Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Research Methods

170 Background 172 Statement of the Problem 173 Statement of the Purpose 173 Research Questions and Hypotheses 175 Qualitative Research Questions 175 Quantitative Research Questions 177 Mixed Methods Research Questions 179 Research Objectives 180 Literature Review 181 Methodology 181 Philosophical/Theological Assumptions 182 Research Strategy and Approach 182 Primary Source/Population 183 Sampling 183 Role of the Researcher/Instrument 183 Data Collection Procedures 184 Data Analysis Procedures 185 Reliability/Credibility 185 Validity/Trustworthiness 186 Justification of the Chosen Methods 186 Significance 186 Limitations and Delimitations 186 Definition of Terms 187 Organization of Research Report and Dissemination 187 Timeline 187 Ethical Concerns 188 Working Bibliography 188 Appendices 188 Chapter Summary 188 Review Questions 189 Further Help 189 8. WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT 191 Research Argument 192 Academic Tone 192 Academic Style 195 Writing a Dissertation/Thesis 197 Title Page 198 Dedication 198 Acknowledgments 199 Abstract 199 Table of
Penyusunan Studi Kasus

Abstrak Studi kasus merupakan metode yang semakin dikenal dan berharga serta menjadi unik, khususnya pada penelitian di bidang keperawatan. Hal ini erat kaitannya dengan filosofi keperawatan yang melihat manusia secara menyeluruh. Studi kasus merupakan penelitian yang menekankan pada pemahaman yang lebih mendalam akan fenomena tertentu terhadap individu. Studi kasus juga berguna dalam mengekspolorasi masalah yang belum atau pun masih sedikit yang diketahui tentang fenomena tertentu. Peneliti dapat menggunakan beberapa teknik dalam pengumpulan data, seperti wawancara mendalam/ depth interview dan kuesioner. Beberapa tahapan dalam membuat suatu studi kasus diawali dengan menentukan masalah, membuat disain dan instrumen, mengumpulkan data, membuat analisis data, dan mempersiapkan laporan penelitian. Hasil akhir studi kasus adalah pemahaman yang mendalam akan suatu fenomena. Penulisan artikel ini bertujuan sebagai masukan bagi peneliti pemula agar dapat mendisain suatu studi kasus yang baik. Abstract Case study, as one methodology research, is increasing recognized and value and become unique in nursing research. This related to the nursing philosophy which emphasizes whole aspect of human. Case study emphasizes on understanding of phenomenon, based on the human experiences. Case study is also useful as exploratory phase in research, in particularly when the researchers have little knowledge about particularly phenomenon. In collecting data, there are several ways, such as questionnaires, in depth-interview. There are several procedures in case study, namely determining problem, deciding design and instrument, collecting data, analyzing data and preparing outcomes research. The final outcome of case study is the understanding of phenomenon and holistic aspect of phenomenon. The aim of this article is to provide some input for beginner in order to achieve good research design.
Cannabinoids for nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy: Overview of systematic reviews

Nausea and vomiting are common and distressing adverse events of chemotherapy. This review focuses on the findings and quality of systematic reviews (SRs) of cannabinoids for chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Review of SRs, a systematic literature search, was conducted in several electronic databases and included SRs evaluating cannabinoids for CINV in cancer patients. Methodological quality and quality of reporting were evaluated by AMSTAR and PRISMA, respectively. Initial search retrieved 2,206 records, and 5 SRs were included. On the basis of findings of the sole SR judged as high methodological quality, cannabinoids seem to be more effective than placebo, equal to prochlorperazine for reducing CINV, and to be preferred by patients. The response to different combinations of antiemetic agents seems to be equal to 1 antiemetic alone. The average of AMSTAR score was 5, and the average of PRISMA score was 13.2. Cannabinoids represent a valuable option for treating CINV, despite the adverse events related to treatment, such as drowsiness and cognitive impairment. There is no good quality evidence to recommend or not the use of cannabinoids for CINV. More studies are still needed to evaluate the effectiveness of cannabinoids when compared with modern antiemetics.
Dietary fat alters the expression of cortistatin and ghrelin systems in the PBMCs of elderly subjects: putative implications in the postprandial inflammatory response.

