Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Chorioamnionitis with Neonatal Sepsis and Mortality Rate Among Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis

horioamnionitis is an intra-amnion infection caused by various pathogens and increases the risk of preterm delivery. This study aims to analyze the association of chorioamnionitis with the incidence of neonatal sepsis and mortality rate among preterm infants. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted based on PRISMA guideline. All studies which evaluated chorioamnionitis with the incidence of neonatal sepsis and mortality rate among preterm infants were included in this study. We limited our search to 2001-2020. A total of 34 articles were screened. Nine cohorts were included according to inclusion criteria. Based on statistical analysis, chorioamnionitis was associated with the incidence of early-onset sepsis (OR=3.45; 95%CI=2.02-5.89; p < 0.00001). Chorioamnionitis had a protective effect toward late-onset sepsis (OR=0.82; 95%CI=0.71-0.93; p=0.003) and not associated with mortality rate among preterm infants (OR 0.75; 95%CI=0.54-1.04; p=0.09). Chorioamnionitis was associated with higher risks of early-onset sepsis and lower risks of late-onset sepsis. However, the mortality rate among preterm infants with early-onset sepsis was not associated with chorioamnionitis.
Solid oxide fuel cells fueled by carbonaceous fuels: A thermodynamics-based approach for safe operation and experimental validation

ABSTRACT Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) can operate with carbonaceous fuels. However, experiments indicate possible carbon deposition or coking on Ni-based anodes. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations with NASA computer program CEA (Chemical Equilibrium with Applications) for typical SOFC operating temperatures predict graphitic carbon (C(gr)) formation. While fuel humidification eliminates coking, excess steam degrades Ni-based anode, necessitating suitable steam supply for safe operation. Thermodynamic approach is validated using experiments on 25 mm diameter electrolyte-supported NextCell-HP SOFC button cell fueled by H2 and simulated syngas (CO and H2). The use of 1 SLPM H2 (fuel) with 4 SLPM air (oxidant) provides peak power density of ~1000 mW cm−2. With simulated syngas fuel, cell performance drops. In-situ diagnosis with steam supply to anode suggests carbon deposition based on detection of H2 and CO in tail gas. Equilibrium analysis suggests carbon-free operation by humidifying simulated syngas (CO:H2 = 1:3 molar ratio) with ~5% steam by volume, at 973 K and above. Further experiments are conducted on a fresh cell. Simulated syngas (CO:H2 = 1:3 volumetric ratio) with ~5% steam by volume provides safe cell operation. The study provides a pathway to safely utilize carbonaceous fuels in SOFC by suitable humidification, coupling thermodynamic analyses and experiments.
Study on Sc Microalloying and Strengthening Mechanism of Al-Mg Alloy

In this study, Al-Mg alloys were prepared by vacuum + argon-protected casting. The effects of Sc microalloying on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Mg alloy were studied. The strengthening mechanism of Al-Mg alloy with Sc was discussed. The results show that the average grain size of as-cast Al-Mg alloy with Sc reaches 36.07 μm, which is 74.4% smaller than that of alloy 1 without refiner and 32.0% of alloy 2 with 0.15% Ti. The alloy with Sc has excellent comprehensive mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 274 MPa and an elongation of 29.67%, and its tensile strength is 10.6% higher than alloy 1 and 7.9% higher than alloy 2. There exist two kinds of fine particles in as-cast Sc-containing Al-Mg alloy, nucleated particles Al3Sc, and dispersed second-phase particles Al3(Sc, Ti). The main strengthening mechanisms of the as-cast Al-Mg alloy with Sc reveal the solid solution strengthening of Mg and the fine-grain strengthening effect caused by Sc, accounting for 57.7% and 23.9% to strengthening contribution, respectively.
Capacity Modeling for Weaving, Merge, and Diverge Sections with Median Exclusive Bus Lanes on an Urban Expressway: Microsimulation Approach

With the installation of median exclusive bus lanes (XBLs) on urban expressways, understanding of the specific weaving behavior and estimation of the capacity of weaving areas are essential for developing effective engineering measures and operational strategies for expressway management. This study developed an analytical model for estimating the capacity of weaving, merge, and diverge sections with the median XBL installed on an urban expressway by using a microsimulation approach. An in-depth analysis of weaving behaviors was conducted and factors that influenced the weaving section capacity were identified. Specifically, an off-ramp weaving ratio and a newly defined variable called the bus ratio in the total weaving volume were used. A Vissim simulation model was developed and calibrated on the basis of field data collected in Beijing. From the simulation results, a regression model on the capacity estimation was proposed; the model was further validated with a statistical approach and field capacity data. The results demonstrate that the proposed capacity model is applicable and easy to use with an acceptable accuracy. The model can be used not only to estimate the weaving section capacity with a median XBL but also to estimate the capacity of merge or diverge sections with a median XBL under appropriate constraints. Moreover, the proposed model can be applied to examine different bus operational strategies. Hence, a comparative analysis was conducted of the effectiveness of different measures to improve traffic flows in the weaving section with the installation of a median XBL. A recommendation is provided.
Iron-Oxide-Nanoparticles-Doped Polyaniline Composite Thin Films

