Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Illusion of Multitasking and Its Positive Effect on The Illusion of Multitasking and Its Positive Effect on Performance Performance

Abstract Multitasking is pervasive. With technological advancements, the desire, ability, and often necessity to engage in multiple activities concurrently are paramount. Although multitasking refers to the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks, most activities that require active attention cannot actually be done simultaneously. Therefore, whether a certain activity is considered multitasking is often a matter of subjective perception. The current paper demonstrates the malleability of what people perceive as multitasking, showing that the same activity may or may not be construed as multitasking. Importantly, although engaging in multiple tasks may diminish performance, we find that, holding the activity constant, the mere perception of multitasking actually improves performance. Across 23 incentive-compatible studies, totaling 6,768 participants, we find that those who perceived an activity as multitasking were more engaged, and consequently outperformed those who perceived that same activity as single-tasking. Abstract Multitasking is pervasive. With technological advancements, the desire, ability, and often necessity to engage in multiple activities concurrently are paramount. Although multitasking refers to the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks, most activities that require active attention cannot actually be done simultaneously. Therefore, whether a certain activity is considered multitasking is often a matter of subjective perception. The current paper demonstrates the malleability of what people perceive as multitasking, showing that the same activity may or may not be construed as multitasking. Importantly, although engaging in multiple tasks may diminish performance, we find that, holding the activity constant, the mere perception of multitasking actually improves performance. Across 23 incentive-compatible studies, totaling 6,768 participants, we find that those who perceived an activity as multitasking were more engaged, and consequently outperformed those who perceived that same activity as single-tasking.
Exploring Sentiment and Care Management of Hospitalized Patients During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic Using Electronic Nursing Health Records: Descriptive Study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the usual working of many hospitalization units (or wards). Few studies have used electronic nursing clinical notes (ENCN) and their unstructured text to identify alterations in patients' feelings and therapeutic procedures of interest. Objective This study aimed to analyze positive or negative sentiments through inspection of the free text of the ENCN, compare sentiments of ENCN with or without hospitalized patients with COVID-19, carry out temporal analysis of the sentiments of the patients during the start of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and identify the topics in ENCN. Methods This is a descriptive study with analysis of the text content of ENCN. All ENCNs between January and June 2020 at Guadarrama Hospital (Madrid, Spain) extracted from the CGM Selene Electronic Health Records System were included. Two groups of ENCNs were analyzed: one from hospitalized patients in post–intensive care units for COVID-19 and a second group from hospitalized patients without COVID-19. A sentiment analysis was performed on the lemmatized text, using the National Research Council of Canada, Affin, and Bing dictionaries. A polarity analysis of the sentences was performed using the Bing dictionary, SO Dictionaries V1.11, and Spa dictionary as amplifiers and decrementators. Machine learning techniques were applied to evaluate the presence of significant differences in the ENCN in groups of patients with and those without COVID-19. Finally, a structural analysis of thematic models was performed to study the abstract topics that occur in the ENCN, using Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling. Results A total of 37,564 electronic health records were analyzed. Sentiment analysis in ENCN showed that patients with subacute COVID-19 have a higher proportion of positive sentiments than those without COVID-19. Also, there are significant differences in polarity between both groups (Z=5.532, P<.001) with a polarity of 0.108 (SD 0.299) in patients with COVID-19 versus that of 0.09 (SD 0.301) in those without COVID-19. Machine learning modeling reported that despite all models presenting high values, it is the neural network that presents the best indicators (>0.8) and with significant P values between both groups. Through Structural Topic Modeling analysis, the final model containing 10 topics was selected. High correlations were noted among topics 2, 5, and 8 (pressure ulcer and pharmacotherapy treatment), topics 1, 4, 7, and 9 (incidences related to fever and well-being state, and baseline oxygen saturation) and topics 3 and 10 (blood glucose level and pain). Conclusions The ENCN may help in the development and implementation of more effective programs, which allows patients with COVID-19 to adopt to their prepandemic lifestyle faster. Topic modeling could help identify specific clinical problems in patients and better target the care they receive.
Engineered assistive materials for 3D bioprinting: support baths and sacrificial inks

