Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection

aCardiology Unit and Research Office, Department for the Treatment and Study of Cardiothoracic Diseases 10 and Cardiothoracic Transplantation, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized 11 Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Via Tricomi 5, 90127, Palermo, Italy; bCardiovascular Rehabilitation Unit, 12 Buccheri La Ferla Fatebenefratelli Hospital, via Messina Marine, 197, 90123, Palermo, Italy; cCardiology Unit, 13 University Hospital, Policlinico Paolo Giaccone, via del Vespro 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy 14
Ameliorative effects of Allium cepa extract on carbon tetrachloride neurotoxicity in rat

Introduction: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) has been used extensively to evaluate the probable mechanisms of toxicity in experimental animals. The CCl4-induced oxidative stress in rat brain has been established. This study aims to investigate the neuro-protective effect of Allium cepa extract administration to rats given a single dosage of CCl4 (1 ml/kg bw). Materials and Methods: Thirty rats were divided into five groups (I–V) containing six rats each. The plant (aqueous extract of A. cepa ) was given at oral doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg day for 20 days after which CCl4 in olive oil vehicle (1 ml/kg bw) was administered to rats in Groups II-V. Thereafter, the brains were harvested for biochemical assays: Lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione (GSH) (reduced), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities. Results: Elevated levels of LPO and reduced GSH activity were noted in the brain (forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain) of rats (negative control group of rats) when compared to the positive control group. Equally, a severe decrease in the activities of GR, GST, CAT, GPx, and SOD in the brain of rats induced with CCL4 but not treated with the extract was noted. However, treatment with different doses of the extract significantly ( P < 0.05) reversed the trends as was noticed in the extract-treated groups of rats when compared with the negative control group. Conclusion: This study indicates that extract of A. cepa possesses anti-neurotoxic effect in rats. cepa against CCl4-induced toxicity.
Music Management 2.0: How Emerging Bands Use Digital Media to Book Live Performances

For emerging bands getting on stage and having a crowd to play to is the first step that needs to be taken in order to succeed in the music industry. However, this is not easy when they are starting in this business. Traditionally, gatekeepers such as agents or record companies control access to the stage. Now, digitalization has created a new path of communication that can help bands to get in contact directly with promoters. Venues and promoters can be contacted through different online services, some of which are social network services, such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. The aim of this paper is to study in which ways digital media are employed in music management practices of emerging bands with the purpose of acquiring bookings? With an exploratory design, this paper used quantitative methods to investigate this topic. An online survey (N = 153) was conducted to explore the reality that bands are experiencing when trying to find, by themselves, venues to play at. We found how some of these online tools can at the moment replace gatekeepers in some aspects of the managerial process. Concepts such as disintermediation, self-management and decentralization were also studied here. It was found that emerging bands are highly decentralized, being present on and using many different online services in order to self-manage their careers. However, even when self-management is frequently practiced and disintermediation is common, gatekeepers, such as external agents, are still a very attractive asset for emerging bands for the many benefits that these external agents’ work can contribute to their clients’ career. Online tools have been proven to have great potential, being able to substitute the middlemen if they are used correctly.
Modeling the Cognitive Flexibility and Academic Engagement based on Self-Regulation, Psychological Hardiness and Self-Differentiation with Mediation of Family Functioning in High School Students

Background: The researches emphasize the importance of the relationship between psychological hardiness and differentiation of self with cognitive flexibility and self-regulation with academic engagement. Thus, the purpose of this study was to predict cognitive flexibility and academic engagement based on self-regulation, psychological hardiness and differentiation of self by mediating family functioning in students. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, in a descriptive-correlational study 499 of the second-high school students of Tehran in the academic year, 2019-2020 were selected by random cluster sampling method. The statistical population includes four hundred and ninety students of Tehran who were selected by the multistage cluster random sampling method. Data collection tools included the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), The Maslach Burnout Inventory, Self-Regulation Questionnaire, Psychological Hardiness scale, The Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI), and The McMaster family assessment device. Data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling method using the SPSS software version 20.0 and Amos software version 24.0. Results: The most frequent were in the 17-year-old group (11th level) with 169 participants and the least abundant belongs to the 18-year-old group (12th level), with 167 participants. The findings showed that there was a significant full effect relationship between self-regulation and academic engagement (p <0.001). According to the results, there was a significant full effect between the differentiation of self with cognitive flexibility (p <0.037). The results showed that there was a significant full effect between self-regulation and academic engagement (p <0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results, the students who are at a lower level of differentiation of self may be frustrated by the family's excitement, which leads to emotional breakdown or confusion with others.
Percutaneous surgical treatment of hallux valgus: retrospective study with 6.5-year follow-up

