Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain Natriuretic Peptide and N-Terminal proBNP in Chronic Haemodialysis Patients

Background: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) are released into circulation as a result of congestive heart failure (HF). As HF and water overload are frequent complications in haemodialysis (HD) patients, we decided to study the levels of BNP and NT-proBNP and their changes during HD. Methods: BNP and NT-proBNP levels were determined in 94 HD patients before and after a regular 4-h HD. We followed changes in these peptides during HD depending on age, sex, HF (NYHA classification and left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF]), duration on HD, presence of hypertension, coronary artery disease, type of membrane used for HD [low-flux (LFx) or high-flux (HFx)] and body mass change during HD. Furthermore, patients´ basic medication and creatinine levels and presence of diabetes mellitus were monitored. Results: Respectively,94% and 100% of the patients had pre-dialysis concentrations of BNP and NT-proBNP above the cut-off values for HF. The marker levels correlated significantly both before and after HD (r = 0.903 and 0.888, respectively, p < 0.001). BNP levels significantly decreased (p < 0.0001), whereas NT-proBNP significantly increased (p < 0.0001) during HD on LFx membranes. HD on HFx membranes caused greater decrease of BNP (compared to LFx membranes, p < 0.001), but also a decrease of NT-proBNP (p < 0.001). We did not find any significant differences in marker levels for HF and non-HF patients (NYHA classification). However, both peptides reached higher levels in the group with LVEF ≤50% (p < 0.001 for both peptides). Body mass change during HD negatively correlated only with the change of NT-proBNP (r = –0.27, p < 0.05). In the multiple regression model, the change of both peptides during HD was significantly influenced by membrane type (p = 0.003 for BNP and p = 0.001 for NT-proBNP). NT-proBNP change during HD was further significantly influenced by LVEF (p = 0.012), sex (p = 0.002) and duration on HD (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Both BNP and NT-proBNP levels were significantly increased in HD patients prior to dialysis. The change in concentrations of both peptides during HD is influenced by membrane type. HD probably triggers increased production of both peptides and this increase is emphasized by impaired LVEF. This fact can be clinically observed only on NT-proBNP levels, because BNP levels are biased by significant removal of this protein during HD.
Impact of comorbidity on headache-related disability

Objective: To assess and compare the extent to which comorbid conditions explain the role disability associated with migraine and other severe headaches. Methods: A probability sample of US adults (n = 5,692) was interviewed. Presence of headaches, other chronic pain conditions, and chronic physical conditions was assessed in a structured interview administered by trained interviewers. Diagnostic criteria for migraine were based on the International Headache Society classification. Mental disorders were ascertained with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview that collected diagnostic criteria according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition. Role disability was assessed with World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule questions about days out of role and days with impaired role functioning. Results: Eighty-three percent of migraineurs and 79% of persons with other severe types of headache had some form of comorbidity. Compared with headache-free subjects, migraineurs were at significantly increased risk for mental disorders (odds ratio [OR] 3.1), other pain conditions (OR 3.3), and physical diseases (OR 2.1). Compared with headache-free subjects, persons with nonmigraine headache were also at significantly increased risk for mental disorders (OR 2.0), other pain conditions (OR 3.5), and physical diseases (OR 1.7). Migraineurs experienced role disability on 25.2% of the last 30 days compared with 17.6% of the days for persons with nonmigraine headaches and 9.7% of the days for persons without headache. Comorbid conditions explained 65% of the role disability associated with migraine and all of the role disability associated with other severe headaches. Conclusions: Comorbidity is an important factor in understanding disability among persons with headache. GLOSSARY: CIDI = Composite International Diagnostic Interview; GAD = generalized anxiety disorder; ICHD-II = International Classification of Headache Disorders, second edition; NA = not applicable; NCS-R = National Comorbidity Survey Replication; OR = odds ratio; PTSD = post-traumatic stress disorder; WHO = World Health Organization.
Statistical Approaches for Estimating Sex-Specific Effects in Endocrine Disruptors Research

