Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Modeling of the Dissipative Contact and Friction Forces of a Passive Biped-Walking Robot

This work presents and discusses a general approach for the dynamic modeling and analysis of a passive biped walking robot, with a particular focus on the feet-ground contact interaction. The main purpose of this investigation is to address the supporting foot slippage and viscoelastic dissipative contact forces of the biped robot-walking model and to develop its dynamics equations for simple and double support phases. For this investigation, special attention has been given to the detection of the contact/impact between the legs of the biped and the ground. The results have been obtained with multibody system dynamics applying forward dynamics. This study aims at examining and comparing several force models dealing with different approaches in the context of multibody system dynamics. The normal contact forces developed during the dynamic walking of the robot are evaluated using several models: Hertz, Kelvin-Voight, Hunt and Crossley, Lankarani and Nikravesh, and Flores. Thanks to this comparison, it was shown that the normal force that works best for this model is the dissipative Nonlinear Flores Contact Force Model (hysteresis damping parameter - energy dissipation). Likewise, the friction contact/impact problem is solved using the Bengisu equations. The numerical results reveal that the stable periodic solutions are robust. Integrators and resolution methods are also purchased, in order to obtain the most efficient ones for this model.
Extracellular Vesicles: Opportunities and Challenges for the Treatment of Renal Diseases

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-based membrane-bound particles secreted by virtually all types of cells under both physiological and pathological conditions. Given their unique biological and pharmacological properties, EVs have spurred a renewed interest in their utility for therapeutics. Herein, efforts are made to give a comprehensive overview on the recent advances of EV-based therapy in renal diseases. The fact that EVs are implicated in various renal diseases provides us with new therapeutic modalities by eliminating these pathogenic entities. Strategies that target EVs to inhibit their production, release, and uptake will be discussed. Further, EVs-derived predominantly from stem cells can stimulate tissue repair and ameliorate renal injury via transferring proteins and nucleic acids to injured cells. Such EVs can be exploited as agents in renal regenerative medicine. Finally, we will focus on the specific application of EVs as a novel drug delivery system and highlight the challenges of EVs-based therapies for renal diseases.
European solidarity: an introduction to a multifaceted phenomenon

Solidarity has become a strongly debated issue within the European Union. Ongoing conflicts between member states about financial solidarity with states affected severely by the economic crisis of 2008 and about fair burden-sharing with regard to the high numbers of refugees show the difficulties of living up to the standard of solidarity which the EU lists in its treaties as one of its guiding principles. At the same time, the debate unveils that solidarity is highly contested. The reservations of EU member states to share the burdens regarding the costs of the economic crisis and the migration inflow can be criticised as a lack of interstate solidarity and a prioritisation of national interests; they also evidence a more fundamental difficulty in agreeing on adequate public policies and coordinated problem-solving strategies. Governments are sensitive to nationalist and populist mobilisations and parties, whose electoral successes seem to limit the readiness of member states to engage beyond what might be conceived of as an instrumental and utilitarian solidarity of ‘quid pro quo’. More than that, nationalist and populist parties contest the idea of European solidarity precisely in the name of national solidarity, and the need to defend national communities against outside interventions. Hence, controversies about solidarity prevail within the public sphere. These debates, however, have paid more attention to interstate solidarity, thus marginalising another topic that is much less discussed and researched: European social or civic solidarity. In fact, even though we might expect that both dimensions are interrelated, it is necessary to differentiate between solidarity among states and solidarity between European citizens, between the ‘intergovernmental’ and ‘transnational’ dimensions of solidarity, and between the ‘vertical’ support of interstate solidarity by citizens and the ‘horizontal’ engagement of citizens in cross-border relations of support and help (Apostoli, 2012: 4). Very little is known about the amount of transnational solidarity and the effects of
Object-based classification of hyperspectral data using Random Forest algorithm

Abstract This paper presents a new framework for object-based classification of high-resolution hyperspectral data. This multi-step framework is based on multi-resolution segmentation (MRS) and Random Forest classifier (RFC) algorithms. The first step is to determine of weights of the input features while using the object-based approach with MRS to processing such images. Given the high number of input features, an automatic method is needed for estimation of this parameter. Moreover, we used the Variable Importance (VI), one of the outputs of the RFC, to determine the importance of each image band. Then, based on this parameter and other required parameters, the image is segmented into some homogenous regions. Finally, the RFC is carried out based on the characteristics of segments for converting them into meaningful objects. The proposed method, as well as, the conventional pixel-based RFC and Support Vector Machine (SVM) method was applied to three different hyperspectral data-sets with various spectral and spatial characteristics. These data were acquired by the HyMap, the Airborne Prism Experiment (APEX), and the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) hyperspectral sensors. The experimental results show that the proposed method is more consistent for land cover mapping in various areas. The overall classification accuracy (OA), obtained by the proposed method was 95.48, 86.57, and 84.29% for the HyMap, the APEX, and the CASI data-sets, respectively. Moreover, this method showed better efficiency in comparison to the spectral-based classifications because the OAs of the proposed method was 5.67 and 3.75% higher than the conventional RFC and SVM classifiers, respectively.
Gender, socioeconomic, medical, and environmental factors related to domestic accidents of the elderly in Spain. Findings of a national survey

