Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Research Methodology Analysis: Creativity and Management in the Media Industry

The author proposes to study tactical conflict in the context of strategic cooperation ("coflict") between Creative Professionals (CPs) and Business Managers (BMs) in media organizations. The research aim is to determine which, if any, management techniques might optimize team outcomes. Available literature reveals a research gap. While many scholars focus on problem solving and innovation, a type of creativity, few have studied the effects of artistic or problem finding creativity in an organizational setting. Furthermore, few researchers who deal with diversity and team performance consider the impact that "nature of task" may have on outcomes. An analysis of various analytical and empirical research methods (Wacker 1998) indicates that empirical methods are typically most useful for studies of human interaction in natural settings. Thus, the author recommends a two-phase research approach: first, an Internet survey; second, a holistic single case study that includes interviews, observations, and document (with artifacts) analysis in a publishing house. The author concludes by creating a classification system to frame the project, reviewing relevant domain literature, and recommending theories and models that may support the proposed applied theory-building research.
A Retrospective Study of Critical Incidents Identified By Four Novice Principals and Their Perceptions of the Impact of a School District's Standards-Based Principal Preparation Program on Their First-Year Experiences

A Retrospective Study of Critical Incidents Identified by Four Novice Principals and Their Perceptions of the Impact of a School District's Standards-Based Principal Preparation Program on Their First-Year Experiences The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the perceptions of four novice principals at the conclusion of their first year of tenure, focusing on the complexities and challenges that they faced as well as the extent to which they were able to draw from the district-offered professional development and support provided during their 3-year principal preparatory induction programs. The study employed experiential learning as the theoretical framework and critical incident technique methodology as the strategy for collecting and analyzing the data. The data obtained during the four individual interviews and one focus group session permitted identification of enabling and hindering behaviors, proactive strategies, perceptions, concerns, emotional responses, and serious contextual issues. Although thmesults validated the current literature in the education field regarding beginning principals, they also revealed the need for more prescriptive, differentiated professional learning in the areas of human resource management, legal and contractual issues, federal and state regulations, socialization, and emotional intelligence. The reflections from the first-year principals provided rich data concerning 1 1 consistent themes that can inform Ftture programming and leadership practices during an educational era laden with pervasive economic and societal barriers and increased accountability for all students.
Changes in the Union Wage Premium by Industry

Relying on CPS data, the authors estimate the union wage premium—the amount by which wages of union workers exceeded those of nonunion workers in the same industry conditional on worker characteristics—for 32 industries over the period 1971–99. The dispersion of union premiums across industries narrowed over time as high premiums tended to fall and low premiums to rise. At the aggregate level, the premium drifted lower. When the authors model the union premium as a function of cyclical and structural variables and unmeasured industry characteristics, they find that Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) clauses reduced the responsiveness of the union premium to economic conditions and that increases in import penetration were strongly associated with rising union premiums. The effect of deregulation was mixed.
Induction of labor versus expectant management for pregnancies beyond 41 weeks

Abstract Objective: To compare the outcome following labor induction at 41 + 1 weeks of gestation and after expectant management and selective induction at 42 completed weeks. Method: A retrospective analysis of post-term pregnancies in a 2-year period. In the induction group, women at 41 + 1 weeks of gestation received 3 mg prostaglandin E2 (dinoprostone) in the posterior fornix, repeating the dose 6 h later. Women with a Bishop score >6 had artificial rupture of the membranes. In the expectant management group, women at more than 41 weeks gestation were checked every 2 days in the hospital. In case of abnormalities either in the fetal heart rate evaluation or in the biophysical profile, labor was induced. Labor was also induced in all cases that pregnancy exceeded 42 + 1 gestational weeks. Results: A total of 438 women who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. In all, 211 comprised the induction group, while the expectant management group consisted of 227 women. The cesarean delivery rate in the induction group was 36.5% compared to 34.4% in the expectant management group, whereas the operative vaginal delivery rate was 11.4 and 9.2% in the two groups, respectively. The vast majority of women in the expectant management group (74%) had a spontaneous onset of labor. Conclusion: The perinatal outcome does not differ following a policy of routine labor induction in comparison to expectant management in pregnancies beyond 41 weeks.
Altered Composition and Secretion of Lysosome‐Derived Compartments in Dictyostelium AP‐3 Mutant Cells

