Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning in third spaces: developing trans‐professional understanding through practitioner enquiry

The paper explores the value of practitioner enquiry in the development of common language and shared understandings for a group of mid‐career professionals from a variety of public service backgrounds, brought together to formulate responses to the English agenda for integrating services. It draws upon data gathered from multi‐professional action learning and focus groups via a collaboration between an English University and six regional authorities. Theories of ‘third space’ and ‘hybridity’ are engaged in arguing that the achievement of ‘integrated’ or ‘trans‐professional’ knowledge can develop within ‘undecided’ reflective spaces through which new ways of working are discovered. It concludes that collaborative multi‐professional practitioner enquiry offers a realistic means of embedding this challenging aspect of policy.
Progress in Executive-Function Research

It has long been observed that damage to the frontal cortex affects a person's ability to control thought, behavior, and emotion while sometimes leaving fundamental processes such as vision, hearing, and long-term memory intact. Such observations have led theoreticians to suppose that a set of executive control functions exists, at the top of the hierarchy of mental processes. To study these executive functions and their relation to the frontal cortex and its subregions, researchers have long employed several now-classic cognitive tests in patients with brain damage. Yet until recently it has proved difficult to reliably localize the putative executive functions to discrete regions. This article illustrates how recent progress in executive-functions research has been driven by the coupling of sophisticated neuroscience techniques with advances in experimental psychology. Taking examples from recent studies, it shows how experimental tasks may be decomposed into cognitive components that can be localized to discrete—but structurally connected—brain regions. What emerges is a new ontology for executive function in terms of which cognitive components exist and of how, and when, they are recruited during task performance.
Familiar face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: a practical tool for use in the courtroom

This paper describes a practical courtroom tool that provides insight into familiar face recognition accuracy as a function of distance and illumination. Subjects were shown pictures of faces of famous persons or lookalikes, with an exposure time of 12 seconds. Subjects were asked whether the person shown was familiar or unfamiliar to them. If familiarity was indicated, subjects had to identify the person. Seven distances (3–40 meters, i.e. 10–131 feet) and nine illumination levels (0.3–3000 lux) were combined, which resulted in a large matrix, each cell containing a hit score and a false alarm score. From these raw data diagnostic values were derived. The results show a systematic increase of recognition performance with decreasing distance and increasing illumination. The diagnostic values suggest a practical rule of thumb, the Rule of Fifteen: even in ideal conditions the desired diagnostic value of 15 is reached at no more than 15 m (49 ft), and no less than 15 lux.
Retro-Mode Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy Planning for Navigated Macular Laser Photocoagulation in Macular Edema

Purpose. To compare treatment areas and navigated macular laser photocoagulation (MLP) plans suggested by retro-mode scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (RM-SLO) image versus optical coherence tomography (OCT) central retinal thickness map and treatment planning among retina specialists. Methods. Thirty-nine eyes with diabetic or branch retinal vein occlusion-related ME undergoing navigated MLP with navigated photocoagulator had OCT and RM-SLO taken. OCT map and RM-SLO image were imported to the photocoagulator and aligned onto the retina. Two retina specialists placed laser spot marks separately based on OCT and RM-SLO images in a random fashion. The spots placed by each physician were compared between OCT and RM-SLO and among physicians. The areas of retinal edema on OCT and RM-SLO of the same eye were also compared. Results. The average number of laser spots using RM-SLO and OCT template was 189.6 ± 77.4 and 136.6 ± 46.8, respectively, P = 0.003. The average area of edema on RM-SLO image was larger than that on OCT map (14.5 ± 3.9 mm2 versus 10.3 ± 2.8 mm2, P = 0.005) because of a larger scanning area. There was narrow variability in treatment planning among retina specialists for both RM-SLO (P = 0.13) and OCT (P = 0.19). Conclusion. The RM-SLO image superimposed onto the fundus of the same eye can be used to guide MLP with narrow variability in treatment planning among retina specialists. The treatment areas suggested by RM-SLO-guided MLP plans for ME were shown to be larger than those suggested by OCT-guided plans.
Post-splenectomy infection in infants and children.

