Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A remedial intervention linked to a formative assessment is effective in terms of improving student performance in subsequent degree examinations

Background: Intervention may help weaker medical students improve their performance. However, the effectiveness of remedial intervention is inconclusive due to small sample sizes in previous studies. We asked: is remedial intervention linked to a formative assessment effective in terms of improving student performance in subsequent degree examinations? Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of anonymous databases of student assessment outcomes. Data were analysed for students due to graduate in the years 2005–2009 (n = 909). Exam performance was compared for students who received remediation versus those who did not. The main outcome measure was summative degree examination marks. Results: After adjusting for cohort, gender, overseas versus home funding, previous degree and previous performance in the corresponding baseline third year summative exam, students receiving a remedial intervention (after poor performance on a formative objective structured clinical examination and written exams mid-fourth year) were significantly more likely to obtain an improved mark on end-of-fourth year summative written (p = 0.005) and OSCE (p = 0.001) exams compared to those students who did not receive remediation. Conclusion: A remedial intervention linked to poor assessment performance predicted improved performance in later examination. There is a need for prospective studies in order to identify the effective components of remedial interventions.
Photodesorption of ices I: CO, N₂, and CO₂

Context. A longstanding problem in astrochemistry is how molecules can be maintained in the gas phase in dense inter- and circumstellar regions at temperatures well below their thermal desorption values. Photodesorption is a non-thermal desorption mechanism, which may explain the small amounts of observed cold gas in cloud cores and disk mid-planes. Aims. This study aims to determine the UV photodesorption yields and to constrain the photodesorption mechanisms of three astrochemically relevant ices: CO, N2 and CO2. In addition, the possibility of co-desorption in mixed and layered CO:N2 ices is explored. Methods. The UV photodesorption of ices is studied experimentally under ultra high vacuum conditions and at astrochemically relevant temperatures (15–60 K) using a hydrogen discharge lamp (7–10.5 eV). The ice desorption is monitored by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy of the ice and simultaneous mass spectrometry of the desorbed molecules. Results. Both the UV photodesorption yield per incident photon and the photodesorption mechanism are highly molecule specific. The CO photodesorbs without dissociation from the surface layer of the ice, and N2, which lacks a dipole allowed electronic transition in the wavelength range of the lamp, has a photodesorption yield that is more than an order of magnitude lower. This yield increases significantly due to co-desorption when N2 is mixed in with, or layered on top of, CO ice. CO2 photodesorbs through dissociation and subsequent recombination from the top 10 layers of the ice. At low temperatures (15–18 K), the derived photodesorption yields are 2.7(±1.3) × 10 −3 and <2 × 10 −4 molecules photon −1 for pure CO and N2, respectively. The CO2 photodesorption yield is 1.2(±0.7)×10 −3 ×(1−e −(x/2.9(±1.1)) )+1.1(±0.7)×10 −3 ×(1−e −(x/4.6(±2.2) )) molecules photon −1 ,w herex is the ice thickness in monolayers and the two parts of the expression represent a CO2 and a CO photodesorption pathway, respectively. At higher temperatures, the CO ice photodesorption yield decreases, while that of CO2 increases.
What do university teachers think eLearning is good for in their teaching?

Although numerous studies have been conducted on conceptions of teaching, research extending this investigation into conceptions of teaching using eLearning is rare. This study employed a phenomenographic approach to investigate what university teachers think eLearning is good for in their teaching. Four qualitatively different ways of conceiving of eLearning were discovered: (a) to provide information to students; (b) for occasional communication among unit participants; (c) to engage students in online discussions; and (d) to support knowledge‐building tasks. Four dimensions of variation provided a more detailed picture. These were: role of teacher, role of students, unit participants' interaction and perception of embeddedness with face‐to‐face component. Results are situated in line with those from previous research and indicate an emerging consensus of findings. Academic developers may benefit from these outcomes by using them in designing eLearning support programs. Further studies confirming or challenging previous findings, as well as associating conceptions of eLearning and teaching, are proposed.
COTTON AND OTHER ORGANIC DUSTS Time Course of Pulmonary Responses to Inhalation of Cotton Dust in the Guinea Pig Animal Model

Exposure to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) dust can result in acute pulmonary inflammation marked by elevation of neutrophils in nasal and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids and activation of alveolar macrophages. Such exposure may also result in chest tightness and airway constriction. F or this reason, OSHA has established a PEL of 0.2 mg/m 3 for yarn manufacturing and cotton washing. This PEL is for an 8 h workday. Questions concerning an appropriate standard for extended workdays (longer than 8 h) have been raised. As an initial attempt to address this issue, we employed a guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) model exposed to 1.5 mg/m 3 of cotton dust for 4 to 16 h and monitored pulmonary inflammation 0 and 18 h post-exposure. Total bronchoalveolar lavage cells, leukocytes, and red blood cells increased
Coccoid Helicobacter pylori Not Culturable In Vitro Reverts in Mice

