Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Community-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Zhejiang Province, China, 2017–2020

Purpose Community-associated bloodstream infection (CA-BSI) is increasing in many community settings. However, the clinical significance and epidemiology of CA-BSI present in hospital admissions in China are not well established. In this work, we identified the risk factors in outpatients presenting with CA-BSI, and investigate the role of procalcitonin (PCT) and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) in diagnosing different types of the pathogen in patients with acute CA-BSI. Methods A retrospective study enrolling 219 outpatients with CA-BSI from The Zhejiang People’s Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020 was performed. Susceptibility of the isolates obtained from these patients was examined. Subjecting receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were constructed to analyze the specificity and sensitivity of PCT, CRP, and WBC in determining infections caused by different bacterial genera. Risk factors for CA-BSI in the emergency setting were analyzed using essential information and simple identification of other pathogenic bacterial species through rapidly tested biomarkers. Results A total of 219 patients were included in the selection criteria, of which 103 were infected with Gram-positive bacteria (G+) and 116 with Gram-negative bacteria (G-). The PCT was significantly higher in the GN-BSI group than in the GP-BSI group, while no significant difference was observed between the two groups for CRP. Subjecting ROC curves were constructed to analyze WBC, CRP, and PCT, and the area under the curve (AUC) of the PCT in this model was 0.6661, with sensitivity = 0.798 and specificity = 0.489. Conclusion The PCT between the GP-BSI group and the GN-BSI group was significantly different. By combining the knowledge of clinicians and the clinical signs of patients, PCT should be utilized as a supplementary approach to initially determine pathogens and direct medication in the early stages of clinical practice.
Response of Uniformly Accelerated Particle Detectors in the Presence of Co-Accelerated Mirrors

We obtain the transition rates for an Unruh-DeWitt particle detector which uniformly accelerates in the presence of a perfectly reflecting spherical mirror that contracts and expands with constant acceleration. We also consider the case when the detector accelerates between two such mirrors, as well as the corresponding reduced configurations in a two dimensional Minkowski space. The mirror and detector accelerations are chosen such that the transition rates are independent of time. In all cases we find that the response respects the detailed balance condition for the Unruh-Davies temperature associated to the detector’s acceleration. An interesting fact is that for the detector between the mirrors the transition spectrum in two dimensions is discrete, while in four dimensions it is continuous.
Directed hypergraph planarity

Directed hypergraphs are generalizations of digraphs and can be used to model binary relations among subsets of a given set. Planarity of hypergraphs was studied by Johnson and Pollak; in this paper we extend the planarity concept to directed hypergraphs. It is known that the planarity of a digraph relies on the planarity of its underlying graph. However, for directed hypergraphs, this property do not apply and we propose a new approach which generalizes the usual concept. We also show that the complexity of the recognition of a directed hypergraph as planar is linear on the size of the hypergraph.
DIFFRACTION OF P, SV AND RAYLEIGH WAVES BY TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES: A BOUNDARY INTEGRAL FORMULATION

A method is presented to compute the diffraction of P , SV , and Rayleigh waves by an irregular topographic feature in an elastic half-space. It is based on an integral representation of the diffracted elastic fields in terms of single-layer boundary sources that is derived from Somigliana's identity. Introduction of boundary conditions leads to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind for boundary sources. A discretization scheme based on the numerical and analytical integration of exact Green's functions for displacements and tractions is employed. Calculations are performed in the frequency domain and synthetic seismograms are obtained using the fast Fourier transform. In order to give perspective on the range of effects caused by topographic anomalies, various examples that cover extreme cases are presented. It is found that topography may cause significant effects both of amplification and of deamplification at the irregular feature itself and its neighborhood, but the absolute level of amplification is generally lower than about four times the amplitude of incoming waves. Such facts must be taken into account when the spectral ratio technique is used to characterize topographical effects.
Remote phonon and impurity screening effect of substrate and gate dielectric on electron dynamics in single layer MoS2

The effect of both remote phonon originating from and the screening of extrinsic charged impurity by substrate and gate dielectric on the electron dynamics of single layer MoS2 are investigated with Monte Carlo method. The temperature-dependent mobility curve measured by Hall effect is reproduced by taking the two counter roles played by substrate and gate dielectric into consideration. Based on the analysis of remote phonon effect and charged impurity screening, an optimized transistor structure which is composed of single HfO2 gate dielectric with interfacial layer and absence of SiO2 substrate is proposed for the realization of mobility approaching intrinsic value and best device performance.
Hedging Contingent Claims with Constrained Portfolios

We employ a stochastic control approach to study the question of hedging contingent claims by portfolios constrained to take values in a given closed, convex subset of R^d. In the framework of our earlier work for utility maximization with constrained portfolios, we extend results of El Karoui and Quenez on incomplete markets and treat the case of different interest rates for borrowing and lending.
Acute Spinal Epidural Abscess of the Cervical Spine Caused by Streptococcus constellatus Leads to Paraplegia in an Adult: A Case Report

Abstract The incidence of a spinal epidural abscess (SEA), which can cause serious neurological complications, is low; however, the incidence of SEA caused by Streptococcus is even lower, most of which are reported in the thoracolumbar spine and lumbosacral segment. We reported a case of cervical SEA caused by Streptococcus constellatus infection, resulting in paralysis of the patient. The acute onset of SEA in a 44-year-old male led to decreased upper limb muscle strength, lower limb paralysis, and loss of bowel and bladder function, and imaging and blood tests suggested pyogenic spondylitis. Emergency decompression surgery and antibiotic therapy were given, the patient gradually recovered, and the muscle strength of the lower limbs gradually improved. This case report suggests the importance of early decompressive surgery and effective antibiotic therapy.
Is There a Jump in the Transition?

This article develops a statistical test for the presence of a jump in an otherwise smooth transition process. In this testing, the null model is a threshold regression and the alternative model is a smooth transition model. We propose a quasi-Gaussian likelihood ratio statistic and provide its asymptotic distribution, which is defined as the maximum of a two parameter Gaussian process with a nonzero bias term. Asymptotic critical values can be tabulated and depend on the transition function employed. A simulation method to compute empirical critical values is also developed. Finite-sample performance of the test is assessed via Monte Carlo simulations. The test is applied to investigate the dynamics of racial segregation within cities across the United States.
High-temperature thermoelectric properties of thallium-filled skutterudites

The high temperature thermoelectric (TE) properties of polycrystalline Tl-filled skutterudites TlxCo4Sb12 (x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25) were examined from room temperature to 750 K. All samples exhibited negative Seebeck coefficients. The electrical resistivity, absolute values of the Seebeck coefficient, and the lattice thermal conductivity were found to decrease with increasing Tl content. Tl0.25Co4Sb12 exhibited the best TE performance; the maximum value for the dimensionless figure of merit ZT was 0.90 at 600 K.
Evaluation of Virtual Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship Interview and Match Experience

Purpose: To evaluate applicants’ and programs’ experiences during the 2019 and 2020 fellowship application seasons. Methods: An anonymous survey of vitreoretinal surgery fellowship program directors (PDs) (n = 21) and applicants from the 2019 traditional (n = 24) and 2020 virtual (n = 17) match cycles (before and during COVID-19 pandemic, respectively) was conducted. The questions assessed demographics, interview experiences, and overall interview costs. Statistical significance was determined using unpaired and paired 2-sided t tests for applicants and PDs, respectively (P < .05). Results: In 2020, 17.6% of applicants and 15.8% of PDs strongly agreed that they were able to convey themselves well during the interview compared with 50% and 73.7%, respectively, in 2019 (P = .002 and P < .001, respectively). In 2020, 5.9% of applicants and 10.5% of PDs strongly agreed that they gained a good understanding of their counterpart compared with 41.7% and 47.4%, respectively, in 2019 (P < .001 and P = .01, respectively). Regarding cost, 83.3% of applicants and 21.1% of programs spent more than $2000 in 2019, whereas 17.6% of applicants and no program did so in 2020. Conclusions: Although virtual interviews allowed fellowship recruitment to continue during the pandemic, both applicants and PDs expressed uncertainty regarding their abilities to portray themselves and gauge those with whom they interviewed. The benefits of virtual interviews, including decreased cost, increased efficiency, and convenience, must be weighed against these factors.
Evidence of reduced inhibition in older adults with a history of repetitive brain trauma. A transcranial magnetic stimulation study.

International concern regarding the association between repetitive neurotrauma in sport and long term concerns with ageing continues. While previous studies have reported older (i.e. over 50 years) our study describes corticomotor changes across the lifespan between retired contact sport athletes, between the ages of 30 and 70 years. Retired athletes, minimum five years retired, (n=152; 48.6+/-9.0 years) and age-matched controls (n=72; 47.8+/-9.5 years) were assessed using single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for active motor threshold (aMT), motor evoked potential and cortical silent period duration (expressed as MEP:cSP ratio), and short- and long-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI and LICI). Age-matched controls showed significant moderate correlations for MEP:cSP ratios at 130% (rho=0.48), 150% (rho=0.49)and 170% aMT (rho=0.42; all p<0.001) and significant but small negative correlation for SICI (rho=-0.27; p=0.030), and moderate negative correlation for LICI (rho=-0.43; p<0.001). Further, group-wise correlation analysis shows significant stronger corelations (all p<0.05) in the control for each variable than in the retired players. This study is the first to characterise corticomotor differences between retired athletes and age matched controls across the lifespan. in those with a history of repetitive head trauma and provides a foundation for further work to utilise TMS as a prodromal marker useful in supplementing neuropsychological assessment for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome which currently lacks physiological biomarkers.
Immunogenicity and Safety of NVX-CoV2373 as a Homologous or Heterologous Booster: A Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial in Adults

Background: To combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, multiple vaccines using different manufacturing platforms have been developed, including NVX-CoV2373 (an adjuvanted recombinant protein vaccine). As SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged, some of which evade vaccine-induced immunity, introduction of vaccine booster doses has become critical. Employing different vaccine types for primary series vaccination and boosting could expand vaccine coverage and access. This study assessed whether NVX-CoV2373 would induce similar responses when used as a heterologous or homologous booster. Methods: The 2019nCoV-307 study was a phase 3, randomized, observer-blinded trial evaluating immunogenicity and safety of NVX-CoV2373 in previously vaccinated adults aged 18-49 years in the United States (NCT05463068). Participants were randomized 1:1:1 to receive one intramuscular injection of NVX-CoV2373 from one of three different manufacturing lots. Immunogenicity was assessed by immunoglobulin G (IgG) and neutralizing antibodies (NAb). These responses were compared for the three lots, and for participants with primary series with or without a prior booster dose of the mRNA-1273, BNT162b2, Ad26.COV2. S, or NVX-CoV2373 COVID-19 vaccines. Results: A total of 911 participants were randomized between July 11 and 13, 2022, with 905 being assessed for safety and 848 for immunogenicity. Immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 met prespecified equivalence criteria between lots, and the booster dose was well-tolerated. NVX-CoV2373 induced robust IgG and NAb responses when used as a first or later booster dose, regardless of primary series vaccine type. Seroconversion rates were also similar across previous vaccine types. Induced antibodies were strongly reactive, even to the immune-evasive Omicron BA.1 and BA.5 variants. Conclusions: NVX-CoV2373 showed consistent immunogenicity between lots, with no new safety signals identified. Use of NVX-CoV2373 as a homologous or heterologous booster dose (first or later) is supported.
Zero-shot prediction of therapeutic use with geometric deep learning and clinician centered design

