Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mortality and comorbidities in patients with bronchiectasis over a 3-year follow-up

To identify the risk factors associated with all-cause mortality in patients with noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). This prospective cohort study included 120 adult patients with NCFB, who were regularly treated at a specialized outpatient clinic of a university hospital between January 2017 and June 2020. All patients were diagnosed using high-resolution computed tomography. Demographic and clinical data, pulmonary function tests, and the Euro-quality-of-life 5-domain 3-level questionnaire were analyzed. The factors associated with death were determined using the Cox proportional hazards model. The all-cause mortality rate at 41 months was 10.8%. Adjusted multivariate analysis showed that the main contributing predictors for mortality were female sex, smoking, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emergency visits, use of antibiotics due to exacerbation, secretion color change, exacerbation, predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second, predicted forced vital capacity, lack of respiratory physiotherapy, absence of vaccination against pneumococci, and mobility domain. Multiple factors contribute to unfavorable outcomes in patients with NCFB, and early recognition of these factors may improve care management.
DETERMINISTIC AND PROBABILISTIC DESIGN OF BREAKWATER ARMOUR LAYERS

At the Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, new formulas for the stability of rubble mound breakwaters under wave attack have been established. They include parameters such as the wave period, storm duration, and permeability of the structure, as well as a clearly defined damage level. A deterministic approach was used in drawing design graphs. The formulas have been rewritten in the form of reliability functions and can be used for probabilistic design.
Fuzzy Inference System Mamdani dalam Prediksi Produksi Kain Tenun Menggunakan Rule Berdasarkan Random Tree

Kain tenun merupakan salah satu produk yang diminati oleh banyak orang. Hal ini menjadi pemicu produsen untuk meningkatkan pengelolahannya. Salah satu usaha yang dilakukan adalah memprediksi produksi yang dapat dilakukan untuk mendapatkan jumlah optimal yang diperoleh, sehingga mendapatkan keuntungan yang besar. Dalam penelitian ini, untuk mendapatkan prediksi jumlah produksi kain tenun dilakukan dengan perhitungan komputerisasi menggunakan metode logika fuzzy Mamdani. Metode ini menggunakan konsep pohon keputusan random tree dalam membentuk rule. Rule yang dibuat berdasarkan pada kriteria dalam penentuan jumlah produksi kain tenun, diantaranya yaitu biaya produksi, permintaan, dan stok. Konsep pohon keputusan random tree dalam penelitian ini digunakan untuk membuat rule secara otomatis berdasarkan data yang tersedia. Pembentukan rule ini berdasarkan data-data kain tenun dan diimplementasikan dalam random tree, sehingga tidak perlu menggunakan pakar. Penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa prediksi yang dilakukan dapat membangun rule dengan nilai akurasi sebesar 100%. Hasil perbandingan prediksi dengan produksi sesungguhnya memiliki persentase error sebesar 3% dengan nilai kebenaran sebesar 97% (berdasarkan perhitungan Average Forecasting Error Rate (AFER)). Oleh karena itu ketika diimplementasikan dalam fuzzy Mamdani dapat menghasilkan prediksi produksi kain tenun yang optimal. AbstractWoven fabric is a product that is in demand by many people. It triggers producers to improve their management. One of the efforts made is to predict the production that can be done to get the optimal amount obtained, to get a significant profit. In this study, to obtain a prediction of the amount of woven fabric production is done by computerized calculations using the Mamdani fuzzy logic method. This method uses the concept of a random tree decision tree in forming rules. The rules are made based on the criteria in determining the amount of woven fabric production, including production costs, demand, and stock. The concept of a random tree decision tree in this study automatically generates rules based on available data. This rule's formation is based on woven fabric data and is implemented in a random tree, so there is no need to use experts. This study shows that the predictions made can build rules with an accuracy value of 100%. The comparison of predictions with actual production has an error percentage of 3% with a truth value of 97% (based on the calculation of the Average Forecasting Error Rate (AFER)). When implemented in Fuzzy Mamdani, it can produce optimal woven fabric production predictions with predicted results less than the actual production.
Remote Sensing Image Scene Classification via Regional Growth-Based Key Area Fine Location and Multilayer Feature Fusion