An experimental rodent model was used to demonstrate the viability of the coccoid form of Helicobacter pylori. Concentrated suspensions were prepared for the two different morphologies: at 2 days incubation for the bacillary forms and at 20 days incubation for the “dormant” forms. The strains used for incubation were two fresh isolates from humans with duodenal ulceration, and two collection strains. Five hundred microliters of culture (OD550 = 5 Mc Farland) of Helicobacter pylori with bacillary (2‐5×109 CFU/ml) and coccoid (0 CFU/ml) morphology were inoculated intragastrically in BALB/c mice. The gastric mucosa of the mice was colonized by Helicobacter pylori with the administration of fresh bacillary and coccoid cultures and not with the established cultures. Helicobacter pylori was isolated at 1 week after inoculation with the administration of fresh bacillary cultures, while fresh coccoid Helicobacter pylori was recovered in mice stomachs after 2 weeks of inoculation. After colonization, histopathologic changes occurred after 1 month from inoculation; all colonized mice showed a systemic antibody response to Helicobacter pylori. These results support the thesis of the viability of coccoid Helicobacter pylori non‐culturable in vitro and confirm that concentrated bacterial suspensions are able to colonize and to produce gastric alterations in this suitable animal model.
African Perspectives on China–Africa Links

Abstract Scholars and the international media often allude to a putative “African view” of Africa–China links, constructed from anecdotal evidence. Using random sample and university-based surveys, we elaborate the first empirically based study of what Africans think of their relationships with China. We reach three conclusions. First, African views are not nearly as negative as Western media make out, but are variegated and complex. Second, the survey results are at variance with the dominant Western media representation that only African ruling elites are positive about these links. Third, we find that the dominant variation in African perspectives is by country, compared with variations such as age, education and gender. The differences among countries in attitudes towards China are primarily a function of the extent to which national politicians have elected to raise the “Chinese problem” and, secondarily, the extent of Western media influence in African states.
Impaired reproduction after exposure to ADHD drugs: Systematic review of animal studies

BACKGROUND: Few studies have reported on long-term harms caused by ADHD drugs but they are known to impair growth. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether ADHD drugs impair reproduction in mammals. METHODS: Systematic review of reproduction in studies of animals treated with ADHD drugs. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Biosis and EMBASE. RESULTS: We included 17 studies. The studies were generally of poor quality or poorly reported. Two studies reported the use of one of three advised randomisation methods. Fifteen studies used placebo which suggested blinding. On clonidine, the ability to produce offspring was reduced for male rats, which approached two females each. In one study, 10 treated rats produced no offspring while all four controls did. In another study, 10 treated rats impregnated nine females while 10 controls impregnated 16. On methylphenidate, vaginal opening was delayed in two studies (in one, the mean difference was 4.0 days, 95% CI 2.5 to 5.6, and number of estrous cycles was halved; in the other, the minimum delay was 6 days), while in two other studies no difference occurred. Generally, the impairments improved after a drug-free period and were less pronounced when treatment started later in life. CONCLUSION: ADHD drugs impair the reproduction in animals.
ASCA Observations of the Jet Source XTE J1748–288

XTE J1748-288 is a new X-ray transient with a one-sided radio jet. It was observed with ASCA on 1998 September 6 and 26, 100 days after the onset of the radio X-ray outburst. The spectra were modeled with an attenuated power-law model, and the absorbed 2-6 keV flux was 4.6 × 10-11 and 2.2 × 10-12 ergs s-1 cm-2 on 1998 September 6 and 26, respectively. The light curve shows that the steady exponential decay, with an e-folding time of 14 days, lasted over 100 days and 4 orders of magnitude from the peak of the outburst. The celestial region including the source was observed with ASCA on 1993 October 1 and 1994 September 22, years before the discovery. During those periods, the flux was ≲10-13 ergs s-1 cm-2, below the ASCA detection limit. The jet blob colliding with the environmental matter is probably not the X-ray source, although the emission mechanism is not determined. A possible detection of a K line from highly ionized iron is discussed.
Impression management leads to spent resources The influence of impression management on a person's self-control

In the present paper, the relationship between impression management and self-control is investigated. It was expected that individuals engaging in impression management will be depleted of their self-control resource. Moreover, due to their monitoring and controlling behavior, it was assumed that this effect would be even stronger for people high in self-monitoring. In two laboratory experiments, the motivation to manage impressions was manipulated and the subject's reduction in self-control was measured by means of the Stroop Color-Word Task. As predicted, a main effect of impression management on the level of depletion was found. Furthermore, the moderating role of self-monitoring in this relationship was demonstrated, meaning that high self-monitors were more depleted of their self-control resources than low self-monitors after engaging in an impression management task
The Implicit Association Test in Market Research: Potentials and Pitfalls

