Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Becoming an Exemplary Leader

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Moving object reconstruction in monocular video data using boundary generation

We present a method to reconstruct the three-dimensional shape of a moving instance of a known object category in video data. We exploit state-of-the-art semantic segmentation techniques to extract the object's two-dimensional shape in each frame. Therefore, our method is robust to occlusion, handles stationary objects and extends naturally to multiple video sequences. We apply Structure from Motion (SfM) to previously generated object images in order to compute a three-dimensional representation of the object. Our approach allows us to remove outliers in SfM reconstructions and to compute clean object meshes by leveraging previously computed semantic segmentations and virtual camera positions. We evaluate the accuracy of our method using a multi-view dataset of a moving vehicle. A laser scan serves as ground truth. We applied our algorithm on publicly available video data and on 25 sequences from our dataset. The algorithm achieves an average point distance of 3.3 cm evaluated on seven trajectories contained in the dataset.
Antidiabetic AD4743 enhances adipocyte differentiation of 3T3 T mesenchymal stem cells

AD4743 is an antidiabetic agent that, when added to fetal bovine serum (FBS), has been shown to have adipogenic activity for some proadipocyte cell lines once they reach confluence. In the current study, the effects of AD4743 on the growth and adipocytic differentiation of 3T3 T multipotential mesenchymal stem cells have been tested. 3T3 T cells, unlike other cells capable of undergoing adipocyte differentiation, are routinely induced to differentiate at low cell density. This is done using platelet‐poor human plasma (HP), a potent inducer of growth arrest and differentiation. AD4743 (0–200 μg/ml) was tested in varied concentrations of HP or FBS, at varied cell densities, and at various times during growth and differentiation. AD4743 slowed the growth rate of 3T3 T cells and it induced their differentiation in a dose‐dependent manner in medium containing 10% FBS once they reached confluence. Tiie data suggest that the ability of AD4743 to inhibit growth may also becoupled with its ability to enhance differentiation. In addition, AD4743 (1–10 μg/ml) in the presence of 25% HP markedly increased the kinetics of adipocyte differentiation, at low (< 5,000 cells/cm2) or high cell density. Greater than 50% cell differentiation could be achieved in 2 days in low density cultures; 80–95% differentiation could be achieved in just 4 days, compared to 8–12 days in a typical culture. The maximum amount of differentiation in HP was potentiated by AD4743 to agreater degree in poor lots of HP; however, the kinetics were increased in all lots. Adipocytic differentiation was measured both morphologically and by Northern blot analyses of differentiation‐specific genes. AD4743 at 1–10 μg/ml appeared to be most effective, depending on the cell density and other conditions. The mechanism of action of AD4743 remains to be elucidated, but the enhancement of adipocyte differentiation does not appear to occur via an insulin‐dependent pathway.
Lumbar fusion compared with conservative treatment in patients with chronic low back pain: a meta-analysis

We assess the effect of lumbar fusion (LF) in reducing disability among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) compared with conservative treatment and to weigh the clinical significance of this effect. We conducted a random-effect meta-analysis on the basis of a systematic review with research quality grading according to Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). The studies included were retrieved from MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from 1990 till January 2013. Randomized or nonrandomized controlled studies were included if the study participants had a history of CLBP because of degenerative spinal diseases and had been treated with LF. A study was included if it compared LF with conservative treatment. The outcome measure was a change in the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score during a follow-up. The meta-analysis included data on 666 patients (402 cases) who participated in four randomized–controlled trials. The ODI score reduced in the LF and the control groups. The mean reduction in the ODI score in the follow-up of 1.5 years was −2.91 (95% confidence interval −6.66 to 0.84) in favor of LF. The difference between groups was statistically and clinically insignificant. Test for heterogeneity indicated that study imputation would favor LF but the imputed result would still be clinically insignificant with an estimated corrected reduction of ODI score of −5.51 (95% confidence interval −5.78 to −5.24). There is strong evidence that LF is not more effective than conservative treatment in reducing perceived disability because of CLBP among patients with degenerative spinal diseases. It is unlikely that further research on the subject would considerably affect this conclusion.
Chiral porphyrazine near-IR optical imaging agent exhibiting preferential tumor accumulation

