Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceived stress and high fat intake: A study in a sample of undergraduate students

Objectives Different studies have reported the association between perceived stress and unhealthy diet choices. We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between perceived stress and fat intake among undergraduate medical students. Methods/Principal findings A cross-sectional study was performed including first-year medical students. The outcome of interest was the self-report of fat intake assessed using the Block Screening Questionnaire for Fat Intake (high vs. low intake), whereas the exposure was perceived stress (low/normal vs. high levels). The prevalence of high fat intake was estimated and the association of interest was determined using prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Models were created utilizing Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Data from 523 students were analyzed, 52.0% female, mean age 19.0 (SD 1.7) years. The prevalence of high fat intake was 42.4% (CI: 38.2%–46.7%). In multivariate model and compared with those with lowest levels of stress, those in the middle (PR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.20–2.12) and highest (PR = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.46–2.53) categories of perceived stress had greater prevalence of fat intake. Gender was an effect modifier of this association (p = 0.008). Conclusions Greater levels of perceived stress were associated with higher fat intake, and this association was stronger among males. More than 40% of students reported having high fat consumption. Our results suggest the need to implement strategies that promote decreased fat intake.
Interchain Interactions Mediated by Br Adsorbates in Arrays of Metal–Organic Hybrid Chains on Ag(111)

Interchain interactions in arrays of metal–organic hybrid chains were studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and ab initio calculations. The array of hybrid chains having a Ag–anthryl biradical were self-assembled by catalytic scission of Br–C bonds in 9,10-dibromoanthracene on Ag(111). An atomic model for the observed chain structures was proposed. Ag atoms in chains were alternatingly located at hollow sites, making slightly zigzaging structures. Between the hybrid chains, Br atoms located at hollow sites to form Br···H intermolecular bonds. Anthryl biradicals had two different apparent heights; this was explained by considering Br···H intermolecular bonds and intrachain steric repulsion. When a hybrid chain was laterally moved by manipulation techniques, Br adsorbates moved together with the chain, implying that they are stabilized by Br···H intermolecular bonds.
Establishing Normative Data for Contact Patterns of Fricative Production by Native German Speakers: An Electropalatography Study

Establishing Normative Data for Contact Patterns of Fricative Production by Native German Speakers: An Electropalatography Study Lisa Diane Isaacson Department of Communication Disorders, BYU Master of Science Electropalatography (EPG) provides real-time visual biofeedback for linguapalatal contact during speech and swallowing. Historically, EPG has proved to be an effective tool for assessment and treatment of a variety of speech disorders across a wide age range. The present thesis is part of a larger study examining the effectiveness of using EPG in assisting second language (L2) learners to acquire the German fricatives [c], [x], and /ʃ/. Real and nonsense word productions were collected from six native German speakers. Electrode activation levels were generally highest for [c] and lowest for [x]. Even when considering the impact of vowel context, [x] consistently showed only trace linguapalatal contact. Further research regarding the use of EPG as a tool for second language acquisition may include the development of linguapalatal contact maps from which L2 learners can compare their production of [c], [x], and /ʃ/ to native production. It is hoped that the information contained in this thesis will expand the current uses of EPG as a tool to assist L2 learners in acquiring non-native speech sounds.
A High Sense of Coherence as Protection Against Adverse Health Outcomes in Patients Aged 80 Years and Older

