Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of an oral health program in improving the knowledge and competencies of head start staff.

PURPOSE Head Start and Early Head Start (HS/EHS) programs have partnered with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry to promote oral health and increase access to dental homes. Preparing HS/EHS staff for issues related to pediatric oral health promises to improve effectiveness of this collaboration. This paper's purpose was to describe the Columbia Head Start Oral Health Program (C-HSOHP) and changes in HS/EHS staff pediatric oral health knowledge and competencies after participating in C-HSOHP. METHODS Four HS/EHS grantees in New York City engaged in the 2008-09 C-HSOHP. A convenience sample of 61 staff completed pre- and postself assessments of knowledge and competencies. RESULTS Significant paired mean improvements were found for staff-reported level of preparation to explain dental issues during pregnancy, the tooth decay process, and preparing parents for their child's first dental visit. Significant improvements were found in staff confidence in teaching parents about children's oral health issues, referring for pediatric dental services, and talking to a dentist about a concern. CONCLUSIONS The Columbia Head Start Oral Health Program was effective in improving Head Start/Early Head Start staff self-confidence and self-perceived preparedness in teaching parents about oral health, applying oral health knowledge to HS/EHS programs, communicating with dental professionals, and improving access to pediatric dental services.
Lung Mechanics and Histology During Sevoflurane Anesthesia in a Model of Chronic Allergic Asthma

BACKGROUND:There are no studies examining the effects of sevoflurane on a chronically inflamed and remodeled airway, such as that found in asthma. In the present study, we sought to define the respiratory effects of sevoflurane in a model of chronic allergic asthma. For this purpose, pulmonary mechanics were studied and lung morphometry analyzed to determine whether the physiological modifications reflected underlying morphological changes. METHODS:Thirty-six BALB/c mice (20–25 g) were randomly divided into four groups. In OVA groups, mice were sensitized with ovalbumin and exposed to repeated ovalbumin challenges. In SAL groups, mice received saline using the same protocol. Twenty-four hours after the last challenge, the animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (PENTO, 20 mg/kg i.p.) or sevoflurane (SEVO, 1 MAC). Lung static elastance (Est), resistive (&Dgr;P1) and viscoelastic/inhomogeneous (&Dgr;P2) pressure decreases were analyzed by an end-inflation occlusion method. Lungs were fixed and stained for histological analysis. RESULTS:Animals in the OVASEVO group showed lower &Dgr;P1 (38%), &Dgr;P2 (24%), and Est (22%) than animals in the OVAPENTO group. Histology demonstrated greater airway dilation (16%) and a lower degree of alveolar collapse (25%) in the OVASEVO compared with OVAPENTO group. &Dgr;P1 was lower (35%) and airway diameters larger (12%) in the SALSEVO compared with SALPENTO group. CONCLUSION:Sevoflurane anesthesia acted both at airway level and lung periphery reducing (&Dgr;P1 and &Dgr;P2 pressures, and Est in chronic allergic asthma.
Verbal Learning Strategy Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract That learning and memory deficits persist many years following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is controversial due to inconsistent objective evidence supporting subjective complaints. Our prior work demonstrated significant reductions in performance on the initial trial of a verbal learning task and overall slower rate of learning in well-motivated mTBI participants relative to demographically matched controls. In our previous work, we speculated that differences in strategy use could explain the differences in rate of learning. The current study serves to test this hypothesis by examining strategy use on the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition. Our present findings support the primary hypothesis that mTBI participants under-utilize semantic clustering strategies during list-learning relative to control participants. Despite achieving comparable total learning scores, we posit that the persisting learning and memory difficulties reported by some mTBI patients may be related to reduced usage of efficient internally driven strategies that facilitate learning. Given that strategy training has demonstrated improvements in learning and memory in educational and occupational settings, we offer that these findings have translational value in offering an additional approach in remediation of learning and memory complaints reported by some following mTBI. (JINS, 2011, 17, 709–719)
Changes in exhaled breath condensate pH in healthy and asthmatic pregnant women

