Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute kidney injury in Coronavirus disease-19 related pneumonia in the intensive care unit: a retrospective multicenter study, Saudi Arabia

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) poses a significant morbidity and mortality risk to critically ill COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of AKI in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with critically ill COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods A multicenter retrospective study in Saudi Arabia of adult patients aged at least 18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and admitted to the intensive care unit between May 2020 and May 2021 was conducted. The occurrence of AKI and associated risk factors, the need for continous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and the outcome were reported. Results The study included 340 patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Their mean age was 66.7±13.4 years, ranging from 49 to 84 years, and most of them were men (63.8%). The most common concomitant diseases were hypertension (71.5%), diabetes (62.4%), IHD (37.6%), CKD (20%), heart failure (19.4%), and 81.2% suffered from ARDS. AKI occurred in 60.3% of patients, 38% were stage 1, 16.6% were stage 2, and 45.4% were stage 3. Approximately, 39% of patients required CRRT, out of which 76.2% were stage 3, which was significantly higher than the other stages (p<0.001). AKI patients suffered significantly from asthma and had lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and higher creatinine levels than patients without AKI (p<0.05 all). The overall mortality rate was 39.4%, and the mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with AKI than in patients without AKI (48.3% versus 25.9%; p<0.001). Conclusion AKI is common in adults admitted to the ICU with COVID-19 and is associated with an increased risk of death. Early detection of AKI and appropriate treatment can positively impact COVID-19 outcome. CRRT is the preferred dialysis method in critically ill ICU patients with AKI.
Low-pressure RF discharge in the free-flight regime

The self-consistent equations system for low-pressure RF discharge in the free-flight regime is formulated. The expressions for the electron energy diffusion coefficient due to electron-neutral collisions and to the electron collisions with the plasma-space charge moving boundary (stochastic heating) are derived. If the electron-neutral elastic collisions frequency exceeds the inelastic one, the conventional two-term approximation for the electron distribution function (EDF) can be generalized, and the space-time-averaged electron kinetic equation can be reduced to the one-dimensional energy diffusion one. The fast electrons attached to the electrode surface can also be accounted for in this equation. It is shown that in the cases of (a) spatially uniform ion profile, (b) for frequencies that are small compared with the electron bounce frequency, and (c) for frequencies exceeding the electron plasma one in the sheath, the stochastic heating vanishes. >
A qualitative study on health stigma and discrimination in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learnt from a public health perspective

Background Stigmatisation, misinformation and discrimination have been magnified globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The healthcare sector was not spared from this. We conducted a transnational study, using the Health Stigma and Discrimination framework (HSDF) to explore public perception and reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic in a multicultural context. Findings from the Asian arm of the study, sited in Singapore, are reported in this paper. Methods This phenomenological research deployed semi-structured informant interviews using non-probability sampling approaches to recruit members of the public. Interviews were coded independently by two researchers and thematic analysis was used to analyse the responses. Results Twenty-nine members of the public (23–80 years old) were interviewed between Oct 2020 to Feb 2021. Five major themes were identified: (i) perception of stigma amongst respondents, (ii) experiences of stigma amongst respondents, (iii) views on what drove stigma and misinformation, (iv) facilitators in preventing and reducing stigma and misinformation, and (v) ageist attitudes towards older adults. Overall, construction workers living in dormitories, healthcare workers, and to some extent tourists from China, were perceived to have been stigmatised and shunned by the public. Place-based stigmatisation was common; participants responded by avoiding places that had confirmed cases of COVID-19. Perceived stigma was temporary and not enduring, driven at the outset by fear of being infected. This study also identified the role played by trust in reducing stigmatisation. The relative absence of politicising of issues and high-quality information readily disseminated to the public were reported as factors that could have reduced and prevented stigma and misinformation on the various groups. Ageist attitudes were observed in some participants with older adults being labelled as vulnerable, susceptible to misinformation and being less able to cope during the pandemic. Conclusion Through the lens of the HSDF, this study provided an exploratory account of the nature of stigma that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic in an Asian context. It also shed light on facilitators in preventing and reducing stigma during an outbreak especially the role of trust and communications during a public health crisis.
THE INFLUENCE OF CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN ON THE PERFORMANCE OF VIBRATORY GYROSCOPES

