Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computational and analytical approaches towards epidemic spread containment of temporal animal trade networks

In this thesis a threefold approach to assess the risk of epidemic spread on animal trade networks and pinpoint strategies to contain it is presented. Firstly, an exhaustive description of a stochastic, event-driven, hierarchical agent-based model designed to reproduce the infectious state of the cattle disease called Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) on the German trade network is outlined. It takes into account a vast number of breeding, infectious and animal movement mechanisms as provided by expert opinion with SusceptibleInfected-Recovered type of dynamics with an additional permanently infectious class for the farm-node dynamics and a supply-demand farm manager mechanism governing the network structure and dynamics. A sensitivity analysis on several key parameters of the model is also presented, and the resulting disease and breeding dynamics are ultimately studied from many aspects including numerous mitigation strategies of present and past government regulations, and of corresponding future, financial interest. Next a mean field model for the spread of BVD is formulated to compare with the agent based model and provide an analytical means towards the description of the farm level dynamics including birth-death processes. A numerical stability analysis is presented as well as the derivation of the epidemiological quantity of the basic reproduction number stemming from bifurcation arguments. Moreover, numerical integrations are performed and a benchmark is provided for the farm infectious and population dynamics of large farms within the agent based model context. Lastly, a number of network analysis tools are presented and applied on a dataset of cattle movements for the German trade network. Each one tackles connectivity questions from a static, a temporal, an embedded-geographical (spatial) and a topological point of view, culminating in a worst-case assessment of a susceptible-infected, oneway process.
Collaborative voices: Ongoing reflections on nursing competencies

Abstract In a rapidly changing Australian health care environment, providers of undergraduate nursing programs are continually upgrading their assessment methods to ensure that graduates are competent and safe to practice. Competence assessment is based on the existing Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council (ANMC) Competency Standards for Registered Nurses. It is acknowledged that there are issues surrounding the validity and reliability of current assessment methods, primarily due to organisational constraints both at the University and the service provider level.There are a number of highly reliable tools available that enable assessment of nursing students in the psychomotor domain. Assessment in other domains is less precise.This paper explores some of the issues relating to competence assessment processes in order to promote discussion and discourse between educators, facilities and policy makers. It is envisaged that increased debate will result in an enhanced level of academic and clinical preparation for the upcoming nursing workforce in this country.
Hybrid algorithms with detection of promising areas for the prize collecting travelling salesman problem

The prize collecting travelling salesman problem (PCTSP) is a generalization of the travelling salesman problem. It can be associated to a salesman that collects a prize in each city visited and pays a penalty for each city not visited, with travel costs among the cities. The objective is to minimize the sum of the costs of the trip and penalties, including in the tour an enough number of cities that allow collecting a minimum prize. This paper approaches new heuristics to solve the PCTSP, using a hybrid evolutionary algorithm, called evolutionary clustering search (ECS) and an adaptation of this, called *CS, where the evolutionary component is substituted by the metaheuristics GRASP and VNS. The validation of the obtained solutions are through the comparison with the results found by a commercial solver that was able to solve only small size problems.
Usefulness of the Perceptual Alteration Scale

This study investigated the Perceptual Alteration Scale (PAS) as a measure of dissociation in a college counseling center population by examining its relationship to the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), a well-known measure of dissociation, abuse, symptoms of depression, panic attacks, and substance abuse. A university counseling center collected information on abuse history, symptomatology, and PAS and DES scores from 650 students. Scores were significantly correlated among instruments and PAS scores could be significantly predicted by childhood and adulthood abuse, adulthood sexual abuse and all other symptoms measured. The PAS appears to be a useful measure of affective dissociation with this population.
Evaluation of the efficiency of antibiotic prophylaxis in cesarean cases

Background: In recent years the rate of cesarean section has significantly increased.To determine the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics in reducing infectious morbidity after cesarean section. Objectives: In our study, we aimed to evaluate the efficiency of prophylactic antibiotic administration by comparing three groups using single, multiple and no prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Materials and Methods: Our study is a prospective, randomized controlled study including emergent cases, that developed cesarean indication while in active labor, and elective cesarean cases. A total of 90 patients were included in the study, including 30 patients who underwent cesarean delivery and did not undergo an antibiotic prophylaxis (Group 1), 30 patients who underwent a single dose antibiotic prophylaxis (Group II) and 30 patients who underwent multiple dose antibiotic prophylaxis (Group III). Results: The incidence of wound infection was significantly higher in cases that were not using antibiotics at postoperative days 3, 5 and 7 compared to the cases using single and multiple antibiotics. There was not a significant difference between groups in terms of endometritis. Conclusion: Administration of prophylactic antibiotics prevent wound infection but does not prevent development of endometritis.
Duality and quasiparticles in the Calogero-Sutherland model: Some exact results

