Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fracture Behavior of a 3-D Braid Graphite/Epoxy Composite

An exploratory study of the fracture behavior and notch sensitivity of a 4-step, 3-D braid-reinforced graphite/epoxy composite has been made. Test methods based on the Mode I compact tension specimen were developed and lower bounds for the damage initiating force and the work of fracture were determined for certain notch-to-braid axis orientations. These values are higher than for laminate composites but showed severe anisotropy. Complementary in-situ and post-mortem optical and scanning electron microscopy were used to identify microstructural failure controlling features and to develop a volume-to-surface structural mapping strategy useful in accounting for some of the observed features of the failure process.
Variable domain I of nematode CLEs directs post-translational targeting of CLE peptides to the extracellular space

Effector proteins expressed in the esophageal gland cells of cyst nematodes are delivered into plant cells through a hollow, protrusible stylet. Although evidence indicates that effector proteins function in the cytoplasm of the syncytium,1,2,3 technical constraints have made it difficult to directly determine where nematode effector proteins are initially delivered: cytoplasm, extracellular space, or both. Recently, we demonstrated that soybean cyst nematode CLE (HgCLE) propeptides are delivered to the cytoplasm of syncytial cells. Genetic and biochemical analyses indicate that the variable domain (VD) sequence is then required for targeting cytoplasmically delivered nematode CLEs to the apoplast where they function as ligand mimics of endogenous plant CLE peptides.4 The fact that nematode CLEs are targeted through the gland cell secretory pathway and delivered as mature propeptides into plant cells makes it impossible for these proteins to be subsequently delivered to the extracellular space via co-translational translocation through the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) secretory pathway of the host cell. However, when expressed in transgenic plants, if the mature nematode CLE propeptide harbored a functional cryptic signal peptide, it could possibly traffic to the apoplast through the ER secretory pathway by co-translational translocation. Here, we present evidence that VDI, the N-terminal sequence of the variable domain of HgCLE2,4 is sufficient for trafficking CLE peptides to the apoplast and that trafficking is indeed through an alternative pathway other than co-translational translocation.
HBsAg clearance in chronic hepatitis B patients with add-on pegylated interferon alfa-2a to ongoing tenofovir treatment: A randomized controlled study

Background/Aims: The ideal end point of treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is sustained off-therapy hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss with or even without seroconversion to anti-HBs. We investigated the role of adding PEGylated interferon (PEG IFN) to ongoing tenofovir treatment in chronic HBV patients for achieving HBsAg clearance. Patients and Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, chronic HBV patients who have been receiving tenofovir for >6 months with HBV viral load <2000 IU/ml were randomized into two groups. One group (add-on therapy) was given subcutaneous PEG IFN 180 mcg weekly for 12 months in addition to tenofovir. Patients in the other group received only tenofovir 300 mg orally on a daily basis. Patients in both groups were followed up for a total of two years, and patients in both groups were given tenofovir 300 mg daily indefinitely until they developed HBsAg clearance. Results: Twenty-three patients were allocated to the PEG IFN and tenofovir (add-on therapy) group, and another 25 patients were recruited to the tenofovir monotherapy group. Before randomization, patients had received tenofovir for 1135 mean days (range203 to 1542 days). One patient (4.3%) in add-on therapy lost HBsAg and seroconverted. Within two years, mean HBsAg decreased significantly with add-on therapy (from 4753 IU/ml to 2402; P= 0.03); and it decreased from 5957 IU/ml to 4198; P= 0.09 in tenofovir monotherapy group. More patients in the add-on group developed serious side effects, with treatment discontinuation, and dose reductions (P = 0.3). Conclusion: PEG IFN and tenofovir add-on therapy was successful in achieving HBsAg clearance and seroconversion in 4.3% of the patients. Add-on therapy patients had a significant decrease in HBsAg levels in two years; and no significant decrease in HBsAg levels with the tenofovir monotherapy. With no significant HBsAg clearance, the utility of this combination regimen is questionable.
Maximum a posterior linear regression with elliptically symmetric matrix variate priors

In this paper, elliptic symmetric matrix variate distribution is proposed as the prior distribution for maximum a posterior linear regression (MAPLR) based model adaptation. The exact close form solution of MAPLR with elliptically symmetric matrix variate priors is obtained. The effects of the proposed prior in MAPLR are characterized and compared with conventional maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR). The proposed priors are signiﬁcant informative priors, through which a well-founded Bayesian theoretical framework is formulated to incorporate prior information in model adaptation. Moreover, an efﬁcient approach of hyperparameter estimation in MAPLR is described. Experimental results indicate that signiﬁcant gain can be obtained when adaptation data are sparse.
Damaged Merchandise? A Review of Experiments That Compare Usability Evaluation Methods

