Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Innovative Fracture Tests of Single-Lapped Bolted and Bonded Composite Joints

The fracture tests of single-lapped and bolted and bonded mixed composite joints subjected to tension by using U.S. patented new model clip are systematically investigated. The failure load of those joints tested by conventionally clip of universal material testing machine are over-estimated by comparison, mainly attributed to the joint adherends are parallel but not in a line. Herein, the innovative clip of U.S. patent is introduced and manufactured in parametric study to generate the true value of strength of single-lapped mixed composite joint. Two types of lay-ups, such as cross-ply and quasi-isotropy, are used as adherends in composite joint. Single-lapped joint, riveted and bonded joint, and bolted and bonded joint with the varieties of clamping force, overlap length, gage length and fastener's properties are tested to yield the joint failure load, failure mechanism and feature behavior. A system of devices is disclosed to measure the clamping force that promotes the capability to analyze the complicated joint problem. Through a series of tests our achievements are highlighted. The joint failure load measured by new model clip (N-clip) is lower than that by conventional MTS clip (M-clip), i.e., previously used failure load is overestimated and the realistic failure load is lower. The joint of cross-ply adherend is always stronger than that of quasi-isotropic adherend. The overlap length in the single-lapped and mixed joints is a dominant factor. The failure load increases with increasing of overlap length until it reaches an asymptotical value when over three widths. Finally, the more clamping force is applied, the stronger the mixed joint is. Nevertheless, the bolted and bonded joint is always stronger than the riveted and bonded joint in the same testing conditions.
Olive cultivar and maturation process on the oviposition preference of Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a key-pest in the main olives producing areas worldwide, and displays distinct preference to different olive cultivars. The present work intended to study oviposition preference towards three Portuguese cultivars (Cobrançosa, Madural, and Verdeal Transmontana) at different maturation indexes. Multiple oviposition bioassays (multiple-choice and no-choice) were conducted to assess cultivar preference. No-choice bioassays were conducted to assess the influence of different maturation indexes (MI 2; MI 3, and MI 4) in single cultivars. The longevity of olive fly adults according to the cultivar in which its larvae developed was also evaluated through survival assays. Cultivar and maturation are crucial aspects in olive fly preference. Field and laboratory assays revealed a preference towards cv. Verdeal Transmontana olives and a lower susceptibility to cv. Cobrançosa olives. A higher preference was observed for olives at MI 2 and MI 3. The slower maturation process in cv. Verdeal Transmontana (still green while the other cultivars are reddish or at black stage) seems to have an attractive effect on olive fly females, thus increasing its infestation levels. Olive fly adults from both sexes live longer if emerged from pupae developed from cv. Verdeal Transmontana fruits and live less if emerged from cv. Cobrançosa. Therefore, olive cultivar and maturation process are crucial aspects in olive fly preference, also influencing the longevity of adults.
Evaluation of oral multi-herbal preparation of Dashmoolarishta on mice model of osteoarthritis

Abstract Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic progressive disease commonly affecting the hip and knee joints. Although synthetic drugs are available and afford symptomatic relief, their side effects pose limitations to their continuous use. So, this research was focused on extracting drugs from indigenous medicinal plants that could have a beneficial effect on osteoarthritis. Dashmoolarishta is one such preparation whose effects have never been studied in comparison with recent drugs like hyaluronic acid (HA), hence this particular study was undertaken. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Dashmoolarishta compared with HA on joint pathology and pain behavior in monosodiumiodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA in experimental mice. Methods: The study was initiated after obtaining permission from the Animal Ethics Committee. This study was based on the MIA model of osteoarthritis, with mice being divided into five groups viz.: disease control (DC), Dasahmoolarishta high dose (HD) and low dose (LD), sham control (SC) and HA. The OA of the knee joint was induced in these mice using monosodiumiodoacetate. Seven days after induction, animals were subjected to weekly behavioral tests, daily oral Dashmoolarishta, and biweekly HA administration from weeks 2–4. At the end of the 4th week, histopathological examination of the knee joints was done. Results: DC showed significant osteoarthritic changes. At week 4, the behavioral tests and histopathology results of all groups were found to be significant. A significant difference (p<0.05) was found between DC vs. SC, HA, HD, LD for open field test, Rota rod test, knee joint diameter, and Cat walk test. Dashmoolarishta HD and LD showed significant improvement in pain, as assessed by behavioral tests (p<0.05) and pathology, as assessed by knee joint histopathology (p<0.05). Conclusions: Oral Dashmoolarishta showed reduction in pain and disease activity in MIA-induced osteoarthritis in mice model.
Advanced glycation end products in patients with peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a disease in which stenosis or occlusion occurs of the arteries of the lower limbs. The most common underlying disease is atherosclerosis. The main presenting symptom of these patients is intermittent claudication, which is typical leg pain during walking that disappears during rest. Patients with progressed disease may suffer from rest pain, ulcers and are at risk for amputation. An estimated prevalence of the patients suffering from PAD is 200 million, which is an increase of more than 23% within a decade. Besides intermittent claudication and risk of amputation, these patients are at risk for development of other cardiovascular disease and death. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are known to play an important role in atherosclerosis. However, the role of AGEs in patients with peripheral artery disease is unknown. This thesis contributes to this knowledge gap. Assessment of AGEs can be performed noninvasively with the use of the AGE Reader. The AGE Reader emits ultraviolet light on a small surface of the skin of the forearm. Due to fluorescent properties of several AGEs, skin AGE accumulation can be estimated. A total of 500 patients were included for several studies and they were followed for five years. Patients with PAD have increased skin AGEs compared to controls. Furthermore, skin AGEs were able to detect high risk patients for a myocardial infarction, stroke, amputation or death. This thesis underscores the important role of AGEs in patients with PAD and identifies patient at highest risk for cardiovascular disease.
Adaptation of Amoeba Plate Test To Recover Legionella Strains from Clinical Samples