A quantum-mechanical many-body system with a potential proportional to the pairwise inverse-square distance possesses a strong-weak coupling duality. Using this duality we construct a parent Hamiltonian describing the system of particles and quasiparticles. The construction of the Hamiltonian and the solutions found are of a hierarchical nature.
Redundant-Free Web Services Composition Based on a Two-Phase Algorithm

Web services composition search systems have received a great deal of attention recently. However, current solutions have limitations of inefficiency and including redundant Web services in the results. In this paper, we proposed a redundant-free Web services composition search based on a two phase algorithm. In the forward phase, the candidate composition will be found efficiently by searching the link Index. In the backward phase, redundant-free Web services compositions are generated from the candidate composition by using the concepts of tokens. Experimental results demonstrate the performance benefits of our proposed techniques compared to state-of-the-art composition approaches.
Higher order cumulants of random vectors and applications to statistical inference and time series

This paper provides a unified and comprehensive approach that is useful in deriving expressions for higher order cumulants of random vectors. The use of this methodology is then illustrated in three diverse and novel contexts, namely: (i) in obtaining a lower bound (Bhattacharya bound) for the variance- covariance matrix of a vector of unbiased estimators where the density depends on several parameters, (ii) in studying the asymptotic theory of multivariable statistics when the population is not necessarily Gaussian and finally, (iii) in the study of multivariate nonlinear time series models and in obtaining higher order cumulant spectra. The approach depends on expanding the characteristic functions and cumulant generating functions in terms of the Kronecker products of di¤erential operators. Our objective here is to derive such expressions using only elementary calculus of several variables and also to highlight some important applications in statistics.
Media-based Social Solitude: An Exploratory Study of Students in a Coffeehouse

The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to understand how college students engage in media-based social solitude in an informal social space of a coffeehouse. Media-based social solitude is the act of being alone together, physically or virtually, with others through the use of media devices. Multiple data collection methods such as field observation and interviews were used to identify two main themes of engagement in mediabased social solitude. The interpretation of data from observations of fifteen students and interviews with ten students provided emergent themes that included the need for reinforcement of others to focus and acceptance of media in a social space. Understanding media-based social solitude in the context of leisure is important as media inserts itself into all aspects of a life, and may alter the leisure dynamics within a public space. Additional research in the area of media-based social solitude is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon within leisure and media studies.
Some issues in the perceptual phonetics of sign language: Motion-in-depth and the horizontal-vertical illusion

Because of inherent limitations of the human visual system, some movements are more difficult to perceive than others are. This may result in those movements being dispreferred in sign languages. I explore this possibility for two notable visual limitations: the difficulty in perceiving motion-in-depth and the horizontal-vertical illusion. Across signs with two-handed path movement in the lexicons of 24 sign languages, I find evidence that motion-in-depth is indeed statistically underrepresented, while the horizontal-vertical illusion seems to play no role in the lexical distribution of path movements. As a contribution to the growing field of sign language phonetics, this work expands our understanding of how the physical properties of the human body do (and do not) shape the structure of language.
Sharing empty moments: design for remote couples

Many couples are forced to live apart, for work, school or other reasons. This paper describes our study of 13 such couples and what they lack from existing communication technologies. We explored what they wanted to share (presence, mood, environment, daily events and activities), how they wanted to share (simple, lightweight, playful, pleasant interaction), and when they wanted to share ('empty moments' such as waiting, walking, taking a break, waking up, eating, and going to sleep). 'Empty moments' provide a compelling new opportunity for design, requiring subtlety and flexibility to enable participants to share connection without explicit messages. We designed MissU as a technology probe to study empty moments in situ. Similar to a private radio station, MissU shares music and background sounds. Field studies produced results relevant to social science, technology and design: couples with established routines were comforted; characteristics such as ambiguity and 'movable' technology (situated in the home yet portable) provide support. These insights suggest a design space for supporting the sharing of empty moments.
Impact of delaying school start time on adolescent sleep, mood, and behavior.

