Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Charisma: Exploring New Dimensions of Leadership Behaviour

The paper explores charismatic leadership as a new dimension. A three stage model to understand the charismatic leader's influence process in organisations is proposed. Stage 1 is that of evaluation of status quo, Stage 2 that of formulation of organisational goals, and Stage 3 is the means of achieving these goals. In all stages, the essential and distinctive characteristics of this leadership is articulated. The conclusion is that the mystique of charisma need to be unveiled in order to understand how leadership operates in organisations.
Fitness, Fatness, and Survival in Adults With Prediabetes

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine independent and joint associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and different adiposity measures with mortality risk in individuals with prediabetes (or impaired fasting glucose). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We examined associations of CRF and fatness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in a cohort of 17,044 participants (89% men) with prediabetes (defined as 100 mg/dL ≤ fasting plasma glucose < 126 mg/dL), who did not have a history of diabetes, CVD, or cancer. RESULTS We identified 832 deaths (246 from CVD) during 13.9 ± 7.0 years (mean ± SD) follow-up. Normal-weight individuals who were unfit (lowest one-third) had a higher risk of all-cause (hazard ratio 1.70 [95% CI 1.32–2.18]) and CVD (1.88 [1.13–3.10]) mortality compared with the normal-weight and fit (upper two-thirds) reference group in a model adjusted for age, sex, examination year, and multiple risk factors. The mortality risk for fit individuals who were overweight or obese did not differ significantly from the reference group. Similar patterns were observed for sex-specific thirds of waist circumference and % body fat. CONCLUSIONS CRF markedly modifies the relationship between adiposity and mortality in persons with prediabetes. Unfit individuals have a higher and fit individuals have a lower mortality risk irrespective of adiposity level in this high-risk group.
Pattern quarks and leptonsy

Disclinations, concave and convex, are the canonical point defects of twodimensional planar patterns in systems with translational and rotational symmetries. From these, all other point defects (vortices, dislocations, targets, saddles and handles) can be built. Moreover, handles, coupled concave–convex disclination pairs arise as instabilities, symmetry breaking events. The purpose of this article is to show that embedded in three or more dimensions, concave and convex disclination strings, two-dimensional disclinations with loop backbones, have interesting and suggestive invariant indices which are integer multiples of 12 and 13.
Dynamic SLAM Approach Based on Kinect Fusion

Simultaneously Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is nowadays playing an important role in robot vision and localization. Existing algorithms in SLAM lay greatly on the assumption that the surrounding landmarks are static. Current SLAM research in dense representation, together with general-purpose computing in GPU, provide the chance to explore a real-time SLAM system to tackle dynamic surroundings. In this project, based on the popular tracking and mapping system Kinect Fusion, we build our system KinfuSeg, which makes two main contributions. First, KinfuSeg is able to perform in a dynamic environment, which owns much less restriction on its static surrounding. Second, KinfuSeg is able to segment the moving object in a separate 3D volume. Meanwhile, KinfuSeg is able to perform in real-time in almost all the situations. We achieve the two improvements by introducing a separate segmentation pipeline, which performs depth based segmentation first to extract motion from the surroundings, and then build 3D volumes for static scenes and motions respectively. In segmentation, we first use the point-plane model to extract all the ICP outliers as depth disparity map. Then we perform a mean filter and graph-cut method to achieve a more smooth and noise-free segmentation of motions. Finally, we perform a separate volume integration and ray casting on the static scene and dynamic scene. The models of volume integrations and ray casting are modified respectively, according to characters in static & dynamic scene. In the results part, we demonstrate our KinfuSeg system performance. Generally, KinfuSeg is able to perform in real-time (about 15 fps). The general computation is processed as pipelines in GPU. A statistical analysis of it is therefore hard to be achieved. Instead, we generate video and image demonstrations of KinfuSeg performance in various respects. The tests include segmentation results, modelling of static & dynamic scene in different situations, and the tracking ability of SLAM system. The results show that the segmented dynamic volume is accurate when the object is moving slowly in the camera view. For two situations, either object entering or moving in the scene, KinfuSeg is able to track and segment well. When the movement of camera is slow, the tracking is capable to be accurate.
Sports and Freedom: The Rise of Big-Time College Athletics.

