Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Quality Improvement Interventions at Reducing Inappropriate Cardiac Imaging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background—Between 5% and 25% of cardiac imaging tests are performed for inappropriate indications. Studies have examined the impact of appropriate use criteria–based quality improvement initiatives on inappropriate testing, but they have not been systematically evaluated. Methods and Results—We performed a systematic review of studies evaluating quality improvement initiatives aimed at reducing inappropriate cardiac imaging. The primary outcome was the proportion of inappropriate tests based on appropriate use criteria. Studies were analyzed using a random effects meta-analysis model, and heterogeneity was examined using subgroup analyses. We identified 6 observational studies and 1 randomized control trial. Most interventions (n=6) had a formal education component, and 5 included a mechanism for physician audit and feedback. Although these interventions were associated with lower odds of inappropriate testing (odds ratio, 0.44 [95% confidence interval, 0.32–0.61]; P<0.001), significant heterogeneity was observed (I2=70%), which was best explained by the utilization of physician audit and feedback. Interventions that employed physician audit and feedback were associated with significantly lower odds of inappropriate testing (odds ratio, 0.36 [95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.41]; P<0.001; I2=0%), whereas those that did not had no effect (odds ratio, 0.89 [95% confidence interval, 0.61–1.29]; P=0.51; I2=0%; P value for difference <0.001). All studies had potential sources of bias that could have affected the observed estimates. Conclusions—Interventions using physician audit and feedback are associated with lower odds of inappropriate cardiac testing. Further research is needed to evaluate a greater diversity of intervention types, with improved study designs.
Activated Carbon-Based System for the Disposal of Psychoactive Medications

The misuse and improper disposal of psychoactive medications is a major safety and environmental concern. Hence, the proper disposal of these medications is critically important. A drug deactivation system which contains activated carbon offers a unique disposal method. In the present study, deactivation efficiency of this system was tested by using three model psychoactive drugs. HPLC validation was performed for each drug to ensure that the analytical method employed was suitable for its intended use. The method was found to be specific, accurate and precise for analyzing the drugs. The extent and rate of deactivation of the drugs was determined at several time points. After 28 days in the presence of activated carbon, the extent of leaching out of the drugs was evaluated. Deactivation started immediately after addition of the medications into the disposal pouches. Within 8 h, around 47%, 70% and 97% of diazepam, lorazepam and buprenorphine were adsorbed by the activated carbon, respectively. By the end of 28 days, over 99% of all drugs were deactivated. The desorption/leaching study showed that less than 1% of the active ingredients leached out from the activated carbon. Thus, this deactivation system can be successfully used for the disposal of psychoactive medications.
Activity of a Novel Combined Antiretroviral Therapy of Gemcitabine and Decitabine in a Mouse Model for HIV-1

ABSTRACT The emergence of drug resistance threatens to limit the use of current anti-HIV-1 drugs and highlights the need to expand the number of treatment options available for HIV-1-infected individuals. Our previous studies demonstrated that two clinically approved drugs, decitabine and gemcitabine, potently inhibited HIV-1 replication in cell culture through a mechanism that is distinct from the mechanisms for the drugs currently used to treat HIV-1 infection. We further demonstrated that gemcitabine inhibited replication of a related retrovirus, murine leukemia virus (MuLV), in vivo using the MuLV-based LP-BM5/murine AIDS (MAIDS) mouse model at doses that were not toxic. Since decitabine and gemcitabine inhibited MuLV and HIV-1 replication with similar potency in cell culture, the current study examined the efficacy and toxicity of the drug combination using the MAIDS model. The data demonstrate that the drug combination inhibited disease progression, as detected by histopathology, viral loads, and spleen weights, at doses lower than those that would be required if the drugs were used individually. The combination of decitabine and gemcitabine exerted antiviral activity at doses that were not toxic. These findings indicate that the combination of decitabine and gemcitabine shows potent antiretroviral activity at nontoxic doses and should be further investigated for clinical relevance.
Fighting online click-fraud using bluff ads

