Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acceptance of a Mobile Application Supporting Nurses Workflow at Patient Bedside: Results from a Pilot Study

Supporting caregivers' workflow with mobile applications (apps) is a growing trend. At the bedside, apps can provide new ways to support the documentation process rather than using a desktop computer in a nursing office. Although these applications show potential, few existing reports have studied the real impact of such solutions. At the University Hospitals of Geneva, we developed BEDside Mobility, a mobile application supporting nurses' daily workflow. In a pilot study, the app was trialed in two wards for a period of one month. We collected data of the actual usage of the app and asked the users to complete a tailored technology acceptance model questionnaire at the end of the study period. Results show that participation remain stable with time with participants using in average the tool for almost 29 minutes per day. The technology acceptance questionnaires revealed a high usability of the app and good promotion from the institution although users did not perceive any increase in productivity. Overall, intent of use was divergent between promoters and antagonist. Furthermore, some participants considered the tool as an addition to their workload. This evaluation underlines the importance of helping all end users perceive the benefits of a new intervention since coworkers strong influence each other.
The association of adult height with the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in the population of Sardinia

The relationship between body height and the risk of non‒communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer has been the subject of much debate in the epidemiological literature. Concerns have recently arisen over spurious associations due to confounding factors like birth cohort, especially in the context of epidemiological transition. The population of Sardinia represents an interesting case study, as the average physical stature of inhabitants was the lowest recorded in Europe until a few decades ago. In this population we tested whether height is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer. We analysed the stature of 10,427 patients undergoing endoscopy for any reason, for whom a detailed clinical history of cardiovascular disease and/or malignancies had been documented. Poisson regression modelling was used to test the association between stature and disease risk. When patients were subdivided according to sex and height tertiles, the risk of cardiovascular disease proved significantly greater for subjects in the lowest tertile irrespective of sex (men: 1.87; 95%CI 1.41‒2.47; women: 1.23; 95%CI 0.92‒1.66) and smaller for those in the highest tertile (men: 0.51; 95%CI 0.35‒0.75; women: 0.41; 95%CI 0.27‒0.61). However, after adjusting the risk for birth cohort and established risk factors, it mostly resulted in non-significant values, although the overall trend persisted. Similar results were obtained for all-cancer risk (relative risk for men and women in the lowest tertile: 1.44; 95%CI 1.09–1.90 and 1.17; 95%CI 0.93–1.48, in the highest tertile: 0.51; 95%CI 0.36–0.72 and 0.62; 95%CI 0.47–0.81, respectively) as well as for some of the most common types of cancer. We concluded that the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and malignancies does not vary significantly with stature in the Sardinian population, after adjusting for birth cohort and more obvious risk factors.
Testosterone to dihydrotestosterone ratio as a new biomarker for an adverse metabolic phenotype in the polycystic ovary syndrome.

CONTEXT Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disease with many different aspects, including hyperandrogenism and metabolic disturbances. Clinical phenotypes show different patterns of steroid hormones that have been investigated to some extent. OBJECTIVE This study intended to determine the role of the testosterone (TT) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) ratio (TT/DHT ratio) in PCOS patients and to further assess the correlation of this ratio with hormonal, anthropometric, and metabolic parameters. DESIGN AND SETTING Serum samples of 275 premenopausal PCOS patients fulfilling Rotterdam criteria and 35 BMI-matched, premenopausal, healthy controls were analyzed for testosterone, DHT, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androstenedione using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We measured total levels of testosterone and DHT and calculated unbound hormone levels as well as the ratio of testosterone to DHT. Further, impaired glucose tolerance, basal and stimulated serum insulin levels, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance according to the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) were assessed. RESULTS PCOS patients showed significantly higher levels of TT (P < .001), free testosterone (P < .001), and free DHT (P < .001) compared to healthy controls. The TT/DHT ratio was significantly higher in PCOS patients (P < .001). No difference was found for total DHT levels (P = .072). In PCOS patients alone, the TT/DHT ratio was significantly higher in obese patients (P < .001) and patients with metabolic syndrome (P < .001), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (P < .001) or insulin resistance (P < .001). Significant correlations of the TT/DHT ratio with various adverse anthropometric, hormonal, lipid and liver parameters and parameters of glucose metabolism were found. CONCLUSION Our data provide evidence for a strong link between a high TT/DHT ratio and an adverse metabolic phenotype in PCOS patients. This correlation was only found in PCOS patients, suggesting the TT/DHT ratio to be a new biomarker for an adverse metabolic phenotype in PCOS patients.
Low-cost smart transcoding algorithm between ITU-T G.729 (8 kbit/s) and 3GPP NB-AMR (12.2 kbit/s)