An interest in the design of interfaces has been a core topic for researchers and practitioners in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI); an interest in the design of experiments has not. To the extent that reliable and valid guidance for the former depends on the results of the latter, it is necessary that researchers and practitioners understand how small features of an experimental design can cast large shadows over the results and conclusions that can be drawn. In this review we examine the design of 5 experiments that compared usability evaluation methods (UEMs). Each has had an important influence on HCI thought and practice. Unfortunately, our examination shows that small problems in the way these experiments were designed and conducted call into serious question what we thought we knew regarding the efficacy of various UEMs. If the influence of these experiments were trivial, then such small problems could be safely ignored. Unfortunately, the outcomes of these experiments have been used to justify advice to practitioners regarding their choice of UEMs. Making such choices based on misleading or erroneous claims can be detrimental--compromising the quality and integrity of the evaluation, incurring unnecessary costs, or undermining the practitioner's credibility within the design team. The experimental method is a potent vehicle that can help inform the choice of a UEM as well as help to address other HCI issues. However, to obtain the desired outcomes, close attention must be paid to experimental design.
Merkel cell tumor. A chemosensitive skin cancer

The clinical courses of six patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy for recurrent Merkel cell tumor of the skin are reported. All patients experienced prompt clinical responses to chemotherapy five complete response [CR], one partial response [PR] and three patients (50%) have achieved long‐term disease‐free remission. The report highlights (1) the aggressive nature of Merkel cell skin cancer, (2) the highly chemosensitive nature of the disease, and (3) some practical problems in administering chemotherapy to elderly patients.
Stochasticity and the Molecular Mechanisms of Induced Pluripotency

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from adult somatic cells by ectopic expression of key transcription factors holds significant medical promise. However, current techniques for inducing pluripotency rely on viral infection and are therefore not, at present, viable within a clinical setting. Thus, there is now a need to better understand the molecular basis of stem cell pluripotency and lineage specification in order to investigate alternative methods to induce pluripotency for clinical application. However, the complexity of the underlying molecular circuitry makes this a conceptually difficult task. In order to address these issues, we considered a computational model of transcriptional control of cell fate specification. The model comprises two mutually interacting sub-circuits: a central pluripotency circuit consisting of interactions between stem-cell specific transcription factors OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG coupled to a differentiation circuit consisting of interactions between lineage-specifying master genes. The molecular switches which arise from feedback loops within these circuits give rise to a well-defined sequence of successive gene restrictions corresponding to a controlled differentiation cascade in response to environmental stimuli. Furthermore, we found that this differentiation cascade is strongly unidirectional: once silenced, core transcription factors cannot easily be reactivated. In the context of induced pluripotency, this indicates that differentiated cells are robustly resistant to reprogramming to a more primitive state. However, our model suggests that under certain circumstances, amplification of low-level fluctuations in transcriptional status (transcriptional “noise”) may be sufficient to trigger reactivation of the core pluripotency switch and reprogramming to a pluripotent state. This interpretation offers an explanation of a number of experimental observations concerning the molecular mechanisms of cellular reprogramming by defined factors and suggests a role for stochasticity in reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotency.
Improvement of Nutritive Value of Sorghum-Ogi Fortified with Pawpaw (Carica papaya L)

The utilization of pawpaw fruit as a constituent of sorghum-ogi was investigated by preparing mixture of ogi with increasing level of pawpaw in 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% addition. The product sorghum-ogi was evaluated for proximate composition, titratable acidity, sugars and vitamin C. A taste panel evaluation was conducted to evaluate the acceptability of the products. The data obtained indicated an increase in protein ash and fat content while there was variation in carbohydrate content. Vitamin C and sugar content were also found to increase in proportion with the increase in blending. There was no apparent effect of pawpaw addition on pH and titratable acidity in the mixtures. The taste panel evaluation and the amylograph pasting characteristics of the pawpaw-ogi blends concluded that blend with 40% pawpaw addition and beyond were acceptable in improving the nutritive value of ogi.
α2β1 Integrin, GPVI Receptor, and Common FcRγ Chain on Mouse Platelets Mediate Distinct Responses to Collagen in Models of Thrombosis

