Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting Discharge Destination of Critically Ill Patients Using Machine Learning

Decision making about discharge destination for critically ill patients is a highly subjective and multidisciplinary process, heavily reliant on the ICU care team, patients and their caregivers’ preferences, resource demand, staffing, and bed capacity. Timely identification of discharge disposition can be useful in care planning, and as a surrogate for functional status outcomes following critical illness. Although prior research has proposed methods to predict discharge destination in a critical care setting, they are limited in scope and in the generalizability of their findings. We proposed and implemented different machine learning architectures to determine the efficacy of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV score as well as the patient characteristics that comprise it to predict the discharge destination for critically ill patients within 24 hours of ICU admission. We conducted a retrospective study of ICU admissions within the eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU-CRD) populated with de-identified clinical data from adult patients admitted to an ICU between 2014 and 2015. Machine learning models were developed to predict four discharge categories: death, home, nursing facility, and rehabilitation. These models were trained and tested on 115,248 unique ICU admissions. To mitigate class imbalance, we used synthetic minority over-sampling techniques. Hierarchical and ensemble classifiers were used to further study the impact of imbalanced testing set on the performance of our predictive models. Amongst all of the tested models, XGBoost provided the best discrimination performance with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 90% (recall: 71%, F1: 70%). Our findings indicate that the variables used in the APACHE IV model for estimating patient severity of illness are better predictors of hospital discharge destination than the APACHE IV score alone. Incorporating these models into clinical decision support systems may assist patients, caregivers, and the ICU team to begin disposition planning as early as possible during the hospitalization.
Morphometric divergence among populations of Rhinonicteris aurantius (Chiroptera : Hipposideridae) in northern Australia

The isolation of the Pilbara population of the orange leaf-nosed bat, Rhinonicteris aurantius, from the Kimberley and the Northern Territory populations by the Great Sandy Desert, and the differences in climate and landscape between these regions, prompted a study of morphological divergence. Skull, noseleaf, ear and wing characters were used in a morphometric analysis of museum specimens. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed subtle differences in the size of some snout and noseleaf measurements (condylocanine length, nasal breadth, rostral height, anterior leaf height and total noseleaf width) between the Pilbara and the northern populations, with smaller measurements in Pilbara animals. The species was otherwise morphologically conserved. Size differences may be indicative of a functional relationship with echolocation call frequency. Sexual dimorphism was identified in some skull measurements only (larger in males). Further study might confirm the subtle differences detected here in the snout and noseleaf and provide a functional basis for them. The isolation of R. aurantius in the Pilbara is part of a general pattern of allopatry, evolution and endemism in north-western Australia that resulted from the formation of the Great Sandy Desert.
Inter-population variation in demographic parameters: a neglected subject?

Demographic parameters and population growth rates vary among populations of the same species. Such variation can be extensive, as shown by a comparison of nine published studies of black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla. We argue that rather than being a nuisance, inter-population variation can improve our understanding of population dynamics. Analysis of data from several geographically dispersed studies can aid detection of causal relationships between demographic parameters and environmental factors and thus improve our understanding of impacts of e.g. climate change, and help elucidate mechanisms of population regulation. Extensive inter-population variation also adds another perspective to studies of life history evolution and should be taken into account in across-species comparisons.
Strategies to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among School Children: A Systematic Review

Introduction: The prevalence and socioeconomic burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated co-morbidities are rising worldwide among school children thereby raising a public health concern. Aim: The aim of the review was to explore global literature concerning the various strategies utilised in prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus among school children and their efficacy. Methodology: A retrospective search of articles published from 2009 to 2019 was done. The following electronic databases; Cochrane, Embase, ERIC, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PEDRO, PubMed and Science Direct were individually searched using specifically developed search strategies. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool and by two independent reviewers. Results: Eleven studies of sound quality were included. The studies show that primary prevention of type 2 diabetes among school children is cardinal as children will grow up knowing about the disease and its consequences. The prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus requires various combinations of interventional program elements including dietary education/counselling, physical activity, diabetes knowledge, competence building, school, social and community support being considered concurrently. None of the studies identified was done in Africa. Conclusion: Findings concretise that healthy diets and exercise outcomes coupled with explicit programs are key to type 2 diabetes mellitus prevention among school children.
Risk Spillovers and Interconnectedness between Systemically Important Institutions

