Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinct element modelling of pipe-soil interaction for offshore pipelines on granular soils

Offshore on-bottom pipelines are subjected to cycles of thermal and pressure-induced axial expansion, which can cause them to buckle laterally. For an elegant and cost-effective solution, lateral buckling is allowed in a controlled manner. Of the various design parameters, the soil resistance has the greatest associated uncertainty. Previous studies of lateral pipe-soil interaction have used laboratory model tests and continuum-based numerical methods. However, they are economically and computationally expensive, and have mostly been restricted to pipes on undrained clay. To overcome this limitation, this thesis introduces the distinct element method (DEM) as a novel numerical tool for the study of lateral pipe-soil interaction for partially embedded offshore pipelines on sandy seabeds. The DEM directly models the particulate nature of sandy soils, allowing large displacements of discrete bodies and providing insights into the mechanics of the soil at a particle level. Pipe{soil interaction is studied by DEM analyses through four separate research stages: (i) mechanical characterisation of the soil, (ii) specimen preparation and pipeline implementation, (iii) small displacement pipe loading tests and (iv) large displacement pipe loading tests. The soil is modelled as an assembly of spherical particles exchanging contact forces, energy and momentum when they interact. At the microscopic scale, a novel moment-relative rotation contact law is introduced to account for the irregular shape of real sand grains. At a macroscopic scale, the mechanical behaviour of the sand is calibrated using experimental triaxial test data. Additional work includes the numerical preparation of a soil assembly and the implementation of a pipeline object in the open-source DEM code Yade. A novel specimen preparation technique is developed to assemble a homogeneous sample at a desired relative density. The pipeline is implemented as a cylindrical body with a continuously curved surface and a specific mass. Small displacement loading tests are performed, with a segment of the pipeline interacting with a 3D prismatic soil domain, replicating plane strain conditions. The influence of particle size, domain thickness, loading velocity and damping are investigated. The findings provide valuable recommendations for performing DEM simulations of this problem, balancing numerical accuracy and computational effort. Large displacement loading tests are performed to validate the DEM approach and to obtain detailed insights into the nature of the pipe-soil interaction. Monotonic vertical and lateral loading simulations are quantitatively compared with laboratory results. To replicate realistic loading conditions of the pipeline on the seabed, cyclic large displacement tests are also performed. Both the monotonic and the cyclic tests show a good level of agreement with experimental results obtained in previous research. Moreover, the numerical analyses provide insights into the evolution of particle motion and the failure mechanism within the soil.
Regional Response of the NCAR CCMl to Anomalous Surface Properties

Sensitivity tests of the National (NCAR) Community Climate Model - 1 (CCMl) response to surface forc­ ing from sea surface temperature (SST) and soil moisture on precipitation are presented. Four experiments were performed, including a control ex­ periment using climatological SSTs, an experiment with 1988 SSTs, which are generally thought to have contributed significantly to the 1988 Drought in the United States, and experiments using an artificial soil moisture anomaly. For each experiment, three model simulations were performed, and were initialized from arbitrary conditions. The results show that in CCMl, the 1988 SST experiment produced more precipitation in the United States compared to the control case. While precipitation increased in the U.S., the differences were found to be small compared to the variability. Control simulations with larger amounts of precipitation showed the strongest response to soil moisture anomalies; however, the seasonal reduction of soil moisture reduced the overall sensi­ tivity to the imposed anomaly. Furthermore, soil moisture differences in regions other than the anomaly region developed with comparable magni­ tudes.
Deepfake Detection: Analyzing Model Generalization Across Architectures, Datasets, and Pre-Training Paradigms

As deepfake technology gains traction, the need for reliable detection systems is crucial. Recent research has introduced various deep learning-based detection systems, yet they exhibit limitations in generalising effectively across diverse data distributions that differ from the training data. Our study focuses on understanding the generalisation challenge by exploring different aspects such as deep learning model architectures, pre-training strategies and datasets. Through a comprehensive comparative analysis, we evaluate multiple supervised and self-supervised deep learning models for deepfake detection. Specifically, we evaluate eight supervised deep learning architectures and two transformer-based models pre-trained using self-supervised strategies (DINO, CLIP) on four different deepfake detection benchmarks (FakeAVCeleb, CelebDF-V2, DFDC and FaceForensics++). Our analysis encompasses both intra-dataset and inter-dataset evaluations, with the objective of identifying the top-performing models, datasets that equip trained models with optimal generalisation capabilities, and assessing the influence of image augmentations on model performance. We also investigate the trade-off between model size, efficiency and performance. Our main goal is to provide insights into the effectiveness of different deep learning architectures (transformers, CNNs), training strategies (supervised, self-supervised) and deepfake detection benchmarks. Following an extensive empirical analysis, we conclude that Transformer models surpass CNN models in deepfake detection. Furthermore, we show that FaceForensics++ and DFDC datasets equip models with comparably better generalisation capabilities, as compared to FakeAVCeleb and CelebDF-V2 datasets. Our analysis also demonstrates that image augmentations can be beneficial in achieving improved performance, particularly for Transformer models.
Research on the Influence of Blended Curriculum Teaching Evaluation Design on Learning Motivation--Based on Control Value Theory

