Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demystifying the Millennial student: A reassessment in measures of character and engagement in professional education

The characteristic profile of Millennial Generation students, driving many educational reforms, can be challenged by research in a number of fields including cognition, learning style, neurology, and psychology. This evidence suggests that the current aggregate view of the Millennial student may be less than accurate. Statistics show that Millennial students are considerably diverse in backgrounds, personalities, and learning styles. Data are presented regarding technological predilection, multitasking, reading, critical thinking, professional behaviors, and learning styles, which indicate that students in the Millennial Generation may not be as homogenous in fundamental learning strategies and attitudes as is regularly proposed. Although their common character traits have implications for instruction, no available evidence demonstrates that these traits impact their fundamental process of learning. Many curricular strategies have been implemented to address alleged changes in the manner by which Millennial students learn. None has clearly shown superior outcomes in academic accomplishments or developing expertise for graduating students and concerns persist related to the successful engagement of Millennial students in the process of learning. Four factors for consideration in general curricular design are proposed to address student engagement and optimal knowledge acquisition for 21st century learners. Anat Sci Educ 4: 214‐226. © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.
Alleviative effects of α-lipoic acid supplementation on acute heat stress-induced thermal panting and the level of plasma nonesterified fatty acids in hypothyroid broiler chickens

1. The present study was conducted to examine the effects of α-lipoic acid on hypothyroidism-induced negative growth performance and whether α-lipoic acid alleviates acute heat stress in relation to hypothyroid status. 2. Female broiler chickens (14 d-old) were fed diets supplemented with α-lipoic acid (100 mg/kg) and an antithyroid substance, propylthiouracil (200 mg/kg), for 20 d under thermoneutral conditions (25°C). At 42 d of age, chickens were exposed to a high ambient temperature (36°C, 60% RH) for 4 h. 3. Under the thermoneutral condition, propylthiouracil administration decreased feed efficiency and concomitantly increased adipose tissue and thyroid gland weights. Plasma nonesterified fatty acids and triacylglycerol were also increased by propylthiouracil administration. However, α-lipoic acid supplementation did not affect the hypothyroidism-induced effects. 4. In hypothyroid chickens, the rise in respiratory rate induced by heat exposure was greatly inhibited by α-lipoic acid administration at 1 h, but this effect had disappeared at 4 h. In addition, a similar inhibitory effect on the concentrations of plasma nonesterified fatty acids was subsequently observed at 4 h. 5. Therefore, the present study suggested that α-lipoic acid alleviates acute heat stress if chickens are in a hypothyroid status.
The impact of illicit drug supply reduction on health and social outcomes: the heroin shortage in the Australian Capital Territory.

AIMS We seek to establish whether a substantial decline in the supply of heroin, as measured by indicators such as drug purity, is related to changes in drug-related health indicators such as ambulance callouts to heroin overdoses and numbers participating in methadone treatment programmes, and to changes in levels of property crime. The guiding hypothesis is that reduced supply will result in positive health and social outcomes. DESIGN Standard time-series methods are employed to analyse official data from local law-enforcement and heroin supply indicators and several health and social outcome indicators within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), spanning the late 1990s to early 2002. Autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models are estimated to remove autocorrelation from these series. Cross-correlation and autoregression models are then employed to identify the best predictive models. FINDINGS When autocorrelation has been removed, a reduction in heroin purity predicts a large decline in heroin-related ambulance callouts and an increase in methadone treatment programme enrolments. There is little evidence of an increase in negative outcomes due to heroin users switching to other drugs. A reduction in purity also predicts declines in robbery and burglary but not in theft. CONCLUSIONS The overall evidence indicates modest links between the declines in heroin supply and increases in positive health outcomes and decreases in crime, as predicted by a simple economic model. Due to the shortness of some of the series and consequent limitations in statistical power, these conclusions should be regarded as tentative.
Quantifying over-estimation in early stopped clinical trials and the “freezing effect” on subsequent research

