Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a mobile learning strategy to support Higher Education

Mobile devices, in particular the mobile phone, are ubiquitous amongst the western world population. Worldwide, Universities are experimenting with the potential mobile devices offer for broadening teaching and learning opportunities and reaching more diverse, and technology aware, learners. However, where does this leave the less technology rich and what can be done to develop an equitable strategy to promote and support the advantage mobile technology might provide? This report discusses a number of case studies from UK and overseas HE institutions and gauges staff and student attitudes, at a Midland university, and their willingness to engage with mobile technology and content in an educational sense. The report concludes with recommendations to move forward which may be applicable to inform institutional policy and practice at other universities.
Chronic Activation of γ 2 AMPK Induces Obesity and Reduces Beta Cell Function

Arash Yavari, Claire J. Stocker, Sahar Ghaffari, Edward T. Wargent, Violetta Steeples, Gabor Czibik, Katalin Pinter, Mohamed Bellahcene, Angela Woods, Pablo B. Martínez de Morentin, Céline Cansell, Brian Y.H. Lam, André Chuster, Kasparas Petkevicius, Marie-Sophie Nguyen-Tu, Aida Martinez-Sanchez, Timothy J. Pullen, Peter L. Oliver, Alexander Stockenhuber, Chinh Nguyen, Merzaka Lazdam, Jacqueline F. O’Dowd, Parvathy Harikumar, Mónika Tóth, Craig Beall, Theodosios Kyriakou, Julia Parnis, Dhruv Sarma, George Katritsis, Diana D.J. Wortmann, Andrew R. Harper, Laurence A. Brown, Robin Willows, Silvia Gandra, Victor Poncio, Márcio J. de Oliveira Figueiredo, Nathan R. Qi, Stuart N. Peirson, Rory J. McCrimmon, Balázs Gereben, László Tretter, Csaba Fekete, Charles Redwood, Giles S.H. Yeo, Lora K. Heisler, Guy A. Rutter, Mark A. Smith, Dominic J. Withers, David Carling, Eduardo B. Sternick, Jonathan R.S. Arch, Michael A. Cawthorne, Hugh Watkins, and Houman Ashrafian
Offshore Outsourcing of IT Work: Client and Supplier Perspectives

Overview of Offshore Outsourcing of IT Work Managing Knowledge Transfer and Protection of Intellectual Property: Evidence from an Industrial Equipment Manufacturer Managing Offshore Project: Evidence from a Fortune 500 Biotechnology Company Migration from Tactical to Strategic Outsourcing: Evidence from a Fortune 500 Retailer Client Lessons: Proven Practices for Managing Offshore Supplier Lessons: Managing Growth Future Trends
LUPUS AROUND THE WORLD Clinical and laboratory characteristics of Finnish lupus erythematosus patients with cutaneous manifestations

Our objective was to characterize clinical features, laboratory findings, concomitant autoimmune diseases, and smoking habits of lupus erythematosus subgroups in genetically homogeneous patients from two Dermatology Departments of Finnish University hospitals. One hundred and seventy eight discoid lupus erythematosus, 55 subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and 77 systemic lupus erythematosus patients were enrolled using patients’ charts from institutional database (1995–2006) and during routine control visits. Clustering analysis was performed to reveal natural groupings. Smoking at the onset of disease was significantly more common in all subgroups (57% for discoid lupus erythematosus, 35% for subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and 34% for systemic lupus erythematosus) compared with the age/gender-matched prevalence in the Finnish population, suggesting smoking to be a trigger factor for cutaneous lupus. Leukopenia (38%) and lymphopenia (52%) were observed more often in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus than reported previously. Photosensitivity characterized all groups, especially patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (87%). Of the autoimmune diseases, Sjögren’s syndrome was the most common (22% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus), followed by autoimmune thyroid disease (13% of patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus). The clustering analysis showed environmental factors (smoking) to be more involved in disease development in discoid lupus erythematosus, whereas immunological factors were more significant in initiating systemic lupus erythematosus. The high prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease, together with photosensitivity, and the clustering profiles suggest that lupus erythematosus subtypes, especially discoid lupus erythematosus, are heterogeneic in their pathomechanisms. Lupus (2008) 17, 337–347.
Methods for the quantitative analysis of lipids in cereal grains and similar tissues.