Networks interconnection causes interoperability problems between different speech coding formats. Today, tandem transcoding solutions (decoding/re-encoding) are generally used in communication chains. However intelligent transcoding solutions which exploit similarities between formats have been recently proposed in order to overcome tandem drawbacks (computational complexity, algorithmic delay, speech degradation). This paper gives an overview of these intelligent transcoding methods for CELP coders. Then, a low-cost intelligent transcoding algorithm between ITU-T G.729 (at 8 kbit/s) and 3GPP NB-AMR (at 12.2 kbit/s) is proposed. It is composed of four parts corresponding to the four CELP parameters conversions: LSP coefficients, fractional pitch lags, fixed codevectors and gains. A novel and computationally efficient method is described here for the fixed codevectors. The ACELP search is strongly focused on privileged positions, what considerably reduces the number of tested combinations. Objective and subjective quality tests show that this smart transcoding algorithm achieves a quality very close to that of the tandem while strongly reducing complexity with a shorter algorithmic delay.
The effect of antimycin A on the intensity of oxidative stress, the level of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in different organs of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings subjected to high temperature.

The objective of the present investigation was to identify the effect of antimycin A (AA) as an activator of the alternative pathway (AP) of respiration, on oxidative stress intensity, the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and activities of H 2 O 2 scavenging enzymes in functionally different organs of Triticum aestivum L. subjected to short- and long-term exposure to high temperature (HT). The level of LPO was assessed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of oxidative injury. The results demonstrated increases in the total content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA production in developing and senescent organs of wheat seedlings, and significant augmentation of the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, in different organs in response to exposure to HT. The activation of the AP by AA restrained ROS production in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) under exposure to HT. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS160706134B Received: July 6, 2016; Revised: October 31, 2016; Accepted: November 30, 2016; Published online: December 15, 2016 How to cite this article: Batjuka A, Skute N. The effect of antimycin A on the intensity of oxidative stress, the level of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in different organs of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings subjected to high temperature. Arch Biol Sci. 2017;69(4):743-52.
BLIND SOURCES SEPARATION BY SIMULTANEOUS GENERALIZED REFERENCED CONTRASTS DIAGONALIZATION

In this contribution we generalize some links between contrasts functions and considering of a reference signal in the field of source separation. This yields a new contrasts that allows us to show that a function proposed in [4] is also a contrast, and frees us from the constraints on the introduced reference signal [1]. Associated optimization criteria is shown to have a close relation to a joint-diagonalization criterion of a matrices set. Moreover, the algorithm is of the same kind as JADE algorithm. Also, the number of matrices to be joint diagonalized is reduced in relation to SSARS algorithm [4] and to JADE one [2]. Simulations studies are used to show that the convergence properties of the new contrasts, even in real environment, are much improved upon those of the conventional algorithms.
Microstructural damage evolution and its effect on fracture behavior of concrete subjected to freeze-thaw cycles

Concrete structures in cold regions are exposed to cyclic freezing and thawing environment, leading to degraded mechanical and fracture properties of concrete due to microstructural damage. While the X-ray micro-/nano-computed tomography technology has been implemented to directly observe concrete microstructure and characterize local damage in recent years, the freeze-thawed damage evolution processes and its effect on overall mechanical performance are not well understood. In this paper, the X-ray nano-computed tomography technology and micro-scale cohesive zone model are combined to quantitatively investigate microstructural damage evolution and its effect on fracture behavior of freeze-thawed concrete samples in three-point bending tests. A two-level micro-to-macro scale finite element model is developed based on computed tomography microstructural images with microcracks due to freeze-thaw cycles. The macroscopic load–deflection curves and fracture energies are simulated and compared favorably with experimental results. Simulation results demonstrate that microcracks caused by freeze-thaw actions are the primary reason for degradation of concrete mechanical properties. Fracture behaviors of frost-damaged concrete with different mortar and interfacial transition zone strength and fracture constants are also simulated and discussed. The combined X-ray nano-computed tomography technology and cohesive zone model proposed is effective in characterizing fracture behavior of concrete and capturing freeze-thaw cycle-induced microstructural damage evolution and its effect on fracture process of concrete.
Newborn Resuscitation Skills in Health Care Providers at a Zambian Tertiary Center, and Comparison to World Health Organization Standards