Direct measures of attitudes, such as self-reported evaluations of consumer products and brands, are vulnerable to biases that undermine their validity (i.e., social desirability, self-deception, and self-ignorance). In contrast, indirect measures, many of which rely on reaction time to index underlying associations, resist such biases. Here, one such indirect measure, the Implicit Association Test (IAT), is highlighted, and its promise and pitfalls in market research, evaluated. It is concluded that the IAT can serve as a viable and valuable methodological tool. Its diagnostic and predictive advantages, which have been empirically established, outweigh its practical and theoretical drawbacks, which can be satisfactorily addressed.
A bioinspired soft manipulator for minimally invasive surgery

This paper introduces a novel, bioinspired manipulator for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The manipulator is entirely composed of soft materials, and it has been designed to provide similar motion capabilities as the octopus’s arm in order to reach the surgical target while exploiting its whole length to actively interact with the biological structures. The manipulator is composed of two identical modules (each of them can be controlled independently) with multi-directional bending and stiffening capabilities, like an octopus arm. In the authors’ previous works, the design of the single module has been addressed. Here a two-module manipulator is presented, with the final aim of demonstrating the enhanced capabilities that such a structure can have in comparison with rigid surgical tools currently employed in MIS. The performances in terms of workspace, stiffening capabilities, and generated forces are characterized through experimental tests. The combination of stiffening capabilities and manipulation tasks is also addressed to confirm the manipulator potential employment in a real surgical scenario.
Structural characterization of cellulosic materials using x-ray and neutron scattering

Cellulosic biomass can be used as a feedstock for sustainable production of biofuels and various other products. A complete utilization of the raw material requires understanding on its structural aspects and their role in the various processes. In this thesis, x-ray and neutron scattering methods were applied to study the structure of various cellulosic materials and how they are affected in different processes. The obtained results were reviewed in the context of a model for the cellulose nanostructure. The dimensions of cellulose crystallites and the crystallinity were determined with wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS), whereas the nanoscale fibrillar structure of cellulose was characterized with small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS). The properties determined with the small-angle scattering methods included specific surface areas and distances characteristic of the packing of cellulose microfibrils. Also other physical characterization methods, such as x-ray microtomography, infrared spectroscopy, and solid-state NMR were utilized in this work. In the analysis of the results, a comprehensive understanding of the structural changes throughout a range of length scales was aimed at. Pretreatment of birch sawdust by pressurized hot water extraction was observed to increase the crystal width of cellulose, as determined with WAXS, even though the cellulose crystallinity was slightly decreased. A denser packing of microfibrils caused by the removal of hemicelluloses and lignin in the extraction was evidenced by SAXS. This resulted in the opening of new pores between the microfibril bundles and an increase of the specific surface area. Enzymatic hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) did not lead to differences in the average crystallinity or crystal size of the hydrolysis residues, which was explained to be caused by limitations due to the large size of the enzymes as compared to the pores inside the fibril aggregates. The SAXS intensities of rewetted samples suggested a modest opening of the fibrillar structure during hydrolysis, but no changes could be observed in the dry state. Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) made of birch pulp with original and reduced xylan content was used as the substrate for enzymatic hydrolysis to reduce the effects of fib-
Effects of Comparative Advertising in High-and Low-Cognitive Elaboration Conditions

An experiment using print ads as experimental stimuli found that the relationship between consumer attitudes and comparative advertisement intensity (CAI) follows a rotated S-shaped pattern; in other words, it is a third-order curve with a local maximum at the minimum value of CAI, and also a local maximum at the approximately third quartile value of CAI. Consumer attitudes were most positive either when there was no brand comparison (the minimum condition) or when the comparison was moderately intense (the third quartile condition). The rotated S-shaped pattern was more pronounced in the high-cognitive elaboration (CE) condition than in the low-CE condition. One week after exposure to the ads, the rotated S-shaped pattern disappeared in both the high- and low-CE conditions, but the attitudes declined more in the high-CE condition than in the low-CE condition. Managerial implications are discussed.
Differential T-Helper Cell Polarization after Allergen-Specific Stimulation of Autologous Dendritic Cells in Polysensitized Allergic Patients

