Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corrosion of low level vitrified radioactive waste in a loamy soil

Corrosion of high sodium borosilicate glass K-26 was examined over 16 years of storage in a loamy soil. An altered layer was formed on the glass surface which is inhomogeneous in thickness and composition. This layer is mostly amorphous with small crystalline inclusions. The pH of the groundwater in contact with the radioactive glass gradually from 7·5 to 7·9 and the groundwater was slightly contaminated with 137Cs at levels from ~20 to below 10 Bq/L after 16 years. The corrosion rate of glass diminishes with time and is 0·22 µg/cm2 day after 16 years.
A Comparative Study of Iota Carrageenan, Kappa Carrageenan and Alginate as Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

The increasingly aging population and lack of donor tissue has pushed tissue regeneration to the forefront of modern biomedical research and biopolymers traditionally found in the food and pharmaceutical industry are increasingly being used in tissue engineering. The development of tissue engineering provides the opportunity to take a sample of cells from a patient which are then cultured in vitro to organise into functional tissue that can then be implanted back into the patient, ultimately, overcoming problems of tissue rejection and the need for donor tissue. To grow replacement tissue requires a suitable substrate or scaffold for cells to attach, proliferate and organise into viable tissue that can be safely implanted into the body. Biopolymers and hydrogel forming biopolymers in particular, have been shown to be a promising scaffold material due having properties that resemble the environment of the mammalian extracellular matrix (ECM). In addition properties such as mild gelation conditions, potential for good mass transport of nutrients and waste molecules, nontoxic nature and biological compatibility provide an advantage over synthetic polymers and ceramic and metallic materials which have also been used as tissue engineering scaffolds.
ftTRACK

The provision of accurate and reliable localization and tracking information for a target moving inside a binary Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is quite challenging, especially when sensor failures due to hardware and/or software malfunctions or adversary attacks are considered. Most tracking algorithms assume fault-free scenarios and exploit all binary sensor observations, thus their accuracy may degrade when faults are present in the field. Spatiotemporal information available while the target is traversing the sensor field can be used not only for tracking the target, but also for detecting certain types of faults that appear highly correlated both in time and space. Our main contribution is ftTRACK, a target tracking architecture that is resilient to sensor faults and consists of three main components, namely the sensor health-state estimator, a fault-tolerant localization algorithm, and a location smoothing component. The key idea in the ftTRACK architecture lies in the sensor health-state estimator that leverages spatiotemporal information from previous estimation steps to intelligently choose which sensors to employ in the localization and tracking tasks. Simulation results indicate that ftTRACK maintains a high level of tracking accuracy, even when a large number of sensors fail.
Formation of eutectic-type microconstituent during transient liquid phase bonding of nickel: influence of process parameters

Abstract Transient liquid phase bonding of nickel by a filler material containing phosphorus as a melting point depressant was performed to study the effects of process parameters on the joint microstructure. Insufficient holding time for complete isothermal solidification of liquated insert resulted in formation of eutectic-type microconstituent along the joint centreline region. An increase in the eutectic thickness with increase in initial filler gap size was observed in joints prepared at a constant temperature and holding time. The eutectic was observed to serve as a preferred continuous path for crack initiation and/or propagation. Two different observation of influence of bonding temperature on the eutectic formation was made, one in which increase in bonding temperature resulted in formation of thicker centreline eutectic and the second in which preclusion of the eutectic was achieved at a shorter time relative to a lower temperature.
Latent tuberculosis among Latino migrant farmworkers in Connecticut.

STUDY OBJECTIVE It is estimated that the prevalence rate of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) for the United States general population is less than 5%. The prevalence of LTBI among Connecticut migrant workers has not been reported. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of a positive tuberculin skin test (TST), a potential measure of LTBI in migrant workers, at one Connecticut farm. METHODS A two-step standardized TST was performed on farmworkers recruited in a migrant clinic setting. Those with negative results on the first-step were offered the second. Workers with positive results were referred to community health centers for assessment and examined by a physician investigator. RESULTS Seventy-nine male workers were recruited from a population of approximately 200. Of these, 57 consented to the first-step TST, and 26% tested positive. Over 96% of the 57 tested workers were from Mexico. None had symptoms or signs of active tuberculosis. CONCLUSION This study suggests that a high percentage of asymptomatic Connecticut Latino migrant farmworkers have LTBI. This finding has public health implications for TB control strategies in the state.
Does ethnicity matter? Everyday group formation in three Swiss immigrant neighbourhoods

