Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultra-broadband Terahertz spectroscopy with Terahertz air photonics

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a well-established technique which allows for measuring the complex-valued dielectric properties of materials, specifically semiconductors, in the THz range. As THz photons have a low energy, typically comparable to intraband transitions, they are ideal probes of important phenomena such as the momentum relaxation of charge carriers and optical phonons. Because of the intrinsic phase-matching limitations imposed by the materials employed in conventional THz emitters and detectors, most femtosecond-laser based THz spectrometers can only cover a narrow spectral range, typically 0.1-3 THz. However, by employing the same laser source as conventional THz spectrometers, an air-photonics based THz spectrometer can access a much broader spectral range, extending beyond 30 THz. As air is virtually non-dispersive, the optical-THz phase-matching condition is automatically met. As a result, intense, sub-50-fs electromagnetic transients can be achieved with THz air photonics. The enhanced characteristics in terms of time-resolution, bandwidth, and field strength offer unique opportunities for THz spectroscopy, such as monitoring the dynamics of the charge carriers on the timescale of the carrier-lattice interaction. In this thesis, we explore the capabilities of THz air photonics by performing steady-state ultra-broadband THz spectroscopy of some common polymers, and transient ultra-broadband THz spectroscopy of, respectively, solution processed methylammonium lead iodide perovskite films and undoped gallium arsenide. In addition, we present explicit guidelines for ultra-broadband transient THz spectroscopy, including a novel method for self-referenced signal acquisition minimizing the phase error, and a numerically-accurate approach to the transient reflectance data analysis.
Effects of PNF Method for Hemiplegic Patients with Brachial Predominance after Stroke: Controlled and Blinded Clinical Trial

In stroke, ninety percent of survivors have motor sequelae, being the main one is hemiplegia or hemi paresis, respectively defined as total or partial paralysis of the movements of one side of the body, interfering directly on the balance and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). The hemiplegia or paresis are prevalent in the upper limb disability, so this study will address this impairment. The Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) method is applied to restore motor deficits promoting the return of function and independence of the patients in ADLs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the PNF method in relation to functional performance, being assessed by two scales: the Functional Independence Measure and Fulg-Meyer Assessment. Twenty predominantly brachial hemiplegic individuals after stroke inserted in physical therapy treatment twice a week (one hour each session) were selected.
Introduction to Parkinson disease (PD) and its complications

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder in older adults characterized by motor and nonmotor symptoms and complications. Impulse control disorders (ICDs), such as pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, compulsive sexual behavior (hypersexuality), and binge eating disorder, affect 13.6% of the PD population. Use of dopamine receptor agonists (DRAs) is considered a major risk factor for ICD development. Amantadine and a high dose of levodopa were linked to ICDs to a lesser extent than DRAs. Based on the severity of behavior(s), ICDs can negatively impact social, professional, and familial lives of patients and their families. Ideally, all PD patients taking DRAs, high doses of levodopa, and/or amantadine should be routinely asked about or monitored for ICDs during therapy initiation and continuation. Dose decrease or withdrawal of the offending agent, primarily DRAs, is usually the most effective first step in ICD management. Careful dose adjustment with close monitoring is warranted due to risk for worsening of motor symptoms or emergence of dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome (DAWS). About 1/3 of PD patients with ICD who decrease or discontinue DRA experienced DAWS. The lowest dose of DRA will need to be continued to balance ICDs and DAWS as it is not alleviated by other dopaminergic or psychotropic medications. Other therapies with low empiric evidence, such as amantadine, naloxone, cognitive behavior therapy, deep brain stimulation, and psychopharmacotherapy showed mixed results for ICD management. It is crucial that clinicians are familiar with the psychiatric complications of PD, including ICDs, beyond mere recognition and management of motor symptoms.
Usability Testing of an Interactive Virtual Reality Distraction Intervention to Reduce Procedural Pain in Children and Adolescents With Cancer

Purpose: Needle procedures are among the most distressing aspects of pediatric cancer-related treatment. Virtual reality (VR) distraction offers promise for needle-related pain and distress given its highly immersive and interactive virtual environment. This study assessed the usability (ease of use and understanding, acceptability) of a custom VR intervention for children with cancer undergoing implantable venous access device (IVAD) needle insertion. Method: Three iterative cycles of mixed-method usability testing with semistructured interviews were undertaken to refine the VR. Results: Participants included 17 children and adolescents (8-18 years old) with cancer who used the VR intervention prior to or during IVAD access. Most participants reported the VR as easy to use (82%) and understand (94%), and would like to use it during subsequent needle procedures (94%). Based on usability testing, refinements were made to VR hardware, software, and clinical implementation. Refinements focused on increasing responsiveness, interaction, and immersion of the VR program, reducing head movement for VR interaction, and enabling participant alerts to steps of the procedure by clinical staff. No adverse events of nausea or dizziness were reported. Conclusions: The VR intervention was deemed acceptable and safe. Next steps include assessing feasibility and effectiveness of the VR intervention for pain and distress.
Need Depriving Effects of Financial Insecurity: Implications for Well-Being and Financial Behaviors

