Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rotary ultrasonic machining of silicon carbide: designed experiments

Silicon carbide (SiC) has found a variety of engineering applications due to its superior properties. However, it is still desirable to study cost-effective processes to machine silicon carbide. This paper presents the results of a designed experimental investigation into Rotary Ultrasonic Machining (RUM) of silicon carbide. A four-variable two-level full factorial design was employed to reveal main effects as well as interaction effects of four process variables (spindle speed, feedrate, ultrasonic power and grit size). The process outputs studied include cutting force, surface roughness and chipping size.
On the Initiation and Propagation of Dendritic Spikes in CA1 Pyramidal Neurons

Under certain conditions, regenerative voltage spikes can be initiated locally in the dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons. These are interesting events that could potentially provide neurons with additional computational abilities. Using whole-cell dendritic recordings from the distal apical trunk and proximal tuft regions and realistic computer modeling, we have determined that highly synchronized and moderately clustered inputs are required for dendritic spike initiation: ∼50 synaptic inputs spread over 100 μm of the apical trunk/tuft need to be activated within 3 msec. Dendritic spikes are characterized by a more depolarized voltage threshold than at the soma [-48 ± 1 mV (n = 30) vs -56 ± 1 mV (n = 7), respectively] and are mainly generated and shaped by dendritic Na+ and K+ currents. The relative contribution of AMPA and NMDA currents is also important in determining the actual spatiotemporal requirements for dendritic spike initiation. Once initiated, dendritic spikes can easily reach the soma, but their propagation is only moderately strong, so that it can be modulated by physiologically relevant factors such as changes in the Vm and the ionic composition of the extracellular solution. With effective spike propagation, an extremely short-latency neuronal output is produced for greatly reduced input levels. Therefore, dendritic spikes function as efficient detectors of specific input patterns, ensuring that the neuronal response to high levels of input synchrony is a precisely timed action potential output.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of Machado–Joseph Disease: Histopathologic Correlation

Purpose To determine the characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of early- and late-stage Machado–Joseph disease (MJD) and to examine correlation with pathologic specimens. Patients and Methods Four patients genetically diagnosed with MJD and a familial case of MJD were all examined using MRI. Machado–Joseph disease was pathologically confirmed in one of the four genetically diagnosed patients, and the findings were compared with the MRI results. Results In all three patients who had MJD for less than 8 years, MRI confirmed mild cerebellar atrophy, particularly in the vermis, and atrophic changes in the superior cerebellar peduncle. Mild pontine atrophy was observed in these three patients. Atrophic changes in the pontine tegmentum were more prominent than those of the pontine base in these patients. Two of the three patients showed mild frontal atrophy. Of the five total patients, two had the disease for over 10 years and showed progressive atrophy of the brainstem and mild frontal atrophy. These two patients also showed pallidal atrophy. One autopsied case in which the disease duration was 17 years showed a typical pathologic picture of MJD. Macroscopic findings for this patient showed marked atrophy of the pons, mild cerebellar atrophy (particularly in the vermis), marked atrophy of the superior cerebellar peduncle, severe involvement of motor nuclei, and atrophy and discoloration of the pallidum and subthalamic nuclei. Conclusion In the early stages of MJD, mild pontine atrophy, particularly in the tegmentum, and mild cerebellar atrophy are typical MRI findings. Atrophic changes in the brainstem may be progressive. Pallidal atrophy may be observed in patients with long disease duration. These findings correlated with the pathologic findings.
Single-Cell Analysis Uncovers Extensive Biological Noise in Poliovirus Replication

