Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Parsec-Scale Accelerating Radio Jet in the Giant Radio Galaxy NGC 315

Observations of the core of the giant radio galaxy NGC 315 made with VLBI interferometers are discussed in the context of a relativistic jet. The sidedness asymmetry suggests Doppler favoritism from a relativistic jet. The presence of moving features in the jet, as well as jet counterjet brightness ratios, hint at an accelerating, relativistic jet. An increasing jet velocity is also supported by a comparison of the jet's observed properties with the predictions of an adiabatic expansion model. On the parsec scale, the jet is unpolarized at a wavelength of 6 cm to a very high degree, in clear distinction to the high polarization seen on the kiloparsec scale.
Carbon nanotube thermal interfaces and related applications

Stephen Lallana Hodson, PhD, Purdue University, December 2016. Carbon Nanotube Thermal Interfaces and Related Applications. Major Professor: Timothy S. Fisher, School of Mechanical Engineering. The development of thermal interface materials (TIMs) is necessitated by the temperature drop across interfacing materials arising from macro and microscopic irregularities of their surfaces that constricts heat through small contact regions as well as mismatches in their thermal properties. Similar to other types of TIMs, CNT TIMs alleviate the thermal resistance across the interface by thermally bridging two materials together with cylindrical, high-aspect ratio, and nominally vertical conducting elements. Within the community of TIM engineers, the vision driving the development of CNT TIMs was born from measurements that revealed impressively high thermal conductivities of individual CNTs. This vision was then projected to efforts focused on packing many individual CNTs on a single substrate that efficiently conduct heat in parallel and ultimately through many contact regions at CNT-to-substrate contacts. This thesis encompasses a comprehensive investigation of the viability of carbon nanotube based thermal interface materials (CNT TIMs) to efficiently conduct heat across two contacting materials. The efforts in this work were initially devoted to engaging CNT TIMs with an opposing substrate using two bonding techniques. Using palladium hexadecanethiolate, Pd(SC16H35)2 the CNT ends were bonded to an opposing substrate (one-sided interface) or opposing CNT array (two-sided interface) to enhance
Malignant transformation of sinonasal inverted papilloma: A retrospective analysis of 32 cases

Sinonasal inverted papillomas (SNIPs) are derived from the benign tumors of the epithelial cells and have the potential to recur and exhibit malignant characteristics. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with malignant transformation of SNIP. A total of 32 consecutive cases, who were patients at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 1991 to January 2008, were retrospectively reviewed. Survival rates and prognostic factors were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox model survival analysis. The malignancy accounted for 8.99% of all types of SNIP. There were 25 males and seven females, and the median age of onset was 56.5 years. The sites of tumor included 22 in the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinuses, and 10 in the maxillary sinus. The tumors included 21 high-grade tumors, eight intermediate-grade tumors and three low-grade tumors. The number of patients with T1, T2, T3 and T4 stage disease was three, 10, 16 and three, respectively, according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging method. Based on the percentage of malignant cells in the entire tumor tissue, five patients had grade I tumors, five had grade II, eight had grade III and14 had grade IV. Among the 32 patients, three cases exhibited distant metastasis, and 19 patients underwent surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy, 10 underwent surgery alone and three underwent radiotherapy alone. The 5-year survival rate was 72.5% and the median overall survival time was 62.2 months. Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis indicated that the clinical stage and treatment method were prognostic factors, and multivariate Cox model survival analysis confirmed that the clinical stage and treatment method were independent factors for overall survival (relative risk: 4.211 and 0.312, respectively; P<0.05 for both). T3 and T4 staging and mono-treatment were associated with poor patient survival. Overall, the present study identified that the morbidity of SNIP-associated malignancy was low, the clinicopathological features were not specific, and the prognosis was improved compared with other types of sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma. The clinical stage and treatment method were found to affect the prognosis, and surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy was the predominant form of treatment. The present study may improve the understanding of the prognosis for patients with malignant SNIP in the future.
Evolutionary Relationships of Endemic/Epidemic and Sylvatic Dengue Viruses

ABSTRACT Endemic/epidemic dengue viruses (DEN) that are transmitted among humans by the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti andAedes albopictus are hypothesized to have evolved from sylvatic DEN strains that are transmitted among nonhuman primates in West Africa and Malaysia by other Aedes mosquitoes. We tested this hypothesis with phylogenetic studies using envelope protein gene sequences of both endemic/epidemic and sylvatic strains. The basal position of sylvatic lineages of DEN-1, -2, and -4 suggested that the endemic/epidemic lineages of these three DEN serotypes evolved independently from sylvatic progenitors. Time estimates for evolution of the endemic/epidemic forms ranged from 100 to 1,500 years ago, and the evolution of endemic/epidemic forms represents relatively recent events in the history of DEN evolution. Analysis of envelope protein amino acid changes predicted to have accompanied endemic/epidemic emergence suggested a role for domain III in adaptation to new mosquito and/or human hosts.
Hydration, Fluid Intake, and Related Urine Biomarkers among Male College Students in Cangzhou, China: A Cross-Sectional Study—Applications for Assessing Fluid Intake and Adequate Water Intake

