Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic at two tertiary neonatal units in Zimbabwe and Malawi: an interrupted time series analysis

Objectives To examine indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on neonatal care in low-income and middle-income countries. Design Interrupted time series analysis. Setting Two tertiary neonatal units in Harare, Zimbabwe and Lilongwe, Malawi. Participants We included a total of 6800 neonates who were admitted to either neonatal unit from 1 June 2019 to 25 September 2020 (Zimbabwe: 3450; Malawi: 3350). We applied no specific exclusion criteria. Interventions The first cases of COVID-19 in each country (Zimbabwe: 20 March 2020; Malawi: 3 April 2020). Primary outcome measures Changes in the number of admissions, gestational age and birth weight, source of admission referrals, prevalence of neonatal encephalopathy, and overall mortality before and after the first cases of COVID-19. Results Admission numbers in Zimbabwe did not initially change after the first case of COVID-19 but fell by 48% during a nurses’ strike (relative risk (RR) 0.52, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.66, p<0.001). In Malawi, admissions dropped by 42% soon after the first case of COVID-19 (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.70, p<0.001). In Malawi, gestational age and birth weight decreased slightly by around 1 week (beta −1.4, 95% CI −1.62 to −0.65, p<0.001) and 300 g (beta −299.9, 95% CI −412.3 to −187.5, p<0.001) and outside referrals dropped by 28% (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.85, p<0.001). No changes in these outcomes were found in Zimbabwe and no significant changes in the prevalence of neonatal encephalopathy or mortality were found at either site (p>0.05). Conclusions The indirect impacts of COVID-19 are context-specific. While our study provides vital evidence to inform health providers and policy-makers, national data are required to ascertain the true impacts of the pandemic on newborn health.
Description of the Larval Stages of Hydrocanthus socius Sahlberg, 1844 (Coleoptera: Noteridae) with Chaetotaxy Analysis

Abstract. The three larval instars of Hydrocanthus socius Sahlberg, 1844 are described and illustrated for the first time, including morphometric and chaetotaxic analyses of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, last abdominal segment, and urogomphus. Larvae of this species can be separated from those of Hydrocanthus sharpi Zimmermann, 1928 by the dorsal color pattern, H. sharpi being entirely brown, and H. socius testaceous with many small dark maculae. Regarding chaetotaxy, H. socius differs from H. sharpi in the length of seta MX11, the position of seta LA3, and the number of additional setae on trochanter. On the other hand, the second and the third instars of H. socius differ from those of H. sharpi in the number of secondary setae on the coxa.
Bacteria-specific phototoxic reactions triggered by blue light and phytochemical carvacrol

Blue light and carvacrol synergistically promote broad-spectrum bactericide in multidrug-resistant murine burn and skin infections. Making light work of drug-resistant bacteria Multidrug-resistant bacteria present a pressing health care challenge. Now, Lu et al. show that the compound carvacrol potentiates blue light therapy against a variety of different bacterial species and strains in both planktonic and biofilm forms. The combination therapy was also effective against mice with either established cutaneous infections or third-degree burn wounds and posed minimal safety risk because of the relatively selective abundance of the porphyrin derivatives required for the phototoxic reaction in bacteria versus host cells. Development of alternatives to antibiotics is one of the top priorities in the battle against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. Here, we report that two naturally occurring nonantibiotic modalities, blue light and phytochemical carvacrol, synergistically kill an array of bacteria including their planktonic forms, mature biofilms, and persisters, irrespective of their antibiotic susceptibility. Combination but not single treatment completely or substantially cured acute and established biofilm-associated Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections of full thickness murine third-degree burn wounds and rescued mice from lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa skin wound infections. The combined therapy diminished bacterial colony-forming units as high as 7.5 log10 within 30 min and introduced few adverse events in the survival of cocultured mammalian cells, wound healing, or host DNA. Mechanistic studies revealed that carvacrol was photocatalytically oxidized into a series of photoreactive substrates that underwent photolysis or additional photosensitization reactions in response to the same blue light, forming two autoxidation cycles that interacted with each other resulting in robust generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. This phototoxic reaction took place exclusively in bacteria, initiated by blue light excitation of endogenous porphyrin-like molecules abundantly produced in bacteria compared with mammalian cells. Moreover, no bacterial resistance developed to the combined treatment after 20 successive passages. This highly selective phototoxic reaction confers a unique strategy to combat the growing threat of MDR bacteria.
Of Issues and Leaders: Forecasting the 2020 US Presidential Election

Ideveloped the “Issues and Leaders”model in an effort to aid decision making in political campaigns. The model, which was used to predict the national popular two-party vote in the US presidential elections of 2012 (Graefe 2013) and 2016 (Graefe 2016), is consistent with standard voting theories in assuming that both shortterm (issues and candidate evaluations) and long-term (party identification) forces affect people’s vote choice (Campbell et al. 1980; Clarke et al. 2011; Lewis-Beck et al. 2008). In particular, the model assumes that voters prefer a candidate who they (1) expect to do a better job in handling the issues, and (2) perceive as a stronger leader.
Effects of rating strategy on interdimensional variance, reliability, and validity of interview ratings

This study experimentally manipulated various rating strategies to test effects on interdimensional variance, reliability, and validity of interview ratings. Undergraduate research participants (N = 180) rated 60 interview transcripts under 3 experimental conditions that represented different rating strategies. Interdimensional variance was higher, internal consistency reliability was lower, and interrater reliability was higher in the rating condition that gave raters the least opportunity to form and use general impressions of interviewees. Rating strategy had no discernible effects on validity. To interpret these results, the authors argued that the rating strategies used in this study differed in the degree to which they allowed raters to form idiosyncratic general impressions of interviewees. These idiosyncratic halo effects explain why rating strategies that raise internal consistency reliability simultaneously lower interrater reliability.
COVID-19 pandemic-related anxiety, distress and burnout: prevalence and associated factors in healthcare workers of North-West Italy

Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic changes in healthcare and severe social restrictions. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are on the front line against the virus and have been highly exposed to pandemic-related stressors, but there are limited data on their psychological involvement for a large sample in Italy. Aims To investigate the prevalence of anxiety, distress and burnout in HCWs of North-West Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to detect potential psychosocial factors associated with their emotional response. Method This cross-sectional, survey-based study enrolled 797 HCWs. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale – Revised, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – Form Y and the Maslach Burnout Inventory; demographic, family and work characteristics were also collected. Global psychological outcome, differences among professions and independent factors associated with worst psychological outcome were assessed. Results Almost a third of the sample had severe state anxiety and distress, high emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation, and low personal accomplishment. Distress was higher in women and nurses, whereas depersonalisation was higher in men. Family division, increased workload, job changes and frequent contact with COVID-19 were associated with worst psychological outcome. Trait anxiety was associated with significantly higher risk for developing state anxiety, distress and burnout. Conclusions An elevated psychological burden related to the COVID-19 pandemic was observed in HCWs of North-West Italy. The identification of family and work characteristics and a psychological pre-existing condition as factors associated with worst psychological outcome may help provide a tailored, preventive, organisational and psychological approach in counteracting the psychological effects of future pandemics.
A Comparative Reconstruction of Proto-Purus (Arawakan) Segmental Phonology1

This paper offers a comparative reconstruction of the segmental phonology of Proto-Purus (PP), the common ancestor of Iñapari, Apurinã, and Yine. The reconstruction presented here differs in many ways from current proposals on PP phonology: the author argues that the contrast between r and l is a secondary development in Yine, that there is no need for reconstructing a vowel *I, and that most if not all instances of initial h in Yine reflect PP *h. A correspondence between morphophonologically defined classes of nouns in Yine and the accentual behavior of cognate nouns in Iñapari suggests a prosodic conditioning for the extensive occurrence of vowel syncope in the former. Shared innovations support the classification of the sparsely documented Kuniba and Kanamirim together with Yine but do not point to any compelling subgrouping hypothesis involving Yine, Apurinã, and Iñapari. An appendix lists all 206 cognate sets used in the reconstruction.
Meta-analysis of the strength of exploratory suicide prediction models; from clinicians to computers

Background Suicide prediction models have been formulated in a variety of ways and are heterogeneous in the strength of their predictions. Machine learning has been a proposed as a way of improving suicide predictions by incorporating more suicide risk factors. Aims To determine whether machine learning and the number of suicide risk factors included in suicide prediction models are associated with the strength of the resulting predictions. Method Random-effect meta-analysis of exploratory suicide prediction models constructed by combining two or more suicide risk factors or using clinical judgement (Prospero Registration CRD42017059665). Studies were located by searching for papers indexed in PubMed before 15 August 2020 with the term suicid* in the title. Results In total, 86 papers reported 102 suicide prediction models and included 20 210 411 people and 106 902 suicides. The pooled odds ratio was 7.7 (95% CI 6.7–8.8) with high between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 99.5). Machine learning was associated with a non-significantly higher odds ratio of 11.6 (95% CI 6.0–22.3) and clinical judgement with a non-significantly lower odds ratio of 4.7 (95% CI 2.1–10.9). Models including a larger number of suicide risk factors had a higher odds ratio when machine-learning studies were included (P = 0.02). Among non-machine-learning studies, suicide prediction models including fewer risk factors performed just as well as those including more risk factors. Conclusions Machine learning might have the potential to improve the performance of suicide prediction models by increasing the number of included suicide risk factors but its superiority over other methods is unproven.
Chemical Characterization of Organic Residues in Agroindustrial and Urban Waste using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Treated and reused industrial residues and urban waste are depicted as potential alternative sources for agricultural use. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical element concentrations in organic residues from the Medium-High Uruguay Region of the Rio Grande do Sul, using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). The organic compounds analyzed were meat agroindustry sludge, organic composites from agribusiness meat, and organic compounds from urban waste (particle sizes: >4.75 mm, <4.75 mm to >2.00 mm, and <2.00 mm). The results showed that chemical elements found in greater concentrations were calcium, silicon, iron, aluminum, phosphorus, sulphur, and potassium. Thus, the EDXRF technique proves to be efficient for characterizing organic compounds and that these residues are appropriate as alternative sources of organic fertilizer that can be applied in an efficient and safe manner in agricultural systems.
Using contributing student pedagogy to enhance support for teamworking in computer science projects

This paper discusses an enhancement project completed at two Universities in the United Kingdom (UK). It is an example of contributing student pedagogy [9], exploring why whilst teamworking is valued by employers, its inclusion is less well received by learners themselves [2, 14, 25]. The work began as part of the Cardiff University Student Education Innovation Projects (CUSEIP) Scheme which provides opportunities for staff and placement students to work collaboratively on learning and teaching projects. The work explores learners’ perceptions and experiences of teamworking before and as part of taught courses which are then intercalated into an evolving set of guidelines and used to inform further enhancements. The original guidelines were developed by the CUSEIP student. The approach and outcomes will be of interest to others engaged in the delivery and enhancement of student teamwork within computing related programmes and potentially other disciplines.
Oxidation Behavior of Ferritic Stainless Steels under SOFC Interconnect Exposure Conditions

The oxidation of ferritic stainless steels has been studied under solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) interconnect “dual” exposure conditions, i.e. simultaneous exposure to air on one side of the sample, and moist hydrogen on the other side. This paper focuses on the oxidation behavior of ferritic stainless steels during the isothermal oxidation in the dual environments. It was found that scales grown on the air side under these dual exposure conditions can be significantly different from scales grown on samples exposed to air on both sides. In contrast, no substantial difference was observed between the scales grown on the fuel side of the dual atmosphere samples and scales grown on samples exposed to moist hydrogen on both sides. AISI430, with 17% Cr, suffered localized attack via formation of Fe2O3 hematite-rich nodules on the air side of dual exposure samples, while the spinel top layer of the air side scale of Crofer22 APU (23% Cr) was enriched in iron. For E-brite, with the highest Cr content (27%), no unusual phases were found in the scale on the air side, but it was noticed the air side scale was less dense and appeared to be more prone to defects than the scalemore » grown in air only. The anomalous oxidation behavior of ferritic stainless steels on the air side of dual exposure specimens is related to the transport of hydrogen through the steel and its subsequent presence in the air side scale. « less
ÍNDICE DE DESAGREGAÇÃO DO SOLO BASEADO EM ENERGIA ULTRA-SÔNICA

Aggregate stability has been measured by wet sieving, water dropping and sonication. The objective of this study is to propose an index (energy - level based index) to express aggregate stability in A and B horizon aggregates of Dusky Red Latosol and Structured Dusky Red Earth. Aggregates from 4.76 to 7.93 mm were submitted to sonication at increasing energy levels. A dispersion ratio (< 0.053 mm aggregate + particle fraction/total aggregate mass) was plotted against energy levels, for each sample. These dispersion curves were linearized dividing energy level by dispersion ratio to give an EA/ID = a + bEA type equation. A dispersion index was obtained dividing b by a, from the equation. The higher the aggregate stability, the lower the dispersion index, mainly on A horizon samples of both soils. The advantage of this index over the use of a single energy level or even the geometric mean diameter is that it uses a whole range of energy levels used for the dispersion curve.
Electro-optical properties of a new series of fluorinated antiferroelectric orthoconic liquid crystalline esters

The electro-optical properties of orthoconic antiferroelectric liquid crystals of some analogues of (S)‑MHPOBC ((S)‑4‑(1‑methylheptyloxy)carbonylphenyl 4'-octyloxy-4-biphenylcarboxylate) have been investigated and discussed in terms of the structure property correlations of liquid crystalline molecules. Polarisation field reversal technique has been used for their characterisation. In this study the occurrence of such a high value of spontaneous polarisation (Ps) for the investigated compound is especially noteworthy as they comprise a bulky chiral unit, zigzag ester linkage and polar fluorinated terminal. Lengthening of oligomethylene spacer in the terminal chain and placement of fluorine atom in the molecular core structure leads to reduction in the value of Ps. The Ps data suggest that the nature of the chiral smectic C (SmC*) to smectic A (SmA) phase transition is of second order and the critical exponent β is in the range 0.19–0.34. The ‘V-shaped’ mode or thresholdless switching in such high-polarisation ferroelectric liquid crystals has also been discussed.
MAGNETIC PHASE DIAGRAM OF (NI1-XMGX)O SOLID SOLUTIONS

A magnetic phase diagram of the (Ni1−xMgx)O solid solutions is drawn by the results of elastic magnetic neutron scattering and magnetic measurements. The ranges of homogeneous antiferromagnetism (0 ≦ x ≦0.37), tricritical behaviour or frustrated antiferromagnetism (0.37 < x ≦ 0.6), cluster spin glass (0.6 < x ≦ 0.75) and paramagnetic behaviour of the Ni2+ spin moments in the ground state (x ≧ 0.8) are determined. It is shown that diamagnetic Mg2+ ions serve as a source of a random field inducing an extra diamagnetic moment of value 0. 35μB. Mit den Ergebnissen magnetischer Messungen und elastischer magnetischer Streuung von Neutronen wird ein magnetisches Phasendiagramm der (Ni1−xMgx)O-Festkorperlosung angegeben. Die Bereiche fur homogenen Antiferromagnetismus (0 ≦ x ≦ 0.37), trikritisches Verhalten oder frustrierter Antiferromagnetismus (0,37 < x ≦ 0.6), Clusterspinglas (0,6 < x ≦ 0,75) und paramagnetisches Verhalten der Ni2+-Spinmomente im Grundzustand (x ≧ 0,8) werden bestimmt. Es wird gezeigt, das diamagnetische Mg2+-Ionen eine Quelle fur statistische Felder darstellen, die ein zusatzliches diamagnetisches Moment mit dem Wert 0,35μB induzieren.
Prevalence of chronic pain after spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The reported prevalence of chronic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) varies widely due, in part, to differences in the taxonomy of chronic pain. A widely used classification system is available to describe subcategories of chronic pain in SCI, but the prevalence of chronic pain in SCI based on this system is unknown. Objective The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the prevalence of chronic pain after SCI based on the International Spinal Cord Injury Pain (ISCIP) classification system. Evidence review A comprehensive search of databases from January 1980 to August 2019 was conducted. The risk of bias was assessed using a modified tool developed for uncontrolled studies. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to assess certainty in prevalence estimates. Findings A total of 1305 records were screened, and 37 studies met inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of overall chronic pain was 68% (95% CI 63% to 73%). The pooled prevalence of neuropathic pain in 13 studies was 58% (95% CI 49% to 68%); the pooled prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in 11 studies was 56% (95% CI 41% to 70%); the pooled prevalence of visceral pain in 8 studies was 20% (95% CI 11% to 29%) and the pooled prevalence of nociceptive pain in 2 studies was 45% (95% CI 13% to 78%). Meta-regression of risk of bias (p=0.20), traumatic versus non-traumatic etiology of injury (p=0.59), and studies where pain was a primary outcome (p=0.32) demonstrated that these factors were not significant moderators of heterogeneity. Certainty in prevalence estimates was judged to be low due to unexplained heterogeneity. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis extends the findings of previous studies by reporting the prevalence of chronic pain after SCI based on the ISCIP classification system, thereby reducing clinical heterogeneity in the reporting of pain prevalence related to SCI.
Portfolio selection with drawdown constraint on consumption: a generalization model

In this study, we generalize the results of Arun (The Merton problem with a drawdown constraint on consumption. Working paper, 2013) on the optimal consumption and investment problem of an infinitely lived agent who does not accept her consumption falling below a fixed proportion of her historically highest level, the so-called drawdown constraint on consumption. We extend the results to a general class of utility functions. We use the martingale method to study the dual problem, which involves the choice of a maximum consumption process. The dual problem can be formulated as a two-dimensional singular control problem, with the free boundary depending on a state variable of the maximum process. We establish the duality theorem and provide semi-closed form solutions regarding the optimal strategies. To highlight our methodology, we present some special cases of utility functions that do not allow for the dimension reduction considered in Arun (2013).
Establishing a New Mechanical Nonlinear Coefficient Q from FT-Rheology: First Investigation of Entangled Linear and Comb Polymer Model Systems

The nonlinear response of monodisperse linear and comb polymer melts has been investigated under oscillatory shear with Fourier-transform rheology (FT-rheology). The relative intensity of the third harmonics (I3/1), which quantify nonlinearity, was found to depend on the strain amplitude (γ0) at small and medium strain amplitudes quadratically regardless of the excitation frequency, temperature, and polymer topology. From these results, for the first time, we proposed new nonlinear coefficient Q, which is defined as Q ≡ I3/1/γ02, and we also defined zero-strain nonlinearity, Q0, as a constant value at relatively small strain amplitude (limγ0→0 Q ≡ Q0; e.g., the zero shear viscosity). In the case of the linear polymer melt, the Q value displays a constant value at small and medium strain amplitude. At large strain amplitude, we detect that the value of Q is finally reduced (Q(γ0) is decreasing). The investigated comb polymer shows very different behavior; the value of Q displays an overshoot (Q(γ0) is incr.