Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D status : determinants, optimal levels, and supplementation

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iii TABLE OF CONTENTS . v LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW . 6 2.1 Physiology of Vitamin D and the Regulation of Calcium Homeostasis . 6 2.1. 1 Vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone & Calcium Homeostasis . 6 2.1. 2 Parathyroid Hormone Structure, Regulation & Action . 7 2.1. 3 Vitamin D Synthesis & Metabolism . 9 2.1. 4 Actions of Vitamin D and Its Metabolites . 14 2.1. 5 Regulation of Vitamin D Activity . 15 2.2 Vitamin D Deficiency & Insufficiency . 18 2.2.1 Osteomalacia, Rickets & Secondary Hyperparathyroidism . 18 2.2.2 Optimal Level of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D . 19 2.3 Seeking a 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Threshold From Investigations of Vitamin D-Health Outcome Relationships . 22 2.3.1 Measurements of Calcium Absorption & 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D . 22 2.3.2 Muscle Functioning or Falls . 25 2.3.3 Disease Risk Indicators . 30 2.3.3.1 Cancer . 30 2.3.3.2 Other Chronic Diseases . 34 2.3.3. 3 Overview . 35 2.3. 4 Skeletal Outcomes . 39 2.3. 4.1 Cranney et al. Report . 39 2.3. 4.2 Bone Mineral Content or Density . 40 2.3. 4.3 Bone Turnover Markers . 51 2.3. 4.4 Fracture Rates . 52 2.3. 5 Summary . 54 2.3. 6 Parathyroid Hormone & Optimal Vitamin D Status . 54 2.3. 7 Factors Affecting the Relationship Between PTH & 25(OH)D . 55 2.3. 7.1 Assays and Techniques Used to Estimate a Threshold for PTH . 55 2.3. 7.2 Seasonal Variation . 56 2.3. 7.3 Age, Sex & Race . 57
Model-based testing of software systems : functionality and performance

Software is a key component in many of our devices and products that we use every day. Most customers demand not only that their devices should function as expected but also that the software should be of high quality, reliable, fault tolerant, efficient, etc. In short, it is not enough that a calculator gives the correct result of a calculation, we want the result instantly, in the right form, with minimal use of battery, etc. One of the key aspects for succeeding in today’s industry is delivering high quality. In most software development projects, high-quality software is achieved by rigorous testing and good quality assurance practices. However, today, customers are asking for these high quality software products at an ever-increasing pace. This leaves the companies with less time for development. Software testing is an expensive activity, because it requires much manual work. Testing, debugging, and verification are estimated to consume 50 to 75 per cent of the total development cost of complex software projects. Further, the most expensive software defects are those which have to be fixed after the product is released. One of the main challenges in software development is reducing the associated cost and time of software testing without sacrificing the quality of the developed software. It is often not enough to only demonstrate that a piece of software is functioning correctly. Usually, many other aspects of the software, such as performance, security, scalability, usability, etc., need also to be verified. Testing these aspects of the software is traditionally referred to as nonfunctional testing. One of the major challenges with non-functional testing is that it is usually carried out at the end of the software development process when most of the functionality is implemented. This is due to the fact that non-functional aspects, such as performance or security, apply to the software as a whole. In this thesis, we study the use of model-based testing. We present approaches to automatically generate tests from behavioral models for solving some of these challenges. We show that model-based testing is not only applicable to functional testing but also to non-functional testing. In its simplest form, performance testing is performed by executing multiple test sequences at once while observing the software in terms of responsiveness
Speech Melody and Song Melody in Central Thailand

Thai or Siamese is a tone language. In a tone language the relative pitch at which a syllable is uttered or the inflection given to it may be phonemic, that is, may affect the meaning of the syllable. For example, the syllable kai may have one meaning if uttered at a relatively high pitch, another meaning if uttered at a relatively low pitch, and a third meaning if uttered with an obvious downward inflection.
Evidence Report / Technology Assessment Number 201 Enabling Medication Management Through Health Information Technology Executive Summary Evidence-based Practice Program

