Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transportation Behaviors in Shiraz, Iran

Objective: Motor vehicle accidents can occur as a result of improper driver behavior. There needs to be a comprehensive collection of information concerning driver behavior and its predisposing factors. Methods: Study participants (500 males and 500 females ≥18 years old) living in Shiraz, Iran, were selected using a multistage sampling methodology. Data came from questionnaires completed using a face-to-face interview process. Independent variables such as age, gender, marital status, occupation, educational level, socioeconomic status (SES), and history of smoking and stress levels were compared to the dependent variables using a private automobile, public transportation, or motorcycle, wearing a seat belts, wearing safety helmets, and obeying the speed limit. Statistical significance was set at a P value of . 05 or less. Results: In general, female, better educated persons, and those with higher SES reported better driving behaviors. Better drivers also did not use tobacco or hookah. Compliance with driving safety factors was disappointing 49.8 percent always wore a seat belt, 22.4 percent always wore a safety helmet (29.4% never wore a helmet), and 49.4 percent always observed the speed limit. Conclusions: There is a need to improve driver safety compliance in Shiraz, Iran. One factor that can be addressed concerns regulation of male drivers, especially among lower SES groups.
Stability of the Stochastic Gradient Method for an Approximated Large Scale Kernel Machine

In this paper we measured the stability of stochastic gradient method (SGM) for learning an approximated Fourier primal support vector machine. The stability of an algorithm is considered by measuring the generalization error in terms of the absolute difference between the test and the training error. Our problem is to learn an approximated kernel function using random Fourier features for a binary classification problem via online convex optimization settings. For a convex, Lipschitz continuous and smooth loss function, given reasonable number of iterations stochastic gradient method is stable. We showed that with a high probability SGM generalizes well for an approximated kernel under given assumptions.We empirically verified the theoretical findings for different parameters using several data sets.
Vaccination against hepatitis A and B in patients with chronic liver disease and type 2 diabetes: has anything changed?

Given the severity of acute hepatitis in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD) and patients with type 2 diabetes (DM), most of these patients are recommended to be vaccinated. The aim is to assess the recent changes in HAV and HBV vaccination rates in patients with CLD and DM in the U.S. using the most recent population data.
Failed umbilical artery catheterization and adverse outcomes in extremely low birth weight infants

Abstract Purpose: To determine whether successful catheterization of the umbilical artery is associated with a reduced risk of death or neurodevelopment impairment among critically ill extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Study design: A retrospective chart review was conducted between 2007 and 2014 at Stanford University for all ELBW infants that required intubation immediately after birth. The primary outcome was death or neurodevelopmental impairment at 18–22 months. We measured the association of successful umbilical artery catheterization with the primary outcome using multivariable logistic regression with adjustment for gestational age. Bayesian analysis was also performed due to small sample size. Results: Eighty-four ELBW infants met inclusion criteria. Successful umbilical artery catheterization occurred in 88% of infants and failed catheterization in 12%. Death or neurodevelopmental impairment occurred in 41% of infants with successful catheterization, compared to 60% of infants with failed catheterization of the umbilical artery, adjusted odds ratio 0.3, 95% confidence interval 0.1–1.3, p = . 11. The Bayesian analysis indicated a 92% posterior probability of reduced death or neurodevelopmental impairment with successful catheterization and a 68% posterior probability of reduced death or neurodevelopmental by absolute risk difference of 20% or more, adjusted relative risk 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.45–1.14. Conclusions: Among critically ill ELBW infants, successful catheterization of the umbilical artery compared to failed catheterization was not statistically significantly associated with the primary outcome. However, the Bayesian analysis indicated a high likelihood of benefit associated with successful umbilical artery catheterization.
Factors Influencing ISO 14001 Firm’s Perceived Environmental Performance in Malaysia

The changes of global environmental conditions have placed great challenges to governments, industries, and societies. Manufacturing and industries were blamed for being the major cause of environmental disasters that led to global warming (Fiksel 1996; Packard & Reinhardt 2000; Levy & Kolk 2002). Changes in global environment conditions will rapidly create an unprecedented economic gap (Margretta 2000, p. 59). Ecology and economy are inseparably interconnected; hence, the protection of the environment is an important part of economy values. Nevertheless, care and preservation of the environment are the responsibility of humans, and they should be accountable for the fate of the earth. According to the report on the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI 2015; CCPI 2014), the environmental quality of Malaysia is declining at the level of 52 in 2015 and 51 in 2014.
A BIOLOGICAL FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEM WITH ELECTRONIC INPUT: THE ARTIFICIALLY CLOSED FEMUR-TIBIA CONTROL SYSTEM OF STICK INSECTS

