Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applying Improved Multiscale Fuzzy Entropy for Feature Extraction of MI-EEG

Electroencephalography (EEG) is considered the output of a brain and it is a bioelectrical signal with multiscale and nonlinear properties. Motor Imagery EEG (MI-EEG) not only has a close correlation with the human imagination and movement intention but also contains a large amount of physiological or disease information. As a result, it has been fully studied in the field of rehabilitation. To correctly interpret and accurately extract the features of MI-EEG signals, many nonlinear dynamic methods based on entropy, such as Approximate Entropy (ApEn), Sample Entropy (SampEn), Fuzzy Entropy (FE), and Permutation Entropy (PE), have been proposed and exploited continuously in recent years. However, these entropy-based methods can only measure the complexity of MI-EEG based on a single scale and therefore fail to account for the multiscale property inherent in MI-EEG. To solve this problem, Multiscale Sample Entropy (MSE), Multiscale Permutation Entropy (MPE), and Multiscale Fuzzy Entropy (MFE) are developed by introducing scale factor. However, MFE has not been widely used in analysis of MI-EEG, and the same parameter values are employed when the MFE method is used to calculate the fuzzy entropy values on multiple scales. Actually, each coarse-grained MI-EEG carries the characteristic information of the original signal on different scale factors. It is necessary to optimize MFE parameters to discover more feature information. In this paper, the parameters of MFE are optimized independently for each scale factor, and the improved MFE (IMFE) is applied to the feature extraction of MI-EEG. Based on the event-related desynchronization (ERD)/event-related synchronization (ERS) phenomenon, IMFE features from multi channels are fused organically to construct the feature vector. Experiments are conducted on a public dataset by using Support Vector Machine (SVM) as a classifier. The experiment results of 10-fold cross-validation show that the proposed method yields relatively high classification accuracy compared with other entropy-based and classical time–frequency–space feature extraction methods. The t-test is used to prove the correctness of the improved MFE.
Pain relief in postabortion care practiced by healthcare professionals in South Eastern Nigeria

Background: Postabortion care (PAC) is aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality resulting from the incomplete abortion and abortion complications. The use of analgesia is an integral part of high quality PAC. Knowledge of the pattern of use of analgesia in PAC by healthcare professionals would help in planning group specific training programs for more effective PAC. Aim: This study is aimed at assessing the use of analgesia in PAC among healthcare professionals in South Eastern Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey carried out among healthcare professionals in Anambra State, Nigeria between June 1 and September 30, 2006. Participants were chosen using a multistage sampling technique. Pretested questionnaires assessing the practice of postabortion counseling were then administered. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 software. Frequencies were within 95% confidence limits. Results: A total of 437 health professionals were included in the study. The mean age was 38.2 (10.4) years. Formal PAC training influenced the use of analgesia positively (P < 0.001). The use of analgesia in PAC was also significantly higher among professionals working in tertiary healthcare center and private specialist hospitals when compared with other facilities (P = 0.02). In general complications were more when analgesia was not employed. Older professionals were more likely to employ pain relief in PAC (P = 0.01). Furthermore, doctors were significantly more likely to employ pain relief in PAC when compared to nurses (P = 0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed a low level of use of analgesia in PAC among the healthcare professionals. It also demonstrated a significant association between formal PAC training and use of analgesia in PAC. It is, therefore, recommended that increased PAC training and re-training activities with emphasis on the need for analgesia should be conducted for healthcare professionals to improve the quality of PAC received by clients.
Estimating the Impacts of Local Policy Innovation: The Synthetic Control Method Applied to Tropical Deforestation

Quasi-experimental methods increasingly are used to evaluate the impacts of conservation interventions by generating credible estimates of counterfactual baselines. These methods generally require large samples for statistical comparisons, presenting a challenge for evaluating innovative policies implemented within a few pioneering jurisdictions. Single jurisdictions often are studied using comparative methods, which rely on analysts’ selection of best case comparisons. The synthetic control method (SCM) offers one systematic and transparent way to select cases for comparison, from a sizeable pool, by focusing upon similarity in outcomes before the intervention. We explain SCM, then apply it to one local initiative to limit deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The municipality of Paragominas launched a multi-pronged local initiative in 2008 to maintain low deforestation while restoring economic production. This was a response to having been placed, due to high deforestation, on a federal “blacklist” that increased enforcement of forest regulations and restricted access to credit and output markets. The local initiative included mapping and monitoring of rural land plus promotion of economic alternatives compatible with low deforestation. The key motivation for the program may have been to reduce the costs of blacklisting. However its stated purpose was to limit deforestation, and thus we apply SCM to estimate what deforestation would have been in a (counterfactual) scenario of no local initiative. We obtain a plausible estimate, in that deforestation patterns before the intervention were similar in Paragominas and the synthetic control, which suggests that after several years, the initiative did lower deforestation (significantly below the synthetic control in 2012). This demonstrates that SCM can yield helpful land-use counterfactuals for single units, with opportunities to integrate local and expert knowledge and to test innovations and permutations on policies that are implemented in just a few locations.
Flow electrification in power transformers: study of a potential remedy

