Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empowering learning support assistants to enhance the emotional wellbeing of children in school

This article is practice based in that its main emphasis is on how psychological theory into behavioural, emotional and social development can be used to empower learning support assistants (LSAs) to increase children’s skills in the area of emotional literacy. For the past two decades, since the introduction of a national curriculum, the educational focus in the United Kingdom has been principally on raising academic attainment within schools. Yet in recent years there has been a growing appreciation by Government that to raise standards it is not sufficient to focus solely upon the content of the curriculum and the way in which it is delivered. Schools need to be concerned with the all round development of children and young people, as shown by the introduction of the Every Child Matters (2005) programme with its broader and enduring outcome measures. This paper describes how an educational psychology service has developed training and support that aims to increase the success of pupils by empowering LSAs to address pupils’ emotional needs. It explores the rationale for investing significant time and effort into such work and describes how a small pilot project has been extended to become a county-wide initiative across primary and secondary phases of education. Consideration is given to the partnership with schools and the practical aspects to be considered in an initiative of this kind. Early evaluation results are reported and areas for development are considered, including further in-depth evaluation of individual outcomes for pupils.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Carboplatin in High-Dose Protocol (TI-CE) for Advanced Germ Cell Tumors: Pharmacokinetic Results of a Phase II Multicenter Study

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the performance of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) approach in controlling interpatient variability of carboplatin exposure (AUC) in patients treated with TI-CE high-dose chemotherapy for advanced germ cell tumors and to assess the possibility of using a formula-based dosing method as a possible alternative. Experimental Design: Eighty-nine patients receiving carboplatin for 3 consecutive days during 3 cycles were evaluable for pharmacokinetic study. Blood samples were taken on day 1 to determine the carboplatin clearance using a Bayesian approach (NONMEM 7.2) and to adjust the dose on day 3 to reach the target AUC of 24 mg.min/mL over 3 days. On days 2 and 3, samples were taken for retrospective assessment of the actual AUC. A population pharmacokinetic analysis was also performed on 58 patients using NONMEM to develop a covariate equation for carboplatin clearance prediction adapted for future TI-CE patients, and its performance was prospectively evaluated on the other 29 patients along with different methods of carboplatin clearance prediction. Results: The mean actual AUC was 24.4 mg.min/mL per cycle (22.4 and 26.8 for 10th and 90th percentiles, respectively). The new covariate equation [CL (mL/min) = 130.7 × (Scr/83)−0.826 × (BW/76)+0.907 × (Age/36)−0.223 with Scr in μmol/L, BW in kilograms, age in years] allows unbiased and more accurate prediction of carboplatin clearance compared with other equations. Conclusions: TDM allows controlling and reaching the target AUC. Alternatively, the new equation of carboplatin clearance prediction, better adapted to these young male patients, could be used if TDM cannot be implemented. Clin Cancer Res; 23(23); 7171–9. ©2017 AACR.
Corpus callosum damage and cognitive dysfunction in benign MS

Corpus callosum (CC), the largest compact white matter fiber bundle of the human brain involved in interhemispheric transfer, is frequently damaged in the course of multiple sclerosis (MS). Cognitive impairment is one of the factors affecting quality of life of patients with benign MS (BMS). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the cognitive profile of BMS patients and the extent of tissue damage in the CC. Brain conventional and DT MRI scans were acquired from 54 BMS patients and 21 healthy controls. Neuropsychological tests (NPT) exploring memory, attention, and frontal lobe cognitive domains were administered to the patients. DT tractography was used to calculate the mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the CC normal appearing white matter (NAWM). An index of CC atrophy was also estimated. Nine (17%) BMS patients fulfilled criteria for cognitive impairment. Compared with controls, BMS had significantly different CC diffusivity and volumetry (P < 0.001). Compared with cognitively preserved patients, those with CI had significantly higher CC lesion volume (LV) (P = 0.02) and NAWM MD (P = 0.02). The scores obtained at PASAT were significantly correlated with CC T2 LV, and NAWM FA and MD (r values ranging from −0.31 to 0.66, P values ranging from 0.04 to <0.001). Cognitive impairment in BMS is associated with the extent of CC damage in terms of both focal lesions and diffuse fiber bundle injury. MRI assessment of topographical distribution of tissue damage may represent a rewarding strategy for understanding the subtle clinical deficits of patients with BMS. Hum Brian Mapp 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unusual and Superfast Temperature‐Triggered Actuators

A superfast actuator based on a bilayer fibrous mat shows folding/unfolding and the formation of 3D structures in a fraction of a second. The actuation is reversible for many cycles without losing its form and size, with unfolding at room temperature and folding above 35 °C. The system is promising for making 3D bioscaffolds, electrodes, and micro-/macroactuators.
Clonal Diversity of Nosocomial Epidemic Acinetobacter baumannii Strains Isolated in Spain