Fatal or life-threatening infection occurred in 13 members of a post-splenectomy population of 110 individuals followed for a median period of 6 years. Division of the population into two groups, one group predisposed to infection by the basic disease and/or the treatment which led to splenectomy and another non-predisposed group, revealed a distinct difference in the hazard. The non-predisposed group of 63 individuals had only one severe infection; this experience does not suggest risk of a very high order. Our Experience combined with that of others reporting cases in this category, provides a total splenectomy population of 205 with but two severe infections. It is evident that splenectomy carries a very low risk of post-operative infection when done over the age of 6 months for the generally accepted indications of splenic rupture, congenital spherocytic anemia, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. In the 47 individuals in this study predisposed to infection by their underlying disease, the incidence of severe post-operative infection was approximately 25%. No relation to age at time of splenectomy was evident. Ten of the 12 infections occurred within 12 years of operation. No attempt has been made to assess how great an increase, if any, this represents over a non-splenectomized control population similarly predisposed to infection. Our Experience, in addition to that of others, in the group predisposed to infection by their underlying disease, makes a total splenectomy population of 85; 23 (27%) of this group suffered severe post-operative infections.
Dynamic hybrid position/force control of a two degree-of-freedom flexible manipulator

In this article, a method is proposed whereby both contact force exerted by a flexible manipulator and position of end-effector while in contact with a surface are controlled. We approximate elastic deformations by means of B-spline functions and derive dynamic equations of joint angles, vibration of the flexible link, and constraint force. A controller for the hybrid position/force control of the flexible manipulator is designed on the basis of the singular perturbation method. Simulation results confirm that the controller performs remarkably well. © 3994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
With a Little Help From My Family: A Mixed-Method Study on the Outcomes of Family Support and Workload

Our aim was to investigate some predictors and outcomes of family-to-work enrichment (FWE) via a mixed-method approach. We sampled 447 married employees of an Italian factory. Survey results from Study 1 showed that emotional support from family positively predicted FWE, while this latter mediated the associations between the former on one side, and work engagement and life satisfaction on the other. Moreover, extra-household support directly associated positively with life satisfaction. Evidence from 20 anthropological in-depth interviews (Study 2) returned a more complex picture, highlighting the gendered role of partners inside couples, the importance of kinship support, the sense and the value of filiation and parenthood in their connection with job roles, the complex and continuous interplay between family and life domains. In combination, results from both studies stressed the importance of family support; additionally, evidences from Study 2 suggested that FWE could be better understood taking into account crossover dynamics and the compresence of work-to-family enrichment and conflict. In sum, these studies contributed to shed light on FWE dynamics, an under-researched topic in Italy, whose knowledge could be of great empirical and practical value.
'How Does It Get into my Imagination?': Elementary school children's intertextual knowledge and gendered storylines

This article draws on a case study of children's response to stories and uses post-structuralist theory to examine how the children who participated in the study used their intertextual knowledge to understand and produce disruptive stories. 'Disruptive' refers here to texts that challenge and go beyond conventional and limiting traditional storylines about race, gender and class through presenting unexpected characterisations, plots, outcomes or details-for example, feminist fairy tales, or stories where the protagonists belong to visible minorities. This article looks specifically at stories that disrupt conventional storylines about gender, and explores ways of broadening children's intertextual knowledge and enhancing their ability to read and write critically. Examples from children's writing and conversations are analysed.
Implementing 1-dose antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of surgical site infection.

HYPOTHESIS Replacing a 24-hour regimen with a 1-dose antibiotic prophylaxis for elective surgery would not increase rates of surgical site infection and would decrease costs. DESIGN AND SETTING Before-after trial in a tertiary, private general hospital in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. PATIENTS Surgery was performed on 6140 consecutive patients from February 2002 through October 2002 (period 1) and 6159 consecutive patients from December 2002 through August 2003 (period 2). Studied surgeries included orthopedic, gastrointestinal, urology, vascular, lung, head and neck, heart, gynecologic, oncology, colon, neurologic, and pediatric surgeries. The study excluded patients with infection at the time of surgery. INTERVENTION Decreasing the 24-hour prophylactic antibiotic regimen to 1-dose antibiotic prophylaxis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Surgical site infections in both periods measured by in-hospital surveillance and postdischarge surveillance; compliance with 1-dose prophylaxis; and costs with cephazolin. RESULTS We followed up 12,299 patients during their hospital stay; postdischarge surveillance increased significantly from 2717 patients (44%) to 3066 patients (50%, P<.001). One-dose prophylaxis was correctly followed in 6123 patients (99% compliance). The rate of surgical site infection did not change in either period (2% and 2.1% respectively, P = .67). The number of cephazolin vials purchased monthly decreased from 1259 to 467 with a corresponding monthly savings of $1980. CONCLUSIONS One-dose antibiotic prophylaxis did not lead to an increase in rates of surgical site infection and brought a monthly savings of $1980 considering cephazolin alone. High compliance to 1-dose prophylaxis was achieved through an educational intervention encouraged by the hospital director and administrative measures that reduced access to extra doses.
Spectral Hardening in Large Solar Flares

