Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Delphi Method Analysis to Create an Emergency Medicine Educational Patient Satisfaction Survey

Introduction Feedback on patient satisfaction (PS) as a means to monitor and improve performance in patient communication is lacking in residency training. A physician’s promotion, compensation and job satisfaction may be impacted by his individual PS scores, once he is in practice. Many communication and satisfaction surveys exist but none focus on the emergency department setting for educational purposes. The goal of this project was to create an emergency medicine-based educational PS survey with strong evidence for content validity. Methods We used the Delphi Method (DM) to obtain expert opinion via an iterative process of surveying. Questions were mined from four PS surveys as well as from group suggestion. The DM analysis determined the structure, content and appropriate use of the tool. The group used four-point Likert-type scales and Lynn’s criteria for content validity to determine relevant questions from the stated goals. Results Twelve recruited experts participated in a series of seven surveys to achieve consensus. A 10-question, single-page survey with an additional page of qualitative questions and demographic questions was selected. Thirty one questions were judged to be relevant from an original 48-question list. Of these, the final 10 questions were chosen. Response rates for individual survey items was 99.5%. Conclusion The DM produced a consensus survey with content validity evidence. Future work will be needed to obtain evidence for response process, internal structure and construct validity.
Connecting the houses at FttH with respect for social costs: Solving a Steiner tree problem with timing benefits

Rolling out a Fibre to the Home (FttH) architecture is very expensive, mainly due to all the trenching that is labour extensive. In this paper we present a method for planning the last mile in FttH in a cost effective way and extend this method for incorporating and minimizing the inconvenience and social costs this work brings. To do this, we model the problem of connecting the houses with FttH in a novel way: we know already where the fibre segments have to be, but how to connect them to create a coherent network? This can be modelled as a Minimal Steiner Tree problem. Next we present a heuristic approach to solve this node and edge weighted Minimum Steiner Tree problem and introduce a method to incorporate smart co-laying opportunities in this approach, which are called the the timing benefits.
The content of goals in individual educational programs for students with complex communication needs

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to explore the contents of communication-related goals in individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with complex communication needs. Goals in 43 IEPs were linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children and Youth version (ICF-CY). The results show that the communication-related IEP goals contain information on multiple domains of functioning in the ICF-CY. However, judging by the amount of codes linked to ICF-CY chapters, the IEPs contain a relatively small proportion of goals that focus on interaction with others, or participation in classroom and leisure activities. Special education teachers and speech-language pathologists working with students with complex communication needs may need support to formulate communication-related IEP goals with a focus on interaction and participation in school activities.
On ARQ strategies over random access protocols in underwater acoustic networks

In this paper, we introduce a mechanism to improve the performance of ARQ over underwater links. Our scheme aims at reproducing a Selective Repeat ARQ strategy: to do this, it sets up a form of time-division duplex link between the transmitter and its receiver, by leveraging on the propagation delay incurred by underwater sound. In fact, such delay typically allows to interlace the transmission of data and ACK packets in such a way that the two operations do not interfere or cause nodes to be deaf to the transmissions of each other. We consider two different versions of our protocol (in terms of channel access persistence) and compare them against ALOHA and CSMA with and without ARQ, in both static and mobile scenarios. We conclude that in multiuser networks our form of Selective Repeat ARQ outperforms other ACK-based protocols at low and intermediate traffic.
On reification: a reinterpretation of designed and emergent practice

This paper is a response to the article: 'Examining the five-stage e-moderating model: designed and emergent practice in the learning technology profession, published in ALT-J 11 (1). Whilst we agree with the concerns of the authors on the problems of commodification and the increasing control of learning technology from a financial or predominantly management perspective, we wish to offer a reinterpretation of the research by taking a stricter analysis of the events described by the authors DOI:10.1080/0968776030110206
Aportes metodológicos en la estimación de tamaños de muestra en estudios poblacionales de prevalencia