Online advertising is currently the richest source of revenue for many Internet giants. The increased number of online businesses, specialized websites and modern profiling techniques have all contributed to an explosion of the income of ad brokers from online advertising. The single biggest threat to this growth, is however, click-fraud. Trained botnets and individuals are hired by click-fraud specialists in order to maximize the revenue of certain users from the ads they publish on their websites, or to launch an attack between competing businesses. In this note we wish to raise the awareness of the networking research community on potential research areas within the online advertising field. As an example strategy, we present Bluff ads; a class of ads that join forces in order to increase the effort level for click-fraud spammers. Bluff ads are either targeted ads, with irrelevant display text, or highly relevant display text, with irrelevant targeting information. They act as a litmus test for the legitimacy of the individual clicking on the ads. Together with standard threshold-based methods, fake ads help to decrease click-fraud levels.
Movement Skill Assessment

This unique text focuses exclusively on the assessment of movement skills, offering background information, discussions of six levels of movement skill assessment, and strategies for implementation. Practical and user-friendly, "Movement Skill Assessment" helps readers acquire the skills they need to successfully carry out their assessment responsibilities. Filled with information on more than 150 tests and including more than 650 references, the book emphasizes a top-down, functional approach to the assessment of movement skills. Part I addresses basic issues that the reader should understand before attempting to assess movement skills: -Purposes of movement skill assessment in educational and therapeutic environments-Definitions and classifications of movement skills-Measurement concepts and calculations-Theoretical approaches to movement skill assessment-Validity and reliability Readers will also find a detailed history of movement skill assessment, beginning before 1850 and continuing through 1974, after which a proliferation of assessment instruments appeared.Part II discusses the six levels of the movement skill taxonomy: -Movement skill foundations-Motor abilities-Early movement milestones-Fundamental movement skills-Specialized movement skills-Functional movement skillsThis section also includes eight in-depth critiques of popular assessment instruments, such as the Test of Gross Motor Development, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children Checklist, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. In Part III readers will learn how to achieve the goals of movement skill assessment. They'll find an overview of the assessment process, from selecting an appropriate measurement tool to collecting and treating data to interpreting results; a comparison of bottom-up and top-down assessment strategies; and an examination of the latest trends and developments in movement skill assessment.The book's appendixes categorize and summarize 45 commonly used assessment instruments, present 35 selected standards for test users from the Task Force on Standards for Measurement in Physical Therapy, and provide a Z-score table for performing normative calculations.
RACE: A Rate Adaptive Channel Estimation Approach for Millimeter Wave MIMO Systems

In this paper, we consider the channel estimation problem in millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless systems with large antenna arrays. By exploiting the inherent sparse nature of the mmWave channel, we develop a novel rate-adaptive channel estimation (RACE) algorithm, which can adaptively adjust the number of required channel measurements based on an expected probability of estimation error (PEE). To this end, we design a maximum likelihood (ML) estimator to optimally extract the path information and the associated probability of error from the increasing number of channel measurements. Based on the ML estimator, the algorithm is able to measure the channel using a variable number of beam patterns until the receiver believes that the estimated direction is correct. This is in contrast to the existing mmWave channel estimation algorithms, in which the number of measurements is typically fixed. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the number of channel estimation measurements while still retaining a high level of accuracy, compared to existing multi-stage channel estimation algorithms.
Rational Design of Disulfide Bonds Increases Thermostability of a Mesophilic 1,3-1,4-β-Glucanase from Bacillus terquilensis