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of a 30-minute delay in school start time on adolescents' sleep, mood, and behavior. DESIGN Participants completed the online retrospective Sleep Habits Survey before and after a change in school start time. SETTING An independent high school in Rhode Island. PARTICIPANTS Students (n = 201) in grades 9 through 12. Intervention Institution of a delay in school start time from 8 to 8:30 am. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sleep patterns and behavior, daytime sleepiness, mood, data from the Health Center, and absences/tardies. RESULTS After the start time delay, mean school night sleep duration increased by 45 minutes, and average bedtime advanced by 18 minutes (95% confidence interval, 7-29 minutes [t(423) = 3.36; P < . 001]); the percentage of students getting less than 7 hours of sleep decreased by 79.4%, and those reporting at least 8 hours of sleep increased from 16.4% to 54.7%. Students reported significantly more satisfaction with sleep and experienced improved motivation. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and depressed mood were all reduced. Most health-related variables, including Health Center visits for fatigue-related complaints, and class attendance also improved. CONCLUSIONS A modest delay in school start time was associated with significant improvements in measures of adolescent alertness, mood, and health. The results of this study support the potential benefits of adjusting school schedules to adolescents' sleep needs, circadian rhythm, and developmental stage.
Effects of Context Relevance and Perceived Risk on User Acceptance of Mobile Information Services

Mobile information services differ from traditional, office information systems in their focus on entertainment value, their ability to be exposed to shifting social contexts, and the increased reliance of people (especially teenagers) on mobile telephones as important parts of their lives. This paper introduces a user acceptance model that addresses each of these differences: it includes hedonic value, context relevance, and perceived risk as major drivers of user acceptance. Our empirical research was conducted entirely online with the ‘context’ operating as an experimental treatment, and the other constructs measured using an online survey instrument. The research (N = 123) confirms that a consumer’s utilitarian value and hedonic value of a mobile information service are strongly correlated. Further, utilitarian value had a significant impact on intentions to use a service, whereas hedonic value had no such impact. There was a significant negative influence of perceived risk on utilitarian value, implying that those who considered the service to be a greater risk also perceived it to be less useful. There was no significant influence of perceived risk on hedonic value. Finally, a change in context caused a significant change in utilitarian value, implying that people exposed to more relevant contexts found the service more useful than the people with less relevant contexts.
Dietary advanced glycation end-products aggravate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM To determine if manipulation of dietary advanced glycation end product (AGE), intake affects non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression and whether these effects are mediated via RAGE. METHODS Male C57Bl6 mice were fed a high fat, high fructose, high cholesterol (HFHC) diet for 33 wk and compared with animals on normal chow. A third group were given a HFHC diet that was high in AGEs. Another group was given a HFHC diet that was marinated in vinegar to prevent the formation of AGEs. In a second experiment, RAGE KO animals were fed a HFHC diet or a high AGE HFHC diet and compared with wildtype controls. Hepatic biochemistry, histology, picrosirius red morphometry and hepatic mRNA were determined. RESULTS Long-term consumption of the HFHC diet generated significant steatohepatitis and fibrosis after 33 wk. In this model, hepatic 4-hydroxynonenal content (a marker of chronic oxidative stress), hepatocyte ballooning, picrosirius red staining, α-smooth muscle actin and collagen type 1A gene expression were all significantly increased. Increasing the AGE content of the HFHC diet by baking further increased these markers of liver damage, but this was abrogated by pre-marination in acetic acid. In response to the HFHC diet, RAGE-/- animals developed NASH of similar severity to RAGE+/+ animals but were protected from the additional harmful effects of the high AGE containing diet. Studies in isolated Kupffer cells showed that AGEs increase cell proliferation and oxidative stress, providing a likely mechanism through which these compounds contribute to liver injury. CONCLUSION In the HFHC model of NAFLD, manipulation of dietary AGEs modulates liver injury, inflammation, and liver fibrosis via a RAGE dependent pathway. This suggests that pharmacological and dietary strategies targeting the AGE/RAGE pathway could slow the progression of NAFLD.
Effect of the summer monsoon on aerosols at two measurement stations in Northern India - Part 2: Physical and optical properties

Abstract. Aerosol physical and optical properties were measured at two locations in northern India. The first measurement station was a background site in Mukteshwar, about 350 km northeast of New Delhi, in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, with data from 2006 to 2009. The second measurement site was located in Gual Pahari, about 25 km south of New Delhi, with data from 2008 to 2009. At both stations, the average aerosol concentrations during the monsoon were decreased by 40–75 % compared to the pre-monsoon average concentrations. The decrease varied with the total local rainfall. In Mukteshwar, the monsoon season removed particles from all size classes, due to a combination of rain scavenging and activation to cloud and mountain fog droplets. The scavenging by rain is least effective for the size range of the accumulation mode particles. In Gual Pahari, this was the only major wet removal mechanism and, as a result, the accumulation mode particles were less effectively removed. Aerosol concentrations during the early monsoon were found to be affected by mineral dust which in Gual Pahari was observed as an increased particle volume at a diameter around 3–4 μm. The single scattering albedo varied from 0.73 to 0.93 during the monsoon season, being slightly lower in Gual Pahari than in Mukteshwar. This is due to the fact that Gual Pahari resided closer to high anthropogenic black carbon emissions. As the absorbing particles are typically in the accumulation mode, they were not effectively removed by rain scavenging. The aerosol columnar properties, which were measured in Gual Pahari, showed a somewhat different seasonal behaviour compared to the surface measurements, with the aerosol optical depth increasing to an annual maximum in the early monsoon season.
The Weight of the Crisis: Evidence From Newborns in Argentina

Abstract We investigate how prenatal economic fluctuations affected birth weight in Argentina during the period from January 2000 to December 2005 and document its procyclicality. We find evidence that the birth weight of children born to low-educated (less than high school) mothers is sensitive to macroeconomic fluctuations during both the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, while those of high-educated (high school or above) mothers react only to the first trimester of pregnancy. Our results are consistent with low-educated women facing credit constraints and suffering from both nutritional deprivation and maternal stress, while high-educated women are affected only by stress.
Frequency, characteristics, and perceived functions of emotional future thinking in daily life

While many thoughts and mental images that people form about their personal future refer to emotionally significant events, there is still little empirical data on the frequency and nature of emotional future-oriented thoughts (EmoFTs) that occur in natural settings. In the present study, participants recorded EmoFTs occurring in daily life and rated their characteristics, emotional properties, and perceived functions. The results showed that EmoFTs are frequent, occur in various contexts, and are perceived to fulfil important functions, mostly related to goal pursuit and emotion regulation. When distinguishing between anticipatory and anticipated emotions (i.e., emotions experienced in the present versus emotions expected to occur in the future), a positivity bias in the frequency of EmoFTs was found to be restricted to anticipated emotions. The representational format and perceived function of EmoFTs varied according to their affective valence, and the intensity of anticipatory and anticipated emotions were influenced by the personal importance and amount of visual imagery of EmoFTs. Mood states preceding EmoFTs influenced their emotional components, which, in turn, impacted ensuing mood states. Overall, these findings shed further light on the emotional properties of future-oriented thoughts that are experienced in daily life.
Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of Insulin Glargine and Insulin Detemir with NPH Insulin in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Receiving Intensive Insulin Therapy

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of insulin glargine and detemir with NPH insulin in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Thirty four children and adolescents with type 1 DM (mean age 12.7 ± 3.4 years, diabetes duration 5.4 ± 3.0 years) were included in the study. All patients had been receiving intensive insulin therapy with insulin aspart and NPH for at least 6 months before switching from NPH to insulin glargine (Group 1, n=19) or detemir (Group 2, n=15). The medical records obtained within 6 months before and after treatment with insulin glargine and detemir were retrospectively reviewed and the data were compared in each group. Results: The mean age and duration of DM were similar in two groups (p>0.05). In both groups, switching from NPH to insulin glargine or detemir, resulted in a reduction in HbA1c (p0.05, for both). Patients in the detemir treated group had less increment in body mass index (BMI) SDS at the end of 6 months of therapy compared to NPH and glargine treated patients (p>0.05, for both). No side effects were noted throughout the study. Conclusion: Both insulin glargine and detemir improved HbA1c at short-term and proved to be safe and well tolerated in children and adolescents with type 1 DM. Conflict of interest:None declared.
ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR AND BLOW-UP OF SOLUTIONS FOR A NONLINEAR VISCOELASTIC WAVE EQUATION WITH BOUNDARY DISSIPATION

We study the nonlinear viscoelastic wave equation $$ u_{tt}-k_{0}\Delta u +\int_{0}^{t}g(t-s)\mathrm{div}\bigr[a(x)\nabla u(s)\bigr]ds+\bigr(k_{1}+b(x)|u_{t}|^{m-2}\bigr)u_{t}=|u|^{p-2}u $$ with dissipative boundary conditions. Under some restrictions on the initial data and the relaxation function and without imposing any restrictive assumption on $a(x)$, we show that the rate of decay is similar to that of $g$. We also prove the blow-up results for certain solutions in two cases. In the case $k_{1}=0$, $m=2$, we show that the solutions blow up in finite time under some restrictions on initial data and for arbitrary initial energy. In another case, $k_{1}\geq 0$, $m\geq 2$, we prove a nonexistence result when the initial energy is less than potential well depth.