Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and health beliefs related to heart disease risk among adults with type 2 diabetes

PurposeThe purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to describe knowledge of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and to explore relationships between this knowledge and health beliefs and adherence among adults with type 2 diabetes. Data sourcesA convenience sample of 212 adults with type 2 diabetes completed the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire and the health beliefs related to CVD Scale. ConclusionsKnowledge was high for the majority of the sample. Deficits included the link between cholesterol and heart disease; CVD risk factors; and exercises for lowering CVD risk. Significant between‐group differences occurred across education level (p = .021) and race (p = .045); participants with less education and who were Hispanic had the lowest knowledge scores. Among the health belief model variables, knowledge was only a significant predictor of perceived benefits (p = .033) and barriers (p = .00). The most common sources of information about diabetes and CVD were TV/radio/magazine/newspaper, healthcare providers, and patient education brochures, with substantially less exposure to CVD information. Implications for practiceThis study identified content to emphasize in interventions to improve awareness of CVD risk among adults with diabetes. Hispanic patients and those with low education levels are particularly in need of interventions appropriate to their education level and cultural orientation.
Reconceptualizing the “Sandwich Generation”: Perceived Caring Identities and Family Vacations

This paper will present an instrumental case study of the perceived care experience before and after cross-continental travel from perspectives of the adult child and parent within a tri-generation relationship. In the context of this sandwich generation, it is important to understand: (1) how each party understands their caring roles and (2) how this may provide insight into strategies for supporting a positive and meaningful family travel experience. Findings indicate that although caring roles seem to remain a consistent part of individuals’ identity, perceptions of caring roles and how they affect leisure and travel behaviour may exist in a state of flux while travelling. The role of external family support seemed to be key in mediating the shifting of how caring roles are perceived while on vacation. We also reflect on how the cultural context of the setting may contribute to these understandings.
Integrated Flexible Maritime Crane Architecture for the Offshore Simulation Centre AS (OSC): A Flexible Framework for Alternative Maritime Crane Control Algorithms

The Offshore Simulator Centre AS (OSC) is the world's most advanced provider of simulators for demanding offshore operations. However, even though the OSC provides very powerful simulation tools, it is mainly designed for training purposes and it does not inherently offer any flexible methods concerning the control methodology. In fact, each crane model is controlled with a dedicated control algorithm that cannot be modified, accessed, or replaced at runtime. As a result, it is not possible to dynamically switch between different control methods, nor is it possible to easily investigate alternative control approaches. To overcome these problems, a flexible and general control system architecture that allows for modeling flexible control algorithms of maritime cranes and more generally, robotic arms, was previously presented by our research group. However, in the previous work, a generic game engine was used to visualize the different models. In this work, the flexible and general control system architecture is integrated with a crane simulator developed by the OSC taking full advantage of the provided domain-consistent simulation tools. The Google Protocol Buffers protocol is adopted to realize the communication protocol. This integration establishes the base for the research of alternative control algorithms, which can be efficiently tested in a realistic maritime simulation environment. As a validating case study, an alternative control method based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) is also presented. Related simulations are carried out to validate the efficiency of the proposed integration.
Role of the Jun Kinase Pathway in the Regulation of c-Jun Expression and Apoptosis in Sympathetic Neurons

