Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using a Medical Intranet of Things System to Prevent Bed Falls in an Acute Care Hospital: A Pilot Study

Background Hospitalized patients in the United States experience falls at a rate of 2.6 to 17.1 per 1000 patient-days, with the majority occurring when a patient is moving to, from, and around the bed. Each fall with injury costs an average of US $14,000. Objective The aim was to conduct a technology evaluation, including feasibility, usability, and user experience, of a medical sensor-based Intranet of things (IoT) system in facilitating nursing response to bed exits in an acute care hospital. Methods Patients 18 years and older with a Morse fall score of 45 or greater were recruited from a 35-bed medical-surgical ward in a 317-bed Massachusetts teaching hospital. Eligible patients were recruited between August 4, 2015 and July 31, 2016. Participants received a sensor pad placed between the top of their mattress and bed sheet. The sensor pad was positioned to monitor movement from patients’ shoulders to their thighs. The SensableCare System was evaluated for monitoring patient movement and delivering timely alerts to nursing staff via mobile devices when there appeared to be a bed-exit attempt. Sensor pad data were collected automatically from the system. The primary outcomes included number of falls, time to turn off bed-exit alerts, and the number of attempted bed-exit events. Data on patient falls were collected by clinical research assistants and confirmed with the unit nurse manager. Explanatory variables included room locations (zones 1-3), day of the week, nursing shift, and Morse Fall Scale (ie, positive fall history, positive secondary diagnosis, positive ambulatory aid, weak impaired gait/transfer, positive IV/saline lock, mentally forgets limitations). We also assessed user experience via nurse focus groups. Qualitative data regarding staff interactions with the system were collected during two focus groups with 25 total nurses, each lasting approximately 1.5 hours. Results A total of 91 patients used the system for 234.0 patient-days and experienced no bed falls during the study period. On average, patients were assisted/returned to bed 46 seconds after the alert system was triggered. Response times were longer during the overnight nursing shift versus day shift (P=.005), but were independent of the patient’s location on the unit. Focus groups revealed that nurses found the system integrated well into the clinical nursing workflow and the alerts were helpful in patient monitoring. Conclusions A medical IoT system can be integrated into the existing nursing workflow and may reduce patient bed fall risk in acute care hospitals, a high priority but an elusive patient safety challenge. By using an alerting system that sends notifications directly to nurses’ mobile devices, nurses can equally respond to unassisted bed-exit attempts wherever patients are located on the ward. Further study, including a fully powered randomized controlled trial, is needed to assess effectiveness across hospital settings.
Elastic Modulus Measurements on Large Diameter Nanowires Using a Nano-Assembled Platform

This paper presents atomic force spectroscopy (AFM) results from large diameter nanowires (NWs), which range in radius from 150 nm to 300 nm, within a nano-assembled platform. The nanomechanical platform is constructed by assembling single NWs across pairs of gold nano-electrodes using dielectrophoresis and contains a short, suspended segment of the NW (in air) between the assembly electrodes. Atomic force microscope (AFM) force spectroscopy measurements are obtained by indenting the NW within this suspended segment and result in deformation of the NW involving a combination of both, bending and nano-indentation modes. This paper demonstrates the measurement technique using lithium iron phosphate NWs as a model system and presents a finite element model to extract the Young's modulus from nanomechanical data. The estimated Young's modulus of this material, which is an electrode material system of interest for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, was found to be diameter dependent and was observed to range in values between 100 MPa and 575 MPa.
System-Level Modeling and Analysis of Thermal Effects in Optical Networks-on-Chip

The performance of multiprocessor systems, such as chip multiprocessors (CMPs), is determined not only by individual processor performance, but also by how efficiently the processors collaborate with one another. It is the communication architecture that determines the collaboration efficiency on the hardware side. Optical networks-on-chip (ONoCs) are emerging communication architectures that can potentially offer ultra-high communication bandwidth and low latency to multiprocessor systems. Thermal sensitivity is an intrinsic characteristic of photonic devices used by ONoCs as well as a potential issue. This paper systematically modeled and quantitatively analyzed the thermal effects in ONoCs. We used an 8 × 8 mesh-based ONoC as a case study and evaluated the impacts of thermal effects in the average power efficiency for real MPSoC applications. We revealed three important factors regarding ONoC power efficiency under temperature variations, and proposed several techniques to reduce the temperature sensitivity of ONoCs. These techniques include the optimal initial setting of microresonator resonant wavelength, increasing the 3-dB bandwidth of optical switching elements by parallel coupling multiple microresonators, and the use of passive-routing optical router Crux to minimize the number of switching stages in mesh-based ONoCs. We gave a mathematical analysis of periodically parallel coupling of multiple microresonators and show that the 3-dB bandwidth of optical switching elements can be widened nearly linearly with the ring number. Evaluation results for different real MPSoC applications show that, on the basis of thermal tuning, the optimal device setting improves the average power efficiency by 54% to 1.2 pJ/bit when chip temperature reaches 85 °C. The findings in this paper can help support the further development of this emerging technology.
Purification of Heavy Metals from Industrial Waste Water Using Grafted Corn Husks Pulp Ion Exchanger

