Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Convalescent Plasma for Preventing Critical Illness in COVID-19: a Phase 2 Trial and Immune Profile

Transfusion of high-titer CIP to non-critically ill patients early after admission with COVID-19 respiratory disease was associated with significantly increased anti-SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies (compared to baseline) and a non-significant reduction in ICU transfer and death (compared to controls). This prospective phase II trial provides a suggestion that the antiviral effects of CIP from early in the COVID-19 pandemic may delay progression to critical illness and death in specific patient populations. ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an unprecedented event requiring frequent adaptation to changing clinical circumstances. Convalescent immune plasma (CIP) is a promising treatment that can be mobilized rapidly in a pandemic setting. We tested whether administration of SARS-CoV-2 CIP at hospital admission could reduce the rate of ICU transfer or 28-day mortality or alter levels of specific antibody responses before and after CIP infusion. In a single-arm phase II study, patients >18 years-old with respiratory symptoms with confirmed COVID-19 infection who were admitted to a non-ICU bed were administered two units of CIP within 72 h of admission. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 detected by PCR in the respiratory tract and circulating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers were sequentially measured before and after CIP transfusion. Twenty-nine patients were transfused high titer CIP and 48 contemporaneous comparable controls were identified. All classes of antibodies to the three SARS-CoV-2 target proteins were significantly increased at days 7 and 14 post-transfusion compared with baseline (P < 0.01). Anti-nucleocapsid IgA levels were reduced at day 28, suggesting that the initial rise may have been due to the contribution of CIP. The groups were well-balanced, without statistically significant differences in demographics or co-morbidities or use of remdesivir or dexamethasone. In participants transfused with CIP, the rate of ICU transfer was 13.8% compared to 27.1% for controls with a hazard ratio 0.506 (95% CI 0.165–1.554), and 28-day mortality was 6.9% compared to 10.4% for controls, hazard ratio 0.640 (95% CI 0.124–3.298). IMPORTANCE Transfusion of high-titer CIP to non-critically ill patients early after admission with COVID-19 respiratory disease was associated with significantly increased anti-SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies (compared to baseline) and a non-significant reduction in ICU transfer and death (compared to controls). This prospective phase II trial provides a suggestion that the antiviral effects of CIP from early in the COVID-19 pandemic may delay progression to critical illness and death in specific patient populations. This study informs the optimal timing and potential population of use for CIP in COVID-19, particularly in settings without access to other interventions, or in planning for future coronavirus pandemics.
Why is the Shaw's Agave (Agave shawii subsp. Shawii) Not Reproducing? Investigating a Rare Species' Pollination and Germination in a Fragmented Urban Park

Abstract: Shaw's Agave (Agave shawii subsp. shawii) is a rare plant found in only a handful of occurrences within the extreme southwestern corner of the USA in a highly urbanized region. Seedling recruitment of Shaw's Agave in California is visibly low, and viable seed production appears to have been very low in recent years, and has been identified as a primary threat to the persistence of these populations. We performed pollination trials, seed germination studies, and inventoried floral visitors and potential pollinators (including the collection of invertebrates) to determine if pollination and/or germination failure is limiting reproduction. We placed bat detectors and camera traps near blooming agaves, and observed bird and insect visitation to the flowers. Pollination treatments included hand pollination with cross-individual and selfing trials. Our results found a low amount of seed produced per fruit across the pollination trials. Seedling herbivory was also very high (85% and 100%) in the two treatments. The combination of low seed set and high herbivory may help explain the lack of recruitment observed at multiple sites in recent years. No nectar feeding bats utilized the Shaw's agave in our study area. The only significant insect visiting flowers was the honey bee (Apis mellifera), which gathered nectar without touching the anthers. Hummingbird species were also frequent visitors but generally avoided touching the agave anthers. Only the Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus), a migratory bird, appeared to regularly visit flowers for their nectar, while standing on the flowers and brushing against the anthers, potentially providing some pollination but only for plants blooming during the period the oriole is present in the region. Seedling predation was significant, and poses a considerable threat to this population. Further research into seed set and pollination treatments is recommended.
Seasonal Photoinhibition of Photosystem II in a Cold-Climate Canadian Cactus (Opuntia cespitosa)

