Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Positive Deviance during Organization Change: Researchers' Social Construction of Expanded University Goals.

xii PREFACE . xiv Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study . 1 Background . 1 University Research Advances Society . 3 The Challenge/Problem Statement . 5 The Purpose of this Study . 6 Research Objective and Questions . 7 Assumptions and Limitations . 8 Significance of the Study . 9 Conceptual Framework . 10 Definition of Terms . 10 Summary . 12 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature . 13 Early Theories about Deviance . 15 Recognition of Positive Deviance . 22 Emerging Theories of Positive Deviance . 26 Summary . 34 Chapter 3: Research Methodology. 36 Research Design . 36 Human Subjects Considerations . 63 Analysis . 65 Summary . 70
High Frequency Characterization of Silicon Substrate and through Silicon Vias

In this work, we present the high frequency extraction of electrical material properties of silicon substrates. Two methods, including the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) based method and the planar resonator based method, are used and their consistency will be shown. For the SIW-based method, a line difference algorithm is applied for the calculation of a broadband material property with the effective width of the SIW determined experimentally. For the planar resonator based method, the material parameters are extracted at discrete resonance frequencies by comparing to full-wave simulations. The results from both methods are compared to each other and discussed with respect to their accuracy and their suitability for different substrate types. For the validation purpose, TSV transitions are designed and fabricated on the same wafers of SIWs and planar resonators, which are modelled using a full-wave electromagnetic solver together with the extracted electrical properties of the silicon wafer. The comparison of the modelling to the measurement results will be presented and the influence of the variation of substrate material properties on the high frequency TSV performance and the accuracy of TSV modelling are discussed.
Technical Efficiency and Rural Poverty among Farmers in Nigeria: A Gender Perspective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of technical efficiency on rural poverty between female and male-headed farm families in southwestern part of Nigeria. The study also determined the policy variables that influenced technical efficiency of the poor rural female and male-headed households in the study area using the stochastic frontier methodology. Results of data analysis showed that poor male-headed households were more technically efficient than their poor female-headed households’ counterparts (with mean technical efficiency estimates of about 91% and 82% respectively). Policy measures to reduce level of poverty and to improve efficiency which will lead to higher income were then suggested
Examining the Relationship between Communities of Practice and Climate of Innovation in the U.S. Federal Government Environment

A recurrent justification for knowledge management initiatives in the U.S. federal government workplace is the assertion that knowledge sharing groups, such as communities of practice, positively impact their members and benefit the organization by fostering a work environment that results in innovation. However, limited quantitative research existed to support the claims. The purpose of this research was to discover evidence for and explain the relationships between two of the dimensions of communities of practice (i.e., participation and connectivity) and a climate of innovation (e.g., vision, participative safety, task orientation, and support for innovation). This study provided empirical support for the relationship between participation and climate of innovation, as well as the relationship between connectivity and climate of innovation. Given the current economic and security challenges such as the global recession, homeland protection, and industry bailouts, the need for innovative products and services is paramount. Incorporating the results of this study and placing an emphasis on building or solidifying relationships, members of knowledge sharing groups within and across the federal government environment may better develop and implement strategies to address the current stresses and work toward stabilizing the worldwide situation. Perceptions were collected from 384 community of practice members within the U.S. federal government environment about participation, connectivity, and the community’s climate of innovation. Items from three existing instruments, Communities Assessment Tool (Verburg & Andriessen, 2006), Sense of Community Index (Chipeur & Pretty, 1999; Peterson, Speer, & Hughey, 2006), and Team Climate Inventory (Kivimaki & Ellovainio, 1999), were consolidated into one online questionnaire. Once the data were collected from the respondents, they were checked for completeness, reorganized and relabeled as necessary, and then transported to SAS JMP, version 7. The reliabilities in this study were comparable to previously published reliabilities. Demographic data indicated that the respondents tended to see themselves as experts, were active within their community, and relied on virtual contact with community members, although they had the opportunity to meet face-to-face in the past. After a review of
The Accountability of Cambodian NGOs in Climate Change Projects: The impacts on local communities

