Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Establishing an Operational Definition for Customized Training

Over the past two decades, customized training has emerged as an important component of the nation's two-year postsecondary education curriculum. Often given little attention, customized training is taking an increasingly prominent position in the array of offerings by community colleges, due primarily to their expanding involvement in economic development. Recent estimates of the prevalence of customized training in two-year institutions indicate the activity is widespread. A national survey by Lynch, Palmer, and Grubb (1991) found that 93% of community colleges were involved in customized training by the late 1980s. Because it is so pervasive, customized training merits attention to improve our understanding of its role in postsecondary education and to assess its potential contributions to economic development. Although business and industry generally seem satisfied with customized training, questions remain unanswered about its relationship to local and state economic development. To fully understand this relationship, educators must clarify what constitutes customized training programs, how they are linked to economic development strategies, and what effect they have on economic growth. This article describes how customized training has evolved in the United States and discusses how customized training can be linked to three specific economic development strategies. Finally, an operational definition for customized training is presented to provide a basis for further development and evaluation of customized training.
Assessment of Liver Fibrosis and Steatosis in PBC With FibroScan, MRI, MR-spectroscopy, and Serum Markers

Background In recent years noninvasive methods have been evaluated for the assessment of liver fibrosis predominantly in patients with viral hepatitis. In this study, transient elastography (FibroScan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance (MR)-spectroscopy, and serum markers were compared in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) for the assessment of liver fibrosis and steatosis. Methods Forty-five patients with PBC and histologic assessment of liver fibrosis received transient elastography and examinations for serum markers of fibrosis and steatosis. In addition, 41 out of 45 patients received contrast-enhanced MRI and 38 out of 45 patients received proton MR-spectroscopy. Results The adjusted accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic) for the diagnosis of histologic-stage ≥II for FibroScan, MRI-contrast enhancement and Forns index was 80%, 83%, and 69%, and for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis 95%, 91%, and 94%, respectively. No correlation of histologic-stage was observed for FibroTest and AST to platelet ratio index. Histologic steatosis significantly correlated with body mass index (r=0.46), the SteatoTest (r=0.39), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (r=0.46), and MR-spectroscopy (r=−0.76). The accuracy for the diagnosis of histologic steatosis was best with MR-spectroscopy (88%). Conclusions Contrast-enhanced MRI and FibroScan can be used with comparable results for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with PBC and seem to supplement each other. MR-spectroscopy represents the best method for highly accurate noninvasive measurement of liver steatosis.
The Effects of Traumatic and Abusive Relationships

The present study aimed to understand what constitutes a traumatic relationship experience for adults in abusive intimate relationships and what effects, losses, and coping strategies were the most salient for these participants. A total of 101 individuals (42 males, 59 females) who reported experiencing an abusive or traumatic relationship participated. A mixed-method content analysis approach was used to derive the salient categories representative of participants' traumatic relationship experience and the resulting effects. Participants' responses to their most traumatic and distressing relationship experience revealed two themes: relational abuse and internal turmoil/stressful reactions. Participants also described numerous effects from the abusive relationship on their lives. Content analysis revealed four themes: internal turmoil, interpersonal affect, dysfunctional coping, and strength/empowerment. These findings are discussed in relation to treatment considerations for individuals experiencing relationship trauma.
Areas Involved in Encoding and Applying Directional Expectations to Moving Objects

Two experiments used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the cortical areas involved in establishing an expectation about the direction of motion of an upcoming object and applying that expectation to the analysis of the object. In Experiment 1, subjects saw a stationary cue that either indicated the direction of motion of a subsequent test stimulus (directional cue) or provided no directional information (neutral cue). Their task was to detect the presence of coherent motion in the test stimulus. The stationary directional cue produced larger modulations than the neutral cue, with respect to a passive viewing baseline, both in motion-sensitive areas such as left MT+ and the anterior intraparietal sulcus, as well as motion-insensitive areas such as the posterior intraparietal sulcus and the junction of the left medial precentral sulcus and superior frontal sulcus. Experiment 2 used an event-related fMRI technique to separate signals during the cue period, in which the expectation was encoded and maintained, from signals during the subsequent test period, in which the expectation was applied to the test object. Cue period activations from a stationary, directional cue included many of the same motion-sensitive and -insensitive areas from Experiment 1 that produced directionally specific modulations. Prefrontal activations were not observed during the cue period, even though the stationary cue information had to be translated into a format appropriate for influencing motion detection, and this format was maintained for the duration of the cue period (∼5 sec).
Don't Ask—Don't Tell

