Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biomarkers Predictive of Extubation and Survival of COVID-19 Patients

Purpose Many patients with COVID-19 who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) require prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation. Mechanical ventilation may amplify ventilator-associated complications and extend resource utilization. A better understanding of prognostic indicators could help in the planning and distribution of resources, particularly in resource-limited areas. We analyzed laboratory studies of intubated COVID-19 patients with the goal of identifying biomarkers that may predict extubation success and survival to discharge. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on all COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation between January 3, 2020, and January 7, 2020, in a single academic tertiary care center in Northeastern New York State. The electronic medical record was used to collect 14 laboratory variables at three time points: admission, intubation, and extubation (including terminal extubation) for all intubated intensive care unit (ICU) patients treated for COVID-19. Mean laboratory values were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Categorical variables were analyzed with the two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results Seventy-two patients met the inclusion criteria. Forty-three patients were male. The mean age was 61 years. The overall mortality was 50%. On admission, intubated patients who survived had significantly higher platelet counts (p=0.024), and absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC; p=0.047). Notably, ferritin (p=0.018) and aspartate transaminase (AST; p=0.0045) levels were lower in survivors. At the time of intubation, survivors again had a higher platelet count (p=0.024) and ALC (p=0.037) levels. They had a lower D-dimer (p=0.0014), ferritin (p=0.0015), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; p=0.0145), and AST (p=0.018) compared to intubated patients who died. At extubation, survivors had higher platelet count (p=0.0002), ALC (p=0.0013), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR; p=0.0024). Survivors had lower d-dimer (p=0.035), ferritin (p=0.0012), CRP (p=0.045), LDH (p=0.002), AST (p<0.001), and ALK (p=0.0048). Conclusions Biomarkers associated with increased risk of mortality include platelet count, ALC, lymphocyte percentage, NLR, D-dimer, ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), AST, alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALK). This study provides additional evidence that these biomarkers have prognostic value in patients with severe COVID-19. The goal is to find objective surrogate markers of disease improvement or success of extubation. When considered within the larger body of data, it is our hope that a mortality risk calculator can be generated for intubated COVID-19 patients.
Differential sensitivity to warming and hypoxia during development and long-term effects of developmental exposure in early life stage Chinook salmon

We reared Chinook salmon embryos under 10 treatments that varied by stressor (warm temperature, hypoxia or both) and the timing of stress exposure (early, late or chronically during embryonic development) and found stage-specific sensitivity. We also investigated carry-over effects of developmental stressors and the management implications of short- and long-term sensitivity.
The hydrophilic chemical constituents of Phlomis umbrosa

Eight compounds were isolated from the underground parts of Phlomis umbrosa and elucidated as shanzhiside methyl ester(1), 8-acetyl-shanzhiside methyl ester(2), sesamoside(3), phloyoside Ⅰ(4), phloyoside Ⅱ(5), 2-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl) ethyl O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)[β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)]-(4-O-E-caffeoyl)β-D-glucopyranoside(forsythoside B) (6),βdaucosterol(7) and D-glucose(S) on the basis of spectral evidence and chemical methods. Those compounds were obtained from the genus for the first time.
Responding to the COVID-19 crisis: a principled or pragmatist approach?

ABSTRACT Uncertainties run deep during a crisis. Yet, leaders will have to make critical decisions in the absence of information they would like to have. How do political leaders cope with this challenge? One way to deal with crisis-induced uncertainty is to base all decisions on a core principle or value. This is what we call a principled approach. The pragmatist approach offers an alternative: an experimental, trial-and-error strategy based on quick feedback. In this paper, we consider both approaches in light of the COVID-19 experience in four European countries. We conclude that the pragmatic approach may be superior, in theory, but is hard to effectuate in practice. We discuss implications for the practice of strategic crisis management.
Flunking COVID-19 Out of Schools: A Systematic Review of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions to Minimize Novel Coronavirus-2 in Educational Settings

ABSTRACT A systematic analysis of almost 500 studies uncovers the breadth of non-pharmaceutical (non-vaccine) interventions that have been previously implemented or tested in an educational setting to reduce virus transmissions. This systematic review takes a sociotechnical systems approach and categorizes the interventions into personal, environmental, organizational, and communication interventions. Thus, this analysis recognizes the interactions among various factors that make up an educational institution and emphasizes the significance of adopting multiple interventions. Complementing the various interventions, a list of best practices for each intervention has been developed in detail for COVID-19 crisis management in an educational setting with the current knowledge of the virus to date.
What motives shape the initial accounting for goodwill under IFRS 3 in a setting dominated by controlling owners?

