Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mixed time headway distributions : endogenous e � ects in motorways and rural two-lane two-way roads

This thesis arises from the necessity to increase the research about time headway distribution, a topic study essential in many tra c engineering applications but characterized in Italy by a lack of information. The interest in this topic is due to a research project of the Transportation Laboratory of the University of Padova in order to establish an information system of tra c flow phenomena in the Veneto area, with the aim to specify, calibrate and validate mathematical models of observed phenomena starting from tra c data recordings. Within the research project, this thesis seeks to identify TH probability density function for two-lane two-way road segments in di erent tra c situations. The interest in this field is due to its implications for driving simulator experiments with regard to vehicle generation. In order to obtain the best results, it was necessary to enhance the methodology for analysis of headway data taking into consideration two contributions from scholarly literature. The first is the method of identifying sub-samples for use in statistical analysis. Here we refer to a trend test proposed by Luttinen in 1996 which aims to reach the stationarity of the headway variable. The second concerns the process of calibration of the probability density functions, through the implementation of the gamma-GQM model (especially suitable for representing headway distribution in all tra c context) and belonging to the mixed models. Once the processing methodology was chosen, a time headway analysis was carried out as the endogenous tra c parameters changed flow rate and flow composition (percentage of heavy vehicles in this case) considered as a ecting time headway distributions. Our attention focused on two-lane two-way rural roads in Northern Italy with data recorded both by inductive loops and radar sensors and with the aim to create a picture of the relationship between endogenous tra c conditions and headway distributions. We completed a study of headways with data coming from A2 motorway BerlinDortmund in Germany and available from the Institut für Verkehr und Stadbauwesen of T.U. Braunschweig. This was done in order to compare the results with those obtained by other authors (Ha, Aron, Cohen 2011), who used a similar approach on the same kind of road, to test the a nity of the results and validate the procedure. The originality of this thesis is in the application of a trendless analysis and a powerful mixed model on the two-lane two-way roads, which are often neglected in headway literature in favor of motorways. The robustness of the methodology combined with its capacity to reveal useful in3 formation about the tra c state permit us to assert that an adequate study of headway variable must follow this approach.
Single resistance training session leads to muscle damage without isometric strength decrease

Here we demonstrated that a single resistance exercise session causes muscle damage, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), higher creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, and increased IL-6 concentration without changes in muscle strength. Sixteen healthy untrained subjects performed five exercises consisting of three sets of 10 maximum repetitions for each exercise and 1 minute rest period between sets and exercises. Blood samples were taken after 30 minutes, 24, 48 and 72 hours and before exercise. Muscular performance was assessed by maximum isometric strength (MIS) before, 24h, 48h and 72h exercise session. We have concluded that the single resistance exercise session, performed on this study, led to muscle damage and this variable cannot be evaluated through maximal isometric strength. Among those markers, CK was more sensitive to muscle damage. This information might be important for adequate recovery between training sessions.
What Makes People Underestimate the Perceived Impact of Public Service Announcements? The Theoretical Implication for the Third-Person and First-Person Perceptions

What makes people undervalue the impact of health campaign messages that promote positive behavioral changes? Using the Extended Parallel Process Model’s (EPPM) rationale, this study explores whether an interaction between individuals’ existing self-efficacy and message attributes (i.e., level of fear) can lead to psychological defensiveness, which makes them cognitively undervalue the Public Service Announcements (PSAs). In the context of anti-binge drinking PSA, a 2 (Fear Appeal: High vs. Low) X 2 (Perceived Self-Efficacy: High vs. Low) experiment reveals that participants with low self-efficacy find a greater effect of PSA on others than on themselves if the PSA includes too much threat or fear (i.e., the third-person perception). Conversely, participants who have a high self-efficacy perceive a greater PSA influence on themselves than on others (i.e., the first-person perception) in response to a high fear-arousing PSA. The theoretical implications for the third-person and first-person perceptions as well as practical implications are discussed.
Predicting Attitude Extremity: The Interactive Effects of Schema Development and the Need to Evaluate and Their Mediation by Evaluative Integration

Research on attitude extremity suggests that schemas containing more information about a particular attitude domain are more likely to be associated with extreme attitudes toward objects in that domain when perceivers’ responses toward features of the domain are evaluatively integrated. The present study argues that a high need to evaluate may play an important role in determining when schema development will be associated with the integrated responses to different domain features necessary for extremity. Consistent with this argument, data from a nationally representative survey of political attitudes indicated that the need to evaluate was associated with increased extremity across two different indices of the latter; that it moderated the relationships between schema development (in the form of political expertise), on one hand, and increased extremity and integration, on the other; and that the moderating effects of the need to evaluate vis-à-vis extremity were mediated by integration.
Prevalence and barriers to the use of insecticide treated nets among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Specialist Hospital Sokoto ,

