Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diastolic versus Systolic Left Ventricular Dysfunction as Independent Predictors for Unfavorable Postoperative Evolution in Patients with Aortic Regurgitation Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement

Background and Objectives: Chronic severe aortic valve disease is associated with important changes in left ventricle (LV) performance associated with eccentric or concentric LV hypertrophy. We aimed to assess the immediate prognostic implications of the type of the LV diastolic filling pattern (LVDFP) compared with LV systolic performance in patients with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) and to define the independent echographic predictors for the immediate and long-term prognoses. Materials and Methods: We performed a prospective study enrolling 332 AR patients undergoing AVR, divided into two groups: Group A—201 pts with normal LV systolic function, divided into two subgroups (A1: 129 pts with a nonrestrictive LVDFP and A2: 72 pts with restrictive LVDFP), and Group B—131 pts with LV systolic dysfunction (LV ejection fraction LVEF < 50%), divided into two subgroups (B1: 83 pts with a nonrestrictive LVDFP and B2: 48 pts with restrictive LVDFP). Results: The early postoperative mortality rate was higher in patients with a restrictive LVDFP (11.12% in A2 and 12.5% in B2) compared with normal LV filling (2.32% in A1 and 7.63% in B1, p < 0.0001), regardless of the LVEF. The restrictive LVDFP—defined by at least one of the following echographic parameters: an E/A > 2 with an E wave deceleration time (EDt) < 100 ms; an isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) < 60 ms; or an S/D ratio < 1 in the pulmonary vein flow—was an independent predictor for early postoperative mortality, increasing the relative risk by 8.2-fold. Other independent factors associated with early poor prognosis were an LV end-systolic diameter (LVESD) > 58 mm, an age > 75 years, and the presence of comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD or diabetes mellitus). On a medium-term, an unfavorable evolution was associated with: an age > 75 years (RR = 8.1), an LV end-systolic volume (LVESV) > 95 cm3 (RR = 6.7), a restrictive LVDFP (RR = 9.8, p < 0.0002), and pulmonary hypertension (RR = 8.2). Conclusions: The presence of a restrictive LVDFP in patients with AR undergoing AVR is associated with both increased early and medium-term mortality rates. The LV diastolic function is a more reliable parameter for prognosis than LV systolic performance (RR 9.2 versus 2.1). Other independent predictors for increased early postoperative mortality rate were: an age > 75 years, an LVESD > 58 mm, and comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, COPD), and for unfavorable evolution at 2 years postoperatively: an age > 75 years, an LVESV > 95 cm3, and severe pulmonary hypertension.
On the Differentiability issue of the drift-diffusion equation with nonlocal Lévy-type diffusion

We investigate the differentiability issue of the drift-diffusion equation with nonlocal L\'evy-type diffusion at either supercritical or critical type cases. Under the suitable conditions on the drift velocity and the forcing term in terms of the spatial H\"older regularity, we prove that the vanishing viscosity solution is differentiable with some H\"older continuous derivatives for any positive time.
Field-free molecular orientation control by two ultrashort dual-color laser pulses

We show that molecular orientation can be controlled by sequential three-photon Raman excitations with time-delayed dual-color ultrashort laser pulses. The field-free molecular orientation created by a dual-color ultrashort laser pulse can be significantly enhanced or completely suppressed when another in-phase or antiphase dual-color ultrashort laser pulse is applied at its full revival time. By applying the second dual-color ultrashort laser pulse at the half-revival time, the odd and even rotational wave packets for the impulsive molecular orientation can be promoted and depressed by changing its carrier-envelope phase.
War-Time Military Service Can Affect Partisan Preferences

