Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
National networking in rare diseases and reduction of cardiac burden in thalassemia major.

AIMS A tailored chelation therapy guided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a strategy to improve the prognosis in iron-loaded patients, in many cases still hampered by limited MRI availability. In order to address this issue, the Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia (MIOT) network was established in Italy and we aimed to describe the impact of 10-year activity of this network on cardiac burden in thalassemia major (TM). METHODS AND RESULTS Within the MIOT network, 1746 TM patients (911 females; mean age 31.2 ± 9.1 years) were consecutively enrolled and prospectively followed by 70 thalassemia and 10 MRI centres. Patients were scanned using a multiparametric approach for assessing myocardial iron overload (MIO), biventricular function, and myocardial fibrosis. At the last MRI scan, a significant increase in global heart T2* values and a significantly higher frequency of patients with no MIO (all segmental T2* ≥20 ms) were detected, with a concordant improvement in biventricular function, particularly in patients with baseline global heart T2* <20 ms. Forty-seven percentage of patients changed the chelation regimen based on MRI. The frequency of heart failure (HF) significantly decreased after baseline MRI from 3.5 to 0.8% (P < 0.0001). Forty-six patients died during the study, and HF accounted for 34.8% of deaths. CONCLUSION Over 10 years, continuous monitoring of cardiac iron and a tailored chelation therapy allowed MIO reduction, with consequent improvement of cardiac function and reduction of cardiac complications and mortality from MIO-related HF. A national networking for rare diseases therefore proved effective in improving the care and reducing cardiac outcomes of TM patients. KEY QUESTION Which was the impact on cardiac outcomes in thalassemia major by a national network among thalassemia and magnetic resonance imaging centres ensuring the continuous and standardized monitoring of the cardiac iron levels? KEY FINDING There was a reduction of myocardial iron overload (MIO) in almost 70% of patients, with consequent improvement of cardiac function and reduction of cardiac complications and mortality from MIO-related heart failure. TAKE HOME MESSAGE A national clinical and imaging networking in rare diseases was effective in improving the care and in reducing the cardiac burden in thalassemia major patients.
Deflection Prediction of No-Fines Lightweight Concrete Wall Using Neural Network Caused Dynamic Loads

No-fines lightweight concrete wall with horizontal reinforcement refers to an alternative material for wall construction with an aim of improving the wall quality towards horizontal loads. This study is focused on artificial neural network (ANN) application to predicting the deflection deformation caused by dynamic loads. The ANN method is able to capture the complex interactions among input/output variables in a system without any knowledge of interaction nature and without any explicit assumption to model form. This paper explains the existing data research, data selection and process of ANN modelling training process and validation. The results of this research show that the deformation can be predicted more accurately, simply and quickly due to the alternating horizontal loads.
New improved metaheuristic approaches for optimum design of posttensioned axially symmetric cylindrical reinforced concrete walls

Two novel hybrid approaches are presented for optimum design of axially symmetric cylindrical walls subjected to posttensioning loads using metaheuristic algorithms such as harmony search (HS), flower pollination algorithm (FPA), and teaching learning based optimization (TLBO). The objective function of the optimization problem is to minimize the total cost of the wall subjected to constraints on the basis of sectional capacities (bending moment, shear force, and axial tension), ACI 318 (building code requirements for structural concrete) requirements and design variables such as wall thickness, compressive strength of concrete, location and intensities of posttensioning cables, size, and spacing of reinforcement. In the optimum design, the performance of the iterative population based metaheuristic algorithms, HS, FPA, and TLBO are compared and tested by taking wall thickness as discrete and continuous variable. In order to improve the efficiency on finding global optimum results, hybrid forms of the HS combined with FPA and TLBO are effective for the optimization problem.
The Influence of Unidirectionally or Randomly Oriented CNTs on the Elastic Properties of Reinforced Composites

In recent years, in connection with the development of technologies for the production of nano-modified composites (in particular, pultrusion and nidltrusion technologies [1,2]), there is a need to assess the effect of CNT on the properties of composites with unidirectionally aligned fibers. By a proper combination of fibers, matrix and aligned CNTs as additives a wide range of elastic properties can be achieved. In our previous work [3], an effective tool for determining the elastic properties of nano-reinforced composites based on the Eshelby-MoriTanaka’s method [4-7] was proposed. The model with an ellipsoidal inclusion in an infinite medium for an epoxy matrix reinforced with randomly oriented nanotubes allows obtaining a set of two independent elastic properties of the isotropic Matrix/CNT system. In the case of unidirectional CNTs, we obtain a set of five independent elastic constants of the transversely isotropic Matrix/CNT system. However, in the case of nanotubes oriented along a macro-filler (for example, glass fibers) the elastic properties of the Matrix+ CNT/Fiberglass system (we denote such a system as “compIICNT” for brevity) cannot be applied using the model with an ellipsoidal inclusion. This is due to the fact that the matrix with CNTs has not isotropic, but transversely isotropic properties. The goal of the current research is to explore EshelbyMori-Tanaka’ model for predicting effective elastic properties of unidirectionally aligned composites with unidirectionally or randomly oriented CNTs.
Radiography in high mass X-ray binaries -- Micro-structure of the stellar wind through variability of the column density