This study focuses on the development of an ion exchanger based on cellulose extracted from corn husks and grafted with acrylamide followed by base hydrolysis. Corn husk was prehydrolyzed with diluted acid followed by pulping in one or two pulping stages, then bleached by alkaline hydrogen peroxide. Alpha cellulose, lignin, ash and other parameters were measured in the produced pulp. Graft copolymerization of acrylamide onto the pulp was done using Potassium persulfate as initiator followed by sodium hydroxide reflux to convert the amide group to carboxylate group that was used to remove Ni from waste water. Factors affecting grafting such as time, temperature, monomer ratio, and initiator concentration were studied. In addition Factors affecting metal ion removal such as pH, temperature, amount, and time were studied.
Lean-Based Redesign of Multidisciplinary Rounds on General Medicine Service

BACKGROUND Multidisciplinary rounds (MDR) facilitate timely communication amongst the care team and with patients. We used Lean techniques to redesign MDR on the teaching general medicine service. OBJECTIVE To examine if our Lean-based new model of MDR was associated with change in the primary outcome of length of stay (LOS) and secondary outcomes of discharges before noon, documentation of estimated discharge date (EDD), and patient satisfaction. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS This is a pre-post study. The preperiod (in which the old model of MDR was followed) comprised 4000 patients discharged between September 1, 2013, and October 22, 2014. The postperiod (in which the new model of MDR was followed) comprised 2085 patients between October 23, 2014, and April 30, 2015. INTERVENTION Lean-based redesign of MDR. MEASUREMENTS LOS, discharges before noon, EDD, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS There was no change in the mean LOS. Discharges before noon increased from 6.9% to 10.7% (P < .001). Recording of EDD increased from 31.4% to 41.3% (P < .001). There was no change in patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Lean-based redesign of MDR was associated with an increase in discharges before noon and in recording of EDD.
Medium and Short Wave RF Energy Harvester for Powering Wireless Sensor Networks

Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging platform in which every day physical objects provided with unique identifiers are connected to the Internet without requiring human interaction. The possibilities of such a connected world enables new forms of automation to make our lives easier and safer. Evidently, in order to keep billions of these communicating devices powered long-term, a self-sustainable operation is a key point for realization of such a complex network. In this sense, energy-harvesting technologies combined with low power consumption ICs eliminate the need for batteries, removing an obstacle to the success of the IoT. In this work, a Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvester tuned at AM broadcast has been developed for low consumption power devices. The AM signals from ambient are detected via a high-performance antenna-free LC circuit with an efficiency of 3.2%. To maximize energy scavenging, the RF-DC conversion stage is based on a full-wave Cockcroft–Walton voltage multiplier (CWVM) with efficiency up to 90%. System performance is evaluated by rating the maximum power delivered into the load via its output impedance, which is around 62 μW, although power level seems to be low, it is able to power up low consumption devices such as Leds, portable calculators and weather monitoring stations.
Bio-inspired calcium phosphate/biopolymer nanocomposite fibrous scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration

This study discloses an original process for making calcium phosphate (CaP)/biopolymer nanocomposite fibrous scaffolds by biomimetic in-situ synthesis and electrospinning. Electrospinning (ES) produces non-woven nanofibrous mesh structure with 3D interconnected pores and a high surface area by applying electrostatic force to polymer-based solution. The resulting topography of the scaffolds mimics the natural extracellular matrix of human tissues, with the potential application in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound dressing. We have demonstrated that the possibility of inclusion of CaP into biopolymer nanofibers, inspired by mineralized collagen fibrils in bone tissue, makes ES an attractive processing route for preparation of the nanocomposites for bone tissue regeneration. Two different nanocomposite fibers were explored; i) poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with dicalcium phosphate anhydrate (DCPA) and ii) alginate with hydroxyapatite (HAp). In-situ synthesized DCPA in non-aqueous PLA solution were electrospun into self-fused and intra-nano porous networks. Homogeneous dispersion of DCPA nanocrystallites in the PLA nanofibers was induced by controlling the interaction of Ca²+ ions and the carbonyl groups in PLA, providing nucleation sites for DCPA during the in-situ synthesis. It is shown that the nucleation and growth of HAp on electrospun alginate nanofibers was generated at the [–COO‾]–Ca²+–[–COO‾] linkage sites on electrospun alginate nanofibers impregnated with PO₄³‾ ions during cross-linking treatment of alginate. This novel in-situ synthesis developed in this work resulted in the uniform distribution of the CaP nanophases and avoided agglomeration of the inorganic nanoparticles fabricated by the conventional mechanical blending method. Rat calvarial osteoblasts were stably attached and proliferated faster on the CaP/biopolymer nanocomposites fibrous scaffolds than the pure polymer scaffolds, respectively. Mineralized bone-like nodules deposited after 6 weeks of seeding on DCPA/PLA scaffolds. The unique nanofibrous architectures combined with the CaP nanophases were engineered using ES and the novel biomimetic in-situ synthesis. It is anticipated that the nanocomposite systems mimicking the mineralized collagen fibrils in bone tissue could be advantageous in bone tissue regenerative medicine applications.
Regulation of Autophagy through TORC1 and mTORC1

