Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-technical skills of the operating theatre scrub nurse: literature review.

AIM This paper is a report of a review to identify the non-technical (cognitive and social) skills used by scrub nurses. BACKGROUND Recognition that failures in non-technical skills contributed to accidents in high-risk industries led to the development of research programmes to study the role of cognition and social interactions in operational safety. Recently, psychological research in operating theatres has revealed the importance of non-technical skills in safe and efficient performance. Most of the studies to date have focused on anaesthetists and surgeons. DATA SOURCES On-line sources and university library catalogues, publications of the Association for Perioperative Practice, National Association of Theatre Nurses and Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses were searched in 2007. REVIEW METHODS Studies were included in the review if they presented data from scrub nurses on one or more of their non-technical skills. These findings were examined in relation to an existing medical non-technical skills framework with categories of communication, teamwork, leadership, situation awareness and decision-making. RESULTS Of 424 publications retrieved, 13 were reviewed in detail. Ten concerned communication and eight of those also had data on teamwork. In 11 papers teamwork was examined, and one focused on nurses' situation awareness, teamwork and communication. None of the papers we reviewed examined leadership or decision-making by scrub nurses. CONCLUSION Further work is needed to identify formally the non-technical skills which are important to the role of scrub nurse and then to design training in the identified non-technical skills during the education and development of scrub nurses.
Zahnflächenspezifische Arealbeimpfung handelsüblicher Chair-side-Tests zum Nachweis von Mutans-Streptokokken und Laktobazillen

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der zahnflachenspezifische Keimnachweis von Mutans-Streptokokken und Laktobazillen auf den handelsublichen Kultursystemen Dentocult® SM und LB (Orion Diagnostica, Espoo Finnland) und CRT® bacteria (Ivoclar Vivadent GmbH, Schaan, Liechtenstein) untersucht. Dazu erfolgte zunachst eine In-vitro-Untersuchung mit Referenzstammen, den o. g. Kultursystemen, ihren adaquaten Kulturmedien und verschiedenen Impfmethoden. Im Anschluss daran wurde das Pinselverfahren in einer klinischen Pilotstudie erprobt. Untersucht wurde die Plaque aus den Okklusalflachen der Sechs-Jahr-Molaren von Kindern im Alter von 6-7 Jahren. Die Kultursysteme erwiesen sich als sehr gut fur den flachenspezifischen Keimnachweis geeignet.
Technology for self-care for ostomized women's sexual and reproductive health.

Objective: to validate the technology of printed booklets on self-care for ostomized women's sexual and reproductive health. Method: a methodological study was performed with a focus on the construction and validity of a printed booklet. The content of this booklet was validated by 11 specialist judges/nurses, according to a Content Validity Index (CVI) equal to or higher than 0.80. Appearance was validated by nine ostomized women, according to an assessment of the difficulty and convenience of the educational material. Results: the booklet was validated by specialists, with an overall mean CVI equal to 0.87. Moreover, the target population showed 100% of agreement in terms of the adequacy of organization, writing style, appearance and motivation of this booklet. Conclusion: the educational technology in question was validated according to content and appearance, thus representing an adequate, reliable and easily understandable resource to acquire knowledge about self-care for ostomized women's sexual and reproductive health.
Reproducibility of the cortisol response to stimulation with the low dose (1 μg) of ACTH

Previous studies have shown that the rapid ACTH stimulation test using a low dose of 1 μg is more sensitive than that using 250 μg ACTH for detecting subtle cases of adrenal insufficiency. However, there are controversies for the reproducibility of the 1 μg‐test. To evaluate the reproducibility of the 1 μg‐test, we assessed both day‐to‐day and diurnal variations of cortisol responses to 1 μg ACTH injection. In addition, optimum sampling time for the 1 μg‐test was also determined.
The Caries Status of Occlusal Amalgam Restorations with Marginal Defects