Abstract: Few members of the Cactaceae family occur in cold climates resulting in our limited knowledge about their response to such conditions. We used chlorophyll fluorescence to assess the impact of seasonal changes in the extremes of a continental climate on the photosynthetic performance of Opuntia cespitosa in Canada. Quantum yield (QY, FV/FM) was sampled on opposing faces of four cladodes (pads) from April to December, and data for ambient air temperature, morning sky conditions and soil moisture were collected. Soil moisture was negatively related to FV/FM, but only on sun-facing pad faces. We found that FV/FM was variable at the start and ending periods while the summer months had consistently high values. FV/FM decline began more than a month earlier on sun-facing pad faces than shaded faces, with some shaded faces with FV/FM > 0.8 even in December. Indeed, when sun- and shade-facing faces were inverted on one pad in late November, FV/FM increased on the newly shaded face, suggesting remarkable resilience to recover from photoinhibition. Overall, we suggest photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII) is related to low temperature and secondarily to light exposure. Although Opuntia only suffers from photoinhibition during the coldest months, photoinhibition appears to be dynamic and reversible. The seasonal response of Opuntia cespitosa appears to mimic that observed for the cold tolerant evergreen conifers.
Comic Spin: A Comic Creation Tool Enabling Self-expression for People with Aphasia

Comics, with their highly visual format, offer a promising opportunity for people who experience challenges with language to express humour and emotion. However, comic creation tools are not designed to be accessible to people with language impairments such as aphasia. We report the design and exploration of Comic Spin, an app for people with aphasia that supports the creation of comic strips by constraining the creative space. We explored the use of Comic Spin in two studies involving creative workshops. Findings showed that people were able to use Comic Spin successfully to create a range of narrative, humorous, and subversive comic strips, and that these enabled people to self-express in ways that went beyond the content of the comic strips themselves.
Traveling More Independently: A Study on the Diverse Needs and Challenges of People with Visual or Mobility Impairments in Unfamiliar Indoor Environments

It is much more difficult for people with visual or mobility impairments to prepare for a trip or visit unfamiliar places than it is for people without disabilities. In addition to the usual travel arrangements, one needs to know if the various parts of the travel chain are accessible. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous work that examines in depth travel behavior for indoor environments for both trip planning and execution, highlighting the special needs of people with low vision, blindness, or mobility impairments (MIs). In this article, we present a survey of 125 participants with blindness, low vision, and MIs. We investigate how mobile they are, what strategies they use to prepare a journey to an unknown building, how they orient themselves there, and what materials they use. For all three groups, our results provide insights into the problem space of the specific information needs when planning and executing a trip. We found that most of our participants have specific mobility problems depending on their disability. Feedback from the participants reveals that there is a large information gap, especially for orientation in buildings, regarding availability of high-quality digital, tactile, and printable indoor maps; accessibility of buildings; and mobility supporting systems. In particular, there is a lack of available and high-quality indoor maps. Our analysis also points out that the specific needs differ for the three groups. Besides the expected between-group differences, large in-group differences can also be found. The current article is an expanded version of earlier work [18] augmented by data of people with MIs.
Avoidable hospitalization after family physician and rural health insurance: interrupted time series and regression analyses, Tehran province, Iran

Abstract Background Studying the effect of primary health care development when simultaneously implemented with health insurance schemes assesses effectiveness and use of health care services and gives us insight on how to develop such interventions in different countries. Aim To analyze the impact of health insurance and the family physician program on total hospitalizations, and the relation between avoidable hospitalizations and access to family physicians among the rural population in Iran. Methods We conducted an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis of monthly hospitalization rates between the years of 2003 and 2014 to assess the immediate and gradual effects of these reforms on total hospitalization rates in the rural areas of Tehran province. In addition, we used a sample of 22 570 hospitalizations between 2006 and 2013 to develop a logistic regression model to measure the association between access to a family physician and avoidable hospitalizations. Findings ITS analysis showed that there was an immediate increase of about 1.96 hospitalizations per 1000 inhabitants (P<0.0001, CI=1.58, 2.34) hospitalization rates after the reforms. This was followed by a significant increase of about 0.089 per 1000 inhabitants (P<0.0001, CI=0.07, 0.1). Hospitalization increase continued up to four years after the policy implementation. Following that, hospitalization rates decreased among the rural population (a decrease of 0.066 per 1000, P<0.0001, CI=−0.084, −0.048). Studying the hospitalizations that occurred between 2006 and 2013 showed that there were 4106 avoidable hospitalizations from among a sample of 22 570 hospitalizations. Results of logistic regression models including gender, age and access to family physician variables showed that there was no statistical relation between access to a family physician and avoidable hospitalizations. Conclusion Reforms had access effect and caused increased hospital services uses in people with unmet needs. Also the reforms did not decrease avoidable hospitalizations, and therefore had no efficiency effect.
Centre of mass location, flight modes, stability and dynamic modelling of gliders