Background: Despite the wide use of the design with statistical stopping guidelines to stop a randomized clinical trial early for efficacy, there are unsettled debates of potential harmful consequences of such designs. These concerns include the possible over-estimation of treatment effects in early stopped trials and a newer argument of a “freezing effect” that will halt future randomized clinical trials on the same comparison since an early stopped trial represents an effective declaration that randomization to the unfavored arm is unethical. The purpose of this study is to determine the degree of bias in designs that allow for early stopping and to assess the impact on estimation if indeed future experimentation is “frozen” by an early stopped trial. Methods: We perform simulations to study the effect of early stopping. We simulate a collection of trials and contrast the treatment-effect estimates (risk differences and ratios) with the simulation truth. Simulations consider various scenarios of between-study variation, including an empirically derived distribution of effects from the clinical literature. Results: Across the trials whose true effects are sampled from a uniform distribution, estimates from trials that stop early for efficacy deviate minimally from the simulation truth (median bias of the estimate of risk difference is 0.005). Over-estimation becomes appreciable only when the true effect is close to the null value 0 (median bias of the risk difference estimate is 0.04) or when stopping happens with 40% information or less; however, stopping under these situations is rare. We also find slight reverse bias of the estimated treatment effect (median bias of the risk difference estimate is −0.002) among trials that do not cross the early stopping boundaries but continue to the final analysis. Similar results occur with relative risk estimates. In contrast, Bayesian estimation of the treatment effect shrinks the estimate from trials stopping early and pulls back under-estimation from completed trials, largely rectifying any over-estimation among trials that terminate early. Regarding the so-called freezing effect, the pooled effects from meta-analyses that include truncated randomized clinical trials show an unimportant deviation from the true value, even when no subsequent trials are conducted after a truncated randomized clinical trial. Conclusion: Group sequential designs with stopping rules seek to minimize exposure of patients to a disfavored therapy and speed dissemination of results, and such designs do not lead to materially biased estimates. The likelihood and magnitude of a “freezing effect” is minimal. Superiority demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial stopping early and designed with appropriate statistical stopping rules is likely a valid inference, even if the estimate may be slightly inflated.
Carotid stiffness and the risk of new vascular events in patients with manifest cardiovascular disease. The SMART study.

AIMS To study whether arterial stiffness is related to risk of new vascular events in patients with manifest arterial disease and to examine whether this relation varies between patients who differ with respect to baseline vascular risk, arterial stiffness, or systolic blood pressure (SBP). METHODS AND RESULTS The study was performed in the first consecutive 2183 patients with manifest arterial disease enrolled in the SMART study (Second Manifestations of ARTerial disease), a cohort study among patients with manifest arterial disease or cardiovascular risk factors. Common carotid distension (i.e. the change in carotid diameter in systole relative to diastole) was measured at baseline by ultrasonography. With the distension, several stiffness parameters were determined. In the entire cohort, none of the carotid artery stiffness parameters was related to the occurrence of vascular events. However, decreased stiffness was related to decreased vascular risk in subjects with low baseline SBP. The relation of carotid stiffness with vascular events did not differ between tertiles of baseline risk and carotid stiffness. CONCLUSION Carotid artery stiffness is no independent risk factor for vascular events in patients with manifest arterial disease. However, in patients with low SBP, decreased carotid stiffness may indicate a decreased risk of vascular events.
COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN THE MANUFACTURING OF ACIDOPHILUS, BIFIDUS AND ACIDO-BIFIDUS MILKS

Received 24 April 2012; Accepted 7 November 2012 ABSTRACT: The “Encyclopedia of Fermented Fresh Milk” has classified Acidophilus and Bifidus milks as Non-traditional fermented milk products. These products contain Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp. , respectively, that are known as probiotic microoganisms. In this study, some aspects of acidity development, pH measurement and bacterial counts were monitored when these micro-organisms were grown in milk. The starter cultures of L. acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12, obtained from Chr. Hansen in Denmark, were each inoculated at the rate of 0.01 g 100 ml in UHT milk and incubated at 37oC for a duration of 5 h (Acidophilus and Bifidus milks). The same procedure was carried out with the same inoculation rates of two mentioned starters as mixed culture (Acidobifidus milk). The titratable acidity measurements and pH values of the single strains fermented milks were similar, but the sour taste of Acido-bifidus milk of the mixed starter culture was more tangible when compared with the two other fermented products. From the limited data available, it was evident from the preliminary studies that the growth of B. lactis in mixed cultures was better as compared to the single strain, and it is suggested that a lower inoculum rate of starter cultures or shorter fermentation period might be recommended for the development of Acido-bifidus milk.
Are women carrying "basketballs" really having boys? Testing pregnancy folklore.

BACKGROUND Antenatal ascertainment of fetal sex is a common feature of modern pregnancies. Women who opt not to learn fetal sex typically employ a variety of methods to forecast it. This study investigated the validity of prevalent folklore used to identify fetal sex before birth. METHOD One hundred four pregnant women, who did not know the sex of the fetus, were administered a questionnaire to explore their perceptions of fetal sex and the basis for these predictions. RESULTS Fetal sex was not systematically related to the shape of the woman's abdomen, prevalence of morning sickness, or comparisons with previous pregnancies. However, women who had more than twelve years of education correctly predicted fetal sex greater than chance (71% correct), in contrast to less educated women (43% correct). Contrary to expectations, women whose forecasts were based on psychological criteria (i.e., dreams or feelings) were more likely to be correct than those employing prevalent folklore criteria (i.e., the way a woman was carrying the pregnancy). CONCLUSIONS In general, women were not good predictors of fetal sex. The mechanisms that promote maternal accuracy in predicting fetal sex for highly educated women are unknown. It is reasonable to expect that maternal perceptions of fetal sex contribute to the process of fetal attachment.
Security and Privacy in Device-to-Device (D2D) Communication: A Review