Objective : To analyze outcomes of hallux valgus surgical correction using the Reverdin-Isham technique by means of clinical and radiographic studies. Methods : We retrospectively assessed 43 feet (38 patients) with moderate to severe hallux valgus treated from June 2009 to July 2014. Mean age at surgery was 59 years; mean postoperative follow-up time was 79 months. Patients were assessed at pre- and postoperative periods both functionally, by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, and radiographically, by the hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA), and shortening of 1 st metatarsal bone. Results : AOFAS scores had a mean increase of 55 points. Mean HVA decreased 14.5°, whereas IMA and DMAA exhibited a mean decrease of 3.8° and 9.7°, respectively. Mean shortening of the first metatarsal bone was 3mm. Conclusion : The presented surgical technique showed to be effective to correct mild to moderate hallux valgus, resulting in appropriate angle correction angular and significant increase in AOFAS scores.
Algal wastewater treatment: Photoautotrophic vs. mixotrophic processes

Photoautotrophic algal systems have been investigated as potentially greener and more sustainable alternatives to the traditional bacteria-based wastewater treatment (WWT) systems. This paper presents mixotrophic algal systems as better suited for WWT. Since the literature is void of mixotrophic WWT systems, a brief review of the laboratory results from the literature comparing the di ﬀ erent types of algal metabolisms is presented ﬁ rst. Details of a mixotrophic WWT system driven by an extremophilic alga, Galdieria sulphuraria (pH=1 to 4; temperature=25 to 56°C) are presented next. Results from pilot scale version of this mixotrophic system (700L) are summarized to show that it can reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and nutrients in primary- settled wastewater in a single step to yield discharge-ready e ﬄ uent in<3days of fed-batch processing. Average volumetric removal rates of BOD 5 (16.5 ± 3.6mgL − 1 d − 1 ) and ammoniacal nitrogen (6.09 ± 0.92mgL − 1 d − 1 ) in this mixotrophic system were found to be not di ﬀ erent from those reported for the photoautotrophic high rate algal ponds (signi ﬁ cance level of 0.05); but, that of phosphates (1.40 ± 0.57mgL − 1 d − 1 ) is greater than that reported for the photoautotrophic high rate algal ponds (signi ﬁ cance level of 0.05). Additionally, the extreme culture conditions in this particular mixotrophic system enabled concurrent reductions of E. coli (>5 log) and other pathogenic bacteria.
Board Diversity and Its Effects on Performance and Risk: A Study in Banking Firms in Indonesia

: Research aims : This study examines the effect of board diversity on firm performance and risk in Indonesia's banking firms. Design/Methodology/Approach : The population in this study was the banking industry in Indonesia obtained from the Bloomberg database, OSIRIS database, and company annual reports. The sampling technique used in this study was purposive sampling. The sample in the study consisted of 160 company-years of observation for 40 listed banks in Indonesia. The period of the analysis was from 2014 to 2018. Research findings: The results showed that a woman director had a positive effect on performance. The results also revealed that a woman director had a negative effect on the risk because a woman director could correct bias in important decisions. These results are consistent with resource dependence theory that different types of directors provide additional beneficial resources to the firm. This paper then confirms that in banks, the type of diversity seems to be vital because a more diverse board provides more valuable resources, which should improve firm performance and reduce risk. Otherwise, based on the research data, the small number of foreign directors made their existence not affecting performance and risk. Theoretical contribution /Originality : There is still a lack of previous studies that examined the effect of board diversity on performance and risk, especially regarding the heterogeneity of the directors ’ nationality in Indonesia. Based on the explanation, this research is expected to contribute to the knowledge regarding the diversity of directors in Indonesia in managing performance and risk. Practitioner/Policy implication : Based on the empirical evidence, directors' gender diversity had a positive effect on optimizing firm performance and minimizing risk. Thus, the company's policy regarding the diversity of directors can be considered, about the existence of a woman director. Research limitation/Implication: This study only took a sample of companies this study's results not necessarily generalizable study looked namely gender and nationality. Future research may use or add to other types of diversity.
The effect of investor speculation on earnings management: Empirical evidence from the US IPO market*

