Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Readiness of Postgraduate Health Sciences Students for Interprofessional Education in Iran

Aim: Interprofessional education has been recognized as an effective educational approach towards enabling students to provide comprehensive and safe team care for promotion of health outcomes of patients. This study was conducted in order to assess the readiness of postgraduate health science students for interprofessional education/learning, as well as identify barriers to the implementation of such an approach in Iran from the students’ point of view. Methods: This was a cross–sectional and descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2013 on 500 postgraduate students in three main professional groups: medical, nursing and other allied health professions across a number of Iranian Universities using the convenience sampling method. Quantitative Data were collected through self-administering the Readiness for InterProfessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaire with acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.86). The data were analyzed by SPSS18. Qualitative data were gathered by an open–ended questionnaire and analyzed by qualitative content analysis method. Results: The mean score of the students’ readiness (M=80, SD=8.6) was higher than the average score on the Scale (47.5). In comparison between groups, there was no statistically significant difference between groups in their readiness (p>0.05). Also four main categories were identified as barriers to implementation of interprofessional education from the students’ point of view; the categories were an inordinately profession-oriented, individualistic culture, style of management and weak evidence. Conclusion: An acceptable degree of readiness and a generally favorable attitude among students towards interprofessional education show that there are appropriate attitudinal and motivational backgrounds for implementation of interprofessional education, but it is necessary to remove the barriers by long-term strategic planning and advancing of interprofessional education in order to address health challenges.
Why do Banks Disappear? The Determinants of U.S. Bank Failures and Acquisitions

This paper seeks to identify the characteristics that make individual U.S. banks more likely to fail or be acquired. We use bank-specific information to estimate competing-risks hazard models with time-varying covariates. We use alternative measures of productive efficiency to proxy management quality, and find that inefficiency increases the risk of failure while reducing the probability of a bank's being acquired. Finally, we show that the closer to insolvency a bank is (as reflected by a low equity-to-assets ratio) the more likely is its acquisition.
Three Years of Student Pair Programming: Action Research Insights and Outcomes

In the software engineering industry the technique of pair programming can be used as a means of enhancing programmer productivity and the quality of the software development process. Pair programming has also been used in computer science education as a mechanism to address some of the educational challenges faced by students learning to program. An action research study is described in which pair programming is used as part of the learning and assessment regime in introductory programming. Module data has been used over a three year cycle to evaluate the impact of pair programming on student performance and confidence in programming, and to gain insights into its practical application. Within-subject analysis confirms previously reported observations of overall improved student performance. Qualitative analysis identifies areas for refinement in the practical application of pair programming for learning and assessment, particularly in relation to pairwise communication, establishing protocols for conflict resolution and development of professional competencies.
Multimodal Behaviour and Feedback in Different Types of Interaction

In this article, we compare feedback-related multimodal behaviours in two different types of interactions: first encounters between two participants who do not know each other in advance, and naturally-occurring conversations between two and three participants recorded at their homes. All participants are Danish native speakers. The interactions are transcribed using the same methodology, and the multimodal behaviours are annotated according to the same annotation scheme. In the study we focus on the most frequently occurring feedback expressions in the interactions and on feedback-related head movements and facial expressions. The analysis of the corpora, while confirming general facts about feedback-related head movements and facial expressions previously reported in the literature, also shows that the physical setting, the number of participants, the topics discussed, and the degree of familiarity influence the use of gesture types and the frequency of feedback-related expressions and gestures.
Reduction of neutrophilic lung inflammation by inhalation of the compatible solute ectoine: a randomized trial with elderly individuals

