Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Considering the practical implementation of constructivist grounded theory in a study of widening participation in Irish higher education

This paper considers the practical implementation of constructivist grounded theory principles in a study of widening participation in Irish higher education. Following a brief introduction to the research study upon which this paper draws, a rationale is provided for the use of grounded theory and the objectivist–constructivist nexus is examined. Grounded theory was regarded as a valuable methodology to employ in the area of social justice-oriented widening participation research; however, objectivist approaches were found to be problematic. This paper identifies key principles informing a constructivist grounded theory research design and subsequently focuses on what these principles might ‘look like’, in practice, through an exploration of three key processes I employed in my grounded theory study. These processes provide examples of how researchers might adapt grounded theory methods, in a constructivist fashion, to better align the methodology with social justice-oriented research.
Modeling negative affectivity and job stress: a contingency-based approach

Understanding the role of negative affectivity (NA) in relations between job stressors and resultant strains has been a major source of research interest in the organizational literature for almost two decades. In this study, we propose a contingency approach, whereby the role of NA depends on the nature of the strain construct under investigation. Specifically, we predicted that perceived job stressors would fully mediate the relationship between NA and turnover intentions, while job stressors would only partially mediate the relationship between NA and job and life satisfaction, and job stressors would be unrelated to depression once NA was taken into account. The relative fit of these four models is tested utilizing data from two divergent samples (sales representatives and managers) employing both self- and informant reports of strain measures where feasible. Hypotheses regarding the specified nature of the NA → stressor → strain relationship generally were supported and replicated across samples. In addition, an alternate model specifying that NA moderates the relationship between stressors and strains was not supported for any strain variable. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Radiation Effects on the Blood-Brain Barrier

Selective vascular irradiation enables the critical examination of the vasculature and its role in the onset of late radiation effects. It is a novel approach to expose the endothelial cells to much higher levels of ionizing radiation relative to normal cells by utilizing the boron neutron capture reaction. When boron-containing compounds are restricted to the lumen of the blood vessel, the resulting high-LET alpha and lithium particles cannot deposit their energy in the normal cells beyond the vasculature after the target is exposed to thermal neutrons. This allows for a 2to 3-fold increase in the calculated dose to the endothelial cells. However, this technique has been criticized because there is no direct evidence that the endothelial cells receive an absorbed dose from the selective vascular irradiation. The objective of this work is to provide corroborating experimental evidence that selective vascular irradiation physically damages the endothelial cells. An established assay utilizing blood-brain barrier disruption was adopted to quantify the radiation damage to the endothelial cells in female BALB/C mice, 8-12 weeks of age. A dye that attaches to the plasma proteins in the blood and that is ordinarily kept out of the brain by the blood-brain barrier is injected into the blood supply before the irradiation, and following irradiation, damage to the vasculature will result in disruption of the blood-brain barrier that allows blood stained with the dye to enter the brain. After sacrificing, the blood in the vessel lumen is cleared by performing a trans-cardiac perfusion, and the brain is homogenized and prepared for analysis. The absorbance of the resulting supemrnatant of each brain sample is measured with a spectrophotometer at the optimal wavelength of the dye. The absorbance is related to the quantity of blood that leaked through the blood-brain barrier, which is also related to the damage caused to the vasculature from exposure to ionizing radiation. Increased leakage through the blood-brain barrier was observed for those mice exposed to selective vascular irradiation, indicating a direct relationship between the leakage through the blood-brain barrier and the loB concentration in the blood. The most significant increase in the leakage through the blood-brain barrier (p<0.002) was observed at the highest lOB concentration in the blood (161 ppm). The compound biological effectiveness (CBE) for sulfhydryl borane (BSH) was calculated to be 0.28, which is consistent with the published value of the CBE for BSH in the rat spinal cord. This suggests that the assumptions used for calculating the absorbed doses for selective vascular irradiation are reasonable and approximate to what the endothelial cells receive. Thesis Supervisor: Jeffrey A. Coderre Title: Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Phase II studies of nebulised Arikace in CF patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection

Rationale Arikace is a liposomal amikacin preparation for aerosol delivery with potent Pseudomonas aeruginosa killing and prolonged lung deposition. Objectives To examine the safety and efficacy of 28 days of once-daily Arikace in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients chronically infected with P aeruginosa. Methods 105 subjects were evaluated in double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. Subjects were randomised to once-daily Arikace (70, 140, 280 and 560 mg; n=7, 5, 21 and 36 subjects) or placebo (n=36) for 28 days. Primary outcomes included safety and tolerability. Secondary outcomes included lung function (forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1)), P aeruginosa density in sputum, and the Cystic Fibrosis Quality of Life Questionnaire—Revised (CFQ-R). Results The adverse event profile was similar among Arikace and placebo subjects. The relative change in FEV1 was higher in the 560 mg dose group at day 28 (p=0.033) and at day 56 (28 days post-treatment, 0.093L±0.203 vs −0.032L±0.119; p=0.003) versus placebo. Sputum P aeruginosa density decreased >1 log in the 560 mg group versus placebo (days 14, 28 and 35; p=0.021). The Respiratory Domain of the CFQ-R increased by the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) in 67% of Arikace subjects (560 mg) versus 36% of placebo (p=0.006), and correlated with FEV1 improvements at days 14, 28 and 42 (p<0.05). An open-label extension (560 mg Arikace) for 28 days followed by 56 days off over six cycles confirmed durable improvements in lung function and sputum P aeruginosa density (n=49). Conclusions Once-daily Arikace demonstrated acute tolerability, safety, biologic activity and efficacy in patients with CF with P aeruginosa infection.
The Escherichia coli Citrate Carrier CitT: a Member of a Novel Eubacterial Transporter Family Related to the 2-Oxoglutarate/Malate Translocator from Spinach Chloroplasts

ABSTRACT Under anoxic conditions in the presence of an oxidizable cosubstrate such as glucose or glycerol, Escherichia coliconverts citrate to acetate and succinate. Two enzymes are specifically required for the fermentation of the tricarboxylic acid, i.e., a citrate uptake system and citrate lyase. Here we report that the open reading frame (designated citT) located at 13.90 min on theE. coli chromosome between rna and the citrate lyase genes encodes a citrate carrier. E. colitransformed with a plasmid expressing citT was capable of aerobic growth on citrate, which provides convincing evidence for a function of CitT as a citrate carrier. Transport studies with cell suspensions of the transformed strain indicated that CitT catalyzes a homologous exchange of citrate or a heterologous exchange against succinate, fumarate, or tartrate. Since succinate is the end product of citrate fermentation in E. coli, it is likely that CitT functions in vivo as a citrate/succinate antiporter. Analysis of the primary sequence showed that CitT (487 amino acids, 53.1 kDa) is a highly hydrophobic protein with 12 putative transmembrane helices. Sequence comparisons revealed that CitT is related to the 2-oxoglutarate/malate translocator (SODiT1 gene product) from spinach chloroplasts and five bacterial gene products, none of which has yet been functionally characterized. It is suggested that the E. coli CitT protein is a member of a novel family of eubacterial transporters involved in the transport of di- and tricarboxylic acids.
Microfluidic Organ/Body-on-a-Chip Devices at the Convergence of Biology and Microengineering

Recent advances in biomedical technologies are mostly related to the convergence of biology with microengineering. For instance, microfluidic devices are now commonly found in most research centers, clinics and hospitals, contributing to more accurate studies and therapies as powerful tools for drug delivery, monitoring of specific analytes, and medical diagnostics. Most remarkably, integration of cellularized constructs within microengineered platforms has enabled the recapitulation of the physiological and pathological conditions of complex tissues and organs. The so-called “organ-on-a-chip” technology, which represents a new avenue in the field of advanced in vitro models, with the potential to revolutionize current approaches to drug screening and toxicology studies. This review aims to highlight recent advances of microfluidic-based devices towards a body-on-a-chip concept, exploring their technology and broad applications in the biomedical field.
Provisional chapter Biomarkers of Cardiac Ischemia

