Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The need for flexibility when negotiating professional boundaries in the context of home care, dementia and end of life

ABSTRACT Professional boundaries may help care staff to clarify their role, manage risk and safeguard vulnerable clients. Yet there is a scarcity of evidence on how professional boundaries are negotiated in a non-clinical environment (e.g. the home) by the home-care workforce in the context of complex care needs (e.g. dementia, end-of-life care). Through analysis of semi-structured interviews, we investigated the experiences of home-care workers (N = 30) and their managers (N = 13) working for a range of home-care services in the South-East and London regions of England in 2016–17. Findings from this study indicate that home-care workers and their managers have clear perceptions of job role boundaries, yet these are modified in dementia care, particularly at end of life which routinely requires adaptability and flexibility. As a lone worker in a client's home, there may be challenges relating to safeguarding and risk to both clients and workers. The working environment exacerbates this, particularly during end-of-life care where emotional attachments to both clients and their family may affect the maintenance of professional boundaries. There is a need to adopt context-specific, flexible and inclusive attitudes to professional boundaries, which reconceptualise these to include relational care and atypical workplace conventions. Pre-set boundaries which safeguard clients and workers through psychological contracts may help to alleviate to some extent the pressure of the emotional labour undertaken by home-care workers.
The Role of CD 8 immune responses in HIV infection

Mathematical models and experiments have shown the importa nce of CD8 responses in control of HIV infection. In this paper we review the theoretical and empirical evidence and how the two compliment each other as they shed more light on the progr ession of HIV infection. This paper also highlights the controversies pertaining the sub ject. We present some models that investigate the role of a CTL response and a CTL memory in cont rol of HIV. These models show that a strong CTL response can control the viral load, ho wever, in some cases the virus has been known to persist regardless of the immune response. We extend the basic immune response model to account for the escape of HIV from CTL respo n es via epitope mutations. We find that a broad and long lived CTL response efficiently con trols the virus even in the event of mutations. On the other hand, a gradual switch from a slow r eplicating HIV strain to a faster replication kinetics, has also been suggested as a mechanis m for disease progression. To explore the factors influencing this switch, we extend the CTL memory model to include macrophage cells, non-lytic CD8 responses and the evolution of HIV from a slow replicating strain(R5) towards a faster replicating strain (X4). We find that macrop hages act as a reservoir for the virus hence promote viral persistence. However in the course of th e infection, the success of a switch from the R5 strain to the X4 strain dependson the cytopathici ty of the individual strains. The cytopathicity, evolution rate, infection rate and the stre ngth of the immune response determine the time lapse before a switch occurs. We conlude that these f actors determine the length of the asymptomatic period of HIV infection.
The Success of Linear Bootstrapping Models: Decision Domain-, Expertise-, and Criterion-Specific Meta-Analysis

The success of bootstrapping or replacing a human judge with a model (e.g., an equation) has been demonstrated in Paul Meehl’s (1954) seminal work and bolstered by the results of several meta-analyses. To date, however, analyses considering different types of meta-analyses as well as the potential dependence of bootstrapping success on the decision domain, the level of expertise of the human judge, and the criterion for what constitutes an accurate decision have been missing from the literature. In this study, we addressed these research gaps by conducting a meta-analysis of lens model studies. We compared the results of a traditional (bare-bones) meta-analysis with findings of a meta-analysis of the success of bootstrap models corrected for various methodological artifacts. In line with previous studies, we found that bootstrapping was more successful than human judgment. Furthermore, bootstrapping was more successful in studies with an objective decision criterion than in studies with subjective or test score criteria. We did not find clear evidence that the success of bootstrapping depended on the decision domain (e.g., education or medicine) or on the judge’s level of expertise (novice or expert). Correction of methodological artifacts increased the estimated success of bootstrapping, suggesting that previous analyses without artifact correction (i.e., traditional meta-analyses) may have underestimated the value of bootstrapping models.
On the subexponential properties in stationary single-server queues: a Palm-martingale approach

This paper studies the subexponential properties of the stationary workload, actual waiting time and sojourn time distributions in work-conserving single-server queues when the equilibrium residual service time distribution is subexponential. This kind of problem has been previously investigated in various queueing and insurance risk settings. For example, it has been shown that, when the queue has a Markovian arrival stream (MAS) input governed by a finite-state Markov chain, it has such subexponential properties. However, though MASs can approximate any stationary marked point process, it is known that the corresponding subexponential results fail in the general stationary framework. In this paper, we consider the model with a general stationary input and show the subexponential properties under some additional assumptions. Our assumptions are so general that the MAS governed by a finite-state Markov chain inherently possesses them. The approach used here is the Palm-martingale calculus, that is, the connection between the notion of Palm probability and that of stochastic intensity. The proof is essentially an extension of the M/GI/1 case to cover ‘Poisson-like’ arrival processes such as Markovian ones, where the stochastic intensity is admitted.
The h-index for countries in Web of Science and Scopus

