Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Socioeconomic deprivation and ethnicity inequalities in disruption to NHS hospital admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national observational study

Introduction Hospital admissions in many countries fell dramatically at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Less is known about how care patterns differed by patient groups. We sought to determine whether areas with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation or larger ethnic minority populations saw larger falls in emergency and planned admissions in England. Methods We conducted a national observational study of hospital care in the English National Health Service (NHS) in 2019–2020. Weekly volumes of elective (planned) and emergency admissions in 2020 compared with 2019 were calculated for each census area. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate the reductions in volumes for areas in different quintiles of socioeconomic deprivation and ethnic minority populations after controlling for national time trends and local area composition. Results Between March and December 2020, there were 35.5% (3.0 million) fewer elective admissions and 22.0% (1.2 million) fewer emergency admissions with a non-COVID-19 primary diagnosis than in 2019. Areas with the largest share of ethnic minority populations experienced a 36.7% (95% CI 24.1% to 49.3%) larger reduction in non-primary COVID-19 emergency admissions compared with those with the smallest. The most deprived areas experienced a 10.1% (95% CI 2.6% to 17.7%) smaller reduction in non-COVID-19 emergency admissions compared with the least deprived. These patterns are not explained by differential prevalence of COVID-19 cases by area. Conclusions Even in a healthcare system founded on the principle of equal access for equal need, the impact of COVID-19 on NHS hospital care for non-COVID patients has not been spread evenly by ethnicity and deprivation in England. While we cannot conclusively determine the mechanisms behind these differences, they risk exacerbating prepandemic health inequalities.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) aided waste minimisation framework

Building design can have a major impact on sustainability through material efficiency and construction waste minimisation (CWM). The construction industry consumes over 420 million tonnes of material resources every year and generates 120 million tonnes of waste containing approximately 13 million tonnes of unused materials. The current and on-going field of CWM research is focused on separate project stages with an overwhelming endeavour to manage on-site waste. Although design stages are vital to achieve progress towards CWM, currently, there are insufficient tools for CWM. In recent years, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been adopted to improve sustainable building design, such as energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Very little has been achieved in this field of research to evaluate the use of BIM to aid CWM during design. However, recent literature emphasises a need to carry out further research in this context. This research aims to investigate the use of BIM as a platform to help with CWM during design stages by developing and validating a BIM-aided CWM (BaW) Framework. A mixed research method, known as triangulation, was adopted as the research design method. Research data was collected through a set of data collection methods, i.e. selfadministered postal questionnaire (N=100 distributed, n=50 completed), and semistructured follow-up interviews (n=11) with architects from the top 100 UK architectural companies. Descriptive statistics and constant comparative methods were used for data analysis. The BaW Framework was developed based on the findings of literature review, questionnaire survey and interviews. The BaW Framework validation process included a validation questionnaire (N=6) and validation interviews (N=6) with architects. Key research findings revealed that: BIM has the potential to aid CWM during design; Concept and Design Development stages have major potential in helping waste reduction through BIM; BIM-enhanced practices (i.e. clash detection, detailing, visualisation and simulation, and improved communication and collaboration) have impacts on waste reduction; BIM has the most potential to address waste causes (e.g. ineffective coordination and communication, and design changes); and the BaW Framework has the potential to enable improvements towards waste minimisation throughout all design stages. Participating architects recommended that the adoption of the BaW Framework could enrich both CWM and BIM practices, and most importantly, would enhance waste reduction performance in design. The content should be suitable for project stakeholders, architects in particular, when dealing with construction waste and BIM during design.
Theory and Prediction of Turbulent Transition

We have proposed a new approach based on energy gradient concept for the study of flow instability and turbulent transition in parallel flows in our previous works. It was shown that the disturbance amplitude required for turbulent transition is inversely proportional to Re, which is in agreement with the experiments for imposed transverse disturbance. In present study, the energy gradient theory is extended to the generalized curved flows which have much application in turbomachinery and other fluid delivery devices. Within the frame of the new theory, basic theorems for flow instability in general cases are provided in details. Examples of applications of the theory are given from our previous studies which show comparison of the theory with available experimental data. It is shown that excellent agreement has been achieved for several configurations. Finally, various prediction methods for turbulent transition are reviewed and commented.
Observation of Enhanced Unipolar Strain and Piezoelectric Charge Co-Efficient in K0.5Na0.5NbO3 Simultaneously Doped with Lithium and Antimony

