Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time Will Tell on Issues Concerning Faculty and Distance Education.

Technology-based distance education (TBDE) is increasingly being used to supplement higher education needs and this is raising a variety of concerns in universities. This study examined the differences in the concerns expressed by instructional faculty of three comparable universities that differ primarily in their stages of implementing distance education. The results showed statistically significant differences among the universities’ faculty concerns. The findings were congruent with one facet of the Concerns–Based-Adoption Model which states that “stage or stages where concerns are more (and less) intense will vary as the implementation of change progresses” (Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, & Hall, 1987, p.30). They also reflected the “implementation dip” that postulates that conditions often get worse temporarily before they improve in a change process (Fullan, 1991, 1996). As the world shifts from the Industrial Revolution into the knowledge revolution, higher education, as a major societal resource, is being sought to an extent never before witnessed (Oblinger & Verville, 1998). Just as the employment of children was the perpetuating force of the industrial society, the education of adults is the stimulus of the emerging information or knowledge society (Dillon, 1989). The challenge to higher education systems, therefore, is to provide increased access to educational opportunities, often with no additional resources. One way for higher education to meet this challenge is by incorporating technology-based distance education, which allows for the immediate expansion of educational access and is capable of maintaining cost effectiveness in the long term (Twigg & Oblinger, 1996). This would appear to be a well-embraced solution except for the omission of one key component, the complexity of adequately preparing the individuals who are directly impacted by such an educational change, namely, the university administrators, instructional faculty and the students themselves. This article focuses on the intricacy of faculty preparedness for technology-based distance education (TBDE) from the perspective of their concerns and how these concerns vary with time. The spotlight is on faculty as they are the key element in the teaching and learning process (Rockwell, Schauer, Fritz, & Marx, 1999) providing instructional leadership, instructional design and detailed programs necessary for successful implementation of distance education (Olcott & Wright, 1995). In addition, this study investigated faculty concerns at various stages of implementation on the premise that concerns vary over time. This study sought to illuminate some of the concerns expressed by faculty at various phases of implementing technology-based
CT Angiography of Suspected Peripheral Artery Disease: Comparison of Contrast Enhancement in the Lower Extremities of Patients Undergoing and Those Not Undergoing Hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to compare contrast enhancement on CT angiography (CTA) images of the lower extremity in patients with suspected peripheral artery disease who did not undergo hemodialysis (HD) and patients who were scanned before or after HD. MATERIALS AND METHODS We divided 287 consecutive patients who underwent CTA of the lower extremity on a 64-MDCT scanner into three groups: group 1 patients (n = 151) were not dependent on HD, group 2 patients (n = 70) were dependent on HD and underwent HD less than 24 hours after CTA, and group 3 (n = 66) were dependent on HD and underwent HD less than 24 hours before CTA. We then compared the CT number in the popliteal artery at the level of the patella on all CTA images. A cardiologist and a radiology technologist visually evaluated the depiction of the descending genicular artery (DGA) on the CTA images and assigned a visualization score. RESULTS The median CT number was lowest in group 2 patients (373 HU vs 429 [group 1] and 418 [group 3] HU). The score for visualization of the DGA was significantly lower in group 2 than in group 1 (p = 0.02) and group 3 (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION At CTA, arterial enhancement decreases with the passage of time after HD likely because of the increase in intravascular volume. CTA that is performed within 24 hours after HD generates higher-quality images of the lower extremities than CTA that is performed within 24 hours before HD.
Endoscopic vessel sealing: A novel endoscopic precoagulation technique for blood vessels during endoscopic submucosal dissection

1 Kahaleh M, Hernandez AJ, Tokar J, Adams RB, Shami VM, Yeaton P. Interventional EUS-guided cholangiography: Evaluation of a technique in evolution. Gastrointest. Endosc. 2006; 64: 52–9. 2 Park do H, Koo JE, Oh J et al. EUS-guided biliary drainage with one-step placement of a fully covered metal stent for malignant biliary obstruction: A prospective feasibility study. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 2009; 104: 2168–74. 3 Isayama H, Komatsu Y, Tsujino T et al. A prospective randomised study of ‘covered’ versus ‘uncovered’ diamond stents for the management of distal malignant biliary obstruction. Gut 2004; 53: 729–34. 4 Kawakubo K, Isayama H, Nakai Y et al. Simultaneous duodenal metal stent placement and EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy for unresectable pancreatic cancer. Gut Liver 2012; 6: 399–402.
Model reduction for linear delay systems using a delay-independent balanced truncation approach

A model reduction approach for asymptotically stable linear delay-differential equations is presented in this paper. Specifically, a balancing approach is developed on the basis of energy functionals that provide (bounds on) a measure of energy related to observability and controllability, respectively. The reduced-order model derived in this way is again a delay-differential equation, such that the method is structure preserving. In addition, asymptotic stability is preserved and an a priori bound on the reduction error is derived, providing a measure of accuracy of the reduction. The results are illustrated by means of application on an example.
Hardware implementation of a DCT watermark for CMOS image sensors

