Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring s ustainable f actors during c onstruction p rojects ’ l ife c

This paper explores the sustainable factors, which are taken into consideration by engineers during the holistic process of building Projects Life Cycle (LC) in the Gaza Strip. A total of 53 sustainable factors (economic, social, and environmental)) were identified from extensive literature review and were modified according to the pilot study. These factors are classified into 5 project LC phases: inception phase, design phase, construction phase, operation phase, and demolition phase. A questionnaire survey is adapted in this study. A total of 119 questionnaires were distributed randomly to engineers working in construction projects in the Gaza Strip to solicit their opinions regarding taking sustainability concepts into consideration. The results revealed 10 most important sustainable factors that were taken into consideration by engineers in the LC phases of the construction projects in Gaza Strip, which are classified as follows: 4 factors are classified under the inception phase, 3 factors under the design phase, 2 factors under the construction phase, and 1 factor under operation phase. The most common factors that are taken in consideration are: provision of services, standardization, community amenities, materials choice, and site security.
Thromboxane inhibition and monocrotaline‐induced pulmonary hypertension in rats

Abstract Monocrotaline (MCT)‐induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a useful model for the investigation of this disorder in humans. The role of thrombocytes in the genesis of PH has already been addressed; however, the exact mechanism by which they induce PH remains to be elucidated. We investigated the effects of a thromboxane A2 (TXA2) synthase inhibitor (OKY‐046) and a TXA2/ prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) receptor antagonist (ONO‐8809) on the development of MCT‐induced PH. A single dose of MCT (60 mg/kg bodyweight; BW) was injected subcutaneously in Wistar rats 24 h after the administration of OKY‐046 or ONO‐8809. The TXA2 inhibitors were administered by gavage daily for 3 weeks. Urinary excretion of eicosanoids was determined by radioimmunoassay. At the end of the treatment period, the lungs, heart and kidneys were morphologically examined. The per cent medial thickness of the muscular pulmonary arteries (%MT) and the ratio of the right to the left ventricular mass including the septum (RV/LV+S) increased significantly in MCT‐treated rats compared with the control rats. The %MT was attenuated by the administration of ONO‐8809. Either OKY‐046 or ONO‐8809 attenuated the increase in RV/LV+S. In addition, both TXA2 inhibitors reduced urinary excretion of 11‐dehydro‐TXB2, particularly during the early phase of PH, suggesting that platelet aggregation was reduced. These findings suggest that the inhibition of TXA2 by synthase inhibition or receptor antagonism reduces or delays the development of MCT‐induced PH in rats, probably by inhibiting platelet aggregation.
On the Free-Surface Roughness in Incremental Forming of a Sheet Metal: A Study from the Perspective of ISF Strain, Surface Morphology, Post-Forming Properties, and Process Conditions

Due to absence of any supporting die, the free surfaces in incremental sheet forming (ISF) experience uneven deformation. This results in rough surfaces, possibly leading to the reduced service life of components. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze and quantify the effects of the application of strain on the free-surface roughness. Moreover, in order to control roughness, both on the free surface and the opposite contact surface, the nature of correlation between the two types of roughnesses needs to be identified by classifying the significance of different process conditions. The present work is a fundamental study to address these points. A series of specimens are produced by subjecting a metallic sheet to a range of ISF strains (13% to 98%). These specimens are then subjected to a number of characterization tests, namely roughness, uniaxial tension, and residual stress tests. The results reveal that the mean free-surface roughness increases non-linearly as the normal strain (stretching + bending) on the free surface increases (where strain state on the surface is as follows: ɛ1 = 0, ɛ2 > 0, γmax = ɛ2 and 1 and 2 are principal directions). The roughness also increases, although linearly, with the post-forming sheet strength, residual stress, and forming force, thereby showing that strain hardening has a direct influence on the roughness in a way that sheet strengthening is achieved at the cost of surface quality. The surface morphology reveals that the free surfaces contained orange peel, slip lines, and micro-voids, with density increasing with strain application, thus indicating the possible influence of tensile stresses on free surface deformation and roughening at an increasing degree with strain. Further analysis of roughness results discloses that the free-surface roughness and the contact-surface roughness are inversely related, because the responses of the two to ISF processing were mutually exclusive. Based on the obtained results, future research directions are also discussed.
Halothane-dependent Lipid Peroxidation in Human Liver Microsomes Is Catalyzed by Cytochrome P4502A6 (CYP2A6)

