Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defining 'Quality' in Social Policy Research: Views, Perceptions and a Framework for Discussion

This report presents the findings from an innovative mixed methods study of over 250 social policy researchers and users of research and how they conceptualise ‘quality’ in social policy research and how they judge the quality of published research texts. It draws on three sources of original data: an Internet survey of 251 respondents, six discussion groups with 26 participants and in-depth telephone interviews with a further 28 interviewees. The study is the first to capture the range of views and criteria concerning ‘quality’ that are held by members of the ‘social policy community’. The report provides a synthesis of the key findings from all sources of data. It examines indicators of quality in quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, cross-national and theoretical social policy research; it explores whether there is a perceived ‘hierarchy’ of methods in social policy research whereby the method and research design themselves are associated with higher quality; it reviews what the social policy community think of user involvement in research and how this involvement might affect quality; it discusses how ‘originality’, ‘significance’ and ‘rigour’ can be conceived of as criteria of quality; and it shows that within the social policy community it is possible to construct a ranking of quality criteria with some indicators receiving significantly more support than others. The report will be supplemented by a number of specialist articles that will report in more depth particular aspects of the research. An email alert service is available for those who would like access to these other publications (see inside front cover for details). This report is timely given the growing concern in higher education for assessing quality in research, particularly the quality of published research, through the mechanism of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The data contained in the report, and the findings, will be of interest to those who conduct, manage, fund, publish, review or use social policy research and particularly to those who need to make judgements about the quality of published studies. It is hoped that the publication of this report will generate dialogue and debate within and outside the social policy community about what counts as ‘quality’.
Evaluation of the bond strength between a composite resin and enamel submitted to bleaching treatment and etched with Er:YAG laser.

BACKGROUND The use of laser irradiation for dental surface treatment may increase tooth-composite bond strength. Its use on bleached teeth may decrease the waiting time between bleaching and restorative procedures. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the bond strength between a composite resin and bovine enamel bleached with 35% hydrogen peroxide and etched with Er:YAG laser. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty bovine teeth were randomly divided into six groups (n = 5): G1, unbleached and restored 24 h after storage in artificial saliva, etching with 35% phosphoric acid (PA) (control); G2, unbleached and restored 24 h after storage in artificial saliva, etching with Er:YAG laser and 35% PA; G3, bleached and restored immediately afterward, etching with 35% PA; G4, bleached and restored 24 h after bleaching, etching with 35% PA; G5, bleached and restored immediately afterward, etching with Er:YAG and 35% PA laser; G6, bleached and restored 24 h after bleaching, etching with Er:YAG laser and 35% PA. Bond strength was quantitatively evaluated by microtensile test (1.0 mm/min). Data were submitted to statistical analysis using ANOVA and Tukey tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS Bond strength values (MPa) were G1, 26.17 ± 4.44; G2, 28.87 ± 3.94; G3, 17.25 ± 4.58; G4, 21.93 ± 5.02; G5, 16.69 ± 2.31; and G6, 29.06 ± 8.31. There was no statistically significant difference among groups G1, G2, and G6 (p = 0.119), which presented higher bond strength than group G4, followed by groups G3 and G5. CONCLUSION Er:YAG irradiation of bleached surfaces may favor bonding procedures when performed 24 h after bleaching.
Salivary Antioxidant Capacity in Graft versus Host Disease

