Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling of Critical Acceleration for Regional Seismic Landslide Hazard Assessments by Finite Element Limit Analysis

The critical acceleration model plays an important role in seismic slope stability and determines the predictive accuracy of regional seismic landslide hazard assessments. Recently, the critical acceleration model based on the limit equilibrium method has been used to evaluate the seismic stability of regional slopes. However, when the Hoek-Brown failure criterion is used to evaluate the seismic stability of slopes with angles greater than 60°, the results obtained is unconservative by limit equilibrium method. Therefore, based on the simulation of a typical slope model with finite element limit analysis, prediction equations of the critical acceleration are established. The corresponding results are compared with the prediction results from the limit equilibrium method. This comparison shows that the proposed critical acceleration model has higher predictive accuracy than the limit equilibrium method, especially when the Hoek-Brown failure criterion is used to evaluate the slopes with angles greater than 60°. The proposed model is applicable to the global scope and can be effectively applied to regional seismic landslide hazard assessments.
Secreted Toxins From Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated From Keratinocyte Skin Cancers Mediate Pro-tumorigenic Inflammatory Responses in the Skin

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common type of skin cancer that typically arises from premalignant precursor lesions named actinic keratoses (AK). Chronic inflammation is a well-known promoter of skin cancer progression. AK and SCC have been associated with an overabundance of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Certain secreted products from S. aureus are known to promote cutaneous pro-inflammatory responses; however, not all S. aureus strains produce these. As inflammation plays a key role in SCC development, we investigated the pro-inflammatory potential and toxin secretion profiles of skin-cancer associated S. aureus. Sterile culture supernatants (“secretomes”) of S. aureus clinical strains isolated from AK and SCC were applied to human keratinocytes in vitro. Some S. aureus secretomes induced keratinocytes to overexpress inflammatory mediators that have been linked to skin carcinogenesis, including IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα. A large phenotypic variation between the tested clinical strains was observed. Strains that are highly pro-inflammatory in vitro also caused more pronounced skin inflammation in mice. Proteomic characterization of S. aureus secretomes using mass spectrometry established that specific S. aureus enzymes and cytolytic toxins, including hemolysins, phenol-soluble modulins, and serine proteases, as well as currently uncharacterized proteins, correlate with the pro-inflammatory S. aureus phenotype. This study is the first to describe the toxin secretion profiles of AK and SCC-associated S. aureus, and their potential to induce a pro-inflammatory environment in the skin. Further studies are needed to establish whether these S. aureus products promote SCC development by mediating chronic inflammation.
Immune Response in Moderate to Critical Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection After mRNA Vaccination

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) can trigger severe endemic waves and vaccine breakthrough infections (VBI). We analyzed the cellular and humoral immune response in 8 patients infected with the alpha variant, resulting in moderate to fatal COVID-19 disease manifestation, after double mRNA-based anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. In contrast to the uninfected vaccinated control cohort, the diseased individuals had no detectable high-avidity spike (S)-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells against the alpha variant and wild type (WT) at disease onset, whereas a robust CD4+ T-cell response against the N- and M-proteins was generated. Furthermore, a delayed alpha S-reactive high-avidity CD4+ T-cell response was mounted during disease progression. Compared to the vaccinated control donors, these patients also had lower neutralizing antibody titers against the alpha variant at disease onset. The delayed development of alpha S-specific cellular and humoral immunity upon VBI indicates reduced immunogenicity against the S-protein of the alpha VOC, while there was a higher and earlier N- and M-reactive T-cell response. Our findings do not undermine the current vaccination strategies but underline a potential need for the inclusion of VBI patients in alternative vaccination strategies and additional antigenic targets in next-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
The Application of Hypnosis in Sports

As an ancient science, hypnosis has been used by humans since the primitive societies during theocratic times. By the 20th century, scientists and psychologists had re-recognized and studied hypnosis and explored its applications in fields such as medicine, education, and military uses. A local form of traditional Chinese “hypnosis” appeared in Huangdi Neijing, but it has not received enough attention from Chinese people; China’s modern hypnosis development is later than that of American and European countries. Therefore, people’s understanding and applications of hypnosis remain inadequate. With the development of China’s economy and state power in the last decades, Chinese people were beginning to attach importance to the investment and development of the sports industry and realized that the psychological quality of the athletes is often a decisive factor in the success or failure of the competition. Meanwhile, hypnosis is an effective psychological training method to be used in daily training and competitions. In light of this, this essay firstly reviews the history of hypnosis before carrying out the methods of a literature review and a logical analysis to explore the applications of hypnosis in sports. Thus, evidence is provided in favor of the use of hypnosis in the sports industry.
The Role of IgG4 in Autoimmunity and Rheumatic Diseases

