Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Mechanistic Analysis of Static and Repeated Loading Effects on Rubberized Asphalt

A mechanistic analysis of the behaviour of rubberized asphalt under static and repeated wheel loading is investigated. The analysis is analytically simulated using the KENLAYER computer program. Emphasis is placed on the stress and strain behaviour of rubberized asphalt versus that of non-rubberized asphalt. The study also included a damage analysis from which the design life (DL) of an asphalt pavement was determined. From the damage analysis, the number of load repetitions (LR) on a given pavement arrangement was determined and compared in both cases of rubberized and non-rubberized asphalt. Pavement systems studied, whether rubberized or non-rubberized, comprised three layers, top, grade, and subgrade. Different layers were represented by different moduli of elasticity and Poisson's ratios. Only the properties of the top and the grade layers were changed when rubberized asphalt was used. The subgrade was neither rubberized nor affected by the addition of rubber to the top and the grade layers. The study involved a one-season year and a four-season year to examine the effect of temperature variation on the stress and strain behaviours of asphalt pavements. In both rubberized and non-rubberized cases, dual wheel load results in greater vertical displacement, greater vertical stress at failure, less vertical stress due to static loads, lower allowable number of LR, and lower DL. For single or dual wheel loading, the effects of adding rubber are greater vertical displacement, less vertical stress at failure, more vertical stress due to static loads, lower allowable number of LR, and lower DL. To increase the accuracy of the results, it is recommended that the year be divided into 12 periods representing each month with its own temperature conditions.
Digital switchover in UHF: the ATHENA concept for broadband access

This paper presents a concept adopted by ATHENA IST-507312 project for the proper adoption of digital switchover (DSO) in UHF, towards establishing broadband access especially in rural and less favoured regions. Taking into account the local and networking capabilities of terrestrial digital video broadcasting standard (DVB-T), and by building on three pillars (a) the regenerative DVB-T concept, (b) the backhaul configurations and (c) the 'bit-rate allocation' aspect rather than the 'frequency allocation' one, it designs, implements and validates a broadband Fusion environment, which is capable of enabling access not only to digital TV bouquets, but also and most predominant to Information Society services, such as Internet, e-mail, multimedia on demand etc. within the same stream. Citizens access them via intermediate distribution nodes, namely cell main nodes (CMNs). Such a Fusion environment is commonly shared among broadcasters, telecom operators and active users/citizens, for open competition in technological and service level, in content creation and delivery level, in networking business/market field. Finally, the paper elaborates on the potentialities of the DSO in UHF to provide not only digital TV bouquets, but also a broadband access Fusion environment in regional level.
An automated technique for risk-based test case generation and prioritization

In practice, available testing budgets limit the number of test cases that can be executed. Thus, a representative subset of all possible test cases must be chosen to guarantee adequate coverage of a test object. In risk-based testing, the probability of a fault and the damage that this fault can cause when leading to a failure is considered for test case prioritization. Existing approaches for risk-based testing provide guidelines for deriving test cases. However, those guidelines lack the level of detail and precision needed for automation. In this contribution, we introduce the risk-based testing technique RiteDAP, which automatically generates system test cases from activity diagrams and prioritizes those test cases based on risk. The results of applying the technique to a practical example are presented and the ability of different prioritization strategies to uncover faults is evaluated.
Change-Centric Management of Versions in an XML Warehouse

: We present a change-centric method to manage versions in a Web WareHouse of XML data. The starting points is a sequence of snapshots of XML documents we obtain from the web. By running a di(cid:11) algorithm, we compute the changes between two consecutive versions. We then represent the sequence using a novel representation of changes based on completed deltas and persistent identi(cid:12)ers. We present the foundations of the logical representation and some aspects of the physical storage policy. The work presented here was developed in the context of the Xyleme project of massive XML warehouse for XML data from the Web. It has been implemented and tested. We brie(cid:13)y discuss the implementation.
Quality management in sports tourism

Research question: While quality management literature has addressed products and services separately, the founders of total quality presented this management philosophy as universally oriented. The purpose of this study is to empirically test the Deming management model (DMM). Research methods: We tested the proposed research model using structural equation modeling, based on data collected from golf courses and ski resorts, in three different countries. Results and findings: The results support the application of the model to services, in general, and sports tourism, in particular. Implications: Our conclusions reinforce the recognition of the method's effectiveness and identify the cause–effect patterns, within its basic scope, highlighting the importance of leadership in the success of a quality improvement program. Lastly, a discrepancy of this study is the incapability to support the relationship between continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, the results should be interpreted while considering the presented limitations.
Health-related quality of life of students from a private medical school in Brazil

