Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Coarse Materials Percentage in the Shear Strength

There are several factors that affecting the shear strength and shear strength parameters (i.e. cohesion and friction angle). In this study, the effect of coarse material percentage was tested. Six different mixtures of soils (clay and sand) with different coarse material percentages (i.e. from 80% to 30% of coarse material percentage) were tested via using direct shear test under different moisture content percentage. The results indicated that the shear strength and friction angle were decreased by the increment of the percentage of coarse materials (sand). However, the cohesion results showed unique behavior. The cohesion (at every moisture content values) increased with the increment of the percentage of coarse materials until specific point then it started to decrease with the increment of the percentage of coarse materials.
Modelling the High-Frequency FX Market: an Agent-Based Approach

The development of computational-intelligence based strategies for electronic markets has been the focus of intense research. In order to be able to design efficient and effective automated trading strategies, one first needs to understand the workings of the market, the strategies that traders use and their interactions as well as the patterns emerging as a result of these interactions. In this paper, we develop an agent-based model of the FX market which is the market for the buying and selling of currencies. Our agent-based model of the FX market (ABFXM) comprises heterogeneous trading agents which employ a strategy that identifies and responds to periodic patterns in the price time series. We use the ABFXM to undertake a systematic exploration of its constituent elements and their impact on the stylized facts (statistical patterns) of transactions data. This enables us to identify a set of sufficient conditions which result in the emergence of the stylized facts similarly to the real market data, and formulate a model which closely approximates the stylized facts. We use a unique high frequency dataset of historical transactions data which enables us to run multiple simulation runs and validate our approach and draw comparisons and conclusions for each market setting.
The Musicality of Non-Musicians: An Index for Assessing Musical Sophistication in the General Population

Musical skills and expertise vary greatly in Western societies. Individuals can differ in their repertoire of musical behaviours as well as in the level of skill they display for any single musical behaviour. The types of musical behaviours we refer to here are broad, ranging from performance on an instrument and listening expertise, to the ability to employ music in functional settings or to communicate about music. In this paper, we first describe the concept of ‘musical sophistication’ which can be used to describe the multi-faceted nature of musical expertise. Next, we develop a novel measurement instrument, the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI) to assess self-reported musical skills and behaviours on multiple dimensions in the general population using a large Internet sample (n = 147,636). Thirdly, we report results from several lab studies, demonstrating that the Gold-MSI possesses good psychometric properties, and that self-reported musical sophistication is associated with performance on two listening tasks. Finally, we identify occupation, occupational status, age, gender, and wealth as the main socio-demographic factors associated with musical sophistication. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical accounts of implicit and statistical music learning and with regard to social conditions of sophisticated musical engagement.
Percutaneous stenting in malignant biliary obstruction caused by metastatic disease: clinical outcome and prediction of survival according to tumor type and further therapeutic options.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Obstructive jaundice caused by metastatic disease leads to deterioration of general condition and short survival time. Successful decompression can offer symptom control and enable further treatment with chemotherapy, which can improve survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Ninety-nine percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) procedures with metallic stent placement were performed in 93 patients between 2007 and 2013. Files were retrospectively studied and a review of patients' demographics, clinical and laboratory parameters, treatment and survival was performed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test was done in function of bilirubin level, tumor type and treatment with chemotherapy. RESULTS Hyperbilirubinemia resolved in 73% of procedures. Median survival time after the procedure was 48 (95%CI 34.8 - 61.1) days. If additional chemotherapy was possible, a median survival of 170 (95%CI 88.5 - 251.4) days was noted versus 32 (95%CI 22.4 - 41.5) days without chemotherapy (p < 0.01). Survival rates greatly differed between primary tumor type, with the largest benefit of PTC in colorectal cancer. In 35 % of the procedures minor or more severe complications were noted. The 30-day mortality was 33%, with 3 procedure related deaths. CONCLUSION PTC with metallic stenting can bring symptom relief and enable further treatment with chemotherapy, which can lead to a longer survival time, especially in colorectal cancer. However, in patients in whom palliative stenting failed to resolve the hyperbilirubinemia survival is short.
Assessing the Use of Media Reporting Recommendations by the World Health Organization in Suicide News Published in the Most Influential Media Sources in China, 2003–2015

