Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation of the AF-QoL, a disease-specific quality of life questionnaire for patients with atrial fibrillation.

AIMS To assess the performance of AF-QoL, a quality of life questionnaire for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS Observational, prospective, multicentre study in 29 Spanish centres. Three patients' groups were identified at baseline visit: AF patients receiving a new therapeutic intervention according to physician criteria (intervention group); AF clinically stable patients according to physician evaluation (clinically stable group); and patients in a stable condition for more than 1 year after a myocardial infarction (control group). All patients were > or = 18 years. Follow-up visit was at 1 month (clinically stable group) and 3 +/- 1 months (intervention group). Sociodemographic and clinical information was gathered. AF-QoL, SF-36, and patient self-perception of general health status were administered. A total of 417 patients was included. Mean (SD) age was 61.2 (12.4), 31.4% women. AF-QoL mean overall score in AF patients (43.6) was lower (worse health-related quality of life, HRQoL) than in the control group (51.7) (P < 0.05). At baseline, patients with higher frequency of symptoms (P < 0.05) and worse NYHA functional class (P < 0.01) reported lower AF-QoL scores. AF-QoL and SF-36 correlated in all of their domains (r = 0.14-0.8, P < 0.01). AF-QoL showed good internal consistency (0.92) and test-retest reliability (0.86). CONCLUSION AF-QoL is a valid and reliable HRQoL measure. Further investigation is recommended before using it in clinical practice.
New mechanisms for external field control of microscopic interactions in ultracold gases

This Thesis describes new mechanisms for controlling elastic and inelastic collisions of ultracold atoms and molecules with static electromagnetic and laser fields. The dynamical properties of ultracold atoms are usually tuned in experiments by applying an external magnetic field to induce a Feshbach resonance. The work presented in this Thesis demonstrates the possibility of inducing and manipulating Feshbach resonances with electric fields. We discuss in detail the mechanisms of electric-fieldinduced resonances in ultracold mixtures of alkali metal atoms and demonstrate that electric fields may shift and split the magnetic resonances. We show that electric fields may spin up the collision complex of ultracold atoms and induce anisotropic scattering which may be exploited in experiments on many-body dynamics of ultracold gaseous mixtures. The mechanisms of electric-field-induced resonances described in this Thesis allow for two-dimensional control of inter-particle interactions, leading to total control over ultracold gases. To guide future experiments, we generate accurate interaction potentials for ultracold Li–Rb mixtures by fitting positions and widths of experimentally measured Feshbach resonances. Ultracold atomic and molecular gases can be confined by laser fields in one or two dimensions which produces an optical lattice of ultracold particles. We develop a multichannel scattering theory for collisions of atoms and molecules in two dimensions and explore the effects of the confining laser potential on inelastic and reactive collisions of ultracold atoms and molecules in a 1D optical lattice. We show that ultracold collisions can be controlled in a quasi-2D geometry by varying the orientation of a magnetic field with respect to the confinement plane normal and demonstrate that the threshold energy dependence of cross sections for inelastic collisions in an optical lattice can be tuned by varying the confining potential and the magnetic field. Our results show that applying laser confinement in one dimension may stabilize ultracold systems with large scattering lengths, which may open up interesting opportunities for studies of ultracold controlled chemistry and might lead to a new research direction of ultracold chemistry in restricted geometries.
Tunable Gold Nanorods Q-Switcher for Pulsed Er-Doped Fiber Laser

We prepared the gold nanorods (GNRs) via seed-mediated growth method, and fabricated the fiber-compatible saturable absorption device with it. We found that the nonlinear absorption behavior of the fiber-compatible GNRs saturable absorber can be tuned by introducing an external modulation laser. With the modulating power varying from 0 to 100 mW, the modulation depth of the saturable absorber could be tuned from 22.85% to 17.91%. Based on the all-optical modulation method with GNRs, the pulse width and repetition rate tunable Q-switched pulses can be delivered from an erbium-doped fiber laser.
Solving strategic and tactical optimization problems in city logistics. (Optimisation Stratégique et tactique en logistique urbaine)