Abstract The author reports an enhanced strain and piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33*) in lead-free Lix(K0.5Na0.5)1−x(Nb1−ySby)O3 (x and y = 0,0.02,0.04,0.06) ceramics synthesized through the standard solid-state reaction route. X-ray diffraction analysis of the samples predicts a structural phase transition from orthorhombic to tetragonal with the presence of phase boundary (coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases) for the Li0.04(K0.5Na0.5)0.96(Nb0.96Sb0.04)O3 sample supported by Raman spectroscopy. The Lix(K0.5Na0.5)1−x(Nb1−ySby)O3 (x and y = 0.04) ceramics exhibited enhanced electrical properties with Ps∼13 µC/cm2, Ec∼15 kV/cm, an electrostrictive strain of 0.38% and piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33*) of 950 pm/V, making it promising for sensor and actuator applications.
Design and analysis of new p(n,k) polyphase pulse compression codes

P(n,k) codes as a new class of polyphase pulse compression codes are introduced and analyzed in detail. The P(n,k) codes are conceptually derived by step approximation of the phase function of a nonlinear-frequency modulated (NLFM) Chirp signal with a favorable energy density spectrum. The significant advantages of P(n,k) codes over conventional polyphase codes are lower autocorrelation sidelobes and an improved tolerance of low Doppler shifts and precompression bandwidth limitations. The primary disadvantage of the P(n,k) codes over conventional codes is a loss in range resolution. The uniform P(n,k) codes are especially attractive for radars employing digital signal professing because their favorable correlation properties also remain when quantization effects are taken into account. >
Comparison of wing characteristics at an ultralow Reynolds number

The hydrodynamic characteristics of 20 wings of different airfoil shape were measured at Re = 4 X 103. Each wing had an aspect ratio At of 7.25. Comparison of the measured wing characteristics showed that hydrodynamic characteristics of a wing with a rectangular airfoil can be improved by either a camber of 5%, a sharp leading edge, or proper corrugation
Contribution of the Internet of Things to agricultural education and breeding in rural areas of African countries in conflict: case of the Central African Republic

In this article, we propose a distance learning platform, coupled with traditional pedagogical programs to students and teacher-researchers of the University of Bangui, in particular the Higher Institute of Rural Development (ISDR) of M'Baiki. This platform guarantees data security thanks to WireGuard, which uses proven encryption protocols and algorithms to protect data. Access to resources is efficient thanks to the coupling of the WireGuard VPN server and the Guacamole server. The Moodle LMS platform allows remote access to course materials. BigBlueButton allows the realization of virtual classes. The realization of a part of the distance education programs requires that the actors are in the same local network. In our case, the actors are in different subnetworks which have different public and private addresses. In the logic, the actors who are geographically distant in different subnetworks do not have to communicate and carry out practical and other work. To overcome this limitation, we have configured the tunnel of the WireGuard VPN server coupled to the VXLAN. In some cases of practical work, we will have to be at layer 2 of the OSI model or the WireGuard VPN server uses layer 3 of the OSI model. To move the WireGuard VPN server tunnel from Layer 3 to Layer 2 of the OSI model, we used the coupling of the WireGuard VPN server with VXLAN technology. The features of this platform allow students and teachers to follow courses, tutorials and practical work at a distance applied to the Internet of Things technology. The inclusion of this distance learning platform in the ISRD's pedagogical program makes it possible to have part of the teaching program both face-to-face and at a distance. It also makes it possible to keep all the traditional teaching modalities.
EE-FTR: An Energy-Efficient Fault-Tolerant Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

In addition to the nature of the sensor nodes and hostile environments in which are deployed and due to its tasks of cluster management and data routing to base station (BS), the clusterhead node (CH) is prone to failure. In order to achieve fault-tolerance and not lose network connectivity, it would be more appropriate to find a faulty CH alternative. In this paper, we propose a fault-tolerant routing protocol based on the clustering method used in EADC (energy-aware clustering algorithm) protocol and on a proactive routing protocol. Simulation results show that our proposal provides better performance in terms of average delivery time, data delivery rate, dissipated energy and network lifetime compared to the EFT-PMD protocol.
Thermodynamic study on a new transcritical CO2 ejector expansion refrigeration system with two-stage evaporation and vapor feedback

