Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diverging Life Worlds in Corporate Cooperation – What it Takes for Cross-Boundary Knowledge Transfer

In this article the creation and transfer of knowledge across sociocultural boundaries that separate different life worlds and systems of meaning are treated from a social-constructivist perspective. We concentrate on the constructivist discourse (Schultz & Stabell, 2004, p. 555), in which knowledge is not an entity independent of an observer but rather something rooted exclusively in and shaped by interaction. In other words, it is developed and perpetuated through interdependent processes of attribution and validation. “Knowledge is continuously shaping and being shaped by the social practices of individuals in communities. Thus knowledge is both the outcome of situated action as well as the input to it” (p. 558). As far as we can see, however, social-constructivist approaches to knowledge transfer (Boland and Tenkasi, 1995; Brown & Duguid, 1998, 2001) are not embedded in social theory. The goal of our study is therefore to help provide that framework at the theoretical level. In practical terms, our intent is to sharpen awareness of the relevance that supraindividual factors have in cross-boundary knowledge transfer.
On the impact of urban heat island and global warming on the power demand and electricity consumption of buildings — A review

Urban heat island and global warming increase significantly the ambient temperature. Higher temperatures have a serious impact on the electricity consumption of the building sector increasing considerably the peak and the total electricity demand. The present paper aims to collect, analyze and present in a comparative way existing studies investigating the impact of ambient temperature increase on electricity consumption. Analysis of eleven studies dealing with the impact of the ambient temperature on the peak electricity demand showed that for each degree of temperature increase, the increase of the peak electricity load varies between 0.45% and 4.6%. This corresponds to an additional electricity penalty of about 21 (±10.4) W per degree of temperature increase and per person. In parallel, analysis of fifteen studies examining the impact of ambient temperature on the total electricity consumption, showed that the actual increase of the electricity demand per degree of temperature increase varies between 0.5% and 8.5%. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Extending Acute Trials to Remote Populations: A Pilot Study During Interhospital Helicopter Transfer

Background and Purpose— Methods to increase recruitment into acute stroke trials are needed. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the safety and acceptability of initiating acute stroke trials during early helicopter evacuation and to test an intervention to facilitate informed consent. Methods— A randomized, controlled trial was done with patients with acute stroke who were transferred by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from February 2007 to January 2008. The intervention to be evaluated was the use of fax and a telephone call to the patient/surrogate ahead of helicopter arrival at the outside emergency department. The aim was to improve the rate of subsequent consent (primary outcome) for a pilot trial of a potentially beneficial, low-risk medical intervention (ranitidine) to prevent aspiration pneumonitis. Consenting eligible patients received the infusion during the flight to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Results— One hundred patients were enrolled. Consent rate was 54% in the intervention group and 50% in the control group (P=0.69). However, the consent rate was higher (69%) when prearrival communications between the coinvestigator and potential subjects were successful (P=0.04). This approach resulted in an average gain of 59 minutes as compared with initiating recruitment on arrival to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Conclusions— Enrollment into stroke intervention trials is feasible during helicopter transportation from a community hospital emergency department to a tertiary stroke center. This underused resource may improve trial efficiency by enabling and expediting participation of remote populations currently excluded from research. Consent rates might be further improved by communication strategies that are more successful in reaching patients at outside emergency departments.
Depressive symptoms, excessive reassurance seeking, and relationship maintenance

Using a sample of 143 heterosexual, ethnically diverse couples, we explored the consequences of individuals’ depressive symptomology and excessive reassurance seeking (ERS) for (a) the efforts they and their partners make to maintain their relationship and (b) the satisfaction reported by each relational party. Data were analyzed using an extension of the actor–partner interdependence model. We found actor effects of depression on satisfaction and on relationship maintenance behavior. We also detected significant actor effects of ERS on relationship maintenance behavior. There was inconsistent evidence of partner effects and of the predicted indirect effects. Results suggest that depression and the tendency to engage in ERS may exert countervailing influences on the enactment of relationship maintenance: For both men and women, depression was a negative predictor of self-reported relationship maintenance, whereas ERS was a positive predictor. We suggest that ERS could be considered a form of relationship maintenance in its own right.
Minimizing Navigation Cost Through Interactive Data Exploration and Discovery 1

