Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementation of a structured information transfer checklist improves postoperative data transfer after congenital cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND During one hospital stay, a patient can be cared for by five different units. With patient transfer from one unit to another, it is of prime importance to convey a complete picture of the patient's situation to minimise the risk of medical errors and to provide optimal patient care. OBJECTIVE(S) This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the implementation of a standardised checklist used during verbal patient handover could improve postoperative data transfer after congenital cardiac surgery. DESIGN Prospective, pre/postinterventional clinical study. SETTING Cardiac centre of a university hospital. PATIENTS Forty-eight patients younger than 16 years undergoing heart surgery. INTERVENTIONS A standardised checklist was developed containing all data that, according to the investigators, should be communicated during the handover of a paediatric cardiac surgery patient from the operating room to the ICU. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Data transfer during the postoperative handover before and after implementation of the checklist was evaluated. Duration of handover, number of interruptions, number of irrelevant data and number of confusing pieces of information were noted. Assessment of the handover process by ICU medical and nursing staff was quantified. RESULTS After implementation of the information transfer checklist, the overall data transfer increased from 48 to 73% (P < 0.001). The duration of data transfer decreased from a median (range) of 6 (2 to 16) to 4 min (2 to 19) (P = 0.04). The overall handover assessment by the intensive care nursing staff improved significantly after implementation of the checklist. CONCLUSION Implementation of an information transfer checklist in postoperative paediatric cardiac surgery patients resulted in a more complete transfer of information, with a decrease in the handover duration.
MEK and ERK protect hypoxic cortical neurons via phosphorylation of Bad

We investigated the role of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in hypoxic neuronal injury using primary cultures from murine cerebral cortex. Hypoxia caused the death of ∼50% of neurons at 16 h and ∼65% of neurons at 24 h. This was associated with phospho‐activation of the MAPK/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) kinase MEK1/2 and its downstream target ERK1/2, but not p38 MAPK or c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), as detected by western blotting. The MEK1/2 inhibitor, PD98059, increased neuronal death in hypoxic cultures, suggesting that MEK1/2 promotes neuronal survival, whereas the p38 inhibitors, SB202190 and SB203580, had no effect. To identify downstream effects of ERK1/2 that might regulate hypoxic neuronal death, we measured hypoxia‐induced phosphorylation of three ERK1/2 targets: the 90‐kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (RSK), the transcription factor ELK1, and the pro‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 family protein Bad. We observed increased abundance of inactivated (phospho‐)Bad, but no change in phospho‐RSK or phospho‐ELK1. Moreover, the MEK inhibitor PD98059 reduced phospho‐inactivation of Bad in hypoxic cultures. These findings suggest that a cell‐survival program involving phospho‐activation of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 and inactivation of Bad is mobilized in hypoxic neurons, and may help to regulate neuronal fate following hypoxic‐ischemic injury.
User-controlled creation of multiresolution meshes

We present a tool for the user-controlled creation of multiresolution meshes. Most automatic mesh reduction methods are not able to identify mesh regions of high semantic or functional importance, for example the face of a character model or areas deformed by animation. To address this problem, we present a method allowing a user to provide importance weights for mesh regions to control the automatic simplification process. To demonstrate the usefulness of this approach in a real world setting, a Maya plug-in is presented that lets the user create multiresolution meshes with importance weighting interactively and intuitively. The user simply paints the importance of regions directly onto the mesh. The plug-in can handle arbitrary meshes with attributes (vertex colors, textures, normals) and attribute discontinuities. This work aims to show that an integrated editing approach with full support for mesh attributes, which lets the user exercise selective control over the simplification rather than operating fully automatic, can bring multiresolution meshes out of academic environments into widespread use in the digital content creation industry.
The psychology and phenomenology of spiritualist mental mediumship