For over a century, and more recently in the case of inclusion, the education system has been viewed as an important vehicle for social reform. As educators, we experience the complexities of change first-hand in the classroom and through our interactions with families and other professionals. We have a responsibility to ask the hard questions, not only about planning and carrying out strategies for change, but about our own attitudes, beliefs, and feelings concerning these changes. The findings presented in our paper are consistent with prior research showing that children with more severe disabilities are likely to be placed in segregated settings (Buysse, Bailey, Smith, & Simeonsson, 1994) and with Scruggs and Mastropieri's (1996) recent extensive review of teacher perceptions of inclusion. Discrepancy theory would argue that the greater the difference between what one is used to doing and what one might be expected to do, the greater will be the resistance to change. Our findings show that teachers are less comfortable with the prospect of serving children with severe disabilities and suggest that integrating children with severe disabilities into regular classrooms may be a challenging task requiring careful thought and preparation. A teacher's feeling of comfort is affected by the interplay of many factors, both internal and external, and the concept of comfort zone is an attempt to reflect this dynamic experience. Hall and Loucks (1978) suggest that the concerns teachers have about an innovation have a profound effect on their ability and willingness to implement the innovation. They argue that efforts to implement change that ignore the concerns of teachers are doomed to failure. We have previously argued that the implementation of change in education involves interactions between teachers' perceived competence in making the change, the values they hold with respect to the task, and the concerns they have about the implementation of the change (Bailey, Palsha, & Simeonsson, 1991). Scruggs and Mastropieri's (1996) review suggests that, although most teachers support the concept of inclusion (and thus accept it as a desirable value), they have significant concerns about their ability to make it work. It is in the best interest of the child and the family to recognize that not all teachers are equally comfortable or skilled, that one may be better prepared to serve a child with a certain type of disability than another, and that we should gain as much information as we can about teachers' needs for support and training as we strive to improve inclusive opportunities for all children. We agree that to use comfort-level data based on child characteristics to deny any child the right to grow and learn in an inclusive environment would be a regrettable step backward. On the other hand, a don't ask— don't tell policy shuts down the very dia-
Evaluating Social Work Education: A Review of Outcomes, Measures, Research Designs and Practicalities

This review considers how the outcomes of social work education can be identified with reference to Kirkpatrick's framework of levels of outcomes and Kraiger et al.’s general model of learning outcomes. It presents examples of different approaches to the measurement of outcomes and to the use of research designs in social work education and interprofessional education involving social workers and social work students. These examples are drawn from a search of the English language literature (1997–2010). Three-quarters of the studies (23 out of 31) found measured changes in attitudes and/or knowledge and skills only. Seven measured changes in social workers’ behaviour and only one measured the impact on service users’ lives. Three-quarters employed pre–post one group designs. The advantages and disadvantages of alternative research designs are discussed. Finally some practicalities regarding the development of an outcomes-based culture in university-based education are considered.
Indirect contact through book reading: Improving adolescents' attitudes and behavioral intentions toward immigrants

A study was conducted to test the effects of indirect contact through book reading on the improvement of Italian students’ attitudes, stereotypes, and behavioral intentions toward immigrants. The results indicated that adolescents who read a book concerning intercultural topics, compared to those who read a book unrelated to intercultural themes or to those who did not read any book, showed improved intergroup attitudes, reduction in stereotyping, more positive intergroup behavioral intentions, and an increased desire to engage in future contact. Furthermore, the effects of indirect contact were mediated by increased inclusion of other in the self and reduced group identification. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Cinnamon Extract Regulates Gene Expression of Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

Cinnamon is a herbal medication plant used widely f or many diseases in the Middle East and ancient countries. Cinnamon Extract (CE) contains many active substances that modulate insulin sensitivity and acts as anti-diabetic medication. Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by disturbance in carbo hydrate and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Cinnamon Extract (CE, 200 mg kg -1 body weight) on genes expression of lipid and carb ohydrate metabolism in Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes in Wistar rats. Administration of CE to STZ diabetic rats for 2 months normalized TG, cholesterol, VLDL, HDL and glucose levels. CE administration increased FAS and STREB-1c gene expressions that were inhibited in diabetic rats. M oreover, CE inhibited significantly the increase in LPL, HSL and resistin expression. In parallel, CE increa sed the expression of PPECK and GLUT2 and inhibited the decrement in IGF and PK expression. In conclusi on, CE regulates the expression of genes related to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in a way to contr ol the metabolic disorders occur during diabetes.
Multi‐tasking behaviors of general duty police officers

The purpose of the present study was to examine the multi‐tasking behaviors of general duty police officers, using driving a motor vehicle as the primary task. Fifty‐five percent of the officers were observed performing at least one other task while driving, and 7% of officers were observed using their mobile data terminal (MDT) while driving and handling another object simultaneously. Our results indicate that the ability to perform the bona fide occupational requirements of a police officer will require the individual to be able to effectively process information, and multi‐task. To reduce the performance decrements that occur while multi‐tasking, adequate time and attention must be paid to the training of the individual tasks prior to performing them in combination.
Validation of the acenocoumarol EU-PACT algorithms: similar performance in the Rotterdam Study cohort as in the original study.

