Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pd-Pt Bimetallic Nanodendrites with High Activity for Oxygen Reduction

Extending Platinum Catalysts Platinum performs extremely well as a catalyst for the oxygen-reduction reaction that runs under highly acidic conditions in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, but is expensive. One strategy for reducing costs is to increase the surface area of the platinum. Lim et al. (p. 1302, published online 14 May) describe a simple chemical route, in which Pt ions in solution are reduced onto Pd seed crystals, which creates faceted Pt nanocrystals with a high area owing to their dendritic architecture. On a Pt mass basis, these catalysts are several times more active than conventional Pt catalysts. The catalytic activity of platinum is enhanced through a growth process that creates nanocrystals with high surface area. Controlling the morphology of Pt nanostructures can provide a great opportunity to improve their catalytic properties and increase their activity on a mass basis. We synthesized Pd-Pt bimetallic nanodendrites consisting of a dense array of Pt branches on a Pd core by reducing K2PtCl4 with L-ascorbic acid in the presence of uniform Pd nanocrystal seeds in an aqueous solution. The Pt branches supported on faceted Pd nanocrystals exhibited relatively large surface areas and particularly active facets toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the rate-determining step in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell. The Pd-Pt nanodendrites were two and a half times more active on the basis of equivalent Pt mass for the ORR than the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst and five times more active than the first-generation supportless Pt-black catalyst.
Multi-dispersive channel characterization for radio localization-based rescue search

This paper describes the results achieved by various experimental campaigns aimed at characterizing the directional propagation channel in DCS/UMTS band (1.9 GHz) in indoor and forest areas for similar antenna heights at both ends. These experimental results are useful in the context of pedestrian radio-localization systems relying on cell phone signals. Wideband data, are used to model the channel through various parameters: pathloss, shadowing, fading statistics, delay and azimuth-spreads. For indoor scenarios, path-loss exponents range from 1.4 to 2.2, while the shadowing, temporal K-factor, delay- and azimuth-spreads are found to be lognormally distributed. The RMS delay-spread ranges from 9 ns to 95 ns, whereas the azimuth-spread ranges from 20 to 140 degrees. In forests, the delay-spread, ranging from 60 to 120 ns, is strongly anti-correlated with the temporal coherence, and increases with transmit-to-receive distance. The azimuth-spread remains limited, with average values around 15 degrees.
Multi Label Restricted Boltzmann Machine for Non-intrusive Load Monitoring

Increasing population indicates that energy demands need to be managed in the residential sector. Prior studies have reflected that the customers tend to reduce a significant amount of energy consumption if they are provided with appliance-level feedback. This observation has increased the relevance of load monitoring in today’s tech-savvy world. Most of the previously proposed solutions claim to perform load monitoring without intrusion, but they are not completely non-intrusive. These methods require historical appliance-level data for training the model for each of the devices. This data is gathered by putting a sensor on each of the appliances present in the home which causes intrusion in the building. Some recent studies have proposed that if we frame Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) as a multi-label classification problem, the need for appliance-level data can be avoided. In this paper, we propose Multi-label Restricted Boltzmann Machine(ML-RBM) for NILM and report an experimental evaluation of proposed and state-of-the-art techniques.
Examining the Socioeconomic Determinants of Adoption of the ‘ Government Gateway ’ Initiative in the UK

This paper empirically examines the impact of socioeconomic determinants upon the adoption of a recent UK e-Government initiative, the „Government Gateway‟. Five socio-economic characteristics that provide insights to Government Gateway adopters and non-adopters, as they were identified from the literature review used in this study. These included age, gender, education, income and occupation. The data on these variables was collected on a nationwide scale employing a postal survey. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 1600 households with a total of 358 responses obtained from the respondents. The findings of this research suggest that the three variables of age, gender and occupation significantly differentiated the adopters from the nonadopters of the Government Gateway, whilst education and income were found to be non-significant. The implications of the findings are discussed in the context of promoting the adoption of emerging ICT technologies such as broadband and reducing the digital divide against less privileged parts of the population.
Toward a diffusion model for Internet systems

