Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Risk Prediction Model for Prolonged Length of Stay in Patients with Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Retrospective Study of 225 Patients in a Single Center in Kunming, China

Background We aimed to develop an effective prediction model of prolonged length of stay (LOS) in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Material/Methods We systematically enrolled 225 patients admitted for AECOPD to our hospital and divided them into a normal LOS group (≤7 days) and prolonged LOS group (>7 days). To analyze differences in laboratory data at different times, 3 logistic regression models were established. To develop the prediction model, all variables with statistical significance were included in the model. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate discrimination, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to assess the calibration of the model. Results Factors found to be independently associated with the increased risk of prolonged LOS included the use of corticosteroids during hospitalization, elevated HCO3−, decreased pH, and reductions in platelets (PLTs) and procalcitonin (PCT) between the fourth and first day of hospitalization. The risk prediction model including these factors had an AUC of 0.795, suggesting the good discrimination of our model. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test also showed good calibration of the model, which confirmed its good predictive performance. Conclusions A clinical prediction model was developed with good predictive performance, which could help clinicians identify patients with a higher risk of prolonged LOS, help shorten hospital stay, reduce the disease burden of patients, and improve the outcomes of AECOPD.
Evaluation of Biogenic Organic Aerosols in the Amazon Rainforest Using WRF‐Chem With MOSAIC

Biogenic secondary organic aerosol (BSOA) accounts for 70%–80% of submicron aerosol over the Amazon rainforest. However, uncertainties with regard to the chemical formation pathway, mass budget, and radiative impact of BSOA in the region still remain high. To address the issue, we used a regional chemistry transport model (WRF‐Chem‐MOSAIC) to evaluate the budget of BSOA in the Amazon forest during the wet season (March) of 2014 when the air mass was clean from influences from anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions. We found that the default model underestimated the surface concentration of submicron organic aerosol (OA) by 57% at a ground measurement site (T3). We subsequently updated the WRF‐Chem‐MOSAIC model by including SOA formation from isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX‐SOA) and SOA aging schemes. The updated model reproduced the observed submicron OA concentration well with an overestimation of only 2.5%. With the updated model, we will show that IEPOX‐SOA accounts for 23% of surface submicron OA averaged over the entire Amazon rainforest. The modeled surface SOA (smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter) concentration in the Amazon region was about a factor of 14 larger than the global mean. Finally, a sensitivity study was conducted which showed that convective plumes can remove more than 40% of submicron OA below 5 km in the Amazon region. Overall, our study highlights the importance of IEPOX chemistry as well as the convective removal processes in the global SOA budget.
Living Systems: Designing Growth in Baubotanik

Baubotanik – the construction method that uses living plants for load bearing in architectural structures – provides a surprising ability to anticipate the latent convergence of non-living and living systems in architecture. Through interdisciplinary research by architects, engineers and biologists it aims to synthesise architectural qualities, constructive requirements and biological properties in living structures. In this article, Ferdinand Ludwig, Hannes Schwertfeger and Oliver Storz of the Baubotanik research group at the Institute for Architectural Theory and Design (IGMA) at the University of Stuttgart explain how living and non-living building elements can be designed to develop into vegetal-technical compound structures. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimization Design of Proportional-integral Controllers in High-voltage DC System Based on an Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Abstract The control system plays an important role in the high-voltage direct-current transmission system. An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed and employed to design the optimal proportional-integral controllers in high-voltage direct-current system in this article. Simulation examples were implemented on the CIGRE HVDC Benchmark Model [Szechtman, M. , Wess, T. , and Thio, C. V. , “First benchmark model for HVDC control studies,” CIGRE WG 14.02 Electra, No. 135, pp. 54–73, 1991], and the results of the standard particle swarm optimization algorithm and stable boundary law method were also given as contrasts. Simulation results showed that the proportional-integral controller designed by the proposed method can satisfy the requirements of stability and dynamic response performance indexes of high-voltage direct-current transmission system.
Assessing audit fees: Turnover, inflation & minimum stipend rate

Auditing firms rely on audit fees to generate revenue. The audit fee is generally agreed upon by auditee and auditor. For the calculation of audit fees, no standard formula exists. Pakistan's regulatory body for audit firms ‘ICAP' has imposed certain cost constraints on audit firms. As per the literature, stipend rates have been used rarely to determine audit fees. As a result, this paper examines audit fee determination using variables such as the company's assets, turnover, current ratio, inflation, and minimum stipend rate. These variables are especially influential in a developing country such as Pakistan. To determine audit fees, a panel regression model is being de-veloped. We used data from 40 publicly traded companies from 2014 to 2017 to regress on our model. After extensive testing with the Hausman and F-tests, the fixed effect model is finally applied. Empirically, it was discov-ered that the current ratio, the entity's turnover, and the stipend amount all have a significant positive effect on the calculation of audit fees. T The study's findings have significant implications not only for audit firms, but also for auditees in determining audit fees.
Oscillator noise analysis: multivariance measurement

