Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alveolar Recruitment and Arterial Desflurane Concentration During Bariatric Surgery

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether reversal of intraoperative atelectasis with the lung recruitment maneuver (RM) affects desflurane arterial concentrations during bariatric surgery. METHODS: After anesthetic induction and maintenance with propofol, patients were randomized to receive alveolar RM at intervals (RM group) or not (controls). Desflurane 6% was initiated, and rate of increase of alveolar desflurane concentration (ratio of end-expiratory to inspiratory concentrations, FA/FI) and desflurane blood concentrations were measured in both groups. Blood and end-tidal desflurane concentrations were also measured after the discontinuation of anesthesia. RESULTS: The RM group had higher intraoperative Pao2/Fio2 compared with the control group (both, P < 0.001). During induction, the rate of increase in blood desflurane concentrations was rapid in both groups. At comparable mechanical ventilation settings, median times to achieve 0.5 mM (approximately 3%) were 2.1 and 1.59 min (P = 0.09) in the control and RM group, respectively. The times to achieve 0.7 mM (approximately 4.2%) desflurane were 15.9 and 9.3 min in the control and RM group, respectively (P = 0.08). Desflurane blood concentrations tended to be higher during the first 30 min after induction in the RM group (P = 0.066). During maintenance or emergence, the blood desflurane concentrations were not different between control and RM groups. Consequently, the time to eye opening did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Although the RM during bariatric surgery represents an effective method for improving intraoperative oxygenation, it does not significantly affect the desflurane blood concentrations during anesthesia or its elimination during emergence.
University of Birmingham The Escherichia coli RutR transcription factor binds at targets within genes as well as intergenic regions

The Escherichia coli RutR protein is the master regulator of genes involved in pyrimidine catabolism. Here we have used chromatin immunoprecipitation in combination with DNA microarrays to measure the binding of RutR across the chromosome of exponentially growing E. coli cells. Twenty RutR-binding targets were identified and analysis of these targets generated a DNA consensus logo for RutR binding. Complementary in vitro binding assays showed high-affinity RutR binding to 16 of the 20 targets, with the four low-affinity RutR targets lacking predicted key binding determinants. Sur-prisingly, most of the DNA targets for RutR are located within coding segments of the genome and appear to have little or no effect on transcript levels in the conditions tested. This contrasts sharply with other E. coli transcription factors whose binding sites are primarily located in intergenic regions. We suggest that either RutR has yet undiscovered function or that evolution has been slow to eliminate non-functional DNA sites for RutR because they do not have an adverse effect on cell fitness.
Bone augmentation by means of barrier membranes.

The development of guided bone regeneration (GBR) has substantially influenced the possibilities for using implants. The use of bone augmentation procedures has extended the use of endosseous implants to jaw bone areas with insufficient bone volume. Lack of bone volume may be due to congenital, post-traumatic, or post-surgical defects or the result of disease processes. The recently achieved predictability and success of this procedure can change the treatment of a compromised patient into a nearly normal challenge. Based on pioneer experiments investigating healing of periodontal tissues following surgical therapy, a principle of tissue healing was discovered by Nyman & Karring in the early 1980’s (60, 62, 87, 88). It was found that cells which have access to and migrate into a given wound space determine the type of tissue regenerating in that space. Both the exclusion of undesired cells from the wound area and the formation of a wound space into which desired cells are allowed to migrate were initially achieved by the placement of barrier membranes (61). The present understanding of the mechanisms leading to regeneration of desired tissues is still in accordance with these initial concepts. The aim of the present chapter was to review the techniques and membrane materials applied for GBR in conjunction with implant based oral rehabilitation.
Analytical Light Curves in the Realistic Model for Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

Afterglow light curves are constructed analytically for realistic gamma-ray burst remnants decelerating in either a homogeneous interstellar medium or a stellar wind environment, taking into account the radiative loss of the blast wave, which affects the temporal behaviors significantly. Inverse Compton scattering, which plays an important role when the energy equipartition factor ϵe of electrons is much larger than that of the magnetic field (ϵB), is considered. The inverse Compton effect prolongs the fast cooling phase markedly, during which the relativistic shock is semiradiative and the radiation efficiency is approximately constant, ϵ = ϵe. It is further shown that the shock is still semiradiative for quite a long time after it transits into the slow cooling phase because of a slow decreasing rate of the radiation efficiency of electrons. The temporal decaying index of the X-ray afterglow light curve in this semiradiative phase is (3p - 2 + 2ϵ)/(4 - ϵ) in the interstellar medium case and [3p - 2 - (p - 2)ϵ]/2(2 - ϵ) in the stellar wind case, where p is the distribution index of the shock-accelerated electrons. Taking p = 2.2-2.3 as implied from the common shock acceleration mechanism and assuming ϵe ~ , the temporal index is more consistent with the observed ⟨αX⟩ ~ 1.3 than the commonly used adiabatic one. The observability of the inverse Compton component in soft X-ray afterglows is also investigated. To manifest as a bump or even dominant in the X-ray afterglows during the relativistic stage, the density must be larger than ~1-10 cm-3 in the interstellar medium case, or the wind parameter A* must be larger than ~1 in the stellar wind case.
The impact of vision impairment on students’ self-concept

