Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
E-health in low to middle income countries

Electronic health (e-health or eHealth) is often defined as healthcare practices supported by electronic processes and communication,[1] and includes mHealth, which in turn is often defined as the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices. [2] However, definitions vary, and include many other areas of computer science and engineer (such as informatics, cyber security, cloud computing and human computer interaction) as well as medicine, public health, anthropology and even public policy. A study in 2005 found 51 unique definitions for e-health alone. [3] Limited funding for medical technology, low levels of education and poor infrastructure for delivering and maintaining technology severely limit medical decision support and medical diagnostics in low to middle income countries (LMICs). [4–6] However, the rapidly increasing coverage of smart mobile devices, not only in developed regions of the world, but also in the world’s rural communities and LMICs have spurred the development of mHealth solutions. [7] Despite the enormous potential for leap frog dynamics in healthcare, mHealth technologies have only seen very limited success, as reported in scientific literature. [8] Key challenges for mHealth solutions in lower resource environments include not only cost, but also the socio-cultural context and the formal or informal healthcare systems in place. It has been highlighted that, for a successful implementation of mHealth initiatives, their integration into the existing infrastructure, supporting and complementing resources available is crucial. [9] This includes working with frontline community healthcare workers to ensure ownership and committed participation. [10] By far the greatest potential for big wins lies in LMICs, where oligopolistic practices, proprietary protocols, vested interests and outdated regulation is often less than in richer countries. [5,11] Of course, there is a flipside to this issue, in that limited regulatory oversight often exists, which can lead to highly variable quality, ethical standards, and safety for medical devices, and the systems to which they are attached. Finally, the issue of scalability and financial sustainability are rarely addressed, or included in the design in the first place. This special issue presents a collection of articles which aims to address these issues, present best practices and useful frameworks, in order to generate discussion and to move forward the field of e-health and mHealth, particularly in LMICs.
Insertions within the Actin Core of Actin-related Protein 3 (Arp3) Modulate Branching Nucleation by Arp2/3 Complex*

Background: The Arp2/3 complex is a molecular machine that nucleates branched actin filaments using poorly understood structural mechanisms. Results: Deletion of inserts within the actin core of Arp3 hyperactivated the complex or rendered it inactive. Conclusion: Inserts in Arp3 are required to properly modulate the activity of Arp2/3 complex. Significance: Understanding branching nucleation is required to understand how actin is regulated in vivo. The Arp2/3 (actin-related protein 2/3) complex nucleates branched actin filaments involved in multiple cellular functions, including endocytosis and cellular motility. Two subunits (Arp2 and Arp3) in this seven-subunit assembly are closely related to actin and upon activation of the complex form a “cryptic dimer” that stably mimics an actin dimer to nucleate a new filament. Both Arps contain a shared actin core structure, and each Arp contains multiple insertions of unknown function at conserved positions within the core. Here we characterize three key insertions within the actin core of Arp3 and show that each one plays a distinct role in modulating Arp2/3 function. The β4/β5 insert mediates interactions of Arp2/3 complex with actin filaments and “dampers” the nucleation activity of the complex. The Arp3 hydrophobic plug plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the complex but is not absolutely required for formation of the daughter filament nucleus. Deletion of the αK/β15 insert did not constitutively activate the complex, as previously hypothesized. Instead, it abolished in vitro nucleation activity and caused defects in endocytic actin patch assembly in fission yeast, indicating a role for the αK/β15 insert in the activated state of the complex. Biochemical characterization of each mutant revealed steps in the nucleation pathway influenced by each Arp3-specific insert to provide new insights into the structural basis of activation of the complex.
A novel approach for void avoidance in wireless sensor networks

We propose a novel approach to treat the problem of void avoidance in sensor networks. In our approach, the choice of the forwarding region around a discovered void is oriented by the locations of (i) the sender node, (ii) the void center and (iii) the destination node. Three void‐avoidance schemes are described which use the same void‐discovery algorithm. Based on an oriented face routing, the first scheme is used by the boundary nodes to prevent packets from dropping. The second scheme is used by sender nodes located n‐hops away from the void boundary to launch a preventive rerouting. The third scheme tends to protect packets from both the concave zones and the boundaries nodes of voids. Proposed schemes are simple to implement. They save network resources and could be easily associated with existing geographic routing protocols. Simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The menace of chronic and recurrent dermatophytosis in India: Is the problem deeper than we perceive?