Genetic alteration of the adaptor protein (AP)‐3 complex is responsible for the type 2 Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome, a lysosomal storage disease similar to the Chediak–Higashi syndrome (CHS). AP‐3 presumably participates in the biogenesis of late endosomal compartments and may also be critical for the regulated secretion of lysosomes by specialized cells. Here, Dictyostelium discoideum cells defective for the μ3 subunit of the AP‐3 complex were used and their phenotype analyzed. In μ3 mutant cells, endosomal maturation and lysosome secretion were markedly slower than that in wild‐type cells. This phenotype is similar to that reported previously in lvsB mutant cells where the ortholog of the LYST gene, involved in CHS, is mutated. Detailed analysis revealed however significant differences between these two isogenic mutant cells: in lvsB mutant cells, the primary defect is an inefficient biogenesis of otherwise normal secretory lysosomes, while in μ3 mutant cells, the biogenesis and also the composition and the fusion properties of secretory lysosomes are affected. These results suggest that in D. discoideum, AP‐3 controls both the efficiency and the specificity of postlysosome maturation, which represent two critical elements in the control of lysosome secretion.
The evaluation of standard of living and the role of household electricity consumption: a panel cointegration analysis

This research takes the analysis of the relationship between energy and income in a different direction than prior research, and it introduces a new set of analytical tools to the area. The results of our research are important because they raise additional questions about the effectiveness of income as a proxy indicator for standard of living, and these conclusions are supported by the use of more powerful analytical techniques. Our paper employs state-of-the-art econometric time series panel techniques to evaluate the nature of the relationship between income measures and energy consumption measures for seven East Indian Ocean countries. The fundamental premise of our research is that energy consumption at the household/residential level is a key indicator of the standard of living for the residents of a country. The general finding of the paper is that income and household electricity consumption measures are not cointegrated. Given this finding we conclude that standard of living measures/indexes that rely on income measures and do not directly include householdlevel energy consumption information will necessarily miss important indications of both levels and changes of standard of living.
Investigating the effect of inter-urban income disparities on crime rates in Israel

Investigating the Effect of Inter-urban Income Disparities on Crime Rates in Israel (Boris A. Portnov and Arye Rattner) - ABSTRACT: Inter-urban income disparities influence crime rates. As a result, the highest rates of property crime tend to occur in wealthy localities surrounded by poorer ones. The Index of Relative Income (IRI) is proposed to measure the effect of urban inequality and proximity on crime rates. This index is defined as the ratio between the average per capita income in a town and its neighbouring localities. A multivariate analysis indicates that the proposed index helps to explain variation in property crime rates across localities, suggesting that the spatial unevenness of urban development (i.e., aerial proximity of affluent and poor towns) may spur property crimes. The findings of the present study thus lend support to regional development programs aimed at minimizing spatial disparities in regional and urban development.
AGGREGATE DEMAND CONTRACTIONS WITH NOMINAL DEBT COMMITMENTS: IS WAGE FLEXIBILITY STABILIZING?

When nominal debt payments commitments exist, output losses following an aggregate demand contraction will be larger and more persistent. Paradoxically, output can be less stable if wages are more flexible. This occurs because falling wages and prices cause debtors' cash flow to deteriorate relative to their debt commitments. To reduce the chance of incurring bankruptcy costs, debtors cut expenditure. Creditor's wealth increases from an unexpected deflation but their gain does not offset debtors' loss because of the increased threat of bankruptcy and associated costs. Net wealth and aggregate demand fall, magnifying the effect of the initial contraction. Copyright 1987 by Oxford University Press.
Note on a Common Mistake in Welfare Economics

In the course of reviewing some literature in welfare economics, I have encountered repeatedly a simple and treacherous mistake. Scholarship requires that I give citations, but kindness overrules. The authors will recognize their handiwork; mere readers are not so deeply concerned and can be served adequately by this brief warning. The mistake occurs when necessary conditions are to be found for a Pareto-efficient allocation of consumption or of both consumption and production. The typical objectionable argument can be schematized as follows: Utilities are functions of some variables x1, . , Xn. Typically, for individual A, UA = UA (X1, . , xn). A Pareto-efficient choice of the x's is to be found, subject to the condition F(x1, . . . , x") = 0. (There may be several conditions and there may be inequalities, but since such complications are not at issue I shall neglect them.) Now comes the device. Form the social welfare function, say
Same Disease—different research strategies: Bananas and Black Sigatoka in Brazil and Colombia

Fungal disease epidemics have the potential to bring about drastic innovations. However, in the case of the Black Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) fungus in bananas, producers and international traders are still awaiting a breakthrough in crop protection research. Using the cases of Brazil and Colombia, this paper examines different agricultural research responses to the disease. Brazil opted to replace susceptible varieties with resistant ones, whereas in Colombia chemical control by private actors dominated. We argue that these different responses result from at least three interrelated factors. First, producer type—smallholder farmers or larger export-oriented plantations—influences the setting of crop protection research priorities. Second, a central, state-led role versus a private sector response influences the size and time perspective of research activities. Third, domestic markets with multiple crop varieties versus Cavendish-only export markets leads to differences in control practices and research responses. From this case study, we argue that the currently proposed innovation systems approaches in international agricultural research should adopt a broader perspective that assesses how research is interwoven with agrarian dynamics, commodity chains and particular state roles to elucidate how state–producer–researcher networks perform disease control and where and how to find new solutions.
Comparative Democratization

