Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contribution of Snow Cover Decline to Projected Warming Over North America

Given the critical role that snow plays in modulating current climate, it is vital to examine the contribution of the projected snow decline to the future warming. This is investigated over North America using regional climate modeling experiments with prescribed current and future snow conditions. Results indicate that the decline in snow contributes to future warming by up to 2°C and 4°C, respectively, to annual and spring temperature increases. Results also show that decline in snow depth and cover lead to the attenuation (amplification) of cold (warm) extremes. The rate of intensification of warm extremes is higher over the snow‐abundant regions of northern Canada—where current snow cover fraction is close to one. The largest attenuation in cold extremes, on the other hand, is over snow marginal regions of the Great Plains and Prairies. These results demonstrate the spatiotemporal differences in projected changes exclusively associated with snow cover and depth decline.
The Human Eye in Presbyopia: Changes in the Lens and Ciliary Body with Age and Accommodation

ii Acknowledgments. iii Vita . iv List of Tables . ix List of Figures . x Chapter 1: Background and Literature Review . 1 Accommodation . 1 Mechanism. 1 Measurement . 2 Presbyopia . 5 Theories . 5 Crystalline Lens . 7 Ciliary Body . 14 Supporting Structures of the Accommodative System . 18 Purpose and Aims of Present Study . 21 Chapter 2: Methods . 24 viii Study Design . 24 Overview . 24 Recruitment and Enrollment . 24 Data collection . 25 Image analysis . 32 Statistical Analysis . 39 Chapter 3: Results . 40 Demographics of the Study Population . 40 Accommodative Function . 40 Ocular Biometry with Age . 43 Change in the Lens and Ciliary Body with Accommodation. 47 Chapter 4: Discussion . 53 Accommodative Function . 53 Ocular Biometry and Age . 55 Changes in the Lens and Ciliary Body with Accommodation . 61 Towards a Better Understanding of Accommodation and Presbyopia . 66 Chapter 5: Conclusions . 69 References . 70 Appendix: Tables and Figures . 79
Food Retailer Responses to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food-purchasing assistance to millions of low-income households in the form of monthly benefits redeemable for food at authorized stores. SNAP increases food demand, so retailers may respond to an increase in SNAP participation or benefits. I estimate the impacts of SNAP participation on the decisions of food and non-food retailers concerning the number of stores, employment, and pay per employee. I combine data on SNAP participation, industry-specific retailer outcomes, and state changes in SNAP policy over a period of 18 years. To address the endogeneity of SNAP participation, I employ a novel simulated eligibility instrumental variables framework exploiting variation in state SNAP policy. Higher SNAP participation leads firms to operate more stores in industries where benefits are typically accepted. This response is primarily attributable to smaller general stores – including dollar stores – and convenience stores. Additionally, higher SNAP participation increases the annual average earnings of employees of supercenters, warehouse clubs, and general stores. JEL Codes: D22, H53, H75, I18, I38, J20, L81, Q18
Visible-light-driven spirocyclization of epoxides via dual titanocene and photoredox catalysis

We describe the synergistic utilization of titanocene/photoredox dual catalysis driven by visible light for the radical opening/spirocyclization of easily accessible epoxyalkynes. This environmentally benign process uses the organic donor–acceptor fluorophore 2,4,5,6-tetra(9H-carbazol-9-yl)isophthalonitrile (4CzIPN) as a photocatalyst and Hantzsch ester (HE) as an electron donor instead of stoichiometric metallic reductants. The photocatalytic conditions showed exceptionally high reactivity for the synthesis of privileged and synthetically challenging spirocycles featuring a spiro all-carbon quaternary stereocenter. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies suggest that Cp2TiIIICl is the catalytically active species.
GAMBARAN KUALITAS HIDUP LANSIA DENGAN HIPERTENSI DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS RENDANG PADA PERIODE 27 FEBRUARI SAMPAI 14 MARET 2015

