Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Multivariate Distribution with Weibull Connections

A simple form of multivariate distribution is defined which, for certain parameter values, has Weibull marginals. The distribution has a single parameter governing association between the variates, which may be positive, negative or zero. The simple forms for marginal and conditional distributions, hazard functions and densities make it attractive for practical application and interpretation.
RCL: Stata module for estimation and simulation of random coefficient logit models

rcl estimates and simulates random coefficient logit models using product level data. The models covered include the random coefficient logit model of Berry, Levinsohn and Pakes (1995) (BLP), nested logit models (with one, two or three nesting level), as well as the simple logit model. The command can perform estimation, merger simulation and calculation of various descriptives (elasticities -grouped or product-level-, diversion ratios, implied marginal costs, compensating marginal cost efficiencies). rcl can also use pre-defined parameter values and/or marginal cost data in these simulations. Hence, it can be used as a basis for estimation, counter-factual simulation and calibration work as well as for data simulation.
Paper ID ICLASS06-124 DERIVATION OF AN EULERIAN SPRAY MODEL WITH INTERFACIAL AREA TRANSPORT EQUATION FROM A SPRAY EQUATION WITH SELF-SIMILAR FRAGMENTATION KERNEL

In recent studies on spray atomisation, it has been found that the droplet size distribution can be related to either Kolmorogov turbulent cascade or extensions of whom (1, 2). The present paper studies the relationship between the self-similar fragmentation process introduced in these studies and the production of interfacial area between the liquid and the gas phase. Its goal is to lead to a simpler macroscopic eulerian model which could be implemented in standard CFD codes. A transport equation related to the droplet distribution function transport equation first proposed by F.A. Williams is first considered. This equation is then averaged from the (radius, position, velocity) phase space to give an eulerian description of the mixing of the two fluids. The concentration of interfacial area is related to one of the moments of the distribution. In order to find unclosed terms in the eulerian modelling, the evolution equation of the droplet distribution function is then integrated numerically and the results will be used to devise the macroscopic relaxation processes of averaged quantities (such as creation and destruction of interfacial area). In the conclusion, comparison is made with macroscopic closure relations obtained from thermodynamic considerations (8).
An acidic microenvironment in Tuberculosis increases extracellular matrix degradation by regulating macrophage inflammatory responses

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection causes marked tissue inflammation leading to lung destruction and morbidity. The inflammatory extracellular microenvironment is acidic, however the effect of this acidosis on the immune response to M.tb is unknown. Using RNA-seq we show that acidosis produces system level transcriptional change in M.tb infected human macrophages regulating almost 4000 genes. Acidosis specifically upregulated extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation pathways with increased expression of Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which mediate lung destruction in Tuberculosis. Macrophage MMP-1 and -3 secretion was increased by acidosis in a cellular model. Acidosis markedly suppresses several cytokines central to control of M.tb infection including TNF-α and IFN-γ. Murine studies demonstrated expression of known acidosis signaling G-protein coupled receptors OGR-1 and TDAG-8 in Tuberculosis which are shown to mediate the immune effects of decreased pH. Receptors were then demonstrated to be expressed in patients with TB lymphadenitis. Collectively, our findings show that an acidic microenvironment modulates immune function to reduce protective inflammatory responses and increase extracellular matrix degradation in Tuberculosis. Acidosis receptors are therefore potential targets for host directed therapy in patients.
Eigen-analysis of kernel operators for nonlinear dimension reduction and discrimination