Background Compatible solutes are natural substances that are known to stabilize cellular functions. Preliminary ex vivo and in vivo studies demonstrated that the compatible solute ectoine restores natural apoptosis rates of lung neutrophils and contributes to the resolution of lung inflammation. Due to the low toxicity and known compatibility of the substance, an inhalative application as an intervention strategy for humans suffering from diseases caused by neutrophilic inflammation, like COPD, had been suggested. As a first approach to test the feasibility and efficacy of such a treatment, we performed a population-based randomized trial. Objective The objective of the study was to test whether the daily inhalation of the registered ectoine-containing medical device (Ectoin® inhalation solution) leads to a reduction of neutrophilic cells and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels in the sputum of persons with mild symptoms of airway disease due to lifelong exposure to environmental air pollution. Methods A double-blinded placebo-controlled trial was performed to study the efficacy and safety of an ectoine-containing therapeutic. Prior to and after both inhalation periods, lung function, inflammatory parameters in sputum, serum markers, and quality-of-life parameters were determined. Results While the other outcomes revealed no significant effects, sputum parameters were changed by the intervention. Nitrogen oxides (nitrate and nitrite) were significantly reduced after ectoine inhalation with a mean quotient of 0.65 (95% confidence interval 0.45–0.93). Extended analyses considering period effects revealed that the percentage of neutrophils in sputum was significantly lower after ectoine inhalation than in the placebo group (P=0.035) even after the washout phase. Conclusion The current study is the first human trial in which the effects of inhaled ectoine on neutrophilic lung inflammation were investigated. Besides demonstrating beneficial effects on inflammatory sputum parameters, the study proves the feasibility of the therapeutic approach in an aged study group.
Toward the Assessment of Food Toxicity for Celiac Patients: Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies to a Main Immunogenic Gluten Peptide

Background and Aims Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten prolamins from wheat, barley, rye and, in some patients, oats. Partially digested gluten peptides produced in the digestive tract cause inflammation of the small intestine. High throughput, immune-based assays using monoclonal antibodies specific for these immunotoxic peptides would facilitate their detection in food and enable monitoring of their enzymatic detoxification. Two monoclonal antibodies, G12 and A1, were developed against a highly immunotoxic 33-mer peptide. The potential of each antibody for quantifying food toxicity for celiac patients was studied. Methods Epitope preferences of G12 and A1 antibodies were determined by ELISA with gluten-derived peptide variants of recombinant, synthetic or enzymatic origin. Results The recognition sequences of G12 and A1 antibodies were hexameric and heptameric epitopes, respectively. Although G12 affinity for the 33-mer was superior to A1, the sensitivity for gluten detection was higher for A1. This observation correlated to the higher number of A1 epitopes found in prolamins than G12 epitopes. Activation of T cell from gluten digested by glutenases decreased equivalently to the detection of intact peptides by A1 antibody. Peptide recognition of A1 included gliadin peptides involved in the both the adaptive and innate immunological response in celiac disease. Conclusions The sensitivity and epitope preferences of the A1 antibody resulted to be useful to detect gluten relevant peptides to infer the potential toxicity of food for celiac patients as well as to monitor peptide modifications by transglutaminase 2 or glutenases.
New Media and the Turn to Experience in Environmental Communication

This dissertation explores the design of new media technologies for engaging the public on the political aspects of urban sustainability. Focusing on new media’s “responsive aesthetics”, it asks, how are interactive experiences designed to mediate the underlying political culture of sustainability? In order to provide initial answers to this question, this dissertation draws on phenomenological approaches to the philosophy of technology, critical theory and contemporary work in HumanComputer Interaction (HCI), to develop a framework for considering the politicizing aspects of interactive experiences. At its centre is a conception of interactivity as a form of world disclosure that mediates being, perception, action and meaning. The validity and utility of the conceptual framework is demonstrated with a variety of case studies that include Mash Notes, a public interactive installation; MetroQuest, a sustainability decision support tool; public engagement processes facilitated by UBC’s Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP); and several “serious” games. The design of interactive experiences is discussed on the background of what is identified here as an incipient turn to experience in environmental communication. Perceived as a response to the decline of the dominant science communication paradigm, known as the information deficit model, the turn to experience is explained as an appeal to resonant, felt, meaningful aspects of the public’s perception of, and engagement with, environmental issues. It is illustrated by two communicative strategies: the first aims to evoke resonant experiences with politicizing effects, while the second aims to create consonance between the public’s everyday experiences and the issues underpinning political decision-making. The dissertation’s critical analysis of the relations between politics and design aims to provide environmental communicators with a better understanding of the potentials and limitations of designing interactive experiences to engage the public on sustainability, and provide technology designers with a more comprehensive and nuanced conception of the political significance of their creations.
Contrasting selection pressures on components of the Ras‐mediated signal transduction pathway in Drosophila