A chiral porphyrazine (pz), H2[pz(trans-A2B2)] (247), has been prepared that exhibits preferential in vivo accumulation in the cells of tumors. Pz 247 exhibits near-infrared (NIR) emission with λ > 700 nm in the required wavelength range for maximum tissue penetration. When MDA-MB-231 breast tumor cells are treated with 247, the agent shows strong intracellular fluorescence with an emission maximum, 704 nm, which indicates that it localizes within a hydrophobic microenvironment. Pz 247 is shown to associate with the lipophilic core of LDL and undergo cellular entry primarily through receptor-mediated endocytosis accumulating in lysosomes. Preliminary in vivo studies show that 247 exhibits preferential accumulation and retention in the cells of MDA-MB-231 tumors subcutaneously implanted in mice, thereby enabling NIR optical imaging with excellent contrast between tumor and surrounding tissue. The intensity of fluorescence from 247 within the tumor increases over time up to 48 h after injection presumably due to the sequestration of circulating 247/LDL complex by the tumor tissue. As the need for cholesterol, and thus LDL, is elevated in highly proliferative tumor cells over nontumorigenic cells, 247 has potential application for all such tumors.
Educational Reforms and Implications on Teachers’ World of Work: Perspectives of Fijian Primary Teachers

This preliminary study reports on educational changes and its impact on primary teachers’ world of work in Fiji. Data were gathered from 38 primary teachers, using a questionnaire of Likert scale items and open-ended questions aiming to identify the intensity of the changes that have occurred in their work. The data analysis reveals the educational reforms as having intensified the work of teachers. In this regard, the principal stakeholder needs to be mindful of cumulative ongoing changes, to avoid any serious ramifications for teachers’ workload and in turn children’s learning outcomes. Teachers themselves highlighted the need for future changes to include more opportunities for continuous professional development to enable them to cope well with new demands of work. Implications of the study’s findings are also pertinent to other developing contexts such as those in the Pacific region and beyond because of ongoing transformations occurring in education systems worldwide
Comparison of the Rodac Imprint Method to Selective Enrichment Broth for Recovery of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci and Drug-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae from Environmental Surfaces

ABSTRACT We compared the Rodac imprint technique to selective enrichment broth for detecting vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (MDRE) on surfaces. Rodac plates contained tryptic soy agar with 5% sheep blood, vancomycin (6 μg/ml), ceftazidime (2 μg/ml), amphotericin B (2 μg/ml), and clindamycin (1 μg/ml). Two types of broth were used: brain heart infusion (BHI) and BHI plus vancomycin (6 μg/ml) and ceftazidime (2 μg/ml) (BHIVC). Of the 46 surfaces cultured for VRE, 12 (26%) were positive. Of the 12 VRE-positive surfaces, 11 (92%) grew from Rodac, 8 (67%) grew from BHIVC, and 7 (58%) grew from BHI. A larger study is needed for MDRE, as only 4 of 43 surfaces were MDRE positive. The Rodac imprint technique successfully recovered VRE from environmental surfaces.
Antenatal depiction of fetal digits with three-dimensional ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE The effectiveness of three-dimensional ultrasonography in visualizing fetal digits was examined. STUDY DESIGN The digits of 72 fetuses, including 2 with skeletal dysplasia, were examined prospectively with both conventional and three-dimensional ultrasonography. RESULTS Complete visualization of all fetal digits was obtained more often with three-dimensional ultrasonography than with two-dimensional ultrasonography. CONCLUSION Three-dimensional ultrasonography has the potential to facilitate depiction of fetal digits, which may enhance prenatal identification of fetal malformations and chromosomal abnormalities in high-risk pregnancies.
Understanding eco-industrial development processes through multiple change perspectives

Eco-industrial parks are receiving increasing attention in light of the sustainability discourse. Although the formation and development of eco-industrial parks have been investigated, these processes are difficult to grasp. In order to better understand and govern the trajectory of these processes, this chapter attempts to reveal some of their complexity. It addresses the formation of industrial parks from a change perspective, with a focus on the interplay between actors and context. We use two lenses to build a combination of change perspectives: transition management theories, and the episodic and continuous change concepts of organisational theory. Both of these lenses distinguish between change that is planned, abrupt and discontinuous, and change that is emergent, incremental and continuous. The main lesson of the paper is that actors’ perspectives of change and development affect possible governance strategies. Planned change assumes that actors are unable to adapt their underlying structures to the new demands for sustainable development and thus require interventions from the outside. In the case of continuous change, actors are seen as self-organising. This process calls more for facilitation and removal of possible stumbling blocks. In order to choose a good governance strategy applied to the circumstances, these perspectives need to be combined.
The effects of three remineralizing agents on regression of white spot lesions in children: A two-week, single-blind, randomized clinical trial