ABSTRACT Domestic accidents pose serious threats to the independence of the elderly. We explored associations between domestic accidents and gender, socioeconomic, medical, and environmental factors using data from the European Health Survey 2014 for elderly Spanish female and male nationals. Records of 5960 participants (mean age ± SD: 75.9 ± 7.6 years), 59.8% of whom were women, were examined. Domestic accidents occurred in 460 (7.1%) seniors, predominately in women (78.5%). Age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.02 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.03, p = .003], female gender (aOR 2.04 [95% CI 1.60-2.60, p < .001]), difficulty managing 12 stairs (reference: none) (some: aOR 2.03 [95% CI 1.53-2.68, p < .001]; much: aOR 2.88 [95% CI 2.15-3.87, p < .001]; inability: aOR 3.09 [95% CI 2.14-4.45, p < .001]), and depressive symptoms severity (reference: absent) (mild: aOR 1.44 [95% CI 1.10–1.89, p = .008]; moderate: aOR 1.91 [95% CI 1.35–2.71, p < .001];. Very severe: aOR 2.53 [95% CI 1.72-3.71, p < .001]; extremely severe: aOR 2.38 [95% CI 1.45-3.93, p = .001]) were independently associated with domestic accidents. Severity of depressive symptoms was the most prominent feature for women, while inability to manage 12 stairs was the most prominent for men. Our results suggest important gender differences in factors associated with domestic accidents that are relevant to intervention and preventive programs.
Factors Associated With a Delay in Achieving Full Knee Extension Before Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: Arthrofibrosis commonly occurs after an acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and following ACL reconstruction and can lead to poor outcomes. Preoperative stiffness has been shown to be associated with postoperative stiffness; however, few studies have examined predictors of preoperative delay in obtaining full knee extension. Purpose: To examine demographic and injury factors as predictors of time required to achieve full knee extension preoperatively in patients with an acute ACL injury. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 172 patients with an acute ACL tear at presentation (defined as ≤3 weeks from injury) who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 6 weeks of the injury were included in this analysis. Preoperative data included date of injury, age at injury, sex, body mass index, mechanism of injury (noncontact/contact), time from injury to surgery (days), time to achieve full extension prior to surgery (weeks), and bone bruising on MRI. Time to achieve full extension was categorized as <3 or ≥3 weeks. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression was used to examine predictors of delayed time to achieve full extension (≥3 vs <3 weeks). Odds ratios and 95% CIs were reported. Results: Time to achieve full extension was early (<3 weeks) in 98 patients and delayed (≥3 weeks) in 74 patients. The average time to achieve full extension was 7 days in the early group and 32.5 days in the delayed group. Delayed time to achieve full extension was associated with increased lateral femoral condyle (LFC) bruising compared with early time to achieve extension (82.8% vs 66.7%, respectively; P = .03). No other statistically significant predictors were found after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and mechanism of injury. Conclusion: Acute ACL injuries associated with LFC bone bruising seen on MRI are more likely to result in reduced extension prior to ACL reconstruction. These injuries should be identified and addressed by an appropriate preoperative rehabilitation program, and surgery should be delayed to avoid risking arthrofibrosis postoperatively by reconstructing a knee with less than full extension.
Life After Default. Private and Official Deals

Abstract This paper studies the relationship between sovereign debt default and annual GDP growth distinguishing between private and official deals. Using the Synthetic Control Method to analyze 23 official and private defaulters from 1970 to 2017, we find that private defaults generate output losses both during the crisis and persisting over time. Conversely, official defaulters do not show a permanent drop in GDP per capita, neither during the crisis nor in its aftermath. Using panel data analysis to control for the creditors’ loss (haircut), we confirm that official and private defaults may have different effects on GDP growth.
Surfactant dynamics: hidden variables controlling fluid flows

