Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Finger Grip Force Estimation from Video using Two Stream Approach

Estimation of a hand grip force is essential for the understanding of force pattern during the execution of assembly or disassembly operations. Human demonstration of a correct way of doing an operation is a powerful source of information which can be used for guided robot teaching. Typically to assess this problem instrumented approach is used, which requires hand or object mounted devices and poses an inconvenience for an operator or limits the scope of addressable objects. The work demonstrates that contact force may be estimated using a noninvasive contactless method with the help of vision system alone. We propose a two-stream approach for video processing, which utilizes both spatial information of each frame and dynamic information of frame change. In this work, image processing and machine learning techniques are used along with dense optical flow for frame change tracking and Kalman filter is used for stream fusion. Our studies show that the proposed method can successfully estimate contact grip force with RMSE < 10% of sensor range (RMSE $\approx 0.2$ N), the performances of each stream and overall method performance are reported. The proposed method has a wide range of applications, including robot teaching through demonstration, haptic force feedback, and validation of human- performed operations.
Barriers to care for women with breast cancer symptoms in rural Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Breast cancer survival rates in lower-income countries like Bangladesh are approximately 50%, versus over 80% in high income countries. Anecdotal reports suggest that, beyond economic and health system barriers, sociocultural factors may influence a woman's care-seeking behavior and resultant early stage diagnoses. To understand these barriers, we conducted 63 interviews (43 women with breast cancer symptoms and 20 men) in Khulna, Bangladesh. We identified socio-cultural barriers like neglect and indifference toward women, women's lack of power to use resources, and reduced support from family due to stigma. Interventions must address these barriers and improve the status of women in Bangladesh.
Communicating medication risk to cardiovascular patients in Qatar

Purpose Patient safety is gaining prominence in health professional curricula. Patient safety must be complemented by teaching and skill development in practice settings. The purpose of this paper is to explore how experienced pharmacists identify, prioritize and communicate adverse drug effects to patients. Design/methodology/approach A focus group discussion was conducted with cardiology pharmacy specialists working in a Doha hospital, Qatar. The topic guide sought to explore participants’ views, experiences and approaches to educating patients regarding specific cardiovascular therapy safety and tolerability. Discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded and organized around identified themes and sub-themes. Working theories were developed by the three authors based on relevant topic characteristics associated with the means in which pharmacists prioritize and choose adverse effect information to communicate to patients. Findings Nine pharmacists participated in the discussion. The specific adverse effects prioritized were consistent with the reported highest prevalence. Concepts and connections to three main themes described how pharmacists further tailored patient counseling: potential adverse effects and their perceived importance; patient encounter; and cultural factors. Pharmacists relied on initial patient dialogue to judge an individual’s needs and capabilities to digest safety information, and drew heavily upon experience with other counseling encounters to further prioritize this information, processes dependent upon development and accessing exemplar cases. Originality/value The findings underscore practical experience as a critical instructional element of undergraduate health professional patient safety curricula and for developing associated clinical reasoning.
Examining the impact mechanism of social psychological motivations on individuals' continuance intention of MOOCs: The moderating effect of gender

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact mechanism of psychological motivations, social influence and institutional influence on individuals’ continuance intention of MOOCs, and further, to explore if there exist behavioral differences between males and females. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the social cognitive theory (SCT) and the technology acceptance theory, this study developed a theoretical model and conducted an empirical study in China. In total, 247 valid data were collected from college students using online survey, and the structural equation modeling technique was used to examine the research model. Findings The empirical results suggest that self-efficacy, self-enjoyment, self-development and social norm are positively associated with individuals’ continuance intention of MOOCs, while management commitment in the university has little influence on continuance intention. The moderating test further suggests that males are more likely to be influenced by self-development and perceived usefulness compared with females. Practical implications This study can provide several guidelines to the administrators of the MOOC platform regarding platform design, course selection and social community establishment, so as to encourage more students to participate in the MOOC platform. Originality/value This study applied the SCT in the new context of MOOCs to examine the joint effects of social, institutional and psychological motivation factors on individuals’ continuance intention, and unpacks the moderating effect of gender.
Long noncoding RNA ROR regulates chemoresistance in docetaxel-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cells via epithelial mesenchymal transition pathway

