Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using forum theatre in organised youth soccer to positively influence antisocial and prosocial behaviour: a pilot study

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the possible effects of a forum theatre intervention on moral team atmosphere, moral reasoning, fair play attitude and on‐ and off‐field antisocial and prosocial behaviour in male adolescent soccer players from 10 to 18 years of age (n = 99). From pre‐test to post‐test, small but positive changes were found in moral atmosphere, but not in moral reasoning or fair play attitude. Changes were also found in on‐field antisocial behaviour, which showed a significant decrease one month after the intervention. However, the changes in antisocial behaviour were not affected by the changes in moral team atmosphere. Off‐field antisocial behaviour and both on‐ and off‐field prosocial behaviour did not show a significant change. The results suggest that more extended efforts built on a similar approach are worth investigating.
Assessing the determinants of Firms’ Competitiveness in Greece: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

The paper investigates the importance of territorial characteristics/assets (i.e. agglomeration economies, urban infrastructure, factors of labor and cost, development policies, qualitative factors, inter alia) on small- and medium-sized firms’ competitiveness. The analysis uses primary data from 204 small- and medium-sized firms located in Thessaloniki (Greece). These firms operate in the sectors of industry, commerce and services. Through the use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, the importance of particular factors for the competitiveness of firms has been analyzed, coming out in valuable conclusions not only for the firms and the city of Thessaloniki considered but also for firms and areas with similar characteristics in Greece and the wider area of Balkans.
A comparison of robust Kalman filtering methods for artifact correction in heart rate variability analysis

Heart rate variability (HRV) has received considerable attention for many years, since it provides a quantitative marker for examining the sinus rhythm modulated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS plays an important role in clinical and physiological fields. HRV analysis can be performed by computing several time and frequency domain measurements. However, the computation of such measurements can be affected by the presence of artifacts or ectopic beats in the electrocardiogram (ECG) recording. This is particularly true for ECG recordings from Holter monitors. The aim of this work was to study the performance of several robust Kalman filters for artifact correction in Inter-beat (RR) interval time series. For our experiments, two data sets were used: the first data set included 10 RR interval time series from a realistic RR interval time series generator. The second database contains 10 sets of RR interval series from five healthy patients and five patients suffering from congestive heart failure. The standard deviation of the RR interval was computed over the filtered signals. Results were compared with a state of the art processing software, showing similar values and behavior. In addition, the proposed methods offer satisfactory results in contrast to standard Kalman filtering.
A study of European, Persian and Arabic loans in standard Sorani

This dissertation examines processes of lexical borrowing in the Sorani standard of the Kurdish language, spoken in Iraq, Iran, and the Kurdish diaspora. Borrowing, a form of language contact, occurs on all levels of language structure. In the pre-standard literary Kurdish (Kirmanci and Sorani) which emerged in the pre-modern period, borrowing from Arabic and Persian was a means of developing a distinct literary and linguistic tradition. By contrast, in standard Sorani and Kirmanci, borrowing from the state languages, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, is treated as a form of domination, a threat to the language, character, culture, and national distinctness of the Kurdish nation. The response to borrowing is purification through coinage, internal borrowing, and other means of extending the lexical resources of the language.As a subordinate language, Sorani is subjected to varying degrees of linguistic repression, and this has not allowed it to develop freely. Since Sorani speakers have been educated only in Persian (Iran), or predominantly in Arabic, European loans in Sorani are generally indirect borrowings from Persian and Arabic (Iraq). These loans constitute a major source for lexical modernisation. The study provides wordlists of European loanwords used by Hâmin and other codifiers of Sorani. Most European loanwords are well established, used in magazines, books, and the spoken language although they are neither standardised in their spelling nor registered in Kurdish dictionaries. Some loan blends, loan shifts, creations, and pure Kurdish words introduced into Sorani are also established. However, under conditions of intensive language contact, borrowing and purification continue to be the main trends of standardisation.
Nanostructure by Acid Treatment and Annealing

Tungsten oxide (WO3) nanostructure is an interesting material for many applications such as batteries, gas sensors, photocatalysts, display utilizing, and smart windows. In this work, we fabricated the WO3 nanoplates by sputtering, acid treatment and annealing. Firstly, a tungsten film was deposited on a silicon or glass substrate by sputtering. The film was then immersed in nitric acid (HNO3) at 80C. The effect of the exposure time, and annealing temperature was investigated. After the acid treatment, the tungsten oxide hydrate or tungstile (WO3H2O) with nanoplate structure was developed. The optical transmittance in the visible range was significantly improved compared to the continuous tungsten film. The size of the nanoplate was found to increase with increasing the immersion time. The tungsten oxide hydrate nanoplates transformed into WO3 after annealing at ≥ 200°C. Increasing annealing temperature resulted in the decreasing size of the nanoplates. The shape of the nanoplates became more of the rectangular shape with annealing. The optical transmittance of the WO3 film increased with the annealing temperature up to 400C.
A Comparison Of Liberation Determinations By Particle Area Percentage And Exposed Particle Perimeter Percentage In A Flotation Concentrator