SCOPE Dietary fat influences systemic inflammatory status, which determines the progression of age-associated diseases. Since somatostatin (SST), cortistatin (CORT), and ghrelin systems modulate inflammatory response, we aim to comprehensively characterize the presence and regulation of the components of these systems in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBCs), a subset of white blood cells placed at the crossroad between diet and inflammation, in response to diets with different fat composition, and during the postprandial phase in elderly subjects. METHODS AND RESULTS The applied nutrigenomic, inflammation-related PBMC-based approach revealed that the majority of components of SST/CORT and ghrelin systems are present in the human PBMCs. Particularly, CORT, SST/CORT receptors (sst2, sst3, sst5, and sst5TMD4), ghrelin, its acylating enzyme (GOAT), In1-ghrelin variant, and GHSR1b were detected in PBMCs. Their expression was altered in the long-term by diet composition, and in the short-term, during the postprandial phase. Of particular relevance is the postprandial elevation of CORT, sst2, and sst5 expression in PBMCs of subjects under n-3 PUFAs-enriched diet. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a potential relevant role of CORT/ssts and ghrelin systems in regulating PBMCs response to nutrient intake, which could help to explain the positive effects of n-3 PUFAs-enriched diets in reducing the inflammatory response.
Robust Protection of Fisheries with COmPASS

Fish stocks around the world are in danger from illegal fishing. In collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), we work to defend fisheries from illegal fisherman (henceforth called Lanchas) in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We have developed the COmPASS (Conservative Online Patrol ASSistant) system to design USCG patrols against the Lanchas. In this application, we face a population of Lanchas with heterogeneous behavior who fish frequently. We have some data about these Lanchas, but not enough to fit a statistical model. Previous security patrol assistants have focused on counterterrorism in one-shot games where adversaries are assumed to be perfectly rational, and much less data about their behavior is available. COmPASS is novel because: (i) it emphasizes environmental crime; (ii) it is based on a repeated Stackelberg game; (iii) it allows for bounded rationality of the Lanchas and it offers a robust approach against the heterogeneity of the Lancha population; and (iv) it can learn from sparse Lancha data. We report the effectiveness of COmPASS in the Gulf in our numerical experiments based on real fish data. The COmPASS system is to be tested by USCG.
A novel biased energy distribution (BED) scheme for clustering sensor networks

This paper presents the impact of utilizing a biased energy distribution (BED) scheme among sensor nodes for clustering sensor networks. In clustering sensor networks, some of the nodes are elected as aggregators and they compress the data from their cluster members before sending the aggregated data to the sink. Existing clustering routing protocols assume that all the nodes are provided with equal amount of energy but this shortens the network lifetime and makes the network unstable once the first node dies. This paper proposes a solution by using a technique that prioritizes the network into higher and lower energy nodes. The aim of this approach is to ensure well balanced energy consumption in order to maximize network lifetime. It is shown by simulation that the proposed technique exhibits better performance when compared to existing clustering routing techniques in terms of throughput, network lifetime and energy consumption.
Increased UV radiation due to polar ozone chemical depletion and vortex occurrences at Southern Sub-polar Latitudes in the period (1997-2005)

