Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning through a Reunion of Mind-Body-Emotion-Spirits

While reflexivity has been taken up as an important concept in critical qualitative research, there are few texts that illustrate explicit approaches to practicing reflexivity. Drawing on my doctoral research experience, this article fills this gap and explores how the practice of mindfulness may guide us to a rich engagement with reflexivity during the critical qualitative research process, in particular within the context of interactions with research participants. More specifically, mindfulness is put forth as a practice to invite an embodied and holistic form of learning that goes beyond cognitive knowing. I argue that a mindfulness-based reflexivity has the potential to open up a space to learn from the messiness and discomfort experienced in the research process and deepen our understanding about the operation of power relations in critical qualitative research and beyond.
Early detection congestion and control routing in MANET

Ad hoc mobile networks are composed of mobile nodes communicating through wireless medium, without any fixed backbone infrastructure. In these networks, Congestion occurs in any intermediate nodes when data packets travel from source to destination and they incur high packet loss and long delay, which cause the performance degradations of a network. This paper presents the early detection congestion and control routing protocol for wireless Ad-hoc networks called as EDAODV. EDAODV detects congestion at a node level by calculating queue_status value and finding congestion status. Based on a congestion status, EDAODV utilizes the non-congested predecessor and successor nodes of a congested node and initiates route finding process bi-directionally to find alternate non-congested path between them for transmitting data. The process finds more non-congested alternate paths and chooses a best single path for transmitting data.
The therapeutic effect of Rosuvastatin on cardiac remodelling from hypertrophy to fibrosis during the end-stage hypertension in rats

End‐stage hypertensive heart disease is an increasing cause of cardiac mortality. Therefore, the current study focused on the cardiac remodelling from hypertrophy to fibrosis in old‐aged spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and explored the therapeutic effects of Rosuvastatin and its possible mechanism(s) of action. Spontaneously hypertensive rats at age 52 weeks were randomly divided into three groups, the first two to receive Rosuvastatin at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day and 40 mg/kg/day, respectively, and the third to receive placebo, which was to be compared with Wistar‐Kyoto as controls. After 2‐month treatment, SBP, heart to body weight ratio (HW/BW%) and echocardiographic features were evaluated, followed by haematoxylin and eosin and Masson trichrome staining in conjunction with qPCR of foetal gene expressions. Transferase‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labelling assay and immunofluorescent labelling for active caspase‐3 were used to detect the apoptotic cardiomyocytes. Signaling pathways involved were examined by using western blot. Old‐aged SHR developed end‐stage hypertensive heart disease characterized by significant enhancement of HW/BW%, LVAWd and LVPWd, and decreased LVEF and LVFS, accompanied by cardiomyocytes enlargement and fibrosis along with activation of foetal gene programme. Cardiac apoptosis increased significantly during the transition process. Rosuvastatin reduced hypertrophy significantly via AT1 Receptor‐PKCβ2/α‐ERK‐c‐fos pathway; protected myocardium against apoptosis via Akt‐FOXO1, Bcl‐2 family and survivin pathways and consequently suppressed the caspase‐3 activity. The present study revealed that old‐aged SHRs developed cardiac remodelling from hypertrophy to fibrosis via cardiac apoptosis during the end stage of hypertensive heart disease. These pathological changes might be the consequence of activation of AT1 Receptor‐PKCβ2/α‐ERK‐c‐fos and AKT‐FOXO1/Bcl‐2/survivin/Caspase3 signaling. Rosuvastatin effectively attenuated the structural changes by reversing the signaling transductions involved.
Counterexamples to symmetry for partially overdetermined elliptic problems

Abstract We exhibit several counterexamples showing that the famous Serrin´s symmetry result for semilinear elliptic overdetermined problems may not hold for partially overdetermined problems, that is when both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions are prescribed only on part of the boundary. Our counterexamples enlighten subsequent positive symmetry results obtained by the first two authors for such partially overdetermined systems and justify their assumptions as well.
On the Unicity of the Homotopy Theory of Higher Categories

