Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of satisfaction in teleconferencing: an exploratory analysis

The results of exploratory analyses of data gathered on communication satisfaction in an experimental study on teleconferencing are reported. Factor analyses were done to examine the dimensions underlying the satisfaction construct. Factors that were statistically supported were further examined for role-related (speaker vs. listener) differences and for correlations among the identified factors. The exploration suggests that satisfaction with technology may be lower than overall satisfaction for both speakers and listeners. Speaker satisfaction with technology is lower than listener satisfaction with technology. Possible interpretations of the results are offered. The results emphasize the need for further research into the dimensions underlying the satisfaction construct. <<ETX>>
A high performance automotive radar for automatic AICC

The paper describes a recent effort to design, build, and test a 77 GHz radar to be used for "intelligent" cruise control of automobiles. An analysis of the requirements is given, the design trade-offs are accounted for, and the main features of the prototypes in manufacture are detailed. The radar has been thoroughly tested and evaluated both under "controlled" conditions and on roads in dense traffic. The results so far are very promising.
Decoding geometric Goppa codes up to designed minimum distance by solving a key equation in a ring

A new algorithm is developed for decoding geometric Goppa codes (algebraic-geometric codes) up to their designed minimum distance. This algorithm is constructed on the basis of the one introduced by Porter, Shen and Pellikaan (see IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol.IT-38, p. 1663-1676, 1992), but has improved it considerably in decoding capability by incorporating a majority voting scheme conceptually analogous to that employed by the algorithms of Feng and Rao (see IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol.IT-39, p.505, 1993) and Duursma (see IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol.IT-39, p.1067-1070, 1993). The algorithm is distinct from others in that its major steps are accomplished by solving a key equation in an affine ring. The result is a new algorithm with decoding capability on a par with that of Feng-Rao and Duursma's algorithms. The new algorithm is applicable to a large class of geometric Goppa codes and thus provides a viable alternative to the algorithms of Feng-Rao and Duursma for decoding geometric Goppa codes up to designed minimum distance. <<ETX>>
CMOS-SRAM soft-error simulation system

A soft-error simulation system for designing CMOS-SRAM cells is presented. We propose a new noise current model and combine it with the SRAM's equivalent circuit. Simulation results agree with those from a compulsory exposure experiment. Our system predicts the field soft-error rate from the alpha-particle emission rate, mask layout, and process conditions. <<ETX>>
Searching for Definitions for Service Design - What do we mean with Service Design?

This paper explores the origins and meaning of service design. The purpose is to explore the concept of service design as used in services marketing & management and design discipline. The paper tries to bring forth some of the most used definitions for service design. The paper is explanatory by nature. The aim of the paper is to create more discussion on what do we really mean with service design. A limited literature search was conducted to find out different definitions given for service design. The search was conducted by using two different scientific databases. Term "service design" was used in the search limiting the results to abstracts. These searches produced some 375 hits. Part of the articles were read and analyzed in search for definitions for service design. Articles that contained some definition for service design were chosen for a closer study. There were several findings in the study. First it became evident that very different meanings are being placed on service design. Secondly very few clear definitions were found, some definitions were very wide some very focused. Thirdly many scholars didn't define service design even it played an integral part in their paper.
An Automated SAR Image Registration Approach Using Hidden Markov Scale Invariant Feature Transform Algorithm

Image registration process ensures the geometric and locational accuracy of the images and provides geometric registration between multi-temporal image set and/or vector based dataset. Manual registration procedure is time expensive and receptive to user based errors such as ground control point marking error. Considering the main drawbacks of the manual process, this study aims to investigate the performance of improved Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) algorithm in automated image registration process. SIFT algorithm relies on features each of which is invariant to image scaling and rotation and robust to local geometric distortion. In application, one ortho-rectified satellite image with high positional accuracy is selected as reference. Feature vectors are extracted from this reference image in order to be used as training feature dataset. Then object recognition and location transformation is applied on the images at different dates/sensors belonging to same geographic area. The efficiency of algorithm is first verified by using optic sensor data (SPOT 5-6) then applied to the SAR data (RSAT 2).
Modelo de programación asíncrona para Web transaccionales en un ambiente distribuido Asynchronous programming model for transactional Web in a distributed environment

The present work defines and details an asynchronous programming model for transactional web information systems in distributed environment, joining the advantages of web asynchronous programming techniques (AJAX), object oriented design patterns and web services, to obtain fail tolerant, distributed, efficient and usable applications. The problems found in the classical Web services model are pointed out and a new model to solve and improve most common web services is defined, documented and developed. Also, a prototype is developed to validate the given solution using the defined model.
New Perspectives in the Use of Biomaterials for Periodontal Regeneration

