Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vision Performance With a Contact Lens Designed to Slow Myopia Progression

Purpose Recent research suggests multizone/dual-focus (DF) lens corrections may aid in controlling the progression of myopia. Recently, such a soft contact lens has become commercially available in Hong Kong (MiSight, CooperVision). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the visual acceptability of this new lens design. Methods In a double-masked, randomized, crossover trial, 24 subjects (aged 18 to 25 years) wore MiSight contact lenses and Proclear Multifocal +2.00 diopters Add D (MF) soft contact lenses. Patient-reported outcomes (0 to 100 scale) and objective measures of visual performance were acquired for best-spectacle distance correction (BC) and with each contact lens after 1 week of daily use at HIHC (high illumination–high contrast) at distance and LILC (low illumination–low contrast) at distance, intermediate, and near. Results There were no significant differences in HIHC distance acuity between BC and either the DF or MF lens and no difference between the DF and MF lenses. However, when measured under LILC, there were significant mean differences between each study lens and BC viewed at distance and intermediate. The LILC logMAR visual acuity was not significantly different between the DF and MF lenses at any viewing distance. Although average visual quality and ghosting ratings for both DF and MF study lenses were significantly lower than habitual under all conditions, there were no significant differences between the DF and MF lenses (p = 0.448). Conclusions Good acuity, similar to that attainable with typical MF lens correction, is attainable with a new contact lens designed to control myopia progression. However, like other contact lenses that contain multiple refractive zones, some decrease in visual performance may be experienced.
The Buteyko breathing technique in effective asthma management

According to the Asthma Society of Ireland Ireland is ‘Top in Europe for high asthma rates. The European Respiratory Society has also noted that Ireland has a comparatively high adult mortality rate for asthma, and is at the top of the European table after Serbia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The situation is equally worrying for childhood asthma, with Ireland listed in the countries with the most cases of childhood wheezing and asthma.
Novelist Calls Out Poemist: A Psycholinguistic and Contrastive Analysis of the Errors in Turkish EFL Learners- Interlanguage

— This study is designed to investigate errors emerged in written texts produced by 30 Turkish EFL learners with an explanatory, and thus, qualitative perspective. Erroneous language elements were identified by the researcher first and then their grammaticality and intelligibility were checked by five native speakers of English. The analysis of the data showed that it is difficult to claim that an error stems from only one single factor since different features of an error are triggered by different factors. Our findings revealed two different types of errors: those which stem from the interference of L1 with L2 and those which are developmental ones. The former type contains more global errors whereas the errors in latter type are more intelligible.
The influence of previous low back trouble, general health, and working conditions on future sick-listing because of low back trouble. A 15-year follow-up study of risk indicators for self-reported sick-listing caused by low back trouble.

STUDY DESIGN A 15-year follow-up study. OBJECTIVE To find risk indicators for self-reported sick-listing because of low back trouble and to evaluate which variables were the most important indicators of work incapacity resulting from low back trouble during the follow-up period of 15 years. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The initial data were obtained from a health survey conducted in a general population from the Municipality of Glostrup, Denmark. The follow-up data included information from the Central Person Register, the Early Retirement Pension Register, and a postal questionnaire regarding self-reported sick-listing because of low back trouble. METHODS An epidemiologic study, in which logistic regression analyses were used for evaluation of the data. The model used consisted of the variable in question, age, gender, and previous experience of low back trouble, along with interactions. RESULTS It was found that 22 of 37 variables were risk indicators for later self-reported sick-listing because of low back trouble during the preceding year or the 7 years before the date of follow-up evaluation. In analyzing the most significant variables simultaneously, it was found that information from the initial investigation about sick-listing in general during the previous 10 years, sciatic pain, use of analgesics for low back trouble, previous sick-listing because of low back trouble, and occupation were the most important risk indicators for self-reported work incapacity resulting from low back trouble during the follow-up period of 15 years. CONCLUSION Findings showed that the strongest prognostic indicators of later sick-listing because of low back trouble involve information from the person about previous sick-listing behavior in general and previous experience of low back trouble episodes, especially if these had been accompanied by sciatic pain, use of analgesics, or previous low back trouble sick-listing.
A 0.9-/spl mu/A Quiescent Current Output-Capacitorless LDO Regulator With Adaptive Power Transistors in 65-nm CMOS