ABSTRACT The isolation of Legionella from respiratory samples is the gold standard for diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease (LD) and enables epidemiological studies and outbreak investigations. The purpose of this work was to adapt and to evaluate the performance of an amoebic coculture procedure (the amoeba plate test [APT]) for the recovery of Legionella strains from respiratory samples, in comparison with axenic culture and liquid-based amoebic coculture (LAC). Axenic culture, LAC, and APT were prospectively performed with 133 respiratory samples from patients with LD. The sensitivities and times to results for the three techniques were compared. Using the three techniques, Legionella strains were isolated in 46.6% (n = 62) of the 133 respiratory samples. The sensitivity of axenic culture was 42.9% (n = 57), that of LAC was 30.1% (n = 40), and that of APT was 36.1% (n = 48). Seven samples were positive by axenic culture only; for those samples, there were <10 colonies in total. Five samples, all sputum samples, were positive by an amoebic procedure only (5/5 samples by APT and 2/5 samples by LAC); all had overgrowth by oropharyngeal flora with axenic culture. The combination of axenic culture with APT yielded a maximal isolation rate (i.e., 46.6%). Overall, the APT significantly reduced the median time for Legionella identification to 4 days, compared with 7 days for LAC (P < 0.0001). The results of this study support the substitution of LAC by APT, which could be implemented as a second-line technique for culture-negative samples and samples with microbial overgrowth, especially sputum samples. The findings provide a logical basis for further studies in both clinical and environmental settings.
Molecular Imaging and Quantitation of EphA2 Expression in Xenograft Models with 89Zr-DS-8895a

Subtype A2 of the erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular tyrosine kinase (EphA2) cell surface receptor is expressed in a range of epithelial cancers. This study evaluated the molecular imaging of EphA2 expression in vivo in mouse tumor models using SPECT/MR and PET/MR and a humanized anti-EphA2 antibody, DS-8895a. Methods: DS-8895a was labeled with 111In, 125I, and 89Zr and assessed for radiochemical purity, immunoreactivity (Lindmo analysis), antigen-binding affinity (Scatchard analysis), and serum stability in vitro. In vivo biodistribution, imaging, and pharmacokinetic studies were performed with SPECT/MR and PET/MR. A dose-escalation study was also performed to determine EphA2 receptor saturability through tissue and imaging quantitative analysis. Results: All conjugates demonstrated good serum stability and specific binding to EphA2-expressing cells in vitro. In vivo biodistribution studies showed high uptake of 111In-CHX-A″-DTPA-DS-8895a and 89Zr-Df-Bz-NCS-DS-8895a in EphA2-expressing xenograft models, with no specific uptake in normal tissues. In comparison, retention of 125I-DS-8895a in tumors was lower because of internalization of the radioconjugate and dehalogenation. These results were confirmed by SPECT/MR and PET/MR. EphA2 receptor saturation was observed at the 30 mg/kg dose. Conclusion: Molecular imaging of tumor uptake of DS-8895a allows noninvasive measurement of EphA2 expression in tumors in vivo and determination of receptor saturation. 89Zr-Df-Bz-NCS-DS-8895a is suited for human bioimaging trials on the basis of superior imaging characteristics and will inform DS-8895a dose assessment and patient response evaluation in clinical trials.
Animal-Assisted Interventions in the Classroom—A Systematic Review