Esta tesis doctoral aborda la aplicacion de seis enfoques estadisticos que se utilizan para estimar tamanos de muestra en poblaciones multinomiales los que corresponden a: Angers (1974), Tortora (1978), Thompson (1987), Cochran (1977), Bromaghin (1993) y Fitzpatrick & Scott (1987), dichos enfoques estan ampliamente discutidos en la literatura del muestreo estadistico pero generan controversia al momento de aplicarlos en estudios de salud dado a que no siempre permiten conjugar costos, representatividad y tamanos de muestra adecuados para un esquema de muestreo aleatorio simple y muestreo complejo de poblaciones en donde la variable de diseno o estudio corresponde a una distribucion de tipo multinomial. Se discute inicialmente como la utilizacion de la maxima varianza cuando la variable de diseno con k=2 categorias entrega estimaciones de prevalencias considerando un valor P=0,50 para estimar dicho tamano muestral, sin conocer valores previos de dicho estimador lo que entrega estimaciones sesgadas. Posteriormente se simularon poblaciones teoricas para variables de k=3, 4, 5, 6 y 7 categorias, generando 25 poblaciones distintas de tamano N=1.000. 000 que variaban segun distintos valores de proporciones para las distintas categorias. Para dichas poblaciones se extrajeron mediante muestro aleatorio simple, muestras de distintos tamanos que fueron estimadas mediante los seis enfoques mencionados anteriormente que consideraron distintos valores de errores muestrales, posteriormente se evaluo el desempeno de estos mediante: 1) Tamano de muestra, 2) Nivel de confianza real, 3) Estimador promedio, 4) Sesgo y 5) Mediana del Error cuadratico medio. Luego la discusion se enfoca en la determinacion de que metodo analizado entrega mejores tamanos de muestra y estimaciones considerando distintos escenarios en donde las categorias consideradas van desde k=3 a k=7, finalmente se propone y discute la utilizacion de las medidas de incertidumbre o entropia de Shannon para estudiar la incertidumbre asociada a los vectores estimados mediante los distintos metodos.
Petri Nets, Flat Languages and Linear Arithmetic

We present a method for characterizing the least xed-points of a certain class of Datalog programs in Presburger arithmetic. The method consists in applying some rules of decomposition that transform general sets of computation paths into \\at" ones. We apply the method for expressing the reachability relation of Petri nets as a linear arithmetic formula in order to prove (or disprove) their safety properties.
1 Attrition with Spinal Cord Stimulation

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Self‐esteem and culture: Differences in cognitive self‐evaluations or affective self‐regard?

Although people from East Asian countries consistently report lower self-esteem than do those from Western countries, the origins of this difference are unclear. We conducted two studies to illuminate this issue. Study 1 found that Chinese participants appraised themselves less positively than American participants on a cognitive measure of self-evaluations, but cultural differences were absent on a measure of affective self-regard. Moreover, cultural differences in global self-esteem were eliminated once cognitive self-evaluations were statistically controlled. Study 2 found that cultural differences in modesty underlie cultural differences in cognitive self-evaluations. These findings suggest that Chinese feel as positively toward themselves as Americans do, but are less inclined to evaluate themselves in an excessively positive manner.
Development and measurement properties of a putting skill test for high-level golf

Abstract Despite a recent increase in the amount of research investigating performance in golf, a comprehensive putting skill test has not been reported in the peer-reviewed literature. In this study, the Golf Australia Putting Test (GAPT) was developed and a series of measurement properties were assessed. Elite (n = 18) and high-level amateur (HLA; n = 22) participants completed six single putts from various areas on six concentric circles (circle radii = 0.9, 1.5, 3.0, 4.6, 6.1 and 7.6 m). Using a scoring system that rewarded participants for holing putts from longer distances, the maximum score from a single round of the test (i.e. 36 putts) was 27 points. After two rounds of the test were completed by all players, a subsample of participants (elite, n = 15; HLA, n = 7) had their putting performance recorded during tournament play for a period of 90 days to assess criterion (predictive) validity of the test. The reliability, sensitivity and discriminative validity of the GAPT were also assessed. Better agreement between Rounds 1 and 2 scores was noted in the elite group, whilst reliability values were similar for both groups. Further, the GAPT scores were shown to predict players from the elite and high-ability groups with a low classification error. An equation for predicting on-course performance from GAPT scores was also developed. Findings from this study indicate that the GAPT is a valid and reliable tool for high-level players and the GAPT may be used for player evaluation in the field.
Stat3 Activation Is Required for Cellular Transformation by v-src

ABSTRACT Stat3 activation has been associated with cytokine-induced proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and transformation. Constitutively activated Stat3 has been found in many human tumors as well as v-abl- and v-src-transformed cell lines. Because of these correlations, we examined directly the relationship of activated Stat3 to cellular transformation and found that wild-type Stat3 enhances the transforming potential of v-src while three dominant negative Stat3 mutants inhibit v-srctransformation. Stat3 wild-type or mutant proteins did not affect v-ras transformation. We conclude that Stat3 has a necessary role in v-src transformation.
Daytime alertness in Parkinson's disease: Potentially dose‐dependent, divergent effects by drug class

