Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
eLearning Virtual Environments Multi-agent Model for Medical Students

In today's education it is becoming normal to talk about virtual learning, online and at a distance. Such environments are incorporated daily attendance practices that know, greatly enriching, with the potential of media and technology, educational opportunities in all areas, this paper explains how to implement the use of multi-agents. It will discuss how the curriculum can be enriched by activities involving problem-based learning, case studies simulations and virtual reality. This new model provides multiple uses for exploring knowledge and supporting learning-by-doing. It engages users in the construction of knowledge, collaboration, and articulation of knowledge in a virtual environment, especially in the teaching learning.
Influence of source and power cord impedance on damping of flux variations induced by commutation in uncompensated universal motors

In this article investigations are carried out in order to analyze the influence of power cord and source impedances on the ability of the field winding of an uncompensated universal motor to damp flux variations caused by the commutation process. The motor is regarded as a harmonic generator with the power cord and the source impedance acting as a load. Rotational tests are carried out with different loads connected to the field winding and the Fourier spectrums of the field voltage are evaluated.
The importance of people compliance (social desirability bias) in the assessment of epilepsy prevalence in rural areas of developing countries. Results of the Atahualpa Project

Epilepsy is a major health issue in rural areas of developing countries. However, heterogeneity of epilepsy prevalence in different studies precludes assessment of the magnitude of the problem. Using similar protocols, two population‐based surveys were conducted 12 years apart (2003 and 2015) in a rural Ecuadorian village (Atahualpa). The only difference was a higher people compliance with interviewers during the second survey. Epilepsy prevalence in the 2003 survey was 13.5 per 1,000 (18/1,332) in villagers aged ≥20 years. This rate increased to 26.8 per 1,000 (41/1,530) in the 2015 survey. Thirty‐three persons with epilepsy detected during the second survey lived in the village in 2003; six of them had seizures starting after 2003. Of the remaining 27 cases, 13 (48%) denied their problem during the first survey. Further interview revealed that denial was related to lack of confidence with unacquainted field personnel. Social Desirability Scale‐17 scores were lower in those who admitted having epilepsy than in those who denied their condition (p = 0.048). Lack of confidence with interviewers and a social desirability bias account for a sizable proportion of epilepsy denial in the study population, and may explain heterogeneity of epilepsy prevalence reported in studies conducted in poor rural settings.
Species co-occurrences based on a presence/absence null model for Copepoda and cladocerans in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego lakes and ponds

The zooplankton assemblages in southern Chilean Patagonia are characterized by calanoid dominance and low species number that is observable under oligotrophic status and wide conductivity values, whereas at mesotrophic status the daphnids are dominant with high species number, and finally at hyper-saline environments halophilic species such as Artemia persimilis and/or the calanoid Boeckella poopensis predominate. In the present study data of different lakes and ponds between 45-53° S were analyzed, with the aim to determine potential structures at different sites. For this purpose a null model based in guild structure was applied, considering each guild a different kind of water body (lake, small lake, permanent pond, ephemeral pond, and saline lake). The results revealed in two simulations that guild are structured. These results are similar with other descriptions on the basis of null models that revealed a random pattern of species associations for similar ecosystems due to many species repeated in all or practically all studied sites or similarities of ecological features. Ecological and biogeographical topics were discussed.
Modelling Zero-Inflated Count Data When Exposure Varies: With an Application to Sick Leave

This paper is concerned with the analysis of zero-inflated count data when time of exposure varies. It proposes a new zero-inflated count data model that is based on two homogeneous Poisson processes and accounts for exposure time in a theory consistent way. The new model is used in an application to the effect of insurance generosity on the number of absent days.
Does acute exposure to mobile phones affect human attention?

Recent studies have indicated that acute exposure to low level radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields generated by mobile phones affects human cognition. However, the relatively small samples used, in addition to methodological problems, make the outcomes of these studies difficult to interpret. In our study we tested a large sample of volunteers (168) using a series of cognitive tasks apparently sensitive to RF exposure (a simple reaction task, a vigilance task, and a subtraction task). Participants performed those tasks twice, in two different sessions. In one session they were exposed to RFs, with half of subjects exposed to GSM signals and the other half exposed to CW signals, while in the other session they were exposed to sham signals. No significant effects of RF exposure on performance for either GSM or CW were found, independent of whether the phone was positioned on the left or on the right side. Bioelectromagnetics 27:215–220, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A body-weight-independent dosing regimen of cyclosporine microemulsion is effective in severe atopic dermatitis and improves the quality of life.