Superficial fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nail are among the most common infective dermatoses seen in dermatology outpatient clinics. Today, we are facing an onslaught of chronic and recurrent dermatophytosis in volumes never encountered previously. Over the last 3–4 years, the frequency of such cases has increased alarmingly. These cases make up at least 5–10% of new cases seen in the dermatology clinic at our center in North India. The dermatophytosis cases we see in hospitals represent just the tip of the iceberg of the epidemic that is in the community. To add to the woe there is no standard definition for the term “chronic dermatophytosis”, although it is described in lay terms as “patients who have suffered from the disease for more than 6 months to 1 year duration, with or without recurrence, in spite of being treated. ” Recurrent dermatophytosis refers to the reoccurrence of the dermatophyte infection within few weeks, after completion of treatment. [1] Chronic and recurrent dermatophytic infections cause significant distress to the patients socially, emotionally, and financially. This editorial expounds upon various possible factors which could have led to such a menace and an emergence of antifungal drug resistance in superficial mycoses.
A Simulation-Based Analysis of Electricity Access in Uganda

Access to power is tied to a country's development. It facilitates improved social welfare, education, health and income generating opportunities. Uganda's economy is stifled by its low electrification rates-16% nationally. This study builds a working theory on the internal setup of Uganda's power sector utilizing this theory to surface influential behavior modes as they pertain to power generation and supply and how these ultimately affect electricity access. Based on this working theory a System Dynamics simulation model is built. The model simulations show how Uganda's power sector is expected to evolve over 80 years in terms of power supply and demand given existing market structure and prevailing conditions. The study finds major problems in the nature of power accessed specifically an insufficient and unreliable power supply. The root cause is found in the nature of the existing capacity planning process in terms of how future capacity requirements are determined and the agreements made with generators as to how and when they fulfill their investment obligations.
1-GHz All-Optical Flip-Flop Operation of Conventional Cylindrical-Shaped Single-Mode VCSELs Under Low-Power Optical Injection

All-optical set-reset flip-flop operations of conventional circular cylindrical-shaped 1.55-μm wavelength single-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have been demonstrated at a switching frequency of 1 GHz based on polarization bistability observed via injection current variation. The energy of set and reset pulses was lower than 4.5 fJ at a bias current of the VCSEL of 4 mA. Polarization bistable VCSELs will be useful for high-speed optical signal processing applications.
Computer-aided analysis and classification of heart sounds based on neural networks and time analysis

This paper describes a computer-aided heart sound analysis and classification system (CHACS) based on neural networks and time analysis. In this system, two subsystems in both time and frequency domains are proposed. In the first subsystem, a multilayer perceptron neural network is adopted to classify heart sound patterns. In the second subsystem, a set of heuristic rules is used to characterize heart sounds. The individual classification results of these two subsystems are combined to give the final suggestion. Using this system, heart sounds can be selectively stored, retrieved, enhanced, and replayed. Besides, the CHACS provides an online display of the heart beat rate and allows an objective and reliable classification of heart sounds. Experimental results show that a classification rate of 95.6% is obtained.
Nonlinear-control strategy for the half-bridge series-resonant inverter

