Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seismic performance of AAC masonry infill: From traditional systems to innovative solutions

According to many post‐seismic event surveys and research investigations, the seismic response of masonry infills can cause considerable economic and downtime losses and can represent a serious threat to human lives. Although many researchers have developed innovative infill systems and new design criteria, a widely scientifically and practical recognized solution which can be adopted for every masonry type has not been achieved yet. Moreover, the increased use of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) masonry infills thanks to its lightness, excellent thermal and acoustic insulation, and the fire resistance highlights the need of enhancing the knowledge about the seismic behavior of such infill material, and the possibility to develop improved systems that optimize the response of the AAC masonry in order to reduce detrimental issues of traditional infills. Within this paper, the experimental cyclic (in‐plane and out‐of‐plane) response of some traditional and enhanced infill solutions are presented together with a numerical simulation of the in‐plane tests on AAC unreinforced masonry infills. Furthermore, the main aspects affecting the seismic response, such as the in‐plane performance, the out‐of‐plane resistance, the local effects on adjacent reinforced concrete (RC) members, are discussed in order to indicate a possible path for future seismic resistant innovative solutions for AAC masonry infills.
Robust stock assortment and cutting under defects in automotive glass production

We address an assortment‐and‐cutting problem arising in the glass industry. The objective is to provide minimum waste solutions that are robust against such raw material imperfections as those possibly occurring with float glass production technology. The stochastic realization of defects is modeled as a spatial Poisson point process. A mixed integer program in the classical vein of robust optimization is presented and tested on data taken from a real plant application. Defective final products must in any case be discarded as waste but, if a recourse strategy is adopted, faults in glass sheets can sometimes be recovered. Closed forms for the computation of faulty item probabilities are provided in simple cases, and obtained via Monte Carlo simulation in more complex ones. The computational results demonstrate the benefits of the robust approach in terms of the reduction of back‐orders and overproduction, thereby showing that recourse strategies can enable nonnegligible improvements. Encouraged by this result, the management is presently evaluating the possibility of adopting the proposed model in plant operation.
Microbial biofilms in oenology

Biofilms are sessile microbial communities whose lifestyle confers specific properties. In recent years, they have attracted great interest in many research fields. Biofilms are indeed the cause of recurrent industrial problems, while microbial contaminations can finally impact the quality of a finished product or human health. However, these same properties can be interesting for several applications. Oenology is no exception, whether for potential damages to wine quality caused by biofilms or their beneficial effects through winemaking steps, from grape to bottle. This paper reviews yeast and bacterial biofilms in oenology, their nature, their negative effects, as well as the applications linked to their presence in wine and the mechanisms involved in their formation.
Identified potential biomarkers may predict primary nonresponse to infliximab in patients with ulcerative colitis

Abstract Primary nonresponse to infliximab in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is common. However, there are currently no effective biomarkers for this prediction. This study aimed to identify potential predictors for precision anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha treatment in patients with UC. Four GPL570 datasets (GSE14580, GSE12251, GSE23597, and GSE16879) were included in this study. Sixty-nine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, while 67 were up-regulated and two were down-regulated by comparing the gene expression in response samples with the nonresponse samples. Gene Ontology analysis showed that DEGs were mostly enriched in neutrophil-mediated immunity, neutrophil activation, neutrophil activation involved in the immune response, neutrophil degranulation, and leukocyte migration. Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that these DEGs were mostly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions and interleukin (IL)-17 signalling pathways. After protein-protein interaction network analysis, verification by test set, and confirmation of clinical UC samples, S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8), S100A9, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM1), toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), IL1B, and formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1) were identified as the hub genes. We found that the immune cell composition in the intestinal tissues of UC patients with primary nonresponse included naïve CD4+ T cells, memory resting CD4+ T cells, resting natural killer cells, resting dendritic cells, activating dendritic cells, eosinophils, and neutrophils. Among these, neutrophils showed the most significant differences. In addition, all six potential predictors were significantly associated with the neutrophil count. Our study identified six potential biomarkers, namely S100A8, S100A9, TREM1, TLR2, IL1B, and FPR1, and one type of immune cell, neutrophils, between UC patients with response and primary nonresponse to infliximab. We speculated that changes in the expression of these six potential biomarkers combined with changes in the activity or local quantity of neutrophils might help predict primary nonresponse to infliximab in patients with UC.
Imaging rover technology: characteristics, possibilities and possible improvements

