Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aerosol composition, sources and processes during wintertime in Beijing, China

Abstract. Air pollution is a major environmental concern during all seasons in the megacity of Beijing, China. Here we present the results from a winter study that was conducted from 21 November 2011 to 20 January 2012 with an Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) and various collocated instruments. The non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM1) species vary dramatically with clean periods and pollution episodes alternating frequently. Compared to summer, wintertime submicron aerosols show much enhanced organics and chloride, which on average account for 52% and 5%, respectively, of the total NR-PM1 mass. All NR-PM1 species show quite different diurnal behaviors between summer and winter. For example, the wintertime nitrate presents a gradual increase during daytime and correlates well with secondary organic aerosol (OA), indicating a dominant role of photochemical production over gas–particle partitioning. Positive matrix factorization was performed on ACSM OA mass spectra, and identified three primary OA (POA) factors, i.e., hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), cooking OA (COA), and coal combustion OA (CCOA), and one secondary factor, i.e., oxygenated OA (OOA). The POA dominates OA during wintertime, contributing 69%, with the other 31% being SOA. Further, all POA components show pronounced diurnal cycles with the highest concentrations occurring at nighttime. CCOA is the largest primary source during the heating season, on average accounting for 33% of OA and 17% of NR-PM1. CCOA also plays a significant role in chemically resolved particulate matter (PM) pollution as its mass contribution increases linearly as a function of NR-PM1 mass loadings. The SOA, however, presents a reverse trend, which might indicate the limited SOA formation during high PM pollution episodes in winter. The effects of meteorology on PM pollution and aerosol processing were also explored. In particular, the sulfate mass is largely enhanced during periods with high humidity because of fog processing of high concentration of precursor SO2. In addition, the increased traffic-related HOA emission at low temperature is also highlighted.
Patient compliance in brain injury rehabilitation in relation to awareness and cognitive and physical improvement

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between patients' compliance and awareness and outcome of brain injury rehabilitation. Subjects were 98 patients who underwent a holistic neuropsychological outpatient rehabilitation programme. Patients had suffered a traumatic brain injury (n = 26), a cerebrovascular accident (n = 58), or another neurological insult (n = 14). Measures: Two staff members, a neuropsychologist and a physiotherapist, retrospectively and separately rated patients' awareness and their compliance. Outcome was measured with the d2 test of concentration, measures of oxygen uptake, strength endurance, running speed, and patients' and relatives' ratings of patients' cognitive, physical, and overall problems on the European Brain Injury Questionnaire (EBIQ). The discrepancy between patients' and relatives' ratings on the EBIQ was incorporated as a second measure of patients' awareness. Results: The neuropsychologist's compliance ratings were significantly related to measures of insight, improvement of d2 performance accuracy and stability, improvement of oxygen uptake, and reduction of cognitive and overall problems as reported by the patients, while the physiotherapist's compliance ratings were related to measures of insight, improvement of d2 performance speed, improvement of oxygen uptake and strength endurance, and all three EBIQ patient scales. Discussion: The results suggest a differential relationship between situation-specific compliance and outcome.
Team Learning and Effectiveness in Virtual Project Teams: The Role of Beliefs about Interpersonal Context

There has been increasing interest in team learning processes in recent years. Researchers have investigated the impact of team learning on team effectiveness and analyzed the enabling conditions for the process, but team learning in virtual teams has been largely ignored. This study examined the relationship between team learning and effectiveness in virtual teams, as well as the role of team beliefs about interpersonal context. Data from 48 teams performing a virtual consulting project over 4 weeks indicate a mediating effect of team learning on the relationship between beliefs about the interpersonal context (psychological safety, task interdependence) and team effectiveness (satisfaction, viability). These findings suggest the importance of team learning for developing effective virtual teams. En los últimos años, se ha producido un creciente interés por los procesos de aprendizaje grupal en equipos de trabajo. Se ha investigado la influencia del aprendizaje de equipo en la efectividad grupal, así como las condiciones que facilitan dicho aprendizaje. Sin embargo, pocos trabajos han analizado los procesos de aprendizaje en equipos virtuales. Este estudio examina la relación entre aprendizaje de equipo y efectividad en equipos virtuales, así como el papel de las creencias compartidas sobre el contexto interpersonal en esta relación. 48 equipos desarrollaron un proyecto de consultoría de manera virtual durante cuatro semanas. Los resultados mostraron un efecto de mediación del aprendizaje de equipo en la relación entre las creencias sobre el contexto interpersonal (seguridad psicológica, interdependencia de tarea) y la efectividad grupal (satisfacción, viabilidad). Estos hallazgos sugieren la importancia del aprendizaje de equipo para desarrollar equipos virtuales efectivos.
Outcomes of Adults With Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors (ESFT) of the Kidney: A Single-Institution Experience

