Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local patterns of social capital and sustenance of the Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) policy: a qualitative comparative study in Ghana

Objective Social capital—the resources embedded in social relationships—has been associated with health severally. Notwithstanding, only a handful of studies have empirically examined how it shapes health policies. This paper extends the discourse by comparatively examining how variations in local patterns of structural and cognitive social capital underpin the successes and challenges in managing and sustaining the Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) policy in Ghana. The CHPS is an intervention to address health inequalities. Design Qualitative study involving individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis approach, inspired by McConnell’s typology of policy success (or failure) was adopted. Setting Two rural communities in two districts in Ashanti region in Ghana. Participants Thirty-two primary participants as well as four health personnel and four traditional and political leaders. Results Both structural and cognitive components of social capital underpinned efficient functioning of the CHPS initiative regarding funding, patronage and effective information transmission. Sufficient level of social capital in a community enhanced understanding of the nature and purpose of the CHPS policy as well as complementary ones such as the referral policy. Contrary to popular conclusions, it was discovered that the influence of social capital was not necessarily embedded in its quantity but the extent of conscious activation and application. Furthermore, the findings contravened the assertion that social capital may be less potent in small-sized communities. However, elevated levels of cognitive social capital encouraged people to access the CHPS on credit or even for free, which was injurious to its sustenance. Conclusion The CHPS initiative, and pro-poor policies alike, are more likely to thrive in localities with sufficient structural and cognitive social capital. Lack of it may render the CHPS susceptible to recurrent, yet preventable challenges.
Nanostructured, ultrathin silver-based transparent electrode with broadband near-infrared plasmonic resonance

A nanostructured transparent electrode with high average visible transmittance of 76%, low sheet resistance of 7.0 Ω/sq and steep transmittance drop in the near-infrared (NIR) range is investigated by simulations and experiments. The electrode is composed of a nanostructured substrate, on which a trilayer, consisting of an ultrathin 14 nm thick silver film embedded between thin films of TiO2 and Al-doped ZnO, is deposited. Directional silver deposition results in the formation of a disk-hole array without additional lift-off or etching steps. While the trilayer approach enables increased visible transmittance, the transmittance in the NIR regime is decreased by a broadband plasmonic dipole excitation in the disk-hole array. Moreover, a rich mode spectrum of weaker multipole surface plasmon excitations is observed in the nanodisk- and nanohole array. The presented electrode holds great potential for applications in optoelectronic devices, solar control coatings and solar cells.
Sociodemographic, Lifestyle, Environmental and Pregnancy-Related Determinants of Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy

Background: Characterization of dietary patterns represents a valid and meaningful measure of overall diet quality and nutrient intake. The study aims at evaluating the sociodemographic, lifestyle, environmental, and pregnancy-related determinants of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy. Methods: The analysis was conducted on a group of pregnant women from the Polish Mother and Child Cohort (REPRO_PL). During the second trimester of pregnancy, 1306 women filled in a modified version of the validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary patterns were estimated using an exploratory factor analysis. Potential dietary determinants were assessed via a questionnaire or biomarker measurements (saliva cotinine level). Results: Two dietary patterns were identified. The Prudent dietary pattern was characterized by high consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, poultry, and low-fat dairy products, while the Western dietary pattern included high intake of refined grains, processed meat, potatoes, and very low intake of whole grains. Clear sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle, and pregnancy-related determinants of diet quality were established. Older age (β = 0.2; p < 0.01), higher educational level (β = 0.3; p < 0.01), and socioeconomic status (SES) (β = 0.2; p < 0.01), overweight/obesity before (β = 0.3; p < 0.01), as well as physical activity during pregnancy (β = 0.2; p = 0.01) were positive determinants of a healthier diet (increasing Prudent–Western difference in dietary pattern scores). On the other hand, parity (β = −0.2; p = 0.04) and living in small cities (β = −0.3; p = 0.02) were significantly related to a rather Western dietary pattern. Conclusions: The current study presents evidence on specific factors influencing dietary patterns. They need to be accounted for in educational programs and interventions focused on healthy diet recommendations during pregnancy.
Dynamic voltage scaling on a low-power microprocessor

Power consumption is the limiting factor for the functionality of future wearable devices. Since interactive applications like wireless information access generate bursts of activities, it is important to match the performance of the wearable device accordingly. This paper describes a system with a microprocessor whose speed can be varied (frequency scaling) as well as its supply voltage. Voltage scaling is important for reducing power consumption to very low values when operating at low speeds. Measurements show that the energy per instruction at minimal speed is 1/5 of the energy required at full speed. The frequency and voltage can be scaled dynamically from user space in only 140 μs. This allows power-aware applications to quickly adjust the performance level of the processor whenever the workload changes. Experiments with an H.263 video benchmark show that the power-aware decoder outperforms a static fixed-frequency policy as well as a dynamic interval-based scheduler.
Noninvasive Ventilation: Education and Training. A Narrative Analysis and an International Consensus Document.

