Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generation of a scaffold free cartilage-like implant from a small amount of starting material

Introduction: An autologous cellular based treatment of a traumatic cartilage injury requires a procedure whereby a biopsy of healthy cartilage is removed from the patient and the cells isolated and expanded by monolayer passage. This increases the cell number to required levels but also leads to a de‐differentiation of the cells. We aim to produce a scaffold‐free, de‐novo implant from a biopsy of cartilage. Methods: Bovine chondrocytes were isolated from a small biopsy and expanded. The chondrocytic phenotype of the monolayer expanded cells was recovered during a period of culture in alginate and the effect of factors such as IGF1, TFGβ1 and dexamethasone was investigated. Results: During the alginate culture period a pre‐treatment with IGF1 and dexamethasone was shown to have little effect. IGF1 however increased the glycosaminoglycan/DNA (GAG/DNA) content on day 14 to 84.95±5ng/ng compared with 37.3±1.8ng/ng in the controls (P <0.001). 35S labeling demonstrated an increased GAG synthesis in the presence of IGF1 (P < 0.001). IGF1 also induced a increase of DNA content 1383±314ng/bead compared to 512±19ng/bead in the controls (P < 0.001). The cells were released from the alginate and cultured in a silicon mould for a further 14 days to obtain a three dimensional implant. Releasing the cells from the alginate and casting in a mould produced an implant of defined shape which contained no foreign material. After 31 days of culture the implants contained 152.4±13.14ng/ng GAG/DNA and 42.93±10.23ng/ng collagen II. Discussion: We believe alginate released chondrocytes provide a real alternative to artificial scaffolds.
The effects of a problem based learning approach on students' attitude levels: A meta-analysis

This research aimed to examine the effect of a problem-based learning approach in comparison to traditional learning approaches. In this context, the question “What is the effect size of problem-based learning on students' attitudes? ” was tried to be answered. Among 190 studies made in national and international field between the years 2006 to 2013, 19 theses and 6 articles, in which pre-test and post-test experimental design was applied, were examined in this meta-analysis according to inclusion criteria. As a result of analytic evaluation, the effect size value of the problem-based learning on attitudes in relation to a random effects model was measured to be 0.7195. Thus, it can be said that this value had a medium effect size according to the classification levels of Thalheimer and Cook. It was concluded from these results that problem-based learning approaches were more effective when compared to traditional teaching techniques. Key words: Problem-based learning, effectiveness, meta-analysis, effect size, traditional teaching.
Resettle: a significant new step in an emerging pathway that manages risk and addresses need in high-risk personality disordered offenders on their release into the community

Abstract This paper will describe an innovative UK service development, Resettle, which is designed to address the needs and risks of personality disordered offenders who are released into the community from prison and whose high risks of harm and re-offending are linked to their personality disorder (PD). All the cases worked with are subject to Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). This non-residential, intensive community-based service is nationally funded jointly by the Department of Health and Ministry of Justice, originally as part of the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) programme for high-risk offenders. Resettle became operational in 2008. It is currently being independently evaluated via a randomised control trial that is due to complete in March 2013. Formal outcome data are, therefore, not yet available, however, the developing model of intervention based on experience and learning to date is described alongside the policy and service context for this area of work.
Accurate determination of thin film properties using SAW differential delay lines

We have investigated a method to accurately determine elastic properties of thin films. For this purpose the phase velocity of a layered system is calculated using surface acoustic wave (SAW) differential delay lines on LiNbO<sub>3</sub> substrates. The phase velocity can be calculated with an accuracy of Δv<sub>ph</sub> = ±0.5m/s. The material parameters density, elastic constant (c<sub>11</sub> and c<sub>44</sub>) and their temperature coefficients TC(c<sub>11</sub>) and TC(c<sub>44</sub>) of Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> thin film have been determined. They could be extracted by fitting them to the calculated phase velocity of the layered system Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/LiNbO<sub>3</sub>. Furthermore, the influence of deposition conditions on the material tensor data has been studied.
Diagnosing and improving the quality of teachers' interpersonal behaviour

Due to increased external, societal pressure on schools via developments such as accountability and accreditation, there is a growing need of schools for instruments that provide them with information on the quality of the teaching and learning processes they organize. This paper presents an instrument that can be used to diagnose teachers’ interpersonal skills, one element of teaching quality that may be of interest to schools. The instrument is based on the theory of interpersonal communication of Timothy Leary. Apart from a discussion of the theoretical framework behind the instrument, the paper presents information on the instrument itself and procedures for using the instrument with teachers and students. Also, information is provided on possibilities of using the instrument for staff development and other purposes of schools. The instrument appears to be of high quality and is accompanied by a large database of information linking it to other factors in the classroom context.
Knowing practice: searching for saliences

