Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting the Performance of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) control- Focus on Empowerment and Awareness of General Hospital Nurses

The aims of the study to investigate the relationship between awareness, empowerment and performance of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) control and to identify factors influencing performance of HAIs among general hospital nurses. Data were collected from 230 nurses in two general hospitals in B city, with the questionnaire of an empowerment, awareness and performance of infection control tool. The data were analyzed by t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regressions. The performance of infection control was significantly correlated with empowerment and awareness of infection control. The empowerment had a positive correlation with an awareness of infection control (r= .233, p <.001) respectively. The infection control performance was influenced by infection control awareness, empowerment and number of annual job training, which explained 42.2% of the performance of infection control. Infection management performance of general hospitals nurses is affected not only by infection awareness but also by empowerment and job education. Therefore, it suggests that HAIs management program could develop for the nurses and provide empowerment with job training to improve the management and performance of HAIs, also to reinforce via constant support by the hospital.
An investigation on strain and temperature rate-dependent thermoelasticity and its infinite speed behavior

Abstract The present work is aimed at a mathematical analysis of the newly proposed strain and temperature rate-dependent thermoelasticity theory, also called a modified Green–Lindsay model (MGL) theory, given by Yu et al. (2018). This model is also an attempt to remove the discontinuity in the displacement field observed under temperature rate-dependent thermoelasticity theory proposed by Green and Lindsay. We study thermoelastic interactions in an infinite homogeneous, isotropic elastic medium with a cylindrical cavity based on this model when the surface of the cavity is subjected to thermal shock. The solutions for the distribution of displacement, temperature, and stress components are obtained by using the Laplace transform technique. The inversion of the Laplace transform is carried out by short-time approximation. A detailed comparison of the analytical results predicted by the MGL model with the corresponding predictions by the Lord–Shulman model and the Green–Lindsay model is performed. It is observed that strain rate terms in the constitutive equation avoid the prediction of discontinuity in the displacement field and other significant effects are noted. However, the new theory predicts the infinite speed of disturbance like the classical theory. Variations of field variables at different time are graphically displayed for different models and compared by using a numerical method.
Response of A Gravel ‐ Bed River To Dam Closure: Insights From Sediment Transport Processes And Channel Morphodynamics

This work deals with the impacts of dams on large gravel ‐bed rivers in terms of altering coarse transport regimes and the relationship with river morphodynamics. Using data collected by a tracer ‐based monitoring programme carried out in a 4 ‐km ‐long study sector of the Parma River (Italy), located downstream from a relatively recently established dam, we applied a virtual velocity approach to estimate the coarse bed material load at four river cross ‐sections. Monitoring and calculation results provided new insights into the impacts of the dam on streambed material mobility and the sediment regime over the 17 ‐month calculation period. A longitudinal gradient of effects was observed along the study sector. Sections located closer to the dam are characterized by more evident impacts due to deficits in coarse sediment input from upstream. Sediment mobility here is strongly altered, especially in the highly armoured main channel, and the overall bed material load is extremely low. A partial recovery of sediment dynamics was observed at the sections located further from the dam, where estimates indicate higher sediment yield. The observed longitudinal trend in the coarse sediment transport regime matches the morphology, as the river shifts downstream from a sinuous configuration with alternate bars to a wandering one. The novel insights into alteration of coarse sediment dynamics and the relationship with river morphodynamics are potentially applicable to many other fluvial contexts affected by similar impoundments. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Awareness about hypertension and its modifiable risk factors among adult population in a rural area of Ranchi district of Jharkhand, India -

