Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical heterogeneity based on race and sex within a large cohort of inclusion body myositis patients

Background and Objectives: Sporadic inclusion body myositis (IBM) is the most common acquired myopathy in individuals over age 50. The disorder is slowly progressive and while many therapies have been investigated, response has generally been poor. Clinical heterogeneity may influence treatment responsiveness; however, data regarding heterogeneity in IBM is limited and often conflicting. We aim to identify clinically distinct subgroups within a large IBM cohort, as well as prognostic factors for disease progression. Methods: Clinical, histologic, radiologic, and electrophysiologic data were analyzed for all patients with IBM and other forms of myositis enrolled in a longitudinal cohort from The Johns Hopkins Myositis Center from 2003-2018. Univariate, multivariate, and graphical analyses were used to identify prognostic factors in IBM patients. Results: Among the 335 IBM patients meeting inclusion criteria, 64% were male with an average age of disease onset of 58.7 years and a delay to diagnosis of 5.2 years. Initial misdiagnosis (52%) and immunosuppressant treatment (42%) were common. Less than half (43%) of muscle biopsies demonstrated all three pathologic hallmarks: endomysial inflammation, mononuclear cell invasion, and rimmed vacuoles. Black patients had significantly weaker arm abductors, hip flexors, and knee flexors compared to non-Black patients but were less likely to develop dysphagia. Female patients had stronger finger flexors and knee extensors compared to their male counterparts but were more likely to develop dysphagia. A significant number (20%) of patients had an age of onset less than 50 years. This group of younger patients was weaker at their first visit; however, this may be accounted for by a longer disease duration at first visit. Discussion: Although IBM has long been considered a disorder predominately of older, White men, female, and non-White patients comprise a significant proportion of the IBM population. Our study demonstrates that female and Black patients have distinct clinical phenotypes within the overarching IBM clinical phenotype.
Diagnostic accuracy of the Panbio COVID-19 antigen rapid test device for SARS-CoV-2 detection in Kenya, 2021: A field evaluation

Background: Accurate and timely diagnosis is essential in limiting the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), the reference standard, requires specialized laboratories, costly reagents, and a long turnaround time. Antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag RDTs) provide a feasible alternative to rRT-PCR since they are quick, relatively inexpensive, and do not require a laboratory. The WHO requires that Ag RDTs have a sensitivity [≥]80% and specificity [≥]97%. Methods: This evaluation was conducted at 11 health facilities in Kenya between March and July 2021. We enrolled persons of any age with respiratory symptoms and asymptomatic contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. We collected demographic and clinical information and two nasopharyngeal specimens from each participant for Ag RDT testing and rRT-PCR. We calculated the diagnostic performance of the Panbio Ag RDT against the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) rRT-PCR test. Results: We evaluated the Ag RDT in 2,245 individuals where 551 (24.5%, 95% CI: 22.8-26.3%) tested positive by rRT-PCR. Overall sensitivity of the Ag RDT was 46.6% (95% CI: 42.4-50.9%), specificity 98.5% (95% CI: 97.8-99.0%), PPV 90.8% (95% CI: 86.8-93.9%) and NPV 85.0% (95% CI: 83.4-86.6%). Among symptomatic individuals, sensitivity was 60.6% (95% CI: 54.3-66.7%) and specificity was 98.1% (95% CI: 96.7-99.0%). Among asymptomatic individuals, sensitivity was 34.7% (95% CI 29.3-40.4%) and specificity was 98.7% (95% CI: 97.8-99.3%). In persons with onset of symptoms <5 days (594/876, 67.8%), sensitivity was 67.1% (95% CI: 59.2-74.3%), and 53.3% (95% CI: 40.0-66.3%) among those with onset of symptoms >7 days (157/876, 17.9%). The highest sensitivity was 87.0% (95% CI: 80.9-91.8%) in symptomatic individuals with cycle threshold (Ct) values [≤]30. Conclusion: The overall sensitivity and NPV of the Panbio Ag RDT were much lower than expected. The specificity of the Ag RDT was high and satisfactory; therefore, a positive result may not require confirmation by rRT-PCR. The kit may be useful as a rapid screening tool for only symptomatic patients in high-risk settings with limited access to RT-PCR. A negative result should be interpreted based on clinical and epidemiological information and may require retesting by rRT-PCR.
Causal links between inflammatory bowel disease and both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Abstract Introduction: Psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), i.e. Crohns disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic systemic immune-mediated disorders affecting an increasing proportion of adults and children worldwide. Observational studies suggested an association between IBD and PsO and vice versa. However, so far it remains unclear whether a causal relationship exists. Methods: To investigate the causal paths, a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) including up to 463,372 Europeans. Total and direct effects were derived performing an iterative radial and robust inverse-variance weighted method within the univariable and multivariable MR setting, respectively. Causal estimates were verified using a validation IBD-sample, a series of pleiotropy-robust MR-methods, and sensitivity analyses based on PhenoScanner search in conjunction with network analysis. Results: Genetically predicted IBD was associated with higher risk of PsO (pooled OR=1.10; 95% CI: (1.05; 1.15); P=1*10-4) and PsA (pooled OR=1.10; 95% CI: (1.04; 1.18); P=3*10-3). In contrast to UC, the CD subentity was related to PsO (OR=1.16; 95% CI: (1.12; 1.20); P=1*10-14) and PsA (OR=1.13; 95% CI: (1.06; 1.20); P=1*10-4). Regarding the reverse directions, no notable associations could be found. Conclusions: This study supports a causal effect between IBD and PsO as well as PsA, but not vice versa. It seems that mainly CD and not UC is responsible for the causal impact of IBD on both psoriasis outcomes. These findings have implications for the management of IBD and psoriasis in clinical practice.
Does Differences Performance of Fixed Income Mutual Funds and Stocks? (Comparative Study on Sharia and Conventional)