Stem cell transplantation (SCT)-related salivary gland injury and dysfunction result in local and systemic manifestations that may be long lasting and are associated with a high rate of morbidity and increased risk of infection. The salivary antioxidant system may have a major protective role. We, therefore, assessed salivary antioxidant capacity and function in 30 patients who had undergone SCT: 18 males and 12 females whose median age was 36 years (range: 7–58). Salivary gland function was assessed by sialometric and biochemistry means, which included measuring total protein, secretory IgA (SIgA) and the antioxidants peroxidase, uric acid (UA), and total antioxidant status (TAS) in the collected saliva. In patients who developed graft versus host disease (GVHD), we observed a significant decrease of the salivary flow rate, from 0.74 ± 0.14 ml/minute to 0.19 ± 0.08 ml/min, pre- and post-SCT, respectively (p < 0.01) with no recovery. In contrast, in patients who underwent autologous or allogeneic SCT and did not develop GVHD, salivary flow rates returned to normal 3–5 months posttransplantation. GVHD also resulted in a concomitant reduction of the salivary protein content and the salivary antioxidant capacity. The TAS levels in the saliva of the GVHD patients were found to be significantly reduced, to about one-third of the base-line value (P < 0.02). The concomitant reduction in salivary flow rate, protein content, and antioxidant capacity may well explain the GVHD-induced oral and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) mucositis, as the saliva constantly swallowed into the GIT losses its usual antioxidant protective roles. In conclusion, our findings may point at a possible new mechanism for the pathogenesis of oral and intestinal mucositis in pre-GVHD patients. Therapy with artificial saliva and free radical scavengers and/or antioxidants (administered either systemically or via oral rinses) thus, may be of clinical relevance.
Comparison of Unilateral Spinal and General Anaesthesia in Total Hip Operations : A Prospective Controlled Study

Hip fractures are common, potentially devastating events for elderly patients. Hip fractures are usually treated in hospital with surgery so these patients will need anaesthesia. The impact of anaesthetic techniques in patients experiencing hip fracture is controversial. This study was conducted to compare the effects of two anaestehic techniques: unilateral spinal and general anaesthesia on haemodynamy and postoperative cognitive disfunction (POCD) in elderly patients undergoing hip surgery. Fifty two American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) II-III patients, aged between 60-85 years, undergoing hip fracture repair were randomly allocated to receive; unilateral spinal anaesthesia with 7.5 mg 0.5 % hyperbaric bupivacaine (Group USpA, n=26) or general anaesthesia (Group GA, n=26). After maintaining the lateral position for 15 minutes sensorial block levels and motor block degrees were determined at 5, 15, 30 and 45 minutes in group USpA and haemodynamic parameters were determined at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes in both groups. POCD was evaluated preoperatively, postoperative 1st day and 3rd month. After 15 minutes 73.3% unilateral spinal anaesthesia was achieved in Group USpA. This ratio was found to be 60% after 30 minutes. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were significantly lower than initial values in Group USpA at 5. and 10. minutes and at the 45. minute in Group GA. In group comparisons there was a significant difference in haemodynamic parameters at 5. and 45. minutes. POCD was significantly higher in Group GA than Group USpA in postoperative 1st day but the difference was not significant in postoperative 3rd months. Unilateral spinal anaesthesia generate similar haemodynamic changes compared to general anaesthesia. Besides the effects on POCD similar to general anaesthesia. It was concluded that in elderly patients with high anaesthesia risk unilateral spinal and general anaesthesia have comparable effects.
Assortment and the Evolution of Generalized Reciprocity

Reciprocity is often invoked to explain cooperation. Reciprocity is cognitively demanding, and both direct and indirect reciprocity require that individuals store information about the propensity of their partners to cooperate. By contrast, generalized reciprocity, wherein individuals help on the condition that they received help previously, only relies on whether an individual received help in a previous encounter. Such anonymous information makes generalized reciprocity hard to evolve in a well-mixed population, as the strategy will lose out to pure defectors. Here we analyze a model for the evolution of generalized reciprocity, incorporating assortment of encounters, to investigate the conditions under which it will evolve. We show that, in a well-mixed population, generalized reciprocity cannot evolve. However, incorporating assortment of encounters can favor the evolution of generalized reciprocity in which indiscriminate cooperation and defection are both unstable. We show that generalized reciprocity can evolve under both the prisoner's dilemma and the snowdrift game.
A novel framework for automated targeting of unstained living cells in bright field microscopy

