Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of quenching and annealing on fiber pull-out from crystalline polymer matrices

A single fiber pull-out test using a specimen suitable for optical microscopic observation of thermoplastic polymer matrices has been developed. By applying this test method, the effects of quenching and annealing on the pull-out of carbon fiber (CF) from polycarbonate (PC), poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS), poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and polypropylene (PP) matrices were investigated. Studies of pull-out specimens before and after the pull-out test were also performed using an optical microscope with crossed polaroids. With the CF-PC system, rapid quenching developed a localized birefringent region spreading to a wider area in the polymeric material of the fiber exit points of the matrix, and decreased the fiber pull-out resistance. With the CF-PPS and CF-PEEK systems, annealing developed the transcrystal of polymer matrix along the fiber surface, and significantly increased the fiber pull-out resistance. The fiber pull-out from the annealed PPS and PEEK matrices occurred as the result of adhesive failu.
MERCURY AND PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANT CONCENTRATIONS IN AFRICAN FISH EAGLES, MARABOU STORKS, AND NILE TILAPIA IN UGANDA

The purpose of this research was to evaluate persistent organic pollutant (POP) and mercury concentrations in tissues of African fish eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from Lake Victoria near Entebbe and Lake Mburo, Uganda. Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) nestlings from urban Kampala (40 km from Entebbe) also were sampled for POPs and mercury. Total mercury was measured in the breast feathers of eight nestling and 10 adult African fish eagles from Lake Mburo, 10 nestling and five adult African fish eagles from Lake Victoria near Entebbe, and 20 nestling marabou storks from Kampala from June 2002 through January 2003. Mercury concentrations in all samples were below levels associated with adverse effects in similar species. Mercury concentrations were significantly higher in eagle adults and nestlings from Entebbe than in adults and nestlings from Lake Mburo (P≤0.05). No significant differences (P≥0.05) were found in mercury concentrations between sexes or between the entire fish eagle population sampled at Entebbe and marabou stork nestlings sampled at nearby Kampala. Plasma samples from the same birds were analyzed for 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlo-rophenyl)ethane, aldrin, hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor and their metabolites, as well as total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Nile tilapia whole-body cross sections collected from Lake Mburo (n=3) and Lake Victoria near Entebbe (n=8) also were analyzed for these POPs and mercury. No samples contained POPs or PCBs at the limits of detection except for 4,4′-1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene in five adult eagle plasma samples (0.0026±0.0015 ppm wet weight) and five Nile tilapia samples (0.002±0.001 ppm wet weight) from Entebbe.
Evolution of hominoids and the search for a genetic basis for creating humanness

ABC Fax + 41 61 306 12 34 E-mail karger@karger.ch www.karger. com © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel 0301–0171/05/1083–0016$22.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger. com/cgr Abstract. The phylogenetic relationship of human and apes are reviewed. The history of molecular phylogenetic studies in this field is then discussed, as is the role of natural selection at the molecular level. It is argued that approximately 10,000 genetic changes are responsible for creating human specific phenotypes. A genome-wide comparison is necessary to decipher those changes.
FD-buffer: a buffer manager for databases on flash disks

We design and implement FD-Buffer, a buffer manager for database systems running on flash-based disks. Unlike magnetic disks, flash media has an inherent read-write asymmetry: writes involve expensive erase operations and as a result are usually much slower than reads. Therefore, we address this asymmetry in FD-Buffer. Specifically, we use the average I/O cost per page access as opposed to the traditional miss rate as the performance metric for a buffer. We develop a new replacement policy in which we separate clean and dirty pages into two pools. The size ratio of the two pools is automatically adapted to the read-write asymmetry and the runtime workload. We evaluate FD-Buffer with trace-driven experiments on real flash disks. Our evaluation results show that our algorithm achieves up to 33% improvement on the overall performance on commodity flash disks, in comparison with the state-of-the-art flash-aware replacement policy.
Common Mental Disorders in Public Transportation Drivers in Lima, Peru

