Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Additional effect of magnesium sulfate and vitamin C in laparoscopic gynecologic surgery for postoperative pain management: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

Background This clinical trial was conducted to determine whether combined use of magnesium sulfate and vitamin C more significantly reduced postoperative fentanyl consumption and pain than magnesium sulfate or vitamin C alone. Methods The prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled study enrolled 132 patients scheduled for laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. The patients were randomly allocated to one of the four groups (n = 33 for each group; Group M [magnesium sulfate 40 mg/kg], Group V [vitamin C 50 mg/kg], Group MV [magnesium sulfate 40 mg/kg and vitamin C 50 mg/kg] and Group C [isotonic saline 40 ml]). Cumulative postoperative fentanyl consumption (primary endpoint measure), postoperative pain score by numeric rating scale, and postoperative nausea and vomiting were recorded at 1, 6, 24, and 48 h after discharge from the postanesthesia care unit. Results Cumulative postoperative fentanyl consumption was significantly less in Groups M, V, and MV than in Group C at all time points. Group MV showed significantly less cumulative postoperative fentanyl consumption than Group M at postoperative 24 h (mean ± standard deviation, 156.6 ± 67.5 vs. 235.6 ± 94.6 µg, P = 0.001), as well as significantly less consumption than Groups M and V at postoperative 48 h (190.8 ± 74.6 vs. 301.0 ± 114.8 or 284.1 ± 128.6 µg, P < 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively). Conclusions Combined use of magnesium sulfate and vitamin C provides an additional benefit in postoperative pain management after laparoscopic gynecologic surgery in comparison to single administration of magnesium sulfate or vitamin C.
University of Birmingham Implicit discrimination of basic facial expressions of positive/negative emotion in fragile x syndrome and autism spectrum disorder

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by impaired social functioning. Here, we examine the spontaneous discrimination of happy and disgusted facial expressions, from neutral faces, in individuals with FXS (n=13, M age =19.70) and ASD (n=15, M age =11.00) matched on adaptive behavior and verbal abilities measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale. Eye gaze to the eye and mouth regions of neutral faces was also measured. Results suggest that individuals with FXS and ASD distinguish facial expressions spontaneously in the same way. Individuals with FXS looked significantly less at the eye region of neutral faces than individuals with ASD. These results provide insight into similarities and differences in face processing in two neurodevelopmental disorders noted for their similarities in social behavior.
University of Birmingham A Person-Centered Analysis of Motivation for Physical Activity and Perceived Neighborhood Environment in Residents of Assisted Living Facilities

Publisher Rights Statement: A Person-Centered Analysis of Motivation for Physical Activity and Perceived Neighborhood Environment in Residents of Assisted Living Facilities , Saengryeol Park, Nikos Ntoumanis, Sally A. M. Fenton, Andreas Stenling, Jet J. C. S. Veldhuijzen van Zanten, and Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani, The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, First Published July 2, 2018 https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415018784763
ROLE OF MULTI-DETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN THE PRE- OPERATIVE WORK UP OF POTENTIAL LIVING RENAL DONORS

Background: Kidney Transplantation is limited by severe shortage of cadaver kidneys. To ameliorate this limitation, use of living donors is now widely accepted. Preoperative evaluation of living renal donor is important to select the appropriate kidney for transplantation and to decrease donor surgical complications. Aims: The aim of this study was to observe the accuracy of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) to evaluate vascular anatomy in potential living renal donors using surgical findings as reference standard. Settings and Design: Prospective observational nonrandomized study. Subjects and Methods: A total number of 30 living renal donors who underwent open surgical approach for transplantation were selected. Renal anatomy and renal vessels of donors evaluated by CT angiography was compared with surgical findings in all patients. Results: The accuracy for detecting number of main renal arteries was 96.66%. The accuracy for detecting number of main renal veins and ureters was 100%. Conclusions: MDCT using 64-channel scanner represents a single step highly accurate imaging modality for the anatomic evaluation of kidneys, their vascular anatomy and ureters with good patient comfort in potential living renal donors.
Fast and Furious: The Market Quality Implications of Speed in Cross-Border Trading

Using a measure of transmission latency between exchanges located in Frankfurt and London, and exploiting speed-inducing technological upgrades, we investigate the impact of international transmission latency on liquidity and volatility. We find that a decrease in transmission latency increases liquidity and volatility. In line with existing theoretical models, we show that the amplification of liquidity and volatility is associated with variations in adverse selection risk and aggressive trading. We then investigate the net economic effect of high speed and find that the liquidity-enhancing benefit of increased trading speed in financial markets outweighs its volatility-inducing effect.
A Better Price or Better Reputation: Evidences and Implications to B2C ecommerce

