Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Binocular Visual Field Impairment in Glaucoma and At-Fault Motor Vehicle Collisions

Purpose:To evaluate the association between the binocular visual field defects in drivers with glaucoma and the risk of motor vehicle collision (MVC) involvement. Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 438 drivers with glaucoma aged 55 years or older using data from 1994 through 2000. Demographic, clinical, and driving characteristics were obtained from chart abstractions and patient survey. Binocular field measures were generated by combining data from the monocular (central 24-degree radius) fields whereby the binocular field measure was defined as the more sensitive point at each monocular field location. Measures included threshold (TH), total deviation (TD), and pattern deviation (PD); severe impairment in these measures was defined as falling into the worst quartile. MVC data were obtained from police records. Rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results:Drivers with severely impaired PD measures were twice as likely to have an at-fault MVC compared with those not severely impaired (RR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.21-3.75); those with severely impaired TH (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 0.81-2.74) and TD (RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.82-2.74) also had an increased rate of at-fault MVCs, although these were not significant. When the binocular central visual field was stratified into 9 regions, drivers with impaired TH, TD, or PD had similarly elevated MVC rates in all regions compared with those not severely impaired, though not all reached statistical significance. Conclusions:On the basis of clinical measures of visual field routinely used in the management of glaucoma, drivers with glaucoma with severe PD field defects in the binocular field have a higher rate of at-fault MVC compared with those with less impaired or unimpaired binocular visual fields.
Ticagrelor: the evidence for its clinical potential as an oral antiplatelet treatment for the reduction of major adverse cardiac events in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Introduction: Ticagrelor, the first direct-acting, reversibly binding oral P2Y12 receptor antagonist, appears to have a favorable efficacy and safety profile. Aims: To update the evidence and provide an overview of the available data on ticagrelor. Evidence review: Peer reviewed articles published and listed under Medline Search, and published updated guidelines for pharmacotherapies in acute coronary syndromes were reviewed. Place in therapy: Clinical evidence is increasing to support the use of new thienopyridines and the direct-acting P2Y12 receptor in the setting of acute coronary syndromes. Conclusion: The options for drugs to inhibit the platelet P2Y12 receptor for adenosine diphosphate are rapidly expanding. Ticagrelor has shown benefits in clinical trials. Its rapid onset of platelet inhibition and short half-life make it an attractive alternative to thienopyridines, especially when rapid inhibition of platelet aggregation or its quick reversal are required.
Externally assessed psychosocial work characteristics and diagnoses of anxiety and depression

Background: Interpretations of relationships between work characteristics and psychiatric disorders may be biased by over-reporting of unfavourable work characteristics among those with psychiatric disorders. This study attempts to account for this bias by using external assessments of work characteristics. Methods: Psychiatric symptoms were assessed in an interview and psychiatric diagnoses were established according to DSM-IV. Current work characteristics and work characteristics three years ago were assessed in an interview with predetermined criteria and included cognitive requirements, possibility of influence, and required conformance to schedule, time pressure, and hindrances concerning goals, resources and instrumental support. Deterioration in work characteristics during the study period was also assessed. The sample consisted of 672 employed men and women in different occupations. Results: Lack of instrumental support from colleagues and supervisors (OR 6.4, 95% CI 2.6 to 15.8) assessed as a hindrance to work performance, and deterioration in work characteristics during the study period (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 6.1) were associated with increased odds ratios for depression after adjustment for confounding factors, including symptoms of mental illness at baseline. Findings for anxiety were similar but not statistically significant. Conclusion: Externally assessed lack of instrumental social support at work and deteriorating work characteristics were associated with an increased risk for depression.
Human alveolar epithelial cells induce nitric oxide synthase‐2 expression in alveolar macrophages

It was hypothesized that celltocell interaction between human alveolar macrophages (AM) and alveolar epithelium, might be an important factor leading to nitric oxide synthase‐2 (NOS2) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression by constituent cells of the alveolar wall and/or AM. NOS2 mRNA and the protein expression patterns of human AM and alveolar epithelial cells type II (AECII) isolated from normal parts of lung resections of patients with pulmonary malignancies were determined. In addition, NOS2 mRNA expression in human AM cocultured with autologous AECII in the presence of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)‐1β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interferon (IFN)‐γ or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated. The effect of human surfactant protein‐A (SP‐A) on IFN‐γ‐mediated NOS2 mRNA expression in human AM was also studied. Neither NOS2 mRNA nor protein could be detected in freshly isolated, unstimulated or cytokinestimulated AECII. In contrast, freshly isolated AM from bronchoalveolar lavage or lung tissue samples expressed immunoreactivity for NOS2 protein, but no NOS2 mRNA could be detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. All stimuli tested failed to induce NOS2 mRNA expression in human AM in vitro. Only AMAECII coculture in the presence of IFN‐γ led to NOS2 mRNA and protein expression. In situ hybridization of NOS2 mRNA on lung tissue explants and immunohistochemical staining of cytospin preparations of AMAECII cocultures demonstrated that NOS2 is expressed in AM but not in AECII. This coculture effect could not be reproduced by substitution of AECII with SP‐A. These data give evidence of a regulatory network controlling human nitric oxide synthase‐2 expression in the lower respiratory tract.
Students' perceptions of fairness in peer assessment: evidence from a problem-based learning course

