Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic risk variants for membranous nephropathy: extension of and association with other chronic kidney disease aetiologies

Background: Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. Previous genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) of 300 000 genotyped variants identified MN‐associated loci at HLA‐DQA1 and PLA2R1. Methods: We used a combined approach of genotype imputation, GWAS, human leucocyte antigen (HLA) imputation and extension to other aetiologies of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to investigate genetic MN risk variants more comprehensively. GWAS using 9 million high‐quality imputed genotypes and classical HLA alleles were conducted for 323 MN European‐ancestry cases and 345 controls. Additionally, 4960 patients with different CKD aetiologies in the German Chronic Kidney Disease (GCKD) study were genotyped for risk variants at HLA‐DQA1 and PLA2R1. Results: In GWAS, lead variants in known loci [rs9272729, HLA‐DQA1, odds ratio (OR) = 7.3 per risk allele, P = 5.9 × 10−27 and rs17830558, PLA2R1, OR = 2.2, P = 1.9 × 10−8] were significantly associated with MN. No novel signals emerged in GWAS of X‐chromosomal variants or in sex‐specific analyses. Classical HLA alleles (DRB1*0301‐DQA1*0501‐DQB1*0201 haplotype) were associated with MN but provided little additional information beyond rs9272729. Associations were replicated in 137 GCKD patients with MN (HLA‐DQA1: P = 6.4 × 10−24; PLA2R1: P = 5.0 × 10−4). MN risk increased steeply for patients with high‐risk genotype combinations (OR > 79). While genetic variation in PLA2R1 exclusively associated with MN across 19 CKD aetiologies, the HLA‐DQA1 risk allele was also associated with lupus nephritis (P = 2.8 × 10−6), type 1 diabetic nephropathy (P = 6.9 × 10−5) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (P = 5.1 × 10−5), but not with immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Conclusions: PLA2R1 and HLA‐DQA1 are the predominant risk loci for MN detected by GWAS. While HLA‐DQA1 risk variants show an association with other CKD aetiologies, PLA2R1 variants are specific to MN.
Spectrum Leasing via Cooperation for Enhanced Physical-Layer Secrecy

Spectrum leasing via cooperation refers to the possibility of primary users to lease a portion of their spectral resources to secondary users in exchange for cooperation. This paper proposes a novel application of this concept, where in the presence of an eavesdropper, the secondary cooperation aims at improving the secrecy of the primary network. It does this by creating more interference to the eavesdropper than to the primary receiver. To generate the interference in a positive way, this paper studies an optimal design of a beamformer at the secondary transmitter with multiple antennas. The design maximizes the secrecy rate of the primary network while satisfying a required rate for the secondary network. Moreover, we investigate two scenarios that are contingent on how the eavesdropper operates: 1) The eavesdropper treats the interference by the secondary transmission as additive noise [single-user decoding (SD)]; and 2) the eavesdropper tries to decode and remove the secondary signal [joint decoding (JD)]. Numerical results confirm that, for a wide range of required secondary-rate constraints, the proposed spectrum-leasing strategy increases the secrecy rate of the primary network.
Influence of temperature and elastic properties on some polymer relaxations

The temperature dependence of the apparent activation energy for polymer relaxations might be explained in part by the temperature dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient and the compressibility of these materials. Below the crossover temperature, the Eyring equation applies resulting in constant activation enthalpy and entropy. Their linear relation gives the compensation law. Above the crossover temperature, the temperature-dependent activation enthalpy and entropy can be deduced from the slope of the Gibbs free activation energy vs. temperature. The activation volume under atmospheric pressure was calculated and it appears to increase with pressure. It appears that a given relaxation requires a cooperative displacement of surrounding molecules. The relation between fragility and the activation entropy is briefly discussed.
Studies on applications of neural networks in modeling sparse datasets and in the analysis of dynamics of CA3 in hippocampus

