Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioural determinants of the obesity epidemic

Obesity is a serious and growing public health problem affecting developed and developing countries. It is generally agreed that the causes of the current obesity epidemic are not genetic in origin, but are the result of changes in the environments in which we live. While acknowledging the importance of environmental factors, the central role of behaviour in the obesity epidemic cannot be ignored. It is our eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours that form the interface between our biology and the environments to which we are exposed. However, a lack of understanding of the specific behaviours that are important in the aetiology of obesity poses a major constraint to preventing obesity. A better understanding of the behaviours that contribute to weight gain and obesity is critical in order to plan and implement effective obesity prevention initiatives. Theory-driven investigations of eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, their determinants, and their role in weight gain and obesity among different population groups are urgent research priorities. Without an understanding of the key behaviours that contribute to weight gain, and the influences on these behaviours, it will remain difficult to identify where to intervene in the environment and be confident that action will prevent obesity.
Urine immune profiling by measurement of multiple cytokine/chemokine mRNA levels in renal allograft dysfunction

Background: An accurate diagnosis of cause of acute renal graft dysfunction is crucial for the optimal management of transplant recipients. Currently available tests are either insensitive or nonspecific, or are invasive, such as allograft biopsy. During last decade, attempts have been made in search of non invasive markers for the evaluation of cause of graft dysfunction. We studied a set of genes expressed on cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and those related to functioning of regulatory or helper T cells. Methods: We obtained 108 urine samples from 108 renal allograft recipients at the time of graft biopsy done for the evaluation of cause of graft dysfunction. RNA was extracted from urinary cells and messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding perforin, granzyme B (GB), FoxP3, CD3? , CXCR3, TGF-? , CTLA4, PI-9, IL-10, TNF? , T-bet and 18SrRNA measured with the use of quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The levels of expression of genes were correlated with the biopsy findings and the results compared among different groups. Renal allograft biopsies at this institution are performed when there is unexplained rise in serum creatinine of >20% from the baseline value and reported according to Banff classification. SPSS v10.0 used for analy-sis.Results: The mRNA copy numbers of GB, Perforin, FoxP3, CD3, CXCR3, TGF-? , CTL A4, PI9, IL-10, TNF? , and T-bet were log transformed and mean (± SD) levels studied. The expression of all studied genes were compared between ‘nonspecific biopsy findings’ and other specific diagnoses. GB, Perforin, FoxP3, TGF-? , CD3? , CTLA4 CXCR3 and T-bet were higher in acute cellular rejection (ACR), whereas, TGF-? was also found higher in infection, and PI-9 in chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) and borderline rejection group. Conclusion: Measurement of mRNA levels for genes like GB, Perforin, FoxP3, TGF-β, CD3? , CTLA4, CXCR3 and T-bet in urine samples offers a non invasive means of diag-nosing cause of graft dysfunction.
A NOVEL PERSONAL AUTHENTICATION USING KNUCKLE MULTISPECTRAL PATTERN

With the increased use of biometrics for identity verification, there have been similar increases in the use of unimodal biometric system. The finger knuckle print recognition is one of the newest biometric techniques research today. In this paper, one of the reliable and robust personal identification approaches using finger knuckle print is presented. Many researchers are going on in face, finger print and iris recognition and which finds its usage in many applications. These biometric which find its usage in many applications are easily duplicated for fraudulent activities. But the finger knuckle print recognition is the unique pattern to identify the individuality at a high level of accuracy. This paper proposes new algorithms for finger knuckle print recognition using SIFT algorithm and this algorithm presents, extracting a new original constant features from images As the proposed method matches the different angles of finger knuckle print with the database, its reliability is very high when compared to other biometrics. The features of SIFT which are invariant to image scale and rotation, are shown to provide robust matching across a substantial range of fine distortion, change in 3D viewpoint, addition of noise, and change in illuminance. The features are highly distinctive, in the sense that a single feature could be correctly matched with high probability against a large database of features from many images.
Mindfulness Meditation: Effects of a Brief Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity during Acute Stress