ABSTRACT This study investigated the self-concept of students with vision impairment who were placed in specialist and mainstream educational settings in South Australia. Self-Concept was explored across six dimensions, namely Physical, Moral, Personal, Family, Social and Academic Self-Concepts and the Total Self-Concept. The ‘Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Second Edition’ was administered to 25 students with vision impairment (13 females and 12 males). Participating students’ age ranged between 15 and 25 years and they were included from all levels of vision impairment. The visual acuity of the participants ranged from 6/18 or less (low vision) to 3/60 and less (blindness). Although the majority of the students with vision impairment obtained low scores on all dimensions of self-concept, namely physical, moral, personal, family, social and academic, some students obtained normal scores in relation to family and academic self-concepts. There were no significant differences between female and male students with vision impairment across the six dimensions of self-concept and thus total self-concept. These findings have implications for teachers, special educators, policy-makers and a range of professionals in the education and special education sector in enabling greater understanding of the self-concept accomplishment of the students with vision impairment. However, this study has limited scope for generalisation of the study's conclusions due to the study's small population sample size.
Assessing Emotionally Intelligent Leadership in Pharmacy Students

Objective. To determine the frequency distribution of pharmacy students across Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Inventory (EILI) measures. Methods. The EILI was administered to 235 pharmacy students at two schools. The instrument was systematically compared to the 2013 CAPE Outcomes and analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis. Results. The EILI has primary connections with pharmacy competencies related to interprofessional communication and leadership. The three facets of the EILI were verified for internal consistency (Context, α=.78; Self, α=.74; Others, α=.79). Student scores were the highest for the consciousness of self facet, with a mean score of 31.4 out of 40. Conclusion. The EILI shows promise as an instrument for use in assessing pharmacy students’ emotional intelligence and leadership skills.
Characterization of RPO B gene for detection of rifampicin drug resistance by SSCP and sequence analysis.

PURPOSE Because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in recent times, the rapid detection of resistance to the first-line anti-tuberculosis drug rifampicin was felt worldwide. Accordingly, this study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic potential of polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) for checking its utility as a rapid screening test for determination of rifampicin drug resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 34 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) (22 rifampicin resistant, 11 rifampicin sensitive and one control H37Rv) strains were analysed by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing within the 157-bp region of the rpo B gene (Ala 500-Val 550). RESULTS Rifampicin resistance was detected successfully by PCR-SSCP in 20/22(90.90%) of rifampicin-resistant strains showing a total of nine different mutations in seven codon positions: codon 513 (CAA-->CCA), 516 (GAC-->GTC), 507 (GGC-->GAC), 526 (CAC-->GAC, TAC), 531 (TCG-->TTG, TGG), 522 (TCG-->TGG) and 533 (GTG-->CCG). Two rifampicin-resistant strains showed an identical PCR-SSCP pattern with the wild type H37Rv; 77.27% rifampicin-resistant strains showed a single point mutation and 9.09% had no mutation. Three rifampicin-resistant strains showed characteristic double mutations at codon positions 526 and 531. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated as 90.90% and 100%. CONCLUSIONS Rifampicin-resistant genotypes were mainly found in codon positions 516, 526 and 531. PCR-SSCP seems to be an efficacious method of predicting rifampicin resistance and substantially reduces the time required for susceptibility testing from 4 to 6 weeks to a few weeks.
Linear Matrix Inequality

Mar h 2, 2002 LINEAR MATRIX INEQUALITY REPRESENTATION OF SETS J. William Helton and Vi tor Vinnikov Mathemati s Dept. UCSD Ben Gurion Univ. of the Negev La Jolla Cal Beer Sheva, 84105 92093, USA Israel helton math.edu vinnikov math.bgu. a . il Abstra t This arti le on erns whi h subsets of Rm an be represented with Linear Matrix Inequalities, LMIs? This gives some perspe tive on the s ope and limitations of one of the most powerful te hniques ommonly used in ontrol theory. Also before having mu h hope of representing engineering problems as LMIs by automati methods one needs a good idea of whi h problems an and annot be represented by LMIs. Little is urrently known about su h problems. In this arti le we give a ne essary ondition, we all "rigid onvexity", whi h must hold for a set C 2 Rm in order for C to have an LMI representation. Rigid onvexity is proved to be ne essary and suÆ ient when m = 2.
Emergence of Kondo lattice behavior in a van der Waals itinerant ferromagnet, Fe3GeTe2