Web databases when queried result in huge number of records when users of query need a portion of those results which are real interest to them. This problem can be solved using concept hierarchies. Knowledge representation in the form of concepts and the relationships among them (Ontology) allows effective navigation. This paper presents provisions for categorization and ranking in order to reduce the number of results of query and also ensure that the navigation is effective. User should not spend much time to view the actual subset of records he is interested in from the avalanche of records that have been retrieved. For experiments, PubMed database which is in the public domain is used. The PubMed data is medical in nature and organized as per the annotations provided that is instrumental in making concept hierarchies to represent the whole dataset of PubMed. The proposed technique in this paper provides a new search interface that facilitates end users to have effective navigation of query results that are presented in the form of concept hierarchies. Moreover the query results are presented in such a way that the navigation cost is minimized and thus giving rich user experience in this area. The empirical results revealed that the proposed navigation system is effective and can be adapted to real world systems where huge number of tuples is to be presented. KeywordsWeb Database , Opt Edge Cut Algorithm
A Hybrid Parallel Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm for 0/1 Knapsack Problem

In this paper a hybrid parallel multi-objective genetic algorithm is proposed for solving 0/1 knapsack problem. Multi-objective problems with non-convex and discrete Pareto front can take enormous computation time to converge to the true Pareto front. Hence, the classical multi-objective genetic algorithms (MOGAs) (i.e., non- Parallel MOGAs) may fail to solve such intractable problem in a reasonable amount of time. The proposed hybrid model will combine the best attribute of island and Jakobovic master slave models. We conduct an extensive experimental study in a multi-core system by varying the different size of processors and the result is compared with basic parallel model i.e., master-slave model which is used to parallelize NSGA-II. The experimental results confirm that the hybrid model is showing a clear edge over master-slave model in terms of processing time and approximation to the true Pareto front.
Characterization of a rabbit osteoporosis model induced by ovariectomy and glucocorticoid

Background and purpose Experimental models of osteoporosis in rabbits are useful to investigate anabolic agents because rabbits have an active Haversian remodeling and achieve skeletal maturiaty quickly. In this study, an experimental model of osteoporosis in rabbits induced by a combination of ovariectomy and glucocorticoid was characterized to provide a useful model for prevention and therapy of osteoporosis. Methods 32 skeletally mature female rabbits were divided randomly into 4 groups: sham control, bilateral ovariectomy (OVX), 1mg/kg/day methylprednisolone (MP) for 8 weeks, and OVX in combination with MP. All rabbits were killed 10 weeks after surgery. Bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline, and at 6 and 10 weeks postoperatively. Bone microarchitecture and mechanical properties of lumbar vertebrae were investigated by high-resolution micro-computed tomography and compression test, respectively, after killing. Results Mean BMD of the OVX+MP group at 10 weeks was reduced by about 36% from baseline (p < 0.001). Bone microarchitecture of lumbar vertebrae in the OVX+MP group indicated osteoporosis-associated deterioration. There was a statistically significant reduction in maximum load, stiffness, and energy absorption capacity of lumbar vertebrae in the OVX+MP group, but not in the OVX group, compared to the sham control. In the MP group, BMD and some microarchitecture parameters such as trabecular thickness and bone volume fraction were reduced. The mechanical properties were not statistically significantly different from those in the sham control group, however, although a negative trend was observed. Interpretation Osteopenia can be induced experimentally in rabbits through a combination of OVX and MP, and can be evaluated by BMD, bone microstructure, and mechanical parameters.
Young Maori perceptions of a youth development programme

Abstract Project K is a youth development programme that targets young people aged 14–15 years with low self-efficacy. It is run by the Foundation for Youth Development. Story-telling style interviews that asked participants to imagine themselves in a reality television show with different ‘episodes’ were conducted with six Maori Project K participants on the effectiveness of the programme and if and how it works with Maori ‘as Maori’. Results suggested the programme used graded mastery, team work and fun to produce positive outcomes. It also had high expectations of participants, coupled with intense support. Participants described the programme as not particularly attending to them ‘as Maori’, which they generally viewed positively. A workshop was held with key programme staff to analyse the results and formulate an action plan to address areas for improvement. Implications for other programmes that involve indigenous youth are outlined.
Design and Implementation of a Laboratory Prototype of a Modular Multilevel Converter with Embedded Storage

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) have captured the interest of many researchers and power system planners as a novel and flexible voltage source converter topology. The MMC can be extended to integrate energy storage in a modular structure. The converter generates output ac voltages in multiple steps, therefore offering improved harmonic performance. Battery units can be dispersed within the converter, which increases the redundancy of the battery bank. This paper presents the design and development of a laboratory scale single phase MMC with embedded storage. Experimental results are presented and analyzed.
IT strategy Implementation Framework - Bridging Enterprise Architecture and IT Governance

ABSTRACT It’s increasingly acknowledged that firms cannot be competitive if their IT strategies are not implemented methodically. A number of proposals have been made to prioritize strategic IT plan executions and determine the most appropriate models and architectures. While IT governance primarily focuses on day-to-day IT operations, enterprise architecture primarily focuses on designing the future state of architecture in support of business. Despite still being a major concern for business and IT executives, there is little published research that bridges both and therefore attempts to give methodological support from a holistic perspective. Additionally it seems that governance needs to be investigated in terms of implementing IT strategies on different levels of abstraction. This article therefore proposes a framework to analyze institutions and guide IT-strategy implementation in order to analyze, monitor and control the desired results. Due to the underlying theories and applied interviews the model is potentially generalizable.
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting VEGF effectively inhibits ocular neovascularization in a mouse model.