Urban freight transport is a matter of increasing concern in the economic, commercial, social and environmental operations of our cities, due to the constantly increasing growth and urbanization of the civilization. An improved managem ent of the traffic related to the freight transport can have a positive impact in many respects : security, congestion of the road network, noise and air pollution, costs. City Logistics studies the dynamic management of urban freight transport in order to deliver distribution systems solutions that may be suitable for both the community and freight carriers. This thesis originates from the ANR Project MODUM, which proposes a freight distribution system based on a ring of Urban Distribution Centers (UDCs) located in the outskirts of a city. In the first part, this system is studied from both a strategic and a tactical point of view. The Multicommodity-Ring Location Routing Problem (MRLRP) considers long-term decisions, i.e. the installation of the UDCs and the ring connection, without disregarding more tactical aspects. The MRLRP has been tackled by three solution methods, which proved effective on a large set of test instances. In the second part of the thesis, the Vehicle Routing Problem with Intermediate Replenishment Facilities (VRPIRF) is studied. The VRPIRF is a more tactical problem that arises in City Logistics each time both the multi-trip and the multi-depot features, i.e. the possibility for a vehicle to be reloaded at one of a set of facilities, are present. Several exact algorithms, namely two of type Branch&Cut and two of type Branch& Price, have been developed for this problem. computational experiments on benchmark instances taken from the literature have been conducted to assess their performance, leading to very promising results.
Thyroid hormone promotes neurogenesis in the Xenopus spinal cord

Three phases of neurogenesis can be recognized during Xenopus spinal cord development. An early peak during gastrulation/neurulation is followed by a phase of low level neurogenesis throughout the remaining embryonic stages and a later peak at early larval stages. We show here that several genes known to be essential for early neurogenesis (X‐NGNR‐1, XNeuroD, XMyT1, X‐Delta‐1) are also expressed during later phases of neurogenesis in the spinal cord, suggesting that they are involved in regulating spinal neurogenesis at later stages. However, additional neuronal determination genes may be important during larval stages, because X‐NGNR‐1 shows only scant expression in the spinal cord during larval stages. Thyroid hormone treatment of early larvae promotes neurogenesis in the spinal cord, where thyroid hormone receptor xTRα is expressed from early larval stages onward and results in precocious up‐regulation of XNeuroD, XMyT1, and N‐Tubulin expression. Similarly, thyroid hormone treatments of Xenopus embryos, which were coinjected with xTRα and the retinoid X receptor xRXRα, repeatedly resulted in increased numbers of neurons, whereas unliganded receptors repressed neurogenesis. Our findings show that thyroid hormones are sufficient to up‐regulate neurogenesis in the Xenopus spinal cord. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interface Properties of 4H-SiC ( $11\bar {2}0$ ) and ( $1\bar {1}00$ ) MOS Structures Annealed in NO

Interface properties of 4H-SiC (112̅0) and (11̅00) walls, the absence of junction FET resistance, and the higher metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures annealed in nitric oxide are characterized by conductance, high-low, and C-ψ<sub>s</sub> methods. Compared with 4H-SiC (0001) MOS structures, generation of very fast interface states by nitridation is much smaller in 4H-SiC (112̅0) and (11̅00). The effective mobility of planar MOSFETs fabricated on Al+-implanted p-body doped to 1×10<sup>17</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> is 10<sup>3</sup> cm<sup>2</sup>/Vs on (11̅00), 92 cm<sup>2</sup>/Vs on (112̅0), and 20 cm<sup>2</sup>/Vs on (0001). The mobility-limiting factors are discussed on the basis of experimental results. The high channel mobilities for (112̅0) and (11̅00) MOSFETs can be correlated with the lower density of fast interface states generated by nitridation.
Stress Concentration around Countersunk Hole in Isotropic Plate under Transverse Loading