Asthma is a common chronic disease complicating pregnancy with a risk for perinatal complications. Control of airway inflammation in the asthmatic pregnancy improves pregnancy outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate pH of exhaled breath condensate (EBC), a non‐invasive method for the assessment of asthmatic airway inflammation, in healthy and asthmatic pregnancies.
Glucocorticoid regulation of the circadian clock modulates glucose homeostasis

Circadian clock genes are regulated by glucocorticoids; however, whether this regulation is a direct or secondary effect and the physiological consequences of this regulation were unknown. Here, we identified glucocorticoid response elements (GREs) at multiple clock genes and showed that 3 were directly regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor. We determined that a GRE within the core clock gene Per2 was continuously occupied during rhythmic expression and essential for glucocorticoid regulation of that gene in vivo. We further demonstrated that mice with a genomic deletion spanning this GRE expressed elevated leptin levels and were protected from glucose intolerance and insulin resistance on glucocorticoid treatment but not from muscle wasting. We conclude that Per2 is an integral component of a particular glucocorticoid regulatory pathway and that glucocorticoid regulation of the peripheral clock is selectively required for some actions of glucocorticoids.
Automaton-Descriptions and Theorem-Proving: A Marriage made in Heaven?

In this paper, Finite-State-Automata (FSA) and theorem-proving approaches to spoken dialogue systems (SLDS) are contrasted to each other. FSA are too rigid to deal with unpredictable user reactions, such as corrections or counter-questions, whereas plan-based approaches are usually too complex to be effectively used, given the unreliability of word recognition and the elliptical and unconven-tional nature of spontaneous speech. As an alternative, a Dialogue Manager architecture is proposed which uses knowledge on both the possible sequences of dialogue acts and the dynamic representation of the task and requirements for its fullllment. The behaviour of the speciic user is taken into consideration, including their expectations about the system and the service ooered, as are instances of miscommu-nication and disagreement in the course of the dialogue, and the successful completion of sub-plans relevant to the task and the dialogue ow.
Interactive usability instrumentation

Usage data logged from user interactions can be extremely valuable for evaluating software usability. However, instrumenting software to collect usage data is a time-intensive task that often requires technical expertise as well as an understanding of the usability issues to be explored. We have developed a new technique for software instrumentation that removes the need for programming. Interactive Usability Instrumentation (IUI) allows usability evaluators to work directly with a system's interface to specify what components and what events should be logged. Evaluators are able to create higher-level abstractions on the events they log and are provided with real-time feedback on how events are logged. As a proof of the IUI concept, we have created the UMARA system, an instrumentation system that is enabled by recent advances in aspect-oriented programming. UMARA allows users to instrument software without the need for additional coding, and provides tools for specification, data collection, and data analysis. We report on the use of UMARA in the instrumentation of two large open-source projects; our experiences show that IUI can substantially simplify the process of log-based usability evaluation.
Depressed Levels of Interferon-Gamma and HLA-DR+CD3+ T Cells in Infants with Transient Hyperferritinemia

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), which typically has its onset during infancy, is uniformly fatal if not treated. It therefore requires prompt therapeutic intervention. Although hyperferritinemia has been emphasized as a useful marker for FHL, some nonfatal cases in infants with spontaneous remission also manifest with hyperferritinemia. However, distinguishing them is difficult because initial clinical features of these infants are similar. The authors encountered 14 infants with hyperferritinemia (serum ferritin >674 ng/mL), which normalized within 3 weeks following a benign clinical course. The authors compared the levels of HLA-DR+CD3+ T-cell subsets and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in the peripheral blood between these infants and FHL cases: one of the authors’ own patients and others from the literature. Serum IFN-γ was not detected in infants with hyperferritinemia. Moreover, levels of HLA-DR+CD3+ T cells were extremely depressed. In contrast, serum IFN-γ was elevated and HLA-DR+CD3+ T cells were not depressed in FHL. Measurement of activated T cells and serum IFN-γ might help differentiate FHL in febrile infants with transient hyperferritinemia.
Characterization of endonuclease III (nth) and endonuclease VIII (nei) mutants of Escherichia coli K-12