PURPOSE We set out to assess whether a high sense of coherence (SOC) protects from adverse health outcomes in patients aged 80 years and older who have multiple chronic diseases. METHODS A population-based prospective cohort study in 29 primary care practices throughout Belgium included 567 individuals aged 80 years and older. We plotted the highest tertile of SOC scores in Kaplan-Meier curves representing 3-year mortality and time to first hospitalization. Using Cox proportional hazard regression analyses and multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, depression, cognition, disability, and multimorbidity we examined the relationship between SOC and mortality, hospitalization, and decline in performance of activities of daily living (ADL). RESULTS Subjects with high SOC scores showed a higher cumulative survival than others (Log rank = 0.004) independent of other prognostic characteristics (adjusted hazard ratio 0.62 (95% CI, 0.38–1.00), P = . 049). For ADL decline, a high SOC was shown to be protective, and this effect tended to be independent from the covariates under study (adjusted odds ratio 0.56 (95% CI, 0.31–1.0), P = . 05). CONCLUSION Even very elderly persons with high SOC scores were shown to have lower mortality rates and less functional decline. These effects were independent of multimorbidity, depression, cognition, disability, and sociodemographic characteristics.
Improving regularized singular value decomposition for collaborative filtering

A key part of a recommender system is a collaborative filtering algorithm predicting users’ preferences for items. In this paper we describe different efficient collaborative filtering techniques and a framework for combining them to obtain a good prediction. The methods described in this paper are the most important parts of a solution predicting users’ preferences for movies with error rate 7.04% better on the Netflix Prize dataset than the reference algorithm Netflix Cinematch. The set of predictors used includes algorithms suggested by Netflix Prize contestants: regularized singular value decomposition of data with missing values, K-means, postprocessing SVD with KNN. We propose extending the set of predictors with the following methods: addition of biases to the regularized SVD, postprocessing SVD with kernel ridge regression, using a separate linear model for each movie, and using methods similar to the regularized SVD, but with fewer parameters. All predictors and selected 2-way interactions between them are combined using linear regression on a holdout set.
σE‐dependent activation of RbpA controls transcription of the furA‐katG operon in response to oxidative stress in mycobacteria

Mycobacterium tuberculosis adopts various strategies to cope with oxidative stress during infection. Transcriptional regulators, including σ factors, make important contributions to this stress response, but how these proteins cooperate with each other is largely unknown. In this study, the role of RbpA and its cooperation with σ factors in response to oxidative stress are investigated. Knock down expression of rbpA in Mycobacterium smegmatis attenuated bacterial survival in the presence of H2O2. Additionally, transcription of the rbpA gene was induced by H2O2 in a σE‐dependent manner. After induction, RbpA interacts with the principal sigma factor, σA, to control the transcription of furA‐katG operon, which encodes an H2O2 scavenging enzyme. Moreover, this regulation is responsible for the role of σE in oxidative response because bacterial survival was attenuated and transcription of the furA‐katG operon was down‐regulated with H2O2 treatment in sigE deletion mutant (ΔsigE), and over‐expression of RbpA in ΔsigE strain restored all of these phenotypes. Taken together, our study first illustrated a mechanism for σE in response to oxidative stress through regulation of rbpA transcription. This study was also the first to demonstrate that RbpA is required for the full response to oxidative stress by cooperating with the principal σA.
Adhesion to zirconia as a function of primers/silane coupling agents, luting cement types, aging and test methods

Abstract This study evaluated the adhesion of resin cements to zirconia with different primers/silane coupling agents using two test methods with and without aging. Zirconia discs (Cercon) (N = 900, n = 15 per group) were ground finished to 2000 grit silicone carbide and randomly divided into seven groups: (a) C: No treatment (Control), (b) SG: Signum, (c) CL: Clearfil Ceramic Primer, (d) AP: Alloy Primer, (e) Monobond Plus, (f) ES-R: ESPE-Sil after Rocatec and (g) ES-C: ESPE-Sil after CoJet. Methacrylate (Variolink II-VL) and MDP based (Panavia F2.0-PN) dual-polymerized and self-adhesive resin cements (RelyX Unicem-RX) were adhered and polymerized accordingly. The specimens were further randomly divided into two groups to be tested after (a) 24-h dry storage at 37 °C and (b) thermocycling (×5000, 5–55 °C). Macroshear (MSB) and macrotensile bond tests (MTB) were conducted in an universal testing machine (crosshead speed: 1 mm/min) and failure types were analyzed after debonding. Data were analyzed using Univariate analysis and Tukey’s tests (α = 0.05). Two-parameter Weibull modulus, scale (m) and shape (0) were calculated. While primer/silane (p < 0.001), cement type (p < 0.001) and aging (p < 0.001) significantly affected the bond results, test method did not show significant difference (p = 0.237). In MSB test, Weilbul moduli were more favorable for MP-VL (4.2) and AP-PN (6) combinations and after aging for MP-VL (4.2) and AP-PN (5.66). In MTB test, after aging, Weilbul moduli were more favorable for AP-PN (5.41). Bond strength results mostly decreased with SG (24–92%) after aging. Cohesive failures in the cement were more frequent with PN (252) compared to VL (83).
Sparsification of the Impedance Matrix in the Solution of the Integral Equation by Using the Maximally Orthogonalized Basis Functions

