Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of Estimation Equations for Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass in Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Purpose This study aimed to establish equations for estimating muscle mass through anthropometric parameters or together with physical function parameters in the community-dwelling older adults, providing a simple way of muscle mass assessment. Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, a total of 1537 older adults were recruited from the community and accepted the measurements of height, weight, upper arm and calf circumferences, grip strength, and walking speed. Body composition including appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Participants were randomly divided into the development or validation group. Stepwise multiple linear regression was applied to develop equations in the development group. Thereafter, Pearson correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman plots, paired t-test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and paired-samples t-tests were used to assess the validity of the equations. Results All parameters were significantly correlated with ASM (r = 0.195~0.795, P < 0.001) except for the age in the validation group (P = 0.746). The most optimal anthropometric equation was: \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage[substack]{amsmath} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage[mathscr]{eucal} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \DeclareFontFamily{T1}{linotext}{} \DeclareFontShape{T1}{linotext}{m}{n} {linotext }{} \DeclareSymbolFont{linotext}{T1}{linotext}{m}{n} \DeclareSymbolFontAlphabet{\mathLINOTEXT}{linotext} \begin{document} ${\mathrm{ASM}} = - 5.142 - 4.346 \times {\mathrm{sex}}\left({{\mathrm{men}} = 1,{\mathrm{women}} = 2} \right)\,+ 0.136 \times {\mathrm{weight}}\left({{\mathrm{kg}}} \right) + 9.009 \times {\mathrm{height}}\left({\mathrm{m}} \right) + 0.283 \times {\mathrm{calf}}{\mathrm{circumference}}\left({{\mathrm{cm}}} \right) - 0.034 \times {\mathrm{age}}\left({{\mathrm{years}}} \right)$\end{document} [adjusted R2 = 0.911, standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 1.311, P < 0.001]. Comparatively speaking, this equation showed high correlation coefficient (r = 0.951, P < 0.001) and ICC (ICC = 0.950, P < 0.001). No significant differences were found between BIA-measured ASM and the estimated ASM. The Bland-Altman plot showed that the mean difference between the estimated ASM and BIA-measured ASM was 0 kg and the limits of agreement of ASM was −2.70~2.60 kg. Furthermore, inclusion of physical function did not significantly improve the adjusted R2 and SEE. Conclusion The anthropometric equation offers a practical alternative simple and dependable method for estimating ASM in community-dwelling older adults.
Development and evaluation of a tool to optimise inhaler selection prior to hospital discharge following an exacerbation of COPD

Introduction Rates of mortality and re-admission after a hospitalised exacerbation of COPD are high and resistant to change. COPD guidelines do not give practical advice about the optimal selection of inhaled drugs and device in this situation. We hypothesised that a failure to optimise inhaled drug and drug delivery prior to discharge from hospital after an exacerbation would be associated with a modifiable increased risk of re-admission and death. We designed a study to 1) develop a practical inhaler selection tool to use at the point of hospital discharge and 2) implement this tool to understand the potential impact on modifying inhaler prescriptions, clinical outcomes, acceptability to clinicians and patients, and the feasibility of delivering a definitive trial to demonstrate potential benefit. Methods We iteratively developed an inhaler selection tool for use prior to discharge following a hospitalised exacerbation of COPD using surveys with multiprofessional clinicians and a focus group of people living with COPD. We surveyed clinicians to understand their views on the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for death and re-admission following a hospitalised exacerbation of COPD. We conducted a mixed-methods implementation feasibility study using the tool at discharge, and collated 30- and 90-day follow-up data including death and re-admissions. Additionally, we observed the tool being used and interviewed clinicians and patients about use of the tool in this setting. Results We completed the design of an inhaler selection tool through two rounds of consultations with 94 multiprofessional clinicians, and a focus group of four expert patients. Regarding MCIDs, there was majority consensus for the following reductions from baseline being the MCID: 30-day readmissions 5–10%, 90-day readmissions 10–20%, 30-day mortality 5–10% and 90-day mortality 5–10%. 118 patients were assessed for eligibility and 26 had the tool applied. A change in inhaled medication was recommended in nine (35%) out of 26. Re-admission or death at 30 days was seen in 33% of the switch group and 35% of the no-switch group. Re-admission or death at 90 days was seen in 56% of the switch group and 41% of the no-switch group. Satisfaction with inhalers was generally high, and switching was associated with a small increase in the Feeling of Satisfaction with Inhaler questionnaire of 3 out of 50 points. Delivery of a definitive study would be challenging. Conclusion We completed a mixed-methods study to design and implement a tool to aid optimisation of inhaled pharmacotherapy prior to discharge following a hospitalised exacerbation of COPD. This was not associated with fewer re-admissions, but was well received and one-third of people were eligible for a change in inhalers.
A MaxEnt Model of Citrus Black Fly Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) under Different Climate Change Scenarios