Remote sensing image scene classification (RSISC) is important for analyzing and interpreting remote sensing images (RSIs). However, the intraclass difference and interclass similarity problems caused by complex backgrounds and variable scales bring great challenges for the effective classification of RSI scenes. In this letter, we solve the above problem mainly from two aspects. First, a multilayer feature fusion (MLFF) module is proposed to improve the classification performance of the networks by adaptively fusing multilayer semantic information. Then, to learn more discriminative local fine-grained, a regional growth-based key area (RGKA) fine location algorithm is proposed to accurately obtain local key areas. Finally, a two-branch network is utilized to complete the classification. Experiments are conducted on three publicly available datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms most state-of-the-art methods and can considerably improve the accuracy of RSISC.
Thermodynamics of Electromagnetic Isothermal Systems with Memory

Electromagnetic systems are considered which model undeformable continuous bodies subject to electromagnetic fields. The principles of thermodynamics are established and the second law is made precise through the notion of reversible processes. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for a system with memory which accounts linearly for polarization, magnetization and electric conduction. The non-uniqueness of the potentials is exemplified by specific enthalpy and free-energy functionals. A customary view of dissipativity is shown to be misleading when memory effects occur.
Triple mapping for axillary staging after neoadjuvant therapy: Axillary reverse mapping with indocyanine green and dual agent sentinel lymph node biopsy

Axillary staging is 1 of the major issues of current breast cancer management after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is an option for clinically node negative patients. Axillary reverse mapping (ARM) was introduced to identify and preserve the lymphatic drainage from the arm. The aim of the presented study is to employ triple mapping (radiocolloid, blue dye and indocyanine green [ICG]) to assess the crossover rate and metastatic involvement of ARM nodes after NST. Clinically node positive patients before NST who were converted to N0 and scheduled for targeted axillary dissection were included. sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping was performed via dual agent mapping. ICG was used for ARM procedure. Blue, hot and fluorescent nodes and lymphatics were visualized in the axilla using infrared camera system and dual opto-nuclear probe (Euoroprobe3). Fifty-two patients underwent targeted axillary dissection and ARM procedures 12 out of whom had axillary node dissection. 45 of the 52 patients had at least 1 hot or blue SLN identified intraoperatively. Of these, 61.5% cases had hot SLNs, 42.3% had hot and blue, 15.4% had hot/blue/fluorescent, 7.7% had blue/fluorescent, 6 11.5% had hot/fluorescent and 7 13.5% had only clipped nodes. The overall identification rate of ARM-nodes by means of ICG technique was 86.5%. Overall crossover of ARM nodes with SLNs was determined in 36.5%. The ICG intensity was found to be higher in both hot and blue SLNS (8 out of 18 ICG positive cases, 44.4%). In 3 of 52 patients (5.7%) metastatic SLNs were hot or blue but fluorescent which predicts metastatic involvement of the ARM-nodes. More than 1-third of the patients revealed a crossover between arm and breast draining nodes. The higher observed rate of overlap might partially explain why more patients develop clinically significant lymphedema after NST even after sentinel lymph node biopsy alone. The triple mapping provides valuable data regarding the competency of lymphatic drainage and would have the potential to serve selecting patients for lymphovenous by-pass procedures at the index procedure. NST reduces the metastatic involvement of the ARM nodes. However, conservative axillary staging with sparing ARM nodes after NST necessitates further studies with larger sample size and longer follow-up.
Advanced heart failure: parenteral diuretics for breathlessness and peripheral oedema – systematic review