The objectives of this study were to assess the associations between fluid intake and urine biomarkers and to determine daily total fluid intake for assessing hydration status for male college students. A total of 68 male college students aged 18–25 years recruited from Cangzhou, China completed a 7-day cross-sectional study. From day 1 to day 7; all subjects were asked to complete a self-administered 7-day 24-h fluid intake record. The foods eaten by subjects were weighed and 24-h urine was collected for three consecutive days on the last three consecutive days. On the sixth day, urine osmolality, specific gravity (USG), pH, and concentrations of potassium, sodium, and chloride was determined. Subjects were divided into optimal hydration, middle hydration, and hypohydration groups according to their 24-h urine osmolality. Strong relationships were found between daily total fluid intake and 24-h urine biomarkers, especially for 24-h urine volume (r = 0.76; p < 0.0001) and osmolality (r = 0.76; p < 0.0001). The percentage of the variances in daily total fluid intake (R2) explained by PLS (partial least squares) model with seven urinary biomarkers was 68.9%; two urine biomarkers—24-h urine volume and osmolality—were identified as possible key predictors. The daily total fluid intake for assessing optimal hydration was 2582 mL, while the daily total fluid intake for assessing hypohydration was 2502 mL. Differences in fluid intake and urine biomarkers were found among male college students with different hydration status. A strong relationship existed between urine biomarkers and fluid intake. A PLS model identified that key variables for assessing daily total fluid intake were 24-h urine volume and osmolality. It was feasibility to use total fluid intake to judge hydration status.
MACULAR PUCKER: To Peel or Not to Peel the Internal Limiting Membrane? A Microperimetric Response

Background: To compare functional and anatomical outcomes after idiopathic macular pucker removal between eyes that underwent internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and eyes that did not. Methods: In this multicentric, randomized clinical trial, 60 eyes of 60 patients affected with idiopathic macular pucker were enrolled. Thirty eyes underwent 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy associated with ILM peeling (“ILM peeling group”), whereas 30 eyes did not undergo ILM peeling (“ILM not peeling group”). Retinal sensitivity, frequency of microscotomas, and all the other microperimetric parameters were tested by MP1 microperimetry. Best-corrected visual acuity was investigated with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart. Anatomical outcomes were analyzed with spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Results: After a 12-month follow-up, the mean retinal sensitivity in the 4° central area showed a greater and faster recovery in the ILM not peeling group than in the ILM peeling group (P = 0.041). The number of absolute microscotomas (0 dB) within the 12° central retinal area was significantly higher in the ILM peeling group than in the ILM not peeling group (P = 0.044). Conclusion: The ILM not peeling group seems to show better outcomes than the ILM peeling group as measured by mean retinal sensitivity and number of microscotomas after a 12-month follow-up.
Cultural Constraints on Grammar and Cognition in Pirahã

The Pirah language challenges simplistic application of Hocketts nearly universally accepted design features of human language by showing that some of these features (interchangeability, displacement, and productivity) may be culturally constrained. In particular, Pirah culture constrains communication to nonabstract subjects which fall within the immediate experience of interlocutors. This constraint explains a number of very surprising features of Pirah grammar and culture: the absence of numbers of any kind or a concept of counting and of any terms for quantification, the absence of color terms, the absence of embedding, the simplest pronoun inventory known, the absence of relative tenses, the simplest kinship system yet documented, the absence of creation myths and fiction, the absence of any individual or collective memory of more than two generations past, the absence of drawing or other art and one of the simplest material cultures documented, and the fact that the Pirah are monolingual after more than 200 years of regular contact with Brazilians and the TupiGuaranispeaking Kawahiv.
FLEXURAL TESTING OF HIGH STRENGTH REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS STRENGTHENED WITH CFRP SHEETS