Background: When a biologic mechanism of interest is anticipated to operate differentially according to sex, as is often the case in endocrine disruptors research, investigators routinely estimate sex-specific associations. Less attention has been given to potential sexual heterogeneity of confounder associations with outcomes. When relationships of covariates with outcomes differ according to sex, commonly applied statistical approaches for estimating sex-specific endocrine disruptor effects may produce divergent estimates. Objectives: We discuss underlying assumptions and evaluate the performance of two traditional approaches for estimating sex-specific effects, stratification and product terms, and introduce a simple modeling alternative: an augmented product term approach. Methods: We describe the impact of assumptions regarding sexual heterogeneity of confounder relationships on estimates of sex-specific effects of the exposure of interest for three approaches: stratification, traditional product terms, and augmented product terms. Using simulated and applied examples, we demonstrate properties of each approach under a range of scenarios. Results: In simulations, sex-specific exposure effects estimated using the traditional product term approach were biased when confounders had sex-dependent associations with the outcome. Sex-specific estimates from stratification and the augmented product term approach were unbiased but less precise. In the applied example, the three approaches yielded similar estimates, but resulted in some meaningful differences in conclusions based on statistical significance. Conclusions: Investigators should consider sexual heterogeneity of confounder associations when choosing an analytic approach to estimate sex-specific effects of endocrine disruptors on health. In the presence of sex-dependent confounding, our augmented product term approach may be advantageous over stratification when there is prior knowledge available to fit reduced models or when investigators seek an automated test for effect measure modification. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP334
Linking eCommerce and Human Resource Strategies: A Case Study in a Large Australian Retail Bank

The implementation of eCommerce technologies has considerably changed how employees in the banking industry interact with customers. For example, some customers use electronic banking applications to such an extent that they find little or no need to go into a branch. This change has had a significant impact on the way that jobs are designed and the way that employees are being managed. The preliminary findings from the case study of a large bank in Australia indicate that moving customers out of the branch to an online environment has created unforeseen issues for the way employees interact with customers and this in turn has changed the way that they do their jobs. The key challenge for banks in the future is how to form effective relationships with customers without some kind of face-to-face interaction. This impacts how organisations recruit and retain their staff as well as the level and type of skills required for jobs redesigned after the implementation of eCommerce applications. It is also an important factor in employee satisfaction.
Arbitrary view generation from multiple cameras

We propose a method to generate an arbitrary view based on 5 reference views. We attempt to synthesize a new view of best attainable quality given limited information. The method is based on estimation of depth map and successive image warping: transformation of depth map, guessing depth map for uncovered area, and back-mapping using the filled depth map with elaborate check. Uncovered area due to view change is shown to be handled on the basis of observable viewpoint. It is confirmed that a variety of view of acceptable quality can be synthesized efficiently.
Equivalence of oblique and frontal illumination in perspective shape from shading

In this paper, it is shown that any oblique illumination shape-from-shading problem under perspective projection for Lambertian reflection and a single distant light source can be converted to an equivalent frontal illumination problem by a simple nonlinear intensity transformation which is equivalent to a rectification in stereo vision. Remarkably, it involves no approximation of depth. The method is evaluated on perspective shape-from-shading involving wide range of oblique angles.
"Having 2 hours to write a paper is fun!": Detecting Sarcasm in Numerical Portions of Text

Sarcasm occurring due to the presence of numerical portions in text has been quoted as an error made by automatic sarcasm detection approaches in the past. We present a first study in detecting sarcasm in numbers, as in the case of the sentence 'Love waking up at 4 am'. We analyze the challenges of the problem, and present Rule-based, Machine Learning and Deep Learning approaches to detect sarcasm in numerical portions of text. Our Deep Learning approach outperforms four past works for sarcasm detection and Rule-based and Machine learning approaches on a dataset of tweets, obtaining an F1-score of 0.93. This shows that special attention to text containing numbers may be useful to improve state-of-the-art in sarcasm detection.
An Empirical Perspective of Using Ternary Relationships in Database Conceptual Modelling

To apply Extended Entity Relationship Model (EER) is a good method for representing requirements on information systems, because of its high level of abstraction. Although it is very close to the user, it is not so trivial when some constructs, such as higher order relationships, are used. This paper describes the characterisation and several important results of an experiment performed at our university in order to show some of the difficu lties found when novice students and practitioners use ternary relationships. Some special topics in identifying ternary relationships such as the importance of the domain of text and the intersection data are also investigated. In order to guide and help users in the design task, these results are introduced in PANDORA Case Tool, a research project which tries to serve as a methodological assistance tool.
Series – Connected Health Mobile phone health apps for diabetes management : Current evidence and future developments

With hundreds of millions diagnosed with diabetes worldwide, the ubiquitous mobile phone allows for access into a population that is often difficult to reach and engage. Poor self-management skills, lack of personalized education and clinical inertia are leading to serious complications, resulting in exhaustive use of resources and reduced quality of life. Recent evidence suggests that mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) may be used to effectively deliver health services and self-management tools while overcoming certain barriers to provider access. A significant potential lies in the ability to communicate with individuals in real-time, be able to capture data, and provide decision support. mHealth apps may be targeted for patient use, the care provider, or both, promoting communication, sharing of information and decision-making. Although there is a growing body of research supporting the use of specific mHealth applications for diabetes self-management, the availability of hundreds of such apps makes it difficult to identify those with clinical relevance. Recent reviews of apps conclude that impact of mHealth on clinical outcomes compared to usual care remains uncertain. Nonetheless, there continues to be opportunities for mHealth to supplement traditional care, especially between healthcare care provider visits, where patients can be provided with in-situ feedback and personalized education.
Towards Robust Onboard Control for Quadrotors via Ultra-Wideband-based Localization

