Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Racism, selection, poverty and parents: New Labour, old problems?

The paper outlines a critical analysis of the place of ‘race’ issues in the educational policy proposals of Britain's ‘New Labour’ Government, elected in May 1997. The article takes Labour's first White Paper, Excellence in Schools, as its main focus. Superficially, the stated concern to address inequality of opportunity signals a significant break with previous Conservative administrations. Years of deracialized reforms, for example, seem finally to be ended by a Government willing to address ethnic diversity and inequality as important aspects of the education system. Unfortunately, the detail of the document contains little that is new when addressing the position of minority students. In fact, its colour‐blind advocacy of grouping students according to ‘ability’ seems likely to reinforce and extend existing inequalities of opportunity. Furthermore, the discursive positioning of ‘disadvantage’ and the extension of disciplinary rhetorics, on the family and parenting, threaten to strengthen a New Puritan.
You Live and Learn: Private-Sector Training in Germany

This paper analyzes the incidence, wage effects and employment effects of private-sector training in Germany. Using data from the SOEP, we concentrate on two periods: a) 1997‐2000 and b) 2001‐2004. Our results indicate a fairly similar pattern with regard to the incidence of private-sector training in Germany in both periods, while the picture which arises with respect to the effects of private-sector training on wages is not very robust to the econometric approach. We find positive wage effects of about 4‐6 percent in both samples in the fixed effects specifications, but these effects generally decrease quite substantially in the fixed growth rates specifications. With respect to the effect of participation in private-sector training on subsequent employment prospects, we find a positive effect in both samples as the probability of being employed in subsequent years is raised by about 2‐3 percentage points. However, this positive employment effect disappears after around 5 years.
Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Food Hardships in Three American Cities

We examine how participation in the Food Stamp and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Programs is associated with self-reported household food hardships, using data from a longitudinal survey of low-income families living in Boston, Chicago and San Antonio. In addition to the measures of hardships and program participation, the survey includes measures of income, wealth, social resources, disability, physical health and family structure, measures that help us to account for selection between recipient and non-recipient households. For our multivariate analyses, we estimate multiple indicator multiple cause models that are modified to incorporate discrete outcome variables and to account for longitudinal data. Estimates from these models reveal that participation in the Food Stamp Program is associated with fewer food hardships, while participation in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program has no detectable association with hardships.
Trends in Union Organizing Expenditures, 1953–1977

This paper tests the charge by some observers that one reason for the decline in unions' share of private sector employment has been a decline in their commitment to growth. The author presents several measures of the organizing expenditures of 27 national unions, representing about one-half of all union members in this country, over the 1953–77 period. These data show that organizing expenditures rose significantly over that period, whether measured in current or constant dollars, although they declined slightly as a proportion of total union expenditures.
Stability Control of MTL 1 mRNA by the RNA-Binding Protein Khd 1 p in Yeast

Khd1p (KH-domain protein 1) is a yeast RNA-binding protein highly homologous to mammalian hnRNP K. Khd1p associates with hundreds of potential mRNA targets including a bud-localized ASH1 mRNA and mRNAs encoding membrane-associated proteins such as Mid2p and Mtl1p. While Khd1p negatively regulates gene expression of Ash1p by translational repression, Khd1p positively regulates gene expression of Mtl1p by mRNA stabilization. To investigate how Khd1p regulates the stability of MTL1 mRNA, we searched for cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors controlling MTL1 mRNA stability. Regional analysis revealed that partial deletion of the coding sequences of MTL1 mRNA restored the decreased MTL1 mRNA and protein levels in khd1Δ mutants. This region, encompassing nucleotides 532 to 1032 of the Mtl1p coding sequence, contains CNN repeats that direct Khd1p-binding. Insertion of this sequence into other mRNAs conferred mRNA instability in khd1Δ mutants. We further searched for factors involved in the destabilization of MTL1 mRNA. Mutations in CCR4 and CAF1/POP2, encoding major cytoplasmic deadenylases, or of SKI genes, which code for components of a complex involved in 3' to 5' degradation, did not restore the decreased MTL1 mRNA levels caused by khd1Δ mutation. However, mutations in DCP1 and DCP2, encoding a decapping enzyme complex, and XRN1, encoding a 5'-3' exonuclease, restored the decreased MTL1 mRNA levels. Furthermore, Khd1p colocalized with Dcp1p in processing bodies, cytoplasmic sites for mRNA degradation. Our results suggest that MTL1 mRNA bears a cis-acting element involved in destabilization by the decapping enzyme and the 5'-3' exonuclease, and Khd1p stabilizes MTL1 mRNA through binding to this element.
Understanding heterogeneity in older adults: Latent growth curve modeling of cognitive functioning

