Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of parathyroid gland angiogenesis in chronic kidney disease associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a common complication of chronic kidney disease. Increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) synthesis and secretion is associated with parathyroid cell hyperplasia. The exact mechanisms involved in parathyroid gland (PTG) hyperplasia are still poorly understood. There is no available data on angiogenesis in PTG of patients with chronic kidney disease and SHPT. The aim of this study is to evaluate angiogenesis and expression of the angiogenic factors, basic fibroblastic growth factor (b-FGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF), in secondary PTG hyperplasia. METHODS This study was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archival tissues of 21 SHPT glands from haemodialysis (n = 19) and kidney transplanted (n = 2) patients submitted to surgical parathyroidectomy. For control, eight normal human parathyroid glands (NPG) encountered in surgical specimens of total thyroidectomy were used. We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of the proliferation cell marker Ki67. Angiogenesis was evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining with anti-endoglin (CD105) antibody in 21 SPH and 5 NPG by stereological analysis. Levels of b-FGF and VEGF were determined by semi-quantitative analysis in 21 SPH and 8 NPG. RESULTS The SHPT patients present a mean iPTH of 1314 +/- 750 pg/ml, a corrected serum calcium of 10.3 +/- 1.2 mg/dl and a serum phosphorus of 6.1 +/- 1.4 mg/dl. SHPT glands displayed a significantly higher immunoreactivity against Ki67, compared to NPG. With CD105, a significantly higher number and volume of microvessels were observed in SHPT compared to NPG. Both VEGF and b-FGF expression were increased in SHPT compared to NPG. Using the predefined subdivision into negative and positive only the b-FGF expression was significantly increased in the SHPT glands compared to NPG. CONCLUSION These results suggest that PTGs in this group of patients with SHPT have a significantly higher number of vessels expressing CD105, which has been reported to preferentially label activated endothelial cells associated with angiogenesis. SHPT glands have a significantly increased expression of b-FGF compared to NPG. VEGF-A expression is also increased in the examined SHPT glands but could be less relevant for angiogenesis.
Government chief nursing officers' perceptions of barriers to using research on staffing.

BACKGROUND Current global healthcare problems include nursing shortages contributing to low nurse staffing. Low nurse staffing is associated with poor patient and nurse outcomes, but research utilization using these findings especially at the policy level remains slow. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE To assess high-ranking government nurses' perceptions of barriers to using research on nurse staffing. METHODS An electronic information message about the impact of nurse staffing was presented to government chief nursing officers (CNOs) from 110 countries. The CNOs' perceptions of local barriers to utilizing these research findings were then assessed in an electronic survey. The four factors that influence the first two stages of Rogers's five-stage model of diffusion were examined. The factors, characteristics of the adopter, organization, innovation and communication, were measured using an adapted version of the BARRIERS scale. RESULTS Barriers were present in all four characteristics. The top barrier was lack of reports and studies in one place. Other barriers were lack of cooperation within the organization and lack of awareness of the research findings. Differences according to Gross National Income were also noted. CONCLUSIONS The CNOs and other health policy advisors can use the findings in planning for adequate nurse staffing. Development of electronic newsletters with summaries of pertinent research for CNOs and other policy advisors is needed. Future studies on nurse staffing are warranted. They should focus on other settings and how best to share research findings with policymakers.
Investigating Students' Achievement in Mathematics through Non Technological Game Based Teaching

This paper shows the results of an experimental study about games-based teaching approach, carried out in a third world country. This paper describes how a non- technological game "Guess and Tell" was used as a source of teaching mathematical concepts of 'Mean' and 'Mode' to grade eight children. The paper focused on the questions (1) is the game 'Guess and Tell' effective in improving students' achievement? (2) has the game different effect on male and female' achievement? Based on the results of this study, it can be said that non technological games can play a vital role in improving students' achievement in mathematics and it is equally important for male and female students. The pre-test and post-test results of this research reveal that variation exists in the achievement level of male and female students but these are not statistically significant. On the basis of the findings, the researcher suggests, to investigate more dimensions in using the game, 'Guess and Tell' in the class room.
Subordinate humor and leader-member exchange relationships: Laugh and the boss laughs with you?

