Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adoption of Accountable-eHealth systems by future healthcare professionals: An empirical research model based on the Australian context

This paper provides a first look at the acceptance of Accountable-eHealth systems, a new genre of eHealth systems, designed to manage information privacy concerns that hinder the proliferation of eHealth. The underlying concept of AeH systems is appropriate use of information through after-the-fact accountability for intentional misuse of information by healthcare professionals. An online questionnaire survey was utilised for data collection from three educational institutions in Queensland, Australia. A total of 23 hypothesis relating to 9 constructs were tested using a structural equation modelling technique. A total of 334 valid responses were received. The cohort consisted of medical, nursing and other health related students studying at various levels in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The hypothesis testing disproved 7 hypotheses. The empirical research model developed was capable of predicting 47.3% of healthcare professionals' perceived intention to use AeH systems. A validation of the model with a wider survey cohort would be useful to confirm the current findings.
The Utility of the Balance Error Scoring System for Mild Brain Injury Assessments in Children and Adolescents

Abstract The Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is widely recognized as an acceptable assessment of postural control for adult patients following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion. However, the measurement properties of the BESS as a post-mTBI assessment test for younger patients are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of the BESS as a post-mTBI assessment test for children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years through 2 investigations: (1) a retrospective medical records review of the relationship among age, BESS scores, and other common post-mTBI assessment tests; and (2) a prospective study comparing BESS scores for a cohort of children with a recent mTBI and BESS scores for a cohort of matched healthy peers. Age was found to be significantly correlated with several of the BESS measures and the total BESS score (P < 0.05). Significant differences were observed between the injured and healthy cohorts for 3 of the BESS measures and the total BESS score. However, the observed differences were not likely to be clinically meaningful. Cumulatively, evidence from the literature and the results of these studies indicate that the BESS may be limited for producing accurate assessments of younger athletes' post-mTBI postural control abilities. Future research recommendations include testing of modified versions of the BESS or other alternatives for post-mTBI postural control assessments with younger individuals.
University Students’ Subjective Knowledge of Green Computing and Pro-Environmental Behavior

This cross-sectional survey examined the structure of university students’ subjective knowledge of green computing–hypothesized to be a multidimensional construct with three important dimensions–and its association with pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Using a previously validated green computing questionnaire, data were collected from 842 undergraduate students attending ten different public universities in Malaysia. The sample was split into two random halves (n 1 = 400 and n 2 = 442) to allow for Factor Analysis procedures and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to be conducted. Principal Component Analysis extracted a three-factor structure of subjective knowledge consisting of knowledge about green computing (GC) vocabulary, computer nature or characteristics, and e-waste, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis procedures confirmed the structure’s measurement validity. SEM fit statistics indicated a strong influence of subjective GC knowledge on PEB with its three extracted dimensions cumulatively explaining 37% of students’ reported PEB. The results confirmed the study’s hypotheses regarding the multidimensionality of subjective knowledge, the adequacy of the measurement model of subjective knowledge, and its strong positive role in influencing PEB. The article concludes with guidelines for future research in areas involving green computing, subjective knowledge and PEB with an emphasis on the conceptualization and measurement of each construct.
Swallowing Sound Characteristics in Healthy and Dysphagic Individuals

This paper proposes a non-invasive, acoustic-based method to differentiate between individuals with and without dysphagia or swallowing dysfunction. Swallowing sound signals, both normal and abnormal (i.e., at risk of some degree of dysphagia) were recorded with an accelerometer over the trachea. Segmentation based on waveform dimension trajectory (WDT, a distance-based technique) was developed to segment the non-stationary swallowing sound signals. Two characteristic sections emerged, Opening and Transmission, and 24 characteristic features were extracted and subsequently reduced via discriminant analysis. A discriminant algorithm was also employed for classification, with the system trained and tested using the leave-one-out approach. Overall, 350 signals were used from three bolus consistencies (semisolid, thick and thin liquids). A final screening algorithm correctly classified 13 of 15 control subjects and 11 of 11 subjects with some degree of dysphagia and/or neurological impairments. The proposed method has great potential to reduce the need for videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (the current gold standard method for swallowing assessment, which is invasive and non-portable) and the overall clinical assessment of swallowing sound signals.
Diet and asthma.

Asthma prevalence has increased dramatically in many countries over recent decades, demonstrating that environmental exposures play a dominant role in the etiology of this disease. Dietary change is one of several causal factors implicated in this trend, and in the past two decades the evidence base on the relation between diet and asthma has increased substantially. In this article we present a perspective on where we believe this literature on asthma is leading, and attempt to identify priorities for further investigation. Our discussion is limited to general effects of diet, and does not address the separate topic of specific food allergy.
Anterior Screw Fixation in Type II Odontoid Fractures: Is There a Difference in Outcome between Age Groups?

