Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Compliance Behaviors among Middle-Aged and Older Hypertensive Patients in China: Results from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Partial or total non-adherence has been recognized as major issues in the long-term management of hypertension. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of compliance behaviors among Chinese middle-aged and older hypertensive patients. A sample of 6308 hypertensive patients aged ≥45 years was obtained from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data. Two compliance behaviors were involved including medication and blood pressure monitoring. Stratified binary logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the associated factors. 77.2% of the participants reported medication compliance, and 40.7% complied with blood pressure monitoring. Better medication compliance associated with older age, overweight or obesity, one or ≥3 complications, no drinking, living in urban areas, and health education. Better blood pressure monitoring compliance associated with older age, overweight or obesity, ≥3 complications, normal activities of daily living (ADL), no smoking, sleep duration of 6–8 h, better cognitive function, living in urban areas, education level of middle school or above, and health education. Chinese middle-aged and older hypertensive patients experienced unoptimistic compliance behaviors, especially for blood pressure monitoring. Special attention and targeted interventions are urgent for the high-risk population of poor compliance behaviors, such as rural individuals, low educational population, and younger hypertensive patients.
Emerging roles of the TRPV4 channel in bladder physiology and dysfunction

The transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4, TRPV4, is a polymodal cation channel which can be activated by diverse stimuli including mechanical, thermal and chemical cues. In the urinary bladder, TRPV4 is not only abundantly expressed in the urothelium but may also be localized in subepithelium, detrusor smooth muscles and afferent neurons. Emerging evidence indicates that the TRPV4 channel plays a sensory role in the uroepithelium, where it may regulate the release of sensory mediators such as ATP, which in turn modulates afferent nerve activity in response to bladder filling during the urination cycle. TRPV4 may also directly regulate detrusor contractility and the urothelial barrier function. Altered TRPV4 expression has been detected in various pathological bladder conditions. As such, TRPV4 may be a promising therapeutic target for bladder dysfunctions.
Molecular Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Strains Isolated in Italy

Clostridium (C.) perfringens is the causative agent of several diseases and enteric infections in animals and humans. The pathogenicity of the bacterium is largely mediated by the production of a wide range of toxins. Individual C. perfringens strains produce only subsets of this toxin repertoire, which permits the classification in seven toxinotypes (A–G). In addition, a variety of minor toxins further characterizes the single strains. The aim of this work was to evaluate, using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays, the diversity of 632 C. perfringens strains isolated in Italy over 15 years. The genotyped strains were analyzed to determine the presence of major and minor toxins (cpe, consensus, and atypical cpb2), their geographical origins, and the source of isolation (animal species or food). Our study shows that toxinotype A had the greatest representation (93%) and correlated mainly with consensus cpb2 in a variety of animal species, as well as with atypical cpb2 in the five food samples. Type D, associated with cpe and atypical cpb2 minor toxins, was identified in 3% of the cases, and type F was identified in 2.5%. Seven type C isolates (1.1%) were detected in cattle, whereas the only type B atypical cpb2 isolated in Italy was detected in a goat, and one type E cpe+atypical cpb2 was detected in a sheep. Type G was not detected.
Teaching is Not Always Easy: Mexican Pre-service English Teachers’ Beliefs on Teaching and Learning

One of the main goals of language teacher education programs is to prepare professionals who can respond to the growing demands of society for quality instruction. However, we often find that training in current theories and methods has limited impact on pre-service teachers’ long established beliefs and ultimately on their practice. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative study is to explore the conceptual metaphors (Lakoff and Johnson, 2008) used by pre-service teachers when writing their teaching philosophy as a way of unveiling their underlying cognitive mappings. We propose that making future teachers aware of the entrenched metaphors they use to talk about teaching and learning might be a first step in changing their observable behavior. The results of this study show that in spite of exposure to current theories on teaching and learning, pre-service teachers tend to keep outdated theories. This work in conjunction with other strategies will help teacher trainers to foster integration of current ideas about teaching and learning in their students and to recognize their role in improving language education.
A Constrained Reinforcement Learning Based Approach for Network Slicing