Malaria is endemic and a major public health problem in Nigeria. In most malaria endemic areas, pregnant women are the main adult group at risk for the severe form of the disease. In the absence of effective vaccine for malaria prevention and development of unacceptable levels of resistance to one drug after another by the malaria parasite, prevention of mosquitoes bite through use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) remains a very important strategy for malaria control. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and barriers to use of insecticide treated nets among pregnant women in Sokoto. This was a cross sectional descriptive study among 185 randomly selected pregnant women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) at Specialist Hospital Sokoto, in October, 2010. Data collection was done using a set of pretested, semi-structured questionnaires; descriptive statistics was used for analysis. Among the 179 (96.8%) respondents that were aware of ITNs out of the 185 participants, 154 (86.0%) had accurate knowledge of ITNs, 50 (27.6%) use ITNs (but this constitutes 74.6% of the 67 respondents that own an ITN). One hundred and eleven (84.7%) of the 131 respondents who did not sleep under an ITN the night before the survey, gave lack of ITNs as reason for not sleeping under the net. Utilization of ITNs was low despite high knowledge of the commodity among the respondents. Lack of ownership was the major barrier to its utilization. Educational level was statistically significantly associated with ownership and use of ITNs (p < 0.001). Women empowerment (through education and employment) and monitoring of ITNs distribution by the relevant government agencies were suggested as important interventions in improving availability, affordability and use of ITNs.
SENSITIVE SEARCH FOR RADIO VARIABLES AND TRANSIENTS IN THE EXTENDED CHANDRA DEEP FIELD SOUTH

We report on an analysis of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (E-CDFS) region using archival data from the Very Large Array, with the goal of studying radio variability and transients at the sub-milliJansky level. The 49 epochs of E-CDFS observations at 1.4 GHz sample timescales from 1 day to 3 months. We find that only a fraction (1%) of unresolved radio sources above 40 μJy are variable at the 4σ level. There is no evidence that the fractional variability changes along with the known transition of radio-source populations below 1 mJy. Optical identifications of the sources show that the variable radio emission is associated with the central regions of an active galactic nucleus or a star-forming galaxy. After a detailed comparison of the efficacy of various source-finding algorithms, we use the best to carry out a transient search. No transients were found. This implies that the areal density of transients with peak flux density greater than 0.21 mJy is less than 0.37 deg−2 (at a confidence level of 95%). This result is approximately an order of magnitude below the transient rate measured at 5 GHz by Bower et al. but it is consistent with more recent upper limits from Frail et al. Our findings suggest that the radio sky at 1.4 GHz is relatively quiet. For multi-wavelength transient searches, such as the electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves, this frequency may be optimal for reducing the high background of false positives.
Protein C/activated protein C pathway: Overview of clinical trial results in severe sepsis

Objective:To review the results from clinical trials of treatments for severe sepsis involving the protein C/activated protein C pathway. Data Source:Published research and review articles (PubMed, from 1985 to 2003) relating to clinical trials of compounds involving the protein C pathway. Data Extraction and Synthesis:Protein C is converted to activated protein C when thrombin complexes with thrombomodulin. Sepsis is associated with rapid depletion of protein C and blunted endogenous protein C activation. Treatment with protein C concentrate is followed by increased activated protein C plasma levels and a dose-dependent decrease in d-dimer levels in children with purpura fulminans. This supplementation is safe. A phase III trial of recombinant human activated protein C (drotrecogin alfa [activated]) in severe sepsis demonstrated a 6.1% absolute reduction in 28-day mortality compared with placebo. The short- and long-term survival rates associated with drotrecogin alfa (activated) were better in patients at high risk of death associated with a better cost/effectiveness ratio. Treatment with drotrecogin alfa (activated) was associated with an increased risk of serious bleeding compared with placebo during the 28-day study period (3.5% vs. 2.0%). Conclusions:Treatment with protein C concentrate is followed by an improvement of the coagulopathy and is safe in children with purpura fulminans; however, a large trial involving a high dose is required to determine its effect on mortality and morbidity. Treatment with drotrecogin alfa (activated) leads to substantial reduction in mortality and has an acceptable risk/benefit ratio in septic patients at high risk of death.
Local-Degradation-Induced Threshold Voltage Shift in Turned-OFF Amorphous InGaZnO Thin Film Transistors Under AC Drain Bias Stress

