Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Body mass index associated with severity and mortality of patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background As an important indicator to measure obesity or underweight, body mass index (BMI) can be used to assess the potential risk for various diseases. The present study systematically examined the relationship between BMI and severity and mortality of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for studies published as of September 3, 2020 and extracted the relevant data of research endpoints in each study. Results This study included 16 studies with 6087 patients. This study observed a significant increase in BMI on admission in patients with severe COVID-19 compared with those with non-severe COVID-19 (Mean difference [MD] = 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52 − 2.37, I2 = 33%, P < 0.00001). A significant increase in BMI on admission was observed in patients who died from COVID-19 compared with (MD = 3.01, 95% CI: 1.83 to 4.19, I2 = 0%, P < 0.00001). In the intensive care unit (ICU) or geriatric ward, the study observed a significant decrease in BMI in the non-survivor group compared with the survivor group (MD = -1.61, 95% CI: -3.07 to -0.16, I2 = 72%, P = 0.03). Conclusions Higher BMI on admission is associated with severity and mortality of patients with COVID-19, but lower BMI is associated with mortality of patients with COVID-19 in the ICU or geriatric ward. Thus, we strongly recommend that clinicians should closely monitor the BMI of patients with COVID-19, especially those from the ICU or geriatric ward.
Caffeine’s Effects on Pausing During Alternating Work Requirements

There is a significant body of literature stating that caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the world, yet its effects on operant behavior are little understood. Some of the current research on caffeine suggests that it may play a role in altering motivational states related to transitions between previous and upcoming work requirements. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of caffeine on postreinforcement pausing during transitions between small and large fixed ratio rudiments. Eight rats were exposed to five doses of caffeine and and a two-component multiple schedule. We found that caffeine does systematically alter the length of pausing during transitions between fixed ratio requirements, however the magnitude of the effect may be dependent on the baseline rate of responding.
Alignment in second language dialogue

This paper considers the nature of second language dialogues, involving at least one non-native (L2) speaker. We assume that dialogue is characterised by a process in which interlocutors develop similar mental states to each other (Pickering & Garrod, 2004). We first consider various means in which interlocutors align their mental states, and suggest why such alignment may be different in second language dialogues from dialogues involving native (L1) speakers. Specifically, we consider alignment in L2 speakers conversing with L1 speakers, L1 speakers conversing with L2 speakers, and L2 speakers conversing with each other, and sketch a range of experimental predictions.
Towards Transparent Robot Learning Through TDRL-Based Emotional Expressions

Robots and virtual agents need to adapt existing and learn novel behavior to function autonomously in our society. Robot learning is often in interaction with or in the vicinity of humans. As a result the learning process needs to be transparent to humans. Reinforcement Learning (RL) has been used successfully for robot task learning. However, this learning process is often not transparent to the users. This results in a lack of understanding of what the robot is trying to do and why. The lack of transparency will directly impact robot learning. The expression of emotion is used by humans and other animals to signal information about the internal state of the individual in a language-independent, and even species-independent way, also during learning and exploration. In this article we argue that simulation and subsequent expression of emotion should be used to make the learning process of robots more transparent. We propose that the TDRL Theory of Emotion gives sufficient structure on how to develop such an emotionally expressive learning robot. Finally, we argue that next to such a generic model of RL-based emotion simulation we need personalized emotion interpretation for robots to better cope with individual expressive differences of users.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Sense and nonsense in sensors

Continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a developing technology in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The first randomised controlled trials on its efficacy have been performed. In several studies, CGM lowered HbA1c in adult patients with suboptimally controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus, when selecting compliant patients who tolerate the device. However, as a preventive tool for hypoglycaemia, CGM has not fulfilled the great expectations. Increasing reimbursement of CGM is expected in the near future, awaiting studies on cost-effectiveness.
Antibiotic prophylaxis in ERCP with failed cannulation

Abstract Objectives Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with failed biliary cannulation is associated with a high rate of adverse events, but the role of prophylactic antibiotics remains unclear. The primary aim was to investigate if prophylactically administered antibiotics affect the frequency of overall adverse complications in patients where biliary cannulation fails during ERCP. The secondary aim was to investigate if specific infectious complications, also were affected by the antibiotic prophylaxis. Materials and methods We analysed data from 96,818 ERCPs (2006–2018), from the Swedish National Quality Registry of Cholecystectomy and ERCP (GallRiks), excluding ERCPs with successful cannulation (n = 88,743), missing data (n = 2,014), or on-going antibiotic therapy (n = 1,062). Results In total 4,996 procedures were included, 2,124 received (42.5%) and 2,872 (57.5%) did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis. There were fewer overall complications in the group receiving prophylaxis (13.6% vs. 17.1%, p < .001), which corresponded to a 24% adjusted odds reduction in the multivariable analysis (odds ratio [OR] 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65–0.89). In the prophylaxis group, there was a lower overall rate of infectious complications (2.1% vs. 3.2%; p = .038; OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.47–0.98) and abscesses (0.8% vs. 1.4%; p = .040; OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.31–0.96). However, no significant differences were seen in the rate of cholangitis (1.3% vs. 1.7%; p = .182; OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.46–1.18). Conclusion This national quality registry study of ERCPs with failed cannulation showed a significant reduction in overall and infectious complications when prophylactic antibiotics were administered.
Energy decay and self-preserving correlation functions in isotropic turbulence