Through their use of comparison shopping websites, online shoppers encounter tradeoffs between a product’s various prices along with the reputations of the various online retailers. As a first step in understanding the impact of comparison shopping websites on consumer buying behavior, we performed a set of exploratory experiments that systematically discover how online shoppers make decisions when faced with different combinations of price and reputations in their comparison-shopping. We found online shoppers are generally seeking a balanced combination of price and reputation. If a balanced solution cannot be found, then they prefer merchants with better reputation but not the premium price. The strategic implications to B2C ecommerce are discussed.
Cardioprotective effect of sonic hedgehog ligand in pig models of ischemia reperfusion

Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway is involved in embryonic tissue patterning and development. Our previous work identified, in small rodent model of ischemia reperfusion, SHH as a specific efficient tool to reduce infarct size and subsequent arrhythmias by preventing ventricular repolarization abnormalities. The goal of the present study was to provide a proof of concept of the cardioprotective effect of SHH ligand in a porcine model of acute ischemia. Methods: The antiarrhythmic effect of SHH, either by a recombinant peptide (N-SHH) or shed membrane microparticles harboring SHH ligand (MPsSHH+), was evaluated in a first set of pigs following a short (25 min) coronary artery occlusion (CAO) followed by 24 hours-reperfusion (CAR) (Protocol A). The infarct-limiting effect was evaluated on a second set of pigs with 40 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 24 hours reperfusion (Protocol B). Electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded and arrhythmia's scores were evaluated. Area at risk and myocardial infarct size were quantified. Results: In protocol A, administration of N-SHH 15 min. after the onset of coronary occlusion significantly reduced the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation compared to control group. Evaluation of arrhythmic score showed that N-SHH treatment significantly reduced the overall occurrence of arrhythmias. In protocol B, massive infarction was observed in control animals. Either N-SHH or MPsSHH+ treatment reduced significantly the infarct size with a concomitant increase of salvaged area. The reduction in infarct size was both accompanied by a significant decrease in systemic biomarkers of myocardial injury, i.e., cardiac troponin I and fatty acid-binding protein and an increase of eNOS activation. Conclusions: We show for the first time in a large mammalian model that the activation of the SHH pathway by N-SHH or MPsSHH+ offers a potent protection of the heart to ischemia-reperfusion by preventing the reperfusion arrhythmias, reducing the infarct area and the circulating levels of biomarkers for myocardial injury. These data open up potentially theranostic prospects for patients suffering from myocardial infarction to prevent the occurrence of arrhythmias and reduce myocardial tissue damage.
Clinical Efficacy of Papilla Preservation Flaps with Regenerative Biomaterials in the Treatment of Periodontal Intrabony Defects – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aim: This paper is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the clinical efficacy of papilla preservation flaps with the regenerative biomaterials in the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects. Materials and Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of papilla preservation flaps with the regenerative biomaterials in the treatment of intrabony defects with a search for articles in the PUBMED search site. Study outcomes were reported through evidence tables and a quantitative synthesis through a meta-analysis by using OpenMEE®. Results: Seventeen studies were identified and considered in the literature search for inclusion in the metaanalysis. Among 225 periodontal intrabony defects evaluated at 6 months, 112 were treated randomly by papilla preservation flaps with the regenerative biomaterial and 113 were treated using papilla preservation flaps alone. There was substantial heterogeneity across the studies in reporting the outcomes of PPD reduction (p<0.001) and moderate heterogeneity in reporting the outcome of CAL gain (p=0.085). Pooled estimates showed that regenerative material used in combination with papilla preservation flaps showed more PPD reduction (p=0.002) and CAL gain (p<0.001) than the use of papilla preservation flaps alone. Conclusion: The results of our meta-analysis seem to indicate that on a short-term follow-up, the use of papilla preservation flaps combined with regenerative biomaterials have better clinical outcomes in terms of PPD reduction and CAL gain compared with papilla preservation flaps alone.
A First Exploration of a Gesture Based Authentication Scheme for Flexible Displays

The emergence of ﬂexible displays provides us with an opportunity to explore new forms of user authentication on mobile devices. In this paper, we present a ﬁrst exploration of a bend gesture-based authentication scheme that takes advantage of users’ motor learning capabilities. We ran a user study to evaluate our authentication scheme and compared the results with PINs. Our results were comparable between bend pass-words and PINs. Bend passwords were stronger than PINs, though participants required more attempts to create a mem-orable password. Our work demonstrates that an authentication scheme using bend passwords has potential, both from a usability and security point of view.
A Feminist-centered, Self-efficacy, Psychoeducational Intervention for Low-income Rural Abused Women