We axiomatise the theory of $(\infty,n)$-categories. We prove that the space of theories of $(\infty,n)$-categories is a $B(\mathbb{Z}/2)^n$. We prove that Rezk's complete Segal $\Theta_n$-spaces, Simpson and Tamsamani's Segal $n$-categories, the first author's $n$-fold complete Segal spaces, Kan and the first author's $n$-relative categories, and complete Segal space objects in any model of $(\infty,n-1)$-categories all satisfy our axioms. Consequently, these theories are all equivalent in a manner that is unique up to the action of $(\mathbb{Z}/2)^n$.
The Neurogenic Factor NeuroD1 Is Expressed in Post-Mitotic Cells during Juvenile and Adult Xenopus Neurogenesis and Not in Progenitor or Radial Glial Cells

In contrast to mammals that have limited proliferation and neurogenesis capacities, the Xenopus frog exhibit a great potential regarding proliferation and production of new cells in the adult brain. This ability makes Xenopus a useful model for understanding the molecular programs required for adult neurogenesis. Transcriptional factors that control adult neurogenesis in vertebrate species undergoing widespread neurogenesis are unknown. NeuroD1 is a member of the family of proneural genes, which function during embryonic neurogenesis as a potent neuronal differentiation factor. Here, we study in detail the expression of NeuroD1 gene in the juvenile and adult Xenopus brains by in situ hybridization combined with immunodetections for proliferation markers (PCNA, BrdU) or in situ hybridizations for cell type markers (Vimentin, Sox2). We found NeuroD1 gene activity in many brain regions, including olfactory bulbs, pallial regions of cerebral hemispheres, preoptic area, habenula, hypothalamus, cerebellum and medulla oblongata. We also demonstrated by double staining NeuroD1/BrdU experiments, after long post-BrdU administration survival times, that NeuroD1 gene activity was turned on in new born neurons during post-metamorphic neurogenesis. Importantly, we provided evidence that NeuroD1-expressing cells at this brain developmental stage were post-mitotic (PCNA-) cells and not radial glial (Vimentin+) or progenitors (Sox2+) cells.
Effects of maximal isometric and isokinetic resistance training on strength and functional mobility in older adults.

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to compare the changes in voluntary strength (isometric, concentric, and eccentric) and functional mobility in response to maximal isokinetic eccentric-only resistance training to those elicited by maximal isometric-only or maximal isokinetic concentric-only resistance training in older adults. METHODS Twelve women (73 +/- 7 years) and 18 men (73 +/- 5 years) completed a 12-week training program (three times per week) using a Biodex System 3 dynamometer. Primary outcome measures included peak isometric and isokinetic (concentric and eccentric) knee extensor strength, concentric work, concentric power, stair ascent and descent, and gait speed. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three training groups: isometric-only, isokinetic concentric-only, or isokinetic eccentric-only. RESULTS All three training groups demonstrated an increase in peak isometric and isokinetic concentric and eccentric strength following 12 weeks of training (p <.01). Step time was positively influenced (p <.03) by all three training modes; however, gait speed was unchanged following 12 weeks of training. All three training groups experienced a significant increase in peak concentric work and concentric power (p <.01) with the concentric training group demonstrating the largest increases in both peak concentric work and concentric power when compared to the isometric and eccentric training groups. CONCLUSIONS It was clear that all three resistance training programs (isometric, concentric, and eccentric) in older adults were effective in increasing strength, concentric work, and concentric power over the 12-week training period. Furthermore, 12 weeks of resistance training resulted in improved stair ascent and descent performance.
The Effects of a Repeating Simulation Experience on Senior Nursing Students

