Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of vapor wall loss in laboratory chambers on yields of secondary organic aerosol

Significance Atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA) has important impacts on climate and air quality, yet models continue to have difficulty in accurately simulating SOA concentrations. Nearly all SOA models are tied to observations of SOA formation in laboratory chamber experiments. Here, a comprehensive analysis of new experimental results demonstrates that the formation of SOA in laboratory chambers may be substantially suppressed due to losses of SOA-forming vapors to chamber walls, which leads to underestimates of SOA in air-quality and climate models, especially in urban areas where anthropogenic SOA precursors dominate. This analysis provides a time-dependent framework for the interpretation of laboratory chamber experiments that will allow for development of parameterized models of SOA formation that are appropriate for use in atmospheric models. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) constitutes a major fraction of submicrometer atmospheric particulate matter. Quantitative simulation of SOA within air-quality and climate models—and its resulting impacts—depends on the translation of SOA formation observed in laboratory chambers into robust parameterizations. Worldwide data have been accumulating indicating that model predictions of SOA are substantially lower than ambient observations. Although possible explanations for this mismatch have been advanced, none has addressed the laboratory chamber data themselves. Losses of particles to the walls of chambers are routinely accounted for, but there has been little evaluation of the effects on SOA formation of losses of semivolatile vapors to chamber walls. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that such vapor losses can lead to substantially underestimated SOA formation, by factors as much as 4. Accounting for such losses has the clear potential to bring model predictions and observations of organic aerosol levels into much closer agreement.
Use of Opioids and Sedatives at End-of-Life

Despite their proven efficacy and safety, opioid and sedative use for palliation in patients afflicted with cancer in Singapore have been shown to be a fraction of that in other countries. This paper explores the various psychosocial and system-related factors that appear to propagate this conservative approach to care in what is largely a western-influenced care practice. A search for publications relating to sedative and opioid usage in Asia was performed on PubMed, Google, Google Scholar, World Health Organization, and Singapore's government agency websites using search terms such as “opioids,” “sedatives,” “palliation,” “end-of-life-care,” “pain management,” “palliative care,” “cancer pain,” “Asia,” “Singapore,” and “morphine. ” Findings were classified into three broad groups – system-related, physician-related, and patient-related factors. A cautious medico-legal climate, shortage of physicians trained in palliative care, and lack of instruments for symptom assessment of patients at the end of life contribute to system-related barriers. Physician-related barriers include delayed access to palliative care due to late referrals, knowledge deficits in non-palliative medicine physicians, and sub-optimal care provided by palliative physicians. Patients' under-reporting of symptoms and fear of addiction, tolerance, and side effects of opioids and sedatives may lead to conservative opioid use in palliative care as well. System-related, physician-related, and patient-related factors play crucial roles in steering the management of palliative patients. Addressing and increasing the awareness of these factors may help ensure patients receive adequate relief and control of distressing symptoms.
Evolution of structural defects associated with electrical degradation in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

We have investigated the surface morphology of electrically stressed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy after removing the gate metallization by chemical etching. Changes in surface morphology were correlated with degradation in electrical characteristics. Linear grooves formed along the gate edges in the GaN cap layer for all electrically stressed devices. Beyond a critical voltage that corresponds to a sharp increase in the gate leakage current, pits formed on the surface at the gate edges. The density and size of the pits increase with stress voltage and time and correlate with degradation in the drain current and current collapse. We believe that high mechanical stress in the AlGaN layer due to high-voltage stressing is relieved by the formation of these defects which act as paths for gate leakage current and result in electron trapping and degradation in the transport properties of the channel underneath.
Bean Type Modifies Larval Competition in Zabrotes subfasciatus (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)

