Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on the Damping Properties of Nitrile Rubber under Pressure by Modified WLF Equation

According to time-temperature superposition,it is shown that at certain frequency,the higher temperature the lower modulus.At a certain temperature,the lower frequency the lower modulus,which indicates that elevated temperature and reduced frequency has the equivalent effects.Based on this,the mechanical properties of rubber materials at wide frequency can be obtained by the data in different temperatures.For studying the basic theory of the damping properties of rubber,a modified Williams-Lendel-Ferry(WLF) equation under pressure has been proposed in this work.According to the loss factor tanδ from DMTA experiments,the shift factors under different pressures might be calculated.Then,the mast curve of loss factor versus frequency could be plotted,in which the range of frequency spanned about ten orders of magnitude.The result showed that the peak of tanδ appeared below the reference temperature.With the increasing pressure,the glass transition temperature moved towards higher frequency,and enhenced by 1.5 orders of magnitude.This method offered the theoretical basis to quantitatively characterize the damping properties of rubber materials.
Electrical characterization of process and irradiation induced defects in GaAs

Electrical characterization of process and irradiation induced defects in GaAs by Shandirai Malven Tunhuma Supervisor: Prof. Mmantsae Diale Co-supervisor: Prof. F. Danie Auret Gallium arsenide (GaAs) technology leads the implementation of high frequency devices with superior performance. A vast number of optoelectronic applications are based on the material owing to its direct and wide bandgap. Over the years the number of these applications continues to grow but they remain highly cost-ineffective partly due to the growth techniques and the presence of defects in GaAs. These areas have been researched on intensively over the past four decades with much controversy, particularly on the subject of the EL2 defect. This defect plays an important role in the design and operation of GaAs based devices. It is therefore important to understand its electronic properties and influence on device operation. Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) were fabricated on n-type GaAs. The quality of the contacts was evaluated using current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements before and after exposing them to different processing techniques and radiation types. Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and Laplace deeplevel transient spectroscopy (L-DLTS) were used to characterize the electrically active defects in the material. Defects with almost similar emission rates which were not observed in the past were identified using L-DLTS due to its high resolution. I-V and C-V measurements on as-deposited Au/n-GaAs SBDs in the 80 − 480 K range showed that the EL2 defect has a profound effect on the diode characteristics. The influence of the defect caused the temperature dependent behavior of the C-V barrier height to be split into two temperature intervals, each with a unique temperature coefficient. Exposure of the devices to temperatures above 300 K resulted in the deterioration of their I-V characteristics. Permanent physical modification of the SBDs was observed at 400 K and above. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching, Electron beam deposition (EBD) and electron beam exposure (EBE) were observed to impact significantly on diode I-V and C-V characteristics. ICP etching resulted in devices with a lower reverse leakage current and high barrier height whereas EBD fabricated devices exhibited the poorest characteristics. DLTS results revealed that processing introduced electrically active defects in the bandgap. EBE induced defects had different electronic properties to all the processing and radiation induced defects observed in previous studies. I-V and C-V characteristics of SBDs exposed to alpha and beta-particle irradiation were identical to as-deposited samples. This demonstrated the radiation hardness of GaAs. DLTS spectra of alpha-particle irradiated SBDs displayed the defect peaks sitting on a skewed baseline which hampered accurate L-DLTS measurements. In addition to the prominent irradiation induced defects, high energy electron-irradiation was observed to induce defects with electronic properties similar to those of the EL2.
Chlamydia preserves the mitochondrial network necessary for replication via microRNA-dependent inhibition of fission

Obligate intracellular bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis depend on metabolites of the host cell and thus protect their sole replication niche by interfering with the host cells’ stress response. Here, we investigated the involvement of host microRNAs (miRNAs) in maintaining the viability of C. trachomatis–infected primary human cells. We identified miR-30c-5p as a prominently up-regulated miRNA required for the stable down-regulation of p53, a major suppressor of metabolite supply in C. trachomatis–infected cells. Loss of miR-30c-5p led to the up-regulation of Drp1, a mitochondrial fission regulator and a target gene of p53, which, in turn, severely affected chlamydial growth and had a marked effect on the mitochondrial network. Drp1-induced mitochondrial fragmentation prevented replication of C. trachomatis even in p53-deficient cells. Additionally, Chlamydia maintain mitochondrial integrity during reactive oxygen species–induced stress that occurs naturally during infection. We show that C. trachomatis require mitochondrial ATP for normal development and hence postulate that they preserve mitochondrial integrity through a miR-30c-5p–dependent inhibition of Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission.
FiloQuant reveals increased filopodia density during breast cancer progression

