Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Patients with Long-COVID-19: Objective and Behavioral Audiometric Findings

Introduction The symptoms of COVID-19 are primarily respiratory system disorders. Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by COVID-19, as other symptoms in the nervous system. Hearing loss may also be the only symptom or complication of this disease or the symptoms of long COVID-19. The study aimed to assess hearing in patients after COVID-19 infection. Material and Methods The study conducted ENT and full hearing assessment in COVID-19 infection. All patients underwent complete audiological diagnostics, including threshold tonal audiometry, tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions, and auditory brainstem evoked potentials (ABR) tests. The study group included 58 patients aged 23 to 75 years who were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection six months before inclusion in the present study and reported post-COVID-19 hearing impairment. Results There were statistically significant differences between the control and study groups. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 65.5% of the tonal audiometry test. The stapes reflex was absent in almost 20% of post-COVID-19 patients. The analysis of ABRs demonstrated longer latencies of wave III, V, and time intervals I–III, I–V in post-COVID-19 patients. Conclusion COVID-19 can damage the inner ear as well as the auditory pathway. Hearing loss may be the only symptom of COVID-19 or be a late complication of the disease due to postinfectious inflammation of the nerve tissue as a symptom of long COVID-19. Prolonged conduction of the auditory pathway shows the affinity of the virus to the nervous system as a symptom of long COVID. It is advisable to perform hearing diagnostics in patients after COVID-19 and provide them with specialist care.
Photometric periods of LQ Hydrae between 1992 and 2000

Aims. Stellar spots produce periodic variations in photometric data. We aim to determine the observed periods with a high accuracy to improve measurements of stellar differential rotation. Methods. We applied the method of three-stage weighted multichannel period analysis (MPA) to photometric observations of LQ Hydrae obtained in 1992–2000. Results. We detected two periods in 10/1993-5/1994, two periods in 10/1998-6/1999, and three periods in 10/1999-3/2000. The primary period was found to be present for all observing seasons with small fluctuations within 1. d 60–1. d 61, while including the additional secondary periods, the fluctuations become three times larger within 1. d 585–1. d 625. We also found that the amplitudes of the model curves of the primary period varied and reached their maxima in 10/1993−5/1994 and their minima in 10/1997−6/1998, while the amplitudes of the additional periods were always below the amplitudes of the primary period in the same season. Conclusions. We conclude that the stellar spots responsible for the photometric variations of the primary period are long-lived and change their positions between two latitudes corresponding to two different rotation periods of 1. 60 and of 1. d 61 (or have slightly varying longitude migration rates). The constancy of the primary period in the individual seasons means a constancy of latitude over the observation time intervals. We interpret the appearance of the additional periods to be caused by the formation of new surface structures at different latitudes. The surface structure is thus temporary. Based on our detected period range, the corresponding latitudinal differential rotation rate ∆Ω/ Ω= 0.025 is small compared with that of the Sun (∆Ω/ Ω= 0.2).
Feasibility of Conventional Non-Destructive Testing Methods in Detecting Embedded FRP Reinforcements

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bars/strands are the most promising alternative to their steel counterparts for reinforcing concrete elements due to their resistance to corrosion, lighter weight, higher strength and better durability. However, very limited research has been conducted in relation to non-destructive testing (NDT) methods that are applicable to damage detection in FRP bars or the detection of FRP reinforcements embedded in concrete. The ability to assess the condition of the relatively new and unique FRP reinforcements will increase the confidence of the construction industry in their use as a reliable substitute for steel reinforcements. This paper investigates the ability of two of the most commonly used NDT methods, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Phased Array Ultrasonic (PAU), in detecting FRP bars/strands embedded in concrete elements. GPR and PAU tests were performed on two slab specimens reinforced with GFRP (Glass-FRP) bars, the most commonly used FRP bar, with variations in their depth, size and configuration, and a slab specimen with different types of available FRP reinforcements. The results show that GPR devices can detect GFRP bars/strands and CFRP (Carbon-FRP) strands to some extent, and their detectability increases with the increase in their antenna center frequency. On the contrary, PAU is only capable of detecting GFRP and CFRP strands. The results of this paper also emphasize the need for further research and developments related to NDT applications to embedded FRP bars.
Post‐wildfire coastal dunefield response using photogrammetry and satellite indices