Since the noise altering the output signal of oscillators may be modeled as power laws in the spectral density of frequency deviation, oscillator noise analysis is the measurement of the level of each power law noise. The principle of this new multivariance method consists of obtaining the noise-type contributions with different variances and different integration time values. All the data obtained from the different variances with the different integration times are then operated simultaneously. Thus, the most probable measurement, in the sense of least squares, is obtained for each type of noise. This method lends itself to an estimation of the uncertainty of the noise-type contribution measurement, taking into account the dispersion of the variance results. >
Machine Learning Technique to Improve an Impedance Matching Characteristic of a Bent Monopole Antenna

We designed the wire monopole antenna bent at three points by applying a machine learning technique to achieve a good impedance matching characteristic. After performing the deep neural network (DNN)-based training, we validated our machine learning model by evaluating mean squared error and R-squared score. Considering the mean squared error of about zero and R-squared score of about one, the performance prediction by the resulting machine learning model showed a high accuracy compared with that by the numerical electromagnetic simulation. Finally, we interpreted the operating principle of the antennas with a good impedance matching characteristic by analyzing equivalent circuits corresponding to their structures. The accomplished works in this research provide us with the possibility to use the machine learning technique in the antenna design.
New method for the determination of steady‐state signal characteristic values

A new method for the determination of periodic and quasi-periodic signal characteristic values is proposed. The method consists in determining the area bounded by the closed curves obtained in the real plane where one axis is the signal and the other one is the signal integral, or the signal derivative or the k-th harmonic of the signal (for periodic signals). In this way the signal RMS value, mean value and maximum value, the harmonic frequencies and the distortion RMS values (for periodic signals) as well as the carrier RMS value and the modulation factor (for quasi-periodic signals) may be determined.
The relations of broad nematode resistance to quality characteristics as a consequence of marker-assisted selection in potato breeding programs

Cultivating resistant varieties of potato is the most effective and environmentally sound method of protecting potato crops against pests and diseases. Potato cyst nematodes (PCN) are major nematode pests causing severe constraints in potato production worldwide. There are five pathotypes of Globodrea rostochiensis (Ro1–Ro5) and three of G. pallida Pa1–Pa3. Cultivation of potato varieties with broad nematode resistance may influence the growth of the wide spectrum of PCN pathotypes, but there is limited availability of such varieties on the market. The use of molecular markers allows for the effective selection of resistant genotypes at early stages of breeding. However, the impact of early selection for nematode resistance on the agronomic value of the final selected clones is a cause of concern for potato breeders. This study investigates the relationships between the presence of the combined resistance genes H1, Gro1-4 and GpaVvrn, which confer resistance to the nematodes, and certain agricultural traits. Clones with broad nematode resistance conferred by the genes H1, Gro1-4 and GpaVvrn presented yields and tuber morphology traits similar to those of the clones without identified resistance genes.
Achieving Desired Volumetrics and Performance for Mixtures with High Percentage of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement

This paper focuses on the design and laboratory performance of asphalt mixtures with a high percentage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Special laboratory measures were taken to process RAP material to achieve target volumetrics for the mixtures. Two aggregate sources were used to develop eight asphalt mix designs. The Bailey method of aggregate packing was used to design four asphalt mixtures with 0% (control), 30%, 40%, and 50% RAP for each material source. Apart from evaluating the moisture susceptibility of the prepared mixtures, performance tests, including dynamic modulus, wheel tracking, and beam fatigue, were also conducted. Moreover, in addition to evaluating the effect of the amount of RAP on mixture performance, the effect of binder grade bumping was also investigated. The study concluded that mixtures including RAP could provide equal or better performance in resistance against moisture susceptibility, rutting, and fatigue failure. Because consistent and similar volumetrics were achieved for all tested mixtures, it can be said with certainly that the performance properties of all tested mixtures were a function of only their mechanical properties.
Optimum ambient lighting conditions for the viewing of softcopy radiological images

