Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CAD module for knitting patterns design

This paper presents the development of application software CAD module “Knitting” for design of knitting patterns. The project develops a graphic editor for design of knitting pattern structures. It gives designers possibility to create different types of knitting structures, such as: jacquard, intarsia, gusset, lace, arans, cables and others similar. The paper presents the general structure of CAD module and its functionality. The users of this software application would be: designers of new knitting boutique collections; editors of knitting hobby magazines; people, who are interested in knitting as a hobby; ethnographers, who make investigations in the area of old traditional costumes and hand-made knitting. The project aims at more user-friendly software oriented to all these users. Suggested CAD module would be used as a separate application or as a part of another system.
Malaria in African infants and children in Southern Nigeria.

2 series of investigations into the incidence and degree of malarial infection in 551 African parturient women in Lagos an urban and semi urban area of Southern Nigeria and their newborn infants were carried out during 1948-50. The routine technique of the investigation consisted of taking blood slides from the peripheral circulation of the mother and her newborn within 6-24 hours of delivery. A blood slide was made from a deep layer of a piece of the maternal placenta excised near the center. The weight of all newborn infants was recorded and whenever possible the progress of the infants was followed up throughout the neonatal period. The weight of all newborn infants was recorded and whenever possible the progress of the infants was followed up throughout the neonatal period. The mean incidence of malarial parasitaemia (mainly due to Plasmodium falciparum) in the sample of 323 Africa parturient women was found to be 33% somewhat higher than the usual parasite rate of the adult indigenous population. The incidence of malarial infection of the placenta was 23.8%. There were no cases of congenital malaria in 332 babies born of these mothers. The mean weight at birth of 237 babies born of mothers whose placentae were noninfected was 145 mg higher than that of 73 babies born of mothers whose placentae were found to be infected. The difference was statistically significant. There was no apparent correlation between neonatal mortality and infection of the placenta. Periodic investigation of a sample of 138 African infants followed up from the age of about 1 month through the 1st year of life and through part of the 2nd year showed that the mean parasite rate due principally to P. falciparum increased from 2.2% during the 1st quarter year to 20% in the 2nd quarter to 60-70% during the 3rd and 4th quarters and to over 80% thereafter. The infection rate when calculated in relation to the known length of exposure to infection shows that an equally long exposure leads to different frequencies of infection in the various age groups of the sample of infants investigated and that in the age group 1-3 months the parasite rate was significantly lower than might have been expected. Periodic follow-up of the mean weight curves of infection and noninfected infants indicated that the curves of both groups showed a considerable flattening out at about 5 months of age and later and that the flattening out is more pronounced in the infected group than in the noninfected. Records of 3540 autopsies performed upon children in Lagos during the years 1933-50 revealed that acute malaria can be incriminated as the cause of death in 9% of infants in 14% of children aged 1-4 years in 9% of children aged 5-7 years in 4% of older children and in 2% of adolescents. The number of deaths due to direct effects of malaria in the Nigerian population under 15 years of age amount to 35000/annum.
Musikaliskt lärande som social rekonstruktion. Musikens och ursprungets betydelse för föräldrar med utländsk bakgrund.

In Swedish higher formal aesthetic education, students from ethnic mi-norities are significantly underrepresented. This also seems to be the case in music education for younger children. Accordingly, the relation-ship between music education and the ethnic diversity of the contem-porary Swedish society, not reflected in the selection of students to the Swedish music and culture schools, is of vital importance for research. The overall aim of this thesis is to investigate music education in the eyes of immigrant parents, by examining the narratives of parents with non-Swedish backgrounds on the significance of music in their families. The specific aims of the study is to investigate how these parents de-scribe (i) the presence and role of music in their everyday lives and how it relates to their origin, and (ii) the importance of music learning to their children. The theoretical framework rests on the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and his definitions of various forms of capital: cultural, social, economic and symbolic capital. Furthermore his concept of habi-tus has been useful in order to understand the musical upbringing and the impact of the music in peoples’ lives. Qualitative in-depth inter-views were undertaken with 12 parents, six women and six men, now all living in Sweden, but with their background in eight different count-ries. The results are presented in three parts: (i) portraits of the par-ents and their backgrounds; (ii) the parents’ own narratives on music and music education and (iii) an analysis adopting the concept of social mobility. The discussion consists of perspectives on the practice of music as a potential tool for social success and integration of the chil-dren. It emphasizes the concepts of identity and music as a potential tool for social reconstruction. Class remobility, the reclaiming of social position through the next generation, and its possible impact on the upbringing of the child are also themes in focus. In conclusion, the complex interactions between teacher and parent, parent and child, student and teacher, three parties trialectically creating and nourishing teaching situations, are elucidated. (Less)
Is rituximab effective for IgG4-related disease in the long term? Experience of cases treated with rituximab for 4 years