Evidence suggests that experiencing financial insecurity lowers well-being and increases problematic financial behaviors. The present article employs a self-determination theory (SDT; R. M. Ryan & Deci, 2000a) perspective to understand the mechanisms by which experiencing financial insecurity contributes to these detrimental outcomes. Informed by SDT, we expected that the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness would drive these effects. Studies were concerned with individuals’ general experiences of financial insecurity (using community samples; Studies 1 and 2), and employed manipulations involving self-reflection (Study 3) and hypothetical scenarios (Study 4). Findings demonstrated that financially insecure conditions undermined basic psychological needs and lowered well-being (measured in terms of self-esteem, depression, and anxiety). In addition, lower satisfaction of basic psychological needs linked financial insecurity to a greater likelihood of engaging in financial cheating (Studies 2 and 3) and risky financial decisions (Study 4). Importantly, this pattern of effects remained in evidence across socioeconomically diverse samples and income levels. We discuss implications for future interventions to improve the wellness of individuals in financially insecure circumstances.
A Pictogram-Based Intervention to Reduce Parental Liquid Medication Errors: Health Literacy Approach

Evidence suggests that parents and caregivers make frequent errors when administering liquid medications to children. These errors, which include inaccurate dosing as well as non-adherence to medication regimens, place children at risk for morbidity and mortality. The study aim to explore the effectiveness of pictogram based intervention in reducing caregivers’ liquid medication errors as well as the extent to which health literacy impacts medication errors. Quasi-experimental study of caregivers (n=250) of young children (<6 years) enrolled at primary pediatric clinic in Zagazig University hospital. A total of 250 caregivers (121 standard medication counseling and 129 pictogram based intervention) were assessed for health literacy by means of the Newest Vital Sign measure; 84.4%% had low health literacy (Newest Vital Sign score 0-3). Pictogram based intervention recipients were less likely to make errors in knowledge related to medication storage (26.6% vs. 63.3%) dose frequency (20.2% vs. 25%), and preparation compared with caregivers of standard medication counseling recipients (12.8% vs. 31.7%). Pictogram was an efficient way to reduce the prevalence of caregivers' liquid medication errors.
Followers' Personality and the Perception of Transformational Leadership: Further Evidence for the Similarity Hypothesis

Managers and supervisors are thought to affect their followers' attitudes and behaviour. Within leadership research, behaviour of leaders and managers is usually considered as the independent variable whilst followers' reactions are considered the dependent variable. In this study, we reverse this order and investigate the degree to which the evaluation of leadership is a result of followers' perceptions and attributions. In order to corroborate and extend previous experimental research, a field study was conducted to analyse the influence of followers' personality and perceived leader personality on followers' perception of leadership within an organizational setting. The results provide further evidence that followers' personality influences the perception of transformational leadership and commitment to the supervisor. Moreover, the perception of leaders' personality was related to the perception of leadership and commitment to the supervisor. The finding that the perception of supervisors' personality mediates both the relationship between followers' personality and the perception of leadership and commitment provides support for the similarity hypothesis. Results are discussed in the light of feedback and leader development.
Exposure Therapy and Simultaneous Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Controlled Pilot Trial for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Objectives This is a small preliminary but novel study assessing the feasibility of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivery to veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while they simultaneously receive prolonged exposure (PE) therapy. Methods A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, active sham-controlled design combined weekly sessions of rTMS and standard PE at the Veterans Administration Hospital. Eight adult patients received a full course of protocol-driven PE therapy and were randomly assigned to receive either rTMS or sham rTMS. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was delivered to the right or left prefrontal cortex with a figure-eight solid core coil at 120% motor threshold, 10 Hz, 5-second train duration, and 10-second intertrain interval for 30 minutes (6000 pulses) weekly for 5 weeks (30,000 stimuli). Results Of the 12 veterans consented, 8 completed the study treatment protocol. The dropout rate was 34%, roughly equivalent to the pooled average dropout rates observed in traditional PE therapy with Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans with PTSD, suggesting that veterans had no difficulty tolerating the addition of rTMS to PE therapy and that this is a feasible study design for larger trials in the future. Clinician-Administered PTSD Symptom scores reflected a general nonsignificant trend toward improvement, and subjects with comorbid major depression appeared to experience significant antidepressant benefit with treatment despite the fact that the doses used in this protocol were much smaller than those used to treat patients with major depressive disorder. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of rTMS delivery to PTSD patients while they simultaneously receive PE. This unique approach to the treatment of PTSD highlights the need for further studies with larger sample sizes to assess treatment outcomes.
An Online Hand Exercise Intervention for Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis (mySARAH): Design, Development, and Usability Testing

