Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated Learning : policy , market and appropriate didactics ?

The paper begins by approaching the concept of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) providing a brief overview of the history of bilingual education. The influence of the linguistic policies of the European Union is discussed along with some beliefs about language teaching and how both have influenced the celerity of CLIL implementation, momentum and expansion. There are some indicators of the lack of a theoretical framework for CLIL, of insufficient teacher education and or inadequacy of materials. It is necessary to reflect systematically on to what extent commercially published textbooks match the demands of bilingual education. The second section centers on CLIL textbooks, mainly those commercialized by publishers, by referring to some recent studies which attempt to approach systematically their design and use. Since, by definition CLIL includes both content and language, our research question is if content books (in English) also include content and language objectives. A corpus of 25 books from different subjects, years, and publishers is analyzed. The analysis shows an insufficient presence of linguistic objectives. Some reflections are made about this scarcity with the warning that this lack could hindrance an efficient implementation of CLIL. Thus, it could be said that these textbooks are not the product of discipline or didactic considerations but the result of the logic of market, publishers and linguistic policy.
Adherence to the ABC (Atrial fibrillation Better Care) Pathway in the Balkan region: the BALKAN-AF Survey.

INTRODUCTION The Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway provides a useful way of simplifying decision-making considerations in a holistic approach to atrial fibrillation management. OBJECTIVES To evaluate adherence to ABC pathway and to determine major gaps in adherence to ABC pathway in patients in BALKAN-AF survey. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this ancillary analysis, patients in BALKAN-AF survey were divided into groups: "A (Avoid stroke)+B (Better symptom control)+C (Cardiovascular and comorbidity risk management)"-adherent and non-adherent "A+B+C" management. Results: Of 2,712 enrolled patients, 1,013 (43.8%) patients with mean (SD) age of 68.8 (10.2) years and mean CHA2DS2-VASc score of 3.4 (1.8) had "A+B+C"-adherent management and 1,299 (56.2%) had non-adherent-"A+B+C" management. Independent predictors of increased "A+B+C"-adherent management were: capital city [odds ratio (OR) 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.46, p = 0.02], treatment by cardiologist (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.08-1.66, p = 0.01), hypertension (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.74-2.77, p <0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.05-1.57, p = 0.01) and multimorbidity (the presence of two or more long-term conditions) (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.43-2.38, p <0.001). Independent predictors of decreased "A+B+C"-adherent management were: age ≥80 years (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48-0.76, p < 0.001) and history of bleeding (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.33-0.75, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Physicians' adherence to integrated AF management based on the ABC pathway was suboptimal in our study. Addressing the identified clinical and system-related factors associated with non-adherent-"A+B+C" management using targeted approaches is needed to optimize treatment of AF patients in the Balkan region.
Potentials of Sodom apple (Calotropis procera) extract as a coagulant to substitute Alum in soy cheese production in Ghana

A B ST R A C T This study was conducted to determine the potentials of Sodom apple ( Calotropis procera ) extract as a sole coagulant of soymilk during soy cheese production. Four alum concentrations were prepared and used as control treatments: A5 (0.5 % conc.), A10 (1.0 % conc.), A15 (1.5 % conc.) and A20 (2.0 % conc.). Four strengths of Calotropis procera extracts (CPE) (C15, C20, C25 and C30) were obtained from 15 g, 20 g, 25 g and 30 g respectively of the fresh plant. Each of the concentrations of alum and CPE was used as a sole coagulating agent of soy milk and the effects on clotting time, product yield, whey volume and organoleptic properties of the curd were assessed. The average milk clotting time, curd yield, and whey volume were significantly (P 0.05) among the treatments. Generally, it was observed that the 25g CPE can be used to substitute for alum in soy curd formulation.
Diet and reproduction of the Western Indigo Snake Drymarchon corais (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Brazilian Amazon

Drymarchon corais is a diurnal species with semi-arboreal habits, which forages on both ground and vegetation in forested and open areas. The species occurs from Mexico to northern Argentina and Paraguay and, in Brazil, it was recorded in the northern, northeastern, and central regions. Information about diet and reproduction of this species is scarce, including only short notes about copulation of captive specimens. The few studies suggest that this species has a generalist diet, and can prey on amphibians, lizards, snakes, birds, eggs, and small mammals. The reproduction and diet of D. corais was studied in Amazonia, Brazil, based on 50 males and 26 females from museum species. The results show that anurans were the most frequent food items, followed by lizards and snakes. This is the first record of reptile eggs being preyed upon by D. corais. There was no relationship between body size of D. corais and their prey, except in the case of snakes and lizards ingested. The predominant direction of prey ingestion was antero-posterior. We have no conclusive results related to the ontogenetic diet of D. corais, but there was a tendency for the juveniles to feed on elongated items such as lizards and snakes. The low percentage of items in the mature female stomach of D. corais may be an indication of a tendency to decrease foraging during the breeding season. There is no sexual dimorphism in D. corais related to snout-vent length (SVL) and tail length, although dimorphism has been observed in other species of the genus. No significant relationship between the number of eggs and female SVL were observed, although there was a positive relationship between the number of secondary follicles and female SVL. Females with vitellogenic follicles observed throughout the year, with a tendency to a greater number of vitellogenic follicles and eggs in the dry season, suggest a sazonal reproductive cycle in D. corais.
Incidence and prediction of intraoperative and postoperative cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 30-day mortality in non-cardiac surgical patients