An ultra-low quiescent current output-capacitorless low-dropout (OCL-LDO) regulator with adaptive power transistors technique is presented in this paper. The proposed technique permits the regulator to transform itself between 2-stage and 3-stage cascaded topologies with respective power transistor, depending on the load current condition. As such, it enables the OCL-LDO regulator to achieve ultra-low power consumption, high stability and good transient response without the need of off-chip capacitor at the output. The proposed LDO regulator has been implemented and fabricated in a UMC 65-nm CMOS process. It occupies an active area of 0.017 mm2 . The measured results have shown that the proposed circuit consumes a quiescent current of 0.9 μA at no load, regulating the output at 1 V from a voltage supply of 1.2 V. It achieves full range stability from 0 to 100 mA load current at a maximum 100 pF parasitic capacitance load. The measured transient output voltage is 68.8 mV when load current is stepped from 0 to 100 mA in 300 ns with CL = 100 pF. The recovery time is about 6 μs. Compared to previously reported counterparts, the proposed OCL-LDO regulator shows a significant improvement in term of OCL-LDO transient figure-of-merit (FOM) as well as balanced performance parameters in terms of PSR, line regulation and load regulation.
Cantonese tone production performance of mainstream school children with hearing impairment

Abstract This study investigated the Cantonese tone production ability of children with hearing impairment studying in mainstream schools. The participants were 87 Cantonese-speaking children with mild-to-profound degrees of hearing loss aged 5.92–13.58 in Hong Kong. Most of the children were fitted with hearing aids (n = 65); 17 of them had profound hearing impairment, one who had severe hearing loss had cochlear implantation, and four who had mild hearing loss were without any hearing device. The Hong Kong Cantonese Articulation Test was administered, and the tones produced were rated by two of the authors and a speech-language pathologist. Group effects of tones, hearing loss level, and also an interaction of the two were found to be significant. The children with profound hearing impairment performed significantly worse than most of the other children. Tone 1 was produced most accurately, whereas tone 6 productions were the poorest. No relationship was found between the number of years of mainstreaming and tone production ability. Tone production error pattern revealed that confusion patterns in tone perception coincided with those in production. Tones having a similar fundamental frequency (F0) at the onset also posed difficulty in tone production for children with hearing impairment.
Logistic Regression Likelihood Ratio Test Analysis for Detecting Signals of Adverse Events in Post-market Safety Surveillance

ABSTRACT The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and other product surveillance systems compile reports of product-associated adverse events (AEs), and these reports may include a wide range of information including age, gender, and concomitant vaccines. Controlling for possible confounding variables such as these is an important task when utilizing surveillance systems to monitor post-market product safety. A common method for handling possible confounders is to compare observed product–AE combinations with adjusted baseline frequencies where the adjustments are made by stratifying on observable characteristics. Though approaches such as these have proven to be useful, in this article we propose a more flexible logistic regression approach which allows for covariates of all types rather than relying solely on stratification. Indeed, a main advantage of our approach is that the general regression framework provides flexibility to incorporate additional information such as demographic factors and concomitant vaccines. As part of our covariate-adjusted method, we outline a procedure for signal detection that accounts for multiple comparisons and controls the overall Type 1 error rate. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we illustrate our method with an example involving febrile convulsion, and we further evaluate its performance in a series of simulation studies.
Brisk walking offsets the increase in postprandial TAG concentrations found when changing to a diet with increased carbohydrate

We tested the hypothesis that 30 min of brisk walking daily would offset the increase in plasma TAG concentrations associated with substituting dietary fat for carbohydrate. Fourteen subjects (six males) aged 57 (sd 5) years underwent three 4 d trials in a counterbalanced order: (i) 4 d on a typical UK diet (40 % energy from fat, 45 % carbohydrate and 15 % protein); (ii) 4 d on an isoenergetic diet but substituting fat for carbohydrate in line with the present recommendations (30 % fat, 55 % carbohydrate and 15 % protein); (iii) 4 d on the same recommended diet with 30 min of brisk walking each day. The food provided for the first 3 d of each trial was isoenergetic with each volunteer's previously determined daily energy intake. On day 4, the subjects consumed breakfast, lunch and an early evening meal, equivalent in total to 90 % of their daily energy intake. Blood samples were collected and substrate utilisation and energy expenditure were determined in the fasted state and for 9 h postprandially. Substrate utilisation differed significantly among trials (P = 0·003); RER was higher on the recommended diet trial than during either of the other two trials (P = 0·012 and 0·021 for the UK diet and recommended diet with walking, respectively). The rise in plasma TAG concentrations over the day was steeper on the recommended diet trial than on the other two trials (trial × time interaction, P = 0·040). The increase in postprandial TAG concentrations associated with substituting dietary fat for carbohydrate was offset by 30 min of brisk walking daily.
Model selection in regression under structural constraints

