Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sol – Gel Modelling Associated with the Rheology of Polymeric Precursors of Ceramic Materials

Abstract A general constitutive relation describing the change of viscoelastic behavior during the liquid - solid (sol - gel) transition which takes place in preceramic polymers is derived on the basis of Jeffrey’s 3-constants model with time dependent viscosities and elasticity. It is postulated that the sol - gel - transition can be analyzed analogous to the solutions of the Avrami equation used for modeling crystallization processes. Two different polymer systems used as precursor for the production of ceramic materials are investigated here: i) a mixture based on polysiloxane, alumatrane and isopropanol; ii) a non-oxidic carbodiimide gel based on the reaction of chlorosi-lanes with bis(trimethylsilyl)carbodiimide. Continuous measurements of the dynamic moduli versus reaction time, as well as creep tests at constant shear stress, evidenced both qualitative similarities and quantitative differences associated with the sol - gel transition of the two polymer systems. The shear rate and viscosity dependence of reaction time in creep tests, respectively the evolution of Lissajous figures associated with oscillatory experiments, are found to be consistent with the numerical simulations of the proposed constitutive relation.
Rabbit muscle aldolase as a catalyst in organic synthesis

Abst6ct : p-Fructosc-1,6-b isphosphate a ldo lase f rom rabbi t musc le (RA\ tA, EC 4.1.2 l3) is a synthet ica l ly uscfu lcata lys t for the stcreoselective aldolcbndensation between dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP, l) and aldehl 'des having a rangc of structurcs. This paper dcmonstratcs that more than 50 aldehydcs [in addition to its natural substratc, >glyccraldehyde 3-phcPFtc' G-3-P (2) l arc iu6st ra tes for RAMA. Unhindered a l iphat ic , a-heteroarom-subst r tu ted, an d i f ie rent ia l ly protectcd.a lkory and amino aldehydes are substi tutes;sterical ly hindercd al iphatic and a,6-unsaturated aldehydes are not. Aromatic aldehydcs are either poot "t substrates or they do not react. Phosphorylated aldehydcs react more rapidly than thcir unphosphorylated counterparts, and aldehydes substi tuted in the a posit ion with an electroncgative group react more rapidl l ' than unsubsti tutcd al iphatic aldehydes. Pcrmissible variat ions in t t ie structure of the DHAP moiety' are much more restr icted; only two-I,3' d ihydroxy-2-butanone 3-phosphate (68) and 1,4-d ihydroxy-3-butanonel -phosphonate (69)-o f I I DHAP analogues tcs tcd weic substrates for RA\{A. neVn is stable under tire reattion conditions used in synthetic applications: it withstands organic cosolvents (up to 207o D\1SO or EIOH); i t can be uscd in immobil ized iorm, in soluble form, or enclosed within a mcmbranc; i t is a lso a i r -s tab le . Synthcscs of 5 ,6-d ideoxy-Dthreo-2-hexulose l -phosphate (82) ,5-O-methy l -Df ructose (85) , o-xy lu lcc (8t), and peracetylatedvglycero-o-altru2-octulose (91) on scales of 4 mmol-l moldemonstrate practical appl icat iongf thit catalyt ic synthetic methodoiogy. In a l imited srudy of kinetic diastereoselectivi ty, RAMA exhibits useiul select ivi ty in tyo cascsl * i t i r (*)-glyccraldchydc 3-phosphate [2; 20: ' l rat io, the major isomer being >fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (3)] andwilh (+)-2-(benzyloxyipropanal [19; 3:t rai io, t i r i major isomer being (S,S,R)-5-(benzyloxy)-3,4-dihydroxy' l-(phosphon*xl) ' h. *"n-i-on. igtlj 'When 1+j-f -hydroxybuunal (lm) reacs with DHRP, high thermodynamic diasterecelectivity was sbccnrcd: the ratio of the two stcrcoisomers (ror to lo{) is 97:3 and the major isomer is 5,? -didcoxy-t-gluco2-heptulopyrance l'phcpbatc (103) .
Primary chemotherapy and adjuvant tumor debulking in the management of advanced‐stage epithelial ovarian cancer