Medication management is a continuum that covers all aspects of prescription medications. Medication management includes prescribing and ordering, order communication (or order transmission) between prescribers and pharmacists, dispensing, administering, and monitoring, as well as reconciliation, adherence, and education. Medication management is complex and costly and enhances the health and well-being of more than half of the population in the developing world. Health information technology (health IT) holds great promise to improve the quality of health care and reduce potential and real errors in medication management while at the same time providing cost-effective care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is committed to summarizing and providing the evidence base for health IT. It has produced evidence summaries on health IT related to costs and benefits; barriers and drivers of health IT for the elderly, chronically ill, and underserved; the impact of consumer informatics applications; and telemedicine. AHRQ also has contracted for evidence summaries on the use of health IT in decisionmaking, patient-centered care, and decision support for health care decisionmaking. The contracted reports will be available through www.healthit. AHRQ.gov in mid-2011. Although these reports often mention medication management, the body of published evidence on all aspects of the medication management process and how it is Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 201
GAMBARAN RIWAYAT DIABETES MELLITUS KELUARGA, INDEKS MASSA TUBUH DAN AKTIVITAS FISIK PADA PENDERITA DIABETES MELLITUS TIPE 2 DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS MANGGIS 1 TAHUN 2013

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) tipe 2 adalah penyakit kronis yang terjadi akibat ketidakefektifan tubuh dalam menggunakan insulin. Data WHO tahun 2008 menunjukkan jumlah penderita DM tipe 2 di Indonesia menempati urutan ke-4 terbanyak di dunia dengan prevalensi 8,4 juta jiwa dan pada tahun 2030 DM diprediksi akan menjadi penyakit ketujuh paling mematikan di dunia. Pada tahun 2013 jumlah prevalensi DM di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Manggis I meningkat dari 177 kasus menjadi 433 kasus. Faktor resiko utama DM tipe 2 adalah perilaku gaya hidup dan faktor genetik. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui gambaran karakteristik, genetik, dan perilaku pada penderita Diabetes Mellitus Tipe 2 di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Manggis I tahun 2013. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian potong lintang dengan jumlah sampel 50 orang yang dipilih secara simple random sampling . Sampel adalah pasien lama atau baru dengan DM tipe 2 di Puskesmas Manggis 1 selama Oktober-Desember 2013. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuisioner. Pada penelitian ini, berdasarkan jenis kelamin didapatkan responden pria 31 orang (62%) dibandingkan 19 orang responden wanita (38%), menurut kelompok usia <60 tahun dengan ? 60 tahun adalah sama yaitu 25 orang (50%). Berdasarkan genetik didapatkan lebih banyak tidak memiliki riwayat DM keluarga yaitu 28 orang (56%). Berdasarkan perilaku didapatkan responden dengan tingkat obesitas 1 terbanyak yaitu 25 orang (50%) dibandingkan BB normal yaitu 4 orang (8%), responden dengan aktivitas ringan terbanyak yaitu 21 orang (42%) berbanding aktivitas berat yaitu 11 orang (22%). Maka disimpulkan kebanyakan penderita Diabetes Mellitus berjenis kelamin laki-laki, tanpa riwayat DM keluarga, dengan tingkat obesitas 1 dan dengan aktivitas sehari-hari ringan.
URBAN SHAPES AS FRACTALS

The fractal dimension of a curve provides a measure of its irregularity and if this dimension is stable over many scales, a single process is assumed to be generating the curve. Here we measure the fractal dimensions of curves defining the shape of the urban area of Cardiff during a period of its most rapid growth from 1886 to 1922. The results of applying the traditional scaling model suggest a new model in which fractal dimension varies with scale. Applications of this model show a decline in dimension over all scales and through time.
Clinical and MRI features of primary progressive multiple sclerosis

