Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease on the Presentation and Outcome of Patients Hospitalized With Atrial Fibrillation: Insights From Qatar

Atrial fibrillation (AF) with coexistent chronic kidney disease (CKD) is poorly described in the literature. We compared the presenting symptoms, clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients hospitalized with AF with and without CKD in a large clinical registry. Data of patients hospitalized with AF between 1991 and 2012 in Qatar were analyzed. Of 5201 patients hospitalized for AF, 264 (5.1%) had CKD. Patients with AF and CKD were older with higher prevalence of other comorbidities and left ventricular dysfunction and were more likely to present with shortness of breath and chest pain compared with patients with AF alone who were more likely to present with palpitation. The crude in-hospital mortality was 3 times higher in patients with dual disease. On multivariable adjustments, CKD was an independent predictor of mortality (odds ratio: 2.84; 95% confidence interval: 1.33-6.08, P = .001). Further studies are warranted to try to reduce the increased mortality observed in this high-risk population.
Development of a Fast and Reliable Method for the Assessment of Microbial Colonization and Growth on Textiles by DNA Quantification

There is a lack of relevant methods to assess the colonization of textiles by skin bacteria because present methods are mainly culture-based procedures. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop a fast and sensitive culture-independent procedure for the quantification of microbial colonization and growth on textiles. We have established a suitable protocol to use DNA quantification as a reliable method for in vitroand in vivoinvestigations of textiles. For DNA extraction, a two-step procedure comprising treatment of the textile with a solution containing Triton X-100 and lysozyme for 1 h and a successive treatment by SDS and proteinase K for 2 h turned out to be most efficient. DNA extracted from textiles and fabrics was than quantified with the highly sensitive PicoGreen fluorescent dye. In vitrochallenge tests demonstrated a strong correlation between numbers of bacteria on textiles and amount of DNA extracted from textiles. Therefore, this method was used to compare different materials after in vivotrials for assessment of their susceptibility for microbial colonization and growth.
Donor lymphocyte infusions and second transplantation as salvage treatment for relapsed myelofibrosis after reduced‐intensity allografting

Thirty myelofibrosis patients (21 males, nine females) with relapse (n = 27) or graft‐rejection (n = 3) after dose‐reduced allografting underwent a salvage strategy including donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) and/or second allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Twenty‐six patients received a median number of three (range, 1–5) DLIs in a dose‐escalated mode starting with a median dose of 1·2 × 106 (range, 0·003–8 × 106) up to median dose of 40 × 106 T‐cells/kg (range, 10–130 × 106). 10/26 patients (39%) achieved complete response (CR) to DLIs. Acute (grade II‐IV) and chronic graft‐versus‐host (GvHD) disease occurred in 12% and 36% cases. Thirteen non‐responders to DLI and four patients who did not receive DLI due to graft‐rejection or acute transformation of the blast phase underwent a second allogeneic HSCT from alternative (n = 15) or the same (n = 2) donor. One patient (6%) experienced primary graft‐failure and died. Acute (II‐IV) and chronic GvHD were observed in 47% and 46% of patients. Overall responses after second HSCT were seen in 12/15 patients (80%: CR: n = 9, partial response: n = 3). The 1‐year cumulative incidence of non‐relapse mortality for recipients of a second allograft was 6%, and the cumulative incidence of relapse was 24%. After a median follow‐up of 27 months, the 2‐year overall survival and progression‐free survival for all 30 patients was 70% and 67%, respectively. In conclusion, our two‐step strategy, including DLI and second HSCT for non‐responding or ineligible patients, is an effective and well‐tolerated salvage approach for patients relapsing after reduced‐intensity allograft after myelofibrosis.
Mapping and Understanding the Dynamics of Landscape Changes on Heterogeneous Mediterranean Islands with the Use of OBIA: The Case of Ionian Region, Greece

Mediterranean islands contain heterogeneous landscapes, resulting from the complex interactions between natural and anthropogenic processes, and have significant ecological and conservation importance. They are vulnerable systems to global change and the monitoring of changes, induced by the interacting environmental drivers, is of particular importance for applying a sustainable management regime. The aim of this study was to detect and analyze the landscape dynamics and changes in landscape composition over a 30-year period on the Ionian Islands of Western Greece. State-of-the-art object-oriented image analysis on freely available remote sensing data such as Landsat images was employed achieving final mapping products with high spatial and thematic accuracy (over than 85%), and a transferable classification scheme. The main drivers of environmental change are tourism and associated activities, wildfires and livestock breeding which act in different ways and intensities within and between the islands. The repopulation of those islands, after a period of significant depopulation from the 1940s to the 1980s, and the boom of tourism since the mid-1970s prevented further land abandonment and the recultivation of abandoned land which indicates that tourism and agriculture can be complementary rather than competing economic sectors. Despite the significant increase of tourism, a general trend was observed towards increasing cover of high-density vegetation formations, such as shrublands and forests. At the same time, wildfires, which are in some cases associated with livestock breeding, continue to be an important vegetation degradation factor preventing further ecosystem recovery on the study islands.
HLA alleles are associated with postherpetic neuralgia but not with herpes zoster.

