Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Case for Haptic Props: Shape, Weight and Vibro-tactile Feedback

The use of haptic props in a virtual environment setting is purported to improve both user immersion and task performance. While the efficacy of various forms of haptics has been tested through user experiments, this is not the case for hand-held tool props, an important class of input device with both gaming and non-gaming applications. From a cost and complexity of implementation perspective it is also worth investigating the relative benefits of the different types of passive and active haptics that can be incorporated into such props. Accordingly, in this paper we present the results of a quantitative user experiment (n = 42) designed to assess a typical VR controller against passive, weighted, and active-haptic versions of a tracked prop, measured according to game experience, performance, and stance adopted by participants. The task involved playing a VR baseball game and the prop was a truncated baseball bat. We found a statistically significant improvement (at α = 0.05) with medium to large effect size (r > 0.38) for certain aspects of game experience (competence, immersion, flow, positive affect), performance (mean hit distance) and pose (two-handed grip) for the weighted prop over a generic controller, and in many cases over the unweighted passive prop as well. There was no significant difference between our weighted prop and the active-haptic version. This suggests that, for batting and striking tasks, tool props with passive haptics improve user experience and task performance but only if they match the weight of the original real-world tool, and that such weighting is more important than simple vibro-tactile style force-feedback.
CHIMELIGHT: Augmenting Instruments in Interactive Music Therapy for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

In this paper, we propose a new mobile system to support therapists for teaching and tracking socio-communicative behaviors in children with neurodevelopmental disorders during music therapy sessions. The CHIMELIGHT system was designed to deal with the current issues in conventional therapies, such as the difficulty in both evaluating the performance and maintaining engagement of these children during therapeutic activities. The system evaluated movements made by a child with neurodevelopmental disorders playing a musical instrument while delivering contingent visual feedback based on real-time motion analysis. A set of metrics was implemented to evaluate the performance during the therapy activity and quantify specific target behaviors. An evaluation study performed during music therapy group sessions showed that the CHIMELIGHT-delivered visual feedback increased the engagement of children in the activity and decreased targeted negative behaviors. In some participants, we observed potential changes in their positive behaviors. Interviews and questionnaires provided to therapists showed that the developed system was effective for supporting evidence-based music therapy. Accordingly, our research enables new methods for both interactive therapy and mediation of the interaction between therapists and children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Gender and Help Seeking by Older Adults When Learning New Technologies

A gender stereotype that has some basis in research is that men are more reluctant to ask for directions than women. We wanted to investigate whether this stereotype applies to technology-related contexts, affecting older adults' abilities to learn new technologies. To explore how help seeking and gender might relate for older adults, we conducted a controlled experiment with 36 individuals, of whom 18 identified as men and 18 identified as women, and observed how often they asked for help when learning new applications. We also conducted post-experiment interviews with participants. We found that although most participants stereotyped older men as being reluctant to ask for help in the interview, the gender difference was minimal in the experiment. Instead, individual differences had a greater effect: older participants took longer to complete tasks and participants with lower technology self-efficacy asked significantly more questions.
The Effect of Multimodal Emotional Expression and Agent Appearance on Trust in Human-Agent Interaction

Emotional expressivity can boost trust in human-human and human-machine interaction. As a multimodal phenomenon, previous research argued that a mismatch in the expressive channels provides evidence of joint audio-video emotional processing. However, while previous work studied this from the point of view of emotion recognition and processing, not much is known about what effect a multimodal agent would have on a human-agent interaction task. Also, agent appearance could influence this interaction too. Here we manipulated the agent’s multimodal emotional expression (”smiling face” and ”smiling voice”, or both) and agent type (photorealistic or cartoon-like virtual human) and assessed people’s trust toward this agent. We measured trust using a mixed-methods approach, combining behavioural data from a survival task, questionnaire ratings and qualitative comments. These methods gave different results: while people commented on the importance of emotional expressivity in the agent’s voice, this factor had limited influence on trusting behaviours; while people rated the cartoon-like agent on several traits higher than the photorealistic one, the agent’s style also was not the most influential feature on people’s trusting behaviour. These results highlight the contribution of a mixed-methods approach in human-machine interaction, as both explicit and implicit perception and behaviour will contribute to the success of the interaction.
An exploration of attributions, just world beliefs and adjustment in adult pain sufferers.