OBJECTIVEOptimal treatment of elderly patients with Type II odontoid fractures is controversial. Suggestions vary between conservative management and different types of early surgery. Recent data confirm that early surgery may be warranted because conservative treatment has a high rate of failure in the elderly. METHODSWe performed a case-control study of 27 patients with Type II odontoid fracture who were treated with anterior odontoid double-screw fixation at our institution. The aim of the study was to determine whether patients aged 70 years or older have a less favorable outcome than younger patients with this operative technique. Cases were defined as patients with Type II odontoid fracture aged 70 years or older. All patients younger than 70 years served as controls. RESULTSThere were 15 patients aged 70 years or older (Group 1) and 12 patients younger than 70 years of age (Group 2). Mean follow-up was 16.6 months. Mean interval between fracture and surgery was 10 days. All patients were treated with anterior odontoid screw fixation by use of two compression screws. Fusion rates were 73% in Group 1 and 75% in Group 2. Additional dorsal stabilization was performed in 13% of cases in Group 1 and 17% of cases in Group 2. Complications occurred in 20% of cases in Group 1 and 8% of cases in Group 2. The only death occurred in Group 1, leading to 7% mortality in this group. Neurological status at admission and after treatment was similar in both groups. Statistical analysis did not reveal significant differences between groups for the factors studied. CONCLUSIONOutcome after anterior odontoid screw fixation is not affected by patient age. Slightly higher rates of medical complications did not reach statistical significance. Because conservative management of odontoid fractures in the elderly has a high rate of failure, anterior stabilization for Type II odontoid fractures can be recommended.
The importance of siderophores in iron nutrition of heterotrophic marine bacteria

Recent studies demonstrate that dissolved iron in seawater is bound to strong organic complexes that have stability constants comparable to those of microbial iron chelates. We examined iron acquisition by seven strains of heterotrophic marine bacteria from a number of siderophore–iron complexes, including desferrioxamine B (DFB) and marine siderophores partially purified from iron‐limited cultures. Hydroxamate siderophores were detected in the supernatants of four strains, one of which also produced a catechol. All strains transported iron bound to siderophores regardless of whether or not they produced their own, and the majority took up iron bound to DFB. Uptake rates of Fe siderophores were similar among iron‐limited strains and among ligands. Transport of FeDFB by strain Neptune was enhanced 20 times by iron limitation, whereas uptake of unchelated iron (Fe') did not saturate at the highest concentration tested and was not regulated by the iron nutritional status of the cells. The half‐saturation constant for uptake of FeDFB by Neptune was 15 nM, the lowest reported for an Fe siderophore in any microor ganism. Iron uptake by the catechol‐producing strain, LMG1, differed markedly in two respects from the other strains: LMG1 could not take up iron bound to DFB; furthermore, transport of Fe' by iron‐limited LMG1 was 10 times faster than the other strains and was upregulated 46 times compared to Fe‐sufficient cells. Experimental evidence suggests that iron transport by LMG1 may be mediated by surface‐associated catechol siderophores that scavenge inorganic ferric species as well as iron bound to weaker complexes, such as EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). The combined results of the study highlight the importance of siderophores in iron transport by heterotrophic marine bacteria and suggest, by inference, that bacteria may rely on siderophores to acquire iron in situ.
Occurrence of the Primary Cell Wall Polysaccharide Rhamnogalacturonan II in Pteridophytes, Lycophytes, and Bryophytes. Implications for the Evolution of Vascular Plants1

Borate ester cross-linking of the cell wall pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) is required for the growth and development of angiosperms and gymnosperms. Here, we report that the amounts of borate cross-linked RG-II present in the sporophyte primary walls of members of the most primitive extant vascular plant groups (Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Equisetopsida, and Psilopsida) are comparable with the amounts of RG-II in the primary walls of angiosperms. By contrast, the gametophyte generation of members of the avascular bryophytes (Bryopsida, Hepaticopsida, and Anthocerotopsida) have primary walls that contain small amounts (approximately 1% of the amounts of RG-II present in angiosperm walls) of an RG-II-like polysaccharide. The glycosyl sequence of RG-II is conserved in vascular plants, but these RG-IIs are not identical because the non-reducing l-rhamnosyl residue present on the aceric acid-containing side chain of RG-II of all previously studied plants is replaced by a 3-O-methyl rhamnosyl residue in the RG-IIs isolated from Lycopodium tristachyum, Ceratopteris thalictroides, Platycerium bifurcatum, and Psilotum nudum. Our data indicate that the amount of RG-II incorporated into the walls of plants increased during the evolution of vascular plants from their bryophyte-like ancestors. Thus, the acquisition of a boron-dependent growth habit may be correlated with the ability of vascular plants to maintain upright growth and to form lignified secondary walls. The conserved structures of pteridophyte, lycophyte, and angiosperm RG-IIs suggests that the genes and proteins responsible for the biosynthesis of this polysaccharide appeared early in land plant evolution and that RG-II has a fundamental role in wall structure.
Immunofluorescence in Oral Pathology: Part I—Methodology