How important is ethnicity for group formation in immigrant societies? Multiculturalism and the racialization (or ethnicization) hypothesis give opposing answers to this question. This article provides an empirical contribution to the debate by looking at patterns of group formation on the level of social categories and personal networks in the immigrant neighbourhoods of Basel, Bern and Zürich. We find that ethno-national categories are secondary principles of classification only but that the social networks are ethnically largely homogeneous even in the second generation. We conclude by advocating the use of more differentiated analytical tools to explain this variability of patterns.
Correction for Shakarad et al., Faster development does not lead to correlated evolution of greater pre-adult competitive ability in Drosophila melanogaster

Correction for ‘Faster development does not lead to correlated evolution of greater pre-adult competitive ability in Drosophila melanogaster’ by Mallikarjun Shakarad, N. G. Prasad, Kaustubh Gokhale, Vikram Gadagkar, M. Rajamani and Amitabh Joshi (Biol. Lett. 1, 91–94. (doi: 10.1098/2004.0261)). On p. 91, the Digital Object Identifier should be 10.1098/rsbl.2004.0261.
Cachectic effects of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor in rats.

Treatment of rats with either intermittent bolus i.v. injections or continuous i.v. infusions of the same sublethal daily dose of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) results in decreased food intake and decreased nitrogen balance compared to saline-treated control rats. After 4 days of treatment, rats treated with intermittent bolus doses of TNF develop tolerance to the nutritional effects and consume normal amounts of food and have nitrogen balance similar to those of saline treated rats. Rats receiving the continuous infusion of TNF do not. Rats treated with both routes of TNF lose more weight than pair fed rats who eat the same mean amount as the continuous TNF treated group. In addition, 56% of rats receiving continuous infusion TNF die during the 8-day experimental period while rats receiving either intermittent bolus TNF or similar food intake (pair fed) do not. Body composition studies of rats that completed the 8 days of treatment indicate that rats receiving either continuous infusion or intermittent bolus TNF have increased percentages of body water and reduced percentages of body solid compared to saline treated control rats. Rats pair fed to the food intake of continuous TNF treated rats also had increased percentages of body water and reduced percentages of body solid, but changes were significantly less than those observed in continuous TNF infused rats. Continuous TNF infusion reduced total body nitrogen and potassium while pair feeding did not reduce potassium and reduced nitrogen to a lesser degree. Pair feeding and continuous TNF infusion reduced total body fat to a similar extent. Twice a day administration of TNF resulted in lesser changes in carcass water, solid, nitrogen, lipid, and potassium than continuous infusion of the same dose of TNF. The results indicate that continuous infusion of TNF can produce anorexia, weight loss, edema, loss of body protein, lipid and cell mass, and lethality which is markedly ameliorated with bolus doses of TNF. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that slow continuous secretion of sublethal amounts of TNF may mediate cancer cachexia.
Long-Term and Interactive Effects of Pay-For-Performance Interventions among Diabetic Nephropathy Patients at the Early Chronic Kidney Disease Stage

AbstractChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health problem worldwide because of the aging population and lifestyle changes. One of the important etiologies of CKD is diabetes mellitus (DM). The long-term effects of pay-for-performance (P4P) on disease progression have not been thoroughly examined.This study is a retrospective population-based patient cohort design to examine the continuous effects of diabetes and CKD P4P interventions. This study used the health insurance claims database to conduct a longitudinal analysis. A total of 32,084 early CKD patients with diabetes were extracted from the outpatient claims database from January 2011 to December 2012, and the follow-up period was extended to August 2014. A 4-group matching design, including both diabetes and early CKD P4P interventions, with only diabetes P4P intervention, with only early CKD P4P intervention, and without any P4P interventions, was performed according to their descending intensity. The primary outcome of this study was all-cause mortality and the causes of death. The statistical methods included a Chi-squared test, ANOVA, and multi-variable Cox regression models.A dose–response relationship between the intervention groups and all-cause mortality was observed as follows: comparing to both diabetes and early CKD P4P interventions (reference), hazard ratio (HR) was 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00–1.50) for patients with only a diabetes P4P intervention; HR was 2.00 (95% CI, 1.66–2.42) for patients with only an early CKD P4P intervention; and HR was 2.42 (95% CI, 2.02–2.91) for patients without any P4P interventions. The leading cause of death of the total diabetic nephropathy patient cohort was infectious diseases (34.32%) followed by cardiovascular diseases (17.12%), acute renal failure (1.50%), and malignant neoplasm of liver (1.40%). Because the earlier interventions have lasting long-term effects on the patient's prognosis regardless of disease course, an integrated early intervention plan is suggested in future care plan designs. The mechanisms regarding the effects of P4P intervention, such as health education on diet control, continuity of care, and practice guidelines and adherence, are the primary components of disease management programs.
Braid Effects on Contractile Range and Friction Modeling in Pneumatic Muscle Actuators

