Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between maternal smoking and breastfeeding duration after adjustment for maternal infant feeding intention

Aim: To investigate whether maternal smoking remains associated with decreased breastfeeding duration after adjustment for the mother's infant feeding intention. Method: Pregnant women resident within Avon, UK, expected to give birth between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992 were recruited in a longitudinal cohort study. Main outcome measures included maternal infant feeding intention at 32 wk of pregnancy: intention for the first week, intention for the rest of the first month and intention in months 2 to 4. Maternal smoking was defined as any smoking reported at any time during pregnancy. Data on initiation and duration of breastfeeding were based on the questionnaire at 6 mo postpartum, supplemented by data from the 15‐mo questionnaire if necessary. Results: Women who smoked during pregnancy had an adjusted odds ratio of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.3–1.7) of not breastfeeding at 6 mo compared to non‐smokers (adjusting for maternal age, education and intention). Survival analysis of duration of breastfeeding in the first 6 mo postpartum found that women who intended to breastfeed for less than 1 mo were 78% more likely to stop at any given time than women planning to breastfeed for at least 4 mo, while smokers were 17% more likely to stop breastfeeding than non‐smokers.
Delivery of preventive care: the national Canadian Family Physician Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention Survey.

OBJECTIVE To determine family physicians' practice of, knowledge about, and attitudes toward delivering preventive care during periodic health examinations (PHEs). DESIGN A stratified sample of 5013 members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada were randomly selected to receive a questionnaire by mail. Descriptive analysis was performed on a national data set of 1010 respondents. SETTING Canada. PARTICIPANTS A sample of family physicians from each Canadian province. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Physicians were asked questions about whether they addressed aspects of preventive care, such as tobacco smoking, nutrition, physical activity, alcohol intake, and sun exposure with patients during PHEs. The questions were designed to gauge attitudes and identify barriers to the provision of preventive care. RESULTS Most respondents (87% to 89%) indicated that they were comfortable counseling their patients about issues such as nutrition, physical activity, and alcohol consumption; however, many of these respondents did not refer their patients to specialists or provide them with additional resources to educate patients about the health risks of their conditions. While tobacco smoking risks and cessation were addressed by most family physicians (79%) during PHEs, other topics, such as sun exposure, were often overlooked. CONCLUSION The results of this survey indicate that while many family physicians follow the evidence-based guidelines for preventive care, current levels of preventive care in the primary care setting are below national standards. It is critical that Canadians receive optimal preventive care to improve the outlook of the chronic disease burden on the health care system.
A Comparative Study on Power MOSFET Reliability and Failure Modes

In this study, based on the characteristic parameters of MOSFET’s degradation, reliability of MOSFETs from different companies has been compared. Same type of MOSFETs are investigated. Acceleration test are designed and devices are degraded. According to degradation data, transfer characterization is investigated and failure modes of MOSFETs have been examined. This degradation data of values have been observed %10 variance which is degradation’s sign.
Myographic Information Enables Hand Function Classification in Automated Fugl-Meyer Assessment

Automated systems for assessing upper extremity motor function post-stroke have been proposed as a higher resolution, more objective, or faster alternative to routine clinical assessment. These studies have been performed using either remote or wearable sensors attached to the subject. A common difficulty of these systems has been the quantification of hand function, a major component of post-stroke motor dysfunction. Mechanomyographic sensors have been untested in this field but have much potential as a practical way to quantify hand function, and as a complimentary modality to kinematic data for quantifying other arm movements. For this study a new automated system has been proposed which incorporates both kinematic and myographic information in the classification of arm motor function. Twenty-eight subjects with acute stroke were recruited and instructed to perform the motor function tasks of the FMA-UE. Motor features were pruned using the ReliefF feature selection algorithm and classification performed using a linear Support Vector Machine. Non hand function tasks classified using myographic data achieved a mean classification accuracy of 50.5% compared to 62.0% achieved using IMU data alone. For hand function tasks, a higher classification accuracy of 62.4% was achieved using myographic data alone.
Phase Transfer Entropy between Frontal and Posterior Regions during Visual Spatial Attention

Voluntarily shifting attention to a location of the visual field improves the perception of stimulus at the attended location and suppresses information processing at unattended locations, something referred to as visual spatial attention. Previous studies have shown that alpha band phase synchronization between frontal and posterior regions was modulated by visual spatial attention. However, the causality of such long-range connectivity is still unknown, which makes it difficult to assess its relation to the underlying neural mechanisms of visual spatial attention. In this study, 64-channel scalp electroencephalography (EEG) was collected from 26 healthy adults when performing a visual spatial-cueing attention task, and a recently proposed algorithm, phase transfer entropy (PTE), was used to study the directed alpha phase interactions between frontal and posterior regions during attention orienting. We found that: (i) The PTE from frontal regions to posterior regions significantly increased after cue onset; (ii) The PTE from frontal regions (especially the right hemisphere) to posterior regions showed significant lateralization during late cue-target interval, with the greater PTE of contralateral frontal-to-posterior pair than that of ipsilateral pair relative to cue direction. These results suggest that alpha phase interactions might reveal top-down control signals from frontal to posterior regions during visual spatial attention, and support the right frontal regions as the causal role in top-down attentional control.
Process parameter shifting: Part I. Effect of DOT, pH, and temperature on the performance of Epo‐Fc expressing CHO cells cultivated in controlled batch bioreactors