When deprived of nerve growth factor (NGF), developing sympathetic neurons die by apoptosis. This death is associated with an increase in the level of c-Jun protein and is blocked by expression of a c-Jun dominant negative mutant. Here we have investigated whether NGF withdrawal activates Jun kinases, a family of stress-activated protein kinases that can stimulate the transcriptional activity of c-Jun by phosphorylating serines 63 and 73 in the transactivation domain and which can activate c-jun gene expression. We found that sympathetic neurons contained high basal levels of Jun kinase activity that increased further after NGF deprivation. In contrast, p38 kinase, another stress-activated protein kinase that can also stimulate c-jun gene expression, was not activated after NGF withdrawal. Consistent with Jun kinase activation, we found using a phospho-c-Jun-specific antibody that c-Jun was phosphorylated on serine 63 after NGF withdrawal. Furthermore, expression of a constitutively active form of MEK kinase 1 (MEKK1), which strongly activates the Jun kinase pathway, increased c-Jun protein levels and c-Jun phosphorylation and induced apoptosis in the presence of NGF. This death could be prevented by co-expression of SEKAL, a dominant negative mutant of SAPK/ERK kinase 1 (SEK1), an activator of Jun kinase that is a target of MEKK1. In contrast, expression of SEKAL alone did not prevent c-Jun expression, increases in c-Jun phosphorylation, or cell death after NGF withdrawal. Thus, activation of Jun kinase and increases in c-Jun phosphorylation and c-Jun protein levels occur at the same time after NGF withdrawal, but c-Jun levels and phosphorylation are regulated by an SEK1-independent pathway.
Prodigality in Islamic lifestyle: a new scale development

Purpose – This study aims to propose a new construct – prodigality and develop a measurement scale to support the construct. Design/methodology/approach – Combining the paradigms of Churchill, Malhotra and Birks, the item generation and content validity yielded the development of a modified scale. Three main steps in assessment of the scale: dimensional structure, reliability and validity led to the development of a prodigality scale. A total of 32 items were generated, through assessing Qur’anic verses that are related to Muslim consumption patterns linked to in Islam. Findings – In total, 23 items remained after content validity. A pre-test using exploratory factor analysis on the 23-item scale created a two-factor scale. According to extracted validity and reliability scores, prodigality scale was statistically supported. A pool of nine items is proposed for the eventual measurement of the prodigality. Research limitations/implications – The proposed measurement scale warrants further exploratory study.
A model of stroke extraction from Chinese character images

Given the large number and complexity of Chinese characters, pattern matching based on structural decomposition and analysis is believed to be necessary and essential to off-line character recognition. The paper proposes a model of stroke extraction for Chinese characters. One problem for stroke extraction is how to extract primary strokes. Another major problem is to solve the segmentation ambiguities at intersection points. We use the degree information and the stroke continuation property to tackle these two problems. The proposed model can be used to extract strokes from both printed and handwritten character images.
Binding of the Complement Inhibitor C4bp to Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis 1

Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) is an important cause of meningitis and sepsis. Currently, there is no effective vaccine against serogroup B meningococcal infection. Host defense against neisseriae requires the complement system (C) as indicated by the fact that individuals deficient in properdin or late C components (C6-9) have an increased susceptibility to recurrent neisserial infections. Because the classical pathway (CP) is required to initiate efficient complement activation on neisseriae, meningococci should be able to evade it to cause disease. To test this hypothesis, we studied the interactions of meningococci with the major CP inhibitor C4b-binding protein (C4bp). We tested C4bp binding to wild-type group B meningococcus strain (H44/76) and to 11 isogenic mutants thereof that differed in capsule expression, lipo-oligosaccharide sialylation, and/or expression of either porin (Por) A or PorB3. All strains expressing PorA bound radiolabeled C4bp, whereas the strains lacking PorA bound significantly less C4bp. Increased binding was observed under hypotonic conditions. Deleting PorB3 did not influence C4bp binding, but the presence of polysialic acid capsule reduced C4bp binding by 50%. Bound C4bp remained functionally active in that it promoted the inactivation of C4b by factor I. PorA-expressing strains were also more resistant to C lysis than PorA-negative strains in a serum bactericidal assay. Binding of C4bp thus helps Neisseria meningitidis to escape CP complement activation.
Advances towards a learning movement: translations at work

Training, learning and development tend to be regarded as central to the success of every organization and the nation. However, not all organizations are able or willing to invest resources in such processes. The paper presents a view that training, learning and development occur as a consequence of successful persuasive actions in a chain of talk, which draw on the discursive and rhetorical resources of an emerging learning movement. Utilizing the findings from an examination of data from the UK Department of Education and Skills-sponsored National Training Award winners, the paper provides an employment of actor-network theory and the sociology of translation to show how some organizations make the case for training, learning and development as a virtuous endeavour. It concludes by suggesting that what is needed is a more detailed understanding of how the case for the adoption of training, learning and development, or not, within organizations is made meaningful.
Is respiratory sinus arrhythmia a good index of cardiac vagal tone in exercise?

