Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance Appraisal Fundamentals, Practices and Challenges in Public Sector: Case of Adigrat Town, Ethiopia

PURPOSE & AIM: In Ethiopian Context, the modern Performance Appraisal practices and its implementation are still in its nascent stage, and there exists a gap in understanding the mechanism of performance appraisal processes in the case of Ethiopia’s public sector organizations, which employs a significant proportion of the working population. The study was conducted to assess performance appraisal practices and challenges in the public sector, specifically the Case of Adigrat town, Ethiopia and also reexamine the fundamentals of Performance Appraisal from Literature review. METHODOLOGY: The study used both primary and secondary data sources. Cross-sectional survey was used and 174 respondents were taken as a sample from a total population of 1213 comprising 19 public sector organization and from each organization, proportionate sampling technique was applied. The questionnaire mainly used 5-point Likert scale items and it was distributed to the employees of public sector organization on the basis of simple random sampling. The collected data through questionnaire were analyzed using statistical techniques such as frequencies, mean, standard deviation and ANOVA. FINDINGS & CONCLUSION: Majority of employees are evaluated with same criteria, and it becomes difficult to know individual’s performance regarding their knowledge, skill and other aspects as they differ in weightage because of varied job duties and responsibilities. There exists carelessness in hearing and addressing employees’ problem regarding performance appraisal and evaluation standard is not revised by the responsible authority. Performance appraisal is biased because of partiality by supervisors, also team coordinators lack proper training in assessing and giving feedback. The performance appraisal interviewees are, not having computer skill, no consistent training for appraiser and appraisee, subjective criteria’s (attitude), self-evaluating by two weeks’ culture in giving performance results etc. Based on the findings it is inferred that the performance appraisal process is at a moderate level, employees are well aware of the criterions for performance appraisal, implementation of performance appraisal methods is not at the desired level. Therefore, it is recommended that the public sector should improve its performance appraisal practices to ensure the availability of efficient and effective employees in all organizations, especially in the Case of Ethiopia (Adigrat).
Prevalence of biopsy‐proven non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in severely obese subjects without metabolic syndrome

Obesity is a major risk factor for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD encompasses simple fatty liver (FL) and non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in its spectrum. NASH can progress to liver cirrhosis and is associated with liver cancer. Not all obese subjects have insulin resistance (IR) or develop metabolic syndrome (MS). This study evaluates the prevalence of NAFLD in severely obese subjects without MS. We retrospectively reviewed 445 charts from our database of severely obese subjects with clinical suspicion of NAFLD and who were selected for laparoscopic Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass surgery. One hundred five subjects who did not have MS, as defined by the International Diabetes Foundation, based on comprehensive pre‐operative metabolic evaluation were included. Liver biopsy specimens were evaluated for NAFLD. 24% of morbidly obese (mean body mass index [BMI] 48 kg m−2) adult subjects (mean age 38 years) who underwent bariatric surgery did not have MS. NAFLD was identified in 77 (73%) on liver biopsy, out of which 59 (56%) were labelled as FL and 18 (17%) had histological diagnosis of NASH. Age, gender, race and BMI were the same among all groups. Among NAFLD subjects, 22% did not have any additional metabolic component of MS, while 36% had low high‐density lipoprotein, 27% had hypertension, 8% had high triglycerides and 6% had hyperglycaemia. IR calculated by HOMA‐IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance) and diagnosis of hyperglycaemia was statistically higher in NASH group compared to those who did not have NASH. NAFLD is highly prevalent in morbidly obese individuals who undergo bariatric surgery despite the absence of MS. Diagnosis of hyperglycaemia in such subjects suggests the presence of IR and may have underlying NASH, which is a progressive form of NAFLD.
Autoregulation of the Escherichia coli replication initiator protein, DnaA, is indirect

The expression of dnaA is autoregulated, in that transcription of the gene increases when DnaA is inactivated (and initiation of replication prevented) and decreases when DnaA is supplied in excess. However, the inactivation of DnaA does not necessarily lead to increased DnaA production, as dnaA(7s; temperature sensitive) strains which are integratively suppressed by derivatives of the plasmid R1 do not show temperature‐induced derepression. Several possible explanations for this unanticipated behaviour were considered and ruled out. We suggest here that the completion of a critical step in initiation may prevent dnaA derepression: although DnaA would be required to complete this step at oriC, DnaA(Ts) would be sufficient at the R1 origin. Autoregulation of dnaA has been attributed to the binding of DnaA at a consensus binding site in the dnaA promoter region. We show here, using reporter systems, that this DnaA‐binding site is not required for the autoregu‐latory response. We find, further, that replacement of the chromosomal dnaA gene with one containing a mutated binding site causes no demonstrable pheno‐typic change: cells with the mutant gene show no disadvantage in competition with dnaA+ cells.
Measuring IS: how does your organization rate?

