Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cyclic lateral loading of monopile foundations in cohesionless soils

The monopile is the dominant foundation type for offshore wind turbines, with current design guidance based on knowledge transferred from the oil and gas industry. Whilst there are some similarities between wind turbine and oil and gas pile design, there are also a number of key differences. Notably, offshore wind turbine monopiles are subjected to many cycles of large horizontal loads during their lifetime, whereas such loading conditions are not as prevalent in oil and gas design. As a result, the pile response due to this cyclic loading is poorly accounted for in current practice. This thesis presents experimental and theoretical research, aimed at improving the understanding of the behaviour of rigid monopiles in cohesionless soils, when subjected to lateral cyclic loading. The experimental work involves laboratory floor model tests, scaled to represent a full-scale wind-turbine monopile. The test programme is designed to identify the key mechanisms driving pile response. It is divided into four main parts, investigating loading rate effect, hysteretic behaviour during unloading and reloading, as well as pile response to long-term single and multi-amplitude cyclic loads. In particular, the results show that the pile response conforms to the extended Masing rules, with permanent deformation accumulated during non-symmetric continuous cyclic loads. This ratcheting behaviour is characterised by two features: first, the ratcheting rate decreases with cycle number and depends on the cyclic load magnitude and secondly, the shape of the hysteresis loop tightens progressively, involving increased secant stiffness and decreased loop area. Tests investigating multi-amplitude loading scenarios prove that the interaction between these mechanisms describes the pile response. Finally, the continuous cyclic test results are interpreted using the p-y method combined with the Degradation Stiffness Model, and this shows a good fit to the observed pile deformation. The key experimental findings are used for the development of a constitutive model that captures ratcheting while conforming to the observed Masing behaviour. The model, called HARM, is rigorous yet simple, and is framed within the hyperplasticity approach presented by Houlsby and Puzrin (2006). The model is tuned to capture the macro response of the pile under monotonic and cyclic loading, and is calibrated using the experimental data. The results demonstrate that HARM can successfully reproduce the main elements of the pile response with high accuracy. The method could easily be within common design approaches, such as the p-y method.
Knowledge Compilation in Multi-Agent Epistemic Logics

Epistemic logics are a primary formalism for multi-agent systems but major reasoning tasks in such epistemic logics are intractable, which impedes applications of multi-agent epistemic logics in automatic planning. Knowledge compilation provides a promising way of resolving the intractability by identifying expressive fragments of epistemic logics that are tractable for important reasoning tasks such as satisfiability and forgetting. The property of logical separability allows to decompose a formula into some of its subformulas and thus modular algorithms for various reasoning tasks can be developed. In this paper, by employing logical separability, we propose an approach to knowledge compilation for the logic Kn by defining a normal form SDNF. Among several novel results, we show that every epistemic formula can be equivalently compiled into a formula in SDNF, major reasoning tasks in SDNF are tractable, and formulas in SDNF enjoy the logical separability. Our results shed some lights on modular approaches to knowledge compilation. Furthermore, we apply our results in the multi-agent epistemic planning. Finally, we extend the above result to the logic K45n that is Kn extended by introspection axioms 4 and 5.
Extraction from Conjunctive Sentences

We develop CALM, a coordination analyzer that improves upon the conjuncts identified from dependency parses. It uses a language model based scoring and several linguistic constraints to search over hierarchical conjunct boundaries (for nested coordination). By splitting a conjunctive sentence around these conjuncts, CALM outputs several simple sentences. We demonstrate the value of our coordination analyzer in the end task of Open Information Extraction (Open IE). State-of-the-art Open IE systems lose substantial yield due to ineffective processing of conjunctive sentences. Our Open IE system, CALMIE, performs extraction over the simple sentences identified by CALM to obtain up to 1.8x yield with a moderate increase in precision compared to extractions from original sentences.
Clinical characteristics and prevalence of adrenal insufficiency in hemodynamically stable patients with cirrhosis