1,3–1,4-β-glucanase is an important biocatalyst in brewing industry and animal feed industry, while its low thermostability often reduces its application performance. In this study, the thermostability of a mesophilic β-glucanase from Bacillus terquilensis was enhanced by rational design and engineering of disulfide bonds in the protein structure. Protein spatial configuration was analyzed to pre-exclude the residues pairs which negatively conflicted with the protein structure and ensure the contact of catalytic center. The changes in protein overall and local flexibility among the wild-type enzyme and the designated mutants were predicted to select the potential disulfide bonds for enhancement of thermostability. Two residue pairs (N31C-T187C and P102C-N125C) were chosen as engineering targets and both of them were proved to significantly enhance the protein thermostability. After combinational mutagenesis, the double mutant N31C-T187C/P102C-N125C showed a 48.3% increase in half-life value at 60°C and a 4.1°C rise in melting temperature (Tm) compared to wild-type enzyme. The catalytic property of N31C-T187C/P102C-N125C mutant was similar to that of wild-type enzyme. Interestingly, the optimal pH of double mutant was shifted from pH6.5 to pH6.0, which could also increase its industrial application. By comparison with mutants with single-Cys substitutions, the introduction of disulfide bonds and the induced new hydrogen bonds were proved to result in both local and overall rigidification and should be responsible for the improved thermostability. Therefore, the introduction of disulfide bonds for thermostability improvement could be rationally and highly-effectively designed by combination with spatial configuration analysis and molecular dynamics simulation.
TEACHING ANXIETY OF STUDENT TEACHERS FROM DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES

This study aims to find out the level of student teacher anxiety that student teachers from different majors of study experience and whether this level changes throughout the practicum. For this purpose 403 student teachers completing their teaching practicum in different departments at Anadolu University Faculty of Education participated in the study by answering a revised version of Student Teacher Anxiety Scale (STAS). The quantitative analysis of the data showed that although student teachers were moderately anxious about the items in the scale at the beginning and at the end of the practicum, there was a significant difference between the two administrations: the student teachers, regardless of department, were less anxious in the second administration. A 7X2 Mixed-design ANOVA analysis showed that there was a significant difference when time*department relationship is considered although time itself did not yield any significance. The findings are discussed along the existing literature and current practices of teaching education programs.
The association of metabolic syndrome and aging with cognition in Asian men

Abstract Background: The present cross-sectional study examined the associations of individual metabolic factors and age with the short-term memory and perceptual capacity in 472 healthy Asian men. Methods: The symbol digit and digit span tests from the Swedish Performance Evaluation System were used to assess the perceptual capacity and memory cognitive domains. Linear regression with the stepwise method, and multivariate analyses of the General Linear Model with the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons were carried out with the SPSS 21.0 package. Results: High blood pressure and HDL were not significantly associated with either short-term memory or perceptual capacity. Age and glucose level were negatively associated but regular physical exercise was positively associated with perceptual capacity. On the other hand, high triglyceride level (TG) was positively associated but high waist/height ratio was negatively associated with short-term memory. When men without any component of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) were compared with men with one, two or three or more components of MetS, no significant differences in cognitive performance were noted. Conclusion: Not all the metabolic factors were significantly associated with short-term memory or the perceptual capacity domains. Those that were did not show a sufficiently consistent pattern of association to support a role for MetS as a whole in cognitive decline with aging. It may not be meaningful to evaluate the association of MetS as a whole with cognition.
Robustness Evaluation of Hand Vein Recognition Systems

Hand vein recognition systems are more robust against external influences which degrade the image quality like dust or dirt on the sensor or skin surface conditions than fingerprint ones. We investigate the robustness of several hand vein feature extraction and matching schemes against different types of image distortions, related to conditions occurring during the acquisition of hand vein images. These distortions correspond to sensor defects, bad system design and problems in the use of the sensor. The impact on the recognition accuracy is quantified in terms of the EER and compared across the different schemes and different types of distortions.
Atopic dermatitis: the new frontier