In approximately 10-15% of cases Multiple Sclerosis follows a progressive rather than a relapsing course and this is known as Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS). In this thesis previous clinical, pathological and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies of PPMS are reviewed and new studies using two cohorts of patients with PPMS are presented. In the first of these studies an existing cohort of patients with PPMS are re-examined at first two, and then five years, clinically and with MRI, to provide the longest period of MRI follow up in the condition to date. Changes in clinical and MRI measures over this time, and their correlation, are described. Over this extended period, some limited correlation can be found between clinical and MRI measures in PPMS. It is also seen that there is great variability in the rate of MRI and clinical progression between individuals with PPMS, although for a given individual progression is relatively constant. The possible implications of this observation for the nature of the underlying disease process are discussed. The second part of this thesis describes the clinical and MRI features of a second cohort of patients with clinically early PPMS, examined within five years of the first onset of symptoms, the first study to examine this stage of the condition. It is seen that much of the MRI variation seen in established PPMS is already present at this time and that the degree of MRI abnormality, even at this early stage, can be substantial. The specific question as to whether a distinct, early, inflammatory phase occurs in the condition (on the model of the more fully studied relapsing MS subtype) is addressed by the use of triple dose Gadolinium in a subgroup of this cohort examined over six months and evidence for the possible existence of such a phase in some patients with PPMS is found.
Prevalencia de deficiencia subclínica de vitamina A y desnutrición en niños marginales de Maracaibo--Venezuela.

The present cross sectional study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among children by means of clinics and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), and nutritional status by anthropometric indicators H//A, W//A, W//H. The study population included 157 children 2-6 y old, from urban and rural slums of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Conjunctival impression cytology was performed by ICEPO standard procedure. Z-score was applied to anthropometric data with reference values of NCHS-WHO. No evidence of clinical or ophthalmologic signs of vitamin A deficiency were detected. The prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency, as detected by abnormal CIC, was 35.4%, being higher in rural children (48.3%). These prevalence values are higher than the criteria laid down by WHO/UNICEF to indicate a public health problem (> 20%). Mild or moderate protein-energy global malnutrition and stunting were detected in 36.1% and 44.6% of children, respectively. Abnormal CIC was indistinctly observed (approximately equal to 35%) as much in children with adequate nutrition as in malnourished ones. There was no significant difference in the distribution of the CIC results in relation to nutritional status. The findings indicate that CIC and Z-score of nutritional anthropometric data are useful to characterize the risk of vitamin A deficiency and of malnutrition in communities. Beside the implementation of an integral nutritional program which includes supplementation, food fortification and dietary diversification, improvement of socio-economic and sanitation conditions and also the educational level, with emphasis on nutritional and health education, are highly recommended.
Kinesthetic Haptics Sensing and Discovery with Bilateral Teleoperation Systems

In the mechanical engineering field of robotics, bilateral teleoperation is a classic but still increasing research topic. In bilateral teleoperation, a human operator moves the master manipulator, and a slave manipulator is controlled to follow the motion of the master in a remote, potentially hostile environment. This dissertation focuses on kinesthetic perception analysis in teleoperation systems. Design of the controllers of the systems is studied as the influential factor of this issue. The controllers that can provide different force tracking capability are compared using the same experimental protocol. A 6 DOF teleoperation system is configured as the system testbed. An innovative master manipulator is developed and a 7 DOF redundant manipulator is used as the slave robot. A singularity avoidance inverse kinematics algorithm is developed to resolve the redundancy of the slave manipulator. An experimental protocol is addressed and three dynamics attributes related to kineshtetic feedback are investigated: weight, center of gravity and inertia. The results support our hypothesis: the controller that can bring a better force feedback can improve the performance in the experiments.
Observed Brain Dynamics