Methods are described for the extraction and quantification of total lipids in cereal grains and other similar tissues, and for the determination of all the major classes of acyl lipid found in these extracts. Total lipids, obtained by direct solvent extraction or after acid hydrolysis, are quantified as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) by gas chromatography (g.c.), using heptadecanoate (17:0) as internal standard. Individual lipid classes are separated by thin-layer chromatography; non-polar lipids and glycolipids are measured as FAME by g.c. , while phospholipids are determined from phosphorus distribution. Crude lipid extracts are used to avoid losses during purification, and methanolysis of lipid classes is always performed without extracting the lipids from silica gel in order to minimise autoxidation, handling losses and contamination. Corrections are described for minor losses during experimental procedures, and factors are given for conversion of weights of FAME or phosphorus into weights of original lipid. In the authors' laboratory the precision of routine determinations (variations expressed as percentage of mean values) are usually well within the limits: total lipids, 1.5%; major lipid classes, 1.5%; minor lipid classes, 5%.
Early diagnosis of glaucoma

Abstract. In a group of 46 patients with moderately elevated intraocular pressure (22–30 mmHg), signs of early glucoma were found in half of them after a follow‐up of 5–7.5 years. Most of the patients showed only a small increase in optic disc cupping revealed by stereophotography. Initial IOP higher than 25 mmHg, large pressure differences between the two eyes, large diurnal pressure variation, occurrence of pseudoexfoliation, pressure drop of more than 8 mmHg after topical epinephrine, and a pressure rise of more than 4 mmHg after water loading were more frequent in the group of patients who developed signs of glaucoma. Age, a positive family history, occurrence of cardiovascular disease, and the cup/disc ratio did not differ in the two groups of patients. The pilocarpine test and steroid provocation had no predictive value. Surprisingly, there was a small drop of pressure after topical steroids in 6 of the 8 patients with pseudoexfoliation.
Intra-Set Rest Intervals in Hypertrophic Training: Effects on Hypertrophy, Strength, Power, and Myosin Heavy Chain Composition

Intra-Set Rest Intervals in Hypertrophic Training: Effects on Hypertrophy, Strength, Power, and Myosin Heavy Chain Composition. (August 2012) Jonathan Michael Oliver, B.B.A., University of North Texas; M.Ed., The University of Texas at Austin Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Richard B. Kreider Dr. Stephen F. Crouse The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of intra-set rest intervals (ALT) and traditional resistance (STD) training in hypertrophic resistance training. 22 males (25±5yrs, 179.71±5.0cm, 82.1±10.6kg, 13.6±4.3% fat, 6.5±4.5yrs training) were matched according to baseline characteristics and randomly assigned to a STD or ALT 12 week hypertrophic training protocol. Body composition, strength (1RM bench and squat); power (60% 1RM bench and squat); and vertical jump were assessed at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Muscle biopsy for myosin heavy chain (MHC) was performed pre and post training. A 2 x 4 (Group x Time) ANOVA was used to assess changes in body composition. A 2 x 4 (Group x Time) ANCOVA covaried by baseline performance measures was used to assess differences in strength and power characteristics. A 2 x 2 (Group x Time) ANCOVA covaried for baseline percentage MHC was used to determine differences pre and post training. Both groups experienced increases in FFM with no differences between groups (62.6±7.9, 63.4±7.6, 64.2±7.4, 64.2±7.5kg; p>0.05). No time effects were noted in percent fat (13.6±4.3, 14.1±4.7, 14.0±4.6, 14.3±4.6%fat; p>0.05). Increase in FFM was associated with a decrease in MHCIIX, (ALT, 37.9±24.1%; STD, -23.4±23.8%; p = 0.001) and an increase in MHCIIA (ALT,
Rat rotator cuff muscle responds differently from hindlimb muscle to a combined tendon‐nerve injury

Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries seen by orthopaedic surgeons. Clinically, massive cuff tears lead to unique pathophysiological changes in rotator cuff muscle, including atrophy, and massive fatty infiltration, which are rarely seen in other skeletal muscles. Studies in a rodent model for RCT have demonstrated that these histologic findings are accompanied by activation of the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) pathways following combined tendon‐nerve injury. The purpose of this study was to compare the histologic and molecular features of rotator cuff muscle and gastrocnemius muscle—a major hindlimb muscle, following combined tendon‐nerve injury. Six weeks after injury, the rat gastrocnemius did not exhibit notable fatty infiltration compared to the rotator cuff. Likewise, the adipogenic markers SREBP‐1 and PPARγ as well as the TGF‐β canonical pathway were upregulated in the rotator cuff, but not the gastrocnemius. Our study suggests that the rat rotator cuff and hindlimb muscles differ significantly in their response to a combined tendon‐nerve injury. Clinically, these findings highlight the unique response of the rotator cuff to injury, and may begin to explain the poor outcomes of massive RCTs compared to other muscle‐tendon injuries. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1046–1053, 2015.
Testing the Pin Variable

This paper puts the PIN variable (Probability of INformation-based trading) to test. We find that for a large set of stocks, the PIN variable is lower (albeit insignificantly) in the periods before earnings announcements dates than in the periods after earnings announcements dates. This is inconsistent with the idea of PIN capturing the probability of informed trading.
Institutional Investors' Trading Behavior in Mergers and Acquisitions

We investigate institutional investors' trading behavior of acquiring firm stocks surrounding merger activities for the period 1992 to 2001. We label investment companies and independent investment advisors as active institutions and banks, nonbank trusts and insurance companies as passive institutions. We analyze the trading behavior of active and passive institutions surrounding merger announcements and their eventual resolution. Our results indicate that active institutions significantly increase their holdings of acquiring firm stocks for mergers with higher announcement period abnormal return and this increase is more pronounced for stock mergers than cash mergers. Active institutions display preference for stock proposals at the merger announcement on the basis of their prior beliefs and this is explained by the "overreaction phenomenon. " However, they update their beliefs between announcement and final resolution as more information arrives into the market. Finally, active institutions appear to correct their overreaction behavior by displaying their greater preference for cash proposals as compared to stock proposals at the quarter of eventual outcome. The trading behavior of passive institutions suggests that these institutions disregard the market response of merger announcement in trading acquiring firm stocks at the announcement quarter. The passive institutions gradually update their beliefs and utilize the information released at the announcement in rebalancing their portfolios at the final resolution.
Are independent directors effective in lowering earnings management in China

Are Independent Directors Effective in Lowering Earnings Management in China? (August 2005) Liona Hoi Yan Lai, B.A., University of Waterloo Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Lynn Rees This study examines whether board independence is an effective corporate governance mechanism in reducing earnings management in China, a country with significantly different institutional and legal characteristics from the Anglo-Saxon countries. I investigate: (i) whether voluntary adoption of board independence prior to the China Regulatory Securities Commission (CSRC) regulation on board independence is associated with lower earnings management; and (ii) the extent to which the CSRC regulation is effective in achieving the aim of inhibiting earnings management. I employ two stage least squares techniques to control for potential simultaneity problems between earnings management and board independence and documents that failing to control for such problems will lead to biased and inconsistent estimates. Using three different measures of earnings management, I show that firms that voluntarily move towards board independence (i) have lower levels of discretionary accruals; (ii) employ less severe income smoothing strategies; and (iii) are less likely to manage return on equity to meet regulatory thresholds. In contrast, firms adopting board independence following the CSRC regulation in 2002 do not experience any changes in the levels of earnings
Gouvernance et étude de l'impact du changement des processus métiers sur les architectures orientées services : une approche dirigée par les modèles. (Governance and Analysis of Business Processes Change Impact on Service Oriented Architectures: A Model-Driven Approach)

