Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction of an adaptable European transnational ecological deprivation index: the French version

Background Studying social disparities in health implies the ability to measure them accurately, to compare them between different areas or countries and to follow trends over time. This study proposes a method for constructing a French European deprivation index, which will be replicable in several European countries and is related to an individual deprivation indicator constructed from a European survey specifically designed to study deprivation. Methods and Results Using individual data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey, goods/services indicated by individuals as being fundamental needs, the lack of which reflect deprivation, were selected. From this definition, which is specific to a cultural context, an individual deprivation indicator was constructed by selecting fundamental needs associated both with objective and subjective poverty. Next, the authors selected among variables available both in the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey and French national census those best reflecting individual experience of deprivation using multivariate logistic regression. An ecological measure of deprivation was provided for all the smallest French geographical units. Preliminary validation showed a higher association between the French European Deprivation Index (EDI) score and both income and education than the Townsend index, partly ensuring its ability to measure individual socioeconomic status. Conclusion This index, which is specific to a particular cultural and social policy context, could be replicated in 25 other European countries, thereby allowing European comparisons. EDI could also be reproducible over time. EDI could prove to be a relevant tool in evidence-based policy-making for measuring and reducing social disparities in health issues and even outside the medical domain.
Doctoral Symposium: Consistent Stream Processing

Stream Processors (SPs) continuously transform huge volumes of input streams with a computational model that is inherently distributed, scalable, and fault-tolerant. For these reasons they are used in application environments in which almost real-time computation is of paramount importance, such as stock option analysis, fraud detection systems, monitoring, and real-time data analytics for web applications. In many applicative domains, SPs are used in conjunction with data management systems such as transactional databases and data warehouses that store intermediate or final re-sults produced by the SPs. However, SPs have no control on the consistency guarantees of the results produced on external components. We propose a novel approach that we name consistent stream processing that integrates the external state of databases within the SP and enforces consistency guarantees both on state updates and on external querying. We extend the computational model of SPs with transactions and we provide two possible strategies to enforce their transactional properties.
Parameter Identification and Calculation of Return Voltage Curve Based on FDS Data

Frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) method based on dielectric response measurement technique is being investigated as a potential tool for condition assessment of transformer insulation. It is a simple and nondestructive method to monitor insulation status of transformer. This paper establishes a mathematical model with the data of frequency domain spectroscopy for solving parameter of dielectric response equivalent circuit, which is a group of nonlinear equations. It is difficult to solve the problem using nonlinear least square optimization method. The problem solving for nonlinear equations is transformed to the constrained optimization problem using nonlinear least square method, and then, the bacterial foraging algorithm is used for solving the problem. According to identified circuit parameters, the FDS curve is obtained, which compares the calculated data with the measured. The relative error is controlled in 1%, which demonstrates the parameter identification method is successful. The return voltage curve can be calculated from the estimated circuit parameters for verifying insulation condition. Therefore, the transformer insulation condition can be diagnosed using multi-physical parameters with FDS and RVM data comprehensively, to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.
Improving Credit Card Fraud Detection using a Meta- Classification Strategy

of the issues facing credit card fraud detection systems is that a significant percentage of transactions labeled as fraudulent are in fact legitimate. These "false alarms" delay the detection of fraudulent transactions and can cause unnecessary concerns for customers. In this study, over 1 million unique credit card transactions from 11 months of data from a large Canadian bank were analyzed. A meta-classifier model was applied to the transactions after being analyzed by the Bank's existing neural network based fraud detection algorithm. This meta-classifier model consists of 3 base classifiers constructed using the decision tree, naive Bayesian, and k-nearest neighbour algorithms. The naive Bayesian algorithm was also used as the meta-level algorithm to combine the base classifier predictions to produce the final classifier. Results from the research show that when a meta- classifier was deployed in series with the Bank's existing fraud detection algorithm improvements of up to 28% to their existing system can be achieved.
Classroom performance of students withan acquired brain injury : the impact of aide programs

