Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES ON VOTING DECISION: MAPPING THE NEIGHBOURHOOD EFFECT IN A MULTI-ETHNIC RURAL SETTING IN KENYA

ABSTRACT This research investigated the neighbourhood effect hypothesis in the context of the 1992 and subsequent 1997 and 2000 elections in Kwanza constituency, Kenya by examining the influence of voters ‘local contexts on their voting decisions. The findings of the research indicated that while the voters were alive to local conditions and issues, it is the political dynamics and conditions obtaining at higher levels in the wider political contexts at the constituency and national levels, underpinned by ethnic antagonisms defined within contexts of the struggles for national political power and patronage, that influenced their voting decisions more profoundly. Utilising ecological and individual-level data, the results indicated that ethnicity rather than voters' local contexts per se was the most salient factor in influencing voting decisions, not least because it determined voters’ patterns of social and geographical interaction as well as mutual political communication.
Streptococcus pyogenes emm98.1 variants activate inflammatory caspases in human neutrophils

ABSTRACT The human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus, GAS) is responsible for invasive disease characterized by inflammation and tissue destruction. Inflammatory symptoms of invasive disease may be attributed to the neutrophil response during the early stages of infection. Here, the human neutrophil response to GAS was characterized in vitro using emm98.1 type covS mutant GAS strain NS88.2 (isolated from invasive infection) and avirulent variant NS88.2rep. NS88.2 was shown to resist phagocytic killing and proliferate in the presence of human neutrophils, where neutrophil antimicrobial defence through the production of reactive oxygen species was reduced compared with NS88.2rep. In the presence of NS88.2, neutrophil death was delayed compared with NS88.2rep. Infection with either GAS strain induced expression of inflammatory caspases-1 and -4 in neutrophils, with increased detection of activated inflammatory caspases in response to NS88.2rep compared with NS88.2. NS88.2 infection caused differential expression of cell-surface CD66b, CD16, and CD31, when compared to NS88.2rep. We conclude that the neutrophil response to NS88.2 promotes inflammation and may be a contributing factor to the severity of invasive GAS infections. Abbreviations CovRS, control of virulence regulatory system; GAS, Group A Streptococcus; PMN, polymorphonuclear leukocyte.
Comparative study on clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of chronic subdural hematomas treated by middle meningeal artery embolization and conventional treatment: a national cross-sectional study

Background: The authors compared the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) and conventional treatment for chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH). Methods: The Nationwide Readmissions Database of 9963 patients (27.2% women) with cSDH between 2016 and 2020 was analyzed. Finally, 9532 patients were included (95.7%, treated conventionally; 4.3%, treated with MMAE). Baseline demographics, comorbidities, adverse events, treatment strategies, and outcomes were compared between patients treated with MMAE and conventional treatment. After propensity score matching, the authors compared primary outcomes, including the 90-day treatment rate, functional outcome, length of hospital stays, and cost. A Markov model estimated lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with different treatments. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated to evaluate the base-case scenario. One-way, two-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the uncertainty in the results. Results: After propensity score matching, MMAE had a lower 90-day retreatment rate (2.6 vs. 9.0%, P=0.001), shorter length of hospital stays (4.61±6.19 vs. 5.73±5.76 days, P=0.037), similar functional outcomes compared (favorable outcomes, 80.9 vs. 74.8%, P=0.224) but higher costs ($119 757.71±90 378.70 vs. $75 745.55±100 701.28, P<0.001) with conventional treatment. MMAE was associated with an additional cost of US$19 280.0 with additional QALY of 1.3. Its ICER was US$15199.8/QALY. Conclusion: MMAE is more effective in treating cSDH than conventional treatment. Based on real-world data, though MMAE incurs higher overall costs, the Markov model showed it to be cost-effective compared to conventional treatment under the American healthcare system. These comparative and economic analyses further support the consideration of a paradigm shift in cSDH treatment.
Epidemiology of common infectious diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bavaria, Germany, 2016 to 2021: an analysis of routine surveillance data

