Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patient safety culture in obstetrics and gynecology and neonatology units: the nurses’ and the midwives’ opinion

Abstract Background: Patients treated in health care facilities that provide services in the fields of obstetrics, gynecology, and neonatology are especially vulnerable. Large multidisciplinary teams of physicians, multiple invasive and noninvasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and the use of advanced technologies increase the probability of adverse events. The evaluation of knowledge about patient safety culture among nurses and midwives working in such units and the identification of critical areas at a health care institution would reduce the number of adverse events and improve patient safety. The aim of the study was to evaluate the opinion of nurses and midwives working in clinical departments that provide services in the fields of obstetrics, gynecology, and neonatology about patient safety culture and to explore potential predictors for the overall perception of safety. Methods: We used the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) to evaluate nurses’ and midwives’ opinion about patient safety issues. The overall response rate in the survey was 100% (n = 233). Results: The analysis of the dimensions of safety on the unit level showed that the respondents’ most positive evaluations were in the Organizational Learning – Continuous Improvement (73.2%) and Feedback and Communication about Error (66.8%) dimensions, and the most negative evaluations in the Non-punitive Response to Error (33.5%) and Staffing (44.6%) dimensions. On the hospital level, the evaluation of the safety dimensions ranged between 41.4 and 56.8%. The percentage of positive responses in the outcome dimensions Frequency of Events Reported was 82.4%. We found a significant association between the outcome dimension Frequency of Events Reported and the Hospital Management Support for Patient Safety and Feedback and Communication about Error Dimensions. Conclusions: On the hospital level, the critical domains in health care facilities that provide services in the fields of obstetrics, gynecology, and neonatology were Teamwork Across Hospital Units, and on the unit level – Communication Openness, Teamwork Within Units, Non-punitive Response to Error, and Staffing. The remaining domains were seen as having a potential for improvement.
Simple 3D splint reconstruction using a low cost smart phone line laser 3D scanner

This research is focused on development of the simple and cheap a 3D scanner and 3D splint reconstruction method for health service sites in remote areas. Line laser generator and smart phone camera are used to obtain the pattern of the interested patient external organs, then, the point cloud image is created using a triangulation calculation. RANSAC and Poison surface reconstruction technique are used to generate mesh object. The splint surface is generated by replacing mesh object by simple geometry shapes. Finally, the extra parts are added to the splint in order to enhance splint with extra features. The real splints are printed from the experiments on a patient in order to confirm the accomplishment of the proposed method.
Paracrystalline Structure of Glass‐Like Carbons

This study reports on structural characterization of a series of glass-like carbons obtained by pyrolysis of polyfurfuryl alcohol at 600, 800, 980, and 2700°C. The atomic scale structure of the prepared materials has been studied using wide-angle X-ray scattering technique. The acquired diffraction data were analyzed in reciprocal space as the structure factor and in real space in the form of the pair distribution function to reveal the structural attributes such as number of hexagonal network layers, size of the layers, interlayer correlations, interlayer and interatomic distances. The parameters have different effects on the diffraction intensity and the pair distribution function and are verified in reciprocal and real diffraction space simultaneously. The obtained results show that the structure of the glass-like carbons consists of defective graphite-like domains which size increase with the pyrolysis temperature. The heat treatment leads to a noticeable ordering of coherently scattering domains of glass-like carbon in directions perpendicular to graphene-like layers. However, paracrystalline type of disorder within individual layers manifesting itself in decrease in intensity and broadening of the diffraction lines is preserved in the atomic structure even at heat-treatment temperature of 2700°C.
Self-competence and self-liking in the prediction of change in bulimic symptoms.

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship of self-competence and self-liking (two distinct dimensions of self-esteem) to bulimic symptoms. METHOD Two separate longitudinal studies were conducted on undergraduate women from two universities (Study 1, N=129; Study 2, N=406). Measures of self-competence, self-liking, and bulimic symptoms were administered on two occasions, separated by several weeks. RESULTS Self-competence demonstrated a stronger relationship than self-liking to change in bulimic symptoms over time. DISCUSSION These findings have significant theoretic implications for the construct of self-esteem and implications for risk for and treatment of bulimia.
A two step Gaussian modelling to assess PPG morphological variability induced by psychological stress

In the present work, we analyse characteristic features of the pulses photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal and their changes and evolution during various psycologically stressed conditions. Acute psychological stress was induced to subjects using a modified version of Trier Social Stress Test. It was revealed that the morphology of the PPG pulses is different during the streneous sessions from that of the relaxed one and possibly reflect arterial stiffness variations which can be a marker for differentiation of the stressed stages from the relaxed stage of the protocol. Since, the PPG pulse formation is due to the super-imposition of a systolic and a reflected wave, a novel two step Gaussian mixture modelling technique was used to extract their relative arrival time and width. Position (B1, B2) and width (C1, C2) of the systolic and reflected wave are the relevant features studied along with the time to reflection (T12). Significant statistical differences were observed in B1(p < 0.001), B2(p < 0.05), C1(p < 0.001), C2(p < 0.05) in the relaxed and stressed session. These results suggest changes in the morphology of PPG pulses possibly revealing marks of arterial stiffness occurring due to psychological stress.
Depth image-based object segmentation scheme for improving human action recognition