Fire has been suggested to be an initiation mechanism of landscape instability and coastal dune transgression, but modern evidence showing a shift to a transgressive dune phase is lacking. Following the largest wildfire in historical records on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, bimonthly uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys were conducted on three coastal dune sites to study their post‐fire responses. The three sites studied here represent the landscape diversity of the temperate dunes of Kangaroo Island with both active coastal and inland relict stabilised dune fields studied. UAV surveys were used to reconstruct landscapes with structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry and compared over time to illustrate significant changes in the landscape. The geomorphic and vegetation changes are compared in net and intra‐survey comparisons to illustrate the post‐fire dunefield response and trends towards stabilisation. Because of a lack of reliable baseline pre‐fire data, satellite geomedians are used to compute spectral indices to show the trajectory of ground cover in the study sites in the years preceding and following the fire. Satellite indices are used to separate 3D changes according to ground cover types and show their differing post‐fire responses. Local and regional wind, temperature and rainfall records are presented to provide weather patterns of the years preceding and following the fire, illustrating the wet and mild post‐fire weather. The overall results indicate no significant landscape instability across the studied sites and that the ground cover of vegetation is nearing pre‐fire baselines, showing that a severe fire has not caused a transgressive dunefield to develop.
Geomagnetically Induced Currents During Magnetic

The electric field which is induced by geomagnetic storms drives currents in technological systems, such as electric power transmission grids, oil and gas pipelines, telecommuni- cation cables, and railway equipment. These geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) cause problems to the systems. In power grids, transformers may be saturated due to GIC resulting in harmful effects and possibly even to a collapse of the whole system, as occurred in Quebec in March 1989. Transformers may also suffer from permanent damage. In buried pipelines, GIC can enhance corrosion and interfere with corrosion control surveys. Telecommunication systems as well as railway equipment may also malfunction due to GIC. The electric and magnetic fields observed at the Earth's surface primarily depend on magneto- spheric-ionospheric currents and secondarily on currents induced in the Earth. The physical background and modeling of GIC are discussed in this paper. Special attention is paid to basic principles necessarily understood to get an insight into GIC phenomena. Recent developments in the use of the Complex Image Method (CIM) permit fast and accurate computations of the electric field suitable for time-critical applications like GIC forecasting.
Edge Word-Line Reliability Problem in 3-D NAND Flash Memory: Observations, Analysis, and Solutions

