Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Use of Mobile Health Applications to Improve Patient Experience: Cross-Sectional Study in Chinese Public Hospitals

Background The proliferation of mobile health apps has greatly changed the way society accesses the health care industry. However, despite the widespread use of mobile health apps by patients in China, there has been little research that evaluates the effect of mobile health apps on patient experience during hospital visits. Objective The purpose of our study was to examine whether the use of mobile health apps improves patient experience and to find out the difference in patient experience between users and nonusers and the characteristics associated with the users of these apps. Methods We used the Chinese Outpatient Experience Questionnaire to survey patient experience. A sample of 300 outpatients was randomly selected from 3 comprehensive public hospitals (3 tertiary hospitals) in Hubei province, China. Each hospital randomly selected 50 respondents from mobile health app users and 50 from nonusers. A chi-square test was employed to compare the different categorical characteristics between mobile health app users and nonusers. A t test was used to test the significance in continuous variables between user scores and nonuser scores. Multiple linear regression was conducted to determine whether the use of mobile health apps during hospital visits was associated with patient experience. Results The users and nonusers differed in age (χ22=12.2, P=.002), education (χ23=9.3, P=.03), living place (χ21=7.7, P=.006), and the need for specialists (χ24=11.0, P=.03). Compared with nonusers, mobile health app users in China were younger, better educated, living in urban areas, and had higher demands for specialists. In addition, mobile health app users gave significantly higher scores than nonusers in total patient experience scores (t298=3.919, P<.001), the 18 items and the 5 dimensions of physician-patient communication (t298=2.93, P=.004), health information (t298=3.556, P<.001), medical service fees (t298=3.991, P<.001), short-term outcome (t298=4.533, P<.001), and general satisfaction (t298=4.304, P<.001). Multiple linear regression results showed that the use of mobile health apps during hospital visits influenced patient experience (t289=3.143, P=.002). After controlling for other factors, it was shown that the use of mobile health apps increased the outpatient experience scores by 17.7%. Additional results from the study found that the self-rated health status (t289=3.746, P<.001) and monthly income of patients (t289=2.416, P=.02) influenced the patient experience as well. Conclusions The use of mobile health apps could improve patient experience, especially with regard to accessing health information, making physician-patient communication more convenient, ensuring transparency in medical charge, and ameliorating short-term outcomes. All of these may contribute to positive health outcomes. Therefore, we should encourage the adoption of mobile health apps in health care settings so as to improve patient experience.
Been There, Done That: Meta-Learning with Episodic Recall

Meta-learning agents excel at rapidly learning new tasks from open-ended task distributions; yet, they forget what they learn about each task as soon as the next begins. When tasks reoccur - as they do in natural environments - metalearning agents must explore again instead of immediately exploiting previously discovered solutions. We propose a formalism for generating open-ended yet repetitious environments, then develop a meta-learning architecture for solving these environments. This architecture melds the standard LSTM working memory with a differentiable neural episodic memory. We explore the capabilities of agents with this episodic LSTM in five meta-learning environments with reoccurring tasks, ranging from bandits to navigation and stochastic sequential decision problems.
Neural Correlates of Emotion Processing in Word Detection Task

In our previous study, we have proposed a three-stage model of emotion processing; in the current study, we investigated whether the ERP component may be different when the emotional content of stimuli is task-irrelevant. In this study, a dual-target rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task was used to investigate how the emotional content of words modulates the time course of neural dynamics. Participants performed the task in which affectively positive, negative, and neutral adjectives were rapidly presented while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 18 undergraduates. The N170 component was enhanced for negative words relative to positive and neutral words. This indicates that automatic processing of negative information occurred at an early perceptual processing stage. In addition, later brain potentials such as the late positive potential (LPP) were only enhanced for positive words in the 480–580-ms post-stimulus window, while a relatively large amplitude signal was elicited by positive and negative words between 580 and 680 ms. These results indicate that different types of emotional content are processed distinctly at different time windows of the LPP, which is in contrast with the results of studies on task-relevant emotional processing. More generally, these findings suggest that a negativity bias to negative words remains to be found in emotion-irrelevant tasks, and that the LPP component reflects dynamic separation of emotion valence.
The rate of apoptosis in post mitotic neutrophil precursors of normal and neutropenic humans

