Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An online survey of young adolescent girls' use of the internet and smartphone apps for mental health support

Background Adolescents are digital natives, with the majority now owning their own smartphones and having internet access. Although the internet and smartphone applications (apps) can provide mental health support, little is known about how young adolescents use digital technology for mental health purposes. There are many digital health resources available for young people, but the assumption that they will be open to use them has been largely untested. Aims We aimed to explore how adolescents with and without raised symptoms of anxiety, depression and problematic eating use the internet on smartphones/tablets and mental health apps. Method The Bristol Online Survey tool was used to deliver an online survey to 775 girls aged 11–16 years, attending a state-funded secondary school in the south-west of England. The survey was completed in class during the winter term of 2017. Results A total of 98.7 and 97.4% used the internet and apps, respectively, although only 6% had used any mental health apps. Of those with raised mental health symptoms, 15–17% used or were using a mental health app, with 48.5% reporting that they would not use a mental health app. Conclusions Young female adolescents are avid users of the internet and apps but are not using digital technology for mental health purposes. Addressing concerns about digital technology are necessary to maximise the effect it can have on child and adolescent mental health. Declaration of interest None.
Dispersion of Recovery and Vulnerability to Re-entry in a Model of Human Atrial Tissue With Simulated Diffuse and Focal Patterns of Fibrosis

Fibrosis in atrial tissue can act as a substrate for persistent atrial fibrillation, and can be focal or diffuse. Regions of fibrosis are associated with slowed or blocked conduction, and several approaches have been used to model these effects. In this study a computational model of 2D atrial tissue was used to investigate how the spatial scale of regions of simulated fibrosis influenced the dispersion of action potential duration (APD) and vulnerability to re-entry in simulated normal human atrial tissue, and human tissue that has undergone remodeling as a result of persistent atrial fibrillation. Electrical activity was simulated in a 10 × 10 cm square 2D domain, with a spatially varying diffusion coefficient as described below. Cellular electrophysiology was represented by the Courtemanche model for human atrial cells, with the model parameters set for normal and remodeled cells. The effect of fibrosis was modeled with a smoothly varying diffusion coefficient, obtained from sampling a Gaussian random field (GRF) with length scales of between 1.25 and 10.0 mm. Twenty samples were drawn from each field, and used to allocate a value of diffusion coefficient between 0.05 and 0.2 mm2/ms. Dispersion of APD was assessed in each sample by pacing at a cycle length of 1,000 ms, followed by a premature beat with a coupling interval of 400 ms. Vulnerability to re-entry was assessed with an aggressive pacing protocol with pacing cycle lengths decreasing from 450 to 250 ms in 25 ms intervals for normal tissue and 300–150 ms for remodeled tissue. Simulated fibrosis at smaller spatial scales tended to lengthen APD, increase APD dispersion, and increase vulnerability to sustained re-entry relative to fibrosis at larger spatial scales. This study shows that when fibrosis is represented by smoothly varying tissue diffusion, the spatial scale of fibrosis has important effects on both dispersion of recovery and vulnerability to re-entry.
The Association of Helicobacter pylori Seropositivity with All-Cause Mortality among Colorectal Cancer Patients Undergoing PET/CT Scans.

BACKGROUND Evidence has been emerging that Helicobacter pylori may also impact colorectal cancer (CRC). Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging can predict overall survival in CRC patients. OBJECTIVES To determine a possible association between H. pylori seropositivity and all-cause mortality among CRC patients evaluated by PET/CT scans. METHODS This prospective cohort study was comprised of 110 consecutive CRC patients who had undergone a PET/CT evaluation in a tertiary academic medical center. Data included demographics, body mass index (BMI), tumor node metastasis stage at diagnosis, treatment, time from diagnosis to PET/CT, and PET/CT findings. All patients were tested for anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and followed for 36 months from the day of the PET/CT scan. Mortality was documented. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of H. pylori serological status. RESULTS During the follow-up period, of the 110 CRC patients 41 (37.3%) died and 69 (62.7%) survived. Of the 41 patients, 26 (63.4%) were H. pylori seropositive and 15 (36.6%) were seronegative. Multivariate analysis showed that H. pylori seropositivity was associated with increased mortality (HR 3.46, 95% confidence interval 1.63-7.32), stage IV at diagnosis, metastatic disease found on PET/CT, longer time from diagnosis to PET/CT, lower BMI, and older age. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that H. pylori infection may be a risk factor for all-cause mortality among CRC patients who are evaluated by PET/CT. Multicenter studies with larger patient groups are needed to conﬁrm our ﬁndings.
Welding strength of NiTi wires

