Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Portable Sensor System for Registration, Processing and Mathematical Analysis of PPG Signals

This article introduces an integrated photoplethysmographic (PPG) based cardiovascular monitoring system that consists of an individually portable PPG device for recording photoplethysmographic signals and a software system with a serverless architecture for processing, storing, and analyzing the obtained signals. The portable device uses the optical plethysmography technique for measuring blood volume in blood vessels. The device was tested and validated by a comparative analysis of three photoplethysmographic signals and one Electrocardiographic signal registered simultaneously in the target subject. The comparative analysis of these signals shows insignificant deviations in the obtained results, with the mean squared error between the studied signals being less than 21 ms. This deviation cannot affect the results that were obtained from the analysis of the interval series tested. Based on this result, we assume that the detected signals with the proposed device are realistic. The designed software system processes the registered data, performs preprocessing, determines the pulse rate variability, and performs mathematical analysis of PP intervals. Two groups of subjects were studied: 42 patients with arrhythmia and 40 healthy controls. Mathematical methods for data analysis in time and frequency domain and nonlinear methods (Poincaré plots, Rescaled Range Plot, Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, and MultiFractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis) are applied. The obtained results are presented in tabular form and some of them in graphical form. The parameters studied in the time and frequency domain, as well as with the nonlinear methods, have statistical significance (p < 0.05) and they can distinguish between the two studied groups. Visual analysis of PP intervals, based on Poincare’s nonlinear method, provides important information on the physiological status of patients, allowing for one to see at a glance the entire PP interval series and quickly detect cardiovascular disorders, if any. The photoplethysmographic data of healthy individuals and patients diagnosed with arrhythmia were recorded, processed, and examined through the system under the guidance of a cardiologist. The results were analyzed and it was concluded that this system could serve to monitor patients with cardiovascular diseases and, when the condition worsens, a signal could be generated and sent to the hospital for undertaking immediate measures to stabilize patient’s health.
A Pilot Evaluation of the Integrated Pulmonary Index (IPI) in Patients Undergoing Procedural Sedation: A Two-phase Observational Evaluation

Background: This study evaluated Integrated Pulmonary Index (IPI), a clinically validated algorithm combining PetCO2, RR, SpO2, and PR into a single value summarizing the adequacy of ventilation and oxygenation. ASA practice guidelines recommend continuous monitoring of these parameters during procedural sedation for early detection of respiratory compromise. Interpretation is routinely done by anesthesiologists but is challenging for other clinicians. IPI simplifies this process. Methods: This was a two-phase observational evaluation of procedural sedation patients monitored with PetCO2, RR, SpO2 and PR (Capnostream20, Medtronic, Israel). In the first phase, IPI values were visible; in the second, the clinician was blinded to IPI. Clinician IPI evaluations were compared to algorithm-generated IPI. Results: Good correlation and agreement between expert evaluation and actual IPI scores was found at both phases (ρ=0.98 for the first and 0.84 for the second, p-value for both <0.001; bias and standard were 0.04 ± 0.52 for the first and -0.01 ± 1.23 for the second). Conclusion: IPI reliably interpreted respiratory status of patients undergoing procedural sedation or anesthesia in a clinical setting when compared to expert anesthesiologist evaluation and may simplify respiratory monitoring. Trial registration: Not provided, was not required at time of enrollment (2010)
Abstract LB-105: Characterization of total mutational burden in the GENIE cohort: Small and large panels can provide TMB information but to varying degrees

Introduction: Total mutation burden (TMB) correlates with response to immune checkpoint inhibition. AACR Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) recently released clinical sequencing data for ~19000 cases from 8 institutions. We determined the ability of diverse sequencing panels to assess TMB. Methods: De-identified sequencing data from eight international academic cancer centers were used to investigate the per sample non-silent total somatic mutational burden (TMB) per 1Mb sequenced for all submitted samples. Summary: We first limited TMB characterization to three sites with sequencing data from large gene panels (sampling greater than approximately 1Mb) comprising 14472 samples. The distribution of the TMB normalized per Mb sequenced demonstrated a wide range of mutational rates both within and between tumor types (Table 1). The other five sites utilized smaller targeted sequencing panels. We then restricted the large panel data to the footprint of the smaller targeted panels and compared the number of mutations in the footprint of the small panels to the TMB of each sample from the larger panel data. We found that samples with >5 mutations in the footprint of the smaller targeted panels almost always had a high TMB (94%). In contrast, samples with no mutations in the footprint of the small panels almost never had a high TMB (2%). However, in samples with 1-5 mutations (which represented 2/3 of the samples) the footprint of the smaller targeted panels was not predictive of TMB. Conclusions: While whole exome analyses remain the gold standard for determination of total mutational burden, large sequencing panels (covering greater than approximately 1Mb) can be used to estimate TMB in diverse tumor types. Smaller targeted panels can also predict TMB for a subset of samples, with either 0 or >5 mutations, but this approach appropriately characterizes only just under a third of cases. The majority of cases need the increased genomic sampling of the larger gene panels (or whole exome analyses) to accurately quantify TMB. In summary, while the detection of high mutational burden cases by smaller targeted panel data is quite specific it lacks sensitivity. [A. S. B. and T. S. contributed equally to this work. ] Citation Format: Alexander S. Baras, Thomas Stricker, on behalf of the AACR Project GENIE Consortium. Characterization of total mutational burden in the GENIE cohort: Small and large panels can provide TMB information but to varying degrees [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-105. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-105
Wind Power Forecasting Methods Based on Deep Learning: A Survey

: Accurate wind power forecasting in wind farm can effectively reduce the enormous impact on grid operation safety when high permeability intermittent power supply is connected to the power grid. Aiming to provide reference strategies for relevant researchers as well as practical applications, this paper attempts to provide the literature investigation and methods analysis of deep learning, enforcement learning and transfer learning in wind speed and wind power forecasting modeling. Usually, wind speed and wind power forecasting around a wind farm requires the calculation of the next moment of the deﬁnite state, which is usually achieved based on the state of the atmosphere that encompasses nearby atmospheric pressure, temperature, roughness, and obstacles. As an effective method of high-dimensional feature extraction, deep neural network can theoretically deal with arbitrary nonlinear transformation through proper structural design, such as adding noise to outputs, evolutionary learning used to optimize hidden layer weights, optimize the objective function so as to save information that can improve the output accuracy while ﬁlter out the irrelevant or less affected information for forecasting. The establishment of high-precision wind speed and wind power forecasting models is always a challenge due to the randomness, instantaneity and seasonal characteristics.
Social support, quality of life and mental health status in breast cancer patients

Objective: In this study, Objective was to assess the social support, quality of life and mental health status in breast cancer patients. Different literatures have highlighted the breast cancer’s impact on mental health, quality of life, financial status etc., but very few studies have been done particularly in Nepal to assess impact of social support and quality of life on the mental health of a breast cancer patient. Methods: The design of the study was cross-sectional. The study was conducted from December 2015 to August 2016. A total of 149 patients diagnosed with breast cancer who met eligibility were enrolled. We included only patients who were reachable, diagnosed with breast cancer at least for 6 months and consented to participate in the study. They were interviewed using EORTC, mMOSS-SS and HADS questionnaires through telephone interview. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS (version 16). Results: For QOL, mean linear scores for the global health and functioning scale were 82.08 and 69.06 (on a scale of 0-100; higher the score, better the global health and physical function). For social support, mean linear score was 85.03 (on a scale of 0-100; higher the score, better the social support). For mental health, mean anxiety and depression score were 7.01 and 4.85 respectively (on a scale of 0-21, 8 being cut off for borderline and 11 being the cutoff for abnormal condition). Out of 149 respondents, 40.93% (61) were screened positive for depression either borderline or abnormal mood, whereas 52.34% (78) women were screened positive for anxiety either borderline or abnormal mood. Significantly less number of married woman currently living with husband had borderline plus abnormal mood. Similarly significantly higher number of woman living in nuclear family had depression. Global health scores of above mean, Social support scores of above mean and Anxiety scores of below mean had significant association with normal mood (p<0.05). Conclusion: From our study, we concluded that there was a high prevalence of undiagnosed depression in breast cancer patients. Good social support, better quality of life and absence of anxiety had significant association with the better mental health status. So, regular psychiatric screening and follow up should be recommended. To improve social support; counseling of spouse, family members and friends could be done along with the patient. For the quality of life; better pain control and rehabilitation measures should be tried. Correspondence to: Jenesh Singh Shrestha, Intensive Care Unit, Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Harisiddhi Laltitpur, Nepal, Tel: 9779842349528; E-mail: jeneshshrehstha8671@gmail.com
Development and Validation of an Analytical Method for Related Substances in N-acetyl–L-cysteine Effervescent Tablets by RP-HPLC

Background: The reported chromatographic methods for N-acetyl cysteine [NAC] are reverse phase HPLC and ion pair chromatography [IPC] for related substances test in bulk and in formulations. No reported stability indicating methods for the estimation of related substances in NAC effervescent formulation was found in literature. Objective: The present work was aimed at developing a selective, sensitive and reproducible stability indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of known, unknown impurities, degradation impurities and processrelated impurities of NAC effervescent formulation. Method: A reversed phase ion pair chromatographic method was developed employing Cadenza C18 column as the stationary phase and 0.01M octane sulphonate [pH 2.20], methanol and acetonitrile in the ratio 90:8:2 as the mobile phase. A gradient programme was followed with a run time of 55 minutes. 0.3 M hydrochloric acid was selected as the optimum diluent. The performance of the method was validated according to the ICHQ2R1 guidelines. Results: The method was found to be linear from 1.5 to 25μg/ml for impurities A, C and D and from 2.0 to 25 μg/ml for impurity B. The official impurities C and D were mapped in all stress conditions. Additionally, impurity B was also seen in acidic conditions. Conclusion: The results from the study demonstrate that the method is suitable for evaluating the stability of NAC effervescent tablet.
Quality of life and better than well: a mixed method study of long-term (post five years) recovery and recovery capital

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare quality of life scores in a long-term recovery population group (post five years) with a general population group and to explore how any differences might be explained by recovering individuals themselves in a small number of follow up qualitative interviews. Design/methodology/approach A sequential explanatory mixed method design combining quantitative quality of life measure (WHOQOL-BREF, 1996) and six subsequent semi-structured individual interviews. The quality of life measure compared long-term recovery scores (post five years) with the general population group. The subsequent qualitative semi-structured interviews explored what the participants themselves said about their recovery. Findings The quantitative data provide evidence of a significant difference in quality of life (WHOQoL-BREF) in two domains. The long-term recovery group (five or more years into recovery) scored higher in both the environment and psychological domains than the general population group. Of the long-term recovery group, 17 people who still accessed mutual aid scored higher in all four domains than those 23 people who did not. The interviews provide evidence of the this difference as result of growth in psychological elements of recovery, such as developing perspective, improvement in self-esteem, spirituality, as well as contributing as part of wider social involvement. Research limitations/implications This study provides support for the quality of life measure as useful in recovery research. The empirical data support the concept of recovery involving improvements in many areas of life and potentially beyond the norm, termed “better than well” (Best and Lubman, 2012; Valentine, 2011; Hibbert and Best, 2011). Limitations: snowballing method of recruitment, and undertaken by public health practitioner. Some suggestions of women and those who attend mutual aid having higher quality of life but sample too small. Practical implications Use QoL measure more in recovery research. Public health practitioners and policy makers need to work with partners and agencies to ensure that there is much more work, not just treatment focused, addressing the wider social and environmental context to support individuals recovering from alcohol and drugs over the longer term. Originality/value One of small number of studies using with participants who have experienced long-term (post five years) recovery, also use of quality of life measure (WHOQOL-BREF, 1996) with this population.
Resonant shifts of positronium energy levels in MgO powder

We report measurements of shifts in the frequencies of 1 S1 → 2 PJ and 2 PJ → n D/n S transitions optically driven in positronium atoms while they are inside the open volumes of MgO smoke powder. The observed intervals are larger than the corresponding vacuum excitations, but, surprisingly, the transitions to Rydberg states are less strongly affected, and the energy shifts exhibit no dependence on the principal quantum number n of the final state. We attribute these shifts to resonant interactions between Ps atoms and MgO surfaces, mediated via spectrally overlapping MgO ultra violet (UV) photo-luminescent absorption bands. Since many insulating materials suitable for Ps confinement exhibit similar broadband UV absorption characteristics, the observed phenomena have implications for optical diagnostics and laser cooling schemes of relevance to studies of high-density Ps ensembles in insulating cavities, including the production of a Ps Bose-Einstein condensate.
Mechanics regulate human embryonic stem cell self-organization to specify mesoderm

Embryogenesis is directed by morphogens that induce differentiation within a defined tissue geometry. Tissue organization is mediated by cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions and is modulated by cell tension and tissue-level force. Whether cell tension regulates development by directly influencing morphogen signaling remains unclear. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) exhibit an intrinsic capacity for self-organization that motivates their use as a tractable model of early human embryogenesis. We engineered patterned substrates that enhance cell-cell interactions to direct the self-organization of cultured hESCs into “gastrulation-like” nodes. Tissue geometries that generate local nodes of high cell-cell tension and induce these self-organized tissue nodes drive BMP4-dependent gastrulation by enhancing phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of β-catenin to promote Wnt signaling and mesoderm specification. The findings underscore the interplay between tissue organization, cell tension, and morphogen-dependent differentiation, and demonstrate that cell- and tissue-level forces directly regulate cell fate specification in early human development. Graphical Abstract Highlights Substrates that enhance cell-cell adhesion promote hESC self-organization Tissue nodes exhibiting high tension are predisposed to gastrulation induction Colony geometry dictates the localization of tension nodes to specify mesoderm Tension activates β-catenin and stimulates Wnt signaling to induce mesoderm In Brief Engineered substrates that promote cell-cell adhesion and reconstitute epiblast tissue organization facilitate “gastrulation-like” morphogenesis in cultured hESCs. Tissue geometries that foster localized regions of high cell-cell tension potentiate BMP4-dependent mesoderm specification by enhancing phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of β-catenin to promote Wnt signaling.
Solving Overlapping Pattern Issues in On-Chip Learning of Bio-Inspired Neuromorphic System with Synaptic Transistors

Recently, bio-inspired neuromorphic systems have been attracting widespread interest thanks to their energy-efficiency compared to conventional von Neumann architecture computing systems. Previously, we reported a silicon synaptic transistor with an asymmetric dual-gate structure for the direct connection between synaptic devices and neuron circuits. In this study, we study a hardware-based spiking neural network for pattern recognition using a binary modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) dataset with a device model. A total of three systems were compared with regard to learning methods, and it was confirmed that the feature extraction of each pattern is the most crucial factor to avoiding overlapping pattern issues and obtaining a high pattern classification ability.
Use of kinect v2 sensor in upper extremity stroke rehabilitation

USE OF KINECT V2 SENSOR IN UPPER EXTREMITY STROKE REHABILITATION by KISHAK ZAKKA CINFWAT About 15 million suffer from strokes annually. Strokes are caused by cardiovascular problems, leading to paralysis or weakness of the extremities affecting patient independence thus requiring rehabilitation. Recently, virtual reality and other gaming systems have been developed and tested for functional rehabilitation and especially home use. This study examines the suitability of the Microsoft Kinect v2 in detecting Activities of Daily Living (ADL) within a hand function assessment procedure called the Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure (SHAP) using the adaptive boosting algorithm within the Kinect v2 SDK. Data from a group of 14 students was used. The results showed that the ADL tasks comprising; pouring from a carton, pouring from a jug, opening a glass jar, picking up coins, lifting a light tin and heavy jar across a barrier were detected with Root Mean Square confidence values below the minimum 0.95 recommended for deployment in an application or game. This implies further data would be required to train the detector for reliable detection. The use of mixed grasping strategies for some tasks may have affected the initial detection accuracy for the last two detectors. There is potential of the Kinect v2 in stroke rehabilitation and assessment.
Application of predictive modelling to the Lower Cretaceous sedimentary sequences of the central Scotian Basin

Forward stratigraphic modelling of the central Scotian Basin is used to evaluate proposed provenance pathways in the Early Cretaceous and exploration risk. Modelling results confirm proposed pathways, supporting the diversion of the Sable and Banquereau rivers during the formation of the Naskapi Member, as well as likely episodic diversions during the Albian. Stratigraphic modelling techniques and petrographic studies predict the distribution of potential reservoir intervals and the influence of diagenesis on detrital minerals. Sand is dominantly trapped on the shelf in all units, with preferential accumulation in salt minibasins along the slope and shallow basin, and bypass to the deep basin. Simulation of feldspar grains and the presence of faulting and high permeability lithofacies suggest a zone of low risk to exploration on the shelf of the western and central Scotian Basin, and one of moderate risk in the eastern Scotian Basin.
Parents’ Journeys to Acceptance and Support of Gender-diverse and Trans Children and Youth

Over the past 5 years in Canada, clinicians have observed an increasing number of gender-diverse and trans children and youth (GDTCY) accessing clinics for gender-affirming care. GDTCY who are able to access care are usually accompanied by their families, which provides a unique opportunity to integrate them into the treatment team. GDTCY have better health and social outcomes when strongly supported by their parents/caregivers. To optimize young people’s health and well-being, it is essential that we learn more about family experiences in supporting their GDTCY and in overcoming barriers to accessing services. This project is one of the first qualitative studies that aims to develop a deeper understanding of GDTCY and their parents/caregivers’ experiences of the gender-affirming care setting. This paper explores their journeys in coming to terms with their child’s gender identity, including reactions to the child’s coming out, struggles and facilitators of acceptance, and experiences in clinical settings.