The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of externally bonded CFRP sheets to increase the flexural strength of reinforced high strength concrete (HSC) beams. Four-point bending flexural tests to complete failure on six concrete beams, strengthened with different layouts of CFRP sheets were conducted. Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element (FE) models were adopted by ANSYS to examine the behavior of the test beams. More specifically, the strength and ductility of the beams is investigated, as the number of FRP layers and tensile reinforcement bar ratio changed. With the exception of the control beam, one to four layers of CFRP were applied to the specimens. The ductility characteristics of the test beams were evaluated in terms of the displacement, curvature and energy ductility index. It was found that for all the reported beams, the energy ductility value is about two times higher than the displacement ductility values. The crack patterns in the beams are also presented. The load deflection plots obtained from numerical study show good agreement with the experimental results.
Molecular mechanisms of thrombin‐induced interleukin‐8 (IL‐8/CXCL8) expression in THP‐1‐derived and primary human macrophages

Under normal conditions, macrophages provide essential innate immune surveillance in tissues. These cells also play key functions during wound healing and in pathological conditions. When macrophages are exposed to thrombin, an enzyme released from leaky blood vessels, they are stimulated to produce inflammatory cytokines, which are critical for wound healing and can also facilitate tumor growth and invasion. Using antibody cytokine arrays, we identified IL‐8/CXCL8, a chemokine that plays important functions in inflammation and angiogenesis and consequently in healing and tumor development, as one of the cytokines that is highly stimulated in macrophages by thrombin. Here, we investigated the signal transduction mechanism by which thrombin stimulates IL‐8/CXCL8 expression in THP‐1‐derived and primary human macrophags. We show that JNK is a crucial mediator of the thrombin signaling pathways in macrophages, and the activation of JNK is dependent on stimulation of the Rho small GTPase. The thrombin‐induced Rho/JNK cascade is a novel signaling cascade for IL‐8/CXCL8 transcription activation. Understanding the molecular mechanism by which thrombin controls the expression of inflammatory cytokines in macrophages can lead to therapeutic interventions, which can provide better management of healing, inflammation, and tumorigenesis.
Distribution of symptom dimensions across Kraepelinian divisions

Background Dimensional structures are established for many psychiatric diagnoses, but dimensions have not been compared between diagnostic groups. Aims To examine the structure of dimensions in psychosis, to analyse their correlations with disease characteristics and to assess the relative contribution of dimensions v. diagnosis in explaining these characteristics. Method Factor analysis of the OPCRIT items of 191 Maudsley Family Study patients with schizophrenia, mood disorders with psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, and other psychotic illnesses, followed by regression of disease characteristics from factor scores and diagnosis. Results Five factors were identified (mania, reality distortion, depression, disorganisation, negative); all were more variable in schizophrenia than in affective psychosis. Mania was the best discriminator between schizophrenia and affective psychosis; the negative factor was strongly correlated with poor premorbid functioning, insidious onset and worse course. Dimensions explained more of the disease characteristics than did diagnosis, but the explanatory power of the latter was also high. Conclusions Kraepelinian diagnostic categories suffice for understanding illness characteristics, but the use of dimensions adds substantial information.
Confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmetry in the rat retina: origin of flow signals and dependence on scan depth.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the origin of signals from scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF) and the influence of axial scan depth on the measurement of blood flow in the rat retina. METHODS We performed SLDF in 5 adult Sprague-Dawley rats using a specially modified Heidelberg retina flowmeter. Axial scans were obtained from +2 diopters (D) to -3 D (in steps of 0.25 D) or from +1 D to -2 D (in steps of 0.125 D) relative to the retinal surface. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran angiograms were obtained in whole-mounted retinas to visualize the angioarchitecture and identify measurement locations in the SLDF flow maps. Axial SLDF flow profiles were obtained in an artery, vein, arteriole, venule, and capillary bed using the mean blood flow values in 2 x 2-, 4 x 4-, and 10 x 10-pixel measurement windows. RESULTS The SLDF images showed good correspondence with the angiograms and resolution to third-order arterioles and venules; however, neither the superficial nor deep capillary circulations were visualized. Flow was imaged from large choroidal vessels. Measured flow from capillaries was independent of depth and indistinguishable from background levels. CONCLUSION The technique of SLDF images blood flow in larger retinal vessels but not in capillaries. Clinical Relevance Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry may not reliably measure capillary blood flow.
The Effects of Presentation Formats and Task Complexity on Online Consumers' Product Understanding

This study assesses and compares four product presentation formats currently used online: static pictures, videos without narration, videos with narration, and virtual product experience (VPE), where consumers are able to virtually feel, touch, and try products. The effects of the four presentation formats on consumers' product understanding as well as the moderating role of the complexity of product understanding tasks were examined in a laboratory experiment. Two constructs used to measure product understanding performance are actual product knowledge and perceived website diagnosticity (i.e., the extent to which consumers believe a website is helpful for them to understand products). The experimental results show that (1) both videos and VPE lead to higher perceived website diagnosticity than static pictures; (2) under a moderate task complexity condition, VPE and videos lead to the same level of actual product knowledge, but all are more effective than static pictures; (3) under a high task complexity condition, all four presentation formats are equally effective in terms of actual product knowledge. Moreover, the results also indicate that it is perceived website diagnosticity, not actual product knowledge, that affects the perceived usefulness of websites, which further influences consumers' intentions to revisit the websites.
Biologically Derived Companding Algorithm for High Dynamic Range Mammography Images