Background: The purpose of this observational study was to examine the use of a repeating simulation experience as a means of educating senior nursing students on cardiac arrest and student satisfaction with the simulation event. Methods: Students took a pre-test to quantify knowledge and then participated in one cardiac code simulation in the morning followed by various other learning activities and then participated in a second cardiac code simulation and the post-test along with surveys at the end of the day. Results: Students showed a significant increase in knowledge after participating in the cardiac code simulation (p<0.001) and demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the simulation (M = 56.6, max score = 65, and M = 176, max score = 200). Conclusion: Students educated in cardiac codes with a high-fidelity repeating simulation event demonstrate an increase in knowledge and report high satisfaction with the event. This may lead to improved patient safety.
Rollout Allocation Strategies for Classification-based Policy Iteration

Classification-based policy iteration algorithms are variations of policy iteration that do not use any kind of value function representation. The main idea is 1) to replace the usual value function learning step with rollout estimates of the value function over a finite number of states, called the rollout set, and the actions in the action space, and 2) to cast the policy improvement step as a classification problem. The choice of rollout allocation strategies over states and actions has significant impact on the performance and computation time of this class of algorithms. In this paper, we present new strategies to allocate the available budget (number of rollouts) at each iteration of the algorithm over states and actions. Our empirical results indicate that for a fixed budget, using the proposed strategies improves the accuracy of the training set over the existing methods.
Effect of the linguistic complexity of the input text on alignment, writing fluency, and writing accuracy in the continuation task

Previous studies demonstrated that the continuation task has great language learning potential and that various task-related factors may affect the extent to which the potential can be exploited (e.g. Wang & Wang, 2015). This study investigates the effect of one understudied factor, the linguistic complexity of the input text, on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ alignment, writing fluency, and writing accuracy in the continuation task. Two comparable groups of Chinese undergraduate EFL learners read and continued a simplified and unsimplified version of the same incomplete story whose linguistic complexity matched and exceeded their production ability, respectively. Compared to the unsimplified version, the simplified version resulted in more automatic alignment and greater improvement in writing fluency and accuracy. The implications of these findings for writing pedagogy are discussed.
Dynamics analysis and closed-loop control of biological cells in transportation using robotic manipulation system with optical tweezers

Increasing demands for both accuracy and productivity in cell manipulation highlight the need for automated process that integrates robotics and micro manipulation technologies. Optical tweezers, which use low power laser beams to trap and manipulate particles at micro/nano scale, have provided a revolutionary solution to manipulate biological objects in a noninvasive way. In this paper, we propose to use a robot-tweezer manipulation system for automatic manipulation of biological cells. Dynamics equation of the trapped cell during the movement is analyzed. A closed-loop controller is designed for cell transportation. Experiments are performed on the live cells to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Death and dying in DayZ

Avatar death is essentially universal in combat games, and ubiquitous in all other genres; death of a player's materialization in the game space is used to identify the player's failure and temporary removal from play. Yet the possibilities for creating interesting social dynamics and game play experiences through the design and configuration of death mechanics in games remains largely unexplored. In this paper we discuss the first person shooter game DayZ, which has configured death with an extreme level of consequentiality not found in other online first-person-shooters. We examine the affect of this consequentiality on the player experience and attitudes towards death and dying in DayZ. On the basis of our research data, we find that the increased consequentiality of death in DayZ principally affects the game experience by intensifying social interactions, raising a player's perceived level of investment and invoking moral dilemmas.
Analisis Faktor - Faktor Yang Memengaruhi Niat Penggunaan E-Commerce XYZ Menggunakan Model UTAUT (Unified Theory Acceptance And Use Of Technology)

