Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wearable EEG-based Activity Recognition in PHM-related Service Environment via Deep Learning

It is of paramount importance to track the cognitive activity or cognitve attenion of the service personnel in a Prognostics and Health Monitoring (PHM) service related training or operation environment. The electroencephalography (EEG) data is one of the good candidates for cognitive activity recognition of the user. Analyzing electroencephalography (EEG) data in an unconstrained (natural) environment for understanding cognitive state and classifying human activity is a challenging task due to multiple reasons such as low signal-to-noise ratio, transient nature, lack of baseline availability and uncontrolled mixing of various tasks. This paper proposes a framework based on an emerging tool named deep learning that monitors human activity by fusing multiple EEG sensors and also selects a smaller sensor suite for a lean data collection system. Real-time classification of human activity from spatially non collocated multi-probe EEG is executed by applying deep learning techniques without performing any significant amount of data preprocessing and manual feature engineering. Two types of deep neural networks, deep belief network (DBN) and deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) are used at the core of the proposed framework, which automatically learns necessary features from EEG for a given classification task. Validation on extensive amount of data, which was collected from several subjects while they were performing multiple tasks (listening and watching) in PHM service training session, is presented and significant parallels are drawn from existing domain knowledge on EEG data understanding. Comparison with machine learning benchmark techniques shows that deep learning based tools are better at understanding EEG data for task classification. It is observed via sensor selection that a significantly smaller EEG sensor suite can perform at a comparable accuracy as the original sensor suite.
Sensory Processing in Adult ADHD – A Systematic Review

BackgroundThe way we perceive our environment is driven by our sensory nervous system and our attentional resources. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. While cognitive and behavior dysfunctions have broadly been investigated, sensory processing has received less scientific attention. It has been shown, that children with ADHD show processing and modulatory deficits in multiple sensory domains, but very few studies examine to what extent these deficits persist in adult life. We conducted a systematic review of studies investigating sensory processing in adult ADHD.Main BodyUsing the keywords ‘ADHD’ and ‘sensory processing’, Web of Science and MEDLINE database were systematically searched for all articles published up to March 2020. 53 studies were included. Mostly, visual and auditory processing are studied, few investigated multisensory audiovisual and somatosensory processing. In summary, adult ADHD is marked by increased sensory gaining and deficient sensory inhibition. These disturbed gaining and inhibitory mechanisms were most prominent in the auditory modality but also visual modality impairment in terms of stimuli modulation were evident. Electrophysiological studies show alterations across all event-related potential (ERP) components associated with distractibility at early components (bottom-up) and inhibition and stimulus discrimination at later components (top-down). Brain imaging studies on sensory processing in ADHD are scarce, few pointing to higher resting state functional connectivity in visual areas and visual crossmodal activation for auditory stimuli. ConclusionSensory processing deficits extent from childhood to adult ADHD. These deficits are mainly driven by higher distractibility by irrelevant stimuli and modulatory impairment for relevant stimuli. In future studies, the relation of impaired bottom-up and top-down attentional mechanisms should be investigated and how they contribute to sensory processing deficits and clinical symptomatology in adult ADHD. This could help to gather more information about the underling processing deficits, so that specific adjusted training can be provided, that helps to overcome deficits in daily life functioning in e.g., not producing appropriate adaptive responses in social settings.Trial registrationN/A
Localized Information Acquisition: What Do Two Billion EDGAR Queries Say About Who Acquires Information from SEC Filings and When?

This study reveals previously undocumented geography-related diversity in information acquisition. Exploiting the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval (EDGAR) server log, which tracks use by Internet Protocol (IP) address, we find that acquisition of information from historical filings by investors local to the firm increases significantly on days leading up to scheduled earnings announcements, which is triggered by inter-temporal changes in earnings uncertainty and varies predictably with exogenous firm relocation. Non-local investors, on the other hand, generally wait until the day of the earnings announcement, when new filings information becomes available. Greater pre-announcement information acquisition diversity is predicted to elicit stronger stock price reactions on earnings announcement days. Consistent with this prediction, we show that the earnings announcement-day premium is larger when pre-earnings announcement information acquisition by local investors is higher, controlling for time-variant and -invariant firm characteristics.
Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Young University Students from Quito, Ecuador

Introduction: Hypertension is the most common chronic non-contagious disease. High blood pressure is an important risk factor for premature mortality and contributes to the development of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. In spite of the fact that it is consider to be an adult disease, the frequency in young people has increased.
Associations between caregiver mental health and young children’s behaviour in a rural Kenyan sample