The inclusion of animals in educational practice is becoming increasingly popular, but it is unclear how solid the evidence for this type of intervention is. The aim of this systematic review is to scrutinise the empirical research literature relating to animal-assisted interventions conducted in educational settings. The review included 25 papers; 21 from peer-reviewed journals and 4 obtained using grey literature databases. Most studies reported significant benefits of animal-assisted interventions in the school setting. Despite this, studies vary greatly in methods and design, in intervention types, measures, and sample sizes, and in the length of time exposed to an animal. Furthermore, a worrying lack of reference to risk assessment and animal welfare must be highlighted. Taken together, the results of this review show promising findings and emerging evidence suggestive of potential benefits related to animals in school settings. The review also indicates the need for a larger and more robust evidence base driven by thorough and strict protocols. The review further emphasises the need for safeguarding for all involved—welfare and safety are paramount.
Neural correlates of an attentional bias to health-threatening stimuli in individuals with pathological health anxiety

Background An attentional bias to health-threat stimuli is assumed to represent the primary pathogenetic factor for the development and maintenance of pathological health anxiety (PHA; formerly termed “hypochondriasis”). However, little is known about the neural basis of this attentional bias in individuals with PHA. Methods A group of patients with PHA, a group of depressed patients and a healthy control group completed an emotional Stroop task with health-threat (body symptom and illness) words and neutral control words while undergoing functional MRI. Results We included 33 patients with PHA, 28 depressed patients and 31 controls in our analyses. As reflected in reaction times, patients with PHA showed a significantly stronger attentional bias to health-threat words than both control groups. In addition, patients with PHA showed increased amygdala and rostral anterior cingulate cortex activation for body symptom, but not for illness words. Moreover, only in patients with PHA amygdala activation in response to symptom words was positively associated with higher arousal and more negative valence ratings of the body symptom word material. Limitations A control group of patients with an anxiety disorder but without PHA would have helped to define the specificity of the results for PHA. Conclusion The attentional bias observed in patients with PHA is associated with hyperactivation in response to body symptom words in brain regions that are crucial for an arousal-related fear response (e.g., the amygdala) and for resolving emotional interference (e.g., the rostral anterior cingulate cortex). The findings have important implications for the nosological classification of PHA and suggest the application of innovative exposure-based interventions for the treatment of PHA.
The Smoke Factor: Things you Should Know

Surgical smoke is a regular hazard that the majority of perioperative personnel are exposed to. Many staff are unaware of the risks of surgical smoke and many more may take it for granted that a surgical facemask provides enough protection. This article provides detail on the composition of surgical smoke and highlights the potential dangers that theatre staff face and what could be done to protect them. It will demonstrate the potential harm for the patient with particular reference to laparoscopic procedures as these are becoming more favourable in general and gynaecological specialities and are of particular interest to the author.
Homeostasis and Polymorphism in Vernal Development of Chaoborus Americanus

Last instar larvae of Chaoborus americanus overwinter in a state of developmental arrest (diapause) but remain otherwise active and capable of feeding. The diapausing larvae are developmentally responsive to long—day photoperiod and food. A portion of a wild—caught population responds rapidly to these conditions; the remainder of the population is more conservative. For either morph, the closer an individual approaches adult emergence, the more its rate of development is retarded by a small drop in water temperature. This response to temperature both promotes synchronous adult emergence and insures favorable climatic conditions at that time. Even this individual thermal homeostasis does not ensure survivorship throughout the total range of vernal climates encountered in a single shallow pond. The fast—responding morph predominates following warm, continuous springs; the more conservative morph predominates following a spring where the initial thaw is succeeded by a refreezing of the pond. Response time po.
Statistical Computer Model Analysis of the Reciprocal and Recurrent Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials in -Motoneurons

