Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiscale Distribution Entropy Analysis of Short-Term Heart Rate Variability

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal has been commonly used to analyze the complexity of heart rate variability (HRV). For this, various entropy methods have been considerably of interest. The multiscale entropy (MSE) method, which makes use of the sample entropy (SampEn) calculation of coarse-grained time series, has attracted attention for analysis of HRV. However, the SampEn computation may fail to be defined when the length of a time series is not enough long. Recently, distribution entropy (DistEn) with improved stability for a short-term time series has been proposed. Here, we propose a novel multiscale DistEn (MDE) for analysis of the complexity of short-term HRV by utilizing a moving-averaging multiscale process and the DistEn computation of each moving-averaged time series. Thus, it provides an improved stability of entropy evaluation for short-term HRV extracted from ECG. To verify the performance of MDE, we employ the analysis of synthetic signals and confirm the superiority of MDE over MSE. Then, we evaluate the complexity of short-term HRV extracted from ECG signals of congestive heart failure (CHF) patients and healthy subjects. The experimental results exhibit that MDE is capable of quantifying the decreased complexity of HRV with aging and CHF disease with short-term HRV time series.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Graph Kernels for Unattributed Graphs

Graph kernels are of vital importance in the field of graph comparison and classification. However, how to compare and evaluate graph kernels and how to choose an optimal kernel for a practical classification problem remain open problems. In this paper, a comprehensive evaluation framework of graph kernels is proposed for unattributed graph classification. According to the kernel design methods, the whole graph kernel family can be categorized in five different dimensions, and then several representative graph kernels are chosen from these categories to perform the evaluation. With plenty of real-world and synthetic datasets, kernels are compared by many criteria such as classification accuracy, F1 score, runtime cost, scalability and applicability. Finally, quantitative conclusions are discussed based on the analyses of the extensive experimental results. The main contribution of this paper is that a comprehensive evaluation framework of graph kernels is proposed, which is significant for graph-classification applications and the future kernel research.
Novel protective role for MAP kinase phosphatase 2 in inflammatory arthritis

Objectives We have previously shown mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 2 (MKP-2) to be a key regulator of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages. In the study presented here, we investigated the role of MKP-2 in inflammatory arthritis with a particular focus on neutrophils. Methods To achieve this, we subjected MKP-2 deficient and wild type mice to collagen antibody induced arthritis, an innate model of arthritis, and determined disease pathology. To further our investigation, we depleted neutrophils in a prophylactic and therapeutic fashion. Last, we used chemotaxis assays to analyse the impact of MKP-2 deletion on neutrophil migration. Results MKP-2-/- mice showed a significant increase in disease pathology linked to elevated levels of proarthritic cytokines and chemokines TNF-α, IL-6 and MCP-1 in comparison to wild type controls. This phenotype is prevented or abolished after administration of neutrophil depleting antibody prior or after onset of disease, respectively. While MCP-1 levels were not affected, neutrophil depletion diminished TNF-α and reduced IL-6, thus linking these cytokines to neutrophils. In vivo imaging showed that MKP-2-/- mice had an increased influx of neutrophils into affected joints, which was higher and potentially prolonged than in wild type animals. Furthermore, using chemotaxis assays we revealed that MKP-2 deficient neutrophils migrate faster towards a Leukotriene B4 gradient. This process correlated with a reduced phosphorylation of ERK in MKP-2-/- neutrophils. Conclusions This is the first study to show a protective role for MKP-2 in inflammatory arthritis.
A Tutte Polynomial for Maps

We follow the example of Tutte in his construction of the dichromate of a graph (i.e. the Tutte polynomial) as a unification of the chromatic polynomial and the flow polynomial in order to construct a new polynomial invariant of maps (graphs embedded in orientable surfaces). We call this the surface Tutte polynomial. The surface Tutte polynomial of a map contains the Las Vergnas polynomial, the Bollobás–Riordan polynomial and the Krushkal polynomial as specializations. By construction, the surface Tutte polynomial includes among its evaluations the number of local tensions and local flows taking values in any given finite group. Other evaluations include the number of quasi-forests.
A Novel Image Encryption Scheme Based on Collatz Conjecture