ABSTRACT Background: Research shows that caregiver mental health problems have direct, significant effects on child behaviour. While these risks are amplified in low-resource settings, limited evidence exists from these places, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: We measured associations between caregiver mental health and child behaviour in a rural Kenyan sample, hypothesizing that higher rates of caregiver mental health would be associated with increased child behavioural problems. We also sought to provide an overview of caregiver mental health symptoms in our sample. Method: Cross-sectional data were collected from caregivers of children ages 4–5 years old enrolled in a community-based early child development programme in western Kenya. 465 caregivers were recruited and assessed at baseline, and answered questions about child behaviour, mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress), and help-seeking. A multivariate linear regression model was used to assess significance of each mental health factor. Results: Caregiver anxiety (p = 0.01) and parenting stress (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with child behavioural problems. 245 caregivers (52.9%) had high levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, or both; furthermore, 101 caregivers (21.7%) scored above the cut-off for both of these scales. A high proportion of our sample (60.6%) reported seeking some formal or informal psychosocial support services; however, less than one-third of these caregivers were symptomatic (30.9%). Conclusion: Anxiety and stress were associated with poorer child behavioural outcomes. Our sample reflected a higher prevalence of caregiving adults with mental health symptomology than previous estimates from Kenya, with few high-symptom caregivers seeking support. We discuss further implications for programming and health services delivery.
Lignin-Coated Polystyrene/Trichloromethylsilane Absorbent for Oil Spill Cleanup

The study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of lignin-polystyrene/ trichloromethylsilane (TL-PS) absorbent in removing oil spillage from wastewater. Lignin powder obtained from the delignification of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) was coated with PS emulsion (PSE) at various concentrations (2, 4, 6, & 8 mL) in order to bind the powder into an aggregated form. Later, L-PS was exposed to trichloromethylsilane (TCMS) via chemical vapour deposition method (CVD) at fixed 7.5 min exposure time to form TL-PS absorbent. The wettability of TL-PS was determined by conducting water contact angle (WCA) measurement and oil sorption capacity. It was found that TL-PS4 sample (immersed in 8 mL PSE) had the highest WCA value (134.10°) and oil sorption capacity (52%) in comparison with L-PS4 (immersed in 8 mL PSE without TCMS) with WCA value of 99.10° and oil sorption capacity of 40%. Meanwhile, the disappearance of hydroxyl group (OH) at peak 3429 cm-1 and appearance of siloxane bonds (R-Si-O) at peak in range of 1000 1100 cm-1 and 3.9 4.0 ppm had confirmed the substitution occurred between these groups, as shown by the spectra obtained from attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Thermal stability of TL-PS4 (onset degradation temperature at 252 °C) was higher when compared with lignin (onset degradation temperature at 40 °C), as showed by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Meanwhile, the surface of absorbent had change from smooth (L-PS4) to rough (TL-PS4) corresponding to the deposition of silane particles onto the surface of L-PS after the exposure with TCMS, as shown by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results suggested that TL-PS has a promising potential to be used as an absorbent for oil spill cleanup.
Fractionation and Hydrolyzation of Avocado Peel Extract: Improvement of Antibacterial Activity

Avocado Hass (Persea americana Mill) peel extract (APE) has the potential as a natural ingredient to substitute for chemical preservatives. The objectives of this study were to assess the phytochemical composition by high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass/mass spectrometry (HPLC-qTOF-MS/MS), total phenolic content (TPC), proanthocyanidin (PAC) content, and antioxidant activity of the APE, the organic fraction (OF), the aqueous fraction (AF), and the acid-microwave hydrolyzed APE (HAPE), on the antibacterial activity (ABA). The results indicated that APE and OF contained (p ˂ 0.05) a higher phenolic composition and antioxidant activity than AF and HAPE. The ABA specified that Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus were inhibited by all the extracts (minimal inhibitory concentration—MIC ≥ 500 µg/mL), Staphylococcus aureus was only significantly inhibited by APE (≥750 µg/mL), the same MIC was observed for the OF on Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. The HAPE increased the inhibitory efficiency up to 25% on Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. (MIC ≥ 750 µg/mL), and 83.34% on L. monocytogenes (MIC ≥ 125 µg/mL) compared to APE (MIC ≥ 750 µg/mL). Also, HAPE inhibited the biofilm formation at the lowest concentration (125 µg/mL); meanwhile, the biofilm disruption showed to be concentration-time-dependent (p ˃ 0.05) compared to amoxicillin. In conclusion, the fractionation and hydrolyzation of APE improved the ABA; thus, those strategies are useful to design new antimicrobial compounds.
The Fornax Deep Survey with the VST

