Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impacts from Using Knowledge: A Longitudinal Study from a Nuclear Power Plant

This is a longitudinal case study that explored the relationship between use of organizational memory and knowledge, knowledge management, and knowledge worker productivity within the engineering group at a nuclear power plant. Three data points were taken over 5 years. The group used a knowledge management system (KMS) and it was found that the system improved effectiveness/productivity of the organization. The organization had not identified measures for determining productivity improvements, so the key results of the case study are models showing the impact of knowledge use on productivity.
Distributed resource allocation over stochastic networks: An application in smart grids

This paper focuses on an important problem involving distributed decision making, the optimal resource allocation in a network of agents. To address this problem, we explore a consensus-based algorithm that does not require any centralized computation. We use stochastic semistability theory to analyze the case when the communication network used by the agents to coordinate their decisions is not completely reliable, i.e., communication links are subject to a random failure process that is modeled by a continuous-time Markov chain. Some results on fault tolerance and optimality of the considered algorithm are provided. Finally, we present an application of the method to the distributed management of the customers of an aggregating entity in a smart grid environment.
Fault estimation design for dynamic systems with event-triggered sampling

This paper is preliminary concerned with fault estimation for linear time invariant dynamic system with nonuniformly sampling periods. On the basic of event-triggered scheme and full order filter, a novel filter error system is firstly designed. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis is presented to solve the parameters of the filter using LMI technique, which can keep the error system exponential stability. Finally, a drive train system of the wind turbine is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Inflation, Employment, and Welfare in the Presence of Transactions Costs

FOR SOME TIME NOW TWO ISSUES OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE in macroeconomics and monetary theory have been the relation between inflation and unemployment (the Phillips curve) and the optimum rate of inflation (the optimum quantity of money). In both of these areas the work of Friedman and Phelps has been influential. Friedman (1968) and Phelps (1970) emphasized the role of inflationary expectations in generating a short-run Phillips curve-like tradeoff, but argued that in the long run the Phillips curve is vertical. That is, Friedman and Phelps claimed that in the long run, defined as the time period within which expectations fully adjust to actual circumstances, inflation and employment should be uncorrelated. More recently, Friedman (1977) has argued that since the rate of inflation and its variability tend to be positively related, inflation and employment may be negatively related in the long run. This is the positively sloped Phillips curve phenomenon. In recent years the link between inflation and employment has continued to receive considerable attention. The vast rational expectations literature on the role of monetary policy and the equilibrium approach to the business cycle are, in large part, an outgrowth of the earlier Phillips curve controversy. The notion that there is an inverse long-run relation between inflation and employment has recently received theoretical support from Barro and Santomero (1976), Stockman (1981), and Aschauer and Greenwood (1983). Related studies concerning the real effects of inflation have been undertaken by Jovanovic (1982), Stockman (1984), and Abel (1985). The common element running through all of these papers is that the real effects of inflation arise from the transactions technology that underlies money demand. l
Comparing three‐year extension of early intervention service to regular care following two years of early intervention service in first‐episode psychosis: a randomized single blind clinical trial

This study aimed to determine if, following two years of early intervention service for first‐episode psychosis, three‐year extension of that service was superior to three years of regular care. We conducted a randomized single blind clinical trial using an urn randomization balanced for gender and substance abuse. Participants were recruited from early intervention service clinics in Montreal. Patients (N=220), 18‐35 years old, were randomized to an extension of early intervention service (EEIS; N=110) or to regular care (N=110). EEIS included case management, family intervention, cognitive behaviour therapy and crisis intervention, while regular care involved transfer to primary (community health and social services and family physicians) or secondary care (psychiatric outpatient clinics). Cumulative length of positive and negative symptom remission was the primary outcome measure. EEIS patients had a significantly longer mean length of remission of positive symptoms (92.5 vs. 63.6 weeks, t=4.47, p<0.001), negative symptoms (73.4 vs. 59.6 weeks, t=2.84, p=0.005) and both positive and negative symptoms (66.5 vs. 56.7 weeks, t=2.25, p=0.03) compared to regular care patients. EEIS patients stayed in treatment longer than regular care patients (mean 131.7 vs. 105.3 weeks, t=3.98, p<0.001 through contact with physicians; 134.8 ± 37.7 vs. 89.8 ± 55.2, t=6.45, p<0.0001 through contact with other health care providers) and received more units of treatment (mean 74.9 vs. 39.9, t=4.21, p<0.001 from physicians, and 57.3 vs. 28.2, t=4.08, p<0.001 from other health care professionals). Length of treatment had an independent effect on the length of remission of positive symptoms (t=2.62, p=0.009), while number of units of treatment by any health care provider had an effect on length of remission of negative symptoms (t=−2.70, p=0.008) as well as total symptoms (t=−2.40, p=0.02). Post‐hoc analysis showed that patients randomized to primary care, based on their better clinical profile at randomization, maintained their better outcome, especially as to remission of negative symptoms, at the end of the study. These data suggest that extending early intervention service for three additional years has a positive impact on length of remission of positive and negative symptoms compared to regular care. This may have policy implications for extending early intervention services beyond the current two years.
The Impact of the Global Food Crisis on Self-Assessed Food Security