The effects of a feminist-centered, self-efficacy, psychoeducational intervention will be tested using low-income rural female domestic violence victims. Derived from previous literature indicating that lower self-efficacy is commonly seen in abused women, this intervention will focus on reconfiguring the abused women’s ideas on the patriarchal world through a feminist-centered approach to increase their self-efficacy. Before the intervention, well-being, assertiveness, self-efficacy, attitudes towards feminism, and likelihood of returning to their abuser will be measured. The same dependent variables will be measured after the intervention, except for the likelihood of them returning to their abusers. As a follow-up three weeks after the intervention, the participants will be asked the likelihood they feel of returning to their abusers. ​ ​It is predicted that the women in the feminist-centered self-efficacy intervention will show higher scores on the dependent variables after the intervention than before the intervention. Another prediction is that the feminist-centered self-efficacy intervention group will show higher scores on the dependent variables in comparison to the control group. It is also expected that self-efficacy will mediate the relationship between the condition and likelihood of returning to abusers. This area of study is extremely important in helping women who have experienced violence leave their abusers. FEMINIST-CENTERED SELF-EFFICACY INTERVENTION 3
When and How to Use Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure: Lessons from the International Experience

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have emerged as a new organizational form to provide public infrastructure over the last 30 years. Governments find them attractive because PPPs can be used to avoid fiscal check-and-balances and increase spending. At the same time, PPPs can lead to important efficiency gains, especially for transportation infrastructure. These gains include better maintenance, reduced bureaucratic costs, and filtering white elephants. For these gains to materialize, it is necessary to deal with the governance of PPPs, which is more demanding than for the public provision of infrastructure. The governance can be improved by the use of contracts with appropriate risk allocation and by avoiding opportunistic renegotiations, which have been pervasive. The good news is that, based on the experience with PPPs over the last three decades, we have learnt how to address these challenges.
Pumping a Large Diameter Well in an Unconfined Aquifer: Finding the Hydraulic Parameters

A 3.66-m diameter well was used to pump an unconfined aquifer. The well storage had a strong influence on the timedrawdown curves, which largely differed from theory. The usual interpretation methods gave questionable values for hydraulic conductivity and storativity. Subsequently, drawdown data were assessed using a finite element analysis that takes into account the non-linear relationships linking the water content and hydraulic conductivity to the pore water pressure and suction. RÉSUMÉ Un puits de diamètre 3.66 m a servi à pomper un aquifère à nappe libre. La capacité du puits a eu une forte influence sur les courbes rabattement-temps, très différentes de la théorie. Les méthodes usuelles d’interprétation ont donné des valeurs douteuses pour la conductivité hydraulique et l’emmagasinement. Par la suite, les données de rabattement ont été évaluées à l’aide d’un logiciel d’éléments finis qui tient compte des relations non linéaires reliant la teneur en eau et la conductivité hydraulique à la pression d’eau et la succion.
An Empirical Study of Acquiring the Health Information by Micro-blogging: Taking Plurk for Example

In view of rising micro-blogging, the searchers of health information have increased dramatically anywhere in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was designed to refine and apply the theory of health b elief model and tried to explore significant affected fac tors on the Plurkers behavior in tracing the health information. The survey methodology of this study administered the online questionnaire procedure dur ing a two-week period in May, 2010. The effective respondent numbers totally are 233. Moreover, the multiple regression method was also used to analyze the results. After statistical analysis, the critic al finding points out that majority of micro-blogging users acquiring the health information was mainly affecte d by the factors of Social Influence, Trust and Perce ived Barriers. Hence, the professional and convenient information might be provided for us to promote the intention of use in Plurk. Keyword: Health Belief Model; Health Information; Micro-blogging; Plurk
A comparison of computer assisted learning and practical animal experiment for undergraduate medical students in pharmacology curriculum - a questionnaire based study conducted in a medical college of North India

Background: The practical sessions in pharmacology training involving animal experiments were perceived to be unnecessary as the learning objectives of these practical sessions primarily focus on observational, analytical and interpretative skills. A number of computer simulation and other models have been recommended for use as alternatives to use of animals for medical education. In this study, we compared Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) with practical animal experiments for medical undergraduates based on questionnaire. The objective of the study was to compare Computer Assisted Learning and practical animal experiments for medical undergraduates in pharmacology curriculum. Methods: This was a questionnaire based observational study involving 300 medical undergraduates and eighteen faculty members. It included two systems i.e. CAL and conventional animal experiments. A separate questionnaire was prepared for the faculty members. Results: Results showed that CAL has nearly replaced the practical laboratory experiments as far as the medical undergraduate training is concerned. All the students and teachers believed that CAL is better and more understandable than animal experiments done practically. Conclusions: It is concluded that CAL is a better source of experimentation at the undergraduate level and provides dependable outcomes.
From “Sad People on Bridges” To “Kidnap and Extortion”: Understanding the Nature and Situational Characteristics of Hostage Crisis Negotiator Deployments