The higher order vector basis functions defined in large patches have been utilized in the numerical solution of integral equations in this paper to sparsify the impedance matrix and relieve the memory pressure. The physical explanation for the sparsification of the impedance matrix is also elucidated. Furthermore, the maximally orthogonalized bases have been applied to improve the condition number of the impedance matrix. The scaling factor was reformed to speed up the iteration convergence in the numerical solution. Finally, the iterative method for sparse matrix equations is applied to improve the solution efficiency. Some numerical results are provided to illustrate the excellent performance both in the sparsification of the impedance matrix and solution efficiency for numerical analysis of the scattering problem.
Mechanical Properties of Metallic Perovskite Mn3Cu0.5Ge0.5N:High‐Stiffness Isotropic Negative Thermal Expansion Material

The basic mechanical properties of antiperovskite manganese nitride, Mn 3 Cu 1-x Ge x N, known as an isotropic negative thermal expansion (NTE), have been evaluated. The mother material, Mn 3 CuN, was a soft and ductile intermetallic compound with a positive linear thermal expansion coefficient (α = +20 × 10 -6 K -1 ) at room temperature. The thermal expansion properties of Mn 3 CuN were dramatically changed by Ge doping, resulting in an extremely large NTE material (α = -12.5 × 10 -6 K -1 ) by 50% substitution of Cu with Ge. Associate with this, the mechanical properties were found to be strongly modified by Ge doping, and both the stiffness and the hardness of Mn 3 Cu 1-x Ge x N increased with increasing the Ge content, x. The NTE material, Mn 3 Cu . 5 Ge 0.5 N, had an enhanced hardness of 570-620 H v and an exceptionally large Young's modulus of 211-320 GPa. The giant, isotropic NTE compatible with the enhanced value of Young's modulus enables us to fabricate extremely stiff, stable, and lightweight zero thermal expansion composites for the use in many fields of industries.
Challenges to Participation in the Sharing Economy: The Case of Local Online Peer-to-Peer Exchange in a Single Parents' Network

This paper depicts an initiative to deploy an online peer-to-peer exchange system for a community network of single parents – a group of people in need of goods, services, and social support in their local neighborhoods. We apply participant observation and semi-structured interviews to uncover key issues that can hinder the emergence of sharing practices in local community networks of this type. Our study illustrates how pressures related to single parenthood can impede opportunities to engage in peer-to-peer exchange, even when community members view the social and material benefits of participation as desirable and necessary. This complicates the prevalent narrative that local peer-to-peer exchange systems are an accessible and convenient alternative to traditional markets. Moreover, we discuss our collaboration with the community as well as the developers of the sharing platform, highlighting the challenges of user-centered design in the sharing economy.
Negative Emotionality and Discipline as Long-Term Predictors of Behavioral Outcomes in African American and European American Children

The present study examined the early parenting and temperament determinants of children’s antisocial and positive behaviors in a low-income, diverse ethno-racial sample. Participants were from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, which included 960 European American (initial M age = 15.00 months; 51.2% female) and 880 African American mothers and their children (initial M age = 15.10 months; 49.2% female) followed from 15 months of age to 5th grade. For European American children, findings showed direct and indirect effects (via self-regulation) of early negative emotionality on later behaviors. For African American children, discipline practices in infancy had direct long-term implications for behaviors in 5th grade. Discussion highlights the interplay of parenting, temperament, and culture from infancy to late childhood.
Use of High Volumes of Fly Ash to Improve ECC Mechanical Properties and Material Greenness

Environmental sustainability considerations are taken into account in this report on high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composite (HPFRCC) development. Featuring high tensile ductility with high volumes of fly ash (HVFA) replacement of cement (up to 85% by weight), unique HPFRCC members are engineered cementitious composites (ECC). While the material design process sees application of micromechanics in many of its aspects, this study emphasizes how fly ash content alters material microstructure and mechanical properties. While they incorporate high recycled fly ash volumes, HVFA ECCs are shown in experimental results to be able to retain an approximately 2 to 3% long-term tensile ductility. Significantly, there is reduction in both free drying shrinkage and crack width with a fly ash amount increase, though which HVFA ECC structures' long term durability may benefit. That HVFA ECCs' fiber/matrix interface frictional bond increase is responsible for tight crack width is indicated through micromechanics analysis. Use of industrial waste stream material instead of cement reduces environmental impact and achieves more saturated multiple cracking, meaning a robustness improvement is shown in HVFA ECCs.
Genetic approaches to identify pathological limitations in aortic smooth muscle contraction

Aortic smooth muscle contains limiting amounts of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) for myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) phosphorylation and contraction that predisposes to thoracic aortic disease in humans containing heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in MYLK. We tested the hypothesis that thoracic aortic smooth muscle contraction may also be susceptible to variations in the smooth muscle-specific isoform of the motor protein myosin where inactivation of one Myh11 allele or the presence of one Myh11 missense variant associated with an increased risk of human aortic disease may result in a reduced force development response. Additionally, other kinds of smooth muscles may be less sensitive to the effects of mutations in one smooth muscle myosin allele, similar to results obtained with Mylk. Force development responses were reduced in aortic tissue from a conditional knockout of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain in adult mice (Myh11+/- or Myh11-/-) with a greater reduction with homozygous vs heterozygous tissues. Similar reductions in force responses were obtained with tissues containing either a heterozygous or homozygous knockin mutation in smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (Myh11+/R247C or Myh11R247C/R247C mutations that cause human aortic disease) with no significant changes in RLC phosphorylation. Agonist-dependent force responses were not reduced significantly in urinary bladder, ileal, or tracheal tissues from Myh11+/- mice while only ileal tissue showed a reduced force response in Myh11R247C/R247C mice. Thus, heterozygous mutations in Myh11 associated with reduced myosin function result in compromised contractile function primarily in aortic smooth muscle.
Psychometric evaluation of the Swedish translation of the revised Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire in adults

Abstract Aim: The CFQ-R is one of the most established disease-specific, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measurements for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swedish translation of CFQ-R in adults. Method: A total of 173 CF patients answered the CFQ-R. The CFQ-R was evaluated with regard to: (1) distributional properties; (2) reliability; and (3) construct validity. Results: The majority of scales were negatively skewed with ceiling effects. Eight of the 12 scales had satisfactory homogeneity; 10 of the 12 scales had satisfactory test–retest reliability. On many of the CFQ-R scales expected differences were observed when patients were divided regarding disease severity, nutritional status, age, and gender. Conclusion: Some weaknesses were detected, but overall the instrument has satisfactory psychometric properties.
Kidney and liver involvement in cryoglobulinemia.

