Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Elastic Modulus of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) with Random Distribution of Aggregate and Fiber

The present paper offers a meso-scale numerical model to investigate the effects of random distribution of aggregate particles and steel fibers on the elastic modulus of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC). Meso-scale model distinctively models coarse aggregate, cementitious mortar, and Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) between aggregate, mortar, and steel fibers with their respective material properties. The interfaces between fibers and mortar have been assumed perfectly bonded. Random sampling principle of Monte Carlo's simulation method has been used to generate the random size, orientation, and position of aggregate particles as well as steel fibers in concrete matrix. A total of 2100 two-dimensional and three-dimensional cube specimens (150 mm) with varying volume fractions of aggregate and fiber have been randomly generated. The commercial code ABAQUS has been used to analyze the specimens under tensile loading and the calculated elastic modulus has been compared to other analytical and experimental values. Results indicate that the non-homogeneity of the matrix and random distribution of aggregate and fibers manage to disperse calculated efficiency factor of fiber with a standard deviation of 2.5% to 3.0% (for 150 mm cube specimens, it can be different for other specimens). Nevertheless, the mean value of the calculated efficiency factor agrees well with the value, recommended by Hull (1981), for uniformly-distributed fibers, equal to 0.353, and 0.151 for two and three-dimensional models respectively.
Compassion Fatigue and Mindfulness: Comparing Mental Health Professionals and MSW Student Interns

ABSTRACT The relationship between compassion fatigue and mindfulness in mental health professionals compared to Master of Social Work (MSW) students is explored. A convenience sample of mental health professionals (n = 40) and MSW students (n = 111) completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and Professional Quality of Life Scale. Results indicate a medium, negative correlation between compassion fatigue and mindfulness, with high levels of compassion fatigue associated with lower levels of mindfulness. There was no statistically significant difference between mental health workers and MSW students on the combined dependent variables. Results suggest that mindfulness protects against compassion fatigue regardless of professional or student status.
A controlled human malaria infection model enabling evaluation of transmission-blocking interventions

BACKGROUND. Drugs and vaccines that can interrupt the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum will be important for malaria control and elimination. However, models for early clinical evaluation of candidate transmission-blocking interventions are currently unavailable. Here, we describe a new model for evaluating malaria transmission from humans to Anopheles mosquitoes using controlled human malaria infection (CHMI). METHODS. Seventeen healthy malaria-naive volunteers underwent CHMI by intravenous inoculation of P. falciparum–infected erythrocytes to initiate blood-stage infection. Seven to eight days after inoculation, participants received piperaquine (480 mg) to attenuate asexual parasite replication while allowing gametocytes to develop and mature. Primary end points were development of gametocytemia, the transmissibility of gametocytes from humans to mosquitoes, and the safety and tolerability of the CHMI transmission model. To investigate in vivo gametocytocidal drug activity in this model, participants were either given an experimental antimalarial, artefenomel (500 mg), or a known gametocytocidal drug, primaquine (15 mg), or remained untreated during the period of gametocyte carriage. RESULTS. Male and female gametocytes were detected in all participants, and transmission to mosquitoes was achieved from 8 of 11 (73%) participants evaluated. Compared with results in untreated controls (n = 7), primaquine (15 mg, n = 5) significantly reduced gametocyte burden (P = 0.01), while artefenomel (500 mg, n = 4) had no effect. Adverse events (AEs) were mostly mild or moderate. Three AEs were assessed as severe — fatigue, elevated alanine aminotransferase, and elevated aspartate aminotransferase — and were attributed to malaria infection. Transaminase elevations were transient, asymptomatic, and resolved without intervention. CONCLUSION. We report the safe and reproducible induction of P. falciparum gametocytes in healthy malaria-naive volunteers at densities infectious to mosquitoes, thereby demonstrating the potential for evaluating transmission-blocking interventions in this model. TRIAL REGISTRATION. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02431637 and NCT02431650. FUNDING. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Arabidopsis thaliana siRNA biogenesis mutants have the lower frequency of homologous recombination

