Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hearing Loss in Bacterial Meningitis Revisited—Evolution and Recovery

Abstract Background Hearing loss and deafness are well-known sequelae from bacterial meningitis (ABM) and may result in social dysfunction and learning difficulties. Yet, the timely development of hearing loss and restitution is poorly studied, especially among adults. Hearing loss was revisited using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) to determine the occurrence, magnitude, and development of hearing loss among adults with ABM. Methods Distortion product OAEs were measured in patients with ABM the day of admission and days 2, 3, 5–7, and 10–14 and at follow-up 30–60 days after discharge. Frequencies were categorized as low (1, 1.5, 2 kHz), mid (3, 4, 5 kHz), mid-high (6, 7, 8 kHz), and high (9, 10 kHz). Audiometry was performed on discharge and 60 days after. Results were compared with 158 healthy controls. Results OAE was obtained in 32 patients. ABM was due to S. pneumoniae in 12 patients (38%). All patients were treated with dexamethasone. OAE emission threshold levels (ETLs) were significantly decreased upon admission and at follow-up in all frequencies compared with healthy controls. A substantial and significant decrease in ETLs was found in S. pneumoniae meningitis. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) >20 dB was present in 13 of 23 (57%) at discharge and in 11 of 18 patients (61%) 60 days after discharge. Hearing recovery decreased from day 3. Conclusions Hearing loss in ABM still affects >60% of patients despite treatment with dexamethasone. In S. pneumoniae meningitis, SNHL is profound and permanent. A window of opportunity for systemic or local treatments aiming to preserve cochlear function is proposed.
A complete galaxy redshift survey – V. Infrared luminosity functions for field galaxies

A subsample of the optically selected Anglo-Australian Redshift Survey, which we have observed at infrared wavelengths, is used to construct the first infrared luminosity function for «field» galaxies. Infrared completeness limits for the survey are estimated using a V/V max test in order to obtain a sample complete in the K (2.2 μm) passband, from which luminosity function parameters are derived using standard techniques. A new statistical method is then developed to construct the infrared luminosity function from the full optically selected survey, and possible sources of bias in this technique are examined. The best estimates of the infrared Schechter luminosity function parameters are M K * = − 25.1 ± 0.3 and α = − 1.0 ± 0.3 for H 0 = 50 km s −1 Mpc −1
Matrices as sums of squares

How many squares are needed to represent elements in a matrix ring? A matrix over a field of characteristic two is a sum of two squares if and only if its trace is a square, otherwise it is not a sum of squares. Any proper matrix over a field of characteristic not two is always a sum of three squares. If the order of a matrix is even the matrix is a sum of two squares, but an odd order matrix which is q times the identity matrix is a sum of two squares if and only ifq is a sum of two squares in the field. Matrices of order 2,3 and 4 over the integers can always be written as the sum of three squares.
Strong electrocaloric effect in lead-free 0.65Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.35(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 ceramics obtained by direct measurements

Solid solutions of (1 − x)Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 promise to exhibit a large electrocaloric effect (ECE), because their Curie temperature and a multiphase coexistence region lie near room temperature. We report on direct measurements of the electrocaloric effect in bulk ceramics 0.65Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.35(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 using a modified differential scanning calorimeter. The adiabatic temperature change reaches a value of ΔTEC = 0.33 K at ∼65 °C under an electric field of 20 kV/cm. It remains sizeable in a broad temperature interval above this temperature. Direct measurements of the ECE proved that the temperature change exceeds the indirect estimates derived from Maxwell relations by about ∼50%. The discrepancy is attributed to the relaxor character of this material.
A novel methodology for deriving improved material parameter sets for simplified cylindrical cloaks

A new way to define simplified material parameters for cylindrical cloaks is developed. A Taylor series expansion of μθ dictated by a new constraint equation developed for simplified cylindrical cloak parameters, followed by solving for εz and μr leads to simplified cloaks with significantly improved scattering width performance when compared to previous published results. Numerical simulations show scattering width reductions for all angles of observation. Ideal results are approached as the number of terms in the Taylor series goes to infinity. We also show the simplified parameter set developed by Yan et al is simply the first term in this more general expansion.
INFLOW RECONNECTION SOLUTIONS IN INCOMPRESSIBLE VISCO-RESISTIVE PLASMAS

The development of a visco-resistive length scale for the thickness of a reconnecting current sheet would have significant consequences for the physics of magnetic reconnection in solar flares. In this paper, planar magnetic reconnection in an incompressible visco-resistive plasma is investigated analytically and numerically. Relaxation simulations are performed in an “open” geometry that allows material to enter and exit the reconnection volume. Solutions of two types are identified depending on the strength of the external flow that drives the reconnection. For sufficiently strong flows separate resistive and viscous layers develop in the reconnection region. In this case merging rates are found to be largely independent of viscosity. However, when the flow is too weak to produce a localized current layer, an equilibrium lacking any small-scale structure is obtained. The central conclusion is that neither of these steady-state solutions provide evidence of a visco-resistive length scale.
Perpendicular electric transport in Fe/X/Fe model heterostructures