Objectives To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to describe factors associated with its variation among undergraduate medical students at a Brazilian private medical school. Methods A cross-sectional study in a sample (n=180) of medical students at a private medical school in Salvador, Brazil, stratified by year of medical course. Data about age, sex, year of course, physical activity, sleepiness, headaches, participation in a student loan program supported by the Brazilian government (FIES) and living arrangements were collected using a self-administered form. HRQOL was assessed by using a Brazilian Portuguese version of the SF-36 form. The eight domains of SF-36 and the Physical Component (PCS) and Mental Component (MCS) Summaries scales were calculated. Results The medical students showed poor HRQOL, mainly because of the mental component. Lower mean scores were found among those with FIES support, females, those suffering from sleepiness, headaches and lacking physical activity. No clear trend was observed in the variation of the SF-36 mean scores according to the year of medical school. However, students in the fifth year of the course had the highest HRQOL mean scores. Conclusions Health-related quality of life of students at this private medical school was poor, mainly because of its mental component. Lower HRQOL was associated with FIES support, females, sleepiness, headaches and lack of regular physical activity. Higher scores were found among fifth year students.
Fractures of Neck Structures in Suicidal Hanging

A prospective study of hanging deaths was performed, and 80 cases of suicidal hanging were registered. The purpose of the study was to register fractures of the bony structures of the neck. The frequency of such fractures ranges from rare to frequent in the literature. Prospective studies give the highest incidence of fractures. Careful dissection and an X-ray cabinet with ready-made film in envelopes were used to register all fractures. There were 73 per cent men and 27 per cent women. The mean age was 38.7 years. The proportion of fractures seemed to increase with age and possibly also with increasing suspension time. The highest frequency of fractures was found in atypical complete hangings.
Simple reaction time as a measure of global attention in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive decline in memory, language and other cognitive functions. Deficits in attentional processes have also been suggested. A simple reaction time (RT) task was used to assess global attention in AD. The length and consistency of a warning signal given prior to the response stimulus were manipulated to determine if patients with AD and age-matched controls benefit from predictability in RT tasks. Overall reaction time was slower in the AD group than in the and control group. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in RT with long warning signals compared to short warning signals, but only the control group benefited from the consistency of the warning. (JINS, 1995, I, 56–61.)
Vulnerability Factors in New Web Applications : Audit Tools , Developer Selection & Languages

—We develop a web application vulnerability metric based on the combined reports of 4 leading commercial black box vulnerability scanners and evaluate this metric using historical benchmarks and our new sample of applications. We then use this metric to examine the impact of three factors on web application security: provenance (developed by startup company or freelancers), developer security knowledge, and programming language. Our study evaluates 27 web applications developed by programmers from 19 Silicon Valley startups and 8 outsourcing freelancers using 5 programming languages. We correlate the expected vulnerability rate of a Web application with whether it is developed by startup company or freelancers, the extent of developer security knowledge (assessed by a simple quiz), and the programming language used. We provide statistical conﬁdence measures and ﬁnd several results with statistical signiﬁcance. For example, applications written in PHP are more prone to severe vulnerabilities, especially injection, and applications developed by freelancers tend to have more injection vulnerabilities. Our summary results provide guidance to developers that we believe may improve the security of future web applications.
Chemical Composition and Allelopathyc Activity of Essential Oil of Lippia sidoides Cham

La alelopatia es un proceso mediante el cual productos metabolicos secundarios, tales como terpenos fenoles, producidos por una planta en particular interfieren significativamente, y de manera antagonica, en el desarrollo de otras especies vegetales. Nuestros objetivos fueron caracterizar quimicamente el aceite esencial de Lippia sidoides Cham. , cultivada en la region de Cariri Ceara, y evaluar el efecto alelopatico del aceite aplicado en pre-siembra en la germinacion de lechuga (Lactuca sativa L.), rucula (Eruca sativa Mill.), y col rizada (Brassica oleracea L.). El principal constituyente del aceite esencial fue el monoterpeno timol (84,90%). Los experimentos fueron conducidos en bloques completos al azar en esquema factorial 4 x 3 con cuatro combinaciones de aceites esenciales aplicados en tres especies diferentes en pre-siembra. Se analizaron las siguientes variables: indice de velocidad de emergencia (EVI), porcentaje de germinacion y el tiempo medio de germinacion (MTG), los recuentos se llevaron a cabo todos los dias hasta el decimocuarto dia despues de la siembra. A traves de analisis cualitativos realizados por cromatografia de gases acoplada a espectrometria de masas (GC/ ME) fueron identificados componentes quimicos que representan 97,82% del aceite esencial de L. sidoides, siendo constituyente mas concentrado timol (84,90%). Se comprobaron efectos alelopaticos negativos en lechuga, debido a que esta mostro un bajo EVI y un alto MTG.
Comparison of velocity‐encoded MR imaging and fluid dynamic modeling of steady and disturbed flow