The effect of investor speculation on earnings management is complicated. The complementary (substitutive) role of speculators’ trade motivates (discourages) managers’ earnings management. In the US initial public offering (IPO) market, we conjecture that the complementary role dominates the substitutive role due to simple compensation structures in IPO firms and hypothesize that investor speculation is positively related to earnings management. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that a one-standard-deviation increase in speculation leads to a 0.03-standard-deviation increase in earnings management, and this finding is robust to the control for potential measurement errors and endogeneity. In addition, the negative relations between speculation and both post-IPO long-run returns and operating performance suggests that speculation-induced earnings management not only inflates earnings during the IPO but also causes inefficient resource allocations. Moreover, the positive relations between speculation and both post-IPO return volatility and pre-IPO offer prices provides additional evidence for the presence of speculators.
Boundary element analysis of rib-stiffened elastic plates

The present paper proposes an integral equation formulation for elastostatic deformation problem of eccentrically stiffened plates. Though some boundary element analysis of stiffened plates have been proposed so far [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], many of them consider only concentrically stiffened plates. In case of such eccentrically stiffened plates, inand out-of-plane deformation of the stiffened plate are coupled. Previous studies on concentrically stiffened plates by the boundary element method were based on the Timoshenko theory of elastically supported plates [6], where the equivalent shear force acts as distributed force on stiffener (rib), and the bending moment as distributed twisting moment. This theory requires that the centroidal axis lies in the middle plane of the plate, thus it is difficult to extend to general stiffened plates considering this eccentricity. In this study the boundary integral formulation for general stiffened plates are presented.
Discrepancies between the reception and the application of the technology by the art market and its stakeholders

The phenomenon of blockchain technology has been increasingly recurring in the discussion over the online art market: summits, conferences, talks, articles and events have been hosted and presented to the audience of art consumers in order to illustrate the innumerable benefits that the inclusion of blockchain technology may provide to the art market. However, since blockchain has caught the attention of the art market’s stakeholders only over the last two years, little academic literature has been addressing it so far, failing at providing stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of all the possible outcomes of blockchain technology to the art market. For this reason, the present research answers the following research question:​“What is the reception of blockchain technology by the art market and its stakeholders​”. In order to provide an exhaustive screenshot of the art market through the use of blockchain technology, the research question is addressed by first evaluating the presence of blockchain technology in the art market over the years from 2015 until 2019 based on the findings of The Hiscox Online Art Market Report; second, it establishes what is the perception of blockchain technology by the art market and its stakeholders; third it investigates what is the application of blockchain technology in the art market. In order to answer these questions, a qualitative content analysis based on most recent articles from art, economics, tech magazines and websites addressing both topics of art market and blockchain has been collected. Combining the answers to these questions, this research concludes that there is a significant discrepancy between the way blockchain is perceived and how it is applied in the art market: although blockchain is perceived by the press as a positive tool promising to solve the issues of the art market and aimed at increasing trust in purchasing art collectibles over the online platforms, the activity of art firms applying blockchain to their businesses shows that
Plasma Control in Tokamaks. Part. 2. Plasma Magnetic Control Systems

: Various systems of magnetic control of plasma position, current, and shape are considered in vertically elongated tokamaks including spherical tokamaks being in operation. The systems of Resistive Wall Modes suppression are described. Tokamaks constructions and cross-sections, structural schemes of plasma control systems are given; heed is paid to operating principles of plasma control systems; experimental results of plasma control in tokamaks are given. Various engineering realizations of plasma magnetic control systems in tokamaks are presented.
Knowledge and attitudes towards contraceptives among undergraduates in the state universities of Western Province

Introduction: Contraceptives help prevent unplanned pregnancies and have the desired number of children with adequate space. Most undergraduates are living outside their home environment. Despite being more vulnerable to risk behaviour, their knowledge and attitude towards contraceptives are poor. Objectives: To describe the knowledge and attitudes towards contraceptives among undergraduates in state universities of Western Province Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 1575 second- and third-year undergraduates using stratified cluster sampling of the selected universities. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire collected data on knowledge and attitudes on contraceptives. Based on a scoring system, the level of knowledge and attitudes was assesed. Their associations with selected variables were determined. Results: Of the 1575 respondents, 926 (58.8%) were females. Over 90% were aware of at least one contraceptive method. More than 50% knew that condoms are protective against HIV/AIDS. The knowledge on contraception was ‘good’ in 28.4%. The knowledge on condom use was good in 21%. In multivariate analysis, the only factor associated with good knowledge on contraceptives was studying in Bioscience stream (adj. OR=9.5; 95% CI=7.0, 12.9), whereas the factors associated with good knowledge on male condoms were: being male (adj. OR=13.2; 95% CI=10.3, 16.9), studying in Bioscience stream (adj. OR=1.8; 95% CI=1.1, 1.9) and secondary education in non-mixed type schools (adj. OR=1.4; 95% CI=1.1, 2.0). Overall, 30.3% (n=477) and 38.6% (n=608) of the respondents had desirable attitudes towards contraception and male condoms, respectively. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with desirable attitudes on contraception were: being male (adj. OR=1.7; 95% CI=1.4, 2.2), studying in Bioscience stream (adj. OR=1.5; 95% CI=1.1, 2.0) and secondary education in non-mixed type schools (adj. OR=1.3; 95% CI=1.1, 1.7), whereas the only factor associated with desirable attitudes on condom use was being male (adj. OR=3.4; 95% CI=2.8, 4.2). Conclusions: Knowledge and desirable attitudes towards contraceptives and condoms were relatively low among the undergraduates. Being female and studying in non-Bioscience stream were major determinants.
Reliability Assessment and Design of Procedures and Devices in Bariatric Surgery: An Engineering Approach