There has been growing interest in kernel methods for classification, clustering and dimension reduction. For example, kernel linear discriminant analysis, spectral clustering and kernel principal component analysis are widely used in statistical learning and data mining applications. The empirical success of the kernel method is generally attributed to nonlinear feature mapping induced by the kernel, which in turn determines a low dimensional data embedding. It is important to understand the effect of a kernel and its associated kernel parameter(s) on the embedding in relation to data distributions. In this dissertation, we examine the geometry of the nonlinear embeddings for kernel PCA and kernel LDA through spectral analysis of the corresponding kernel operators. In particular, we carry out eigenanalysis of the polynomial kernel operator associated with data distributions and investigate the effect of the degree of polynomial on the data embedding. We also investigate the effect of centering kernels on the spectral property of both polynomial and Gaussian kernel operators. In addition, we extend the framework of the eigen-analysis of kernel PCA to kernel LDA by considering between-class and within-class variation operators for polynomial kernels. The results provide both insights into the geometry of nonlinear data embeddings given by kernel methods and practical guidelines for choosing an appropriate degree for dimension reduction and discrimination with polynomial kernels. ii This is dedicated to my parents, Yigui Liang and Yunmei Hou; my sister, Zhiyan Liang and my husband, Sungmin Kim.
Evaluation of Bayesian multiple stage estimation under spatial CAR model variants

ABSTRACT In this study, an evaluation of Bayesian hierarchical models is made based on simulation scenarios to compare single-stage and multi-stage Bayesian estimations. Simulated datasets of lung cancer disease counts for men aged 65 and older across 44 wards in the London Health Authority were analysed using a range of spatially structured random effect components. The goals of this study are to determine which of these single-stage models perform best given a certain simulating model, how estimation methods (single- vs. multi-stage) compare in yielding posterior estimates of fixed effects in the presence of spatially structured random effects, and finally which of two spatial prior models – the Leroux or ICAR model, perform best in a multi-stage context under different assumptions concerning spatial correlation. Among the fitted single-stage models without covariates, we found that when there is low amount of variability in the distribution of disease counts, the BYM model is relatively robust to misspecification in terms of DIC, while the Leroux model is the least robust to misspecification. When these models were fit to data generated from models with covariates, we found that when there was one set of covariates – either spatially correlated or non-spatially correlated, changing the values of the fixed coefficients affected the ability of either the Leroux or ICAR model to fit the data well in terms of DIC. When there were multiple sets of spatially correlated covariates in the simulating model, however, we could not distinguish the goodness of fit to the data between these single-stage models. We found that the multi-stage modelling process via the Leroux and ICAR models generally reduced the variance of the posterior estimated fixed effects for data generated from models with covariates and a UH term compared to analogous single-stage models. Finally, we found the multi-stage Leroux model compares favourably to the multi-stage ICAR model in terms of DIC. We conclude that the mutli-stage Leroux model should be seriously considered in applications of Bayesian disease mapping when an investigator desires to fit a model with both fixed effects and spatially structured random effects to Poisson count data.
A Degron Blocking Strategy Towards Improved CRL4CRBN Recruiting PROTAC Selectivity **

Small molecules inducing protein degradation are important pharmacological tools to interrogate complex biology and are rapidly translating into clinical agents. However, to fully realise the potential of these molecules, selectivity remains a limiting challenge. Herein, we addressed the issue of selectivity in the design of CRL4CRBN recruiting PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs). Thalidomide derivatives used to generate CRL4CRBN recruiting PROTACs have well described intrinsic monovalent degradation profiles by inducing the recruitment of neo‐substrates, such as GSPT1, Ikaros and Aiolos. We leveraged structural insights from known CRL4CRBN neo‐substrates to attenuate and indeed remove this monovalent degradation function in well‐known CRL4CRBN molecular glues degraders, namely CC‐885 and Pomalidomide. We then applied these design principles on a previously published BRD9 PROTAC (dBRD9‐A) and generated an analogue with improved selectivity profile. Finally, we implemented a computational modelling pipeline to show that our degron blocking design does not impact PROTAC‐induced ternary complex formation. We believe that the tools and principles presented in this work will be valuable to support the development of targeted protein degradation.
Distributed Optimization With Projection-Free Dynamics: A Frank-Wolfe Perspective