Immunofluorescence is an immunological method used to demonstrate the presence of antigen and antibodies in tissues or serum. Immunofluorescence techniques have become indispensable in modern pathology laboratories and have greatly contributed to the diagnosis, treatment and understanding of autoimmune bullous diseases, hereditary bullous diseases, collagen-vascular diseases, many inflammatory dermatosis and cutaneous tumors. This review emphasizes the basics of immunofluorescence techniques, methodology, interpretation of the results and the newer advancements in the field. The application of immunofluorescence techniques in various vesiculobullous disorders will be extensively discussed in the subsequent parts. Part II will deal with the pemphigus group and other dermatological conditions with oral involvement and part III with subepidermal immunobullous diseases.
Factors associated with disease severity in children with bronchiolitis

Abstract Objective: Bronchiolitis is one of the top causes of hospitalization of infants in the United States. Several clinical factors have been associated with hospitalization; however, few studies have examined factors related to severe disease. Our goal was to describe the clinical characteristics and hospital course of children admitted with bronchiolitis and to identify factors related to intensive care unit (ICU) admission in this population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all children less than 2 years of age admitted to a children’s hospital with bronchiolitis between July 2008 and July 2011. Demographic and clinical data were collected including information regarding hospital course, treatments received and respiratory pathogens. Results: During the study period, 734 children were admitted to the hospital with bronchiolitis, 22% of whom were admitted to the ICU and 10% of whom were intubated and mechanically ventilated. Admission to the ICU was associated with younger age [110 (45–210) days versus 69 (35–149) days, p < 0.001] and history of premature birth (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.4, p = 0.01), but not with race or ethnicity. The use of respiratory treatments was common in the children admitted to the ICU but was not associated with shortened durations of hospitalization. In addition, neither prematurity nor young age were associated with either increased duration of hospitalization or with increased likelihood of mechanical ventilation. Conclusions: During acute bronchiolitis infections, younger children and those with a history of prematurity were more likely to be admitted to the ICU with severe disease.
Cardiopulmonary and isoflurane-sparing effects of epidural or intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine in cats undergoing surgery with epidural lidocaine.

OBJECTIVE To compare the cardiorespiratory, anesthetic-sparing effects and quality of anesthetic recovery after epidural and constant rate intravenous (IV) infusion of dexmedetomidine (DEX) in cats given a low dose of epidural lidocaine under propofol-isoflurane anesthesia and submitted to elective ovariohysterectomy. STUDY DESIGN Randomized, blinded clinical trial. ANIMALS Twenty-one adult female cats (mean body weight: 3.1 +/- 0.4 kg). METHODS Cats received DEX (4 microg kg(-1), IM). Fifteen minutes later, anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with isoflurane. Cats were divided into three groups. In GI cats received epidural lidocaine (1 mg kg(-1), n = 7), in GII cats were given epidural lidocaine (1 mg kg(-1)) + DEX (4 microg kg(-1), n = 7), and in GIII cats were given epidural lidocaine (1 mg kg(-1)) + IV constant rate infusion (CRI) of DEX (0.25 microg kg(-1) minute(-1), n = 7). Variables evaluated included heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (f(R)), systemic arterial pressures, rectal temperature (RT), end-tidal CO(2), end-tidal isoflurane concentration (e'ISO), arterial blood gases, and muscle tone. Anesthetic recovery was compared among groups by evaluation of times to recovery, HR, f(R), RT, and degree of analgesia. A paired t-test was used to evaluate pre-medication variables and blood gases within groups. anova was used to compare parametric data, whereas Friedman test was used to compare muscle relaxation. RESULTS Epidural and CRI of DEX reduced HR during anesthesia maintenance. Mean +/- SD e'ISO ranged from 0.86 +/- 0.28% to 1.91 +/- 0.63% in GI, from 0.70 +/- 0.12% to 0.97 +/- 0.20% in GII, and from 0.69 +/- 0.12% to 1.17 +/- 0.25% in GIII. Cats in GII and GIII had longer recovery periods than in GI. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Epidural and CRI of DEX significantly decreased isoflurane consumption and resulted in recovery of better quality and longer duration, despite bradycardia, without changes in systemic blood pressure.
Numerical Comparisons of Nonlinear Convergence Accelerators