The citrus blackfly (CBF), Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, is an exotic pest native to Southeast Asia that has spread rapidly to the world’s main centers of citrus production, having been recently introduced to Brazil. In this study, a maximum entropy niche model (MaxEnt) was used to predict the potential worldwide distribution of CBF under current and future climate change scenarios for 2030 and 2050. These future scenarios came from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), SSP1-2.6, and SSP5-8.5. The MaxEnt model predicted the potential distribution of CBF with area under receiver operator curve (AUC) values of 0.953 and 0.930 in the initial and final models, respectively. The average temperature of the coldest quarter months, precipitation of the rainiest month, isothermality, and precipitation of the driest month were the strongest predictors of CBF distribution, with contributions of 36.7%, 14.7%, 13.2%, and 10.2%, respectively. The model based on the current time conditions predicted that suitable areas for the potential occurrence of CBF, including countries such as Brazil, China, the European Union, the USA, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco, are located in tropical and subtropical regions. Models from SSP1-2.6 (2030 and 2050) and SSP5-8.5 (2030) predicted that suitable habitats for CBF are increasing dramatically worldwide under future climate change scenarios, particularly in areas located in the southern US, southern Europe, North Africa, South China, and part of Australia. On the other hand, the SSP5-8.5 model of 2050 indicated a great retraction of the areas suitable for CBF located in the tropical region, with an emphasis on countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and India. In general, the CMIP6 models predicted greater risks of invasion and dissemination of CBF until 2030 and 2050 in the southern regions of the USA, European Union, and China, which are some of the world’s largest orange producers. Knowledge of the current situation and future propagation paths of the pest serve as tools to improve the strategic government policies employed in CBF’s regulation, commercialization, inspection, combat, and phytosanitary management.
23. PERMEABILITIES OF SEDIMENTS FROM WOODLARK BASIN: IMPLICATIONS FOR PORE PRESSURES

Woodlark Basin, an area of continental extension, is an ideal location to study the evolution of permeability and the development of overpressures within an active rift basin. In this investigation, we measured sediment permeabilities of cores from Woodlark Basin and used numerical modeling to determine if pore fluid overpressures are likely at the base of the rift basin. Constant-rate flow tests were conducted on cores from Site 1108, located in the rift basin, and Sites 1115 and 1118, located on the northern margin of the basin. Results of the laboratory tests indicated permeabilities that range from 1.5 × 10–18 to 1 × 10–16 m2. Results of the numerical modeling of Site 1108 suggest that overpressures due to sedimentation are unlikely.
A Metaheuristic Adaptive Cubature Based Algorithm to Find Bayesian Optimal Designs for Nonlinear Models