Does war-time military service affect partisan preferences? We argue that military service increases the salience and potential costs of war. Therefore, soldiers who serve during mismanaged wars will associate the ruling party with incompetence and be less likely to support the ruling party in the future. To test our argument, we analyze almost 50 years of Israel National Election Studies. Employing a regression discontinuity design, we show that compared with respondents who were too young to serve in the Yom Kippur war, respondents just old enough to serve report lower support for the Labor party well after the war ended. This effect is likely driven by soldiers’ unwillingness to support a party they associate with security incompetence. We further show that the negative effect of military service does not materialize in well-managed wars, contributing to the literature on the political consequences of war and attitude formation.
Consumer partnerships in research (CPR) checklist: A method for conducting market research with vulnerable consumers

There is a need for better evidence on how to effectively support consumer partnerships in research (CPR). This paper aims to provide a practical checklist for market researchers to plan, implement, and report research where vulnerable consumers are the target population. A vulnerable consumer is someone who, due to their circumstances, may be disadvantaged or at risk in some marketplace situations. Here, it is proposed that research conducted about vulnerable consumers must include consumer co-researchers as partners in the research process. The involvement of consumers as co-researchers addresses this methodological gap to some extent by democratizing research design and empowering vulnerable consumers. The CPR Checklist is based on an integrative realistic review method, content validation via an expert panel, and includes consumer co-researcher involvement in the research process. Considering the complexities of vulnerable consumers and market research, the CPR Checklist provides a suite of 'how and why' questions to guide rigorous and ethical project conduct.
Financial frictions, capital misallocation, and total factor productivity: evidence from China

ABSTRACT From the perspective of credit constraints and heterogeneous financing costs, this paper aims to enrich our understanding on how financial frictions affect capital misallocation and total factor productivity (TFP). Our model predicts that financial frictions could lead to greater capital misallocation and TFP losses. Moreover, credit constraints exacerbate capital misallocation and amplify TFP losses caused by heterogeneous financing costs. On this basis, we use micro-level data of the Chinese industrial firms to quantify the TFP losses caused by financial frictions. The results show that: (1) financial frictions have caused huge TFP losses in China’s manufacturing industry, and credit constraints have contributed to 120.7% of annual manufacturing TFP losses on average. (2) The manufacturing TFP losses are significantly higher in the post-crisis period than in the pre-crisis period because of the more prevalent and tighter credit constraints. (3) The increase in the post-crisis TFP losses is largely accounted for by the tightening credit constraints faced by firms in central China and non-state-owned enterprises. Our findings highlight the importance of alleviating financial frictions to improve capital allocation efficiency and promote economic growth.
GPS Meteorology: Direct Estimation of the Absolute Value of Precipitable Water

Abstract A simple approach to estimating vertically integrated atmospheric water vapor, or precipitable water, from Global Positioning System (GPS) radio signals collected by a regional network of ground-based geodetic GPS receiver is illustrated and validated. Standard space geodetic methods are used to estimate the zenith delay caused by the neutral atmosphere, and surface pressure measurements are used to compute the hydrostatic (or “dry”) component of this delay. The zenith hydrostatic delay is subtracted from the zenith neutral delay to determine the zenith wet delay, which is then transformed into an estimate of precipitable water. By incorporating a few remote global tracking stations (and thus long baselines) into the geodetic analysis of a regional GPS network, it is possible to resolve the absolute (not merely the relative) value of the zenith neutral delay at each station in the augmented network. This approach eliminates any need for external comparisons with water vapor radiometer observation.
Discrepancy and large dense monochromatic subsets

Erd\H{o}s and Pach (1983) introduced the natural degree-based generalisations of Ramsey numbers, where instead of seeking large monochromatic cliques in a $2$-edge coloured complete graph, we seek monochromatic subgraphs of high minimum or average degree. Here we expand the study of these so-called quasi-Ramsey numbers in a few ways, in particular, to multiple colours and to uniform hypergraphs. Quasi-Ramsey numbers are known to exhibit a certain unique phase transition and we show that this is also the case across the settings we consider. Our results depend on a density-biased notion of hypergraph discrepancy optimised over sets of bounded size, which may be of independent interest.
Co-Design of an eHealth Intervention to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Male Taxi Drivers: ManGuard

Taxi driving, a male-dominated occupation, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The increased risk is linked to a high prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors including overweight/obesity, poor nutrition, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Behaviour change interventions may prove advantageous, yet little research has been conducted to reduce CVD risk in this population. The purpose of this study was to co-design an eHealth intervention, ‘ManGuard’, to reduce CVD risk in male taxi drivers. The IDEAS framework was utilised to guide the development of the eHealth intervention, with the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) incorporated throughout to ensure the intervention was underpinned by behaviour change theory. Development and refinement of ManGuard was guided by current literature, input from a multidisciplinary team, an online survey, a systematic review and meta-analysis, and focus groups (n = 3) with male taxi drivers. Physical inactivity was identified as the prime behavior to change in order to reduce CVD risk in male taxi drivers. Male taxi drivers indicated a preference for an eHealth intervention to be delivered using smartphone technology, with a simple design, providing concise, straightforward, and relatable content, and with the ability to track and monitor progress.
Riesz transforms, Cauchy-Riemann systems and amalgam Hardy spaces

In this paper we study Hardy spaces $\mathcal{H}^{p,q}(\mathbb{R}^d)$, $0<p,q<\infty$, modeled over amalgam spaces $(L^p,\ell^q)(\mathbb{R}^d)$. We characterize $\mathcal{H}^{p,q}(\mathbb{R}^d)$ by using first order classical Riesz transforms and compositions of first order Riesz transforms depending on the values of the exponents $p$ and $q$. Also, we describe the distributions in $\mathcal{H}^{p,q}(\mathbb{R}^d)$ as the boundary values of solutions of harmonic and caloric Cauchy-Riemann systems. We remark that caloric Cauchy-Riemann systems involve fractional derivative in the time variable. Finally we characterize the functions in $L^2(\mathbb{R}^d) \cap \mathcal{H}^{p,q}(\mathbb{R}^d)$ by means of Fourier multipliers $m_\theta$ with symbol $\theta(\cdot/|\cdot|)$, where $\theta \in C^\infty(\mathbb{S}^{d-1})$ and $\mathbb{S}^{d-1}$ denotes the unit sphere in $\mathbb{R}^d$.
Generalized electro-magneto statics in nonsmooth exterior domains

Summary We develop a solution theory for a generalized electro-magneto static Maxwell system in an exterior domain Ω ⊂ RN with anisotropic coefficients converging at infinity with a rate r-τ, τ > 0, towards the identity. Our main goal is to treat right hand side data from some polynomially weighted Sobolev spaces and obtain solutions which are up to a finite sum of special generalized spherical harmonics in another appropriately weighted Sobolev space. As a byproduct we prove a generalized spherical harmonics expansion suited for Maxwell equations. In particular, our solution theory will allow us to give meaning to higher powers of a special static solution operator. Finally we show, how this weighted static solution theory can be extended to handle inhomogeneous boundary data as well. This paper is the second one in a series of three papers, which will completely reveal the low frequency behavior of solutions of the time-harmonic Maxwell equations.
Reciprocity sheaves and motives with modulus

We exhibit an intimate relationship between "motives with modulus" from arXiv:1511.07124 [math.AG] and "reciprocity sheaves" from arXiv:1402.4201 [math.AG]. Assuming resolution of singularities, we prove that the triangulated category of effective motivic complexes $\mathbf{MDM}^{\mathrm{eff}}$ admits a $t$-structure whose heart is equivalent to the category of reciprocity Nisnevich sheaves. We also give an isomorphism between some Hom groups in $\mathbf{MDM}^{\mathrm{eff}}$ and the hypercohomology of some Suslin complexes with modulus. As an application, we prove some Mayer-Vietoris sequences for Suslin homology with modulus.
Flexible Microplasma Discharge Device for Treating Multidrug-Resistant Fungal and Bacterial Infections

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens are becoming a serious global threat in the treatment of burn wounds, surgical site infections, and chronic wounds, driving the need for the development of new sterilizing techniques to disinfect the wounds. To address this, a novel and flexible microplasma discharge device (MDD) was fabricated using the additive print manufacturing process for the eradication of pathogens such as Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogenic yeast (fungus), and three bacterial species from the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp) group including Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii using ambient air as the sterilization agent. To fabricate the MDD, silver ink (Ag) was deposited on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films in a circular design consisting of a honeycomb pattern using a screen-printing process to fabricate the top and bottom electrodes. An average thickness and a roughness of $\sim 9$ and $\sim 2~\mu \text{m}$ were measured for the screen-printed silver layer, respectively. Then, the MDD was assembled by attaching the top and bottom electrodes using a two-sided Kapton tape (dielectric layer). The antifungal and antibacterial efficacies of the MDD were investigated by varying applied voltage (6, 8, and 10 V). The antifungal and antibacterial efficacies of 100% were achieved at an applied voltage of 10 V for a treatment time of 1 min. In addition, the surface temperature of the MDD was measured from 25 °C to 68 °C at the applied voltages ranging from 6 to 10 V, respectively. The MDD performs similarly both in flat and bent conditions (on surfaces with 25 and 50 mm radius of curvatures), indicating that it is flexible. This flexible and printed MDD can be potentially applied as a wearable bandage in hospitals to sterilize burn wound injuries, which mostly contains C. albicans and ESKAPE pathogens, and accelerate the wound healing process.
Exposure to (Poly)phenol Metabolites after a Fruit and Vegetable Supplement Intake: A Double-Blind, Cross-Over, Randomized Trial

Dietary (poly)phenol intake derived from the daily consumption of five portions of fruits and vegetables could protect against the development of non-communicable diseases. However, the general population does not meet the recommended intake. Supplementation with (poly)phenol-rich ingredients, within a varied and balanced diet, could help in filling this nutritional gap. This study aimed to validate the proof-of-concept of a (poly)phenolic supplementation developed to enhance the daily consumption of potentially bioactive compounds. Oxxynea® is a (poly)phenol-rich ingredient developed to provide the quantity and the variety corresponding to five-a-day fruit and vegetable consumption. In this double-blind, randomized cross-over study, 10 participants were supplemented with 450 mg of a (poly)phenol-based supplement or a placebo. Pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion profiles were measured for 24 and 48 h, respectively, using UPHLC-MS/MS analysis. The pharmacokinetic profile displayed a triphasic absorption, indicating peaks of circulating metabolites at 1.75 ± 0.25 h, 4.50 ± 0.34 h, 9.50 ± 0.33 h and an average Tmax (time of maximal plasma concentration) of 6.90 ± 0.96 h. Similarly, the urinary profile showed maximum metabolite excretion at 3–6 h, 6–10 h and 14–24 h after supplement consumption. Compared to individual metabolites belonging to different (poly)phenolic subfamilies, the total circulating and excreted metabolites showed a reduced coefficient of variation (CV 38%). The overall bioavailability estimated was 27.4 ± 3.4%. Oxxynea® supplementation may provide a sustained exposure to several (poly)phenolic metabolites and catabolites and reduces the inter-individual variation that could arise from supplementing only one class of (poly)phenol.
Photocurrent increase in n-i-p thin film silicon solar cells by guided mode excitation via grating coupler

Angle resolved measurements of the external quantum efficiency of n-i-p single junction amorphous solar cell deposited on a grating structure show clearly defined peaks of enhanced photocurrent in the weakly absorbing region between 1.6 and 2.15 eV. We explain these absorption phenomena and their angular variation with the excitation of guided modes via grating coupling. Calculation using an equivalent flat multilayer system permits to relate the theoretical values with the experimental data.
The Contribution of Openness and Intellect to the Examination of the Idea Generation and Selection Processes: An Exploration with Business Students

ABSTRACT The purpose of this investigation was to examine the contribution of two aspects, Openness and Intellect, of the broad personality factor of Openness to Experience to the explanation of idea generation and selection processes among business students. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires measuring Openness, Intellect, and creative self-efficacy. In addition, participants completed a divergent thinking task designed to help a company generate ideas to solve a business problem. Two indicators of creative potential, idea generation, and two indicators of intrapersonal idea evaluation and selection were used as our dependent variables. Results showed a positive influence of creative self-efficacy and Intellect on originality scores. Intellect had a positive relationship with the ratings of the best idea selected and evaluated by two independent judges. Regarding proxies of idea selection, whereas creative self-efficacy had positive relationship with an indicator reflecting the degree of overestimation or underestimation of the quality of participants’ ideas, Openness had a negative relationship. Hence, whereas creative self-efficacy was related to overestimating, Openness was related to underestimating the quality of participants’ ideas. Results showed the importance of separating Openness and Intellect given that they have differential relationships with the idea generation and selection processes.
PARABOLIC k-AMPLE BUNDLES

We construct projectivization of a parabolic vector bundle and a tautological line bundle over it. It is shown that a parabolic vector bundle is ample if and only if the tautological line bundle is ample. This allows us to generalize the notion of a k-ample bundle, introduced by Sommese, to the context of parabolic bundles. A parabolic vector bundle E* is defined to be k-ample if the tautological line bundle is k-ample. We establish some properties of parabolic k-ample bundles.
An Experiential Learning-Based Virtual Reality Approach to Foster Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition and Learning Engagement in English for Geography

EFL learners encounter a number of challenges in English for specific purposes, especially in understanding and remembering vocabulary. Therefore, exploring effective ways to improve their vocabulary and its applications is the key area of ESP. VR, as a newer type of audiovisual input on incidental vocabulary learning, is an important tool for innovation in language education. With its sense of presence and immersion, VR constructs an experiential learning process for students involving incidental vocabulary acquisition to promote their learning engagement and performance. Therefore, this study applied an experiential learning-based VR approach to an English for Geography course in a university. Thirty-six geography students participated in vocabulary acquisition on the theme of the hydrologic cycle. For the experiment, 18 students were assigned to the experimental group learning with the VR-based approach, while the other 18 were assigned to the control group learning with the video-based approach. The findings demonstrated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of incidental vocabulary acquisition and cognitive, behavioral, and social engagement.
Investigation of Environmental Effects on Coherence Loss in SAR Interferometry for Snow Water Equivalent Retrieval

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is a promising tool for the retrieval of snow water equivalent (SWE) from space. Due to refraction, the interferometric phase changes with snow depth and density, which is exploited by the InSAR method. While the method was first proposed two decades ago, qualitative research using experimental data analyzing factors affecting retrieval performance remains scarce. In this work, a tower-based 1–10-GHz, fully polarimetric SAR with InSAR capabilities was used to analyze the effect of meteorological events (air temperature, precipitation intensity, and wind) on the observed temporal decorrelation of interferometric image pairs at L-, S-, C-, and X-bands. These factors were found to be causes of decorrelation in snow, being the temperature the critical variable in the case of snowmelt events. Of the analyzed bands, the L-band presented the best coherence conservation properties. In addition, the phase change between pairs with sufficient coherence was applied to generate estimates of changes in SWE, studying the retrieval errors at different bands and over different temporal baselines. SWE accumulation was calculated from 6 h up to 12 days’ temporal baseline over a nonvegetated area. SWE accumulation profiles were successfully reconstructed for short temporal baselines and low frequencies, while an increase in the retrieval error was observed for high frequencies and long temporal baselines, indicating the limitations of higher frequencies for repeat-pass InSAR retrieval. The analysis was also reproduced over a forested area at the L-band with similar results as to the nonvegetated area.