ABSTRACT Larval competition is particularly prevalent among grain beetles that remain within their mother-selected grain throughout development, and the behavioral process of competition is usually inferred by the competition outcome. The Mexican bean weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman) is subjected to resource availability variation because of the diversity of common bean types and sizes, from small (e.g., kidney beans) to large (e.g., cranberry beans). The competition process was identified in the Mexican bean weevil reared on kidney and cranberry beans by inference from the competition outcome and by direct observation through digital X-ray imaging. Increased larval density negatively affected adult emergence in kidney beans and reduced adult body mass in both kidney and cranberry beans. Developmental time was faster in cranberry beans. The results allowed for increased larval fitness (i.e., higher larval biomass produced per grain), with larval density reaching a maximum plateau >5 hatched larvae per kidney bean, whereas in cranberry beans, larval fitness linearly increased with density to 13 hatched larvae per bean. These results, together with X-ray imaging without evidence of direct aggressive interaction among larvae, indicate scramble competition, with multiple larvae emerging per grain. However, higher reproductive output was detected for adults from lower density competition with better performance on cranberry beans. Larger populations and fitter adults are expected in intermediate larval densities primarily in cranberry beans where grain losses should be greater.
Dental caries development among African American children: results from a 4-year longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE To examine dental caries development and caries risk factors among preschool African American children from low-income families in Detroit, Michigan, over a 4-year window. METHODS Data came from a representative sample of 1021 children (0-5 years) and their caregivers in Detroit. The baseline participants in 2002-2003 (W1) were re-examined in 2004-2005 (W2) and 2007 (W3). Caries was measured using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System. Bivariate and multivariate analyses for repeated data were conducted to explore associations between caries increment outcomes and demographics, access to dental care, oral health-related behaviours, and social and physical environments. RESULTS The mean number of new noncavitated caries lesions (NCCL) was 2.8 between W1 and W2 and 2.6 between W2 and W3, while the mean number of new cavitated caries lesions (CCL) was 2.0 and 2.0, respectively, during the same time periods. In younger children (<3 years old in W1), higher number of new NCCL than new CCL was observed in both W1-W2 and W2-W3. The risk of new NCCL was associated with child's soda intake and caregiver's age. For the risk of new CCL, significant risk factors included baseline NCCL, baseline CCL, as well as child's age. Baseline caries and child's soda intake were also associated with the risk of developing new decayed, missing and filled tooth surfaces. CONCLUSIONS Higher number of new NCCL relative to CCL was developed among low-income African American children during early childhood. New caries development was associated with baseline caries and child's soda intake.
Lycorine hydrochloride inhibits metastatic melanoma cell‐dominant vasculogenic mimicry

Melanoma cells actively participate in tumor angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry. However, anti‐angiogenic therapy in patients with melanoma has not shown a significant survival gain. Thus, new anti‐melanoma angiogenic and vasculogenic drugs are highly desired. Using the metastatic melanoma cell line C8161 as a model, we explored melanoma vasculogenic inhibitors and found that lycorine hydrochloride (LH) effectively suppressed C8161 cell‐dominant formation of capillary‐like tubes in vitro and generation of tumor blood vessels in vivo with low toxicity. Mechanistic studies revealed that LH markedly hindered expression of VE‐cadherin in C8161 cells, but did not affect expression of six other important angiogenic and vasculogenic genes. Luciferase assays showed that LH significantly impeded promoter activity of the VE‐cadherin gene in a dose‐dependent manner. Together, these data suggest that LH inhibits melanoma C8161 cell‐dominant vasculogenic mimicry by reducing VE‐cadherin gene expression and diminishing cell surface exposure of the protein.
Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Anaplasma (Ehrlichia) phagocytophilum Strains from Various Geographic Areas in the United States

ABSTRACT We tested the antibiotic susceptibilities of eight strains of Anaplasma phagocytophilum (the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis) collected in various geographic areas of the United States, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and New York. The results are homogeneous and show that doxycycline, rifampin, and levofloxacin are the most active antibiotics against these strains in vitro.
Imagined Viewer and Object Rotations Dissociated with Event-Related fMRI

Human spatial reasoning may depend in part on two dissociable types of mental image transformations: objectbased transformations, in which an object is imagined to move in space relative to the viewer and the environment, and perspective transformations, in which the viewer imagines the scene from a different vantage point. This study measured local brain activity with event-related fMRI while participants were instructed to either imagine an array of objects rotating (an object-based transformation) or imagine themselves rotating around the array (a perspective transformation). Object-based transformations led to selective increases in right parietal cortex and decreases in left parietal cortex, whereas perspective transformations led to selective increases in left temporal cortex. These results argue against the view that mental image transformations are performed by a unitary neural processing system, and they suggest that different overlapping systems are engaged for different image transformations.
Characteristic of bound-abrasive polishing for fused silica glass in anhydrous environment

To overcome the randomness of free abrasive polishing, the abrasive waste, the resulting hydration layer and other issues, this paper presents the characteristic of bound abrasive polishing for fused silica glass in anhydrous environment. A stable sintering process with a fine grooved polishing wheel is developed, which is applied to polish the fused silica glass. Macroscopically, the influence of pressure and rotational speed on the removal rate and surface roughness is explored. Microscopically, the mechanism of material removal, the chemical reaction and the mechanical action produced by the removal process are expounded by using EDS, XRD and FTIR analysis. The removal rate does not follow the Preston formula, temperature rise and the capacity of chip removal on the polishing wheel are the key factors. Furthermore, the experimental results show that the Ce-O-Si bond is formed by CeO2 abrasive grains and fused silica under the action of normal force. The bond energy is larger than that of fused silica Si-O-Si bond, so the CeO2 tears away SiO2 out of the glass surface under the action of shear force.
Testing the radiosurgery-based arteriovenous malformation score and the modified Spetzler-Martin grading system to predict radiosurgical outcome.

