Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enabling CT-Scans for covid detection using transfer learning-based neural networks

Abstract Today, we are coping with the pandemic, and the novel virus is covertly evolving day by day. Therefore, a precautionary system to deal with the issue is required as early as possible. The last few years were very challenging for doctors, vaccine makers, hospitals, and medical authorities to deal with the massive crowd to provide results for all patients and newcomers in the past months. Thus, these issues should be handled with a robust system that can accord with many people and deliver the results in a fraction of time without visiting public places and help reduce crowd gathering. So, to deal with these issues, we developed an AI model using transfer learning that can aid doctors and other people to get to know whether they were suffering from covid or not. In this paper, we have used VGG-19 (CNN-based) model with open-sourced COVID-CT (CTSI) dataset. The dataset consists of 349 images of COVID-19 of 216 patients and 463 images of NON-COVID-19. We have achieved an accuracy of 95%, precision of 96%, recall of 94%, and F1-Score of 96% from the experiments. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Lessons learnt from customization of a BIM tool for a design-build company

This paper summarizes the five-year development project of Construction Director, a BIM (Building Information Modeling) tool. During the first year, the development team from National Taiwan University (NTU) completed the architectural design of the system after conducting intensive interviews and meetings with key CTCI Corporation (CTCI) stakeholders. The NTU team then implemented the BIM tool for 4D simulation in the second year. During the following year, the NTU team tested and modified the system to overcome any usability problems. In the fourth year, the NTU team worked closely with CTCI and created a process to integrate the BIM tool into the company workflow. The system was then officially deployed on a design-build project in the final year. This paper summarizes the Lessons Learnt during each year of the project, and concludes that a trusting environment was the key contributing factor to the success of the project. This paper is not expected to only be beneficial for large companies who are planning to develop their own customized solutions, but it is also meant to be useful for software developers who are involved in similar projects. The experiences may help reduce overall investment risks, simplify the development process and guarantee the eventual success of introducing a new solution to a company.
Do young men and women differ in well-being apps usage? Findings from a randomised trial

Introduction: The potential of mobile applications (apps) as a resource to support well-being in young people is hampered by low usage. Suggested reasons for this vary from technical issues to users’ psychological and personal characteristics like gender, mood and perceptions on well-being. Objectives: To identify and understand predictive variables related to the use of well-being apps by young people in the context of the ‘Online Wellbeing Centre’ (OWC) Randomised Controlled Trial (a study assessing changes in well-being of young people who use well-being apps). Methods: A cross-sectional analysis using binary logistic regression was conducted, taking into account previous app usage of participants at baseline versus demographic, ecological momentary assessments, and well-being variables, of data collected in the OWC-RCT. To explore predictors further, follow-up post-RCT surveys were coded to better understand user’s predisposition towards apps. Results: Mood (p < 0.006) and gender (p < 0.03) are significantly associated with the use of well-being apps. Female participants with elevated mood were more likely to use well-being apps before signing up into the study. Two themes were identified from participants at follow-up that related to the design of the app and engagement of the app user. Females were more likely to focus on the purpose of app, whereas males were more likely to focus on specific goals and features (e.g. tracking) offered by the app. Females were able to mention the link between well-being and app usage. Conclusion: Personal characteristics explain engagement with well-being apps, with mood and gender significant in the current sample. Further qualitative research may help identify other individual characteristics that explain why and how young people use well-being apps and the impact of these on a user’s health.
Anhydrous Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles for Storage and Handling at Broad Range of Temperatures.

Recent advances in nanotechnology now allow for the methodical implementation of therapeutic nucleic acids (TNAs) into modular nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) with tunable physicochemical properties which can match the desired biological effects, provide uniformity, and regulate the delivery of multiple TNAs for combinatorial therapy. Despite the potential of novel NANPs, the maintenance of their structural integrity during storage and shipping remains a vital issue that impedes their broader applications. Cold chain storage is required to maintain the potency of NANPs in the liquid phase, which greatly increases transportation costs. To promote long-term storage and retention of biological activities at higher temperatures (e.g., +50 °C), a panel of representative NANPs is first exposed to three different drying mechanisms-vacuum concentration (SpeedVac), lyophilization (Lyo), and light-assisted drying (LAD)-and then rehydrated and analyzed. While SpeedVac primarily operates using heat, Lyo avoids temperature increases by taking advantage of pressure reduction and LAD involves a near-infrared laser for uniform drying in the presence of trehalose. This work compares and defines refinements crucial in formulating an optimal strategy for producing stable, fully functional NANPs and presents a forward advancement in their development for clinical applications.
Recognition time for symbols in peripheral vision