ABSTRACT Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are involved in the regulation of plant development and response to stress. We have previously shown that mutants impaired in Dicer-like 2 (DCL2), DCL3 and DCL4, RDR2, RDR6 and NPRD1 are partially impaired in their response to stress and dcl2 and dcl3 plants are also impaired in transgenerational response to stress, including changes in homologous recombination frequency (HRF). Here, we have analyzed genome stability of dcl2, dcl3, dcl4, dcl2 dcl3, dcl2 dcl3 dcl4 and rdr6 mutants by measuring the non-induced and the stress-induced recombination frequency. We found that all mutants had the lower spontaneous HRF. The analysis of strand breaks showed that all tested Arabidopsis mutants had a higher level of spontaneous strand breaks, suggesting that the lower HRF is not due to the unusually low level of breaks. Exposure to methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) resulted in an increase in the level of strand breaks in wild-type plants and a decrease in mutants. All mutants had the higher methylation of cytosines at CpG sites under non-induced conditions. Exposure to MMS resulted in a decrease in methylation level in wild-type plants and an increase in methylation in all dcl mutants. The expression of several DNA repair genes was altered in dcl4 plants under non-induced and induced conditions. Our data suggest that siRNA biogenesis may be essential for the maintenance of the genome stability and stress response in Arabidopsis.
Open and Disturbed Habitats Support Higher Diversity of Syrphidae (Diptera)? A Case Study During Three Yr of Sampling in a Fragment of Araucaria Forest in Southern Brazil

Abstract The diversity of hoverflies in five different habitats of the Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, Paraná , Brazil, from September 1999 to August 2002 was studied. These five areas had been exposed to various types of anthropogenic disturbance at different times, which resulted in different stages of plant succession. In total, 2,841 specimens of 151 species of Syrphidae were collected using malaise traps. The highest species richness and abundance were found at the edge of the forest (Forest Edge), whereas the lowest was found in the most conserved areas. Evenness values increased along the succession gradient. The accumulation curve of new occurrences of syrphid species nearly approached an asymptote starting on the third month of the third year. Estimates of syrphid species richness using different methods indicated that between 155 and 288 species are found in the study area, according the Michaelis–Menten and the Chao2 estimators, respectively. The richness and abundance of representatives of the subfamily Syrphinae were higher in more open areas, where herbaceous plants predominate. Nineteen hoverfly species can be considered as environmental indicators, as they were collected exclusively or mainly in one of the defined habitat types. The degree of opening of the vegetation seems to be the factor determining the distribution of Syrphidae species, a conclusion based on the finding that grassy clearings in Araucaria Forests had more species. Hence, we conclude that, to become established, Syrphidae communities need conserved mosaic landscapes.
Entwicklung einer miniaturisierten bruchmechanischen Probe für Nachbestrahlungsuntersuchungen

The present report introduces a miniaturized sample for the determination of fracture mechanics characteristics of ferritic-martensitic steels. Due to its small dimensions and the geometry selected, the three-point bending specimen is suitable for use in irradiation programs with limited space. The non-conservative results which are feared to be obtained when using small specimens are prevented by a geometrical modification of the fracture zone and by the development of a suitable test and evaluation technique. An experimental and computational validation on the basis of standard samples using different materials reveals the validity of the fracture mechanics characteristics obtained with such samples. An analysis of the stress state in front of the crack tip, based on finite-element calculations, suggests artificial constraints by lateral notches. Such notches give rise to stronger uniformly distributed stress states and J-integral values under mode-I loading for samples of different sizes, which are useful for the determination of fracture mechanics characteristics. Isothermal experiments are performed under the three fundamental material conditions of ductile, brittle, and ductile-to-brittle-transition using different specimen sizes and geometries. The shift of the fracture toughness' ductile to brittle transition - in comparison to full-scale specimens - is examined in tempered experiments. It is shown that considering the recommendations for evaluation given in this report, non-conservative results can be excluded. Practical suitability of the specimen type presented is demonstrated by examining irradiated samples. Evaluation shows that the specimen is - also under the conditions of hot cells and remote handling -usable for fracture mechanics investigations and that it supplies reproducible values for J I D and K I D .
Strong Relationship between Malnutrition and Cognitive Frailty in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies (SLAS-1 and SLAS-2)

BackgroundPhysical frailty is well known to be strongly associated with malnutrition, but the combined impact of physical frailty and cognitive impairment among non-demented older persons (cognitive frailty) on malnutrition prevalence is not well documented.DesignCross-sectional cohort study.Setting and ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling older Singaporeans aged ≥55y (n=5414) without dementia in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study (SLAS-1 and SLAS-2). MeasurementsThe Mini Nutritional Assessment–short form (MNA-SF) and Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) Determine Checklist were used to determine their nutritional status. Participants were categorized as cognitive normal (CN) or cognitive impaired (CI) by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE<=23), as pre-frail (PF) (score=1-2) or frail (F) (score=3-5) using Fried’s criteria, and as cognitive pre-frail (PF+CI) or cognitive frail (F+CI). ResultsThe prevalence of cognitive frailty was 1.6%, and cognitive pre-frailty was 5.5% (total, 7.1%). The prevalence of MNA malnutrition was 2.4%, and NSI high nutritional risk was 6.3%. The prevalence of MNA malnutrition was lowest among Robust-CN and highest among Frail-CI (0.5% in Robust- CN, 0.6% in Robust-CI, 2.8% in Pre-frail-CN, 7.3% in Prefrail- CI, 15.4% in Frail-CN, and 23.1% in Frail-CI). Similarly, the prevalence of NSI high nutritional risk was lowest in Robust-CN (3.7%) and highest in Frail-CI (13.6%). Adjusted for sociodemographic and health status, pre-frailty/frailty-CI versus Robust-CN was associated with the highest odds ratio of association with MNA malnutrition (OR=8.16, p<0.001), although not the highest with NSI high nutritional risk (OR=1.48, p=0.017). ConclusionsAn extraordinary high prevalence of malnutrition was observed among older adults with cognitive frailty who should be specially targeted for active intervention.
Evidence for selective bacterial community structuring on microplastics

