Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CT of hepatocellular carcinoma in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: imaging characteristics and inter-rater agreement

Poster: "ECR 2018 / C-1742 / CT of hepatocellular carcinoma in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: imaging characteristics and inter-rater agreement" by: "I. Garg, S. Thompson, E. Ehman, S. P. Sheedy, A. Khandelwal, C. A. Bookwalter, T. Mounajjed, S. K. Venkatesh; Rochester, Mn/US"
College Student Problematic Internet Use and Digital Communication Medium Used With Parents: Cross-Sectional Study

Background Problematic internet use (PIU) is associated with mental health concerns such as depression and affects more than 12% of young adults. Few studies have explored potential influences of parent–college student digital communication on college students’ risk of PIU. Objective This study sought to understand the relationship between parent–college student digital communication frequency via phone calls, text messages, and Facebook contacts and PIU among college students. Methods Incoming first-year students were randomly selected from registrar lists of a midwestern and northwestern university for a 5-year longitudinal study. Data from interviews conducted in summer 2014 were used. Measures included participants’ daily Facebook visits, communication frequency with parents via phone call and text message, and 3 variables related to Facebook connection status and communication: (1) parent–college student Facebook friendship status, (2) college student blocking personal Facebook content from parent, and (3) Facebook communication frequency. PIU risk was assessed using the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale. Analysis included participants who reported visiting Facebook at least once per day. Multiple linear regression was used, followed by a post hoc mediation with Hayes process macro to further investigate predictive relationships among significant variables. Results A total of 151 participants reported daily Facebook use and were included in analyses. Among these participants, 59.6% (90/151) were female, 62.3% (94/151) were from the midwestern university, and 78.8% (119/151) were white. Mean Facebook visits per day was 4.3 (SD 3.34). There was a collective significant effect between participant daily Facebook visits, college student–parent phone calls, texts, and all 3 Facebook connection variables (F6,144=2.60, P=.02, R2=.10). Phone calls, text messages, and Facebook contacts were not associated with PIU risk. However, two individual items were significant predictors for PIU: participant daily Facebook visits were positively associated with increased PIU risk (b=0.04, P=.006) and being friends with a parent on Facebook was negatively associated with PIU risk (b=–0.66, P=.008). Participant daily Facebook visits were not a significant mediator of the relationship between college student–parent Facebook friendship and PIU risk (b=–0.04; 95% CI –0.11 to 0.04). Conclusions This study did not find support for a relationship between parent–college student digital communication frequency and PIU among college students. Instead, results suggested Facebook friendship may be a protective factor. Future studies should examine how a parent-child Facebook friendship might protect against PIU among children at varying developmental stages.
Power Loss Model and Device Sizing Optimization of Si/SiC Hybrid Switches

Si/SiC hybrid switches of parallel Si insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (mosfet) offer most of the SiC benefits but at a much lower cost in comparison to a full SiC solution. The hybrid switch can be optimized to achieve a minimum total power loss while utilizing the smallest SiC chip size without exceeding the specified maximum junction temperature. In this article, we first develop a generalized power loss model for Si/SiC hybrid switches with total power loss and junction temperature as outputs and SiC device size as a continuous input variable, and then develop a methodology to minimize SiC device size while optimizing total IGBT/mosfet power loss and ensuring maximum junction temperature still below 150 °C. The power loss model is experimentally validated through both simple double pulse testing and a dc–dc buck converter case study. Using the model and optimization methodology, a minimum SiC device size can be obtained with optimized power loss and safe operation temperature.
Quality Management, Total Quality Management And Six Sigma

: Quality is the characteristic which distinguishes a product and service from its rivals. Quality is not the responsibility of a single member to ensuring superior quality of a service or product. TQM is a combined endeavor of management, Employees, workers and suppliers in order to get and go beyond client happiness point. PDCA cycle is major part of TQM. TQM is a joint effort of both top management and employees of a company to devise efficient policies and strategies to give good quality goods which meet and exceed customer satisfaction. Each TQM model incorporates customer feedbacks with applicable data and strategy as per the design effective plans to attain high quality goods. Few quality management tools are check list, Pareto chart, Fishbone diagram, Histogram, Scatter diagram, and graphs. Six Sigma make sure better quality of goods by eliminating the imperfections in the systems and processes. DMAIC and DMADV are two methods of Six Sigma. Kaizen is explained as a constant attempt by all employees to make sure enhancement of all system and processes of a particular company. ―Five S‖ of Kaizen is a methodical approach which directs to infallible systems, standard strategies, set of laws and regulations to give rise to a strong work culture at the company. There is a vital role of managers and customers in implementing Six Sigma. Six-Sigma and TQM both are efficient tools for quality management but there exist a thin line of difference between them. Six-Sigma gives improved and efficient outcomes as compared to TQM. There are some differences in methodologies of manufacturing and service sectors. Index Terms : Quality, Quality Management, Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, PDCA, KAIZEN, Quality management Tools ——————————  ——————————
Developing the UNICEF Malawi School Handwashing Program

