Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and Initial Validation of a Scale Measuring Young Children’s Self-Perceptions of Trait Cognitive Control

ABSTRACT Cognitive control skills in early life are vital to success throughout the lifespan. Such skills have been positively linked to a host of important short- and long-term outcomes across many diverse domains. Similarly, self-perceptions such as self-efficacy, implicit beliefs about cognition, and self-concept have all been shown to predict meaningful variance in important outcomes like academic performance over and above measures of cognitive ability. To what extent do young children have a self-perception of their own level of cognitive control functioning? To date, no measures have been developed to assess young children’s perceptions of their own skills in this regard. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a scale capturing children’s self-perceptions of their cognitive control skills via a puppet interview. Scale analyses of interviews from 125 children aged 4 through 7 years suggest the scale elicits responses that cluster around two correlated, but separable components: 1) Self- and Emotion-Regulation, and 2) Attention Modulation. Responses on these two subscales showed moderate to strong internal consistency, were strongly correlated with parent reports of similar skills, and self-reports of related constructs, but showed no systematic relation to behavioral tasks measuring executive functioning abilities. The findings suggest that young children are capable of reflecting and reporting on their own cognitive control skills and that these skills correspond to parent reports of similar abilities. Further scale refinement and targeted validation efforts are needed; however, these encouraging early results suggest the new scale holds potential to uncover how children’s self-perceptions influence their learning success.
Responsive navigation of a biped robot that takes into account terrain, foot-reachability and capturability

A control architecture for robust biped navigation that takes into account traversability on terrain, foot-reachability, and capturability all at once in dynamic situations is proposed. It consists of online mapping of terrain and quick decision of foot placement. A grid map with elevation, normal direction and the standard deviation of measurement is proposed for the former and is named the stochastic Elevation-and-Normal Grid (ENG) map. It is incrementally updated as depth sensor information comes in every cycle. The traversability of each grid can be easily checked based on the associated information. The latter stands upon the canonical biped track (CBT), which is a pair of continuous paths that the feet track. It is drawn along a nominal collision-free path on the ENG map. The most efficient foot placement at the next step from the viewpoint of the foot-reachability is chosen on them as the initial candidate, around which a feasible placement accommodated with traversability and capturability is found by the breadth-first search. An autonomous biped locomotion system is completed by combining the above architecture with a foot-guided controller based on the terminal capturability. The efficacy of the proposed method was validated through some computer simulations. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
ℋ∞/passive non-fragile synchronisation of Markovian jump stochastic complex dynamical networks with time-varying delays

This paper deals with the problem of /passive non-fragile synchronisation for a class of complex dynamical networks subject to Markovian jumping time-varying coupling delays. Gain variation is represented by a stochastic variable that is assumed to satisfy the Bernoulli distribution with white sequences. The synchronisation error system became stable through our designed controller. By Lyapunov–Krasovskii stability theory, a new stochastic synchronisation criterion is established for the considered network in terms of linear matrix inequality (LMI). An illustration is given to show effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results.
Hazardous simulations: Pricing climate risk in US coastal insurance markets

Abstract After suffering heavy losses from a string of natural disasters in the early 1990s, the US (re)insurance sector embraced a new technology called catastrophe, or ‘cat’, models to help solve pervasive underestimations of risk. These first models succeeded in crafting consensus about how risks for future disasters should be spread via (re)insurance, but as extreme weather begins to diverge from historical records, cat-modelling firms have struggled to integrate new information about climate change and climate variability into their forecasts. Initial attempts to upgrade models have generated contentious reactions from homeowners and regulators, casting doubt on modellers’ position as privileged arbiters of risk. As a result, this case shows how efforts to incorporate knowledge about climate impacts into routine economic processes, such as insurance pricing, trigger broader political disputes about how these risks should be socially distributed. These disputes are decoupled, to an extent, from the epistemological validity of how risks are actually calculated.
Challenges of effective management of medical waste in low-resource settings: perception of healthcare workers in Vhembe district healthcare facilities, South Africa

Many developing countries face various challenges in managing medical waste properly, and most of these challenges lie within the healthcare facilities. This study was conducted to investigate the challenges of effective management of medical waste in Vhembe District from the perspective of healthcare workers. The convergent parallel approach of mixed-method design was adopted. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers, infection prevention and control coordinators and environmental health practitioners of 15 public healthcare facilities in the district to gain insight into the challenges they identify in their respective healthcare facilities. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to obtain data from medical waste generators and handlers. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25 was used to analyse the quantitative data. The challenges identified by healthcare workers include poor understanding of medical waste management guidelines and poor compliance; lack of regular training; poor attitudes of medical waste generators; insufficiency of waste management equipment and sub-standard central storage rooms. Most of the challenges were found to be linked to inadequate training of healthcare workers. For effective management of medical waste, efforts should be intensified towards adequate training of healthcare workers and provision of necessary equipment.
Canakinumab injection for the treatment of active Still’s disease, including adult-onset Still’s disease

