Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short-term impact of the smokefree legislation in England on emergency hospital admissions for asthma among adults: a population-based study

Background Comprehensive smokefree laws have now been introduced in several jurisdictions. Few studies have examined the association between smokefree laws and asthma in adults and these have limitations, such as lacking appropriate adjustment for long-term trends or having limited statistical power due to small study populations. This study addresses these limitations and evaluates the short-term impact of smokefree legislation in England. It aims to investigate whether the introduction of smokefree legislation on 1 July 2007 was associated with an immediate reduction in emergency hospital admissions for asthma in the adult population, and whether any association differs across regions. Methods We identified monthly numbers of emergency admissions for asthma (primary diagnosis, 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases code J45 and J46) in the nine Government Office Regions from April 1997 to December 2010 in the population aged 16 and over. A generalised additive model was fitted that adjusted for seasonality, variation in population size and region-specific, non-linear, long-term trends. Results Smokefree legislation was associated with an immediate 4.9% (95% CI 0.6% to 9.0%) reduction in emergency admissions for asthma in the adult population. This implies that approximately 1900 emergency admissions for asthma were prevented in each of the first 3 years after legislation was introduced. The reduction in admissions did not vary significantly across regions. Conclusions Our findings add to the expanding body of evidence that smokefree policies are associated with positive health outcomes. Further research evaluating the impact of legislation in other jurisdictions is needed to support these findings.
Comparing and Contrasting the Uses of Two Graphical Tools for Displaying Patterns of Multiparty Competition

We compare two tools for displaying, in graphical form, information about vote outcomes in multiparty elections at the constituency level. One was recently proposed by Nagayama and introduced to the English-speaking world by Reed, who applied this method to Japanese and Italian election data. Reed labels the method Nagayama diagrams. Recently, Taagepera has shown how the domain of potential uses of Nagayama diagrams can be expanded significantly. A second graphical device has been used by a number of authors for various types of election analyses, but is not that well known in the comparative parties literature. This method, which uses barycentric coordinates (i.e. triangular) rather than the more familiar rectangular coordinates, has gone under a variety of names (e.g. trilinear plot, toroidal diagram and simplex representation), but we have chosen to use the last of these labels. We make use of both methods to visually present election data (by constituency) for the Italian national elections of 1994, 1996 and 2001. We show how different types of information may be readily gleaned from the two types of graph, and, perhaps most importantly, illustrate how we may improve the ready intuitive interpretability of each type of graph by specifying boundary constraints to define particular regions of the graph – a technique we call ‘segmentation’.
Detailed and Averaged Models for a 401-Level MMC–HVDC System

Voltage-source-converter (VSC) technologies present a bright opportunity in a variety of fields within the power system industry. New modular multilevel converters (MMCs) are expected to supersede two- and three-level VSC-based technologies for HVDC applications due to their recognized advantages in terms of scalability, performance, and efficiency. The computational burden introduced by detailed modeling of MMC-HVDC systems in electromagnetic-transients (EMT)-type programs complicates the study of transients especially when these systems are integrated into a large network. This paper presents a novel average-value model (AVM) for efficient and accurate representation of a detailed MMC-HVDC system. It also develops a detailed 401-level MMC-HVDC model for validating the AVM and studies the performance of both models when integrated into a large 400-kV transmission system in Europe. The results show that the AVM is significantly more efficient while maintaining its accuracy for the dynamic response of the overall system.
Women’s Magazines, Gender Ideology And Female Identity