Neural networks are an important tool in the field of data science as well as in the study of the very structures they were inspired from i.e. the human nervous system. In this dissertation, we studied the application of neural networks in data modeling as well as their role in studying the properties of various structures in the nervous system. This dissertation has two foci: one relates to developing methods that help improve \gls{generalization} in data models and the other is to study the possible effects of the structure on the function. As the first focus of this dissertation, we proposed a set of heuristics that improve the \gls{generalization} capability of the neural network models in regression and classification problems. To do so, we explored applying apprioi information in the form of \gls{regularization} of the behavior of the models. We used smoothness and self-consistency as the two regularized attributes that were enforced on the behavior of the neural networks in our model. We used our proposed heuristics to improve the performance neural network ensembles in regression problems (more specifically in quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling problems). We demonstrated that these heuristics result in significant improvements in the performance of the models we used. In addition, we developed an anomaly detection method to identify and exclude the outliers among unknown cases presented to the model. This was to ensure that the data model only made a prediction about the outcome of the unknown cases that were within its domain of applicability. This filtering resulted in further improvement of the performance of the model in our experiments. Furthermore, and through some modifications, we extended the application of our proposed heuristics to classification problems. We evaluated the performance of the resulting classification models over several datasets and demonstrated that the \gls{regularization}s we employed in our heuristics, had a positive effect on the performance of the data model across various classification problems as well. In the second part of this dissertation, we focused on studying the relationship between the structure and the functionality in the nervous system. More specifically, whether or not the structure implies functionality. In studying these possible effects, we elected to study CA3b in Hippocampus. For this reason, we used current related literature to derive a physiologically plausible model of CA3b. To make our proposed model as close as possible to its counterpart in the nervous system, we used large scale neural simulations, in excess of 45,000 neurons, in our experiments. We used the collective firings of all the neurons in our proposed structure to produce a time series signal. We considered this time-series signal which is a way to demonstrate the overall output of the structure should it be monitored by an EEG probe as the output of the structure. In our simulations, the structure produced and…
A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Sociodemographic Factors on Social Media Adoption

Focusing on the effects of sociodemographic factors on the social media divide, one of the second-level divides, this meta-analysis finds that individuals who were female, younger, well-educated, well-paid, and urban residents were more likely to use social media. However, race as well as marital status and employment status did not play a role in predicting the adoption of social media platforms. Through moderator analysis, we find that the effect of age was robust without respect to study-level characteristics and that studies conducted in collectivistic countries and random samples demonstrate greater effects for education level.
A Novel Approach for Predicting Yield of Seeds in Ficus Fruits Using A Non-Parametric Method

ABSTRACT Ficus is one of the largest plant genera which are recognized as keystone species. In the previous studies on Ficus, seeds have been counted manually. The main objective of this study is to introduce a model for predicting the yield of seeds in two monoecious species. Three-dimensional magnitudes were measured, and the numbers of seeds were recorded per each fruit. Generalized additive models (GAM) and Poisson regression models were used for prediction. Fruit length is a significant predictor for both models. Moreover, it is observed that data classification as areas plays an important role in GAM. Poisson modeling of Ficus callosa gives better predictions than Ficus racemosa. Besides, predictions of both models are more accurate when the number of seeds is less than 1000.
Soft tissue sarcoma stiffness and perfusion evaluation by MRE and DCE-MRI for radiation therapy response assessment: a technical feasibility study

Soft tissue sarcomas are a rare and heterogeneous group of malignancies that present significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Patient stratification based on tumor aggressiveness and early therapeutic response based on quantitative imaging may improve prediction of treatment response and the evaluation of new treatment strategies in clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the technical feasibility of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI for the evaluation of sarcoma stiffness and perfusion in 9 patients with histologically confirmed sarcoma. Additionally, we assessed the feasibility of utilizing MRE and DCE-MRI for the early evaluation of response to radiation therapy in 4 patients to determine the utility of further evaluation in a larger cohort study. Tumor size, stiffness, and perfusion parameters all decreased from baseline at the time of the pre-surgery or follow-up MRI, and results were compared to pathology or conventional imaging. MRE and DCE-MRI may be useful for the quantitative evaluation of tumor stiffness and perfusion, and therapy response assessment in soft tissue sarcomas.
A cross-linker containing aldehyde functionalized ionic liquid for chitosan