The nth and nei genes of Escherichia coli affect the production of endonuclease III and endonuclease VIII, respectively, glycosylases/apurinic lyases that attack DNA damaged by oxidizing agents. Here, we provide evidence that oxidative lethal lesions are repaired by both endonuclease III and endonuclease VIII and that spontaneous mutagenic lesions are repaired mainly by endonuclease III.
Novel Visual Sensor Coverage and Deployment in Time Aware PTZ Wireless Visual Sensor Networks

In this paper, we consider the visual sensor deployment algorithm in Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) Wireless Visual Sensor Networks (WVSNs). With PTZ capability, a sensor’s visual coverage can be extended to reduce the number of visual sensors that need to be deployed. The coverage zone of a visual sensor in PTZ WVSN is composed of two regions, a Direct Coverage Region (DCR) and a PTZ Coverage Region (PTZCR). In the PTZCR, a visual sensor needs a mechanical pan-tilt-zoom operation to cover an object. This mechanical operation can take seconds, so the sensor might not be able to adjust the camera in time to capture the visual data. In this paper, for the first time, we study this PTZ time-aware PTZ WVSN deployment problem. We formulate this PTZ time-aware PTZ WVSN deployment problem as an optimization problem where the objective is to minimize the total visual sensor deployment cost so that each area is either covered in the DCR or in the PTZCR while considering the PTZ time constraint. The proposed Time Aware Coverage Zone (TACZ) model successfully captures the PTZ visual sensor coverage in terms of camera focal range, angle span zone coverage and camera PTZ time. Then a novel heuristic, called Time Aware Deployment with PTZ camera (TADPTZ) algorithm, is proposed to solve the problem. From our computational experiments, we found out that TACZ model outperforms the existing M coverage model under all network scenarios. In addition, as compared to the optimal solutions, the TACZ model is scalable and adaptable to the different PTZ time requirements when deploying large PTZ WVSNs.
Spatial sorting function for a map-based slideshow editor

Our research goal is to facilitate the sharing of stories with digital maps. Story authoring software including movie editors and slideshow editors enable us to create stories by arranging the order of elements such as movie clips and photographs. To help the editing process, some software has a function for clustering and sorting the elements in time series with their time stamps. To help users in editing stories, our former study revealed "spatial series" is also important besides time series. We therefore propose a method for clustering and sorting geotagged photographs with their spatial relationships so that they can be presented sequentially accompanied by a narrative, i.e., as stories. We have released software for mapping photo collections and creating this kind of slideshow for presenting travelogues, sightseeing guides, etc. The proposed method was implemented using this software. The experimental evaluation shows the effectiveness of the method.
SOX7 regulates the expression of VE-cadherin in the haemogenic endothelium at the onset of haematopoietic development