This dissertation used a political lens to investigate humor in a leader-member exchange (LMX) framework to explore how subordinates can use humor to manage relationships with their superiors and the subsequent outcomes associated with the quality of these relationships. This dissertation linked humor to outcomes that had not previously been studied, such as political skill and employee guarding tactics. This dissertation uniquely contributes to the current body of research by 1) empirically investigating subordinate humor in an LMX framework, 2) exploring how political skill affects the relationship between humor and LMX relationship quality, and 3) examining an unexplored outcome of LMX quality, the use of managerial employee guarding tactics. I proposed a model of subordinate humor based on the literature and outline specific hypotheses derived from the model. I hypothesized that subordinate humor positively influences LMX quality as perceived by both parties. Furthermore, I hypothesized that subordinate political skill moderates that relationship. Finally, I hypothesized that LMX relationship quality and subordinate humor will be positively related to managerial use of employee guarding tactics. I employed a survey research design to test these topics. A reciprocal standard design was employed to investigate constructs from the perspectives of both subordinates and supervisors. Data was analyzed using PLS-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results showed support for the proposed relationships between humor and LMX quality and with employee guarding tactics. These findings offer practical implications for employees and managers alike by empirically demonstrating that humor is a useful tool for subordinates to enhance their relationship quality with supervisors, and subsequently, managerial behaviors towards employees.
Low levels of ventricular CSF orexin/hypocretin in advanced PD

The origins of excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson disease (PD) are unclear. The authors hypothesize that orexin neurons, a recently identified wake promoting system, could contribute to its pathophysiology. They measured orexin-A/hypocretin-1 concentration in ventricular CSF in 19 parkinsonian patients and compared it with neurologic controls. Orexin levels were lower in patients and decreased with the severity of the disease. The authors suggest that orexin neurons contribute to daytime sleepiness in late stage PD.
Pain and Vertebral Dysfunction in Dry Immersion: A Model of Microgravity Simulation Different from Bed Rest Studies

Background Astronauts frequently experience back pain during and after spaceflight. The aim of this study was to utilize clinical methods to identify potential vertebral somatic dysfunction (VD) in subjects exposed to dry immersion (DI), a model of microgravity simulation. Method The experiment was performed in a space research clinic, respecting all the ethical rules, with subjects completing three days of dry immersion (n = 11). Assessments of VD, spine height, and back pain were made before and after simulated microgravity. Results Back pain was present in DI with great global discomfort during the entire protocol. A low positive correlation was found (Pearson r = 0.44; P < 0.001) between VD before DI and pain developed in the DI experiment. Conclusions There is a specific location of pain in both models of simulation. Our analysis leads to relativizing constraints on musculoskeletal system in function of simulation models. This study was the first to examine manual palpation of the spine in a space experience. Additionally, osteopathic view may be used to select those individuals who have less risk of developing back pain.
Facial expression editing in video using a temporally-smooth factorization

We address the problem of editing facial expression in video, such as exaggerating, attenuating or replacing the expression with a different one in some parts of the video. To achieve this we develop a tensor-based 3D face geometry reconstruction method, which fits a 3D model for each video frame, with the constraint that all models have the same identity and requiring temporal continuity of pose and expression. With the identity constraint, the differences between the underlying 3D shapes capture only changes in expression and pose. We show that various expression editing tasks in video can be achieved by combining face reordering with face warping, where the warp is induced by projecting differences in 3D face shapes into the image plane. Analogously, we show how the identity can be manipulated while fixing expression and pose. Experimental results show that our method can effectively edit expressions and identity in video in a temporally-coherent way with high fidelity.
The influence of executive functions and memory on self-generation benefit in persons with multiple sclerosis

Aim: Self-generation is a learning strategy, demonstrated to improve learning in healthy persons as well as persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study examines the relative influence of memory performance and executive functioning on the ability to benefit from self-generated learning in persons with MS. Method: Participants consisted of 70 individuals with MS. A within-groups design was employed examining recall of words that were presented in two learning conditions: (a) a condition in which the to-be-learned information was provided to the participant and (b) a condition in which the to-be-learned information was self-generated by the participant. Participants were divided into 2 groups based on their benefit from self-generation. Participants who benefited from using self-generation strategy were included in the responders group, and participants who did not benefit from using self-generation were included in the nonresponders group. Executive functions were assessed with the D-KEFS (Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System) Sorting Test, and learning and memory were assessed via the Open-Trial Selective Reminding Test and the Brief Visual Spatial Memory Test–Revised. Results: Responders had significantly better executive functions than nonresponders, while no significant differences were noted between the 2 groups on memory abilities. Logistic regression analysis revealed that performance on the executive functioning task significantly predicted benefit from self-generation. Conclusions: Executive functioning is critical for the ability of an individual with MS to benefit from self-generation strategy use.
Individual differences in inhibitory control and children's theory of mind.