An experimental arrangement was constructed which is based on the open-loop femur-tibia control system of two stick insect species ( Carausius morosus and Cuniculina impigra ). It could be artificially closed in the following way: the position of the tibia was measured by an optical device and this value was used to drive a penmotor which moved the receptor apodeme of the femoral chordotonal organ in the same way as in intact animals. This arrangement allows direct comparison of the behaviour of the open-loop and the closed-loop system as well as introducing an additional delay. The Carausius system has a phase reserve of only 30°-50° and the factor of feedback control approaches 1 between 1 and 2 Hz. This agrees with the observation that an additional delay of 70–200 ms produces long-lasting oscillations of 1–2 Hz. The Cuniculina system has a larger phase reserve and consequently a delay of 200 ms produced no oscillations. All experiments show that extrapolation from the open-loop system to the closed-loop system is valid, despite the non-linear characteristics of the loop. Consequences for servo-mechanisms during walking and rocking movements are discussed.
Attending to Slowness and Temporality with Olly and Slow Game: A Design Inquiry Into Supporting Longer-Term Relations with Everyday Computational Objects

Slowness has emerged as a rich lens to frame HCI investigations into supporting longer-term human-technology relations. Yet, there is a need to further address how we design for slowness on conceptual and practical levels. Drawing on the concepts of unawareness, intersections, and ensembles, we contribute an investigation into designing for slowness and temporality grounded in design practice through two cases: Olly and Slow Game. We designed these artifacts over two and a half years with careful attention to how the set of concepts influenced key design decisions in terms of their form, materials, and computational qualities. Our designer-researcher approach revealed that, when put into practice, the concepts helped generatively grapple with slowness and temporality, but are in need of further development to be mobilized for design. We critically reflect on insights emerging across our practice-based research to reflexively refine the concepts and better support future HCI research and practice.
Attachment in the doctor–patient relationship in general practice: A qualitative study

Abstract Objective. To explore why interpersonal continuity with a regular doctor is valuable to patients. Design, setting, and subjects. A qualitative study based on 22 interviews with patients, 12 who saw their regular general practitioner (GP) and 10 who saw an unfamiliar GP. The patients were selected after an observed consultation and sampled purposively according to reason for encounter, age, and sex. The research question was answered by means of psychological theory. Results. A need for attachment was a central issue for the understanding of the value of interpersonal continuity for patients. The patients explained that they preferred to create a personal relationship with their GP and the majority expressed a degree of vulnerability in the doctor–patient relationship. The more sick or worried they were the more vulnerable and the more in need of a regular GP. Furthermore, patients stated that it was difficult for them to change GP even if they had a poor relationship. Conclusion. Attachment theory may provide an explanation for patients' need to see a regular GP. The vulnerability of being a patient creates a need for attachment to a caregiver. This need is fundamental and is activated in adults when they are sick or scared.
Mesenchymal stem cells prevent acute rejection and prolong graft function in pancreatic islet transplantation.

BACKGROUND Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising cell-based therapy for type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), a disease triggered by the immune response against autoantigens of beta-cells. However, the recurrence of immune response after transplantation and the diabetogenic and growth-stunting side effects of immunosuppressants are major challenges to the application of islet transplantation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have recently been reported to modulate the immune response in allogeneic transplantation. METHODS The ability of MSCs, either syngeneic or allogeneic to recipients, to prevent acute rejection and improve glycemic control was investigated in rats with diabetes given a marginal mass of pancreatic islets through the portal vein. RESULTS Reduced glucose levels and low-grade rejections were observed up to 15 days after transplantation upon triple-dose administration of MSCs, indicating that MSCs prolong graft function by preventing acute rejection. The efficacy of MSCs was associated with a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and was independent of the administration route. Efficacy was similar for MSCs whether syngeneic or allogeneic to recipients and comparable to that of immunosuppressive therapy. CONCLUSIONS The results show that MSCs modulate the immune response through a down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that MSCs may prevent acute rejection and improve graft function in portal vein pancreatic islet transplantation.
Soybean Root Suberin: Anatomical Distribution, Chemical Composition, and Relationship to Partial Resistance to Phytophthora sojae 1[W][OA]

Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) is a versatile and important agronomic crop grown worldwide. Each year millions of dollars of potential yield revenues are lost due to a root rot disease caused by the oomycete Phytophthora sojae (Kaufmann & Gerdemann). Since the root is the primary site of infection by this organism, we undertook an examination of the physicochemical barriers in soybean root, namely, the suberized walls of the epidermis and endodermis, to establish whether or not preformed suberin (i.e. naturally present in noninfected plants) could have a role in partial resistance to P. sojae. Herein we describe the anatomical distribution and chemical composition of soybean root suberin as well as its relationship to partial resistance to P. sojae. Soybean roots contain a state I endodermis (Casparian bands only) within the first 80 mm of the root tip, and a state II endodermis (Casparian bands and some cells with suberin lamellae) in more proximal regions. A state III endodermis (with thick, cellulosic, tertiary walls) was not present within the 200-mm-long roots examined. An exodermis was also absent, but some walls of the epidermal and neighboring cortical cells were suberized. Chemically, soybean root suberin resembles a typical suberin, and consists of waxes, fatty acids, ω-hydroxy acids, α,ω-diacids, primary alcohols, and guaiacyl- and syringyl-substituted phenolics. Total suberin analysis of isolated soybean epidermis/outer cortex and endodermis tissues demonstrated (1) significantly higher amounts in the endodermis compared to the epidermis/outer cortex, (2) increased amounts in the endodermis as the root matured from state I to state II, (3) increased amounts in the epidermis/outer cortex along the axis of the root, and (4) significantly higher amounts in tissues isolated from a cultivar (‘Conrad’) with a high degree of partial resistance to P. sojae compared with a susceptible line (OX760-6). This latter correlation was extended by an analysis of nine independent and 32 recombinant inbred lines (derived from a ‘Conrad’ × OX760-6 cross) ranging in partial resistance to P. sojae: Strong negative correlations (−0.89 and −0.72, respectively) were observed between the amount of the aliphatic component of root suberin and plant mortality in P. sojae-infested fields.
An Overview of Lead and Accompaniment Separation in Music

Popular music is often composed of an accompaniment and a lead component, the latter typically consisting of vocals. Filtering such mixtures to extract one or both components has many applications, such as automatic karaoke and remixing. This particular case of source separation yields very specific challenges and opportunities, including the particular complexity of musical structures, but also relevant prior knowledge coming from acoustics, musicology or sound engineering. Due to both its importance in applications and its challenging difficulty, lead and accompaniment separation has been a popular topic in signal processing for decades. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of this research topic, organizing the different approaches according to whether they are model-based or data-centered. For model-based methods, we organize them according to whether they concentrate on the lead signal, the accompaniment, or both. For data-centered approaches, we discuss the particular difficulty of obtaining data for learning lead separation systems, and then review recent approaches, notably those based on deep learning. Finally, we discuss the delicate problem of evaluating the quality of music separation through adequate metrics and present the results of the largest evaluation, to-date, of lead and accompaniment separation systems. In conjunction with the above, a comprehensive list of references is provided, along with relevant pointers to available implementations and repositories.
Variation in the management of congestive cardiac failure in dogs

ALTHOUGH the underlying cause of acquired cardiac disease in dogs can be identified or assumed in most cases, it cannot often be corrected, thus the approach to managing congestive cardiac failure (CCF) is to treat the consequences of the disease using a combination of drugs and other non-drug management options (Keene and Bonagura 2009). Veterinary surgeons presented with a canine patient suffering from CCF have an increasingly wide range of therapeutic options available to choose from and use of many of these therapeutic agents is supported by reliable published evidence, and recently guidelines on the management of CCF due to canine degenerative valve disease in particular have been published (Atkins and others 2009). Comparatively less evidence is available to support the use of non-drug management options that veterinary surgeons often recommend for the canine CCF patient, including changes to an animal's exercise regime, weight control and dietary changes or supplementation (Keene and Bonagura 2009). Given the multiple therapeutic options for the management of CCF in the dog and the evidence available to support their use, the purpose of this study was to investigate the decisions made with reference to the management of CCF caused by both canine degenerative valve disease (CDVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in the dog in the UK.
Arterial pressure above the upper cerebral autoregulation limit during cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with postoperative delirium.

BACKGROUND Mean arterial pressure (MAP) below the lower limit of cerebral autoregulation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with complications after cardiac surgery. However, simply raising empiric MAP targets during CPB might result in MAP above the upper limit of autoregulation (ULA), causing cerebral hyperperfusion in some patients and predisposing them to cerebral dysfunction after surgery. We hypothesized that MAP above an ULA during CPB is associated with postoperative delirium. METHODS Autoregulation during CPB was monitored continuously in 491 patients with the cerebral oximetry index (COx) in this prospective observational study. COx represents Pearson's correlation coefficient between low-frequency changes in regional cerebral oxygen saturation (measured with near-infrared spectroscopy) and MAP. Delirium was defined throughout the postoperative hospitalization based on clinical detection with prospectively defined methods. RESULTS Delirium was observed in 45 (9.2%) patients. Mechanical ventilation for >48 h [odds ratio (OR), 3.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.72-9.03], preoperative antidepressant use (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.29-6.96), prior stroke (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.12-6.96), congestive heart failure (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.28-5.62), the product of the magnitude and duration of MAP above an ULA (mm Hg h; OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.15), and age (per year of age; OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) were independently associated with postoperative delirium. CONCLUSIONS Excursions of MAP above the upper limit of cerebral autoregulation during CPB are associated with risk for delirium. Optimizing MAP during CPB to remain within the cerebral autoregulation range might reduce risk of delirium. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov NCT00769691 and NCT00981474.
Initial Development of an Inventory to Assess Stress and Health Risk

