Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
STABILIZATION OF RAMMED EARTH

Rammed earth is an ancient building technique used in many regions of the world. Due to the low embodied energy of the material and diminished transportation costs, rammed earth offers an economical and sustainable alternative to concrete. Along with other advantages like sustainable construction, architectural quality & flexibility, contribution to building health and performance, ease & speed of construction etc. The main weakness of earth as a building material lies in its low resistance to water. Overhanging eaves and verandas help considerably, but tropical rains of any intensity can damage unprotected walls. Because of the clay fraction, which is necessary for cohesion, walls built of unstabilised soil will swell on taking up water and shrink on drying. This may lead to severe cracking and difficulty in getting protective renderings to adhere to the wall. There are some issues which needs to be addressed like shrinkage, proper soil selection, low compressive strength, cracking, durability aspects etc for rammed earth construction. From the available literatures and research works done earlier, it is evident that one way to address these problems is to stabilize rammed earth with cement. The primary objective of this study is to make use of the RHA (waste material) with NS and understand its effects on the geotechnical properties, compressive strength & weathering. The proctor tests results indicates that with the increase in RHA percentage there was an increase in the Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and reduction in the Maximum Dry Density (MDD). The cube compressive strength values decreased with subsequent addition of RHA to its maximum at 5% RHA. The deterioration is increases with increasing in RHA content.
Presence and persistence of a highly ordered lipid phase state in the avian stratum corneum

ABSTRACT To survive high temperatures in a terrestrial environment, animals must effectively balance evaporative heat loss and water conservation. In passerine birds, cutaneous water loss (CWL) is the primary avenue of water loss at thermoneutral temperatures and increases slightly as ambient temperature increases, indicating a change in the permeability of the skin. In the stratum corneum (SC), the outermost layer of the skin, lipids arranged in layers called lamellae serve as the primary barrier to CWL in birds. The permeability of these lamellae depends in large part on the ability of lipid molecules to pack closely together in an ordered orthorhombic phase state. However, as temperature increases, lipids of the SC become more disordered, and may pack in more permeable hexagonal or liquid crystalline phase states. In this study, we used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to monitor the phase state of lipids in the SC of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) at skin temperatures ranging from 25 to 50°C. As temperature increased, lipids became slightly more disordered, but remained predominantly in the orthorhombic phase, consistent with the small increase in CWL observed in house sparrows as ambient temperature increases. These results differ considerably from studies on mammalian SC, which find a predominantly hexagonal arrangement of lipids at temperatures above 37°C, and the increased order in avian SC may be explained by longer lipid chain length, scarcity of cholesterol and the presence of cerebrosides. Our results lend further insight into the arrangement and packing of individual lipid molecules in avian SC. Summary: House sparrows possess skin lipids that remain tightly packed to resist cutaneous water loss even at high temperatures. This finding provides evidence that bird skin differs greatly from mammalian skin.
Talk Is Cheap: Sarcasm, Alienation, and the Evolution of Language

Putting aside questions of truth and falsehood, the old 'talk is cheap' maxim carries as much weight as ever. Indeed, perhaps more. For one need not be an expert in irony or sarcasm to realize that people don't necessarily mean what they say. Phrases such as 'Yeah, right' and 'I could care less' are so much a part of the way we speak - and the way we live - that we are more likely to notice when they are absent (for example, Forrest Gump). From our everyday dialogues and conversations ('Thanks a lot! ') to the screenplays of our popular films (Pulp Fiction), what is said is frequently very different from what is meant. Talk is Cheap begins with this telling observation and proceeds to argue that such 'unplain speaking' is fundamentally embedded in the way we now talk. Author John Haiman traces this sea-change in our use of language to the emergence of a postmodern 'divided self' who is hyper-conscious that what he or she is saying has been said before; 'cheap talk' thus allows us to distance ourselves from a social role with which we are uncomfortable. Haiman goes on to examine the full range of these pervasive distancing mechanisms, from cliches and quotation marks to camp and parody. Also, and importantly, Haiman highlights several ways in which language is evolving (and has evolved) from non-linguistic behaviour. In other words, this study shows us how what we are saying is continually separating itself from how we say it. As provocative as it is timely, the book will be fascinating reading for students of linguistics, literature, communication, anthropology, philosophy, and popular culture.
Controlling Working Memory Operations by Selective Gating: The Roles of Oscillations and Synchrony