ABSTRACT Introduction Still’s disease is a systemic, non-monogenic autoinflammatory condition affecting both children and adolescents (systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, sJIA) and adults (adult-onset Still’s disease, AOSD). Its clinical spectrum ranges from mild forms to life-threatening cases. Glucocorticoids represent the first-line therapy, but their chronic use is burdened with significant side effects. Hence, add-on therapy with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biologic anti-cytokine agents is frequently required, especially in patients with severe and recalcitrant clinical phenotypes. Among the targetable cytokines with a primary role in the pathogenesis of Still’s disease, interleukin-1 has a leading position. Areas covered This review presents the available controlled evidence and observational studies regarding the efficacy and safety of canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, in the treatment of Still’s disease. Expert opinion Controlled studies fully support the clinical efficacy of canakinumab in the treatment of patients affected by sJIA. Conversely, strong evidences are still lacking in AOSD patients; nevertheless, its use in the adult population is legitimated by an increasing number of cases series and case reports and by preclinical data linking the pathogenesis of these two diseases. In addition, canakinumab has an excellent safety profile. Its role in preventing and treating macrophage activation syndrome is still debated.
Convolutional neural networks for Alzheimer’s disease detection on MRI images

Abstract. Purpose: Detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which is useful for detecting AD in its preliminary states. Approach: Our study implements and compares several deep models and configurations, including two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) CNNs and recurrent neural networks (RNNs). To use a 2D CNN on 3D MRI volumes, each MRI scan is split into 2D slices, neglecting the connection among 2D image slices in an MRI volume. Instead, a CNN model could be followed by an RNN in a way that the model of 2D CNN + RNN can understand the connection among sequences of 2D image slices for an MRI. The issue is that the feature extraction step in the 2D CNN is independent of classification in the RNN. To tackle this, 3D CNNs can be employed instead of 2D CNNs to make voxel-based decisions. Our study’s main contribution is to introduce transfer learning from a dataset of 2D images to 3D CNNs. Results: The results on our MRI dataset indicate that sequence-based decisions improve the accuracy of slice-based decisions by 2% in classifying AD patients from healthy subjects. Also the 3D voxel-based method with transfer learning outperforms the other methods with 96.88% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, and 94.12% specificity. Conclusions: Several implementations and experiments using CNNs on MRI scans for AD detection demonstrated that the voxel-based method with transfer learning from ImageNet to MRI datasets using 3D CNNs considerably improved the results compared with the others.
On the relevance of modulation transfer function measurements in digital mammography quality control

Abstract. Purpose: The relevance of presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) measurements in digital mammography (DM) quality control (QC) is examined. Two studies are presented: a case study on the impact of a reduction in MTF on the technical image quality score and analysis of the robustness of routine QC MTF measurements. Approach: In the first study, two needle computed radiography (CR) plates with identical sensitivities were used with differences in the 50% point of the MTF (fMTF0.5) larger than the limiting value in the European guidelines (>10 % change between successive measurements). Technical image quality was assessed via threshold gold thickness of the CDMAM phantom and threshold microcalcification diameter of the L1 structured phantom. For the second study, presampling MTF results from 595 half-yearly QC tests of 55 DM systems (16 types, six manufacturers) were analyzed for changes from the baseline value and changes in fMTF0.5 between successive tests. Results: A reduction of 20% in fMTF0.5 of the two CR plates was observed. There was a tendency to a lower score for task-based metrics, but none were significant. Averaging over 55 systems, the absolute relative change in fMTF0.5 between consecutive tests (with 95% confidence interval) was 3% (2.5% to 3.4%). Analysis of the maximum relative change from baseline revealed changes of up to −10 % for one a-Se based system and −15 % for a group of CsI-based systems. Conclusions: A limit of 10% is a relevant action level for investigation. If exceeded, then the impact on performance has to be verified with extra metrics.
Characterization of coffee residues pellets and their performance in a residential combustor

