Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“If you could change two things”: Social workers in schools talk about what could improve schools’ responses to child abuse and neglect

INTRODUCTION: Given recent legislative changes to the child welfare system in Aotearoa New Zealand, it was deemed timely to examine the challenges faced by school-based social workers and other school professionals in responding to child abuse and neglect (CAN). METHOD: A qualitative study of school professionals’ responses to CAN included 20 semistructured interviews with school-based social workers. The participants were asked to describe two things that, from their perspective, would improve schools’ responses to CAN. This article reports on this aspect of the study. FINDINGS: Four main themes were identified in social workers’ responses: the necessity for improved training for teachers on CAN; better support for teachers; a more holistic approach to child wellbeing; and enhanced understanding of child welfare. IMPLICATIONS: These findings pose challenges to both initial teacher education and crossagency child protection. School social workers use their relationship skills and knowledge to act as bridges between teacher education, school leaders, teachers and the Ministry for Children Oranga Tamariki and believe they can do more.
Routing and Power Allocation in MIMO Two-Way Multihop Networks: A New Cross-Layer Approach to Mitigate Interference

We propose a new cross-layer approach to mitigate interference in multihop networks. Precisely, we cancel all adjacent node interference in a multihop path by MIMO two-way relay scheme and jointly optimize the routing and power allocation to mitigate the interference from far nodes. We model and efficiently solve this optimization problem using a geometric programming framework. Our simulation results showed that this cross-layer approach provided significant end-to-end capacity gain and outperformed conventional multihop schemes. Also, a number of hops ranging from 2 to 6 was optimal in interference-limited regime. Finally, single hop MIMO routing was shown to provide higher capacity only in very high SNR scenarios.
Optimization of Risk Management by Life Cycle Costing and Application to the European Train Control System

Das Ziel der Dissertation ist die Optimierung von begrenzten Ressourcen furs Risikomanagement mittels LZK. Dafur werden Risikomanagement und LZK zu einem neuen Konzept Holistic Life Cycle Optimization (HLCO) kombiniert und ein neues Universelles HLCO Verfahren entwickelt, das eine individuelle Optimierung eines beliebigen Investitionsobjektes ermoglicht. Es kann bei jedem Investitionsobjekt gleichzeitig alle Kosten, Nutzen, Risiken, Chancen und ihre Dependenzen optimieren. Um hohere Investitionen in das Risikomanagement zu rechtfertigen, wird ein neues Erklarungsmodell Marketing Substitution zur Quantifizierung von Imageschaden wegen des subjektiven Risikoempfindens vorgeschlagen. Zusatzlich werden neue stochastische Modelle Mittleres Risiko und Mittlere Chance als verbesserte Mase fur mittlere negative oder positive Abweichungen entwickelt. Darauf basierend werden neue verbesserte Auswahlentscheidungsmodelle Relative Reinvestitionsrentabilitat und Absoluter Reinvestitionsgewinn, entwickelt, um jede Wahrscheinlichkeitsverteilung zusammenzufassen. Um gleichzeitig alle Dependenzen zwischen den Zufallsvariablen zu berucksichtigen, wird ein neues Aggregationsmodell Aggregation zum Vermogenswert mit Dependenzfaktoren entwickelt. Daruber hinaus wird ein neues computergestutztes Gestaltungsmodell Gleichzeitiger Gestaltungsentscheidungsalgorithmus entwickelt. Es optimiert gleichzeitig den Investitionsmix, die finanziellen Risikoreserven und die Kredithohe. Es kann die optimale Ersatzalternative und den -zeitpunkt finden, falls Ersatzinvestitionen Elemente in der Menge verfugbarer Alternativen sind. Das gilt auch fur Investitionen ins Risikomanagement. So reprasentiert der optimale Mix die optimale Allokation von begrenzten Ressourcen furs Risikomanagement und die LZK. Schlieslich werden die neuen universellen Forschungsergebnisse aufs ETCS angewendet und ein neues wirtschaftliches und sicherheitsrelevantes technisches Prinzip fur die Zugintegritatsprufung an Bord entwickelt.
An assessment of pregnant women's knowledge and use of the Internet for medication safety information and purchase