Background: Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) of the kidney are exceedingly rare. Given the rarity of this neoplasm and the complexity associated with its management, information regarding treatment and outcome is warranted. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with ESFT of the kidney who were treated at MDACC between January 1, 2001 and January 1, 2011. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: Thirteen patients were identified (median age, 33 y; male:female 11:2). Common presenting symptoms were back pain, flank pain, and hematuria. Six patients had metastatic disease at presentation. Initial diagnostic biopsy was performed in 6 patients. Immunohistochemistry showed strong positivity for CD99 (mic2) and cytogenetic analysis demonstrated evidence of EWSR1 fusion gene in 8 cases. Nine patients underwent nephrectomy. Frequently used chemotherapy regimens consisted of vincristine, doxorubicin, and ifosfamide. Median overall survival was 17.2 months. Three patients were alive at the time of analysis, at 2, 7, and 11 years from diagnosis (the latter without evidence of disease). Conclusions: Renal ESFT carry a guarded prognosis with limited response to therapy and short median overall survival. For patients with metastatic disease, diagnostic biopsy and sarcoma-based chemotherapy regimens are recommended as upfront therapeutic strategy. The role of nephrectomy in the metastatic setting is unclear. Future studies with novel therapies are needed.
Decreased expression of long non-coding RNA LINC00261 is a prognostic marker for patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE The previous study found that long non-coding RNA LINC00261 (LINC00261) was significantly down-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the function of LINC00261 in the progression of NSCLC has not been reported. The present work aimed to explore the prognostic value of LINC00261 in patients with NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS The expression of LINC00261 was determined in NSCLC tissues and matched normal lung tissues by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship of LINC00261 and clinicopathological features with survival of patients with NSCLC. Finally, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to explore whether LINC00261 was an independent predictor of survival. RESULTS We found that the LINC00261 expression level in NSCLC tissues was suppressed compared with that in adjacent normal lung tissues (p < 0.01). Low expression of LINC00261 was found to significantly correlate with TNM stage (p = 0.005), lymph node status (p = 0.020), and distant metastasis (p = 0.004). Then, Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that low LINC00261 expression level was associated with poorer overall survival (p = 0.0013). Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that low expression of LINC00261 was an independent adverse prognostic factor of NSCLC (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS We firstly provided evidence that LINC00261 expression was associated with poor prognosis of NSCLC patients and may serve as an independent prognostic indicator.
Estimated hospital costs associated with preventable health care-associated infections if health care antiseptic products were unavailable

Objectives Health care-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant health care and cost burden. This study estimates annual HAI hospital costs in the US avoided through use of health care antiseptics (health care personnel hand washes and rubs; surgical hand scrubs and rubs; patient preoperative and preinjection skin preparations). Methods A spreadsheet model was developed with base case inputs derived from the published literature, supplemented with assumptions when data were insufficient. Five HAIs of interest were identified: catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, gastrointestinal infections caused by Clostridium difficile, hospital- or ventilator-associated pneumonia, and surgical site infections. A national estimate of the annual potential lost benefits from elimination of these products is calculated based on the number of HAIs, the proportion of HAIs that are preventable, the proportion of preventable HAIs associated with health care antiseptics, and HAI hospital costs. The model is designed to be user friendly and to allow assumptions about prevention across all infections to vary or stay the same. Sensitivity analyses provide low- and high-end estimates of costs avoided. Results Low- and high-end estimates of national, annual HAIs in hospitals avoided through use of health care antiseptics are 12,100 and 223,000, respectively, with associated hospital costs avoided of US$142 million and US$4.25 billion, respectively. Conclusion The model presents a novel approach to estimating the economic impact of health care antiseptic use for HAI avoidance, with the ability to vary model parameters to reflect specific scenarios. While not all HAIs are avoidable, removing or limiting access to an effective preventive tool would have a substantial impact on patient well-being and infection costs. HAI avoidance through use of health care antiseptics has a demonstrable and substantial impact on health care expenditures; the costs here are exclusive of administrative penalties or long-term outcomes for patients and caregivers such as lost productivity or indirect costs.
Experiential Learning Spaces for Enterprise Resource Planning Courses in Business Schools