ABSTRACT Spent coffee grounds (SCG) and coffee husks (CH) were evaluated as biofuels, after densification, for energy production. CH represent a specific problem for the coffee industry due to a low calorific value, high ash content, and a very low bulk density. Hence, the energetic potential of SCG (95 wt%)/CH (5 wt%) blend and pure SCG (100%) were examined. The blend of SCG and CH was limited to 5 wt% of CH because of the low bulk density of CH. Therefore, physicochemical and energetic characterizations of the produced pellets were performed. Thermogravimetric analyses were performed under nitrogen and air atmospheres to evaluate the CH behavior in the blend. Characterization study shows that both produced pellets could reach the French Agropellets standard (AQI). Thermal degradation showed that the mean reactivity of the SCG/HC pellets was higher than pure SCG. Then, combustion experiments were performed in a domestic combustor, after modification of the boiler power in order to improve its energetic performances. The presence of CH led to a rise of CO, NOx, VOC’s, and particle emissions. Nevertheless, the performances of the biofuels are almost in agreement the NF EN 12809 standard.
A notable key for estimating the severity of COVID-19: 25-hydroxyvitamin D status

Abstract Background Vitamin D is recognized to be an immune regulator. Also, it is known to have antiviral effects by several mechanisms, including reducing inflammatory cytokines. Objectives To examine the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status for assessing the severity of COVID-19. Methods This study consisted of 596 patients confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 infection and 59 healthy individuals. The cases separated into non-severe group, severe survival, and severe non-survival group. 25(OH)D and other laboratory parameters were evaluated retrospectively. Results In all COVID-19 groups 25(OH)D levels were low compared to controls (p<0.05). 25(OH)D concentrations were lowest in patients in severe non-survival groups than those in other SARS-CoV-2 infection groups (p<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis exhibited that decreasing 25(OH)D was associated with an increased likelihood of non-severe, severe survival and severe non-survival disease. There were significant associations between 25(OH)D and certain inflammatory and hemostatic parameters (p<0.05, for all). Conclusions 25(OH)D deficiency was observed among patients with COVID-19. Declined steadily 25(OH)D levels make a huge contribution to the scale of the progression of the disease. Correlations support that 25(OH)D may be a substantial tool for utilizing the severity of the disease and estimating the survival. Also, supplementation of 25(OH)D might slow down the course of the COVID-19.
Personality traits and select socio-demographic variables as predictors of military morale: longitudinal research in the Estonian defence forces

Abstract Military morale is a concept widely used to describe the motivational element of soldiers’ will to fight or “the energy that drives soldiers to perform qualitatively better in stressful conditions, characterised by enthusiasm and persistence when engaging in collective, i.e. unit-level activities”. This longitudinal study explored the interlink-ages between perceptions of military morale, the Big Five personality traits and select socio-demographic characteristics among the conscripts of the Estonian Defence Forces and predicting directly measurable individual and collective types of military morale. Moreover, the fluctuation of military morale over the training cycle of conscript service (11 months) was tracked. The findings indicate that at the start of military service, individual morale has a low or medium statistically significant correlation with conscripts’ personality traits, with Conscientiousness and Neuroticism demonstrating the strongest relations; however, the correlation with Neuroticism was negative. Additionally, when viewed throughout the course of the entire training cycle, the morale demonstrated a U-shaped progression, i.e. high at the beginning, dropping in the middle and rising back up at the end of military service. At the same time, socio-demographic variables demonstrated little or non-significant role in predicting individual or collective morale. The results indicate that morale fluctuates over time and is affected by personal characteristics. For practitioners, these results could help to reinforce the positive impact of morale on collective and individual performances.
Cohort study of the overall survival of patients with pancreatic cancer in a hospital of specialties of Quito-Ecuador in the period 2007–2017

Abstract Objectives Pancreatic cancers in most patients in Ecuador are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, which is associated with lower survival. To determine the characteristics and global survival of pancreatic cancer patients in a social security hospital in Ecuador between 2007 and 2017. Methods A retrospective cohort study and a survival analysis were performed using all the available data in the electronic clinical records of patients with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in a Hospital of Specialties of Quito-Ecuador between 2007 and 2017. The included patients were those coded according to the ICD 10 between C25.0 and C25.9. Our univariate analysis calculated frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion. Through the Kaplan-Meier method we estimated the median time of survival and analyzed the difference in survival time among the different categories of our included variables. These differences were shown through the log rank test. Results A total of 357 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between 2007 and 2017 were included in the study. More than two-thirds (69.9%) of the patients were diagnosed in late stages of the disease. The median survival time for all patients was of 4 months (P25: 2, P75: 8). Conclusions The statistically significant difference of survival time between types of treatment is the most relevant finding in this study, when comparing to all other types of treatments.
Biological variation of glycated albumin, glucose and albumin in healthy Turkish subjects