Abstract We investigate how different motives shape the initial accounting for goodwill in a setting dominated by controlling owners, using data from 1112 acquisition analyses reported by Swedish listed acquiring firms. In contrast to prior studies, we find no evidence that earnings-based compensation affects the proportion of the purchased price accounted for as goodwill. Instead, we find that when a family-owned firm is the acquirer, a larger proportion of the purchase price is accounted for as goodwill than as specific assets and liabilities. These two findings indicate that controlling owners may curb managerial motives, while controlling family owners apply the discretion of IFRS 3 according to their motives. We also find in this setting that acquisition-related motives have a significant impact on the proportion of the purchased price accounted for as goodwill. Overall, our analyses indicate that the motives shaping goodwill accounting choices depend on the institutional setting.
Human capabilities and firm growth; an investigation of women-owned established micro and small firms in Ireland

ABSTRACT Firm growth has been studied extensively, yet limited attention has been devoted specifically to growth in women-owned firms. Women entrepreneurship studies to date has focused largely on the start-up rather than the growth stage. Given the dearth of research with this focus and the recognized prime role of the entrepreneur in driving firm growth, this study focuses on the specific human capabilities driving firm growth, through a survey of 172 micro and small women-owned established firms in Ireland. Regression analysis highlights that specific human capabilities (education, managerial experiences and being team-led) strongly influence firm-financial growth. These human capabilities are leveraged to maximize financial growth, but not employment growth. Therefore, employment as a measure of growth may be a barrier to access policy supports and initiatives for this cohort of entrepreneurs. We contribute a more nuanced understanding of growth from a resource-based view, in women-owned established micro and small firms.
Sailing through Troubled Water of Pandemic by ‘Sound Governance’ Boat: Lessons from Odisha, India

ABSTRACT This article discusses the governance initiatives taken by the Odisha state in India since the identification of the first COVID-19 patient in mid-March, 2020. The state government has taken a comprehensive approach covering not only containment of the pandemic, but also state preparedness for future health emergencies. To counter various issues, triggered by COVID-19, the government has also introduced substantial policy and administrative innovations in the state. The author discusses the governmental initiatives along the multi-dimensional sound governance model. The global problem was handled at local level by the successful execution of innovations and global scientific knowledge.
The literalist bias in the autistic spectrum conditions: review of existing accounts (El sesgo literalista en las condiciones del espectro autista: revisión de las teorías existentes)

ABSTRACT There is a tendency across the Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) to understand non-literal uses of language in a literal way. Different accounts for such a literalist bias have been proposed. Three of them can be considered ‘classical’ by now: the Executive Dysfunction theory, the Theory of Mind theory and the Weak Central Coherence theory. Currently, there is another hypothesis gaining traction, namely the Structural Language hypothesis. In this paper, we critically analyse these four accounts, with a focus on the Structural Language hypothesis, which holds that issues in figurative meaning comprehension relate not to ASC core traits but to structural language problems. We argue that the notion of ‘structural language’ is vague, and also that many studies taken to support the hypothesis have not actually tested the literalist bias. We conclude by suggesting interesting areas for further research.
Mothers’ Sources and Strategies for Managing COVID-19 Uncertainties during the Early Pandemic Months

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges and uncertainties for families. Guided by uncertainty management theory, this study qualitatively explored mothers’ sources of COVID-related uncertainties for their older children and the strategies used to manage their uncertainties. Twenty-five mothers in the U.S. Midwest were interviewed by telephone between March-May 2020 during the early pandemic months. Data indicated four sources of uncertainty: adjustment, threat of COVID-19, COVID-19 information, and social interaction. Protective behaviors used to manage threat of COVID-19 uncertainties (e.g., social distancing and isolation) sometimes unleashed further uncertainties about social interactions with others that mothers were still attempting to manage. The findings suggest theoretical implications of uncertainty management theory as it applies to COVID-19 and practical implications for empowering mothers with tools for support and health literacy skills to understand and act on credible COVID-19 information.
Effect of plant growth-promoting Bacillus sp. on color and clipping yield of three turfgrass species