Kadin dergileri, farkli sosyal alt yapilardan gelen kadinlari eglendiren ve bilgilendiren basili materyallerdir. Bu dergiler, farklilasan toplumsal cinsiyet rolleri ve kadin kimliklerini temsil eder. Bu calisma, kadin kimliginin ve toplumsal cinsiyet rollerinin, reklam, unlulere mulakatlar ve diger sayfalarda nasil temsil edildigini gostermeyi amacliyor. Butun kadin dergilerinde, ideal kadin kimliginin, giysi ve kozmetik reklamlari, diyetler, fiziksel egzersiz alternatifleri yoluyla zayif ve guzel kadin bedenlerine bir vurgu yapilayarak, sunuldugu gozlemlenmistir. Bu calismada, ayrica, dergilerin, ideal kadin kimligini, duzenli okurlarinin sosyo-ekonomik ve kulturel ozelliklerine gore sunduklari da gozlenmistir. Bu anlamda, Cosmopolitan dergisi ideal kadin kadini, cinsel olarak aktif, bagimsiz ve bir kariyeri olan biri olarak betimlerken; Seda dergisi, hem anne olan hem de kisitli bir butceyle; guzelligine, beslenmesine ve modaya dikkat eden bir kadini betimliyor.
disability: A review

Children with intellectual disabilities constitute a high proportion of all child abuse victims, with most estimates ranging from 30-40% (Conway 1994; Goldman 1994) 1. Despite their high risk of abuse, children with intellectual disabilities are less likely than mainstream children to report abuse (Goldman 1994), and of those incidents that are reported, few cases progress to court (Henry & Gudjonsson 1999). The relatively high rate and under-reporting of abuse among these children is related in part to their cognitive and language limitations (Goldman 1994; Henry & Gudjonsson 1999). Children with intellectual disabilities tend to have a high reliance on others for personal care, and are thereby exposed to numerous (potentially abusive) carers (Conway 1994 ). Further, the cognitive and language limitations experienced by these children can make it difficult for them to communicate their experiences (Westcott 1994; Westcott & Jones 1999), and to resist highly leading or suggestive questioning (Dent 1986; Gudjonsson 1992). Finally, children with intellectual disabilities may be unable to discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate physical contact by adults (Goldman 1994).
COMMENTS ON « WAVELETS IN STATISTICS : A REVIEW

I would like to congratulate Professor Antoniadis for successfully outlining the current state-of-art of wavelet applications in statistics. Since wavelet techniques were introduced to statistics in the early 90's, the applications of wavelet techniques have mushroomed. There is a vast forest of wavelet theory and techniques in statistics and one can find himself easily lost in the jungle. The review by Antoniadis, ranging from linear wavelets to nonlinear wavelets, addressing both theoretical issues and practical relevance, gives in-depth coverage of the wavelet applications in statistics and guides one entering easily into the realm of wavelets.
A Useable, Trans-Disciplinary Conception of Scholarship

If the notions of scholarship, scholar and scholarly are to avoid emptiness and become useable as descriptors of teaching, as Ernest Boyer hoped, the concepts behind these terms need clarifying and tightening-up, particularly in the context of a university system re-inventing itself and unsure of its future direction. A three-fold analysis of scholarly is proposed, referring to critical reflectivity as a habit of mind, scrutiny by peers as a modus operandi, and inquiry as a motivation. The paper asks what scholarly teaching might look like if this conceptualisation were adopted. Answers suggested include knowledge-based teaching, discipline-based teaching and inquiry-based teaching. The implications of these ideas are explored in regard to contributing to "good teaching", opening up teaching to peer-scrutiny, strengthening teaching as a collective enterprise, and sustaining university teachers in danger of burn-out and demoralisation. An extensive bibliography of recent work on scholarly teaching and an Appendix illustrating micro-level, scholarly analysis of a teacher's work are included.
Neighborhood Correlates of Cultural Differences in Perceived Effectiveness of Parental Disciplinary Actions