and repeated indices imply summation over the values 1, 2 and 3. It may be shown without difficulty1,2 that the condition of isotropy requires the correlation between w, and u\ , where i and j have arbitrary values, to depend only on the geometrical configuration defined by £ and unit vectors in the iand . /-directions, and a single scalar function of r2. It can be represented as the typical component of a tensor of the second rank in the following manner:
Who are Dominant Communicators on Twitter? A Study of Korean Twitter Users

This study explores how Twitter users perceive their socio-communication attitudes as well as those who users follow. From the theoretical perspective of communication styles in interpersonal communication, this study focuses on the positions and roles of users and their partners in Twitter conversations by conducting a survey and a content analysis. The results demonstrate that the respondents tended to perceive their communication attitudes to be more passive on Twitter than in the real world. In addition, they tended to perceive that their most trusted followees were more likely to show dominant communication attitudes than they did. These results indicate that ordinary users are more likely to play a role as listeners than as speakers on Twitter while entrusting several trusted users with the role of a dominant communicator and that their perception of their own and their followees’ communication styles tends to influence their actual behavior on Twitter.
Film Falling Down a Heated Plate

A film falling down an inclined plane has been an active topic of fundamental research at the international level for several decades both theoretically and experimentally and is now a classical hydrodynamic instability problem. However, the dynamics of a falling film in the presence of additional complexities as compared to the classical problem, has largely been ignored by the majority of studies in falling films, even though these complexities are crucial in most situations of practical interest. These additional factors include heated substrates and threedimensional effects. Here we present very recent and most-up-to-date developments for the problem of a falling film in the presence of these complexities and we outline open questions and issues which have not been resolved. 1 Film Falling Down a Heated Plate
Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on glycemic control in children and adolescents

Objectives: To identify how children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes were coping with their condition during the COVID-19 lockdown, by detecting differences in blood glucose control and in lifestyle, including diet, physical activity, and mood deterioration, before and during the lockdown. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2020 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from interviews, using various forms of telecommunication. Results: The total sample size was 150 patients, 48 (28%) of whom were males and 102 (72%) females. The mean age of the patients was 12.45 years. The lockdown was associated with a significant increase in patients’ weight (p=0.001), body mass index (p=0.001), and blood glucose readings (p=0.007) compared to their values before the lockdown. Conclusion: A negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was found on blood glucose values and BMI, which may correlate with a lack of physical activity, increased consumption of carbohydrates and fast food, and mood deterioration.
On the Role of Imports in Enhancing Manufacturing Exports

Making use of a large panel dataset on Italian manufacturing rms, we provide evidence on the effect of imports on the firm export performance. We distinguish imports of intermediates according to their origin and we find that inputs sourced from low labour cost countries promote the firms' export activity. Imports from high-income countries do not significantly contribute to the export orientation of firms, especially when persistence in export is considered and the possible endogeneity of the import measures is accounted for via System GMM estimation of a linear probability model. Our evidence suggests that the impact of imports on the firms' entry in export markets works through the cost saving channel rather than the technology channel.
A survey of the external morphology, internal oral morphology, chondrocranium and hyobranchial apparatus of Elachistocleis larvae Parker, 1927 (Anura, Microhylidae)

The external morphology, internal oral morphology, the chondrocranium and the hyobranchial apparatus of Elachistocleis bumbameuboi, E. cf. piauiensis, E. cesarii and E. bicolor are described and compared with each other and with other species of microhylids using available descriptions from the literature. The general morphology of Elachistocleis species is conservative in many aspects. Differences between species are subtle and are found in the body shape, the edge of the snout, fin height, if the lateral line is evident, the presence of regular pustules in the buccal roof arena, the posterolateral edge of the cartilago suprarostralis, the shape of the fenestra in the occipital region, presence or absence of fenestra hypophysea, the margin of the processus antorbitalis, expansions in the ventrolateral process, the shape and inclination of the fenestra subocularis, whether the subotic process is single or slightly bifid, and the inclination of the processus anterolateralis hyalis.
Planar Doppler velocimetry measurements of flows using imaging fiber bundles