An investigation into the effect of countersunk depth, plate thickness, countersunk angle and plate width on the stress concentration around countersunk hole is carried out with the help of finite element analysis. The variation of stress concentration with respect to these parameters is studied for three types of loading viz. uniformly distributed load, uniformly varying load and functionally distributed load. The results of the finite element analysis are interpreted and some conclusions are drawn. The distribution of stress concentration around countersunk hole in isotropic plates simply supported at all the edges is found similar and is independent of loading. The maximum stress concentration also occurs at a particular point irrespective of the loading conditions. Keywords—Stress Concentration Factor, Countersunk hole, Finite element, ANSYS.
How Effective Is the Acute Low Back Pain Screening Questionnaire for Predicting 1-Year Follow-Up in Patients With Low Back Pain?

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between the Acute Low Back Pain Screening Questionnaire (ALBPSQ), a biopsychosocial screening instrument for identifying patients at risk of chronicity, and relevant variables at 1-year follow-up in a cohort of patients with low back pain. Study DesignA 1-year prospective study was conducted in which patients who had previously received treatment in the Northern Ireland National Health Service (n = 118) were requested to complete a follow-up questionnaire package of pain and functional disability measures and a patient-centered questionnaire of seven variables considered relevant from the patient's perspective. PatientsNinety patients (76% response rate) returned the completed questionnaire package. ResultsThe ALBPSQ total score and cutoff score of 112 were significantly positively associated with the pain and functional disability questionnaire scores at follow-up but did not significantly discriminate for difference scores on these measures. Although six of the seven patient-centered variables were significantly associated with the screening questionnaire total score, the cutoff score was strongly predictive of only one variable (work loss) and failed to demonstrate high levels of sensitivity for other variables (i.e., medication use, additional treatment, poor exercise participation). ConclusionsThe findings of this study demonstrate that scores on the ALBPSQ were positively correlated with patients' levels of pain and functional disability at 1-year follow-up and correctly classified all patients reporting some degree of work loss but had minimal predictive strength for the other patient-centered variables evaluated.
Patients' perspectives on improvement of medically unexplained physical symptoms: a qualitative analysis

Title: Patients’ perspectives on improvement of Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: a qualitative analysis. Background: Medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) are common. Knowledge of Knowledge on factors contributing to improvement of MUPS may be useful for the development of more effective treatments. This study aims to assess the factors contributing to improvement of symptoms, according to recently improved MUPS patients. Methods: This qualitative study is part of a prospective cohort study on the course of MUPS. We selected patients with at least moderate MUPS at baseline and with a substantial decrease of symptoms after 6 or 12 months. We performed semi-structured interviews. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed in ATLAS.ti. Findings: Although saturation of data was reached after 6 interviews, 9 patients were interviewed. Their symptoms had developed gradually and worsened until a certain point of crisis. Before this crisis patients were focused on finding symptom causes and on becoming one’s old self again. The experience of a crisis made them accept their situation. This resulted in a search for improvement instead of recovery. Participants started taking control of their own well-being by coping differently (e.g. by pacing activities and relaxing effectively), mostly supported by a therapist. This led to symptom improvement. Participants deemed it important that General Practitioners and therapists were coaching and took their problem seriously. Received therapies varied from regular therapies to complementary therapies. The latter were experienced as effective, as they combined psychological and physical components. Some participants missed this multidimensional approach in regular treatments. Conclusions: Acceptance of symptoms and their consequences seems to be the most important condition for improvement of MUPS. As a moment of personal crisis forms the most important motivation for acceptance, it may be something that cannot be forced by therapists. Nevertheless, General Practitioners and therapists can support patients on their way to acceptance. A wish for multidimensional treatments in regular health care was identified.
A Note on Disappearing Veterans

In this research note, the rapid decline of the veteran population in the United States from 1980 to 2010 is outlined. The decline in the veteran population has been accompanied by an increasing concentration of veterans in smaller, more rural counties, often surrounding military bases. The result is that there has been a consistent increase in the residential segregation of veterans from the nonveteran population.
Characteristics of black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) bedding sites