The terrestrial photogrammetric survey allows to acquire geometric characteristics of objects quickly and with handy and inexpensive hardware. Traditionally, these measurements require some hours of time between the choice of the acquisition points, the setting up of the camera, the survey of the topographic support network and subsequent processing of the acquired data. The upcoming of advanced algorithms such as “structure from motion” (SFM) [1] and the recent availability of optical cameras with increasing resolution combined with increasing resources of mass storage [1], make it possible to create dedicated hardware with potentials not possible with these technologies so far. Of particular interest in this field is the coming of so-called “imaging rovers”, i.e. cameras that allow simultaneous acquisition of multiple images, covering a 360-degree panorama and in some cases, directly positioned thanks to GPS/GNSS differential receivers with centimeter accuracy. The recent availability of these innovative techniques requires careful verification to assess their capabilities, accuracy, precision and possible limitations. This work presents the first systematic verification of one of these latest generation devices in different conditions and for different applications. It has been verified that in many cases it is possible to obtain three-dimensional surveys quickly with information contents comparable to those of more expensive and less handy instruments such as terrestrial laser scanning. The development of these techniques could lead to operational simplifications and greater efficiency also in complementarity with the reliefs from UAVs that, as it’s well known, show some limitations in the so-called urban canyons.
Bayesian Multistate Life Table Methods for Large and Complex State Spaces: Development and Illustration of a New Method

Multistate life table methods are an important tool for producing easily understood measures of population health. Most contemporary uses of these methods involve sample data, thus requiring techniques for capturing uncertainty in estimates. In recent decades, several methods have been developed to do so. Among these methods, the Bayesian approach proposed by Lynch and Brown has several unique advantages. However, the approach is limited to estimating years to be spent in only two living states, such as “healthy” and “unhealthy. ” In this article, the authors extend this method to allow for large state spaces with “quasi-absorbing” states. The authors illustrate the new method and show its advantages using data from the Health and Retirement Study to investigate U.S. regional differences in years of remaining life to be spent with diabetes, chronic conditions, and disabilities. The method works well and yields rich output for reporting and subsequent analyses. The expanded method also should facilitate the use of multistate life tables to address a wider array of social science research questions.
An Electric Energy Backbone Overlay for North America

Abstract This paper augments recently reported proposals to enhance the electric power transmission grid in North America. The augmentation suggested is to join Canada, the United States, and Mexico with a large scale, high voltage DC (HVDC) “backbone. ” The objectives of such an investment include enhancement of the capabilities of the underlying AC transmission, increasing the potential of renewable wind and solar generation resources, and facilitation of the integration of natural gas generation to the North American energy resource mix. A method of calculation of expected power flows is reported based on the Kirchhoff laws and Tellegen’s theorem. That method does not replace detailed electric power flow studies, but it gives an estimation of the HVDC facilities requirements. Practicalities in long term mesoscale transmission planning and expansion are briefly discussed and the use of net present value to assess financial efficacy is suggested. It is noted that energy sales and purchases in North America form a main part of balance of payments for Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Susceptibility factor StEXA1 interacts with StnCBP to facilitate potato virus Y accumulation through the stress granule-dependent RNA regulatory pathway in potato

Abstract Plant viruses recruit multiple host factors for translation, replication, and movement in the infection process. The loss-of-function mutation of the susceptibility genes will lead to the loss of susceptibility to viruses, which is referred to as ‘recessive resistance’. Essential for potexvirus Accumulation 1 (EXA1) has been identified as a susceptibility gene required for potexvirus, lolavirus, and bacterial and oomycete pathogens. In this study, EXA1 knockdown in potato (StEXA1) was found to confer novel resistance to potato virus Y (PVY, potyvirus) in a strain-specific manner. It significantly compromised PVYO accumulation but not PVYN:O and PVYNTN. Further analysis revealed that StEXA1 is associated with the HC-Pro of PVY through a member of eIF4Es (StnCBP). HC-ProO and HC-ProN, two HC-Pro proteins from PVYO and PVYN, exhibited strong and weak interactions with StnCBP, respectively, due to their different spatial conformation. Moreover, the accumulation of PVYO was mainly dependent on the stress granules (SGs) induced by StEXA1 and StnCBP, whereas PVYN:O and PVYNTN could induce SGs by HC-ProN independently through an unknown mechanism. These results could explain why StEXA1 or StnCBP knockdown conferred resistance to PVYO but not to PVYN:O and PVYNTN. In summary, our results for the first time demonstrate that EXA1 can act as a susceptibility gene for PVY infection. Finally, a hypothetical model was proposed for understanding the mechanism by which StEXA1 interacts with StnCBP to facilitate PVY accumulation in potato through the SG-dependent RNA regulatory pathway.
Infraocclusion: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Associated Dental Anomalies in Arabian Children