Background Unprecedented non-pharmaceutical interventions to control the COVID-19 pandemic also had an effect on other infectious diseases. Aim We aimed to determine their impact on transmission and diagnosis of notifiable diseases other than COVID-19 in Bavaria, Germany, in 2020 and 2021. Methods We compared weekly cases of 15 notifiable infectious diseases recorded in Bavaria between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2021 in time series analyses, median age and time-to-diagnosis using Wilcoxon rank sum test and hospitalisation rates using univariable logistic regression during three time periods: pre-pandemic (weeks 1 2016–9 2020), pandemic years 1 (weeks 10–52 2020) and 2 (2021). Results Weekly case numbers decreased in pandemic year 1 for all diseases assessed except influenza, Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis; markedly for norovirus gastroenteritis (IRR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.12–0.20) and pertussis (IRR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.18–0.26). In pandemic year 2, influenza (IRR = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.02–0.09) and pertussis (IRR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.09–0.14) decreased markedly, but also chickenpox, dengue fever, Haemophilus influenzae invasive infection, hepatitis C, legionellosis, noro- and rotavirus gastroenteritis and salmonellosis. For enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli infections, median age decreased in pandemic years 1 and 2 (4 years, interquartile range (IQR): 1–32 and 3 years, IQR: 1–18 vs 11 years, IQR: 2–42); hospitalisation proportions increased in pandemic year 1 (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.08–2.34). Conclusion Reductions for various infectious diseases and changes in case characteristics in 2020 and 2021 indicate reduced transmission of notifiable diseases other than COVID-19 due to interventions and under-detection.
The CD19+ B cell as a marker for the febrile children infected with influenza A and Omicron variant

H3N2 and Omicron are common pathogens of respiratory infections in children. This study aimed to explore dynamic changes of lymphocyte subsets and the diagnostic value of CD19+ B cell in children infected with influenza A and Omicron. One hundred and sixty‐five in‐patients with H3N2, 175 in‐patients with Omicron variant, and 50 age‐matched healthy children from Children's Hospital of Soochow University were included in this study. The participants underwent 13 respiratory pathogens by DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sputum culture, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐COV‐2) DNA PCR, routine blood, and lymphocyte subset assays within 24 h of admission. The neutrophils, neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte‐to‐lymphocyte ratio in the H3N2 and Omicron groups were significantly higher than in the control groups (p < 0.05). However, the lymphocytes and eosinophils in the H3N2 and Omicron groups were lower than the control groups (p < 0.05). The CD3+ T cell, CD3+CD4+ T cell, CD3+CD8+ T cell, CD3−CD19+ B cell, and natural killer cell were lower in the H3N2 and Omicron groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). The CD3−CD19+ cell in the Omicron group was higher than that in the H3N2 group but lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, CD3−CD19+ cell had good diagnostic value for H3N2 (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.902, p < 0.05). The children with H3N2 were more likely to have lower lymphocytes than children with Omicron. Additionally, B‐cell count had good diagnostic value for H3N2.
Precambrian marine carbonate isotope database: Version 1.1

We present a compilation of strontium, carbon, and oxygen isotope compositions of roughly 10,000 marine carbonate rocks of Archean ‐ Ordovician age (3800 Ma – 450 Ma). The Precambrian Marine Carbonate Isotope Database (PMCID) has been compiled from 152 published and 3 unpublished articles and books of the past 40 years. Also included are 30 categories of relevant “metadata” that allow detailed comparisons and quality assessments of the isotope data to be made. The PMCID will be updated periodically as new data and better age constraints come to light. Here we outline the structure of the first published version of the database and its inherent merits and limitations.
Prognostic Worth of Nrf2/BACH1/HO-1 Protein Expression in the Development of Breast Cancer

