Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of NAFLD (Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) on Long-term Outcome of Chronic Hepatitis B in Iranian Patients

Background: The influence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on the outcome of chronic hepatitis B disease, including viral, biochemical and histologic characteristics, in Iranian patients is not yet fully un- derstood. Aim: To evaluate the effect of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) on long-term histology- cal, biochemical and viral outcome of chronic he- pa-tictis B in Iranian patients. Methods: We retro- spec-tively evaluated 94 “e Ag” negative chronic hepatitis B patients (with NAFLD: 44, without NAFLD: 50). Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease was diagnosed based on liver biopsy according to Kleiner classifica-tion. Liver biopsy was done for all patients. Serologi-cal and biochemical variables were evaluated with repeated measure analysis. Results: Non-Alcoholic Fat- ty Liver Disease (NAFLD) was present in 47% of the patients (44 out of 94 patients). In the NAFLD group, increase in AST, ALT, stage (P = 0.002), grade, and total score of liver biopsy were independently related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, while HBV-DNA viral load did not correlate with the presence of a fatty liver. Conclusion: Abnormalities of liver enzymes and liver histopathology are more prevalent in concurrent chronic hepatitis B and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
Running head : UNDER REVIEW 1 Intuitive Experiments in the Physical World Neil

Many aspects of our physical environment are hidden. For example, it is hard to estimate how heavy an object is from visual observation alone. In this paper we examine how people actively “experiment” within the physical world to discover such latent properties. In the first part of the paper, we develop a novel framework for the quantitative analysis of the information produced by physical interactions. We then describe two experiments that present participants with moving objects in “microworlds” that operate according to continuous spatiotemporal dynamics similar to everyday physics (i.e., forces of gravity, friction, etc.). Participants were asked to interact with objects in the microworlds in order to identify their masses, or the forces of attraction/repulsion that governed their movement. Using our modeling framework, we find that learners who freely interacted with the physical system selectively produced evidence that revealed the physical property consistent with their inquiry goal. As a result, their inferences were more accurate than for passive observers and, in some contexts, for yoked participants who watched video replays of an active learner’s interactions. We characterize active learners’ actions into a range of micro-experiment strategies and discuss how these might be learned or generalized from past experience. The contribution of this work is to propose a novel analytic framework and methodology for the study of interactively learning about the physical world.
A Predictive Model Has Identified Tick-Borne Encephalitis High-Risk Areas in Regions Where No Cases Were Reported Previously, Poland, 1999–2012

During 1999–2012, 77% of the cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were recorded in two out of 16 Polish provinces. However, historical data, mostly from national serosurveys, suggest that the disease could be undetected in many areas. The aim of this study was to identify which routinely-measured meteorological, environmental, and socio-economic factors are associated to TBE human risk across Poland, with a particular focus on areas reporting few cases, but where serosurveys suggest higher incidence. We fitted a zero-inflated Poisson model using data on TBE incidence recorded in 108 NUTS-5 administrative units in high-risk areas over the period 1999–2012. Subsequently we applied the best fitting model to all Polish municipalities. Keeping the remaining variables constant, the predicted rate increased with the increase of air temperature over the previous 10–20 days, precipitation over the previous 20–30 days, in forestation, forest edge density, forest road density, and unemployment. The predicted rate decreased with increasing distance from forests. The map of predicted rates was consistent with the established risk areas. It predicted, however, high rates in provinces considered TBE-free. We recommend raising awareness among physicians working in the predicted high-risk areas and considering routine use of household animal surveys for risk mapping.
Determinants of sedentary 24-h energy expenditure: equations for energy prescription and adjustment in a respiratory chamber.

BACKGROUND Achieving energy balance is critical for the interpretation of results obtained in respiratory chambers. However, 24-h energy expenditure (24EE) predictions based on estimated resting metabolic rate and physical activity level are often inaccurate and imprecise. OBJECTIVE We aimed to develop and validate equations to better achieve energy balance in a respiratory chamber by adding or subtracting food items. DESIGN By using a randomized data set with measures of 24EE (n = 241) performed at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, we developed equations to predict 24EE from anthropometric, demographic, and body composition variables before and at 3 and 7 h into the chamber measurement. The equations were tested on an independent data set (n = 240) and compared with published predictive equations. RESULTS By using anthropometric and demographic variables, the equation was as follows: 24EE (kcal/d) = 11.6 [weight (kg)] + 8.03 [height (cm)] - 3.45 [age (y)] + 217 (male) - 52 (African American) - 235. The mean prediction error was -9 ± 155 kcal/d (2046 ± 305 compared with 2055 ± 343 kcal/d for measured 24EE; P = 0.36). The prediction achieved a precision of ±10% of measured 24EE in 83% of the participants. Energy prescription was then refined by equations with the use of energy expenditure values after 3 h, 7 h, or both into the chamber study. These later equations improved the precision (±10% of measured 24EE) to 92% (P = 0.003) and 96% (P < 0.0001) of the participants at 3 and 7 h, respectively. Body composition did not improve 24EE predictions. CONCLUSIONS We showed the use of a set of equations to prescribe and adjust energy intake to achieve energy balance in respiratory chambers over 24 h. These equations may be used in most respiratory chambers and modified to accommodate exercise or specific feeding protocols.
Real-Time Scheduling in Wireless Networks