This paper concerns the analysis and design of the half-bridge series-resonant inverter with nonlinear-control strategy. A zero-current-switching (ZCS) half-bridge series-resonant inverter with nonlinear control is built. The presented circuit topology is simply configured by two power switches and one output filter. Only one conduction loss of the power switch is present in the power flow path during the inversion period. A turn-on ZCS for the power switch is achieved by an auxiliary resonant cell built before the output choke. The nonlinear-control strategy is designed against the input DC perturbation and achieves good dynamic regulation for the sinusoidal pulsewidth-modulation control. A state-space averaging approach is employed to analyze the system. A design example of a 500-W inverter is examined to assess the inverter performance and it provides high power efficiency above 91% under the rated power.
Sputter Grown Fe and Fe/Cr Multilayers With Fourfold Magnetic Anisotropy on GaAs

Thin films of Fe have been epitaxially sputtered on GaAs substrates with native oxide removal prior to the deposition carried out by an Ar ion milling. Films grown at substrate temperatures above 100 °C show well-defined fourfold anisotropies. The onset of epitaxial growth is accompanied by an increase in the surface roughness with growth occurring in a distinct island-like pattern. The Fe layers show significantly reduced moments, which decrease with increasing temperature. Antiferromagnetic coupling between Fe layers with Cr spacers was measured in a multilayer with a Cr thickness of 2.7 nm, around the second antiferromagnetic peak. The magnetic properties of the films are discussed in the context of multilayer storage applications.
Analysis and enhancements of an efficient biometric-based remote user authentication scheme using smart cards

Recently, many biometrics-based user authentication schemes using smart cards have been proposed to improve the security weaknesses in user authentication system. In this paper, we analyze the security of An's authentication scheme [9], and we show that An's authentication scheme is still insecure against various attacks. To fix the security problems identified we propose an enhanced scheme. A detailed security analysis of the proposed scheme is presented followed by its efficiency comparison. Furthermore, we formally proof the security of the enhanced using AVISPA tool.
Osmotic stress on dilution of acid injured Escherichia coli O157:H7

To determine surviving numbers of Escherichia coli from cultures or food systems, dilution with 0·1% peptone is regularly used. Higher numbers of survivors could be obtained from an acid‐treated culture if 0·5 mol l−1 sucrose was added to the 0·1% peptone. Sorbitol, glucose or sodium chloride, but not glycerol, could be used in place of sucrose. Using electron microscopy distinct differences could be seen between acid‐treated and untreated cells. The osmolarity of the diluents ranged from 5 to 500 mosmol kg−1 H2O for the 0·5 mol l−1 sugar or glycerol solutions, to about 1000 mosmol kg−1 H2O for the salt solution. Maximum recovery diluent has an osmolarity of about 300 mosmol kg−1 H2O and resulted in recovery of similar numbers of injured cells as a 0·5 mol l−1 solution of sugar in 0·1% peptone. Taking into account the observed damage to acid‐treated cells and the differences in osmolarity of the diluents, it is likely that dilution in 0·1% peptone imposed additional stress on the acid‐injured cells which caused further cell damage. Dilution in a more osmotically stable solution alleviated this osmotic stress.
Representations of Facial Identity in the Left Hemisphere Require Right Hemisphere Processing

A quintessential example of hemispheric specialization in the human brain is that the right hemisphere is specialized for face perception. However, because the visual system is organized contralaterally, what happens when faces appear in the right visual field and are projected to the nonspecialized left hemisphere? We used divided field presentation and fMRI adaptation to test the hypothesis that the left hemisphere can recognize faces, but only with support from the right hemisphere. Consistent with this hypothesis, facial identity adaptation was observed in the left fusiform face area when a face had previously been processed by the right hemisphere, but not when it had only been processed by the left hemisphere. These results imply that facial identity information is transferred from the right hemisphere to the left hemisphere, and that the left hemisphere can represent facial identity but is less efficient at extracting this information by itself.
Fever in Adult ICUs: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis*