Background Advanced heart failure patients suffer with breathlessness and peripheral oedema, which are frequently treated with parenteral diuretics despite limited evidence. Aim To analyse the effectiveness of parenteral diuretics on breathlessness and peripheral oedema in advanced heart failure patients. Methods We searched Embase, MEDLINE(R), PsycINFO, CINAHL and CENTRAL from their respective inceptions to 2021, and performed handsearching, citation searching and grey literature search; limited to English publications. Selection criteria included parenteral (intravenous/subcutaneous) diuretic administration in advanced heart failure patients (New York Heart Association class III–IV). Two authors independently assessed articles for inclusion; one author extracted data. Data were synthesised through narrative synthesis or meta-analysed as appropriate. Results 4646 records were screened; 6 trials (384 participants) were included. All were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing intravenous continuous furosemide infusion (CFI) versus intravenous bolus furosemide infusion (BFI). Improvement in breathlessness and peripheral oedema (two studies, n=161, OR 2.80, 95% CI 1.45 to 5.40; I2=0%), and increase in urine output (four studies, n=234, mean difference, MD 344.76, 95% CI 132.87 to 556.64; I2=44%), were statistically significant in favour of CFI. Significantly lower serum potassium was found in BFI compared with CFI (three studies, n=194, MD −0.20, 95% CI −0.38 to −0.01; I2=0%). There was no difference between CFI and BFI on reduction in weight, renal function or length of hospital stay. Conclusions CFI appears to improve congestion in advanced heart failure patients in the short term. Available data came from small trials. Larger, prospective RCTs are recommended to address the evidence gap.
Risk factors for 90-day all-cause mortality in post-operative central nervous system infections (PCNSIs): A retrospective study of 99 patients in China

Post-operative central nervous system infections (PCNSIs) are serious complications of craniotomy. Many factors, including patient-related, surgical, and postoperative factors, affect the survival of patients with PCNSIs. Timely and effective implementation of antibiotics targeting pathogenic bacteria is crucial to reduce mortality. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been used successfully to detect pathogens associated with infectious diseases. This study was designed to evaluate the factors influencing mortality and to explore the application value of mNGS in patients with PCNSIs. We conducted a retrospective study of patients with PCNSIs in our unit from 1/12/2019 to 28/2/2021. Clinical data, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters, surgical information, and mNGS results were collected. Follow-up telephone calls were made in June 2021 for 90 days survival after discharge. 99 patients were enrolled, and the overall mortality rate was 36.4% (36/99). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis suggested that the risk factors for poor prognosis included age ≥ 53 years, Glasgow Coma scale (GCS) score ≤ 8, CSF/blood glucose ratio (C/B-Glu) ≤ 0.23, 2 or more operations, mechanical ventilation (MV), and non-mNGS test. MV and poor wound healing were independent risk factors for 90 day mortality according to the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model (OR = 6.136, P = .017, OR = 2.260, P = .035, respectively). Among the enrolled patients, causative pathogens were identified in 37. Gram-negative pathogens were found in 22 (59.5%) patients, and the remaining 15 (40.5%) were Gram-positive pathogens. Univariate analysis showed that white cell count and protein and lactate levels in the CSF of the Gram-negative group were higher than those of the Gram-positive group (P < .05). mNGS and conventional microbiological culture were tested in 34 patients, and the positive detection rate of mNGS was 52.9%, which was significantly higher than that of microbiological culture (52.9% vs 26.5%, χ2 = 4.54, P = .033). The mortality rate of PCNSIs is high, and patients with MV and poor wound healing have a higher mortality risk. Gram-negative pathogens were the predominant pathogens in the patients with PCNSIs. mNGS testing has higher sensitivity and has the potential to reduce the risk of mortality in patients with PCNSIs.
Configurable Spin Orbital Interaction Utilizing Vector Beam Interference

Spin-orbit interaction (SOI) of light has attracted enormous interest for its potential applications in controlling light at nanoscale and holds promise for future optical information technology and optoelectronics. In particular, the transverse spin in evanescent waves is regarded as distinct manifestation of SOI and an emerging candidate for miniaturizing optoelectronic circuits. However, further application has been hampered by the inability to conveniently generate light field with configurable transverse spin. Here, we present a simple method to generate free-space light field with arbitrary transverse spin utilizing vector beam interference and numerically demonstrate the configurable spin orbital coupling in nanophotonic waveguide. Chiral waveguide with excellent extinction ratio up to 42 dB is achieved in our simulation. The propagating direction of guided mode can be fully controlled via tuning the ellipticity of transverse spin. The device is compatible with existing integrated nanophotonic devices and may find valuable applications in future optical information processing and optical communication technology.
Spatial Distribution of Pyrethroid Resistance and kdr Mutations in Aedes aegypti from La Guajira, Colombia