Understanding the exact nature of the phenomena at the origin of the electrical charging tendency of transformer pressboards submitted to oil circulation in high power transformers is still a challenging problem. Former studies demonstrated that flow electrification depends in a large part on the chemical functional groups of the pressboard surface, and especially carboxyl groups. In this study, the action of several additives has been tested. Three experimental devices (conductivity cell, flow loop and electrostatic charging tendency tester) have been used to investigate the effect of the additives on the charge generation, accumulation and leakage currents. Moreover, experiments with demineralised pulps treated by carboxyl complexing agents such as methylene blue have confirmed the important role of ionisable groups in paper. Some additives were found to reduce the electrification phenomenon. A comparison between these results and some aspects of ionic chromatography could be done, and the related theory can be attempted to explain the chemical process which takes place between the oil and the pressboard
Homocysteine and folate levels as indicators of cerebrovascular accident

Background: Homocysteinemia has been established as a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders by the American Heart Association.1 Cerebrovascular accident (stroke) is presently ranked as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine homocysteine and folate levels and some basic hematologic parameters in patients who sustain a cerebrovascular accident and those who do not. Methodology: In total, 100 participants were recruited, comprising 40 clinically diagnosed stroke (hemorrhagic or thromboembolic) patients and 60 healthy control subjects. Plasma homocysteine and folate levels were measured. Anticoagulated whole blood samples were evaluated for hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC) count, and mean cell volume (MCV). Results: The mean age of stroke patients was 62 ± 12 years and that of controls was 55 ± 18 years (P = 0.1756). Mean plasma homocysteine levels for stroke patients and controls were 17.7 ± 4.4 μmol/L and 9.5 ± 2.4 μmol/L, respectively (P = 0.0000) and mean plasma folate levels for the groups were 6.5 ± 2.9 μg/dL and 4.0 ± 2.4 μg/dL (P = 0.0407). The MCV for stroke patients was significantly higher than that for controls (85 fl versus 82 fl, P = 0.04). Mean homocysteine levels correlated inversely with Hb and PCV (r = −0.08 and r = −0.122, respectively) and weakly with WBC (P = 0.125). Conclusion: Homocysteinemia is a major predictor of cerebrovascular accident in the black Nigerian population.
Effekte stationärer Psychotherapie auf Essstörungssymptomatik, gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität und personale Ressourcen bei Anorexia und Bulimia nervosa

The aim of the present prospective-naturalistic study was the evaluation of psychosomatic inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). 128 patients with eating disorders (n=59 AN and n=69 BN) were investigated on admission and discharge using the following standardized questionnaires: eating disorder symptoms (EDI), general psychopathology (BSI), quality of life (SF-12), and personal resources (SOC-13, SWE). Moderate to large effect sizes were achieved for the eating disorder symptoms; in addition, general psychopathology was substantially reduced at the end of treatment, and quality of life as well as personal resources were enhanced. Personal resources were found to be the strongest predictors for therapy outcome. Based on our data, important insights and recommendations may be gained for the inpatient treatment of eating disorders, especially with regard to the potential influence of personal resources.
Academic Honesty: Is What Students Believe Different From What They Do?

Patrick D. Pauken, Advisor Incidents of academic misconduct are not only prevalent, but are now sharing the headlines alongside business and political scandals. Gaps and lapses in professional judgment and personal moral standards are problematic in many segments of society and have undoubtedly influenced the high levels of cheating in higher education among college students. This study examined, through an adaptation of McCabe’s and Josephson’s work on academic integrity, the beliefs and experiences toward academic misconduct of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Midwestern State University. Specifically, this study examined students’ ethical beliefs, types of academic misconduct, frequency of academic misconduct, perceived seriousness of academic misconduct, students’ level of familiarity of the University’s Academic Honesty Policy (AHP), and each of these variables across demographic characteristics. Findings indicate that undergraduate students engage in misconduct more often than graduate students do; they see it more often, too. Older students report the various types of misconduct as more serious than the younger students do. Women report academic dishonesty as more serious than men do. On a list of 26 types of misconduct, undergraduate students have engaged in all 26; graduate students in 25. At the same time, they report nearly all of the 26 as "serious" or "moderately serious" forms of cheating. Over half of the 1853 participants reported that cheating has become a cultural norm in our society. Almost half reported that successful people do what they
Maternal Obesity Caused by Overnutrition Exposure Leads to Reversal Learning Deficits and Striatal Disturbance in Rats

