Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sense of Control Among Hospital Employees: An Assessment of Choice Process, Empowerment, and Buffering Hypotheses1

This study examines 3 theoretical arguments explaining employees' sense of control: (a) The choice process hypothesis stipulates that employees' sense of control is a consequence of their choice processes and perceived choice size; (b) the empowerment hypothesis proposes that sense of control results from the empowerment role of social and organizational support which endorse and authorize employees' job activities; and (c) the buffering hypothesis indicates that a successful management of job-related stressors is the key to greater sense of control, and that social support plays a role in buffering the potential negative influences of job-related stressors. An assessment of the hypotheses over a sample of 1,585 hospital employees in Korea provided overall support for the choice process hypothesis and partial support for both the empowerment and the buffering hypotheses. We discuss some practical and cross-cultural research implications of the findings.
Mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy histograms of patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Compared with conventional T2-weighted MR imaging, diffusion tensor MR imaging provides quantitative indices with increased specificity to the most destructive aspects of multiple sclerosis. In this study, we obtained brain mean diffusivity (_D) and fractional anisotropy histograms of patients with multiple sclerosis to compare them with those of healthy volunteers and to investigate the correlation between diffusion tensor MR imaging histogram-derived measures and the level of disability and quantities derived from conventional MR imaging. METHODS Dual-echo and diffusion tensor MR images were obtained from 78 patients with relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, or primary progressive multiple sclerosis and from 20 healthy control volunteers. After obtaining mean diffusivity (_D) and fractional anisotropy images and image coregistration, _D and fractional anisotropy histograms were created. From each histogram, the following measures were derived: the average _D and fractional anisotropy, the histogram peak heights, and the histogram peak locations. RESULTS All the _D and fractional anisotropy histogram-derived measures were different between patients and controls at a significance level of P <. 001. No differences were found in any of the considered quantities among the three multiple sclerosis phenotypes. In patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, disability was correlated with histogram average_D (r = 0.4, P =.01) and peak height (r = -0.4, P =.01). In patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, disability was correlated with fractional anisotropy histogram peak position (r = -0.6, P =.01). Significant correlations were also found between T2 lesion load and various diffusion tensor MR quantities. CONCLUSION This study shows that brain _D and fractional anisotropy histograms are different for patients with multiple sclerosis compared with control volunteers. This study also shows that quantities derived from diffusion tensor MR imaging are correlated with disability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, suggesting that they might serve as additional measures of outcome when monitoring multiple sclerosis evolution in these patients.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis Caused by Latanoprost Ophthalmic Solution

Purpose Latanoprost is a prostaglandin F2α analog that lowers intraocular pressure by increasing uveoscleral outflow. Herein we describe two cases of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to latanoprost. Methods A 69-year-old man with open-angle glaucoma developed erythematous erosive swelling of bilateral eyelids after 4 months of latanoprost therapy. An 84-year-old man with open-angle glaucoma had pruritic erythematous plaques on the bilateral lower eyelids after latanoprost therapy for 4 months. Results In both cases, latanoprost was discontinued and the condition gradually resolved in 1 month. The eyelid lesions recurred in days upon latanoprost rechallenge, but subsided after cessation of rechallenge. Conclusions ACD should be suspected if patients on latanoprost therapy have pruritus, erythema, swelling, or erosions on the eyelids even when the symptoms appear after several months of therapy, especially in the elderly.
The Impact of Illness on Late-Life Marriages.

This paper reports on 76 late-life marriages in which either a husband or a wife is recuperating from a hospital stay. High satisfaction was found in most of the marriages, and spouses generally provided a high level of support. Socioeconomic status, the gender of the caregiver, and the level of disability of one spouse had minimal impact on the dimensions of marital quality or the social support potentials in the dyad. However, compared with the widows also studied, the married were more socially isolated and the couples tended to satisfy each other's needs with little help from others. The analysis uses qualitative data on marital satisfaction which suggest that the criteria for success differs from those in earlier stages of the family cycle.
Performing Good Governance: The Aesthetics of Bureaucratic Practice in Malawi