With the proliferation of mobile networks, we face strong diversification of services, demanding the current network to embed more flexibility. To satisfy this daring need, network slicing is embraced as a promising solution for resource utilization, in 5G and future networks. In network slicing, dynamic resource orchestration and network slice management are critical for resource efficiency. However, it is highly complicated such that the traditional approaches can not effectively perform resource orchestration due to the lack of accurate models and hidden problem structures. To address this challenge, we propose a constrained reinforcement learning based approach for network slicing. We formulate the resource allocation problem as a Constrained Markov Decision Process (CMDP) and solve it using constrained reinforcement learning algorithms. Specifically, we use the adaptive interior-point policy optimization and policy safety layer methods to deal with cumulative and instantaneous constraints. Our evaluations show that our method is effective in resource allocation with service demand guarantees and significantly outperforms baselines.
EffECT Of DIffERENT sEmEN ExTENDERs aND aDDITIvEs TO INsEmINa TION DOsEs ON EwEs pREgNaNCy Ra TE

The aim of our study was to compare effects of two additives (glutathione or caffeine) to semen extenders (EquiPro or egg yolkbased diluent) on pregnancy rate of the cervically inseminated ewes. Semen was collected by an artificial vagina from 3 mature Lacaune and 1 Suffolck rams, pooled to eliminate individual differences and divided into five equal aliquots. The aliquots were diluted by either EquiPro or egg yolk-based extenders at 1:3 and supplemented with either glutathione or caffeine. The semen dose diluted in an egg yolk-based extender but without additives was served as a control. The pregnancy rate was significantly different (P<0.05) between the group of ewes inseminated with semen diluted in an EquiPro with glutathione (81.25%) and the group inseminated with semen diluted in a egg yolk-based extender added with caffeine (63.16%). No differences among the other groups have been observed, although glutathione, when added either to EquiPro (81.25%) or egg yolk-based (68.97%) diluent, showed a tendency to increase pregnancy rate when compared to caffeine. These results demonstrate that egg yolk-based extender can be substituted by a synthetic EquiPro extender for the insemination of ewes without reducing fertility. The addition of glutathione (but not caffeine) has a positive effect on fertilizing ability of ram spermatozoa.
Schema: The Variability of Practice Hypothesis

An experiment is presented which tested the variability of practice hypothesis of Schmidt’s (1975) schema theory. Children served as subjects and a complex motor task was used. The results supported the variability of practice hypothesis in that the group that had more variable practice did perform better on the average on a novel variation of the task than did the group with less variable practice. There was no support for the suggestion that variability of practice would increase the rate of improvement on the novel variation. The results are discussed in relation to the differential importance of the four subcomponents of the schema in its development.
On the Benefits of Being Alone: Scheduling Changes, Intensity of Competition and Dynamic Airline Pricing

We empirically test the hypothesis that the discounts offered by firms to consumers who purchase tickets in advance increase with the intensity of competition. We develop a new measure of competition for which we use the proximity (in departure time) of a given flight to its competitors to infer the intensity of competition and estimate the impact of competition on advance purchase discounts (APDs) and the dynamic pricing of airlines by exploiting plausibly exogenous changes in the flight schedules of airlines that occur during the booking period. We find strong support for the theoretical prediction that APDs are larger when the intensity of competition is higher using a sample of airline fare quotes. Our results also suggest that airline price dispersion increases with the intensity of competition. <br>
Developing a Model of Experiencing and Coping with the Disease Situation of Persons Living Alone with Dementia

Objectives: The aim of this study is to expose similarities and differences in the self-concept as well as in the illness perception of persons living alone with dementia based on their biographical background. Methods: Twelve biographical narrative interviews with persons living alone with dementia were conducted and analyzed using the methodology of Grounded Theory (Glaser and Strauss). Results: A model of the dementia-specific self-concept was developed which explains how persons living alone with dementia experience and cope with their disease situation. In the narratives the perception of the disease situation is primarily characterized by the persons’ relation to the self-concept rather than by dementia-specific symptoms. The extent to which a person experiences their disease as a critical life event depends on their premorbid internal and external loci of control. Depending on the use of various coping strategies the self-concept is either maintained or modified. Discussion: The open and qualitative research approach with persons with dementia enables a first explanation towards illness perception that acknowledges the persons’ active coping abilities in the disease situation. Thereby, it largely surpasses deficit-oriented views. In order to fully exploit the potential of participatory and patient-oriented research further development of research designs specific to dementia is needed.
STRAIN-CONTROLLED THERMO-MECHANICAL FATIGUE TESTING OF ALUMINUM