Background This study investigated the effect of three remineralizing agents on improving white spot lesions (WSLs). Material and Methods This clinical trial included children who had at least one WSL on anterior teeth of upper or lower jaws. The participants were randomly assigned to 4 groups by treatment: 1) a cream containing casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate and fluoride (MI Paste Plus); 2) a cream containing hydroxyapatite and fluoride (Remin Pro); 3) a 2% sodium fluoride gel; and 4) usual home care (control). The treatment was performed for 3 times over 10 days using special trays for retaining remineralizing agents. The area and mineral content of WSLs were measured at baseline (T1) and 1 day after finishing treatment (T2). Blinding was applied for outcome assessment. Results Eighty patients were assigned to MI Paste Plus, Remin Pro, NaF or control groups. The application of all remineralizing agents caused a significant decrease in area and a significant increase in mineral content of WSLs (p<0.05), whereas the control patients did not experience any significant alteration (p>0.05). At T2, the area of WSLs was significantly lower in three experimental groups compared to the control group (p=0.023), but between-group difference in mineral content of WSLs failed to achieve statistical significance (p=0.08). Conclusions The in-office application of either MI Paste Plus or Remin Pro was as effective as 2% NaF for reducing area and increasing mineral content of WSLs. MI Paste Plus and Remin Pro could be recommended as suitable alternatives to NaF for managing WSLs. Key words:White spot lesion, caries, casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, sodium fluoride, CPP-ACP, MPlus, Remin Pro, NaF.
Developmental Implications of HIV Prevention During Adolescence

Dramatic changes occur in abstract reasoning, physical maturation, familial relationships and risk exposure during adolescence. It is probable that delivery of behavioral interventions addressing decision-making during the preadolescent period and later in adolescence would result in different impacts. We evaluated the intervention effects of an HIV prevention program (Bahamian Focus on Older Youth, BFOOY) administered to grade 10 Bahamian youth and parents to target HIV protective and risk behaviors. We also examined the effects of prior exposure to a similar intervention (Focus on Youth in the Caribbean, FOYC) four years earlier. At six months post-intervention, receipt of BFOOY by youth unexposed to FOYC increased HIV knowledge and condom-use skills. Differences based on BFOOY exposure were not present among FOYC-exposed youth, whose knowledge and condom-use skills were already higher than those of unexposed youth. Youth receiving both interventions displayed a carryover effect from FOYC, demonstrating the highest scores six months post-intervention.
Empirical evidence suggests adverse climate events have not affected Australian women's health and well‐being

Objective: To compare the health and well‐being of women by exposure to adverse climate events. An Exceptional Circumstance declaration (EC) was used as a proxy for adverse climate events. The Australian government may provide financial support to people living in EC areas, i.e. areas experiencing a one in 20–25 year event (drought, flood or fire) that results in a severe, extended downturn in farm or farm‐related income.
The past, present and future of nurse education in Poland: stages, conditions and activities.

AIM This paper describes the multidirectional activities recently completed to adapt nurse education in Poland to European standards. BACKGROUND The Polish system transformation and the changes that have taken place in health care since the 1980s required intensive effort and change in the nursing care and education systems of nurses and midwives. OUTCOMES Changes accomplished include: (1) preparation and implementation of a nurse education model complying with European standards; (2) discontinuance of the previous system of nurse education taught at the secondary school level; and (3) adjusting the organization and post-basic curricula of nurses and midwives to the actual needs of the society as well as for the nurses themselves. The goal of a uniform nurse education system in Poland that met European requirements motivated the Polish change agents. This change ensures the integration of Polish nurses with the nurses from Europe and other countries in their common endeavours to improve nursing care and health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The adopted changes in the system of nurse education resulted in uniformity of education and acceptance of bachelor's level education, which complies with European standards as well as adjusting the post-basic education to actual needs. Describing the substance and process of our work may be helpful to nurses in other countries who are working on their own models of nursing and health care restructuring.
Political Influence and Merger Antitrust Reviews

Antitrust regulators play a critical role in protecting market competition. We examine whether firms can use the political process to opportunistically influence antitrust reviews of corporate merger transactions. We exploit the fact that in some mergers, acquirers and/or targets are connected to powerful U.S. politicians that serve on the two congressional committees with antitrust regulator oversight. We find that merger parties with these connections receive relatively favorable antitrust review outcomes. To establish a causal link, we use plausibly exogenous shocks to firm-politician links and a falsification test. Politician incentives to influence merger antitrust review outcomes appear to be driven by lobbying, contributions, and prior business connections. In sum, our findings suggest that political interference affects the ability of antitrust regulators to provide independent recommendations about the anti-competitive effects of mergers.
Xenopus Tadpole Melanophores Are Controlled by Dark and Light and Melatonin Without Influence of Time of Day

Melanophores were studied in tadpoles of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, during the first week after hatching (stages 46–49) at 25°C. The tadpoles had melanophores with dispersed melanosomes in the light and punctate melanophores in the dark in LD12:12. The melanophores remained punctate in constant dark and the melanosomes remained dispersed in constant light. Lights‐out (in the light‐time of LD12:12) caused the melanophores to become punctate, which occurred more quickly than the dispersion of melanosomes, which commenced when the lights were turned on (in the dark‐time of LD12:12). Melanophores with dispersed melanosomes in tadpoles (in constant light) became punctate in response to a series of melatonin concentrations (0.2–5 ng/ml) in their bathing water irrespective of the time of day melatonin was administered. An image‐analysis technique for assessing melanophore responses was tested.
Institutional Legitimacy and Public Goods Games: A Laboratory Experiment on the Distribution of Sanctioning Power