Objective. This study examines variations in attitudes regarding child discipline by race/ethnicity and by characteristics of the residential neighborhood. Design. A survey of 3,115 adults living in 13 different neighborhoods in Texas was conducted. Respondents were asked to rate the effectiveness of 8 different discipline strategies: Explain, Ignore, Slap Hand, Spank with Hand, Threaten, Time Out, Withdraw Privileges, and Yell. Chi square analysis and multilevel logistic regression analysis were used to examine variations in the endorsement of these strategies by race/ethnicity, neighborhood structural characteristics, and neighborhood social processes. Results. Latin American respondents considered yelling and threatening to be less effective than did European American respondents. Neighborhood conditions were related to the endorsement of harsh discipline such as yelling and threatening, time out and withdrawal of privileges, and explaining to the child why the behavior is unacceptable, but they were not related to the endorsement of the use of physical discipline. However, the nature of the associations differed by race/ethnicity. Neighborhood cohesion and collective efficacy were associated with decreased endorsement of yelling/threatening for African American and U.S.-born Latin American respondents, and decreased endorsement of time out/withdrawal of privileges for European American respondents. Neighborhood physical disorder, social disorder, and fear were associated with increased endorsement of time out/withdrawal of privileges among European American respondents but were not associated with the endorsement of these strategies among ethnic minorities. Conclusion. Attitudes about discipline are shaped by myriad factors, including cultural heritage and community context. Furthermore, the influence of neighborhood conditions on parenting attitudes may be different for different racial/ethnic groups.
Ethanol Seeking by Long Evans Rats Is Not Always a Goal-Directed Behavior

Background Two parallel and interacting processes are said to underlie animal behavior, whereby learning and performance of a behavior is at first via conscious and deliberate (goal-directed) processes, but after initial acquisition, the behavior can become automatic and stimulus-elicited (habitual). With respect to instrumental behaviors, animal learning studies suggest that the duration of training and the action-outcome contingency are two factors involved in the emergence of habitual seeking of “natural” reinforcers (e.g., sweet solutions, food or sucrose pellets). To rigorously test whether behaviors reinforced by abused substances such as ethanol, in particular, similarly become habitual was the primary aim of this study. Methodology/Principal Findings Male Long Evans rats underwent extended or limited operant lever press training with 10% sucrose/10% ethanol (10S10E) reinforcement (variable interval (VI) or (VR) ratio schedule of reinforcement), or with 10% sucrose (10S) reinforcement (VI schedule only). Once training and pretesting were complete, the impact of outcome devaluation on operant behavior was evaluated after lithium chloride injections were paired with the reinforcer, or unpaired 24 hours later. After limited, but not extended instrumental training, lever pressing by groups trained under VR with 10S10E and under VI with 10S was sensitive to outcome devaluation. In contrast, responding by both the extended and limited training 10S10E VI groups was not sensitive to ethanol devaluation during the test for habitual behavior. Conclusions/Significance Operant behavior by rats trained to self-administer an ethanol-sucrose solution showed variable sensitivity to a change in the value of ethanol, with relative insensitivity developing sooner in animals that received time-variable ethanol reinforcement during training sessions. One important implication, with respect to substance abuse in humans, is that initial learning about the relationship between instrumental actions and the opportunity to consume ethanol-containing drinks can influence the time course for the development or expression of habitual ethanol seeking behavior.
Les enfants en cours d'apprentissage de la lecture perçoivent-ils la syllabe à l'écrit?

L'objectif de cette recherche etait de tester si les apprentis lecteurs (6-7 a 7-8 ans) et les lecteurs debutants (8-9 a 10-11 ans) percoivent les unites syllabiques dans les mots ecrits. Le paradigme des conjonctions illusoires a ete utilise parce qu'il permet de determiner les unites infralexicales identifiees dans les premieres etapes de traitement des stimuli ecrits. Deux experiences ont ete conduites chez les enfants de la premiere (6-7 ans) a la derniere annee d'acquisition de la lecture (10-11 ans). Les resultats ont montre que les enfants percoivent les syllabes dans des suites de lettres des la fin de la premiere annee d'apprentissage de la lecture. La perception de ces unites resulte de deux sources d'informations: l'information phonologique syllabique et l'information liee a la redondance orthographique. La syllabe pourrait alors etre une unite pertinente dans l'apprentissage de la lecture.
Ependymomas of the filum terminale: The role of surgery and radiotherapy

