Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A mixed methods study of emotional exhaustion: Energizing and depleting work within an innovative healthcare team

ABSTRACT This mixed methods study documents emotional exhaustion experiences among care team members during the development of an innovative team approach for caring for adults with serious illness. A mixed methods study design was employed to examine depleting work experiences that may produce emotional exhaustion, and energizing aspects of the work that may increase meaningfulness of work, thus reducing emotional exhaustion. The population studied included team members involved in care for adults with serious illness (n = 18). Team members were surveyed quarterly over an 18-month period using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The MBI measures burnout, defined as the inability to continue work because of the interactional toll of the work. Analyses of MBI data show that although overall levels of burnout are low, 89% of team members reported moderate/high levels of emotional exhaustion during at least one survey period. In order to understand the kinds of work experiences that may produce or ameliorate emotional exhaustion, qualitative interviews were also conducted with team members at the end of the 18-month period. Major qualitative findings indicate that disputes within the team, environmental pressures, and standardisation of meaningful work leave team members feeling depleted. Having authentic relationships with patients, working as a team, believing in the care model, and practicing autonomy and creativity help team members to restore their emotional energy. Supports for team members’ well-being are critical for continued innovation. We conclude with recommendations for improving team members’ well-being.
Measuring the impact of third place attachment on the adoption of a place-based community technology

CoCollage is a placed-based community technology that leverages the power of online social networking to facilitate awareness and face-to-face interactions in a third place. We adapted standardized measures of place attachment, social networks and psychological sense of community to provide a framework grounded in the social science literature for studying real world adoption of place-based community technologies. We found the standardized measures of place attachment and psychological sense of community meaningfully predicted likelihood of technology adoption and usage in a café. We discuss some lessons learned from our initial deployment of CoCollage in a real-world setting to support a nascent place-based community.
A Nodal-to-TGF&bgr; Cascade Exerts Biphasic Control Over Cardiopoiesis

Rationale: The transforming growth factor-&bgr; (TGF&bgr;) family member Nodal promotes cardiogenesis, but the mechanism is unclear despite the relevance of TGF&bgr; family proteins for myocardial remodeling and regeneration. Objective: To determine the function(s) of TGF&bgr; family members during stem cell cardiogenesis. Methods and Results: Murine embryonic stem cells were engineered with a constitutively active human type I Nodal receptor (caACVR1b) to mimic activation by Nodal and found to secrete a paracrine signal that promotes cardiogenesis. Transcriptome and gain- and loss-of-function studies identified the factor as TGF&bgr;2. Both Nodal and TGF&bgr; induced early cardiogenic progenitors in embryonic stem cell cultures at day 0 to 2 of differentiation. However, Nodal expression declines by day 4 due to feedback inhibition, whereas TGF&bgr; persists. At later stages (days 4–6), TGF&bgr; suppresses the formation of cardiomyocytes from multipotent Kdr+ progenitors while promoting the differentiation of vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Conclusions: Nodal induces TGF&bgr;, and both stimulate the formation of multipotent cardiovascular Kdr+ progenitors. TGF&bgr;, however, becomes uniquely responsible for controlling subsequent lineage segregation by stimulating vascular smooth muscle and endothelial lineages and simultaneously blocking cardiomyocyte differentiation.
In Vivo Expression Pattern of MICA and MICB and Its Relevance to Auto-Immunity and Cancer

Non-conventional MHC class I MIC molecules interact not with the TCR, but with NKG2D, a C-type lectin activatory receptor present on most NK, γδ and CD8+ αβ T cells. While this interaction is critical in triggering/calibrating the cytotoxic activity of these cells, the actual extent of its in vivo involvement, in man, in infection, cancer or autoimmunity, needs further assessment. The latter has gained momentum along with the reported expansion of peripheral CD4+CD28−NKG2D+ T cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We first initiated to extend this report to a larger cohort of not only RA patients, but also those affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome (SS). In RA and SS, this initial observation was further tested in target tissues: the joint and the salivary glands, respectively. In conclusion and despite occasional and indiscriminate expansion of the previously incriminated T cell subpopulation, no correlation could be observed between the CD4+CD28−NKG2D+ and auto-immunity. Moreover, in situ, the presence of NKG2D matched that of CD8+, but not that of CD4+ T cells. In parallel, a total body tissue scan of both MICA and MICB transcription clearly shows that despite original presumptions, and with the exception of the central nervous system, both genes are widely transcribed and therefore possibly translated and membrane-bound. Extending this analysis to a number of human tumors did not reveal a coherent pattern of expression vs. normal tissues. Collectively these data question previous assumptions, correlating a tissue-specific expression/induction of MIC in relevance to auto-immune or tumor processes.
Lipids in Health and Disease