Understanding the thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behavior of materials plays a significant role in the safety design of critical components used in aerospace and automotive industries, such as engine blocks and cylinder heads, which undergo the cyclic change of temperature and stress. However, the cyclic changes of temperature, stress and strain make it difficult using the traditional testing methods to accurately simulate the TMF process. In the present work, the Gleeble 3800 system was successfully applied to develop a reliable procedure to measure the TMF behavior of aluminum alloys. The modified setup together with the new designed program allows the Gleeble system to precisely simulate the cyclic profiles of temperature and mechanical strain. The novel procedure includes the calibration and verification of the TMF setup to ensure the test validity with Young’s modulus measurement, multi-cycle measurement of the thermal strain and zero stress adjustment followed by online monitoring the TMF cycles. The results of the TMF testing of an AA6061 alloy under cyclic temperatures (60–300°C) and various strain amplitudes (0.2–0.6%) were demonstrated. Its TMF behavior was characterized by the typical hysteresis loops and cyclic stress-strain response.
Association of Baldness with Coronary Artery Disease and Its Severity

Background: The pivotal role of baldness as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disorders remains a debate, and the small body of literature has generated inconsistent findings. We aimed to assess the association between baldness and the risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and its severity in a sample of Iranian men. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 105 consecutive patients suspected to CAD and scheduled for elective coronary angiography. The severity of CAD was determined according to the number of involved coronary vessels. For assessing the severity of baldness, the Hamilton-Norwood scale for grading of androgenetic alopecia in males was used. Results: The overall frequency of CAD in the groups with and without baldness was 88.9% and 72.5%, respectively, indicating a significant difference (P=0.033). Similarly, patients with the family history of baldness suffered more from CAD as compared to those without history (93.3% vs.76.0%). However, no significant association was found between the baldness and non-baldness groups with regard to the severity of CAD (P=0.291). According to the multivariable logistic regression model, the presence of baldness could predict the increased likelihood of CAD (or=3.037, P=0.046). Conclusion: Along with traditional risk factors for CAD, the presence of baldness and positive family history of this phenotype could be considered as the primary determinant for the increasing likelihood of CAD.
Hierarchical Musical Instrument Separation

Many sounds that humans encounter are hierarchical in nature; a piano note is one of many played during a performance, which is one of many instruments in a band, which might be playing in a bar with other noises occurring. Inspired by this, we re-frame the musical source separation problem as hierarchical, combining similar instruments together at certain levels and separating them at other levels. This allows us to deconstruct the same mixture in multiple ways, depending on the appropriate level of the hierarchy for a given application. In this paper, we present various methods for hierarchical musical instrument separation, with some methods focusing on separating specific instruments (like guitars) and other methods that determine what to separate based on a user-supplied audio example. We additionally show that separating all hierarchy levels is possible even when training data is limited at fine-grained levels of the hierarchy.
The Soil Drying Along the Increase of Warming Masks the Relation between Temperature and Soil Respiration in an Alpine Meadow of Northern Tibet

ABSTRACT A warming experiment with two magnitudes was performed in an alpine meadow of Northern Tibet since late June, 2013. Open top chambers (OTCs) with two top diameters (0.60 m and 1.00 m) were used to increase soil temperature. Soil respiration (Rs) was measured during the growing season in 2013–2014. The OTCs with top diameters of 1.00 m and 0.60 m increased soil temperature by 1.30 and 3.10oC, respectively, during the whole study period, but decreased soil moisture by 0.02 and 0.05 m3 m-3, respectively. However, the two patters of OTCs did not affect Rs . These results implied that a higher warming did not result in a higher Rs but a greater soil drying. Therefore, a higher warming may not cause a higher soil respiration, which was most likely due to the fact that a higher warming may result in a greater soil drying.
GARCH option pricing models in a South African equity context

In this paper, di erent univariate GARCH option pricing models are applied to the FTSE/JSE Top 40 index to determine the best performing model when modelling the implied South African Volatility Index (SAVI). Three di erent GARCH models (one symmetric and two asymmetric) are considered and three di erent log-likelihood functions are used in the model parameter estimation. Furthermore, the accuracy of each model is tested by comparing the GARCH implied SAVI to the historical SAVI. In addition, the pricing performance of each model is tested by comparing the GARCH implied price to market option prices. The empirical results indicate that the models incorporating asymmetric e ects outperform competing models in terms of pricing performance. Key words: Econometrics, nancial markets, pricing, stochastic processes.
Seasonal succession of crustacean zooplankton in relation to the major environmental factors in Lake Ulungur,Xinjiang