To assess the relative roles of neural and nonneural mechanisms in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) at rest and during exercise (steady-state supine cycle ergometry at 25% of peak oxygen uptake), we studied 10 healthy men (mean age 21 +/- 1 yr) before (control) and during ganglion blockade (GB) with trimetaphan camsylate (3-5 mg/min i.v.). GB was confirmed by the abolition of the reflex bradycardia in response to intravenous phenylephrine and of the blood pressure rise with the cold pressor test. RSA was calculated from the power of the spectral component of the R-R interval variability centered at the breathing frequency. GB decreased but did not abolish RSA. At rest, this nonneural component of RSA was negligible, accounting for < 1% of the control RSA. During GB, exercise did not affect RSA significantly. However, because control RSA was decreased by exercise, the proportion of nonneural RSA increased by 32% (range from 17 to 75%). These results indicate that as the vagal tone decreases with exercise, an increasing proportion of RSA is due to nonneural mechanisms.
Ordered Linear Logic Programming

Abstract : We begin with a review of intuitionistic non-commutative linear logic (INCLL), a refinement of linear logic with an inherent notion of order proposed by the authors in prior work. We then develop a logic programming interpretation for INCLL in two steps: (1) we give a system of ordered uniform derivations which is sound and complete with respect to INCLL, and (2) we present a model of resource consumption which removes non-determinism from ordered resource allocation during search for uniform derivations. We also illustrate the expressive power of the resulting ordered linear logic programming language through some examples, including programs for merge sort, insertion sort, and natural language parsing.
Efficient management of speculative data in hardware transactional memory systems

Transactional memory systems promise to simplify parallel programming by avoiding deadlock, livelock, and serialization problems through optimistic, concurrent execution of code segments that potentially can have data conflicts with each other. Data conflict detection in proposed hardware transactional memory systems is done by associating a read bit with each cache block that is set when a block is speculatively read. However, since the set of blocks that have been speculatively read - the read set - has to be maintained until the transaction commits, one can often not replace a block that has been speculatively read. This leads to poor utilization of the private caches in a multi-core system. We propose a new scheme for managing the read set in hardware transactional memory systems. The novel insight is that only the addresses of the speculatively read blocks are needed for conflict detection but not the data. As a result, there is an opportunity to reduce the space needed to keep track of speculatively read blocks by B/A, where B is the block size and A is the block address. Assuming that B is 32 bytes and A is 32 bits, there is an eightfold space saving due to this. This paper presents a novel design for leveraging this opportunity and evaluates a concept that uses a Bloom filter to hash the addresses of the read set into a structure. We find that the proposed scheme utilizes the private cache more efficiently in a typical system configuration.
Patients’ well-being: experience and actions in their preventing and handling of atrial fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) influences the lives of patients in the form of worsened well-being. Patients’ own experience of and how to handle AF is rarely investigated. These are important aspects for healthcare services to understand in order to support the well-being of patients with AF. Aim: To explore and describe critical incidents in which patients experience how AF affects their well-being and what actions they take to prevent and handle it. Design and methods: An explorative, descriptive design based on the critical incident technique (CIT) was used. Interviews were conducted with 25 patients (16 men and 9 women) with AF in a healthcare area in southern Sweden. Results: Patients experienced discomfort and limitations in daily life. The actions they took were self-care related actions and healthcare related actions. Conclusion: AF affects well-being when it is uncomfortable and leads to pronounced limitations in daily life with the patients trying to maintain or restore well-being through adapting and developing strategies for self-care. Patients base the handling of AF on their personal experience.
Spongiosa Primary Development: A Biochemical Hypothesis by Turing Patterns Formations

