Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parametric Robust Stability

Robust stability of LTI systemswith parametric uncertainty is a very interesting topic to study, industrial world is contained in parametric uncertainty. In industrial reality, there is not a particular system to analyze, there is a family of systems to be analyzed because the values of physical parameters are not known, we know only the lower and upper bounds of each parameter involved in the process, this is known as Parametric Uncertainty (Ackermann et al., 1993; Barmish, 1994; Bhattacharyya et al., 1995). The set of parameters involved in a system makes a Parametric Vector, the set of all vectors that can exists such that each parameter is kept within its lower and upper bounds is called a Parametric Uncertainty Box. The system we are studying is now composed of an infinite number of systems, each system corresponds to a parameter vector contained in the parametric uncertainty box. So as to test the stability of the LTI system with parametric uncertainty we have to prove that all the infinite number of systems are stable, this is called Parametric Robust Stability. The parametric robust stability problem is considerably more complicated than determine the stability of an LTI system with fixed parameters. The stability of a LTI system can be analyzed in different ways, this chapter will be analyzed by means of its characteristic polynomial, in the case of parametric uncertainty now exists a set with an infinite number of characteristic polynomials, this is known as a Family of Polynomials, and we have to test the stability of the whole family. The parametric robust stability problem in LTI systems with parametric uncertainty is solved in this chapter by means of two tools, the first is a recent stability criterion for LTI systems (Elizondo, 2001B) and the second is the mathematical tool “Sign Decomposition” (Elizondo, 1999). The recent stability criterion maps the prametric robust stability problem to a robust positivity problem of multivariable polynomic functions, sign decomposition solves this problem in necessary and sufficient conditions. By means of the recent stability criterion (Elizondo, 2001B) is possible to analyze the characteristic polynomial and determine the number of unstable roots on the right side in the complex plane. This criterion is similar to the Routh criterion although without using the traditional division of the Routh criterion. This small difference makes a big advantage when it is analized the robust stability in LTI systems with parametric uncertainty, the elements of the first column of the table (Elizondo, 2001B) they are multivariable polynomic functions and these must be positive for stability conditions. Robust positivity of amultivariable polynomial function ismore easier to prove that in the case of quotients of this class of functions, therefore, the recent criterion (Elizondo, 2001B) is easier to use than Routh criterion. There are other 1
Go Viral, or Not: Rate-Optimal Control for Resource-Constrained Branching Processes

We propose and analyze a new class of controlled multi-type branching processes with a per-step linear resource constraint, motivated by potential applications in viral marketing and cancer treatment. We show that the optimal exponential growth rate of the population can be achieved by maintaining a fixed proportion among the species, for both deterministic and stochastic branching processes. In the special case of a two-type population and with a symmetric reward structure, the optimal proportion is obtained in closed-form. In addition to revealing structural properties of controlled branching processes, our results are intended to provide the practitioners with an easy-to-interpret benchmark for best practices, if not exact policies. As a proof of concept, the methodology is applied to the linkage structure of the 2004 US Presidential Election blogosphere, where the optimal growth rate demonstrates sizable gains over a uniform selection strategy, and to a two-compartment cell-cycle kinetics model for cancer growth, with realistic parameters, where the robust estimate for minimal treatment intensity under a worst-case growth rate is noticeably more conservative compared to that obtained using more optimistic assumptions.
Urinary tract infection in infants with asymptomatic Jaundice: a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: Infants, especially neonates, present with jaundice with an unclear association with urinary tract infection. Evidence for such association is unclear, especially in a specific group of otherwise well-appearing infants born > 35 weeks. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Data sources: We used the following databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, and Cochrane library. Study selection: We included observational studies that included infants born > 35 weeks gestation, younger than 12 months, asymptomatic other than jaundice, and urinary tract infection. Data extraction: After reviewing the eligibility, two reviewers extracted data and assessed the quality of each study using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: We analyzed sixteen studies for a total of 2933 infants. The pooled incidence of UTI was 9.6% (95% confidence interval of 6% to 15%). The subgroup analysis failed to show any difference in incidence within the publication year, sample size, study design, study region, urine collection method, and age group. There was no explanation of heterogeneity noted by the meta-regression for UTI incidence with publication year, total bilirubin, sample size, and study quality. The funnel plot and Egger's test revealed publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 1 in 10 otherwise asymptomatic infants with jaundice have a UTI. We recommend a rigorous large prospective study to confirm this finding.
Assessing COVID-19 pandemic excess deaths in Brazil: Years 2020 and 2021