: Mutual funds are an alternative investment for the investor community, especially small investors and investors who do not have much time and expertise to calculate the risk of their investment. Mutual funds are designed as a means to raise funds from people who have capital, have the desire to invest, but only have limited time and knowledge.The research objective to be achieved is to provide understanding and knowledge to the public, especially investors, regarding the differences in the performance of Islamic and conventional fixed income mutual funds as well as the performance of Islamic and conventional stock mutual funds that can be used as references in making investment decisions.The method used is descriptive quantitative research with secondary data taken from data on mutual funds that are active in the 2018 – 2019 period in the financial market with data collection techniques using the purposive sampling method. Analysis of the data used is the independent sample t test. The population in this study is Islamic mutual funds and conventional fixed income and stock mutual funds that are active in the 2018 – 2019 period with the 10th largest NAV category. The results showed that there was no difference between the performance of Islamic and conventional mutual funds, both fixed income and stocks
Assessing Contractual Relationship Quality: Study of Judgment Trends among Construction Industry Participants

AbstractBecause of the need for collaboration and risk sharing, the construction industry is increasingly striving towards relational methods in procurement and contracting. Therefore, it is vital to understand how contracting parties evaluate their relationships with other parties. The concept of relationship quality has been applied as a measure for relational approaches. It utilizes attributes such as trust, performance satisfaction, commitment, and teamwork to demonstrate the appropriateness of a relationship for a particular purpose. Accordingly, configuring how relationship quality with the other contracting party is perceived can help educate the industry in steering towards better long-term relationships to fit strategic requirements. The current study focuses on identifying and classifying different judgment models towards relationship quality. A questionnaire survey has been used to explore how various industry groups evaluate their relationship quality with other contracting parties. Conjoint a.
A critical comparison of the performance of two direct methods for transient stability assessment

Two direct methods of transient stabiiity determination are selected for comparison. These are the transient energy function method and the extended equal area criterion method. These two methods have gained considerable interest in recent times. However, before any of these methods can be implemented for on-line security analysis, their performances have to be evaluated under different operating conditions. The purpose of this paper is to review the two methods in some detail. Then the methods are tested on known systems and their performances verified with results from the time-domain simulation technique. An attempt is made to explain some of the inconsistencies in results.
Energy efficient hybrid computing systems using spin devices

xvii 1.INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Emerging Post-CMOS device technologies . 1 1.1.1 Exploration of novel-technologies for substituting and augmenting CMOS. 1 1.1.2 Search for alternate computing paradigms and their technology solutions . 2 1.2 Emerging spin-devices for computing-hardware . 3 1.2.1 Spin Devices for on-Chip Memory . 4 1.2.2 Spin Devices for Boolean Logic . 6 1.2.3 Spin Devices for Non-Boolean Computing . 8 1.2.4 Application of spin-torque switches in the design of global on-chip interconnects . 10 1.3 Thesis Organization . 11 2. BOOLEAN LOGIC WITH SPIN TORQUE : ALL SPIN LOGIC . 13 2.1 All Spin Logic Using Lateral Spin Valves . 13 2.2 For Component Spin Circuit Model for ASL . 16 2.3 Prospects and Challenges of All Spin Logic . 20 2.4 Pipelined, stacked ASL for low power high density and high performance . 22 2.4. 1 Two Phase Piplelined ASL . 22 2.4. 1.1 Device Operation . 22 2.4. 1.2 Device Optimization . 25 2.4. 2 Pipelined Multiplier Design . 31 2.4. 3 3-D ASL for ultra-high density and low power computation blocks . 35 2.4. 4 Choice of transistor characteristics and operating point . 38 2.5 Performance Summary . 42
PENGARUH KUALITAS PELAYANAN BPJS KESEHATAN TERHADAP KEPUASAN PASIEN DI PUSKESMAS CEMPAE KOTA PAREPARE

Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (BPJS) Kesehatan adalah badan hukum yang dibentuk untuk menyelenggarakan program jaminan kesehatan dengan tujuan untuk memproteksi seluruh masyarakat dengan premi terjangkau dan dengan coverage lebih luas untuk seluruh masyarakat. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menunjukkan pengaruh kualitas pelayanan BPJS kesehatan terhadap kepuasan pasien di Puskesmas Cempae Kota Parepare. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian analitik dengan rancangan cross sectional. Populasi adalah seluruhpasien peserta BPJS di Puskesmas Cempae Kota Parepare dan sampel dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 185 pasien dengan metode penentuan sampel menggunakan metode accidental sampling. Analisis data menggunakan chi square melalui program SPSS versi 21 dengan kriteria α=0,05. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ada pengaruh kehandalan (p=0,004), ketanggapan (p=0,002) dan empati (p=0,006) terhadap kepuasan peserta BPJS pasien rawat inap di Puskesmas Cempae Kota Parepare. Kesimpulan dari penelitian bahwa ada pengaruh kehandalan, ketanggapan dan empati terhadap kepuasan peserta BPJS pasien rawat inap di Puskesmas Cempae Kota Parepare.
Failure of Slender Concrete Columns of Loss of Stability

Experimental verification of global reliability of slender reinforced concrete columns from the regular concrete C45/55 and high performance concrete C70/85 was realized within the applied research of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (SUT). Production of test columns and samples was in cooperation with ZIPP Bratislava Ltd. Columns are designed in the way to collapse due to stability before the resistance of the critical cross-section is reached. The relative compression of concrete was scheduled about 1,5 ‰. For performed experimentally verified slender columns, the reliability of simplified and nonlinear design methods according to European standards was compared.
Dynamic Reliability Assessment of Protection System Based on Dynamic Fault Tree and Monte Carlo Simulation

According to the function and operating characteristics of protection system,a dynamic reliability analysis method of protection system was proposed to supply a basis for searching system weakness as well as improving design and operating reliability.Cumulative failure probability,protection availability and component probability importance indices were defined firstly.Secondly,a dynamic reliability model of repairable redundant digital protection system combining dynamic fault tree(DFT) and Markov state space was built,and Monte Carlo simulation algorithm based on structure function of fault tree was proposed to quantitatively analyze the reliability of protection system.A study case was given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques finally.The results show that the techniques could supply reference for reliability assessment,component influence analysis and weakness identification.
Transformasi dan Prestasi Perniagaan Usahawan Melayu Perusahaan Kecil dan Sederhana (PKS) di Johor Bahru

Small and Medium Industries (SMI) is one of the main catalysts for economic growth in Malaysia. Nearly 99.2 percent of total business entrepreneurs in Malaysia are SMEs who have registered and have accounted for 32 percent of GDP. Recognizing the importance and significance of benefits and contributions to this industry to the economy and in line with the government's agenda to achieve a high income country status by 2020, the government has provided various opportunities and assistance to encourage Malaysians to venture into business on a small stage up to the scale large and international. This study aims to identify factors induce transformation of Malay entrepreneurs in Johor Bahru from the original work to the business. In addition, this study also analyzes the level of performance and factors influencing it. This study used a quantitative approach and the instruments used to collect data was the interview and a questionnaire consisting of six main items. The sample consists of 500 small and medium enterprises in the vicinity of Johor Bahru in various sectors. The findings then were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods of analysis such as frequencies and percentages and correlation analysis based on a model for performance evaluation. To facilitate analysis, SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) was used. The results generally showed that the initiatives themselves, family and religious motivation are key factors that led them to venture into entrepreneurial and personal background, business
Green Finance, Innovation, and Firm Performance: Evidence from the Republic of Korea

Green finance, in particular green bond markets, has grown rapidly in the Republic of Korea in recent years. In this paper, we document some stylized facts about environmental, social, and governance ratings and green bonds in the Republic of Korea, using a novel firm-level dataset that includes corporate patenting information. Our evidence for 2011–2017 reveal the following. First, corporate patent stock is positively correlated with revenue, but negatively correlated with market value (Tobin’s Q). Second, relative to the sample average, top environmental ratings are associated with higher output elasticity of physical capital, but lower output elasticity of knowledge capital and labor. Third, in Korean markets, firms that issue green bonds tend to be more innovative than other firms.
Evaluation of Customer Preferences on Showrooming and Webrooming: An Empirical Study

