Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of an educational intervention on parental readiness for premature infant discharge from the neonatal intensive care units.

AIM To examine the effect of an educational intervention on parental readiness for premature infant discharge from neonatal intensive care units. BACKGROUND Low readiness for discharge can result in negative healthcare outcomes for infants and their parents. However, few studies have examined the effect of discharge education programmes on parental readiness for premature infant discharge in Chinese critical care settings. DESIGN A quasi-experimental study. METHODS Between October 2011-March 2012, 154 parents of premature infants were recruited from neonatal intensive care units of two tertiary hospitals in Central China. These parents were assigned to either the intervention or control group based on their entry order. Parents in the intervention group received two sessions of 60-minute discharge education along with hospital routine care; parents in the control group only received hospital routine care. Parental readiness for discharge and quality of discharge education were assessed on the day of infant discharge from neonatal intensive care units. Independent samples t-test and linear regression were used to analyse the data. RESULTS Parental readiness for premature infant discharge was in the moderate level. Independent samples t-test showed that both mean scores of parental discharge readiness and discharge teaching quality from the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Linear regression analysis showed that discharge teaching quality explained 39·7% of the variance in parental readiness for premature infant discharge. CONCLUSION Discharge education can improve parental readiness for premature infant discharge. Quality of discharge teaching can significantly predict parental readiness for premature infant discharge.
Genetic Risk Score for Essential Hypertension and Risk of Preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND Preeclampsia is a hypertensive complication of pregnancy characterized by novel onset of hypertension after 20 weeks gestation, accompanied by proteinuria. Epidemiological evidence suggests that genetic susceptibility exists for preeclampsia; however, whether preeclampsia is the result of underlying genetic risk for essential hypertension has yet to be investigated. Based on the hypertensive state that is characteristic of preeclampsia, we aimed to determine if established genetic risk scores (GRSs) for hypertension and blood pressure are associated with preeclampsia. METHODS Subjects consisted of 162 preeclamptic cases and 108 normotensive pregnant controls, all of Iowa residence. Subjects' DNA was extracted from buccal swab samples and genotyped on the Affymetrix Genome-wide Human SNP Array 6.0 (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Missing genotypes were imputed using MaCH and Minimac software. GRSs were calculated for hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) using established genetic risk loci for each outcome. Regression analyses were performed to determine the association between GRS and risk of preeclampsia. These analyses were replicated in an independent US population of 516 cases and 1,097 controls of European ancestry. RESULTS GRSs for hypertension, SBP, DBP, and MAP were not significantly associated with risk for preeclampsia (P > 0.189). The results of the replication analysis also yielded nonsignificant associations. CONCLUSIONS GRSs for hypertension and blood pressure are not associated with preeclampsia, suggesting that an underlying predisposition to essential hypertension is not on the causal pathway of preeclampsia.
Myogenesis in the mouse embryo: differential onset of expression of myogenic proteins and the involvement of titin in myofibril assembly

Antibodies to muscle-specific proteins were used in immunofluorescence to monitor the development of skeletal muscle during mouse embryogenesis. At gestation day (g.d.) 9 a single layer of vimentin filament containing cells in the myotome domain of cervical somites begins to stain positively for myogenic proteins. The muscle-specific proteins are expressed in a specific order between g.d. 9 and 9.5. Desmin is detected first, then titin, then the muscle specific actin and myosin heavy chains, and finally nebulin. At g.d. 9.5 fibrous desmin structures are already present, while for the other myogenic proteins no structure can be detected. Some prefusion myoblasts display at g.d. 11 and 12 tiny and immature myofibrils. These reveal a periodic pattern of myosin, nebulin, and those titin epitopes known to occur at and close to the Z line. In contrast titin epitopes, which are present in mature myofibrils along the A band and at the A-I junction, are still randomly distributed. We propose, that the Z line connected structures and the A bands (myosin filaments) assemble independently, and that the known interaction of the I-Z-I brushes with the A bands occurs at a later developmental stage. After fusion of myoblasts to myotubes at g.d. 13 and 14 all titin epitopes show the myofibrillar banding pattern. The predominantly longitudinal orientation of desmin filaments seen in myoblasts and in early myotubes is transformed at g.d. 17 and 18 to distinct Z line connected striations. Vimentin, still present together with desmin in the myoblasts, is lost from the myotubes. Our results indicate that the putative elastic titin filaments act as integrators during skeletal muscle development. Some developmental aspects of eye and limb muscles are also described.
Storage-class memory: The next storage system technology

