Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Penetration Failure Mechanisms of Armor-Grade Fiber Composites under Impact

The penetration failure mechanisms of“armor-grade” fiber-reinforced composites with very low resin content were assessed under transverse impact loading in comparison with those of dry reinforcing fabrics. Failure of dry fabrics consisted of the successive fracture of individual yarns along the periphery of the penetrating head as well as the movement of yarns slipping off from the penetrator. In contrast, the principal yarns in the composites, which faced the penetrating head, failed to carry the load mostly through fracture due to the constraint of the resin matrix and the reduced yarn mobility. As a result, the composites absorbed more energy than the fabrics. The ratio of the number of broken yarns in the fabrics to that of the composites correlated quite well with the corresponding ratio of energy absorbed, confirming that fiber straining is responsible for most of the energy absorption in penetration failure. Numerical modeling was utilized to show that yarn slippage in the fabrics results in a smaller effective penetrator radius leading to a decrease in energy absorption capacity with equal penetrator masses. Although the resin matrix itself did not absorb significant amounts of energy, it certainly had an indirect effect on the energy absorption capacity of composites by influencing the number of yarns broken. Stiffer resin matrix prevented the yarn movement to a greater degree and thereby forced the penetrator to engage and break more yarns. Up to the thickness of 3 mm, the dependence of the kinetic energy for full perforation of composites on the laminate thickness was close to the case of ductile monolithic materials such as polycarbonate or aluminum but in less linear fashion. The deviation from the linearity was attributed to a unique mode of tensile failure of armor-grade composites in which a critical level of kinetic energy for full perforation is lowered by the mobility of yarns.
Efficiency results from a coaxial vircator using a simple feedback technique

Experimental findings on the coaxial virtual cathode oscillator (vircator) at Texas Tech University are reported. A major modification to the system extended the pulse forming line several meters. The pulsed power system now delivers up to 750 kV and 60 kA for at least 70 nsec. Additional modifications include diagnostics to measure the diode voltage, current, and radiated field pattern of the output microwaves. In this initial phase of experiments copper reflectors were installed within the diode to provide a simple means of microwave feedback to assist in the e-beam modulation. Thus far we have observed microwave peak power output with feedback reflectors as high as 3.5 GW corresponding to an efficiency of /spl sim/9.5%. Measured radiated field patterns show evidence of multimode operation.
CONSIDERATIONS OF THE STRENGTH OF SNOW.

A CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE EXPRESSION FOR THE NUMBER AND SIZE OF BONDS INTERSECTED BY A POTENTIAL FAILURE SURFACE LEADS TO AN EXPRESSION FOR THE STRENGTH OF SNOW. THIS EXPRESSION CONSIDERS THE STRENGTH OF ICE, THE TIME AT FAILURE AND THE AGE HARDENING AT A CONSTANT POROSITY. THE MAXIMUM STRENGTH FOR FULLY AGE-HARDENED SNOW AT ANY POROSITY CAN BE CALCULATED.
Antiinflammatory Properties of the Stem‐bark of Anopyxis klaineana and its Major Constituent, Methyl Angolensate

Anopyxis klaineana (Pierre) Engl. (Rhizophoraceae) is one of the reputed West African folkloric medicines that has never been investigated for its pharmacological effects or phytochemical constituents. In the present study, the antiinflammatory properties of the stem‐bark extracts were evaluated using the carrageenan‐induced paw oedema model in chicks. The petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts all showed a time and dose‐dependent antiinflammatory effect over the 5‐h observation period. Phytochemical analysis of the most active extract (methanol extract) yielded the principal constituent that was identified as methyl angolensate through extensive spectroscopic and X‐ray analysis studies. Although slightly less potent (ED50, 4.05 ± 0.0034 mg/kg, orally) than the positive control, diclofenac (ED50, 2.49 ± 0.023, intraperitoneally n = 5), this first ever compound isolated from A. klaineana showed promising antiinflammatory activity that may account to some of the reported medicinal uses of the plant. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Precursor influence on tribological properties of metal-ceramic composites designed for aviation machine parts