In high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), an accreting compact object orbits a high mass star which loses mass through a dense and inhomogeneous wind. Using the compact object as an X-ray backlight, the time variability of the absorbing column density in the wind can be exploited in order to shed light on the micro-structure of the wind and obtain unbiased stellar mass loss rates for high mass stars. We explore the impact of clumpiness on the variability of the column density with a simplified wind model. In particular, we focus on the standard deviation of the column density and the characteristic duration of enhanced absorption episodes, and compare them with analytical predictions based on the porosity length. We identified the favorable systems and orbital phases to determine the wind micro-structure. The coherence time scale of the column density is shown to be the self-crossing time of a clump in front of the compact object. We provide a recipe to get accurate measurements of the size and of the mass of the clumps, purely based on the observable time variability of the column density. The coherence time scale grants direct access to the size of the clumps while their mass can be deduced separately from the amplitude of the variability. If it is due to unaccreted passing-by clumps, the high column density variations in some HMXBs requires high mass clumps to reproduce the observed peak-to-peak amplitude and coherence time scales. These clump properties are hardly compatible with the ones derived from first principles. Alternatively, other components could contribute to the variability of the column density: larger orbital scale structures produced by a mechanism still to be identified, or a dense environment in the immediate vicinity of the accretor such as an accretion disk, an outflow or a spherical shell around the magnetosphere of the accreting neutron star.
Towards Conversation Chatbot for Educational Purpose

—Chatbots are one of category of intelligent, conversation agents stimulated by natural language input and provide conversation output in response. This technology initiated in early 1960s, since then numerous amounts of methodology is used to develop a competent chatbot, which can interact with the user and mimic human conversation. Natural Languages Processing provide ample toolkits for understanding the contextual concept of text. In this study, utilizing the NLP toolkit we developed a rule based chatbot, which responses to user input, after identifying the dialogue act type and grasp the topic discussion of user input.
Space qualification of multi-channel optical fiber amplifier for low Earth orbit satellite-to-ground direct downlinks

We present the space qualification of a multi-channel mid-power booster optical fiber amplifier (OFA) suitable for 1550nm LEO satellite to ground laser communication downlinks. The end-to-end OFA development from conceptual design all the way through qualification testing followed ECSS-level Product Assurance guidelines for deployed materials, components and processes. The environmental qualification test programme relied on ECSS-E-10-03C which is the ESA standard for qualification testing of space segment hardware. The qualification results show robust functional and structural performance following stress at all 3 possible excitation axes with high level sine vibration, random vibration and mechanical shock as well as thermal cycling between survival and operating temperatures in vacuum condition. In addition to thermo-mechanical tests, proton and gamma radiation tests performed on component and sub-assembly level suggest that the OFA is capable to deliver its performance under ionizing and non-ionizing radiation levels found in the LEO orbit. The OFA has been delivered for system integration into the Optel-μ terminal, applicable to small satellite platforms.
Study of Marathi Phones for Synthesis of Marathi Speech from Text

— ext-To-Speech is the automatic production of speech, through a grapheme-to-phoneme transcription of the sentences to utter. This paper describes the study of marathi phones which considers the transformation of text into respective speech signal. The phonemes helps to build the database which can be considered further for building of TTS. The collection of phonemes for particular langauge makes the basic architecture for the system.
Left ventricular function, mass, and volumes in type 1 diabetic patients – and relation to NT-proBNP

Objectives: To measure left ventricular mass (LVM), volumes and function (LVF) in a cohort of type 1 diabetic patients and to correlate measures of imaging to N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Design and Research Methods: In a cross sectional study, all patients with type 1 diabetes underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). We included 63 patients with diabetic nephropathy and 73 patients with normoalbuminuria. Results: All patients had normal global LVF. LVM were increased in patients with diabetic nephropathy compared to patients with persistent normoalbuminuria. Patients with nephropathy had smaller left ventricular volumes and levels of NT-proBNP were increased. Linear regression analysis in patients with diabetic nephropathy showed that NTproBNP and creatinine were associated with LVM. Conclusions: Increased LVM is identified in asymptomatic type 1 diabetic patients with nephropathy compared to normoalbuminuric patients. Elevated levels of NT-proBNP were associated with increased LVM– both markers of increased cardiovascular risk.
Dual‐feed U‐slot antenna having low envelope correlation coefficients for the LTE MIMO operation in the metal‐framed smartphone

