Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Obesity and overweight in Children below 5 years of age: Environmental, Behavioural and Social Factors and Their Active Use in Prevention and Management

Introduction: Early childhood is a critical time for obesity prevention. Children are developing taste preferences, learning to walk and play. They eagerly mimick both the healthy and unhealthy behavior of their parents, siblings and caregivers. Obesity during early childhood is a major health concern of the developed world and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Unfortunately, overweight, and obese children often stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop many non-communicable diseases at a younger age. Important environmental and socioeconomic factors play a significant role in the initiation and progression of early childhood obesity. In this minireview, we try to shed light on the published data exploring various relevant issues, including possible etiologic factors in this target population at risk (children below 5 years) that may enable the initiation of early and effective policy and tactics for the prevention and management of this problem, particularly in high-risk communities. Methods: We examined the English language literature (Pubmed, Google scholar, and Cochrane library ) on the environmental and socioeconomic factors that appeared to be important in the pathogenesis of early obesity in children for the past 20 years. Inclusion criteria were obesity and overweight in young children below 5 years of age. Results: Education, income, and urbanization, food environments and increased energy intake through consumption of fatty foods and a high sugar diet as well as parental effects through conveying their behaviors, attitudes, and feeding styles to their children appear to be among the most important factors that contribute to the initiation and progression of obesity in young children. Overfeeding preterms and small for gestational age infants, using artificial milk formula, and early addition of solid foods play a considerable share in inducing early obesity. In addition, lack of health education to parents and children, poor health care, and scarcity of access to physical activity are important risk factors in poor populations. Conclusions: Many important social and environmental factors can actively contribute to the production and progression of early childhood obesity. These factors differ considerably among different populations. Understanding these factors is essential for appropriate and early prevention as well as management of early childhood obesity, especially in high risk communities.
A novel QoE assessment method for wireless networks

Multimedia services are most attractive services for users in wireless networks. And the QoE (Quality of Experience) is fairly significance for both operators and users. However, currently the QoE metrics and related data collected from mobile devices haven't been ascertained, and the QoE assessment system is one-sided. Besides, architecture to measure such QoE metrics is deficient. To improve it, we presented a novel QoE assessment method: firstly, we extract a few original data from the mobile devices, and propose several QoE metrics sets correspondingly; secondly, we establish an integrated assessment method to assess the service quality, which explores the correlations among different QoE metrics sets; thirdly, we propose a measurement architecture to measure the defined QoE metrics based on mobile devices. At last, we validate the assessment method in UMTS with VoD service. Suggestions are given for operators to tackle with different network conditions in order to obtain a better service quality.
Sedation in pediatric dentistry, an overview and current update

Introduction: Conscious sedation is a technique of administering sedatives or dissociative agents with or without analgesics to induce a state that allows the patient to tolerate unpleasant procedures. Objective: To analyze the literature on the types of sedation and the different drugs that can be used such as midazolam, dexmedetomidine, propofol, and nitrous oxide. Methodology: A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar using such as sedation, oxide. Results: The types of sedation are minimal, moderate, and general anesthesia, these are important in order to provide the best option according to the patient's age, condition and level of anxiety. Oral midazolam is usually used as a premedication causing good behavior, patient cooperation and decreased anxiety. Dexmedetomidine has anxiolytic, analgesic effects and little postoperative agitation. Propofol has a fast effect, short duration and fast elimination helping dentists to carry out dental treatments; as well as nitrous oxide, these two are preferred by parents. Conclusion: The best drug for sedation in pediatric dentistry is nitrous oxide because it is preferred by parents for being safe, effective, with minimal side effects and gives a good working time, it can be used in patients with special needs, with excessive anxiety or behavioral disorders making it a good alternative for sedation.
Incorporating Linear Regression Problems Into an Adaptive Framework With Feasible Optimizations

Accompanied with the increasing popularity of linear regression approaches, most of the existing minimization problems are related with several convex measurements, e.g., <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _{1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>/<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>/<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _{2,1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>-norm of a vector and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$L_{1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>/<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$L_{2,1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>/Frobenius/nuclear norm of a matrix, where the regularized function and the loss function are usually studied for two objective terms case by case, respectively. To address this issue, this work combines these linear regression problems into a unified expression framework by employing an adaptive and flexible function, in which we need to choose different variable elements and adjust an inner parameter, properly. Besides this, they are equipped with some corresponding relationships and their interesting properties. Intuitively speaking, the proposed framework can generalize several traditional linear regression formulations and even more complex ones into an extended representation. For further optimizations, an iteratively re-weighted penalty solution (IRwPS) is devised without any inner loops, making the iteration programming easy to perform. Meanwhile, the theoretical results are provided for guaranteeing that the mathematical convergence analysis is solid and meaningful. Finally, by performing real-world applications in supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised tasks, numerical experiments are conducted to validate the theoretical properties and the superiority over some of the state-of-the-art.
Distribution of Smart Solutions for External Lighting in Switzerland - Case C2 Smartlight Ltd.

Author: Yulia Vishtal Title of thesis: Distribution of Smart Solutions for External Lighting in Switzerland Case C2 SmartLight Ltd. Year of completion: 2016 Place: Lappeenranta Master’s Thesis. Lappeenranta University of Technology. Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management. 86 pages, 16 figures and 15 tables. 1 Supervisor: Professor Asta Salmi
Intravital Imaging with Two-Photon Microscopy: A Look into the Kidney

Fluorescence microscopy has represented a crucial technique to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms in the field of biomedicine. However, the conventional one-photon microscopy exhibits many limitations when living samples are imaged. The new technologies, including two-photon microscopy (2PM), have considerably improved the in vivo study of pathophysiological processes, allowing the investigators to overcome the limits displayed by previous techniques. 2PM enables the real-time intravital imaging of the biological functions in different organs at cellular and subcellular resolution thanks to its improved laser penetration and less phototoxicity. The development of more sensitive detectors and long-wavelength fluorescent dyes as well as the implementation of semi-automatic software for data analysis allowed to gain insights in essential physiological functions, expanding the frontiers of cellular and molecular imaging. The future applications of 2PM are promising to push the intravital microscopy beyond the existing limits. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state-of-the-art methods of intravital microscopy, focusing on the most recent applications of 2PM in kidney physiology.
Trends in Location of Death Among Older Adult Americans After Falls

Introduction: Fall-related mortality is increasing among older adults, yet trends and changes in the location of fall-attributed deaths are unknown; additionally, potential disparities are understudied. Methods: To assess trends/factors associated with place of death among older adult fall deaths in the US, a cross-sectional analysis of deaths using mortality data from 2003–2017 was performed. Results: Most deaths occurred in hospitals, however, the proportion decreased from 66.4% (n = 9,095) to 50.7% (n = 15,817). The proportion occurring in nursing facilities decreased from 15.9% (n = 2175) to 15.3% (n = 4,778), while deaths at home and in hospice facilities increased. Male, Black, Native American, and married decedents had increased odds of hospital death. Conclusion: As fall deaths increase among older adults, end-of-life needs of this population deserve increased attention. Research should explore needs and preferences of older adults who experience falls and their caregivers to reduce disparities in place of death and to ensure high quality of care is received.
Evaluation of Mechanical and Microstructural Properties and Global Warming Potential of Green Concrete with Wheat Straw Ash and Silica Fume

Cement and concrete are among the major contributors to CO2 emissions in modern society. Researchers have been investigating the possibility of replacing cement with industrial waste in concrete production to reduce its environmental impact. Therefore, the focus of this paper is on the effective use of wheat straw ash (WSA) together with silica fume (SF) as a cement substitute to produce high-performance and sustainable concrete. Different binary and ternary mixes containing WSA and SF were investigated for their mechanical and microstructural properties and global warming potential (GWP). The current results indicated that the binary and ternary mixes containing, respectively, 20% WSA (WSA20) and 33% WSA together with 7% SF (WSA33SF7) exhibited higher strengths than that of control mix and other binary and ternary mixes. The comparative lower apparent porosity and water absorption values of WSA20 and WSA33SF7 among all mixes also validated the findings of their higher strength results. Moreover, SEM–EDS and FTIR analyses has revealed the presence of dense and compact microstructure, which are mostly caused by formation of high-density calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and calcium hydroxide (C-H) phases in both blends. FTIR and TGA analyses also revealed a reduction in the portlandite phase in these mixes, causing densification of microstructures and pores. Additionally, N2 adsorption isotherm analysis demonstrates that the pore structure of these mixes has been densified as evidenced by a reduction in intruded volume and a rise in BET surface area. Furthermore, both mixes had lower CO2-eq intensity per MPa as compared to control, which indicates their significant impact on producing green concretes through their reduced GWPs. Thus, this research shows that WSA alone or its blend with SF can be considered as a source of revenue for the concrete industry for developing high-performance and sustainable concretes.
Predictors of Uncertainty and Unwillingness to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine in Men Who Have Sex with Men in France