To simplify programming, image analyzers commonly measure either linear intercepts or the areas of particles and grains to determine liberation based on polished section mounts. However, the concentration of minerals by flotation is based on reagents that interact with the exposed surfaces of the minerals. Thus, it is often perceived that image analyzers should measure the perimeter of the mineral of interest in the ore particles. A comparative liberation study of thirteen samples collected from a flotation plant processing a complex base metal sulfide ore showed that the liberation of the ore minerals determined by area measurements is very similar to the liberation determined by the exposed perimeters. The liberation determined by exposed perimeters is more appropriate only for those cases where the mineral texture is so complex that it is retained in the small particles generated in conventional grinding operations.
Experimental Induction of Odontoblast Differentiation and Stimulation During Preparative Processes

In vivo implantation experiments have shown that ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid(EDTA)-soluble frac tions of dentin stimulate reparative dentinogenesis . When isolated embryonic dental papillae were cultured in the presence of these dentin constituents, odontoblast cytological and functional differentiation could be initiated and maintained in the absence of an enamel organ. These effects were attributed to the presence of TGF-/1related molecules [TGF-/11 or bone morphogenetic protein-2a (BMP-2a)] which had to be used in combination with an EDT A-soluble fraction of dentin in order to specifically affect competent preodontoblasts . These EDT A-soluble constituents present in dentin could be replaced by heparin or fibronectin which both have been reported to interact with TGF-/1. The association of such defined matrix components with a TGF-/1-related molecule represents a biologically active complex triggering odontoblast functional differentiation. In response to caries, odontoblasts modulate their secretory activity and are stimulated to elaborate reactionary dentin. This might be induced by active molecules such as IGF , TGF-6 or BMP which are liberated from dentin consecutively to the demineralization process. Reparative dentinogenesis is distinct from reactionary dentinogenesis and more complex since it implicates the differentiation of precursor cells present in the dental papilla. The developmental history of these cells is different from that of the physiological predontoblasts in developing teeth. The nature of these "stem cells" and the mechanism of their induction still remain open questions.
The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD)

The Cambridge Structural Database System (CSDS), comprising the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and its associated software, as available in mid-2000 is described. The validated information content, comprehensive literature coverage and statistical data for the CSD are summarized. CSDS software for search, retrieval, analysis and display of database content is also reviewed, and typical research applications of the CSDS in structural chemistry and biology are briefly indicated. A new software component of the CSDS, IsoStar (a knowledge base of intermolecular interactions derived from the CSD and the PDB) is also summarized.
Design and Evaluation of Register Allocation on GPUs

The rapid adoption of Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) computing has led to the development of workloads which can leverage the massive parallelism offered by GPUs. The use of GPUs is no longer limited to graphics, but has been extended to support compute-intensive applications from various scientiﬁc and commercial domains. Signiﬁcant effort and expertise are required to optimize applications targeted for a speciﬁc GPU architecture. One of the keys to improving the performance of the applications is to utilize the available hardware resources efﬁciently. The architectural complexity of the GPU makes it challenging to optimize performance at both the source level and the compiler level. In this thesis, we develop a transformation pass (i.e., a register allocator) that optimizes both vector and scalar register usage on GPUs. We introduce an open-source compiler framework, Multi2C, which converts OpenCL kernel into AMD Southern Islands binaries. The register allocator is integrated as a part of the Multi2C optimization framework. Register allocation for each class of registers is run as a separate pass in the compiler. We also highlight the challenges faced when performing register allocation targeting a GPU, including issues with thread divergence and proper handling of contiguous register series. We evaluate the performance of our allocator for applications taken from the AMD APP SDK. We compare our results with a baseline design which performs register assignment without any backtracking. The proposed allocator reduces register usage by 22.5% for VGPRs and by 44.2% for SGPRs, as compared to the baseline. By reducing the number of registers used, average wavefront occupancy increases by 73%, which leads to an average speed up of 5.4% over the baseline.
Pharmacology of organoselenium compounds: Emphasis on puzzling mechanistic switching from their glutathione peroxidase mimic in vivo