The dream of replacing rotating mechanical storage, the disk drive, with solid-state, nonvolatile RAM may become a reality in the near future. Approximately ten new technologies--collectively called storage-class memory (SCM)--are currently under development and promise to be fast, inexpensive, and power efficient. Using SCM as a disk drive replacement, storage system products will have random and sequential I/O performance that is orders of magnitude better than that of comparable disk-based systems and require much less space and power in the data center. In this paper, we extrapolate disk and SCM technology trends to 2020 and analyze the impact on storage systems. The result is a 100- to 1,O00-fold advantage for SCM in terms of the data center space and power required.
The Risk of Myocardial Infarction Associated with Antihypertensive Drug Treatment in Persons with Uncomplicated Essential Hypertension

We conducted a case‐control study based on computer‐recorded information accrued in the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database to assess and compare the relation between different antihypertensive drug therapies and myocardial infarction in patients with no known clinical or laboratory risk factors for myocardial infarction other than hypertension. Cases were treated hypertensive patients with no other known risk factors who developed a first acute myocardial infarction between January 1, 1993, and October 31, 1994. They were ascertained from a review of the clinical record together with a questionnaire filled out by the attending general practitioner. Controls were matched to each case for age, sex, general practice, and index date. Antihypertensive therapy was derived from the computerized patient record. The study consisted of 210 cases and 793 controls. Compared with users of β‐blockers alone, the adjusted relative risk (RR) estimates for all other treatment regimens were close to 1.0. A comparison of users of calcium channel blockers alone with users of β‐blockers alone yielded a RR estimate of 0.9 (95% CI 0.5, 1.7). We conclude that the risk of acute myocardial infarction in otherwise healthy, treated hypertensive patients is not materially associated with the particular drug they receive.
“I just use it for weed”: The modification of little cigars and cigarillos by young adult African American male users

ABSTRACT Little cigar and cigarillo (LCC) use has received increased attention, but research on their modification is limited. Qualitative interviews with 17 young adult African American male LCC users investigated tobacco use behaviors and patterns, including LCC modification. The modification of LCCs for use as blunts emerged as a very prominent aspect of LCC users’ tobacco use. Four subthemes regarding marijuana and blunt use are explored in this article, including participants’ explanations of how blunts are made and used, concurrent use of marijuana and tobacco, perceptions and reasons for smoking marijuana and blunts, and perceptions of the risks of blunt use.
Modeling of the Space Station Freedom data management system

The data management system (DMS) is the information and communications system onboard Space Station Freedom. Extensive modeling of the DMS is being conducted throughout NASA to aid in the design and development of this vital system. Activities to model the DMS network infrastructure are described, focusing on modeling of the fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) token-ring protocol and experimental testbedding of networking aspects of the DMS. <<ETX>>
Equity Sensitivity: Construction of a Measure and Examination of Its Psychometric Properties

Despite suffering from content ambiguity, a sample-specific scoring procedure, and the inappropriate use of cut scores, the Equity Sensitivity Instrument (Huseman, Hatfield, & Miles, 1985) has been the primary measure used in equity sensitivity research. The purpose of the present undertaking was to propose and evaluate a new measure of equity sensitivity based on systematic item-development procedures that are crucial in both constructing a reliable and content-valid measure and for gaining an unbiased understanding of the nomological network linking equity sensitivity to other theoretically relevant constructs. The design and evaluation of the 16-item Equity Preference Questionnaire (EPQ) occurred in six studies. Two pilot studies were initially conducted to purify the EPQ and assess its reliability. Two validity assessment studies were then undertaken to examine the EPQ’s construct validity. A laboratory experiment was performed next to determine the EPQ’s validity for predicting satisfaction with different reward conditions. Finally, a test-retest reliability study was conducted to provide evidence regarding the consistency of the measurements yielded by the EPQ across time. Possible study limitations aside, the EPQ seems to be both psychometrically sound and useful for advancing equity sensitivity research. Various areas in equity sensitivity research that merit further examination are also addressed.
Large-Scale Field Application of RNAi Technology Reducing Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus Disease in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera, Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The importance of honey bees to the world economy far surpasses their contribution in terms of honey production; they are responsible for up to 30% of the world's food production through pollination of crops. Since fall 2006, honey bees in the U.S. have faced a serious population decline, due in part to a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is a disease syndrome that is likely caused by several factors. Data from an initial study in which investigators compared pathogens in honey bees affected by CCD suggested a putative role for Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus, IAPV. This is a single stranded RNA virus with no DNA stage placed taxonomically within the family Dicistroviridae. Although subsequent studies have failed to find IAPV in all CCD diagnosed colonies, IAPV has been shown to cause honey bee mortality. RNA interference technology (RNAi) has been used successfully to silence endogenous insect (including honey bee) genes both by injection and feeding. Moreover, RNAi was shown to prevent bees from succumbing to infection from IAPV under laboratory conditions. In the current study IAPV specific homologous dsRNA was used in the field, under natural beekeeping conditions in order to prevent mortality and improve the overall health of bees infected with IAPV. This controlled study included a total of 160 honey bee hives in two discrete climates, seasons and geographical locations (Florida and Pennsylvania). To our knowledge, this is the first successful large-scale real world use of RNAi for disease control.
Value-Aware Loss Function for Model-based Reinforcement Learning

