Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blind source separation: A preprocessing tool for monitoring of structures

The paper considers the problem of Blind Source Separation (BSS), as an emerging advanced signal processing technique, and presents in this framework two applications having as subject building monitoring and large dam surveillance using a non-conventional technique. The applications pointed out the effectiveness of the approach based on blind source separation, as a preprocessing tool for monitoring of civil structures.
Tripartite entanglement and quantum relative entropy

We establish relations between tripartite pure state entanglement and additivity properties of the bipartite relative entropy of entanglement. Our results pertain to the asymptotic limit of local manipulations on a large number of copies of the state. We show that additivity of the relative entropy would imply that there are at least two inequivalent types of asymptotic tripartite entanglement. The methods used include the application of some useful lemmas that enable us to analytically calculate the relative entropy for some classes of bipartite states.
Growth Performance of Silver Barb ( Puntius gonionotus ) in Mono and Polyculture Systems

An experiment was conducted for 190 days from September 15, 2005 to March 25, 2006 in 12 outdoor concrete tanks of 24 m 2 (4.9 m × 4.9 m) size and 1.25 m in water depth, at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal to evaluate the growth performance and profitability of silver barb in mono and polyculture systems. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments having three replications each. There was one mono and three polyculture systems of silver barb with different fish species as treatments: (1) Silver barb at 1.5 fish/m 2 (control); (2) Silver barb at 1.5 fish/m 2 plus common carp at 0.2 fish/m 2 ; (3) Silver barb at 1.5 fish/m 2 plus male Nile tilapia at 0.3 fish/m 2 ; and (4) Silver barb at 1.5 fish/m 2 plus carps at 0.5 fish/m 2 (silver carp 40%, bighead carp 20%, and common carp 40%). Silver barb were fed with 23% CP feed @ 4% body weight daily. At harvest, the mean weight, daily weight gain, gross fish yield (GFY) and net fish yield (NFY) of silver barb in monoculture treatment were significantly greater than in polyculture with common carp (p 0.05). However, survival of silver barb was not significantly different among treatments (p > 0.05). The combined GFY in polyculture with Nile tilapia treatment was significantly greater than in polyculture with common carp and in polyculture with other carps (p Keywords: Silver barb, Monoculture, Polyculture doi: 10.3126/on.v6i1.1653 Our Nature (2008)6:38-46
Acupuncture Modulates the Cerebello-Thalamo-Cortical Circuit and Cognitive Brain Regions in Patients of Parkinson's Disease With Tremor

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with tremor and its potential neuromechanism by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods: Forty-one PD patients with tremor were randomly assigned to true acupuncture group (TAG, n = 14), sham acupuncture group (SAG, n = 14) and waiting group (WG, n = 13). All patients received levodopa for 12 weeks. Patients in TAG were acupunctured on DU20, GB20, and the Chorea-Tremor Controlled Zone, and patients in SAG accepted sham acupuncture, while patients in WG received no acupuncture treatment until 12 weeks after the course was ended. The UPDRS II and III subscales, and fMRI scans of the patients' brains were obtained before and after the treatment course. UPDRS II and III scores were analyzed by SPSS, while the degree centrality (DC), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were determined by REST. Results: Acupuncture improved the UPDRS II and III scores in PD patients with tremor without placebo effect, only in tremor score. Acupuncture had specific effects on the cerebrocerebellar pathways as shown by the decreased DC and ReHo and increased ALFF values, and nonspecific effects on the spinocerebellar pathways as shown by the increased ReHo and ALFF values (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Increased ReHo values were observed within the thalamus and motor cortex of the PD patients (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). In addition, the default mode network (DMN), visual areas and insula were activated by the acupuncture with increased DC, ReHo and/or ALFF, while the prefrontal cortex (PFC) presented a significant decrease in ReHo and ALFF values after acupuncture (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Conclusions: The cerebellum, thalamus and motor cortex, which are connected to the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuit, were modulated by the acupuncture stimulation to alleviate the PD tremor. The regulation of neural activity within the cognitive brain regions (the DMN, visual areas, insula and PFC) together with CTC circuit may contributes to enhancing movement and improving patients' daily life activities.
Specification and Estimation of Gravity Models: A Review of the Issues in the Literature

The gravity model has become an efficient tool in the analysis of international economic relations due to its theoretical derivation and ability to explain these relationships. The contending issue now is the appropriate specification and estimation techniques. This paper presents a review of current controversy surrounding the specification and estimation of gravity model with zero trade data, which we called ‘gravity modeling estimation debate’. Different positions in the literature were enunciated with the view of bringing the readers to the frontier of knowledge in this area of empirical strategies revolving on the gravity modeling in the presence of zero trade. By and large, the identification of the most appropriate estimation technique in the presence of zero trade is still an empirical issue. This paper deduced that the choice of the estimation technique should largely be based on the research questions, the model specification and the choice of data to be used for the analysis.
The role of FDG PET / CT in detection of distant metastasis in the initial staging of breast cancer