Purpose The aim of the work is to determine the optimum ambient lighting conditions for viewing softcopy radiological images on LCD. Materials and Methods The study measured the diagnostic performance of observers viewing images on liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor under different ambient lighting conditions: 480, 100, 40, 25 and 7lux. An ROC analysis was performed as a measure of diagnostic performance. A set of 30 postero-anterior wrist images was used, 15 of which had fractures present the remainder were normal. These were evaluated by 79 American Board of Radiology certified experienced Radiologists. Results The observers performed better at 40 and 25lux compared with 480 and 100 lux. At 7lux, the observers' performance was generally similar to that at 480 and 100lux. Conclusion Using the previously recommended ambient lighting levels of 100lux resulted in no improvement over typical office lighting of 480lux. Lower ambient lighting levels ranging from 40-25lux improves diagnostic performance over higher levels. Lowering ambient lighting to 7lux (almost complete darkness apart from the light emanating from the monitor) reduces diagnostic performance to a level equal to that of typical office lighting. It is clearly important to control ambient lighting to ensure that diagnostic performance is maximized.
Safety impacts of rural road construction

Crash data in Kentucky show that the fatal crash rate on two-lane rural roads is substantially higher than on any other type of road. Improvements have been proposed at some locations on this type of road which involve either upgrading the existing two-lane road or adding lanes resulting in a four-lane road. As part of the public information process, highway officials have been asked to document the previous results of this type of construction. The objectives of this study were to: 1) identify sections of two-lane rural roadways where either the two-lane road had been realigned and reconstructed or additional lanes had been added and 2) conduct a before-and-after analysis to determine how these changes affected traffic crashes. Of the 49 locations included in the study, 25 involved adding lanes and converting to a four-lane road while the two-lane road was upgraded (realignment with wider lanes and shoulders) at 24 locations. Before the construction, the average traffic volume was almost three times higher on the roads where additional lanes were added than where the two-lane road was upgraded. The average daily traffic increased dramatically after the construction was completed with a slightly higher increase for roads where lanes were added. When all the locations are considered, there was a 51% reduction in the crash rate when the road was upgraded and a 56% reduction in the crash rate when lanes were added. The rate was reduced from 250 to 122 crashes/100 million vehicle miles (MVM) when the road was upgraded and from 258 to 114 crashes/100 MVM when lanes were added. When only the number of crashes is considered, the number of crashes per mile decreased by 39% when the road was upgraded and by 45% when lanes were added. The rate of injury or fatal crashes was reduced by 54% for upgrading the road and 55% by adding lanes, while the number of crashes per mile decreased by 43% both when the road was upgraded and when lanes were added. The overall conclusion of the study is that both upgrading two-lane rural roads and converting the road to four lanes are effective methods of reducing total crashes and injury or fatal crashes. The traffic volume would determine the appropriate alternative.
Chronic Kidney Disease and Dietary Supplementation: Effects on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes an irreversible loss of kidney functioning in dogs. This double-blind case-control study evaluates the efficacy of a dietary supplement, which contains calcium carbonate, calcium lactate-gluconate, chitosan, sodium bicarbonate, Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL, Olea europaea L. extract, and fructooligosaccharides, in dogs in advanced CKD stage. Thirty dogs were enrolled in the study; half were administered the new dietary supplementation for 90 days, while the others were used as controls. Hematologic, biochemical, and urinalysis were performed. This novel dietary supplement mainly reported a good control of uremia, phosphate, acid-base balance, blood pressure, inflammation, and oxidative stress in dogs with advanced stages of CKD.
Device scaling effects on hot-carrier induced interface and oxide-trapped charge distributions in MOSFETs

The influence of channel length and oxide thickness on the hot-carrier induced interface (N/sub it/) and oxide (N/sub ot/) trap profiles is studied in n-channel LDD MOSFET's using a novel charge pumping (CP) technique. The technique directly provides separate N/sub it/ and N/sub ot/ profiles without using simulation, iteration or neutralization, and has better immunity from measurement noise by avoiding numerical differentiation of data. The N/sub it/ and N/sub ot/ profiles obtained under a variety of stress conditions show well-defined trends with the variation in device dimensions. The N/sub it/ generation has been found to be the dominant damage mode for devices having thinner oxides and shorter channel lengths. Both the peak and spread of the N/sub it/ profiles have been found to affect the transconductance degradation, observed over different channel lengths and oxide thicknesses. Results are presented which provide useful insight into the effect of device scaling on the hot-carrier degradation process.
Zero-Emission of Palm Oil Mill Effluent Final Discharge Promoted Bacterial Biodiversity Rebound in the Receiving Water System