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the appropriate power level for electric welding of three commercial brands of nickel-titanium (NiTi) wires. Methods: Ninety pairs of 0.018-in and 0.017 × 0.025-in NiTi wires were divided into three groups according to their manufacturers - GI (Orthometric, Marília, Brazil), GII (3M OralCare, St. Paul, CA) and GIII (GAC,York, PA) - and welded by electrical resistance. Each group was divided into subgroups of 5 pairs of wires, in which welding was done with different power levels. In GI and GII, power levels of 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 and 5 were used, while in GIII 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 were used (each unit of power of the welding machine representing 500W). The pairs of welded wires underwent a tensile strength test on an universal testing machine until rupture and the maximum forces were recorded. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests were conducted to determine which subgroup within each brand group had the greatest resistance to rupture. Results: The 2.5 power exhibited the lowest resistance to rupture in all groups (43.75N for GI, 28.41N for GII and 47.57N for GIII) while the 4.0 power provided the highest resistance in GI and GII (97.90N and 99.61N, respectively), while in GIII (79.28N) the highest resistance was achieved with a 3.5 power welding. Conclusions: The most appropriate power for welding varied for each brand, being 4.0 for Orthometric and 3M, and 3.5 for GAC NiTi wires.
Communicating Intent of Automated Vehicles to Pedestrians

While traffic signals, signs, and road markings provide explicit guidelines for those operating in and around the roadways, some decisions, such as determinations of “who will go first,” are made by implicit negotiations between road users. In such situations, pedestrians are today often dependent on cues in drivers’ behavior such as eye contact, postures, and gestures. With the introduction of more automated functions and the transfer of control from the driver to the vehicle, pedestrians cannot rely on such non-verbal cues anymore. To study how the interaction between pedestrians and automated vehicles (AVs) might look like in the future, and how this might be affected if AVs were to communicate their intent to pedestrians, we designed an external vehicle interface called automated vehicle interaction principle (AVIP) that communicates vehicles’ mode and intent to pedestrians. The interaction was explored in two experiments using a Wizard of Oz approach to simulate automated driving. The first experiment was carried out at a zebra crossing and involved nine pedestrians. While it focused mainly on assessing the usability of the interface, it also revealed initial indications related to pedestrians’ emotions and perceived safety when encountering an AV with/without the interface. The second experiment was carried out in a parking lot and involved 24 pedestrians, which enabled a more detailed assessment of pedestrians’ perceived safety when encountering an AV, both with and without the interface. For comparison purposes, these pedestrians also encountered a conventional vehicle. After a short training course, the interface was deemed easy for the pedestrians to interpret. The pedestrians stated that they felt significantly less safe when they encountered the AV without the interface, compared to the conventional vehicle and the AV with the interface. This suggests that the interface could contribute to a positive experience and improved perceived safety in pedestrian encounters with AVs – something that might be important for general acceptance of AVs. As such, this topic should be further investigated in future studies involving a larger sample and more dynamic conditions.
Can Low- and Middle-Income Countries Increase Domestic Fiscal Space for Health: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Assess Possible Sources of Expansion

Abstract—There has not been a systematic effort to synthesize findings of domestic fiscal space for health (DFSH) assessments, despite the existence of a commonly applied conceptual framework. To fill this gap and provide support to policy makers designing health financing policies toward universal health coverage (UHC), this study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the scope of possible sources of DFSH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). First, the findings of 28 studies assessing DFSH in LMICs were reviewed. A quantitative assessment was then conducted to assess potential expansion from increased tax revenues, a greater prioritization of health in the overall budget, and improved technical efficiency of health spending in a sample of 64 LMICs. The analysis found that macroeconomic conditions and budget prioritization are the key sources of DFSH expansion in 90% of the reviewed studies. Improved efficiency was referenced as having high potential for DFSH expansion in 60% of the studies. The quantitative analysis converged with these findings and further confirmed that an increase in tax revenues is, on average, the largest source of potential DFSH expansion (95% confidence interval [CI], 60%, 96%) in the studied countries. However, even without injecting new revenues, reprioritization of budget and technical efficiency improvements could significantly expand DFSH (95% CI, 77%, 102%). While highlighting the critical role played by fiscal conditions and tax policies, the study provides strong rationale for explicitly incorporating efficiency as a core source of DFSH in a more systematic manner in future assessments.
Metrics for access network selection

Today, most mobile devices can connect to the Internet via multiple access networks. To make an informed choice of which network to use, a host requires accurate and up to date performance metrics. However, so far such network characteristics are typically not readily available and can be highly volatile. We explore what performance metrics are available on a host by monitoring and aggregating them within our Socket Intents prototype. These metrics then feed into our access network selection policies to improve page load time in a testbed emulating various network characteristics. We find that minimum and median Smoothed Round Trip Time and maximum observed download rate are useful metrics in the sense that they enable us to speed up web page load times by up to 65% compared to using a single interface.
Reconsidering Panmixia: The Erosion of Phylogeographic Barriers Due to Anthropogenic Transport and the Incorporation of Biophysical Models as a Solution