BACKGROUND Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is an increasingly used method of respiratory support. The use of the NIV is expanding over the time and if properly used, it can save patients life and improve long-term prognosis. However, both knowledge and skills for its proper use as a life-support are paramount. This systematic review aimed to assess the importance of NIV education and training. METHOD Literature search was conducted (MEDLINE: 1990 to 2018 June) to identify randomized controlled studies and systematic reviews with the results analyzed by a team of experts across the world through e-mail based communications. RESULTS Clinical trials examining the impact of education and training of the NIV as the primary objective was not found. A few studies with indirect evidence, a simulation-based training study, and narrative reviews were identified. Currently organized training in NIV is implemented only in a few developed countries. Due to a lack of high-grade experimental evidence, an international consensus on NIV education and training based on opinions from 58 experts across the twenty different countries of the world was formulated. CONCLUSION Education and training have the potential to increase knowledge and skills of the clinical staff who deliver medical care using NIV. There is a genuine need to develop structured, organized, NIV education and training programs, especially for the developing countries.
A field study on the efficacy of ivermectin via subcutaneous route against chewing lice (Bovicola caprae) infestation in naturally infested goats

Caprine pediculosis is an ectoparasitic disease of great concern among goat farmers in India. It may be caused by either sucking lice or chewing lice; the latter one results in severe skin lesions, leading to production loss. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the macrocytic lactone drug, ivermectin, administered via subcutaneous injection, against chewing lice Bovicola (Damalinia) caprae infestation in naturally infested goats. The study was conducted on 20 goats with severe B. caprae infestation. Animals of group A (n = 10) were treated using a single dose of ivermectin (200 µg/kg body weight) subcutaneously and animals of group B (n = 10) underwent placebo therapy using normal saline. The animals were examined on days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42 and 56 for lice counts. There was 100% elimination of lice in all animals of group A and effective protection from re-infection remained at least for 21 days. Considerable improvement in haematological parameters was also observed by day 21. Based on this study, ivermectin injected via a subcutaneous route can be used effectively for the therapeutic and prophylactic management of chewing lice infestation in goats maintained under an extensive grazing system.
Focusing on what matters: Modulation of the human hippocampus by relational attention

Hippocampal episodic memory is fundamentally relational, consisting of links between events and the spatial and temporal contexts in which they occurred. Such relations are also important over much shorter time periods, during online visual perception. For example, how do we assess the relative spatial positions of objects, their temporal order, or the relationship between their features? Here, we investigate the role of the hippocampus in such online relational processing by manipulating visual attention to different kinds of relations in a dynamic display. While undergoing high-resolution fMRI, participants viewed two images in rapid succession on each trial and performed one of three relational tasks, judging the images’ relative: spatial positions, temporal onsets, or sizes. As a control, they sometimes also judged whether one image was tilted, irrespective of the other; this served as a baseline item task with no demands on relational processing. All hippocampal regions of interest (CA1, CA2/3/DG, subiculum) showed reliable deactivation when participants attended to relational vs. item information. Attention to temporal relations was associated with more robust deactivation than the other conditions. One possible interpretation of such deactivation is that it reflects hippocampal disengagement. If true, there should be reduced information content and noisier, less reliable patterns of activity in the hippocampus for the temporal vs. other tasks. Instead, analyses of multivariate activity patterns revealed more stable hippocampal representations in the temporal task. Additional analyses showed that this increased pattern similarity was not simply a reflection of the lower univariate activity. Thus, the hippocampus differentiates between relational and item processing even during online visual perception, and its representations of temporal relations in particular are robust and stable. Together, these findings suggest that the relational computations of the hippocampus, known to be important for memory, extend beyond this purpose, enabling the rapid online extraction of relational information in visual perception.
Deep Learning for Sensor-Based Rehabilitation Exercise Recognition and Evaluation†