Using data on the fraction of post-mitotic neutrophil precursors (CD15+ cells) displaying positive markers for apoptosis in 12 normal humans, and a simple mathematical model, we have estimated the apoptotic rate to be about 0.28/day in this compartment. This implies that the influx of myelocytes into the post-mitotic compartment exceeds twice the granulocyte turnover rate (GTR), and that about 55% of the cells entering this compartment die before being released into the blood. The normal half life of apoptotic post-mitotic neutrophil precursors is calculated to be 10.4 h. Comparable calculations for patients indicate apoptosis rates in the post-mitotic compartment of about 17 times normal for one myelokathexis patient and rates of about 13 times normal for the one cyclical neutropenic patient and two severe congenital neutropenic patients. The estimated half life for apoptotic post-mitotic neutrophil precursors in the myelokathexis patient was about 0.4 h, 1.4 h in the cyclical neutropenia patient, and about 0.6 h in the severe congenital neutropenic patients.
Dynamic hyperinflation during the 6-min walk test in severely asthmatic subjects

We tested the hypothesis that dynamic hyperinflation develops in severe asthmatic subjects during exercise. Changes in inspiratory capacity (IC) were measured during the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in severe asthmatic subjects compared with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects with a similar degree of bronchial obstruction. We assessed whether changes in IC were associated with changes in dyspnoea perception. 27 severe asthmatic subjects (10 males and 17 females) and 43 COPD subjects (35 males and eight females) were recruited. The two groups performed similarly in the 6MWT (p=0.90). At the end of the test, the Borg score increased significantly in both groups (mean difference: for asthmatic subjects 1.7±1.6; p<0.0001; for COPD subjects 3.1±1.9; p<0.0001). IC measured at the beginning of 6MWT was not different between groups (2.25±0.47 L in asthmatic subjects versus 2.38±0.60 L in COPD subjects; p=0.32) and decreased in both groups (mean difference: for asthmatic subjects 0.160 L; p=0.02; for COPD subjects 0.164 L; p<0.0001). However, changes in IC were significantly associated with changes in the Borg score in the COPD group (r2=0.17; p=0.006), but not in the asthma group (r2=0.06; p=0.20). In severe asthmatic subjects, IC significantly drops during the 6MWT to the same extent as COPD subjects with a similar degree of lung impairment, indicating the development of dynamic hyperinflation. Contrary to COPD, in asthmatic subjects the occurrence of dynamic hyperinflation was not associated with changes in dyspnoea perception. Severe asthma is characterised by occurrence of dynamic hyperinflation during exercise; inspiratory capacity drops in severe asthmatic subjects during the 6MWT to the same extent as in COPD subjects with similar lung impairment http://ow.ly/InfQ30jjivW
Okay to Say?: Initial Validation of the Acceptability of Racial Microaggressions Scale

Despite a growing body of research documenting the negative impact of racial microaggressions on racial and ethnic minorities’ wellbeing, there remains debate in society about whether it is acceptable to say racially microaggressive statements. However, no scale exists to assess attitudes about the acceptability of saying such statements. Objectives: In this study we present an initial validation of a new scale, the Acceptability of Racial Microaggressions Scale (ARMS), which assesses attitudes about how “okay” it is for White individuals to say different types of racially microaggressive statements to racial and ethnic minorities in an interpersonal interaction. Method and Results: We provide exploratory (Study 1; n = 596) and confirmatory (Study 2; n = 404) factor analytic support for the presence of four factors regarding acceptability of saying different types of microaggressive statements: Victim Blaming, Color Evasion, Power Evasion, and Exoticizing. We present evidence for construct validity by testing associations with several race-related, ideological, and personality measures. We provide evidence in Study 3 (n = 90) for test–retest reliability over a 2-week time period, and show associations between attitudes toward acceptability and self-reported likelihood of personal commission. Conclusions: Overall, we provide initial psychometric and validity evidence for the ARMS and discuss implications and potential uses of the scale.
Reactive Arthritis Due to Subcutaneous Abscess: A Possible Correlation?

Reactive arthritis is the specific entity of aseptic inflammatory arthritis and follows the previous infection in other parts of the body. The association of soft tissue infections with this disease is rare. A 63-year-old male patient after blunt trauma to the left knee progressively evolved with inflammatory signals and loss of joint function, followed by additive polyarthritis of large joints. He had bilateral knee arthroplasty, the last one three years ago. On clinical evaluation he had a non-mechanical, asymmetric polyarthritis of left shoulder, elbows, knees and ankles; periarticular edema on the medial left knee. Complementary exams showed leukocytosis. Septic arthritis and bacteraemia was suspected and administration of antibiotic was started after blood culture. A fluid collection of subcutaneous tissue on the medial left knee was demonstrated by ultrasound, which was drained revealing an abscess. Blood cultures and culture of the abscess were shown Streptococcus sp. Patient remained polyarthritis despite antibiotic therapy and drainage of the abscess. Reactive arthritis was considered; corticosteroids were started with complete and functional improvement of the joints in five days.
Lung cancer screening with MRI: characterization of nodules with different non-enhanced MRI sequences

