Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education: The Battle for World-Class Education

T he message is that ‘every university needs to figure out where it lies in the arc that takes us from a twelfth-century French monk named Peter Abelard to Apple Computer, an iconic twenty-first century enterprise’ since all are on ‘a perilous journey’ within ‘a competitive marketplace’ and ‘many will not survive the coming change’. The US universities are too ‘faculty-centred’ and this puts them ‘at a fundamental disadvantage in the twentyfirst century’ as they are inward-looking (‘protective, rigid, and inevitably irrelevant’) – most of them squeezed between the untouchable elite brands (the Ivy League and pals) and the viable focused and aggressive for-profits, trying in vain to join the former in terms of prestige while having to compete with the latter on price and efficiency. Their business model is ‘under pressure from increased global competition, raised student expectations, and spiralling costs’ – and they find it hard to achieve the necessary institutional change; they face instability; they must focus on giving value, on reducing costs, and gaining reputation; most will need to redefine themselves as ‘studentcentred’. The danger is that they will be neither successful as a faculty-centred Harvard or Stanford, a Dartmouth or a Brown; nor as a student-centred State campus. They may end up as ‘the process-centred university’, as ‘the well-oiled machine’, as in effect an all-administrator university. The less agile will see their value eroded by increasingly fierce competition as ‘helpless bystanders’, as ‘their incremental paths lead to collapse’, and as their ‘rigid and self-satisfied’ ‘envy models’ fail them strategically. So, how to adjust and hence survive? Define Value – forget who is above you; establish your own brand; Cut Costs; Balance Faculty-centrism and Student-centrism. Become a university fit for purpose in the twenty-first century . And get on with it, it’s 2012 already! # 2012, David Palfreyman http://dx.doi. org/10.1080/13603108.2011. 652209
Housing Choice and Search Strategies within an Administered Housing System

In this paper findings are presented concerning the behaviour of households moving into and within the public-housing sector in a major British city. In contrast to most research on the public sector, the approach adopted is explicitly derived from theories and studies of housing choice and search. Data from an extensive household survey of new council tenants are used to demonstrate that households undertake a range of search strategies which are associated with different housing outcomes. In particular, variations are shown to exist in stressors and subsequent search behaviour, in information usage, in evaluation strategies, and in spatial patterns.
Potential Medication Treatment According to Pathological Mechanisms in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abstract: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease with high mortality. Because of the lack of effective medications to stop or reverse the progression of AAA, surgical operation has become the most predominant recommendation of treatment for patients. There are many potential mechanisms, including inflammation, smooth muscle cell apoptosis, extracellular matrix degradation, oxidative stress, and so on, involving in AAA pathogenesis. According to those mechanisms, some potential therapeutic drugs have been proposed and tested in animal models and even in clinical trials. This review focuses on recent advances in both pathogenic mechanisms and potential pharmacologic therapies of AAA.
A Rule-based Chinese Question Answering System for Reading Comprehension Tests

We have developed a rule-based system, which is called Chinese question answering system for reading comprehension (Cqarc). This paper systematically introduces and discusses key techniques in the Cqarc, describes the processing mechanism of the Cqarc, presents processing strategies and methods in the Cqarc. Cqarc uses heuristic rules to look for lexical and semantic clues in the question and the story. Finally we have tested Cqarc on Chinese reading comprehension corpus (CRCC). Overall, Cqarc found the correct sentence 42% of the time, which is encouraging given the simplicity of its rules. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that reports that the use of a rule-based approach achieves satisfying results on answering questions for Chinese reading comprehension tests.
Efficacy of dexamethasone injection for acute bronchiolitis in hospitalized children: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial

Controversy over the efficacy of systemic corticosteroids for acute bronchiolitis initiated this study. We conducted a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial to examine the efficacy of single dexamethasone injection for the treatment of acute bronchiolitis in young hospitalized children. The study, performed at the pediatric wards of a University Hospital and its affiliated hospital in Thailand, included 174 previously healthy children under 2 years of age, hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis. Each child received either a single intramuscular injection of 0.6 mg/kg dexamethasone or a placebo in addition to regular management. The primary outcome was the time from study entry to resolution of respiratory distress, determined by a clinical score derived from the respiratory rate, occurrence of wheezing, chest retraction, and oxygen saturation. Survival analysis using the Kaplan–Meier method and a log‐rank test were performed. A single‐dose, dexamethasone injection versus placebo produced a significant: (1) decrease in the time needed for resolution of respiratory distress (hazard ratio 1.56; 95% CI, 1.14–2.13; P = 0.005), (2) decrease in the mean duration of symptoms of 11.8 hr (95% CI, 3.9–19.7; P = 0.004), (3) decrease in the mean duration of oxygen therapy of 14.9 hr (95% CI, 5.3–24.4; P = 0.003), and (4) decrease in the mean length of hospital stay of 13.4 hr (95%CI, 2.6–24.2; P = 0.02). In conclusion, a single injection of dexamethasone yielded a significant clinical benefit for the treatment of previously healthy, young children hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2007; 42:433–439. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
P^2IT: Predicting Packet Interarrival Time in Asynchronous Duty-Cycling Sensor Networks

