Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nursing students’ preferences for clinical placements in the residential aged care setting

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To examine nursing student placement preferences submitted as online comments to a university's placement management system, to inform strategies for positive residential aged care experiences. BACKGROUND There are predicted shortages of nurses to service an ageing population. Clinical placements undertaken by undergraduate nursing students help shape their attitudes and are a key determinant of career decision-making, yet there is little research about why students prefer particular placement areas. DESIGN Analysis of qualitative data from a placement management system. METHODS Of 6,610 comments received between 2007-2014, 607 related to aged care and were coded according to preferences for being placed in a residential aged care facility, with reasons for this preference thematically coded and quantified. RESULTS Four hundred and one comments (66.1%) related to students requesting not to be allocated residential aged care for the upcoming placement, primarily due to previous experience in the sector; 104 (17.1%) referred to aged care in a neutral manner, focusing on conflict of interest; 102 (16.8%) related to a request for an aged care placement. CONCLUSIONS The student nurse comments characterise students as being focused on maximising their learning, while considering prior experience. In some cases, increased exposure to aged care is considered to offer limited learning opportunities, which is concerning and suggests that both the tertiary and aged care sectors have a joint responsibility to pursue recognition of aged care nursing as a specialised, highly skilled role. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Nursing programme providers should ensure curriculum content and exposure to aged care placement clearly identify the complexities of care and provide genuine opportunities for knowledge acquisition and skill development based on multifaceted resident care needs. This will support both those interested in a future aged care career and those undecided.
UltraTM Capacitors for Short Duration Backup of DSL Cabinets

Telephone companies have traditionally provided a minimum of 8 hours of battery backup at remote locations served by portable engine-alternators. In many areas, this is mandated by state law or other regulatory rules. For lifeline telephony service and 911 availability, this backup is critical. However, in the brave new world of data and video services, a TV signal is not critical for someone suffering from a heart attack. Cable TV and telephone companies provide different levels of battery backup (from none to a few hours) for data and video services. Rather than be driven by regulatory minimums, the backup is driven more by the market (the demands [real or perceived] and needs of the consumers). The closer the electronic equipment moves to the residential customer, the less important backup power becomes for video and data services (excluding plain old telephone service that may be derived from the same broadband pipe), since few residences have their own UPS systems to keep their TVs and computers working during commercial AC power outages. For example, in a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) application, where the electronics are at the house, if the electronics lose power, it is highly likely the whole house (including the TV and the computer) has lost power. Qwest has pursued a policy of little to no battery backup for FTTC and FTTN video/data only architectures for the past 9 years. Equipment problems more than customer complaints have caused us to recently re-evaluate that decision and look to put in minimal backup. -48 VDC lead-acid and Li-ion battery systems have been evaluated, as well as traditional UPS systems, and supertrade or ultratrade capacitors. Tests have shown that over the expected lifetime of the field electronics, the capacitors may prove to be the most costly and reliable alternative for backup times of less than 1 minute. This paper will explore the equipment related problems associated with having no battery backup, and evaluate the performance, as well as initial and maintenance costs of both battery and capacitor solutions. The proper amount of backup time required will also be discussed in relation to average outage frequency and duration on the U.S. grid
Experience of caregiving: relatives of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis.

BACKGROUND There has been relatively little research on caregivers of people experiencing their first episode of psychosis. AIMS To investigate dimensions of caregiving and morbidity in caregivers of people with first-episode psychosis. METHOD Caregivers of 40 people with first-episode psychosis were interviewed at home about their experience of caregiving, coping strategies and distress. RESULTS Caregivers used emotional and practical strategies to cope with participants' negative symptoms and difficult behaviours and experienced more worry about these problems. They increased supervision when the participants displayed difficult behaviours. Twelve per cent of caregivers were suffering from psychiatric morbidity as defined by the General Health Questionnaire. Those living with the participant had more frequent visits to their general practitioner. CONCLUSIONS At first-episode psychosis, caregivers are already having to cope with a wide range of problems and are developing coping strategies. Caregivers worried most about difficult behaviours and negative symptoms in participants.
On-Chip DC-DC Converter with Frequency Detector for Dynamic Voltage Scaling Technology

