Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence of LADA and Type 2 Diabetes in Relation to Tobacco Use and Genetic Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes and Related Traits: Findings From a Swedish Case-Control Study and the Norwegian HUNT Study

OBJECTIVE Smoking and Swedish smokeless tobacco (snus) are associated with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Our aim was to investigate whether genetic susceptibility to T2D, insulin resistance (IR), and insulin secretion (IS) aggravate these associations. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used data from two population-based Scandinavian studies with case subjects with LADA (n = 839) and T2D (n = 5,771), matched control subjects (n = 3,068), and 1,696,503 person-years at risk. Pooled, multivariate relative risks (RR) with 95% CI were estimated for smoking/genetic risk scores (T2D-GRS, IS-GRS, and IR-GRS), and ORs for snus or tobacco/GRS (case-control data). We estimated additive (proportion attributable to interaction [AP]) and multiplicative interaction between tobacco use and GRS. RESULTS The RR of LADA was elevated in high IR-GRS heavy smokers (≥15 pack-years; RR 2.01 [CI 1.30, 3.10]) and tobacco users (≥15 box/pack-years; RR 2.59 [CI 1.54, 4.35]) compared with low IR-GRS individuals without heavy use, with evidence of additive (AP 0.67 [CI 0.46, 0.89]; AP 0.52 [CI 0.21, 0.83]) and multiplicative (P = 0.003; P = 0.034) interaction. In heavy users, there was additive interaction between T2D-GRS and smoking, snus, and total tobacco use. The excess risk conferred by tobacco use did not differ across GRS categories in T2D. CONCLUSIONS Tobacco use may confer a higher risk of LADA in individuals with genetic susceptibility to T2D and insulin resistance, whereas genetic susceptibility does not seem to influence the increased T2D incidence associated with tobacco use.
Serial Interval and Incubation Period Estimates of Monkeypox Virus Infection in 12 Jurisdictions, United States, May–August 2022

Using data from 12 US health departments, we estimated mean serial interval for monkeypox virus infection to be 8.5 (95% credible interval 7.3–9.9) days for symptom onset, based on 57 case pairs. Mean estimated incubation period was 5.6 (95% credible interval 4.3–7.8) days for symptom onset, based on 35 case pairs.
Influence of sex in alcohol‐related liver disease: Pre‐clinical and clinical settings

Abstract Alcohol‐related liver disease (ArLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease globally. Traditionally, ArLD was mostly a concern in men rather than in women; however, such a sex gap is rapidly narrowing due to increasing chronic alcohol consumption among women. Female sex is more vulnerable to the harmful effects of alcohol with a higher risk of progression to cirrhosis and development of associated complications. The relative risk of cirrhosis and liver‐related mortality is significantly higher in women than in men. Our review endeavors to summarize the current knowledge on sex differences in alcohol metabolism, pathogenesis of ArLD, disease progression, indication for liver transplant and pharmacological treatments of ArLD, and provide evidence in support of a sex‐specific management of these patients.
Maintaining a ‘fit’ immune system: the role of vaccines

ABSTRACT Introduction Conventionally, vaccines are thought to induce a specific immune response directed against a target pathogen. Long recognized but poorly understood nonspecific benefits of vaccination, such as reduced susceptibility to unrelated diseases or cancer, are now being investigated and may be due in part to “trained immunity’. Areas covered We discuss ‘trained immunity’ and whether vaccine-induced ‘trained immunity’ could be leveraged to prevent morbidity due to a broader range of causes. Expert opinion The prevention of infection i.e. maintaining homeostasis by preventing the primary infection and resulting secondary illnesses, is the pivotal strategy used to direct vaccine design and may have long-term, positive impacts on health at all ages. In the future, we anticipate that vaccine design will change to not only prevent the target infection (or related infections) but to generate positive modifications to the immune response that could prevent a wider range of infections and potentially reduce the impact of immunological changes associated with aging. Despite changing demographics, adult vaccination has not always been prioritized. However, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has demonstrated that adult vaccination can flourish given the right circumstances, demonstrating that harnessing the potential benefits of life-course vaccination is achievable for all. Graphical Abstract
X-ray absorption in Seyfert 2 galaxies