We consider solving distributed constrained optimization in this article. To avoid projection operations due to constraints in the scenario with large-scale variable dimensions, we propose distributed projection-free dynamics by employing the Frank–Wolfe method, also known as the conditional gradient. Technically, we find a feasible descent direction by solving an alternative linear suboptimization. To make the approach available over multiagent networks with weight-balanced digraphs, we design dynamics to simultaneously achieve both the consensus of local decision variables and the global gradient tracking of auxiliary variables. Then, we present the rigorous convergence analysis of the continuous-time dynamical systems. Also, we derive its discrete-time scheme with an accordingly proved convergence rate of $O(1/k)$ . Furthermore, to clarify the advantage of our proposed distributed projection-free dynamics, we make detailed discussions and comparisons with both existing distributed projection-based dynamics and other distributed Frank–Wolfe algorithms.
Changes in trachoma indicators in Kiribati with two rounds of azithromycin mass drug administration, measured in serial population-based surveys

Baseline mapping in the two major population centers of Kiribati showed that trachoma was a public health problem in need of programmatic interventions. After conducting two annual rounds of antibiotic mass drug administration (MDA), Kiribati undertook trachoma impact surveys in 2019, using standardized two-stage cluster surveys in the evaluation units of Kiritimati Island and Tarawa. In Kiritimati, 516 households were visited and in Tarawa, 772 households were visited. Nearly all households had a drinking water source and access to an improved latrine. The prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis remained above the elimination threshold (0.2% in ≥15-year-olds) and was virtually unchanged from baseline. The prevalence of trachomatous inflammation—follicular (TF) in 1–9-year-olds decreased by approximately 40% from baseline in both evaluation units but remained above the 5% TF prevalence threshold for stopping MDA. TF prevalence at impact survey was 11.5% in Kiritimati and 17.9% in Tarawa. Infection prevalence in 1–9-year-olds by PCR was 0.96% in Kiritimati and 3.3% in Tarawa. Using a multiplex bead assay to measure antibodies to the C. trachomatis antigen Pgp3, seroprevalence in 1–9-year-olds was 30.2% in Kiritimati and 31.4% in Tarawa. The seroconversion rate, in seroconversion events/100 children/year, was 9.0 in Kiritimati and 9.2 in Tarawa. Seroprevalence and seroconversion rates were both assessed by four different assays, with strong agreement between tests. These results show that, despite decreases in indicators associated with infection at impact survey, trachoma remains a public health problem in Kiribati, and provide additional information about changes in serological indicators after MDA.
Impact of Black Race on Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Receiving Bortezomib Induction

PURPOSE The incidence of multiple myeloma (MM) is two to three times higher in Black patients compared with other races, making it the most common hematologic malignancy in this patient population. Current treatment guidelines recommend the combination of a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and a corticosteroid as preferred induction therapy. Bortezomib use comes with the risk of peripheral neuropathy (PN) and potential need for dose reduction, therapy interruption, and additional supportive medications. Known risk factors for bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) include diabetes mellitus, previous thalidomide, advanced age, and obesity. We aimed to determine the potential association between Black race and incidence of BIPN. PATIENTS AND METHODS We identified a cohort of 748 patients with newly diagnosed MM who received induction with bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone from 2007 to 2016. One hundred forty Black patients were matched with 140 non-Black patients on age, sex, BMI, and route of bortezomib administration. Incidence of BIPN was a binary event defined as new use of a neuropathy medication, bortezomib dose reduction, dose omission, or discontinuation because of PN. RESULTS The incidence of BIPN was higher in Black patients (46%) compared with non-Black patients (34%; P = .05) in both univariate (odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% CI, 1.00 to 2.61; P = .052) and multivariable analyses (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.67; P = .047). No significant differences in BIPN were seen when stratified by route of administration. CONCLUSION These data indicate that Black race is an independent risk factor for the development of BIPN. Additional prevention strategies, close monitoring, and appropriate supportive care measures are warranted for these patients.
Frequency-dependent avoidance movement of glass catfish in response to sinusoidal electrical stimulation and associated spiking patterns of electroreceptors