ABSTRAK Latar Belakang: Hipertensi merupakan suatu masalah kesehatan terbesar di dunia, terutamanya di negara berkembang. Menurut data dari Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi Bali penderita hipertensi di Bali pada tahun 2010 berjumlah 8837 orang. Sedangkan jumlah kunjungan lansia yang menderita hipertensi pada tahun 2013 adalah sebanyak 1354, yaitu sebesar 9,41% dari seluruh kasus yang berkunjung ke Puskesmas Rendang pada 2013. Permasalahan hipertensi yang tinggi terutama pada golongan lansia mempengaruhi kualitas hidup lansia. Tujuan Penelitian: Mengetahui gambaran kualitas hidup pada lansia dengan hipertensi. Metode Penelitian: Jenis penelitian ini deskriptif kuantitatif. Penelitian dilakukan di posyandu lansia wilayah kerja Puskesmas Rendang Kabupaten Karangasem pada periode 27 Februari sampai 14 Maret 2015. Teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan consecutive sampling dengan jumlah sampel 60 orang. Instrument yang digunakan berupa kuesioner, dimana kuesioner ini dibuat oleh WHO yaitu World Health Organization Quality Of Life â€“ Bref (WHOQOL-BREF). Teknik analisis data dengan analisis univariat dan bivariat. Hasil: Kualitas hidup lansia secara umum baik (58.3%), kualitas kesehatan fisik lansia buruk (71.7%), kualitas psikologis baik (61.7%), kualitas personal sosial tidak terlalu berpengaruh (50.0%) dan kualitas lingkungan buruk (73.3%). Kesimpulan: Kualitas hidup lansia secara umum baik, hanya buruk pada kualitas kesihatan fisik dan lingkungan.
Determinantes de la Estructura de Capital: Un Análisis de las Pymes Ecuatorianas con Financiamiento en el Mercado de Valores

SMEs in Ecuador, seek financing in intermediary markets or also known as banking markets, forgetting that in the country there is also the stock market that offers many benefits through a series of stock market instruments. That is why this work aims to explain the capital structure in SMEs that are listed on the Ecuadorian stock market. The approach that was used to conduct this research is qualitative with a population of 63 companies, applying a panel data methodology. The qualitative approach was developed based on the review of the literature and obtaining the financial information, five variables were studied such as profitability, size, collateral value of the assets, growth and fiscal protection of the debt that are considered determinants within the corporate capital structure. The results were varied, resulting in some of the variables being relevant while others were not. This paper opens a topic of discussion little studied in the country, such as determining the capital structure of SMEs that are in the stock market in Ecuador.Keywords: stock market, capital structure, financial determinants, stock education, indebtedness, financing.
A Dynamic Prognostic Model to Predict Survival in Primary Myelofibrosis: a Study of the International Working Group for Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Research and Treatment (IWG-MRT).

Abstract 3891 Poster Board III-827 Age over 65 years, hemoglobin level lower than 10 g/dL, WBC count greater than 25 × 10 9 /L, peripheral blood blasts equal to or greater than 1%, and presence of constitutional symptoms provide a reliable prediction of survival in patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) at diagnosis [Cervantes et al. Blood. 2009 Mar 26;113(13):2895-901]. In fact, based on the presence of 0 (low risk), 1 (intermediate risk-1), 2 (intermediate risk-2) or greater than or equal to 3 (high risk) of the above factors, 4 risk groups with no overlapping in their survival curves were defined. To investigate whether the acquisition of these prognostic factors during follow-up may predict survival anytime, we studied 525 PMF patients regularly followed at each participating Institution from 1980 to 2008. The study was carried out within the IWG-MRT, and an ad hoc database was developed for data collection. Patients with post-polycythemia vera and post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis, and patients with pre-fibrotic myelofibrosis were excluded from this study. Overall, 68 patients (26% of subjects who were below the age of 65 at diagnosis) passed the 65-year age threshold during the study period, 158 (47% of patients without this risk factor at diagnosis) developed anemia, 72 (15% of patients without this risk factor at diagnosis) presented marked leukocytosis, 102 (27% of patients without this risk factor at diagnosis) had more than 1% peripheral blast cells, and 54 (14% of patients without these symptoms at diagnosis) had constitutional symptoms. All variables resulted significant when analyzed as time-dependent covariates in a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model, and all of them were therefore included in the subsequent models. Each variable was assigned an integer weight close to the corresponding hazard ratio (HR), and the sum of values obtained was used to allocate the patients into 4 risk categories (low, intermediate-1, intermediate-2, high). We developed 2 separate models, one for all patients (DIPSS) and the other one for patients below the age of 65 (age-adjusted DIPSS), both applicable during the course of the disease. Cumulative survival can be estimated with the Kaplan Meier method. The increased risk of death when changing risk category was estimated as HR. According to DIPSS, the HR was: 4.13 (95% CI: 1.73-9.82; P 9 /L, peripheral blood blasts equal to or greater than 1%, and the presence of constitutional symptoms predict survival independently and in a time-dependent manner in patients with PMF. Both DIPSS and age-adjusted DIPSS allow a reliable prognostic assessment of PMF patients at any time during the clinical course of the disease, and are therefore useful for clinical decision making. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Authentic Assessment as a Tool to Enhance Student Learning in a Higher Education Institution