This paper describes the experience of peer assessment in a problem-based learning course in a Portuguese university, and presents the results of a survey of 120 students who attended the course over seven semesters. Cluster analysis revealed that students group into two distinct clusters with significantly different experiences of peer assessment. Although the larger cluster (70%) expressed a positive experience, the other group perceived peer assessment results and final marks to be unfair, and reported incidents of friendship-marking and conflict arising from peer assessment. Results show that perceptions of fairness (both regarding peer assessment and final marks) are very much associated with those problems. We reflect on these findings to explore implications for practice as well as future research.
A pen-based paperless environment for annotating and marking student assignments

A paperless environment for annotating student assignments is appealing to teachers and students. However, to do this, while retaining the richness and ease of annotating the work with a red pen, has not been possible until recently.This project presents an annotation problem that requires digital annotation, and additionally functionality to properly support the user requirements to move efficiently between assignments, and simultaneously annotate and record marks for the assignment.With Penmarked, our prototype system, the teacher is able to annotate a digital document with a stylus and at the same time write scores which are recognized and saved into both the student's document and a standard file format. The evaluation suggests that Penmarked is a viable alternative to both paper and existing paperless environments.
Evaluation of a Sexual Abuse Prevention Education for Chinese Preschoolers

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a sexual abuse prevention education in a sample of Chinese preschool children in Beijing, China. Method: One hundred and fifty preschool children were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (N = 78) or the wait-list control group (N = 72). Children were posttested on sexual abuse prevention knowledge and self-protection skills gains. Results: Following program participation, preschool children in the intervention group demonstrated greater knowledge about sexual abuse prevention and higher levels of self-protection skills compared with children in the wait-list control group. Conclusions: Findings suggest that it is feasible to implement the sexual abuse prevention education with Chinese preschoolers. Applications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
Changing Struggles for Relevance in Eight Fields of Natural Science

This paper investigates the consequences of institutional changes on academic research practices in eight fields of natural science in the Netherlands. The authors analyse the similarities and differences among the dynamics of these different fields and reflect on possible explanations for the changes observed. The study shows that the increasing pressure for productivity, as measured in bibliometric terms, can counteract the pressure for practical utility. Moreover, the work indicates that the dynamics of science varies much more across scientific fields than most of the literature suggests is the case.
Predictors of antibiotic prescribing for nonspecific upper respiratory infections, acute bronchitis, and acute sinusitis. An UPRNet study. Upper Peninsula Research Network.

BACKGROUND Antibiotics are often prescribed for viral respiratory infections. The goal of our study was to determine the factors associated with antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections in primary care. METHODS We performed an observational study in 15 primary care practices in Michigan using patient and physician surveys distributed during visits for acute respiratory infections. We included patients 4 years or older presenting with symptoms of an acute respiratory infection (n=482). The main outcome measures were prescriptions of antibiotics, signs and symptoms associated with antibiotic prescribing, and clinician-reported reasons for prescribing an antibiotic. RESULTS We found that patients who were older than 18 years, sick for more than 14 days, and seen in urgent care clinics were more likely to receive antibiotics. Patients expected antibiotics if they perceived that the drug had helped with similar symptoms in the past. In an adjusted model, the variables significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing were physical findings of sinus tenderness (odds ratio [OR]=20.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.3-43.2), rales/rhonchi (OR=19.9; 95% CI, 9.2-43.2), discolored nasal discharge (OR=11.7; 95% CI, 4.3-31.7), and postnasal drainage (OR=3.1; 95% CI, 1.6-6.0). The presence of clear nasal discharge on examination was negatively associated (OR=0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.5). CONCLUSIONS Several physical signs play an important role in clinicians' decisions to prescribe antibiotics for respiratory infections. This information will be useful in designing interventions to decrease inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory infections.
“Newsmaking” Criminology or “Infotainment”1 Criminology?

