Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrocardiographic interventricular dispersion of repolarization during autonomic adaptation in LQT1 subtype of long QT syndrome

Objectives. In LQT1 subtype of inherited long QT syndrome, repolarization abnormalities originating from defective IKs render patients vulnerable to ventricular arrhythmia during sudden sympathetic activation. Experimental studies show lower IKs density and longer action potential duration in left (LV) than in right (RV) ventricle. We studied interventricular dispersion of repolarization in patients with IKs defect during autonomic tests. Design. We measured interventricular (difference of QT intervals between LV and RV type leads) and transmural electrocardiographic dispersion of repolarization from 25-lead electrocardiograms in nine asymptomatic KCNQ1 mutation carriers (LQT1) and eight controls during rest, Valsalva maneuver, mental stress, sustained handgrip and supine exercise. Results. LQT1 carriers showed increased interventricular dispersion of repolarization (13±9 ms vs. 4±4 ms, p=0.03) during all tests. Valsalva strain increased the difference between the study groups. In LQT1 carriers, interventricular dispersion of repolarization correlated weakly with electrocardiographic transmural dispersion of repolarization. Conclusions. Asymptomatic KCNQ1 mutation carriers exhibit increased and by abrupt sympathetic activation augmented interventricular difference in electrocardiographic repolarization times. Interventricular and transmural repolarization dispersion behave similarly in patients with IKs defect.
Postoperative analgesic efficacy of dexamethasone sodium phosphate versus triamcinolone acetonide in bunionectomy: A prospective, single-blinded pilot randomized controlled trial

Background: Corticosteroids are often administered via injection preoperatively to reduce post-operative inflammation and pain. Despite their wide anecdotal application in clinical practice, there are no current guidelines pertaining to appropriate corticosteroid selection. This study aims to investigate and compare the efficacy of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in postoperative pain management following hallux valgus surgery. Methods: ​A randomized, prospective, single-blind study comparing preoperative DSP versus TA injections was conducted on 20 participants who were undergoing elective hallux valgus surgery. Postoperative pain scores (pain intensity and pain interference with daily activities) were assessed with Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-sf) questionnaire at the time of first postoperative oral analgesic consumption or 14 days after surgery if no analgesics were required. Differences in clinically significant pain scores were also assessed with prospectively defined response criteria. Results: ​The difference in mean for pain intensity and pain interference were found to be significantly lower for TA group as compared to DSP group ​(p = 0.006 and p = 0.001) respectively​. Significant difference was also observed in the proportion of participants who reported absence of postoperative pain scores between DSP and TA groups (p = 0.025 and p= 0.006) respectively​. However, there were no ​significant differences between ​time to postoperative analgesia consumption​ and proportion of ​participants requiring oral analgesia ​(p>0.05). Conclusions: ​This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that TA is associated with lower pain scores compared to DSP. Further research is required to establish the effects of TA and DSP in managing postoperative pain following hallux valgus surgery.
Beyond individualism: Is there a place for relational autonomy in clinical practice and research?

The dominant, individualistic understanding of autonomy that features in clinical practice and research is underpinned by the idea that people are, in their ideal form, independent, self-interested and rational gain-maximising decision-makers. In recent decades, this paradigm has been challenged from various disciplinary and intellectual directions. Proponents of ‘relational autonomy’ in particular have argued that people’s identities, needs, interests – and indeed autonomy – are always also shaped by their relations to others. Yet, despite the pronounced and nuanced critique directed at an individualistic understanding of autonomy, this critique has had very little effect on ethical and legal instruments in clinical practice and research so far. In this article, we use four case studies to explore to what extent, if at all, relational autonomy can provide solutions to ethical and practical problems in clinical practice and research. We conclude that certain forms of relational autonomy can have a tangible and positive impact on clinical practice and research. These solutions leave the ultimate decision to the person most affected, but encourage and facilitate the consideration of this person’s care and responsibility for connected others.
Hiding Symbols and Functions: New Metrics and Constructions for Information-Theoretic Security