Maternal obesity caused by overnutrition during pregnancy increases susceptibility to metabolic risks in adulthood, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes; however, whether and how it affects the cognitive system associated with the brain remains elusive. Here, we report that pregnant obesity induced by exposure to excessive high fatty or highly palatable food specifically impaired reversal learning, a kind of adaptive behavior, while leaving serum metabolic metrics intact in the offspring of rats, suggesting a much earlier functional and structural defects possibly occurred in the central nervous system than in the metabolic system in the offspring born in unfavorable intrauterine nutritional environment. Mechanically, we found that above mentioned cognitive inflexibility might be associated with significant striatal disturbance including impaired dopamine homeostasis and disrupted leptin signaling in the adult offspring. These collective data add a novel perspective of understanding the adverse postnatal sequelae in central nervous system induced by developmental programming and the related molecular mechanism through which priming of risk for developmental disorders may occur during early life.
Topological Design of Cellular Phononic Band Gap Crystals

This paper systematically investigated the topological design of cellular phononic crystals with a maximized gap size between two adjacent bands. Considering that the obtained structures may sustain a certain amount of static loadings, it is desirable to ensure the optimized designs to have a relatively high stiffness. To tackle this issue, we conducted a multiple objective optimization to maximize band gap size and bulk or shear modulus simultaneously with a prescribed volume fraction of solid material so that the resulting structures can be lightweight, as well. In particular, we first conducted the finite element analysis of the phononic band gap crystals and then adapted a very efficient optimization procedure to resolve this problem based on bi-directional evolutionary structure optimization (BESO) algorithm in conjunction with the homogenization method. A number of optimization results for maximizing band gaps with bulk and shear modulus constraints are presented for out-of-plane and in-plane modes. Numerical results showed that the optimized structures are similar to those obtained for composite case, except that additional slim connections are added in the cellular case to support the propagation of shear wave modes and meanwhile to satisfy the prescribed bulk or shear modulus constraints.
Preschool Teachers' Perspectives on Caring Relationships, Autonomy, and Intrinsic Motivation in Two Cultural Settings

Research has found that caring relationships provide children with a sense of security, acceptance, belonging, self-confidence, and personal connection with others. Caring relationships thus create a supportive environment that fosters children’s autonomy and motivation. For these reasons, it is important that teachers establish caring relationships with the children in their classrooms using such techniques as modeling, dialoguing, practicing, and confirming (Noddings, 1992). Although a good deal of research has been conducted in this area on children in kindergarten and above, few studies have focused on the pre-K level. As a result, little is known about how preschool teachers conceptualize caring relationships; what they perceive as the connections among caring relationships, autonomy and motivation; and how culture influences the way in which caring is manifested in their classrooms. In an attempt to shed light on this issue, this study explored preschool teachers’ perspectives on caring relationships and their perceptions of how such relationships affect children’s autonomy and motivation in preschool in two cultural settings: Shenzhen, China and Portland, Oregon. Data was collected from preschool teachers in both locations using a qualitative interviewing research strategy. Interviews were conducted with preschool teachers (N=20) who had had at least two years of college training in early childhood education and three years of experience working with children between the ages of 2 and 6 in early childhood centers funded by diverse sources in each city. A Study of Teachers’ Perspectives ii The study found that consensus exists among preschool teachers from the two cities about the importance of caring relationships, in which trust, acceptance, equality, and mutual respect were viewed as these relationships’ primary characteristics. There were also shared values regarding teachers’ roles and their effective strategies for establishing social skills and caring and sharing among children. Nevertheless, some underlying assumptions about caring, especially teachers’ understandings of autonomy and motivation, differed somewhat in relation to the social, cultural, philosophical, or practical influences in the two cultural contexts. There were also differences in perspectives on the relationship between autonomy and intrinsic motivation. The results of the study provide opportunities for early childhood teachers and teacher educators in both contexts to reflect on their own assumptions about caring relationships, autonomy, and motivation. The findings also contribute to the literature on early childhood teachers’ perspectives regarding these issues, as well as insights for preparing caring teachers in both cultural settings. A Study of Teachers’ Perspectives iii
Cognitive and memory processes in obsessive-compulsive checking