Abstract Understanding the influence of the control system on the performance of vibratory gyroscopes is important during the design of such devices. The ability of the control system to reduce the effects of resonator imperfections, on the gyroscope performance, was investigated. The analysis of the control problem presented begins with equations of motion describing the dynamics of a resonator including frequency and damping imperfections. These equations were transformed to slowly varying parameters and averaged. The equations of motion, in this form, provide many insights into the dynamics of the resonator and suggest the control system functions required to effectively operate the resonator as an angular rate sensor. A phase-locked loop-based control system was designed, analyzed and implemented. The control system drives the resonator at resonance to a constant amplitude and nulls the rotation-induced vibrations. It was shown analytically that the first order effects of frequency imperfections can be eliminated by the control system. The effect of damping anisotropy is not reduced by the control system and this is expected to be the major source of error in the closed-loop system. Experimental measurements, of a piezoelectrically actuated and sensed resonator, over a temperature range of 60°C, showed that variation of the zero-rate offset was decreased by an order of magnitude by the force-to-rebalance control. The analytical and experimental results present a convincing argument for the use of force-to-rebalance control in vibratory gyroscopes.
Compact multimode horn with low sidelobes for global Earth coverage

A new multimode corrugated horn is described for full-Earth coverage from a geostationary satellite. The horn has low sidelobes, low cross polarization, and is compact. We outline the design of this horn and compare its performance with other circular horn types, including conventional single and multimode-corrugated horns and dielectric loaded horns. A design was fabricated and measured results are described for return loss, radiation patterns, and axial ratio. These measurements demonstrate excellent agreement with computer predictions using mode-matching software.
Pictish symbols revealed as a written language through application of Shannon entropy

Many prehistoric societies have left a wealth of inscribed symbols for which the meanings are lost. For example, the Picts, a Scottish, Iron Age culture, left a few hundred stones expertly carved with highly stylized petroglyph symbols. Although the symbol scripts are assumed to convey information, owing to the short (one to three symbols), small (less than 1000 symbols) and often fragmented nature of many symbol sets, it has been impossible to conclude whether they represent forms of written language. This paper reports on a two-parameter decision-tree technique that distinguishes between the different character sets of human communication systems when sample sizes are small, thus enabling the type of communication expressed by these small symbol corpuses to be determined. Using the technique on the Pictish symbols established that it is unlikely that they are random or sematographic (heraldic) characters, but that they exhibit the characteristics of written languages.
Neuroimaging of brain connectivity related to reading outcomes in children born preterm: A critical narrative review

Premature children are at high risk for delays in language and reading, which can lead to poor school achievement. Neuroimaging studies have assessed structural and functional connectivity by diffusion MRI, functional MRI, and magnetoencephalography, in order to better define the “reading network” in children born preterm. Findings point to differences in structural and functional connectivity compared to children born at term. It is not entirely clear whether this discrepancy is due to delayed development or alternative mechanisms for reading, which may have developed to compensate for brain injury in the perinatal period. This narrative review critically appraises the existing literature evaluating the neural basis of reading in preterm children, summarizes the current findings, and suggests future directions in the field.
RICE PRODUCTION, IMPORTS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA: AN APPLICATION OF AUTOREGRESSIVE DISTRIBUTED LAG

Inconsistent and inefficient policies, climate issues and general poor funding have been adjudged to hinder increased domestic rice production in Nigeria. Rather than tackling these challenges, the nation has continued to opt for importation to supplement her domestic production, if not for recently, as a ‘stop-gap’ for food security. Geared towards strengthening the resilient efforts of the small holder farmers and driving increased rice production, this paper examined the trends in rice imports and production between 1980 and 2021; and also identified the determinants of rice imports in Nigeria. Secondary data were used for this study, while descriptive statistics and ARDL model were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the average quantities of rice production and rice imports were 3.51 and 0.24 million tons over the periods. The periods between 1998 and 2007 experienced a wide volatility of rice imports over rice production. Again, the results of ARDL model implied that exchange rate, GDP and quantity of rice production were statistically significant in influencing changes in the quantity of rice imports in the area. Therefore, since GDP and quantity of rice production had negative relationship with rice imports, it would be suggested that efforts geared at increasing rice production in Nigeria should be tailored at revamping agricultural extension services to enhance a genuine two-way communication between researchers and the farmers vis-à-vis increase food production. Keywords: Rice Imports, Trends, Rice Production, ARDL Model, Nigeria.
An analysis of the effects of management accounting services on the financial performance of SME: The moderating role of information technology

Abstract Management accounting is very important in the field of accounting. It is a subject which implementation can bring about firm development. There are a lot of studies about management accounting. Past research have analysed various aspects of management accounting. However, the effect of management accounting services on the financial performance of SMEs have not been deeply researched into. This study aims to fill this gap by analysing the effect of management accounting service on the financial performance of SMEs in Ghana’s commerce, service, and manufacturing industries. The study’s population comprises registered SMEs from the Registrar General’s Department. The sample size was calculated using a population of 4,000 registered small and medium businesses to arrive at 365 SMfomular. Managers of SMEs were chosen and contacted using a systematic sample process and given questionnaires to complete. This study used the agency theory and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The PLSSEM Software was used to analyze the data collected from the respondents. The study found a relationship between SMEs’ performance and management accounting methods.
The Oral Inactivated Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Presenting in the Intestine Induces Mucosal Immunity in Mice with Alginate–Chitosan Microcapsules

Simple Summary Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an α coronavirus that causes major disease outbreaks, producing up to 100% mortality rates in piglets during the first 7 days after birth. In this study, we used microcapsules with inactivated PEDV fed to mice by oral administration to improve the effectiveness of the oral delivery method for protection against PEDV infection, and avoided digestive degradation in the acidic environment of the stomach. In addition, the PEDV microcapsules displayed remarkable storage tolerance to maintain the quality of the PEDV antigen. The PEDV microcapsules delivered the inactivated virus into the gut, stimulating the specific mucosal immune response in mice, which could directly neutralize the enterovirus. Abstract The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, PEDV, which causes diarrhea, vomiting and death in piglets, causes huge economic losses. Therefore, understanding how to induce mucosal immune responses in piglets is essential in the mechanism and application against PEDV infection with mucosal immunity. A method of treatment in our research was used to make an oral vaccine that packaged the inactive PEDV with microencapsulation, which consisted of sodium alginate and chitosan, and adapted the condition of the gut in mice. The in vitro release experiment of microcapsules showed that inactive PEDV was not only easily released in saline and acid solutions but also had an excellent storage tolerance, and was suitable for use as an oral vaccine. Interestingly, both experimental groups with different doses of inactive virus enhanced the secretion of specific antibodies in the serum and intestinal mucus, which caused the effective neutralization against PEDV in the Vero cell by both IgG and IgA, respectively. Moreover, the microencapsulation could stimulate the differentiation of CD11b+ and CD11c+ dendritic cells, which means that the microencapsulation was also identified as an oral adjuvant to help phagocytosis of dendritic cells in mice. Flow cytometry revealed that the B220+ and CD23+ of the B cells could significantly increase antibody production with the stimulation from the antigens’ PEDV groups, and the microencapsulation could also increase the cell viability of B cells, stimulating the secretion of antibodies such as IgG and IgA in mice. In addition, the microencapsulation promoted the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10 and TGF-β. Moreover, proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, TNF-α, and IL-17, were inhibited by alginate and chitosan in the microencapsulation groups compared with the inactivated PEDV group. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the microparticle could play the role of mucosal adjuvant, and release inactivated PEDV in the gut, which can effectively stimulate mucosal and systemic immune responses in mice.
Fourier spectra of three-dimensional data

The power spectrum, bispectrum, and tentatively the trispectrium, are evaluated for data from the CfA catalog and from the Perseus-Pisces redshift compilation of Giovanelli and Haynes. Knowledge of galaxy clustering is extended to scales of order 100/h Mpc. The observed power spectrum agrees well with cold dark matter. The observed bispectrum obeys the so-called hierarchical pattern, with a reduced three-point amplitude that is consistent with gravitational instability in perturbation theory starting from Gaussian initial conditions. The trispectrum is only marginally detected, but is again consistent with the hierarchical pattern; the reduced four-point amplitude is determined only to be of order unity. These results constitute perhaps the first direct observational suggestion that gravitational instability in the perturbative regime indeed operates on large scales. 32 refs.
Effects of White Noise and Facilitated Tucking During Heel Stick Sampling on the Pain Response of Healthy Term Newborns: A Randomized Controlled Study

Aim: Painful procedures in the newborn begin with injections. Controlling painful practices in the newborn is of great importance. Nurses should be familiar with evidence-based non-pharmacological methods to reduce pain. This study was performed to compare the effect of white noise, facilitated tucking, and their concerted application during heel-stick sampling on pain in term babies. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. The study was conducted on 90 newborns. Using stratification and the blocking method, 30 newborns were included in the white noise group (Group 1), 30 in the facilitated tucking group (Group 2), and 30 in the white noise + facilitated tucking group (Group 3). Pain scores of the newborns in all groups before, during, and after the procedure were evaluated by two nurses independent of each other using the neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS). Results: When the NIPS scores of the neonates during the heel-stick sampling procedure were compared, a significant difference was detected between the groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: The pain score of the group that was made to listen to white noise and had been placed in the facilitated tucking position during the application was significantly lower than in the other two groups.
Modelling non‐stationary extremes with application to surface level ozone

Summary. Statistical methods for modelling extremes of stationary sequences have received much attention. The most common method is to model the rate and size of exceedances of some high constant threshold; the size of exceedances is modelled by using a generalized Pareto distribution. Frequently, data sets display non‐stationarity; this is especially common in environmental applications. The ozone data set that is presented here is an example of such a data set. Surface level ozone levels display complex seasonal patterns and trends due to the mechanisms that are involved in ozone formation. The standard methods of modelling the extremes of a non‐stationary process focus on retaining a constant threshold but using covariate models in the rate and generalized Pareto distribution parameters. We suggest an alternative approach that uses preprocessing methods to model the non‐stationarity in the body of the process and then uses standard methods to model the extremes of the preprocessed data. We illustrate both the standard and the preprocessing methods by using a simulation study and a study of the ozone data. We suggest that the preprocessing method gives a model that better incorporates the underlying mechanisms that generate the process, produces a simpler and more efficient fit and allows easier computation.
Initial observations of thermal plasma composition and energetics from Dynamics Explorer‐1

Initial measurements of thermal ions (0 to 50 eV) at mid-latitudes by the Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer (RMS) on DE-1 are presented. These measurements show the plasmapause signature in H/sup +/, He/sup +/, and m/q = 2 ions, an enhancement or torus of O/sup +/ and O/sup + +/ in the outer plasmasphere and the suggestion of a disconnection between the ionosphere and the bulge region of the plasmasphere.
Model for the α→β1 phase transition in phthalocyanine thin films

The α→β1 phase transition induced by annealing free-base phthalocyanine thin films grown by organic molecular-beam deposition has been studied by powder x-ray diffraction, electronic absorption spectroscopy, and Nomarski interference microscopy. The final β1 phase consists of two domains having a different orientation relative to the substrate surface. Starting with the α phase, by careful control of the annealing temperature, a series of intermediate states are observed consisting of coexisting α and β1 phases. At the beginning of the phase transition, only one domain is observed with the β1 crystal phase aligned with the (001) plane parallel to the substrate. As the transition proceeds, however, the amount of the other domain having the (201) plane parallel to the substrate increases rapidly. A mechanism is proposed for the transition that can account for all the experimental results.
Efficacy and safety of praziquantel preventive chemotherapy in Schistosoma mansoni infected school children in Southern Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study

Background: The World Health Organization recommends efficacy and safety surveillance of anti-helminths used in mass drug administration campaigns. We evaluated the effectiveness of single-dose praziquantel against Schistosoma mansoni infection, and the safety of praziquantel plus albendazole preventive chemotherapy (PC) in Schistosoma mansoni infected school children (n = 512) in Southern Ethiopia. Method: Stool examinations were done using thick smear Kato-Katz at baseline, week-4, and week-8 of post-Mass drug administration (MDA) to assess praziquantel efficacy. Participants were followed for MDA-associated adverse events up to day 7 of post-MDA. The primary and secondary study outcomes were praziquantel efficacy (parasitological cure and egg reduction rates) and MDA-associated adverse events (AEs), respectively. Result: The overall cure rates at week-4 and week-8 were 89.1% (95%CI = 86.1–91.7) and 87.5% (95%CI = 83.6–90.8), respectively. Cure rates among moderate-to-heavily infected children were significantly lower (p = 0.001) compared to those with light infection at week-4 (84.4% vs. 91.1%, p = 0.03) and week-8 (78.6% vs. 91.9%, respectively). Older children had a higher cure rate than younger ones at week-8 (90.1% vs. 79.5%, p = 0.01). Among those who were Schistosoma egg-free (cured) at week 4, 7.8% became egg-positive at week 8. The overall egg reduction rate (ERR) at week-4 and week-8 were 93.5% and 91.3%, respectively, being lower among the 5–9 years old age groups (p = 0.01) at week-8. The proportion of children who remained schistosoma egg-positive throughout the study follow-up period was 4.6%, and their ERR at week-4 and week-8 was 50% and 51%, respectively, which is below the 90% World Health Organization threshold for efficacy. The incidence of experiencing at least one type of MDA-associated AEs were 17.0% (95%CI = 13.8%–20.5%); abdominal pain, headache, and vomiting were the most common. The proportion of mild, moderate, and severe AEs was 63.2%, 26.3%, and 10.5%, respectively. Females experienced more AEs than males (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Single-dose praziquantel is still effective for the treatment of intestinal schistosomiasis. Praziquantel and albendazole preventive chemotherapy is safe and tolerable, and associated AEs are mostly mild-to-moderate and transient. However, the reduced PZQ effectiveness in moderate-to-heavy infection and observed AEs in about one-fifth of infected children underscores the need for better treatment strategies and surveillance for early detection of parasite resistance and management of AEs.
The contribution of infaq funds to socio-economic resilience during COVID-19 pandemic: An Islamic economics insight from Indonesia

provides a new scientific treasure. That the infaq fund, as a philanthropy, turned out to be able to contribute to realising the social-economic resilience of the community during a disease outbreak. The form of health, financial and social assistance from infaq funds is a priority in accelerating the community’s economic recovery. It can be a countermeasure to socio-economic impacts during disasters and disease outbreaks.