Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Pregabalin to Decrease Postoperative Pain in Microdiscectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of pregabalin in reducing the neuropathic pain in postoperative patients who have undergone single-level microdiscectomy for prolapsed intervertebral lumbar disc. Methods A randomized control clinical trial was conducted from June 2018 to April 2020 in three campuses Dr. Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi, by two spinal surgeons. This study included 84 patients who underwent either emergency or elective microdiscectomy surgery. The patients randomized into two equal groups of 42, (group-A: pregabalin) and (group-B: placebo). Both groups also received routine analgesia along with the pregabalin and placebo capsules. In the intervention group, pregabalin was administered preoperative and postoperative defined times. The pain scores were recorded by visual analog scale (VAS) and Roland-Morris score system on the preoperative day and compared to the scores on follow-up on postoperative day seven. Results The pain scores were significantly better in group-A compared to group-B with similar baseline variables. The mean VAS scores of pains in group-A on postoperative day seven on follow-up were compared to VAS pain scores in group-B showing better pain control. The Roland-Morris scores were also significantly better for group-A. Conclusions The use of pregabalin in addition to the routine analgesia has better control of postoperative neuropathic pain in patients with single-level microdiscectomy compared to the patients who are receiving only routine analgesia. Other factors like cost, dose, side effects, and frequency should also be considered.
Correlated studies of electric properties of ionic molecules: alkali and alkaline-earth hydrides, halides and chalcogenides

Electric polarizabilities, dipole and quadrupole moments of the molecules LiH, LiF, LiCl, NaH, NaF, NaCl, BeO, BeS, MgO, MgS, BeH, BeF, BeCl, MgH, MgF, MgCl, LiO, LiS, NaO and NaS are computed in a uniform basis at the correlated level of theory. The results are rationalized in terms of the properties of ion pairs, and the stability of the isolated anions: the hydrides, oxides and sulphides show large and positive correlation corrections to the polarizability in CASSCF, and erratic convergence of the MBPT series. The open-shell alkaline-earth hydrides and halides in the series all exhibit negative polarizability anisotropy.
In-Frame 12-Nucleotide Deletion within Open Reading Frame 3a in a SARS-CoV-2 Strain Isolated from a Patient Hospitalized with COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain UF-8, with an in-frame 12-nucleotide deletion within open reading frame 3a (ORF3a), was isolated from a 78-year-old COVID-19 patient in March 2020. ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain UF-8, with an in-frame 12-nucleotide deletion within open reading frame 3a (ORF3a), was isolated from a 78-year-old COVID-19 patient in March 2020.
Response to: the adult multidisciplinary respiratory neuromuscular clinic

We read with interest Shah, Murphy and Kaltsakas' article “The adult multidisciplinary respiratory neuromuscular clinic” [1]. The authors recognise the positive support which palliative care services can offer adult patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMD), but also that access to services can be restricted for several potential reasons. The authors suggest that indicators for the introduction of palliative care services in NMD would be helpful. A new “traffic light” system is recommended to identify adult NMD patients who would benefit from advance care planning and possible referral to palliative care services https://bit.ly/3mVDY0P
Touchless Gestures for Interactive Messaging: Gesture Interface for Sending Emoji

Touchless gesture interaction has been featured in some recent smartphone models. We extend the domain of application of touchless gestures in smartphones by adopting gesture recognition for sending emoji. A hand-resembling emoji can be sent in just two seconds using a touchless interface. The proposed solution allows enhancing the expressiveness of the communication by sending an image of the user's hand instead of an emoji pictogram. The usability study reveals a strong user preference towards touchless gesture input as compared to the conventional touch.
BRIDGING THE GAP EBIII-IBA: EARLY INTERMEDIATE BRONZE RADIOCARBON DATES FROM KHIRBAT EL-’ALYA NORTHEAST, ISRAEL

