Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Service deployment aspects in the systems with network function virtualization

To ensure the required quality of experience and optimal use of network operator's resources in the current conditions telecommunication operator can deploy services using the concept of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), that has fundamental differences from traditional dedicated hardware. To achieve the expected benefits of NFV, physical resources must be used effectively. This requires effective algorithms to determine onto which physical resources network functions are allocated and how the service is processed. Analysis of all known publications devoted to virtualization of network functions of mobile network has shown the modeling approach to resource allocation and also has shown the absence of decisions on important issues of this process (performance of functional blocks, heterogeneous environment). An approach to model and investigate the resource allocation of network functions on a telecommunication operator's network is proposed.
Determinants of success and sustainability of the WHO multimodal hand hygiene promotion campaign, Italy, 2007–2008 and 2014

A national hand hygiene promotion campaign based on the World Health Organization (WHO) multimodal, Clean Care is Safer Care campaign was launched in Italy in 2007. One hundred seventy-five hospitals from 14 of 20 Italian regions participated. Data were collected using methods and tools provided by the WHO campaign, translated into Italian. Hand hygiene compliance, ward infrastructure, and healthcare workers’ knowledge and perception of healthcare-associated infections and hand hygiene were evaluated before and after campaign implementation. Compliance data from the 65 hospitals returning complete data for all implementation tools were analysed using a multilevel approach. Overall, hand hygiene compliance increased in the 65 hospitals from 40% to 63% (absolute increase: 23%, 95% confidence interval: 22–24%). A wide variation in hand hygiene compliance among wards was observed; inter-ward variability significantly decreased after campaign implementation and the level of perception was the only item associated with this. Long-term sustainability in 48 of these 65 hospitals was assessed in 2014 using the WHO Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework tool. Of the 48 hospitals, 44 scored in the advanced/intermediate categories of hand hygiene implementation progress. The median hand hygiene compliance achieved at the end of the 2007–2008 campaign appeared to be sustained in 2014.
DNA methyltransferases: Mechanistic models derived from kinetic analysis

The sequence-specific transfer of methyl groups from donor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to certain positions of DNA-adenine or -cytosine residues by DNA methyltransferases (MTases) is a major form of epigenetic modification. It is virtually ubiquitous, except for some notable exceptions. Site-specific methylation can be regarded as a means to increase DNA information capacity and is involved in a large spectrum of biological processes. The importance of these functions necessitates a deeper understanding of the enzymatic mechanism(s) of DNA methylation. DNA MTases fall into one of two general classes; viz. amino-MTases and [C5-cytosine]-MTases. Amino-MTases, common in prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes, catalyze methylation of the exocyclic amino group of adenine ([N6-adenine]-MTase) or cytosine ([N4-cytosine]-MTase). In contrast, [C5-cytosine]-MTases methylate the cyclic carbon-5 atom of cytosine. Characteristics of DNA MTases are highly variable, differing in their affinity to their substrates or reaction products, their kinetic parameters, or other characteristics (order of substrate binding, rate limiting step in the overall reaction). It is not possible to present a unifying account of the published kinetic analyses of DNA methylation because different authors have used different substrate DNAs and/or reaction conditions. Nevertheless, it would be useful to describe those kinetic data and the mechanistic models that have been derived from them. Thus, this review considers in turn studies carried out with the most consistently and extensively investigated [N6-adenine]-, [N4-cytosine]- and [C5-cytosine]-DNA MTases.
Reduction in mortality from severe head injury following introduction of a protocol for intensive care management.

BACKGROUND To determine the effect of an intensive care management protocol on the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital mortality of severely head-injured patients, we designed a longitudinal observational study of all patients admitted with a head injury between 1992 and 2000. METHODS A computerized patient database was used to identify all patients with severe head injury admitted to the ICU at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, UK: a tertiary referral centre for the clinical neurosciences. We compared the ICU and hospital mortality and length of stay in patients before and after implementation of a protocol for their ICU management in 1997. RESULTS Implementation of the protocol was associated with a significant reduction in ICU mortality from 19.95% to 13.5% (odds ratio 0.47; 95% CI 0.29-0.75), and in hospital mortality from 24.55% to 20.8% (odds ratio 0.48; 95% CI 0.31-0.74). This was achieved despite a significant increase in the median APACHE II score (14 vs 18) of patients admitted after implementation of the protocol. The median ICU and hospital length of stay remained constant over the study period. CONCLUSIONS The introduction of an evidence-based protocol to guide the ICU management of patients with severe head injury has been associated with a significant reduction in both ICU and hospital mortality.
Lipids profile and Haematological Indices of Broiler Chickens fed Garlic (Allium sativum) - Supplemented Diets