Device-to-device (D2D) communication presents a new paradigm in mobile networking to facilitate data exchange between physically proximate devices. The development of D2D is driven by mobile operators to harvest short range communications for improving network performance and supporting proximity-based services. In this paper, we investigate two fundamental and interrelated aspects of D2D communication, security and privacy, which are essential for the adoption and deployment of D2D. We present an extensive review of the state-of-the-art solutions for enhancing security and privacy in D2D communication. By summarizing the challenges, requirements, and features of different proposals, we identify lessons to be learned from existing studies and derive a set of “best practices. ” The primary goal of our work is to equip researchers and developers with a better understanding of the underlying problems and the potential solutions for D2D security and privacy. To inspire follow-up research, we identify open problems and highlight future directions with regard to system and communication design. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review to address the fundamental security and privacy issues in D2D communication.
Management of the posterior compartment

A rectocele is a herniation of the rectum through the recto vaginal septum causing a protrusion of the posterior vaginal wall. The prevalence of rectocele ranges from 20% to 80% of the general population. Hendrix et al. performed a cross-sectional analysis of women who enrolled in the women’s health initiative of a hormone replacement therapy clinical trial. The total populationwas 27,342women. At baseline pelvic examination the prevalence of rectocele was approximately 18%, whether or not the women had undergone a prior hysterectomy. African/American women in this particular study demonstrated the lowest predisposition for prolapse. Parity and obesity were strongly associated with the increased risk for rectocele. However, whether or not black women are protected from prolapse remains a contentious issue as a Nigerian study has shown rectocele may be present in up to 11.4% of women over the age of 40. The natural history of prolapse has been very poorly studied, Handa et al. performed annual pelvic examinations on women over a 2–8-year period. The annual incidence of rectocele was 5.7 cases per 100 women years. While the progression rate for stage 1 rectocele was 13.5 per 100 women years there was a regression rate of 22 per 100 women years. This shows spontaneous regression is common in stage 1 prolapse. It is therefore very important that stage 1 prolapse be managed conservatively in the first instance as many will resolve. Rectocele was once thought to be a condition affecting only multiparous females and resulting from obstetric damage or increased tissue laxity with ageing and menopausal atrophy. However, rectocele has been observed in asymptomatic volunteers during defaecography. Obstetric events are usually the major predisposing factor. Traumatic delivery and damage to nerve, muscle and connective tissue will result in altered function and anatomical position of the pelvic tissues. The rectal fascia may separate from the perineal body causing a low transverse defect, although higher isolated defects in various parts of the recto vaginal tissue are also described. Chronic constipation and straining may also cause damage to the recto-vaginal septum over time and result in a rectocele. Finally, posterior vaginal prolapse is extremely common after colposuspension, which is likely to change the vaginal axis and cause a strain on the posterior vaginal wall detaching it from its fascial attachments. Table 1 shows aetiological factors in the development of a rectocele.
Alteration of the functional effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on polymorphonuclear leukocytes by membrane-fluidizing agents

Locomotion and oxidative metabolism of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from 15 patients receiving recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were examined in vitro. At the end of each GM-CSF treatment course, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotactic responses were suppressed and no enhancement of formyl-peptide-stimulated superoxide production was observed. The priming of PMN superoxide production normally seen after in vitro GM-CSF exposure was also blunted in these cells. By using control donor PMN, two membrane-fluidizing agents, pentoxifylline and butanol, were shown to normalize suppressed PMN chemotaxis caused by in vitro GM-CSF (1 nM) exposure. Pentoxifylline, but not butanol, also reversed the effects of in vitro GM-CSF on PMN superoxide production. When PMN obtained from six patients at the end of GM-CSF therapy were exposed to pentoxifylline in vitro, the chemotactic suppression typically observed was significantly improved. The data suggest that GM-CSF may affect PMN function via mechanisms involving membrane fluidity or cell deformability or both.
Long‐acting octreotide versus placebo for treatment of advanced HCC: A randomized controlled double‐blind study

