Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of structural equation models to predict dengue illness Use of structural equation models to predict dengue illness how this document benefits you.

Background Early recognition of dengue, particularly patients at risk for plasma leakage, is important to clinical management. The objective of this study was to build predictive models for dengue, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) using structural equation modelling (SEM), a statistical method that evaluates mechanistic pathways. We performed SEM using data from 257 Thai children enrolled within 72 h of febrile illness onset, 156 with dengue and 101 with non-dengue febrile illnesses. Models for dengue, DHF, and DSS were developed based on data obtained three and one day(s) prior to fever resolution (fever days -3 and -1, respectively). Models were validated using data from 897 subjects who were not used for model development. Predictors for dengue and DSS included age, tourniquet test, aspartate aminotransferase, and white blood cell, % lymphocytes, and platelet counts. Predictors for DHF included age, aspartate Dengue virus infection is one of the most critical public health issues, particularly in tropi-cal and subtropical regions. This study developed statistical predictive models using the data obtained from 257 Thai children for dengue, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and dengue shock syndrome using structural equation modelling (SEM). We performed SEM based on clinical and laboratory factors on three and one day(s) prior to fever resolution. Our SEM models showed that age, tourniquet test, aspartate aminotransferase, and white blood cell, % lymphocytes, and platelet counts on three days prior to fever resolution were important risk factors for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Age, aspartate aminotransferase, hematocrit, tourniquet test, and white blood cell and platelet counts were important risk factors for dengue shock syndrome. Our predictive models showed good performances in the validation subjects (n = 897) who were not used for SEM, and thus we concluded that our predictive models can be practically used to guide clinical management of suspected dengue patients. Our study also showed that SEM can be used to predict the developments or severities of other illnesses.
Evaluation of horizontal stiffness of fibre‐reinforced elastomeric isolators

Unbonded fibre‐reinforced elastomeric isolator (U‐FREI) is relatively new seismic base isolator in which fibre layers are used as reinforcement to replace steel shims as are normally used in conventional isolators. Further, the top and bottom end steel connector plates of conventional isolators are also removed. In general, the horizontal response of U‐FREI is nonlinear because of reduction in contact area due to rollover deformation and reduction in shear modulus of isolator under large deformation. Thus, evaluation of horizontal stiffness of U‐FREI is a challenging problem. Most previous studies were focused on the investigation of horizontal response of scaled models of U‐FREIs with low shape factors. A few analytical approaches were suggested for predicting the horizontal response of U‐FREI; but their results were not in good agreement with experimental observations. In the present study, the horizontal responses of prototype U‐FREIs are evaluated under a constant vertical pressure and cyclic loading using both experiments and finite element analysis. Prototype U‐FREIs with different shear moduli and with different shape factors are considered. Finite element simulations of corresponding bonded FREIs are also performed under the same loadings as in U‐FREIs. A rational analytical approach including the influence of rollover deformation and simultaneous reduction in shear modulus is proposed as a basic analytical tool for predicting the horizontal stiffness of FREIs (both bonded and unbonded). It is in reasonably good agreement with the results obtained from experiments and numerical analysis. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Near real-time outage detection with spatio-temporal event correlation

This paper presents an innovative approach to outage detection and management using a big data stream processing system. The system, SINAPSE, enables customers to send power-related events in electricitypowered assets over the internet, correlates such events in space and time to detect grid outages, and provides realtime feedback to customers on known outages.
Photovoltaic solar thermal (PV/T) collectors past, present and future: A review

Every day more research is made in the field of solar energy specifically in hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors, which is a combination of both solar technologies. Researchers have targeted this system configuration because it has an improved overall efficiency, with a comparison to both photovoltaic (PV) and solar collectors, and it saves space using one area for two systems instead of using two zones. The majority of researchers presented new models/designs while others provide studies on pre-existing ones for different environmental conditions. However, it is important to review their work to find key ideas to consider for future works and to capture the limitations of research in this field. This paper presents principles of PV/T collectors, classification, history of research, major aspects in PV/T research and critical review of the presented review literature, as well as the PV aspect of the system. More focus in this study is directed towards the electrical side, in particular, the PV part of the system.
Device design factors for enhancing the functionality of chronic intracortical microelectrodes