Anar ALIYEV, Sabire YILMAZ AKSOY, Meftune ÖZHAN, Özgül EKMEKÇİOĞLU, Betül VATANKULU, Pınar Çiğdem KOCAEL, Muhammet Sait SAĞER, Melih Engin ERKAN, Kerim SÖNMEZOĞLU, Metin HALAÇ* Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey Department of General Surgery, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Düzce University, Düzce, Turkey
Microvesicles and ectosomes in angiogenesis and diabetes - message in a bottle in the vascular ocean

The pathogenesis of diabetes involves dysregulated gene expression on a pre- and posttranscriptional level. One key mechanism in the development and progression of diabetes is thought being a dysregulation of signalling mediators such as microRNAs. These microRNAs interfere with pathophysiological reactions in diabetes by affecting gene transcription, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. Here, in this current issue, Stępień et al. analysed ectosomal miRNA patterns in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using different analytical techniques. The focus of the current analysis was to characterize pro- and anti-angiogenic signalling effects of ectosomal miRNAs revealing important pathophysiologic mechanisms and signalling in T2DM.
Inorganic and organic nitrogen uptake by nine dominant subtropical tree species

Abstract: We explored inorganic and organic N uptake patterns by dominant tree species in a subtropical plantation of southern China to improve understanding of nitrogen (N) cycling in these forests. We labeled intact roots by brief 15N exposures in field hydroponic experiments. Nine dominant tree species were examined to compare the effects of functional plant group (conifers versus broadleaves), mycorrhizal types, and forest successional stages on N uptake. All investigated species took up glycine at lower rates than other N forms, with mean values of 2.55 ± 0.36 µg N g-1 d.w. root h-1. Nitrate uptake rates for all species (average 5.81 ± 0.35 µg N g-1 d.w. root h-1) were significantly lower than ammonium (36.86 ± 5.17 µg N g-1 d.w. root h-1). All investigated species absorbed ammonium for more than 80% of total N uptake. Nitrate acquisition by these species was about 14% of total N uptake, with only 6% for glycine. Conifers showed significantly higher uptake rates of glycine, but lower uptake of nitrate than broadleaves. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree species showed significant difference in nitrate uptake, with higher rates by AM tree species. Tree species at late-successional forest stages showed higher uptake rates of nitrate than those in earlier successional stages. Our findings indicate that ammonium is the dominant N source and glycine is a minor N source throughout forest succession.
Effect of quinoa flour addition on quality characteristics of rice gluten-free cookies

The purpose of this study was to obtain gluten-free cookies destined for gluten intolerant people and not only, which implies the substitution of wheat gluten. Gluten intolerance is a chronic illness of the small intestines which occurs in the case of people with a certain genetic predisposition. To optimize recipe of the aglutenic cookies obtained using rice flour (RF) and quinoa flour (QF) the following blends RF/QF, 90:10, 75:25, 55:45 were performed. Thus, the biscuits were prepared from the RF/QF blends and evaluated for physicochemical and sensory properties. The results showed that the protein and the fat contents of the flour blend cookies increased with increasing levels of QF. Sensory evaluation showed that above 10% quinoa substitution levels, the sensory scores for overall acceptability and all the sensory qualities evaluated decreased steadily. Biscuits (cookies) prepared from the blends of 90% rice flour and 10% quinoa flour were appreciated by panelists as the most acceptable.
Cancer Cell Viability in Pancreatic Cancer Sirtuin-1 Regulates Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia and Supports

The exocrine pancreas can undergo acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), as in the case of pancreatitis where precursor lesions of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can arise. The NADþ-dependent protein deacetylase Sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) has been implicated in carcinogenesis with dual roles depending on its subcellular localization. In this study, we examined the expression and the role of Sirt1 in different stages of pancreatic carcinogenesis, i.e. ADM models and established PDAC. In addition, we analyzed the expression of KIAA1967, a key mediator of Sirt1 function, along with potential Sirt1 downstream targets. Sirt1 was co-expressed with KIAA1967 in the nuclei of normal pancreatic acinar cells. In ADM, Sirt1 underwent a transient nuclear-tocytoplasmic shuttling. Experiments where during ADM, we enforced repression of Sirt1 shuttling, inhibition of Sirt1 activity or modulation of its expression, all underscore that the temporary decrease of nuclear and increase of cytoplasmic Sirt1 stimulate ADM. Our results further underscore that important transcriptional regulators of acinar differentiation, that is, Pancreatic transcription factor-1a and b-catenin can be deacetylated by Sirt1. Inhibition of Sirt1 is effective in suppression of ADM and in reducing cell viability in established PDAC tumors. KIAA1967 expression is differentially downregulated in PDAC and impacts on the sensitivity of PDAC cells to the Sirt1/2 inhibitor Tenovin-6. In PDAC, acetylation of b-catenin is not affected, unlike p53, a well-characterized Sirt1-regulated protein in tumor cells. Our results reveal that Sirt1 is an important regulator and potential therapeutic target in pancreatic carcinogenesis. Cancer Res; 73(7); 2357–67. 2012 AACR.
POST-ABORTION CONTRACEPTIVE ACCEPTANCE AND CHOICE DETERMINANTS AMONG WOMEN RECEIVING ABORTION CARE AT SAINT PAUL ’ S HOSPITAL , ADDIS ABABA , ETHIOPIA