Public media reports about suicide are likely to influence the population’s suicidal attempts and completed suicides. Irresponsible reports might trigger copycat suicidal behaviors, while responsible reports may help reduce suicide rates. The World Health Organization (WHO) released recommendations to encourage responsible suicide reports in 2008. However, little is known about whether these recommendations are reflected in the suicide news for most countries, including China. In this study, we assessed the responsibility of suicide stories published in the most influential newspaper and Internet media sources in China from 2003 to 2015, using the media reporting recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). In total, 3965 and 1836 eligible stories from newspaper and Internet-based media, respectively, were included in the study. Newspapers and Internet-based media performed similarly in applying WHO recommendations to report suicide news. Three recommendations were applied in over 88% of suicide stories. However, four recommendations were seldom applied, including offering information about where to seek help and linking the suicide event to mental disorders. Government and the journalism industry should work together to improve media reporting of news about suicide in China.
Fatigue limits of titanium-bar joints made with the laser and the electric resistance welding techniques: microstructural characterization and hardness properties

Fatigue behavior of the titanium bars is of utmost importance for the safe and reliable operation of dental implants and prosthetic constructions based on these implants. To date, however, only few data are available on the fatigue strength of dental prostheses made with electric resistance welding and laser welding techniques. This in-vitro study highlighted that although the joints made with the laser welding approach are credited of a superior tensile strength, joints made with electric resistance welding exhibited double the minimum fatigue strength with respect to the joints made with laser welding (120 vs 60 N).
Impact of Oxygen on Pancreatic Islet Survival

Abstract Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising treatment option for individuals with type 1 diabetes; however, maintaining islet function after transplantation remains a large challenge. Multiple factors, including hypoxia associated events, trigger pretransplant and posttransplant loss of islet function. In fact, islets are easily damaged in hypoxic conditions before transplantation including the preparation steps of pancreas procurement, islet isolation, and culture. Furthermore, after transplantation, islets are also exposed to the hypoxic environment of the transplant site until they are vascularized and engrafted. Because islets are exposed to such drastic environmental changes, protective measures are important to maintain islet viability and function. Many studies have demonstrated that the prevention of hypoxia contributes to maintaining islet quality. In this review, we summarize the latest oxygen-related islet physiology, including computational simulation. Furthermore, we review recent advances in oxygen-associated treatment options used as part of the transplant process, including up-to-date oxygen generating biomaterials as well as a classical oxygen inhalation therapy.
Screening for Dyslexia in French-Speaking University Students: An Evaluation of the Detection Accuracy of the Alouette Test

Developmental dyslexia is a lifelong impairment affecting 5% to 10% of the population. In French-speaking countries, although a number of standardized tests for dyslexia in children are available, tools suitable to screen for dyslexia in adults are lacking. In this study, we administered the Alouette reading test to a normative sample of 164 French university students without dyslexia and a validation sample of 83 students with dyslexia. The Alouette reading test is designed to screen for dyslexia in children, since it taps skills that are typically deficient in dyslexia (i.e., phonological skills). However, the test’s psychometric properties have not previously been available, and it is not standardized for adults. The results showed that, on the Alouette test, dyslexic readers were impaired on measures of accuracy, speed, and efficiency (accuracy/reading time). We also found significant correlations between the Alouette reading efficiency and phonological efficiency scores. Finally, in terms of the Alouette test, speed-accuracy trade-offs were found in both groups, and optimal cutoff scores were determined with receiver operator characteristic curves analysis, yielding excellent discriminatory power, with 83.1% sensitivity and 100% specificity for reading efficiency. Thus, this study supports the Alouette test as a sensitive and specific screening tool for adults with dyslexia.
Tau protein liquid–liquid phase separation can initiate tau aggregation

