Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of a Pilot Intervention for Community-Dwelling Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Wuhan, China

This study examined the effects of a pilot educational intervention program on knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of community-dwelling adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A convenience sample of 16 participants with RA completed the program in Wuhan, China. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews using questionnaires at baseline, post-test, and 1 month follow-up. Knowledge scores were significantly increased over time. Significant differences were found in pain self-efficacy, symptoms self-efficacy, bodily pain, social functioning, and role emotional functions. Community health providers should provide educational programs to improve HRQoL for adults with RA.
Molecular property investigations of an ortho-hydroxy Schiff base type compound with the first-principle molecular dynamics approach.

The structure, proton transfer, and vibrational dynamics under ambient conditions of a selected ortho-hydroxy Schiff base type compound, 2-(N-methyl-alpha-iminoethyl)-4-chlorophenol, containing a very short intramolecular hydrogen bond, were investigated computationally in the gas phase and in the crystal by density functional theory (DFT) based first-principle molecular dynamics (FPMD). It is found that the proton is well localized on the nitrogen side of the O.H. N bridge in the crystal phase, in agreement with X-ray diffraction experiments, while a more labile proton is located most of the time on the oxygen side in a vacuum. Environmental effects on this very strong hydrogen bond thus appear crucial and lead to drastic changes of the infrared (IR) spectrum: The computed gas-phase IR spectrum shows a very broad absorption band that covers frequencies from about 1000 to 3000 cm(-1) assigned to the labile proton. In mere contrast, a much more localized absorption band around 2600-2700 cm(-1) is predicted in the crystal phase. Finally, effects of the quantization of the proton motion on the hydrogen bond structure were estimated in two ways. First, we constructed the one-dimensional (1D) potential energy surface (PES) for the proton along the O.H. N bridge in a vacuum. The 1D Schrodinger equation was then solved. Next, path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) was performed in the solid state. Inclusion of quantum effects does not affect the observed change of the most probable tautomer, upon going from the gas phase to the crystal.
Effectiveness of Self-Organised Learning by Children: Gateshead Experiments

Children, working in groups and using the Internet, seem capable of learning content traditionally considered to be ahead of their time and comprehension levels. In this paper we describe four experiments to measure children’s achievements in learning in Self Organised Learning Environments (SOLEs). We report the results that seem to suggest that, in Self Organised Learning Environments, children can learn ahead of their time, retain the learning over time and enjoy the process enough to explore further on their own. The results also suggest that children in groups can read and comprehend at higher levels than the comprehension levels of each individual in the group.
Investigations on Green Blends Comprising Biodegradable Polymer and Ionic Liquid

The green blends of an ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide {[EPrI][TFSI]}, and a biodegradable polymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), were investigated in this study. The influence of an ionic liquid on the crystallization behaviors of a biodegradable polymer was explored. In the blends, the presence of [EPrI][TFSI] decreased the Tg and Tm of PHB. Incorporating [EPrI][TFSI] in the blends reduced the degree of crystallinity of PHB, inferring that the [EPrI][TFSI] weakened the crystallization of PHB. It further showed retarded isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization for PHB with the presence of [EPrI][TFSI]. The smaller K and 1/t0.5 estimated by the Avrami equation for the blends indicated that [EPrI][TFSI] weakened the isothermal crystallization of PHB with exhibiting the slower crystallization rate. The present study also discussed non-isothermal crystallization of the blends. We found that the Mo model, which is generally used to discuss the non-isothermal crystallization, adequately described the non-isothermal behaviors of the [EPrI][TFSI]/PHB blends. By increasing the [EPrI][TFSI] content, the rate-related parameter F(T) systematically increased, inferring a decreased crystallization rate of PHB with the addition of [EPrI][TFSI] in the blends. The FTIR results suggested an ion–dipole interaction between [EPrI][TFSI] and PHB. This proposes the occurrence of possible complexation between [EPrI][TFSI] and PHB.
Forest Reranking for Machine Translation with the Perceptron Algorithm