The electric transport properties of Fe/Xs/Fe model systems have been investigated for current perpendicular to the plane geometry. Three different spacer materials X=Ge, [In, P], [Zn, Se] have been used in order to examine the dependence of the magnetoresistance with respect to the spacer thickness. In the case of binary spacer materials the influence of the termination of the spacer material is also investigated. In addition, some important technical aspects like the variation of the sheet resistance with the number of lead layers are discussed. The investigations have been performed in the framework of the relativistic spin-polarized version of the screened Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker method, and the Kubo–Greenwood formula has been used to describe the transport properties. It has been observed that for all three systems the magnetoresistance becomes constant with increasing spacer thickness, the absolute value depending on the material and the termination of the spacer. Furthermore, we can demonstrate that.
Information and Asymptotic Efficiency in Parametric-Nonparametric Models

Asymptotic lower bounds for estimation of the parameters of models with both parametric and nonparametric components are given in the form of representation theorems (for regular estimates) and asymptotic minimax bounds. The methods used involve: (i) the notion of a "Hellinger-differentiable (root-) density", where part of the differentiation is with respect to the nonparametric part of the model, to obtain appropriate scores; and (ii) calculation of the "effective score" for the real or vector (finite-dimensional) parameter of interest as that component of the score function orthogonal to all nuisance parameter "scores" (perhaps infinite-dimensional). The resulting asymptotic information for estimation of the parametric component of the model is just (4 times) the squared L'-norm of the "effective score". A corollary of these results is a simple necessary condition for "adaptive estimation": adaptation is possible only if the scores for the parameter of interest are orthogonal to the scores for the nuisance function or nonparametric part of the model. Examples considered include the one-sample location model with and without symmetry, mixture models, the two-sample shift model, and Cox's proportional hazards model.
Algorithms for Loop Matchings

A simplified (two-base) version of the problem of planar folding of long chains (e.g., RNA and DNA biomolecules) is formulated as a matching problem. The chain is prescribed as a loop or circular sequence of letters A and B, n units long. A matching here means a set of A-B base pairings or matches obeying a planarity condition: no two matches may cross each other if drawn on the interior of the loop. Also, no two adjacent letters may be matched. We present a dynamic programming algorithm requiring $O( {n^3 } )$ steps and $O( {n^2 } )$ storage which computes the size of the maximum for the given A-B base sequence and which also allows reconstructing a particular folded form of the original string which realizes the maximum matching size. The algorithm can be adapted to deal with sequences with larger alphabets and with weighted matchings.An algorithm is also presented for a modified problem closer to the biochemical problem of interest: We demand that every match must be adjacent to another match, forcing .
Plasma effects on electron impact ionization

Self-consistent calculations of plasma effects on atomic structure, based on the ion-sphere model, are presented. The electron impact ionization cross section is calculated, using a distorted-wave approximation, for partially ionized gold plasmas at different temperatures and densities. The results show large plasma effects on collisional ionization at high density and low temperature. The plasma medium leads to enhancement of the ionization cross section by a factor of up to two.
The theory and use of upper air thickness patterns in forecasting

The combination of the ordinary synoptic chart with the 1,000—500 mb thickness pattern, and the implied 500 mb contour chart, provides a first approximation to a three-dimensional representation of the troposphere. Although incomplete, the representation permits the introduction of dynamical and thermodynamical theory and provides a basis for scientific forecasting. The forecasting of thickness patterns, in effect of the temperature field, is a thermodynamical problem. The theory of advective, adiabatic and non-adiabatic temperature change is discussed. A useful approximation to advection is obtained by regarding the thickness lines as material lines embedded in the surface geostrophic wind field. Climatological monthly means and extremes of thickness are given; these provide a practical framework to the forecast. The dynamical development is related with the geometry of the thickness patterns as indicating the vertical variation of vorticity transport. Attention is directed to the development field associated with thermal troughs and ridges, confluence and difluence, and certain combinations of these. When the dynamical development so produced sets up a circulation which by advection maintains or increases the thermal distortion in the same sense, the situation is self-maintaining or self-developing. The warm sector depression, the baroclinic anticyclone and the jet stream complex are examples of such systems. A step-by-step procedure of forecasting prebaratic and pre-thickness charts, which has been used in experimental four-day forecasts, is outlined.
The role of weighted distributions in stochastic modeling