Objective Platelets express the α2β1 integrin and the glycoprotein VI (GPVI)/FcRγ complex, both collagen receptors. Understanding platelet-collagen receptor function has been enhanced through use of genetically modified mouse models. Previous studies of GPVI/FcRγ-mediated collagen-induced platelet activation were perfomed with mice in which the FcRγ subunit was genetically deleted (FcRγ−/−) or the complex was depleted. The development of α2β1−/− and GPVI−/− mice permits side-by-side comparison to address contributions of these collagen receptors in vivo and in vitro. Approach and Results To understand the different roles played by the α2β1 integrin, the GPVI receptor or FcRγ subunit in collagen-stimulated hemostasis and thrombosis, we compared α2β1−/−, FcRγ−/−, and GPVI−/− mice in models of endothelial injury and intravascular thrombosis in vivo and their platelets in collagen-stimulated activation in vitro. We demonstrate that both the α2β1 integrin and the GPVI receptor, but not the FcRγ subunit influence carotid artery occlusion in vivo. In contrast, the GPVI receptor and the FcRγ chain, but not the α2β1 integrin, play similar roles in intravascular thrombosis in response to soluble Type I collagen. FcRγ−/− platelets showed less attenuation of tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins including RhoGDI when compared to GPVI−/− and wild type platelets. The difference between FcRγ−/− and GPVI−/− platelet phosphotyrosine levels correlated with the in vivo thrombosis findings. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that genetic deletion of GPVI receptor, FcRγ chain, or the α2β1 integrin changes the thrombotic potentials of these platelets to collagen dependent on the stimulus mechanism. The data suggest that the FcRγ chain may provide a dominant negative effect through modulating signaling pathways in platelets involving several tyrosine phosphorylated proteins such as RhoGDI. In addition, these findings suggest a more complex signaling network downstream of the platelet collagen receptors than previously appreciated.
Internet community forums: an untapped resource for consumer marketers

Purpose – To explore an emerging area in internet practice that has implication for consumer marketers.Design/methodology/approach – The paper integrates concepts including a range of recently published (1993‐2004) theoretical works and ongoing case developments in internet practice.Findings – Provides information and action approaches to consumer marketers that may increase the success, providing want‐satisfying market offerings. Outlines the market research benefits of monitoring and participating in internet community forums and offers practical suggestions for maximizing their value in the marketing and marketing research. It also provides a series of tactics that consumer marketers may use to maximize the value of internet community forums for their firms.Research limitations/implications – The theoretical concepts that form the foundation of the paper appear to have a significant application to consumer marketing, but have not been tested empirically.Practical implications – Uncovers a previously un.
Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease Caregivers: The Contribution of Personality Traits

Parkinson's disease imposes significant demands not only on patients but also on those people living and caring for them, who often have a reduction in their quality of life. The factors that may ameliorate these effects, such as an individual's personality, are not understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to look at the relative contribution of caregiver personality on their quality of life, specifically attempting to identify those traits, which may be protective or harmful. Two hundred and seventy-four caregivers of patients with Parkinson's disease were included in this study. Caregivers were given questionnaires to complete, including the Big Five Inventory and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life BREF version. Univariate correlations demonstrated that depression and anxiety were the largest predictors of reduced quality of life amongst caregivers. However, after controlling for these potential confounds, conscientiousness was associated with enhanced psychological quality of life and openness positively predicted benefits in the environmental domain. Neuroticism was associated with reduced quality of life in the psychological domain. Thus, screening for neuroticism may help identify those caregivers who would benefit from intervention strategies, which could in the long term help reduce the need for nursing home placement of Parkinson's disease patients.
seL4: From General Purpose to a Proof of Information Flow Enforcement

In contrast to testing, mathematical reasoning and formal verification can show the absence of whole classes of security vulnerabilities. We present the, to our knowledge, first complete, formal, machine-checked verification of information flow security for the implementation of a general-purpose microkernel; namely seL4. Unlike previous proofs of information flow security for operating system kernels, ours applies to the actual 8, 830 lines of C code that implement seL4, and so rules out the possibility of invalidation by implementation errors in this code. We assume correctness of compiler, assembly code, hardware, and boot code. We prove everything else. This proof is strong evidence of seL4's utility as a separation kernel, and describes precisely how the general purpose kernel should be configured to enforce isolation and mandatory information flow control. We describe the information flow security statement we proved (a variant of intransitive noninterference), including the assumptions on which it rests, as well as the modifications that had to be made to seL4 to ensure it was enforced. We discuss the practical limitations and implications of this result, including covert channels not covered by the formal proof.
Problems arising in estimating from retrospective survey data the latent periods of juvenile cancers initiated by obstetric radiography.