The biomedical sciences have recently undergone revolutionary change, due to the ability to digitize and store large data sets. In neuroscience, the data sources include measurements of neural activity measured using electrode arrays, EEG and MEG, brain imaging data from PET, fMRI, and optical imaging methods. Analysis, visualization, and management of these time series data sets is a growing field of research that has become increasingly important both for experimentalists and theorists interested in brain function. Written by investigators who have played an important role in developing the subject and in its pedagogical exposition, the current volume addresses the need for a textbook in this interdisciplinary area. The book is written for a broad spectrum of readers ranging from physical scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians wishing to educate themselves about neuroscience, to biologists who would like to learn time series analysis methods in particular and refresh their mathematical and statistical knowledge in general, through self-pedagogy. It may also be used as a supplement for a quantitative course in neurobiology or as a textbook for instruction on neural signal processing. The first part of the book contains a set of essays meant to provide conceptual background which are not technical and shall be generally accessible. Salient features include the adoption of an active perspective of the nervous system, an emphasis on function, and a brief survey of different theoretical accounts in neuroscience. The second part is the longest in the book, and contains a refresher course in mathematics and statistics leading up to time series analysis techniques. The third part contains applications of data analysis techniques to the range of data sources indicated above (also available as part of the Chronux data analysis platform from http://chronux.org), and the fourth part contains special topics.
A low delay algorithm for the multiple access channel with Rayleigh fading

A new algorithm is proposed for the multiple access channel with flat Rayleigh fading in a single cell. It is assumed the fading values are known to both the receiver and transmitter. Unlike previous algorithms, this algorithm considers the throughput under constraints of outage and delay. This is done by combining the advantages of TDMA (low delay, small outage) with the advantages of the optimized throughput algorithm. In the proposed algorithm only one user transmits at any moment making successive decoding and/or rate splitting unnecessary. A single parameter controls the similarity of the algorithm to TDMA vs. the similarity to the optimized throughput algorithm. The algorithm's performance is a continuous function of the parameter i.e., if the algorithm is more TDMA like, its performance (throughput, delay, outage) are also similar to TDMA and vice versa.
Establishing the IT Student’s Perspective to e-Learning: Preliminary Findings from a Queensland University of Technology Case

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is committed to providing outstanding learning environments and programs that lead to excellent outcomes for students. This paper will discuss how the Faculty of Information Technology is helping to meet this commitment by using information and communication technology to transform teaching and learning in ways in which engage and challenge students. The paper will provide a case study explore how e-learning is being implemented within the Bachelor of Information Technology. The paper will discuss the practical implications of incorporating e-learning into the teaching curriculum and how it impacts on the teaching and learning process. Student attitudes and expectations towards e-learning will be explored. The paper concludes that e-learning should be a part of a ‘whole of learning’ approach in which technology is not just an add on to traditional teaching, nor is it the central focus of teaching, but rather, it is one of many tools that is integrated into the curriculum to foster learning. The current project suggests that students appreciate and prefer a mix of e-learning and face-to-face classes and that e-learning is most successful when a holistic approach to teaching and learning is taken.
Retrospective radiographic evaluation of the interforaminal region with spiral computerized tomography: adequacy for dental implant placement related to age and dental status

SUMMARY The aim of this study was to evaluate the variation of the anatomical landmarks at interforaminal region with age and dental status by examining spiral computed tomographies. Fifty young (≤40) and 50 older (>40) patients’ interforaminal regions were evaluated with spiral computed tomographic images. In both age groups, 25 of the patients were fully dentate up to mandibular bicuspids contralaterally and the rest were completely edentate at interforaminal region including mandibular bicuspids. The distances between mental foramen to alveolar crest (MF-AC), mental foramen to lower cortex (MF-LC), mental foramen to lingual external border (MF-LEB), mental foramen to contralateral mental foramen (MF-MF), and the height (HMF) and width of MF (WMF) and anterior loop of mental foramen (ML) were measured by an experienced calibrated clinician. In spiral computed tomographic images, MF-AC and MF-LC were significantly lower in edentate subjects being independent of age (p 0.05). The anatomical landmarks at interforaminal region more likely depend on dental status rather than the age. Safety zone should be 3 mm far from MF for dental implant placement in interforaminal region as the anterior loop of mental foramen was measured as approximately 3 mm.
THE PK ZONE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