We have studied the correlation among X-ray absorption, optical reddening and nuclear dust morphology in Seyfert 2 galaxies. Two main conclusions emerge: (i) the Balmer decrement and the amount of X-ray absorption are anticorrelated over a wide range of column density, – the correlation no longer applies to Compton-thick objects , although they span a comparable range in Balmer decrement; (ii) Compton-thin Seyfert 2s seem to prefer nuclear environments, which are rich in dust on scales of hundreds of parsecs. On the other hand, Compton-thick Seyferts indifferently exhibit ‘dust-poor’ and ‘dust-rich’ environments. These results support an extension of the Seyfert unification scenario (as recently proposed by Matt), where Compton-thick Seyfert 2s are observed through compact ‘torii’, whereas Compton-thin ones are obscured by dust on much larger scales.
Expressions of moral disgust reflect both disgust and anger

ABSTRACT People often appear to conflate anger and disgust, seemingly using expressions of both emotions interchangeably in response to moral violations. Yet, anger and moral disgust differ in their antecedents and consequences. These empirical observations are associated with two broad theoretical perspectives: one describes expressions of moral disgust as metaphors for anger, whereas the other describes moral disgust as functionally distinct from anger. Both accounts have received empirical support from separate and seemingly inconsistent literatures. The present study seeks to resolve this inconsistency by focusing on the different ways moral emotions have been measured. We formalise three theoretical models of moral emotions: one in which expressions of disgust are purely associated with anger (but not physiological disgust), one in which disgust and anger are fully separated and have distinct functions, and an integrative model that accommodates both metaphorical use in language and distinctive function. We test these models on responses to moral violations (four studies; N = 1608). Our results suggest that moral disgust has distinct functions, but that expressions of moral disgust are sometimes used to convey moralistic anger. These findings have implications for the theoretical status and measurement of moral emotions.
Receptivity to free-stream vorticity of flow past a flat plate with elliptic leading edge

Receptivity of the two-dimensional boundary layer on a flat plate with elliptic leading edge is studied by numerical simulation. Vortical perturbations in the oncoming free stream are considered, impinging on two leading edges with different aspect ratio to identify the effect of bluntness. The relevance of the three vorticity components of natural free-stream turbulence is illuminated by considering axial, vertical and spanwise vorticity separately at different angular frequencies. The boundary layer is most receptive to zero-frequency axial vorticity, triggering a streaky pattern of alternating positive and negative streamwise disturbance velocity. This is in line with earlier numerical studies on non-modal growth of elongated structures in the Blasius boundary layer. We find that the effect of leading-edge bluntness is insignificant for axial free-stream vortices alone. On the other hand, vertical free-stream vorticity is also able to excite non-modal instability in particular at zero and low frequencies. This mechanism relies on the generation of streamwise vorticity through stretching and tilting of the vertical vortex columns at the leading edge and is significantly stronger when the leading edge is blunt. It can thus be concluded that the non-modal boundary-layer response to a free-stream turbulence field with three-dimensional vorticity is enhanced in the presence of a blunt leading edge. At high frequencies of the disturbances the boundary layer becomes receptive to spanwise free-stream vorticity, triggering Tollmien–Schlichting (T-S) modes and receptivity increases with leading-edge bluntness. The receptivity coefficients to free-stream vortices are found to be about 15% of those to sound waves reported in the literature. For the boundary layers and free-stream perturbations considered, the amplitude of the T-S waves remains small compared with the low-frequency streak amplitudes.
Improving the mental health and well-being of healthcare providers using the transcendental meditation technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: A parallel population study

Introduction Frontline Healthcare provider (HCP) burnout has dramatically increased due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Hospitals are supporting wellness programs and techniques to reduce burnout including the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique. This study evaluated the use of TM on HCP symptoms of stress, burnout and wellness. Methods A total of 65 HCPs at three South Florida hospitals were recruited and instructed in the TM technique which they practiced at home for 20 minutes twice a day. A parallel lifestyle as usual control group was enrolled. Validated measurement scales (Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey [MBI-HSS (MP)] and the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale (WEMWBS) were administered at baseline, 2 weeks, one and three months. Results No significant demographic differences were seen between the 2 groups; however, some baseline scales were higher in the TM group. TM average weekly session completion rate was very high at 83%. After 2-weeks, symptoms of somatization, depression, and anxiety in the TM group had all shown near 45% reductions, while insomnia, emotional exhaustion, and well-being had improved by 33%, 16%, and 11% respectively (P = 0.02 for somatization and < .001 for all others); no significant change was noted in the LAU group. At 3-months, in the TM group, the improvement in symptoms showed a mean reduction of in anxiety, 62%, somatization, 58%, depression, 50%, insomnia, 44%, emotional exhaustion 40%, depersonalization, 42%, and improvement of well-being 18% (for all p<0.004). P-values for between-group differences in change from baseline, based upon repeated measures ANCOVA covarying for baseline measurements, showed significance for all scales at 3-months. Conclusion The study confirmed the reported significant and rapid benefits of the practice of TM and demonstrated its positive psychological impact on healthcare workers in a high stress setting.
Selection of highly responsive T cell receptors by an analysis combining the expression of multiple markers