ABSTRACT Viral infections often begin with a very small number of initiating particles. Accordingly, the outcome of an infection is likely to be affected by variability in the initial molecular interactions between virus and host. In this study, we investigated the range of outcomes upon infection of single cells. We isolated individual cells infected with poliovirus at low or high multiplicities of infection (MOI) and measured viral genomic replication and infectious viral progeny in each cell. We first determined that at 7 h postinfection, the ratio of positive to negative strands in individual cells varies from 5:1 to more than 190:1, with and average of 20:1, suggesting a significant variability in RNA synthesis. We further found that while virus genome production is higher in cells infected at a high multiplicity, the production of infectious particles is largely independent of the number of viruses infecting each cell. Strikingly, by correlating RNA and particle production within individual infections, we uncovered a significant contribution of stochastic noise to the outcome of infection. At low MOI, stochastic influences appear as kinetic effects which are most critical at the initial steps in infection. At high MOI, stochastic influences appear to dictate the virus's ability to harness cellular resources. We conclude that biological noise is a critical determinant of the overall productivity of viral infections. The distinct nature of stochasticity in the outcome of infection by low and high numbers of viral particles may have important implications for our understanding of the determinants of successful viral infections. IMPORTANCE By correlating genome and particle production in single-cell infections, we elucidated sources of noise in viral infections. When a cell was infected by only a single infectious particle, variation in the kinetics of the initial steps of replication contributed significantly to the overall productivity of the infection. Additionally, variation in the distribution of subcellular resources impacted infections initiated by one or many infectious particles. We also observed that when a cell was infected with multiple particles, more genomes were produced, while particle production was hindered by an apparent cellular resource limit. Understanding variations in viral infections may illuminate the dynamics of infection and pathogenesis and has implications for virus adaptation and evolution.
The Death-Anxiety Buffering Function of Close Relationships: Exploring the Effects of Separation Reminders on Death-Thought Accessibility

Three studies examined the effects of separation reminders on death-thought accessibility. In Study 1, participants imagined a separation from a relationship partner, the death of such a partner, or a TV program. In Study 2, participants imagined a separation from a relationship partner, a separation from an acquaintance, or an academic failure. In Study 3, participants imagined a short-term, long-term, or final separation from a relationship partner. In the three studies, death-thought accessibility and attachment style were assessed. Thoughts of separation from a relationship partner led to heightened death-thought accessibility mainly when thoughts were focused on long-term or final separations and among persons scoring high on attachment anxiety. The discussion focused on the death-anxiety buffering function of close relationships.
Karyotype correlates with peripheral blood morphology and immunophenotype in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is recognized as a distinct entity. However, morphologic and immunophenotypic heterogeneity exist. Twenty-six patients with CLL were studied to investigate whether an association exists among peripheral blood karyotype, morphology and immunophenotype. Clonal cytogenetic abnormalities were detected in 14 patients (53%), using conventional karyotyping techniques in addition to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosome 12. By FAB guidelines, 7 of the 8 patients (88%) with trisomy 12 had mixed cell morphology compared to only 3 of 18 (17%) without trisomy 12 (P = .004). One patient (12%) with trisomy 12 had lymphocyte morphology typical for CLL. Six of the eight (75%) with trisomy 12 had atypical immunophenotype including one or more of the following: strong CD20 expression, strong surface light chain expression, or absence of CD23 expression. Only 2 of the 18 patients (11%) without trisomy 12 had atypical immunophenotype (P = .005). None of the three patients with clonal structural abnormalities of chromosome 13q14 had mixed cell morphology or atypical immunophenotype. One of the 12 patients (8%) without clonal cytogenetic abnormalities had mixed cell morphology and one had atypical immunophenotype. This study suggests that a correlation exists among karyotype, morphology, and immunophenotype in CLL, and that CLL subgroups can be identified based on laboratory parameters. Although normal karyotypes or clonal structural abnormalities of 13q14 are associated with morphology and immunophenotype considered typical for CLL, trisomy 12 is associated with mixed cell morphology and atypical immunophenotype. These findings may have implications for evaluating variation in both disease course and response to emerging therapies.
Job Stress in the Nursing Profession: The Influence of Organizational and Environmental Conditions and Job Characteristics.

The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of organizational and environmental work conditions on the job characteristics of nurses and on their health and well-being. The sample consisted of 807 registered nurses working in an academic hospital. The direct influence of work conditions on outcomes was examined. Mediation of job characteristics in the relationships between work conditions and outcomes was tested by means of regression analyses. The results indicated that job characteristics, such as demands and control, mediated the relationship between work conditions, such as work agreements and rewards, and outcomes. By managing organizational and environmental conditions of work, job characteristics can be altered, and these in their turn influence nurses’ job satisfaction and distress.
Fortuitous benefits of activity-based rehabilitation in stem cell-based therapy for spinal cord repair: enhancing graft survival

Traumatic injuries to spinal cord elicit diverse signaling pathways leading to unselective and complex pathological outcomes: death of multiple classes of neural cells, formation of cystic cavities and glial scars, disruption of axonal connections, and demyelination of spared axons, all of which can contribute more or less to debilitating functional impairments found in patients with spinal cord injury. The multitude of pathobiological processes involved in spinal cord trauma may make it highly challenging to develop a clinically meaningful therapeutic approach targeting only a specific molecule or signaling pathway. A hopeful alternative might be a cell therapy, especially a transplantation approach using neural stem cells (NSC) with a clear potential to differentiate into various neural cell types. Provision of NSCs with capacity to differentiate into mature neural cells can ideally replace lost segmental neurons and dying oligodendrocytes around surviving axons. Furthermore, NSCs secrete various growth factors that provide protective or pro-regenerative effects. It has been also demonstrated that NSCs can exert powerful modulatory effects on immune cells ameliorating secondary degenerative processes.
Distributed Power Allocation for Secondary Users in a Cognitive Radio Scenario