This paper describes an indoor navigation approach using estimation and control for horizontal translational motion and heading angle for quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) via Ultra-Wideband (UWB)-based localization. In particular, to cope with noisy measurements, emanating from model uncertainties, and Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) conditions, a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) is deployed along with a Maximum Correntropy Criterion Kalman Filter (MCC-KF). This approach has proven improved robustness compared to the traditional Kalman Filter (KF) against non-Gaussian noise. A testbed with a quadrotor was developed for evaluating the performance of our proposed approach. We demonstrate, via the experimental setup, that the MCC-KF outperforms the use of KF in the presence of shots of mixed noise and communication delays, enabling onboard robust estimation and control via UWB-based localization.
A Printed Triangular Monopole With Wideband Circular Polarization

A printed triangular monopole antenna with wideband circular polarization is presented. The wideband circular polarization is achieved by asymmetrical excitation of a triangular ground plane and planar triangular monopole. The combined radiation provides a wide axial-ratio bandwidth spanning from 1.42 to 2.7 GHz (62%). A parametric study of key geometric parameters is given for clear understanding of the radiation mechanism.
Inactivation of a Human Norovirus Surrogate by High-Pressure Processing: Effectiveness, Mechanism, and Potential Application in the Fresh Produce Industry

ABSTRACT Fresh produce is often a high-risk food for norovirus contamination because it can become contaminated at both preharvest and postharvest stages and it undergoes minimal or no processing. Currently, there is no effective method to eliminate the viruses from fresh produce. This study systematically investigated the effectiveness of high-pressure processing (HPP) on inactivating murine norovirus (MNV-1), a surrogate for human norovirus, in aqueous medium and fresh produce. We demonstrated that MNV-1 was effectively inactivated by HPP. More than a 5-log-PFU/g reduction was achieved in all tested fresh produce when it was pressurized at 400 MPa for 2 min at 4°C. We found that pressure, pH, temperature, and food matrix affected the virus survival in foods. MNV-1 was more effectively inactivated at 4°C than at 20°C in both medium and fresh produce. MNV-1 was also more sensitive to HPP at neutral pH than at acidic pH. We further demonstrated that disruption of viral capsid structure, but not degradation of viral genomic RNA, is the primary mechanism of virus inactivation by HPP. However, HPP does not degrade viral capsid protein, and the pressurized capsid protein was still antigenic. Overall, HPP had a variable effect on the sensorial quality of fresh produce, depending on the pressure level and type of product. Taken together, HPP effectively inactivated a human norovirus surrogate in fresh produce with a minimal impact on food quality and thus can provide a novel intervention for processing fruits intended for frozen storage and related products such as purees, sauces, and juices.
Design and Evaluation of a Workload-Adaptive Haptic Shared Control Framework for Semi-Autonomous Driving

Haptic shared control of an autonomy-enabled vehicle is used to manage the control authority allocation between a human and autonomy smoothly. Existing haptic shared control schemes, however, do not take the workload condition of human into account. To fill this research gap, this study develops a novel haptic shared control scheme that adapts to a human operator’s workload in a semi-autonomous driving scenario. Human-in-the-loop experiments with 8 participants are reported to evaluate the new scheme. In the experiment, a human operator and an autonomous navigation module shared the steering control of a simulated teleoperated vehicle in a path tracking task while the speed of the vehicle is controlled by autonomy. High and low screen refresh rates were used to create moderate and high workload cases, respectively. Results indicate that adaptive haptic control leads to less driver control effort without sacrificing the path tracking performance when compared with the non-adaptive case.
The Self-Concept of the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

This study examines the self-concept of the elderly in a cross-cultural perspective. An open-ended sentence completion methodology was employed. A sample of elderly Spanish and elderly Dutch were compared to gain an idea of the cross-cultural generality of the content of the self-concept. Analysis focuses on responses to sentences which probed the respondents' motivations and future plans and goals. Differences could be interpreted as reflecting an individualistic (Dutch) vs. collectivistic (Spanish) distinction between the two cultures. Furthermore, the findings had implications for how to interpret dimensions of meaningful aging. For example, a dimension such as “purpose in life” was more generalizable across the two samples than a dimension such as “autonomy. ”
PERDAS VOLUMÉTRICAS RELATIVAS À COLHEITA FLORESTAL E SEUS REFLEXOS ECONÔMICOS