Background: Ependymomas of the filum terminale (EFT) form a specific and relatively uncommon subtype of spinal cord ependymomas. Most series in the literature are small, spanning a large time period. Up to date no consensus has been reached about the optimal treatment of these lesions. Some authors promote postoperative radiotherapy for all cases, others advocate postoperative radiotherapy only when a subtotal resection is performed or when metastasis are apparent. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 22 patients with an EFT (mean age at diagnosis of 35.6 years). Results: In all patients (9/22) with lesions smaller than 4.5 cm no metastases were present and a complete resection could be obtained. No adjuvant radiotherapy was performed and at latest follow they had an excellent outcome. In our series, these initial tumor characteristics were more important regarding prognosis than either histology or treatment-related factors. For the larger tumors, total resection was obtained less frequently, more dissemination was diagnosed and a worse outcome was scored. Radiotherapy if indicated did lead to an acceptable disease control. Conclusion: In every case of EFT, an individual treatment protocol has to be outlined, but if an EFT is relatively small and can be resected completely, we would advocate to withhold radiotherapy.
Electroconvulsive Therapy Teaching in Canada: Cause for Concern

Aim The objective of this study was to present survey data on the teaching of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in health care centers across Canada. Methods Of 1273 centers identified, 175 were found to practice ECT. These centers were asked to complete a questionnaire, and 107 (61%) of them answered 5 questions dealing specifically with ECT teaching. These questions were as follows:(1) Does your facility have an ECT teaching program for residents in psychiatry? (2) How is ECT taught to residents in psychiatry? (3) If direct supervision of the administration of ECT is a requirement of the psychiatry training program, is there a minimum number of supervised treatments or minimum duration of training period? (4) Do residents provide unsupervised ECT at your center? (5) Which other groups of learners, if any, are provided with orientation, teaching, or training in ECT? Results Sixty percent of respondents had no ECT teaching program for psychiatry residents. Pedagogical methods varied, ranging from direct observation of ECT treatments to directed readings. Few centers required a minimum number of supervised treatments. No resident-administered ECT is performed without direct supervision. Interestingly, various groups of health care professionals were often invited to participate in ECT training. Conclusions The situation regarding ECT teaching continues to be a cause for concern given the noted absence of organized, structured, and mandatory programs. No resident administering ECT, however, goes unsupervised, which is in keeping with good practice. Electroconvulsive therapy is taught in many different ways, and teaching is accessible to different groups of health care professionals. However, much remains to be done to standardize ECT teaching to render this therapy available to all those who need it and to overcome the stigma and bias associated with it.
Evaluation of a Philippine Community Based Rehabilitation Programme

In 1991, the Philippine Department of Health implemented a Philippine Model of the World Health Organisation's Community Based Rehabilitation Programme initiative in pilot areas. The objective of this study was to explore whether, after seven years of operation, the Programme had actually been implemented as planned. The study was conducted in one pilot area in Rosario, La Union, a rural district of Luzon. The research used audit methodology to compare planned services with actual services. The main audit techniques used were record review, in-depth personal interview and focus group discussions. The study showed that such a programme, if properly organised and managed, can meet the needs of the people with disabilities who need rehabilitation. The Community Based Rehabilitation Programme represents a simple cost-effective approach for the delivery of disability prevention and rehabilitation services, particularly in rural areas that have little access to such services. Asia Pac J Public Health 2000;12(2): 85-89
Comparison of Kinematics and Tibiofemoral Contact Pressures for Native and Transplanted Lateral Menisci