The paper provides the first large-scale survey-based evidence on the impact of the global food crisis of 2007-08 using an indicator of self-assessed food security from the Gallup World Poll. For the sampled countries as a whole, this subjective indicator of food security remained the same or even improved, seemingly owing to a combination of strong economic growth and limited food inflation in some of the most populous countries, particularly India. However, these favorable global trends mask divergent trends at the national and regional levels, with a number of countries reporting substantial deterioration in food security. The impacts of the global crisis therefore appear to be highly context specific.
The Inuit commercial caribou harvest and related agri-food industries in Nunavut

The commercial caribou harvesting and related agri-food processing industries in Nunavut have grown global since 1995. These industries have a significant impact on Nunavut's GDP, add key infrastructure, and foster self-reliance and employment for Inuit people in Rankin Inlet and Coral Harbour. The caribou hunt occurs once per year and is the largest in the world. This case focuses on Kivalliq Arctic Foods and Coral Harbour Development Corporation and the local harvesting and processing of Nunavut's caribou meat products. Kivalliq's caribou meat products are exported to clients in the USA as well as the European Union. Both Kivalliq's processing plant and Coral Harbour's portable abattoir have received European Union Certification. The case discusses how the companies used quality assurance, aboriginal branding, e-commerce, and international trade shows to overcome barriers resulting from their northern isolation.
TAKING EFFORT SERIOUSLY

This paper examines the typical treatment of “effort” by both efficiency-wage theorists and principal-agent theorists. These theorists do not justify regarding effort as a cardinal variable. Yet, if effort is an ordinal variable, certain assumptions which are routinely invoked are literally devoid of meaning. Indeed, the precise expression of a complicated truth cannot possibly take a simple form, however precise-looking the simple formula might be. A formal expression can be extremely precise without being at all a precise representation of the underlying concept to be captured.
GABAergic neurons in brainstem auditory nuclei of the chick: Distribution, morphology, and connectivity

The second‐ and third‐order auditory nuclei in the brainstem of the chicken, nucleus magnocellularis (NM) and nucleus laminaris (NL), receive afferents that are immunoreactive to gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA). In order to investigate the source(s) of these GABAergic afferents, we examined the distribution, morphology, and connectivity of GABAergic neurons in and adjacent to NM and NL in chicks from 7 days of incubation to 12 days posthatch. Immunocytochemical techniques revealed the presence of approxi‐mately 150 GABA‐labeled neurons within the neuropil surrounding NM and NL on each side of the brainstem. Most of these neurons are located between NM and NL and along the lateral border of NM. GABAergic neurons are mul‐tipolar; their thick dendritic processes branch extensively and give rise to several thin, secondary processes. Frequently, the GABA‐labeled processes arbo‐rize within NM or NL. The morphology of these non‐NM/NL neurons was investigated further with Golgi impregnation and specific neuronal markers (antisera to microtubule‐associated protein). Our observations suggest that a considerable portion of GABAergic input to NM and NL originates from local GABAergic neurons.
Women in Unions: What Progress in South Australia?