Abstract The notion of ‘professional practice knowledge’ has been significant in some recent explorations of the nature of practice and discussions of the development of practitioners and practices. This article begins by outlining ‘professional practice knowledge’ as a window into practice, but suggests that practice has features that cannot be understood just from the perspective of knowledge ‘in the heads’ of individual practitioners. It suggests that practice has a number of extra-individual features that need to be elucidated. These include such features as being formed and conducted in social settings, shaped by discourses, and being dramaturgical and practical in character. Taking these into account yields a richer view of practice, and makes it possible to understand more readily why changing practice is not just a matter for practitioners alone, but a task of changing such things as the discourses in which practices are constructed and the social relationships which constitute practice. The article then offers suggestions about how changing practices might occur through public discourse among different kinds of people associated with particular practices (not just professionals alone), drawing on some of Habermas's insights into the nature of public spheres.
Rates of β-amyloid accumulation are independent of hippocampal neurodegeneration

Objective: To test the hypotheses predicted in a hypothetical model of Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers that rates of β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation on PET imaging are not related to hippocampal neurodegeneration whereas rates of neurodegenerative brain atrophy depend on the presence of both amyloid and neurodegeneration in a population-based sample. Methods: A total of 252 cognitively normal (CN) participants from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging had 2 or more serial visits with both amyloid PET and MRI. Subjects were classified into 4 groups based on baseline positive/negative amyloid PET (A+ or A−) and baseline hippocampal volume (N+ or N−). We compared rates of amyloid accumulation and rates of brain atrophy among the 4 groups. Results: At baseline, 148 (59%) were amyloid negative and neurodegeneration negative (A−N−), 29 (12%) amyloid negative and neurodegeneration positive (A−N+), 56 (22%) amyloid positive and neurodegeneration negative (A+N−), and 19 (8%) amyloid positive and neurodegeneration positive (A+N+). High rates of Aβ accumulation were found in those with abnormal amyloid at baseline and were not influenced by hippocampal neurodegeneration at baseline. In contrast, rates of brain atrophy were greatest in A+N+. Conclusions: We describe a 2-feature biomarker approach to classifying elderly CN subjects that is complementary to the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer's Association preclinical staging criteria. Our results support 2 key concepts in a model of the temporal evolution of AD biomarkers. First, the rate of Aβ accumulation is not influenced by neurodegeneration and thus may be a biologically independent process. Second, Aβ pathophysiology increases or catalyzes neurodegeneration.
Ecological coherence of diversity patterns derived from classical fingerprinting and Next Generation Sequencing techniques

Changes in richness and bacterial community structure obtained via 454 Massively Parallel Tag Sequencing (MPTS) and Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Analysis (ARISA) were systematically compared to determine whether and how the ecological knowledge obtained from both molecular techniques could be combined. We evaluated community changes over time and depth in marine coastal sands at different levels of taxonomic resolutions, sequence corrections and sequence abundances. Although richness over depth layers or sampling dates greatly varied [∼ 30% and 70–80% new operational taxonomic units (OTU) between two samples with ARISA and MPTS respectively], overall patterns of community variations were similar with both approaches. Alpha-diversity estimated by ARISA-derived OTU was most similar to that obtained from MPTS-derived OTU defined at the order level. Similar patterns of OTU replacement were also found with MPTS at the family level and with 20–25% rare types removed. Using ARISA or MPTS datasets with lower resolution, such as those containing only resident OTU, yielded a similar set of significant contextual variables explaining bacterial community changes. Hence, ARISA as a rapid and low-cost fingerprinting technique represents a valid starting point for more in-depth exploration of community composition when complemented by the detailed taxonomic description offered by MPTS.
Antimicrobial activity and phytochemical study of Vernonia glabra (Steetz) Oliv. & Hiern. in Kenya.