Abstract The role of the media in mobilising public opinion about crime motivates some criminologists to participate as experts in media constructions of crime and social control. These public discourses help shape the social construction of offending, the public response to victims of violence and the organisation of popular consent for particular crime control strategies. This article reviews and critiques the empirical and theoretical foundations of a criminological discourse of gender symmetry in domestic violence, and gender bias in the criminal justice system, that has galvanised the popular press in New Zealand and disrupted widely accepted views of domestic violence and criminal justice processes.
Memristor MOS Content Addressable Memory (MCAM): Hybrid Architecture for Future High Performance Search Engines

Large-capacity content addressable memory (CAM) is a key element in a wide variety of applications. The inevitable complexities of scaling MOS transistors introduce a major challenge in the realization of such systems. Convergence of disparate technologies, which are compatible with CMOS processing, may allow extension of Moore's Law for a few more years. This paper provides a new approach towards the design and modeling of Memory resistor (Memristor)-based CAM (MCAM) using a combination of memristor MOS devices to form the core of a memory/compare logic cell that forms the building block of the CAM architecture. The non-volatile characteristic and the nanoscale geometry together with compatibility of the memristor with CMOS processing technology increases the packing density, provides for new approaches towards power management through disabling CAM blocks without loss of stored data, reduces power dissipation, and has scope for speed improvement as the technology matures.
Learning opportunities to support student self-regulation: comparing different instructional formats

Background Secondary vocational schools are engaged in a process of innovation and improving their instructional formats to help students acquire the necessary skills in occupational settings. Teachers in vocational education are increasingly being required to offer instructional environments that stimulate students to organize their own learning and take responsibility for extending their knowledge and skills. Among these skills, self-regulated learning strategies have become basic for both school and work. Purpose In this study, we analysed learning environments for self-regulation in secondary vocational schools in The Netherlands. Student perceptions of learning environments were related to their motivation and learning strategies used for self-regulation. Sample Data for this study were collected based on a sample of 623 students participating in five differently arranged programmes of vocational education in The Netherlands. Design and methods Questionnaires were used and partly developed to measure student motivation, perceived teaching behaviour and use of self-regulation strategies. A categorization scheme to analyse learning environments was developed for the purpose of this study. Results Our findings indicate that some types of learning environments presently offered in secondary vocational schools do offer positive experiences for self-regulation of students. Positive relationships were found between students' motivation for learning and the strategies used for self-regulated learning. Conclusions Based on a categorization of design features of learning environments, we suggest some directions on how to create powerful learning environments in vocational schools.
Transcriptome Analysis of Human Reninomas as an Approach to Understanding Juxtaglomerular Cell Biology

Renin, a key component in the regulation of blood pressure in mammals, is produced by the rare and highly specialized juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney. Chronic stimulation of renin release results in a recruitment of new juxtaglomerular cells by the apparent conversion of adjacent smooth muscle cells along the afferent arterioles. Because juxtaglomerular cells rapidly dedifferentiate when removed from the kidney, their developmental origin and the mechanism that explains their phenotypic plasticity remain unclear. To overcome this limitation, we have performed RNA expression analysis on 4 human renin-producing tumors. The most highly expressed genes that were common between the reninomas were subsequently used for in situ hybridization in kidneys of 5-day-old mice, adult mice, and adult mice treated with captopril. From the top 100 genes, 10 encoding for ligands were selected for further analysis. Medium of human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with the mouse cDNA encoding these ligands was applied to (pro)renin-synthesizing As4.1 cells. Among the ligands, only platelet-derived growth factor B reduced the medium and cellular (pro)renin levels, as well as As4.1 renin gene expression. In addition, platelet-derived growth factor B–exposed As4.1 cells displayed a more elongated and aligned shape with no alteration in viability. This was accompanied by a downregulated expression of &agr;-smooth muscle actin and an upregulated expression of interleukin-6, suggesting a phenotypic shift from myoendocrine to inflammatory. Our results add 36 new genes to the list that characterize renin-producing cells and reveal a novel role for platelet-derived growth factor B as a regulator of renin-synthesizing cells.
Individual Temperament and Problem Behavior in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Temperament is important for considering differences among diagnostic groups and for understanding individual differences that predict problematic behavior. Temperament characteristics, such as negative affectivity, effortful control, and surgency (highly active and impulsive), are predictive of externalizing behavior in typically developing children, but these links have not been investigated among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the present study, the authors analyzed differences in temperament between children with ASD and neurotypical children, investigated the range of individual differences within our sample, and examined the relationship between temperament and problem behavior. A few differences in temperament between the ASD sample and reference sample were noted and considerable variability in temperament was observed across children with ASD. High negative affectivity, high surgency, and low effortful control were related to problem behavior as measured by parent questionnaire. The potential utility of temperament assessment in developing new intervention options for addressing problem behavior is discussed.
Soluble TRAIL in normal pregnancy and acute pyelonephritis: a potential explanation for the susceptibility of pregnant women to microbial products and infection