We propose a biochemical model describing the formation of primary spongiosa architecture through a bioregulatory model by metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It is assumed that MMP13 regulates cartilage degradation and the VEGF allows vascularization and advances in the ossification front through the presence of osteoblasts. The coupling of this set of molecules is represented by reaction-diffusion equations with parameters in the Turing space, creating a stable spatiotemporal pattern that leads to the formation of the trabeculae present in the spongy tissue. Experimental evidence has shown that the MMP13 regulates VEGF formation, and it is assumed that VEGF negatively regulates MMP13 formation. Thus, the patterns obtained by ossification may represent the primary spongiosa formation during endochondral ossification. Moreover, for the numerical solution, we used the finite element method with the Newton-Raphson method to approximate partial differential nonlinear equations. Ossification patterns obtained may represent the primary spongiosa formation during endochondral ossification.
Personnel Performance Appraisal Coverage in ITIL, COBIT and CMMi: A Study from the Perspective of People-CMM

Human capital is of paramount importance in the ICT industry. This paper analyses one of the elements which underlies effective management of human assets: performance assessment. This analysis uses the development of a common standard based on the tasks and processes outlined in People CMM, the standard in human resource management designed by the Software Engineering Institute. This framework is evaluated in different models related to IT Governance, such as COBIT and ITIL, as well as other related IT practices like CMMI for Development, CMMI for Acquisition, and CMMi-SVC. The results indicate that COBIT is the only framework that presents reliable coverage in relation to personnel performance assessment.
Accumulation of di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate causes endocrine‐disruptive effects in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos

Di (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is extensively distributed in marine environments. However, limited research on the toxicological and molecular effects of DEHP on marine organisms has been conducted. Our study investigated the accumulation, elimination, and endocrine‐disruptive effects of DEHP on embryonic marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). The medaka embryos were continuously exposed to DEHP (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/L) or 17β‐estradiol (E2, 0.01 mg/L) until hatching, and the newly hatched larvae were then transferred to clean sea water for 12 days of depuration. DEHP and E2 appeared to have no significant effects on the mortality and hatching rates of medaka embryos, but E2 exposure significantly delayed the hatching. Significantly higher DEHP embryonic burdens were detected in the group treated with higher DEHP (0.1 and 1 mg/L) at 10 dpf (days post fertilization). The recovered larvae showed an elimination tendency of DEHP during the recovery period. DEHP had no significant effects on the transcriptional responses of endocrine‐disrupting biomarker genes in the 3‐dpf embryos. Treatment with 0.1 and 1 mg/L DEHP elicited a significant induction of transcriptional responses of ER, PPAR, and the CYP19 genes in a concentration‐dependent manner at 10 dpf, indicating endocrine disruption may be due to bioaccumulation of DEHP. With the elimination of DEHP during the depuration period, all of the effects on these genes showed no significant effects. However, 0.1 mg/L E2 significantly affected the expression of ER, PPAR, and the CYP19 genes in the exposed embryos at both 3 and 10 dpf and recovered larvae. Therefore, these results demonstrate that accumulation of DEHP caused endocrine disruption in medaka embryos and that recovery in clean sea water may weaken the endocrine‐disrupting effects. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 116–127, 2016.
Credit Market Consequences of Improved Personal Identification: Field Experimental Evidence from Malawi

