Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation in Clinical Practice and Attitudes on Antibacterial Management of Fever and Neutropenia in Patients With Hematologic Malignancy: A Survey of Cancer Centers Across the United States

Abstract Background Contemporary information regarding fever and neutropenia (FN) management, including approaches to antibacterial prophylaxis, empiric therapy, and de-escalation across US cancer centers, is lacking. Methods This was a self-administered, electronic, cross-sectional survey of antimicrobial stewardship physicians and pharmacists at US cancer centers. The survey ascertained institutional practices and individual attitudes on FN management in high-risk cancer patients. A 5-point Likert scale assessed individual attitudes. Results Providers from 31 of 86 hospitals (36%) responded, and FN management guidelines existed in most (29/31, 94%) hospitals. Antibacterial prophylaxis was recommended in 27/31 (87%) hospitals, with levofloxacin as the preferred agent (23/27, 85%). Cefepime was the most recommended agent for empiric FN treatment (26/29, 90%). Most institutional guidelines (26/29, 90%) recommended against routine addition of empiric gram-positive agents except for specific scenarios. Eighteen of 29 (62%) hospitals explicitly provided guidance on de-escalation of empiric, systemic antibacterial therapy; however, timing of de-escalation was variable according to clinical scenario. Among 34 individual respondents, a majority agreed with use of antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk patients (25, 74%). Interestingly, only 10 (29%) respondents indicated agreement with the statement that benefits of antibiotic prophylaxis outweigh potential harms. Conclusion Most US cancer centers surveyed had institutional FN management guidelines. Antibiotic de-escalation guidance was lacking in nearly 40% of centers, with heterogeneity in approaches when recommendations existed. Further research is needed to inform FN guidelines on antibacterial prophylaxis and therapy de-escalation.
Collaborative networks: a systematic review and multi-level framework

Collaborative networks (CNs) leverage the improving sociability and usability features of information technology to enable and enhance partnering that delivers competitive solutions. This partnering is motivated by business, supply chain, market and technological evolutions that create uncertainty and pressure on independently operating firms. Accordingly, literature on CNs has enhanced practice by shedding light on the collaboration patterns that underlie CNs and the different management mechanisms that are required to cope with the complexity of CNs. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the state-of-the-art of research for CNs with a view to identifying future research potentials and directions. It offers an assembling, critical appraisal and synthesis of the literature on CNs and focuses on the logic and management of CNs. It contributes to knowledge by outlining a multi-level framework of CNs based on the review findings. It is anticipated that the review will serve as the foundation for breaking new grounds in research and further advance the discipline of CNs.
Association between Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and Low Skeletal Muscle Mass in Asymptomatic Adults

Background Homocysteine has been drawing attention with a closed linkage with skeletal muscle. However, the association of hyperhomocysteinemia with decreased skeletal muscle mass remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of hyperhomocysteinemia with low skeletal muscle mass (LMM) in asymptomatic adults. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 114,583 community-dwelling adults without cancer, stroke, or cardiovascular diseases who underwent measurements of plasma homocysteine and body composition analysis from 2012 to 2018. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as >15 μmol/L. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was calculated based on appendicular muscle mass (kg)/height (m)2. Participants were classified into three groups based on SMI: “normal,” “mildly low,” and “severely low. ” Results The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was the highest in subjects with severely LMM (12.9%), followed by those with mildly LMM (9.8%), and those with normal muscle mass (8.5%) (P for trend <0.001). In a multivariable logistic regression model, hyperhomocysteinemia was significantly associated with having a mildly LMM (odds ratio [OR], 1.305; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.224 to 1.392) and severely LMM (OR, 1.958; 95% CI, 1.667 to 2.286), respectively. One unit increment of log-transformed homocysteine was associated with 1.360 and 2.169 times higher risk of having mildly LMM and severely LMM, respectively. Conclusion We demonstrated that elevated homocysteine has an independent association with LMM in asymptomatic adults, supporting that hyperhomocysteinemia itself can be a risk for decline in skeletal musculature.
Optical property variability in the underwater optical wireless channel