Abstract Falling paper flutters and tumbles through air, whereas a paper airplane glides smoothly if its leading edge is appropriately weighted. We investigate this transformation from ‘plain paper’ to ‘paper plane’ through experiments, aerodynamic modelling and free flight simulations of thin plates with differing centre of mass (CoM) locations. Periodic modes such as fluttering, tumbling and bounding give way to steady gliding and then downward diving as the CoM is increasingly displaced towards one edge. To explain these observations, we formulate a quasi-steady aerodynamic model whose force and torque coefficients are informed by experimental measurements. The dependencies on angle of attack reflect the transition from attached to separated flow and a dynamic centre of pressure, effects that prove critical to reproducing the observed motions of paper planes in air and plates in water. Because the model successfully accounts for unsteady and steady flight modes, it may be usefully applied to further problems involving actuated motions, feedback control and interactions with ambient flows.
Molecular phylogeny and new insight into the stomatal complexity of Fictor platypapillata sp. n. (Diplogastridae: Nematoda) associated with Oniticellus cinctus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Abstract The new species Fictor platypapillata was isolated from dung beetle Oniticellus cinctus (Scarabaeidae), collected from the district Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Fictor platypapillata sp. n. is described based on morphology, morphometric and molecular characterization, supplemented with scanning electron microscopy observations. The new species is characterized by two female morphs based on stomatal dimorphism: α morph with left subventral wall having 14 denticles, six low conical and eight elongated finger-like, slender denticles separated by a deep groove; inner wall of gymnostom with linearly arranged warts; β morph with inner wall of gymnostom lacking warts; dorsal and right subventral stegostomal walls having large, slender teeth with hook-shaped apical end. Genital sensilla eight pairs with v5 pair flattened, button-shaped, located ventrally. The phylogenetic analyses revealed significant congruence, especially in the position of the subordinate taxa of genus Fictor that shows polyphyly by both Bayesian inference and minimum evolution methods. The taxonomy of the genus is updated with a valid species list along with their geographical mapping.
Structural and Predictive Validity of the Spanish Short Version of Utrecht Work Engagement Scale in Educational Institutions Workers

Abstract In this paper, we evaluate the factorial validity of the Spanish short version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES–9) and assess its predictive validity with respect to self-assessed work performance. A total of 229 employees from educational institutions in Ecuador participated. Using a model comparison analysis, the unidimensional model exhibited an excellent goodness of fit, χ2 = 26.176 (24), p = . 344; CFI =1.000; TLI = 1.000; RMSEA = . 020; SRMR = . 034; it was not improved by more complex models, Three-factor model: χ2 = 22.148 (21), p = . 391; CFI =1.000; TLI = 1.000; RMSEA = . 016; SRMR = . 033. Two-factor model: χ2 = 26.080 (23), p = . 297; CFI = 1.000; TLI = 1.000; RMSEA = . 025; SRMR = . 034). Therefore, it is justified as a unidimensional instrument of work engagement. However, upon analyzing the correlation patterns of the overall score and the work engagement dimensions in relation to the task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive behaviors, we conclude that, while the unidimensional model exhibits a good fit, the three-factor theoretical approach is substantively superior in that it maintains differential predictive validity for each theoretical dimension.
On the Convergence of Optimal Computing Budget Allocation Algorithms

This paper considers a well-known ranking and selection (R&S) framework, called optimal computing budget allocation (OCBA). This framework includes a set of equations that optimally determine the number of samples allocated to each design in a finite design set. Sample allocations that satisfy these equations have been shown to be the asymptotic optimizer of the probability of correct selection (PCS) for the best design and the expected opportunity cost (EOC) if false selection occurs. In this paper, we analyze two popular OCBA algorithms and study their convergence rates, assuming known variances for samples of each design. It fills the gap of convergence analysis for algorithms that are developed based on the OCBA optimality equations. In addition, we propose modifications of the OCBA algorithms for cumulative regret, an objective commonly studied in machine learning, and derive their convergence rates. Last, the convergence behaviors of these algorithms are demonstrated using numerical examples.
Reflections On Simulation Optimization

I provide some perspectives on simulation optimization. First, more attention should be devoted to the finite-time performance of solvers than on ensuring convergence properties that may only arise in asymptotic time scales that may never be reached in practice. Both analytical results and computational experiments can further this goal. Second, so-called sample-path functions can exhibit extremely complex behavior that is well worth understanding in selecting a solver and its parameters. Third, I advocate the use of a layered approach to formulating and solving optimization problems, whereby a sequence of models are built and optimized, rather than first building a simulation model and only later “bolting on” optimization.
A Data Processing Pipeline For Cyber-Physical Risk Assessments Of Municipal Supply Chains

