Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prehospital delay is an important risk factor for mortality in community-acquired bloodstream infection (CA-BSI): a matched case–control study

Objectives The aim of this study was to identify prehospital and early hospital risk factors associated with 30-day mortality in patients with blood culture-confirmed community-acquired bloodstream infection (CA-BSI) in Sweden. Methods A retrospective case–control study of 1624 patients with CA-BSI (2015–2016), 195 non-survivors satisfying the inclusion criteria were matched 1:1 with 195 survivors for age, gender and microorganism. All forms of contact with a healthcare provider for symptoms of infection within 7 days prior CA-BSI episode were registered. Logistic regression was used to analyse risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality. Results Of the 390 patients, 61% (115 non-survivors and 121 survivors) sought prehospital contact. The median time from first prehospital contact till hospital admission was 13 hours (6–52) for non-survivors and 7 hours (3–24) for survivors (p<0.01). Several risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality were identified: prehospital delay OR=1.26 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.47), p<0.01; severity of illness (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score) OR=1.60 (95% CI: 1.40 to 1.83), p<0.01; comorbidity score (updated Charlson Index) OR=1.13 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.22), p<0.01 and inadequate empirical antimicrobial therapy OR=3.92 (95% CI: 1.64 to 9.33), p<0.01. In a multivariable model, prehospital delay >24 hours from first contact remained an important risk factor for 30-day all-cause mortality due to CA-BSI OR=6.17 (95% CI: 2.19 to 17.38), p<0.01. Conclusion Prehospital delay and inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy were found to be important risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality associated with CA-BSI. Increased awareness and earlier detection of BSI in prehospital and early hospital care is critical for rapid initiation of adequate management and antibiotic treatment.
Combining the strengths of inverse-variance weighting and Egger regression in Mendelian randomization using a mixture of regressions model

With the increasing availability of large-scale GWAS summary data on various traits, Mendelian randomization (MR) has become commonly used to infer causality between a pair of traits, an exposure and an outcome. It depends on using genetic variants, typically SNPs, as instrumental variables (IVs). The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method (with a fixed-effect meta-analysis model) is most powerful when all IVs are valid; however, when horizontal pleiotropy is present, it may lead to biased inference. On the other hand, Egger regression is one of the most widely used methods robust to (uncorrelated) pleiotropy, but it suffers from loss of power. We propose a two-component mixture of regressions to combine and thus take advantage of both IVW and Egger regression; it is often both more efficient (i.e. higher powered) and more robust to pleiotropy (i.e. controlling type I error) than either IVW or Egger regression alone by accounting for both valid and invalid IVs respectively. We propose a model averaging approach and a novel data perturbation scheme to account for uncertainties in model/IV selection, leading to more robust statistical inference for finite samples. Through extensive simulations and applications to the GWAS summary data of 48 risk factor-disease pairs and 63 genetically uncorrelated trait pairs, we showcase that our proposed methods could often control type I error better while achieving much higher power than IVW and Egger regression (and sometimes than several other new/popular MR methods). We expect that our proposed methods will be a useful addition to the toolbox of Mendelian randomization for causal inference.
TRVs across circuit breakers of series compensated lines-status with present technology and analysis for the Turkish 420 kV grid

The analysis of transient recovery voltages (TRVs) across circuit breakers of EHV lines, compensated with modern series capacitors protected by varistors, is presented. The applicable measures for limiting TRVs with present station equipment technology are updated. A physical explanation of the phenomenon is presented. This is useful for classifying the series compensation transmission schemes on the basis of the TRV magnification they can cause. Series capacitors protected by varistors result in higher TRVs than capacitors protected by spark-gaps, because trapped charge voltage remains on the capacitors following clearing of faults of any type and location. Simplified formulas are provided for a quick approximate estimation of TRVs. Means for limiting TRVs are reviewed. A solution, namely varistors branched across line breaker contacts, is explored. Results are presented of EMTP TRV analysis performed for three groups of series compensated 420 kV lines in Turkey, and measures for limiting TRVs are described. It is shown that line outage contingency cases and line fault clearing by breaker failure protection may cause a magnification of TRVs, to which attention must be paid. >
Effects of diets rich in ghee or olive oil on cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults: a two-period, crossover, randomised trial

