Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal Conductivity Enhancement by Adding Nanoparticles to Ionic Liquids

Ionanofluids are a very new class of nanofluids having ionic liquids as the base fluid. Thermophysical properties of base ionic liquids (ILs) and nanoparticle enhanced ionic liquids (NEILs) are part of studying a new class of fluids for heat transfer. NEILs are formed by dispersing different volume fractions of nanoparticles in a base ionic liquid. In this article, only the thermal conductivity enhancement was considered for comparison of the different ionanofluids. NEILs show enhanced thermal conductivity compared to the base ILs. Maximum thermal conductivity enhancement was observed by adding 1 % MWCNT to [C4mim][(CF3SO2)2N] ionic liquid. However, if 0.05% MWCNT are added to [(C6)3PC14)][NTf2] no enhancement in thermal conductivity was noticed.
Risk of Melanoma in People with HIV/AIDS in the Pre- and Post-HAART Eras: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies

Objective Following the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) the risk of AIDS-defining cancers decreased but incidence of many non-AIDS-defining cancers has reportedly increased in those with HIV/AIDS. Whether melanoma risk has also changed in HIV/AIDS patients post-HAART is unknown and therefore we evaluated this in comparison with the risk before HAART. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods We searched Medline, Embase and ISI science citation index databases to April 2013. All cohort studies of patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS that permitted quantitative assessment of the association with melanoma were eligible. Detailed quality assessment of eligible studies was conducted, focussing particularly on adjustment for ethnicity, a priori considered essential for an unbiased assessment of melanoma risk. Data were pooled using a random effects model. Results From 288 articles, we identified 21 that met the inclusion criteria, 13 presenting data for the post-HAART era and 8 for the pre-HAART era. Post-HAART the pooled relative risk (pRR) for the association between HIV/AIDS and melanoma was 1.26 (95% CI, 0.97–1.64) and 1.50 (95% CI 1.12–2.01) among studies that accounted for ethnicity, with evidence of significant heterogeneity (P = 0.004, I2 = 55.5). Pre-HAART pRRs were 1.26 (95% CI 1.11–1.43; Phet = 0.82) and 1.28 (95% CI 1.10–1.49) among studies adjusted for ethnicity. Conclusions People with HIV/AIDS remain at a significantly increased risk of developing melanoma in the post-HAART era. White skinned people with HIV/AIDS should be screened regularly and counselled against excessive sun exposure.
Donor‐specific HLA antibody‐mediated complement activation is a significant indicator of antibody‐mediated rejection and poor long‐term graft outcome during lung transplantation: a single center cohort study

Complement‐mediated allograft injury, elicited by donor‐specific HLA antibodies (DSA), is a defining pathophysiological characteristic of allograft damage. We aimed to study DSA‐induced complement activation as a diagnostic marker of antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR) and a risk stratification tool for graft loss in the context of lung transplantation (LT). We identified 38 DSA‐positive patients whose serum samples were submitted for C3d deposition testing via the C3d assay. Among these 38 patients, 15 had AMR (DSAPosAMRPos). Results were reported for each patient as the C3d ratio for each DSA, the immunodominant DSA, and the C3d ratio for all DSA present in a sample (C3d ratioSUM). DSAPosAMRPos patients had higher C3d ratioSUM values (58.66 (−1.32 to 118.6) vs. 1.52 (0.30 to 2.74), P = 0.0016) and increased immunodominant C3d ratios (41.87 (1.72 to 82.02) vs. 0.69 (0.21 to 1.19), P = 0.001) when compared with DSAPosAMRNeg patients. Specificity and calculated positive predictive value of the immunodominant C3d ratio and BCMsum tests for AMR diagnosis were both 100% (CI = 17.4–100) in this cohort. Worst graft survival was associated with both immunodominant C3d ratio ≥4 or C3d ratioSUM ≥10 or BCMsum >7000, suggesting that the antibody composition and/or strength are the principal determinants of an HLA DSA's capacity to activate complement.
The use of high-selenium yeast to raise selenium status: how does it measure up?