In this paper we gauge the degree of interconnectedness and quantify the linkages between global and other systemically important institutions, and the global financial system. We document that the two groups and the financial system become more interconnected during the global financial crisis when linkages across groups grow. In contrast, during tranquil times linkages within groups prevail. Global systemically important banks contribute most to system-wide distress, but are also most exposed. Other systemically important institutions bear more individual market risk. The two groups and the global financial system also co-vary for periods of up to 60 days. In sum, both groups perform in ways that defy any straightforward categorization.
Evaluation of microcapsule trunk injections for the control of apple scab and powdery mildew

A 3-year field trial was conducted using established apple cv. Crown Gold and English oak (Quercus robur L.) to assess the efficacy of eight fungicides applied via microcapsule trunk injection against the foliar pathogens apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) and powdery mildew (Phyllactinia sp). In both apple cv. Crown Gold and English oak, the fungicide myclobutanil was not taken up when microcapsules were inserted into the tree vascular system at the root flare. Disease severity in injected trees, excluding myclobutanil, was lower over the following two growing seasons compared to water-injected controls indicating seven of the eight fungicides used in this study provided a significant degree of protection against scab and powdery mildew infection. A difference in the magnitude of pathogen control achieved was recorded between fungicides. Of the fungicides tested, penconazole, pyrifenox and carbendazim significantly reduced disease severity and significantly increased leaf chlorophyll (Fv/Fm) and SPAD values as a measure of tree vitality and chlorophyll content, respectively, in both apple cv. Crown Gold and English oak over two growing seasons after microcapsule injection. Based on the results of this investigation, it is suggested that these three fungicides be used in preference to thiabendazole, fosetyl-aluminium, triadimefon and propiconazole for the control of apple scab and powdery mildew where outbreaks of these foliar pathogens are problematic.
Intonation and Voice Quality of Northern Appalachian English : A First Look

This study presents preliminary results on intonation and voice phonation in northern Appalachian English (NAE). Participants were 10 native, monolingual speakers of American English who were born and raised in small towns in central and northern Pennsylvania. They worked in pairs to provide interactive dialogues. The final boundary tone, along with vowels in sentence-final-word and their H1*-H2* values were examined. Two features stand out in this dialect. First, in addition to the default falling intonation, participants also make frequent use of a level intonation in declaratives, which is likely a feature of this dialect. Second, creaky voice predominates in this dialect. Overall, in longer sentences, younger participants and females had lower H1*-H2* values (i.e., creakier vowels) in sentence/IP-final position. The occurrence of creak has even spread to sentence-medial positions, which is not explainable through prosodic properties alone. Taken together, level intonation and creaky phonation might be seen as key features separating NAE from other Appalachian dialects, which in turn suggests micro-prosodic variation in Appalachian speech. The two features also effectively distinguish NAE from other American English dialects where level pitch contour is uncommon and creaky voice, should it appear, is even creakier than that produced by NAE speakers.
Dexmedetomidine or midazolam in combination with propofol for sedation in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: a randomized double blind prospective study

Introduction Interventional endoscopic procedures, such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), often require sedation during the procedure. The most commonly used drugs for this purpose are midazolam and propofol, which are used as sedative and hypnotic agents with minimal analgesic potential. Aim To compare the analgesic sedative effects of midazolam-propofol and dexmedetomidine-propofol combinations and their influence on hemodynamic and respiratory variables in patients undergoing ERCP. Material and methods Forty adult patients aged 20-78 and undergoing ERCP were randomized to two groups. Patients were premedicated with midazolam (0.05 mg/kg 10 min before the procedure) in group M and with dexmedetomidine (1 μg/kg for 10 min) in group D. Propofol was used for maintenance. The sedation level was monitored using the bispectral index (BIS) to maintain a score between 70 and 80. Hemodynamic and respiratory variables, recovery time and adverse events were recorded. Results The hemodynamic and respiratory variables were similar in both groups. Total propofol consumption was significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group (208.5 ±80.0 vs. 154.5 ±66.7 mg; p = 0.011). The recovery period was shorter in group D (time to achieve the Aldrete score 9 was 9.4 ±2.1 vs. 6.6 ±1.1 min; p < 0.001). Changes in hemodynamic and respiratory variables and adverse events were not different between the two groups. Conclusions We found a shorter recovery time and comparable sedative and adverse effects with the dexmedetomidine-propofol combination compared with the midazolam-propofol combination. Dexmedetomidine in combination with propofol may be a safe and useful alternative for sedation for ERCP patients.
Identification of NSF as a β-Arrestin1-binding Protein

