Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of nurse staffing levels on quality of care in nursing homes.

OBJECTIVE This study examines the relationship between increasing certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and licensed nurse staffing ratios and deficiencies in Florida nursing homes over a 4-year period. METHODS Data from Florida staffing reports and the Online Survey Certification and Reporting database examine the relationship among staffing levels and deficiency citations for 663 Florida nursing homes between 2002 and 2005. Using a generalized estimating equation approach in SAS Proc Genmod, we estimate the relationship between CNA and licensed nursing staff, and facilities' total deficiency score and quality of care deficiency scores-calculated using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Rating System, which accounts for the complexity of the scope and severity of the cittions. RESULTS Our results confirmed that higher CNA staffing levels were predictors of lower total deficiency scores and quality of care deficiency scores after controlling for facility characteristics. CONCLUSION With a large sample size, repeated measure design, and advanced methods, we have found a relationship between CNA staffing and nursing home quality.
Genetic analysis of a conserved sequence in the HoxD complex: Regulatory redundancy or limitations of the transgenic approach?

Extensive sequencing in the HoxD complex of several vertebrate species has revealed a set of conserved DNA sequences interspersed between neighboring Hox genes. Their high degree of conservation strongly suggested that they are used for regulatory purposes, a hypothesis that was largely confirmed by using “classical transgenesis” or in vivo mutagenesis through the embryonic stem (ES) cell technology. Here, we show that this is not always the case. We report that the deletion of a conserved regulatory sequence located in the HoxD complex gives different results, depending on the transgenic approach that was used. In “conventional” transgenesis, this sequence was necessary for proper expression in a subdomain of the developing limb. However, a deletion of this sequence in complexo did not confirm this effect, thereby creating an important discrepancy between the classical transgenic and the ES cell‐based, targeted mutagenesis. This unexpected observation may show the limitations of the former technology. Alternatively, it could illustrate a redundancy in regulatory circuits and, thus, justify the combination of parallel strategies. Dev. Dyn. 1998;213:1–11. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Latent ion tracks in amorphous silicon

We present experimental evidence for the formation of ion tracks in amorphous Si induced by swift heavy ion irradiation. An underlying core-shell structure consistent with remnants of a high density liquid structure was revealed by small-angle x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations. Ion track dimensions dier for as-implanted and relaxed Si as attributed to dierent microstructures and melting temperatures. The identication and characterisation of ion tracks in amorphous Si yields new insight into mechanisms of damage formation due to swift heavy ion irradiation in amorphous semiconductors.
An online algorithm for controlling a monotone Wiener system

This paper proposes and studies an online algorithm (`NORTKNAR') for controlling a monotone Wiener system to a given level. Such systems consist of a FIR model, followed by a monotonically in- or decreasing nonlinear static function. We consider phenomena which obey such system up to stochastic perturbations. We study almost sure convergence under weak regularity assumptions. Theoretical results are complemented by empirical results on the control of a PharmacoKinetics-PharmacoDynamic (PK-PD) system regulating concentrations of levuodopa in the bloodstream. Finally, we indicate how those ideas find application to regulating the rate of events in pulsatile systems.
Fifth- and Seventh-Grade Girls' Decisions about Participation in Physical Activity

The main purpose of this study was to learn from fifth-grade (N = 51) and seventh-grade (N = 55) girls in 3 schools from 1 district how to improve girls' participation rates in physical activity. The questions addressed through survey research were (1) the degree to which fifth- and seventh-grade girls participate in physical activity and why; (2) girls' knowledge about the benefits of physical activity; and (3) which girls do and do not participate regularly in physical activity. Respondents were also asked to offer recommendations to improve girls' participation rates. Findings indicated that girls participated in physical activity primarily for "fun. " Parents who participated in regular physical activity were far more likely to have daughters who also did so. Verbal encouragement alone did not have a strong effect on girls' participation. Finally, girls who did not report participating regularly in physical activity demonstrated much less knowledge about the benefits of physical activity than did regular participants.
Policing in the wild: the game wardens' perspective

Purpose – Numerous research studies have analyzed the difficulties of implementing community‐oriented policing (COP) in policing agencies, but there is no research examining this phenomenon in a natural resource law enforcement department. This paper aims to examine Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officers' attitudes and opinions regarding their agency's paradigm shift toward COP to gain compliance with resource‐protective regulations.Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected through the use of 43 semi‐structured interviews and ten ride‐alongs to determine the officers' commitment to use of COP in resolving contentious natural resource disputes.Findings – This paper reaffirms findings of other COP studies regarding the need to have clear communication about officers' roles under COP and the necessity for the department to reformulate its evaluations of officer production and progress.Practical implications – Other regulatory agencies can apply the lessons learned from thi.
Low diversity and high intra-island variation in prevalence of avian Haemoproteus parasites on Barbados, Lesser Antilles

