Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seismic Bearing Capacity of a Strip Footing Over an Embankment of Anisotropic Clay

The present study adopts lower bound finite element limit analysis technique in association with non-linear optimization to compute the seismic bearing capacity of a strip footing placed over an embankment of anisotropic clay. The influence of seismic loading is incorporated in terms of a horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient. The bearing capacity factor Nc of the strip footing is obtained for various combinations of (i) slope angle, (ii) footing setback distance, (iii) horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient, and (iv) anisotropic strength ratio of clay. The bearing capacity factor of the strip footing increases with the increasing setback distances. However, beyond a certain setback distance, hardly any influence is found. For a particular footing position and constant value of horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient, the magnitude of bearing capacity factor increases with the increase in anisotropic strength ratio. However, the percentage increment in the bearing capacity reduces when the value of anisotropic strength ratio becomes greater than one. In addition, the bearing capacity reduces with the increasing slope angle and horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient. Failure patterns are obtained to understand the failure mechanism.
Effects of Combination of Assisted and Resisted Sprint Trainingon Anaerobic Power among Male Soccer Players

The aim of the study was to find out the effects of combination of assisted and resisted sprint training on anaerobic power among male soccer players. To achieve this purpose of the study, sixty college male soccer players from Udumalpet, Tirupur District, Tamilnadu, were selected at random as subjects. The age of the subjects was ranged from 18 to 23 years. The selected subjects were divided into four groups, Group - 1 those who underwent assisted sprint training (AST) Group - 2 those who underwent resisted sprint training (RST), Group - 3 those who underwent combined assisted sprint training (AST+RST) and Group - 4 was served as control participants. The anaerobic power was selected as dependent variable and it was measured by MargariaKalamen power test. All the subjects of four groups were tested on anaerobic power prior and immediately after the study period of nine weeks. ANCOVA was used to find out significant adjusted post test mean difference of four groups. The results of the study revealed that anaerobic power of the male soccer players significantly differ and found high in combination of assisted and resisted training than other groups, similarly comparison with control group also showed significant changes consequent to nine weeks of selected training programme. It is concluded that combination of assisted and resisted sprint training significantly improves the anaerobic power of male soccer players.
Cultural Scripts of Traumatic Stress: Outline, Illustrations, and Research Opportunities

As clinical-psychological scientists and practitioners increasingly work with diverse populations of traumatized people, it becomes increasingly important to attend to cultural models that influence the ways in which people understand and describe their responses to trauma. This paper focuses on potential uses of the concept of cultural script in this domain. Originally described by cognitive psychologists in the 1980s, scripts refer to specific behavioral and experiential sequences of elements such as thoughts, memories, attention patterns, bodily sensations, sleep abnormalities, emotions and affective expressions, motivation, coping attempts, and ritualized behaviors that are relevant to posttraumatic adjustment. We differentiate between experiences of traumatic stress that are scripted (e.g., cultural explanations are available) versus unscripted. Further characteristics such as script tracks, the effect of script interruptions, and contextual fit of scripts with other cultural models are also described. We consider examples of traumatic stress associated with war and organized, sexualized violence from “Western” and “non-Western” world regions. The concluding part of this review describes a number of possibilities for methodological approaches to assessment of cultural scripts. Capturing central elements of the script(s) of trauma would aid psychological researchers and clinicians in understanding the experiences of trauma in cultural context, which could ultimately lead to better clinical service opportunities worldwide.
Human Papillomavirus Infection, p16INK4a Expression and Genetic Alterations in Vietnamese Cervical Neuroendocrine Cancer

Neuroendocrine cervical cancer is a rare subtype of cervical cancer with a highly aggressive malignancy. This study was conducted to analyse the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and molecular abnormalities in Vietnamese neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix. HPV genotyping and p53 mutations were examined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based direct sequencing. Mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS), neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) and v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) were identified using commercial kits. Four high-risk HPV genotypes were identified in 26 (86.7%) out of a total of 30 tumours. The prevalence of HPV 16, 18, 31 and 45 was 20.0%, 50.0%, 20.0% and 36.7%, respectively. Overexpression of p16INK4a was observed in 93.3% of cases and was significantly correlated with high-risk HPV infections. Furthermore, p53 and NRAS mutations were detected in five (16.7%) and one (3.3%) cases, respectively, whereas no EGFR, KRAS or BRAF mutations were observed. These results demonstrate that high-risk HPV infection may be an important oncogenic factor for the development and progression of cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma.
Mechanical and thermal properties of ABS/iron composite for fused deposition modeling