The molecular genetics of several signal transduction pathways is well characterized, providing an opportunity to address the nature of the population genetic forces acting on functionally related suites of pleiotropic regulatory genes. Signal transduction is the process by which signals are transmitted from the cell surface to the nucleus or other cellular structures. It plays a fundamental role in regulating a wide range of developmental and physiological processes, many of which are likely to be subject to buffering mechanisms. Here we infer that contrasting selection pressures act on six components of the Ras signal transduction pathway by comparing sequences obtained from 25 alleles of Drosophila melanogaster with one allele of the sibling species D. simulans. The three most upstream components of the cascade, Ras, Drk and polehole, experience strong purifying selection, as they show no fixed amino acid differences between the species and just a handful of rare replacement polymorphisms within D. melanogaster. This portion of the pathway is likely to act as a control point in signal transduction, because the more downstream components Dsor1, corkscrew and Ksr, each show several amino acid replacements between the species. Furthermore, Ksr is nearly monomorphic within D. melanogaster, and application of the HKA and McDonald and Kreitman tests indicate that this gene may have experienced a recent selective sweep, suggesting that modifiers of Ras kinase signalling are the most likely source of quantitative variation associated with this core regulatory pathway.
Continuous and High-Intensity Interval Training: Which Promotes Higher Pleasure?

Objectives To compare the psychological responses to continuous (CT) and high-intensity interval training (HIT) sessions. Methods Fifteen men attended one CT session and one HIT session. During the first visit, the maximum heart rate, VO2Peak and respiratory compensation point (RCP) were determined through a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. The HIT stimulus intensity corresponded to 100% of VO2Peak, and the average intensity of both sessions was maintained at 15% below the RCP. The order of the sessions was randomized. Psychological and physiological variables were recorded before, during and after each session. Results There were no significant differences between the average percentages of VO2 during the two exercise sessions (HIT: 73.3% vs. CT: 71.8%; p = 0.779). Lower responses on the feeling scale (p≤0.01) and higher responses on the felt arousal scale (p≤0.001) and the rating of perceived exertion were obtained during the HIT session. Despite the more negative feeling scale responses observed during HIT and a greater feeling of fatigue (measured by Profile of Mood States) afterwards (p<0.01), the physical activity enjoyment scale was not significantly different between the two conditions (p = 0.779). Conclusion Despite the same average intensity for both conditions, similar psychological responses under HIT and CT conditions were not observed, suggesting that the higher dependence on anaerobic metabolism during HIT negatively influenced the feeling scale responses.
Searching for better plasmonic materials

Plasmonics is a research area merging the fields of optics and nanoelectronics by confining light with relatively large free‐space wavelength to the nanometer scale ‐ thereby enabling a family of novel devices. Current plasmonic devices at telecommunication and optical frequencies face significant challenges due to losses encountered in the constituent plasmonic materials. These large losses seriously limit the practicality of these metals for many novel applications. This paper provides an overview of alternative plasmonic materials along with motivation for each material choice and important aspects of fabrication. A comparative study of various materials including metals, metal alloys and heavily doped semiconductors is presented. The performance of each material is evaluated based on quality factors defined for each class of plasmonic devices. Most importantly, this paper outlines an approach for realizing optimal plasmonic material properties for specific frequencies and applications, thereby providing a reference for those searching for better plasmonic materials.
Simulation of space-borne tsunami detection using GNSS-Reflectometry applied to tsunamis in the Indian Ocean

Abstract. Within the German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System project GITEWS (Rudloff et al., 2009), a feasibility study on a future tsunami detection system from space has been carried out. The Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is an innovative way of using reflected GNSS signals for remote sensing, e.g. sea surface altimetry. In contrast to conventional satellite radar altimetry, multiple height measurements within a wide field of view can be made simultaneously. With a dedicated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of satellites equipped with GNSS-R, densely spaced sea surface height measurements could be established to detect tsunamis. This simulation study compares the Walker and the meshed comb constellation with respect to their global reflection point distribution. The detection performance of various LEO constellation scenarios with GPS, GLONASS and Galileo as signal sources is investigated. The study concentrates on the detection performance for six historic tsunami events in the Indian Ocean generated by earthquakes of different magnitudes, as well as on different constellation types and orbit parameters. The GNSS-R carrier phase is compared with the PARIS or code altimetry approach. The study shows that Walker constellations have a much better reflection point distribution compared to the meshed comb constellation. Considering simulation assumptions and assuming technical feasibility it can be demonstrated that strong tsunamis with magnitudes (M) ≥8.5 can be detected with certainty from any orbit altitude within 15–25 min by a 48/8 or 81/9 Walker constellation if tsunami waves of 20 cm or higher can be detected by space-borne GNSS-R. The carrier phase approach outperforms the PARIS altimetry approach especially at low orbit altitudes and for a low number of LEO satellites.
Employing Batch Reinforcement Learning to Control Gene Regulation Without Explicitly Constructing Gene Regulatory Networks

