Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CSCL learning approach for students' knowledge construction process in School Based Assessment (SBA) environment: An observation

Literature reports that educational programs tend to favor knowledge conformation rather than knowledge construction; however, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is a powerful pedagogical strategy that encourages students to focus more on their knowledge construction. In this paper, we will discuss on the purpose of this study which is to observe the characteristics as the CSCL learning approach used in the Collaborative Portfolio Assessment (CPA) prototype system tend to assist students' knowledge construction during the process of learning and teaching. The CPA prototype system is an educational learning system which develops to help the teachers and students in managing School Based Assessment (SBA) in selected secondary school in Malaysia. This research was conducted in four weeks and involves 28 form one students who enrolled in History class using this CPA prototype system during their learning process. The result shows that overall mean for the characteristics from the CSCL learning approach used in the CPA prototype system has assisted students' knowledge construction during the process of teaching and learning was high. We hope that the finding of this study can assist the teacher about the advantages of CSCL approach for students' knowledge construction as an improvement in teaching methods for teachers and also to improve students' learning activities especially in SBA environment at schools.
Nickel-deficient carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum: in vivo and in vitro activation by exogenous nickel.

An inactive, Ni-deficient form of carbon monoxide (CO) dehydrogenase [carbon-monoxide:(acceptor) oxidoreductase; EC 1.2. 99.2], designated apo-CO dehydrogenase, accumulated in Rhodospirillum rubrum when cells were grown in the absence of Ni and treated with CO. In vivo, both CO dehydrogenase activity and hydrogenase activity increased several hundred fold upon addition of 2 microM NiCl2. Apo-CO dehydrogenase was purified to homogeneity and differed from holo-CO dehydrogenase only in its activity and Ni content, containing less than 0.2 mol of Ni per mol of protein, and a specific activity of 35 mumol of CO per min per mg. Optimal in vitro activation of purified apo-CO dehydrogenase resulted in an enzyme with a specific activity of 2640 mumol of CO per min per mg. No additional enzymes or low molecular weight cofactors were required for activation. Apo-CO dehydrogenase was not activated by MgCl2, MnCl2, CuCl2, ZnCl2, CoCl2, or Na2MoO4. 63Ni was incorporated into apo-CO dehydrogenase during activation. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of dithionite-reduced apo- and holo-enzyme were identical, indicating that, in the reduced state, the Fe-S centers observed by EPR are unchanged in the apo-enzyme.
Aspirin and decreased adult-onset asthma: randomized comparisons from the physicians' health study.

RATIONALE In an observational cohort study, women who self-selected for frequent aspirin use developed less newly diagnosed asthma than women who did not take aspirin. OBJECTIVE To explore whether low-dose aspirin decreased the risk of newly diagnosed asthma in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. METHODS The Physicians' Health Study randomized 22,071 apparently healthy male physicians, aged 40-84 yr at baseline and tolerant of aspirin, over an 18-wk run-in period, to 325 mg aspirin or placebo on alternate days. The aspirin component was terminated after 4.9 yr due principally to the emergence of a statistically extreme 44% reduction in risk of first myocardial infarction among those randomly assigned to aspirin. MEASUREMENTS Physicians could self-report an asthma diagnosis on questionnaires at baseline, 6 mo, and annually thereafter. Asthma was not an a priori endpoint of the trial. RESULTS Among 22,040 physicians without reported asthma at randomization, there were 113 new asthma diagnoses in the aspirin group and 145 in the placebo group. The hazard ratio was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.00; p = 0.045). This apparent 22% lower risk of newly diagnosed asthma among those assigned to aspirin was not modified by baseline characteristics including smoking, body mass index, or age. CONCLUSIONS Aspirin reduced the risk of newly diagnosed adult-onset asthma in a large, randomized clinical trial of apparently healthy, aspirin-tolerant men. This result requires replication in randomized trials designed a priori to test this hypothesis; it does not imply that aspirin improves symptoms in patients with asthma.
Changed nursing scheduling for improved safety culture and working conditions - patients' and nurses' perspectives.

AIM To evaluate fixed scheduling compared with self-scheduling for nursing staff in oncological inpatient care with regard to patient and staff outcomes. BACKGROUND Various scheduling models have been tested to attract and retain nursing staff. Little is known about how these schedules affect staff and patients. Fixed scheduling and self-scheduling have been studied to a small extent, solely from a staff perspective. METHOD We implemented fixed scheduling on two of four oncological inpatient wards. Two wards kept self-scheduling. Through a quasi-experimental design, baseline and follow-up measurements were collected among staff and patients. The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire was used among staff, as well as study-specific questions for patients and staff. RESULTS Fixed scheduling was associated with less overtime and fewer possibilities to change shifts. Self-scheduling was associated with more requests from management for short notice shift changes. The type of scheduling did not affect patient-reported outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Fixed scheduling should be considered in order to lower overtime. Further research is necessary and should explore patient outcomes to a greater extent. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT Scheduling is a core task for nurse managers. Our study suggests fixed scheduling as a strategy for managers to improve the effective use of resources and safety.
Field Measurements of Particulate Matter Emissions, Carbon Monoxide, and Exhaust Opacity from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles.