The transition between soluble intrinsically disordered tau protein and aggregated tau in neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease is unknown. Here, we propose that soluble tau species can undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) under cellular conditions and that phase‐separated tau droplets can serve as an intermediate toward tau aggregate formation. We demonstrate that phosphorylated or mutant aggregation prone recombinant tau undergoes LLPS, as does high molecular weight soluble phospho‐tau isolated from human Alzheimer brain. Droplet‐like tau can also be observed in neurons and other cells. We found that tau droplets become gel‐like in minutes, and over days start to spontaneously form thioflavin‐S‐positive tau aggregates that are competent of seeding cellular tau aggregation. Since analogous LLPS observations have been made for FUS, hnRNPA1, and TDP43, which aggregate in the context of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we suggest that LLPS represents a biophysical process with a role in multiple different neurodegenerative diseases.
Effect of comorbidities on long-term outcomes after thoracoscopic surgery for stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background We assessed how the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other comorbidities affect long-term survival after thoracoscopic lung resection for c-stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Patients with c-stage I NSCLC who underwent thoracoscopic lung resection at our hospital between 2006 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) spirometric grades were used to classify the severity of COPD, and comorbidity was classified according to the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Various outcomes were assessed and compared. Results The cohort comprised 404 patients with NSCLC, of whom 133 were diagnosed with COPD (51 as GOLD 1, 79 as GOLD 2, and 3 as GOLD 3) and 271 were diagnosed without COPD. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 86.0%, 80.2%, and 71.1% for the non-COPD, GOLD 1, and GOLD 2/3 groups, respectively (P=0.0221); the corresponding 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates were 91.7%, 86.9%, and 85.1% (P=0.2136). Univariate analysis indicated that sex, smoking status, pathology, COPD severity, CCI, and pathological stage were associated with OS, and multivariate analysis confirmed the association with CCI and pathological stage. Postoperative complications were significantly more frequent in the GOLD 1 (21.5%) and GOLD 2/3 (26.8%) groups than in the non-COPD group (12.1%) (P=0.0040). Conclusions Following thoracoscopic surgery (TS) for NSCLC, patients with COPD had a poorer OS than patients without COPD. However, the CCI and not the COPD severity was the independent prognostic factor for OS. Comorbidities adversely affected long-term survival of patients with stage I NSCLC and COPD after TS, and the same effect can be oncologically expected regardless of the COPD severity.
Platelet factor 4 is produced by subsets of myeloid cells in premetastatic lung and inhibits tumor metastasis

Bone marrow-derived myeloid cells can form a premetastatic niche and provide a tumor–promoting microenvironment. However, subsets of myeloid cells have also been reported to have anti-tumor properties. It is not clear whether there is a transition between anti- and pro- tumor function of these myeloid cells, and if so, what are the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here we report platelet factor 4 (PF4), or CXCL4, but not the other family members CXCL9, 10, and 11, was produced at higher levels in the normal lung and early stage premetastatic lungs but decreased in later stage lungs. PF4 was mostly produced by Ly6G+CD11b+ myeloid cell subset. Although the number of Ly6G+CD11b+ cells was increased in the premetastatic lungs, the expression level of PF4 in these cells was decreased during the metastatic progression. Deletion of PF4 (PF4 knockout or KO mice) led an increased metastasis suggesting an inhibitory function of PF4. There were two underlying mechanisms: decreased blood vessel integrity in the premetastatic lungs and increased production of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs) and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in tumor-bearing PF4 KO mice. In cancer patients, PF4 expression levels were negatively correlated with tumor stage and positively correlated with patient survival. Our studies suggest that PF4 is a critical anti-tumor factor in the premetastatic site. Our finding of PF4 function in the tumor host provides new insight to the mechanistic understanding of tumor metastasis.
Trichoptera Biodiversity of the Aegean and Adriatic Sea Basins in the Republic of Kosovo

ABSTRACT. We present the first preliminary inventory of Trichoptera taxa in the Aegean and Adriatic Sea basins in Kosovo that have previously received poor and fragmentary attention. Adult caddisflies were collected using ultraviolet (UV) light traps in 13 stations in areas of the Aegean Sea and Adriatic Sea drainage basins in Kosovo. Nineteen species out of 82, reported in this article, are first records for the Kosovo caddisfly fauna. Five genera are recorded for the first time in Kosovo: Brachycentrus, Ecclisopteryx, Psilopteryx, Thremma, and Oecetis. During this investigation, we found several Southeastern European endemic and rare species whose previous known distribution was limited to particular areas of this region, as well as other species whose distribution is considerably enlarged by this investigation: Polycentropus ierapetra, Polycentropus irroratus, Chaetopteryx stankovici, Drusus schmidi, Drusus tenellus, Potamophylax goulandriourum, Oecetis notata, and Notidobia melanoptera. Even though this article is a result of a limited sampling effort, it increases the number of Trichoptera taxa recorded for the Republic of Kosovo to 131.
Living Close to Natural Outdoor Environments in Four European Cities: Adults’ Contact with the Environments and Physical Activity

This study investigated whether residential availability of natural outdoor environments (NOE) was associated with contact with NOE, overall physical activity and physical activity in NOE, in four different European cities using objective measures. A nested cross-sectional study was conducted in Barcelona (Spain); Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom); Doetinchem (The Netherlands); and Kaunas (Lithuania). Smartphones were used to collect information on the location and physical activity (overall and NOE) of around 100 residents of each city over seven days. We used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine residential NOE availability (presence/absence of NOE within 300 m buffer from residence), contact with NOE (time spent in NOE), overall PA (total physical activity), NOE PA (total physical activity in NOE). Potential effect modifiers were investigated. Participants spent around 40 min in NOE and 80 min doing overall PA daily, of which 11% was in NOE. Having residential NOE availability was consistently linked with higher NOE contact during weekdays, but not to overall PA. Having residential NOE availability was related to NOE PA, especially for our Barcelona participants, people that lived in a city with low NOE availability.
Investigating Capsule Networks with Dynamic Routing for Text Classification