Abstract It is well known that adrenal insufficiency is common in septic shock or hemodynamically unstable patients. But, there is as yet no sufficient clinically significant data about the exact prevalence or differences in the cause of cirrhosis with adrenal insufficiency. To investigate adrenal insufficiency prevalence in hemodynamically stable patients with cirrhosis and determine differences based on cirrhosis severity or etiology. From July 2011 to December 2012, 69 hemodynamically stable patients with cirrhosis without infection admitted at Hallym University Medical Center were enrolled. Adrenal insufficiency was defined as a peak cortisol level < 18 &mgr;g/dL, 30 or 60 minutes after 250 &mgr;g Synacthen injection. The study included 55 male patients (79.7%), and the mean age was 57.9 ± 12.9 years. Cirrhosis etiology was alcohol consumption, HBV, HCV, both viral and alcohol related, and cryptogenic in 49, 15, 7, 11, 9 patients, respectively. Adrenal insufficiency occurred in 24 patients (34.8%). No differences were found in age, sex, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, HDL, cirrhosis etiology, degree of alcohol consumption, encephalopathy, variceal bleeding history, or hepatocellular carcinoma between patients with or without adrenal insufficiency. Serum albumin level was lower (P < .05), and INR was higher (P < .05) in patients with than in those without adrenal insufficiency. However, multivariate analysis revealed no independent adrenal insufficiency predictor. Significant negative correlations were found between Child–Pugh score and peak cortisol levels (&ggr;=−0.365, P = .008). Adrenal insufficiency was frequent even in hemodynamically stable patients with cirrhosis and tended to be associated with only liver disease severity, being unrelated to cirrhosis etiology.
Control of gaze in natural environments: effects of rewards and costs, uncertainty and memory in target selection

The development of better eye and body tracking systems, and more flexible virtual environments have allowed more systematic exploration of natural vision and contributed a number of insights. In natural visually guided behaviour, humans make continuous sequences of sensory-motor decisions to satisfy current goals, and the role of vision is to provide the relevant information in order to achieve those goals. This paper reviews the factors that control gaze in natural visually guided actions such as locomotion, including the rewards and costs associated with the immediate behavioural goals, uncertainty about the state of the world and prior knowledge of the environment. These general features of human gaze control may inform the development of artificial systems.
Why Agnostic Sign Restrictions are not Enough: Understanding the Dynamics of Oil Market VAR Models

Sign restrictions on the responses generated by structural vector autoregressive models have been proposed as an alternative approach to the use of exclusion restrictions on the impact multiplier matrix. In recent years such models have been increasingly used to identify demand and supply shocks in the market for crude oil. We demonstrate that sign restrictions alone are insufficient to infer the responses of the real price of oil to such shocks. Moreover, the conventional assumption that all admissible models are equally likely is routinely violated in oil market models, calling into question the use of median responses to characterize the responses to structural shocks. When combining sign restrictions with additional empirically plausible bounds on the magnitude of the short-run oil supply elasticity and on the impact response of real activity, however, it is possible to reduce the set of admissible model solutions to a small number of qualitatively similar estimates. The resulting model estimates are broadly consistent with earlier results regarding the relative importance of demand and supply shocks for the real price of oil based on structural VAR models identified by exclusion restrictions, but imply very different dynamics from the median responses in VAR models based on sign restrictions only.
Well Begun, but Aiming Higher: A Review of Vietnam’s Education Trends in the past 20 Years and Emerging Challenges

Abstract Given its modest position as a lower-middle-income country, Vietnam stands out from the rest of the world with its remarkable performance on standardised test scores, school enrolment, and completed years of schooling. We provide an overview of the factors behind this exemplary performance both from an institutional viewpoint and by analysing several different data sources, some of which have rarely been used. Some of the highlights are universal primary school enrolment, higher girls’ net enrolment rates, and the role of within-commune individual factors. We further discuss a host of challenges for the country – most of which have received insufficient attention to date.
3-D RoI-Aware U-Net for Accurate and Efficient Colorectal Tumor Segmentation

Segmentation of colorectal cancerous regions from 3-D magnetic resonance (MR) images is a crucial procedure for radiotherapy. Automatic delineation from 3-D whole volumes is in urgent demand yet very challenging. Drawbacks of existing deep-learning-based methods for this task are two-fold: 1) extensive graphics processing unit (GPU) memory footprint of 3-D tensor limits the trainable volume size, shrinks effective receptive field, and therefore, degrades speed and segmentation performance and 2) in-region segmentation methods supported by region-of-interest (RoI) detection are either blind to global contexts, detail richness compromising, or too expensive for 3-D tasks. To tackle these drawbacks, we propose a novel encoder–decoder-based framework for 3-D whole volume segmentation, referred to as 3-D RoI-aware U-Net (3-D RU-Net). 3-D RU-Net fully utilizes the global contexts covering large effective receptive fields. Specifically, the proposed model consists of a global image encoder for global understanding-based RoI localization, and a local region decoder that operates on pyramid-shaped in-region global features, which is GPU memory efficient and thereby enables training and prediction with large 3-D whole volumes. To facilitate the global-to-local learning procedure and enhance contour detail richness, we designed a dice-based multitask hybrid loss function. The efficiency of the proposed framework enables an extensive model ensemble for further performance gain at acceptable extra computational costs. Over a dataset of 64 T2-weighted MR images, the experimental results of four-fold cross-validation show that our method achieved 75.5% dice similarity coefficient (DSC) in 0.61 s per volume on a GPU, which significantly outperforms competing methods in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The code is publicly available.
Self-reported emotion regulation difficulties are associated with mood but not with the biological stress response to thin ideal exposure