Emerging evidence indicates that the dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contributes to the development and progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LAD), however the underlying mechanism of action of lncRNAs remains unclear. It is well known that the effective treatment of cancers has been hindered by drug resistance in the clinical setting. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been recognized to be involved in acquiring drug resistance, cell migration and invasion properties in several types of cancer. Docetaxel-resistant LAD cells established previously in our lab present chemoresistant and mesenchymal features. Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA, regulator of reprogramming (linc-ROR), was first discovered in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and was upregulated in docetaxel-resistant LAD cells. In this study, we tried to make clarification of lincRNA-related mechanisms underlying EMT followed by acquired resistance to chemotherapy in LAD. In order to hit the mark, we made use of multiple methods including microarray analysis, qRT-PCR, western blotting analysis, loss/gain-of-function analysis, luciferase assays, drug sensitivity assays, wound-healing assay and invasion assay. We found that decreased expression of linc-ROR effectively reversed EMT in docetaxel-resistant LAD cells and sensitized them to chemotherapy. The function of linc-ROR exerted in LAD cells depended on the sponging of miR-145, therefore, releasing the miR-145 target FSCN1, and thus contributing to the acquisition of chemoresistance and EMT phenotypes of docetaxel-resistant LAD cells. Our findings revealed that linc-ROR might act as potential therapeutic target to overcome chemotherapy resistance in LAD.
Prevalence of Vibrio cholerae O1 serogroup in Assam, India: A hospital-based study

Background & objectives: Although cholera remains to be an important public health problem, studies on reliable population-based estimates of laboratory confirmed cholera in endemic areas are limited worldwide. The aim of this hospital-based study was to evaluate the prevalence of Vibrio cholerae serogroup in Assam, India, during 2003-2013. Methods: Stool samples/rectal swabs were collected from acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) cases during 2003-2013 and processed by standard microbiological procedures. Antibiotic sensitivity test was done following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Year-wise epidemiological trend of cholera was analyzed. Results: Cholera contributed to 3.93 per cent of AWD cases. In Assam, cholera was found to be more prevalent in the rural areas (6.7%) followed by the tea gardens (5.06%), urban slum (1.9%) and urban areas (1.4%). Highest proportion of cholera (13.7%) was observed in 0-10 yr age group. Of them, 11.5 per cent belonged to 0-5 yr age group. V. cholerae O1 El Tor serotype Ogawa was the predominant isolate. Multiple drug-resistant isolates of V. cholerae O1 Ogawa were reported in the study. Interpretation & conclusions: Emergence of resistance amongst V. cholerae towards many antibiotics is a matter of concern. Hence, continuous surveillance for diarrhoeal disorders is necessary to control the future outbreaks of cholera in this region.
Derivation and Internal Validation of a Mortality Prediction Tool for Initial Survivors of Pediatric In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest*

Objectives: To develop a clinical prediction score for predicting mortality in children following return of spontaneous circulation after in-hospital cardiac arrest. Design: Observational study using prospectively collected data. Setting: This was an analysis using data from the Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation registry between January 2000 and December 2015. Patients: Pediatric patients (< 18 yr old) who achieved return of spontaneous circulation. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Patients were divided into a derivation (3/4) and validation (1/4) cohort. A prediction score was developed using a multivariable logistic regression model with backward selection. Patient and event characteristics for the derivation cohort (n = 3,893) and validation cohort (n = 1,297) were similar. Seventeen variables associated with the outcome remained in the final reduced model after backward elimination. Predictors of in-hospital mortality included age, illness category, pre-event characteristics, arrest location, day of the week, nonshockable pulseless rhythm, duration of chest compressions, and interventions in place at time of arrest. The C-statistic for the final score was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.75–0.78) in the derivation cohort and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.74–0.79) in the validation cohort. The expected versus observed mortality plot indicated good calibration in both the derivation and validation cohorts. The score showed a stepwise increase in mortality with an observed mortality of less than 15% for scores 0–9 and greater than 80% for scores greater than or equal to 25. The model also performed well for neurologic outcome and in sensitivity analyses for events within the past 5 years and for patients with or without a pulse at the onset of chest compressions. Conclusions: We developed and internally validated a prediction score for initial survivors of pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest. This prediction score may be useful for prognostication following cardiac arrest, stratifying patients for research, and guiding quality improvement initiatives.
Hydrographic situation during cruise M84/3 and P414 (spring 2011) in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract. Aspects of hydrography and large-scale circulation observed in the Mediterranean Sea during the M84/3 and P414 cruises (April and June 2011, respectively) are presented. In contrast to most of the recent expeditions, which were limited to special areas of the basin, these two cruises, especially the M84/3, offered the opportunity of delineating a quasi-synoptic picture of the distribution of the relevant physical parameters along a section extending through the whole Mediterranean, from the Lebanese coast up to the Strait of Gibraltar. The foci of our analysis are the observed water mass properties and velocity fields. The first are investigated through T–S diagrams and an optimum multiparameter (OMP) analysis and the results are discussed also in the context of recently identified modes of variability; the second are studied by comparing the velocity fields observed using a vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler and those calculated from the observed density fields. Overall, a distribution of temperature, salinity and geostrophic velocities emerges, which is far from that observed before the beginning of the so-called "Eastern Mediterranean Transient", a major climatic shift in the hydrography and circulation of the Mediterranean Sea which began at the end of the 1980s. The picture which emerges helps to further address the complexity of long-term evolution of hydrography and large-scale circulation of the Mediterranean Sea.
Reliability and Concurrent Validity of Select C3 Logix Test Components