Iron-oxide-doped polyaniline (PANI-IO) thin films were obtained by the polymerization of aniline monomers and iron oxide solutions in direct current glow discharge plasma in the absence of a buffer gas for the first time. The PANI-IO thin films were deposited on optical polished Si wafers in order to study surface morphology and evaluate their in vitro biocompatibility. The characterization of the coatings was accomplished using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), metallographic microscopy (MM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In vitro biocompatibility assessments were also conducted on the PANI-IO thin films. It was observed that a uniform distribution of iron oxide particles inside the PANI layers was obtained. The constituent elements of the coatings were uniformly distributed. The Fe-O bonds were associated with magnetite in the XPS studies. The surface morphology of the PANI-IO thin films was assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM topographies revealed that PANI-IO exhibited the morphology of a uniformly distributed and continuous layer. The viability of Caco-2 cells cultured on the Si substrate and PANI-IO coating was not significantly modified compared to control cells. Moreover, after 24 h of incubation, we observed no increase in LDH activity in media in comparison to the control. In addition, our results revealed that the NO levels for the Si substrate and PANI-IO coating were similar to those found in the control sample.
Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Obeticholic Acid and Semaglutide in Patients With Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review

Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have an increased risk of developing progressive fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. As of now, there are no FDA-approved treatments for NAFLD/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or its associated fibrosis. Although many drugs are under clinical trial, both obeticholic acid (OCA) and semaglutide are among the few that have reached phase III clinical trials, but they were never compared. We decided to conduct a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. A total of 6,589 articles were found after searching PubMed, OVID Embase, OVID Medline, PubMed Central, and clinicaltrials.gov. Only full-text peer-reviewed articles published in the past six years were put through the Cochrane bias assessment tool or the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool to screen for bias. After strict quality assessment, data from five randomized controlled trials (n=2,694) and three systematic reviews/meta-analysis (n=8,898) was extracted and included. The data extraction from these studies showed that semaglutide and OCA cause histological improvement, but NASH resolution is exclusive to semaglutide. Although high doses of OCA can cause dyslipidemia and severe pruritus, it is the only therapeutic that causes improvement in NASH-associated hepatic fibrosis. Semaglutide is the safest option among the two and leads to significant weight loss compared to OCA; thus, a better outcome on hepatic steatosis follows. The indications of each of these drugs should be based on the NAFLD activity score and NASH fibrosis stage. OCA should be used with caution among patients with hyperlipidemia and ischemic heart disease as it may make these conditions worst.
University of Birmingham Material properties and compressive local buckling response of high strength steel square and rectangular hollow sections

An experimental investigation into the structural performance of compressed high strength steel (HSS) square and rectangular hollow sections is described in this paper. Both hot-rolled and cold-formed HSS sections were examined. In total six S460NH and ﬁve S690QH hot-rolled section sizes and three S500MC, two S700MC and four S960QC cold-formed section sizes were tested. The experimental programme comprised tensile coupon tests on ﬂat and corner material, measurements of geometric imperfections, full cross-section tensile tests and stub column tests. The results of the experiments presented in this paper have been combined with other available test data on high strength steel sections, and used to assess the existing design guidelines for high strength steels given in Eurocode 3. The focus has been on the material ductility requirements, the Class 3 slenderness limit for internal elements in compression and the effective width formula for Class 4 internal elements in compression.Reliability assessments of the Class 3 slenderness limit (both the current value of 42 and a proposed value of 38) and the effective width formula for Class 4 internal elements in compression were carried out. The analysis indicated that, based on the assembled test data considered in this study, and the assumptions made regarding the statistical distributions of material and geometric properties, a partial safety factor greater than unity is required for HSS. Similar ﬁndings have also recently been presented for ordinary strength steels.
Older Adults and Smart Technology: Facilitators and Barriers to Use

Smart technologies (e.g., smartphones, smart security technologies, digital home assistants) have advanced over the years and will continue to do so. There are various benefits to using these technologies in one's life, such as an increase in productivity through automation and self-monitoring one's health. Older adults particularly may benefit from smart technologies to support their everyday activities and compensate for age related changes. In this study, we explored the experiences and attitudes of eighty older adults including those who had prior experience and those who had never used (or perhaps never heard of) smart technologies through an online survey. We assessed their general opinions toward using smart technology and explored what facilitated or hindered their use. Older adults rated the facilitators to use for each smart technology differently, with few commonalities between the order of the most agreed upon facilitators. However, older adults' opinions were consistent across each technology about their ignorance of technological features and cost of the smart technology, which could be potential barriers to use. Among those who had never used one of the smart technologies, privacy was the most commonly endorsed concern. The results from this study support the understanding of key considerations when developing and deploying smart technologies for older adults.
On the disappearance and presence of the Slovene-speaking minority in Carinthia (Austria): Insights into the use of language and ethnic affiliation in leisure time from a practice-theoretical perspective