La plupart des entreprises evoluent dans des marches concurrentiels en adaptant rapidement leurs processus metiers. Leur performance depend de leur capacite a utiliser des techniques d'amelioration continue de leur organisation par la mise au point de Systemes Informatiques (SI) durables pour l'automatisation des processus. En ce sens, les architectures orientees services (Service Oriented Architectures) ont permis le developpement de SI flexibles avec un style d'architecture predominant de composition de services. Cependant, l'alignement de ces architectures aux imperatifs de l'evolution des processus reste une preoccupation centrale. Dans cette these, nous etudions la cartographie et l'evolution des processus metiers depuis leur conception jusqu'a leur automatisation dans une architecture orientee services ainsi que son adaptation. Nous proposons une approche d'ingenierie dirigee par les modeles integree a un outil de modelisation de processus et de developpement d'architectures orientees services. Celle-ci debute par la specification d'un modele BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation) decrivant les interactions des processus metiers. Grâce a une chaine de transformation automatisee, nous produisons un modele SCA (Service Component Architecture) decrivant une solution de composition de services. Ceci garantit la tracabilite architecturale entre le niveau metier du SI et son niveau technique puisque les services generes decrivent une {logique applicative} qui met en œuvre la logique metier du modele BPMN. Ensuite, nous introduisons une methode de propagation du changement de la logique metier vers la logique applicative qui est fondee sur la synchronisation incrementale entre les modeles BPMN et SCA. Elle est integree a un outil d'analyse de l'impact du changement qui se base sur la reecriture de graphes pour eviter les inconsistances induites par les modifications. Enfin, elle permet de simuler l'impact des evolutions des processus, pour en estimer le cout selon les metriques que nous proposons, avant de proceder a la reingenierie de l'architecture orientee services pour assurer une meilleure gouvernance du changement.
Phenotypic Profiling of Raf Inhibitors and Mitochondrial Toxicity in 3D Tissue Using Biodynamic Imaging

The existence of phenotypic differences in the drug responses of 3D tissue relative to 2D cell culture is a concern in high-content drug screening. Biodynamic imaging is an emerging technology that probes 3D tissue using short-coherence dynamic light scattering to measure the intracellular motions inside tissues in their natural microenvironments. The information content of biodynamic imaging is displayed through tissue dynamics spectroscopy (TDS) but has not previously been correlated against morphological image analysis of 2D cell culture. In this article, a set of mitochondria-affecting compounds (FCCP, valinomycin, nicardipine, ionomycin) and Raf kinase inhibitors (PLX4032, PLX4720, GDC, and sorafenib) are applied to multicellular tumor spheroids from two colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (HT-29 and DLD-1). These were screened by TDS and then compared against conventional image-based high-content analysis (HCA). The responses to the Raf inhibitors PLX4032 and PLX4720 are grouped separately by cell line, reflecting the Braf/Kras difference in these cell lines. There is a correlation between TDS and HCA phenotypic clustering for most cases, which demonstrates the ability of dynamic measurements to capture phenotypic responses to drugs. However, there are significant 2D versus 3D phenotypic differences exhibited by several of the drugs/cell lines.
The Characteristics of Firms with Bank Credit that Recently Issued Bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Xchange

In this paper, we examine the characteristics of firms with bank credit that issued bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Market (TASE) during the period 2003–07. The purpose of the research is to determine how the expansion of the nonbank credit market has affected the risk of bank credit. The analysis was carried out using a number of statistical approaches, in particular the Logit model which differentiates between firms that have issued bonds on the TASE and those that have not. We reached the conclusion that it is primarily large, profitable and low-risk firms, i.e., higher-quality firms, that have issued bonds on the TASE. Although various accounting and macroeconomic indicators (such as the ratio of bank credit to GDP, the ratio of annual loan loss provisions to total bank credit, etc.) show that the risk of the credit portfolio has declined, the phenomenon that we describe has, in our opinion, two parallel and opposite effects on the banks’ credit portfolio. The first is the negative effect on its quality and the second is the positive effect on its level of diversification. We would mention that small, high-risk firms that have bank credit took advantage of the boom in the capital market and the high rates of economic growth during the period 2003-7 in order to issue bonds on the TASE which replaced (or supplemented) bank credit. However, due to their small share of total bond issues, their effect on the overall risk of the banks’ credit portfolio was minimal.
Performance and Price Discovery of Gold Exchange Traded Funds