Previous studies have demonstrated that β-arrestin1 serves to target G protein-coupled receptors for internalization via clathrin-coated pits and that its endocytic function is regulated by dephosphorylation at the plasma membrane. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified a novel β-arrestin1-binding protein, NSF ( N -ethylmaleimide-sensitivefusion protein), an ATPase essential for many intracellular transport reactions. We demonstrate that purified recombinant β-arrestin1 and NSF interact in vitro and that these proteins can be coimmunoprecipitated from cells. β-Arrestin1-NSF complex formation exhibits a conformational dependence with β-arrestin1 preferentially interacting with the ATP bound form of NSF. In contrast to the β-arrestin1-clathrin interaction, however, the phosphorylation state of β-arrestin1 does not affect NSF binding. Functionally, overexpression of NSF in HEK 293 cells significantly enhances agonist-mediated β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) internalization. Furthermore, when coexpressed with a β-arrestin1 mutant (βarr1S412D) that mimics a constitutively phosphorylated form of β-arrestin1 and that acts as a dominant negative with regards to β2-AR internalization, NSF rescues the βarr1S412D-mediated inhibition of β2-AR internalization. The demonstration of β-arrestin1-NSF complex formation and the functional consequences of NSF overexpression suggest a hitherto unappreciated role for NSF in facilitating clathrin coat-mediated G protein-coupled receptor internalization.
Modular High-Power DC–DC Converter for MVDC Renewable Energy Collection Systems

Medium-voltage (MV) dc collection system is a promising solution for future integration of large-scale renewables at remote places. This requires a high-power dc–dc converter to step up the voltage and connect with the high voltage direct current transmission line. In this article, a novel modular high-power dc–dc converter is proposed, with the combination of half-bridge and full-bridge submodules (SMs), as well as thyristors and diodes. It alternatively configures the SMs into parallel connection with the MV side to effectively share high current stress while series connection with the high voltage side to share the high voltage stress. It presents attractive features such as high device utilization rate, low cost, high step-up ratio, high efficiency, and small footprint. The circuit structure, operation principle, and the control schemes are discussed. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness, and the experimental results from a scaled down prototype further prove the proposed concept.
Species traits influence the genetic consequences of river fragmentation on two co-occurring redhorse (Moxostoma) species

We used microsatellite DNA markers to test whether fragmentation of the Trent River (Ontario, Canada) has re- duced genetic diversity and increased genetic differentiation among populations of river redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) and shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum). Allelic richness of both species was significantly greater along the free-flowing Muskegon River (Michigan, USA) than along the fragmented Trent River. Contrary to expectations, there was no evidence of a fragment length effect on genetic diversity, recent population bottlenecks, or increased relatedness among individuals in fragmented populations. High levels of linkage disequilibrium indicate extinction-recolonization pop- ulation dynamics along the Trent River. For both species, pairwise FST tests identified weak but statistically significant population differentiation. In the Trent River, differentiation was significantly greater for river redhorse than for shorthead redhorse and, for both species, greater than in the Muskegon River. Moderate fragmentation effects likely reflect the per- meability of the dam-lock system to redhorse movement. Differences between species indicate that as a result of smaller effective population sizes, habitat specialists and species at the periphery of their geographic range are more sensitive to river fragmentation.
Determining micro droplet profile using internal reflection interference

We introduce an optical diagnostics to determine the dual-surface profile of liquid droplet using internal reflection interferometry. A coherent laser beam is internally reflected on the air/liquid interface of a sessile droplet placed on a prism-based substrate to produce an interference fringe on a screen far from the substrate. The reflected laser rays consist of the reflection from the center spherical droplet profile and the one from the lower hyperbola-like droplet profile. The reflected rays are interfered each other to form the interference fringes. Ray tracing simulation is conducted using a custom-designed computer program. The simulation shows that the interfering rays reflected near the inflection point produce the outer-most fringes of the concentric interference pattern on the screen, and the reflected rays from the apex of the spherical profile and the contact line of the lower hyperbola-like profile construct the fringes at the center of the interference patterns. The simulated results are compared with the experimental observation to show a good agreement in the number and the location of the fringes and the radius of the outer-most-fringe where the number of the fringes is dependent on the droplet thickness and the radius of the fringe depends on the contact angle of the droplet. This result provides a new measurement technique to determine the morphological features of very small microdroplet such as the thickness ( < a few micron thickness), the contact angle (< a few degree), and the dualsurface profile.
The genetic composition of Peridermium pini and Cronartium flaccidum cankers on Scots pine as revealed by two multi-allelic loci

Summary Two highly variable DNA markers were developed for Cronartium flaccidum and Peridermium pini. The markers were used to study the genetic composition of aecia of single cankers of both species. All five cankers of P. pini were homogenic and contained only one allele in both loci studied, indicating that the aecia were homozygous. The homogeneity of the cankers suggested that either genetic exchange via spermatization does not occur in autoecious P. pini populations, or that the pairing is homothallic. Two C. flaccidum cankers contained heterozygous loci. However, one canker contained genetically variable aecia indicating heterothallism, whereas the aecia of the other canker were homogenic. Resume Deux marqueurs ADN hautement variables ont ete definis pour Cronartium flaccidum et Peridermium pini. Ces marqueurs ont ete utilises pour etudier la composition genetique des aecies de chancres individuels provoques par les deux especes. Tous les cinq chancres aP. pinietaient homogeniques et ne contenaient qu'un allele aux deux loci etudies, ce qui indique que les aecies etaient homozygotes. L'homogeneite des chancres suggerait, soit que les echanges genetiques par la spermatisation n'a pas lieu dans les populations du P. pini autoique, soit que les croisements sont homothaliques. Deux chancres aCronartium flaccidum contenaient des loci heterozygotes. Cependant, un chancre contenait des aecies genetiquement variables, ce qui indique l'heterothalisme, alors que les aecies de l'autre chancre etaient homogeniques. Zusammenfassung Fur Cronartium flaccidum und Peridermium pini wurden zwei sehr variable DNA-Marker entwickelt. Diese wurden verwendet, um die genetische Zusammensetzung der Aecidien einzelner Krebse beider Arten zu untersuchen. Alle funf untersuchten Krebse von P. pini waren genetisch gleichartig und enthielten nur ein Allel an beiden untersuchten Loci, was darauf hinweist, dass die Aecidien homozygot waren. Die Homogenitat der Krebse lasst darauf schliessen, dass in autozischen P. pini-Populationen entweder kein Genaustausch u Spermatisierung stattfindet, oder dass sich der Pilz homothallisch verhalt. Zwei Cronartium flaccidum-Krebse enthielten heterozygote Loci. Auf einem Krebs befanden sich jedoch genetisch variable Aecidien, was auf Heterothalli hinweist, wahrend die Aecidien des anderen Krebses genetisch homogen waren.
Phonotactics in L2 and Pidgin/Creole Languages

This study investigates the production of English initial consonant clusters by Arabic L1 learners of English and speakers of the Broad Jamaican Creole. The clusters Stop + /r/, /S/ + nasal, /S/ + stop, in addition to the production of vowel-initial words are focused on. It was found out that whereas Arab learners produced initial Stop + /r/ and /S/ + nasal words with epenthesis and /S/ + stop words with prosthesis as well as epenthesis, speakers of the Broad Jamaican Creole produced Stop + /r/ and /S/ + stop clusters according to the RP norm and /S/ + nasal with epenthesis. As for vowel-initial words, both groups resorted to the strategy of onset filling (Itô, 1989). Specifically, Arab learners produced these words with glottal stop /ʔ/ before the initial vowel, whereas the Jamaican informants inserted glottal fricative /h/ in the same position. Furthermore, the performance of the two groups was additionally analyzed in light of Optimality Theory.
Isolation of chromosomal mutations of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis 18‐16 after introduction of Tn919

The conjugative transposon Tn 919 was introduced at high frequency to L. lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis 18-16 and transconjugants were screened for mutations in two chromosomally located genotypes; citrate metabolism and maltose utilization. A citrate negative mutant, lacking citritase activity, was isolated at a frequency of 1.18 × 10−4. The mutant, 18-16C5, contained a single copy of Tn 919 in a chromosomal location. A junction fragment of Tn 919 ::18-16C5 chromosomal DNA was cloned in Escherichia coli . Mutations in maltose metabolism were detected at a frequency of 4.0 × 10−4. No mutants were detected when Tn 919 was not introduced. Reversion to a Mal+ phenotype occurred at high frequency, but was not due to Tn 919 transposition.
PackerGrind: An Adaptive Unpacking System for Android Apps

App developers are increasingly using packing services (or packers) to protect their code against being reverse engineered or modified. However, such packing techniques are also leveraged by the malicious developers to prevent the malware from being analyzed and detected by the static malware analysis and detection systems. Though there are already studies on unpacking packed Android apps, they usually leverage the manual reverse engineered packing behaviors to unpack apps packed by the specific packers and cannot be appified to the evolved and new packers. In this paper, we propose a novel unpacking approach with the capacity of adaptively unpacking the evolved and newly encountered packers. Also, we develop a new system, named PackerGrind, based on this adaptive approach for unpacking Android packers. The evaluation with real packed apps demonstrates that PackerGrind can successfully reveal packers protection mechanisms, effectively handle their evolution and recover Dex files with low overhead.