Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive Analytics Machinery for STEM Student Success Studies

ABSTRACT Statistical predictive models play an important role in learning analytics. In this work, we seek to harness the power of predictive modeling methodology for the development of an analytics framework in STEM student success efficacy studies. We develop novel predictive analytics tools to provide stakeholders automated and timely information to assess student performance toward a student success outcome, and to inform pedagogical decisions or intervention strategies. In particular, we take advantage of the random forest machine learning algorithm, proposing a number of innovations to identify key input thresholds, quantify the impact of inputs on student success, evaluate student success at benchmarks in a program of study, and obtain a student success score. The proposed machinery can also tailor information for advisers to identify the risk levels of individual students in efforts to enhance STEM persistence and STEM graduation success. We additionally present our predictive analytics pipeline, motivated by and illustrated in a particular STEM student success study at San Diego State University. We highlight the process of designing, implementing, validating, and deploying analytical tools or dashboards, and emphasize the advantage of leveraging the utilities of both statistical analyses and business intelligence tools in order to maximize functionality and computational capacity.
Analysis of autoantibody profiles in two asbestiform fiber exposure cohorts

ABSTRACT An increased risk for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (SAID) was reported in the population of Libby, Montana, where extensive exposure to asbestiform amphiboles occurred through mining and use of asbestiform fiber-laden vermiculite. High frequencies of antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) were detected in individuals and mice exposed to Libby Asbestiform Amphiboles (LAA). Among the 6603 individuals who have undergone health screening at the Center for Asbestos Related Diseases (CARD, Libby MT), the frequencies of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, and systemic sclerosis are significantly higher than expected prevalence in the United States. While these data support the hypothesis that LAA can trigger autoimmune responses, evidence suggests that chrysotile asbestos does not. Serological testing was therefore performed in subjects exposed to LAA or predominantly chrysotile (New York steamfitters) using multiplexed array technologies. Analyses were performed in order to determine a) autoantibody profiles in each cohort, and b) whether the two populations could be distinguished through predictive modeling. Analysis using perMANOVA testing confirmed a significant difference between autoantibody profiles suggesting differential pathways leading to autoantibody formation. ANA were more frequent in the LAA cohort. Specific autoantibodies more highly expressed with LAA-exposure were to histone, ribosomal P protein, Sm/Ribonucleoproteins, and Jo-1 (histidyl tRNA synthetase). Myositis autoantibodies more highly expressed in the LAA cohort were Jo-1, PM100, NXP2, and Mi2a. Predictive modeling demonstrated that anti-histone antibodies were most predictive for LAA exposure, and anti-Sm was predictive for the steamfitters’ exposure. This emphasizes the need to consider fiber types when evaluating risk of SAID with asbestos exposure.
Occluding junctions as novel regulators of tissue mechanics during wound repair

In epithelial tissues, cells tightly connect to each other through cell–cell junctions, but they also present the remarkable capacity of reorganizing themselves without compromising tissue integrity. Upon injury, simple epithelia efficiently resolve small lesions through the action of actin cytoskeleton contractile structures at the wound edge and cellular rearrangements. However, the underlying mechanisms and how they cooperate are still poorly understood. In this study, we combine live imaging and theoretical modeling to reveal a novel and indispensable role for occluding junctions (OJs) in this process. We demonstrate that OJ loss of function leads to defects in wound-closure dynamics: instead of contracting, wounds dramatically increase their area. OJ mutants exhibit phenotypes in cell shape, cellular rearrangements, and mechanical properties as well as in actin cytoskeleton dynamics at the wound edge. We propose that OJs are essential for wound closure by impacting on epithelial mechanics at the tissue level, which in turn is crucial for correct regulation of the cellular events occurring at the wound edge.
Evaluating teaching effectiveness and teaching improvement: A language for institutional policies and academic development practices

