Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Force During the Endotracheal Intubation of Commercial Simulation Manikins

Background Medical simulation allows clinicians to safely practice the procedural skill of endotracheal intubation. Applied force to oropharyngeal structures increases the risk of patient harm, and video laryngoscopy (VL) requires less force to obtain a glottic view. It is unknown how much force is required to obtain a glottic view using commercially available simulation manikins and if variability exists. This study compares laryngoscopy force for a modified Cormack-Lehane (CL) grade I view in both normal and difficult airway scenarios between three commercially available simulation manikins. Methods Experienced clinicians (≥2 years experience) were recruited to participate from critical care, emergency medicine, and anesthesia specialties. A C-MAC size 3 VL blade was equipped with five force resistor reading (FSR) sensors (four concave surfaces, one convex), measuring resistance (Ohms) in response to applied pressure (1-100 Newtons). The study occurred in a university simulation lab. Using a randomized sequence, 49 physicians performed intubations on three manikins (Laerdal SimMan 3GPlus, Gaumard Hal S3201, CAE Apollo) in normal and difficult airway scenarios. The outcomes were sensor mean pressure, peak force, and CL grade. Summary statistics were calculated. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) conducted for both scenarios assessed changes in pressure measured in three manikins while accounting for correlated responses of individuals assigned in random order. Paired t-test assessed for the in-manikin difference between scenarios. STATA/BE v17 (R) was used for analysis; results interpreted at type I error alpha is 0.05. Results Participants included 49 experienced clinicians. Mean years’ experience was 4(±6.6); median prior intubations were 80 (IQR 50-400). Mean individual sensor pressure varied within scenarios depending on manikin (p<0.001). Higher mean forces were used in difficult scenarios (603.4±128.9, 611.1±101.4, 467.5±72.4 FSR) than normal (462.5±121.9, 596.0±90.5, 290.6±63.2 FSR) for each manikin (p<0.001). All manikins required more peak force in the difficult scenario (p<0.03). The highest mean forces (Laerdal, CAE, difficult scenario) were associated with the higher frequency of grade 2A views (p<0.001). The Gaumard manikin was rated most realistic in terms of force required to intubate. Conclusion Commercially available high-fidelity manikins had significant variability in laryngoscopy force in both normal and difficult airway scenarios. In difficult airway scenarios, significant variability existed in CL grade between manikin brands. Experienced clinicians rated Gaumard Hal as the most realistic force applied during endotracheal intubation.
Predicting Students’ Illicit Drug Use Intentions: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Background: Substance use disorders are a significant global public health issue, causing considerable suffering, trauma, and financial burden. With the increasing prevalence of drug use and its detrimental consequences, it is crucial to identify predictors and implement preventive measures to address these problems. The main aim of the present study was to test the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to predict university students’ illicit drug use intentions in the Indian context. Method: The study used a cross-sectional research design and included a sample of 1254 students (male=473, female=81) aged 15-29 (Median age=22.61). Participants completed the measures of attitude, perceived norms, refusal self-efficacy and drug use intentions. Structural Equation Modeling was utilised to analyse the effectiveness of TPB constructs to predict university students’ drug use intentions. Results: The results indicated that positive attitude and perceived norms were positively related with drug use intentions, while refusal self-efficacy was negatively related. The proposed model accounted for (30%) of the variance in students’ illicit drug use intentions. The analysis of Regression weight estimates and critical ratios represented that the perceived norms and perceived behavioural control significantly predicted drug use intention. However, contrary to expectations, attitude did not predict drug use intentions. Conclusion: The findings of the present study highlighted the usefulness of TPB in predicting drug use intentions in the Indian context. These findings will benefit drug use intervention programmes.
The Relationship of Hematological Parameters and C-reactive Protein (CRP) With Disease Presence, Severity, and Response to Systemic Therapy in Patients With Psoriasis

Objectives: Systemic inflammation has an important role in psoriasis, which is a chronic disease with an increasing prevalence and is associated with comorbidity. Our aim is to investigate the relationship of hematological parameters and C-reactive protein (CRP) with the presence and severity of the disease in patients with psoriasis. It is also to investigate whether it can be used as a biomarker in monitoring the response to systemic treatment. Materials and methods: This retrospective study was conducted with the participation of 139 psoriasis patients receiving biological therapy (BT) and conventional therapy (CT) and 140 healthy controls. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients and controls were examined and all parameters were compared with the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) score. In addition, the changes in these parameters before the treatment and in the third month of the treatment were examined in the patient groups who received BT and CT. Results: White blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, monocytes, platelet (PLT), plateletcrit, red blood cell, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), red cell distribution width (RDW), CRP and erythrocytesedimentation (ESR) levels were higher compared to the healthy control group in psoriasis patients (p<0.05). Baseline PASI values were positively correlated with WBC, neutrophils, monocytes, NLR, MLR, and CRP. WBC, neutrophil, NLR, CRP, and ESR levels decreased in all patients in the third month of treatment (p<0.05). WBC, PLT, neutrophil, and NLR in patients receiving BT; while WBC, neutrophil, NLR, CRP, and ESR levels decreased in patients receiving CT, RDW levels increased (p<0.05). Adalimumab; NLR and basophil, methotrexate; WBC, NLR, neutrophil, and ESR levels caused a significant decrease (p<0.05). Conclusion: The fact that increased WBC, neutrophils, monocytes, NLR, MLR, and CRP levels are associated with the severity of psoriasis indicates that these parameters reflect systemic inflammation in psoriasis. In addition, the decrease in these parameters after BT and CT suggests that they can be considered simple and reliable markers that can be used as a complement to the PASI score in assessing disease severity and response to treatment.
CONVERGENCE OF CREAKY VOICE USE IN AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH

Studies of phonetic accommodation have shown that speakers imitate features of their interlocutors’ speech such as vowel production, voice onset time and fundamental frequency. While some individual acoustic parameters of voice quality have been examined in accommodation research, a global measure of creaky voice quality accommodation has not yet been investigated. Creak is a voice quality that appears to be increasingly prevalent in many varieties of English including Australian English and carries several social and linguistic meanings. The present study investigated whether 30 pairs of teenagers from Sydney converged in their use of creaky voice across the course of a conversation. Creaky voice was identified using automatic methods of detection. Findings suggest that creaky voice convergence was present among these speakers. Additionally, an effect of speaker sex showed females used creak at more similar rates to each other than males.
Wage Setting and Passthrough: The Role of Market Power, Production Technology and Adjustment Costs

How much do adjustment costs, labor market power and production complementarities matter for wage setting and passthrough? We develop a general theoretical framework and empirical identification strategy illustrating how firm productivity impacts wages in imperfect labor markets. We estimate firm-level distributions of productivity, worker ability, markdowns, passthrough and labor-supply elasticities using Danish data. Typical firms respond to 1% productivity increases by lowering markdowns 1.7% and increasing marginal productivity 2.1% — increasing wages by 0.4%. Adjustment costs induce firms to hoard workers and increase markdowns in response to negative shocks. Labor market power and adjustment costs reduce passthrough, decreasing wage volatility by 77%. JEL Codes: E2, J2, D24, J42
Stabilization for weakly coupled string–riser system with partial frictional damping

In this paper, we consider the stabilization of a 1‐D coupled string–riser system with partial frictional damping. The frictional damping is only distributed in the part of the string's or riser's domain, and its dissipative effect is transmitted to the other equation through the coupling. Firstly, we prove the existence and uniqueness result for solution of coupled system. Next, using a semigroup approach combined with the multipliers technique, we obtain that the two coupled systems are not exponentially stable, provide precise polynomial decay rates for their energy functionals, respectively, regardless of whether the friction damping only acts on the string equation or the riser equation, and give the optimality of polynomial decay rates. Finally, we compare the case of friction damping acting on string and riser equations simultaneously with the previous two cases. The results show that the case of friction damping acting on string and riser equations simultaneously is exponential stable, while the case of friction damping only acting on string or riser equations is polynomial stable and the decay result of friction damping only acts on the string equation is better than that only acts on the riser equation.
Prevalence and Associated Factor with Hypertension among Elderly Population of Durgathali Rural Municipality of Bajhang District of Nepal

Introduction: Old age is not a disease in itself, but the elderly public are vulnerable to long term diseases of insidious onset like hypertension. Hypertension is a cardiovascular disorder rapidly emerging as a major public health problem in developing countries and is the most widely recognized modifiable risk factor. The main objectives of the study were to determine prevalence of hypertension among old age population and to study the factors affecting the hypertension. Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Bajhang district of Nepal. The study participants were old age group population with age more than or equal to 60 completed years. A sample size of 247 was obtained using simple random sampling and proportionate sampling method. There are seven wards in Durgathali rural municipality among them four wards (ward number 1,2,7,4) selected for study by using lottery method. From four selected ward 247 respondent will be selected proportionately. Findings: Prevalence of hypertension was 36%, significantly higher in age group more than 80 years (50%) and males (48.6%) than female. Hypertension was significantly associated with smoking and insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption habit. Overweight and high waist and hip circumference ration were significantly affecting hypertension.
Prevalence and correlates of psychiatric comorbidities in children and adolescents with full and subthreshold avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to characterize the current and lifetime prevalence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and suicidality in treatment- and nontreatment-seeking individuals with full and subthreshold avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). We also sought to examine unique associations between the three DSM-5 ARFID profiles (i.e., sensory sensitivity, fear of aversive consequences, and lack of interest in food or eating) and specific categories of psychiatric diagnoses and suicidality. METHOD We conducted structured clinical interviews with 74 children and adolescents with full or sub threshold ARFID to assess the presence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, suicidality, and the severity of each of the three ARFID profiles. RESULTS Nearly half of the sample (45%) met criteria for a current comorbid psychiatric diagnosis, and over half (53%) met criteria for a lifetime comorbid diagnosis. A total of 8% endorsed current suicidality and 14% endorsed lifetime suicidality. Severity in the sensory sensitivity profile was uniquely associated with greater odds of comorbid disorders in the neurodevelopmental, disruptive, and conduct disorders category; the anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders category; and the depressive and bipolar-related disorders category. Severity in the fear of aversive consequences profile was associated with greater odds of disorders in the anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders category. DISCUSSION Our findings underscore the severity of psychopathology among individuals with ARFID and related presentations, and also highlight the potential that shared psychopathology between specific ARFID profiles and other psychiatric disorders represent transdiagnostic constructs (e.g., avoidant behavior) that may be relevant treatment targets.
Seed Size Variation and its Effect on Germination and Seedling Growth of Jatropha curcas L.

Jatropha curcas was evaluated for its seed size variability and effect of seed size on germination, seedling growth and dry weight. Among the three seed size classes viz. small (13-15 mm), medium (15-17 mm) and large (17-19 mm), maximum proportion of seeds by number (62%) and dry weight (63%) was recorded in the medium seed size class. Germination and related parameters were positively correlated with seed size in laboratory as well as in nursery conditions. Large seeds showed remarkable increment in germination per cent (50%), germination value (210%), germination speed (100%) and germination energy (72%) over the small seeds in the laboratory. This increment in germination and related parameters for large seeds over the small seeds was even greater in nursery condition. Significant variations due to seed size were also observed for the growth and dry weight of J. curcas seedlings. Seed size showed a positive relation with growth and dry weight of seedling. Maximum height, collar diameter, number of leaves and total dry weight was found in the seedlings raised from large seeds, hence large seeds of J. curcas should be preferred to get better and uniform germination and quality seedlings.
Multi‐index characterization of compound dry hot events in India

Compound dry hot events (CDHEs), where hot events and droughts coexist, have received a lot of attention lately due to their catastrophic effects on the economy, environment and human health. In this study, we use two CDHE indices, the Standardized Compound Event Indicator (SCEI) and the Standardized Dry and Hot Index (SDHI), to assess changes in CDHE characteristics (severity, frequency, spatial extent) over the historical past and future CMIP6 simulations across the Indian subcontinent. To understand the role of the drought index selected on CDHE characterization two drought indices namely the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) are employed in the calculation of the CDHE indices. Further, the role of climatic oscillations such as El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Equatorial Indian Ocean Monsoon Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole in modulating CDHE characteristics have also been explored. Results show that SPI and SPEI based CDHE indices exhibit contrasting trends in northern India, while similar trends are observed in southern India in the historical past. Also, more frequent, extended, and severe CDHEs are reported by CDHE indices calculated using SPEI than by SPI. Temperature is found to be the dominant factor contributing to increases in CDHEs in the recent past and ENSO phases significantly modulate the severity and frequency of CDHE events in India. CMIP6 simulations generally report an increase in CDHE events for a 3°C global warming scenario. Overall, our findings show that the choice of the drought index has a greater impact on CDHE characterization than the choice of the CDHE index itself. Results from this study provide useful information towards understanding the risk of CDHEs in India under global warming and urge for the development and implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures.
Resurvey studies of terricolous bryophytes and lichens indicate a widespread nutrient enrichment in German forests

Vegetation resurveys, both single studies and meta‐analyses, have predominantly been based on vascular plant data while bryophytes and lichens have largely been neglected. Our study aims to fill this gap and addresses the following research questions: has the overall species richness of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in forests changed over time? Which are the winners and losers among single species and ecological species groups? Do the results give a signal of the impact of nutrient enrichment, of changes in the light regime and of climate change? Deciduous and coniferous forests in Germany.We compiled 35 single resurvey data sets, including 1096 plots in total (each sampled twice). The time interval between initial surveys and resurveys ranged from 10 to 65 years. The differences between old and new plots were analysed with respect to the frequency of single species, total species richness, and the absolute and relative numbers of taxa in the species groups. Trend scores of species were related to ecological indicator values to identify the main environmental drivers behind the observed changes.Total species richness did not systematically change, while pleurocarpous mosses had increased at the expense of acrocarpous mosses and, in coniferous forests, of lichens. Weak changes were generally observed in deciduous forests on base‐rich soils. In coniferous forests and in deciduous forests on acid soils, species with high nitrogen demand and high shade tolerance had increased, whereas those being typical for more infertile and open forest sites had decreased. There were trends towards a larger share of taxa with a more oceanic distribution.The changes in the vegetation of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in the studied forests indicate nutrient enrichment and increasingly shady conditions in forests on acid soils, likely caused by nitrogen deposition and shrub layer closure.
Can Mutual Fund “ Stars ” Really Pick Stocks ? New Evidence from a Bootstrap Analysis

We apply an innovative bootstrap statistical technique to examine the performance of the U.S. equity mutual fund industry during the 1962 to 1994 period. Using this new method, we bootstrap the distribution of the performance measure (the “alpha”) across mutual funds to determine whether funds with the best alphas are simply lucky, or whether managers of these funds possess genuine stockpicking skills—this bootstrap technique is necessary because of the complicated form of the distribution of alphas across funds and the non-normal nature of individual funds’ alphas. Our results indicate that, controlling for luck, fund managers that pick stocks well enough to more than cover their costs do exist. That is, the distribution of alphas computed from bootstrapped fund returns (and assuming that no stockpicking talent exists) has a much smaller right tail than the distribution of alphas computed from actual fund returns. Unfortunately for investors, our bootstrap results also show strong evidence of funds with significant inferior performance. Further, our evidence suggests that stockpicking skills are most clearly evident among growth-fund managers. In general, our study supports the value of active mutual fund management, although it also highlights the drawbacks of funds actively managed by those who cannot pick stocks.
Analysis of Household Vulnerability and Adaptation Behaviors to Typhoon Saomai, Zhejiang Province, China

Tropical cyclones, induced by climate change, are happening more frequently and cause serious damage almost every year in China. For this reason, it is necessary to improve the ability of government, communities and households to adapt to climate change and tropical cyclones. Typhoon Saomai was the most powerful typhoon ever to hit Pingyang County, Zhejiang Province, and this report looks at the vulnerability of households as a result of the Saomai disaster and analyzes the factors that influenced vulnerability. The report analyzes the adaptive capacity of households using the following indicators: infrastructure, economic factors, technology, social factors, skills and knowledge. These indicators, and the factors that influence them, were analyzed using an econometric model analysis. The report also discusses the different adaptive options households could take and the reasons why some options, rather than others, were taken, including those which should have been taken before the typhoon struck, those which should have been performed during the typhoon, and those which were implemented after the typhoon. Finally, the report looks at the gaps between household needs and the reality of coping with typhoon disasters, and gives strategies to improve the ability of households to adapt to typhoons.
Assessment Of Serum Progesterone And Serum Prolactin In Patients With Carcinoma Thyroid Before And After Thyroidectomy: A Pilot Study

Introduction: To assess the effect of total thyroidectomy on Serum progesterone and Serum prolactin present in patients with thyroid carcinoma. Method: This is a hospital-based prospective study carried out between November 2020 to November 2022 on patients diagnosed with a case of carcinoma thyroid who were admitted to J.N. Medical college and hospital. This study was done in the Department of Surgery, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Centre of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. The patient's blood samples were collected and assessed for serum progesterone and serum prolactin (S. PRL) prior to and after 3 months postoperatively after total thyroidectomy. Result: There was an increase in the value of S. PRL. There was no change in the value of S. Progesterone. Conclusion: There was a significant change in the hormonal status after thyroidectomy. Serum PRL increased and Serum Progesterone showed no change. To our best knowledge, this was the first of a kind study to evaluate hormones following thyroidectomy in cancer patients.