This paper presents a novel algorithm for watermark (WM) embedding in the discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain and its implementation in hardware. The proposed algorithm is shown to be easily integrated in the peripheral image processing circuitry of a CMOS image sensor that holds JPEG compression capabilities. The proposed algorithm embeds the WM in middle frequency DCT coefficients, according to the output of a random number generator. This addresses the trade-off between the WM robustness and image quality degradation. Choosing the DCT coefficient in a pseudo-random manner provides higher effective coverage, as a potential attacker must consider a wide range of possible coefficients. Matlab simulations show the ability of the algorithm to ensure image authenticity even when changing only 2 DCT coefficients in each 8times8 block. The WM embedder was designed in Verilog according to the proposed algorithm.
Expansion-based QBF Solving on Tree Decompositions

In recent years various approaches for quantiﬁed Boolean formula (QBF) solving have been developed, including methods based on expansion, skolemization and search. Here, we present a novel expansion-based solving technique that is motivated by concepts from the area of parameterized complexity. Our approach relies on dynamic programming over the tree decomposition of QBFs in prenex conjunctive normal form (PCNF). Hereby, binary decision diagrams (BDDs) are used for compactly storing partial solutions. Towards efﬁciency in practice, we inte-grate dependency schemes and develop dedicated heuristic strategies. Our experimental evaluation reveals that our implementation is competitive to state-of-the-art solvers on instances with one quantiﬁer alternation. Furthermore, it performs particularly well on instances up to a treewidth of approximately 80, even for more quantiﬁer alternations. Results indicate that our approach is orthogonal to existing techniques, with a large number of uniquely solved instances. of ψ . Due to Conditions 2 and 3 of Deﬁnition 3.3, w ≥ max c ∈ ψ | c | − 1 holds, i.e., the size of the largest clause gives a lower bound for w . To reduce this bound, we apply clause splitting , which is a standard technique implemented in many QBF solvers and preprocessors: a fresh variable is added (once positively, once negatively) to the parts of a split clause, and quantiﬁed existentially in the innermost quantiﬁer block. Experiments preceding this work reveal that splitting clauses larger than 30 yields good results, without introducing too many additional variables. systems that successfully participated in the ofﬁcial 2016 and 2017 QBF competitions. All experiments were run once (per solver or conﬁguration) on each instance using a ﬁxed seed. Tests were performed on a single core of an Intel Xeon E5-2637 (3.5GHz) running Debian 8.3, with a memory limit of 16 GB. For our analysis of optimizations we set the time limit to 6 minutes. In the system comparison each run was limited to 10 minutes.
How to be a great dad: parental care in a flock of greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

In the last years, studies on captive greater flamingos have increased. Research on zoo animals is important to improve the knowledge on these species and to improve their ex-situ and in-situ conservation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the parental behaviour of a captive colony of greater flamingo hosted at Parco Natura Viva, an Italian zoological garden, to improve the knowledge on this species in zoos. In particular, the present study investigated and compared the parental care of females and males in 35 breeding pairs of greater flamingos. For each pair, we collected durations of parental care behaviour of both females and males, recording their position in relation to the nest (near the nest, on the nest, away from the nest) and individual and social behaviours performed. First, both partners were involved in parental care and displayed species-specific behaviours reported in the wild. The main results were that males spent more time than females on the nest (P = 0.010) and near it (P = 0.0001) and were more aggressive toward other flamingos than females, both when sitting on the nest (P = 0.003) and when near the nest (P = 0.0003). Therefore, male flamingos seem to be more involved in incubation duties and nest protection than females. This kind of research is important not only to expand the knowledge on bird species such as flamingos, but also to improve their husbandry and breeding in controlled environment. Indeed, understanding animal behaviour allows us to gain insights into their individual and social needs, addressing potential animal welfare issues.
Movement Disorder Society‐sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS): Scale presentation and clinimetric testing results

We present a clinimetric assessment of the Movement Disorder Society (MDS)‐sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS). The MDS‐UDPRS Task Force revised and expanded the UPDRS using recommendations from a published critique. The MDS‐UPDRS has four parts, namely, I: Non‐motor Experiences of Daily Living; II: Motor Experiences of Daily Living; III: Motor Examination; IV: Motor Complications. Twenty questions are completed by the patient/caregiver. Item‐specific instructions and an appendix of complementary additional scales are provided. Movement disorder specialists and study coordinators administered the UPDRS (55 items) and MDS‐UPDRS (65 items) to 877 English speaking (78% non‐Latino Caucasian) patients with Parkinson's disease from 39 sites. We compared the two scales using correlative techniques and factor analysis. The MDS‐UPDRS showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79–0.93 across parts) and correlated with the original UPDRS (ρ = 0.96). MDS‐UPDRS across‐part correlations ranged from 0.22 to 0.66. Reliable factor structures for each part were obtained (comparative fit index > 0.90 for each part), which support the use of sum scores for each part in preference to a total score of all parts. The combined clinimetric results of this study support the validity of the MDS‐UPDRS for rating PD. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Association of Breakfast Intake With Incident Stroke and Coronary Heart Disease: The Japan Public Health Center–Based Study

