Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tensile properties, swelling, and water absorption behavior of rice‐husk‐powder‐filled polypropylene/(recycled acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber) composites

The effect of rice husk powder (RHP) on the tensile properties, swelling, water absorption, and morphology of polypropylene (PP)/[recycled acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBRr)]/RHP composites was studied. Composites containing 0 to 30 parts of RHP per hundred parts of resin were prepared by using a Haake Rheomix Polydrive R 600/610 mixer at 180°C with a rotor speed of 50 rpm. Results indicated that the tensile strength and elongation at break decreased but that the tensile modulus increased with increasing amounts of RHP. Swelling of the PP/NBRr/RHP composites in oil and toluene increased with increasing RHP contents, and the composites exhibited a non‐Fickian diffusion with a two stage absorption mechanism. Micrographs acquired by SEM revealed an increasing number of voids and micro‐holes on the tensile‐fractured surfaces of the composites with increasing amounts of RHP. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL. , 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Creating Smoke-Free Environments in Recreational Settings

To facilitate the banning of tobacco industry sponsorship, Australian health promotion foundations were established to provide health sponsorship to sport, arts, and racing organizations. Health sponsorship dollars procure health sponsorship benefits such as naming rights, signage, personal endorsement of a (health) product by a performer or player, and structural controls such as smoke-free policies. Data are presented from surveys and observations of spectators attending events sponsored by the West Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway) and surveys of Healthway-sponsored organizations and the community. The results demonstrate that by using health sponsorship, Healthway increased the prevalence of smoke-free policies in recreational settings, and there was growing support for these policies. There was evidence of good compliance with smoke-free policies, thus reducing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. The introduction of smoke-free policies in recreational settings has involved working collaboratively with sectors outside of health, taking an incremental approach to change, and gaining the support of stakeholders by communicating evaluation results.
Introduction to Orthogonal Transforms: With Applications in Data Processing and Analysis

1. Signals and systems 2. Vector spaces and signal representation 3. Continuous-time Fourier transform 4. Discrete-time Fourier transform 5. Applications of the Fourier transforms 6. The Laplace and z-transforms 7. Fourier related orthogonal transforms 8. The Walsh-Hadamard, slant and Haar transforms 9. Karhunen-Loeve transform and principal component analysis 10. Continuous and discrete-time wavelet transforms 11. Multiresolution analysis and discrete wavelet transform Appendix 1. Review of linear algebra Appendix 2. Review of random variables.
Removement of the Three Minutes Irritating Music Produced No Incremental Relaxation

This paper studies how the incentive bass drum sound, or a simple fast rhythm affect the performance of HRV (Heart rate variability), which is a measurement of variations in the heart rate. We expect to find a relationship of music and human cardiovascular condition. Related experiments have been tested and got some results. Over the last 25 years, HRV analysis has become more popular and important as a non-invasive research of biomedical engineering. HRV is a widely used method to assess cardiac autonomic control. There are two important measures. The first one is SDNN, and the second one is LF/HF. Through the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), the low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) power were obtained from NN intervals. LF/HF reflects the sympatho-vagal balance of autonomic nervous system (ANS). By understanding the relationship between the same tempo with different times of measuring in continuous weeks and the HRV information, we can improve our life and health. The music have some irritate to human cardiac, just like rock music. From the results of this experiment, we can expect to find the influence of this music type to human cardiovascular condition.
Grounding Symbols: Labelling and Resolving Pronoun Resolution with fLIF Neurons

If a system can represent knowledge symbolically, and ground those symbols in an environment, then it has access to a vast range of data from that environment. The system described in this paper acts in a simple virtual world. It is implemented solely in fatiguing Leaky Integrate and Fire neurons; views the environment; processes natural language commands; plans; and acts. Visual representations are labeled, using a Hebbian learning rule, thus gaining associations with symbols. The labelling is done using simultaneous presentation of the label and a corresponding visual item. These grounded symbols can be useful in reference resolution. Both experiments perform perfectly on all tests.
Association of hOGG 1 polymorphism with hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility in East Asian populations : evidence from a meta – analysis

Oxidative DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species plays an important role in cancer development. Several research groups have investigated the influence of the human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) Ser326Cys polymorphism on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility. However, the results remain inconclusive and controversial. In this work, a meta-analysis was performed to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship. Literature databases were searched for all cases dated until May 2013. Crude odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the strength of the association between hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism and HCC risk. A total of 7 studies (1,546 cases and 1,620 controls) fulfilled our inclusion criteria in this meta-analysis. Overall no significant associations were observed in all genetic models in East Asian populations after excluding the studies that deviated from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). However, on performance of a subgroup meta-analysis by Chinese population, significant associations were found (homozygous model: OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.44–2.75, I =41.4%, P = 0.163 for heterogeneity; recessive model: OR=1.42, 95% CI = 1.08–1.87, I =0.0%, P = 0.591 for heterogeneity) after excluding 2 studies not in agreement with HWE. Thus, this meta-analysis finds the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism to be a risk factor for HCC in Chinese. However, given the limitation of the studies included in the meta-analysis, large-scale investigations is needed in order to illuminate the differences in HCC susceptibility among these East Asian populations.
Crystallinity Dependence of Irreversible Switching in Fe/SmCo and FeNi/FePt Spring Magnets