The impact of process environment changes on process performance is one of the most crucial process safety issues when cultivating mammalian cells in a bioreactor. In contrast, directed shifting of process parameters can also be used as an optimization tool providing higher cell and product yields. Compared to other strategies that also aim on the regulation of cell growth and protein expression process parameter shifts can be easily performed without reagent addition or even genetic modification of the host cell line. However, a successful application of changing process conditions implies a profound understanding of the provoked physiological changes within the cells. In a systematic approach we varied the dissolved oxygen tension (DOT), pH, and temperature of CHO cultures in controlled bioreactors and investigated the impact on growth, productivity, metabolism, product quality and cell cycle distribution using a recombinant CHO cell line expressing the highly glycosylated fusion protein Epo‐Fc. We found the reduction of cultivation temperature and the reduction of (external) pH to exert the most significant effects on process performance by mainly reducing cell growth and metabolism. With respect to the cell line used we identified a set of parameters capable of affecting cell proliferation in favor of an increased specific productivity and total product yield. The well directed alteration of the process environment has emerged as a tool adequate for further process optimization applying a biphasic cultivation strategy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of Single Use Dry Epidermal Electrodes for Surface Electromyography Recordings*

Alternatives to conventional wet Silver/Silver Chloride (Ag/AgCl) hydrogel electrodes could greatly improve the ability to record long-term surface electromyography (sEMG). This paper presents preliminary evaluation of dry epidermal electronic system (EES) electrodes over 8 days measurements. We tested 3 subjects and recorded sEMG signals of right rectus femoris during static and dynamic tasks from epidermal electrodes and traditional Ag/AgCl electrodes. For epidermal electrodes that remained intact and maintained adhesion to the skin, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values were greater than 16.9 dB and signal-to-motion ratio (SMR) values were greater than 13.1 dB, which were both above the accepted thresholds for good signal quality (SNR > 15 dB and SMR > 12dB). We also developed a new metric, the Signal Quality Index, SQI to help determine whether higher SNR or higher SMR were necessarily indicative of better EMG signal quality. Our results indicated that the single use dry epidermal electrodes were able to maintain high signal quality over 8 days and suggested that dry epidermal electrodes have the potential ability for long-term sEMG recording.
Systemic conditions and treatments as risks for implant therapy.

PURPOSE To evaluate whether systemic diseases with/without systemic medication increase the risk of implant failure and therefore diminish success and survival rates of dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS A MEDLINE search was undertaken to find human studies reporting implant survival in subjects treated with osseointegrated dental implants who were diagnosed with at least one of 12 systemic diseases. RESULTS For most conditions, no studies comparing patients with and without the condition in a controlled setting were found. For most systemic diseases there are only case reports or case series demonstrating that implant placement, integration, and function are possible in affected patients. For diabetes, heterogeneity of the material and the method of reporting data precluded a formal meta-analysis. No unequivocal tendency for subjects with diabetes to have higher failure rates emerged. The data from papers reporting on osteoporotic patients were also heterogeneous. The evidence for an association between osteoporosis and implant failure was low. Nevertheless, some reports now tend to focus on the medication used in osteoporotic patients, with oral bisphosphonates considered a potential risk factor for osteonecrosis of the jaws, rather than osteoporosis as a risk factor for implant success and survival on its own. CONCLUSIONS The level of evidence indicative of absolute and relative contraindications for implant therapy due to systemic diseases is low. Studies comparing patients with and without the condition in a controlled setting are sparse. Especially for patients with manifest osteoporosis under an oral regime of bisphosphonates, prospective controlled studies are urgently needed.
Classification of EEG-based Effective Brain Connectivity in Schizophrenia using Deep Neural Networks