Local degradation caused by drain bias (VDS) stressing is recently considered as a key issue in amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs). In this letter, we investigate the instability of turned-OFF a-IGZO TFTs under ac VDS stressing. The negative threshold voltage shift, which was well fitted by a stretched exponential function, was accelerated with increasing duty cycle despite the same effective stress time. A capacitance measurement reveals that a higher duty cycle induced more donor states near the drain, implying that the stretched-exponential time dependence cannot be fully explained by trapping mechanism. Temperature-dependent τ followed the Arrhenius relation, whereas β showed unusual temperature dependence in contrast to that under dc VDS stressing. These findings suggest an additional origin such as a stress release effect under an ac VDS stress other than hopping/tunneling mechanism.
Distribution of DHPS Mutations Among ITS Subtypes of P. carinii f. sp. hominis

 Corresponding author: Steven R. Meshnick – Telephone 734-647-2406; Fax: 734-764-3192; Email: meshnick@umich.edu J Eukaryot Microbiol, vol 48, Supplement, Jan/Feb 2002 issue. The IWOP7 Proceedings will still have a 2001 publication date. Sulfa drugs are widely used in the prophylaxis and treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Co-trimoxazole, the first-line agent, is a combination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim but functions as sulfa monotherapy since P. carinii is apparently insensitive to trimethoprim. Dapsone, a sulfone, is a commonly used second-line agent. Both sulfamethoxazole and dapsone act by binding to dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) (reviewed in references [2, 19]) (Fig. 1). Sulfa-resistant Pneumocystis carinii may be an emerging public health problem. However, since in vitro cultivation of human-derived organisms is not possible, molecular tools for determining resistance are needed. Genetic polymorphisms in the P. carinii DHPS were first reported in 1997 [11]. Two of the mutations, at positions 55 and 57, appear to be in the enzyme active site (Fig. 1, based on the E. coli structure [1]; MMDB id: 7741; PDB id: 1AJ0). These mutations have been associated with sulfa exposure, prophylaxis break-through, or treatment failure [4, 7, 9-11, 13-15, 18].
The role of agglomeration and dispersion forces on the spatial distribution of economic activity in Chile: An empirical analysis of spatial wage distribution and regional housing prices

This thesis begins with an Introduction oriented to guide the reader in two main aspects. First, Chile presents an excessive level of spatial concentration around the Metropolitan Region of Santiago (MR). Second, this spatial concentration is critical for the case of wages. In spite of the relevance, the Introduction shows the lack of discussion to understand the forces affecting this spatial distribution. In this sense, the Introduction proposes “[This thesis]covers this gap offering three essays oriented to understand what factors are generating this wage distribution and the consequences of the excessive spatial concentration on the MR, such as the congestion cost associated with the housing prices”. The Chapter 2 is the first approach to estimate the role of the second nature on the regional wages through the estimation of two NEG models. This chapter suggests the important role of the second nature, but the evidence is weak. The lack of evidence provided by Chapter 2 is attributed to the fact that NEG captures one of the potential set of sources behind the wage differentials. This problem motivates the development of the Chapter 3. This chapter proposes different causal mechanisms that modify the theoretical NEG model to represent the additional sources. A new empirical approach is provided to evaluate the role of alternative theories such as the role of amenities. Finally, the Chapter 4 shows a different side of the spatial concentration which is related with the dispersion forces. This section proposes a novel methodology to estimate a housing price index at regional level. This new methodology allows to compare the price of heterogeneous goods across the space, being a contribution for regional analysis of dispersion forces. While the regions with initial endowments, such as copper and salmon, show high level of housing prices; MR does not present the highest level of housing price. This result suggests that the case of Chile seems to be managed by agglomeration forces stronger than dispersion forces. Moreover, the concentration of high wages around the MR could be higher, increasing the magnitude of spatial inequality for the case of Chile.
Designing Interactive Advertisements for Public Displays

Although public displays are increasingly being deployed in everyday situations, they are still mostly used as auto-active information sources. Adding interactivity can help to attract and engage users. We report on the design and in-the-wild evaluation of an interactive advert for a public display in a tourist information center. We evaluate and compare 3 different variants - non-interactive, interaction using body tracking, and interaction using personal mobile devices - with respect to attracting the attention and interaction from passersby. We further compare these variants with an iterated version of the body tracking system with an extended tracking area. Our findings include an unexpected reluctance of passersby to use their mobile device in public, and the increased interactive area for body interaction resulting in increased engagement and spontaneous multi-user interaction, while removing the so-called 'landing effect'. Based on our findings, we suggest guidelines for interactive adverts on public displays.
ABSCISSION : ROLE OF RNA SYNTHrSIS