Comparative studies of democratization have produced two types of generalizations: those having nearly universal application and those applying to a range of countries within a region. In the first category are such arguments as the role of high levels of economic development in guaranteeing democratic sustainability, the centrality of political elites in establishing and terminating democracy, and deficits in rule of law and state capacity as the primary challenge to the quality and survival of new democracies. In the second category are contrasts between recent democratization in post-Socialist Europe versus Latin America and southern Europe—for example, in the relationship between democratization and economic reform and in the costs and benefits for democratic consolidation of breaking quickly versus slowly with the authoritarian past. The two sets of conclusions have important methodological implications for how comparativists understand generalizability and the emphasis placed on historical versus proximate causation.
Experimental Results of Transition Fault Simulation with DC Scan Tests

The results indicate the effectiveness of the DC scan ATPG algorithm for transition fault detection in actual designs. Even though the at-speed toggle of the scan enable signal needs some DFT assistance such as pipelining, the classical DC scan ATPG algorithm seems worth considering for the first pass of AC scan ATPG runs.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections: A Comprehensive Review and a Plastic Surgeon’s Approach to the Occult Sites

Background: Up to 20 percent of the general population is persistently colonized with Staphylococcus aureus, and 1 to 3 percent of the population is colonized with community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Currently, the knowledge of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage sites other than the nose, and their effect on surgical site infections in cosmetic surgery, is lacking. Methods: A comprehensive literature review using the PubMed database to analyze prevalence, anatomical carrier sites, current screening and decontamination protocols and guidelines, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus in cosmetic surgery was performed. The senior author’s (L.R.) methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection experience and prevention protocols were also reviewed. Results: Nasal swabs detect only 50.5 percent of methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonization, and broad screening has noted the presence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus in the ear canal and umbilicus. Decolonization protocols within the orthopedic and cardiothoracic surgery literature have reduced rates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus surgical-site infections. There are no decolonization guidelines for plastic surgeons. Since instituting their decolonization protocol, the authors have had no cases of methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection in nearly 1000 cosmetic surgery procedures. Conclusions: There are very limited, if any, Level I or II data regarding methicillin-resistant S. aureus screening and decolonization. As the sequelae of a surgical-site infection can be disastrous, expert opinions recommend that plastic surgeons vigorously address methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonization and infection. The authors have developed and recommend a simple decolonization protocol that includes treatment of the umbilicus, ear canal, and nares to limit surgical-site infection and improve surgical outcomes.
Technical analysis, trading volume and market efficiency: evidence from an emerging market

Although there is a widespread belief that stock markets are weak-form efficient, technical analysis is a pervasive activity. The extent is examined to which this apparent paradox can be explained by conditioning the past sequence of prices on the past sequence of volume. A unique data set from an emerging market reveals that, for a number of companies in the sample, returns appear to conform to the weak-form version of the efficient markets hypothesis. However, when returns are conditioned on past levels of volume, current returns on over half of these companies exhibit predictability. This is particularly true from companies with low trading volumes.
Adaptive Phenotypic Plasticity of Siberian Elm in Response to Drought Stress: Increased Stomatal Pore Depth

Abstract Leaf stomatal characteristics of Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) were investigated by electron microscopy and white light scanning interferometry. On the basis of average annual precipitations, two types of tree specimens were collected from Korea, China, and Mongolia: (1) trees under normal environmental conditions and (2) trees under arid conditions. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed oval-shaped stomata on the lower surface, and they were ca. 20 μm in width. In-lens secondary electron imaging showed differences in electron density and stomatal pore depth between the two types. According to the line profile analysis by white light scanning interferometry, stomata under arid conditions appeared to have higher levels of the stomatal pore depth than ones under normal conditions. Focused ion beam–field emission electron microscopy supported the increased stomatal pore depth with the increasing drought stress gradient. These results suggest that complementary microscopy can be employed to unravel the adaptive phenotypic plasticity of Siberian elm in response to drought stress.
Multi-view video based tracking and audio-visual identification of persons in a human-computer-interaction scenario

User identification and tracking are definitely the basic tasks in any human computer interaction (HCI) scenario. For these tasks we propose a multi-view approach utilizing multi-camera systems and audio processing systems. Face detectors and face recognizers are based on orientation histogram and eigenface techniques, and Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) are applied for speaker identification. In order to achieve a robust user identification and localization spatio-temporal classifier fusion methods have been integrated into the overall classifier system, support vector machines (SVM) and k nearest neighbor (kNN) models are used as base classifiers. A general office environment with up to six persons was the test bed for data collection and numerical evaluation.
Increased levels of arginase in patients with acute hepatitis B suppress antiviral T cells.