AIM The aim of this study was to assess pregnant women's Internet searching activity about medication safety, knowledge and perceptions of medication risk and willingness to take prescribed and non-prescribed medication or make online medication purchases. BACKGROUND Online medication advice for pregnant women is complex. The quality and veracity of this data is increasingly important as more midwives report women are bringing retrieved online information to clinical appointments. Pregnant women's use of the Internet for seeking medication advice and purchasing medications has not yet been fully investigated. DESIGN Online survey conducted from January - March 2013. FINDINGS Of the 284 respondents, 39% were taking a medication when they became pregnant and 76% had searched the Internet for medication safety information. Analgesics were the most commonly searched category (41%). Health service sites were the most common online source and regarded as the most helpful and trusted. Regardless of age and education level, 90% of women agreed that if trying to become pregnant they would reconsider taking any medications because of the potential risk to their unborn baby. Forty-six percent of women with higher levels of education consider buying medication online as safe, a greater proportion than those of lower education. Five percent of women reported buying medication online. CONCLUSION The lack of specific recommendations for medication use during pregnancy is challenging for healthcare staff and pregnant women who need robust evidence to make informed treatment decisions. The Internet is a recognized, commonly accessed, source of medication information for pregnant women.
Three parameters, plasma thrombopoietin levels, plasma glycocalicin levels and megakaryocyte culture, distinguish between different causes of congenital thrombocytopenia

Summary. Fourteen children with congenital thrombocytopenia were analysed in order to unravel the mechanisms underlying their thrombocytopenia and to evaluate the value of new laboratory tests, namely measurement of plasma thrombopoietin (Tpo) and glycocalicin (GC) levels and analysis of megakaryocytopoiesis in vitro. Three groups of patients were included. The first group (n = 6) was diagnosed with congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia. They had no megakaryocytes in the bone marrow, three out of four patients showed no megakaryocyte formation in vitro, and all had high Tpo and low GC levels. Mutations in the thrombopoietin receptor gene, c‐mpl, were the cause. The second group of patients (n = 3) had normal Tpo and severely decreased GC levels. In bone marrow, normal to increased numbers of atypical, dysmature megakaryocytes were present. In vitro megakaryocyte formation was quantitatively normal. A defect in final megakaryocyte maturation and subsequent (pro‐)platelets may be the cause of the thrombocytopenia. The patients in the third group (n = 5) had Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome (WAS). They had normal Tpo and GC levels and normal megakaryocyte formation both in vivo and in vitro. This corresponded with the generally accepted hypothesis that thrombocytopenia in WAS is due to increased platelet turnover. In conclusion, different causes of congenital thrombocytopenia can be distinguished using three parameters: Tpo and GC plasma levels and in vitro analysis of megakaryocytopoiesis. Therefore, these parameters may be helpful in early diagnosis of different forms of congenital thrombocytopenia.
Older and Wiser: How CEOs’ Time Perspective Influences Long‐Term Investments in Environmentally Responsible Technologies

Most theories of corporate governance argue that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) take less risk as they near the end of their career, and therefore are less likely to make major investments. This prediction is based on decisions related to firm-specific benefits; however, it may not be generalizable to decisions that involve broad societal goals. In terms of societal investments, CEOs with a longer time perspective may be more likely, rather than less likely, to invest. In this paper, we argue that a CEO’s future time perspective is fostered by shorter career horizons, longer tenures, higher organizational ownership, and less short-term compensation. We test these hypotheses on 150 observations from the U.S. investor-owned electric power generation sector over a three-year unbalanced sample (64.3% of the population). We applied random-effects generalized least squares (GLS) estimations to test our hypotheses, and found support for three out of four hypothesized relationships.
Impact of takeover processes on employees: Evidence from food, retail and financial sector