Human action recognition using the 3D camera for surveillance applications is a promising alternative approach to the conventional 2D camera based surveillance. We propose a depth image-based object segmentation scheme for improving human action recognition. Experimental results show that the average accuracy of the dangerous event detection is improved by about 15% when using the proposed object segmentation scheme.
Bordetella species carries a transcriptionally active CRISPR-Cas with a small Cas 9 endonuclease

Background: Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated genes (cas) are widely distributed among bacteria. These systems provide adaptive immunity against mobile genetic elements specified by the spacer sequences stored within the CRISPR. Methods: The CRISPR-Cas system has been identified using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) against other sequenced and annotated genomes and confirmed via CRISPRfinder program. Using Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) and Sanger DNA sequencing, we discovered CRISPRs in additional bacterial isolates of the same species of Bordetella. Transcriptional activity and processing of the CRISPR have been assessed via RT-PCR. Results: Here we describe a novel Type II-C CRISPR and its associated genes—cas1, cas2, and cas9—in several isolates of a newly discovered Bordetella species. The CRISPR-cas locus, which is absent in all other Bordetella species, has a significantly lower GC-content than the genome-wide average, suggesting acquisition of this locus via horizontal gene transfer from a currently unknown source. The CRISPR array is transcribed and processed into mature CRISPR RNAs (crRNA), some of which have homology to prophages found in closely related species B. hinzii. Conclusions: Expression of the CRISPR-Cas system and processing of crRNAs with perfect homology to prophages present in closely related species, but absent in that containing this CRISPR-Cas system, suggest it provides protection against phage predation. The 3,117-bp cas9 endonuclease gene from this novel CRISPR-Cas system is 990 bp smaller than that of Streptococcus pyogenes, the 4,017-bp allele currently used for genome editing, and which may make it a useful tool in various CRISPR-Cas technologies.
Load-Flow in Multiphase Distribution Networks: Existence, Uniqueness, and Linear Models

This paper considers generic unbalanced and multiphase distribution systems and develops a load-flow algorithm based on a fixed-point interpretation of the AC power-flow equations. Explicit conditions for existence and uniqueness of load-flow solutions are presented. These conditions also guarantee convergence of the load-flow algorithm to the unique power-flow solution. The proposed methodology broadens the well-established Z-bus iterative method, and it is applicable to generic systems featuring (i) wye connections; (ii) ungrounded delta connections; (iii) a combination of wye-connected and delta-connected sources/loads; and, (iv) a combination of line-to-line and line-to-grounded-neutral devices at the secondary of distribution transformers. Linear load-flow models are then derived, and their approximation accuracy is analyzed. Theoretical results are corroborated through experiments on IEEE test feeders.
A study on moisture absorption and swelling in bio-based jute-epoxy composites

Woven jute fibers, a class of affordable and biodegradable ‘green’ fibers, are being increasingly used as a substitute for the artificial glass and carbon fibers used in polymer composites. However, all natural fiber composites absorb water and swell in a moist environment For the first time, the swelling and weight gain behavior of bio-based composites made from jute fibers and bio-based or ordinary epoxy is presented in this experimental characterization study. Several such composites specimens were made using a low-pressure resin injection process similar to resin transfer molding; the specimens were made according to ASTM D 570 consisted of three compositions: pure resin, pure resin with a single jute fabric layer, and pure resin with two jute fabric layers. The effects of number of layers on moisture absorption, thickness swelling, volume swelling, and density were measured as a function of immersion time. It is observed that the moisture diffusion rate into composites increases with an increase in the jute-fiber-to-epoxy ratio. The type of epoxy used as the matrix appeared to have an influence on the moisture absorption percentages of the composites – the study showed that both water absorption and swellings were higher in the bio-epoxy parts compared to the epoxy parts. The swelling of composites was correlated with an increase in diameters of jute fiber in water and possibilities for the appearance of micro-cracks around fibers in composites were discussed. The data on moisture absorption, thickness swelling, and volume swelling of bio-based composites made from woven jute fibers, and bio-based and ordinary epoxies presented in this article will lead to a better understanding of how these composites react in wet environmental conditions.
Shape memory properties of electrically conductive multi-walled carbon nanotube-filled polyurethane/modified polystyrene blends