Submitted for the MAR05 Meeting of The American Physical Society Crystallinity Dependence of Irreversible Switching in Fe/SmCo and FeNi/FePt Spring Magnets J.E. DAVIES, G.T. ZIMANYI, KAI LIU, Physics Department UC Davis, OLAV HELLWIG, BESSY, Germany, E.E. FULLERTON, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, J.S. JIANG, S.D. BADER, Argonne National Laboratory — The effect of hard layer crystallinity on irreversible switching in Fe/SmCo and FeNi/FePt spring magnets was investigated by a First Order Reversal Curve (FORC) technique and vector magnetometry. In Fe/epitaxialSmCo samples, the switching fields of the individual layers can be conventionally determined from steps in the major loop. The FORC diagram shows a distinct onset of irreversible switching at the hard layer switching field. Vector magnetometry reveals that most of the soft layer switches by rotation before reversal of the hard layer. In FeNi/polycrystalline-FePt samples, the switching fields are masked by the smooth and step-free major loop. The FORC diagram displays a single onset of irreversible switching, suggesting that the soft (FeNi) and hard (FePt) layers switch together. The co-rotation is confirmed by vector magnetometry. Despite the random anisotropy of the hard layer, an appreciable transverse moment bigger than just the soft layer contribution is observed. The successive vs. simultaneous rotation of the soft/hard layer is mainly due to different hard layer crystallinity. – Work is supported by NSF and DOE (BES-MS contract #W-31-109-ENG-38). Joseph Davies University of California, Davis Date submitted: 23 Dec 2004 Electronic form version 1.4
The Effects of Student Loans on the Provision and Demand for Higher Education

We characterize the outcomes of the tertiary education market in a context where borrowing constraints bind, there is a two-tier college system operating under monopolistic competition in which colleges differ by the quality offered and returns to education depend on the quality of the school attended. College quality, tuition prices, acceptance cut-offs and education demand are all determined in a general equilibrium model and depend on the borrowing constraints faced by households. Our main finding shows that subsidized student loan policies can lead to a widening gap in the quality of services provided by higher education institutions. This happens because the demand for elite institutions unambiguously increases when individuals can borrow. This does not happen in non-elite institutions, since relaxing borrowing constraints makes some individuals move from non-elite to elite institutions. The higher increase in demand for elite institutions allows them to increase prices and investment per student. As investment and average student ability are complementary inputs in the quality production function, elite universities also increase their acceptance cut-offs. In this new equilibrium, the differentiation of the product offered by colleges increases, where elite universities provide higher quality to high-ability students and non-elite universities offer lower quality to less-able students. We illustrate the main results through a numerical exercise applied to Colombia, which implemented massive student loan policies during the last decade and experienced an increase in the gap of quality of education provided by elite and non-elite universities. We show that the increase in the quality gap can be a by-product of the subsidized loan policies. Such results show that, when analyzed in a general equilibrium setting, subsidized loan policies can have regressive effects on the income distribution.
An evaluation of the patient education programme for Parkinson’s disease in clinical practice

Aim: The Patient Education Programme for Parkinson’s disease (PEPP) was assessed in a recent randomised controlled trial (RCT). In this study, a trend was identified towards significant improvement of patients’ quality of life (Qol) as well as a significant reduction of caregivers’ psychosocial burden and need for help. This study is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the PEPP in clinical practice as compared with the RCT in an academic setting. The second aim is to assess its effectiveness in clinical practice at 6‐month follow‐up.
Nonradial blow-up solutions of sublinear elliptic equations with gradient term

Let $f$ be a continuous and non-decreasing function such that $f>0$ on $(0,\infty)$, $f(0)=0$, su$p_{s\geq 1} f(s)/s< \infty$ and let $p$ be a non-negative continuous function. We study the existence and nonexistence of explosive solutions to the equation $\Delta u+|\nabla u|=p(x)f(u)$ in $\Omega,$ where $\Omega$ is either a smooth bounded domain or $\Omega=\mathbb R^N$. If $\Omega$ is bounded we prove that the above problem has never a blow-up boundary solution. Since $f$ does not satisfy the Keller-Osserman growth condition at infinity, we supply in the case $\Omega=\mathbb R^N$ a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a positive solution that blows up at infinity.
Isolation of Fusarium sp. AF4 from sewage sludge, with the ability to adhere the surface of polyethylene