Women have traditionally been under-represented in Australian trade unions. Declining union density and the desire for more equitable representation have stimulated union interest in women's participation and led to the adoption of various measures to increase their voice in unions. This paper outlines the results of a survey of women's representation in South Australian unions in 1992; the survey had an 84 per cent union response rate and includes unions covering about 85 per cent of unionists in the state. The results are compared with those of a similar survey in Victoria and earlier estimates. The study gives a reliable snapshot of women's under-representation, which is persistent at all levels from shopfloor to federal councils. Women are generally under-represented, relative to their share of membership, in around three-quarters of unions at most levels—among workplace representatives, key state committee members and officials. They are especially under-represented at federal level. Overall, women make up 39 per cent of union members in the respondent group of unions, 32 per cent of shop stewards, 31 per cent of state councils, 20 per cent of state executives and 25 per cent of union officials. Women's share of positions declines as power increases: they are concentrated in appointed positions, among organizers and industrial and specialist staff. They are often found in positions outside the normal career paths to senior union office and political power. The study documents actions to increase women's voice in unions and shows that many unions are aware of the problems and taking some kind of action. However, comprehensive programmes have been adopted in only a small number of relatively large unions. The response of South Australian unions to the survey is outlined.
Experiences of Parents Who Have Children With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to describe the experiences of parents who have children with chronic kidney disease. METHODS. We conducted a systematic review and meta-ethnography of studies that had used in-depth interviews or focus groups to explore experiences of parents with children who have chronic kidney disease (predialysis, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or after kidney transplantation). We searched 5 electronic databases (through to August 2005), Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Sociofile/Sociological Abstract, and reference lists of relevant articles. RESULTS. Sixteen articles that reported the experiences of parents of 358 children with chronic kidney disease were included. Ten themes emerged, which we grouped into 3 interrelated clusters: intrapersonal (living with constant uncertainty, stress, and maintaining vigilance despite experiencing fatigue), interpersonal (medicalization of the parental role, dependence on and conflict with staff, and disrupted peer relationships), and external issues (management of the medical regimen, pursuit of information, organizing transportation, accommodation and finances, adhering to the child's liquid and diet restrictions, and balancing medical care with domestic responsibilities). CONCLUSIONS. In addition to “normal” parental roles, being a parent of a child with chronic kidney disease demands a high-level health care provider, problem solving, information seeking, and financial and practical skills at a time when the capacity to cope is threatened by physical tiredness, uncertainty, and disruption to peer support within and outside the family structure. Parents of children with chronic kidney disease need multidisciplinary care, which may lead to improved outcomes for their children.
Cell proliferation study on gastric carcinoma and non‐involved gastric mucosa using a bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling technique

Previous reports using [3H]thymidine have shown altered patterns of cell proliferation in gastric carcinogenesis. In this study we applied in vitro bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) uptake and immunohistochemistry to tissue from carcinoma, its adjacent mucosa and distant mucosa (n = 16) cases and 10 normal control cases. The labelling index (LI) was calculated for the upper, neck/isthmus and lower gland compartments and in 10 random fields/carcinoma. The LI was greater in the carcinoma than in either the adjacent or far mucosa or the controls (p < 0.001). No difference was observed between the non-carcinoma areas. However, the LI varied significantly between the gland compartments within each area (p < 0.001). In the normal control cases, the location of the proliferating cells was limited to the neck/isthmus region and perhaps the most significant observation was the change of location and expansion of the proliferative zone towards the surface in the normal mucosa adjacent to carcinoma compared with distant mucosa and controls (p < 0.001). These altered patterns of cell proliferation may be an important aspect of the precancerous potential of field changes in gastric carcinoma patients and could help patient follow-up and serve as a marker in monitoring intervention studies.
Explaining International Soccer Rankings

Existing research on the determinants of FIFA's international soccer rankings suffers from serious statistical problems, particularly sample selection bias and nonnormal errors. The authors correct for this by extending the data set by an additional 100 countries. Furthermore, they find important roles for new variables in the form of the size of population and a long history of international soccer in explaining world football rankings. The authors also investigate the determinants of an alternative ranking measure to that constructed by FIFA.
The Tenured 'Core' and the Tenuous 'Periphery': The casualisation of academic work in Australian universities

The managerial agenda has had a significant impact on the nature of academic work and the composition of the academic workforce. One such change has been that of casualisation, which now threatens to divide the academic profession in two with casual workers being relegated to an 'underclass' that experiences a high level of job insecurity, low wages and poor working conditions. The research and recommendations presented in this article have only scratched the surface of this complex issue. It is argued, however, that addressing these issues in a proactive manner is necessary for the challenges confronting the academic profession to be met. Such a stance involves the representatives of all stakeholders in decision-making at global, national and institutional levels. It improves the employment situation experienced by casual work academics by enhancing the conditions under which they work and the lack of security they encounter, and by tailoring policies to the needs of particular categories of workers and of institutions. These policies entail viewing higher education as a public good through which the long-term social, political and economic needs of citizens can be met.
Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides and health conditions in agricultural and non-agricultural workers from Maule, Chile