Ferromagnetism and the Kondo effect are crucial for 3d electrons to become spin-separated and heavy at the same time. Searching for heavy fermion (HF) states in non–f-electron systems becomes an interesting issue, especially in the presence of magnetism, and can help explain the physics of complex compounds. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, physical properties measurements, and the first-principles calculations, we observe the HF state in a 3d-electron van der Waals ferromagnet, Fe3GeTe2. Upon entering the ferromagnetic state, a massive spectral weight transfer occurs, which results from the exchange splitting. Meanwhile, the Fermi surface volume and effective electron mass are both enhanced. When the temperature drops below a characteristic temperature T*, heavy electrons gradually emerge with further enhanced effective electron mass. The coexistence of ferromagnetism and HF state can be well interpreted by the dual properties (itinerant and localized) of 3d electrons. This work expands the limit of ferromagnetic HF materials from f- to d-electron systems and illustrates the positive correlation between ferromagnetism and HF state in the 3d-electron material, which is quite different from the f-electron systems.
Adult cognitive outcomes following childhood mild traumatic brain injuries

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the adult cognitive outcomes of one versus multiple childhood mTBI and to examine the potential predictors of the outcomes. Methods: Review of neurosurgical files and hospital records, as well as community recruitment, yielded 169 participants, who were injured between ages 0–17 years and assessed between ages 18–30 years with at least five years post-injury. Each participant underwent a three-hour assessment. For data analysis, participants were grouped by type and number of injury. Results: The mTBI group exhibited some cognitive deficits but their performance fell between the control and moderate/severe TBI groups as expected. Those with one and multiple mTBI performed comparably across all cognitive domains. Cognitive outcomes were significantly predicted by estimated IQ but not by number of mTBI and age at injury. Conclusion: Despite the detected cognitive deficits, those who sustained multiple mTBI did not exhibit worse or cumulative deficits compared to those with one mTBI.
Adult neural stem and progenitor cells modified to secrete GDNF can protect, migrate and integrate after intracerebral transplantation in rats with transient forebrain ischemia

Adult neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) are important autologous transplantation tools in regenerative medicine, as they can secrete factors that protect the ischemic brain. We investigated whether adult NSPCs genetically modified to secrete more glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) could protect against transient ischemia in rats. NSPCs were harvested from the subventricular zone of adult Wistar rats and cultured for 3 weeks in the presence of epidermal growth factor. The NSPCs were treated with fibre‐mutant Arg‐Gly‐Asp adenovirus containing the GDNF gene (NSPC‐GDNF) or enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene (NSPC‐EGFP; control group). In one experiment, cultured cells were transplanted into the right ischemic boundary zone of Wistar rat brains. One week later, animals underwent 90 min of intraluminal right middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural tests. The NSPC‐GDNF group had higher behavioural scores and lesser infarct volume than did controls at 1, 7 and 28 days postocclusion. In the second experiment, we transplanted NSPCs 3 h after ischemic insult. Compared to controls, rats receiving NSPC‐GDNF had decreased infarct volume and better behavioural assessments at 7 days post‐transplant. Animals were killed on day 7 and brains were collected for GDNF ELISA and morphological assessment. Compared to controls, more GDNF was secreted, more NSPC‐GDNF cells migrated toward the ischemic core and more NSPC‐GDNF cells expressed immature neuronal marker. Moreover, the NSPC‐GDNF group showed more effective inhibition of microglial invasion and apoptosis. These findings suggest that NSPC‐GDNF may be useful in treatment of cerebral ischemia.
A novel bcl‐1/JH breakpoint from a patient affected by mantle cell lymphoma extends the major translocation cluster

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B‐lymphocytic malignancy frequently associated with the presence of the t(11;14) chromosomal translocation. By using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy to detect breakpoints within the major translocation cluster (MTC), an unexpectedly large product (about 1.1 kb by using first‐round bcl‐1/JH primers) has been identified in one out of 16 patients harbouring the t(11;14) translocation. Sequence analysis of the atypical PCR product, re‐amplified and cloned with second‐round primers, revealed a 459 bp portion corresponding exactly to the 3′‐end segment of the MTC, followed by a sequence of 433 bp that lacked homology with any previously known sequence. PCR experiments using DNA from healthy donors identified that fragment as an extension of MTC fused, through a N‐region of seven nucleotides, to the JH4 region of IgH gene. A computer‐based search of the novel MTC portion aimed at detecting potential recombination motifs revealed the presence of several 4‐bp sequences (5′‐CCAG‐3′ or its complement 5′‐CTGG‐3′), one of them within seven nucleotides from the putative breakpoint, known to play a role in non‐homologous recombination events at the Ig loci. The recognition of this novel breakpoint may have important implications for the diagnosis and detection of minimal residual disease in t(11;14)‐positive lymphomas. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Automatic crack detection on road imagery using anisotropic diffusion and region linkage

