Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy of an In-Service Education Program Designed to Enhance the Effectiveness of Physical Restraints

Background: Physical restraints are used to enhance the safety of patients and to avoid injury. However, physical restraints may cause injuries if improperly used or if they are used in the absence of continuous monitoring. Nursing staff who use physical restraints often lack sufficient related knowledge, which may increase the risk to patient safety. Purpose: This study investigates the impact of an in-service education program for nursing staff that is designed to improve physical-restraint-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and techniques. Methods: A pretest–posttest design and a quasi-experimental method were employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the in-service education program. One hundred thirty-six nursing staff from four adult intensive care units (ICUs), including two medical ICUs and two surgical ICUs, in a medical center in central Taiwan were enrolled as participants. The experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG) were composed of patients from one randomly assigned medical ICU and one randomly assigned surgical ICU each. The pretest data on physical-restraint-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and techniques were collected before the in-service education program. The EG received 2 hours of classroom education on guidelines and techniques related to physical restraints. The posttest data for the two groups were collected a month after implementation of the in-service education program. General Estimation Equation was used to measure and analyze the data repeatedly. Results: The posttest scores of the EG for knowledge and technique were significantly higher than the pretest scores (p < .0001). However, the posttest scores of the EG for attitudes and behaviors did not significantly differ from the pretest scores. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: In-service education for physical restraints enhances relevant knowledge and techniquesbut does not significantly affect attitudes or behaviors. Correct implementation of physical restraints not only promotes the quality of nursing care for patients in the ICU but also reduces the risk of physical-restraint-related complications. This study highlights the importance of changing the thoughts and concepts related to the use of physical restraints within the overall caring strategy of hospitals.
Determination and Pharmacokinetic Comparisons of Atractylodin after Oral Administration of Crude and Processed Atractylodis rhizoma

Background: In traditional Chinese medicine, Atractylodis rhizoma is the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. or Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. After being processed, the dryness of A. rhizoma decreased, and the function of tonifying spleen increased. Therefore, the processed A. rhizoma is the best choice of clinical application. As the main active components, polyethylene alkynes exhibits various desirable pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-arrhythmia activity. However, there is no report on the pharmacokinetic comparisons of atractylodin, one of polyethylene alkynes, in bio-samples after oral administration of crude and processed A. rhizoma until now. The in vivo study of active components of A. rhizoma would be necessary and helpful for clinical application and clarification of processing principle. Objective: To compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of atractylodin after oral administration of crude and processed A. rhizoma, and clarify the processing principle of A. rhizoma. Materials and Methods: Plasma concentrations of atractylodin in rats were determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatogram and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated with Drug and Statistics 2.0 Software Package (Chinese Pharmacological Society, Shanghai, China). Results: The AUC 0−t, AUC 0→∞ , T max, and C max of processed A. rhizoma were increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with that in crude A. rhizoma after using Student′s t-test. Conclusions: Processing A. rhizoma with wheat bran by stir-frying can promote and accelerate the absorption of atractylodin.
The integrin α v β 6 is critical for keratinocyte migration on both its known ligand , fibronectin , and on vitronectin