This thesis details an investigation into the variability of optical properties within the aquatic medium and its consequence for optical wireless communication systems. The principle aim is to aid the optimisation of optical wireless for underwater links through the application of oceanographic light propagation models, where optical property variations that occur within common communication ranges are emphasised. This kind of approach is not typical within the underwater optical wireless community where variability between different natural waters has been considered but, so far, not within a single underwater optical wireless link. As part of this thesis, relevant underwater optical properties are surveyed and their variability quantified, where the importance of depth-dependent variations are established. A unique model is developed which characterises changing optical attenuation with depth based on two inputs; transmitted wavelength and turbidity at the surface of the water column. From this model, an investigation began into the impact of link location and orientation on link design and in advanced channel models. Select wavelengths are found to perform optimally, these are 410 nm, 490 to 500 nm, 540 nm, and 560 nm and greater; discretisation is attributed to the attenuation-wavelength profile shape and led to the advent of multi-wavelength transmitter designs. Meanwhile, a Monte Carlo modelling scheme, suitable for multi-layered media, predicted discrepancies between the overall attenuation and an average attenuation found by the depth-dependent model. Latterly, such knowledge is implemented in an experimental investigation in which a laser is transmitted down a turbid inland water column, to a maximum depth of 7.5 metres, then redirected back up. In addition to attenuation, changes in refractive index with depth are considered. With refractive changes occurring from pressure, salinity and temperature gradients, this research recognises that beams transmitted with a vertical component undergo some amount of refraction. Through ray tracing links transmitted at different angles, the maximum distance between a straight-path and the true beam location after propagating 200 metres was 0.3 metres. This is expected to be compensated by the natural widening of the beam.
Aphasia rehabilitation when speech pathologists and clients do not share the same language: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Growing cultural and linguistic diversity globally is increasingly requiring speech pathologists to provide effective and equitable aphasia rehabilitation to clients with whom they do not share a language. Little is known about how rehabilitation is being adapted and provided when a language mismatch arises between the therapist and the client. Aims This scoping review aims to systematically map the evidence related to aphasia rehabilitation when the speech pathologist and the client do not share a language. A comprehensive search was conducted in September 2020. Twenty studies comprising surveys and/or interviews and descriptive publications were reviewed. Main Contribution Speech pathologists frequently report a lack of confidence, skill, and preparation to work with culturally and linguistically diverse clients with aphasia. Furthermore, there is a shortage of published evidence, guidelines, resources, and access to interpreters to support their practice. Conclusions Further research is needed into aphasia rehabilitation when there is no shared language between client and speech pathologist, with particular attention to the therapy approach selected and adaptations required for the target language and culture. Information is needed concerning how the speech pathologist and interpreter work together, as well as the experiences of interpreters and people with aphasia and their families.
The performance of construction partnering projects in Malaysia

The construction industry in Malaysia is a competitive high-risk business as the nation strives to emerge as a developed country. The number of construction companies in the country has been skyrocketing in recent years, including the setting up of many small companies in rural areas. These small companies often face enough problems attaining a good reputation and credibility for themselves, let alone competing with their established counterparts which have mostly been in the industry for longed. The recent hike in the price of materials, such as steel and cement, also poses a threat to small companies with financial constraints. The bigger companies, on the other hand, may at times face a shortage of expertise or a sufficient workforce to perform certain tasks. The construction partnering concept appears to be an ideal solution to the predicaments mentioned, by ensuring mutual benefit to all parties involved by creating a win - win situation. This paper will examine, the performance of construction partnering projects in Malaysia, in relation to the satisfaction level of construction industry players, and the dominant benefits associated with construction partnering. This was done by first identifying the problem and objectives of the research through a thorough literature review based on reliable sources, followed by a comprehensive quantitative data collection through questionnaire surveys. The data was then processed using descriptive analysis to tie up with the objectives, followed by formulating of conclusions. The research revealed that, majority of the respondents agreed that, communication among parties and functionality are the two most dominant variables in determining the performance of a partnering project. In addition, the three dominants benefit and identified the improved culture, increased satisfaction and potential for innovation.
Understanding the Construction of Otherness in Harijan Community in Bangladesh

Otherness sees the world as divided into mutually excluding opposites. It is built through subjective perceptions and cultural practices in society on which, human beings are remade and separated from each other always based on their own experiences. This was a cross-sectional study, applied a qualitative approach to explore how cultural otherness was produced and practiced within the Harijan community. The studied population live in a separate geographical location due to their traditional occupation. Their accommodation and occupation made them others in the society. They have limited access to public places, shops and restaurants, barbershops, playgrounds, movie theatres, burial grounds, social gatherings, temples, music concerts and cultural events. This subordinated social position has also made them others within their sociocultural context. The identity of the Harijan as ‘others’ has been categorised and identified through the existing sociocultural context they live in. This identity is being perpetuated from one generation to another.
Network service organisation : interaction in workplace networks

