Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Accurate Dynamic Analysis for Evaluating Time-Modulated Arrays Performance

In this letter, the role of an accurate time–frequency analysis of a time-modulated array in order to evaluate its radiation performance is discussed. By carefully taking into account the nonlinear behavior of the radio frequency switches in the feeding network and the unavoidable presence of electromagnetic couplings between the radiating elements, it is shown to which extent the system performances differ from those derived in the ideal case, that is when considering isotropic uncoupled elements. Representative results, considering benchmark switching configurations and different realistic antenna models, are reported and discussed also in a comparative fashion.
The impact of banking concentration on firm leverage in emerging markets

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of banking concentration on firm leverage in 21 major emerging countries from different geographical regions, controlling for firm determinant and macroeconomic determinant of firm leverage. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a relatively large sample of 5,779 enterprises with total 48,280 numbers of observations over the period from 2006 to 2013 and the regression model is performed by applying two-step system general method of moment estimator methodology. Findings This study finds a positive and significant relationship between banking concentration and firm leverage. Therefore, the overall results follow the information-based theory which indicates lower firms financing obstacles as banks are more concentrated. Research limitations/implications Bank-level data of all the countries to measure banking concentration is until 2013, which restrict the empirical analysis until 2013. Also, the study conducts the analysis. Practical implications The study enables policymakers, society, and academics to have better understanding on the beneficial effects of alternative banking market structure on firms’ access to credit and therefore, in determining the level of firm leverage in emerging countries. Originality/value The study represents one of the limited available empirical researches to examine the beneficial effect of alternative banking market structures of firm leverage in emerging countries.
Noteworthy habitat and phylogeny updates for eastern US Ulota (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta)

Abstract The moss Ulota crispa is ubiquitous as an obligate epiphyte in eastern North America. Yet several specimens preliminarily identified as U. crispa were collected from the upper portions of boulders in the Shawangunks, NY. Mitochondrial (nad5) and chloroplast (rps4 and trnL-trnF) sequence data were produced for these specimens, confirming their status as the first record of rock-dwelling U. crispa in North America. The reviewed loci were then used to assess phylogenetic relationships of Northeastern US Ulota species, incorporating a species not yet reviewed, U. coarctata. Conforming to peristome morphology, Ulota hutchinsiae appears to be more closely related to U. crispa than to U. coarctata. Monophyly was recovered for U. crispa and U. coarctata. Although monophyly was not found for U. hutchinsiae, it is diagnosably distinct based on the reviewed loci. While almost identical in number of nucleotides sequenced, mitochondrial DNA held substantially less phylogenetically informative nucleotides than the chloroplast loci, but did have important indel information segregating U. coarctata from other species reviewed.
Sequential detection of misbehaving nodes in cooperative networks with HARQ

Existing cooperative communications protocols are designed with the assumption that users always behave in a socially efficient manner. This assumption may be valid in networks under the control of a single authority where nodes cooperate efficiently to achieve a common goal. On the other hand, in commercial wireless networks where nodes are individually motivated to cooperate, the assumption that nodes will always obey rules of cooperation may not hold without implementing a mechanism to detect and mitigate misbehavior. In this paper, we present a sequential misbehavior technique based on Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT) for cooperative networks using automatic repeat request (ARQ). We evaluate performance of the detection technique both analytically and using numerical methods.
Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis by Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing: Our Evaluation Suggests that CDC-Recommended Approaches for Confirmatory Testing Are Ill-Advised

ABSTRACT We evaluated three CDC-suggested approaches for confirming positive nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for Chlamydia trachomatis: (i) repeat the original test on the original specimen, (ii) retest the original specimen with a different test, and (iii) perform a different test on a duplicate specimen. For approach 1, specimens (genital swabs or first-catch urine [FCU]) initially positive by the Abbott LCx Probe System Chlamydia trachomatis Assay (LCx; Abbott Laboratories), the APTIMA Combo 2 Assay (AC2; Gen-Probe Inc.), the Amplicor CT/NG Assay (PCR; Roche Diagnostics Corp.), or the BD ProbeTec ET System C. trachomatis amplified-DNA assay (SDA; Becton Dickinson Diagnostic Systems) were retested by the same NAAT. In several evaluations, multiple efforts were made to confirm the original positive result. For approach 2, specimens initially positive by SDA and the Hybrid Capture 2 CT-ID DNA Test (HC2; Digene Corp.) were retested by different NAATs (SDA, PCR, AC2, and the APTIMA assay for C. trachomatis [ACT]). For approach 3, duplicate male urethral or cervical swabs were tested by SDA or by both AC2 and ACT. FCU specimens were tested by all three tests. We found that 84 to 98% of SDA, LCx, PCR, and AC2 positive results were confirmed by a repeat test and that 89 to 99% of SDA and AC2 and 93% of HC2 positive results were confirmed by different NAATs, but that some NAATs cannot be used to confirm other NAATs. The use of repeat testing did not confirm 11% of C. trachomatis SDA positive results that could be confirmed by more extensive testing. Doing more testing confirms more positive results; >90% of all positive NAATs could be confirmed.
Teacher Preparation and Professional Development: Competencies and Skill Sets for the Online Classroom.

