Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural Disasters

This book provides a detailed introduction to natural disasters and the ways in which they have had and continue to have, profound effects on human society. Natural Disasters: A Reference Handbook surveys the impact of these events on human civilization. The opening chapter provides a general history and background of the major types of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, severe storms, and forest fires. The information presented in this introduction allows the reader to better understand current issues, problems, and solutions related to natural disasters discussed in subsequent chapters. The book covers the role of natural disasters in human life from earliest recorded history (and, to some extent, even earlier) to the present day. It provides an extensive variety of resources that encourage readers to learn more about the topics discussed. The book is intended for readers in the late middle school to high school age range, as well as adults who may have a special interest in the subject.
Cell Biology International

Diabetic patients exhibit significant bone deterioration. Our recent findings demonstrate that mechanical vibration is capable of resisting diabetic bone loss, whereas the relevant mechanism remains unclear. We herein examined the effects of mechanical vibration on the activities and functions of osteocytes (the most abundant and well‐recognized mechanosensitive cells in the bone) exposed to high glucose (HG). The osteocytic MLO‐Y4 cells were incubated with 50 mM HG for 24 h, and then stimulated with 1 h/day mechanical vibration (0.5 g, 45 Hz) for 3 days. We found that mechanical vibration significantly increased the proliferation and viability of MLO‐Y4 cells under the HG environment via the MTT, BrdU, and Cell Viability Analyzer assays. The apoptosis detection showed that HG‐induced apoptosis in MLO‐Y4 cells was inhibited by mechanical vibration. Moreover, increased cellular area, microfilament density, and anisotropy in HG‐incubated MLO‐Y4 cells were observed after mechanical vibration via the F‐actin fluorescence staining. The real‐time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting results demonstrated that mechanical vibration significantly upregulated the gene and protein expression of Wnt3a, β‐catenin, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and decreased the sclerostin, DKK1, and receptor activator for nuclear factor‐κB ligand (RANKL) expression in osteocytes exposed to HG. The enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay assays showed that mechanical vibration promoted the secretion of prostaglandin E2 and OPG, and inhibited the secretion of tumor necrosis factor‐α and RANKL in the supernatant of HG‐treated MLO‐Y4 cells. Together, this study demonstrates that mechanical vibration improves osteocytic architecture and viability, and regulates cytokine expression and secretion in the HG environment, and implies the potential great contribution of the modulation of osteocytic activities in resisting diabetic osteopenia/osteoporosis by mechanical vibration.
Physical activity interventions among culturally and linguistically diverse populations: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Objectives To systematically review physical activity interventions among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations and explore the strategies used to recruit CALD populations, the cultural adaptations made in these interventions, and the cultural adaptations used among successful interventions. Design Four electronic databases (Embase, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and CINAHL) was searched in March 2017 and re-run in January 2018. Manual screening of the reference lists of the included studies was also conducted. Eligibility criteria for inclusion in the systematic review were: intervention studies (e.g. controlled and non-controlled studies), physical activity as primary outcome and as the only health behaviour targeted, culturally and linguistically diverse population of interest, published in English, and targeted adult populations (i.e. aged ≥18). Results A total of 19 articles were included in this review, comprising 15 unique studies. Most studies targeted Latino populations, published in the United States, and targeted women. An array of recruitment strategies were used, such as recruiting from religious establishments or religious and cultural events, and community organisations and events. The majority of studies made cultural adaptations to their intervention to suit the CALD population of interest, however, the level of detail of reported adjustments was limited. Successful interventions were those that generally included community consultation to inform their intervention, language adjustments, community health workers/bilingual/bicultural personnel for intervention delivery, recruitment, and data-collection, and using culturally-relevant intervention material. Conclusions Although many studies included in this review reported increases in physical activity at follow-up, the results need to be interpreted with caution due to the lower level of methodological quality and reporting on study methodology. Future interventions designed for CALD populations should be of greater methodological quality and also provide a greater level of transparency in terms of the cultural adaptations that have been made to the intervention.
Magnetic Susceptibility in Normal Brains of Young Adults Based on Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping.

