Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teachers and Foreign Language Learnersâ Perspectives on the Use of ICT

Significant efforts are exerted in the European Higher Education Area for the dissemination of information and communications technology in a way to address to motivation and cognitive domains. A number of students in higher education institutions learn a foreign language since universities and foreign language teaching are interwoven closely. This study is aimed at revealing which information and communication technologies foreign language learners prefer, how they make use of them, the prevalence of the technologies among students. For this purpose, a questionnaire concerning the use ICT was performed for 139 students. So as to develop a deeper understanding of the use of ICT and to shape the questionnaire before we apply, a focus group interview was administered to 8 students. The results of the study showed both teachers and students benefit from ICT in different ways. Translation and dictionary are found to be the most commonly utilized Web pages during foreign language learning. Students frequently consider the Web useful in their foreign language learning process, yet also regard it as a distraction and unreliable source of information. More than one-third of the participants also noted that ICT takes too much time.
Bureaucracy, Law and Dystopia in the United Kingdom's Asylum System

Based on ethnographic research over a two year period, this book follows and analyzes asylum appeals in the British courts. While the organization of the book reflects the formal asylum process, a focus on specific legal appeals reveals the 'political' factors as play in different institutions and actors seek to influence judicial decision-making and overturn/uphold official asylum policy.
Computerized Respiratory Sounds: Novel Outcomes for Pulmonary Rehabilitation in COPD

BACKGROUND: Computerized respiratory sounds are a simple and noninvasive measure to assess lung function. Nevertheless, their potential to detect changes after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is unknown and needs clarification if respiratory acoustics are to be used in clinical practice. Thus, this study investigated the short- and mid-term effects of PR on computerized respiratory sounds in subjects with COPD. METHODS: Forty-one subjects with COPD completed a 12-week PR program and a 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures included dyspnea, self-reported sputum, FEV1, exercise tolerance, self-reported physical activity, health-related quality of life, and peripheral muscle strength. Computerized respiratory sounds, the primary outcomes, were recorded at right/left posterior chest using 2 stethoscopes. Air flow was recorded with a pneumotachograph. Normal respiratory sounds, crackles, and wheezes were analyzed with validated algorithms. RESULTS: There was a significant effect over time in all secondary outcomes, with the exception of FEV1 and of the impact domain of the St George Respiratory Questionnaire. Inspiratory and expiratory median frequencies of normal respiratory sounds in the 100–300 Hz band were significantly lower immediately (−2.3 Hz [95% CI −4 to −0.7] and −1.9 Hz [95% CI −3.3 to −0.5]) and at 3 months (−2.1 Hz [95% CI −3.6 to −0.7] and −2 Hz [95% CI −3.6 to −0.5]) post-PR. The mean number of expiratory crackles (−0.8, 95% CI −1.3 to −0.3) and inspiratory wheeze occupation rate (median 5.9 vs 0) were significantly lower immediately post-PR. CONCLUSIONS: Computerized respiratory sounds were sensitive to short- and mid-term effects of PR in subjects with COPD. These findings are encouraging for the clinical use of respiratory acoustics. Future research is needed to strengthen these findings and explore the potential of computerized respiratory sounds to assess the effectiveness of other clinical interventions in COPD.
Evolution of Strategic Levers in Insurance Claims Management: An Industry Survey

This article discusses competing strategic goals and success factors in nonlife insurers' claims management using new and ad hoc empirical data. We structure the study of the companies' aims along the three main conflicting goals: (1) the minimization of claims volume, (2) the optimization of internal claims processes, and (3) the maximization of customer satisfaction. We analyze the insurance industry perspective through a qualitative survey carried out in Germany and Switzerland. Findings on the current and expected importance of selected topics are derived. The results shall lead to managerial implications improving industry practice and serve as a starting point for further research. Our findings are relevant for academics and practitioners beyond the two markets surveyed in the study.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Regulates CD1 Antigen Presentation Pathways through TLR-21

Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a major pathogen of worldwide importance, which releases lipid Ags that are presented to human T cells during the course of tuberculosis infections. Here we report that cellular infection with live M. tuberculosis or exposure to mycobacterial cell wall products converted CD1− myeloid precursors into competent APCs that expressed group 1 CD1 proteins (CD1a, CD1b, and CD1c). The appearance of group 1 CD1 proteins at the surface of infected or activated cells occurred via transcriptional regulation, and new CD1 protein synthesis and was accompanied by down-regulation of CD1d transcripts and protein. Isolation of CD1-inducing factors from M. tuberculosis using normal phase chromatography, as well as the use of purified natural and synthetic compounds, showed that this process involved polar lipids that signaled through TLR-2, and we found that TLR-2 was necessary for the up-regulation of CD1 protein expression. Thus, mycobacterial cell wall lipids provide two distinct signals for the activation of lipid-reactive T cells: lipid Ags that activate T cell receptors and lipid adjuvants that activate APCs through TLR-2. These dual activation signals may represent a system for selectively promoting the presentation of exogenous foreign lipids by those myeloid APCs, which come into direct contact with pathogens.
Mortality in Local Jails, 2000-2014 - Statistical Tables

