Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of estimators in multilevel linear models

Multilevel Models are widely used in organizational research, educational research, epidemiology, psychology, biology and medical fields. In this paper, we recommend the situations where Bootstrap procedures through Minimum Norm Quadratic Unbiased Estimator (MINQUE) can be extremely handy than that of Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) in multilevel level linear regression models. In our simulation study the bootstrap by means of MINQUE is superior to REML in conditions where normality does not hold. Moreover, the real data application also supports our findings in terms of accuracy of estimates and their standard errors.
The clinical course of hospitalized moderately ill COVID-19 patients is mirrored by routine hematologic tests and influenced by renal transplantation

Several studies of patients with COVID-19 have evaluated biological markers for predicting outcomes, most of them retrospectively and with a wide scope of clinical severity. We followed a prospective cohort of patients admitted in hospital wards with moderate COVID-19 disease, including those with a history of kidney transplantation, and examined the ability of changes in routine hematologic laboratory parameters to predict and mirror the patients’ clinical course regarding the severity of their condition (classified as critical vs. non-critical) and in-hospital mortality or hospital discharge. Among the 68 patients, 20 (29%) were kidney transplanted patients (KT), and they had much higher mortality than non-kidney transplanted patients in this cohort (40% X 8.3%). Lymphocytes, neutrophils and neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio (NLR) at admission and platelets as well as the red blood cells parameters hemoglobin, hematocrit, and RDW by the time of hospital discharge or death clearly differentiated patients progressing to critical disease and those with clinical recovery. Patients with deteriorating clinical courses presented elevated and similar NLRs during the first week of hospitalization. However, they were dramatically different at hospital discharge, with a decrease in the survivors (NLR around 5.5) and sustained elevation in non-survivors (NLR around 21). Platelets also could distinguish survivors from non-survivors among the critical patients. In conclusion, routine hematologic tests are useful to monitor the clinical course of COVID-19 patients admitted with moderate disease. Unexpectedly, changes in hematologic tests, including lymphopenia, were not predictive of complicated outcomes among KT recipients.
Vault Endometriosis: Detailed Step-by-Step Laparoscopic Surgical Management Technique

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate a detailed and elaborative step-wise laparoscopic surgical management technique of vault endometriosis. Methods: A total of 5 patients were operated on for laparoscopic management of vault endometriosis performed at our center between January 1 2015 and December 31, 2019. Results: There were no short or long term complications related to laparoscopic management of vault endometriosis with a satisfactory prognosis. Conclusion: This analysis explains the descriptive methodology of assessment of patients and operative technique for vault endometriosis.
HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) purchase patterns and STI occurrence among Israeli men: A cohort analysis

Background HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is the regular use of antiretroviral medication by people who are not infected with HIV to prevent seroconversion. Israel approved PrEP for continuous use in 2017, and Israeli Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) offered PrEP with a copayment to eligible members. Methodology This retrospective cohort study included all people who were dispensed PrEP between September 2017 to June 2019 in the second largest HMO in Israel. Statistical analysis, including Kaplan Meier, was conducted to evaluate user PrEP purchase, adherence to medical follow-up, and clinical outcomes. Results In total, a cohort of 757 PrEP users were followed for 657.8 person-years. All but one user were male; median age was 35 years. At baseline, 0.8% had gonorrhea and 1.5% had chlamydia infections and 4.4% had recent syphilis infection. Continuous use of PrEP (without interruption/discontinuation) was observed in 29.9%, while 39.9% interrupted and 30.3% discontinued use. Median time to first interruption/discontinuation was 4.0 months. At 6–12 months after initiation, 79.8% of users had a documented HIV test, 77.3% a Chlamydia-Gonorrhea panel, and 78.9% a creatinine test. There was one new case of HIV among the cohort, five months after PrEP discontinuation. Estimated first-year infection rates were 5.0%, 8.6% and 6.8% for gonorrhea, chlamydia and first-time syphilis, respectively. Conclusions This study shows heterogeneous PrEP purchase patterns and required medical follow-up, and an increase in STIs among consistent PrEP users. Improving adherence to recommended medical follow-up during PrEP use is essential in PrEP’s integration into Israel’s national HIV prevention strategy.
Diabetic retinopathy as a potential marker of Parkinson’s disease: a register-based cohort study