SUMMARY Common bird species were screened during May and June 2007 on Barbados for haemosporidian parasites (Haemosporida) of the genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium to determine whether the low parasite diversity reported in previous studies might have reflected limited sampling. PCR screening and DNA sequencing revealed a single predominant lineage of Haemoproteus identified as H. coatneyi. Sixty-two out of 257 birds were infected with Haemoproteus spp. on Barbados in 2007. Fifty-nine of the infections were identified as H. coatneyi (lineage HC), the only lineage recovered in the previous study in 1993. Two of the infections recovered from the bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) were identified as Haemoproteus spp. (lineage HD), which is the prevalent haemosporidian parasite in C. flaveola on Grenada. We discuss the possibility of infrequent colonization events and absence of vectors as explanations for Barbados's low avian haemosporidian diversity. In our study, the parasites were absent from the southeast of the island, whereas they were abundant in several host species in the northwest. Accordingly, environmental and host population genetic differences were also investigated between the areas with and without parasites. No host genetic differences were found between the parasite-free and the parasite-afflicted regions. However, the parasite-free region is slightly warmer and drier, and it supports less vegetation than the parasite-afflicted region. The influence that this harsher environment may have on vector survival is discussed.
Simultaneous Input and Output Matrix Partitioning for Outer-Product-Parallel Sparse Matrix-Matrix Multiplication

For outer-product--parallel sparse matrix-matrix multiplication (SpGEMM) of the form $C\! =\! A\! \times\! B$, we propose three hypergraph models that achieve simultaneous partitioning of input and output matrices without any replication of input data. All three hypergraph models perform conformable one-dimensional (1D) columnwise and 1D rowwise partitioning of the input matrices $A$ and $B$, respectively. The first hypergraph model performs two-dimensional (2D) nonzero-based partitioning of the output matrix, whereas the second and third models perform 1D rowwise and 1D columnwise partitioning of the output matrix, respectively. This partitioning scheme induces a two-phase parallel SpGEMM algorithm, where communication-free local SpGEMM computations constitute the first phase and the multiple single-node-accumulation operations on the local SpGEMM results constitute the second phase. In these models, the two partitioning constraints defined on weights of vertices encode balancing computational loads of proce.
Remembering to Forget: A Note on the Duration of Campaign Advertising Effects

Exposure to an Obama campaign ad as part of an Internet survey conducted during the final weeks of the 2012 presidential race produced a substantial 2.8-point increase in intentions to vote for Obama. A post-election follow-up survey found an increase in reported votes for Obama that was only half as large, consistent with the notion that ad effects decay over time. However, a closer look at the pattern of decay indicates that the effect of ad exposure remained virtually constant among people who were undecided or predisposed to support Obama. The reduced aggregate effect was almost entirely attributable to Romney supporters who moved toward Obama in the immediate wake of ad exposure but returned to Romney by Election Day. This divergence is inconsistent with an interpretation of decay as reflecting simple forgetting. Rather, it suggests an active process of motivated reasoning in which short-term persuasive effects are gradually eroded or even reversed by counterarguing among people predisposed to resist them.
Behavior‐driven arc expression is reduced in all ventral hippocampal subfields compared to CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus in rat dorsal hippocampus

Anatomical connectivity and lesion studies reveal distinct functional heterogeneity along the dorsal–ventral axis of the hippocampus. The immediate early gene Arc is known to be involved in neural plasticity and memory and can be used as a marker for cell activity that occurs, for example, when hippocampal place cells fire. We report here, that Arc is expressed in a greater proportion of cells in dorsal CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG), following spatial behavioral experiences compared to ventral hippocampal subregions (dorsal CA1 = 33%; ventral CA1 = 13%; dorsal CA3 = 23%; ventral CA3 = 8%; and dorsal DG = 2.5%; ventral DG = 1.2%). The technique used here to obtain estimates of numbers of behavior‐driven cells across the dorsal–ventral axis, however, corresponds quite well with samples from available single unit recording studies. Several explanations for the two‐ to‐threefold reduction in spatial behavior‐driven cell activity in the ventral hippocampus can be offered. These include anatomical connectivity differences, differential gain of the self‐motion signals that appear to alter the scale of place fields and the proportion of active cells, and possibly variations in the neuronal responses to non‐spatial information within the hippocampus along its dorso‐ventral axis.
Selection of sperm based on combined density gradient and Zeta method may improve ICSI outcome.