ABSTRACT A two-year irrigated field study was conducted to determine the effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR; Bacillus subtilis OSU-142 and Bacillus megaterium M3) as biofertilizer, and in combination with a chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer, on turf color and clipping yield, and interaction of biofertilizer and chemical N fertilizers in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L. Schreb.), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). The three turf species were tested separately in split-plot design experiments with three replications. Three fertilizer sources (ammonium nitrate only, ammonium nitrate + B. megaterium M3, and ammonium nitrate + B. subtilis OSU-142) were the main plots. N applications with monthly applications of 0.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 g N/m2 were the subplots. Color ratings and clipping yields increased with increasing chemical N fertilizers in all species. Both Bacillus sp. significantly increased color ratings and clipping yields in perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. However, there were no significant differences among the three fertilizer sources in color and clipping yield of Kentucky bluegrass. The experiments showed that there is a small but significant benefit from applying biofertilizers for turf color, and that N fertilization may be reduced in some turf species when biofertilization are made for this purpose.
Parent Distraction with Technology and Child Social Competence during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Parental Emotional Stability

ABSTRACT This study aimed to test the possible moderating role of parents’ emotional stability on the relationship between parent distraction with technology and child social competence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data used in the study were collected in May 2020 when extensive restrictive measures, labeled as lockdown, were present in Croatia. Data on technoference in parenting, parents’ problematic phone tendencies, and child social competence were collected using an online questionnaire from parents (n = 281) of children aged 3 to 14 years. The results show a significant negative effect of overall technoference in parenting on child social competence. This negative effect was significantly moderated by parents’ emotional stability, as expected. Medium and high levels of parents’ emotional stability buffer the negative effect of low technoference in parenting on child social competence. Results imply technoference in parenting negatively affects child development, but the emotional stability of parents can be a protective factor.
How trust, mistrust and distrust shape the governance of the COVID-19 crisis

ABSTRACT It is commonplace to claim that trust is essential to effective governance in many contexts, including that of a public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that trust is better understood as a family of concepts – trust, mistrust and distrust – and each of these may have different implications for the governance of COVID-19. Drawing on original measures tested through nationally representative surveys conducted in Australia, Italy, the UK and the USA between May and June 2020, we explore how these distinct types of trust are associated with citizens’ perceptions of the threat posed by COVID-19, and their behavioural responses to it. We show how public policy dynamics around the COVID-19 crisis are driven by each of the trust family members and that policymakers might gain more from promoting an information-seeking and mistrusting society, rather than a trusting one.
Quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance method for simultaneous analysis of fluticasone propionate and azelastine hydrochloride in nasal spray formulation

A facile, rapid, accurate and selective quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-qNMR) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of fluticasone propionate (FLP) and azelastine hydrochloride (AZH) in pharmaceutical nasal spray for the first time. The 1H-qNMR analysis of the studied analytes was performed using inositol as the internal standard and dimethyl sulfoxide-d6 (DMSO-d6) as the solvent. The quantitative selective proton signal of FLP was doublet of doublet at 6.290, 6.294, 6.316 and 6.319 ppm, while that of AZH was doublet at 8.292 and 8.310 ppm. The internal standard (inositol) produced a doublet signal at 3.70 and 3.71 ppm. The method was rectilinear over the concentration ranges of 0.25–20.0 and 0.2–15.0 mg ml−1 for FLP and AZH, respectively. No labelling or pretreatment steps were required for NMR analysis of the studied analytes. The proposed 1H-qNMR method was validated efficiently according to the International Council on Harmonisation guidelines in terms of linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, specificity and stability. Moreover, the method was applied to assay the analytes in their combined nasal spray formulation. The results ensured the linearity (r2 > 0.999), precision (% RSD < 1.5), stability, specificity and selectivity of the developed method.
Do Metrics Drive News Decisions? Political News Journalists’ Exposure and Attitudes Toward Web Analytics

As newsrooms are increasingly using web analytics to monitor news behavior, journalism is likely to become increasingly “metrics-driven. ” Research suggests that analytics are commonly used by web editors to decide on the distribution and promotion of news stories, but how does this affect the news practices of journalists? To what extent are audience metrics taken into account by individual journalists and reporters who work in a specific news beat? This paper explores this question through a survey of political journalists in Belgium. The study examines the level of access that political news journalists have to audience metrics, and to what extent their level of exposure to and use of metrics affects their attitudes toward analytics in news work. Results show that while three quarters of the political news journalists are nowadays exposed to audience metrics on a regular basis, more than half of them report to never make direct use of web metrics in their daily work. Younger journalists are more likely to be exposed and to use web metrics than their senior colleagues, but journalists working for commercial media do not use metrics more intensely than journalists from public service media. Journalists who actively use metrics themselves tend to hold more positive attitudes toward web metrics, whereas the passive exposure to metrics seems to make journalists more skeptical or negative about them.
Integrated assessment modeling reveals near-channel management as cost-effective to improve water quality in agricultural watersheds