In aquatic ecosystems, microplastics are a relatively new anthropogenic substrate that can readily be colonized by biofilm-forming organisms. To examine the effects of substrate type on microbial community assembly, we exposed ambient Baltic bacterioplankton to plastic substrates commonly found in marine environments (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) as well as native (cellulose) and inert (glass beads) particles for 2 weeks under controlled conditions. The source microbial communities and those of the biofilms were analyzed by Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene libraries. All biofilm communities displayed lower diversity and evenness compared with the source community, suggesting substrate-driven selection. Moreover, the plastics-associated communities were distinctly different from those on the non-plastic substrates. Whereas plastics hosted greater than twofold higher abundance of Burkholderiales, the non-plastic substrates had a significantly higher proportion of Actinobacteria and Cytophagia. Variation in the community structure, but not the cell abundance, across the treatments was strongly linked to the substrate hydrophobicity. Thus, microplastics host distinct bacterial communities, at least during early successional stages.
Commentary Hydration , Hydration , Hydration

Throughout the world, large numbers of manual workers perform physically demanding labour in conditions of high environmental heat stress. Although the importance of adequate hydration in combating heat stress is universally recognized, studies in a range of worker groups have demonstrated a disturbingly poor hydration level in a high proportion of at-risk workers. Management of work in hot environments traditionally focuses on environmental monitoring, while strategies to promote and ensure good hydration behaviour are often haphazard at best. An example is given of simple guidelines for adequate and appropriate fluid intake and practical recommendations to foster compliance.
Rolling and Recrystallization Textures in Iron–3% Silicon

Rolling and recrystallisation textures of Fe–3% Si (HiB) were investigated in center and subsurface layer by the ODF-method. Degree of cold rolling and recrystallisation time were varied. The results were compared with results obtained for low carbon steel and the mechanisms of texture formation were discussed. At the beginning of the paper the different methods of representation of OVF data were demonstrated.
One-Bit Quantized Massive MIMO Detection Based on Variational Approximate Message Passing

One-bit quantization can significantly reduce the massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) system hardware complexity, but at the same time it also brings great challenges to the system algorithm design. Specifically, it is difficult to recover information from the highly distorted samples as well as to obtain accurate channel estimation without increasing the number of pilots. In this paper, a novel inference algorithm called variational approximate message passing (VAMP) for one-bit quantized massive MIMO receiver is developed, which attempts to exploit the advantages of both the variational Bayesian inference algorithm and the bilinear generalized approximated message passing algorithm to accomplish joint channel estimation and data detection in a closed form with first-order complexity. Asymptotic state evolution analysis indicates the fast convergence rate of VAMP and also provides a lower bound for the data detection error. Moreover, through extensive simulations, we show that VAMP can achieve excellent detection performance with low pilot overhead in a wide range of scenarios.
Trends in Resistance to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins and Carbapenems among Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. Isolates in a District in Western India during 2004–2014

Surveillance data on the level of resistant bacteria is needed to inform strategies to reduce the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the non-susceptibility trends to extended-spectrum cephalosporins and carbapenems among Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates from the district of Nashik in Western India during the period 2004–2014. Antibacterial susceptibility testing of clinical isolates was performed using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method to determine inhibitory zone diameters. The change in proportions of non-susceptible bacteria over calendar time was investigated with spline transformations in a logistic regression model. For the extended-spectrum cephalosporins, the proportions of non-susceptible E. coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates were above 78.4% and 84.9% throughout the study period, respectively. E. coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates exhibited carbapenem non-susceptibility levels as high as 76.9% and 84.1% respectively. The proportions of extended-spectrum betalactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates ranged from 38.3–85.9% in E. coli and from 45.1–93.1% in Klebsiella spp. Significantly higher proportions of non-susceptible and ESBL-producing isolates were found among isolates from inpatients compared to isolates from outpatients for both E. coli and Klebsiella spp. (p < 0.050). The high proportions of non-susceptible isolates observed show that there is great need to focus on optimal use of antibiotics to reduce the development of antibiotic resistance.
Validation of rumination measurement equipment and the role of rumination in dairy cow time budgets