Background and Purpose— The association between breakfast intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke, among Asian people remains unknown. We sought to prospectively investigate whether the omission of breakfast is related to increased risks of stroke and coronary heart disease in general Japanese populations. Methods— A total of 82 772 participants (38 676 men and 44 096 women) aged 45 to 74 years without histories of cardiovascular disease or cancer were followed up from 1995 to 2010. Participants were classified as having breakfast 0 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, or 7 times/wk. The hazard ratios of cardiovascular disease were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results— During the 1 050 030 person-years of follow-up, we documented a total of 4642 incident cases, 3772 strokes (1051 cerebral hemorrhages, 417 subarachnoid hemorrhages, and 2286 cerebral infarctions), and 870 coronary heart disease. Multivariable analysis showed that those consuming no breakfast per week compared with those consuming breakfast everyday had hazard ratios (95% confidence interval; P for trend) of 1.14 (1.01–1.27; 0.013) for total cardiovascular disease, 1.18 (1.04–1.34; 0.007) for total stroke, and 1.36 (1.10–1.70; 0.004) for cerebral hemorrhage. Similar results were observed even after exclusion of early cardiovascular events. No significant association between the frequency of breakfast intake and the risk of coronary heart disease was observed. Conclusions— The frequency of breakfast intake was inversely associated with the risk of stroke, especially cerebral hemorrhage in Japanese, suggesting that eating breakfast everyday may be beneficial for the prevention of stroke.
The Three-In-One Proximal and Distal Soft Tissue Patellar Realignment Procedure

The three-in-one procedure for extensor mechanism realignment of the knee combines lateral release, vastus medialis obliquus muscle advancement, and transfer of the medial one-third of the patellar tendon to the tibial collateral ligament. We observed 37 patients (42 knees) receiving this treatment at a minimum 25-month follow-up (range, 25 to 85 months; mean, 44). Thirty-two of 42 knees (76%) with recurrent patellar dislocation had good or excellent results after surgery. Redislocation occurred in four knees (9.5%). Skeletal immaturity, chondral damage, and generalized ligament laxity did not seem to affect outcome. Thirty patients (37 knees) were studied 2 years earlier as well (mean follow-up, 29 months). When comparing the results 2 years later, there was a significant deterioration in outcome over time. These results are comparable with the published results for other techniques of patellar stabilization. We describe the place of the three-in-one operation in our surgical protocol for patellofemoral instability, which is based on the principle that a procedure should be selected to address the underlying pathologic features in an individual case rather than always using one operation for all cases.
Cutaneous perforators of the peroneal artery: Cadaveric study with implications in the design of the osteocutaneous free fibular flap

Bilateral dissection of 15 formalin embalmed cadaver legs was performed in order to study the anatomic pattern of the peroneal artery (PA) and its cutaneous perforating vessels (CB). The total number of CB from the PA was 125 or an average of 4.17 branches per leg. CB were distributed in the superoinferior axis between 18.25 and 84.25% of the length of the fibula and their average length was 5 ± 1.8 cm. 86/125 (68.8%) of the CB were classified as myocutaneous branches (MC) that penetrated muscle before reaching the skin, whereas 39/125 (31.2%) were septocutaneous branches (SC) that passed through the intermuscular septum. The mean distance between the posterior border of the fibula and the site where the perforators emerged was 1.88 ± 0.79 cm for the SC and 1.21 ± 0.87 cm for the MC. These anatomic findings should encourage the surgeon to design the skin paddle in the boundary between the middle and the distal third of the fibular length about 2 cm behind the posterior fibular border on the posterolateral leg, where the number of CB is maximal. Clin. Anat. 22:826–833, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Variations in the epidemiology of primary, secondary and early latent syphilis, England and Wales: 1999 to 2008