THE SENSE OF VISION OF THE DRIVER IS ALMOST WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROCESSING OF INFORMATION IN THE DRIVING SITUATION. THIS PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP A TRANSPORTABLE RECORDING SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED IN MOVING VEHICLES TO RECORD DRIVER EYE MOVEMENTS, AND TO INVESTIGATE HUMAN RESPONSE TIMES TO SIGNALS IN PERIPHERAL VISION. AN AMPLIFYING AND RECORDING SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED WHICH MAY BE USED IN MOVING VEHICLES TO RECORD DRIVER EYE MOVEMENTS WITH A MINIMUM OF INTERFERENCE TO DRIVER ACTIVITY. THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED SO THAT IT COULD BE OPERATED BY SELF-CONTAINED BATTERIES IN AS MUCH AS THE LINE VOLTAGE OF STANDARD AUTOMOBILE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS VARIES CONSIDERABLY. THE SYSTEM APPEARS SUITABLE FOR MAKING EYE-MOVEMENT RECORDINGS AS LARGER, LESS EASILY TRANSPORTED BIOELECTRIC RECORDING EQUIPMENT. ELECTRODE PREPARATION WAS THE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH MAKING GOOD EYE-MOVEMENT RECORDINGS. ELECTRO-DEPOSITING EQUIPMENT WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR MAKING CHLORIDED SILVER ELECTRODES. RESPONSE TIMES TO SIGNALS IN PERIPHERAL VISION WERE INVESTIGATED. RESEARCH RESULTS INDICATED THAT RESPONSE TIMES ARE UNUSUALLY LONG IN A COMPLEX VISUAL SITUATION.
Show Your Work: Increasing Engagement through Personalized Participant Report-Back

The figure shows two images. On the left, an image of a woman is holding an Android tablet and looking toward it. On the right, a screenshot of Summary of Your Results by my c h d s report web page is displayed. The web page presents information on Chemicals We Found and Overall Study Results.
Unseen patterns of preventable emergency care: Emergency department visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions

Objective Admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are often used to measure potentially preventable emergency care. Visits to emergency departments with ACSCs may also be preventable care but are excluded from such measures if patients are not admitted. We established the extent and composition of this preventable emergency care. Methods We analysed 1,505,979 emergency department visits (5% of the national total) between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2017 at six hospital Trusts in England, using International Classification of Diseases diagnostic coding. We calculated the number of visits for each ACSC and examined the proportions of these visits that did not result in admission by condition and patient characteristics. Results 11.1% of emergency department visits were for ACSCs. 55.0% of these visits did not result in hospital admission. Whilst the majority of ACSC visits were for acute rather than chronic conditions (59.4% versus 38.4%), acute visits were much more likely to conclude without admission (70.3% versus 33.4%). Younger, more deprived and ethnic minority patients were less likely to be admitted when they visited the emergency department with an ACSC. Conclusions Over half of preventable emergency care is not captured by measures of admissions. The probability of admission at a preventable visit varies substantially between conditions and patient groups. Focussing only on admissions for ACSCs provides an incomplete and skewed picture of the types of conditions and patients receiving preventable care. Measures of preventable emergency care should include visits in addition to admissions.
The Association Between Polyvictimization in Childhood and Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse in Adulthood

The main purpose of this study was to examine the association of family polyvictimization in childhood with the victimization or perpetration of spousal abuse and the perpetration of child abuse in adulthood. While associations between maltreatment in childhood and subsequent perpetration or victimization in adulthood are well documented, their association with polyvictimization in childhood (i.e., experiencing multiple types of victimization) has received less attention. This research aims to empirically investigate 1) whether early experiences of family polyvictimization are predictive of subsequent experience or spousal abuse or perpetration of child abuse and 2) whether there are gender differences in those associations. Through conducting Chi-square analysis and logistic regression analysis with South Korea’s National Domestic Violence Survey 2019, the study found significant empirical evidence that polyvictimization is predictive of perpetration or experience of spousal abuse and perpetration of child abuse. Particularly, adults who experienced polyvictimization in childhood were more likely to perpetrate child abuse regardless of the type of abuse (p < .001). Polyvictimization in childhood was also significantly associated with perpetration and victimization of spousal abuse (p < .001). In regard to gender differences, this study found that males were more likely to be polyvictimized by family in childhood (15.11%) than females (10.23%), and polyvictimization was found to increase the likelihood of females being revictimized in adulthood. More attention should be paid to victimization by multiple types of violence within the family and its influence on intergenerational transmission of violence.
Effects of intermittent kangaroo care on maternal attachment, postpartum depression of mothers with preterm infants

