Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using of Structural Equation Modeling Techniques in Cognitive Levels Validation

When constructing knowledge tests, cognitive level is usually one of the dimensions comprising the test specifications with each item assigned to measure a particular level. Recently used taxonomies of the cognitive levels most often represent some modification of the original Bloom's taxonomy. There are many concerns in current literature about existence of predefined cognitive levels. The aim of this article is to investigate can structural equation modeling techniques confirm existence of different cognitive levels. For the purpose of the research, a Croatian final high-school Mathematics exam was used (N = 9626). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural regression modeling were used to test three different models. Structural equation modeling techniques did not support existence of different cognitive levels in this case. There is more than one possible explanation for that finding. Some other techniques that take into account nonlinear behaviour of the items as well as qualitative techniques might be more useful for the purpose of the cognitive levels validation. Furthermore, it seems that cognitive levels were not efficient descriptors of the items and so improvements are needed in describing the cognitive skills measured by items.
Effect of water storage on the flexural strength of four self-etching adhesive resin cements and on the dentin-titanium shear bond strength mediated by them.

AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of water storage on the flexural strength (σf) of four self-etching adhesive resin cements (SEARC) and on the dentin-titanium shear bond strength (SBS) mediated by them. MATERIALS AND METHODS The selected SEARC were Rely X Unicem, G-Cem, Maxcem, and SmartCem2. For each material, 50 bars (2×2×25 mm) were made and stored in water at 37°C for 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, and 60 days before σf was determined via a three-point bend test. Titanium cylinders were bonded to freshly exposed human dentin surfaces using the selected cements. Fifty samples were obtained for each SEARC and were stored in water at 37°C for 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, and 60 days before SBS was determined. The results were statistically analyzed using two-way analysis of variance followed by Scheffé multiple means comparisons (α=0.05). Pearson's correlation coefficient between σf and SBS was determined. RESULTS Significantly different σf and SBS values were obtained for the four cements. With regards to the effect of water storage, the σf of all materials increased during the first 7 days, was not significantly different between materials by 30 days, and then remained relatively constant or decreased for SmartCem2; SBS was not affected by water storage, with the exception of Maxcem, where a significant drop in SBS was detected after 1 day and no deterioration thereafter. No correlation was found between σf and SBS. CONCLUSIONS Under the experimental conditions of this study, 60 days of water storage negatively affected the σf of SmartCem2 but did not negatively affect the SEARC-mediated dentin-titanium SBS (Maxcem showed a significant drop in SBS after 1 day but no deterioration thereafter). The dentin-titanium adherence afforded by Rely X and G-Cem was significantly higher than that of Maxcem and SmartCem2.
Amyloid precursor protein binding protein-1 knockdown reduces neuronal differentiation in fetal neural stem cells

Amyloid precursor protein binding protein-1 (APP-BP1) was first identified as an interacting protein of APP. In this study, we explored whether APP-BP1 plays a role in neuronal differentiation of fetal neural stem cells. APP-BP1 knockdown by small interfering RNA treatment was found to downregulate neuronal differentiation and to upregulate APP intracellular domain production from APP in fetal neural stem cells. Furthermore, the change in gene expression profiles was systemically examined by DNA microarray. The expression of several genes including ephrin A2 was upregulated by APP-BP1 knockdown as assessed with DNA microarray and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Taken together, our results suggest that APP-BP1 modulates neuronal differentiation by altering gene expression profiles in fetal neural stem cells.
Comparative rates of adverse events with different formulations of intravenous iron

Oral iron replacement is the standard therapy in iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). However, 59% of patients have gastrointestinal toxicity. With impaired iron uptake from the gastrointestinal tract (in anemia of chronic disease (ACD) or after bariatric surgery), suboptimal responsiveness to exogenous erythropoietin (in chronic renal failure), in patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy, or when oral iron is poorly tolerated, IV iron therapy is the preferred mode of repletion. Although effective in increasing hemoglobin, the relative safety of the available IV iron preparations is not well documented. We examined the comparative safety of IV iron formulations used at hospitals associated with our institution. Among 619 unique patients who received IV iron over a 2-year period, we found 32 adverse events (AEs), ranging from urticaria to chest pain. There were no serious AEs or anaphylactic-type reactions. In a multivariate model, there was no difference in AE rates between low-molecular-weight iron dextran (LMWD) and ferric gluconate; however, iron sucrose had significantly higher odds ratio of AEs (OR = 5.7; 95% CI = 1.6–21.3). Our data suggest that AE rates with IV iron are acceptable. More widespread use of LMWD, in particular, which can be given safely as a total dose infusion (TDI), should be considered.
Determinants of Quality in Diabetes Care Process