BACKGROUND: Birth asphyxia is a leading cause of early neonatal death. In 2013, 32% of neonatal deaths in Zambia were attributable to birth asphyxia and trauma. Basic, timely interventions are key to improving outcomes. However, data from the World Health Organization suggest that resuscitation is often not initiated, or is conducted suboptimally. Currently, there are little data on the quality of newborn resuscitation in the context of a tertiary center in a lower–middle income country. We aimed to measure the competencies of clinical practitioners responsible for newborn resuscitation. METHODS: This observational study was conducted over 5 months in Zambia. Health care professionals were recruited from anesthesia, pediatrics, and midwifery. Newborn skills and knowledge were examined using the following: (1) multiple-choice questions; (2) a ventilation skills test; and (3) 2 low–medium fidelity simulation scenarios. Participant demographics including previous resuscitation training and a self-efficacy rating score were noted. The primary outcome examined performance scores in a simulated scenario, which assessed the care of a newborn that failed to respond to basic interventions. Secondary outcome measures included apnea times after delivery and performance in the other assessments. RESULTS: Seventy-eight participants were enrolled into the study (13 physician anesthesiology residents, 13 pediatric residents, and 52 midwives). A significant difference in interprofessional performance was observed when examining checklist scores for the unresponsive newborn simulated scenario (P = .006). The median (quartiles) checklist score (out of 18) was 14.0 (13.0–14.75) for the anesthesiologists, 11.0 (8.5–12.3) for the pediatricians, and 10.8 (8.3–13.9) for the midwives. A score of 14 or more was required to pass the scenario. There was no significant difference in performance between participants with and without previous newborn resuscitation training (P = .246). The median (quartiles) apnea time after delivery was significantly different between all groups (P = .01) with anesthetic and pediatric residents performing similarly, 61 (37–97) and 63 (42.5–97.5) seconds, respectively. The midwifery participants displayed a significantly longer apnea time, 93.5 (66.3–129) seconds. Self-efficacy rating scores displayed no correlation between confidence level and the primary outcome, Spearman coefficient 0.06 (P = .55). CONCLUSIONS: Newborn resuscitation skills among health care professionals are varied. Midwives lead the majority of deliveries with anesthesiologists and pediatricians only being present at operative or high-risk births. It is therefore common that midwifery practitioners will initiate resuscitation. Despite this, midwives perform poorly when compared to anesthesia and pediatric residents. To address this discrepancy, a multidisciplinary, simulation-based newborn resuscitation program should be considered with continual clinical reenforcement of best practice.
The effects of feed removal during the day on some production traits and blood parameters of broilers.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feed removal during the day on broiler performance and some blood parameters. Live material of the experiment consisted of 600 mixed sex day-old commercial (Avian Farm) broiler chicks. The experiment was held in six rooms with a randomly allocated control group and two treatment groups and their replicates. The birds were full fed ad libitum in the control group while the feeders were removed for three and six hours per day for the treatment I and treatment II groups respectively between the 5 th and 37 th days. Average live weights of the control, treatment I and treatment II groups at 40 days of age were 1992.5, 1918.0 and 1940.0 g, respectively. The differences between the control group and the two others were statistically significant (P
Functional Analysis of Nodulin 26, an Aquaporin in Soybean Root Nodule Symbiosomes*

Upon infection of soybean roots, nitrogen-fixing bacteria become enclosed in a specific organelle known as the symbiosome. The symbiosome membrane (SM) is a selectively permeable barrier that controls metabolite flux between the plant cytosol and the symbiotic bacterium inside. Nodulin 26 (NOD 26), a member of the aquaporin (AQP) water channel family, is a major protein component of the SM. Expression of NOD 26 in Xenopus oocytes gave a mercury-sensitive increase in osmotic water permeability (P f). To define the biophysical properties of NOD 26 water channels in their native membranes, symbiosomes were isolated from soybean root nodules and the SM separated as vesicles from the bacteria. Permeabilities were measured using stopped-flow fluorimetry in SM vesicles with entrapped carboxyfluorescein. Osmotic water permeability (P f) of SM was high, with a value of 0.05 ± 0.003 cm/s observed at 20 °C (mean ± S.E.; n = 15). Water flow exhibited a low activation energy, was inhibited by HgCl2 (0.1 mm), and exhibited a unit conductance of 3.2 ± 1.3 × 10−15 cm3/s, a value 30-fold lower than that of AQP 1, the red blood cell water channel. Diffusive water permeability (P d) was 0.0024 ± 0.0002 cm/s, and the resulting P f toP d ratio was 18.3, indicating that water crosses the SM in single file fashion via the NOD 26 water channel. In addition to high water permeability, SM vesicles also show high mercury-sensitive permeability to glycerol and formamide, but not urea, suggesting that NOD 26 also fluxes these solutes. Overall, we conclude that NOD 26 acts as a water channel with a single channel conductance that is 30-fold lower than AQP 1. Because the solutes that permeate NOD 26 are far larger than water, and water appears to cross the channel via a single file pathway, solute flux across NOD 26 appears to occur by a pathway that is distinct from that for water.
Longitudinal Measurement of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Impaired vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling causes emphysema in animal models. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, alterations in VEGF tissue expression have been observed. We hypothesize that circulating VEGF may be a biomarker to phenotype COPD patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate VEGF serum levels in stable and exacerbated COPD. Methods: VEGF serum levels as well as parameters of short- and long-term outcome were assessed and analyzed in two COPD cohorts [PROMISE, n = 117; ProCOLD (PC), n = 191]. Results: VEGF serum levels at stable COPD were neither related to forced expiratory volume in 1 s nor to the Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score, 6-min walking distance or BODE index. There was no association between single VEGF levels and COPD exacerbation frequency or mortality at 1 and 2 years of follow-up. In PC an increase in VEGF over time (ΔVEGF) was associated with the exacerbation frequency as well as the 1- and 2-year hospitalization rate (p = 0.046, 0.009 and 0.006, respectively). Furthermore, in PC ΔVEGF was associated with 1- and 2-year survival (p = 0.009 and 0.041, respectively). Conclusions: Single serum VEGF levels, at stable and exacerbated COPD, were not associated with clinically significant outcomes in COPD. Conversely, the VEGF course seems related to COPD prognosis.
Rise in injury rates for older male motorcyclists: An emerging medical and public health concern