Objectives:Fever is common and associated with increased mortality among patients admitted to adult ICUs, yet recent literature suggests that the incidence of fever may be decreasing. The objective of this study was to determine whether the incidence of fever in adult ICUs changed over time and the factors responsible for the observed change. Designs:Interrupted time series analysis. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of fever (temperature ≥ 38.3°C). Secondary outcomes included the cumulative rate of blood cultures ordered, and the cumulative incidence of bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Data were analyzed with segmented linear regression and adjusted for important confounding variables. Setting:Calgary zone of Alberta Health Services between January 1, 2004, and June 30, 2009. Patients:Adults (age ≥ 18 yr) admitted to ICUs. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:There were 18,989 ICU admissions among 17,153 patients. The cumulative incidence of fever during ICU admission decreased from 50.1% of all patients to 25.5% over the 5.5-year study period. Implementation of a new noninvasive thermometer was associated with a 5.1% (95% CI, 1.4–8.9%, p = 0.01) absolute decrease in fever incidence; however, the decrease in fever incidence was predominantly a function of a constant baseline decrease of 1.1% per quarter (95% CI, 0.8–1.5%, p < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic time series regression found that time and thermometer change were the only independent predictors of the changing incidence of fever. The ordering of blood cultures, bloodstream infection incidence, and ICU mortality were unchanged throughout the study period. Conclusions:The incidence of fever in adult ICUs decreased considerably over time. The lack of change in the ordering of blood cultures and the incidence of bloodstream infections calls into question the importance of fever during the diagnostic evaluation of critically ill patients.
Moves on the Street: Classifying Crime Hotspots Using Aggregated Anonymized Data on People Dynamics

The wealth of information provided by real-time streams of data has paved the way for life-changing technological advancements, improving the quality of life of people in many ways, from facilitating knowledge exchange to self-understanding and self-monitoring. Moreover, the analysis of anonymized and aggregated large-scale human behavioral data offers new possibilities to understand global patterns of human behavior and helps decision makers tackle problems of societal importance. In this article, we highlight the potential societal benefits derived from big data applications with a focus on citizen safety and crime prevention. First, we introduce the emergent new research area of big data for social good. Next, we detail a case study tackling the problem of crime hotspot classification, that is, the classification of which areas in a city are more likely to witness crimes based on past data. In the proposed approach we use demographic information along with human mobility characteristics as derived from anonymized and aggregated mobile network data. The hypothesis that aggregated human behavioral data captured from the mobile network infrastructure, in combination with basic demographic information, can be used to predict crime is supported by our findings. Our models, built on and evaluated against real crime data from London, obtain accuracy of almost 70% when classifying whether a specific area in the city will be a crime hotspot or not in the following month.
Effectiveness of a city-wide program to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Lusaka, Zambia

Objective:To determine the population effectiveness of a city-wide perinatal HIV prevention program. Design:An anonymous surveillance of newborn cord blood for HIV serology and nevirapine (NVP). Methods:All 10 public-sector delivery centers in Lusaka, Zambia participated. All mother–infant pairs delivering during the 12-week surveillance period at the participating centers and who received antenatal care at a public-sector facility in Lusaka were included in the study. The main outcome measure was population NVP coverage, defined as the proportion of HIV-infected women and HIV-exposed infants in the population that ingested NVP. Results:Of 8787 women in the surveillance population, 7204 (82%) had been offered antenatal HIV testing, of which 5149 (71%) had accepted, and of which 5129 (99%) had received a result. Overall, 2257 of 8787 (26%) were cord seropositive. Of the 1246 (55%) cord blood seropositive women who received an antenatal HIV test result, 1112 (89%) received a positive result; the other 134 comprise seroconverters and clerical errors. Only 751 of 1112 (68%) women who received a positive antenatal test result and a NVP tablet for ingestion at labor onset had NVP detected in the cord blood (i.e., maternal non-adherence rate was 32%). A total of 675 infants born to 751 adherent mothers (90%) received NVP before discharge. Thus, only 675 of 2257 (30%) seropositive mother–infant pairs in the surveillance population received both a maternal and infant dose of NVP. Conclusions:Successful perinatal HIV prevention requires each mother–infant pair to negotiate a cascade of events that begins with offering HIV testing and continues through adherence to the prescribed regimen. This novel surveillance demonstrates that failures occur at each step, resulting in reduced coverage and diminished program effectiveness.
An application fuzzy ID3 to wireless LAN access point optimal location problem