Lake Ulungur is one of the ten largest freshwater lakes in China.This large inland endorheic lake of Northwestern China(Xinjiang) supports a significant fishery production of the region.It plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance and provides various ecosystem services to the sustainable social development of the region.Information regarding the variation or succession of crustacean zooplankton will be critical for understanding how regional climate changes or anthropogenic activities(or both) impacts the evolution and resilience of the lake ecosystem.In this study,we investigated the community structure and the seasonal succession pattern of crustacean zooplankton and their correlation to various environmental factors in Lake Ulungur between November 2006 and August 2008.The samples were collected from three layers: 0.5 m under the water surface,the middle layer,and 0.5 m above bottom.For each sample,15L of lake water was strained using a plankton net with a mesh size of 64μm. The samples were fixed with Lugol′s solution.The biomass(in wet weight) of Cladocera and Copepoda was estimated by the equations of weight vis-a-vis length.Results showed that a total of 25 zooplankton species were identified,including 6 Cladocera species and 19 Copepoda species.Cladocera had the highest value of Shannon-wiener index in the summer of 2007,2008(1.662,1.402) and the lowest value in the winter of 2007(0),while the value of Pielou′s index was high in the winter of 2006(0.990). For Copepoda,values of Shannon-wiener indices and Pielou′s indices were higher in the spring,summer and autumn(3.032、3.130、3.102;0.876、0.942、0.934). Analysis of Variance(ANOVA) showed significant seasonal variations in density and abundance of cladocerans and nauplius,respectively.The peak density(2.116ind./L) and biomass(0.0619mg/L) of cladoceran appeared in Summer of 2007,and nauplius showed the maximal density(5.140ind./L) and biomass(0.0154mg/L) in the Spring of 2007. The species whose abundance is more than 5% of the total crustacean density were considered 'dominant'. Bosmina longirostris,Onychocamptus mohammed were the dominant species in all seasons.In addition,there were seasonal dominant species of cladocera,Calanoida and Cyclopoidea,likely as a result of combined effects of the predation of pond smelt(Hypomesus nipponensis),the dominant planktivorous fish species in the lake,and the seasonal variation of phytoplankton abundance.Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) was applied to explore the relationship between variation of crustacean zooplankton species and environmental factors.The results showed that certain species,such as Daphnia longispina,were positively associated with pH and Secchi disk transparency as well as negatively associated with phytoplankton biomass.Among other species,Bosmina longirostris were correlated positively with water depth while Nauplius were showed positive correlation with water temperature.
Characteristics and Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria in Endangered Chinese Herb Glehnia littoralis Based on Illumina Sequencing

Abstract Glehnia littoralis is an endangered medicinal plant growing in the coastal ecological environment and plays an important role in coastal ecosystems. The endophytes in the plant have a significant role in promoting plant growth and enhancing plant stress resistance. However, the endophytic bacterial structure associated with halophyte G. littoralis is still not revealed. In this project, the construction and diversity of endophytic bacterial consortium associated with different tissues of G. littoralis were illustrated with high throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA. The results resolved that the diversity and richness of endophytic bacteria were significantly higher in root than in leaf and stem. The operational taxonomic units (OTU) analysis demonstrated that the Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were dominant in all the samples at the phylum level, and Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhizobium were the dominant genera. Our results unraveled that the bacterial communities differed among different tissues of G. littoralis. Endophytic bacterial communities in leaf and stem shared more similarity than that in the root. Furthermore, the difference of bacteria community and structure among different tissues were also detected by principal coordinate analysis. Taken altogether, we can conclude that the bacterial communities of different tissues are unique, which could facilitate understanding the diversity of endophytic bacteria in G. littoralis.
STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE FACULTIES OF NURSING AT ASSIUT, SOHAG AND SOUTH VALLEY UNIVERSITIES

Learning environment is an important stone for the success of learning processes. This study aimed to assess the student perception of educational environment in the Faculties of Nursing at Assiut, Sohag and South Vally Universities. Using a descriptive research design and convenient sample technique. The total number of the studied sample was 328. A self-administered questionnaire was adopted to collect the needed data. The questionnaire contains the following two main parts: socio-demographic and data related to educational environment which include physical environment and non physical environment. The mean age was 21.1 year, and the vast majority of students were females. 66.8%, 19.8% and 13.4% respectively were from Assiut, Sohag and Qena City. Their is a statistically significant relation between the three faculties about classroom size, suitability between number of students and the size of classroom, the availability of modern technology in teaching and noise level. According to the total score of perception about educational environment it was found that more than two thirds of nursing students at Assiut, Sohag, and Qena had poor level of perception, nearly one third had satisfactory level and only (1.5%) of the students perceive their educational environment is good. The present study concluded that all groups of the studied nursing students perceived the learning environment negatively. The study also indicated a widespread and large defects in the educational environment in these faculties as perceived by students, so;