Plastic materials like Polyethylene (PE) are the potential source of environmental pollution. Their presence in soil causes infertility of soil, preventing degradation of other normal substances, in addition to which it presents a danger to animal life. In the present study, a fungal strain was isolated from sewage sludge capable of adhering to the surface of PE pieces, through enrichment technique. A thick network of fungal hyphae was observed on the surface of the plastic pieces under light microscope. The fungal strain was identified as Fusarium sp. AF4. A visible increase in growth of the Fusarium sp. AF4 was observed on the surface of PE pieces, when cultured in basal salts medium at 30°C and 150 rpm, for 2 months. When the PE pieces were observed through scanning electron microscope, some changes, like appearance of pits, cracks, and erosion, were detected. CO2 evolution as a result of PE biodegradation was calculated gravimetrically by Sturm Test. About 1.85 g/l of CO2 was produced in case of test, whereas, 0.45 g/l in case of control. The biomass was also higher in case test as compared to control. These observations indicated that Fusarium sp. AF4 have the ability to degrade polyethylene.
Effects of Yeast Polysaccharide on Growth and Flavonoid Accumulation in Fagopyrum tataricum Sprout Cultures

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of yeast polysaccharide (YPS) on growth and flavonoid accumulation in sprout cultures of Fagopyrum tataricum (tartary buckwheat). Without obvious change in the appearance of the sprouts, the exogenous YPS notably stimulated the production of functional metabolites in F. tataricum sprouts, and the stimulation effect was concentration-dependent. With 400 mg/L of YPS applied to the sprout cultures on day 6, the total rutin and quercentin content was effectively increased to 42.8 mg/gdw, or about 1.4-fold in comparison with the control of 31.2 mg/gdw. Feeding with 800 mg/L of YPS on day 9, the sprouts biomass was increased by about 8% compared to the control culture (0.99 gdw/100 sprouts versus 0.92 gdw/100 sprouts). Moreover, the present study revealed that the accumulation of these bioactive metabolites resulted from the stimulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway by YPS treatment. It could be an effective strategy for improving the functional quality of the F. tataricum sprouts provided with YPS.
Bladder dysfunction in hereditary spastic paraplegia: what to expect?

Background Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) comprises a group of rare neurodegenerative disorders characterised by progressive spasticity and hyperreflexia of the legs. Neurogenic bladder dysfunction is a well recognised problem in patients with HSP but it has not yet been described systematically in the literature. The aim of this study was to provide an evidential overview of the ways in which urinary dysfunction presents in HSP. Methods 49 patients with HSP were included and underwent evaluation. A history was followed by a semi-structured interview and, in those patients who consented, measurement of residual volume of urine (PVR) and urodynamic evaluation. Results 38 subjects (77.6%) reported some type of urinary symptom. Subjective complaints of bladder problems showed a correlation with verified urinary dysfunction. There were no significant differences in the occurrence of urinary disturbances between the pure and complex forms of HSP. The most frequent symptoms were incontinence (69.4%), hesitancy (59.2%), increased frequency of micturition (55.1%) and urgency (51.0%). Incomplete bladder emptying was the rarest (36.7%). The most common combination of symptoms was to have all of them (14.3%). Incomplete bladder emptying as a complaint was associated with an increased risk of PVR. Women had a higher risk of increased voiding frequency. Conclusions To our knowledge, this work is the first systematic and disease oriented overview of neurogenic bladder disturbances in patients with HSP. Our results may be useful to the clinicians who work with HSP patients, allowing them to make appropriate screening and management decisions.
In vivo imaging of axonal transport of mitochondria in the diseased and aged mammalian CNS

Significance The lack of intravital imaging of axonal transport of mitochondria in the living mammalian CNS precludes the characterization of transport dynamics in the diseased and aged mammalian CNS. Here we report minimally invasive intravital multiphoton imaging of mouse retinal ganglion cells that offers sequential time-lapse images of mitochondria transported in a single axon with submicrometer resolution. We show highly dynamic axonal transport of mitochondria in the mammalian CNS in vivo under physiological conditions and characterize disturbances of mitochondrial transport in a mouse glaucoma model and age-related changes in mitochondrial transport. Our method is useful for characterizing the dynamics of axonal transport of mitochondria and the dynamics of other submicrometer structures in the diseased and aged mammalian CNS in vivo. The lack of intravital imaging of axonal transport of mitochondria in the mammalian CNS precludes characterization of the dynamics of axonal transport of mitochondria in the diseased and aged mammalian CNS. Glaucoma, the most common neurodegenerative eye disease, is characterized by axon degeneration and the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and by an age-related increase in incidence. RGC death is hypothesized to result from disturbances in axonal transport and in mitochondrial function. Here we report minimally invasive intravital multiphoton imaging of anesthetized mouse RGCs through the sclera that provides sequential time-lapse images of mitochondria transported in a single axon with submicrometer resolution. Unlike findings from explants, we show that the axonal transport of mitochondria is highly dynamic in the mammalian CNS in vivo under physiological conditions. Furthermore, in the early stage of glaucoma modeled in adult (4-mo-old) mice, the number of transported mitochondria decreases before RGC death, although transport does not shorten. However, with increasing age up to 23–25 mo, mitochondrial transport (duration, distance, and duty cycle) shortens. In axons, mitochondria-free regions increase and lengths of transported mitochondria decrease with aging, although totally organized transport patterns are preserved in old (23- to 25-mo-old) mice. Moreover, axonal transport of mitochondria is more vulnerable to glaucomatous insults in old mice than in adult mice. These mitochondrial changes with aging may underlie the age-related increase in glaucoma incidence. Our method is useful for characterizing the dynamics of axonal transport of mitochondria and may be applied to other submicrometer structures in the diseased and aged mammalian CNS in vivo.
B-cell lymphoma gene regulatory networks: biological consistency among inference methods

Despite the development of numerous gene regulatory network (GRN) inference methods in the last years, their application, usage and the biological significance of the resulting GRN remains unclear for our general understanding of large-scale gene expression data in routine practice. In our study, we conduct a structural and a functional analysis of B-cell lymphoma GRNs that were inferred using 3 mutual information-based GRN inference methods: C3Net, BC3Net and Aracne. From a comparative analysis on the global level, we find that the inferred B-cell lymphoma GRNs show major differences. However, on the edge-level and the functional-level—that are more important for our biological understanding—the B-cell lymphoma GRNs were highly similar among each other. Also, the ranks of the degree centrality values and major hub genes in the inferred networks are highly conserved as well. Interestingly, the major hub genes of all GRNs are associated with the G-protein-coupled receptor pathway, cell-cell signaling and cell cycle. This implies that hub genes of the GRNs can be highly consistently inferred with C3Net, BC3Net, and Aracne, representing prominent targets for signaling pathways. Finally, we describe the functional and structural relationship between C3Net, BC3Net and Aracne gene regulatory networks. Our study shows that these GRNs that are inferred from large-scale gene expression data are promising for the identification of novel candidate interactions and pathways that play a key role in the underlying mechanisms driving cancer hallmarks. Overall, our comparative analysis reveals that these GRNs inferred with considerably different inference methods contain large amounts of consistent, method independent, biological information.
[Protective effects of new compound codonopsis tablets against acute mountain sickness].

OBJECTIVE To study on the protective effects of new compound codonopsis tablets against acute mountain sickness (AMS). METHODS Forty-five male plain resident soldiers stayed at 1400 m altitude for 3 months were randomly divided into two groups, control (15 men) and treatment group (30 men). Single blind trial was used in this study. The subjects in the two groups took placebo and new compound codonopsis tablets respectively for 5 days before climbing to high mountain, and continued to take for another 10 days until the 3rd day after arriving at 5200 m altitude. On the 1st , 3rd, and 5th day after they arrived at 5200 m altitude, the score and the degree of AMS symptoms of soldiers were followed up and recorded according to State Military Standard GJB1098-91--"Principles of diagnosis and treatment of benign form of acute mountain sickness", heart rate (beats/min) and arterial oxygen saturation (%) were detenrmined. On the 6th day after they arrived at high altitude, forced vital capacity(FVC), forced expired volume in one second(FEV1.0), FEV1% (FEV1.0/FVC), FEF25%-75%, peak expiratory flow (PEF) and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) were detected, total frequency of hands cross movement and memory of order numbers test were measured. RESULTS Comparison with control, AMS symptoms of treatment group reduced on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th day after arriving at 5200 m high altitude (P < 0.01). The degree of AMS symptoms of treatment group was significantly different from that of control. The proportion of slight symptoms in treatment group was high, and that of relative serious symptoms in control was high. Compared with control, FVC, FEV1.0, FEF25%-75%, PEF and MVV of treatment group increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and Ttis, Ctis of treatment group increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), Atime decreased markedly (P < 0.05), there was no statistically significant difference in Etis and Sum between the two groups. CONCLUSION New compound codonopsis tablets could decrease the incidence of AMS, mitigate the symptoms of AMS, and improve breathing function and fingers movement function. New compound codonopsis tablets have an obvious effect on prevention and treatment of acute mountain sickness.