OBJECTIVE In some herpes zoster (HZ) patients, one symptom is problematic; postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a persistence of pain such as spontaneous pain and stimulus-evoked pain, allodynia or hyperpathia, for more than 6 months after healing of the vesicular eruptions. In our previous study, we reported the association between HLA alleles, HLA-A*33 and B*44, and PHN patients. In this study, we aim to refine the association of these alleles with PHN or HZ using higher-resolution HLA typing technique with an increased sample size. METHODS HLA allele frequencies were compared in 70 PHN patients, 80 HZ patients, 52 HZ(-) patients, and 140 Japanese controls using HLA typing kits of SSOP protocols. RESULT AND CONCLUSION The allele frequencies of HLA-A*3303, B*4403, and DRB1*1302 in PHN(+) patients were significantly higher than those in Japanese controls (P=0.00007, P=0.000002, and P=0.0003, respectively). The frequencies of above alleles in PHN(+) patients were also significantly higher than those in PHN(-) patients (P=0.03, P=0.006 and P=0.03, respectively). However, no association was found in comparison of HZ(+) patients and HZ(-). And the frequency of HLA-B*5101 in HZ(-) patients was significantly higher than those in HZ(+) and PHN(+) patients (P=0.003 and P=0.009, respectively) indicating that HLA-B*5101 functions as a protective allele to HZ.
Open loop Kelvin probe force microscopy with single and multi-frequency excitation

Conventional Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) relies on closed loop (CL) bias feedback for the determination of surface potential (SP). However, SP measured by CL-KPFM has been shown to be strongly influenced by the choice of measurement parameters due to non-electrostatic contributions to the input signal of the bias feedback loop. This often leads to systematic errors of several hundred mV and can also result in topographical crosstalk. Here, open loop (OL)-KPFM modes are investigated as a means of obtaining a quantitative, crosstalk free measurement of the SP of graphene grown on Cu foil, and are directly contrasted with CL-KPFM. OL-KPFM operation is demonstrated in both single and multi-frequency excitation regimes, yielding quantitative SP measurements. The SP difference between single and multilayer graphene structures using OL-KPFM was found to be 63 ± 11 mV, consistent with values previously reported by CL-KPFM. Furthermore, the same relative potential difference between Al2O3-coated graphene and Al2O3-coated Cu was observed using both CL and OL techniques. We observed an offset of 55 mV between absolute SP values obtained by OL and CL techniques, which is attributed to the influence of non-electrostatic contributions to the input of the bias feedback used in CL-KPFM.
Substances involved in fatal drug overdoses in Brisbane, 1979–1987

Suicide rates may be reduced by decreasing the availability, cultural acceptance or lethality of certain methods of suicide. With these principles in mind fatal overdoses in Brisbane 1979‐ 1987 were surveyed for substances involved. Psychotropic agents, especially barbiturates predominated. Chloral hydrate was far the most commonly implicated single compound. A case is put for curtailing the availabilty of barbiturates and chloral hydrate. This combined with increasing detection of depressed persons may lead to a further rise in overdoses involving antidepressants which as a group require reduction in their lethality.
Noninvasive Assessment of Arterial Stiffness and Risk of Atherosclerotic Events in Children

Noninvasive assessment of vascular dysfunction in the pediatric population has taken advantage of the development of high-resolution ultrasound techniques. The most frequently used methods are the quantification of flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation of the brachial artery and measurement of the intima-media thickening of the carotid artery. Both reduced flow-mediated dilation and increased intima-media thickness have been proven to correlate with late cardiovascular events and/or mortality in adults. As these noninvasive methods can easily be applied in children, there have been recent investigations in high-risk pediatric patients harboring classical cardiovascular risk factors. Endothelial dysfunction and increased thickness of the intima media are currently observed in children with familial hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. The association of early vascular dysfunction with a known risk factor is an important issue as these anomalies precede the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, they may help in stratification of the risk for cardiovascular event and to better tailor therapeutic interventions in at risk children. Finally, these methods have been applied in specific pediatric populations, such as children with end-stage renal disease, chronic parenteral nutrition, HIV infection, and coarctation of the aorta. In these conditions, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling are also present early in life and these data raise new possibilities in the understanding of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in these populations.
THE IMPACT OF A SUPERVISED STRENGTH AND AEROBIC TRAINING PROGRAM ON MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND AEROBIC CAPACITY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES

An intervention in the clinical management of individuals with type 2 diabetes is strength and aerobic training. Limited research has been conducted that investigates the effect of a supervised strength and aerobic training program on muscular strength and aerobic capacity in people with type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this 1-group repeated-measures–designed study was to investigate the impact of a supervised strength and aerobic training program on muscular strength and aerobic capacity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Thirteen subjects with type 2 diabetes completed the training program. Subjects met the American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes. For each subject, muscular strength (estimated 1 repetition maximum) and aerobic capacity (esti- mated maximal oxygen uptake) were measured before and after a supervised strength and aerobic training program as well as during a 6-week follow-up. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare muscular strength and aerobic capacity between pretesting, posttesting, and follow-up testing periods. Significant improvements in muscular strength (p > 0.01) and aerobic capacity (p > 0.01) were found during posttesting and follow-up testing, as compared to pretesting measures. Yet a significant loss in muscular strength (p > 0.01) and no significant change in aerobic capacity (p > 0.05) were found during follow-up testing, as compared to posttesting measures. This study indicates that a supervised strength and aerobic training program can significantly improve muscular strength and aerobic capacity in people with type 2 diabetes. Yet improvements in muscular strength due to training will not be maintained if individuals with type 2 diabetes do not adhere to a continuous training program. In addition, aerobic capacity can be improved with training, but aerobic capacity will not continue to improve if people with type 2 diabetes are not compliant with a continuous training program.
Implementing traceability systems in specific supply chain management (SCM) through critical success factors (CSFs)

Traceability plays a vital role in the success of Halal Supply Chain (HSC). HSC revolve around the essential dimension of Halal Integrity (HI), whereas traceability is seemed to be medium to assure integrity. Thus, a need is felt to identify the factors which are critical to the successful implementation of traceability in Halal Supply Chain Management (HSCM). Identified Twelve Critical Success Factors (CSFs) through an extensive review of literature and opinion of experts. Further, a contextual relationship among the CSFs is developed using Total Interpretive Structure Modelling (TISM) approach and derived a model. The structural model is analyzed using Fuzzy MICMAC (Matrice d’Impacts Croises-Multipication Applique and Classment-cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) approach to identify the importance of CSFs by driving and dependence power. The primary result indicates towards; that improving the HSCM with the higher level of Halal awareness. Assuring HI will enhance the consumer satisfaction which leads to a competitive advantage for the organization. Academic researchers, industrial practitioners and Supply Chain executives can understand the complex interrelationship of CSFs by visualizing the TISM. It can help the management, lobbies and government to develop the policies regarding the implementation.
Bank Efficiency and Strength Appraisal based on Multi-dimensional Statistical Combination Model

It is the best method to use principal component analysis model to deal with many indicators during the evaluation process of operational efficiency and comprehensive strength about banks,which could deliver comprehensive and objective summary of the overall situation of banks.However,it is more useful and beneficial to comprehensive evaluation by distinguishing between input indicators and output indicators,then to appraise the overall efficiency and the comprehensive strength about banks.Based on this,this paper constructs a PCA-DEA multivariate statistical combination model.For the objectivity and difference during the appraising process,the author further improves the new model for a PCA-DEA-TOPSIS multivariate statistical combination model.Finally,we have taken an empirical evaluation using 14 listed commercial banks in China,and the result show that the model is feasible and effective.
Measurement Properties of the High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Background The High-Level Mobility Assessment Tool (HiMAT) was developed to quantify balance and mobility problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Measurement properties of the HiMAT have not been tested in the mild TBI (MTBI) population. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the HiMAT in a sample of the MTBI population. Design A cohort, pretest-posttest, comparison study was conducted. Methods Ninety-two patients (69% men, 31% women) with a mean age of 37.1 years (SD=13.8) and a mean Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14.7 (SD=0.7) were recruited from Oslo University Hospital. All patients were tested with the HiMAT (range of scores=0 [worst] to 54 [best]) at 3 months postinjury. Fifty-one patients were retested at 6 months. A subgroup of 25 patients was selected for the reliability testing. Balance function reported on the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire was chosen as a criterion and anchor. Criterion-related validity was studied with correlation analysis. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used for assessing interrater and intrarater reliability. Minimal detectable change (MDC) for the HiMAT was estimated. Responsiveness was assessed with receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. Results The mean HiMAT sum score was 46.2 (95% confidence interval=44.4 to 48.1). The HiMAT had a ceiling effect of 22.8%. The correlation between HiMAT scores and self-reported balance problems was large (r=−.63, P<.001). Interrater and intrarater reliability of the HiMAT sum score was high (interrater ICC=.99, intrarater ICC=.95). The MDC was −3 to +4 points. Responsiveness was good, and the HiMAT discriminated well between patients with self-perceived improved balance function versus unchanged balance function (area under the curve=0.86). Limitations The small sample size, a ceiling effect, and lack of a gold standard were limitations of the study. Conclusions The HiMAT demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties for patients with MTBI. The HiMAT can be used as an outcome measure of balance and mobility problems in patients with MTBI.
Off-the-shelf Embedded Devices as Platforms for Security Research