Hostage and crisis negotiation is well established as a police tool, and there is a growing body of literature that provides academic insight into the phenomenon. Academics have developed a corpus of literature to explain the way negotiators operate/how they can resolve incidents successfully. Whilst research in this area has originated from various countries, and addressed negotiation from a variety of perspectives, there is limited research that has focused specifically on negotiation from an Anglo-centric perspective. This paper presents the findings from a detailed academic examination of negotiator experiences in England, whereby semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 negotiators from nine forces. Analysis using grounded theory revealed twelve deployment categories, situated within a recurring context involving subjects experiencing personal, emotional or psychological crisis. These categories can be used to enhance our understanding of negotiator deployment in England and are discussed with reference to the implications for negotiator training and practice.
Validation of an Optical CMM for the Measurement of Wear at the Taper Interface in Total Hip Replacement

If the factors affecting taper performance are to be studied, accurate and validated volumetric values of loss are important to contextualize the importance of taper damage. This study validates the volumetric loss values from the RedLux optical coordinate measuring machine, the sensitivity of the technique to the pointcloud density and the repeatability of the technique. The limits of agreement (95%) between the optical measuring machines and the gravimetric values are -0.0416 mm3 and 0.173 mm3. The average measured angle was assessed against a calibrated taper and shown to be within 0.0024°.
A miR-146a-5p/TRAF6/NF-kB p65 axis regulates pancreatic cancer chemoresistance: functional validation and clinical significance

Background: Dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression in cancer can act as a key factor that modifies biological processes, including chemoresistance. Our study aimed to identify the miRNAs associated with gemcitabine (GEM) resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and to explore the potential mechanisms. Methods: The miRNA microarray was used to identify miRNAs associated with GEM resistance. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to examine miR-146a-5p expression in paired PDAC and adjacent normal tissues. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to confirm tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) as a direct target of miR-146a-5p and to explore the potential transcription factor binding and regulation by miR-146a-5p. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to investigate the mechanisms. Results: MiR-146a-5p expression was significantly decreased in PDAC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, and miR-146a-5p expression correlated with prognosis in PDAC patients. Functional studies indicated that miR-146a-5p suppressed PDAC cell proliferation and sensitized PDAC cells to GEM chemotherapy by targeting the 3'-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of TRAF6. MiR-146a-5p was also observed to downregulate the TRAF6/NF-κB p65/P-gp axis, which regulates PDAC cell growth and chemoresistance. Conclusions: Taken together, the results indicate that the miR-146a-5p/TRAF6/NF-κB p65 axis drives pancreatic chemoresistance by regulating P-gp, suggesting that miR-146a-5p may be utilized as a new therapeutic target and prognostic marker in PDAC patients.
Young Learners – Learning and Literacy in the Early Years

This paper addresses the theoretical and empirical understandings which underpin the Young Learners’ Project which is being undertaken at the University of Melbourne during 20072011. Quality learning experiences coupled with personalised, evidence-based adult support in the preschool years shape children’s life-long attitudes and motivation for learning, and form the basis of strong outcomes in adulthood. Of particular importance is the development of literacy. Not all children, however, have such experiences and some need extra support from their families and teachers. From this study knowledge will be gained that will assist teachers and parents to support children beginning school so that they are prepared for formal literacy learning. This will lead to greater prospects of financial and social benefits in adulthood. This collaborative four-year research project identifies effective personalised teaching strategies for early literacy used with children in preschool and the first year of schooling. Employing quantitative and qualitative methods, we will establish child profiles to enable the teachers to plan personalised goals and implement strategies for early literacy. For the teachers, we will use direct observations, self-reflections and interviews to identify effective teaching strategies specifically for early literacy. Child progress will be measured through an early literacy instrument. The project will inform teacher education and the preparation of teacher and parent resources for early literacy.
Ideology and Composition Among an Online Crowd: Evidence from Wikipedians

Online communities bring together participants from diverse backgrounds and often face challenges in aggregating their opinions. We infer lessons from the experience of individual contributors to Wikipedia articles about U.S. politics. We identify two factors that cause a tendency toward moderation in collective opinion: Either biased contributors contribute less, which shifts the composition of participants, or biased contributors moderate their own views. Our findings show that shifts in the composition of participants account for 80%–90% of the moderation in content. Contributors tend to contribute to articles with slants that are opposite their own views. Evidence suggests that encountering extreme contributors with an opposite slant plays an important role in triggering the composition shift and changing views. These findings suggest that collective intelligence becomes more trustworthy when mechanisms encourage confrontation between distinct viewpoints. They also suggest, cautiously, that managers who aspire to produce content “from all sides” should let the most biased contributors leave the collective conversation if they can be replaced with more moderate voices. This paper was accepted by Anandhi Bharadwaj, information systems.