Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing a Comprehensive Strategy to Improve One Core Measure

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEs/ARBs) have proven benefit for patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure; their use is a core measure of hospital quality for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The authors’ urban medical center has lower-than-average performance on this measure. The authors used published best practices to design and implement a comprehensive strategy to improve ACE/ARB performance with existing decision support and human resources. Chart reminders were targeted to providers of patients eligible for ACEs/ARBs but not receiving them. ACE/ARB performance increased 8.5% in postintervention patients compared with historical controls. The increase was 20.7% among patients not on ACEs/ARBs on admission (P =.03). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was inversely associated with the effectiveness of the intervention. A comprehensive strategy can be effective in narrowing the performance gap even for populations with a high prevalence of CKD. However, future work is needed to improve performance among patients whose ACEs/ARBs are withheld during hospitalization.
The Forkhead Transcription Factor FOXM1 Controls Cell Cycle-Dependent Gene Expression through an Atypical Chromatin Binding Mechanism

ABSTRACT There are nearly 50 forkhead (FOX) transcription factors encoded in the human genome and, due to sharing a common DNA binding domain, they are all thought to bind to similar DNA sequences. It is therefore unclear how these transcription factors are targeted to specific chromatin regions to elicit specific biological effects. Here, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) to investigate the genome-wide chromatin binding mechanisms used by the forkhead transcription factor FOXM1. In keeping with its previous association with cell cycle control, we demonstrate that FOXM1 binds and regulates a group of genes which are mainly involved in controlling late cell cycle events in the G2 and M phases. However, rather than being recruited through canonical RYAAAYA forkhead binding motifs, FOXM1 binding is directed via CHR (cell cycle genes homology region) elements. FOXM1 binds these elements through protein-protein interactions with the MMB transcriptional activator complex. Thus, we have uncovered a novel and unexpected mode of chromatin binding of a FOX transcription factor that allows it to specifically control cell cycle-dependent gene expression.
Family-related adverse childhood experiences as risk factors for psychiatric disorders in Nigeria

Background Adverse childhood experiences have been associated with a variety of mental health problems in adult life. Aims To examine whether this reported link between childhood experiences and mental health disorders in adult life applies in a Sub-Saharan African setting where cultural and family attributes may be different. Method A multistage random sampling was used in the Nigerian Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being (NSMHW) to select respondents for face-to-face interviews. Assessments of family-related adverse childhood experiences and lifetime mental health disorders were conducted with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). Results Almost half of the respondents had experienced an adverse childhood experience within the context of the family before they were 16 years of age. Associations between adverse childhood experiences and adult mental health disorders were few and were attenuated when clustering of adverse childhood experience and disorder comorbidities were accounted for. There was an elevated likelihood of adult substance use disorders among individuals who had experienced family violence and neglect or abuse. Parental psychopathology was associated with a significantly increased risk for developing mood disorders. Conclusions Adverse childhood experiences reflecting violence in the family, parental criminality and parental mental illness and substance misuse were more likely to have significant mental health consequences in adulthood.
Application of conformal FDTD algorithm to analysis of conically conformal microstrip antenna

The conformal FDTD algorithm is employed to analyze the characteristics of the probe-fed conically conformal microstrip patch antenna. The non-uniform meshing technique in Cartesian coordinate system is used. The numerical results show that the conformal algorithm is efficient and accurate enough, besides its better adaptability in dealing with arbitrary antenna structures and shapes.
CSF and Brain Indices of Insulin Resistance, Oxidative Stress and Neuro-Inflammation in Early versus Late Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive impairments in cognitive and behavioral functions with deficits in learning, memory and executive reasoning. Growing evidence points toward brain insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) resistance-mediated metabolic derangements as critical etiologic factors in AD. This suggests that indices of insulin/IGF resistance and their consequences, i.e. oxidative stress, neuro-inflammation, and reduced neuronal plasticity, should be included in biomarker panels for AD. Herein, we examine a range of metabolic, inflammatory, stress, and neuronal plasticity related proteins in early AD, late AD, and aged control postmortem brain, postmortem ventricular fluid (VF), and clinical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. In AD brain, VF, and CSF samples the trends with respect to alterations in metabolic, neurotrophin, and stress indices were similar, but for pro-inflammatory cytokines, the patterns were discordant. With the greater severities of dementia and neurodegeneration, the differences from control were more pronounced for late AD (VF and brain) than early or moderate AD (brain, VF and CSF). The findings suggest that the inclusion of metabolic, neurotrophin, stress biomarkers in AβPP-Aβ+pTau CSF-based panels could provide more information about the status and progression of neurodegeneration, as well as aid in predicting progression from early- to late-stage AD. Furthermore, standardized multi-targeted molecular assays of neurodegeneration could help streamline postmortem diagnoses, including assessments of AD severity and pathology.
Energy absorption of braided composite tubes

