Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior and Formation Mechanism of Rolling Cracks of Fe-36Ni Invar Alloy

Abstract The oxidation of Fe-36Ni invar alloy in 5%O2-15%CO2-80%N2 atmosphere at 1200 °C for 4 h and the cause of rolling cracks have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Gleeble thermal simulation machine. The result showed that the scales consisted of the external scale and the subscale. The external scale had stratified structures of Fe2O3/Fe3O4 + NiO/Fe3O4 + FeO + NiO from outside to inside. The subscale had a typical substructure of the intra-granular subscale and the inter-granular subscale. Oxidation particles of (Fe3O4 + FeO) were isolated in FeNi3 matrix in the intra-granular subscale zone. The grain boundary was the preferential short-circuit diffusion paths of the diffusing O and was first to be oxidized. The inter-granular subscale led to the subscale and was the origin of rolling cracks. The protective heating measure was put forward to prevent rolling cracks.
Noninvasive Test for Tuberculosis Detection among Primates

Traditional testing methods have limited epidemiologic studies of tuberculosis among free-living primates. PCR amplification of insertion element IS6110 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from fecal samples was evaluated as a noninvasive screening test for tuberculosis in primates. Active tuberculosis was detected among inoculated macaques and naturally exposed chimpanzees, demonstrating the utility of this test.
High-Frequency Soft-Switching AC Conversion Circuit With Dual-Mode PWM/PDM Control Strategy for High-Power IH Applications

This paper presents a novel high-frequency soft-switching power conversion circuit for high-power induction heating (IH) applications such as the following: (1) heat treatment of metals; (2) hot water; and (3) superheated steam producers. This high-frequency power conversion circuit can operate from single-phase or three-phase systems to produce high current for high-power IH applications under the principles of soft-switching operation. It can regulate its ac output power from the rated value to a low power level. A dual-mode control scheme based on high-frequency pulse width modulation (PWM), in synchronization with the utility frequency positive and negative half-cycles, and pulse density modulation (PDM) is proposed to extend the soft-switching operating range for wide-output power regulation. A dual-pack heat exchanger assembly is designed to be used in consumer and industrial fluid pipeline systems and it is proved to be suitable for hot water, steam, and superheated steam producers. Experimental and simulation results are given to verify the operating principles of the proposed power conversion circuit and to evaluate its power regulation and conversion efficiency.
Efficient Markov Chain Monte Carlo Implementation of Bayesian Analysis of Additive and Dominance Genetic Variances in Noninbred Pedigrees

Accurate and fast computation of quantitative genetic variance parameters is of great importance in both natural and breeding populations. For experimental designs with complex relationship structures it can be important to include both additive and dominance variance components in the statistical model. In this study, we introduce a Bayesian Gibbs sampling approach for estimation of additive and dominance genetic variances in the traditional infinitesimal model. The method can handle general pedigrees without inbreeding. To optimize between computational time and good mixing of the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) chains, we used a hybrid Gibbs sampler that combines a single site and a blocked Gibbs sampler. The speed of the hybrid sampler and the mixing of the single-site sampler were further improved by the use of pretransformed variables. Two traits (height and trunk diameter) from a previously published diallel progeny test of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and two large simulated data sets with different levels of dominance variance were analyzed. We also performed Bayesian model comparison on the basis of the posterior predictive loss approach. Results showed that models with both additive and dominance components had the best fit for both height and diameter and for the simulated data with high dominance. For the simulated data with low dominance, we needed an informative prior to avoid the dominance variance component becoming overestimated. The narrow-sense heritability estimates in the Scots pine data were lower compared to the earlier results, which is not surprising because the level of dominance variance was rather high, especially for diameter. In general, the hybrid sampler was considerably faster than the blocked sampler and displayed better mixing properties than the single-site sampler.
Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials Open Access in Vitro Activity of Tigecycline and Comparators against Carbapenem-susceptible and Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Clinical Isolates in Italy