Dynamic voltage scaling is an efficient technology for the low power design in the deep submicron IC. The frequency controlled fully on chip DC-DC converter is implemented by using the variable reference voltage generator (VRVG) scheme with a supply voltage of 1.2V. The output of the converter is well regulated from 0.6V to 1.2V. Therefore, the output voltage is adaptive to the operation frequency. The maximum variation with temperature range from -40degC to -140degC is 5mV. We use a frequency detector to control the reference voltage, and there are four modes which are the high performance mode (425~316MHz at Vdd=1.2V), normal mode (315~207MHz at Vdd=1V), standby mode (206~97MHz at Vdd=0.8V) and idle mode (below 97MHz at Vdd=0.6V). The on-chip DC-DC converter is simulated by TSMC 0.13mum CMOS technology. The applications of on-chip DC-DC converter with frequency detector are widely used in the datapath of the DSP processors
The Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (PACC): Recommendations for Intrathecal Drug Delivery: Guidance for Improving Safety and Mitigating Risks

Intrathecal therapy is an important part of the pain treatment algorithm for chronic disease states. The use of this option is a viable treatment strategy, but it is inherent for pain physicians to understand risk assessment and mitigation. In this manuscript, we explore evidence and mitigating strategies to improve safety with intrathecal therapy.
Upper Limb Strength in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury Who Use Manual Wheelchairs

Abstract Introduction: Manual wheelchair users have been found to be at risk for secondary upper extremity injuries. Purpose: The primary goal of this study was to compare shoulder strength and muscle imbalance of individuals with paraplegia to case-wise matched unimpaired controls (UC). A secondary goal was to evaluate the impact of age and neurologic level of injury (NLI) on weight-normalized strength (WNS). Methods: The SCI group (n = 28) and the UC group (n = 28) completed bilateral shoulder isokinetic strength testing in the sagittal, frontal, and horizontal plane at 60 degrees/second using the BioDex system. Strength ratios, an indicator of muscle imbalance, were also calculated. Results: No significant difference was seen in shoulder strength or strength ratios between the SCI group and the UC group. However, NLI was significantly related to WNS on several planes in the SCI group. Therefore, we dichotomized the SCI group into equal groups based on an NLI. The Low-SCI group was significantly stronger than the High-SCI group in most planes (P < 0.05). The High-SCI group was significantly weaker than the UC in extension (P < 0.01) and a trend (P < 0.01) was seen in flexion, abduction, and external rotation. The Low-SCI group was significantly stronger in abduction than the UC. Conclusion: WNS at the shoulder correlated with NLI. It is likely that this is related to contributions of the trunk and abdominal muscles during testing, since proximal trunk strength aids in generating forces distally. This study and others of strength in individuals with paraplegia may overestimate shoulder strength.
Genetic Variations in the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1αGene and Lung Cancer

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), an important genetic component of angiogenesis, becomes stable as a response to tumor hypoxia and facilitates tumor survival. The polymorphisms of the HIF-1αgene may cause changes in the activity of this protein, which serves as a transcription factor for many genes in tumorigenesis. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between seven HIF-1αpolymorphisms [C > T substitution in intron 8 (rs10873142), T418I (rs41508050) in exon 10, P564P (rs41492849), L580L (rs34005929), P582S (rs11549465), A588T (rs11549467) in exon 12 and dinucleotide GT repeats in intron 13 (rs10645014)] among lung cancer patients in the Turkish population. Genomic DNA was isolated from 141 lung cancer cases and 156 controls and subjected to PCR for amplification. Genotyping was carried out with RFLP and DNA sequencing methods. There was no significant difference between the lung cancer cases and controls in terms of the distribution of genotyping frequencies of seven HIF-1αpolymorphisms (P > 0.05). No significant relationship was found between the C > T substitution in intron 8 and P582S haplotypes and development of lung cancer. In addition, there were no significant associations between the genotypes and clinopathological characteristics of the cases examined. These findings show that polymorphisms in the HIF-1αgene do not confer susceptibility to lung cancer. Exp Biol Med 234:1109–1116, 2009
Amino acid sequence of an amyloid fibril protein of unknown origin.

Abstract A group of human amyloid fibril proteins having chemical homology and antigenic similarities to immunoglobulin light polypeptide chains has been previously described. The amino acid sequence of a different type of human amyloid fibril protein is reported. This protein lacks valine, proline, threonine, and half-cystine and its sequence is not homologous with any presently known immunoglobulin sequence. This sequence defines a new class of amyloid fibril proteins of as yet unknown origin.
Transcriptional Autorepression of the Stress-inducible GeneATF3 *