Cryoglobulinemia is a pathological condition characterized by the presence in the blood of a group of proteins (cryoglobulins) showing the common property of precipitating from cooled serum. Mixed cryoglobulins (MCs) are composed of a polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) bound to another immunoglobulin that acts as an anti-IgG rheumatoid factor; 2 types of MCs can be identified. The origin is not clear in 30% of all MCs, and this subset of cryoglobulinemias is called "essential. " The great majority (up to 90%) of patients with essential MC (EMC) of both types has been related to HCV infection. The renal involvement in essential MC has been observed in 2% to 50% of patients in reported series. A well-characterized pattern of glomerular disease termed "cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis" is present in individuals with type-II EMCs in serum and IgMk RF being the most frequent monoclonal component. Aspecific and infrequent glomerular lesions occur in EMC patients with type III cryoglobulins. The most frequent histologic picture of cryoglobulinemic GN is that of membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) with subendothelial deposits. However, cryoglobulinemic GN may have some distinctive features that differentiate it from idiopathic type-I MPGN. Evidence of liver involvement has been found in 60% to 80% of EMC patients. Recent data support the notion that the stage of liver disease in patients with type II or III MC has association with the prevalence of cryoglobulinemia. Few controlled trials have been published on the treatment of HCV-related MC; in addition, the majority of the patients enrolled in these trials had an unclear renal involvement. Interferon (IFN) is an effective drug for the treatment of patients with HCV-associated MC and cryoglobulinemic GN. In the presence of acute cryoglobulinemic GN, IFN does not prevent progression of renal damage; combination therapy with cytotoxic ad anti-inflammatory drugs, and sometimes plasma exchange, is recommended. Prospective controlled trials are underway on this purpose.
Example-Based Image Synthesis via Randomized Patch-Matching

Image and texture synthesis is a challenging task that has long been drawing attention in the fields of image processing, graphics, and machine learning. This problem consists of modeling the desired type of images, either through training examples or via a parametric modeling, and then generating images that belong to the same statistical origin. This paper addresses the image synthesis task, focusing on two specific families of images—handwritten digits and face images. This paper offers two main contributions. First, we suggest a simple and intuitive algorithm capable of generating such images in a unified way. The proposed approach taken is pyramidal, consisting of upscaling and refining the estimated image several times. For each upscaling stage, the algorithm randomly draws small patches from a patch database and merges these to form a coherent and novel image with high visual quality. The second contribution is a general framework for the evaluation of the generation performance, which combines three aspects: the likelihood, the originality, and the spread of the synthesized images. We assess the proposed synthesis scheme and show that the results are similar in nature, and yet different from the ones found in the training set, suggesting that true synthesis effect has been obtained.
The Acetyl Bromide Method Is Faster, Simpler and Presents Best Recovery of Lignin in Different Herbaceous Tissues than Klason and Thioglycolic Acid Methods

We compared the amount of lignin as determined by the three most traditional methods for lignin measurement in three tissues (sugarcane bagasse, soybean roots and soybean seed coat) contrasting for lignin amount and composition. Although all methods presented high reproducibility, major inconsistencies among them were found. The amount of lignin determined by thioglycolic acid method was severely lower than that provided by the other methods (up to 95%) in all tissues analyzed. Klason method was quite similar to acetyl bromide in tissues containing higher amounts of lignin, but presented lower recovery of lignin in the less lignified tissue. To investigate the causes of the inconsistencies observed, we determined the monomer composition of all plant materials, but found no correlation. We found that the low recovery of lignin presented by the thioglycolic acid method were due losses of lignin in the residues disposed throughout the procedures. The production of furfurals by acetyl bromide method does not explain the differences observed. The acetyl bromide method is the simplest and fastest among the methods evaluated presenting similar or best recovery of lignin in all the tissues assessed.
Extension of primal-dual interior point methods to diff-convex problems on symmetric cones

We consider the extension of primal dual interior point methods for linear programming on symmetric cones, to a wider class of problems that includes approximate necessary optimality conditions for functions expressible as the difference of two convex functions of a special form. Our analysis applies the Jordan-algebraic approach to symmetric cones. As the basic method is local, we apply the idea of the filter method for a globalization strategy.