The clinical success of T cell receptor (TCR) gene–transduced T (TCR‐T) cell therapy is expected as one of the next‐generation immunotherapies for cancer, in which the selection of TCRs with high functional avidity (high‐functional TCRs) is important. One widely used approach to select high‐functional TCRs is a comparison of the EC50 values of TCRs, which involves laborious experiments. Therefore, the establishment of a simpler method to select high‐functional TCRs is desired. We herein attempted to establish a simple method to select high‐functional TCRs based on the expression of T cell activation markers using the mouse T cell line BW5147.3 (BW). We examined relationships between the EC50 values of TCRs in interleukin‐2 production and the expression levels of TCR activation markers on BW cells. In TCR‐expressing BW cells stimulated with antigenic peptides, the CD69, CD137, and PD‐1 expression was differentially induced by various doses of peptides. An analysis of TCRs derived from the tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes of murine melanoma and peripheral blood T cells of hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with a peptide vaccination revealed that an analysis combining CD69, CD137, and PD‐1 expression levels in BW cells stimulated with a single dose of an antigenic peptide selected high‐functional TCRs with functional avidity assessed by EC50 values. Our method facilitates the section of high‐functional TCRs among tumor‐reacting TCRs, which will promote TCR‐T cell therapy. The stimulation of BW cells expressing objective TCRs with a single dose of antigenic peptides and analysis combining the expression of CD69, CD137, and PD‐1 allows us to select highly responsive TCRs.
Work from Home and Productivity: Evidence from Personnel and Analytics Data on Information Technology Professionals

We study employee productivity before and during the working-from-home period of the COVID-19 pandemic, using personnel and analytics data from over 10,000 skilled professionals at an Indian technology company. Hours worked increased, output declined slightly, and productivity fell 8%–19%. We then analyze determinants of productivity changes. An important source is higher communication costs. Time spent on coordination activities and meetings increased, while uninterrupted work hours shrank considerably. Employees networked with fewer individuals and business units inside and outside the firm and had fewer one-to-one meetings with supervisors. The findings suggest key issues for firms in implementing remote work.
Theory of optical sensing with Dyakonov–Tamm waves

Abstract. An optical modality to sense a fluid by exploiting Dyakonov–Tamm (DT) waves was devised. In the modality, the fluid is present on both sides of the guiding interface. Theoretical analysis indicated that the angular location of the reflectance dip in a practically implementable configuration will shift if the refractive index of the fluid changes. Furthermore, the detection sensitivity will decrease as the refractive index of the fluid increases over a wide range, and should be comparable to that for sensing modalities that exploit surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves. Higher sensitivities are available with DT waves than with SPP waves, and the DT-wave-based sensor should be simpler to fabricate than the SPP-wave-based sensor. Multiple DT waves are excitable at the same frequency, leading to multiple channels for more reliable sensing as well as for sensing multiple analytes simultaneously.
CS0 vs. CS1:: Understanding Fears and Confidence amongst Non-majors in Introductory CS Courses

Previous research has been devoted to improving the experience of non-majors in introductory CS courses. In this study, we compare the experiences of non-majors in two different introductory CS courses, specifically with respect to fears about taking the course and change in confidence levels. CS0 is a computing course intentionally designed for non-majors, and CS1 is a more traditional introductory computing course. Both of these courses were composed primarily of non-majors and were taught by the same instructor. Survey data was collected from 124 students enrolled in CS0, and 502 students enrolled in CS1. Through qualitative analysis, we found that the fears of non-major students entering both of these introductory CS courses fell into one or more of nine distinct categories (e.g., Coding, Perceiving STEM as Difficult, Managing Workload). Additionally, using students' confidence levels at the beginning and end of the courses, we found that students in CS0 had a greater increase in confidence level than those in CS1. Finally, we explored connections between students' fears and how their confidence changed by the end of the course. We found that students across both courses with fears related to coding, lack of preparation, and being left behind had the highest average increase in confidence levels.
Analysis of Fraudulent Financial Reporting based on Fraud Heptagon Model in Transportation and Logistic Industry listed on IDX during Covid-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this research is to test the fraud heptagon research model in detecting fraud in financial statements using eight Beneish M-Score ratios. The data research method uses regression linear methods in terms of testing research hypothesis. Statistical data processing in this study uses the SPSS version 26 program. The object of this research are Indonesia's Transportation and Logistic Industry companies listed on the IDX within 2019-2021. The total sample of this research are sixteen companies or forty eight samples for three years of research which have been determined by purposive sampling method based on certain criteria's. The results of this study indicate that the fraud heptagon research model simultaneously affects the detection of fraud in financial statements.
Modeling Determinants of Undergraduate Computing Students' Participation in Internships