For many decades, the question of setting up bilingual place-name signs accompanied the ethnic conflict between the German-speaking majority and the autochthonous Slovene-speaking minority in Carinthia (Austria). On the 10th anniversary of the 2011 compromise concerning the dispute about place-name signs, this article takes a closer look at the characterization of ethnic relations in Carinthia in the past few decades. According to a practice–theoretical empirical approach, the key to understanding this ethnic minority is the disappearance of the Slovene language. This article examines the manifold strategies used by young people to perform Carinthian Slovenian identity during leisure time in the context of, or apart from, cultural associations. With these strategies, adolescents actively try to react to the threatened disappearance of their language as they advocate for its preservation and ensure its enduring presence. The central role of the symbolic dimension of Slovenian language usage is striking. The social cohesion of the Slovene-speaking population must therefore be understood as performative ethnicity.
Assessing Critical Listening Skills in Accounting Community College Students: An Exploratory Inquiry of How Exercising Listening Skills Positively Impacts Students’ Test Performance

Although several studies have demonstrated the importance of listening skills in the classroom and in the workplace, business administration college programs seldom include teaching listening as part of their curriculum because of content saturation and credit hours constraints. In this pilot study, we describe how integrating simple listening activities in the classroom, without making major modifications to the curriculum, improves students’ comprehension and test performance. The study demonstrates how exercising critical listening skills while taking a test has a positive effect on students’ retention of information and test scores.
Self-employment experience effects on well-being: A longitudinal study

The notion that self-employed individuals are more satisfied with their jobs than wage-employees has found broad empirical support. Previous research exploring the well-being effects of self-employment typically relies on direct cross-sectional comparisons between wage-employees and self-employed or on longitudinal investigations of transitions in or out of self-employment. In this study, the authors use individuals’ employment status histories in British longitudinal data to examine how accumulated self-employment experience affects job satisfaction, satisfaction with leisure and satisfaction with income. The study finds that those with past work experience only as self-employed report higher levels of job satisfaction than those with experience only as wage-employees. However, individuals with mixed work experience profiles are the most satisfied. This suggests a non-monotonic relationship between self-employment and job satisfaction. Patterns of self-employment experience and other satisfaction domains, such as satisfaction with income or leisure, are more nuanced, differing across gender lines.
O ENSINO DA CONTABILIDADE AMBIENTAL NAS UNIVERSIDADES BRASILEIRAS: UM ESTUDO EXPLORATÓRIO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTING TEACHING IN THE BRAZILIAN UNIVERSITIES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

The objective of this study is to verify the degree of inclusion of Environmental Accounting as a subject in the curriculum of Accounting Sciences undergraduate courses offered by Brazilian universities, the importance of this subject in the coordinators’ view, and possible difficulties for its inclusion in those courses. The adopted methodological procedures consisted of exploratory, bibliographical and field research. Through electronic mail, a questionnaire was sent to coordinators of all the higher education institutions, classified as universities by Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), which offer Accounting Sciences courses. Results obtained in the research have indicated that the subject is offered by a small number of universities. However, most coordinators find this subject important for students’ formation and, according to them, the greatest difficulty in including the subject in the courses of Accounting Sciences lies in the necessary adaptation of the curriculum, so that a series of relevant emerging themes for the accountant’s formation could be taken into consideration.
Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio as a predictor of high-risk esophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis

Background: Non-invasive parameters for the prediction of large esophageal varices among patients with liver cirrhosis is of greatest importance as it may decrease both the medical and economic load related to screening. The aim of this study is to evaluate platelet count/spleen diameter ratio as a non-invasive predictor of high-risk esophageal varices. Patients and methods: This observational cross-sectional study included forty eight cirrhotic patients underwent screening endoscopy for EV. All participants were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasonography (US) and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and EV grading classification according to AASLD practice guidelines criteria. Calculation of spleen bipolar diameter and platelet count /bipolar spleen diameter ratio for all patients and its diagnostic accuracy was done. Results: The patients were divided into two groups according to esophageal varices; risky group, included twenty four patients with large risky varices and non-risky group, included twenty four patients with small non risky varices. Compared to patient with non-risky varices, patient with large risky varices had a significant higher mean abdominal US spleen bipolar diameter and lower mean platelet count/spleen diameter ratio. Platelet count/spleen diameter ratio at cut off point equal to or less than 809.45 had sensitivity and specificity 95.8% (for each) to differentiate between high and low risk groups with area under ROC 0.99. Furthermore, spleen bipolar diameter ≥138.7 mm cutoff point had sensitivity of 95.8% and specificity 62.5% in detecting high risky varices with total accuracy was 79.2% and area under ROC 0.94. Conclusions: The platelet count/spleen diameter ratio and spleen bipolar diameter in cirrhotic patients may be proposed as safe and reproducible tools to improve the management of cirrhotic patients who should undergo screening endoscopy for EV.
On the reliability and failure of PBGA interconnects under bending cyclic test