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the major pathogens involved in nosocomial outbreaks. The clonal diversity of 729 epidemic strains isolated from 19 Spanish hospitals (mainly from intensive care units) was analyzed over an 11-year period. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) identified 58 PFGE types that were subjected to susceptibility testing, rpoB gene sequencing, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). All PFGE types were multidrug resistant; colistin was the only agent to which all pathogens were susceptible. The 58 PFGE types were grouped into 16 clones based on their genetic similarity (cutoff of 80%). These clones were distributed into one major cluster (cluster D), three medium clusters (clusters A, B, and C), and three minor clusters (clusters E, F, and G). The rpoB gene sequencing and MLST results reflected a clonal distribution, in agreement with the PFGE results. The MLST sequence types (STs) (and their percent distributions) were as follows: ST-2 (47.5%), ST-3 (5.1%), ST-15 (1.7%), ST-32 (1.7%), ST-79 (13.6%), ST-80 (20.3%), and ST-81 (10.2%). ST-79, ST-80, and ST-81 and the alleles cpn60-26 and recA29 are described for the first time. International clones I, II, and III were represented by ST-81, ST-2, and ST-3, respectively. ST-79 and ST-80 could be novel emerging clones. This work confirms PFGE and MLST to be complementary tools in clonality studies. Here PFGE was able to demonstrate the monoclonal pattern of most outbreaks, the inter- and intrahospital transmission of bacteria, and their endemic persistence in some wards. MLST allowed the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of Spanish clones to be monitored and permitted international comparisons to be made.
Assessing the Optimal Time Point for the Measurement of Extrastriatal Serotonin Transporter Binding with 123I-FP-CIT SPECT in Healthy, Male Subjects

123I-N-ω-fluoropropyl-2β-carboxymethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)nortropane (123I-FP-CIT) is commonly used to assess the dopamine transporter in the striatum. However, recent studies suggest that this tracer may be used also to assess binding to monoamine transporters in the midbrain or diencephalon, which may reflect predominantly serotonin transporter (SERT) binding. However, it is still unclear at what time point after injection SPECT should be performed for optimal assessment of SERT with123I-FP-CIT. Therefore, we examined the time course of extrastriatal 123I-FP-CIT binding. Methods: Nineteen healthy, male subjects were included, and SPECT images were acquired up to 3 h after 123I-FP-CIT injection. Region-of-interest analysis was performed, and specific-to-nonspecific binding ratios were calculated. Results: Specific-to-nonspecific 123I-FP-CIT binding ratios in the midbrain and diencephalon were significantly higher 2 h after injection than 1 h after injection and remained stable between 2 and 3 h after injection. Conclusion: The optimal time frame for assessing 123I-FP-CIT binding to extrastriatal SERT is between 2 and 3 h after injection of the tracer.
Perceptions of social capital and sexual behaviour among youth in South Africa

With about one quarter of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections occuring in young people, there is an on-going debate regarding the role of social capital on youth sexual behaviour. Some studies have suggested that high levels of family and community social capital may act as protective factors that lessen the likelihood of negative consequences; while others have concluded that social capital may be a risk factor for risky sexual behaviour among youth. Using data from the Third National Communications Survey (2012) conducted in South Africa, we examined the relationship between perceptions of social capital and youth sexual behaviour measured by age at first sex and condom use among 3 399 males and females (aged between 16 and 24 years). We assessed community perceptions of social capital with questions that measured trust, social participation, and support. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to predict the risk for early sexual debut. Logistic regression was used to predict the odds of condom use. There was no association between perceptions of social capital and youth sexual behaviour. This work reveals that youth sexual behaviour in South Africa may be influenced by socio-economic characteristics, especially at the individual level.
The Model for Understanding Success in Quality (MUSIQ): building a theory of context in healthcare quality improvement

Background Quality improvement (QI) efforts have become widespread in healthcare, however there is significant variability in their success. Differences in context are thought to be responsible for some of the variability seen. Objective To develop a conceptual model that can be used by organisations and QI researchers to understand and optimise contextual factors affecting the success of a QI project. Methods 10 QI experts were provided with the results of a systematic literature review and then participated in two rounds of opinion gathering to identify and define important contextual factors. The experts subsequently met in person to identify relationships among factors and to begin to build the model. Results The Model for Understanding Success in Quality (MUSIQ) is organised based on the level of the healthcare system and identifies 25 contextual factors likely to influence QI success. Contextual factors within microsystems and those related to the QI team are hypothesised to directly shape QI success, whereas factors within the organisation and external environment are believed to influence success indirectly. Conclusions The MUSIQ framework has the potential to guide the application of QI methods in healthcare and focus research. The specificity of MUSIQ and the explicit delineation of relationships among factors allows a deeper understanding of the mechanism of action by which context influences QI success. MUSIQ also provides a foundation to support further studies to test and refine the theory and advance the field of QI science.
Welfare Capitalism Around the World