Abstract The synthesis of conductive and eco-friendly new chitosan composite biopolymer with a novel aldehyde functionalized ionic liquids (AFILs) was investigated in this work. The AFILs, 1,1′-(pentane-1,5-diyl) bis(4-formylpyridin-1-ium) dibromide (C5PyBr), 1,1′-(octane-1,8-diyl) bis(4-formylpyridin-1-ium) dibromide (C8PyBr) and 1,1′-(decane-1,10-diyl) bis(4-formylpyridin-1-ium) dibromide (C10PyBr) have been synthesized and they were characterized by FT-IR, UV–vis and 1H-NMR and 13 C-NMR, TG, and DSC analyses. The synthesized AFILs, C5PyBr C8PyBr and C10PyBr were used as cross-linker for chitosan biopolymers and the cross-linked chitosan composites, chitosan/1,1′-(pentane-1,5-diyl)bis(4-formylpyridin-1-ium)dibromide (Ch/C5PyBr), chitosan/1,1′-(octane-1,8-diyl)bis(4-formylpyridin-1-ium)dibromide (Ch/C8PyBr) and chitosan/1,1′-(decane-1,10-diyl)bis(4-formylpyridin-1-ium)dibromide (Ch/C10PyBr) were prepared. Herein, the synthesized AFILs have not only cross-linked chitosan, but also provide them the desired novel, functional groups. The prepared chitosan composites were characterized by FT-IR for the analysis of structural, TG and DSC for the thermal behavior, and an electrometer for the electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of the prepared Ch/C5PyBr composite was measured as 1.69 × 10−5 ± 2.37 × 10−5 S cm−1 by the four-point probe at room temperature and this value is higher about 4500-fold than the electrical conductivity of the chitosan.
METODE LANGSUNG (DIRECT METHOD) DALAM PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA ARAB

Penerapan metode langsung (direct method) dalam pembelajaran bahasa Arab di Pesantren al-Falah dipandang relevan dengan ciri-ciri dan prosedur penerapannya, bahkan untuk mendukung keberhasilan pembelajaran bahasa Arab di pesantren tersebut diterapkan sistem bi�ah lughawiyah. Adapun faktor yang mendukung keberhasilan penerapan Metode Langsung (Direct Method) dalam pembelajaran bahasa Arab di Pondok Pesantren al-Falah telah menunjukkan bahwa: minat dan motivasi siswa sangat tinggi untuk belajar agama dan bahasa Arab. Begitu pula metode pembelajaran yang dipakai dalam pembelajaran bahasa Arab di Pondok Pesantren al-Falah membuat siswa mudah memahami dan menguasai pelajaran. Selain itu telah didukung dengan penerapan sistem bi�ah lughawiyah (penciptaan lingkungan bernuansa Arab) yang dilaksanakan sepanjang waktu mulai bangun tidur santri hingga tidur kembali. Sedangkan faktor yang menghambat keberhasilan penerapan Metode Langsung (Direct Method) dalam pembelajaran bahasa Arab di Pondok Pesantren al-Falah ini, antara lain berkaitan dengan problematika umum dalam penerapan Metode Langsung, seperti kebebasan berbicara pada situasi yang tidak diprogramkan, mencampuradukkan antara bahasa asing dan bahasa ibu, ketidaksiapan tenaga pengajar, dan penciptaan bi�ah lughawiyah yang belum maksimal.
Cascaded Open-End Winding Transformer Based DVR