ASTRACT: There has been a re cent in crease in qual i ta tive re search to help un cover pro cess ori ented as pects of per form ing psi. In for mal re ports (Isaacs, 1992; Stan ford, 1977/1986) and de scrip tive anal y ses (Gissurarson, 1997) have re vealed a num ber of fac tors that seem to cor re late with PK per for mance. This study used the phenomenological method to an a lyze the spon ta ne ous and in ten tional ex pe ri ences of eight par tic i pants t o try to better un der stand its mean ing and na ture. There ap pears to be one core PK ex pe ri ence, which is far more fluid than nor mal ex pe ri ence. Rather than dis crete el e ments, there are con stit u ents that form a fluid pat te rn, or ganic in qual ity. Fif teen con stit u ents were found for all PK ex pe ri ences (with 2 more t h at ap pear in in ten tional PK). They are: 1) the pres ence of an al tered state of con scious ness; 2) a sense of con nec tion to the tar get or other peo ple that in volves a tran scen dent level of in ter con nec ted ness; 3) a feel ing of dis so ci a tion from the in di vid ual ego iden tity; 4) sus pen sion of the in tel lect; 5) the pres ence of play ful ness and/or peak lev els of emo tion; 6) a sense of en ergy, that may have a tran scen dent qual ity; 7) the phys i cal state may con trib u te to, and re flect, PK en ergy; 8) aware ness is fo cused; 9) re lease of ef fort/at ten tion; 10) a n al tered sense of time; 11) in vest ment; 12) open ness to the ex pe ri ence; 13) im pact o n feel ings and/or worldview; 14) a sense of “know ing”; and 15) over lap with ESP. Wit h in ten tional PK there are also: 16) guid ing the pro cess; and 17) trust ing the pro cess. This pa per briefly re views some of the more im por tant as pects of these con stit u ents, and how it might im pact on our un der stand ing of PK and fu ture re search.
Electrophysiological Evidence of Object Processing in Visual Working Memory

There is an ongoing debate concerning object-based or feature-based processing when objects are stored in visual working memory (VWM). The present study demonstrates that object processing depends not only on the irrelevant features but also on the number of objects to be remembered. In a change-detection paradigm, participants were asked to memorize two, four, or six object colors for later detection and ignore the object shapes. The processing of task-irrelevant shapes was evaluated. The results of Experiment 1 showed that object-based processing dominated in VWM when memory load was two or four, but feature-based processing took over when the memory load was six, as indicated by the N2pc potentials. Experiment 2 used detailed random polygons that were defined by color and shape as memory items. The level of memory load was limited to two and four colors. The results showed that the N2pc potential only appeared in the color-matched condition and was not affected by memory load, suggesting that feature-based processing dominated whenever the task demand was low. These results support the notion of a discrete model of object processing in VWM that allocates discrete mechanism for different features. Furthermore, our study highlights the relationship between working memory resources and object processing in VWM.
Out of the shadows: exploring the lives of the Birmingham Polish

Using an oral history methodology this thesis explores the lives of the Birmingham Polish people. The first wave Polish migrants who arrived in Birmingham post 1939 were distinctly affected by the consequence of the Second World War. Polish migrants in Birmingham are not homogeneous and yet are linked by the Catholic faith which has served to both include and exclude members. The importance of Polish history was pertinent for many of the respondents of this study and the thesis identifies the relevance of loss and trauma, resulting from this history for Polish migrants in Birmingham. These experiences of loss, trauma of war and ethnic conflict, although unique to the Polish and other migrants fleeing both Stalin and Nazism, resonate with those of new migrant communities of refugees and asylum seekers today, who also face issues of loss, trauma and abuse and this affects the way that they live their lives in the private and public sphere.