In this paper, we investigate the predictability of packet arrivals in asynchronous duty-cycling wireless sensor networks (WSNs). We conduct statistical analysis on data traces collected in both outdoor large-scale and indoor testbed WSN to show that traditional well-known traffic models, e.g., Poisson process and Self-similarity process, do not fit well for modeling packet arrivals in both networks. According to our observations, some key characteristics such as sleeping interval and sampling rate have significant impact on the traffic patterns under Low power listening (LPL) models. Hence, we raise a question: could we achieve accurate prediction on the packet arrivals in asynchronous duty-cycling WSNs? To answer this question, we design a novel data-driven predictor P2IT focusing on two prediction goals: (i) the arrival time of the next packet (ii) the number of arrival packets within a short time interval. We conduct extensive trace-driven experiments to demonstrate that our predictor achieves high acuracies on both prediction goals under various experimental settings.
Human resource management practices to improve quality: A case example of human resource management intervention in government

This article describes the quality approach to management in government and contrasts it with the classic, often more bureaucratic, approach. It places particular focus on Project Pacer Share, a government total quality management effort underway at McClellan Air Force Base where, using quality tools and techniques, major reforms in the United States Civil Service System and human resource management are being tested. Specific human resource management initiatives that need to be undertaken to support organizationwide quality performance are presented.
Evaluation of force-sensing resistors for gait event detection to trigger electrical stimulation to improve walking in the child with cerebral palsy

Force-sensing resistors (FSRs) were used to detect the transitions between five main phases of gait for the control of electrical stimulation (ES) while walking with seven children with spastic diplegia, cerebral palsy. The FSR positions within each child's insoles were customized based on plantar pressure profiles determined using a pressure-sensitive membrane array (Tekscan Inc., Boston, MA). The FSRs were placed in the insoles so that pressure transitions coincided with an ipsilateral or contralateral gait event. The transitions between the following gait phases were determined: loading response, mid- and terminal stance, and pre- and initial swing. Following several months of walking on a regular basis with FSR-triggered intramuscular ES to the hip and knee extensors, hip abductors, and ankle dorsi and plantar flexors, the accuracy and reliability of the FSRs to detect gait phase transitions were evaluated. Accuracy was evaluated with four of the subjects by synchronizing the output of the FSR detection scheme with a VICON (Oxford Metrics, U.K.) motion analysis system, which was used as the gait event reference. While mean differences between each FSR-detected gait event and that of the standard (VICON) ranged from +35 ms (indicating that the FSR detection scheme recognized the event before it actually happened) to -55 ms (indicating that the FSR scheme recognized the event after it occurred), the difference data was widely distributed, which appeared to be due in part to both intrasubject (step-to-step) and intersubject variability. Terminal stance exhibited the largest mean difference and standard deviation, while initial swing exhibited the smallest deviation and preswing the smallest mean difference. To determine step-to-step reliability, all seven children walked on a level walkway for at least 50 steps. Of 642 steps, there were no detection errors in 94.5% of the steps. Of the steps that contained a detection error, 80% were due to the failure of the FSR signal to reach the programmed threshold level during the transition to loading response. Recovery from an error always occurred one to three steps later.
Robotic edge profiling of complex components

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the development and testing of a system for the automated deburring of aero‐engine components.Design/methodology/approach – The system described in this paper uses an in‐process measurement sensor to determine the component's exact location prior to the deburring operation. The core of the system is a set of algorithms capable of fitting and generating the required robot path relative to the feature to be profiled.Findings – The paper demonstrates that with a combination of non‐contact metrology and mathematical processing standard industrial robot can be used to deburr aero engine components.Originality/value – The paper introduces an efficient robotic deburring method, which is developed based on generating real‐time robotic deburring path. Reducing the reliance on part holding fixtures and the use of a laser‐guided robot ensures the developed deburring system is highly flexible and re‐configurable.
Analysis of Various Road Pattern Recognition Methods for Satellite Images