We simulate reconstructed -motoneurons (MNs) under physiological and morphological realistic parameters and compare the modeled reciprocal (REC) and recurrent (REN) inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) containing voltage-dependent channels on the dendrites with the IPSPs of a passive MN model. Three distribution functions of the voltage-dependent channels on the dendrites are applied: a step function (ST) with uniform spatial dispersion; an exponential decay (ED) function, with channels with high density located proximal to the soma; and an exponential rise (ER) with a higher density of channels located distally. The excitatory and REN inhibitory inputs are located as a gaussian function on the dendrites, while the REC inhibitory synapses are located proximal to the soma. Our simulations generate four key results. (1) The distribution pattern of the voltage-dependent channels does not affect the IPSP peak, its time integral (TI), or its rate of rise (RR). However, the IPSP peak decreased in the presence of the active dendrites, while the EPSP peak increased. (2) Proximally located IPSP conductance produces greater IPSP peak, RR, and TI. (3) Increased duration of the IPSP produces greater RR and moderately increased TI and has a small effect on the peak amplitude. (4) The IPSP of both REC and REN models is specific to each MN: its amplitude is proportional to the MNs' input resistance, RN; the increase of IPSP at the proximal location of the IPSP synapses is inversely related to RN; and the effect of the IPSP conductance duration is insensitive to RN.
Effect of Fiber Waviness on the Nonlinear Elastic Behavior of Flexible Composites

The effect of fiber waviness on the elastic moduli of flexible composites is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The flexible composites examined are composed of con tinuous fibers with sinusoidal waviness in an elastomeric matrix. Both iso-phase and random-phase fiber arrangements are used for this study. The constitutive relations for the longitudinal and transverse tensile behavior have been developed for these models. Tensile tests have been conducted to verify the constitutive relations. Carbon fiber and silicone elastomer were used for the experiments. Techniques for specimen fabrication as well as photoelastic tests are also presented. Experimental results show good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Younger and older adults’ associative memory for medication interactions of varying severity

ABSTRACT While older adults face various deficits in binding items in memory, they are often able to remember information that is deemed important. In Experiment 1, we examined how younger and older adults remember medication interactions of varying severity. There were no age differences in overall memory accuracy, but older adults’ performance depended on the severity of the interactions (such that the interactions associated with the most severe health outcomes were remembered most accurately) while younger adults’ did not. In Experiment 2, a similar task was designed to create interference in memory. Even with this more difficult task there were no age differences in recall accuracy, and both age groups remembered the interactions with the severe outcomes most accurately. These findings suggest that, under certain circumstances, older adults do not face deficits in associative recognition accuracy of information that varies in importance.
The combination of targeted and systematic prostate biopsies is the best protocol for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer

Abstract Objective: Compared with standard systematic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsies (SBx), targeted biopsies (TBx) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/TRUS fusion could increase the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa-s) and reduce non-significant PCa (PCa-ns). This study aimed to compare the performance of the two approaches. Materials and methods: A prospective, single-center study was conducted on all consecutive patients with PCa suspicion who underwent prebiopsy multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) using the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS). All patients underwent mpMRI/TRUS fusion TBx (two to four cores/target) using UroStation™ (Koelis, Grenoble, France) and SBx (10–12 cores) during the same session. PCa-s was defined as a maximal positive core length ≥4 mm or Gleason score ≥7. Results: The study included 191 patients (at least one suspicious lesion: PI-RADS ≥3). PCa was detected in 55.5% (106/191) of the cases. The overall PCa detection rate and the PCa-s detection rate were not significantly higher in TBx alone versus SBx (44.5% vs 46.1%, p = .7, and 38.2% vs 33.5%, p = .2, respectively). Combined TBx and SBx diagnosed significantly more PCa-s than SBx alone (45% vs 33.5%, p = .02). PCa-s was detected only by TBx in 12% of cases (23/191) and only by SBx in 7.3% (14/191). Gleason score was upgraded by TBx in 16.8% (32/191) and by SBx in 13.6% (26/191) of patients (p = .4). Conclusions: The combination of TBx and SBx achieved the best results for the detection and prognosis of PCa-s. The use of SBx alone would have missed the detection of PCa-s in 12% of patients.
TreeDroid: a tree automaton based approach to enforcing data processing policies

Current approaches to security policy monitoring are based on linear control flow constraints such as 'runQuery' may be evaluated only after 'sanitize'. However, realistic security policies must be able to conveniently capture data flow constraints as well. An example is a policy stating that arguments to the function 'runQuery' must be either constants, outputs of a function 'sanitize', or concatenations of any such values. We present a novel approach to security policy monitoring that uses tree automata to capture constraints on the way data is processed along an execution. We present a »-calculus based model of the framework, investigate some of the models meta-properties, and show how it can be implemented using labels corresponding to automaton states to reflect the computational histories of each data item. We show how a standard denotational semantics induces the expected monitoring regime on a simple "while" language. Finally we implement the framework for the Dalvik VM using TaintDroid as the underlying data flow tracking mechanism, and evaluate its functionality and performance on five case studies.