OBJECTIVES To explore the changes of brain susceptibility of different sides and genders in healthy young adults using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). METHODS Totally 42 healthy young right-handed adults underwent conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging and QSM scans, and the susceptibility maps were obtained by image post-processing software. Then the regions-of-interest (ROI) of bilateral frontal gray matter (FGM), frontal white matter (FWM), caudate (CA), globus pallidus (GP), putamen (PU), thalamus (TH), substantia nigra (SN), red nucleus (RN), dentate nucleus (DN), pons (PO), and corpus callosum (CC) were manually drawn to obtain magnetic susceptibility on the susceptibility maps. The magnetic susceptibility of each ROI was compared between 2 sides and genders by Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS Magnetic susceptibility of bilateral ROI was the highest in GP, followed by SN, and the lowest in FWM. No statistically significant difference was found in susceptibility of bilateral FGM, FWM, CA, GP, PU, TH, SN, RN, DN, PO, or CC. Magnetic susceptibility in CA significantly different genders. CONCLUSION Brain magnetic susceptibility measured by QSM can be used to quantitatively assess brain iron concentrations.
Facilitating Positive Psychosocial Outcomes in Craniofacial Team Care: Strategies for Medical Providers

Objective: Psychosocial issues associated with craniofacial diagnoses and the ongoing burden of care can impact the quality of life of patients and families, as well as treatment adherence and outcomes. Utilizing available literature and clinical expertise across 6 centers, the present article summarizes key psychosocial issues for the benefit of nonmental health medical providers and offers suggestions as to how all members of craniofacial teams can promote positive psychosocial outcomes. Results: Family adjustment across developmental phases is outlined, with strategies to support adaptive parental coping. Teasing is a common concern in craniofacial populations and medical providers can promote coping and social skills, as well as link families to mental health services when needed. Academic issues are described, alongside suggestions for medical providers to assist families with school advocacy and ensure access to appropriate services within the school setting. Medical providers are key in preparing patients and families for surgery, including consideration of medical, social, and logistical supports and barriers. As craniofacial care spans infancy to adulthood, medical providers are instrumental in assisting patients and families to navigate treatment transition periods. In addition to ongoing clinical team assessments, medical providers may utilize screening measures to identify and track patient and family adjustment in multiple areas of team care. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary providers play an important role in supporting positive adjustment in patients affected by craniofacial conditions and their families.
Neuropathologic basis of in vivo cortical atrophy in the aphasic variant of Alzheimer's disease

The neuropathologic basis of in vivo cortical atrophy in clinical dementia syndromes remains poorly understood. This includes primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a language‐based dementia syndrome characterized by asymmetric cortical atrophy. The neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and amyloid‐ß plaques (APs) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can cause PPA, but a quantitative investigation of the relationships between NFTs, APs and in vivo cortical atrophy in PPA‐AD is lacking. The present study measured cortical atrophy from corresponding bilateral regions in five PPA‐AD participants with in vivo magnetic resonance imaging scans 7–30 months before death and acquired stereologic estimates of NFTs and dense‐core APs visualized with the Thioflavin‐S stain. Linear mixed models accounting for repeated measures and stratified by hemisphere and region (language vs. non‐language) were used to determine the relationships between cortical atrophy and AD neuropathology and their regional selectivity. Consistent with the aphasic profile of PPA, left language regions displayed more cortical atrophy (P = 0.01) and NFT densities (P = 0.02) compared to right language homologues. Left language regions also showed more cortical atrophy (P < 0.01) and NFT densities (P = 0.02) than left non‐language regions. A subset of data was analyzed to determine the predilection of AD neuropathology for neocortical regions compared to entorhinal cortex in the left hemisphere, which showed that the three most atrophied language regions had greater NFT (P = 0.04) and AP densities (P < 0.01) than the entorhinal cortex. These results provide quantitative evidence that NFT accumulation in PPA selectively targets the language network and may not follow the Braak staging of neurofibrillary degeneration characteristic of amnestic AD. Only NFT densities, not AP densities, were positively associated with cortical atrophy within left language regions (P < 0.01) and right language homologues (P < 0.01). Given previous findings from amnestic AD, the current study of PPA‐AD provides converging evidence that NFTs are the principal determinants of atrophy and clinical phenotypes associated with AD.
Rate pitch discrimination in cochlear implant users with the use of double pulses and different interpulse intervals