We present information-theoretic definitions and results for analyzing symmetric-key encryption schemes beyond the perfect secrecy regime, i.e. when perfect secrecy is not attained. We adopt two lines of analysis, one based on lossless source coding, and another akin to ratedistortion theory. We start by presenting a new information-theoretic metric for security, called ǫ-symbol secrecy, and derive associated fundamental bounds. This metric provides a parameterization of secrecy that spans other information-theoretic metrics for security, such as weak secrecy and perfect secrecy. We then introduce list-source codes (LSCs), which are a general framework for mapping a key length (entropy) to a list size that an eavesdropper has to resolve in order to recover a secret message. We provide explicit constructions of LSCs, and show that LSCs that achieve high symbol secrecy also achieve a favorable tradeoff between key length and uncertainty list size. We also demonstrate that, when the source is uniformly distributed, the highest level of symbol secrecy for a fixed key length can be achieved through a construction based on minimum-distance separable (MDS) codes. Using an analysis related to rate-distortion theory, we then show how symbol secrecy can be used to determine the probability that an eavesdropper correctly reconstructs functions of the original plaintext. More specifically, we present lower bounds for the minimum-mean-squared-error of estimating a target function of the plaintext given that a certain set of functions of the plaintext is known to be hard (or easy) to infer, either by design of the security system or by restrictions imposed on the adversary. We illustrate how these bounds can be applied to characterize security properties of symmetric-key encryption schemes, and, in particular, extend security claims based on symbol secrecy to a functional setting. Finally, we discuss the application of our methods in key distribution, storage and privacy.
Strong Correlation between Stress Drop and Peak Ground Acceleration for Recent M 1-4 Earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Area

Theoretical and observational studies suggest that between-event variability in the median ground motions of larger (M ≥ 5) earthquakes is controlled primarily by the dynamic properties of the earthquake source, such as Brune-type stress drop. Analogous results remain equivocal for smaller events due to the lack of comprehensive and overlapping ground-motion and source-parameter datasets in this regime. Here, we investigate the relationship between peak ground acceleration (PGA) and dynamic stress drop for a new dataset of 5297 earthquakes that occurred in the San Francisco Bay area from 2002 through 2016. For each event, we measure PGA on horizontal-component channels of stations within 100 km and estimate stress drop from P-wave spectra recorded on vertical-component channels of the same stations. We then develop a nonparametric ground-motion prediction equation (GMPE) applicable for the moderate (M 1–4) earthquakes in our study region, using a mixed-effects generalization of the Random Forest algorithm. We use the Random Forest GMPE to model the joint influence of magnitude, distance, and near-site effects on observed PGA. We observe a strong correlation between dynamic stress drop and the residual PGA of each event, with the events with higher-than-expected PGA associated with higher values of stress drop. The strength of this correlation increases as a function of magnitude but remains significant even for smaller magnitude events with corner frequencies that approach the observable bandwidth of the acceleration records. Mainshock events are characterized by systematically higher stress drop and PGA than aftershocks of equivalent magnitude. Coherent local variations in the distribution of dynamic stress drop provide observational constraints to support the future development of nonergodic GMPEs that account for variations in median stress drop at different source locations. Electronic Supplement: Figures showing the relation between Mw and ML, comparison of the ground-motion measurements from this study with the cross-listed records in the Next Generation Attenuation ground-motion database, the validation curve used to select the optimal tree depth for the Random Forest ground-motion prediction equation (GMPE) used in this study, the between-event ground-motion residual is plotted versus: (a) stress drop, (b) magnitude-adjusted stress drop, (c) depth, and (d) depth-adjusted stress drop, a table containing the ground-motion and stressdrop measurements associated with this study, and an example Python notebook.
Home Visits to Mothers with Children Between the Ages 0 to 4 Years: A Mental Health Intervention Strategy in Emerging Countries

According to recent investigations both in Chile and other countries, mental health of mothers show a special vulnerability during the post-partum period. This is an especially disturbing knowledge, because of the relevance of the first three years of life in the posterior development of children. The connection between the mental health of the mother (→ mother-son/daughter relationship→ attachment style→ regulation of the child experience→ development of the brain cyto-architecture→) and the present and future mental health of the child is solidly established, based on a large amount of empirical and multidisciplinary evidence (Shore, 2001). Strengthening and parental skills of the mother, especially in the first upbringing stages are then a priority focus of action for health policies in every country.
Mixed risk-neutral/minimax control of discrete-time, finite-state Markov decision processes

Addresses the control design problem for discrete-time, finite-state Markov decision processes, when both risk-neutral and minimax objectives are of interest. We introduce the mixed risk-neutral/minimax objective and utilize results from risk-neutral and minimax control to derive an information state process and dynamic programming equations for the value function. We synthesize optimal control laws both on the finite and the infinite horizons. We study the effectiveness of both the mixed risk-neutral/minimax family and the risk-sensitive family of controllers as tools to tradeoff risk-neutral and minimax objectives. We conclude that the mixed risk-neutral/minimax family is more effective, at the cost of increased controller complexity.
Comparing variations of peak expiratory flow among healthy adults from the Kuyavia-Pomeranian and Lublin districts of Poland