In today's difficult economy, companies are reorganizing and streamlining wherever possible in order to save money and attract customers. This new corporate emphasis on better organizational performance, i.e., both productivity and quality goods and services, challenges all parts of an organization, including IS, to make improvements in what they do and how they operate. This is easier said than done and many organizations are having difficulties knowing where to start, what to do, and what their goals should be. Organizational learning change are the hallmarks of business in the nineties and the starting point for this effort is the collection of accurate and adequate information and its appropriate analysis.It is not surprising therefore that comparison, measurement, and evaluation have become something of a preoccupation in many businesses in recent years. The U.S. National Quality Institute, (which establishes the detailed criteria for the Malcolm Baldridge Awards), suggests there are three components of effective information and analysis which act as the "brain center" driving the corporate improvement effort, regardless of a company's organization or structure (Baldridge Criteria, 1993):1. Scope and management of quality and performance information.2. Collection, analysis, and use of company level data, including customer data and operations data, and linking performance data to overall financial performance.3. Competitive comparisons and benchmarking.These criteria can also be used by individual corporate subunits to determine how well they contribute to overall quality and performance.One organizational subunit receiving a considerable amount of executive attention in this regard is the information systems (IS) function. Many companies are looking to information technology to help them support corporate restructuring, but to do it with increasingly fewer resources. Unfortunately, IS has also been an area of the company that has been extremely difficult to measure and evaluate. IS also continues to have a credibility problem in some organizations where executives believe that IS has contributed little or nothing to the corporate bottom line (Roach, 1989). As well, there are still many users who tend to feel that IS service is lacking or could be bought cheaper elsewhere. With IS budgets coming under closer and closer scrutiny, IS itself is placing new emphasis on measurement to demonstrate its contribution to overall corporate performance, both through quality services and systems and through its ability to do so cost-effectively.This paper looks at the three components of information and its analysis, as outlined above, from the perspective of the IS subunit. It summarizes what IS departments are doing to assess and analyze their organizations and makes suggestions about how the measurement and evaluation of IS both internally and externally could be improved.
XRec

As smartphones and tablets become increasingly prevalent, more customers have multiple devices. The multi-user, multi-device interactions inspire many problems worthy of investigation, among which recognizing users across devices has significant implications on recommendation, advertising and user experience. Unlike the binary classification problem in user identification on a single device, cross-device user recognition is essentially a set partition problem. The app back-end aims to divide user activities on devices hosting the app into groups each associated with one user. In this paper, we present XRec which leverages user behavioral patterns, namely when, where and how a user uses the app, to achieve the recognition. To address the user-device partition problem, we propose a classification-plus-refinement algorithm. To validate our approach, we conduct a field study with an Android app. We instrument the app to collect usage data from real users. We provide proof-of-concept experimental results to demonstrate how XRec can provide added value to mobile apps, with the ability to correctly match a user across multiple devices with 70% recall and 90% precision.
Glucose Mediates the Translocation of NeuroD1 by O-Linked Glycosylation*

O-Linked GlcNAc modification of nuclear and cytosolic proteins has been shown to regulate the function of many cellular proteins. Increased O-linked glycosylation, observed under chronic hyperglycemia conditions, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes. However, the exact role of O-GlcNAc modification in regulating glucose homeostasis remains to be established. We report here that the subcellular localization of the pancreatic beta cell-specific transcription factor NeuroD1 is regulated by O-linked glycosylation in the mouse insulinoma cell line MIN6. Under low glucose conditions, NeuroD1 is mainly in the cytosol. However, treatment of MIN6 cells with high glucose results in O-linked GlcNAc modification of NeuroD1 and its subsequent translocation into the nucleus. Consistent with these data, treatment of MIN6 cells with O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucopyranosylidene)-amino N-phenylcarbamate, an inhibitor of O-GlcNAcase, causes Neuro-D1 localization to the nucleus and induction of insulin gene expression even on low glucose. Furthermore, we demonstrate that NeuroD1 interacts with the O-GlcNAc transferase, OGT only at high concentrations of glucose and depletion of OGT by using small interfering RNA oligos interferes with the nuclear localization of NeuroD1 on high glucose. On low glucose NeuroD1 interacts with the O-GlcNAcase and becomes deglycosylated, which is likely to be important for export of Neuro-D1 into cytosol in the presence of low glucose. In summary, the presented data suggest that glucose regulates the subcellular localization of NeuroD1 in pancreatic beta cells via O-linked GlcNAc modification of NeuroD1 by OGT.
Antipsychotic treatment of community-dwelling and institutionalised patients with dementia in Germany