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a promising technique for spatially patterning cells and materials into constructs that mimic native tissues and organs. However, a trade-off exists between printability and biological function, where weak materials are typically more suited for 3D cell culture but exhibit poor shape fidelity when printed in air. Recently, a new class of assistive materials has emerged to overcome this limitation and enable fabrication of more complex, biologically relevant geometries, even when using soft materials as bioinks. These materials include support baths, which bioinks are printed into, and sacrificial inks, which are printed themselves and then later removed. Support baths are commonly yield-stress materials that provide physical confinement during the printing process to improve resolution and shape fidelity. Sacrificial inks have primarily been used to create void spaces and pattern perfusable networks, but they can also be combined directly with the bioink to change its mechanical properties for improved printability or increased porosity. Here, we outline the advantages of using such assistive materials in 3D bioprinting, define their material property requirements, and offer case study examples of how these materials are used in practice. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges and future opportunities in the development of assistive materials that will propel the bioprinting field forward toward creating full-scale, biomimetic tissues and organs.
Small area variations in low birth weight and small size of births in India

Abstract The states and districts are the primary focal points for policy formulation and programme intervention in India. The within‐districts variation of key health indicators is not well understood and consequently underemphasised. This study aims to partition geographic variation in low birthweight (LBW) and small birth size (SBS) in India and geovisualize the distribution of small area estimates. Applying a four‐level logistic regression model to the latest round of the National Family Health Survey (2015–2016) covering 640 districts within 36 states and union territories of India, the variance partitioning coefficient and precision‐weighted prevalence of LBW (<2.5 kg) and SBS (mother's self‐report) were estimated. For each outcome, the spatial distribution by districts of mean prevalence and small area variation (as measured by standard deviation) and the correlation between them were computed. Of the total valid sample, 17.6% (out of 193,345 children) had LBW and 12.4% (out of 253,213 children) had SBS. The small areas contributed the highest share of total geographic variance in LBW (52%) and SBS (78%). The variance of LBW attributed to small areas was unevenly distributed across the regions of India. While a strong correlation between district‐wide percent and within‐district standard deviation was identified in both LBW (r = 0.88) and SBS (r = 0.87), they were not necessarily concentrated in the aspirational districts. We find the necessity of precise policy attention specifically to the small areas in the districts of India with a high prevalence of LBW and SBS in programme formulation and intervention that may be beneficial to improve childbirth outcomes.
Child stunting starts in utero: Growth trajectories and determinants in Ugandan infants

Abstract Childhood stunting remains a public health burden worldwide. Although many studies have examined early life and in‐utero risk factors; most have been observational and have used analytic techniques that make inferences limited to population means, thereby obscuring important within‐group variations. This study addressed that important gap. Using data from a birth cohort of Ugandan infants (n = 4528), we applied group‐based trajectory modelling to assess diverse patterns of growth among children from birth to 1‐year old. A multinomial regression model was conducted to understand the relationship between risk factors and observed patterns across groups. We found that the onset of stunting occurred before birth and followed four distinct growth patterns: chronically stunted (Group 1), recovery (Group 2), borderline stunted (Group 3) and normal (Group 4). The average length‐for‐age z‐score (LAZ) at birth was −2.6, −3.9, −0.6 and 0.5 for Groups 1–4, respectively. Although both Groups 1 and 2 were stunted at birth, stunting persisted in Group 1 while children in Group 2 recovered by the fourth month. Group 3 exhibited mild stunting while Group 4 was normal. Wasting and underweight were observed in all groups, with the highest prevalence of underweight in Group 1. Wasting gradually increased among children born already stunted (Groups 1 and 2). This showed the importance of distinguishing children by their growth patterns rather than aggregating them and only comparing population averages against global growth standards. The design of nutrition interventions should consider the differential factors and potential for growth gains relative to different risks within each group.
Manufacturing integrated MEMS switching devices using electrodeposited NiFe

The development of magnetic technologies employing microfabricated magnetic structures for the production of integrated electronic components is a driving topic in the electronic industry. Despite the large amount of work reported in the literature towards the production of magnetic devices that can be integrated into conventional silicon technology, the published research has only achieved moderate success. The research presented in this thesis was conducted with the aim to progress towards the production of a magnetic MEMS relay based on electrodeposited NiFe that combines magnetic and electrostatic actuation and that can be integrated in a standard IC processing chain. This work includes a comprehensive design study for the proposed MEMS device and presents the development of the manufacturing processes required for its fabrication. As the theoretical performance of the device is found to be crucially reliant on the mechanical and magnetic properties of the microformed structures, a series of novel test methodologies has been devised and implemented with the aim of acquiring knowledge on the behaviour of the NiFe films. Novel mechanical test routines employing microfabricated test structures are presented and applied to build a systematic and robust system for the characterisation of the electrodeposited films. The quantitative mapping of residual stress at the wafer level using microfabricated test structures has been demonstrated for the first time and applied to optimise processes and tools. A complete fabrication process flow for manufacturing the designed magnetic MEMS switch has been proposed and the fabrication of the actuated section of the switch has been demonstrated, comprising all the functional electric and magnetic components. The fabricated magnetic devices have been tested to monitor their response to an external magnetic force and prove their viability for use in MEMS actuators. Additional work was finally conducted towards the development of a reliable and robust process aimed at increasing the device yield and thus facilitating the eventual commercialisation of magnetic MEMS switches.
SERS and Fluorescence-Active Multimodal Tessellated Scaffolds for Three-Dimensional Bioimaging