The distinguishing of the IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) from among other rheumatic diseases has brought attention to the IgG4 subclass of immunoglobulins. It is the least numerous subclass among immunoglobulins G. In general, IgG4 is considered to be non-inflammatory and tolerance inducing, due to its unique structure. However, in IgG4-RD this antibody plays a pathogenic role in activation of the fibrinogenesis and of the inflammatory process; there are also suggestions that it may be a marker of an abnormal inflammatory response. The importance of IgG4 for the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, with a vital role of its ratio to immunoglobulin E (IgE/IgG4 ratio), has been known for years. The role of IgG4 in the course and pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases is still being researched and is not yet fully understood. Increased IgG4 levels have been revealed in rheumatoid arthritis, although no clear link between this phenomenon and disease activity has been demonstrated. There are articles on the potential importance of IgG4 concentration (of both elevated and decreased serum levels) in Sjogren’s syndrome. Additionally, anti-nuclear IgG4 antibody significant titers have been detected in SLE patients, and it has been suggested that the effect of these antibodies on complement consumption and the production of proinflammatory cytokines may play a role in inhibiting the progression of SLE. IgG4 plays a role in autoimmune diseases other than rheumatic diseases, such as pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis, or myasthenia gravis, but also in helmints infections. Research shows the importance of IgG4 in malignancy of neoplasms. Melanoma cells are known to stimulate IgG4 production through a modified Th2-based inflammatory response. The role of this immunoglobulin in cholangiocarcinoma is also considered as possible. The aim of this review article is to discuss the current knowledge of IgG4 not only from the perspective of the IgG4-RD but also from a point of view of other autoimmune diseases with particular emphasis on rheumatic diseases.
Aging Brains Degrade Driving Safety Performances of the Healthy Elderly

The relationship between aging brains and driving safety performances (DSPs) of elderly drivers was studied. A total of 90 dementia-free participants (63 men and 27 women, mean age 75.31 ± 4.795 years) were recruited and their DSPs were analyzed on actual vehicles running through a closed-circuit course. DSPs were comprehensively evaluated on the basis of driving instructors' scores (DIS). Signaling and visual research behaviors, part of DSPs, were measured to supplement the DIS evaluation by driving recorders (DR) and wearable wireless sensors (WS), respectively. Aging brains were evaluated via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and experimentally assigned to two grades (high vs. low) of brain atrophy (BA) and leukoaraiosis (LA). Regression analyses on DIS and DR data, and logistic analysis on WS scores showed significant correlations of aging brains with degradation of DSPs. The participant group with more advanced BAs and LAs showed lower DIS, DR data, and WS scores representing degraded DSP regardless of age. These results suggest that MRI examinations from both volumetric and pathological perspectives of brains have the potential to help identify elderly drivers with dangerous driving behaviors. Brain healthcare, lifestyle improvements and medical treatments to suppress BA and LA, may contribute to preventing DSP degradation of elderly drivers with aging brains.
Identification of Shared Genes and Pathways in Periodontitis and Type 2 Diabetes by Bioinformatics Analysis

Introduction It is well known that the presence of diabetes significantly affects the progression of periodontitis and that periodontitis has negative effects on diabetes and diabetes-related complications. Although this two-way relationship between type 2 diabetes and periodontitis could be understood through experimental and clinical studies, information on common genetic factors would be more useful for the understanding of both diseases and the development of treatment strategies. Materials and Methods Gene expression data for periodontitis and type 2 diabetes were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After preprocessing of data to reduce heterogeneity, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between disease and normal tissue were identified using a linear regression model package. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genome pathway enrichment analyses were conducted using R package ‘vsn’. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed using the search tool for the retrieval of the interacting genes database. We used molecular complex detection for optimal module selection. CytoHubba was used to identify the highest linkage hub gene in the network. Results We identified 152 commonly DEGs, including 125 upregulated and 27 downregulated genes. Through common DEGs, we constructed a protein-protein interaction and identified highly connected hub genes. The hub genes were up-regulated in both diseases and were most significantly enriched in the Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis pathway. Discussion We have identified three up-regulated genes involved in Fc gamma receptor-mediated phagocytosis, and these genes could be potential therapeutic targets in patients with periodontitis and type 2 diabetes.
Learning analytics supported goal setting in online learning environments