Of the several thousand diseases that affect humans, only about 500 have treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Even for those with approved treatments, discovering new drugs can offer alternative options that cause fewer side effects and replace drugs that are ineffective for certain patient groups. However, identifying new therapeutic opportunities for diseases with limited treatment options remains a challenge, as existing algorithms often perform poorly. Here, we leverage recent advances in geometric deep learning and human-centered AI to introduce TxGNN, a model for identifying therapeutic opportunities for diseases with limited treatment options and minimal molecular understanding. TxGNN is a graph neural network pre-trained on a comprehensive knowledge graph of 17,080 clinically-recognized diseases and 7,957 therapeutic candidates. The model can process various therapeutic tasks, such as indication and contraindication prediction, in a unified formulation. Once trained, we show that TxGNN can perform zero-shot inference on new diseases without additional parameters or fine-tuning on ground truth labels. Evaluation of TxGNN shows significant improvements over existing methods, with up to 49.2% higher accuracy in indication tasks and 35.1% higher accuracy in contraindication tasks. TxGNN can also predict therapeutic use for new drugs developed since June 2021. To facilitate interpretation and analysis of the model's predictions by clinicians, we develop a human-AI explorer for TxGNN and evaluate its usability with medical experts. Finally, we demonstrate that TxGNN's novel predictions are consistent with off-label prescription decisions made by clinicians in a large healthcare system. These label-efficient and clinician-centered learning systems pave the way for improvements for many therapeutic tasks.
An Estimation of Upper Limit Masses of υ Andromedae Planets

We estimated the upper limit masses of an extrasolar planetary system, υ And. Doppler observation of extrasolar planets through the radial velocity displacement of their host stars can determine only lower limits of planetary masses and inevitably involves uncertainties due to the unknown line-of-sight inclination of planetary orbits, 1/ sin i. However, this inherent uncertainty about mass determination may be compensated by long-term numerical integrations of planetary orbital motions. Our numerical integrations, though our description is limited to only two outer companions around υ And, intend to find any relation between the planetary masses and their dynamical timescales of instability. We integrate the planetary orbits for the Gyr time span with various initial conditions of masses and angle variables to investigate which kind of initial configuration produces stable orbits during the timescale of the υ And host star's age. According to numerical results starting from the Lick Observatory data set, the υ And planetary system is likely to remain stable over the timescale of its host star's age if sin i ≥ 0.7. In this case we may estimate that the upper limit masses of the υ And planets in our model are about 1/0.7 ~ 1.43 times larger than their minimum (i.e., when sin i = 1). However, the instability timescale of the planetary system depends much on its initial orbital configuration due to its chaotic character. Another interesting feature in the orbital motion of the υ And planets is that the longitudes of pericenter of the outer two companions are likely to align, which stabilizes the system. Systems where this orbital alignment is not well achieved easily become unstable.
An African perspective on the genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii: A systematic review

Abstract Abstract The study of Toxoplasma gondii genotypes is beneficial for detecting strains linked to increased disease severity and uncovering the processes involved in the transmission and distribution of this zoonotic parasite. A systematic review of literature was conducted to investigate the present status of T. gondii genetic diversity in African countries and among host species on the continent. Data from the results in the included studies were sorted, reviewed and descriptively analysed using tables, graphs and maps. Results indicate that there is a relative amount of genetic diversity with a clear difference in the population structure between geographical regions and the propensity for unique and regional genotypes to be predominant in tropical rainforest biomes, near the equator. From a clinical perspective, connections between specific T. gondii genotypes and disease manifestations were found. Theories are outlined on the dissemination of African T. gondii genotypes to other continents. The overrepresentation of samples from one geographical area and dissimilar genotyping methodologies creates challenges when concluding on the genetic diversity of T. gondii in Africa. The need for uniform genotyping methods with a continent-wide sampling of an extensive host range involving humans, domestic animals and wildlife is emphasized.
A model for large-scale structures in turbulent shear flows

