Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mapping the work-based learning of novice teachers: Charting some rich terrain

Background: Work-based non-formal learning plays a key role in faculty development yet these processes are yet to be described in detail in medical education. Aim: This study sets out to illuminate these processes so that potential benefits for new and inexperienced medical educators and their mentors can be realised. Method: The non-formal learning processes of 12 novice teachers were investigated across hospital, general practice and medical school settings. The research sought to describe ‘what’ and ‘how’ non-formal learning takes place, and whether these processes differ across teaching sites. Both clinical and non-clinical teachers of medical undergraduates from one inner city medical school were recruited for the study. Through semi-structured interviews and a ‘concept map’, participants were asked to identify the people and tasks which they considered central to helping them become more expert as educators. Results: Results identified non-formal learning across a number of key dimensions, including personal development, task and role performance, and optimising clinical teaching. This learning takes place as an outcome of experience, observation, reflection and student feedback. Conclusion: Non-formal learning is a significant aspect of the development of novice teachers and as such it needs to be placed more firmly upon the agenda of faculty development.
A new solution route to hydrogen-terminated silicon nanoparticles: synthesis, functionalization and water stability

Hydrogen-capped silicon nanoparticles with strong blue photoluminescence were synthesized by the metathesis reaction of sodium silicide, NaSi, with NH4Br. The hydrogen-capped Si nanoparticles were further terminated with octyl groups and then coated with a polymer to render them water-soluble. The nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, FT-IR, UV–vis absorption and photoluminescence. The Si nanoparticles were shown to have an average diameter of 3.9 ± 1.3 nm and exhibited room temperature photoluminescence with a peak maximum at 438 nm with a quantum efficiency of 32% in hexane and 18% in water; the emission was stable in ambient air for up to 2 months. These nanoparticles could hold great potential as a non-heavy-element-containing quantum dot for applications in biology.
An optimized layered cluster-based routing protocol for ad hoc networks

Some of the specific challenges stemming from the ad hoc network are mobility and energy constraints. These intrinsic characteristics make the network management, routing and various networking related tasks more sophisticated. In fact, the most targeted MANET applications are based on collaborative computing where mobile hosts may be involved in team collaborations. Further, as network size increases, communication costs tend to consume a larger proportion of the limited bandwidth. Among the solutions proposed for scaling down large-sized networks, network clustering is one of the most investigated approaches. The basic idea is to select the appropriate nodes able to support additional tasks, so that routing and group communication protocols can be implemented efficiently on top of this virtual backbone. In this context, we propose an enhanced version of LCR (Layered Cluster-based Routing), a hierarchical routing protocol designed for dense and large scale networks. The key feature in this approach is the direction mechanism which limits the area concerned by establishment and maintenance of routes, and consequently reducing the number of dominating nodes involved in routing tasks. Conducted simulations on different scenarios highlight its ability to decrease the energy consumption and wasted bandwidth resources used for routing tasks.
Virtual time-slot allocation scheme for throughput enhancement in a millimeter-wave multi-Gbps WPAN system

This paper proposes a virtual time-slot allocation (VTSA) scheme for throughput enhancement to realize a multi-Gbps time division multiple access (TDMA) wireless personal area network (WPAN) system in a realistic millimeter-wave residential multipath environment. TDMA system without time-slot-reuse mechanism conventionally allocates one TDMA time-slot to only one communication link at a time. In the proposed VTSA scheme, taking advantage on the large path loss in the millimeterwave band, a single TDMA time-slot can be reallocated and reused by multiple communication links simultaneously (hence the name virtual), thus significantly increasing system throughput. On the other hand, allowing multiple communication links to occupy the same time-slot causes the generation of co-channel interference (CCI). The cross layer VTSA scheme is therefore designed to be able to maximize the throughput improvement by adaptively scheduling the sharing of time-slots, and at the same time monitor the potential performance degradation due to CCI. As a result, it is found that the VTSA scheme is capable of improving system throughput as much as 30% in both AWGN and multipath channels (line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environment). Additionally, by coupling with higher-order modulation schemes, the system is able to achieve up to a maximum throughput of 3.8 Gbps. It is also observed that higher-order modulations although have higher maximum achievable throughput in low CCI environment, the tolerance against increasing CCI is considerably lower than that of the lower-order modulations.
Observations on the fine structure of the Purkinje fibres in the ventricles of the sheep's heart.