We report the results of a randomized field experiment that examines the credit market impacts of improvements in a lender's ability to determine borrowers' identities. Improved personal identification enhances the credibility of a lender's dynamic repayment incentives by allowing it to withhold future loans from past defaulters and expand credit for good borrowers. The experimental context, rural Malawi, is characterized by an imperfect identification system. Consistent with a simple model of borrower heterogeneity and information asymmetries, fingerprinting led to substantially higher repayment rates for borrowers with the highest ex ante default risk, but had no effect for the rest of the borrowers. The change in repayment rates is driven by reductions in adverse selection (smaller loan sizes) and lower moral hazard (for example, less diversion of loan-financed fertilizer from its intended use on the cash crop).
Evaluation of Hearing Aid Fittings for Infants

Studies were conducted of a method for evaluating hearing aids fitted to children. The procedure, a modification of that suggested by Gengel, Pascoe and Shore (1971), involved comparing the aided thresholds at a number of frequencies with the levels of the corresponding frequency bands of a speech signal, and from this, calculating the sensation levels at which various parts of a speech signal would be received. In the first study of 182 hearing-impaired children it was found that the sensation levels received through hearing aids at preferred volume setting were inversely related to hearing levels. This indicated the need to consider hearing levels when estimating the sensation levels which are likely to be tolerated. It also emphasised the difficulty of providing useful sensation levels at frequencies where hearing level was extreme (over 100dB). A second study showed little agreement between the aided sensation levels obtained by testing hearing-impaired children and parents’ reports of aided hearing a.
Enzymehistochemical staining of Tμ lymphocytes for glycyl‐proline‐4‐methoxy‐beta‐naphthylamide‐peptidase (DAP IV)

Summary. Human Tμ lymphocytes are detected in a histochemical reaction with glycyl‐proline‐4‐methoxy‐β‐naphthylamide‐peptidase (DAP IV; EC 3.4.14.4). DAP IV occurs in 59.4 ± 8.2% of human T lymphocytes in blood and marrow. Direct biochemical assays were in accord with the cytochemical findings. DAP IV‐positive lymphocytes accounted for 89.5 ± 5.3% of the Tμ and 13.0 ± 6.4% of the Tγ fraction. Tγ fraction which had 93.7 ± 0.6% of T‐lymphocytes bearing Fc receptor for IgG contained 11.3 ± 8.3% T‐lymphocytes bearing Fc receptor for IgM.
Transport shot noise models and NFmin comparison for SiGe HBTs under different operation configurations

Triggered by the recent discoveries on the superior high-frequency performance exhibited by the common-base (CB) SiGe HBTs over the common-emitter (CE) ones, noise characteristics of the CB SiGe HBT are investigated in this paper. Accurate RF shot noise models are derived for CB SiGe HBTs and used to calculate their minimum noise figure (NFmin). The NFmin of CB SiGe HBTs are then compared with that of the CE SiGe HBTs. Simplified noise models can be obtained for both CE and CB SiGe HBTs by ignoring the base resistance effects in order to obtain an explicit expression of the NFmin for both configurations. It is found, from applying the noise models into CE and CB SiGe HBTs, that the simplified noise model can provide the same noise figure as the improved model for CE SiGe HBTs, while different results were obtained for CB SiGe HBTs. The difference indicates the critical importance of including base resistance in modelling the noise characteristics of CB SiGe HBTs. Regardless of the difference of NFmin between CE and CB SiGe HBTs, CB SiGe HBTs also exhibit low NFmin while offering their potential higher associated power gain values for promising implementation in low-noise amplifiers.
Rendezvous Issues in AD Hoc Cognitive Radio Networks

Rendezvous is a process of two or more cognitive radio nodes gathering on the same channel at the same time for a negotiation to establish data communications. This paper discusses rendezvous issues in cognitive radio networks. It details why rendezvous is an issue in cognitive radio networks and how rendezvous works. It classifies channel access methods, and details sequence-based channel-hopping methods. It surveys existing works on blind rendezvous and compares the proposed algorithms in terms of the maximum time to rendezvous. This paper discusses the properties that an efficient channel-hopping rendezvous algorithm should have and illustrates common issues in the existing rendezvous methods. It also explains open research issues in the rendezvous area.