ABSTRACT Recent radiocarbon (14C) research demonstrates that the urban culture of Early-Bronze III in the southern Levant ends around 2500 BC, and not around 2300 BC as was widely assumed. This should extend the Intermediate Bronze Age by 200 years. Charred olive pits from Intermediate Bronze Age contexts in the site of Khirbat el-‘Alya Northeast in the Judean Shephelah region (Israel) were 14C dated, resulting in calibrated dates around 2500 BC. The date range of Khirbat el-‘Alya Northeast samples is an indication that in the Mediterranean parts of the southern Levant, the Intermediate Bronze Age material culture appeared around the time of the decline of the preceding culture of Early-Bronze III—around 2500 BC or somewhat earlier. Possible Intermediate Bronze settlement pattern and the site’s relation to the nearby Early-Bronze city of Tel Yarmuth are discussed based on previous Intermediate Bronze and Early-Bronze related research in the surrounding area.
Azalea: Co-experiencing Embodied Information in Remote Communication

We wish to demonstrate Azalea: a smartphone-based design to enrich remote communication by making space for co-experience of embodied information. Azalea comprises a tactile cushion which envelops a smartphone, and a bespoke app. A pair of Azaleas are used by remote interlocutors to enrich the communication with a shared, synchronized motion-driven soundscape and audio-driven light. Our approach differs from most current strategies for enriching remote communication; since it is focused on diminishing distractions and creating a cryptic channel for co-experience, rather than augmenting and increasing the fidelity of communication channels. To achieve this, we have adopted the design tactics and intellectual foundation somaesthetic interaction design, and we also contribute to this field: while most current somaesthetic interaction design focuses on introspection, we have used the same foundation to enrich remote communication.
The Evolution of Driver Monitoring Systems: A Shortened Story on Past, Current and Future Approaches How Cars Acquire Knowledge About the Driver's State

About twelve years ago, driver drowsiness detection systems were introduced to the market. The degree of drowsiness was assessed based on a performance dimension by analyzing the driver's steering behavior. With partial and conditional vehicle automation on the horizon, these input signals will no longer be available. Nevertheless, knowledge about the driver's state, e.g. the attentional level or take-over readiness, becomes even more important. Currently and in the near future, interior vehicle cameras are a major source of driver status information. Furthermore, various built-in sensors are under development to complement in-vehicle cameras and possibly vehicle operation. For specific tasks, wearable sensors connected via smartphone can play a prominent role as well. The paper describes this evolution of the sensor approach supplemented by related research findings from Bosch Corporate Research and integrates it in the technical, business, and regulatory context. Thus, the industry perspective should stimulate the discussion and initiate future academic research in the field.
Integrating Trust Measurements into Experimental Designs

Trust in automation is an important construct guiding humans’ interactions with automation in a great variety of application areas with different preconditions. Potential scenarios include interaction with robots, automated vehicles, health care or manufacturing systems/devices, or predictions of artificial intelligence. The proposed tutorial provides participants a theoretical background including trust definitions, models, and measurements, and discusses how direct (standardized scales, interviews, UX curves, laddering) and indirect (behavioral, physiological) measurements can be integrated into experimental designs according to defined research goals. After the tutorial, participants will be able to integrate relevant measurements for trust in their own experimental designs to systematically assess the impact of trust-related interventions.
Teaching and Learning through the Net

In this paper, we describe the effects through teaching and learning through net. The pure distance learning experience showed the real environment effects with theoretical and practical teaching and learning. The results showed there are more good effects despite of constraints of distance, and even brought surprisingly way of new teaching and learning. We gathered real data from virtual classroom and online teaching platform with two classes of sophomore students studying database application through Mar to June of 2020 for four months. Through several quiz and assignments, and the presence records of each classes, we conducted Apriori algorithm tests in Weka between learning records and their final scores, we found that there is strong relationship between them. Students’ learning performance existed strong relation between teaching skills, proper designed quizzes, proper volume of assignments and high-quality teaching materials.
Quality of Life and Quality of Care in patients with advanced Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) and advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Implication for Palliative Care from a prospective observational study

