Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Domains and Health-Related Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease.

OBJECTIVES The nature of the association between the cognitive decline and quality of life (QoL) during the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not been studied in detail. We designed this study to determine if the association between cognitive domains in AD and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changed over 18 months. METHODS We recruited 80 community-dwelling older adults with mild to moderate AD and 61 healthy elderly controls as well as their next-of-kin. The primary outcome measure was the QoL-AD. Specific cognitive functions were assessed with a broad range of neuropsychological measures, which were later grouped into cognitive domains following factor analyses at the baseline and 18-month assessments. Other explanatory variables included demographics, psychopathology, burden of care, and use of medication. RESULTS Self-reported QoL-AD scores were not associated with any of the identified cognitive domains at either assessment. The cognitive domains of people with AD changed between baseline and the 18-month assessment, as did the association of these factors with carer-rated HRQoL. The HRQoL scores assigned by the next-of-kin declined alongside a general measure of cognitive function. DISCUSSION These results indicate that HRQoL is not consistently associated with specific cognitive domains in AD and that cognitive-enhancing focused therapies may fail to affect the HRQoL of people with AD.
Recognising and responding to 'cutting corners' when providing nursing care: a qualitative study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to report on a key finding of a larger study investigating the 'gaps' in patient care that registered nurses encounter during the course of their practice. A key finding of this larger study was that 'cutting corners' was a gap discerned by nurses. BACKGROUND 'Cutting corners' has been characterised as a 'violation' and threat to patient safety, although there is a paucity of research on this issue. DESIGN Naturalistic inquiry using a qualitative exploratory descriptive approach. METHODS Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 71 registered nurses from emergency department, critical care, perioperative, rehabilitation and transitional care and neurosciences settings in Australia and analysed using content and thematic analysis strategies. RESULTS Cutting corners was a common practice that encompassed (1) the partial or complete omission of patient care, (2) delays in providing care and (3) the failure to do things correctly. Corners were cut in patient assessment, essential nursing care, the care of central venous catheters and medication administration. The practice of cutting corners was perceived as contributing to preventable adverse events. CONCLUSIONS The study found that cutting corners created gaps that contributed to unfinished nursing care and preventable adverse events. The findings of the study raise the possibility that cutting corners is a salient but underinvestigated characteristic of nursing practice. Further research and inquiry are needed to deepen understanding of cutting corners and its impact on patient safety. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Identifying the nature and implications of cutting corners when providing nursing care is an important contributing factor to improving patient safety and quality care.
Comparison of marginal bone loss and implant success between axial and tilted implants in maxillary All‐on‐4 treatment concept rehabilitations after 5 years of follow‐up

BACKGROUND There is need for more scientific and clinical information on longer-term outcomes of tilted implants compared to implants inserted in an axial position. PURPOSE Comparison of marginal bone loss and implant success after a 5-year follow-up between axial and tilted implants inserted for full-arch maxillary rehabilitation. MATERIAL AND METHODS The retrospective clinical study included 891 patients with 3564 maxillary implants rehabilitated according to the All-on-4 treatment concept. The follow-up time was 5 years. Linear mixed-effect models were performed to analyze the influence of implant orientation (axial/tilted) on marginal bone loss and binary logistic regression to assess the effect of patient characteristics on occurrence of marginal bone loss >2.8 mm. Only those patients with measurements of at least one axial and one tilted implant available were analyzed. This resulted in a data set of 2379 implants (1201 axial, 1178 tilted) in 626 patients (=reduced data set). RESULTS Axial and tilted implants showed comparable mean marginal bone losses of 1.14 ± 0.71 and 1.19 ± 0.82 mm, respectively. Mixed model analysis indicated that marginal bone loss levels at 5 years follow up was not significantly affected by the orientation (axial/tilted) of the implants in the maxillary bone. Smoking and female gender were associated with marginal bone loss >2.8 mm in a logistic regression analysis. Five-year implant success rates were 96%. The occurrence of implant failure showed to be statistically independent from orientation. CONCLUSIONS Within the limitations of this study and considering a follow-up time of 5 years, it can be concluded that tilted implants behave similarly with regards to marginal bone loss and implant success in comparison to axial implants in full-arch rehabilitation of the maxilla. Longer-term outcomes (10 years +) are needed to verify this result.
Testing the Schumpeterian Hypotheses on an Open Innovation Framework