ABSTRACT We sought to investigate the one-week and within-session reliability of the instrumented balance error scoring system test and the concurrent validity/one-week reliability of two neurocognitive assessments available through C3 Logix. (n = 37) Participants completed two balance error scoring system tests separated by the Trails A, Trails B, and Symbol Digit Modality test available through C3 Logix, and with paper and pencil. We found that the instrumented balance error scoring system test demonstrated strong one-week reliability and that neuropsychological tests available through C3 Logix show acceptable concurrent validity with standard (comparable) paper and pencil measures.
Valosin-Containing Protein (VCP/p97) Is an Activator of Wild-Type Ataxin-3

Alterations in the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) have been reported in several neurodegenerative disorders characterized by protein misfolding and aggregation, including the polylgutamine diseases. Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) or Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 3 is caused by a polyglutamine-encoding CAG expansion in the ATXN3 gene, which encodes a 42 kDa deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB), ataxin-3. We investigated ataxin-3 deubiquitinating activity and the functional relevance of ataxin-3 interactions with two proteins previously described to interact with ataxin-3, hHR23A and valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97). We confirmed ataxin-3 affinity for both hHR23A and VCP/p97. hHR23A and ataxin-3 were shown to co-localize in discrete nuclear foci, while VCP/p97 was primarily cytoplasmic. hHR23A and VCP/p97 recombinant proteins were added, separately or together, to normal and expanded ataxin-3 in in vitro deubiquitination assays to evaluate their influence on ataxin-3 activity. VCP/p97 was shown to be an activator specifically of wild-type ataxin-3, exhibiting no effect on expanded ataxin-3, In contrast, we observed no significant alterations in ataxin-3 enzyme kinetics or substrate preference in the presence of hHR23A alone or in combination with VCP. Based on our results we propose a model where ataxin-3 normally functions with its interactors to specify the cellular fate of ubiquitinated proteins.
Adenosine A2A Receptor Signaling in the Immunopathogenesis of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Our increasing appreciation of adenosine as an endogenous signaling molecule that terminates inflammation has generated excitement regarding the potential to target adenosine receptors (ARs) in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease of chronic neuroinflammation. Of the four G protein-coupled ARs, A2ARs are the principal mediator of adenosine’s anti-inflammatory effects and accordingly, there is a growing body of evidence surrounding the role of A2ARs in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the dominant animal model of MS. Such evidence points to a complex, often paradoxical role for A2ARs in the immunopathogenesis of EAE, where they have the ability to both exacerbate and alleviate disease severity. This review seeks to interpret these paradoxical findings and evaluate the therapeutic promise of A2ARs. In essence, the complexities of A2AR signaling arise from two properties. Firstly, A2AR signaling downregulates the inflammatory potential of TH lymphocytes whilst simultaneously facilitating the recruitment of these cells into the CNS. Secondly, A2AR expression by myeloid cells – infiltrating macrophages and CNS-resident microglia – has the capacity to promote both tissue injury and repair in chronic neuroinflammation. Consequently, the therapeutic potential of targeting A2ARs is greatly undermined by the risk of collateral tissue damage in the periphery and/or CNS.
A Bi-Virus Competing Spreading Model with Generic Infection Rates

Due to widespread applications, the multi-virus competing spreading dynamics has recently aroused considerable interests. To our knowledge, all previous competing spreading models assume infection rates that are each linear in the virus occupancy probabilities of the individuals in a population. As linear infection rates are overestimation of real infection rates, in some situations these models cannot accurately predict the spreading process of multiple competing viruses. This work takes the first step toward enhancing the accuracy of multi-virus competing spreading models. A continuous-time bilayer-network-based bi-virus competing spreading model with generic infection rates is proposed. Criteria for the extinction of both viruses and for the survival of only one virus are presented, respectively. Numerical examples show that (1) if the generic bi-virus spreading model with linear infection rates predicts that the fraction of nodes infected with some virus would approach zero, the prediction of the fraction is accurate, and (2) if the scenario-relevant generic infection rates could be estimated accurately, the resulting model would be able to accurately forecast the evolutionary process of a pair of competing viruses.
Paleo Agulhas rings enter the subtropical gyre during the penultimate deglaciation