Image encryption methods aim to protect content privacy. Typically, they encompass scrambling and diffusion. Every pixel of the image is permuted (scrambling) and its value is transformed according to a key (diffusion). Although several methods have been proposed in the literature, some of them have been cryptanalyzed. In this paper, we present a novel method that deviates the traditional schemes. We use variable length codes based on Collatz conjecture for transforming the content of the image into non-intelligible audio; therefore, scrambling and diffusion processes are performed simultaneously in a non-linear way. With our method, different ciphered audio is obtained every time, and it depends exclusively on the selected key (the size of the key space equal to 8.57×10506). Several tests were performed in order to analyze randomness of the ciphered audio signals and the sensitivity of the key. Firstly, it was found that entropy and the level of disorder of ciphered audio signals are very close to the maximum value of randomness. Secondly, fractal behavior was detected into scatter plots of adjacent samples, altering completely the behavior of natural images. Finally, if the key was slightly modified, the image could not be recovered. With the above results, it was concluded that our method is very useful in image privacy protection applications.
Volumes in the Uniform Infinite Planar Triangulation: From Skeletons to Generating Functions

We develop a method to compute the generating function of the number of vertices inside certain regions of the Uniform Infinite Planar Triangulation (UIPT). The computations are mostly combinatorial in flavour and the main tool is the decomposition of the UIPT into layers, called the skeleton decomposition, introduced by Krikun [20]. In particular, we get explicit formulas for the generating functions of the number of vertices inside hulls (or completed metric balls) centred around the root, and the number of vertices inside geodesic slices of these hulls. We also recover known results about the scaling limit of the volume of hulls previously obtained by Curien and Le Gall by studying the peeling process of the UIPT in [17].
Lifetime economic impact of the burden of childhood stunting attributable to maternal psychosocial risk factors in 137 low/middle-income countries

Introduction The first 1000 days of life is a period of great potential and vulnerability. In particular, physical growth of children can be affected by the lack of access to basic needs as well as psychosocial factors, such as maternal depression. The objectives of the present study are to: (1) quantify the burden of childhood stunting in low/middle-income countries attributable to psychosocial risk factors; and (2) estimate the related lifetime economic costs. Methods A comparative risk assessment analysis was performed with data from 137 low/middle-income countries throughout Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North Africa and the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of stunting prevalence, defined as <−2 SDs from the median height for age according to the WHO Child Growth Standards, and the number of cases attributable to low maternal education, intimate partner violence (IPV), maternal depression and orphanhood were calculated. The joint effect of psychosocial risk factors on stunting was estimated. The economic impact, as reflected in the total future income losses per birth cohort, was examined. Results Approximately 7.2 million cases of stunting in low/middle-income countries were attributable to psychosocial factors. The leading risk factor was maternal depression with 3.2 million cases attributable. Maternal depression also demonstrated the greatest economic cost at $14.5 billion, followed by low maternal education ($10.0 billion) and IPV ($8.5 billion). The joint cost of these risk factors was $29.3 billion per birth cohort. Conclusion The cost of neglecting these psychosocial risk factors is significant. Improving access to formal secondary school education for girls may offset the risk of maternal depression, IPV and orphanhood. Focusing on maternal depression may play a key role in reducing the burden of stunting. Overall, addressing psychosocial factors among perinatal women can have a significant impact on child growth and well-being in the developing world.
Paced Breathing Increases the Redundancy of Cardiorespiratory Control in Healthy Individuals and Chronic Heart Failure Patients

Synergy and redundancy are concepts that suggest, respectively, adaptability and fault tolerance of systems with complex behavior. This study computes redundancy/synergy in bivariate systems formed by a target X and a driver Y according to the predictive information decomposition approach and partial information decomposition framework based on the minimal mutual information principle. The two approaches assess the redundancy/synergy of past of X and Y in reducing the uncertainty of the current state of X. The methods were applied to evaluate the interactions between heart and respiration in healthy young subjects (n = 19) during controlled breathing at 10, 15 and 20 breaths/minute and in two groups of chronic heart failure patients during paced respiration at 6 (n = 9) and 15 (n = 20) breaths/minutes from spontaneous beat-to-beat fluctuations of heart period and respiratory signal. Both methods suggested that slowing respiratory rate below the spontaneous frequency increases redundancy of cardiorespiratory control in both healthy and pathological groups, thus possibly improving fault tolerance of the cardiorespiratory control. The two methods provide markers complementary to respiratory sinus arrhythmia and the strength of the linear coupling between heart period variability and respiration in describing the physiology of the cardiorespiratory reflex suitable to be exploited in various pathophysiological settings.
Impacts of Different Smartphone Caption/Subtitle Mechanisms on English Listening Performance and Perceptions of Students with Different Learning Styles