Perhaps more than any other two colleges, Harvard and Yale gave form to American intercollegiate athletics -- a form that was inspired by the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry overseas, and that was imitated by colleges and universities throughout the United States. Focusing on the influence of these prestigious eastern institutions, this fascinating study traces the origins and development of intercollegiate athletics in America from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. Smith begins with an historical overview of intercollegiate athletics and details the evolution of individual sports -- crew, baseball, track and field, and especially football. Then, skillfully setting various sports events in their broader social and cultural contexts, Smith goes on to discuss many important issues that are still relevant today: student-faculty competition for institutional athletic control; the impact of the professional coach on big-time athletics; the false concept of amateurism in college athletics; and controversies over eligibility rules. He also reveals how the debates over brutality and ethics created the need for a central organizing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which still runs college sports today. Sprinkled throughout with spicy sports anecdotes, from the Thanksgiving Day Princeton-Yale football game that drew record crowds in the 1890s to a meeting with President Theodore Roosevelt on football violence, this lively, in-depth investigation will appeal to serious sports buffs as well as to anyone interested in American social and cultural history.
Raising the Bar of Teacher Quality: Accountability, Collaboration, and Social Justice.

However, research shows us that individual teachers can profoundly impact the academic achievement of their students (Brophy & Good, 1986; Darling-Hammond, 2000; Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001; Sanders & Horn, 1994; Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997). In fact, Brophy and Good’s meta analysis (1986) indicates that hundreds of studies refute the myths perpetuated by earlier research (namely Coleman, The Claremont
Teacher−Student Interaction and Learning in Online Theological Education. Part Four: Findings and Conclusions

Many theological educators ask how online classes can provide students with the kind of personal teacher-student interaction that is needed in a healthy and holistic approach to preparation for ministry. A quantitative study was undertaken for the purposes of examining the relationships between three major types of teacher-student interaction (organizational, social, and intellectual) and two types of learning outcomes (cognitive and affective). Seminary students from nine seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools were invited to complete a Web-based survey about their experience in online courses. In the first two sections of this four-part report, the research concern was introduced and the theoretical framework was reviewed. Literature relevant to teacher–student interaction in online higher education, the teacher–student relationship in theological education, learning outcomes in higher education, and the Web-based survey research approach used in this study was considered. The third section explained the methodological approach used in the research. This fourth and final section presents the study's findings and discusses possible conclusions.
Diversity in the communication curriculum: Impact on student empathy

This study explored the impact of integrating cultural diversity into the communication curriculum. Students in control and experimental groups (N = 237) were pre/post‐tested for empathy, a central component of intercultural communication competence. Results indicated significant gains in empathy as a trait, attitude, and behavior for students completing a course in “Intercultural Communication” and significant gains in empathy as an attitude and behavior for basic speech course students receiving interpersonal communication instruction which had been infused with diversity. No significant gains in empathy were demonstrated by basic course students who completed one speech on a “diversity and communication” topic or media students who produced a media segment on a cultural group different from their own contrasted with students in comparable classes without a diversity component.
The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1‐MMP) and MMP‐9 according to their localization in invasive breast carcinoma

Aims: To investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1‐MMP) and MMP‐9 proteins expression in invasive breast carcinoma and their relationship to tumour proliferation and expression of c‐erbB2 and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) gamma.
Impaired Vascular Contractility and Aortic Wall Degeneration in Fibulin-4 Deficient Mice: Effect of Angiotensin II Type 1 (AT1) Receptor Blockade