The variability of total ozone and UV radiation from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) measurements is analyzed as a function of polar vortex occurrences over the southern subpolar regions during the 1997–2005 period. The analysis of vortex occurrences showed high interannual variability in the 40° S–60° S latitude band with a longitudinal asymmetry showing the largest frequencies over the 90° W–90° E region. The impact of vortex occurrences on UV radiation and ozone in clear sky conditions was determined from the comparison between the measurements inside the vortex and a climatology obtained from data outside the vortex over the studied period. Clear sky conditions were determined from TOMS reflectivity data. For measurements outside the vortex, clear sky conditions were selected for reflectivity values lower than 7.5%, while for measurements inside the vortex, a relaxed threshold was determined from statistically similar UV values as a function of reflectivity. UV changes and ozone differences from the climatology were analyzed in the 40° S–50° S and 50° S–60° S latitude bands during the spring period (September to November). The largest UV increases and ozone decreases, reaching ~200% and ~65%, respectively, were found in the 50° S–60° S latitude band in September and October. The heterogeneous ozone loss during vortex occurrences was estimated using a chemical transport model. The largest impact of vortex occurrences was found in October with mean UV increase, total ozone decrease and accumulated ozone loss in the 350–650 K range of, respectively, 47%, 30% and 57%. The region close to South America is the most affected by the Antarctic ozone depletion due to the combined effect of large number of vortex occurrences, lower cloud cover and large ozone decrease. This region would be the most vulnerable in case of cloud cover decrease, due to more frequent occurrence of ozone poor air masses during austral spring.
Association of Body Mass and Brain Activation during Gastric Distention: Implications for Obesity

Background Gastric distention (GD), as it occurs during meal ingestion, signals a full stomach and it is one of the key mechanisms controlling food intake. Previous studies on GD showed lower activation of the amygdala for subjects with higher body mass index (BMI). Since obese subjects have dopaminergic deficits that correlate negatively with BMI and the amygdala is innervated by dopamine neurons, we hypothesized that BMI would correlate negatively with activation not just in the amygdala but also in other dopaminergic brain regions (midbrain and hypothalamus). Methodology/Principal Findings We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate brain activation during GD in 24 healthy subjects with BMI range of 20–39 kg/m2. Using multiple regression and cross-correlation analyses based on a family-wise error corrected threshold P = 0.05, we show that during slow GD to maximum volumes of 500 ml and 700 ml subjects with increased BMI had increased activation in cerebellum and left posterior insula, and decreased activation of dopaminergic (amygdala, midbrain, hypothalamus, thalamus) and serotonergic (pons) brain regions and anterior insula, regions that were functionally interconnected with one another. Conclusions The negative correlation between BMI and BOLD responses to gastric distention in dopaminergic (midbrain, hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus) and serotonergic (pons) brain regions is consistent with disruption of dopaminergic and serotonergic signaling in obesity. In contrast the positive correlation between BMI and BOLD responses in posterior insula and cerebellum suggests an opposing mechanism that promotes food intake in obese subjects that may underlie their ability to consume at once large food volumes despite increasing gastric distention.
Modeling an air pollution episode in northwestern United States: Identifying the effect of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emission changes on air pollutants formation using direct sensitivity analysis

Air quality impacts of volatile organic compound (VOC) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from major sources over the northwestern United States are simulated. The comprehensive nested modeling system comprises three models: Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ), Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), and Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE). In addition, the decoupled direct method in three dimensions (DDM-3D) is used to determine the sensitivities of pollutant concentrations to changes in precursor emissions during a severe smog episode in July of 2006. The average simulated 8-hr daily maximum O3 concentration is 48.9 ppb, with 1-hr O3 maxima up to 106 ppb (40 km southeast of Seattle). The average simulated PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm) concentration at the measurement sites is 9.06 μg m−3, which is in good agreement with the observed concentration (8.06 μg m−3). In urban areas (i.e., Seattle, Vancouver, etc.), the model predicts that, on average, a reduction of NOx emissions is simulated to lead to an increase in average 8-hr daily maximum O3 concentrations, and will be most prominent in Seattle (where the greatest sensitivity is −0.2 ppb per % change of mobile sources). On the other hand, decreasing NOx emissions is simulated to decrease the 8-hr maximum O3 concentrations in remote and forested areas. Decreased NOx emissions are simulated to slightly increase PM2.5 in major urban areas. In urban areas, a decrease in VOC emissions will result in a decrease of 8-hr maximum O3 concentrations. The impact of decreased VOC emissions from biogenic, mobile, nonroad, and area sources on average 8-hr daily maximum O3 concentrations is up to 0.05 ppb decrease per % of emission change, each. Decreased emissions of VOCs decrease average PM2.5 concentrations in the entire modeling domain. In major cities, PM2.5 concentrations are more sensitive to emissions of VOCs from biogenic sources than other sources of VOCs. These results can be used to interpret the effectiveness of VOC or NOx controls over pollutant concentrations, especially for localities that may exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Implications: The effect of NOx and VOC controls on ozone and PM2.5 concentrations in the northwestern United States is examined using the decoupled direct method in three dimensions (DDM-3D) in a state-of-the-art three-dimensional chemical transport model (CMAQ). NOx controls are predicted to increase PM2.5 and ozone in major urban areas and decrease ozone in more remote and forested areas. VOC reductions are helpful in reducing ozone and PM2.5 concentrations in urban areas. Biogenic VOC sources have the largest impact on O3 and PM2.5 concentrations.
TMEM16F (Anoctamin 6), an anion channel of delayed Ca2+ activation