ABSTRACT Purpose To reveal the effect of intermittent kangaroo care on maternal attachment, postpartum depression of mothers with preterm infants. Methods The study was conducted as a single centre randomised controlled study with sixty mothers whose newborns were hospitalised in the NICU due to prematurity. The data were collected by the questionnaire form, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI). ‘Intermittent kangaroo care’ was applied for 30 minutes once a day for 10 days to the experimental group. Women were completed the EPDS and the MAI in postpartum 30–40th days. Results The median of the total score of EPDS in the experimental group was 7, and in the control group was 9 (p > 0.05). The median of the total score of MAI in the experimental group was 99, and in the control group was 97 (p <0.05) and it was determined that the effect size of the difference between the groups was medium (1-β: 0.65, Cohen’s d: 0.532). Conclusion It was determined that mothers who received intermittent kangaroo care had higher scores that can be interpreted as higher maternal attachment than others and the postpartum depression scores did not differ between experimental and control group.
A systematic meta-review of systematic reviews about interprofessional collaboration: facilitators, barriers, and outcomes

ABSTRACT Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a practice model to promote healthcare quality. Since the World Health Organization highlighted the importance of IPC in 2010, a large volume of IPC-related research has been published. Multiple systematic reviews have been conducted to synthesize the literature from varying perspectives. Although systematic reviews are a compelling approach to synthesizing primary research, a systematic meta-review was needed to summarize the systematic reviews to offer information for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers. This systematic meta-review was designed to synthesize the systematic reviews of IPC, emphasizing the IPC-related facilitators, barriers, and outcomes between 2010 and 2020. An electronic search for systematic reviews was performed in December 2020. The databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Thirty-six systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Factors facilitating or impeding IPC were classified into three levels: organization, team, and individual. Major outcomes related to patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations. The facilitators, barriers, and outcomes are mutually interrelated. Highly effective collaboration is a process from relationship building to working together and collaborating. Improving IPC requires organizational, teams, and individuals’ combined efforts. When highly effective collaborations occur, all stakeholders can benefit – organizations, professionals, and patients.
Tracking an invasion front with environmental DNA.

Data from environmental DNA (eDNA) may revolutionize environmental monitoring and management, providing increased detection sensitivity at reduced cost and survey effort. However, eDNA data are rarely used in decision-making contexts, mainly due to uncertainty around (1) data interpretation and (2) whether and how molecular tools dovetail with existing management efforts. We address these challenges by jointly modeling eDNA detection via qPCR and traditional trap data to estimate the density of invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas), a species where, historically, baited traps have been used for both detection and control. Our analytical framework simultaneously quantifies uncertainty in both detection methods and provides a robust way of integrating different data streams into management processes. Moreover, the joint model makes clear the marginal information benefit of adding eDNA (or any other) additional data type to an existing monitoring program, offering a path to optimizing sampling efforts for species of management interest. Here, we document green crab eDNA beyond the previously known invasion front and find the value of eDNA data dramatically increases with low population densities and low traditional sampling effort, as is often the case at leading-edge locations. We also highlight the detection limits of the molecular assay used in this study, as well as scenarios under which eDNA sampling is unlikely to improve existing management efforts.
Hookworm infections: Reappraising the evidence for a role of neutrophils in light of NETosis

In Hookworm infection, neutrophils have long had the image of the villain, being recruited to the site of larval migration because of damage but participating themselves in tissue injury. With recent developments in neutrophil biology, there is an increasing body of evidence for the role of neutrophils as effector cells in hookworm immunity. In particular, their ability to release extracellular traps, or neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), confer neutrophils a larvicidal activity. Here, we review recent evidence in this nascent field and discuss the avenue for future research on NETs/hookworm interactions.
Obstructive sleep apnea endotypes and their postoperative relevance

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by repetitive upper airway collapse during sleep, is estimated to affect nearly 1 billion people worldwide. OSA is a common comorbidity in people undergoing surgical procedures, with rates as high as 91% in those undergoing bariatric surgery. OSA is an important risk factor for adverse postoperative outcomes including cardiac complications, opioid-induced ventilatory depression, and unplanned intensive care unit transfers. Given these risks, preoperative identification of people with OSA is recommended by society guidelines. Recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms that lead to OSA have identified four key pathophysiological traits or OSA endotypes. The term pathophysiological phenotypes has also been used interchangeably in the literature to describe the different underlying mechanisms that contribute to OSA pathogenesis. However, the term phenotype can also encompass the different clinical manifestations and consequences of the disease. Thus, endotype is a technically more appropriate term to describe the underlying mechanisms of disease and is therefore used throughout this review. The degree to which these endotypes contribute to OSA varies from individual to individual, and therefore leads to interindividual heterogeneity in the effects of postoperative risk factors, such as opioids (Fig. 1). Endotype heterogeneity also causes variability in response to OSA therapies. Accurate preoperative characterization of an individual’s unique mix of OSA endotypes therefore poses an opportunity for targeted postoperative OSA treatment and management. This review describes each of the 4 key OSA endotypes, the ways that OSA therapies target these endotypes, the potential endotype-specific impacts of postoperative risk factors on OSA severity, and new methods that have recently been developed to noninvasively measure an individual’s endotypic traits.
Engineered yeast for efficient de novo synthesis of 7‐dehydrocholesterol

