Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel ceramic precursor route for the direct production of hierarchically structured titanium alloy foams

Titanium alloys find extensive use in the biomedical field, including applications in the form of a porous structure as a scaffold material for bone repair. Scaffold materials have demanding mechanical and biocompatibility requirements, which vary depending on the orthopaedic application. These requirements are determined by both the porous macrostructure of the foams and the strut wall microstructure. Therefore techniques are needed to characterise these structural features and relate them to the mechanical and physical properties. In this thesis new methods were developed to both manufacture titanium alloy foams and characterise them. Nondestructive X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) methods were employed to characterise the pore and interconnect size. The pore and interconnect size dominates the flow properties (permeability) of open-foam structures. Thus, μCT data was meshed and computational fluid dynamics analysis was performed to predict permeability. Direct finite element modelling, continuum micromechanics and analytical models of the foam were employed to characterise the elasto-plastic deformation behaviour. Pore anisotropy was quantified and related to the yield stress anisotropy, allowing identification of initial pore collapse. These results were validated against experimental measurements. Finally, the conventional production method of porous titanium is achieved through a costly multi-step powder metallurgical (PM) route. A new, potentially low cost, method was developed to produce porous titanium with properties similar or better than the existing titanium foam from a ceramic precursor via an electrochemical route. Two steps were involved: (1) preparing the ceramic precursor foam via a gel-casting route; and (2) reducing the oxide electrochemically via the FFC (Fray, Farthing and Chen) Cambridge process. The results of this preliminary study are very promising, with the foams produced via this method demonstrating mechanical and physical properties comparable to conventionally manufactured foams.
Step counts of non-white minority children and youth by gender, grade level, race/ethnicity, and mode of school transportation.

BACKGROUND The purposes of this study were to describe and analyze the steps/d of nonwhite minority children and youth by gender, grade level, race/ethnicity, and mode of school transportation. A secondary purpose was to compare the steps/d of minority children and youth to their Caucasian grade-level counterparts. METHODS Participants were 547 minority youth grades 5 to 8 from 4 urban schools. Participants wore sealed pedometers for 6 consecutive week/school days. Three hundred and ten participants responded to a questionnaire concerning their mode of transportation to and from school. RESULTS Statistical analyses indicated a main effect for gender (F(3, 546) = 13.50, P < . 001) with no interaction. Boys (12,589 ± 3921) accumulated significantly more steps/d than girls (9,539 ± 3,135). Further analyses also revealed a significant main effect for mode of school transportation (F(2, 309) = 15.97, P ≤ . 001). Walkers (12,614 ± 4169) obtained significantly more steps/d than car (10,021 ± 2856) or bus (10,230 ± 3666) transit users. CONCLUSIONS Minority boys obtain similar steps/d as their Caucasian grade-level counterparts; minority girls obtain less steps/d than their Caucasian grade-level counterparts. Minority youth who actively commute are more likely to meet PA recommendations than nonactive commuters.
Source Control and Graft Preservation Using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with Antibiotic Instillation: A Case Report

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is widely used to treat many types of complex wounds, and the advent of the instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) technique has enhanced this system with the addition of automated treatment with topical solutions. In the field of vascular surgery, NPWT is utilized to help close wounds over underlying grafts; however keeping these wounds free of infection and avoiding large reoperation when infection occurs remains a challenge. In this case report we present a patient who required acute intervention for limb ischemia, with a large wound created in the groin for anastomosis of a prosthetic graft bypass. Postoperatively, the wound became infected, and the challenge became balancing infection control and graft preservation with the patient’s multiple comorbidities including postoperative non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). To avoid a large reoperation, we chose NPWTi-d with automated instillation of an antibiotic solution. There was no reinfection or return to the operating room (OR), the patient was discharged after four weeks and the wound closed on its own shortly thereafter. This case demonstrates that for high-risk surgical patients with known wound infections in the proximity of a bypass graft, NPWTi-d with antibiotic instillation may be an effective augmentation to current treatment strategies and may be considered as a stand-alone technique for wound closure in select cases.
Foreword: Studying plants with functional-structural models.