ABSTRACT The glass catfish is a freshwater fish with electroreceptors on its body surface. In this study, we investigated its behavioral response to sinusoidal electrical stimulation with a dipole wider than its body length and the spiking patterns of its electroreceptors. We observed that sinusoidal electric stimulation with a large dipole distance elicited in the glass catfish an avoidance movement whose frequency range is frequency-dependent. The movements were prominent in the frequency range between 10–20 Hz. When the stimulation strength increased, the movements were also found in the low-frequency range. In electrophysiological experiments, periodic interspike intervals of the electroreceptors were modulated by sinusoidal electrical stimuli. The stimulation introduced irregularity in the spiking patterns. The local variability of the spike modulations was significantly higher in the frequency range of 4–40 Hz and was particularly sensitive at 20 Hz. The avoidance movements and an increase in the local variability in the spike patterns were found around 20 Hz. Our results indicate that the glass catfish avoids sinusoidal electrical stimulation in a frequency-dependent manner, and this is associated with local modulations in the spiking patterns of the electroreceptors.
Beamed-Energy Propulsion (BEP) Study

The scope of this study was to (1) review and analyze the state-of-art in beamed-energy propulsion (BEP) by identifying potential game-changing applications, (2) formulate a roadmap of technology development, and (3) identify key near-term technology demonstrations to rapidly advance elements of BEP technology to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6. The two major areas of interest were launching payloads and space propulsion. More generally, the study was requested and structured to address basic mission feasibility. The attraction of beamed-energy propulsion (BEP) is the potential for high specific impulse while removing the power-generation mass. The rapid advancements in high-energy beamed-power systems and optics over the past 20 years warranted a fresh look at the technology. For launching payloads, the study concluded that using BEP to propel vehicles into space is technically feasible if a commitment to develop new technologies and large investments can be made over long periods of time. From a commercial competitive standpoint, if an advantage of beamed energy for Earth-to-orbit (ETO) is to be found, it will rest with smaller, frequently launched payloads. For space propulsion, the study concluded that using beamed energy to propel vehicles from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous Earth orbit (LEO-GEO) and into deep space is definitely feasible and showed distinct advantages and greater potential over current propulsion technologies. However, this conclusion also assumes that upfront infrastructure investments and commitments to critical technologies will be made over long periods of time. The chief issue, similar to that for payloads, is high infrastructure costs.
What makes the palliative care initial encounter meaningful? A descriptive study with patients with cancer, family carers and palliative care professionals

Background: The palliative care initial encounter can have a positive impact on the quality of life of patients and family carers if it proves to be a meaningful experience. A better understanding of what makes the encounter meaningful would reinforce the provision of person-centred, quality palliative care. Aim: To explore the expectations that patients with cancer, family carers and palliative care professionals have of this initial encounter. Design: Qualitative descriptive study with content analysis of transcripts from 60 semi-structured interviews. Setting/participants: Twenty patients with cancer, 20 family carers and 20 palliative care professionals from 10 institutions across Spain. Results: Four themes were developed from the analysis of interviews: (1) the initial encounter as an opportunity to understand what palliative care entails; (2) individualised care; (3) professional commitment to the patient and family carers: present and future; and (4) acknowledgement. Conclusion: The initial encounter becomes meaningful when it facilitates a shared understanding of what palliative care entails and acknowledgement of the needs and/or roles of patients with cancer, family carers and professionals. Further studies are required to explore how a perception of acknowledgement may best be fostered in the initial encounter.
Pediatric Martial Arts–Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments in the United States From 2004 to 2021