Starting from the hypothesis that the carcinogenic effects of prenatal X-rays are a direct consequence of the mutagenic actions of ionizing radiations, and that the malignant diseases so caused (radiogenic cancers) have a different age distribution from other juvenile malignancies (idiopathic cancers), methods are developed for solving the problems posed by the limitations of the available data (Oxford Survey of Childhood Cancers). Explicit formulae for estimating the number of radiogenic cases in a simple situation are derived. The problems of truncated contingency tables and a simple approximate method for them are discussed. It is shown that in the situation described minimum modified chi-square estimation can be more effective for multinomials than maximum likelihood. It is demonstrated that the possibility of a memory effect in the records of X-raying can be discounted, and that radiogenic cases are genuine. It is shown that each diagnostic group has a characteristic radiogenic age distribution which differs from the corresponding idiopathic age distribution in being more sharply peaked and having a slightly older mean age. Small changes in the age distributions due to improved methods of diagnosis, etc., are demonstrated. Irregular changes in the cohort trend of the radiogenic hazard due to alterations in X-raying practice, etc., are shown.
Interleukin (IL)-6 Directs the Differentiation of IL-4–producing CD4+ T Cells

Interleukin (IL)-4 is the most potent factor that causes naive CD4+ T cells to differentiate to the T helper cell (Th) 2 phenotype, while IL-12 and interferon γ trigger the differentiation of Th1 cells. However, the source of the initial polarizing IL-4 remains unclear. Here, we show that IL-6, probably secreted by antigen-presenting cells, is able to polarize naive CD4+ T cells to effector Th2 cells by inducing the initial production of IL-4 in CD4+ T cells. These results show that the nature of the cytokine (IL-12 or IL-6), which is produced by antigen-presenting cells in response to a particular pathogen, is a key factor in determining the nature of the immune response.
Factors Predicting the Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin-A Treatment of the Lower Limb in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Botulinum toxin A is widely used for spasticity management in children with cerebral palsy, although outcomes are unpredictable. The aim of this study was to identify criteria for selecting patients most likely to benefit from botulinum toxin A treatment. Fifty-five subjects, aged 2.5 to 18 years, were recruited. The assessment covered measures of spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale), function (using the Gross Motor Function Measure and the Physician's Rating Scale), selective motor control, static range of motion at the ankle with knee extended and flexed, range of motion of the knee flexors, central and peripheral vision, and cognitive ability. Outcomes at 3 months were compared with baseline values. All of the scales showed significant differences between pre- and postinjection values. Significantly increased Gross Motor Function Measure scores were found in children aged 48 months or under and in those able to walk with support. Greater improvements in selective motor control and Physician's Rating Scale were seen in those with a less severe pattern of paralysis, lower levels of impairment, the ability to walk (with or without support), normal visual acuity, and normal or borderline cognition. We identified factors that mark out patients as most likely to achieve functional gains: young age, hemiplegia or diplegia, slight to moderate disability, walking with support, normal or borderline cognition, and normal or borderline visual acuity. (J Child Neurol 2005;20:661—666).
Correlation of some mechanical properties of embedding resins with their behaviour in microtomy

The technology of ultramicrotomy is now well established, but the properties of the resin that determine the different forces needed to generate a section have been neglected, although this process could introduce artefacts in the thin sections. We have investigated the principal resin dependent factors involved in the sectioning process and determined the related mechanical properties. Tensile experiments have given the best correlation with the sectioning quality of the resin: the elastic (Young's) modulus value (depending on polymer structure or hardening mode), the presence of a short plastic flow for a controlled fracture and enough flexibility to minimize shearing, and internal cracks, appear to be the main characteristic parameters. The ultrathin section seems to be generated by a process close to cleavage, favoured by the relative hardness of the embedding media, while machining and “true” sectioning requires softer resins. Consequently, the rupture follows the path of least resistance in the specimen-resin composite, providing sections with a surface relief. Embedded biological material copolymerizes with polycondensed matrix (epoxy resins), and, by reducing the heterogeneity, gives smoother sections. Embedments hardened by radical polymerization provide a rougher relief, since almost no copolymerization occurs, offering to the microtome a heterogeneous block with two constituents of very different mechanical properties. The surface relief seems to be an important factor in labelling, staining, and imaging, and more attention has to be paid for some improvements of the quality of the information provided by electron microscopy.
The longevity of different restorations in primary teeth.

BACKGROUND AND AIM This paper reviews three published papers and adds results from a fourth study which aimed to determine which restorative material would be the best alternative(s) to amalgam (AM) in primary teeth. DESIGN All studies had a practice-based design and were part of the routine treatment of children and adolescents. The clinicians were assigned which materials to use in a randomised matter in the first three studies which lasted for 7-8 years. In the fourth study conducted 4 years after the initial studies, the clinicians were free to select the restorative materials. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI) and compomer (COM) restorations showed similar longevity compared with AM, whereas conventional GI restorations showed significantly shorter longevity. The studies indicated that the 'new and improved' materials based on in vitro tests did not always show enhanced clinical properties. In the last study, where clinicians freely selected the restorative materials they used in their practices, seven used COM, one used conventional GI materials and one used a combination of the two types of material.