Black rhino numbers have decreased greatly since the early 1970s, primarily as a result of poaching. A recent strategy to protect rhinos in Kenya has been to establish fenced sanctuaries. This has increased the rhino population and that of other species, but problems have emerged because of limited dispersal and rising animal densities. Unfortunately, how rhino utilize habitat, especially areas called bedding sites, is not well understood. These areas provide shade and may be a critical component of rhino habitat. We measured habitat variables at bedding sites located in bedding plots and compared them with control plots at Sweetwaters Reserve, Kenya. Euclea divinorum was the most common tree in the bedding site comprising 64.3% of the vegetation. Elephant dung was significantly more likely to be found in bedding plots than in control plots which suggests that elephants and rhinos use overlapping habitats. Elephants may be causing damage to the tree species that are important for bedding sites. Resource competition between large herbivores in small reserves is likely to negatively affect the tree species. Black rhino habitat, particularly bedding sites, may be at risk and rhino numbers may decrease. Resume Le nombre de rhino noirs a beaucoup diminue depuis le debut des annees 1970, surtout a cause du braconnage. Une strategie recemment appliquee au Kenya consiste a creer pour eux des sanctuaires clotures. Ceci a permis d'augmenter la population de rhinos et celle d'autres especes, mais des problemes ont surgi en raison de la faible dispersion et de densites croissantes. Malheureusement, on connait mal la facon dont les rhinos utilisent leur habitat, et specialement les sites dits «de repos». Ces endroits fournissent de l'ombre et peuvent etre une composante critique de l'habitat des rhinos. Nous avons mesure les variables de l'habitat aux sites de repos situes dans des parcelles «de repos» et nous les avons compares avec des sites de controle dans la Reserve de Sweetwaters, au Kenya. Euclea divinorumetait l'arbre le plus commun dans le site de repos ou il representait 64,3% de la vegetation. La presence de crottes d’elephants etait significativement plus probable dans les parcelles de repos que dans les parcelles controle, ce qui suggere qu’elephants et rhinos utilisent des habitats qui se chevauchent. Il se peut que les elephants causent des degâts aux arbres importants pour les sites de repos. La competition pour les ressources entre grands herbivores, dans de petites reserves, risque d'affecter negativement les especes d'arbres. L'habitat des rhinos noirs, et particulierement les sites de repos, pourrait etre en danger, et le nombre de rhinos pourrait diminuer.
Role of nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of muscular dystrophies: A “two hit” hypothesis of the cause of muscle necrosis

Although the genetic and biochemical bases of many of the muscular dystrophies have been elucidated, the pathophysiological mechanisms leading to muscle cell death and degeneration remain elusive. Among the most well studied of the dystrophies are those due to defects in proteins that make up the dystrophin‐glycoprotein complex (DGC). There has been much interest in the role of nitric oxide (NO•) in the pathogenesis of these diseases because the enzyme that synthesizes NO•, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), is associated with the DGC. Recent studies of dystrophies related to DGC defects suggest that one mechanism of cellular injury is functional ischemia related to alterations in cellular NOS and disruption of a normal protective action of NO•. This protective action is the prevention of local ischemia during contraction‐induced increases in sympathetic vasoconstriction. However, the loss of this protection, alone, does not explain the subsequent muscle cell death and degeneration since mice lacking neuronal NOS (the predominant isoform expressed in muscle) do not develop a muscular dystrophy. Thus, there must be additional biochemical changes conferred upon the cells by these DGC defects, and these changes are discussed in terms of a proposed “two hit” hypothesis of the pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie the muscular dystrophies. According to this hypothesis, pathogenic defects in the DGC have at least two biochemical consequences: a reduction in NO•‐mediated protection against ischemia, and an increase in cellular susceptibility to metabolic stress. Either one alone may be insufficient to lead to muscle cell death. However, in combination, the biochemical consequences are sufficient to cause muscle degeneration. The role of oxidative stress as a final common pathophysiologic pathway is discussed in terms of data showing that oxidative injury precedes pathologic changes and that muscle cells with defects in the DGC have an increased susceptibility to oxidant challenges. Accordingly, this “two hit” hypothesis may explain many of the complex spatial and temporal variations in disease expression that characterize the muscular dystrophies, such as grouped necrosis, a pre‐necrotic phase of the disease, and selective muscle involvement. Microsc. Res. Tech. 55:223–235, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stationarity of Time Series and the Problem of Spurious Regression