Abstract Finding Bayesian optimal designs for nonlinear models is a difficult task because the optimality criterion typically requires us to evaluate complex integrals before we perform a constrained optimization. We propose a hybridized method where we combine an adaptive multidimensional integration algorithm and a metaheuristic algorithm called imperialist competitive algorithm to find Bayesian optimal designs. We apply our numerical method to a few challenging design problems to demonstrate its efficiency. They include finding D-optimal designs for an item response model commonly used in education, Bayesian optimal designs for survival models, and Bayesian optimal designs for a four-parameter sigmoid Emax dose response model. Supplementary materials for this article are available online and they contain an R package for implementing the proposed algorithm and codes for reproducing all the results in this article.
Understanding Communication Barriers: Demographic Variables and Language Needs in the Interaction between English-Speaking Animal Professionals and Spanish-Speaking Animal Caretakers

Simple Summary This study aimed to understand the language challenges faced by English-speaking animal professionals when communicating with Hispanic/Spanish-speaking animal caretakers. A survey was conducted among bilingual and non-Spanish-speaking professionals, revealing that non-Spanish-speaking individuals struggled with both written and oral communication compared to bilingual counterparts. Female professionals exhibited differences in their responses, particularly regarding the importance of certain aspects of the Spanish language while interacting with Hispanic caretakers. These findings highlight communication gaps that need to be addressed to improve interactions with on-farm Hispanic/Spanish-speaking animal caretakers and consequently contribute to enhancing animal health, welfare, and production. Abstract This study focused on assessing the language needs of English-speaking animal professionals in their interactions with Hispanic/Spanish-speaking animal caretakers. A survey was administered to a target audience of non-Spanish speaking and bilingual animal professionals to identify communication gaps while interacting with Hispanic/Spanish-speaking animal caretakers. The data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics, including ordinal regression analyses to examine the impact of demographic variables on respondents’ answer choices. The results showed that English-speaking professionals struggled with written and oral communication, which differed compared to bilingual professionals (p < 0.05). Additionally, responses of female professionals varied regarding the aspects of Spanish necessary for interacting with Hispanic/Spanish-speaking animal caretakers, as well as the topics likely to be addressed when agriculture professionals communicate with animal caretakers (p < 0.05). Communication difficulties in the oral medium for both oral receptive skills (listening) and oral productive skills (speaking) were reported as the major barriers that animal professionals need to overcome in their attempt to communicate with the Hispanic/Spanish-speaking workforce in farm settings. This emphasizes the need to address oral communication barriers, and to a lesser degree, the development of reading and writing skills. The topics: typical clinical signs of illness, euthanasia, treatment—drugs, and identification of sick or injured animals were identified as the most likely to be addressed during on-farm interactions. These findings indicate that there are gaps in communication that need to be overcome to improve communication with on-farm Hispanic/Spanish-speaking animal caretakers and consequently contribute to enhancing animal health, welfare, and production.
Emotion Recognition from Facial Expressions using Deep Recurrent Attention Network

Facial expressions serve as a powerful nonverbal communication tool. They convey emotions effectively without the need for verbal expressions. Extensive research endeavors have been dedicated to this field, primarily focusing on employing Neural Networks (NNs) for feature extraction and inference. However, these studies exhibit substantial variation concerning NN architectures and other contributing factors. Hence, this paper introduces a Deep Convolutional Recurrent Attention Network (DCRAN) model architecture with notable performance improvement for Facial Emotion Recognition (FER). The proposed DCRAN model's effectiveness is demonstrated through validation using the well-known FER2013 dataset, achieving a test accuracy of 81.1%.
Combination of early rhythm control and healthy lifestyle on the risk of stroke in elderly patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation: a nationwide population-based cohort study