Aim To analyze the distribution and characteristics of infraocclusion among Arabian children in primary dentition and its associated dental anomalies. Methods A radiographic analysis was performed retrospectively using digital panoramic radiographs of children attending the pediatric dental clinic of College of Dentistry, Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia, from January 2019 to May 2021. The panoramic radiographs were analyzed to assess the distribution and characteristics of infraocclusion and its associated dental anomalies. Descriptive statistics were used for comparisons using SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). The chi-square test was used to compare percentages. Results Among the study population (542), only 40 children reported infraocclusion of 65 primary molars. Infraocclusion was common in males (90%) and very frequent in the mandibular arch (n = 48 teeth). In the primary dentition, unilateral infraocclusion (62.5%) was very frequent than bilateral presence (37.5%). Single molars were involved in 50% of the patients, while two, three, and four molars were involved in 42.5%, 2.5%, and 5% of cases. The mandibular second primary molar was frequently affected with infraocclusion, while the maxillary first primary molar was less commonly affected. In the mandibular arch, the second primary molar (28, 58%) was more commonly affected with infraocclusion than the mandibular first primary molars and maxillary primary and secondary molars (p < 0.05). The majority of the infraoccluded molars were mild (75%), followed by moderate (23.5%) and severe (1.5%). Hypodontia (12.5%) is frequently associated with infraocclusion, followed by supernumerary teeth (5%) and radix entomolaris of the first permanent mandibular molars (5%). Infraocclusion was more in the second primary molar mandibular arch, while in the maxillary arch, the first primary molars were commonly affected (p > 0.05). Conclusion In Arabian children, infraocclusion was commonly observed in mandibular second primary molars. Unilateral infraocclusion is a mild type of infraocclusion frequent in Arabian children. Numerical anomalies such as hypodontia and supernumerary teeth are associated with infraocclusion.
Content in Motion: An Edge Computing Based Relay Scheme for Content Dissemination in Urban Vehicular Networks

Content dissemination, in particular, small-volume localized content dissemination, represents a killer application in vehicular networks, such as advertising distribution and road traffic alerts. The dissemination of contents in vehicular networks typically relies on the roadside infrastructure and moving vehicles to relay and propagate contents. Due to instinct challenges posed by the features of vehicles (mobility, selfishness, and routes) and limited communication ability of infrastructures, to efficiently motivate vehicles to join in the content dissemination process and appropriately select the relay vehicles to satisfy different transmission requirements is a challenging task. This paper develops a novel edge-computing-based content dissemination framework to address the issue, composed of two phases. In the first phase, the contents are uploaded to an edge computing device (ECD), which is an edge caching and communication infrastructure deployed by the content provider. By jointly considering the selfishness and the transmission capability of vehicles, a two-stage relay selection algorithm is designed to help the ECD selectively deliver the content through vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications to satisfy its requirements. In the second phase, the vehicles selected by the ECD relay the content to the vehicles that are interested in the content during the trip to destinations via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, where the efficiency of content delivery is analyzed according to the probability that vehicles encounter on the path. Using extensive simulations, we show that our framework disseminates contents to vehicles more efficiently and brings more payoffs to the content provider than the conventional methods.
Platelet Activation and Platelet Indices as Markers for Disease Progression in Women with Breast Cancer

Background: Several studies reported the role platelet activation, platelet volume (MPV) and other Indices in breast cancer but the data is inconsistent and/or diverse. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the role of platelet activation and platelet volume indices in women with BC as predictors for cancer progression and poor prognosis. Methods: Patients were recruited from our local oncology center between 2019 to 2020 following ethics approval. 80 patients with locally invasive BC, 20 metastatic and 100 controls were recruited. ADP-induced platelet activation was assessed by light-transmission aggregometry. Platelet P-selectin (CD62P) expression with and without ADP stimulation was assessed by flow cytometry. A comprehensive analysis of platelet count and platelet volume indices (PVIs) (MPV, PDW, MPV/P and PDW/P) was conducted. Data were analyzed in relation to tumor pathology, hormone receptors (ER, PR, HER-2) and proliferation index Ki-67. Regression analyses were conducted for the prediction of poor prognosis, tumor aggression and metastatic potential. Results: We found a significant increase in platelet aggregation (MA), CD62P expression, CD62P+ADP, MPV, PDW, MPV/P and PDW/P in the metastatic group compared to the locally invasive group. Univariate regression analysis showed significance for ADP, MA, CD62P+ADP, MPV and PDW/P. Conclusion: MPV/P and PDW/P can be used as simple low-cost predictors for cancer progression and poor prognosis. We conclude platelet activation and specific platelet indices can help predict prognosis in females with BC.
R u n - up velocities of female a nd male pole v a u l t i ng a nd some technical aspects of w o m e n 's pole v a u lt