Selenium-enriched yeast (Se-yeast) is a common form of Se used to supplement the dietary intake of this important trace mineral. However, its availability within the European Union is under threat, owing to concerns expressed by the European Community (EC) Scientific Committee on Food that Se-yeast supplements are poorly characterised and could potentially cause the build up of Se in tissues to toxic levels. The present review examines the validity of these concerns. Diagrams of the biosynthesis and metabolism of Se compounds show which species can be expected to occur in Se-yeast preparations. Se-yeast manufacture is described together with quality-control measures applied by reputable manufacturers. The way in which speciation of Se-yeast is achieved is explained and results on amounts of Se species in various commercial products are tabulated. In all cases described, selenomethionine is the largest single species, accounting for 54–74 % of total Se. Se-yeast is capable of increasing the activity of the selenoenzymes and its bioavailability has been found to be higher than that of inorganic Se sources in all but one study. Intervention studies with Se-yeast have shown the benefit of this form in cancer prevention, on the immune response and on HIV infection. Of about one dozen supplementation studies, none has shown evidence of toxicity even up to an intake level of 800 μg Se/d over a period of years. It is concluded that Se-yeast from reputable manufacturers is adequately characterised, of reproducible quality, and that there is no evidence of toxicity even at levels far above the EC tolerable upper intake level of 300 μg/d.
nergy exchange and evapotranspiration over two temperate semi-arid rasslands in North America

The seasonal and interannual variability in surface energy exchange and evapotranspiration (E) of two temperate semi-arid grasslands in southeastern Arizona, USA, were investigated using multi-year (2004–2007) eddy covariance measurements. The study sites, a post-fire site (AG) and an unburned site (KG), received 43–87% of the annual precipitation (P) during the North American Monsoon season (July–September), with the lowest values in the drought years of 2004 and 2005. Irrespective of the differences in temperature, surface albedo, vegetation cover and soil characteristics both sites responded similarly to changes in environmental conditions. The seasonal and interannual variations in the partitioning of net radiation to turbulent fluxes were mainly controlled by P through the changes in soil water content ( ) and vegetation growth. Drastic changes in albedo, vegetation growth and energy fluxes occurred following the onset of the monsoon season in July. During the dry or cool periods of autumn, winter and spring, the sensible heat flux was the largest component of the energy balance, whereas latent heat flux dominated during the warm and wet periods of summer. The dry-foliage Priestley–Taylor coefficient ( ̨) declined when in the 0–15 cm soil layer dropped below 0.08 m3 m−3 at AG, and 0.09 m3 m−3 at KG, respectively. The July–September average of dry-foliage surface conductance, ̨ and E, reached their lowest values in 2004 at AG and in 2005 at KG. During July–September, monthly E was linearly correlated to the monthly mean and the broadband normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), whereas during May–June the relationship between NDVI and E was not significant. Annual E varied from 264 to 322 mm at AG and from 196 to 284 mm at KG with the lowest value during the severe drought year at the site. July–September E had positive correlation with total P, the mean NDVI and the number of growing eriod season days during that p
Spatial variability of surface roughness and hydraulic conductivity after disk tillage : implications for runoff variability

Hydraulic conductivity and surface roughness were measured twice on freshly tilled soil immediately after each of two disk tillages. The objective was to measure the modification in their spatial arrangement induced by tillage. One hundred and thirteen points were measured on a 1600-m area, each with a 1-m sampling area. The average values for roughness and field saturated hydraulic conductivity, Kfs, differed significantly after each tillage. This was attributed to the different soil conditions at the time of tillage. Both magnitudes showed some degree of spatial autocorrelation, mostly in the tillage direction, but no crosscorrelation. Kfs showed a periodic behavior in the direction perpendicular to the tillage rows that might reflect the effect of traffic. The spatial distribution of surface roughness was completely different after the two tillages made with the same equipment. The spatial distribution of Kfs after two tillages made with the same equipment were similar. An analysis with a runoff model suggests that the spatial modification of both Kfs and surface roughness by tillage is not capable, alone, to explain the lack of stability of runoff in replicated plots. Simulations suggest that the lack of stability in runoff among replicated plots might be explained by the spatial modification of surface tillage combined with an infiltration dominated by a bimodal model of surface crusting regulated by microrelief. q 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Abscisic Acid as a Dominant Signal in Tomato During Salt Stress Predisposition to Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot

Salt stress predisposes plants to Phytophthora root and crown rot in an abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent manner. We used the tomato–Phytophthora capsici interaction to examine zoospore chemoattraction and assessed expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes regulated by salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) following a salt-stress episode. Although salt treatment enhances chemoattraction of tomato roots to zoospores, exudates from salt-stressed roots of ABA-deficient mutants, which do not display the predisposition phenotype, have a similar chemoattraction as exudates from salt-stressed, wild-type roots. This suggests that ABA action during predisposing stress enhances disease through effects on plant responses occurring after initial contact and during ingress by the pathogen. The expression of NCED1 (ABA synthesis) and TAS14 (ABA response) in roots generally corresponded to previously reported changes in root ABA levels during salt stress onset and recovery in a pattern that was not altered by infection by P. capsici. The PR genes, P4 and PI-2, hallmarks in tomato for SA and JA action, respectively, were induced in non-stressed roots during infection and strongly suppressed in infected roots exposed to salt-stress prior to inoculation. However, there was a similar proportional increase in pathogen colonization observed in salt-stressed plants relative to non-stressed plants in both wild-type and a SA-deficient nahG line. Unlike the other tomato cultivars used in this study that showed a strong predisposition phenotype, the processing tomato cv. ‘Castlemart’ and its JA mutants were not predisposed by salt. Salt stress predisposition to crown and root rot caused by P. capsici appears to be strongly conditioned by ABA-driven mechanisms in tomato, with the stress compromising SA-and JA-mediated defense-related gene expression during P. capsici infection.
Inhibition of laser-induced choroidal neovascularization by atorvastatin by downregulation of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 synthesis in mice.

PURPOSE To determine the effect of atorvastatin, an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, on experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV) induced by laser photocoagulation in mice. METHODS CNV was induced by laser photocoagulation in normal wild-type mice. The mice received either oral atorvastatin 10 (AS10 group) or 20 (AS20 group) mg/kg per day 3 days before and after laser application; 1 (AS1) and 2 (AS2) mg/kg per day were included in the measurement of the parameters of CNV volume and the expression of chemoattractant CC chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2/MCP-1) and intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. CNV responses were compared based on volume measurements 2 weeks after laser photocoagulation. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CCL2/MCP-1, and ICAM-1 in the RPE and choroid was quantified by ELISA 2 or 3 days after photocoagulation. Macrophage infiltration of the choroid was determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS The mean CNV volume was significantly smaller in the AS1 (44.16 +/- 4.67 x 10(4) microm(3)), AS2 (36.49 +/- 4.64 x 10(4) microm(3)), AS10 (25.75 +/- 2.41 x 10(4) microm(3)), and AS20 (33.24 +/- 8.42 x 10(4) microm(3)) groups compared with control mice (64.21 +/- 2.27 x 10(4) microm(3); P = 0.0004, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively). The mean VEGF and CCL2/MCP-1 protein levels decreased significantly (P = 0.001, P = 0.02, respectively) in the treated group compared with the control group. ICAM-1 expression did not differ significantly between the treated and control groups. The number of choroid-infiltrating macrophages decreased markedly in the treated group. CONCLUSIONS Atorvastatin effectively inhibited laser-induced CNV in mice and was associated with downregulation of CCL2/MCP-1 and VEGF and reduced macrophage infiltration into the RPE/choroid.
Anthocyanins from black rice (Oryza sativa) promote immune responses in leukemia through enhancing phagocytosis of macrophages in vivo

