laid, with 42% of the oviduct mass lost before laying of the final egg. In laying females, 18% of variation in mass-corrected RMR was explained by the mass of the oviduct ( 2 r p 0.18, n p 80, P ! ), while pectoralis muscle mass in nonbreeding individ0.0005 uals and liver and gizzard mass in chick-rearing females were the only organs significantly related to RMR ( ). 2 r p 0.31–0.44 We suggest that the nonreproductive organs are affected more by changes in local ecological conditions than the reproductive state itself and that the activity and maintenance cost of the * Corresponding author; e-mail: fvezina@sfu.ca. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 76(5):716–730. 2003. 2003 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 1522-2152/2003/7605-2163$15.00 oviduct is high enough that selection has led to a very tight size-function relationship for this organ.
EFFECTS OF INDOLE-3-CARBINOL ON IMMUNE RESPONSES, ABERRANT CRYPT FOCI, AND COLONIC CRYPT CELL PROLIFERATION IN RATS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated orally with indole-3-carbinol (I3C) for 7 wk at levels of 150, 100, and 50 mg/kg body weight. The rats were injected with 10 mg/kg body weight of the colon carcinogen, azoxymethane (AOM) on d 2 and 9 of I3C treatment. At termination of the study, all rats were assessed for immune function (humoral immunity, specific cell-mediated immunity, and nonspecific cell-mediated immunity). Colonic tissue was collected and examined for the presence of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and proliferation of crypt cells. Antibody responses to antigen challenge were significantly suppressed in the animals exposed to the high dose of I3C. Delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, natural killer cell activity, the number and multiplicity of ACF, and cell proliferation parameters were not significantly different from those of the controls. Therefore, there was no clear protective or enhancing effect of I3C on ACF numbers or colonic cell proliferation indices. There was no strong correlation between changes in immune responses and the preneoplastic biomarkers of colon cancer.
Micro-Level Accomplishments and Challenges for the Less Developed World

Having taken on the job of writing this paper I found access to sources on Asia and Latin America well nigh impossible. I apologise for the African bias in the paper. It brings a strong emphasis on manpower constraints as an influence on the appropriateness of methodologies and neglect, perhaps, of social structure as an important determinant of economic activity. I trust delegates with relevant experience will help offset this bias as they see fit in the discussion.1 I hope we have a consensus that at the micro-level the profession should be seeking the improvement of agricultural productivity, increased employment opportunities and a wide distribution of benefits across the millions of small farmers making up the major part of the populations of LDCs. The sequence of micro-level research in farm economics is the same in developed and less developed agriculture. Investigation is followed by analysis and the sequence completed by planning and advice. However the way this sequence is institutionalised, the balance between these three phases and the methods useful in each phase varies with the circumstances of the agricultural economy and with the characteristics of the farmers under research. These circumstances and characteristics differ from developed to less developed agriculture, where a cost effective micro level sequence must deal with types of farms rather than the individual. The paper is divided into three parts; first the context of micro-level research is briefly described, secondly some history of our efforts in this context is recalled and discussed, and thirdly some of the challenges ahead are identified.
Clinical usefulness of free PSA fraction as an indicator of prostate cancer

The usefulness of the fPSA fraction in the differential diagnosis of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer was evaluated, with the aim of improving the diagnostic efficacy of PSA. Serum PSA and fPSA determinations were performed by an enzymoimmunoassay technique on an ES‐300 system. fPSA constitutes a minor fraction both in normal subjects and in patients with prostate disease, being significantly lower in patients with untreated prostate cancer than in patients with BPH. Likewise, the authors have observed that the sensitivity of the fPSA/PSA ratio has an inversely proportional relationship with the stage of the disease. The results obtained in patients with PSA levels between 4 and 20 μg/l are also of note. In this series of patients, the efficacy of the fPSA/PSA ratio was higher than that of PSA, showing a sensitivity of 44% and a specificity of 95% at the cut‐off of 0.08. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Followers' entry timing: evidence from the Spanish banking sector after deregulation