OBJECT The aim of this study was to validate the radiosurgery-based arteriovenous malformation (AVM) score and the modified Spetzler-Martin grading system to predict radiosurgical outcome. METHODS One hundred thirty-six patients with brain AVMs were randomly selected. These patients had undergone a linear accelerator radiosurgical procedure at a single center between 1989 and 2000. Patients were divided into four groups according to an AVM score, which was calculated from the lesion volume, lesion location, and patient age (Group 1, AVM score <1; Group 2, AVM score 1-1.49; Group 3, AVM score 1.5-2; and Group 4, AVM score >2). Patients with a Spetzler-Martin Grade III AVM were divided into Grades IIIA (lesion >3 cm) and IIIB (lesion <3 cm). Sixty-two female (45.6%) and 74 male (54.4%) patients with a median age of 37.5 years (mean 37.5 years, range 5-77 years) were followed up for a median of 40 months. The median tumor margin dose was 15 Gy (mean 17.23 Gy, range 15-25 Gy). The proportions of excellent outcomes according to the AVM score were as follows: 91.7% for Group 1, 74.1% for Group 2, 60% for Group 3, and 33.3% for Group 4 (chi-square test, degrees of freedom (df) = 3, p < 0.001). Based on the modified Spetzler-Martin system, Grade I lesions had 88.9% excellent results; Grade II, 69.6%; Grade IIIB, 61.5%; and Grades IIIA and IV, 44.8% (chi-square test, df = 3, p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS The radiosurgery-based AVM score can be used accurately to predict excellent results following a single radiosurgical treatment for AVM. The modified Spetzler-Martin system can also predict radiosurgical results for AVMs, thus making it possible to use this system while deciding between surgery and radiosurgery.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Impairs Fetal Endothelial Cell Functions Through a Mechanism Involving MicroRNA-101 and Histone Methyltransferase Enhancer of Zester Homolog-2

Objective— Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) produces fetal hyperglycemia with increased lifelong risks for the exposed offspring of cardiovascular and other diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms induce long-term gene expression changes in response to in utero environmental perturbations. Moreover, microRNAs (miRs) control the function of endothelial cells (ECs) under physiological and pathological conditions and can target the epigenetic machinery. We investigated the functional and expressional effect of GDM on human fetal ECs of the umbilical cord vein (HUVECs). We focused on miR-101 and 1 of its targets, enhancer of zester homolog-2 (EZH2), which trimethylates the lysine 27 of histone 3, thus repressing gene transcription. EZH2 exists as isoforms &agr; and &bgr;. Approach and Results— HUVECs were prepared from GDM or healthy pregnancies and tested in apoptosis, migration, and Matrigel assays. GDM-HUVECs demonstrated decreased functional capacities, increased miR-101 expression, and reduced EZH2- &bgr; and trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 levels. MiR-101 inhibition increased EZH2 expression and improved GDM-HUVEC function. Healthy HUVECs were exposed to high or normal D-glucose concentration for 48 hours and then tested for miR-101 and EZH2 expression. Similar to GDM, high glucose increased miR-101 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation using an antibody for EZH2 followed by polymerase chain reaction analyses for miR-101 gene promoter regions showed that both GDM and high glucose concentration reduced EZH2 binding to the miR-101 locus in HUVECs. Moreover, EZH2-&bgr; overexpression inhibited miR-101 promoter activity in HUVECs. Conclusions— GDM impairs HUVEC function via miR-101 upregulation. EZH2 is both a transcriptional inhibitor and a target gene of miR-101 in HUVECs, and it contributes to some of the miR-101-induced defects of GDM-HUVECs.
Early life stress and the anxious brain: evidence for a neural mechanism linking childhood emotional maltreatment to anxiety in adulthood