The degree of differentiation of the Purkinje fibres, in the ventricles, shows a marked species variation (Holmes, 1921; Blair & Davies, 1935; Truex & Copenhaver, 1947). In the Artiodactyla, the Purkinje fibres are readily recognizable by their large diameter, about four times greater than that of the normal myocardium, by their perinuclear clear space with peripheral cross-striated myofibrils and by their high glycogen content. However, in those species, such as the Carnivora, Rodentiaand Primates, in which the fibres are poorly differentiated, none of the above criteria can be used for their identification. In the ventricles of this latter group of species, cardiac muscle fibres with slightly greater diameter and with a small perinuclear clear space may be interpreted as Purkinje fibres or as variations within the normal range of the structure of cardiac muscle. Attention was drawn to this difficulty by Copenhaver & Truex (1952) in their discussion of the presence of Purkinje fibres in the atrial muscle. Davies & Francis (1952) discussed the problem of the nomenclature of these slightly modified fibres, and Blair & Davies (1935) suggested that the term Purkinje fibre should be reserved for the typical fibre, as seen in the Ungulates. The widely diverse accounts of the distribution of the conducting system in the human heart, ranging from a system disseminated throughout the heart (Todd, 1932) to a denial of its presence (Glomset & Glomset, 1940), have resulted from making subjective interpretations from minor differences in structure. This electron microscope study was made to establish the fine structure of the Purkinje fibre, in the animal in which it was first described (Purkinje, 1845) and where its identification is undeniable. The possibility was considered that this recent technique might reveal structural modifications which would make the identification of the conducting tissue fibres more definite in other species.
Current Treatment for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Review

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis. It is a skin infection caused by a single-celled parasite that is transmitted by sand fly bites. There are about 20 species of Leishmania that may cause cutaneous leishmaniasis. Some Leishmania species are closely linked to humans and are therefore found in cities (Leishmania tropica), whereas some are more traditionally associated with animal species and are therefore considered zoonoses (Leishmania major). The evidence for optimal treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis is patchy. Although the cutaneous form of the disease is often self-limiting, it does result in significant scarring and can spread to more invasive, mucocutaneous disease. Therefore, treatment may be considered to prevent these complications. Drugs for systemic and topical treatment are presented and discussed with regard to their application, use, and adverse effects.
Surrogate Markers of Tumoral Angiogenesis

Background Angiogenesis is a prerequisite for tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is expressed on endothelial cells as a result of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulation. Purpose To determine if measurement in serum of VEGF or VCAM-1 provides an accurate measure of tumor angiogenesis. Methods VCAM-1 and VEGF were measured in the serum of women with early and advanced breast cancer by ELISA. Levels were compared to levels of VCAM-1 and VEGF in women with normal breasts and levels of the endothelial glycoprotein von Willebrand factor. Levels of VEGF and VCAM-1 in women with early breast cancer were correlated with established clinicopathological prognostic markers and intratumoral microvessel density (IMD). Results In early breast cancer serum VCAM-1 correlated closely with the microvessel density in tumors (r=0.61, p<0.001). Women with lymph node-positive and high-grade tumors had higher levels of serum VCAM-1 than women with lymph node-negative and low-grade tumors. Serum VEGF demonstrated no correlation with established prognostic features or IMD. Levels of VCAM-1 and VEGF were raised in women with advanced breast cancer. Conclusion Serum VCAM-1 is a surrogate marker of angiogenesis in breast cancer and its measurement may help in the assessment of antiangiogenic drugs currently in phase II trials.
[Comparison of predictive factors related to the mortality and rebleeding caused by variceal bleeding: Child-Pugh score, MELD score, and Rockall score].

