Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence and Clinical Features of Autoimmune Hepatitis in the Province of Santa Fe (Argentina)

Objetives: The aim of the study is to investigate the incidence and clinical features of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in children from the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, for 10 years. Methods: From the records of all of the pediatric hepatologists in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, we reviewed the clinical charts of patients <18 years who were diagnosed with AIH (simplified score >6 points) and followed between January 2003 and December 2013. Population data were extracted from the 2010 national census. Values were expressed as percentages and median ± interquartile range. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between the groups. Results: Sixty-seven patients fulfilled inclusion criteria, from which 11 (16%) were later reclassified as having “autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis” according to biochemical, histological, and radiological findings. A final sample of 56 patients (39 F) with AIH was analyzed, giving an annual incidence of 0.56/100,000. Median age at presentation was 8 (5.7–11) years, and the median follow-up was 4 (2–7) years. Type 1 AIH was diagnosed in 89%. An acute presentation was observed in 53%, while 13 (23%) showed cirrhosis on initial biopsy. Prednisone (87%) and azathioprine (60%) were the most common drugs prescribed. At the end of follow-up, 53/56 (95%) were alive, including 4 patients (7%) who underwent liver transplantation. Conclusions: AIH has an estimated incidence of 0.56/100,000 per year in children from the province of Santa Fe (Argentina). Overall survival rate was 95%. A subgroup of patients diagnosed as AIH develops predominant biliary disease and should be better classified as autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis.
Compressed Sensing Using Binary Matrices of Nearly Optimal Dimensions

In this paper, we study the problem of compressed sensing using binary measurement matrices and $\ell _1$-norm minimization (basis pursuit) as the recovery algorithm. We derive new upper and lower bounds on the number of measurements to achieve robust sparse recovery with binary matrices. We establish sufficient conditions for a column-regular binary matrix to satisfy the robust null space property (RNSP) and show that the associated sufficient conditions for robust sparse recovery obtained using the RNSP are better by a factor of $(3 \sqrt{3})/2 \approx 2.6$ compared to the sufficient conditions obtained using the restricted isometry property (RIP). Next we derive universal lower bounds on the number of measurements that any binary matrix needs to have in order to satisfy the weaker sufficient condition based on the RNSP and show that bipartite graphs of girth six are optimal. Then we display two classes of binary matrices, namely parity check matrices of array codes and Euler squares, which have girth six and are nearly optimal in the sense of almost satisfying the lower bound. In principle, randomly generated Gaussian measurement matrices are “order-optimal. ” So we compare the phase transition behavior of the basis pursuit formulation using binary array codes and Gaussian matrices and show that (i) there is essentially no difference between the phase transition boundaries in the two cases and (ii) the CPU time of basis pursuit with binary matrices is hundreds of times faster than with Gaussian matrices and the storage requirements are less. Therefore it is suggested that binary matrices are a viable alternative to Gaussian matrices for compressed sensing using basis pursuit.
The relationship between moral injury appraisals, trauma exposure, and mental health in refugees

Refugees are often exposed to multiple traumatic experiences, leading to elevated rates of psychological disorders. There is emerging evidence that appraisals of traumatic events as violating deeply held moral beliefs and frameworks (i.e., moral injury) impact negatively on refugee mental health. Despite this, no research has systematically investigated moral injury appraisals in refugees.
Does Hamiltonian Monte Carlo mix faster than a random walk on multimodal densities?

Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) is a very popular and generic collection of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms. One explanation for the popularity of HMC algorithms is their excellent performance as the dimension $d$ of the target becomes large: under conditions that are satisfied for many common statistical models, optimally-tuned HMC algorithms have a running time that scales like $d^{0.25}$. In stark contrast, the running time of the usual Random-Walk Metropolis (RWM) algorithm, optimally tuned, scales like $d$. This superior scaling of the HMC algorithm with dimension is attributed to the fact that it, unlike RWM, incorporates the gradient information in the proposal distribution. In this paper, we investigate a different scaling question: does HMC beat RWM for highly $\textit{multimodal}$ targets? We find that the answer is often $\textit{no}$. We compute the spectral gaps for both the algorithms for a specific class of multimodal target densities, and show that they are identical. The key reason is that, within one mode, the gradient is effectively ignorant about other modes, thus negating the advantage the HMC algorithm enjoys in unimodal targets. We also give heuristic arguments suggesting that the above observation may hold quite generally. Our main tool for answering this question is a novel simple formula for the conductance of HMC using Liouville's theorem. This result allows us to compute the spectral gap of HMC algorithms, for both the classical HMC with isotropic momentum and the recent Riemannian HMC, for multimodal targets.
Do games make a difference in the crowdsourcing of mobile content?

The layering of games over crowdsourcing tasks has increasingly become a viable approach to motivate participation in crowdsourcing projects. A crowdsourcing game utilizes entertainment to generate useful outputs as byproducts of gameplay. Since crowdsourcing relies on individuals' participation, understanding actual contribution patterns is an important area of research. However, this phenomenon has yet to be adequately investigated. In this paper, we build on our prior research to attempt to answer the question of whether a non‐game‐based mobile app for the crowdsourcing of location‐based content would yield different types of contributions when compared against a game‐based app. Our content analysis of 2,386 contributions in both apps reveals nine categories, divided into (1) those that provide information for navigational purposes or for others to learn about a specific place and (2) those that were meant for personal expressions related to the content creator or those around him/her with the location as a backdrop. The distribution of categories varied between the apps, indicating that the features afforded by the game shaped behavior differently from the non‐game‐based approach to crowdsourcing. Analysis of the contributions also suggests that the game‐based app produced much higher informational content than the non‐game‐based one.
Sentinel-MSI VNIR and SWIR Bands Sensitivity Analysis for Soil Salinity Discrimination in an Arid Landscape

Depending on the band position on the electromagnetic spectrum, optical and electronic characteristics, sensors collect the reflected energy by the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. Currently, the availability of the new generation of medium resolution, such as the Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) on board the Sentinel-2 satellite, offers new opportunities for long-term high-temporal frequency for Earth’s surfaces observation and monitoring. This paper focuses on the analysis and the comparison of the visible, the near-infrared (VNIR), and the shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectral bands of the MSI for soil salinity discrimination in an arid landscape. To achieve these, a field campaign was organized, and 160 soil samples were collected with various degrees of soil salinity, including non-saline soil samples. The bidirectional reflectance factor was measured above each soil sample in a goniometric laboratory using an ASD (Analytical Spectral Devices) spectroradiometer. In the laboratory work, pHs, electrical conductivity (EC-Lab), and the major soluble cations (Na+, K+, Ca2++, and Mg2+) and anions (CO32−, HCO3−, Cl−, and SO42−) were measured using extraction from a saturated soil paste, and the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) was calculated using a standard procedure. These parameters, in addition to the field observations, were used to interpret and investigate the spectroradiometric measurements and their relevant transformations using the continuum removed reflectance spectrum (CRRS) and the first derivative (FD). Moreover, the acquired spectra over all the soil samples were resampled and convolved in the solar-reflective spectral bands using the Canadian Modified Herman transfer radiative code (CAM5S) and the relative spectral response profiles characterizing the Sentinel-MSI band filters. The statistical analyses conducted were based on the second-order polynomial regression (p < 0.05) between the measured EC-Lab and the reflectances in the MSI convolved spectral bands. The results obtained indicate the limitation of VNIR bands and the potential of SWIR domain for soil salinity classes’ discrimination. The CRRS and the FD analyses highlighted a serious spectral-signal confusion between the salt and the soil optical properties (i.e., color and brightness) in the VNIR bands. Likewise, the results stressed the independence of the SWIR domain vis-a-vis these soil artifacts and its capability to differentiate significantly among several soil salinity classes. Moreover, the statistical fit between each MSI individual spectral band and EC-Lab corroborates this trend, which revealed that only the SWIR bands were correlated significantly (R2 of 50% and 64%, for SWIR-1 and SWIR-2, respectively), while the R2 between the VNIR bands and EC-Lab remains less than 9%. According to the convergence of these four independent analysis methods, it is concluded that the Sentinel-MSI SWIR bands are excellent candidates for an integration in soil salinity modeling and monitoring at local, regional, and global scales.
P2X7 as a scavenger receptor for innate phagocytosis in the brain

The P2X7 receptor has been widely studied for its ATP‐induced pro‐inflammatory effect, but in the absence of a ligand, P2X7 has a second function as a scavenger receptor, which is active in the development of the human brain. The scavenger activity of P2X7 is only evident in the absence of serum but is fully active in cerebrospinal fluid. P2X7 on the cell surface is present as a membrane complex, and an attachment to non‐muscle myosin of the cytoskeleton is required for particle engulfment. Selective antagonists of P2X7 pro‐inflammatory function have little effect on phagocytosis, but inheritance of a variant haplotype spanning the P2RX7 and P2RX4 genes has been associated with loss of P2X7‐mediated phagocytosis. Recent studies in mice suggest that the innate phagocytosis mediated by P2X7 receptors declines with ageing. Thus, defective P2X7‐mediated phagocytosis may contribute to age‐related neuro‐degenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, age‐related macular degeneration and primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
Life Science Majors’ Math-Biology Task Values Relate to Student Characteristics and Predict the Likelihood of Taking Quantitative Biology Courses †

Expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation predicts that students’ task values, which include their interest in and enjoyment of a task, their perceptions of the usefulness of a task (utility value), and their perceptions of the costs of engaging in the task (e.g., extra effort, anxiety), influence their achievement and academic-related choices. Further, these task values are theorized to be informed by students’ sociocultural background. Although biology students are often considered to be math-averse, there is little empirical evidence of students’ values of mathematics in the context of biology (math-biology task values). To fill this gap in knowledge, we sought to determine 1) life science majors’ math-biology task values, 2) how math-biology task values differ according to students’ sociocultural background, and 3) whether math-biology task values predict students’ likelihood of taking quantitative biology courses. We surveyed life science majors about their likelihood of choosing to take quantitative biology courses and their interest in using mathematics to understand biology, the utility value of mathematics for their life science career, and the cost of doing mathematics in biology courses. Students on average reported some cost associated with doing mathematics in biology; however, they also reported high utility value and were more interested in using mathematics to understand biology than previously believed. Women and first-generation students reported more negative math-biology task values than men and continuing-generation students. Finally, students’ math-biology task values predicted their likelihood of taking biomodeling and biostatistics courses. Instructional strategies promoting positive math-biology task values could be particularly beneficial for women and first-generation students, increasing the likelihood that students would choose to take advanced quantitative biology courses.
Determining subject-specific lower-limb muscle architecture data for musculoskeletal models using diffusion tensor MRI.

Accurate individualized muscle architecture data is crucial for generating subject-specific musculoskeletal models to investigate movement and dynamic muscle function. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (DTI) has emerged as a promising method of gathering muscle architecture data in vivo, however its accuracy in estimating parameters such as muscle fiber lengths for creating subject-specific musculoskeletal models has not been tested. Here we provide a validation of the method of using anatomical MRI and DTI to gather muscle architecture data in vivo, by directly comparing those data obtained from MR scans of 3 human cadaveric lower limbs to those from dissections. DTI was used to measure fiber lengths and pennation angles, while the anatomical images were used to estimate muscle mass, which were used to calculate physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). The same data were then obtained through dissections, where it was found that on average muscle masses and fiber lengths matched well between the two methods (4% and 1% differences respectively), while PCSA values had slightly larger differences (6%). Overall, these results suggest that DTI is a promising technique to gather in vivo muscle architecture data, but further refinement and complementary imaging techniques may be needed to realize these goals.
Reliability and Use of Copenhagen Burnout Inventory in Italian Sample of University Professors

Academics often have to face with burnout syndrome at work. This cross-sectional study evaluates the reliability of the Italian version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) in a sample of Academics of Sapienza University of Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, through an online questionnaire composed of the CBI, SF12 Health Survey, and Positivity Scale. Univariate, bivariate, multivariate analyses, and Cronbach α coefficients of CBI were performed. Ninety-five participants completed the questionnaire (response rate 85%). Cronbach’s α of the three domains were high (0.892, 0.868, and 0.836). Women, younger and part time professors reported higher score in personal (p = 0.025; 0.060) and work burnout. In multivariate analysis decreasing age (β = −0.263; p = 0.001); being a professor in environmental technicians (β = −0.120; p = 0.098); and low mental (β = −0.263; p = 0.020), physical (β = −0.319; p ≤ 0.001) and positivity scores (β = −0.237; p = 0.031) predict significantly higher personal burnout. Low physical (β = −0.346; p < 0.001) and mental (β = − 0.249; p = 0.013) positivity (β = −0.345; p = 0.001) scores; fewer years of work (β = −0.269; p ≤ 0.001); and being a medical or nursing professor (β = 0.169; p = 0.016) predicts high work burnout. Low MCS predicts a high level of student burnout. Results suggest that the Italian version of the CBI is a reliable instrument. Further research should focus on the prevalence of burnout in academics.
Understanding and modeling behavior patterns in cross‐device web search