The paper considers model selection in regression under the additional structural constraints on admissible models where the number of potential predictors might be even larger than the available sample size. We develop a Bayesian formalism as a natural tool for generating a wide class of model selection criteria based on penalized least squares estimation with various complexity penalties associated with a prior on a model size. The resulting criteria are adaptive to structural constraints. We establish the upper bound for the quadratic risk of the resulting MAP estimator and the corresponding lower bound for the minimax risk over a set of admissible models of a given size. We then specify the class of priors (and, therefore, the class of complexity penalties) where for the "nearly-orthogonal" design the MAP estimator is asymptotically at least nearly-minimax (up to a log-factor) simultaneously over an entire range of sparse and dense setups. Moreover, when the numbers of admissible models are "small" (e.g., ordered variable selection) or, on the opposite, for the case of complete variable selection, the proposed estimator achieves the exact minimax rates.
A comparative study of the usability of touch-based and mouse-based interaction

Purpose – This paper is about an investigation into the usability of touch-based user interfaces. Currently, not enough knowledge is available to guide user interface designers and developers concerning the appropriate use of touch-based technology. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt an empirical approach using an experiment to test the effectiveness and user satisfaction of touch-based interaction compared with equivalent mouse-based interaction. The authors had two abstract type tasks and one contextualised task using the two methods of interaction. The authors measured errors, task time and user satisfaction. Findings – The data were statistically analysed and the statistically significant results show that overall the mouse-based interaction was faster, caused fewer errors and was preferred by the participants. Originality/value – These results are interesting for all user interface designers and developers, where the authors make some design sugges.
Smelting in the Shadow of the Iron Mountain: Preliminary Field Investigation of the Industrial Landscape around Phnom Dek, Cambodia (Ninth to Twentieth Centuries a.d.)

abstract: The high-grade mineral ores of the Phnom Dek region in central Cambodia have long been suspected of playing a major role in the rise of Angkor, the largest medieval polity in mainland Southeast Asia. This article presents the first comprehensive study by the Industries of Angkor Project (INDAP) to document the extent of industrial activity in this region and test this important relationship. Using a combination of intensive field survey, surface collection, and archaeometallurgical analysis, we evaluate the temporal and spatial patterning of iron production and the heterogeneity of smelting systems. The identification of at least three different smelting traditions has a significant impact on the current view that twentieth-century Kuay smelting practices extend deep into Cambodia’s history, and their relationship with Angkor in particular. More broadly, the survey demonstrates the importance of Phnom Dek as a major production zone on par with more well-known examples in Roman Europe and Africa.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Life Satisfaction in a Representative Adolescent and Adult Sample

Abstract Although it is well documented that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with reduced life satisfaction, the mechanisms that might explain this co-occurrence are unclear. We examined the correlation of ADHD symptoms with life satisfaction and whether this association is mediated by (lacking) social support and depressive symptoms. Self-reported ADHD symptoms, life satisfaction, social support, and depressive symptoms were assessed in a representative, predominantly adult sample from the general population (14–91 years, N = 2517). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms correlated negatively with life satisfaction (r = −0.41, p < 0.01), even after demographic factors (gender, age, income) and common risk factors (not being in a relationship, being unemployed) were controlled for (r = −0.39, p < 0.01). Social support mediated up to 23% and depressive symptoms up to 44% in the association between ADHD symptoms and life satisfaction. Counteracting problems with social relationships and treating depressive symptoms may help to increase life satisfaction in adults with ADHD symptoms.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sen1 as a Model for the Study of Mutations in Human Senataxin That Elicit Cerebellar Ataxia

The nuclear RNA and DNA helicase Sen1 is essential in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is required for efficient termination of RNA polymerase II transcription of many short noncoding RNA genes. However, the mechanism of Sen1 function is not understood. We created a plasmid-based genetic system to study yeast Sen1 in vivo. Using this system, we show that (1) the minimal essential region of Sen1 corresponds to the helicase domain and one of two flanking nuclear localization sequences; (2) a previously isolated terminator readthrough mutation in the Sen1 helicase domain, E1597K, is rescued by a second mutation designed to restore a salt bridge within the first RecA domain; and (3) the human ortholog of yeast Sen1, Senataxin, cannot functionally replace Sen1 in yeast. Guided by sequence homology between the conserved helicase domains of Sen1 and Senataxin, we tested the effects of 13 missense mutations that cosegregate with the inherited disorder ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 on Sen1 function. Ten of the disease mutations resulted in transcription readthrough of at least one of three Sen1-dependent termination elements tested. Our genetic system will facilitate the further investigation of structure–function relationships in yeast Sen1 and its orthologs.
Heterosis and combining ability in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Ten parents of bitter gourd viz., Solan Hara, Pusa Do-Mousmi, BG-14, Green Long, MDU-1, IC-85605, IC-45346, IC-68272-1, IC-68237 and Solan Collection and their forty five crosses (using half diallelic system) along with check viz., Jhalri, US-6214 and US-6203 were evaluated in field trials in two locations Udaipur and Chittaurgarh in two different seasons which consists four environments. Economical heterobeltiosis for yield per vine (kg) were recorded in IC 85605 x IC 45346 (38.94%) and MDU 1 x IC 85605 (34.98%) over the environments. Good general combiners for various economic traits IC-68237 for number of primary branches per vine (0.09), fruit length (0.52), fruit diameter (0.17) & number of fruits per vine (0.22) over the pooled environments. SCA (Specific Combining Ability) for economic traits were observed in Solan Collection x IC 68237 (1.24) for number of fruits per vine, IC 68237 x MDU-1 for fruit length (1.82) and fruit weight (7.81). These results indicate that both additive and non-additive gene effects are involved in the inheritance of the studied traits. The additive gene action was more important than the non-additive ones in the genetics of most studied traits.
Long streamers in the upper atmosphere above thundercloud

