Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Successful External Cephalic Version: Factors Predicting Vaginal Birth

Purpose. To determine the maternal and fetal outcomes of successful external cephalic version (ECV) as well as factors predicting vaginal birth. Methods. The ECV data over a period of three years at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) between 1 September 2008 and 30 September 2010 was reviewed. Sixty-seven patients who had successful ECV were studied and reviewed for maternal, fetal, and labour outcomes. The control group comprised patients with cephalic singletons of matching parity who delivered following the index cases. Results. The mean gestational age at ECV was 263 ± 6.52 days (37.5 weeks ± 6.52 days). Spontaneous labour and transient cardiotocographic (CTG) changes were the commonest early adverse effects following ECV. The reversion rate was 7.46%. The mean gestational age at delivery of the two groups was significantly different (P = 0.000) with 277.9 ± 8.91 days and 269.9 ± 9.68 days in the study group and control groups, respectively. The study group needed significantly more inductions of labour. They required more operative deliveries, had more blood loss at delivery, a higher incidence of meconium-stained liquor, and more cord around the neck. Previous flexed breeches had a threefold increase in caesarean section rate compared to previous extended breeches (44.1% versus 15.2%, P = 0.010). On the contrary, an amniotic fluid index (AFI) of 13 or more is significantly associated with a higher rate of vaginal birth (86.8% versus 48.3%, P = 0.001). Conclusions. Patients with successful ECV were at higher risk of carrying the pregnancy beyond 40 weeks and needing induction of labour, with a higher rate of caesarean section and higher rates of obstetrics complications. Extended breech and AFI 13 or more were significantly more likely to deliver vaginally postsuccessful ECV. This additional information may be useful to caution a patient with breech that ECV does not bring them to behave exactly like a normal cephalic, so that they have more realistic expectations. However, these predictive factors needed further confirmation and hopefully, in the future, they would be able to further enhance counselling prior to ECV.
Characteristic properties of the spatial correlations and visibility in mixed light ghost imaging.

Recently, we developed a new ghost imaging (GI) detection concept based on the superposition of object and reference beams with subsequent photon statistics evaluation by using one single photon counting detector (PS-GI). Here, we derive analytical expressions for the spatial correlations of this mixed light GI concept considering the mode properties of the speckles of an illuminating classical pseudothermal source. This model supports the first experimental results of PS-GI in [Opt. Lett.41, 2863-2866 (2016)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.41. 002863] and explains deviating characteristic features in comparison to state-of-the-art GI detection, such as maximum and minimum ghost image signals as well as the visibility performance. Furthermore, the model also explains the higher order correlations, which have been experimentally obtained by using a single detector. The overall good agreement between theory and experiment provides physical insight into the functional principle of mixed light GI, thus fostering PS-GI as a real alternative to established GI technologies.
On the grasping stability and optimality under external perturbations

In this paper, we investigate the grasping stability and optimality issues under the influence of external perturbations. We develop a quantitative measurement that could be used to evaluate the performance of different grasping configurations on a given object. This actually gives a solution to the grasping analysis problem for find the points of contact when given the shape of the object. A rotation-displacement geometry model is used in computing the change of equilibrium grasping forces under perturbation. Using this result, we present the concept of force mapping closure that plays the central role in our analysis. A method for finding the minimum finger grasping forces required for non-slip contacts is developed based on this concept. A grasp so determined is guaranteed to be stable if the external perturbations do not exceed the threshold.
The Effects of Short-Term Propofol and Dexmedetomidine on Lung Mechanics, Histology, and Biological Markers in Experimental Obesity