By the stability analysis of the basic transcritical CO2 ejector expansion refrigeration cycle (EERC), the paper proposed a new system which introduces another evaporator downstream the ejector to increase the gas quality into the separator and a vapor feedback valve to decrease the exceed gas into the compressor. The two new components stand for two different cycles: two-stage evaporation cycle and vapor feedback cycle. The theoretical analysis of the new system is carried out based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics to show the effect of the parameters on the system performance, such as entrainment ratio, high-side pressure, outlet temperature of gas cooler, etc. The results by the first law show that, compared with basic EERC the new system can be used in wider range of working conditions, and the COP of the two-stage evaporation cycle is 28.6% higher and the vapor feedback cycle is lower slightly. By exergy analysis at optimum high-side pressure, it is found that the exergy destruction of ejector is the greatest part. The simulation results also give the working ranges of the two cycles, which can help to analyze the system control. Hence, the improvement in the system is a promising method to reduce the restrain in basic EERC system but more study is still needed.
Experimental and numerical analysis of the influence of tyres’ properties on the straight running stability of a sport-touring motorcycle

The behaviour of a motorcycle on the road is largely governed by tyre properties. This paper presents experimental and numerical analyses dealing with the influence of tyre properties on the stability of weave and wobble in straight running. The final goal is to find optimal sets of tyre properties that improve the stability of a motorcycle. The investigation is based on road tests carried out on a sport-touring motorcycle equipped with sensors. Three sets of tyres are tested at different speeds in the presence of weave and wobble. The analysis of telemetry data highlights significant differences in the trends of frequency and damping of weave and wobble against speed. The experimental analysis is integrated by a parametric numerical analysis. Tyre properties are varied according to the design of experiments method, in order to highlight the single effects on stability of lateral and cornering coefficient of front and rear tyres.
Cost-Benefit Analysis for Accident Prevention in Construction Projects

AbstractConstruction is the most dangerous land-based work sector in Europe and the United States The cost of accidents has received much attention in the recent past, and online interactive tools were developed to assess the cost of accidents to organizations. Online tools and other sources of information on costs of accidents in the construction industry were a useful development but failed to support the decision-making process in regard to construction health and safety measures. A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) methodology is presented that would enable contractors to assess the true cost of accidents prevention and the associated benefits of accident prevention as part of pre- and postcontract project evaluation. The research investigated the cost and benefit of accident prevention, with a view to drawing attention to the economic consequences of effective/ineffective management of health and safety by contractors. A quantitative research methodology was employed in investigating these costs and benefi.
Digital pulse interval modulation for fiber transmission

A new form of pulse time modulation, termed digital pulse interval modulation (DPIM) is introduced in this paper, exhibiting improved performance and relaxed timing constraints compared to digital pulse position modulation (DPPM). Theoretical expressions are presented for transmission capacity, code characteristics and power spectral density, along with measurements from a simple experimental prototype, illustrating the advantages of the new scheme.
A distributed multi-agent environment for product design and manufacturing planning

This paper describes a multi-agent approach to the integration of product design, manufacturability analysis, and process planning in a distributed manner. The objective is to develop a distributed concurrent engineering system to allow geographically dispersed entities to work cooperatively towards overall system goals. In the paper, an agent-based concurrent engineering system concerning product design and manufacturing planning, and its fundamental framework and functions are presented. The proposed model considers constraints and requirements from the different product development cycles in the early development phases and fully supports the concept of design-for-manufacturability. This methodology uses conflict resolution (CR) techniques and design-improvement suggestions to refine the initial product design. The model comprises a facilitator agent, a console agent and six service agents. Each service agent is used to model different product development phases, and the console agent acts as an interacting interface between designers and the system, while the facilitator is responsible for the decomposition and dispatch of tasks, and resolving conflicts of poor designs. A prototype system for part design, manufacturability analysis, and process planning has been implemented. The performance of the prototype system shows that it could be extended to include other service agents, such as assemblability analysis, to become a comprehensive distributed concurrent engineering system for geographically dispersed customers and suppliers.
Critical Factors for Successful Public Hearing in Infrastructure Development Projects: A Case Study of the on Nuch Waste Disposal Plant Project

Abstract Development projects are attracting larger investment capital as the pace of globalization increases. To facilitate project success, a public participation approach is increasingly employed to avoid project delays due to public objections. This paper proposes a framework for assessing the performance of public hearings conducted in infrastructure development projects in Thailand. A case study approach was adopted because it facilitates a deep understanding of the subject and also allows the use of multiple sources of evidence. The hearing participants were asked to evaluate and indicate their level of satisfaction with the public hearing process and its outcome. Analysis of study results revealed Critical Factors (CFs) for conducting successful public hearing in its three major stages: preparation (before hearing); execution (during hearing); and continuation (after hearing). The factors include public hearing procedures, stakeholder consultation, public education, procedural control, participants’ role and competence, presentation technique, participation time, result publicity, contribution of benefits, and follow-up process. With higher concerns about the values of project stakeholders, this research constitutes a significant step towards the understanding and implementation of public hearings to improve future public participation practices in construction projects.
Class E resonant low dv/dt rectifier