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular health-related effects of consuming ghee in the usual diet. Thirty healthy men and women were studied in a free-living outpatient regimen. The participants were instructed for the isoenergetic inclusion of ghee or olive oil in their diets for 4 weeks using a randomised crossover design. At the end of run-in (baseline), 2-week wash-out and interventions, fasting blood samples were drawn. In addition, 2-h postprandial blood samples were collected after ingestion of a meal containing olive oil or ghee at week 4 of each dietary intervention. Body weight was not different between the two interventions. Compared with the olive oil, the diet with ghee increased fasting plasma apo-B (apo B) (0·09, 95 % CI 0·02, 0·17 g/l, P = 0·018), non-HDL-cholesterol (non-HDL-cholesterol) (0·53, 95 % CI 0·01, 1·05 mmol/l, P = 0·046) and LDL-cholesterol did not differ significantly between diet groups (0·29, 95 % CI –0·05, 0·63 mmol/l, P = 0·092), but had no significant effect on total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio (0·75, 95 % CI − 0·24 to 1·74 mmol/l, P = 0·118). No significant difference was observed in fasting as well as 2-h postprandial plasma TAG, glucose, insulin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 concentrations. This study showed that ghee that is predominantly saturated fats had an increasing effect on plasma apo B and non-HDL-cholesterol compared with olive oil, adding further evidence to the existing recommendations to replace dietary fats high in SFA with dietary fats high in unsaturated fats to reduce CVD risk.
Depression and quality of life in Brazilian and Portuguese older people communities

Abstract We aimed to compare the association of depression with aspects of quality of life (QoL) among older people users of primary health care (PHC) living in Brazil and Portugal. We carried out an observational, cross-sectional and comparative study with a quantitative approach in the PHC scope in Brazil and Portugal, where we obtained a nonrandom sample of 150 participants aged 65 years or older (100 Brazilians and 50 Portuguese). We used the socioeconomic and health data questionnaire, the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey QoL (SF-36) questionnaire and the Beck Inventory. Among the socioeconomic profiles, most were females aged between 65 and 80 years in both countries. There was a significant difference between groups in the income variable, with 100.0% of Portuguese people earning up to 1 minimum wage (P value <.001), and the presence of chronic diseases in 92.0% of respondents in Portugal (P value = .033). In the association analysis, most aspects of QoL had a higher median score (>50.0) within the categorical variables of “absent” and “mild” depression. The Emotional role functioning, Physical role functioning, Physical functioning, Mental health, Total score domains and the Mental health and Physical health summary measures stood out with this behavior in Brazil and in Portugal, where these latter 2 presented moderate to strong correlation values (ρ > 0.400) in Portugal. Greater associations of depression on QoL were revealed in Portugal than in Brazil. Among their most expressive associations, the Physical role functioning (odds ratio [OR] = 4.776; 95.0% confidence interval [CI]: 2.41–9.43), Physical functioning (OR = 3.037; 95.0% CI: 3.037), Vitality (OR = 6.000; 95.0% CI: 1.56–23.07) and Total score (OR = 3.727; 95.0% CI: 2.24–6.17) domains and the Mental health summary measure (OR = 3.870; 95.0% CI: 2.13–7.02) stood out. Aspects related to the emotional, physical, functional and mental health components stood out. The association and correlation with depression were more expressive in Portugal compared to Brazil. However, similar results were obtained in Brazil but with less relevance.
Analysis of polarization bistability of phase-shifted DFB laser due to TM light injection

As a method of high-bit-rate optical processing, the TM light injection-induced optical polarization bistability using Fabry-Perot type laser diodes has been experimentally demonstrated and theoretically analyzed. In these studies, although switching times less than 1 ns both for switch-up and switch-down have been reported, both of the TE and TM outputs exhibit longitudinal multimode spectra. In practical processing systems, a dynamically stable operation of the polarization switching is considered to be essential. It is the purpose of this paper to present an analytical study of the TM light injection-induced polarization bistability using a lambda /4-shifted distributed feedback (DFB) laser model and to describe the detailed picture of the mechanism. >
Requirements-Driven Design Decomposition: A Method for Exploring Complex System Architecture

A design decomposition model is proposed in which Axiomatic Design matrices (DM) map the Functional Requirements (FRs)-Design Parameters (DPs) relationship, and Design Structure Matrices (DSM) model the system development context. In the proposed model the DM and the DSM co-evolve. This approach is better suited for industries where the new product development process is constrained by the need to utilise existing manufacturing processes, to accommodate limitations of the supply chain and so forth. Traversing between the two types of matrices allows the application in a controlled manner of the system knowledge which surrounds the decision making process and the definition of the system architecture. A case study, conducted as part of our research, has verified the need for such a model. The study demonstrated also the need to understand more clearly the effect of constraints, and their associated project risk. This need is reflected in the development of a prototype software tool, the idea for which is described in this paper.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Spherical triangle mesh representation and multi-channel residual graph convolution network-based blind omnidirectional image quality assessment