Background: Patients with advanced CHF/COPD and their caregivers share many misconceptions about the life-limiting nature of their disease and when compared to cancer patients, CHF/COPD patients are less likely to receive Palliative Care. Aim: This observational prospective study explores (i) the quality of life (QoL) and symptom control and (ii) the quality of care in CHF/COPD patients in an acute hospital setting. Methods: Eligible patients and their informal caregivers filled in (i) the POS questionnaire that assesses the QoL and the symptom control and (ii) the CanHelp Lite questionnaire that assesses quality of care. These questionnaires were completed at inclusion and after a three-month-follow-up. Results: The majority of the participants were 60-79 years old with mild to moderate symptomatology. Older patients or patients with heavy symptoms declined participation. Both patients and caregivers share common and overall positive beliefs concerning patients' QoL and quality of care. Conclusions: The severity of the healthcare condition of the included patients appears to at odds with their positive evaluation of QoL and quality of care. Possible factors contributing to this finding might be the reluctance of physicians to engage to uncomfortable conversations, the patients' denial of “bad-news” and the overall taboo of communication about death.
Effects of Age and Self-Performance on Memory for the Actions of Other People

Abstract This research tested whether performing an action themselves leads young and older adults to have difficulty remembering which of a number of other people had performed that same action. It also tested whether observing another person perform an action leads to false memory for self-performance of that action. Young adults and healthy older adults 62 to 88 years of age viewed videos of actors performing actions. After viewing some of the actions, participants were instructed to perform those same actions themselves. Participants were tested one week later on their memory for their own actions and for the actions of the actors in the videos. Older adults were more strongly influenced by self-performance than were young adults when asked whether the actor in a test item had performed the same action previously. Young adults performed better than older adults at discriminating the correct and incorrect actors in the videos, although both groups showed reduced discrimination for actions that they had also performed themselves. The two groups were equally likely to falsely remember having performed an action that had only appeared in the videos, but young adults were better able than older adults to correctly identify the actions that they had in fact performed. Older adults thus have greater difficulty than young adults at distinguishing self-performed actions from actions performed by other people. This suggests the existence of common representations for the actions of oneself and others that must be bound to identity information to specify the correct source of the actions.
A procedure for measuring the helium density and pressure in nanometre-sized bubbles in irradiated materials using electron-energy-loss spectroscopy