We consider the problem of estimating the transition probability kernel to be used by a model-based reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm. We argue that estimating a generative model that minimizes a probabilistic loss, such as the log-loss, is an overkill because it does not take into account the underlying structure of decision problem and the RL algorithm that intends to solve it. We introduce a loss function that takes the structure of the value function into account. We provide a ﬁnite-sample upper bound for the loss function showing the dependence of the error on model approximation error, number of samples, and the complexity of the model space. We also empirically compare the method with the maximum likelihood estimator on a simple problem.
To Look Beyond Vasospasm in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage

Delayed cerebral vasospasm has classically been considered the most important and treatable cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Secondary ischemia (or delayed ischemic neurological deficit, DIND) has been shown to be the leading determinant of poor clinical outcome in patients with aSAH surviving the early phase and cerebral vasospasm has been attributed to being primarily responsible. Recently, various clinical trials aimed at treating vasospasm have produced disappointing results. DIND seems to have a multifactorial etiology and vasospasm may simply represent one contributing factor and not the major determinant. Increasing evidence shows that a series of early secondary cerebral insults may occur following aneurysm rupture (the so-called early brain injury). This further aggravates the initial insult and actually determines the functional outcome. A better understanding of these mechanisms and their prevention in the very early phase is needed to improve the prognosis. The aim of this review is to summarize the existing literature on this topic and so to illustrate how the presence of cerebral vasospasm may not necessarily be a prerequisite for DIND development. The various factors determining DIND that worsen functional outcome and prognosis are then discussed.
Learning the way to blood: first evidence of dual olfactory conditioning in a blood-sucking insect, Rhodnius prolixus. II. Aversive learning

SUMMARY After having demonstrated that blood-sucking bugs are able to associate a behaviourally neutral odour (l-lactic acid) with positive reinforcement (i.e. appetitive conditioning) in the first part of this study, we tested whether these insects were also able to associate the same odour with a negative reinforcement (i.e. aversive conditioning). Learned aversion to host odours has been repeatedly suggested as a determinant for the distribution of disease vectors among host populations. Nevertheless, no experimental evidence has been obtained so far. Adapting a classical conditioning approach to our haematophagous model, we trained larvae of Rhodnius prolixus to associate l-lactic acid, an odour perceived by bugs but behaviourally neutral when presented alone, with a mechanical perturbation (i.e. negative reinforcement). Naive bugs and bugs exposed to CS, punishment, or CS and punishment without contingency remained indifferent to the presence of an air stream loaded with l-lactic acid (random orientation on a locomotion compensator), whereas the groups previously exposed to the contingency CS–punishment were significantly repelled by l-lactic acid. In a companion paper, the opposite, i.e. attraction, was induced in bugs exposed to the contingency of the same odour with a positive reinforcement. These constitute the first pieces of evidence of olfactory conditioning in triatomine bugs and the first demonstration that the same host odour can be used by insects that are disease vectors to learn to recognize either a host to feed on or a potentially defensive one. The orientation mechanism during repulsion is also discussed in light of our results.
Shal/Kv4 Channels Are Required for Maintaining Excitability during Repetitive Firing and Normal Locomotion in Drosophila

