Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
State–Level Sexism and Gender Disparities in Health Care Access and Quality in the United States

In this investigation, we examined the associations between state-level structural sexism—a multidimensional index of gender inequities across economic, political, and cultural domains of the gender system—and health care access and quality among women and men in the United States. We linked administrative data gauging state-level gender gaps in pay, employment, poverty, political representation, and policy protections to individual-level data on health care availability, affordability, and quality from the national Consumer Survey of Health Care Access (2014–2019; N = 24,250). Results show that higher state-level sexism is associated with greater inability to access needed health care and more barriers to affording care for women but not for men. Furthermore, contrary to our hypothesis, women residing in states with higher state-level sexism report better quality of care than women in states with lower levels of sexism. These findings implicate state-level sexism in perpetuating gender disparities in health care.
Race and Ethnicity and Cardiometabolic Risk Profile: Disparities Across Income and Health Insurance in a National Sample of US Adults

Context: Income and health insurance are important social determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and may explain much racial/ethnic variation in CVD burden. However, racial/ethnic disparities in cumulative cardiometabolic (CMB) risk profile by insurance type and income level have not been studied on a national scale. Objectives: To test the hypothesis that racial/ethnic minorities experience greater CMB burden at each income level and insurance type than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Setting: This study used nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Design: Observational (cross-sectional). Participants: In total, 134661 (weighted N = 197780611) adults, 18 years or older, from the 2013-2017 NHIS. Primary Outcome: CMB risk profile. Intervention/Analysis: Age-adjusted prevalence of optimal, average, and poor CMB risk profile—defined respectively as self-report of 0, 1-2, and 3 or more risk factors of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or hypercholesterolemia—was examined for NHW, non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB), and Hispanics. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression models were used to test the association between race and ethnicity and CMB profile overall and separately by household income level and insurance type. Results: Overall, 15% of NHB and 11% of Hispanics experienced poor CMB risk profile, compared with 9% for NHW. In fully adjusted models, NHB and Hispanics, respectively had nearly 25%-90% and 10%-30% increased odds of poor CMB profile across insurance types and 45%-60% and 15%-30% increased odds of poor CMB profile across income levels, relative to NHW. The observed disparities were widest for the Medicare group (NHB: OR = 1.90; Hispanics: OR = 1.31) and highest-income level (NHB: OR = 1.62). Conclusions: Racial/ethnic minorities experience poor CMB profile at each level of income and insurance. These findings point to the need for greater investigation of unmeasured determinants of minority cardiovascular (CV) health, including structural racism and implicit bias in CV care.
Motivations for egg donation to previously unknown recipients: donation as a personal, relational act of giving

Abstract Egg donation has becoming increasingly common however there is a shortage of donors in many countries, including New Zealand. Research regarding motivations to donate in the context of New Zealand’s open-identity and altruistic donation policy and practice is, thus far, limited. This in-depth qualitative study comprised interviews with 21 women to examine their motivations in donating to recipients previously unknown to them. Donors valued parenthood highly and had become aware of the fertility struggles of other women through their own experiences, those of friends or family, or through online personal accounts or advertising. The ability to select recipients and build a comprehensive picture of them, such as through reading recipient profiles or meeting them in person, as is possible in New Zealand, deepened their identification with recipients and thus their empathy and desire to help. They resisted commercial models, positioning themselves as by nature altruistic and regarding their donations as expressions of solidarity and acts of personal gift-giving to specific others who became known to them through donation. Donation was interpreted as a socially relational process, setting up expectations around relationships and ongoing connection. Such understandings have implications for recruitment as well as ongoing experiences and support needs.
Remote Sensing Scene Classification via Multi-Branch Local Attention Network

Remote sensing scene classification (RSSC) is a hotspot and play very important role in the field of remote sensing image interpretation in recent years. With the recent development of the convolutional neural networks, a significant breakthrough has been made in the classification of remote sensing scenes. Many objects form complex and diverse scenes through spatial combination and association, which makes it difficult to classify remote sensing image scenes. The problem of insufficient differentiation of feature representations extracted by Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) still exists, which is mainly due to the characteristics of similarity for inter-class images and diversity for intra-class images. In this paper, we propose a remote sensing image scene classification method via Multi-Branch Local Attention Network (MBLANet), where Convolutional Local Attention Module (CLAM) is embedded into all down-sampling blocks and residual blocks of ResNet backbone. CLAM contains two submodules, Convolutional Channel Attention Module (CCAM) and Local Spatial Attention Module (LSAM). The two submodules are placed in parallel to obtain both channel and spatial attentions, which helps to emphasize the main target in the complex background and improve the ability of feature representation. Extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets show that our method is better than state-of-the-art methods.
The Long-term Chondroprotective Effect of Meniscal Allograft Transplant: A 10- to 14-Year Follow-up Study

Background: The long-term chondroprotective effect of meniscal allograft transplant (MAT) and its superiority over meniscectomy have rarely been reported. Hypothesis: MAT would reduce osteoarthritis (OA) progression when compared with the meniscus-deficient knee. Graft extrusion distance would strongly affect the chondroprotective effect of the MAT. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 17 knees receiving MAT were followed up as the MAT group. The MAT group was further divided into the nonextrusion subgroup (n = 9) and the extrusion subgroup (n = 8) according to 3-mm extrusion on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coronal section. A further 26 consecutive patients receiving meniscectomy in the same period were followed up as the ME group. The healthy control group consisted of healthy contralateral legs chosen from the MAT and ME groups (n = 27). Joint space width (JSW) narrowing was measured on radiographs. Three-dimensional MRI with a T2 mapping sequence was used to quantitatively analyze cartilage degeneration and meniscal allograft extrusion in 5 directions (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180°). The cartilage degeneration index (CDI) was calculated according to the size and degree of the chondral lesions on MRI scans. The correlation between the CDI increase and the extrusion distance was analyzed. Results: The mean follow-up time was 11.3 years (range, 10-14 years). The MAT group had moderate superiority in chondral protection with less JSW narrowing (0.58 ± 0.66 mm) and CDI increase (1132 ± 1589) compared with the ME group (JSW narrowing: 1.26 ± 1.13 mm, P = .025; CDI increase: 2182 ± 1958, P = .079). The JSW narrowing (0.71 ± 0.80 mm; P = .186) and CDI increase (2004 ± 1965; P = .830) of the extrusion subgroup were close to those of the ME group, demonstrating that a 3-mm extrusion led to complete loss of the meniscal chondroprotective effect. The nonextrusion group had significantly less JSW narrowing (0.48 ± 0.48 mm; P = .042) and CDI increase (358 ± 249; P = .011) than the ME group. The JSW narrowing of the healthy control group was 0.22 ± 0.27 mm. The cartilage T2 values of the extrusion subgroup were similar to those of the ME group, with more OA features, whereas the T2 values of the nonextrusion subgroup were closer to those of the healthy control group. The extrusion distance in the 90° direction (P = .002) and the follow-up time (P = .019) significantly affected the CDI increase in the multivariate regression model. The average extrusion distance in the 45°, 90°, and 135° directions better predicted chondroprotection compared with the other individual directions. Conclusion: MAT had moderate advantages in chondroprotection compared with meniscectomy in the long term. Graft extrusion distance strongly affected the chondroprotective effect of MAT. The chondroprotective effect of the nonextruded meniscal allograft was close to that of the native meniscus, whereas the allografts with an extrusion >3 mm completely lost their function after meniscectomy.
In Vivo 18F-Flortaucipir PET Does Not Accurately Support the Staging of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Visual Abstract Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by neuroglial tau pathology. A new staging system for PSP pathology postmortem has been described and validated. We used a data-driven approach to test whether postmortem pathologic staging in PSP can be reproduced in vivo with 18F-flortaucipir PET. Methods: Forty-two patients with probable PSP and 39 controls underwent 18F-flortaucipir PET. Conditional inference tree analyses on regional binding potential values identified absent/present pathology thresholds to define in vivo staging. Following the postmortem staging approach for PSP pathology, we evaluated the combinations of absent/present pathology (or abnormal/normal PET signal) across all regions to assign each participant to in vivo stages. ANOVA was applied to analyze differences among means of disease severity between stages. In vivo staging was compared with postmortem staging in 9 patients who also had postmortem confirmation of the diagnosis and stage. Results: Stage assignment was estimable in 41 patients: 10, 26, and 5 patients were classified in stage I/II, stage III/IV, and stage V/VI, respectively, whereas 1 patient was not classifiable. Explorative substaging identified 2 patients in stage I, 8 in stage II, 9 in stage III, 17 in stage IV, and 5 in stage V. However, the nominal 18F-flortaucipir--derived stage was not associated with clinical severity and was not indicative of pathology staging postmortem. Conclusion: 18F-flortaucipir PET in vivo does not correspond to neuropathologic staging in PSP. This analytic approach, seeking to mirror in vivo neuropathology staging with PET-to-autopsy correlational analyses, might enable in vivo staging with next-generation tau PET tracers; however, further evidence and comparisons with postmortem data are needed.
Saliva testing as noninvasive way for monitoring exercise-dependent response in teenage elite water polo players

Abstract Excessively increased training volume and/or intensity and competition can lead to development of overtraining syndrome, causing a performance decrement in athletes. Tracking individual response to exercise intensity is crucial for establishing recovery strategies. We assessed the exercise intensity-dependent variability of stress response biomarkers, namely cortisol (C), testosterone (T), s-IgA, and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), in saliva samples of teenage elite water polo players. Saliva was collected on a day of training match (T1) and a day of competitive match (T2), at morning, before and after match. Cortisol/proteins and testosterone/proteins concentrations decreased throughout day T1, whereas increased throughout day T2. The highest values were measured after match on day T2 (2.5 ± 0.5 vs 14.6 ± 6.3 ng/mg; 0.061 ± 0.024 vs 0.371 ± 0.15 ng/mg, respectively). sIgA/proteins and AOPP/proteins concentrations increased throughout both days, and were higher after T2 match than T1 one (respectively, 1073.0 ± 438.2 vs 71.0 ± 17.3 μg/mg; 78.05 ± 24.2 vs 15.98 ± 3.16 nmol/mg, P = .003). Significant differences between concentrations of different biomarkers recorded on T1 and T2 were found only for AOPP, suggesting an increased oxidative stress on day T2. Free testosterone/cortisol ratio on day T2 was lower than that at morning (0.053 ± 0.021 vs 0.107 ± 0.031), indicating an increased catabolic response after competitive match. A highly significant positive correlation was found between Cortisol/Proteins and Testosterone as well as s-IgA/Proteins on day T1, and between Cortisol/Proteins and AOPP on day T2. In conclusion, we found that different types of activities, such a training or competitive session can affect the hormonal response, immunity, and oxidative stress, thereby modulating athletic performance. Our findings also confirm the usefulness of saliva testing as noninvasive way for monitoring the individual response to changes in exercise intensity in teenage elite water polo players.
Pain, Financial Hardship, and Employment in Cancer Survivors

More than half of working-age cancer survivors (age 18-64 years) in the United States have experienced cancer-associated financial hardship, such as accumulating debt, filing for bankruptcy, worrying about their financial stability, or delaying or foregoing medical care because of concerns about cost. Not surprisingly, loss of employment and decreased earnings, which may result from working less hours or taking unpaid leave, are associated with greater risk and severity of financial hardship.
Pedestrian Impedance of Turning-Movement Saturation Flow Rates: Comparison of Simulation, Analytical, and Field Observations

TRAF-NETSIM and its successor CORSIM are comprehensive micro-simulation environments that have been widely used to model the urban traffic environment in the United States and abroad. CORSIM is employed in this study to simulate and evaluate the effects of pedestrian flows on right-turn saturation flow rates at signalized intersections. The saturation flow rates returned by CORSIM were compared with field data collected throughout the United States and with three existing analytical models in the United States, Australia, and Canada. These comparisons indicated that CORSIM models pedestrian interference with the turning vehicles more severely than the three analytical methods, but with a smaller effect than the empirical data indicate. Further, the empirical data exhibit a logarithmic relationship between saturation flow rate and opposing pedestrian volume, compared with the linear relationship used in the simulation and analytical models. Implications for the design and analysis of signalized intersections are presented.
Investigation on the spectral characteristics of DFB lasers with different grating configurations made by electron-beam lithography

The single-mode stability for distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers with various electron-beam-written grating configurations has been investigated theoretically and experimentally, for both as-cleaved and AR-coated lasers. Other laser properties interesting for coherent and multichannel communications systems, such as linewidth and tunability, have also briefly been investigated. Lasers with more sophisticated grating structures, such as an optimized multiple phase-shifted or a corrugation-pitch-modulated grating, did not exhibit performance significantly superior to that of lambda /4-shifted DFB lasers with an appropriate coupling coefficient. Antireflection (AR)-coating of the end facets proved indispensable for obtaining a high yield for lasers with single-mode operation at high output power and for reducing the large chip-to-chip variation seen for the as-cleaved lasers. A theoretical investigation of the effect of end reflections on the stopband and of the problem of determining the coupling coefficient was also made. >
Cross-sectional study of the association of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms with enalapril treatment response among South African adults with hypertension

Abstract This study investigates the association of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in selected genes (ABO, VEGFA, BDKRB2, NOS3, and ADRB2) with blood pressure (BP) response to enalapril. The study further assessed genetic interactions that exist within these genes and their implications in enalapril treatment response among South African adults with hypertension. A total of 284 participants belonging to the Nguni tribe of South Africa on continuous treatment for hypertension were recruited. Five SNPs in enalapril pharmacogenes were selected and genotyped using MassArray. Uncontrolled hypertension was defined as BP ≥140/90 mm Hg. The association between genotypes, alleles, and BP response to treatment was determined by fitting multivariate logistic regression model analysis, and genetic interactions between SNPs were assessed by multifactor dimensionality reduction. Majority of the study participants were female (75.00%), Xhosa (78.87%), and had uncontrolled hypertension (69.37%). All 5 SNPs were exclusively detected among Swati and Zulu participants. In the multivariate (adjusted) logistic model analysis, ADRB2 rs1042714 GC (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–5.23; P = .044) and BDKRB2 rs1799722 CT (AOR = 2.74; 95% CI 1.19–6.28; P = .017) were independently associated with controlled hypertension in response to enalapril. While the C allele of VEGFA rs699947 (AOR = 0.37; 95% CI 0.15–0.94; P = .037) was significantly associated with uncontrolled hypertension. A significant interaction between rs699947, rs495828, and rs2070744 (cross-validation consistency = 10/10; P = .0005) in response to enalapril was observed. We confirmed the association of rs1042714 (ADRB2) and rs1799722 (BDKRB2) with controlled hypertension and established an interaction between rs699947 (VEGFA), rs495828 (ABO), and rs2070744 (NOS3) with BP response to enalapril. Our findings have provided substantial evidence for the use of SNPs as predictors for enalapril response among South Africans adults with hypertension.
Robust Near-Optimal Coordination in Uncertain Multiagent Networks With Motion Constraints

This article addresses the robust coordination problem for nonlinear uncertain second-order multiagent networks with motion constraints, including velocity saturation and collision avoidance. A single-critic neural network-based approximate dynamic programming approach and exact estimation of unknown dynamics are employed to learn online the optimal value function and controller. By incorporating avoidance penalties into tracking variable, constructing a novel value function, and designing of suitable learning algorithms, multiagent coordination and collision avoidance are achieved simultaneously. We show that the developed feedback-based coordination strategy guarantees uniformly ultimately bounded convergence of the closed-loop dynamical stability and all underlying motion constraints are always strictly obeyed. The effectiveness of the proposed collision-free coordination law is finally illustrated using numerical simulations.
Advanced coupling matrix synthesis techniques for microwave filters

A general method is presented for the synthesis of the folded-configuration coupling matrix for Chebyshev or other filtering functions of the most general kind, including the fully canonical case, i.e., N prescribed finite-position transmission zeros in an Nth-degree network. The method is based on the "N+2" transversal network coupling matrix, which is able to accommodate multiple input/output couplings, as well as the direct source-load coupling needed for the fully canonical cases. Firstly, the direct method for building up the coupling matrix for the transversal network is described. A simple non-optimization process is then outlined for the conversion of the transversal matrix to the equivalent "N+2" folded-configuration coupling matrix. The folded matrix may be used directly to realize microwave bandpass filters in a variety of technologies, but some of these could require awkward-to-realize cross-couplings. This paper concludes with a description of two simple procedures for transforming the transversal and folded matrices into two novel network configurations, which enable the realization of advanced microwave bandpass filters without the need for complex inter-resonator coupling elements.
Effect of Gasket of Varying Thickness On Spark Ignition Engines

In the study of Toyota, In-line, 4 cylinders, spark ignition engine using gaskets of varying thicknesses (1.75mm, 3.5mm, 5.25mm, 7mm and 8.75mm) between the cylinder head and the engine block, the performance characteristics of the engine was investigated via the effect of engine speed on brake power, brake thermal efficiency, volumetric efficiency and exhaust temperature. To evaluate the performance characteristics for definite gasket (GK) thickness, the engine was operated between 200 – 4000 rpm, under steady state condition. The investigation reveals worsening engine performance with increasing gasket thickness though with improved volumetric efficiency for any given speed range. KEYWORDS: Brake thermal efficiency, volumetric efficiency, Exhaust temperature
COMPARISONS OF NAVAL DRAFTEES AND ENLISTEES.

Abstract : Draftees and enlistees in the USN, all of whom had come into the Navy in October 1965 without prior military service, were compared as of 30 June 1966 on thirteen variables (primary and secondary dependency, citizenship, year of birth, BTB and special test scores, and rate). Draftees were found to have included a significantly higher percentage than enlistees with primary and secondary dependents, and a significantly larger percentage of immigrant aliens who had declared their intention of becoming citizens. Draftees also were significantly older than enlistees, but had not achieved as high a rate (pay grade) as enlistees. Draftees had received lower test scores than enlistees; the differences between all but two of the eight tests (Clerical and Electronics Technician Selection Tests) were statistically significant. All of the statistically significant differences between draftees and enlistees, except for perhaps primary dependency, were of such small magnitude as to be of little or no practical significance. (Author)
Dynamics of Threshold Voltage Shifts in Organic and Amorphous Silicon Field‐Effect Transistors

Progress in environmental stability and processability, and the increase of the field-effect mobility of organic semiconductors has triggered their use as the active element in microelectronic devices. The advantages of their application are the easy processing, for example, spin-coating and ink-jet printing, without a temperature hierarchy, and their mechanical flexibility. Applications are foreseen in the field of large-area electronics where numerous devices are integrated on low-cost substrates such as plastics. The first flexible, even rollable, quarter video graphics array (QVGA) active matrix displays based on organic semiconductors have already been reported. [1]