Abstract A procedure for measuring the density of He in nanometre-sized bubbles in materials using electron-energy-loss spectroscopy is given. It involves measuring the scattering probability of an electron as a result of exciting a ls electron in He to the 2p state. An expression for the cross-section of this interaction is obtained, taking into account some relativistic effects, the q dependence of the matrix element and the effect of a non-zero convergence angle of the incident electron beam. An accuracy of about 10% in the calculation of the He density can be achieved using this technique. The procedure is demonstrated using spectra obtained from He bubbles in irradiated PE16 alloy specimens and used to make preliminary investigations into the relationship between the blue shift of the ls ← 2p transition in He with atomic density and the relationship between the pressure in the bubbles and the bubble radius. The best estimate of the pressure in the He bubbles shows it to be less than half that required to achieve equilibrium with the surface tension of the metal, if the usually accepted value of the surface tension is used. The blue shifts observed for bubbles of diameter 50 and 250 Å can be extrapolated, within experimental error, to those obtained by Jäger et al. for much higher helium densities.
SPIN EXCHANGE OPTICAL PUMPING OF NEON AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Hyperpolarized noble gases are used in a variety of applications including medical diagnostic lung imaging, tests of fundamental symmetries, spin filters, atomic gyroscopes, and atomic magnetometers. Typically 3He is utilized because large 3He polarizations on the order of 80% can be achieved. This is accomplished by optically pumping an alkali vapour which polarizes a noble gas nucleus via spin exchange optical pumping. One hyperpolarized noble gas application of particular importance is the K3He co-magnetometer. Here, the alkali atoms optically pump a diamagnetic noble gas. The magnetic holding field for the alkali and noble gas is reduced until both species are brought into hybrid magnetic resonance. The co-magnetometer exhibits many useful attributes which make it ideal for tests of fundamental physics, such as insensitivity to magnetic fields. The co-magnetometer would demonstrate increased sensitivity by replacing 3He with polarized 21Ne gas. Tests of CPT violation using co-magnetometers would be greatly improved if one utilizes polarized 21Ne gas. The sensitivity of the nuclear spin gyroscope is inversely proportional to the gyromagnetic ratio of the noble gas. Switching to neon would instigate an order of magnitude gain in sensitivity over 3He. In order to realize these applications the interaction parameters of 21Ne with alkali metals must be measured. The spin-exchange cross section σse, and magnetic field enhancement factor κ0 are unknown, and have only been theoretically calculated. There are no quantitative predictions of the neon-neon quadrupolar relaxation rate Γquad. In this thesis I test the application of a K-3He co-magnetometer as a navigational gyroscope. I discuss the advantages of switching the buffer gas to 21Ne. I discuss the feasibility of utilizing polarized 21Ne for operation in a co-magnetometer, and iii construct a prototype 21Ne co-magnetometer. I investigate polarizing 21Ne with optical pumping via spin exchange collisions and measure the spin exchange rate coefficient of K and Rb with Ne to be 2.9 × 10−20cm3/s and 0.81 × 10−19cm3/s. We measure the magnetic field enhancement factor κ0 to be 30.8 ± 2.7, and 35.7 ± 3.7 for the K-Ne, and the Rb-Ne pair. We measure the quadrupolar relaxation coefficient to be 214± 10 Amagat·s. Furthermore the spin destruction cross section of Rb, and K with 21Ne is measured to be 1.9 × 10−23cm2 and 1.1 × 10−23cm2.
VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES AND AB INITIO CALCULATIONS OF L-GLUTAMIC ACID 5-AMIDE

The vibrational wavenumbers and corresponding vibrational assignments of L-Glutamic Acid 5-amide are examined theoretically using the Gaussian03 set of quantum chemistry codes. Comparison of the observed IR and Raman spectra with the calculated results by Hartree-Fock method is found in agreement with the experimental data. Theoretical infrared and Raman intensities are reported.
Characterization of solution‐processed pentacene thin film transistors

The electrical and chemical stability of solution‐processed pentacene thin film transistors (TFTs) was investigated using analytical models reported by Horowitz et al. in comparison with vacuum‐deposited TFTs. The estimated total trap density of the solution‐processed film was one to two order(s) of magnitude lower than that of the vacuum‐deposited film. The low trap density of the solution‐processed film is due to large crystalline domains, which include only a few structural defects, in contrast to the vacuum‐deposited film. The solution‐processed film is also superior to the vacuum‐deposited film in electrical stability during long‐term storage in air. That is, a considerable shift of the transistor characteristics in the subthreshold region including a threshold voltage was observed, especially in the case of the vacuum‐deposited TFT. The change in the electrical properties is attributed to the increase of oxidation‐induced chemical impurities, which were confirmed by surface mass spectroscopy. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Development and implementation of a video watermarking method based on DCT transform

This paper presents a new color video watermarking technique based on the one-dimensional Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). This approach uses a differential embedding technique to insert the bits of the watermark into the video frames so that the extraction process is blind and straightforward. To further ensure the security of the method, the binary image watermark is scrambled using Arnold transform before embedded into the video segment. Also, a color space transformation from Red, Green and Blue (RGB) to YUV is performed in order to deal with the color nature of the video segments. The proposed approach exhibits good robustness against a wide range of attacks such as video compression, cropping, Gaussian filtering, and noise adding. Finally, we propose an implementation of the video watermarking technique using the Raspberry Pi 3 platform. Nearly the same remarks may be made as in the simulation resultsconcerning the robustness against video compression attacks
Variability in Fitness Trade-Offs Amongst Coral Juveniles With Mixed Genetic Backgrounds Held in the Wild