BACKGROUND Cyclosporine has shown to be effective in severe atopic dermatitis. Little has been reported on the new microemulsion form (Sandimmune, Neoral) in the treatment of this disease. Also, it has not been investigated whether a body-weight-independent dosing regimen of cyclosporine is appropriate for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to investigate a body-weight-independent dosing regimen of cyclosporine microemulsion in severe atopic dermatitis by comparing high and low starting doses of treatment. METHODS A total of 106 adults with severe atopic dermatitis were enrolled in this double-blind study and randomized to receive a starting dose of either 150 mg (low) or 300 mg (high) of cyclosporine microemulsion daily. After 2 weeks the dose could be reduced by 50% if the clinical symptom score was reduced by 50% or more. After 8 weeks the responders entered a 4-week follow-up phase and were randomized to either stop treatment or to continue on their last effective dose every second day. RESULTS After 2 weeks of treatment the total symptom score decreased from 59.0 to 39.3 with 150 mg and from 60.7 to 33.2 with 300 mg cyclosporine (P <.05). Until week 8 there was a further decrease in the clinical symptom score to 30.8 with low-dose therapy and 25.5 with high-dose therapy. Similar positive effects could be observed in assessments of affected body surface area, itching, sleep loss, and quality of life. At week 2, there was an increase of 0.6% in serum creatinine in patients receiving 150 mg, and 5.8% in the 300 mg group (P <.01). At week 8, the effect on serum creatinine was similar, with a 1.1% rise in the low dose group and a 6.0% increase in the high dose group. Body weight had no influence on efficacy or tolerability in this study. CONCLUSION Body-weight-independent dosing with cyclosporine seems to be feasible in the short-term treatment of severe atopic dermatitis. Although the starting dose of 300 mg/day is more effective than 150 mg/day, the 150 mg dose would be preferable for the initiation of therapy because of its excellent renal tolerability.
Security, Privacy and Legal Issues in Pervasive eHealth Monitoring Systems

In this paper we analyze the security and privacy requirements of eHealth monitoring systems which use wireless sensor networks. Based on our experience developing our eHealth system, ReMoteCare, we have devised a model of such systems which we use to discuss threats and attacks, address security requirements and give guidelines for security mechanisms. The contentious issues of privacy of medical data are canvassed - especially as there are legal ramifications if personal health information is compromised.
Asymptotic Size Determines Species Abundance in the Marine Size Spectrum

The majority of higher organisms in the marine environment display indeterminate growth; that is, they continue to grow throughout their life, limited by an asymptotic size. We derive the abundance of species as a function of their asymptotic size. The derivation is based on size‐spectrum theory, where population structure is derived from physiology and simple arguments regarding the predator‐prey interaction. Using a hypothesis of constant satiation, which states that the average degree of satiation is independent of the size of an organism, the number of individuals with a given size is found to be proportional to the weight raised to the power −2.05, independent of the predator/prey size ratio. This is the first time the spectrum exponent has been derived solely on the basis of processes at the individual level. The theory furthermore predicts that the parameters in the von Bertalanffy growth function are related as \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$K\propto L^{-1}_{\infty }$$ \end{document} .
Is the SRS-22 Instrument Responsive to Change in Adult Scoliosis Patients Having Primary Spinal Deformity Surgery?

Study Design. Multicenter study. Objective. The purpose of this study is to prospectively analyze responsiveness of the SRS-22 to change at 1 and 2 years following primary surgery. Summary of Background Data. A number of efforts have been directed at validation of the SRS-22 instrument in the setting of adolescent and adult spinal deformity. However, few have extensively analyzed the ability of the instrument to detect change (brought on by surgical treatment) in adult scoliosis patients. Methods. A multicenter prospective series of consecutive adult scoliosis patients (all primary/no revisions) were administered SRS-22, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)and Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaires preoperation and 1 and 2 years postoperation. Fifty-six patients had preoperative, 1-year postoperative, and 2-year postoperative data. Results. The greatest changes from preoperation to 2-year postoperation were the SRS self-image domain followed by SRS total, SRS pain, and ODI scores. SRS pain and function scores significantly (P < 0.05) improved from 1-year to 2-year postoperation. There were not substantial differences in the outcome measures according to age or curve type. All outcome measures except SF-12 mental health showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvement from baseline to 2-year follow-up. Conclusion. Based on these 3 outcome tools, the greatest responsiveness to change was demonstrated by the SRS self-image domain followed by SRS total, then SRS pain, then ODI. This suggests that the SRS tool is more responsive than ODI, which is more responsive than SF-12 to change brought on by primary surgical treatment of adult scoliosis patients. Surgical treatment in adult scoliosis significantly improved pain, self-image, and function based on the health-related quality of life measures used in this study.
Laboratory Investigation of IEC 61850-9-2-Based Busbar and Distance Relaying With Corrective Measure for Sampled Value Loss/Delay