Cardiac ischemia occurs when there is a supply versus demand mismatch in coronary blood flow. In patients who present with unstable angina, ischemia occurs due to partial or total occlusion of a coronary artery due to plaque rupture. In stable angina however, there is progressive vascular occlusion resulting ultimately in a luminal stenosis of greater than 70%, impeding blood flow to the distal tissue. If the ischemia is reversible, no permanent myocardial damage occurs.If however the ischemic episode is prolonged; there will be cellular necrosis which will lead to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The immediate clinical challenge is to be able to identify acutely impaired myocardial perfusion before the necrotic process starts. Currently, the only strategy for this is to detect ST-segment changes on the electrocardiogram (ECG), however the ECG is non-diagnostic in many cases. The sensitivity of the admission ECG for the diagnosis of AMI is typically around 50%. Reperfusion, be it pharmacological or surgical, is the essential life-saving intervention with the aim of salvaging myocardial tissue localised at the affected site. Many patients however who present with chest pain to the emergency department (ED) do not have a final diagnosis of AMI. There is therefore a need for a strategy which could detect cardiac ischemia before necrosis occurs and result in prompt revascularisation. Blood borne biomarkers for ischemia may be of diagnostic and prognostic value.
A tracking controller for linear systems subject to input amplitude and rate constraints

We propose a new set point tracking controller for plants subject to simultaneous input amplitude and rate constraints. Short settling times are achieved by allowing the controller to saturate. The tracking controller can be deduced from a controller stabilizing the origin with an associated domain of attraction. Additionally, no assumptions concerning the rate of the reference signal are necessary.
Knowledge-based assessment of behavior in dynamic environments

In this paper we propose a knowledge-based approach for thesupport of adaptive and context-aware behavior in autonomic systems. In order to providemeaningful and adequate behavior in the presence of dynamic (or adverse) environmentssystems must possess the ability to assess their current state on the basis of knowledge about themselves andtheir environments. We propose to use ontologies for therepresentation of knowledge and its integration into a general systemsarchitecture supporting autonomic behavior. Especially we rely on fuzzy description logics in order to support robust automatic reasoning w.r. t. environmental conditions.We distinguish several aspects of knowledge and use multiset term rewritingto describe mechanisms of coordination between them.We discuss the advantages of our approach and give examples forparadigmatic applications.
Agricultural Wastes

The following review provides a summary of research activities related to characterization, treatment and management of Agricultural Wastes. The review has been divided up into four major sections: (i) Waste Characterization, Analytical Methods and Measurement, (ii) Agricultural Waste Treatment, (iii) Reuse and Recycling of Agricultural Wastes, and (iv) Pollution Prevention and Minimization of the Environmental Impact of Agricultural Wastes.
[18F]FDOPA and [18F]CFT are both sensitive PET markers to detect presynaptic dopaminergic hypofunction in early Parkinson's disease