AIM To evaluate the performance of the European Pharmacogenetics of Anticoagulant Therapy (EU-PACT) acenocoumarol dose algorithms in an independent data set. The EU-PACT trial investigates the added value of pretreatment genotyping for use of warfarin, phenprocoumon and acenocoumarol. PATIENTS & METHODS External validation was performed in the Rotterdam Study cohort using information about 707 acenocoumarol users. R(2), which measures the strength of correlation between the predicted and observed acenocoumarol dose, mean absolute error and mean squared error were calculated to evaluate the performance of the original algorithm. RESULTS Validation resulted in a R(2) of 52.7 and 12.9% compared with an R(2) of 52.6 and 17.8% in the original study for the genotype-guided and nongenotype-guided dose algorithm, respectively. For the genotype-guided dose algorithm, the mean absolute error was 0.48 mg/day and the mean squared error was 0.38 (mg/day)(2). For the nongenotype-guided dose algorithm, the mean absolute error was 0.62 mg/day and the mean squared error was 0.63 (mg/day)(2). CONCLUSION The EU-PACT acenocoumarol algorithm performs just as accurately in this study as in the original study, which implies applicability in various populations.
Pharmacokinetic model for N-nitrosodimethylamine based on Michaelis-Menten constants determined with the isolated perfused rat liver.

A pharmacokinetic model was constructed to describe the absorption, distribution, and metabolic clearance of N-nitrosodimethylamine. The model is composed of two compartments, total body water and the liver, which are linked by blood flow. Metabolic clearance is presumed to occur only in the liver. Liver clearance kinetics was determined with isolated perfused livers. Clearance appeared to obey Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Km = 8.3 +/- 4.8 microM and Vmax = 0.15 +/- 0.02 mumol/min . liver. The observed value for Km is about 1 order of magnitude lower than any observed when clearance is determined using liver microsome preparations. The model is used to calculate whole-body clearance of N-nitrosodimethylamine and relative tissue exposure as a function of the route of administration. The calculations are compared with previously published experimental data, and it is shown that the accuracy of the model for low doses is a result of the novel value observed for Km in the perfused liver.
A Race and Gender-Group Analysis of the Early Career Experience of MBAs

This study examined race and gender differences in four career experience variables using a sample of Black and White MBAs (masters of business administration). Results supported hypothesized race effects for job involvement, access to mentors, career satisfaction, and gender differences in job involvement and hierarchical level. However, Black MBAs were not at lower hierarchical levels than White MBAs of comparable experience, and female MBAs did not report significantly less access to mentors or lower career satisfaction than did male MBAs. Implications of the findings for organizations are discussed.
Antitumor Activity and Other Biological Actions of Oligomers of Ribonuclease A*

Dimers, trimers, and tetramers of bovine ribonuclease A, obtained by lyophilization of the enzyme from 40% acetic acid solutions, were purified and isolated by cation exchange chromatography. The two conformers constituting each aggregated species were assayed for their antitumor, aspermatogenic, or embryotoxic activities in comparison with monomeric RNase A and bovine seminal RNase, which is dimeric in nature. The antitumor action was tested in vitro on ML-2 (human myeloid leukemia) and HL-60 (human myeloid cell line) cells and in vivo on the growth of human non-pigmented melanoma (line UB900518) transplanted subcutaneously in nude mice. RNase A oligomers display a definite antitumor activity that increases as a function of the size of the oligomers. On ML-2 and HL-60 cells, dimers and trimers generally show a lower activity than bovine seminal RNase; the activity of tetramers, instead, is similar to or higher than that of the seminal enzyme. The growth of human melanoma in nude mice is inhibited by RNase A oligomers in the order dimers < trimers < tetramers. The action of the two tetramers is very strong, blocking almost completely the growth of melanoma. RNase A dimers, trimers, and tetramers display aspermatogenic effects similar to those of bovine seminal RNase, but, contrarily, they do not show any embryotoxic activity.
Individual Differences in Verbal-Spatial Conflict in Rapid Spatial-Orientation Tasks