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the competencies and skill sets of participating K-12 online teachers in Ohio through an online survey based on relevant standards issued by specialized organizations, such as the North American Council for online Learning (NACOL), National Education Association, and Southern Regional Educational Board. The survey items helped identify the self-reported competencies and skill sets of ninety-eight participating K-12 online teachers in Ohio. The findings of this study indicated that the subjects in this research project need technical support systems in place to work effectively in the online environment. Additionally, the participants required further training in using technology in terms of assistive technologies for special needs students. Moreover, these virtual environment instructors would benefit from having more hours of both face-to-face and hybrid professional development customized to their specific online teaching needs, designed to form collaborative communities of practice.
The Enterovirus Protease Inhibitor Rupintrivir Exerts Cross-Genotypic Anti-Norovirus Activity and Clears Cells from the Norovirus Replicon

ABSTRACT Potent and safe inhibitors of norovirus replication are needed for the treatment and prophylaxis of norovirus infections. We here report that the in vitro anti-norovirus activity of the protease inhibitor rupintrivir is extended to murine noroviruses and that rupintrivir clears human cells from their Norwalk replicon after only two passages of antiviral pressure. In addition, we demonstrate that rupintrivir inhibits the human norovirus (genogroup II [GII]) protease and further explain the inhibitory effect of the molecule by means of molecular modeling on the basis of the crystal structure of the Norwalk virus protease. The combination of rupintrivir with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitors 2′-C-methylcytidine and favipiravir (T-705) resulted in a merely additive antiviral effect. The fact that rupintrivir is active against noroviruses belonging to genogroup I (Norwalk virus), genogroup V (murine norovirus), and the recombinant 3C-like protease of a GII norovirus suggests that the drug exerts cross-genotypic anti-norovirus activity and will thus most likely be effective against the clinically relevant human norovirus strains. The design of antiviral molecules targeting the norovirus protease could be a valuable approach for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of norovirus infections.
Bidirectional relationships between client and counselor speech: the importance of reframing.

In the study of motivational interviewing (MI), counselor skill has been posited to influence client language about change or "change talk. " This study investigates the relationship between a specific counselor behavior, valenced reflective listening, and client change talk in a MI intervention with substance-using adolescents. A combination of recorded in-person and telephone (n = 223) sessions were sequentially coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code 2.5. Reflections were categorized by valence, meaning they included content that was either moving toward (i.e., positive reflection) or away from change (i.e., negative reflection). Client language was coded as either moving toward change, away from change, or neutral about change. Probability analyses showed positive reflections were 11 times more likely to be followed by change talk and 71% less likely to be followed by counter change talk. Negative reflections were 19 times more likely to be followed by counter change talk and 65% less likely to be followed by change talk. Client language was also predictive of counselor reflections, such that positive reflections were 10 times more likely to occur after client change talk and negative reflections were 19 times more likely to follow counter change talk. Because the percentage of change talk expressed in a session has been shown to be positively related to improved behavioral outcomes, counselors should avoid unintentional reflections of counter change talk and use reframing techniques to change the valence of client change language. Implications for MI practice and training are discussed.
Public Opinion Mining on Social Media

Social media, including micro-blogs such as Twitter, have become main channels to communicate and share public social opinion among people. The opinion on nuclear power is an important social issue because nuclear plant construction needs national consensus. This paper proposes an opinion mining approach to monitor public sentiments on nuclear related issues using tweets on Twitter. The proposed process consists on (1) Crawling related tweets (2) Text preparation (3) Sentiment dictionary construction, and (4) Sentimental scoring. Based on experiment using nuclear related tweets in Korean between 2009 and 2013, we verify the usefulness on the proposed approach and confirm the changes on national opinion on nuclear generation depending on critical events such as Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Superintendent leadership and environmental sustainability in New York State public schools

