Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rigid polyurethane foams from unrefined crude glycerol and technical lignins

The need for green materials has driven interest in the preparation of rigid polyurethane foam (PUF) from various biomass types. The present study aims at increasing bio-based content by utilizing by-products from both the pulp and paper and biodiesel industries. Bio-based polyols from respective liquefaction of kraft lignin, organosolv lignin and lignosulphonate in crude glycerol were employed to prepare rigid PUFs. The highest foam compressive strength was 345 kPa with density 79 kg m−3; thermal conductivity was 0.039 W m−1 K−1 and the corresponding material had 44 wt% renewable content. Thermal characteristics and biodegradability were also evaluated. Technical lignin type was found to determine product properties to a large extent. Based on the use of existing industrial scale by-products in this study, the findings can be beneficial for present and future biorefineries in the valorization of lower value by-product streams.
Poly-free constructions for right-angled Artin groups

Abstract We show that every right-angled Artin group AΓ defined by a graph Γ of finite chromatic number is poly-free with poly-free length bounded between the clique number and the chromatic number of Γ. Further, a characterization of all right-angled Artin groups of poly-free length 2 is given, namely the group AΓ has poly-free length 2 if and only if there exists an independent set of vertices D in Γ such that every cycle in Γ meets D at least twice. Finally, it is shown that AΓ is a semidirect product of two free groups of finite rank if and only if Γ is a finite tree or a finite complete bipartite graph. All of the proofs of the existence of polyfree structures are constructive.
Surveillance Summaries 1 Surveillance for Health Behaviors of American Indians and Alaska Natives Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System , 1997 – 2000

Problem/Condition: In the United States, disparities in risks for chronic disease (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are evident among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and other groups. This report summarizes findings from the 1997–2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for health-status indicators, health-risk behaviors, and HIV testing and perceived risk for HIV infection among AI/ANs, compared with other racial/ethnic groups in five regions of the United States. Reporting Period Covered: 1997–2000. Description of System: BRFSS is a state-based telephone survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized, adult (i.e., persons aged >18 years) population. For this report, responses from the 36 states covered by the Indian Health Service administrative areas were analyzed. Results: Region and sex-specific variations occurred in the prevalence of high-risk behaviors and health-status indicators. For example, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking ranged from 21.2% in the Southwest to 44.1% in the Northern Plains, and the awareness of diabetes was lower in Alaska than in other regions. Men were more likely than women to report binge drinking and drinking and driving. For the majority of health behaviors and status measures, AI/ANs were more likely than respondents of other racial/ethnic groups to be at increased risk. For example, AI/ANs were more likely than respondents of other racial/ethnic groups to report obesity (23.9% versus 18.7%) and no leisuretime physical activity (32.5% versus 27.5%). Interpretation: The 1997–2000 BRFSS data demonstrate that health behaviors vary regionally among AI/ANs and by sex. The data also reveal disparities in health behaviors between AI/ANs and other racial/ethnic groups. The reasons for these differences by region and sex, and for the racial/ethnic disparities, are subjects for further study. However, such patterns should be monitored through continued surveillance, and the data should be used to guide prevention and research activities. For example, states with substantial AI/AN populations, and certain tribes, have successfully used BRFSS data to develop and monitor diabetes and tobacco prevention and control programs. Public Health Actions: Federal and state agencies, tribes, Indian health boards, and urban Indian health centers will continue to use BRFSS data to develop and guide public health programs and policies. The BRFSS data will also be used to monitor progress in eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities. Regional Indian health boards, tribal epidemiology centers, and Indian Health Service Area Offices can use the findings of this report to prioritize interventions to prevent specific health problems in their geographic areas. Moreover, tribes and other institutions that promote AI/AN health care can use the report to document health needs when applying for resources. 2 MMWR August 1, 2003
Health information practices of young parents

Purpose Despite societal investment in providing health information to young parents, little is known about the health information practices of young parents themselves. The purpose of this paper is to explore young parents’ health information practices in context. Design/methodology/approach This constructivist grounded theory study investigates the health information practices of young mothers and fathers (age 16-23) in Greater Vancouver, Canada. Data were collected over 16 months via individual interviews with 39 young parents (37 mothers, 2 fathers) and observations at young parent programs. Inductive analysis was iterative with data collection. Findings Young parent health information practices emerged, clustering around concepts of information seeking, assessment, and use, with sharing conceptualised as a form of use. Many young parents were sophisticated information seekers, and most were highly networked using mobile technology. While access to information was rarely a barrier, assessment of the large quantity of health-related information posed challenges. Research limitations/implications These findings are not generalisable to all populations. Newly identified information-seeking practices such as defensive and subversive seeking should be explored further in future research. Practical implications Rather than focusing on quantity of information, health and information professionals trying to reach young parents should focus on fostering information literacy skills and building relationships as trusted information providers. Social implications Young parent experiences of social marginalisation influenced their information practices and should be taken into consideration. Originality/value This first investigation of young parent information practices can guide services and resources for young parents, suggests that sharing might be conceptualised as a subset of use, and highlights new information-seeking practices by marginalised individuals, such as defensive and subversive seeking.
The Mapillary Vistas Dataset for Semantic Understanding of Street Scenes

The Mapillary Vistas Dataset is a novel, large-scale street-level image dataset containing 25000 high-resolution images annotated into 66 object categories with additional, instance-specific labels for 37 classes. Annotation is performed in a dense and fine-grained style by using polygons for delineating individual objects. Our dataset is 5× larger than the total amount of fine annotations for Cityscapes and contains images from all around the world, captured at various conditions regarding weather, season and daytime. Images come from different imaging devices (mobile phones, tablets, action cameras, professional capturing rigs) and differently experienced photographers. In such a way, our dataset has been designed and compiled to cover diversity, richness of detail and geographic extent. As default benchmark tasks, we define semantic image segmentation and instance-specific image segmentation, aiming to significantly further the development of state-of-the-art methods for visual road-scene understanding.
Eimeria ontarioensis n. sp., E. confusa Joseph, 1969 and Eimeria sp. (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) from the Ontario gray squirrel Sciurus carolinensis.

SYNOPSIS. Eimerians from 27 gray squirrels Sciurus carolinensis sampled in Waterloo County were studied. Two double-walled species, E. ontarioensis n. sp. which was piriform (36.8 × 23.5) and E. confusa Joseph which was subspherical (35.7 × 28.4), were described and compared with similar species from the genus Sciurus. Eimeria sp. , ellipsoidal (24.9 × 14.4), from Ontario gray squirrels resembled E. ascotensis and E. neosciuri and was a new eimerian record from Ontario. The zoogeographic significance of E. ontarioensis n. sp. and E. sp. in North American gray squirrels is discussed.
Handover in Mobile WiMAX Networks: The State of Art and Research Issues

The next-generation Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks, using the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) as the core technology based on the IEEE 802.16 family of standards, is evolving as a Fourth-Generation (4G) technology. With the recent introduction of mobility management frameworks in the IEEE 802.16e standard, WiMAX is now in competition with the existing and forthcoming generations of wireless technologies for providing ubiquitous computing solutions. However, the success of a good mobility framework largely depends on the capability of performing fast and seamless handovers irrespective of the deployed architectural scenario. Now that the IEEE has defined the Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) MAC-layer handover management framework, the Network Working Group (NWG) of the WiMAX Forum is working on the development of the upper layers. However, the path to commercialization of a full-fledged WiMAX mobility framework is full of research challenges. This article focuses on potential handover-related research issues in the existing and future WiMAX mobility framework. A survey of these issues in the MAC, Network and Cross-Layer scenarios is presented along with discussion of the different solutions to those challenges. A comparative study of the proposed solutions, coupled with some insights to the relevant issues, is also included.
Embankment Filling Loads on an Assembled Concrete Culvert beneath High Embankment