Background Difficulties in emotion regulation have been related to psychological and physiological stress responses such as lower mood and lower parasympathetic activation (HF-HRV) under resting condition, but evidence on the potential link to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning and to physiological stress responses during a stress task is still scarce. The aim of the study was to investigate stress responses in young women when confronted to a daily stressor such as exposure to thin ideals and to understand the role of correlates of self-reported trait-like emotion regulation difficulties (ERD). Methods Heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary cortisol data were collected in a sample of 273 young women aged 18–35 with and without mental disorders during a vivid imagination of thin ideals (experimental condition) or landscapes (control condition). Changes in mood states were measured on a visual analogue scale (0–100). Correlates of trait-like ERD were self-reported using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results Participants with higher ERD showed a stronger decline in self-reported mood after vivid imagination of thin ideals compared to participants with lower ERD in the experimental condition but also a stronger increase of positive mood with increasing ERD in the control condition. ERD were not related to baseline HF-HRV or baseline salivary cortisol levels nor to any physiological response during and after the imagination of thin ideals. Discussion and conclusion The results corroborate the role of ERD regarding the immediate psychological impact of daily stressors. Exposition to daily stressors in the laboratory results in discrepant psychological and physiological reactivity. Future studies should investigate under what conditions the complex interrelations between immediate and long-term ERD and biological activation are amenable to assessment in a laboratory setting. The additive effects of multiple exposition to stressors, such as thin ideals in daily life, also need to be addressed.
Association of lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor 1 (OLR1) polymorphisms with late-onset Alzheimer disease in Han Chinese.

Background Lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor 1 (OLR1) locates within the area of chromosome 12p, which has been identified as the AD-susceptible region, and plays a role in lipid metabolism. Therefore, it has been suggested to be a good candidate gene for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several SNPs within OLR1 have been reported to have association with AD among Caucasians. Methods We selected and genotyped three SNPs (rs1050283, rs1050286, rs17808009) in OLR1 to investigate its possible relationship with the onset of late-onset Alzheimer disease(LOAD) in 984 LOAD cases and 1,354 healthy controls among northern Han Chinese. Results No significant association was found between the OLR1 (rs1050283, rs1050286, rs17808009) polymorphisms and LOAD, even after adjustment for gender and age and stratification for apolipoprotein E (APOE) status. Conclusions Our study showed that the SNPs (rs1050283, rs1050286, rs17808009) located in the 3'UTR of OLR1 may not involve in the mechanism of LOAD in Han Chinese population.
Experimental evaluation of liver regeneration patterns and liver function following ALPPS

The underlying mechanism of liver regeneration after Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein ligation (PVL) for Staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between future liver remnant (FLR) volume, liver regeneration characteristics and restoration of function in an experimental model of ALPPS.
Flooding and poverty: Two interrelated social problems impacting rural development in Tsholotsho district of Matabeleland North province in Zimbabwe

Flooding and poverty are the two social problems that have coexisted within the rural communities of Tsholotsho district. As a result, both problems have negatively affected and disrupted the everyday pattern of lives of people living in the district. This study sought to highlight how the two problems combine to impact human societies. The objectives that the study sought to fulfil were to establish the impact of flooding on the development of rural communities, to analyse how poverty manifests itself in rural communities, to analyse the relationship that exists between flooding and poverty and to suggest ways for dealing with the two problems. A qualitative research approach, using interviews and observations, was used to gather data from the research participants. The study findings were that flooding impeded development through shifting of human populations, destruction of crops, shelter and livestock. Floods also affected human capital through causing injuries to members of the community. Poverty manifested itself in three ways – as a development barrier, a vulnerability amplifier and a non-discriminatory agent. The study further found that a strong relationship exists between flooding and poverty because of the fact that flooding causes or worsens poverty, whereas poverty increases flood vulnerability. The study concluded that the poor need government assistance to reconstruct shelter destroyed by floods. Furthermore, programs aimed at improving livelihoods of the poor are an indispensable imperative. This study informs policymakers and offers a methodological significance to development and disaster practitioners. It also adds to the body of literature on flooding and poverty.
Neural signatures of chronic accessibility in parent – adult child attachment bonds