The integrin αvβ6 is expressed on a variety of epithelial cells during dynamic processes including organogenesis, tissue injury and malignant transformation. However, because of the lack of tools to specifically inhibit the function of this integrin, little is known about its effects on cell behavior. To directly examine the role of this integrin in cell migration, we used keratinocytes derived from wildtype mice or mice expressing a null mutation in the β6 subunit (β6−/−) to perform migration assays in vitro. Migration on the known αvβ6 ligand, fibronectin was reduced in keratinocytes from β6−/− mice. Interestingly, keratinocytes from β6−/− mice also demonstrated markedly reduced migration on vitronectin, a protein not previously known to be a ligand for αvβ6. An anti-αvβ6 monoclonal antibody 10D5, generated by immunization of β6−/− mice with murine keratinocytes, inhibited adhesion and migration of wild-type keratinocyte on both vitronectin and fibronectin to levels similar to those seen with keratinocytes from β6−/− mice. αvβ6-mediated migration on both ligands was dramatically augmented by treatment with phorbol myrisate acetate (PMA) or with hepatocyte growth factor, and augmentation of migration by either stimulus could be abolished by the PKC inhibitor GF109203X, suggesting a critical role for PKC in enhancement of αvβ6-mediated cell migration.
Cytokine gene expression in liver following minor or major hepatectomy in rat.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1 (IL-1), and transforming growth factors alpha and beta (TGF-alpha and TGF-beta) are important mediators which play a pleiotropic role in both inflammatory and hepatic regeneration processes. It has also been proposed that a major hepatectomy impairs the liver-related host defence mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of minor (30%) vs major (80%) hepatectomy on cytokines, growth factors and acute-phase proteins both at the protein and mRNA levels in rat. For that purpose, rats were submitted to either 30% or 80% hepatectomy and sacrificed at intervals up to day 14 post-hepatectomy to collect liver and blood samples. Serum levels of IL-6 and acute-phase proteins (APPs) were determined after RNA extraction, cytokine and acute-phase proteins gene expression were evaluated using a quantitative RT-PCR method. The results demonstrate that liver mRNA levels for IL-6 were early unregulated after a 80% resection only, whereas liver mRNA levels for IL-1 slowly increased following 30 or 80% hepatectomy. For TNF-alpha, no significant changes were observed between groups. Growth factor expression differed according to the extent of hepatic resection. Moreover, plasma levels of alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2M) and alpha1 acid glycoprotein (AGP), two major APPs which respond differently to combination of cytokines, were significantly lowered after a major resection whereas levels of serum IL-6 showed no significant changes between groups. Paradoxically, in the 80% hepatectomized group, alpha2M mRNA expression was strongly increased at 4 h and 6 h post-hepatectomy as compared with the 30% hepatectomized group. Taken together, these results suggest that, although an increased level of hepatic IL-6 expression was observed following a major resection, the liver's capacity to synthesize normal levels of APPs was impaired. Moreover, these specific changes of cytokine gene expression seen in the liver following major hepatectomy might reflect a preferential activation of the IL-6-dependent APPs.
New Approach on Multimode Polymer Optical Waveguides Evaluations

We designed and realized multimode polymer optical waveguides on the chips. They were fundamental functional structures and we fabricated them by using simple techniques. We have developed new approach that is simple and nondestructive for multimode polymer optical waveguide evaluations. We examined reliability of the proposed approach by measuring the optical parameters of the realized devices. We have also evaluated the modes distribution affected by inserting additional fibers to the input launch configurations. We realized an optimal-filled input launch by implementing the encircled flux (EF) category for 50 μm core GI input fiber proposed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). We are successful to achieve insertion loss (IL) variation of less than 5% for the waveguides fabricated on top of different substrates.
Prostaglandin F2α induces the normoxic activation of the hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 transcription factor in differentiating 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes: Potential role in the regulation of adipogenesis

Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) is a potent paracrine inhibitor of adipocyte differentiation. Here we show that treatment of differentiating 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes with PGF2α induces the expression of DEC1, a transcriptional repressor that has previously been implicated in the inhibition of adipogenesis in response to hypoxia as a downstream effector of the hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF‐1) transcription factor. Surprisingly, despite performing our experiments under normal ambient oxygen conditions, we find that treatment of differentiating 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes with PGF2α also results in the marked activation of HIF‐1, as measured by an increase in the accumulation of the HIF‐1α regulatory subunit. However, unlike the effects of hypoxia, this PGF2α‐induced normoxic increase in HIF‐1α is not mediated by an increase in the stability of the HIF‐1α polypeptide, rather we find that PGF2α selectively increases the expression of the alternatively spliced HIF‐1α I.1 mRNA isoform. Significantly, we demonstrate that the shRNA‐mediated knockdown of endogenous HIF‐1α expression attenuates the PGF2α‐induced expression of DEC1, overcomes the inhibitory effects of PGF2α on the expression of proadipogenic transcription factors C/EBPα and PPARγ and partially rescues the PGF2α‐induced inhibition of adipogenesis. Taken together, these results indicate that PGF2α promotes the activation of the HIF‐1 transcription factor pathway under normal oxygen conditions, and highlight a potential role for the normoxic activation of the HIF‐1/DEC1‐pathway in mediating the inhibitory effects of PGF2α on adipocyte differentiation. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 89–98, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nonpulmonary manifestations of cytomegalovirus infection in immunocompromised patients

Nonpulmonary manifestations of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in immunocompromised patients include chorioretinitis, gastrointestinal infection, and central nervous system disease. Diagnosis of end organ disease, especially in the gastrointestinal tract, is best substantiated by histologic evidence of CMV inclusions. Positive cultures of CMV provide evidence for supporting infection but do not define actual end organ disease. Satisfactory treatment of the disease can be accomplished with ganciclovir or foscarnet, although these agents only suppress virus replication. In many instances, severe CMV-induced end organ disease in immunocompromised patients will progress despite treatment. In some instances, resistance to the antiviral agent is the basis for drug failure. Patients at high risk for CMV disease can be identified, and studies of prophylaxis are in progress.
Optimal Narrow Beam Low Sidelobe Synthesis for Arbitrary Arrays