From the seminal work of Fehr and Gachter (2000), a consensus rises about sanctioning institutions and its effectiveness in promoting collective action and cooperation. Most observed institutional arrangements, widespread in governments, firms, committees and other organizations, acknowledge this feature and impose monitoring policies to achieve particular goals. However, less attention has been paid to the delegation mechanism of sanctioning power, particularly in centralized institutional arrangements. In this environment, it is not clear whether the legitimacy of the authority/institution plays a role in collective action and general economic outcomes. We report the results from a laboratory experiment that compares the performance of exogenous versus endogenous arrangement of sanctioning power.The endogenous power-distribution, defined as a Democracy, outperforms the exogenous arrangement, the Leviathan, in terms of contribution levels. However, its dominance is weak and statistically non-significant. Democratic schemes are only weakly preferred and evidence contradicts the belief that there is a strong and robust causal relationship between democracy and economic outcomes (e.g., growth and development).
Long‐term genetic monitoring reveals contrasting changes in the genetic composition of newly established populations of the intertidal snail Bembicium vittatum

Newly established populations are susceptible to founder events that reduce genetic variation. This may be counterbalanced by gene flow after populations become established or founders coming from genetically different populations. However, initial gains in genetic diversity may be short‐lived if there is limited mixing between lineages and subsequent inbreeding, or if one lineage sweeps to fixation through selection or genetic drift. Here, we report on the genetic changes taking place within two newly established populations of intertidal snail over a 15‐year period (∼ 10 generations). Each translocation was set up using multiple, genetically distinct source populations. Our data show that higher levels of variation in the translocated populations compared to the source populations were maintained over time for both nuclear (microsatellite) and mitochondrial genes. Small changes in allele and haplotype frequencies were observed in the source populations and in one of the translocated populations, but marked changes were evident in the other, where there was a dramatic shift towards the genetic make‐up of one of the source populations. These genetic changes occurred despite relatively large numbers of founders (200–374 adults) and no evidence of the population experiencing a severe reduction in effective population size. Our study shows that the genetic composition of newly established populations can vary greatly over time and that genetic outcomes can be highly variable, and significantly different from initial expectations, even when they are established using high numbers of individuals and involve source populations from the same geographic regions.
DESIGN OF BALANCED DIFFERENTIAL PAIR BASED CCCII CIRCUIT AND CONFIGURABLE FREQUENCY AGILE FILTER APPLICATION IN 28nm PROCESS

– Connectivity in any terms between machine to machine, machine to people or vice versa and between people is getting more importance in todays` community life. This reality leads to an increasing interest for intensified and complex communication standards to be used or investigated. One of the most important candidate solutions for these kinds of communications are encrypted and cognitive communication techniques. Main characteristic advantages of the circuits used in encrypted and cognitive communication systems will be highlighted as, agility and configurability. In this study, it`s aimed to provide circuit solutions for encrypted and cognitive communication systems with lower power consumption and higher bandwidth with respect to the investigated ones in the literature. CCCII circuits in this study are designed with STMicroelectronics` 28nm Process to take advantageous properties of a top notch process and applications with frequency agile and configurable filters realized as a first example application in this process. Main goal of this study is to support different GPS protocols with unique filter circuit as an application.
QoI and Energy-Aware Mobile Sensing Scheme: A Tabu-Search Approach

Mobile phones equipped with a rich set of embedded sensors enhance participatory sensing to collect data for different applications. However, many challenges arise when selecting participants to perform sensing tasks. Among these challenges, we can cite energy consumption, users' mobility impact and the quality of retrieved data, recently defined as Quality of Information (QoI). In this work, we study the QoI and Energy-aware Mobile Sensing (QEMSS) problem. Hence, for a given set of users, a sensing area and data quality requirements, the objective of QEMSS is to find the subset of users that maximizes QoI in terms of spatial and temporal metrics while minimizing the overall energy consumption and reducing the redundancy during the sensing process. We propose a meta-heuristic algorithm based on Tabu-Search to provide a sub-optimal solution. Simulation results, for both deterministic and unknown participants' trajectories, are compared to other state-of-the-art methods. This allows showing that our approach outperforms both the greedy- based and the random selection strategies. Particularly, the achieved data quality by our scheme is significantly higher in challenging scenarios such as low dense areas or scarce users' energy resources.