Many patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease experience difficulties maintaining daytime alertness. Controversy exists regarding whether this reflects effects of antiparkinsonian medications, the disease itself, or other factors such as nocturnal sleep disturbances. In this study we examined the phenomenon by evaluating medicated and unmedicated Parkinson's patients with objective polysomnographic measurements of nocturnal sleep and daytime alertness. Patients (n = 63) underwent a 48‐hour laboratory‐based study incorporating 2 consecutive nights of overnight polysomnography and 2 days of Maintenance of Wakefulness Testing. We examined correlates of individual differences in alertness, including demographics, clinical features, nocturnal sleep variables, and class and dosage of anti‐Parkinson's medications. Results indicated that, first, relative to unmediated patients, all classes of dopaminergic medications were associated with reduced daytime alertness, and this effect was not mediated by disease duration or disease severity. Second, the results showed that increasing dosages of dopamine agonists were associated with less daytime alertness, whereas higher levels of levodopa were associated with higher levels of alertness. Variables unrelated to the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test defined daytime alertness including age, sex, years with diagnosis, motor impairment score, and most nocturnal sleep variables. Deficits in objectively assessed daytime alertness in Parkinson's disease appear to be a function of both the disease and the medications and their doses used. The apparent divergent dose‐dependent effects of drug class in Parkinson's disease are anticipated by basic science studies of the sleep/wake cycle under different pharmacological agents. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
A Method for Evaluating End-User Development Technologies

End-user development (EUD) is a strategy that can reduce a considerable amount of business demand on IT departments. Empowering the end-user in the context of software development is only possible through technologies that allow them to manipulate data and information without the need for deep programming knowledge. The successful selection of appropriate tools and technologies is highly dependent on the context in which the end-user is embedded. End-users should be a central piece in any software package evaluation, being key in the evaluation process in the end-user development context. However, little research has empirically examined software package evaluation criteria and techniques in general, and in the end-user development context in particular. This paper aims to provide a method for technology evaluation in the context of end-user development and to present the evaluation of two platforms. We conclude our study proposing a set of suggestions for future research.
Preliminary studies on the natural history of lung cancer.

It is, of course, not possible in a literal sense to discuss the unadorned, unmodified evolution of cancer in man, or what has been called its natural history. Many factors operative in the host and related to the anatomical location of the primary disease may act to vary or direct its course. A variety of complications may occur which, as far as the host is concerned, can overshadow the presence of cancer or prove fatal before it is well advanced. Treatment, even if not curative, can delay growth of the neoplasm in certain sites, or alleviate or prevent complications so that the disease can more fully realize its preordained course. Furthermore, our methods of observation are so limited, our clinical data so contaminated with errors of fact, omissions, and faulty interpretations, that what we believe genuinely to be true may only be misleading. At the outset we must emphasize that it is difficult even to approximate the ideal of a true and accurate description of the behavior of a cancer in anyone. Despi.
Remote Sensing Image Classification Method Based on Superpixel Segmentation and Adaptive Weighting K-Means

To improve remote sensing image classification precision, we propose a novel method which is based on super pixel and adaptive weighted K-Means. First, super pixel segmentation algorithm is used to divide input images into irregular blocks which remain their semantic information and boundaries. And then, SIFT, GIST, Census, Gabor, and Color histogram, and many other types of features are extracted. These five features represent different kinds of image characteristics. In order to obtain best feature combination, abundant experiments and analyses are performed. We also propose a novel adaptive weighted k-Means method to automatically estimate optimal weights and cluster centers for improving the representation accuracy of visual bag-of-words. An improved soft vector quantization based on sparse coding is adopted to generate the image feature. Finally support vector machine is utilized to complete the image classification. Experiments show that the new method proposed in this paper can effectively improve the classification accuracy of remote sensing images, and it also show good stability and robustness.
A fast two-step deblurring method for satellite images

In satellite images processing, image restoration is an important pre-processing step. As some traditional deblurring methods like Wiener filtering often obtain an either smooth or noisy solution, whereas some edge-preserving methods are iterative and time-consuming; a modified Fourier-wavelet deconvolution method (ForWaRD) is proposed in this paper. This method could be implemented forward directly with two steps. From the view of practical engineering, this approach could obtain pretty good results in a fast speed, so it is a suitable method in satellite image restoration area.
Surface coding based on Morse theory

Coding system requirements are briefly discussed. Classical Morse theory, which was primarily motivated by the calculus of variations, is reviewed. The limits of the theory are examined, and an extension that enables 3-D surfaces to be accurately reconstructed from cross sections is presented. The resulting coding works interactively with a range of surface reconstruction systems. The prototype coding system is applied to representing the hierarchical structure of contours. <<ETX>>
Adaptive linearization of power amplifiers in digital radio systems