This research examined the relation between individual differences in inhibitory control (IC; a central component of executive functioning) and theory-of-mind (ToM) performance in preschool-age children. Across two sessions, 3- and 4-year-old children (N = 107) were given multitask batteries measuring IC and ToM. Inhibitory control was strongly related to ToM, r = . 66, p < . 001. This relation remained significant controlling for age, gender, verbal ability, motor sequencing, family size, and performance on pretend-action and mental state control tasks. Inhibitory tasks requiring a novel response in the face of a conflicting prepotent response (Conflict scale) and those requiring the delay of a prepotent response (Delay scale) were significantly related to ToM. The Conflict scale, however, significantly predicted ToM performance over and above the Delay scale and control measures, whereas the Delay scale was not significant in a corresponding analysis. These findings suggest that IC may be a crucial enabling factor for ToM development, possibly affecting both the emergence and expression of mental state knowledge. The implications of the findings for a variety of executive accounts of ToM are discussed.
Growth rate, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in rock carp (Procypris rabaudi Tchang) exposed to supersaturated total dissolved gas

Total dissolved gas supersaturation (TDGS) appears when the pressures of gases in a solution exceed the barometric pressures. TDGS is often caused by flood discharge at dams. It may lead to gas bubble disease (GBD) for fish and biochemical responses of selected fish and other aquatic organisms. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of long-term TDGS levels on the growth and biochemical responses of rock carp (Procypris rabaudi Tchang) dwelling in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Three-year-old rock carp were exposed to TDGS levels at 100%, 104%, 108%, 112%, and 116% for 42 d. Samples were taken every 7 d after the start of the trial in order to determine catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in gill and muscle tissues. Samples were taken at Days 0 and 42 of exposure to determine growth rate. Little effect was found on growth rate in all treatment groups. SOD and CAT activities varied in different tissues, according to time of exposure and TDGS levels. The biochemical response of fish exposed to TDGS was more obvious in gill tissue than in muscle tissue. Surveys of SOD and CAT activities in different tissues offer important information about the effect of TDGS on the rare fish in the Yangtze River, and may help evaluate the risk to the aquatic eco-environment and aquatic ecosystem in the downstream of the Yangtze River.
A breathtaking phenotype: Unexpected roles of the DNA base damage response protein ASCIZ as a key regulator of early lung development

The ATM substrate Chk2-interacting Zn2+-finger protein (ASCIZ, also known as ATMIN and ZNF822) has previously been reported to be important for the repair of methylating and oxidative DNA damage, and it has also been proposed to regulate the stability and DNA damage-independent activation of the ATM kinase. While the role of the protein in the regulation of ATM remains controversial, two recent ASCIZ mouse knockout papers confirm its role in the DNA base damage response, including oxidative stress resistance in vivo. Similar to other DNA base damage repair proteins, ASCIZ is essential for embryonic development, with lethality of Asciz-null embryos around day E16.5 post conception. Unexpectedly, absence of ASCIZ also leads to severe organ development defects, most notably, complete absence of lungs similar to mutants in Wnt2-2b/ß-catenin and FGF10/FGFR2b signalling pathways. Together with evidence that ASCIZ can activate transcription in vitro, the phenotype indicates that ASCIZ has dual functions as an efficiency factor for DNA base damage repair as well as a key transcriptional regulator of early lung development.
What Drives Nurses' Blended e-Learning Continuance Intention?

This study’s purpose was to synthesize the user network (including subjective norm and network externality), task-technology fit (TTF), and expectation–confirmation model (ECM) to explain nurses’ intention to continue using the blended electronic learning (e-learning) system within medical institutions. A total of 450 questionnaires were distributed to nurses, of which, 352 (78.2%) questionnaires were returned, and 322 effective questionnaires were analyzed in this study, with an effective response rate of 71.6%. Collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. This study’s results strongly supported the extended ECM with all hypothesized links being significant. The results reveal that TTF makes the greatest impact on nurses’ blended e-learning continuance intention; hence, the blended e-learning system should be developed to fit with nurses’ work goals and needs to enhance their continued system usage intention by increasing the extent of their confirmation to the system. Besides, user network profoundly affects nurses’ intention to continue using the blended e-learning system, to boost nurses’ continued system usage intention, medical institutions should strive to encourage opinion leaders among nurses to have some influence on nurses’ belief and make them believe the system must be useful in its purpose.
NUMERICAL STUDY OF NORMAL PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION IN ENTRANCE PIPE FLOW

This paper deals with the computation of pipe o w in the entrance region. The pressure distribution and o w characteristics, particularly the effect of vorticity in the vicinity of the wall, are analyzed for Reynolds numbers (Re) ranging from 500 to 10000. The pressure gradient in the normal or radial direction is caused by the normal component of the curl of vorticity, which decreases as Re increases. It is found, for the rst time, that the pressure gradient along the normal direction near the pipe inlet is negative, i.e., the pressure at the wall is lower than that at the central core for Re 5000. This result is beyond the scope of the boundary-layer assumption and contrary to the consequence of Bernoulli's law.
Discrete Gabor structures and optimal representations