A culvert with prefabricated and assembled structural components is introduced to speed up the progress of highway construction in China. In order to clear the behavior of the prefabricated and assembled slab culvert, the center line section and the shoulder section of the embankment are selected for field tests. In the tests, the distribution and the growth of the earth pressures on the top slab and the lateral walls and the displacements and the deformations of the top slab and lateral walls are investigated, thereafter, the tested earth pressures are linearly fitted, and the formulas of fitting lines are obtained. The results show that the deflections of the lateral walls and of the cover slab are very small, and the variation of distribution and growth of the earth pressures presents significantly nonlinear characters, which is totally different from the linear earth pressure theory proposed by the current Chinese code. The vertical pressure is much smaller in the middle part of the top slab than that on both ends, and it is much larger than the linear theory results. The distribution curve of the lateral earth pressures on the lateral walls is approximately “3” in shape, and the maximum earth pressure locates at the junction of the cap and the lateral wall. The formula of the fitted line obtained from the primary stage pressure can be employed to estimate the earth pressure of embankment completion. The results of the field tests can provide references for the calculations of the components and the strength in the junctions of the assembled culverts.
Effect of Hydrogen Redistribution during Aging on the Martensitic Transformation and Superelasticity of Nanocrystalline TiNi Alloy

The paper presents the results of a study the hydrogen effect on the structural-phase transformations and the superelasticity in binary ultrafine-grained (UFG) TiNi based alloy after diffusion redistribution hydrogen as a result of aging at room temperature. The redistribution of hydrogen in the process of long-term aging after electrolytic hydrogenation of UFG wire specimens the Ti49,1Ni50,9 (at.%) stabilizes the B2 structure. Superelasticity in samples aged at room temperature after hydrogenation is significantly deteriorated.
Promising Compilation to ARMv8 POP

We prove the correctness of compilation of relaxed memory accesses and release-acquire fences from the "promising" semantics of [Kang et al. POPL'17] to the ARMv8 POP machine of [Flur et al. POPL'16]. The proof is highly non-trivial because both the ARMv8 POP and the promising semantics provide some extremely weak consistency guarantees for normal memory accesses; however, they do so in rather different ways. Our proof of compilation correctness to ARMv8 POP strengthens the results of the Kang et al., who only proved the correctness of compilation to x86-TSO and Power, which are much simpler in comparison to ARMv8 POP.
Chemically Modified Chitosans as Antimicrobial Agents against Some Plant Pathogenic Bacteria and Fungi

Rabea E.I. , Steurbaut W . (2010): Chemically modified chitosans as antimicrobial agents against some plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Plant Protect. Sci., 46: 149–158. The antimicrobial activity of eight chemically modified chitosans against plant pathogenic bacteria of crown gall disease agrobacterium tumefaciens and soft mould disease Erwinia carotovora and fungi of early blight disease alternaria alternata , root rot disease Fusarium oxysporum , and damping off disease Pythium debaryanum was investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these compounds against the tested bacteria showed that N-(o,o-dichlorobenzyl)chitosan exhibited a high activity against a. tumefaciens and E. carotovora (MIC = 500 and 480 mg/l, respectively). In addition, the antifungal behaviour was investigated in vitro on mycelial growth and spore germination. N-(p-fluorobenzyl)chitosan was the most active against the mycelial growth of a. alternata with an EC 50 of 703.4 mg/l, while the N-(o-chloro, o-fluorobenzyl)chitosan exhibited a high activity against F. oxysporum and P. debaryanum (EC 50 = 641.2 and 155.7 mg/l, respectively). Against the fungal spore germination, all modified chitosans showed a higher inhibition of spore germination than unmodified chitosan. The compound of N-(o,o-di fluorobenzyl)chitosan exhibited a high inhibition percentage against a. alternata . However, N-(o-chlorobenzyl)chitosan and N-(p-chlorobenzyl)chitosan were significantly highly active against the spore germination of F. oxysporum .
Prestimulus Oscillations Enhance Psychophysical Performance in Humans