The aim of this article was to review the experience with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval surgical debulking in patients with metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer. A retrospective chart review was carried out to identify patients treated with neoadjuvant platinum/Taxol chemotherapy and interval debulking. Cox regression modeling was used to identify significant predictors of progression-free interval. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate the survival statistic for the study group. Sixty-one patients were identified after being treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval debulking surgeries. All surgeries were performed after three cycles of platinum/Taxol combination chemotherapy. Eighty percent of patients had a residual disease status of 2 cm or less after surgery. Suboptimal debulking was statistically associated with tumor involvement of the upper abdominal organs (P < 0.001) and nonnormalization of CA125 before surgery (P = 0.03). The perioperative complication rate was 7%. At a mean follow-up time of 19 months, 77% of patients were still alive. Cox regression modeling identified the microscopic tumor residual status as the only significant predictor of progression-free interval. The estimated median survival for the group was 41.70 months (95% confidence interval = 13.84–69.56 months). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with interval debulking surgery appeared to be safe and feasible in patients with metastatic epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
Saccades to a Remembered Location Elicit Spatially Specific Activation in Human Retinotopic Visual Cortex

The possible impact upon human visual cortex from saccades to remembered target locations was investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A specific location in the upper-right or upper-left visual quadrant served as the saccadic target. After a delay of 2400 msec, an auditory signal indicated whether to execute a saccade to that location (go trial) or to cancel the saccade and remain centrally fixated (no-go). Group fMRI analysis revealed activation specific to the remembered target location for executed saccades, in the contralateral lingual gyrus. No-go trials produced similar, albeit significantly reduced, effects. Individual retinotopic mapping confirmed that on go trials, quadrant-specific activations arose in those parts of ventral V1, V2, and V3 that coded the target location for the saccade, whereas on no-go trials, only the corresponding parts of V2 and V3 were significantly activated. These results indicate that a spatial–motor saccadic task (i.e., making an eye movement to a remembered location) is sufficient to activate retinotopic visual cortex spatially corresponding to the target location, and that this activation is also present (though reduced) when no saccade is executed. We discuss the implications of finding that saccades to remembered locations can affect early visual cortex, not just those structures conventionally associated with eye movements, in relation to recent ideas about attention, spatial working memory, and the notion that recently activated representations can be “refreshed” when needed.
Impact of Parental Socioeconomic Status on Childhood and Adolescent Overweight and Underweight in Korea

Background The prevalence of overweight and underweight is steadily increasing among children and adolescents. To explore the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and body mass index, we examined levels of overweight and underweight among representative samples of children and adolescents in South Korea. Methods We analyzed data from the 2009 Korean Survey on the Obesity of Youth and Children, conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute. The sample response rate for this survey was 93.9%. After excluding 745 subjects who had missing information on age, height, or weight, 9411 subjects were included. To measure parental socioeconomic status, 4 categories were assessed by using a structured questionnaire: subjective economic status, parental education level, parental occupational status, and family structure. We used the chi-squared test in univariable analysis and multinomial logistic regression in multivariable analysis. Results Multinomial logistic regression analysis identified sex, education level, parental interest in weight management, and parental body shapes as statistically significant characteristics affecting overweight in children, and sex, place of residence, parental interest in weight management, and paternal and maternal body shapes as statistically significant characteristics affecting underweight (P < 0.05). Conclusions Underweight and overweight coexist among adolescent Korean males of low socioeconomic status, which indicates that these conditions can coexist in developed countries. Appropriate interventions to address both overweight and underweight in adolescents are required.
Novel Poly-Dopamine Adhesive for a Halloysite Nanotube-Ru(bpy)3 2+ Electrochemiluminescent Sensor