Background The incidence, prediction and mortality outcomes of intraoperative and postoperative cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in surgical patients are under investigated and have not been studied concurrently in a single study. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data between 2008 and 2012. Firth’s penalized logistic regression was used to study the incidence and identify risk factors for intra- and postoperative CPR and 30-day mortality. simplified prediction model was constructed and internally validated to predict the studied outcomes. Results Among about 1.86 million non-cardiac operations, the incidence rate of intraoperative CPR was 0.03%, and for postoperative CPR was 0.33%. The 30-day mortality incidence rate was 1.25%. The incidence rate of events decreased overtime between 2008–2012. Of the 29 potential predictors, 14 were significant for intraoperative CPR, 23 for postoperative CPR, and 25 for 30-day mortality. The five strongest predictors (highest odd ratios) of intraoperative CPR were the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)/sepsis, surgery type, urgent/emergency case and anesthesia technique. Intraoperative CPR, ASA, age, functional status and end stage renal disease were the most significant predictors for postoperative CPR. The most significant predictors of 30-day mortality were ASA, age, functional status, SIRS/sepsis, and disseminated cancer. The predictions with the simplified five-factor model performed well and was comparable to the full prediction model. Postoperative cardiac arrest requiring CPR, compared to intraoperative, was associated with much higher mortality. Conclusions The incidence of cardiac arrest requiring CPR in surgical patients decreased overtime. Risk factors for intraoperative CPR, postoperative CPR and perioperative mortality are overlapped. We proposed a simplified approach compromised of five-factor model to identify patients at high risk. Postoperative, compare to intraoperative, cardiac arrest requiring CPR was associated with much higher mortality.
Is More Finance Better? Disentangling Intermediation and Size Effects of Financial Systems

Financial systems all over the world have grown dramatically over recent decades. But is more finance necessarily better? And what concept of financial system – a focus on its size, including both intermediation and other auxiliary “non-intermediation” activities, or a focus on traditional intermediation activity – is relevant for its impact on real sector outcomes? This paper assesses the relationship between the size of the financial system and intermediation, on the one hand, and GDP per capita growth and growth volatility, on the other hand. Based on a sample of 77 countries for the period 1980–2007, we find that intermediation activities increase growth and reduce volatility in the long run. An expansion of the financial sectors along other dimensions has no long-run effect on real sector outcomes. Over shorter time horizons a large financial sector stimulates growth at the cost of higher volatility in high-income countries. Intermediation activities stabilize the economy in the medium run especially in low-income countries. As this is an initial exploration of the link between financial system indicators and growth and volatility, we focus on OLS regressions, leaving issues of endogeneity and omitted variable biases for future research.
Genetic structure and admixture in sheep from terminal breeds in the United States

Summary Selection for performance in diverse production settings has resulted in variation across sheep breeds worldwide. Although sheep are an important species to the United States, the current genetic relationship among many terminal sire breeds is not well characterized. Suffolk, Hampshire, Shropshire and Oxford (terminal) and Rambouillet (dual purpose) sheep (n = 248) sampled from different flocks were genotyped using the Applied Biosystems Axiom Ovine Genotyping Array (50K), and additional Shropshire sheep (n = 26) using the Illumina Ovine SNP50 BeadChip. Relationships were investigated by calculating observed heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, eigenvalues, pairwise Wright’s F ST estimates and an identity by state matrix. The mean observed heterozygosity for each breed ranged from 0.30 to 0.35 and was consistent with data reported in other US and Australian sheep. Suffolk from two different regions of the United States (Midwest and West) clustered separately in eigenvalue plots and the rectangular cladogram. Further, divergence was detected between Suffolk from different regions with Wright’s F ST estimate. Shropshire animals showed the greatest divergence from other terminal breeds in this study. Admixture between breeds was examined using admixture, and based on cross‐validation estimates, the best fit number of populations (clusters) was K = 6. The greatest admixture was observed within Hampshire, Suffolk, and Shropshire breeds. When plotting eigenvalues, US terminal breeds clustered separately in comparison with sheep from other locations of the world. Understanding the genetic relationships between terminal sire breeds in sheep will inform us about the potential applicability of markers derived in one breed to other breeds based on relatedness.
Analyzing Inter-Organization Communication between Customer and Supplier of Subsidized Paddy Fertilizer