Abstract A model is proposed for simulating the crushing behaviour and predicting the energy absorption characteristics of triaxially braided composite tubes. The crushing model uses the finite element code ABAQUS along with a material module that describes the constitutive behaviour of the braid material. The material module contains a three-dimensional description of the braid geometry, which is used to calculate the effective stiffnesses of a representative volume. The stiffness calculations include the effects of nonlinear shear, damage accumulation, and scissoring and jamming of the braider tows. To facilitate the model development, extensive material tests and tube crushing experiments were performed. Crushing tests were conducted on braided carbon fibre/epoxy-vinyl ester composite tubes with both circular and square cross-sections. All tests were conducted quasi-statically, and plug-type initiators were used to trigger the progressive crushing. Experimental results show that the profile of the load-displacement curve and the overall energy absorption can be significantly affected by the fibre architecture, the cross-sectional shape of the composite tube, and the fillet radius of the plug-type initiator being used. In order to verify the proposed model, simulation results for tubes with various braid angles, being crushed with different initiator plugs, are compared with the experimental data. Predictions from the proposed model correlate well with the test results, and provide useful information about the deformation of the tube and the failure mechanisms occurring as the tube is being crushed.
Look and touch: multimodal sensory control of flower inspection movements in the nocturnal hawkmoth Manduca sexta

SUMMARY A crucial stage in the interaction between pollinators and plants is the moment of physical contact between them, known as flower inspection, or handling. Floral guides – conspicuous colour markings, or structural features of flower corollas – have been shown to be important in the inspecting behaviour of many insects, particularly in diurnal species. For the nocturnal hawkmoth Manduca sexta tactile input has an important role in flower inspection, but there is no knowledge about the use of visual floral guides in this behaviour. I carried out a series of experiments to first, evaluate the putative role of floral guides during flower inspection and second, to explore how simultaneous tactile and visual guides could influence this behaviour. Results show that visual floral guides affect flower inspection by M. sexta. Moths confine proboscis placement to areas of higher light reflectance regardless of their chromaticity, but do not appear to show movements in any particular direction within these areas. I also recorded inspection times, finding that moths can learn to inspect flowers more efficiently when visual floral guides are available. Additionally, I found that some visual floral guides can affect the body orientation that moths adopt while hovering in front of horizontal models. Finally, when presented with flower models offering both visual and tactile guides, the former influenced proboscis placement, whereas the latter controlled proboscis movements. Results show that innate inspection behaviour is under multimodal sensory control, consistent with other components of the foraging task. Fine scale inspection movements (elicited by diverse floral traits) and the tight adjustment between the morphology of pollinators and flowers appear to be adaptively integrated, facilitating reward assessment and effective pollen transfer.
I-ARM-Droid : A Rewriting Framework for In-App Reference Monitors for Android Applications

Mobile applications are a major force behind the explosive growth of mobile devices. While they greatly extend the functionality of mobile devices, they also raise security and privacy concerns, especially when they have not gone through a rigorous review process. To protect users from untrusted and potentially malicious applications, we design and implement a rewriting framework for embedding In-App Reference Monitors (I-ARM) into Android applications. The framework user identifies a set of security-sensitive API methods and specifies their security policies, which may be tailored to each application. Then, our framework automatically rewrites the Dalvik bytecode of the application, where it interposes on all the invocations of these API methods to implement the desired security policies. We have implemented a prototype of the rewriting framework and evaluated it on compatibility, functionality, and performance in time and size overhead. We showcase example security policies that this rewriting framework supports. Keywords-Mobile applications; Reference monitor; Rewriting; Security policy
Proof Testing of Composite Materials