A number of studies have examined the behavioural and academic difficulties that follow paediatric Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and made recommendations that students with an ABI be provided with an aide program. However, there is a lack of studies that have been carried out to examine the outcomes of the implementation of aide programs in the paediatric ABI population. The current study investigated the impact of aide programs on eight students (aged nine to fifteen years) with an ABI. In addition, the current study also investigated factors that were found to promote positive outcomes of aide programs. Measures used included: direct observation; interviews with the students, parents, teachers and aides; and neuropsychological tests including the BRIEF, CAFT, TEA-Ch, and WISC-IV Digit Span subtest. The data were analysed descriptively using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Results demonstrated that the provision of an aide program resulted in a decrease in negative behaviours in the classroom and an increase in students‟ access to the curriculum. In addition to three frequently discussed factors (including individual assessments of students' cognitive profile, the provision of education and support to teaching staff on the impact of ABI), additional factors important to the outcome of aide programs were raised. These factors included aides having an adequate knowledge of the curriculum, aides being able to provide support through a positive helping style, and awareness of the students' need to fit-in. A model to promote positive outcomes of aide programs for students with an ABI was then proposed based on these six factors. This model suggested that these six factors fall into one of two stages required for the provision of aide programs with positive outcomes. The factors in stage one are those that require consideration during preparation for the implementation of an aide program. The factors in stage two require consideration during service delivery of an aide program (i.e. in the classroom). Consideration of both stages was found to lead to positive outcomes of aide programs, with an absence of either stage found to lead to negative outcomes of aide programs for students with an ABI.
Bounds for Quantum Computational Geometry Problems

We present new quantum lower bounds and upper bounds for several computational geometry problems. The bounds presented here improve on currently known results in a number of ways. We give asymptotically optimal bounds for one of the problems considered, and we provide up to logarithmic factors optimal bounds for a number of other problems. We settle an open problem of Bahadur et al [4]. Some of these new bounds are obtained using a general algorithm for finding a minimum pair over a given arbitrary order relation.
Polymorphisms in the genes of the urokinase plasminogen activation system in relation to colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND Extracellular matrix degradation, mediated by the urokinase plasminogen activation (uPA) system, is a critical step in tumor invasion and metastasis. High tumor levels of uPA and its inhibitor PAI-1 have been correlated with poor cancer prognosis. We examined four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a potential effect on expression of genes in the uPA system for their role in colorectal cancer susceptibility and prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS We genotyped the SNPs in 308 Swedish incident colorectal cancer patients with up to 16 years of follow-up and in 585 age- and sex-matched controls. We evaluated the associations between genotypes and colorectal cancer and Dukes' stage. Survival probabilities were compared between different subgroups. RESULTS Patients with PAI-1 -675 5G/5G genotype had better survival than patients with 4G/4G or 4G/5G genotypes when they had Dukes' stage A or B tumors (P = 0.023 and P = 0.015, respectively). No statistically significant association was observed between the SNPs and the risk of colorectal cancer or Dukes' stage. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest a role for the PAI-1 genotype in colorectal cancer prognosis, but further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of our finding in the clinic.
Moral Distress among Iranian Nurses

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the moral distress among Iranian registered nurses. Methods: This was a descriptive –analytic study, in which 264 out of 1000 nurses were randomly selected as a sample group and completed the questionnaire. The nurses’ moral distress was assessed using Corley’s 30-item Moral Distress Scale adapted for use in an Iranian population. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 19. Results: In this study, no correlation was found between the level of moral distress and any of the demographic data. The mean moral distress score ranged from 3.56 to 5.83, indicating moderate to high levels of moral distress. The item with the highest mean score was “working with unsafe levels of nurse staffing”. The item with the lowest mean score was “giving medication intravenously to a patient who has refused to take it”. Nurses working in EMS and NICU units had the highest levels of moral distress. Conclusion: A higher degree of moral distress is observed among nurses who work in health care systems. The results of this study highly recommend practical and research-oriented evaluation of moral distress in the medical society in Iran. Our findings suggest that Iranian version of MDS is a reliable instrument to measure moral distress in nurses.
NUMERICAL AND PHYSICAL MODELLING OF STEEL FLOW IN A ONE-STRAND CONTINUOUS CASTING TUNDISH

The article presents the results of numerical and water model studies of a steel flow in a one-strand continuous casting tundish. The flow field measurements are obtained at a 1:3 scale water model of the tundish with the Laser-Doppler Anemometry (LDA) method, during steady-state casting. The LDA-measurements are performed using the Reynolds-similarity criterion. Numerical simulations of the three-dimensional turbulent fluid flow in a tundish are carried out with the finite-volume commercial code FLUENT. Mathematical model, validated with experimental results, is used to simulate liquid steel flow through a 1:1 scale industrial facility – a 16 t tundish.
Processes Underlying a Reproductive Barrier in indica-japonica Rice Hybrids Revealed by Transcriptome Analysis1[OPEN]