Authentic assessment plays a great role in enhancing students’ learning and makes them competent in their study area. Studies indicate that assessment is authentic when the tasks have real-life value and students perform real-world tasks. Therefore, this chapter shows how lecturers practice authentic assessment to enhance students’ learning in a higher education institution. To achieve this, the authors used a phenomenological qualitative research design. An interview was used to collect data. The result indicated that lecturers are highly dependent upon traditional assessment methods, which have no significant contribution to the competency of students. The practice of authentic assessment methods as a tool to enhance students’ learning is limited. Therefore, the authors can conclude that enhancing students’ learning using authentic assessment in their study areas is untenable if the lecturers continue to utilize their current assessment practices. Authentic Assessment as a Tool to Enhance Student Learning in a Higher Education Institution: Implication for Student Competency
Germination: an alternative source to promote phytonutrients in edible seeds

Consumption of less phytonutrient foods has shown to cause different chronic diseases, despite over 50,000 edible plant breed available in various countries around the globe. These edible plants consist of seeds that can be consumed which possessed high health benefits. Moreover, nutritive values such as phytochemicals of edible seeds increased after germination. Therefore, germination has been reported to enhance various bioactive compounds such as γ-amino butyric acid, polyphenols, and vitamins which lead to greater bioactivity such as anti-diabetic, anti-bacteria, and anti-cancer effects when these seeds are consumed. Consequently, germination can be regarded as a cheap and effective way to enhance the nutritional value of edible seeds.
Inotuzumab ozogamicin (CMC-544) compared to chemotherapy in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): A retrospective comparison.

7095 Background: Modern multi-agent chemotherapy (CT) regimens result in complete remission (CR) rates of 80-90% and long-term survival rates of 40% in pts with ALL. The most common reason for treatment failure is relapse of the disease. Post-relapse therapies lead to second CR in 30-40% of pts with a 5-year survival of 90% of pts with ALL. Inotuzumab ozogamicin (IO) is a CD22 monoclonal antibody bound to a toxin, calecheamicin. We reported overall response rate of 57% with single-agent IO in R/R ALL (Kantarjian, Lancet Oncology 2012). Methods: We analyzed the outcomes of patients with R/R ALL treated with single-agent IO (n=90) vs. historical controls (n=292) treated with combination CT at our institution from 1990-2008. IO was dosed at 1.8 mg/m2 every 3-4 weeks (first 41 pts), and later weekly dosing (0.8 mg/m2 day 1, 0.5 mg/m2 on days 8 and 15, every 3-4 weeks). Fifty-percent of historical controls were treated with hyper-CVAD CT (n=147). Results: The median age in the .
The effects of a community mental health intervention project upon family caregivers of persons with suspected mental illness in the Chinese cultural context

Family members play an important role in caregiving with more emphasis on early intervention for people suffering from mental illness. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study examines the effects of a community mental health intervention project (CoMHIP) on burdens of caregivers who have family members with suspected mental illness. Results showed that family caregivers’ burden and psychological stress level had been reduced (p < .001). The caregivers subjectively experienced a significant reduction in stress regarding the caregiving subscales, supervision, tension, worrying and urging after seeking CoMHIP service. Findings for the study have implications on social work interventions regarding family caregiving of people with suspected mental health problems.
Measuring Whiteness: A Systematic Review of Instruments and Call to Action