The paper presents a concept of proof testing for composite materials. A unique relationship between the static strength and time to rupture is demonstrated for a unidirectional glass/epoxy composite subjected to static fatigue. The maximum significance level at which a Weibull distribution is applicable to represent scatter is 35% for the static strength and 61% for the fatigue life. Limitations and variations of the strength degradation model for the life prediction are discussed.
Microstructural imaging and characterization of the mechanical, chemical, thermal, and swelling properties of starch–chitosan blend films

Chitosan has wide range of applications as a biomaterial, but barriers still exist to its broader use due to its physical and chemical limitations. The present study evaluated the properties of the polymeric blend films obtained from chitosan and potato starch by the casting/solvent evaporation method. The swelling properties of the different films studied as a function of pH showed that the sorption ability of the blend films increased with the increasing content of starch. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses confirmed that interactions were present between the hydroxyl groups of starch and the amino groups of chitosan in the blend films while the x‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed the films to exhibit an amorphous character. Thermogravimetric analyses showed that in the blend films, the thermal stability increased with the increasing starch content and the stability of starch and chitosan powders reduced when they were converted to film. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies revealed an endotherm corresponding to water evaporation around 100°C in all the films and an exotherm, corresponding to the decomposition in the chitosan and blend films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations indicated that the blend films were less homogenous and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies revealed the chitosan films to be smooth and homogenous, while the starch films revealed characteristic granular pattern. The blend films exhibited an intermediate character with a slight microphase separation. The starch–chitosan blend films exhibited a higher flexibility and incorporation of potato starch into chitosan films improved the percentage elongation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 82: 176–187, 2006
Scholarly e-books: the views of 16, 000 academics: Results from the JISC National E-Book Observatory

Purpose – This study, a part of JISC‐funded UK National E‐Books Observatory, aims to find out about the perspective of students and academics, the main e‐book users, on e‐books. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an analysis of two open‐ended questions about e‐books, contained in a UK national survey conducted between 18 January and 1 March 2008. The survey obtained a response from more than 20,000 academic staff and students; 16,000 free‐text responses were obtained to these two questions. Findings – The study discloses that convenience associated with online access along with searchability was the biggest advantage of e‐books. The study shows a potential market for e‐textbooks; however, e‐books have yet to become more student‐friendly by improving features such as printing and screenreading. Originality/value – This is the biggest survey of its kind ever conducted and it improves one's knowledge of what the academic community thinks of e‐books.
How parents and practitioners experience research without prior consent (deferred consent) for emergency research involving children with life threatening conditions: a mixed method study

Objective Alternatives to prospective informed consent to enable children with life-threatening conditions to be entered into trials of emergency treatments are needed. Across Europe, a process called deferred consent has been developed as an alternative. Little is known about the views and experiences of those with first-hand experience of this controversial consent process. To inform how consent is sought for future paediatric critical care trials, we explored the views and experiences of parents and practitioners involved in the CATheter infections in CHildren (CATCH) trial, which allowed for deferred consent in certain circumstances. Design Mixed method survey, interview and focus group study. Participants 275 parents completed a questionnaire; 20 families participated in an interview (18 mothers, 5 fathers). 17 CATCH practitioners participated in one of four focus groups (10 nurses, 3 doctors and 4 clinical trial unit staff). Setting 12 UK children's hospitals. Results Some parents were momentarily shocked or angered to discover that their child had or could have been entered into CATCH without their prior consent. Although these feelings resolved after the reasons why consent needed to be deferred were explained and that the CATCH interventions were already used in clinical care. Prior to seeking deferred consent for the first few times, CATCH practitioners were apprehensive, although their feelings abated with experience of talking to parents about CATCH. Parents reported that their decisions about their child's participation in the trial had been voluntary. However, mistiming the deferred consent discussion had caused distress for some. Practitioners and parents supported the use of deferred consent in CATCH and in future trials of interventions already used in clinical care. Conclusions Our study provides evidence to support the use of deferred consent in paediatric emergency medicine; it also indicates the crucial importance of practitioner communication and appropriate timing of deferred consent discussions.
Analysis of metal mould heat transfer coefficients during continuous casting of steel