In order to investigate the effects of lead exposure on risk of cardiovascular disease during occupational exposure to this metal, plasma cholesterol and its fractions as high-density liporotein (HDL), low-density liporotein (LDL) and triglyceride were determined in various artisans in Abeokuta, Nigeria who have been shown to be occupationally exposed to lead and these were related to blood lead levels. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease was observed in the artisans. Total cholesterol in the artisans was between 1.5 and 2.0 times higher in the artisans than that present in controls while LDL cholesterol was between 1.6 and 2.4 times higher in the artisans when compared with control subjects [p < 0.001]. HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels were not affected [p > 0.05]. A significant positive correlation was observed between blood lead and total cholesterol on one hand [r = 0.372; p = 3.0 × 10-5] and blood lead and LDL cholesterol on the other hand [r = 0.283; p = 0.001]. LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio was also higher in the artisans when compared with control. Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and other anthropometric parameters were not significantly different between the artisans and the control subjects [p > 0.05]. Results suggest that lead exposure increases cholesterol synthesis and transport to peripheral tissues whereas reverse cholesterol transport to the liver is not affected. Introduction Studies in both humans and animals indicate that lipid metabolism is altered in chronic lead exposure [1-6]. The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in this leadinduced alterations are not completely understood. Lead has been shown to accelerate lipid oxidation in the presence of hemoglobin or Fe2+ [7,8]. Lead was also shown to enhance Fe2+-initiated lipid oxidation in liposomes, erythrocytes, microsomal fractions and rat brain homogenates [1,7,9]. Altered fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membranes has also been demonstrated in chronic lead exposure [5,10,11]. It has also been demonstrated that lead exposure affects levels of galactolipid metabolic enzymes in the developing rat brain resulting in myelin defects [3]. All these observations are largely more suggestive than conclusive about lead-induced alterations in lipid metabolism. Lead poisoning is presently becoming the most common disease of environmental origin and is increasing very Published: 28 September 2005 Lipids in Health and Disease 2005, 4:19 doi:10.1186/1476-511X-4-19 Received: 31 August 2005 Accepted: 28 September 2005 This article is available from: http://www.lipidworld. com/content/4/1/19 © 2005 Ademuyiwa et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Heavy Metal Levels as Indicators of Environmental Pollution in African Cat Fish (Clarias gariepinus) from Nigeria Ogun River

Levels of Zn, Cu, Cd, As, and Pb in the kidney, Liver, Gills and Heart of African cat fish (Clarias gariepinus) from the Ogun River in Ogun State located close to six major industries in the South Western part of Nigeria, were determined using Bulk Scientific Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Fishes were also collected from Government owned fish farm in Agodi, Ibadan which was considered a reference site. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH) concentration and malondialdehyde (MDA) formation were also determined. The trend of accumulation of the metals in the organs is as follows: Heart - Zn > Cu > Pb > As > Cd; Gills - Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > As; Kidney - Zn > Cu > Pb > As > Cd; Liver -Zn > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. The order of concentration of the metals in the organs is as follows: Arsenite - Kidney > Liver > Gills > Heart; Zinc - Gills > Liver > Kidney > Heart; Lead- Liver > Kidney > Gills > Heart; Copper- Kidney > Liver > Gills > Heart; Cadmium > Liver > Gills > Kidney > Heart. The levels of heavy metals ranged between 0.25–8.96 ppm in the heart, 0.69– 19.05 ppm in the kidneys, 2.10–19.75 ppm in the liver and 1.95–20.35 ppm in the gills. SOD activity increased by 61% in the liver, 50% in the kidney and in the heart by 28 % while a significant decrease (44%) was observed in the gill of Clarias gariepinus from Ogun river compared to that Agodi fish farm (P<0.001). On the contrary there was 46%, 41%, 50% and 19% decrease in CAT activity in the liver, kidney, gills and heart respectively. The levels of GST activities in the liver, kidney and heart of Clarias gariepinus from Ogun river increased by 62%, 72% and 37% respectively (P<0.001) whereas there was a significant decrease (41%) in the gills (P<0.05) compared to that from the Agodi fish farm. GSH concentration increased by 81%, 83% and 53% in the liver, kidney and heart respectively but decreased by 44% in the gills. MDA levels of Clarias gariepinus were significantly (P<0.001) elevated in the liver, kidney, gills and heart by 177%, 102%, 168% and 71% respectively compared to that from Agodi fish farm. Overall, the results demonstrate that alteration in the antioxidant enzymes, glutathione system and induction of lipid peroxidation reflects the presence of heavy metals which may cause oxidative stress in the Clarias gariepinus from Ogun River. The study therefore provides a rational use of biomarkers of oxidative stress in biomonitoring of aquatic pollution.
Studies on the Use of Water Reclaimed from Textile Wastewater in a Closed Circuit