In 2018, a total of 1,120 inmates died in local jails, an increase of nearly 2% from the 1,099 deaths reported in 2017. This was the highest number of deaths reported in local jails since the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) began collecting mortality data in 2000. From 2017 to 2018, the mortality rate—the annual number of deaths per 100,000 jail inmates—increased almost 2%, from 151 to 154 deaths per 100,000 jail inmates (figure 1). Slightly less than half of all deaths reported in local jails in 2018 were due to illnesses (46%), such as heart disease, liver disease, and cancer (figure 2). Suicide remained the single leading cause of death in local jails in 2018, accounting for almost 30% of deaths.
Knowledge of Pharmacogenetics among Healthcare Professionals and Faculty Members of Health Training Institutions in Ghana.

BACKGROUND Pharmacogenetics has a potential for optimizing drug response and identifying risk of toxicity for patients. Pharmacogenetics knowledge of healthcare professionals and the unmet need for pharmacogenetics education in health training institutions are some of the challenges of integrating pharmacogenetics into routine medical practice. AIM To assess pharmacogenetics knowledge among healthcare professionals and faculty members of health training institutions in Ghana. METHOD Semi-structured questionnaires were used to interview healthcare professionals from selected public and private hospitals. Faculty members from health training institutions were also interviewed. RESULTS The respondents were Medical doctors 42 (46.7%), Pharmacists 29 (32.2%) and Nurses 19 (21.1%). Healthcare professionals rated their knowledge of Pharmacogenetics as Excellent 5 (5.6%), Very Good 10 (11.2%), Good 53 (60%) and Poor 19 (21.4%). Thirty-two faculty members from health training institutions were also interviewed. Faculty members rated their knowledge of pharmacogenetics as Excellent 2 (6.3%), Very Good 3 (9.4%), Good 9 (28.1%), Fair 12 (37.5%) and Poor 6 (18.8%). Thirty seven percent (12) of these faculty members said pharmacogenetics was not part of their institutions' curriculum, 7 (22%) did not know if pharmacogenetics was part of their curriculum and only 13 (40.6%) said it was part of their curriculum. CONCLUSION Few healthcare professionals and faculty members of training institutions are aware of the discipline of pharmacogenetics. There is the need for continuous professional education on pharmacogenetics and development of competency standards for all healthcare professionals in Ghana.
Oestrogen receptor content of normal breast cells and breast carcinomas throughout the menstrual cycle

To examine the presence and distribution of oestrogen receptors in the normal breast during the menstrual cycle cytological samples obtained by fine needle aspiration from 69 premenopausal women with normal breasts were analysed immunocyto-chemically with a monoclonal antibody to oestrogen receptor; samples from 15 postmenopausal women were also analysed. The receptor content of breast cancers from 83 premenopausal women was also determined in relation to when during the menstrual cycle excision was performed. In the normal premenopausal women oestrogen receptors were detected in the nuclei of epithelial cells in 21 out of 68 (31%) assessable samples. All 21 of these samples were obtained from the 35 women who were studied during the first half of their menstrual cycle (days 28 to 14). None of the 33 samples obtained during the second half of the cycle contained oestrogen receptors. Samples were assessable in eight of the postmenopausal women, six giving a positive result for oestrogen receptor. Fifty one of the 83 carcinomas were positive for oestrogen receptor, 24 having been excised during the first half of the cycle and 27 during the second half. Production of oestrogen receptor protein is suppressed at the time of ovulation in the normal breast epithelium of premenopausal women. In contrast, breast carcinoma cells either synthesise this protein continuously throughout the cycle or fail to express it despite fluctuations of serum hormone concentrations.
Kidney function estimated from serum creatinine and cystatin C and peripheral arterial disease in NHANES 1999-2002.