The world of business is being profoundly transformed by the Internet and electronic commerce. The rapid advancement of Internet technology and its applications holds promise for the expansion of business opportunities in the global digital economy. Internet systems support a world‐wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination and a medium for electronic commerce between organizations and customers across countries. Describes research that leads to the derivation of a diffusion model of Internet systems, comprising four key dimensions: external market factors, external technical factors, internal organization factors, and internal systems factors. The intention is for this model to provide a theoretical base for further research on electronic commerce and Internet technology diffusion.
Neurogenesis in dentate subgranular zone and rostral subventricular zone after focal cerebral ischemia in the rat

Because neurogenesis persists in the adult mammalian brain and can be regulated by physiological and pathological events, we investigated its possible involvement in the brain's response to focal cerebral ischemia. Ischemia was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in the rat for 90 min, and proliferating cells were labeled with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-5′-monophosphate (BrdUrd) over 2-day periods before sacrificing animals 1, 2 or 3 weeks after ischemia. Ischemia increased the incorporation of BrdUrd into cells in two neuroproliferative regions—the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus and the rostral subventricular zone. Both effects were bilateral, but that in the subgranular zone was more prominent on the ischemic side. Cells labeled with BrdUrd coexpressed the immature neuronal markers doublecortin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen but did not express the more mature cell markers NeuN and Hu, suggesting that they were nascent neurons. These results support a role for ischemia-induced neurogenesis in what may be adaptive processes that contribute to recovery after stroke.
Syncopation, Body-Movement and Pleasure in Groove Music

Moving to music is an essential human pleasure particularly related to musical groove. Structurally, music associated with groove is often characterised by rhythmic complexity in the form of syncopation, frequently observed in musical styles such as funk, hip-hop and electronic dance music. Structural complexity has been related to positive affect in music more broadly, but the function of syncopation in eliciting pleasure and body-movement in groove is unknown. Here we report results from a web-based survey which investigated the relationship between syncopation and ratings of wanting to move and experienced pleasure. Participants heard funk drum-breaks with varying degrees of syncopation and audio entropy, and rated the extent to which the drum-breaks made them want to move and how much pleasure they experienced. While entropy was found to be a poor predictor of wanting to move and pleasure, the results showed that medium degrees of syncopation elicited the most desire to move and the most pleasure, particularly for participants who enjoy dancing to music. Hence, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between syncopation, body-movement and pleasure, and syncopation seems to be an important structural factor in embodied and affective responses to groove.
Is copeptin a reliable biomarker of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis?

Introduction The position of copeptin (C-terminal fragment of antidiuretin propeptide) as a marker of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) is under debate, and there are no data on the relation between copeptin and clinical and biochemical parameters in these patients. Aim of the study was to assess the level of serum copeptin in children with PMNE and to look for a relation between copeptin and selected clinical and biochemical parameters in these children. Material and methods Twenty-five children recruited for the trial fulfilled the following criteria: clinical diagnosis of PMNE, age 5-15 years, normal creatinine level, normal ultrasonographic image of kidneys and urinary tract. The following parameters were evaluated: serum copeptin, creatinine, sodium, potassium, hematocrit and urine specific gravity. Twenty healthy children were included in the control group. Results Children from study and control groups did not differ in serum copeptin, sex, age creatinine, sodium, hematocrit and specific gravity. Serum potassium level remained normal in subjects but was significantly higher in the study group. In children with PMNE we found no relation between serum copeptin level and sex, kidney function, sodium, and urinary specific gravity. We found a negative correlation between copeptin and bladder capacity and trends towards positive relations between copeptin and age, as well as hemoglobin. In the subgroup of children with normal bladder capacity a trend towards a positive correlation between copeptin and potassium was found. Conclusions Copeptin may be a marker of hydration status in children with PMNE. The relation between potassium and copeptin levels and the clinical significance of the relation require further studies.
The mRNA-like noncoding RNA Gomafu constitutes a novel nuclear domain in a subset of neurons