Compared with traditional 2D imaging, omnidirectional imaging techniques can provide users with 360°×180° immersive visual experience, which also make the objective quality assessment of omnidirectional images more challenging. In this work, a spherical triangle mesh representation and multi-channel residual graph convolution network (denoted as Multi-RES-GCN) based blind omnidirectional image quality assessment (IQA) is proposed. The proposed method includes two important stages: omnidirectional image’s spherical triangle mesh generation and optimization, and quality predictor based on Multi-RES-GCN. In the first stage, the spherical representation of omnidirectional image is used (called as spherical image), a new scheme of spherical triangle mesh generation and optimization is proposed, which can reasonably sample pixels on the spherical image and optimize the sampled points to generate more accurate triangular meshes. In the second stage, the spherical image is divided into six view regions, and the triangle mesh nodes are classified into the view regions according to their positions, and then input to the quality predictor. The quality predictor is composed of Multi-Res-GCN and Estimator. Multi-Res-GCN can model nodes and the dependency relationship between nodes. Estimator is designed to regress the features extracted by Multi-Res-GCN to the weights and quality score of each view region, and the final quality score of omnidirectional image is predicated by calculating the weighted summation of these quality scores. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art IQA metrics on two omnidirectional IQA databases.
Electromagnetic near-field responses of a chiral molecule on a metal surface

We developed a generalized discrete dipole approximation (DDA) method that treats both electric and magnetic polarizations simultaneously. This method allows us to incorporate electromagnetic responses of chiral materials. We investigated near-field electric and near-field magnetic fields for both the case of a single achiral molecule and the case of a single chiral one with Pasteur parameter in the vicinity of gold nanostructures. We found the effect of the single molecules to be widespread on the metal surface, when the difference in the response electromagnetic field of these structures to rightand left-handed circularly polarized light was investigated. In addition, even though the gold structure alone does not show any magnetic response to the photoelectric field, the difference in the magnetic response to circularly polarized light appears on the metal edges near the chiral molecule. This result suggests that the measurement of the near-field field reflecting the electro-magnetic effect of chiral molecules may allow us to detect a significant effect on chirality that cannot be obtained by the measurement of the near-field electric field alone.
Yield strength and hardness of micron-sized powders measured in the diamond cell

ABSTRACT When powders of polycrystalline transparent materials are compressed in the diamond cell, they undergo a change from translucent to transparent. This effect is due to plastic deformation of the grains leading to a reduction in the size of voids responsible for light scattering. The pressures of the onset and saturation of the optical transmission corelate respectively well with the previously reported yield strengths and hardness obtained by different techniques. From ten measurements on MgO, SiO2, Al2O3, olivine, pyroxene, garnet and a perovskite, we find a ratio between hardness and yield strength of three, which is generally accepted. Preliminary high temperature measurements with the double-sided laser heating technique show that this method may be used for determining rheological properties of minerals at P-T conditions of the deep Earth. This technique for obtaining high optical transmission in polycrystalline materials may also be of interest for modern solid state laser materials.
Neutron damage equivalence in GaAs

A 1-MeV neutron damage equivalence methodology and damage function have been developed for GaAs based on a recoil-energy dependent damage efficiency and the displacement kerma. This method, developed using lifetime degradationIn GaAs LEDs in a variety of neutron spectra, is also shown to be applicable to carrier removal. A validated methodology, such as this, is required to ensure and evaluate simulation fidelity in the neutron testing of GaAs semiconductors. >
SLOCUM: an underwater glider propelled by environmental energy

SLOCUM is a small gliding AUV of 40 000-km operational range which harvests its propulsive energy from the heat flow between the vehicle engine and the thermal gradient of the temperate and tropical ocean. The design of both the glider and the thermal engine are discussed including the design genesis and approach, field trial results, concept strength, and limitations and potential use.
HYPO: skew-resilient partitioning for trajectory datasets