The classical narrow main beam and low sidelobe synthesis problem is addressed and extended to arbitrary sidelobe envelopes in both one and two dimensional scenarios. The proposed approach allows also to handle arbitrary arrays. This extended basic synthesis problem is first rewritten as a convex optimization problem. This problem is then transformed into either a linear program or a second order cone program that can be solved efficiently by readily available software. The convex formulation is not strictly equivalent to the initial synthesis problem but arguments are given that establish that the obtained optimum is either identical or can be made as close as wanted to the desired one. Finally, numerical applications and a comparison with a classical solution are presented to both confirm the optimality of the solution and illustrate the potentialities of the proposed approach.
Protein Kinase C Masks Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity in Vascular Smooth Muscle under Basal Conditions

Under basal conditions there is no observable nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in vascular smooth muscle (VSM). Pretreatment of endothelium-denuded aortic rings from Sprague-Dawley rats with 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), (0.1 &mgr;mol/L) significantly attenuated phenylephrine (PE)-induced contractile responses in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of 10 &mgr;mol/L Nω-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) or 0.1 mmol/L aminoguanidine (AG), the inhibition of contractions at 10 nmol/L PE by H-7 was blocked by 88% or 52%, respectively. The blockade by antagonists was completely reversed by l-arginine but not by d-arginine, and alone they did not significantly alter PE-induced contraction of endothelium-denuded aorta. Methylene blue (MB, 50 &mgr;mol/L) also inhibited the action of H-7. The inhibitory effect of H-7 occurred after 5 minutes and was reversible. PE-induced contraction was also inhibited by the selective protein kinase C inhibitors calphostin C (10 &mgr;mol/L), and bisindolylmaleimide IV (Bis-IV, 10 &mgr;mol/L), but not by the selective protein kinase A inhibitor H-89 (0.1 &mgr;mol/L). These results indicate protein kinase C inhibits NOS activity in VSM under basal conditions. Incubation of tissues with either H-7 or calphostin C stimulates NO production, and immunocytochemical studies reveal the presence of NOS in VSM under basal conditions.
WANTED: A Good Network Theory of Organization

Gerald R. Salancik Carnegie Mellon University Network analysis corrects a tendency in organizational theory to focus on the trees rather than the forest, on the actions of individual organizations rather than on the organization of their actions. Since it is fitting that organizational theory address organization, the reviews of Ronald Burt's book Structural Holes by David Krackhardt and Steven Andrews offer an opportunity for reflecting on the promise of social network analysis for organizational theory. Much of its promise has yet to be realized, in that social network analysis has been used mainly as a tool for analyzing data about organizations rather than for understanding organizations per se. Thus we know that personal interaction patterns in organizations are associated with power, turnover, information flows, attitudes, promotion opportunities, and social support. Beyond a single organization, we know that firms cluster because of their involvements on each other's boards and that such clusters relate to community influence, to corporate giving, to the adoption of defenses against corporate takeovers, or to the prices firms pay when acquiring other firms. We know also that network positions are related to power and that the structure of resource dependence relations shadows how firms conform to the demands of other firms or how they extract profits from one another.
Stated And Reported Route Diversion Behavior: Implications On The Benefits Of ATIS

This report presents a study in which Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) user benefits are estimated from a survey of commuting behavior undertaken in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1993. Both reported and stated response to unexpected congestion are used to determine the commuters who would directly benefit from qualitative, quantitative and predictive, as well as prescriptive ATIS information
Faculty Workload in a Research Intensive University: A Case Study

The literature on faculty workload reports differences in worked weekly hours and in the distribution of total time allocated to teaching, research, and service. Some differences are also reported concerning faculty workload by gender, academic rank, and disciplinary sectors. This study analyzes self-reported faculty workload in a Canadian research intensive university. It introduces a new way of measuring time on task by calculating it in a typical most loaded month an in a typical less loaded month. Results show an average weekly workload of 56.97 hours of which 44.1% is allocated to teaching, 35.2% to research, 5.8% to administrative tasks and 14.8% to service. There are few differences in faculty workload by gender, academic rank, and disciplinary sectors. Overall, self-reported faculty workload has increased in the last decade partly because of electronic communications and procedures and on-line pedagogical activities.
The Value of IT-Enabled Retailer Learning: Can Personalized Product Recommendations (PPRs) Improve Customer Store Loyalty in Electronic Markets?