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of clinical and socioeconomic variables as determinants of adherence to recommended diabetes care guidelines and assess differences in the process of care between diabetologists and general practitioners. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We identified diabetic residents in Torino, Italy, as of 31 July 2003, using multiple independent data sources. We collected data on several laboratory tests and specialist medical examinations registered during the subsequent 12 months and performed regression analyses to identify associations with quality-of-care indicators based on existing guidelines. RESULTS After 1 year, only 35.8% of patients had undergone a comprehensive assessment. In the multivariate models, factors independently and significantly associated with lower quality of care were age ≥75 years (prevalence rate ratio [PRR] 0.66 [95% CI 0.61–0.70]) and established cardiovascular disease (0.89 [0.86–0.93]). Disease severity (PRR for insulin-treated patients 1.45 [1.38–1.53]) and diabetologist consultation (PRR 3.34 [3.17–3.53]) were positively associated with high quality of care. No clear association emerged between sex and socioeconomic status. These differences were strongly reduced in patients receiving diabetologist care compared with patients receiving general practitioner care only. CONCLUSIONS Despite widespread availability of guidelines and simple screening procedures, a nonnegligible portion of the diabetic population, namely elderly individuals and patients with less severe forms of the disease, are not properly cared for. As practitioners in diabetes centers are more likely to adhere to guidelines than general practitioners, quality in the diabetes care process can be improved by increasing the intensity of disease management programs, with greater participation by general practitioners.
Cor triatriatum dexter: A rare cause of childhood cyanosis

Cor triatriatum dexter is a rare congenital heart anomaly where the right atrium is divided into two chambers by a membrane. We report a boy who had persistent mild cyanosis and diagnosed to have cor triatriatum dexter with secundum atrial septal defect by transoesophageal echocardiography. Interestingly, he had persistent mild cyanosis despite insignificant obstruction to the right ventricular inflow and normal pulmonary artery pressure. The pathophysiology, approach to the diagnosis, and mode of treatment are also discussed.
Effect of water thin film on the adhesion force between two silica surfaces using AFM

ABSTRACT The adhesion force between two silica surfaces was measured with different experimental parameters to investigate the effect of water thin film adsorbed on the surfaces using atomic force microscopes (AFM) at various relative humidities (RH). Results show that the adhesion force behavior largely depends on a water film. Under extremely dry condition, the adhesion force is independent of contact time without a water film. With a small (large) film thickness, the adhesion force is time-dependent (time-independent) and decreases (increases) with retraction velocity, and vice versa. For repeated contacts at one location, the time-dependent adhesion force shows larger fluctuations than the time-independent one. There may be a threshold thickness of water film to distinguish time-dependent and time-independent ones. The thickness can be changed to reach a certain value via RH adjustment, with which the adhesion force is almost independent of retraction velocity, and which may be very close to the threshold value. The adhesion force behavior by adjusting RH is closely related to water film thickness instead of RH itself, since the equilibrium of vapor-film interface may be difficult to reach. These results may help facilitate the anti-adhesion design of small-scale silicon-based systems under different conditions.
A randomized controlled trial into the effects of neurofeedback, methylphenidate, and physical activity on EEG power spectra in children with ADHD.

BACKGROUND The clinical and neurophysiological effects of neurofeedback (NF) as treatment for children with ADHD are still unclear. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra before and after NF compared to methylphenidate (MPH) treatment and physical activity (PA) - as semi-active control group - during resting and active (effortful) task conditions to determine whether NF can induce sustained alterations in brain function. METHODS Using a multicentre three-way parallel group RCT design, 112 children with a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD, aged between 7 and 13 years, were initially included. NF training consisted of 30 sessions of theta/beta training at Cz over a 10-week period. PA training was a semi-active control group, matched in frequency and duration. Methylphenidate was titrated using a double-blind placebo controlled procedure in 6 weeks, followed by a stable dose for 4 weeks. EEG power spectra measures during eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC) and task (effortful) conditions were available for 81 children at pre- and postintervention (n = 29 NF, n = 25 MPH, n = 27 PA). CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION Train Your Brain? Exercise and Neurofeedback Intervention for ADHD, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/;NCT01363544, Ref. No. NCT01363544. RESULTS Both NF and MPH resulted in comparable reductions in theta power from pre- to postintervention during the EO condition compared to PA (ηp (2) = . 08 and . 12). For NF, greater reductions in theta were related to greater reductions in ADHD symptoms. During the task condition, only MPH showed reductions in theta and alpha power compared to PA (ηp (2) = . 10 and . 12). CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence for specific neurophysiological effects after theta/beta NF and MPH treatment in children with ADHD. However, for NF these effects did not generalize to an active task condition, potentially explaining reduced behavioural effects of NF in the classroom.
Closed-Form Solutions for Worst-Case Law Invariant Risk Measures with Application to Robust Portfolio Optimization