We present a scalable discriminative training framework for parsing-based statistical machine translation. Our framework exploits hypergraphs (or packed forests) to compactly encode exponentially many competing translations, and uses the perceptron algorithm to learn to discriminatively prefer the oracle-best tree in the hypergraph. To facilitate training, we present: (i) an oracle extraction algorithm to efficiently extract the oracle trees from a hypergraph that best match the reference translations; (ii) a hypergraph pruning algorithm that substantially reduces the disk space required for storing the hypergraphs without degrading the translation quality; and (iii) simple yet effective data and feature selection algorithms by which an equally good or better model is obtained using a fraction of the training data and features. We experimentally show that our approach is scalable and is able to improve over a full-scale state-of-the-art hierarchical machine translation system.
What the Dialogic Literary Gatherings Did for Me

Narratives organize the structure of human experience and allow for the explanation of turning-point moments in an individual’s life. Such “epiphanies” leave marks on our lives and may create possible worlds beyond the established. Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs) expanded the world of Connor, an 11-year-old boy in a rural community, and his perception of it, which helped him to succeed in a critical moment of school transition between elementary and secondary school. This article reports his transformative journey during his participation in DLGs. A combination of communicative techniques—dialogic interviews, observations, and life stories—enabled critical, egalitarian, and transformative dialogues between the researcher and Connor. As such, the dialogic construction of knowledge in Connor’s communicative biography highlights how significant relational experiences enabled him to achieve more, to understand other children’s minds, and to confidently face the challenge of testing children at the end of elementary school.
Relationship between height, sitting height and subisehial leg length in Dutch children: presentation of normal values

A widely used method of judging body proportions is to consider the ratio of sitting height to height (SH/H) related to age. A drawback of this method is that only one derived variable is used. A pairwise consideration of the original measurements provides more information. In this study data from the cross–sectional Oosterwolde I growth study are used to present normal values for the ratio SH/H for age, as well as values for sitting height related to height and subisehial leg length. A comparison is made with other studies.
Muscarinic Induction of Synchronous Population Activity in the Entorhinal Cortex

Oscillation and synchronization of neural activity is important in normal brain function but is also relevant to epileptogenesis. One of the most frequent forms of epilepsy originates in temporal lobe circuitry of which the entorhinal cortex (EC) is crucial. Because muscarinic receptor activation promotes oscillatory dynamics in EC neurons, we investigated in a brain slice preparation the effects of carbachol (CCh) on oscillatory population activity in the EC. We found that CCh produced epileptiform activity in EC, which according to field profile and current source density analysis was usually driven by layer V. In addition, localized CCh application and surgical isolation experiments demonstrated that EC layer II, but not layer III, can also independently generate synchronous population activity. Intracellular recordings from EC principal cells during epileptiform activity demonstrated large-amplitude, synaptically driven depolarizing events and bursts of action potentials synchronized to the field spikes. In layer II neurons, the depolarizing events had a multiphasic reversal potential that suggested concurrent glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic input. Interestingly, although the epileptiform activity required activation of AMPA but not NMDA receptors, small-amplitude field spikes persisted during block of fast excitatory neurotransmission. These field spikes were correlated to large-amplitude IPSPs in layer II neurons, and both activities were abolished by GABAA-receptor antagonism. Thus, in response to muscarinic activation, pools of EC interneurons discharge synchronously by a mechanism not necessarily involving principal cell activation. Given the differential projection pattern of EC layers V and II toward the neocortex and hippocampus, respectively, their robust epileptogenic character may be of major importance in temporal lobe epilepsy.
Absence of both MDR1 (ABCB1) and Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (ABCG2) Transporters Significantly Alters Rivaroxaban Disposition and Central Nervous System Entry