What has not been studied to any great degree are superintendent perceptions of environmental sustainability and the extent to which superintendents in New York State believe they have led their districts in integrating environmental sustainability into district structures, policies and practices. This exploratory study investigated superintendent self-reported participation in leadership strategies and leadership actions that support environmental sustainability (ES) as well as the influence of a superintendent’s knowledge, value, and priority of ES. A researcher-developed online survey was emailed through Survey Monkey to all New York State superintendents, excluding those working in New York City, and resulted in a 19% response rate. The data revealed that superintendents did not view themselves as highly knowledgeable of ES. While the majority of superintendents held ES as a high value, it was not enough to get them to lead their districts in strategies and actions that supported ES. The key driver for influencing superintendents to lead their districts in strategies and actions was whether or not ES was considered a high priority. The data indicated that the leadership capacity for making the transition to ES is missing and that the link among knowledge, value and priority, or their collective synergy of leadership capacity, are the keys to moving ES forward in New York State. Increasing superintendent capacity to lead environmental sustainability in New York State’s public school districts is paramount. The results of this study will be of interest to public school system leaders and policymakers.
Clinical potentials for dynamic contrast-enhanced hepatic volumetric cine imaging with the prototype 256-MDCT scanner.

OBJECTIVE To achieve dynamic contrast-enhanced hepatic volumetric cine imaging, we developed a prototype 256-MDCT scanner. This study examined the feasibility of the technique for human hepatic imaging in three hepatocellular carcinoma patients. CONCLUSION Volumetric cine imaging successfully visualized dynamic contrast enhancement of the hepatocellular carcinoma. It is helpful to evaluate the phase of contrast enhancement or for functional studies of the head, renal artery, coronary artery, and liver.
The effect of annatto on insulin binding properties in the dog

Various plants are used in Caribbean folklore for the treatment of a variety of illnesses including diabetes mellitus. Preliminary investigations of several crude plant extracts have indicated that the annatto (Bixa orellana), among others, does in fact exhibit hypoglycaemic properties. This present investigation sought to isolate the hypoglycaemic principle(s) from the crude extract and to determine the mechanism of action.
Chapter 2 Trade Liberalization and the Extensive Margin of Trade in a CGE Model with Heterogeneous Firms

This chapter presents a global computable general equilibrium model with firm heterogeneity based on the Melitz (2003) framework and examines the relative importance of the intensive and extensive margins in the trade expansion following trade liberalization. Using a set of plausible parameters values suggested by empirical studies and calibrating the model to the recent Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) global database, our illustrative simulations indicate that the extensive margin accounts for around one-third of the trade growth induced by a reduction in tariffs or variable trade costs. In the case of reducing fixed trade costs, the extensive margin contributes almost 200 percent of the trade expansion, with the intensive margin contributing negatively to trade growth.
Role of the GGDEF regulator PleD in polar development of Caulobacter crescentus

Several members of the two‐component signal transduction family have been implicated in the control of polar development in Caulobacter crescentus: PleC and DivJ, two polarly localized histidine sensor kinases; and the response regulators DivK and PleD. The PleD protein was shown previously to be required during the swarmer‐to‐stalked cell transition for flagellar ejection and efficient stalk biogenesis. Here, we present data indicating that PleD also controls the onset of motility and a cell density switch immediately preceding cell division. Constitutively active alleles of pleD or wspR, an orthologue from Pseudomonas fluorescens, almost completely suppressed C. crescentus motility and inhibited the increase in swarmer cell density during cell differentiation. The observation that these alleles also had a dominant‐negative effect on motility in a pleC divJ and a pleC divK mutant background indicated that PleD is located downstream of the other components in the signal transduction cascade, which controls the activity of the flagellar motor. In addition, the presence of a constitutive pleD or wspR allele resulted in a doubling of the average stalk length. Together, this is consistent with a model in which the active form of PleD, PleD∼P, negatively controls aspects of differentiation in the late predivisional cell, whereas it acts positively on polar development during the swarmer‐to‐stalked cell transition. In agreement with such a model, we found that DivJ, which localizes to the stalked pole during cell differentiation, positively controlled the in vivo phosphorylation status of PleD, and the swarmer pole‐specific PleC kinase modulated this status in a negative manner. Furthermore, domain switch experiments demonstrated that the WspR GGDEF output domain from P. fluorescens is active in C. crescentus, favouring a more general function for this novel signalling domain over a specific role such as DNA or protein interaction. Possible roles for PleD and its C‐terminal output domain in modulating the polar cell surface of C. crescentus are discussed.
Isotopic biosignatures in carbonate‐rich, cyanobacteria‐dominated microbial mats of the Cariboo Plateau, B.C.

