Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Proof-of-Concept of a Matrix Transducer Array for Clamp-On Ultrasonic Flow Measurements

Common clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters consist of two single-element transducers placed on the pipe wall. Flow speed is measured noninvasively, i.e., without interrupting the flow and without perforating the pipe wall, which also minimizes safety risks and avoids pressure drops inside the pipe. However, before metering, the transducers have to be carefully positioned along the pipe axis to correctly align the acoustic beams and obtain a well-calibrated flowmeter. This process is done manually, is dependent on the properties of the pipe and the liquid, does not account for pipe imperfections, and becomes troublesome on pipelines with an intricate shape. Matrix transducer arrays are suitable to dynamically steer acoustic beams and realize self-alignment upon reception, without user input. In this work, the design of a broadband <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$37\times 17$ </tex-math></inline-formula> matrix array (center frequency of 1 MHz) to perform clamp-on ultrasonic flow measurements over a wide range of liquids (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${c}=1000-2000$ </tex-math></inline-formula> m/s, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha \leq 1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> dB/MHz <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\cdot $ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm) and pipe sizes is presented. Three critical aspects were assessed: efficiency, electronic beam steering, and wave mode conversion in the pipe wall. A prototype of a proof-of-concept flowmeter consisting of two 36-element linear arrays (center frequency of 1.1 MHz) was fabricated and placed on a 1-mm-thick, 40-mm inner diameter stainless steel pipe in a custom-made flow loop filled with water. At resonance, simulated and measured efficiencies in water of the linear arrays compared well: 0.88 and 0.81 kPa/V, respectively. Mean flow measurements were achieved by electronic beam steering of the acoustic beams and using both compressional and shear waves generated in the pipe wall. Correlation coefficients of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${R}^{2}>0.99$ </tex-math></inline-formula> between measured and reference flow speeds were obtained, thus showing the operational concept of an array-based clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter.
Cold‐stored platelets are effective in an in vitro model of massive transfusion protocol assessed by rotational thromboelastometry

Platelets are a key component of massive transfusion in treating actively bleeding patients. While optimized for prophylactic transfusions, the effectiveness of the current standard room temperature stored platelets (RPs) in treating actively bleeding patients is not clear. Cold‐stored platelets (CPs) have been shown to have superior hemostatic functions and the potential to extend shelf life. In this study, we explored the effect of using CPs versus RPs in an in vitro transfusion model based on the massive transfusion protocol.
Roles of natural resources, globalization, and technological innovations in mitigation of environmental degradation in BRI economies

The environmental issue has become a global problem that needs to be examined frequently, motivating researchers to investigate it. Thus, the present study has investigated the asymmetric impact of natural resources, technological innovation, and globalization on the ecological footprint in the presence of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) economies. This research divided the BRI economies into high income, middle-income, and low-income levels to capture income differences. The study has used annual time series data from 1990 to 2018. The study applied a novel Augmented Mean Group estimators method to calculate the robust and reliable outcomes. The findings show that natural resources drastically damage the environment quality, whereas technological innovations are helpful in reducing environmental degradation. Moreover, the result of the interaction term (natural resources and technological innovations) negatively impacts the ecological footprint. Interestingly, these findings are similar in the three income groups. In addition, globalization improves environmental quality in the middle-income BRI economies but reduces in high-income, low-income, and full sample countries. Furthermore, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) concept has been validated across all BRI economies. In line with these findings, several relevant policies are recommended for a sustainable environment in the BRI economies.
Compensatory reserve and pulse character: Enhanced potential to predict urgency for transfusion and other life‐saving interventions after traumatic injury

Field triage of trauma patients requires timely assessment of physiologic status to determine resuscitative needs. Vital signs and rudimentary assessments such as pulse character (PC) are used by first responders to guide decision making. The compensatory reserve measurement (CRM) has demonstrated utility as an easily interpretable method for assessing patient status. We hypothesized that the ability to identify injured patients requiring transfusion and other life‐saving interventions (LSI) using a measurement of pulse character could be enhanced by the addition of the CRM.
Contexts and Outcomes of Proxy Online Health Information Seeking: Mixed Studies Review With Framework Synthesis