Rivaroxaban is a novel factor 10a inhibitor, where hepatic metabolism and renal clearance account for its overall disposition. Renal impairment is known to increase rivaroxaban‐associated bleeding risk in patients. As renal rivaroxaban clearance exceeds glomerular filtration rate, we suggested that active secretion by efflux transporters P‐glycoprotein (MDR1) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) contributes to rivaroxaban clearance. The ability of MDR1 and BCRP efflux transporters to mediate rivaroxaban transport in vitro was assessed in polarized cell monolayers. A significantly greater vectorial transport of rivaroxaban was observed in the basal to apical direction in Caco‐2 cells, which was attenuated in the presence of the selective inhibitors. After oral administration of rivaroxaban (2 mg/kg), plasma concentrations did not significantly differ between wild‐type and Mdr1adef or Bcrp−/− mice (n = 6 per group). However, rivaroxaban clearance was significantly reduced in Mdr1a/Mdr1b−/−/Bcrp−/− mice. Interestingly, rivaroxaban brain‐to‐plasma ratio did not differ in mice lacking only Mdr1a or Bcrp, but more than two times higher in the Mdr1a/Mdr1b−/−/Bcrp−/− mice. Rivaroxaban is a shared substrate of MDR1 and BCRP. In vivo, MDR and BCRP function synergistically to modulate rivaroxaban disposition and appear to be particularly relevant to limiting its central nervous system entry. These data have important implications for safety and efficacy of anticoagulation therapy with rivaroxaban as many drugs in clinical use are known MDR1 inhibitors and loss‐of‐function polymorphisms in BCRP are common.
A Comparison of Traditional

With the availability of the Internet as a learning tool educators are faced with the challenge of whether to use this tool for course delivery and, if so, to what extent and in what manner it should be incorporated into the curriculum. This study takes an empirical look at course design and delivery factors that impact student perceptions of learning and course satisfaction. Students completed surveys addressing a variety of issues as they relate to traditional classroom courses, Internet courses and a hybrid of the two. Results of the study suggest that the use of hybrid methods of course delivery -incorporating elements of both the traditional classroom and webbased instruction -may provide an optimal "mix" for student learning. Implications of the results are discussed. A Comparison of Traditional, Online and Hybrid Methods of Course Delivery
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy: Cause and Treatment of Electrolyte Complications

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has become the modality of choice for critically ill patients. Although often hemodynamically better tolerated than intermittent dialysis, the continuous nature of this therapy may cause significant electrolyte complications. These complications commonly result from removal of electrolytes from the body without adequate replacement or because of the use of trisodium citrate as the anticoagulant. Both hypophosphatemia and hypokalemia frequently complicate prolonged treatment. These complications can be avoided by adding these electrolytes to the dialysate or replacement fluid. The use of citrate, especially if this anticoagulant is not used routinely following established protocols, can also result in several electrolyte abnormalities. Because citrate works by chelating calcium, hypo‐ and hypercalcemia occur because of under‐ or overreplacement of calcium. Because citrate is a base equivalent, if the bicarbonate concentration of the dialysate or replacement fluid is not decreased, a metabolic alkalosis may develop. Less commonly, in patients with severe liver dysfunction who cannot metabolize citrate back to bicarbonate, a metabolic acidosis may develop. Although CRRT may cause electrolyte complication it also can be the treatment of choice for the correction of certain electrolyte complications. In patients with acute or chronic renal failure who present with significant dysnatremias, intermittent hemodialysis may cause overly rapid correction of the serum sodium with serious neurologic sequelae. The ability to manipulate the sodium concentration of the dialysate or replacement fluid and the more sustained nature of the treatment allows for a slower correction thus avoiding complications.
2 Running Head : VIOLENT GAMES , AGGRESSION Are the effects of unreal violent videogames pronounced when playing with a virtual reality system ?