A wide array of neurobiological, neuropsychological and cognitive models have been formulated in an attempt to explain the development and persistence of obsessive-compulsive checking. Memory processes, including impaired memory for actions and confidence in memory, and cognitive variables such as exaggerated threat appraisal, inflated personal responsibility and 'intolerance to uncertainty, have received much attention in recent years. Although researchers generally agree that multiple factors are likely to be involved in this disorder, a coherent model articulating the contribution and relative importance and contributions of each has not been forthcoming. This review provides an overview of obsessive-compulsive checking and research efforts in the fields of memory and cognitive psychology with regard to this disorder. Limitations of the existing research are discussed to highlight barriers to the development of a more complete understanding of checking behaviour.
Analysis of Outage Performance in Cognitive Radio Networks

Abstract—This paper evaluates the outage performance of CRNs with mutual interference between SUs and PUs under the underlay approach. We derive the outage probability expression of CRNs, and it is shown that the outage probability of CRNs with considering the interference to SU from PU is higher than that of CRNs without considering the interference to SU from PU. In addition, the outage probability is affected by key network parameters, such as maximum transmit power of SUs, transmit power of PU, interference level of PU, distribution parameter of transmission channel gain or the secondary transmission link (between the secondary transmitter to the secondary receiver) and distribution parameters of interference channel gain or interfering link (from the secondary transmitter to the primary receiver or from the primary transmitter to the secondary receiver). Simulation results have a good agreement with theoretical analysis.
Robust electroencephalogram channel set for person authentication

In electroencephalogram (EEG) based biometrics, the determination of the right channel set helps improve accuracy and usability, while reducing the required number of electrodes and hence the complexity and cost of the EEG system. In this work we find a reduced set of channels designed to enhance human authentication accuracy regardless of changes in the mental task. The study shows that the resulting eight EEG channels outperform previous state of the art studies. Also the experiments and quantitative comparison are conducted in a database significantly larger (106 subjects) than the ones used previously. The suggested set half total error rate (HTER) is 14.69%.
Mining Statistically Significant Molecular Substructures for Efficient Molecular Classification

The increased availability of large repositories of chemical compounds has created new challenges in designing efficient molecular querying and mining systems. Molecular classification is an important problem in drug development where libraries of chemical compounds are screened and molecules with the highest probability of success against a given target are selected. We have developed a technique called GraphSig to mine significantly over-represented molecular substructures in a given class of molecules. GraphSig successfully overcomes the scalability bottleneck of mining patterns at a low frequency. Patterns mined by GraphSig display correlation with biological activities and serve as an excellent platform on which to build molecular analysis tools. The potential of GraphSig as a chemical descriptor is explored, and support vector machines are used to classify molecules described by patterns mined using GraphSig. Furthermore, the over-represented patterns are more informative than features generated exhaustively by traditional fingerprints; this has potential in providing scaffolds and lead generation. Extensive experiments are carried out to evaluate the proposed techniques, and empirical results show promising performance in terms of classification quality. An implementation of the algorithm is available free for academic use at http://www.uweb. ucsb.edu/ approximately sayan/software/GraphSig.tar.
The Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein Does Not Mediate Foamy Virus Latency In Vitro

ABSTRACT Spumaviruses, commonly called foamy viruses, are complex retroviruses that establish life-long persistent infections in the absence of accompanying pathology. Depending upon cell type, infection of cells in tissue culture cells can result in either lytic replication, persistence, or latency. The cellular factors that mediate foamy virus (FV) latency are poorly understood. In this study we show that the only known inhibitor of FV replication, the promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML), which binds the FV transactivator (Tas), does not play an important role in FV latency in vitro. We found no significant differences in PML levels in cells that supported lytic replication compared to those that were latently infected. Furthermore, endogenous PML levels did not change following exposure to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), which induces FV replication. We demonstrated that FV replication proceeded in the presence of substantial levels of PML, both in fully permissive cells and during reactivation of latent FV. Endogenous PML did not efficiently colocalize with Tas, even after upregulation by alpha interferon (IFN-α) treatment. IFN-α did, however, partially suppress the reactivation of latent FV by PMA. Finally, depletion of endogenous PML by small interfering RNA did not promote activation of FV in cells that responded to PMA treatment. Taken together, these data indicate that endogenous PML does not play an important role in mediating FV latency.