Surfactants – molecules and particles that preferentially adsorb to fluid interfaces – play a ubiquitous role in the fluids of industry, of nature and of life. Since most surfactants cannot be seen directly, their behaviour must be inferred from their impact on observed flows, like the buoyant rise of a bubble, or the thickness of a coating film. In so doing, however, a difficulty arises: physically distinct surfactant processes can affect measurable flows in qualitatively identical ways, raising the spectre of confusion or even misinterpretation. This Perspective describes, in one coherent piece, both the equilibrium properties and dynamic processes of surfactants, to better enable the fluid mechanics community to understand, interpret and design surfactant/fluid systems. Specifically, we treat the equilibrium thermodynamics of surfactants at interfaces, including surface pressure, isotherms of soluble and insoluble surfactants and surface dilatational moduli (Gibbs and Marangoni). We describe surfactant dynamics in fluid systems, including surfactant transport and interfacial stress boundary conditions, the competition between surface diffusion, advection and adsorption/desorption, Marangoni stresses and flows and surface-excess rheology. We discuss paradigmatic problems from fluid mechanics that are impacted by surfactants, including translating drops and bubbles, surfactant adsorption to clean and oscillating interfaces; capillary wave damping, thin-film dynamics, foam drainage and the dynamics of particles and probes at surfactant-laden interfaces. Finally, we discuss the additional richness and complexity that frequently arise in ‘real’ surfactants, including phase transitions, phase coexistence and polycrystalline phases within surfactant monolayers, and their impact on non-Newtonian surface rheology.
Parental Socialization, Social Anxiety, and School Victimization: A Mediation Model

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parenting dimensions (involvement/acceptance vs. strictness/imposition) and school victimization, considering the possible mediating role of social anxiety. The sample comprised 887 adolescents (52.3% girls) aged between 12 and 16 ( M = 13.84 and SD = 1.22) enrolled at three compulsory secondary education ("ESO" or "Educacion Secundaria Obligatoria" in Spanish) schools located in the provinces of Valencia, Teruel and Seville (Spain). A structural equations model was developed using the Mplus 7.4 program. The results obtained indicate that social anxiety mediates the relationship between parenting dimensions (involvement/acceptance vs. strictness/imposition) and school victimization. Finally, the results and their potential theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Prognostic Value of Platelet Counts in Patients with Metastatic Prostate Cancer Treated with Endocrine Therapy.

PURPOSE The endocrine therapy is effective for patients with advanced prostate cancer, but the disease eventually becomes refractory to treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate prognostic factors and to develop a risk stratification model for survival in patients with advanced prostate cancer undergoing endocrine therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included 197 patients with stage IV prostate cancer who were treated with endocrine therapy as primary treatment at Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan, between January 1999 and November 2012. Prognostic values including baseline clinical laboratory values before endocrine therapy for stage IV prostate cancer were examined. Patients (n = 30) who were not followed or for whom data were unavailable or who were treated with radiotherapy were excluded from the study. Excluding these patients, we retrospectively analyzed 167 patients who were treated with endocrine therapy as the primary treatment. Disease-specific survival (DSS) was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were identified using the Cox proportional hazard model analysis. RESULTS In univariate analyses, patients with a performance status (PS) ? 2, platelet count ? 3.0× 105 µ/L, prostate specific antigen (PSA) > 50 ng/mL, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) > 350 U/L, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 240 IU/L, and Gleason score (GS) ? 8, hemoglobin (Hb) < 12 g/dL, extent of disease (EOD) ? 3 and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma showed significantly lower DSS than their respective counterparts. Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and white blood cell (WBC) count were not significantly associated with DSS. In a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, PS and platelet count were independent prognostic factors. Based on the hazard rate (HR) calculated by the following formula: HR = exp (0.82 × PS + 1.38 × platelet count) patients were stratified into 3 risk groups. The differences in DSS rates among the 3 groups were statistically significant. CONCLUSION These results suggest that PS and platelet count are independent prognostic factors and that a combination of these factors can be used to stratify metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with endocrine therapy according to their DSS risk.
Robust tensor completion using transformed tensor singular value decomposition

In this article, we study robust tensor completion by using transformed tensor singular value decomposition (SVD), which employs unitary transform matrices instead of discrete Fourier transform matrix that is used in the traditional tensor SVD. The main motivation is that a lower tubal rank tensor can be obtained by using other unitary transform matrices than that by using discrete Fourier transform matrix. This would be more effective for robust tensor completion. Experimental results for hyperspectral, video and face datasets have shown that the recovery performance for the robust tensor completion problem by using transformed tensor SVD is better in peak signal‐to‐noise ratio than that by using Fourier transform and other robust tensor completion methods.
Physical activity and quality of life in patients with pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive, non-curable disease with significant associated comorbidity, including reduced exercise capacity [1] and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) [2]. Exercise capacity is frequently measured using the 6-min walk test (6MWT) [3]. The 6MWT is easy to perform and correlates with disease severity and HRQoL [4]. However, the 6MWT has limitations such as the need for a clinic visit to perform it [4] and ceiling effects which reduce the sensitivity to changes among patients [5]. In a longitudinal study of stable pulmonary hypertension patients, there was a nonlinear association between 6MWD and step counts at higher levels of exercise capacity and average step counts were associated with disease-specific and global HRQoL http://bit.ly/2JiCvRX
Practical Learning Innovation: Real Condition Video-Based Direct Instruction Model in Vocational Education