A reproductive barrier causes female gamete abortion of indica-japonica rice hybrids by damaging cell wall integrity, inducing massive biotic and abiotic stresses resulting in ER stress leading to premature PCD. In rice (Oryza sativa), hybrids between indica and japonica subspecies are usually highly sterile, which provides a model system for studying postzygotic reproductive isolation. A killer-protector system, S5, composed of three adjacent genes (ORF3, ORF4, and ORF5), regulates female gamete fertility of indica-japonica hybrids. To characterize the processes underlying this system, we performed transcriptomic analyses of pistils from rice variety Balilla (BL), Balilla with transformed ORF5+ (BL5+) producing sterile female gametes, and Balilla with transformed ORF3+ and ORF5+ (BL3+5+) producing fertile gametes. RNA sequencing of tissues collected before (MMC), during (MEI), and after (AME) meiosis of the megaspore mother cell detected 19,269 to 20,928 genes as expressed. Comparison between BL5+ and BL showed that ORF5+ induced differential expression of 8,339, 6,278, and 530 genes at MMC, MEI, and AME, respectively. At MMC, large-scale differential expression of cell wall-modifying genes and biotic and abiotic response genes indicated that cell wall integrity damage induced severe biotic and abiotic stresses. The processes continued to MEI and induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as indicated by differential expression of ER stress-responsive genes, leading to programmed cell death at MEI and AME, resulting in abortive female gametes. In the BL3+5+/BL comparison, 3,986, 749, and 370 genes were differentially expressed at MMC, MEI, and AME, respectively. Large numbers of cell wall modification and biotic and abiotic response genes were also induced at MMC but largely suppressed at MEI without inducing ER stress and programed cell death , producing fertile gametes. These results have general implications for the understanding of biological processes underlying reproductive barriers.
Free Energy Simulations a

Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics simulations involve the numerical determinations of the statistical thermodynamics and related structural, energetic and (in the case of molecular dynamics) dynamic properties of an atomic or molecular assembly on a high-speed digital computer. Applications to molecular systems range from the study of the motions of atoms or groups of atoms of a molecule or macromolecule under the influence of intramolecular energy functions to the exploration of the structure and energetics of condensed fluid phases such as liquid water and aqueous solutions based on intermolecular potentials. The quantities determined in a typical Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics simulation include the average or mean configurational energy (thermodynamic excess internal energy), various spatial distribution functions for equilibrium systems, and time-correlation functions for dynamical systems, along with detailed structural and energetic analyses thereof. Diverse problems in structural and reaction chemistry of molecules in solution, such as solvation potentials, solvent effects on conformational stability and the effect of solvent on chemical reaction kinetics and mechanism via activated complex theory also require a particular knowledge of the configurational free energy, which in principle follows directly from the statistical thermodynamic partition function for the system. Considerations on free energy in molecular simulations take a distinctly different form for intramolecular and intermolecular degrees of freedom. For the intramolecular case, the problem involves vibrational and librational modes of motion on the intramolecular energy surface. We will discuss briefly a t the end of this paper the harmonic and quasiharmonic approximation used to compute vibrational contributions to the free energy, but we will restrict the focus herein to the intermolecular case, where the particles of the system undergo diffusional motion and a harmonic or quasiharmonic treatment breaks down. These considerations apply also in the case of a flexible molecule, where conformational transitions are effectively an intramolecular “diffusional mode. ” Conventional Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics procedures for diffusional modes, although firmly grounded in Boltzmann statistical mechanics and dynamics, do not proceed via the direct determination of a partition function because of well-known
Constructing data gathering tree to maximize the lifetime of unreliable Wireless Sensor Network under delay constraint

In a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), energy saving is a key issue for prolonging its runtime. Usually, a real-time application of WSN requires that data be collected within a delay constraint. There exists a tradeoff between energy saving and delay satisfaction. In this paper, a Tree-based Energy and Delay Aware Scheme (TEDAS) is proposed, which is able to maximize the lifetime of WSN while delay bound is satisfied. Based on Expected Transmission Count (ETX) of link, the TEDAS initially creates the Minimum ETX Spanning Tree (MEST) of the WSN and then the MEST is gradually improved by the proposed Adjusting Tree Algorithm (ATA) so that the optimal data gathering tree is obtained. In addition, the lifetime optimization problem (LOP) is developed for the ATA to maximize network lifetime. Moreover, the complexity of the ATA is O(N3), where N is the number of the nodes in the WSN. Simulation results show that the proposed TEDAS outperforms some existing schemes in terms of network lifetime and the volume of valid data.
Brain activation and pupil response during covert performance of the Stroop Color Word task