The present study examined the nature of and relationship between attributions, just world beliefs (JWB) and adjustment in a sample of 62 community pain sufferers. This was exploratory because it accounted for shortcomings of these concepts, meaning they have not been investigated like this in pain. Specifically, it accounted for the scarcity of research distinguishing between cause, responsibility and blame; allowing the self-definition of responsibility, blame and adjustment; examining changes in attributions and adjustment, and considering just world beliefs. The importance of investigating these issues in pain was detailed. The research was conducted in two phases. The first, brief phase piloted a measure to account for these shortcomings. The second phase used the piloted measure to investigate the shortcomings in a series of five aims. Descriptive analyses indicated that most participants made causal attributions for their pain, with around half attributing responsibility and blame. Although similar in the types of attributions made, cause was distinguished from responsibility and blame, which were indistinguishable from each other. Attributions did not change. Additionally, JWB were weakly correlated with pain intensity, and analyses of variance techniques found JWB to interact with pain duration, such that those with 1 month-2.5 years' duration had stronger JWB than those in the 3-9 years' duration.
Anxiety Management in Adult Day Surgery: A Nursing Perspective

This book is the first of its kind to specifically outline the psycho-educational nursing interventions required by the anxious, adult patient undergoing elective, ambulatory surgery. Pre-operative anxiety has been recognised for many decades and is a considerable issue for the majority of surgical patients. However, no planned specific psychological nursing intervention currently exists to support patients during this acute phase. This book therefore provides strong evidence for the way in which patients can be assisted in the management of their anxiety. Moreover, it provides future direction for surgical nursing intervention in this new era of minimal invasive surgery where patients undergoing elective procedures increasingly require less physical nursing intervention and spend very little time within the hospital environment. The following chapters are discussed in detail - 21st Century: A Time for Change; Patients' Perceptions of Day Surgery; Anxiety Management in Modern, Elective Surgery; Psychological Approaches to Coping; Information Selection; Information Delivery; Anxiety Management in Day Surgery; 21st Century Elective Surgical Nursing.
Next generation serology: integrating cross-sectional and capture-recapture approaches to infer disease dynamics.

Two approaches have been classically used in disease ecology to estimate epidemiological parameters from field studies: cross-sectional sampling from unmarked individuals and longitudinal capture-recapture setups, which generally involve more limited numbers of marked individuals due to cost and logistical constrains. Although the benefits of longitudinal setups are increasingly acknowledged in the disease ecology community, cross-sectional data remain largely over-represented in the literature, probably because of the inherent costs of longitudinal surveys. In this context, we used simulated data to compare the performances of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs to estimate the force of infection (i.e., the rate at which susceptible individuals become infected). Then, inspired from recent method developments in quantitative ecology, we explore the benefits of integrating both cross-sectional (seroprevalences) and longitudinal (individuals histories) datasets. In doing so, we investigate the effects of host species life history, antibody persistence and degree of a priori knowledge and uncertainty on demographic and epidemiological parameters, as those are expected to affect in different ways the level of inference possible from the data. Our results highlight how those elements are important to consider to determine optimal sampling designs. In the case of long-lived species exposed to infectious agents resulting in persistent antibody responses, integrated designs are especially valuable as they benefit from the performances of longitudinal designs even with relatively small longitudinal sample sizes. As an illustration, we apply this approach to a combination of empirical and simulated data inspired from a case of bats exposed to a rabies virus. Overall, this work highlights that serology field studies could greatly benefit from the opportunity of integrating cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.
FOXO1 inhibition prevents renal ischemia–reperfusion injury via cAMP‐response element binding protein/PPAR‐γ coactivator‐1α‐mediated mitochondrial biogenesis

Growing evidence indicates targeting mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis could accelerate recovery from renal ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) is a key regulator of mitochondrial homeostasis and plays a pathological role in the progression of renal disease.
The role of anemia and vitamin D levels in acute and chronic telogen effluvium