Recently road extraction from satellite imagery has emerged as one of the hot topics in the research field. It is particularly employed in the city planning, cartography and to revise already detected roads in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment. Some of the several applications of road extraction are renewal of GIS database, reference for image registration, assistance for identification algorithms and fast mapping. Road extraction enables the road network to be truly presented in the object space when the image to ground systems transformation is carried out and it has been described as the method of detection and precise localization of roads in the image. Automatic road extraction attempts to simplify and speed up the road extraction process by focusing on automating all or few parts of this process. In photogrammetry and digital image processing fields, road extraction is considered as a challenging issue. In this paper detailed survey has been carried out on various road extraction techniques from satellite images and their performances were analyzed.
Off-road mobile robots control: An accurate and stable adaptive approach

Automation in outdoor applications at high speed (such as farming, surveillance, etc.) requires the highly accurate control of mobile robots, taking into account natural ground characteristics, in order to preserve both motion accuracy and robot stability. To meet such expectations, advanced control laws must be developed. In previous studies, adaptive and predictive control algorithms, based on both an extended kinematic and a dynamic representation, have been proposed to specifically address path tracking for such robots. However, even if high accuracy path tracking can be attained, such control laws do not enable roll-over situations to be avoided. This paper therefore addresses the prevention of off-road mobile robot roll-over as well as path tracking. In order to meet this aim, a stability metric, depending on a dynamic model, is computed and sliding phenomena are accounted for via a mixed observer (a multi-model observer, mixing kinematic and dynamic modelling). The steering angle is then controlled by the path tracking algorithm, and robot longitudinal speed may be limited to ensure safe motion. More precisely, the robot velocity leading to a critical value of the stability metric is computed via Predictive Functional Control (PFC), and this constitutes the speed control set point when inferior to the desired robot speed. The capabilities of the proposed approach are demonstrated and discussed thanks to full scale experimentation.
Does Government Spending Crowd Out Donations of Time and Money?

The authors examine data on giving and volunteering to determine whether public provision of social services and other public goods affects donations of time and money and provides evidence of crowding out. They find a negative and statistically significant relationship between government spending and donations of money and time. They also find that volunteers have demographic and other characteristics that are associated with high values of time and money.
Estimates of the rate and distribution of fitness effects of spontaneous mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The per-genome, per-generation rate of spontaneous mutation affecting fitness (U) and the mean fitness cost per mutation (s) are important parameters in evolutionary genetics, but have been estimated for few species. We estimated U and sh (the heterozygous effect of mutations) for two diploid yeast strains differing only in the DNA mismatch-repair deficiency used to elevate the mutation rate in one (mutator) strain. Mutations were allowed to accumulate in 50 replicate lines of each strain, during 36 transfers of randomly chosen single colonies (approximately 600 generations). Among wild-type lines, fitnesses were bimodal, with one mode showing no change in mean fitness. The other mode showed a mean 29.6% fitness decline and the petite phenotype, usually caused by partial deletion of the mitochondrial genome. Excluding petites, maximum-likelihood estimates adjusted for the effect of selection were U = 9.5 x 10(-5) and sh = 0.217 for the wild type. Among the mutator lines, the best fit was obtained with 0.005 < or = U < or = 0.94 and 0.049 > or = sh > or = 0.0003. Like other recently tested model organisms, wild-type yeast have low mutation rates, with high mean fitness costs per mutation. Inactivation of mismatch repair increases the frequency of slightly deleterious mutations by approximately two orders of magnitude.
The Shapley Value as a von Neumann-Morgenstern Utility

The Shapley value is shown to be avon Neumann-Morgenstern utility function. The concept of strategic risk is introduced, and it is shown that the Shapley value of agame equals its utility if and only if the underlying preferences are neutral to both ordinary and strategic risk. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Management culture and employee resistance: investigating the management of leisure service employees

This article compares and contrasts the findings of two case studies that examine different management cultures within the leisure industry. It was predicted that where managerial style differed the organizational culture that developed would impact upon the actions of employee in the workplace. It was also expected that organizational size would play a large role in managerial style. Managerial style would, in turn, influence employee perceptions of what were appropriate activities while in the workplace. However, in a greenfield site, the employment history and expectations of key managerial staff proved to be interesting complications. This case presented a management culture of resisting employer expectations. As a result a culture developed where employees of all levels actively resisted employer controls. Employee actions that were deleterious to organizational profitability became more common while remaining relatively covert.
Does Futures Trading Increase Stock Market Volatility