The rate pitch discrimination ability of cochlear implant (CI) users is poor compared to normal-hearing (NH) listeners. At low pulse rates, the just noticeable difference (JND) is on average 20% of the base rate, while NH listeners can discriminate small frequency differences of 0.2% at 1 kHz. Recent investigations suggest that double pulses with short interpulse intervals (IPIs) may have a beneficial effect on rate pitch discrimination in CI users. In a first experiment psychophysical tests were carried out to establish whether rate pitch in CI users could be improved by applying double pulses with equal amplitude and short IPIs. Pulse trains with base rates of 200 and 400 pps, composed of either single pulses or double pulses with IPIs of 15, 50, and 150 μs were presented. In a second experiment pairwise comparisons were carried out between pitch of a pulse train composed of alternating double and single pulses with pitch of pulse trains composed of single pulses. The alternating pulse train had a base rate of 400 pps, the pulse trains with solely single pulses had base rates of 200, 300, and 400 pps. The loudness and pitch perception of the different stimulus types were evaluated and compared. A significant loudness difference was found between single and double pulses for both pulse rates. The JND for pitch discrimination between double-pulse IPIs had a high inter-subject variability, and no significant group effect was found. No subject reported a pitch change between double pulse and single pulse stimulation. In contrast, most of the subjects recognized a change in pitch between single-pulse trains and pulse trains with alternating double and single pulses. The latter was lower in pitch than the single-pulse train stimulation. To conclude, using (equal amplitude) double pulses instead of single pulses in a pulse train does not effect pitch perception. Instead, loudness differs between double pulses and single pulses with the same amplitude.
Improving Fruit Quality and Storability of ' Anna " Apple Cultivar by Using some Substances 1

This investigation was conducted during 2011 and 2012 seasons in an orchard located at El-Nubaria Horticulture station, Behera governorate on "Anna" apple trees (Malus domestica L.) budded on Malus rootstock to study the possibility of improving fruit color, quality and enhancing storability through spraying with ethylene (2cm/L) as ethphone, Landamine (32% P2O5 + 35% K2O + 1.6% B + 0.4% Mo) (3cm/L), Keap (11.5% B + 13.0%Mo) (3cm/L), Saccon (9% N + 25%P + 0.3%Fe + 0.3%Mn + 0.3% Zn + 0.1% Cu + 0.005% Mo) (3cm/L) and KNO3 (3gm/L). Ethylene and different sources of nutrients were sprayed 2 weeks before harvest and picked 14 and 19 June in both seasons, respectively. The chosen trees were four years old and grown on sandy loam soil, spaced at 5 X 5 meters apart, irrigated by drip irrigation system. The results revealed that all substances increased red skin color of "Anna" apple fruits compared to control. Furthermore, ethylene, landamine and saccon gave the highest values before and after cold storage. All substances increased the resedual of ethylene compared to control. Ethylene and landamine recorded the highest values. While saccon was the lowest value. All substances increased fruit weight loss and decay percentages compared to control. Furthermore, the ethylene and keap recorded the highest values followed by landamine and potassium nitrate. While, saccon recorded the lowest value compared to the other substances. All substances reduced firmness and acidity compared to control. However, saccon gave the highest firmness compared to other substances. Moreover, there are positive correlation and regression between residual ethylene and fruit decay in the second season. Thus, it recommended to spray Saccon substance at 3cm/L 2 weeks before harvest for improving skin color and storability of "Anna" apple fruits as well as maintaining fruit quality.
Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence (review)

From the Publisher: In Natural-Born Cyborgs, Clark argues that what makes humans so different from other species is our capacity to fully incorporate tools and supporting cultural practices into our existence. Technology as simple as writing on a sketchpad, as familiar as Google or a cellular phone, and as potentially revolutionary as mind-extending neural implants - all exploit our brains' astonishingly plastic nature. Our minds are primed to seek out and incorporate nonbiological resources, so that we actually think and feel through our best technologies. Drawing on his expertise in cognitive science, Clark demonstrates that our sense of self and of physical presence can be expanded to a remarkable extent, placing the long-existing telephone and the emerging technology of telepresence on the same continuum. He explores ways in which we have adapted our lives to make use of technology (the measurement of time, for example, has wrought enormous changes in human existence), as well as ways in which increasingly fluid technologies can adapt to individual users during normal use. Bio-technological unions, Clark argues, are evolving with a speed never seen before in history. As we enter an age of wearable computers, sensory augmentation, wireless devices, intelligent environments, thought-controlled prosthetics, and rapid-fire information search and retrieval, the line between the user and her tools grows thinner day by day. "This double whammy of plastic brains and increasingly responsive and well-fitted tools creates an unprecedented opportunity for ever-closer kinds of human-machine merger," he writes, arguing that such a merger is entirely natural.
“I Know Nothing”: Perceived Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Mississippi College Freshmen Living on Campus

College freshmen, particularly those living on campus, are at risk for developing eating habits that could lead to chronic disease and obesity from eating an unbalanced diet. This study identifies the perceived barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among freshmen in Mississippi, a state facing acute obesity-related public health crises. Six focus group interviews were conducted with freshman (N=33) from a public university in Mississippi. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Three themes emerged, as participants: 1) Lacked education regarding fruit and vegetable consumption, 2) perceived a lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and 3) perceived social influence to eat unhealthily. Practice implications include the need for higher-education leadership to provide increased informational resources about healthy foods to students living and eating on campus while increasing the availability and visibility of fresh fruits and vegetables in student dining and food purchase areas.
ELITE SURVIVAL FIRST, THEN MERITOCRATIZATION

