Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association Between ABO-RHD Blood Groups and COVID-19: A Preliminary Study of 76 Cases

: Introduction: Blood types are most often incriminated in susceptibility to COVID-19. Blood group O subjects are reportedly less susceptible to COVID-19. However, these reports are mainly from countries with high infection rates. The overall objective of this study was to investigate the association between the risk of COVID-19 infection, its severity, and ABO-RHD blood groups at the Training Hospitals of Bouake and Cocody (Ivory Coast). Material and methods: This was a prospective study that lasted four months. All patients with COVID-19 at the time of the study and followed at the Training Hospitals of Bouake and Cocody, hospitalized in the COVID-19 centers or in home confinement, were included. T lymphocyte subpopulations were counted on the BD FACS Calibur flow cytometer after labeling. ABO and RHD blood typing was performed in all patients. Results: Of the 76 patients collected, 78.9% were homebound, 18.4% in hospital and 2.6% in the ICU. The mean age was 41.92 ± 15.13 years with a male predominance. The majority of hospitalized patients were significantly of blood group A (p=0.020). CD4 and CD8 T lymphopenia were significantly more frequent in patients with blood group A than in those with blood groups B, AB and O. Conclusion: The impact of blood group on the severity of the disease would exist. Our study showed that blood group A subjects were more likely to have COVID-19. In addition, a statistically significant association between blood type A and CD4 and CD8 T lymphopenia was found. These results should be confirmed by studies based on larger patient samples.
Experience of financial challenges, retirement concerns, and planning: evidence from representative samples of workers in 16 countries

We examine whether an individual's inability to save in the last 12 months affects the extent to which they are concerned about their future financial security and their propensity to plan for retirement. We use an original survey based upon representative samples of working individuals in 16 countries. We show that individuals who were unable to save over the 12-month period prior to the survey are less likely to consider well-being in retirement as their major financial concern. They are also less likely to invest in supplementary pension funds than those who were able to accumulate savings. We provide evidence that these findings are robust under several specifications and are mediated by respondents' perceived income prospects and assessment of their current financial situations.
Search for Resonant Top Quark Pair Production in the Muon+Jets Channel with the CMS Detector

This thesis presents a search for resonant top quark pair production in the muon+jets channel at CMS, using the 2011 dataset of proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7TeV with a luminosity of 5.0/fb. No excess over standard model backgrounds is found and exclusion limits on resonances decaying to top quark pairs are set.
Sous-ensembles analytiques d’ordre fini ou infini dans $C^n$

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Gaussian Process and Functional Data Methods for Mortality Modelling

Modelling the demographic mortality trends is of great importance due to its considerable impact on welfare policy, resource allocation and government planning. In this thesis, we propose to use various statistical methods, including Gaussian process (GP), principal curve, multilevel functional principal component analysis (MFPCA) for forecasting and clustering of human mortality data. This thesis is actually composed of three main topics regarding mortality modelling. In the first topic, we propose a new Gaussian process regression method and apply it to the modelling and forecasting of age-specific human mortality rates for a single population. The proposed method incorporates a weighted mean function and the spectral mixture covariance function, hence provides better performance in forecasting long term mortality rates, compared with the conventional GPR methods. The performance of the proposed method is also compared with Lee-Miller model and the functional data model by Hyndman and Ullah (2007) in the context of forecasting the French total mortality rates. Then, in the second topic, we extend mortality modelling for a single population independently to that for multiple populations simultaneously, by developing a new framework for coherent modelling and forecasting of mortality rates for multiple subpopulations within one large population. We treat the mortality of subpopulations as multilevel functional data and then a weighted multilevel functional principal component approach is proposed and used for modelling and forecasting the mortality rates. The proposed model is applied to sex-specific data for nine developed countries, and the forecasting results suggest that, in terms of overall accuracy, the model outperforms the independent model (Hyndman and Ullah 2007) and is comparable to the Product-Ratio model (Hyndman et al 2013) but with several advantages. Finally, in the third topic, we introduce a clustering method based on principal curves for clustering of human mortality as functional data. And this innovative clustering method is applied to French total mortality data for exploring its potential features.
Lyme borreliosis – state of the knowledge among medical students