The purpose of this study was to examine histologically occlusal amalgam restorations with both defective and sound margins for comparison of their caries status. Thirty extracted teeth with occlusal amalgam restorations were sectioned so that a ditched and a clinically sound margin could be examined on the same tooth in the mouth. Histological examination showed a low prevalence of caries lesions in the outer enamel. However, lesions were present in the enamel of the cavity wall in 54% of specimens, whether the margin was defective or sound. If the results of this study are applicable to all occlusal amalgams with defective margins, it would appear that a defective margin alone is not an indication that a restoration needs to be replaced.
ORGANIC FOOD: A STUDY ON DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND FACTORS INFLUENCING PURCHASE INTENTIONS AMONG CONSUMERS IN KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA

This study attempted to gain knowledge about consumers’ intention to purchase organic food products and the demographic characteristics of the respondents in terms of their organic product consumption. Data were collected in supermarkets within 3 different areas in Klang Valley, Malaysia using mall-intercept approach. A total of 177 respondents were generated. The data obtained from the survey were analyzed using chi-square test, ANOVA, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression tests. Result indicated that the intention to purchase organic products were heavily influenced by the perception on organic product worth of purchase and the belief on the safety and health aspect of the product. Respondents were divided into organic buyers and non-buyers categories. Among the organic buyers majority consumers believed organic food to be healthier, tastier and better for environment compared to conventional food.
Robust multi layer audio steganography

In this paper a robust audio steganography method is introduced which involves multiple layers for embedding secret data. In LSB technique generally a single or multiple bits are embedded always in one or some particular bit positions. So it is easy to get that data by knowing those positions. The robustness increases in LSB approach by considering higher LSB layer but it reduces the perceptibility of audio. Here in this proposed work LSB embedding is used in multiple layers and also capacity is increased by embedding two bits at a time. Here always two different pairs 01 and 11 are embedded instead of four, made using two bits at a time at the same time increases robustness more. Without knowing the bitwise operation applied here for extraction it is not also very much easy to get the actual data. After embedding flag setting and bit adjustment is done for maintaining the perceptual transparency of stego audio. Here in this proposed work capacity is also increased by considering 6 bit binary instead of 7 or 8.
Simple Word Sense Discrimination Towards Reduced Complexity

Wisdom is a system for performing word sense disambiguation (WSD) using a limited number of linguistic features and a simple supervised learning algorithm. The most likely sense tag for a word is determined by calculating co-occurrence statistics for words appearing within a small window. This paper gives a brief description of the components in the Wisdom system and the algorithm used to predict the correct sense tag. Some results for Wisdom from the Senseval competition are presented, and directions for future work are also explored.
Variable-acuity imager with dynamically steerable programmable superpixels

Nova Research, Inc. has developed a novel two-dimensional imaging chip whose design is based on properties exhibited by biological retinas. The 'Variable Acuity' imager permits the user to program a unique spatial arrangement of 'superpixels' that may be updated in real time. Any spatial configuration of pixels in the imager may be realized by programming the device in a way that permits pixels to share their individually-collected photocharge with any or all neighbors. Single and multiple 'foveal' configurations are possible, and these high spatial resolution regions may be 'flown' around the FPA at the will of the controlling processor. This device was developed through the combined requirements of (a) covering a wide total field of view while (b) retaining the highest possible spatial resolution on the targets of interest while at the same time (c) operating at the highest possible frame rate. Many thousands of frames per second are possible with the prototype imager while maintaining high spatial resolution. The prototype device operates as a visible imager, and Nova is pursuing the transition of this technology into the infrared domain. This paper will concentrate on applications of the technology and will show some imagery collected with the prototype system.
Inhibition of Chlamydia trachomatis growth by recombinant tumor necrosis factor

Purified human recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rTNF) alpha inhibited the growth of Chlamydia trachomatis (L2/434/Bu) in HEp-2 cell cultures. The inhibition of C. trachomatis yield could be achieved even when the rTNF alpha (200 ng/ml) was added up to 12 h after infection. The effect of rTNF alpha on chlamydial infection was synergistic with that of gamma interferon.
Failures of 1 week on, 1 week off antiretroviral therapies in a randomized trial