Working memory (WM) is a primary cognitive function that corresponds to the ability to update, stably maintain, and manipulate short-term memory (ST M) rapidly to perform ongoing cognitive tasks. A prevalent neural substrate of WM coding is persistent neural activity, the property of neurons to remain active after having been activated by a transient sensory stimulus. This persistent activity allows for online maintenance of memory as well as its active manipulation necessary for task performance. WM is tightly capacity limited. Therefore, selective gating of sensory and internally generated information is crucial for WM function. While the exact neural substrate of selective gating remains unclear, increasing evidence suggests that it might be controlled by modulating ongoing oscillatory brain activity. Here, we review experiments and models that linked selective gating, persistent activity, and brain oscillations, putting them in the more general mechanistic context of WM. We do so by defining several operations necessary for successful WM function and then discussing how such operations may be carried out by mechanisms suggested by computational models. We specifically show how oscillatory mechanisms may provide a rapid and flexible active gating mechanism for WM operations.
Evisceration in unsuspected intraocular tumors.

fusion for retinoblastoma. Doc Ophthalmol. 2009; 119(1):13-22. 3. Reese AB, Hyman G, Tapley N, Forrest AW. The treatment of retinoblastoma by x-ray and triethylene melamine. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1958; 60(5):897-906. 4. Mohri M. The technique of selective ophthalmic arterial infusion for conservative treatment of recurrent retinoblastoma [in Japanese]. Keio J Med. 1993;70:679-687. 5. Yamane T, Kaneko A, Mohri M. The technique of ophthalmic artery infusion therapy for patients with intraocular retinoblastoma. Int J Clin Oncol. 2004;9(2):69-73.
Corneal endothelial cell density and morphology in Phramongkutklao Hospital

Objective To describe the corneal endothelial density and morphology in patients of Phramongkutklao Hospital and the relationship between endothelial cell parameters and other factors. Methods Four hundred and four eyes of 202 volunteers were included. Noncontact specular microscopy was performed after taking a history and testing the visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, Schirmer’s test and routine eye examination by slit lamp microscope. The studied parameters included mean endothelial cell density (MCD), coefficient of variation (CV), and percentage of hexagonality. Results The mean age of volunteers was 45.73 years; the range being 20 to 80 years old. Their MCD (SD), mean percentage of CV (SD) and mean (SD) percentage of hexagonality were 2623.49(325) cell/mm2, 39.43(8.23)% and 51.50(10.99)%, respectively. Statistically, MCD decreased significantly with age (p < 0.01). There was a significant difference in the percentage of CV between genders. There was no statistical significance between parameters and other factors. Conclusion The normative data of the corneal endothelium of Thai eyes indicated that, statistically, MCD decreased significantly with age. Previous studies have reported no difference in MCD, percentage of CV, and percentage of hexagonality between gender. Nevertheless, significantly different percentages of CV between genders were presented in this study.
Reframing sociocultural research on literacy: Identity, Agency, and Power

Contents: B. Street, Foreword. Preface and Acknowledgements. C. Lewis, P. Enciso, E. Moje, Introduction: Reframing Sociocultural Research on Literacy. Part I: Rethinking Conceptual Frameworks. E.B. Moje, C. Lewis, Examining Opportunities to Learn Literacy: The Role of Critical Sociocultural Literacy Research. P. Enciso, Narrations of History and Transformation in Sociocultural Theories. R. Rogers, C. Fuller, 'As If You Heard It From Your Momma': Reconstructing Histories of Participation With Literacy Education in an Adult Education Class. K.D. Gutierrez, Commentary. Part II: Rethinking Knowledge and Representation. M.F. Orellana, Moving Words and Moving Worlds: The Challenges of Being "In the Middle". J. Guerra, Out of the Valley: Transcultural Repositioning as Rhetorical Practice in Research. B. Fecho, S. Meacham, Research Sites as Transactional Spaces. L. Moll, E. Rubenstein-Avila, Commentary.
Personality development in older age : a quasi-experimental, longitudinal field study

Embedded in the general conceptual agenda of lifespan developmental psychology and its emphasis on the potential of individual development into old age, the central objective of the present study was to investigate whether participation in a volunteer training program can promote personality development in older age. The program "Erfahrungswissen fur Initiativen" was developed by the German Federal Ministry of Family, Seniors, Women and Youth. The aim of the volunteer training program (VTP) was to encourage volunteers to develop a new role identity in the context of civic engagement by developing and initiating their own personal volunteering project. To investigate the impact of the VTP on personality development, participants of the VTP and an active control group of volunteers were assessed three times, before the VTP (T1), after the VTP (T2) and one year later as a follow-up assessment (T3). In addition, a second control group consisting of inactive, non-volunteers were recruited to validate the comparability of the active control group. The results showed that participation in the VTP increased personality adjustment by increasing life satisfaction and by decreasing negative affect and neuroticism from T1 to T2. Even though life satisfaction decreased again, negative affect and neuroticism remained decreased from T2 to T3. In accordance with the proposition that for personality growth to occur it takes a very special combination of personal and contextual factors, only participants of the VTP with high internal control beliefs increased in "personal growth" and "openness to experience" from T1 to T2. From T2 to T3 levels on "personal growth" remained elevated, while "openness to experience" increased even further. Taken together, the study presents an initial piece of evidence that by giving elderly the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in society personality development is possible, even in older age.
Distrust and trust in B2C e-commerce: do they differ?

