Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis for humerus diaphyseal fractures

Background: Minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) technique is reported as a satisfactory procedure for the treatment of humeral shaft fractures by the anterior approach by several authors. However, none of the published reports had a signifcant follow-up nor have they reported patient outcomes. We evaluated the clinical, radiographic, and functional outcome over a minimum follow-up of 2 years using the same MIPO technique to humeral shaft fracture. Materials and Methods: 32 adult patients with diaphyseal fractures of the humerus treated with MIPO between June 2007 and October 2008 were included in the study. Patients with metabolic bone disease, polytrauma, and Gustilo and Anderson type 3 open fractures with injury severity score >16 were excluded from the study. All cases were treated with closed indirect reduction and locking plate fixation using the MIPO technique. The surgery time, radiation exposure, and time for union was noted. The shoulder and elbow function was assessed using the UCLA shoulder and Mayo elbow performance scores, respectively. Results: Of the 32 patients in the study, 19 were males and 13 were females. The mean age was 39 years (range: 22–70 years). Twenty-seven of the thirty-two patients (84.3%) had the dominant side fractured. We had eight cases of C2 type; five cases of C1 and A2 type; four cases of B2 type; three cases each of B3, B1, and A1 type; and one case of A3 type of fracture. The mean surgical time was 91.5 minutes (range: 70–120 minutes) and mean radiation exposure was 160.3 seconds (range: 100–220 seconds). The mean radiological fracture union time was 12.9 weeks (range: 10–20 weeks). Shoulder function was excellent in 27 cases (84.3%) and good in remaining 5 cases (15.6%) on the UCLA score. Elbow function was excellent in 26 cases (81.2%), good in 5 cases (15.6%), and fair in 1 case (3.1%) who had an associated olecranon fracture that was fixed by tension band wire in the same sitting. Conclusion: MIPO of the humerus gives good functional and cosmetic results and should be considered one of the management options in the treatment of humeral diaphyseal fractures.
Performance Measurement in Italian and Spanish Local Governments: Comparative Policy Analysis

ABSTRACT NPM reforms have become a global trend and performance management systems are considered suitable to enhance the decision-making process and accountability. The aim of the paper is to carry out a comparative study on the adoption of performance measurement tools in Italian and Spanish (medium-sized and large) local governments. It seeks to find out how widespread these tools are and how their usefulness is perceived. The results show differences between the two countries and that the presence of professional managers – experienced with performance measurement tools – positively affects the adoption of these tools. Moreover, performance measurement tools are perceived as a support for accountability purposes.
Unraveling postgraduate communication learning: from transfer to transformative learning

Poor doctor-patient communication is a global concern. Much effort and finances are invested in communication skills training in medical schools around the world with only marginal effects on clinical communication in daily practice. This thesis addresses the problem from an educational view-point. It analyses why the current forms of training do not establish enough transfer of learned skills from training to daily practice. Moreover it provides insight in the learning process itself. It appears that residents/clinicians learn and improve their communication along five phases: confrontation, becoming aware, seeking alternatives, personalisation and internalisation & integration. Van den Eertwegh provides evidence-based recommendations that lead to more effective forms of training and learning resulting in more awareness and better integration of doctor-patient communication in the daily work of the busy physician.
Circulatory Effects of Verapamil During Normovolemic Hemodilution in Anesthetized Rats

Patients who have undergone perioperative normovolemic hemodilution may require calcium channel blockers for the treatment of myocardial ischemia and/or supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. The purpose of this rodent study was to examine the effect of intravenous verapamil on the hyperdynamic circulatory response to acute normovolemic hemodilution (hematocrit 20%). Anesthetized animals were randomly divided into four groups equal in number: (1) controls (no hemodilution, no drug); (2) hemodilution only; (3) verapamil only; and (4) hemodilution followed by verapamil. Cardiac output was recorded using an electromagnetic flow probe. Pre- and afterload tests were performed, the former consisting of rapid infusion of blood adjusted for hematocrit, the latter consisting of an aortic clamp technique. Animals in group 2 had significantly (P <0.05) greater percent increases in cardiac index, stroke volume index, and dPldt, and greater percent decreases in mean arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and oxygen delivery than did control animals (group 1). Infusion of verapamil after hemodilution (group 4) did not interfere with the compensatory increases in cardiac index and stroke volume index seen in group 2, nor did it reduce the peak stroke volume index in response to preload stress, although it did reduce resting dPldt, mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance, and peak cardiac index and “left ventricular developed pressure” after preload and afterload stress, respectively. We conclude that reduced ventricular function after verapamil administration does not interfere with the compensatory increase in stroke volume index after normovolemic hemodilution.
Systematic characterization of Cl2 reactive ion etching for improved ohmics in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Pre-metal-deposition reactive ion etching (RIE) was performed on an Al/sub 0.3/Ga/sub 0.7/N/AlN/GaN heterostructure in order to improve the metal-to-semiconductor contact resistance. An optimum AlGaN thickness for minimizing contact resistance was determined. An initial decrease in contact resistance with etching time was explained in terms of removal of an oxide surface layer and/or by an increase in tunnelling current with the decrease of the AlGaN thickness. The presence of a dissimilar surface layer was confirmed by an initial nonuniform etch depth rate. An increase in contact resistance for deeper etches was experienced. The increase was related to depletion of the two-dimensional (2-D) electron gas (2-DEG) under the ohmics. Etch depths were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The contact resistance decreased from about 0.45 /spl Omega/mm for unetched ohmics to a minimum of 0.27 /spl Omega/mm for 70 /spl Aring/ etched ohmics. The initial thickness of the AlGaN layer was 250 /spl Aring/. The decrease in contact resistance, without excessive complications on device processing, supports RIE etching as a viable solution to improve ohmic contact resistance in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.
Four Decades of Futility: Economic Development Policy and Industrial Decline in Chicago

The long-term decline in manufacturing employment in the Chicago metropolitan area and in the city of Chicago is examined. Manufacturing employment at the metropolitan level is estimated to decline by 0.90% per year if manufacturing employment is constant in the nation, and to change by about 1% when the change at the national level is 1%. Manufacturing employment in the city of Chicago declines (on balance moves to the suburbs) by 1.9% per year if manufacturing employment is constant at the metropolitan level, and changes by 1% when the metropolitan area changes by 1%. In other words, an annual 1% decline of manufacturing employment in the nation translates into a 1.9% decline in the Chicago metropolitan area and a decline of 2.9% in the city of Chicago. The decline in manufacturing in the city and the metropolitan area was not caused by an unfavorable mix of industries. Since the 1960s several public programs have tried to retain and/or increase manufacturing jobs in the city, but have achieved only marginal success, if any.
Bending the Cost Curve: Moving the Focus from Macro-level to Micro-level Cost Trends with Cluster Analysis

“Bending the cost curve” has become the ambiguous jargon employed in recent years to emphasize the notion of changing unwanted cost trends. In response to the planned $1 trillion Department of Defense budget reduction over the next six years, the Air Force has launched its own Bending the Cost Curve initiative in an effort to reduce cost growth. A principal concern with Bending the Cost Curve initiatives and research to date is the central focus on aggregate cost trajectories which can obscure the true underlying growth curves which require attention. In response, the authors apply a novel growth curve clustering approach to identify underlying cost curve behavior across the Air Force enterprise. They find that micro-level growth curves vary greatly from the aggregate cost curves. Furthermore, they illustrate how this approach can help decision-makers to direct their focus, proposals, and policy actions toward specific growth curves that must be “bent. ”
Beyond Life Support? Reflections on Solomon Islands after the Regional Assistance Mission

The Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands was conceived in the ‘state-building moment’ that informed Western responses to ‘state failure’ over the past two decades. That moment has Now passed with renewed fiscal austerity, growing scepticism with interventionism, and shifts in Australia's regional policy priorities. The decade-long mission, which has recently begun to drawdown, was successful in restoring security to Solomons but less so in its more ambitious state-building efforts. Among the key constraints has been the mission's inability to influence a more inclusive political settlement. We highlight inherent tensions between instrumentalised approaches to state building and more organic processes of state formation. Looking forward, we consider how external assistance can contribute to state formation while retaining a focus on the ‘life support’ objectives of state building. We sketch some possibilities for hybrid forms of institutional development that might combine strengths from both local and liberal orders.
Examining Implicit and Explicit Evaluations of Sexual Aggression and Sexually Aggressive Behavior in Men Recruited Online

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between implicit and explicit evaluations of sexual aggression and indicators of sexually aggressive behavior in samples of students and community men recruited online. Participants were male undergraduate students recruited online from a Canadian University (N = 150) and men recruited from the community via an online panel (N = 378). Participants completed measures of implicit and explicit evaluations of sexual aggression, cognitive distortions regarding rape, self-reported past sexually aggressive behavior, and self-reported proclivity to commit sexually aggressive behavior. We found that more positive explicit evaluations and more cognitive distortions were moderately to strongly associated with sexual aggression; however, this was not the case for implicit evaluations of rape. Our results suggest that explicit evaluations of sexual aggression and cognitive distortions may be relevant for understanding sexual aggression against adults, and that more research is needed exploring whether or not implicit evaluations are associated with sexually aggressive behavior.
Design and Theoretical Analysis of the Application of the Certificateless Public Key Encryption Scheme for Home Monitoring System Security

