Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drosophila Nesprin-1 Isoforms Differentially Contribute to Muscle Function

Nesprin-1 is a large scaffold protein connecting nuclei to the actin cytoskeleton via its KASH and Calponin Homology domains, respectively. Nesprin-1 disconnection from nuclei results in altered muscle function and myonuclei mispositioning. Furthermore, Nesprin-1 mutations are associated with muscular pathologies such as Emery Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and arthrogryposis. Nesprin-1 was thus proposed to mainly contribute to muscle function by controlling nuclei position. However, Nesprin-1′s localisation at sarcomere’s Z-discs, its involvement in organelles’ subcellular localization, as well as the description of numerous isoforms presenting different combinations of Calponin Homology (CH) and KASH domains, suggest that the contribution of Nesprin-1 to muscle functions is more complex. Here, we investigate the roles of Nesprin-1/Msp300 isoforms in muscle function and subcellular organisation using Drosophila larvae as a model. Subsets of Msp300 isoform were down-regulated by muscle-specific RNAi expression and muscle global function and morphology were assessed. We show that nuclei anchoring in mature muscle and global muscle function are disconnected functions associated with different Msp300 isoforms. Our work further uncovers a new and unsuspected role of Msp300 in myofibril registration and nuclei peripheral displacement supported by Msp300 CH containing isoforms, a function performed by Desmin in mammals.
CEO Characteristics, Family Ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Case of Saudi Arabia

Only a few studies have investigated the association between the characteristics of the chief executive officer (CEO) (i.e., tenure and local or expatriate) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting. Our study adds to the fledgling literature by providing new evidence from Saudi Arabia. Given the dominance of family control among Saudi Arabian listed firms, additionally, this study examined the moderating effect of family ownership on the CEO-CSR relationship. Using CSR scores from Bloomberg database from 2010 to 2019 and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, the findings reveal that the association between CEO tenure and CSR reporting is positively significant; however, the association between CEO nationality and CSR is not significant. In addition, the findings indicate that family ownership is an important contingency factor that explains the association between CEO tenure and CEO nationality, and CSR reporting. Our study contributes to an emerging line of CSR research that investigates the effects of foreign CEOs on CSR transparency, and supports prior evidence on the benefits to investors of having long-serving CEO and the costs of family entrenchment.
Banks and Climate-Related Information: The Case of Portugal

In 2014, a European Union (EU) Directive required certain large undertakings and groups to disclose non-financial information from 2017 onwards. In 2017, the EU guidelines on non-financial reporting established that reporting climate-related information is part of the non-financial information. Later, in 2019, the guidelines were reinforced to include a supplement that envisages improving climate-related information reporting. Banks can contribute to reducing climate-related risks by supporting investments in economic activities that aim to mitigate the risk of climate change. Capital needs should be reoriented towards sustainable investment. Banks shall manage financial risks arising from climate change; therefore, they must integrate climate change into their policies and procedures, assessing the potential impact of projects and financing on climate change. This study aimed to evaluate how banks in Portugal have been reporting climate-related information and whether the level of information has increased since 2017. Using content analysis, findings indicated that banks are already including climate-related information; however, they are still far from approaching what the new guidelines require. Results suggested that there is still a long way to go in this area concerning banks and regulators.
The benefits of cycling: Viewing cyclists as travellers rather than non‐motorists

Purpose: This chapter provides a think‐piece on economic evaluation and policy for cycling. Bicycle investments are often motivated by a desire to improve health, the environment and congestion conditions. However, we argue that since the bicycle is a part of the transport system, it should be evaluated as such. Focusing on implications for cycling appraisal in general, we also discuss two conflicting trends in Stockholm: a sharp decrease in cycling in the outer areas, and a sharp increase in the inner parts. Methodology: We use i) travel survey data to analyze the potential to reduce congestion through improvements for cyclists, ii) travel survey data from 1986‐ 1987 and 2004 and bicycle counts over 25 years and iii) a value of time survey of Stockholm cyclists including questions of exercise habits. Findings Additional benefits in appraisal from reduced car traffic and improved health seem to be small. Given bicyclists’ high values of time and low investment costs, bicycling investments are still likely to be socially beneficial. The conflicting bicycling trends can be explained by i) increased road congestion and improved bicycle infrastructure, ii) increased visibility of bicyclists generating a ‘positive spiral’ iii) increased interest in physical fitness and changes in the relative prices of cars versus central residences turn cycling into a high‐status mode, iv) in peripheral areas, increasing distances and less dense land use patterns decrease cycling levels. Practical implications: The results underscore the need for dense, mixed‐use spatial planning and ‘smart’ marketing using the effects of cyclist visibility to reinforce the ‘status’ of cycling.
Monitoring manual control of electric lighting and blinds

