Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel P-wave duration estimation method to assess the impact of the hybrid procedure for atrial fibrillation ablation

Changes in P wave duration (PWD) following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation have been described and may have diagnostic value. PWD is usually assessed manually from ECG. This study aimed at exploring a novel method for automated modeling of the P-wave and assessment of PWD. Moreover, it aimed at investigating the effect of hybrid procedure (HP) for AF treatment on PWD. P-wave modeling is achieved by means of a concatenation of two half-Gaussian functions, to account for potential left and right asymmetries in the P-wave morphology. When compared with a single Gaussian model, the method showed better fitting in terms of normalized mean square error (NMSE; 0.14±0.07 vs. 0.28±0.11, p <; 10-4). When investigating the effect of HP on PWD, results showed that PWD was significantly decreased after procedure (111.49±23.29 ms vs. 96.27±30.28 ms, p = 0.0319). PWD pre-procedure, was significantly higher in persistent patients than in paroxysmal patients (126.85±15.50 ms vs. 106.70±23.82, p <; 0.0272). Automated analysis of P-wave from ECG to extract PWD is possible. Results at 9 month follow-up suggest that selection of patients may be possible before procedure to individualize AF therapy.
Effect of Packaging Materials and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Shelf-life of Khoa

Preservation of freshly prepared Khoa was carried out at room temperature (25±1°C) and refrigerated temperature (5±1°C) by using different packaging materials such as LDPE, aluminum foil/PVC and three layer laminated (polyester/ met. BOPP/LDPE) in different conditions viz. normal and shrink. All of the packaging materials on both conditions showed no significant difference except normal LDPE on mean sensory score and chemical parameters of Khoa during storage at 5±1°C whereas it showed highly significant difference at 25±1°C among three packaging materials. Three layer laminated sample showed significantly higher sensory quality, high pH, low acidity, peroxide value (PV), free fatty acids (FFA) and lower microbial count than other two packaging materials. Similarly, shrink packaged sample showed better quality in terms of sensory and microbial attributes of Khoa compared to normal packaging. No colonies of yeast and mold, coliform were observed during the storage period. Shrink packaged Khoa in three layer laminated increased storability to 27 days at 25±1°C against three days for unpacked ordinary Khoa. Key words: Khoa preservation; packaging materials DOI: 10.3126/njst.v11i0. 4129 Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 11 (2010) 87-94
Amyloid-β Protofibrils: Size, Morphology and Synaptotoxicity of an Engineered Mimic

Structural and biochemical studies of the aggregation of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) are important to understand the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, but research is complicated by aggregate inhomogeneity and instability. We previously engineered a hairpin form of Aβ called Aβcc, which forms stable protofibrils that do not convert into amyloid fibrils. Here we provide a detailed characterization of Aβ42 cc protofibrils. Like wild type Aβ they appear as smooth rod-like particles with a diameter of 3.1 (±0.2) nm and typical lengths in the range 60 to 220 nm when observed by atomic force microscopy. Non-perturbing analytical ultracentrifugation and nanoparticle tracking analyses are consistent with such rod-like protofibrils. Aβ42 cc protofibrils bind the ANS dye indicating that they, like other toxic protein aggregates, expose hydrophobic surface. Assays with the OC/A11 pair of oligomer specific antibodies put Aβ42 cc protofibrils into the same class of species as fibrillar oligomers of wild type Aβ. Aβ42 cc protofibrils may be used to extract binding proteins in biological fluids and apolipoprotein E is readily detected as a binder in human serum. Finally, Aβ42 cc protofibrils act to attenuate spontaneous synaptic activity in mouse hippocampal neurons. The experiments indicate considerable structural and chemical similarities between protofibrils formed by Aβ42 cc and aggregates of wild type Aβ42. We suggest that Aβ42 cc protofibrils may be used in research and applications that require stable preparations of protofibrillar Aβ.
Psychosocial Predictors of Quality of Life in Hematological Cancer

The improvement of health related Quality of Life (QOL) has become one of the main objectives of psychological interventions in cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze sociodemographic and psychosocial variables that predict the different components of QOL in a sample of 69 hemato-oncological patients. Depression, social support, disease-related stress situations, coping strategies and optimism were taken as psychosocial predictors. QOL was evaluated with the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). With respect to sociodemographic variables, results showed that age and time from the diagnosis were associated with a decrease in QOL, while educational level and having a partner were associated with less pain and better mental health. With respect to negative-affecting psychosocial variables, depression was associated with general health and social functioning, the coping strategy of stoicism was associated with physical and emotional roles, the number of disease-related stress situations was associated with pain, and the feeling of negative emotions associated with the illness was associated with mental health. Social support and optimism were positively associated with vitality. These results have clear clinical implications for psychological interventions aimed to improve QOL in hemato-oncological patients.
Plural Legal Systems in Malaysia