Objectives: Nrf2/BACH1/HO-1 proteins have been implicated in the development and progression of tumors. However, their clinical relevance in breast cancer remains unclear and understudied. This study evaluated Nrf2/BACH1/HO-1 protein expression and its relationship with age, tumor grade, tumor stage, TNM, ER, PR, HER2, and histologic type. Methods: 114 female breast cancer and 30 noncancerous tissues were evaluated for Nrf2/BACH1/HO-1 protein expression using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The relationships between the expression and clinicopathologic factors were assessed using the χ2 test. Results: 74% of the cancerous samples had high Nrf2 protein expression, and 26% of them had low Nrf2 protein expression. Regarding the non-cancer samples, 43% had high Nrf2 protein expression and 57% had low Nrf2 protein expression (p < 0.002). 39% of the cancerous samples had high BACH1 protein expression, and 61% had low BACH1 protein expression. For the non-cancer samples, 80% had high BACH1 protein expression and 20% had low BACH1 protein expression (p < 0.031). 67% of the cancerous samples had high HO-1 protein expression, and 33% had low HO-1 protein expression. However, for the non-cancer samples, 17% of them had high HO-1 protein expression and 83% had low HO-1 protein expression (p < 0.001). The expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 significantly correlated with tumor grade, while BACH1 was significantly associated with tumor stage (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Nrf2, BACH1, and HO-1 could be explored as a biomarker for cancer stage, progression, and prognosis.
Expression and significance of SOX2 in non-small cell lung carcinoma

The aim of the present study was to examine the expression and clinical significance of SOX2 in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression level of SOX2 in 127 cases of NSCLC. The Chi-square test was used to analyze the association of SOX2 expression and clinicopathological factors in NSCLC and para-carcinoma tissues (2.5%). The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to plot the survival curve, and the log-rank test and COX multiple regression model were applied to determine survival. SOX2 showed a high expression in 35.4% NSCLC tissues, which was significantly higher than that of the para-carcinoma tissues. The expression level of SOX2 was not associated with gender, age, smoking history or TNM stage (P>0.05), but was significantly associated with the pathological type of carcinoma. The high expression rate of SOX2 in lung squamous cell carcinoma was 50% (25/50) and in lung adenocarcinoma was 20.3% (12/59). Survival analysis indicated that the prognosis of patients with a high SOX2 expression was significantly better than those with a low SOX2 expression. The COX multiple regression analysis revealed that the expression level of SOX2 was an independent prognostic factor of patients with NSCLC (P<0.001). In conclusion, the expression of SOX2 in NSCLC tissues was upregulated, which was associated with the pathological type of carcinoma, while a high SOX2 expression mainly occurred in lung squamous cell carcinoma.
Depositional processes beneath coastal multi‐year sea ice

The extent of multi‐year sea ice impacts climate processes worldwide, such as ocean–atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange and deep ocean current formation. Reconstructing these processes in the past, and assessing the distribution of ecologically and climatically significant features, such as polynas, requires recognition of sediments deposited under multi‐year sea ice, but little is known about their characteristics. Textural analysis of subaerial and sea floor sediment in Explorers Cove, McMurdo Sound, at the mouth of Taylor Valley, Antarctica, augmented with observations of sedimentary structures and faunal components, elucidates how sediment is transported to the sea floor and allows characterization of the deposits. Comparison of grain‐size characteristics of subaerial (moraine, delta and sea‐ice surface) sediment and sea floor sediment from short cores taken at depths of 7 to 25 m indicates that the likely source of the moderately to poorly sorted sea floor sand is deltaic sediment; small glacial meltwater streams have built deltas since Taylor Valley became ice‐free ca 7000 years ago. Windblown sediment accumulating on the multi‐year sea ice close to the coast typically is coarser grained than sediment on the sea floor; this suggests that the transport of sediment through the ice to the sea floor is not the predominant mode of sediment transfer. However, supra‐sea‐ice sediment does move to the sea floor through local fractures. The rate of sedimentation under multi‐year sea ice is low because of limited stream flow and biogenic sedimentation; the ice cover inhibits primary productivity and dampens waves, precluding physical re‐suspension. The upper centimetres of sea floor sediment are churned by epifaunal scallops and brittle stars that leave no telltale biogenic structures and whose calcite ossicles and shells may be poorly preserved. The resulting deposits under multi‐year sea ice are poorly sorted, massive sand that provides little evidence of the bioturbators that have masked the indicators of the original physical depositional processes.
Associations between food insecurity and child and parental physical, nutritional, psychosocial and economic well‐being globally during the first 1000 days: A scoping review