Rice is a staple food in numerous countries around the world. Anthocyanins found in black rice have been reported to reduce the risk of certain diseases, but the effects of crude extract of anthocyanins from Asia University-selected purple glutinous indica rice (AUPGA) on immune responses have not yet been demonstrated. The current study aimed to investigate whether AUPGA treatment could affect immune responses in murine leukemia cells in vivo. Murine acute myelomonocytic leukemia WEHI-3 cells were intraperitoneally injected into normal BALB/c mice to generate leukemia mice. A total of 50 mice were randomly divided into five groups (n=10 in each group) and were fed a diet supplemented with AUPGA at 0, 20, 50 or 100 mg/kg for three weeks. All mice were weighed and the blood, liver and spleen were collected for further experiments. The results indicated that AUPGA did not significantly affect animal body weight, but significantly increased spleen weight (P<0.05) and decreased liver weight (P<0.05) when compared with the control group. AUPGA significantly increased the T cell (CD3) population at treatments of 20 and 100 mg/kg (P<0.05). However, it only significantly increased the B cell (CD19) population at a treatment of 20 mg/kg (P<0.05). Furthermore, AUPGA at 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly increased the monocyte (CD11b) population and the level of macrophages (Mac-3; P<0.05 for both). AUPGA at 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly promoted macrophage phagocytosis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (P<0.05), and all doses of AUPGA treatment significantly promoted macrophage phagocytotic activity in the peritoneum (P<0.05). AUPGA treatment significantly decreased natural killer cell activity from splenocytes (P<0.05). Finally, AUPGA treatment at 20 mg/kg treatment significantly promoted T cell proliferation (P<0.05), and treatment at 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly decreased B cell proliferation compared with the control group (P<0.05).
Statistical Abstraction for Multi-scale Spatio-temporal Systems

Modelling spatio-temporal systems exhibiting multi-scale behaviour is a powerful tool in many branches of science, yet it still presents significant challenges. Here, we consider a general two-layer (agent-environment) modelling framework, where spatially distributed agents behave according to external inputs and internal computation; this behaviour may include influencing their immediate environment, creating a medium over which agent-agent interaction signals can be transmitted. We propose a novel simulation strategy based on a statistical abstraction of the agent layer, which is typically the most detailed component of the model and can incur significant computational cost in simulation. The abstraction makes use of Gaussian Processes, a powerful class of non-parametric regression techniques from Bayesian Machine Learning, to estimate the agent’s behaviour given the environmental input. We show on two biological case studies how this technique can be used to speed up simulations and provide further insights into model behaviour.
Inter-comparison of ammonia fluxes obtained using the Relaxed Eddy Accumulation technique

Abstract. The exchange of Ammonia (NH3) between grassland and the atmosphere was determined using Relaxed Eddy Accumulation (REA) measurements. The use of REA is of special interest for NH3, since the determination of fluxes at one height permits multiple systems to be deployed to quantify vertical flux divergence (either due to effects of chemical production or advection). During the Braunschweig integrated experiment four different continuous-sampling REA systems were operated during a period of about 10 days and were compared against a reference provided by independent application of the Aerodynamic Gradient Method (AGM). The experiment covered episodes before and after both cutting and fertilizing and provided a wide range of fluxes −60–3600 ng NH3 m−2 s−1 for testing the REA systems. The REA systems showed moderate to good correlation with the AGM estimates, with r2 values for the linear regressions between 0.3 and 0.82. For the period immediately after fertilization, the REA systems showed average fluxes 20% to 70% lower than the reference. At periods with low fluxes REA and AGM can agree within a few %. Overall, the results show that the continuous REA technique can now be used to measure NH3 surface exchange fluxes. While REA requires greater analytical precision in NH3 measurement than the AGM, a key advantage of REA is that reference sampling periods can be introduced to remove bias between sampling inlets. However, while the data here indicate differences consistent with advection effects, significant improvements in sampling precision are essential to allow robust determination of flux divergence in future studies. Wet chemical techniques will be developed further since they use the adsorptive and reactive properties of NH3 that impedes development of cheaper optical systems.
A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Nutritional Study Using an Insoluble Yeast Beta-Glucan to Improve the Immune Defense System