The dynamic nature of interactions among plural legal systems is crucial in understanding law, human rights and the rule of law in Malaysia. Theories about identifying legal pluralism and on how plural legal fields interact are analysed to create a new framework capable of explaining legal pluralism. This analytical framework is applied to analyse how the different legal spheres in Malaysia interact. This approach of using legal pluralism theories to identify sources of legal plurality and how these sources interact in Malaysia has not been undertaken before. Therefore it is beneficial to those seeking means to harmonize these different normative spheres.
Relationship Between Parental and Adolescent eHealth Literacy and Online Health Information Seeking in Taiwan

This study examined the relationship between parental and adolescent eHealth literacy and its impact on online health information seeking. Data were obtained from 1,869 junior high school students and 1,365 parents in Taiwan in 2013. Multivariate analysis results showed that higher levels of parental Internet skill and eHealth literacy were associated with an increase in parental online health information seeking. Parental eHealth literacy, parental active use Internet mediation, adolescent Internet literacy, and health information literacy were all related to adolescent eHealth literacy. Similarly, adolescent Internet/health information literacy, eHealth literacy, and parental active use Internet mediation, and parental online health information seeking were associated with an increase in adolescent online health information seeking. The incorporation of eHealth literacy courses into parenting programs and school education curricula is crucial to promote the eHealth literacy of parents and adolescents.
The Role of Gay Identity Confusion and Outness in Sex-Seeking on Mobile Dating Apps Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Conditional Process Analysis

ABSTRACT Mobile dating apps are now a popular platform for men who have sex with men (MSM) to connect with others. Based on the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory, this study explores the relationship between sex-seeking and the number of casual sex partners met through MSM-based mobile dating apps (Grindr, Jack’d, and SCRUFF). The conditional process analysis (N = 401) shows that this relationship was significant and was mediated by the intensity of app use. That is, sex-seeking indirectly affected the number of casual sex partners through the intensity of app use. Furthermore, gay identity confusion and outness to the world moderated this indirect effect: it was stronger when the user was either more confused about his sexuality or was less out to the world. This research introduces an alternative way to incorporate psychographics variables into the U&G framework.
Parental depression and offspring psychopathology: a Children of Twins study

Background Associations between parental depression and offspring affective and disruptive disorders are well documented. Few genetically informed studies have explored the processes underlying intergenerational associations. Method A semi-structured interview assessing DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders was administered to twins (n=1296) from the Australian Twin Register (ATR), their spouses (n=1046) and offspring (n=2555). We used the Children of Twins (CoT) design to delineate the extent to which intergenerational associations were consistent with a causal influence or due to genetic confounds. Results In between-family analyses, parental depression was associated significantly with offspring depression [hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–1.93] and conduct disorder (CD; HR 2.27, CI 1.31–3.93). Survival analysis indicated that the intergenerational transmission of depression is consistent with a causal (environmental) inference, with a significant intergenerational association in offspring of discordant monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs (HR 1.39, CI 1.00–1.94). Logistic regression analysis suggested that the parental depression–offspring CD association was due to shared genetic liability in the parents and offspring. No intergenerational association was found when comparing the offspring of discordant MZ twins [odds ratio (OR) 1.41, CI 0.63–3.14], but offspring of discordant dizygotic (DZ) twins differed in their rates of CD (OR 2.53, CI 0.95–6.76). All findings remained after controlling for several measured covariates, including history of depression and CD in the twins' spouses. Conclusions The mechanisms underlying associations between parental depression and offspring psychopathology seem to differ depending on the outcome. The results are consistent with a causal environmental role of parental depression in offspring depression whereas common genetic factors account for the association of parental depression and offspring CD.
Should we obtain informed consent for examinations that expose patients to radiation?

OBJECTIVE Concern about the radiation-related risks associated with medical imaging is currently a hot topic in both the scientific and lay press as well as gaining a growing awareness from regulatory and legislative organizations. As a result, there is a growing debate about whether or not we should obtain informed consent from patients--in particular, children and their parents--for examinations that expose patients to radiation. In this article, we will discuss the difficulties and challenges of informed decision making and obtaining consent for radiologic examinations. CONCLUSION We provide our perspectives about the issue of whether informed consent should be required for diagnostic imaging procedures in children, although many of the points also apply to the adult population, and we discuss the dilemmas related to the process of designing and obtaining informed consent for radiologic procedures.
I think therefore I am: perceived ideal weight as a determinant of health.

