Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atomic Scale Simulation on the Anti-Pressure and Friction Reduction Mechanisms of MoS2 Monolayer

MoS2 nanosheets can be used as solid lubricants or additives of lubricating oils to reduce friction and resist wear. However, the atomic scale mechanism still needs to be illustrated. Herein, molecular simulations on the indentation and scratching process of MoS2 monolayer supported by Pt(111) surface were conducted to study the anti-pressure and friction reduction mechanisms of the MoS2 monolayer. Three deformation stages of Pt-supported MoS2 monolayer were found during the indentation process: elastic deformation, plastic deformation and finally, complete rupture. The MoS2 monolayer showed an excellent friction reduction effect at the first two stages, as a result of enhanced load bearing capacity and reduced deformation degree of the substrate. Unlike graphene, rupture of the Pt-supported MoS2 monolayer was related primarily to out-of-plane compression of the monolayer. These results provide a new insight into the relationship between the mechanical properties and lubrication properties of 2D materials.
A software assessment process for small software enterprises

Quality software products fulfilling the combined expectations of the customer are essential for success in the market, particularly for small software enterprises. The quality of a complex software product can only be based on performing a mature development process. The assessment of the software processes helps to determine the capability of an organization and to initiate a process improvement. For the assessment of organizations, several methodologies have been proposed. Examples include the CMM (Capability Maturity Model), BOOTSTRAP and the new standard ISO 15504, formerly called SPICE (Software Process Improvement Capability dEtermination). For small enterprises, however, high-priced and sophisticated assessment methods depending on several external consultants are inviable. This paper reports on the experiences of an assessment and improvement process in a small software company. The process is based on an initial self-evaluation and following structured interviews in the company. A first application of the approach has revealed very promising results.
Cerebral Mechanisms for Suppression of Inappropriate Information during Sentence Comprehension

In two experiments we investigated the extent to which interference from contextually inappropriate information was attenuated or suppressed over time in the two cerebral hemispheres during sentence comprehension. Subjects viewed centrally presented sentences ending in either a homophone or a homograph and made speeded judgments as to whether a laterally presented test word was related to the overall meaning of the sentence. Suppression of contextually inappropriate forms of homophones was found when test words were presented to either hemifield, but suppression of inappropriate senses of homographs was found only when test words were presented to the right visual hemifield. The results from the homograph experiment are consistent with the hypothesis that right and left hemisphere semantic selection systems operate in qualitatively different ways. The results from the homophone experiment suggest that while the left hemisphere may be more efficient at suppression, both hemispheres possess the ability to suppress inappropriate information to some degree.
Extreme flood impact on estuarine and coastal biogeochemistry: the 2013 Elbe flood

Abstract. Within the context of the predicted and observed increase in droughts and floods with climate change, large summer floods are likely to become more frequent. These extreme events can alter typical biogeochemical patterns in coastal systems. The extreme Elbe River flood in June 2013 not only caused major damages in several European countries but also generated large-scale biogeochemical changes in the Elbe estuary and the adjacent German Bight. The high-frequency monitoring network within the Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas (COSYNA) captured the flood influence on the German Bight. Data from a FerryBox station in the Elbe estuary (Cuxhaven) and from a FerryBox platform aboard the M/V Funny Girl ferry (traveling between Busum and Helgoland) documented the salinity changes in the German Bight, which persisted for about 2 months after the peak discharge. The Elbe flood generated a large influx of nutrients and dissolved and particulate organic carbon on the coast. These conditions subsequently led to the onset of a phytoplankton bloom, observed by dissolved oxygen supersaturation, and higher than usual pH in surface coastal waters. The prolonged stratification also led to widespread bottom water dissolved oxygen depletion, unusual for the southeastern German Bight in the summer.
A Molecular Mechanism for Modulating Plasma Zn Speciation by Fatty Acids

Albumin transports both fatty acids and zinc in plasma. Competitive binding studied by isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that physiologically relevant levels of fatty acids modulate the Zn-binding capacity of albumin, with far-reaching implications for biological zinc speciation. The molecular mechanism for this effect is likely due to a large conformational change elicited by fatty acid binding to a high-affinity interdomain site that disrupts at least one Zn site. Albumin may be a molecular device to “translate” certain aspects of the organismal energy state into global zinc signals.
An Analysis of Travel Demand in Japan's Intercity Market Empirical Estimation and Policy Simulation

This study estimates a travel demand model in Japan's intercity market with aggregate OD data. The estimated model is used to estimate the effects of introducing super high-speed-rail (HSR), and alternative levels of CO 2 emission taxation on the demands for airline and HSR modes. It is found that: (a) there is clear product differentiation between air and rail travel; (b) Japanese consumers are sensitive to travel time and frequency; (c) the proposed Tokyo-Osaka HSR services would drive airlines out of the route while stimulating substantial new traffic; and (d) CO 2 taxation would have a moderate impact on modal shift. © 2014 LSE and the University of Bath
Drawing to distract: Examining the psychological benefits of drawing over time.