BACKGROUND Reducing the percentage of sperm anomalies in insemination samples remains a goal to be achieved in the intra-cytoplasmic sperm insemination (ICSI) procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of density gradient centrifugation (DGC) and Zeta methods to recover sperm with intact chromatin, and to evaluate whether the combined DGC/Zeta procedure improved ICSI outcome. METHODS In Experiment 1, DGC and Zeta methods were carried out on 60 unprocessed semen samples. The samples were then assessed by chromomycin A3 staining, acridine orange test, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay and the sperm chromatin dispersion test for protamine deficiency and DNA fragmentation. In Experiment 2, sibling oocytes from 30 ICSI candidates were divided into two groups; one group was inseminated with sperm processed by DGC and the second with sperm processed by DGC/Zeta. The outcomes of 30 ICSI cycles were compared between the two groups and also with 34 ICSI candidates whose oocytes were inseminated by DGC-processed sperm. RESULTS Both procedures were efficient for the recovery of sperm with normal protamine content and low DNA fragmentation. However, the Zeta method yielded a greater number of sperm with less DNA fragmentation. Fertilization and pregnancy rates were improved following the combined DGC/Zeta procedure. Compared with DGC alone, the pregnancy rate appeared improved but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.091). CONCLUSIONS Combining DGC and Zeta procedures improves the quality of semen samples which may increase fertilization rates and possibly pregnancy rates.
Multilayer capacitors with reduced parasitics

This paper presents multilayer integrated capacitors. Stacked parallel plate and via topologies are discussed. A novel structure featuring both RF-blocking capabilities and reduced parasitic inductance effects is proposed. Reduced parasitics increase the self resonance frequency of the structure and make it applicable to highly integrated multichip modules up to millimeter-wave frequencies. Analytical and experimental results fully validate this approach.
Comparative Thinking Styles in Group and Person Perception: One Mechanism – Many Effects

Perceptions of individuals and groups are inextricably intertwined. An individual is perceived differently depending on the group he or she belongs to, and the perception of the group depends on the characteristics of single group members that are encountered or come to mind. However, this mutual influence is far from uniform. A review of the literature indicates that sometimes the individual is perceived as similar to a group, and sometimes as dissimilar. Likewise, the group can be either assimilated toward or contrasted away from the individual. In the present article, we propose that these diverse effects may be explained by a comparison process between the individual and the group. More specifically, we argue that the comparative thinking style during this comparison (i.e. whether one focuses on similarities or dissimilarities) shapes the direction of the influence.
Hydrodynamics of the escape response in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus

SUMMARY Escape responses of fishes are one of the best characterized vertebrate behaviors, with extensive previous research on both the neural control and biomechanics of startle response performance. However, very little is known about the hydrodynamics of escape responses, despite the fact that understanding fluid flow patterns during the escape is critical for evaluating how body movement transfers power to the fluid, for defining the time course of power generation, and for characterizing the wake signature left by escaping fishes, which may provide information to predators. In this paper, we present an experimental hydrodynamic analysis of the C-start escape response in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). We used time-resolved digital particle image velocimetry at 1000 frames s–1 (fps) to image flow patterns during the escape response. We analyzed flow patterns generated by the body separately from those generated by the dorsal and anal fins to assess the contribution of these median fins to escape momentum. Each escape response produced three distinct jets of fluid. Summing the components of fluid momentum in the jets provided an estimate of fish momentum that did not differ significantly from momentum measured from the escaping fish body. In contrast to conclusions drawn from previous kinematic analyses and theoretical models, the caudal fin generated momentum that opposes the escape during stage one, whereas the body bending during stage one contributed substantial propulsive momentum. Additionally, the dorsal and anal fins each contributed substantial momentum. The results underscore the importance of the dorsal and anal fins as propulsors and suggest that the size and placement of these fins may be a key determinant of fast start performance.
Pharmaceutical Care Issues in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Thromboprophylaxsis

Thromboprophylaxis is the mainstay therapy for preventing thromboembolic events such as stroke in Atrial Fibrillation patients. Patients with moderate or high risk of stroke should receive warfarin as it has shown to be superior in clinical trials, with increase in relative reduction of stroke and similar incidence of bleeding compared to aspirin alone. A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed to assess common types and frequencies of PCIs in AF patients receiving thromboprohylaxis and use of thromboprophylactic agents in accordance to stroke risk stratification. Retrospective data was collected by reviewing medical record of hundred patients diagnosed with AF receiving thromboprophylaxis admitted in Serdang Hospital between January-December 2012. Patients were chosen using random sampling technique from PIS data base of the hospital with the help of random number table software. Pharmacist Workup of Drug Therapy (PWDT) form by the Ministry of Health, Government of Malaysia used for patient evaluation in all the hospitals of Malaysia was modified according to the research objectives of the study and was used as data collection tool. Out of 100 patients (n=56 %) were females while n = 44 (44 %) were males. The mean age for males was 60.93 years ± 7.64 and females was 62.84 ± 13.52 years. A total of 15% patients were not treated according to CPG recommendations regarding thromboprophylaxis. The mean CHA2DS2VASc score was (3.3,± 1.1) while mean SD HAS-BLED (bleeding risk) score was (1.37, ± 0.92). A total of 274 pharmaceutical care issues were identified. The most common pharmaceutical care issues were drug-drug interaction (n=143), non-compliance to treatment (n=31), drug-food interaction (n=16), non-compliance to dietary requirements (n=15) and lack of patient counselling (n=35). The study reported identification of varieties of PCIs in AF patients receiving thromboprophylaxis which supports the need of dedicated clinical pharmacist to work in collaboration with healthcare team and patients.
Randomized phase III study of chemoradiation with or without amifostine for patients with favorable performance status inoperable stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer: preliminary results.