This study aims to improve student learning outcomes through the implementation of direct learning models that are supported by learning videos. Class action research refers to Kemmis and McTaggart's designs, which are carried out over two cycles. The subjects of the study were students of class X LVE 7 at VHS Dharma Bahari Surabaya. Data were collected using test and observation instruments. Test and observation data were analyzed descriptively based on standardized study completeness criteria. The results of this study found that student learning outcomes consistently increased from the pre-test scores, the value of the first cycle, to the value of the second cycle. Based on the pre-test score data, it is known that there are 16 or 53% of 30 students who reach the complete category. Learning outcomes are then improved in the first cycle, where there are 19 or 63% who reach the complete category. Meanwhile, in cycle II there were 23 or 77% of students who reached the complete category. This increase occurred consistently so that it was concluded that the use of direct learning models supported by learning videos was very effective for the learning of class X LVE 7 students at VHS Dharma Bahari Surabaya.
Lessons learned from the maturation of a cancer drug: oxaliplatin in colorectal cancer

The addition of oxaliplatin to a fluoropyrimidine is reference treatment after colon cancer surgery in patients with stage III and in stage II if at least one high-risk criterium for recurrence is present [1–3]. Even if guidelines open for using a fluoropyrimidine alone, there is a tendency to add oxaliplatin whenever adjuvant chemotherapy is indicated, at least in stage III. Three randomized trials comparing adjuvant therapy for six months using a fluoropyrimidine with or without oxaliplatin showed that the combination improved disease-free survival (DFS) by approximately 20% (hazard ratios, HRs 0.80–0.82) [4–6]. Overall survival was also slightly improved (HRs 0.84–0.88). An average risk of recurrence of 30% after fluoropyrimidine treatment alone, typical for many stage III patients, means that six additional patients per 100 treated will not experience any recurrence if oxaliplatin was added. If the recurrence risk is higher, more treated patients are gained, but for many stage III patients, including most patients with stage II and high-risk criteria, the recurrence risk is less, and the gain from adding oxaliplatin is only a few percent. All treated patients are at risk of toxicity, including the oxaliplatin-induced chronic and often disabling neurotoxicity. The oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) was considered along with the gains in recurrence risk and survival when different scientific and clinical organizations such as ASCO and NCCN in the US and ESMO in Europe and national groups recommended an oxaliplatin combination for all stage III colon cancers and for stage II cancers with high-risk factors. The extent of the adverse effects, i.e. the downside of adding oxaliplatin was known from the clinical trials where the treating physicians graded the neurotoxicity according to one of a few recommended scales. Typically, acute peripheral neurotoxicity of grade 2 or higher was recorded in 30-50% of the patients and although chronic OIPN was seen, it was not considered extensive [4–6]. In the MOSAIC trial, grade 2 and 3 chronic neuropathy were seen in 4.8 and 1.3%, respectively, after 12 months and in 3.4 and 0.7%, respectively, after 4 years [4].
Psychology of Indian Stock Market: An Evidence of Seasonal Affected Disorder

This article examines the association between daylight hours as a proxy for the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and stock market return. Past studies have documented different decision-making mechanisms induced by investors’ cognition mainly influenced by greed and fear. However, this study appears to be different from evidence where investors’ mood is affected by seasonality, which plays a vital role in risk-taking propensity. Data have been taken from three indexes of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), for the period between April 2003 and December 2016. The impact of SAD on stock market return was examined by using naïve ordinary least square (OLS) model. This study reports a negative relationship between daylight hours and pattern of midcap as well as smallcap indexes, which are in alignment with mood maintenance hypothesis (MMH). The result of negative correlation suggests a summer-type SAD, which is an addition to the findings of the existing literature.
Housing Risk and Its Influence on House Price: An Expected Utility Approach

House price is affected by households’ expectation of future house price trend and volatility, where the expected volatility of housing capital return, indicated by variance, is defined as the housing market risk. Theoretically, risk element cannot be directly inserted in the standard housing models because most of the models are built on the underlying assumption of certainty. Extending the life-cycle model to a two-asset expected utility case with uncertainty, we show house price is affected by housing market risk premium, which is a function of households’ risk-aversion coefficient, real housing wealth, and expected housing volatility. Empirical analysis relying on China’s 2001–2018 provincial housing panel data supports the theoretical innovation. Despite the empirical results show that the effect of housing market risk on house price is tiny, simulations suggest that the consideration of risk is quite helpful in analyzing and predicting the long-run house price equilibriums.