We estimated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality in Brazil for 2020 and 2021 years. We used mortality data (2015-2021) from the Health Ministry, Brazil government, to fit linear mixed models for forecasting baseline deaths under non-pandemic conditions. An advantage of the linear mixed model is the flexibility to capture year-trend while dealing with the correlations among death counts over time. Following a specified model building strategy, estimation of all-cause excess deaths at the country level and stratified by sex, age, ethnicity and region of residence, from March 2020 to August 2021. We also considered the estimation of excess deaths by specific causes. Estimated all-cause excess deaths was 199,108 (95% PI: 171,007; 227,209, P-Score=17.3%) for weeks 10-53, 2020, and 417,167 (95% PI: 372,075; 462,259, P-Score=50.1%) for weeks 1-32, 2021. P-scores ranged from 5.4% (RS, South) to 36.2% (AM, North) in 2020 and from 29.3% (AL, Northeast) to 94.9%$ (RO, North) in 2021. Differences among men (18.9%) and women (14.2%) appeared in 2020 only, and the P-scores were about 51% for both sexes in 2021. Except for youngsters (<20 years old), all adult age groups were badly hit, especially those from 40 to 79 years old. In 2020, the Indigenous+East Asian population had the highest P-score (27%), and the Black population suffered the greatest impact (61.9%) in 2021. The pandemic impact had enormous regional heterogeneity and substantial differences according to socio-demographic factors, mainly during the first wave, showing some population strata benefits from the social distancing measures when able to adhere to them. In the second wave, the burden was very high for all but extremely high for some, highlighting our society needs to tackle the health inequalities experienced by groups of different socio-demographic and economic status.
Pneumonia, Meningitis, and Septicemia in Adults and Older Children in Rural Gambia: 8 Years of Population-Based Surveillance

Abstract Background Representative data describing serious infections in children aged ≥5 years and adults in Africa are limited. Methods We conducted population-based surveillance for pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia in a demographic surveillance area in The Gambia between 12 May 2008 and 31 December 2015. We used standardized criteria to identify, diagnose, and investigate patients aged ≥5 years using conventional microbiology and radiology. Results We enrolled 1638 of 1657 eligible patients and investigated 1618. Suspected pneumonia, septicemia, or meningitis was diagnosed in 1392, 135, and 111 patients, respectively. Bacterial pathogens from sterile sites were isolated from 105 (7.5%) patients with suspected pneumonia, 11 (8.1%) with suspected septicemia, and 28 (25.2%) with suspected meningitis. Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 84), Neisseria meningitidis (n = 16), and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 15) were the most common pathogens. Twenty-eight (1.7%) patients died in hospital and 40 (4.1%) died during the 4 months after discharge. Thirty postdischarge deaths occurred in patients aged ≥10 years with suspected pneumonia. The minimum annual incidence was 133 cases per 100 000 person-years for suspected pneumonia, 13 for meningitis, 11 for septicemia, 14 for culture-positive disease, and 46 for radiological pneumonia. At least 2.7% of all deaths in the surveillance area were due to suspected pneumonia, meningitis, or septicemia. Conclusions Pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia in children aged ≥5 years and adults in The Gambia are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Many deaths occur after hospital discharge and most cases are culture negative. Improvements in prevention, diagnosis, inpatient, and follow-up management are urgently needed.
Starch-based NP act as antigen delivery systems without immunomodulating effect