Telogen effluvium (TE) is an abnormality of hair cycling. Vitamin D promotes hair follicle differentiation. The importance of vitamin D in hair growth is evident in patients with hereditary vitamin D receptor deficiency. The role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of TE has not been investigated before. We investigated the role of vitamin D, ferritin, and zinc in the pathogenesis of TE. Materials and methods: We measured serum hemoglobin, ferritin, zinc, calcium, phosphate, parathormone, magnesium, 25 and 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3, and bone alkaline phosphatase and thyroid stimulating hormone levels in 63 female patients and 50 control subjects. Twenty-nine of the TE patients were classified in the acute TE group and 34 were classified in the chronic TE groups. Results: Ferritin (acute TE; 17.0 ± 12.8, chronic TE; 19.6 ± 15.2, control; 35.5 ± 31.8, P < 0.001) and hemoglobin (acute TE; 12.7 ± 1.7, chronic TE; 13.3 ± 1.0, control; 14.2 ± 1.2, P < 0.0001) levels were significantly lower in the TE group than in the control group. However, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels were significantly higher in the TE group than in the control group (acute TE; 18.5 ± 9.2, chronic TE; 24.4 ± 11.2, control; 15.6 ± 15.8, P < 0.01). Vitamin D levels increased gradually from control groups to acute and chronic TE groups. However, active D vitamin levels (1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3) were similar. Conclusion: Iron deficiency anemia seems to be the main triggering factor for the development of TE and the increase in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels may be related to increased exposure to UV light due to TE.
Estimating the Size of Hidden Populations: A Bayesian Approach

The problem of estimating the size of hidden populations is considered. A practical design to obtain e¢cient estimators is snowball sampling which allows units to provide information not only about themselves but also about other units. In classical approaches inferences about the model are based on asymptotic theory, and accuracy of con.dence statements is questionable for small sample sizes. We employ Bayesian methods enabling exact . nite sample inference in terms of whole distributions of the unknown parameters given the observed data. Often, prior information on the model parameters is available. The Bayesian analysis enjoys the advantage of the possibility to implement this information into the analysis which, if properly used, should improve the estimators. Simulation results are provided where the Bayesian estimator is compared to frequentist competitors. Applications of our proposed model are illustrated with analysis to three studies of hard drug use.
DMSO_A_186758 333..356

Fekadu Aga Sandra B Dunbar Tedla Kebede Rebecca A Gary 1Department of Nursing, School of Nursing & Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; 3Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Diabetes & Endcrinology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Background: Most patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) have high number of comorbid chronic conditions that can affect their self-care abilities. Guidelines for diabetes self-care behaviors are disease specific with little attention given to managing T2D with other comorbidities. Identifying comorbidities that either improve or potentially diminish the individual’s capacity to perform effective self-care behaviors is essential to enhance clinical outcomes. One such framework conceptualizes comorbidities as concordant or discordant with diabetes pathophysiological pathways and care goals. Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the role of diabetes-concordant and discordant chronic conditions on the performance of self-care behaviors in adults with T2D. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was undertaken to identify published English language articles through the following five electronic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ISI Web of Science, and EMBASE. Quantitative studies published from March 2006 to April 2018 were included. Quality of evidence was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institutes Critical Appraisal Tools (JBI-CAT) and rated using Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (QATQS). Results: The initial database search identified 1,136 articles but only 33 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. The most common concordant comorbidity was hypertension while depression was the most common discordant condition. Adherence to medications was the most frequent diabetes self-care behavior reported and tended to be higher among concordant comorbidities. The findings showed mixed results concerning the effect of some concordant comorbidities such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, retinopathy, and heart failure on diabetes self-care behaviors. But, there is agreement across studies that diabetesdiscordant comorbidities have a more detrimental effect on self-care behaviors. Conclusions: Concordant comorbidities may improve diabetes self-care, but the evidence is inconclusive. Future research using well designed studies are needed to examine the complex relationship between diabetes self-care and comorbidities.
Towards Q-learning the Whittle Index for Restless Bandits

We consider the multi-armed restless bandit problem (RMABP) with an infinite horizon average cost objective. Each arm of the RMABP is associated with a Markov process that operates in two modes: active and passive. At each time slot a controller needs to designate a subset of the arms to be active, of which the associated processes will evolve differently from the passive case. Treated as an optimal control problem, the optimal solution of the RMABP is known to be computationally intractable. In many cases, the Whittle index policy achieves near optimal performance and can be tractably found. Nevertheless, computation of the Whittle indices requires knowledge of the transition matrices of the underlying processes, which are sometimes hidden from decision makers. In this paper, we take first steps towards a tractable and efficient reinforcement learning algorithm for controlling such a system. We setup parallel Q-learning recursions, with each recursion mapping to individual possible values of the Whittle index. We then update these recursions as we control the system, learning an approximation of the Whittle index as time evolves. Tested on several examples, our control outperforms naive priority allocations and nears the performance of the fully-informed Whittle index policy.
ANALYSING THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL VALUE ADDITION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NAMIBIA