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory skin condition in adults and children. AD is a chronic disease that has a considerable negative impact on the quality of life of patients and their families. Most cases of AD may be effectively treated with topical therapies that are directed at decreasing cutaneous inflammation and alleviating pruritus. These therapies include emollients, antihistamines, topical corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors and antimicrobial and antiseptic measures; more refractory cases may require additional oral immunosuppression (eg, cyclosporine, azathioprine, methotrexate and mycophenolate). Improved understanding of the immune pathogenesis of AD, including the role of T helper cells and the inflammatory pathways involved, has led to breakthrough translational clinical research and treatment. New targeted immunotherapies, such as inhibitors of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, IL-31, Janus associated kinase and phosphodiesterase, have had promising results from phase 2 and 3 trials for patients with moderate to severe AD.
A New Regulatory Mechanism for Kv7.2 Protein During Neuropathy: Enhanced Transport from the Soma to Axonal Terminals of Injured Sensory Neurons

Kv7.2 channel expression has been reported to decrease in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following the induction of a peripheral neuropathy while other experiments show that Kv7.2 accumulates in peripheral neuromas. The mechanisms underlying these novel expression patterns are poorly understood. Here we use immunofluorescence methods to analyze Kv7.2 protein expression changes in sensory neurons following peripheral axotomy and the potential role of axonal transport. Results indicate that DRG neurons express Kv7.2 in ~16% of neurons and that this number decreases by about 65% after axotomy. Damaged neurons were identified in DRG by application of the tracer Fluoro-ruby at the site of injury during surgery. Reduction of Kv7.2 expression was particularly strong in damaged neurons although some loss was also found in putative uninjured neurons. In parallel to the decrease in the soma of axotomized sensory neurons, Kv7.2 accumulated at neuromatose fiber endings. Blockade of axonal transport with either vinblastine (VLB) or colchicine (COL) abolished Kv7.2 redistribution in neuropathic animals. Channel distribution rearrangements did not occur following induction of inflammation in the hind paw. Behavioral tests indicate that protein rearrangements within sensory afferents are essential to the development of allodynia under neuropathic conditions. These results suggest that axotomy enhances axonal transport in injured sensory neurons, leading to a decrease of somatic expression of Kv7.2 protein and a concomitant accumulation in damaged fiber endings. Localized changes in channel expression patterns under pathological conditions may create novel opportunities for Kv7.2 channel openers to act as analgesics.
Towards a modular and flexible SDN control language

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a recent paradigm that aims to reshape the way we configure and manage today's networks. To fulfill this goal, SDN relies on control languages to programmatically express the desired network behavior, making it possible to quickly change and innovate within the network. As a consequence, having an expressive and powerful control language will unlock the full potential of this approach and enable new opportunities for developing network control applications. As such, numerous works addressed this issue, where the most recent ones have used network abstractions in order to spare administrators from dealing with the complex and dynamic nature of the physical infrastructure. However, we think that these languages rely on abstractions that are not the most appropriate ones for expressing modular and reusable control policies. In this paper, we present work in progress towards a new high-level, modular and flexible SDN control language. One novelty of this language is to integrate a network abstraction model that allows a clear separation between simple transport functions and richer network services. We believe that this approach will allow administrators to design and deploy control applications that can be easily maintained and reused.
Subcellular Relocalization and Positive Selection Play Key Roles in the Retention of Duplicate Genes of Populus Class III Peroxidase Family[W][OPEN]

Using ancestral protein reconstruction, protein subcellular localization, and enzyme functional assays of ancestral and current proteins, this study characterized biochemical properties of positively selected sites in Populus vacuole PRXs. The results revealed that protein subcellular relocalization and positive selection played important roles in the retention of duplicate genes. Gene duplication is the primary source of new genes and novel functions. Over the course of evolution, many duplicate genes lose their function and are eventually removed by deletion. However, some duplicates have persisted and evolved diverse functions. A particular challenge is to understand how this diversity arises and whether positive selection plays a role. In this study, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the class III peroxidase (PRX) genes from the Populus trichocarpa genome. PRXs are plant-specific enzymes that play important roles in cell wall metabolism and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. We found that two large tandem-arrayed clusters of PRXs evolved from an ancestral cell wall type PRX to vacuole type, followed by tandem duplications and subsequent functional specification. Substitution models identified seven positively selected sites in the vacuole PRXs. These positively selected sites showed significant effects on the biochemical functions of the enzymes. We also found that positive selection acts more frequently on residues adjacent to, rather than directly at, a critical active site of the enzyme, and on flexible regions rather than on rigid structural elements of the protein. Our study provides new insights into the adaptive molecular evolution of plant enzyme families.
Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences.