Functional–structural plant models (FSPM) explore the manifold relations between a plant’s structure and the processes that underlie its growth and development. Here we introduce selected papers presented at the 5th International Workshop on Functional–Structural Plant Models, held in Napier, New Zealand, 2007. The papers range from the microscopic scale of meristems to the macroscopic scales of whole plants and plant communities, and cover a wide range of plants, from algae to trees. The topics include examples of comprehensive functional–structural models, models of key processes such as partitioning of resources, software for modelling plants and plant environment, data acquisition techniques and applications of functional–structural plant models.
Changing demographics of visceral leishmaniasis in northeast Brazil: Lessons for the future

Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum became a disease of urban areas in Brazil in the last 30 years and there has been an increase in asymptomatic L. infantum infection with these areas. Methodology/Principal findings A retrospective study of human VL was performed in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, for the period of 1990–2014. The data were divided into five-time periods. For all VL cases, data on sex, age, nutritional status and childhood vaccination were collected. Geographic information system tools and statistical models were used to analyze the dispersion of human VL. The mean annual incidence of VL was 4.6 cases/100,000 inhabitants, with total 3,252 cases reported. The lethality rate was 6.4%. Over time the annual incidence of VL decreased in the 0–4 years (p<0.0001) and 5–9 (p <0.0001) age groups, but increased in ages 20–39 (p<0.001) and >40 years (p<0.0001). VL occurred more often in males (β2 = 2.5; p<0.0001). The decreased incidence of VL in children was associated with improved nutritional status and childhood immunizations including measles, poliomyelitis, BCG, and hepatitis B. Human VL correlated temporally and geographically with canine L. infantum infection (p = 0.002, R2 = 0.438), with rainfall and with Lutzomyia longipalpis density (r = 0.762). Overall, the incidence of VL decreased, while VL-AIDS increased, especially between 2010–2014. VL was more frequently found in areas that lacked urban infrastructure, detected by lack of garbage collection and sewers, whereas HIV infection was associated with higher levels of schooling and evidence of higher socioeconomic status. Conclusion/Significance The demographics of VL in northeastern Brazil have changed. Disease incidence has decreased in children and increased in adults. They were associated with improvements in nutrition, socioeconomic status and immunization rates. Concurrent VL-AIDS poses a serious challenge for the future.
A new black fly species from Brazil, closely related to Simulium guianense Wise (Diptera, Simuliidae), revealed by morphology and DNA barcoding.

The male, female, pupa and larva of Simulium litobranchium n. sp. are described and illustrated. This new species has 12 gill filaments, as do S. duodenicornium Pepinelli, Hamada & Trivinho-Strixino, S. guianense Wise, S. hirtipupa Lutz, S. perplexum Shelley, Maia-Herzog, Lunas Dias & Couch and S. scutistriatum Lutz, but it can be distinguished from these other species by a combination of characters observed at the pupal and adult stages. DNA barcoding showed that Simulium litobranchium n. sp. exhibits more than 4% nucleotide divergence in cytochrome oxidase I from three other closely related species in the Neotropical subgenus S. (Thyrsopelma). The new species was collected in the Brazilian states of Goias and Minas Gerais and inhabits rivers 30–40 m in width in the Parana River hydrographic basin. Females were not observed engaging in anthropophilic behavior.
Situational motivational profiles and performance with elite performers