Medial degeneration is a key feature of aneurysm disease and aortic dissection. In a murine aneurysm model we investigated the structural and functional characteristics of aortic wall degeneration in adult fibulin-4 deficient mice and the potential therapeutic role of the angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist losartan in preventing aortic media degeneration. Adult mice with 2-fold (heterozygous Fibulin-4+/R) and 4-fold (homozygous Fibulin-4R/R) reduced expression of fibulin-4 displayed the histological features of cystic media degeneration as found in patients with aneurysm or dissection, including elastin fiber fragmentation, loss of smooth muscle cells, and deposition of ground substance in the extracellular matrix of the aortic media. The aortic contractile capacity, determined by isometric force measurements, was diminished, and was associated with dysregulation of contractile genes as shown by aortic transcriptome analysis. These structural and functional alterations were accompanied by upregulation of TGF-β signaling in aortas from fibulin-4 deficient mice, as identified by genome-scaled network analysis as well as by immunohistochemical staining for phosphorylated Smad2, an intracellular mediator of TGF-β. Tissue levels of Ang II, a regulator of TGF-β signaling, were increased. Prenatal treatment with the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, which blunts TGF-β signaling, prevented elastic fiber fragmentation in the aortic media of newborn Fibulin-4R/R mice. Postnatal losartan treatment reduced haemodynamic stress and improved lifespan of homozygous knockdown fibulin-4 animals, but did not affect aortic vessel wall structure. In conclusion, the AT1 receptor blocker losartan can prevent aortic media degeneration in a non-Marfan syndrome aneurysm mouse model. In established aortic aneurysms, losartan does not affect aortic architecture, but does improve survival. These findings may extend the potential therapeutic application of inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system to the preventive treatment of aneurysm disease.
Prion domain interaction responsible for species discrimination in yeast [PSI+] transmission

Background: The yeast [PSI+] factor is transmitted by a prion mechanism involving self‐propagating Sup35 aggregates. As with mammalian prions, a species barrier prevents prion transmission between yeast species. The N‐terminal of Sup35 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, necessary for [PSI+], contains two species‐signature elements—a Gln/Asn‐rich region (residues 1–41; designated NQ) that is followed by oligopeptide repeats (designated NR).
Interaction between the second messengers cAMP and Ca2+ in mouse presynaptic taste cells

The second messenger, 3′,5′‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), is known to be modulated in taste buds following exposure to gustatory and other stimuli. Which taste cell type(s) (Type I/glial‐like cells, Type II/receptor cells, or Type III/presynaptic cells) undergo taste‐evoked changes of cAMP and what the functional consequences of such changes are remain unknown. Using Fura‐2 imaging of isolated mouse vallate taste cells, we explored how elevating cAMP alters Ca2+ levels in identified taste cells. Stimulating taste buds with forskolin (Fsk; 1 μm) + isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX; 100 μm), which elevates cellular cAMP, triggered Ca2+ transients in 38% of presynaptic cells (n= 128). We used transgenic GAD‐GFP mice to show that cAMP‐triggered Ca2+ responses occur only in the subset of presynaptic cells that lack glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD). We never observed cAMP‐stimulated responses in receptor cells, glial‐like cells or GAD‐expressing presynaptic cells. The response to cAMP was blocked by the protein kinase A inhibitor H89 and by removing extracellular Ca2+. Thus, the response to elevated cAMP is a PKA‐dependent influx of Ca2+. This Ca2+ influx was blocked by nifedipine (an inhibitor of L‐type voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels) but was unperturbed by ω‐agatoxin IVA and ω‐conotoxin GVIA (P/Q‐type and N‐type channel inhibitors, respectively). Single‐cell RT‐PCR on functionally identified presynaptic cells from GAD‐GFP mice confirmed the pharmacological analyses: Cav1.2 (an L‐type subunit) is expressed in cells that display cAMP‐triggered Ca2+ influx, while Cav2.1 (a P/Q subunit) is expressed in all presynaptic cells, and underlies depolarization‐triggered Ca2+ influx. Collectively, these data demonstrate cross‐talk between cAMP and Ca2+ signalling in a subclass of taste cells that form synapses with gustatory fibres and may integrate tastant‐evoked signals.
Hyaluronan-binding Proteins: Tying Up the Giant*

The ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan (GAG) hyaluronan has diverse biological roles in vertebrates. These include acting as a vital structural component of connective tissues, the formation of loose hydrated matrices that allow cells to divide and migrate (e.g. during development), immune cell adhesion and activation, and a role in intracellular signaling (1–3). This wide range of activities may seem surprising for an unbranched polysaccharide comprised entirely of a repeating disaccharide, D-glucuronic acid( 133)N-acetyl-D-glucosamine( 134), which (unlike other GAGs) is neither attached to a protein core nor Oor N-sulfated. Such diversity results in fact from the large number of hyaluronan-binding proteins (often termed hyaladherins) that exhibit significant differences in their tissue expression, cellular localization, specificity, affinity, and regulation. Therefore, characterization of the molecular basis of hyaluronan recognition by proteins and how this is modulated in vivo is an important key to understanding the biology of this GAG. In this article, we review the structural organization of vertebrate hyaladherins and how this may contribute to their different biological activities.
Genome Sequence of an Environmental Isolate of the Bacterial Pathogen Legionella pneumophila

ABSTRACT We report here the genomic sequence of Legionella pneumophila strain LPE509 from the water distribution system of a hospital in Shanghai, China. This is the first complete genome sequence of an environmental L. pneumophila isolate. Genomic analyses identified approximately 600 genes unique to LPE509 compared to those of the 7 available L. pneumophila genomes.
Generative Bayesian Image Super Resolution With Natural Image Prior

We propose a new single image super resolution (SR) algorithm via Bayesian modeling with a natural image prior modeled by a high-order Markov random field (MRF). SR is one of the long-standing and active topics in image processing community. It is of great use in many practical applications, such as astronomical observation, medical imaging, and the adaptation of low-resolution contents onto high-resolution displays. One category of the conventional approaches for image SR is formulating the problem with Bayesian modeling techniques and then obtaining its maximum-a-posteriori solution, which actually boils down to a regularized regression task. Although straightforward, this approach cannot exploit the full potential offered by the probabilistic modeling, as only the posterior mode is sought. On the other hand, current Bayesian SR approaches using the posterior mean estimation typically use very simple prior models for natural images to ensure the computational tractability. In this paper, we present a Bayesian image SR approach with a flexible high-order MRF model as the prior for natural images. The minimum mean square error (MMSE) criteria are used for estimating the HR image. A Markov chain Monte Carlo-based sampling algorithm is presented for obtaining the MMSE solution. The proposed method cannot only enjoy the benefits offered by the flexible prior, but also has the advantage of making use of the probabilistic modeling to perform a posterior mean estimation, thus is less sensitive to the local minima problem as the MAP solution. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can generate competitive or better results than state-of-the-art SR algorithms.
Repeated self-injury: perspectives from general psychiatry

Patients who repeatedly injure themselves present particular management problems for general psychiatric teams. This article, the first of a series of four, examines the characteristics of those that present to adult mental health services, and the possible underlying background and trigger factors that lead to these anxiety-raising events. Suggestions are made on preventive and assessment procedures, staff reactions and management strategies aimed at helping patients deal with the overwhelming feelings that underlie self-injury.
Urban—Rural Flows and the Meaning of Borders