Background: Findings from research in the United States show an increase in injury and mortality rates among older male motorcycle riders. Because trends in ridership and injuries have not been well investigated in Canada, we undertook a study to determine the effect of the increasing age of male motorcycle riders on injury patterns in British Columbia. Methods: To examine the relationship between rider age and injury patterns, we analyzed data from British Columbia’s motorcycle-related Discharge Abstract Database for 2001 to 2010. Results: We found the motorcyclerelated hospitalization rate for males age 45 to 74 increased significantly from 18.4 to 36.0 per 100000 population over the study period, and hospitalization costs rose by 61%. The rate for younger male riders and both younger and older female riders did not change significantly. Findings indicated longer hospital stays and different injury patterns for older male riders compared with younger male riders, and higher hospitalization rates for older male riders in less urban parts of BC. Conclusions: Our findings suggest the need for an evidence-based injury prevention initiative targeting older male motorcycle riders. Such an initiative could include injury prevention counseling by health care providers and the development of other strategies to prevent motorcycle-related injuries among older male riders.
Computationally Efficient Modelling of Oil Jet-Breakup and Film Formation for Bearing Chamber Applications

In previously published experimental work completed at the Gas Turbine and Transmissions Research Centre (G2TRC), oil fed to an aeroengine location bearing via underrace feed was seen to shed from the cage, forming a film on static surfaces near the bearing and subsequently shedding into the bearing chamber. A high-fidelity computational model of the two-phase flow in an aeroengine bearing chamber must adequately reproduce such behaviour but there are significant challenges in modelling both the oil breakup after shedding and the subsequent film formation. It is very computationally costly to resolve an oil film interface using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach at regions of thin film and it is unacceptably inaccurate to resolve thick film using an explicit thin film modelling technique such as the Eulerian Thin Film Model (ETFM). A proposed solution is to couple together VOF, ETFM and discrete phase modelling (DPM). Previously published G2TRC work shows how VOF and ETFM can be successfully coupled. This paper investigates the coupling of ETFM and DPM. The evaluation of film momentum transport and air-particle momentum transfer/Lagrangian particle tracking are studied using a low Reynolds number turbulence model. Validation is required to ensure that these models work together as intended. To this end a preliminary CFD study was carried out on a published case investigated experimentally and computationally in which a jet is injected into a duct via a nozzle, breaking up into droplets before forming a wall film. The droplets are produced by primary atomization due to liquid instabilities at the injection point. Secondary breakup occurs due to surface instabilities prompted by the high-velocity cross-flow. Small droplets are transported downstream whereas larger droplets deflect minimally hitting the wall and forming a thin film. In the work presented here quantitative film thickness data from experiments and prior simulations are compared to current data. The success of the simulation is found to depend on shear-transportation, turbulent dispersion of the particles, particle grouping, mass transportation as well as accurate prediction of interfacial shear-stresses. With suitable modelling parameters it was possible to predict film thickness to within 28.9% of those seen experimentally. The present ETFM-DPM modelling showed improvements over previously published models in prediction of shear-stresses and film transportation as the ω-equation could be integrated through the viscous sublayer. The developed approach is now mature enough to be applied to the bearing chamber geometry investigated experimentally at G2TRC and this is proposed for future work.