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the characteristics of exposure to OP pesticides and health status in Chilean farm workers from the Maule Region. An occupational health questionnaire was administered in 207 agricultural and non-agricultural workers. For the group of agricultural workers, we asked about specific occupational exposure history and symptoms of OP pesticide poisoning. The main health problem of the exposed group was previous OP pesticide poisoning (p < 0.001). Fifty-six percent of agricultural workers reported symptoms consistent with acute OP pesticide poisoning. The use of respiratory personal protective equipment and younger age were protective against these symptoms, and number of years of OP pesticide exposure was positively associated with reporting symptoms of poisoning. Of the pesticide applicators 47 % reported using chlorpyrifos. The regulations regarding use and application of pesticides should be strengthened, as should training and intervention with workers to improve the use of personal protective equipment.
[Friedreich's ataxia: analysis of magnetic resonance imaging parameters and their correlates with cognitive and motor slowing].

INTRODUCTION The heredodegenerative ataxias are a heterogeneous group of disorders affecting especially the cerebellum and its tracts. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies using quantitative methodology are scarce, particularly in Friedreich's ataxia (FA). On the other hand, slowness of information processing speed has been described in FA, but no empirical relation with MRI parameters has been established. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to quantitatively assess infra and supratentorial atrophy in patients with clinical diagnosis of FA and to establish the relationship with a information processing speed measure. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twelve FA patients that fulfilled clinical diagnostic criteria and twelve control subjects were studied. A computerized system that differentiate reaction time and movement time, as well as a semiautomated technique of binarization and analysis of MRI were used. RESULTS Patients showed a poorer performance in movement time and in reaction time. Analyzing the frequency of pathologic changes, vermal atrophy was present in 67% of the patients and cerebellar hemisphere atrophy in 50%. Only a minority of patients showed signs of supratentorial cerebral atrophy (17%). Statistically significant negative correlations were obtained between reaction time and the size of the cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS Cerebellar hemisphere atrophy is a usual finding in FA, although vermal atrophy is more frequent. The relation between cerebellar atrophy and reaction time supports the claim about cerebellar involvement in the information processing and response speed.
Movement and contact patterns of long-distance free-grazing ducks and avian influenza persistence in Vietnam

Presence of ducks, and in particular of free-grazing ducks, has consistently been shown to be one of the most important risk factors for highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks which has compromised poultry production in South-East Asia since the early 2000s and continues to threaten public health, farmers’ livelihood and food security. Although free-grazing duck production has been practised for decades in South-East Asia, there are few published studies describing this production system, which is suspected to play an important role in the maintenance of avian influenza viruses. This study aimed at describing quantitatively the long-distance free-grazing duck production system in South Vietnam, characterising the movement and contact patterns of the duck flocks, and identifying potential associations between farming practices, movement and contact patterns and the circulation of avian influenza viruses. We conducted interviews among stakeholders involved in the free-grazing duck production system (duck farmers, transporters and rice paddy owners) in combination with a virological cross-sectional survey in South Vietnam. Results show that both direct and indirect contacts between free-grazing duck flocks were frequent and diverse. The flocks were transported extensively across district and province boundaries, mainly by boat but also by truck or on foot. A third of the investigated flocks had a positive influenza A virology test, indicating current circulation of avian influenza viruses, but none were positive for H5 subtypes. The age and size of the flock as well as its location at the time of sampling were associated with the risk of influenza A circulation in the flocks. These findings should be considered when developing risk assessment models of influenza virus spread aimed at informing the development of improved biosecurity practices leading to enhanced animal health, sustainable animal production and reliable income for farmers.
The relationship between teachers' perceptions of school leadership and their perceptions of the implementation of the national curriculum

The National Curriculum is an innovation in Australian schooling history and is likely to have a widespread and long-term impact on schools, teachers and students. This research used theoretical frameworks informed by Leithwood (1994) and Fullan (2007), and concepts related to innovation, to contribute to an understanding that may support a better understanding of teachers' perceptions when leading curriculum change such as a National Curriculum in schools. This research concludes that teachers who participated in the research demonstrated that their perceptions of a National Curriculum implementation are influenced by their perceptions of school leadership. Specifically, teachers with positive perceptions of their Principal's leadership also had positive perceptions of their capacity to implement the new National Curriculum.