The rapidly increasing role of technology in education has resulted in large amounts of data being collected about student learning and behavior, and as a result, has given rise to the field of Learning Analytics. Although much research in this field has focused on offering insights to educators, researchers have suggested learning analytics may be most effectively employed when they focus on insights which can be offered directly to students. Furthermore, researchers have called for more focus on research driven by educational theory and given the highly self-directed nature of higher education in general, and online learning environments specifically, self-regulated learning can be highlighted as an important theoretical framework to consider in future studies. Self-regulated learning (SRL) can be viewed as a cyclical process in which goal setting and monitoring play an integral role in driving behavior, and prior research has shown that SRL skills are positively related to academic performance. However, prior research on how learning analytics can support goal setting to enhance SRL is extremely scarce. The aim of this project is to explore the question of how learning analytics can support the goal setting process in online learning environments to improve SRL and performance? In this project several studies have been designed to (a) examine the effectiveness of a learning analytics supported goal setting and monitoring tool to improve academic performance, (b) consider the influence of individual student characteristics on the effectiveness of this learning analytics tool (c) consider whether personalizing learning analytics tools to support goal setting can increase the efficacy of the tools. Overall, the aim is to be able to offer guidelines for how learning analytics tools can be designed and personalized to increase the effectiveness of goal setting interventions to optimize SRL and performance in online learning environments.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experience and mental health of university students studying in Canada and the UK: a cross-sectional study

Objectives To explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences and mental health of university students. Design A cross-sectional study consisting of an electronic survey about students’ experiences and concerns during the pandemic and the associated impact. In addition to the quantitative analysis, free-text responses were extracted and analysed using a framework technique. Setting Queen’s University in Canada and the University of Oxford in the UK. Participants Undergraduate students at Queen’s University and first-year undergraduate students at the University of Oxford were invited to complete the COVID-19 supplement survey. This study included data from 3013 Queen’s students as the primary focus and 339 Oxford students as a secondary comparison. Results Females at Queen’s reported greater adherence to government recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (91.3% vs 86.7%, χ2 p<0.01) and were more likely to self-isolate (63.9% vs 57.0%, χ2 p<0.01) than males. A similar trend was seen among Oxford students. Students’ concerns were wide ranging including those related to their learning experience, finances and future academic and career prospects. 78.9% of Queen’s students and 50.4% of first-year Oxford students reported worries about the long-term impact on their academic and job prospects. A sizeable proportion of students also reported that the pandemic negatively impacted their plans to continue at university (29.4% of Queen’s, 14.2% of Oxford) and disrupted activities important to their mental well-being. Key themes identified in the qualitative component included the negative impacts of social isolation, challenging academic changes and disruption to support services and means of coping. Conclusions Overall, findings underscore the importance of addressing areas of student concern and the aspects of student life negatively impacted by the pandemic in order to maintain student well-being and support a successful university experience.
Validation of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) cases reported at national level following local root cause analysis: REFLECT study

Objective Our aim was to determine aetiology of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers (PCCRCs) identified from population-based data through local root cause analysis at a high-volume mixed secondary and tertiary referral centre. Design/method A subset of national cancer registration data, collected by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, was used to determine PCCRCs diagnosed between 2005 and 2013 at our centre. Root cause analysis was performed for each identified PCCRC, using World Endoscopy Organisation recommendations, to validate it and assess most plausible explanation. We also assessed whether patient, clinician and/or service factors were primarily responsible. Results Of 107 ‘PCCRC’ cases provided from the national dataset, 20 were excluded (16 missing data, 4 duplicates). 87 ‘PCCRC’ cases were included of which 58 were true PCCRCs and 29 false PCCRCs. False PCCRCs comprised 17 detected cancers (cancer diagnosed within 6 months of negative colonoscopy) and 12 cases did not meet PCCRC criteria. Inflammatory bowel disease was the most common risk factor (18/58) and the most common site was rectum (19/58). The most common explanation was ‘possible missed lesion, prior examination negative but inadequate’ (23/58) and clinician factors were primarily responsible for PCCRC occurrence in most cases (37/58). Conclusion Our single-centre study shows, after local analysis, there was misclassification of PCCRCs identified from a population-based registry. The degree of such error will vary between registries. Most PCCRCs occurred in cases of sub-optimal examination as indicated by poor photodocumentation. Effective mechanisms to feedback root cause analyses are critical for quality improvement.
Evaluating Forest Sites for potential Growth Response of Trees to Fertilizer