Takeover processes imply integration of different organizational cultures, especially in case of crossborder takeovers. Using a survey questionnaire, authors conducted a research to examine the changes and satisfaction with all interest groups in taken over companies operating in fields of food industry, retail sector and financial activity in the Serbian market. Method applied to process the data is discriminant analysis, and research results are presented tabular form as well as graphically in form of ellipses. The aim of the study is to examine the differences of impact of takeover processes on various interest groups of production company, retail chain and financial institution and assessment of their satisfaction. Study’s contribution is an informative support for managers of both company acquirer and target company in future acquisition processes, because analysis of differences, change and satisfaction of employees provides a concrete answer regarding elements influencing success of takeover process in terms of management of human.
Effect of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Serum 25(OH)D, Lipids and Markers of Insulin Resistance in Obese Adolescents: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial

Background/Aims: To determine the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], lipid profile and markers of insulin resistance in obese adolescents. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 58 obese adolescents (n = 58; 12-18 years of age) received either vitamin D3 (2,000 IU/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Total 25(OH)D, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and lipid profile were measured at baseline and following supplementation. Results: The trial was completed by 44/58 enrolled participants. At the end of the 12 weeks, total serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased to a modest degree (median 6 ng/ml) in the vitamin D-supplemented group (p < 0.001). Supplementation showed no detectable changes in fasting plasma glucose, insulin, homeostatic model of assessment index (HOMA-IR), lipids and highly sensitive C-reactive protein. Conclusions: 12 weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation in obese adolescents with 2,000 IU once daily resulted in a modest increase in 25(OH)D concentration in obese adolescents, but did not affect the lipid profile and markers of insulin resistance and inflammation. Further studies with higher doses of vitamin D3 and/or longer duration of supplementation are needed to understand if vitamin D3 supplementation can impact lipid profiles and markers of insulin resistance and inflammation in obese children.
The prognostic value of a histologic grading system, DNA profile, and MIB-1 expression in early stages of cervical squamous cell carcinomas

This study evaluated the prognostic importance of a new grading system focusing on the invasive tumor front, DNA profile, and the proliferation marker MIB-1. A complete geographic series of 172 women treated with radical hysterectomy (Wertheim–Meigs) for FIGO stage I–II cervical carcinomas was the target population. The analyses were performed on 141 (82%) squamous cell carcinomas of the complete series. During the period of observation (mean 222 months), 17 recurrences (12.1%) were encountered. Prognostic factors for disease-free survival were lymph node status (P < 0.000001), radical surgical margins (P = 0.00004), and tumor size (P = 0.002). The complete score of the invasive front grading system (IFG), and the individual scores of two variables—pattern of invasion and host response—were all significantly (P = 0.002, P = 0.007, P = 0.0001) associated with pelvic lymph node metastases. Host response was the single most important factor in the IFG system, and it was superior to the complete score in predicting lymph node metastases. The total IFG score was also a significant (P = 0.003) prognostic factor for disease-free survival. DNA ploidy, S-phase fraction, and MIB-1 expression were nonsignificant factors in predicting pelvic lymph node metastases and disease-free survival of the patient. The IFG in the original or modified versions could predict low- and high-risk groups of tumors and therefore be of value in treatment planning for these patients.
Feature Linking via Synchronization among Distributed Assemblies: Simulations of Results from Cat Visual Cortex