Background Halothane is extensively (approximately 50%) metabolized in humans and undergoes both oxidative and reductive cytochrome P450-catalyzed hepatic biotransformation. Halothane is reduced under low oxygen tensions by CYP2A6 and CYP3A4 in human liver microsome to an unstable free radical, and then to the volatile metabolites chlorodifluoroethene (CDE) and chlorotrifluoroethane (CTE). The free radical is also thought to initiate lipid peroxidation. Halothane-dependent lipid peroxidation has been shown in animals in vitro and in vivo but has not been evaluated in humans. This investigation tested the hypothesis that halothane causes lipid peroxidation in human liver microsomes, identified P450 isoforms responsible for halothane-dependent lipid peroxidation, and tested the hypothesis that lipid peroxidation is prevented by inhibiting halothane reduction. Methods Halothane metabolism was determined using human liver microsomes or cDNA-expressed P450. Lipid peroxidation was quantified by malondialdehyde (MDA) formation using high-pressure liquid chromatography–ultraviolet analysis of the thiobarbituric acid–MDA adduct. CTE and CDE were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results Halothane caused MDA formation in human liver microsomes at rates much lower than in rat liver microsomes. Human liver microsomal MDA production exhibited biphasic enzyme kinetics, similar to CDE and CTE production. MDA production was inhibited by the CYP2A6 inhibitor methoxsalen but not by the CYP3A4 inhibitor troleandomycin. Halothane-dependent MDA production was catalyzed by cDNA-expressed CYP2A6 but not CYP3A4 or P450 reductase alone. CYP2A6-catalyzed MDA production was inhibited by methoxsalen or anti-CYP2A6 antibody. Conclusions Halothane causes lipid peroxidation in human liver microsomes, which is catalyzed by CYP2A6, and inhibition of halothane reduction prevents halothane-dependent lipid peroxidation in vitro.
Saliva testosterone and cortisol in male depressive syndrome, a community study. The Sudurnesjamenn Study

Abstract Introduction: The association between testosterone levels and depression is unclear. The relationship has been described as complex, i.e. more U (J)-shaped than linear in some previous studies. Aim: The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between saliva testosterone level variations and different levels of male depressive symptoms in a community sample. The secondary aim was to investigate whether simultaneous testing of evening cortisol and testosterone improved the detection of depression. Methods: In a community study, 534 males were screened, using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS) and the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Those with signs of depression (n = 65) and randomly selected controls (n = 69) had psychiatric evaluation for depressive disorder. In a sub-sample (n = 51) saliva testosterone was measured twice on a single day. Results: Testosterone morning values were significantly higher than evening values (236 vs. 145 pg/ml, P = 0.009). Evening testosterone was significantly higher in depressive males, according to both MADRS (P = 0.028) and BDI (P = 0.036). Having depression increased the likelihood of being in the highest third of testosterone levels (BDI P = 0.021; MADRS P = 0.018). Positive correlation was between total BDI score and elevated evening testosterone with and without psychotropics (P = 0.017; P = 0.002). Correlation was between elevated evening cortisol and evening testosterone levels (P = 0.021) though simultaneous testing did not increase specificity of detecting depression. Conclusion: Evening saliva testosterone measurements seem the most informative, as they correlate with male depressive syndrome. Simultaneous testing for evening cortisol and evening testosterone levels did not increase specificity for clinical diagnosis of depressive disorder.
Restenosis after elective coronary balloon angioplasty in patients with end stage renal disease: a case-control study using quantitative coronary angiography