A procedure based on energy stability arguments is presented as a method for extracting large-scale, coherent structures from fully turbulent shear flows. By means of two distinct averaging operators, the instantaneous flow field is decomposed into three components: a spatial mean, coherent field and random background fluctuations. The evolution equations for the coherent velocity, derived from the Navier–Stokes equations, are examined to determine the mode that maximizes the growth rate of volume-averaged coherent kinetic energy. Using a simple closure scheme to model the effects of the background turbulence, we find that the spatial form of the maximum energy growth modes compares well with the shape of the empirical eigenfunctions given by the proper orthogonal decomposition. The discrepancy between the eigenspectrum of the stability problem and the empirical eigenspectrum is explained by examining the role of the mean velocity field. A simple dynamic model which captures the energy exchange mechanisms between the different scales of motion is proposed. Analysis of this model shows that the modes which attain the maximum amplitude of coherent energy density in the model correspond to the empirical modes which possess the largest percentage of turbulent kinetic energy. The proposed method provides a means for extracting coherent structures which are similar to those produced by the proper orthogonal decomposition but which requires only modest statistical input.
A meta‐analytic review of the frequency and patterning of laryngohyoid and cervical fractures in cases of suicide by hanging

The frequency and distribution of fractures are commonly utilized to assist in interpreting the manner of death. In cases of alleged suicide by hanging, however, the evidence base for the frequency and patterning of laryngohyoid and cervical vertebrae fractures resulting from such blunt force traumatic events is limited and so fractures cannot be reliably used to assist in interpreting the manner. Using meta‐analytic techniques, this study aimed to estimate frequency and distribution of fractures in the context of relevant intrinsic and extrinsic variables. A systematic review of the literature identified 20 studies with relevant data (8523 cases of suicide by hanging). Meta‐analyses identified the frequency and distribution of fractures present and how fracture frequency was affected by the subgroups of age, sex, completeness of suspension, ligature knot position and study design. Results indicated that fracture frequency was variable, there was no unique patterning, and high levels of heterogeneity were present in all variable sub‐groups. Age was the only subgroup to show differences. Findings suggest that neck fracture frequency is inconsistent and cannot be predicted by the chosen variables. Subsequently, neck fractures in isolation should not be given weight in medico‐legal interpretations of a hanging death as suicidal.
Grand multiparity, is it a help or a hindrance in a trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC)?

Abstract Objective Parity is a prognostic variable when considering trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC). This study aimed to determine whether grandmultiparous patients are at increased risk of poor TOLAC outcomes such as uterine rupture. Study design A retrospective cohort was conducted at a single university-affiliated medical center with approximately 10,000 deliveries per year. The study group included women post one cesarean section who attempted TOLAC carrying a singleton fetus in vertex presentation. We divided the cohort into three groups: group 1 – women who had a parity of 1; group 2 – parity of 2–4; group 3 – parity of 5 and above. The primary outcome was successful VBAC. Secondary outcomes included mode of delivery, uterine rupture, and combined maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. Data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, Chi-square test, ANOVA, and paired t-test. Results Five thousand four hundred and forty-seven women comprised the study group: group 1 – 879 patients, group 2 – 2374 patients, and group 3 − 2194 patients. No significant between-group differences were found in gestational age at delivery. Rates of a successful VBAC were 80.6%, 95.4%, and 95.5%, respectively. Group 1 were more likely to have a failed TOLAC compared to group 2 (OR 5.02, 95% CI 3.9–6.5, p<.001) and group 3 (OR 5.17, 95% CI 4.0–6.7, p<.001). There was no increased risk of failed TOLAC when comparing groups 2 and 3 (OR 1.03; 95% CI 0.8–1.4, p=.89). Operative delivery rate differed significantly between all three groups; 25.1%, 6.2%, and 3.6%, for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p<.001). The rate of uterine rupture was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (1.02% vs. 0.29% p=.02) and group 3 (1.02% vs. 0.2%, p=.01, respectively). There were no differences between group 2 and group 3 (0.29% vs. 0.2% p=.78). Conclusions Grandmultiparity is not associated with an increased risk of uterine rupture during TOLAC.