Disrupted functional connectivity patterns have been increasingly used as features in pattern recognition algorithms to discriminate neuropsychiatric patients from healthy subjects. Deep neural networks (DNNs) were employed to fMRI functional network classification only very recently and its application to EEG-based connectome is largely unexplored. We propose a DNN with deep belief network (DBN) architecture for automated classification of schizophrenia (SZ) based on EEG effective connectivity. We used vector-autoregression-based directed connectivity (DC), graph-theoretical complex network (CN) measures and combination of both as input features. On a large resting-state EEG dataset, we found a significant decrease in synchronization of neural oscillations measured by partial directed coherence, and a reduced network integration in terms of weighted degrees and transitivity in SZ compared to healthy controls. The proposed DNN-DBN significantly outperforms three other traditional classifiers, due to its inherent capability as feature extractor to learn hierarchical representations from the aberrant brain network structure. Combined DC-CN features gives further improvement over the raw DC and CN features alone, achieving remarkable classification accuracy of 95% for the theta and beta bands.
Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Blunt Pancreatic Trauma in Children: A Systematic Review

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare operative versus nonoperative management of blunt pancreatic trauma in children. A systematic literature search was performed. Studies including children with blunt pancreatic injuries classified according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma classification were included. The primary outcome was pseudocyst formation. After screening 526 studies, 23 studies with 928 patients were included. Sufficient data were available for 674 patients (73%). Of 309 patients with grade I or II injuries, 258 (83%) were initially managed nonoperatively with a 96% success rate. Of 365 patients with grade III, IV, or V injuries, nonoperative management was initially chosen for 167 patients (46%) with an 89% success rate. Pseudocysts occurred in 18% of patients managed nonoperatively versus 4% of patients managed operatively (P < 0.01), of whom 65% were treated nonoperatively. Hospitalization was 20.5 days after nonoperative versus 15.1 days after operative management (nonparametric t test, P = 0.41). Blunt pancreatic trauma in children can be managed nonoperatively in the majority of patients with grade I or II injuries and in about half of the patients with grade III to V injuries. Although pseudocysts are more common after nonoperative management, two thirds can be managed nonoperatively.
Correlates of mental health among Latino farmworkers in North Carolina.

PURPOSE Latino farmworkers are a vulnerable population who confront multiple threats to their mental health. Informed by the stress-process model of psychiatric disorder, the goal of this paper is to determine primary and context-specific stressors of poor mental health among Latino farmworkers. METHODS Structured interview data were obtained from farmworkers (N = 69) in 6 counties in eastern and western North Carolina. FINDINGS Results indicated that a substantial number of farmworkers have poor mental health, as indicated by elevated depressive symptoms (52.2%) and anxiety (16.4%). Results also indicated that each mental health outcome had different predictors. CONCLUSION Addressing the mental health issues of farmworkers requires a comprehensive, multifaceted approach.
Effect of Acculturation on Objective Measures of Oral Health in Haitian Immigrants in New York City

Acculturation is a complex phenomenon that can serve as a proxy for cultural norms and behaviors affecting care-seeking, prevention behaviors, and, ultimately, health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of acculturation on the oral health of Haitian immigrants in New York City. We hypothesized that acculturation would be a predictor of the oral health status of the participating individuals. An acculturation scale was specifically developed and validated for this study. A sample of 425 adult Haitian immigrants living in NYC was obtained through outreach activities. Oral health examinations were conducted, and a questionnaire was administered to the participants. After adjustment for age, sex, education, income, and marital status, acculturation was negatively associated with measures of decayed teeth, periodontal attachment loss of ≥ 4 mm, and the number of missing teeth. Results suggest a positive impact of acculturation on the oral health status of these individuals.
Adaptive Cooperative Diving of Saucer-Type Underwater Gliders Subject to Model Uncertainties and Input Constraints

This paper is concerned with the cooperative diving problem of homogenous under-actuated saucer-type autonomous underwater gliders subject to model uncertainties, input constraints as well as external disturbances. A modular back-stepping design method is used to design a robust adaptive cooperative diving controller for each glider. Especially, a kinematic control law is at first designed by employing a line-of-sight guidance principle, and a path variable update law is developed based on a synchronization strategy. Next, in order to identify the unknown dynamics of gliders, an estimation model is constructed by using a fuzzy approximation technique and a low-frequency learning scheme. Finally, it is proved that the closed-loop system is input-to-state stable by using a cascade stability analysis. The simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for cooperative diving of autonomous underwater gliders in a vertical plane.
Objective levodopa response in Parkinson's disease: A study within the medical consultation using an RGB-D camera (Kinect®)