Abstract Objective: A restrictive use of antipsychotic drugs in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is recommended due to an increased risk of cerebrovascular events and mortality. We hypothesise that the prescription of antipsychotics is associated with the patients’ socio-demographic and clinical status (e.g., dementia severity). Methods: The prescription of antipsychotics was cross-sectionally evaluated in 272 community-dwelling and 123 institutionalised patients with AD across all severity stages of dementia. The patients’ clinical characteristics covered the cognitive status, neuropsychiatric symptoms, daily activities, and quality of life (HrQoL). To determine associations with the use of antipsychotics bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Totally, 25% of the patients were treated with antipsychotics. significantly less frequently than nursing home inhabitants (15.1% vs. 45.5%). Severely demented patients (MMSE 0–9) received antipsychotics most often (51.5%). Additionally, multiple regression analyses revealed a higher chance of prescription for participants with depressive symptoms (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.019–5.160) and those treated by neuropsychiatric specialists (OR 3.4, 95% CI: 1.408–8.328). Conclusions: Further longitudinal studies are required to assess the appropriateness of indications for antipsychotics and the reasons for a higher use in nursing home inhabitants and patients with severe dementia and depression.
Suivi de parties de corps pour l'interprétation de gestes de communication à partir de séquence monoculaire

Cette these se situe dans le cadre de l'analyse de la production de gestes de communication effectues lors d'une interaction Homme-Machine ou bien lors d'un discours d'une personne s'exprimant en langue des signes. Dans le but d'interpreter ces gestes de communication, nous avons propose des methodes de suivi de parties du corps humain, a partir d'une sequence video monoculaire couleur. Nous avons tout d'abord defini les fonctions et les modes de production des gestes. Nous decrivons les systemes de notation de mouvements et les parties du corps utilisees pour construire du sens. Nous rappelons quelles categories de gestes sont utilisees lors d'une interaction visuo-gestuelle. Suite a l'analyse de la production de gestes et des methodes d'extraction des parametres necessaires a l'interpretation, nous exposons la construction d'un langage de commande gestuelle de dispositif d'affichage. Nous proposons alors une methode d'estimation de la posture d'un bras humain a partir des positions de ses articulations dans une image. Nous presentons ensuite deux methodes permettant de retrouver les positions des articulations de l'epaule et du poignet d'une personne. La premiere methode de suivi du haut du corps utilise un modele actif de forme. Ce modele nous permet d'inferer les positions des articulations, il est evalue sur l'erreur de reconstruction. La deuxieme methode, originale et robuste, effectue un suivi de la tete et des mains en utilisant des filtres a particules. Nous proposons ensuite une optimisation de ce suivi en introduisant un recuit simule. Cette methode est evaluee en termes de precision en position et de qualite du suivi image a image.
Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic (MBMD) Predicts Health-Related Quality of Life (HrQoL) Over Time Among Men Treated for Localized Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer treatment presents multiple challenges that can negatively affect health-related quality of life (HrQoL), and that can be further compromised by maladaptive personality styles and psychological adjustment difficulties. This study examined the utility of a comprehensive psychosocial screening tool to identify psychosocial traits that prospectively predict HrQoL status among men treated for localized prostate cancer. The Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic (MBMD) was administered to 66 men (M age = 68 years, 59% White) treated by either radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy along with standard measures of general and prostate-cancer-specific quality of life assessed at a 12-month follow-up. Higher scores on both summary MBMD Management Guides (Adjustment Difficulties and Psych Referral) and higher scores on personality styles characterized by avoidance, dependency, depression, passive aggressiveness, and self-denigration predicted lower HrQoL (β range = –.21 to –.50). Additionally, higher scores on the MBMD Depression, Tension-Anxiety, and Future Pessimism scales predicted lower HrQoL. Finally, higher scores on the MBMD Intervention Fragility and Utilization Excess scale also consistently predicted poorer mental and physical health functioning over time. These results point to the utility of the MBMD to help screen for potential impairments in mental and physical health functioning in men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
How to Support Better Decision Making for Sustainable Development?

Sustainable development paradigm refers to three basic pillars (social, environmental and economic) which strongly interact between themselves. Therefore, solving some problems needs actions in different fields, as well as solving one problem may influence different aspects of life. One of the multidimensional elements of global system is the unemployment issue and actions which are undertaken to reduce inequalities in that field. However, the open questions are: how effective those actions are? , which elements current mechanisms need an improvement? and which methods can help to overcome current problems and suggest better decision making in the future? The aim of the research is to determine whether EU funds for employment incentive actions were concentrated in those places where the unemployment rate was the highest and whether social inequalities were reduced. The case study was the evaluation of over 6000 employment incentive projects carried out in 2008-2015 in biggest EU Member State in the Central Europe – Poland. The study was carried out for NUTS-4 units. In order to assess the concentration of geospatial variables the hot spot analysis was used. The results show that the support was not concentrated in those part of the country where the unemployment rate was the highest. There is still a place to improve the implementation of national policies to obtain more satisfying effects in social inequalities mitigation. The proposed method of hot spot mapping is suggested by authors as an element of decision support system, which may have a positive impact on effectiveness of institutional actions to reach sustainable development goals.
The Impact of the Internal Audit on the Quality of Accounting Information in the Jordanian Commercial Banks