Background: Hypertension often goes unnoticed until a complication occurs. Awareness about the disease is an important factor which determines health seeking behavior of the people. There is relative paucity of information on awareness level of people on hypertension. This study was done with the aim to determine awareness on hypertension among people from a rural area of Jharkhand , India. Methods: A cross sectional study was done in the rural health training centre area of RIMS, Ranchi, Jharkhand , India. 500 study subjects aged 20 years and above were included in study after sample size determination by n-master 2.0 software. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Awareness level categorized into no awareness, low awareness, average awareness, good awareness on the basis of their response to question on awareness about hypertension and its modifiable risk factors. Results: Out of 500 study subjects, 365 (73.0%) had heard of word ‘hypertension’. Dizziness (66.1%), anger and anxiety (50.8%) were the most common symptoms known to subjects who had heard hypertension. Of all 500 subjects, 135 (27.0%) had no awareness, 249 (49.8%) had poor awareness, 99 (19.8%) had average awareness and only 17 (3.4%) had good awareness about hypertension. Age (p-value≤0.001), sex (p-value≤0.001), ethnicity (p-value=0.002) and educational status (p-value≤0.001) of the study subjects found to be significantly associated with awareness about hypertension . Conclusions: More than three-fourth study subjects had heard about hypertension. Only less than one fourth of the study subjects had average to good awareness about hypertension. Age, sex, ethnicity and educational status were significantly associated with awareness on hypertension.
Post-Implementation Benefits and Challenges of the Balanced Scorecard: Evidence from the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing Sector

The aim of this paper is to evaluate post implementation benefits and challenges of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) in the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) sector in Sri Lanka. The generic idea of the BSC presented by Norton and Kaplan in the year 1992, may not be universally appropriate to all companies, and as a result there may be challenges faced throughout and after the implementation process of this tool. Hence, this study will focus on specifically examining the benefits and challenges faced by FAO companies in the post-implementation stage and discharge strategies to overcome the identified challenges. The FAO sector is selected since there is a noticeable number of entities that seem to be facing difficulties in the post implementation stage of BSC resulting in either discontinuation of it or using haphazard practices. This study followed a quantitative approach and data were collected through questionnaires and document reviews. The study found that all respondents unanimously agreed on certain benefits, prevalent challenges and strategies to overcome identified challenges, for the success of the BSC. It was noted that while the BSC proves to deliver many benefits through its use, it may only be gained through careful implementation of the same. Also, it is important to consider many challenges prior to, during and after the course of the implementation and ensure that these are overcome through carefully devised strategies. Keywords : Balanced Scorecard, Benefits, Challenges, Strategies, Finance and Accounting Outsourcing, Sri Lanka DOI : 10.7176/RJFA/10-22-10 Publication date: November 30 th 2019
Prevalence of Anemia Among Pregnant Women

Objective : This study was to observe haemoglobin levels and prevalence of anemia among pregnant women . Material and methods : Blood sample were collected carefully from the 500 pregnant women with 18-35 age group and transported to the laboratory for hemoglobin estimated by chemical analizer. Result : This study showed that the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy is 60%. It also showed that the PCV increased progressively from the first to the third trimester, while it decreases with advancing maternal age and parity. Intervention to prevent malaria in pregnancy such as mass literacy and public enlightenment, poverty eradication, antimalarial and antihelminths therapy, nutritional supplementation and routine use of haematenics throughout the stages of pregnancy would prove valuable preventive measures.
Aortic Valve Regurgitation: Pathophysiology and Implications for Surgical Intervention in the Era of TAVR