It has been suggested that optical flashes observed in the upper atmosphere above giant thunderstorms (red sprites) are due to streamers. Such streamers are initiated in the lower ionosphere by electron patches caused by electromagnetic radiation from horizontal intracloud lightning and then develop downward in the static electric field due to the thundercloud. The triggering conditions of streamer development are analysed in the paper. Using similarity relations, known characteristics of streamer tips obtained earlier in laboratory conditions are extended to a description of streamers in rare air. Streamer growth in the nonuniform atmosphere is calculated. It is shown that streamers first appear at a height of about 80 km and then grow downward to slightly below 50 km, where they are terminated. This is in agreement with red sprite observations. An altitude distribution of the streamer generated plasma is obtained. The simple models of streamer development presented in this paper could be applied for computations of streamers growing in various other conditions.
Specification of Cerebellar Progenitors After Heterotopic–Heterochronic Transplantation to the Embryonic CNSIn Vivo and In Vitro

The different cerebellar phenotypes are generated according to a precise time schedule during embryonic and postnatal development. To assess whether the differentiative potential of cerebellar progenitors is progressively restricted in space and time we examined the fate of embryonic day 12 (E12) or postnatal day 4 (P4) cerebellar cells after heterotopic–heterochronic transplantation into the embryonic rat brain in utero or into organotypic CNS explants in vitro. Donor cells, isolated from transgenic mice overexpressing the enhanced-green fluorescent protein under the control of the β-actin-promoter, engrafted throughout the host brainstem and diencephalon, whereas they rarely incorporated into specific telencephalic structures. In any recipient site, the vast majority of transplanted cells could be recognized as cerebellar phenotypes, and we did not obtain clear evidence that ectopically located cells adopted host-specific identities. Nevertheless, the two donor populations displayed different developmental potentialities. P4 progenitors exclusively generated granule cells and molecular layer interneurons, indicating that they are committed to late-generated cerebellar identities and not responsive to heterotopic–heterochronic environmental cues. In contrast, E12 precursors had the potential to produce all major cerebellar neurons, but the repertoire of adult phenotypes generated by these cells was different in distinct host regions, suggesting that they require instructive environmental information to acquire mature identities. Thus, cerebellar precursors are able to integrate into different foreign brain regions, where they develop mature phenotypes that survive long after transplantation, but they are committed to cerebellar fates at E12. Embryonic progenitors are initially capable, although likely not competent, to generate all cerebellar identities, but their potential is gradually restricted toward late-generated phenotypes.
Intelligent transport systems : privacy, security and societal considerations within the Gauteng case study

Intelligent Transport System (ITS) is an umbrella term that describes the integration of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and applications used in effective road network management. These applications include CCTV surveillance and automated tolling through the use of radio communication infrastructure such as e-tags highway gantries. These technologies may assist in the improvement of road networks, ultimately resulting in the development of the economy and prosperity of the country. As the capture of personal information is essential in an ITS, information ethical concerns surrounding privacy and security of personal information belonging to motorists have been raised. Technologies utilised by ITS place motorists under constant surveillance and monitor transit behaviour in real time. However, the big question is whether or not such technological sophistication and economic gains are the primary success factor to any ITS. While these technologies may assist in the improvement of the physical infrastructure of a country, ignoring social impact issues, in the current economic climate, may be catastrophic to the success of a system. An investigation into international examples of such systems and the ITS currently in the implementation phase in Gauteng, South Africa, offers some insight into the ethical considerations and concerns around the management of Gauteng motorists' information as they begin to register for the new system.