Novel restoration methods are currently under consideration worldwide to help coral reefs recover or become more resilient to higher temperature stress. Critical field-based information concerning the paradigm of “local is best” is lacking for many methods; information which is essential to determine the risk and feasibility associated with restoration. One method involves breeding corals from different reef regions with expected variation in heat tolerance and moving those offspring to new locations to enhance offspring survival; thereby augmenting local stock to enhance survival for anticipated warming. In this study, surviving colonies from the 2016 to 2017 mass bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) were reproductively crossed and they included colonies sourced from northern (three) and central (two) reefs. The gravid colonies of Acropora tenuis were collected across 6° of latitude, and they were spawned to produce a total of 17 purebred and hybrid crosses. Juvenile corals (3,748 individual colonies settled on 1,474 terracotta tiles) were deployed to Davies reef in the central GBR after 4 months of aquarium rearing. Survival, growth, and coral colour (as a proxy for bleaching) were assessed after 0, 91, and 217 days of field deployment. Overall, a high percentage of juveniles (17% ± 2.5 SE) survived relative to expected survival at the final census. Survival was significantly higher for central purebred crosses, hybrid crosses had intermediate survival while northern purebreds had the lowest survival. Colour and growth rates (0.001−0.006 mm2 day–1) were not significantly different amongst central, northern, or hybrid crosses but were of a reverse pattern compared to survival. On average, northern purebred crosses grew the fastest, followed by hybrid crosses, and then central purebred crosses. Modelled growth trajectories suggest that northern purebreds would take 8 years to grow to reproductive size, hybrids would take nine, and central purebreds would require 12. All deployed juvenile corals paled over time in the field although the colour of A. tenuis juveniles did not differ significantly amongst central, northern, or hybrid crosses. Growth and survival trade-off analysis showed that although most crosses did not outperform the native central juveniles, two of the eight hybrid crosses (SBxLS, DRxCU) demonstrated faster time to reproductive age and increased survival. Overall, reduced time to reach reproductive size and minimal trade-offs in at least two of the eight hybrids suggest that these crosses may accelerate and supplement recovery through natural re-seeding of genes sourced from northern reefs.
Wearable Technology May Assist in Retraining Foot Strike Patterns in Previously Injured Military Service Members: A Prospective Case Series

A rearfoot strike (RFS) pattern with increased average vertical loading rates (AVLR) while running has been associated with injury. This study evaluated the ability of an instrumented sock, which provides real-time foot strike and cadence audio biofeedback, to transition previously injured military service members from a RFS to a non-rearfoot strike (NRFS) running pattern. Nineteen RFS runners (10 males, 9 females) were instructed to wear the instrumented socks to facilitate a change in foot strike while completing an independent walk-to-run progression and lower extremity exercise program. Kinetic data were collected during treadmill running while foot strike was determined using video analysis at initial (T1), post-intervention (T2), and follow-up (T3) data collections. Nearly all runners (18/19) transitioned to a NRFS pattern following intervention (8 ± 2.4 weeks after the initial visit). Most participants (16/18) maintained the transition at follow-up (5 ± 0.8 weeks after the post-intervention visit). AVLR of the involved and uninvolved limb decreased 29% from initial [54.7 ± 13.2 bodyweights per sec (BW/s) and 55.1 ± 12.7 BW/s] to post-intervention (38.7 ± 10.1 BW/s and 38.9 ± 10.0 BW/s), respectively. This effect persisted 5-weeks later at follow-up, representing an overall 30% reduction on the involved limb and 24% reduction on the uninvolved limb. Cadence increased from the initial to the post-intervention time-point (p = 0.045); however, this effect did not persist at follow-up (p = 0.08). With technology provided feedback from instrumented socks, approximately 90% of participants transitioned to a NRFS pattern, decreased AVLR, reduced stance time and maintained these running adaptations 5-weeks later.