Infectious diseases are prevalent and life threatening in Kenya. Majority of the sick are seeking herbal remedies in search of effective, safe, and affordable cure. This project aims to investigate the antimicrobial activity and presence of active phytochemical compounds in different parts of Vernonia glabra; a plant used by herbalists in various regions of Kenya, for the treatment of gastrointestinal problems. The plant sample was collected in January 2010 in Machakos, and different parts dried at room temperature under shade, ground into powder and extracted in Dichloromethane: Methanol in the ratio 1:1, and water. These crude extracts were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger for antimicrobial activity using disc diffusion technique. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for active crude extracts were done using disc diffusion technique after the failure of agar and broth dilution methods. It was observed that the organic crude extracts of flower, leaf, stem, root, and/or entire plant, showed activity against at least one of the four micro-organisms screened, and at concentrations lower than the aqueous crude extracts. Organic crude extract of the leaf showed the highest activity against Staphylococcus aureus (mean inhibition zone of 1.85), recording higher activity than the commercially used standard antibiotic (Streptomycin mean inhibition zone of 1.30). The organic crude extract of flower showed significant activity only against S. aureus, with the lowest MIC of 1.5625 mg/100µl, compared to streptomycin with M.I. C of 6.25 mg/100µl. Thin Layer Chromatography-Bioautography Agar-Overlay showed that, flower alkaloids (50% active), root sapogenins (43.8% active), and root terpenoids (38.5% active) were identified as the potential antibacterial compounds against S. aureus. These results suggest that, V. glabra contains phytochemicals of medicinal properties and justify the use of V. glabra in traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of microbial based diseases. However, research on toxicity which is missing in this study is recommended for V. glabra in order to verify, validate and document the safety of this medicinal plant to the society.
Vectors, direction of attention and unprotected backs: Re-specifying relations in anthropology

Anthropological accounts struggle to incorporate both subjectivity and supra-personal structures. Focus on the shape and type of relations neglects giving attention to the transformations that emerge as a result of relationships. This article proposes a toolbox of concepts that re-specify the notion of relations in a way that takes into account the transformative effect of relationships. The concepts are force fields, vectors, direction-of-attention and unprotected backs. These notions incorporate directionality and transformation into the notion of relations and provide three key understandings of i) shifts in personal effectiveness; ii) the limitations of personal power without undermining the subject; and iii) intentionality without undermining the effectiveness of structures. Each of these understandings is illustrated by means of the strivings of environmental activists members of a transnational environmentalist federation. Vectors make it possible to take seriously the subject and inter-subjective sociality and, simultaneously, the effects of history and impersonal structures.
Wayfinding in a Nursing Home for Advanced Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type

The aim of the study was to generate design criteria in order to encourage and facilitate wayfinding for advanced Alzheimer’s patients. Two sources of data were used: interviews with the staff of a typical urban nursing home, and a wayfinding experience with its residents. The results show that even patients with severe cognitive deterioration are able to reach certain destinations. Wayfinding decisions have to be based on environmental information that is readily accessible, so that the patient can proceed from decision point to decision point. Monotony of architectural composition and the lack of reference points render wayfinding difficult. The elevators are seen to be a major anxiety-causing barrier. Visual access to the main destinations increases their use and facilitates wayfinding. Signage has an important function, creating redundancy in wayfinding communication and compensating for the loss of memory and spatial understanding. Floor patterns and dark lines or surfaces can disorient the patients and cause anxiety.
Liberia 1989-1994 : a study of ethnic and spiritual violence

This article deals with the civil war which broke out in Liberia on 24 December 1989, when 100 or more fighters claiming allegiance to the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by Charles Taylor, advanced over the border from Cote d'Ivoire to attack the town of Butuo in Nimba County. The article examines how Liberia descended into conflict and why it took such violent form. It surveys the political and military events that took place since the NPFL invasion, paying attention to the collapse of the government, the arrival of the Ecomog intervention force in Monrovia in August 1990, the murder of President Doe by Prince Johnson's Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), the role of Ulimo (United Liberation Movement for Democracy), an organization formed in 1991 by Liberians who had taken refuge in Sierra Leone, the emergence of warlords, the progress of negotiations and developments following the Cotonou Peace Accord of July 1993. It suggests that the causes of the war are not only political, but may also be explained in religious or spiritual terms. Much of the information in the article was acquired during a field trip to Liberia in July 1994. Notes, ref
An FPGA Implementation and Performance Evaluation of the AES Block Cipher Candidate Algorithm Finalists

The technical analysis used in determining which of the Advanced Encryption Standard candidates will be selected as the Advanced Encryption Algorithm includes eciency testing of both hardware and software implementations of candidate algorithms. Reprogrammable devices such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are highly attractive options for hardware implementations of encryption algorithms as they provide cryptographic algorithm agility, physical security, and potentially much higher performance than software solutions. This contribution investigates the signicance of FPGA implementations of four of the Advanced Encryption Standard candidate algorithm nalists. Multiple architectural implementation options are explored for each algorithm. A strong focus is placed on high throughput implementations, which are required to support security for current and future high bandwidth applications. The implementations of each algorithm will be compared in an eort to determine the most suitable candidate for hardware implementation within commercially available FPGAs.
Associations among child care, family, and behavior outcomes in a nation-wide sample of preschool-aged children