The development of vaccines against COVID-19 has given hope to populations. Public acceptability of vaccination is a major driver in containing the disease. However, in marginalized and stigmatized populations, uncertainty and unwillingness may be a challenge. This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with uncertainty and unwillingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 in men who have sex with men (MSM) living in France. The data used came from Rapport au Sexe (ERAS) 2021, a voluntary, cross-sectional, anonymous, self-administered, online survey conducted from 26 February to 11 April 2021. Among the 15,426 respondents included in the analysis, 60.5% were willing to vaccinate (these included persons already vaccinated), 17.5% were not, and 22% were uncertain. Factors independently associated with uncertainty and unwillingness were lower education level, low health literacy level, financial hardship, being under 30 years of age, and living in a rural area. HIV-positive MSM were less likely to report vaccination uncertainty and unwillingness than HIV-negative MSM and those with unknown serostatus. Although more impacted by COVID-19, socioeconomically vulnerable MSM were the sub-group most unwilling to vaccinate. To improve acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination in MSM, policy makers and researchers must increase access to and understanding of medical information by considering the general public’s health literacy when developing information sources. Moreover, a dedicated global care approach, which ensures these populations can be reached, is necessary.
Dynamic RFID Network Optimization Using a Self-adaptive Bacterial Foraging Algorithm

Due to the low cost and simple deployment, radio frequency identification (RFID) systems are used in a variety of applications to uniquely identify physical objects. However, a number of critical design issues relating to dynamic determination of the optimal placement of RFID readers remain unresolved. In this paper, we address two important problems associated with reader location in RFID networks: (i) reader collision avoidance; (ii) optimal tag coverage. This paper, therefore, aims to use a successful swarm intelligence technique called self-adaptive bacterial foraging optimization (SABFO) to optimize both the reader-to-reader interference and tag coverage problems in RFID networks. The optimization results are also compared with the classical bacterial foraging optimization (BFO) algorithm. Numerical results for a RFID network case with ten readers have been presented to demonstrate the performance of the SABFO algorithm.
A Decision-Support Framework for Design of Non-Residential Net-Zero Energy Buildings

Virginia Tech IRB: Project # 12-819 Approved on 10/04/2012 Designing Net-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) is a complex and collaborative team process involving knowledge sharing of experts leading to the common goal of meeting the Net-Zero Energy (NZE) project objectives. The decisions made in the early stages of design drastically affect the final outcome of design and energy goals. The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is pursuing ways to improve the current building design process and project delivery methods for NZEBs. To enable the building industry to improve the building design process, it is important to identify the gaps, ways of improvement and potential opportunities to structure the decision-making process for the purpose of NZE performance outcome. It is essential to identify the iterative phases of design decisions between the integrated team of experts for the design processes conducted in these early stages to facilitate the decision-making of NZEB design. The lack of a structured approach to help the AEC industry in making informed decisions for the NZEB context establishes the need to evaluate the argumentation of the NZEB design decision process. The first step in understanding the NZEB design decision process is to map the current processes in practice that have been successful in achieving the NZE goal. Since the energy use performance goal drives the design process, this research emphasizes first the need to document, in detail, and investigate the current NZEB design process with knowledge mapping techniques to develop an improved process specific to NZEB context. In order to meet this first objective, this research qualitatively analyzed four NZEB case studies that informed decision-making in the early design phases. The four components that were studied in the early design phases included (1) key stakeholders involved (roles played), (2) phases of assessments (design approach), (3) processes (key processes, sub-processes and design activities affecting performance) and (4) technology (knowledge type and flow). A series of semi-structured, open ended interviews were conducted with the key decision
The Effect of Ramps in Temperature and Electric Light Level on Office Occupants: A Literature Review and a Laboratory Experiment