Diesel particulate matter (PM) is a significant contributor to ambient air PM10 and PM2.5 particulate levels. In addition, recent literature argues that submicron diesel PM is a pulmonary health hazard. There is difficulty in attributing PM emissions to specific operating modes of a diesel engine, although it is acknowledged that PM production rises dramatically with load and that high PM emissions occur during rapid load increases on turbocharged engines. Snap-acceleration tests generally identify PM associated with rapid transient operating conditions, but not with high load. To quantify the origin of PM during transient engine operation, continuous opacity measurements have been made using a Wager 650CP full flow exhaust opacity meter. Opacity measurements were taken while the vehicles were operated over transient driving cycles on a chassis dynamometer using the West Virginia University (WVU) Transportable Heavy Duty Vehicle Emissions Testing Laboratories. Data were gathered from Detroit Diesel, Cummins, Caterpillar, and Navistar heavy-duty (HD) diesel engines. Driving cycles used were the Central Business District (CBD) cycle, the WVU 5-Peak Truck cycle, the WVU 5-Mile route, and the New York City Bus (NYCB) cycle. Continuous opacity measurements, integrated over the entire driving cycle, were compared to total integrated PM mass. In addition, the truck was subjected to repeat snap-acceleration tests, and PM was collected for a composite of these snap-acceleration tests. Additional data were obtained from a fleet of 1996 New Flyer buses in Flint, MI, equipped with electronically controlled Detroit Diesel Series 50 engines. Again, continuous opacity, regulated gaseous emissions, and PM were measured. The relationship between continuous carbon monoxide (CO) emissions and continuous opacity was noted. In identifying the level of PM emissions in transient diesel engine operation, it is suggested that CO emissions may prove to be a useful indicator and may be used to apportion total PM on a continuous basis over a transient cycle. The projected continuous PM data will prove valuable in future mobile source inventory prediction.
NMR Structural Study of the Prototropic Equilibrium in Solution of Schiff Bases as Model Compounds

An NMR titration method has been used to simultaneously measure the acid dissociation constant (pKa) and the intramolecular NHO prototropic constant ΔKNHO on a set of Schiff bases. The model compounds were synthesized from benzylamine and substituted ortho-hydroxyaldehydes, appropriately substituted with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups to modulate the acidity of the intramolecular NHO hydrogen bond. The structure in solution was established by 1H-, 13C- and 15N-NMR spectroscopy. The physicochemical parameters of the intramolecular NHO hydrogen bond (pKa, ΔKNHO and ΔΔG°) were obtained from 1H-NMR titration data and pH measurements. The Henderson–Hasselbalch data analysis indicated that the systems are weakly acidic, and the predominant NHO equilibrium was established using Polster–Lachmann δ-diagram analysis and Perrin model data linearization.
Enhanced anomaly detection using ensemble support vector machine

Identifying the intruder behavior in the network as well as in the system is an arduous and time-consuming mechanism. Abnormal activity of the user is a critical problem, analyzing this behavior with the emerging technologies like the Internet is difficulty. It should be investigated effectively and accurately for identification of all abnormal activities. The accurate anomaly detection is become a major problem in computer security. In the network environment data size is huge; identifying the abnormal activity from this huge data is the time consuming process. Detecting the anomaly from this data need more time, it is a critical problem in these days. The growth of computing speed is enabling us to detect it effectively; still there is a need to improve the anomaly detection time and accuracy. In this work, the rough set theory is used to reduce the dimensionality of the data to select the appropriate attributes in the detection process. Ensemble SVM is used to increase the detection accuracy and reduces the computation time effectively. The experimental results are proved.
Preventing Obesity and Eating Disorders in Adolescents

Obesity and eating disorders (EDs) are both prevalent in adolescents. There are concerns that obesity prevention efforts may lead to the development of an ED. Most adolescents who develop an ED did not have obesity previously, but some teenagers, in an attempt to lose weight, may develop an ED. This clinical report addresses the interaction between obesity prevention and EDs in teenagers, provides the pediatrician with evidence-informed tools to identify behaviors that predispose to both obesity and EDs, and provides guidance about obesity and ED prevention messages. The focus should be on a healthy lifestyle rather than on weight. Evidence suggests that obesity prevention and treatment, if conducted correctly, do not predispose to EDs.
Patients’ and Health Care Providers’ Evaluation of Quality of Life Issues in Advanced Cancer Using Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Palliative Care Module (FACIT-Pal) Scale