Background The impact of early rhythm control (ERC) combined with healthy lifestyle (HLS) on the risk of ischemic stroke in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unaddressed. Objective To evaluate the impact of combined ERC and HLS on the risk of stroke in elderly patients with new-onset AF. Methods Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we included patients aged ≥75 years with new-onset AF from January 2009 to December 2016 (n = 41,315). Patients who received rhythm control therapy within 2 years of AF diagnosis were defined as the ERC group. Non-smoking, non-to-mild alcohol consumption (<105 g/week), and regular exercise were defined as HLS. Subjects were categorized into four groups: group 1 (without ERC and HLS, n = 25,093), 2 (HLS alone, n = 8,351), 3 (ERC alone, n = 5,565), and 4 (both ERC and HLS, n = 2,306). We assessed the incidence of ischemic stroke as the primary outcome, along with admissions for heart failure, all-cause death, and the composite of ischemic stroke, admission for heart failure, and all-cause death. Results Median follow-up duration of the study cohort was 3.4 years. After adjusting for multiple variables, groups 2 and 3 were associated with a lower stroke risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.867, 0.794–0.948 and 0.713, 0.637–0.798, respectively) than that of group 1. Compared to Group 1, group 4 showed the lowest stroke risk (aHR: 0.694, 95% CI: 0.586–0.822) among all groups, followed by group 3 (0.713, 0.637–0.798) and group 2 (0.857, 0.794–0.948), respectively. Group 4 was associated with the lowest risk of all-cause death (aHR: 0.680, 95% CI: 0.613–0.754) and the composite outcome (aHR: 0.708, 95% CI: 0.649–0.772). Conclusion ERC and HLS were associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke in elderly patients with new-onset AF. Concurrently implementing ERC and maintaining HLS was associated with the lowest risk of death and the composite outcome, with a modest synergistic effect on stroke prevention.
Brain Wearables: Validation Toolkit for Ear-Level EEG Sensors

EEG-enabled earbuds represent a promising frontier in brain activity monitoring beyond traditional laboratory testing. Their discrete form factor and proximity to the brain make them the ideal candidate for the first generation of discrete non-invasive brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). However, this new technology will require comprehensive characterization before we see widespread consumer and health-related usage. To address this need, we developed a validation toolkit that aims to facilitate and expand the assessment of ear-EEG devices. The first component of this toolkit is a desktop application (“EaR-P Lab”) that controls several EEG validation paradigms. This application uses the Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) protocol, making it compatible with most current EEG systems. The second element of the toolkit introduces an adaptation of the phantom evaluation concept to the domain of ear-EEGs. Specifically, it utilizes 3D scans of the test subjects’ ears to simulate typical EEG activity around and inside the ear, allowing for controlled assessment of different ear-EEG form factors and sensor configurations. Each of the EEG paradigms were validated using wet-electrode ear-EEG recordings and benchmarked against scalp-EEG measurements. The ear-EEG phantom was successful in acquiring performance metrics for hardware characterization, revealing differences in performance based on electrode location. This information was leveraged to optimize the electrode reference configuration, resulting in increased auditory steady-state response (ASSR) power. Through this work, an ear-EEG evaluation toolkit is made available with the intention to facilitate the systematic assessment of novel ear-EEG devices from hardware to neural signal acquisition.
Dosimetric benefit of online treatment plan adaptation in stereotactic ultrahypofractionated MR-guided radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer

Background Apart from superior soft tissue contrast, MR-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) offers the chance for daily online plan adaptation. This study reports on the comparison of dose parameters before and after online plan adaptation in MR-guided SBRT of localized prostate cancer. Materials and methods 32 consecutive patients treated with ultrahypofractionated SBRT for localized prostate cancer within the prospective SMILE trial underwent a planning process for MR-guided radiotherapy with 37.5 Gy applied in 5 fractions. A base plan, derived from MRI simulation at an MRIdian Linac, was registered to daily MRI scans (predicted plan). Following target and OAR recontouring, the plan was reoptimized based on the daily anatomy (adapted plan). CTV and PTV coverage and doses at OAR were compared between predicted and adapted plans using linear mixed regression models. Results In 152 out of 160 fractions (95%), an adapted radiation plan was delivered. Mean CTV and PTV coverage increased by 1.4% and 4.5% after adaptation. 18% vs. 95% of the plans had a PTV coverage ≥95% before and after online adaptation, respectively. 78% vs. 100% of the plans had a CTV coverage ≥98% before and after online adaptation, respectively. The D0.2cc for both bladder and rectum were <38.5 Gy in 93% vs. 100% before and after online adaptation. The constraint at the urethra with a dose of <37.5 Gy was achieved in 59% vs. 93% before and after online adaptation. Conclusion Online adaptive plan adaptation improves target volume coverage and reduces doses to OAR in MR-guided SBRT of localized prostate cancer. Online plan adaptation could potentially further reduce acute and long-term side effects and improve local failure rates in MR-guided SBRT of localized prostate cancer.
Using implementation mapping to refine strategies to improve implementation of an evidence-based mobile market intervention: a study protocol