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have experienced mainstream adoption as a comprehensive solution for business function integration and end-to-end process management. To meet industry demand, many business schools offer academic courses in ERP strategy and technology to train students to be proficient in the use of ERP systems. The extant literature on ERP education highlights the need for additional research about pedagogical techniques that can help business schools in their efforts. To be effective in the delivery of ERP courses, instructors require a deeper understanding of how they can teach ERP systems in a meaningful way and consequently foster higher levels of student engagement. This paper provides an overview of the current state of ERP academic programs and teaching practices. This is followed by a review of experiential learning theory (ELT) which is later used in this paper as a basis for pedagogical practice suggestions towards the improvement of ERP training. A pedagogical model comprising of various course activities and teaching practices is proposed. The proposed practices are justified in terms of their efficacy towards developing experiential learning spaces for students to cultivate theoretical and applied knowledge of ERP systems.
Models and areas for CS education research

We hope to alert attendees of this panel to a number of aspects of CS education research:&bull; previous work that provides good models for future research;&bull; current projects and results;&bull; areas that deserve more inquiry;&bull; questions for which research is unlikely at the moment to yield useful information.The panel is aimed at people who don't need to be convinced about the value of CS education research, but who perhaps are unfamiliar with what's happening or how they might get involved themselves.
A virtual perspective: measuring engagement and perspective in virtual art galleries

This paper describes a research project which attempts to analyse human perception of and interaction with virtual art representations in an online, three-dimensional graphic environment. Specifically, discerning how user experience may relate to engagement, immersion and interaction. A series of experiments are described, involving participants who experienced virtual artworks in multiple gallery environments and utilise different viewing perspectives. The paper then provides an analysis of the data recorded and gathered during user-testing. The experiments are undertaken within a specific virtual art gallery in the online virtual world Second Life. Demographic data is linked to the user experience focusing on the use of first person (egocentric) and third person (exocentric) screen perspectives. An examination of the user's perception of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional virtual artefacts is also provided. This paper concludes with an insight into the usability and effectiveness of designing, presenting and experiencing art in a three-dimensional virtual environment.
Synergistic effect of spice extracts and modified atmospheric packaging towards non‐thermal preservation of chicken meat under refrigerated storage

&NA; This study investigates the integrated approach of spice extracts and modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) chicken meat preservation. Specifically, extracts from clove (CL), cinnamon (CI) individually and in combination (3% w/w) along with MAP (30% CO2/70% N2 and 10% O2/30% CO2/60% N2) were used to increase the shelf life of fresh chicken meat stored at 4°C. The parameters evaluated as shelf life indications are microbiological (total viable count, Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and Enterobacteriaceae), physicochemical (pH, Lipid oxidation, color changes) and Sensory attributes. Microbial population were reduced by 2.5 to 5 log cfu/g, with the greater impact being accomplished by the blend of clove and cinnamon extract with 30% CO2/70% N2 MAP. Thiobarbituric values for all treated and MAP packed samples remained lower than 1 mg malondialdehyde (MDA)/kg all through the 24 day storage period. pH values varied from 5.5 for fresh sample on day 0 to 7.11 (day 25) on combined extract treated and MAP packaged samples. The estimations of the color parameters L*, a*, and b* were well maintained in oxygen deficient MAP. Finally, sensory investigation demonstrated that combined clove and cinnamon extract of 3% conferred acceptable sensory attributes to the samples on day 24 of storage. These results indicate the extended shelf life of chicken meat from 4 days to 24 days for samples when coated with 3% of combined clove and cinnamon extract and packaged under MAP without oxygen. These pooled extracts along with MAP displayed expanded the usability and the organoleptic qualities of chicken meat.
Adaptive functioning and behaviour problems in relation to level of education in children and adolescents with intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND The interrelationship between adaptive functioning, behaviour problems and level of special education was studied in 186 children with IQs ranging from 61 to 70. The objective was to increase the insight into the contribution of adaptive functioning and general and autistic behaviour problems to the level of education in children with intellectual disability (ID). METHODS Children from two levels of special education in the Netherlands were compared with respect to adaptive functioning [Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS)], general behaviour problems [Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)] and autistic behaviour problems [Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC)]. The effect of behaviour problems on adaptive functioning, and the causal relationships between behaviour problems, adaptive functioning and level of education were investigated. RESULTS Children in schools for mild learning problems had higher VABS scores, and lower CBCL and ABC scores. The ABC had a significant effect on the total age equivalent of the VABS in schools for severe learning problems, the CBCL in schools for mild learning problems. A direct effect of the ABC and CBCL total scores on the VABS age equivalent was found, together with a direct effect of the VABS age equivalent on level of education and therefore an indirect effect of ABC and CBCL on level of education. CONCLUSIONS In the children with the highest level of mild ID, adaptive functioning seems to be the most important factor that directly influences the level of education that a child attends. Autistic and general behaviour problems directly influence the level of adaptive functioning. Especially, autistic problems seem to have such a restrictive effect on the level of adaptive functioning that children do not reach the level of education that would be expected based on IQ. Clinical implications are discussed.
Delusion, the overvalued idea and religious beliefs: A comparative analysis of their characteristics