Demands for institutional accountability in higher education have been increasing and have led to greater attention to the evaluation of teaching, the assumption being that improved teaching will result in enhanced learning. In our work as academic developers, we are increasingly helping academic managers make explicit teaching policies and practices that seem fair and equitable. To help us in this work, we have developed a framework for evaluating the practice of teaching. What is unique about this framework is the language it provides to differentiate aspects of teaching. For instance, it provides a basis for differentiating and linking criteria to standards, i.e. the level of achievement desired or expected. Standards are critical if the evaluation of teaching is to be seen as fair and equitable, yet they are often unexamined in other representations of the evaluation of teaching. Although the original intent of our efforts was to provide a framework for academic managers, we have come to find it useful in our own work as university teachers and as academic developers. Examples of all three uses are provided in the paper.
A time for everything and everything in its time – exploring the mechanisms underlying seasonality of COPD exacerbations

Across Europe, COPD affects 23 million people leading to annual health care costs of ~€25.1 billion. This burden is particularly severe during winter months in association with the peak incidence of exacerbation events. Seasonal variation in the health status of patients with COPD places additional and often critical pressure on already strained health care resources. COPD exacerbations are characterized by worsening day-to-day symptoms of an individual and often triggered by respiratory infections, but the process by which this occurs in a seasonal fashion is likely to be multifactorial. In this review, we discuss recent population studies that highlight the impact of seasonality in COPD and review the proposed biological mechanisms underlying this. An appraisal of the role of the host susceptibility and response, environmental triggers and the biology of respiratory pathogens is detailed. The impact of each aspect is considered, and an integrated model of the context for the whole individual and society in general is explored.
Adaptive Nonsingular Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Disturbance Observer

To shorten the response time of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) control system, improve the robustness of the system, and avoid the influence of system structure and parameters on the control effect, an adaptive non-singular fast terminal sliding mode control scheme based on disturbance observer (DOBANFTSMC) is proposed. Firstly, a nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode surface is used to design the sliding mode controller. Secondly, the disturbance observer is used to compensating for the unknown model of the system, so that the controller design does not need to know the structure and parameters of the system. At the same time, considering the unknown estimation error bounds of the observer, an adaptive law is designed in the controller to adjust the unknown estimation. The stability of the system is proved by the Lyapunov principle. Finally, the simulation and experimental results show that this method can track the load torque quickly, and the system has the advantages of small overshoot, small static error, fast speed, and high robustness.
Prevalence of ocular morbidity among children aged 17 years or younger in the eastern India

Purpose Childhood ocular morbidity involves a spectrum of eye diseases that critically impact the mental development, future education and quality of life. However, there is limited evidence about the early detection and appropriate treatment of ocular morbidity in children <20 years. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and make a comparison between the different types of ocular morbidity in children of both sexes in the age group of 6–17 years in the eastern India. Methods A cross-sectional survey of ocular morbidity among children <17 years of age who presented at the Department of Ophthalmology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, and Vision Care Center for Retina, Bhubaneswar, in the eastern India between January 2015 and March 2018 was accomplished. Demographic information, visual acuity, type of eye injury, refractive errors and other detailed ophthalmic examination were screened. Results A total of 633 children (age 6–17 years) were examined in this study. The majority of cases were observed in children of age 12–17 years, accounting for almost close to half of all the cases. The prevalence of ocular morbidity was 45.92% in males and 53.97% in females. The most common ocular morbidity in children encountered was refractive error (54.62%), followed by congenital abnormalities (9%), allergic conjunctivitis (8.52%) and traumatic eye injury (7.1%). There was an increase in ocular morbidity with age, especially the refractive error and congenital abnormalities. Conclusion A large number of ocular morbidity was observed in children of age <17 years. Since most of this morbidity was preventable or treatable, reasonable service for ocular morbidity and early age screening are effective methods to reduce this load. Moreover, health education for the prevention of childhood ocular morbidity and, at the same time, early presentation of children to ophthalmic hospitals for the treatment of eye disorders are essential.
Propranolol for the treatment of vascular sarcomas

