Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attitude toward luxury cruise, fantasy, and willingness to pay a price premium

ABSTRACT This study applies the functional theory of attitudes in examining the structural relationships among the social-adjustive, value-expressive, hedonic, and utilitarian functions of attitudes, fantasy, and willingness to pay a premium. This study also identifies the moderating roles of sensory innovativeness and maximization in the relationships between the four functions of attitudes and fantasy. An online survey (N = 543) was conducted to collect data from American respondents. Structural equation modeling analysis was conducted to test proposed hypotheses. Results showed that the four functions of attitudes had significant positive effects on fantasy. In subsequent process, fantasy had a significant positive effect on willingness to pay a premium. Sensory innovativeness moderated the relationship between value-expressive function and fantasy, and maximization moderated the relationship between fantasy and willingness to pay a price premium. Given these findings, valuable theoretical and practical implications are discussed regarding the role of fantasy in luxury cruise decision-making.
Human capital loss in an academic performance measurement system

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of academic human capital (HC) towards a university’s research performance measurement system (PMS), in response to a national research assessment exercise (RAE). ,This paper draws on a subset of the data from a large mixed method case study research project about the impact of ERA on an Australian public sector university. ,The findings reveal that the research PMSs were designed, implemented and used as a tool to measure and manage the research performance of HC within the university. The case study university performed well in the RAE. However, this also led to several unintended consequences in the form of fear and anxiety, gaming and strategic initiatives, a focus on quantity and not the quality of research, and increased workload, which led to a loss in the stock of HC. ,This empirical evidence can inform governments and policy makers of the unintended consequences of government research evaluations on academic HC. University managers could improve the design of HC management systems by not only measuring academic HC performance, but also providing training and resources to enhance, support and maintain the overall well-being of academics. ,This study provides insights regarding the connection between a university’s PMS and academic HC and contributes to the academic literature on intellectual capital and PMSs.
Using Functional Connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Brain Connectivity in Preterm Infants

Background The use of functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) in research involving preterm infants is relatively new, and its feasibility in this population is not fully established. However, fcMRI images reveal functional neural connections that may be useful in establishing the mechanisms of neuroprotective interventions in preterm infants. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of using fcMRI to measure differences in functional neural connections in nursing intervention studies. Methods A pilot study was conducted as part of a longitudinal, randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the effect of a feeding intervention on neurodevelopmental and clinical outcomes of preterm infants randomly assigned to one of two groups: a patterned feeding experience (PFE) group and a usual feeding care (UFC) group. The fcMRIs were done at term-equivalent age. Visual, motor, and default mode networks were analyzed. Results Seven infants were studied (four were in the PFE group, and three were in the UFC group). Participants were selected sequentially from the parent RCT. Clear images were obtained from all participants. Differences were noted among PFE and UFC infants: Infants receiving PFE were hyperconnective in the default mode (caudate, anterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus) and motor networks (middle temporal and middle occipital areas) and hypoconnective in others areas of the default mode (hippocampal and lingual regions) and motor networks (precentral and superior frontal cortices) relative to UFC infants. No differences were noted in visual networks. Discussion The feasibility of using fcMRI at term-equivalent age in preterm infants who participated in an RCT on the effect of a nursing intervention was shown. Differences in connectivity among infants by group were detected. Further research is needed to show the benefit of fcMRI in studies of preterm infants given the costs of the procedure as well as the uncertain relationship of this early outcome measure to long-term neurodevelopment.
Enhanced &bgr;-ionone Emission in Arabidopsis Over-Expressing AtCCD1 Reduces Feeding Damage in vivo by the Crucifer Flea Beetle

ABSTRACT Plant carotenoid derived &bgr;-ionone has been shown to have diverse biological effects on some insect herbivores and herbivore parasitoids. In this study, Arabidopsis transgenic plants over-expressing a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenasel gene (AtCCD1) were generated to test whether &bgr;-ionone emissions could be enhanced and used to control feeding by the crucifer flea beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze). The transgenic plants exhibited a morphological phenotype indistinguishable from the wild type (WT) control over their complete life cycle. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses of headspace volatiles collected from 6-wk-old intact flowering plants revealed substantially enhanced &bgr;-ionone emission from transgenic plants compared with WT, but no &bgr;-ionone enhancement occurred at a young vegetative stage (4-wk-old seedlings). Bioassays in an enclosed environment showed that ATCCD1 over-expression resulted in ≈50% less leaf area damage by flea beetles on transgenic plants compared with WT plants. The mean number of damaged transgenic leaves per plant also was significantly lower in transgenic plants (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that AtCCD1 over-expression and induced &bgr;-ionone emission might find application in the control of pests for Brassica crops grown in greenhouse operations. Potentially, &bgr;-ionone also could be used on crops grown in open-air ecosystems if this allomone is released in sufficient quantities to discourage herbivore foragers.
Effects of Form-focused, Meaning-focused, and Forms-focused Instruction on Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners' Development of Collocations