Internships provide opportunities for computing students to self-evaluate their interests and develop authentic technical and professional skills that are critical to a career in computing-related industries. However, it is a cause for concern that only 60% of computing students participate in an internship before graduation. Our work aims to identify the factors which are associated with the likelihood of a student's participation in an internship. To identify these factors, we designed a cross-sectional study at a large public university in the United States. 518 computing undergraduate students completed our survey, and we used a quantitative approach to model a student's ability to secure internships. Using a logistic regression model, we found that (1) year in school, (2) household income (a proxy for socioeconomic status), (3) involvement in activities outside the curriculum, and (4) lower identity diffusion scores (i.e., low exploration and low commitment) are significantly associated with a student's participation in an internship. Our findings confirm prior work which showed that factors outside the curriculum are at play for students' internship participation. Further, we add to the computing education research literature the unexplored relationship between computing students' identity formation and participation in internships.
Securely Autograding Cybersecurity Exercises Using Web Accessible Jupyter Notebooks

The rapidly growing demand for computer science expertise combined with the pandemic era forced much education into large hybrid or fully remote learning environments, placing new emphasis on online learning platforms and automatic grading. Jupyter notebooks are a popular way to teach coding skills, as they provide an online way to distribute assignments with a low-cost Python coding environment to students and are also heavily used in data science, making the skills learned transferrable to the real world. However, autograding Jupyter notebooks is challenging, and contemporary tools have a number of pitfalls that make it difficult to integrate into a larger learning platform. As such, we implement our own grading system for Jupyter notebooks within the context of a broader gamified learning platform used in a cybersecurity course. Significant emphasis is given to the design, feedback, and security, as we often wish to introduce vulnerabilities within the student's learning environment for them to exploit while simultaneously protecting the system from misuse. We evaluate the system during its use in the Fall 2021 semester, discussing both its successes and failures, and provide transferrable lessons other instructors can use in their own systems, as the autograding systems used by many instructors are home-grown.
"I Can Do That Too": Factors Influencing a Sense of Belonging for Females in Computer Science Classrooms

Previous research on belonging in computer science offers insights into the role that stereotypes play in reducing females' sense of belonging or fit in computer science (CS), which has been associated with their significant underrepresentation in the field. Drawing upon mixed methods (surveys and interviews), this study explores the quantitative variables associated with a sense of belonging for females in high school CS courses and provides qualitative insights from students to help explain why these factors matter. Pre/post survey analysis indicates that the courses are contributing to reducing pre-course gender gaps in students' perceived efficacy and belonging in a CS classroom. The surveys also suggest that females were more engaged and developed stronger relationships with teachers. And yet, females' commitments to continuing with CS had no statistically significant changes. Student interviews provide important context regarding the quantitative findings and describe how positive relationships with a female teacher, collaborative work and inclusive teaching practices played key roles in promoting a classroom sense of belonging for females. Overall, these results suggest that an academically engaging and socioemotionally supportive experience in a computer science course can reduce gender gaps and foster females' sense of belonging in the classroom even if they retain some reservations over their long-term fit in the field. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the factors that promote equitable experiences for females in CS and the relationship between classroom level belonging and long-term fit in computer science.
Humanitarian Applications Increase Interest and Motivation of Women in Computing

The persistent lack of women in computing programs leads to some key questions about how to engage more women in computing. Although prior research has shown that women self-report they are motivated by the potential "doing good" nature of computing, this paper describes a more focused study designed to investigate if there are differences in women's interest and motivation in developing humanitarian vs. non-humanitarian applications. 376 introductory computing students completed a survey about what applications they would find interesting and motivating to develop. Students were asked to choose which of two applications, one humanitarian and one non-humanitarian, they would be more interested in developing. For example, would they rather write an application to track seasonal flu patients or pizza deliveries. Students were also asked to rate how motivating they would find writing various humanitarian and non-humanitarian applications. For example, students rated their motivation to write applications to find available shelter space for the homeless and to find profitable locations for new stores. Results of 364 usable surveys of introductory computing students demonstrate that women are more interested in humanitarian applications as opposed to non-humanitarian and women are more motivated by humanitarian applications than non-humanitarian. One way to engage more women in computing may be to frame programming examples and assignments with a humanitarian focus and eventually have students contribute to projects for social good.