Fused deposition modeling is one of the most popular methods of additive manufacturing (AM). Typically, the thermoplastic polymer in the form of filament is melted in extrusion head and deposited layer by layer to fabricate object directly from 3D model data. Nowadays, FDM technology is also used to fabricate much more complex elements, like structural electronics or 3D printed electronics. Due to that, there is a necessity to develop new composite materials for this technology. In this work, an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS)/iron powder composite filament for use in 3D printing was fabricated by a two-stage solvent assisted processing method. Homogenously distributed iron powder in filaments with a filler content of 30 and 50 vol %, were fabricated using a single screw extruder machine. A static tensile test was carried out on samples printed from the developed composite materials. To demonstrate the thermal performance of 3D printed elements made with developed composites, exemplary heatsinks were printed. To exposed differences in thermal conductivity depending on iron powder contain, infrared thermography of printed objects was used. The results obtained were compared with the results for pure ABS prints. The research has shown that increasing filler content in composite filament decreases maximum engineering stress of materials but at the same time increase its thermal conductivity. Developed composites can be used to 3D print complicated and complex shaped heatsinks to improve thermal properties of 3D printed electronic circuits and objects.
The Functional Role of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice

Increasingly studies revealed that dysbiosis of gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has drawn more and more attention and become an important therapeutic approach. This study aims to examine the facts about the effective components and look into potential mechanisms of FMT. Colitis was induced by 3% (w/v) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days. Colitis mice were administered by oral gavage with fecal suspension, fecal supernatant, fecal bacteria, or boiling-killed fecal bacteria from healthy controls and the disease activity index was monitored daily. On the seventh day, mice were euthanized. The length, histological score, parameters related to inflammation, gut barrier functions of the colon, activities of digestive protease and β-glucuronidase in feces were measured. All of the four fecal components showed certain degree of efficacy in DSS-induced colitis, while transplantation of fecal suspension showed the most potent effect as demonstrated by less body weight loss, lower disease activity scores, more expression of tight junction proteins and TRAF6 and IκBα, less expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, TLR-4, and MyD88 in gut tissue, as well as restoration of fecal β-glucuronidase and decreases in fecal digestive proteases. These results provide a novel insight into the possible mechanism of FMT and may help to improve and optimize clinical use of FMT.
Biometric hand tremor identification on graphics tablet

This work describes the use of linguistic modeling for biometric identify the patient during testing on graphics tablet. The general structure of the system identification algorithm and the realization method based on interval approach are reviewed. In the article, basic principles are considered aimed at construction, application and use of the automated systems of authentication on the basis of "informational handwriting" of work stylus on graphics tablet. Some approaches to tremor identification through two constituents of "informational handwriting" are explored: testing on keyboard, touchscreen and dynamics of work with the stylus on graphics tablet was considered.
iPSC-Derived Hepatocytes as a Platform for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery

The liver is one of the largest organs in the body and is responsible for a diverse repertoire of metabolic processes. Such processes include the secretion of serum proteins, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, bile acid and urea synthesis, detoxification of drugs and metabolic waste products, and vitamin and carbohydrate storage. Currently, liver disease is one of the most prevalent causes of mortality in the USA with congenital liver defects contributing to a significant proportion of these deaths. Historically the study of liver disease has been hampered by a shortage of organ donors, the subsequent scarcity of healthy tissue, and the failure of animal models to fully recapitulate human liver function. In vitro culture of hepatocytes has also proven difficult because primary hepatocytes rapidly de-differentiate in culture. Recent advances in stem cell technology have facilitated the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from various somatic cell types from patients. Such cells can be differentiated to a liver cell fate, essentially providing a limitless supply of cells with hepatocyte characteristics that can mimic the pathophysiology of liver disease. Furthermore, development of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, as well as advancement of miniaturized differentiation platforms has facilitated the development of high throughput models for the investigation of hepatocyte differentiation and drug discovery. In this review, we will explore the latest advances in iPSC-based disease modeling and drug screening platforms and examine how this technology is being used to identify new pharmacological interventions, and to advance our understanding of liver development and mechanisms of disease. We will cover how iPSC technology is being used to develop predictive models for rare diseases and how information gained from large in vitro screening experiments can be used to directly inform clinical investigation.
Systematic Y2H Screening Reveals Extensive Effector-Complex Formation