Most of the second level reliability studies of ball grid array packages have been focusing on the temperature cycling induced fatigue. However, during the normal use of portable electronic products such as cellular phone, mobile phone and PDA (personal data assistants), the print circuit board is under a random, low frequency vibration as a result of the number-dialing strike. Therefore, reliability issue and failure mechanisms of the solder interconnects due to cyclic bending become more important as the widely use of packages to products. In this work, bending cyclic test is conducted to investigate the structural integrity of the on board PBGA assembly. A multi-specimen, 3-point bending fixture is developed and used to test a group of specimens simutaneously. Different maximum deflections (1 and 2mm) are applied over a span of 100mm. The effects of excitation frequencies (2 and 10 Hz) of the sinusodal loading are also considered to study their influences to the initial and cumulative failure of these packages. After the fatigue life of the solder interconnects is obtained, the Weibull model is then constructed to characterize the fatigue behavior of the solder joints in this study. In the meantime, failure analysis of the damaged units is also performed to indentify the failure locations and the corresponding failure modes. It is observed that initial failure of the test vehicle mostly occurs at the most outer ring of the solder joints. Consideration will be given to failures due to crack initiation and continuous growth.
Incidental Finding of Posterior Urethral Valve during Routine Antenatal Ultrasound: Diagnostic Imaging Case Report in Botswana

Medical ultrasound is a particularly useful imaging method used in the diagnosis of urinary fetal anomalies. One such fetal anomaly is the posterior urethral valve (PUV), which is a congenital malformation of the male urethra occurring early in gestation life. PUV is a common cause of obstructive uropathy in males and fetal death during pregnancy. We report from a medical imaging perspective on a rare and high-risk case of a PUV detected during routine antenatal ultrasound imaging in Botswana. The first scan performed at 16 weeks of gestation age was unremarkable. However, subsequent antenatal ultrasound scans at and after 20 weeks demonstrated bilateral hydronephrosis, distended ureters, and a urinary bladder which gradually increased with the gestation age. There was also a corresponding reduction in amniotic fluid and fetal movements. As a result of these complications, the pregnancy was classified as a “high-risk. ” At 30 weeks, spontaneous labour occurred, and a fresh still birth male fetus was delivered.
Building timber gridshells with air: Numerical simulations and technique challenges

: Construction has always been a fascinating and challenging aspect of timber gridshells. So far, only three techniques have successfully been used for the erection of such structures: the so-called ‘lift-up’, ‘push-up’ and ‘ease-down’ (Quinn et al. 2015). Inflatable Membrane Technology is here proposed as a new solution and is tested by means of numerical simulations on a simple case study. As a matter of fact, IMT reduces the timber lath’s stress during erection and guarantees an optimal shape control. It also seems suitable to post-form more challenging gridshell geometries, but this aspect still deserves further investigations and experiments.
Phylogeny and Metabolic Potential of the Methanotrophic Lineage MO3 in Beijerinckiaceae from the Paddy Soil through Metagenome-Assembled Genome Reconstruction

Although the study of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB, methanotrophs) has been carried out for more than a hundred years, there are many uncultivated methanotrophic lineages whose metabolism is largely unknown. Here, we reconstructed a nearly complete genome of a Beijerinckiaceae methanotroph from the enrichment of paddy soil by using nitrogen-free M2 medium. The methanotroph labeled as MO3_YZ. 1 had a size of 3.83 Mb, GC content of 65.6%, and 3442 gene-coding regions. Based on phylogeny of pmoA gene and genome and the genomic average nucleotide identity, we confirmed its affiliation to the MO3 lineage and a close relationship to Methylocapsa. MO3_YZ. 1 contained mxaF- and xoxF-type methanol dehydrogenase. MO3_YZ. 1 used the serine cycle to assimilate carbon and regenerated glyoxylate through the glyoxylate shunt as it contained isocitrate lyase and complete tricarboxylic acid cycle-coding genes. The ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway and Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle were incomplete in MO3_YZ. 1. Three acetate utilization enzyme-coding genes were identified, suggesting its potential ability to utilize acetate. The presence of genes for N2 fixation, sulfur transformation, and poly-β-hydroxybutyrate synthesis enable its survival in heterogeneous habitats with fluctuating supplies of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.