The presence of various ongoing oscillations in the brain is correlated with behavioral states such as restful wakefulness or drowsiness. However, even when subjects aim to maintain a high level of vigilance, ongoing oscillations exhibit large amplitude variability on time scales of hundreds of milliseconds to seconds, suggesting that the functional state of local cortical networks is continuously changing. How this volatility of ongoing oscillations influences the perception of sensory stimuli has remained essentially unknown. We investigated the relationship between prestimulus neuronal oscillations and the subjects' ability to consciously perceive and react to somatosensory stimuli near the threshold of detection. We show that, for prestimulus oscillations at ∼10, 20, and 40 Hz detected over the sensorimotor cortex, intermediate amplitudes were associated with the highest probability of conscious detection and the shortest reaction times. In contrast, for 10 and 20 Hz prestimulus oscillations detected over the parietal region, the largest amplitudes were associated with the best performance. Our data indicate that the prestimulus oscillatory activity detected over sensorimotor and parietal cortices has a profound effect on the processing of weak stimuli. Furthermore, the results suggest that ongoing oscillations in sensory cortices may optimize the processing of sensory stimuli with the same mechanism as noise sources in intrinsic stochastic resonance.
Correlations of HBV Genotypes, Mutations Affecting HBeAg Expression and HBeAg/ anti-HBe Status in HBV Carriers

This study was carried out to determine the effects of hepatitis B virus genotypes, core promoter mutations (A1762G1764→T1762A1764) as well as precore stop codon mutations (TGG→TAG) on HBeAg expression and HBeAg/ anti-HBe status. Study was also performed on the effects of codon 15 variants (C1858/ T1858) on the predisposition of precore stop codon mutations (TGG→TAG). A total of 77 sera samples were analyzed. Fifty one samples were successfully genotyped of which the predominant genotype was genotype B (29/ 51, 56.9 %), followed by genotype C (16/ 51, 31.4 %). Co-infections by genotypes B and C were observed in four samples (7.8 %). To a lesser degree, genotypes D and E (2.0 % each) were also observed. For core promoter mutations, the prevalence was 68.8 % (53/ 77) for A1762G1764 wild-type and 14.3 % (11/ 77) for T1762A1764 mutant while 9.1 % (7/ 77) was co-infected by both strains. The prevalence of codon 15 variants was found to be 42.9 % (33/ 77) for T1858 variant and 16.9 % (13/ 77) for C1858 variant. No TAG mutation was found. In our study, no associations were found between genotypes (B and C) and core promoter mutations as well as codon 15 variants. Also no correlation was observed between HBeAg/ anti-HBe status with genotypes (B and C) and core promoter mutations.
Rapid molecular detection of tuberculosis and rifampin resistance.

BACKGROUND Global control of tuberculosis is hampered by slow, insensitive diagnostic methods, particularly for the detection of drug-resistant forms and in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Early detection is essential to reduce the death rate and interrupt transmission, but the complexity and infrastructure needs of sensitive methods limit their accessibility and effect. METHODS We assessed the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF, an automated molecular test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and resistance to rifampin (RIF), with fully integrated sample processing in 1730 patients with suspected drug-sensitive or multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. Eligible patients in Peru, Azerbaijan, South Africa, and India provided three sputum specimens each. Two specimens were processed with N-acetyl-L-cysteine and sodium hydroxide before microscopy, solid and liquid culture, and the MTB/RIF test, and one specimen was used for direct testing with microscopy and the MTB/RIF test. RESULTS Among culture-positive patients, a single, direct MTB/RIF test identified 551 of 561 patients with smear-positive tuberculosis (98.2%) and 124 of 171 with smear-negative tuberculosis (72.5%). The test was specific in 604 of 609 patients without tuberculosis (99.2%). Among patients with smear-negative, culture-positive tuberculosis, the addition of a second MTB/RIF test increased sensitivity by 12.6 percentage points and a third by 5.1 percentage points, to a total of 90.2%. As compared with phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing, MTB/RIF testing correctly identified 200 of 205 patients (97.6%) with rifampin-resistant bacteria and 504 of 514 (98.1%) with rifampin-sensitive bacteria. Sequencing resolved all but two cases in favor of the MTB/RIF assay. CONCLUSIONS The MTB/RIF test provided sensitive detection of tuberculosis and rifampin resistance directly from untreated sputum in less than 2 hours with minimal hands-on time. (Funded by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics.)
PHASES Score for Prediction of Intracranial Aneurysm Growth