Periodontitis is a disease with a high prevalence among adults. If not treated, it can lead to loss of teeth. Periodontal therapy aims at maintaining patient’s teeth through infection control and correction of non-maintainable anatomies including—when possible—regeneration of lost periodontal tissues. The biological regenerative potential of the periodontium is high, and several biomaterials can be utilized to improve the outcome of periodontal therapy. Use of different natural and synthetic materials in the periodontal field has been studied for many years. The main materials used today in periodontology analyzed in this review are: Resorbable and non-resorbable barrier membranes; autogenous, allogeneic, xenogeneic, and alloplastic bone substitutes; biological agents, such as amelogenins; platelet-derived growth factor; bone morphogenic proteins; rh fibroblast growth factor 2; teriparatide hormone; platelet concentrates; and 3D scaffolds. With the development of new surgical techniques some concepts on periodontal regeneration that were strictly applied in the past seem to be not so critical today. This can have an impact on the materials that are needed when attempting to regenerate lost periodontal structures. This review aims at presenting a rationale behind the use of biomaterials in modern periodontal regeneration
Patient reporting of complications after surgery: what impact does documenting postoperative problems from the perspective of the patient using telephone interview and postal questionnaires have on the identification of complications after surgery?

Objectives To identify the frequency of postoperative complications, including problems identified by patients and complications occurring after discharge from hospital. To identify how these impact on quality of life (QoL) and the patient’s perception of the success of their treatment. Design Data from three prospective sources: surgical audit, a telephone interview (2 weeks after discharge) and a patient-focused questionnaire (2 months after surgery) were retrospectively analysed. Setting Dunedin Hospital, Dunedin, New Zealand. Participants Of the 500 patients, 100 undergoing each of the following types of surgeries: anorectal, biliary, colorectal, hernia and skin. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcomes were complications and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Secondary outcomes included the patient’s ratings of their treatment and a questionnaire-derived patient satisfaction score. Results 226 patients reported a complication; there were 344 separate complications and 411 reports of complications (16% of complications were reported on more than one occasion). The audit, telephone interview and questionnaire captured 12.6%, 36.3% and 51% of the 411 reports, respectively. Patients with complications had a lower SF-36 Physical Composite Summary (PCS) score (48.5 vs 43.9, p=0.021) and a lower Patient Satisfaction Score (85.6 vs 74.6, p<0.001). Rating of information received, care received, symptoms experienced, QoL and satisfaction with surgery were all significantly worse for patients with complications. On linear regression analysis, surgical complications, American Society of Anaesthesiologists score and age all made a similar contribution to the SF-36 PCS score, with standardised beta coefficients between 0.19 and 0.21. Conclusions Following surgery, over 40% of patients experienced complications. The QoL and satisfaction score were significantly less than for those without complications. The majority of complications were diagnosed after discharge from hospital. Taking more notice of the patient perspective helps us to identify problems, to understand what is important to them and may suggest ways to improve perioperative care.
Coping, stress and negative psychological outcomes in parents of children admitted to a pediatric neurorehabilitation care unit.

BACKGROUND Parents' attitudes and psychological adjustment during their child's hospitalization in a pediatric neurorehabilitation care unit are key aspects for the child's adherence to care and the impact of the disease. AIM The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parenting stress, coping style, and negative psychological outcomes in families of children admitted for the first time to a pediatric neurorehabilitation care unit. DESIGN This is an observational study. SETTING Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Care Unit. POPULATION One hundred twenty-four parents of children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental or neurological conditions. METHODS Parents completed standardized questionnaires assessing parenting stress, coping style, anxiety and depressive symptoms. RESULTS We found that parents of children with neurodevelopmental conditions showed more emotion-focused coping strategies (p = 0.016) and depressive symptoms (p = 0.01) compared with parents of children with neurological conditions. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that emotion- and avoidance-oriented coping style and socioeconomic status are crucial factors in the adjustment process of parents of children with neurodevelopmental conditions. By contrast, parenting stress and child difficulties were the most significant predictors of negative psychological outcomes in parents with neurological conditions. CONCLUSIONS This study sought to develop more understanding of the relationship among parenting stress, coping, and anxiety or depressive symptoms in parent of children hospitalized in a pediatric neurorehabilitation care unit. We suggest that examining parents may increase our understanding of the interplay between child and parent functioning in families with children admitted for the first time to a pediatric neurorehabilitation care unit. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT Identify these predictors might help professionals to develop screening procedures to identify parent at high risk for anxiety or depression, and to conduct early interventions to reduce uncertainty and maladaptive coping strategies that may influences rehabilitation process.
Metabolic Surgery Reduces the Risk of Progression From Chronic Kidney Disease to Kidney Failure.