ABSTRACT Background: Clarifying relationships between specific neurocognitive functions in cognitively intact older adults can improve our understanding of mechanisms involved in cognitive decline, which may allow identification of new opportunities for intervention and earlier detection of those at increased risk of dementia. Method: The present study employed latent growth curve modeling to longitudinally examine the relationship between executive attention/processing speed, episodic memory, language, and working memory functioning utilizing the neuropsychological test battery from the National Alzheimer’s Disease Coordinating Center. A total of 691 relatively healthy older adults (Mage = 69.07, SD = 6.49) were assessed at baseline, and 553 individuals completed three visits spanning a two-year period. Results: Better cognitive performance was concomitantly associated with better functioning across domains. Subtle declines in executive attention/processing speed processes were found, while, on average, memory and language performance improved with repeated testing. Lower executive attention/processing speed performance at baseline predicted less incremental growth rate in memory. In turn, higher initial memory functioning was associated with incremental improvements in language performance. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the notion that intact executive function and attention processes are important to preserving memory functioning with advanced age, but are also the functions most susceptible to decline with age. These findings also provide further insight into the critical role of practice effects in clinical assessment practice and have implications for pharmaceutical trials. Practice effects should be routinely considered as they may give the appearance of retention of function within the cognitive domains considered to be a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
The Impact of Bridging and Bonding Social Capital on Individual Earnings: Evidence for an Inverted U

Based on data on a cross section of individuals surveyed in the 1999-2002 wave of World and European Values Surveys, we investigate the extent to which bridging and bonding social capital as well as social trust interdependently affect individuals’ earnings. Our analysis provides robust evidence that the impact of bridging social capital on earnings is inverted-U shaped whereas the impact of bonding social capital is unambiguously negative and approximately linear. It is carefully ascertained that neither of these results is driven by regressor endogeneity or omitted variables bias. We also identify significant interaction effects between social capital, trust, and employment status.
FPGA‐accelerated deep convolutional neural networks for high throughput and energy efficiency

Recent breakthroughs in the deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have led to great improvements in the accuracy of both vision and auditory systems. Characterized by their deep structures and large numbers of parameters, deep CNNs challenge the computational performance of today. Hardware specialization in the form of field‐programmable gate array offers a promising path towards major leaps in computational performance while achieving high‐energy efficiency.
Carboxyl-Terminal Sequence Variation of Latent Membrane Protein 1 Gene in Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Gastric Carcinomas from Eastern China and Japan

Objectives: To elucidate variations of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) and explore the LMP1 variations of neighboring countries, China and Japan. Methods: In 12 and 8 EBVaGCs from eastern China and Japan, respectively, the C-termini of LMP1 were analyzed using PCR and sequencing. The sequences were compared with previously published strains and were characterized on a phylogenetic tree. The difference between Chinese and Japanese isolates was characterized. Results: Ten of 12 Chinese GC isolates (83.3%) and all of the 8 (100%) Japanese GC isolates belonged to the China 1 strain. Also, B95-8 type isolates were found in 2 of 12 Chinese GC. In the 18 China 1 type isolates, additional mutations outside the signature sequence changes were found. All Japanese isolates (100%) had two or more additional mutations, whereas only 5 of 10 (50%) Chinese isolates had two or more additional mutations. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0359). Conclusions: China 1 is the dominant strain in GC from eastern China and Japan. The similarity to that of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from China supports the view that China 1 strain represents a geographic-associated polymorphism rather than an NPC-associated polymorphism. Japanese isolates show more mutations than Chinese isolates, suggesting a geographic difference between Chinese and Japanese isolates in GC.
American options under uncertain volatility

The uncertain volatility approach to financial derivatives is extended to American options (which allow early exercise before expiry). The requirement to model at the portfolio level made necessary by the non-linearity of the approach is found to lead to a recursive structure to the exercise possibilities across options. Other novel features include: the optimality sometimes of partial exercise; an interesting resolution to the issues surrounding short options whose exercise is controlled by a buyer counterparty; and the occurrence of a simple game structure for portfolios containing both long and short options. It is demonstrated that the exercise strategies resulting can significantly alter measured uncertain volatility risk. Contrary to the set of attributes for sensible risk measures put forward by Artzner, Delbaen, Eber and Heath, this risk need not be homogenous in portfolio size- forming a convincing argument for weakening this particular requirement.
The diverse organization: Finding gold at the end of the rainbow