Based on ethnographic research carried out in Malawi, this article discusses some bureaucratic procedures that are implemented with enthusiasm, even though they do not produce the effects they are designed for. These procedures seem to be more meaningful as aesthetic expressions rather than being the result of instrumental considerations. They create an image, albeit temporary, of a ‘legible’, well-organised society and a knowledgeable, caring state. That image may not reflect current realities in Malawi, but it points towards a future form of statehood towards which the country is progressing. The case study from Malawi is used as a basis for a discussion of the role of aesthetics in bureaucratic practice and some of its implications, including mediating between seemingly incompatible norms, and between local and abstract social realities.
Femoral Vascular Catheterization in Critically Ill Infants and Children

The success rate and complications from femoral arterial and venous catheterization in infants and children in a university affiliate pediatric intensive care unit were determined prospectively over a 2-year period. We also performed a meta-analysis from published literature to determine the combined estimates of noninfectious and infectious complications (with 95% con fidence limits) using the inverse variance-weighted method. Success rates were 94.5% and 94.4% for femoral arterial (n=110) and venous (n=89) catheterizations, respectively, and were related to operator expertise, age, and hemodynamic status. Median age was 2.4 years and 1.1 year for arterial and venous catheterizations, respectively. Immediate complications were hematoma (10.9% arterial, 16.8% venous) and minor bleeding (13.6% arterial, 13.5% venous). Decreased pulses occurred with 7.7% of arterial catheterizations, and lower limb swelling occurred in 9.5% of venous catheteriza tions. Vascular complications occurred only in infants and resolved within 7-14 days. Catheter- related infections occurred in 1.9% of arterial and 3.6% of venous catheterizations. The mean dura tion of catheterization was 5.3 days and 6.3 days with femoral arterial and venous catheterizations, respectively. Meta-analysis of published studies shows that the estimates for noninfectious compli cations were 5.0%, 10.1 %, 1.1%, and 1.8% for femoral arterial, femoral venous, axillary arterial, and nonfemoral venous catheters, respectively. The estimates for catheter-related infection were 2.5%, 3.7%, and 3.0% for femoral arterial, femoral venous, and nonfemoral venous catheters, respectively. The meta-analytic estimates for complication rates from published literature are not significantly different from the rates observed in our study. Femoral arterial and venous cathe terization in infants and children are safe with an expected high success rate and acceptably low complication rates.
Transcriptome Profiling in Systems Vascular Medicine

In the post-genomic, big data era, our understanding of vascular diseases has been deepened by multiple state-of-the-art “–omics” approaches, including genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics. Genome-wide transcriptomic profiling, such as gene microarray and RNA-sequencing, emerges as powerful research tools in systems medicine and revolutionizes transcriptomic analysis of the pathological mechanisms and therapeutics of vascular diseases. In this article, I will highlight the workflow of transcriptomic profiling, outline basic bioinformatics analysis, and summarize recent gene profiling studies performed in vascular cells as well as in human and mice diseased samples. Further mining of these public repository datasets will shed new light on our understanding of the cellular basis of vascular diseases and offer novel potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
A Mindfulness-Based Health Wellness Program for Managing Morbid Obesity

There are numerous methods for reducing obesity; however, often none of these methods prove effective for specific individuals. For individuals who have failed on specific diets and other weight loss programs, finding a good match between their needs and an effective method is often difficult. The authors collaboratively developed a multicomponent mindfulness-based health wellness program with an individual who was morbidly obese and wanted a lifestyle change. The components included physical exercise, a food awareness program, mindful eating to manage rapid eating, visualizing and labeling hunger, and a mindfulness procedure as a self-control strategy. The individual reduced his weight from 315 pounds to 171 pounds, increased his physical activity, ate healthy foods, stopped eating rapidly, substantially reduced serious medical risk factors, eliminated physical discomfort and mobility problems due to his weight, and enhanced his lifestyle over almost a 5-year period. He maintained his health wellness during 12 months of follow-up.
Migration models: macro and micro approaches.