Background Rhythmic behaviors, such as walking and breathing, involve the coordinated activity of central pattern generators in the CNS, sensory feedback from the PNS, to motoneuron output to muscles. Unraveling the intrinsic electrical properties of these cellular components is essential to understanding this coordinated activity. Here, we examine the significance of the transient A-type K+ current (IA), encoded by the highly conserved Shal/Kv4 gene, in neuronal firing patterns and repetitive behaviors. While IA is present in nearly all neurons across species, elimination of IA has been complicated in mammals because of multiple genes underlying IA, and/or electrical remodeling that occurs in response to affecting one gene. Methodology/Principal Findings In Drosophila, the single Shal/Kv4 gene encodes the predominant IA current in many neuronal cell bodies. Using a transgenically expressed dominant-negative subunit (DNKv4), we show that IA is completely eliminated from cell bodies, with no effect on other currents. Most notably, DNKv4 neurons display multiple defects during prolonged stimuli. DNKv4 neurons display shortened latency to firing, a lower threshold for repetitive firing, and a progressive decrement in AP amplitude to an adapted state. We record from identified motoneurons and show that Shal/Kv4 channels are similarly required for maintaining excitability during repetitive firing. We then examine larval crawling, and adult climbing and grooming, all behaviors that rely on repetitive firing. We show that all are defective in the absence of Shal/Kv4 function. Further, knock-out of Shal/Kv4 function specifically in motoneurons significantly affects the locomotion behaviors tested. Conclusions/Significance Based on our results, Shal/Kv4 channels regulate the initiation of firing, enable neurons to continuously fire throughout a prolonged stimulus, and also influence firing frequency. This study shows that Shal/Kv4 channels play a key role in repetitively firing neurons during prolonged input/output, and suggests that their function and regulation are important for rhythmic behaviors.
Investigation into the reliability and validity of the measurement of elderly people's clinical walking speed: A systematic review

The number of available walking tests has increased dramatically over the past decades. Therefore, it is highly important to help clinicians choose the most appropriate walking test for a specific setting. This systematic review aimed to critically evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of clinical walking speed in a broad population of elderly persons living in the community, sheltered housing, or institutions. Literature searches were performed in several different databases. Key words were based on the topic of the measurement properties of performance-based clinical tools for quantifying walking. The instrument selected for review was walking speed. The methods and results of all the evaluated measurement properties were rated by using a standard checklist for appraising the qualitative attributes and measurement properties of the instrument. A total number of 3,781 abstracts were reviewed, and 86 articles were chosen for inclusion. Habitual walking speed seems to be highly reliable in community-dwelling people and residents in mixed settings. There have not been any studies that accord with our inclusion and exclusion criteria that have evaluated the reliability of maximum walking speed in an aged population. Walking speed is a highly valid test, both at habitual and maximum speed. Few studies gave information about responsiveness for walking speed, which means that these results cannot be evaluated properly. Habitual walking speed is a reliable measure, but maximum walking speed needs further evaluation. Both habitual and maximum walking speeds are valid instruments, and they predict death, hospitalization/institutionalization, and decline in mobility.
Comparative Studies of 5S rDNA Profiles and Cyt b Sequences in two Onychostoma Species (Cyprinidae)

Onychostoma barbatulum and O. alticorpus, two primarily freshwater cyprinid fish, have similar morphological characters and partially overlapping ecological habitats. In order to explore the genetic differences between these two species, chromosomal characteristics and genetic variations were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of 5S rDNA and cytochrome (Cyt) b gene analysis. Ten specimens of O. barbatulum and O. alticorpus were collected from the Nanzihsian Stream in southern Taiwan. FISH revealed that the 5S rDNA loci of O. barbatulum and O. alticorpus were found at a pericentromeric and subtelomeric position, respectively, in a pair of submetacentric chromosomes. Cyt b genes were amplified and sequenced from five individuals of each species. Intraspecific genetic distances ranged from 0.001–0.004 in O. barbatulum and from 0.001–0.006 in O. alticorpus. Genetic distances between these two species ranged from 0.132–0.142. The phylogenetic tree showed these two species are not sister species. In conclusion, FISH cytogenetic information and Cyt b gene analyses indicated that these two species have significantly different genetic characteristics; nevertheless, their morphological similarities may be due to environmental adaptation.
Dynamic Compaction of Porous Beds

Abstract : During the build-up of deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in porous energetic materials, there is increasing dynamic compaction of the porous bed, which in turn affects the DDT build-up. To simulate the various pressures and pressurization rates that occur during DDT, a study of dynamic compaction was conducted with several different experimental arrangements, each designed to avoid direct ignition of the porous material by hot combustion products as in DDT. From those experiments, unreactive Hugoniot data were obtained for porous beds of three inert materials and a variety of energetic materials.
Assessing the Impact of Security Culture and the Employee-Organization Relationship on IS Security Compliance I

IS security advocates recommend strategies that shape user behavior as part of an overall information security management program. A major challenge for organizations is encouraging employees to comply with IS security policies. This paper examines the influence of security-related and employeeorganization relationship factors on users’ IS security compliance decisions. Specifically, we predict that security culture, job satisfaction, and perceived organizational support have a positive effect on users’ IS security compliance intentions. Our results support the notion that security culture and job satisfaction lead to increased compliant security behavior. However, we did not find evidence that perceived organizational support increases compliant behavior intentions. Our results do suggest that security culture is a multidimensional construct consisting of top management commitment to security, security communication, and computer monitoring. The findings have implications for information security research and practice.