For hundreds of millions of years, the biogeography of many marine species has been shaped by geological events at various times throughout Earth’s history (Palumbi, 1996). The allopatric barriers that have emerged as a result of these long processes have contributed to the stunning diversity that exists in the world’s oceans. Since the early works of John Avise and his proposal of using genes to assess biogeographical patterns of species i.e., “phylogeography” (Avise, 2008), marine ecologists have become heavily reliant on genetic data to investigate species dispersal on both global and regional scales. This involves the development of complex statistical models to measure everything from population structure andmigration rates to divergence times. One reason for this popularity is due to the difficulty in tracking individual organisms in vast ocean basins, especially species that produce thousands to millions of offspring per female, which are then carried off by ocean currents (Levin, 2006 and references therein). Phylogeography has also been used in important applications such as the designing of marine protected areas (MPAs) (Von der Heyden et al., 2014), genetic assessment of fish stocks (Carvalho and Hauser, 1994), and tracking the spread of invasive species (Rius et al., 2015). Despite its popularity, phylogeographic assessments remain an indirect method of determining biogeographic patterns. It is limited because the statistical algorithms used, regardless of how complex they are, cannot completely incorporate the dynamic nature of the marine environment i.e., the “seascape” (Selkoe et al., 2008, 2010). Here, I discuss one of the limitations of marine phylogeography that has not attracted much attention in the literature but is of particular importance due to the contemporary issue of biological invasions. This is the inability of molecular data to effectively detect panmixia due to the dilution and subsequent erosion of phylogeographic barriers caused by multiple introductory events. Also proposed is a solution for dealing with this issue which includes a combination of the traditional genetic approaches coupled with high resolution biophysical models.
Pediatric Massive Transfusion: A Systematic Review

Introduction Balanced resuscitation of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells is now recognized as improving outcomes in traumatic bleeding in adults. The correct approach in children has yet to be determined. Methods We performed a systematic review of the literature into transfusion protocols in traumatic hemorrhage in children by conducting an article search of significant databases to identify relevant articles. Studies of interest included interventional trials with comparisons relating to the transfusion of blood including blood component therapy. The search identified 422 articles of interest, the abstracts of which were independently reviewed by 2 authors for inclusion in the trial. This revealed 35 articles, the full texts of which were reviewed. There were no randomized controlled trials and 4 nonrandomized trials with a further 21 articles that were deemed relevant. The data were insufficient for meta-analysis, and so a descriptive analysis was performed. Results There were 4 main trials. Two trials were small (approximately 100 patients) nonrandomized trials into pediatric hemorrhage managed as per a massive transfusion protocol or at physician discretion. One was a retrospective analysis of pediatric trauma patients who received red blood cell transfusion with differing platelet ratios, and one was a trauma database review of component ratios in hemorrhaging children. All 4 trials found increased ratios had no effect on mortality. Discussion As well as blood component therapy, adjunctive therapies used in the management of bleeding children are discussed. These include tranexamic acid, viscoelastic hemostatic assays, factor VIIa, and fibrinogen use. Conclusions There is little evidence for improved outcomes using component-based transfusion in a rigid 1:1:1 strategy in children. A goal-directed approach using viscoelastic hemostatic assay–guided treatment with early institution of tranexamic acid and fibrinogen replacement is considered the way forward.
Localization of the Epileptogenic Zone Using Interictal MEG and Machine Learning in a Large Cohort of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy Patients

Objective: Epilepsy surgery results in seizure freedom in the majority of drug-resistant patients. To improve surgery outcome we studied whether MEG metrics combined with machine learning can improve localization of the epileptogenic zone, thereby enhancing the chance of seizure freedom. Methods: Presurgical interictal MEG recordings of 94 patients (64 seizure-free >1y post-surgery) were analyzed to extract four metrics in source space: delta power, low-to-high-frequency power ratio, functional connectivity (phase lag index), and minimum spanning tree betweenness centrality. At the group level, we estimated the overlap of the resection area with the five highest values for each metric and determined whether this overlap differed between surgery outcomes. At the individual level, those metrics were used in machine learning classifiers (linear support vector machine (SVM) and random forest) to distinguish between resection and non-resection areas and between surgery outcome groups. Results: The highest values, for all metrics, overlapped with the resection area in more than half of the patients, but the overlap did not differ between surgery outcome groups. The classifiers distinguished the resection areas from non-resection areas with 59.94% accuracy (95% confidence interval: 59.67–60.22%) for SVM and 60.34% (59.98–60.71%) for random forest, but could not differentiate seizure-free from not seizure-free patients [43.77% accuracy (42.08–45.45%) for SVM and 49.03% (47.25–50.82%) for random forest]. Significance: All four metrics localized the resection area but did not distinguish between surgery outcome groups, demonstrating that metrics derived from interictal MEG correspond to expert consensus based on several presurgical evaluation modalities, but do not yet localize the epileptogenic zone. Metrics should be improved such that they correspond to the resection area in seizure-free patients but not in patients with persistent seizures. It is important to test such localization strategies at an individual level, for example by using machine learning or individualized models, since surgery is individually tailored.
Controlling Real Cloud Experiments from BGP to the Server (and Back)