Title of Dissertation: THE VALUE OF IT-ENABLED RETAILER LEARNING: CAN PERSONALIZED PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS (PPRS) IMPROVE CUSTOMER STORE LOYALTY IN ELECTRONIC MARKETS? Tongxiao Zhang, Doctor of Philosophy, 2005 Dissertation directed by: Professor Ritu Agarwal and Professor Hank Lucas Department of Decision and Information Technologies Personalization is a strategy that has been widely adopted by online retailers to enhance their customers’ shopping experience, with the ultimate goal of building a strong and enduring customer relationship. Personalized product recommendations (PPRs) are product recommendations adapted to individual customers’ preferences and taste. So far, very few empirical studies have ever investigated the impact of PPRs from a consumer behavior perspective. Whether PPRs generate any value for consumers and ultimately, retailers, is still an open question. To fill this gap in the literature, in this study, drawing upon the household production function model in the consumer economics literature, I develop a theoretical framework that explains the mechanism through which PPRs influence customer store loyalty in electronic markets. Online shopping can be viewed as a household production process and customer store loyalty is driven by shopping efficiency. Building upon retailer learning, higher quality PPRs can increase consumers’ online product brokering efficiency, which in turn increases their repurchase intention. A two-phase lab experiment was conducted among 253 undergraduate students in the business school. The subjects completed a simulated purchase at Amazon.com and the quality of PPRs they received was manipulated. Empirical analyses indicate that higher quality PPRs improve consumers’ online product brokering quality, which in turn increases their repurchase intention. Consumers make higher quality purchase decisions and experience more fun during the online product brokering process. A surprising finding is that higher quality PPRs increase consumer online product brokering cost. Consumers spend more time on decision making and have more difficulty reaching a purchase decision. Implications, limitations, and contributions of this study are discussed and areas for future research are suggested. THE VALUE OF IT-ENABLED RETAILER LEARNING: CAN PERSONALIZED PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS (PPRS) IMPROVE CUSTOMER STORE LOYALTY IN ELECTRONIC MARKETS?
Teachers' Attitudes toward Using Interactive Whiteboards in English Language Classrooms

Educational technology plays an increasingly important role in the teaching and learning process. Successful integration is the goal of any new educational technology. The interactive whiteboard (IWB) can be effectively used by teachers to enhance the effectiveness of their lessons. This study explored the attitudes and insights of Saudi female teachers regarding the use of IWBs when teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). It also investigated possible obstacles they may face during their use of this novel technology. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires to forty three teachers at different girls’ schools in Riyadh. The results indicated that participants in this study demonstrated positive attitudes toward using the IWB in the EFL classrooms. The results also showed that teachers consider IWBs to be useful devices for enhancing the teaching and learning process and for designing new instructional situations. IWB-based lessons were perceived to be more comfortable for teachers in teaching English. However, teachers stated that they faced some technical obstacles in their use of IWBs. The current study recommended that EFL classes should be equipped with all supplicants of the IWBs. It also suggested that training is important for teachers to deal with the technological devices. EFL teachers need more training to learn how to resolve technical and system problems; they also need to understand how to use all the options offered by the IWBs.
Elevated serum-circulating RNA in patients with conventional renal cell cancer.

BACKGROUND Reliable serum biomarkers for differential diagnosis of conventional renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are highly desirable. Recent studies have confirmed the stability of circulating RNA in serum of cancer patients. The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether the amounts of circulating RNA could discriminate between conventional renal cancer patients and healthy individuals as a tumor marker. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 71 patients with conventional RCC, 12 with renal oncocytomas and 44 healthy individuals entered into this study. Serum samples were taken and subjected to RNA extraction. The amount of RNA was quantified spectrophotometrically. Additionally, 9 serum samples from conventional RCC were also studied one week after nephrectomy. Diagnostic performance of RNA concentration was calculated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to distinguish between conventional RCC and healthy individuals. RESULTS The mean level of RNA in conventional RCC (1414.19 +/- 91.95 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that in healthy individuals (520.49 +/- 39.75 ng/ml, p<0.0001) and these with renal oncocytomas (560.71 +/- 69.54 ng/ml, p<0.0001). Among the conventional RCC, there was no significant difference in circulating RNA levels in terms of tumor stage, grade or size. The area under the ROC curve was 0.956 (95% confidence interval, 0.923 to 0.989), indicating an acceptable sensitivity and specificity as a tumor marker. For conventional RCC, the RNA level was reduced significantly (p<0.0001) one week after nephrectomy. CONCLUSION The data suggest that elevated circulating RNA may be a valuable diagnostic tool for discriminating conventional RCC patients from normal individuals or from these with renal oncocytoma. Elevated serum circulating RNA provides a new research area as biomarker for the diagnosis of conventional RCC.