Recent transcriptome analyses have revealed that a large body of noncoding regions of mammalian genomes are actually transcribed into RNAs. Our understanding of the molecular features of these noncoding RNAs is far from complete. We have identified a novel mRNA-like noncoding gene, named Gomafu, which is expressed in a distinct set of neurons in the mouse nervous system. Interestingly, spliced mature Gomafu RNA is localized to the nucleus despite its mRNA-like characteristics, which usually act as potent export signals to the cytoplasm. Within the nucleus, Gomafu RNA is detected as numerous spots that do not colocalize with known nuclear domain markers. Gomafu RNA is extremely insoluble and remains intact after nuclear matrix preparation. Furthermore, heterokaryon assays revealed that Gomafu RNA does not shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm, but is retained in the nucleus after its transcription. We propose that Gomafu RNA represents a novel family of mRNA-like noncoding RNA that constitutes a cell-type-specific component of the nuclear matrix.
Advances in systemic treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas

Systemic treatment in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is an important element of therapy in a disease eligible for combined treatment with a radical intention and is the basis for the treatment of an unresectable or metastatic disease. The possibilities of treating STS are limited and for many years progress in this area was minor and the main drugs used in this indication were and still remain anthracyclines and alkylating agents. Clinical trials with new drugs are difficult for STS due to the heterogeneity of these tumours and due to their rare occurrence. Over the past two decades, there have been tested many substances in this indication, including molecularly targeted drugs. Great success was imatinib in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). Other drugs in STS have been tested and approved for use, e.g. sunitinib and regorafenib in the treatment of GIST, pazopanib in the treatment of non-GIST STS, trabectedin and olaratumab in the treatment of STS. First reports on the effectiveness of immunotherapy in the treatment of rare subtypes of STS are also available.
Leaf photosynthetic characteristics and photosystem II photochemistry of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under potassium-solubilizing bacteria inoculation

The current research was performed to investigate the effects of three potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSB) strains (Pantoea agglomerans, Rahnella aquatilis, and Pseudomonas orientalis) on leaf photosynthetic characteristics in rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Pajohesh). A pot and a field experiment were conducted in a paddy field. The results indicated that the KSB inoculums significantly enhanced chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl a+b, SPAD value, and stomatal conductance as compared to the control in both experiments, especially when applied along with half the recommended dose of the potassium chemical fertilizer. KSB inoculations, alone or combined with K fertilizer, significantly increased the value of photochemical quenching, photosynthetic electron transport rate, and the effective quantum efficiency as compared to the control. In conclusion, these native KSB strains could be used as inoculants to reduce consumption of K chemical fertilizer and improve the efficiency of photosynthesis for rice production under the flooding irrigation conditions.
The Consequences of PCBs and BPA Resulting from Terrorist Operations in Three Regions of Baghdad on Thyroid Function

Persistent organic pollutants polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and bisphenol-A (BPA) are widely known of being toxicants. Exposure to a variety of dangerous toxic effects has been attached in all humans . in this paper the effect of terrorist operation on thyroid gland functions in a sample of Iraqi individual (AL-karradah and Abo-Gharib) comparison with Al-jadria rejoin as (control). The correlation between sera thyroid hormones thyroxine T4, triiodothyronine T3, Thyrotropin TSH and the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and bisphenol-A (BPA) have been measured. 75 volunteers from three Iraqi areas were included in this study‎. Their ages ranged between (15-65) years. Our examination proposes an inverse relationship between BPA presentation and thyroid hormones. In this manner, increased persistent organic pollutants exposure might be a factor in the causes of hypothyroidism ‎and thyroid gland function. The result of this study showed that the effect of persistent organic pollutants polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and bisphenol-A (BPA) on thyroid hormones, and the effect of military and terrorist operations on the thyroid gland. In the end we concluded that persistent organic pollutants resulting from the explosions and terrorist operations in the area of (Al-karadah, Abo-Gharib) high compared with the control (Al-jadria) as the lowest percentage of pollution, this leads to many diseases on the health of the human body and also the effect of persistent organic pollutants on the thyroid gland and its negative effect on thyroid hormones and cause thyroid disease.
Accessory Stimulus Effects on Response Selection: Does Arousal Speed Decision Making?