Objective To investigate factors associated with variations in diagnoses of primary, secondary and early latent syphilis in England and Wales. Methods Data were derived from two sources: diagnoses made in genitourinary medicine clinics reported on form KC60, and information collected through National Enhanced Syphilis Surveillance (NESS). Multinomial regression modelling was used for data analysis. Results Between 1999 and 2008, 12 021 NESS reports were received, 54% of KC60 reports. The dominant profile of the epidemic was one of white men who have sex with men aged 35–44, often co-infected with HIV, centred in larger cities. During this period, the proportion of primary cases increased over time, while the proportion of secondary cases fell. Primary cases exceeded secondary cases by 2004. The proportion of early latent cases remained relatively stable over time and tended to be lower than that of primary and secondary infection. Patients who attended because they had symptoms of infection, had been identified through partner notification, were HIV positive, and were UK born were more likely to present with primary or secondary infection than with early latent infection. A higher proportion of early latent cases were seen among patients who were Asian, had contacted sexual partners through saunas, bars and the internet, had untraceable partners, and had acquired infection in Manchester. Conclusions The continuing syphilis epidemic indicates that control has only been partially effective, with ongoing transmission being sustained. Intensive and targeted efforts delivered locally are required to interrupt further transmission.
Quality of adult vocalizations affects the quality of infant vocalizations

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the VERBAL component of babytalk affected the vocal quality of infants. Two groups of 20 0;3 infants experienced either conversational turn taking or random responsiveness of an adult. Adult responsiveness consisted of a smile, light touch to the abdomen, and a NONVERBAL ‘tsk, tsk, tsk’ sound (instead of speech). All infant vocalizations were counted and then coded as ‘syllabic’ or ‘vocalic’ sounds. The results of the study demonstrated that TURN TAKING facilitated a speak-listen pattern of vocalizing by the infant, but in the absence of the VERBAL component of the adult's response, turn taking had no special facilitative effect on syllabic sounds. It was concluded that what adults say to 3-month-old infants influences what infants ‘say’ in return. Possible mechanisms underlying the infant's vocal response to verbal input were reviewed. It was suggested that the more mature sounds (syllabic) may proportionally increase as a result of the combined effects of turn-taking and verbal stimulation on the motor control of respiration and phonation.
Depletion of B Cells in Murine Lupus: Efficacy and Resistance1

In mice, genetic deletion of B cells strongly suppresses systemic autoimmunity, providing a rationale for depleting B cells to treat autoimmunity. In fact, B cell depletion with rituximab is approved for rhematoid arthritis patients, and clinical trials are underway for systemic lupus erythematosus. Yet, basic questions concerning mechanism, pathologic effect, and extent of B cell depletion cannot be easily studied in humans. To better understand how B cell depletion affects autoimmunity, we have generated a transgenic mouse expressing human CD20 on B cells in an autoimmune-prone MRL/MpJ-Faslpr (MRL/lpr) background. Using high doses of a murine anti-human CD20 mAb, we were able to achieve significant depletion of B cells, which in turn markedly ameliorated clinical and histologic disease as well as antinuclear Ab and serum autoantibody levels. However, we also found that B cells were quite refractory to depletion in autoimmune-prone strains compared with nonautoimmune-prone strains. This was true with multiple anti-CD20 Abs, including a new anti-mouse CD20 Ab, and in several different autoimmune-prone strains. Thus, whereas successful B cell depletion is a promising therapy for lupus, at least some patients might be resistant to the therapy as a byproduct of the autoimmune condition itself.
A stochastic framework for font-independent devanagari ocr

Font-independent OCR solutions for Latin and Oriental scripts are commercially available and widely used in Digital library applications. However, accurate OCRs are still not available for Devanagari, a script used by over 400 million people in more than forty languages including Hindi and Sanskrit. Challenges in Devanagari OCR include: (i) Large number of character classes, (ii) Character shapes made of complex primitives that cannot be easily segmented using conventional character segmentation approaches, (iii) Variable representations of the same character in different fonts, and (iv) Preponderance of poor print quality or poor quality paper that causes unpredictable character distortions. We address this challenge by segmenting the characters into components which are horizontally or vertically juxtaposed, and connected along non-linear boundaries. Most techniques in the literature have approximated the segmentation process by using sliding windows or projection profiles in a single direction. We adopt a Block Adjacency Graph (BAG) representation, where each node of the BAG represents a part of the character image and the edges represent their interconnections. Characters are segmented by selecting subgraphs while also accommodating the natural breaks and joints in characters and the various ways in which alphabets can join. Instead of the common approach of using font-dependent rules to guide the segmentation and classification process, we have developed a recognition driven segmentation method that generates multiple segmentation results for each character. Word hypotheses are generated by integrating image recognition results with a language model that encodes frequencies of alphabets and syllabic characters. This is in contrast with the previous use of language models primarily as a post-processing technique. We take advantage of the syllabic-alphabetic nature of the Devanagari script by designing a stochastic framework where the primitives are syllabic characters made of one or more alphabets. We use dictionary lookup to enhance the word hypotheses. On a publicly available, multi-font test set of 10,606 words, we have achieved top choice word accuracy of 75%, and top-5 choice word accuracy of 85%. This is a significant improvement over the performance of previous techniques on the same test set.