The breadth and depth of research on organizational diversity reveals the complex nature of diversity in organizations. Indeed, research in the realm of human resource management focuses on diversity applied to a variety of topics, including recruitment, retention, succession planning, and work-life management, among others. In this article, we use Cox and Blake's (1991) advantages as a framework to review the diversity literature and suggest that organizational culture may be key to understanding when organizations will benefit from a diverse employee base. Specifically, organizations that emphasize inclusion and integrate diversity into all policies and practices may benefit to a greater extent compared with organizations focusing on diversity as a stand-alone practice. Through an examination of academic research and the award-winning diversity program of Campbell Soup Company (Catalyst, 2010), we make culturally based propositions to further diversity research in, and the practice of, human resource management. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Votando na prateleira: a politização do consumo na América Latina

For over a decade, the use of consumer decision seeking the accomplishment of political or ethical goals has been extensively debated by international social sciences. Confronting social capital decline and political demobilization theories, the acknowledgement of political consumerism as a novel and rising mode of non-conventional individual participation in politics has helped to redefine the terms of discussion on civic engagement while also bridging the gap between citizenship and the traditional public sphere of politics, on one side, and consumption and the private sphere of market agents, on the other. Yet, such debate has hardly begun for Latin America, not to speak of pursuing an empirical discussion. This article reviews empirical evidence about the politicization of the relationships between consumers and business substantiated upon the adoption of politically motivated purchases or boycotts of brands and products based on social and environmental values or policy preferences. Research is grounded on representative sample surveys conducted in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Results indicate that political consumerism is a fairly stable phenomenon and it enlarges (rather than redefines) the repertoires of political action in Latin America.
Dynamic Changes in Neutrophil Defensins during Endotoxemia

ABSTRACT Bacterial endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important causative agent of sepsis. This study determines the expression of defensins NP-2 and NP-5 and the function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in rabbits treated with LPS. PMN functional activity was assessed by measuring CD18 expression and H2O2 production and by examining the lungs. NP-2 and, to a minor extent, NP-5 of circulating PMN increase during endotoxemia. This early increase is concomitant with neutrophilia and elevated CD18 expression and H2O2 production, as well as with enhanced NP-2 immunoreactivity in pulmonary microvessels. A decline in defensins, shortly after the last LPS treatment, is associated with a decrease in the circulating activated PMN and enhanced immunoreactivity in the inflammatory cells, as well as with lung tissue damage. This study shows that LPS-induced changes in the defensins of circulating PMN correlate with the number and activated condition of these cells and suggests that PMN-derived products implement the inflammatory reaction that leads to lung injury and sepsis.
Improving the efficiency of ontology engineering by introducing prototypicality

This paper introduces the notion of prototypicality in Ontology Engineering. Three kinds of prototypicality are considered: a concept can be more or less representative of its super-concept (conceptual prototypicality); a term can be more or less associated to a concept (lexical prototypicality); an instance can be more or less representative of its concept (instance prototypicality). Prototypicalities are modeled as order relations which allow to modulate links between concepts, terms and instances within an ontology. To calculate prototypicality gradients used to quantify these orders, we advocate a specific method which is based on all the components of an ontology (i.e. concepts, properties and instances) and a corpus. This paper also underlines the relevance of prototypicality for improving the efficiency of Ontology Engineering processes, in particular Ontology Personalization and Semantic-based Information Retrieval.
Atomic bound state and scattering properties of effective momentum-dependent potentials.

Effective classical dynamics provide a potentially powerful avenue for modeling large-scale dynamical quantum systems. We have examined the accuracy of a Hamiltonian-based approach that employs effective momentum-dependent potentials (MDPs) within a molecular-dynamics framework through studies of atomic ground states, excited states, ionization energies, and scattering properties of continuum states. Working exclusively with the Kirschbaum-Wilets (KW) formulation with empirical MDPs [C. L. Kirschbaum and L. Wilets, Phys. Rev. A 21, 834 (1980)0556-279110.1103/PhysRevA.21. 834], optimization leads to very accurate ground-state energies for several elements (e.g., N, F, Ne, Al, S, Ar, and Ca) relative to Hartree-Fock values. The KW MDP parameters obtained are found to be correlated, thereby revealing some degree of transferability in the empirically determined parameters. We have studied excited-state orbits of electron-ion pair to analyze the consequences of the MDP on the classical Coulomb catastrophe. From the optimized ground-state energies, we find that the experimental first- and second-ionization energies are fairly well predicted. Finally, electron-ion scattering was examined by comparing the predicted momentum transfer cross section to a semiclassical phase-shift calculation; optimizing the MDP parameters for the scattering process yielded rather poor results, suggesting a limitation of the use of the KW MDPs for plasmas.
Sustainable innovation networks: an empirical study on interorganisational networks in industrial ecology