A class-E resonant low dv/dt rectifier is analyzed and experimentally tested. All major parasitic reactive components are included in the rectifier topology. The diode capacitance and the leakage inductance of the isolation transformer and lead inductances are absorbed into the resonant inductance. Therefore, the rectifier is suitable for high-frequency applications such as resonant DC-to-DC converters. The rectifier is driven by a sinusoidal voltage source. Equations governing the circuit operation are derived using Fourier techniques. Experimental results are obtained at 1 MHz and an output voltage of 5 V. The design equations show good agreement with the measured circuit performance. >
One-Year Multidisciplinary Follow-Up of Patients With COVID-19 Requiring Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

Objective Patients with COVID-19 frequently develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Data on long-term survival of these patients are lacking. We investigated 1-year survival, quality of life and functional recovery of COVID-19 ARDS patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation Design Prospective observational study Setting Tertiary-care university hospital Participants All COVID-19 ARDS patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and discharged alive from hospital Interventions Patients were contacted by phone after 1-year. Functional, cognitive, and psychological outcomes were explored through a questionnaire and assessed using validated scales. Patients were offered the possibility to undergo a follow-up chest CT scan. Measurements and Main Results The study included all adult (age ≥ 18 years) patients with COVID-19-related ARDS admitted to an ICU of our institution between February 25th, 2020 - April 27th, 2020), who received at least one day of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Of 116 patients who received IMV, 61 (52.6%) survived to hospital discharge. These survivors were assessed one year after discharge and 56 completed a battery of tests of cognition, activities of daily living and interaction with family members. They had overall good functional recovery, with >80% reporting good recovery and no difficulties in usual activities. A total of 52 (93%) of patients had no dyspnea at rest. Severe anxiety/depression was reported by five (8.9%) of patients. Comparing 2-months and 1-year data, we observed the most significant improvements in the areas of working status and exertional dyspnea. One-year Chest CT scans were available for 36 patients: fibrotic-like changes were present in four patients. Conclusions All patients who survived the acute phase of the COVID-19 disease and were discharged from the hospital were alive at the 1-year follow up and the vast majority of them had good overall recovery and quality of life. Study Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04318366
Evolutionary features of a prolific subtype of avian influenza A virus in European waterfowl

Avian influenza A virus (AIV) is ubiquitous in waterfowl, and detected annually at high prevalence in waterfowl during the Northern Hemipshere autumn. Some AIV subtypes are globally common in waterfowl, such as H3N8, H4N6, and H6N2, and are detected in the same populations at high frequency, annually. In order to investigate genetic features associated to the long-term maintenance of common subtypes in migratory ducks, we sequenced 248 H4 viruses isolated across 8 years (2002-2009) from Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) sampled in southeast Sweden. Phylogenetic analyses showed that both H4 and N6 sequences fell into in three distinct lineages, structured by year of isolation. Specifically, across the eight years of the study, we observed lineage replacement, whereby a different HA lineage circulated in the population each year. Analysis of deduced amino acid sequences of the HA lineages illustrated key differences in regions of the globular head of hemagglutinin that overlap with established antigentic sites in homologous hemagglutinin H3, suggesting the possibility of antigenic differences among these HA lineages. Beyond HA, lineage replacement was common to all segments, such that novel genome constellations were detected across years. A dominant genome constellation would rapidly amplify in the duck population, followed by unlinking of gene segments as a result of reassortment within 2-3 weeks following introduction. These data help reveal the evolutionary dynamics exhibited by AIV on both annual and decadal scales in an important reservoir host.
Fibroblastic reticular cells provide a supportive niche for lymph node-resident macrophages

The lymph node (LN) is home to resident macrophage populations that are essential for immune function and homeostasis. The T cell paracortical zone is a major site of macrophage efferocytosis of apoptotic cells, but key factors controlling this niche are undefined. Here we show that fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) are an essential component of the LN macrophage niche. Macrophages co-localised with FRCs in human LNs, and murine single-cell RNA-sequencing revealed that most reticular cells expressed master macrophage regulator CSF1. Functional assays showed that CSF1R signalling was sufficient to support macrophage development. In the presence of LPS, FRCs underwent a mechanistic switch and maintained support through CSF1R-independent mechanisms. These effects were conserved between mouse and human systems. Rapid loss of macrophages and monocytes from LNs was observed upon genetic ablation of FRCs. These data reveal a critically important role for FRCs in the creation of the parenchymal macrophage niche within LNs.