We study a canonical real-time scheduling problem for time-slotted collocated wireless networks serving users with diverse real-time requirements and wireless loss patterns arising from fading. We study two traffic patterns: periodic arrivals with deadline equal to period, and renewal arrivals, in which a new packet from a user arrives when the current one leaves. Wireless channel conditions are modelled as Bernoulli losses. For periodic arrivals, we prove that the optimal policy that minimizes the expected number of deadline misses has a strong property: it only switches between users on arrivals, successful completions or deadline expiry. When users have similar periods, this optimal policy is a linear switching curve characterized by a single number. Our result explicitly captures the trade-off between two competing aspects of the problem: the real-time tendency to schedule users in earliest-deadline-first (EDF) order, and the wireless tendency to exploit multi-user diversity by scheduling users with good channel conditions first. When users have similar channels, a common occurrence, we establish the optimality of EDF. For renewal arrivals, the optimal policy continues to have a switching structure, although not necessarily characterized by a single parameter. It schedules the user most likely to complete when it also has the earlier deadline. When the “better” user has a later deadline, it is scheduled till a worse user’s deadline gets “close”, and then the worse user is scheduled till expiry. Our results for periodic arrivals are strong and significant. They reduce the search space for optimal wireless real-time scheduling policies by an exponential order of magnitude. They establish optimality of “virtual-deadline-first” policies, where each user’s deadline is modified to take channel quality into account. Policies in this class are easy to implement in a distributed manner.
Modification of novel bio‐based resin‐epoxidized soybean oil by conventional epoxy resin

Conventional epoxy resin (DGEBA), in varying proportion, was used to modify epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) based systems, crosslinked by phthalic anhydride. The properties of DGEBA modified ESO systems were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis, impact testing, tensile and flexural testing, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Single loss factor tan δ peak was obtained for all of the modified systems. The results show the improvement in mechanical properties from their high crosslinking densities through the introduction of DGEBA with increase in initial degradation temperature, as obtained from thermogravimetric analysis. Results approaches to an ideal composition which gives the optimum property. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Key Processes for Cheirolophus (Asteraceae) Diversification on Oceanic Islands Inferred from AFLP Data

The radiation of the genus Cheirolophus (Asteraceae) in Macaronesia constitutes a spectacular case of rapid diversification on oceanic islands. Twenty species – nine of them included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – have been described to date inhabiting the Madeiran and Canarian archipelagos. A previous phylogenetic study revealed that the diversification of Cheirolophus in Macaronesia started less than 2 Ma. As a result of such an explosive speciation process, limited phylogenetic resolution was reported, mainly due to the low variability of the employed molecular markers. In the present study, we used highly polymorphic AFLP markers to i) evaluate species' boundaries, ii) infer their evolutionary relationships and iii) investigate the patterns of genetic diversity in relation to the potential processes likely involved in the radiation of Cheirolophus. One hundred and seventy-two individuals representing all Macaronesian Cheirolophus species were analysed using 249 AFLP loci. Our results suggest that geographic isolation played an important role in this radiation process. This was likely driven by the combination of poor gene flow capacity and a good ability for sporadic long-distance colonisations. In addition, we also found some traces of introgression and incipient ecological adaptation, which could have further enhanced the extraordinary diversification of Cheirolophus in Macaronesia. Last, we hypothesize that current threat categories assigned to Macaronesian Cheirolophus species do not reflect their respective evolutionary relevance, so future evaluations of their conservation status should take into account the results presented here.
Effects of Emotion Regulation Difficulties on the Tonic and Phasic Cardiac Autonomic Response

