Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Risperidone and Prenatal Poly I:C Exposure on GABAA Receptors and AKT-GSK3β Pathway in the Ventral Tegmental Area of Female Juvenile Rats

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the ventral midbrain is the origin of the dopaminergic neurotransmission pathways. Although GABAA receptors and AKT-GSK3β signaling are involved in the pathophysiology of mental disorders and are modulated by antipsychotics, an unmet task is to reveal the pathological changes in these biomarkers and antipsychotic modulations in the VTA. Using a juvenile polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly I:C) psychiatric rat model, this study investigated the effects of adolescent risperidone treatment on GABAA receptors and AKT/GSK3β in the VTA. Pregnant female Sprague–Dawley rats were administered Poly I:C (5mg/kg; i.p) or saline at gestational day 15. Juvenile female offspring received risperidone (0.9 mg/kg, twice per day) or a vehicle from postnatal day 35 for 25 days. Poly I:C offspring had significantly decreased mRNA expression of GABAA receptor β3 subunits and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD2) in the VTA, while risperidone partially reversed the decreased GAD2 expression. Prenatal Poly I:C exposure led to increased expression of AKT2 and GSK3β. Risperidone decreased GABAA receptor β2/3, but increased AKT2 mRNA expression in the VTA of healthy rats. This study suggests that Poly I:C-elicited maternal immune activation and risperidone differentially modulate GABAergic neurotransmission and AKT-GSK3β signaling in the VTA of adolescent rats.
Standard-Setting of Multidisciplinary Objective Structured Practical Examination

Purpose The present work applies the standard-setting in the multidisciplinary Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) of the MusculoSkeletal and Integument systems (MSK) module using Modified Ebel’s method to differentiate the competent students from the non-competent ones. Materials and methods One hundred fifty-six students participated in the multidisciplinary OSPE. The MSK-OSPE consists of mid-module and final. According to the blueprint of the OSPE, the mid-module OSPE tested the knowledge and skills of the upper limb, and the final OSPE verified the knowledge and skills of the lower limb. Modified Ebel’s method was used to identify the Minimum Pass Level (MPL) in each station and the whole exam accordingly. Results Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the students passed both exams, while 25.6% did not pass the mid-module exam and 31.4% did not pass the final exam, 17.9% did not pass both exams and 25% did not pass one exam. The MPL for most of the stations in both exams using modified Ebel’s method of the standard-setting was more than 50% which is the conventional pass mark. However, the MPL for stations 4, and 6 in the mid-module exam (ulna and arteries of the upper limb) and stations 7, 9, and 14 (muscles of the lower limb, anatomy of ankle joint, physiology of nerve) was < 50%. While the total pass mark of the mid-module OSPE was 66% and the pass mark for the final OSPE was 60% Conclusion The minimal pass level (MPL) in mid module and final OSPE were 66% and 60% respectively which are more than the conventional cut off point (50%) that indicating that the standard-setting was effective in identifying poor performers who cannot be identified by the conventional method that led to enhance the quality of OSPE as an assessment tool. Moreover, students developed the skills to deal with standardized patients in clinical stations. However, some defects and areas of improvement were identified in some physiological and anatomical stations. The organizing committee recommended identifying the poor performers and conducting extra-tutorial sessions on the defective topics.
Investigating and understanding student learning outcomes in an online and face-to-face graduate-level legal administration course: An embedded mixed methods design

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v LIST OF FIGURES viii LIST OF TABLES ix PREFACE 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 3 Background of the Study 6 Purpose of the Research Study 6 Definitions Used in the Study 7 Significance of the Study 8 Research Questions 9 Organization of the Dissertation 9 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 11 The History and Evolution of Online Education 11 Correspondence – Parcel Post 12 Radio 14 Television 17 Internet—Online Education 19 Quality in Online Education 23 Stakeholder Perceptions 24 Quantifiable Elements 24 Course Design 24 External Standards 25 Student Perceptions of Online Education 26 Interaction and Engagement 28 Online Versus F2F – The Literature 30 Online Education Today 33 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 35 Philosophical Foundation 35 Research Design 38 Mixed Methods Design 38 vi Background of the Course, Program, and Institution 42 Limitations of Mixed Methods Inquiry 44 Phase One: Quantitative 46 Quantitative: Participants 46 Quantitative: Data Collection and Preparation 46 Quantitative: Instrument 47 Quantitative: Data Validation 47 Quantitative: Reliability 47 Quantitative: Data Analysis 48 Phase Two: Qualitative 48 Qualitative: Participants 48 Qualitative: Data Collection 49 Qualitative: Focused Interviews 49 Qualitative: Data Preparation and Analysis 49 Qualitative: Data Validation 50 Summary 50 CHAPTER FOUR: QUANTITATIVE RESULTS 52 Research Question 52 Hypotheses 52 Quantitative Methods 52 Participants 52 Instrument 54 Summary of Findings 54 CHAPTER FIVE: QUALITATIVE RESULTS 56 Research Questions 56 Qualitative Findings 56 Participants 56 Interview Question Development 56 Mixed Methods Design – The Qualitative Phase 57 Qualitative Validation 58 Summary of Findings 59 Characteristics of Participants 59 Common Themes 59 Merging the Quantitative and Qualitative Data 65 Perspective of the Professor 66 CHAPTER SIX: DISCUSSION 69 Summary and Inferences 69 F2F versus Online 71 Factors Contributing to Student Learning Outcomes 72 Significance of the Study 75 Limitations and Directions for Future Research 76
Numerical modeling of H-PDLC devices for diffractive optical elements with variable properties

Holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal devices (H-PDLC) are involved in many applications, e.g. diffraction lenses, optical data storage, and image capture devices. H-PDLC is based on a light-sensitive monomer and liquid crystal (LC) mixture exposed to an interference pattern. The monomer concentration rises in the illuminated area, whereas in the dark zones, the LC is concentrated, setting up LC droplets of fewer nanometers. Accurate knowledge of the elastic behaviour of the LC director distribution and the influence of the boundaries with the polymer matrix can help to optimise the diffraction efficiency or the angular selectivity of these devices, keeping the driving voltage low. Here, a review of the latest analysis for accurately estimating the director distribution in LC-based devices is shown. This analysis is carried on in three steps. Firstly, an accurate model based on creating a considerably high number of droplets surrounding the polymer matrix fringes is performed. In this step, the user can modify the ratio between the areas filled with LC and polymer and the size and aspect ratio of the droplets. This packing step can be very demanding depending on the thickness of the grating and the domain dimensions considered for the analysis (2D or 3D). Secondly, a formulation based on estimating the director distribution is performed to derive the permittivity tensor from the LC director. Thirdly and last, from the information obtained in the previous step, a Finite-Difference Time-Domain simulation is performed to estimate the electromagnetic field distribution inside the domain considered accurately. The diffraction efficiencies and many indirect parameters can be computed from this rigorous analysis.
Fasting Ramadan in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Kidney Transplant and Dialysis Patients: Review and Update

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common disease in the Islamic regions. Dehydration occurs after prolonged fasting, particularly in hot and humid climates. In the Arabic months’ calendar, Ramadan is a month of maximum given deeds, where Muslims are required to fast from dawn till sunset. Depending on where you live and when the Ramadan month falls, fasting might last anywhere from 10 to 20 hours or more. In certain circumstances, such as poorly controlled diabetes and advanced CKD patients who are allowed to break their fast, the Ramadan fasting amendment is viable. Some Muslims, however, continue fasting despite these circumstances, placing themselves at risk, which is not allowed in the Islamic religion. There are no medical recommendations that specify who should and should not fast. Nonetheless, the recommendations have been extracted from several published studies. The authors searched EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google for publications, research, and reviews. All authors debate and analyze the related articles. Each author was assigned a part or two of the topics to read, study, and summarize before creating the final draft of their given section. Then this comprehensive review was completed after discussion sessions. In conclusion, by the Islamic religion view, fasting Ramadan is mandatory for every wise adult person. People who have chronic diseases or that may deteriorate by fasting are exempted from fasting. It seems that fasting and the associated disease hours are determinant factors to fasting or not fasting. Up to our knowledge, there are no established guidelines for CKD patients and physicians to follow; however, the International Diabetes Federation and Diabetes and Ramadan (IDF-DAR) Practical Guidelines 2021 have been issued for CKD diabetic patients and fasting.
Frequency of Temperature Fluctuations Subtly Impacts the Life Histories of a Tropical Snail