Background Traffic related injuries are leading contributors to burden of disease worldwide. In developing countries a high proportion of them can be attributed to public transportation vehicles. Several mental disorders including alcohol and drug abuse, psychotic disorders, mental stress, productivity pressure, and low monetary income were found predictors of high rates of traffic related injuries in public transportation drivers. The goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence of common mental disorders in the population of public transportation drivers of buses and rickshaws in Lima, Peru. Methodology/Principal Findings Cross sectional study. A sample of bus and rickshaw drivers was systematically selected from formal public transportation companies using a snowball approach. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires for assessing major depressive episode, anxiety symptoms, alcohol abuse, and burnout syndrome. Socio demographic information was also collected. The analyses consisted of descriptive measurement of outcomes taking into account both between and within cluster standard deviation (BCSD and WCSD). A total of 278 bus and 227 rickshaw drivers out of 25 companies agreed to participate in the study. BCSD for major depressive episode, anxiety symptoms and burnout syndrome was not found significant (p>0.05). The estimated prevalence of each variable was 13.7% (IC95%: 10.7–16.6%), 24.1% (IC95%: 19.4–28.8%) and 14.1% (IC95%: 10.8–17.4%) respectively. The estimated prevalence of alcohol abuse was 75.4% (IC95%: 69–81.7%, BCSD = 12.2%, WCSD = 41.9%, intra class correlation (ICC): 7.8%). Conclusion Common mental disorders such as alcohol abuse, major depressive episode, anxiety symptoms and burnout syndrome presented higher rates in public transportation drivers than general population.
Dexmedetomidine reduces intestinal and hepatic injury after hepatectomy with inflow occlusion under general anaesthesia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND We compared intestinal, hepatic, and other organ function after hepatic portal occlusion with or without dexmedetomidine administration under general anaesthesia. METHODS In this prospective, randomized double-blind investigation, 44 patients undergoing elective hepatectomy with inflow occlusion were randomized into a dexmedetomidine group or a control group. The dexmedetomidine group received an initial dexmedetomidine loading dose of 1 μg kg(-1) over 10 min followed by a maintenance dose of 0.3 μg kg(-1) h(-1). In the control group, 0.9% sodium chloride was administered. The primary outcome was serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity reflecting intestinal injury. The secondary outcomes included variables reflecting intestinal, hepatic, kidney, and cardiopulmonary function, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory response. RESULTS DAO activity was lower in the dexmedetomidine group than in the control group at 6 and 24 h after liver reperfusion [9.77 (1.07) vs14.29 (1.43) units ml(-1), P=0.021; 9.67 (0.98) vs 13.97 (1.31) units ml(-1), P=0.017]. d-lactate acid levels were lower during 1-72 h after liver reperfusion compared with the control group (all P<0.05). Also, the intestinal injury severity grade was decreased by dexmedetomidine (P=0.038). The biomarkers reflecting liver injury increased over time, but were lower in the dexmedetomidine group (all P<0.05), while the variables reflecting cardiopulmonary and renal function showed no differences between the groups (all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Dexmedetomidine administered perioperatively attenuates intestinal and hepatic injury in patients undergoing elective liver resection with inflow occlusion without any potential risk. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR-TRC-11001530, September 2011.
On Decidability of Nominal Subtyping with Variance

We investigate the algorithmics of subtyping in the presence of nominal inheritance and variance for generic types, as found in Java 5, Scala 2.0, and the . NET 2.0 Intermediate Language. We prove that the general problem is undecidable and characterize three different decidable fragments. From the latter, we conjecture that undecidability critically depends on the combination of three features that are not found together in any of these languages: contravariant type constructors, class hierarchies in which the set of types reachable from a given type by inheritance and decomposition is not always finite, and class hierarchies in which a type may have multiple supertypes with the same head constructor. These results settle one case of practical interest: subtyping between ground types in the . NET intermediate language is decidable; we conjecture that our proof can also be extended to show full decidability of subtyping in . NET. For Java and Scala, the decidability questions remain open; however, the proofs of our preliminary results introduce a number of novel techniques that we hope may be useful in further attacks on these questions.
Age-dependent sensitization to the 7S-vicilin-like protein Cor a 11 from hazelnut (Corylus avellana) in a birch-endemic region.