This paper examined the causal relationship between agriculture value added and economic growth in Namibia. The study was based on annual data covering the period 1980 to 2015, utilizing the techniques of unit root, cointegration and pairwise Granger causality. The results of the Granger causality test showed a unidirectional causal relationship running from agricultural value added to economic growth and not vice versa.
DEVELOPMENT OF INDONESIAN GAIT DATABASE USING 2D OPTICAL MOTION ANALYZER SYSTEM

In the present work, a previously developed optical motion-capture system combined with software for 2D clinical gait analysis is utilized to obtain gait data of Indonesian subjects. The system consists of a video camera with a maximum speed of 90 fps, LED markers, PC and technical computing software, which are developed for tracking markers attached to human body during motion and to calculate kinematics and kinetics parameters of human gait. This work presents only the kinematics gait parameters of 212 participating subjects obtained by the developed optical 2D motion analyzer system and software. Prior to measurement, the body posture of each subject is evaluated to ensure normalcy. The subject is instructed to walk in a specially-arranged measurement area. The spatiotemporal gait parameters such as stride-length, cadence, cycle-time, and speed as well as joint angles, are evaluated. The gait data of the 212 participating subjects that has been collected are compared to data available in literature. Based upon favorable comparisons, the data presented in this work could serve as the basis for the establishment of Indonesian normal gait database. Future works involving more participating subjects and comparative analysis to abnormal gait is deemed necessary and should be useful to assist physicians in diagnosing, and planning the rehabilitation program for the patients.
Comparison of serum levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine between patients who take two types of atypical anti psychotics

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has been suggested as a cardiovascular biomarker. Treatment with atypical antipsychotics can increase some traditional risk factors of coronary artery disease. In addition to traditional risk factors, this study is carried out as a comparison of serum levels of ADMA and non-traditional factors among patients who take two types of atypical antipsychotics. Methods: In this clinical study, 57 schizophrenic patients with multiple episodes and 20 healthy voluntaries that fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria were entered into the study. The patients were divided into 3 groups (18 patients received risperidone alone, 20 patients received clozapine alone and 19 patients did not receive any drug). Plasma concentrations of ADMA, high-sensitivity Creactive protein (hs-CRP) and homocysteine were measured through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and traditional risk factors of metabolic syndrome were measured. Results: Mean age of participants was 46.08±12.54 years. Moreover, the traditional (High-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol, waistline, and Body Mass Index (BMI)) and non-traditional factors (Homocysteine, hs-CRP) and ADMA were higher in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy group (p≤ 0.05). Also, in the clozapine group, all mentioned non-traditional factors and ADMA were significantly higher than other groups (p≤ 0.05). Conclusion: In the clozapine group, levels of non-traditional factors and ADMA were significantly higher which indicates these patients are at risk of cardiovascular disease.
OAEM_A_178358 179..199

Erica Koch Shannon Lovett Trac Nghiem Robert A Riggs Megan A Rech 1Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA; 2Department of Emergency Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA; 3Department of Pharmacy, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA Abstract: Shock index (SI) is defined as the heart rate (HR) divided by systolic blood pressure (SBP). It has been studied in patients either at risk of or experiencing shock from a variety of causes: trauma, hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, sepsis, and ruptured ectopic pregnancy. While HR and SBP have traditionally been used to characterize shock in these patients, they often appear normal in the compensatory phase of shock and can be confounded by factors such as medications (eg, antihypertensives, betaagonists). SI >1.0 has been widely found to predict increased risk of mortality and other markers of morbidity, such as need for massive transfusion protocol activation and admission to intensive care units. Recent research has aimed to study the use of SI in patients immediately on arrival to the emergency department (ED). In this review, we summarize the literature pertaining to use of SI across a variety of settings in the management of ED patients, in order to provide context for use of this measure in the triage and management of critically ill patients.
OTT_A_218047 7801..7808

1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinan City People’s Hospital, Jinan 271100, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Spinal Surgery, The People’s Hospital of Zhangqiu Area, Jinan 250200, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of PICU, Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital, Qingdao 266012, People’s Republic of China; 4Medical Insurance Department, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264100, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Radiology, The People’s Hospital of Zhangqiu Area, Jinan 250200, People’s Republic of China; 6Medical Laboratory Diagnosis Center, Jinan Central Hospital, Jinan 250013, People’s Republic of China Introduction: Osteosarcoma is the most common bone tumor with high metastasis and