ABSTRACT Some of the closest reciprocal relationships are between parents and their children. As part of the attachment characterizing many parent-child bonds, individuals form mental representations that are chronically accessible and calibrate expectations for future relationships. We predict that there exist unique neural signatures of this chronic accessibility. Young (N = 29, 16 females) and older adults (N = 27, 12 females) made trait judgments for parent or child, respectively, during fMRI scanning. Multivariate analysis identified whole-brain patterns of activation that covaried with the magnitude of parent-child attachment when thinking about that individual. Higher levels of parent and child attachment were associated with lower neural recruitment in anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, posterior cingulate cortex, medial temporal lobe, and occipital face area. Results provide novel evidence for neural signatures of chronic accessibility, as bringing to mind one’s attached parent or child requires less engagement of brain regions involved in distress relief, memory, and facial processing.
Quantitative and economic analysis of clinical pharmacist interventions during rounds in an acute care psychiatric hospital

Introduction: Clinical pharmacists have become an integral part of multidisciplinary medical teams, including in the area of psychiatry. Previous studies have shown that having pharmacists in multidisciplinary medical teams has led to improved medication use, reduction of adverse drug events, and improved patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to conduct a quantitative and economic analysis of the impact of clinical pharmacist interventions during hospital rounds in an acute care psychiatric hospital setting. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 200 clinical pharmacist interventions documented between September 2013 and September 2014. Clinical pharmacist interventions were classified into several categories and types. Only clinical pharmacist interventions made during multidisciplinary team rounds were included in the study. Descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative analysis of clinical pharmacist interventions. The acceptance rate was calculated. Only the accepted clinical interventions were included in the economic analysis. Economic outcome involved an assessment of cost saving and cost avoidance. Results: The most frequent types of clinical pharmacist interventions were discontinuation of medications (38.5%), laboratory monitoring (26%), and medication order modification (13.5%). The most common reason for drug discontinuation was polypharmacy. Clinical pharmacist interventions were associated with a 92.5% acceptance rate. Two hundred clinical pharmacist interventions were associated with $6760.19 medication cost saving and $62 806.67 cost avoidance. Discussion: Clinical pharmacist interventions during rounds in an acute care psychiatric hospital setting mostly involve medication order modification and laboratory monitoring. They are also associated with significant cost saving and cost avoidance.
Integrated pathogen load and dual transcriptome analysis of systemic host-pathogen interactions in severe malaria

Host and parasite RNA sequencing is combined with parasite load estimates to reveal mechanisms associated with human severe malaria. Uncomplicating malaria Plasmodium falciparum infections can progress to severe malaria, resulting in organ failure and life-threatening hematological or metabolic abnormalities. This process is sometimes thought to result from an aberrant host immune response. Lee et al. sequenced patient and parasite transcriptomes in 46 P. falciparum–infected Gambian children to better understand malarial host-pathogen interactions. They found evidence that the immune response in severe compared to uncomplicated malaria was not necessarily dysregulated but instead an expected response to high pathogen load and also implicated neutrophils in this response. This transcriptomic resource may prove useful in future studies of severe malaria and the interaction between malaria host and parasite. The pathogenesis of infectious diseases depends on the interaction of host and pathogen. In Plasmodium falciparum malaria, host and parasite processes can be assessed by dual RNA sequencing of blood from infected patients. We performed dual transcriptome analyses on samples from 46 malaria-infected Gambian children to reveal mechanisms driving the systemic pathophysiology of severe malaria. Integrating these transcriptomic data with estimates of parasite load and detailed clinical information allowed consideration of potentially confounding effects due to differing leukocyte proportions in blood, parasite developmental stage, and whole-body pathogen load. We report hundreds of human and parasite genes differentially expressed between severe and uncomplicated malaria, with distinct profiles associated with coma, hyperlactatemia, and thrombocytopenia. High expression of neutrophil granule–related genes was consistently associated with all severe malaria phenotypes. We observed severity-associated variation in the expression of parasite genes, which determine cytoadhesion to vascular endothelium, rigidity of infected erythrocytes, and parasite growth rate. Up to 99% of human differential gene expression in severe malaria was driven by differences in parasite load, whereas parasite gene expression showed little association with parasite load. Coexpression analyses revealed interactions between human and P. falciparum, with prominent co-regulation of translation genes in severe malaria between host and parasite. Multivariate analyses suggested that increased expression of granulopoiesis and interferon-γ–related genes, together with inadequate suppression of type 1 interferon signaling, best explained severity of infection. These findings provide a framework for understanding the contributions of host and parasite to the pathogenesis of severe malaria and identifying new treatments.