The nasal route of immunization has become a real alternative to injections. It is indeed described as more efficient at inducing immune protection, since it initiates both mucosal and systemic immunity, thus protecting against both the infection itself and the transmission of pathogens by the host. However, the use of immunomodulators should be limited since they induce inflammation. Here we investigated in vitro the mechanisms underlying the enhancement of antigen immunogenicity by starch nanoparticles (NPL) delivery systems in H292 epithelial cells, as well as the NPL’s immunomodulatory effect. We observed that NPL had no intrinsic immunomodulatory effect but enhanced the immunogenicity of an E. coli lysate (Ag) merely by increasing its intracellular delivery. Moreover, we demonstrated the importance of the NPL density on their efficiency by comparing reticulated (NPL) and non-reticulated particles (NPL·NR). These results show that an efficient delivery system is sufficient to induce a mucosal immune response without the use of immunomodulators.
How in vitro maturation changes the proteome of ovine cumulus–oocyte complexes?

The present study evaluated the effects of in vitro maturation (IVM) on the proteome of cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) from ewes. Extracted COC proteins were analyzed by LC‐MS/MS. Differences in protein abundances (p < 0.05) and functional enrichments in immature versus in vitro‐matured COCs were evaluated using bioinformatics tools. There were 2550 proteins identified in the COCs, with 89 and 87 proteins exclusive to immature and mature COCs, respectively. IVM caused downregulation of 84 and upregulation of 34 proteins. Major upregulated proteins in mature COCs were dopey_N domain‐containing protein, structural maintenance of chromosomes protein, ubiquitin‐like modifier‐activating enzyme 2. Main downregulated proteins in mature COCs were immunoglobulin heavy constant mu, inter‐alpha‐trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 2, alpha‐2‐macroglobulin. Proteins exclusive to mature COCs and upregulated after IVM related to immune response, complement cascade, vesicle‐mediated transport, cell cycle, and extracellular matrix organization. Proteins of immature COCs and downregulated after IVM were linked to metabolic processes, immune response, and complement cascade. KEGG pathways and miRNA‐regulated genes attributed to downregulated and mature COC proteins related to complement and coagulation cascades, metabolism, humoral response, and B cell‐mediated immunity. Thus, IVM influenced the ovine COC proteome. This knowledge supports the future development of efficient IVM protocols for Ovis aries.
Microbiota-derived metabolites as drivers of gut–brain communication

ABSTRACT Alterations in the gut microbiota composition have been associated with a range of neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The gut microbes transform and metabolize dietary- and host-derived molecules generating a diverse group of metabolites with local and systemic effects. The bi-directional communication between brain and the microbes residing in the gut, the so-called gut–brain axis, consists of a network of immunological, neuronal, and endocrine signaling pathways. Although the full variety of mechanisms of the gut–brain crosstalk is yet to be established, the existing data demonstrates that a single metabolite or its derivatives are likely among the key inductors within the gut–brain axis communication. However, more research is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying how gut microbiota associated metabolites alter brain functions, and to examine if different interventional approaches targeting the gut microbiota could be used in prevention and treatment of neurological disorders, as reviewed herein. Abbreviations:4-EPS 4-ethylphenylsulfate; 5-AVA(B) 5-aminovaleric acid (betaine); Aβ Amyloid beta protein; AhR Aryl hydrocarbon receptor; ASD Autism spectrum disorder; BBB Blood–brain barrier; BDNF Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; CNS Central nervous system; GABA ɣ-aminobutyric acid; GF Germ-free; MIA Maternal immune activation; SCFA Short-chain fatty acid; 3M-4-TMAB 3-methyl-4-(trimethylammonio)butanoate; 4-TMAP 4-(trimethylammonio)pentanoate; TMA(O) Trimethylamine(-N-oxide); TUDCA Tauroursodeoxycholic acid; ZO Zonula occludens proteins
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression Symptoms in Women Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in Kazakhstan