Autophagy is an intracellular protein-degradation process that is conserved across eukaryotes including yeast and humans. Under nutrient starvation conditions, intracellular proteins are transported to lysosomes and vacuoles via membranous structures known as autophagosomes, and are degraded. The various steps of autophagy are regulated by the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1/mTORC1). In this review, a history of this regulation and recent advances in such regulation both in yeast and mammals will be discussed. Recently, the mechanism of autophagy initiation in yeast has been deduced. The autophagy-related gene 13 (Atg13) and the unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (Ulk1) are the most crucial substrates of TORC1 in autophagy, and by its dephosphorylation, autophagosome formation is initiated. Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of Atg13 is regulated spatially inside the cell. Another TORC1-dependent regulation lies in the expression of autophagy genes and vacuolar/lysosomal hydrolases. Several transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulations are controlled by TORC1, which affects autophagy activity in yeast and mammals.
ReplayConfusion: Detecting cache-based covert channel attacks using record and replay

Cache-based covert channel attacks use highly-tuned shared-cache conflict misses to pass information from a trojan to a spy process. Detecting such attacks is very challenging. State of the art detection mechanisms do not consider the general characteristics of such attacks and, instead, focus on specific communication protocols. As a result, they fail to detect attacks using different protocols and, hence, have limited coverage. In this paper, we make the following observation about these attacks: not only are the malicious accesses highly tuned to the mapping of addresses to the caches; they also follow a distinctive cadence as bits are being received. Changing the mapping of addresses to the caches substantially disrupts the conflict miss patterns, but retains the cadence. This is in contrast to benign programs. Based on this observation, we propose a novel, high-coverage approach to detect cache-based covert channel attacks. It is called ReplayConfusion, and is based on Record and deterministic Replay (RnR). After a program's execution is recorded, it is deterministically replayed using a different mapping of addresses to the caches. We then analyze the difference between the cache miss rate timelines of the two runs. If the difference function is both sizable and exhibits a periodic pattern, it indicates that there is an attack. This paper also introduces a new taxonomy of cache-based covert channel attacks, and shows that ReplayConfusion uncovers examples from all the categories. Finally, ReplayConfusion only needs simple hardware.
Adolescent drinking—a touch of social class?

Aims To estimate whether parental socio‐economic status (SES) is associated with adolescent drinking, and the degree to which a possible association may be accounted for by various parental factors. Design and setting Cross‐sectional Norwegian school survey from 2006 (response rate: 86%). Participants Students aged 13–14 years (n = 5797), 15–16 years (n = 6613) and 17–18 years (n = 5351), of whom 51% were girls. Measurements Parents' education was our main SES indicator, and we distinguished between low (7%) and middle/high (93%) educational level. The outcomes comprised past‐year drinking and intoxication. We also applied measures on general parenting, parents' alcohol‐related permissiveness and parental intoxication. The main analyses were conducted using Poisson regression. Findings Parents' education had no statistically significant impact on alcohol use among the 17–18‐year‐olds, while 13–16‐year‐olds with low educated parents had an elevated relative risk (RR) of both drinking [RR = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13–1.29] and intoxication (RR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.21–1.44). The RRs became statistically insignificant when including all the parental factors as covariates in the regression models. Among adolescents who had consumed alcohol, low parental education was related to more frequent drinking (RR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.11–1.38) and intoxication episodes (RR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.22–1.66). Again, the RRs became statistically insignificant when we accounted for all the parental factors. This pattern was replicated when we applied an alternative indicator for low parental SES. Conclusions Adolescent drinking in Norway appears to be related inversely to parents' social standing. The elevated risk of low socio‐economic status vanishes when general parenting, alcohol‐related parental permissiveness and parents' drinking are accounted for.
Performance of New and Traditional Fiber Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars for Novel Applications: Stem, Bark, and Core Yield and Chemical Composition