Smart city technologies promise reduced congestion by optimizing transportation movements. Increased connectivity, however, may increase the attack surface of a municipality's critical functions. Increased supply chain attacks (up nearly 80 % in 2019) and municipal ransomware attacks (up 60 % in 2019) motivate the need for holistic approaches to risk assessment. Therefore, we present a methodology to quantify the degree to which supply-chain movements may be observed or disrupted via compromised smart-city devices. Our data-processing pipeline uses publicly available datasets to model intermodal commodity flows within and surrounding a municipality. Using a hierarchy tree to adaptively sample spatial networks within geographic regions of interest, we bridge the gap between grid- and network-based risk assessment frameworks. Results based on fieldwork for the Jack Voltaic exercises sponsored by the Army Cyber Institute demonstrate our approach on intermodal movements through Charleston, SC and San Diego, CA.
A Compensation Network With Error Mapping for Robust Remote Photoplethysmography in Noise-Heavy Conditions

Remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) measurement has received much attention due to its attractive applications in contactless physiological monitoring. It calculates the blood volume pulse from color signals with a normal camera. Artifacts caused by motion and illumination changes must be accounted for, especially in real-world usage. In this article, we propose a novel framework that includes an error compensation neural network after conventional signal-based rPPG extraction to improve the measuring results. Our main idea is to leverage facial image factors and frequency spectrum features to characterize the relevance between the current measurement conditions and measurement error; given inaccurate measurements, the compensation network computes the corresponding correction term to improve performance. The implementation of this compensation network includes a feature extractor based mainly on 1-D convolution kernels and a recurrent structure to account for temporal interference. Results of experiments conducted on two open datasets and two self-constructed datasets recorded for compact car drivers and passengers with driving disturbance demonstrate significant improvements over state-of-the-art methods, especially in challenging cases. The percentage of the mean absolute error with respect to that based on conventional signal-based methods improves by up to 72.3% for drivers and 66.7% for passengers.
Environmental Sustainability as Food for Thought! Simulation-Based Assessment of Fulfillment Strategies in the E-Grocery Sector

Environmental sustainability is among the key concerns of our time. Especially the traffic and transportation sector entails a high degree of negative consequences on sustainability metrics such as CO2 emissions, increasing the need for innovative concepts to cope with the requirements of our modern society, while at the same time decreasing environmental pollution. A potential solution in this regard are grocery deliveries (e-grocery), which can achieve economies of scale by bundling orders. Within the last two decades, multiple e-grocery concepts have evolved in operational practice, which we assess by means of a comprehensive simulation study to guide future systematic investigation on (simulation-based) sustainability research. The concrete results of our study indicate that grocery deliveries by courier, express, and parcel organizations can outperform fulfillment strategies based on insourcing by up to 50 % in terms of mileages as well as 39 % and 66 % regarding CO2 and PM2.5 emissions.
Competing Incentives in Sequential Sampling Rules

We describe a framework in which two parties have competing objectives in estimating the mean performance of a stochastic system through sequential sampling. A “regulator” is interested in obtaining a correct measurement with an acceptable probability level, while the “stakeholder” in the project is interested in minimizing the cost associated with the output performance measure and the sampling cost. We demonstrate how the stakeholder can choose an optimal sampling rule to minimize their costs when they have private information which is not shared with the regulator. We further suggest how the regulator can choose a key controllable parameter of the optimal sampling rule in order to asymptotically approach a fair result for both parties.
Digital Humanities Approaches to Learning Methods Development

The article discusses the possibilities of the project method implementing to the university education in the transition period from offline to online training. The pedagogical aspects are considered in the context of the interdisciplinary approaches of digital humanities as learning content and teaching methods. Such approaches to the higher education pedagogy allow to improve the quality of education and ensure the successful mastering by students of the competencies necessary of the digital labor market specialists. The article presents the results of an experiment that was carried out as part of the pedagogical activities of the Department of Information Systems in Art and Humanities of the Faculty of Arts of St. Petersburg State University during 2018-2021. The results obtained indicate that the approaches of digital humanitarian pedagogy contribute to the more effective development of students' competencies of a specialist in a digital society.
Measurement of Presence by a Presence Counter Based on Breaks in Presence

The paper is concerned with methods of measuring presence. The physiological and behaviour methods are situation-specific whereas subjective method is used after virtual session. In this paper we focus on the method that evaluates the presence counter based on breaks in presence (BiP). The advantage of this method is its implementation during the virtual session, during the virtual experience. Within the experiment, 22 participants walked around the virtual Asian park and searched for virtual vases. They gave signals when BiPs occurred. The presence counter can be calculated based on this data. To validate this approach the participant were asked to answer ITC-Sense of Presence Inventory (ITC-SOPI) after the virtual session. Our approach of computing the presence counter involves the Markov chain that is a simplest model of stochastic process. Presence counter based on BiP and the Markov chain was proposed by Slater and Steed. They consider the discrete time model. In the paper we revisit this approach and, additionally, develop the continuous time Markov chain based method of presence counter. The calculation of the correlation between the presence counters based on BiP and results of ITC-SOPI showes that the counters relied on the continuous time Markov chain are most sensitive. This paper shows that a BIP-based presence counter can be used as an effective presence measure.