Background: Since 1988, one of the most relevant criteria that support diagnosis of Parkinson Disease (PD) is the response to levodopa. Levodopa effect is evaluated using clinical scales such (MDS-UPDRS). Although this approach is informative its assessment is highly subjective. Objectives: quantify the motor response to levodopa in patients with Parkinson's disease using a portable and inexpensive RGB-D camera (Kinect) Methods: 11 PD patients were included. Descriptive analysis were used for clinical variables. Spearman´s rank correlation was used to correlate the age and the gait variables. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used for the gait variables comparison between ON and OFF states. Results: In ON state PD patients showed increments in global speed [p=0.007], ankle speed [p<0.001], ankle stride length [p=0.001], arm swing speed [p=0.008], and arm swing magnitude [p=0.014], these results slightly changed when the sample was analyzed taking into account the individual behavior of each limb. In comparison with the upper limbs, levodopa response was more uniform in the lower limbs. Conclusion: As expected, in ON state PD patients improve their speed and their limbs range of movement during gait. Levodopa response can be measured within the medical consultation using a RGB-D camera.
Remove Diverse Artifacts Simultaneously From a Single-Channel EEG Based on SSA and ICA: A Semi-Simulated Study

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are often contaminated with diverse artifacts, such as electromyogram (EMG), electrooculogram (EOG), and electrocardiogram (ECG) artifacts. These artifacts make subsequent EEG analysis inaccurate and prevent practical usage. Recently, the use of wearable EEG devices in ambulatory systems has been developed. For practical reasons, these systems usually contain a single EEG channel. Several studies have proposed to combine single-channel decomposition methods with blind source separation (BSS) methods to denoise the single-channel EEG. However, the existing methods have their own limitations since most of them only focus on removing one single kind of artifacts. Unfortunately, the EEG is prone to be contaminated by various kinds of artifacts simultaneously. Yet to our knowledge, there are no existing methods to remove diverse artifacts simultaneously from the single-channel EEG. To address this issue, we propose an effective method to remove diverse artifacts simultaneously for the single-channel EEG case. This method is a combination of singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and second-order blind identification (SOBI) method. We conduct a semi-simulated study to investigate all possible cases of the single-channel EEG been contaminated by EMG, EOG, and ECG artifacts. The results show that the proposed method can successfully remove diverse artifacts from the single-channel EEG. It is a promising tool for biomedical signal processing applications.
The effects of ocean sounds on sleep after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of ocean sounds (white noise) on the night sleep pattern of postoperative coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients after transfer from an intensive care unit. DESIGN A before and after trial with an experimental and a control group was used in this intervention study. SETTING A large public hospital with primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities. PATIENTS A consecutive sample of 60 first-time CABG patients was systematically assigned to the experimental or the control group. INTERVENTION For the experimental group, the sounds were played on the Marsona Sound Conditioner (Marpac Corporation, Wilmington, NC) for three consecutive nights posttransfer from the ICU. No control of environment, except for the elimination of white noise, was done for the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, a visual analog scale, provided self-reported sleep scores on six variables. Analysis of covariance was used to test the difference between the posttest scores of the groups, with the pretest used as the covariate. RESULTS There were significant differences in sleep depth, awakening, return to sleep, quality of sleep, and total sleep scores; the group receiving ocean sounds reported higher scores, indicating better sleep. There was no difference in the falling asleep scores. CONCLUSION The use of ocean sounds is a viable intervention to foster optimal sleep patterns in postoperative CABG patients after transfer from the ICU.
Design of a Neural Network-Based VCO With High Linearity and Wide Tuning Range

In this paper, a 2 GHz LC-VCO with neural network (Multilayer Perceptron) has been designed in a 0.13 ţm CMOS technology. With the integrated neural network, the linearity and tuning range of the LC-VCO has been substantially improved. Compared to a conventional VCO design, the proposed technique can improve the linearity by selecting optimized bias voltages obtained from the output of the neuron network. The result shows that the tuning nonlinearity of the proposed VCO is further optimized from 0.335% to 0.254%.
Time Dependent Morphological Evolution of Hydrothermally Derived MnO2 Nanostructures and Corresponding Methanol Vapor Sensing Performance

In this paper, different MnO2 nanostructures were grown employing hydrothermal route by varying the deposition time and corresponding alcohol vapor sensing performance were duly performed. Four types of hierarchical MnO2 nanostructures, viz. three-dimensional (3-D) nanoflowers (comprising of 2-D nanosheets), 3-D nanoflowers (comprising of a combination of 1-D nanorods and 2-D nanosheets), 3-D nanourchin (comprising of 1-D nanorods), and 3-D nanourchin (comprising of 1-D nanotubes) were grown for the deposition time of 3h, 6h, 9h, and 12h, respectively. The nanoforms were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. These nanostructures were employed as the sensing layer for detecting alcohol vapors, as the test species, in the concentration range of 10–400 ppm. The best sensing performance was offered by the fourth one, due to the synergistic hybridization of 1-D nanotubes which are distributed over 3-D space, facilitating the target species adsorption and diffusion in all possible directions and enabling the interaction of the same with both the inner and the outer wall of the tubes. On the contrary, the mixed nanoheterostructure offered the best response magnitude with relatively poor transient kinetics than that of nanotubes based nanourchin structure.