This paper presents a unified framework aimed at detecting unstained living cells in bright-field (BF) microscopy and finding suitable microinjection points within their surface. Automatic localization of cells is a critical step in improving the procedure of microinjection that, so far, is still conducted manually by trained operators. This work compares different state of the art image processing approaches and combines them into a novel integrated algorithm. Three techniques, operating at three different focus levels, are described: an anisotropic contour completion (ACC) method, a local intensity variation background-foreground classifier and a threshold based segmentation. Furthermore, we point out the benefits and drawbacks of each method in finding viable injection points. Experiments carried out on real images of 10 to 50µm CHO-K1 adherent cells showed that the combination of these microscopy methods resulted in remarkably high cell identification performance and correct targeting rates close to 97%.
Attitudes of respiratory care practitioners and students regarding pulmonary prevention.

STUDY OBJECTIVES (1) To examine attitudes of respiratory care practitioners (RCPs) and RCP students toward pulmonary disease prevention behaviors and their role in promoting them. (2) To compare RCPs' attitudes regarding pulmonary prevention with existing medical student survey data. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SETTING Three sites (Valhalla, NY; Winston-Salem, NC; Houston, TX). PARTICIPANTS One hundred ninety RCPs and 164 RCP students compared with 5,744 medical students. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS Subjects completed a 35-item RCP Preventive Pulmonary Attitude (PPA) Survey using a five-point scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). A higher score indicates a more positive attitude toward prevention. RCP total scores averaged 117.6 (SD, 15.7; range, 52 to 160). RCP student total scores were significantly higher than RCP practitioners. No significant differences were observed by gender or by type of patient served (pediatric vs adult). RCPs with a history of tobacco smoking had significantly lower scores than RCPs who had never smoked. Most, but not all, respondents acknowledged the importance of patients with chronic lung disease receiving a yearly influenza vaccination. Total PPA scores for medical students were significantly lower than scores for both RCPs and RCP students. Significant differences were noted for a number of individual items. CONCLUSIONS In general, RCPs had positive attitudes regarding the importance of prevention counseling and their role in providing this to patients. This is important given their potential as a resource in pulmonary prevention efforts. More attention to inclusion of training and evaluation of RCP effectiveness in promoting respiratory health is needed.
Low-Frequency Power Decoupling in Single-Phase Applications: A Comprehensive Overview

This paper presents a literature overview of all techniques proposed until the submission of this paper in terms of mitigating power oscillation in single-phase applications. This pulsating energy is the major factor for increasing the size of passive components and power losses in the converter and can be responsible for losses or malfunctioning of the dc sources. Reduction of power ripple at twice the fundamental frequency is one of the key elements to increase power converter density without lack of dc stiffness. Pulsation reduction is achieved by incorporating control techniques or auxiliary circuitries with energy storage capability in reactive elements to avoid this oscillating power to propagate through the converter, creating what is called as single-phase power decoupling. The topologies are divided as: rectifiers, inverters, and bidirectional. Among them, it is possible to classify as isolated and nonisolated converters. The energy storage method may be classify as: capacitive and inductive. For the power decoupling technique, it is convenient to divide as control and topology. The power decoupling technique may be implemented as series or parallel with respect to the ac, dc or link side. This paper represents the best reference on this topic.
Acute Pancreatitis of Unknown Etiology in the Elderly

