Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the respiratory tract microbiome in hospitalized COVID‐19 patients with different disease severity

Little is known about the characteristics of respiratory tract microbiome in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) inpatients with different severity. We conducted a study that expected to clarify these characteristics as much as possible. A cross‐sectional study was conducted to characterize respiratory tract microbial communities of 69 COVID‐19 inpatients from 64 nasopharyngeal swabs and 5 sputum specimens using 16S ribosomal RNA gene V3‐V4 region sequencing. The bacterial profiles were analyzed to find potential biomarkers by the two‐step method, the combination of random forest model and the linear discriminant analysis effect size, and explore the connections with clinical characteristics by Spearman's rank test. Compared with mild COVID‐19 patients, severe patients had significantly decreased bacterial diversity (p‐values were less than 0.05 in the alpha and beta diversity) and relative lower abundance of opportunistic pathogens, including Actinomyces, Prevotella, Rothia, Streptococcus, Veillonella. Eight potential biomarkers including Treponema, Leptotrichia, Lachnoanaerobaculum, Parvimonas, Alloprevotella, Porphyromonas, Gemella, and Streptococcus were found to distinguish the mild COVID‐19 patients from the severe COVID‐19 patients. The genera of Actinomyces and Prevotella were negatively correlated with age in two groups. Intensive care unit admission, neutrophil count, and lymphocyte count were significantly correlated with different genera in the two groups. In addition, there was a positive correlation between Klebsiella and white blood cell count in two groups. The respiratory tract microbiome had significant differences in COVID‐19 patients with different severity. The value of the respiratory tract microbiome as predictive biomarkers for COVID‐19 severity deserves further exploration.
Identifying Key Processes and Drivers Affecting the Success of Non-indigenous Marine Species in Coastal Waters

Non-indigenous species (NIS) pose a major threat to biodiversity and the functioning and services of ecosystems. Despite their rapid spread in coastal waters worldwide, biotic invasions are widely disregarded in marine conservation planning. To guide conservation actions, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms determining the success of NIS are therefore needed. Here we develop a joint modelling approach to identify the key drivers and community assembly processes determining the occurrence of invasive benthic invertebrates, using Danish coastal waters as a case study. To reflect factors affecting the introduction, establishment and spread of NIS throughout the area, we compiled long-term monitoring data on NIS, as well as information on commercial shipping, environmental conditions and estimates of larvae settling densities derived from drift model simulations informed by species traits. We then applied a set of species distribution models to identify the key drivers determining the occurrence of NIS. Our results demonstrate a significant positive effect of vessel activity, a negative effect of depth and bottom salinity, as well as a positive effect of the simulated settling densities on the probability of presence. Taken together, our results highlight the role of commercial shipping, habitat characteristics and passive advection of early-life stages on the success of NIS. Our joint modelling approach provide improved process understanding on the key community assembly processes determining the presence of NIS and may serve to guide monitoring, management and conservation planning in order to limit future invasions and their negative consequences on coastal ecosystems.
Developing the Vectorial Glance

Integrating information systems (IS) has become a key goal for governments worldwide. Systems of “authentic registers,” for instance, provide government agencies with information from databases acknowledged as the only legitimate sources of data. Concerns are thus arising about the risks for democratic accountability constituted by more and more integrated governmental IS. Studies call for a new research agenda that investigates the redistribution of authority and accountability entailed by interoperable IS. This article contributes to this endeavor by suggesting the “vectorial glance” as a research framework that works along two lines. First, by recovering the science and technology studies notion of “infrastructural inversion,” it looks at the technical minutiae of interoperability projects as strategic sites where institutional shifts—and eventually state transformation—can become visible. Second, by defining interoperability as a performative process of boundary reordering, it opens research to the possibility that institutional identities be reconstituted along different lines. Just as vector graphics are based on paths that lead through control points without being bound to underlying pixels, so the vectorial glance runs across boundaries without implicitly assuming that they are immutable and/or a priori relevant for the analysis. This article draws on a case study observed while working at a major project of civil registers integration in Italy.
The influence of acute kidney disease on the clinical outcomes of patients who received cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin

Cisplatin (CDDP) is used as the first line of treatment for some tumors, but its use may be restricted due to its nephrotoxicity. Carboplatin (CARBO) and oxaliplatin (OXA) are less nephrotoxic alternatives to CDDP. This study has the objective to determine the incidence of acute kidney disease after chemotherapy with CDDP, CARBO, or OXA.
Socio-demographic characteristics of digital financial services users: Evidence from Serbia