The 3-D flash memory is gradually becoming the mainstream nonvolatile storage medium due to its high capacity and high performance. However, interlayer interference during 3-D flash programming leads to significant differences in the error characteristics of edge and inner word lines; interlayer interference becomes more pronounced as the number of stacked layers increases, seriously affecting data storage reliability. In this study, many actual tests were conducted on triple-level cell (TLC) and quad-level cell (QLC) flash memory, which are the mainstream storage media in the current consumer market, to obtain the edge and inner word-line threshold voltage data under the interference of different factors, such as retention loss and read disturb; then, the threshold voltage difference between the edge and inner word lines under different conditions was quantitatively analyzed. An edge word-line reliability optimization strategy is proposed based on the read-reference voltage extra offset (RRVEO). Experimental results show that this strategy can reduce the edge word-line raw bit error rate (RBER) by more than 90% and eliminate the reliability difference between inner and edge word lines without significant overhead, thus significantly improving the data storage reliability of flash memory.
A network pharmacology and molecular docking approach in the exploratory investigation of the biological mechanisms of lagundi (Vitex negundo L.) compounds against COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an inflammatory and infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus with a complex pathophysiology. While COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available, treatment of the disease is primarily supportive and symptomatic. Several research have suggested the potential of herbal medicines as an adjunctive treatment for the disease. A popular herbal medicine approved in the Philippines for the treatment of acute respiratory disease is Vitex negundo L. In fact, the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines has funded a clinical trial to establish its potential as an adjunctive treatment for COVID-19. Here, we utilized network pharmacology and molecular docking in determining pivotal targets of Vitex negundo compounds against COVID-19. The results showed that significant targets of Vitex negundo compounds in COVID-19 are CSB, SERPINE1, and PLG which code for cathepsin B, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and plasminogen, respectively. Molecular docking revealed that α-terpinyl acetate and geranyl acetate have good binding affinity in cathepsin B; 6,7,4-trimethoxyflavanone, 5,6,7,8,3',4',5'-heptamethoxyflavone, artemetin, demethylnobiletin, gardenin A, geranyl acetate in plasminogen; and 7,8,4-trimethoxyflavanone in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. While the results are promising, these are bound to the limitations of computational methods and further experimentation are needed to completely establish the molecular mechanisms of Vitex negundo against COVID-19.
Preparation and Evaluation of Nanofibrous and Film-Structured Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride Inserts for Sustained Ocular Delivery: Pharmacokinetic Study in Rabbit’s Eye

Conventional anti-infective eye drops are the most common forms of drugs prescribed for the management of topical ocular infections. Despite their convenience, topical eye drops face multiple challenges, including limited bioavailability and repetitive administration. The present study aimed to prepare, evaluate, and compare film-structured and nanofibrous ocular inserts using biocompatible polymers of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) to achieve sustained ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride (CIP) delivery. The nanofibrous formulations were prepared by electrospinning and glutaraldehyde crosslinking while the film formulation was prepared by solvent casting. Nanofibrous inserts had mean diameters in the range 330–450 nm. Both film and nanofibrous inserts were strong, although the nanofibers had higher flexibility. In vitro antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was observed for all formulations and cell viability of more than 70% confirmed their non-toxicity. In vitro release studies showed prolonged release of 2 days for the film and 5 days for the nanofibers compared with a 10-h release of CIP from the eye drop. Pharmacokinetic studies of rabbits’ eyes showed 4.5–5-folds higher AUC for the nanofiber formulations compared with the eye drop. Thus, prolonged-release film-structured and nanofibrous inserts are suitable carriers for ocular delivery of CIP.
Toward Numerical Modeling in the “Terra Incognita”

Abstract In mesoscale modeling the scale l of the energy- and flux-containing turbulence is much smaller than the scale Δ of the spatial filter used on the equations of motion, and in large-eddy simulation (LES) it is much larger. Since their models of the subfilter-scale (SFS) turbulence were not designed to be used when l and Δ are of the same order, this numerical region can be called the “terra incognita. ” The most common SFS model, a scalar eddy diffusivity acting on the filtered fields, emerges from the conservation equations for SFS fluxes when several terms, including all but one of the production terms, are neglected. Analysis of data from the recent Horizontal Array Turbulence Study (HATS) shows that the neglected production terms can be significant. Including them in the modeled SFS flux equations yields a more general SFS model, one with a tensor rather than a scalar eddy diffusivity. This more general SFS model is probably not necessary in fine-resolution LES or in coarse-resolution mesoscale.
A Risk Profile for Disordered Eating Behaviors in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Latent Class Analysis Study