Background The study sought to investigate the form of the delusion in schizophrenia and the overvalued idea in anorexia, employing a range of belief characteristics to discover whether differences could be detected between them, and how they stood in general relationship to the religious beliefs of normals. Method A belief rating scale was devised with 12 characteristics, and completed by 20 schizophrenics, 20 anorectics, and 20 normal controls. Comparisons were drawn between populations using the Mann-Whitney test, and different types of belief were contrasted within diagnostic groups using each subject as their own control by repeated-measures MANOVA. Results The schizophrenic delusion was differentiated from the overvalued idea in anorexia by a number of variables, which also served to distinguish both phenomena from religious beliefs held by normals. The schizophrenic delusion exhibited many of the qualities of an initial (or observational) belief, when its content suggested that it should manifest those of a derived belief. The anorectic overvalued idea, although occasionally an initial belief in terms of its content, was typically held in the form of a derived belief. Conclusions A wider range of characteristics is required to define all the differences between delusion and the overvalued idea, and these have implications for belief modification programmes.
Diagnostic yield and safety of sputum induction with nebulized racemic salbutamol versus hypertonic saline in smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis

Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic yield and safety profile of sputum induction (SI) with nebulized racemic salbutamol solution versus hypertonic saline in smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Methods: The prospective study was conducted at Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand. Suspected smear-negative pulmonary TB cases were recruited and randomized to receive SI with either nebulized racemic salbutamol solution or 3% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. Induced sputum was examined with the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear test and cultured for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The efficacy and adverse events of SI were analyzed. Results: A total of 59 patients received SI with nebulized racemic salbutamol solution and 53 received 3% NaCl solution. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the average quantity of induced sputum (1.3 ± 0.1 versus 1.2 ± 0.2 ml, p = 0.5). The percentages of positive AFB smear and TB cultures in the salbutamol group were 15% and 22%, and 13% and 17% in the 3% NaCl group (p = 0.5), respectively. Racemic salbutamol solution could increase the TB diagnostic yield similarly to 3% NaCl, but incurred less chest tightness (5% versus 15%) and bronchospasm (0% versus 11.3%, p = 0.02) compared with 3% NaCl. Conclusions: SI by nebulized racemic salbutamol solution offers equal benefits to 3% NaCl solution in increasing both sputum quantity and diagnostic yield in smear-negative patients suspected of having pulmonary TB. Nebulized racemic salbutamol does not produce bronchospasm and chest tightness occurs less frequently than with 3% NaCl. Therefore, SI with nebulized racemic salbutamol solution should be considered as a good alternative noninvasive diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB when hypertonic saline is unavailable or contraindicated.
MBSE driven approach for defining problem domain

This paper continues introduction of the MBSE Grid framework. As the name reveals, the framework is intended for model-based systems engineering (MBSE). MBSE is an emerging approach that applies modeling to support complex system requirements, design, analysis, and verification and validation activities. Being a synthesis of widely known MBSE methodologies (IBM Harmony, OOSEM, etc.) and frameworks (DoDAF, NAF, etc.), the MBSE Grid proposes an unambiguous workflow for modeling systems by iterations going from the highest to the lowest layers of abstraction. This paper mainly focuses on the Concept and Problem definition layers, describing in detail each step of the workflow in the range of these two layers and revealing presentation artifacts each step produces, also, giving clues for elements traceability. The case study demonstrates and proves adaptability of the MBSE Grid on a real-world problem domain using MagicDraw CASE tool.
An investigation of the patterns and outcomes of Electroencephalographic (EEG) recording requests in the management of neuropsychiatric disorders in a teaching Hospital in Nigeria

Objective To evaluate the relevance of Electroencephalography (EEG) in the management of various neuropsychiatric conditions in University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin. Background EEG is still relevant in the diagnosis and management of patients with seizure disorders and extends to other neuropsychiatric conditions. However, very few studies have examined the use of EEG in developing countries, including Nigeria. Methods The EEG records of 154 patients between January 2012 and December 2012 were reviewed. EEG unit's records, including EEG request forms and EEG reports were examined. Socio demographic data, clinical data and the neurologist's comments on the EEG recordings were extracted and recorded on the proforma form. Results A total of 142(92.2%) of the patients out of 154 had complete records and were studied. Majority (84.5%) of the patients were below the age of 30 years. Various types of seizure disorders accounted for 80% of the provisional diagnosis. The EEG diagnosis based on the interpretation of the EEG records showed that 96 (67.6%) of the patients had normal records. Conclusion EEG still plays a very important role in the investigation of neuropsychiatric conditions especially epilepsy in developing countries. EEG facilities should be readily available.