Introduclion Greatly intensified forestry practices will be necessary to meet the wood fiber needs of the future. The demand for tirnber products is projected to increase about g0 per_ cent in less than 30 years (U.S. Forest Service, i965). A rapid rise in the demand for forest products and a substantial, steady decline in the nuilrber of acres of forest laad available for commercial timber productiot have created sfiong pressures for greatly intensifying forest maoagement pracices (U.S. Forest Service, i9i9l. _ A potentially powerful silvicultural tool, forest fertilization, is currently the subject of much interesr in connection with meering needs for sr:bstantially increasing growth rate of rrees. Evidence is accrrmulating that fertilizing forest stands has ofteo led to substantially improved tree growtl-r. Fertilizing do", ,rot guara[ree lmprovement in tree growth, however. Added outrients may bc fixed in the so in an unavailable form, volatilized, or lost by leaching. In addition, forcst productivrty is often more limited by unfavorable moisture and temperarure conditions than by nutltional de_ ficiencies. Costs of applying fettilizet to forest stands in the Douglas_fir region currently avetage about $23 per acre. These costs must be regarded o,-i.u"r,-.rrrs rn growing stock, and the increased growth musr be sufficient io pay back the mvestmenr plus rntetest. Ecoiogical considerations also are important in makiog decisions on the use of forest fertilizer. Public awareless afld concerfl over quality of the cnvironmeot indicate thar fotest managers will be under constraint,o urrui.t "ny unnecessary alteration of natural balances. For these reasons, we believe that mrtrients should be addetl only to those ecosystems in which we can be assured of an increase in tree producrivrty. N7e do not now posscss the information we oeed to determine where fettilizer will provide an economic response of tree growth (Strand and Miller, 1969). In this paper, v/e suggest that any satisfactory rnodel for understanding the environmental interactions that control productiviq. must include consideratiorx of (1) adequacy of the nutrient supply in soil; (2) adequacy of tree nutition; and (3) constraints on productivity other than nutrienm (such as moisture supply, temperature, and genetic factors). Results of our analyses agree with fin
Influence of Thermal Boundary Conditions on Transient Back Layering in a Scale Tunnel

In a model tunnel the influence of the thermal boundaries on the so-called back layering is investigated. The back layering is driven by density differences and consists of hot gases propagating against the ventilation of a tunnel. Increased heat loss to the ceiling should therefore reduce the extent of the hot gas propagating upstream. The thermal properties of the ceiling are altered by removing insulating panels. Three measurement techniques are used to detect the presence of hot gas regions below the ceiling. Thin film heat flux sensors measure the heat flux from the gas to the ceiling at 6 locations. They also provide ceiling surface temperature measurements. Optically interrogated thermochromic liquid crystal foils allow to measure the back layering length continuously. Some of the foils are slightly detached from the ceiling in order to indicate air rather than ceiling temperature. Comparing the results obtained from these foils to fast heat flux sensor readings shows good agreement. The so-called heated grid technique has been developed further. Wires are immersed in a flow field and interrogated using an infrared camera. Adaptive background compensation has been introduced. This method simplifies the calibration procedure needed. At the same time it expands the possible application of the technique by allowing for changing backgrounds and distances between the wires and the camera. A total of 8 wires are used to indicate air temperature 1 cm below the ceiling. A ceiling panel has been fitted with sensing elements to support all three measurement techniques. This panel has then been placed in the model tunnel at IFD. The test section has been placed upstream of a heated jet, allowing to observe hot gases propagating against a cross flow. Measurements have been performed during the initial 300 s after switching on the heating of the jet. The results indicate a reduction of the back layering length with increased heat loss. In the present configuration the effect remains, however, weak.
Historical survey on enhanced mixing in scramjet engines

Select methods are reviewed that have been used by the scramjet community to enhance mixing of fuel with oxidizer to achieve high combustion efe ciency with reduced length combustors. The review also includes research on enhanced supersonic free shear layer mixing from the jet noise reduction community. This latter community has considered concepts involving acoustic excitation or passive excitation of shear layer instabilities to minimize noise production. Several of these concepts are amendable to active control for system optimization.
Theory of Endogenous Institutions and Evidence from an In-depth Field Study in Indonesia

We study how endogeneity between welfare and institutions recommends the efficacy of subtle institutional reforms that must be exogenous. We use evidence from a field study conducted in five Indonesian districts, and build a model that illustrates how initial socioeconomic conditions and quality of institutions generate certain institutional attributes, such as a particular level of local capture (that is, gaining of influence over institutions, and hence over policy, by local elites), local leadership and participation. These institutional attributes, which evolve with changing welfare, create self-reinforcing processes in the long run that could be either vicious, virtuous or neutral. The policy question we investigate is how to break a vicious cycle between low welfare and low institutional quality. Reform must be exogenous and multi-dimensional, requiring welfare and institutions to be mutually reinforcing. In the context of post-decentralization Indonesia, any multi-dimensional institutional reform must include not only policies to strengthen local institutions, but also policies to increase welfare.