In Study 1, a sample of tennis players ranked at the national level (n = 173) completed a French version of the Situational Motivation Scale the day before a tennis competition. Results revealed the presence of a three-cluster solution. Differences among clusters on subsequent sport performance were significant.Specifically,athletes with the least self-determined motivational profile obtained the lowest levels of performance. Study 2 (n = 319) replicated the findings of Study 1 with a larger sampleofnationalleveltennisplayers.Overall,theseresultssuggestthatitisusefulto analyze individuals’ situational motivational profiles using a cluster analysis to understand the complex link between motivation and performance.
THE GENTLE GROWTH OF GALAXIES AT HIGH REDSHIFTS IN OVERDENSE ENVIRONMENTS

We have explored prevailing modes of galaxy growth for redshifts z ∼ 6–14, comparing substantially overdense and normal regions of the universe, using high-resolution zoom-in cosmological simulations. Such rare overdense regions have been projected to host high-z quasars. We demonstrate that galaxies in such environments grow predominantly by a smooth accretion from cosmological filaments which dominates the mass input from major, intermediate, and minor mergers. We find that by z ∼ 6, the accumulated galaxy mass fraction from mergers falls short by a factor of 10 of the cumulative accretion mass for galaxies in the overdense regions, and by a factor of 5 in the normal environments. Moreover, the rate of the stellar mass input from mergers also lies below that of an in situ star formation (SF) rate. The fraction of stellar masses in galaxies contributed by mergers in overdense regions is ∼12%, and ∼33% in the normal regions, at these redshifts. Our median SF rates for ∼few × 109 M☉ galaxies agrees well with the recently estimated rates for z ∼ 7 galaxies from Spitzer's SURF-UP survey. Finally, we find that the main difference between the normal and overdense regions lies in the amplified growth of massive galaxies in massive dark matter halos. This leads to the formation of ≳ 1010 M☉ galaxies due to the ∼100 fold increase in mass during the above time period. Such galaxies are basically absent in the normal regions at these redshifts.
Corrosion Protection of Materials by Applying Nanotechnology Associated Studies

Corrosion usually takes place and degrades material surfaces based on environmental chemistry. There are several popular ways of decreasing corrosion rates to improve the lifetime of materials and devices. As recently determined, some methods may incorporate nanostructured materials processing approaches. These include surface treatment methods, nanocomposite thin film coatings, top layer coatings and thermal barrier coatings. Test results show that the corrosion performance of materials is significantly improved as compared to materials processed using conventional methods. In the present paper, some of these studies will be analyzed, and the obtained corrosion results will be evaluated in detail for the future of corrosion processes.
An fMRI and effective connectivity study investigating miss errors during advice utilization from human and machine agents

ABSTRACT As society becomes more reliant on machines and automation, understanding how people utilize advice is a necessary endeavor. Our objective was to reveal the underlying neural associations during advice utilization from expert human and machine agents with fMRI and multivariate Granger causality analysis. During an X-ray luggage-screening task, participants accepted or rejected good or bad advice from either the human or machine agent framed as experts with manipulated reliability (high miss rate). We showed that the machine-agent group decreased their advice utilization compared to the human-agent group and these differences in behaviors during advice utilization could be accounted for by high expectations of reliable advice and changes in attention allocation due to miss errors. Brain areas involved with the salience and mentalizing networks, as well as sensory processing involved with attention, were recruited during the task and the advice utilization network consisted of attentional modulation of sensory information with the lingual gyrus as the driver during the decision phase and the fusiform gyrus as the driver during the feedback phase. Our findings expand on the existing literature by showing that misses degrade advice utilization, which is represented in a neural network involving salience detection and self-processing with perceptual integration.
Internal and External Validation of a Computer-Assisted Surveillance System for Hospital-Acquired Infections in a 754-Bed General Hospital in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE To evaluate a computer-assisted point-prevalence survey (CAPPS) for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). DESIGN Validation cohort. SETTING A 754-bed teaching hospital in the Netherlands. METHODS For the internal validation of a CAPPS for HAIs, 2,526 patients were included. All patient records were retrospectively reviewed in depth by 2 infection control practitioners (ICPs) to determine which patients had suffered an HAI. Preventie van Ziekenhuisinfecties door Surveillance (PREZIES) criteria were used. Following this internal validation, 13 consecutive CAPPS were performed in a prospective study from January to March 2013 to determine weekly, monthly, and quarterly HAI point prevalence. Finally, a CAPPS was externally validated by PREZIES (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu [RIVM], Bilthoven, Netherlands). In all evaluations, discrepancies were resolved by consensus. RESULTS In our series of CAPPS, 83% of the patients were automatically excluded from detailed review by the ICP. The sensitivity of the method was 91%. The time spent per hospital-wide CAPPS was ~3 hours. External validation showed a negative predictive value of 99.1% for CAPPS. CONCLUSIONS CAPPS proved to be a sensitive, accurate, and efficient method to determine serial weekly point-prevalence HAI rates in our hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6
Mining the Stiffness-Sensitive Transcriptome in Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Identifies Long Noncoding RNA Stiffness Regulators