Vascular sarcomas are abnormal proliferations of endothelial cells. They range from benign hemangioma to aggressive angiosarcoma, and are characterized by dysregulated angiogenic signaling. Propranolol is a β-adrenergic receptor inhibitor that has demonstrated clinical efficacy in benign infantile hemangioma, and is now being used experimentally for more aggressive vascular sarcomas and other cancers. In this review, we discuss the use of propranolol in targeting these receptors in vascular tumors and other cancers.
Toxicity and Efficacy of Sequential Chemotherapy in Patients with p-stage I Non-small Cell Lung Cancer that Recurring during Postoperative Tegafur-Uracil Adjuvant Chemotherapy

Abstract It is not clear whether sequential chemotherapy can be performed immediately in patients with p-stage I non-small cell lung cancer recurring during a 2-year period of daily oral administration with tegafur-uracil (UFT) as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients receiving chemotherapy within 1 month after the discontinuation of UFT (n = 10) (five cases with aggressive recurrent tumors) had the increased risk of grade 4 neutropenia, but the overall survival was not inferior to that in patients who received chemotherapy beginning more than 1 month (n = 11). We could perform sequential chemotherapy immediately while paying attention to grade 4 neutropenia.
Visual evoked potential repeatability using the Diopsys NOVA LX fixed protocol in normal older adults

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intrasession and intersession repeatability of visual evoked potentials in normal adults over 40 years of age as recorded using the Diopsys NOVA LX fixed protocol. Methods Inclusion criteria were adults aged over 40 years with best corrected distance acuity of 20/40 or better in each eye. Subjects underwent three consecutive visual evoked potential examinations using the Diopsys NOVA LX fixed protocol. All examination procedures were carried out in accordance with the manufacturer recommendations. To assess intersession repeatability, nine subjects returned in 2–6 weeks for repeat examination. Results A total of 46 subjects were recruited. Mean ± SD age: 53±9 years (range: 40–84 years); 69% of subjects were female and 80% were non-white. Coefficients of variation (CVs) and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) revealed greater repeatability for P100 latency (CV: 3%–7%; ICC: 0.39–0.76) than for P100 amplitude (CV: 21%–33%; ICC: 0.34–0.69) and greater repeatability for recordings made with high contrast stimuli (amplitude CV: 21%–23%; latency CV: 3%–7%) than low contrast stimuli (amplitude CV: 24%–33%; latency CV: 6%–7%). Minimum detectable change values ranged between 4.50 and 9.95 µv for amplitude and 8.16–15.26 ms for latency. Repeatability was not influenced by age, sex, or race. Conclusion The Diopsys NOVA LX fixed protocol demonstrated clinically acceptable intrasession and intersession repeatability in these healthy older adults, with latency being more repeatable than amplitude and examinations employing high contrast stimuli being more repeatable than those using low contrast stimuli.
Neuropsychological and Criminological Features of Female Homicide Offenders

Few studies have examined life history and cognitive characteristics unique to female homicide offenders. Understanding these characteristics could aid in risk assessment for extreme violence in this group of offenders. The current study utilized t‐tests or chi‐square tests to compare 27 female and 81 male homicide offenders on psychiatric, neurologic, criminal, and cognitive characteristics. Additionally, we explored the role of abuse history in female offenders through Kruskal–Wallis or Fisher's exact tests. Results indicate that in comparison with male counterparts, females are more likely to have history of mood disorder, borderline personality disorder, and abuse. Cognitively, female homicide offenders exhibit circumscribed cognitive impairment in verbal abilities and perform similarly to male homicide offenders across most cognitive tasks. Within the female offender group, history of sexual abuse is associated with higher rates of impulsive homicide and poorer verbal abilities. These findings provide preliminary evidence for distinct factors associated with homicide in women.
Prevalence of smoking in a psychiatric hospital and its relationship with respiratory symptoms and the prevalence of COPD

Purpose Psychiatric patients present an elevated rate of smoking, and the smoking habit is related to a high morbidity and mortality in this collective. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of smoking in patients admitted for psychiatric disorders and its relationship with respiratory disease, the prevalence of COPD, and alterations in the quality of life. Patients and methods A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted and detailed information on smoking and respiratory symptomatology was obtained. The study participants underwent the following tests: spirometry with bronchodilator test, Fagerström test, determination of physical activity using the LCADL questionnaire, and evaluation of quality of life with the EuroQoL-5 Dimensions EQ-5D questionnaire. Results Two hundred seventy-six patients (mean age 56.8 years) were included: 155 with schizophrenia (87.7% smokers), 46 with depressive or anxiety disorders (54.3% smokers), and 49 and 25 with intellectual disability and dementia (43.2% smokers), respectively. The mean Fagerström test score was 5.75 points. Smokers presented with cough (47.6%), expectoration (41.4%), and chronic bronchitis (36.6%). The prevalence of COPD in the total population was 28.9%. The EQ-5D and LCADL scores were better in smokers because of their younger age and lesser psychiatric involvement. A high prevalence of smoking was observed in the psychiatric population studied, and 28.9% were diagnosed with COPD. Conclusion Smokers presented many more respiratory symptoms and chronic bronchitis but did not present a worse quality of life or physical activity due to their younger age and milder psychiatric involvement.
A Hybrid Global Maximum Power Point Tracking Technique With Fast Convergence Speed for Partial-Shaded PV Systems

Photovoltaic (PV) systems exhibit multiple local and one global maximum power points (MPPs) in their P –V and I–V curves during partial shading conditions (PSC). Thus, to improve the efficiency of the system, a global maximum power point tracking (GMPPT) algorithm is necessary. This paper presents a hybrid GMPPT algorithm for constant voltage load applications using a single current sensor. The proposed method combines single current sensor hill climbing (SSHC) and artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithms to track the GMPP. The SSHC algorithm detects the event of PSC and tracks the MPP during uniform insolation conditions. The output current of the power electronic interface is measured effectively at selective duty cycles to identify the type of P–V curve pattern and, thus, initiate either SSHC or ABC. The search space for the ABC algorithm is reduced in the proposed technique to improve the convergence speed. The proposed GMPPT technique is simulated in MATLAB and validated through experimental prototypes for various PSCs. The proposed algorithm tracks the GMPP with excellent efficiency and fast speed.
Important soft skills to be integrated in the teaching of technical courses: Views of lecturers versus students

Institutions of higher education have been pressed by industry practitioners to produce quality graduates who are ready to compete in competitive job market locally and globally. Graduates, especially in the technical field are perceived as being strong in their technical skills but are lacking in non-technical or soft skills that would enable them to use their technical skills most effectively. Thus, it is vital to integrate the soft skills in the teaching and learning process especially in the realm of engineering in order to further enhance the students' ability in non-technical skills. This empirical study attempts to find out on the views of lecturers versus the engineering students on integration of important soft skills in the teaching of technical courses. The study was based on quantitative method, utilizing two sets of self-developed questionnaire survey. Perspectives from both the lecturers and final year students were sought. The findings pointed out that on the views of lecturers and students regarding the integration of soft skills in the teaching of technical courses were similar on Critical Thinking and Problem Solving skills, and Communication Skills, but significantly different on Team Work and Leadership skills. The implications of the findings are further discussed.
The cellular clearance theory does not explain the post-dialytic small molecule rebound.

AIM (a) To determine the normalized cellular clearance (Kcn) of urea, creatinine and phosphate in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis; (b) To identify the factors, particularly circulatory, which determine Kcn; (c) To evaluate whether intra-dialytic blood sampling can predict the size of the post-dialytic solute concentration rebound. METHODS Kinetic modelling of urea, creatinine and phosphate, using a two-pool variable volume computer simulation, was performed on two occasions on 34 patients undergoing maintenance dialysis. The cellular clearance was determined (a) from the size of the rebound 50 min after the end of dialysis; (b) from a mid-dialytic blood sample. Conventional two-dimensional M-mode echocardiography and Doppler peripheral blood pressure measurement were performed. RESULTS The model produced accurate measurements of rebound Kc for urea in 93% of measurements, creatinine in 49% and phosphate in 13%. The corresponding figures for mid-dialysis Kcn were 76%, 39% and 0%. The rebound Kcn was, for urea, 8.31 +/- 4.31 ml/kg/min, and for creatinine 4.07 +/- 2.98. The mid-dialysis Kcn was, for urea, 8.57 +/- 4.25 ml/kg/min, and for creatinine 5.06 +/- 3.36. High post-dialytic rebounds (and low Kcn values) were associated with erythropoietin use (p < 0.05) and occurrence of end-dialytic hypotension (p < 0.02). Patients treated with calcium antagonists had a significantly (p < 0.001) higher Kcn. There was no correlation between mid-dialysis and rebound Kcn. Circulatory indices had no influence on Kcn. CONCLUSIONS The two-pool cellular clearance model is compatible with urea kinetics, but not creatinine or phosphate. It is therefore unlikely that it is the correct model for small molecule kinetics. The post-dialytic solute rebound may be partly an iatrogenic phenomenon and can be reduced by preventing post-dialytic hypotension and by calcium antagonist treatment, both of which improve regional blood flow. The size of the rebound cannot be predicted by intra-dialytic blood sampling.
Barriers and Benefits of EHR Usage in Missouri: A Five-Year Journey.

Patricia Alafaireet, Phd, and Lanis Hicks, Phd, are in the department of Health Management and Informatics, University of Missouri columbia school of Medicine Contact: AlafaireetP@health.missouri. edu Introduction The effective use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and the data generated from their use, are essential, if precision medicine is to become a reality. EHRs will need to be deployed and used effectively across all aspects of health care. Storage of comprehensive, individual patient-level data will be required, if the “moonshot” goal of precision medicine, as described by former President Obama, is to be reached. Missouri’s journey toward the effective use of EHRs has, in many ways, been reflective of the progress seen across the U.S. Differences in the rate of EHR selection, implementation, and use in Missouri, compared to national statistics, reflect the combination of barriers and benefits that is unique to Missouri, in many respects. Not only is Missouri centrally located in U.S. geography, but its population is distributed across rural and urban areas, with a significant sector of the population located in micropolitan areas. In Missouri, 97.4% of land is classified as rural, and 30.6% of Missourians are classified as living in a rural area. Rural Missouri is reported to have only one primary care doctor for every 1,776 residents, compared to one for every 962 residents in the urban areas of Missouri. Missouri is estimated to have 8,528 active primary care providers. Missouri is one of nineteen states that chose not to expand their Medicaid program.
IgY antibodies for the immunoprophylaxis and therapy of respiratory infections

ABSTRACT Emergence of drug resistance among the causative organisms for respiratory tract infections represents a critical challenge to the global health care community. Further, although vaccination can prevent disease, vaccine development is impeded by several factors. Therefore, novel approaches to treat and manage respiratory infections are urgently needed. Passive immunization represents a possible alternative to meet this need. Immunoglobulin Y antibodies (IgYs) from the yolk of chicken eggs have previously been used against bacterial and viral infections in human and animals. Their advantages include lack of reaction with mammalian Fc receptors, low production cost, and ease of extraction. Compared to mammalian IgGs, they have higher target specificity and greater binding avidity. They also possess remarkable pathogen-neutralizing activity in the respiratory tract and lungs. In this review, we provide an overview of avian IgYs and describe their potential therapeutic applications for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infections.