Introduction: Peak expiratory flow (PEF), a measure of lung function, was first described by Hadorn in 1942. The definition of PEF, written by the European Respiratory Society, states that it is the maximum flow achieved during the expiration phase, delivered with maximal force, starting from the maximum level of lung inflation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variations of PEF associated with height, age, body surface area, place of residence and environmental factors among healthy adults in an urban setting in Poland. Material and methods: The study comprised 88 healthy, non-smoking subjects: 30 females and 58 males, aged 20–80 years. Epidemiological and demographic data were collected from each participant, as well as information on symptoms and the occurrence of lung diseases. Only healthy subjects were selected for analysis. Participants completed spirometry testing; physical parameters were measured, and appropriate additional data obtained. Results: Among the study group of 88 participants (30 females and 58 males), peak expiratory flow rate was negatively correlated with age (p = 0.000001), and positively correlated with height and body surface area (both p < 0.000001). There was a significant negative correlation between PEF and longitudinal environmental factors such as different particulate matter levels (p = 0.0007) present at the place of residence. Conclusions: Peak expiratory flow changes are present in a healthy adult population. Place of residence and environmental factors influence the results of spirometry tests.
Few climate change adaptation strategies of rural women : a case study of Ndwedwe-Cibane, KwaZulu-Natal.

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS . v APPENDICES . x LIST OF FIGURES . x LIST OF TABLES . xi LIST OF PLATES . xi LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS . xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Preamble . 1 1.2 General context . 1 1.3 Research motivation. 3 1.4 Aim . 6 1.5 Objectives . 6 1.6 Conceptual framework . 7 1.7 Methodology summary . 7 1.8 Study assumptions . 8 1.9 Chapter sequence . 9 1.10 Conclusion . 9 CHAPTER 2: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW . 10 2.
Assessing Market for Multi-National Corporations at Nigeria's Bottom of the Pyramid: Hints from Consumer Behaviour

Undoubtedly, poverty reduction has become a front-burner issue in development and business agenda. Since its announcement and defense by its advocates as a potent weapon against poverty, the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) concept has been bedeviled by controversies. A major controversy is whether or not Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) can serve the BoP market profitably without further impoverishing the poor. The main objective of this study therefore is to assess if there is market for MNCs at Nigeria's BoP. The primary data for this study were collected using Questionnaires administered to consumers in South Western Nigeria. The secondary data used were obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics Surveys; 2009/2010 Consumption Pattern and Consumer Expectation. Using a combination of primary and secondary data, the study employed multiple regression analysis on determinants of consumption at Nigeria's Bottom of the Pyramid. Findings of the study were mostly in conflict with the positions of the BoP advocates. On the basis of the trends in Consumer Behavior and the composition of baskets of goods at the Bottom of the Pyramid, the study concluded that the BoP market would be better served by indigenous micro, small and medium enterprises than Multi-National Corporations.
Far-infrared surface emissivity and climate

Significance We find that many of the Earth's climate variables, including surface temperature, outgoing longwave radiation, cooling rates, and frozen surface extent, are sensitive to far-IR surface emissivity, a largely unconstrained, temporally and spatially heterogeneous scaling factor for the blackbody radiation from the surface at wavelengths between 15 μm and 100 μm. We also describe a previously unidentified mechanism that amplifies high-latitude and high-altitude warming in finding significantly lower values of far-IR emissivity for ocean and desert surfaces than for sea ice and snow. This leads to a decrease in surface emission at far-IR wavelengths, reduced cooling to space, and warmer radiative surface temperatures. Far-IR emissivity can be measured from spectrally resolved observations, but such measurements have not yet been made. Presently, there are no global measurement constraints on the surface emissivity at wavelengths longer than 15 μm, even though this surface property in this far-IR region has a direct impact on the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and infrared cooling rates where the column precipitable water vapor (PWV) is less than 1 mm. Such dry conditions are common for high-altitude and high-latitude locations, with the potential for modeled climate to be impacted by uncertain surface characteristics. This paper explores the sensitivity of instantaneous OLR and cooling rates to changes in far-IR surface emissivity and how this unconstrained property impacts climate model projections. At high latitudes and altitudes, a 0.05 change in emissivity due to mineralogy and snow grain size can cause a 1.8–2.0 W m−2 difference in the instantaneous clear-sky OLR. A variety of radiative transfer techniques have been used to model the far-IR spectral emissivities of surface types defined by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program. Incorporating these far-IR surface emissivities into the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario of the Community Earth System Model leads to discernible changes in the spatial patterns of surface temperature, OLR, and frozen surface extent. The model results differ at high latitudes by as much as 2°K, 10 W m−2, and 15%, respectively, after only 25 y of integration. Additionally, the calculated difference in far-IR emissivity between ocean and sea ice of between 0.1 and 0.2, suggests the potential for a far-IR positive feedback for polar climate change.
Observation of Dynamic Extinction Ratio and Bit Error Rate Degradation Due to Thermal Effects in Integrated Modulators