Automatic rumination measuring can be applied as a health indicator in dairy farming but is also highly desirable for research purposes. This study aimed to validate the technical functionality of the product RuminActTM, which employ acoustics to monitor rumination duration. The time budget of high yielding cows was studied and possible differences in rumination time between 13 rations were interpreted. Further the study examined what affects daily rumination and rumination efficiency. The validation was performed with direct observations that were compared to the automatically recorded rumination durations. 9 cows in total were studied, in groups of three, during approximately 4,5 h for each group. The time budget study was also conducted with direct observations and covered a total of 24 h and 9 cows. Automatically registered data was used to investigate which parameters affects daily rumination time and rumination efficiency. RuminActTM appears to be a useful tool that makes rumination time available as an easy obtained parameter for research purposes as well as health indicator for dairy farming. The present study showed that the equipment only underestimates rumination time with 1,86 % on average, although the standard deviation totalled 6,57 %. Observations of the time budget showed that the cows in this study probably are not suffering from any time constraint since they seem able to perform their behavioural needs in sufficient amounts and no stereotypical behaviours were observed. Significant differences in rumination duration were found between rations although the causes of these variations were difficult to determine, probably due to problems with feed intake registrations. Prolonged daily rumination was positively correlated with higher milk yield and long daily rumination was also positively correlated with extended the inter-cycle periods.
What influences patients’ acceptance of a blood pressure telemonitoring service in primary care? A qualitative study

Background Telemonitoring of home blood pressure (BP) is found to have a positive effect on BP control. Delivering a BP telemonitoring service in primary care offers primary care physicians an innovative approach toward management of their patients with hypertension. However, little is known about patients’ acceptance of such service in routine clinical care. Objective This study aimed to explore patients’ acceptance of a BP telemonitoring service delivered in primary care based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). Methods A qualitative study design was used. Primary care patients with uncontrolled office BP who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled into a BP telemonitoring service offered between the period August 2012 and September 2012. This service was delivered at an urban primary care clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty patients used the BP telemonitoring service. Of these, 17 patients consented to share their views and experiences through five in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions. An interview guide was developed based on the TAM. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used for analysis. Results Patients found the BP telemonitoring service easy to use but struggled with the perceived usefulness of doing so. They expressed confusion in making sense of the monitored home BP readings. They often thought about the implications of these readings to their hypertension management and overall health. Patients wanted more feedback from their doctors and suggested improvement to the BP telemonitoring functionalities to improve interactions. Patients cited being involved in research as the main reason for their intention to use the service. They felt that patients with limited experience with the internet and information technology, who worked out of town, or who had an outdoor hobby would not be able to benefit from such a service. Conclusion Patients found BP telemonitoring service in primary care easy to use but needed help to interpret the meanings of monitored BP readings. Implementations of BP telemonitoring service must tackle these issues to maximize the patients’ acceptance of a BP telemonitoring service.
The Skeleton of the Staghorn Coral Acropora millepora: Molecular and Structural Characterization

The scleractinian coral Acropora millepora is one of the most studied species from the Great Barrier Reef. This species has been used to understand evolutionary, immune and developmental processes in cnidarians. It has also been subject of several ecological studies in order to elucidate reef responses to environmental changes such as temperature rise and ocean acidification (OA). In these contexts, several nucleic acid resources were made available. When combined to a recent proteomic analysis of the coral skeletal organic matrix (SOM), they enabled the identification of several skeletal matrix proteins, making A. millepora into an emerging model for biomineralization studies. Here we describe the skeletal microstructure of A. millepora skeleton, together with a functional and biochemical characterization of its occluded SOM that focuses on the protein and saccharidic moieties. The skeletal matrix proteins show a large range of isoelectric points, compositional patterns and signatures. Besides secreted proteins, there are a significant number of proteins with membrane attachment sites such as transmembrane domains and GPI anchors as well as proteins with integrin binding sites. These features show that the skeletal proteins must have strong adhesion properties in order to function in the calcifying space. Moreover this data suggest a molecular connection between the calcifying epithelium and the skeletal tissue during biocalcification. In terms of sugar moieties, the enrichment of the SOM in arabinose is striking, and the monosaccharide composition exhibits the same signature as that of mucus of acroporid corals. Finally, we observe that the interaction of the acetic acid soluble SOM on the morphology of in vitro grown CaCO3 crystals is very pronounced when compared with the calcifying matrices of some mollusks. In light of these results, we wish to commend Acropora millepora as a model for biocalcification studies in scleractinians, from molecular and structural viewpoints.