Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-physics modeling and simulations of thermally-assisted compaction of granular materials

OF THE DISSERTATION Multi-Physics Modeling and Simulations of Thermally-Assisted Compaction of Granular Materials by Gülşad Küçük Dissertation Director: Alberto M. Cuitino Having characteristics that differ from those associated with solids, liquids, and gases, granular materials require miscellaneous multi-physics approaches that integrate theories at different scales. The abstract behavior of granular material provides limitless arrangements in terms of microscopic and macroscopic properties, specifically concerning the thermally-assisted compaction process. However the uniqueness of particulate systems reduces significantly the effectiveness of conventional compaction models based on continuum mechanics description. Thus the current study engages with the problem at both discrete and continuum levels, and bridges the gap between particle-mechanics and macro-scale theories. A mathematical formulation that integrates the thermal and mechanical behavior of discrete system of particles is presented. It is worth noting that thermal expansion experienced by the compacted particles increases the nonlinearity in the thermo-elastic contact problem, which results in various interesting aspects unique to granular matter. Numerical analysis reveals the role of thermal expansion, the role applied thermal and mechanical loads during thermallyassisted compaction of spherical, perfectly conforming particles. Modeling consolidated granular media by using continuum mechanics requires an additional concentration on defining the effective transport properties of the material. Taking advantage of the effective medium approximation, an equivalent continuum model for the state
Expression of CK19, CD105 and CD146 are associated with early metastasis in patients with renal cell carcinoma

The present study was designed in order to explore the association between the early metastasis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and biological markers of tumor cells. A total of 200 patients with RCC, who received a nephrectomy between January 2015 and October 2015, were enrolled in the present study, while 100 healthy patients served as controls. The expression of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), endoglin (CD105) and cluster of differentiation 146 (CD146) were detected using immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. All three markers were highly expressed in tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Subsequently, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the differential expression of CK19, CD105 and CD146. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the expression of CK19 and CD105 between the two groups (P<0.05), whereas CD146 did not exhibit a statistically significant difference. The results of further experiments revealed no significant difference between four time points (Q1, 1 day pre-operation; Q2, 1 day post-operation; Q3, 1 week post-operation; and Q4, 1 month post-operation). Then, subgroup analysis was performed based on whether patients were circulating tumor cell (CTC)-positive or not, and the difference between the Q1 time point and other three time points (Q2-4). The results revealed no difference between the CTC-positive and -negative groups, and no difference between the time points Q1 and Q2. However, the expression of CK19 and CD105 exhibited a significant difference between CTC-positive and CTC-negative groups according to the difference between the time points Q1 and Q3. Furthermore, on the basis of the difference between Q1 and Q4, the expression of CK19, CD105 and CD146 were significantly different (P<0.05). Taken together, the results suggested that CK19, CD105 and CD146 markers of peripheral blood may be considered to be effective tools to evaluate the early metastasis in a CTC-positive condition. CK19, CD105 and CD146 may be useful for CTC in evaluating the prognosis of patients with RCC, although a larger sample size is necessary for further investigation.
Emotional dysregulation and attachment dimensions in female patients with bulimia nervosa.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a difference in the dimensions of attachment and difference in emotional regulation between the group of female patients suffering from bulimia nervosa (BN) and the control group. We also wanted to examine whether emotional regulation has a mediating role in the relationship between dimensions of attachment and severity of BN symptoms. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The study included a total of 100 female participants from 15 to 25 years of age (M=20.40, SD=3.26). The clinical group consisted of 50 patients suffering from BN, and the control group consisted of 50 healthy female subjects. RESULTS Female patients suffering from BN achieved higher scores in the dimensions of anxiety (t98=-5.12, p=0.00) and avoidance (t98=-4.30, p=0.00). Dimension of attachment related anxiety (β=0.44, p=0.00) proved to be a statistically significant predictor of BN symptoms. Subjects of the clinical group also achieved significantly higher (t98=7.41, p=0.00) emotional dysregulation than participants of the control group. We also found that the mediation effect of emotional regulation on the association between anxiety and BN symptoms was statistically significant (z'=4.43, p=0.00). CONCLUSIONS Patients suffering from BN showed significantly higher levels of attachment related anxiety and avoidance as well as significantly higher level of difficulties in emotional regulation than healthy controls. Attachment anxiety proved to be a significant predictor of symptoms BN, suggesting that the attachment related anxiety is stronger correlate of BN symptoms than avoidance, and may represent a risk factor for more severe BN symptoms. It was also found that the relationship between attachment related anxiety and BN symptoms were mediated by emotional regulation.
Macroevolutionary Patterns in the Aphidini Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae): Diversification, Host Association, and Biogeographic Origins

Background Due to its biogeographic origins and rapid diversification, understanding the tribe Aphidini is key to understanding aphid evolution. Major questions about aphid evolution include origins of host alternation as well as age and patterns of diversification in relation to host plants. To address these questions, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the Aphidini which contains Aphis, the most diverse genus in the family. We used a combined dataset of one nuclear and four mitochondrial DNA regions. A molecular dating approach, calibrated with fossil records, was used to estimate divergence times of these taxa. Principal Findings Most generic divergences in Aphidini occurred in the Middle Tertiary, and species-level divergences occurred between the Middle and Late Tertiary. The ancestral state of host use for Aphidini was equivocal with respect to three states: monoecy on trees, heteroecy, and monoecy on grasses. The ancestral state of Rhopalosiphina likely included both heteroecy and monoecy, whereas that of Aphidina was most likely monoecy. The divergence times of aphid lineages at the generic or subgeneric levels are close to those of their primary hosts. The species-level divergences in aphids are consistent with the diversification of the secondary hosts, as a few examples suggest. The biogeographic origin of Aphidini as a whole was equivocal, but the major lineages within Aphidina likely separated into Nearctic, Western Palearctic, and Eastern Palearctic regions. Conclusions Most generic divergences in Aphidini occurred in the Middle Tertiary when primary hosts, mainly in the Rosaceae, were diverging, whereas species-level divergences were contemporaneous with diversification of the secondary hosts such as Poaceae in the Middle to Late Tertiary. Our results suggest that evolution of host alternation within Aphidini may have occurred during the Middle Tertiary (Oligocene) when the secondary hosts emerged.
Spatial and Sex-Specific Variation in Growth of Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) across the South Pacific Ocean

Spatial variation in growth is a common feature of demersal fish populations which often exist as discrete adult sub-populations linked by a pelagic larval stage. However, it remains unclear whether variation in growth occurs at similar spatial scales for populations of highly migratory pelagic species, such as tuna. We examined spatial variation in growth of albacore Thunnus alalunga across 90° of longitude in the South Pacific Ocean from the east coast of Australia to the Pitcairn Islands. Using length-at-age data from a validated ageing method we found evidence for significant variation in length-at-age and growth parameters (L ∞ and k) between sexes and across longitudes. Growth trajectories were similar between sexes up until four years of age, after which the length-at-age for males was, on average, greater than that for females. Males reached an average maximum size more than 8 cm larger than females. Length-at-age and growth parameters were consistently greater at more easterly longitudes than at westerly longitudes for both females and males. Our results provide strong evidence that finer spatial structure exists within the South Pacific albacore stock and raises the question of whether the scale of their “highly migratory” nature should be re-assessed. Future stock assessment models for South Pacific albacore should consider sex-specific growth curves and spatial variation in growth within the stock.
Atomistic spin model simulations of magnetic nanomaterials

Atomistic modelling of magnetic materials provides unprecedented detail about the underlying physical processes that govern their macroscopic properties, and allows the simulation of complex effects such as surface anisotropy, ultrafast laser-induced spin dynamics, exchange bias, and microstructural effects. Here we present the key methods used in atomistic spin models which are then applied to a range of magnetic problems. We detail the parallelization strategies used which enable the routine simulation of extended systems with full atomistic resolution.
Combustion of aluminum particles in solid rocket motor flows

Nomenclature B Spalding transfer number of fuel mass fraction CD = drag coefficient Cmix = total molar concentration, mol/cm D = droplet diameter, /xm DO = initial droplet diameter, /xm D/ = fuel diffusion coefficient, cm/s ^ox-mix = oxidizer diffusion coefficient, cm/s (g) = gas-phase [i ] = molar concentration of species i, mol/cm k = burning rate coefficient, //,m//xs ki = reaction rate for oxidizer /, cm/mol-s (/) = liquid-phase Lc = thermal diffusion layer thickness, /xm ^diff-ox = ft^ diffusive flux, mol/cm-s n = D exponent p = pressure, atm ReD = Reynolds number r/rs = nondimensional radius referenced to droplet surface r' propellant burning rate, cm/s t = time, IJLS tb = burn time, /xs Xeff = oxidizer concentration expressed as a mole fraction Xi = oxidizer concentration of species /
The Relative Impact of Sleep and Circadian Drive on Motor Skill Acquisition and Memory Consolidation

Study Objectives Sleep during the biological night facilitates memory consolidation. Here we determined the impact of sleep and wake on motor skill learning (acquisition) and subsequent off-line skill improvement (memory consolidation), independent of circadian phase, and compared this to the impact of the endogenous circadian system, independent of whether sleep occurred during the biological night or day. Methods Participants completed two 8-day sleep laboratory visits, adhering on one visit to a circadian aligned ("normal") sleep schedule for the full duration of the protocol, and on the other to a circadian misaligned (12-hour inverted) schedule, with alignment during the first 3 days, a 12-hour 'slam shift' on Day 4, followed by circadian misalignment during the last 4 days of the protocol. Participants were repeatedly trained and tested on different versions of the finger-tapping motor sequence task across each visit. Results Sleep facilitated offline memory consolidation regardless of whether it occurred during the biological day or night, while circadian phase had no significant impact. These sleep-related benefits remained after accounting for general motor speed, measured in the absence of learning. In addition, motor skill acquisition was facilitated when the training session followed shortly after sleep, without significant impact of circadian phase (biological morning vs. evening). This effect was largely driven by heightened acquisition in participants who slept during the day and were trained shortly thereafter, that is, when acquisition occurred during the biological evening. These benefits were also retained after controlling for general motor speed. Conclusions Sleep benefits both the acquisition and consolidation of motor skill regardless of whether they occur during the biological day or night. After controlling for general motor speed, a critical adjustment that few studies perform, these sleep benefits remain intact. Our findings have clear implications for night shift workers who obtain their sleep during the day.
Heat storage properties of Al-Si alloy

The accelerated oxidation and thermal cycle and addition of Fe for Al-Si alloy(10%～13% Si)were performed.The results showed that the effects of oxidation on the composition of the alloy could be neglectful,and the change of phase change temperature was in the range of 3.8～11.8℃,and the latent heat changed decreasingly from 484.86kJ/kg to 432.62kJ/kg after 700 melt-freeze cycles.Fe added(0.5%)resulted in decrease of the latent heat 6.5%. Al-Si eutectic alloy as phase change storage materials(PCMs)has a good reliability of thermal cycling in the long term.
Cytodiagnosis of scar endometriosis: A case series

Introduction: Endometriosis is defined as the presence of hormonally responsive endometrial tissue outside the uterus. The overall prevalence is 8–15% in women of reproductive age group. Subcutaneous location causing a palpable lump that is amenable for cytodiagnosis is not common; most of the cases are sites of previous cesarean section or episiotomy site. Case Series: We report three cases of endometriosis that presented with subcutaneous palpable lumps in the anterior abdominal wall and perineal regions. All cases were diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and confirmed by histopathology. Conclusion: Fine needle aspiration cytology is an easy, economical, fast and reliable method for the diagnosis of endometriosis in subcutaneous palpable lumps in clinically suspicious patients.
Novel adherent CD11b+ Gr-1+ tumor-infiltrating cells initiate an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment

The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment is a hallmark of cancer. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are CD11b+ Gr-1+ tumor-infiltrating immature myeloid cells that strongly mediate tumor immunosuppression. The CD11b+ Gr-1+ cells are a heterogeneous cell population, and the impacts of each subpopulation on tumor progression are not yet completely understood. In the present study, we identified a novel subpopulation of CD11b+ Gr-1+ cells from murine lung carcinoma tumors according to their strongly adherent abilities. Although strong adherent activity is a unique property of macrophages, their marker expression patterns are similar to those of MDSCs; thus, we named this novel subpopulation MDSC-like adherent cells (MLACs). Unlike known MDSCs, MLACs lack the ability to suppress cytotoxic T lymphocytes and differentiate into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), but could still directly facilitate tumor growth and angiogenesis through secreting CCL2, CXCL1/2/5, PAI-1, MMPs, and VEGFA. Furthermore, MLACs recruited MDSCs via the secretion of CCL2/5 and CXCL1/2/5, thereby enhancing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and promoting TAMs-mediated tumor progression. Our findings suggest that MLACs may function as an initiator of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and highlight a new therapeutic target to prevent the onset or delay malignant progression.
Experimental investigation of steel equal angle subjected to compression

AbstractThis paper presents pin-ended compression tests on steel equal angles. Three nominal section sizes were tested. Detailed measurements of material properties, residual stresses, and geometrical imperfections were conducted. The pin ended specimens were tested with a minimal eccentricity of L/1,000 applied about the minor axis to cause compression at the tips of the legs. The test data are compared with the Indian specifications for hot-rolled steel structures. The section capacities obtained from the column tests are found to be between 15 and 40% higher than those calculated according to the specifications. It is concluded that there is no need to include the additional eccentricity specified in the steel structures standards accounting for the shift of the effective centroid, and that the eccentricity of L/1,000, specified for all section classes, should be applied to slender sections only.
Structured state space realizations for SLS distributed controllers

In recent work the system level synthesis (SLS) paradigm has been shown to provide a truly scalable method for synthesizing distributed feedback controllers. Moreover, the resulting synthesis problem is convex. In this paper we provide minimal state space realizations for both the state and output feedback controllers. It is also shown that (for fixed n) the state dimension of the controllers grows linearly with FIR filter horizon length — in both cases, we show that if the underlying transfer matrices are structured, so is the corresponding state-space realization. For the H2 state feedback case a simple decomposition technique reduces the synthesis problem to solving a set of lower dimensional LQR problems that can be solved in parallel.
Antibodies that Inhibit Malaria Merozoite Surface Protein–1 Processing and Erythrocyte Invasion Are Blocked by Naturally Acquired Human Antibodies

Merozoite surface protein–1 (MSP-1) of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum undergoes at least two endoproteolytic cleavage events during merozoite maturation and release, and erythrocyte invasion. We have previously demonstrated that mAbs which inhibit erythrocyte invasion and are specific for epitopes within a membrane-proximal, COOH-terminal domain of MSP-1 (MSP-119) prevent the critical secondary processing step which occurs on the surface of the extracellular merozoite at around the time of erythrocyte invasion. Certain other anti–MSP-119 mAbs, which themselves inhibit neither erythrocyte invasion nor MSP-1 secondary processing, block the processing-inhibitory activity of the first group of antibodies and are termed blocking antibodies. We have now directly quantitated antibody-mediated inhibition of MSP-1 secondary processing and invasion, and the effects on this of blocking antibodies. We show that blocking antibodies function by competing with the binding of processing-inhibitory antibodies to their epitopes on the merozoite. Polyclonal rabbit antibodies specific for certain MSP-1 sequences outside of MSP-119 also act as blocking antibodies. Most significantly, affinity-purified, naturally acquired human antibodies specific for epitopes within the NH2-terminal 83-kD domain of MSP-1 very effectively block the processing-inhibitory activity of the anti-MSP-119 mAb 12.8. The presence of these blocking antibodies also completely abrogates the inhibitory effect of mAb 12.8 on erythrocyte invasion by the parasite in vitro. Blocking antibodies therefore (a) are part of the human response to malarial infection; (b) can be induced by MSP-1 structures unrelated to the MSP-119 target of processing-inhibitory antibodies; and (c) have the potential to abolish protection mediated by anti–MSP-119 antibodies. Our results suggest that an effective MSP-119–based falciparum malaria vaccine should aim to induce an antibody response that prevents MSP-1 processing on the merozoite surface.
Grip strength, body composition, and mortality.

BACKGROUND Several studies in older people have shown that grip strength predicts all-cause mortality. The mechanisms are unclear. Muscle strength declines with age, accompanied by a loss of muscle mass and an increase in fat, but the role that body composition plays in the association between grip strength and mortality has been little explored. We investigated the relation between grip strength, body composition, and cause-specific and total mortality in 800 men and women aged 65 and over. METHODS During 197374 the UK Department of Health and Social Security surveyed random samples of men and women aged 65 and over living in eight areas of Britain to assess the nutritional state of the elderly population. The survey included a clinical examination by a geriatrician who assessed grip strength and anthropometry. We used Cox proportional hazards models to examine mortality over 24 years of follow-up. RESULTS Poorer grip strength was associated with increased mortality from all-causes, from cardiovascular disease, and from cancer in men, though not in women. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, including arm muscle area and BMI, the relative risk of death in men was 0.81 (95% CI 0.700.95) from all-causes, 0.73 (95% CI 0.600.89) from cardiovascular disease, and 0.81 (95% CI 0.660.98) from cancer per SD increase in grip strength. These associations remained statistically significant after further adjustment for fat-free mass or % body fat. CONCLUSION Grip strength is a long-term predictor of mortality from all-causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in men. Muscle size and other indicators of body composition did not explain these associations.
Slope Distributions, Threshold Hillslopes, and Steady-state Topography

Digital elevation models of two “steady-state” mountain ranges, the Olympic Mountains (OM) and Oregon Coast Range (OCR), are used to examine relationships between slope distributions, the development of threshold hillslopes, and steady-state topography. Plots of drainage area versus slope for these mountain ranges exhibit substantial scatter that complicates comparison of range form to analytical theories and landscape evolution models. Contour plots of the density of such data reveal an attractor at the scale of the transition from hillslope processes to channel processes, and log-bin averaging reveals trends that parallel predictions of steady-state erosion laws but with different rate laws for five distinct process domains: hillslopes, valley heads, and colluvial, bedrock, and alluvial valley segments. Slope histograms computed for 100 km2 areas (defined by a 10 × 10 km grid) throughout the OM exhibit approximately normal or exponential distributions in areas of active rock uplift and depositional topography, respectively. Local slope distributions in the OCR also tend to be normally distributed, but some are left-skewed in areas with gentler slopes. Mean slopes determined both over the above referenced grid and a 10-km diam moving window are relatively invariant in the core of the OM in spite of strong contrasts in bedrock erodibility and gradients in long-term rock uplift rates. In contrast, the mean slopes in the OCR parallel latitudinal gradients in rock uplift rates and bedrock erodibility. Hence, the slope distributions in the OM and OCR reflect distinct relationships between development of threshold bedrock and soil-mantled hillslopes and steady-state topography.