Defective filopodia formation is linked to pathologies such as cancer, wherein actively protruding filopodia, at the invasive front, accompany cancer cell dissemination. Despite wide biological significance, delineating filopodia function in complex systems remains challenging and is particularly hindered by lack of compatible methods to quantify filopodia properties. Here, we present FiloQuant, a freely available ImageJ plugin, to detect filopodia-like protrusions in both fixed- and live-cell microscopy data. We demonstrate that FiloQuant can extract quantifiable information, including protrusion dynamics, density, and length, from multiple cell types and in a range of microenvironments. In cellular models of breast ductal carcinoma in situ, we reveal a link between filopodia formation at the cell–matrix interface, in collectively invading cells and 3D tumor spheroids, and the in vitro invasive capacity of the carcinoma. Finally, using intravital microscopy, we observe that tumor spheroids display filopodia in vivo, supporting a potential role for these protrusions during tumorigenesis.
Rheological and structural properties of enzyme‐induced gelation of milk proteins by ficin and Polyporus badius

Abstract The rheological and microstructural characteristics of ewes’ milk curd obtained by coagulating with milk‐clotting enzymes, including ficin extract and Polyporus badius were evaluated. The gelation of milk was examined by small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements (SAOS). Different concentrations of ficin and P. badius extracts (1, 3, and 5%) were utilized to coagulate milk proteins. The ewes’ samples containing ficin and mushroom enzymes were heated from 25 to 45°C at a heating rate 1°C/min and kept for 30 min. Then, the curds were cooled down to 25°C with the same heating rate. The ficin extract could induce stronger gels at 45°C and 5% ficin. Similar results were also found for 5% P. badius extract and incubation at 45°C. However, P.badius gels achieved a network with more viscous characteristics and had a softer texture than ficin gels. Therefore, it may be concluded the induced gels with mushroom had higher moisture and lower protein contents, which related to the high proteolytic activity of P. badius. The microstructure survey showed that the mushroom‐induced gel had a more compact structure. By increasing enzyme concentration, both gels showed a coarser and more compact protein network. Whereas, the P. badius gels had more fusions and folds which indicate the greater proteolysis occurred during gelation and there was greater breakdown of protein. Our findings suggest the application of ficin and P. badius enzymes to develop a novel procedure to coagulate milk proteins and providing new structures in food systems.
Concept of Functionally Graded Materials for Advanced Thermal Barrier Coating Applications

This feature article explores the concept of creating functionally graded metal-ceramic composite microstructures for thermal barrier coatings used in gas-turbine applications. From a thermomechanical perspective, this concept offers the possibility of significantly improving the life and reliability of thermal barrier coatings. However, prior research reveals that progress has been somewhat limited because of the oxidative instability exhibited by some metal-ceramic composite microstructures. The present study addresses some of the materials criteria and research issues associated with preparing chemically stable, yet mechanically durable, graded metal-ceramic microstructures for realistic application environments.
Response Surface Methodology to Optimize the Preparation of Chitosan/Alginate Nanoparticles Containing Curcumin Diethyl Disuccinate

Curcumin diethyl disuccinate (CDD) is a succinate prodrug of curcumin that hasbetter anti-colon cancer and antinociceptive activities than curcumin and improved stability in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4. However, formulation of CDD for pharmaceutical use is limited. Therefore, this study focused on preparation of chitosan/alginate nanoparticles containing CDD and optimization of the formulation using response surface methodology. Chitosan/alginate nanoparticles were prepared by o/w emulsification and ionotropic gelification. The optimized formulation of nanoparticles containing CDD had achitosan/alginate mass ratio of 0.05:1, a CDD concentration of 3 mg/ml, and a Tween 80®content of 4.05% (w/v). Response surface methodology was found to bean effective technique for optimization of the preparation of chitosan/alginatenanoparticles using a limited number of experiments.
A miniaturized threshold-triggered acceleration data-logger for recording burst movements of aquatic animals

ABSTRACT Although animal-borne accelerometers are effective tools for quantifying the kinematics of animal behaviors, quantifying the burst movements of small and agile aquatic animals remains challenging. To capture the details of burst movements, accelerometers need to sample at a very high frequency, which will inevitably shorten the recording duration or increase the device size. To overcome this problem, we developed a high-frequency acceleration data-logger that can be triggered by a manually defined acceleration threshold, thus allowing the selective measurement of burst movements. We conducted experiments under laboratory and field conditions to examine the performance of the logger. The laboratory experiment using red seabream (Pagrus major) showed that the new logger could measure the kinematics of their escape behaviors. The field experiment using free-swimming yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) showed that the loggers trigger correctly. We suggest that this new logger can be applied to measure the burst movements of various small and agile animals. Summary: Development of a high-frequency acceleration data-logger that can selectively measure animal burst movements, as verified in controlled and in situ conditions with two fish species.
Perceptual Aspects of Postural Control: Does Pure Proprioceptive Training Exist?