This paper introduces and generalizes a class of multilevel dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) for voltage sags/swells compensation of high-power sensitive loads. Such a device can improve the power quality of sensitive loads located in stiff systems. The proposed DVR is based on three-phase bridge converters series-connected by means of cascaded transformers using the concept of open-end winding (OEW). Hence, two dc-links can provide either symmetrical (i.e., equal dc-link voltages) or asymmetrical (i.e., different dc-link voltages) operation of the DVR converters. A generalization for $K$-stages is presented as well. The proposed configuration is named DVR-cascaded open-end winding (COEW). Such a topology permits a generation of a maximized number of voltage levels per converter leg. An alternative solution with multiple dc-links (i.e., multiple dc sources), named DVR-MSCOEW, is briefly introduced. The multilevel waveforms at the output voltages of the converter are generated by using a suitable pulse-width modulation (PWM) strategy associated with both dc-link voltage and transformers turns ratios. In the scenario, where common mode currents (CMC) for DVR-COEW are introduced, and if such currents are significant, a modified PWM strategy is described to compensate for CMC issues. Since it uses two-level cells, the modularity feature makes the proposed DVR-COEW an attractive solution compared with some conventional configurations. Modeling and PWM control are addressed in this paper. Simulation and experimental results are presented.
Corporate Influences and Financial Reporting Quality in Pre- and Post-Adoption of the Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards

In Malaysia, corporate influences on financial information have received a great attention by the stakeholders since it represents board of directorsâ€™ accountability. Board of directors communicate the financial information through the corporate financial reports. However, the corporate influences on improving the financial reporting quality have been under investigated, particularly with the adoption of the Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards (MFRSs). This study examines the corporate influences on the financial reporting quality in pre- and post-adoption of the MFRSs. Specific corporate influences indicators examined in this study are board of directorsâ€™ independence, board size, frequency of board meeting, financial literacy of board members, board directorship, board change, managerial ownership and directorsâ€™ remuneration. Data were collected on 456 companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia. The results indicate that there is no significant difference in the means of financial reporting quality in the pre- and post-adoption periods of the MFRSs. In addition, it was found that only board of directorsâ€™ independence has the significant effect on the financial reporting quality in the post-adoption period of the MFRSs. This study contributes to the financial reporting quality literature by means of examining the role of governance mechanism, in the pre- and post-adoption of the MFRS.
Use of Waste Glass as A Replacement for Raw Materials in Mortars with a Lower Environmental Impact

Glass waste used in mortars or concretes behaves similar to cement, with resulting environmental benefits. In this light, the behavior of glass powder of various particle sizes has been analyzed as a cement replacement in mortars, in an attempt to minimize the loss of strength and durability, and maximize the amount of materials replaced. The dry density, water accessible porosity, water absorption by immersion, capillary absorption coefficient, ultrasonic pulse velocity and both compressive and flexural strengths were studied in the mortars. Furthermore, a statistical analysis of the obtained results and a greenhouse gases assessment were also performed. In view of the results obtained, glass powder of 38 microns allows up to 30% of the cement to be replaced, due to the filler effect combined with its pozzolanic activity. Moreover, it has been observed that glass powder size is one of the factors with the greatest influence among the properties of porosity, absorption and capillarity. On the other hand, in the mechanical properties, this factor does not contribute significantly more than the amount of glass powder. Finally, the greenhouse gasses analysis shows that the incorporation of glass powder reduces the CO2 emissions associated with mortar up to 29.47%.
Different Effects of Two ENSO Types on Arctic Surface Temperature in Boreal Winter