We recently discovered stimulus-specific interactions between cell assemblies in cat primary visual cortex that could constitute a global linking principle for feature associations in sensory and motor systems: stimulus-induced oscillatory activities (35-80 Hz) in remote cell assemblies of the same and of different visual cortex areas mutually synchronize, if common stimulus features drive the assemblies simultaneously. Based on our neurophysiological findings we simulated feature linking via synchronizations in networks of model neurons. The networks consisted of two one-dimensional layers of neurons, coupled in a forward direction via feeding connections and in lateral and backward directions via modulatory linking connections. The models' performance is demonstrated in examples of region linking with spatiotemporally varying inputs, where the rhythmic activities in response to an input, that initially are uncorrelated, become phase locked. We propose that synchronization is a general principle for the coding of associations in and among sensory systems and that at least two distinct types of synchronization do exist: stimulus-forced (event-locked) synchronizations support crude instantaneous associations and stimulus-induced (oscillatory) synchronizations support more complex iterative association processes. In order to bring neural linking mechanisms into correspondence with perceptual feature linking, we introduce the concept of the linking field (association field) of a local assembly of visual neurons. The linking field extends the concept of the invariant receptive field (RF) of single neurons to the flexible association of RFs in neural assemblies.
Sampling Procedures and Survey Methodologies for the 1996 Survey with Comparisons to Earlier National Roadside Surveys

This article describes the multistage sampling system employed in the 1996 national roadside survey and compares it to the sampling methods employed in the two prior surveys in 1973 and 1986. Also described are the data collection procedures at the selected sites, the breath-test devices used to collect blood alcohol concentration (BAC) data, and the methods used to impute BAC values where breath-test measures were not obtained. Overall, almost twice as many (6,298 in 1996 compared to 3,698 in 1973 and 3,043 in 1986) drivers were interviewed in the most recent national survey as in the previous efforts. The procedures implemented in the three surveys are sufficiently similar to permit comparison of these surveys conducted at 10-year intervals.
Concentration in the Banking Sector and Financial Stability: New Evidence

Theory suggests that the effect of banking market concentration on financial stability is mediated by several competing variables. Using a sample of 68 countries from 1997 to 2015, this paper proposes a unified empirical framework to test for the simultaneous presence and impact of the mediators through which concentration is expected to impact financial stability. The results indicate that the magnitude and net effect of the mediators depend upon the level of concentration. At lower levels of concentration, increasing concentration improves banking system stability via profitability. At higher levels of concentration, increasing concentration makes the banking system more fragile because of the cost of credit, diversification and the ease of monitoring. For intermediate levels, concentration has no significant effect on financial stability, as the competing moderators cancel each other out. The results suggest that an intermediate level of concentration may be optimal for welfare.
Depressive Symptoms and Short Telomere Length Are Associated with Increased Mortality in Bladder Cancer Patients

Background: Depression is associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with cancer; it has been hypothesized that depression-associated alterations in cell aging mechanisms, in particular, the telomere/telomerase maintenance system, may underlie this increased risk. We evaluated the association of depressive symptoms and telomere length to mortality and recurrence/progression in 464 patients with bladder cancer. Methods: We used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorder (SCID) to assess current depressive symptoms and lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD), respectively, and telomere length was assessed from peripheral blood lymphocytes. Multivariate Cox regression was used to assess the association of depression and telomere length to outcomes and the joint effect of both. Kaplan–Meier plots and log-rank tests were used to compare survival time of subgroups by depression variables and telomere length. Results: Patients with depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 16) had a 1.83-fold [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08–3.08; P = 0.024] increased risk of mortality compared with patients without depressive symptoms (CES-D < 16) and shorter disease-free survival time (P = 0.004). Patients with both depressive symptoms and lifetime history of MDD were at 4.88-fold (95% CI, 1.40–16.99; P = 0.013) increased risk compared with patients with neither condition. Compared to patients without depressive symptoms and long telomere length, patients with depressive symptoms and short telomeres exhibited a 4-fold increased risk of mortality (HR, 3.96; 95% CI, 1.86–8.41; P = 0.0003) and significantly shorter disease-free survival time (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Short telomere length and depressive symptoms are associated with bladder cancer mortality individually and jointly. Impact: Further investigation of interventions that impact depression and telomere length may be warranted in patients with cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(2); 336–43. ©2014 AACR.
Unbalanced membrane phospholipid compositions affect transcriptional expression of certain regulatory genes in Escherichia coli