Introduction: Diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with the presence of psychological disorders including depression. There is a lack of study examining the prevalence of depression among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in Kazakhstan. Objective: This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated sociodemographic and clinical factors of depression symptoms in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods: 162 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients at the oncology center in Almaty were recruited for this study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic and clinical information and the Beck Depression Inventory-II scale. Results: The mean age of the patients was 54.41 years (SD=8.1). 95% of participants had unilateral breast cancer, and 79% of participants had stage I or stage II breast cancer. 73% of patients said that they do not have reliable social support. 46% of patients had symptoms of moderate depression, and 31% of patients had symptoms of severe depression. According to the multivariate analysis, factors associated with depression symptoms were: social status, household income level, reliability of social support, and stage of breast cancer. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression symptoms is very high among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Unemployed or retired patients, with a lower household income, and no reliable social support diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast cancer are especially at high risk for developing depression.
Quality of life of the cancer patients receiving home-based palliative care in Dhaka city of Bangladesh

Background The concept of home-based palliative care has been recently introduced in Bangladesh, but the patients’ quality of life remains unexplored. This study aimed to assess the quality of life and its determinants of the cancer patients receiving home-based palliative care in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 51 surviving cancer patients above 18 years registered under the home-based care service of the Department of Palliative Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data was collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire based on the “Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative (FACIT-Pal)” questionnaire from February to March 2019. Descriptive analysis was done for the socio-demographic, disease and treatment related factors. Mann-Whiteney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and logistic regression were done to determine the relationships between independent variables and QoL. Result The majority of the patients (76.5%) were women. The mean age of the respondents was 56.2±4.8 years. Common primary sites of cancer were breast (39.2%), gastrointestinal (17.6%), and genitourinary system (23.5%). The median duration of getting home-based care was four months. The most prevalent problems were pain, sadness, feeling ill, and lack of satisfaction regarding sexual life. The majority (88.2%) of the patients had an average and above-average quality of life. Although, 92.1%patients had average or above-average social and emotional wellbeing, 60.8% had below-average physical wellbeing. Patients’ marital status, belief about disease prognosis, and duration of getting home-based care had a positive influence, and age negatively influenced the quality of life. Conclusion The majority of the patients receiving home-based palliative care in Dhaka city had average or above-average quality of life. However, these patients had better social and emotional wellbeing, but the physical wellbeing and symptom control were below-average according to the individual domain.
Rapid prediction of in-hospital mortality among adults with COVID-19 disease

Background We developed a simple tool to estimate the probability of dying from acute COVID-19 illness only with readily available assessments at initial admission. Methods This retrospective study included 13,190 racially and ethnically diverse adults admitted to one of the New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) system for COVID-19 illness between March 1 and June 30, 2020. Demographic characteristics, simple vital signs and routine clinical laboratory tests were collected from the electronic medical records. A clinical prediction model to estimate the risk of dying during the hospitalization were developed. Results Mean age (interquartile range) was 58 (45–72) years; 5421 (41%) were women, 5258 were Latinx (40%), 3805 Black (29%), 1168 White (9%), and 2959 Other (22%). During hospitalization, 2,875 were (22%) died. Using separate test and validation samples, machine learning (Gradient Boosted Decision Trees) identified eight variables—oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, pulse rate, blood urea nitrogen level, age and creatinine—that predicted mortality, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 94%. A score based on these variables classified 5,677 (46%) as low risk (a score of 0) who had 0.8% (95% confidence interval, 0.5–1.0%) risk of dying, and 674 (5.4%) as high-risk (score ≥ 12 points) who had a 97.6% (96.5–98.8%) risk of dying; the remainder had intermediate risks. A risk calculator is available online at https://danielevanslab.shinyapps. io/Covid_mortality/. Conclusions In a diverse population of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 illness, a clinical prediction model using a few readily available vital signs reflecting the severity of disease may precisely predict in-hospital mortality in diverse populations and can rapidly assist decisions to prioritize admissions and intensive care.
Acute neural effects of fluoxetine on emotional regulation in depressed adolescents