Observations by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) are used to quantitatively study the hard X-ray evolution in five large solar flares selected for spectral hardening in the course of the event. The X-ray bremsstrahlung emission from nonthermal electrons is characterized by two spectroscopically distinct phases: impulsive and gradual. The impulsive phase usually consists of several emission spikes following a soft-hard-soft spectral pattern, whereas the gradual stage manifests itself as spectral hardening while the flux slowly decreases. Both the soft-hard-soft (impulsive) phase and the hardening (gradual) phase are well described by piecewise linear dependence of the photon spectral index on the logarithm of the hard X-ray flux. The different linear parts of this relation correspond to different rise and decay phases of emission spikes. The temporal evolution of the spectra is compared with the configuration and motion of the hard X-ray sources in RHESSI images. These observations reveal that the two stages of electron acceleration causing these two different behaviors are closely related in space and time. The transition between the impulsive and gradual phase is found to be smooth and progressive rather than abrupt. This suggests that they arise because of a slow change in a common accelerator rather than being caused by two independent and distinct acceleration processes. We propose that the hardening during the decay phase is caused by continuing particle acceleration with longer trapping in the accelerator before escape.
Examining the neural correlates of choice behavior in a gambling task using steady state topography

The present study investigated the behavioral and neuropsychological characteristics of decision-making behavior during a gambling task as well as how these characteristics may relate to the Somatic Marker Hypothesis and the Frequency of Gain model. The applicability to intertemporal choice was also discussed. Patterns of card selection during a computerized interpretation of the Iowa Gambling Task were assessed for 10 men and 10 women. Steady State Topography was employed to assess cortical processing throughout this task. Results supported the hypothesis that patterns of card selection were in line with both theories. As hypothesized, these 2 patterns of card selection were also associated with distinct patterns of cortical activity, suggesting that intertemporal choice may involve the recruitment of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for somatic labeling, left fusiform gyrus for object representations, and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for an analysis of the associated frequency of gain or loss. It is suggested that processes contributing to intertemporal choice may include inhibition of negatively valenced options, guiding decisions away from those options, as well as computations favoring frequently rewarded options.
Long-Term Dissemination of CTX-M-5-Producing Hypermutable Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Sequence Type 328 Strains in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present evidence of long-term circulation of cefotaxime-resistant clonally related Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains over a broad geographic area. The genetic relatedness of 88 isolates collected from multiple outbreaks and sporadic cases of nosocomial salmonellosis in various parts of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan from 1996 to 2009 was established by multilocus tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The isolates belong to sequence type 328 (ST328) and produce CTX-M-5 β-lactamase, whose gene is carried by highly related non-self-conjugative but mobilizable plasmids. Resistance to nalidixic acid and low-level resistance to ciprofloxacin is present in 37 (42%) of the isolates and in all cases is determined by various single point mutations in the gyrA gene quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR). Isolates of the described clonal group exhibit a hypermutable phenotype that probably facilitates independent acquisition of quinolone resistance mutations.
Managing service quality in higher education: the role of the student as primary consumer

Discusses aspects of current service quality theory in the context of British higher education (HE). Focuses on the role of the student as primary consumer of HE services (a relatively recent conceptualization in this country), and the implications of this for the management of service quality in higher education organizations (HEOs). Briefly discusses an exploratory study which has monitored a group of students′ expectations and perceptions of service quality over time. Because of its limited scope, the findings of this study may not be generalized to the student population as a whole. However, it does serve to highlight the need for HEOs to gather information on students′ expectations, not only during their time at university, but at the point of arrival and before, to manage students′ expectations from enrolment through to graduation, in order to align them as closely as possible with what can be delivered by way of service quality, for the student evaluation process, or upward appraisal to be dealt wi.
From the intrinsic properties to the functional role of a neuron phenotype: an example from electric fish during signal trade-off