Previously, we demonstrated that ATF3(activating transcriptionfactor-3) is a stress-inducible gene, and the protein it encodes is a transcriptional repressor. In this report, we present evidence suggesting that ATF3 represses the transcription of its own gene. Interestingly, efficient repression requires a consensus ATF/cAMP-responsive element site in the promoter and a previously unidentified ATF3-binding site immediately downstream from the TATA box. Although this new site resembles the known ATF/cAMP-responsive element sequences at the flanking sequence, it differs from them at the center key residues. These observations indicate that ATF3 can tolerate variations in the center of the binding sites if the flanking sequences are favorable. The repression of the ATF3 promoter by its own gene product provides a mechanistic explanation, at least in part, for the transient expression pattern of the ATF3 gene upon stress induction.
Effects of IL-1 Receptor-Associated Kinase-4 Gene Silencing on Human Osteoblast-Like Cells

The aim of this study is to identify the effects of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4) gene silencing on human osteoblast-like cells. The siRNA sequences of the target gene, IRAK-4, were constructed and transferred into MG63 cells (control group = MG63 cells; SC group = MG63 cells transfected with scrambled IRAK-4 siRNA; KD group = MG63 cells transfected with 75 nM IRAK-4 siRNA). The morphological changes, cell growth, cell-cycle progression, apoptosis, and the expression of various cytokines and proteins were compared. Compared with the control and SC groups, IRAK-4 gene silencing in MG63 cells caused morphological changes, inhibited growth, altered the cell-cycle distribution, increased apoptosis (p < 0.05), decreased bone alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels (p < 0.05), and decreased protein expression of Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-2, p-JNK1/2, p-ERK1/2, and p-p38MAPK (p < 0.05). The results indicated that IRAK-4 gene silencing in MG63 cells inhibited cell proliferation and function and increase apoptosis, which may be related to the decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio and inhibition of the protein expression of various components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. The results of this study may help improve the understanding of the relationship between IRAK-4 and osteoblast-like cells and the interactions between various cytokines in the periprosthetic inflammatory environment.
Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase Uncoupling at Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla in Redox-Sensitive Hypertension Associated With Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is rapidly becoming prevalent worldwide, is long known to be associated with hypertension and recently with oxidative stress. Of note is that oxidative stress in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), where sympathetic premotor neurons reside, contributes to sympathoexcitation and hypertension. This study sought to identify the source of tissue oxidative stress in RVLM and their roles in neural mechanism of hypertension associated with MetS. Adult normotensive rats subjected to a high-fructose diet for 8 weeks developed metabolic traits of MetS, alongside increases in sympathetic vasomotor activity and blood pressure. In RVLM of these MetS rats, the tissue level of reactive oxygen species was increased, nitric oxide (NO) was decreased, and mitochondrial electron transport capacity was reduced. Whereas the protein expression of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) or protein inhibitor of nNOS was increased, the ratio of nNOS dimer/monomer was significantly decreased. Oral intake of pioglitazone or intracisternal infusion of tempol or coenzyme Q10 significantly abrogated all those molecular events in high-fructose diet–fed rats and ameliorated sympathoexcitation and hypertension. Gene silencing of protein inhibitor of nNOS mRNA in RVLM using lentivirus carrying small hairpin RNA inhibited protein inhibitor of nNOS expression, increased the ratio of nNOS dimer/monomer, restored NO content, and alleviated oxidative stress in RVLM of high-fructose diet–fed rats, alongside significantly reduced sympathoexcitation and hypertension. These results suggest that redox-sensitive and protein inhibitor of nNOS–mediated nNOS uncoupling is engaged in a vicious cycle that sustains the production of reactive oxygen species in RVLM, resulting in sympathoexcitation and hypertension associated with MetS.
Analysis of In Vivo Corrosion of 316L Stainless Steel Posterior Thoracolumbar Plate Systems: A Retrieval Study