In this paper, a multipath convolutional neural network (MP-CNN) is proposed for rehabilitation exercise recognition using sensor data. It consists of two novel components: a dynamic convolutional neural network (D-CNN) and a state transition probability CNN (S-CNN). In the D-CNN, Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) are exploited to capture the distribution of sensor data for the body movements of the physical rehabilitation exercises. Then, the input signals and the GMMs are screened into different segments. These form multiple paths in the CNN. The S-CNN uses a modified Lempel–Ziv–Welch (LZW) algorithm to extract the transition probabilities of hidden states as discriminate features of different movements. Then, the D-CNN and the S-CNN are combined to build the MP-CNN. To evaluate the rehabilitation exercise, a special evaluation matrix is proposed along with the deep learning classifier to learn the general feature representation for each class of rehabilitation exercise at different levels. Then, for any rehabilitation exercise, it can be classified by the deep learning model and compared to the learned best features. The distance to the best feature is used as the score for the evaluation. We demonstrate our method with our collected dataset and several activity recognition datasets. The classification results are superior when compared to those obtained using other deep learning models, and the evaluation scores are effective for practical applications.
Early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery by the Dutch leakage score, serum procalcitonin and serum C-reactive protein: study protocol of a prospective multicentre observational study by the Italian ColoRectal Anastomotic Leakage (iC.

BACKGROUND Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a dreaded major complication after colorectal surgery. There is no uniform definition of anastomotic dehiscence and leak. Over the years many risk factors have been identified (distance of anastomosis from anal verge, gender, BMI, ASA score) but none of these allows an early diagnosis of AL. The DUtch LeaKage (DULK) score, C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) have been identified as early predictors for anastomotic leakage starting from postoperative day (POD) 2-3. The study was designed to prospectively evaluate AL rates after colorectal resections, in order to give a definite answer to the need for clear risk factors, and testing the diagnostic yeld of DULK score and of laboratory markers. Methods and analysis. A prospective enrollment for all patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery with anastomosis carried out from September 2017 to September 2018 in 19 Italian surgical centers. OUTCOME MEASURES preoperative risk factors of anastomotic leakage; operative parameters; leukocyte count, serum CRP, serum PCT and DULK score assessment on POD 2 and 3. Primary endpoint is AL; secondary endpoints are minor and major complications according to Clavien-Dindo classification; morbidity and mortality rates; readmission and reoperation rates, length of postoperative hospital stay (Retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03560180, on June 18, 2018). Ethics. The ethics committee of the "Comitato Etico Regionale delle Marche - C.E. R.M. " reviewed and approved this study protocol on September 7, 2017 (protocol no. 2017-0244-AS). All the participating centers submitted the protocol and obtained authorization from the local Institutional Review Board.
The Linkage Between Aging, Migration, and Resilience: Resilience in the Life of Older Turkish and Moroccan Immigrants

Abstract Objectives Older immigrants are affected by an accumulation of adversities related to migration and aging. This study investigates resilience in older immigrants by examining the resources they use to deal with these adversities in the course of their lives. Methods Data from 23 life-story interviews with Turkish and Moroccan immigrants aged 60–69 years living in the Netherlands. Results The circumstances under which individuals foster resilience coincide with four postmigration life stages: settling into the host society, maintaining settlement, restructuring life postretirement, and increasing dependency. Resources that promote resilience include education in the country of origin, dealing with language barriers, having two incomes, making life meaningful, strong social and community networks, and the ability to sustain a transnational lifestyle traveling back and forth to the country of origin. More resilient individuals invest in actively improving their life conditions and are good at accepting conditions that cannot be changed. Discussion The study illustrates a link between conditions across life stages, migration, and resilience. Resilient immigrants are better able to accumulate financial and social and other resources across life stages, whereas less resilient immigrants lose access to resources in different life stages.
Economic outcomes of sequences which include monoclonal antibodies against vascular endothelial growth factor and/or epidermal growth factor receptor for the treatment of unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer

Abstract Background: Patients with unresectable, metastatic colorectal cancer with wild type Kirsten ras mutational status are eligible for sequential treatments which include monoclonal antibodies as first line (1L), second line (2L), or third line (3L) regimens. Objective: To compare the economic outcomes of different sequences which include monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods: Individual drug regimens for 1L, 2L, and 3L treatments were compiled according to the clinical studies in the Summary of Product Characteristics for monoclonal antibodies. They were combined into plausible treatment sequences. Health outcomes were approximated using additive median PFS benefit, and economic outcomes were calculated with a treatment sequencing costing tool. Limitations of the analysis include the clinical trial data sources, cost assumptions, and the additive PFS approach. Results: Seventeen sequences were evaluated. Results of the analysis show that sequences including 1L anti-EGFRs generally have relatively low-to-medium health outcomes at the highest comparative sequence costs compared to sequences including 2L anti-EGFRs, which have lower health outcomes at the lowest cost. Sequences including 3L anti-EGFRs (sequential bevazicumab-based 1L and 2L) have the highest health outcomes, with potential cost savings of €5972–€11,676 if replacing 2L anti-EGFRs or an additional cost of €5909–€12,708 if replacing 1L anti-EGFR regimens. Conclusion: Clinical sequences consisting of 1L and 2L line bevacizumab followed by 3L anti-EGFR potentially yield the greatest health outcomes associated with a reasonable trade-off in additional cost when replacing 1L anti-EGFRs and are potentially cost-saving if replacing 2L anti-EGFRs, per patient per lifetime. To maximize health outcomes, optimal sequences include anti-EGFRs as 3L regimen, with an approximately equivalent trade-off in costs between the most costly (anti-EGFR 2L) and least costly (anti-EGFR 1L) sequences.
Improved adherence and growth outcomes with jet-delivered growth hormone