Abstract Objective: Pregnancy is characterized by activation of the innate immune response demonstrated by phenotypic and metabolic changes in granulocytes and monocytes. This state of activation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of multiorgan dysfunction of pregnant women with acute viral or bacterial infection. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is one of the mediators responsible for neutrophil apoptosis. Gene deletion of TRAIL results in delayed neutrophil apoptosis and resolution of inflammation after the administration of bacterial endotoxin. The aim of this study was to determine whether maternal plasma concentrations of the soluble form of TRAIL (sTRAIL) differ in women with uncomplicated pregnancy and those with acute pyelonephritis. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to include women in the following groups: (1) non-pregnant (n = 23); (2) uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 93) and (3) pregnancies with acute pyelonephritis (n = 23). Plasma concentrations of sTRAIL were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Results: (1) Women with uncomplicated pregnancies had a lower mean plasma sTRAIL concentration (pg/mL) than non-pregnant women (31.5 ± 10.1 versus 53.3 ± 12.5; p < 0.001); (2) plasma sTRAIL concentrations did not change as a function of gestational age (Pearson correlation = −0.1; p = 0.4); (3) the mean plasma sTRAIL concentration (pg/mL) was significantly lower in pregnant women with acute pyelonephritis than in those with uncomplicated pregnancies (20.5 ± 6.6 versus 31.5 ± 10.1; p < 0.001) and (4) among patients with acute pyelonephritis, patients with bacteremia had a significantly lower mean plasma concentration of sTRAIL (pg/mL) than those without bacteremia (15.1 ± 4.8 versus 24.7 ± 4.6; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Women with uncomplicated pregnancies are associated with a significantly lower mean maternal plasma concentration of sTRAIL than that observed in non-pregnant women. Moreover, a further decrease in plasma sTRAIL concentration was observed in pregnant women with acute pyelonephritis, and this could account, at least in part, for the exaggerated intravascular inflammatory response previously reported in pyelonephritis during pregnancy.
Illustrations et modèles mentaux dans la compréhension de textes

We know that graphics in texts can be effective for learning, but we do not have much knowledge about how text comprehension interacts with graphics comprehension. Experiments have extensively investigated the effectiveness of pictures in promoting memory for factual information in texts. Cognitive psychologists have attempted to characterize the mental representation constructed during text comprehension. It is now generally agreed that understanding a text requires the construction of a referential representation of the meaning of the text : a situational model or a mental model. The purpose of this paper is to show that mental model theory can provide an account for the beneficial effect of illustrations in text comprehension. We first present a short survey of the works focusing on the role illustrations have on text memory and on text comprehension, and the mental model theory of text comprehension is presented. A survey of a series of experiments which show that understanding a text describing spatial environments leads to the construction of a spatial mental model are then presented. Finally, we present some recent works that show that pictures facilitate the construction of a mental model, even in domains of discourse that are not exclusively spatial.
Mobility Attitudes and Behaviours among Young Europeans.

Purpose – The paper seeks to explore the career attitudes, motivations and behaviours of young people in initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Europe.Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory web‐based survey was conducted during the European year for mobility. Drawing on existing research on the motivators of international careers, it explored young people's perceptions of barriers and incentives to mobility.Findings – The study differentiates “natives” (those who did not go abroad) and “boundary crossers” (those who did). Cultural exposure, travel and a desire for adventure are key motivators. Counter‐intuitively, those who chose not to go abroad are significantly more positive about the potential for professional development but are significantly more concerned for personal safety. Some maturational trends are apparent.Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to a “European‐wide” perspective from a sample, which had access to the web survey. Further research could use.
A CMOS Current-Mode Dynamic Programming Circuit

Dynamic programming (DP) is a fundamental algorithm for complex optimization and decision-making in many engineering and biomedical systems. However, conventional DP computation based on digital implementation of the Bellman-Ford recursive algorithm suffers from the “curse of dimensionality” and substantial iteration delays which hinder utility in real-time applications. Previously, an ordinary differential equation system was proposed that transforms the sequential DP iteration into a continuous-time parallel computational network. Here, the network is realized using a CMOS current-mode analog circuit, which provides a powerful computational platform for power-efficient, compact, and high-speed solution of the Bellman formula. Test results for the fabricated DP optimization chip demonstrate a proof of concept for this solution approach. We also propose an error compensation scheme to minimize the errors attributed to nonideal current sources and device mismatch.