Study Design One hundred eighteen patients retrieved 316L stainless steel thoracolumbar plates, of 3 different designs, used for fusion in 60 patients were examined for evidence of corrosion. A medical record review and statistical analysis were also carried out. Objective This study aims to identify types of corrosion and examine preferential metal ion release and the possibility of statistical correlation to clinical effects. Summary of Background Data Earlier studies have found that stainless steel spine devices showed evidence of mild-to-severe corrosion; fretting and crevice corrosion were the most commonly reported types. Studies have also shown the toxicity of metal ions released from stainless steel corrosion and how the ions may adversely affect bone formation and/or induce granulomatous foreign body responses. Methods The retrieved plates were visually inspected and graded based on the degree of corrosion. The plates were then analyzed with optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. A retrospective medical record review was performed and statistical analysis was carried out to determine any correlations between experimental findings and patient data. Results More than 70% of the plates exhibited some degree of corrosion. Both fretting and crevice corrosion mechanisms were observed, primarily at the screw plate interface. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis indicated reductions in nickel content in corroded areas, suggestive of nickel ion release to the surrounding biological environment. The incidence and severity of corrosion was significantly correlated with the design of the implant. Conclusions Stainless steel thoracolumbar plates show a high incidence of corrosion, with statistical dependence on device design.
Peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress in male Vietnam theater veterans.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a proposed measure of peritraumatic dissociation and, as part of that effort, to determine the relationship between dissociative experiences during disturbing combat trauma and the subsequent development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD A total of 251 male Vietnam theater veterans from the Clinical Examination Component of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study were examined to determine the relationship of war zone stress exposure, retrospective reports of dissociation during the most disturbing combat trauma events, and general dissociative tendencies with PTSD case determination. RESULTS The total score on the Peritraumatic Dissociation Experiences Questionnaire--Rater Version was strongly associated with level of posttraumatic stress symptoms, level of stress exposure, and general dissociative tendencies and weakly associated with general psychopathology scales from the MMPI-2. Logistic regression analyses supported the incremental value of dissociation during trauma, over and above the contributions of level of war zone stress exposure and general dissociative tendencies, in accounting for PTSD case determination. CONCLUSIONS These results provide support for the reliability and validity of the Peritraumatic Dissociation Experiences Questionnaire--Rater Version and for a trauma-dissociation linkage hypothesis: the greater the dissociation during traumatic stress exposure, the greater the likelihood of meeting criteria for current PTSD.
Frequency dependence of apparent ultrasonic backscatter from human cancellous bone

This study examines the frequency dependence of apparent ultrasonic backscatter from human cancellous bone as quantified by the apparent backscatter transfer function (ABTF). The term ‘apparent’ means that the backscatter signals are not compensated for the frequency-dependent effects of diffraction and attenuation. Backscatter measurements were performed in vitro on 22 specimens of bone using five transducers ranging in centre frequency from 1 to 10 MHz. The ABTF was measured at multiple sites and spatially averaged. The resulting spatially averaged ABTF (in dB) generally was a monotonically decreasing, quasi-linear function of frequency over the analysis bandwidth of the study (0.6–9.1 MHz). The apparent backscattered power tended to decrease with specimen density and become more strongly frequency dependent. Three parameters were determined from the spatially averaged ABTF. Apparent integrated backscatter (AIB) was determined by frequency averaging the spatially averaged ABTF. The frequency slope of apparent backscatter (FSAB) and the zero frequency intercept of apparent backscatter (FIAB) were determined from the slope and intercept of the spatially averaged ABTF, respectively. AIB and FSAB demonstrated moderate to good linear correlations with specimen density (|r| = 0.570–0.933). Correlations with density were weaker for the intercept-based parameter FIAB (|r| = 0.299–0.676).
Long-term follow-up of patients with thalamic deep brain stimulation for epilepsy

The authors describe long-term follow-up (mean, 5 years) in patients with anterior (AN) (n = 6) or centromedian (n = 2) thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for epilepsy. Five patients (all AN) had ≥50% seizure reduction, although benefit was delayed in two until years 5 to 6, after changes in antiepileptic drugs. DBS electrode implantation in AN patients was followed by seizure reduction 1 to 3 months before active stimulation, raising the possibility of a beneficial microthalamotomy effect.
Cross-country analysis of faecal sludge dewatering

ABSTRACT Dewatering of faecal sludge (FS) is indispensable for adequate FS management. However, comprehensive knowledge is lacking on FS dewatering performance. This study compared the dewatering performance of FS from different countries and onsite sanitation technologies, to assess influential characteristics on dewatering, and to compare dewatering performance of FS with wastewater sludge. We collected 73 FS samples from septic tanks, lined pit latrines, unlined pit latrines and johkasou tanks in Uganda, Vietnam and Japan, and 18 samples of wastewater sludge in Switzerland. Capillary suction time (CST) and total solids (TS) of centrifuged sludge (%TSfinal) were determined as metrics of dewatering rate and dewaterability, respectively, together with relevant sludge characteristics. Data were analysed by bootstrapping comparison of median results of each sample category and by bootstrapping multiple regression analysis to quantify the relative importance of sludge characteristics on dewatering performance. Results showed that the dewatering rate was significantly different between FS from different technologies, whereas dewaterability was significantly different within the same technology. FS had a significantly lower dewatering rate than wastewater sludge. In contrast, FS dewaterability was greater than wastewater sludge. However, this could be attributed to higher concentrations of sand in FS. Electrochemical properties such as NH4-N and surface charge had the strongest correlation to dewatering rate, and solid properties such as sand content and total volatile solids to dewaterability. The results identify potential characteristics that could explain and predict the high variability of FS dewatering performance that is observed in the field.