Abstract Background We previously reported improved persistence and adherence to daily recombinant growth hormone (rGH) in children using jet transjection delivery compared to using needle-based devices. This study examines the relationship between improved adherence and medium-term growth outcomes in children receiving jet-delivered rGH (JrGH) at a single centre. Methods This was a retrospective longitudinal follow-up study of children (<16 years) treated with daily JrGH (somatropin; Ferring Pharmaceuticals) in the form of Zomacton® with the Zomajet® device. Delivery schedules of home distribution services were utilised to calculate adherence, quantified as the proportion of days covered (PDC) index (PDC > 0.8 adherent, PDC ≤ 0.8 less adherent). Demography, patient history, height standard deviation scores (HTSDS) and difference from mid-parental height SDS (MPHSDS − HTSDS) were extracted from hospital records for up to 3 years of treatment. Results Of 75 patients eligible for JrGH, 52 had PDC treatment and height data for at least 1 year and 22 for 3 years. A greater proportion of patients were classified as adherent in both 1- and 3-year treated cohorts (adherent 30 [57.7%] and 14 [63.6%], less adherent 22 [42.3%] and 8 [36.4%]). After 1 year of JrGH treatment, HTSDS was not significantly different in either adherence group. After 3 years, only adherent patients demonstrated sustained year-on-year increments in HTSDS and significant improvement in target HTSDS positions (by 1.32 SDS) compared to baseline (p = 0.0008). MPHSDS – HTSDS showed a similar significant improvement at 3 years in adherent patients only (p = 0.0043). Conclusions Patients adherent to JrGH demonstrate significant growth improvement compared to baseline over 3 years.
Memorable Messages Parents of Children with Vascular Birthmarks Receive from Others: Implications for Stigma and Identity

ABSTRACT Parents of children with visible illnesses and physical differences, such as vascular birthmarks (VBs), often fear that their child will be stigmatized by others. Despite their use of various strategies to minimize this stigma, parents still frequently receive comments and questions from others about their child’s condition. In the current study, we explore the source, content, and valence of these messages using a memorable messages framework. We also examine how parents react to messages from others and why those messages are considered memorable. To collect data, we administered a cross-sectional online survey through the website and social media pages of a national support group for parents of children with vascular birthmarks. A total of 70 parents completed the survey and, altogether, recalled 92 memorable messages. Our analyses revealed that the significance of the memorable messages coalesced around identity. Specifically, the messages described carried implications for a) participants in terms of their identities as parents, and b) participants’ children in terms of their identities as stigmatized individuals. When messages were directed at parents, parents appraised them negatively or positively to the extent that they made parents feel judged or validated as parents of children with VBs. When messages were directed at children, parents appraised them negatively or positively to the extent that they labeled children and their VB as abnormal, unattractive, and undesirable, or accepted and complimented children as unique, special, and beautiful. The current research extends previous research exploring the role of memorable messages in negotiating identity.
Effects of Morinda citrifolia on Rheumatoid Arthritis in SKG Mice.

Morinda citrifolia L. , known as noni, originated from Indonesia exhibits various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory properties. However, the validity of noni fruit juice as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disorder, has not been confirmed yet. Therefore, the main purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of noni fruit juice (INFJ) made in Indonesia using SKG mice as an animal model of RA, which shows the resembling characteristics of human RA patients. Furthermore, the safety of INFJ was examined by repeated dose experiments in mice. INFJ was mixed with water at 50% and administered to SKG mice sensitized with mannan, free access for 4 weeks. Arthritis scores of fore- and hind-leg joints were measured and the joints were histopathologically examined. The sub-acute and sub-chronic toxicities of INFJ were evaluated using BALB/c mice. The arthritic scores were significantly lower from the 7 d after sensitization in the INFJ group than the control group. Histopathological examinations of the joints revealed inhibition of severity of RA. In both toxicity studies, INFJ did not show any toxicities. INFJ exhibited anti-arthritic activity in arthritic and histopathological examinations of the joints in SKG mice. Present study was the first report where noni juice may be effective against RA. The dose of noni juice showing efficacy against RA was confirmed safe from repeated dose studies in mice.