Abstract Neurodegeneration is an early event in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, and an association between diabetic retinopathy and Parkinson’s disease has been proposed. In this nationwide register-based cohort study, we investigated the prevalence and incidence of Parkinson’s disease among patients screened for diabetic retinopathy in a Danish population-based cohort. Cases (n = 173 568) above 50 years of age with diabetes included in the Danish Registry of Diabetic Retinopathy between 2013 and 2018 were matched 1:5 by gender and birth year with a control population without diabetes (n = 843 781). At index date, the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease was compared between cases and controls. To assess the longitudinal relationship between diabetic retinopathy and Parkinson’s disease, a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was estimated. The prevalence of Parkinson’s disease was 0.28% and 0.44% among cases and controls, respectively. While diabetic retinopathy was not associated with present (adjusted odds ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.72–1.21) or incident Parkinson’s disease (adjusted hazard ratio 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.56–1.05), cases with diabetes were in general less likely to have or to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to controls without diabetes (adjusted odds ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.71–0.87 and adjusted hazard ratio 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.78–1.00). In a national cohort of more than 1 million persons, patients with diabetes were 21% and 12% were less likely to have prevalent and develop incident Parkinson’s disease, respectively, compared to an age- and gender-matched control population without diabetes. We found no indication for diabetic retinopathy as an independent risk factor for incident Parkinson’s disease.
Student Assessment of a Problem-Based Learning Experiment in Civil Engineering Education

This paper describes an experiment with problem-based learning (PBL), an instructional methodology used in response to the challenges posed by today’s professional education. Contrary to the conventional model that places an application problem after concepts or topics have been introduced, PBL uses the problem to initiate learning. Besides promoting the construction of knowledge, it may also contribute to the development of some skills and attitudes deemed important for engineers’ professional practice. This research, of a qualitative nature, intended to investigate how students evaluate this methodology and its potential to attain the educational goals set for the course. In order to answer the research question, the methodology was implemented in the civil engineering curriculum of a Brazilian public university. The results herein presented, deriving mainly from classroom observations and an end-of-course questionnaire, show that most of the students evaluate the methodology positively. Even considerin.
Prostaglandins in biofluids in pregnancy and labour: A systematic review

Prostaglandins are thought to be important mediators in the initiation of human labour, however the evidence supporting this is not entirely clear. Determining how, and which, prostaglandins change during pregnancy and labour may provide insight into mechanisms governing labour initiation and the potential to predict timing of labour onset. The current study systematically searched the existing scientific literature to determine how biofluid levels of prostaglandins change throughout pregnancy before and during labour, and whether prostaglandins and/or their metabolites may be useful for prediction of labour. The databases EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched for English-language articles on prostaglandins measured in plasma, serum, amniotic fluid, or urine during pregnancy and/or spontaneous labour. Studies were assessed for quality and risk of bias and a qualitative summary of included studies was generated. Our review identified 83 studies published between 1968–2021 that met the inclusion criteria. As measured in amniotic fluid, levels of PGE2, along with PGF2α and its metabolite 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2α were reported higher in labour compared to non-labour. In blood, only 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2α was reported higher in labour. Additionally, PGF2α, PGF1α, and PGE2 were reported to increase in amniotic fluid as pregnancy progressed, though this pattern was not consistent in plasma. Overall, the evidence supporting changes in prostaglandin levels in these biofluids remains unclear. An important limitation is the lack of data on the complexity of the prostaglandin pathway outside of the PGE and PGF families. Future studies using new methodologies capable of co-assessing multiple prostaglandins and metabolites, in large, well-defined populations, will help provide more insight as to the identification of exactly which prostaglandins and/or metabolites consistently change with labour. Revisiting and revising our understanding of the prostaglandins may provide better targets for clinical monitoring of pregnancies. This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Mitigation of Pedestrian–Vehicle Conflicts at Stop-Controlled T-Intersections

Because urban areas house 80% of the population and account for almost two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities, making safe accommodation of pedestrians is a key priority in those locations. Crosswalks at T-intersections are a prime example of an intersection geometry in such areas that is challenging for drivers and pedestrians alike. Previous research has validated the advantages of advance yield markings over other, more common, unsignalized, midblock crosswalk treatments. Such markings could also prove effective at unsignalized T-intersection crosswalks, especially in multiple-threat situations where the driver's view of critical information is obscured by other yielding vehicles. For this study, a simulator was used to compare the effectiveness of advanced yield markings and standard crosswalk markings on drivers’ behaviors at unsignalized T-intersections. Measures of scanning behaviors were gathered with an eye tracker, and measures of stopping or yielding behaviors were gathered from simulator data. Crosswalks in the simulated world were located on the near and the far sides of the side street (from the participant driver's perspective). A vehicle obstructing the driver's view of pedestrians in the crosswalk was placed in either the left travel lane or the right travel lane. There was a main effect of the treatment (advance yield markings were more safe) and the location of the crosswalk (the far side was more safe). There was an interaction between the treatment and the location of the obstruction (advance yield markings had an effect on glances only when the obstructing vehicle was in the left travel lane). The findings from the study have clear implications for practice.
A New Methodology for the Assessment of the EoS Data of Concrete