ABSTRACT Aortic regurgitation (AR) or insufficiency is caused by the malcoaptation of the aortic valve (AV) cusps due to intrinsic abnormalities of the valve itself, a dilatation or geometric distortion of the aortic root, or by some combination thereof. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of studies suggesting that AR is an active disease process caused by a combination of factors including but not limited to alteration of specific molecular pathways, genetic predisposition, and changes in the mechanotransductive properties of the AV apparatus. As the surgical management of AV disease continues to evolve, increasingly sophisticated surgical and percutaneous techniques for AV repair and replacement, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), have become more commonplace and will likely continue to expand as new devices are introduced. However, these techniques necessitate frequent reappraisal of the biological and mechanobiological mechanisms underlying AV regurgitation to better understand the risk factors for AR development and recurrence following surgical intervention as well as to expand our limited knowledge on patient selection for such procedures. The aim of this review is to describe some of the putative mechanisms implicated in the development of AR, dissect some of the cross-talk among known and possible signaling pathways leading to valve remodeling, identify association between these pathways and pharmacological approaches, and discuss the implications for surgical and percutaneous approaches to AV repair and replacement in the TAVR era. Abbreviations: AGAG: acidic glycosaminogylcan; AngII: angiotensin II; AR: aortic regurgitation; AV: aortic valve; BMP: bone morphogenic protein; CAVD: calcific aortic valve disease; ECM: extracellular matrix; GAG: glycosaminoglycan; HA: hyaluronic acid; LVEF: left ventricle ejection fraction; LV: left ventricle; Lpa(a): lipoprotein (a); LDL: low density lipoprotein; NAR: nuclear aspect ratio; OPN: osteopontin; 5-HT: serotonin; SLRP: small leucine-rich proteins; TenC: tenascin C; TSP-1: thrombospondin; TAVR: transcatheter aortic valve replacement; TGF-β: transforming growth factor beta; TNF- α: tumor necrosis factor alpha; VIC: valve interstitial cells, VEC: valve endothelial cells
A novel Ataxin-3 knock-in mouse model mimics the human SCA3 disease phenotype including neuropathological, behavioral, and transcriptional abnormalities

Background Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is the most common autosomal dominant inherited ataxia worldwide and is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Ataxin-3 gene resulting in a polyQ expansion in the corresponding protein. The disease is characterized by neuropathological (aggregate formation, cell loss), phenotypical (gait instability, body weight reduction), and specific transcriptional changes in affected brain regions. So far, there is no mouse model available representing all the different aspects of the disease, yet highly needed to gain a better understanding of the disease pathomechanism. Methods Here, we characterized a novel Ataxin-3 knock-in mouse model, expressing either a heterozygous or homozygous expansion of 304 CAG/CAAs in the murine Ataxin-3 locus using biochemical, behavioral, and transcriptomic approaches. Further, we compared the transcriptional changes of the knock-in mice to those found in human SCA3 patients, to evaluate the comparability of our model. Results The novel Ataxin-3 knock-in mouse is characterized by the expression of a polyQ-expansion in the murine Ataxin-3 protein, leading to massive aggregate formation, especially in brain regions known to be vulnerable in SCA3 patients, and impairment of Purkinje cells. Along these neuropathological changes, mice showed a reduction in body weight accompanied by gait and balance instability. Transcriptomic analysis of cerebellar tissue revealed age-dependent differential expression, enriched for genes attributed to myelinating oligodendrocytes. Comparing these transcriptional changes with those found in cerebellar tissue of SCA3 patients, we discovered an overlap of differentially expressed genes pointing towards similar gene expression perturbances in several genes linked to myelin sheaths and myelinating oligodendrocytes. Conclusion The novel Ataxin-3 knock-in model shares neuropathological, behavioral, and transcriptomic features with human SCA3 patients and, therefore, represents an ideal model to investigate early-onset developments, therapy studies, or longitudinal biomarker alterations.
Effects of Emotion Regulation Strategies on Mothers’ Self-Reported, Physiological, and Facial Expressive Responses to Infant Laughing