The current study was an attempt to investigate the effect of performing Focus on Form (FoF) which was text reconstruction task, Focus on Meaning (FoM) which was discussion task, and Focus on Forms (FoFs) which was word list collocations task on the development of collocational knowledge among Iranian intermediate EFL learners, and to explore any significant difference on the achievement of the participants' collocational knowledge among three groups. In so doing, 107 female intermediate EFL learners were selected for this research. They all took the Nelson proficiency test and 90 students were randomly selected and divided into three groups of FoF, FoM, and FoFs. Before the treatment they were pretested and the results of the three groups did not have any significant difference, thus all of the learners were at the same level of knowledge. After the treatment, they were posttested and their scores in FoM group were considerably higher than the learner' scores in FoF and FoFs groups but the learners' scores in FoF and FoFs groups did not have any significant difference with each other. The findings of this study offer beneficial implications for EFL teachers, learners, and materials developers which are finally discussed.
Developing and implementing an Academy of Preceptors.

In response to national trends for preceptor development, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy conceived, developed, and implemented the Academy of Preceptors to foster preceptor development. The Academy's goals are to recognize preceptor excellence, improve experiential course delivery, develop preceptors' educational skills, and facilitate networking among preceptors.In 2004, the Academy's initial focus was development of live continuing education programs for preceptor development. A CD-ROM format also was developed for those who could not attend live sessions. Preceptors were asked to suggest additional topics of interest for future programs.In this paper, we describe our progress toward the goals, the School's benefits from the Academy, and the implications for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). Preceptors provide 30% of pharmacy curricula; thus, the need for their training and ongoing professional development has been increasingly emphasized within experiential education. Priorities are to train preceptors to become better educators and motivate these practitioners to improve pharmacy education by sharing their valuable expertise with students.
Ramsey tax-spending policy in a model of endogenous growth

We augment Barro's (1990) popular model of optimal fiscal policy and endogenous growth by adding public debt. The main result (that it is optimal to keep the income tax rate flat over time) ceases to hold. In particular, we restore the celebrated property of Ramsey policy. Also, by getting a full analytical and numerical solution to the Ramsey problem, we quantify policies and allocations across different tax policy regimes. JEL numbers: H2; D9.
Effects of bafilomycin A1, a vacuolar type H+ ATPase inhibitor, on the thermosensitivity of a human pancreatic cancer cell line

Purpose: It has been known that the thermosensitivity of tumour cells can be increased by lowering intra-cellular pH (pHi) by inhibiting pHi control mechanisms. The pHi is partially controlled by transport of H+ from cytoplasm into endocytic and secretary systems in the cells mediated by vacuolar type H+ATPase and also by transport of H+ through plasma membrane. Methods: This study investigated the effects the bafilomycine A1, an inhibitor of the vacuolar type H+ATPase and the EIPA, an inhibitor of the Na+/H+ exchanger in plasma membrane, on thermosensitivity of AsPC-1 cells, a human pancreatic cancer cell line. It also investigated the effects of combination of bafilomycine A1 and EIPA. Results: The treatment of cancer cells with bafilomycine A1 or EIPA individually slightly lowered pHi of the cells in vitro and increased the thermosensitivity of the cells. Conclusion: The combination of these two drugs significantly lowered pHi and increased thermosensitivity of cancer cells in vitro and enhanced the heat-induced the growth delay of AsPC-1 tumours grown s.c in the legs of BALB/cA nude mice.
The Effects of Government Support on Corporate Performance Hedging against International Environmental Regulation

Government support systems are crucial for export SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises) to cope with growing international environmental regulations. However, empirical studies show a limited research area to explore the performance of export SMEs with the help of government support systems to meet international environmental regulations. This study draws implications on the relationship between government support and corporate performance on export SMEs between two countries: Korea and China. Based on 350 samples from Korea and 320 from China, we diagnosed government supports most positively affects corporate performances in the area of eco-innovation. While education, certificate, and tax supports were less pressing areas to support, no significance was found in information support. Furthermore, we found that eco-innovation is the strongest motive to accelerate corporate performance. Finally, the support of Chinese government on firms seems to be more affective when compared to Korean government support.
Measurement of muscle stiffness using robotic assisted gait orthosis in children with cerebral palsy: a proof of concept