Whenever high market volatility occurs, the tendency seems to be to blame it on whatever new is going on at the time. One of the most (if not the most) extraordinary innovations to occur in financial markets in recent years has been the advent and explosive growth of equity futures trading. It is hardly surprising that futures, particularly equity index futures, have been singled out as a possible cause of the recent market volatility. To focus only on recent events, however, is to ignore most of the evidence. Equity futures began trading in 1982, so there exists a substantial body of data for use in testing the argument that financial futures trading has increased cash market volatility. To date, this evidence does not support the contention that stock index futures trading has destabilized the market. The day-to-day price volatility of the stock market over the 16-year period from 1972 to May 1987 does not indicate that the introduction of futures trading resulted in an increase in stock price volatility. In fact, market volatility in the S&P 500 was greater in 1973-82, before futures trading began, than it was in the 1982-86 post-futures period. While there is evidence of futures-induced short-run volatility, such as that occurring on futures contract expiration days, this volatility does not appear to carry over to longer periods of time.
The role of transport in tourism development: nodal functions and management practices

OUTLINE OF THE RESEARCHAlthough most of the tourism literatureacknowledges transport as one of the most signiﬁcant factors to have contributed to the development of tourism world-wide(steamships and the steam trains in the nine-teenth century, cars and coaches in the 1950sand wide-bodied jets after the 1970s), there hasbeen little research undertaken on the preciserelationship between transport and tourism.Analysing the existing tourism transport lit-erature, it is possible to highlight some trends,such as:(1) most of the existing research has been con-ducted from a single discipline perspective(economics, geography, management, psy-chology or sociology), without a multidis-ciplinary approach;(2) studies usually concentrate on only onemode of transport, predominantly airtransport — in addition, apart from rareexceptions such as Owen (1991) and Stubbsand Jegede (1998), intermodalism amongthe different modes of transports is seldomconsidered;(3) some types of partnership (marketing, promotion, alliances, loyalty programmes,CRS) between transport and tourism com-panies are still to be considered, principallysuppliers other than airlines and hotelchains (Lafferty and Fossen, 2001);(4) although many studies about transportnetworks focus on hubs, Bowen (2000) isone of the few researchers to illustrate how international hubs, such as Bangkokand Singapore, took advantage of transit-ing trafﬁc concentration to develop theirtourism markets — other nodal functionssuch as gateways and their impacts ontourism are still to be considered.This PhD research seeks to ﬁll this literaturegap through taking a multidisciplinary andintermodal perspective, and by consideringdifferent types of partnerships between thetourism and transport sectors and the contri-bution of gateways to tourism development.
Gender-related differences in prevalence of lumbopelvic region movement impairments in people with low back pain.

STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional, secondary analysis. OBJECTIVES To examine potential gender differences in prevalence of lumbopelvic region movement impairments during clinical tests in a sample of people with low back pain (LBP). BACKGROUND A number of studies have identified factors contributing to differences between men and women in prevalence of lower extremity injuries. Few studies have examined potential gender differences in impairments of people with LBP. METHODS AND MEASURES Eighty-four males and 86 females (mean +/- SD age, 41.5 +/- 13.3 years) with LBP participated in a standardized examination. Responses from 7 movement tests that examine early lumbopelvic movement were analyzed using chi-square statistics. RESULTS A greater proportion of men than women displayed early lumbopelvic movement during the majority of limb movements (3/4) and movements potentially affected by limb tissue stiffness (2/2) (P<.05). There were no differences in the proportions of men and women displaying early lumbopelvic movement during a movement presumed to not be affected by limb tissue stiffness (P>.05). Similar results were obtained when analyzing only the subsets of subjects who reported an increase in symptoms with a specific test. CONCLUSION Our results provide data to suggest men and women with LBP may move differently in the lumbopelvic region during clinical tests of limb movements and movements potentially affected by limb tissue stiffness. Recognition of gender differences in prevalence of movement impairments is important for improving examination and intervention of people with LBP.
(E)-N-{[6-chloro-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-yl]methylene}benzene-1,2-diamine: a three-dimensional framework structure built from only two hydrogen bonds.

The molecules of the title compound, C(26)H(19)Cl(2)N(5), are conformationally chiral, with none of the aryl groups coplanar with the pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine core of the molecule. A single unique N-H.N hydrogen bond links the molecules into two symmetry-related sets of C(11) chains running parallel to the [011] and [011] directions, respectively, and these two sets of chains are linked into a continuous three-dimensional framework structure by a single unique C-H.N hydrogen bond which forms a chain parallel to the [100] direction.