Inter-Organization Communication (IOC) is a commonly used communication discipline to communicatebetween and among organizations. This paper aimed to investigate elements of IOC theories of communicationmanagement used between a local farmer union (PPK) and subsidised fertilizer suppliers based on theperspectives of the PPK. This study employed a quantitative method through a survey using questionnaireswhich were distributed to a total of 192 representatives of 63 PPKs from granary areas. The findings revealedtwo essential indicators to support inter-organizational communication; communication willingness andcommunication commitment. This study will be useful for both scholars and practitioners in furtherunderstanding the current situation of communication in subsidized fertilizer industry in Malaysia. Further studyon another variables in IOC and the relationship between components/variables involved would be beneficial onexpanding knowledge of inter-organizational communication.
Do Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals Have Effects on Dental Implant Osseointegration? A Scoping Review

Several factors affect dental implant osseointegration, including surgical issues, bone quality and quantity, and host-related factors, such as patients’ nutritional status. Many micronutrients might play a key role in dental implant osseointegration by influencing some alveolar bone parameters, such as healing of the alveolus after tooth extraction. This scoping review aims to summarize the role of dietary supplements in optimizing osseointegration after implant insertion surgery. A technical expert panel (TEP) of 11 medical specialists with expertise in oral surgery, bone metabolism, nutrition, and orthopedic surgery performed the review following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) model. The TEP identified micronutrients from the “European Union (EU) Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods” that have a relationship with bone and tooth health, and planned a PubMed search, selecting micronutrients previously identified as MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms and adding to each of them the words “dental implants” and “osseointegration”. The TEP identified 19 studies concerning vitamin D, magnesium, resveratrol, vitamin C, a mixture of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D, and synthetic bone mineral. However, several micronutrients are non-authorized by the “EU Register on nutrition and health claims” for improving bone and/or tooth health. Our scoping review suggests a limited role of nutraceuticals in promoting osseointegration of dental implants, although, in some cases, such as for vitamin D deficiency, there is a clear link among their deficit, reduced osseointegration, and early implant failure, thus requiring an adequate supplementation.
Functional specialization in the middle temporal area for smooth pursuit initiation

Smooth pursuit eye movements have frequently been used to model sensorimotor transformations in the brain. In particular, the initiation phase of pursuit can be understood as a transformation of a sensory estimate of target velocity into an eye rotation. Despite careful laboratory controls on the stimulus conditions, pursuit eye movements are frequently observed to exhibit considerable trial-to-trial variability. In theory, this variability can be caused by the variability in sensory representation of target motion, or by the variability in the transformation of sensory information to motor commands. Previous work has shown that neural variability in the middle temporal (MT) area is likely propagated to the oculomotor command, and there is evidence to suggest that the magnitude of this variability is sufficient to account for the variability of pursuit initiation. This line of reasoning presumes that the MT population is homogeneous with respect to its contribution to pursuit initiation. At the same time, there is evidence that pursuit initiation is strongly linked to a subpopulation of MT neurons (those with strong surround suppression) that collectively generate less motor variability. To distinguish between these possibilities, we have combined human psychophysics, monkey electrophysiology, and computational modeling to examine how the pursuit system reads out the MT population during pursuit initiation. We find that the psychophysical data are best accounted for by a model that gives stronger weight to surround-suppressed MT neurons, suggesting that variability in the initiation of pursuit could arise from multiple sources along the sensorimotor transformation.
Radiocarbon “Wiggles” in Great Lakes Wood at About 10,000 to 12,000 BP

High-resolution radiocarbon calibration for the last 14,000 cal yr has been developed in large part using European oaks and pines. Recent subfossil wood collections from the Great Lakes region provide an opportunity to measure 14C activity in decadal series of rings in North America prior to the White Mountains bristlecone record. We developed decadal 14C series from wood at the classic Two Creeks site (∼11,850 BP) in east-central Wisconsin, the Liverpool East site (∼10,250 BP) in northwestern Indiana, and the Gribben Basin site (∼10,000 BP) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Initial AMS dates on holocellulose produced younger-than-expected ages for most Two Creeks subsamples and for a few samples from the other sites, prompting a systematic comparison of chemical pretreatment using 2 samples from each site, and employing holocellulose, AAA-treated holocellulose, alpha-cellulose, and AAA-treated whole wood. The testing could not definitively reveal the source of error in the original analyses, but the “best” original ages together with new AAA-treated holocellulose and α-cellulose ages were visually fitted to the IntCal04 calibration curve at ages of 13,760–13,530 cal BP for the Two Creeks wood, 12,100–12,020 cal BP for Liverpool East, and 11,300–11,170 cal BP for Gribben Basin. The Liverpool East age falls squarely within the Younger Dryas (YD) period, whereas the Gribben Basin age appears to postdate the YD by ∼300 yr, although high scatter in the decadal Gribben Basin results could accommodate an older age nearer the end of the YD.
Lattice vibration modes in type-II superlattice InAs/GaSb with no-common-atom interface and overlapping vibration spectra