Although mediums report a range of experiences that share some similarities with symptom checklists for persons with mental health problems, relatively little systematic research has been undertaken to characterise the mental health and personalities of practising mediums, and none has been conducted in the UK. Previous research in other countries suggests that dissociation, fantasy-proneness and boundary-thinness might distinguish mediums from those who share a similar belief system but do not report mediumistic experiences. To address this, standardised measures were selected and combined in a questionnaire that was distributed to a sample of mediums and non-mediums as part of a nationwide survey. Mediums (N=80) scored significantly higher than non-mediums (N=79) on psychological wellbeing (p < .001), had lower psychological distress (p < .001), higher extraversion (p < .05), higher neuroticism (p < .001), and higher openness to experience (p < .01). No significant differences were found on dissociation, boundary-thinness, fantasy-proneness, conscientiousness or agreeableness. Results suggest that mediumship is not associated with a high level of dissociative experiences or pathology. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research, which proposes that the mediumship role may serve a therapeutic function for both mediums and those who consult them. The survey also included an open-ended Mediumship Activity Questionnaire (MAQ), which was designed to map the range and incidence of mediums' experiences. A content analysis of responses found mediums reported childhood anomalous experiences, family experiences and socialization as contributing factors in the development of their ability. Findings also increased our understanding of the process and nature of mediumship, and the spirit guide phenomenon. However, in order to explore the phenomenology of mediumship, it was clear that an approach would be necessary that could capture the "lived experience" of mediums. Thus, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten mediums to explore their understanding of the mediumship process and were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA; Smith, 1996). Six superordinate themes were identified that illuminate key aspects of the mediumship phenomena, such as the various pathways to mediumship and how mediumistic experiences are interpreted and incorporated into a personal experiential framework: "A search for meaning: Normalisation of mediumship", "Progression of mediumship", "Relationship with spirit", "Spirit guides as transcendental", "Explanatory systems of mediumship", and "Mediumship as counselling", One of the main conclusions of this study was that the pathways to mediumship are embedded in a cultural context that provides an important environment in which mediumistic experiences are normalised and validated. Findings are discussed in relation to their clinical implications, in particular the need for mental health professionals to be aware of alternate models and beliefs.
A Chord-based Architecture for Efficient Dynamic Service Provisioning over Distributed Resources

The demand for distributed applications has been increasing since the birth of internet. It has scaled geographical areas in search of information and computational resources for processing. With the advent of Grid computing, ad-hoc Virtual Organizations have added an impetus towards distributed applications by providing on-demand service provisioning. The use of job-based paradigms and strong coupling of current service-based paradigms with static registries such as UDDI hinder the achievement of complete dynamism over volatile resources of the Grid. A possible solution is the use of structured peer to peer overlay networks to keep a check on the resources as well as handle the volatility of the system. In this paper, we present an architecture of a web service based P2P Grid framework for managing the services and resources using the Chord protocol over a de-centralized registry which facilitates demand driven provisioning of web services and enables a virtual market place for computational resources.
Effect of Shortening Deformity of the Clavicle on Scapular Kinematics

Background In some short malunion cases, midshaft clavicular fractures are reported to result in unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. Shortening deformity of the clavicle could change the anatomical alignment of the shoulder girdle and is surmised to affect shoulder kinematics on arm movements. Nevertheless, no report has ever referred to documented changes. Hypothesis Scapular motion will change with clavicular shortening in cadaveric models. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Twelve cadaveric shoulders were used, and sequential clavicular shortening by 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% from the original length was simulated in this study. The scapulothoracic motion during passive arm elevation in 3 planes was monitored using an electromagnetic tracking device. Differences in kinematics of the scapula between the 0% shortening models and the other 4 experimental groups were analyzed. Results During arm elevation, posterior tilting and external rotation of the scapula significantly decreased with ≥10% shortening of the clavicle. Decreased posterior tilting was found with a shorter clavicle and at higher positions of arm elevation in all planes and became obvious during coronal plane elevation. Upward rotation of the scapula did not change with shortening at any elevated arm positions. Conclusion The findings of this study clearly indicated that shortening of the clavicle affects the kinematics in the shoulder girdle. Clinical Relevance The results of this cadaveric study suggest that clavicular shortening of ≥10% affects scapular kinematics and might produce clinical symptoms.
Passivity-based Visual Force Feedback Control for Planar Manipulators with Eye-in-Hand Configuration

This paper investigates visual force feedback control for planar manipulators with the eye-in-hand configuration based on passivity. The vision/force control is applied to horizontal/vertical direction for the environment which is thought as a frictionless, elastically compliant plane. We show passivity of the visual force feedback system which allows us to prove stability in the sense of Lyapunov. The L2-gain performance analysis for the disturbance attenuation problem is considered via the dissipative systems theory. Finally simulation results are shown to verify the stability and L2-gain performance of the visual force feedback system.
Individualist and Collectivist Values in Transition Planning for Culturally Diverse Students with Special Needs.