Herein, for the first time, the electrochemiluminescent sensor based on Ru(bpy)3 2+-modified electrode using dopamine as an adhesive was successfully developed. After halloysite nanotube slurry was cast on a glassy carbon electrode and dried, an alkaline dopamine solution was added on the electrode surface. Initially, polydopamine belts with dimensions of tens to hundreds of nanometers formed via oxidization of the dopamine by ambient oxygen. As the incubation time increased, the nanobelts became broader and then united with each other to form a polydopamine film. The halloysite nanotubes were embedded within the polydopamine film. The above electrode was soaked in Ru(bpy)3 2+ aqueous solution to adsorb Ru(bpy)3 2+ into the active sites of the halloysite nanotubes via cation-exchange procedure. Through this simple procedure, a Ru(bpy)3 2+-modified electrode was obtained using only 6.25 µg Ru(bpy)3 2+, 15.0 µg dopamine, and 9.0 µg halloysite nanotubes. The electrochemistry and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of the modified electrode was investigated using tripropylamine (TPA) and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) as co-reactants. The different ECL behaviors of the modified electrode using NTA and TPA as well as the contact angle measurements reflected the hydrophilic character of the electrode. The results indicate that halloysite nanotubes have a high loading capacity for Ru(bpy)3 2+ and that dopamine is suitable for the preparation of modified electrodes.
Diet across the Lifespan and the Association with Breast Density in Adulthood

Studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the association between dietary factors across the lifespan and breast density and breast cancer in women. Breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer, and the mechanism through which it influences cancer risk remains unclear. Breast density has been shown to be modifiable, potentially through dietary modifications. The goal of this paper is to summarize the current studies on diet and diet-related factors across all ages, determine which dietary factors show the strongest association with breast density, the most critical age of exposure, and identify future directions. We identified 28 studies, many of which are cross-sectional, and found that the strongest associations are among vitamin D, calcium, dietary fat, and alcohol in premenopausal women. Longitudinal studies with repeated dietary measures as well as the examination of overall diet over time are needed to confirm these findings.
DISENTANGLING THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE FU ORIONIS CANDIDATE HBC 722 WITH HERSCHEL

We analyze the submillimeter emission surrounding the new FU Orionis-type object, HBC 722. We present the first epoch of observations of the active environs of HBC 722, with imaging and spectroscopy from PACS, SPIRE, and HIFI on board the Herschel Space Observatory, as well as CO J = 2–1 and 350 μm imaging (SHARC-II) with the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. The primary source of submillimeter continuum emission in the region—2MASS 20581767+4353310—is located 16″ south–southeast of the optical flaring source while the optical and near-infrared emission is dominated by HBC 722. A bipolar outflow extends over HBC 722; the most likely driver is the submillimeter source. We detect warm (100 K) and hot (246 K) CO emission in the surrounding region, evidence of outflow-driven heating in the vicinity. The region around HBC 722 itself shows little evidence of heating driven by the new outbursting source itself.
Combination of Nigella sativa and Honey in Eradication of Gastric Helicobacter pylori Infection

Background Gastric Helicobacter pylori is extremely common worldwide. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of combination of Nigella sativa and honey (Dosin) in eradication of gastric H. pylori infection. Patients and Methods Nineteen patients who had positive result for H. pylori infection by urea breath test (UBT) without a past history of peptic ulcer, gastric cancer or gastrointestinal bleeding, were suggested to receive one teaspoon of the mixture of Dosin (6 g/day of N. sativa as ground seeds and 12 g/day of honey) three times a day after meals for two weeks. The second UBT was used to detect the presence of H. pylori four weeks after completion of the test. In addition, symptoms of dyspepsia were scored before and after the study and analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results Fourteen patients completed the study. Negative UBT was observed in 57.1% (8/14) of participants after intervention. The median and interquartile range (IQR) of total dyspepsia symptoms was significantly reduced from 5.5 (5 - 12) to 1 (0 - 4) (P = 0.005). All the patients tolerated Dosin except for one who was excluded due to mild diarrhea. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions Dosin was concluded to be an anti H. pylori and an anti-dyspeptic agent. Further studies are recommended to investigate the effect of Dosin plus antibiotics (concurrently or following another) on gastric H. pylori infection.
Variability of impact life and reliability assessment of electronic packages