With the ever-increasing use of 3D cell models toward studying bio-nano interactions and offering alternatives to traditional 2D in vitro and in vivo experiments, methods to image biological tissue in real time and with high spatial resolution have become a must. A suitable technique therefore is surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based microscopy, which additionally features reduced photocytotoxicity and improved light penetration. However, optimization of imaging and postprocessing parameters is still required. Herein we present a method to monitor cell proliferation over time in 3D, using multifunctional 3D-printed scaffolds composed of biologically inert poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as the base material, in which fluorescent labels and SERS-active gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be embedded. The combination of imaging techniques allows optimization of SERS imaging parameters for cell monitoring. The scaffolds provide anchoring points for cell adhesion, so that cell growth can be observed in a suspended 3D matrix, with multiple reference points for confocal fluorescence and SERS imaging. By prelabeling cells with SERS-encoded AuNPs and fluorophores, cell proliferation and migration can be simultaneously monitored through confocal Raman and fluorescence microscopy. These scaffolds provide a simple method to follow cell dynamics in 4D, with minimal disturbance to the tissue model.
Safety & effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines: A narrative review

There are currently eight vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that have received Emergency Use Authorization by the WHO that can offer some protection to the world's population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though research is being published all over the world, public health officials, policymakers and governments are collecting evidence-based information to establish the public health policies. Unfortunately, continued international travel, violations of lockdowns and social distancing, the lack of mask use, the emergence of mutant strains of the virus and lower adherence by a sector of the global population that remains sceptical of the protection offered by vaccines, or about any risks associated with vaccines, hamper these efforts. Here we examine the literature on the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, with an emphasis on select categories of individuals and against new SARS-CoV-2 strains. The literature shows that these eight vaccines are highly effective in protecting the population from severe disease and death, but there are some issues concerning safety and adverse effects. Further, booster shots and variant-specific vaccines would also be required.
Can evolutionary history predict plant plastic responses to climate change?

Plant plastic responses are critical to the adaptation and survival of species under climate change, but whether they are constrained by evolutionary history (phylogeny) is largely unclear. Plant leaf traits are key in determining plants' performance in different environments, and if these traits and their variation are phylogenetically dependent, predictions could be made to identify species vulnerable to climate change. We compiled data on three leaf traits (photosynthetic rate, specific leaf area, and leaf nitrogen content) of 434 species and their variation under four environmental change scenarios (warming, drought, elevated CO2 , or nitrogen addition) from 210 manipulation experiments. We found phylogenetic signal in the three traits but not in their variation under the four scenarios. This indicates that closely related species show similar traits but that their plastic responses could not be predicted from species relatedness under environmental change. Meanwhile, phylogeny weakened but did not change directions of conventional pairwise trait relationships, suggesting the co-evolved leaf trait pairs have consistent responses across contrasting environmental conditions. Phylogeny can identify lineages rich in species showing similar traits and predict their relationships under climate change, but the degree of plant phenotypic variation does not vary consistently across evolutionary clades.
Movement Disorders and Mortality in Severely Mentally Ill Patients: The Curacao Extrapyramidal Syndromes Study XIV.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS There is a substantial gap in life expectancy between patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and the general population and it is important to understand which factors contribute to this difference. Research suggests an association between tardive dyskinesia (TD) and mortality; however, results are inconclusive. In addition, studies investigating associations between parkinsonism or akathisia and mortality are rare. We hypothesized that TD would be a risk factor for mortality in patients with SMI. STUDY DESIGN We studied a cohort of 157 patients diagnosed predominantly with schizophrenia on the former Netherlands Antilles. TD, parkinsonism, and akathisia were assessed with rating scales on eight occasions over a period of 18 years. Twenty-four years after baseline, survival status and if applicable date of death were determined. Associations between movement disorders and survival were analyzed using Cox regression. Sex, age, antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines at each measurement occasion were tested as covariates. STUDY RESULTS Parkinsonism was a significant risk factor with an HR of 1.02 per point on the motor subscale of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (range 0-56). TD and akathisia were not significantly associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS Parkinsonism may be an important risk factor for mortality in SMI patients. This finding calls for more follow-up and intervention studies to confirm this finding and to explore whether treatment or prevention of parkinsonism can reduce excess mortality.
Biallelic variants in CENPF causing a phenotype distinct from Strømme syndrome