This paper reviews, validates and extends present knowledge of the degree and kind of manual control strategies of blinds and electric lighting systems that are used in private and two-person offices. A new monitoring setup was applied from March to December 2000 in 10 daylit offices in Germany that featured manually operated electric lighting and automatically controlled external venetian blinds with manual override. The data shows that individuals consistently followed the same control strategy for their electric lighting and blinds. Groups of individuals tended to activate their electric lighting according to Hunt’s probability function, although there was a large spread between individual control levels. All subjects used their blinds to avoid direct sunlight above 50 W/m2, and incoming solar gains above 50 klux (~450 W/m2). They also were more willing to accept automatic blind opening than closing.
Analysis of Internal Wave induced mode coupling effects on the 1995 SWARM experiment acoustic transmissions.

Abstract : As part of the Shallow Water Acoustics in a Random Medium (SWARM) experiment, a sixteen element WHOI vertical line array (WVLA) was moored in 70 meters of water off the New Jersey coast. This array was sampled at 1395 Hz or higher for the seven days it was deployed. Tomography sources with carrier frequencies of 224 and 400 Hz were moored about 32 km shoreward, such that the acoustic path was anti-parallel to the primary propagation direction for shelf generated internal wave solitons. Two models for the propagation of normal modes through a 2-D waveguide with solitary internal wave (soliton) scattering included are developed to help in understanding the very complicated mode arrivals seen at the WVLA. The simplest model uses the Preisig and Duda sharp interface approximation for solitons, allowing for rapid analysis of the effects of various numbers of solitons on mode arrival statistics. The second model, using SWARM thermistor string data to simulate the actual SWARM waveguides, is more realistic, but much slower. The analysis of the actual WVLA data yields spread, bias, wander, and intensity fluctuation signals that are modulated at tidal frequencies. The signals are consistent with predicted relationships to the internal wave distributions in the waveguides.
The Generation and Radiation of Supersonic Jet Noise. Volume 3. Turbulent Mixing Noise Data

Abstract : The characteristics, both spectral and directivity, of the sound field of supersonic shock-free jets are studied by measuring the turbulent mixing noise in the far field from four two-inch diameter nozzles, namely a convergent nozzle for pressure ratios up to critical and three convergent- divergent nozzles having nominal design Mach numbers of 1.4, 1.7, and 2.0, respectively. The measurements were conducted in a free-field environment. The results from 75 jet exit conditions are presented in a systematic manner in the form of tabulated one-third octave spectra. The test program was carefully planned in order to obtain results (i) at constant jet efflux temperature with varying jet velocity, and conversely (ii) at constant exit velocity while varying jet efflux temperature. The effects of jet velocity and exhaust temperature on turbulent mixing noise can therefore be assessed independently.
The Teamwork Indicator – a feedback inventory for students in active group learning or team projects

ABSTRACT The Teamwork Indicator (TWI) inventory for students monitors group development and can serve as a feedback tool in project work, active learning, and teams to improve the educational outcome. TWI consists of 20 items, it is simple and easy to use, and the inventory gauges changes over time in four central group dimensions: management, social collaboration, work commitment and attitudes toward evaluations. Based on a large sample (N=6595), the inventory has good psychometric properties. The item structure showed temporal and contextual stability for sex, cultural diversity, language, and training format. In active learning, students are left more to themselves, and in peer assessment, the inventory can partly substitute for feedback from a facilitator. The TWI is suitable for groups of a certain duration and with two-fold goals: content learning and social development of interactive, communication and collaborative skills. The use of TWI can initiate reflections about self, team and group functioning in general, which in the short and long-term is likely to translate into the outcome of new groups, probably also into the students’ future careers.
Varying Intensities of Introgression Obscure Incipient Venom-Associated Speciation in the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Ecologically divergent selection can lead to the evolution of reproductive isolation through the process of ecological speciation, but the balance of responsible evolutionary forces is often obscured by an inadequate assessment of demographic history and the genetics of traits under selection. Snake venoms have emerged as a system for studying the genetic basis of adaptation because of their genetic tractability and contributions to fitness, and speciation in venomous snakes can be associated with ecological diversification such as dietary shifts and corresponding venom changes. Here, we explored the neurotoxic (type A)–hemotoxic (type B) venom dichotomy and the potential for ecological speciation among Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) populations. Previous work identified the genetic basis of this phenotypic difference, enabling us to characterize the roles geography, history, ecology, selection, and chance play in determining when and why new species emerge or are absorbed. We identified significant genetic, proteomic, morphological, and ecological/environmental differences at smaller spatial scales, suggestive of incipient ecological speciation between type A and type B C. horridus. Range-wide analyses, however, rejected the reciprocal monophyly of venom type, indicative of varying intensities of introgression and a lack of reproductive isolation across the range. Given that we have now established the phenotypic distributions and ecological niche models of type A and B populations, genome-wide data are needed and capable of determining whether type A and type B C. horridus represent distinct, reproductively isolated lineages due to incipient ecological speciation or differentiated populations within a single species.
Electroconvulsive therapy: a clinical case study and review