Context. The Fornax Deep Survey (FDS), an imaging survey in the u′, g′, r′, and i′-bands, has a supreme resolution and image depth compared to the previous spatially complete Fornax Cluster Catalog (FCC). Our new data allows us to study the galaxies down to r′-band magnitude mr′ ≈ 21 mag (Mr′ ≈ −10.5 mag), which opens a new parameter regime to investigate the evolution of dwarf galaxies in the cluster environment. After the Virgo cluster, Fornax is the second nearest galaxy cluster to us, and with its different mass and evolutionary state, it provides a valuable comparison that makes it possible to understand the various evolutionary effects on galaxies and galaxy clusters. These data provide an important legacy dataset to study the Fornax cluster. Aims. We aim to present the Fornax Deep Survey (FDS) dwarf galaxy catalog, focusing on explaining the data reduction and calibrations, assessing the quality of the data, and describing the methods used for defining the cluster memberships and first order morphological classifications for the catalog objects. We also describe the main scientific questions that will be addressed based on the catalog. This catalog will also be invaluable for future follow-up studies of the Fornax cluster dwarf galaxies. Methods. As a first step we used the SExtractor fine-tuned for dwarf galaxy detection, to find galaxies from the FDS data, covering a 26 deg2 area of the main cluster up to its virial radius, and the area around the Fornax A substructure. We made 2D-decompositions of the identified galaxies using GALFIT, measure the aperture colors, and the basic morphological parameters like concentration and residual flux fraction. We used color–magnitude, luminosity–radius and luminosity–concentration relations to separate the cluster galaxies from the background galaxies. We then divided the cluster galaxies into early- and late-type galaxies according to their morphology and gave first order morphological classifications using a combination of visual and parametric classifications. Results. Our final catalog includes 14 095 galaxies. We classify 590 galaxies as being likely Fornax cluster galaxies, of which 564 are dwarfs (Mr′ > −18.5 mag) consisting our Fornax dwarf catalog. Of the cluster dwarfs we classify 470 as early-types, and 94 as late-type galaxies. Our final catalog reaches its 50% completeness limit at magnitude Mr′ = −10.5 mag and surface brightness μ¯e,r′ = 26 mag arcsec−2, which is approximately three magnitudes deeper than the FCC. Based on previous works and comparison with a spectroscopically confirmed subsample, we estimate that our final Fornax dwarf galaxy catalog has ≲10% contamination from the background objects.
In vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition and antioxidant activity by capsaicin and piperine from Capsicum chinense and Piper nigrum fruits

Abstract In the present study, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory effect and antioxidant activity of capsaicin and piperine from the ethanolic extract of Capsicum chinense (EECch) and Piper nigrum (EEPn) fruits were investigated. Results revealed that EECch exhibited the highest phenolic (154 mg GAE/100 g of tissue) and flavonoid content (75 mg RtE/100 g of tissue) in comparison with EEPn. The predominant compound detected in EECch and EEPn by GC-EIMS analysis was the capsaicin and piperine, respectively. The capsaicin and piperine showed the highest α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory effect and antioxidant activity rather than extracts. The EEPn (IC50= 216 µg/mL) and piperine (IC50= 105 µg/mL) present a highest α-amylase inhibitory effect, while the EECch (IC50= 225 µg/mL) and capsaicin (IC50= 117 µg/mL) showed highest anti-α-glucosidase activity. Molecular docking established that capsaicin and piperine bind at the α-glucosidase and α-amylase through hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bond, and charge interactions with amino acid residues. The enzyme inhibitory activity and antioxidant properties exhibited by EECch and EEPn could be attributed to the capsaicin and piperine content and other compounds present such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids. These fruits are potential sources of natural antioxidant agents and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors.
Instructional Videos, Conceptual Understanding and Self-Efficacy in the Time of COVID

Advances in technology offer new opportunities for teaching. Many students engage with online videos that enable them to watch, and re-watch these support materials flexibly and at their own pace. In our large-enrolment introductory first-year physics unit, many students find the content very challenging. To support their learning, we have developed short videos of 4-7 minutes explaining concepts and providing demonstrations of the problem-solving process. Our study was originally designed to evaluate and compare the effect on conceptual understanding and self-efficacy of students engaging with two different types of videos: screencasts (e.g. Khan Academy style) and lightboard videos, where the teacher presents direct to the camera on a writable transparent board (the image is then inverted to be the right way round). Then COVID struck, and all our learning was moved online. Thus, in the second semester of the study, we only used screencasts, and focused our research on exploring the relationship between online engagement, self-efficacy and conceptual understanding of students. We found that students preferred lightboards, and that both semesters’ average survey scores on self-efficacy and conceptual understanding were generally stable or increased only slightly. This is at odds with other studies of similar cohorts. However, the small number of paired responses in our study meant that a self-selection bias may have skewed results. Scores on the conceptual understanding were weakly correlated with assessment performance, suggesting the presence of other contributing variables. Initial self-efficacy scores did not predict subsequent engagement. Instead, missing multiple early assessments was identified as a stronger predictor of failing to pass the subject.
Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Topical Tranexamic Acid with Nasal Tampon in Management of Epistaxis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background and Aim: Epistaxis is one of the most common symptoms referring to emergency department, which suitable and effective treatment needs in short term. Therefore the purpose of the present study was to compare the outcome of topical tranexamic acid (TA) with nasal tampon in management of epistaxis. Materials and Methods: The present clinical trial study was performed on 150 patients with epistaxis in three groups. The patients of the first group were treated as a control group with a tampon that was lubricated with tetracycline ointment. The second group (TA group) received 15 cm gauze coated with TA and put in the nasal cavity. The third group received 15 cm gauze coated with TA and then nasal tampon coated with lubricant and tetracycline ointment. Then bleeding and nausea were assessed and recorded in the first 24 hours and the first week after intervention. Finally, statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software and Chi-square and one-way analysis of variance tests were used. Results: The time of bleeding cessation was significantly more in control groups as compared to intervention groups(P=0.04). The incidence of complications such as nausea and vomiting was much lower in the TA group than in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed the beneficial effects of TA in reducing the time of nasal bleeding with lower side effects, which could be prescribed as a treatment in addition to standard therapy and significantly lead to better control of nasal bleeding in the short term.
Drug Conjugates Based on a Monovalent Affibody Targeting Vector Can Efficiently Eradicate HER2 Positive Human Tumors in an Experimental Mouse Model