SYNOPSIS Objective. Mothers’ affective responses to infant laughing are essential in parent-child interaction. This experimental study examined whether instructing mothers to employ emotion regulation strategies can change their self-reported, physiological, and facial expressive responses to infant laughing. Design. Using a within-subjects design, mothers (N = 100, age M = 30.87 years) were exposed to infant laughing sounds while receiving enhancement, suppression, and no emotion regulation instructions. Positive affect, perception of laughing, intended sensitive and insensitive caregiving responses, skin conductance level, and facial expressions in response to infant laughing were measured. Results. Enhancement resulted in increased positive affect, a more positive perception of the laugh, more intended sensitive caregiving responses, and, compared to suppression, fewer intended insensitive caregiving responses. Moreover, enhancement resulted in lower sad and, compared to suppression, higher happy facial expressi-vity. In contrast, suppression resulted in a less positive perception. Enhancement did not affect skin conductance level. Conclusions. Enhancement can have beneficial effects on mothers’ self-reported and facial expressive responses to infant laughing in an experimental setting. Enhancement instructions may be used to increase mothers’ positive feelings in response to infant laughing and to promote sensitive caregiving behaviors and positive facial expressions, which may benefit affective mother-child interchanges.
Growth and Yield of Niger (Guizotia abyssinica Lf. Cass) as Influenced by Different Date of Sowing and Varieties

The experiment was conducted in Kharif 2017 at Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani. The soil was clayey in texture, low in Nitrogen, low in Phosphorus, rich in Potash and slightly alkaline in reaction. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with 3 replication and 16 treatments combination viz., In main plot four dates of sowing and in sub plot four varieties of niger. The date of sowing (D1) MW 26 (25 June) recorded taller, higher mean plant height (cm), number of leaves plant -1 , number of branches plant -1 , Leaf area plant -1 (dm 2 ), Total dry matter (gm), yield attributes, seed yield, straw yield, biological yield, harvest index than rest of date of sowings; with respect to varieties (V1) PNS-6 recorded taller, higher mean plant height (cm), number of leaves plant -1 , number of branches plant -1 , Leaf area plant -1 (dm 2 ), Total dry matter (gm), yield attributes, seed yield, straw yield, biological yield, harvest index, than rest of the varieties. The variety (V2) GN-1 was found at par with variety (V4) GNNIG-3 with respect to growth attributes as well as growth and yield attributes as well as yield.
The role of geriatric assessment prior to chemotherapy in elderly patients with cancer

The decision to treat elderly patients with cancer aged 70 years or older with chemotherapy is generally based on clinical judgment of the clinician, in combination with the evidence obtained from clinical studies performed in younger age groups. The instrument GA might be helpful to detect hidden shortcomings and may aid clinical decision making with regard to the feasibility of treatment with chemotherapy and prediction of survival in the elderly patients with cancer. The following questionnaires and tests were considered appropriate to obtain a practical GA: MNA, GFI, IQCODE, MMSE, and laboratory values of albumin, creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase and hemoglobin. The main questions we tried to answer were firstly to assess the predictive value prior to the start of chemotherapy of the chosen GA with respect to the probability to complete the planned chemotherapy and overall survival and secondly to analyze and determine which elements of the chosen GA were independently predictive to complete chemotherapy and which elements predicted early mortality.This thesis is the result of clinical research on certain elements of GA that might be useful for routine daily oncology practice, in order to select the proper patients and improve the outcome of treatment with chemotherapy.
Higher and degree apprenticeships in English higher education::a policy implementation study

The period 2010-19, which is the focus of this research saw several key policy developments in the skills and education arena which were to have a considerable impact on the higher education sector in England. These included an expansion of the apprenticeship programme to include higher (level 4 +), and then degree apprenticeships, a new employer-led method for designing the content and assessment and a major shift in the way the whole programme was funded. This research set out to identify the drivers, tensions and opportunities presented by government policy on higher/degree apprenticeships and how this affected universities in England. This was prompted by the increasing number of universities that decided to register and deliver apprenticeships – something that would have been unheard of at the start of 2010. As of 31st December 2018, 97 English universities had registered to deliver apprenticeships. The approach taken in this work was a qualitative study that used thematic analysis of relevant policy documentation triangulated with semi-structured interviews with policy informants (individuals holding a role related to policy production) and participants working in higher education responsible for delivering the policy. The themes that were identified related to policy intention and implementation, policy levers, programme design, learning, teaching and assessment and finally perceptions and attitudes. These themes were analysed drawing upon policy implementation theoretical frameworks including top-down and bottom-up implementation (Sabatier, 1986, Trowler, 2014a), policy networks and principal-agent theory (Gunn, 2015), change management (Fullan, 2003) and Saunders’ policy implementation staircase (Saunders and Reynolds, 1987, Saunders and Sin, 2014). The research found that tensions existed around the increasing role of neoliberalism, the purpose of HE in the 21st century, academic identity and resistance and cultural and systemic clashes. Opportunities and benefits identified included market opportunities for higher education, pedagogic and curriculum innovations and improved civic engagement and business partnerships.
Linked Coding: A Qualitative Investigation of the Impact of a College Transition Program