This study investigated the effects of feeding garlic-supplemented diets on plasma lipid profile and haematological indices in broiler chickens. A basal diet was supplemented with garlic at graded levels of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5gkg -1 to make six diets. The garlic-free diet was used as control treatment. The six diets were fed to 120 day-old broiler chicks. The chicks were distributed to six treatment groups of 20 chicks each replicated twice (10 chicks per replicate) in a Completely Randomized Design.The results showed that the supplement elicited a dose-dependent, significant (p 0.05) affected. As the supplementation levels of garlic increases, there was a progressive decrease in the serum total cholesterol and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) but High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) increases. The results of this study revealed that garlic has no detrimental effect on haematological indices of the birds but exerts some modulatory effects on lipid metabolism in the broilers. These findings provide useful information on the antilipogenic and fat lowering potentials of garlic in broiler chickens. It is therefore concluded that at level of supplementation garlic powder could be used to minimize excessive fat deposition in broilers.
Identifying hedonic factors in long-term user experience

User experience (UX) arises from the user's interaction with a product and its pragmatic and hedonic (pleasure) qualities. Until recently, UX evaluation has focused mainly on examining short-term experiences. However, as the user-product relationship evolves over time, the hedonic aspects of UX eventually seem to gain more weight over the pragmatic aspects. To this end, we have developed a UX Curve method for evaluating long-term user experience, particularly the hedonic quality. In this paper, we present a study in which the UX Curve was used to retrospectively evaluate the UX of Facebook and mobile phones. The results show that compared to a questionnaire, the UX Curve method is more effective for identifying the hedonic aspects of UX. This method can be used by practitioners and researchers who want to understand evolving UX and to design better products. This straightforward method is especially suited for industrial contexts where resources are limited.
Comparison between automated and manual measurements of carotid intima-media thickness in clinical practice

Background and aim: The measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) has been used as a marker of arterial wall disease. Manual measurements have been performed in most epidemiological studies, but, due to the introduction of new technologies, automated software has been increasingly used. This study aimed to compare manual versus automated cIMT measurements in common carotid (CC), bifurcation (BIF), and internal carotid (IC). Methods: Automated and manual cIMT measurements were performed online in 43 middle-aged females. Carotid segment measurements were compared by Bland–Altman plot and the variation and repeatability coefficients between observers were also determined for comparison. Results: The average timespan for manual measurements (57.30 s) were significantly higher than for automated measurements (2.52 s). There were no systematic errors between methods in any carotid segments. The variation coefficient was 5.54% to 6.34% for CC and BIF, 9.76% for IC, and absolute differences were 85% below 0.1 mm and 70% below 0.05 mm. Interobserver agreement showed no systematic error. The variation and the repeatability coefficients were better for the automated than manual measures. Conclusion: Although both methods are reliable for cIMT measurements, the automated technique allows faster evaluation with lesser variability for all carotid segments currently used in atherosclerosis research.
Parental Attitudes toward Death Education for Young Children.

Abstract An exploratory study was conducted to ascertain perceptions of parents toward the role of early childhood educators in teaching young children about aspects of death education. A secondary objective was to contrast perceptions of parents with those of teachers toward death education for young children utilizing data from a previous study. Although parents of young children generally agreed with statements depicting the need for early childhood educators' self-development, communication with children, interaction with children's parents, and curriculum planning, they expressed significantly less support than teachers for death education as a part of early childhood education. Moreover, although parents acknowledged the importance of children acquiring an ecumenical understanding of and respect for others' beliefs about death, they did not wish teachers to share their personal philosophical or religious beliefs about death with young children. Parents also exhibited a more protective attitude than .
Evidence for Filamentarity in the Las Campanas Redshift Survey

We apply Shapefinders, statistical measures of "shape" constructed from two-dimensional partial Minkowski functionals, to study the degree of filamentarity in the Las Campanas Redshift Survey (LCRS). In two dimensions, three Minkowski functionals characterize the morphology of an object; these are its perimeter (L), area (S), and genus. Out of L and S a single dimensionless Shapefinder statistic, ℱ, can be constructed (0 ≤ ℱ ≤ 1). The statistic ℱ acquires extreme values on a circle (ℱ = 0) and a filament (ℱ = 1). Using ℱ, we quantify the extent of filamentarity in the LCRS by comparing our results with a Poisson distribution having similar geometrical properties and the same selection function as the survey. Our results unambiguously demonstrate that the LCRS displays a high degree of filamentarity in both the northern and southern Galactic sections, in general agreement with the visual appearance of the catalog. It is well known that gravitational clustering from Gaussian initial conditions gives rise to the development of non-Gaussianity, reflected in the formation of a network-like filamentary structure on supercluster scales. Consequently, the fact that the smoothed LCRS catalog shows properties consistent with those of a Gaussian random field,whereas the unsmoothed catalog demonstrates the presence of filamentarity, lends strong support to the conjecture that the large-scale clustering of galaxies is driven by gravitational instability.
Reflections on residential school and our future: "daylight in our minds"