w W The authors describe their experiences with the loser distance measurement (LAVEG) of the approach velocity during competition and training and arrive at the following conclusions: In all age eategories of the men's and women's pole vault the run-up velocity is an Important factor affecting Performance. In the women's pole vault there Is an even greater potential for improvement than in the men's pole vault and in the other athletic events. As far as the run-up velocity is concerned, the German women pole- vaulters have managed to keep up with the best in the world. Regarding the pole vault technique as a whole. the best women in the world have got doser to the men's technical model. The take-off is mastered in the form ofa "free take-off' or at least without a backward lean of the trunk. The hang phase is very marked. the long swing of the leg is performed with an extended leg, and the hips are brought up to or beyond shoulder height during the rock-back. In spite of equally significant technical progress there is still potential for improvement. especially in the vertical work on the pole and the bar dearance. This means that the Special strength ofthe trank and arms is becoming a crucial factor in determining Performance. Grip heights of 4.35 fo 4.45m and a vaultlng-heightl grip-height differential of between 0.65 and 0.75m - and thus vaulting heights of between 4.80 and 5.00m - are realistic targets for the next ten years. *
Work from Home Arrangements and Organizational Performance in Italian SMEs: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic

We use survey data on Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) collected during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore the relationship between the adoption of work from home (WFH) practices and organizational performance. In so doing, we investigate the possible underlying mechanisms, including measures of labor productivity and workers’ concentration and motivation, the level of absenteeism, the organization of work through management by objectives (MBO), and the presence of coordination and communication costs. We obtain several results. First, we ﬁnd a signiﬁcantly enhanced capability of ﬁrms that adopted WFH during the pandemic to sustain the overall organizational performance, particularly when such work practice is used intensively. Second, increased labor productivity and workers’ concentration and motivation, decreased absenteeism, and a substantial rise in the adoption of MBO seem to be the main drivers behind the detected beneﬁts related to WFH. Third, when WFH is used at medium levels of intensity, it is associated with augmented coordination and communication costs, which nonetheless do not appear to overcome the beneﬁts associated with WFH.
Radar observations of winds, waves and tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere over South Georgia island (54 ◦ S, 36 ◦ W) and comparison with WACCM simulations

The mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) is a dynamic layer of the earth’s atmosphere. This region marks the interface at which neutral atmosphere dynamics begin to inﬂuence the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. However, our understanding of this region and our ability to accurately simulate it in global circulation models (GCMs) is limited by a lack of observations, especially in remote locations. To this end, a meteor radar was deployed from 2016 to 2020 on the remote mountainous island of South Georgia (54 ◦ S, 36 ◦ W) in the Southern Ocean. In this study we use these new measurements to characterise the fundamental dynamics of the MLT above South Georgia including large-scale winds, solar tides, planetary waves (PWs), and mesoscale gravity waves (GWs). We ﬁrst present an improved method for time–height localisation of radar wind measurements and characterise the large-scale MLT winds. We then determine the amplitudes and phases of the diurnal (24 h), semidiurnal (12 h), terdiurnal (8 h), and quardiurnal (6 h) solar tides at this latitude. We ﬁnd very large amplitudes up to 30 m s − 1 for the quasi 2 d PW in summer and, combining our measurements with the meteor SAAMER radar in Argentina, show that the dominant modes of the quasi 5, 10, and 16 d PWs are westward 1 and 2. We investigate and compare wind variance due to both large-scale “resolved” GWs and small-scale “sub-volume” GWs in the MLT and characterise their seasonal cycles. Last, we use our radar observations and satellite temperature observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder to test a climatological simulation of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). We ﬁnd that WACCM exhibits a summertime mesopause near 80 km altitude that is around 10 K warmer and 10 km lower in altitude than observed. Above 95 km altitude, summertime meridional winds in WACCM reverse to poleward, but this not observed in radar observations in this altitude range. More signiﬁcantly, we ﬁnd that wintertime zonal winds between 85 to 105 km altitude are eastward up to 40 m s − 1 in radar observations, but in WACCM they are westward up to 20 m s − 1 . We propose that this large discrepancy may be linked to the impacts of secondary GWs (2GWs) on the residual circulation, which are not included in most global models, including WACCM. These radar measurements can therefore provide vital constraints that can guide the development of GCMs as they extend upwards into this important region of the atmosphere.