Background: Scheduled treatment interruptions are being evaluated in an effort to decrease costs and side effects of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). A schedule of 1 week on and 1 week off therapy offers the promise of 50% less drug exposure with continuously undetectable HIV RNA concentration. Methods: In the Staccato study 600 patients on successful HAART were to be randomized to either continued therapy, CD4-guided therapy, or one week on, one week off therapy. A scheduled preliminary analysis evaluated effectiveness in the 1-week-on–1-week-off arm. Results: Of 36 evaluable patients, 19 (53%) had two successive HIV RNA concentrations > 500 copies/ml at the end of the week off therapy, and were classified as virological failure. Most of those who failed took didanosine, stavudine, saquinavir, and ritonavir (11 patients). In these patients, there was no evidence of mutations suggestive of drug resistance, and plasma saquinavir levels were within the expected range. Two of three patients failing on triple nucleotides had drug resistance mutations, but nonetheless responded to reintroduction of triple nucleotide therapy. One of two patients taking nevirapine, and one of eight taking efavirenz, also failed. Both had resistance mutations at the time of failure, but not at baseline. Conclusions: The 1-week-on–1-week-off schedule, as tested in the Staccato study, showed an unacceptably high failure rate and was therefore terminated.
Shared Reed-Muller Decision Diagram Based Thermal-Aware AND-XOR Decomposition of Logic Circuits

The increased number of complex functional units exerts high power-density within a very-large-scale integration VLSI chip which results in overheating. Power-densities directly converge into temperature which reduces the yield of the circuit. An adverse effect of power-density reduction is the increase in area. So, there is a trade-off between area and power-density. In this paper, we introduce a Shared Reed-Muller Decision Diagram SRMDD based on fixed polarity AND-XOR decomposition to represent multioutput Boolean functions. By recursively applying transformations and reductions, we obtained a compact SRMDD. A heuristic based on Genetic Algorithm GA increases the sharing of product terms by judicious choice of polarity of input variables in SRMDD expansion and a suitable area and power-density trade-off has been enumerated. This is the first effort ever to incorporate the power-density as a measure of temperature estimation in AND-XOR expansion process. The results of logic synthesis are incorporated with physical design in CADENCE digital synthesis tool to obtain the floor-plan silicon area and power profile. The proposed thermal-aware synthesis has been validated by obtaining absolute temperature of the synthesized circuits using HotSpot tool. We have experimented with 29 benchmark circuits. The minimized AND-XOR circuit realization shows average savings up to 15.23% improvement in silicon area and up to 17.02% improvement in temperature over the sum-of-product SOP based logic minimization.
A Comparison of the Antithrombotic and Haemorrhagic Effects of a Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LHN-1) and Conventional Heparin

Summary The antithrombotic effects after intravenous administration of a low molecular weight heparin (LHN-1) and conventional heparin were compared in a rabbit model of experimental thrombosis, where thrombus formation was induced by a combination of endothelial damage and stasis. Both compounds were able to prevent thrombosis completely. However, LHN-1 was significantly less potent than conventional heparin, the ratio between doses with the same antithrombotic effect being 2.4:1 on a weight basis. Bleeding times after administration of LHN-1 and conventional heparin were determined by tail transsection in anaesthetized rats and by template bleeding in the ear of conscious pigs. Given intravenously at a dose ratio of 2.4:1 (w/w), LHN-1 affected APTT less than conventional heparin, whereas the effects on haemostasis were not significantly different. In conclusion, it was found that after intravenous administration LHN-1 prevented experimental thrombosis as effectively as conventional heparin. However, the correlation between antithrombotic and haemorrhagic effects of LHN-1 was the same as that of conventional heparin. The corresponding relation in man remains to be determined.
A 190mV supply, 10MHz, 90nm CMOS, pipelined sub-threshold adder using variation-resilient circuit techniques