Background: Participation in martial arts has been increasing for several years, with millions of children and adolescents engaging in the sport annually. Yet, the most comprehensive examination of martial arts–related injuries was completed almost 2 decades ago. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of martial arts–related injuries presenting to US emergency departments (EDs) among pediatric patients. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for patients aged 3 to 17 years who were treated in US EDs from 2004 through 2021. Results: A total of 5656 cases were included in the analysis. An estimated 176,947 children (95% CI, 128,172-225,722) were treated for martial arts–related injuries in US EDs. The rate of martial arts–related injuries per 10,000 children increased from 1.43 in 2004 to 2.07 in 2013 (slope = 0.07; P = .005) and then decreased to 1.44 in 2021 (slope = −0.10; P = .02). The mean injury rates were 2.22 per 10,000 children aged 12-17 years and 1.15 per 10,000 children aged 3-11 years. The most common injuries occurred in children aged 6 to 11 years (39.3%), were strains/sprains (28.4%), and were associated with falling (26.9%). The mechanism of injury differed by the style of martial arts. Compared with other activity types (formal class, horseplay, and unspecified), competition carried a 2.56 times greater risk of head/neck injuries and a 2.70 times greater risk of traumatic brain injuries. Conclusion: Martial arts are a significant source of injuries for children aged 3 to 17 years. To continue decreasing the injury rate, the creation and implementation of standardized risk-mitigation rules and regulations that could be applied to all martial arts styles are recommended.
Measles immunity gaps among children and adolescents with HIV in Zambia despite high measles vaccination and antiretroviral therapy coverage

Objective: The study objective was to identify measles and rubella immunity gaps among people with HIV (PWH) in Zambia despite high measles vaccine coverage and widespread access to antiretroviral therapy. Design: Nationally representative cross-sectional serosurvey using biorepository specimens. Methods: Blood specimens collected in the Zambia Population HIV Impact Assessment survey (ZAMPHIA) of 2016 were tested for measles and rubella immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies by enzyme immunoassay. Hierarchical generalized additive models were fit to characterize age-specific measles and rubella seroprevalence profiles by HIV infection status. Log-binomial regression was performed to identify factors associated with seronegativity. Results: Of the 25 383 specimens, a subsample of 11 500 were selected and 9852 (85%) were successfully tested. Measles seroprevalence was lower among PWH compared with HIV-uninfected individuals until approximately 30 years of age. Among children younger than the age of 10 years, measles seroprevalence was 47.2% [95% confidence interval (CI): 32.7, 61.7] in PWH and 76.4% (95% CI: 74.9, 78.0) in HIV-uninfected children in same age category. In contrast, rubella seroprevalence was higher among PWH than HIV-uninfected individuals, particularly for children younger than 10 years (68.6% vs. 44.3%, P < 0.001). Having a detectable viral load was associated with being measles seronegative (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.15, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.38). Conclusions: These results from a nationally representative serosurvey demonstrate persistence of measles immunity gaps among PWH younger than 30 years of age. There is need to implement the World Health Organization's recommendation to revaccinate children living with HIV against measles following immune reconstitution with antiretroviral therapy to protect these children and prevent measles outbreaks.
OPTIMIZATION OF RANDOM PHASE UPDATING TECHNIQUE FOR EFFECTIVE REDUCTION IN PAPR, USING DISCRETE COSINE TRANSFORM

One of problems of OFDM systems, is the big value of peak to average power ratio. To reduce it, any attempt have been done amongst which, random phase updating is an important technique. In contrast to paper, since power variance is computable before IFFT block, the complexity of this method would be less than other phase injection methods which could be an important factor. Another interesting capability of random phase updating technique is the possibility of applying the variance of threshold power. The operation of phase injection is repeated till the power variance reaches threshold power variance. However, this may be a considered as a disadvantage for random phase updating technique. The reason is that reaching the mentioned threshold may lead to possible system delay. In this paper, in order to solve the mentioned problem, DCT transform is applied on subcarrier outputs before phase injection. This leads to reduce the number of required carriers for reaching the threshold value which results in reducing system delay accordingly.