Internet of Things (IOT) is becoming a trend in the field of information and technology today. IoT provides many benefits such as to turn on the lights, make temperature measurements, and measure heart rate. However, behind the benefits offered, there are also various security issues. Imagine if IoT is utilized in a strategic work environment and should have high security priorities but certain security mechanisms are not implemented, then the transmitted data can be interrupted and misused by unauthorized parties. Therefore, safeguarding the data transmitted through the system and technology is very necessary. One method that can be used for security is to implement a certificateless-based public key encryption scheme. In this study, to get the right security scheme, a literature study was conducted first, then a design was made for the application of the scheme for home monitoring system.
ORF36 Protein Kinase of Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpesvirus Activates the c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Signaling Pathway*

α-, β-, and γ-Herpesviruses encode putative viral protein kinases. The herpes simplex virus UL13, varicella-zoster virus ORF47, and Epstein-Barr virus BGLF4 genes all show protein kinase domains in their protein sequences. Mutational analysis of these herpesviruses demonstrated that the viral kinase is important for optimal virus growth. Previous studies have shown that ORF36 of Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) has protein kinase activity and is autophosphorylated on serine. The gene for ORF36 is expressed during lytic growth of the virus and has been classified as a late gene. Inspection of the ORF36 sequence indicated potential motifs that could be involved in activation of cellular transcription factors. To analyze the function of ORF36, the cDNA for this viral gene was tagged with the FLAG epitope and inserted into an expression vector for mammalian cells. Transfection experiments in 293T and SLK cells demonstrated that expression of ORF36 resulted in phosphorylation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Autophosphorylation of ORF36 is important for JNK activation because a mutation in the predicted catalytic domain of ORF36 blocked its ability to phosphorylate JNK. Western blot analysis, using phosphospecific antibodies, revealed that mitogen-activated kinases MKK4 and MKK7 were phosphorylated by ORF36 but not by the kinase-negative mutant. Binding experiments in transfected cells also demonstrated that both the wild type and kinase-negative mutant of ORF36 form a complex with JNK, MKK4, and MKK7. In addition, using a tetracycline-inducible Rta BCBL-1 cell line (TREx BCBL1-Rta), JNK was phosphorylated during lytic replication, and inhibition of JNK activation blocked late viral gene expression but not early viral gene expression. In summary, these studies demonstrate that KSHV ORF36 activates the JNK pathway; thus this cell signaling pathway may function in the KSHV life cycle by regulating viral and/or cellular transcription.
A case study of participation and critical thinking in a university-level course delivered by computer conferencing

Despite the growth in the size and acceptance of distance education, there have been persistent criticisms of this form of education because it often fails to provide for interaction among students and between students and instructors. Without this, it is suggested, distance education can only be an inferior imitation of the best face-to-face education because learners are unable to clarify and challenge assumptions and to construct meaning through dialogue. Some critics believe distance education's inability to reproduce a critical dialogue among students and between students and instructor can be addressed through the use of two-way communication technologies such as text-based, asynchronous (i.e., not in real time) computer conferencing. Appropriately-designed computer conferencing, it is argued, wil l facilitate interaction among students and between the instructor and students thus making distance education more appropriate for the higher-level cognitive goals of college and university education. At the same time, using this' technology wil l retain the flexibility of time and place-independence that is characteristic of distance education. The literature on educational computer conferencing is replete with references to its potential to create a new paradigm of education characterized by interactive group knowledge-building and critical thinking, but there are few empirical studies that have substantiated this view. Little is known about how and why learners participate and what factors may affect their participation. Similarly there has been little empirical study of the quality of computer conferencing interaction. This case study of a university-level course delivered by computer conferencing was designed to address these issues. It was guided by two purposes: 1) to determine whether the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of participation in this online course were consistent with key aspects of the new paradigm of networked learning as articulated in the literature, that is, if students were actively participating, building on each others contributions and thinking critically about the discussion topics; and 2) to determine what factors affected student participation and critical thinking. The results of this study suggest that some of the claims about the potential of this technology to transform conventional and distance education may be overstated. The emergence of a dynamic and interactive educational process that facilitates critical thinking was shown to be contingent on a variety of factors. The results suggest, however, that with the appropriate course design, instructor interventions, content, and students, computer conferencing can be used for these purposes and should be given serious consideration by distance educators as a way of facilitating interaction and critical thinking in distance education.
Correlates of methamphetamine use for Taiwanese adolescents