The amount of porin protein OmpF in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli was reduced to one-third by the pgsA3 mutation that diminishes the amount of phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin in the membrane, whereas a cls (cardiolipin synthase) null mutation had no effect. Osmoregulation of OmpF was functional in the pgsA3 mutant. As assessed by the beta-galactosidase activities of lacZ fusions, the ompF expression was not reduced at the transcriptional level but was reduced about threefold at the posttranscriptional level by pgsA3. This reduction was mostly restored by a micF null mutation, and the micF RNA that inhibits the ompF mRNA translation was present 1.3 to 1.4 times more in the pgsA3 mutant, as assayed by RNase protection and Northern blot analyses. Elevation of the level of micF RNA was not restricted to acidic-phospholipid deficiency: OmpF was hardly detected and micF RNA was present 2.7 to 2.8 times more in a pssA null mutant that lacked phosphatidylethanolamine. Other common phenotypes of pgsA3 and pssA null mutants, reduced rates of cell growth and phospholipid synthesis, were not the cause of micF activation. Salicylate, which activates micF expression and inhibits cell motility, did not repress the flagellar master operon. These results imply that an unbalanced phospholipid composition, rather than a decrease or increase in the amount of specific phospholipid species, induces a phospholipid-specific stress signal to which certain regulatory genes respond positively or negatively according to their intrinsic mechanisms.
Fluctuation of serum HCV‐RNA levels in untreated blood donors with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

The hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐RNA levels were measured in 281 serum samples from 32 untreated volunteer blood donors prospectively collected over a period of 14–73 months. The HCV‐RNA levels were tested by the branched DNA signal amplification assay. The mean HCV‐RNA levels of each donor ranged from 4.92 log10–6.36 log10 gene equivalents/mL (25%, median, 75% percentile; 5.51, 5.79, 6.12 log10 gene equivalents/mL). The fluctuations of HCV‐RNA levels in individuals, represented by the ratio of the maximum value divided by the minimum value, ranged from a 1.7‐ to a 141‐fold change. Fluctuations with more than a 10‐fold change were observed in five subjects: 11‐, 15‐, 17‐, 96‐ and 141‐fold changes. Eleven subjects were followed for at least 5 years; all subjects had fluctuations of HCV‐RNA levels greater than 3‐fold during the observation period. No blood donor was observed whose HCV levels changed from a high‐level phase to a low‐level phase or from low to high. No subjects cleared HCV during follow‐up, although two had undetectable HCV‐RNA levels transiently. These findings reveal that changes in HCV‐RNA levels occur which are unrelated to treatment with interferon and ribavirin.
Deciphering Vascular Endothelial Cell Growth Factor/Vascular Permeability Factor Signaling to Vascular Permeability

Vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) was originally described as a potent vascular permeability factor (VPF) that importantly contributes to vascular pathobiology. The signaling pathways that underlie VEGF/VPF-induced permeability are not well defined. Furthermore, endogenous vascular peptides that regulate this important VPF function are currently unknown. We report here that VPF significantly enhances permeability in aortic endothelial cells via a linked signaling pathway, sequentially involving Src, ERK, JNK, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT. This leads to the serine/threonine phosphorylation and redistribution of actin and the tight junction (TJ) proteins, zona occludens-1 and occludin, and the loss of the endothelial cell barrier architecture. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) inhibited VPF signaling, TJ protein phosphorylation and localization, and VPF-induced permeability. This involved both guanylate cyclase and natriuretic peptide clearance receptors. In vivo, transgenic mice that overexpress ANP showed significantly less VPF-induced kinase activation and vascular permeability compared with non-transgenic littermates. Thus, ANP acts as an anti-permeability factor by inhibiting the signaling functions of VPF that we define here and by preserving the endothelial cell TJ functional morphology.