Background: In a recent multi-centre Italian survey (2003–2004), conducted in 45 laboratories throughout Italy with the aim of monitoring microorganisms responsible for severe infections and their antibiotic resistance, Acinetobacter baumannii was isolated from various wards of 9 hospitals as one of the most frequent pathogens. One hundred and seven clinically significant strains of A. baumannii isolates were included in this study to determine the in vitro activity of tigecycline and comparator agents.
The economic impact of overactive bladder syndrome in six Western countries

To calculate up‐to‐date estimates of the economic impact of overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) with and without urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) on the health sector of six countries (Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK), as OAB is a significant health concern for adults aged >18 years living in Western countries.
Implications of Noise and Neural Heterogeneity for Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Fidelity

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is characterized by a short-latency, high-fidelity eye movement response to head rotations at frequencies up to 20 Hz. Electrophysiological studies of medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons, however, show that their response to sinusoidal currents above 10 to 12 Hz is highly nonlinear and distorted by aliasing for all but very small current amplitudes. How can this system function in vivo when single cell response cannot explain its operation? Here we show that the necessary wide VOR frequency response may be achieved not by firing rate encoding of head velocity in single neurons, but in the integrated population response of asynchronously firing, intrinsically active neurons. Diffusive synaptic noise and the pacemaker-driven, intrinsic firing of MVN cells synergistically maintain asynchronous, spontaneous spiking in a population of model MVN neurons over a wide range of input signal amplitudes and frequencies. Response fidelity is further improved by a reciprocal inhibitory link between two MVN populations, mimicking the vestibular commissural system in vivo, but only if asynchrony is maintained by noise and pacemaker inputs. These results provide a previously missing explanation for the full range of VOR function and a novel account of the role of the intrinsic pacemaker conductances in MVN cells. The values of diffusive noise and pacemaker currents that give optimal response fidelity yield firing statistics similar to those in vivo, suggesting that the in vivo network is tuned to optimal performance. While theoretical studies have argued that noise and population heterogeneity can improve coding, to our knowledge this is the first evidence indicating that these parameters are indeed tuned to optimize coding fidelity in a neural control system in vivo.
Functional and cosmetic results of a lower eyelid crease approach for external dacryocystorhinostomy.

PURPOSE External dacryocystorhinostomy is routinely performed through a cutaneous vertical incision placed on the lateral aspect of the nose. The lower eyelid crease approach has been seldom reported. The purpose of this study is to report the cosmetic and functional results of the lid crease approach for external dacryocystorhinostomy in a series of patients. METHODS Prospective, interventional case series. Twenty-five consecutive patients (17 women) ranging in age from 3 to 85 years (mean ± SD= 44.84 ± 23.67) were included in the study. All patients but one underwent unilateral external dacryocystorhinostomy with a 10 to 15 mm horizontal incision placed on a subciliary relaxed eyelid tension line. The inner canthus was photographed with a Nikon D70S digital camera with a macrolens and resolution of 3008 x 2000 pixels at 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. The resulting scar was judged from the photographs by 3 observers (ophthalmologist, plastic and head and neck surgeons) according to a four level scale (1= unapparent, 2= minimally visible, 3= moderately visible, 4= very visible). RESULTS The surgery was easily performed in all patients with a 90.48% success. Three of the elderly patients (ages 61, 79 and 85 yr) developed mild lacrimal punctum ectropion, which resolved with conservative treatment. One patient had a hypometric blink which spontaneously recovered within one month. The mean score for scar visibility was 2.19 (1(st) mo), 1.65 (3(th) mo) and 1.44 (6(th) mo). CONCLUSIONS The eyelid crease approach is an excellent option for external dacryocystorhinostomy. It leaves an unapparent scar since the first month after surgery, even in younger patients. The functional results are excellent and comparable to other techniques. Care should be taken in elderly patients with lower eyelid laxity in order to prevent lacrimal punctum ectropion.
Safe time duration for temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion in aneurysm surgery based on motor-evoked potential monitoring