Much of the literature dedicated to the analysis of entry timing decisions has been devoted to the study of their consequences in terms of performance. However, only a limited amount of effort has been dedicated to analyzing the factors that determine these decisions. In addition, previous papers have centered their efforts on the product dimension, paying no attention to entry into new geographical markets. This paper departs from previous works in this respect and extends the entry timing literature through a consideration of the geographical side of entry. Our analysis shows that organizational size, organizational competence, and organizational experience appear as key factors when explaining the pattern of geographic diversification. Our results also indicate that diversification takes place sequentially, first proceeding to closer locations, then occupying markets further from the origin. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relations between organizational culture, identity and image

Addresses the relationship between organizational culture, identity and image. Argues that contemporary organizations need to define their corporate identity as a bridge between the external position of the organization in its marketplace and other relevant environments, and internal meanings formed within the organizational culture. Offers an analytical framework using the concepts of organizational culture, identity and image and suggests implications, including the need for symbolic management in and of the organization and the need to combine knowledge from the disciplines of marketing and organization studies.
Information Revelation in Financial Markets : Impulse Response Functions for Cointegrated Spreads and Depths

We investigate the path through which an information or liquidity shock reveals itself in subsequent adjustments of the bid-ask spreads and corresponding depths. Our simple threeequation error correction model incorporates both the short term and long term effects of the spread and depths on the dynamics of adjustment. In particular, we study both the stochastic properties of spreads and depths as well as their permanent impounding of stochastic common trends. Using two years of tick-by-tick quote data on all the DJIA stocks, we show that indeed depths rather than spreads are first to impound new information. Specifically, (bid and ask) depths adjust first in virtually every stock in both years, while spreads almost never adjust first in 1998, and do so in only 8 out of 30 cases in 1995. Analysis of the orthoganalized impulse response functions shows that spreads widen initially in response to positive depth shocks but that subsequent tightening occurs within 2 minutes and is a permanent effect. Depths decline in response to positive shocks to the spread but this effect is not permanent. In addition, bid depths and ask depths respond to one another in asymmetrical ways. Our results have important implications for testing competing theories of asymmetric information trading, for security market design, and for public policy. JEL Classification: G12
Intrastriatal implantation of fibroblasts genetically engineered to produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor prevents degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Although various treatments are successfully used to alleviate the symptoms of PD, none of them prevents or halts the neurodegenerative process of the disease. Brain- derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family of proteins, supports the survival and the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons. BDNF also prevents the death of dopaminergic neurons in vitro, which suggests that it may be of possible use in the development of neuroprotective therapies for PD. To determine whether BDNF is neuroprotective for SNpc dopaminergic neurons in the adult brain, we used a rat model of PD in which degeneration of 60–70% of these neurons was induced by an intrastriatal injection of 6- hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). We report here that intrastriatal grafts of fibroblasts genetically engineered to produce BDNF partially prevent the loss of nerve terminals and completely prevent the loss of cell bodies of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway that is induced by the intrastriatal injection of 6-OHDA. In contrast, the implantation of control fibroblasts that did not produce BDNF failed to protect nerve terminals and cell bodies against 6-OHDA-induced damage. Our observation that grafts of BDNF-producing fibroblasts protect against 6- OHDA-induced degeneration of SNpc dopaminergic neurons in the adult rat brain opens new perspectives for treatments aimed at the prevention of neurodegeneration in PD, using gene therapy and neurotrophic factors such as BDNF.
Relationships and performance of trade intermediaries: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of relationship coordination on the performance of trade intermediaries.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses a model of interfirm governance involving multiple members – customers, suppliers and a firm's internal members. In supply chains involving more than two members, the dyadic approach to studying business relationships is inadequate. Dyadic relationships are often influenced by other connected relationships. Thus, this study provides a broader understanding of relationship management in the supply chain.Findings – A major task of intermediaries is to facilitate the flow of materials, information and resource along the supply chain. Growth in outsourcing and competition between supply chains have created a need for intermediaries to manage relationships with other members in the supply chain. How should intermediaries manage these relationships for success? Are there positive linkages between supplier relationship management, custo.