BACKGROUND Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) allergy exhibits age and geographically distinct sensitization patterns that have not yet been fully resolved. OBJECTIVE To study sensitization to Cor a 11 in different age groups of hazelnut-allergic patients and infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) sensitized to hazelnut in a birch-endemic region. METHODS Sera from 80 hazelnut-allergic patients, 33 infants under 1 year of age with AD (24 sensitized and 9 not sensitized to hazelnut), 32 healthy control individuals, and 29 birch pollen-allergic but hazelnut-tolerant individuals were tested for immunoglobulin (Ig) E reactivity to Cor a 11 by ImmunoCAP. IgE reactivity to Cor a 1.01, Cor a 1.04, Cor a 8, and Cor a 9 was studied by ISAC microarray. RESULTS Forty patients (22 preschool children, 10 schoolchildren, and 8 adults) with systemic reactions on consumption of hazelnut were sensitized to Cor a 11 (respective rates of 36%, 40%, and 12.5%). Forty patients (6 preschool children, 10 schoolchildren, and 24 adults) reported oral allergy syndrome but only 2 of them (of preschool age) were sensitized to Cor a 11. Two (8%) of the AD infants sensitized to hazelnut showed IgE reactivity to Cor a 11. This reactivity was not observed in any of the AD infants without sensitization to hazelnut, in any of the birch-pollen allergic patients without hazelnut allergy, or in any of the healthy control individuals. CONCLUSION Sensitization to Cor a 11 in a birch-endemic region is predominantly found in children with severe hazelnut allergy, a finding that is consistent with observations concerning sensitization to Cor a 9.
HC-Pro Protein of Potato Virus Y Can Interact with Three Arabidopsis 20S Proteasome Subunits In Planta

ABSTRACT The multifunctional protein helper component proteinase (HC-Pro) is thought to interfere with the activity of the 20S proteasome; however, no sites of interaction have been identified for either protein. Here, we first show that the Potato virus Y (PVY) HC-Pro protein can interact with three Arabidopsis 20S proteasome subunits (PAA, PBB, and PBE), using a yeast two-hybrid system and the bimolecular fluorescence complement assay. In addition, yeast two-hybrid analysis of the interaction between several mutant subunits of the 20S proteasome and PVY HC-Pro confirmed that residues 81 to 140 of PAA, 1 to 80 of PBB, and 160 to 274 of PBE are necessary for binding PAA, PBB, and PBE to PVY HC-Pro, respectively. Deletion mutant analysis of PVY HC-Pro showed that the N terminus (residues 1 to 97) is necessary for its interaction with three Arabidopsis 20S proteasome subunits. The ability of HC-Pro to interact and interfere with the activity of the 20S proteasome may help explain the molecular basis of its multifunctional character.
Antimicrobial Resistance among Campylobacter Strains, United States, 1997–2001

We summarize antimicrobial resistance surveillance data in human and chicken isolates of Campylobacter. Isolates were from a sentinel county study from 1989 through 1990 and from nine state health departments participating in National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for enteric bacteria (NARMS) from 1997 through 2001. None of the 297 C. jejuni or C. coli isolates tested from 1989 through 1990 was ciprofloxacin-resistant. From 1997 through 2001, a total of 1,553 human Campylobacter isolates were characterized: 1,471 (95%) were C. jejuni, 63 (4%) were C. coli, and 19 (1%) were other Campylobacter species. The prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter was 13% (28 of 217) in 1997 and 19% (75 of 384) in 2001; erythromycin resistance was 2% (4 of 217) in 1997 and 2% (8 of 384) in 2001. Ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter was isolated from 10% of 180 chicken products purchased from grocery stores in three states in 1999. Ciprofloxacin resistance has emerged among Campylobacter since 1990 and has increased in prevalence since 1997.
Study on Casting Speed and the Speed of on-Line Mould Width Adjustment of Slab Continuous Casting

Starting from the analysis of stresses on narrow side shell, based the principle that the stresses of narrow side shell will be less than the hot strength of cast steel grade, the maximum rate of displacement in course of freely bulging under hydrostatic pressure is deduced in this paper. And the speed of width adjustment is set based on which. Meanwhile the strain on wide side shell in width adjustment process is calculated. According to critical strain hypothesis, after investigation a proper casting speed is set to make the strain of wide side shell less than the critical strain and so to ensure the shell thickness in exit of mold meeting with production requirements.
Work hours, sleepiness and the underlying mechanisms

SUMMARY Severe subjective and physiological sleepiness occur in night work, afflict almost all individuals and are associated with a performance impairment severe enough to explain night‐work accident data. The alertness deficit is caused by the displacement of work to the circadian phase which is least conducive to alert behaviour, by extension of the time spent awake and by the reduction of sleep length (due to circadian interference with sleep). Sleepiness will be extreme when the three causes are operative simultaneously. The three factors may be used quantitatively to predict sleepiness.
Measuring and Reducing Energy Consumption of Network Interfaces in Hand-Held Devices (Special Issue on Mobile Computing)

Next generation hand-held de vices must pro vide seamless connectivity while obeying stringent po wer and size constrains. In this paper we e xamine this issue from the point of vie w of the Network Interface (NI). We measure the po wer usage of two PDAs, the Apple Newton Messagepad and Son y Magic Link, and four NIs, the Metricom Ricochet Wireless Modem, the A T&T Wavelan operating at 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz, and the IBM Infrared W ireless LAN Adapter . These measurements clearly indicate that the po wer drained by the netw ork interface constitutes a lar ge fraction of the total power used by the PD A. We then examine two classes of optimizations that can be used to reduce netw ork interface ener gy consumption on these de vices: transport-le vel strategies and application-level strategies. Simulation e xperiments of transportlevel strategies show that the dominant cost comes not from the number of pack ets sent or recei ved by a particular transport protocol but the amount of time that the NI is in an acti ve but idle state. Simulation experiments of application-le v l strategies that significant ener gy savings can be made with a minimum of user -visible latency.
Discovery and function of transfer RNA‐derived fragments and their role in disease

Until recently, transfer RNAs (tRNAs) were thought to function in protein translation only. However, recent findings demonstrate that both pre‐ and mature tRNAs can undergo endonucleolytic cleavage by different ribonucleases originating different types of small non‐coding RNAs, known as tRNA‐derived fragments (tRFs). tRFs are classified according to their origin and are implicated in various cellular processes, namely apoptosis, protein synthesis control, and RNA interference. Although their functions are still poorly understood, their mechanisms of action vary according to the tRF sub‐type. Several tRFs have been associated with cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and viral infections and growing evidence shows that they may constitute novel molecular targets for modulating pathological processes. Here, we recapitulate the current knowledge of tRF biology, highlight the known functions and mechanisms of action of the different sub‐classes of tRFs and discuss their implications in human disease. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1423. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1423
Service oriented movie-based programming environment

Movie-based (MB) programming environment is a visual programming platform for creating algorithms and programs applying animation frames with computational and sensible operations. It facilitates the user's understanding and debugging of a program by coloring correlated areas of structures, introducing appropriate computational formulas as well as specifying algorithmic and logical behavior of those areas. The goal of the presented work is adapting the current system to Service-oriented Architecture in order to organize a sharable storage and server-based execution of MB-programs and algorithms. Therefore, the MB-programs/algorithms could be shared and reused by different developers. In this paper, features of MB-programming paradigm and the corresponding software are presented, which are used to enhance capabilities for data/knowledge and execution management. In the framework of Virtual-MVC design pattern, the MB-management architecture, component's design steps and a prototype of service-oriented MB-programming environment are discussed, including concepts and examples of usage.
Covert channels and anonymizing networks

There have long been threads of investigation into covert channels, and threads of investigation into anonymity, but these two closely related areas of information hiding have not been directly associated. This paper represents an initial inquiry into the relationship between covert channel capacity and anonymity, and poses more questions than it answers. Even this preliminary work has proven difficult, but in this investigation lies the hope of a deeper understanding of the nature of both areas. MIXes have been used for anonymity, where the concern is shielding the identity of the sender or the receiver of a message, or both. In contrast to traffic analysis prevention methods which conceal larger traffic patterns, we are concerned with how much information a sender to a MIX can leak to an eavesdropping outsider, despite the concealment efforts of MIXes acting as firewalls.
Spatial Wavenumber Selection in Recurrent Precipitation

We study invasion fronts in a class of simple, two-species reaction-diffusion systems that occur as models for recurrent precipitation and undercooled liquids. We exhibit several different modes of front propagation: the invasion of an unstable homogeneous equilibrium can create persistent periodic patterns, transient patterns, or simply a homogeneous state. We give criteria that distinguish between these different modes of invasion, corroborate our predictions with numerical simulations, and point to a rich variety of more subtle phenomena and bifurcations.
Modelling epidemics on networks

Infectious disease remains, despite centuries of work to control and mitigate its effects, a major problem facing humanity. This paper reviews the mathematical modelling of infectious disease epidemics on networks, starting from the simplest Erdös–Rényi random graphs, and building up structure in the form of correlations, heterogeneity and preference, paying particular attention to the links between random graph theory, percolation and dynamical systems representing transmission. Finally, the problems posed by networks with a large number of short closed loops are discussed.
Perrault syndrome: Evidence for progressive nervous system involvement

Perrault syndrome (PS) comprises gonadal dysgenesis and sensorineural deafness in females, and deafness in affected males. More recent studies have asked whether the neurological signs in some of the patients are a coincidental finding or part of the syndrome. We report on two pairs of sisters with gonadal dysgenesis and deafness, cerebral, and ocular involvement who developed a progressive, severe sensory, and motor neuropathy. This observation constitutes further evidence of peripheral nervous system involvement in PS. Based on the clinical observations of known patients, two forms of PS may be distinguished: one apparently non‐progressive form and another (exemplified by our two sets of sisters) with apparently progressive axonal‐cerebellar degeneration. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential Effect of Urotensin II on Vascular Tone in Normal Subjects and Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Background—Urotensin II (U-II) is a novel vasoactive peptide that also has direct hypertrophic and profibrotic effects on the myocardium. Upregulation of U-II and its receptor has been observed within the heart of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Furthermore, plasma levels of U-II have been found to be elevated in some but not all studies in such patients. However, the functional consequences of activation of the U-II system in patients with CHF, assessed by direct administration of exogenous U-II, have not been previously determined. Methods and Results—We compared the effect of iontophoresed U-II on skin microvascular tone in normal subjects and patients with CHF, assessed with the use of laser Doppler velocimetry. U-II mediated a dose-dependent vasodilator response in normal subjects (baseline, 137.9±52; U-II, 10−12 mol/L, 145±134; U-II, 10−9 mol/L, 712±179; U-II, 10−7 mol/L, 943±139 arbitrary flux units [AFUs], P <0.0001). In contrast, a dose-dependent vasoconstrictor response was observed in patients with CHF (baseline, 336.1±129; U-II, 10−12 mol/L, 317±131; U-II, 10−9 mol/L, 129±137; U-II, 10−7 mol/L, 22.4±130 AFUs, P <0.05). Differences in flow between normal subjects and patients with CHF were significant overall (P <0.001, 2-way ANOVA) and at the U-II 10−9 mol/L and U-II 10−7 mol/L dose level by Student’s unpaired t test (P <0.05, P <0.0001, respectively). In contrast, there was no significant difference between baseline blood flux and any dose of U-II in either group (or between groups) when the opposite polarity was applied. Conclusions—In addition to direct effects on the myocardium, U-II may contribute to the increased peripheral vascular tone that is characteristic of human CHF. The present observations support the contention that the U-II system may be a potentially important target for pharmacological blockade in the treatment of this condition.