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the role of individual variables in the stress-illness relationship. Of particular value at this point are measurement tools and studies that evaluate the possible effects of two or more individual variables on health status. This study summarizes the initial development, psychometric properties, and validation of a brief, rationally derived, and reliable stress and health risk factor instrument. The 123-item instrument has shown criterion-related validity with both physical and psychological health outcomes in a study with 194 employees working in several large companies in the Los Angeles area. Implications for future development, application, and research are discussed.
Vein cavitation and stomatal behaviour of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) leaves under water limitation

The impact of leaf vein cavitation and embolism on stomatal response and leaf hydraulic conductance was studied in potted plants of sunflower subjected to water limitation. Plant dehydration was achieved either by cuttingwell-watered plants near their base and leaving them dehydrating in air or by depriving intact plants of irrigation. The vein cavitation threshold (Ψ C A V ) was estimated in terms of ultrasound acoustic emissions (UAE) from the leaf blade versus leaf water potential (Y L ). This was found to be the same (Ψ C A V -0.6 MPa) for leaves of both cut and intact plants where stomata began to close in coincidence with starting vein cavitation. Vein embolism was detected by infiltrating leaves at different Ψ L with 0.7 mM fluorescein and measuring the percentage fluorescent area as percentage of total leaf surface area. A distinct loss of vein functionality (up to 50%) was found to occur in leaves at progressively decreasing Ψ L , starting when leaves reached Ψ C A V . A linear positive relationship with high statistical significance was found to exist between g L and percentage leaf fluorescent area, thus indicating that stomata were sensitive to vein embolism. The hydraulic conductance (K L ) of the leaf was affected by leaf dehydration less than expected (K L decreased by about 20% between near full turgor and Ψ L = -1.3 MPa). When the extravascular leaf compartment was excluded either by killing cells by immersing leaves in 70% ethanol or by cutting the main leaf venous system through to allow flow to bypass it, K L turned out to increase 5.5 times, thus suggesting that the high dominance of the hydraulic resistance of the extravascular leaf compartment over the total leaf resistance might buffer or mask possibly large local changes in K L inducing stomatal closure.
ISOLATED NUCLEAR MEMBRANES

T h e only m e t h o d so far k n o w n for isolat ing par t s of the nuc lea r enve lope is the t echn ique of Cal lan a n d T o m l i n (3), i.e. dissect ing the envelopes of manual lyi so la ted ind iv idua l nuclei . This procedu re has been used successfully by m a n y workers (6, 8, 13, 14, s u m m a r y in reference 7). I ts g rea t d i sadvan tage is tha t it m u s t be res t r ic ted necessarily to the few mater ia l s w h i c h possess ex t remely large nuclei , e.g. the g ian t nuclei of a m p h i b i a n oocytes. To supply a founda t ion for fu r the r invest igat ions on the chemis t ry and s t ruc ture of the nuc lea r envelope , a m e t h o d has been worked ou t w h i c h allows the isolat ion of nuc lea r enve lope m e m b r a n e s in genera l , f rom an i ma l tissue as well as f rom p l a n t tissue.
Perceptual Auditory Aftereffects on Voice Identity Using Brief Vowel Stimuli

Humans can identify individuals from their voice, suggesting the existence of a perceptual representation of voice identity. We used perceptual aftereffects – shifts in perceived stimulus quality after brief exposure to a repeated adaptor stimulus – to further investigate the representation of voice identity in two experiments. Healthy adult listeners were familiarized with several voices until they reached a recognition criterion. They were then tested on identification tasks that used vowel stimuli generated by morphing between the different identities, presented either in isolation (baseline) or following short exposure to different types of voice adaptors (adaptation). Experiment 1 showed that adaptation to a given voice induced categorization shifts away from that adaptor’s identity even when the adaptors consisted of vowels different from the probe stimuli. Moreover, original voices and caricatures resulted in comparable aftereffects, ruling out an explanation of identity aftereffects in terms of adaptation to low-level features. In Experiment 2, we show that adaptors with a disrupted configuration, i.e., altered fundamental frequency or formant frequencies, failed to produce perceptual aftereffects showing the importance of the preserved configuration of these acoustical cues in the representation of voices. These two experiments indicate a high-level, dynamic representation of voice identity based on the combination of several lower-level acoustical features into a specific voice configuration.