Background High-quality online health information (OHI) can reduce unnecessary visits to health professionals and improve health. One of the ways that people use OHI is to support others with health conditions through proxy OHI seeking. Members of a person’s social circle may help them overcome information-seeking barriers and illness challenges. There are several models on proxy information seeking. Yet, we know little about the use and outcomes of OHI on behalf of someone else. Objective The objectives of this paper are to explore and revise a framework on the context and outcomes of proxy OHI seeking Methods We conducted a mixed studies literature review integrating qualitative and quantitative evidence with thematic analysis of the findings of 28 studies, followed by framework synthesis incorporating the derived themes. Results We explored 4 main themes: (1) characteristics of proxy seekers, (2) context of proxy OHI seeking, (3) use of OHI to provide social support, and (4) outcomes of proxy OHI seeking. Our conceptual framework incorporates these themes and builds on previous work. Conclusions By better understanding how people use information together, information providers can adapt the information to meet all users’ needs.
Ethnic enclaves, social capital, and psychological well-being of immigrants: the case of Chinese older immigrants in Chicago

Abstract Objectives: Using a large sample of Chinese older immigrants in Chicago, this study asked two questions: (1) Is living in Chinatown associated with better psychological well-being? (2) What is the role of social capital in such an association? Methods: Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (N = 3,105). Depression and quality of life (QoL) were compared between those who lived in Chinatown and those who didn’t. Negative binomial regressions (for depression) and logistic regressions (for QoL) were performed to examine the associations between Chinatown residence, social capital, and the two outcomes. Results: Net of social capital and the control variables, living in Chinatown was marginally associated with fewer depressive symptoms (β= −.137, p = .057), but a significantly lower likelihood of reporting good QoL (OR = .797, CI: .661–.962). Although various forms of social capital were projective of positive psychological well-being, given the overall low social capital of the Chinatown residents, they heightened the mental health risks of this population. Conclusion: The neighborhood context may function to reproduce social disadvantage among aging immigrant populations. The findings point to the importance of intervention at the mezzo level to improve the psychological wellbeing of this population.
Validation of a “subjective motoric cognitive risk syndrome” screening tool for motoric cognitive risk syndrome—A prospective cohort study

Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is a gait‐based pre‐dementia syndrome associated with risk of dementia. Ascertaining subjective cognitive and motoric complaints may facilitate early and remote identification of individuals with MCR as they are reported to precede and predict objective cognitive and motoric impairments in aging.
Identification of critical genes and molecular pathways in COVID-19 myocarditis and constructing gene regulatory networks by bioinformatic analysis

Background There is growing evidence of a strong relationship between COVID-19 and myocarditis. However, there are few bioinformatics-based analyses of critical genes and the mechanisms related to COVID-19 Myocarditis. This study aimed to identify critical genes related to COVID-19 Myocarditis by bioinformatic methods, explore the biological mechanisms and gene regulatory networks, and probe related drugs. Methods The gene expression data of GSE150392 and GSE167028 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), including cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and GSE150392 from patients with myocarditis infected with SARS-CoV-2 and the GSE167028 gene expression dataset. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (adjusted P-Value <0.01 and |Log2 Fold Change| ≥2) in GSE150392 were assessed by NetworkAnalyst 3.0. Meanwhile, significant modular genes in GSE167028 were identified by weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and overlapped with DEGs to obtain common genes. Functional enrichment analyses were performed by using the "clusterProfiler" package in the R software, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed on the STRING website (https://cn.string-db.org/). Critical genes were identified by the CytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape by 5 algorithms. Transcription factor-gene (TF-gene) and Transcription factor-microRibonucleic acid (TF-miRNA) coregulatory networks construction were performed by NetworkAnalyst 3.0 and displayed in Cytoscape. Finally, Drug Signatures Database (DSigDB) was used to probe drugs associated with COVID-19 Myocarditis. Results Totally 850 DEGs (including 449 up-regulated and 401 down-regulated genes) and 159 significant genes in turquoise modules were identified from GSE150392 and GSE167028, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that common genes were mainly enriched in biological processes such as cell cycle and ubiquitin-protein hydrolysis. 6 genes (CDK1, KIF20A, PBK, KIF2C, CDC20, UBE2C) were identified as critical genes. TF-gene interactions and TF-miRNA coregulatory network were constructed successfully. A total of 10 drugs, (such as Etoposide, Methotrexate, Troglitazone, etc) were considered as target drugs for COVID-19 Myocarditis. Conclusions Through bioinformatics method analysis, this study provides a new perspective to explore the pathogenesis, gene regulatory networks and provide drug compounds as a reference for COVID-19 Myocarditis. It is worth highlighting that critical genes (CDK1, KIF20A, PBK, KIF2C, CDC20, UBE2C) may be potential biomarkers and treatment targets of COVID-19 Myocarditis for future study.
Exposed and unprotected: Sex worker vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 health emergency in Mozambique