As part of a continuing program of numerical tests of convergence accelerators, we have compared the iterated Aitken's A2 method, Wynn's - algorithm, Brezinski's 0 algorithm, and Levin's u transform on a broad range of test problems: linearly convergence alternating, monotone, and irregular-sign series, logarithmically convergent series, power method and Bernoulli method sequences, alternating and monotone asymptotic series, and some perturba- tion series arising in applications. In each category either the - algorithm or the u transform gives the best results of the four methods tested. In some cases differences among methods are slight, and in others they are quite striking. 1. Introduction. We reported in (19) on a numerical test program that compared eleven different scalar convergence accelerators on a broad range of infinite series problems in an attempt to find an "across-the-board" accelerator that would handle both linear and logarithmic convergence and both alternating and monotone series or sequences. The best candidates to emerge from that study were Levin's u transform (14) and Brezinski's 0 algorithm (6). We also provided some theoretical support for that conclusion in terms of the wide range of series summed exactly by these methods and by proving that 02 and the Levin transforms all accelerate linear convergence. (The other Levin transforms, t and v, produced essentially equivalent numerical results to u, except that t fails on logarithmic convergence.) We have continued the test program started with (19) to include monotone linearly convergent series, series with irregular sign patterns (specifically, Fourier series), and sequences whose terms do not depend explicitly on the previous term and/or the index (e.g., Bernoulli's method). Since convergence accelerators are often known to transform divergent series to convergent ones, we have also included in our test program divergent power series, asymptotic series, and a few perturbation series. The methods considered in this paper are the u and 0 algorithms noted above and
Determination of Local Mechanical Properties of Si3N4 Based Foams

Local mechanical properties, particularly the hardness and Youngs modulus of highly porous silicon nitride based foams were studied in this work. Silicon nitride foams were prepared using polyurethane foam replication method to obtain appropriate cellular structure suitable for bio-application. Two types of the polyurethane foams were used (with average pore size 0.48 mm and 0.62 mm). Some of these samples were prepared by single or multiple infiltrations. The effects of structures, temperature of calcination, volume fraction of Si3N4 powder and number of the infiltrations on the local mechanical properties were investigated. The Youngs modulus of studied samples range from 12 to 46 GPa at the macroscopic scale measured by resonant frequency technique and from 10 to 28 GPa at the microscopic scale measured by instrumented indentation. Results showed increase of the hardness and Youngs modulus with increasing of the calcination temperature, with increasing of the number of infiltrations and also with increasing of volume fraction of Si3N4 powder in suspension. The results obtained from nanoindentation carry out lower values in comparison with the values measured by resonant frequency technique.
Prospective study of post-traumatic stress disorder in children involved in road traffic accidents

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence of severe psychological trauma—that is, post-traumatic stress disorder—in children involved in everyday road traffic accidents. Design: 12 month prospective study. Setting: Accident and emergency department, Royal United Hospital, Bath. Subjects: 119 children aged 5-18 years involved in road traffic accidents and 66 children who sustained sports injuries. Main outcome measure: Presence of appreciable psychological distress; fulfilment of diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Results: Post-traumatic stress disorder was found in 41 (34.5%) children involved in road traffic accidents but only two (3.0%) who sustained sports injuries. The presence of post-traumatic stress disorder was not related to the type of accident, age of the child, or the nature of injuries but was significantly associated with sex, previous experience of trauma, and subjective appraisal of threat to life. None of the children had received any psychological help at the time of assessment. Conclusions: One in three children involved in road traffic accidents was found to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder when they were assessed 6 weeks after their accident. The psychological needs of such children after such accidents remain largely unrecognised.
BALF-derived fibroblasts differ from biopsy-derived fibroblasts in systemic sclerosis

Growth of fibroblasts from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) has previously been described. The purpose of the present study was to characterise fibroblasts from BALF and bronchial biopsies from SSc patients with alveolitis and from controls, to analyse fibroblast proliferation, migration, stress fibres and proteoglycan production. BALF and bronchial biopsies were collected from 10 patients with SSc and alveolitis and from 15 controls. Outgrowth of fibroblasts was observed from the BALF of four patients, particularly in those with a markedly increased percentage of eosinophils in BALF, but not in any member of the control group. Increased levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, correlating with the percentage of eosinophils in BALF, were found in patients when compared with controls. Fibroblasts from BALF showed an elongated, mobile phenotype and increased proteoglycan production compared to the corresponding biopsy fibroblasts. In conclusion, outgrowth of fibroblasts with an altered phenotype is reported from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in systemic sclerosis patients with alveolitis and an increased percentage of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. These findings indicate a possible role for eosinophil–fibroblast interaction in pulmonary fibrosis in systemic sclerosis.