Shape memory polyurethanes are synthetic materials with great potential to respond to external stimulus. Desired properties of shape memory polyurethanes can be achieved by blending with other polymers or varying the hard and soft segments. In this study, structure, morphology, mechanical, thermal and electrical conductivity properties of a shape memory blend reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotube were investigated. One blend component was polyethylene glycol and toluene diisocyanate polyurethane, and the second component was either polystyrene or nitro-functional or amino-functional. The fundamental chemical and physical linkages were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscopic images demonstrated the generation of polyurethane–polystyrene interpenetrating polymer network over multi-walled carbon nanotube surface. The tensile strength and modulus were found to increase systematically with increasing filler content in all series and was higher for polyurethane/polystyrene amino-functional/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites. The stress-bearing capacity and mechanical properties were enhanced due to a matrix made up of two different chemically interlinked polymers. On the whole, using amino-functional polystyrene showed better physical and shape memory properties. Electrical conductivity was superior for composites with polystyrene amino-functional matrix, compared with neat blend and other composite. The polyurethane/polystyrene amino-functional/multi-walled carbon nanotube 0.5 electrical conductivity tested at 1.08 S cm−1. The polyurethane/polystyrene amino-functional/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites showed remarkable thermally triggered shape memory behavior to the extent of 95%. Electric field-triggered shape recovery of the polyurethane/polystyrene amino-functional/multi-walled carbon nanotube sample was found to be 96%. The synergetic effect of the fine electrical conductivity and high mechanical strength renders the composites as high-performance shape memory materials.
Improving developers awareness of the exception handling policy

The exception handling policy of a system comprises the set of design rules that specify its exception handling behavior (how exceptions should be handled and thrown in a system). Such policy is usually undocumented and implicitly defined by the system architect. Developers are usually unaware of such rules and may think that by just sprinkling the code with catch-blocks they can adequately deal with the exceptional conditions of a system. As a consequence, the exception handling code once designed to make the program more reliable may become a source of faults (e.g., the uncaught exceptions are one of the main causes of crashes in current Java applications). To mitigate such problem, we propose Exception Policy Expert (EPE), a tool embedded in Eclipse IDE that warns developers about policy violations related to the code being edited. A case study performed in a real development context showed that the tool could indeed make the exception handling policy explicit to the developers during development.
Multimodal Central Place Foraging

Implementations of central place foraging using multi-robot systems need efficient mechanisms for searching for resources and gathering them in a central home-nest location. We propose an approach that partitions the search space and assigns agents multiple behavioral roles inspired by honey bee colonies as a way of organizing the search and gather operation. Through simulation we demonstrate that this approach minimizes spatio-temporal congestion that results from many robots sharing a common space near the home-nest. We compare our role based algorithm to the Distributed Deterministic Spiral Search Algorithm (DDSA) in a high fidelity simulation environment built using ROS and Gazebo.
A Modified Image Comparison Algorithm Using Histogram Features

This article discuss the problem of color image content comparison. Particularly, methods of image content comparison are analyzed, restrictions of color histogram are described and a modified method of images content comparison is proposed. This method uses the color histograms and considers color locations. Testing and analyzing of based and modified algorithms are performed. The modified method shows 97% average precision for a collection containing about 700 images without loss of the advantages of based method, i.e. scale and rotation invariant.
A Postgenomic Perspective on Molecular Cytogenetics

Background: The postgenomic era is featured by massive data collection and analyses from various large scale-omics studies. Despite the promising capability of systems biology and bioinformatics to handle large data sets, data interpretation, especially the translation of -omics data into clinical implications, has been challenging. Discussion: In this perspective, some important conceptual and technological limitations of current systems biology are discussed in the context of the ultimate importance of the genome beyond the collection of all genes. Following a brief summary of the contributions of molecular cytogenetics/cytogenomics in the pre- and post-genomic eras, new challenges for postgenomic research are discussed. Such discussion leads to a call to search for a new conceptual framework and holistic methodologies. Conclusion: Throughout this synthesis, the genome theory of somatic cell evolution is highlighted in contrast to gene theory, which ignores the karyotype-mediated higher level of genetic information. Since “system inheritance” is defined by the genome context (gene content and genomic topology) while “parts inheritance” is defined by genes/epigenes, molecular cytogenetics and cytogenomics (which directly study genome structure, function, alteration and evolution) will play important roles in this postgenomic era.
The orthorectified technology for UAV aerial remote sensing image based on the Programmable GPU