BACKGROUND/AIMS The first episode of variceal bleeding is one of the most frequent causes of death in patients with liver cirrhosis. The Child-Pugh(CP) scoring system has been widely accepted for prognostic assessment. Recently, MELD has been known to be better than the CP scoring system for predicting mortality in patients with end-stage liver diseases. The Rockall risk scoring system was developed to predict the outcome of upper GI bleeding including variceal bleeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the mortality rate of first variceal bleeding and the predictability of each scoring system. METHODS We evaluated the 6-week mortality rate, rebleeding rate, and 1-year mortality rate of all the 136 patients with acute variceal bleeding without previous episode of hemorrhage between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2000. The CP score, MELD score, and Rockall score were estimated and analyzed. RESULTS Among 136 patients, 35 patients with hepatoma and 8 patients with follow-up loss were excluded. Six-week mortality rate, 1-year mortality rate, and rebleeding rate of first variceal bleeding were 24.7%, 35.5%, and 12.9%, respectively. The c-statistics of CP, MELD, and Rockall score for predicting 6-week mortality rate were 0.809 (p<0.001, 95% CI, 0.720-0.898), 0.804 (p<0.001, 95% CI, 0.696-0.911), 0.787 (p<0.001, 95% CI, 0.683-0.890), respectively. For 1-year mortality rate, c-statistics were 0.765 (p<0.005, 95% CI, 0.665-0.865), 0.780 (p<0.005, 95% CI, 0.676-0.883), 0.730 (p<0.01, 95% CI, 0.627-0.834), respectively. CONCLUSION The CP, MELD, and Rockall scores were reliable measures of mortality risk in patients with first variceal bleeding. The CP classification is useful in its easy applicability.
Cycles through Large Degree Vertices in Digraphs: A Generalization of Meyniel's Theorem

LetD=(V, E) be a digraph with vertex setVof sizenand arc setE. Foru? V, letd(u) denote the degree ofu. AMeyniel set Mis a subset ofVsuch thatd(u)+d(v)? 2n? 1 for every pair of nonadjacent verticesuandvbelonging toM. In this paper we show that ifDis strongly connected, then every Meyniel setMlies in a (directed) cycle, generalizing Meyniel's theorem. Our proof yields anO(|M|n4) algorithm for finding such a cycle. As a corollary it follows that ifDis strongly connected, thenDcontains a cycle through all vertices of degree ? nwhich generalizes a result of Shi for undirected graphs.
Neuroimaging Findings of the Post-Treatment Effects of Radiation and Chemotherapy of Malignant Primary Glial Neoplasms

Post-treatment radiation and chemotherapy of malignant primary glial neoplasms present a wide spectrum of tumor appearances and treatment-related entities. Radiologic findings of these post-treatment effects overlap, making it difficult to distinguish treatment response and failure. The purposes of this article are to illustrate and contrast the imaging appearances of recurrent tumor from necrosis and to discuss other radiologic effects of cancer treatments. It is critical for radiologists to recognize these treatment-related effects to help direct clinical management.
GridBench: a tool for benchmarking grids

The aim of the GridBench suite of benchmarks is to bring together a core set of benchmarks for characterizing grid nodes or collections of grid resources. In order to do this in an organized and flexible way we provide a framework for running benchmarks on grid environments as well as collecting, archiving, and publishing the results. This framework allows for convenient integration of new and existing benchmarks into the suite.
A Phase-Gradient-Autofocus Algorithm for the Recovery of MARSIS Subsurface Data

The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) is currently operating, providing information of the subsurface structure of the planet Mars. The transmitted chirp signals pass through the ionosphere, resulting delayed, attenuated, and, in the phase, distorted. MARSIS signals are routinely phase corrected during ground processing by adopting a predefined model based on the Chapman theory. In this letter, phase distortions are compensated by using a phase-gradient-autofocus algorithm, which is capable of correcting distortions of different nature by exploiting their redundancy along the orbit. For the first time, images presenting saturated regions have been recovered.
Three Types of Memory for Childhood Sexual Abuse: Relationships to Characteristics of Abuse and Psychological Symptoms