Worst-case risk measures refer to the calculation of the largest value for risk measures when only partial information of the underlying distribution is available. For the popular risk measures such as Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR), it is now known that their worst-case counterparts can be evaluated in closed form when only the first two moments are known for the underlying distribution. These results are remarkable since they not only simplify the use of worst-case risk measures but also provide great insight into the connection between the worst-case risk measures and existing risk measures. We show in this paper that somewhat surprisingly similar closed-form solutions also exist for the general class of law invariant coherent risk measures, which consists of spectral risk measures as special cases that are arguably the most important extensions of CVaR. We shed light on the one-to-one correspondence between a worst-case law invariant risk measure and a worst-case CVaR (and a worst-case VaR), which enables one to carry over the development of worst-case VaR in the context of portfolio optimization to the worst-case law invariant risk measures immediately.
Lumbar Scoliosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Epidemiological Research With a DXA Cohort

Study Design. A retrospective cross-sectional study. Objective. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of and risk factors for lumbar scoliosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using lumbar images obtained from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Summary of Background Data. The prevalence of lumbar scoliosis in the normal adult population has been reported, but that in patients with RA remains unclear. Methods. Subjects comprised 241 patients with RA who underwent annual DXA. Cobb angles of the lumbar spine were measured by lumbar anteroposterior DXA and the prevalence of lumbar scoliosis (curvature ≥10°) was calculated. Correlations between lumbar scoliosis and potential risk factors (age, sex, duration of RA, T score of lumbar spine and hip, medications for RA [daily predonisolone dose, use of biological agents] and osteoporosis, disease activity score-C-reactive protein, progression stage and functional classification of RA, and severity of hand deformity were analyzed. Results. The prevalence of lumbar scoliosis in patients with RA was 32.0%. Mean Cobb angle was 7.1º ± 5.5º among all subjects, compared with 13.6º ± 4.4º (range, 10º–32º) among subjects with scoliosis. Subjects with scoliosis were significantly older (67.8 yr) than those without (61.6 yr, P < 0.0001). The daily prednisolone dose was significantly higher in subjects with scoliosis (4.14 mg) than in those without (3.46 mg, P = 0.0389). The T score of the hip was significantly smaller in subjects with scoliosis (−1.79) than in those without (−1.26, P = 0.0005). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed age as the sole risk factor for lumbar scoliotic changes in patients with RA (odds ratio, 1.068; 95% confidence interval, 1.031–1.107; P = 0.0003). Conclusion. The prevalence of lumbar scoliosis in patients with RA was 32.0%, about 3- or 4-times higher than its prevalence as obtained from previous reports of DXA cohorts irrespective of RA. Increased age represented an independent risk factor for lumbar scoliosis in patients with RA. Level of Evidence: 4
Dietary acrylamide intake and risk of esophageal cancer in a population‐based case‐control study in Sweden

Acrylamide is a potential carcinogen, which commonly occurs in some food items. The relation between acrylamide and esophageal cancer deserves attention. In a Swedish nationwide, population‐based case‐control study, data were collected on diet among other variables in 1995–1997 through personal interviews. Included were 189 cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma (participation rate 88%), 262 cases of gastroesophageal junctional adenocarcinoma (84%), 167 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (73%), and 820 control participants (73%). Dietary intake of acrylamide exposure was assessed from a food‐frequency questionnaire and categorized into quartiles based on the consumption among the control participants. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), with multivariable adjustment for known risk factors. Among participants in the highest quartile of acrylamide exposure compared to the lowest, the adjusted risk of all esophageal tumors combined was increased (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.02–1.75), particularly among overweight or obese persons (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.06–3.34). Increased point risk estimates were found for each type of esophageal cancer, but the association with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma seemed stronger and was statistically significant, particularly among nonsmokers in the highest quartile of acrylamide exposure (adjusted OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.16–6.87). Regarding squamous cell carcinoma only, a dose‐response association was identified (p for trend 0.01). Dietary intake of acrylamide might be a risk exposure for esophageal cancer, a stronger association among overweight or obese persons was indicated.
Emergency medicine journal impact factor and change compared to other medical and surgical specialties.