A printed dual‐feed U‐shaped open‐slot (U‐slot) antenna disposed close to the top or bottom short edge of the system ground plane in the metal‐framed smartphone for the LTE (long‐term evolution) MIMO (multi‐input multi‐output) operation is presented. The U‐slot is printed in the ground region within 10 mm to the short edge of the system ground plane and its two open ends are disposed at the short edge thereof. The former makes the system ground plane capable of accommodating a large display panel for the smartphone, while the latter decreases the effects of the user's hand holding the smartphone. The U‐slot is short‐circuited at one position therein to provide one longer open slot and one shorter open slot, which are fed separately by two feed networks to form Ant1 and Ant2. Ant1 can cover the LTE low band (LB, 746–960 MHz for Band 13/5/8) and LTE middle/high band (M/HB, 1710–2690 MHz). Ant2 can cover the LTE M/HB in 1710–2690 MHz. In addition, very low envelope correlation coefficients (ECCs) less than 0.1 in the LTE M/HB for Ant1 and Ant2 can be obtained. That is, in addition to the coverage of the LTE LB, the dual‐feed U‐slot antenna can be applied for the 2 × 2 LTE M/HB MIMO operation. The antenna structure and operating principle of the dual‐feed U‐slot antenna are presented, and the antenna performance is verified by the experimental study.
Advanced Transistor Process Technology from 22- to 14-nm Node

Transistor performance meets great technical challenges as the critical dimension (CD) shrinking beyond 32/28-nm nodes. A series of innovated process technologies such as high-k/metal gate, strain engineering, and 3D FinFET to overcome these challenges are reviewed in this chapter. The principle, developing route, and main prosperities of these technologies are systematically described with theoretical analysis and experimental results. Especially, the material choice, film stack design, and process flow integration approach with high-k/metal gate for sub-22-nm node is introduced; the film growth technique, process optimization, and flow integration method with advanced strain engineering are investigated; the architecture design, critical process definition, and integration scheme matching with traditional planar 2D transistor for 14-nm 3D FinFET are summarized.
Achieving Sustainability in Railway Projects: Major Stakeholder Concerns

Achieving sustainability is becoming increasingly critical for measuring the overall success of infrastructure projects. Given the complexity of such projects, the successful management of sustainability-related targets requires joint efforts from the major stakeholders involved, including project clients, contractors, suppliers, and the general public. Nevertheless, these stakeholders often have different, and sometimes even conflicting, concerns regarding the achievement of project sustainability. Confrontations and disputes can arise unless these concerns are carefully analyzed and addressed. However, we know little specifically about how major stakeholders perceive infrastructure sustainability and how their concerns differ in the three dimensions of project sustainability: economic, environmental, and social sustainability. This study investigated the major concerns of stakeholders in achieving sustainability in a typical infrastructure project (i.e., railway projects). A triangulated methodology was adopted, including a literature review, a questionnaire survey, and interviews to obtain data from project stakeholders. Based on the results, there was a significant divergence of views among stakeholder groups, and conflicts arose when there was a mismatch between stakeholders’ perceptions. A list of major concerns from each individual stakeholder group was ranked and discussed. Some measures for promoting the consensus on achieving project sustainability among different stakeholder groups were also provided. The study not only provides insights into understanding differences in the concerns of major stakeholder groups in achieving railway project sustainability, it also helps develop quantitative approaches for measuring the degree of consensus and conflict among major stakeholder groups so as to minimize their concern differences.
Coordination structures

We study a coordination problem where agents act sequentially. Agents are embedded in an observation network that allows them to observe the actions of their neighbors. We nd that coordination failures do not occur if there exists a su¢ ciently large clique. Its existence is necessary and su¢ cient when agents are homogenous and su¢ cient when agents di¤er and their types are private. Other structures guarantee coordination when agents decide in some particular sequences or for particular payo¤s. The coordination problem embodied in our game is applied to the problems of revolts and bank runs. Keywords : social networks, coordination failures, multiple equilibria, revolts, bank runs JEL Classi cation : C72, D82, D85, G21, Z13
INSTABILITY OF SLEEP IN SUBJECTS WITH FREQUENT NIGHTMARES