INTRODUCTION According to the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium (CKD-PC), 1 in 4 patients age ≥ 65 in North America has some form of chronic kidney disease (CKD), while 3 in 100 will progress to kidney failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether bariatric surgery alters the progression of CKD to kidney failure in patients who are severely obese. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of all patients who underwent bariatric surgery at our institution over the last 16 years. Kidney function and injury were assessed using the average estimated glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) over 3 months preoperatively and postoperative at 12-month follow-up. The risk of progression from CKD to kidney failure was assessed using the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium (CKD-PC) equation. RESULTS Out of 2924 patients reviewed over this period of time, 69 (2.4%) had the recorded data necessary to assess kidney injury and the risk of disease progression to kidney failure. Patients within moderate and severe stages of CKD-related albuminuria improved the most at 12-month follow-up (by 48% and 79%; P = 0.0001 and P = 0.025, respectively). This translated to a relative risk reduction for progression to kidney failure in CKD ≥ stage 3 patients of 70% at 2 years and 60% at 5 years (both P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Bariatric surgery seems to improve kidney injury, especially among patients with the most severe stages of CKD. Marked 2- and 5-year risk reduction in the progression from CKD to kidney failure was observed.
Decoupled Six-Axis Force–Moment Sensor with a Novel Strain Gauge Arrangement and Error Reduction Techniques

In this study, a novel strain gauge arrangement and error reduction techniques were proposed to minimize crosstalk reading and simultaneously increase sensitivity on a decoupled six-axis force–moment (F/M) sensor. The calibration process that comprises the least squares method and error reduction techniques was implemented to obtain a robust decoupling matrix. A decoupling matrix is very crucial for minimizing error and crosstalk. A novel strain gauge arrangement that comprised double parallel strain gauges in the decoupled six-axis force–moment sensor was implemented to obtain high sensitivity. The experimental results revealed that the maximum calibration error, F/M sensor measurement error, and crosstalk readings were reduced to 3.91%, 1.78%, and 4.78%, respectively.
Minor hallucinations in Parkinson disease

Objective Psychosis is one of the most debilitating complications of Parkinson disease (PD). Although research on PD psychosis has been focused on the study of well-structured visual hallucinations (VH), currently accepted National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke–National Institute of Mental Health diagnostic criteria emphasize minor hallucinations (MH) as the most common psychotic phenomena in PD. The objective of this review is to comprehensively describe the clinical and research advances on the understanding of MH and to provide future directions for obtaining further insights into their potential major implications for PD management and prognosis. Methods A PubMed search was done in November 2018 to identify articles on minor psychotic phenomena in PD. Results MH often precede the onset of well-structured VH and are associated with other nonmotor symptoms such as REM sleep behavior disorder and depression. The pattern of functional brain connectivity changes associated with MH involve visual-processing areas and attention control networks, which overlap with abnormalities described in patients with well-structured VH. The dysfunction of cortical networks in patients with MH may be an early indicator of a more widespread form of the disease. Conclusion Although called “minor,” MH may have major clinical and prognostic implications. Further research is needed to establish whether MH are associated with a higher risk of disabling psychotic complications, cognitive deterioration, or a more accelerated disease progression. Understanding the early neurobiological underpinnings of MH may provide the background for future studies to identify the progressive dysfunction of neural circuits leading to more severe forms of psychosis in PD.
Aquatic microbial diversity associated with faecal pollution of Norwegian waterbodies characterized by 16S rRNA gene amplicon deep sequencing

Faecal contamination is one of the major factors affecting biological water quality. In this study, we investigated microbial taxonomic diversity of faecally polluted lotic ecosystems in Norway. These ecosystems comprise tributaries of drinking water reservoirs with moderate and high faecal contamination levels, an urban creek exposed to extremely high faecal pollution and a rural creek that was the least faecally polluted. The faecal water contamination had both anthropogenic and zoogenic origins identified through quantitative microbial source tracking applying host‐specific Bacteroidales 16S rRNA genetic markers. The microbial community composition revealed that Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes (70–90% relative abundance) were the most dominant bacterial phyla, followed by Firmicutes, especially in waters exposed to anthropogenic faecal contamination. The core archaeal community consisted of Parvarchaeota (mainly in the tributaries of drinking water reservoirs) and Crenarchaeota (in the rural creek). The aquatic microbial diversity was substantially reduced in water with severe faecal contamination. In addition, the community compositions diverge between waters with dominant anthropogenic or zoogenic pollution origins. These findings present novel interpretations of the effect of anthropo‐zoogenic faecal water contamination on microbial diversity in lotic ecosystems.
Anesthetic Consideration for Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy

A recent achalasia guideline suggests that peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a safe option for achalasia that is as effective as Heller myotomy. It is recommended that POEM should be performed under general anesthesia. The incidence of adverse events such as bleeding, perforation, and carbon dioxide insufflation-related complications was lower in POEM under endotracheal general anesthesia than in POEM under sedation. Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumoperitoneum, and accompanying hemodynamic instability can be caused by carbon dioxide insufflation. Treatment of possible physiological changes and adverse events during the POEM procedure from the point of view of anesthesiologists may give endoscopists a new perspective on improving patient safety. The territory of therapeutic endoscopy can be expanded through cooperation with other departments, including anesthesia services. Efforts to understand different perspectives will certainly help not only secure patient safety but also expand the area of treatment.
Study protocol for the validation of a new patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) of listening effort in cochlear implantation: the Listening Effort Questionnaire-Cochlear Implant (LEQ-CI)

Introduction Listening effort may be defined as the cognitive resources needed to understand an auditory message. A sustained requirement for listening effort is known to have a negative impact on individuals’ sense of social connectedness, well-being and quality of life. A number of hearing-specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) exist currently; however, none adequately assess listening effort as it is experienced in the listening situations of everyday life. The Listening Effort Questionnaire-Cochlear Implant (LEQ-CI) is a new, hearing-specific PROM designed to assess perceived listening effort as experienced by adult CI patients. It is the aim of this study to conduct the first psychometric evaluation of the LEQ-CI’s measurement properties. Methods and analysis This study is a phased, prospective, multi-site validation study in a UK population of adults with severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss who meet local candidacy criteria for CI. In phase 1, 250 CI patients from four National Health Service CI centres will self-complete a paper version of the LEQ-CI. Factor analysis will establish unidimensionality and Rasch analysis will evaluate item fit, differential item functioning, response scale ordering, targeting of persons and items, and reliability. Classical test theory methods will assess acceptability/data completeness, scaling assumptions, targeting and internal consistency reliability. Phase 1 results will inform refinements to the LEQ-CI. In phase 2, a new sample of adult CI patients (n=100) will self-complete the refined LEQ-CI, the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale, the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire and the Fatigue Assessment Scale to assess construct validity. Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board/Swansea University Joint Study Review Committee and the Newcastle and North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee, Ref: 18/NE/0320. Dissemination will be in high-quality journals, conference presentations and SEH’s doctoral dissertation.
An experimental, ultra-high-Q, VHF receiver front-end

Techniques recently reported for implementing Q-enhanced monolithic LC bandpass filters are applied to the design of an experimental, low power, ultra-high-Q, VHF receiver front-end. The front-end circuitry includes a tunable, second-order, Q-enhanced preselect filter, followed by a conventional four quadrant active mixer. Received signals at VHF frequencies are translated to a low (/spl les/1 MHz) IF in a single down conversion. Image rejections approaching 50 dB are obtained without the need for quadrature mixing by operating the preselect filter at an enhanced Q of 10000. The important issues of dynamic range and filter tuning are considered and experimental results are reported for a prototype IC fabricated in a 2 /spl mu/m BiCMOS process.
An Unsupervised Neural Network Method for Age Group Estimation using Facial Features

Age estimation from facial features is an important research subject in the field of face recognition. It is an active research area that can be used in wide range of applications such as surveillance and security, telecommunication and digital libraries, human-computer intelligent interaction, and smart environment. This paper developed an unsupervised neural network by using a Self – Organizing Feature Map (SOFM) to estimate age group from facial features. The face images were divided into eight different age groups ranging from babies, young teenagers, mid teenagers, teenagers, young adults, mid adults, young old and old and SOFM was used to estimate the age group from the input face image. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to extract the facial features and the extracted features were presented to the SOFM for training and testing. The developed system was experimented with 630 face images with different ages from the FG-NET database. 450 samples were used for training while 180 were used for testing. The results showed a training time of 116.333 seconds and an accuracy of 92.2%.