Researchers have not studied e-commerce <u>distrust</u> as much as e-commerce <u>trust</u>. This study examines whether trust and distrust are distinct concepts. If trust and distrust are the same, lack of distrust research matters little. But if they are different, the lack of distrust research could be problematic because distrust may have a unique B2C impact. While some researchers believe distrust simply means a low level of trust, others believe distrust is a concept entirely separate from trust. For the latter to be true, trust and distrust variables must first demonstrate discriminant validity from each other, and second, differ in what they themselves predict. This paper tests whether or not trust and distrust variables are distinct. It finds that three sets of trust and distrust concepts are discriminant from each other and that they tend to predict different variables. The findings also show that distrust is an important predictor of risky B2C actions like willingness to share information and willingness to purchase.
Microbiome composition and geochemical characteristics of deep subsurface high-pressure environment, Pyhäsalmi mine Finland

Pyhäsalmi mine in central Finland provides an excellent opportunity to study microbial and geochemical processes in a deep subsurface crystalline rock environment through near-vertical drill holes that reach to a depth of more than two kilometers below the surface. However, microbial sampling was challenging in this high-pressure environment. Nucleic acid yields obtained were extremely low when compared to the cell counts detected (1.4 × 104 cells mL−1) in water. The water for nucleic acid analysis went through high decompression (60–130 bar) during sampling, whereas water samples for detection of cell counts by microscopy could be collected with slow decompression. No clear cells could be identified in water that went through high decompression. The high-pressure decompression may have damaged part of the cells and the nucleic acids escaped through the filter. The microbial diversity was analyzed from two drill holes by pyrosequencing amplicons of the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes and from the fungal ITS regions from both DNA and RNA fractions. The identified prokaryotic diversity was low, dominated by Firmicute, Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria species that are common in deep subsurface environments. The archaeal diversity consisted mainly of Methanobacteriales. Ascomycota dominated the fungal diversity and fungi were discovered to be active and to produce ribosomes in the deep oligotrophic biosphere. The deep fluids from the Pyhäsalmi mine shared several features with other deep Precambrian continental subsurface environments including saline, Ca-dominated water and stable isotope compositions positioning left from the meteoric water line. The dissolved gas phase was dominated by nitrogen but the gas composition clearly differed from that of atmospheric air. Despite carbon-poor conditions indicated by the lack of carbon-rich fracture fillings and only minor amounts of dissolved carbon detected in formation waters, some methane was found in the drill holes. No dramatic differences in gas compositions were observed between different gas sampling methods tested. For simple characterization of gas composition the most convenient way to collect samples is from free flowing fluid. However, compared to a pressurized method a relative decrease in the least soluble gases may appear.
Educational levels and delays in start of treatment for head and neck cancers in North-East India.

BACKGROUND There are various patient and professional factors responsible for the delay in start of treatment (SOT) for head and neck cancers (HNC). MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study was conducted on data for HNC patients registered at the hospital cancer registry in North-East India. All cases diagnosed during the period of January 2010 to December 2012 were considered for the present analysis. Educational levels of all patients were clustered into 3 groups; illiterates (unable to read or write), qualified (school or high school level education), and highly qualified (college and above). RESULTS In the present analysis 1066 (34.6%) patients were illiterates, 1,869 (60.6%) patients were literates and 145 (4.7%) of all patients with HNC were highly qualified. The stage at diagnosis were stage I, seen in 62 (34.6%), stage II in 393 (12.8%), stage III in 1,371 (44.5%) and stage IV in 1,254 (40.7%) . The median time (MT) to the SOT from date of attending cancer hospital (DOACH) was, in illiterate group MT was 18 days, whereas in the qualified group of patients it was 15 days and in the highly qualified group was 10 days. Analysis of variance showed there was a significant difference on the mean time for the delay in SOT from DOACH for different educational levels (F=9.923, p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS Educational level is a patient related factor in the delays for the SOT in HNCs in our population.
Flavonoid Biosynthesis Pathway May Indirectly Affect Outcrossing Rate of Cytoplasmic Male–Sterile Lines of Soybean