C. R. Rao pointed out that “The role of statistical methodology is to extract the relevant information from a given sample to answer specific questions about the parent population” and raised the question “What population does a sample represent”? Wrong specification can lead to invalid inference giving rise to a third kind of error. Rao introduced the concept of weighted distributions as a method of adjustment applicable to many situations. In this paper, we study the relationship between the weighted distributions and the parent distributions in the context of reliability and life testing. These relationships depend on the nature of the weight function and give rise to interesting connections between the different ageing criteria of the two distributions. As special cases, the length biased distribution, the equilibrium distribution of the backward and forward recurrence times and the residual life distribution, which frequently arise in practice, are studied and their relationships with the original di.
Iteration schemes for rapid post‐stall aerodynamic prediction of wings using a decambering approach

Nonlinear aerodynamics of wings may be evaluated using an iterative decambering approach. In this approach, the effect of flow separation due to stall at any wing section is modeled as an effective reduction in section camber. The approach uses a wing analysis method for potential‐flow calculations and viscous airfoil lift curves for the sections as input. The calculation procedure is implemented using a Newton–Raphson iteration to simultaneously satisfy the boundary condition, which comes from potential‐flow wing theory, and drive the sectional operating points toward their respective viscous lift curves, as required for convergence. Of particular interest in this research is the calculation of the residuals during the Newton iteration. Unlike a typical implementation of the Newton iteration, the residual calculation is not performed via a straightforward function evaluation, but rather by estimating the target operating points on the input viscous lift curves. Estimation of these target operating points depends on the assumptions made in the cross‐coupling of the decambering at the different sections. This paper presents four residual calculation schemes for the decambering approach. The residual calculation schemes are compared against each other to assess computational speed and robustness. Decambering results are also compared with higher‐order computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions for rectangular and swept wings. Results from the best scheme compare well with the CFD solutions for the rectangular wing, motivating further development of the method. Poor predictions for the swept wings are traced to spanwise propagation of separated flow at stall, highlighting the limitations of the current approach. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interaction with the Lower Ionosphere of Electromagnetic Pulses from Lightning: Heating, Attachment, Ionization, and Optical Emissions

Abstract : A typical lightning discharge produces an intense 20 gigawatt electromagnetic (EM) pulse of 50 to 150 s duration. A significant portion of this energy propagates upward where it interacts with the ambient electrons in the collisional lower ionosphere. In the present work the Boltzmann kinetic equation for electrons and Maxwell's equations for the EM fields are self-consistently solved to simulate the interaction of lightning radiated EM pulses with the lower ionosphere. Results indicate that attachment, ionization, and optical emissions produced in this interaction are sufficient to explain 'early' subionospheric VLF signal perturbations and airglow brightening observed simultaneously with lightning. This model also provides the basis for the quantitative evaluation of a wide variety of electrodynamic and chemical processes in the ionosphere which occur in response to the energy released in lightning discharges. Under nighttime conditions, individual pulses with peak amplitudes of 10-20 V/m (normalized to 100 km free space distance) produce changes in electron density of 1-30% of the ambient while a sequence of such pulses leads to more than 100 % modification at altitudes between 85 and 92 km.
Control of non-minimum phase singularly perturbed systems with application to flexible-link manipulators

The problem of controlling the top position of a flexible-link manipulator is considered. A linear mathematical model of the flexible system is expressed in a standard singularly perturbed form. The concept of the integral manifold is utilized to design a dynamical composite control strategy to guarantee a minimum phase closed-loop system restricted to the manifold, resulting in controlling the tip position to an arbitrary degree of accuracy by just measuring the hub angle and the tip position. Numerical simulations for an approximation to the model of Canadarm (Shuttle arm) are included to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed technique. The proposed control strategy is applied to both the linear and the nonlinear models of the Canadarm with very encouraging results.
Precipitation Estimation in Mountainous Terrain Using Multivariate Geostatistics. Part II: Isohyetal Maps

Abstract Values of average annual precipitation (AAP) may be important for hydrologic characterization of a potential high-level nuclear-waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Reliable measurements of AAP are sparse in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, and estimates of AAP were needed for an isohyetal mapping over a 2600-square-mile watershed containing Yucca Mountain. Estimates were obtained with a multivariate geostatistical model developed using AAP and elevation data from a network of 42 precipitation stations in southern Nevada and southeastern California. An additional 1531 elevations were obtained to improve estimation accuracy. Isohyets representing estimates obtained using univariate geostatistics (kriging) defined a smooth and continuous surface. Isohyets representing estimates obtained using multivariate geostatistics (cokriging) defined an irregular surface that more accurately represented expected local orographic influences on AAP. Cokriging results included a maximum estimate within.
Polar Faculae: 1906--1990