Most organisms are faced with daily cyclic changes in a suite of environmental conditions, including temperature. In shallow marine waters, populations of the same species may experience either intertidal or subtidal conditions, such that some individuals experience extreme daily fluctuations as the tide ebbs and flows, while others only a few meters away experience less pronounced or less frequent fluctuations or almost constant thermal conditions. This study used a fully factorial combination of three thermal treatments and two diet treatments to test the hypotheses that (1) individuals experiencing fluctuating temperatures perform more poorly than those experiencing the same mean temperature under constant conditions and that (2) the negative impact of fluctuating temperatures is greater under food-limiting conditions. Five life-history components of the slipper snail Crepidula cf. marginalis were used as response variables. We found that temperature fluctuations impacted size at hatching and time to hatching, as well as growth rate, to some extent. Diet treatments impacted growth rates, clutch sizes, time to first brood, and time to hatching. There were no statistically significant interactions between the two factors. These results show that fluctuations between two temperatures that are typically experienced by these animals in the field can significantly affect fitness-related characters and, therefore, suggest the tidal height at which larvae settle can significantly impact individual fitness. This is one of the first studies to demonstrate that differences in the frequency of fluctuations, in the absence of differences in the magnitude or the mean, can have significant impacts on invertebrate life histories.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of N-Acetylcysteine in the Prevention of Colistin-Induced Nephrotoxicity: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), as an antioxidant, in preventing nephrotoxicity in patients receiving colistin. Methods: In a randomized controlled clinical trial, eligible participants receiving colistin were divided into two groups including drug (n = 43) and control (n = 39). In the drug group, 1200 mg of NAC was administered daily for 10 days concurrently with colistin. Patients in the control group received only colistin. The serum creatinine level (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine clearance (CrCl) at baseline and every other day, and the number of cases with acute kidney injury (AKI) during the study were recorded. Before starting treatment and on day 5, the level of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) was determined. Finally, the values were compared between the groups. Findings: There was a significant increase in SCr and BUN and a significant reduction in CrCl in both groups, but there was not any significant difference between the two groups at any time. Changes in the urine NGAL levels were not significantly different between the two groups. Even though the number of cases with AKI in the drug group (8 cases, 18.6%) was less than the control group (11 cases, 28.2%), the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.303). Conclusion: Simultaneous administration of NAC with a dose of 1200 mg daily does not have any effect in the prevention of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity.
Connectedness and independence of young adults and parents in the digital world: Observing smartphone interactions at multiple timescales using Screenomics

Background: Young adults’ connectedness with and independence from parents have important implications for both their development and family relationships. Although technology plays an increasingly important role in these dynamics, there are few direct observations of how connectedness and independence unfold in the digital world. Little is known of between- and within-person differences in these dynamics. Purpose: This study uses Screenomics to directly observe smartphone interactions between young adults and their parents, and discover whether and how dimensions of connectedness and independence manifest in these interactions at multiple timescales. Research Design, Study Sample, and Data Collection: Screenshot sequences were collected from 10 ethnically diverse young adult (50% female) participants’ smartphones every 5 seconds for up to 1 month (total of 457,905 screenshots). We identified 1413 interaction instances between young adults and their parents (including 359 calls, 1032 messages, and 10 other communication instances). Analysis and Results Digital ethnographic analysis of screenshots revealed multiple themes related to connectedness (emotional support, logistical and financial support, consistent communication) and independence (parent fostering independence, parent intrusiveness/overinvolvement, and young adults’ psychological separation). Quantitative descriptions at different timescales (week, day, hour, moment) revealed within-person and between-person differences in active engagement, reciprocal communication, consistent communication, parent intrusiveness, young adults’ reliance on parents’ support, and young adults’ psychological separation. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need to examine family digital interactions at multiple timescales and the utility of temporally dense and comprehensive Screenomics data in studying social relations.
Fluoride-coated high-purity magnesium cage promotes bone fusion in goat models

Background Cervical fusion devices made by polyether ether ketone (PEEK) cause concomitant effects which decompress the spinal cord and nerve roots. Magnesium has good biocompatibility and bioactivity as a biodegradable orthopedic implant material; however, its fusion rate is low. In this paper, we aimed to improve interbody fusion rate of high-purity magnesium (HP-Mg) by coating it with fluoride. Methods Fluoride-coated HP-Mg (F-HP-Mg) cages were prepared, and HP-Mg cages served as controls. We tested hydrogen release in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and weight loss in chromic acid. Anterior cervical discectomy and bone graft fusion (ACDF) was performed at the C2-C3 segment on goats with F-HP-Mg and HP-Mg cages to evaluate fusion score. Results Hydrogen release of F-HP-Mg cages was significantly lower than that of HP-Mg cages. Weight was significantly decreased in both types of cages after rinsing with chromic acid, while F-HP-Mg cages were more resistant to corrosion compared to HP-Mg cages. There were no significant differences in disc space height (DSH) and remaining cage volume between the two groups in computed tomography (CT) images of goat cervical spine, while cavities were found at postoperative 12 weeks and confirmed by histological staining. No complications were found, while serum aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) level was significantly higher in the HP-Mg group compared to the F-HP-Mg group. Fusion rate at 24 weeks after ACDF was significantly higher with F-HP-Mg cages. Conclusions The use of F-HP-Mg improved histological fusion in the cervical intervertebral space of goats compared to HP-Mg and showed good biosafety.
A new model to evaluate the success of electronic customer relationship management systems in industrial marketing: the mediating role of customer feedback management