(1) Background: This multi-center study aimed to identify a risk profile for disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) based on their dietary intake, lipid profile, body mass index (BMI-SDS), and glycometabolic control. (2) Methods: Adolescents aged 11 to 18 years from five centers across Italy were recruited. Lipid profile, HbA1c, BMI-SDS, and dietary intake data were collected. The risk for developing DEBs was assessed via the Diabetes Eating Problems Survey-R (DEPS-R) questionnaire. A latent class analysis (LCA) was performed using a person-centered approach. (3) Results: Overall, 148 participants aged 11–18 (12.1, ±3.34), 52% males with a mean diabetes duration of 7.2 (±3.4), were enrolled. Based on the results of the DEBS-R score, LCA allowed us to highlight two different classes of patients which were defined as “at-risk” and “not at-risk” for DEB. The risk profile for developing DEBs is characterized by higher BMI—SDS (23.9 vs. 18.6), higher HbA1c (7.9 vs. 7.1%), higher LDL cholesterol (99.9 vs. 88.8 mg/dL), lower HDL cholesterol (57.9 vs. 61.3 mg/dL), higher proteins (18.2 vs. 16.1%), and lower carbohydrates (43.9 vs. 45.3%). Adolescents included in the “at-risk” class were significantly older (p = 0.000), and their parents’ SES was significantly lower (p = 0.041). (4) Conclusions: This study allowed us to characterize a risk profile for DEBs based on dietary behavior and clinical parameters. Early identification of the risk for DEBs allows timely intervention and prevention of behavior disorders.
Feature-aware aggregation network for remote sensing image cloud detection

ABSTRACT Cloud detection is a key pre-processing step for optical satellite remote sensing images. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are the most widely used and powerful cloud detection techniques in recent years, featuring the fusion of different levels of feature maps. However, existing methods use feature cascading, element addition, or element multiplication to fuse directly, ignoring the similarities and differences between features and their contribution to the detected cloud regions, resulting in a large amount of noise being introduced into the fusion process. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a feature-aware aggregation network (FAANet), which can make full use of valuable information for cloud detection through feature enhancement and feature aggregation. The feature enhancement module (FEM) consists of a high-level feature enhancement module (HFEM) and a low-level feature enhancement module (LFEM). HFEM is used to enhance the advanced semantic features to supplement the cloud features lost during the recovery of high-resolution feature maps; LFEM is used to enhance the image spatial detail features to further refine the predicted cloud maps. In addition, a feature aggregation module (FAM) is designed to selectively aggregate coded block features, decoded block features, and enhanced semantic features through a new aggregation mechanism to compliment the features diluted by up-sampling and improve the integrity of the generated cloud maps. Experimental results on three open-source cloud detection datasets and self-built Landsat-8 cloud detection dataset with higher spatial resolution show that the proposed method achieves competitive performance under different evaluation metrics. The advantages of the method proposed in this paper for saliency image segmentation are verified and provide a reference for other computer vision tasks. Code is available at https://github.com/HaiLei-Fly/FAANet.
Reproductive and Obstetric Outcomes after Fertility-Sparing Treatments for Cervical Cancer: Current Approach and Future Directions

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women of reproductive age. The established fertility-sparing approaches for the management of early-stage cervical cancer for women who plan pregnancy are associated with a decline in fecundity and an increased risk of pregnancy complications. This article aims to offer an overview of fertility-sparing approaches and the management of potential subfertility and pregnancy complications after these treatments. An extensive search for the available data about infertility and cervical cancer, fertility-sparing techniques in patients with cervical cancer, fertility treatment, obstetrical complications, and pregnancy outcomes in cervical cancer patients was completed. Fertility-preserving procedures such as loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), cold-knife conization, and trachelectomy in women diagnosed with cervical cancer can be considered as safe and effective treatments that preserve reproductive potential. Current fertility-preserving procedures, based on the balance of the oncological characteristics of patients as well as their desire for reproduction, allow one to obtain acceptable reproductive and obstetric outcomes in women treated for cervical cancer. Nevertheless, careful monitoring of pregnancies obtained after fertility-preserving procedures is recommended, since this cohort of patients should be considered at higher risk compared with a healthy population.
The effects of socioeconomic status on major adverse cardiovascular events: a nationwide population-based cohort study