Lee, Heui Chang Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2016. Device Design Factors for Enhancing The Functionality of Chronic Intracortical Microelectrodes. Major Professor: Kevin J. Otto. Intracortical microelectrodes are devices used in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) to help regain lost motor, sensory, and cognitive functions of individuals with neurological disorders. However, the long-term performance of microelectrode arrays is hampered by a series of inflammatory tissue responses. The consequence of the inflammatory response is the formation of a dense astroglial sheath around the vicinity of the electrode, impeding the electrical conduction between the electrode and neurons. Furthermore, due to the cascade of neuroinflammatory events, the number of neurons is significantly reduced near the electrode, manifested by decrease in signalto-noise ratio (SNR) and the yield of electrodes. Over time, these issues eventually lead to the functional failure of the implant. This study aims to investigate mechanical intervention strategies to mitigate the effect of the biological response and prolong the lifetime of the implanted microelectrodes. First, the longitudinal recording performance of a modified site geometry was evaluated. With planar silicon microelectrodes, sites placed on the edge outperformed the sites placed on the center, demonstrated by increased number of detectable single units with enhanced longevity. Second, the stress-strain induced biological response was studied using various flexible electrodes. Flexible electrodes indeed reduced the magnitude of the biological response than the traditional stiff silicon electrodes. Past a certain flexibility level, however, the biological response did not reduce over less soft electrodes, suggesting a flexibility threshold model. Finally, the biological response of electrodes dip-coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) was evaluated to resolve a
Healthcare workers' mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal analysis of interview and social media data

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the fractures of healthcare systems around the world, particularly in relation to the healthcare workforce. Frontline staff, in particular, have been exposed to unprecedented strain and delivering care during the pandemic has impacted their safety, mental health and wellbeing. The aim of this paper was to explore the experiences of HCWs delivering care in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand their wellbeing needs, experiences and strategies used to maintain wellbeing (at individual and organizational levels). We analysed 94 telephone interviews with HCWs and 2000 tweets about HCWs mental health taking place during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results were grouped under six themes: redeployment; wellbeing support and coping strategies; mental health effects; organisational support; social network and public support. These findings demonstrate a need for open conversations, where staff's wellbeing needs and strategies can be shared and encouraged, rather than implementing solely top-down psychological interventions. At the macro level, findings also highlighted the impact on HCWs' wellbeing of public and government support, as well as the need for ensuring protection through PPE, testing, and/or vaccines for frontline workers.
Vaccine stockpile sharing for selfish objectives

The COVAX program aims to provide global equitable access to life-saving vaccines. However, vaccine protectionism by wealthy nations has limited progress towards vaccine sharing goals. For example, as of April 2022 only ~20% of the population in Africa has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Here we use a two-nation coupled epidemic model to evaluate optimal vaccine-sharing policies given a selfish objective: in which countries with vaccine stockpiles aim to minimize fatalities in their own populations. Despite the selfish objective, we find it is often optimal for a donor nation to share a significant fraction of its vaccine stockpile. Mechanistically, sharing a vaccine stockpile reduces the intensity of outbreaks in the recipient nation, in turn reducing travel-associated incidence in the donor nation. This effect is intensified as vaccination rates decrease and epidemic coupling increases. Despite acting selfishly, vaccine sharing by a donor nation significantly reduces transmission and fatalities in the recipient nation. Moreover, we find that there are hybrid sharing policies that have a negligible effect on fatalities in the donor nation compared to the optimal policy while significantly reducing fatalities in the recipient nation. Altogether, these findings provide a rationale for nations with extensive vaccine stockpiles to share with other nations.
Alternative Factor Prescribing after Low-Dose Recombinant Factor VIIa Protocol in Cardiac Surgery

Background: Safety concerns exist with the off-label use of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa, Novoseven RT) for refractory bleeding in cardiac surgery, including increased risk of thromboembolism. A rFVIIa protocol was implemented in December 2015 to standardize rFVIIa for cardiac surgery related hemorrhage. Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational review of rFVIIa in adult cardiac surgery patients pre-protocol (January 2015 to November 2015) vs. post-protocol (December 2015 to March 2016). Study outcomes were rate of rFVIIa administration, rFVIIa dosing characteristics, length of stay, mortality, readmission rate, need for re-exploration, and rate of 4-factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrates (PCC; Kcentra) administration. Results: There was a significant reduction in percentage of cardiac surgery cases receiving rFVIIa pre- vs. post-protocol (14.3 vs. 5.2%, p=0.015). Average total dose per patient decreased between groups (81.4 vs. 56.6 mcg/kg, p=0.059). In-hospital mortality, length of stay, need for re-exploration, readmission rates and 30-day mortality did not differ. Although 4-four-factor PCC significantly increased post-protocol (2.5% vs. 8%, p=0.02), overall use of factor products, rFVIIa or 4-factor PCC, did not change between study periods (16.8% vs. 13%, p=0.416). Mean cost of either rFVIIa or 4-factor PCC pre-protocol was significantly higher than that post-protocol ($8,778 vs. $4,421, p=0.0008). Conclusions: The use of rFVIIa decreased after implementation of a rFVIIa protocol targeting 30 mcg/kg/dose without compromising morbidity or mortality outcomes. Four-factor PCC use significantly increased during the study, but the overall cost was reduced. Institutions wanting to implement a rFVIIa protocol should take careful measures to concurrently address off-label use of 4-factor PCC.
In Schizophrenia, the Effects of the IL-6/IL-23/Th17 Axis on Health-Related Quality of Life and Disabilities Are Partly Mediated by Generalized Cognitive Decline and the Symptomatome