During infection pathogens secrete small molecules, termed effectors, to manipulate and control the interaction with their specific hosts. Both the pathogen and the plant are under high selective pressure to rapidly adapt and co-evolve in what is usually referred to as molecular arms race. Components of the host’s immune system form a network that processes information about molecules with a foreign origin and damage-associated signals, integrating them with developmental and abiotic cues to adapt the plant’s responses. Both in the case of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors and leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases interaction networks have been extensively characterized. However, little is known on whether pathogenic effectors form complexes to overcome plant immunity and promote disease. Ustilago maydis, a biotrophic fungal pathogen that infects maize plants, produces effectors that target hubs in the immune network of the host cell. Here we assess the capability of U. maydis effector candidates to interact with each other, which may play a crucial role during the infection process. Using a systematic yeast-two-hybrid approach and based on a preliminary pooled screen, we selected 63 putative effectors for one-on-one matings with a library of nearly 300 effector candidates. We found that 126 of these effector candidates interacted either with themselves or other predicted effectors. Although the functional relevance of the observed interactions remains elusive, we propose that the observed abundance in complex formation between effectors adds an additional level of complexity to effector research and should be taken into consideration when studying effector evolution and function. Based on this fundamental finding, we suggest various scenarios which could evolutionarily drive the formation and stabilization of an effector interactome.
Shear-Enhanced Dispersion of a Wound Substance as a Candidate Mechanism for Variation Potential Transmission

A variation potential (VP) is an electrical signal unique to plants that occurs in response to wounding or flaming. The propagation mechanism itself, however, is known not to be electrical. Here we examine the hypothesis that VP transmission occurs via the transport of a chemical agent in the xylem. We assume the electrical signal is generated locally by the activation of an ion channel at the plasma membrane of cells adjacent to the xylem. We work on the assumption that the ion channels are triggered when the chemical concentration exceeds a threshold value. We use numerical computations to demonstrate the combined effect of advection and diffusion on chemical transport in a tube flow, and propose shear-enhanced Taylor-Aris dispersion as a candidate mechanism to explain VP rates observed in experiments.
Letter and Reply

Sir, Middleton et al. [1] have pointed out the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetes: 27.5% of their 7596 diabetic patients had an estimated (MDRD equation) glomerular filtration rate (GFR) below 60ml/min/1.73m, and most of them were unrecognized using the recommended determination of serum creatinine and albumin excretion rate. Interestingly, the MDRD-based diagnosis of CKD was twice as frequent in women in this study. This prompted us to test whether the underestimation of normal GFR by the MDRD equation that we have noted in diabetic subjects [2], was more pronounced in women. In 81 diabetic patients (51 men, 29 type 1, age: 58 15 years) with a measured GFR (51Cr-EDTA clearance) above 60ml/min/1.73m, we compared the MDRD estimation (four-variable version, as described by Middleton et al. [1]) with the measured GFR, before (paired t-test) and after categorizing the subjects according to gender (ANOVA and unpaired t-tests). Results are presented as mean SD. The mean measured GFR was 90.4 27.1ml/min/1.73m (60.4–160). The mean MDRD was 71.4 21.6 (P< 0.0001 vs measured). Twenty-seven (33%) of the 81 patients had an MDRD estimation below 60. Fourteen (52%) were women, whereas 16 women (29.6%) had an MDRD estimation over 60 (P< 0.05 by chi square). The comparison between men and women is shown in the Table 1. Although populations may differ, diabetic nephropathy is usually reported as more prevalent among men than women [3,4]. The more marked underestimation by the MDRD in women as we found, probably contributed to the gender difference reported by Middleton et al. [1]. The reason why the MDRD underestimates normal GFR to a larger extent in women is unclear, however, it should be borne in mind that the MDRD equation has been established by a multiple regression procedure, from the results of renal insufficient patients, including only 6% diabetic subjects [5]. It is more accurate than the widely used Cockcroft–Gault formula to diagnose and stratify CKD in diabetics [2], but in our opinion the underestimation of high GFR makes it an inappropriate tool for screening diabetic patients for nephropathy. In patients with normal renal function, the MDRD equation should be used with caution, which may lead to the wrong conclusions, as noted by epidemiological studies on the relation between renal function and cardiovascular risk factors [6].
EEG-Based Brain Functional Connectivity in First-Episode Schizophrenia Patients, Ultra-High-Risk Individuals, and Healthy Controls During P50 Suppression