This book consists of 15 chapters by various authors introducing and illustrating a range of recently developed quantitative models concerned with migration. A wide diversity of approaches to modeling both aggregate and individual behavior is presented. "The contributors have constructed their chapters with the common aims of identifying the reasons for adopting a particular model or modelling style of explaining the theoretical basis of their chosen methodology and of providing a detailed outline and description of the model structure and calibration procedure in each case. " The book is intended both as an advanced text for students of demography planning geography economics and regional science and as a reference manual for researchers in these fields. The geographical focus is primarily on developed countries. (EXCERPT)
Student learning in higher education: a path analysis of academic achievement in science

Learning outcomes in higher education are of considerable interest to students, teaching staff, researchers, tertiary education institutions and funding authorities. To improve the quality of learning outcomes may require a better understanding of what happens in the learning process from the perspective of the learner. This study makes use of a number of current instruments for the evaluation of student learning to explore aspects of learning outcomes in terms of academic achievement. The students evaluated were either in their first year of study (N=194) or in the third year of their course (N=118). A causal mode of learning outcomes was developed for each group and evaluated using the PLSPATH program to explore the impact of student‐related causative factors. A number of these factors were shown to have a direct effect on student academic achievement, as measured by annual grade point average (GPA), with some consistency across two year‐levels. The most important factor in predicting academic performance for both groups was students' prior academic performance. Approaches to learning and English language skills were also shown to have some predictive value. Students' metacognitive skills and self‐efficacy, though showing strong inter‐relationships with other factors, did not show a direct effect on academic achievement.
Geographical variation in the mating system of the dusky pipefish (Syngnathus floridae)

Differences among populations in the intensity of sexual selection resulting from distinct genetic mating systems can lead to divergent morphological evolution and speciation. However, little is known about how genetic mating systems vary between populations and what factors may contribute to this variation. In this study, we compare the genetic mating systems of two geographically distinct populations of the dusky pipefish (Syngnathus floridae), a species characterized by polygynandry and male pregnancy, from the Atlantic Coast of Virginia and the Gulf Coast of Florida. Our results revealed significant interpopulation variation in mating and reproductive success. Estimates of the opportunity for selection (I), the opportunity for sexual selection (Is) and the Bateman gradient (βss) were higher among males in the Florida population than in the Virginia population, suggesting that sexual selection on males is stronger in the Florida population. The Virginia population is larger and denser than the Florida population, suggesting that population demographics may be one of many causal factors shaping interpopulational mating patterns. This study also provides evidence that the adult sex ratio, operational sex ratio, population density and genetic mating system of S. floridae may be temporally stable over timescales of a month in the Florida population. Overall, our results show that this species is a good model for the study of mating system variation in nature and that Bateman's principles may be a useful technique for the quantitative comparison of mating systems between populations.
Fear and loathing in neoliberalism: school leader responses to policy layers

Since the election of a Liberal government in 2003, Ontario's core education policy has remained largely unchanged; yet schools have been bombarded with mandatory, prescriptive ‘policy layers' released on an annual basis consistent with neoliberalism. The purpose of this study is to understand how leaders cope with the sheer volume of policy, and gain insight into the process of enactment. Using phenomenological research, this study describes the experiences of nine school leaders in four public school districts with respect to the phenomenon of policy layers. Findings reveal pressure to comply with accountability as the essence of policy layer enactment, despite perceptions that certain policies are ‘disconnected' (their term) from the realities of their lifeworlds. Analysis focuses on participants' fears of reprisal for non-compliance, with specific concerns expressed about dismissal and career mobility. Findings contribute to the literature on policy enactment, with insight into relationships among politics, leadership and the neoliberal move to mandate staggering volumes of new policy.
Suresense: sustainable wireless rechargeable sensor networks for the smart grid

The electrical power grid has recently been embracing the advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for the sake of improving efficiency, safety, reliability and sustainability of electrical services. For a reliable smart grid, accurate, robust monitoring and diagnosis tools are essential. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are promising candidates for monitoring the smart grid, given their capability to cover large geographic regions at low-cost. On the other hand, limited battery lifetime of the conventional WSNs may create a performance bottleneck for the long-lasting smart grid monitoring tasks, especially considering that the sensor nodes may be deployed in hard to reach, harsh environments. In this context, recent advances in Radio Frequency (RF)-based wireless energy transfer can increase sustainability of WSNs and make them operationally ready for smart grid monitoring missions. RF-based wireless energy transfer uses Electromagnetic (EM) waves and it operates in the same medium as the data communication protocols. In order to achieve timely and efficient charging of the sensor nodes, we propose the Sustainable wireless Rechargeable Sensor network (SuReSense). SuReSense employs mobile chargers that charge multiple sensors from several landmark locations. We propose an optimization model to select the minimum number of landmarks according to the locations and energy replenishment requirements of the sensors.
Melanocortin Receptors as Novel Effectors of Macrophage Responses in Inflammation