The present work investigates different responses of Arctic surface air temperature (SAT) to two ENSO types based on reanalysis datasets and model experiments. We find that eastern Pacific (EP) ENSO events are accompanied by statistically significant SAT responses over the Barents–Kara Seas in February, while central Pacific (CP) events coincide with statistically significant SAT responses over northeastern Canada and Greenland. These impacts are largely of opposite sign for ENSO warm and cold phases. During EP El Niño in February, the enhanced tropospheric polar vortex over Eurasia and associated local low-level northeasterly anomalies over the Barents–Kara Seas lead to anomalously cold SAT in this region. Simultaneously, the enhanced tropospheric polar vortex leads to enhanced sinking air motion and consequently reduced cloud cover. This in turn reduces downward infrared radiation (IR), which further reduces SAT in the Barents–Kara Seas region. Such a robust response cannot be detected during other winter months for EP ENSO events. During CP El Niño, the February SATs over northeastern Canada and Greenland are anomalously warm and coincide with a weakened tropospheric polar vortex and related local low-level southwesterly anomalies originating from the Atlantic Ocean. The anomalous warmth can be enhanced by the local positive feedback. Similar SAT signals as in February during CP ENSO events can also be seen in January, but they are less statistically robust. We demonstrate that these contrasting Arctic February SAT responses are consistent with responses to the two ENSO types with a series of atmospheric general circulation model experiments. These results have implications for the seasonal predictability of regional Arctic SAT anomalies.
The link between childhood trauma and dissociation in frequent users of classic psychedelics and dissociatives

ABSTRACT Background: Childhood trauma severity is associated with the level of subsequent substance use as well as with the self-reported severity of dissociation. Classic psychedelics and dissociatives target neurotransmitter systems thought to be involved in the onset of dissociative symptoms and may evoke severe and long-lasting symptoms of depersonalization in some users. However, it is currently unclear whether drug use puts people with a history of childhood trauma at higher risk of developing dissociative symptoms. Objectives: The current study investigates whether the one-year prevalence of substance use significantly moderates the link between childhood trauma and the severity of depersonalization. Methods: Participants (n = 297, of which 80.2% were active users) filled out an online self-report questionnaire including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale (CDS), and information about their substance use. Results: Results indicate that childhood trauma and substance use are significant individual predictors of dissociation scores in this sample, but no moderation of substance use on the link between childhood trauma and depersonalization was established. Conclusions: It is hypothesized that the quality (particularly the context) of the experience of substance use rather than the sheer quantity may be responsible for the manifestation of depersonalization.
Bearing capacity and failure mechanism of shallow footings on unreinforced slopes: a state-of-the-art review

ABSTRACT The analyses of load carrying capacity of shallow footings, located on semi-infinite horizontal surface, have been dealt at large by various researchers. With the growth in urbanization in the hilly regions, the recent years have recorded a boom in the infrastructure development on the hill-slopes. The presence of the slope face largely affects the load carrying capacity of the shallow footings for such infrastructures, and presents a failure mechanism that is specifically different to that developed for footings located on horizontal grounds. This study presents a state-of-the-art review of the responses of shallow foundation placed on or near the face of sloping surface. The discussions have been categorized based on experimental, theoretical and numerical approaches. Finally, the critical appraisal of the state-of-the-art practice is provided and the scopes of further studies have been elucidated.
Removing disabling barriers in policing: Dyslexia and literacy difficulties in the police service

The aim of this article is to explore the impact of dyslexia, self-identified dyslexia and literacy difficulties on police officers/civilian employees. The study employs a social model approach which advocates that problems associated with dyslexia are not due to an impairment effect but can be attributed to a lack of reasonable adjustment due to disabling environmental barriers. The methodology applies a quantitative approach that analyses the impact that dyslexia/literacy difficulties have on policing. The authors suggest that with minor adjustments to working environments, police organisations can foster an inclusive rather than exclusive occupational environment.
Vulnerability analysis of a slender building made of coupled concrete and masonry materials

The present paper deals with the evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of historical buildings that typically have not been designed for resisting to seismic forces. In detail, the attention has been devoted to the study of slender structures that may especially suffer such actions due to their high flexibility. The paper examines the case of Trani Cathedral’sbell-tower that is 57m tall and is characterized by an unusual building typology, i.e. the walls are composed by a concrete core coupled with the external masonry stones. The 3D finite element model of the tower defined on the basis of an extensive experimental campaign, is described and adopted for conducting a nonlinear static analysis to evaluate the vulnerability of the tower to seismic actions. Key-Words: Non-linear static analysis, historical slender building, vulnerability analysis, finite element model, concrete, masonry materials.