Organoselenium compounds are a new class of emerging potent antioxidants. Basically, their rational design and synthesis was aimed at mimicking the native glutathione peroxidase enzyme in their reduction of hydroperoxides at the expense of the ubiquitous antioxidant, glutathione. In this review, emphasis was focused on the seemingly antagonistic mechanisms employed by organoseleniums under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Summarily, in vitro evidences clearly demonstrate that the pharmacological effect of organoseleniums strictly depends on their GPx mimic. However, these selenium based compounds evoke an increase in the level of endogenous thiols suggesting a possible switch in their glutathione peroxidase mimic under in vivo conditions. Apparently, this mechanistic switch is puzzling and requires concerted efforts to unravel.
Variation in the response of cashew genotypes to the targeted application of fungicide to flower panicles for control of powdery mildew disease

Application of the fungicide triadimenol (Bayfidan) directly to inflorescences of cashew was investigated as a means of controlling powdery mildew disease caused by Oidium anacardii. Disease development and nut production were studied in 12 cashew genotypes that differed in their susceptibility to mildew. Panicle colonization by O. anacardii reached 100% coverage in all genotypes without fungicide treatment, but rates of infection differed significantly. Triadimenol sprays reduced mildew to less than 9%, even in panicles of highly susceptible genotypes. In the absence of disease, particularly good yield responses with more than nine times more nuts set than untreated controls were achieved by AM6 and AC1, which were categorized as highly susceptible and intermediate, respectively, in reaction to powdery mildew. By contrast, the partially resistant genotypes AZA2 and AC6 both produced yield response ratios of less than 3·0. The targeted treatment of flower panicles to control mildew is recommended, rather than the current practice of wastefully treating whole trees on which all mature leaves are naturally immune to infection.
A hyperspectral image analysis workbench for environmental science applications

A significant challenge to the information sciences is to provide more powerful and accessible means to exploit the enormous wealth of data available from high-resolution imaging spectrometry, or ``hyperspectral`` imagery, for analysis, for mapping purposes, and for input to environmental modeling applications. As an initial response to this challenge, Argonne`s Advanced Computer Applications Center has developed a workstation-based prototype software workbench which employs Al techniques and other advanced approaches to deduce surface characteristics and extract features from the hyperspectral images. Among its current capabilities, the prototype system can classify pixels by abstract surface type. The classification process employs neural network analysis of inputs which include pixel spectra and a variety of processed image metrics, including image ``texture spectra`` derived from fractal signatures computed for subimage tiles at each wavelength.
Relaxed selection and environmental change decrease reintroduction success in simulated populations

Previous work has shown that captive environments can relax selective pressures on various traits, resulting in significantly more trait variance in captive‐bred versus wild populations. This increased variance could be one cause of the high mortality rates observed when captive‐bred populations are released into the wild, because a significant proportion of the released population exhibits traits that are no longer adapted to the wild. Here we use evolutionary simulation to examine the effects of relaxed selection on trait variance and population persistence when populations are reintroduced into static and changing environments. Our simulations show that when wild environments remained stable and selective pressures on given traits were quite strong (1) relaxation of selective pressures led to significant increases in trait variance; (2) trait variance rapidly decreased when pressures were restored; (3) the smaller the population size, the lower the probability of persistence; and (4) there was often a significant lag time between reintroduction and eventual extinction, reinforcing the importance of long‐term monitoring after release. When captive‐bred populations were reintroduced into changing environments, strength of selection in the release habitat was the factor that most influenced survivorship. Amount of change between the source and release habitat and the population's carrying capacity also influenced survivorship, but to a lesser extent.
Reduction of radiation dose for coronary computed tomography angiography using prospective electrocardiography-triggered high-pitch acquisition in clinical routine

Purpose To evaluate the image quality, radiation exposure, and means of application in a group of patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) performed with low-dose prospective electrocardiography (ECG)-triggered acquisition in which a standard sequence was added if the low-dose sequence did not allow reliable exclusion of coronary stenosis with respect to image quality. Material and methods The present study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. The authors performed a retrospective review of 256 consecutive patients referred for CCTA using dual-source CT scanner (Definition FLASH, Siemens, Germany). CCTA was performed using prospective ECG-triggered high-pitch acquisition. In patients with higher heart rates (> 65 bpm) or in whom irregular heart rates were noted prior to the scan, a subsequent CCTA was performed immediately (double flash protocol). The effective radiation dose was calculated for each patient. All images were evaluated by two independent observers for quality on a four-point scale with 1 being non-diagnostic image quality and 4 being excellent. Results Mean effective whole-body dose of CCTA was 1.6 ± 0.4 mSv (range, 0.4-5.4) for the entire cardiac examination and 0.9 ± 0.3 mSv (range, 0.4-2.8) for individual prospective ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTAs. In 27 of these patients with higher heart rates or occasional premature ventricular contractions or atrial fibrillation, subsequent CCTAs were performed immediately. The average image quality score was good to excellent with less than 1% unevaluable coronary segments. The double flash protocol resulted in a fully diagnostic CCTA in all cases. Conclusions The prospective ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTA technique is feasible and promising in clinical routine with good to excellent image quality and minimal radiation dose. The double flash protocol might become a more robust tool in patients with higher heart rates or arrhythmia.
Feature Dimension Reduction Algorithm Based Prediction Method for Protein Quaternary Structure