Macrophages have crucial functions in initiating the inflammatory reaction in a strict temporal and spatial manner to provide a “clear-up” response required for resolution. Hormonal peptides such as melanocortins modulate macrophage reactivity and attenuate inflammation ranging from skin inflammation to joint disease and reperfusion injury. The melanocortins (e.g., adrenocorticotrophin, ACTH and αMSH) elicit regulatory properties through activation of a family of GPCRs, the melanocortin (MC) receptors; MC1–MC5. Several studies have focused on MC1 and MC3 as anti-inflammatory receptors expressed on cells of the macrophage lineage. We review here elements of the melanocortin pathway with particular attention to macrophage function in anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving inflammatory settings. Evidence shows that ACTH, αMSH, and other MC agonists can activate MC1 and MC3 on macrophage through cAMP and/or NFκB-dependent mechanisms to abrogate pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and NO and enhance anti-inflammatory mediators such as IL-10 and HO-1. Melanocortins and their receptors regulate inflammation by inhibiting leukocyte recruitment to and interaction with inflamed tissue. An intensely exciting addition to this field of research has been the ability of an αMSH analog; AP214 to activate MC3 expressed on macrophage to enhance their clearance of both zymosan particles and apoptotic neutrophils thus putting melanocortins in line with other pro-resolving mediators. The use of mouse colonies mutated or nullified for MC1 or MC3, respectively as well as availability of selective MC receptor agonist/antagonists have been key to deciphering mechanisms by which elements of the melanocortin system play a role in these phenomena. We review here melanocortin pathway components with attention to the macrophage, reiterating receptor targets required for pro-resolving properties. The overall outcome will be identification of selective MC agonists as a strategy for innovative anti-inflammatory therapeutics.
The impact of total laryngectomy: the patient's perspective.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe the experiences of patients who had total laryngectomy from their perspective. RESEARCH APPROACH Descriptive, qualitative study. SETTING Participants' homes or investigator's hospital office. PARTICIPANTS 10 patients after total laryngectomy. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH Data were collected by semistructured, open-ended interviews during a period of six months, with an interview topic guide built on the framework of the literature review. Data were analyzed with descriptive content analysis. Trustworthiness of the study was enhanced through the use of verbatim quotations, audible data analysis trail, and a reflexive approach. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Patients' experiences of undergoing total laryngectomy. FINDINGS Patients who have undergone a total laryngectomy report difficulties and concerns that are largely functional and psychological. The functional difficulties reported included descriptions of altered swallow, excess phlegm, speech difficulties, weak neck muscles, and altered energy levels. The psychological concerns reported included descriptions of depression, regrets, and personal resolve. CONCLUSIONS As a group, patients experience a broad range of problems well after completion of treatment, reinforcing the need for rehabilitation management for prolonged periods after surgery. INTERPRETATION Nurses are suitably positioned to support this group of patients across the disease management trajectory, from the initial preoperative period to the postoperative period and through to the rehabilitative period and beyond.
A Batch Arrival Queue System with Coxian-2 Server Vacations and Admissibility Restricted

The M/G/1 classic queueing system was extended by many authors in last two decades. The systems with server’s vacation are important models that extend the M/G/1 queueing system. Also another condition such as admissibility restricted may occur in systems. From this motivation, in this system I consider a single server queue with batch arrival Poisson input. There is a restricted admissibility of arriving batches in which not all batches are allowed to join the sys-tem at all times. At each service completion epoch, the server may apt to take a vacation with probability θ or else with probability 1 ? θ may continue to be available in the system for the next service. The vacation period of the server has two heterogenous phases. Phase one is compulsory, and phase two follows the phase one vacation in such a way that the server may take phase two with probability p or may return back to the system with probability 1 ? p. The vacation times are assumed to be general. All stochastic processes involved in this system (service and vacation times) are inde-pendent of each other. We derive the PGF’s of the system and by using them the informance measures are obtained. Some numerical approaches are examined the validity of results.
Policy-based Initial RAT Selection algorithms in Heterogeneous Networks

The heterogeneous network concept offers a flexible architecture that allows an efficient utilization of radio resources by means of Common RRM strategies that ensure a coordinated management of the resource pools in each Radio Access Network. In this context, this paper discusses different strategies for initial RAT selection as one of the key CRRM strategies. A general framework for the definition of policy-based RAT selection strategies is proposed and some specific examples are evaluated by means of simulations.