This paper focuses on interorganisational cooperation and innovation processes in the context of industrial ecology. The authors attempt to connect industrial ecology research to social sciences, in particular, to organisational and management research. Critical Success Conditions (CSCs) for the network structure of innovation processes in interorganisational, multi-actor networks are identified. These 'sustainable innovation networks' are local, transient cooperations among a small, but diverse set of agents from a wide range of organisations, bringing forward a sociotechnical breakthrough innovation. A literature review reveals that the corresponding theoretical aspects of social network analysis and evolutionary economics are rarely mentioned in peer-reviewed industrial ecology literature. Accordingly, three specific CSCs are proposed, namely, (1) network diversity, (2) network density and (3) use of knowledge integration methods, to be included in industrial ecosystem analysis. Testing performed in five case studies shows that all three CSCs show some correlation to the performance of the cases.
Innovation in industrial districts: evidence from Italy

Purpose – The recent transformations brought about by the globalisation of markets have increased the competitive pressure for firms operating in traditional sectors, and in particular for those in industrial districts. The authors' aim is to understand the extent to which firms responded to these new challenges. More particularly, they investigate the determinants of innovation at firm level focusing on the role of firm's outsourcing strategies.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on an original firm‐level dataset, the authors analyse the determinants of innovation in a typical Italian industrial district, i.e. the hosiery district of Castel Goffredo in the Third Italy. They apply econometric techniques, in particular OLS and Tobit models.Findings – The authors' findings suggest that industrial districts are evolving towards a differentiated organisational structure in which innovation is driven by firms, which are focused on core competences and high valued added activities.Research limitations/implica.
Performance analysis in WiMAX networks using random linear network coding

The objective of this paper is to test two sceneries of multicast transmissions through the WiMAX network and identify the optimal transmission method. The first method is a simulation of the WiMAX networks in a network simulator (Network Simulator 3 — NS3) using the standard NS3 libraries. The second simulation implemented in NS3 as well, contains the code altered in a way that will allow implementing the RLNC (random linear network coding) method.
Multilevel Governance, Equality and Human Rights: Evaluating the First Decade of Devolution in Wales

The creation of a ‘regional’ legislature for Wales in 1999 presents the opportunity to evaluate the promotion of equality and human rights in the context of multi-level governance in the UK. A decade on, positive aspects include the political reprioritisation of equalities in policy and law and new forms of representative and discursive politics. However, significant shortcomings are also evident. Overall, the Wales case study suggests that sub-unitary-state legislatures have the potential to tailor equalities policies to meet local needs more effectively, yet progress may be arrested by context-specific factors, as well as those that resonate with the international literature on mainstreaming equalities in the work of government.
Reintubation increases Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients

Objective: To determine the incidence, risk factors, mortality, and causative organisms of Nosocomial Pneumonia (NP) in patients with endotracheal (ET) tube, with or without mechanical ventilation. Materials and Methods: Patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), over a period of 1 year who had ET intubations, were enrolled consecutively into the study. Diagnosis of NP was based on CDC criteria (1988). Semiquantiative assay of endotracheal aspirate (ETA) with a colony count of >105 cfu/mL was taken as evidence of infection. Colonization was defined as isolation of organism with
Enhanced dynamic SFR for LTE systems

Soft frequency reuse (SFR) schemes have been proposed to mitigate the inter-cell interferences (ICI) issue for capacity improvements at cell edge. Nonetheless, the allocation of subcarriers in SFR reduces spectral efficiency in specific cell areas, resulting in the decrease of the system throughput. In this paper, we propose to improve the system throughput by dynamically allocating and exchanging the subcarriers among different cells. In the proposed dynamic subcarrier exchange (DSE) scheme, the same major subcarriers are not allowed to be used by the adjacent cell edge for ICI suppression purpose. In each scheduling period, each cell dynamically determines its own major subcarriers based on the available spectrum usage information. Thus, the spectrum bands are allocated distributedly and the multiple cells share the spectrum bands in a cooperative way. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed DSE scheme significantly improves the spectrum utilization and achieves higher system throughput than its SFR counterpart.