Schizophrenia patients show increased disabilities and lower quality of life (DisQoL). Nevertheless, there is no data on whether, in schizophrenia, activation of the interleukin (IL)-6, IL-23, T helper (Th)-17 axis and lowered magnesium and calcium levels impact DisQoL scores. This study recruited 90 patients with schizophrenia (including 40 with deficit schizophrenia) and 40 healthy controls and assessed the World Health Association QoL instrument-Abbreviated version and Sheehan Disability scale, Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), IL-6, IL-23, IL-17, IL-21, IL-22, tumor necrosis factor (TNF); magnesium and calcium. Regression analyses showed that a large part of the first factor extracted from the physical, psychological, social and environmental HR-QoL and interference with school/work, social life, and home responsibilities was predicted by a generalized cognitive deterioration (G-CoDe) index (a latent vector extracted from BACs scores), and the first vector extracted from various symptom domains (symptomatome), whereas the biomarkers had no effects. Partial Least Squares analysis showed that the IL6IL23Th17 axis and magnesium/calcium had highly significant total (indirect + direct) effects on HR-QoL/disabilities which were mediated by G-CoDe and the symptomatome (a first factor extracted from negative and positive symptoms). The IL6IL23Th17 axis explained 63.1% of the variance in a single latent trait extracted from G-CoDe, symptomatome, HR-QoL and disability data. The latter features are manifestations of a common core, namely the behavioral-cognitive-psycho-social worsening index, which is caused by the neuroimmunotoxic effects of the IL6IL23Th17 axis in subjects with lowered antioxidant defenses (magnesium and calcium) thereby producing damage to neuronal circuits underpinning deficit schizophrenia.
Pre-morbid use of proton pump inhibitors has no effect on the risk of death or hospitalization in COVID-19 patients: a matched cohort study

Background. Several studies assessed the effect of pre-morbid exposure to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on disease course in adult COVID-19 patients with somewhat inconsistent results. Methods. This population-based matched cohort study embraced first COVID-19 episodes in adults diagnosed up to August 15 2021 in Croatia. Considering over-the-counter (OTC) availability of PPIs, patients were classified based on exposure to PPIs and burden of PPI-requiring conditions as "non-users" (no issued prescriptions, no recorded treatment-requiring conditions between January 1 2019 and COVID-19 diagnosis), "possible users" (no issued prescriptions, recorded treatment-requiring conditions; OTC use possible) and "users" (different intensity of issued prescriptions over 12 months prior to diagnosis, at least one within 3 months). Subsets were mutually exactly matched in respect to a range of pre-COVID-19 characteristics. The contrast between "users" and "possible users" was considered the most informative for the effect of PPIs that is separate of the effect of PPI-requiring conditions. Results. Among 433609 COVID-19 patients, 332389 were PPI "non-users", 18170 were "possible users", and 55098 were "users". Users and possible users were matched 41195 to 17334 and 33272 to 16434 in the primary and sensitivity analyses. There was no relevant difference between "users" and "possible users" regarding COVID-19-related mortality [RR=0.93 (95%CI 0.85-1.02; RD= -0.34% (-0.73, 0.03) in primary and RR=0.88 (0.78-0.98); RD=-0.45 (-0.80, -0.11) in sensitivity analysis] or COVID-19-related hospitalizations [RR=1.04 (0.97-1.13); RD=0.29% (-0.16, 0.73) in primary and RR=1.05 (0.97-1.15); RD=0.32% (-0.12, 0.75) in sensitivity analysis]. Conclusions. Pre-morbid exposure to PPIs does not affect the risk of death or hospitalization in adult COVID-19 patients.
Air quality measured in a classroom served by roof mounted natural ventilation windcatchers