Given the importance of digital financial services on financial inclusion, the authors examined the socio-demographic characteristics of users of digital financial services in the Republic of Serbia. The authors hypothesized that age, education, employment, and income are key socio-demographic characteristics that have influenced digital financial services. The Global Findex database of the World Bank was used to analyze the socio-demographic characteristics of digital financial service users in the Republic of Serbia, with a sample of 1000 inhabitants older than 15 years. To test differences between the analyzed characteristics, a t-test was applied using SPSSv25. The results show a difference among most of the analyzed characteristics. Socio-demographic characteristics, apart from gender and income, are statistically significant. The results show a statistically significant difference in the age of users of digital financial services and non-users of digital financial services. Also, users of digital financial services are highly educated and more often employed. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the average user of digital financial services is younger, more educated, more often employed and uses various banking services, such as credit and debit cards, savings and borrowing more often than non-users of these services.
Multiple Attributed Parametric Review Study on Mechanical Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Harvesters

Crop characteristics of cotton are crucial to identify the important crop attributes like plant height, canopy width, sympods and monopods distribution, row spacing which affects the performance of mechanical harvesters. The activity and effectiveness of most harvest aids, including desiccants is reduced by low temperature conditions. Trash content was observed to be lesser in cotton harvested by cotton picker than cotton harvested by cotton stripper. It was found that a maximum cotton yield of 1000 kg acre-1 was obtained for a cotton plant population ranging between 45,000 and 90,000 plants acre-1. Likewise, a minimum of 700 to 740 kg acre-1 was observed for a cotton plant population of 33,000 plants acre-1. In higher yielding cotton, cotton pickers recorded higher picking rate than cotton strippers. Picking/harvesting efficiency of cotton stripper with both finger and brush type mechanism was higher than the spindle type cotton picker. Picking efficiency of pneumatic picker was higher than the other types of picking mechanisms, but with lesser rate of picking capacity. Gin turnout of cotton was higher with cotton picker when compared with cotton stripper due to lesser trash content in picker harvested cotton. The horsepower requirement of cotton stripper ranged from ½ to ¼ horsepower and cost is about two-thirds of the price as compared with cotton picker. The scheduling and monitoring of various activities involved in cotton picking by using a suitable software model can increase the benefits of both growers and harvesting companies. The reduction in uniformity with roller gin-type lint cleaners ranged between 0.2 to 0.8%, which was lesser as compared with saw-type lint cleaners. Introducing mechanical harvesting has always been a decades-long process. In Turkey, it took 20 years and in Greece, this process took place very gradually over a 15-year period. Top cotton producing countries like India, Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan and other developing countries like Iran Paraguay are still not using machine harvesting. The introduction of mechanical cotton picker or stripper can help improve quality and quantity of cotton picking thereby giving more benefit to growers in developing countries and improving their socio-economic status. The most controversial issue raised by the introduction of the mechanical cotton harvester is great migration as the machines eliminated jobs and forced poor families to leave their homes and farms in search for urban jobs. Therefore Government policies towards cotton harvesting mechanization must include the alternative jobs, packages for dependent manual cotton pickers and their families.
Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) Modulator Design using Multi-Port Network in Multilayer Microstrip-Slot Technology for Wireless Communication Applications

The design of the quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulator by using a multi-port network is proposed in this article for the use in wireless communication applications. The multi-port network is in the form of multilayer microstrip-slot technology. This multi-port network is composed of three 3-dB rectangular-shaped directional couplers with virtual stubs and an equal power division divider with in-phase characteristic. The design is performed by applying a full-wave electromagnetic simulation software, CST Microwave Studio (CST MWS). Keysight's Advanced Design System (ADS) is applied in analyzing and evaluating the QPSK constellation of the proposed modulator. This comparatively small size of proposed design has been fabricated, and its wideband performance of 2 to 6 GHz is verified.
On a Subclass of Analytic Functions That Are Starlike with Respect to a Boundary Point Involving Exponential Function

In the present exploration, the authors define and inspect a new class of functions that are regular in the unit disc D ≔ ς ∈ ℂ : ς < 1 , by using an adapted version of the interesting analytic formula offered by Robertson (unexploited) for starlike functions with respect to a boundary point by subordinating to an exponential function. Examples of some new subclasses are presented. Initial coefficient estimates are specified, and the familiar Fekete-Szegö inequality is obtained. Differential subordinations concerning these newly demarcated subclasses are also established.
Immunological findings in patients with migraine and other primary headaches: a narrative review