Purpose: In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, the effect of an insoluble yeast beta-glucan preparation on the incidences of common colds and its effect on common cold symptoms were compared to placebo. Methods: 100 healthy participants with recurring infections were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or yeast beta-glucan (Yestimun ® ; n = 50 each group) over a period of 26 weeks. The subjects had to document each common cold episode in a diary, and rate 6 predefined infections symptoms on a 3-point rating scale during an infection period, resulting in an infection score. The common cold episodes were confirmed by the investigators. Results: A total of 171 common cold episodes were documented. Of these, 76 were experienced by 38 subjects in the beta-glucan group and 96 were experienced by 48 subjects in the placebo group (p = 0.406). The beta-glucan group had significantly more subjects without incidences of common cold than the placebo group (15.6% vs 2.0%; p = 0.019). During the most intense infection season (first 13 weeks of the study), the beta-glucan group had significantly less infections compared to placebo (p = 0.02). Beta-glucan significantly reduced the typical cold symptoms (“sore throat and/or difficulty swallowing”, “hoarseness and/or cough” and “runny nose”) as opposed to placebo. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates a prophylactic effect of yeast beta-glucan on the occurrence of common colds as opposed to placebo. In addition, when these episodes occurred, they were from the beginning less pronounced and subsided faster.
Effect of Glass Powder on Engineering Properties of Clayey Soil

Clay soils exhibit generally undesirable engineering properties. They tend to have low shear strength which reduces further upon wetting or other physical disturbances. Hence, there exists a need of improving the engineering properties of soil before construction by soil stabilization techniques. The main objective of this study is to investigate the use of waste glass powder in geotechnical applications and to evaluate the effects of waste glass powder on shear strength, compressibility and CBR values of clayey soil by carrying out direct shear tests, unconfined compression tests, standard proctor test and CBR test. The powdered glass material is added to the soil in different proportions like 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% and find the percentage at which the maximum soil strength is obtained. Also a comparative study on the properties of untreated clay soil and clay soil treated with glass powder was also done. Keywords— Clay soil, glass powder,CBR,UCC.direct shear test
A meta-analytic investigation of cognitive ability in employment interview evaluations: Moderating characteristics and implications for incremental validity.

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the extent to which employment interview evaluations reflect cognitive ability. A meta-analysis of 49 studies found a corrected mean correlation of . 40 between interview ratings and ability test scores, suggesting that on average about 16% of the variance in interview constructs represents cognitive ability. Analysis of several design characteristics that could moderate the relationship between interview scores and ability suggested that (a) the correlation with ability tends to decrease as the level of structure increases; (b) the type of questions asked can have considerable influence on the magnitude of the correlation with ability; (c) the reflection of ability in the ratings tends to increase when ability test scores are made available to interviewers; and (d) the correlation with ability generally is higher for low-complexity jobs. Moreover, results suggest that interview ratings that correlate higher with cognitive ability tend to be better predictors of job performance. Implications for incremental validity are discussed, and recommendations for selection strategies are outlined. Understanding of the validity of the employment interview has increased considerably in recent years. In particular, a series of meta-analyses has affirmed that the interview is generally a much better predictor of performance than previously thought and is comparable with many other selection techniques (Huffcutt & Arthur, 1994; Marchese & Muchinsky, 1993; McDaniel, Whetzel, Schmidt, & Maurer, 1994; Wiesner & Cronshaw, 1988; Wright, Lichtenfels, & Pursell, 1989). Moreover, these studies have identified several key design characteristics that can improve substantially the validity of the interview (e.g., structure).