Abstract Objectives Biological variation (BV) in laboratory tests can be defined as the variation in analyte concentration over time within and between individuals. Glycated albumin (GA) is a ketoamine which is used in the short-term monitoring of diabetes. The aim of this research was to determine BV of GA, glucose, and albumin under a well-designed and standardized protocol. Methods Blood samples were collected weekly from 21 healthy subjects (10 males, 11 females) for four consecutive weeks. Samples were analyzed using enzymatic methods in duplicate. After subjected to outlier and normality tests, variables as the within-subject biologic coefficient of variation (CVI) and between-subject biologic coefficient of variation (CVG), the index of individuality (II), and reference change value (RCV) were calculated. Results Analytical coefficient of variation (CVA) was 3.5, 1.78, and 2.9%, for GA, glucose and albumin, respectively. The estimates for CVI and CVG: GA: 4.1%, 6.3%; glucose: 3.8%, 4.8%; albumin: 3.5%, 4%. RCVs and IIs were: 15%, 0.60; 12%, 0.79; 13%, 0.9 for GA, glucose and albumin, respectively. Conclusions The BV data of GA derived from this study might be applied to understand routine test results better and establish the quality standards for the analyte.
Facilitating the employment of people with mental health difficulties in Ireland

Abstract The promotion of practices supporting positive mental health at work is increasingly important on employers’ agendas. However, within the HRM literature there is a relative dearth of research on how employers can facilitate reintegration into the workplace or first-time employment for employees with mental health issues. Publicly funded supports are emerging as a strategy that can provide targeted supports to both workers and employers. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of this approach by undertaking triadic research with employers, healthcare professionals, and workers using the service in the Irish context. We make recommendations regarding the enhancement of opportunities currently available to those with a mental health difficulty to return to and remain in employment. The paper contributes to our understanding of the nature of supports required to successfully facilitate employing or re-integrating those with a mental health disability or history of mental health problems into the workplace.
Inferring non-equilibrium interactions from tracer response near confined active Janus particles

Activity-induced osmotic flows near surfaces play a key role in determining non-equilibrium interactions with active particles. Chemically active Janus particles sustain non-equilibrium spatial variations in the chemical composition of the suspending solution; these induce hydrodynamic flow and (self-)motility of the particles. Direct mapping of these fields has so far proven to be too challenging. Therefore, indirect methods are needed, e.g., deconvolving the response of “tracer” particles to the activity-induced fields. Here, we study experimentally the response of silica particles, sedimented at a wall, to active Pt/silica Janus particles. The latter are either immobilized at the wall, with the symmetry axis perpendicular or parallel to the wall, or motile. The experiments reveal complex effective interactions that are dependent on the configuration and on the state of motion of the active particle. Within the framework of a coarse-grained model, the behavior of tracers near an immobilized Janus particle can be captured qualitatively once activity-induced osmotic flows on the wall are considered.
Physiology of Cultured Human Microglia Maintained in a Defined Culture Medium

Microglia are the primary immune cell of the CNS, comprising 5–20% of the ∼60 billion neuroglia in the human brain. In the developing and adult CNS, they preferentially target active neurons to guide synapse maturation and remodeling. At the same time, they are the first line of defense against bacterial, fungal, and viral CNS infections. Although an extensive literature details their roles in rodents, less is known about how they function in humans because of the difficulty in obtaining tissue samples and the understandable inability to extensively study human microglia in situ. In this study, we use recent advances in the study of brain microenvironments to establish cultures of primary human microglia in a serum-free medium. Postsurgical samples of human brain were enzymatically and mechanically dissociated into single cells, and microglia were isolated at high purity by positive selection using CD11b Ab–coated microbeads. The CD11b+ cells were plated on poly-l-lysine–coated surfaces and bathed in serum-free DMEM/F12 supplemented with three essential components (TGF-β, IL-34, and cholesterol). Under these conditions, microglia assumed a ramified morphology, showed limited proliferation, actively surveyed their surroundings, and phagocytosed bacterial microparticles. In the presence of LPS, they assumed a more compact shape and began production of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species. LPS on its own triggered release of TNF-α, whereas release of IL-1β required costimulation by ATP. Thus, human microglia maintained in a defined medium replicate many of the characteristics expected of native cells in the brain and provide an accessible preparation for investigations of human microglial physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology.