Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Uniform Polyaniline Nanofibers through Interfacial Polymerization

The present paper aims to study the preparation of polyaniline nanofibers through simple interfacial polymerization. Ammonium persulfate, hydrochloric acid and chloroform were used as oxidant, dopant and organic solvent respectively. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques were used to analyze the product. FESEM results show that polyaniline has nano-fiber morphology. XRD results show the crystalline properties of polyaniline nanofiber, and FTIR results confirmed the formation of polyaniline in different monomer/oxidant molar ratios. This study provides a better understanding on the synthesis of uniform polyaniline nanofibers through interfacial polymerization.
Efficient assignment of inter-die signals for die-stacking SiP design

Compared with the traditional flow for IC designs, the assignment of inter-die signals is an important stage in a die-stacking SiP design. In this paper, firstly, a connection graph for all the pads in a boundary stack can be constructed and a set of dynamic tracks can be defined from the corresponding connection graph. Based on the definition of the dynamic tracks in a connection graph, a modified left-edge approach is proposed to iteratively assign the inter-die signals onto feasible pads under the constraints of the crossing and connection conditions. Compared with the published two-stage approach[5], the experimental results show that our proposed approach reduces 99% of CPU time and 0.9% of total wirelength to assign all the inter-die signals for the tested examples on the average.
Use of tilapia piscidin 3 (TP3) to protect against MRSA infection in mice with skin injuries

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), represent promising agents for new therapeutic approaches of infected wound treatment, on account of their antimicrobial and wound closure activities, and low potential for inducing resistance. However, therapeutic applications of these AMPs are limited by their toxicity and low stability in vivo. Previously, we reported that the 23 amino-acid designer peptide TP3 possessed antimicrobial activities. Here, we analyzed the wound closure activities of TP3 both and in vivo. TP3 at doses of up to 40 μg/ml did not affect the viability of baby hamster kidney cells. Furthermore, TP3 was found to be highly effective at combating peritonitis and wound infection caused by MRSA in mouse models, without inducing adverse behavioral effects or liver or kidney toxicity. TP3 treatment increased survival by 100% at 8 days after infection, and accelerated the progression of proliferation, remodeling, and maturation of infected wounds. Taken together, our results indicate that TP3 enhances the rate of survival of mice infected with the bacterial pathogen MRSA through both antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Overall, these results suggest that TP3 may be suitable for development as a novel topical agent for treatment of infected wounds.
Brain activity measurement in the occipital region of the head using a magneto-impedance sensor

We have achieved pico-Tesla (10-8 Oe) resolution for micro magneto-impedance (MI) sensors by utilizing the ultra-low intrinsic noise of amorphous wire the pulse magneto-impedance effect. We previously reported a study on bio-magnetic measurement using a pico-Tesla resolution MI sensor without any magnetic shielding. In order to detect very weak magnetic fields such as bio-magnetic fields, we constructed an MI gradiometer to cancel out background uniform noise such as the geomagnetic field. In the present study, we measured brainwaves using an MI sensor, and the results showed that brain activity can be evaluated by the sensor. We compared our results with electroencephalogram (EEG) and magneto-encephalogram (MEG) data reported by previous studies, and considered the reliability of the data. The results suggest that the MI sensor is a convenient device for daily monitoring using MEG signals.
Alternative splicing of Alu exons—two arms are better than one

Alus, primate-specific retroelements, are the most abundant repetitive elements in the human genome. They are composed of two related but distinct monomers, left and right arms. Intronic Alu elements may acquire mutations that generate functional splice sites, a process called exonization. Most exonizations occur in right arms of antisense Alu elements, and are alternatively spliced. Here we show that without the left arm, exonization of the right arm shifts from alternative to constitutive splicing. This eliminates the evolutionary conserved isoform and may thus be selected against. We further show that insertion of the left arm downstream of a constitutively spliced non-Alu exon shifts splicing from constitutive to alternative. Although the two arms are highly similar, the left arm is characterized by weaker splicing signals and lower exonic splicing regulatory (ESR) densities. Mutations that improve these potential splice signals activate exonization and shift splicing from the right to the left arm. Collaboration between two or more putative splice signals renders the intronic left arm with a pseudo-exon function. Thus, the dimeric form of the Alu element fortuitously provides it with an evolutionary advantage, allowing enrichment of the primate transcriptome without compromising its original repertoire.
A photonic platform for donor spin qubits in silicon

Chalcogen donors in silicon enable a scalable photonic cavity quantum electrodynamics solution for universal quantum computing. Donor spins in silicon are highly competitive qubits for upcoming quantum technologies, offering complementary metal-oxide semiconductor compatibility, coherence (T2) times of minutes to hours, and simultaneous initialization, manipulation, and readout fidelities near ~99.9%. This allows for many quantum error correction protocols, which will be essential for scale-up. However, a proven method of reliably coupling spatially separated donor qubits has yet to be identified. We present a scalable silicon-based platform using the unique optical properties of “deep” chalcogen donors. For the prototypical 77Se+ donor, we measure lower bounds on the transition dipole moment and excited-state lifetime, enabling access to the strong coupling limit of cavity quantum electrodynamics using known silicon photonic resonator technology and integrated silicon photonics. We also report relatively strong photon emission from this same transition. These results unlock clear pathways for silicon-based quantum computing, spin-to-photon conversion, photonic memories, integrated single-photon sources, and all-optical switches.
Stabilizability via Time-Delayed Feedback: An Eigenvalue Optimization Approach

In this paper we consider the stabilizability of dynamical systems via time-delayed state and output feedback control. Based on an eigenvalue optimization approach in combination with a continuation argument and a result characterizing properties of the optimum eigenvalue configurations, we obtain explicit expressions for stabilizability boundaries for two-dimensional systems. As time-delayed feed- back can be used to approximate derivative feedback, we also give a comparison of the stabilizability via both types of feedback.
Treatment Outcome of Tuberculosis Patients at Enfraz Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess treatment outcome and associated risk factors among TB patients registered for anti-TB treatment at Enfraz health center, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A five-year retrospective data (2007–2011) of tuberculosis patients (n = 417) registered for anti-TB treatment at Enfraz health center, northwest Ethiopia, were reviewed. Tuberculosis outcomes were following the WHO guidelines. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results. Among 417 study participants, 95 (22.8%), 141 (33.8%), and 181 (43.4%) were smear-positive, smear-negative, and extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients, respectively. Of the 417 study participants, 206 (49.4%) were tested for HIV. The TB-HIV coinfection was 24/206 (11.7%). Seventeen study participants (4.2%) were transferred to other health facilities. Among the 400 study participants, 379 (94.8%) had successful treatment outcome (302 treatment completed and 77 cured). The overall death, default, and failure rates were 3.4%, 0.5%, and 1.2%, respectively. There was no significant association between sex, age, residence, type of TB, HIV status, and successful TB treatment outcome. Conclusion. Treatment outcome of patients who attended their anti-TB treatment at Enfraz health center was successful. Therefore, this treatment success rate should be maintained and strengthened to achieve the millennium development goal.
Role of the AcrAB-TolC Efflux Pump in Determining Susceptibility of Haemophilus influenzae to the Novel Peptide Deformylase Inhibitor LBM415

ABSTRACT Haemophilus influenzae isolates vary widely in their susceptibilities to the peptide deformylase inhibitor LBM415 (MIC range, 0.06 to 32 μg/ml); however, on average, they are less susceptible than gram-positive organisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Insertional inactivation of the H. influenzae acrB or tolC gene in strain NB65044 (Rd strain KW20) increased susceptibility to LBM415, confirming a role for the AcrAB-TolC pump in determining resistance. Consistent with this, sequencing of a PCR fragment generated with primers flanking the acrRA region from an LBM415-hypersusceptible H. influenzae clinical isolate revealed a genetic deletion of acrA. Inactivation of acrB or tolC in several clinical isolates with atypically reduced susceptibility to LBM415 (MIC of 16 μg/ml or greater) significantly increased susceptibility, confirming that the pump is also a determinant of decreased susceptibility in these clinical isolates. Examination of acrR, encoding the putative repressor of pump gene expression, from several of these strains revealed mutations introducing frameshifts, stop codons, and amino acid changes relative to the published sequence, suggesting that loss of pump repression leads to decreased susceptibility. Supporting this, NB65044 acrR mutants selected by exposure to LBM415 at 8 μg/ml had susceptibilities to LBM415 and other pump substrates comparable to the least sensitive clinical isolates and showed increased expression of pump genes.
Emotion Regulatory Flexibility Sheds Light on the Elusive Relationship Between Repeated Traumatic Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Conventional wisdom suggests that repeated traumatic exposure should strongly relate to increased posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, research with first responders, who are repeatedly exposed to traumatic events, finds inconsistent links to PTSD. Although recent studies explored associations between general self-reported emotion-regulation and PTSD, the present study was the first to test the moderating role of regulatory choice flexibility, the ability to choose regulatory options that suit contextual demands. A total of 69 firefighters with differing duty-related traumatic-exposure were tested on an innovative performance-based regulatory choice flexibility paradigm and evaluated for PTSD symptoms using clinical interviews. We predicted and found that firefighters with low but not high regulatory choice flexibility showed a significant positive correlation between traumatic exposure and PTSD symptoms. This moderation was specific to PTSD symptoms and contributed above and beyond other well-established correlates of PTSD. The results suggest that regulatory choice flexibility can intersect the deleterious link between traumatic exposure and PTSD symptoms.
Toxicological and biochemical response to azinphos-methyl in Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) among orchards from the Argentinian Patagonia.

BACKGROUND Azinphos-methyl is the main insecticide used to control codling moth on apple and pears in Northern Patagonia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicological and biochemical response of diapausing larvae of codling moth in orchards subjected to different insecticide selection pressure. RESULTS Dose-mortality assays with azinphos-methyl in diapausing larvae of Cydia pomonella L. showed significant differences between the LD(95) from a population collected in one untreated orchard (2.52 microg moth(-1)) compared with that in a laboratory-susceptible population (0.33 microg moth(-1)). Toxicity to azinphos-methyl in field populations of diapausing larvae collected during 2003-2005 was evaluated by topical application of a discriminating dose (2.5 microg moth(-1)) that was obtained from larvae collected in the untreated orchard (field reference strain). Significantly lower mortality (37.71-84.21%) was observed in three out of eight field populations compared with that in the field reference strain. Most of the field populations showed higher esterase activity than that determined in both the laboratory susceptible and the field reference strains. Moreover, there was a high association between esterase activity and mortality (R(2)=0.64) among the field populations. On the other hand, a poor correlation was observed between glutathione S-transferase activity and mortality (R(2)=0.33) among larvae collected from different orchards. CONCLUSIONS All the field populations evaluated exhibited some degree of azinphos-methyl tolerance in relation to the laboratory susceptible strain. Biochemical results demonstrated that esterases are at least one of the principal mechanisms involved in tolerance to this insecticide.
Some statistical improvements for estimating population size and mutation rate from segregating sites in DNA sequences.

In population genetics, under a neutral Wright-Fisher model, the scaling parameter straight theta=4Nmu represents twice the average number of new mutants per generation. The effective population size is N and mu is the mutation rate per sequence per generation. Watterson proposed a consistent estimator of this parameter based on the number of segregating sites in a sample of nucleotide sequences. We study the distribution of the Watterson estimator. Enlarging the size of the sample, we asymptotically set a Central Limit Theorem for the Watterson estimator. This exhibits asymptotic normality with a slow rate of convergence. We then prove the asymptotic efficiency of this estimator. In the second part, we illustrate the slow rate of convergence found in the Central Limit Theorem. To this end, by studying the confidence intervals, we show that the asymptotic Gaussian distribution is not a good approximation for the Watterson estimator.
Overlap in the Web Search Results of Google and Bing

Google and Bing have emerged as the diarchy that arbitrates what documents are seen by Web searchers, particularly those desiring English language documents. We seek to study how distinctive are the top results presented to the users by the two search engines. A recent eye-tracking has shown that the web searchers decide whether to look at a document primarily based on the snippet and secondarily on the title of the document on the web search result page, and rarely based on the URL of the document. Given that the snippet and title generated by different search engines for the same document are often syntactically different, we first develop tools appropriate for conducting this study. Our empirical evaluation using these tools shows a surprising agreement in the results produced by the two engines for a wide variety of queries used in our study. Thus, this study raises the open question whether it is feasible to design a search engine that would produce results distinct from those produced by Google and Bing that the users will find helpful.
Quantification of the breakpoint cluster region rearrangement for clinical monitoring in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

The purpose of this report was to evaluate scintigraphy analysis of Southern blot hybridization as a method to quantify the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) rearrangement of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)+ chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Cytogenetic and molecular studies performed simultaneously on 474 bone marrow and/or blood samples from 300 patients treated with alpha-interferon-based therapy were compared. Molecular results were expressed as the percentage of rearranged BCR bands versus the total scintigraphic signal. The percentage of Ph+ metaphases was calculated on 25 metaphases. The results of molecular studies obtained on both peripheral blood and bone marrow samples were identical. The rank correlation between the BCR quantification and the percentage of Ph positivity in 465 samples was excellent (r = .78). However, of 99 samples with a normal karyotype, 24% had a BCR rearrangement. Of 86 samples with no BCR rearrangement, 13% showed a Ph chromosome. Of 49 samples with partial cytogenetic remission (Ph+ metaphases, 1% to 34%), 23% had no BCR rearrangement. In samples with a minor or no cytogenetic response (Ph+ metaphases, > 34%), BCR analysis overestimated the degree of response in 73 of 326 samples (22%). Nevertheless, survival analysis by BCR quantification level showed statistically better outcome for patients in complete or partial molecular response (P < .01). Molecular quantification of BCR was useful in monitoring the course of Ph+ CML. This method, which can be used on peripheral blood, detected residual disease not shown by cytogenetic analysis and was prognostically relevant as a measure of disease suppression.
Draw resonance in polypropylene melt spinning