This book offers a wide selection of country studies on different types of welfare capitalism from an real-typical point of view. It has been one of the few books ever to cover a great deal of welfare state system from around the world, depicting monumentally different ways in conceiving and developing different models of welfare capitalism, be it Singapore or Hong Kong, New Zealand or Canada, the US or the UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, Denmark or Sweden, Italy or Israel, Korea or Japan, or even countries in Latin America. The authors contributing to this book count to the who is who in welfare state comparison worldwide. Hence, this book is a vital source book, a must read and a must have for every social policy expert, public policy expert, and economist alike.
Single-center experience with a dual microcatheter technique for the endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms.

OBJECT The endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms can be technically challenging due to distal coil migration or impingement of the parent vessel. In this paper, the authors illustrate an alternative method for the treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms using a dual microcatheter technique. METHODS The authors' first 100 consecutive patients who underwent coil embolization of a wide-necked aneurysm using a dual microcatheter technique are reported. With this technique, 2 microcatheters are used to introduce coils into the aneurysm. The coils are deployed either sequentially or concurrently to form a stable construct and prevent coil herniation or migration. Angiographic and clinical outcomes are reported. RESULTS The technical success rate of the dual microcatheter technique is 91% with a morbidity and mortality of 1% and 2%, respectively. Clinical outcomes are excellent with 93% of patients demonstrating a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2 at long-term follow-up regardless of their score at presentation. Retreatment rates are 18%. CONCLUSIONS The dual microcatheter technique may be a safe and efficacious first line of treatment for widenecked aneurysms.
Dissecting characteristics and dynamics of differentially expressed proteins during multistage carcinogenesis of human colorectal cancer.

AIM To discover novel biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of human colorectal cancer. METHODS iTRAQ 2D LC-MS/MS analysis was used to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the human colonic epithelial carcinogenic process using laser capture microdissection-purified colonic epithelial cells from normal colon, adenoma, carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma tissues. RESULTS A total of 326 DEPs were identified, and four DEPs (DMBT1, S100A9, Galectin-10, and S100A8) with progressive alteration in the carcinogenic process were further validated by immunohistochemistry. The DEPs were involved in multiple biological processes including cell cycle, cell adhesion, translation, mRNA processing, and protein synthesis. Some of the DEPs involved in cellular process such as "translation" and "mRNA splicing" were progressively up-regulated, while some DEPs involved in other processes such as "metabolism" and "cell response to stress" was progressively down-regulated. Other proteins with up- or down-regulation at certain stages of carcinogenesis may play various roles at different stages of the colorectal carcinogenic process. CONCLUSION These findings give insights into our understanding of the mechanisms of colorectal carcinogenesis and provide clues for further investigation of carcinogenesis and identification of biomarkers.
Opioid peptides do not modulate atrial natriuretic peptide or aldosterone release under basal conditions in man.

The effect of two analogues of [Met]-enkephalin, [D-Ala2,N-Phe4,Met(0)-ol5]-enkephalin and its guanyl derivative, on plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and serum aldosterone in six normal subjects was investigated. All subjects were given a 1 litre water load to inhibit vasopressin release. Both analogues, when injected i.v. at a dose of 100 micrograms, stimulated release of prolactin and GH and inhibited serum cortisol; there was no significant change in blood pressure, pulse rate or urine output. Neither plasma concentrations of ANP nor serum aldosterone levels changed significantly after injection of either analogue at a low or high dose. Naloxone, given i.v. as an 8 mg bolus, also failed to alter concentrations of either ANP or aldosterone, while it significantly stimulated the release of serum LH and cortisol. It was concluded that under basal conditions opiate receptors are unable to modulate plasma ANP or serum aldosterone concentrations.
Functional studies of the gvpACNO operon of Halobacterium salinarium reveal that the GvpC protein shapes gas vesicles