Background and Purpose— Growth of an intracranial aneurysm occurs in around 10% of patients at 2-year follow-up imaging and may be associated with aneurysm rupture. We investigated whether PHASES, a score providing absolute risks of aneurysm rupture based on 6 easily retrievable risk factors, also predicts aneurysm growth. Methods— In a multicenter cohort of patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms and follow-up imaging with computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance angiography, we performed univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses for the predictors of the PHASES score at baseline, with aneurysm growth as outcome. We calculated hazard ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI), with the PHASES score as continuous variable and after division into quartiles. Results— We included 557 patients with 734 unruptured aneurysms. Eighty-nine (12%) aneurysms in 87 patients showed growth during a median follow-up of 2.7 patient-years (range 0.5–10.8). Per point increase in PHASES score, hazard ratio for aneurysm growth was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.22–1.43). With the lowest quartile of the PHASES score (0–1) as reference, hazard ratios were for the second (PHASES 2–3) 1.07 (95% CI, 0.49–2.32), the third (PHASES 4) 2.29 (95% CI, 1.05–4.95), and the fourth quartile (PHASES 5–14) 2.85 (95% CI, 1.43–5.67). Conclusions— Higher PHASES scores were associated with an increased risk of aneurysm growth. Because higher PHASES scores also predict aneurysm rupture, our findings suggest that aneurysm growth can be used as surrogate outcome measure of aneurysm rupture in follow-up studies on risk prediction or interventions aimed to reduce the risk of rupture.
Quantitative Trait Loci and Candidate Genes for Neutrophil Recruitment in Sterile Inflammation Mapped in AXB-BXA Recombinant Inbred Mice

Neutrophil recruitment (NR) to sites of sterile inflammation plays a key role in tissue damage and healing potential of lesions characteristic to non-infectious inflammatory diseases. Previous studies suggested significant genetic control of neutrophil survival, function, and migration in inflammatory responses to endogenous and exogenous stimuli. We have mapped the murine genome for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) harbouring genetic determinants that regulate NR in SI using a murine model of chemically-induced peritonitis. NR was quantified in 16 AXB-BXA recombinant inbred strains and their progenitors, A/J (A) and C57BL/6J (B). A continuous distribution of NR was found among the strains, with parent B showing higher NR and parent A showing lower NR (3.0-fold difference, p=0.05). Within the progeny strains, a 5.5-fold difference in NR was observed between the lowest, BXA1, and the highest responders AXB19 (p<0.001). This data was analyzed using GeneNetwork, which linked NR to one significant QTL on chromosome 12 (Peritoneal Neutrophil Recruitment 1, PNR1) and two suggestive QTLs (PNR2, PNR3) on chromosomes 12 and 16 respectively. Sixty-four candidate genes within PNR1 were cross-referenced with currently published data, mRNA expression from two NR microarrays, and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. The present study brings new light into the genetics of NR in response to cell injury and highlights potential candidate genes Hif1α, Fntb, and Prkch and their products for further studies on neutrophil infiltration and inflammation resolution in sterile inflammation.
Microcircuitry of forward and feedback connections within rat visual cortex

Visual cortex in mammals is composed of many distinct areas that are linked by reciprocal connections to form a multilevel hierarchy. Ascending information is sent via forward connections from lower to higher areas and is thought to contribute to the emergence of increasingly complex receptive field properties at higher levels. Descending signals are transmitted via feedback connections from higher to lower areas and are believed to provide information about the context in which a stimulus appears, to contribute to modulation of visual responses by attention, and to play a role in memory processes.