Previous research has shown that meritocratic recruitment increases bureaucratic performance and decreases corruption (Evans and Rauch, 1999, 2000). However, less emphasis has been made on why meritocratic practices take root. This paper aims to explore this scientific gap by testing two main hypotheses. Increased rates of tertiary enrolment in autocracies is proposed to have a negative effect on meritocratization (H1). This is suggested to occur as a growing educated class may directly compete with the ruling elites for power. Conversely, increasing rates tertiary enrolment is suggested to increase the likelihood of meritocratization in democracies (H2). This mechanism is proposed, as democratic rulers are concerned about the provision of public goods. They are thereby willing to sacrifice their natural inclination toward favouring their core constituencies, as costs for retaining patronage networks increases with a growing educated class. Evidence was found for both H1 and H2 – autocracies display a significant negative relationship with meritocratization as tertiary enrolment increases, while a significant positive relationship is found for democracies. The study was empirically executed using panel data, with measures of tertiary enrolment and meritocracy dating from 1820 to 2010 – which to date is the first time to be tested. In addition, up to 108 countries were evaluated over the time period, using a variety of controls. This paper thereby provides new evidence based on a larger collection of data than previous studies investigating the causes of meritocratization. Ramin Shirali MSc in Political Science Department of Political Science University of Gothenburg ramin.shirali@gmail.com
Reducing network congestion and synchronization overhead during data aggregation when writing hierarchical data

Hierarchical data representations have been shown to be effective tools for coping with large-scale scientific data. Writing hierarchical data on supercomputers, however, is challenging as it often involves all-to-one communication during aggregation of low-resolution data which tends to span the entire network domain, resulting in several bottlenecks. We introduce the concept of indexing templates, which succinctly describe data organization and can be used to alter movement of data in beneficial ways. We present two techniques, domain partitioning and localized aggregation, that leverage indexing templates to alleviate congestion and synchronization overheads during data aggregation. We report experimental results that show significant I/O speedup using our proposed schemes on two of today’s fastest supercomputers, Mira and Shaheen II, using the Uintah and S3D simulation frameworks.
Somatic symptoms and their association with anxiety and depression in Chinese patients with cardiac neurosis

Objective We sought to investigate somatic symptoms detected by the Somatic Self-rating Scale and to evaluate whether they were associated with the psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with cardiac neurosis. Methods A total of 180 patients with cardiac neurosis at the Third Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China, were surveyed from January 2017 to July 2018. Participants completed a general information questionnaire, the Somatic Self-rating Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7. Results The mean (±standard deviation) somatic symptom score in patients with cardiac neurosis was 40.83 ± 7.12. The most severe symptoms were cardiovascular symptoms, fatigue and muscle soreness. A total of 90 patients (46.4%) had anxiety and 80 (50.0%) had depression. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that somatic symptoms in patients with cardiac neurosis were associated with both anxiety and depression. Conclusion Somatic symptoms in patients with cardiac neurosis were associated with both anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is important to provide effective emotional interventions to promote patient rehabilitation.
Experiments of Speech Enhancement Based on Deep Neural Networks in Far Field Scenarios

— Efﬁcient speech enhancement techniques are essential to improve quality and intelligibility of speech signals and reliability in voice recognition applications. One way to reduce word error rate is through powerful noise reduction algorithms. This paper is intended to provide speech enhancement experiments based on deep neural networks (DNN) in far ﬁeld scenarios under noisy environments. In the present work, it is investigated the use of DNNs as a front-end for automatic speech recognition (ASR). Objective metrics are used to investigate its effectiveness and results are compared against several popular speech enhancement algorithms. It is shown that DNN provides better results under all noisy and SNR conditions.
Automatic and heuristic complete design for ANFIS classifier

ABSTRACT There is a variety of fuzzy classifiers, one of which is Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference system (ANFIS) classifier. One of the main challenges in designing such data classifiers is selection of effective and appropriate type and location of membership functions and its training method to reduce the classification error. In this paper, a new technique (based on intelligent methods) is presented and implemented to select and locate the membership functions and simultaneous training using a new method based on Inclined Planes System Optimization (IPO) to minimize errors of an ANFIS classifier for the first time. The presented method is evaluated for classification of data sets with different reference classes and different length feature vectors, which have acceptable complexity. According to the results of the research, the presented method has a higher level of accuracy and efficiency in selecting the type and location of membership functions (based on intelligent methods) and simultaneous training with IPO, compared to other methods, such as particle swarm optimization, genetic algorithm, differential evolution, and ACOR algorithms.