Background: Lateral meniscus transplantation is a proven treatment option for the meniscus-deficient knee, yet little is known about meniscal kinematics, strain, and tibiofemoral contact pressure changes after transplantation or the effect of altered root position in lateral meniscus transplantation. Purpose: To compare the native lateral meniscal kinematics, strain, and tibiofemoral contact pressures to a best-case scenario meniscus transplant with perfectly matched size and position and to determine how sensitive these factors are to subtle changes in shape and position by using a nonanatomic meniscus transplant position. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: The lateral menisci of 8 cadaveric knees were circumferentially implanted with radiopaque spherical markers. They were mounted to a testing apparatus applying muscle and ground-reaction forces. The meniscus was evaluated at 0°, 30°, 90°, and 115° of knee flexion using Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA), with a pressure sensor affixed to the lateral tibial plateau. Measurements were recorded for 3 states: the native lateral meniscus, an anatomic autograft transplant, and a nonanatomic autograft transplant with an anteriorized posterior root position. Results: After transplantation, there was less posterior displacement in both the anatomic and nonanatomic transplant states compared with the native meniscus, but this was not significant. The largest lateral translation in the native state was 2.38 ± 1.58 mm at the anterolateral region from 0° to 90°, which was increased to 3.28 ± 1.39 mm (P = .25) and 3.12 ± 1.18 mm (P = .30) in the anatomic and nonanatomic transplant states, respectively. Internal deformations of the transplant states were more constrained, suggesting less compliance. The native meniscus distributed load over 223 mm2, while both the anatomic (160 mm2) and nonanatomic (102 mm2) states concentrated pressure anteriorly to the tibial plateau centroid. Conclusion: This study is the first to characterize kinematics in the native lateral meniscus compared with a transplanted state utilizing RSA. Results demonstrate increased meniscal constraint and pressure concentrations even after an ideal size and position matched transplantation, which further increased with a nonanatomic posterior root position. Clinical Relevance: The results show that kinematics are similar in both transplanted states when compared with the native meniscus at various flexion angles. Because both transplanted states were more constrained with less deformation compared with the native state, this should allow for relatively safe postoperative range of motion. However, in the transplanted states, peak pressures were distributed over a smaller area and shifted anteriorly. This pattern was exacerbated in the nonanatomic state compared with anatomic. This could have detrimental effects with regard to articular cartilage degeneration, and ultimately result in a failed transplantation.
Impact of Early Mobilization Protocol on the Medical-Surgical Inpatient Population: An Integrated Review of Literature

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this review article was to examine the efficacy of an early mobilization protocol in hospitalized medical-surgical inpatient population. Background/Rationale: Prolonged immobilization can result in functional decline and heighten the risk for hospital-associated complications such as falls and pressure ulcers. Early mobilization, on the other hand, has been shown to prevent functional decline and hospital-associated complications. However, currently no evidence-based guidelines exist with regard to an early mobilization protocol for the medical-surgical inpatient population. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to provide a thorough analysis of current evidence pertaining to an early mobilization protocol for the medical-surgical inpatient population. Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted using Ovid, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases using the following search terms: early ambulation, postoperative care, and length of stay. Outcome: We found a total of 9 empirical studies that met the inclusion criteria. Studies revealed that using the basic tenets of an early mobilization protocol was associated with improved outcomes for patients with deep vein thrombosis, reduced length of stay in patients with community-acquired pneumonia, and maintained or improved functional status from admission to discharge of hospitalized older adults and patients recovering from major surgery. Interpretation/Conclusion: Overall, our review found that early mobilization (especially early ambulation) of the medical-surgical inpatient population may improve patient outcomes. Implications: Our review indicated that the greatest impact of early mobilization is through standardized mobility protocols or programs. Clinical nurse specialists are experts in leading and sustaining standardized protocols or programs pertaining to a nurse-sensitive outcome such as mobility.
Metas académicas, estrategias cognitivas y estrategias de autorregulación del estudio

Academic goals, cognitive and self-regulatory strategies. In this paper we analyze diferences between cognitive (selection, organizational, elaboration and rehearsal) and self-regulatory (planning, monitoring-regulating) strategies depending on academic goals. A total of 447 obligatory secondary education students (55% boys and 44,7% girls) participated in this study. The results indicated that as well as learning goals, other goals (obtain social approval or a good job) are related to the use of strategies and study engagement. Even performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals are significantly related to cognitive and self-regulatory strategies use.