As perdas volumetricas relativas a colheita florestal e seus reflexos economicos, apresentam grande interesse as empresas florestais. O objetivo do trabalho foi determinar percentuais de perdas na colheita florestal, os quais podem contribuir para a maior assertividade na valoracao de ativos florestais. Foram utilizadas 100 arvores-amostra, selecionadas de acordo com a distribuicao de frequencia por classe diametrica em um censo florestal. O numero de arvores por classe diametrica foi definida proporcionalmente a frequencia encontrada. As perdas volumetricas quantificadas na colheita florestal, foram: residuo, toco conforme, serragem de derrubada, serragem de processamento, toco nao conforme e quebra de fuste. As perdas volumetricas e economicas foram divididas em perdas inerentes ao processo e perdas de colheita florestal. As perdas volumetricas foram de 11,92% e as perdas economicas representam R$ 330,85.ha -1 . A perda economica do volume retido no toco acima do padrao, foi de R$ 30,60.ha -1 e a perda por quebra de fuste foi de R$ 300,25.ha -1 .
Enhancement of bandwidth for a TL resonator based CRLH leaky wave antenna

In this paper, a transmission line (TL) resonator based composite right/left-handed (CRLH) leaky-wave antenna (LWA) is investigated. In order to enhance input impedance bandwidth, bandpass filter synthesis technique is utilized to design matching sections. An example LWA with a fractional bandwidth of 0.4 is designed and fabricated, and the measured results agree well with numerical results.
Bayesian spatial methods for small-area injury analysis: a study of geographical variation of falls in older people in the Wellington–Dufferin–Guelph health region of Ontario, Canada

Objectives To examine falls in older people in the Wellington–Dufferin–Guelph (WDG) health region of Ontario, Canada, and to identify areas with excess RR and associated risk factors, particularly those related to private dwellings. Methods Cases of hospitalisation following falls among older people in the WDG health region between 2002 and 2006 were geocoded to the dissemination area level and used in the spatial analysis. The falls data and covariates from the 2006 Canadian census were analysed using Poisson log-linear models with (spatial and non-spatial) random effects at the dissemination area level. A Bayesian approach with Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation allowed the spatial random effects models to be fitted. Map decomposition was used to visualise the results. Results The percentage of occupied private dwellings requiring repairs and median income were significantly associated with falls in older people in the WDG health region. Twenty-six dissemination areas with high RR of falls in older people in the WDG health region were identified. Map decomposition revealed that RR were also driven by unknown factors that have spatial patterns. Conclusions This research identified an association between falls in older people and housing conditions; the higher the percentage of dwellings requiring repairs in an area, the higher its risk of falls in older people. Bayesian spatial modelling accounts for measurement errors and unobserved or unknown risk factors that have spatial patterns. The findings have the potential to contribute to future research in reducing falls in older people and generate more interest in using Bayesian spatial modelling approaches in injury and public health research.
Power Allocation for ARQ Two-Hop Cooperative Networks for Ultra-Reliable Communication

We analyze the performance of amplify-and-forward (AF) automatic repeat request (ARQ) for a two-hop cooperative system with reliability constrains. For this setup, we first derive the closed-form outage probability expression. Next, we present a power allocation scheme that allows us to achieve a target outage probability, while minimizing the outage-weighted average power expenditure for asymmetric power allocation between the source and relay. This is cast as an optimization problem, and the optimal power allocation (OPA) is obtained in closed form by invoking the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. We evaluate numerically the OPA strategy between different AFARQ transmission rounds and we show that the proposed scheme provides large power gains with respect to the optimized pointto-point ARQ scheme, as well as with respect to the equal power allocation (EPA) strategy.
On generalized spatial modulation for multiuser wireless communications

The recently proposed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technique of spatial modulation (SM) has attracted a good deal of attention due to its low implementation and computational complexity, and the spectral efficiency and energy efficiency gains it offers over many conventional MIMO schemes. There has been some progress made in applying SM to multiuser scenarios, including a proposed precoding scheme to eliminate the Multiuser Interference (MUI) associated with multiuser environments. A generalized technique for SM has also been proposed that promises further spectral efficiency gains over conventional SM. This paper proposes a precoding scheme to eliminate MUI in a generalized spatial modulation (GSM) scenario, thereby allowing individual users to employ a singleuser Maximum Likelihood optimum detector. An interference-aware multiuser detection scheme is developed and the performance of both schemes is compared. The effect of precoder power normalization on the error rate performance is also explored in detail. Precoding is found to facilitate less complex detection and superior error rate performance in the multiuser GSM context.
Anatomy of the mind.

Do you ever know the book? Yeah, this is a very interesting book to read. As we told previously, reading is not kind of obligation activity to do when we have to obligate. Reading should be a habit, a good habit. By reading, you can open the new world and get the power from the world. Everything can be gained through the book. Well in brief, book is very powerful. As what we offer you right here, this an anatomy of the mind is as one of reading book for you.