The contrast of flow‐encoded magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained in vivo and the accuracy of velocity measurements are complicated by the presence of complex flow states. The effects of complex flow states on MR flow‐encoded images were studied and quantitative flow information was obtained with an MR phase‐subtraction technique. Regions of complex flow, including flow stagnation and separation and laminar flow, could be clearly identified on the phase images. The MR imaging velocity measurements were validated by comparison with numerical simulation results for three‐dimensional velocity distributions. The velocity MR images and the profiles obtained from the simulation generally agreed well for flow rates of 660 and 1,680 mL/min. This agreement lends support to both the fluid dynamic model and the physical basis of the phase imaging technique and establishes the validity of flow‐encoded phase imaging as an in vivo flow quantization method, especially under low Reynolds number flow conditions.
Predictors of Finding Occult Atrial Fibrillation After Cryptogenic Stroke

Background and Purpose— Occult paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is found in a substantial minority of patients with cryptogenic stroke. Identifying reliable predictors of paroxysmal AF after cryptogenic stroke would allow clinicians to more effectively use outpatient cardiac monitoring and ultimately reduce secondary stroke burden. Methods— We analyzed a retrospective cohort of consecutive patients who underwent 28-day mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry after cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic stroke. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify clinical, echocardiographic, and radiographic features associated with the detection of paroxysmal AF. Results— Of 227 patients with cryptogenic stroke (179) or transient ischemic stroke (48), 14% (95% confidence interval, 9%–18%) had AF detected on mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry, 58% of which was ≥30 seconds in duration. Age >60 years (odds ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–11) and prior cortical or cerebellar infarction seen on neuroimaging (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–7.6) were independent predictors of AF. AF was detected in 33% of patients with both factors, but only 4% of patients with neither. No other clinical features (including demographics, CHA2DS2-VASc [combined stroke risk score: congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, sex] score, or stroke symptoms), echocardiographic findings (including left atrial size or ejection fraction), or radiographic characteristics of the acute infarction (including location, topology, or number) were associated with AF detection. Conclusions— Mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry detects AF in a substantial proportion of cryptogenic stroke patients. Age >60 years and radiographic evidence of prior cortical or cerebellar infarction are robust indicators of occult AF. Patients with neither had a low prevalence of AF.
Evaluation of anti-inflammatory effect of Withania somnifera root on collagen-induced arthritis in rats

Abstract Context: Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal (Solanaceae) has long been used as an herb in Ayurvedic and indigenous medicine and has received intense attention in recent years for its chemopreventive properties. Objective: The present study focuses on the effect of W. somnifera root powder on the behavioral and radiological changes in collagen-induced arthritic rats. Materials and methods: The rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control, arthritic control, arthritic rats treated with W. somnifera root powder (at dose levels 600 and 800 mg kg−1) and arthritic rats treated with methotrexate (at dose level 0.3 mg kg−1). The treatment with W. somnifera (daily) and methotrexate (weekly) was initiated from the 20th day post collagen immunization and continued up until the 45th day. Arthritis was assessed macroscopically by measuring paw thickness, ankle size and body weight. Arthritic pain was assessed by toe-spread and total print length of the affected paw. Functional recovery due to the oral treatment of W. somnifera and methotrexate was assessed by sciatic functional index and rota rod activity. Results: Administration of W. somnifera root powder (600 mg kg−1) to the arthritic rats significantly decreased the severity of arthritis by effectively suppressing the symptoms of arthritis and improving the functional recovery of motor activity and radiological score. Discussion and conclusion: W. somnifera root has a protective effect against collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. The results suggest that W. somnifera root powder acts as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent in decreasing the arthritic effects in collagen-induced arthritic rats.
Adaptive SM-MIMO for mmWave Communications With Reduced RF Chains

In this paper, a novel multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission scheme, termed as receive antenna selection (RAS)-aided spatial modulation MIMO (SM-MIMO), is proposed for millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications. It employs the spatial modulation (SM) concept and the RAS technique to tackle the costs of the multiple radio frequency (RF) chains at both link ends. Moreover, we develop a pair of RAS algorithms for the proposed mmWave RAS-SM scheme based on the capacity maximization (max-capacity) and the bit-error rate (BER) minimization criteria, which are formulated as two combinatorial optimization problems. The theoretical gradients of the capacity and the BER with respect to RAS variables are derived and the convexities of these problems are discussed. Furthermore, a novel iterative algorithm through jointly designing the log-barrier algorithm (LbA) and the simplified conjugate gradient method is proposed for RAS optimization. Our simulation results show that the proposed RAS-SM schemes are capable of achieving considerable performance gains over conventional norm-based and eigenvalue-based schemes in mmWave MIMO channels, while avoiding an overwhelming complexity imposed by exhaustive search.
A methodology for comparing grammar-based and robust approaches to speech understanding

We present a series of experiments designed to compare grammar-based and robust approaches to speech understanding, performed in the context of an Open Source medical speech translation system. We used two versions of the system, one grammar-based and one robust, trained off the same training data, and evaluated them on test data collected using both versions of the system. The experiments were constructed so as to avoid several methodological problems which occurred in earlier work reported in the literature. We found that the grammarbased version gave significantly better results than the robust version, with the difference increasing as subjects became more familiar with the system's coverage. The rate of improvement in subject performance was positively affected by providing them with an intelligent online help system.
The GSTP 1 A 1578 G polymorphism and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia : results from an updated meta-analysis

Studies investigating the association between the glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) A1578G polymorphism and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) report conflicting results. The aim of this study was to quantitatively summarize the evidence for such a relationship. Two investigators independently searched the Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wangfang databases for studies of the polymorphism and ALL. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the GSTP1 polymorphism and childhood ALL were calculated in a fixed-effect model. Pooled ORs were calculated for a co-dominant model (GG vs AA, AG vs AA), a dominant model (GG + AG vs AA), and a recessive model (GG vs AA + AG). Analyses were also performed in subgroups stratified by race, study design, genotyping methods, and study sample size. This meta-analysis included 8 case-control studies with 1384 childhood ALL cases and 1755 controls. Overall, the variant genotypes (GG and AG) of A1578G were not associated with childhood
Time of Acquisition and Network Stability in Pediatric Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has been shown to elucidate reliable patterns of brain networks in both children and adults. Studies in adults have shown that rs-fMRI acquisition times of ∼5 to 6 min provide adequate sampling to produce stable spatial maps of a number of different brain networks. However, it is unclear whether the acquisition time directly translates to studies of children. While there are many similarities between the brains of children and adults, many differences are also evident. Children have increased metabolism, differences in brain morphology and connectivity strengths, greater brain plasticity, and increased brain noise. Furthermore, there are differences in physiologic parameters, such as heart and respiratory rates, and compliance of the blood vessels. These developmental differences could translate into different acquisition times for rs-fMRI studies in pediatric populations. Longer scan times, however, increase the subject burden and the risk for greater movement, especially in children. Thus, the goal of this study was to assess the optimum acquisition time of rs-fMRI to extract stable brain networks in school-age children. We utilized fuzzy set theory in 84 six-to-eight year-old children and found that eight networks, including the default mode, salience, frontal, left frontoparietal, right frontoparietal, sensorimotor, auditory, and visual networks, all stabilized after ∼5½ min. The sensorimotor network showed the least stability, whereas the salience and auditory networks showed the greatest stability. A secondary analysis using dual regression confirmed these results. In conclusion, in young children with little head motion, rs-fMRI acquisition times of ∼5½ min can extract the full complement of brain networks.
The Multiplicity of Action of Cannabinoids: Implications for Treating Neurodegeneration

The cannabinoid (CB) system is widespread in the central nervous system and is crucial for controlling a range of neurophysiological processes such as pain, appetite, and cognition. The endogenous CB molecules, anandamide, and 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol, interact with the G‐protein coupled CB receptors, CB1 and CB2. These receptors are also targets for the phytocannabinoids isolated from the cannabis plant and synthetic CB receptor ligands. The CB system is emerging as a key regulator of neuronal cell fate and is capable of conferring neuroprotection by the direct engagement of prosurvival pathways and the control of neurogenesis. Many neurological conditions feature a neurodegenerative component that is associated with excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, and certain CB molecules have been demonstrated to inhibit these events to halt the progression of neurodegeneration. Such properties are attractive in the development of new strategies to treat neurodegenerative conditions of diverse etiology, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral ischemia. This article will discuss the experimental and clinical evidence supporting a potential role for CB‐based therapies in the treatment of certain neurological diseases that feature a neurodegenerative component.