The study aims to predict the life and assess the reliability of electronic packages subject to multiple drop-impacts. Engineers used to adopt mechanics analysis as well as a certain life prediction model to predict the impact life of the package, and it is usually a deterministic value. However, drop test results show that the impact life of the package is not a single deterministic value but scatters to a certain extent. To cope with the discrepancy, some parameters involved in the finite element analysis and life prediction analysis should be considered as random variables. First, the solder-ball diameter is modeled as a random variable. Its effect on the random impact life prediction and quantitative reliability assessment of the package is investigated and discussed through statistical analysis. Secondly, parameters in the life prediction model are modeled as random variables. Their effects on variability of the impact life are investigated and discussed through both analytical derivation and simulations. Our research results reveal that randomness of solder-ball diameter and parameters of the electronic package do affect the life distribution and reliability of the package to a certain degree.
First metatarsophalangeal joint aspiration using a 29-gauge needle

Objectives: To asses the clinical feasibility of aspirating symptomatic and asymptomatic first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints with a 29-gauge needle in order to obtain a synovial fluid (SF) sample. Methods: All consecutive aspirations of first MTP joints performed within our department were prospectively recorded. The procedure was considered successful if SF volume was enough to perform a crystal search. Crystals were identified using a polarised light microscope (magnification ×400) with a first order red compensator. Pain was recorded on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: Aspirations were attempted in 33 first MTP joints in 31 patients. SF was drawn from 30 of the joints (91%), with little difference between asymptomatic (89%) and inflamed joints (93%). The technique was well tolerated (mean VAS 1.74). Urate monosodium crystals were identified in 22 samples (73%) and another sample contained calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals. Conclusions: A 29-gauge needle allows easy aspiration of the first MTP joint with only modest discomfort for the patients, and generally yields a SF sample of sufficient volume for crystal detection and identification.
PSEUDOVIEWER2: visualization of RNA pseudoknots of any type

Visualizing RNA pseudoknot structures is computationally more difficult than depicting RNA secondary structures, because a drawing of a pseudoknot structure is a graph (and possibly a nonplanar graph) with inner cycles within the pseudoknot, and possibly outer cycles formed between the pseudoknot and other structural elements. We previously developed PSEUDOVIEWER for visualizing H-type pseudoknots. PSEUDOVIEWER2 improves on the first version in many ways: (i) PSEUDOVIEWER2 is more general because it can visualize a pseudoknot of any type, including H-type pseudoknots, as a planar graph; (ii) PSEUDOVIEWER2 computes a drawing of RNA structures much more efficiently and is an order of magnitude faster in actual running time; and (iii) PSEUDOVIEWER2 is a web-based application program. Experimental results demonstrate that PSEUDOVIEWER2 generates an aesthetically pleasing drawing of pseudoknots of any type and that the new representation offered by PSEUDOVIEWER2 ensures uniform and clear drawings, with no edge crossing, for all types of pseudoknots. The PSEUDOVIEWER2 algorithm is the first developed for the automatic drawing of RNA secondary structures, including pseudoknots of any type. PSEUDOVIEWER2 is accessible at http://wilab.inha. ac.kr/pseudoviewer2/.
Patterns of bud-site selection in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae select bud sites in either of two distinct spatial patterns, known as axial (expressed by a and alpha cells) and bipolar (expressed by a/alpha cells). Fluorescence, time-lapse, and scanning electron microscopy have been used to obtain more precise descriptions of these patterns. From these descriptions, we conclude that in the axial pattern, the new bud forms directly adjacent to the division site in daughter cells and directly adjacent to the immediately preceding division site (bud site) in mother cells, with little influence from earlier sites. Thus, the division site appears to be marked by a spatial signal(s) that specifies the location of the new bud site and is transient in that it only lasts from one budding event to the next. Consistent with this conclusion, starvation and refeeding of axially budding cells results in the formation of new buds at nonaxial sites. In contrast, in bipolar budding cells, both poles are specified persistently as potential bud sites, as shown by the observations that a pole remains competent for budding even after several generations of nonuse and that the poles continue to be used for budding after starvation and refeeding. It appears that the specification of the two poles as potential bud sites occurs before a daughter cell forms its first bud, as a daughter can form this bud near either pole. However, there is a bias towards use of the pole distal to the division site. The strength of this bias varies from strain to strain, is affected by growth conditions, and diminishes in successive cell cycles. The first bud that forms near the distal pole appears to form at the very tip of the cell, whereas the first bud that forms near the pole proximal to the original division site (as marked by the birth scar) is generally somewhat offset from the tip and adjacent to (or overlapping) the birth scar. Subsequent buds can form near either pole and appear almost always to be adjacent either to the birth scar or to a previous bud site. These observations suggest that the distal tip of the cell and each division site carry persistent signals that can direct the selection of a bud site in any subsequent cell cycle.
A Hierarchical Bayesian Language Model Based On Pitman-Yor Processes