In this study, we explore capsule networks with dynamic routing for text classification. We propose three strategies to stabilize the dynamic routing process to alleviate the disturbance of some noise capsules which may contain “background” information or have not been successfully trained. A series of experiments are conducted with capsule networks on six text classification benchmarks. Capsule networks achieve state of the art on 4 out of 6 datasets, which shows the effectiveness of capsule networks for text classification. We additionally show that capsule networks exhibit significant improvement when transfer single-label to multi-label text classification over strong baseline methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that capsule networks have been empirically investigated for text modeling.
Dismissal of Child-Patients for Nonvaccination Should Not Be Policy

Many pediatricians encounter parents who refuse vaccines for their children or are vaccine hesitant. Among practitioners who provide health care for children in the United States there appears to be increased interest in a policy of physician dismissal of child-patients for nonvaccination. The percentage of surveyed pediatricians who dismissed patients for continued nonvaccination has almost doubled from 2006 to 2013, despite prior guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that encourages pediatricians to continue to provide care for such patients. A survey of physicians providing care for children conducted in 2012 demonstrated that 21% of surveyed pediatricians and 4% of surveyed family physicians always dismiss patients for refusing one or more vaccines. Much of this work has been done in the United States, and while it is not clear from this literature what the attitude of physicians in other countries is to patient dismissal for nonvaccination, there is clearly a sort of universality about the problem of vaccine refusals and how to respond to it. In Canada, for example, vaccine hesitancy and refusal are also identified as important medical issues to address. Consequently, the issue of patient dismissal for nonvaccination may come under consideration also in other countries besides the United States as a suggested policy to respond to vaccine refusals. A recent policy statement by the AAP gives the impression of opening the door to support a policy of dismissal as a mechanism to respond to nonvaccination. After considering various factors that physicians may have to take into account prior to dismissing a patient for nonvaccination, and cautioning that it is a decision that should not be made lightly, the authors conclude, “Nevertheless, the individual pediatrician may consider dismissal of families who refuse vaccination as an acceptable option. ” In this article, I will argue that dismissal for nonvaccination should not be policy. My arguments will rest on 2 main points: (1) a dismissal policy is generally not consistent with a physician’s ethical obligations and (2) engaging vaccine-hesitant parents in trusting clinical relationships is more likely to achieve better health outcomes and increase vaccination uptake. For ethical argumentation, I will use a well-known principles-based ethical framework, reframing and expanding on somewhat familiar arguments in a principlist paradigm, and adding new insights afforded by a principlist paradigm.
Effect of Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Leaves on Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

The aim of the study was to evaluate the nephroprotective and nephrocurative effects of Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. leaves against gentamicin-induced acute renal injury in albino rats. The maximum free radical scavenging activity of the ethanolic extract was the basis for the selection of this extract for the in vivo study. Gentamicin (40 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered to induce toxicity in the toxic group and the ethanolic extract (200 mg/kg p.o.) was administered in all treated groups. Blood urea and serum creatinine levels were monitored to assess the effects. The antioxidant potential was also evaluated by the estimation of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Gentamicin intoxication caused significant increases in blood urea and serum creatinine levels as compared to the normal control. In the preventive regimen, the extract (200 mg/kg, p.o.) showed significant reductions in the elevated blood urea and serum creatinine. Histopathological changes were in accordance with the biochemical findings. Also in the curative regimen, the blood urea and serum creatinine levels revealed significant curative effects. In our in vivo antioxidant activity, the GSH level was significantly (P< 0.05) increased in the extract-treated groups, whereas MDA was reduced significantly (P< 0.05). Further thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) led us to ascertain the presence of rutin and quercetin in the extract. We were able to isolate and characterize an isolate from the ethanolic extract and characterize it on the basis of chromatographic, melting point, FTIR, NMR, and mass spectroscopic studies. The findings suggest that the ethanol extract of Tephrosia purpurea leaves possesses marked nephroprotective and curative activities without any toxicity. The proposed mechanisms for the claimed activity are antioxidant activity and the inhibition of an overproduction of NO and Cox-2 expression. These activities may be attributed to the presence of phenolics and flavonoidal compounds like rutin and quercetin. Thus, it can be said that Tephrosia purpurea could offer a promising role in the treatment of acute renal injury caused by nephrotoxins like gentamicin.