Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Saudi Initiative for Asthma - 2021 Update: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma 2021 (SINA-2021) is the fifth version of asthma guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma for adults and children, which is developed by the SINA group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of the SINA is to have guidelines that are up to date, simple to understand, and easy to use by healthcare workers dealing with asthma patients. To facilitate achieving the goals of asthma management, the SINA panel approach is mainly based on the assessment of symptom control and risk for both adults and children. The approach to asthma management is aligned for age groups: adults, adolescents, children aged 5–12 years, and children aged less than 5 years. SINA guidelines have focused more on personalized approaches reflecting better understanding of disease heterogeneity with the integration of recommendations related to biologic agents, evidence-based updates on treatment, and the role of immunotherapy in management. Medication appendix has also been updated with the addition of recent evidence, new indications for existing medication, and new medications. The guidelines are constructed based on the available evidence, local literature, and the current situation at national and regional levels. There is also an emphasis on patient–doctor partnership in the management that also includes a self-management plan.
Decoding the neonatal chest radiograph: An insight into neonatal respiratory distress

Abstract Respiratory distress is one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Factors such as gestational age at birth, pulmonary maturity, and congenital factors are peculiar to this demographic. Clinical evaluation accompanied by chest radiography is the standard protocol for evaluating the underlying causative factors. Knowledge of the radiographic appearances of various pathologies and associations with certain congenital factors is quintessential for radiologists and primary neonatal care providers to steer the management in the right direction.
Should serial monitoring of procalcitonin be done routinely in critically ill patients of ICU: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with dysregulated host response to infection. It is a major determinant of mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). Procalcitonin (PCT) is widely investigated for prognosis in patients with sepsis. Most of the studies have cited that elevated PCT concentrations and PCT non-clearance are associated with poor outcomes in patients with sepsis and some studies have cited as having no additional benefit. Most of the studies have evaluated single PCT measurement and correlated with prognosis and outcome in septic patients. Limited literature is there about serial PCT levels and its impact on the outcome of patients with sepsis. We searched literature through PubMed, Embase, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Library from 2007 to 2017 and present a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the utility of serial measurement of PCT for prognosis in critically ill patients. Articles that assessed PCT non-clearance as a marker of mortality data were included. The primary objective of this meta-analysis was to pool the results of all the available studies on serial PCT non-clearance as a mortality predictor and formulate overall area under receiver operating curve (AUROC). To find out the overall proportion of mortality in PCT non-clearance was our secondary objective. To detect the mortality using PCT non-clearance, ROC curve analysis was done. Area under curve (AUC) of the studies was varying between 0.52 and 0.86. Overall AUC was observed 0.711 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.662–0.760) under fixed effect model and 0.708 (95% CI: 0.648–0.769) under random effect model. There was moderate variation among the studies, i.e., I2 50.80% (95% CI: 0.00–80.42%). The overall proportion of mortality was 37.54% with much heterogeneity (I2 88.24%) among the studies. PCT non-clearance is a fair predictor of mortality. Further studies are needed to define optimal cut off point for PCT non-clearance in ICU patients with sepsis.
Diagnostic yield of electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy: A safety net community-based hospital experience in the United States

INTRODUCTION: Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) is an excellent tool to diagnose peripheral pulmonary nodules, especially in the setting of emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis. However, most of these procedures are done by interventional pulmonologists and academic tertiary centers under general anesthesia. Studies evaluating the diagnostic utility of this tool in safety-net community hospitals by pulmonologists not formally trained in this technology are lacking. The objective was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of ENB done in such a setting and its associated complications. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of consecutive ENB procedures over 5 years from 2014, since its inception in our institution-a safety-net community based hospital was performed. Multiple variables were analyzed to assess their impact on diagnostic yields. RESULTS: After exclusion criteria were applied, 72 patients with 76 procedures were eventually included within our study, with an overall 1-year diagnostic yield of 80.2%. Sensitivity for malignancy was 73% and negative predictive value of 65%. Primary lung cancer was the most common diagnosis obtained, followed by tuberculosis (TB). The overall complication rates were low, with only 1 patient (1.3%) requiring hospitalization due to pneumothorax needing tube thoracostomy. No deaths or respiratory failures were noted within the cohort. The only significant variable affecting diagnostic yield was forced expiratory volume in 1 s. The presence of emphysema did not affect diagnostic yield. CONCLUSIONS: ENB is safe and feasible with a high diagnostic success rate even when performed by pulmonologists not formally trained in interventional pulmonology in low resource settings under moderate sedation.
Melody valve to replace the mitral valve in small children: Lessons learned