Mindfulness Meditation: Effects of a Brief Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity During Acute Stress Dustin LaMar Jones Department of Psychology, BYU Master of Science Mindfulness has historically been cultivated via formal meditation practice and the majority of meditation research examines individuals with extensive training or participants in mindfulness based stress reduction programs that require considerable expense, a trained facilitator, and take approximately 8 weeks to complete. However, current literature does not speak directly to those who do not have the time or ability for such commitments. Formal mindfulness meditation practice and interventions reduce stress in various populations; however, the outcomes of a one-time intervention are relatively unknown. This study aims to examine whether a one-time (20-min) mindfulness meditation intervention would improve cardiovascular variables during acute stressors in a meditation naive sample when compared to a control group. Fifty-eight (58) normotensive undergraduate students (27 males, 31 females) with no prior meditation experience were randomly placed into either a treatment group that participated in one-time 15-minute audio training session on mindfulness meditation or a control group which listened to an audio health article. Following the training, participants participated in a psychosocial stressor modeled after the Trier Social Stress Test. Heart rate and blood pressure were assessed before and after the intervention and during the stress task. Results showed the mindfulness meditation condition group was effective in decreasing blood pressure response during the study, when compared to the control group. These results indicate that brief meditation training has beneficial effects on cardiovascular variables. These findings suggest that the benefits of a brief one-time mindfulness meditation intervention can be recognized immediately after a brief training treatment.
Intelligent Waste Segregation and Monitoring System

Population growth and rapid urbanization means bigger and denser cities and increased municipal solid waste generation. The segregation, handling, transport and disposal of waste are to be properly managed so as to minimize the risk to the health and safety of patients, the public and the environment . The economic value of waste is best realized when it is segregated . This project proposes to segregate the dry waste and wet waste at the household level. The level of the garbage collected in the container is monitored using ultraviolet sensor. This is monitored at the control system office. Adding to it, a zonal area around the roadside garbage container is created using the load sensor concept, to monitor if garbage spills out of the container.
Income and Consumption: A Micro Semistructural Analysis with Pervasive Heterogeneity

We develop a model of consumption and income that allows for pervasive heterogeneity in the parameters of both processes. Introducing codependence between household income parameters and preference parameters, we also allow for heterogeneity in the impact of income shocks on consumption. We estimate the parameters of the model using a sample from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, covering the period 1968–2009. We find considerable codependent heterogeneity in the parameters governing income and consumption processes. Our results suggest a great deal of heterogeneity in the reaction of consumption to income shocks, highlighting the heterogeneity in the self-insurance available to households.
Communicating amidst the noise: modeling the aggregate influence of ambient and vessel noise on baleen whale communication space in a national marine sanctuary

Anthropogenic noise negatively impacts many species. One of the more insidious effects of elevated noise levels is the reduction in area over which animals are able to acoustically communicate, often termed communication masking. This study utilizes modeling approaches to evaluate relative levels of masking for 4 baleen whale species from the combination of current ambient noise conditions and noise from discrete vessels operating in the Stellwagen Bank Nat ional Marine Sanctuary. Acoustic data were collected using bottom-mounted autonomous recorders. One day was analyzed for each of 5 different species-specific sound types, corresponding to peaks in occurrence of fin and humpback whale songs, humpback whale social sounds, minke whale pulse trains and North Atlantic right whale gunshots. Source levels for animals and 3 categories of vessels were calculated empirically; sound propagation was modeled using Bellhop ray tracing. An agent-based modeling framework was used to calculate changes in communication space (CS) in comparison to reference conditions (10 dB lower than current ambient noise). In these singleday snapshots, current ambient noise and noise from vessels for which automatic identification system (AIS) data were available contribute most heavily to loss of CS, followed by whale-watching and fishing vessels. Right whale gunshots experience the least amount of masking, while fin, humpback and minke whale signals experience masking levels of 80% or more. While these results incorporate several simplifying assumptions, this study further develops the framework by which to comparatively quantify masking, providing information on the relative degree of masking experienced between species and allowing for important insights on the relative contributions of different anthropogenic sound sources.
Simulations of Extreme Ionization and Electron Dynamics in Ultraintense Laser–Cluster Interactions

We present a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation code for the ex- ploration of extreme multielectron ionization and attosecond-femtosecond electron dynamics in elemental and molecular clusters driven by ultraintense (peak intensity IM = 10 15 -10 16 W cm -2 ), ultrafast (temporal pulse widths τ = 10-100 fs), near infrared (photon frequency 0.35 fs -1 ) laser fields. Validity conditions are presented for the applicability of classical MD simulations to high-energy electron dynamics, which rest on the localization of the wave packet and the distinguishability of identical particles. We also examine the cluster size domain for the applicability of the MD simulation code where the laser intensity is uniform inside the cluster.
Contingencies of Self-Worth and Self-Validation Goals: Implications for Close Relationships.