Individuals gravitate toward the arts during times of emotional stress. We examined the benefits of drawing over several sessions to determine whether drawing improves mood and, if so, whether it does so because it allows for emotional expression or distraction. After inducing a sad mood, we asked participants (n 40) to draw over 4 consecutive days. Half of the participants were instructed to draw as a way to express their feelings (express condition) and half were instructed to draw as a way to focus and observe (distract condition). Mood was measured after the first and final testing session and a life satisfaction scale was administered at the beginning of the first testing session and after the final session. We found that drawing to distract improved mood more than drawing to express, both after a single drawing session and after 4 sessions. These findings are consistent with previous findings on drawing, but run counter to reports on the relative health benefits of expressive writing. We suggest drawing and writing may affect mood through different mechanisms.
Efficacy profile of a bivalent Staphylococcus aureus glycoconjugated vaccine in adults on hemodialysis: Phase III randomized study

In a previous study in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) hemodialysis patients, a single dose of Staphylococcus aureus type 5 and 8 capsular polysaccharides (T5/T8) conjugated to nontoxic recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A investigational vaccine showed no efficacy against S. aureus bacteremia 1 year post-vaccination, but a trend for efficacy was observed over the first 40 weeks post-vaccination. Vaccine efficacy (VE) of 2 vaccine doses was therefore evaluated. In a double-blind trial 3359 ESRD patients were randomized (1:1) to receive vaccine or placebo at week 0 and 35. VE in preventing S. aureus bacteremia was assessed between 3–35 weeks and 3–60 weeks post-dose-1. Anti-T5 and anti-T8 antibodies were measured. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were recorded for 42 days post-vaccination and deaths until study end. No significant difference in the incidence of S. aureus bacteremia was observed between vaccine and placebo groups between weeks 3–35 weeks post-dose 1 (VE -23%, 95%CI: -98;23, p = 0.39) or at 3–60 weeks post-dose-1 (VE -8%, 95%CI: -57;26, p = 0.70). Day 42 geometric mean antibody concentrations were 272.4 μg/ml and 242.0 μg/ml (T5 and T8, respectively) in vaccinees. SAEs were reported by 24%/25.3% of vaccinees/placebo recipients. These data do not show a protective effect of either 1 or 2 vaccine doses against S. aureus bacteremia in ESRD patients. The vaccine induced a robust immune response and had an acceptable safety profile. Further investigation suggested possible suboptimal vaccine quality (manufacturing) and a need to expand the antigen composition of the vaccine. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov NCT00071214.
Doppler Ultrasound of Hepatic Vessels in the Diagnosis of Cirrhosis of the Liver in Togo

The aim of this work is to evaluate the role of Ultrasound-Doppler in the hemodynamic study of hepatic vessels during the liver cirrhosis in Togo. Method: This was an analytic cross-sectional study that measured the velocimetric parameters of hepatic vessels in cirrhotic patients and in non-cirrhotic patients. Results: The velocimetric parameters of the hepatic artery, the portal vein, and the hepatic veins were measured in 50 cirrhotic patients and 50 non-cirrhotic The caliber of the portal vein was significantly increased in cirrhotic patients compared to non-cirrhotic patients with 13.11 ± 2.16 mm versus 11.45 ± 1.02 (p < 0.00006). The systolic velocity and the hepatic artery resistance index were significantly raised in the cirrhotic patients compared to the non-cirrhotic with 67.32 ± 22.77 versus 49.97 ± 17.24 (p-value < 0.00004) respectively, and 0.78 ± 0.07 against 0.72 ± 0.08 (p < 0.00006). The caliber of the hepatic veins was significantly decreased in the cirrhotic patients compared to the non-cirrhotic patients (p < 0.0003). There was no correlation between the gender of the patients and the change in the hemodynamics of the hepatic vessels. Conclusion: The hemodynamic study of the hepatic vessels can and must rightly be a diagnostic argument for liver cirrhosis.
Keeping It Straight

On any given optical table, you’ll inevitably find at least one, if not many, translation stages. Translation stages are common components in optical experiments — from critical applications like coupling light into optical fibers and waveguides to general applications like positioning irises, lenses, and detectors. They come in many types, shapes, configurations, and sizes — each with their own particular capabilities and performance. The choice can be overwhelming. Yet, choosing the ideal stage for your application can save you time and money. This article focuses on applications to provide an overview of the choices available to the translation stage customer, as well as a guide on how to choose the best one for your application. The choice of the right stage can free you up to focus on the things that matter most — results, not hardware.
Solving Channel Assignment Problems for Cellular Radio Networks Using Transiently Chaotic Neural Networks