Background The Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH) program is a tailored, progressive 12-week exercise program for people with hand problems due to rheumatoid arthritis. The program was shown to be clinically and cost-effective in a large clinical trial and is recommended by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Objective We have developed an online version of the SARAH program (mySARAH) to make the SARAH program widely accessible to people with rheumatoid arthritis. The purposes of this study were to develop mySARAH and to evaluate and address its usability issues. Methods We developed mySARAH using a three-step process and gaining feedback from patient contributors. After initial development, mySARAH was tested in two iterative usability cycles in nine participants using a simplified think-aloud protocol and self-reported questionnaires. We also evaluated if participants executed the SARAH exercises correctly after watching the exercise videos included on the website. Results A preliminary version of mySARAH consisting of six sessions over a 12-week period and delivered via text, exercise videos, images, exercise plan form, exercise calendar, and links to additional information on rheumatoid arthritis was developed. Five participants (1 male; 4 females; median age 64 years) and four participants (four females; median age 64.5 years) took part in the first and second usability testing cycles respectively. Usability issues identified from Cycle 1 such as having a navigation tutorial video and individualised feedback on pain levels were addressed prior to Cycle 2. The need for more instructions to complete the mySARAH patient forms was identified in Cycle 2 and was rectified. Self-reports from both cycles indicated that participants found the program useful and easy to use and were confident in performing the SARAH exercises themselves. Eight of the nine participants correctly demonstrated all the exercises. Conclusions mySARAH is the first online hand exercise intervention for people with rheumatoid arthritis. We actively involved target users in the development and usability evaluation and ensured mySARAH met their needs and preferences.
THE EFFECT OF STOCKING DENSITY ON INDIVIDUAL BROILER WELFARE PARAMETERS 2. DIFFERENT BROILER STOCKING DENSITIES

Stocking density is considered one of the most important factors for the welfare of broilers. This paper is continuation of the study in order to obtain full evaluation of the impact of different broiler stocking densities on production performance, condition of the broiler legs and body feathering, as welfare indicators but also indicators of the productivity and quality of produced chickens. The effect of three stocking densities (20, 15 and 10 birds/m2) was investigated in 4 repetitions on broilers of genotype Hubbard at the age of 3 and 6 weeks. At the age of 6 weeks stocking density of 20 birds/m2 resulted in significantly lower growth of broilers, higher mortality and higher incidence of leg lesions and problems with body feathering, compared to stocking densities of 15 and 10 birds/m2.
Gas-surface interaction effect on round leading edge aerothermodynamics

Effects of incomplete surface accommodation in rarefied gas flow have been studied by using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method in conjunction with the Cercignani-Lampis-Lord gas surface interaction model. The DSMC calculations examine differences in predictions of aerodynamic forces and heat transfer between full and partial surface accommodation for hypersonic flow past round leading edges at zero incidence. The aerodynamic performance of round leading edges is assessed by using the heat transfer rate, the total drag and the shock wave standoff distance. Twenty-five combinations of nose radius, normal and tangential accommodation coefficients were used in the simulation. For the flow conditions considered, the analysis showed that stagnation point heating, total drag and shock standoff distance are sensitive to changes on either the normal or tangential accommodation coefficient. The results substantiate that it becomes imperative to take surface accommodation into account in order to make accurate predictions of the aerodynamic forces on, and heat transfer rates to, bodies in rarefied hypersonic flow.
A retrospective study of supplemental iron intake in singleton pregnancy women with risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract This study investigated the effect of supplemental iron intake (SII) in early singleton pregnancy women with the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among Chinese population. This study included 259 singleton pregnancy participants. Of those, 135 women underwent SII and were assigned to an intervention group, while 124 participants received no SII and were assigned to a control group. The outcome measurements consisted of the number of patients with GDM development, the levels of hemoglobin (Hb) and ferritin, and the outcomes of infant at delivery. No significant difference in the number of patients with GDM development was found between 2 groups at delivery. However, when compared with control group, subjects in the intervention group showed greater efficacy in delivery mode choice of vaginal delivery (P = .04), and cesarean section (P = .01), as well as the birthweight of infants (P < .01). Moreover, Hb and ferritin levels were also significantly higher in the intervention group than those in the control group (P < .01). The results of this retrospective study showed that SII may not increase risk of developing GDM in singleton pregnancy women; and also may benefit both pregnancy women and infants among Chinese population.
Plug in estimation in high dimensional linear inverse problems a rigorous analysis