An attempt is made to gain better physical insight on the draw resonance phenomenon occurring during melt spinning of polypropylene (PP). An experimental study is first carried ouit to determine effects of spinning variables and material parameters on draw resonance, using two PRO-FAX PP resins and one PRO-FAX/LDPE blend. Based on the experimental observations, our view on the cause of draw resonance is presented. With this new concept, we are able to explain various aspects of the draw resonance phenomenon observed experimentally during melt spinning of PRO-FAX PP resins. It is concluded that the extensional viscosity versus strain relationship, as determined by an extensional rheometer, is one of the most valuable rheological measurements in analyzing flow instability occurring during polymer processing operations that utilize extensional flows.
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction for Medical-CAD Modeling

AbstractCAD has been traditionally used to assist in engineering design and modeling for representation, analysis and manufacturing. Advances in Information Technology and in Biomedicine have created new uses for CAD with many novel and important biomedical applications, particularly in tissue engineering in which the CAD based bio-tissue informatics model provides critical information of tissue biological, biophysical, and biochemical properties for modeling, design, and fabrication of complex tissue substitutes. This paper will present some salient advances of bio-CAD modeling and application in computer-aided tissue engineering, including biomimetic design, analysis, simulation and freeform fabrication of tissue engineered substitutes. An overview of computer-aided tissue engineering will be given. Methodology to generate bio-CAD models from high resolution non-invasive imaging, the medical image process and the 3D reconstruction technique will be described. Enabling state-of-the-art computer programs .
Social Signaling in Decision Making by Ron Caneel

Nonverbal communication is an important and often underestimated instrument in social interactions. The paralinguistic elements of speech, which are described in common speech as ”tone of voice”, are one channel of the nonverbal communication. They, together with conversational dynamics, are a very powerful measurement for interactions, without looking at the content of the conversation. A subset of these features, the social signaling measurements, are very useful when analyzing and quantifying conversation. The goal of this thesis is to better understand the framework of social signaling. We applied the social signaling measurements to negotiations as well as to small group interactions. For negotiation we were able to predict up to 30% of the variance in individual outcome. The use of automated algorithms enables to build real-time feedback mechanisms that can then help users to improve and achieve their objectives. Thesis Supervisor: Alex P. Pentland Title: Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, Program in Media Arts and Sciences Thesis Supervisor: Dan Ariely Title: Luis Alvarez Renta Professor of Behavioral Economics, Program in Media Arts and Sciences
Orbit measures, random matrix theory and interlaced determinantal processes

A connection between representation of compact groups and some invariant ensembles of Hermitian matrices is described. We focus on two types of invariant ensembles which extend the Gaussian and the Laguerre Unitary ensembles. We study them using projections and convolutions of invariant probability measures on adjoint orbits of a compact Lie group. These measures are described by semiclassical approximation involving tensor and restriction mulltiplicities. We show that a large class of them are determinantal.
Nonstationary behaviour of partial discharge during discharge induced ageing of dielectrics

Changes in the stochastic behaviour of pulsating partial discharge with time have been observed when an alternating voltage is applied to point-dielectric gaps in which the dielectric is a cast epoxy resin either with, or without, Al 2 O 3 filler. The changes in discharge behaviour are shown, with the help of a Monte-Carlo simulation, to be consistent with discharge induced increases in the surface conductivity of the epoxy. This «ageing» effect is shown to be accelerated as the frequency of applied voltage is increased from 50 to 800 Hz. The implications of the results on accelerated ageing tests and definition of partial discharge «signatures» for possible pattern recognition are discussed. The relationship between average partial discharge current and partial discharge pulse height distributions is also discussed
Experimental identification of non-stationary self-heating characteristics of laminated composite plates under resonant vibration

This paper presents experimental studies on the thermal response of laminated composite plates under resonant vibrations. The thermoviscoelastic behaviour of laminated glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite specimens was studied. The specimens were subjected to purely flexural bending cyclic loading conditions on their three first bending resonant frequencies. During the examination of the specimens, frequency response functions (FRF) and thermal responses were evaluated. Infrared images acquired during the experiments also allowed the study of the temperature profiles of the specimens and temperature evolution over the loading time. The maximal magnitudes of temperature were observed at a point located on specimens’ clamp line, which was caused by the maximal stress magnitudes. The temperature evolution curves revealed the double-exponential characteristic which was affected by the evolution of the dynamic moduli of the material during resonant vibration. The temperature increased until the equilibrium between the dissipated energy and energy convected to the environment was reached. Based on the measurement data, the empirical model of self-heating temperature evolution was proposed. The influence of the excitation frequency and the plate length on the obtained temperature distributions was also examined. It was noticed that the excitation frequency was linearly dependent and the plate length was power dependent on the self-heating temperature, which confirms the numerical results obtained in previous theoretical studies. The obtained results could be used for the prediction and prevention of composite structural degradation during resonant cyclic constant-strain loading.