Heat transfer coefficients in the mould were determined by the inverse method and they are related to both process conditions and carbon equivalents of steels. Experimental data were obtained from an industrial plant by temperatures measured in moulds of the continuous casting machine by thermocouples placed in the mould wall in known positions. The temperatures are compared to profiles of simulations by the numerical model of both solidification and heat transfer processes previously examined. As a result, the numerical model calculates the heat transfer coefficients in the metal/mould interface for heats cast with different process parameters. The results make possible the determination of expressions for the calculation of the interfacial metal/mould heat transfer coefficients that include the effects of steels grades, mould faces, casting speed, mould taper, mould section and pouring temperatures for a range of process parameters.
Copepod mating: chance or choice?

Mate choice is common in most animals, but the issue has largely been ignored in regard to pelagic copepods-the most abundant zooplankton group in the oceans. Contemporary demographic models of copepods assume that all encounters lead to successful copulation and viable egg production. We revisit the subject of copepod mating biology in the framework of sexual selection theory. We discuss, and point to, examples that suggest mate choice in both sexes. Sexual selection theory may add an important dimension for understanding copepod population dynamics and potentially lead to renewed interpretations of the diverse copepod behaviours and life histories. In addition, the range of mating strategies in copepods represents a rich, but unexplored, source of information for general behavioural ecologists.
Measuring linguistically-induced cognitive load during driving using the ConTRe task

This paper shows that fine-grained linguistic complexity has measurable effects on cognitive load with consequences for the design of in-car spoken dialogue systems. We used synthesized German sentences with grammatical ambiguities to test the additional workload caused by human sentence processing during driving. For the driving task, we used the Continuous Tracking and Reaction (ConTRe) task, which we believe is suitable for the measurement of the fine-grained effects of linguistically-related workload phenomena in automotive environments, as it provides millisecond-level driving deviation measurements on a continuous course. We applied the task in an eye-tracking environment, using a pupillometric measure of cognitive workload called the Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA).
Alopecia areata: diagnosis and management

Alopecia areata can manifest itself with several different clinical features. Patients usually complain of abrupt hair loss and marked hair shedding. Frequently, patients will present to the physician with one or several bags of hair. The characteristic lesion of AA (Fig. 1) is commonly a round or oval, totally bald, smooth patch involving the scalp or any hair-bearing area on the body. The patch may have a mild peachy color. A frequent feature of AA patch are exclamation mark hairs that may be present at its margin. Exclamation mark hairs are broken, short hairs that taper proximally. The pull test may be positive at the margins of the patch indicating very active disease. Although hair loss is usually asymptomatic in most cases, some patients describe parasthesias with mild to moderate pruritus, tenderness, burning sensation, or pain before the appearance of the patches. The clinical presentation of alopecia areata is subcategorized according to the pattern or extent of the hair loss. If categorized according to pattern the following forms are seen: patchy AA, round or oval patches of hair loss (most common); reticular AA (Fig. 2), reticulated pattern of patchy hair loss; ophiasis band-like AA (Fig. 3), hair loss in parieto-temporo-occipital scalp; ophiasis inversus (Fig. 4), a rare band-like pattern
Characterizing asymptotic randomization in abelian cellular automata

Abelian cellular automata (CAs) are CAs which are group endomorphisms of the full group shift when endowing the alphabet with an abelian group structure. A CA randomizes an initial probability measure if its iterated images have weak*-convergence towards the uniform Bernoulli measure (the Haar measure in this setting). We are interested in structural phenomena, i.e., randomization for a wide class of initial measures (under some mixing hypotheses). First, we prove that an abelian CA randomizes in Cesàro mean if and only if it has no soliton, i.e., a non-zero finite configuration whose time evolution remains bounded in space. This characterization generalizes previously known sufficient conditions for abelian CAs with scalar or commuting coefficients. Second, we exhibit examples of strong randomizers, i.e., abelian CAs randomizing in simple convergence; this is the first proof of this behaviour to our knowledge. We show, however, that no CA with commuting coefficients can be strongly randomizing. Finally, we show that some abelian CAs achieve partial randomization without being randomizing: the distribution of short finite words tends to the uniform distribution up to some threshold, but this convergence fails for larger words. Again this phenomenon cannot happen for abelian CAs with commuting coefficients.