Summary This review deals with the question: what is the relationship between the properties of a neuron and the role that the neuron plays within a given neural circuit? Answering this kind of question requires collecting evidence from multiple neuron phenotypes and comparing the role of each type in circuits that perform well-defined computational tasks. The focus here is on the spherical neurons in the electrosensory lobe of the electric fish Gymnotus omarorum. They belong to the one-spike-onset phenotype expressed at the early stages of signal processing in various sensory modalities and diverse taxa. First, we refer to the one-spike neuron intrinsic properties, their foundation on a low-threshold K+ conductance, and the potential roles of this phenotype in different circuits within a comparative framework. Second, we present a brief description of the active electric sense of weakly electric fish and the particularities of spherical one-spike-onset neurons in the electrosensory lobe of G. omarorum. Third, we introduce one of the specific tasks in which these neurons are involved: the trade-off between self- and allo-generated signals. Fourth, we discuss recent evidence indicating a still-undescribed role for the one-spike phenotype. This role deals with the blockage of the pathway after being activated by the self-generated electric organ discharge and how this blockage favors self-generated electrosensory information in the context of allo-generated interference. Based on comparative analysis we conclude that one-spike-onset neurons may play several functional roles in animal sensory behavior. There are specific adaptations of the neuron's ‘response function’ to the circuit and task. Conversely, the way in which a task is accomplished depends on the intrinsic properties of the neurons involved. In short, the role of a neuron within a circuit depends on the neuron and its functional context.
Spherical Codes for SCMA Codebook

In this paper, we investigate the application of spherical codes in a sparse code multiple access (SCMA) system. We use spherical codes to build multidimensional mother constellations for SCMA codebooks, to lower peak to average power ratio (PAPR) as well as to improve the overall spectrum efficiency. Furthermore, we introduce four approaches to construct good spherical codes. These codes are easy and have large coding gains. We make extensions to some of these spherical codes such that they are suitable for usage in SCMA systems. The performance of the constructed codebooks are compared to known codebooks through simulations, and the numerical results show that spherical codes based codebooks can effectively improve the system performance.
Single cell tuning of Myc expression by antigen receptor signal strength and interleukin-2 in T lymphocytes

Myc controls the metabolic reprogramming that supports effector T cell differentiation. The expression of Myc is regulated by the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and pro‐inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin‐2 (IL‐2). We now show that the TCR is a digital switch for Myc mRNA and protein expression that allows the strength of the antigen stimulus to determine the frequency of T cells that express Myc. IL‐2 signalling strength also directs Myc expression but in an analogue process that fine‐tunes Myc quantity in individual cells via post‐transcriptional control of Myc protein. Fine‐tuning Myc matters and is possible as Myc protein has a very short half‐life in T cells due to its constant phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) and subsequent proteasomal degradation. We show that Myc only accumulates in T cells exhibiting high levels of amino acid uptake allowing T cells to match Myc expression to biosynthetic demands. The combination of digital and analogue processes allows tight control of Myc expression at the population and single cell level during immune responses.
An Improved 1-norm SVM for Simultaneous Classification and Variable Selection

We propose a novel extension of the 1-norm support vector machine (SVM) for simultaneous feature selection and classification. The new algorithm penalizes the empirical hinge loss by the adaptively weighted 1-norm penalty in which the weights are computed by the 2-norm SVM. Hence the new algorithm is called the hybrid SVM. Simulation and real data examples show that the hybrid SVM not only often improves upon the 1-norm SVM in terms of classification accuracy but also enjoys better feature selection performance.
Using SDRAMs for two-dimensional accesses of long 2n × 2m-point FFTs and transposing

When transposing large matrices using SDRAM memories, typically a control overhead significantly reduces the data throughput. In this paper, a new address mapping scheme is introduced, taking advantage of multiple banks and burst capabilities of modern SDRAMs. Other address mapping strategies minimize the total number of SDRAM page-opens while traversing the two-dimensional index-space in row or column direction. The new approach uses bank interleaving methods to hide wait cycles, caused by page-opens. In this way, data bus wait cycles do not depend on the overall number of page-opens directly. It is shown, that the data bus utilization can be increased significantly, in particular, if memories are accessed with parallel samples. Therefore, double buffering can be omitted. As a special operation, 2D-FFT processing for radar applications is considered. Depending on SDRAM parameters and dimensions, a continuous bandwidth utilization of 96 to 98% is achieved for accesses in both matrix directions, including all refresh commands.
Correlates of Overgeneral Memories in Normal Subjects

This study examined the correlates of overgeneral memories (i.e., non-specific memories) in normal subjects. Subjects were instructed to generate five personal memories in response to positive cue-words and five memories in response to negative cue-words. As predicted, no evidence was found for a positive association between overgeneral memories and level of depression. Neither was there an association between low memory specificity on the one hand and neuroticism and trait anxiety on the other hand. A significant though small correlation was found between hemisphere thinking style and specificity of personal memories. Surprisingly, the direction of this correlation was such that the more subjects relied on a left hemisphere mode of thinking (i.e., analytic and verbal processing), the more overgeneral their memories were. Taken together, the results indicate that in normal samples, depression symptoms, neuroticism or trait anxiety do not represent important correlates of overgeneral memories consistent with their status as trait markers uninfluenced by state factors.