Blended learning environments bring new dimensions to the teaching capabilities of college instructors while also presenting novel challenges. Addressing these challenges requires investigation not only at the theoretical and policy levels but also in terms of individual awareness and practical implementation. Grounded in the control-value theory, this study scrutinizes the teaching evaluation design, control-value assessment, and students' learning motivation in blended courses within the blended online, online, and offline classroom settings. The study aims to explore the intricate relationships among these three components. The findings reveal that the teaching evaluation design of blended curriculum has no direct and significant impact on students' learning motivation in college classrooms. However, it does exert an indirect influence on students' learning motivation through control evaluation and value assessment. The outcomes of this research contribute to enhancing instructors' comprehension of the mechanisms that stimulate students' learning motivation in a blended curriculum context. Subsequently, it offers valuable insights for interventions to enhance students' learning motivation in college classrooms.
The Impact of Antifungal Stewardship on Clinical and Performance Measures: A Global Systematic Review

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) have been proposed as an opportunity to optimize antifungal use. The antifungal resistance is a significant and emerging threat. The literature on antifungal stewardship (AFS) and its influence on performance and clinical outcome measures is scarce. This study aimed to examine global evidence of the impact of AFS on patients and performance measures. Methods: The “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) was used for the flow of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. PubMed and MEDLINE were searched using the term ‘‘antifungal stewardship’’ on 15 February 2023. Search terms included antifungal stewardship, antimicrobial stewardship, candida, candidemia, candiduria, and invasive fungal disease. Of the 1366 records, 1304 were removed since they did not describe an antifungal stewardship intervention. Among the 62 full texts assessed, 21 articles were excluded since they were non-interventional studies and did not include the outcome of interest. Thus, 41 articles were eligible for systematic review. Eligible studies were those that described an AFS program and evaluated clinical or performance measures. Results: Of the 41 included studies, the primary performance measure collected was antifungal consumption (22 of 41), and mortality (22 of 41), followed by length of stay (11 of 41) and cost (9 of 41). Most studies were single-center, quasi-experimental, with varying interventions across studies. The principal finding from most of the studies in this systematic review is a reduction in mortality expressed in different units and the use of antifungal agents (13 studies out of 22 reporting mortality). Antifungal consumption was significantly blunted or reduced following stewardship initiation (10 of 22). Comparing studies was impossible due to a lack of standard units, making conducting a meta-analysis unfeasible, which would be a limitation of our study. Conclusion: It has been shown that AFS interventions may improve antifungal consumption and other performance measures. According to available published studies, antifungal consumption and mortality appear to be the possible performance measures to evaluate the impact of AFS.
Electrical conductivity and total dissolved solid of raw milk for the detection of bovine subclinical mastitis

Background and Aim: Bovine subclinical mastitis (SCM) is highly prevalent among dairy cattle. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bangladesh to evaluate the performance of electric conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) tests for the detection of SCM. Materials and Methods: We randomly selected 108 milk samples from cows of different breeds in the primary milk-producing region of Pabna and Sirajgonj districts of Bangladesh. Samples were subjected to the California mastitis test (CMT), white side test (WST), electric conductivity (EC), TDS, and culture. A cow was considered positive for SCM if it tested positive in CMT, WST, and culture, whereas a cow was considered negative for SCM if it tested negative in all three methods. These gold standards have been used to evaluate the performance of the EC and TDS tests. The optimal EC and TDS cutoff values for the detection of SCM were determined using the “optimal cutoff” function in R version 4.3. 1. Results: The optimal EC cutoff value for SCM detection was found to be 6159 μS/cm or 6.16 mS/cm. A positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 31.2 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.905 were obtained for this cutoff value. The optimal cutoff value for TDS was 3100 mg/L of milk, which resulted in a positive LR+ of 45.5 and an AUC of 0.924. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the performance of EC and TDS tests in detecting SCM in Bangladesh. These results suggest that EC and TDS tests, which are inexpensive, rapid, and easy to conduct, can effectively detect SCM at the farm level.
Therapeutic pediatric upper endoscopy: a retrospective report from a low-volume center