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of recent experiments in determining the h‐index at the country level for the 10 Ibero‐American countries of South America.Design/methodology/approach – The three citation index components (Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index) of the Web of Science system of Thomson‐Reuters and the Scopus database of Elsevier are used to gauge the comparability of the h‐indexes reported by the two systems.Findings – The results show that in spite of the significant differences in the content of the two databases in terms of their source base and the extent of cited reference enhancement of records, the rank correlation of the ten countries based on the h‐index values returned by Web of Science and Scopus is very high.Originality/value – For this sample, in spite of differences between WoS and Scopus in the number of papers from each country, the rank position of the countries by the h‐index is almost the s.
Bayesian ikference procedures derived via the concept of relative surprise

We consider the problem of deriving Bayesian inference procedures via the concept of relative surprise. The mathematical concept of surprise has been developed by I.J. Good in a long sequence of papers. We make a modification to this development that permits the avoidance of a serious defect; namely, the change of variable problem. We apply relative surprise to the development of estimation, hypothesis testing and model checking procedures. Important advantages of the relative surprise approach to inference include the lack of dependence on a particular loss function and complete freedom to the statistician in the choice of prior for hypothesis testing problems. Links are established with common Bayesian inference procedures such as highest posterior density regions, modal estimates and Bayes factors. From a practical perspective new inference procedures arise that possess good properties.
A Smad Signaling Network Regulates Islet Cell Proliferation

Pancreatic β-cell loss and dysfunction are critical components of all types of diabetes. Human and rodent β-cells are able to proliferate, and this proliferation is an important defense against the evolution and progression of diabetes. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling has been shown to affect β-cell development, proliferation, and function, but β-cell proliferation is thought to be the only source of new β-cells in the adult. Recently, β-cell dedifferentiation has been shown to be an important contributory mechanism to β-cell failure. In this study, we tie together these two pathways by showing that a network of intracellular TGF-β regulators, smads 7, 2, and 3, control β-cell proliferation after β-cell loss, and specifically, smad7 is necessary for that β-cell proliferation. Importantly, this smad7-mediated proliferation appears to entail passing through a transient, nonpathologic dedifferentiation of β-cells to a pancreatic polypeptide–fold hormone-positive state. TGF-β receptor II appears to be a receptor important for controlling the status of the smad network in β-cells. These studies should help our understanding of properly regulated β-cell replication.
Homeless Men Living in Transitional Housing: The BrainWise Program and Improvements in Executive Functions and Coping Self-Efficacy

We describe an innovative approach to teaching homeless men the critical thinking skills underlying adaptive decision making and self-regulation needed to bolster resilience in the face of multiple and complex personal challenges. Single men living in a transitional housing facility for the homeless were taught the BrainWise curriculum (n = 210) along with other educational, career, and life skills programs, and tested 4 months later. This group was compared with a smaller control group (n = 61) of men from the same and similar facilities. Outcomes were measured through self-reports of executive functions (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function [BRIEF]), problem solving (Wasik Problem Solving Rating Scale [WPSRS]), coping (Coping Self-Efficacy [CSE]), and knowledge of the thinking skills taught through BrainWise (BrainWise Knowledge Survey [BKS]). All measures showed adequate internal consistency reliability and less strong, but significant, test–retest stability. As expected, self-reported skills in executive function, coping self-efficacy, problem solving, and BrainWise knowledge covaried in predictable ways. The attrition between the pretest and posttest was not predicted by any of the major outcome measures. The sample of 108 men in the Treatment Group who were still in the program 4 months later exhibited significant improvements on all BRIEF composites and subscales, CSE, and the BKS, but not on the WPSRS. In contrast, the remaining 37 Control Group men showed many fewer improvements in the BRIEF scores and a decrease in the WPSRS score. The results suggest the efficacy of BrainWise and measurement of these skills in the vulnerable population of homeless individuals; however, challenges of this type of research and limitations of this study are discussed.
PENGARUH KEPUASAN KERJA TERHADAP KOMITMEN ORGANISASI DAN TURNOVER INTENTION

The high level of employee turnover in the marketing department at PT. Toyamilindo indicates low organizational commitment and high turnover intention. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of job satisfaction on organizational commitment and turnover intention. Quantitative methods are used in this study. Population is the employees of marketing department at PT. Toyamilindo with 50 people. Sampling technique used is sampling saturated with the number of samples of 50 people. Data collection technique uses questionnaires and regression analysis. Finding on the research results shows that there are positive and significant influence of job satisfaction on organizational commitment and negative and significant influence of job satisfaction on turnover intention, and also the influence of organizational commitment on work satisfaction to turnover intention. The managerial implications of corporate leaders must improve employee work satisfaction, especially in terms of salary.
Daily sperm production and evaluation of morphological reproductive parameters of Murrah buffaloes in an extensive breeding system