Within braided pneumatic Muscle Actuators (pMA) the braid structure is vital to the actuator's performance, preventing over-inflation, converting radial expansion into axial contraction and setting limits for both dilation and contraction. This paper seeks to explore the nature of the contractile limit and the hysteresis observed by researchers during the actuation cycle. Maximum actuator dilation occurs when adjacent braid strands are forced against one another. Within this work this is analyzed mathematically and it is shown that by halving the number of strands used to create the braided shell the actuator's contractile range can be increased by approximately 7%. This also results in a simultaneous peak contractile force increases of over 16%. These results are verified experimentally. Hysteresis due to friction between braid strands during muscle operation is also explored. The paper will show how consideration of the deformation of the strands allows the contact area and therefore friction to be calculated without the need for experimentally obtained data as in previous research. A mathematical model is produced and verified experimentally.
Histogram‐based characterization of healthy and ischemic brain tissues using multiparametric MR imaging including apparent diffusion coefficient maps and relaxometry

Decreased, renormalized, or increased values of the calculated apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) are observed in stroke models. A quantitative description of corresponding tissue states using ADC values may be extended to include true relaxation times. A histogram‐based segmentation is well suited for characterizing tissues according to specific parameter combinations irrespective of the heterogeneity found for human healthy and ischemic brain tissues. In a new approach, navigated diffusion‐weighted images and ADC maps were incorporated into voxel‐based parameter sets of relaxation times (T1, T2), and T1‐ or T2‐weighted images, followed by a supervised histogram‐based analysis. Healthy tissues were segmented by incorporating T1 relaxation into the data set, ischemic regions by combining T2‐ or diffusion‐weighted images with ADC maps. Mean values of healthy and pathologic tissues were determined, spatial distributions of the parameter vectors were visualized using color‐encoded overlays. One to six days after stroke, ischemic regions exhibited reduced relative mean ADC values. Magn Reson Med 43:52–61, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Different receptor mechanisms mediate the pyrogenic and behavioral effects of interleukin 1.

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is a cytokine released during immune activation that mediates the host's response to infection and inflammation. Peripheral and central injections of IL-1 induce fever and sickness behavior, including decreased food motivation and reduced interest in social activities. To determine the receptor mechanisms responsible for these effects, rats were injected with IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), an endogenous cytokine that acts as a pure antagonist of IL-1 receptors. IL-1ra blocked the increased body temperature and oxygen consumption induced by injection of recombinant human IL-1 only when both cytokines were administered i.p. In contrast, i.p. or intracerebroventricular administration of IL-1ra blocked the depressive effect of IL-1 beta on food-motivated behavior and social exploration when this cytokine was administered by the same route as the antagonist. In addition, intracerebroventricular IL-1ra blocked the reduction in social exploration produced by i.p. IL-1 beta but had only partial antagonist effects on the decrease in food-motivated behavior induced by i.p. IL-1 beta. In each case, the dose of IL-1ra was 100- to 1000-fold in excess of the biologically active dose of IL-1. These results suggest that the receptor mechanisms that mediate the behavioral and pyrogenic effects of IL-1 are heterogeneous.
Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells 5 Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Modulation

Objective—The tonicity-responsive transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5/tonicity enhancer binding protein [TonEBP]), has been well characterized in numerous cell types; however, NFAT5 function in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is unknown. Our main objective was to determine the role of NFAT5 regulation in SMCs. Methods and Results—We showed that NFAT5 is regulated by hypertonicity in SMCs and is upregulated in atherosclerosis and neointimal hyperplasia. RNAi knockdown of NFAT5 inhibited basal expression of several SMC differentiation marker genes, including smooth muscle &agr; actin (SM&agr;A). Bioinformatic analysis of SM&agr;A revealed 7 putative NFAT5 binding sites in the first intron, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed NFAT5 enrichment of intronic DNA. Overexpression of NFAT5 increased SM&agr;A promoter-intron activity, which requires an NFAT5 cis element at +1012, whereas dominant-negative NFAT5 decreased SM&agr;A promoter-intron activity. Because it is unlikely that SMCs experience extreme changes in tonicity, we investigated other stimuli and uncovered 2 novel NFAT5-inducing factors: angiotensin II, a contractile agonist, and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), a potent mitogen in vascular injury. Angiotensin II stimulated NFAT5 translocation and activity, and NFAT5 knockdown inhibited an angiotensin II-mediated upregulation of SM&agr;A mRNA. PDGF-BB increased NFAT5 protein, and loss of NFAT5 inhibited PDGF-BB-induced SMC migration. Conclusion—We have identified NFAT5 as a novel regulator of SMC phenotypic modulation and have uncovered the role of NFAT5 in angiotensin II-induced SM&agr;A expression and PDGF-BB-stimulated SMC migration.
Are energy drinks unique mixers in terms of their effects on alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences?