The channel-assignment problem (CAP) in cellular radio networks is known to belong to the class of NPcomplete optimization problems. Many heuristic techniques including Hopfield neural networks (HNN) have been devised for solving the CAP. However, HNNs often suffer from local minima. On the other hand, a recently proposed transiently chaotic neural network (TCNN) has been successfully used in solving travelling the salesman problems (TSP). The transient chaotic neurodynamics can prevent the network from being trapped in local minima and can search for the globally optima or near-optima efficiently. In this paper we show that the TCNN can also be a useful tool for tackling the CAP.
Improving 3D active appearance model segmentation of the left ventricle with Jacobian tuning

Automated image processing techniques may prove invaluable in the examination of real-time three-dimensional echocardiograms, by providing quantitative and objective measurements of functional parameters such as left ventricular (LV) volume and ejection fraction. In this study, we investigate the use of active appearance models (AAMs) for automatic detection of left ventricular endocardial contours. AAMs are especially useful in segmenting ultrasound images, due to their ability to model the typical LV appearance. However, since only a limited number of images is available for training, the model may be incapable of capturing the large variability in ultrasound image appearance. This may cause standard AAM matching procedures to fail if the model and image are significantly different. Recently, a Jacobian-tuning method for AAM matching was proposed, which allowed the model's training matrix to adapt to the new, unseen image. This may potentially result in a more robust matching. To compare both matching methods, AAMs were built with end-diastolic images from 54 patients. Larger capture ranges and higher accuracy were obtained when the new method was used. In conclusion, this method has great potential for segmentation in echocardiograms and will improve the assessment of LV functional parameters.
Maladaptive Processing of Maladaptive Content: Rumination as a Mechanism Linking Cognitive Biases to Depressive Symptoms

Cognitive theories propose that negatively biased thinking is an important factor in the development and maintenance of depression. The mechanisms by which cognitive biases lead to depression, however, have not been thoroughly researched. One potential mechanism is that negatively biased thoughts trigger rumination, or the process of focusing passively and repetitively on the causes and consequences of one's mood, a well-established risk factor for depression. In a series of three studies, we examined rumination and other cognitive emotion regulatory strategies as mechanisms of the relationship between cognitive biases and depressive symptoms. We found consistent evidence that rumination mediates the relationship between interpretation and memory biases and depressive symptoms. The indirect effects through rumination were stronger than indirect effects through other cognitive emotion regulation strategies (dampening and worry). These findings indicate that negatively biased thinking may increase risk for depression by increasing rumination, supporting the notion that rumination is a useful target for intervention with depressed clients.
Case Report: Generalized Mutual Information (GMI) Analysis of Sensory Motor Rhythm in a Subject Affected by Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy after Ken Ware Treatment

In this case report we study the dynamics of the SMR band in a subject affected from Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy and subjected to Ken Ware Neuro Physics treatment. We use the Generalized Mutual Information (GMI) to analyze in detail the SMR band at rest during the treatment. Brain dynamics responds to a chaotic-deterministic regime with a complex behaviour that constantly self-rearranges and self-organizes such dynamics in function of the outside require-ments. We demonstrate that the SMR chaotic dynamics responds directly to such regime and that also decreasing in EEG during muscular activity really increases its ability of self-arrangement and self-organization in brain. The proposed novel method of the GMI is arranged by us so that it may be used in several cases of clinical interest. In the case of muscular dystrophy here examined, GMI enables us to quantify with accuracy the improvement that the subject realizes during such treatment.
Optimal network reconfiguration in distribution system for loss reduction and voltage-profile improvement using hybrid algorithm of PSO and ACO

Considering time varying nature of load in conventional distribution system, network reconfiguration is combinatorial complex optimization problem. In this paper, a hybrid configuration of particle swarm optimization (PSO) method with ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm called hybrid PSO–ACO algorithm is presented for optimal network reconfiguration in distribution network in presence of distributed generation (DG) resources. The objectives consist of minimizing power losses and improving the voltage profile. MATLAB based simulation conducted on 33-bus IEEE test feeder to verify the effectiveness of proposed method. Results demonstrate accuracy and efficiency of PSO–ACO algorithm.
Clinical Outcomes and Complications after Open Reduction and Internal Fixation Utilizing Conventional Plates in 65 Distal Radial and Ulnar Fractures of Miniature- and Toy-Breed Dogs