As proprioceptive training is popular for injury prevention and rehabilitation, we evaluated its effect on balance parameters and assessed the frequency spectra of postural sway linked with the various sensory channels. We recorded the Center of Mass displacement of 30 healthy student research participants (mean age = 21.63; SD = 1.29 years) with a single force plate under eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) positions while standing on either a firm or foam surface, both before and after an 8-week balance training intervention on a foam surface with EC. We subjected the data to frequency power spectral analysis to find any differences between the frequency bands, linked with various sensory data. On the foam surface in the EC condition, the sway path decreased significantly after proprioceptive training, but, on the firm surface in the EC condition, there was no change. On the foam surface in the EC condition, there was also a significant decrease in frequency power postproprioceptive training in the medium-to-low frequency band. While our data indicate better posttraining balance skills, improvements were task specific to the trained condition, with no transfer of the acquired skill, even to a similar, easier condition. As training improved the middle-low frequency band, linked with vestibular signals, this intervention is better described as balance than “proprioceptive” training.
Hormesis and Defense of Infectious Disease

Infectious diseases are a global health burden and remain associated with high social and economic impact. Treatment of affected patients largely relies on antimicrobial agents that act by directly targeting microbial replication. Despite the utility of host specific therapies having been assessed in previous clinical trials, such as targeting the immune response via modulating the cytokine release in sepsis, results have largely been frustrating and did not lead to the introduction of new therapeutic tools. In this article, we will discuss current evidence arguing that, by applying the concept of hormesis, already approved pharmacological agents could be used therapeutically to increase survival of patients with infectious disease via improving disease tolerance, a defense mechanism that decreases the extent of infection-associated tissue damage without directly targeting pathogenic microorganisms.
Characteristics of U.S. Adults With Hypertension Who Are Unaware of Their Hypertension, 2011-2014.

KEY FINDINGS Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey •In 2011-2014, 15.9% of adults with hypertension were unaware of their hypertension. This was a 46% decline since 1999-2002 (29.5%). •A higher percentage of men (19.2%) than women (12.9%) and younger (aged 18-39, 30.8%) than older (aged 60 and over, 12.5%) adults with hypertension were unaware of their condition. •A higher percentage of non-Hispanic Asian (24.7%) and Hispanic (20.2%) adults than non-Hispanic white (14.9%) and non-Hispanic black (14.7%) adults with hypertension were unaware of their condition. •Almost 30% of adults with hypertension who had no health insurance were unaware of their hypertension compared with 14.4% of those with insurance. •As health care visits increased, the percentage of adults with hypertension who were unaware of their status decreased. High blood pressure is a risk factor for multiple diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease (1). In 2011-2014, about 29% of U.S. adults had hypertension (2). Adults with hypertension who are undiagnosed and unaware of their hypertension will not be treated, and their blood pressure may remain above normal levels with damaging effects. Therefore, diagnosis and awareness of hypertension are essential for blood pressure management and control. This report presents recent national estimates of adults with hypertension who are unaware of their hypertension, that is, they reported not being told by a doctor or health care provider that they had high blood pressure.
Computational Approaches to Identify Genetic Interactions for Cancer Therapeutics

Abstract The development of improved cancer therapies is frequently cited as an urgent unmet medical need. Here we describe how genetic interactions are being therapeutically exploited to identify novel targeted treatments for cancer. We discuss the current methodologies that use ‘omics data to identify genetic interactions, in particular focusing on synthetic sickness lethality (SSL) and synthetic dosage lethality (SDL). We describe the experimental and computational approaches undertaken both in humans and model organisms to identify these interactions. Finally we discuss some of the identified targets with licensed drugs, inhibitors in clinical trials or with compounds under development.
Discovering refactoring opportunities in cascading style sheets

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a language used for describing the look and formatting of HTML documents. CSS has been widely adopted in web and mobile development practice, since it enables a clean separation of content from presentation. The language exhibits complex features, such as inheritance, cascading and specificity, which make CSS code hard to maintain. Therefore, it is important to find ways to improve the maintainability of CSS code. In this paper, we propose an automated approach to remove duplication in CSS code. More specifically, we have developed a technique that detects three types of CSS declaration duplication and recommends refactoring opportunities to eliminate those duplications. Our approach uses preconditions that ensure the application of a refactoring will preserve the original document styling. We evaluate our technique on 38 real-world web systems and 91 CSS files, in total. Our findings show that duplication in CSS code is widely prevalent. Additionally, there is a significant number of presentation-preserving refactoring opportunities that can reduce the size of the CSS files and increase the maintainability of the code.
DUGMA: Dynamic Uncertainty-Based Gaussian Mixture Alignment