The accountability of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is important to development work. Judging the performance of an NGO in providing social services and whether it has fulfilled its responsibilities with a set of standards is increasingly important due to NGOs working more in social development. In Cambodia NGOs have also become actively involved in climate change actions at all levels and have become an important player among other actors to enforce climate policies. While the influential roles of NGOs in climate policy advocacy and negotiation have been recognised, the impact of their involvement in climate change actions at the local level has been less prominent. This poses a question as to how NGO accountability impacts on local communities with the projects that they are carrying out concerning climate change issues. This thesis explored Cambodian NGOs working in partnership on climate change issues and how issues concerning their accountability to local communities can be evaluated. This study involved seventeen NGO representatives from different NGOs who work directly in climate change projects in Cambodia. A qualitative approach was employed using interviews with the participants and this primary data collection was supplemented by documentary evidence from secondary sources. The interviews captured the experience and knowledge of the processes of working in partnership on climate change projects by the research participants. The particpants shared with me some of the benefits and difficulties in working in partnership with other NGOs on climate change issues. From their reflections I was able to discern some key findings. I found that NGO partnership in climate change projects in Cambodia enhances effectiveness and efficiency in project implementation. Partnership strengthens the downward accountability of NGOs in carrying out the projects because inputs and resources are redirected to the ground level of operations and not diverted away from the intended beneficiaries. The partnership movement is grass roots driven, and small local NGOs are able to receive funds and directly benefit local communities. Partnerships enable funding aid to reach the local people through the sub-grant provision scheme. Funding NGOs provide capacity development and technical support throughout the project cycle to their partners so that they can have sufficient capacity to carry out climate change work at the ground level. Partnering NGOs also work with NGO network members in climate change policy advocacy and communication by bringing local voices into the process of policy development. Cambodian NGO partnerships in climate change projects significantly contributes to climate change adaptation actions. I conclude with some recommendations for how this process can be improved.
Perioperative changes in nutritional parameters and impact of graft size in patients undergoing adult living donor liver transplantation

Derangements of various serum biochemical nutritional/metabolic parameters are common in patients with end‐stage liver disease who undergo liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to explain the benefit of LT with respect to parameter changes and to examine the impact of the graft‐to‐recipient weight ratio (GRWR) on such changes. We investigated each parameter's course in 208 adult recipients for 1 year after living donor LT and analyzed changes in the parameters with a GRWR of 0.8% as the cutoff point. Bonferroni corrections were applied to account for multiple testing. Liver disease–induced high pretransplant ammonia and tyrosine levels and low branched‐chain amino acids to tyrosine ratio (BTR) and zinc levels normalized within 2 weeks after transplantation, and the total lymphocyte count (TLC) normalized within 2 months, whereas low pretransplant prealbumin levels took 1 year to normalize. Branched‐chain amino acids (BCAA), zinc, and TLC levels transiently dropped shortly after transplantation and then were corrected later. An accelerated recovery of ammonia and tyrosine levels and the BTR were found with larger grafts, especially early after transplantation, whereas zinc, prealbumin, BCAA, and TLC levels recovered regardless of the graft size. In conclusion, graft size had little effect on the recovery of nutritional/metabolic parameters except for ammonia and tyrosine levels. Liver Transpl 20:1486‐1496, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
Cholesteryl Ester-Transfer Protein (CETP) Polymorphism and the Association of Acute Coronary Syndromes by Obesity Status in Greek Subjects: The CARDIO2000-GENE Study

Objective: Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) regulates plasma lipid distribution. The present study aimed to investigate whether the CETP gene (Taq1B) polymorphism predisposes to Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) depending on obesity status. Methods: We studied demographic, lifestyle and clinical information in 237 hospitalized patients (185 males) with a first event of an ACS and 237 controls matched by age and sex. CETP Taq1B genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP analysis. Results: Overall, the CETP genotype frequencies were, in patients: 14% (n = 33), 35% (n = 83) and 51% (n = 121) and in controls: 17% (n = 39), 33% (n = 78) and 50% (n = 120) for B2B2, B1B1 and B1B2 respectively (p = 0.72). A significant interaction (p for interaction <0.001) was observed between obesity status and CETP concerning the likelihood of having ACS. Therefore, we stratified our analysis by obesity status and observed that B2B2 was associated with a 0.27 times lower likelihood of having ACS among normal-weight people (OR = 0.27, p = 0.02). No significant relationships were observed among overweight or obese participants. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence of a protective effect of the B2B2 genotype of the CETP Taq1B polymorphism on the likelihood of having a first event of ACS in normal-weight persons.
Artificial Trading for US Wholesale Electric Power Market