Background There is increased interest in pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a radiation-free alternative to computed tomography (CT) for lung cancer screening. Purpose To analyze MRI characteristics of pulmonary nodules with different non-enhanced sequences. Material and Methods Eighty-two participants of a lung cancer screening were included. MRI datasets of 32 individuals with 46 different nodules ≥ 6 mm were prospectively evaluated together with 50 controls by two readers. Acquired sequences were T2- short tau inversion recovery (STIR), T2, balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP), 3D-T1, and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Each sequence was randomly and separately viewed blinded to low-dose CT (LDCT). Size, shape, and contrast of nodules were evaluated on each sequence and then correlated with LDCT and histopathology. Results All eight carcinomas were detected by T2-STIR, T2, and bSSFP, and 7/8 by 3D-T1. Contrast was significantly higher for malignant nodules on all sequences. The highest contrast ratio between malignant and benign nodules was provided by T2-STIR. Of eight carcinomas, seven showed restricted diffusion. Size measurement correlated significantly between MRI and LDCT. Sensitivity/specificity for nodules ≥ 6 mm was 85–89%/92–94% for T2-STIR, 80–87%/93–96% for T2, 65–70%/96–98% for bSSFP, and 63–67%/96–100% for 3D-T1. Seven of eight subsolid nodules were visible on T2-sequences with significantly lower lesion contrast compared to solid nodules. Two of eight subsolid nodules were detected by bSFFP, none by 3D-T1. All three calcified nodules were detected by 3D-T1, one by bSSFP, and none by T2-sequences. Conclusion Malignant as well as calcified and subsolid nodules seem to have distinctive characteristics on different MRI sequences. T2-imaging was most suitable for the detection of nodules ≥ 6 mm.
Learning and Testing Causal Models with Interventions

We consider testing and learning problems on causal Bayesian networks as defined by Pearl (Pearl, 2009). Given a causal Bayesian network $\mathcal{M}$ on a graph with $n$ discrete variables and bounded in-degree and bounded `confounded components', we show that $O(\log n)$ interventions on an unknown causal Bayesian network $\mathcal{X}$ on the same graph, and $\tilde{O}(n/\epsilon^2)$ samples per intervention, suffice to efficiently distinguish whether $\mathcal{X}=\mathcal{M}$ or whether there exists some intervention under which $\mathcal{X}$ and $\mathcal{M}$ are farther than $\epsilon$ in total variation distance. We also obtain sample/time/intervention efficient algorithms for: (i) testing the identity of two unknown causal Bayesian networks on the same graph; and (ii) learning a causal Bayesian network on a given graph. Although our algorithms are non-adaptive, we show that adaptivity does not help in general: $\Omega(\log n)$ interventions are necessary for testing the identity of two unknown causal Bayesian networks on the same graph, even adaptively. Our algorithms are enabled by a new subadditivity inequality for the squared Hellinger distance between two causal Bayesian networks.
Development of high-speed, high-resolution, and polarization-sensitive terahertz spectroscopic techniques = 고속, 고분해능, 그리고 편광 민감 테라헤르츠 분광 기술 개발에 관한 연구

Conventional terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), which uses a single mode-locked femtosecond (fs) laser and a mechanical delay method, has an inherent tradeoff between frequency resolution and measurement time since the frequency resolution is equal to the reciprocal of the overall time delay. Recently, asynchronous optical sampling (ASOPS) technique, which employs two fs lasers with slightly different repetition frequencies without a mechanical delay line, has been applied to THz-TDS to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional THz-TDS such as the trade-off between measurement time and time delay window, and the residual variation of beam pointing owing to the use of a mechanical delay line. Although the ASOPS technique was invented and used for time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy in 1987, it was in 2005 that the ASOPS technique was firstly applied for THz-TDS. Therefore, previous researches on THz spectroscopic technique using THz frequency comb are immature that there is room to enhance the spectroscopic techniques such as the measurement speed by avoiding the unnecessary time delay scanning. In this thesis, we have developed and demonstrated various high-speed, high-resolution, and polarization sensitive THz spectroscopic techniques. First, we have demonstrated and characterized two known highspeed, high-resolution THz spectroscopy: ASOPS THz-TDS and THz frequency comb spectroscopy (TFCS). For this, we have investigated stabilization of the repetition frequencies of the fs lasers and difference frequency optimization. As a central part of this thesis, we have demonstrated three new high-speed, highresolution THz spectroscopic techniques: (1) wavelet power spectrum estimation technique (WPSET), (2) THz frequency-comb multiheterodyne spectroscopy (TFCMS), and (3) electronically controlled optical sampling (ECOPS) THz-TDS. We have successfully applied WPSET, a denoising technique, to this highresolution THz-TDS. TFCMS has been newly implemented and proved its spectroscopic capability as a highresolution THz time-domain spectroscopy. Through the characterization of water vapor absorption lines, and ammonia, the high resolution capability of TFCMS has been tested. Also we have devised and implemented ECOPS THz-TDS, where the time delay between the two laser pulses have been rapidly swept by an external offset voltage applied to a locking electronics at a fast scan rate of 1 kHz. Lastly, we have developed a polarization sensitive THz spectroscopic technique. Using this technique, we have investigated the THz birefringence in various condensed matters, such as ZnO, Al2O3 and LiNbO3 , and the results are verified with ab initio calculations.
Turbulent diffusion and turbulent thermal diffusion of aerosols in stratified atmospheric flows