OBJECTIVES We examined whether stress related to negative body image perception and the desire to lose weight explained some of the body mass index-health gradient. METHODS We used 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to examine the impact of desired body weight, independent of actual body mass index, on the amount of physically and mentally unhealthy days by race, ethnicity, and gender. RESULTS The difference between actual and desired body weight was a stronger predictor than was body mass index (BMI) of mental and physical health. When we controlled for BMI and age, men who wished to lose 1%, 10%, and 20% of their body weight respectively suffered a net increase of 0.1, 0.9, and 2.7 unhealthy days per month relative to those who were happy with their weight. For women, the corresponding numbers were 0.1, 1.6, and 4.3 unhealthy days per month. The desire to lose weight was more predictive of unhealthy days among women than among men and among Whites than among Blacks or Hispanics. CONCLUSIONS Our results raise the possibility that some of the health effects of the obesity epidemic are related to the way we see our bodies.
Qualitative meta‐synthesis: the experience of chronic pain across conditions

AIM To synthesize qualitative descriptions of the experience of chronic pain across conditions. BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a transdiagnostic symptom in that while somatic pathology plays a role in activating pain pathways, psychological and social factors contribute to the experience of pain over time. The treatment of the underlying condition may require both biomedical intervention and biopsychosocial approaches. DESIGN Qualitative meta-synthesis using Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) developed by Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group to evaluate the strength of the evidence. DATA SOURCES PubMed and Ovid Medline from 2000-2015. REVIEW METHODS Following a systematic search strategy all papers were assessed in relation to inclusion criteria and quality. Themes were extracted from each study and a meta-synthesis conducted before completing an evaluation of confidence in the findings. RESULTS Forty-one papers exploring the experience of chronic pain were included in the review. Five meta-themes were identified across the studies: 1) the body as obstacle; 2) invisible but real; 3) disrupted sense of self; 4) unpredictability; and 5) keeping going. There was high confidence in the evidence for three themes: 'the body as obstacle'; 'disrupted sense of self' and 'keeping going'; and moderate confidence in the evidence for 'invisible but real' and 'unpredictability'. CONCLUSIONS The findings in this review suggest there are similarities in the experience of chronic pain across a range of conditions that have implications for the development of transdiagnostic pain management strategies and interventions.
Factors Influencing the Effects of Delayed Auditory Feedback on DysarthricSpeech Associated with ParkinsonÃ¢ÂÂs Disease

Purpose: The present study examined the effects of Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) as a rate control intervention for dysarthric speakers with Parkinson's disease. Adverse reactions to relatively long delay intervals are often observed during clinical use of DAF, and may result from improper "matching" of the delayed signal. To facilitate optimal use of DAF, clinicians may need to provide instruction, modeling, and feedback. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of clinician instruction on the effectiveness of DAF in treating speech deficits. A related purpose was to compare the effects of different delay intervals on speech behaviors. Method: Three males with Parkinson's disease and an associated dysarthria served as participants in this singlesubject study. The A phases consisted of a sentence reading task using DAF; the B phases incorporated clinician instruction. During each of the 16 experimental sessions, speakers read with four different delay intervals (0 ms, 50 ms, 100 ms, and 150 ms). During the B phases, the experimenter provided verbal feedback and modeling pertaining to how precisely the speaker matched the delayed signal. Dependent variables were speech rate, percent intelligible syllables, and percent disfluencies. Results: Results indicated that for all three speakers, DAF significantly reduced reading rate and produced significant improvements in either intelligibility (Speaker 3) or fluency (Speakers 1 and 2). A delay interval of 150 ms produced the greatest reductions in reading rates for all speakers, although any DAF setting used was sufficient to produce significant improvements in either intelligibility or fluency. Additionally, supplementing DAF with clinician instruction resulted in significantly enhanced gain achieved with DAF. Conclusions: These findings demonstrated the effectiveness of various intervals of DAF in improving speech deficits associated with Parkinson's disease; particularly when patients are provided with instruction, modeling and feedback by the clinician.
Hofstede and learning in higher level education: an empirical study

Although the academic community (largely) seems to place a considerable degree of trust in Hofstede's claims regarding cultural differences and education, there has been relatively very little research conducted to test his claims. Where (valuable) critiques have been made, they have been based on rhetoric and references to other similar studies. To help fill this gap, this paper tests Hofstede's claims regarding his five dimensional cultural model and resulting pedagogical values using Likert-scales surveys on a sample of 327 students from 37 nationalities studying at a third level institute in Ireland. The results did not support the validity of any of the five dimension cultural values in an educational context. These findings are particularly relevant to HE management interested in the training and development of teaching staff working with international students and in general HE institute communication with those students.
SPCCTDM, a Catalogue for Analysis of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Related Contents in the Drug Prescription Information