ABSTRACT Data from a clinical sample (N = 88) reporting childhood sexual abuse was compared by types of memory, abuse characteristics, and psychological symptoms. Three types of memory were identified from a questionnaire (“Always” n = 27 [31%], “Recovered” n = 41 [46%], and “Both” n = 20 [23%]). When compared with narrative reports from a subset (n = 30) of the sample, the lines between “Always,” “Recovered,” and “Both” types of memory were ambiguous. Consistency across reports, however, was 83%. Memories classified as either “Recovered” or “Both” were associated with earlier age-at-onset and more severe psychological symptoms compared to those who “Always” remembered CSA. No significant differences were found between the “Both” and “Recovered” groups.
Male Sexual Disorders Following Stroke: An Overview

ABSTRACT Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability throughout the world. Although physical and cognitive impairments after stroke have been well studied, little information is known about one of the crucial aspect of the quality of life of stroke patients, namely, sexual functioning and satisfaction. Poststroke sexual dysfunctions seem to be very common since in men affected by stroke, a decline in libido and poor or tailed erection and ejaculation are frequently observed. Sexual disorders after stroke are thought to be due to multiple etiologies, including both organic (i.e., lesion localization, premorbid medical conditions, and medications) and psychosocial (i.e., fear of recurrences, loss of self-esteem, role changes, anxiety, and depression). Thus, exploration in sexual dysfunctions and sexual counseling by trained professionals should be a part of stroke rehabilitation. The aim of this review is to evaluate the burden of stroke on sexual function taking into account the complex interaction between neurological, psychological, and relational factors.
Two uni-manual manipulation techniques with constraints for 3D modeling applications on TabletPCs

In desktop 3D modeling applications, object manipulation relies on the use of standard transformation widgets. However, these widgets are less efficient on touchscreens due to the low accuracy of touch inputs, and also to the fingertip occlusion issue. In this paper, we propose two unimanual constrained manipulation techniques on TabletPCs. Based on finger identification, our techniques map the index, middle and ring fingers of the dominant hand to the X, Y and Z axes of the coordinate system. After registering the axis-fingers mapping on the screen, users can perform different chording gestures to trigger axis-, plane-constrained or uniform manipulations. We have conducted a user study to examine the learnability and usability of the proposed gestures. The results indicate that these gestures can be memorized quickly after a short training period. Users found some gestures to be easy to use and comfortable while others require additional investigations. These findings permits to give recommendations for designing a unimanual constrained manipulation technique that can be used efficiently in a 3D modeling application on TabletPCs.
Gene electro‐transfer of an improved erythropoietin plasmid in mice and non‐human primates

Anemia due to impaired erythropoietin (EPO) production is associated with kidney failure. Recombinant proteins are commonly administered to alleviate the symptoms of this dysfunction, whereas gene therapy approaches envisaging the delivery of EPO genes have been tried in animal models in order to achieve stable and long‐lasting EPO protein production. Naked DNA intramuscular injection is a safe approach for gene delivery; however, transduction levels show high inter‐individual variability in rodents and very poor efficiency in non‐human primates. Transduction can be improved in several animal models by application of electric pulses after DNA injection.
Immediate and 5‐year cumulative outcome after paediatric intensive care in Sweden

Background: Little has been reported about intensive care of children in Sweden. The aims of this study are to (I) assess the number of admissions, types of diagnoses and length‐of‐stay (LOS) for all Swedish children admitted to intensive care during the years 1998–2001, and compare paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with other intensive care units (adult ICUs) (II) assess immediate (ICU) and cumulative 5‐year mortality and (III) determine the actual consumption of paediatric intensive care for the defined age group in Sweden.
Triple therapy with amantadine in treatment‐naive patients with chronic hepatitis C: A placebo‐controlled trial