The development of a planar Doppler velocimetry is described. The technique is capable of measuring the three, instantaneous components of velocity in two dimensions using a single pair of signal and reference cameras. PDV can be used to measure the instantaneous 3-D velocity of a fluid by using an absorption line filter (ALF) to determine the Doppler shifted frequency of a narrow line pulsed laser (Nd:YAG) that has been scattered off particles seeded into the flow. The velocity of the fluid is determined using the Doppler formula and is dependent on the laser direction and the viewing direction. Hence, only one velocity component of the flow is measured. This component can be measured in two spatial dimensions using an array detector such as a CCD camera. To capture the three components, three such measurement heads have been used viewing from different angles. In the technique presented here the three views are ported from the collection optics to a single imaging plane using flexible fiber imaging bundles. These are made up of a coherent array of single fibers and are combined at one end as the input plane to the measurement head. The paper discusses the issues involved in developing a full three-dimensional velocity measurement system.
The MASSIVE Survey - V. Spatially-Resolved Stellar Angular Momentum, Velocity Dispersion, and Higher Moments of the 41 Most Massive Local Early-Type Galaxies

We present spatially-resolved two-dimensional stellar kinematics for the 41 most massive early-type galaxies (MK ~ 10^11.8 Msun) of the volume-limited (D < 108 Mpc) MASSIVE survey. For each galaxy, we obtain high-quality spectra in the wavelength range of 3650 to 5850 A from the 246-fiber Mitchell integral-field spectrograph (IFS) at McDonald Observatory, covering a 107" x 107" field of view (often reaching 2 to 3 effective radii). We measure the 2-D spatial distribution of each galaxy's angular momentum (lambda and fast or slow rotator status), velocity dispersion (sigma), and higher-order non-Gaussian velocity features (Gauss-Hermite moments h3 to h6). Our sample contains a high fraction (~80% ) of slow and non-rotators with lambda <~ 0.2. When combined with the lower-mass ETGs in the ATLAS3D survey, we find the fraction of slow-rotators to increase dramatically with galaxy mass, reaching ~50% at MK ~ -25.5 mag and ~90% at MK <~ -26 mag. All of our fast rotators show a clear anti-correlation between h3 and V/sigma, and the slope of the anti-correlation is steeper in more round galaxies. The radial profiles of sigma show a clear luminosity and environmental dependence: the 12 most luminous galaxies in our sample (MK <~ -26 mag) are all brightest cluster/group galaxies (except NGC 4874) and all have rising or nearly flat sigma profiles, whereas five of the seven "isolated" galaxies are all fainter than MK = -25.8 mag and have falling sigma. All of our galaxies have positive average h4; the most luminous galaxies have average h4 ~ 0.05 while less luminous galaxies have a range of values between 0 and 0.05. Most of our galaxies show positive radial gradients in h4, and those galaxies also tend to have rising sigma profiles. We discuss the implications for the relationship among dynamical mass, sigma, h4, and velocity anisotropy for these massive galaxies.
The Impact of Filler Geometry on Polylactic Acid-Based Sustainable Polymer Composites

Recently, biocomposites have emerged as materials of great interest to the scientists and industry around the globe. Among various polymers, polylactic acid (PLA) is a popular matrix material with high potential for advanced applications. Various particulate materials and nanoparticles have been used as the filler in PLA based matrix. One of the extensively studied filler is cellulose. However, cellulose fibres, due to their hydrophilic nature, are difficult to blend with a hydrophobic polymer matrix. This leads to agglomeration and creates voids, reducing the mechanical strength of the resulting composite. Moreover, the role of the various forms of pure cellulose and its particle shape factors has not been analyzed in most of the current literature. Therefore, in this work, materials of various shapes and shape factors were selected as fillers for the production of polymer composites using Polylactic acid as a matrix to fill this knowledge gap. In particular, pure cellulose fibres (three types with different elongation coefficient) and two mineral nanocomponents: precipitated calcium carbonate and montmorillonite were used. The composites were prepared by a melt blending process using two different levels of fillers: 5% and 30%. Then, the analysis of their thermomechanical and physico-chemical properties was carried out. The obtained results were presented graphically and discussed in terms of their shape and degree of filling.
N EURAL C APTION -I MAGE R ETRIEVAL

In the modern era, an enormous amount of digital pictures, from personal photos to medical images, is produced and stored every day. It is more and more common to have thousands of photos sitting in our smart phones; however, what comes with the convenience of recording unforgettable moments is the pain of searching for a specific picture or frame. How nice it would be to be able to find the desired image just by typing one or few words to describe it? In this context, automated captionimage retrieval is becoming an increasingly attracting feature, comparable to text search.
Photo-identification of Antarctic blue whales during the New Zealand-Australia Antarctic Ecosystems Voyage 2015