Electroconvulsive therapy is deemed one of the most effective treatments for alleviating symptoms in individuals diagnosed with severe depression, yet it remains one of the most controversial psychiatric treatments in contemporary mental health nursing practice. As such, its use and efficacy continue to be questioned. The following article analyses the case of Albert, a fictional character who represents the presentation of several patients who have received electroconvulsive therapy. The application of electroconvulsive therapy is evaluated, by referring to the most recent policy and national guidelines. Despite the associated stigma, electroconvulsive therapy can save lives, as portrayed by Albert. However, further research is required and updated guidance from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is needed, specifically with regards to maintenance and relapse prevention. It is important to be aware of the implications of side effects, just as with other interventions. Overall, this article highlights the importance of safe, recovery-focused and person-centred care.
Value-Creating Strategies in Dairy Farm Entrepreneurship: A Case Study in Northern Spain

Simple Summary The aim of this paper is to analyse the heterogeneity and the performance of the value-creating strategies applied by dairy farms in their diversification initiatives. This is a pertinent topic to study because the Common Agricultural Policy provides a role for value-added diversification strategies as an alternative to ensure the economic viability of small farms. Furthermore, the fostering of specialised policy initiatives requires empirical evidence on specific diversification strategies. Nevertheless, there are still few quantitative studies analysing the factors that influence the success of value-added initiatives in terms of their contribution to economic performance, which may be due to the difficulty of obtaining databases such as the one handled in this study. Our findings confirm that the strategies are associated with different combinations of contexts and entrepreneurial capabilities. In fact, the results of this research present practical implications for future entrepreneurs and for policymakers, contributing towards understanding how an adequate alignment between contextual factors and entrepreneurial capabilities can enable the implementation and sustainability of new business initiatives in rural areas. We also conclude that the diversification ventures of dairy farms are an appropriate element for guaranteeing the survival of certain local breeds, making their use profitable. Abstract This paper explores different value-creating strategies (VCS) used by dairy farmers engaged in on-farm diversification ventures. In order to explicitly identify the informal strategies followed by 49 farmers in their value-added ventures, we applied a theoretically informed business model framework combining three dimensions: value proposition linked to local food, customer engagement via quality schemes and shorter supply chains, and the key capabilities of the entrepreneur. Using cluster analysis, four different types of VCS were identified and labelled as ‘Ecological’, ‘Single-product’, ‘Innovative’, and ‘Traditional’. Whilst we found that these strategies are influenced by contextual factors and the owner’s entrepreneurial skills, in general, we did not observe significant differences in performance between them. The results suggest that farmers respond entrepreneurially to sectorial changes adopting those VCS that tend to align with their entrepreneurial capabilities and context, thus enabling them to succeed with any of the strategies pursued. Hence, our work contributes towards clarifying the relationship between VCS, entrepreneurial capabilities, and context. This is important for farmers and policymakers because it reveals the diversity of farm management and the resilience of farm systems. As a result, the potential challenges for Single-product VCS and Traditional VCS are discussed.
Method of excitation of dual frequency vibrations by passive autobalancers

Using ball, roller and pendulum autobalancers as dual-frequency vibration exciters was proposed, corresponding designs were developed. Kinematic diagrams of machines with different platform movements (plane or rectilinear translational, vibrational-rotational, plane-parallel, etc.), on which dual-frequency vibration exciters can be installed were proposed. One of the technical solutions was tested by 3D modeling in SolidWorks CAD system using the CosmosMotion module. Considered dual-frequency vibration exciters have complex structures, it is difficult to tune the resonance vibration frequency of the platform, etc. Therefore, a new method of excitation of dual-frequency vibrations in the resonance vibromachines, eliminating these disadvantages was developed in the paper. For excitation of dual-frequency vibrations, using a special movement regime of the rotor with AB - quasiperiodic was proposed. In it, the rotor rotates at the resonance speed, and CW in AB can not catch up with the rotor since they are stuck at one of its resonance rotation frequencies. One of the proposed technical solutions was tested in Solidworks CAD system using the Motion module. A 3D model of the vibration machine with vibroexciter in the form of ball autobalancer was developed and simulation has shown the following: the possibility of using autobalancer for the two-frequency vibration excitation in the resonance vibration machines was confirmed; features of dual-frequency vibrations can be varied within wide limits by changing the mass of corrector weights, unbalance mass in the auto-balancer housing, rotor speed. Application of new vibroexciters will allow to create new vibromacnines with the dual-frequency vibration of the platform. The energy efficiency of these machines will be provided by the fact that the lower vibration frequency of the platform will coincide with its resonance frequency, which will provide intense vibrations of the platform necessary to perform the basic technological operation. Further intensification of technological processes will be ensured by self-cleaning of the screen and changes in the mechanical properties of the material processed by fast vibrations.
Improvement in seed quantity and quality of spring safflower through foliar application of boron and zinc under end-season drought stress