Objective— Vascular extracellular matrix stiffening is a risk factor for aortic and coronary artery disease. How matrix stiffening regulates the transcriptome profile of human aortic and coronary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is not well understood. Furthermore, the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the cellular response to stiffening has never been explored. This study characterizes the stiffness-sensitive (SS) transcriptome of human aortic and coronary VSMCs and identifies potential key lncRNA regulators of stiffness-dependent VSMC functions. Approach and Results— Aortic and coronary VSMCs were cultured on hydrogel substrates mimicking physiological and pathological extracellular matrix stiffness. Total RNAseq was performed to compare the SS transcriptome profiles of aortic and coronary VSMCs. We identified 3098 genes (2842 protein coding and 157 lncRNA) that were stiffness sensitive in both aortic and coronary VSMCs (false discovery rate <1%). Hierarchical clustering revealed that aortic and coronary VSMCs grouped by stiffness rather than cell origin. Conservation analyses also revealed that SS genes were more conserved than stiffness-insensitive genes. These VSMC SS genes were less tissue-type specific and expressed in more tissues than stiffness-insensitive genes. Using unbiased systems analyses, we identified MALAT1 as an SS lncRNA that regulates stiffness-dependent VSMC proliferation and migration in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions— This study provides the transcriptomic landscape of human aortic and coronary VSMCs in response to extracellular matrix stiffness and identifies novel SS human lncRNAs. Our data suggest that the SS transcriptome is evolutionarily important to VSMCs function and that SS lncRNAs can act as regulators of stiffness-dependent phenotypes.
Structure and physicochemical characterization of a naproxen–picolinamide cocrystal

The crystal structure is reported of a new 1:1 cocrystal of naproxen with picolinamide, and the pharmaceutically relevant properties are investigated. An NMR crystallography approach is used to distinguish between two crystallographically unique COOH–CONH hydrogen-bonded dimers and to confirm the location of the H atoms in the two dimers.
Partisan optimism and political bargaining

Partisan voters are optimistic about electoral outcomes: their estimates of the probability of electoral success for their party are substantially higher than the average among the electorate. This has large potential implications for political bargaining. Optimistic electoral expectations make costly bargaining delay look more favourable, which may induce partisans to punish their party for agreeing to a compromise rather than waiting, for example by not turning out to vote. Party decision makers should take this into account when bargaining. We set up and analyse a simple game theoretic model to explore the implications of partisan optimism for political bargaining. We show that increased optimism among a partisan group leads to a stronger bargaining position for their party, but may hurt its electoral prospects. Another main finding is that even high levels of partisan optimism do not in themselves cause inefficient bargaining delay.
Using synthetic herbivor-induced plant volatiles to enhance conservation biological control: field experiments in hops and grapes.