Objective: The impact of interference from irrelevant spatial versus verbal cues is investigated in an auditory spatial Stroop task, and individual differences in navigation strategy are examined as a moderating factor. Background: Verbal-spatial cue conflict in the auditory modality has not been extensively studied, and yet the potential for such conflict can be high in certain settings, such as modern aircraft and automobile cockpits, where multiple warning systems and verbally delivered instructions may compete for the operator’s spatial attention. Method: Two studies are presented in which participants responded to either the semantic meaning or the spatial location of directional words, which were presented from congruent and incongruent locations. A subset was selected from the larger sample for additional analyses based on their navigation strategy. Results: Results demonstrated greater interference when participants were responding to the spatial location and thus attempting to ignore conflicting semantic information. Participants with a verbal navigation strategy paralleled this finding. Conversely, highly spatial navigators responded faster to spatially relevant information but did not show corresponding interference when trying to ignore spatial information. Conclusion: The findings suggest that people have fundamentally different approaches to the use of auditory spatial information that manifest at the early level of orienting toward a single word or sound. Application: When designing spatial information displays and warning systems, particularly those with an auditory component, designers should ensure that either verbal-directional or nonverbal-spatial information is utilized by all alerts to reduce interference.
Suboptimal feedback control of vortex shedding at low Reynolds numbers

The objective of this study is to develop a method of controlling vortex shedding behind a bluff body using control theory. A suboptimal feedback control procedure for local sensing and local actuation is developed and applied to the flow behind a circular cylinder. The location of sensors for feedback is limited to the cylinder surface and the control input from actuators is the blowing and suction on the cylinder surface. Three different cost functionals to be minimized (J1 and J2) or maximized (J3) are investigated: J1 is proportional to the pressure drag of the cylinder, J2 is the square of the difference between the target pressure (inviscid flow pressure) and real flow pressure on the cylinder surface, and J3 is the square of the pressure gradient on the cylinder surface, respectively. Given the cost functionals, the flow variable to be measured by the sensors and the control input from the actuators are determined from the suboptimal feedback control procedure. Several cases for each cost functional have been numerically simulated at Re = 100 and 160 to investigate the performance of the control algorithm. For all actuations, vortex shedding becomes weak or disappears, and the mean drag and drag/lift fluctuations significantly decrease. For a given magnitude of the blowing/suction, reducing J2 provides the largest drag reduction among the three cost functionals.
Leukocyte-Specific CCL3 Deficiency Inhibits Atherosclerotic Lesion Development by Affecting Neutrophil Accumulation

Objective—Despite common disbelief that neutrophils are involved in atherosclerosis, evidence is accumulating for a causal role of neutrophils in atherosclerosis. CC chemokine ligand (CCL)3 is an inflammatory chemokine and its expression is significantly increased during atherosclerotic lesion formation in mice. It has recently been shown that under conditions of inflammation neutrophils can migrate along a CCL3 gradient. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of leukocyte-derived CCL3 in atherogenesis. Methods and Results—Irradiated low density lipoprotein receptor–/– mice, reconstituted with CCL3–/– or littermate bone marrow showed markedly reduced CCL3 response to lipopolysaccharide treatment, establishing the critical relevance of leukocytes as source of CCL3. Hematopoietic deficiency of CCL3 significantly reduced aortic sinus lesion formation by 31% after 12 weeks of western-type diet. Interestingly, whereas plaque macrophage, collagen, and vascular smooth muscle cell content were unchanged, neutrophil adhesion to and presence in plaques was significantly attenuated in CCL3–/– chimeras. These mice had reduced circulating neutrophil numbers, which could be ascribed to an increased neutrophil turnover and CCL3–/– neutrophils were shown to be less responsive toward the neutrophil chemoattractant CXC chemokine ligand 1. Conclusion—Our data indicate that under conditions of acute inflammation leukocyte-derived CCL3 can induce neutrophil chemotaxis toward the atherosclerotic plaque, thereby accelerating lesion formation.
Active Impedance Control of a lower limb exoskeleton to assist sit-to-stand movement

As an important movement of the daily living activities, sit-to-stand (STS) movement is usually a difficult task facing elderly and dependent people. To provide appropriate power assistance for the sit-to-stand movement, a novel intention-based Active Impedance Control (AIC) strategy applied on a lower limb exoskeleton is proposed in this paper. The AIC is able to adapt the mechanical impedance of the human-exoskeleton system towards a desired one using the exoskeleton's power assistance. In the AIC structure, a human joint torque observer is designed to estimate the human joint torques using joint angles information instead of electromyography (EMG) or force/torque sensors; a time-varying desired impedance model is proposed according the wearer's lower limb motion ability. Simulations were implemented to illustrate the characteristics and performances of the proposed approach. Experiments with a healthy subject were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experiments show satisfactory results in terms of appropriate power assist based on the wearer's motion intention.