Limited college knowledge often impacts underrepresented students’ ability to navigate the college setting, creating institutional barriers for these students once arriving on campus. Students who are first-generation, low-income, and/or minority students have been shown to be less “college ready” than their peers. This discrepancy in preparedness can be conceptualized as a cultural mismatch between the student’s background knowledge and the higher education institution's expectations and norms (Lohfink & Paulsen, 2005). This qualitative evaluation provides an in-depth investigation into first-generation, low-income, and minority students’ perceptions and experiences with a yearlong college transition program. The study explores how a college transition program can impact students’ social development.
Rivers and worth : a study on the political ecology of the energy frontier in south-central Chile

determinations and concrete metabolism: the production of nature as struggle 38 Form and Content, Nature and Society 41 The ‘vernacular’ and world-ecological totalization 44 Use-value, production, and anthropological theories of value 49 Value, moral economy, and the contested production of nature 53 3. Hydro(social)power and the energy frontier in Chile 55 The developmentalist state, electrification, and the hydro-social constitution of power. 56 Energy, water, and the neoliberal counterrevolution 58 Crisis of hegemony and the neoliberal counterrevolution 58 Water, energy, and neoliberalisation 61 The changing geography of energy in the post-dictatorial period 64 The Chilean energy crisis 66 Crisis of cheap energy, the ecoterritorial turn, and the political recomposition of social limits 69 Energy revolution? 76 The reconfiguration of the hydropower frontier: small-scale hydropower as spatial fix 83 4. Refuge and settlement: The historical constitution of the cordillera as inhabited space 89 The Wallmapu: from the Frontera, to the occupation 92 Primitive accumulation and the centrifugal socio-ecology of the Occupation 94 The origins of Huife: itinerancy, refuge, and the production of inhabitability. 98 The arrival of Chilean and German settlers. 103
Effect of silanized sisal fiber on thermo-mechanical properties of reinforced epoxy composites

An effective method was adopted to improve the thermo-mechanical properties of the epoxy composite by functionalization of the sisal fiber. Initially, a neat sisal fiber was acetylated with molar solution of acidic mixture (0.5:1 of HNO3:H2SO4) that removed the content of lignin and hemicellulose and increased the crystallinity of the sisal fiber. The acetylated sisal (a-sisal) fiber was further treated with 3-aminpropyltriethoxy silane to graft the silanol moieties on sisal fiber. The functionalization of the sisal fiber with 3-aminpropyltriethoxy silane exhibits the strong interaction with epoxy, resulting in homogenous dispersion of the sisal fiber in epoxy. The composite possesses great enhancement in thermal and mechanical properties. The tensile strength in functionalized sisal epoxy composite (CP-f-Sisal) was significantly enhanced up to 23% in comparison to non-functionalized sisal epoxy composite (CP-n-Sisal) by adding 15 wt. % of the sisal fiber. In addition, the functionalized sisal epoxy composite (CP-f-sisal) shows better thermal stability as compared to non-functionalized sisal epoxy composite (CP-n-sisal). Similar results are attributed by investigating the kinetics of thermal stability parameters that include activation energy and integral procedure decomposition temperature.