A prospective randomized study was conducted to determine whether amifostine (Ethyol) reduces the rate of severe esophagitis and hematologic and pulmonary toxicity associated with chemoradiation or improves control of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Sixty patients with inoperable stage II or III NSCLC were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Both groups received thoracic radiation therapy (TRT) with 1.2 Gy/fraction, 2 fraction per day, 5 days per week for a total dose 69.6 Gy. All patients received oral etoposide (VP-16), 50 mg Bid, 30 minutes before TRT beginning day 1 for 10 days, repeated on day 29, and cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 1, 8, 29, and 36. Patients in the study group received amifostine, 500 mg intravenously, twice weekly before chemoradiation (arm 1); patients in the control group received chemoradiation without amifostine (arm 2). Patient and tumor characteristics were distributed equally in both groups. Of the 60 patients enrolled, 53 were evaluable (27 in arm 1, 26 in arm 2) with a median follow-up of 6 months. Median survival times were 26 months for arm 1 and 15 months for arm 2, not statistically significantly different. Morphine intake to reduce severe esophagitis was significantly lower in arm 1 (2 of 27, 7.4%) than arm 2 (8 of 26, 31%; P =.03). Acute pneumonitis was significantly lower in arm 1 (1 of 27, 3.7%) than in arm 2 (6 of 26, 23%; P =.037). Hypotension (20 mm Hg decrease from baseline blood pressure) was significantly more frequent in arm 1 (19 of 27, 70%) than arm 2 (1 of 26, 3.8%; P =.0001). Only 1 patient discontinued treatment because of hypotension. These preliminary results showed that amifostine significantly reduced acute severe esophagitis and pneumonitis. Further observation is required to assess long-term efficacy.
Cromakalim effects of acetylcholine-induced changes in cytosolic calcium and tension in swine trachealis.

The effects of cromakalim, an ATP-sensitive K+ channel activator, on changes in cytosolic calcium concentration [( Ca++]i) and tension induced by acetylcholine (ACh; 0.1-10 microM) were examined in swine tracheal smooth muscle. Cromakalim (10 microM) hyperpolarized muscle cells by approximately 18 mV from -58 mV (resting membrane potential) to -76 mV. Cromakalim relaxed muscle contractions evoked by ACh at a concentration of 0.1 microM, but not at higher concentrations. Measurement of [Ca++]i using Fura-2 demonstrated that except at 0.1 microM ACh, cromakalim did not alter peak increases in [Ca++]i. At 0.1 microM ACh, the peak transient was decreased, but not eliminated. Cromakalim reduced steady-state increases in [Ca++]i at ACh less than or equal to 1 microM, but not 10 microM ACh. Tension was similarly affected. These data suggest that ACh-induced increases in steady-state [Ca++]i and tension are inhibited by cromakalim-induced hyperpolarization. The initial ACh-induced transient increase in [Ca++]i is not greatly altered. Cromakalim did not alter the transient peak tension and [Ca++]i relationship. The relationship between steady-state [Ca++]i/tension (EC50 = 321 nM) obtained for control, cromakalim inhibition and after glibenclamide reversal of cromakalim inhibition falls to the left of the peak transient [Ca++]i/tension relationship (EC50 = 587 nM). Thus, the Ca++ sensitivity of the contractile proteins during steady-state stimulation by ACh was increased from that at rest. We conclude that electromechanical coupling is important in ACh-induced contraction at concentrations less than 1 microM. Pharmacomechanical coupling with little or no sensitivity to changes in potential is important at higher ACh concentrations. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Editorial Metadata in Electronic Music Distribution Systems: Between Universalism and Isolationism

We address the problem of metadata management in the context of future Electronic Music Distribution (EMD) systems, and propose a classification of existing musical editorial systems in two categories: the isolationists and the universalists. Universalists propose shared information at the expense of consensuality, while isolationist approaches allow individual parameterization at the expense of the lack of reusability. We propose an architecture and a system for managing editorial metadata that lies in the middle of these two extremes: we organize musical editorial information in such a way that users can benefit from shared metadata when they wish, while also allowing them to create and manage a private version of editorial information. A mechanism allows the synchronizing of both views: the shared and the private.