The experimental determination of the equation of state is a complex and expensive task. This paper presents a new methodology for the theoretical determination of the equation of state for concrete. Mesomechnical simulations are conducted and compared to three sets of experimental data. It was also investigated whether the methodology used for the meso-scale modeling is applicable to a homogenized description of concrete. Based on more than 400 numerical simulations, it is shown that the EoS parameters which are determined on a purely theoretical basis agree well with both the experimental and the numerical results on a meso-level. Hence, the provided theoretical methodology enables modelers to assess the EoS parameters of concrete for most applications in a simple spreadsheet analysis.
High-current vacuum switching devices for power energy storages

The series of new vacuum switching devices for the commutation of power energy storage has been developed. To provide reliable and fast commutation of capacitor type energy storages a new type of triggered vacuum switch (TVS) of sealed off design has been developed-the RVU-43. This switch provides commutation of current pulses with peak value up to 250 kA at working voltage up to 25 kV, with transferred charge in a pulse up to 120 C. Wide range of operating voltage and low switching voltage level permit to use RVU-43 in the crowbar operation mode to apply mono-polar pulses in the inductance load. Small straggling of triggering delay time provides synchronous parallel switching of TVS on a load, and also series connection of TVSs. Results of TVS tests are presented. The opportunity to increase its limit parameters is discussed. Several types of DC vacuum circuit-breakers were developed to provide commutation of power inductive energy storages with switched currents up to 50 kA with voltage 30-100 kV. Possibility of series and parallel connections of DC circuit-breakers were investigated.
Considering uncertainties expands the lower tail of maize yield projections

Crop yields are sensitive to extreme weather events. Improving the understanding of the mechanisms and the drivers of the projection uncertainties can help to improve decisions. Previous studies have provided important insights, but often sample only a small subset of potentially important uncertainties. Here we expand on a previous statistical modeling approach by refining the analyses of two uncertainty sources. Specifically, we assess the effects of uncertainties surrounding crop-yield model parameters and climate forcings on projected crop yield. We focus on maize yield projections in the eastern U.S.in this century. We quantify how considering more uncertainties expands the lower tail of yield projections. We characterized the relative importance of each uncertainty source and show that the uncertainty surrounding yield model parameters is the main driver of yield projection uncertainty.
Analysis of COVID-19 Response and Impact on Gynecologic Surgery at a Large Academic Hospital System

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted gynecologic surgery. In March 2020, the American College of Surgeons recommended delay of all nonessential invasive procedures. This study characterizes the number and types of procedures performed during the peak pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. All patients undergoing gynecological surgery at a large academic hospital system from March 16, 2019 to July 31, 2019 and from March 16, 2020 to July 31, 2020 were evaluated. Data was stratified by three time periods corresponding to state and hospital policy changes. During period 1, no nonessential procedures were advised. During period 2, urgent procedures resumed. During period 3, full surgical reopening was achieved. RESULTS: In 2019, 1,545 gynecologic cases were performed compared with 942 cases in 2020 (39.0% decrease). There was a 73.6% decrease in cases over period 1, a 20.1% decrease over period 2, and a 2.9% increase over period 3. Cases performed by gynecologic oncologists in 2020 accounted for 58.1% of all gynecologic cases over period 1, 29.4% of cases over period 2, and 33.3% of cases over period 3. In 2020, hysterectomy was the most commonly performed procedure, while surgery for endometriosis and uterine fibroids had the greatest decrease in volume. Among emergency procedures, more surgery for ectopic pregnancy was performed in 2020 compared with 2019. CONCLUSION: Many patients had significant delays in receiving gynecologic surgical care during the peak pandemic period. Further studies are indicated to determine the impact of delayed care on patients’ quality of life and disease process.
Mechanical prestressing improves electrical strength