Simple Summary Current strategies to suppress arbovirus outbreaks include insecticide use against larvae and adult mosquitoes. The control of Aedes aegypti by insecticides is challenging due to a rapid increase in resistance. In Colombia, pyrethroids have been one of the most widely used insecticides to control adult forms of Ae. aegypti because of its low impact on the environment, low toxicity to mammals, and greater effectiveness. We detected the frequency and intensity of resistance to permethrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, and associated kdr mutations in Ae. aegypti from La Guajira, Colombia. Modeling the spatial distribution of pyrethroid resistance and the mechanisms (e.g., kdr mutations) provoking it could enhance current national and departmental vector control programs by classifying areas according to the insecticide resistance status of Ae. aegypti populations and orient strategies such as rotations in endangered areas. Thus, benefits such as susceptibility recovery might be obtained. Abstract Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are of great concern to the public health of Colombia. One of the main control strategies for these diseases is the application of insecticides directed at the Aedes aegypti vector. However, insecticide resistance has been increasingly recorded in the country, making control measures difficult. Here, we evaluated the resistance profiles for pyrethroids in populations of Ae. aegypti from La Guajira, Colombia. The frequency (diagnostic dose, DD) and intensity (2×, 5×, and 10× DD) of resistance to permethrin, deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin were determined in 15 populations of Ae. aegypti from La Guajira, Colombia, using the bottle bioassay. The kdr mutations V1016I, F1534C, and V410L, were identified, and their allele and genotype frequencies were calculated. Finally, the mortality values for the analyzed pyrethroids were interpolated following the IDW method for predicting pyrethroid resistance. The populations of Ae. aegypti showed a high frequency of resistance to permethrin with a low to moderate intensity, which was associated with the triple-resistant haplotype LL410/II1016/CC1534. They remain susceptible to deltamethrin and, in some populations, expressed the risk of developing resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin.
Influence of lee waves on the near‐surface flow downwind of the Pennines

The results of a recent field experiment focusing on the near‐surface pressure and flow fields downstream of the Pennines in northern England are presented. The main aim of the experiment is the improvement of wind forecasts downstream of orography. Trapped lee waves commonly occur in westerly flow in this region, and during the experiment there were numerous instances of apparent flow separation, indicating the formation of lee‐wave rotors. The spatial variability of the near‐surface flow in these circumstances is closely linked to the positions of lee‐wave crests and troughs aloft, and appears to be a response to pressure gradients induced by the lee waves. For large‐amplitude waves, it has been possible to demonstrate a correlation between the fractional change of the flow speed across the measurement array (which if large enough may lead to flow separation) and a normalized pressure‐perturbation amplitude.
COVID-19: How Effective Are the Repurposed Drugs and Novel Agents in Treating the Infection?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has impacted the lives and wellbeing of many people. This globally widespread disease poses a significant public health concern that urges to discover an effective treatment. This review paper discusses the effectiveness of repurposed drugs used to treat COVID-19 and potential novel therapies for COVID-19. Among the various repurposed drugs, remdesivir is the only agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat COVID-19. On the other hand, several drugs have been listed in the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the FDA to treat COVID-19, including casirivimab and imdevimab, baricitinib (in combination with remdesivir), bamlanivimab, tocilizumab, and IL-6 inhibitors. In addition, in vitro and clinical studies have suggested cepharanthine, sotrovimab, and XAV-19 as potential treatments to manage COVID-19. Due to inadequate understanding of COVID-19 and the rapid mutation of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 remains a threat to global public health, with vaccination considered the most effective method to decrease COVID-19 transmission currently. Nevertheless, with the intense efforts of clinical researchers globally, more promising treatments for COVID-19 will be established in the future.
Two-Way Reliable Forwarding Strategy of RIS Symbiotic Communications for Vehicular Named Data Networks