Objectives The Veggie Van model is a mobile market model that is efficacious in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption for lower-income participants. The model is currently being evaluated for its effectiveness in a multi-state trial. Preliminary implementation data, collected through process measures surveys and implementation interviews, indicate that there are several barriers to implementation among partner organizations and implementation fidelity to the Veggie Van model was low. Consideration and planning for implementation ought to occur early and often throughout the research process order to ensure Veggie Van model effectiveness. This paper describes the step-by-step process for creating strategies to enhance implementation of Veggie Van model components. Methods Implementation mapping is a systematic process to develop implementation strategies through engagement with key stakeholders. We conducted a series of interviews (n = 31 representatives) with partner organizations (n = 8) to identify facilitators and barriers to Veggie Van model implementation. We then applied interview findings to an Implementation Mapping process to develop theory and practice-driven strategies to be integrated into existing implementation tools and technical assistance. Results We identified implementation outcomes (e.g., staff implement the Veggie Van model component of nutrition education with fidelity) and performance objectives (e.g., offer nutrition education, in the form of food lessons and/or food demonstrations, at least bi-weekly) to achieve them. We conducted a secondary qualitative analysis of the findings from implementation interviews with partner organizations to identify behavioral determinants (e.g., attitudinal beliefs, social support) which were combined with the performance objectives to generate change objectives (e.g., view the Veggie Van model as advantageous to an organization and communities served). To achieve the change objectives, we developed implementation strategies that would be integrated into existing Veggie Van training resources including an online toolkit, webinars and trainings, an annual mobile market conference, and technical assistance. Conclusion The development of theory and practice-driven implementation strategies will enable us to improve our implementation tools, thereby improving fidelity to the Veggie Van model among organizations and increasing the likelihood of its effectiveness. Detailing the design of a multifaceted implementation strategy using Implementation Mapping also provides a model to design similar strategies for other community-based interventions.
En transformación… Gentrificación en el casc antic de Barcelona

El objetivo de la investigacion consiste en analizar el proceso de gentrificacion y sus implicaciones socio-espaciales en el Casc Antic de Barcelona. La metodologia que se utilizo consistio en metodos y tecnicas de investigacion cualitativas y cuantitativas. La tesis se divide en 8 partes. El capitulo primero aborda, en el contexto del urbanismo neoliberal, el estado de la cuestion de la gentrificacion y sus efectos como el desplazamiento. El segundo apartado presenta la metodologia empleada. El tercer capitulo situa al Casc Antic y revisa los principales planes urbanisticos que lo implicaron con la intencion de comprender su estado actual. El capitulo cuarto examina las principales transformaciones socio-demograficas del Casc Antic entre 1991 a 2011. El quinto apartado explora las mutaciones comerciales que ha experimentado el barrio a partir de las reformas urbanisticas. La sexta seccion aborda la produccion y gestion del espacio publico en Ciutat Vella, teniendo efectos excluyentes para los menos favorecidos. El septimo capitulo estudia la utilizacion de la cultura como instrumento de cambio urbano y social en el sector estudiado. Para concluir, se presentan las reflexiones finales, planteamientos y posibles lineas de investigacion.