When an intense but task-irrelevant accessory stimulus accompanies the imperative stimulus in a choice reaction task, reaction times (RTs) are facilitated. In a similar previous study (Hackley & Valle-Incln, 1998), we showed that this effect is not due to a reduction of the interval from onset of the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) until movement onset. In the present study, the RT task was modified to move a portion of the response selection stage into this time interval. The interval remained invariant, indicating that this late phase of the response selection process is not speeded by accessory stimulation. However, we observed amplitude modulation of the LRP on no-go trials in a condition with three alternative responses. This finding suggests that an earlier phase of response selection is influenced by accessory stimulation. In addition, a novel dependent measure was introduced to event-related potential researchthe latency of spontaneous, posttrial blinking.
Effect of ambient air pollution on daily mortality in Katowice Conurbation, Poland

The impact of air pollution on human health is subject to extensive research. most evidence concerns the effect of exposure to airborne Pm and PM 2.5 on daily mortality and hospital admissions. however; less is known about the effects of SO 2 . our study (time-series analysis) investigates the effects of 24-hour concentrations of Pm 10 , SO 2 and nO X on daily mortality over 2001-2002 in 14 cities of the katowice conurbation. Results of the study suggest that SO 2 is the major air pollutant affecting the daily mortality profile in katowice conurbation. sulphur dioxide effect is apparent in relation to both general and cardiovascular or respiratory mortality, particularly in the elderly. The effect of PM 10 concentration is also statistically signifi - cant but only to the general mortality pattern.
HIV-associated dementia in older adults: clinical and tomographic aspects

ABSTRACT Background: Elderly adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at greater risk of developing cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was to describe clinical and tomographic characteristics of HIV-1 associated dementia (HIVD) in older adults. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out involving eight HIVD patients. Seven tests were employed for cognitive assessment and transformed to whole number z-scores using appropriate normative sets. Results: The average age of the patients was 71 years; seven cases described the route of HIV infection as being heterosexual; and mean schooling was 6.5 years. Six subjects were using highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), with an average CD4 count of 407.8 cells/mm3. Mild dementia was detected in most cases (87.5%). Deficits on neuropsychological tests showed results similar to multi-center transversal studies on HIVD. The classic HIVD triad observed in younger adults was also seen in this population: i.e. cognitive changes, psychiatric changes and motor impairment. Cortical injury shown by dyscalculia, visual-spatial change and language deficits were frequent. Brain images showed cortical atrophy in all patients but was restricted to frontal lobes in five cases. Conclusion: The findings on brain imaging were non-specific, revealing images similar to those of the elderly brain and to HIVD in younger adults. HIVD in the elderly is a challenge and become an increasingly significant differential diagnosis for cognitive loss in old age. This dementia must be clinically suspected and image exams are useful in excluding other central disorders. Prospective studies of HIV-positive elderly people are warranted to better understand HIVD.
Inhibition of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction by carbon monoxide in dogs