Knowing the quaternary structure of an uncharacterized protein often provides useful clues for finding its biological function and interaction process with other molecules in a biological system. Here, dimensionality reduction algorithm is introduced to predict the quaternary structure of proteins. Our jackknife test results indicate that it is very promising to use the dimensionality reduction approaches to cope with complicated problems in biological systems, such as predicting the quaternary structure of proteins.
BEING SOCIALLY ISOLATED IS A MATTER OF SUBJECTIVITY: THE MEDIATOR OF LIFE MEANING AND MODERATOR OF RELIGIOSITY

Albeit accumulated research supporting the deleterious effects of being socially isolated on emotional and behavioral consequences, paucity of effort has been made to investigate impacts of different forms of social isolation on such out- comes. Furthermore, no study has attempted to look into the mediating effect of life meaning and moderating effect of religiosity on the above relationships. The present study verified the positive effects of both perceived social isolation and subjective loneliness on emotional distress and hostility, in which subjective loneliness was a function of perceived social isolation and significantly mediated by one’s meaningful existence. More complicated, religiosity showed a mode- rating role in the relationship between perceived social isolation and subjective loneliness through its promoting effect on meaning in life. Implications of these findings were emphasized in discussion, plus directions for future research also addressed.
Temporal Variation of Membracidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) Composition in Areas of Caatinga with Different Vegetation Structures

The diversity of membracids in different Caatinga vegetation structures (preserved, intermediate and degraded) was studied during dry and rainy seasons in 2006. We recorded 1,107 individuals, belonging to 13 species, mostly during the rainy season (693). Melusinella nervosa (Fairmaire, 1846), Enchenopa brasiliensis Strumpel, 2007 and E. eunicea Creao-Duarte & Rothea, 2007 were the most abundant species, although this pattern varied in the three areas. M. nervosa and E. brasiliensis were the most abundant during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, due to the resistance of its main host plant to seasonality and climate rigors. Thrasymedes pallescens (Stal, 1869) was the species least affected by seasonality, with 51.3% and 48.7% of the specimens collected in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, followed by E. eunicea , with 65.6% and 34.4%. A cluster analysis showed that membracids from preserved areas in the dry season were more related to the ones from rainy season, highlighting the importance of these areas in the Caatinga for maintenance of these insects, which are strongly associated with their host plants.
Modeling of Shear-Critical Reinforced Concrete Structures Repaired with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

This paper describes a study in which finite-element (FE) analysis procedures were used to predict the behavior of a reinforced concrete (RC) frame shear strengthened with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Details are presented of the numerical techniques used to represent the RC frame, the FRP, and the bond properties between the FRP and the concrete. The FE analysis is performed using a two-dimensional nonlinear FE analysis program based on the disturbed stress field model. To augment verification studies undertaken with beam specimens previously tested, a large-scale RC frame with one-span and two-story height was constructed and tested under lateral load conditions. The frame was first heavily damaged in shear, repaired with FRP wrap, and then subjected to a regime of reversed cyclic loads. A detailed comparison is carried out between analytical and experimental results for the hysteretic response, damage mode, crack pattern, and deformation of the frame. It is concluded that reasonably accurate simulations of the behavior of FRP-repaired shear-critical structures can be achieved through finite-element modeling.
Dimensionality reduction-based building recognition

Object recognition is being paid more and more attention in computer vision research and a variety of algorithms have been put forward to enhance the recognition performance. However, building recognition, a relatively specific recognition task, is still at a preliminary stage of development, because the challenging task includes rotation, scaling, illumination changes, occlusion, etc. A building recognition scheme is proposed in this paper, which integrates biologically-inspired feature extraction and dimensionality reduction. Experiments undertaken on our own constructed building database demonstrate that our proposed scheme can achieve satisfactory results.