Perkembangan e-commerce di Indonesia semakin banyak dan semakin popular dikalangan masyarakat. Hal ini didorong oleh meningkatnya jumlah perusahaan yang menyediakan bisnis untuk layanan e-commerce bagi konsumen (bisnis transaksi elektronik antara perusahaan dan konsumen sebagai pembeli). E-commerce XYZ merupakan salah satu e-commerce dibidang fashion yang popular dikalangan remaja. Model Unified Theory Acceptance And Use Of Technology (UTAUT) merupakan model yang menunjukan faktor-faktor yang dapat mempengaruhi niat untuk menggunakan teknologi tertentu (e-commerce). Pada penelitian ini mengusulkan 3 variabel inti dari model UTAUT, yaitu performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, yang akan dipengaruhnya terhadap variabel dependen niat atau behavioral intention. Model tersebut didapatkan dari penelitian sebelumnya. Teknik analisis data dilakukan menggunakan analisis regresi linier berganda. Hasil yang ditemukan dari penelitian ini adalah hanya faktor social influence yang berpengaruh terhadap niat seseorang dalam menggunakan e-commerce XYZ, sedangkan faktor performance expectancy dan effort expectancy tidak memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap behavioral intention.
Multiconlitron: A General Piecewise Linear Classifier

Based on the “convexly separable” concept, we present a solid geometric theory and a new general framework to design piecewise linear classifiers for two arbitrarily complicated nonintersecting classes by using a “multiconlitron,” which is a union of multiple conlitrons that comprise a set of hyperplanes or linear functions surrounding a convex region for separating two convexly separable datasets. We propose a new iterative algorithm called the cross distance minimization algorithm (CDMA) to compute hard margin non-kernel support vector machines (SVMs) via the nearest point pair between two convex polytopes. Using CDMA, we derive two new algorithms, i.e., the support conlitron algorithm (SCA) and the support multiconlitron algorithm (SMA) to construct support conlitrons and support multiconlitrons, respectively, which are unique and can separate two classes by a maximum margin as in an SVM. Comparative experiments show that SMA can outperform linear SVM on many of the selected databases and provide similar results to radial basis function SVM on some of them, while SCA performs better than linear SVM on three out of four applicable databases. Other experiments show that SMA and SCA may be further improved to draw more potential in the new research direction of piecewise linear learning.
“The ripple perceptions”: The effects of viewing LGBT-inclusive TV on straight viewers’ inference of peers’ attitudes towards gays and lesbians

This survey study (N=856) applied the Influence of Presumed Influence (IPI) model to explore the trilateral relationships among 1) consumption of recently on-air TV shows where LGBT characters serve as recurring narrative elements, 2) attitudes, and 3) perceived attitudes towards gays and lesbians (ATLG & PATLG) among straight Americans. The results advanced the model in at least three directions: 1) instead of “peer pressure,” self attitudes are better conceptualized in as the “cause” in the pro-social context; 2) consumption of media content and interpersonal contacts, in this case, LGBT-inclusive TV and personal relationships with LGBT individuals, moderate participants’ PATLG among close friends and people of the same age; 3) participants perceptually differentiated the influence of these TV shows on ATLG among self, close friends, and people of the same age. The modification of the original IPI model provides the ripple perception model to explain the self-other differential perceptions in this context.
Quality assessment of patients’ self-monitoring of blood glucose in community pharmacies