Internal Audit is deemed an important issue of controversy and development in terms of concept, objectives, domain, scope of work or performance criteria due to the fundamental developments that occur in the environment surrounding the financial institutions, as well as in the concepts and entry points of other sciences associated with internal audit, in particular, the concepts of accounting information quality and its methods and advanced administrative trends which require internal audit to perform professional services to help the accounting unit management to produce high quality of financial statements that can be credible for those who are interested in the economics of the financial institutions.
Risk analysis and strategic planning on bridge construction works at the toll road procurement projects in Central Java Province

Risk is a condition caused by uncertainty. Risks will occur on any construction project, including bridge construction projects. Efforts that can be taken to minimize the impact of these risks are to engage in risk management activities. This research was conducted on bridge construction work on toll road procurement project in Pejagan-Pemalang, Pemalang-Batang and Salatiga-Kertasura. The purpose of this research is to analyze the risk of bridge development project in toll road project using Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) method and then the result as database in discussing risk response strategy. The bridge construction project has 36 risks that are divided into six groups: materials and equipment, design, human resources, finance, management, nature and environmental conditions. Bad weather risks are the higest risk and seasonal risk causing temporary work stoppages. This risk-response strategy is avoidance. Short-term avoidance response strategy is to add shift workers, install tents and add additives in the acceleration of the process of maturation of concrete. The long-term avoidance response strategy is to evaluate and rearrange the work schedule by considering the weather forecast report.
A Intervening Role of Co-creation Strategy on Relationship between on Business Model Innovation and Customer Experience

The Study proposed three hypothesis to assess the direct impact on relation between customer and business model innovation and between customer experience and co-creation strategy, and to assess the indirect impact through intervening role of co-creation strategy on relationship between business model innovation and customer experience. The study has unit analysis of Indonesia telecommunication incumbent firms. The result shows that co-creation strategy plays significant role on relationship between business model innovation and customer experience, while customer experience could not have direct significant impact on developing business model innovation. This finding has implication for incumbent firm in managing digital transformation has to develop collaboration with stakeholder including customer based on the development customer experience to strengthen business model innovation.
Robotergestützte Modellidentifikation und Simulation von deformierbaren Körpern für haptische Anwendungen

Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt die Simulation von deformierbaren Korpern fur haptische Anwendungen. Fur eine schnelle und sogar interaktive Simulation werden die Modelle hinsichtlich einer echtzeitfahigen Auswertung aufbereitet und in Algorithmen zusammengefasst. Zur Modellierung eines deformierbaren Korpers werden drei verschiedene Ansatze ausgearbeitet, die nichtlineare, lineare und korotierte Finite Elemente Methode. Die Bestimmung der Modellparameter erfolgt experimentell mit einem Roboter. Dieser ist mit einer Kamera fur die 3D Rekonstruktion und einem Kraft-Momentensensor fur die Materialparameteridentifikation ausgestattet. Die erste Anwendung ist das haptische Rendering, bei dem ein virtuelles Objekt interaktiv verformt werden kann und die Reaktionskrafte an den Benutzer ruckgefuhrt werden. Die zweite Anwendung ist die Kraftpradiktion in Teleprasenzsystemen zur Kompensation von Zeitverzogerungen durch eine Ubertragungsstrecke. Dabei wird das System, bestehend aus einem Operator und einem Teleoperator, um eine lokale Simulation der entfernten Umgebung erweitert, um die Krafte von auftretenden weichen Kontakten vorherzusagen.
Construction of a Recombinant Major Royal Jelly Protein 1 (MRJP1) Expression Vector for Mammary Gland-Specific Expression

Major royal jelly protein 1 (MRJP1, the most abundant protein of honeybee royal jelly) has been recognized as a valuable functional foods and therapeutic protein for human beings. There is great potential using transgenic technology to express recombinant MRJP1 in milk in order to improve the human health conditions. For expression of MRJP1 in milk, mammary gland-specific expression vector (pBC1-MRJP1-NEOr) carrying the expression cassette composed of β-casein promoter, cDNA encoding MRJP1 (with bovine β-casein signal peptide) and a Neor selection marker was constructed, and expressed in human MCF-7 cells. To examine the expression of MRJP1, a His-tag protein cDNA fragments were fused on the 5' end of MRJP1 gene using PCR amplification. This vector was shown to be expressed successfully, thus potentially enabling the generation of transgenic cows to be used as mammary gland bioreactors.