Abstract. A maximum in the strength of Agulhas leakage has been registered at the interface between the Indian and South Atlantic oceans during glacial Termination II (T-II). This presumably transported the salt and heat necessary for maintaining the Atlantic circulation at rates similar to the present day. However, it was never shown whether these waters were effectively incorporated into the South Atlantic gyre, or whether they retroflected into the Indian and/or Southern oceans. To resolve this question, we investigate the presence of paleo Agulhas rings from a sediment core on the central Walvis Ridge, almost 1800 km farther into the Atlantic Basin than previously studied. Analysis of a 60 yr data set from the global-nested INALT01 model allows us to relate density perturbations at the depth of the thermocline to the passage of individual rings over the core site. Using this relation from the numerical model as the basis for a proxy, we generate a time series of variability of individual Globorotalia truncatulinoides δ18O. We reveal high levels of pycnocline depth variability at the site, suggesting enhanced numbers of Agulhas rings moving into the South Atlantic Gyre around T-II. Our record closely follows the published quantifications of Agulhas leakage from the east of the Cape Basin, and thus shows that Indian Ocean waters entered the South Atlantic circulation. This provides crucial support for the view of a prominent role of the Agulhas leakage in the shift from a glacial to an interglacial mode of the Atlantic circulation.
Effects of Storage of Red Cells

During storage, red blood cells intended for transfusion undergo progressive changes affecting survival and function. Some of these in vitro changes are partly restored in vivo after transfusion, and their clinical effects are largely unknown. We evaluated publications of clinical studies comparing storage times in connection with red blood cell transfusion using physiological or clinical outcomes. A few prospective randomised studies in humans investigated physiological outcomes or oxygen kinetics. Sixteen observational studies comparing clinical outcome yielded contradictory results regarding the effect of red cell storage on mortality, length of intensive care and hospital stay, infections, organ failure, and composite adverse effects. The use of different red blood cell products further obscures the issue. Available studies provide no evidence that longer stored red cells are more harmful than younger red cells. However, such an effect may occur under extreme clinical conditions of severe anaemia or septicaemia, but this can only be answered by randomised studies controlling for confounding factors.
Sequential and Global Likelihood Ascent Search-Based Detection in Large MIMO Systems

Neighborhood search algorithms have been proposed for low complexity detection in large/massive multiple-input multiple-output systems. They iteratively search for the vector, which minimizes the maximum likelihood (ML) cost in a fixed neighborhood. However, the ML solution may not lie in the searched space and also the search may go through a large number of intermediate vectors. Motivated by this, we first propose to cut down the size of the neighborhood so that the complexity of such algorithms can be reduced. Second, we also look for an update which is not restricted to be in a fixed neighborhood. This helps in improving the error performance. For the first purpose, we propose a metric and a few selection rules to decide whether or not to include a vector in the neighborhood. We use the indices of, say $K$ , largest components of the metric for generating a reduced neighborhood set, which is used to reduce the complexity of the existing algorithms while maintaining their error performance. Furthermore, this reduced set facilitates the proposal of two new search algorithms. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms have a much better error performance and also lower complexity compared with the existing algorithms.
Persistence with biologic agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Japan

Background To assess persistence rates of biologic agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Japan. Methods Based on Japanese claims data of 16,214 patients between 2012 and 2014, 6-, 12-, and 18-month persistence rates of different biologic agents were calculated. Determinants of persistence were assessed by means of a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model controlling for age, sex, and comorbidities. A sensitivity analysis was performed with different definitions of persistence and parametric survival analysis. Results Overall persistence rates in Japan are high and reach 86% after 1 year in the entire sample. The persistence rate for the biologic-naïve subpopulation is above 95%. Persistence is higher for older patients (hazard ratio 0.60 [95% confidence interval 0.40–0.91] for >75 years compared to ≤60 years) and lower for patients with a high comorbidity score (hazard ratio 1.33; 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.70 for Charlson Comorbidity Index score 3–5 compared to ≤2). We found a high variation of persistence between different drugs. Conclusion Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients have a high persistence rate of biologic treatments. However, multiple factors affect the persistence rate of Japanese patients, including age, comorbidities, and patient type. Naïve patients tend to have a higher persistence rate than continuing biologic patients.