A novel strategy to automatically detect cracks in road pavement surface imagery, acquired by a laser imaging system, is proposed. It includes a new procedure to link fragments of crack regions based on a maximum a posteriori (map) classifier, which relies on a set of geometric characteristics of the segmented binary regions. The proposed system starts with an anisotropic diffusion filtering, to smooth image texture variations resulting from the type of sensor used. Then, a Gaussian function is used to model the histogram for pixels intensities below a certain value, which allows inferring the threshold level to be used for image segmentation. Next, less relevant binary regions are identified, being kept only if they are linked to relevant crack regions. Encouraging experimental crack detection results are presented based on real images captured along Canadian roads.
‘Making It Real’: Evaluating the Impact of Service User and Carer Involvement in Social Work Education

: Service user and carer involvement (SUCI) in social work education in England is required by the profession’s regulator, the Health and Care Professions Council. However, a recent study of 83 HEIs in England reported that despite considerable progress in SUCI, there is no evidence that the learning derived from it is being transferred to social work practice. In this article we describe a study that examines the question: ‘What impact does SUCI have on the skills, knowledge and values of student social workers at the point of qualification and beyond? ’ Students at universities in England and Northern Ireland completed online questionnaires and participated in focus groups, spanning a period immediately pre-qualification and between six to nine months post-qualification. From our findings, we identify four categories that influence the impact of service user involvement on students’ learning: student factors; service user and carer factors; programme factors; and practice factors; each comprises of a number of sub-categories. We propose that the model developed can be used by social work educators, service user and carer contributors and practitioners to maximise the impact of SUCI. We argue that our findings also have implications for employment-based learning routes and post-qualifying education.
The Social Conquest of Earth

Copyright © 2013 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa. A small cohort of colleagues received invitations from the Journal of General Education: A Curricular Commons of the Humanities and Sciences: “Please read Edward O. Wilson’s controversial new book, The Social Conquest of Earth. Use it as a springboard to produce an essay about general education. ” The journal provided scant guidance other than that the ideals and observations kindled by reading The Social Conquest should enable contributors to generate challenging deliberations about a curriculum—a general education—that reaches well beyond disciplinary majors and professional concentrations that are intended to launch careers in commerce or the academy. The Wilson colloquium, the invitation explained, should consist neither of book reviews and critiques in the usual sense nor of defenses or denunciations of Wilson’s views on “group versus kin selection. ” Nor should it focus exclusively on Wilson’s declaration that the “myths” of the humanities and religion cannot explain any of three fundamental questions: Where did we come from? What are we? Where are we going? The journal did invite the contributors to consider some fundamental general education issues. Can general education serve as a leveling device, that is, as a means to raise among all of our students an understanding of the world about them and their place in it? Can we identify the humanities and sciences necessary to nurture such a task? Just what is it that education should nurture for undergraduates and their faculty? “Mythmaking could never discover the origin and meaning of humanity,” Wilson writes in The Social Conquest. Perhaps not. Yet for many people, folklore and stories, philosophy and ethics, history and theology, are at least as important to their understanding of who they are and who they should be as is the biological relationship of our genes to our emotions and behaviors. Where is the common ground for the humanities and the sciences? The Social conqueST of earTh,
The Road to Become a Legitimate Scholar: A Case Study of International PhD Students in Science and Engineering.

The purpose of the doctoral education process is to create and legitimize scholarly researchers. This transformation, from student to scholar, is widely discussed in the literature. However, recent rapid changes in university culture have resulted in less time for supervision, stricter completion deadlines, and a greater focus on efficiency and productivity. This has had an impact on this transition process, and this impact has not been widely studied. The aim of this article is to understand the consequences of the current trends for PhD students and the education of PhD students in general. The article is based on interviews with 14 international students from two different research programs at the Faculty of Engineering and Science at Aalborg University in Denmark. The case of international PhD students in a western setting is singled out as a challenging case for becoming a legitimate scholar, since they face the additional challenge of becoming socialised into their new foreign setting. Overall, the study concludes that the transition process of doctoral students is affected by the way different supervisors deal with current university trends and how PhD students fit or do not fit into their knowledge production practices. The study identifies matches or mismatches in a knowledge production perspective, quality of contact, and degree of independence of the PhD student as factors that influence whether a transition process can be marked as sound, troublesome, or lacking. Finally, the study identifies an overall risk of neglecting the more interdependent types of international PhD students. Suggestions are given as how to address this risk.