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in the induction and regulation of adaptive immune responses by polarizing T-helper (Th) cells. In allergic disease this response is dominated by Th2 cells. It is still unclear whether the activation of Th cells by DCs in atopic individuals is allergen specific. Methods: Monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) obtained from polysensitized patients were stimulated with purified Bet v 1, Phl p 5 and Act d 10, and the surface marker expression was analysed. Proliferation and cytokine profiles of autologous naïve CD4+ T cells co-cultured with allergen-pulsed MoDCs were assessed. Results: The addition of either Bet v 1 or Phl p 5 did not further increase the expression of surface markers from matured MoDCs in all study groups. In co-cultures, autologous naïve CD4+ T cells proliferated when DCs obtained from individuals allergic to birch and grass pollen were stimulated with Bet v 1 and Phl p 5, respectively. In the co-culture supernatants, significantly increased levels of IL-5 and IL-13 were detected. This effect correlated with the sensitization background and was absent when applying an unspecific allergen, Act d 10. The levels of IL-10 in supernatants of MoDCs and the levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ in supernatants of T cells remained unchanged upon stimulation with allergens. Conclusions: In this study we observed that allergen-specific stimulation of MoDCs induces T-cell proliferation and upregulation of Th2-type cytokines. Interestingly, this Th2 polarization was only observed in cells stimulated with the allergen to which the patients were sensitized.
Short-term respiratory effects of sulfuric acid in fog: a laboratory study of healthy and asthmatic volunteers.

To explore short-term respiratory health risks from acid-polluted fog, 22 normal and 22 asthmatic adult volunteers were exposed in an environmental control chamber to light fogs (∼0.1 g/m3 liquid water content, 10 μm median droplet diameter, 10°C) containing nominally 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 μg/m3 of sulfuric acid. Fog was produced by atomizing dilute acid solution Into purified air humidified to near 100 percent by steam injection. Exposures were administered in random order at 1-week intervals, lasted 1 h, and Included three 10-min periods of moderately heavy exercise. Responses were measured in terms of forced expiratory function, airway resistance, Irritant symptoms, and bronchial reactivity to methacholine aerosol. Sulfuric acid per se showed no more than a slight effect on pulmonary function, even at the highest concentration. Asthmatics experienced bronchoconstrlction, attributable to exercise, under all exposure conditions. Despite the lack of substantial function changes, modest statistically sign.
Computational gait analysis using fuzzy logic for everyday clinical purposes – preliminary findings

Abstract Background: Proper, early, and exact identification of gait impairments and their causes is regarded as a prerequisite for specific therapy and a useful control tool to assess efficacy of rehabilitation. There is a need for simple tools allowing for quickly detecting general tendencies. Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the outcomes of traditional and fuzzy-based analysis of the outcomes of post-stroke gait reeducation using the NeuroDevelopmental Treatment-Bobath (NDT-Bobath) method. Materials and methods: The research was conducted among 40 adult people: 20 of them after ischemic stroke constituted the study group, and 20 healthy people constituted the reference group. Study group members were treated through 2 weeks (10 therapeutic sessions) using the NDT-Bobath method. Spatio-temporal gait parameters were assessed before and after therapy and compared using novel fuzzy-based assessment tool. Results: Achieved results of rehabilitation, observed as changes of gait parameters, were statistically relevant and reflected recovery. One-number outcomes from the proposed fuzzy-based estimator proved moderate to high consistency with the results of the traditional gait assessment. Conclusions: Observed statistically significant and favorable changes in the health status of patients, described by gait parameters, were reflected also in outcomes of fuzzy-based analysis. Proposed fuzzy-based measure increases possibility of the clinical gait assessment toward more objective clinical reasoning based on common use of the mHealth solutions.
Putting adjustment back in the anchoring and adjustment heuristic.

In what year was George Washington elected President? What is the freezing point of vodka? Few people know the answers to these questions, but most can arrive at a reasonable estimate by tinkering with a value they know is wrong. Most know that the United States declared its independence in 1776, so Washington must have been elected sometime after that. And most people also know that alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water, so vodka must freeze at something colder than 32°F. To answer questions like these, in other words, people may spontaneously anchor on information that readily comes to mind and adjust their responses in a direction that seems appropriate, using what Tversky and Kahneman (1974) called the anchoring and adjustment heuristic . Although this heuristic is often helpful, adjustments tend to be insufficient, leaving people's final estimates biased toward the initial anchor value. To examine this heuristic, Tversky and Kahneman (1974) developed a paradigm in which participants are given an irrelevant number and asked if the answer to a question is greater or less than that value. After this comparative assessment, participants provide an absolute answer. Countless experiments have shown that people's absolute answers are influenced by the initial comparison with the irrelevant anchor. People estimate that Gandhi lived to be roughly 67 years old, for example, if they first decided whether he died before or after the age of 140, but only 50 years old if they first decided whether he died before or after the age of 9 (Strack & Mussweiler, 1997).