Although wireless LAN is useful in its small size and mobility, how optimally wireless LAN points (APs) are located is important. In this paper, we propose the APs' optimal location method using fuzzy ID3. We discuss how to formulate the method for setting AP optimal location and show the effectiveness of this method by illustrating the examples of AP optimal locations.
A Big Data Architecture for Automotive Applications: PSA Group Deployment Experience

Vehicles have become moving sensor platforms collecting huge volumes of data from their various embedded sensors. This data has a great value for automotive manufacturers and vehicles owners. Indeed, connected vehicles data can be used in a large broad of automotive services ranging from safety services to well-being services (e.g. fatigue detection). However, vehicle fleets send big volumes of data that traditional computing and storage approaches are not able to manage efficiently. In this paper, we present the experience of the PSA Group on leveraging big data in automotive context. We describe in depth the big data architecture deployed within the PSA Group and the underlaying technologies/products used in each component.
Computer Simulations in Connective Tissue Research: Successes and Challenges

Connective tissue research traditionally has been experimental in nature, with computational tools used primarily for data analysis and statistical treatment. However, recent developments in mechanics, chemistry, and physics have provided researchers with new and rich computational tools to study numerous high value problems in the field. Among the problems being tackled, complex cell-matrix interactions have attracted significant interest. Researchers have started to address issues at the molecular, macromolecular, cellular, and tissue level through a combination of theory, simulation, and analysis. While there have been numerous successes in this field, new research has highlighted newer and bigger challenges and a close connection between experiment and simulation is needed to tackle high value problems in connective tissue biology.
Crystal structure of undecapotassium bis[α-hemipentahydrogen hexamolybdoplatinate(IV)] dodecahydrate

The title heteropolyanion has two types of protonated O atoms viz. μ3-OH, {Mo2–O(H)–Pt} and μ3-OH0.5 (disordered H atom). The [H2. 5α-PtMo6O24]5.5− polyanion forms a dimer, [(H2.5α-PtMo6O24)2]11−, with 2/m symmetry, held together by two pairs μ3-O—H⋯μ1-O and one disordered μ3-O⋯H⋯μ3-O hydrogen bonds.
Fit of e.max Crowns Fabricated Using Conventional and CAD/CAM Technology: A Comparative Study.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to examine the fit accuracy of e.max crowns by investigating marginal and internal gaps. MATERIALS AND METHODS In experiment 1, 60 e.max computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) crowns were manufactured. The crowns were fabricated using optical scanning of artificial teeth (Op group) or scanning of a plaster model following a silicone impression (M group). Cement space settings of 90, 120, and 150 μm were applied. Marginal and internal crown gaps were compared among six conditions (Op90, Op120, Op150, M90, M120, M150). In experiment 2, e.max CAD crowns from the Op group (CADop group) and the M group (CADm group) were compared with e.max Press crowns (Press group) by measuring marginal and internal gaps of the crowns using Scheffe multiple comparison test. The level of significance was set at . 05. RESULTS In experiment 1, the marginal gap of the Op90 group was significantly higher than that of the Op120 and Op150 groups. The marginal gap of the M90 group was significantly higher than those of the M120 and M150 groups, and the internal gap of the M90 group was significantly lower than that of the M150 group. Although there was no statistically significant difference in marginal gap among the three groups, the internal gap of the CADm group was significantly higher than the Press group. CONCLUSION Although the variation in cement space settings and fabrication techniques affected accuracy, e.max CAD crowns fabricated using optical scanning of melamine teeth achieved a clinically acceptable fit.