After successful implementation of IEC 61850-8-1-based GOOSE at several power substations worldwide, major protective device vendors are currently developing interoperable products for IEC 61850-9-2-based time-critical sampled value (SV) messages over the digital process bus. Unlike GOOSE, the same SV message is not repeated several times and, therefore, it is important to analyze the impact of SV loss or delay on protection functions. This paper presents the hardware implementation of a typical IEC 61850-9-2-based process bus communication network for digital protection systems to investigate the proposed corrective measure for SV loss/delay. For the detailed testing, various process bus devices (e.g. protection intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), merging units (MUs), etc.) are developed over industrial embedded systems with a hard-real-time platform. The SV estimation algorithm is implemented as a part of bus differential and transmission-line distance protection IEDs, and it is tested for various SV loss/delay scenarios and power system fault conditions.
Frequency hopped wireless passive sensing system with harmonic transponder antenna sensor

This paper presents a passive wireless sensing paradigm based on the harmonic transponder comprising an antenna covered with a metamaterial-inspired helical structure, which is sensitive to the liquid-level within. An interrogator transmits frequency hopped UHF RFID signals to the transponder, and a sniffer detects the harmonic signal from the transponder and decodes its RSSI array. A μL-resolution absolute accuracy sensing is demonstrated to support the low-cost ubiquitous liquid monitoring.
Ascertainment in the sequential sampling of pedigrees

One aim in the analysis of pedigree data may be to infer the mode of inheritance of a characteristic. If only “interesting” pedigrees are analysed, the ascertainment bias may lead to some modes of inheritance being unintentionally preferred. Also, it is clearly most efficient in attempting to make such inferences, if a decision on whether to continue sampling a pedigree is made conditional on the types of individuals who have been observed; an a priori decision to examine 500 members of a pedigree may lead to much wasted effort, since the pedigree may prove to be largely uninformative. The present paper shows that provided all observed families are included in the analysis, even those which appeared “uninteresting” or “sporadic” and were not sampled further, and provided a decision to continue sampling is made conditional on types observed up to that point, the correct likelihood for the mode of inheritance may be easily computed. This opens the way for a more detailed study of the wider problem of optimal sampling rules on pedigrees.
Implications of stability analysis for heat transfer at Yucca Mountain

An analytical solution has been obtained to the stability problem for an infinite horizontal layer of gas with Its humidity constrained to 100%. Latent heat transfer makes convective heat transfer much more Important for this moist gas than for a dry gas. The critical Rayleigh number for the onset of convective flow in the moist gas, with a lower no-flow boundary at 97{degrees}C and an upper no-flow boundary at 27{degrees}C, is 0.18, much less than the value of 4m{sup 2} for a dry gas. Although the heat source at Yucca Mountain will be finite in extent, the solution for an infinite horizontal layer still gives a useful criterion for the qualitative importance of convective heat transfer. The critical Rayleigh number of 0.18 corresponds to a permeability of 4 {times} 10{sup {minus}12} m{sup 2} if other parameters ate given values measured at Yucca Mountain. This value falls roughly in the middle of the range of measured permeabilities. The analysis also gives a time constant for the onset of convection, which at twice the critical Rayleigh number is 1000 yr. Thus convection will probably make an important contribution, to host transfer at Yucca Mountain if the rock permeability falls in the upper portion of the range of measurements to date, but only at times after a few hundred or thousand years.
The multi-stage fitness test as a predictor of endurance fitness in wheelchair athletes

Abstract The aims of this study were two-fold: (1) to consider the criterion-related validity of the multi-stage fitness test (MSFT) by comparing the predicted maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O2max) and distance travelled with peak oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O2peak) measured using a wheelchair ergometer (n = 24); and (2) to assess the reliability of the MSFT in a sub-sample of wheelchair athletes (n = 10) measured on two occasions. Twenty-four trained male wheelchair basketball players (mean age 29 years, s = 6) took part in the study. All participants performed a continuous incremental wheelchair ergometer test to volitional exhaustion to determine [Vdot]O2peak, and the MSFT on an indoor wooden basketball court. Mean ergometer [Vdot]O2peak was 2.66 litres · min−1 (s = 0.49) and peak heart rate was 188 beats · min−1 (s = 10). The group mean MSFT distance travelled was 2056 m (s = 272) and mean peak heart rate was 186 beats · min−1 (s = 11). Low to moderate correlations (ρ = 0.39 to 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.02 to 0.69 and 0.23 to 0.80) were found between distance travelled in the MSFT and different expressions of wheelchair ergometer [Vdot]O2peak. There was a mean bias of −1.9 beats · min−1 (95% CI: −5.9 to 2.0) and standard error of measurement of 6.6 beats · min−1 (95% CI: 5.4 to 8.8) between the ergometer and MSFT peak heart rates. A similar comparison of ergometer and predicted MSFT [Vdot]O2peak values revealed a large mean systematic bias of 15.3 ml · kg−1 · min−1 (95% CI: 13.2 to 17.4) and standard error of measurement of 3.5 ml · kg−1 · min−1 (95% CI: 2.8 to 4.6). Small standard errors of measurement for MSFT distance travelled (86 m; 95% CI: 59 to 157) and MSFT peak heart rate (2.4 beats · min−1; 95% CI: 1.7 to 4.5) suggest that these variables can be measured reliably. The results suggest that the multi-stage fitness test provides reliable data with this population, but does not fully reflect the aerobic capacity of wheelchair athletes directly.
Elemental Fractionation in Small Solar Energetic Particle Events