BACKGROUND & AIMS During viral infection, the activities of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells are carefully regulated to prevent severe damage of the infected organs. We investigated the mechanisms that control the functions of activated T cells. METHODS We measured the size of the population of activated and proliferating CD8(+) T cells and the functional pattern of CD8(+) T cells specific for the entire hepatitis B virus proteome and for selected heterologous virus (Epstein-Barr virus, human cytomegalovirus, and influenza virus) using blood samples from 18 patients with acute hepatitis B. We analyzed the effects of different modulatory mechanisms, such as inhibitory molecules, suppressive cytokines (interleukin-10), and arginase, on the activities of CD8(+) T cells. RESULTS In patients with acute hepatitis B, the expansion of activated and proliferating (HLA-DR/CD38(+), Ki-67(+)/Bcl-2(low)) CD8(+) T cells did not quantitatively match their specific functions ex vivo; virus-specific CD8(+) T cells had functional impairments that were temporally restricted to the acute phase of viral hepatitis. These impairments in function were not limited to HBV-specific CD8(+) T cells but were also observed in CD8(+) T cells with specificities for other viruses. We investigated possible causes of antigen-independent CD8(+) T cell inhibition and found that the increased levels of arginase observed in patients with acute hepatitis could suppress the function of activated, but not resting, CD8(+) T cells. CONCLUSIONS The increased level of arginase in patients with acute hepatitis B suppresses the functions of activated CD8(+) T cells. This mechanism might limit the amount of liver damage caused by activated CD8(+) T cells in patients with acute HBV infection.
Bureaucratic Power and Public Policies: A Test of the Rational Staff Maximization Hypothesis

This paper tests the staff maximization hypothesis that bureaucratic power is positively related to labour inputs to the production of public sector goods and services. The context of the test is the staffing policies of three groups of British local authorities in three time periods. The relationship between bureaucratic power and changes in authorities' staff is estimated while controlling for the influence of local party politics, central grants and conditions in the environment of the local political system. The results of the statistical analysis refute the staff maximization hypothesis.
Introduction of Zwitterionic Motifs into Bacterial Polysaccharides Generates TLR2 Agonists Able to Activate APCs

It was shown previously that bacterial polysaccharides (PS), which naturally contain both positive and negative charges, are able to activate T cells and APCs. However, the vast majority of bacterial PS are anionic and do not have these properties. In this study, we show that chemical introduction of positive charges into naturally anionic bacterial PS confers to the resulting zwitterionic PS (ZPS) the ability to activate pure human monocytes, monocyte-derived dendritic cells, and mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, as do natural bacterial ZPS. Cells are induced to up-regulate MHC class II and costimulatory molecules and to produce cytokines. In mixed monocyte-T cell cocultures, ZPS induce MHC II-dependent T cell proliferation and up-regulation of activation markers. These stimulatory qualities of ZPS disappear when the positive charge is chemically removed from the molecules and thus the zwitterionic motif is destroyed. The ability of natural and chemically derived ZPS to activate APCs can be blocked by anti-TLR2 mAbs, and TLR2 transfectants show reporter gene transcription upon incubation with ZPS. In conclusion, the generation of a zwitterionic motif in bacterial PS confers the ability to activate both APCs and T cells. This finding has important implications for the design of novel polysaccharide vaccines.
Space robotics: automata in unstructured environments

The problems associated with the development of robots for space applications are reviewed. Within the Space Station project context, robots will operate in a relatively unstructured environment and must have the ability to deal with unexpected events. For this to be possible, a great deal of experimentation is required to determine the best algorithms for task decomposition, world modeling, and sensory processing to be able to predict their utility for particular tasks. An architecture which supports the evolutionary development of the robot is presented. The architecture forms the basis for a testbed system which allows researchers to develop, test, and evaluate different hardware and software approaches. The same architecture is also used in the telerobot, so that the transition from the teleoperated mode to more autonomous modes of robot operation is one of gradual rather than abrupt change. This architecture, the NASA/NBS standard reference model for telerobot control systems, has been adopted by NASA for the Flight Telerobotic Servicer, a two-armed robot intended to help build and maintain the Space Station. <<ETX>>