We propose a new hierarchical Bayesian n-gram model of natural languages. Our model makes use of a generalization of the commonly used Dirichlet distributions called Pitman-Yor processes which produce power-law distributions more closely resembling those in natural languages. We show that an approximation to the hierarchical Pitman-Yor language model recovers the exact formulation of interpolated Kneser-Ney, one of the best smoothing methods for n-gram language models. Experiments verify that our model gives cross entropy results superior to interpolated Kneser-Ney and comparable to modified Kneser-Ney.
Hubble Space Telescope Search for M Subdwarf Binaries

We present HST ACS observations of 19 nearby M subdwarfs in a search for binary systems. Other than the wide common proper-motion pair LHS 2140/2139, none of our sdM and esdM targets are found to be binaries. Our survey is sensitive to equal-luminosity companions at close (2-8 AU) separations, while substellar secondaries could have been detected at separations in the range of 6-30 AU. To check for wide binaries, we have compared the POSS I and II images in a field of view as large as 10′ × 10′, but could not detect a single comoving star for any of the targets. Combining our results with those from Gizis & Reid, we have a binary fraction of 3% (1/28). Detection of a small number of M subdwarf binaries reported in the literature suggests a higher fraction than the one obtained here, probably comparable to that found for the more massive solar-type stars in the halo (13%-15%). Comparison with the disk M dwarf fraction (~25%), however, suggests multiplicity to be rare among the lowest mass halo stars, implying the two populations formed under different initial conditions. The low binary fraction in our survey could be explained by selection biases. A decrease in multiplicity has been observed in the disk for masses below 0.1 M☉, the peak in the disk mass function (MF). The globular cluster MF is found to peak at about 0.33 M☉, with a decrease in the number of stars per unit mass below the peak mass. Our sample being composed of stars with masses between ~0.2 and 0.085 M☉ suggests that a decrease in multiplicity similar to the disk may also be true for the halo stars, but perhaps below a mass of ~0.3 M☉. A higher M subdwarf binary fraction may be obtained if the selected primaries have masses near or higher than the peak in the MF.
New Milk Protein-Derived Peptides with Potential Antimicrobial Activity: An Approach Based on Bioinformatic Studies

New peptides with potential antimicrobial activity, encrypted in milk protein sequences, were searched for with the use of bioinformatic tools. The major milk proteins were hydrolyzed in silico by 28 enzymes. The obtained peptides were characterized by the following parameters: molecular weight, isoelectric point, composition and number of amino acid residues, net charge at pH 7.0, aliphatic index, instability index, Boman index, and GRAVY index, and compared with those calculated for known 416 antimicrobial peptides including 59 antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from milk proteins listed in the BIOPEP database. A simple analysis of physico-chemical properties and the values of biological activity indicators were insufficient to select potentially antimicrobial peptides released in silico from milk proteins by proteolytic enzymes. The final selection was made based on the results of multidimensional statistical analysis such as support vector machines (SVM), random forest (RF), artificial neural networks (ANN) and discriminant analysis (DA) available in the Collection of Anti-Microbial Peptides (CAMP database). Eleven new peptides with potential antimicrobial activity were selected from all peptides released during in silico proteolysis of milk proteins.