There is a strong mechanical influence on the growth of electrical trees in electrical insulation resins. This is not to argue that electrical treeing is exclusively a mechanical phenomenon directly analogous to mechanical cracking. It is obviously an electrically driven process; no volts, no trees. Nevertheless, the mechanical dimension is of sufficient importance for its effects to be exploited to advantage using the prestressing technique. The effect that post-curing at 100/spl deg/C has on the development of prestress, and on the ability of the cured sample to retain its prestress as the temperature is raised, has both positive and negative aspects. On the down side, material cured at 100/spl deg/C requires a greater tension to be applied to the fibers during the casting process in order to achieve the same degree of prestress. On the other hand, the increase in the glass transition temperature from 65/spl deg/C to 113/spl deg/C permits the use of the composite at temperatures up to 80/spl deg/C before any significant loss of prestress occurs, as compared with 40/spl deg/C for material cured at room temperature. As an additional bonus, there is an enhancement of the mechanical strength resulting from the inclusion of cast-in fibers, which is important where the electrical insulation also acts as a structural member in the insulation system.
Identification and characterization of histones in Physarum polycephalum evidence a phylogenetic vicinity of Mycetozoans to the animal kingdom

Abstract Physarum polycephalum belongs to Mycetozoans, a phylogenetic clade apart from the animal, plant and fungus kingdoms. Histones are nuclear proteins involved in genome organization and regulation and are among the most evolutionary conserved proteins within eukaryotes. Therefore, this raises the question of their conservation in Physarum and the position of this organism within the eukaryotic phylogenic tree based on histone sequences. We carried out a comprehensive study of histones in Physarum polycephalum using genomic, transcriptomic and molecular data. Our results allowed to identify the different isoforms of the core histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 which exhibit strong conservation of amino acid residues previously identified as subject to post-translational modifications. Furthermore, we also identified the linker histone H1, the most divergent histone, and characterized a large number of its PTMs by mass spectrometry. We also performed an in-depth investigation of histone genes and transcript structures. Histone proteins are highly conserved in Physarum and their characterization will contribute to a better understanding of the polyphyletic Mycetozoan group. Our data reinforce that P. polycephalum is evolutionary closer to animals than plants and located at the crown of the eukaryotic tree. Our study provides new insights in the evolutionary history of Physarum and eukaryote lineages.
Boosting BCG with recombinant influenza A virus tuberculosis vaccines increases pulmonary T cell responses but not protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

The current Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine provides inconsistent protection against pulmonary infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Immunity induced by subcutaneous immunization with BCG wanes and does not promote early recruitment of T cell to the lungs after M. tuberculosis infection. Delivery of Tuberculosis (TB) vaccines to the lungs may increase and prolong immunity at the primary site of M. tuberculosis infection. Pulmonary immunization with recombinant influenza A viruses (rIAVs) expressing an immune-dominant M. tuberculosis CD4+ T cell epitope (PR8-p25 and X31-p25) stimulates protective immunity against lung TB infection. Here, we investigated the potential use of rIAVs to improve the efficacy of BCG using simultaneous immunization (SIM) and prime-boost strategies. SIM with parenteral BCG and intranasal PR8-p25 resulted in equivalent protection to BCG alone against early, acute and chronic M. tuberculosis infection. Boosting BCG with rIAVs increased the frequency of IFN-γ-secreting specific T cells (p<0.001) and polyfunctional CD4+ T cells (p<0.05) in the lungs compared to the BCG alone, however, this did not result in a significant increase in protection against M. tuberculosis compared to BCG alone. Therefore, sequential pulmonary immunization with these rIAVs after BCG increased M. tuberculosis-specific memory T cell responses in the lung, but not protection against M. tuberculosis infection.
The Impact of Disease Control Measures on the Spread of COVID-19 in the Province of Sindh, Pakistan

The province of Sindh reported the first COVID-19 case in Pakistan on 26th February 2020. The Government of Sindh has employed numerous control measures to limit its spread. However, for low-and middle-income countries such as Pakistan, the management protocols for controlling a pandemic are not always as definitive as they would be in other developed nations. Given the dire socio-economic conditions of Sindh, continuation of province-wise lockdowns may inadvertently cause a potential economic breakdown. By using a data driven SEIR modelling framework, this paper describes the evolution of the epidemic projections because of government control measures. The data from reported COVID-19 prevalence and google mobility is used to parameterize the model at different time points. These time points correspond to the government’s call for advice on the prerequisite actions required to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in Sindh. Our model predicted the epidemic peak to occur by 18th June 2020 with approximately 3500 reported cases at that peak, this projection correlated with the actual recorded peak during the first wave of the disease in Sindh. The impact of the governmental control actions and religious ceremonies on the epidemic profile during this first wave of COVID-19 are clearly reflected in the model outcomes through variations in the epidemic peaks. We also report these variations by displaying the trajectory of the epidemics had the control measures been guided differently; the epidemic peak may have occurred as early as the end of May 2020 with approximately 5000 reported cases per day had there been no control measures and as late as August 2020 with only around 2000 cases at the peak had the lockdown continued, nearly flattening the epidemic curve.