The screening mammography is currently the best procedure available for early detection of the breast cancer. The acquired mammograms are high dynamic range (HDR) images having a 12 bit grayscale resolution. When viewed by a radiologist, a single image must be examined several times, each time focusing on a different intensity range. We have developed a biologically derived mammography companding (BDMC) algorithm for compression, expansion, and enhancement of mammograms, in a fully automatic way. The BDMC is comprised of two main processing stages: 1) preliminary processing operations which include standardization of the intensity range and expansion of the intensities which belong to the low intensity range. 2) Adaptively companding the HDR range by integrating multiscale contrast measures. The algorithm's performance has been preliminarily clinically tested on dozens of mammograms in collaboration with experienced radiologists. It appears that the suggested method succeeds in presenting all of the clinical information, including all the abnormalities, in a single low dynamic range companded image. This companded and enhanced image is not degraded more than the HDR image and can be analyzed without the need for professional workstation and its specific enhancement software.
Sensitive Detection of Xanthomonas oryzae Pathovars oryzae and oryzicola by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

ABSTRACT Molecular diagnostics for crop diseases can enhance food security by enabling the rapid identification of threatening pathogens and providing critical information for the deployment of disease management strategies. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a PCR-based tool that allows the rapid, highly specific amplification of target DNA sequences at a single temperature and is thus ideal for field-level diagnosis of plant diseases. We developed primers highly specific for two globally important rice pathogens, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causal agent of bacterial blight (BB) disease, and X. oryzae pv. oryzicola, the causal agent of bacterial leaf streak disease (BLS), for use in reliable, sensitive LAMP assays. In addition to pathovar distinction, two assays that differentiate X. oryzae pv. oryzae by African or Asian lineage were developed. Using these LAMP primer sets, the presence of each pathogen was detected from DNA and bacterial cells, as well as leaf and seed samples. Thresholds of detection for all assays were consistently 104 to 105 CFU ml−1, while genomic DNA thresholds were between 1 pg and 10 fg. Use of the unique sequences combined with the LAMP assay provides a sensitive, accurate, rapid, simple, and inexpensive protocol to detect both BB and BLS pathogens.
PROTECTIVE ROLE OF CARNITINE SYNERGIZED WITH VITAMIN E AGAINST ISOPROTERENOL INDUCED CARDIAC INFARCTION IN RATS

Background: The current study aimed to evaluate the role of carnitine in combination with vitamin E in protection against myocardial infarction induced by isoproterenol (ISO) in rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were grouped into 5 (each 10 rats): Group I. Control fed a standard diet. Group III: Rats were injected with vitamin E (100 IU/kg bw, i.p) daily. Group IV: Rats were given carnitine (20 mg/kg bw, i.p) daily. Group V: Rats were injected with both vitamin E (100 IU/kg bw, i.p) and carnitine (20 mg/kg bw, i.p) daily. On 7th, 8th, and 9th day, rats in groups (II-V) were injection i.p with ISO (55mg/kg b.w for successive three days). The treatment with carnitine and vitamin E were continuous for 21 days. Results: Canirine combined with vitamin E significantly increased coronary flow (CF) (P<0.001) in rats injected with ISO. The recovery of rate pressure product (RPP) and left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) were significantly improved in treated rats in comparison to untreated. The rats administrated with ISO resulted in a significant elevation of serum enzymes (CK-MB and LDH) compared with control group (p<0.001). However, it returned to about normal. ISO administration resulted in a significant elevation in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) as compared with control (p<0.001) and a significant reduction in the activities of GSPxase and GSRase (p<0.001) compared with control group. The levels of cardiac inflammatory markers interleukine-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were markedly elevated in rats injected with ISO compared with control group. Vitamin E combined with carnitine reversed these effects. However, pretreatment with vitamin E or carnitine or combined together showed a significant reduction in MDA and NO (p<0.001) and a significant elevation in the activities of GSPxase and GSRase (p<0.001) as compared to ISO injected group. The combined effect was more significant than individual ones. Conclusion: Vitamin E combined with carnitine exerts potential protective effect against MI through suppression of inflammatory mediators and enhancement of antioxidant activity.