OBJECTIVES A journal impact factor represents the mean number of citations per article published. Designed as one tool to measure the relative importance of a journal, impact factors are often incorporated into academic evaluation of investigators. The authors sought to determine how impact factors of emergency medicine (EM) journals compare to journals from other medical and surgical specialties and if any change has taken place over time. METHODS The 2010 impact factors and 5-year impact factors for each journal indexed by the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Knowledge Journal Citation Reports (JCR) were collected, and EM, medical, and surgical specialties were evaluated. The maximum, median, and interquartile range (IQR) of the current impact factor and 5-year impact factor in each journal category were determined, and specialties were ranked according to the summary statistics. The "top three" impact factor journals for each specialty were analyzed, and growth trends from 2001 through 2010 were examined with random effects linear regression. RESULTS Data from 2,287 journals in 31 specialties were examined. There were 23 EM journals with a current maximum impact factor of 4.177, median of 1.269, and IQR of 0.400 to 2.176. Of 23 EM journals, 57% had a 5-year impact factor available, with a maximum of 4.531, median of 1.325, and IQR of 0.741 to 2.435. The top three EM journals had a mean standard deviation (±SD) impact factor of 3.801 (±0.621) and median of 4.142 and a mean (±SD) 5-year impact factor of 3.788 (±1.091) and median of 4.297, with a growth trend of 0.211 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.177 to 0.245; p < 0.001). By any criterion analyzed, EM journals ranked no higher than 24th among 31 specialties. CONCLUSIONS Emergency medicine journals rank low in impact factor summary statistics and growth trends among 31 medical and surgical specialties.
On the new short orbital period cataclysmic variable Hα0242-2802

We present results from our phase-resolved spectroscopy of the newly identified cataclysmic variable Ha0242-2802. Hα0242-2802 was identified from a deep UK Schmidt Ha-R band survey as a candidate cataclysmic variable. Although initial spectroscopy revealed an optical spectrum very similar to that of the famous short orbital period system WZ Sge, the analysis of our data shows that this is not the case. Hα0242-28 differs from WZ Sge in both the accretion disk structure and the orbital period. In particular, Hα0242-28 appears to be a system which has not reached the orbital period minimum, yet.
Author's Personal Copy Physical Communication Signal Propagation Techniques for Wireless Underground Communication Networks

In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: Keywords: Wireless networks Channel model Soil medium Underground mine Tunnel Magnetic induction Waveguide a b s t r a c t Wireless Underground Communication Networks (WUCNs) consist of wireless devices that operate below the ground surface. These devices are either (i) buried completely under dense soil, or (ii) placed within a bounded open underground space, such as underground mines and road/subway tunnels. The main difference between WUCNs and the terrestrial wireless communication networks is the communication medium. In this paper, signal propagation characteristics are described in these constrained areas. First, a channel model is described for electromagnetic (EM) waves in soil medium. This model characterizes not only the propagation of EM waves, but also other effects such as multipath, soil composition, water content, and burial depth. Second, the magnetic induction (MI) techniques are analyzed for communication through soil. Based on the channel model, the MI waveguide technique for communication is developed to address the high attenuation challenges of MI waves through soil. Furthermore, a channel model, i.e., the multimode model, is provided to characterize the wireless channel for WUCNs in underground mines and road/subway tunnels. The multimode model can characterize two cases for underground communication, i.e., the tunnel channel and the room-and-pillar channel. Finally, research challenges for the design communication protocols for WUCNs in both underground environments are discussed based on the analysis of the signal propagation.
Random Walks on Context Spaces: Towards an Explanation of the Mysteries of Semantic Word Embeddings

The papers of Mikolov et al. 2013 as well as subsequent works have led to dramatic progress in solving word analogy tasks using semantic word embeddings. This leverages linear structure that is often found in the word embeddings, which is surprising since the training method is usually nonlinear. There were attempts ---notably by Levy and Goldberg and Pennington et al.--- to explain how this linear structure arises. The current paper points out the gaps in these explanations and provides a more complete explanation using a loglinear generative model for the corpus that directly models the latent semantic structure in words. The novel methodological twist is that instead of trying to fit the best model parameters to the data, a rigorous mathematical analysis is performed using the model priors to arrive at a simple closed form expression that approximately relates co-occurrence statistics and word embeddings. This expression closely corresponds to ---and a bit simpler than--- the existing training methods, and leads to good solutions to analogy tasks. Empirical support is provided also for the validity of the modeling assumptions. This methodology of letting some mathematical analysis substitute for some of the computational difficulty may be useful in other settings with generative models.