The purpose of this paper is to explore the unclear relationship between industry structure and Open Innovation. The focus of the study is on firms that received external help to develop their products or that helped third parties in developing their products. The hypotheses were tested on a large panel of more than 7,000 firms using Generalized Estimating Equations.The results show that Open Innovation adoption is positively related to technology complexity and market uncertainty while it is negatively related to market concentration. Larger firms are more likely to adopt Open Innovation strategies. The research makes an important contribution to the literature by examining on a large sample of firms the moderating effects of industry concentration, industry research and development intensity and the technology life cycle stage on the adoption of Open Innovation.
A Negative Feedback Repetitive Control Scheme for Harmonic Compensation

In this letter, a different feedback structure of the repetitive control that apparently is more appropriate for applications in power electronics is proposed. Moreover, a simple analog-circuit implementation is proposed which is suitable for high-frequency power electronics applications, where digital control is unpractical due to cost and performance of available DSPs and microcontrollers
Hybrid model for the personal exposure meter response in an outdoor environment

When a personal exposure meter (PEM) is worn by a human subject, the electric‐field strength measured at the PEM is affected by a body shadowing effect. In our study, a hybrid model is proposed for modeling the body shadowing effect for when the PEM is used in an outdoor environment. The hybrid model contains responses to direct and diffused waves, the factors related to the transmission path and cross‐polarization discrimination, respectively. To derive the hybrid model, responses for the direct and diffused waves are measured using a human phantom in an anechoic chamber and a reverberation chamber, respectively. Responses are measured at multiple locations in an outdoor environment and compared to the responses of the hybrid model. The hybrid model response has quartiles that deviate by an average of only 2.2 dB (1.29) from the same quartiles of the outdoor responses. Such quartile deviations are significantly smaller than those of the previous model with a body shadowing effect. Bioelectromagnetics. 38:626–647, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Newsvendor decisions under supply uncertainty

We analyse the impact of supply uncertainty on newsvendor decisions. First, we derive a solution for a newsvendor facing stochastic supply yield, in addition to stochastic demand. While earlier research has considered independent uncertainties, we derive the optimal order quantity for interdependent demand and supply and provide a closed-form solution for a specific copula-based dependence structure. This allows us to give insights into how dependence impacts the newsvendor’s decision, profit and risk level. In addition to the theory, we present experimental results that show how difficult newsvendor decisions under supply uncertainty are for human subjects. In our experiment, the control group replicated a well-known newsvendor experiment, whereas the test group faced additional supply yield uncertainty. Comparison of these results shows that under low-profit condition, subjects are able to incorporate supply uncertainty quite well in their decisions. Under high-profit condition, the deviation from the optimum is much more significant. We discuss this asymmetry and also propose some ways to improve newsvendor decision-making.
Diffusion coefficient in transformer pressboard insulation part 2: mineral oil impregnated

Moisture is one of the most influencing parameters which accelerates solid insulation degradation process in transformers. Correct estimation of the moisture within solid insulation of transformer is still a challenge due to temperature driven complex moisture dynamics between oil and paper insulation. Although some authors have proposed coefficients for Kraft paper as well as for non-impregnated pressboard much less work has been done on oil-impregnated pressboard insulations. In this paper, the determination of the diffusion coefficient of moisture in transformer pressboard impregnated with mineral oil is tackled. Studies were carried out on different samples thickness of pressboard which are typical in power transformer. The experimental conditions were simulated using a mathematical model based on the Fick¿s second law and an expression for the diffusion coefficient is proposed and validated experimentally.
HIV/AIDS and Banking Stability in Developing Countries

We argue that the recent large increase in deposits’ turnover in many developing countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence is associated with the spread of the disease. The point is that the need to pay for individual treatments force large-scale withdrawals of households’ deposits, and that those large withdrawals put the banking industry at risk. In a standard demand-deposit model where the HIV/AIDS prevalence among depositors is random, we show that (1) the probability of a large-scale banking failure without a bank run increases as the odds of any prevalence level increases, and (2) it is always optimal to deposit, and thus to accept the risk of banking failure, to maintain long-term investments in place.
The transition from vocational education and training to higher education: a successful pathway?

This paper questions whether participation in vocational education and training (VET) provides a successful progression route into UK higher education (HE). Following an overview of the UK policy agenda two inter‐connected aspects of HE access are investigated: students’ choice of institution and choice of subject. Analysis of administrative data shows that A‐levels provide the major access route into more prestigious HE institutions. Students with VET backgrounds are more likely to start their HE studies at post‐92 universities with lower RAE results. Different educational pathways also lead to different HE subject areas which, in turn, are connected to diverse labour market outcomes. Case study data identify highly individualised decision‐making patterns for institutional and subject choice. Rational choice models can explain these choices only to a limited extent. Restrictive information strategies and other factors affecting individual choices require consideration and there are significant differences in motivational patterns between students regarding their choice of subject.
Efficacy and toxicity of methotrexate in early rheumatoid arthritis are associated with single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes coding for folate pathway enzymes.