BACKGROUND:Administering anesthetics to the obese population requires caution because of a variety of reasons including possible interactions with the inflammatory process observed in obese patients. Propofol and dexmedetomidine have protective effects on pulmonary function and are widely used in short- and long-term sedation, particularly in intensive care unit settings in lean and obese subjects. However, the functional and biological effects of these drugs in obesity require further elucidation. In a model of diet-induced obesity, we compared the short-term effects of dexmedetomidine versus propofol on lung mechanics and histology, as well as biological markers of inflammation and oxidative stress modulation in obesity. METHODS:Wistar rats (n = 56) were randomly fed a standard diet (lean) or experimental diet (obese) for 12 weeks. After this period, obese animals received sodium thiopental intraperitoneally and were randomly allocated into 4 subgroups: (1) nonventilated (n = 4) for molecular biology analysis only (control); (2) sodium thiopental (n = 8); (3) propofol (n = 8); and (4) dexmedetomidine (n = 8), which received continuous IV administration of the corresponding agents and were mechanically ventilated (tidal volume = 6 mL/kg body weight, fraction of inspired oxygen = 0.4, positive end-expiratory pressure = 3 cm H2O) for 1 hour. RESULTS:Compared with lean animals, obese rats did not present increased body weight but had higher total body and trunk fat percentages, airway resistance, and interleukin-6 levels in the lung tissue (P = 0.02, P = 0.0027, and P = 0.01, respectively). In obese rats, propofol, but not dexmedetomidine, yielded increased airway resistance, bronchoconstriction index (P = 0.016, P = 0.02, respectively), tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and interleukin-6 levels, as well as lower levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2–related factor-2 and glutathione peroxidase (P = 0.001, Bonferroni-corrected t test). CONCLUSIONS:In this model of diet-induced obesity, a 1-hour propofol infusion yielded increased airway resistance, atelectasis, and lung inflammation, with depletion of antioxidative enzymes. However, unlike sodium thiopental and propofol, short-term infusion of dexmedetomidine had no impact on lung morphofunctional and biological variables.
Spontaneous male death and monogyny in the dark fishing spider

Monogyny (male monogamy) is found in a diverse assemblage of taxa, and recent theoretical work reveals that a male-biased sex ratio can favour the evolution of this relatively rare mating system. We integrate this theoretical framework with field observations and laboratory experiments involving the sexually size dimorphic fishing spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus, to test the prediction that this species exhibits monogyny. Field surveys revealed a male-biased sex ratio, likely resulting from different life-history strategies (early male maturation). Results from mating trials supported our prediction of monogyny as we discovered that males mate with a single female. Unexpectedly, however, we observed that mating results in obligate male death and genital mutilation. Additional field observations of released individuals suggest that males are not limited by their ability to encounter additional females. Controlled laboratory assays demonstrated that males discriminate among virgin and non-virgin female silk cues, consistent with predictions of first-male sperm precedence. In summary, we report a novel case of male self-sacrifice in a species that exhibits female-biased sexual size dimorphism, male-biased sex ratio, genital mutilation and a suggestion of first-male sperm precedence; all of which are consistent with theoretical predictions of the evolution of monogyny.
Targeted and scalable information dissemination in a distributed reputation mechanism

In online reputation mechanisms, providing the system participants (peers) with the appropriate information on previous interactions is crucial for accurate reputation evaluations. A naive way of doing so is to provide all peers with all information, regardless of whether they need it or not, which may be very costly and not scalable. In this paper we propose a similarity-based approach, named SimilDis, for targeted dissemination of information in the distributed reputation mechanism called BarterCast. In BarterCast, each peer collects information on the interactions (data transfers) that have occurred in the system, and builds a weighted directed graph that represents its partial view of the system. We propose two methods to derive peer similarity in the partial graph of a peer. The first method is based on incrementally maintaining a directed acyclic graph, and the second method is based on performing multiple nonuniform random walks in the partial graph. In both methods, each peer maintains a list of the peers most similar to itself, and gives higher priority to them when disseminating information. We evaluate the accuracy and the cost of these methods using trace-driven simulations based on traces from the Tribler P2P file-sharing network, which employs BarterCast. As the results show, both methods exhibit very small errors in the computed reputations in comparison with the case of providing complete knowledge to all peers, but decrease the communication and storage costs by two orders of magnitude.
Biped Walking Trajectory Generator Based on Three-Mass With Angular Momentum Model Using Model Predictive Control

In this paper, we present a biped walking trajectory generator based on the three-mass with angular momentum model using model predictive control. This approach aims to decrease the modeling error and decrease zero moment point (ZMP) horizon, so that high ZMP tracking accuracy and immediate generation are achieved. The contribution of this approach is the use of the three-mass with angular momentum model, the reduction of modeling error, and the enhancement of ZMP tracking performance and walking stability. This method allows online walking pattern modification, so that unexpected emergency can be dealt with by immediately changing trajectories. In addition, this proposed method is validated through numerical simulations, and the proof-of-concept experiments are conducted using an experimental robot developed in our laboratory.
Vacuum energy momentum tensor in (2+1) NC scalar field theory

A scalar field in (2+1) dimensional Minkowski space-time is considered. Postulating noncommutative spatial coordinates, one is able to determine the (UV finite) vacuum expectation value of the quantum field energy momentum tensor. Calculation for the (3+1) case has been performed considering only two noncommutative coordinates. The results lead to a vacuum energy with a lowered degree of divergence, with respect to that of ordinary commutative theory.
Converging Evidence for Phonological and Surface Subtypes of Reading Disability.