The psychological study of Whiteness provides one avenue for researchers to help combat racial injustice in the United States. This article is a call to action for counseling psychologists to engage in much needed scholarship and critical examinations of Whiteness. In this systematic review and content analysis, we provide an overview of 18 quantitative measures focusing on various aspects of Whiteness published between 1967 and 2017. We summarize the constructs and psychometric properties of these measures. Our content analysis indicated that constructs assessed by Whiteness measures have shifted in focus over time across four themes: (a) Attitudes Toward Black People/Integration, (b) Modern Racism, (c) White Racial Identity, and (d) White Privilege and Antiracism. We conclude with suggestions on how advancement, development, and use of Whiteness measures could further our knowledge through research examining present-day racial justice issues. The issues highlighted include police brutality, xenophobia, immigration, White supremacy, activism, and training in the field.
Surgical vs Nonsurgical Treatment of Adults with Displaced Fractures of the Proximal Humerus – The PROFHER Randomized Clinical Trial

Die vorliegende Studie zeigt eine hohe methodische Qualität mit einem veröffentlichten Studienprotokoll [1], hohen Teilnehmerzahlen, einer sorgfältigen Randomisierung und statistischen Auswertung. Die Patienten wurden 2 Jahre nachverfolgt, und die Drop-out-Quote war für eine klinische Studie relativ niedrig. Da es sich um eine multizentrische Studie handelt, galt es, eine Reihe logistischer Schwierigkeiten zu überwinden. So musste die physiotherapeutische Versorgung in allen Zentren gleichermaßen gewährleistet sein und Instruktionen zum Selbstmanagement und Heimprogramm mussten abgeglichen werden. Die Ergebnisse sind eindeutig: Die operative Therapie erzielte in keinem der primären und sekundären Messinstrumente ein signifikantes oder klinisch relevant besseres Ergebnis. Die Studie hat wichtige Bedeutung für die Physiotherapie: Die physiotherapeutische Versorgung alleine ist der operativen Versorgung (plus Physiotherapie) nicht unterlegen. Dazu ist sie kostengünstiger und verringert das Komplikationsrisiko (Anästhesie, Infektionen, etc.; [3]).
Multimodal MRI analysis of the whole brain connectome of apathy in cerebral small vessel disease

Although human studies have identified the neural mechanisms of motivated behaviour, which part of its circuitry is actually being disrupted in disease is not yet well understood. Primarily, the literature has associated apathy with reduced white matter integrity, however, the relationship between structural and functional brain changes hasn’t been studied extensively in apathy. To address this concern, we’ve developed a comprehensive whole-brain magnetic resonance neuroimaging pipeline with which we’ve analysed two populations of cerebral small vessel disease (CADASIL, n = 19; sporadic SVD, n = 104). We’ve looked at the association between apathy and reduced white matter integrity, making use of tract-based spatial statistics; reduced grey matter volume with voxel-based morphometry; and reduced functional connectivity with a novel dynamic approach (Leading Eigenvector Dynamic Analysis). Furthermore, this project then aims at tying the neuroimaging findings with the parameter estimates of reward and effort sensitivity extracted through computational modelling of an effort-based decision-making task. Our results show that apathy is associated with reduced white matter integrity (reduced fractional anisotropy) of specific regions (particularly the corpus callosum and the anterior cingulum). Reduced grey matter volume of the occipital lobe seems to be associated with apathy, despite not being shown by any literature. Moreover, our results indicate that apathetic patients are associated with a weaker and more incoherent repertoire of functional connectivity than their non-apathetic counterparts. Functional connectivity associated with vmPFC regions and the occipital lobe is reduced in apathy. This shows a strong association between structural and functional changes in the brain. Apathetic patients seem to be characterised by a reduction in reward and effort sensitivity, which is associated with impaired functional connectivity. This study is a unique contributor to the understanding of the neural underpinnings of apathy in cerebral small vessel disease due to the uncommon combination of MRI modalities and relation between consequent structural and functional metrics. However, a lot more has to be done to fully understand the mechanisms of this syndrome and to extract clinically useful markers and therapies.
The Use of Bitumen in the Stabilization of Lead Contaminated Iraqi Soil