OBJECTIVE To determine associations of methotrexate (MTX) efficacy and toxicity with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes coding for folate pathway enzymes in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS Patients (n=205) with active RA received MTX at an initial dosage of 7.5 mg/week, which was increased to 15 mg/week and combined with folic acid (1 mg/day) after 4 weeks. If the Disease Activity Score in 44 joints (DAS44) was >2.4 at 3 months, MTX was increased to 25 mg/week. MTX efficacy was evaluated at 3 and 6 months and compared for genotypes in 3 analyses: patients with and without good response (DAS44<or=2.4), patients with and without good improvement (DeltaDAS44>1.2), and patients with and without moderate improvement (DeltaDAS44>0.6). The association between MTX-related adverse drug events (ADEs) and genotype was evaluated by comparing genotypes between patients with and without ADEs, specifically pneumonitis, gastrointestinal ADEs, skin and mucosal ADEs, and elevated liver enzyme levels. The following SNPs were analyzed: methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T, MTHFR 1298A>C, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) -473G>A, DHFR 35289G>A, and reduced folate carrier 80G>A. In case of significant differences, odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. RESULTS At 6 months, MTHFR 1298AA was associated with good improvement relative to 1298C (OR 2.3, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.18-4.41), which increased with increased copies of the MTHFR 677CC haplotype. In contrast, MTHFR 1298C allele carriers developed more ADEs (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.32-4.72). CONCLUSION Patients with MTHFR 1298AA and MTHFR 677CC showed greater clinical improvement with MTX, whereas only the MTHFR 1298C allele was associated with toxicity. In the future, MTHFR genotypes may help determine which patients will benefit most from MTX treatment.
Reduction of fatigue in Sjögren syndrome with rituximab: results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study

Objective: Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) causes significant systemic symptoms including fatigue as well as glandular dysfunction. There are currently no effective systemic therapies; however, open label series have suggested that rituximab may be beneficial for systemic and glandular manifestations. Therefore, we performed a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomised pilot study of the efficacy of rituximab in reducing fatigue in pSS. Methods: A total of 17 patients with pSS and a score on fatigue visual analogue scale (VAS) >50 were randomised to receive either 2 infusions of rituximab 1 g or placebo; patients also received oral and intravenous steroids. Outcome measures included: the proportion of patients with >20% reduction in fatigue VAS, changes in pSS related symptoms, health related quality of life and immunological parameters of pSS. These were measured 6 months after therapy. Results: There was significant improvement from baseline in fatigue VAS in the rituximab group (p<0.001) in contrast to the placebo group (p = 0.147). There was a significant difference between the groups at 6 months in the social functioning score of SF-36 (p = 0.01) and a trend to significant difference in the mental health domain score of SF-36 (p = 0.06). There was one episode of serum sickness in the rituximab treated group. Conclusions: This is the first double blind study of rituximab in pSS to show benefit; further studies are justified.
Ankle–Brachial Index: An Ubiquitous Marker of Cognitive Impairment—The EPIDEMCA Study

Epidemiological research on the implication of atherosclerosis in the development of cognitive impairment is lacking in low- and middle-income countries, where two-thirds of the individuals affected by dementia live. Individuals aged ≥65 years living in urban and rural areas of 2 countries in Central Africa were invited. Demographic, clinical, and biological data were collected, and the ankle–brachial index (ABI) was measured. Cognitive impairment was defined according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria. Among 1662 participants (age 72.9 years, 59.3% females), the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 13.6%, which is higher in individuals with ABI ≤ 0.90 and ABI ≥ 1.40 than those with 0.90 < ABI < 1.40 (20.1% and 17% vs 12%, P = .0024). Cognitive impairment was significantly associated with the factors such as age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.12, P < .0001), female gender (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.59-3.49, P < .0001), smoking (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.06-2.23, P = .0026), and low ABI (≤0.90; OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.03-2.25, P = .0359). The ABI, a ubiquitous marker of atherosclerosis, provides independent and incremental information on susceptibility to present with cognitive disorders.
Automatic determination of parameters in dynamic load models from normal operation data