Abstract Background Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with disrupted processing of emotional stimuli and difficulties in cognitive reappraisal. Little is known however about how current pharmacotherapies act to modulate the neural mechanisms underlying these key processes. The current study therefore investigated the neural effects of fluoxetine on emotional reactivity and cognitive reappraisal in adolescent depression. Methods Thirty-one adolescents with MDD were randomised to acute fluoxetine (10 mg) or placebo. Seventeen healthy adolescents were also recruited but did not receive any treatment for ethical reasons. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants viewed aversive images and were asked to either experience naturally the emotional state elicited (‘Maintain’) or to reinterpret the content of the pictures to reduce negative affect (‘Reappraise’). Significant activations were identified using whole-brain analysis. Results No significant group differences were seen when comparing Reappraise and Maintain conditions. However, when compared to healthy controls, depressed adolescents on placebo showed reduced visual activation to aversive pictures irrespective of the condition. The depressed adolescent group on fluoxetine showed the opposite pattern, i.e. increased visuo-cerebellar activity in response to aversive pictures, when compared to depressed adolescents on placebo. Conclusions These data suggest that depression in adolescence may be associated with reduced visual processing of aversive imagery and that fluoxetine may act to reduce avoidance of such cues. This could reflect a key mechanism whereby depressed adolescents engage with negative cues previously avoided. Future research combining fMRI with eye-tracking is nonetheless needed to further clarify these effects.
An example of circle actions on symplectic Calabi-Yau manifolds with non-empty fixed points

Let $(X,\sigma,J)$ be a compact K\"{a}hler Calabi-Yau manifold equipped with a symplectic circle action. By Frankel's theorem \cite{F}, the action on $X$ is non-Hamiltonian and $X$ does not have any fixed point. In this paper, we will show that a symplectic circle action on a compact non-K\"{a}hler symplectic Calabi-Yau manifold may have a fixed point. More precisely, we will show that the symplectic $S^1$-manifold constructed by D. McDuff \cite{McD} has the vanishing first Chern class. This manifold has the Betti numbers $b_1 = 3$, $b_2 = 8$, and $b_3 = 12$. In particular, it does not admit any K\"{a}hler structure.
Synergistic effect of Si concentration and distribution on ferroelectric properties optimization of Si:HfO2 ferroelectric thin films

In this paper, a phase-field model of Si-doped hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric thin films is established. And then, the synergistic effect of Si concentration and distribution on ferroelectric properties optimization of Si:HfO2 ferroelectric thin films is studied with the proposed model. It is found that no matter how Si dopant is distributed in the film, the volume fraction of the ferroelectric phase in the film increases first and then decreases with the increase of Si concentration. However, compared with the uniform distribution, the layered distribution is more likely to great improve ferrelectric properties. When Si dopant is uniformly distributed in the film, the highest remanent polarization value that the film can obtain via Si concentration modulation is 38.7 μC cm−2, and the corresponding Si concentration is 3.8 cat%, which is consistent with the experimental results. When Si dopant is layered in the film, and the concentration difference between the Si-rich and Si-poor layers is 7.6%, in the Si concentration range of 3.6 cat%–3.8 cat%, the residual polarization of the film reaches 46.4–46.8 μC cm−2, which is 20% higher than that when Si dopant are evenly distributed in the film. The above results show that selecting the Si layered distribution mode and controlling the concentration difference between Si-rich and Si-poor layers in an appropriate range can greatly improve the films’ ferroelectric properties and broaden the Si concentration optimization range of the ferroelectric properties of the films. The result provides further theoretical guidance on using Si doping to adjust the ferroelectric properties of hafnium oxide-based films.