Background Although multiple factors influence the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), the effects of socioeconomic status on MACE in the presence and absence of renal dysfunction (RD) have not been comprehensively explored in Korea. Methods We examined the effects of socioeconomic status on MACE in individuals with and without RD. The data of 44,473 Koreans from 2008 to 2017 were obtained from the Health Care Big Data Platform of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea. Their socioeconomic status was assessed using a socioeconomic score (SES) based on marital status, education, household income, and occupation. The incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and death was compared according to SES level (0–4). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for outcomes based on participant SES. Results MI risk was only affected by education level. The participants’ income, education, and SES affected their stroke risk, whereas death was associated with all four socioeconomic factors. The incidence of stroke and death increased as SES worsened (from 0 to 4). SES was positively related to risk of stroke and death in participants without RD. SES did not affect MI, stroke, or death in participants with RD. Conclusion A low socioeconomic status is associated with risk of stroke and death, especially in individuals without RD.
MERLIN radio observations of CfA Seyferts

We present new 1.6-GHz (18-cm) MERLIN maps of 15 Seyfert galaxies, with angular resolutions typically 0.1 to 0.3 arcsec. These and previous observations are used to investigate the properties of 19 of the 24 CfA Seyfert galaxies brighter than 2 mJy at 8.4 GHz. This is the first time a significant fraction of the CfA sample has been mapped at this frequency with subarcsecond resolution, and our observations provide the highest resolution radio maps available for several sources. We use our observations to measure the two-point spectral indices of compact radio components, and we investigate the correlation between infrared and radio emission shown by Seyfert galaxies. Our results can be summarized as follows. Resolved structures as small as 20 pc are found in three previously unresolved radio sources, and only four sources show single, unresolved radio components. The mean 1.6 to 8.4 GHz spectral index of 31 radio components is , and approximately 25 per cent of the components have a spectral index flatter than . The spectral index distributions of type 1 and type 2 Seyferts are statistically indistinguishable. The cores of multiple-component sources tend to have flatter radio spectra than secondary components. The low-resolution infrared (IRAS) emission from Seyfert galaxies is usually dominated by kiloparsec-scale, extranuclear emission regions.
Excisional endometriosis surgery with hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy versus excisional endometriosis surgery alone for pelvic pain associated with deep endometriosis

Background There is no agreed consensus on the optimal surgical treatment for pain associated with endometriosis. Objectives To compare improvement in symptoms and quality-of-life in patients undergoing excisional endometriosis surgery (EES) versus EES with hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (EES-HBSO). Methods This study evaluated patients undergoing EES and EES-HBSO at a single endometriosis centre between 2009 and 2019. Data was obtained from the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy database. Adenomyosis was assessed by blinded re-analysis of imaging and/or histology data. Main outcome measures Pain scores (numeric rating scale 0-10) and quality-of-life scores (EQ-VAS) before and after EES and EES-HBSO. Results We included 120 patients undergoing EES and 100 patients undergoing EES-HBSO. After controlling for baseline characteristics and the presence of adenomyosis, there was greater post-op improvement in non-cyclical pelvic pain amongst patients undergoing EES-HBSO compared to EES alone.The baseline pain scores had improved in the EES-HBSO cohort by 2.106/10 at 6 months (95%CI 0.469-3.742, p=0.012), 2.642/10 at 12 months (95%CI 0.871-4.413, p=0.004), and 2.548/10 at 24 months (95%CI 0.681-4.414, p=0.008), when compared to the EES group. Greater improvement amongst EES-HBSO patients was also seen for dyspareunia, non-cyclical dyschaezia and bladder pain. Patients undergoing EES-HBSO had greater improvement in EQ-VAS, although this was no longer statistically significant after controlling for adenomyosis. Conclusion EES-HBSO appears to provide greater benefit than EES alone for symptoms including non-cyclical pelvic pain as well as for quality-of-life. Further research is required to determine which patients benefit the most from EES-HBSO, and whether removal of the ovaries, uterus or both is the key to this additional benefit in symptom control.