Of all the needs that humans possess, one of the most fundamental is the need for relatedness: the need to have close, mutually caring, and supportive relationships with others (see Baumeister & Leary, 1995, for a review; see also Blackhart, Baumeister, & Twenge, Chapter 12, this volume; Deci & Ryan, 2000). Close relationships serve as a safe haven, thereby alleviating distress and providing comfort and support in times of need (Bowlby, 1969; Collins & Feeney, 2000; see also Feeney, Chapter 7, this volume). Close relationships also serve as a secure base from which people can confidently explore their environment and develop autonomous, integrated personalities (Green & Campbell, 2000). Although relationships are meant to provide a sense of safety and security, certain intrapersonal processes may interfere with people’s ability to form and maintain such relationships. In this chapter, we propose that people’s contingencies of self-worth, or bases of self-esteem, and selfvalidation goals, the desire to prove that one possesses qualities on which selfesteem is based, may ultimately hinder people from sustaining quality relationships with others. People differ in the domains on which they base their self-worth; some derive self-worth from being virtuous, having God’s love, or experiencing sup-
Sustainability in Construction Engineering

The concept of sustainability has been expanding to all areas of economic activity, including construction engineering. Construction engineering is a complex discipline that involves designing, planning, constructing and managing infrastructures. In this Special Issue, 27 selected and peer-reviewed papers contribute to sustainable construction by offering technological, economic, social and environmental benefits through a variety of methodologies and tools, including fundamental decision-making models and methods as well as advanced multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods and techniques. The papers are mainly concentrated in five areas: Sustainable architecture; construction/reconstruction technology and sustainable construction materials; construction economics, including investments, supply, contracting and costs calculation; infrastructure planning and assessment; project risk perception, analysis and assessment, with an emphasis on sustainability.
Formulation and Invitro Evaluation of Gastroretentive Drug Delivery System of Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride

The present investigation concerns the development of Hydro dynamically balanced tablets of Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride, are designed to prolong the gastric residence time after oral administration and thereby increasing drug bioavailability. Floating tablets of Ciprofloxacin Hcl were prepared by direct compression using HPMC K4M and HPMC K15M as polymers along with Sodium bicarbonate as gas generating agent. The tablets were evaluated for in-vitro buoyancy, dissolution studies and physical characteristic viz. Density, Hardness, Friability, Thickness and Weight variation. Further, tablets were evaluated for in-vitro release characteristic for 12 hrs. It is found that the hardness of the tablets affects the Buoyancy characteristic of the dosage form. All formulations possessed good floating properties with total floating time more than 12 hrs. The in-vitro release studies indicated that the floating tablets of Ciprofloxacin Hcl containing 200mg HPMC K15M (F4) showed sustained release when compared with the marketed product and provides a better option for controlled release action and improved bioavailability.
Development and evaluation of the Screening Trajectory Ozone Prediction System (STOPS, version 1.0)

Abstract. A hybrid Lagrangian–Eulerian based modeling tool has been developed using the Eulerian framework of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. It is a moving nest that utilizes saved original CMAQ simulation results to provide boundary conditions, initial conditions, as well as emissions and meteorological parameters necessary for a simulation. Given that these files are available, this tool can run independently of the CMAQ whole domain simulation, and it is designed to simulate source–receptor relationships upon changes in emissions. In this tool, the original CMAQ's horizontal domain is reduced to a small sub-domain that follows a trajectory defined by the mean mixed-layer wind. It has the same vertical structure and physical and chemical interactions as CMAQ except advection calculation. The advantage of this tool compared to other Lagrangian models is its capability of utilizing realistic boundary conditions that change with space and time as well as detailed chemistry treatment. The correctness of the algorithms and the overall performance was evaluated against CMAQ simulation results. Its performance depends on the atmospheric conditions occurring during the simulation period, with the comparisons being most similar to CMAQ results under uniform wind conditions. The mean bias for surface ozone mixing ratios varies between −0.03 and −0.78 ppbV and the slope is between 0.99 and 1.01 for different analyzed cases. For complicated meteorological conditions, such as wind circulation, the simulated mixing ratios deviate from CMAQ values as a result of the Lagrangian approach of using mean wind for its movement, but are still close, with the mean bias for ozone varying between 0.07 and −4.29 ppbV and the slope varying between 0.95 and 1.06 for different analyzed cases. For historical reasons, this hybrid Lagrangian–Eulerian based tool is named the Screening Trajectory Ozone Prediction System (STOPS), but its use is not limited to ozone prediction as, similarly to CMAQ, it can simulate concentrations of many species, including particulate matter and some toxic compounds, such as formaldehyde and 1,3-butadiene.
Learning about Rare Disasters: Implications For Consumption and Asset Prices*