Using regression-based procedures introduced by A. Castles and M. Coltheart (1993), the authors identified 17 phonological and 15 surface dyslexics from a sample of 68 reading-disabled 3rd-grade children by comparing them to chronological-age (CA) controls on exception word and pseudoword reading. However, when the dyslexic subtypes were defined by reference to reading-level (RL) controls, 17 phonological dyslexics were defined but only 1 surface dyslexic. When the CA-defined subtypes were compared to RL controls, the phonological dyslexics displayed superior exception word reading but displayed deficits in pseudoword naming, phonological sensitivity, working memory, and syntactic processing. The surface dyslexics, in contrast, displayed a cognitive profile remarkably similar to that of the RL controls.
“There's a Certain Slant of Light”: The Experience of Discovery in Qualitative Interviewing

Perception, meaning, and experience, often expressed in the writing and interpretation of poetry, are important parts of human life. Qualitative interviewing, when it acknowledges and capitalizes on the presence of human interviewers and of so-called interviewer effects, opens itself to capturing and comprehending such phenomena as perception, meaning, and experience. Such interviewing is a creative process in which the interactions) and conversation(s) of interviewer and respondent produce statements and formulations, rather than merely drawing such constructs from the mind of the respondent. Examination of an interview in which the author was respondent shows how interview dialogue facilitated his formulation of a narrative account of part of his intellectual development. This example is used to illustrate how interviewing can facilitate the exploration of one's personal world(s) and how interviewers discover that their constructions and formulations of the world differ from those of their respondents. In the final analysis, it is the subjectivity of the qualitative interview, its being influenced by and affecting both interviewer and respondent, that makes discovery possible in qualitative research.
Cost of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Treatment in the United States

BACKGROUND Despite being the most prevalent form of cancer, the economic impact of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in the United States has not been assessed. OBJECTIVE To determine the overall cost and to estimate the cost per episode of NMSC care in the United States in physicians' offices, outpatient surgery centers, and inpatient settings. METHODS Data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Study 1992–1995 were analyzed to obtain the total cost of NMSC and the cost in different settings. To normalize these data on a per episode basis, the cost in each setting was divided by the number of procedures performed in each setting obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS, 1992–1997), the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS, 1994–1996), and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS, 1995). RESULTS The total cost of NMSC care in the United States in the Medicare population is $426 million/year. Physician office-based procedures for NMSC accounted for the greatest percentage of money spent to treat NMSC and the greatest percentage of procedures. The average cost per episode of NMSC when performed in a physician's office setting was found to be $492. The cost per episode of care in inpatient and outpatient settings were $5537 and $1043, respectively. CONCLUSION Compared to other cancers, the relative magnitude of NMSC treatment costs is currently small because NMSC is managed efficiently and effectively, primarily in office-based settings. Legislative or regulatory measures that discourage office treatment of NMSC will lead to increased cost.
An Investigation of Student Response to a Potential Tuition Cap Increase at Casper College

Wyoming Community College Commission policy currently states any student enrolled for more than 12 credit hours will be charged tuition for only 12 credit hours. This policy is referred to as the tuition cap. In November 2010, the commission discussed increasing the tuition cap to 15 credits. An increase from 12 to 15 credits would have represented a 25% increase in tuition for students enrolled for 15 or more credits. Casper College president Dr. Walter Nolte commissioned a study to examine the impact such an increase would have on Casper College and its students. A survey instrument was designed to determine if students carrying more than 12 credit hours would reduce their enrollment credits and what sources of funding they would seek to defray the increased cost. Using a multistage sampling design, a sample of 67 Casper College course sections was selected to respond to the survey. The data were analyzed with logistic regression models, and the estimates were adjusted using sampling weights and a finite population correction. Analysis indicated that 42% of Casper College students would reduce their credit hours by an average of 3.3 credits. Approximately 58% of students would seek additional scholarships and 63% would seek increased work hours. The results of the study were presented to the Wyoming Community College Commission on October 28, 2011. In December 2011, the Commission announced a decision not to increase the tuition cap.
Cross-Domain Development of Scientific Reasoning

The two studies presented here examine processes of theory revision and strategy change that occur when preadolescent subjects engage in self-directed exploration of a problem domain. The microgenetic method, involving frequent encounters with the same tasks over a period of months, permitted detailed observation of the change process. Not only do theories themselves undergo revision but also the reasoning strategies subjects use to generate new knowledge show improvement over time. The cross-domain feature of the research made it possible to establish that these strategies show co-development when subjects are observed over time working in two different content domains. The research thus accomplishes the objective of more clearly distinguishing the reasoning competencies that are developing from the domain-specific contexts in which they are situated.
Framing Research on Doctoral Education in Australia in a Global Context.