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology proposed for low -loaded wastewater treatment enabling multiple reuse of recycled water in a closed circuit. The subject of the study was real textile wastewater produced during the dyeing of cellulose fibres with reactive dyes. Initial wastewater was divided into lowand high-loaded streams. The low-loaded wastewater was subjected to pretreatment at biological, ultrafiltration and ozonation stages. The pretreatment was carried out four times. The reclaimed water was reused in the rinsing and washing operations. Evaluation was made of functional properties of cotton knitted fabric dyed in the process in which the reclaimed water was used. The permissible number of recycling cycles of reclaimed water for selected unit operations (rinsing, washing) was analysed with respect to functional properties of the dyed knitted fabric. In selected cases for all parameters tested, good, acceptable colorfastness was obtained.
Investigating User Behavior for Authentication Methods: A Comparison between Individuals with Down Syndrome and Neurotypical Users

A wide variety of authentication mechanisms have been designed to ensure information security. Individuals with cognitive disabilities depend on computers and the Internet for a variety of tasks and, therefore, use authentication applications on an everyday basis. However, although there have been numerous studies investigating password usage by neurotypical users, there have been no research studies conducted to examine the use of authentication methods by individuals with cognitive disabilities. In this article, we systematically investigate how individuals with cognitive disabilities, specifically Down syndrome (DS), interact with various user authentication mechanisms. This research provides the first benchmark data on the performance of individuals with DS when using multiple authentication methods. It confirms that individuals with DS are capable of using the traditional alphanumeric passwords with reasonable efficiency. The passwords created by individuals with DS are of similar strength to those created by neurotypical people. Graphic passwords are not as effective as traditional alphanumeric and mnemonic passwords regarding efficiency, and are less preferred by the participants. Based on the findings of the study, we propose design guidelines that aim to assist both practitioners and researchers in designing and developing effective authentication applications that fit the specific needs of individuals with DS.
Sequence of a Complete Chicken BG Haplotype Shows Dynamic Expansion and Contraction of Two Gene Lineages with Particular Expression Patterns

Many genes important in immunity are found as multigene families. The butyrophilin genes are members of the B7 family, playing diverse roles in co-regulation and perhaps in antigen presentation. In humans, a fixed number of butyrophilin genes are found in and around the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and show striking association with particular autoimmune diseases. In chickens, BG genes encode homologues with somewhat different domain organisation. Only a few BG genes have been characterised, one involved in actin-myosin interaction in the intestinal brush border, and another implicated in resistance to viral diseases. We characterise all BG genes in B12 chickens, finding a multigene family organised as tandem repeats in the BG region outside the MHC, a single gene in the MHC (the BF-BL region), and another single gene on a different chromosome. There is a precise cell and tissue expression for each gene, but overall there are two kinds, those expressed by haemopoietic cells and those expressed in tissues (presumably non-haemopoietic cells), correlating with two different kinds of promoters and 5′ untranslated regions (5′UTR). However, the multigene family in the BG region contains many hybrid genes, suggesting recombination and/or deletion as major evolutionary forces. We identify BG genes in the chicken whole genome shotgun sequence, as well as by comparison to other haplotypes by fibre fluorescence in situ hybridisation, confirming dynamic expansion and contraction within the BG region. Thus, the BG genes in chickens are undergoing much more rapid evolution compared to their homologues in mammals, for reasons yet to be understood.
Protection against T1DM-Induced Bone Loss by Zinc Supplementation: Biomechanical, Histomorphometric, and Molecular Analyses in STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats

Several studies have established an association between diabetes and alterations in bone metabolism; however, the underlying mechanism is not well established. Although zinc is recognized as a potential preventive agent against diabetes-induced bone loss, there is no evidence demonstrating its effect in chronic diabetic conditions. This study evaluated the effects of zinc supplementation in a chronic (90 days) type 1 diabetes-induced bone-loss model. Male Wistar rats were distributed in three groups: control, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and T1DM plus zinc supplementation (T1DMS). Serum biochemical analysis; tibia histomorphometric, biomechanical, and collagen-content analyses; and femur mRNA expression were evaluated. Relative to T1DM, the zinc-supplemented group showed increased histomorphometric parameters such as TbWi and BAr and decreased TbSp, increased biomechanical parameters (maximum load, stiffness, ultimate strain, and Young’s modulus), and increased type I collagen content. Interestingly, similar values for these parameters were observed between the T1DMS and control groups. These results demonstrate the protective effect of zinc on the maintenance of bone strength and flexibility. In addition, downregulation of OPG, COL1A, and MMP-9 genes was observed in T1DMS, and the anabolic effects of zinc were evidenced by increased OC expression and serum ALP activity, both related to osteoblastogenesis, demonstrating a positive effect on bone formation. In contrast, T1DM showed excessive bone loss, observed through reduced histomorphometric and biomechanical parameters, characterizing diabetes-associated bone loss. The bone loss was also observed through upregulation of OPG, COL1A, and MMP-9 genes. In conclusion, zinc showed a positive effect on the maintenance of bone architecture and biomechanical parameters. Indeed, OC upregulation and control of expression of OPG, COL1A, and MMP-9 mRNAs, even in chronic hyperglycemia, support an anabolic and protective effect of zinc under chronic diabetic conditions. Furthermore, these results indicate that zinc supplementation could act as a complementary therapy in chronic T1DM.
Measles virus nucleocapsid transport to the plasma membrane requires stable expression and surface accumulation of the viral matrix protein