Significance Water quality is severely degraded in landscapes cultivated for intensive corn and soybean production. Current water quality policy focuses on reducing nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural fields, yet recent studies have highlighted important roles of near-channel areas as sources of sediment and sinks for nitrogen. We developed an integrated modeling approach to assess water quality cost-effectiveness tradeoffs for watershed management scenarios that include a wide range of both field and near-channel management actions, yielding estimates of reductions in sediment and nitrate loads and associated costs for alternative management actions. Our results indicate that near-channel management, most notably fluvial wetland restoration, was most effective for achieving long-standing policy goals for sediment and nitrate reduction. Despite decades of policy that strives to reduce nutrient and sediment export from agricultural fields, surface water quality in intensively managed agricultural landscapes remains highly degraded. Recent analyses show that current conservation efforts are not sufficient to reverse widespread water degradation in Midwestern agricultural systems. Intensifying row crop agriculture and increasing climate pressure require a more integrated approach to water quality management that addresses diverse sources of nutrients and sediment and off-field mitigation actions. We used multiobjective optimization analysis and integrated three biophysical models to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of alternative portfolios of watershed management practices at achieving nitrate and suspended sediment reduction goals in an agricultural basin of the Upper Midwestern United States. Integrating watershed-scale models enabled the inclusion of near-channel management alongside more typical field management and thus directly the comparison of cost-effectiveness across portfolios. The optimization analysis revealed that fluvial wetlands (i.e., wide, slow-flowing, vegetated water bodies within the riverine corridor) are the single-most cost-effective management action to reduce both nitrate and sediment loads and will be essential for meeting moderate to aggressive water quality targets. Although highly cost-effective, wetland construction was costly compared to other practices, and it was not selected in portfolios at low investment levels. Wetland performance was sensitive to placement, emphasizing the importance of watershed scale planning to realize potential benefits of wetland restorations. We conclude that extensive interagency cooperation and coordination at a watershed scale is required to achieve substantial, economically viable improvements in water quality under intensive row crop agricultural production.
Irrigator perceptions and the value of groundwater quality in the High Plains Aquifer

Groundwater is critical to irrigated production in many arid and semiarid regions of the world. Groundwater that is low in quality presents limited value to farmers as an input to agricultural production. In this paper, we present findings from a survey of irrigator perceptions and irrigation water testing behavior targeted to producers in the Kansas portion of the High Plains Aquifer. Additionally, we estimate the value of an incremental increase in the quality of groundwater for agricultural irrigation using contingent valuation. We find that 30% of respondents have either “moderate” or “major” concern over the agricultural impacts of irrigation water quality. Additionally, 20% of respondents indicate that water quality has had either “moderate” or “major” impacts on their crop yields. Lastly, we find a median willingness to pay of US$39 well–1 for an incremental increase in irrigation water quality, as measured by reduced salt content.
Effect of boron and calcium sprays on photosynthetic pigments, total phenols and flavonoid content of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.).

The aim of our study was to establish the effect of a three-year-long boron and calcium treatment on some phytochemical compounds of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) leaves and fruits. In our trial we used eight-year-old cultivar 'Germersdorfi 3' grafted on Prunus mahaleb rootstock. The boron treatment was applied by spraying disodium-octaborat-tetrahydrat, while calcium was supplied as a calcium nitrate spray. Photosynthetic pigments and total phenol content of sweet cherry leaves and total anthocyanin, flavonoid and phenol contents of sweet cherry fruits were measured, respectively. Boron sprays at blooming time had a positive effect on photosynthetic pigment contents of sweet cherry leaves, on contrary to two times spraying, which reduced their content. Total carotenoids responded similarly to boron spraying: single treatment increased their mass, two-times spraying had a negative effect on the total carotenoid content of the leaves, respectively. Every calcium treatment increased the chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content. The mass of carotenoids were also in close connection with calcium sprays. It is to be noted that time and frequency of application influenced the mass of both photosynthetic pigments. Effect of boron and calcium sprays on total phenol content was significant. After the double boron treatment, quantity of total phenol content was just ninth of the control leaves. Boron and calcium sprays decreased the total phenol, anthocyanin and flavonoids content in sweet cherry fruits, respectively. However, boron treatment was more effective than calcium sprayings. Conclusion of boron and calcium spraying was significant in most cases of our trial.