In the age of globalization electronic marketing is a great revolution. Over the last decade majority of business organizations are running with technological change. Online shopping or marketing is the use of technology for better marketing performance. And retailers are devising strategies to meet the demand of online shoppers; they are busy in studying consumer behavior and attitudes in the field of online shopping. In our study, we also tried to study consumer's attitudes towards online as well as offline shopping and specifically studying the factors influencing consumers. This paper tries to understand the new behaviour which customers are now showing, showrooming and webrooming. The reasons for this new phenomenon and the reasons behind are analyzed and conclusions are made.
Life-cycle assessment of 3rd-generation organic photovoltaic systems : developing a framework for studying the benefits and risks of emerging technologies

Organic photovoltaics present an emerging technology with significant potential for increasing the resource efficiencies and reducing the environmental and human health hazards of photovoltaic devices. The discipline of life-cycle assessment is applied to assess how various prospective manufacturing routes, device characteristics, uses and disposal options of organic photovoltaics influences these potential advantages. The results of this assessment are further compared to silicon based photovoltaics as a benchmark for performance. A deeper look is given to the potential human health impacts of the use of engineered nanomaterials in organic photovoltaics and the appropriateness of life-cycle assessment to evaluate this impact criteria. A newly developed life-cycle impact assessment model is presented to demonstrate whether the use of and potential hazards posed by engineered nanomaterials outweighs any of the resource efficiencies and advantages organic photovoltaics possess over silicon photovoltaics.
A multi-objective model for multi-project scheduling and multi-skilled staff assignment for IT product development considering competency evolution

Abstract We address a multi-skill project scheduling problem for IT product development in this article. The goal is for product development managers to be able to generate an initial schedule at an early stage of development activities. Due to the complexity of the product structure and functionality, an IT product development effort is divided into multiple projects. Each project includes several tasks, and each task must be completed by an employee who has mastered a certain skill to complete it. A pool of multi-skilled employees is available, and the employees’ skill efficiencies are influenced by both learning and forgetting phenomena. Based on the real-world demands of product development managers, three objectives are simultaneously considered: skill efficiency gain, product development cycle time and costs. To solve this problem, we propose a multi-objective non-linear mixed integer programming model. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II)is designed to generate an approximation to the optimal Pareto front of this NP-hard multi-objective optimisation problem. The algorithm produces feasible schedules for all the development projects using the serial schedule generation scheme. We adopt penalty values and individual employee adjustments to address resource conflicts and constraint violations. A weighted ideal point method is used to select the final solution from the approximate Pareto solution set. An application case of a new electrical energy saving product implementation in a leading electrical device company in China is used to illustrate the proposed model and algorithm.
Analysis of pedestrian crossing speed – the case of Istanbul

Pedestrians, as the most vulnerable road users, are more severely affected when involved in an accident. For this reason, it is important to reduce the risk of pedestrian accidents to increase the safety of highway traffic. The majority of accidents involving pedestrians occur during street crossings where motor vehicles are present. Hence, pedestrians are encouraged to cross safely at crosswalks that are either controlled by a signal or not. Accidents involving pedestrians can be reduced by analysing pedestrian crossing behaviours and designing crosswalks accordingly. Crosswalk design as well as traffic signal phasing need to give enough time for pedestrians to complete their crossing during the green signal phase. For this reason, pedestrian crossing speed and factors affecting this have been analysed in this study. The outcomes can be used to help decision makers and engineers to design ideal pedestrian facilities.
Descriptive impressions of the library and information education evolution of 1988-1998 as reflected in job announcements, ALISE descriptors, and new course titles : KALIPER project: Final report

During the past decade, many education programs in library and information science (LIS) have attempted to adjust and reorganize to meet the growing dimensions of the library and information management professions. Specific actions have included how individual schools interpret their need for teaching and research expertise as they seek new faculty members. Self-definitions of areas of research and teaching interests also describe the characteristics of the education program. New courses introduced to the curriculum reflect changes in the educational content offered by a school.
Spokes in the wheel. European affairs and the parliamentary administration of German Landtage

ABSTRACT Over the last decades, regional parliaments were considered to play a minor role in European affairs. Not only was the salience of the EU low at the regional level, but politicians elected into these bodies also often lacked vested interests and capacities to become more involved in dealing with complex multi-level questions. After the constitutional strengthening of regional parliaments in EU decision-making, this paper considers one under-researched aspect behind the growing appetite of regional parliaments to become more involved in the scrutiny of EU affairs: the role of unelected parliamentary officials. Based on qualitative interviews in 12 German regional parliaments, the authors highlight how regional parliaments exert control over their governments and what role horizontal administrative networks among parliamentary staff play in the engagement of regional parliaments in EU affairs.