This article discusses transition planning for students with special needs from diverse cultural backgrounds. First, an overview of individualist versus collectivist values is presented. Then, a comparison is made between individualist and collectivist values and how they may impact transition planning with respect to family involvement, occupational choice, and independent living. The article concludes with suggestions for helping transition planners and service providers to become more culturally responsive. Throughout the professional literature, self-reliance, competitive employment, and independent living are considered indicators of successful transition. In fact, one of the primary purposes of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 Amendments (P.L. 105-17, Section 601d) is “to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living. ” However, these values are not shared by all students and families. The present article compares cultural variables of individualist and collectivist cultures and discusses implications for transition planning. Transition planning must include an analysis of cultural variables. In this article, culture will be viewed as more than race or ethnicity. Culture will be viewed as a set of values, beliefs, traditions, and habits of thinking (Greene, 1996; Osipow & Fitzgerald, 1996). Culture also includes language, religion, patterns of social and interpersonal relationships, and family expectations. All of these variables greatly influence an individual’s interests, abilities, and aptitudes, as well as preferences in residential environment, community integration, and occupational choice. Therefore, culture plays a principle role in the kinds of transition activities that will best match a student’s personal and family values. We will first describe the basic differences between individualism and collectivism. This will be followed by a discussion of how these values influence three key areas of transition: (a) family/student involvement, (b) occupational choice, and (c) independent living. Finally, we will make recommendations for becoming more culturally responsive to these values. Individualism vs.
Accurate Telemonitoring of Parkinson's Disease Progression by Noninvasive Speech Tests

Tracking Parkinson's disease (PD) symptom progression often uses the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) that requires the patient's presence in clinic, and time-consuming physical examinations by trained medical staff. Thus, symptom monitoring is costly and logistically inconvenient for patient and clinical staff alike, also hindering recruitment for future large-scale clinical trials. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate rapid, remote replication of UPDRS assessment with clinically useful accuracy (about 7.5 UPDRS points difference from the clinicians' estimates), using only simple, self-administered, and noninvasive speech tests. We characterize speech with signal processing algorithms, extracting clinically useful features of average PD progression. Subsequently, we select the most parsimonious model with a robust feature selection algorithm, and statistically map the selected subset of features to UPDRS using linear and nonlinear regression techniques that include classical least squares and nonparametric classification and regression trees. We verify our findings on the largest database of PD speech in existence (~6000 recordings from 42 PD patients, recruited to a six-month, multicenter trial). These findings support the feasibility of frequent, remote, and accurate UPDRS tracking. This technology could play a key part in telemonitoring frameworks that enable large-scale clinical trials into novel PD treatments.
Reconciliation and the Search for a Shared Moral Landscape: An Exploration Based upon a Study of Northern Ireland and South Africa

In Northern Ireland and South Africa obstacles to reconciliation were found in these elements of a “moral landscape”: – Experiences of trauma, separation and inequalities, – Divergent views of the conflict and of “the other”, – Opposing identifications and loyalties, – Norms for interaction, – Contestant interpretations of values such as “peace” and “justice”. This study describes how these obstacles have been addressed in: 1) Efforts, particularly by ecumenical groups, to bridge the Catholic/Protestant divide in Northern Ireland. 2) The work of, and debates surrounding, the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. On the basis of these dialogues in adverse circumstances, this study suggests some prerequisites for “emancipatory conversations” – a central question in the search for a global ethics. Ecumenical groups in Northern Ireland pursued a middle road between Unionism and Nationalism, focused on relationships between Catholics and Protestants, and stressed their shared responsibility. In South Africa there was more stress on the relationship between individual victims and perpetrators, on the responsibility of one group (i.e. whites) to repent, and on redistribution and material reparations as part of reconciliation. Initiatives for reconciliation in both contexts stressed dialogue, tolerance and non-violence. They were inspired by the notion of every person being created in God’s image and by a supreme loyalty to the God of all people. Particular attention was given to “storysharing”, i.e. the sharing of personal experiences of the conflict, rather than debating various viewpoints. Prerequisites for being able both to speak and to listen to “the other side” were: safety; equality of power; recognition of the humanity of “the other” and of one’s own human dignity; preparedness for critical self-examination; concern with one’s adversary’s welfare, and that the participants had achieved a sense of security in their own identities and some healing from their own traumas. A commitment to each other and the shared place of residence could serve as a basis for common ground, as could similar experiences of trauma, of parenthood, and (in Northern Ireland) of social class. Certain dilemmas were identified, such as what safety needs to prioritise, what stories to emphasise in the official discourse, and seeking harmony versus struggling to change inequalities.
Fulfilling the Promise of Brown