Background Emotion regulation theory aims to explain the interactions between individuals and the environment. In this context, Emotion Regulation Difficulties (ERD) disrupt the physiological component of emotions through the autonomic nervous system and are involved in several psychopathological states. Objective We were interested in comparing the influence of a film-elicited emotion procedure on the autonomic nervous system activity of two groups with different levels of emotion regulation difficulties. Methods A total of 63 women (undergraduate students) ranging from 18 to 27 (20.7±1.99) years old were included. Using the upper and lower quartile of a questionnaire assessing the daily difficulties in regulating emotions, two groups, one with low (LERD) and one with high (HERD) levels of emotion regulation difficulties, were constituted and studied during a film-elicited emotion procedure. Cardiac vagal activity (HF-HRV) was analyzed during three periods: baseline, film-elicited emotion, and recovery. Results The cardiovascular results showed a decrease in HF-HRV from baseline to elicitation for both groups. Then, from elicitation to recovery, HF-HRV increased for the LERD group, whereas a low HF-HRV level persisted for the HERD group. Conclusions The HERD group exhibited inappropriate cardiac vagal recovery after a negative emotion elicitation had ended. Cardiac vagal tone took longer to return to its initial state in the HERD group than in the LERD group. Prolonged cardiac vagal suppression might constitute an early marker of emotion regulation difficulties leading to lower cardiac vagal tone.
Data-driven generation of synthetic behavioral feature vectors modeling children with autism spectrum disorders

Behavioral data on children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are available thanks to standardized diagnostic tools, such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). This data can be of great use to enhance the learning and reasoning of agents interacting with children with ASD. However, the amount of such available data is limited and may not prove useful by itself to inform the algorithms of complex agents. To address this data scarcity problem, we present a method for generating synthetic behavioral data in the form of feature vectors characterizing a wide range of children with ASD. Our method relies on a thorough analysis and partition of the feature space based on a real dataset containing the ADOS scores of 279 children. We first analyze the real dataset using dimensionality reduction techniques, then introduce data-driven descriptors that partition the feature space into regions naturally arising from the data. We end by presenting a descriptor-based sampling method to generate synthetic feature vectors that successfully preserves the correlation structure of the real dataset.
Parathyroid hormone is related to QT interval independent of serum calcium in patients with coronary artery disease

Elevated serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death, including sudden cardiac death, in patients with and without parathyroid disease. In small studies, PTH levels have been associated with changes in cardiac conduction and repolarization. Changes in the corrected QT interval (QTc) in particular are thought to be mediated by the effect of PTH on serum calcium. There is limited evidence to suggest PTH may affect cardiac physiology independent of its effects on serum calcium, but there is even less data linking PTH to changes in electrical conduction and repolarization independent of serum calcium.
Asymptotics for LS, GLS, and Feasible GLS Statistics in an AR(1) Model with Conditional Heteroskedasticity

This paper considers a first-order autoregressive model with conditionally heteroskedastic innovations. The asymptotic distributions of least squares (LS), infeasible generalized least squares (GLS), and feasible GLS estimators and t statistics are determined. The GLS procedures allow for misspecification of the form of the conditional heteroskedasticity and, hence, are referred to as quasi-GLS procedures. The asymptotic results are established for drifting sequences of the autoregressive parameter and the distribution of the time series of innovations. In particular, we consider the full range of cases in which the autoregressive parameter rho_{n} satisfies (i) n(1 - rho_{n}) approaches infinity and (ii) n(1 - rho_{n}) approaches h_{1} in [0,infinity) as n approaches infinity, where n is the sample size. Results of this type are needed to establish the uniform asymptotic properties of the LS and quasi-GLS statistics.
Use of illuminance as a guide to effective light delivery during daylight photodynamic therapy in the U.K.

Daylight PDT (dPDT) is an effective and nearly painless treatment for field‐change actinic keratosis. Measuring the protoporphyrin‐IX (PpIX)‐weighted exposure dose can give an indication of when conditions are most viable for effective dPDT. It would be advantageous for practitioners if more detailed information of exposure dose and appropriate treatment conditions were available. Where sophisticated measurement equipment is unavailable, simpler and more cost‐effective methods of dose measurement are desirable.
Vaccine Images on Twitter: Analysis of What Images are Shared