Recent studies have witnessed an increasing popularity of cross‐device web search, in which a user resumes a previously started search task from one device to a later session on another. The complexity of this novel search mode, mainly due to the involvement of interruptions and multiple devices, makes users conduct new types of search behaviors and adopt novel search patterns. Though past research has studied this new search mode, there still lacks a sufficient understanding of cross‐device search behaviors. To better understand users' behavioral patterns, we adopted hidden Markov model (HMM) to model observed cross‐device search behaviors and their underlying search pat‐ terns under the same framework. HMM is a widely adopted machine learning technique with the main assumption that observations (e.g., observed search behaviors) are driven by hidden variables (e.g., hidden behavioral patterns). Utilizing the data collected from a user study consisting of two types of cross‐session search conditions – mobile‐to‐desktop (M‐D) and desktop‐to‐desktop (D‐D) – we demonstrate the validity of using HMM for modeling and identifying hidden behavioral patterns, and based on the identified patterns, we discover that re‐finding is a common pattern at the beginning of the continued search session, and querying, exploitation and exploration contribute to the dominated behaviors in later search stages. Our results also show clear device effects on cross‐device search (M‐D) vs cross‐session search (D‐D). All these evidences confirm that better support mechanisms are in critical need for a cross‐device search and the HMM‐ based modeling can help.
Male partners of young women in Uganda: Understanding their relationships and use of HIV testing

Background Substantial concern exists about the high risk of sexually transmitted HIV to adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, ages 15–24) in Eastern and Southern Africa. Yet limited research has been conducted with AGYW’s male sexual partners regarding their perspectives on relationships and strategies for mitigating HIV risk. We sought to fill this gap in order to inform the DREAMS Partnership and similar HIV prevention programs in Uganda. Methods We conducted 94 in-depth interviews, from April-June 2017, with male partners of AGYW in three districts: Gulu, Mukono, and Sembabule. Men were recruited at community venues identified as potential transmission areas, and via female partners enrolled in DREAMS. Analyses focused on men’s current and recent partnerships and HIV service use. Results Most respondents (80%) were married and 28 years old on average. Men saw partner concurrency as pervasive, and half described their own current multiple partners. Having married in their early 20s, over time most men continued to seek out AGYW as new partners, regardless of their own age. Relationships were highly fluid, with casual short-term partnerships becoming more formalized, and more formalized partnerships characterized by periods of separation and outside partnerships. Nearly all men reported recent HIV testing and described testing at distinct relationship points (e.g., when deciding to continue a relationship/get married, or when reuniting with a partner after a separation). Testing often stemmed from distrust of partner behavior, and an HIV-negative status served to validate respondents’ current relationship practices. Conclusions Across the three regions in Uganda, findings with partners of AGYW confirm earlier reports in Uganda of multiple concurrent partnerships, and demonstrate substantial HIV testing. Yet they also unearth the degree to which these partnerships are fluid (switching between casual and/or more long-term partnerships), which complicates potential HIV prevention strategies. Context-specific findings around these partnerships and risk are critical to further tailor HIV prevention programs.
Relative survival in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia

Introduction The understanding of survival in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) is limited, as well as the impact of these diagnoses in an ageing co-morbid population. Methods A retrospective study of 177 patients who received a DLB or PDD diagnosis between 1997–2014 at the Memory Clinic in Malmö, Sweden. Relative survival was evaluated by adjusting all-cause survival for expected survival, estimated from population life-tables, matched by sex, age and calendar year. Predictors of relative survival were investigated using multivariate regression modelling. Results At follow-up, 143 (81%) patients were deceased with a median survival of 4.1 years (IQR 2.6–6.0). After 10-years follow-up, the standardized mortality ratio was 3.44 (95% CI 2.92–4.04). Relative survival was worse with younger age at diagnosis (excess hazard ratio [eHR] 0.91, 95% CI 0.88–0.94 per year of age), female sex (eHR 1.45, 95% CI 1.01–2.09) and lower mini-mental state examination (eHR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90–0.96). Subgroup analysis (n = 141) showed higher mortality in DLB patients who were positive for APOE ɛ4 (eHR 2.00, 95% CI 1.35–2.97). Conclusion The mortality is over three-times higher in patients diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia during a ten-year follow-up, compared to persons in the general population. Excess mortality is found primarily in younger patients, females and carriers of APOE ε4. Further research is needed regarding survival and possible interventions, including disease-modifying treatments, to improve care for this patient group.
Arm Swinging vs Treadmill: A Comparison Between Two Techniques for Locomotion in Virtual Reality

When it comes to locomotion in Virtual Reality (VR), a wide range of different techniques has been proposed in the scientiﬁc literature or as commercial products. However, the best choice for a speciﬁc application is still not immediate, being each technique characterized by different advantages and drawbacks. The present work reports on the results of a user study-based comparison between two methods: a locomotion treadmill, which supports omni-directional movements through walking in place over a hardware device, and Arm Swinging, which recognizes movement from the swinging back and forth of the user’s arms (e.g., gathered by sensors embedded in hand controllers). Experiments have been carried out in a realistic immersive VR scenario, which requested users to respond to a ﬁre emergency in a road tunnel by moving and interacting with the environment. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS) : I.3. 6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques— Interaction techniques