Introduction and Objective. Lyme disease (LD) is becoming a serious problem worldwide. It is a bacterial infection caused by Gram-negative spirochaetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato which are spread by tick bite, and are recognized as one of the most important tick-borne diseases. People spending time in the forests, meadows, and parks, or working in such environments are endangered to tick bites, which may cause the infection. Even though not each one of the parasites carries the disease, the illness itself is a serious condition and can simulate many other diseases, which is why it is often called ‘the great imitator’. Therefore, it is very important to know the early symptoms of LD, as it can be cured effectively by antibiotics. The aim of this study was to determine whether young adults have sufficient knowledge regarding LD, how often tick bites occur within this population, and how many of them have been diagnosed with the illness in the past. Materials and method. Data was collected with the use of a survey completed by 201 first-year medical students. Results. The majority of the students had basic knowledge regarding the etiology, symptoms, and vectors of LD. There is a necessity to improve knowledge in the field of treatment, prophylaxis, and tick removal techniques. Half of the study participants had been bitten by a tick and some of them were diagnosed with LD. Conclusions. Most of the participants reported a tick bite in the past, and/or confirmed an infection. The awareness level regarding the sickness needs to be improved in some aspects, with the use of social campaigns or advertisements. This would help with better recognition of the disease in the future.
A NEW GENERALIZED ALGEBRA FOR THE BALANCING OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS NOVA POSPLO(ENA ALGEBRA ZA URAVNOTE@ENJE KEMIJSKIH REAKCIJ

In this article we develop a new generalized algebra for the balancing of chemical reactions. This is a completely new approach to the balancing of these kinds of chemical reactions that is based on an understanding of reaction analysis and the elementary theory of inequalities. The generators of the reaction determined all the interactions among the stoichiometric coefficients.
Dynamics of Rigid Bodies and Flexible Beam Structures

Rotational motion is a frequently occurring aspect in many engineering applications such as automobiles, rotating machinery or wind turbine rotors. The present thesis is organized in four parts all concerning development of efficient computational methods for modeling the dynamic behavior of rigid bodies and flexible beam structures with emphasis on the rotational motion. The first part deals with motion in a rotating frame of reference. A novel approach where the equations of motion are formulated in a hybrid state-space in terms of local displacements and global velocities is presented. It is shown that particular simplifications are obtained when the same interpolation functions are used for both state-space variables, whereby all inertia effects can be represented via the classic constant mass matrix. The hybrid state-space constitutes the basis for developing a conservative time integration scheme and an associated algorithmic dissipation, that affects only the local motion. In the second part a conservative integration scheme for rigid body motion in a global frame of reference is presented. A fully algebraic representation of the rotational motion is obtained by using either four quaternion parameters or nine convected base vector components. In both cases, the equations of motion are obtained via Hamilton’s equations by including the kinematic constraints associated with the redundant rotation description by means of Lagrange multipliers. A special feature of the formulation is that these can be replaced by a projection operator applied to the external potential gradient and possible external constraint gradients. The third part presents a novel two-node beam element capable of undergoing arbitrary large displacements and finite rotations. The element is expressed explicitly in terms of the global components of the position vectors and associated convected base vectors for the element nodes. The kinematics is expressed in a homogeneous quadratic form and the constitutive stiffness is derived from complementary energy of a set of equilibrium modes, each representing a state of constant internal force or moment. This approach avoids local interpolation of kinematic variables, which makes the formulation inherently locking-free and frame-invariant. In the final part of the thesis a multi-level optimization procedure for wind turbine blades is presented. Computational procedures similar to the ones presented in this thesis constitute the basis for a preliminary optimization using a multibody beam model of the full wind turbine. The novel aspects considered here consist of automatic generation of a 3D FE-model of a single blade for detailed stress and buckling analysis which cannot be performed on the beam model, and utilization of the results for updating the beam model for a subsequent iteration step. It is demonstrated that convergence between the two models is obtained in very few iterations.
Recurring polyhedral motifs in the amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide network

The coordination polyhedra around the cations are the building blocks of ionic solids. For amorphous InGaZn oxide (a‐IGZO), these coordination polyhedra are identified to investigate properties that depend on short range interactions. Therefore, in this first principles based study, a large number (10) of samples of a‐IGZO were prepared by ab initio melt‐and‐quench molecular dynamics, so that several distinct samples of the amorphous landscape are obtained corresponding to local minima in energy. Based on a method of comparing bond angles between metal and oxygen atoms, the identified polyhedra were matched to the polyhedral motifs present in the related crystalline systems, such as, InGaZnO4, In2O3, Ga2O3, and ZnO. Consequently, we find, the a‐IGZO primarily consists of the following polyhedra: a tetrahedron from space group 199 and an octahedron from space group 206 of In2O3; a tetrahedron from space group 12 and an octahedron from space group 167 of Ga2O3; a tetrahedron from space group 186 of ZnO; zinc and gallium trigonal bipyramids from c‐IGZO; and one zinc fourfold, one zinc fivefold, and one indium fivefold coordination polyhedra that occur only in the amorphous phase. Thus, we were able to reduce the description of structure from 360 to 10 groups of polyhedra.
Fluid-Structure Interaction Calculations Using a Linear Perturbation Method

Basis of the method and its validity for modeling condensation pools are first examined mathematically with an order of magnitude analysis. The method is then validated against numerical data by using a simplified model of a condensation pool. Finally, validation is carried out against scaled-down condensation pool experiments where air was blown into the pool. Results obtained with the method are reasonably close to the experiments whereas in one-way coupled calculations absence of the added mass effect is clearly seen.
Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Anticipate DIY E-juice Mixing among Young Adult International E-cigarette Users

Background: Trends in young adult use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and experimentation with do-it-yourself (DIY) e-juice mixing are growing around the world. Theoretical frameworks for examining secondary behaviors (i.e., mixing) embedded within a primary behavior (i.e., vaping) are limited, leading to challenges in scholarly understanding of behavioral performance. This study explored the theoretically driven factors surrounding ENDS users’ decision to mix DIY e-juice through a multiple behavior test of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Methods: An international sample of young adult participants aged 18-19 (n=203) was recruited from Prolific for an online crosssectional survey. Path modeling tested four theoretically driven models to explore behavioral performance of mixing. Findings: The data supported TPB expectations and revealed new paths for secondary behavior. Primary perceptions of attitudes, norms, and intention were predictive of the same secondary perceptions. In addition, for both primary and secondary behaviors, perceived norms were a function of perceived attitudes. For the secondary behavior, normative influence was experienced indirectly through perceived attitudes. Conclusion: DIY e-juice mixing is a product of perceived attitudes and behavioral control surrounding mixing as well as perceived attitudes, norms, and intention surrounding general ENDS use. While unregulated DIY experimentation increases among youth, these findings provide a lens for public health efforts seeking to reach and reduce use. Understanding DIY e-juice behaviors is essential to anticipate stockpiling behaviors and negative outcomes from amateur experimentation.
Visualizing biological reaction intermediates with DNA curtains

Single-molecule approaches have tremendous potential analyzing dynamic biological reaction with heterogeneity that cannot be effectively accessed via traditional ensemble-level biochemical approaches. The approach of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) curtains developed by Dr Eric Greene and his research team at Columbia University is a high-throughput single-molecule technique that utilizes fluorescent imaging to visualize protein–DNA interactions directly and allows the acquisition of statistically relevant information from hundreds or even thousands of individual reactions. This review aims to summarize the past, present, and future of DNA curtains, with an emphasis on its applications to solve important biological questions.
Understanding the moral myopia and ambiguity of post-employment conflicts of interest: comparing police to other public and private organizations

ABSTRACT While post-employment conflicts of interest (PECoI) carry important risks of integrity violations, empirical research is scarce. This paper provides insight into the meaning and the perceptions of PECoI in the Dutch (military) police compared to those in other public and private organizations, to draw lessons for the public management of ethics. The study combines document analysis with interviews (N = 32) and a quantitative vignette study (N = 75). We find that PECoI are a blind spot and ambiguous. Five (possible) manifestations of PECoI were identified, like the (mis)use of classified information for commercial purposes and of relations with former colleagues.
Series Elastic Actuator: Design, Analysis and Comparison

In general, actuators are built to be as stiff as possible to increase the bandwidth. When a robot works in a structured environment, its automation is easier than in a non-structured environment in which case its modeling is quite difficult and presents a high computational effort. To overcome this difficulty, series elastic actuator (SEA) has been applied in compliant robotic grasping. Unlike rigid actuators, a SEA contains an elastic element in series with the mechanical energy source. Such an elastic element gives SEAs tolerance to impact loads, low mechanical output impedance, passive mechanical energy storage, and increased peak power output. The spring has to be able to support the loads, but it cannot be too stiff; otherwise, system impedance will be high. This chapter describes a comparison between two types of SEA, an electric series elastic actuator (ESEA) and a hydraulic series elastic actuator (HSEA), for four-legged dynamic robot application. The parameters employed in the comparison are bandwidth, output impedance, time response, power density, and dynamic range. The results indicate that HSEA is a better actuator than ESEA for a weight carrying four-legged dynamic robot because of its higher power density and dynamic ratio with desirable output impe‐ dance, time response, and bandwidth.
The impact of social media marketing on consumer brand selection: a case of Durban customers

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of social media marketing on South African consumers' brand selection in Durban, with the primary goal of determining the extent to which social media marketing influences consumers' decision-making when selecting a brand. This research used a quantitative research method and non-probability sampling approaches. Only 400 questionnaires out of 450 were collected. In this study, descriptive, and inferential statistics were used. The results of this study suggest that social media is an extremely effective communication tool that might be used to sway consumers' judgments when selecting where to buy. All users claimed to utilize computer-generated platforms, with Facebook being the most widely used. Customers claimed that the more information they learnt about a business through social media, the more they desired to purchase it, and the opposite was also true. According to the report, businesses should publish promotional events, competitions, and giveaways on their social media brand pages to increase customer interest and traffic. Another recommendation was for marketers to establish a personality who can effectively represent a brand on social media and give it a lively mood that will attract customers.
Transmitted Drug Resistance Against Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors in Iranian HIV-Infected Naïve Patients

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has claimed the lives of millions of people during the past decades. While several antiretroviral drugs like Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (INSTIs) have been introduced to control HIV, Transmitted Drug Resistance (TDR) in HIV genome caused failure in treatment. This study aimed to investigate TDR and natural occurring mutations (NOPs) in HIV integrase gene in Iranian HIV patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, blood samples of 30 HIV-positive patients who had never taken integrase inhibitors were considered for CD4 T cell count, RT real-time PCR, and, Nested PCR. The sequencing results were analyzed by CLC sequence viewer software and Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database. Results: In all samples, nine NOPs with a high prevalence were found; however, we did not find any drug resistance mutations, except for a mutation in one sample, which showed a low resistance level. Subtype A1 was dominant in all samples. Conclusion: Based on the findings and compared to our previous study, all patients were sustainable to main integrase inhibitors, including bictegravir, raltegravir, bictegravir, elvitegravir and dolutegravir. It seems the resistant mutation pattern attributed to integrase inhibitors was not diffent among studied patients; hence, the prescription of such inhibitors helps physicians to control HIV infection in Iranian HIV-infected patients.
Processus ponctuels marqués pour l'extraction automatique de caricatures de bâtiments à partir de modèles numériques d'élévation

Cette these se place dans un cadre de reconstruction urbaine et propose un corpus algorithmique pour extraire des formes simples sur les Modeles Numeriques d'Elevation. Ce type de donnees decrit le relief d'une zone urbaine par une grille reguliere de points a chacun desquels est associee une information de hauteur. Les modeles utilises reposent sur l'utilisation de processus ponctuels marques. Il s'agit de variables aleatoires dont les realisations sont des configurations d'objets geometriques. Ces modeles permettent d'introduire des contraintes sur la forme des objets recherches dans une image ainsi qu'un terme de regularisation modelise par des interactions entre les objets. Une energie peut etre associee aux configurations d'objets et la configuration minimisant cette energie trouvee au moyen d'un recuit-simule couple a un echantillonneur de type Monte Carlo par Chaine de Markov a sauts reversibles (RJMCMC). Nous proposons quatre modeles pour extraire des caricatures de bâtiments a partir de descriptions altimetriques de zones urbaines denses. Chaque modele est constitue par une forme d'objet, une energie d'attache aux donnees et une energie de regularisation. Les deux premiers modeles permettent d'extraire des formes simples (rectangles) en utilisant une contrainte d'homogeneite pour l'un et une detection des discontinuites pour l'autre. Le troisieme modele modelise les bâtiments par une forme polyhedrique. Le dernier modele s'interesse a l'apport d'une cooperation entre des objets simples. Les algorithmes obtenus, automatiques, sont evalues sur des donnees reelles fournies par l'IGN (MNE Laser et optiques de differentes qualites).
The quasi‐biennial oscillation of 2015–2016: Hiccup or death spiral?

Over the last 9 months, the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) of the equatorial lower stratosphere has deviated significantly from its normal behavior documented since 1953. Historically, the QBO has varied mainly in the duration of individual oscillation phases or, equivalently, the rate of azimuthal propagation in a 2‐D phase space; in contrast, the oscillation in recent months seems to have ceased. Other features such as the magnitude of wind extrema, east‐west phase asymmetry, and seasonal modulation have been fairly regular over all cycles save for the current one and its closest analog in 1960. Our comment on Newman et al. (2016) highlights features of the anomaly noted by them, contrasts this evolution with the standard QBO model, and draws attention to some unusual features of the 2015–2016 El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warm event.