One of the impediments in performing Internet routing research is the lack of infrastructure capable of supporting experiments with both control and realism. Measurement and experimentation platforms provide minimal control over routing, limited connectivity, and restrict what operations are available. Meanwhile, the proprietary nature of routing policies stymies simulations from providing realism. To address these deficiencies, we present the Peering Testbed, which is capable of safely providing both realism and control. Peering has a dozen PoPs on three continents, each participating in BGP sessions on the Internet. The system's novel approach to support experiments allows each experiment to quickly and easily customize its interaction with the Internet. We will demonstrate new features of the testbed: federating with other testbeds to enable experiments that span the network edge, WAN, and data center network in a unified manner without the need for traversing the public Internet. This allows researchers to create their own global network, with data centers, similar to that of cloud providers, with control over how traffic is delivered to and from services on the real Internet.
On the Duality and File Size Hierarchy of Fractional Repetition Codes

Distributed storage systems that deploy erasure codes can provide better features such as lower storage overhead and higher data reliability. In this paper, we focus on fractional repetition (FR) codes, which are a class of storage codes characterized by the features of uncoded exact repair and minimum repair bandwidth. We study the duality of FR codes, and investigate the relationship between the supported file size of an FR code and its dual code. Based on the established relationship, we derive an improved dual bound on the supported file size of FR codes. We further show that FR codes constructed from $t$-designs are optimal when the size of the stored file is sufficiently large. Moreover, we present the tensor product technique for combining FR codes, and elaborate on the file size hierarchy of resulting codes.
Photocrosslinking of G‐Quadruplex‐Forming Sequences found in Human Promoters

While is it well known that human telomeric DNA sequences can adopt G‐quadruplex structures, some promoters sequences have also been found to form G‐quadruplexes, and over 40% of promoters contain putative G‐quadruplex‐forming sequences. Because UV light has been shown to crosslink human telomeric G‐quadruplexes by cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) formation between T's on adjacent loops, UV light might also be able to photocrosslink G‐quadruplexes in promoters. To investigate this possibility, 15 potentially UV‐crosslinkable G‐quadruplex‐forming sequences found in a search of human DNA promoters were UVB irradiated in vitro, and three were confirmed to have formed nonadjacent CPDs by mass spectrometry. In addition to nonadjacent T=T CPDs found in human telomeric DNA, a nonadjacent T=U CPD was discovered that presumably arose from deamination of a nonadjacent T=C CPD. Analysis of the three sequences by circular dichroism, melting temperature analysis and chemical footprinting confirmed the presence of G‐quadruplexes that could explain the formation of the nonadjacent CPDs. The formation of nonadjacent CPDs from the sequences in vitro suggests that they might be useful probes for the presence of non‐B DNA structures, such as G‐quadruplexes, in vivo, and if they were to form in vivo, might also have significant biological consequences.
Differential Activation of the Left and Right Cerebral Hemispheres of Individuals Who Use or are Dependent on Drugs of Abuse

Introduction: The left and right cerebral hemispheres are not equivalent in performance of cognitive functions associated with risk factors of drug abuse, nor is their development equivalently affected by drugs of abuse. The question addressed here is whether drugs of abuse affect cognitive function as assessed by brain activation, in particular related to impulsivity, and/or whether weaker brain activation associated with impulsivity increases the risk of drug abuse. Methodology: Using PubMed and key words, articles were selected that addressed brain activation in individuals who used or abused one of the psychoactive drugs. Findings are summarized. Results: For each of the drugs, hypoactivation was found. In some cases this reduced activation was reported predominantly for the right or both hemispheres. There were fewer reports for the left hemisphere. Discussion and Conclusion: Rarely do authors focus on why only one or the other hemisphere is affected or why specific structures are affected. Neurobiological differences between the hemispheres and among various brain structures could provide clues to the specific effect of drugs. Increased attention to this gap in research will give additional insights into the etiology of drug abuse and provide direction for treatment.