Upon the spreading of intelligent transportation technology, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) can be applied in traditional vehicular networks to assist autonomous driving, so as to deal with blind spots and high energy consumption of long-distance communication in vehicles communication system. However, achieving bidirectional reliable communication for vehicular networks is challenging because of the high mobility of vehicles. The existing solution relies on constantly reconstructing end-to-end communication links for bidirectional communication in vehicular networks. Moreover, waiting timers on the data transmission path can double the transmission delay for data return, not to mention the potential communication delays and overheads triggered by the rapid movement of the vehicle. In order to avoid those tricky situations, this article proposes a novel two-way reliable forwarding strategy (TRFS) for vehicular named data networks and adopts the RIS symbiotic communication scheme to further reduce the transmission overhead, which has the ability to establish and maintain a reliable end-to-end communication link. On the one hand, the crucial insight of the proposed TRFS is to achieve low delay by eliminating wait timers on the data return path. Specifically, a topology-free policy is used to reduce transmission overhead and to accommodate sudden changes in network topology. On the other hand, the proposed RIS-assisted symbiotic communication scheme expands the coverage of vehicle communication and acts as a relay to compensate for the energy consumption from the long-distance transmission. Moreover, we also investigate the reliability of the proposed TRFS in vehicle communication under various vehicle densities, vehicle communication distances, and speed variations. The experiments show that the proposed TRFS scheme outperforms the classic listen first broadcast last (LFBL) fast-forwarding strategy and the novel reinforcement-based lightweight forwarding (R-LF) strategy in terms of transmission overhead, satisfaction rate, and average delay. The results reiterates the proposed RIS-assisted scheme’s ability to further reduce the transmission overhead of vehicles communication.
Factors Affecting the Psychological Well-Being of Educators: A Study on Private College Lecturers Succeeding COVID-19 Pandemic

Teaching is a noble profession. Owing to pandemic crisis disruption, uncertainties, and higher work demands, educators were found to experience unusual anxiety, depression, and stress. Research studies revealed that the psychological well-being of educators influenced the teaching quality and well-being of students in academic performance. Hence, this study aimed to explore the subjective contributory factors that affect the psychological well-being of educators teaching in the higher education institution. The study applied a cross-sectional qualitative research design and utilised a purposive sampling method to select three participants from a private college in Kuching Sarawak to join the semi-structured interview in July 2022. The data collected via one-to-one interviews were transcribed and analysed via ATLAS.ti software by using a thematic approach. The finding revealed a total of twelve themes that determine the contributory factors to address the key research question, which were positive relationships, positive attitude, personal development, personal autonomy, conducive work environment, leadership support, religious and spiritual support, technology, work demand, training support, self-efficacy, and engagement. This finding also asserted that psychological well-being is a multidimensional construct and there is no sole determinant factor. Most importantly, this paper contributed to the existing literature about the psychological well-being of educators in higher education and provided a model for future psychological studies among educators.
Dependence of carrier doping level on the photo control of (La, Sr)MnO3/SrTiO3 functional heterojunction

In a junction system which consists of ferromagnetic- (La1−xSrx)MnO3 and band insulating-SrTiO3, the double exchange ferromagnetism in the (La, Sr)MnO3 layer was controlled by light irradiation through photocarrier injection form SrTiO3. We investigated the dependence of hole doping level (Curie temperature) on the photo control of the (La, Sr)MnO3/SrTiO3 heterojunction. Whereas magnetization and conductivity of the heterojunction with TC of 240 K is strongly reduced, including from metal–insulator transition, by light irradiation, that with TC of 280 K cannot be modulated. This result indicates that phase boundary, between the metallic and insulating region on the (La1−xSrx)MnO3 phase diagram, plays an important role in photo carrier control of the functional heterojunction.