Biallelic loss‐of‐function (LoF) variants in CENPF gene are responsible for Strømme syndrome, a condition presenting with intestinal atresia, anterior ocular chamber anomalies, and microcephaly. Through an international collaboration, four individuals (three males and one female) carrying CENPF biallelic variants, including two missense variants in homozygous state and four LoF variants, were identified by exome sequencing. All individuals had variable degree of developmental delay/intellectual disability and microcephaly (ranging from −2.9 SDS to −5.6 SDS) and a recognizable pattern of dysmorphic facial features including inverted‐V shaped interrupted eyebrows, epicanthal fold, depressed nasal bridge, and pointed chin. Although one of the cases had duodenal atresia, all four individuals did not have the combination of internal organ malformations of Strømme syndrome (intestinal atresia and anterior eye segment abnormalities). Immunofluorescence analysis on skin fibroblasts on one of the four cases with the antibody for ARL13B that decorates primary cilia revealed shorter primary cilia that are consistent with a ciliary defect. This case‐series of individuals with biallelic CENPF variants suggests the spectrum of clinical manifestations of the disorder that may be related to CENPF variants is broad and can include phenotypes lacking the cardinal features of Strømme syndrome.
The Potential Impact of Food Insecurity in an Urban Trauma Population

Background Food insecurity (FI) has been defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for a healthy active lifestyle. As of 12.7% of the United States are suffering from FI, which has been correlated with increased hospital costs and poorer health outcomes. Currently, limited data exists examining the relationship between trauma populations and FI despite both having similar root causes. We sought to determine this and validate a screening tool for FI in this population. Methods A cross-sectional survey study of trauma patients was conducted at a level 1 trauma center in Atlanta, Georgia. Survey questions included the first two items of the Core Food Security Module. Zip codes were used to determine FI, defined by the USDA Food Access Research and compared to individual participant survey responses. Binary classification test metrics were calculated to validate the two items as a screening tool in this population. Results The cohort included 136 patients, of which the majority were black (60.3%) and male (60.3%). Thirty-one respondents affirmed food security (22.8%) despite over half (51.5%) living in a food insecure community. The sensitivity and specificity for this screening to predict FI were 25 and 80%, respectively. Conclusion Although the specificity is high, this screening tool has a low sensitivity, accuracy, NPV, and PPV to determine food insecurity in this population. Community-level statistics suggests that food insecurity is a significant public problem amongst trauma patients. Prevention efforts should, therefore, aim to address both issues simultaneously.
Human synovial fluid interleukin‐6, but not type II collagen breakdown, positively correlated with pain after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury initiates a biochemical cascade thought to contribute to the onset and progression of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Interleukin‐1ß (IL‐1ß), IL‐6, and C‐telopeptide fragments of type II collagen (CTX‐II) are implicated in joint inflammation and cartilage degradation following ACL injury; however, their association with pain is still being explored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between synovial fluid concentrations of IL‐1ß, IL‐6, and CTX‐II with pain following ACL injury and reconstruction. We hypothesized that greater IL‐1ß, IL‐6, and CTX‐II would correlate with greater Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores. This was a secondary analysis of 23 patients (mean age = 18.4 years, BMI = 27.4, 13 females/10 males) with acute ACL tears who participated in a pilot randomized trial. Synovial fluid and VAS scores were collected on the day of initial presentation, at ACL reconstruction, and 1 and 4 weeks after surgery. Synovial fluid concentrations of IL‐1ß, IL‐6, and CTX‐II were assessed using enzyme‐linked immunoabsorbent assays, and repeated measures correlations were used to assess the relationships between pain and synovial IL‐1ß, IL‐6, or CTX‐II after ACL injury and reconstruction. Pain was positively correlated with synovial fluid IL‐6 concentrations (r = 0.52, p < 0.001); however, pain was inversely correlated with CTX‐II (r = −0.39, p = 0.002). IL‐1ß had no significant correlation with pain. Statement of clinical relevance: PTOA has been described as a “silent killer” and these results suggest that early PTOA may have pro‐inflammatory pathways that are not primarily associated with pain but still lead to progressive cartilage loss.