The aim of this study was to compare two PET ligands, 6‐[18F]fluoro‐L‐dopa ([18F]FDOPA) and 18F‐labeled CFT, 2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐[18F]‐fluorophenyl)tropane ([18F]CFT), in detecting presynaptic dopaminergic hypofunction in early Parkinson's disease (PD). These ligands reflect different aspects of presynaptic dopaminergic function, since [18F]FDOPA mainly reflects 6‐[18F]fluorodopamine (fluorodopamine) synthesis and storage whereas [18F]CFT uptake is related to dopamine transporter function. Eight de novo patients with PD who had never been on antiparkinsonian medication were investigated with [18F]FDOPA and [18F]CFT PET. Five healthy volunteers were studied as controls. In PD patients, both [18F]FDOPA and [18F]CFT uptakes were significantly reduced both in the contralateral and ipsilateral anterior and posterior putamen. The reduction was greatest in the contralateral posterior putamen (to 28% of control mean for [18F]FDOPA, P < 0.0001 and to 16% for [18F]CFT, P < 0.0001). Individually, all patients' [18F]FDOPA and [18F]CFT uptake values in the contralateral anterior and posterior putamen were below 3 SD of the control mean. In the caudate nucleus, the mean uptake of both tracers was significantly reduced both ipsilaterally and contralaterally, but less severely than in the putamen (to 69% of the control mean for [18F]FDOPA, P = 0.003 and to 60% for [18F]CFT, P = 0.001 contralaterally). Our results show that both [18F]FDOPA as well as [18F]CFT sensitively detect presynaptic dopaminergic hypofunction in early PD. They demonstrate a considerable reduction of tracer uptake that is greatest in the posterior putamen, followed by the anterior putamen and the caudate nucleus. Synapse 40:193–200, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Local cooperative relay for opportunistic data forwarding in mobile ad-hoc networks

Opportunistic data forwarding draws more and more attention in the research community of wireless network after the initial work ExOR was published. However, as far as we know, all existing opportunistic data forwarding only use the nodes which are included in the forwarder list in the entire forwarding progress. In fact, even if a node is not a listed forwarder in the forwarder list, but it is on the direction from source node to destination node, and when it successfully overhears some packets by opportunity, the node actually can be utilized in the opportunistic data forwarding progress. In this paper, we propose the local cooperative relay for opportunistic data forwarding in mobile ad-hoc networks. In general, three contributions we have in this paper, 1) we open more node to participate in the opportunistic data forwarding even though the nodes are not included in the forwarder list, 2) we propose the procedure to select the best local relay node, namely the helper-node, from many candidates but require no inner communication between them, 3) the helper-node is selected just when it is needed, and the such real time selection can tolerate and bridge vulnerable links in mobile networks.
Computers and Mathematics with Applications Ieee 802.11 User Fingerprinting and Its Applications for Intrusion Detection

Easy associations with wireless access points (APs) give users temporal and quick access to the Internet. It needs only a few seconds to take their machines to hotspots and do a little configuration in order to have Internet access. However, this portability becomes a double-edged sword for ignorant network users. Network protocol analyzers are typically developed for network performance analysis. Nonetheless, they can also be used to reveal user's privacy by classifying network traffic. Some characteristics in IEEE 802.11 traffic particularly help identify users. Like actual human fingerprints, there are also unique traffic characteristics for each network user. They are called network user fingerprints, by tracking which more than half of network users can be connected to their traffic even with medium access control (MAC) layer pseudonyms. On the other hand, the concept of network user fingerprint is likely to be a powerful tool for intrusion detection and computer/digital forensics. As with actual criminal investigations, comparison of sampling data to training data may increase confidence in criminal specification. This article focuses on a survey on a user fingerprinting technique of IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN traffic. We also summarize some of the researches on IEEE 802.11 network characteristic analysis to figure out rogue APs and MAC protocol misbehaviors.
Optimized 14 + 1 receive coil array and position system for 3D high-resolution MRI of dental and maxillomandibular structures.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to design, build and test a multielement receive coil array and position system, which is optimized for three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution dental and maxillomandibular MRI with high patient comfort. METHODS A 14 + 1 coil array and positioning system, allowing easy handling by the technologists, reproducible positioning of the patients and high patient comfort, was tested with three healthy volunteers using a 3.0-T MRI machine (Siemens Skyra; Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany). High-resolution 3D T1 weighted, water excitation T1 weighted and fat-saturated T2 weighted imaging sequences were scanned, and 3D image data were reformatted in different orientations and curvatures to aid diagnosis. RESULTS The high number of receiving coils and the comfortable positioning of the coil array close to the patient's face provided a high signal-to-noise ratio and allowed high quality, high resolution, 3D image data to be acquired within reasonable scan times owing to the possibility of parallel image acquisition acceleration. Reformatting the isotropic 3D image data in different views is helpful for diagnosis, e.g. panoramic reconstruction. The visibility of soft tissues such as the mandibular canal, nutritive canals and periodontal ligaments was exquisite. CONCLUSIONS The optimized MRI receive coil array and positioning system for dental and oral-maxillofacial imaging provides a valuable tool for detecting and diagnosing pathologies in dental and oral-maxillofacial structures while avoiding radiation dose. The high patient comfort, as achieved by our design, is very crucial, since image artefacts due to movement or failing to complete the examination jeopardize the diagnostic value of MRI examinations.
Strategic Learning in Youth With Traumatic Brain Injury: Evidence for Stall in Higher‐Order Cognition