The present study was conducted to analyze the short-term effects of violent electronic games, played with or without a virtual reality device, on the instigation of aggressive behavior. Physiological arousal (heart rate), priming of aggressive thoughts, and state hostility, were also measured to test their possible mediation on the relationship between playing the violent game and aggression. The participants 148 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to four treatment conditions: two groups played a violent computer game (Unreal Tournament), and the other two a non-violent game (Motocross Madness), half with a virtual reality device and the remaining participants on the computer screen. In order to assess the game effects the following instruments were used: a BIOPAC System MP100 to measure heart rate; an emotional Stroop task to analyze the priming of aggressive and fear thoughts; a self-report state hostility scale to measure hostility; and a Competitive Reaction Time Task to assess aggressive behavior. The main results indicated that the violent computer game had effects on state hostility and aggression. Although no significant mediation effect could be detected, regression analyses showed an indirect effect of state hostility between playing a VG and aggression.
The Growth of Capital Cities in Africa

Since the wave of political independence surged across Africa during the 1950's and 1960's, the number, role and importance of capital cities in the continent has increased enormously. Many have since grown rapidly, not only because of the increasing functions of the state, but also because of the centralization of modern economic functions and transport networks, so that some African capitals are far bigger than their nearest rivals, and soon may well achieve the sort of hegemony or 'hypercephalism' attained by large Latin American cities like Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Santiago and Caracas. This paper examines some of the characteristics and problems of the growth of African capital cities, with special reference to West Africa where considerable political fragmentation highlights their significance.
Bipedal ambulation induces experimental scoliosis in C57BL/6J mice with reduced plasma and pineal melatonin levels

Abstract: In addition to the induction of scoliosis in chickens by pinealectomy (PINX), we previously demonstrated that removal of the pineal gland also produces scoliosis in bipedal rats, which can be inhibited by melatonin treatment. Using C57BL/6J mice with genetically low circulating melatonin levels, the main objective of the present study was to investigate whether bipedal ambulation in C57BL/6J mice has the same effects on spinal deformity as those seen in pinealectomized bipedal rats. The present study consisted of two phases. The aim of the first experiment was to determine whether the C57BL/6J mouse strain actually exhibits depressed plasma concentrations and/or pineal contents of melatonin during both the light and the dark phase of the light:dark cycle. The aims of the second experiment were to evaluate; (i) whether bipedal ambulation alone in the C57BL/6J mouse induces scoliosis, and (ii) whether PINX with bipedal ambulation in another mouse strain, i.e. C3H/HeJ, which normally exhibits diurnal fluctuations in melatonin synthesis and secretion, has effects similar to those of bipedal ambulation alone in C57BL/6J mice. C3H/HeJ mice, serving as controls, showed significant increases in both plasma concentrations and pineal contents of melatonin during the dark phase when compared with the light phase. In contrast, there were no differences in either circulating levels or pineal contents of melatonin between the light and dark phases in C57BL/6J mice. Moreover, plasma melatonin levels were below the detection limit of the assay in both phases and pineal melatonin was <10% of that in C3H/HeJ mice. Bipedal ambulation for 40 wk in C57BL/6J mice induced scoliosis at a rate of 64.3%, and two of nine scoliotic mice showed two sites of spinal deformity. This type of ambulation in C3H/HeJ mice resulted in scoliosis at a lower rate (25%), and affected animals had only a single scoliotic site. However, PINX combined with bipedal ambulation in C3H/HeJ mice produced scoliosis at a rate (70%) similar to that seen in C57BL/6J mice, and some double deformations were induced. These results confirm our previous observations in rats, and also support our hypothesis that melatonin as well as the bipedal ambulation appear to play a critical pathogenic role in scoliosis in experimental mammals.
Carbon dioxide dissolution in structural and stratigraphic traps