With increasing concerns about the security and trustworthiness of embedded devices, the importance of research on their firmware is growing. Unfortunately, researchers with new ideas for improving the security of these devices (e.g., fuzzing) or studying adversarial scenarios (e.g., malware) face massive hurdles when applying them to actual hardware. To conduct realistic experiments, we need real-world hardware that can be easily used for security research. Unfortunately, such devices are scarce and depend entirely on efforts by the hacker community. In this paper, we describe two new devices that we have opened up, a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a solid sate drive (SSD). These two types of devices have not been previously reverse engineered and they are both interesting cases given the recent developments on the security of embedded devices and the rise of Internet of Things. We discuss possible new directions with these two "real-world" research platforms. We further make the results of our efforts available to the security community in order to make it easier to get started in this research area.
Assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis: comparison of noninvasive tests with results of right-heart catheterization.

OBJECTIVE Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an ominous complication in patients with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc). We compared noninvasive assessment of PH with pulmonary artery (PA) pressures obtained by right-heart catheterization (RHC). METHODS Forty-nine patients with SSc were evaluated for suspected PH based on clinical findings, progressive dyspnea, and pulmonary function tests (PFT). PH was defined as mean PA pressure > or = 25 mm Hg, or > or = 30 mm Hg after exercise, with normal pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCW). Doppler echocardiography (echo) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed within 4 hours of RHC, and the predictive accuracy of the tests was compared. RESULTS RHC identified 24/49 (49%) patients with PH. The noninvasive cutpoints were: estimated right ventricular systolic pressure > 47 mm Hg by echo; diameter of the main PA > 28 mm by MRI; and the ratio of forced vital capacity to diffusion capacity (%FVC/%DLCO) > 2.0 by PFT. Echo classified 38 subjects correctly (14/24 with and 24/25 without PH; sensitivity 58%, specificity 96%). The area under receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.84 for echo. MRI measurement of PA diameter had a sensitivity of 68% and specificity 71% (AUC 0.78). PFT evaluation had a sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 72% (AUC 0.76). CONCLUSION In evaluation of SSc with suspected PH, echo appeared to be the most useful among the noninvasive tests, mainly due to the high specificity, high positive predictive value, and highest AUC. However, due to the low sensitivity of noninvasive testing, RHC should remain the gold standard.
Audiences, Aesthetics and Affordances Analysing Practices of Visual Communication on Social Media

Abstract This research investigates how the practices of sharing pictures with specific audiences on social media may be related to aesthetics and affordances. Based on fieldwork (interviews, picture analysis and digital ethnography) with a group of female teenagers in Vienna, Austria, how they visually curate their accounts is mapped and reconstructed. Regarding content and aesthetics, different kinds of pictures are shared using different apps. Snapchat, for example, (for this specific group at the time of the investigation) is the preferred medium for live communication with very close friends using fast, pixelated, “ugly” pictures, while Instagram serves to share polished, conventional, “beautiful” pictures with broader audiences. Based on this case study, three conceptual arguments can be made. First, visual communication is practised in relation to specific social settings or audiences. Social media is part of these practices, and users navigate differences between platforms to manage identities and relationships. Second, the analysis of practices embedded in specific software, therefore, has to be contextualised and related to the structures of these environments. Software co-constructs processes of editing, distribution, sharing and affirmation, and its affordances have to be related to the ways in which users exploit them. Third, as visual communication becomes an intrinsic part of online communication, the exploration of how distinctions between audiences and affordances play out stylistically appears to be of particular interest, which entails calibrated aesthetics; however, this visual layer is seldom investigated closely.
Toward Multimodal Human–Robot Interaction to Enhance Active Participation of Users in Gait Rehabilitation

Robotic exoskeletons for physical rehabilitation have been utilized for retraining patients suffering from paraplegia and enhancing motor recovery in recent years. However, users are not voluntarily involved in most systems. This paper aims to develop a locomotion trainer with multiple gait patterns, which can be controlled by the active motion intention of users. A multimodal human–robot interaction (HRI) system is established to enhance subject’s active participation during gait rehabilitation, which includes cognitive HRI (cHRI) and physical HRI (pHRI). The cHRI adopts brain–computer interface based on steady-state visual evoked potential. The pHRI is realized via admittance control based on electromyography. A central pattern generator is utilized to produce rhythmic and continuous lower joint trajectories, and its state variables are regulated by cHRI and pHRI. A custom-made leg exoskeleton prototype with the proposed multimodal HRI is tested on healthy subjects and stroke patients. The results show that voluntary and active participation can be effectively involved to achieve various assistive gait patterns.