In this study, we examine the performance and pricing behaviour of US listed and Indian gold ETFs. We find that Pricing Deviation is significant for both US listed and Indian gold ETFs. However, the Tracking Error is not significant for both the US listed and Indian gold ETFs. There is ample evidence to suggest that unidirectional causality exists between US listed gold ETFs and spot prices of gold. Whereas, the analysis shows that bidirectional causality exists between Indian gold ETFs and MCX spot prices of gold. The Impulse Response and variance decomposition analysis shows contrasting results for both US listed and Indian gold ETFs.
A Multifrequency ESR Study of the Complex Dynamics of Membranes

A combined 250 and 9 GHz ESR study was performed on membrane vesicles composed of pure lipid (DPPC) and of DPPC:cholesterol in a 1:1 molar ratio using the end chain labeled lipid, 16-PC. It is shown that the 250 GHz spectra represent a “fast time-scale” such that the overall restricted motion of the lipid in the membrane is frozen out, but it is sensitive to the internal dynamics of the end chain. The 9 GHz spectra are, however, sensitive to the overall motion as well. This combined study thus permitted the separation of both types of motion. It is shown that the addition of cholesterol has a large effect on the end chain dynamics by restricting its motion while increasing motional rates, whereas its effects on the overall lipid motion are modest. This leads to a clearer characterization of the dynamic structure of the cholesterol-rich liquid-ordered phase as compared to the liquid crystalline phase. This study thus shows the significant potential of a multifrequency ESR approach to the complex dynamics o.
Buyer-supplier relations in the UK - automotive industry: Strategic implications of the Japanese manufacturing model

This paper documents the adoption of the Japanese model of manufacturing in the U.K. motor industry. Internal developments by the vehicle assemblers and their suppliers are examined. It is argued that the Japanese model involves very high intra- and interorganizational dependencies. Although this does not cause problems in Japan due to the structure of the Japanese motor industry, the structure of the UK vehicle industry presents severe obstacles to the successful use of Japanese methods. Pursuit of the pure Japanese model within the existing industry structure appears to be fraught with problems. Moreover, such an exercise risks sweeping away potential strengths of the existing structure.
First Offers on Ebay Motors

We empirically investigate the factors which influence a buyer’s behavior in making an offer to purchase a car listed on eBay Motors using the “Best Offer” option. Our results indicate that a buyer’s first offer is affected by observed information, including the number of buyers making an offer for the same item and the length of time since the start of the listing.
Effect of Work Intensification and Work Extensification on Women's Health in the Globalised Labour Market

This study examined the association between labour intensification due to work intensification and work extensification and ill health in women in certain manufacturing work in the Philippines. Work intensification is defined as more workload for each worker, and work extensification as less deadtime or work rest and more overtime. The sample was 23 establishments and 630 respondents. Workplace environment monitoring showed exposure to hazards such as noise, chemicals, poor ventilation, and poor illumination. The most prevalent illnesses and health problems were headache and coughs and colds. Results of focus group discussions showed adverse work conditions, hazard exposures among women workers, fast pace of work, close supervision, prevalent occupational illnesses, and management style that do not comply with the national work standards. The results indicate that the health issues of women workers depend on many factors, such as management and supervisory style, job autonomy, nature of task, and hazard exposures. This study resulted in three major analytic observations on the engagement of women workers in the new global labour market, the role of information technologies (IT) in women’s work, and occupational illnesses caused by work intensification and work extensification.