BACKGROUND: The Ethiopian DHS in 2016 estimates that 412 women died of pregnancy related causes for every 100,000 live births. In 2008, an estimated 382,000 induced abortions were performed in Ethiopia. To reduce rates of unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion, increased access to high-quality contraceptive care is needed. OBJECTIVES: To determine the contraceptive acceptance rate and examine factors associated with choice of contraception, in particular modern and long acting methods, in women after an abortion. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Women who received post abortion care service and had induced abortion from January to June 2015 were included. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with acceptance and choice of method of contraceptives. MAJOR FINDINGS: A total of 552 women were included in the study; 90.6% of them adopted modern contraception post-abortion and 19% received long acting reversible contraceptives. Multivariable analysis showed that being a housewife, married and parity greater than one had statistically significant association with the odds of adopting any modern method of contraception after abortion. Adoption of LARC was positively associated with being student, with parity greater than one and induced type of abortion. CONCLUSION: The post abortion contraceptive acceptance rate was higher than other studies done in Ethiopia. Higher parity, being married and a housewife were independent predictors of modern contraceptive method acceptance. Induced abortion, higher parity and being student were significant predictors of adoption of LARC.
Downlink NOMA Transmission for Low-Latency Short-Packet Communications

This work introduces non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) into short-packet communications to reduce latency over the air interface in wireless networks. Specifically, we address the optimization of transmission rates and power allocation to maximize the effective throughput of the user with a higher channel gain while guaranteeing the other user achieving a certain level of effective throughput. To demonstrate the benefits of NOMA, we analyze the optimal performance of orthogonal multiple access (OMA) as a benchmark. Our examination shows that NOMA can significantly outperform OMA by achieving a higher effective throughput with the same latency or incurring a lower latency to achieve the same effective throughput targets. Surprisingly, we find that the performance gap between NOMA and OMA becomes more prominent when the effective throughput targets at the two users become comparable. This demonstrates that NOMA can significantly reduce the transmission latency and achieve fairness between users for short-packet communications.
Expectancy as a mediator of the relation between learning strategies and academic achievement among university students

The aim of this study was to explore the mediation role of the expectancy component of motivation (self-efficacy and control beliefs for learning) in the relationship between learning strategies (cognitive, meta-cognitive, resource management strategies) and academic achievement. The sample consisted of 155 university students (85 psychology students and 70 architecture students). Learning strategies section from the MSLQ (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire) was taken to assess the extent of learning strategies usage during exam preparation. Motivation for learning was measured by the Expectancy scale as a part of the Motivation section of the MSLQ. Mediation analysis was used for data processing. Following the proposed steps for mediation effect testing, a series of regression analyses was conducted: first, the expectancy component of motivation was regressed on learning strategies; second, academic achievement was regressed on learning strategies; and third, academic achievement was regressed on the expectancy component of motivation. It was found that learning strategies influence academic achievement indirectly through the expectancy component of motivation (Sobel test=2.18; p=.029). It is emphasized that students should be encouraged to use learning strategies in knowledge acquisition.
Antioxidative activity and catechin content of four kinds of Uncaria gambir extracts from West Sumatra, Indonesia

Gambir cubadak (GC), gambir udang (GU), gambir riau mancik (GRm) and gambir riau gadang (GRg) are popular cultivars of Uncaria gambir in Siguntur, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The aqueous extract of gambir has been used as traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, sore throat and some studies have attributed it to the presence of antioxidant properties. The purpose of this study was to characterize the antioxidative activity and properties of four kinds of gambir extract. The antioxidative activity and properties were determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and HPLC. Reaction times of 2 min and 30 min were used to compare the measurement of DPPH. Cell viability was determined using a cytotoxicity assay. Results indicated that the four kinds of U. gambir provided antioxidants that were effective and safe. Total polyphenol contents of GC, GU, GRm, and GRg were 13.86, 13.60, 13.58 and 13.90 g 100 g-1, respectively. Catechin is a major component of gambir extracts. GC and GRm contain caffeic acid (0.99 and 0.98 μg ml-1), while in GU and GRg, it is not detected. The catechin contents of GC, GU, GRm and GRg was 104.5, 101.2, 99.4 and 108.5, 104.5 μg ml-1. In conclusion, the results indicated that GC, GU, GRm and GRg, showed similar tendencies as antioxidants. The presence of catechin influences the antioxidant properties and the reaction time of 30 min was recommended for the measurement of DPPH scavenging activity because of slow acting antioxidant material in gambir. Key words: Antioxidant, catechin, DPPH, Uncaria gambir.
The Long-Term-Care Insurance Puzzle: Modeling and Measurement