Considering the time requirements of the disaster emergency aerial remote sensing data acquisition and processing, this paper introduced the GPU parallel processing in orthorectification algorithm. Meanwhile, our experiments verified the correctness and feasibility of CUDA parallel processing algorithm, and the algorithm can effectively solve the problem of calculation large, time-consuming for ortho rectification process, realized fast processing of UAV airborne remote sensing image orthorectification based on GPU. The experimental results indicate that using the assumption of same accuracy of proposed method with CPU, the processing time is reduced obviously, maximum acceleration can reach more than 12 times, which greatly enhances the emergency surveying and mapping processing of rapid reaction rate, and has a broad application.
Economic Importance of Managing Spatially Heterogeneous Weed Populations

Three methods of predicting the impact of weed interference on crop yield and expected economic return were compared to evaluate the economic importance of weed spatial heterogeneity. Density of three weed species was obtained using a grid sampling scheme in 11 corn and 11 soybean fields. Crop yield loss was predicted assuming densities were homogeneous, aggregated following a negative binomial with known population mean and k, or aggregated with weed densities spatially mapped. Predicted crop loss was lowest and expected returns highest when spatial location of weed density was utilized to decide whether control was justified. Location-specific weed management resulted in economic gain as well as a reduction in the quantity of herbicide applied.
Advances in techniques for reducing cholesterol in egg yolk: A review

ABSTRACTS Eggs are highly nutritious food whose high cholesterol content has been always an inconvenience due to concerns about the relationship between dietary cholesterol and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk. As this remains uncertain, low cholesterol intake is recommended. This review deals with the techniques employed to reduce the cholesterol content in egg yolk once the egg is shelled. There are four main techniques: i) solvent extraction, ii) fractionation by centrifugation, iii) cholesterol chelates or adsorbents and iv) cholesterol biotransformation. Analyse of techniques, descriptions and recent advances are included in this review. Solvent extraction and cholesterol biotransformation allow to reduce up to 94.7% and 93.4%, respectively. However, both methods have not been scaled up due to food safety and economic reasons. Nowadays, fractionation by centrifugation and cholesterol chelates are the only feasible methods with industrial applications, obtaining up to 82% and 99%, respectively. Fractionation method can be considered the best because no substances are added.
Interferon Gamma Prevents Infectious Entry of Human Papillomavirus 16 via an L2-Dependent Mechanism

ABSTRACT In this study, we report that gamma interferon (IFN-γ) treatment, but not IFN-α, -β, or -λ treatment, dramatically decreased infection of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) pseudovirus (PsV). In a survey of 20 additional HPV and animal papillomavirus types, we found that many, but not all, PsV types were also inhibited by IFN-γ. Microscopic and biochemical analyses of HPV16 PsV determined that the antiviral effect was exerted at the level of endosomal processing of the incoming capsid and depended on the JAK2/STAT1 pathway. In contrast to infection in the absence of IFN-γ, where L1 proteolytic products are produced during endosomal capsid processing and L2/DNA complexes segregate from L1 in the late endosome and travel to the nucleus, IFN-γ treatment led to decreased L1 proteolysis and retention of L2 and the viral genome in the late endosome/lysosome. PsV sensitivity or resistance to IFN-γ treatment was mapped to the L2 protein, as determined with infectious hybrid PsV, in which the L1 protein was derived from an IFN-γ-sensitive HPV type and the L2 protein from an IFN-γ-insensitive type or vice versa. IMPORTANCE A subset of HPV are the causative agents of many human cancers, most notably cervical cancer. This work describes the inhibition of infection of multiple HPV types, including oncogenic types, by treatment with IFN-γ, an antiviral cytokine that is released from stimulated immune cells. Exposure of cells to IFN-γ has been shown to trigger the expression of proteins with broad antiviral effector functions, most of which act to prevent viral transcription or translation. Interestingly, in this study, we show that infection is blocked at the early step of virus entry into the host cell by retention of the minor capsid protein, L2, and the viral genome instead of trafficking into the nucleus. Thus, a novel antiviral mechanism for IFN-γ has been revealed.
Inter-Turn Fault Detection in Stator Winding of PMSM Using Wavelet Transform

The inter-turn short circuit fault is one of the most common faults in electrical machines. For safety reasons, reliability and maintenance, the fault needs to be detected and diagnosed as early as possible after its occurrence. This paper focuses on inter-turn short circuit fault detection in stator windings of a Permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). A time frequency method has been used for analysis and data processing for detection of different levels of short circuit faults. Experimental data have been employed to validate the simulation results.
Effect of Pressure Pulsation on Post-Etch Photoresist Stripping on Low-k Films in Supercritical CO2

As the demand for higher-speed semiconductor devices increases, interlayer low-k films with smaller dielectric constants are required for higher-speed Cu interconnections at the back end of the line. Such low-k films can be easily damaged by post-dielectric-etch, plasma ashing and post-ash cleaning, raising the effective dielectric constant of the low-k film. An increase in the effective dielectric constant of the interlayer film increases the interconnections’ resistance and capacitance.