This study examines air quality measured in two classrooms in a UK school, which uses two different forms of natural ventilation, over an eight month period. The first classroom is an internal room that contains a top-down natural ventilation system known as a “Windcatcher”. The room also has a separate mechanical extract fan. The second classroom is ventilated using windows and doors that open to the outside. This study focuses on measuring the performance of a Windcatcher and reviews its potential to replace ventilation provided by conventional windows. Potential benefits of Windcatchers include the ability to provide night cooling without posing a security risks, and daytime ventilation without relying upon opening windows. The study will examine Windcatcher performance in terms of air quality delivered in the first room, and then compare results with measurements obtained for a room that uses conventional opening windows. The study will also review the effectiveness of Windcatchers in meeting the regulatory standards for naturally ventilated classrooms, as set out by the UK Government. The air quality measurements reported demonstrate that the classroom utilising a Windcatcher was able to meet the UK Government standards for carbon dioxide and temperature, while the classroom relying solely on windows failed to meet the carbon dioxide requirements. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that Windcatchers provide significant night cooling and increase air exchange rates. Windcatchers do, therefore, have a significant role to play in meeting ventilation requirements in schools.
Impact of recycling on the feedstock sustainability of waste to energy plant in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian government proposed to construct Waste to Energy (WtE) plant to solve the waste management problem in Kuala Lumpur. Recent implementation of compulsory separation at source (SAS) program might disrupt the sustainability of the waste supply. Sufficient feed rate of waste is required to achieve the designated temperature and autothermic combustion. Results of the study showed that, the annual average daily generation rate was reduced by 105 tonnes/day or 5.5% after the implementation of separation at source program. The estimated maximum recycling rate from the program was 13.8%. The annual average daily collection of recyclable materials was only about 1.3 tonnes/day, which might be due to illegal collection by recycling vendors, poor enforcement by the authority and selling of the recyclable materials by residents directly to vendors. 3 regression models were proposed to describe the overall correlation behaviour between waste generation and population density. The waste generation rate was forecasted to be in increasing trend after 2018 and reach 3072 tonnes/day or 1.4 kg/capita/day in 2043. Thus, the waste supply was expected to be sustainable even after the program implementation.
The combination of RPLC-ESI-FTMS/MS and m-CPBA epoxidation for the location and geometry assignment of double bonds in unsaturated fatty acyl chains of drying oils

Oil painting is the process of painting with drying oils as binders. Such oils mainly consist of triacylglycerols characterized by high levels of unsaturated fatty acyl chains. For instance, poppy seed oils have received much attention for their use as oil paints since very ancient time. Upon exposure to oxygen, not only do drying oils harden to a densely cross-linked polymer network through radical reactions, but their fatty acids also interact with cations of some pigments forming the related carboxylate salts. These so-called metal soaps lead to severe degradation phenomena because they can migrate and aggregate, breaking through the surface of the paint. Since the fatty-acidome of a drying oil is involved in these processes, the current study is chiefly devoted to the identification of both free and total fatty acids in poppy seed oil by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry by an electrospray ionization source (RPLC-ESI-FTMS). Total fatty acids (TFA) were investigated by enzymatic hydrolysis and comparisons were made between the free fatty acid (FFA) profile and the total one resulting from the digestion on the same poppy seed oil. A key component of our approach was the double bond (C=C) epoxidation reaction, which was carried out on unsaturated fatty acids by meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA). A chromatographic set up was developed to separate such oxidized lipids, that were identified as deprotonated molecules [epoM-H]− by accurate mass matching in full mass spectra. Their epoxide ring was subsequently cleaved upon tandem mass fragmentation to yield a pair of diagnostic product ions for C=C double bond localization. Interestingly, the double bond geometry (i.e., cis/trans) was also assigned based on the retention times of derivatized-FA. The present approach opens new avenues for the analysis of artworks whether affected by metal soap-related degradation phenomena.
mRNA stem-loops can pause the ribosome by hindering A-site mRNA stem-loops can pause the ribosome by hindering A-site tRNA binding [preprint] tRNA binding [preprint] us know how access to this document benefits you.

Although the elongating ribosome is an efficient helicase, certain mRNA stem-loop structures are known to impede ribosome movement along mRNA and stimulate programmed ribosome frameshifting via mechanisms that are not well understood. Using biochemical and single-molecule Förster resonance energy experiments, we studied how frameshift-inducing stem-loops from E. coli dnaX mRNA and the gag-pol transcript of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) perturb translation elongation. We find that upon encountering the ribosome, the stem-loops strongly inhibit A-site tRNA binding and ribosome intersubunit rotation that accompanies translation elongation. Electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) reveals that the HIV stem-loop docks into the A site of the ribosome. Our results suggest that mRNA stem-loops can transiently escape ribosome helicase by binding to the A site. Thus, the stem-loops can modulate gene expression by sterically hindering tRNA binding and inhibiting translation elongation.
User acceptance barriers for warehouse environment mobile wireless technology

Author: Wang, Anran. MS Institution: Purdue University Degree Received: December 2016 Title: User Acceptance Barrier for Warehouse Environment Mobile Wireless Technology Major Professor: Kathryne Newton This research adopted Technology Acceptance Model 2 to investigate users’ acceptance barriers for mobile wireless technologies such as RFID, bar-code scanners and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) in warehouse environments in Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana. Through survey data collections from two companies that met the research requirement and through statistical analysis of the data, the researcher found answers to the research questions. System functionality is the most important factor in determining the users’ intention to use. System failure would be the biggest acceptance barrier. Secondly, it is critical for companies to establish and strengthen the link between job relevance and the mobile wireless technology, especially at an early adoption phase. The ability to understand system output and receive encouragement and support from leadership would also help the users to accept mobile wireless technology.