Although numerous treatment modalities have been explored in patients with advanced HCC, the therapeutic options are still limited. Somatostatin has been shown to have antimitotic activity in endocrine as well as in a variety of nonendocrine tumors. Expression of somatostatin receptors is found in HCCs, but the efficacy of the somatostatin analogue octreotide remains controversial. Therefore, a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled multicenter trial was performed to assess the efficacy of long‐acting octreotide for the treatment of advanced HCC. One hundred twenty untreated patients with histologically confirmed HCC were randomized to receive either long‐acting octreotide (Sandostation LAR 30 mg) intramuscularly every 4 weeks or placebo. The study groups were comparable with respect to clinical characteristics. There was no difference in the cumulative survival. The median survival time was 4.7 months in the octreotide group compared with 5.3 months in the control group. Six‐month survival rates were 41% for octreotide patients and 42% for control patients, respectively. The unadjusted relative risk for mortality in the octreotide group compared with patients in the control group was 1.11 (95% CI 0.76‐1.63; P = 0.59). When adjusted for Okuda, CTP, and Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) scores, the relative risk for octreotide did not change markedly and was 1.05 (95% CI 0.71‐1.55; P = 0.83). The CLIP score seems to predict survival better than both Okuda and CTP score. Conclusion: The randomized controlled double‐blind HECTOR trial showed no survival benefit for HCC patients treated with long‐acting octreotide compared with placebo. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;45:9–15.)
Time – motion analysis of Test and One-Day international cricket centuries

Abstract The aim of this study was to quantify movement patterns of batsmen scoring 100 runs (century), including analysis at 50, 80, and 100 runs, in Test and One-Day international (one-day) matches and between the first and second 50 within a Test century. Test centuries (n = 13) and one-day scores above 80 (n = 12) filmed during the 2005 – 2006 Australian international season were analysed for movement patterns of standing, walking, jogging, striding, sprinting, shot playing, and turning. At each run target, differences in total time, duration of individual movement pattern, movement pattern frequency, and number of balls faced were determined between Test and one-day matches (analysis of variance). Differences within Test centuries were assessed using paired t-tests. A similar fractional predominance of time spent in low-intensity activity (standing and walking) between Test and one-day matches at each run target (94 and 96% respectively) was observed, with no differences in duration of striding or sprinting (Test: 1.1 min, s = 0.5; one-day: 0.9 min, s = 0.5 for sprinting: P = 0.28). A 37% longer total duration occurred in Tests, resulting in longer recovery bouts between high-intensity efforts. There were no differences between the first and second 50 runs of a Test century for any measure (P at best = 0.34). In summary, Test and one-day centuries are characterized by much low-intensity activity and patterns of high-intensity activity similar to many repeat-sprint team sports and greater recovery breaks in longer matches.
Idiosyncratic Volatility, Conditional Liquidity and Stock Returns

There is strong evidence showing that stocks with higher levels of idiosyncratic risk provide relatively lower returns than stocks with lower levels of it. This paper points out that this negative idiosyncratic risk - expected returns relation is not pervasive over time, and provides a plausible explanation for its time-varying nature. Our results suggest that following recessions, the conditional pricing of liquidity creates a correction in prices of the high idiosyncratic volatility stocks that persists up to 9 months. As a result, the negative relation between idiosyncratic risk and expected returns is not observed following recessions.
Flavobacterium fulvum sp. nov., Flavobacterium pedocola sp. nov. and Flavobacterium humicola sp. nov., three new members of the family Flavobacteriaceae, isolated from soil.

Four Gram-stain-negative, non-endospore-forming, non-motile strains were found in soil, South Korea. Based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences, strains UCM-R15T and UCM-R21 are most closely related to Flavobacterium enshiense DK69T (97.4-97.5 %, pairwise similarity) while strains UCM-R36T and UCM-46T are most closely related to Flavobacterium suncheonense GH29-5T (97.5 % and 98.3 %, respectively), with all four strains sharing less than 97 % pairwise similarity to the type strain of any other species of the genus Flavobacterium. None of the four strains can reduce/digest nitrate or urea. The only menaquinone detected was MK-6 and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 1 G and summed feature 9 in all the type strains. Phosphatidylethanolamine was found in three strains as the major polar lipid, phosphatidylserine was found in both strains UCM-R15T and UCM-R36T, but not UCM-46T, and phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine only occurred in strain UCM-R15T. The genomic DNA G+C content values of strains UCM-R15T, UCM-R21, UCM-R36T and UCM-46T were 35.3-39.0 mol%. Taking into account their physiological and biochemical characteristics, we suggest that three of the strains are novel members of the genus Flavobacterium. We propose the names Flavobacterium fulvum sp. nov. for type strain UCM-R15T (=KACC 18666T=NBRC 111764T), and strain UCM-R21 as an additional strain Flavobacterium pedocola sp. nov. for type strain UCM-R36T (=KACC 18668T=NBRC 111765T), and Flavobacterium humicola sp. nov. for type strain UCM-46T (=KACC 18575T=NBRC 111657T).