In the US wholesale power market, electric power producers trade among themselves as well as with power-marketing and power-distribution companies. The wholesale power market comprises the world’s largest commodity market. The growth in power trading is due to the ongoing deregulation of the electric power industry. Most of deregulation scenarios indicate a further separation of power production from transmission and retailing, along with production and retailing, opened to more competition. Unfortunately, the power trading mechanism is not clearly investigated in the level that we can understand and predict a price change in the wholesale market. This study investigates such an exploration of the price change in the US power market. Computer software developed by Sueyoshi and Tadiparthi (2004) includes various analytical and numerical techniques and forecasting methods. Using the computer software, we investigate how traders determine power prices in the wholesale market and how the price change is occurring under different economic and engineering environments.
The recreational services value of the nearest periurban forest versus the global forest environment

Most of previous forest recreational service valuation studies using hedonic methods have focused on direct proximity of housing to the nearest forest while treating the recreational services as homogeneous. However, households in urban and periurban areas may prefer diverse forest areas in their neighborhood. The main objective of this study is to estimate and compare the impacts of proximity to forest recreational services based on the nearest forest and the global forest environment, which includes spatially heterogeneous recreational quality. The global forest environment is computed from the forest recreational services with respect to travel time to the housing. Empirical results show that major differences exist between the forests' valuations and their recreational services depending on which forest environment is considered. The size of the nearest forest is the only characteristic with a positive and significant impact on housing prices. Conversely, the global forest environment positively impacts housing prices based on certain parameters, such as large forest size, no protected areas and the existence of hiking and biking paths, which implies public access and maintenance.
Partisanship and satisfaction with democracy : a longitudinal analysis of the linkage between citizens and the state

There are a number of studies indicating that partisan ties are weakening. However, we know less about what this means for citizens’ attitudes towards the party system and democratic procedures more generally. Relying on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we conduct a longitudinal multilevel analysis to explore whether the effect of party identity on satisfaction with democracy has changed over a period of 23 years (1987-2010). Our results show that while partisanship and satisfaction with the performance of the regime declined in this period, the effect of party identity on satisfaction with the functioning of democracy has strengthened. Thereby, it does not matter whether citizens support the party that won or lost the previous elections. We conclude that by providing mechanisms of identification, political parties still play an important role in linking citizens with the state.
INTERNET BANKING PATRONAGE: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF MALAYSIA

The current trend in the electronic revolution which has set in motion the Malaysian banking sector inevitably appears to be Internet banking. The advent of Internet banking offers banking firms a new frontier of opportunities and challenges. Despite these possibilities, there are various psychological and behavioral issues such as trust, security of Internet transactions, reluctance to change, and preference for human interface which appear to impede the growth of Internet banking. Consequently, the action taken by bankers and policy makers in appropriately addressing these critical issues will determine the success of Internet banking. This study, therefore, is focused in providing an understanding of the factors that affect the adoption of Internet banking in Malaysia.
A Novel Predictive Direct Torque Controller for Induction Motor Drives

A predictive direct torque controller (PDTC) for induction motors (IM) is proposed. It combines the direct torque control (DTC) and the predictive control (PC), and uses a predictive switching table to enhance the overall performance of the motor. A new type of PC is adopted for speed regulation with the use of a load torque observer, the torque being considered an unknown perturbation. A Kalman filter (KF) is used for reliable flux estimation. The validity of the proposed controller was experimentally confirmed on a rapid control prototyping station. The obtained results have proven superiority of the proposed control with respect to the speed trajectory tracking, torque and flux dynamic responses, and disturbance rejection. Also, a lower current distortion was observed with PDTC, in comparison with the regular DTC, due to increased mean inverter switching frequency.
Identification of the Emerging Pathogen Vibrio vulnificus Biotype 3 by Commercially Available Phenotypic Methods