Canadian data based on maternal reports for a nationally representative sample of 4,521 4—5-year-olds were used to examine associations among child care, family factors, and behaviors in preschool-aged children. Linear regressions testing for direct and moderated associations indicated that regulated home-based care was associated with less physical aggression and less prosocial behavior while high process quality in home-based care was associated with greater prosocial behavior. Among children in home-based settings, being in at least one additional current child care arrangement was linked with greater physical aggression, and low child care stability was linked to greater hyperactivity-inattention, internalizing behavior, and prosocial behaviors. For family factors, parenting behaviors and maternal depression were associated with greater behavioral problems while low household income was linked with greater hyperactivity-inattention among children in home-based care. There was a significant interaction between process quality and household income for physical aggression and internalizing behavior and between structure quality and parenting consistency for prosocial behavior for children in home-based care. Results suggest that child care matters for preschool behavioral outcomes, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors. High quality care appears particularly important for children in home-based care from low-income families so issues around child care quality and regulation should be considered. Findings also underscore the importance of family factors on young children’s behaviors and show that child care and family influences work together to impact child outcomes.
Internet Alternatives to Traditional Proctored Testing: Where Are We Now?

Early in 2006, my colleagues and I published an article on unproctored Internet testing (UIT) in employment settings (Tippins et al., 2006). The purpose of that article was to identify the issues surrounding UIT and the ways in which those issues might be resolved. The panel of experts addressed a number of important questions about (a) the uses and applications of UIT and (b) the major issues and known problems associated with UIT, including test security, examinee identification, cheating, ethical use of tests, subgroup and cultural issues, standardization, and context effects. In addition, the panelists attempted to predict the future of UIT, highlight the research needed to facilitate UIT and provide advice to practitioners contemplating UIT. In the present article, “UIT” is used to refer to Internet-based testing completed by a candidate without a traditional human proctor. Thus, nontraditional forms of or alternatives to proctoring may be in place, such as quantitative analyses of response patterns, the use of video cameras, or follow-up testing with traditional proctoring.
The genesis of violent careers

This article discusses the concept of a violent career and demonstrates its explicative value for biographical research and the sociology of crime. Relying on a study grounded in intensive interviews with young repeat offenders, it distinguishes between trajectories of violence and disrespect suffered in the family on the one hand and violent action schemes on the other. After reconstructing the first phase of violent careers - characterized by victimization within the family and presaging a violent reacquisition of power and recognition - the article identifies biographical turning points and explains them using the concept of epiphanic experiences. These turning points bring about an identity-promoting switch in roles from victim to perpetrator. Finally, three essential aspects of violent action schemes are discussed that are characteristic of the second phase of violent careers: interpretive regimes, which can shed light on the long unanswered question of how violent relations in families are transferred to young people's social environments; intrinsic motives for violence, which arise from exhilarating experiences of the use of physical force; and mythologies of violence that enable young people to glorify violent behavior and its effects.
Treatment adherence with antipsychotic medications in bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVES Atypical antipsychotic medications are a relatively new, increasingly prominent component of the treatment armamentarium for bipolar disorder. Information on adherence with antipsychotics among individuals with bipolar disorder in general, and atypical antipsychotics in particular, is currently quite limited. Using data from the VA National Psychosis Registry, we examined adherence with antipsychotic medications among patients with bipolar disorder (n = 73,964). METHODS Antipsychotic medication adherence among veterans with bipolar disorder was evaluated using the medication possession ratio and categorizing patients into three groups: fully adherent, partially adherent and non-adherent. We compared characteristics of bipolar patients who received versus those who did not receive antipsychotic medication, and also identified predictors of poor adherence with antipsychotic medications. RESULTS Approximately 45% (n = 32,993) of all individuals with bipolar disorder were prescribed antipsychotic medication. Individuals who were prescribed antipsychotic medications were younger and more often had comorbid substance abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder compared to individuals with bipolar disorder who were not prescribed antipsychotic medication. Just over half (51.9%) of individuals appear to be fully adherent with antipsychotic medications, while 48.1% of individuals are either partially adherent or non-adherent with antipsychotic medications. Factors associated with treatment non-adherence were younger age, minority ethnicity, comorbid substance abuse and homelessness. CONCLUSIONS Treatment non-adherence is a major issue for close to half of individuals with bipolar disorder prescribed antipsychotic medication. Additional studies are needed to better understand treatment adherence within the full range of pharmacologic therapies among individuals with bipolar disorder.