Background To examine the agreement of Health Care Providers (HCPs) and patients’ evaluation of quality of life on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness therapy - Palliative care module (FACIT-Pal) scale. Methods Sixty advanced cancer patients and fifty-six health care providers involved in their care at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre completed a modified version of the FACIT- Pal. In the survey, patients and HCPs indicated the 10 top issues affecting the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer most profoundly. The percentage of participants selecting each item as one of their 10 most relevant items was calculated in HCPs and patients. Results There were differences in relative rankings of QOL issues among patients and HCPs. Among the top 10 items which were identified from both patients and HCPs, there were differences in the rankings. Patients ranked emotional support from family (40.9%) as most important followed by pain (38.6%), lack of energy (31.8%) and able to enjoy life (29.6%). HCPs ranked in the following order: pain (73.2%), lack of energy (63.4%), nausea (51.2%) and dyspnea (51.2%) whereas patients rated nausea at 18.2 % and dyspnea at 9.09%. Conclusion There is a discrepancy between scores of patients and HCPs as they may prioritize differently. HCPs tended to put more emphasis on physical symptoms, whereas patients had emotional and global issues as priorities.
Healing of diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers receiving standard treatment. A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine the percentage of individuals with neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers receiving good wound care who heal within a defined period of time. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a systematic review of the control groups of clinical trials that evaluated a treatment for diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers. The meta-analytic techniques used include an estimation of the weighted mean percentage healed by end point, an evaluation of the homogeneity of trials, and an estimate of the 95% CI of the grouped data. Grouped-data univariate and multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess the impact of mean age, ulcer size, and duration on the percentage of ulcers healed at end point. RESULTS We found a total of 10 control groups meeting our criteria. Six control groups used 20 weeks as the end point for healing or nonhealing. For the six control arms with a 20-week end point, we found a weighted mean healing rate of 30.9% (95% CI 26.6-35.1). A similar analysis for the four 12-week arms found a mean healing rate of 24.2% (19.5-28.8). We failed to detect any statistically significant heterogeneity for either the 20-week or the 12-week trials. CONCLUSIONS After 20 weeks of good wound care, approximately 31% of diabetic neuropathic ulcers heal. Similarly, after 12 weeks of good care, approximately 24% of neuropathic ulcers attain complete healing. Further patient-level analyses are necessary to definitively determine the associations of age, wound size, and wound duration with likelihood of healing.
Comparison of Rival Metabolic Syndrome Classifications Against Pathophysiological Markers in Renal Transplant Recipients

Background. Metabolic syndrome posttransplantation is associated with adverse outcomes. Diagnostic controversy exists, with adult treatment panel (ATP) III and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) classifications differing in prerequisite requirement of central obesity. In addition, correlation between classifications and putative pathophysiological mechanisms posttransplantation are lacking and may be obscured by immunosuppressants. We compared the two classifications against insulin resistance, subclinical inflammation, and central obesity in renal transplant recipients. Methods. Ninety-six sets of metabolic investigations were analyzed in a cohort of 58 nondiabetic renal transplant recipients. Mathematical model analysis of the frequently sampled, intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed to determine insulin sensitivity (10−5min−1/mU/mL). We used waist/hip ratio as a surrogate for central obesity and C-reactive protein (mg/L) for subclinical inflammation, respectively. Clinical/biochemical parameters were also assessed at each metabolic investigation. Results. Fifty-nine percent of the study cohort was classed with metabolic syndrome using ATP III criteria, but only 43% using IDF criteria. IDF-classified recipients were more likely to have insulin resistance (3.7 vs. 4.9, P=0.034), raised waist/hip ratio (0.96 vs. 0.88, P<0.001), and elevated C-reactive protein (7.2 vs. 2.9, P=0.004) than those without the syndrome. Using ATP III criteria, there was a significant association with waist/hip ratio alone (syndrome vs. no syndrome, 0.95 vs. 0.86, P<0.001). Recipients with IDF-classified metabolic syndrome had significantly lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (mL/min) compared with those without (61.8 vs. 73.6, P=0.015). Conclusion. The IDF-classified metabolic syndrome is superior to ATP III for association with pathophysiological mechanisms posttransplantation.
The omega‐6 fatty acid derivative 15‐deoxy‐Δ12,14‐prostaglandin J2 is involved in neuroprotection by enteric glial cells against oxidative stress