Individuals face significant late-in-life risks, prominently including the need for long-term care (LTC). Yet, they hold little long-term care insurance (LTCI). In this paper we use a structural model and a purpose-designed dataset to understand the determinants of insurance demand. We distinguish between a fundamental lack of desire to insure, crowd out from existing insurance, and unmet demand due to poor products available in the market. The model features individual-specific non-homothetic health-state-dependent preferences over normal consumption, consumption when in need of long-term care, and bequests, which are estimated using strategic survey questions. To account for differences between the modeled and measured insurance products, we study not only individuals' holdings of LTCI, but also their stated demand for an idealized product that mirrors that in the model. We find that many individuals would purchase LTCI and receive a large consumer surplus if it were a better product, while many others do not want to purchase even high-quality actuarially fair LTCI due to the values of their heterogeneous state-dependent preferences, their demographics, and their financial situation.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a brief deception detection training program

The discrimination of genuine and falsified emotional displays is critical in many contexts, including healthcare, forensic, and airport security settings. Previous research has demonstrated that comprehensive (two-day) empirically based deception detection training can lead to moderate gains in judgment accuracy. However, for many professional groups such extensive training is not feasible due to time and resource limitations. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of brief (three-hour) training. N = 26 (13 females, 13 males) healthcare professionals with experience in evaluating the validity of medical claims participated in the training workshop. Their performance on two deception detection tasks was measured pre- and post-training; the participants attempted to discriminate: (1) videotaped truthful and fabricated stories concerning emotional events and (2) sincere and falsified emotional facial expressions. Results indicated that participants' overall accuracy on both tasks increased modestly from chance (M = 51.2%) to significantly above chance (M = 60.7%), primarily due to an increase in their improved ‘hit’ rate from pre- to post-training.
Production of Alginate Microbeads through Air Atomisation Technique

Microbeads preparation: 0.2% (w/v) of Tween 80 (nonionic surfactant) was added to sodium alginate solution. The mixture was sprayed into a vessel containing 1000ml of 1.5% (w/v) calcium chloride, which had been mixed with Tween 80, 0.1% (w/v). The device used to form the droplets was Lab Plant SD-O5 spray drier with two-fluid nozzle. The size of the inner nozzle is 0.5mm. The calcium chloride solution was constantly stirred with a magnetic stirrer at the bottom of the vessel to keep the droplets from sticking together. Sodium alginate was gelled to form microgel droplets when in contact with divalent calcium ions. The microgel droplets were cured for 15 min and filtered with filter paper in a funnel. Then, the filtered alginate microbeads were washed with distilled water to remove excess calcium chloride and they were stored in distilled water until further measurements were carried out. All experiments were carried out at room temperature of 28°C. Characterization of Alginate Microbeads: The microbeads were coloured with crystal violet solution for 30 minutes prior to microscopic views under 100X magnification with microscope. The size and image analysis of the microbeads was performed by using an image analyzer software,
Role of MicroRNAs in Progression and Recurrence of Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and the majority of cases (77%) are not diagnosed until the disease has spread to regional lymph nodes or distant sites. Even among Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) adenocarcinoma patients who have been diagnosed early and where there has been no spread to lymph nodes, recurrence after surgical intervention is high. Improved understanding of the molecular alterations involved in aggressivity and recurrence of these tumors may provide better biomarkers for the identifica - tion of patients who would benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. By comparing the expression of microRNAs in advanced Stage II/III tumors with those expressed in earlier Stage I tumors, we aimed to identify differentially expressed molecular biomarkers that could underly progres- sion and recurrence of Stage I tumors. This pilot study utilized TaqMan qPCR assays to assess the expression of microRNAs in tumor tissue, matched normal tissue and plasma samples from Stage I and Stage II/III lung adenocarcinoma patients. Seven microRNAs were identified from plasma that could distinguish between patients with Stage I and Stage II/III adenocarcinoma. The up-regulation of miR-29a in plasma of patients with later-stage adenocarcinoma would result in enhanced expression of several molecules involved in integrin signaling, migration and proliferation. Analysis of differential expression of microRNAs in later-stage compared to early-stage lung adenocarcinoma implicates focal adhesion and ECM-receptor pathways in progression and recurrence. Plasma miR-29a is a promising biomarker that can be assessed non-invasively and whose clinical utility should be pursued.