Photosynthetic activity in carbonate‐rich benthic microbial mats located in saline, alkaline lakes on the Cariboo Plateau, B.C. resulted in pCO2 below equilibrium and δ13CDIC values up to +6.0‰ above predicted carbon dioxide (CO2) equilibrium values, representing a biosignature of photosynthesis. Mat‐associated δ13Ccarb values ranged from ~4 to 8‰ within any individual lake, with observations of both enrichments (up to 3.8‰) and depletions (up to 11.6‰) relative to the concurrent dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Seasonal and annual variations in δ13C values reflected the balance between photosynthetic 13C‐enrichment and heterotrophic inputs of 13C‐depleted DIC. Mat microelectrode profiles identified oxic zones where δ13Ccarb was within 0.2‰ of surface DIC overlying anoxic zones associated with sulphate reduction where δ13Ccarb was depleted by up to 5‰ relative to surface DIC reflecting inputs of 13C‐depleted DIC. δ13C values of sulphate reducing bacteria biomarker phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) were depleted relative to the bulk organic matter by ~4‰, consistent with heterotrophic synthesis, while the majority of PLFA had larger offsets consistent with autotrophy. Mean δ13Corg values ranged from −18.7 ± 0.1 to −25.3 ± 1.0‰ with mean Δ13Cinorg‐org values ranging from 21.1 to 24.2‰, consistent with non‐CO2‐limited photosynthesis, suggesting that Precambrian δ13Corg values of ~−26‰ do not necessitate higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Rather, it is likely that the high DIC and carbonate content of these systems provide a non‐limiting carbon source allowing for expression of large photosynthetic offsets, in contrast to the smaller offsets observed in saline, organic‐rich and hot spring microbial mats.
The Impact of Everything But Arms on EU Relative Labour Demand

The Everything But Arms agreement, introduced by the EU in 2001, eliminated duties on most imports from the least developed countries. To avail of these benefits, however, the exported product must contain a sufficiently large share of local content. Thus, the agreement may have affected both the quantity and the factor content of exports from the least developed countries to the EU. Using a panel of sector-level data across countries, our estimates suggest that, contrary to expectations, the agreement may have increased the skill-content of these exports, benefitting the lowest-skilled EU workers at the expense of their highest-skilled counterparts. This result, however, is entirely driven by textile trade; when omitting this industry, we find no significant effects. This suggests that the EBA may have led to the local provision of higher-skill inputs in the textile industry.
REDUCING TEACHER ATTRITION: THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BUILDING PRINCIPALS IN A LARGE URBAN DISTRICT TO SUPPORT TEACHER RETENTION

Title of Dissertation: REDUCING TEACHER ATTRITION: THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BUILDING PRINCIPALS IN A LARGE URBAN DISTRICT TO SUPPORT TEACHER RETENTION Shawna Detrice Holden, Doctor of Education, 2016 Dissertation directed by: Professor of Practice, Dr. David Imig, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership The high rate of teacher attrition in urban schools is well documented. While this does not seem like a problem in Carter County, this equates to hundreds of teachers that need to be replaced annually. Since school year (SY) 2007-08, Carter County has lost over 7,100 teachers, approximately half of (50.1%) of whom resigned, often going to neighboring, higher-paying jurisdictions as suggested by exit survey data (SY2016-2020 Strategic Plan). Included in this study is a range of practices principals use to retain teachers. While the role of the principal is recognized as a critical element in teacher retention, few studies explore the specific practices principals implement to retain teachers and how they use their time to accomplish this task. Through interviews, observations, document analysis and reflective notes, the study identifies the practices four elementary school principals of high and relatively low attrition schools use to support teacher retention. In doing so, the study uses a qualitative cross-case analysis approach. The researcher examined the following leadership practices of the principal and their impact on teacher retention: (a) providing leadership, (b) supporting new teachers, (c) training and mentoring teaching staff, (d) creating opportunities for collaboration, (d) creating a positive school climate, and (e) promoting teacher autonomy. The following research questions served as a foundational guide for the development and implementation of this study: 1. How do principals prioritize addressing teacher attrition or retention relative to all of their other responsibilities? How do they allocate their time to this challenge? 2. What do principals in schools with low attrition rates do to promote retention that principals in high attrition schools do not? What specific practices or interventions are principals in these two types of schools utilizing to retain teachers? Is there evidence to support their use of the practices? The findings that emerge from the data revealed the various practices principals use to influence and support teachers do not differ between the four schools. REDUCING TEACHER ATTRITION: THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BUILDING PRINCIPALS IN A LARGE URBAN DISTRICT TO SUPPORT TEACHER RETENTION