The development of male sexual maturity varies among buffaloes. The Murrah buffalo is considered the most important and efficient milk and fat producer, but aspects of its reproductive biology are still unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the daily sperm production (DSP) and spermatogenesis in developing Murrah buffalo bulls by evaluation of the seminiferous tubules, testicular morphometry and using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The testes of Murrah buffalo bulls at 18 mo was immature and at 24 mo could still be considered an average-efficiency breed based on their DSP. At 24 mo, the DSP rate was 0.97 billion sperm per testis and 13 million sperm per gram of testis. However, the animals had superior morphometric parameters compared with those of other livestock animals, except for the seminiferous tubule volume and diameter, which were inferior. In conclusion, our data support former views that the testes of the Murrah breed does not reach sexual maturity before 2 y of age and that important developmental steps occur later than Murrah crossbreeds from Brazil.
Older Adults’ Perceptions of Psychotherapy: What Is It and Who Is Responsible?

Objective This study aimed to explore older peoples’ attitudes towards, and understanding of, psychotherapy and their willingness to seek out psychological services for themselves. Method A total of 14 older adults, 10 women and 4 men, aged from 65 to 89 years, participated in semi‐structured interviews which were guided by a set of open‐ended questions. Results Thematic analysis identified three themes: the GP as the primary but problematic access point; unfamiliar terminology/familiar concept; and changing attitudes/lingering stigma. The General Practitioner was identified as the primary contact for accessing mental health services. Most participants were reluctant to disclose emotional concerns to their doctor and GPs were seen as responsible for initiating discussions about mental health. Lack of enquiry by GPs, short consultation times and unfamiliarity with psychological terminology were considered barriers for accessing treatment. Participants mostly held positive and accepting views of psychotherapy but a lingering stigma, based on historical values of stoicism and self‐reliance, was evident. Reductions in societal stigma were attributed to increased exposure to mental health information via the media, however, participants appeared to confuse psychological services with counselling as this was a term that most were familiar with. Conclusions Health professionals need to be mindful of the terminology they use when communicating with older adults about mental health to avoid confusion. Media initiatives do lead to improved mental health literacy and a reduction of the stigma around mental illness but they also need to distinguish between available services, for example, counselling and psychological services.
Surface plasmons in a metal nanowire coupled to colloidal quantum dots: Scattering properties and quantum entanglement

We investigate coherent single surface-plasmon transport in a metal nanowire strongly coupled to two colloidal quantum dots. Analytical expressions are obtained for the transmission and reflection coefficients by solving the corresponding eigenvalue equation. Remote entanglement of the wave functions of the two quantum dots can be created if the inter-dot distance is equal to a multiple half-wavelength of the surface plasmon. Furthermore, by applying classical laser pulses to the quantum dots, the entangled states can be stored in metastable states which are decoupled from the surface plasmons.
Back from the brink: Labor's re-election at the 2017 Queensland state election

Abstract History will record the 2017 Queensland state election not only for its series of firsts — Annastacia Palaszczuk is the first woman state premier to win two successive elections — but also because it defied expectations. Despite its own lack-lustre campaign, an inauspicious economic climate and the revival of Pauline Hanson's One Nation (PHON), Palaszczuk's Labor Government enjoyed a small after-preference swing to it (despite a small primary swing against it) to win four additional seats and, with it, its first majority in the Legislative Assembly. Conversely, the Liberal-National Party (LNP) lost three seats in a significant primary swing against it, while PHON, after a chaotic campaign, won a just single seat in a statewide primary vote that fell well below expectations. This article argues that these unexpected results can be attributed to a number of factors, ranging from Palaszczuk's relative popularity to voters’ desire for stable government to their disdain for an opposition (and opposition leader) many conflated with both PHON and former LNP Premier Campbell Newman. The article also suggests the election of the first majority government since 2012 could mark the stabilising of a hitherto volatile Queensland electorate as Palaszczuk appears to extend Labor's second electoral hegemony.
Do Government Purchases Affect Unemployment?