A prospective open-label trial of rituximab (RTX) for IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) was recently described in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases by Carruthers et al . 1 According to their results, RTX is effective as induction therapy for IgG4-RD without glucocorticoid in the short term. We agree and support their results. We have also prescribed RTX for typical cases of IgG4-RD, showing characteristics of younger age, experience of several relapses, no history of hepatitis B and, since 2011, hesitation to increase the dose of glucocorticoid due to complications. We are currently treating three cases using RTX. Our protocol is as follows. We prescribe 500 mg/body of RTX at the onset of relapse. Meanwhile, the dose of glucocorticoid is decreased as much as possible. The patients visit our hospital for blood tests once every few months. Whole-body CT is routinely performed once a year. When relapse is suspected, we examine the whole body by CT. …
Selected animal and plant protein sources affect nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics of ileally cannulated dogs

The objective of this study was to compare ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities and fecal characteristics of dogs fed selected animal and plant protein sources incorporated into grain‐based diets. Four crude protein sources ‐ soybean meal (SBM), poultry meal (PM), poultry by‐product meal (PBPM), and beef and bone meal (BBM) ‐ were fed to four ileal cannulated dogs in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Intakes of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and fat by dogs were similar. Total dietary fiber (TDF) intake was highest for the SBM treatment compared to other treatments. Ileal digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, fat, and TDF were not affected by treatment. Total tract digestibility of DM was lower for the BBM and SBM diets, while OM digestibility was lower for the SBM treatment only. Total tract CP digestibility was similar for BBM, PBPM, and SBM treatments and was higher for the PM treatment. As‐is fecal excretion [g/d] was greater when dogs received the SBM treatment. Fecal output on a DM basis was higher for the SBM treatment compared to the other treatments. All diets were well utilized by the dogs as assessed by ileal and total tract digestibility data and fecal characteristics.
The Synergistic Gains of Coded Caching and Delayed Feedback

In this paper, we consider the $K$-user cache-aided wireless MISO broadcast channel (BC) with random fading and delayed CSIT, and identify the optimal cache-aided degrees-of-freedom (DoF) performance within a factor of 4. The achieved performance is due to a scheme that combines basic coded-caching with MAT-type schemes, and which efficiently exploits the prospective-hindsight similarities between these two methods. This delivers a powerful synergy between coded caching and delayed feedback, in the sense that the total synergistic DoF-gain can be much larger than the sum of the individual gains from delayed CSIT and from coded caching. The derived performance interestingly reveals --- for the first time --- substantial DoF gains from coded caching, even when the (normalized) cache size $\gamma$ (fraction of the library stored at each receiving device) is very small. Specifically, a microscopic $\gamma \approx e^{-G}$ can come within a factor of $G$ from the interference-free optimal. For example, storing at each device only a \emph{thousandth} of what is deemed as `popular' content ($\gamma\approx 10^{-3}$), we approach the interference-free optimal within a factor of $ln(10^3) \approx 7$ (per user DoF of $1/7$), for any number of users. This result carries an additional practical ramification as it reveals how to use coded caching to essentially buffer CSI, thus partially ameliorating the burden of having to acquire real-time CSIT.
Parental self-efficacy in early years parenting

This thesis focuses on parental self-efficacy in early years parenting. Parenting has a key influence on child development. Self-efficacy mediates the relationship between knowledge and behaviour and as such is seen as an important target of many interventions aimed at parents. Paper 1 provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of group-based early interventions on parental self-efficacy in parents of preschool children. Fifteen randomised controlled trials were identified that satisfied the inclusion criteria for the review. The strengths and limitations of the reviewed papers are considered alongside the clinical implications of the findings. Recommendations for future areas of research are provided. Paper 2 provides an exploratory investigation of whether structured parent-infant activities improve parental self-efficacy, bonding, mood and well-being. Six hundred and sixty two parents of infants under 12 months completed a series of questionnaires at two time-points. Whilst such activities did not lead to significant improvements in parental self-efficacy, some support for the notion that such activities improve parental satisfaction in a non-clinical population, and mood and parental anxiety in mildly anxious parents was found. The clinical implications of the study and areas of future research are discussed. Paper 3 provides a critical reflection of the research process as a whole and examines the strengths and limitations of Papers 1 and 2 in turn. Personal reflections on the development and execution of the research are also provided.
Frequency and Density-Dependent Selection on Life-History Strategies – A Field Experiment