This article focuses on political and everyday interplay and integration between city and hinterland, investigating borders and boundaries in such interplay. Five Norwegian city-regions served as the empirical basis for analysing two empirical fields. In the first field — everyday mobility and flow — institutionalized interactions between the cities and their hinterlands were analysed as well as objectives and meaning as motivations in everyday mobility in the city-region between city and hinterland. In the second field — urban-regional economic development policy — the questions addressed related to the degree to which governance networks are developed as a tool in local economic development policy, the geographical span such networks have, and the degree to which actors are motivated by the idea of creating a city-region where the importance of borders is decreasing. The issues were discussed in a theoretical frame related to urban and boundary theory.The results demonstrated the multitude of meanings with regard to borders and boundaries, underscoring how fundamentally different cognitive approaches related to borders and flows are constituent in the two empirical fields as well as how borders and boundaries are used to separate and connect in fulfilling purposeful ends.
Individualism in Western advertising: A comparative study of Spanish and US newspaper advertisements

Following an extended tradition in cross-cultural research about individualism and collectivism as defining features of national cultures, this article aims to go in depth by taking into account the implications of these complex concepts. Under the premise that advertising is a product that reflects cultural values, this article focuses on a comparative content analysis of newspaper advertisements from the United States and Spain, two presumably different Western countries as far as the individualism–collectivism continuum is concerned. The conclusions obtained challenge some theoretical assumptions regarding this topic. The evolution of Spanish society as mirrored by advertising is discussed as well.
TAP : Taxonomy for Adaptive Prefetching

Data prefetching is an important technique for overcoming t he increasing gap between the processor and memory speeds. Traditonal metrics for prefet ching have been shown to be ineffective and misleading. Prefetch taxonomies provide inter esting insights into the performance of prefetch algorithms. In this report, we present an analys is of two prefetch algorithms using a prefetch classification taxonomy PTMT. We also come up with the drawbacks of PTMT and propose an alternative taxonomy TAP. An adaptive tagged pre fetch algorithm (A-TAG) that uses TAP is also proposed and analyzed.
6 Did the RNA World Exploit an Expanded Genetic Alphabet

SINGLE BIOPOLYMER LIFE FORMS BASED ON RNA In terms of its macromolecular chemistry, life on Earth can be classified as a “two-biopolymer” system. Nucleic acid is the encoding biopolymer, storing information within an organism and passing it to its descendants. Nucleic acids also direct the biosynthesis of the second biopolymer, proteins. Proteins generate most of the selectable traits in contemporary organisms, from structure to motion to catalysis. The two-biopolymer strategy evidently works rather well. It has lasted on Earth for several billion years, adapting in this time to a remarkable range of environments, surviving formidable geobiological (and perhaps cosmic) events that threatened its extinction, and generating intelligence capable of exploring beyond Earth. The terrestrial version of two-biopolymer life contains a well recognized paradox, however, one relating to its origins. It is difficult enough to envision a nonbiological mechanism that would allow either proteins or nucleic acids to emerge spontaneously from nonliving precursors. But it seems astronomically improbable that both biopolymers arose simultaneously and spontaneously, and even more improbable (if that can be imagined) that both biopolymers so arose with an encoder-encoded relationship. Accordingly, a variety of “single-biopolymer” models have been proposed as forms of life that antedated the two-biopolymer system. These (presumably) could have emerged more easily than a two-biopolymer system. Such models postulate that a single biopolymer can perform the catalytic and information repository roles and undergo the Darwinian evolution that defines life (Joyce 1994). For example, Rich (1962), Woese (1967), Orgel (1968), and Crick (1968) proposed that the.
Adventure Education and Outward Bound: Out-of-Class Experiences That Make a Lasting Difference

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine the effects of adventure programs on a diverse array of outcomes such as self concept, locus of control, and leadership. The meta-analysis was based on 1,728 effect sizes drawn from 151 unique samples from 96 studies, and the average effect size at the end of the programs was . 34. In a remarkable contrast to most educational research, these short-term or immediate gains were followed by substantial additional gains between the end of the program and follow-up assessments ( ES = .17). The effect sizes varied substantially according the particular program and outcome and improved as the length of the program and the ages of participants increased. Too little is known, however, about why adventure programs work most effectively.