This paper presents a pipelined 32 bit sub-threshold adder in a 90nm CMOS technology that combines MHz-performance with sub-pJ energy consumption. To increase variation-resilience various circuit techniques are proposed, such as sub-threshold adapted transmission gate logic, optimal sizing for noise margins and time borrowing. These techniques enable operation down to a supply of 190mV at 10MHz and an energy consumption of 0.4 pJ per addition. A performance of 30 MHz is obtained at a supply of 260mV and 0.6 pJ per addition. The adder achieves an improvement in Energy-Delay Product of a factor 900 compared to the state-of-the-art sub-threshold adder design.
Schnurri regulates hemocyte function to promote tissue recovery after DNA damage

Tissue recovery after injury requires coordinated regulation of cell repair and apoptosis, removal of dead cells and regeneration. A critical step in this process is the recruitment of blood cells that mediate local inflammatory and immune responses, promoting tissue recovery. Here we identify a new role for the transcriptional regulator Schnurri (Shn) in the recovery of UV-damaged Drosophila retina. Using an experimental paradigm that allows precise quantification of tissue recovery after a defined dose of UV, we find that Shn activity in the retina is required to limit tissue damage. This function of Shn relies on its transcriptional induction of the PDGF-related growth factor Pvf1, which signals to tissue-associated hemocytes. We show that the Pvf1 receptor PVR acts in hemocytes to induce a macrophage-like morphology and that this is required to limit tissue loss after irradiation. Our results identify a new Shn-regulated paracrine signaling interaction between damaged retinal cells and hemocytes that ensures recovery and homeostasis of the challenged tissue.
KerNeeS: A protocol for mutual authentication between NFC phones and POS terminals for secure payment transactions

The aim of this paper is to propose a solution for a potential vulnerability in mobile proximity payment. The mobile proximity payment is the evolution of the card payment whose reference standard is EMV (Europay, MasterCard and VISA). A mobile proximity payment transaction is performed via radio waves so there is the possibility to intercept the communication with the point-of-sale and also to activate the payer device, in a range of 10 cm. The EMV protocol assumes that within a range of 10 cm card fraud is hard to perform, moreover IC card capable point of sale are considered safe a priori, while the card must authenticate itself. This allows a leak of card information. In this paper we describe a possible solution to this problem, adding a safe level to the EMV protocol in the case of mobile proximity payment transactions. Our solution is a Needham-Schroeder based protocol, that guarantees authentication and confidentiality between the entities involved in the payment.
Stochastic Analysis of Scattered Field by Building Facades Using Polynomial Chaos

This paper presents a statistical assessment of scattered field from a building facade having random physical and geometrical parameters. A simple inhomogeneous model is considered for the building, and the calculation method is based on Green's functions. The basis of polynomial chaos expansion method is explained and applied to estimate the scattered electric field from a building facade having 8 random parameters, in specular and nonspecular scenarios. Uncertainty analysis and total output distribution are discussed in different diffraction zones of the building.
Prehistoric Life on the Mississippi Floodplain: Stone Tool Use, Settlement Organization, and Subsistence Practices at the Labras Lake Site, Illinois

At the confluence of the Illinois, the Missouri, and the Mississippi Rivers lies the "American Bottom," a broad floodplain that prehistoric peoples inhabited for millennia. Precisely how did they live? What were their ties to the natural world around them? In this study, based upon some six years of intensive archeological and geological research at Labras Lake in St. Clair County, Illinois, Richard W. Yerkes interprets a wealth of important new data in a stimulating and original fashion. With a fine-tuned control of the data, Yerkes challenges prevailing theories based on simple classifications of stone tools according to shape or on simple models of diffuse and focal economies. He views environment as a dynamic factor in economic and cultural life, rather than as merely a backdrop to it. Using incident light microscopy, he examines wear patterns on stone tools to determine what activities were performed during each period the site was inhabited-the Late Archaic, the Late Woodland, and the Mississippian. As he documents environmental change at Labras Lake, he analyzes plant and animal remains in context to explore diet and seasonal patterns of subsistence and settlement. The result is a more accurate and detailed picture than ever before what prehistoric life on the Mississippi floodplain was like. Yerkes shows how to assess the duration and size of occupations and how to determine where and when true permanent settlements arose. What others call "sedentary encampments" he reveals as sequences of small residental occupations for a narrow range of activities during shorter, seasonal periods. His contribution to the study of the development of sedentism is potentially far-reaching and will interest many North American anthropologists and archeologists.
Emerging therapeutic targets for Gaucher disease