Negative frequency-dependence, which favors rare genotypes, promotes the maintenance of genetic variability and is of interest as a potential explanation for genetic differentiation. Density-dependent selection may also promote cyclic changes in frequencies of genotypes. Here we show evidence for both density-dependent and negative frequency-dependent selection on opposite life-history tactics (low or high reproductive effort, RE) in the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). Density-dependent selection was evident among the females with low RE, which were especially favored in low densities. Instead, both negative frequency-dependent and density-dependent selection were shown in females with high RE, which were most successful when they were rare in high densities. Furthermore, selection at the individual level affected the frequencies of tactics at the population level, so that the frequency of the rare high RE tactic increased significantly at high densities. We hypothesize that these two selection mechanisms (density- and negative frequency-dependent selection) may promote genetic variability in cyclic mammal populations. Nevertheless, it remains to be determined whether the origin of genetic variance in life-history traits is causally related to density variation (e.g. population cycles).
An Application of the Mnemonic Keyword Method to the Acquisition of a Russian Vocabulary. Psychology and Education Series, Technical Report No. 237.

Abstract : An experiment is reported evaluating the effectiveness of a mnemonic procedure, called the keyword method, for learning a foreign language vocabulary. The method divides the study of a vocabulary item into two stages. The first stage requires S to associate the spoken foreign word to an English word (the keyword) that sounds like some part of the foreign word; the second stage requires S to form a mental image or picture of the keyword 'interacting' with the English translation. Thus, the keyword method can be described as a chain of two links connecting a foreign word to its English translation through the mediation of a keyword: the foreign word is linked to a keyword by a similarity in sound (acoustic link), and the keyword is linked to the English translation by a mental image (imagery link). The experiment reported compared the keyword method with an unconstrained control procedure using Russian vocabulary. On all measures the keyword method proved to be highly effective, yielding for the most critical test a score of 72% correct for the keyword group compared to 46% for the control group.
Statement of the Effect of Mechanical Stress on Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Articular cartilage is characterized by its poor capacity for self-repair. Once articular cartilage is injured and defected, it cannot be spontaneously repaired and finally develops osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a major leading cause of severe activity limitations and disability, resulting in worldwide socio-economical burden. At present, there is no established therapy for adequate repair of damaged articular cartilage. Researchers have therefore attempted to establish the cartilage tissue engineering as an effective alternative treatment of cartilage repair. However, the articular cartilage repair still remains a clinical and scientific challenge. In cartilage tissue engineering, it is believed that cell source, scaffold and growth factors are three key factors for the desired result of cell therapy for the damaged cartilage repair. However, increasing evidence is showing that these key factors are not enough and other factors may be required to achieve the optimal outcome. Since normal articular cartilage is always subjected to mechanical stress in daily activities, mechanical stress has attracted much attention as fourth key factor in cartilage tissue engineering. However, the real impact of mechanical stress on cartilage tissue engineering is far from complete understanding. In this review, we summarize the accumulating knowledge of the effect of mechanical stress on cartilage tissue engineering and discuss about the challenges for the future.
Reordering Algorithm for Minimizing Test Power in VLSI Circuits

Power consumption has become a crucial concern in Built In Self Test (BIST) due to the switching activity in the circuit under test(CUT). In this paper we present a novel method which aims at minimizing the total power consumption during testing. This is achieved by minimizing the switching activity in the circuit by reducing the Hamming Distance between successive test vectors. In this method the test vectors are reordered for minimum total hamming distance and the same vector set is used for testing. Experimental results with ISCAS benchmark circuits show that the switching activity can be reduced up to 21 % in comparison with conventional ATPG Algorithms like DEFGEN. The Switching activity is reduced significantly when compared with existing methods.
Sexual Behavior among Persons Living with HIV in Uganda: Implications for Policy and Practice