Diarrhea is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among children and immune-compromised individuals in Malawi. Handwashing with soap (HWWS) is one of the most cost-effective health interventions to prevent diarrhea. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Malawi has adopted a social marketing approach to achieve large-scale behavioral change for HWWS. The study, commissioned by UNICEF Malawi, was developed by PSI Malawi and Griffith University and conducted by PSI Malawi. Formative research insights using two research studies are presented including observations at 30 primary schools in terms of HWWS behavior. Second, key informant interviews with school administrators and staff members were conducted to understand HWWS motivation, opportunity, and ability factors. This study found less than half of the assessed schools had handwashing facilities. Structural barriers that prevent school children from practicing HWWS were identified including a lack of financial resources to construct permanent handwashing facilities in schools. Many schools also experience a lack of support from the community as citizens are not aware of the benefits of HWWS. Changes to school and community infrastructure are required to facilitate the adoption of the behavior. Supporting activities to encourage school children to practice HWWS and reinforcement strategies to sustain the behavior over time should also be implemented. School children can then become change agents for HWWS by reinforcing the behavior at home thereby contributing to the achievement of the national objectives to reduce diarrhea and leading to improved health and well-being for communities in Malawi.
Blood pressure and cognitive function across the eighth decade: a prospective study of the Lothian Birth Cohort of 1936

Objectives We investigated the associations among blood pressure and cognitive functions across the eighth decade, while accounting for antihypertensive medication and lifetime stability in cognitive function. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting This study used data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) study, which recruited participants living in the Lothian region of Scotland when aged 70 years, most of whom had completed an intelligence test at age 11 years. Participants 1091 members of the LBC1936 with assessments of cognitive ability in childhood and older adulthood, and blood pressure measurements in older adulthood. Primary and secondary outcome measures Participants were followed up at ages 70, 73, 76 and 79, and latent growth curve models and linear mixed models were used to analyse both cognitive functions and blood pressure as primary outcomes. Results Blood pressure followed a quadratic trajectory in the eighth decade: on average blood pressure rose in the first waves and subsequently fell. Intercepts and trajectories were not associated between blood pressure and cognitive functions. Women with higher early-life cognitive function generally had lower blood pressure during the eighth decade. Being prescribed antihypertensive medication was associated with lower blood pressure, but not with better cognitive function. Conclusions Our findings indicate that women with higher early-life cognitive function had lower later-life blood pressure. However, we did not find support for the hypothesis that rises in blood pressure and worse cognitive decline are associated with one another in the eighth decade.
A translational kidney organoid system bolsters human relevance of clinical development candidate

A major challenge in drug discovery is gaining confidence in the human relevance of pre-clinical animal studies. While human iPSC-derived organoids offer exciting opportunities to address this, concerns about applicability and scalability remain. Here, we report a high-throughput organoid platform for assessment of kidney disease targeting compounds in a human system. We confirmed platform reproducibility by single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) and derived a NanoString panel for efficient quality control (QC). Organoid transplantation in rats for 2 to 4 weeks promoted organoid maturation and vascularization. In functional studies, cyclosporine A (CsA) and GFB-887, a novel TRPC5 channel blocker, protected kidney organoids from injury. Pharmacodynamic studies with GFB-887 delivered orally to rats were also successfully performed in human transplanted organoids. These data show how human organoids can deliver confidence in taking development candidate compounds to the clinic, fulfilling their promise to revolutionize drug discovery.
Hourly wind speed forecasting based on Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Networks