The potential of using synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) as a cultural tool to enhance conservation biological control of insects and mites is being researched in hops and grapes in Washington State. Results to date indicate that a number of natural enemy species in the families, Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae, Anthocoridae, Geocoridae, Miridae, Coccinellidae, Syrphidae, Braconidae, Empididae and Mymaridae, are attracted to sticky traps baited with aqueous methyl salicylate (MeSA), hexenyl acetate, farnesene or octyl aldehyde. Hop yards and grape blocks baited with controlled release sachet (CRS) dispensers of MeSA recruit larger populations of some insect predators (e.g., Stethorus punctum picipes Casey (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Orius tristicolor White (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), Chrysopa nigricornis Burmeister (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) than unbaited blocks, resulting in some instances, in improved biological control of spider mites and aphids. CRS dispensers of methyl salicylate, methyl jasmonate and hexenyl acetate increased populations of two parasitic wasp genera (Anagrus, Metaphycus) in grapes, possibly by ‘signalling’ to the plants to produce HIPVs. The use of synthetic HIPVs/plant-signalling compounds as ‘Herbivore-Induced Plant Protection Odors’ (HIPPOs) has the potential to provide a novel yet practical strategy for improving the efficacy and reliability of conservation biological control in a variety of agricultural ecosystems.
Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Neuropsychiatric and Non-neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Its most prevalent manifestation is neuropsychiatric SLE (NP-SLE), which is characterized by increased involvement of the nervous system, with relevant symptoms, such as marked cognitive deficits, which are directly involved in subsequent functional disability. The objective of this study is to identify and compare the profile of cognitive deficits in patients with NP-SLE and patients with non-neuropsychiatric SLE (nonNP-SLE) by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search based on the key words “cogn* OR neurocogn* AND lupus AND neuropsychiatry*” and included articles published between April 1999 and December 2016. A total of 244 articles were retrieved. We excluded reviews and meta-analyses, experiments not performed in humans, and single case reports. We included studies that used standardized cognitive measures and had included at least the subgroups NP-SLE and non NP-SLE. Results: The meta-analysis was finally based on six studies, and 10 neuropsychological variables were examined. Significant differences were observed between the groups for six variables. In the remaining four variables, we observed marked heterogeneity between the groups or a low number of studies. Conclusions: The data obtained indicate greater cognitive impairment among NP-SLE patients than among nonNP-SLE patients, at least for the cognitive domains of visuomotor coordination, attention, executive function, visual learning and memory, and phonetic fluency. The identification and definition of cognitive deficits in SLE patients is necessary to develop adequate cognitive remediation programs to improve functional outcomes. (JINS, 2018, 24, 629–639)
Contribution of the patient–horse relationship to substance use disorder treatment: Patients’ experiences

Background A good therapeutic relationship is a strong predictor of successful treatment in addiction and other psychological illness. Recent studies of horse-assisted therapy (HAT) have drawn attention to the importance of the client's relationship to the horse in psychotherapy. Few have reported on the patient's own perspective and none have reported specifically on the human–horse relationship in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and its implications for health and well-being. Aim This article explores SUD patients’ own experience of their relationship with the horse and their perceptions of its contribution to their therapy. Methods As part of a large mixed-method study of HAT in SUD treatment, we used semi-structured interviews of eight patients to gather information about their experiences of HAT. From the data obtained, the relationship with the horse was found to be a significant part of participants’ HAT experience. It is therefore the subject of the current phenomenological study, in which thematic analysis was used to investigate how the participants constructed the reality of their relationship with the horse(s) and their perceptions of the consequences of that reality in SUD treatment. Results Participants’ own descriptions suggest that the horses were facilitators of a positive self-construct and provided important emotional support during treatment. Analysis found relationship with the horse, emotional effect, and mastery to be important and interrelated themes. The findings were interpreted within an attachment theory context. Conclusion The results appear to be consistent with key addiction treatment theories and with findings in HAT theoretical and empirical studies. They add to our understanding of the impact of HAT on SUD treatment. However, further research is needed into both the construct validity of the patient–horse therapeutic relationship and the possible variance within and between different populations.