In measles virus (MV)‐infected cells the matrix (M) protein plays a key role in virus assembly and budding processes at the plasma membrane because it mediates the contact between the viral surface glycoproteins and the nucleocapsids. By exchanging valine 101, a highly conserved residue among all paramyxoviral M proteins, we generated a recombinant MV (rMV) from cloned cDNA encoding for a M protein with an increased intracellular turnover. The mutant rMV was barely released from the infected cells. This assembly defect was not due to a defective M binding to other matrix‐ or nucleoproteins, but could rather be assigned to a reduced ability to associate with cellular membranes, and more importantly, to a defective accumulation at the plasma membrane which was accompanied by the deficient transport of nucleocapsids to the cell surface. Thus, we show for the first time that M stability and accumulation at intracellular membranes is a prerequisite for M and nucleocapsid co‐transport to the plasma membrane and for subsequent virus assembly and budding processes.
Influence of genetic variability at the ACE locus in intron 16 on Diabetic Nephropathy in T1DM patients.

BACKGROUND Diallelic [insertion/deletion (L/D)] polymorphism in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been reported inconsistently as being associated with risk of diabetic nephropathy (DN). OBJECTIVE To examine the three ACE poly-morphic variants in intron 16 for a possible role in modulating DN in T1DM patients from Kutch region, Gujarat. DESIGN AND SETTING I/D polymorphism in intron 16 of the ACE gene was examined in a case-control group (280 participants with T1DM, case participants n = 138; control participants n = 142) for association with nephropathy. All recruited individuals were carefully phenotyped and genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis methods. Suitable descriptive statistics was used for different variables. RESULTS No departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in cases or controls. Genetic polymorphism at the ACE locus in intron 16 were significantly associated with nephropathy when analyzed either by genotype or allele frequencies and D/D variant were significantly (p = 0.0002) associated with nephropathy at the 5% level. In multivariate analysis, D/D variant had an independent and strongest influence on the micro-albumin excretion (p = 0.002, OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.26-4.48). However, it did not independently change the odds of having macroalbuminuria versus microalbuminuria. CONCLUSION Genotype-associated differences in ACE in intron 16, have functional consequences in genetic susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy in a population with T1DM, and thus represent a potential DN genetic susceptibility locus worthy of replication.
How do software ecosystems evolve? a quantitative assessment of the r ecosystem.

In this work we advance the understanding of software eco-systems research by examining the structure and evolution of the R statistical computing open-source ecosystem. Our research attempts to shed light on the following intriguing question: what makes software ecosystems successful? The approach we follow is to perform a quantitative analysis of the R ecosystem. R is a well-established and popular ecosystem, whose community and marketplace are steadily growing. We assess and quantify the ecosystem throughout its history, and derive metrics on its core software components, the marketplace as well as its community. We use our insights to make observations that are applicable to ecosystems in general, validate existing theories from the literature, and propose a predictive model for the evolution of software packages. Our results show that the success of the ecosystem relies on a strong commitment by a small core of users who support a large and growing community.
Simulation of Shear and Bending Cracking in RC Beam: Material Model and its Application to Impact

This paper presents a simple and reliable non-linear numerical analysis incorporated with fully Lagrangian method namely Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) to predict the impact response of the reinforced concrete (RC) beam under impact loading. The analysis includes the simulation of the effects of high mass low-velocity impact load falling on beam structures. Three basic ideas to present the localized failure of structural elements are: (1) the accurate strength of concrete and steel reinforcement during the short period (dynamic), Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF) has been employed for the effect of strain rate on the compression and tensile strength (2) linear pressure-sensitive yield criteria (Drucker-Prager type) with a new volume dependent Plane-Cap (PC) hardening in the pre-peak regime is assumed for the concrete, meanwhile, shear-strain energy criterion (Von-Mises) is applied to steel reinforcement (3) two kinds of constitutive equation are introduced to simulate the crushing and bending cracking of the beam elements. Then, these numerical analysis results were compared with the experimental test results.