At early stages of vertebrate ontogeny, blood and endothelial cells develop from a common mesodermal progenitor, the haemangioblast. Upon haematopoietic commitment, the haemangioblast generates blood precursors through populations of endothelial cells with haemogenic properties. Although several transcription factors have been implicated in haemangioblast differentiation, the precise mechanisms governing cell fate decisions towards the generation of haemogenic endothelium precursors remain largely unknown. Under defined conditions, embryonic stem (ES) cells can be differentiated into haemangioblast-like progenitors that faithfully recapitulate early embryonic haematopoiesis. Here, we made use of mouse ES cells as a model system to understand the role of SOX7, a member of a large family of transcription factors involved in a wide range of developmental processes. During haemangioblast differentiation, SOX7 is expressed in haemogenic endothelium cells and is downregulated in nascent blood precursors. Gain-of-function assays revealed that the enforced expression of Sox7 in haemangioblast-derived blast colonies blocks further differentiation and sustains the expression of endothelial markers. Thus, to explore the transcriptional activity of SOX7, we focused on the endothelial-specific adhesion molecule VE-cadherin. Similar to SOX7, VE-cadherin is expressed in haemogenic endothelium and is downregulated during blood cell formation. We show that SOX7 binds and activates the promoter of VE-cadherin, demonstrating that this gene is a novel downstream transcriptional target of SOX7. Altogether, our findings suggest that SOX7 is involved in the transcriptional regulation of genes expressed in the haemogenic endothelium and provide new clues to decipher the molecular pathways that drive early embryonic haematopoiesis.
Thyroid Disease and Its Treatment: Short- and Long-term Consequences

Thyroid dysfunction is common, with up to 5% of the population affected by hyper- or hypothyroidism. Short-term effects of overt thyroid dysfunction are well recognised: for example, effects of hyperthyroidism on pulse rate or blood pressure and effects of hypothyroidism on lipids. There is now also increasing evidence for long-term morbidity and mortality associated with thyroid dysfunction. This includes an increased likelihood of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular mortality in subjects with previous thyrotoxicosis treated with radioiodine, and of osteoporotic fracture of the femur in those with previous thyrotoxicosis. Subclinical or mild thyroid dysfunction may also be associated with long-term effects, with evidence for increased risk of atrial fibrillation in those with subclinical hyperthyroidism. Treatment for thyroid disease may also cause long-term problems. The cancer risk associated with therapeutic radioiodine for hyperthyroidism has been investigated extensively. Our own studies reveal no increase in cancer diagnoses or deaths, apart from a small increase in thyroid cancer risk which may be associated with the underlying thyroid disease.
Understanding Diagrammatic Ink in Lecture

We are interested in understanding how digital ink and speech are used together in presentation. Our long range goal is to develop tools to analyze the ink and speech channels of recorded lectures. As a first step in this process, we are making a detailed study of instructors’ digital ink usage in real university lectures. This work is being done in the context of a Tablet-PC based presentation system we have developed, but is applicable to other systems which record digital ink and speech. In this paper we concentrate on how instructors draw and use diagrams in the process of lecture delivery and identify phenomena which are important when automatically processing the diagrammatic ink.
Structured Bayesian Orthogonal Matching Pursuit

Taking advantage of the structures inherent in many sparse decompositions constitutes a promising research axis. In this paper, we address this problem from a Bayesian point of view. We exploit a Boltzmann machine, allowing to take a large variety of structures into account, and focus on the resolution of a joint maximum a posteriori problem. The proposed algorithm, called Structured Bayesian Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (SBOMP), is a structured extension of the Bayesian Orthogonal Matching Pursuit algorithm (BOMP) introduced in our previous work [1]. In numerical tests involving a recovery problem, SBOMP is shown to have good performance over a wide range of sparsity levels while keeping a reasonable computational complexity.
Safety of Aesthetic Surgery in the Overweight Patient: Analysis of 127,961 Patients.