We investigate empirically the effect of government purchases on unemployment in 20 OECD countries, for the period 1960-2007. Compared to earlier studies we use a data set with more variation in unemployment, and which allows for controlling for a host of factors that influence the effect of government purchases. We find that increased government purchases lead to lower unemployment; an increase equal to one percent of GDP reduces unemployment by 0.2 percentage point in the same year. The effect is greater in downturns than in booms, and also greater under a fixed exchange rate regime than under a floating regime.
Parental time from the perspective of time pressure: The idea of intensive parenting

While there is an upward trend in the time parents and children spend together, there is also intensifying parental anxiety about whether they are spending enough and sufficient quality time with children. The significant impact of parental time on children’s cognitive and social outcomes and wellbeing is well documented in the literature. This importance is also reflected in the often-used notion of quality time in academic and public debate, which emphasizes the nature of parental time. Moreover, there is growing evidence that a ‘squeezed’ feeling of time characterizes the lives of contemporary families. The difficulties of reconciling work and family life mostly concern parents. This paper reviews the literature about parental time based on the problem of time pressure, and related to this, the paradoxical anxiety of today’s parents about the time they devote to their children. The article aims to describe parenting trends and focuses on parental time by exploring its features and influential factors. First, we review the characteristics of changing expectations about parenthood and discuss emerging concepts concerning the time parents and children spend together related to the ideals of contemporary parenting. Second, based on earlier empirical findings, the most important factors are outlined and elaborated. Reflecting on the Hungarian context, related findings are also presented.
Understanding User Satisfaction of Instant Messaging Usage: An Empirical Study

The current paper examines user satisfaction with the social use of instant messaging in building and maintaining social relationships among friends, family members and others. By integrating motivation theory with media capacity theories, we developed and tested a research model to explain how the attributes of media capacity (e.g., social presence and media richness) and users’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations toward using instant messaging influence user satisfaction. The data were collected from students of a public university in China via an online survey. The results suggest that perceived enjoyment, perceived social presence and perceived usefulness are key to the formation of user satisfaction. Perceived social presence and perceived media richness are positively associated with perceived enjoyment. Also, we find that perceived enjoyment, perceived social presence, and perceived media richness have significant effects on perceived usefulness. And, interestingly, perceived enjoyment and perceived social presence, in relation to perceived usefulness, have stronger effects on user satisfaction.
Crosstalk of lipids and inflammation in atherosclerosis: the PRO of PGRN?

This editorial refers to ‘Deletion of progranulin exacerbates atherosclerosis in ApoE knockout mice’ by R. Kawase et al . , doi:10.1093/cvr/cvt178. Atherosclerosis is recognized as a chronic inflammatory process that accelerates in the context of high cholesterol levels.1 The unique aspect of atherosclerosis, over other inflammatory diseases, is the major effect of the cholesterol environment. There is accumulating evidence that lipids can influence inflammatory responses and vice versa, but so far the lipid and inflammatory components that initiate atherosclerotic disease have mainly been studied as two separate pathogenic entities. Elucidation of the functional denominators that link immune activation and derailed cholesterol metabolism may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat atherosclerosis. Evidence is accumulating that supports the relevance of cross-talk of lipid metabolism and the immune responses in vascular pathology. For instance lipid loading induces a distinct, unique gene expression profile in macrophages within the atherosclerotic lesion.2 It also was shown that cholesterol crystals (consequence of extreme cholesterol loading) that are present in early atherosclerotic lesions, can induce inflammasome activation and may thus be considered as a novel initiators of inflammation.3,4 In this issue of cardiovascular research, Kawase et al . 5 describe a role for the growth factor progranulin (PGRN) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Data are presented suggesting that PGRN is a glycoprotein that strongly influences and inhibits detrimental immune responses. PGRN is a protein that may exert a role in the cross-talk of immunity and lipid turnover, as it has both …
Face Detection Using Neural Networks In Still Images

Over the years, face detection and recognition has attracted attention of many researchers and scientists. Many efforts has been done to built a fully automatic system capable of detecting and recognizing faces. The applications of such a system are numerous, from automated security systems, census, intelligence information etc. In this report, I present my experience with implementation of neural network based face detection system using the approach given by Rowley [Rowley et al, 1998b].
Seleção em progênies S1 e S2 de pessegueiro via modelos mistos (REML/BLUP)

viii 1. INTRODUÇÃO GERAL . 1 REFERÊNCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS . 11 2. CAPÍTULO I . 18 DIVERSIDADE, ESTIMATIVAS DE PARÂMETROS GENÉTICOS E SELEÇÃO EM PESSEGUEIROS S1 PELO PROCEDIMENTO REML/BLUP . 18 RESUMO . 18 ABSTRACT . 19. 19 2.1. INTRODUÇÃO . 21 2.2. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS . 22 2.3. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO . 30 2.4. CONCLUSÕES . 42 2.5. REFÊRENCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS . 43 3. CAPÍTULO II . 48 ESTIMATIVAS DE PARÂMETROS GENÉTICOS E REPETIBILIDADE EM PESSEGUEIROS S2 CULTIVADOS EM VIÇOSA-MG. 48 RESUMO . 48 ABSTRACT . 49. 49 3.1. INTRODUÇÃO . 51 3.2. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS . 54