ObjectiveWe tested the hypothesis that carbon monoxide might participate in the modulation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) by prostacyclin (PGI2) and nitric oxide. DesignProspective, interventional study. SettingUniversity laboratory. SubjectsNineteen intact anesthetized mongrel dogs. InterventionsRight heart catheterization for the measurements of mean pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa), left atrial pressure estimated from occluded Ppa (Ppao), pulmonary capillary pressure (Pcp) calculated from the Ppa decay curve after balloon occlusion, and cardiac output (Q); inferior vena cava balloon for the control of Q by manipulation of venous return; ventilation in hyperoxia (fraction of inspired O2, 0.4) or in hypoxia (Fio2, 0.1); inhibition of cyclooxygenase by indomethacin (Indo); inhibition of nitric oxide synthase by NG-nitro-l-arginine (L-NA); inhibition of heme oxygenase by mesoporphyrin IX (SnMP); inhalation of nitric oxide (20 ppm); and inhalation of carbon monoxide (100 ppm). Measurements and Main Results The first seven dogs were weak responders to hypoxia as assessed by a hypoxia-induced increase in the gradient between Ppa and Ppao, measured at one level of Q kept constant, by an average of only 2 mm Hg (p = NS). This HPV was markedly increased by the combined administration of Indo and L-NA. A further enhancement of HPV was observed after the addition of SnMP, leading to severe pulmonary hypertension with an average increase in Ppa to 39 mm Hg. Inhaled nitric oxide inhibited HPV only after the combined administration of Indo, L-NA, and SnMP. Inhaled carbon monoxide had no effect.The next 12 dogs were stronger responders to hypoxia, as assessed by a hypoxia-induced increase in the gradient between Ppa and Ppao, measured at several levels of Q, by an average of 3 mm Hg (p < .05). This HPV was of the same magnitude after administration of placebo (n = 6) or SnMP (n = 6). Addition of Indo enhanced HPV to the same extent in the placebo and in the SnMP groups. Addition of L-NA induced a further enhancement of HPV, which was, however, greater in the SnMP group. There was a slight increase in the capillary-venous segment relative to the arterial segment in hypoxic conditions, but the partitioning of pulmonary vascular resistance was otherwise unaffected by nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, or PGI2. ConclusionsEndogenous carbon monoxide modulates canine HPV only in the absence of nitric oxide. The vasodilation mediated by nitric oxide, PGI2, or carbon monoxide is essentially distributed between proximal and distal sites proportionally to the degree of constriction produced during hypoxia.
An epidermal growth factor (EGF) ‐dependent interaction between GIT1 and sorting nexin 6 promotes degradation of the EGF receptor

G‐protein coupled receptor (GPCR) ki‐nase‐2 interacting protein 1 (GIT1) is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that regulates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways. We demonstrate that GIT1 interacts with sorting nexin 6 (SNX6), a member of the SNX family that increases EGFR trafficking between endosomes and lysosomes, thereby enhancing EGFR degradation. The GIT1‐SNX6 interaction is increased 3‐fold after treatment with EGF for 60 min. The second coiled‐coil domain (CC2;aa 424–474) of GIT1 mediates binding to SNX6. Subcellular fractionation and confocal microscopy data indicate that GIT1 and SNX6 interact in endosomes. Knockdown of GIT1 expression by small interfering RNA decreased the rate of EGF‐induced EGFR degradation. Expression of exogenous GIT1 or SNX6 alone did not alter EGFR degradation;however, coexpression of GIT1 and SNX6 decreased EGFR levels both basally and in response to EGF. In contrast, expression of GIT1(CC2 deleted) and SNX6 did not reduce EGFR levels, demonstrating that the interaction between GIT1 and SNX6 was required to regulate EGFR trafficking. Phosphorylation of the EGFR substrate phospholipase C‐γ was decreased by coexpression of GIT1 and SNX6. These data demonstrate an endosomal, EGF‐regulated interaction between SNX6 and GIT1 that enhances degradation of the EGFR, and thereby alters EGFR signaling. Our findings suggest a new role for GIT1 in tyrosine kinase receptor trafficking. —Cavet, M. E. , Pang, J., Yin, G. , Berk, B. C. An epidermal growth factor (EGF) ‐dependent interaction between GIT1 and sorting nexin 6 promotes degradation of the EGF receptor. FASEB J. 22, 3607–3616 (2008)