Wind speed is the main component of wind power. Therefore, wind speed forecasting is of big importance due to its uses. It permits to plan the dispatch, determine the hours of storage needed, the amount of energy stored that should be used and avoid the big fluctuations in the electrical grid caused by the nature of the renewable energy resources. In this paper, we propose four hybrid models based on Support Vector Machine(SVM) and Artificial Neural Networks(ANNs) or just Neural Networks (NN) for wind speed forecasting. Using the Ordinary Least Squares(OLS) analysis for selecting the parameters more influencing wind speed. Then, a Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Networks models are tuned by Genetic Algorithm(GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO). The performance of these models is evaluated using three statistical indicators: the Mean Square Error(MSE), Mean Error(ME) and Mean Absolute Error(MAE). The results show a better performance of the neural model compared to the support vector machine.
Co-application of sugarcane bagasse biochar, farmyard manure and mineral nitrogen improved growth indices of corn grown in alkaline calcareous soil

Abstract Soil quality and crop productivity can be improved by the combined soil application of organic amendments and synthetic fertilizers. We evaluated the sole and combined effects of sugarcane-bagasse biochar (SBB), farmyard manure (FYM) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer on soil properties and corn yield traits. Three N fertilizer rates (0, 50 and 100% of recommended) were used with or without the organic amendments. We observed significant increases in soil nitrate-N (at vegetative and reproductive phases), ammonical-N and microbial-biomass-N contents in responses to a co-application of 0.5% SBB, 0.5% FYM and 100% N fertilizer (p ≤ 0.05). While the same co-application also resulted in the most significant soil organic carbon value, the maximum soil microbial biomass carbon was observed when 0.5% SBB and 0.5% FYM combination was applied along with 50% N fertilizer (p ≤ 0.05). Plant growth indices—shoot length and, fresh and dry weights of shoot and root were also recorded to be the highest where the same organic amendments were applied in addition to a 50% or 100% mineral N fertilizer (p ≤ 0.05). Combined application of the organic amendments effectively improved soil CEC compared to those in responses to individual applications of SBB and FYM (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusively, for increasing the corn yield and improving the soil quality, the co-application of 0.5% SBB and 0.5% FYM was more effective than any of the individual 1% applications; Additions of 50% and 100% mineral N to the organic combination were equally useful for increasing the grain yield.
International Migration and Health in the Countries of Origin. The Effect on Households with Migrants and/or Recipients of Remittances, and on Returned Migrants. A Systematic Review

This work represents a systematic literature review that studies the effect of international migration on the health of households in the countries of origin and of returned migrants. The effect is due to: 1) remittances, 2) transfer of ideas, habits and behavioral norms, and 3) the previous migratory experience of returned migrants. Aspects of health that may be affected are fertility rate, general health condition, access to health services, mental health, life expectancy, anthropometric measures and nutrition, health expenditure, risk factors or health protectors. The search included articles and documents published between January 2000 and August 2017, written in English or Spanish, included in the databases Jstor, Proquest, IDEAS-RePec, Scielo, Google Scholar and PubMed. Based on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the 85 selected articles, found positive and/or negative effects on health of children, adolescents, women, older adults and returned migrants. This systematic review offers a broad look of the effects of international migration on the health of the ones who stay, which results useful for policy makers and researchers. Not all findings are consistent and therefore, further research on the matter is necessary, considering qualitative approaches.
The role of trees and plantation agriculture in mitigating global climate change

Climate change refers to a paradigm shift in the climatic pattern of a location, region or planet which is linked with average weather components, such as temperature, wind patterns and precipitations. Climate change results in erratic events such as rising global temperature, intensified drought, flooding, cyclones, low or poor agricultural productivity, loss of biodiversity and shifting of seasons. Natural processes such as variations in the intensity of the sun, eruptions from volcanoes, very slow changes in ocean circulations and land surfaces can cause this global climate change but human activities are by far the major causes through the continuous release of greenhouse gases and aerosols into the atmosphere, by altering land surfaces, and or depleting the ozone layer. The most environmentally conservative response to climate change mitigation would be to stop the consumption of fossil fuels and production of methane and chlorofluorocarbons; but these options may not be feasible until alternative technologies emanate. Considering the large amounts of carbon accumulated as biomass in plantations, extensive planting of trees, which posses large canopies that are able to capture carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere, could help mitigate the rising atmospheric CO 2 levels. The roles of plantations in mitigating global climate change are related, but not limited to the following: the influence of trees on the hydrologic cycle, the barrier against destructive windstorm and desertification, conservation of the soil surface against erosion and intense heat, binding action of the dense root system, sustainable biodiversity, provision of renewable and bioenergy, nutritious food, employment, and rural income, and the reservoir of sequestered carbon. There is an urgent need to properly integrate trees and plantations in our agricultural systems, homes, institutions, markets, parks and other public places. This would not only help to reduce the build-up of carbondioxide and other atmospheric impurities but also increase the produce from plantation crops in a locality thereby mitigating against food insecurity and poverty. Keywords: Climate-change, trees, mitigation, adaptation, carbon sequestration, food security, sustainable agriculture
UNFORSEEN HEALTH PROBLEM IN FEMALE SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS: URINARY INCONTINENCE

Female seasonal agricultural workers constitute a risk group in terms of urinary incontinence because such workers have trouble in accessing and using health care services due to their working conditions and their low socio-economic levels. The study was carried out to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence and factors affecting these and treatment received in female seasonal agricultural workers. In this cross-sectional study in which 300 women were reached. 56.0% of the women have urinary incontinence. The risk of having urinary incontinence is increased 3.5 times by being married, 6.7 times by having a chronic cough, 2.9 times by having a cystocele. Only 26.2% of the women had sought help from a healthcare organization with complaints of urinary incontinence. According to the study there was urinary incontinence in more than half of the women, but it was determined that the women made little effort to receive treatment for their urinary incontinence. It is recommended that women should be educated in topics like UI statistics, risk factors and the prevention and treatment of UI, and that those who have incontinence should be guided to receive treatment. Article DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.20319/lijhls.2018. 41.3753 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Accounting Reporting Complexity Measured Behaviorally

We propose a new measure of accounting reporting complexity (ARC) based on customized extensions XBRL elements in relation to the number of reporting tags (NRT), expressed as the relative Extension Rate (ER) as a behavioral economics solution to improve markets. Behavioral insights have recently gained attention in different scientific and applied fields. Thereby behavioral economists set out to improve market conditions to aid practitioners and consumers make wiser and more informed decisions that have a positive impact over time. XBRL extensions reduce comparability of financial disclosures and complicate financial analysis and investor decision making. We find that ER is negatively associated with market capitalization and profitability. ER is on average higher in industries perceived as complex. The preparation and disclosure of more accounting items deviating from the base taxonomy is more complex for consumers of financial and non-financial information. Increasing ER imply comparability among peers is less enabled. In comparison to commonly used measures of operating and linguistic complexity, the associations between ARC and these outcomes are more consistent, exhibit greater explanatory power, and have stronger economic significance. The ER resulting from IFRS-filers, i.e. companies which prepare their financial statements under International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) are on average significantly higher than US GAAP filers, i.e. companies which prepare their financial statements under United States General Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP). This article is based on the â€œtransparency technology XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language)â€ (Sunstein, 2013), which should make data more accessible as well as usable for private investors. Overall, the findings contribute to the emerging behavioral economics trend with a novel application in data science and accounting.
The impact of ERP utilisation experience and segmental reporting on corporate performance in the UK context

ABSTRACT By adopting the Decision-Usefulness theory, this study investigates separately and jointly the impact of utilising Enterprise Resources Planning system (ERPs) and the information disclosure of Segmental Reporting (SR), following the implementation of IFRS-8, on Corporate Performance (CP) in the UK context. The research was drawn on the Financial-Times-Stock-Exchange (FTSE)-100 over the period 2013-2017 using textual analysis and Compustat, after accounting for endogeneity problems. The authors find generally direct relationships between CP indicators, ERP utilisation experience and SR dimensions. This paper has several implications for FTSE-100 companies, academics, practitioners and IFRS-setters regarding the ERP utilisation and the segmental information reporting.
Rise of Machine Agency: A Framework for Studying the Psychology of Human-AI Interaction (HAII)

Advances in personalization algorithms and other applications of machine learning have vastly enhanced the ease and convenience of our media and communication experiences, but they have also raised significant concerns about privacy, transparency of technologies and human control over their operations. Going forth, reconciling such tensions between machine agency and human agency will be important in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), as machines get more agentic and media experiences become increasingly determined by algorithms. Theory and research should be geared toward a deeper understanding of the human experience of algorithms in general and the psychology of Human–AI interaction (HAII) in particular. This article proposes some directions by applying the dual-process framework of the Theory of Interactive Media Effects (TIME) for studying the symbolic and enabling effects of the affordances of AI-driven media on user perceptions and experiences.