Objective: Infants requiring mitral valve replacement have few viable options. Recently, stented bovine jugular vein graft (Melody) has been surgically implanted in such cases. Herein, we report our experience, elaborating on evolution of implantation technique, pitfalls, as well as long-term outcome (including late dilatability). Methods: Seven Melody valves were implanted (2013–2019). The median patient age and weight were 6.7 (1.8–30.5) months and 5.8 (4.6–9.5) kg, respectively. The indications for implantation were mitral stenosis and/or regurgitation postatrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) repair (5), congenital mitral valve dysplasia (1), and Shone's complex (1). Operative technique involved shortening the valve and creating a neo-sewing ring at 2/3 (atrial)–1/3 (ventricular) junction. Implantation was followed by intraoperative balloon dilatation. Results: Five out of seven patients survived the perioperative period (one death due to technical failure and the other due to acute respiratory distress syndrome postcardiopulmonary bypass). Two out of five medium-term survivors got transplanted (1) or died due to acute myeloid leukemia (1). No valves were replaced. The mean echo gradient at discharge was a median 4 (2–6) mmHg. None of the patients showed left ventricular outflow tract or pulmonary venous obstruction. Two Melody valves were dilated late (5 months and 3 years postoperatively), resulting in decreasing mean gradients from 6 to 1 and from 17 to 4 mmHg. At last follow-up, surviving Melody had a mean gradient of 4 (1–9) mmHg. Conclusions: Mitral valve replacement with a Melody valve is feasible in infants, is reproducible, shows good immediate results, and offers the possibility of later dilatation. This technique offers a better solution compared to the existing alternatives for infants requiring a prosthetic mitral valve.
AGGREGATION DEPENDENT ABSORPTION REDUCTION OF INDOCYANINE GREEN

Indocyanine green in water and in aqueous NaCl solutions forms large J-aggregate globules. With rising aggregate size the apparent absorption cross section per molecule decreases because of specific surface reduction of the aggregates. A theoretical description of the absorption behavior is given for dense spheres, loosely packed spheres (globules), straight chains, and coiled chains. The volume fill factor of the globules is determined from the absorption reduction measurements using the degree of aggregation from Mie scattering experiments described elsewhere.
Toughening of photo-curable polymer networks: a review

Photo-curable resins based on multifunctional acrylate monomers are commonly applied as thin films (e.g. protective coatings, printing inks, etc.) and in recent years are also used for the fabrication of bulk objects such as dental fillings and 3D-printed parts. While rapid curing and good spatial resolution are advantages to these systems, brittleness and poor impact resistance due to inhomogeneous polymer architecture and high crosslink density are serious drawbacks. By comparison, epoxy thermoset resins suffered many years ago from similar problems, but since then are found in ever demanding applications thanks to a variety of approaches to increase polymer toughness. Based on these successes, researchers have tried to translate strategies for toughening epoxy resins to photopolymer networks. Therefore, this review surveys relevant scientific papers and patents on the development of crosslinked epoxy-based polymers and also photo-curable polymers based on multifunctional acrylates with improved toughness. Strategies developed to reduce brittleness include working with monomers, which intrinsically give tougher polymers, particulate additives, and alternate forms of polymerization and polymer architecture (e.g., dual-cure networks, interpenetrating networks, thiol–ene chemistry). All of these strategies have advantages and yet application specific rigours must also be considered before and during formulation development.
Structural Study of Maya Blue: Textural, Thermal and Solid-State Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Characterization of the Palygorskite-Indigo and Sepiolite-Indigo Adducts

Palygorskite-indigo and sepiolite-indigo adducts (2 wt.% indigo) were prepared by crushing the two compounds together in a mortar and heating the resulting mixtures at 150 and 120°C, respectively, for 20 h. The samples were tested chemically to ensure that they displayed the characteristic properties of Maya Blue. Textural analysis revealed that no apparent changes in microporosity occurred in sepiolite or palygorskite after thermal treatment at 120°C (sepiolite) and 150°C (palygorskite) for 20 h. Micropore measurements showed a loss of microporosity in both sepiolite and palygorskite after reaction with indigo. The TGA-DTG curves of the sepiolite-indigo and palygorskite-indigo adducts were similar to their pure clay mineral counterparts except for an additional weight loss at ∼360°C due to indigo.The 29Si CP/MAS-NMR spectrum of the heated sepiolite-indigo adduct is very reminiscent of the spectrum of dehydrated sepiolite. Crushing indigo and sepiolite together initiates a complexation, clearly seen in the 13C CP/MAS-NMR spectrum, which can be driven to completion by heat application. In contrast to the broad peaks of the pure indigo 13C CP/MAS-NMR spectrum, the sepiolite-indigo adduct spectrum consists of a well-defined series of six narrow peaks in the 120.0–125.0 ppm range. In addition, the sepiolite-indigo spectrum has two narrow, shifted peaks corresponding to the carbonyl group and the C-7 (C-16) of indigo. A model is proposed in which indigo molecules are rigidly fixed to the clay mineral surface through hydrogen bonds with edge silanol groups, and these molecules act to block the nano-tunnel entrances.
HARDMETALS AND CERMETS

Hardmetals or cemented carbides (sometimes less accurately called sin­ tered carbides) are composite materials with one or more hard but rela­ tively brittle components and a ductile binder metal that imparts a certain degree of toughness to the composite material without impairing the high hardness of the carbide components. This unusual combination of the useful properties of otherwise quite different components led to nearly instantaneous technical acceptance of these materials immediately after their discovery (1). The first patents were issued around 1923 to the German company "Osram Studiengesellschaft"; today there are innumerable patents cover­ ing inventions related to hardmetals. The first hardmetals were marketed by F. Krupp in 1927 under the name "Widia" (from "wie Diamant" = like diamond) and were used primarily for wire drawing dies and wear resistant materials. For metal cutting applications the early hardmetals did not perform much better than conventional high-speed steels. Only after the introduction of titanium carbide (TiC) as a further additive to the basic tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) composition could a breakthrough in metal cutting technology be achieved (2). Today more than 80% of the total production of hardmetals is used for metal cutting purposes. It is worth mentioning that even today, after sixty-five years of research and development, the majority of hardmetals still consists of tungsten carbide plus various other carbide additions with cobalt as the binder, similar to those compositions claimed and protected by the very first patents. However, the physical reasons why the basic ingredients-WC and Co­ do outperform all other combinations of transition metal carbides with binder metals or alloys are still not entirely clear. Only recently has a class of hardmetals without tungsten carbide as a
Novel 3,6-unsymmetrically disubstituted-1,2,4,5-tetrazines: S-induced one-pot synthesis, properties and theoretical study

18 unprecedented tetrazines unsymmetrically substituted at C3 and C6 by an aromatic heterocycle have been successfully prepared by the S-induced reaction of aromatic nitriles with hydrazine hydrate under thermal conditions. The spectral property investigation suggests that compounds 4d, 4e, 4f, 4p, 4q, 4r, and 4v can display intense fluorescence in the visible region, and their fluorescent properties are affected by the substituents both in tetrazine and in phenyl rings. Moreover, the electrochemical behaviors of these synthesized tetrazines are demonstrated to be fully reversible. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations for these compounds were performed to investigate their optimized structures, Fukui function and reactivity or selectivity in the inverse electron demand Diels–Alder reaction.
Liposome as dispersing agent into disperse dye formulation

Disperse dyes are very hydrophobic molecules which are usually milled in the presence of large amounts of dispersing agents (synthetic surfactants) in their commercial form. In this study the synthetic surfactants are substituted by phosphatidylcholine liposomes in the dye preparation, in order to use natural and biological surfactants. The turbidity ratio was calculated to assess the dispersion behavior of different liposome-dispersed dye preparations compared with commercial dye forms. Results indicate that liposomic preparations diminish the aggregation of dye molecules that normally occurs at high temperatures. Our findings demonstrated the potential efficacy of liposomes as natural surfactants which can be applied to disperse dye formulations to dye polyester fibers with good dye exhaustion and washing fastness. This environmentally friendly biological surfactant, phosphatidylcholine, duly structured as liposomes, can substitute high amounts of synthetic dispersing agents in disperse dye formulations.
Migrations or local interactions? Spheres of interaction in third-millennium BC Central Europe

Abstract Increasing scholarly interest in past human mobility has provoked intense debate between archaeologists and archaeogeneticists. Explanations advanced by the latter have been criticised for framing explanations in terms of large-scale migrations, lacking underpinning social theory or interest in human behaviour; conversely, archaeologists have been criticised for supplying samples but no intellectual input. This article uses examples of ceramics and chipped stone tools to illustrate local interactions within regional Eneolithic Corded Ware culture in Moravia, demonstrating that what may appear as a homogeneous archaeological culture spread by mass migration can be understood as a more complex series of overlapping, local cultural changes.
An Innovative Approach to Estimate Bioavailable Phosphorus in Agricultural Runoff Using Iron Oxide‐Impregnated Paper

The transport of bioavailable phosphorus (BAP) in agricultural runoff can accelerate the eutrophication of receiving water bodies. Bioavailable P is comprised of dissolved P (DP) and bioavailable particulate phosphorus (BPP). Although several algal assays and chemical extractions have been proposed to estimate BAP, procedural and theoretical limitations have restricted their widespread use. This study evaluates the use of Fe oxide-impregnated paper strips (Fe-oxide strips) to estimate the potential BAP content of runoff from 20 agricultural watersheds in the Southern Plains during 1988 to 1990. In the proposed method, BAP and DP are determined by shaking 50 mL of unfiltered or filtered runoff, respectively, with one Fe-oxide strip for 16 h
INTRODUCING IZAPA

Abstract This paper introduces the articles that comprise this Special Issue on Izapa. First, we review early reporting and assessments of Izapa's monuments as well as archaeological investigations undertaken at the site during the twentieth century. Next, we describe more recent developments in interpretation and new archeological excavations and survey data collected during the past two decades. The papers in this Special Issue present new information that contribute to our evolving understanding of Izapa during the millennium that stretches from the Middle Formative period through the Middle Classic period (700 b.c.–a.d. 600). They serve as a status report on our understanding of the still largely enigmatic ancient kingdom, its regional structure, and connections to contemporaneous Isthmian sites.
THE INFLUENCE OF MATERIAL BREAKAGE PROPERTIES AND ASSOCIATED SLURRY RHEOLOGY ON BREAKAGE RATES IN THE WET GRINDING OF COAL/ORES IN TUMBLING MEDIA MILLS

ABSTRACT Recent work has shown that wet grinding rates of minerals and coals in tumbling media mills is strongly influenced by the type of slurry rheology condition present in the mills. A number of factors such as percent solids, particle size, temperature, and the use of chemicals have been identified as having consistent and predictable influence on rheology, hence on grinding performance. This paper particularly addresses another rheology related factor influencing grinding rates; the nature in which different materials inherently break in tumbling media mills.
Doses de gesso em cafeeiro: influência nos teores de cálcio, magnésio, potássio e ph na solução de um latossolo vermelho distrófico

Unbalanced amounts of Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+ in soils as a consequence of high gypsum applications can be due to the relationship in size (ionic radius) and charge density (charge/ionic radius) of each ionic species. The higher the ionic strength, the stronger is the bonding of these cations with the opposite charge ions such as OH-, SO4-2. Thus, excessive gypsum applications, disregarding the charge balance of the soil colloidal system, the ionic balance of the solution, and the CEC, can result in significant leaching of these nutrients throughout the soil profile. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of high gypsum rates (0, 7, and 56 t ha-1) on the pH and Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ contents in aqueous soil extracts of a dystrophic Red Latosol with coffee. The soil was sampled in the coffee rows in the following depths: 0.15-0.25; 0.35-0.45; 0.75-0.85; 1.15-1.25, and 2.35-2.45 m, 16 months after gypsum application. The experiment consisted of four treatments: G-0 - 2 t ha-1 of gypsum was applied in total area during soil preparation, with brachiaria between coffee rows; G-7 - same as in G-0 plus 7.0 t ha-1 of gypsum applied to the coffee rows; G-56 - same as in G-0 plus 56 t ha-1 of gypsum applied to the coffee rows; and CV-7 - same as in G-7 but without brachiaria between the coffee rows. The experiments were conducted in triplicate, in a randomized block design. After 16 months, there was a reduction of the pH of the soil solution in the layers 0.15-0.25, 0.35-0.45, and 0.75-0.85 m. Gypsum improved the root environment in deeper layers, increasing Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations in the soil solution, but reduced K+ below 0.85 m. The amounts of exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ found in the soil solution were above the critical level while exchangeable K+ was within the range indicated for the crop.
Molecular understanding of dynamical properties of the vapor/ethanol-aqueous-solution interface

The variation of dynamical properties of the vapor/ethanol-aqueous-solution interface with excess adsorption of ethanol is investigated by a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Five independent NVT (T = 298.15 K) constant MD runs were performed, where a slab of ethanol-aqueous-solution with ethanol mole fraction of 0.0052, 0.012, 0.024, 0.057 and 0.12, respectively, reached an equilibrium state of adsorption. The positional dependence of molecular self-diffusivity was evaluated by profiles of the self-diffusion coefficient of ethanol and water along the axis normal to the interface. The profile of the ethanol self-diffusion coefficient showed local extrema at the interface, the degree of which is weakened with increase of . Lateral self-diffusivity of an adsorbed ethanol molecule was also evaluated by the two-dimensional (2D) self-diffusion coefficient at the interface, which is a monotonically decreasing function of ethanol excess adsorption. Moreover, the desorption probability of an adsorbed ethanol molecule was estimated, which monotonically increases with ethanol excess adsorption. The molecular origin of the variation of these dynamical properties was explained by correlating them with the profile of the free energy change.
Kinetics and mechanism of formation of quantum-sized cadmium sulphide particles in water–aerosol-OT–oil microemulsions

Quantum-sized cadmium sulphide particles have been prepared in water-in-oil microemulsions stabilised by Aerosol-OT. The equilibrium particle size has been varied by changing the droplet size of the parent microemulsion in which the particles are prepared. The UV–VIS spectrum of such particles is sensitive to particle size and hence the kinetics of particle growth can be readily followed using UV–VIS spectrophotometric detection. Using the stopped-flow method, particle growth has been monitored at 280 nm as a function of droplet size, temperature and the nature of the oil phase. The rates are consistent with inter-droplet exchange of solubilizates being the rate-determining step. The apparent activation enthalpies calculated for the growth process agree well with those previously found for the exchange of small ions between microemulsion droplets. To interpret the kinetics, a relatively simple model is proposed based on the rapid coagulation mechanism first proposed by Smoluchowski. In the treatment the usual diffusion-controlled rate constant is replaced with the rate constant for inter-droplet communication.
Direct current bias as an ion current monitor in the transformer coupled plasma etcher

Independent of plasma generation, ion energy can be controlled by applying rf power to a substrate in the transformer coupled plasma etcher. Due to high plasma density of the plasma source, most of rf power to the substrate is confined within the sheath region and used in accelerating ions. This enables development of a simple equation correlating dc bias and ion current density. Based on this equation, ion current densities for different plasma conditions have been measured. The results show good agreement with Langmuir probe measurements.