Economic and environmental concerns will slow down the expansion of the transmission systems in many countries. The de-regulation of the power supply will introduce new power flow patterns on the bulk transmission systems. The net result is that the power systems will operate much closer to their transfer limits and operate there much longer time than has been necessary. The risk for voltage collapse determines the transfer limits in many bulk transmission systems. The recording of the load behavior directly provides information about operating conditions. The applicability of this information might be used for the dimensioning of the transfer limits, the maximum transfer capacity and the calculation of security limits. The main challenge is how to manage an on-line utility able to identify the time-varying parameters of the load, and how to deal with this information to make it useful in an on-line security assessment packages are commercially available today, but its accuracy is still limited by load model uncertainty.
Yield randomness, cost tradeoffs, and diversification in the EOQ model

Existing production/inventory models with random (variable) yield take the yield distribution as given. This work takes a step towards selecting the optimal yield randomness, jointly with lot sizing decisions. First, we analyze an EOQ model where yield variance and lot size are to be selected simultaneously. Two different cost structures are considered. Secondly, we consider source diversification (‘second sourcing’) as a means of reducing effective yield randomness, and trade its benefits against its costs. Conditions for the superiority of diversification between two sources with distinct yield distributions over a single source are derived. The optimal number of identical sources is also analyzed. Some comments on the congruence of the results with recent JIT practices are provided.
The effects of chronic ethanol consumption and ethanol withdrawal on serum cholinesterase activity in rats.

AIMS The effect of chronic ethanol consumption and ethanol withdrawal on serum cholinesterase (ChE) activity was investigated in female Wistar rats. METHODS Ethanol was administered by a modified liquid diet with 4.8% (v/v) ethanol for 3 days followed by 25 days on a liquid diet in which the ethanol concentration was increased to 7.2%. Control rats were pair-fed with an isocaloric liquid diet not containing ethanol. The blood ethanol concentration and serum ChE activity were measured at the end of the 4.8% ethanol consumption period; after 7, 14 and 35 days of ethanol (7.2%) consumption, and at 24 and 72 h after ethanol withdrawal following ethanol consumption of 35 days. RESULTS Daily ethanol consumption of the rats ranged from 11.5 to 14.9 g/kg. Serum ChE activity was found significantly increased from the 3rd day of ethanol (4.8%) consumption. Serum ChE activities of the rats receiving 7.2% ethanol also increased significantly compared with rats ingesting 4.8% ethanol. Blood ethanol levels were measured as 121 and 0.88 mg/dl on the 35th day of ethanol (7.2%) consumption (just before ethanol withdrawal) and after 24 h of ethanol withdrawal, respectively. Increased serum ChE activity (1968 U/l) was still observed (1942 U/l) after 24 h of ethanol withdrawal. ChE activity returned to control levels (501 U/l) after 72 h of ethanol withdrawal. Audiogenic seizures indicating development of physical dependence on ethanol were also observed after 8 h of ethanol withdrawal in another individual group of ethanol-fed rats. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that serum ChE activity is increased by chronic ethanol consumption in rats and that this increase is affected by ethanol concentration and duration of ethanol ingestion.
Strategic debt service and investment decisions

Firms alter investing decisions when there is debt in the capital structure. Security design features can exacerbate the situation. This article studies how strategic debt service may affect investment distortions resulting from debt financing in a dynamic framework. When the production decision involves an expansion option, the shareholders’ option to strategically default on the outstanding debt eliminates bankruptcy costs but, in contrast to previous literature where production decisions are fixed, leads to suboptimal investing decisions. This is due to higher wealth transfers from shareholders to debt holders upon exercise of the growth option. Strategic debt service, therefore, may reduce the value of the firm. The setting of an endogenous production set offers a potential explanation for empirical observations of wide credit spreads and low leverage.
A study on the influence of covariance adaptation on jacobian compensation in vocal tract length normalization

In this paper, we ﬁrst show that accounting for Jacobian in Vocal-Tract Length Normalization (VTLN) will degrade the performance when there is a mismatch between the train and test speaker conditions. VTLN is implemented using our recently proposed approach of linear transformation of conventional MFCC, i.e. a feature transformation. In this case, Jacobian is simply the determinant of the linear transformation. Feature transformation is equivalent to the means and covariances of the model being transformed by the inverse transformation while leaving the data unchanged. Using a set of adaptation experiments, we analyze the reasons for the degradation during Jacobian compensation and conclude that applying the same VTLN transformation on both means and variances does not fully match the data when there is a mismatch in the speaker conditions. This may have similar implications for constrained-MLLR in mismatched speaker conditions. We then propose to use covariance adaptation on top of VTLN to account for the co-variance mismatch between the train and the test speakers and show that accounting for Jacobian after covariance adaptation improves the performance.