AIMS Serum cystatin C, a novel marker of kidney function, is reported to be superior to serum creatinine as a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease, but associations may vary across vascular beds. METHODS AND RESULTS A cross-sectional study of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in 3089 adult participants aged 40+ from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Kidney function, assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), was determined from serum creatinine and cystatin C using established equations. Peripheral arterial disease defined by an ankle brachial index <0.90. Glomerular filtration rate estimated using cystatin C was more strongly associated with PAD compared with eGFR using serum creatinine before and after multivariable adjustment. Further, after adjustment for cystatin C, kidney function based on serum creatinine was no longer significantly associated with PAD. However, cystatin C remained significantly associated with PAD even after adjustment for GFR estimated by serum creatinine. Compared with optimal kidney function (eGFR(serum creatinine) >or=60, eGFR(cystatin C) >90), the odds ratio for PAD was 3.11 (95% confidence interval 1.26-7.64) for preclinical CKD (eGFR(serum creatinine) >or=60, eGFR(cystatin C) <76.7) and 5.07 (3.01-8.52) for 'confirmed' CKD (eGFR(serum creatinine) <60, eGFR(cystatin C) <60). CONCLUSION Chronic kidney disease was strongly and independently associated with PAD. Cystatin C was a more potent marker of lower extremity PAD when compared with the serum creatinine equation currently used in clinical practice. Our results suggest that cystatin C may have clinical utility when combined with serum creatinine in evaluation of individuals who may have PAD.
Canadian Bank Notes and Dominion Notes: Lessons for Digital Currencies

This paper studies the period in Canada when both private bank notes and government-issued notes (Dominion notes) were simultaneously in circulation. Because both of these notes shared many of the characteristics of today's digital currencies, the experience with these notes can be used to draw lessons about how digital currencies might perform. The paper begins with a brief historical review of how these notes came into existence and of the regulations regarding their issuance. It examines historical evidence on how desirable bank notes were as media of exchange by examining how well they functioned with respect to ease of transacting, counterfeiting, safety, scarcity, and par exchange (a uniform currency). It then examines whether the introduction of government-issued notes improved how bank notes functioned as media of exchange. It finds that they did not. Improvements in the functioning of bank notes were due to changes in government regulation. Using the Canadian experience and that of the United States, the paper concludes that privately issued digital currencies will not be perfectly safe without government intervention, government-issued digital currency will not drive out existing private digital currencies, and government intervention will be required for privately issued and government-issued digital currencies to be a uniform currency.
What Is the Best Surgical Margin for a Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis of the Literature

Background: Current management of basal cell carcinoma is surgical excision. Most resections use predetermined surgical margins. The basis of ideal resection margins is almost completely from retrospective data and mainly from small case series. This article presents a systematic analysis from a large pool of data to provide a better basis of determining ideal surgical margin. Methods: A systematic analysis was performed on data from 89 articles from a larger group of 973 articles selected from the PubMed database. Relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to all articles reviewed and the data were entered into a database for statistical analysis. Results: The total number of lesions analyzed was 16,066; size ranged from 3 to 30 mm (mean, 11.7 ± 5.9 mm). Surgical margins ranged from 1 to 10 mm (mean, 3.9 ± 1.4 mm). Negative surgical margins ranged 45 to 100 percent (mean, 86 ± 12 percent). Recurrence rates for 5-, 4-, 3-, and 2-mm surgical margins were 0.39, 1.62, 2.56, and 3.96 percent, respectively. Pooled data for incompletely excised margins have an average recurrence rate of 27 percent. Conclusions: A 3-mm surgical margin can be safely used for nonmorpheaform basal cell carcinoma to attain 95 percent cure rates for lesions 2 cm or smaller. A positive pathologic margin has an average recurrence rate of 27 percent.
Self-Perceived Creativity and Vividness of Mental Imagery

We report the joint influence or creativity factors on mental imagery among 1361 university students of Fine Arts, Mathematics, and Geography and History. Creativity accounted for 1% of the variance in imagery among Fine Arts students, 4% among Mathematics students, 2% among Geography and History students, and 3% in the whole sample.
Foliar persistence and residual activity of methoxyfenozide against beet armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the persistence of methoxyfenozide in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) foliage. An aqueous suspension of methoxyfenozide was sprayed on pepper plants at concentrations of 72 and 144 mg of active ingredient (a.i.)/L. Foliage was collected at different intervals of time (0, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 days) after the treatment, and the methoxyfenozide residue was measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography. The foliage was also used in bioassays to determine the residual toxicity on and the consumption rate of the third‐instar larvae of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The methoxyfenozide concentrations observed after 50 days had decreased to 19 and 69 μg/g per sample, corresponding to a loss of 61% and 28% from the application concentrations of 72 and 144 mg a.i./L, respectively. When fitting a first‐order kinetics degradation model, the half‐life (DT50) of this compound was 76 days. Both application concentrations of methoxyfenozide caused a high mortality rate (≥97%) when the larvae were fed the pepper foliage collected at all of the time intervals. Lastly, at all of the time points, the consumption rate by the larvae was reduced to between 57% and 92% for both concentrations that were bioassayed. Our results indicate that, under the present greenhouse conditions, the degradation of methoxyfenozide was slower than that reported by other authors and that its residues were highly toxic to S. exigua larvae. The implications of these results for the management programs of this pest are discussed.
Purified subunit delta of chloroplast coupling factor CF1 reconstitutes photophosphorylation in partially CF1-depleted membranes.