We experimentally demonstrate how the thermal crosstalk between active and passive components limits the performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulators operating in the radiofrequency regime. To evaluate the role of the distance between active and passive components, the MZs are placed at different distances with respect to a semiconductor optical amplifier that represents the heat source. The thermal crosstalk is quantified by measuring the effects on the electro-optical response of MZ modulators considered as the test structure. Both extinction ratio and bit error rate degradation are measured. The proposed investigation allows the introduction of design rules, based on the minimum distance between components to ultimately avoid unwanted thermal effects. According to the result provided by our analysis, we also show how the ER degradation can be recovered.
Automated Hierarchy Discovery for Planning in Partially Observable Domains

Planning in partially observable domains is a notoriously difficult problem. However, in many real-world scenarios, planning can be simplified by decomposing the task into a hierarchy of smaller planning problems which, can then be solved independently of one another. Several approaches, mainly dealing with fully observable domains, have been proposed to optimize a plan that decomposes according to a hierarchy specified a priori. Some researchers have also proposed to discover hierarchies in fully observable domains. In this thesis, we investigate the problem of automatically discovering planning hierarchies in partially observable domains. The main advantage of discovering hierarchies is that, for a plan of a fixed size, hierarchical plans can be more expressive than nonhierarchical ones. Our solution frames the discovery and optimization of a hierarchical policy as a nonconvex optimization problem. By encoding the hierarchical structure as variables of the optimization problem, we can automatically discover a hierarchy. Successfully solving the optimization problem therefore yields an optimal hierarchy and an optimal policy. We describe several techniques to solve the optimization problem. Namely, we provide results using general non-linear solvers, mixed-integer linear and non-linear solvers or a form of bounded hierarchical policy iteration. Our method is flexible enough to allow any parts of the hierarchy to be specified based on prior knowledge while letting the optimization discover the unknown parts. It can also discover hierarchical policies, including recursive policies, that are more compact (potentially infinitely fewer parameters).
Outside-In Signalling Generated by a Constitutively Activated Integrin αIIbβ3 Impairs Proplatelet Formation in Human Megakaryocytes

Background The interaction of megakaryocytes with matrix proteins of the osteoblastic and vascular niche is essential for megakaryocyte maturation and proplatelet formation. Fibrinogen is present in the vascular niche and the fibrinogen receptor αIIbβ3 is abundantly expressed on megakaryocytes, however the role of the interaction between fibrinogen and αIIbβ3 in proplatelet formation in humans is not yet fully understood. We have recently reported a novel congenital macrothrombocytopenia associated with a heterozygous mutation of the β3 subunit of αIIbβ3. The origin of thrombocytopenia in this condition remains unclear and this may represent an interesting natural model to get further insight into the role of the megakaryocyte fibrinogen receptor in megakaryopoiesis. Methodology/Principal Findings Patients' peripheral blood CD45+ cells in culture were differentiated into primary megakaryocytes and their maturation, spreading on different extracellular matrix proteins, and proplatelet formation were analyzed. Megakaryocyte maturation was normal but proplatelet formation was severely impaired, with tips decreased in number and larger in size than those of controls. Moreover, megakaryocyte spreading on fibrinogen was abnormal, with 50% of spread cells showing disordered actin distribution and more evident focal adhesion points than stress fibres. Integrin αIIbβ3 expression was reduced but the receptor was constitutively activated and a sustained, and substrate-independent, activation of proteins of the outside-in signalling was observed. In addition, platelet maturation from preplatelets was impaired. Conclusions/Significance Our data show that constitutive activation of αIIbβ3-mediated outside-in signalling in human megakaryocytes negatively influences proplatelet formation, leading to macrothombocytopenia.
A study of gradual transition detection in historic film material

The detection of gradual transitions focuses on two types of approaches: unified approaches, i.e. one detector for all gradual transition types, and approaches that use specialized detectors for each gradual transition type. We present an overview on existing methods and extend an existing unified approach for the detection of gradual transitions in historic material. In an experimental study we evaluate our approach on complex and low quality historic material as well as on contemporary material from the TRECVid evaluation. Additionally we investigate different features, feature combinations and fusion strategies. We observe that the historic material requires the use of texture features in contrast to the contemporary material that in most of the cases requires the use of colour and luminance features.
Low Cost and Flexible UAV Deployment of Sensors

This paper presents a platform for airborne sensor applications using low-cost, open-source components carried by an easy-to-fly unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV). The system, available in open-source , is designed for researchers, students and makers for a broad range of exploration and data-collection needs. The main contribution is the extensible architecture for modularized airborne sensor deployment and real-time data visualisation. Our open-source Android application provides data collection, flight path definition and map tools. Total cost of the system is below 800 dollars. The flexibility of the system is illustrated by mapping the location of Bluetooth beacons (iBeacons) on a ground field and by measuring water temperature in a lake.