Background Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) increases the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder in adulthood, but the neural processes underlying conferment of this risk have not been established. Here, we test the potential for neuroimaging the adult brain to inform understanding of the mechanism linking CEM to adult anxiety symptoms. Method One hundred eighty-two adults (148 females, 34 males) with a normal-to-clinical range of anxiety symptoms underwent structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing an emotion-processing paradigm with facial expressions of fear, anger, and happiness. Participants completed self-report measures of CEM and current anxiety symptoms. Voxelwise mediation analyses on gray-matter volumes and activation to each emotion condition were used to identify candidate brain mechanisms relating CEM to anxiety in adulthood. Results During processing of fear and anger faces, greater amygdala and less right dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) activation partially mediated the positive relationship between CEM and anxiety symptoms. Greater right posterior insula activation to fear also partially mediated this relationship, as did greater ventral anterior cingulate (ACC) and less dorsal ACC activation to anger. Responses to happy faces in these regions did not mediate the CEM-anxiety relationship. Smaller right dlPFC gray-matter volumes also partially mediated the CEM-anxiety relationship. Conclusions Activation patterns of the adult brain demonstrate the potential to inform mechanistic accounts of the CEM conferment of anxiety symptoms. Results support the hypothesis that exaggerated limbic activation to negative valence facial emotions links CEM to anxiety symptoms, which may be consequent to a breakdown of cortical regulatory processes.
Sugar-sweetened beverages and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in African American women.

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an increasingly serious health problem among African American women. Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks was associated with an increased risk of diabetes in 2 studies but not in a third; however, to our knowledge, no data are available on African Americans regarding this issue. Our objective was to examine the association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in African American women. METHODS A prospective follow-up study of 59,000 African American women has been in progress since 1995. Participants reported on food and beverage consumption in 1995 and 2001. Biennial follow-up questionnaires ascertained new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes. The present analyses included 43,960 women who gave complete dietary and weight information and were free from diabetes at baseline. We identified 2713 incident cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus during 338,884 person-years of follow-up. The main outcome measure was the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. RESULTS The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was higher with higher intake of both sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks. After adjustment for confounding variables including other dietary factors, the incidence rate ratio for 2 or more soft drinks per day was 1.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.45). For fruit drinks, the comparable incidence rate ratio was 1.31 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.52). The association of diabetes with soft drink consumption was almost entirely mediated by body mass index, whereas the association with fruit drink consumption was independent of body mass index. CONCLUSIONS Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in African American women. While there has been increasing public awareness of the adverse health effects of soft drinks, little attention has been given to fruit drinks, which are often marketed as a healthier alternative to soft drinks.
Perceived outcomes and satisfaction of Saudi parents and their children following dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia: A 2-year follow-up

Purpose: To investigate the perceived clinical outcome and parents’ satisfaction after dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia over a follow-up period of 2 years. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of questionnaire data obtained from 352 pediatric patients before and after treatment of early childhood caries with full dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. Questionnaires focused on oral symptoms, functional limitations, and emotional and social well-being before and after dental treatment. Cases were followed up for 2 years postoperatively. Results: A dramatic disappearance of symptoms was reported from parents’ perspective. There was a high satisfaction rate (99.14%) also among parents of the children included in the study. Conclusion: Children with early childhood caries do not necessarily express it verbally as pain. The disease has a lot of other expressions affecting children's behavior and habits, including the ability to sleep, thrive, and socialize. This study contributes to the existing literature that full dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia [dental general anesthesia (DGA)] has an immediate positive impact on the physical and social quality of life of children suffering from early childhood caries as well as on their families. Postoperative preventive care, early diagnosis, and treatment of recurrent caries are key factors to maintain postoperative outcome of DGA.
Production of Thermoplastic Elastomers Based on Recycled PE and Ground Tire Rubber: Morphology, Mechanical Properties and Effect of Compatibilizer Addition

Abstract Constant growth of waste polymers around the world leads to several environmental problems. This is why solutions to reuse these high amounts of materials available must be developed. In this work, highly filled (up to 90 wt.%) recycled polyethylene (R-PE)/ground tire rubber (GTR) thermoplastic elastomers were prepared by extrusion compounding and injection molding. To improve on processability and overall properties, two copolymers (Engage 8180 and Vestenamer 8012) were added as compatibilizers for comparison. SEM results showed that compatibilizer addition changed the blend morphology. In all cases, the mechanical properties in tension and flexion decreased with GTR addition. It was also observed that the addition of a copolymer improved on some properties (such as elongation at break), but Engage 8180 showed better compatibilization effect than Vestenamer 8012 which was confirmed from SEM analysis, while other properties (tensile strength, Young's and flexural modulus) were reduced due to lower GTR and compatibilizer moduli. For impact strength, negligible variation was observed below 40 wt. % GTR. However, the samples did not break for GTR contents above 60 wt. %. Density increased with GTR content, while Shore A and D hardness decreased. Overall, the addition of a compatibilizer mostly enabled to produce compounds at higher GTR contents (above 70 wt.%). From the result obtained, it can be concluded that recycled materials can be used to produce blends with reasonable quality for automotive, packaging and construction applications since the mechanical properties can be optimized via formulation over a very wide range of GTR (0–90 wt.%).