Objective To evaluate diabetes patients’ self-monitoring of blood glucose using a community pharmacy-based quality assurance procedure, to investigate whether the procedure improved the quality of the patient performance of self monitoring of blood glucose, and to examine the opinions of the patients taking part in the study. Methods The results of patient blood glucose measurements were compared to the results obtained with HemoCue Glucose 201+ by pharmacy employees in 16 Norwegian community pharmacies. Patient performance was monitored using an eight item checklist. Patients whose blood glucose measurements differed from pharmacy measurements by more than 20% were instructed in the correct use of their glucometer. The patients then re-measured their blood glucose. If the results were still outside the set limits, the control procedure was repeated with a new lot of glucometer strips, and then with a new glucometer. The patients returned for a follow-up visit after three months. Results During the first visit, 5% of the 338 patients had measurements that deviated from pharmacy blood glucose values by more than 20% and user errors were observed for 50% of the patients. At the second visit, there was no significant change in the analytical quality of patient measurements, but the percentage of patients who made user errors had decreased to 29% (p < 0.001). Eighty-five percent of the patients reported that they used their blood glucose results to adjust medication, exercise or meals. Fifty-one percent of the patients reported a greater trust in their measurements after the second visit. Eighty percent of patients wished to have their measurements assessed yearly. Of these patients, 83% preferred to have the assessment done at the community pharmacy. Conclusion A community pharmacy-based quality assessment procedure of patients’ self monitoring of blood glucose significantly reduced the number of user errors. The analytical quality of the patients’ measurements was good and did not improve further during the study. The high analytical quality might be explained by a selection bias of participating patients. Patients also reported increased confidence in their blood glucose measurements after their measurements had been assessed at the pharmacy.
Cross border health care in Europe

It's been an eventful year for the European Union. The resignation of the European Commission may have been a debacle, but January saw the launch of the Euro, and the new Treaty of Amsterdam is on its way to ratification by national parliaments. Both events will have an impact on medicine. A common currency will highlight the disparity in levels of healthcare costs and expenditure across the member states. The new treaty, which paves the way for enlarging the union, will, among other things, fuel the free movement of health-care professionals, especially from east to west Europe. Meanwhile the impact of European Union legislation continues to grow, from the 48 hour working time directive to the directive enshrining mutual recognition of professional qualifications which is spurring harmonisation of professional training. Healthcare shopping in the union may not yet be commonplace, but last year's landmark European Court rulings coupled with the price transparency that the Euro will bring will give it …
Influence of smoking and packaging methods on lipid stability and microbial quality of Capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Sardine (Sardinella gibossa)

Lipid and microbial quality of smoked capelin (two groups differing in lipid content) and sardine was studied, with the aim of introducing capelin in the smoked sardine markets. Lipid hydrolysis (phospholipid and free fatty acids) and oxidation index (hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances), fatty acid composition, and total viable count were measured in raw and packaged smoked fish during chilled storage (day 2, 10, 16, 22, 28). Lipid hydrolysis was more pronounced in low lipid capelin, whereas accelerated lipid oxidation occurred in high lipid capelin. Muscle lipid was less stable in sardine than capelin. Essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) constituted 12% of fatty acids in capelin and 19% in sardine. Vacuum packaging as well as hot smoking retarded bacterial growth, recording counts of ≤log 5 CFU/g compared to ≥log 7CFU/g in cold smoked air packaged. Smoked low lipid capelin was considered an alternative for introduction in smoked sardine markets.
Prevalence of Disc Degeneration in Asymptomatic Korean Subjects. Part 2 : Cervical Spine

Objective Similar to back pain, neck pain has recently shown to have increasing prevalence. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful in identifying the causes of neck pain. However, MRI shows not only pathological lesions but also physiological changes at the same time, and there are few Korean data. The authors have attempted to analyze the prevalence of disc degeneration in highly selective asymptomatic Korean subjects using MRI. Methods We performed 3 T MRI sagittal scans from C2 to T1 on 102 asymptomatic subjects (50 men and 52 women) who visited our hospital between the ages of 14 and 82 years (mean age 46.3 years). All images were read independently by three observers (two neurosurgeons and one neuroradiologist) who were not given any information about the subjects. We classified grading for cervical disc herniation (HN), annular fissure (AF), and nucleus degeneration (ND), using disc degeneration classification. Results The prevalence of HN, AF, and ND were 81.0%, 85.9%, and 95.4%, respectively. High prevalence of HN, AF, and ND was shown compared to previous literature. Conclusion In asymptomatic Korean subjects, the abnormal findings of 3 T MRI showed a high prevalence in HN, AF, and ND. Several factors might play important roles in these results, such as population-specific characters, MRI field strength, and disc degeneration grading system.