Abstract Food insecurity affects billions of individuals annually and contributes to myriad poor health outcomes. Experiences of food insecurity may be particularly harmful during the first 1000 days, but literature on the topic has not been synthesized. We therefore aimed to characterize all available studies examining associations between food insecurity and nutritional, psychosocial, physical and economic well‐being among parents and children during this period. We implemented a standardized search strategy across 11 databases. Four researchers screened 10,257 articles, 120 of which met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in Sub‐Saharan Africa (43.3%), followed by North America (20.8%). Studies were primarily quantitative (95.8%), cross‐sectional (70.0%) and focused on women (pregnant or post‐partum, 48.3%) or women and children (15.8%). Physical health outcomes were the most investigated (n = 87 studies), followed by nutritional (n = 69), psychosocial (n = 35) and economic well‐being (n = 2). The most studied associations were between food insecurity and stunting (n = 15), maternal depression (n = 12), child dietary diversity (n = 7) and maternal body mass index (n = 6). The strength of evidence for the observed associations varied across populations as well as within and between examined outcomes. We recommend that future studies recruit more diverse study populations, consider temporality of relationships, use instruments that facilitate cross‐site comparisons, measure individual‐level food insecurity and outcomes most likely to be impacted by food insecurity, evaluate contextual factors that may modify the effects of food insecurity and employ analytic techniques that permit assessment of causal pathways.
Geochemistry of episodic sedimentation in Bizerte Lagoon, northern Tunisia.

The decrease of the contents of TOC in sediment cores in the Bizerte Lagoon is synchronous with that of carbonates. This is attributed to a dilution phenomenon of the organic fraction by the carbonate component of the sediment in the lagoon. This phenomenon also can be explained by the effect of early diagenesis, resulting in the existence of more condensed products, or by removal of more labile organic fraction and/or by reorganization mechanisms leading to the solubilization of organic matter towards deep levels. It appears that the mechanisms controlling the geochemical sedimentation in the lagoon are similar to those observed today, with some occasional characteristics reflecting the impact of episodic phenomenon related to other factors and processes, especially a continental influence on the sediments, rather than marine influences.
Effects of temperature and precipitation on snowpack variability in the Central Rocky Mountains as a function of elevation

We employ a regression‐based methodology to study the impact of temperature and precipitation on snowpack variability as a function of elevation in the Central Rocky Mountains. Because of the broad horizontal coverage and thermal heterogeneity of the measurement sites employed, we introduce an elevation correction based on the sites' climatological temperature. For the elevation range investigated (1295–2256 m), and assuming an average atmospheric lapse rate of −6.5°C/km, we find a mostly linear relationship between effective elevation and correlation of temperature or precipitation with snow water equivalent and snowpack duration. We estimate a threshold elevation, 1560 ± 120 m, below (above) which temperature (precipitation) is the main driver of the snowpack. This threshold elevation is robust under a range of assumed atmospheric lapse rates. Locations below this elevation are likely to be affected by projected rising temperatures, with important effects on ecosystems and economic activities dependent on snow.
Non‐power‐law‐scale properties of rainfall in space and time