The ATP synthase of chloroplasts consists of the proton channel, CF0, and the catalytic part, CF1, which carries nucleotide-binding sites on subunits alpha and beta. The still poorly understood interaction between CF0 and the catalytic sites on CF1 is mediated by the smaller subunits gamma, delta and epsilon of CF1. We investigated the ability of purified delta to block proton leakage through CF0 channels after their exposure by removal of the CF1 counterpart. Thylakoids were partially depleted of CF1 by EDTA treatment. This increased their proton permeability and thereby reduced the rate of photophosphorylation. Subunit delta was isolated and purified by FPLC [Engelbrecht, S. and Junge, W. (1987) FEBS Lett. 219, 321-325]. Addition of delta to EDTA-treated thylakoids reconstituted high rates of phenazine-methosulfate-mediated photophosphorylation. Since delta does not interact with nucleotides by itself, the reconstitution was due to a reduction of the proton leakage through open CF0 channels. The molar ratio of purified delta over exposed CF0, which started to elicit this effect, was 3:1. However, if delta was added together with purified CF1 lacking delta, in a 1:1 molar ratio, the relative amount over exposed CF0 was as low as 0.06. This corroborated our previous conclusion [Lill, H. , Engelbrecht, S. , Schönknecht, G. and Junge, W. (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 160, 627-634] that only a very small fraction of exposed CF0 was actually proton-conducting but with a very high unit conductance. CF1 including delta was apparently rebound preferentially to open CF0 channels. Although the ability of delta to control proton conduction through CF0 was evident, it remains to be established whether delta acts as a gated proton valve or as a conformational transducer in the integral CF0CF1 ATPase.
Spontaneous cell proliferation is associated with poor sensitivity to glucocorticoids in patients infected with HTLV

Abstract. Background: Human T‐cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV)‐I/II have a special tropism for infecting T cells and inducing spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation. Leukaemia and neurological manifestations are associated with HTLV‐I/II infections, and treatment is usually based on anti‐inflammatory drugs including glucocorticoids. Although steroid resistance has been reported, it is unknown whether this condition is related to the infection itself or to the treatment. Objective: We investigated whether spontaneous cell proliferation is associated with T‐cell sensitivity to glucocorticoids. Materials and Methods: Twenty‐eight HTLV‐I/II patients and 11 healthy age‐matched controls took part in this study. Lymphocytes were isolated and cultured in vitro to measure spontaneous and mitogen‐induced proliferation as well as cellular sensitivity to dexamethasone. Results: Patients with HTLV‐I/II infection showed similar stimulated and unstimulated T‐cell proliferation as well as comparable sensitivity to dexamethasone in vitro. There were no group differences in the frequency of glucocorticoid responders versus non‐responders. However, T cells of patients with spontaneous proliferation were unresponsive to mitogenic stimulation and were remarkably more resistant to dexamethasone than cells of patients with normal proliferation. Conclusion: These data suggest that the poor clinical response to steroids may be associated with spontaneous cell proliferation during HTLV infection.
Sonographically depicted breast clustered microcysts: is follow-up appropriate?

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes of lesions prospectively classified on breast sonography as clustered microcysts without a discrete solid component. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Over a 4-year interval during which 1,900 consecutive breast sonography examinations were obtained at the University of Maryland, 110 examinations (5.8%) yielded 123 lesions so classified. Sonography was performed by a physician using a linear-array broadband transducer (L7.5-12 or L7-13 MHz). Follow-up of at least 24 months was available for 66 lesions, and 14-gauge core biopsy was performed on another 13 lesions. The median patient age was 48 years (range, 32-71 years), and the median lesion size was 8 mm (range, 5-30 mm). RESULTS Of the 79 lesions with acceptable follow-up, all were depicted sonographically, 57 (72%) were seen mammographically, and four (5%) were palpable. Of the 13 lesions biopsied, five (38%) showed apocrine metaplasia; five (38%), fibrocystic changes; two (15%), cysts; and one (8%), a microscopic fibroadenoma and cysts. Of the 66 lesions with 2-year follow-up, 35 (53%) were stable, 15 (23%) had resolved, 12 (18%) decreased, and four (6%) minimally increased at 1 year and were then stable (n = 2) or decreased (n = 2) after 2 subsequent years. Fusion of several small cystic spaces was seen in one (2%) of the lesions followed. CONCLUSION Breast clustered microcysts are relatively common, seen in 5.8% of breast sonograms. In our series of 79 lesions with follow-up, none proved malignant: Follow-up on an annual basis appears reasonable for most such lesions. Validation of this approach across multiple centers is needed.