BACKGROUND Nearly 70% of US adults are overweight or obese (body mass index, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)), and more such patients are seeking aesthetic surgery. Previous studies have evaluated surgical risk in obese (BMI ≥ 30) or morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40) patients, with mixed results. OBJECTIVES This study evaluates BMI 25 to 29.9 and BMI ≥ 30 as independent risk factors of major complications following aesthetic surgery in a large, prospective, multi-center database. METHODS A prospective cohort of patients undergoing aesthetic surgery between 2008 and 2013 was identified from the CosmetAssure database (Birmingham, AL). BMI was evaluated as a risk factor for major complications, defined as complications requiring an emergency room visit, hospital admission, or reoperation within 30 days of the procedure. Multivariate analysis controlled for variables including age, gender, smoking, diabetes, combined procedures, and type of surgical facility. RESULTS Of the 127,961 patients, 36.2% had BMI ≥ 25. Overweight patients were more likely to be male (12.5%), diabetic (3.3%), nonsmokers (92.8%), or have multiple procedures (41%). Complication rate steadily increased with BMI: 1.4% (BMI < 18.5); 1.6% (18.5-24.9); 2.3% (25-29.9); 3.1% (30-39.9); 4.2% (≥40). Infection (0.8%), venous thromboembolism (VTE, 0.4%), and pulmonary dysfunction (0.2%) were twice as common among overweight patients. Incidence of hematoma was similar in the two groups (0.9%). Complications following abdominoplasty (3.5%), liposuction (0.9%), lower body lift (8.8%), or combined breast and body procedures (4.2%) were significantly higher in overweight patients. On multivariate analysis, being overweight (BMI 25-29.9) or obese (BMI ≥ 30) were independent predictors of any complication (Relative Risk, RR 1.17 and 1.51), especially infection (RR 1.63 and 2.73), and VTE (RR 1.67 and 2.56). CONCLUSIONS Overweight (BMI 25-29.9) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) are both independent risk factors for post-operative infection and VTE in aesthetic surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2: Risk.
Teacher professional standards : mirage or miracle cure - an archaeology of professionalism in education

This thesis is a problematisation of the development and implementation of professional standards as the mechanism to enhance professionalism and teacher quality in the teaching force within Australia and, more specifically, Queensland. Drawing on tools from Foucauldian archaeological analysis, the dominant discourses of professionalism from the academic literature, Australian federal and state policy documents and narratives from Queensland teachers are examined. These data sets are then cross referenced, analysing the intersections and divergences between the different texts. Findings suggest that through policy, political strategy and derisory statements from various authoritative voices, the managerial discourse of professionalism through professional standards documents has been unduly privileged as a means of regulating teachers, despite the fact that teachers themselves do not share this dominant notion of professionalism. The teachers in this study proffer ‘new classical-practical professionalism’ as a counter discourse, or discourse of resistance, to managerialism. However, an application of Foucault’s theorisations on power-knowledge reveals that their spoken discourses mean they are in fact yielding to the discourse of professional standards as docile bodies.
A service-sharing methodology for integrating COTS-based software systems

This paper outlines a proposal for a novel approach to integration of COTS-based systems. Our methodology focuses on systems that operate in the same or similar application domains. Each COTS-based system is viewed in terms of the services it provides. We propose the use of a domain ontology and specially constructed service adapters to facilitate the sharing of these services with other COTS systems, effectively facilitating interoperability among them.
Graph Products Revisited: Tight Approximation Hardness of Induced Matching, Poset Dimension and More

Graph product is a fundamental tool with rich applications in both graph theory and theoretical computer science. It is usually studied in the form f(G * H) where G and H are graphs, * is a graph product and f is a graph property. For example, if f is the independence number and * is the disjunctive product, then the product is known to be multiplicative: f(G * H) = f(G)f(H). In this paper, we study graph products in the following non-standard form: f((G⊕H)*J) where G, H and J are graphs, ⊕ and * are two different graph products and f is a graph property. We show that if f is the induced and semi-induced matching number, then for some products ⊕ and *, it is subadditive in the sense that f((G ⊕ H) * J) ≤ f(G * J) + f(H * J). Moreover, when f is the poset dimension number, it is almost subadditive. As applications of this result (we only need J = K2 here), we obtain tight hardness of approximation for various problems in discrete mathematics and computer science: bipartite induced and semi-induced matching (a.k.a. maximum expanding sequences), poset dimension, maximum feasible subsystem with 0/1 coefficients, unit-demand min-buying and single-minded pricing, donation center location, boxicity, cubicity, threshold dimension and independent packing.