Abstract Experimental findings suggest an involvement of neuroinflammatory mechanisms in the pathophysiology of migraine. Specifically, preclinical models of migraine have emphasized the role of neuroinflammation following the activation of the trigeminal pathway at several peripheral and central sites including dural vessels, the trigeminal ganglion, and the trigeminal nucleus caudalis. The evidence of an induction of inflammatory events in migraine pathophysiological mechanisms has prompted researchers to investigate the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) phenotypes as well as cytokine genetic polymorphisms in order to verify their potential relationship with migraine risk and severity. Furthermore, the role of neuroinflammation in migraine seems to be supported by evidence of an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, both ictally and interictally, together with the prevalence of Th1 lymphocytes and a reduction in regulatory lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of migraineurs. Cytokine profiles of cluster headache (CH) patients and those of tension-type headache patients further suggest an immunological dysregulation in the pathophysiology of these primary headaches, although evidence is weaker than for migraine. The present review summarizes available findings to date from genetic and biomarker studies that have explored the role of inflammation in primary headaches.
The Determinants of Deviant Workplace Behavior of Faculty Members working in Public Sector Universities of Punjab, Pakistan

The aim of the research is to empirical evaluate the effect of organizational formal control and workgroup norms on the deviant workplace behavior of the university faculty members of Pakistan. It further investigates the moderating effect of self-regularity efficacy. The study is primary in nature and used survey method to collect the responses from the teaching faculty of Pakistan. A total of 168 suitable responses were analyzed by using SMART PLS version 3 (Licensed). A PLS-SEM was used for analysis of the collected data. The result showed that when employees find themselves in under the influence of reference others, self-regulatory efficacy help them to attain compliance with significant organizational norms and doing that keep them away from involving in deviant workplace behaviors. Additionally, the results suggest that self-regularity efficacy have a significant part in regulating behaviors and observance to right self-sanctions for flawed behavior.
Meat quality characteristics of Infraspinatus, Triceps brachii, Longissimus thoraces, Biceps femoris, Semitendinosus, and Semimembranosus of Bactrian (Camelus Bactrianus) camel muscles

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare quality characteristics of Infraspinatus (IS), Triceps brachii (TB), Longissimus thoraces (LT), Biceps femoris (BF), Semitendinosus (ST), and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles from nine Bactrian camel carcasses. Individual muscles were collected to measure color, expressed juice, cooking loss, pH, sarcomere length, shear force value, myofibrillar fragmentation index. The pH for the six muscles was monitored at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hrs postmortem. The TB muscle had a significantly (P<0.05) higher pH value than LT, ST and SM muscles. The range of variation in expressed juice between the six muscles was 37.10 cm2/g in LT muscle to 41.27 cm2/g in SM muscle. The LT muscle had significantly lower cooking loss and shear force values than IS, ST, TB, SM and BF muscles. The LT muscle had significantly higher L* values than TB, ST, SM and BF muscles. However, the LT muscle had a significantly lower myofibrillar fragmentation index than the other muscles. This study indicated that meat quality characteristics varied among Bactrian camel muscle types and the knowledge of this variation allows for better marketing and processing of camel meat. (Resume d'auteur)
Language use in the South African advertising industry : a survey of advertising agencies in a multicultural society

Taalgebruik in die Suid-Afrikaanse reklame-industrie : 'n oorsig van reklame-agentskappe in 'n multikulturele gemeenskap Die Suid-Afrikaanse grondwet se verbintenis tot veeltaligheid word nie eergegee deur middel van enige formele regulering van taalgebruik in die advertensiewese nie. Eerder as die eksterne regulering van die advertensiewese deur die regering, maak die industrie gebruik van 'n tradisie van selfregulering wat lank reeds bestaan. Hierdie artikel lewer verslag oor die bedryf se benadering tot veeltaligheid wat deur middel van 'n vraelys ondersoek is. Aan die hand van die werk van onder andere Klein en De Mooij bespreek die outeurs die bydraende faktore tot die huidige stand van sake binne die Suid-Afrikaanse teikenmark. The commitment to multilingualism in the South African Constitution is not reflected in any formal regulation of language use in the advertising industry. Rather than external regulation by government, control in the industry is achieved by a long tradition of self-regulation. This article reports on a questionnaire investigating the industry's response to multilingualism. With reference to the work of Klein and De Mooij, among others, the authors then discuss the factors contributing to the present state of affairs in the South African marketplace.
Discriminative Utility of Apelin-to-NT-Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide Ratio for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Background: Apelin is a regulatory vasoactive peptide, which plays a pivotal role in adverse cardiac remodeling and heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether serum levels of apelin is associated with HF with preserved election fraction (HFpEF) in patients with T2DM. Methods: The study retrospectively involved 101 T2DM patients aged 41 to 62 years (48 patients with HFpEF and 28 non-HFpEF patients). The healthy control group consisted of 25 individuals with matched age and sex. Data collection included demographic and anthropometric information, hemodynamic performances and biomarkers of the disease. Transthoracic B-mode echocardiography, Doppler and TDI were performed at baseline. Serum levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and apelin were measured by ELISA in all patients at the study entry. Results: Unadjusted multivariate logistic model yielded the only apelin to NT-proBNP ratio (OR = 1.44; p = 0.001), BMI > 34 кг/м2 (OR = 1.07; p = 0.036), NT-proBNP > 458 pmol/mL (OR = 1.17; p = 0.042), LAVI > 34 mL/m2 (OR = 1.06; p = 0.042) and E/e’ > 11 (OR = 1.04; p = 0.044) remained to be strong predictors for HFpEF. After obesity adjustment, multivariate logistic regression showed that the apelin to NT-proBNP ratio < 0.82 × 10−2 units remained sole independent predictor for HFpEF (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.18–2.77; p = 0.001) HFpEF in T2DM patients. In conclusion, we found that apelin to NT-proBNP ratio < 0.82 × 10−2 units better predicted HFpEF in T2DM patients than apelin and NT-proBNP alone. This finding could open new approach for CV risk stratification of T2DM at higher risk of HF.
Characterizing the Tensile Strength of the Fabrics Used in Firefighters’ Bunker Gear under Radiant Heat Exposure