Introduction: Gaucher disease (GD) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) gene. Although infusions of recombinant GBA ameliorate the systemic effects of GD, this therapy has no effect on the neurological manifestations. Patients with the neuronopathic forms of GD (nGD) are often severely disabled and die prematurely. The search for innovative drugs is thus urgent for the neuronopathic forms. Areas covered: Here we briefly summarize the available treatments for GD. We then review recent studies of the molecular pathogenesis of GD, which suggest new avenues for therapeutic development. Expert opinion: Existing treatments for GD are designed to target the primary consequence of the inborn defects of sphingolipid metabolism, that is, lysosomal accumulation of glucosylceramide (GlcCer). Here we suggest that targeting other pathways, such as those that are activated as a consequence of GlcCer accumulation, may also have salutary clinical effects irrespective of whether excess substrate persists. These pathways include those implicated in neuroinflammation, and specifically, receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIP3) and related components of this pathway, which appear to play a vital role in the pathogenesis of nGD. Once available, inhibitors to components of the RIP kinase pathway will hopefully offer new therapeutic opportunities in GD.
Effects of chronic low carbonate saturation levels on the distribution, growth and skeletal chemistry of deep-sea corals and other seamount megabenthos

Ocean acidification has been predicted to reduce the ability of marine organisms to produce carbonate skeletons, threatening their long-term viability and severely impacting marine ecosystems. Corals, as ecosystem engineers, have been identified as particularly vulnerable and important. To determine the sensitivity of corals and allied taxa to long-term exposure to very low carbonate concentrations, we examined the distribution and skeletal characteristics of coral taxa along a natural deep-sea concentration gradient on seamounts of SW Australia. Carbonate under-saturation had little evident effect on the depth distribution, growth or skeletal composition of live scleractinians or gorgonians, with corals growing, often abundantly, in waters as much as 20 to 30% under-saturated. Developmental anomalies in the deepest skeleton-forming anthozoan collected (an isidid gorgonian, at nearly 4 km depth) suggest an absolute low tolerance limit of about 40% under-saturation. Evidence for an effect of acidification on the accumulation of reef structure is ambiguous, with clear indications of dissolution of high-magnesium calcite (HMC) gorgonian skeletons at depths below 2300 m, but also abundant, old scleractinian skeletons well below the aragonite saturation horizon. The latter might be the result of ferromanganese deposition on exposed skeletons, which, however, may render them inhospitable for benthic organisms.
Risk factors associated with sacral stress fractures: a systematic review

Abstract Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine and identify risk factors associated with the development of sacral stress fractures in order to improve diagnosis in clinical practice. Methods: Electronic search strategies in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus were combined with a hand search to identify articles for inclusion. Studies were considered if they described patient cases in which imaging confirmed diagnosis of a sacral stress fracture, and the diagnosis included whether the fracture was a sacral insufficiency or sacral fatigue stress fracture. Results: In those that developed sacral insufficiency fractures, the risk factors that were most prevalent included osteoporosis, pelvic radiation therapy, rheumatoid arthritis, long-term corticosteroid therapy, and postmenopausal, each with a prevalence of 100%. Risk factors with 100% prevalence in those diagnosed with sacral fatigue fractures included recent increase in training intensity and deficient diet. Discussion: A pattern of signs and symptoms are consistent among subjects with sacral stress fractures. Patients being unsuccessfully treated for low-back and buttock pain who fit the risk factor profiles for sacral stress fractures should be referred to a physician for further diagnostic workup.