Background Visual imagery plays a key role in health communication; however, there is little understanding of what aspects of vaccine-related images make them effective communication aids. Twitter, a popular venue for discussions related to vaccination, provides numerous images that are shared with tweets. Objective The objectives of this study were to understand how images are used in vaccine-related tweets and provide guidance with respect to the characteristics of vaccine-related images that correlate with the higher likelihood of being retweeted. Methods We collected more than one million vaccine image messages from Twitter and characterized various properties of these images using automated image analytics. We fit a logistic regression model to predict whether or not a vaccine image tweet was retweeted, thus identifying characteristics that correlate with a higher likelihood of being shared. For comparison, we built similar models for the sharing of vaccine news on Facebook and for general image tweets. Results Most vaccine-related images are duplicates (125,916/237,478; 53.02%) or taken from other sources, not necessarily created by the author of the tweet. Almost half of the images contain embedded text, and many include images of people and syringes. The visual content is highly correlated with a tweet’s textual topics. Vaccine image tweets are twice as likely to be shared as nonimage tweets. The sentiment of an image and the objects shown in the image were the predictive factors in determining whether an image was retweeted. Conclusions We are the first to study vaccine images on Twitter. Our findings suggest future directions for the study and use of vaccine imagery and may inform communication strategies around vaccination. Furthermore, our study demonstrates an effective study methodology for image analysis.
Uncertainty Determination of the Set Nikon 6B Autocollimator + Visual Interface

In this paper, we present a methodology which identifies and characterizes the sources of uncertainty associated with the operation of an electronic autocollimator. It was developed based on a commercial autocollimator—Nikon 6B model—with the addition of a visual interface and its respective image processing software. The visual interface allows the optical instrument’s performance to be surpassed, thus increasing the resolution and accuracy with respect to the original equipment. The development allows for an improvement in the measurement capacity of the laboratories when calibrating electronic levels, reference planes, and angular patterns, among others. On the other hand, fundamental information is provided for the new instrument’s last stage of design through a detailed evaluation of the measurement system’s mathematical model. This allows us to determine the relative impact of each uncertainty component in order to identify those of greater weight and minimize them by correction.
Using the Internet of Things to Support Emotional Health

A first step towards emotional well-being is to monitor, understand and reflect upon one’s feelings and emotions. A number of personal emotion-tracking applications are available today. In this paper we describe an examination of these applications which indicates that many of the applications do not provide sufficient support for monitoring a full spectrum of emotional data or for analysing or using the data that is provided. To design applications that better support emotional well-being, the full capabilities of the Internet of Things should be utilized. The paper concludes with a description of how Internet of Things technologies can enable the development of systems that can more accurately capture emotional data and support personal learning in the area of emotional health.
Increased Heat Generation in Postcardiac Arrest Patients During Targeted Temperature Management Is Associated With Better Outcomes*

Objectives: Assess if amount of heat generated by postcardiac arrest patients to reach target temperature (Ttarget) during targeted temperature management is associated with outcomes by serving as a proxy for thermoregulatory ability, and whether it modifies the relationship between time to Ttarget and outcomes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Urban tertiary-care hospital. Patients: Successfully resuscitated targeted temperature management–treated adult postarrest patients between 2008 and 2015 with serial temperature data and Ttarget less than or equal to 34°C. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Time to Ttarget was defined as time from targeted temperature management initiation to first recorded patient temperature less than or equal to 34°C. Patient heat generation (“heat units”) was calculated as inverse of average water temperature × hours between initiation and Ttarget × 100. Primary outcome was neurologic status measured by Cerebral Performance Category score; secondary outcome was survival, both at hospital discharge. Univariate analyses were performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests; multivariate analyses used logistic regression. Of 203 patients included, those with Cerebral Performance Category score 3–5 generated less heat before reaching Ttarget (median, 8.1 heat units [interquartile range, 3.6–21.6 heat units] vs median, 20.0 heat units [interquartile range, 9.0–33.5 heat units]; p = 0.001) and reached Ttarget quicker (median, 2.3 hr [interquartile range, 1.5–4.0 hr] vs median, 3.6 hr [interquartile range, 2.0–5.0 hr]; p = 0.01) than patients with Cerebral Performance Category score 1–2. Nonsurvivors generated less heat than survivors (median, 8.1 heat units [interquartile range, 3.6–20.8 heat units] vs median, 19.0 heat units [interquartile range, 6.5–33.5 heat units]; p = 0.001) and reached Ttarget quicker (median, 2.2 hr [interquartile range, 1.5–3.8 hr] vs median, 3.6 hr [interquartile range, 2.0–5.0 hr]; p = 0.01). Controlling for average water temperature between initiation and Ttarget, the relationship between outcomes and time to Ttarget was no longer significant. Controlling for location, witnessed arrest, age, initial rhythm, and neuromuscular blockade use, increased heat generation was associated with better neurologic (adjusted odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00–1.03]; p = 0.039) and survival (adjusted odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00–1.03]; p = 0.045) outcomes. Conclusions: Increased heat generation during targeted temperature management initiation is associated with better outcomes at hospital discharge and may affect the relationship between time to Ttarget and outcomes.