Bariatric surgery is the most effective intervention for severe obesity, as one of the most serious health problem worldwide. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is one of the principal technique. Nonetheless, side effects are frequent and weight-loss is not always successful. Non-optimal intervention design, surgery invasiveness and general anesthesia are the principal cause of this situation. A more advanced approach is required, integrating bioengineering and medical competences, aiming to engineering design the procedure, to improve efficacy and to reduce the need for anesthesia. Computational methods can be exploited to evaluate stomach functionality after surgery and to interpret mechano-biological processes, aiming at the optimal design of the intervention. Results from coupled experimental and computational activities are here reported, showing the potentialities of the engineering approach. Endoscopic surgery should minimize invasiveness and anesthetic requirement, but previously proposed techniques demonstrate marginal efficacy. Procedural consistent advances are required, as devices designed to provide endoscopic gastric banding. Preliminary results from computational activities are proposed, again to show the capabilities of the engineering approach to mimic and to optimize the overall surgical procedure.
STUDY ON ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF A FOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL CONTAINING POTASSIUM SORBATE

The feasibility of EVA/LLDPE films containing 1, 2 and 5% (w/w) K-sorbate to inhibit microbial growth and as a consequence prolong shelf-life of foods was investigated. Based on weight loss experiments it was shown that K-sorbate is very suitable for incorporation in LLDPE because of its heat stability during extrusion. After 3 weeks, resp. 6.4, 2.8 and 5.7% of the incorporated sorbic acid was released into distilled water from films containing resp. 1, 2 and 5% (w/w) K-sorbate. The very limited migration of K-sorbate may be explained by the incompatibility of the polar salt with the apolar LLDPE. This limited migration could explain the very small inhibitory effect of the K-sorbate films on the growth of Candida spp. , Pichia spp. , Trichosporon spp. and Penicillium spp. During storage at 7 (cid:176)C of cheese packaged in a 5% (w/w) K-sorbate film, no significant differences could be observed for yeast and mould growth on the cheese cubes compared to a reference film. The concentration of sorbic acid in the cheese did not exceed 14 ppm. This is much lower than the 1000 ppm K-sorbate needed to inhibit microbial growth. The results of this study confirm that the K-sorbate incorporated LLDPE film is not able to inhibit microbial growth in vitro on inoculated media and in vivo on cheese due to the insufficient release of K-sorbate from the film.
Tissue Culture Screening of Amino Acid Analogs for Selective Damage to Mouse Sarcoma Cells*

INTRODUCTION The work here reported was undertaken to evaluate the effects of amino acid analogs and various unnatural amino acids on tissue cultures of normal and neoplastic cells. It was hoped that a few of these amino acid analogs would have differ ent effects on normal as compared to neoplastic cells and that we might find some to be con siderably more toxic to tumor cells than to normal cells. Assuming that a difference in effects on normal and neoplastic cells implied some dif ference in metabolism between such cells, an in tensive study of these compounds in tissue culture, in conjunction with biochemical studies, might clarify the nature of these differences in me tabolism. For a number of phenylalanine an tagonists this has actually been done. It has been found that the toxic effect of /8-(2-thienyl)-DLalanine could be blocked by L-phenylalanine in cultures of mouse heart and in cultures of sarcoma T-241, and that phenylpyruvate blocked the toxic effect in heart but not in T-241 cultures. It was found that sarcoma T-241 could not transaminate phenylpyruvate to phenylalanine to any appre ciable extent, whereas the heart cultures could. The results on /3-(2-thienyl)-DL-alanine have been given in detail in previous papers (10, 11).