Gas vesicle (Vac) synthesis in Halobacterium salinarium PHH1 involves the expression of the plasmid pHH1-encoded vac (p-vac) region consisting of 14 different gvp genes that are arranged in two clusters, p-gvpACNO and, oriented in the direction opposite to that of gvpA, p-gvpDEFGHIJKLM. The p-gvpACNO region was analyzed at the transcriptional and functional levels in H. salinarium and in Haloferax volcanii transformants containing subfragments of the p-vac region. The p-gvpACNO genes were transcribed as several mRNAs: the 270-nucleotide (nt) p-gvpA transcript, encoding the major structural protein, occurred in large amounts, and minor amounts of three different readthrough transcripts (p-gvpACN, and p-gvpACNO mRNA) were found. In addition, the p-gvpO gene gave rise to two separate mRNA species: a 550-nt mRNA starting at the ATG and spanning the entire reading frame and a 420-nt RNA encompassing the second half of the p-gvpO gene. The requirement of p-gvpC, p-gvpN, and p-gvpO gene expression for gas vesicle synthesis was assessed by transformation experiments using the VAC- species Haloferax volcanii as the recipient. A delta C transformant, harboring the p-vac region with a deletion of the p-gvpC gene, produced large amounts of irregularly shaped gas vesicles. A shape-forming function of p-GvpC was demonstrated by complementation of the delta C transformant with the p-gvpC gene, resulting in wild-type-shaped gas vesicles. In the delta N transformant, the level of gas vesicle synthesis was very low, indicating that the p-GvpN protein is not required for gas vesicle assembly but may enhance gas vesicle synthesis. The p-gvpN deletion did not affect accumulation of p-gvpACO mRNA but reduced the separate p-gvpO transcription. The delta O transformant was Vac- and had a strongly decreased level of p-gvpACN mRNAs, demonstrating that the p-GvpO protein is required for gas vesicle synthesis and may affect transcription of this DNA region.
Comparison of Adhesion Formation to Intra-Abdominal Mesh after Laparoscopic Adhesiolysis in the New Zealand White Rabbit

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of early adhesiolysis on long-term adhesion formation after the intraperitoneal implantation of polypropylene (PP) mesh and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) mesh in a rabbit model. Through a small midline laparotomy a 2 x 2-cm piece of mesh (n = 80) was sewn to an intact peritoneum on each side of a midline incision in 40 New Zealand White rabbits. Two types of ePTFE mesh [Dual Mesh (Dual) and modified Dual Mesh (C-Type), W.L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ] and PP mesh (Marlex, C.R. Bard, Murray Hill, NJ) were compared. In 10 rabbits (n = 20) a laparoscopic adhesiolysis (LapA) was performed at one week. Mesh adhesions were scored using a modified Diamond scale (0, 0%; 1, 1–25%; 2, 26–50%; and 3, >50%) at 1, 3, 9, and 16 weeks by serial microlaparoscopic (2 mm) examinations. After recording the final adhesion score at 16 weeks the prosthetic biomaterials were excised en bloc with the anterior abdominal wall for histologic evaluation of mesothelial layer growth (%) on the visceral surface of the mesh. Statistical differences (P value <0.05) were measured by chi-square and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. There were no statistical differences in mean adhesion scores at adhesiolysis at 7 days. The mean adhesion scores in the groups undergoing laparoscopic adhesiolysis was statistically less (P < 0.05) for PP and both ePTFE meshes at 3-, 9-, and 16-week intervals compared with those not undergoing adhesiolysis. The percentage of mesothelialization on the visceral surface of the mesh was not statistically different between the adhesiolysis and control groups for any of the prosthetic biomaterials. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis at one week minimizes subsequent adhesion formation to PP and ePTFE mesh over a 4-month follow-up. Adhesion formation within the first 7 days after mesh implantation appears to determine the long-term adhesion score. Eliminating adhesions to mesh by mechanical or other means during this critical time may control adhesions to the mesh and subsequent mesh-related complications.
Association between quantity and duration of snowfall and risk of myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: Although aggregate data suggest a link between snowfall and myocardial infarction (MI), individual risk has yet to be assessed. We evaluated the association between quantity and duration of snowfall and the risk of MI using nonaggregated administrative health data. METHODS: We used a case–crossover study design to investigate the association between snowfall and hospital admission or death due to MI in the province of Quebec, Canada, between November and April during 1981–2014. The main exposure measures were quantity (in centimetres) and duration (in hours) of snowfall by calendar day. We computed odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between daily snowfall and MI, adjusted for minimum daily temperatures. RESULTS: In all, 128 073 individual hospital admissions and 68 155 deaths due to MI were included in the analyses. The likelihood of MI was increased the day after a snowfall among men but not among women. Compared with 0 cm, 20 cm of snowfall was associated with an OR of 1.16 for hospital admission (95% CI 1.11–1.21) and 1.34 for death (95% CI 1.26–1.42) due to MI the following day among men. Corresponding ORs among women were 1.01 (95% CI 0.95–1.07) and 1.04 (95% CI 0.96–1.13). Similar but smaller associations were observed for snowfall duration (0 h v. 24 h) and MI. INTERPRETATION: Both the quantity and duration of snowfall were associated with subsequent risk of hospital admission or death due to MI, driven primarily by an effect in men. These data have implications for public health initiatives in regions with snowstorms.