The identification of general relationships linking statistical properties of rainfall aggregated at different temporal and spatial scales possesses clear theoretical and practical relevance. Among other properties it is important to characterize the scale dependence of rainfall variability, which may, for many purposes, be summarized by its variance. This paper presents theoretical results and observational analyses connecting the variance of temporal and spatial rainfall to the scale of observation under an assumption of second‐order stationarity. Previous results regarding the theoretical form of the temporal variance as a function of aggregation are refined and extended to the spatial case. It is shown that the variance of aggregated rainfall exhibits an overall nonscaling form within the range of scales of usual hydrological interest. It is further shown that the theoretically derived form of the variance as a function of scale is incompatible with power law relations usually assumed for the second‐order statistical moment within multiscaling approaches to rainfall modeling. Predictions of the theoretical derivations are validated by use of observations representing a wide variety of resolutions (from 2 s to 1 hour in time and 4 km in space), climates, and measurement instruments. The validation shows a good agreement between observations and the theoretically predicted forms of the variance as a function of aggregation. The proposed theoretical framework thus provides a useful context for rainfall analysis, modeling, and downscaling in space and time and suggests careful reexaminations of usual multiscaling assumptions.
40Ar/39Ar chronology of Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene geomagnetic and glacial events in southern Argentina

K-Ar dating and paleomagnetic directions from the lava sequence atop Cerro del Fraile, Argentina, contributed to the nascent Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale (GPTS), recording the Reunion event, and the Olduvai and Jaramillo subchrons [Fleck et al., 1972]. New stratigraphy, paleomagnetic analyses, 40 Ar/ 39 Ar incremental heating ages, and unspiked K-Ar dating of 10 lava flows on Cerro del Fraile place these eruptions between 2.181±0.097 and 1.073±0.036 Ma and enhance this unique record, which includes seven tills interbedded with the lavas. The Reunion event is recorded by three lavas with transitional, normal, and reversed polarity that yielded identical 40 Ar/ 39 Ar isochron ages and a weighted mean age of 2.136±0.019 Ma. When combined with 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages from lavas on Reunion Island and a normal tuff in the Massif Central, the age of the Reunion event is 2.137±0.016 Ma and is older by ∼50 kyr than the 2.086±0.016 Ma Huckleberry Ridge event. The onset and termination of the Olduvai are similarly constrained to 1.922±0.066 Ma and 1.775±0.015 Ma, whereas the onset of the Jaramillo occurred 1.069±0.011 Ma. A discordant age spectrum from another transitional lava gave a total fusion age of 1.61 Ma and an unspiked K-Ar age of 1.43 Ma. It is uncertain whether this corresponds to the Gilsa, Gardar, Stage 54, or Sangiran events, or represents an unrecognized period of geomagnetic instability. Deposition of till on the piedmont surface prior to 2.186 Ma and six subsequent tills between 2.186 Ma and ∼1.073 Ma mark frequent glaciations of southern South America during marine oxygen isotope stages 82 to 48.
North Atlantic Hurricanes Contributed by African Easterly Waves North and South of the African Easterly Jet

Abstract A majority of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic develop from African easterly waves (AEWs), which originate along both the southern and northern flanks of the midtropospheric African easterly jet (AEWS and AEWn, respectively). The purpose of this note is to identify the contribution of AEWSs and AEWns to North Atlantic tropical cyclones that develop from AEWs. Applying a manual backtracking approach to identify the genesis locations of AEWS, it was found that the population ratio of tropical cyclones formed from AEWSs to those formed from AEWns is 1:1.2. Because the population ratio of AEWSs to AEWns is 1:2.5, the conversion rate of the former AEWS to tropical cyclones is twice as effective as the latter waves. In addition, it was found that AEWns travel farther and take longer to transform into tropical cyclones than AEWSs, which is likely because the AEWns are drier and shallower than AEWSs. An analysis of various terms in the moisture and vorticity budgets reveals that the monsoon trough.