This article summarizes the U.S. Department of Education’s efforts to promote desegregation in order to implement the mandate of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The article describes the department’s use of traditional tools in enforcing civil rights laws, including the provision of technical assistance and policy guidance to states and educational institutions on topics such as minority scholarships and racial harassment. The article also provides an overview of the new strategies the department is pursuing to promote high-quality education and equal educational opportunity and diversity in all schools.
Reliable Robust and Real-Time Communication Protocol for Data Delivery in Wireless sensor Networks

WSNs can be considered a distributed control system designed to react to sensor information with an effective and timely action. For this reason, in WSNs it is important to provide real-time coordination and communication to guarantee timely execution of the right actions. In this paper a new communication protocol RRRT to support robust real-time and reliable event data delivery with minimum energy consumption and with congestion avoidance in WSNs is proposed. The proposed protocol uses the fault tolerant optimal path for data delivery. The proposed solution dynamically adjust their protocol configurations to adapt to the heterogeneous characteristics of WSNs. Specifically, the interactions between contention resolution and congestion control mechanisms as well as the physical layer effects in WSNs are investigated.
Cytomegalovirus Cell Tropism, Replication, and Gene Transfer in Brain

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infects a majority of adult humans. During early development and in the immunocompromised adult, CMV causes neurological deficits. We used recombinant murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) expressing either green fluorescent protein (GFP) or β-galactosidase under control of human elongation factor 1 promoter or CMV immediate early-1 promoter as reporter genes for infected brain cells. In vivo and in vitro studies revealed that neurons and glial cells supported strong reporter gene expression after CMV exposure. Brain cultures selectively enriched in either glia or neurons supported viral replication, leading to process degeneration and cell death within 2 d of viral exposure. In addition, endothelial cells, tanycytes, radial glia, ependymal cells, microglia, and cells from the meninges and choroid were infected. Although mCMV showed no absolute brain cell preference, relative cell preferences were detected. Radial glia cells play an important role in guiding migrating neurons; these were viral targets in the developing brain, suggesting that cortical problems including microgyria that are a consequence of CMV may be caused by compromised radial glia. Although CMV is a species-specific virus, recombinant mCMV entered and expressed reporter genes in both rat and human brain cells, suggesting that mCMV might serve as a vector for gene transfer into brain cells of non-murine species. GFP expression was sufficiently strong that long axons, dendrites, and their associated spines were readily detected in both living and fixed tissue, indicating that mCMV reporter gene constructs may be useful for labeling neurons and their pathways.
Higher genus correlators for the complex matrix model

We describe an iterative scheme which allows us to calculate any multi-loop correlator for the complex matrix model to any genus using only the first in the chain of loop equations. The method works for a completely general potential and the results contain no explicit reference to the couplings. The genus g contribution to the m-loop correlator depends on a finite number of parameters, namely at most 4g−2+m. We find the generating functional explicitly up to genus three. We show as well that the model is equivalent to an external field problem for the complex matrix model with a logarithmic potential.
Aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one by a denitrifying bacterium isolated from marine sediments

This report describes the metabolism of 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one by a denitrifying bacterium (Marinobacter sp. strain CAB) isolated from marine sediments. Under aerobic and denitrifying conditions, this strain efficiently degraded this ubiquitous isoprenoid ketone. Several bacterial metabolites, 4,8,12-trimethyl-tridecan-1-ol, 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanal, 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoic acid, Z-3,7-dimethylocten-2-oic acid, Z-3,7,11-trimethyldodecen-2-oic acid, and 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-ol, were formally identified, and different pathways were proposed to explain the formation of such isoprenoid compounds.
Optimization of rateless-coded asynchronous multimedia multicast

We investigate the optimization of asynchronous multimedia multicast to heterogenous users. A priority encoding transmission (PET) based packetization scheme in combination with rateless coding has recently been proposed for multicasting. In previous work, a suboptimal greedy search algorithm is proposed to find the allocation of source symbols over different layers. However, the complexity of the algorithm is high for large numbers of user classes and the optimality of the algorithm is not proven. In this paper, we first show that the problem can be transformed to an equivalent convex optimization problem under the relaxation of integer constraints. In addition, a solution is found analytically for the optimal allocation. Numerical results demonstrate that the optimal analytical solution matches the results using the greedy search algorithm as well as results obtained using convex optimization software.