Zero-emission technology for palm oil mill effluent (POME) has led to a breakthrough in the palm oil industry in relation to the goal of sustainable development. However, there are limited resources on how this technology has affected the bacterial community in the receiving river that has previously been polluted with POME final discharge. Thus, the current study assessed the recoverability of the unexplored bacterial community in the receiving water of a constructed river water system post-zero emission of POME final discharge. An artificial river water system was constructed in this study, where the viability status and the composition of the bacterial community were assessed for 15 days using a flow cytometry-based assay and high-throughput sequencing by Illumina MiSeq, respectively. The zero-emission of POME final discharge reduced not only the physicochemical properties and nutrient contents of the receiving water, but also the bacterial cells’ viability from 40.3% to 24.5% and shifted the high nucleic acid (HNA) to low nucleic acid (LNA) content (38.7% to 34.5%). The proposed POME bacterial indicators, Alcaligenaceae and Chromatiaceae were not detectable in the rainwater (control) but were detected in the artificial river water system after the introduction of POME final discharge at the compositions of 1.0–1.3% and 2.2–5.1%, respectively. The implementation of a zero-emission system decreased the composition of Chromatiaceae from 2.2% on day 8 until it was undetectable on day 15, while Alcaligenaceae was continuously reduced from 1.2% to 0.9% within that similar time frame. As indicated by principal coordinate (PCO) analysis, the reductions in biological oxygen demand (BOD5) would further diminish the compositions of these bioindicators. The zero-emission of POME final discharge has demonstrated its efficacy, not only in reducing the polluting properties, but also in the bacterial biodiversity rebound in the affected water system.
Extended Modulation Index with more Eliminated Low Order Harmonics at Cascaded Multilevel Inverters

Principle aim in standard Selective Harmonic Elimination pulse wide modulation (SHE-PWM) is elimination of low-order harmonics as well as production of desired fundamental component. To accomplish this objective, a set of N switching angles should be determined. In fact, N-1 angles are hired to remove N-1 harmonics from voltage waveform and one angle is allotted to produce the fundamental. This paper presents a solution in order to remove low order harmonics as much as possible. It suggests eliminating next harmonic instead of highest order harmonic in infeasible points. A genetic algorithm is employed to solve the new transcendental equation for finding the switching angles. The proposed method is experimentally applied to a seven-level cascaded H-bridge inverter. The results confirm the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method in extending modulation index range.
Informing Healthy Transport Policies: Systematic Reviews and Research Synthesis

Transport is an important determinant of health, and the health impact of transport interventions requires robust evaluation. Systematic reviews provide a rigorous tool for locating, appraising, and synthesizing evaluative evidence. Some systematic reviews use meta-analysis techniques to synthesize data, but other systematic reviews do not. This paper addresses some methodological and practical issues associated with conducting systematic reviews on the health impact of transport interventions. By using as case studies recently conducted reviews on topics such as the health impact of new roads and the effectiveness of interventions in promoting modal shift, the paper outlines many of the challenges faced by systematic reviewers in this field. It then describes some research synthesis techniques available to systematic reviewers and discusses some of the strengths and weaknesses of these techniques. Systematic literature reviews on the health impact of specific transport interventions can be used to inform decision making. However, reviews of such complex interventions require an innovative approach to the methodologies of systematic reviews and research synthesis.
Prediction of relative solvent accessibility using pace regression

In this paper, a new approach for prediction of protein solvent accessibility is presented. The prediction of relative solvent accessibility gives helpful information for the prediction of native structure of a protein. Recent years several RSA prediction methods including those that generate real values and those that predict discrete states (buried vs. exposed) have been developed. We propose a novel method for real value prediction that aims at minimizing the prediction error when compared with existing methods. The proposed method is based on Pace Regression (PR) predictor. The improved prediction quality is a result of features of PSIBLAST profile and the PR method because pace regression is optimal when the number of coefficients tends to infinity. The experiment results on Manesh dataset show that the proposed method is an improvement in average prediction accuracy and training time.
Current practices and recent advances in condition assessment of aged ships

Abstract Ship structures are likely to be subject to age-related deterioration such as corrosion wastage, cracking or mechanical damage. It has reportedly been recognised that such age-related deterioration is almost always involved in the catastrophic failures of ship structures including total losses. While such accidents typically cause concern to the public, maintenance and repair of aged structures is quite costly and complex. It is thus of great importance to develop advanced technologies allowing for proper management and control of such age-related deterioration. This paper summarises the report of the ISSC 2006 Committee V.6 presenting current practices, recent advances and future trends on condition assessment of aged ships. This includes assessment of the structural condition in view of the serviceability and safety, methods for repair, quantification of strength of deteriorated and repaired ships (as well as criteria for acceptable damage), with due account of the uncertainties involved. Consideration is also given to cost–benefit and risk-based decision procedures for remedial actions.