Background: Pediatric endoscopy has become an essential diagnostic and therapeutic tool for a range of gastrointestinal conditions in children, according to published guidelines. This study aimed to assess the indications, outcomes, and complications of therapeutic endoscopy in children at King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) in Jordan. Methods: This study conducted a retrospective chart review of therapeutic endoscopic procedures, including esophageal dilation, variceal and non-variceal hemostasis, foreign body retrieval, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) Tube insertion, performed between January 2014 and December 2020 at the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit (a mixed adult and pediatric unit) at KAUH. Demographic data, indications for intervention, comorbidities, procedural outcomes, postprocedural treatment, complications, readmission, and patient follow-up data were extracted from the patient's medical records. Results: During the study period, 185 patients underwent 260 therapeutic endoscopic procedures. 110 (60%) of the patients were boys. The average age of the patients was 81.8 ± 51.46 (standard deviation) months. Foreign body retrieval was the most common procedure, with accidental ingestion being the primary cause and coins being the most commonly impacted foreign body. Followed by esophageal dilatation and PEG tube insertion. Complications were mild and rare. Conclusion: The success rates and post-procedural complications of pediatric endoscopy procedures are similar between low-and high-volume hospitals worldwide, and procedural volume is not the only factor contributing to procedural outcomes and complication rates.
A new velocity model for clay-sand mixtu res1

None of the standard porosity-velocity models (e.g. the time-average equation, Raymer's equations) is satisfactory for interpreting well-logging data over a broad depth range. Clays in the section are the usual source of the difficulty through the bias and scatter that they introduce into the relationship between porosity and P-wave transit time. Because clays are composed of fine sheet-like particles, they normally form pores with much smaller aspect ratios than those associated with sand grains. This difference in pore geometry provides the key to obtaining more consistent resistivity and sonic log interpretations. A velocity model for Clay–sand mixtures has been developed in terms of the Kuster and Toksoz, effective medium and Gassmann theories. In this model, the total pore space is assumed to consist of two parts: (1) pores associated with sand grains and (2) pores associated with clays (including bound water). The essential feature of the model is the assumption that the geometry of pores associated with sand grains is significantly different from that associated with clays. Because of this, porosity in shales affects elastic compliance differently from porosity in sand-Stones. The predictive power of the model is demonstrated by the agreement between its predictions and laboratory measurements and by its ability to predict sonic logs from other logs over large depth intervals where formations vary from unconsolidated to consolidated sandstones and shales.
The role of resilience in the relationship between intimate partner violence severity and ICD-11 CPTSD severity

ABSTRACT Background: Resilience is a modulating factor in the development of PTSD and CPTSD after exposure to traumatic events. However, the relationship between resilience and ICD-11 CPTSD is not adequately understood in survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Objective: The aim of this study is to determine whether resilience has a mediating role in the relationship between severity of violence and severity of CPTSD symptoms. Method: A sample of 202 women IPV survivors completed self-rated questionnaires to assess CPTSD, severity of violence and resilience. Results: Mediation analyses indicated that there was a direct relationship between the severity of violence and the severity of CPTSD symptoms (β = .113, p < .001) and that there was a significantly inverse relationship between levels of resilience and the severity of CPTSD symptoms (β = −.248, p < .001). At the same time, there was no significant relationship between the severity of violence and resilience (β = −.061, p = .254). Conclusions: These findings suggest that resilience does not mediate the relationship between violence severity and CPTSD severity. Directions for future research are discussed.
Assessment of Acrylamide Levels and Evaluation of Physical Attributes in Bread Made with Sourdough and Prolonged Fermentation