The scope of doctoral education scholarship continues to broaden to include such issues as the complex interactions of higher education and research policy and practice, changes in knowledge production, and the status of research students, among others. However in this article I argue for framing this scholarship and research within a comparative approach that links more rigorously and critically developments in Australia with what is happening worldwide. To establish this case I explore dominant narratives current in doctoral education scholarship in Australia to challenge some myths and assumptions about the historical record; and to problematise the nature of government and institutional policy development, the ways in which the changing research environment connects with research education, and our connections with international and increasingly global educational systems. To conclude I introduce some current approaches to rethinking higher education theory and research that have potential for framing.
Advanced ovarian carcinoma: A prospective and randomized clinical trial of cyclophosphamide versus combination cytotoxic chemotherapy (Hexa‐CAF)

Fifty‐seven evaluable patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma were randomized to receive either a combination of hexamethylmelamine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5‐fluorouracil (Hexa‐CAF) or high‐dose cyclophosphamide alone given intravenously intermittently. Objective responses were seen in 62% of patients receiving cyclophosphamide alone, and 36% of patients in the Hexa‐CAF regimen, this difference being statistically significant (P < 0.05). The median duration of objective response (10 months vs. 9 months) and the median survival (11 months vs. 10 months) were greater in the cyclophosphamide group, but these differences were not statistically significant. It is concluded that there is no therapeutic advantage for the Hexa‐CAF protocol over the alkylating agent used alone.
NemoAuth: A mnemonic multimodal approach to mobile user authentication

User authentication is always the first step of security services/mechanisms in computing infrastructures. However, mobile devices and clouds bring challenges and also new dimensions into this topic, such as limited computing power, migrating objects, and various embedded sensors. When a resource located either in a mobile device or in a cloud is requested, associated security policies will trigger authentication procedures for compliance enforcement. This paper proposes a new multimodal approach, called NemoAuth, to mobile device user authentication. It has unique mnemonic and other interesting benefits, and also improves both security and user experience which breaks the limit of recent user authentication technologies.
Restriction and Kakeya phenomena for finite fields

The restriction and Kakeya problems in Euclidean space have received much attention in the last few decades, and are related to many problems in harmonic analysis, PDE, and number theory. In this paper we initiate the study of these problems on finite fields. The restriction problem then becomes a question about general bounds for certain types of exponential sums, while the Kakeya problem has an algebraic geometry flavor, asking for the extent to which lines in different directions can overlap. In many cases the Euclidean arguments carry over easily to the finite setting (and are in fact somewhat cleaner), but there are some new phenomena in the finite case which deserve closer study.
Clonal Complexes of Campylobacter jejuni Identified by Multilocus Sequence Typing Are Reliably Predicted by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analyses of the flaA Gene

ABSTRACT Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) has provided important new insights into the population structure of Campylobacter jejuni and is rapidly becoming the gold standard for typing this species. However, the methodology is comparatively costly and slow to perform for the routine surveillance testing of large numbers of isolates required by public health laboratories. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the flaA gene (RFLP-flaA) and sequencing of the variable region in the fla locus (SVR-fla) were compared to MLST to determine if a low cost alternative could be found that reliably predicts clonal lineage (as determined by MLST). An isolate of C. jejuni from each of 153 patients from New South Wales, Australia, collected sequentially over a period of 30 months from 1999 to 2001 and comprising 40 sequence types (ST) from 15 clonal complexes (CC) was examined. Of 15 CC, 12 were represented by more than one isolate and a predominant RFLP-flaA type was found for 10 (83%). Of these, seven (70%) correctly predicted the predominant MLST CC with a probability of >0.8. Of 40 STs detected, 19 were reported for the first time, 9 of which were represented by more than one isolate. Eight of these were represented by a single RFLP-flaA type. Only two of eight major SVR-fla types were able to predict CC with a probability of >0.8, indicating that flaA-RFLP is a more reliable predictor of CC than SVR-fla and thus offers an alternative to MLST for use in routine surveillance.