High-frequency power amplifiers operate most efficiently at saturation, i.e., in the nonlinear range of their input/output characteristics. This phenomenon has traditionally dictated the use of constant envelope modulation methods for data transmission, resulting in circular signal constellations. This approach has inherently limited the admissible data rates in digital radio. In this paper we present a method for solving this problem without sacrificing amplifier power efficiency. We describe and analyze an adaptive linearizer that can automatically compensate for amplifier nonlinearity and thus make it possible to transmit multilevel quadrature amplitude modulated signals without incurring intolerable constellation distortions. The linearizer utilizes a real-time, data-directed, recursive algorithm for predistorting the signal constellation. Our analysis and computer simulations indicate that the algorithm is robust and converges rapidly from a blind start. Furthermore, the signal constellation and the average transmitted power can both be changed through software.
Recovery of disturbed endothelium-dependent flow in the collateral-perfused rabbit ischemic hindlimb after administration of vascular endothelial growth factor.

BACKGROUND Disturbed endothelium-dependent blood flow has been shown to be a feature of native collateral vessels. Recent studies have shown that recombinant angiogenic growth factors augment collateral development in animal models of hindlimb ischemia. We therefore investigated the hypothesis that the administration of an angiogenic growth factor, in this case vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), may promote recovery of disturbed endothelium-dependent blood flow in a rabbit model of hindlimb ischemia. METHODS AND RESULTS Ischemia was induced by ligation of the external iliac artery and excision of the femoral artery in one limb of New Zealand White rabbits (day 0). Flow velocity was measured using a Doppler guide wire at rest and after administration of serotonin and acetylcholine. Blood flow (in mL/min) was calculated assuming a circular lumen geometry. In untreated control animals with an ischemic limb, serotonin administered at day 10 or 40 produced a decrease in hindlimb blood flow (71 +/- 2% and 33 +/- 6% reduction from baseline, respectively); in contrast, among animals treated with a single 500-micrograms bolus dose of VEGF administered selectively into the internal iliac artery at day 10 and studied at day 40, serotonin produced an increase in flow (119 +/- 8% from baseline; P < .05 versus control animals). Acetylcholine induced only a moderate increase in flow in control animals (152 +/- 15% at day 10 and 177 +/- 14% at day 40) in contrast to a profound increase among VEGF-treated animals studied at day 40 (254 +/- 25%; P < .05 versus control animals). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, these findings constitute the first demonstration of successful pharmacological modulation of disturbed endothelium-dependent flow in the arterial circulation subserved by collateral vessels. This physiological benefit complements previously reported anatomic findings suggesting a favorable impact of angiogenic growth factors on collateral-dependent limb ischemia.
The next step in social networking software: the global coffee machine

With all the hundreds of digital connections professionals manage online, and with all million potential acquaintances available online, a cross-breeding between the coffee machine and a tool similar to MSN Messenger could be -- metaphorically -- like having the coffee machine in a stadium filled with thousands of people. In this workshop we would like to explore the concept of a digital tool for a new shared virtual space where online social interactions would become even more fluent, dynamic and fruitful.
Dimensions of Good and Poor Handwriting Legibility in First and Second Graders: Motor Programs, Visual–Spatial Arrangement, and Letter Formation Parameter Setting

First and second graders who were good and poor handwriters completed three writing tasks: writing letters of alphabet in order from memory, letter copying in a passage, and composing on provided topics. A coding scheme was used to evaluate these dimensions of legibility: spacing between words and between letters within words, alignment (letter placement on lines), letter height, letter slant, reversals, added strokes, missing strokes, and missing letters. Although results were somewhat task dependent, most differences between good and poor handwriters involved poor handwriters generating more letters with added strokes, producing smaller letters, and exhibiting more variability in spacing and alignment. The good and poor handwriters did not differ on average performance in alignment of words on the baseline or in spacing of letters within words and spacing between words. Each of three dimensions of handwriting contributed uniquely to the handwriting of first and second graders: motor programs, visual-spatial arrangement on the written page, and letter formation parameter setting.
Revisiting synaptic vesicle pool localization in the Drosophila neuromuscular junction

The synaptic vesicles are organized in distinct populations or ‘pools’: the readily releasable pool (the first vesicles released upon stimulation), the recycling pool (which maintains release under moderate stimulation) and the reserve pool (which is called into action only upon strong, often unphysiological stimulation). A major question in the field is whether the pools consist of biochemically different vesicles or whether the pool tag is a spatial one (with the recycling vesicles found next to the release sites, and the reserve ones farther away). A strong and stable spatial segregation has been proposed in the last decade in the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction – albeit based solely on light microscopy experiments. We have tested here this hypothesis using electron microscopy (EM) photoconversion. We found the recycling and reserve pools to be thoroughly intermixed at the EM level, indicating that spatial location is irrelevant for the functional properties of the vesicle.