Finding a use for all components of hemp is key to improving the overall economics of fiber production from this crop. In this context, the core, a by-product of fiber production, has become increasingly important for new innovative applications. The aim of the present study was to compare traditional and new dioecious and monoecious fiber hemp cultivars in a 2-year field experiment in Central Italy, evaluating the variations on their fiber yield, bark and core production, and their chemical composition. The obtained results underlined the interesting potentiality of the new dioecious genotypes characterized by interesting fiber and nonfiber components which make their utilization appealing in several woven and nonwoven applications. Thanks to the interesting chemical properties recorded for the core fraction, the full use of hemp biomass in a cascade approach can contribute to the total valorization of this versatile fiber crop for a modern biorefinery facility.
Clinical and Genetic Features of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Renal Glycosuria

Context A sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, which increases urinary glucose excretion, was reported to decrease blood glucose levels and deaths among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and established cardiovascular disease. SLC5A2 and HNF1A mutations are associated with renal glycosuria, but their contributions to renal glycosuria in patients with T2DM are not well understood. Objective To assess the clinical features of patients with T2DM and renal glycosuria and those with T2DM and low urinary glucose excretion (LUGE) and identify variants in the exons of SLC5A2 and HNF1A in patients with renal glycosuria and T2DM. Design A total of 2044 Chinese patients with T2DM, including 64 patients with renal glycosuria and 58 patients with LUGE, were tested for their plasma and urine glucose concentrations after fasting. SLC5A2 and HNF1A exons were sequenced. Results Compared with patients with LUGE, those with renal glycosuria were younger (P = 0.008), had lower body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.002) and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) values (P < 0.0001), and were less likely to have hypertension (P = 0.006). HOMA-IR and BMI were negatively associated with renal glycosuria after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, and insulin therapy. One novel mutation (V359G) of SLC5A2 in 32 patients with renal glycosuria and one known mutation (R131W) of HNF1A in 28 nonobese patients with renal glycosuria were identified. Conclusions These findings suggest that there are subtypes of T2DM characterized by different urinary glucose excretion and cardiovascular risk factors. SLC5A2 and HNF1A mutations partially explain renal glycosuria in patients with T2DM.
Calypso: a user-friendly web-server for mining and visualizing microbiome–environment interactions

Abstract Calypso is an easy‐to‐use online software suite that allows non‐expert users to mine, interpret and compare taxonomic information from metagenomic or 16S rDNA datasets. Calypso has a focus on multivariate statistical approaches that can identify complex environment‐microbiome associations. The software enables quantitative visualizations, statistical testing, multivariate analysis, supervised learning, factor analysis, multivariable regression, network analysis and diversity estimates. Comprehensive help pages, tutorials and videos are provided via a wiki page. Availability and Implementation: The web‐interface is accessible via http://cgenome.net/calypso/. The software is programmed in Java, PERL and R and the source code is available from Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/record/50931). The software is freely available for non‐commercial users. Contact: l.krause@uq.edu. au Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Design methods for Security and Trust

The design of ubiquitous and embedded computers focuses on cost factors such as area, power-consumption, and performance. Security and trust properties, on the other hand, are often an afterthought. Yet the purpose of ubiquitous electronics is to act and negotiate on their owner s behalf, and this makes trust a first-order concern. We outline a methodology for the design of secure and trusted electronic embedded systems, which builds on identifying the secure-sensitive part of a system (the root-of-trust) and iteratively partitioning and protecting that root-of-trust over all levels of design abstraction. This includes protocols, software, hardware, and circuits. We review active research in the area of secure design methodologies
Routing in Disruption Tolerant Networks with Limited Storage

In this paper, we consider a disruption tolerant network (DTN) which enables data transmission with intermittent connectivity and in which instantaneous end-to-end path between a source and destination may not exist. We explore routing problems in such networks in consideration of limited storage for each intermediate node. A graph model called the storage enhanced time-varying graph (STVG) is presented, which fits the dynamic topology characteristics and time- varying parameters of DTN. We transform the nodes with finite buffer in DTN into links with limited bandwidth in STVG. Then, a Shortest Path Computation with Flow Guaranteed (SPFG) algorithm is proposed to select a path with minimum overall cost (delay), meanwhile, to guarantee the transfer of a certain flow. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm based on the STVG model can obtain better performance in delay and delivery ratio (which can be improved to more than 90%) as compared with existing routing algorithms without considering the buffer constraints.