Forty-six Antarctic blue whales were photo-identified during an interdisciplinary research voyage in the northern Ross Sea region of the Southern Ocean. The majority of blue whales approached for photo-ID were aggregated in two hotspots, which were surveyed during two time periods, 8-14 February and 24 February-2 March 2015. Thirty-six whales were photo-identified in the first hotspot and nine in the second hotspot (including one re-sight from hotspot 1). Two whales were photographed at the Balleny Islands on 6 February. Seven whales were resighted during the voyage; the re-sighting rate was 15%, similar to the re-sighting rates from the 2013 Antarctic Blue Whale Voyage and recent IWC/SOWER cruises. Time intervals between re-sights in 2015 ranged from 1 to 20 days and straight-line distances between re-sights ranged from 8km to 268km. Photographs of one whale from the voyage matched to the circumpolar Antarctic Blue Whale Catalogue with a time interval of two years and 103km between sighting locations. The 2015 voyage was conducted as part of the Antarctic Blue Whale Project under the Southern Ocean Research Partnership. The photo-identification data collected during the voyage will contribute towards a new abundance estimate of Antarctic blue whales using mark-recapture methods.
The relationship between serum irisin levels and erectile dysfunction in diabetic men (irisin and erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients)

Irisin is an exercise‐induced myokine that alleviates endothelial dysfunction and reduces insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus. We conducted this cross‐sectional prospective study to determine the association of serum irisin levels and erectile dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients. We compared 34 diabetic patients with erectile dysfunction with 30 diabetic patients without erectile dysfunction. In our study, serum irisin levels were found to be statistically significantly higher in diabetic patients without erectile dysfunction compared to those with erectile dysfunction (p = .016) and according to correlation analysis, irisin levels had a significantly negative correlation with the serum HbA1C value (r = −.294, p = .018). Based on the results of our study, we think that this molecule can be used in the diagnosis or treatment of erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients, if these findings are supported by larger studies.
Perspectives of US Youth During Initial Month of the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE Asymptomatic youth in the United States acting as “silent spreaders” during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are an ongoing public health concern, particularly given their depiction as unengaged with recommendations. Our goal was to understand the knowledge, beliefs, and experiences of US youth at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We posed 2 open-ended surveys to the national MyVoice text message cohort of youth, aged 14-24 years. On March 6, 2020, 4 questions were asked regarding knowledge and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic with 3 questions repeated on March 20, 2020. Qualitative responses were coded using thematic analysis and summarized with descriptive statistics. RESULTS Of 1,174 youth, 1,087 responded to at least 1 question (response rate of 88%). The average age of respondents was 19 (SD 2.8) years with 52% female and 56% non-Hispanic White respondents. On March 6, 2020, most (70%) respondents reported knowing about COVID-19 and primarily cited the news (46%) as their source of information. Nearly all (95%) respondents reported impact by March 20, 2020, and respondents expressing worry increased from 25% to 51%. In both surveys, worried youth primarily cited concern for others (26% and 34%). Regarding preparation, respondents primarily reported doing nothing (36%) on March 6, 2020, and practicing social distancing (50%) on March 20, 2020. CONCLUSIONS Many youths in our sample are engaged with the COVID-19 pandemic and most are feeling knowledgeable, are concerned about its impacts on others, and are practicing social distancing. Sustained public health efforts should focus on maintaining youth engagement with accurate public information and youth-centered messaging promoting prevention measures to protect the health and well-being of youth and their friends and family.
SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Interacts with RIG-I and Represses RIG-Mediated IFN-β Production

SARS-CoV-2 is highly pathogenic in humans and poses a great threat to public health worldwide. Clinical data shows a disturbed type I interferon (IFN) response during the virus infection. In this study, we discovered that the nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 plays an important role in the inhibition of interferon beta (IFN-β) production. N protein repressed IFN-β production induced by poly(I:C) or upon Sendai virus (SeV) infection. We noted that N protein also suppressed IFN-β production, induced by several signaling molecules downstream of the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) pathway, which is the crucial pattern recognition receptor (PRR) responsible for identifying RNA viruses. Moreover, our data demonstrated that N protein interacted with the RIG-I protein through the DExD/H domain, which has ATPase activity and plays an important role in the binding of immunostimulatory RNAs. These results suggested that SARS-CoV-2 N protein suppresses the IFN-β response through targeting the initial step, potentially the cellular PRR–RNA-recognition step in the innate immune pathway. Therefore, we propose that the SARS-CoV-2 N protein represses IFN-β production by interfering with RIG-I.