OBJECTIVE The incidence of acute pancreatitis in the elderly patient is increasing, and a significant number of such patients have no clearly defined etiology of their pancreatitis. To delineate the role of early organ failure versus progressive pancreatic disease in the morbidity and mortality, the authors' experience with patients older than 60 years with acute pancreatitis was reviewed. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA As many as 30%-40% of elderly patients with acute pancreatitis have an unclear etiology and such patients have high rates of early organ failure and death. While some authorities have shown that pre-existing disease in these elderly patients did not contribute to subsequent morbidity, others have demonstrated that poor outcome was related to co-existing medical illness. METHODS Their review of acute pancreatitis in the elderly was grouped into known and unknown etiology patients. Various parameters such as morbidity, mortality and length of stay were then compared between the two groups. Severity of organ failure and acute pancreatitis on admission were both graded and attempts made to correlate this severity with subsequent outcome. RESULTS Unknown etiology patients had a greater number of Ranson's criteria (3.5 +/- .44 vs. 2.4 +/- .18) (p < 0.02), higher morbidity (48% vs. 22%) (p < 0.05), higher mortality (24% vs. 8.3%), and more SICU days (4.4 +/- 1.3 vs. 1.6 +/- .44) (p < 0.05) when compared with the known etiology group. Duration of symptoms, admission hypotension, and Ranson's criteria were unsuccessful in predicting mortality. Functional status of the various organ systems on admission did predict subsequent mortality. CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients with acute pancreatitis of unknown etiology present with a more severe disease, have higher morbidity and longer SICU stays, and appear to have greater compromise of organ function. Organ function compromise correlates with mortality and appears more significant than severity of pancreatic disease. Aggressive support of such organ systems may be beneficial in the management of these patients.
Morphological, stereological and radiological changes in pinealectomized chicken cervical vertebrae

Abstract: Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that melatonin plays an important role in osteogenesis. We carried out an experiment to investigate histological and radiological changes in the cervical vertebrae of pinealectomized chickens. Thirty new‐hatched chicks were divided into two groups: pinealectomized group (n = 15) and nonpinealectomized control (n = 15). Surgical pinealectomies were performed in Hybro broiler chickens at the age of 3 days. At 8 wk, one animal from each group was examined using computed tomography scanner to obtain density histograms of four consecutive vertebrae between the 4th and 7th cervical vertebral segments of chickens. At the end of the study, all animals were killed for subsequent measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) and macroscopic, radiographic and histopathological evaluation of specimens. We found that the profile of the density histogram in nonpinealectomized control group showed a spike profile for the vertebral body, indicating an increase in the amount of higher density tissues in this region, while a plateau‐shaped profile was obtained for the vertebral body in pinealectomy group, indicating the presence of heterogenous bone tissue. Accordingly, the mean value of BMD in pinealectomy group was significantly lower at the vertebral body in chickens compared with control subjects (P < 0.001). At the end of the experiment, almost all of the chickens in pinealectomy group developed a scoliotic curvature and the mean weight and length of the cervical vertebral bodies of the pinealectomized chickens were significantly lower than those of control group (P < 0.001). Although the numerical density of osteocytes and osteoblasts in pinealectomy group was significantly higher than that from the control group, total number of osteocytes but not osteoblasts in cervical vetrebrae from pinealectomized animals was significantly lower than that from nonpinealectomized control animals (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the results of the current study demonstrated for the first time pinealectomy‐induced histomorphometrical changes in chicken vertebral column using stereological methods, suggesting that pineal gland/melatonin may have an osteoinductive effect on bone formation, but further studies are needed to elucidate the relationship of our findings with some disorders such as postmenopausal and/or senile osteoporosis.
Induction of Human Lung Mast Cell Apoptosis by Granule Permeabilization: A Novel Approach for Targeting Mast Cells