Patterns of brain activation associated with covert performance of the Stroop Color–Word task were studied in young, healthy, adult volunteers using blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Comparisons of the incongruous Stroop condition were made with both color naming and word reading baselines. Areas of the left and right anterior cingulate, the right precuneus, and the left pars opercularis displayed larger BOLD signal responses during the incongruous Stroop condition than during baseline conditions. Activation of BOLD signals in these areas was highly repeatable. In a second experiment, pupil diameter was used to assess cognitive load in 7 individuals studied during overt and covert performance of both Stroop and color naming conditions. Cognitive load was similar in overt and covert response conditions. Results from the BOLD study indicate that brain regions participating in selective visual attention and in the selection of motor programs involved in speech were activated more by the Stroop task than by the baseline tasks. The neural substrate involved in the resolution of the perceptual and motor conflicts elicited by the Stroop Color–Word task does not appear to be a single brain region. Rather, a network of brain regions is implicated, with separate regions within this system supporting distinct functions. (JINS, 1999, 5, 308–319.)
Expression and biological significance of Ca2+‐activated ion channels in human keratinocytes

In whole‐cell recordings from HaCaT keratinocytes, ATP, bradykinin, and histamine caused a biphasic change of the membrane potential consisting of an initial transient depolarization, followed by a pronounced and long‐lasting hyperpolarization. Flash photolysis of caged IP3 mimicked the agonist‐induced voltage response, suggesting that intracellular Ca2+ release and subsequent opening of Ca2+‐activated ion channels serve as the common transduction mechanism. In contrast, cAMP‐ and PKC‐dependent pathways were not involved in the electrophysiological effects of the extracellular signaling molecules. The depolarization was predominantly mediated by a DIDS‐ and niflumic acid‐sensitive Cl− current, whereas a charybdotoxin‐ and clotrimazole‐sensitive K+ current underlay the prominent hyperpolarization. Consistent with the electrophysiological data, RT‐PCR showed that HaCaT keratinocytes express two types of Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels, CaCC2 and CaCC3 (CLCA2), as well as the Ca2+‐activated K+ channel hSK4. That the pronounced hSK4‐mediated hyperpolarization bears significance on the growth and differentiation properties of keratinocytes is suggested by RNase protection assays showing that hSK4 mRNA expression is strongly down‐regulated under conditions that allow keratinocyte differentiation. hSK4 might thus play a role in linking changes in membrane potential to the biological fate of keratinocytes. —Koegel, H. , Alzheimer, C. Expression and biological significance of Ca2+‐activated ion channels in human keratinocytes. FASEB J. 15, 145–154 (2001)
Iron deficiency was not the major cause of anemia in rural women of reproductive age in Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Background Anemia, which has many etiologies, is a moderate/severe public health problem in young children and women of reproductive age in many developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of iron deficiency, anemia, and iron deficiency anemia using multiple biomarkers and to evaluate their association with food insecurity and food consumption patterns in non-pregnant women from a rural area of southern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 202 rural women of reproductive age in southern Ethiopia. Anthropometrics and socio-demographic data were collected. A venipuncture blood sample was analyzed for hemoglobin (Hb) and for biomarkers of iron status. Biomarkers were skewed and were log transformed before analysis. Mean, median, Pearson’s correlations and ordinary least-squares regressions were calculated. Results Median (IQR) Hb was 138 (127, 151) g/L. Based on an altitude-adjusted (1708 m) cutoff of 125 g/L for Hb, 21.3% were anemic. Plasma ferritin was <15 μg/L in 18.6% of the women. Only one woman had α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) >1.0 g/L; four women (2%) had > 5 mg/L of C-reactive protein (CRP). Of the 43 women who were anemic, 23.3% (10 women) had depleted iron stores based on plasma ferritin. Three of these had elevated soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR). Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was negatively correlated with sTfR (r = -0.24, p = 0.001), and positively correlated with ferritin (r = 0.17, p = 0.018), plasma iron (r = 0.15, p = 0.046), transferrin saturation (TfS) (r = 0.15, p = 0.04) and body iron (r = 0.14, p = 0.05). Overall prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was only 5%. Conclusion Iron deficiency anemia was not prevalent in the study population, despite the fact that anemia would be classified as a moderate public health problem.