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has consistently been shown to be useful for optimization of drug therapy. For the first time, a method has been developed for the text analysis of TDM in SPCs in that a catalogue SPC-ContentTDM (SPCCTDM) provides a codification of the content of TDM in SPCs. It consists of six structure-related items (dose, adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, overdose, pregnancy/breast feeding, and pharmacokinetics) according to implicit or explicit references to TDM in paragraphs of the SPC, and four theory-guided items according to the information about ranges of plasma concentrations and a recommendation of TDM in the SPC. The catalogue is regarded as valid for the text analysis of SPCs with respect to TDM. It can be used in the comparison of SPCs, in the comparison with medico-scientific evidence and for the estimation of the perception of TDM in SPCs by the reader. Regarding the approach as a model of text mining, it may be extended for evaluation of other aspects reported in SPCs.
Last-millennium summer-temperature variations in western Europe based on proxy data

We present a method of multiproxy reconstruction of the climate of Europe during the last millennium. The proxies used comprise long tree-ring width series, grape harvest dates, Greenland ice oxygen isotope series and temperature indices based on historical documents. The proxies are calibrated using gridded April to September mean temperatures for western Europe, i.e., between 10°W and 20°E and between 35°N and 55°N. They are calibrated also using the long instrumental summer temperature series of the Marseilles observatory of Longchamp, which begins in the mid-eighteenth century. The method is a combination of an analogue technique, which is able to deal with missing data, an artificial neural network technique for an optimal non-linear calibration and a bootstrap technique for calculating error bars on the reconstruction. About 70% of the temperature variance is reconstructed. The amplitude of the past temperature variations is particularly well reconstructed, which is important when considering whether the recent temperature trend is or is not within the natural variability It appears that the temperature of the last decade of the twentieth century was reached only 14 times during the last millennium. The reconstruction is discussed with respect to other multiproxy and borehole temperature reconstructions. We conclude that a reconstruction such ours, with a specific regional focus (as opposed to the larger Northern Hemisphere) is more reliable and is in better agreement with borehole results, even allowing for the fact that only a part of the long-term variance is reconstructed. ‘Little Ice Age’ (c. AD 1560-1930) summers were 0.2±0.5°C cooler than the 1961-1990 period. Borehole temperatures indicate a cooling of 0.4°C which falls in the 95% confidence interval of our reconstructions.
Diet composition of introduced bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, in the Mizorogaike Pond of Kyoto, Japan

I analyzed stomach contents of the American bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, in the Mizorogaike Pond of Kyoto, Japan. As a result, adult bullfrogs were found to feed predominantly on crayfish, and juveniles eat diverse arthropods. A wide variety of aquatic organisms occurred in the diet of both adult and juvenile bullfrogs.
Gender, Voice and Silence: Strategies for Inclusion of Female Employees

Employee voice has been mostly scrutinized as a general idea with inadequate attention to workforce gender diversity. Diverse employees present an important central position from which to study employee voice instruments. Female employees are often silenced by what is recognized as usual in work organizations. The lack of physical markers for gender differentiation, the deficiency of legal protections in many locations, the comparative need of union support, and the prevalent downbeat attitudes toward the female gender consequence in more silence for women employees than for men. This paper identifies some of the antecedents and harmful corollaries of such silencing and suggests ways in which the voices of female employees can be heard, arguing that effective management of gender diversity and inclusion would embrace machineries of voice through which gender differences are identified and organizational appraisals conducted to contain those differences in the procedures of decision making and career development. The status quo can shift by breaking the cycle of invisibility and silence by giving female employees room to make constructive contributions to work, unobstructed by fear of violence, prejudice, discrimination, and harassment. To achieve this plan, organizations must develop voice mechanisms that include the specific needs of women employees’ in the workforce. Specific recommendations are provided for HR managers to facilitate the expression of voice for female employees in today’s increasingly diverse organizations.
Exploring the Process of Web-based Crowdsourcing Innovation

Since the concepts of "customer innovation" (2002) and “crowdsourcing” (2006) were introduced, researchers have focused their attention on the phenomenon of crowdsourcing innovation. Relevant research includes the crowd’s characteristics, the crowd’s applicability in different phases of developing innovations, and instrumental aspects of web-based crowd innovation. However, there has been no research on how requesters leverage the crowd to effectively generate innovations, especially via information systems. In this research, to explore the value of information systems in leveraging crowdsourcing innovation under different conditions, I conducted and compared two case studies. After analyzing (I) an innovative idea collection software and (II) a StarCraft –related crowdsourcing project, four stages in the web-based crowdsourcing campaign were identified: (1) identifying, (2) requesting, (3) evaluating and (4) retaining the crowd.