Iraq is one of the biggest countries in oil production and its processes. Bitumen is a byproduct material that remains after the process of crude oil. This study is designed to investigate the role of bitumen in the stabilization of lead contaminated Iraqi soil; as measured by a newly developed “mini” Jet Device and the dispersion ratio method (DR,%). The results revealed that both bitumen amount and its method of mixing with soil, as a direct or as emulsion mixing, can significantly improve the stability of lead contaminated soil. Hence, only 3% bitumen as emulsion mixing was required to get the optimum soil stabilization, compared with 9% in direct mixing. A 3% bitumen emulsion has reduced both the scouring depth (SD, from 24.5 to1.6 mm; R= -0.90) and the erodibility coefficient (Kd, from 1.09 to 0.14; R= -0.86) as a result of improving soil engineering properties related to soil stabilization. However, the 3% of bitumen emulsion has also improved the soil chemical properties that have an important role in soil aggregation and lead mobility; such as pH, EC and SAR. Therefore, 3% of bitumen emulsion has successfully decreased both the dispersion ratio (DR, % from 7.03 to 4.48; R= -0.90) and the lead solubility (Pb from 48.8 to 4.9ppm; R= -0.96) in the solutions of lead contaminated soil.
Should we flip the script?

This mixed method systematic review considers recent literature on the information literacy (IL) skills of first-year undergraduate students. The review uncovers the following themes: faculty and librarians perceive first-year students as lacking IL skills; students have varying perceptions of their IL skills; assessment studies yield conflicting findings on first-year students' IL; communication between high school and college librarians is challenging; and some IL researchers emphasise and leverage first-year students' prior knowledge and experience in IL instruction. These themes emerge from extensive searches in four research databases for scholarly and professional articles written in English within the past ten years. With the exception of a few articles, studies reviewed consistently express their findings in terms of students’ gaps or deficits. We question whether this is the most productive basis for developing effective IL programs. Instead, we call for further investigation of students’ existing knowledge and skills as a basis for implementing constructivist and strengths-based pedagogies.
Effect of Reduced-Fee Dental Hygiene Treatment and Oral Health Perceptions Among Socioeconomically Deprived Persons

Reduced-Fee Dental Hygiene Treatment and Oral Health Perceptions Among Socioeconomically Deprived Persons by Janeime Asbury MPH, Walden University, 2012 BS, Sweet Briar College, 1992 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Epidemiology
Novel Applications of Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning to Extract Information from Clinical Text and Automate Cancer Stage Collection in a Central Cancer Registry

The primary objective of cancer registries is to capture clinical care data of cancer populations and aid in prevention, allow early detection, determine prognosis, and assess quality of various treatments and interventions. Furthermore, the role of cancer registries is paramount in supporting cancer epidemiological studies and medical research. Existing cancer registries depend mostly on humans, known as Cancer Tumor Registrars (CTRs), to conduct manual abstraction of the electronic health records to find reportable cancer cases and extract other data elements required for regulatory reporting. This is often a time-consuming and laborious task prone to human error affecting quality, completeness and timeliness of cancer registries. Central state cancer registries take responsibility for consolidating data received from multiple sources for each cancer case and to assign the most accurate information. The Utah Cancer Registry (UCR) at the University of Utah, for instance, leads and oversees more than 70 cancer treatment facilities in the state of Utah to collect data for each diagnosed cancer case and consolidate multiple sources of information.Although software tools helping with the manual abstraction process exist, they mainly focus on cancer case findings based on pathology reports and do not support automatic extraction of other data elements such as TNM cancer stage information, an important prognostic factor required before initiating clinical treatment. In this study, I present novel applications of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to automatically extract clinical and pathological TNM stage information from unconsolidated clinical records of cancer patients available at the central Utah Cancer Registry. To further support CTRs in their manual efforts, I demonstrate a new approach based on machine learning to consolidate TNM stages from multiple records at the patient level.