Estimating a vector from noisy linear measurements often requires use of prior knowledge or structural constraints on for accurate reconstruction. Several recent works have considered combining linear least-squares estimation with a generic or ‘plug-in’ denoiser function that can be designed in a modular manner based on the prior knowledge about . While these methods have shown excellent performance, it has been difficult to obtain rigorous performance guarantees. This work considers plug-in denoising combined with the recently-developed vector approximate message passing (VAMP) algorithm, which is itself derived via expectation propagation techniques. It shown that the mean squared error of this ‘plug-and-play’ VAMP can be exactly predicted for high-dimensional right-rotationally invariant random and Lipschitz denoisers. The method is demonstrated on applications in image recovery and parametric bilinear estimation.
Apoptotic Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: More Than Just Debris

The many functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs) like exosomes and microvesicles released from healthy cells have been well characterized, particularly in relation to their roles in immune modulation. Apoptotic bodies, a major class of EV released as a product of apoptotic cell disassembly, and other types of EVs released from dying cells are also becoming recognized as key players in this emerging field. There is now increasing evidence to suggest that EVs produced during apoptosis have important immune regulatory roles, a concept relevant across different disease settings including autoimmunity, cancer, and infection. Therefore, this review focuses on how the formation of EVs during apoptosis could be a key mechanism of immune modulation by dying cells.
Diet Soda and Sugar-Sweetened Soda Consumption in Relation to Incident Diabetes in the Northern Manhattan Study

Abstract Background Artificially (diet) and sugar-sweetened (regular) soda consumption have been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, but the literature on diet soda is inconsistent and the mechanisms unclear. Objective We examined the relation between diet soda and regular soda consumption with the risk of incident diabetes in a longitudinal multiethnic population-based cohort. Methods The study population included 2019 participants (mean ± SD age: 69 ± 10 y; 64% women; 23% white, 22% black, 53% Hispanic) in the Northern Manhattan Study who were free of diabetes and stroke at baseline. Soda consumption was assessed by a food-frequency questionnaire at baseline and examined continuously and categorically (<1/mo: sugar-sweetened = 908, diet = 1615; 1/mo–6/wk: sugar-sweetened = 830, diet = 298; daily: sugar-sweetened = 281, diet = 106). Weibull regression models were used to estimate the associations between soda consumption and incident diabetes, adjusting for demographics and vascular risk factors including body mass index (BMI) and calorie consumption. Results During a mean ± SD follow-up of 11 ± 5 y, 368 participants developed diabetes. Sugar-sweetened soda was positively associated with incident diabetes (per soda per day HR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.31). The observed association between diet soda and elevated risk of diabetes was largely explained by BMI at the time of diet assessment, though the association remained strong and independent of BMI among those who were overweight or obese (daily compared to <1/mo: HR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.55). Conclusions This study supports the importance of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in the diabetes epidemic. However, the results support previous studies suggesting that switching to artificially sweetened diet beverages may not lower the risk of diabetes, as diet soda consumption cannot be ruled out as an independent diabetes risk factor.
Dynamical structure factor of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet

We elucidate the role of magnon interaction and spontaneous decays in the spin dynamics of the triangular-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet by calculating its dynamical structure factor within the spin-wave theory. Explicit theoretical results for neutron-scattering intensity are provided for spins S=1/2 and S=3/2. The dynamical structure factor exhibits unconventional features such as quasiparticle peaks broadened by decays, non-Lorentzian lineshapes, and significant spectral weight redistribution to the two-magnon continuum. This rich excitation spectrum illustrates the complexity of the triangular-lattice antiferromagnet and provides distinctive qualitative and quantitative fingerprints for experimental observation of decay-induced magnon dynamics. © 2013 American Physical Society.
A model to predict phase equilibrium of CH4 and CO2 clathrate hydrate in aqueous electrolyte solutions

Abstract A thermodynamic model to predict phase equilibrium of methane and carbon dioxide hydrate in aqueous electrolyte solutions is presented. Using the Pitzer model to account for the variation of water activity due to electrolytes and dissolved gas in aqueous solutions, we extended the model based on ab initio molecular potential developed recently by us for the CH4-H2O and CO2-H2O binary systems to the CH4 (or CO2)-H2O-salts system. Comparison of the model with extensive experimental data indicates that this model can accurately predict the phase equilibrium of CH4 hydrate and CO2 hydrate in various electrolyte solutions (such as aqueous NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, NaCl + KCl, NaCl + CaCl2 solutions, and seawater) from zero to high ionic strength (about 6 m) and from low to high pressures.