Rietz (1988) and Barro (2006) subject consumption and dividends to rare disasters in the growth rate. We extend their framework and subject consumption and dividends to rare disasters in the growth persistence. We model growth persistence by means of two hidden types of economic slowdowns: recessions and lost decades. We estimate the model based on the post-war U.S. data using maximum likelihood and find that it can simultaneously match a wide array of dynamic pricing phenomena in the equity and bond markets. The key intuition for our results stems from the inability to discriminate between the short and the long recessions ex ante.
Effect of poly (γ-glutamic acid) on wheat productivity, nitrogen use efficiency and soil microbes

Recently, with numerous environmental problems being caused by chemical fertilizer overuse, agricultural practices are shifting toward the development of environmentally friendly N fertilizers. In this study, pot and field experiments were simultaneously conducted to investigate the effect of poly(y-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) on the yield, N use efficiency, and soil microenvironment of wheat. Our study demonstrates a statistically significant increase in winter wheat, number of tillers, seed number per spike, yield, soil microbial biomass N (SMBN), and soil enzymes after γ-PGA application. The highest grain yield of 7435.69 ± 55.91 kg ha-1 was obtained after γ-PGA application in the field experiment, which was 7.17% higher than the urea control. The N recovery efficiency increased by 11.81%-14.00% and 11.30%-11.38% after the application of γ-PGA in pot and field experiments, respectively. More mineral nitrogen in soil was immobilized by the microbes after γ-PGA application at the early growth stage of wheat. The immobilized nitrogen was gradually released at the late growth stage. The results demonstrate that γ-PGA can be used as a fertilizer synergist.
The Unusual Paradigm of the Acid Response Two Component System of Helicobacter pylori

Two component signal transduction systems in bacteria are key for environmental adaptation. Signaling via these systems is traditionally considered to be relatively simple, only involving interactions between the sensory protein and its cognate response regulator. The ArsRS two component system is vital for the acid response in Helicobacter pylori. This study investigates the mechanism by which ArsRS responds to acid in H pylori. Recent studies in our lab have challenged the the classic model in which the response regulator ArsR is activated by the phosphorylation of a conserved aspartic acid by the transfer of a phosphoryl group from a histidine within the acid sensing histidine kinase ArsS. We show that only phosphomimetic substitutions for the aspartic acid at the 52 position on ArsR (D52E and D52N) yield viable H. pylori mutants, while substitutions of alanine, glycine or serine at this position fail to yield viable mutants. As deletion of arsR is a lethal mutation, the recovery of phosphomimetic amino acid substitutions and failure to recover non-phosphomimics suggests that the crucial activity of ArsR depends upon phosphorylation at D52 and that ArsR D52E and D52N must be at least partially active. We thus examined the extent to which these phosphomimetic mutations affect the expression of two of the genes in the ArsRS regulon, the acid-repressed outer membrane adhesion protein, sabA and the acid-induced urease subunit, ureA, under acidic conditions. Our findings show a slight but significant decrease in sabA transcription in H. pylori mutants with the phosphomimetic forms of ArsR but did not show a phenotype of constitutive acid regulation of ureA as expected of phosphomimetic response regulators. These mutants do, however, show full acid repression of sabA and acid induction of ureA at pH 5, indicating another step of activation in the acid response besides phosphorylation of ArsR D52. Our investigation into the role of ArsS in the Acid Response System (ARS), found that the histidine-kinase activity of ArsS is necessary for both acid-induced
Ontology–based access to temporal data with Ontop: A framework proposal

Abstract Predictive analysis gradually gains importance in industry. For instance, service engineers at Siemens diagnostic centres unveil hidden knowledge in huge amounts of historical sensor data and use it to improve the predictive systems analysing live data. Currently, the analysis is usually done using data-dependent rules that are specific to individual sensors and equipment. This dependence poses significant challenges in rule authoring, reuse, and maintenance by engineers. One solution to this problem is to employ ontology-based data access (OBDA), which provides a conceptual view of data via an ontology. However, classical OBDA systems do not support access to temporal data and reasoning over it. To address this issue, we propose a framework for temporal OBDA. In this framework, we use extended mapping languages to extract information about temporal events in the RDF format, classical ontology and rule languages to reflect static information, as well as a temporal rule language to describe events. We also propose a SPARQL-based query language for retrieving temporal information and, finally, an architecture of system implementation extending the state-of-the-art OBDA platform Ontop.