Ethylene stimulated the incorporation of p 2 into ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the abscission zone of bean explants (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Red Kidney). The enhancement was observed in all four peaks (soluble RNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, ribosomal RNA, and messenger RNA) separated by methylated albumin kieselguhr column chromatography, although the increase was not the same for each fraction. Differential extraction of the nucleic acids indicated that the ethylene stimulation was confined to the fraction extracted with sodium lauryl sulfate, with the increase mainly in the ribosomal and messenger RNA. Actinomycin D, which blocks ethylene-stimulated abscission, inhibited p 2 incorporation into all column fractions. 5-Fluorouracil, which blocked 50% of the ethylene-enhanced p32 incorporation, did not inhibit ethyleneenhanced abscission. The results indicate that ethylene may regulate abscission through control of specific RNA.
DNS of heat transfer from a cylinder immersed in the production and decay regions of grid-element turbulence

The present DNS study, the first of its kind, explores the effect that the location of a cylinder, immersed in the turbulent wake of a grid-element, has on heat transfer. An insulated single square grid-element is used to generate the turbulent wake upstream of the heated circular cylinder. Due to fine-scale resolution requirements, the simulations are carried out for a low Reynolds number. Three locations downstream of the gridelement, inside the production, peak and decay regions, respectively are considered. The turbulent flow in the production and peak regions is highly intermittent, non-Gaussian and inhomogeneous, while it is Gaussian, homogeneous, and fully-turbulent in the decay region. The turbulence intensities at the location of the cylinder in the production and decay regions are almost equal at 11%, while the peak location has the highest turbulent intensity of 15%. A baseline simulation of heat transfer from the cylinder without oncoming turbulence was also performed. Although the oncoming turbulent intensities are similar, the production region increases the stagnation point heat transfer by 63%, while in the decay region it is enhanced by only 28%. This difference cannot be explained only by the increased approaching velocity in the production region. The existing correlations for the stagnation point heat transfer coefficient are found invalid for the production and peak locations, while they are satisfied in the decay region. It is established that the flow in the production and peak regions is dominated by shedding events, in which the predominant vorticity component is in the azimuthal direction. This leads to increased heat transfer from the cylinder, even before vorticity is stretched by the accelerating boundary layer. The frequency of oncoming turbulence in production and peak cases also lies close to the range of frequencies that can penetrate the boundary layer developing on the cylinder, and therefore the latter is very responsive to the impinging disturbances. The highest Nusselt number along the circumference of the cylinder is shifted 45 degrees from the front stagnation point. This shift is due to the turbulencegenerating grid-element bars that result in the prevalence of intense events at the point of maximum Nusselt number compared to the stagnation point.
Studies on serum‐mediated inhibition of cellular immunity to spontaneous mouse mammary tumors

Sera from mice which have either spontaneously developed a mammary tumor, or which have been immunized against such a tumor, have been shown capable of abrogating the ability of lymph‐node cells from these mice to specifically inhibit colony formation by mammary tumor cells in vitro. Sera from mice sensitized to another, independently arising, syngeneic mammary tumor or to a syngeneic Moloney sarcoma virus‐induced tumor are less active in this respect, indicating that this reaction is specific. It is suggested that these observations are related to the in vivo phenomenon called immunological enhancement.
ETHNOGRAPHY IN / OF THE WORLD SYSTEM : The Emergence of Multi-Sited Ethnography

ABSTRACf This review surveys an emergent methodological trend in anthropological research that concerns the adaptation of long-standing modes of ethnographic practices to more complex objects of study. Ethnography moves from its conventional single-site location, contextualized by macro-constructions of a larger social order, such as the capitalist world system, to multiple sites of observation and participation that cross-cut dichotomies such as the "local" and the "global," the "lifeworld" and the "system. " Resulting ethnographies are therefore both in and out of the world system. The anxieties to which this methodological shift gives rise are considered in terms of testing the limits of ethnography, attenuating the power of fieldwork, and losing the perspective of the subaltern. The emergence of multi-sited ethnography is located within new spheres of interdisciplinary work, including media studies, science and tech­ nology studies, and cultural studies broadly. Several "tracking" strategies that shape multi-sited ethnographic research are considered. The review concludes with observations about the reflexive persona of the ethnographer as "circum­ stantial activist" in which methodological discussions about multi-sited re­ search in anthropology are now being developed.