Using the Solar Isotope Spectrometer on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), we have measured the 11.0-21.8 MeV nucleon-1 heavy (Z ≥ 6) element abundances of 39 small solar energetic particle (SEP) events that occurred between 1998 April 3 and 2002 February 26. Using He isotope data from the Ultra-Low-Energy Isotope Spectrometer on ACE, we have classified the events according to their 0.5-2.0 MeV nucleon-1 3He/4He ratios. We find that their average heavy-element composition is similar to that of either large gradual events or 3He-rich events, depending on their 3He/4He ratio. As seen in recent studies of small SEP events, we find that the heavy-element intensities relative to C increase with the 3He/4He ratios. The dependence of the heavy-element abundances on first ionization potential (FIP) has been derived, using a model consisting of a power law in Q/M (and Z) times a step function in FIP. We report the magnitude of the FIP factor in each event and find that it varies from ~2 to 7 with no clear dependence on the 3He/4He ratio.
Novel Archaeal Adhesion Pilins with a Conserved N Terminus

ABSTRACT Type IV pili play important roles in a wide array of processes, including surface adhesion and twitching motility. Although archaeal genomes encode a diverse set of type IV pilus subunits, the functions for most remain unknown. We have now characterized six Haloferax volcanii pilins, PilA[1-6], each containing an identical 30-amino-acid N-terminal hydrophobic motif that is part of a larger highly conserved domain of unknown function (Duf1628). Deletion mutants lacking up to five of the six pilin genes display no significant adhesion defects; however, H. volcanii lacking all six pilins (ΔpilA[1-6]) does not adhere to glass or plastic. Consistent with these results, the expression of any one of these pilins in trans is sufficient to produce functional pili in the ΔpilA[1-6] strain. PilA1His and PilA2His only partially rescue this phenotype, whereas ΔpilA[1-6] strains expressing PilA3His or PilA4His adhere even more strongly than the parental strain. Most surprisingly, expressing either PilA5His or PilA6His in the ΔpilA[1-6] strain results in microcolony formation. A hybrid protein in which the conserved N terminus of the mature PilA1His is replaced with the corresponding N domain of FlgA1 is processed by the prepilin peptidase, but it does not assemble functional pili, leading us to conclude that Duf1628 can be annotated as the N terminus of archaeal PilA adhesion pilins. Finally, the pilin prediction program, FlaFind, which was trained primarily on archaeal flagellin sequences, was successfully refined to more accurately predict pilins based on the in vivo verification of PilA[1-6].
Failure to Replicate: Sound the Alarm

Editor’s Note: Science has always relied on reproducibility to build confidence in experimental results. Now, the most comprehensive investigation ever done about the rate and predictors of reproducibility in social and cognitive sciences has found that regardless of the analytic method or criteria used, fewer than half of the original findings were successfully replicated. While a failure to reproduce does not necessarily mean the original report was incorrect, the results suggest that more rigorous methods are long overdue.
Evaluating and mitigating degradation effects in multimedia circuits

The nano-CMOS era continuously introduces reliability challenges with every new generation. Short-term and long-term degradation effects due to temperature and aging, respectively, can cause a considerable increase in the delay of a circuit and hence timing errors due to path violations. To overcome such degradations, designers inevitably need to employ wide timing guardbands manifest as reduced efficiency and performance. In fact, narrowing guardbands is one of the key optimization goals in current and upcoming technology nodes. In this work, we investigate whether do designers really need to employ guardbands even in error-tolerant (e.g., multimedia) circuits? This investigation enables us to trade off guardbands with quality. In addition, we demonstrate how our proposed degradation-aware cell libraries, degradation-aware timing analysis and degradation-aware logic synthesis are indispensable, not only to link the physical level with the system level (i.e. quantifying the final impact of degradation effects on the quality of processed images) but also to increase effectively the resiliency of circuits against degradations.