The goal of this paper was to introduce some general issues of non-stationarity for practitioners, students and beginning researchers. Using elementary techniques we examined the effect of non-stationary data on the results of regression analysis. We further shoved the effect of larger sample sizes on the spuriousness of regressions and we also examined the well known “rule of thumb” of how to identify spurious regressions. We also demonstrated the problem of spurious regression on a practical example, using closing prices of stock market indices from CEE markets.
Finanzkrise löst weltweiten Konjunktureinbruch aus

Aufgrund der dramatischen Verscharfung der Finanzkrise befindet sich die Weltwirtschaft im Abschwung. In den USA muss im 2. Halbjahr 2008 und den folgenden Quartalen mit einem Ruckgang des BIP gerechnet werden. Auch in der EU kommt die Expansion zum Erliegen. In den Schwellenlandern und in Ostmitteleuropa wird die Wirtschaft schwacher wachsen als bisher. Eine Erholung der Weltwirtschaft kann nur dann einsetzen, wenn auf dem Immobilienmarkt der USA eine Wende eintritt und die Liquiditats- und Solvenzprobleme der Finanzinstitute gelost werden. Die Belastungen, die von gedampfter Kreditvergabe oder hoher Arbeitslosigkeit ausgehen, durften die Expansion der Weltwirtschaft auch mittelfristig merklich bremsen.
Barriers to playground use for children with disabilities: A case from Ankara, Turkey

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the playgrounds in terms of the barriers causing restricted use by disabled children. The investigation is carried out through a questionnaire and site surveys in the district of Kecioren-Ankara. The questionnaire was completed by parents of children with disabilities relating to physical and as well as social barriers parents and children are facing using the playgrounds. It was applied to 667 disabled child parents who are residents of the district. The site survey was carried out in 355 playgrounds in the districts. Site surveys are done by the research group by means of photographs and a checklist completed for each playground. Qualitative data obtained from site surveys converted to quantative data by means of the criteria set by the research group. These two groups of data then combined to determine the barriers. All the statistical analyses for the surveys have been carried out by using SPSS 15.0 (SPSSFW, SPSS Inc., Chigago, Il., USA) and Stats Direct (whopharmacoeco-nomics, Ver 2, 2, 0, USA) programme and frequency distribution have been worked out. When compiling the answers and during the site surveys it appeared that not only physical but also social barriers restrict the disabled children to use the playgrounds to which social barriers will not be evaluated in the context of this paper. The results show that playgrounds are not usable for the children with disabilities. The inadequate planning of playgrounds to the needs of disabled children and lack of awareness of municipalities and planners constitutes a very important barrier. The barrier can only be removed by rising awareness and cooperation of planners and municipalities with the disabled groups. Key words: Ankara, playground, disability, children.
Normalization of Tumor Vasculature: An Emerging Concept in Antiangiogenic Therapy

Solid tumors require blood vessels for growth, and many new cancer therapies are directed against the tumor vasculature. The widely held view is that these antiangiogenic therapies should destroy the tumor vasculature, thereby depriving the tumor of oxygen and nutrients. Here, I review emerging evidence supporting an alternative hypothesis—that certain antiangiogenic agents can also transiently “normalize” the abnormal structure and function of tumor vasculature to make it more efficient for oxygen and drug delivery. Drugs that induce vascular normalization can alleviate hypoxia and increase the efficacy of conventional therapies if both are carefully scheduled. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of vascular normalization may ultimately lead to more effective therapies not only for cancer but also for diseases with abnormal vasculature, as well as regenerative medicine, in which the goal is to create and maintain a functionally normal vasculature.