The major contribution of this paper is distributed power allocation for a multi-user multi-channel Cognitive Radio (CR) network which deploys overlay spectrum sharing by the Primary Users (PUs) and Secondary Users (SUs), and Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (FDMA) for the SUs. The transmit power of each SU is constrained by an individual node power budget, the interference threshold on the PU band, as well as the interference caused to the neighboring SUs. Motivated by the non-convex structure of the problem and the need to execute the power allocation distributedly, the problem is cast within a game theoretic frame-work. Pay-off functions for the SUs are formulated to suit the system model, and the Nash Equilibrium for the game is analyzed. Simulation results are provided to validate the mathematical concepts and to evaluate the performance of the proposed distributed power control algorithm in comparison with other relevant schemes.
Prevalence of insulin resistance syndrome in southwestern France and its relationship with inflammatory and hemostatic markers.

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence and relationships of insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) with inflammatory and hemostatic markers in a representative sample of the population of Southwestern France aged 35-64 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 597 men and 556 women and were assessed regarding BMI, blood pressure, total and HDL cholesterol levels, triglyceride level, glucose level, plasma insulin level, white blood cell count, fibrinogen level, factor VII level, von Willebrand factor, C-reactive protein level, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and soluble CD(14). Insulin resistance was defined by homeostasis model assessment > or =3.8. RESULTS Prevalence of IRS was higher in men than in women (23 vs. 12%, respectively; P < 0.001) and increased with age in both sexes (9, 24, and 34% for age groups 35-44, 45-54, and 55-64 years, respectively, for men and 4, 10, and 21% for women). After adjusting for age, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and also for menopause in women, subjects (men and women) with IRS had significantly higher white blood cell count, factor VII levels, coagulating factor VII levels, and C-reactive protein levels than the other subjects. In men, further increases in soluble intercellular adhesion molecule and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 were noted, whereas in women, the differences were borderline significant. Conversely, no differences were found in fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and soluble CD(14) in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS IRS is relatively common in residents of Southwestern France and is related to a deleterious increase in hemostatic and inflammatory parameters.
Turning defiance into compliance with procedural justice: Understanding reactions to regulatory encounters through motivational posturing

This paper uses Braithwaite's motivational posturing framework to explain how individuals react to encounters with regulatory authorities. Of interest is whether procedural justice can reduce defiance and improve self-reported compliance among individuals who are either resistant or dismissive of regulatory authority. Using longitudinal survey data collected from tax offenders (Study 1), and individuals who had a recent police-citizen interaction (Study 2), it will be shown that procedural justice can promote compliance behavior. Procedural justice is also found to be effective for reducing resistant forms of defiance over time, but not dismissive defiance. Further, the results reveal that neither resistant defiance nor dismissive defiance moderate the effect of procedural justice on compliance, suggesting procedural justice works equally well for both low and high resisters and low and high disengagers. Finally, an unexpected result reveals that resistance, but not dismissive defiance, mediates the effect of procedural justice on self-reported compliance behavior. The findings have implications for procedural justice research and for the regulation of defiance.
Educators' Perceptions of Response to Intervention Implementation and Impact on Student Learning.

The Response to Intervention Framework has created a change in the paradigm of the educational system where educators must pursue other avenues before embarking on testing and labeling a child. The Response to Intervention initiative has provided educators with a researchbased framework that can be implemented at all levels of schooling. There has been much research done about the success of the research-based model itself, but there is research lacking in the area of educators’ perceptions of the process. This qualitative study asked elementary educators who are involved in the day-to-day implementation of the Response to Intervention program to share their thoughts, experiences, and perceptions regarding the program and its implementation in their school. Results of the data from this study revealed that while the Response to Intervention framework is a researchbased program; the participants in this study shared that modifications need to be made in order to maximize the positive impact of the framework. Results from this naturalistic inquiry are significant because of the contribution the study makes to the research literature that could potentially modify the structure of the implementation of Response to Intervention.
INTRAORGANIZATIONAL EMPLOYEE NAVIGATION AND SOCIALLY DERIVED OUTCOMES: CONCEPTUALIZATION, VALIDATION, AND EFFECTS ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE

Intraorganizational employee navigation (IEN) is conceptualized as a means of better understanding how the organizational actor proactively works across their firm's internal environment in the execution of their jobs. Navigation is argued to be a precursor to the employee's overall performance through a class of mediating variables labeled “socially derived outcomes,” which are variables inside the organization that are bestowed upon the employee as a result of them first engaging in proactive behavior (e.g., IEN). Two studies are reported. Study I sees IEN psychometrically validated versus a range of existing proactive behaviors and individual traits (discriminant, nomological, and criterion-related validity) with a heterogeneous sample of 704 employees. Study II then tests a model relating IEN to performance through six mediating “socially derived outcomes” by leveraging data from 2 Fortune 500 firms. The results of Study II show that IEN significantly impacts multiple measures of the employee's overall performance through mediating effects brought about by key socially derived outcomes, such as the employee's “manager alignment. ” The contributions, broader implications, and limitations of the research are then put into context.
Science student role: Evidence of social structural norms specific to school science

Sociocultural studies of science education have consistently recognized the dialectic nature of students' agency to create and author positions for themselves and the structural constraints that may influence them. This mixed-methods study explores one particular aspect of these potential constraints: the possibility of a social structure specific to school science, using the concept of a science student role as an indicator. The first phase of the study was qualitative and exploratory, using open-ended questionnaires and interviews to understand students' views of the expectations placed on them as science students (n = 95). The second phase was quantitative (using items developed from the qualitative analysis), with both exploratory and confirmatory elements (n = 157). Results suggest clear and explicit role understandings among these students, characterized by references to expectations of intelligence, experimental skill, scientific mindedness, and appropriate classroom behavior. The consistency of these expectations across genders, science teachers and schools provides evidence that there is an element of social structure specific to school science that needs to be considered in studies of student agency and identity. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 367–395, 2011
Characterization of the products of ureas exposed to benzil and several new methods for the preparation of 5-5-diphenylhydantoins

Prof Angeli recently discovered another synthesis of the same compound and was kind enough to inform me by letter[2] and allow their use at this point: benzilic acid condenses after merging with symmetrical dimethylurea to lose two water molecules and gives the same expected products (shown to me and sent in a sample). Crystal form, melting point and mixed melting point were identical. From the formula of the start materials, his synthesis would yield a diphenyl-dimethylhydantoin:
Survival Kinetics of Starving Bacteria Is Biphasic and Density-Dependent

In the lifecycle of microorganisms, prolonged starvation is prevalent and sustaining life during starvation periods is a vital task. In the literature, it is commonly assumed that survival kinetics of starving microbes follows exponential decay. This assumption, however, has not been rigorously tested. Currently, it is not clear under what circumstances this assumption is true. Also, it is not known when such survival kinetics deviates from exponential decay and if it deviates, what underlying mechanisms for the deviation are. Here, to address these issues, we quantitatively characterized dynamics of survival and death of starving E. coli cells. The results show that the assumption – starving cells die exponentially – is true only at high cell density. At low density, starving cells persevere for extended periods of time, before dying rapidly exponentially. Detailed analyses show intriguing quantitative characteristics of the density-dependent and biphasic survival kinetics, including that the period of the perseverance is inversely proportional to cell density. These characteristics further lead us to identification of key underlying processes relevant for the perseverance of starving cells. Then, using mathematical modeling, we show how these processes contribute to the density-dependent and biphasic survival kinetics observed. Importantly, our model reveals a thrifty strategy employed by bacteria, by which upon sensing impending depletion of a substrate, the limiting substrate is conserved and utilized later during starvation to delay cell death. These findings advance quantitative understanding of survival of microbes in oligotrophic environments and facilitate quantitative analysis and prediction of microbial dynamics in nature. Furthermore, they prompt revision of previous models used to analyze and predict population dynamics of microbes.
Synchronizing Translated Movie Subtitles

This paper addresses the problem of synchronizing movie subtitles, which is necessary to improve alignment quality when building a parallel corpus out of translated subtitles. In particular, synchronization is done on the basis of aligned anchor points. Previous studies have shown that cognate filters are useful for the identification of such points. However, this restricts the approach to related languages with similar alphabets. Here, we propose a dictionary-based approach using automatic word alignment. We can show an improvement in alignment quality even for related languages compared to the cognate-based approach.