413 Sleep Microstructure in Nightmare Subjects—Simor et al INTRODUCTION According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders,1 nightmares are disturbing mental experiences that often awaken the dreamer from late-night rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The co-occurrence of disturbed dreaming and psychopathologic symptoms2 has contributed to the assumption that nightmares are the secondary symptom of an underlying mental disorder. Although comorbid psychopathology may increase the severity and daytime effects of disturbed dreaming, research suggests that frequent nightmares should be considered as a specific sleep disorder that are independent in its origins from other mental complaints.3-6 A growing body of research indicates that nightmares are related to impaired subjective sleep quality in large cohorts of adults, children, and university students.7-9 Furthermore, negatively toned dreams are more frequent among individuals with insomnia and other sleep disordered persons,10,11 and nightmare frequency seems to be related to the severity of sleep complaints.10,12 Early sleep electroencephalography (EEG) studies revealed altered sleep architecture in idiopathic nightmare sufferers INSTABILITY OF SLEEP IN SUBJECTS WITH FREQUENT NIGHTMARES
Blood Flow Modelling to Improve Cardiovascular Diagnostics: a Preliminary Review of 1-D Modelling

Cardiovascular diseases issue an enormous threat to the health and general wellbeing of the population, therefore multidisciplinary knowledge of the cardiovascular system and its mechanics has become a necessity. Due to the lack of wide scale experimental s tudies, the limitations associated with it and the immense advances in computational technology, in recent years, numerical modelling of the cardiovascular system has gained popularity as a viable alternative. One-dimensional models as compared to higher dimensional models provide a feasible and efficient means to study the dynamics of pulse wave propagation in order to increase the comprehension of circulatory physiology. The aim of this paper is to provide an overall review of the types, solution methods, treatment of boundary conditions, applications and advantages as well as disadvantages of one-dimensional models of the human arterial network.
Human-Centred Organization Design

Abstract The key aim of this article is to give a contribution to a design-oriented definition of organization design, with the human-centred approach to design (HCD) serving as the epistemological tool. Highlighting organizational identity as a facilitator or inhibitor of organization design change, the paper shares HCD’s focus on meaning with Verganti’s theory of design-driven innovation. An explanatory model is put forward detailing the steps in the process of linking the top-down changes from strategy or product innovation initiatives, as well as bottom-up changes emerging from organizational practices and relationships, with organizational design change. Organizational identity is defined as a superordinate conveyer and transformer of meaning and purpose, assuming different roles in the creation and dissemination of meaning, internally, as well as to and from the organization and the external environment. The paper ends with a number of recommendations about the need to focus on the management of identity.
Hahamy, Avital and Sotiropoulos, Stamatios N. and Henderson Slater, David and Malach, Rafael and Johansen-Berg, Heidi and Makin, Tamar R. (2015) Normalisation of brain connectivity through compensatory behaviour, despite congenital hand

Previously we showed, using task-evoked fMRI, that compensatory intact hand usage after amputation facilitates remapping of limb representations in the cortical territory of the missing hand (Makin et al., 2013a). Here we show that compensatory arm usage in individuals born without a hand (one-handers) reflects functional connectivity of spontaneous brain activity in the cortical hand region. Compared with two-handed controls, one-handers showed reduced symmetry of hand region inter-hemispheric resting-state functional connectivity and corticospinal white matter microstructure. Nevertheless, those one-handers who more frequently use their residual (handless) arm for typically bimanual daily tasks also showed more symmetrical functional connectivity of the hand region, demonstrating that adaptive behaviour drives long-range brain organisation. We therefore suggest that compensatory arm usage maintains symmetrical sensorimotor functional connectivity in one-handers. Since variability in spontaneous functional connectivity in our study reflects ecological behaviour, we propose that inter-hemispheric symmetry, typically observed in resting sensorimotor networks, depends on coordinated motor behaviour in daily life. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.04605. 001
Title: International application of standards for health care quality, access and evaluation of services for early intervention in psychotic disorders. Authors:

Aim: Standards for health care quality, access and evaluation of early intervention in psychosis services are required to assess implementation, provide accountability to service users and funders and support quality assurance. The aim of this paper is to review the application of standards in Europe and North America. Methods: Descriptive methods will be used to illustrate the organizational context in which standards are being applied and used, specific measures being applied and results so far. Results: Both fidelity scales and quality indicators of health care are being used. Fidelity scales are being applied in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy and United States. In England, Quality Indicators derived from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance are being used. Conclusion:In the last four years, significant progress has been made in the development and application of measures that assess quality and access to evidence-based practices for early intervention in psychosis services. This represents an important step towards providing accountability, improving outcomes and service user experience. The methods used allow for comparison between the services that are assessed with the same methods, but there is a need to compare the different methods. Further research is also required to explore links between quality of care and outcomes for community mental health services that deliver early intervention in psychotic disorders.