PURPOSE RNA interference mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) is a powerful technology allowing the silencing of mamalian genes with great specificity and potency. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of RNA interference mediated by siRNA in retinal cells in vitro and in the murine retina in vivo. METHODS siRNAs specific for enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and murine and human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were designed. In vitro studies in human cell lines entailed modulation of endogenous VEGF levels through chemically induced hypoxia. Effects of siRNA treatment on these levels were measured by ELISA. In vivo studies evaluating effects of siRNA on levels of EGFP and VEGF were performed by co-injecting recombinant viruses carrying EGFP or hVEGF cDNAs along with the appropriate siRNAs subretinally in mice. Additional studies aimed at blocking production of endogenous mVEGF were performed using laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in mice. Effects of in vivo treatments were evaluated ophthalmoscopically. Retinal/choroidal flat mounts were evaluated after perfusion with dextran-fluorescein. Alternatively, retinas were evaluated in histological sections or VEGF levels were measured in intact eyes using ELISA. RESULTS Successful delivery of siRNA to the subretinal space was confirmed by observing significantly reduced levels of EGFP in eyes treated with Ad.CMV. EGFP plus EGFP-directed siRNA. siRNAs directed against hVEGF effectively and specifically inhibit hypoxia-induced VEGF levels in human cell lines and after adenoviral induced hVEGF transgene expression in vivo. In addition, subretinal delivery of siRNA directed against murine Vegf significantly inhibited CNV after laser photocoagulation. CONCLUSIONS Delivery of siRNA can be used in vitro and in vivo to target specific RNAs and to reduce the levels of the specific protein product in the targeted cells. This work suggests that RNA interference has potential for application to studies of retinal biology and for the treatment of a variety of retinal diseases, including those involving abnormal blood vessel growth.
Interaction of New-Developed TiO2-Based Photocatalytic Nanoparticles with Pathogenic Microorganisms and Human Dermal and Pulmonary Fibroblasts

TiO2-based photocatalysts were obtained during previous years in order to limit pollution and to ease human daily living conditions due to their special properties. However, obtaining biocompatible photocatalysts is still a key problem, and the mechanism of their toxicity recently received increased attention. Two types of TiO2 nanoparticles co-doped with 1% of iron and nitrogen (TiO2-1% Fe–N) atoms were synthesized in hydrothermal conditions at pH of 8.5 (HT1) and 5.5 (HT2), and their antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic effects exerted on human pulmonary and dermal fibroblasts were assessed. These particles exhibited significant microbicidal and anti-biofilm activity, suggesting their potential application for microbial decontamination of different environments. In addition, our results demonstrated the biocompatibility of TiO2-1% Fe–N nanoparticles at low doses on lung and dermal cells, which may initiate oxidative stress through dose accumulation. Although no significant changes were observed between the two tested photocatalysts, the biological response was cell type specific and time- and dose-dependent; the lung cells proved to be more sensitive to nanoparticle exposure. Taken together, these experimental data provide useful information for future photocatalytic applications in the industrial, food, pharmaceutical, and medical fields.
Understanding Family Connections and Help Seeking Behavior in Chinese American Immigrant Adults who Attempt Suicide

Aim: This study explores the influence of beliefs, values and norms in Chinese family culture as they relate to attitudes and beliefs about mental health and mental health services. It examines family and acculturative stressors occurring in the immigrant's social context on attitudes about suicidal distress and help-seeking behaviors, and focuses on appropriate forms of services for suicidal behaviors among adult immigrants experiencing suicidal behaviors. Methods: The study design is descriptive, using a qualitative approach. Six Chinese American immigrant adults who had attempted suicide participated in semi-structured interviews in Mandarin or Cantonese. The content was analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results: Study participants exhibited various reactions to suicidal distress, attitudes about needing help and usefulness and relevance of existing intervention strategies and services that reflected influences of Chinese family culture. Interactions with family members negatively impacted study participants' attitudes about using services and hindered pathways to care. Acculturative stressors, along with weak family ties and the absence of strong community networks exacerbated the strategies for effective services. Conclusion: This study raises the question of the efficacy of several Western-culture based service delivery models on help-seeking behaviors on such populations. Furthermore, the study discusses ethnic sensitive approaches with core roles for family, peers and community for supporting those at risk of attempting suicide and linking them to appropriate community-based services.
Interactive experiment planning to control knowledge-based simulation