New technologies are making industries and firms alter their main processes into digital processes for realizing sustainable marketing objectives in the digitalization age. Therefore, Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM) has become very important as the newest term in the customer-oriented organization. This paper tries to propose a model to examine the effect of buyer behaviors, consumer-driven innovation, product lifecycle management, and customer feedback management on the success of E-CRM. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the paths of the proposed method, and research data are collected and evaluated using SMART PLS 3.2. The study sample includes 330 participants, with a useful 85% response rate. Current research meaningfully supplies learning and literature by focusing more on the performance of E-CRM systems, examining the related important aspects, and applying advanced statistical analysis techniques. The outcomes indicated that buyer behaviors and consumer-driven innovation positively affect the customer feedback management and success of E-CRM. Besides, the outcomes illustrated that the function of product lifecycle management on customer feedback management was significant. Organizations can obtain competitive advantages from the increased effectiveness of the E-CRM. By identifying the aspects of a successful E-CRM, managers can effectively improve appropriate strategies in addressing the organization's customers.
Application of 3D-Printed, PLGA-Based Scaffolds in Bone Tissue Engineering

Polylactic acid–glycolic acid (PLGA) has been widely used in bone tissue engineering due to its favorable biocompatibility and adjustable biodegradation. 3D printing technology can prepare scaffolds with rich structure and function, and is one of the best methods to obtain scaffolds for bone tissue repair. This review systematically summarizes the research progress of 3D-printed, PLGA-based scaffolds. The properties of the modified components of scaffolds are introduced in detail. The influence of structure and printing method change in printing process is analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of their applications are illustrated by several examples. Finally, we briefly discuss the limitations and future development direction of current 3D-printed, PLGA-based materials for bone tissue repair.
Identifying students’ mathematical and mathematics educational values in Turkish culture: a cross-sectional study (Identificación de los valores matemáticos y de la didáctica matemática de los estudiantes en la cultura turca: un estudio transversal)

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study investigates mathematical and mathematics educational values of students across grade levels in Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of 970 students, including 511 fifth-grade and 459 ninth-grade students who received education in seven geographical regions of Turkey which were determined via a proportional stratified random sampling method. The data of the study were obtained with a bipolar scale developed within the scope of the What I Find Important [WIFI] (in maths learning) project. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in the value pairs of process–product, pleasure–hardship, application–computation, facts–ideas, exposition–exploration, recalling–creating, rationalism–objectism, whereas results revealed no statistically significant difference in terms of value pairs of ability–effort, openness–mystery and control–progress. Additionally, it was determined that at the end of middle school, the pleasure–hardship value pair evolved into hardship value, the application–computation value pair evolved into computation value and finally the exposition–exploration value pair evolved into exposition value.
IRONLESS PERMANENT MAGNET GENERATORS FOR DIRECT-DRIVEN OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES

Since the beginning of this century, the offshore wind power industry has witnessed fast development, as the result of the increasing awareness of climate change and the need for diversifying power supply. Offshore has vast area available with high wind speed, which is an ideal place for large-scale wind power exploitation. However, these advantages come with technological challenges. One of the key challenges is to develop high-power cost-effective wind turbines with high reliability. Previous publications have demonstrated the potential of using ironless permanent magnet generator (iPMG) to reduce the total weight and cost of a wind turbine. Unfortunately, before the start of the research reported in this thesis, there was no systematic investigation of the iPMG concepts. As shown in this thesis, if the traditional direct-driven high-power iron-cored PMG is used for offshore wind turbines, instead of iPMG concept, a significant amount of the total weight goes to the supporting structures (inactive parts). The supporting structures maintain the machine reliability by counter-reacting to various forces, such as the machine gravity, electromagnetic torque, rotor-to-stator force (for iron-cored machine), rotor-torotor force (if there are multiple rotors), and force caused by faults. The “secret” of iPMG roots at the negligible normal stress between its rotor and stator (active parts). By using non-magnetic material in the stator, the rotor will not exert attracting force on stator. Having low rotor-to-stator force means lower requirement to the supporting structures, i.e., the supporting structures can be lightweight and low-cost. Due to the low air gap field and thus low tangential stress, iPMG has low torque production. Therefore, iPMG is normally designed with large diameter to produce higher torque with longer force arm. Classical machine design theory has concluded that the machine torque is roughly proportional to its volume. A large-diameter iPMG will therefore have short axial length, which means small aspect ratio (the machine axial length divided by its outer diameter). This ring-shape feature requires 3D approach to analyse the magnetic and thermal fields. Traditionally, it is a common practice to do machine preliminary design and optimization with analytical methods. The 2D or even 3D finite element method (FEM) is considered to be accurate but time-consuming, though the performances of computing codes and