[1] The paper analyzes the phenomenon of turbulent thermal diffusion in the Earth atmosphere, its relation to the turbulent diffusion, and its potential impact on aerosol distribution. This phenomenon was predicted theoretically more than 10 years ago and detected recently in the laboratory experiments. This effect causes a nondiffusive flux of aerosols in the direction of the heat flux and results in formation of long-living aerosol layers in the vicinity of temperature inversions. We applied the theory of turbulent thermal diffusion to the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) aerosol observations near the tropopause in order to explain the shape of aerosol vertical profiles with elevated concentrations located almost symmetrically with respect to temperature profile. We demonstrate that this theory is in good agreement with the observed profiles of aerosol concentration and temperature in the vicinity of the tropopause. In combination with the derived expression for the dependence of the turbulent thermal diffusion ratio on the turbulent diffusion, these measurements yield an independent method for determining the coefficient of turbulent diffusion at the tropopause. We also derived a practically applicable formulation for dispersion of atmospheric trace species which takes into account the phenomenon of turbulent thermal diffusion. We evaluated the impact of turbulent thermal diffusion to the lower troposphere vertical profiles of aerosol concentration by means of numerical dispersion modeling and found a regular upward forcing of aerosols with coarse particles affected more strongly than fine aerosols.
Elevated expression of SOX 2 and FGFR 1 in correlation with poor prognosis in patients with small cell lung cancer

Objectives: The central issue in this study is to investigate the expression of Sex determining region Y-BOX2 (SOX2) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), evaluate their clinicopathological variables and prognostic significance in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Methods: Specimens from 222 SCLC patients and 53 adjacent normal lung tissues were detected by the immunohistochemistry for SOX2 and FGFR1 expression. The relationship between the expression of both markers and survival status was determined. Results: Overexpression of SOX2 and FGFR1 were revealed in SCLC tumors than in normal tissues (P<0.05). SOX2 expression was associated with clinical stage (P=0.014) and lymph node status (P=0.041). Besides, FGFR1 expression was significantly higher in ever smokers (P=0.030) and late stage SCLC (P=0.005). SOX2, FGFR1 and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and Recurrence-free survival (RFS) by multivariate analysis. In stage I patients, only overexpression of SOX2, but not of FGFR1, predicted poor OS (0.027) and RFS (P=0.013). According to the expression of SOX2 and FGFR1, patients were categorized into three groups. Patients with elevated expression of both markers belonged to the group with the shortest RFS (P<0.0001) and OS (P<0.0001). Conclusions: Increased expression of SOX2 and FGFR1 may be available as poor prognostic indicators in SCLC patients.
Association of epilepsy and asthma: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Background Epidemiologic data supporting the epilepsy–asthma association are insufficient. Therefore, we examined this association in this study. Methods By using claims data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (Taiwan), we executed a retrospective cohort analysis. Analysis 1 entailed comparing 150,827 patients diagnosed as having incident asthma during 1996–2013 with disease-free controls who were selected randomly during the same period, frequency matched in terms of age and sex. Similarly, analysis 2 entailed comparing 25,274 patients newly diagnosed as having epilepsy with sex- and age-matched controls who were selected randomly. At the end of 2013, we evaluated in analysis 1 the epilepsy incidence and risk and evaluated in analysis 2 the asthma incidence and risk. We applied Kaplan–Meier analysis to derive plots of the proportion of asthma-free seizures. Results In analysis 1, the asthma group exhibited a higher epilepsy incidence than did the control group (3.05 versus 2.26 per 1,000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio: 1.39, 95% CI [1.33–1.45]). We also noted a greater risk of subsequent epilepsy in women and girls. In analysis 2, we determined that the asthma incidence between the control and epilepsy groups did not differ significantly; however, some age subgroups including children and individuals in their 30s had an increased risk. A negative association was found in adolescents. The Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed epilepsy to be positively associated with subsequent onset of asthma within seven years of epilepsy diagnosis. Discussion Asthma may be associated with high epilepsy risk, and epilepsy may be associated with high asthma risk among children and individuals in their 30s. Nevertheless, people with epilepsy in other age subgroups should be aware of the possibility of developing asthma within seven years of epilepsy diagnosis.