Introduction Previous research has suggested that consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AMED) increases overall alcohol consumption. However, there is limited research examining whether energy drinks are unique in their effects when mixed with alcohol, when compared with alcohol mixed with other caffeinated mixers (AOCM). Therefore, the aim of this survey was to investigate alcohol consumption on AMED occasions, to that on other occasions when the same individuals consumed AOCM or alcohol only (AO). Methods A UK-wide online student survey collected data on the frequency of alcohol consumption and quantity consumed, as well as the number of negative alcohol-related consequences reported on AO, AMED and AOCM occasions (N=250). Results Within-subjects analysis revealed that there were no significant differences in the number of alcoholic drinks consumed on a standard and a heavy drinking session between AMED and AOCM drinking occasions. However, the number of standard mixers typically consumed was significantly lower on AMED occasions compared with AOCM occasions. In addition, when consuming AMED, students reported significantly fewer days consuming 5 or more alcohol drinks, fewer days mixing drinks, and fewer days being drunk, compared with when consuming AOCM. There were no significant differences in the number of reported negative alcohol-related consequences on AMED occasions to AOCM occasions. Of importance, alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences were significantly less on both AMED and AOCM occasions compared with AO occasions. Conclusion The findings that heavy alcohol consumption occurs significantly less often on AMED occasions compared with AOCM occasions is in opposition to some earlier claims implying that greatest alcohol consumption occurs with AMED. The overall greatest alcohol consumption and associated negative consequences were clearly associated with AO occasions. Negative consequences for AMED and AOCM drinking occasions were similar, suggesting that energy drink was comparable with AOCM in this regard.
Investigating over-dispersion; Moniliformis (Acanthocephala) and rats

SUMMARY An analysis of the frequency distribution of numbers of Moniliformis dubius in rats of an outbred strain of Wistar origin (CFHB) and feeding ad libitum on Oxoid 41B diet, showed that over-dispersion occurred regardless of the age and sex of the rats and the infective dose given (12, 20 or 40 cystacanths/rat). Over-dispersion was also shown to be independent of variability in the age and sex of the cystacanths given. The analysis demonstrated that the over-dispersion declined as the course of the infection proceeded. As expected, parasite survival was found to be age-dependent with female worms living longer, on average, than males, and both male and female worms living longer in rats given 12 as opposed to 20 cystacanths. Possible mechanisms for generating the over-dispersion observed during this work are discussed and a tentative hypothesis, invoking host heterogeneity with regard to carbohydrate availability in the small intestine, is proposed for further experimental investigation.
Tensor completion and low-n-rank tensor recovery via convex optimization

In this paper we consider sparsity on a tensor level, as given by the n-rank of a tensor. In an important sparse-vector approximation problem (compressed sensing) and the low-rank matrix recovery problem, using a convex relaxation technique proved to be a valuable solution strategy. Here, we will adapt these techniques to the tensor setting. We use the n-rank of a tensor as a sparsity measure and consider the low-n-rank tensor recovery problem, i.e. the problem of finding the tensor of the lowest n-rank that fulfills some linear constraints. We introduce a tractable convex relaxation of the n-rank and propose efficient algorithms to solve the low-n-rank tensor recovery problem numerically. The algorithms are based on the Douglas–Rachford splitting technique and its dual variant, the alternating direction method of multipliers.
Interaction between sleep and the immune response in Drosophila: a role for the NFkappaB relish.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The regulation of sleep is poorly understood. While some molecules, including those involved in inflammatory/immune responses, have been implicated in the control of sleep, their role in this process remains unclear. The Drosophila model for sleep provides a powerful system to identify and test the role of sleep-relevant molecules. DESIGN We conducted an unbiased screen for molecular candidates involved in sleep regulation by analyzing genome-wide changes in gene expression associated with sleep deprivation in Drosophila. To further examine a role of immune-related genes identified in the screen, we performed molecular assays, analysis of sleep behavior in relevant mutant and transgenic flies, and quantitative analysis of the immune response following sleep deprivation. RESULTS A major class of genes that increased expression with sleep deprivation was that involved in the immune response. We found that immune genes were also upregulated during baseline conditions in the cyc01 sleep mutant. Since the expression of an NFkappaB, Relish, a central player in the inflammatory response, was increased with all manipulations that reduced sleep, we focused on this gene. Flies deficient in, but not lacking, Relish expression exhibited reduced levels of nighttime sleep, supporting a role for Relish in the control of sleep. This mutant phenotype was rescued by expression of a Relish transgene in fat bodies, which are the major site of inflammatory responses in Drosophila. Finally, sleep deprivation also affected the immune response, such that flies deprived of sleep for several hours were more resistant to bacterial infection than those flies not deprived of sleep. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate a conserved interaction between sleep and the immune system. Genetic manipulation of an immune component alters sleep, and likewise, acute sleep deprivation alters the immune response.