Abstract The aim of the present study was to assess the associations between methamphetamine (MAP) use and psychiatric comorbidity, individual attitudes and personal knowledge of MAP use, family characteristics and peer factors in Taiwanese adolescents via a case–control study. Two hundred adolescent MAP users and 400 adolescent non‐users were recruited. Their psychiatric comorbidity, attitudes and knowledge toward MAP use, family characteristics and peer interactions were assessed systematically. The associations between MAP use and those factors were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis. In conditional logistic regression analysis, comorbid conduct disorder, attitude favorable to MAP use and poor knowledge of MAP use, disrupted parenting, lower caregiver education level, having friends using or providing MAP and actively interacting with peers were associated significantly with MAP use. Adolescent MAP use was correlated with multiple factors that lie within individuals and the interaction with their family and peers. Correlates of MAP use identified in the present study may be helpful for the design and implementation of preventive intervention.
Predictable Upwelling and the Shoreward Transport of Planktonic Larvae by Internal Tidal Bores

Internal tidal bores have a crucial role in the transport of drifting larvae to marine nearshore populations, a key factor in structuring benthic communities. Shoreward transport of larvae and abrupt surface temperature drops lasting days can be explained by invoking the advection of subsurface cold water to the shore by internal tidal bores. This process is predictable within the lunar cycle and brings deep water to the surface (upwelling) in a direction perpendicular to the coastline.
Cardiovascular drift and Vo2max during cycling and walking in a temperate environment.

INTRODUCTION Different muscle recruitment patterns during cycling and walking may influence the magnitude of cardiovascular drift (CV drift) during these respective modes of exercise, but whether this also influences the magnitude of reduced maximal oxygen uptake (Vo2max) associated with CV drift is unknown.This study tested the hypothesis that cycling results in greater CV drift and a greater decrement in Vo2max than walking in a temperate environment. METHODS CV drift was measured in nine recreationally active women (ages = 23 +/- 2 yr, Vo2max = 43.0 +/- 5.5 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) between 15 and 45 min of cycling or walking at 60% Vo2max on Separate occasions in 22 degrees C, 44% relative humidity. A graded exercise test to measure Vo2max was performed immediately after the submaximal exercise bout with no cessation of exercise. During separate trials involving each exercise mode, Vo2max was measured after 15 min of submaximal exercise so that changes in Vo2max between 15 and 45 min of exercise could be assessed between the same points in time in which CV drift occurred. RESULTS Across both conditions, heart rate (HR) increased 5.4% and stroke volume (SV) decreased 11% from 15 to 45 min, but Vo2max was not significantly affected (7% reduction; 2.70 +/- 0.5 L min(-1) vs. 2.52 +/- 0.6 L min(-1)). CONCLUSION In a temperate environment, a small CV drift corresponds to a small, non-significant decrease in Vo2max, regardless of whether the exercise performed is cycling or walking.
Outcome at 7 years of children diagnosed with autism at age 2: predictive validity of assessments conducted at 2 and 3 years of age and pattern of symptom change over time.

OBJECTIVE To examine the predictive validity of symptom severity, cognitive and language measures taken at ages 2 and 3 years to outcome at age 7 in a sample of children diagnosed with autism at age 2. METHOD Twenty-six children diagnosed with autism at age 2 were re-assessed at ages 3 and 7 years. At each age symptom severity, cognitive and language assessments were completed. RESULTS The pattern of autistic symptom severity varied over time by domain. Across time, children moved across diagnostic boundaries both in terms of clinical diagnosis and in terms of instrument diagnosis on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). On all measures group variability in scores increased with age. Although non-verbal IQ (NVIQ) for the group as a whole was stable across the 3 assessments, this masked considerable individual instability. Standard assessments at age 2 did not predict outcome at age 7 even within the same domain of functioning. In contrast, standard assessments at age 3 did predict outcome. However, a measure of rate of non-verbal communicative acts taken from an interactive play-based assessment at age 2 was significantly associated with language, communication and social outcomes at age 7. CONCLUSIONS The trajectory of autism symptoms over time differed in different domains, suggesting that they may be, at least in part, separable. Variability in language, NVIQ and symptom severity increased over time. Caution is required when interpreting the findings from assessments of children with autism at age 2 years. At this age measures of rate of non-verbal communication might be more informative than scores on standard psychometric tests. Predictive validity of assessments at age 3 years was greater.