Contents: Foreword. Preface. P. Vorderer, J. Bryant, K.M. Pieper, R. Weber, Playing Video Games as Entertainment. M. Sellers, Designing the Experience of Interactive Play. Part I: The Product. H. Lowood, A Brief Biography of Computer Games. B.P. Smith, The (Computer) Games People Play. S. Smith, Perps, Pimps, and Provocative Clothing: Examining Negative Content Patterns in Video Games. E. Chan, P. Vorderer, Massively Multiplayer Online Games. Part II: Motivation and Selection. G.C. Klug, J. Schell, Why People Play Games: An Industry Perspective. P. Ohler, G. Nieding, Why Play? An Evolutionary Perspective. T. Hartmann, C. Klimmt, The Influence of Personality Factors on Computer Game Choice. C. Klimmt, T. Hartmann, Effectance, Self-Efficacy, and the Motivation to Play Video Games. M. von Salisch, C. Oppl, A. Kristen, What Attracts Children? A.A. Raney, J.K. Smith, K. Baker, Adolescents and the Appeal of Video Games. J. Bryant, J. Davies, Selective Exposure to Video Games. Part III: Reception and Reaction Processes. D. Williams, A Brief Social History of Game Play. J.L. Sherry, K. Lucas, B.S. Greenberg, K. Lachlan, Video Game Uses and Gratifications as Predicators of Use and Game Preference. R. Tamborini, P. Skalski, The Role of Presence in the Experience of Electronic Games. S.M. Zehnder, S.D. Lipscomb, The Role of Music in Video Games. K.M. Lee, N. Park, S-A. Jin, Narrative and Interactivity in Computer Games. M.A. Shapiro, J. Pea-Herborn, J.T. Hancock, Realism, Imagination, and Narrative Video Games. A-S. Axelsson, T. Regan, Playing Online. F.F. Steen, P.M. Greenfield, M.S. Davies, B. Tynes, What Went Wrong With The Sims Online: Cultural Learning and Barriers to Identification in a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Part IV: Effects and Consequences. K.M. Lee, W. Peng, What Do We Know About Social and Psychological Effects of Computer Games? A Comprehensive Review of the Current Literature. R. Weber, U. Ritterfeld, A. Kostygina, Aggression and Violence as Effects of Playing Violent Video Games? K.E. Buckley, C.A. Anderson, A Theoretical Model of the Effects and Consequences of Playing Video Games. D.A. Lieberman, What Can We Learn From Playing Interactive Games? U. Ritterfeld, R. Weber, Video Games for Entertainment and Education. K. Durkin, Game Playing and Adolescents' Development.
A Case Study Exploring Junior High School Students’ Interaction Behavior in a Learning Community on Facebook: Day and Time

Because Facebook has become another site where students spend much of their time, more and more teachers and researchers conduct teaching activities on Facebook. As a result, teachers must understand the students’ interaction behaviors in Facebook groups before creating a learning community on Facebook. This research aimed to explore teachers’ posts, students’ posts and student’s responses (read, like, and reply) to posts. The results showed that students preferred to reply to teachers’ posts instead of students’ posts. Students participated in online interactions mostly at night, before weekends and between 8:00 pm and midnight on school nights. Thus, it is recommended that teachers be aware of students’ online interaction behaviors so they can arrange appropriate schedules and actively post articles to allow student discussion.