ABSTRACT Identification of the emerging pathogen Vibrio vulnificus biotype 3 has become a challenge for clinical laboratories in the last few years. In this study, the abilities of five commercial systems to identify this new species have been evaluated for the first time, using a unique collection of strains. Fifty-one well-documented wild strains of V. vulnificus biotype 3 were processed using API 20 NE, GNI+ Vitek 1 cards, ID-GNB Vitek 2 cards, Neg Combo 20 Microscan panels, and NMIC/ID-5 BD Phoenix panels. The numbers of strains identified as V. vulnificus by ID-GNB, NMIC/ID-5, and GNI+ were 50 (98.0%), 46 (90.2%), and 7 (13.7%), respectively. Neg Combo 20 Microscan panels and API 20 NE were unable to identify any of the strains of this emerging pathogen to the species level and mostly misidentifies them as other species of the Vibrionaceae family. Data on the phenotypic pattern of V. vulnificus biotype 3 when processed in all five systems as presented here could help clinical laboratories in identifying this new pathogen.
Physiological correlates of social avoidance behavior in children and adolescents with fragile x syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether eye-gaze avoidance, a striking phenotypic feature in fragile X syndrome (FXS), is associated with high levels of "hyperarousal" during social interactions with others. To date, almost all studies in this area have been confounded by inclusion of task demands in addition to social demands. METHOD We monitored the cardiovascular activity and eye-gaze avoidance of 50 boys and girls with FXS aged 5 to 20 years during a 25-minute intensive social interaction session with an unfamiliar experimenter. To control for possible family and genetic factors in cardiovascular activity, we compared each child with FXS with their same-sex typically developing biological sibling. RESULTS Participants with FXS obtained significantly higher heart rates, lower vagal tone, and lower heart rate variability estimates both at baseline and during the social interaction session compared with their typically developing siblings. Although eye-gaze avoidance occurred at significantly higher levels in the children with FXS, this behavior decreased slightly over the course of the session (a "warm-up" effect) and did not seem to be associated with cardiovascular activity. In the girls with FXS, higher levels of the fragile X mental retardation protein were associated with higher (and more typical) heart rate variability. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are dysregulated in FXS. However, given that prolonged exposure to social demands does not inevitably lead to increased anxiety or "hyperarousal," professionals should not be deterred from providing much needed social skills interventions for individuals with FXS.
Synergetic effect of fullerene and graphene oxide nanoparticles on mechanical characteristics of cross-linked polyurethanes under static and dynamic loading

The effect of low concentration of fullerene, graphene oxide and their combinations at an 85/15 ratio as additives on structure and mechanical properties of cross-linked polyurethanes has been studied at static and dynamic loading. Structure of nanocomposites has been determined from X-ray analysis and scanning electron microscopy. It has been shown that the presence of carbon nanoparticles in a composite results in its lower strength under both static and shock-wave loads. The synergetic effect of carbon nanoparticles mixture is revealed to have 1.25 times higher Young's modulus as compared with native polymer.
Synthetic phase tuning of guided waves

A novel method has been developed to generate and manipulate multi-mode guided waves. This technique uses a linear phased array whose elements are activated according to a prescribed time delay profile obtained from the dispersion curves. It is shown that a desired guided wave mode can be tuned by synthetically constructing a virtual wave from individually acquired waveform data. In addition to the development of such a synthetic phase tuning (SPT) technique, a pseudo pulse-echo (PPE) operation scheme is also developed for nondestructive testing. Experimental results are compared with those obtained by more traditional techniques using variable angle wedges and array transducers. It was shown that the new technique is convenient, robust, and flexible in utilizing multi-mode guided waves for nondestructive evaluation (NDE). It is a dynamic method that can produce desired guided wave modes propagating in the desired direction without any mechanical alignment. The advantages and limitations of the technique are addressed.
Behavioral Tracing of Twitter Accounts

“Trolls” individuals who engage in malicious behavior are a common occurrence within online communities. Yet simply banning accounts associated with trolls is often ineffective as individuals may register new accounts under pseudonyms and resume their activity. In this paper, we demonstrate how this can be addressed through a behavioral trace. Specifically, we show that by analyzing the posts of an account, we can derive a semantic signature unique to the account’s owner. By comparing the signatures of two accounts, we can determine whether they belong to the same user. We validate our techniques on a dataset of Twitter users, and explore different properties of our methods.
Surface Electromyography Based Estimation of Knee Joint Angle by Using Correlation Dimension of Wavelet Coefficient

In this paper, we propose a regression model to establish a relationship between surface electromyography (sEMG) and knee joint angles. In this model, the correlation dimension of wavelet coefficient (WCCD) and an Elman network are developed for the model estimation. In our experiment, the sEMG signals were recorded from five muscles concerned with knee joint motion, and knee joint angles were simultaneously recorded by a Codamotion system. First, we used a feature extraction method based on WCCD to extract optimal feature vectors from multichannel sEMG signals. Then, the Elman network was used to map the optimal sEMG features to the knee joint angles. The results show that the features extracted from the multichannel sEMG signals using the WCCD method proposed in this paper outperform the time-domain and frequency-domain methods. Our method is expected to be applied to intelligent prosthetics, exoskeleton robots, and medical rehabilitation robots.