Over the past decades, there has been an increasing awareness regarding acrylamide content in cooked foods. The use of natural, homemade, organic and ecological ingredients has been promoted in our society as a strategy to combat the increase in cancer ratios. In this work, the use of sourdough and prolonged fermentation as a mitigation of acrylamide formation in bread were studied. In addition, to accomplish the required standards of industrial production, the dimension and acidity were also assessed. For this purpose, samples were elaborated using diverse fermentation times (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 minutes) of the dough before baking and different sourdough percentages (0, 20 and 50%). High-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method for acrylamide determination in bread crust was applied. We could corroborate that a decrease in acrylamide levels was observed with fermentation time for samples containing 0 and 20% sourdough, being sharper the decrease for the latter. However, the samples containing 50% sourdough showed a quite different behaviour depending on the fermentation time interval. The physical study revealed that dimension of the pieces increased with fermentation time and sourdough content, until the excessive gluten degradation and acidification of the medium led to a flattening and decrease in elevation of the samples. This study revealed that the samples containing a percentage of 20% sourdough maintained the proper quality of gluten for longer fermentation times than the 50% sourdough samples, delaying the flattening of the samples with fermentation time. Statistical calculations were accomplished in order to elucidate the correlations between the different variables, observing that the titratable index was associated with the fermentation time, the sourdough content, the bulk density and the acrylamide content.
Thematic Daily Sleep Routine Analysis of Adults Not in Employment Living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Day-to-day variations in sleep timing have been associated with poorer glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus, although the factors that influence this sleep timing variability are poorly understood. Methods: Daily routines of sleep in a sample of seventeen adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were either retired or not currently working were examined qualitatively through the application of semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis of the resulting transcripts. Results: Four themes were identified: “Consistent Sleeping Patterns”, “Fluctuating Sleep Timing”, “Night-Time Disruptions” and “Lasting Effort Needed with Type Two Diabetes Mellitus”. The subthemes reflected that many participants had consistent sleep schedules across the seven-day week, but that a desire to maintain a sense of normality, household routines, television schedules and socializing were associated with different sleep timing on weekends. Active disease monitoring and timed medication taking were not identified as important factors in shaping sleep timing. Nocturia, stress and rumination were identified as important factors linked to disrupted sleep. Sleep was not reported as an issue discussed during routine clinical care. Conclusion: Sleep timing in participants appears to be driven by interacting psychosocial and physiological factors, although active disease management does not emerge as a major influence on sleep schedules.
A 75 Ka Record of Palaeoclimatic Changes Inferred from Crystallinity of Illite from Nal Sarovar, Western India

The crystallinity of the clay mineral illite, which is a climatically sensitive parameter, was studied for palaeoclimatic inferences from a core raised from Nal Sarovar in western India. The changes in crystallinity of illite in the top 3m of the core showed that the climate was wetter than present from ∼6.3-4.6 ka BP and was followed by a relatively dry phase which has continued up to the present. These palaeoclimatic observations are largely similar to those obtained from δ 13 C and C/N ratio variations in the top 3m of the core. From the deeper (>3m) section, a wet spell around 50 ka BP was identified in an otherwise continuous spell of aridity between 7 and 73 ka BP. The presence of a red bed dated to -50 ka BP (depth 1285-1324 cm) also suggested that the climate was wet followed by dry conditions during this period. This interpretation of palaeoclimatic changes deciphered from the Nal Sarovar core differs in some detail from the Rajasthan palaeoclimatic record and that available from south India.
Changes in Local and Systemic Adverse Effects following Primary and Booster Immunisation against COVID-19 in an Observational Cohort of Dutch Healthcare Workers Vaccinated with BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®)

In healthcare workers (HCWs) and in the general population, fear of adverse effects is among the main reasons behind COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We present data on self-reported adverse effects from a large cohort of HCWs who underwent primary (N = 470) and booster (N = 990) mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. We described general patterns in, and predictors of self-reported adverse effect profiles. Adverse effects following immunisation (AEFI) were reported more often after the second dose of primary immunisation than after the first dose, but there was no further increase in adverse effects following the booster round. Self-reported severity of systemic adverse effects was less following booster immunisation. Prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 was found to be a significant predictor of AEFI following primary immunisation, but was no longer a predictor after booster vaccination. Compared to other studies reporting specifically on adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in healthcare workers, we have a relatively large cohort size, and are the first to compare adverse effects between different rounds of vaccination. Compared to studies in the general population, we have a considerably homogenous population. Insights in AEFI following primary and booster vaccinations may help in addressing vaccine hesitancy, both in HCWs and in the general population.
Exploring the ambiguity of managerial job insecurity: Corporate restructuring, work intensification and perceptual politics

Whereas social theorists, qualitative investigators and survey-based analysts suggest advanced economies are increasingly characterized by managerial job insecurity, database and questionnaire researchers propose relatively stable tenure rates for managers. We make sense of this ambiguity in three phases: First, following interviews with managers in Japan, the UK and the USA, we offer support for the ‘global convergence ’ thesis, through data reflecting greater job insecurity generated by comparable and recurrent corporate restructuring. Second, considering research suggesting relative stability in managerial tenure rates, we argue that our findings – signifying increased insecurity – can be explained in terms of the ‘perceptual politics ’ of US-style shareholder capitalism impinging, hegemonically, upon occupational sensibilities. Third, in concluding this argument, we suggest that everyday managerial experience can be understood in light of corporations instilling a perceptual ‘ insecurity message’ in managers, essentially as part of a tangible control strategy directed at the inexorable ratcheting-up of management productivity demands globally.