Objective To assess the rate of angiographic restenosis in patients with end stage renal disease after elective coronary angioplasty. Design A retrospective case-control study of 20 patients with end stage renal disease and 20 sex and age matched controls without renal disease, who had undergone primarily successful coronary angioplasty. Control coronary angiography was performed regardless of worsening or renewed incidence of anginal symptoms. Main outcome measures Group comparison of coronary morphology, as evaluated by quantitative coronary angiography, and of cardiovascular risk factors. Results The rate of angiographic restenosis was 60% in patients with renal disease and 35% in controls. In patients with end stage renal disease the following differences (mean (SD) were found versus controls: raised plasma fibrinogen (483 (101)v 326 (62) mg/dl, p < 0.001); raised plasma triglyceride (269 (163) v 207 (176) mg/dl, p < 0.01); smaller diameter of the coronary reference segment (2.59 (0.87) v 2.90 (0.55) mm, p < 0.10); smaller minimum luminal diameter of the dilated stenosis (0.77 (0.46)v 0.97 (0.27) mm, p < 0.05). Discriminant analysis showed that minimum luminal diameter before angioplasty (r = −0.79) and fibrinogen (r = +0.34) had the highest statistical association with restenosis. Conclusions The high rate of angiographic restenosis in patients with end stage renal disease seems to be related to the size of the vessel dilated and to an increased prothrombotic risk, as indicated by higher fibrinogen concentrations.
Context Aggregation Network for Semantic Labeling in Aerial Images

Multi-scale object recognition and accurate object localization are two major problems for semantic segmentation in high resolution aerial images. To handle these problems, we design a Context Fuse Module to aggregate multi-scale features and propose an Attention Mix Module to combine different level features for higher localization accuracy. We further employ a Residual Convolutional Module to refine features in all levels. Based on these modules, we construct a new end-to-end network for semantic labeling in aerial images. Experiments demonstrate that our network outperforms other state-of-the-art models on the large-scale ISPRS Vaihingen 2D Semantic Labeling Challenge dataset. The model implementation code is made publicly available1.
PD-1hi Identifies a Novel Regulatory B-cell Population in Human Hepatoma That Promotes Disease Progression.

UNLABELLED B cells often constitute abundant cellular components in human tumors. Regulatory B cells that are functionally defined by their ability to produce IL10 downregulate inflammation and control T-cell immunity. Here, we identified a protumorigenic subset of B cells that constitutively expressed higher levels of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and constituted ∼10% of all B cells in advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These PD-1(hi) B cells exhibited a unique CD5(hi)CD24(-/+)CD27(hi/+)CD38(dim) phenotype different from the phenotype of conventional CD24(hi)CD38(hi) peripheral regulatory B cells. TLR4-mediated BCL6 upregulation was crucial for PD-1(hi) B-cell induction by HCC environmental factors, and that effect was abolished by IL4-elicited STAT6 phosphorylation. Importantly, upon encountering PD-L1(+) cells or undergoing PD-1 triggering, PD-1(hi) B cells acquired regulatory functions that suppressed tumor-specific T-cell immunity and promoted cancer growth via IL10 signals. Our findings provide significant new insights for human cancer immunosuppression and anticancer therapies regarding PD-1/PD-L1. SIGNIFICANCE We identify a novel protumorigenic PD-1(hi) B-cell subset in human HCC that exhibits a phenotype distinct from that of peripheral regulatory B cells. TLR4-mediated BCL6 upregulation is critical for induction of PD-1(hi) B cells, which operate via IL10-dependent pathways upon interacting with PD-L1 to cause T-cell dysfunction and foster disease progression. Cancer Discov; 6(5); 546-59. ©2016 AACR.See related commentary by Ren et al., p. 477This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 461.
Adaptation of Convolutional Neural Networks for Video Object Segmentation : Supplementary Material

Table 2 shows a more detailed evaluation on the DAVIS validation set using the evaluation measures suggested by Perazzi et al. [6]. The measures used here are the Jaccard index J , defined as the mean intersection-over-union (mIoU) between the predicted foreground masks and the ground truth masks; the contour accuracy measure F , which measures how well the segmentation boundaries agree; and the temporal stability measure T , which measures the consistency of the predicted masks over time. For more details of these measures, we refer
Retina Characteristics of Diabetic Capillary Nonperfusion in Macular and Extramacular White Spots on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Citation: Morino K, Murakami T, Dodo Y, et al. Characteristics of diabetic capillary nonperfusion in macular and extramacular white spots on optical coherence tomography angiography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019;60:1595–1603. https://doi.org/ 10.1167/iovs.18-26534 PURPOSE. To compare the characteristics of macular and extramacular white spots on widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images in diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Evaluation of a Commercial PCR Kit for Diagnosis of Cytomegalovirus Infection of the Central Nervous System