Abstract Objective This article aims to evaluate clinical outcomes and complications of distal radial and ulnar fractures in miniature- and toy-breed dogs treated with conventional bone plate fixation. Methods Medical records (2001–2010) of miniature- and toy-breed dogs with distal radial and ulnar fractures repaired with open reduction and internal fixation utilizing conventional plates were reviewed. The inclusion criteria were body weight of <7 kg, fracture located in the distal antebrachium (distal-to-total radial length ratio < 0.4) and follow-up radiographs available. Results All 65 fractures healed without developing non-union, and had a successful return to normal function (median follow-up: 73 months; range: 2–149 months). Minor complication in seven fractures and major complication in four fractures were identified. Clinical Significance Open reduction and conventional plate fixation of distal radial and ulnar fractures in miniature- and toy-breed dogs are effective means of fixation that result in normal functional outcome without developing non-union.
Time-Varying Sharpe Ratios and Market Timing

This paper documents predictable time-variation in stock market Sharpe ratios. Predetermined financial variables are used to estimate both the conditional mean and volatility of equity returns, and these moments are combined to estimate the conditional Sharpe ratio, or the Sharpe ratio is estimated directly as a linear function of these same variables. In sample, estimated conditional Sharpe ratios show substantial time-variation that coincides with the phases of the business cycle. Generally, Sharpe ratios are low at the peak of the cycle and high at the trough. In an out-of-sample analysis, using 10-year rolling regressions, relatively naive market-timing strategies that exploit this predictability can identify periods with Sharpe ratios more than 45% larger than the full sample value. In spite of the well-known predictability of volatility and the more controversial forecast-ability of returns, it is the latter factor that accounts primarily for both the in-sample and out-of-sample results.
Relationship between green space-related variables and traffic noise distribution in the urban scale , an overall approach

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of green spaces as land use element of urban morphology on road traffic noise distribution. Two different scales of approach (macro, meso) were used for the analysis. In the macro-scale, six European cities were investigated for correlations between noise and green space parameters in order to explore whether greener cities can also be quieter. In the meso-scale, the analysis was focused on a sample area of 30km 2 in eight UK cities by incorporating features of green space ratio, pattern and road configurations. Results at this level proved that apart from the differences in the morphological features, traffic noise distribution can also be affected by the different settlement forms, such as linear and radial configurations. The scale of analysis was also proved to be a crucial factor in the extent of correlations.
Infant Homicide and Availability of Reproductive and Mental Health Services: A Comparison of Democratic and Republican States

Many infanticide researchers have focused on individual-level factors. This study considered community factors that may influence rates of infanticide, such the influence of political climate on the availability of reproductive and mental health services. Rates of infanticide and reproductive and mental health centers were compared for Democratic and Republican states. Results showed that, compared with Republican states, Democratic states had higher rates of abortion clinics and mental health and substance abuse treatment centers, along with lower rates of infanticide. This study highlights the need for inferential research in this area so that public and mental health officials can implement prevention strategies.
The Relations among Problem Behaviors,Personalities and Family Functioning of Migrant Children

The research investigated the character of migrant children and its relations to their personalities and family functioning.806 migrant children and 319 children in Beijing completed the children's problem behaviors questionnaire,the five-factor personality inventory and family functioning inventory.The result showed:(1) Migrant children's externalizing problem behaviors showed significant gender differences.The percentages of the internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors are 31.0% and 20.1%. Compared to the urban children,migrant children showed more problem behaviors especially the internalizing problem. (2) In terms of the internalizing problem behaviors,the neuroticism and openness in personality had positive effect,extraversion and familiarity had negative effect;In terms of the externalizing problem behavior,the neuroticism and openness in personality also had positive effect,agreeableness,conscientiousness and familiarity had negative effect. (3) For connections among personality,family function and problem behavior,personality is more immediately related with the sense of isolation,which serves in part as medium between familiarity and internalizing problem behavior,serves completely medium between familiarity and externalizing problem behavior.
Title Are bipolar disorder and schizophrenia neuroanatomicallydistinct ? An anatomical likelihood meta-analysis

family studies, and overlapping genetic linkages together support shared genetic risk factors in bipolar and schizophrenia (Berrettini, 2003) and there is additional new evidence showing similar changes in gene expression in both conditions (Shao and Vawter, 2008). Llewellyn (2009) has suggested that bipolar disorder is in fact part and parcel of schizophrenia and constitutes an " autopoietic response " to restore order in schizophrenics (Llewellyn, 2009). The opposing position is that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are separate disorders which happen to trigger the same, general cogni-tive deficits (Bora et al., 2009). Neuroimaging studies of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder typically provide considerable data on the brain endophenotype of psychosis. However the extent to which bipolar disorder is considered separately from schizophrenia and other psychoses varies. For example, schizophrenia usually includes psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorder, as well as " negative " symptoms such as flatness of affect, poverty of speech, or loss of motivation. The diagnosis of schizophrenia excludes significant mood disorder. In contrast bipolar disorder is characterized by prominent mood symptoms and may or may not involve psycho-sis. Brain imaging studies in schizophrenia generally report lower brain volume, lateral ventricular enlargement, frontal, and lower