Mast cells are implicated as detrimental players in inflammatory lung diseases, particularly asthma. Mast cells respond to activating stimuli by releasing a wide panel of pro-inflammatory compounds that can contribute profoundly to the pathology, and there is currently an unmet need for strategies that efficiently ameliorate harmful effects of mast cells under such conditions. Here, we sought to evaluate a novel concept for targeting human lung mast cells, by assessing the possibility of selectively depleting the lung mast cells by induction of apoptosis. For this purpose, we used lysosomotropic agents, i.e., compounds that are known to permeabilize the secretory granules of mast cells, thereby releasing the contents of the granules into the cytosol. Either intact human lung tissue, purified human lung mast cells or mixed populations of human lung cells were incubated with the lysosomotropic agents mefloquine or siramesine, followed by measurement of apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and release of cytokines. We show that human lung mast cells were highly susceptible to apoptosis induced by this strategy, whereas other cell populations of the lung were largely refractory. Moreover, we demonstrate that apoptosis induced by this mode is dependent on the production of ROS and that the treatment of lung tissue with lysosomotropic agents causes a decrease in the release of pathogenic cytokines. We conclude that selective apoptosis of human lung mast cells can be accomplished by administration of lysosomotropic agents, thus introducing the possibility of using such drugs as novel therapeutics in the treatment of inflammatory lung disorders such as asthma.
Inosine Exerts a Broad Range of Antiinflammatory Effects in a Murine Model of Acute Lung Injury

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of inosine on the acute lung inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vivo and on the activation and cytotoxicity elicited by proinflammatory cytokines on human lung epithelial (A549) cells in vitro. Summary Background DataInosine is an endogenous purine recently shown to exert immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory effects. MethodsMice challenged with intratracheal LPS (50 &mgr;g) were treated after 1, 6, and 12 hours with inosine (200 mg/kg intraperitoneal) or vehicle. After 24 hours, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained to measure proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-&agr;], interleukin [IL]-1&bgr;, IL-6), and antiinflammatory (IL-10, IL-4) cytokines, chemokines (MIP-1&agr; and MIP-2), myeloperoxidase activity and total cell counts, nitric oxide production, and proteins. Lung histology and immunohistochemical detection of 3-nitrotyrosine, a marker of nitrosative stress, were performed in inflated-fixed lungs. In vitro, cell viability and production of the chemokine IL-8 were evaluated in A549 cells stimulated with a mixture of cytokines in the presence or absence of inosine. ResultsInosine downregulated the LPS-induced expression of TNF-&agr;, IL-1&bgr;, IL-6 and MIP-2 and tended to reduce MIP-1&agr;, whereas it enhanced the production of IL-4. Total leukocyte counts, myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide production, and proteins were all significantly decreased by inosine. The purine also improved lung morphology and suppressed 3-nitrotyrosine staining in the lungs after LPS. Inosine attenuated the cytotoxicity and the expression of IL-8 induced by proinflammatory cytokines in A549 cells. ConclusionsInosine largely suppressed LPS-induced lung inflammation in vivo and reduced the toxicity of cytokines in lung cells in vitro. These data support the proposal that inosine might represent a useful adjunct in the therapy of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Sustainable Exploitation of Coffee Silverskin in Water Remediation

Coffee silverskin (CS), the main solid waste produced from the coffee industry, has efficiently been used as adsorbent material to remove potential toxic metals (PTMs). In order to assess its suitability in water remediation, kinetic adsorption experiments of Cu2+, Zn2+, and Ni2+ ions from wastewater were carried out and the adsorption performance of the waste material was compared with that of another well-known waste from coffee industry, spent coffee grounds (SCG). By using CS as sorbent material, ion removal follows the order Cu2+ > Zn2+ > Ni2+ with the adsorption equilibrium occurring after about 20 min. The adsorption efficiency of Ni2+ ions is the same for both investigated materials, while Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions are removed to a lesser extent by using CS. Equilibrium-adsorption data were analyzed using two different isotherm models (Langmuir and Freundlich), demonstrating that monolayer-type adsorption occurs on both CS and SCG surfaces. The overall results support the use of coffee silverskin as a new inexpensive adsorbent material for PTMs from wastewater.
Yet Another Wavelet Watermarking Scheme for Copyright Protection

This paper proposes a wavelet watermarking scheme for copyright protection of digital images. A secret sort is generated from the low frequency sub-band and used to improve the embedding intensity. From the experimental results, the proposed scheme is robust to withstand the wide variety of image processing attacks such as JPEG compression, scaling, cropping, and filtering attacks.