ABSTRACT We evaluated the AMPLICOR cytomegalovirus (CMV) PCR kit for the diagnosis of neurologic CMV infections on 43 positive and 112 negative archived cerebrospinal fluid specimens originally tested by an in-house PCR method. The AMPLICOR kit showed sensitivity and specificity of 95 and 100%, respectively, versus the home-grown assay, indicating its utility in this clinical setting.
Production of phthiocerol dimycocerosates protects Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the cidal activity of reactive nitrogen intermediates produced by macrophages and modulates the early immune response to infection

The growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutants unable to synthesize phthiocerol dimycocerosates (DIMs) was recently shown to be impaired in mouse lungs. However, the precise role of these molecules in the course of infection remained to be determined. Here, we provide evidence that the attenuation of a DIM‐deficient strain takes place during the acute phase of infection in both lungs and spleen of mice, and that this attenuation results in part from the increased sensitivity of the mutant to the cidal activity of reactive nitrogen intermediates released by activated macrophages. We also show that the DIM‐deficient mutant, the growth and survival of which were not impaired within resting macrophages and dendritic cells, induced these cells to secrete more tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐6 than the wild‐type strain. Although purified DIM molecules by themselves had no effect on the activation of macrophages and dendritic cells in vitro, we found that the proper localization of DIMs in the cell envelope of M. tuberculosis is critical to their biological effects. Thus, our findings suggest that DIM production contributes to the initial growth of M. tuberculosis by protecting it from the nitric oxide‐dependent killing of macrophages and modulating the early immune response to infection.
Myeloid differentiation of human cord blood CD34+ cells during ex vivo expansion using thrombopoietin, flt3‐ligand and/or granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor

We investigated the phenotypic changes of human umbilical cord blood (CB) CD34+ cells during ex vivo expansion using thrombopoietin (TPO), flt3‐ligand (FL), and/or granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF). During ex vivo expansion of CD34+ cells isolated from human CB for up to 5 weeks, surface expression of molecules on the cultured cells including CD64 (FcγRI), CD32 (FcγRII), CD16 (FcγRIII), CD11b (MAC‐1) and CD18 (β2‐integrin) was analysed by flow cytometry along with simultaneous measurement of apoptosis by 7‐aminoactinomycin D staining method. CD64, CD32 and/or CD18 expressing cells appeared in the cultures both with and without the addition of G‐CSF until the tenth day. However, without G‐CSF, CD16+ fractions did not appear and CD11b+ fractions were not maintained. With G‐CSF, the CD16+ or CD11b+ fractions appeared only from the second week. These results suggest that G‐CSF is necessary for the late stage of myeloid maturation during which CD16 and CD11b are expressed.
Epidemiology of aeromedical evacuation: an analysis of 504 cases.

BACKGROUND Increasing air travel has resulted in a significant increase in aeromedical evacuation (AE) over the past decade. However, there are limited epidemiological data available on the diagnosis, costs, and transport characteristics of AE cases. METHODS Cases of AE by a relief organization (Workers' Samaritan Federation Germany) were analyzed based on the following criteria: age, sex, and diagnosis of the patient, ventilation mode, days of illness before transport, type of transport, flight routes, flying time, flight distance, type of aircraft, type and distance of connecting transport from the destination airport to the final hospital, total cost per repatriation, cost per flight-minute, and cost per flight-kilometer of each transport type. RESULTS A total of 504 patients (273 males, 231 females, aged 42 d-96 y, median 66 y) were included in the study. The top three diagnoses for adults were fracture of the femoral neck (n = 74, 15%), stroke (n = 69, 14%), and myocardial infarction (n = 39, 8%). Transport was carried out with an air ambulance (n = 391, 78%, 73.67 €/min), a scheduled aircraft with regular seating (n = 62, 12%, 17.57 €/min), a stretcher in a scheduled aircraft (n = 48, 10%, 35.28 €/min), or a patient transport compartment installed on board a scheduled aircraft (n = 3, < 1%). CONCLUSIONS As the demand for AE is likely to increase in the future, the cost-effectiveness and selection of the appropriate form of air transportation, while assuring the right medical response, will be of increasing importance. Patients are likely to benefit from further epidemiological assessments like those presented in this study.
Coaches’ impact on youth athletes’ intentions to continue sport participation: The mediational influence of the coach–athlete relationship