• Enteric glial cells play a major role in the regulation of enteric neuronal functions. • 15‐Deoxy‐Δ12,14‐prostaglandin J2 (15d‐PGJ2) is an omega‐6 fatty acid derivative that was recently identified as a novel glial‐derived mediator involved in the control of the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells. • In this study, we show that 15d‐PGJ2 has neuroprotective properties during oxidative stress in the enteric nervous system. • We furthermore show that 15d‐PGJ2 neuroprotective effects are dependent on the activation of the Nrf2 pathway and are associated with an increase of glutathione synthesis in neurons. • This study supports the concept that omega‐6 derivatives might be used in preventive and/or therapeutic strategies for the treatment of enteric neuropathies.
The Atypical Short-Chain Dehydrogenases HCF173 and HCF244 Are Jointly Involved in Translational Initiation of the psbA mRNA of Arabidopsis1[W]

The related proteins D1 and D2 together build up the photosystem II reaction center. Synthesis of D1 (PsbA) is highly regulated in all photosynthetic organisms. The mechanisms and specific protein factors involved in controlled expression of the psbA gene in higher plants are highly elusive. Here, we report on the identification of a chloroplast-located protein, HCF244 (for high chlorophyll fluorescence244), which is essentially required for translational initiation of the psbA messenger RNA in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The factor is highly conserved between land plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. HCF244 was identified by coexpression analysis of HCF173, which encodes a protein that is also necessary for psbA translational initiation and in addition for stabilization of this messenger RNA. Phenotypic characterization of the mutants hcf244 and hcf173 suggests that the corresponding proteins operate cooperatively during psbA translation. Immunolocalization studies detected the majority of the two proteins at the thylakoid membrane. Both HCF244 and HCF173 are members of the atypical short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily, a modified group, which has lost enzyme activity but acquires new functions in the metabolism of the cell.
Deaths: preliminary data for 2003.

OBJECTIVES This report presents preliminary U.S. data on deaths, death rates, life expectancy, leading causes of death, and infant mortality for the year 2003 by selected characteristics such as age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin. METHODS Data in this report are based on a large number of deaths comprising approximately 93 percent of the demographic file and 91 percent of the medical file for all deaths in the United States in 2003. The records are weighted to independent control counts for 2003. For certain causes of death such as unintentional injuries, homicides, suicides, and respiratory diseases, preliminary, and final data differ because of the truncated nature of the preliminary file. Comparisons are made with 2002 final data. RESULTS The age-adjusted death rate for the United States decreased from 845.3 deaths per 100,000 population in 2002 to 831.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2003. Age-adjusted death rates decreased between 2002 and 2003 for the following causes: Diseases of heart, Malignant neoplasms, Cerebrovascular diseases, Accidents (unintentional injuries), Influenza and pneumonia, Intentional self-harm (suicide), Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids. They increased between 2002 and 2003 for the following: Alzheimer's disease, Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis, Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease, and Parkinson's disease. Life expectancy at birth rose by 0.3 years to a record high of 77.6 years.
Characterization of circulating tumor cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Tumor cells in blood of patients with metastatic carcinomas have been associated with poor survival prospects. Further characterization of these cells may provide further insights into the metastatic process. Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) were enumerated in 7.5 mL of blood with the CellSearch™ system. After enumeration of Cytokeratin+, CD45−, nucleated cells, the cells are fixed in the cartridge while maintaining their original position. Cartridges were hybridized with FISH probes against the centromeric regions of chromosome 1, 7, 8, and 17. Next fluorescence images of the FISH probes of the previous identified CTC were acquired. Leukocytes surrounding the CTC were used as internal controls. The number of copies of chromosome 1, 7, 8, and 17 could be determined in 118 CTC containing blood samples from 59 metastatic prostate cancer patients. The samples contained a total of 21,751 CTC (mean 184, median 16, SD 650). Chromosome counts were obtained in 61% of the relocated CTC. On an average, these CTC contained 2.8 copies of chromosome 1, 2.7 copies of chromosome 7, 3.1 copies of chromosome 8, and 2.3 copies of chromosome 17. CTC in which no chromosome count was obtained most likely underwent apoptosis indicated by the expression of M30. In 6/59 patients only diploid CTC were detected these samples, however, only contained 1–5 CTC. Heterogeneity in the chromosomal abnormalities was observed between CTC of different patients as well as among CTC of the same patient. Cytogenetic composition of CTC can be reliably assessed after they have been identified by the CellSearch™ system. The majority of CTC in hormone refractory prostate cancer are aneuploid confirming that they indeed are cancer cells. An extensive heterogeneity in the copy number of each of the chromosomes was observed. © 2009 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Diagnosis of laryngotracheal stenosis from routine pulmonary physiology using the expiratory disproportion index

The study's objective was to determine the utility of expiratory disproportion index (EDI), the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (EDI = FEV1[L]/PEFR[L/s] × 100), in differentiating between laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) and other respiratory diagnoses. LTS is an uncommon complication of mechanical ventilation or vasculitis or a manifestation of airway compression or malignancy. It frequently masquerades as asthma and evades timely diagnosis, causing prolonged morbidity and airway‐related mortality.