When electricity demand has the potential to exceed supply, brownouts or blackouts may occur. Utilities may take steps to deliver additional power, or to reduce demand. The latter case may involve commercial buildings shedding load when prompted by the electrical utility. For example, lighting may be dimmed, and (in the cooling season) setpoint temperatures increased. However, this may degrade the indoor environment relative to prevailing operational guidelines. Although this may be a reasonable alternative to a blackout, it is still desirable to minimize negative effects on occupants. We reviewed the literature on the effect of steady changes (ramps) in temperature and illuminance from electric light on occupants. Results related to temperature suggest that changes typically associated with load shedding (around 1.5 o C over 2-3 hours) are unlikely to be detected by occupants, and if detected, would likely be acceptable in the circumstances. Studies of rapid changes in illuminance (of the order of 10-100 lx/s) suggest that illuminance can decline by up to 20% without being detected. With slower rates of change (1 lx/s or less), greater reductions in illuminance may remain undetected, and acceptable. However, studies to date have focused on detectability and acceptability of ramps, little is known about the wider effects on occupants. Further, existing studies have examined ramps in temperature and lighting independently, rather than in combination. We conducted a controlled laboratory study to address these shortcomings. Sixty-two Participants spent a day in a full-scale office laboratory, completing questionnaires and standard office tasks. One group of participants was exposed to a simulated load shed in the afternoon: workstation illuminance was reduced by 2 %/min, and temperature increased by ~1.5 o C over a 2.5 hour period; another group experienced no load shed. Analyses suggest that the group experiencing the simulated load shed experienced both positive and negative effects on satisfaction or performance. On balance, our findings suggest that load shedding typical of current suggested practice is a reasonable response to peak power emergencies. Indoor environment conditions may drift from recommended practice, but this is unlikely to create substantial hardships for occupants.
Early Interventions to Prevent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Youth after Exposure to a Potentially Traumatic Event: A Scoping Review

The worldwide occurrence of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) in the life of children is highly frequent. We aimed to identify studies on early mental health interventions implemented within three months of the child/adolescent’s exposure to a PTE, with the aim of reducing acute post-traumatic symptoms, decreasing long term PTSD, and improving the child’s adjustment after a PTE exposure. The search was performed in PubMed and EMBASE databases resulting in twenty-seven articles meeting our inclusion criteria. Most non-pharmacological interventions evaluated had in common two complementary components: psychoeducation content for both children and parents normalizing early post-traumatic responses while identifying post-traumatic symptoms; and coping strategies to deal with post-traumatic symptoms. Most of these interventions studied yielded positive results on outcomes with a decrease in post-traumatic, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. However, negative results were noted when traumatic events were still ongoing (war, political violence) as well as when there was no or little parental involvement. This study informs areas for future PTSD prevention research and raises awareness of the importance of psychoeducation and coping skills building in both youth and their parents in the aftermath of a traumatic event, to strengthen family support and prevent the occurrence of enduring post-traumatic symptoms.
The Effect of Variations in the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio on the Length of Postoperative ICU Stay in Cases Diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries

Objectives: In this context, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of variations in the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio on the length of post-operative intensive care unit (ICU) stay in cases that were diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and who subsequently underwent arterial switch operation (ASO). Methods: This study was conducted with newborns that were diagnosed with TGA, followed up in the pediatric cardiac ICU, and who underwent ASO between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. Variations in neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were recorded before and after the operation (day 1, 2, and 3). The primary endpoint was deemed as the prolonged post-operative ICU stay. For the purposes of this study, a prolonged post-operative ICU stay (PCILOS) was defined as a post-operative ICU stay that falls within the 25 th percentile of the lengths of stay with the most extended durations. Results: The patient group comprised 45 patients. The median age of the patients was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 2-7) days, and the median operation weight was 3000 (IQR 2800-3100) grams. Of the patients included in the study, 51% were male, and 49% were female. Median duration on a mechanical ventilator, the median length of ICU stay, and median length of hospital stay were 48 (IQR 24-96) hours, 6 (IQR 5-12) days, and 12 (IQR 10-16) days, respectively. PCILOS duration was determined
Advantages and problems of wideband radar

The paper addresses the definition, properties and modeling requirements of wideband and ultra-wideband radars. It begins by establishing the criteria by which the designation 'wideband' might be specified, since the common definition based purely on relative bandwidth fails to invoke some important associations. Next, the role of simulation is discussed and a representative simulation environment is described. The advantages and disadvantages of increasing the signal bandwidth are then evaluated quantitatively in the context of signal detection, parameter measurement, and the recognition of aerial target classes and types, with reference to specific classes of interest. In practice, certain other issues arise, including the degree of immunity to interference and electromagnetic compatibility. These topics are discussed in terms of their dependence on signal bandwidth and the associated signal acquisition and processing. In addition, an emerging problem is the need to take into account the possibility of signal exploitation and LPI (low probability of intercept). The essence of the theory of unauthorized signal detection that limits the LPI possibilities is briefly considered.