The antiviral efficacy of amantadine in patients with chronic hepatitis C is controversial. In this randomized, prospective, placebo‐controlled, multicenter trial, triple therapy with interferon alfa (IFN‐α)‐2a plus ribavirin and amantadine (amantadine group) was compared with combination therapy IFN‐α plus ribavirin (control group). Four hundred previously untreated patients with histologically proven chronic hepatitis C were randomly allocated to treatment with amantadine sulphate (100 mg twice daily orally) or a matched placebo together with IFN‐α induction plus ribavirin (1,000‐1,200 mg/day orally) for 48 weeks. The primary end point was sustained virologic response (SVR) defined as undetectable serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA (<100 copies/mL) 24 weeks after the end of treatment. SVR was observed in 52% of the amantadine group and in 43.5% of the control group (P = .11). Among patients with HCV genotype 1 infection, the corresponding SVR rates were 39% and 31%, respectively. The virologic on‐treatment response rate in week 24 was significantly higher in the amantadine group as compared with the control group (70% vs. 59%, respectively, P = .016). This beneficial effect was mainly related to HCV type 1‐infected patients (63% vs. 47%, respectively, P = .012). Independent factors associated with SVR, according to multiple logistic regression analysis, were amantadine treatment, low baseline HCV RNA, platelet counts (≥250/nL), pretreatment ALT quotient ≥3, and GGT level (<28 U/L) as well as HCV genotypes other than 1. In conclusion, although we could not demonstrate a significant advantage of the triple regimen in univariate analysis, multivariate analysis offers arguments that amantadine should be considered as a potential anti‐HCV drug in future studies.
Rosuvastatin in hemodialysis: short-term effects on lipids and C-reactive protein.

BACKGROUND Patients on regular hemodialysis present high cardiovascular mortality. Uremic dyslipidemia and inflammation take part in the etiology of atherosclerosis. Rosuvastatin calcium has not been studied in patients on dialysis to date. We sought to evaluate the results of rosuvastatin therapy regarding lipids, lipoproteins and a marker of inflammation in hemodialysis patients. METHODS In a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial, 59 patients on hemodialysis (31 in the placebo group, and 28 taking rosuvastatin 10 mg/day) were followed for 3 months. Lipids, lipoproteins and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured at baseline, 30 days and 3 months. RESULTS In the rosuvastatin group, there was a significant decrease from baseline to the study end in total cholesterol (163+/-53 mg/dL to 142+/-43 mg/dL; p<0.05), in LDL cholesterol (90+/-39 mg/dL to 69+/-32 mg/dL; p<0.05) and in non-HDL cholesterol (121+/-46 mg/dL to 99+/-39 mg/dL; p<0.05). In the placebo group, no significant decrease was observed. High-sensitivity CRP was lower in the rosuvastatin than in the placebo group at 3 months (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Rosuvastatin calcium at 10 mg/day was effective in lowering total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and hs-CRP in hemodialysis patients.
Effect of hyaluronic acid solution on healing of bowel anastomoses.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) solution has the ability to coat and lubricate serosal surfaces, and potentially prevent serosal trauma during surgery, which can result in the postoperative formation of adhesions in the abdomen. Previous animal studies utilizing HA have shown a reduction of intra-abdominal adhesion formation. Human clinical trials are currently underway. The prevention of adhesions could conceivably have deleterious effects on bowel anastomosis healing. As a result, solutions of HA were studied in rabbits to determine their effect on the healing of a bowel anastomosis. In 30 rabbits, test solutions of either HA (0.4 or 1.0%) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as a control were instilled into the open peritoneal cavity just prior to the performance of small bowel anastomosis. At sacrifice 14 days later, intestinal bursting pressures were 110.5 +/- 16.0 mm Hg (SEM) in the PBS group, 108.5 +/- 15.2 mm Hg in the 0.4% HA group, and 138.7 +/- 14.1 mm Hg in the 1.0% group. Average bursting pressures among the three groups did not vary significantly (p > .05). Small sterile mucoceles formed at the anastomosis in 70% of the PBS group, in 10% of the 0.4% HA group, and in 30% of the 1.0% HA group. Histologic examination of specimens taken at the anastomosis did not reveal any differences in the level of healing between groups. HA solution, when instilled in the presence of a small bowel anastomosis in rabbits, does not appear to interfere with the healing process.