The goal of controlling a gene regulatory network (GRN) is to generate an intervention strategy, i.e., a control policy, such that by applying the policy the system will avoid undesirable states. In this work, we propose a method to control GRNs by using Batch Mode Reinforcement Learning (Batch RL). Our idea is based on the fact that time series gene expression data can actually be interpreted as a sequence of experience tuples collected from the environment. Existing studies on this control task try to infer a model using gene expression data and then calculate a control policy over the constructed model. However, we propose a method that can directly use the available gene expression data to obtain an approximated control policy for gene regulation that avoids the time consuming model building phase. Results show that we can obtain policies for gene regulation systems of several thousands of genes just in several seconds while existing solutions get stuck for even tens of genes. Interestingly, the reported results also show that our method produces policies that are almost as good as the ones generated by existing model dependent methods.
Histological characterisation and prognostic evaluation of 62 gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas

Aim of the study To determine the significance of expression of synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and Ki-67 and their association with clinicopathological parameters, and to find out the possible prognostic factors in gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (G-NEC). Material and methods We investigated the immunohistochemical features and prognosis of 62 G-NECs, and evaluated the association among expressions of synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and Ki-67, clinicopathological variables, and outcome. Results Chromogranin A expression was found more commonly in small-cell NECs (9/9, 100%) than in large-cell NECs (27/53, 51%) (p = 0.008). No statistical significance was found in Ki-67 (p = 0.494) or synaptophysin (p > 0.1) expression between NEC cell types. Correlation analyses revealed that Ki-67 expression was significantly associated with mid-third disease of stomach (p = 0.005) and vascular involvement (p = 0.006), and had a trend of significant correlation with tumour relapse (p = 0.078). High expression of chromogranin A was significantly associated with histology of small-cell NECs (p = 0.008) and lesser tumour greatest dimension (p = 0.038). The prognostic significance was determined by means of Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and log-rank tests, and as a result, early TNM staging and postoperative chemotherapy were found to be correlated with longer overall survival (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed associations between poor prognosis in NECs and several factors, including high TNM staging (p = 0.048), vascular involvement (p = 0.023), relapse (p = 0.004), and microscopic/macroscopic residual tumour (R1/2, p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, relapse was identified as the sole independent prognostic factor. Conclusions No significant correlation between survival and expression of synaptophysin, chromogranin A, or Ki-67 has been determined in G-NECs. Our study indicated that early diagnosis, no-residual-tumour resection, and postoperative chemotherapy were possible prognostic factors.
Embedding ICT to teach and assess the pragmatic targets of refusals and disagreements in spoken English

This study employs innovative ICT tools to enhance an explicit instructional period to help international learners develop their pragmatic competence, defined as ‘the ability to communicate and interpret meaning in social interactions’ (Taguchi, 2011: 289). Specifically, the study focuses on developing Mexican learners’ ability to produce pragmatically-appropriate refusals and disagreements in spoken English, which are relatively under-explored interlanguage features and have been reported to differ amongst Spanish and English first language speakers (e.g. Felix-Brasdefer, 2006; 2008). Virtual role plays and online learning activities designed for the study are incorporated into the instruction with an experimental group (n = 16), and used as assessment tools during the testing stages which include a control group for comparison purposes (n = 16). A pretest-posttest design is employed to measure the extent of instructional gains within and between the two groups. In addition, participants reflect on their experience of using technology-enhanced materials. The results are viewed from the perspectives of how appropriate the responses are, acknowledging that differences in the status of the interlocutor and contextual situation will trigger different ways to refuse or disagree, and from a linguistic perspective with regards to the content and organisation of the responses. The aim is to examine to what extent technology-enhanced teaching and learning can benefit the development of these specific pragmatic targets.
Using eye-tracking to trace a cognitive process: Gaze behavior during decision making in a natural environment

The visual behaviour of consumers buying (or searching for) products in a supermarket was measured and used to analyse the stages of their decision process. Traditionally metrics used to trace decision-making processes are difficult to use in natural environments that often contain many options and unstructured information. Unlike previous attempts in this direction (i.e. Russo & Leclerc, 1994), our methodology reveals differences between a decision-making task and a search task. In particular the second (evaluation) stage of a decision task contains more re-dwells than the second stage of a comparable search task. This study addresses the growing concern of taking eye movement research from the laboratory into the ‘real-world’, so findings can be better generalised to natural situations.