Background: Temporary vessel occlusion of the parent artery is an essential technique for aneurysm surgery. Our aim was to clarify the safe time for temporary occlusion for aneurysm surgery, that is the “safe time duration” (STD), in which brain tissue exposed to ischemia will almost never fall into even the ischemic penumbra during temporary occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), and even transient postoperative motor impairment will be rare using intraoperative motor-evoked potentials (MEP). Methods: Twenty-four patients underwent MCA aneurysm clipping surgery with MEP monitoring for 13 ruptured aneurysms and 11 unruptured aneurysms. The duration of vessel occlusion in patients without MEP changes was measured as the STD. Average STD was calculated as 95% confidence interval for the population mean using sample data from patients with MEP changes and patients without changes. Results: All 24 patients received proximal flow control only. Five patients (20.8%) developed significant intraoperative MEP changes. Time to MEP change (i.e., STD) in these patients was 4.6 ± 2.1 min. In patients without MEP changes, STD was 2.7 ± 1.4 min. Average STD was thus 3.1 ± 0.7 min. Conclusions: The 95% lower confidence limit for average STD was 2.4 min when applying temporary occlusion on the proximal side of the MCA. This STD resembled that previously reported for temporary proximal occlusion of the internal carotid artery.
Immune Tolerance Induction against Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) Using A New PLP-B7AP Conjugate that Simultaneously Targets B7/CD28 Costimulatory Signal and TCR/MHC-II Signal

Most of the current therapies used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) are either ineffective or have adverse side effects. As such, there is a need to develop better therapies that specifically target myelin-specific aberrant immune cells involved in CNS inflammation without compromising the general immune system. In the present study, we developed a new bifunctional peptide inhibitor (BPI) that is effective and specific. Our BPI (PLP-B7AP) is composed of an antigenic peptide from myelin proteolipid protein (PLP139–151) and a B7 antisense peptide (B7AP) derived from CD28 receptor. The main hypothesis is that PLP-B7AP simultaneously targets MHC-II and B7-costimulatory molecules on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APC) and possibly alters the differentiation of naïve T cells from inflammatory to regulatory phenotypes. Results showed that PLP-B7AP was very effective in suppressing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) compared to various controls in a mouse model. PLP-B7AP was effective when administered both before and after disease induction. Secreted cytokines from splenocytes isolated during periods of high disease severity and remission indicated that PLP-B7AP treatment induced an increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Further, analysis of cortical brain tissue sections showed that PLP-B7AP treated mice had significantly lower demyelination compared to the control group. All these taken together indicate that the T cell receptor (TCR) and the CD28 receptor can be targeted simultaneously to improve efficacy and specificity of potential MS therapeutics.
Interactive Translation: a new approach

A new approach for Interactive Machine Translation where the author interacts during the creation or the modification of the document is proposed. The explanation of an ambiguity or an error for the purpose of correction does not use any concepts of the underlying linguistic theory: it is a reformulation of the erroneous or ambiguous sentence. The interaction is limited to the analysis step of the translation process.This paper presents a new interactive disambiguation scheme based on the paraphrasing of a parser's multiple output. Some examples of paraphrasing ambiguous sentences are presented.
Vancomycin Susceptibility within Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Lineages

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with reduced vancomycin susceptibility (VISA, vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus) has been reported from many countries. Whether resistance is evolving regularly in different genetic backgrounds or in a single clone with a genetic predisposition, as early results suggest, is unclear. We have studied 101 MRSA with reduced vancomycin susceptibility from nine countries by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and characterization of SCCmec (staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec) and agr (accessory gene regulator). We found nine genotypes by MLST, with isolates within all five major hospital MRSA lineages. Most isolates (88/101) belonged to two of the earliest MRSA clones that have global prevalence. Our results show that reduced susceptibility to vancomycin has emerged in many successful epidemic lineages with no clear clonal disposition. Increasing antimicrobial resistance in genetically distinct pandemic clones may lead to MRSA infections that will become increasingly difficult to treat.
Visual Span in Expert Chess Players: Evidence From Eye Movements

The reported research extends classic findings that after briefly viewing structured, but not random, chess positions, chess masters reproduce these positions much more accurately than less-skilled players. Using a combination of the gaze-contingent window paradigm and the change blindness flicker paradigm, we documented dramatically larger visual spans for experts while processing structured, but not random, chess positions. In addition, in a check-detection task, a minimized 3 × 3 chessboard containing a King and potentially checking pieces was displayed. In this task, experts made fewer fixations per trial than less-skilled players, and had a greater proportion of fixations between individual pieces, rather than on pieces. Our results provide strong evidence for a perceptual encoding advantage for experts attributable to chess experience, rather than to a general perceptual or memory superiority.
Ventilatory acclimatisation is beneficial for high-intensity exercise at altitude in elite cyclists

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between ventilatory adaptation and performance during altitude training at 2700 m. Methods: Seven elite cyclists (age: 21.2 ± 1.1 yr, body mass: 69.9 ± 5.6 kg, height 176.3 ± 4.9 cm) participated in this study. A hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) test and a submaximal exercise test were performed at sea level prior to the training camp and again after 15 d at altitude (ALT15). Ventilation (VE), end-tidal carbon-dioxide partial pressure (PETCO2) and oxyhaemoglobin saturation via pulse oximetry (SpO2) were measured at rest and during submaximal cycling at 250 W. A hill climb (HC) performance test was conducted at sea level and after 14 d at altitude (ALT14) using a road of similar length (5.5–6 km) and gradient (4.8–5.3%). Power output was measured using SRM cranks. Average HC power at ALT14 was normalised to sea level power (HC%). Multiple regression was used to identify significant predictors of performance at altitude. Results: At ALT15, there was a significant increase in resting VE (10.3 ± 1.9 vs. 12.2 ± 2.4 L·min−1) and HVR (0.34 ± 0.24 vs. 0.71 ± 0.49 L·min−1·%−1), while PETCO2 (38.4 ± 2.3 vs. 32.1 ± 3.3 mmHg) and SpO2 (97.9 ± 0.7 vs. 94.0 ± 1.7%) were reduced (P < .05). Multiple regression revealed ΔHVR and exercise VE at altitude as significant predictors of HC% (adjusted r2 = 0.913; P = 0.003). Conclusions: Ventilatory acclimatisation occurred during a 2 wk altitude training camp in elite cyclists and a higher HVR was associated with better performance at altitude, relative to sea level. These results suggest that ventilatory acclimatisation is beneficial for cycling performance at altitude.
Automatic semantic encoding in verbal short-term memory: Evidence from the concreteness effect

The concreteness effect in verbal short-term memory (STM) tasks is assumed to be a consequence of semantic encoding in STM, with immediate recall of concrete words benefiting from richer semantic representations. We used the concreteness effect to test the hypothesis that semantic encoding in standard verbal STM tasks is a consequence of controlled, attention-demanding mechanisms of strategic semantic retrieval and encoding. Experiment 1 analysed the effect of presentation rate, with slow presentations being assumed to benefit strategic, time-dependent semantic encoding. Experiments 2 and 3 provided a more direct test of the strategic hypothesis by introducing three different concurrent attention-demanding tasks. Although Experiment 1 showed a larger concreteness effect with slow presentations, the following two experiments yielded strong evidence against the strategic hypothesis. Limiting available attention resources by concurrent tasks reduced global memory performance, but the concreteness effect was equivalent to that found in control conditions. We conclude that semantic effects in STM result from automatic semantic encoding and provide tentative explanations for the interaction between the concreteness effect and the presentation rate.
Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in the chemolithotrophic bacterium Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans

Poly-f-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) has been demonstrated in a wide range of bacteria, including both chemolithotrophic and photolithotrophic organisms. In the chemolithotrophic group, Schlegel, Gottschalk, and von Bartha (8) reported the formation and utilization of PHB in Hydrogenomonas, Lundgren et al. (4) extracted PHB from Ferrobacillusferrooxidans, and Tobback and Laudelout (10) chemically identified PHB in Nitrobacter. In thin sections of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum, Vatter and Wolfe (11) reported fat vacuoles in the cell's cytoplasm which CohenBazire and Kunisawa (2) later identified as PHB granules. The existence of a limiting membrane surrounding the PHB granule was reported by Boatman (1); it was a single membrane about 4 nm wide. Pfister and Lundgren (6) also reported a membrane around PHB granules in Bacillus cereus. The membrane was seen on isolated PHB granules examined as carbon replicas (5). In this report, morphological evidence is given for the presence of PHB granules in F. ferrooxidans grown heterotrophically with glucose as the primary energy source. F. ferrooxidans was grown in the 9K salts medium of Silverman and Lundgren (9) with 0.5% glucose as the energy source instead of iron. The cultural conditions were those reported in the earlier report of Remsen and Lundgren (Bacteriol. Proc., p. 33, 1963). The cells were harvested, washed with a solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (2 X 10-' M), fixed with 0.5% glutaraldehyde in collidine buffer (0.5 M, pH 7.6) for 30 min, and postfixed with 1% osmium tetroxide in distilled water overnight. Sections were poststained with 1% uranyl acetate for 60 min at 60 C, followed by lead citrate (7) for 5 min at room temperature. Electron micrographs were taken with an RCA EMU-2D electron microscope operating at 50 kv. An increase in cell number was observed when F. ferrooxidans was grown under heterotrophic conditions, and some differences in gross morphology and fine structure were apparent when these cells were compared with iron-grown cells. Figure 1 shows the typical wavy or rugose surface of iron-grown cells, whereas glucose-grown cells, although still rugose, possess many structures which cause the cell surface to bulge (Fig. lb, arrows); these structures are the PHB storage granules. In thin sections (Fig. 2a), iron-grown cells possess the typical multilayered cell envelope of gram-negative organisms with a cytoplasm containing a dispersed nucleus, ribosomes, and electron-dense bodies; the latter were previously reported by Dugan and Lundgren (3). In thin sections, glucose-grown cells (Fig. 2b) show many electron-transparent areas, typical of PHB storage bodies. The PHB granule is surrounded by a single membrane which appears as a dense line of 2.5 to 3.5 nm. In addition, another structural difference in heterotrophically grown cells is the absence of electron-dense cytoplasmic bodies. The reasons for the accumulation of PHB and the loss of cytoplasmic bodies in ferrobacilli that have been grown heterotrophically are being investigated.
Physical and verbal aggressive behavior and COMT genotype: Sensitivity to the environment

Catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) genotype has been implicated as a vulnerability factor for several psychiatric diseases as well as aggressive behavior, either directly, or in interaction with an adverse environment. The present study aimed at investigating the susceptibility properties of COMT genotype to adverse and favorable environment in relation to physical and verbal aggressive behavior. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism was genotyped in a Swedish population‐based cohort including 1,783 individuals, ages 20–24 years (47% males). A significant three‐way interaction was found, after correction for multiple testing, between COMT genotype, exposure to violence, and parent–child relationship in association with physical but not verbal aggressive behavior. Homozygous for the Val allele reported lower levels of physical aggressive behavior when they were exposed to violence and at the same time experienced a positive parent–child relationship compared to Met carriers. Thus, susceptibility properties of COMT genotype were observed in relation to physical aggressive behavior supporting the hypothesis that COMT genotypes are modifying the sensitivity to environment that confers either risk or protection for aggressive behavior. As these are novel findings, they warrant further investigation and replication in independent samples. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.