Purpose. To evaluate the feasibility and reliability of a novel stiffness assessment tool implemented in the driven gait orthosis Paediatric Lokomat; to investigate the influence of single robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) on muscle stiffness in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods. Ten children with spastic CP conducted a single standard RAGT session and stiffness was assessed before and after the RAGT. Nine of the ten subjects were tested twice on the same day to investigate test–retest reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurement (SEM), coefficient of variation of the method error (CVME) and resistive torques during passive leg movements (stiffness in Nm/°) were calculated. Results. ICCs showed high reliability (0.83–0.97) for hip and knee movements. SEM and CVME indicated 0.028–0.085 Nm/°, 9.5–23.0% of test–retest variability in hip and 0.018–0.064 Nm/°, 13.3–43.5% in knee measures. Using the assessment tool, a significant decrease in muscle stiffness in participants, especially in children with high levels of muscle tone, could be shown after a single session of RAGT. Conclusions. The assessment tool L-STIFF is a feasible tool for automated measurement of stiffness in children with CP, but it is not sensitive enough to record small changes in muscle tone.
Machine‐Learning Techniques Applied to Antibacterial Drug Discovery

The emergence of drug‐resistant bacteria threatens to revert humanity back to the preantibiotic era. Even now, multidrug‐resistant bacterial infections annually result in millions of hospital days, billions in healthcare costs, and, most importantly, tens of thousands of lives lost. As many pharmaceutical companies have abandoned antibiotic development in search of more lucrative therapeutics, academic researchers are uniquely positioned to fill the pipeline. Traditional high‐throughput screens and lead‐optimization efforts are expensive and labor intensive. Computer‐aided drug‐discovery techniques, which are cheaper and faster, can accelerate the identification of novel antibiotics, leading to improved hit rates and faster transitions to preclinical and clinical testing. The current review describes two machine‐learning techniques, neural networks and decision trees, that have been used to identify experimentally validated antibiotics. We conclude by describing the future directions of this exciting field.
A Randomized Trial of Simulation-Based Deliberate Practice for Infant Lumbar Puncture Skills

Background: Infant lumbar puncture (LP) is mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for all pediatric trainees. Current training usually involves the apprenticeship model of “see one, do one, teach one” where a trainee's first LP attempt occurs in a high-stakes environment. Simulation training promotes skill development in a safe environment before patient contact. Objective: To demonstrate that deliberate practice simulation-based training after audiovisual training (AV) improves infant LP skills compared with a control group receiving AV training only. Design/Methods: This was a randomized trial of simulation-based training + AV versus AV only for pediatric residents. On enrollment, the subjects' infant LP skills were evaluated through their performance on a simulator. A questionnaire and brief quiz were administered to collect information on the subjects' infant LP experience, knowledge, and confidence. All subjects viewed an educational AV presentation. The intervention group went on to participate in a simulation-based deliberate practice session on the infant LP simulator while the control group did not. Our primary outcome was self-reported clinical success on the first infant LP after training. Secondary outcomes were rates of traumatic clinical LPs, infant LP skills (measured via observed structured clinical examinations on the simulator 6 months after training), and change in participants' knowledge and confidence. Results: Fifty-one residents reported 32 clinical encounters. Sixteen of 17 subjects (94%) in the intervention group who performed a clinical infant LP obtained cerebrospinal fluid compared with 7 of 15 subjects (47%) in the control group (difference = 47%; 95% CI = 16%–70%). There was no difference between groups at 6 months on observed structured clinical examination performance, knowledge, or confidence. Conclusions: Participation in a simulation-based deliberate practice intervention can improve infant LP skill.
Using Social Media Data for Research: An Overview of Tools

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Housing entry pathways of refugees in Vienna, a city of social housing

Abstract This article presents the findings of an empirical study investigating refugees’ difficult entry into Vienna’s ‘tight’ housing market. Arguing that newcomers’ access to housing can be better understood by a closer look at the actors involved in the housing search process, an actor-centred approach is used. Complementing the constructivist pathway framework with a model of search based on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, four types of housing entry pathways could be identified. This study draws on semi-structured in-depth interviews with forced migrants who arrived in Austria in recent years. The analysis of newcomers’ housing entry pathways not only sheds light on the coordination structures at work in a city of social housing, but also on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ rental housing submarkets that have emerged in the course of the recent refugee movement. The paper concludes that a high proportion of social housing does not provide any indication that newcomers are granted better access to secure affordable housing.
The preclinical development of regorafenib for the treatment of colorectal cancer