More than 60,000 firefighters’ injuries were reported by the National Fire Protection Association in the U.S. in 2019. Inadequate protection by bunker gear could be a reason for most of the injuries. Firefighters repeatedly encounter thermal hazards due to their job responsibilities. Degradation could occur on bunker gear fabric during thermal exposure. It has been found that the presence of moisture affects performance as well, which may come from wearers’ sweat. Proper evaluation of the tensile strength of the fabrics used in bunker gear could provide information essential for maintenance the overall integrity of the gear. An evaluation of the tensile strength of fabrics when exposed to 10, 15, and 20 kW/m2 radiant heat flux in the presence of moisture is reported. In each fabric system, a total of sixty-four different samples were prepared for four different types of fabric and four levels of moisture which were exposed to three different radiant heat flux for five minutes. Heat flux and moisture levels have significant impact on tensile strength. The effect of moisture on tensile strength in a three-layered fabric system is higher than that for a single layer fabric. An understanding of the impact of heat and moisture on fabric strength has been achieved.
Determinants of Regional Economic Resilience to Economic Crisis: Evidence from Chinese Economies

The severity of the 2007–2008 economic crisis and the spatial heterogeneity of its impact have accelerated the study of regional economic resilience. The economic crisis has affected most parts of the world, and its impact is highly heterogeneous within China. The aim of this study was to explore the determinants of regional economic resilience across 284 Chinese cities from 2003–2018. Both nation-based and province-based regional economic resilience were examined. A multilevel logistic regression model was established, finding a disparity of provincial effects on regional performance during the economic crisis. Regional economic resilience is significantly affected by provincial trajectories, economy size, and resources. There are five significant determinants of economic resilience: income inequality, innovation, government intervention, human capital, and financial development. The results provide evidence for the government to design region-based policies, taking into consideration the size and the resources of the region’s economy to build a resilient wall to defend against external shocks and to form a basis for sustainable development.
Individual Differences in Indirect Speech Act Processing Found Outside the Language Network

Abstract Face-to-face communication requires skills that go beyond core language abilities. In dialogue, we routinely make inferences beyond the literal meaning of utterances and distinguish between different speech acts based on, e.g., contextual cues. It is, however, not known whether such communicative skills potentially overlap with core language skills or other capacities, such as theory of mind (ToM). In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study we investigate these questions by capitalizing on individual variation in pragmatic skills in the general population. Based on behavioral data from 199 participants, we selected participants with higher vs. lower pragmatic skills for the fMRI study (N = 57). In the scanner, participants listened to dialogues including a direct or an indirect target utterance. The paradigm allowed participants at the whole group level to (passively) distinguish indirect from direct speech acts, as evidenced by a robust activity difference between these speech acts in an extended language network including ToM areas. Individual differences in pragmatic skills modulated activation in two additional regions outside the core language regions (one cluster in the left lateral parietal cortex and intraparietal sulcus and one in the precuneus). The behavioral results indicate segregation of pragmatic skill from core language and ToM. In conclusion, contextualized and multimodal communication requires a set of interrelated pragmatic processes that are neurocognitively segregated: (1) from core language and (2) partly from ToM.
The Impacts of Suppliers and Mutual Outsourcing on Organizational Forms

We consider a downstream duopoly model with a monopolistic common supplier and mutual outsourcing between the two symmetric downstream firms. The market structure captures the recent procurement environment in the smartphone industry. We also incorporate managerial delegations into the duopoly model because deciding on organizational forms within a firm is critical to achieving better performance in almost all industries. There is an equilibrium in which only one of the firms delegates its downstream production to its sales manager. A delegating firm becomes less aggressive. The profits when both firms delegate can be higher than those when no firm delegates. The total surplus when both firms delegate is smaller than that when no firm delegates.