Simple Summary Drug conjugates, consisting of a tumor targeting part coupled to a highly toxic molecule, are promising for treatment of many different types of cancer. However, for many patients it is not curative, and investigation of alternative or complimentary types of drug conjugates is motivated. Here, we have devised and studied a novel cancer cell-directed drug conjugate ZHER2:2891-ABD-E3-mcDM1. We found that it could induce efficient shrinkage and, in some cases, complete regression of human tumors implanted in mice, and thus holds promise to become a therapeutic agent for clinical use in the future. Abstract The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is frequently overexpressed in a variety of cancers and therapies targeting HER2 are routinely used in the clinic. Recently, small engineered scaffold proteins, such as affibody molecules, have shown promise as carriers of cytotoxic drugs, and these drug conjugates may become complements or alternatives to the current HER2-targeting therapies. Here, we investigated if a monovalent HER2-binding affibody molecule, ZHER2:2891, fused with a plasma half-life extending albumin binding domain (ABD), may be used as carrier of the cytotoxic maytansine derivate mcDM1. We found that the resulting drug conjugate, ZHER2:2891-ABD-E3-mcDM1, had strong affinity for its cognate molecular targets: HER2 and serum albumin. ZHER2:2891-ABD-E3-mcDM1 displayed potent cytotoxic activity towards cells with high HER2 expression, with IC50 values ranging from 0.6 to 33 nM. In vivo, an unspecific increase in uptake in the liver, imparted by the hydrophobic mcDM1, was counteracted by incorporation of hydrophilic and negatively charged glutamate residues near the site of mcDM1 conjugation. A dose-escalation experiment showed that increasing doses up to 15.1 mg/kg gave a proportional increase in uptake in xenografted HER2-overexpressing SKOV3 tumors, after which the tumors became saturated. Experimental therapy with four once-weekly injection of 10.3 or 15.1 mg/kg led to efficient regression of tumors in all animals and complete regression in some. Weight loss was detected for some animals in the group receiving the highest dose, suggesting that it was close to the maximum tolerated dose. In conclusion, the monovalent HER2-targeting affibody drug conjugate presented herein have potent anti-tumor activity in vivo.
Back to Basis: A Universal Return Predictor Across Asset Classes

This paper shows analytically that the basis between spot and futures contracts contains information about future returns of securities across the asset classes of commodities, equity indices, fixed income and foreign exchange. The bases in commodities are positively correlated with a leading indicator of the business cycle whereas the bases in the financial assets are negatively related to the short-term rate. The return predictability of the basis can be captured with a simple multi-asset long-short strategy which produces an out-of-sample Sharpe ratio of 0.5 and an alpha of 2.5%-4.5% per annum with respect to commonly used asset pricing models. Specifically, the analysis includes five Fama-French Factors, a bond index and futures risk premia of multi-asset momentum, value, time-series momentum, and four asset-specific carry factors. The strategy performance is counter-cyclical and robust to transaction costs.
How is disaster aid allocated within poor villages

How disaster aid is allocated within poor villages is little understood. This paper examines risk-sharing institutions and social hierarchies as village self-allocation mechanisms. Original survey data from Fiji contain rich information about cyclone damage, traditional kin status, and aid allocations over post-disaster phases, at both household and kin-group levels. The paper shows under what conditions the performance of targeting aid to victims can significantly differ from overall risk-sharing outcomes determined by private transfers and aid (i.e., targeting gap). Elite domination can occur not only in aid allocation independent of damage, but also in targeting on damage (i.e., targeting bias).