Abstract The geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide ( CO2) in structural and stratigraphic traps is a viable option to reduce anthropogenic emissions. While dissolution of the CO2 stored in these traps reduces the long-term leakage risk, the dissolution process remains poorly understood in systems that reflect the appropriate subsurface geometry. Here, we study dissolution in a porous layer that exhibits a feature relevant for CO2 storage in structural and stratigraphic traps: a finite CO2 source along the top boundary that extends only part way into the layer. This feature represents the finite extent of the interface between free-phase CO2 pooled in a trap and the underlying brine. Using theory and simulations, we describe the dissolution mechanisms in this system for a wide range of times and Rayleigh numbers, and classify the behaviour into seven regimes. For each regime, we quantify the dissolution flux numerically and model it analytically, with the goal of providing simple expressions to estimate the dissolution rate in real systems. We find that, at late times, the dissolution flux decreases relative to early times as the flow of unsaturated water to the CO2 source becomes constrained by a lateral exchange flow though the reservoir. Application of the models to several representative reservoirs indicates that dissolution is strongly affected by the reservoir properties; however, we find that reservoirs with high permeabilities ( $k\geq 1$ Darcy) that are tens of metres thick and several kilometres wide could potentially dissolve hundreds of megatons of CO2 in tens of years.
Subclinical hepatic encephalopathy predicts the development of overt hepatic encephalopathy

OBJECTIVES:In patients with compensated liver cirrhosis the clinical repercussions of detecting subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE) are unclear. We present a long-term follow-up study in cirrhotic patients to examine the relationship between SHE and subsequent episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy.METHODS:A total of 63 cirrhotic patients were studied by Number Connection Test and auditory evoked potentials. We determined glutamine, ammonia, zinc, glutamate, urea, and ratio of branched chain amino acids to aromatic amino acids, and Child-Pugh classification.RESULTS:Of 63 patients, 34 (53%) exhibited SHE. Nineteen out of 63 (30%) developed overt hepatic encephalopathy during follow-up. Hepatic encephalopathy in follow-up was related to alcoholic etiology, ammonia, glutamine, zinc, ratio of branched chain amino acids to aromatic amino acids, liver function, presence of esophageal varices, and detection of SHE (84% of patients who exhibited hepatic encephalopathy in follow-up showed SHE). In Cox-regression, glutamine levels, SHE, esophageal varices, and Child-Pugh class were the independent variables related to hepatic encephalopathy in follow-up.CONCLUSIONS:SHE (defined on the basis of number connection test or auditory evoked potentials alteration) could predict a subsequent episode of overt hepatic encephalopathy. Lower glutamine levels, presence of esophageal varices, and liver dysfunction were also related to the development of overt hepatic encephalopathy.
Occluded and nonoccluded nuclear polyhedrosis virus grown in Trichoplusia ni: comparative neutralization comparative infectivity, and in vitro growth studies

Nuclear polyhedrosis virus infections of lepidopteran cells often result in the production of both occluded and nonoccluded virus. The characterization of these two different forms has been the subject of several papers. We have divided the nonoccluded virus (NOV) category further into plasma membrane-budded non-occluded virus (PMB-NOV), intracellular NOV, and hemolymph-derived NOV, and have done additional studies investigating the differences between these nonoccluded forms and the alkali-liberated forms from occlusions of the nuclear polyhedrosis viruses of Autographa californica and Rachiplusa ou. The methods used to discern differences and similarities among the forms were serological, biochemical, and visual, all related to their biological acitivity. Neutralization studies revealed that alkali-liberated virus and PMB-NOV had both similar and different antigens. Antisera raised against alkali-liberated virus from occlusions neutralized the alkali-liberated form of the virus, but did not neutralize the intracellular or extracellular nonoccluded forms. Antisera raised against the TN-368-13 PMB-NOV, however, neutralized the alkali-liberated forms as well as all forms of the NOV. Adsorption of this antisera with alkali-liberated virus did not diminish the neutralization titer against the nonoccluded forms, thus confirming the antigenic differences between the alkali-liberated and nonoccluded forms of the virus. Physical-infectious particle ratio calculations indicated that the PMB-NOV of Autographa californica are about 1,900-fold more infectious than the single-nucleocapsid-per-envelope alkali-liberated particles and about 1,700-fold more infectious than the multiple-nucleocapsid-per-envelope particles, as assayed in vitro. In addition, a study of viral growth kinetics monitored concurrently with the appearance of polyhedra showed that PMB-NOV production is shut down with the onset of polyhedron formation.