The synthesis of vitamin D3 precursor 7‐dehydrocholesterol (7‐DHC) by microbial fermentation has much attracted attention owing to its advantages of environmental protection. In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered for a de novo biosynthesis of 7‐DHC. First, seven essential genes (six endogenous genes and one heterologous gene) were overexpressed, and the ROX1 gene (heme‐dependent repressor of hypoxic genes) was knocked out. The resulting strain produced 82.6 mg/L 7‐DHC from glucose. Then, we predicted five gene knockout targets for 7‐DHC overproduction by the reconstruction of genome‐scale metabolic model. GDH1 gene knockout increased the 7‐DHC titer from 82.6 to 101.5 mg/L, and the specific growth rate of the ΔGDH1 mutant was also increased by 28%. Next, Ty1 transposon in S. cerevisiae was applied to increase the copies of the ERG1 gene and DHCR24 gene, resulting in a 120% increase in 7‐DHC titer to 223.3 mg/L. Besides, to optimize the metabolic flux distribution, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats interference (CRISPRi) system was used to dynamically inhibit the competitive pathway, and the best binding site of ERG6 (delta (24)‐sterol C‐methyltransferase) promoter was screened out. The OD600 value of ERG6 regulated cells increased by 43% than knocking out ERG6 directly, and 7‐DHC titer increased to 365.5 mg/L in a shake flask. Finally, the 7‐DHC titer reached 1328 mg/L in 3‐L bioreactor and the specific titer of 7‐DHC reached up to 114.7 mg/g dry cell weight). Overall, this study constructed a yeast chassis for the highly efficient production of 7‐DHC by systems metabolic engineering.
Migratory regulation by MTA homologous genes is essential for the uniform distribution of planarian adult pluripotent stem cells

The migration of adult stem cells in vivo is an important issue, but the complex tissue structures involved, and limited accessibility of the cells hinder a detailed investigation. To overcome these problems, the freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica was used because it has a simple body plan and abundant adult pluripotent stem cells (neoblasts) distributed uniformly throughout its body. To investigate the migratory mechanisms of neoblasts, two planarian homologous genes of metastatic tumor antigen (MTA‐A and MTA‐B), a protein involved in cancer metastasis that functions through histone deacetylation, were identified, and their function was analyzed using RNA interference (RNAi). MTA‐A or MTA‐B knockdown disrupted homeostatic tissue turnover and regeneration in planarians. Whereas neoblasts in MTA‐A (RNAi) and MTA‐B (RNAi) animals were maintained, neoblast differentiation was inhibited. Furthermore, the normal uniform neoblast distribution pattern changed to a branch‐like pattern in MTA‐A (RNAi) and MTA‐B (RNAi) animals. To examine the neoblast migratory ability, a partial X‐ray irradiation assay was performed in D. japonica. Using this assay system, the MTA‐A knockdown neoblasts migrated collectively in a branch‐like pattern, and the MTA‐B knockdown neoblasts were not able to migrate. These results indicated that MTA‐A was required for the exit of neoblasts from the branch‐like region, and that MTA‐B was required for neoblast migration. Thus, the migration mediated by MTA‐A and MTA‐B enabled uniform neoblast distribution and was required for neoblast differentiation to achieve tissue homeostasis and regeneration.
Limonoids from the fruits of Chisocheton lasiocarpus (Meliaceae)

Abstract Two new azadirone-type limonoids, namely lasiocarpine A (1) and lasiocarpine B (2) were isolated from the fruit of Chisocheton lasiocarpus along with three known limonoids (3–5). UV, IR, one- and two- dimensional NMR, and mass spectrometry were used to determine the chemical structure of the isolated compounds. Furthermore, their cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was evaluated using PrestoBlue reagent. From these compounds, lasiocarpine A (1) showed the strongest activity with an IC50 value of 43.38 μM. Graphical Abstract
Microaggressions in Radiology: “Death by a thousand cuts”

Chester Pierce, a renowned African American psychiatrist, was the first person to pioneer the term microaggressions in 1970. Originally intended to describe insults and dismissals faced by African Americans at the time, the term has since evolved to encompass a much broader definition. Microaggressions have now been defined as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial, gender, sexual-orientation, and religious slights and insults to the target person or group. ” Although there exists no precise means to determine if a statement or action classifies as a microaggression, significant advances have been made to comprehend its insidious nature and expand the taxonomy of microaggressions in recent years. Dr. Derald Wing Sue is one particularly prolific psychologist who has extensively studied and contributed significantly to our current understanding of microaggressions. Dr. Sue and colleagues have outlined 3 specific types of microaggressions— microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations.