Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wound Surface Area and Colony Count of Various Modes of Phototherapy

Background: The degree of tissue damage caused by related inflammatory and immunological sequelae poses a major therapeutic treatment problem in burn wounds. Chronic wounds frequently have a significant bioburden and pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics. This review article discusses present research on phototherapy, which is believed to be useful in managing wound bioburden and promoting healing. Objective: To evaluate the wound healing efficacy of polarized light therapy (BLT) against low-level laser therapy (GaAs laser) in order to determine which is more efficient and successful at speeding burn healing. Subject and methods: The current study enrolled thirty patients having partial thickness thermal burn on the forearm (dermal burn). They were selected from Burn Unit at Legislation Association Hospital for Burns & Oncology. They were randomly assigned into two equal groups: Group (A) that included fifteen patients who received the BLT with mean age of 28.8 ± 2.51 years old and group (B) that enrolled fifteen patients who received LLLT with mean age of 29.6 ± 2.79 years old. Both groups also received traditional physical therapy and conservative treatment for the burn site three times weekly for four weeks. Results: Group A and B showed a significant reduction in colony count and wound surface area after treatment in comparison to that before treatment (p > 0.001). In group A, the colony count and wound surface area decreased by 38.63% and 55.1% respectively, but in group B, by 15.6% and 37.92% respectively. Conclusion: Both polarized light therapy and low-level laser therapy had a therapeutic efficiency on wound healing, but BLT is more efficient and more successful in the acceleration of the burned wounds healing.
Comparing different bulk radiation damage models in TCAD simulations of small-pitch 3D Si sensors

Small-pitch, thin 3D Si sensors have been developed for the ATLAS and CMS experiment upgrades at the High Luminosity LHC. The pixel sizes are 50 × 50 µm2 with 1 readout column, and 25 × 100 µm2 with 1 or 2 readout columns (1E and 2E). Owing to the small inter-electrode distance, ranging from ∼28 µm to ∼51 µm in the considered layouts, these devices are expected to be extremely radiation hard. TCAD simulations by Synopsys Sentaurus, incorporating advanced radiation damage models, have been used for the design/optimization of these new 3D pixel sensors. In this study, we have compared the accuracy of different bulk damage models in predicting the signal efficiency of small-pitch 3D sensors irradiated at large fluences and its evolution with the bias voltage at different positions within the 3D cell. Selected simulation results will be reported in comparison to experimental data.
Third doses of COVID-19 vaccines reduce infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and could prevent future surges in some populations

Background Vaccines have greatly reduced the impact of COVID-19 globally. Unfortunately, evidence indicates that immunity wanes following vaccination, especially with the Delta variant (B.1.617.2). Protection against severe disease and death remain high, but protection against milder disease and infection have dropped significantly. A third booster dose of two-dose vaccines has been approved in several countries to individuals at higher risk of severe disease to protect those individuals, but the benefit to boosting immunity in younger healthy individuals and the effects on transmission are less clear. Methods Here we use relationships between neutralizing antibody titers and vaccine protection against infection and transmission, combined with data on waning and boosting of neutralizing antibody titers to examine the impact of a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine on infection and transmission and its impact on the pathogen effective reproductive number Rt. Findings Eight months of waning reduced protection of the Pfizer vaccine against all infections from 80.0% (95% CI: 77% to 83%) to 60.4% (95% CI: 53% to 67%); a third dose (which increased neutralizing antibody titers 25.9- fold relative to levels after 8 months of waning) increased protection to 87.2% (95% CI: 83% to 91%). Increased protection against infection and transmission from third doses reduced Rt by 21% to 66% depending on vaccine coverage and previous infection and reduced Rt below 1 when vaccination coverage was high or contact rates were well below pre-pandemic levels. Interpretation A third dose of the Pfizer vaccine could reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which would reduce infection in unvaccinated individuals and breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals. While vaccination of unvaccinated individuals, especially in developing countries, would be more effective for reducing disease than providing a third dose to vaccinated individuals, the benefit of a third dose in reducing transmission is sizeable and increases with vaccine coverage and contact rates among individuals.
Multi-ancestry gene-trait connection landscape using electronic health record (EHR) linked biobank data

Understanding genetic factors of complex traits across ancestry groups holds a key to improve the overall health care quality for diverse populations in the United States. In recent years, multiple electronic health record-linked (EHR-linked) biobanks have recruited participants of diverse ancestry backgrounds; these biobanks make it possible to obtain phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) summary statistics on a genome-wide scale for different ancestry groups. Moreover, advancement in bioinformatics methods provide novel means to accelerate the translation of basic discoveries to clinical utility by integrating GWAS summary statistics and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data to identify complex trait-related genes, such as transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) and colocalization analyses. Here, we combined the advantages of multi-ancestry biobanks and data integrative approaches to investigate the multi-ancestry, gene-disease connection landscape. We first performed a phenome-wide TWAS on Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) III network participants of European ancestry (N = 68,813) and participants of African ancestry (N = 12,658) populations, separately. For each ancestry group, the phenome-wide TWAS tested gene-disease associations between 22,535 genes and 309 curated disease phenotypes in 49 primary human tissues, as well as cross-tissue associations. Next, we identified gene-disease associations that were shared across the two ancestry groups by combining the ancestry-specific results via meta-analyses. We further applied a Bayesian colocalization method, fastENLOC, to prioritize likely functional gene-disease associations with supportive colocalized eQTL and GWAS signals. We replicated the phenome-wide gene-disease analysis in the analogous Penn Medicine BioBank (PMBB) cohorts and sought additional validations in the PhenomeXcan UK Biobank (UKBB) database, PheWAS catalog, and systematic literature review. Phenome-wide TWAS identified many proof-of-concept gene-disease associations, e.g. FTO-obesity association (p = 7.29e-15), and numerous novel disease-associated genes, e.g. association between GATA6-AS1 with pulmonary heart disease (p = 4.60e-10). In short, the multi-ancestry, gene-disease connection landscape provides rich resources for future multi-ancestry complex disease research. We also highlight the importance of expanding the size of non-European ancestry datasets and the potential of exploring ancestry-specific genetic analyses as these will be critical to improve our understanding of the genetic architecture of complex disease.
Robotic walking for recovery of functional capacity in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury: A randomized pilot trial

Objective: Activity-based Training (ABT) represents the current standard of neurological rehabilitation. Robotic Locomotor Training (RLT) is an innovative technique that aims to enhance rehabilitation outcomes, however, its efficacy in SCI rehabilitation, particularly within a low-middle income setting, is currently unclear. The primary aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of a locomotor training program within XX, in terms of recruitment, attendance, drop-out rates and safety. Secondary aims were to determine the effects of RLT compared to ABT on functional capacity in people with chronic SCI. Design: Participants with chronic traumatic motor incomplete tetraplegia (n = 16) were recruited. Each intervention involved 60-minute sessions, 3x per week, over 24-weeks. RLT involved walking in the Ekso GTTM suit. ABT involved a combination of resistance, cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercise. Primary feasibility outcomes included recruitment rate, adherence rate, and adverse events. Validated tests were performed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24-weeks to assess the secondary outcomes of functional capacity. Results: Out of 110 individuals who expressed interest in participating in the study, 17 initiated the program (recruitment rate = 15.4 %). Of these, 16 individuals completed the program (drop-out rate = 5.8 %) and attended sessions (attendance rate = 93.9%). There were no significant differences between the intervention groups for lower or upper extremity motor scores (UEMS effect size (ES) = 0.09; LEMS ES = 0.05), back strength (ES = 0.14) and abdominal strength (ES = 0.13) after training. However, both groups showed a significant increase of 2.00 points in UEMS and a significant increase in abdominal strength from pre- to post intervention. Only the RLT group showed a significant change in LEMS, with a mean increase of 3.00 [0.00; 16.5] points over time. Distance walked in the Functional Ambulatory Inventory (SCI-FAI) increased significantly (p = 0.02) over time only for the RLT group. Conclusions: Recruitment, attrition and adherence rates of the intervention and outcomes justify a subsequent powered RCT comparing RLT to ABT as an effective rehabilitation tool for potentially improving functional strength and walking capacity in people with incomplete SCI.
Intimate partner violence and unmet need for family planning among currently married Afghan women aged 18-49 years: findings from a nationally representative survey in Afghanistan

Background: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue, particularly in poor-resourced countries. It has been linked to a range of adverse health outcomes. In this study, we explored the prevalence and the relationship between the IPV and unmet need for family planning and identified the associated sociodemographic factors among a nationally representative sample of married Afghan women aged 18-49 years in Afghanistan. Methods: This study used the data from Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in 2015. The data for IPV, unmet need for family planning, and sociodemographic characteristics of Afghan women aged 18-24 were extracted from the available databases. Sampling weights and survey design were accounted for in bivariate and multivariate analyses using the STATA software version 14. The significant alpha level was determined at p-value < . 05 Results: More than half of the study population, with a prevalence of 55.89%, experienced some types of intimate partner violence during the last 12 months. Unmet need for family planning was documented in less than a third of the population. Illiterate employed women from poorer families who were living in the rural areas were more likely to suffer from any type of IPV. Moreover, those from Pashtun (OR = 2.12, 95% CI:1.30-3.45), Tajik (OR = 1.69, 95% CI:1.06-2.71), and Pashai (OR = 2.23, 95% CI:1.17-4.26) ethnic groups had a higher chance of being a victim of any type of violence compared to the reference group (Turkmen). Illiterate women (OR = 1.37, 95% CI:1.02-1.83) with more than 5 pregnancy experiences (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.19-1.74) had more unmet needs for family planning compared to the reference group. The unmet needs were almost 40% and 30% less likely to be observed among women from Pashtun and Tajik ethnic backgrounds compared to the reference group (Turkmen), respectively. The likelihood of having unmet needs was 30% less in those women who suffered from any type of violence. Conclusion: IPV is an important predictor of several adverse health outcomes. The findings of present study portray the disastrous situation of Afghan women's right violation and violence against them in a conflict setting in one the poor-resourced countries in the world and communicate an important message to the international communities and human right advocate to take immediate actions to mitigate the current situation and prevent the violence against Afghan women to improve the integrity of their reproductive health.
Association Between Social Media Use and Self-reported Symptoms of Depression in US Adults

Importance: Some studies suggest that social media use is associated with risk for depression, particularly among children and young adults. Objective: To characterize the association between self-reported use of individual social media platforms, and worsening of depressive symptoms, among adults. Design: We included data from 13 waves of a non-probability internet survey conducted between May 2020 and May 2021 among individuals age 18 and older in the United States. We applied logistic regression with 5 or more point increase in PHQ-9 as outcome, and sociodemographic features, baseline PHQ-9, and use of each social media platform as independent variables, without reweighting. Participants: Survey respondents 18 and older. Main Outcome and Measure: PHQ-9 worsening by 5 points or more. Results: A total of 5395/8045 (67.1%) individuals with a PHQ-9<5 on initial survey completed a second PHQ-9. These respondents had mean age 55.82 years (SD 15.17); 3546 (65.7%) reported female gender, the remainder male; 329 (6.1%) were Asian, 570 (10.6%) Black, 256 (4.7%) Hispanic, 4118 (76.3%) White, and 122 (2.3%) Native American or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, or Other. Among them, 482 (8.9%) reported 5 point or greater worsening at second survey. In fully-adjusted models for increase in symptoms, largest odds ratio associated with social media use was observed for Snapchat (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.19-1.96), Facebook (aOR 1.42, 1.10-1.81), and TikTok (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.03-1.87). Conclusions and Relevance: Among survey respondents who did not report depressive symptoms initially, social media use was associated with greater likelihood of subsequent increase in depressive symptoms after adjustment for sociodemographic features and news sources. These data cannot elucidate the nature of this relationship, but suggest the need for further study to understand the impact of social media use.
Assessment of knowledge retention of healthcare staff through telephonic interview after training for rotavirus vaccine introduction in India

Background: Studies have shown that while training has significant potential in improving the knowledge and skills of healthcare staff, the beneficial effect of training may decline with time. Studies have emphasized the role of assessment in understanding the relevance of the training structure and content and employing course correction as per the need. Besides, there is a lack of literature on the assessment of the level of knowledge retention among the participants. This study aims to conduct an assessment study to determine the level of knowledge retention. Methods: The study was conducted among frontline health workers who received training on the rotavirus vaccine introduction. Assessments were conducted at a gap of one month and twelve months after the intervention. Simple percentages were used to compare the level of knowledge retention and McNemar's chi-square test to determine P values. Results: This is the first study conducted in India to assess the retention of knowledge 12 months after the new vaccine introduction training of health care professionals. The study comprised 41 participants who demonstrated an increase in the level of knowledge retention at the end of 1-month; however, a decline in the knowledge retention was seen at 12-months. For the issue of missed second dose among children who received the first dose, an increase in knowledge level and retention was observed. Conclusion: The study results showed that a time-bound decline in knowledge retention occurs. The authors recommend regular monitoring, refresher training to supplement the primary training.
Omega-3 Index is Directly Associated with a Healthy Red Blood Cell Distribution Width

Low red blood cell (RBC) membrane content of EPA and DHA, i.e., the omega-3 index (O3I), and elevated RBC distribution width (RDW) are risk factors for all-cause mortality. O3I and RDW are related with membrane fluidity and deformability. Our objective was to determine if there is a relationship between O3I and RDW in healthy adults. Subjects without inflammation or anemia, and with values for O3I, RDW, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), body mass index (BMI), age and sex were identified (n=25,485) from a clinical laboratory dataset of >45,000 individuals. RDW was inversely associated with O3I before and after (both p<0.00001) adjusting models for sex, age, BMI and CRP. Stratification by sex revealed a sex-O3I interaction with the RDW-O3I slope (p<0.00066) being especially steep in females with O3I [≤]5.6%. In healthy adults of both sexes, the data suggested that an O3I of >5.6% may help maintain normal RBC structural and functional integrity.
The Price Effect of Temporary Short-selling Bans: Theory and Evidence

We develop a model of temporary short-selling bans by extending the infinite-horizon speculative bubble model of Scheinkman and Xiong (2003). Our model predicts that a short-selling ban leads to a price inflation that is the highest at the beginning of the ban and gradually converges to zero at the end of the ban. Examining the 2008 short-selling ban of financial stocks in the U.S., we find evidence consistent with this prediction. The innovation of our empirical design is to use the financial segments of non-banned stocks as a control group for the banned financial stocks.
Modeling Preference Heterogeneity Within and Across Behavioral Types: Evidence from a Real-world Betting Market

While it is commonly accepted that risk preferences differ across individuals, studies that estimate them typically allow for limited heterogeneity. We develop a methodology that allows for richer representation of heterogeneity both within and across utility types characterized by different behavioral features. This enables us to improve individual- and population-level estimates, and to assess the relative importance of loss aversion and probability weighting, and their prevalence in the population. Applying our model to individual sports-betting choices, we find that utility curvature alone does not explain observed choices and, while two-thirds of individuals exhibit loss aversion, all exhibit probability weighting.
Contracting Environments and Efficiency in Markets with Hidden Information: An Experiment

This paper provides a systematic analysis of the role of contracting environments on market outcomes and efficiency in markets with hidden information using experimental methods. When markets are plagued by hidden information, competition does not necessarily ensure efficient market outcomes. This crucially depends on the nature of hidden information: While theoretically efficiency is attained via competition under hidden information of the private values form, severe distortions may occur under common values (such as in the classic Akerlof lemons or Rothschild-Stiglitz insurance markets). The extent of distortions in the latter case furthermore depends on the nature of competitive contracting. We present a parsimonious experimental design that allows to compare the different contracting environments ranging from monopoly to nonexclusive competition for both types of hidden information markets, private and common values. The degree of equilibrium play that we find is strikingly high, particularly in the complex cases of competitive common values markets. While competition ensures efficiency under private values, it is not the case under common values where distortion arises under exclusive and exclusion under nonexclusive contracting.
Subjective Expectations and Equilibrium Yield Curves

Abstract The stylized facts in the historical dynamics of U.S. Treasury bond yields – a trend in long-term yields, business cycle movements in short-term yields, and a level shift in yield spreads – reflect key features that the pricing kernel of any equilibrium model should have. This paper presents an equilibrium asset pricing model with subjective expectations to jointly explain these puzzling facts. The trend is generated by subjective expectations of long-run GDP growth and inflation, which share similar patterns to the neutral rate of interest (r Star}) and trend inflation (pi Star) estimates in the literature. Cyclical movements in yields and spreads are mainly driven by expected short-run GDP growth and inflation. The less-frequent inverted yield curves (and steeper curve) observed after the 1990s are due to the recent secular stagnation and procyclical inflation expectations.
Evolution of Climate-Related Disclosure Guidance and Application of Climate Risk Measurement in Research

Climate risk disclosures originated as part of more general sustainability disclosure frameworks but now plays a prominent role in the evolution of mandated sustainability disclosures. This chapter explores the evolution of climate risk disclosure guidance and how it increasingly reflects the multi-dimensional nature of climate risk. Research on climate change has followed a similar path, with evolution in the measures of climate risk that researchers employ in their research. The chapter discusses use of different measures of climate risk in existing economics, accounting, and finance research and explores issues associated with how the measures affect interpretation of research results. The chapter concludes with an appraisal of current policy and practice and its future trajectory as well as suggestions of avenues for future academic research on climate risk.
How Does Exogenous Shock Change the Structure of Interbank Network?: Evidence from China under COVID-19

ABSTRACT This paper utilizes China’s interbank deposit system under COVID-19 to examine how interbank network changes with considerable uncertainty surrounding exogenous shock. We investigate the interbank network in China by specifying the core-periphery pattern to disentangle the network development and the pandemic onset. In order to model the interbank deposit system, maximum entropy and partition-based approach are employed to estimate the bilateral exposures for banks and identify the network structure, respectively. We find that the four largest global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) in the world play a critical role in bearing interbank burden under this crucial period by increasing interbank assets and decreasing interbank liability. By comparing the situations before and after the outbreak of the pandemic in stress-testing, the empirical evidence shows that the number of cores and capital of them is declined in 2020Q2; however, the topological structure of the network is increasingly similar to a typical core-periphery pattern, and the changed interbank network can better absorb the loss and interrupt the contagion of systemic risk.