The author presents an initial attempt to facilitate the design and execution of simulation experiments through the use of an interactive, opportunistic, hierarchical planner. The planner provides an orderly way to control the planning and execution of simulation experiments without overly restricting the user to a preestablished routine. In addition to planning the simulation and keeping track of its current state, the planner, through its graphical interface, can provide the simulator with a natural, coherent framework for its user interface. Examples are presented of the planner's graphical interface. <<ETX>>
Response to Intervention: Early Identification of Students with Learning Disabilities

The number of students with learning disabilities (LD) has grown substantially in the last three decades. These students account for more than half of the special education programs. As with the growing number, there is a great debate on the identification procedures of students with LD during early years. One of the models to early identify students with disabilities is Response to Intervention (RtI). The purpose of this article is to describe RtI on the identification of students with learning disabilities (LD) in the early years of childhood. First, a brief overview of RtI is provided, including the most popular models. Next, utilization of RtI in the identification of LD is described. Then, an overview of approaches that RtI is used to maximize achievement for a wide range of students is provided. Finally, future research directions in the area of special education within a model of RtI are discussed.
Ne-like ion lasers in the extreme ultraviolet region.

We report strong {ital J}=0--1, 3{ital p}-3{ital s} lasing in Ne-like scandium, calcium, potassium, and chlorine at wavelengths ranging from 35.3 nm in scandium to 52.9 nm in chlorine. The experiments were carried out with the ASTERIX IV iodine laser using a 15% prepulse 5.2 ns before the main pulse. These results extend the range of laser plasma x-ray lasers into the extreme ultraviolet region. Gain lengths between 7 and 11 were measured for the different lines. The 38.3-nm laser in calcium lased at an intensity as low as 5{times}10{sup 12} W/cm{sup {minus}2}.
Optically tracked multi-robot system for keyhole neurosurgery

Robotic systems have been introduced in surgery to increase the intervention accuracy. In this framework, the ROBOCAST system is an optically controlled multi-robot chain aimed at enhancing the accuracy of surgical probe insertion during keyhole neurosurgery procedures. The system is composed by three robots, connected as a multiple kinematic chain (serial, parallel and linear) totaling 13 degrees of freedom (DoFs) and is it is used to automatically align the probe onto the desired trajectory.
Self-dual bent functions

A bent function is called self-dual if it is equal to its dual. It is called anti-self-dual if it is equal to the complement of its dual. A spectral characterisation in terms of the Rayleigh quotient of the Sylvester Hadamard matrix is derived. Bounds on the Rayleigh quotient are given for Boolean functions in an odd number of variables. An efficient search algorithm based on the spectrum of the Sylvester matrix is derived. Primary and secondary constructions are given. All self-dual bent Boolean functions in ≤ 6 variables and all quadratic such functions in eight variables are given, up to a restricted form of affine equivalence.
Nox2-derived radicals contribute to neurovascular and behavioral dysfunction in mice overexpressing the amyloid precursor protein

Alterations in cerebrovascular regulation related to vascular oxidative stress have been implicated in the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their role in the amyloid deposition and cognitive impairment associated with AD remains unclear. We used mice overexpressing the Swedish mutation of the amyloid precursor protein (Tg2576) as a model of AD to examine the role of reactive oxygen species produced by NADPH oxidase in the cerebrovascular alterations, amyloid deposition, and behavioral deficits observed in these mice. We found that 12- to 15-month-old Tg2576 mice lacking the catalytic subunit Nox2 of NADPH oxidase do not develop oxidative stress, cerebrovascular dysfunction, or behavioral deficits. These improvements occurred without reductions in brain amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) levels or amyloid plaques. The findings unveil a previously unrecognized role of Nox2-derived radicals in the behavioral deficits of Tg2576 mice and provide a link between the neurovascular dysfunction and cognitive decline associated with amyloid pathology.
Text Readability Level and Developmental Differences in Context Effects

Vocalization latency of target words which were either congruous or incongruous with a story context was measured. The readability level of the story contexts was varied. Third and sixth grade children each read stories which were of grade-appropriate level as well as stories with readability levels which were above their present grade level. The effect of story context on mean vocalization latency was greater for the third as compared to the sixth graders when grade-appropriate level stories were presented. However, these developmental differences in context effects were reduced when more difficult readability level stories were presented.