Introduction: The RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway is one of the best characterized kinase cascades. During the exploration of small molecules that inhibit RAF1 kinase, regorafenib (BAY 73-4506) was discovered as a multikinase inhibitor which demonstrated anti-cancer, anti-angiogenic, and apoptotic activities in metastatic colorectal cancer. This was not the first multikinase inhibitor discovered for the disease; indeed, before regorafenib was approved by FDA as a multikinase inhibitor for metastatic colorectal cancer in 2012, sorafenib (BAY 43-9006) had already been developed to be the first in the world as a multikinase inhibitor for malignancy. Indeed, the only difference between the two compounds is fluorine bound to its proximal phenyl ring although the end result is a considerably different profile, both as a kinase inhibitor as well as in its clinical application. Areas covered: In this drug discovery case history, the authors review the design, discovery, and development of both regorafenib and sorafenib from back in the 1990s. Furthermore, the authors highlight the drug’s anti-cancer and anti-angiogenic properties as well as its efficacy, safety pharmacology and toxicology based on FDA documents. Expert opinion: In order to better predict the efficacy of kinase inhibitors and to utilize them more efficiently, our understanding of drug discovery, the approaches for kinase profiling, and technologies needed for their development are paramount. Indeed, the authors believe that the field should better explore the use of predictive biomarkers that might be able to better assess these therapeutics. Pharmaceutical scientists must also consider the cost effectiveness of the targeted agents developed as a number of the drugs developed are very expensive.
Performance and energy efficiency of position-based routing in IEEE 802.15.4a low data rate Wireless Personal Data Networks

The IEEE 802.15. 4a standard provides a framework for low data rate communications systems, typically sensor networks, with ranging and positioning capabilities. This work focuses on the analysis of the impact of position information on routing performance in a network of IEEE 802.15. 4a-compliant devices. The well known Ad hoc On demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol is compared with the position-based Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing (GPSR) protocol, taking advantage of the position information provided by a distributed positioning protocol. The comparison is carried out in terms of throughput and consumed energy per bit, and by taking into account all transmitted and received packets, including the additional ones generated by the distributed positioning protocol. Simulation results show that the introduction of position information can lead to significant improvements in both throughput and energy efficiency. Results also show that the energy efficiency of the position based routing protocol is affected by the accuracy of the position information provided by the positioning protocol, in turn depending on the network density.
Neuropeptides myomodulin, small cardioactive peptide, and buccalin in the central nervous system of Lymnaea stagnalis: Purification, immunoreactivity, and artifacts

The neuropeptides myomodulin, small cardioactive peptide (SCP), and buccalin are widely distributed in the phylum Mollusca and have important physiological functions. Here, we describe the detailed distribution of each class of peptide in the central nervous system (CNS) of the snail Lymnaea stagnalis by the use of immunocytochemical techniques combined with dye‐marking of electrophysiologically identified neurons. We report the isolation and structural characterization of a Lymnaea myomodulin, PMSMLRLamide, identical to myomodulin A of Aplysia californica. Myomodulin immunoreactivity was localized in all 11 ganglia, in their connectives, and in peripheral nerves. In many cases, myomodulin immunoreactivity appeared localized in neuronal clusters expressing FMRFamide‐like peptides, but also in a large number of additional neurons. Double‐labelling experiments demonstrated myomodulin immunoreactivity in the visceral white interneuron, involved in regulation of cardiorespiration. SCP‐like immunoreactivity also appeared in all ganglia, and double‐labelling experiments revealed that in many locations it was specifically associated with clusters expressing distinct exons of the FMRFamide gene that are differentially expressed in the CNS. Characterization of the two types of SCP‐antisera used in this study, however, suggested that they cross‐reacted with both FMRFamide and N‐terminally extended FMRFamide‐like peptides. Selective preadsorption with these cross‐reacting peptides resulted in elimination of the widespread staining and retention of bona fide SCP immunoreactivity in the buccal and pedal ganglia only. Buccalin immunoreactivity was limited to the buccal and pedal ganglia. It did not coincide with the distribution of either myomodulin or SCP. Most immunoreactive clusters were found in the pedal ganglia. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.