Dysfunctional processing of auditory sensory gating has generally been found in schizophrenic patients and ultra-high-risk (UHR) individuals. The aim of the study was to investigate the differences of functional interaction between brain regions and performance during the P50 sensory gating in UHR group compared with those in first-episode schizophrenia patients (FESZ) and healthy controls (HC) groups. The study included 128-channel scalp Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings during the P50 auditory paradigm for 35 unmedicated FESZ, 30 drug-free UHR, and 40 HC. Cortical sources of scalp electrical activity were recomputed using exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA), and functional brain networks were built at the source level and compared between the groups (FESZ, UHR, HC). A classifier using decision tree was designed for differentiating the three groups, which uses demographic characteristics, MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery parameters, behavioral features in P50 paradigm, and the measures of functional brain networks based on graph theory during P50 sensory gating. The results showed that very few brain connectivities were significantly different between FESZ and UHR groups during P50 sensory gating, and that a large number of brain connectivities were significantly different between FESZ and HC groups and between UHR and HC groups. Furthermore, the FESZ group had a stronger connection in the right superior frontal gyrus and right insula than the HC group. And the UHR group had an enhanced connection in the paracentral lobule and the middle temporal gyrus compared with the HC group. Moreover, comparison of classification analysis results showed that brain network metrics during P50 sensory gating can improve the accuracy of the classification for FESZ, UHR and HC groups. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms of P50 suppression in schizophrenia and could potentially improve the performance of early identification and diagnosis of schizophrenia for the earliest intervention.
A Highly Efficient Composite Catalyst Constructed From NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and Reduced Graphene Oxide for CO2 Photoreduction

Substantial consumption of fossil fuels causes an increase in CO2 emissions and intensifies global pollution problems, such as the greenhouse effect. Recently, a new type of ultra-low-density porous material, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), has been developed for the photocatalytic conversion of CO2. Herein, a composite photocatalytic catalyst based on NH2-MIL-125(Ti) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO@NH2-MIL-125) was fabricated through a facile “one-pot” process. The acquired materials were characterized to obtain their structures, morphologies, and optical information. The experimental results showed that methyl formate (MF) was the predominant reaction product, and rGO@NH2-MIL-125 exhibited the highest yield of 1,116 μmol·g−1·h−1, more than twice that of pure MIL-125. The high photoactivity of rGO@NH2-MIL-125 can be ascribed to the effective spatial separation and transfer of photoinduced carriers, largely due to the synergistic effect of amino functionality and rGO incorporation. rGO@NH2-MIL-125 also displayed acceptable repeatability in cyclic runs for CO2 reduction.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Concentrated ERP, Self-Help and Waiting List for Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder: The Bergen 4-Day Treatment

Background The Bergen 4-day treatment (B4DT) is a concentrated exposure-based treatment for patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) delivered during four consecutive days. The B4DT has in a number of effectiveness studies demonstrated promising results as approximately 90% of patients gain reliable clinical change post-treatment and nearly 70% are recovered on a long-term basis. Methods The current study is the first randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of the B4DT. Forty-eight patients diagnosed with OCD were randomized to B4DT, self-help (SH), or waiting list (WL) with 16 patients in each condition. All participants randomized to the B4DT underwent the treatment without any attrition. Results The B4DT yielded significantly better effects than control conditions on measures of OCD, depression, and generalized anxiety. The response rate (≥35% reduction of the individual patient’s pre-treatment Y-BOCS score) was 93.8% in B4DT, 12.5% in SH and 0% in WL, while remission rate (response criterion is fulfilled and the post-treatment Y-BOCS score is ≤12 points) was 62.5%, 6.3%, and 0%, respectively. Furthermore, patients who had received the B4DT, showed improved work- and social functioning. None of the patients treated with B4DT showed signs of deterioration. In comparison, one patient in the SH condition was in remission, and one showed significant clinical improvement, whereas the remaining showed no change. Conclusion The results indicate that the B4DT is an effective treatment for patients suffering from OCD. Clinical Trial Registration www.ClinicalTrials. gov, identifier NCT02886780.