Members of the TMEM16 (Anoctamin) family of membrane proteins have been shown to be essential constituents of the Ca2+-activated Cl− channel (CaCC) in many cell types. In this study, we have investigated the electrophysiological properties of mouse TMEM16F. Heterologous expression of TMEM16F in HEK293 cells resulted in plasma membrane localization and an outwardly rectifying ICl,Ca that was activated with a delay of several minutes. Furthermore, a significant Na+ current was activated, and the two permeabilities were correlated according to PNa = 0.3 PCl. The current showed an EC50 of 100 µM intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and an Eisenman type 1 anion selectivity sequence of PSCN > PI > PBr > PCl > PAsp. The mTMEM16F-associated ICl,Ca was abolished in one mutant of the putative pore region (R592E) but retained in two other mutants (K616E and R636E). The mutant K616E had a lower relative permeability to iodide, and the mutant R636E had an altered anion selectivity sequence (PSCN = PI = PBr = PCl > PAsp). Our data provide evidence that TMEM16F constitutes a Ca2+-activated anion channel or a pore-forming subunit of an anion channel with properties distinct from TMEM16A.
Highly transparent and conducting graphene-embedded ZnO films with enhanced photoluminescence fabricated by aerosol synthesis

Graphene/inorganic hybrid structures have attracted increasing attention in research aimed at producing advanced optoelectronic devices and sensors. Herein, we report on aerosol synthesis of new graphene-embedded zinc oxide (ZnO) films with higher optical transparency (>80% at visible wavelengths), improved electrical conductivity (>2 orders of magnitude, ∼20 kΩ/□), and enhanced photoluminescence (∼3 times), as compared to bare ZnO film. The ZnO/graphene composite films, in which reduced graphene oxide nanoplatelets (∼4 nm thick) are embedded in nanograined ZnO (∼50 nm in grain size), were fabricated from colloidal suspensions of graphene oxide with an aqueous zinc precursor. These new luminescent ZnO/graphene composites, with high optical transparency and improved electrical conductivity, are promising materials for use in optoelectronic devices.
Rethinking Convolutional Semantic Segmentation Learning

Deep convolutional semantic segmentation (DCSS) learning doesn't converge to an optimal local minimum with random parameters initializations; a pre-trained model on the same domain becomes necessary to achieve convergence.In this work, we propose a joint cooperative end-to-end learning method for DCSS. It addresses many drawbacks with existing deep semantic segmentation learning; the proposed approach simultaneously learn both segmentation and classification; taking away the essential need of the pre-trained model for learning convergence. We present an improved inception based architecture with partial attention gating (PAG) over encoder information. The PAG also adds to achieve faster convergence and better accuracy for segmentation task. We will show the effectiveness of this learning on a diabetic retinopathy classification and segmentation dataset.
DTT: direct truncation of the transfer function - an alternative tomoment matching for tree structured interconnect