This testimonio takes up what it means to be an educator of Aboriginal ancestry working within existing school structures for the betterment of Aboriginal children. While the testimonialista does not presume to speak for her people, she contends that her story of growing up and becoming a teacher is not unlike that of other First Nations people in Canada. She examines her life within the continuing colonizing structures of Canada and shows how the struggles for justice and recognition of Aboriginal wisdom within education are making a difference.
A Multilevel Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Teachers' Perceptions of Principals' Instructional Support and Group Norms for Instruction in Elementary Schools

At a time when educators and policy makers are focused on improving outcomes for all children, we believe it is essential to understand better the ways in which principals may influence instructional norms in their schools. Our literature review led us to believe that a combination of leadership approaches is important for supporting teachers' use of differentiated instruction schoolwide to meet their students' diverse needs. Therefore, we examined whether principals' instructional support predicts differences among schools in group norms for the use of differentiated instruction. Data were drawn from a stratified random sample of a Midwestern state's noncharter public elementary schools. Hierarchical linear modeling results of surveys from 616 teachers in 77 schools revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between these two constructs. In addition to presenting these findings, we discuss their importance and the need for further research in this area.
First-Person Science Inquiry in the Field

In this paper we describe a class of restricted simulations, virtual ambients, designed to support science inquiry learning among elementary school students. These simulations employ large multi-user VR displays to support 'first-person' collaborative exploration, data collection, and the construction of support for hypotheses in simulated environments. In order to reduce the cognitive load on learners, navigation is used instead of the traditional learning simulations' direct control of independent model variables. Users may observe phenomena in virtual environments, but cannot affect the course of the underlying simulation. We report on our early experience with second, fourth, and sixth grade students in an elementary school employing a configurable virtual ambient named 'the Field. '
Cutting Down One Puff at a Time: The Acute Effects of Exercise on Smoking Behaviour

Research consistently demonstrates that a bout of moderate exercise alleviates cravings to smoke among abstaining smokers. This pilot study examined the effects of an acute bout of brisk walking on cigarette cravings and smoking topography. Using a within-subject, crossover design, two 10- minute treatment sessions were conducted on separate days by 19 participants (M age = 24.6 years): passive (i.e., sitting) and brisk walking conditions. Participants rated cravings at baseline, midcondition, and at 0-, 10-, and 20-minutes postcondition and objective measures of smoking topography (puff count, puff duration, puff volume, interpuff interval [IPI], time to first puff [TTFP]) were obtained with the first cigarette smoked postcondition. A 2 (condition) x 4 (time) ANCOVA indicated lower desire to smoke (p < .05) during the walking condition than the passive condition. After the brisk walking condition, a series of ANOVAs demonstrated a significantly increased delay to first puff in comparison to the passive condition. Posthoc analyses (controlling for abstinence period) indicated significant lower puff volume and a trend for shorter puff duration following brisk walking in comparison to the passive sitting condition. A greater reduction in cravings was associated with a longer delay to first puff. In addition to reducing cravings, these results suggest that a bout of brisk walking may also change an individual's smoking behaviour.
Haptic Cues for Balance: Use of a Cane Provides Immediate Body Stabilization

Haptic cues are important for balance. Knowledge of the temporal features of their effect may be crucial for the design of neural prostheses. Touching a stable surface with a fingertip reduces body sway in standing subjects eyes closed (EC), and removal of haptic cue reinstates a large sway pattern. Changes in sway occur rapidly on changing haptic conditions. Here, we describe the effects and time-course of stabilization produced by a haptic cue derived from a walking cane. We intended to confirm that cane use reduces body sway, to evaluate the effect of vision on stabilization by a cane, and to estimate the delay of the changes in body sway after addition and withdrawal of haptic input. Seventeen healthy young subjects stood in tandem position on a force platform, with eyes closed or open (EO). They gently lowered the cane onto and lifted it from a second force platform. Sixty trials per direction of haptic shift (Touch → NoTouch, T-NT; NoTouch → Touch, NT-T) and visual condition (EC-EO) were acquired. Traces of Center of foot Pressure (CoP) and the force exerted by cane were filtered, rectified, and averaged. The position in space of a reflective marker positioned on the cane tip was also acquired by an optoelectronic device. Cross-correlation (CC) analysis was performed between traces of cane tip and CoP displacement. Latencies of changes in CoP oscillation in the frontal plane EC following the T-NT and NT-T haptic shift were statistically estimated. The CoP oscillations were larger in EC than EO under both T and NT (p < 0.001) and larger during NT than T conditions (p < 0.001). Haptic-induced effect under EC (Romberg quotient NT/T ~ 1.2) was less effective than that of vision under NT condition (EC/EO ~ 1.5) (p < 0.001). With EO cane had little effect. Cane displacement lagged CoP displacement under both EC and EO. Latencies to changes in CoP oscillations were longer after addition (NT-T, about 1.6 s) than withdrawal (T-NT, about 0.9 s) of haptic input (p < 0.001). These latencies were similar to those occurring on fingertip touch, as previously shown. Overall, data speak in favor of substantial equivalence of the haptic information derived from both “direct” fingertip contact and “indirect” contact with the floor mediated by the cane. Cane, finger and visual inputs would be similarly integrated in the same neural centers for balance control. Haptic input from a walking aid and its processing time should be considered when designing prostheses for locomotion.
Effects of 1-Year Ipriflavone Treatment on Lumbar Bone Mineral Density and Bone Metabolic Markers in PostmenopausalWomen with Low Bo ne Mass