(1) Background: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is important for exploiting heterosis. Soybean (Glycine max L.) has a low outcrossing rate that is detrimental for breeding sterile lines and producing hybrid seeds. Therefore, the molecular mechanism controlling the outcrossing rate should be elucidated to increase the outcrossing rate of soybean CMS lines; (2) Methods: The male–sterile soybean lines JLCMS313A (with a high outcrossing rate; HL) and JLCMS226A (with a low outcrossing rate; LL) were used for a combined analysis of the transcriptome (RNA–seq) and the targeted phenol metabolome; (3) Results: The comparison between HL and LL detected 5946 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 81 phenolic metabolites. The analysis of the DEGs and differentially abundant phenolic metabolites identified only one common KEGG pathway related to flavonoid biosynthesis. The qRT–PCR expression for eight DEGs was almost consistent with the transcriptome data. The comparison of the cloned coding sequence (CDS) regions of the SUS, FLS, UGT, and F3H genes between HL and LL revealed seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) only in the F3H CDS. Moreover, five significant differentially abundant phenolic metabolites between HL and LL were associated with flavonoid metabolic pathways. Finally, on the basis of the SNPs in the F3H CDS, one derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) marker was developed to distinguish between HL and LL soybean lines; (4) Conclusions: The flavonoid biosynthesis pathway may indirectly affect the outcrossing rate of CMS sterile lines in soybean.
miRNAs involvement in the etiology and targeted therapy of bladder cancer: Interaction between signaling pathway

Bladder cancer (BC) accounts for roughly 3% of all cancer diagnoses in developed countries. The prognosis could be improved significantly if the cancer is detected and classified as either muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) or non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) as promptly as possible. A potential ray of hope for the treatment of BC has emerged with the rapid development of nanomedicine and microRNAs (miRNAs), which promise to have fewer adverse effects, more tumor‐inhibitory effects, and decreased drug resistance. The complex interplay between hereditary and environmental variables is the root cause of this malignancy. Gene expression can be regulated by miRNAs, which are small, non‐coding RNAs that can either prevent the translation of protein‐coding genes or cleave RNA transcripts at certain locations. Elevated genomics has enabled a more extensive investigation of miRNAs whose expression is considerably different in BC patients compared to healthy volunteers or between BC tumor tissues and peripheral tissues. miRNAs have recently been discovered to be important regulators of BC cell carcinogenicity. Inaccurate diagnoses and prolonged treatment delays are more likely to occur due to the current diagnostic process such as lack of sensitivity and specificity and poor image quality. Patients now have access to a plethora of treatment options, including but not limited to surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and other innovative medicines, and in some cases, combination therapies. BC is one of the deadliest and most disabling malignancies affecting the urinary tract. Cancer of the urinary bladder has a terrible propensity for being fatal. BC is an intricate illness whose development can be affected by multiple parameters. Standard treatments for BC increase prognosis and survival, although recurrence is a major concern for patients. miRNAs are naturally occurring, small RNA molecules that have been linked to cancer through their expression being dysregulated. miRNAs modulate many cellular activities including proliferation, migration, differentiation, and apoptosis. MiRNA dysregulation is recognized in BC, and miRNAs are used as diagnostic and prognostic indicators. However, this manuscript discusses the recent progress made in nanomedicine and the function of miRNAs in the pathogenesis and targeted therapy of BC.
Detection Rates for Genotyping Errors in SNPs Using the Trio Design

One well-known approach for the analysis of transmission-disequilibrium is the investigation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in trios consisting of an affected child and its parents. Results may be biased by erroneously given genotypes. Various reasons, among them sample swap or wrong pedigree structure, represent a possible source for biased results. As these can be partly ruled out by good study conditions together with checks for correct pedigree structure by a series of independent markers, the remaining main cause for errors is genotyping errors. Some of the errors can be detected by Mendelian checks whilst others are compatible with the pedigree structure. The extent of genotyping errors can be estimated by investigating the rate of detected genotyping errors by Mendelian checks. In many studies only one SNP of a specific genomic region is investigated by TDT which leaves Mendelian checks as the only tool to control genotyping errors. From the rate of detected errors the true error rate can be estimated. Gordon et al. [Hum Hered 1999;49:65–70] considered the case of genotyping errors that occur randomly and independently with some fixed probability for the wrong ascertainment of an allele. In practice, instead of single alleles, SNP genotypes are determined. Therefore, we study the proportion of detected errors (detection rate) based on genotypes. In contrast to Gordon et al., who reported detection rates between 25 and 30%, we obtain higher detection rates ranging from 39 up to 61% considering likely error structures in the data. We conclude that detection rates are probably substantially higher than those reported by Gordon et al.