About 70% of youth athletes drop out of sport by age 13. Self-determination theory has been utilised to investigate athletes’ motivations for behaviours including sport persistence (i.e. continuation) and suggests that the coach can be an influence on such motivations. Basic need fulfillment via interpersonal coaching behaviours, the coach-athlete relationship (CAR), and intentions to continue sport participation have been examined independently and in various combinations and directions, but these variables have not been examined collectively in this manner. The purpose of this study was to determine if CAR quality mediates the relationship between interpersonal coaching behaviours and intentions to continue sport participation. Surveys were administered to 148 athletes ages 11 to 16 from organised sports teams. No significant indirect effects of mediation could be established. However, there was a significant and direct effect of competence-supportive behaviours on intentions (β = .341, p < .001). Overall, the total effects model was significant (F(1,146) = 18.762, p < . 001, adjusted R2 = . 114). Significant positive relationships were shown among supportive coach behaviours and CAR quality in addition to CAR quality and intentions. Negative relationships were demonstrated among thwarting coach behaviours and CAR quality. Results support that coaches’ competence-supportive behaviours can positively impact CAR quality and intentions to continue sport participation in youth athletes.
Design and Performance Characterization of Roadside Bioretention Systems

In the current study, three roadside bioretention systems with different configurations were constructed to investigate their pollutant removal efficiency in different rainfall recurrence intervals. The bioretention systems (referred as units) (unit A: 700 mm height material without submerged zone; unit B: 400 mm height material with 300 mm submerged zone; unit C: 400 mm height material without submerged zone) were used to conduct the rainfall events with uniform 120 min rainfall duration for 2-, 5-, 10-, 15-, and 30-year recurrence intervals. Results reveal that the gradual increase of rainfall return period would have negative effects on TN and NH4+-N removal. The higher filler layer may increase pollutant removal efficiency. Setting a submerged zone could improve the CODMn and TN removal compared to TP and NH4+-N removal. The values for comprehensive reduction rate of pollutant load in the three bioretention systems were recorded as follows: 64% in SS, 50%~80% in TP, 69% in NH4+-N, and 28%~53% in NO3-N separately. These results provide greater understanding of the design and treatment performance of bioretention systems.
Expression of Cyp 21 a 1 and Cyp 11 b 1 in the fetal mouse testis

Fetal Leydig cells and fetal adrenocortical cells may share a common progenitor cell. Both cell types show several similarities, particularly in relation to their primary steroidogenic function. Differences in steroid secretion are largely due to the expression of 21-hydroxylase (CYP21A1) and 11b-hydroxylase (CYP11B1) activity in the adrenal. To determine whether expression of these enzymes defines a clear difference between adrenocortical and Leydig cells, or is further evidence of a link between the cell types, we have measured Cyp21a1 and Cyp11b1 expression and related enzyme activity in the fetal testis. Expression of both Cyp21a1 and Cyp11b1 was clearly detectable in the fetal testis by RT-PCR and Southern blotting. Real-time PCR studies showed that Cyp11b1 was expressed only in the fetal/neonatal testis with no expression in the pubertal or post-pubertal animal. Cyp21a1 was also predominantly expressed in the fetal testis although some lower expression was also seen in the adult. Expression of Cyp21a1 and Cyp11b1 in neonatal testicular cells was unaffected by incubation in vitro with human chorionic gonadotrophin or ACTH. Using immunohistochemistry, CYP21A1 was localised to a subset of interstitial steroidogenic cells in the fetal testis although CYP11B1 was not detectable. Incubation studies showed that 21-hydroxylase activity was present in the tissue although 11b-hydroxylase activity could not be detected. Results indicate that a subpopulation of steroidogenic cells in the fetal testis express Cyp21a1 and show 21-hydroxylase activity. This may provide further evidence of a link between fetal Leydig cells and adrenocortical cells but does not discount the possibility that these steroidogenic cells represent ‘ectopic’