ABSTRACT Measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 have been shown to disproportionately affect the marginalised groups in our societies. We studied the impacts of national restrictions on young adult sex workers in Mozambique, and actions at individual, governmental and civil society level to mitigate against these impacts. The country case study was part of a multi-country qualitative research, including fifty-four semi-structured interviews with female sex workers (N = 38), outreach workers (N = 10) in Maputo and Quelimane, and informants with key positions in national COVID coordination bodies, the Ministry of Health and civil society organisations (N = 7). While restrictions impacted all sex worker participants, the COVID crisis was found to deepen existing class differences and further incite violence against the most visible and economically vulnerable category of street-based sex workers. Parallel enforcement of morals against this group of ‘urban undesirables’ resulted in bodily harm and further degradation of the female sex worker under the guise of COVID emergency decrees, while restrictions weakened protection from peers and outreach workers against abuse by the police and other perpetrators. The State needs to act against unlawful police action and include impact mitigation strategies in its public health response to COVID in order to protect the most vulnerable.
Emergency department visits among people with predementia highly predicts conversion to dementia

Emergency department visits (EDV) are common among older adults with and without dementia. The risk factors and demands of EDVs for people with dementia have been well studied; however, the association between EDVs and conversion to dementia among people with predementia has not been thoroughly explored. To study the predictive value of EDVs in predementia’s progression to dementia. The baseline predementia cohort registered from September 2015 to August 2017, with longitudinal follow-up in the History-based Artificial Intelligent Clinical Dementia Diagnostic System database, was retrospectively analyzed. The rates of conversion among the different EDVs were compared. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analyses were applied to study the influence of EDVs on progression. Age, education, sex, neuropsychological tests, activities of daily living, neuropsychiatric symptoms, parkinsonism, and multiple vascular risk factors were adjusted for. A total of 512 participants were analyzed, including 339 (66.2%) non-converters and 173 (33.8%) converters with a mean follow-up of 3.3 (range 0.4–6.1) and 2.8 (range 0.5–5.9) years, respectively. Compared to people without EDV (EDV 0), the hazard ratios for conversion to dementia were 3.6, 5.9, and 6.9 in those with EDV once (EDV 1), twice (EDV 2), and more than twice (EDV >2), respectively. In addition, older age, lower education, poorer cognition, poorer ADL performance, and longer follow-up periods also increased the conversion rates. EDVs in the predementia stages highly predict progression to dementia. Therefore, a sound public health as well as primary healthcare system that provide strategies for better management of mental and physical condition might help prevention of EDVs among older people in the predementia stages.
Cultures Crossing: The Power of Habit in Delaying Gratification

Resisting immediate temptations in favor of larger later rewards predicts academic success, socioemotional competence, and health. These links with delaying gratification appear from early childhood and have been explained by cognitive and social factors that help override tendencies toward immediate gratification. However, some tendencies may actually promote delaying gratification. We assessed children’s delaying gratification for different rewards across two cultures that differ in customs around waiting. Consistent with our preregistered prediction, results showed that children in Japan (n = 80) delayed gratification longer for food than for gifts, whereas children in the United States (n = 58) delayed longer for gifts than for food. This interaction may reflect cultural differences: Waiting to eat is emphasized more in Japan than in the United States, whereas waiting to open gifts is emphasized more in the United States than in Japan. These findings suggest that culturally specific habits support delaying gratification, providing a new way to understand why individuals delay gratification and why this behavior predicts life success.
Procedural learning, declarative learning, and working memory as predictors of learning the use of a memory compensation tool in persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment

ABSTRACT Persons with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) are at risk for experiencing changes in their daily functioning due to their memory impairment. The Memory Support System (MSS), a compensatory calendaring system, was developed to support functional independence in persons with aMCI (pwaMCI). This cross-sectional study examined procedural learning, declarative learning, and working memory as predictors of MSS learning efficiency in pwaMCI. Sixty pwaMCI participated in MSS training. The Serial Reaction Time Test and Mirror Tracing Test were used to assess procedural learning. The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and CogState One Card Learning were used to assess declarative learning and the CogState One Back task was used to assess working memory. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess if procedural learning, declarative learning, and working memory predicted MSS learning efficiency. This study showed that declarative learning predicted MSS learning efficiency in pwaMCI, with less consistent results for procedural learning and non-significant results for working memory. Findings suggest that success in teaching compensatory tools is greater when training is offered in early aMCI before declarative learning skill is fully lost. Future studies should assess additional strategies to facilitate MSS learning in advanced aMCI.
Caries risk assessment using different Cariogram models. A comparative study about concordance in different populations—Adults and children

This methodological survey aimed to verify whether there is concordance among several Cariogram different risk models at different thresholds, comparing both children and adult populations and how each risk/protective factor weight on the overall caries risk profile. Three groups’ data (two in children and one in adults) were obtained from previous studies, while a fourth, in young adults, was ad hoc enrolled. Different caries risk levels were assessed: a) three risk categories with two different thresholds as: “low risk” = 61–100% or 81–100% chance to avoid caries, “moderate risk” = 41–60% or 21–80% and “high risk” = 0–40% or 0–20%, named model 1 and 2; b) four risk categories with two different thresholds as: “low risk” = 61–100% or 76–100%, “moderate/low risk” = 41–60% or 51–75%; “moderate/high risk” = 21–40% or 26–50% and “high risk” = 0–20% or 0–25%, model 3 and 4; c) five risk categories as: “very low risk” = 81–100%; “low risk” = 61–80% “moderate risk” = 41–60%; “high risk” = 21–40% and “very high risk” = 0–20%, model 5. Concordance of the different Cariogram risk categories among the four groups was calculated using Cohen’s kappa. The weight of the association between all Cariogram models toward the Cariogram risk variables was evaluated by ordinal logistic regression models. Considering Cariogram model 1 and 2, Cohen’s Kappa values ranged from 0.40 (SE = 0.07) for the young adult group to 0.71 (SE = 0.05) for the adult one. Cohen’s Kappa values ranged from 0.14 (SE = 0.03 p<0.01) for the adult group to 0.62 (SE = 0.02) for the two groups of children in models 3 and 4. Statistically significant associations were found for all Cariogram risk variables excepting Fluoride program in models 4 and 5 and the overall risk on children’s samples. Caries experience showed a quite variable weight in the different models in both adult groups. In the regression analyses, adult groups’ convergence was not always achievable since variations in associations between caries risk and different risk variables were narrower compared to other samples. Significant differences in caries risk stratification using different thresholds stands out from data analysis; consequently, risk assessments need to be carefully considered due to the risk of misleadingly choosing preventive and research actions.
Tree crown damage and its effects on forest carbon cycling in a tropical forest

Crown damage can account for over 23% of canopy biomass turnover in tropical forests and is a strong predictor of tree mortality; yet, it is not typically represented in vegetation models. We incorporate crown damage into the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES), to evaluate how lags between damage and tree recovery or death alter demographic rates and patterns of carbon turnover. We represent crown damage as a reduction in a tree's crown area and leaf and branch biomass, and allow associated variation in the ratio of aboveground to belowground plant tissue. We compare simulations with crown damage to simulations with equivalent instant increases in mortality and benchmark results against data from Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. In FATES, crown damage causes decreases in growth rates that match observations from BCI. Crown damage leads to increases in carbon starvation mortality in FATES, but only in configurations with high root respiration and decreases in carbon storage following damage. Crown damage also alters competitive dynamics, as plant functional types that can recover from crown damage outcompete those that cannot. This is a first exploration of the trade‐off between the additional complexity of the novel crown damage module and improved predictive capabilities. At BCI, a tropical forest that does not experience high levels of disturbance, both the crown damage simulations and simulations with equivalent increases in mortality does a reasonable job of capturing observations. The crown damage module provides functionality for exploring dynamics in forests with more extreme disturbances such as cyclones and for capturing the synergistic effects of disturbances that overlap in space and time.