Introduction HIV epidemics are sustained and propagated by new cases of infection which result from transmission from infected persons to uninfected susceptible individuals. People living with HIV (PLHIV) play a critical role in prevention if they adopt safer sexual behaviors. This study estimated the prevalence of and factors associated with safer sexual behaviors among PLHIV seeking care from civil society organizations (CSOs). Methods In a cross sectional study PLHIV were interviewed about their sexual practices, use of alcohol, HIV status of their regular sexual partners, desire for more children and about their socio-demographic characteristics. We calculated the proportion of PLHIV who abstained and consistently used condoms in the previous twelve months. Independent associations between safer sex and other variables were estimated using adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Of the 939 PLHIV, 54% (508) were either abstaining or using condoms consistently and 291 (31%) desired more children. The prevalence of consistent condom use among the sexually active was 41.3% (300/731). Consistent condom use was higher among PLHIV who: didn't use alcohol (aPR 1.30, CI 1.03–1.63); were educated about re-infection with a new strain of HIV (aPR 1.84, CI 1.08–3.12) and had regular sexual partner who was HIV negative (aPR 1.29, CI 1.05–1.57). Prevalence of abstinence was 22.2% (208/939). Abstinence increased with age from 9.4% among PLHIV <25 years to 40.5% among those >50 years. Abstinence was extremely low (2.5%) among PLHIV who were married. Conclusions Effective interventions that reduce alcohol consumption among PLHIV are needed to avert HIV transmission, prevent acquisition of new HIV strains and STIs. In addition, strategies are needed to address needs of PLHIV who desire more children.
SPARC, a secreted protein associated with cellular proliferation, inhibits cell spreading in vitro and exhibits Ca+2-dependent binding to the extracellular matrix

SPARC (Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine) is a Ca+2-binding glycoprotein that is differentially associated with morphogenesis, remodeling, cellular migration, and proliferation. We show here that exogenous SPARC, added to cells in culture, was associated with profound changes in cell shape, caused rapid, partial detachment of a confluent monolayer, and inhibited spreading of newly plated cells. Bovine aortic endothelial cells, exposed to 2-40 micrograms SPARC/ml per 2 x 10(6) cells, exhibited a rounded morphology in a dose-dependent manner but remained attached to plastic or collagen-coated surfaces. These round cells synthesized protein, uniformly excluded trypan blue, and grew in aggregates after replating in media without SPARC. SPARC caused rounding of bovine endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells; however, the cell lines F9, PYS-2, and 3T3 were not affected. The activity of native SPARC was inhibited by heat denaturation and prior incubation with anti-SPARC IgG. The effect of SPARC on endothelial cells appeared to be independent of the rounding phenomenon produced by the peptide GRGDSP. Immunofluorescence localization of SPARC on endothelial cells showed preferential distribution at the leading edges of membranous extensions. SPARC bound Ca+2 in both amino- and carboxyl-terminal (EF-hand) domains and required this cation for maintenance of native structure. Solid-phase binding assays indicated a preferential affinity of native SPARC for several proteins comprising the extracellular matrix, including types III and V collagen, and thrombospondin. This binding was saturable, Ca+2 dependent, and inhibited by anti-SPARC IgG. Endothelial cells also failed to spread on a substrate of native type III collagen complexed with SPARC. We propose that SPARC is an extracellular modulator of Ca+2 and cation-sensitive proteins or proteinases, which facilitates changes in cellular shape and disengagement of cells from the extracellular matrix.
Using couple-level data to examine the relation between social information-processing and intimate partner violence among men and women in dating relationships

The aim of the current study was to use couple-level data to examine negative emotions and social information-processing (SIP) abilities as risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) among 100 dating couples (N = 200; mean age = 21.45 years). Crick and Dodge's (1994) SIP model was used as a guiding theoretical framework. Participants read a series of hypothetical conflict situation vignettes and responded to questionnaires to assess negative emotions and various facets of SIP including attributions for partner behaviour, generation of response alternatives, and response selection. The Revised Conflict Tactic Scales (CTS2; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996) were used to assess how often acts of physical aggression occurred in the preceding year. Bivariate correlations revealed negative emotions and SIP abilities were significantly intercorrelated. A series of negative binomial mixed-model regressions were conducted based on the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM; Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006). Significant results emerged for the response generation and negative emotion models. Results suggested that participants who generated a lower number of coping response alternatives were at greater risk of victimization (actor effect). Women were at greater risk of victimization if they had partners who generated a lower number of coping response alternatives (sex by partner interaction effect). Generation of less competent coping response alternatives predicted greater risk of perpetration among men, whereas generation of more competent coping response alternatives predicted greater risk of victimization among women (sex by actor interaction effects). Finally, two significant actor by partner interaction effects emerged for the negative emotion models. Participants who reported similar levels of negative emotions as their partners were at lowest risk of perpetration, whereas participants who reported discrepant levels of negative emotions from their partners were at greatest risk of perpetration. Participants who reported low levels of negative emotions were at lowest risk of victimization regardless of their partner's emotions; however, participants who reported high levels of negative emotions were at greatest risk of victimization if they had partners who reported low levels of negative emotions. Results from the current study have implications for researchers and clinicians interested in addressing the problem of IPV.