The numbers of faculae at the sun's poles have been estimated from white-light images obtained at the Mount Wilson Observatory during 1970-1990 and have been combined with previous measurements extending back to 1906 when the observations began. The combined measurements now span four complete 22 year cycles and show the following: (1) the numbers of north and south polar faculae were about 50 percent larger around sunspot minimum in 1986 than in 1976, but were still smaller than some of the very large numbers that occurred near sunspot minima in earlier cycles; (2) in 1974, the number of south polar faculae exhibited a short-lived increase which coincided with the arrival of a surge of trailing-polarity flux at the pole, suggesting that similar poleward surges may have been responsible for previously unexplained bursts of faculae such as the one that occurred at the south pole in 1959; and (3) the numbers of polar faculae have been highly correlated with the Wilcox Solar Observatory polar field strengths since these magnetic measurements began in 1976. 10 refs.
Assimilation of rain-affected radiances with an adjoint model

The ability to assimilate microwave radiance observations of the Earth's atmosphere affected by precipitation is investigated with an emphasis on channels that are sensitive to frozen hydrometeors. Mesoscale numerical weather prediction and radiative transfer models, as well as their corresponding adjoint models are utilized in sensitivity and data assimilation experiments. Special Sensor Microwave / Imager observations of Hurricane Bonnie (1998) are compared with model results that are transferred to radiance space with the radiative transfer model. Sensitivity results indicate that the model error in radiance space in areas of precipitation at the initial time is most dependent on the initial hydrometeor fields. At later forecast times, the model error is more sensitive to initial conventional model variables such as water vapor and temperature. When radiance data is assimilated, the model fields have better agreement with the observations compared to a control experiment for all observed channels at the initial time. However, at the next observation time 12 h later, the quantitative error measurements for the control and post assimilation forecasts are approximately the same value. Although this study demonstrates the ability to assimilate observations sensitive to atmospheric ice (as well as liquid) concentrations in a variational framework, important aspects such a background error correlation and bias have been ignored for simplification. More observations in a more complex data assimilation system will be needed in order to fully maximize the forecast impact of these observations.
A Patient Decision Aid About Conservative Kidney Management in Advanced Kidney Disease: A Randomized Pilot Trial.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE Available decision aids for patients about treatment of advanced CKD often lack information on conservative kidney management (CKM). We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a decision aid on CKM among patients with advanced CKD and their family members. STUDY DESIGN Randomized pilot trial. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Patients aged ≥75 years with stage 4 or 5 CKD and their family members at 4 medical centers in the greater Seattle area between August 2020 and December 2021. INTERVENTIONS Usual care with or without a decision aid on CKM. OUTCOMES Acceptability was assessed by attrition rates between the initial study visit (T1) and the 3-month follow-up (T3). The primary outcome and measure of feasibility was the proportion of participants who discussed CKM with a healthcare provider between T1 and T3. RESULTS We randomized 92 patients of whom 86 (55.8% male; age 82±6 years; 82.6% White) completed T1-42 in the usual care arm and 44 in the usual care plus decision aid arm-and 56 family members of whom 53 (18.9% male; age 71±11 years; 86.8% White) completed T1-20 in usual care arm and 33 in the usual care plus decisions aid arm. Attrition rates were 21% vs. 21% (p=1.0) for patients and 10% vs. 18% (p=0.46) for family members in the usual care vs. usual care plus decisions aid arms. Receipt of the decision aid significantly increased discussion of CKM with a healthcare provider for patients (26.4% vs. 3.0%, p=0.007) and family members (26.9% vs. 0%, p=0.02). LIMITATIONS Possible limited generalizability because participants were a relatively homogenous group. The decision aid focuses on CKM and may be less applicable to those with limited knowledge of kidney replacement therapies. CONCLUSIONS A CKM decision aid was feasible and acceptable, and increased discussion of this treatment option with healthcare providers. This aid may serve as a useful adjunct to currently available educational tools on treatments for advanced CKD.
An Eulerian scheme for the second‐order approximation of subsurface transport moments

The moments of a conservative tracer cloud migrating in a mean uniform flow field are estimated using an operator approximation scheme; results are presented for the second, third, and fourth central moments in the mean flow direction. It is assumed that the spatially variable flow field, and therefore the tracer migration problem itself, is amenable to a probabilistic description; the effects of local dispersion on cloud migration are neglected in this study. Variation in the flow field is assumed to be the result of spatial variation in the hydraulic conductivity; spatial variation in porosity is assumed negligible. The operator approximation scheme, as implemented in this study, is second-order correct, which requires a second-order correct approximation of the velocity field correlation structure. Because estimation of the velocity correlation structure is decidedly the most difficult aspect of second-order analysis, an ad hoc extension of the imperfectly stratified approximation developed earlier is implemented for this purpose. The first-order approximation resulting from the operator expansion scheme is equivalent to small perturbation Eulerian results presented earlier (Naff, 1990, 1992). The infinite-order approximation resulting from this scheme is equivalent to the exponential operator results obtained by Van Kampen (1976).