Henan Liu,1 Naili Yue,2 Yong Zhang,1,2,* Pengfei Qiao,3 Daniel Zuo,3 Ben Kesler,3 Shun Lien Chuang,3 Jae-Hyun Ryou,4 James D. Justice,4 and Russell Dupuis4 1Optical Science and Engineering Graduate Program, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA 2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA 3Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois USA 4Center for Compound Semiconductors and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Received 1 February 2015; published 24 June 2015)
L-type Calcium Channel Contributions to Intrinsic Excitability and Synaptic Activity During Basolateral Amygdala Postnatal Development.

The amygdala contributes towards emotional processes such as fear, anxiety and social cognition. Further, evidence suggests that increased excitability of basolateral amygdala (BLA) principal neurons underlie certain neuropsychiatric disorders. Gain-of-function mutations in neuronal L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) are linked to neurodevelopmental diseases including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). While LTCCs are expressed throughout the BLA, direct evidence for increased LTCC activity affecting BLA excitability and potentially contributing to disease pathophysiology is lacking. Here, we utilized a pharmacological approach to examine the contributions of LTCCs to BLA principal cell excitability and synaptic activity at immature (P7) and juvenile (P21) developmental stages. Acute upregulation of LTCC activity in brain slices by application of the agonist (S)-Bay K8644 resulted in increased intrinsic excitability properties including firing frequency response, plateau potential and spike frequency adaptation selectively in P7 neurons. Contrastingly, for P21 neurons the main effect of (S)-Bay K8644 was to enhance burst-firing. (S)-Bay K8644 increased spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents at both P7 and P21 but did not affect evoked synaptic currents at either stage. (S)-Bay K8644 did not alter P7 spontaneous excitatory synaptic currents although increased current amplitude in P21 neurons. Overall, the results provide support for the notion that alteration of LTCC activity at specific periods of early brain development may lead to functional alterations to neuronal network activity, and subsequently contribute to underlying mechanisms of amygdala-related neurological disorders.
Measurement repeatability profiles of eight frequently requested measurands in clinical chemistry determined by duplicate measurements of patient samples

Abstract Measurement uncertainties in clinical chemistry are commonly regarded as heteroscedastic – having a constant relative standard deviation irrespective of the concentration of the measurand. The uncertainty is usually determined at two concentrations using stabilized control materials and assumed to represent the analytical goal. The purpose of the present study was to use duplicates of unselected patient samples to calculate the absolute and relative repeatability component of the intra-laboratory measurement uncertainty from duplicates, using the Dahlberg formula and analysis of variance components. Estimates were made at five different concentration intervals of ALT, AST, Calcium, Cholesterol, Creatinine, CRP, Triglycerides and TSH covering the entire concentration interval of the patient cohort. This partioning allows detailing their repeatability profiles. The calculations of the profiles were based on randomly selected results from sets of duplicates ranging from 12,000 to 65,000 pairs. The repeatability of the measurands showed substantial variability within the measuring interval. Therefore, characterizing imprecision profiles as purely homo- or heteroscedastic or by a single number may not be optimal for the intended use. The present data make a case for nuancing the evaluation of analytical goals and minimal differences of measurement results by establishing uncertainty profiles under repeatability conditions, using natural patient samples.
Attitudes and Knowledge of Adolescents in Jordan Regarding the Ethics of Social Media Data Use for Research Purposes

This study assessed the awareness and attitudes of adolescents in Jordan concerning the ethics of using their social media data for scientific studies. Using an online survey, 393 adolescents were recruited (mean age: 17.2 years ± 1.8). The results showed that 88% of participants were using their real personal information on social media sites, with males more likely to provide their information than females. More than two thirds of participants (72.5%) were aware that researchers may use their data for research purposes, with the majority believing that informed consent must be obtained from both the adolescents and their parents. However, more than three quarters of those surveyed (76%) did not trust the results of research that depended on collecting data from social media. These findings suggest that adolescents in Jordan understood most of the ethical aspects related to the utilization of their data from social media websites for research studies.