Little is known about strategic learning ability in preteens and adolescents with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Strategic learning is the ability to combine and synthesize details to form abstracted gist-based meanings, a higher-order cognitive skill associated with frontal lobe functions and higher classroom performance. Summarization tasks were used to measure strategic learning ability through the production of abstracted gist-based concepts, and specific probes measured memory for explicit details. Twenty middle school-aged preteens and teenagers who sustained a moderate to severe TBI 1 year postinjury and a control group of 20 typically developing 10-to 15-year-old subjects participated in this study. The results revealed that the youth with moderate to severe TBI were able to recall specific details at a comparable level to the control group. However, the youth with TBI demonstrated significantly lower strategic learning competence, as manifested by a reduced ability to combine details into gist-based ideas. The present findings advance the notion that skills that have not yet developed at the time of brain injury or are in a stage of development may be particularly vulnerable to the long-term and lasting sequelae of TBI in youth, although a longitudinal study is needed to verify this claim.
SECURING SMART GRID : CYBER SECURITY REQUIREMENTS AND CURRENT SECURITY SOLUTIONS

A smart grid is a new self-healing, self-activating form of electricity network, which integrates power-flow control, increased quality of electricity, and energy reliability, energy efficiency and energy security using information and communication technologies. Its two-way communication and electricity flow enable to monitor, predict and manage the energy usage. To upgrade an existing power grid into a smart grid, it requires an intelligent and secure communication infrastructure. A security architecture for distributed communications, pervasive computing, and sensing security technologies will be used as a security solution. In this article, we describe the smart grid goals and tactics solution, and present a three-layer network communication architecture for smart grid. Next, we discus about security requirement in smart grid. We then introduce the current security solution, whose integration is essential for achieving protection against existing and future sophisticated
Using Web-Intelligence for Excavating the Emerging Meaning of Target-Concepts

Representing meaning is a major challenge facing Web 3.0. However, it is extremely difficult to excavate the meaning of a target concept from textual data as there is no one-to-one correspondence between the textual unit in which the target concept is embedded and the conceptual content that we would like to excavate. In this paper, we propose one possible approach for addressing this challenge, by harvesting the Web for metaphorical relations in which the target concept is an argument. In this paper, we present several preliminary results of "Pedesis" – a novel automated system for excavating the meaning of target concepts – and plan to present at the oral presentation an application of this methodology for identifying depression in free text.
Introduction to “Where the Wired Things Are: Children and Technology in Treatment”

On October 2, 2010, a conference for child therapists was held in New York City, co-sponsored by the Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy and Section II (Child and Adolescent) of Division 39 (Psychoanalysis) of the American Psychological Association. The conference was called Where the Wired Things Are: Children and Technology in Treatment and was subtitled An Exciting Age for Children—A Scary Age for Parents and Therapists. It was designed to pose and consider the clinical implications of children of the Digital Age, who were born into a world of technology. The following papers represent some of the presentations at that conference.