Accurately registering point clouds from a cheap low resolution sensor is a challenging task. Existing rigid registration methods failed to use the physical 3D uncertainty distribution of each point from a real sensor in the dynamic alignment process. It is mainly because the uncertainty model for a point is static and invariant and it is hard to describe the change of these physical uncertainty models in different views. Additionally, the existing Gaussian mixture alignment architecture cannot efficiently implement these dynamic changes. This paper proposes a simple architecture combining error estimation from sample covariances and dual dynamic global probability alignment using the convolution of uncertainty-based Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) from point clouds. Firstly, we propose an efficient way to describe the change of each 3D uncertainty model, which represents the structure of the point cloud much better. Unlike the invariant GMM (representing a fixed point cloud) in traditional Gaussian mixture alignment, we use two uncertainty-based GMMs that change and interact with each other in each iteration. In order to have a wider basin of convergence than other local algorithms, we design a more robust energy function by convolving efficiently the two GMMs over the whole 3D space. Tens of thousands of trials have been conducted on hundreds of models from multiple datasets to demonstrate the proposed method’s superior performance compared with the current state-of-the-art methods. All the materials including our code is available from https://github. com/Canpu999/DUGMA.
Common variants in CACNA1C and MDD susceptibility: A comprehensive meta‐analysis

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders with a relatively high heritability (35–40%). Though rs1006737 in the CACNA1C gene showed significant association with MDD in a British large‐scale candidate association study, most of the replication analyses with relatively small sample size reported negative association. Moreover, this locus has never been identified in previous genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) for MDD. Here, we conducted a comprehensive meta‐analysis of the association between CACNA1C variants and MDD risk by combining all published data. Genetic data from one European GWAS and five individual follow‐up studies, which include up to 12,629 patients of MDD and 28,653 controls, that is, the largest sample size on CACNA1C to date, were collected. Rs1006737 showed significant association with MDD in the fixed‐effect model (Z = 2.56, P = 0.011, OR = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.04–1.12) and the association remained after reanalyzing the data according to ethnicity. We additionally analyzed other 25 SNPs, genotyped in only one replication study, across the CACNA1C locus, and found that two SNPs, rs4765905 (P = 0.041, OR = 1.05, 95%CI 1.00–1.09) and rs4765937 (P = 0.025, OR = 1.05, 95%CI 1.01–1.09) showed nominal association with MDD, while rs2239073 (P = 0.002, OR = 1.07, 95%CI 1.02–1.11) exhibited significant association with MDD, which survived from multiple corrections. Our study provides support for positive association between CACNA1C and MDD; however, the current data suggest the necessity of replication analyses in a larger‐scale sample. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Intergroup Competition on Group Coordination: An Experimental Study

We report an experiment on the effect of intergroup competition on group coordination in the minimal-effort game (Van Huyck et al., 1990). The competition was between two 7-person groups. Each player in each group independently chose an integer from 1 to 7. The group with the higher minimum won the competition and each of its members was paid according to the game’s original payoff matrix. Members of the losing group were paid nothing. In case of a tie, each player was paid half the payoff in the original matrix. This treatment was contrasted with two control treatments where each of the two groups played an independent coordination game, either with or without information about the minimum chosen by the outgroup. Although the intergroup competition does not change the set of strict equilibria, we found that it improved collective rationality by moving group members in the direction of higher-payoff equilibria. Merely providing group members with information about the minimal-effort level in the other group was not sufficient to generate this effect.
Musical practice and cognitive aging: two cross-sectional studies point to phonemic fluency as a potential candidate for a use-dependent adaptation

Because of permanent use-dependent brain plasticity, all lifelong individuals' experiences are believed to influence the cognitive aging quality. In older individuals, both former and current musical practices have been associated with better verbal skills, visual memory, processing speed, and planning function. This work sought for an interaction between musical practice and cognitive aging by comparing musician and non-musician individuals for two lifetime periods (middle and late adulthood). Long-term memory, auditory-verbal short-term memory, processing speed, non-verbal reasoning, and verbal fluencies were assessed. In Study 1, measures of processing speed and auditory-verbal short-term memory were significantly better performed by musicians compared with controls, but both groups displayed the same age-related differences. For verbal fluencies, musicians scored higher than controls and displayed different age effects. In Study 2, we found that lifetime period at training onset (childhood vs. adulthood) was associated with phonemic, but not semantic, fluency performances (musicians who had started to practice in adulthood did not perform better on phonemic fluency than non-musicians). Current frequency of training did not account for musicians' scores on either of these two measures. These patterns of results are discussed by setting the hypothesis of a transformative effect of musical practice against a non-causal explanation.