ABSTRACT In this study, 3 Mobile-Assisted Language Learning interfaces are proposed considering the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, Cognitive Load Theory, and the Active/Reflective learning styles. A quasi-experimental design was adopted to compare the effects of 3 smartphone interfaces, namely partial English captions (EG1), full English captions (EG2), and partial English captions with Chinese subtitles (CG), on the cognitive load, learning motivation, and learning anxiety and enjoyment of 119 11th-grade students with different learning styles. It was found that EG2 had significantly higher learning motivation than EG1 and CG. On the other hand, significant interaction between the 3 smartphone interfaces and learning styles was found for the students’ cognitive loads. Further analysis showed that, in EG1, the active-style students’ cognitive load was significantly lower than that of the reflective-style students. In addition, it was found that the active-style students’ learning enjoyment was significantly higher than that of the reflective-style students, while no significant difference was found between the learning anxiety ratings of the students with different learning styles in the 3 groups. Therefore, it is suggested that the role of learning styles needs to be further considered when designing caption interfaces for smartphone applications in the future.
A Novel Multi-Exposure Image Fusion Method Based on Adaptive Patch Structure

Multi-exposure image fusion methods are often applied to the fusion of low-dynamic images that are taken from the same scene at different exposure levels. The fused images not only contain more color and detailed information, but also demonstrate the same real visual effects as the observation by the human eye. This paper proposes a novel multi-exposure image fusion (MEF) method based on adaptive patch structure. The proposed algorithm combines image cartoon-texture decomposition, image patch structure decomposition, and the structural similarity index to improve the local contrast of the image. Moreover, the proposed method can capture more detailed information of source images and produce more vivid high-dynamic-range (HDR) images. Specifically, image texture entropy values are used to evaluate image local information for adaptive selection of image patch size. The intermediate fused image is obtained by the proposed structure patch decomposition algorithm. Finally, the intermediate fused image is optimized by using the structural similarity index to obtain the final fused HDR image. The results of comparative experiments show that the proposed method can obtain high-quality HDR images with better visual effects and more detailed information.
Urban expansion patterns of 291 Chinese cities, 1990–2015

ABSTRACT China has experienced rapid and massive urban expansion in recent decades. To address the opportunities and challenges posed by urbanization, it is important to investigate this process. Although many studies have characterized China’s urbanization, mainly based on individual cities or urban agglomerations, few studies have compared the urban expansion patterns among cities of different regions and sizes at a national scale. Additionally, the source of the newly developed urban land has largely been ignored in previous research. To fill these gaps, we provide a comprehensive view of the growth patterns of 291 Chinese cities during 1990–2015, quantifying the rates, spatial forms, and corresponding landscape characteristics of the urban expansion. More importantly, we further investigate what their new urban land is converted from. Key findings include: (1) the annual expansion (AE) and annual growth rate (AGR) of all 291 cities were 1869.81 km2 and 4.81% during 1990–2015; (2) cropland and rural settlements were the predominant source, accounting for 65.22% and 17.49% of the new urban land during 1990–2015; (3) edge-expansion was the dominant growth form for most cities, followed by infilling and leapfrogging growth; and (4) the landscape characteristics of the occupied cropland differed across various cities.
Salivary gland secretome: a novel tool towards molecular stratification of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome and non-autoimmune sicca

Objective To explore the potential of salivary gland biopsy supernatants (the secretome) as a novel tool to aid in stratification of patients with sicca syndrome and to study local immunopathology in Sjögren’s syndrome. Methods Labial salivary gland biopsies were incubated in saline for 1 hour. In these tissue supernatants from a discovery cohort (n=16) of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) and non-Sjögren’s sicca (nSS), 101 inflammatory mediators were measured by Luminex. Results were validated in a replication cohort (n=57) encompassing patients with pSS, incomplete SS and nSS. Results The levels of 23 cytokines were significantly increased in patients with pSS versus nSS in the discovery cohort. These 23 and 3 additional cytokines were measured in a second cohort. Elevated concentrations of 11 cytokines were validated and the majority correlated with clinical parameters. Classification tree analysis indicated that the concentrations of CXCL13, IL-21, sIL-2R and sIL-7Rα could be used to classify 95.8% of patients with pSS correctly. Conclusion Labial salivary gland secretomes can be used to reliably assess mediators involved in immunopathology of patients with pSS, potentially contributing to patient classification. As such, this method represents a novel tool to identify therapeutic targets and markers for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response.
External cold and vibration for pain management of children undergoing needle-related procedures in the emergency department: a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial protocol

Introduction Needle-related procedures are considered as the most important source of pain and distress in children in hospital settings. Considering the physiological and psychological consequences that could result from these procedures, management of pain and distress through pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods is essential. Therefore, it is important to have interventions that are rapid, easy-to-use and likely to be translated into clinical practice for routine use. The aim of this study will be to determine whether a device combining cold and vibration (Buzzy) is non-inferior to a topical anaesthetic (liposomal lidocaine 4% cream) for pain management of children undergoing needle-related procedures in the emergency department. Methods and analysis This study will be a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial comparing the Buzzy device to liposomal lidocaine 4% cream for needle-related pain management. A total of 346 participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of the two study groups. The primary outcome will be the mean difference in pain intensity between groups during needle-related procedures. A non-inferiority margin of 0.70 on the Color Analogue Scale will be considered. A Non-inferiority margin of 0.70 on the Color Analogue Scale will be considered. The secondary outcomes will be the level of distress during the procedure, the success of the procedure at first attempt, the occurrence of adverse events, the satisfaction of both interventions and the memory of pain 24 hours after the procedure. The primary outcome will be assessed for non-inferiority and the secondary outcomes for superiority. Ethics and dissemination This study protocol was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of the study setting. Findings of this trial will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Trial registration number NCT02616419.
Designing an Algorithm-Driven Text Generation System for Personalized and Interactive News Reading

ABSTRACT Algorithms are playing an increasingly important role in the production of news content as their computation capacity in manipulating large-scale data continues to grow. In this article, we present Personalized and Interactive News Generation System (PINGS), an algorithm-driven news generation system that is designed to provide personalized and interactive news for sports. We designed PINGS to generate baseball news based on the statistical importance of data and the direct manipulation of user interface components that alter the underlying algorithmic computation. We discuss the base-level algorithm framework for automated news content generation and describe the architecture of the system in terms of how it is designed to support the generation of personalized news stories. An evaluation revealed that the algorithm is capable of generating news stories that are significantly more interesting and pleasant to read than traditional baseball news articles.
Exploring the Relationships between Reading Behavior Patterns and Learning Outcomes Based on Log Data from E-Books: A Human Factor Approach

ABSTRACT Online learning environments presently accumulate large amounts of log data. Analysis of learning behaviors from these log data is expected to benefit instructors and learners. This study was intended to identify effective measures from e-book materials used at Kyushu University and to employ these measures for analyzing learning behavioral patterns. In an evaluation, students were grouped into four clusters using k-means clustering, and their learning behavioral patterns were analyzed. We examined whether the learning behavioral patterns exhibited relations with the learning outcomes. The results reveal that the learning behavior of “backtrack” style reading exerts a significant positive influence on learning effectiveness, which can aid students to learn more efficiently.
The Relationships among Gender, Cognitive Styles, Learning Strategies, and Learning Performance in the Flipped Classroom

ABSTRACT This study re-designed the classroom activities with consideration to interactions between human factors, such as gender and cognitive style, to technology as well as human-to-human interactions in the flipped classroom and explored their interrelationships. Sixty-two first-year college students of a Packaged Software and Application course were divided into two groups. The experimental group (N = 29) employed the revised flipped classroom format, while the conventional flipped classroom model was used with the control group (N = 27). Research data were obtained via pre-class quizzes, final grades, a learning satisfaction questionnaire, and interviews. The results led to the following conclusions: (1) Cognitive style and learning strategy significantly affected students’ learning performance and satisfaction in both the flipped and revised flipped classrooms. (2) The interactive video, peer-learning, and social management issues associated with group work may motivate students’ self-regulation. The implications of these results for the design of the flipped classroom are discussed in detail.
Supporting Self-Regulated Learning in Online Learning Environments and MOOCs: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) allow learning to take place anytime and anywhere with little external monitoring by teachers. Characteristically, highly diverse groups of learners enrolled in MOOCs are required to make decisions related to their own learning activities to achieve academic success. Therefore, it is considered important to support self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies and adapt to relevant human factors (e.g., gender, cognitive abilities, prior knowledge). SRL supports have been widely investigated in traditional classroom settings, but little is known about how SRL can be supported in MOOCs. Very few experimental studies have been conducted in MOOCs at present. To fill this gap, this paper presents a systematic review of studies on approaches to support SRL in multiple types of online learning environments and how they address human factors. The 35 studies reviewed show that human factors play an important role in the efficacy of SRL supports. Future studies can use learning analytics to understand learners at a fine-grained level to provide support that best fits individual learners. The objective of the paper is twofold: (a) to inform researchers, designers and teachers about the state of the art of SRL support in online learning environments and MOOCs; (b) to provide suggestions for adaptive self-regulated learning support.