The idea of Gabor's (1946) signal expansion is to represent a signal in terms of a discrete set of time-shifted and frequency modulated signals that are localized in the time-frequency (or phase) space. We present detailed descriptions of the block and banded structures for the Gabor matrices. Based on the explicit descriptions of the sparsity of such matrices, we can establish the sparse form of the Gabor matrix and obtain the dual Gabor atom (mother wavelet), the inverse of the Gabor frame operator, and carry out the discrete finite Gabor transform in a very efficient way. Some explicit sufficient and also necessary conditions are derived for a Gabor atom g to generate a Gabor frame with respect to a TF-lattice (a, b). >
'Caring for' behaviours that indicate to patients that nurses 'care about' them.

AIM This paper is a report of a study to explore what constitutes nurse-patient interactions and to ascertain patients' perceptions of these interactions. BACKGROUND Nurses maintain patient integrity through caring practices. When patients feel disempowered or that their integrity is threatened they are more likely to make a complaint. When nurses develop a meaningful relationship with patients they recognize and address their concerns. It is increasingly identified in the literature that bureaucratic demands, including increased workloads and reduced staffing levels, result in situations where the development of a 'close' relationship is limited. METHOD Data collection took two forms: twelve 4-hour observation periods of nurse-patient interactions in one cubicle (of four patients) in a medical and a surgical ward concurrently over a 4-week period; and questionnaires from inpatients of the two wards who were discharged during the 4-week data collection period in 2005. FINDINGS Observation data showed that nurse-patient interactions were mostly friendly and informative. Opportunities to develop closeness were limited. Patients were mostly satisfied with interactions. The major source of dissatisfaction was when patients perceived that nurses were not readily available to respond to specific requests. Comparison of the observation and survey data indicated that patients still felt 'cared for' even when practices did not culminate in a 'connected' relationship. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that patients believe that caring is demonstrated when nurses respond to specific requests. Patient satisfaction with the service is more likely to be improved if nurses can readily adapt their work to accommodate patients' requests or, alternatively, communicate why these requests cannot be immediately addressed.
Surgical management of knee dislocations.

BACKGROUND The evaluation and management of knee dislocations remain variable and controversial. The purpose of this study was to describe our method of surgical treatment of knee dislocations with use of a standardized protocol and to report the clinical results. METHODS Forty-seven consecutive patients presented with an occult (reduced) or grossly dislocated knee. Fourteen of these patients were not included in this series because of confounding variables: four had an open knee dislocation, five had vascular injury requiring repair, three were treated with external fixation, and two had associated injury. The remaining thirty-three patients underwent surgical treatment for the knee dislocation with our standard approach. Anatomical repair and/or replacement was performed with fresh-frozen allograft tissue. Thirty-one of the thirty-three patients returned for subjective and objective evaluation with use of four different knee rating scales at a minimum of twenty-four months after the operation. RESULTS Nineteen of the thirty-one patients were treated acutely (less than three weeks after the injury) and twelve, chronically. The mean Lysholm score was 91 points for the acutely reconstructed knees and 80 points for the chronically reconstructed knees. The Knee Outcome Survey Activities of Daily Living scores averaged 91 points for the acutely reconstructed knees and 84 points for the chronically reconstructed knees. The Knee Outcome Survey Sports Activity scores averaged 89 points for the acutely reconstructed knees and 69 points for the chronically reconstructed knees. According to the Meyers ratings, twenty-three patients had an excellent or good score and eight had a fair or poor score. Sixteen of the nineteen acutely reconstructed knees and seven of the twelve chronically reconstructed knees were given an excellent or a good Meyers score. The average loss of extension was 1 degrees, and the average loss of flexion was 12 degrees. There was no difference in the range of motion between the acutely and chronically treated patients. Four acutely reconstructed knees required manipulation because of loss of flexion. Laxity tests demonstrated consistently improved stability in all patients, with more predictable results in the acutely treated patients. CONCLUSIONS Surgical treatment of the knee dislocations in our series provided satisfactory subjective and objective outcomes at two to six years postoperatively. The patients who were treated acutely had higher subjective scores and better objective restoration of knee stability than did patients treated three weeks or more after the injury. Nearly all patients were able to perform daily activities with few problems. However, the ability of patients to return to high-demand sports and strenuous manual labor was less predictable.