In this doctoral dissertation, various widely understood disciplines of facilities and business support functions are integrated into one concept 'workplace network' that consists of the network actor roles of service providers, contract managers, and the end-users of services. There is a limited understanding of the business networks behind the structures of workplace networks. In this doctoral dissertation, a modified grounded theory of interaction and cooperation of workplace networks is generated. The dissertation integrates six scientifically reviewed research papers that focus on generating, testing and refining a theory of interaction in workplace network management. The main focus of the dissertation lies in answering the question: "How can workplace networks improve their interaction and cooperation? " A modified grounded theory is used in the dissertation as a research strategy for integrating data analysis from three research phases. During these phases, a grounded theory of network service organisation interaction is generated, tested, and refined. The general analytic strategy is based on multiple triangulation methods, such as coding and network analysis. The first phase conceptualises a novel theoretical framework of network service organisation which extends the previously developed paradigm models of CRE and FM as well as provides a different means to assess social networks behind the complex environment. The second phase tests the qualities of the framework and explores the qualities of the workplace network interaction and cooperation in four pilot study environments. In the third phase, a final case study is conducted for refining the qualities of a theory of network service organisation in Finnish real estate owner organisation. The research process is based on interpretivisms and hermeneutics and abductive reasoning. The empirical data collection is mainly based on interviews during the three phases. The results provide understanding of the workplace network roles and imply new insights on workplace network interaction and cooperation. The results suggest that the network members responsible for workplace network management should create more organised forms of formal interaction in order to strengthen the multi-level cooperation within their business relationships.
Nano Scaled Checkerboards: A Long Range Ordering in NiCoMnAl Magnetic Shape Memory Alloy Thin Films with Martensitic Intercalations

Magnetic shape memory Heusler alloys, such as NiCoMnAl, are considered as promising candidates for magnetocaloric cooling applications. Grown in thin film systems of adjacent layers with austenite and martensite crystal structures of almost equal thicknesses, a long-range ordering phenomenon in the shape of a 3D checkerboard pattern occurs in NiCoMnAl samples. The crystallographic origin of the pattern is proven by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The darker fields of the arrangement consist of martensite nuclei superposed with austenite, while the purely austenite regions appear bright in TEM cross sections. The nucleation process is presumably triggered by inhomogeneous local elastic stray fields of primary martensitic nuclei in the austenite matrix and limited by the thicknesses of the martensite and austenite thin films.
The relevance of carbon free production processes for carbon leakage and carbon border adjustment

Climate policy arrangements of partial regional coverage, as they seem to emerge from the UNFCCC process, might lead to carbon leakage and hence a broad literature has developed to quantify global leakage rates. While most of these analyses, are confined to consider combustion emissions only, Bednar-Friedl et al. (2012b) have pointed out the particular relevance of process emissions for both leakage rates and effectiveness of border carbon adjustment. We use this expanded framework in considering both combustion and process emissions in a multi-sectoral multi-regional Computable General Equilibrium model and analyze the implications of carbon free processinnovations. As a medium-term alternative to border carbon adjustment, we find that such a technological switch, for example in the European steel industry towards low-carbon electrowinning, can effectively reduce global carbon leakage. For border carbon adjustment considerations this implies their setting including a phase-out, such that incentivesfor carbon free innovations are preserved. Note from admin: See full paper Note from admin: See full paper
The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data linked Cause of Death data

The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) is a national health survey that is conducted annually to assess the health and and health-related behaviors of Korean population. To utilize KNHANES data to studies of mortality risk factors, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) constructed a database linking KNHANES data to cause-of-death statistics in Statistics Korea, made available to researchers since 2020. The KNHANES data were linked to the Cause of Death Statistics based on resident registration numbers for subjects aged 19 years or older who agreed to link the data. The linkage rate between 2007-2015 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and 2007-2019 Cause of Death Statistics was 97.1%. In the linked dataset, the total death rate was 6.6%, of which neoplasms accounted for the highest death rate (32.1%), followed by circulatory system disease (22.7%) and respiratory system disease (11.5%). The linked dataset was made available through the Research Data Center of the KDCA after a review of the research proposal, and will be made available after periodical updates.
Proglumide Reverses Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis by Interaction with the Farnesoid X Receptor and Altering the Microbiome