A method is introduced to evaluate time domain signals within RLC trees with arbitrary accuracy in response to any input signal. This method depends on finding a low frequency reduced-order transfer function by direct truncation of the exact transfer function at different nodes of an RLC tree. The method is numerically accurate for any order of approximation, which permits approximations to be determined with a large number of poles appropriate for approximating RLC trees with underdamped responses. The method is computationally efficient with a complexity linearly proportional to the number of branches in an RLC tree. A common set of poles is determined that characterizes the responses at all of the nodes of an RLC tree which further enhances the computational efficiency. Stability is guaranteed by the DTT method for low-order approximations with less than five poles. Such low-order approximations are useful for evaluating monotone responses exhibited by RC circuits.
Antibacterial Efficacy of Silver-Impregnated Polyelectrolyte Multilayers Immobilized on a Biological Dressing in a Murine Wound Infection Model

Objective:To investigate the antibacterial effect of augmenting a biological dressing with polymer films containing silver nanoparticles. Background:Biological dressings, such as Biobrane, are commonly used for treating partial-thickness wounds and burn injuries. Biological dressings have several advantages over traditional wound dressings. However, as many as 19% of wounds treated with Biobrane become infected, and, once infected, the Biobrane must be removed and a traditional dressing approach should be employed. Silver is a commonly used antimicrobial in wound care products, but current technology uses cytotoxic concentrations of silver in these dressings. We have developed a novel and facile technology that allows immobilization of bioactive molecules on the surfaces of soft materials, demonstrated here by augmentation of Biobrane with nanoparticulate silver. Surfaces modified with nanometer-thick polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) impregnated with silver nanoparticles have been shown previously to result in in vitro antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis at loadings of silver that are noncytotoxic. Methods:We demonstrated that silver-impregnated PEMs can be nondestructively immobilized onto the surface of Biobrane (Biobrane-Ag) and determined the in vitro antibacterial activity of Biobrane-Ag with Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, we used an in vivo wound infection model in mice induced by topical inoculation of S aureus onto full-thickness 6-mm diameter wounds. After 72 hours, bacterial quantification was performed. Results:Wounds treated with Biobrane-Ag had significantly (P < 0.001) fewer colony-forming units than wounds treated with unmodified Biobrane (more than 4 log10 difference). Conclusions:The results of our study indicate that immobilizing silver-impregnated PEMs on the wound-contact surface of Biobrane significantly reduces bacterial bioburden in full-thickness murine skin wounds. Further research will investigate whether this construct can be considered for human use.
Real and Complex Independent Subspace Analysis by Generalized Variance

Here, we address the problem of Independent Subspace Analysis (ISA). We develop a technique that (i) builds upon joint decorrelation for a set of functions, (ii) can be related to kernel based techniques, (iii) can be interpreted as a self-adjusting, self-grouping neural network solution, (iv) can be used both for real and for complex problems, and (v) can be a first step towards large scale problems. Our numerical examples extend to a few 100 dimensional ISA tasks.
Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders

Part I: Basic Concepts: Introduction and Overview. History and Assumptions of the Approach. The Harmonics of Therapy. The Interviewing and Treatment Methods. Part II: DSM Cluster B, the Dramatic, Erratic Group. Borderline Personality Disorder. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Histrionic Personality Disorder. Antisocial Personality Disorder. Part III: DSM Cluster C, the Anxious, Fearful Group. Dependent Personality Disorder. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Passive Aggressive Personality Disorder (Negativistic Personality Disorder): Personality Disorder, NOS. Avoidant Personality Disorder. Part IV: DSM Cluster A, the Odd Eccentric Group. Paranoid Personality Disorder. Schizoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders. Part V: Divergences. Category Overlap, Residual Categories, and Other Issues. Appendix: Summary of Diagnostic and Differential Indicators.