Abstract Seed yield and quality are affected by water stress occurring at the reproductive stage of crops. Foliar application of micronutrients has been introduced as an agronomic approach to cope with such conditions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of born (B) and zinc (Zn) on seed quantity and quality of spring safflower under late season water deficit. The experimental design was a split factorial in an randomized complete block (RCB) with three replications. The results showed that water deficit during flowering and seed-filling significantly decreased almost all traits compared to control only in 2014. Averaged over the 2 years, seedling length and vigor index were increased by Zn in all irrigation regimes. Germination rate and seed weight were increased by B and Zn in all irrigation treatments. It was concluded that foliar application of 350 ppm B and 1000 ppm Zn can considerably enhance seed yield and quality of safflower grown under terminal drought.
ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in a Patient with Polycythemia Vera Managed with High-dose Tirofiban Pre-treatment, Aspiration Thrombectomy, and Paclitaxel-eluting Stent Implantation

Coronary angiography significant one-vessel coronary artery with a very large, subocclusive thrombus in the proximal LAD with proximal LAD stenosis The thrombus noted to extend well into the left main coronary artery (LMCA), as well as into the S1 and D1 branches, and Thrombolysis in yocardial infarction (TIMI) 2 flow was observed in the LAD and side branches. During angiography, the patient became free from chest pain with complete resolution of ST-segment elevation on 12-lead ECG. After careful consideration of the various pharmacologic and interventional options available, the patient was admitted to the cardiac care unit with the arterial sheath left in place. High-dose tirofiban was started in the catheterization laboratory (25mcg/kg bolus and 0.15mcg/kg/minute infusion) along with unfractionated heparin bolus and infusion (target PTT 40–60 seconds). Clopidogrel 600mg was given orally. After approximately 24 hours of antiplatelet/antithrombotic pre-treatment (during which time the patient remained free of chest pain), the patient returned to the catheterization laboratory and Abstract While acute coronary syndromes inclusive of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been described in patients with polycythemia vera (PCV), optimal pharmacologic and interventional management strategies in the setting of drastically elevated platelet counts remain unclear. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of STEMI with massive thrombus burden in a patient with PCV, treated successfully with high-dose tirofiban bolus and infusion, followed by staged aspiration thrombectomy and drug-eluting stent implantation. Whether a strategy of antiplatelet and antithrombotic pre-treatment prior to PCI with or without thrombectomy will consistently yield satisfactory outcomes in PCV patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or STEMI, remains a matter of speculation. Nevertheless, based on the relevant pathobiologic considerations and review of the available literature, we feel the strategy employed in this case to be a reasonable one when clinical circumstances render it feasible.
A study of current controllers and development of a novel current controller for high performance SRM drives

Switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives are under consideration in various applications including high performance applications such as in servomotor drives, electric vehicle drives and jet engine starter-generators. Current and hence torque control constitutes the heart of control in such drive systems to obtain the desired high bandwidth in torque and speed responses. It is invariably assumed that either hysteresis or PI current control strategies are adequate in the literature. This paper proves that current controllers are not satisfactory in the case of PI controllers and infeasible in the case of hysteresis current controllers for high performance applications. To overcome the drawbacks of these current controllers, a novel current controller based on unipolar switching of the power converter with the decoupling of the induced EMF is proposed in this paper for high performance applications. A comparative study of the regular PI and hysteresis current controllers with the proposed unipolar switching based current controller incorporating the induced EMF decoupling is made to ascertain the superiority of the proposed scheme. The paper presents the systematic development of the algorithms for current controllers and their modeling, dynamic simulation analysis, and design procedure.
Leading and managing continuing professional development

Introduction PART ONE: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT Learning People - Learning Schools Leading and Managing CPD Identifying Training and Development Needs Meeting CPD Needs Monitoring and Evaluation: The Impact of CPD Collaboration and Enquiry: Sharing Practice PART TWO: LEADING AND MANAGING THE CPD OF SPECIFIC GROUPS Support Staff Initial Teacher Training Newly Qualified Teachers and Their Induction Supply and Overseas-Trained Teachers Early Professional Development Emergent Leaders and Middle Managers Leadership Development for Heads and Deputies Governors' Training and Development