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is released by saturated fats and plays an important role in bile acid secretion. CCK receptors are expressed on cholangiocytes, and CCK-B receptor expression increases in the livers of mice with NASH. The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is involved in bile acid transport and is a target for novel therapeutics for NASH. The aim of this study was to examine the role of proglumide, a CCK receptor inhibitor, in a murine model of NASH and its interaction at FXR. Mice were fed a choline deficient ethionine (CDE) diet to induce NASH. Some CDE-fed mice received proglumide-treated drinking water. Blood was collected and liver tissues were examined histologically. Proglumide’s interaction at FXR was evaluated by computer modeling, a luciferase reporter assay, and tissue FXR expression. Stool microbiome was analyzed by RNA-Sequencing. CDE-fed mice developed NASH and the effect was prevented by proglumide. Computer modeling demonstrated specific binding of proglumide to FXR. Proglumide binding in the reporter assay was consistent with a partial agonist at the FXR with a mean binding affinity of 215 nM. FXR expression was significantly decreased in livers of CDE-fed mice compared to control livers, and proglumide restored FXR expression to normal levels. Proglumide therapy altered the microbiome signature by increasing beneficial and decreasing harmful bacteria. These data highlight the potential novel mechanisms by which proglumide therapy may improve NASH through interaction with the FXR and consequent alteration of the gut microbiome.
The role of vinculin in the cell adhesion strengthening process

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), an essential non-receptor tyrosine kinase, plays pivotal roles in migratory responses, adhesive signaling and mechanotransduction. FAK-dependent regulation of cell migration involves turnover dynamics as well as actin cytoskeleton polymerization and lamellipodia protrusion. Whereas roles for FAK in migratory and mechanosensing responses have been established, the contribution of FAK to the generation of adhesive forces is not well understood. Using FAK-null cells expressing wild-type and mutant FAK under an inducible tetracycline promoter, we analyzed the role of FAK in the generation of steady-state adhesive forces using micropatterned substrates and a hydrodynamic adhesion assay. FAK expression reduced steady-state strength by 30% compared with FAK-null cells. FAK expression reduced *Modified from (1) Dumbauld DW 1 , Michael KE 1 , Hanks SK, García AJ. Focal adhesion kinasedependent regulation of adhesive forces involves vinculin recruitment to focal adhesions. Biol. Cell. 2010. (2) Michael KE, Dumbauld DW, Burns KL, Hanks SK, García AJ. Focal adhesionkinase modulates cel adhesion strengthening via integrin activation. Mol Biol Cell. 2009. 1 -authors contributed equally to this work.
Role Stress, Supervisor Support and Burnout in Local Government Internal Auditors

This study aims to empirically examine the relationship between role stress and supervisor support with burnout on local government internal auditors. Sampling was carried out by purposive sampling method with criteria in the form of local government internal auditors who had at least one year of audit experience. The results of an online survey on the auditors of the Regency/City Government Inspectorate in Southern Sumatera Province were obtained as many as 155 respondents who participated as samples of this study. The results of data analysis using SEM-PLS show that role conflict is not associated with emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment, but is positively associated with depersonalization. Role ambiguity is positively associated with emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishments, but role ambiguity is negatively associated with depersonalization. Role overload is positively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization but negatively associated with reduced personal accomplishment. Supervisor support is negatively associated with all burnout dimensions.
A Novel Model Based on Window-Pass Preferences for Data Emergency Aware Scheduling in Computer Networks

The breakdown of vital communication infrastructures is one of the most common characteristics of all disasters. It can cause severe communication problems such as time delays and data loss, which cause deterioration in system performance. New techniques are needed to cope with such situations, many of which have been made possible due to the ongoing evolution of artificial intelligence technologies. In this study, we consider the case of a network consisting of several router allocation problems in situations of high priority and emergency data allocation. A novel network component called the scheduler is introduced and window constraints for routers are imposed. To solve the studied problem, four different algorithms are developed in this work. These algorithms were then applied in a particular scenario consisting of several routers and 2200 instances. In terms of the gap and running time, the proposed algorithms provide acceptable results. The best performances were achieved using the critical packet algorithm for 80% of instances with an average gap value of 0.009 and an average time of 0.209 s.