In vitro studies have shown that ipriflavone affects both bone formation and bone resorption, but the effect in early-stage postmenopausal women with low bone mass and a high turnover of bone metabolism is unknown. In this prospective study, we randomly assigned 60 patients with postmenopausal osteopenia or osteoporosis to receive either 600 mg/day of ipriflavone or 0.8 g/day calcium lactate, and compared the effects on bone mineral density (BMD) from the 2nd to 4th lumbar vertebrae (L2–4) and bone metabolic markers before and after one year of treatment. In the iprifravone-treated (IP) group, L2–4 BMD was similar before and after treatment (0.78 and 0.77 g/cm2, respectively), but in the calcium lactate-treated (CL) group, L2–4 BMD decreased significantly from 0.81 to 0.79 g/cm2 after 1 year of treatment (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the rate of the decrease in L2–4 BMD was significantly greater in the CL group than in the IP group (p < 0.01). The median deoxypyridinoline (Dpd) level was significantly lower after 1 year of treatment (5.8 mmol/mmol creatinine [Cr]) than the baseline value (10.2 mmol/mmol Cr) in the IP, but not in the CL group, suggesting that IP treatment suppresses bone resorption.
Exploring the Youth and Parent Perspective on Practitioner Behaviors That Promote Treatment Engagement

Treatment engagement is critically important to child and family social work practitioners, given its documented relationship with youth and family outcomes. Despite this, little is known regarding the practice behaviors youth and parents perceive as important for promoting their engagement in treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspective of youth and parents regarding practitioner behaviors important for fostering treatment engagement. Three semistructured focus groups were conducted with 30 youth and parents. Using a constant comparative analysis procedure, two domains of practice behaviors emerged: developing the therapeutic alliance and collaborative service delivery. Specific alliance-building behaviors included building rapport and demonstrating care, acknowledging and listening to the youth and family perspective, asking questions, not judging youth and parents, allowing youth and family input to direct care, and supporting motivation to change. Collaborative practice behaviors included providing culturally competent services, sharing treatment information, demonstrating awareness of other services/supports, and engaging other meaningful adults. Youth and parents both discussed the importance of these practice behaviors. Youth, however, seemed to emphasize the therapeutic alliance more than parents in the sample. Clinical implications for family social work practitioners regarding these key practice behaviors are discussed.
Development and Testing of a Contextually and Culturally Relevant Measure of Coping for use with Women Infected with HIV

In this article, we describe the development and initial testing of a contextually and culturally relevant measure of coping. The instrument was developed and tested during several stages of a longitudinal study of 264 women with HIV infection carried out in rural and urban areas of a southeastern state. During the development phase, qualitative descriptions of how the participants were coping with HIV disease were collected in the first of five interviews conducted over a year. A fifty-four-item measure of coping was developed with individual items worded to reflect the descriptions provided by participants. The measure was submitted to testing during two of the final interviews with the participants. The results of psychometric testing revealed five valid and reliable coping subscales: avoidance, managing the illness, spirituality, seeking social support, and focusing on others. The results of psychometric assessment of the measure are reported and differences in coping strategies used based on socioeconomic factors are examined.
Heterogeneous Beliefs and Housing-Market Boom-Bust Cycles in a Small Open Economy

This paper introduces heterogeneous beliefs among households in a small open economy model for the Canadian economy. The model suggests that simultaneous boom-bust cycles in house prices, output, investment, consumption and hours worked emerge when credit-constrained mortgage borrowers expect that future house prices will rise and this expectation is neither shared by savers nor realized ex-post. With sticky prices and a standard monetary policy rule, the model shows that the nominal policy interest rate and the CPI inflation rate decline during housing booms and rise as house prices fall. These results replicate the stylized features of housing-market boom-bust cycles in industrialized countries. Policy experiments demonstrate that stronger policy responses to inflation amplify housing-market boom-bust cycles. Also, higher loan-to-value ratios amplify housing-market boom-bust cycles by encouraging speculative housing investments by mortgage borrowers during housing booms and increasing liquidation of housing collateral during housing busts.