The rapid increase of GPS-enabled devices has led to immense amounts of trajectory data being collected and analyzed. To provide insight into these datasets, a number of spatio-temporal queries need to be executed efficiently and at scale. One such important query is the Query by Path, which given a series of road segments and a time interval, retrieves all trajectories that have passed through the road segments within a given time interval. The Query by Path finds application in many areas, including traffic management, transportation planning and fleet monitoring. In this paper we develop an approach to partition and distribute trajectories across a cluster and execute queries by path at scale. At the center of our approach is the partitioning of the entire dataset and indexing each partition with a Trie. We develop a basic set of partitioning approaches and show that each can be rendered inefficient by skew in the dataset. We consequently propose a HYbrid PartitiOning algorithm (HYPO) that performs robustly in face of skew. We also provide the cost models to configure HYPO. Finally we assess its performance extensively using both real and synthetic datasets to demonstrate that it scales well in face of skew.
FEM modeling of guided wave behavior in integrally stiffened plate structures

Structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies, which use integrated sensing for damage detection, are expected to improve system reliability, availability, and operational cost. Guided waves can propagate great distances while experiencing low attenuation. They have been successfully used for damage detection in structures of relatively low geometric complexity such as plates and cylindrical pipes. The use of guided waves for this purpose becomes increasingly difficult as the geometric complexity of the structure increases. Aerospace structural components such as fuel tanks, wings, etc. often are comprised of substructures that consist of plates with integral stiffeners. This work reports on finite element simulations of guided waves in integrally stiffened plate structures. In these studies, the guided waves are generated by PZT wafer-type transducers mounted on the structure. Transient dynamic finite element simulations using PZFlex, in 2D and in 3D, were used to model both the structure and transducers. The interaction of the guided waves with cracks, simulated by notches of varying dimensions, is also modeled. This allows appraisal of the sensitivity of various modes for crack detection by providing insight into mode conversion and scattering resulting from the guided wave and crack interaction.
Brain state and cortical layer-specific mechanisms underlying perception at threshold

Identical stimuli can be perceived or go unnoticed across successive presentations, producing divergent behavioral outcomes despite similarities in sensory input. We sought to understand how fluctuations in behavioral state and in cortical layer and cell-class specific neural activity underlie this perceptual variability. We analyzed physiological measurements of state and laminar electrophysiological activity in visual area V4 while monkeys were rewarded for correctly reporting a stimulus change at perceptual threshold. We find that hit trials are characterized by a behavioral state with increased arousal and improved eye position stability. During hit trials, target stimuli evoke stronger responses in V4, and excitatory neurons in the superficial layers, the primary feed-forward output of the cortical column, exhibit lower variability. Hit trials are characterized by greater synchrony between the output layers of the cortex during spontaneous activity, while the stimulus evoked period shows elevated synchrony in the feed-forward pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that a state of elevated arousal and stable retinal images allow enhanced processing of sensory stimuli, which contributes to hits at perceptual threshold.
NUDT18 catalyzes the hydrolysis of active metabolites of the antivirals Remdesivir, Ribavirin and Molnupiravir

Remdesivir and Molnupiravir have gained considerable interest due to their activity against SARS-CoV-2. Cellular hydrolysis of their active triphosphate forms, Remdesivir-TP and Molnupiravir-TP, would decrease drug efficiency. We therefore tested Remdesivir-TP as a substrate against a panel of human hydrolases and found that NUDT18 catalyzes the hydrolysis of Remdesivir-TP. The kcat value of NUDT18 for Remdesivir-TP was determined to 2.6 s-1 and the Km value was 156 μM, suggesting that NUDT18 catalyzed hydrolysis of Remdesivir-TP occurs in cells. We demonstrate that the triphosphates of the antivirals Ribavirin and Molnupiravir are hydrolyzed by NUDT18, albeit with a lower efficiency compared to Remdesivir-TP. NUDT18 also hydrolyses the triphosphates of Sofosbuvir and Aciclovir although with significantly lower activity. These results suggest that NUDT18 can act as a cellular sanitizer of modified nucleotides and may influence the antiviral efficacy of Remdesivir, Molnupiravir and Ribavirin. NUDT18 is expressed in respiratory epithelial cells and may limit the antiviral efficacy of Remdesivir and Molnupiravir against SARS-CoV2 replication by decreasing the intracellular concentration of their active metabolites at their intended site of action.
Dynamics and Control of Cranes: A Review

We review crane models available in the literature, classify them, and discuss their applications and limitations. A generalized formulation of the most widely used crane model is analyzed using the method of multiple scales. We also review crane control strategies in the literature, classify them, and discuss their applications and limitations. In conclusion, we recommend appropriate models and control criteria for various crane applications and suggest directions for further work.