The paper presents the influence of the chemical composition and structure of a glassy carbon precursor on the tribological properties of a metal-ceramic composite, manufactured with the application of this precursor. Two groups of composites containing two different carbon precursors have been manufactured and studied. The first composite contained a glassy carbon precursor embedded from the liquid state in a porous ceramic foam with 90% open porosity. The ceramic foam (Al2O3) is the reinforcing phase and the glassy carbon functions as a solid lubricant. A twofold increase in compressive strength was observed when the foam was present. The foam porosity was reduced to 85% after it was coated with carbon. However, it was good enough for proper infiltration with the liquid matrix alloy. In the case of the second composite, it is a spatial skeleton made of glassy carbon (RCV) which functions both as the reinforcement and solid lubricant. The open porosity of the carbon foam (95%) promoted good infiltration with the matrix alloy. There was no report of holes which were not filled with the matrix alloy within the entire volume of the samples subjected to microscopic tests. The wettability of the foam surface with the matrix alloy is sufficient enough to form strong bonds. The composite containing ceramic foam coated with glassy carbon showed better tribological properties than the composite which contained only carbon foam.
Porphyrin photosensitivity in cell lines expressing a heat-resistant phenotype

In-vitro sensitivity to porphyrin mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been examined in cell lines resistant to hyperthermia. Parental (HA-i) and heat resistant (3012) Chinese hamster fibroblasts as well as parental (RIF-i) and temperature resistant (TR-4, TR-5 and TR-iO) mouse radiation-induced fibrosarcoma cells were evaluated for thermal and PDT sensitivity. Quantitative survival curves were generated and porphyrin uptake properties were obtained for all cell lines. Significant resistance to hyperthermia (450C for varying exposure periods) was documented for the 3012 and TR cell strains when compared to 'the parent lines. However, normal and heat resistant clones exhibited comparable levels of porphyrin uptake and photosensitivity. Our results indicate that cross resistance between hyperthermia and PDT is not observed and that members of the 70 kD heat shock protein family (which are elevated in the thermal resistant cells and may be associated with the heat resistant phenotype) do not play a significant role in modulating PDT sensitivity. Mechanisms of in-vitro cytotoxicity appear to be different for PDT and hyperthermia even though possible subcellular targets (such as the plasma membrane) and types of damage (protein denaturation) may be similar for the two modalities.
Targeting Tumor Cells with Anti-CD44 Antibody Triggers Macrophage-Mediated Immune Modulatory Effects in a Cancer Xenograft Model

CD44, a transmembrane receptor reported to be involved in various cellular functions, is overexpressed in several cancer types and supposed to be involved in the initiation, progression and prognosis of these cancers. Since the sequence of events following the blockage of the CD44-HA interaction has not yet been studied in detail, we profiled xenograft tumors by RNA Sequencing to elucidate the mode of action of the anti-CD44 antibody RG7356. Analysis of tumor and host gene-expression profiles led us to the hypothesis that treatment with RG7356 antibody leads to an activation of the immune system. Using cytokine measurements we further show that this activation involves the secretion of chemo-attractants necessary for the recruitment of immune cells (i.e. macrophages) to the tumor site. We finally provide evidence for antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) of the malignant cells by macrophages.
Characteristics of tracheobronchial deposition and clearance in man.

Abstract A systematic analysis of the airway factors that effect particle deposition and the relation between deposition and mucociliary clearance was undertaken using both experimental and theoretical techniques. A model of aerosol deposition shows that the observed variation in 24-h% retention of radiolabelled aerosol in healthy adults can be accounted for in large part by changes in airway diameter, in accordance with the observed associated changes in pulmonary function. Subsequently, intrasubject changes in mucociliary clearance during the first 120 min were shown to be correlated with intrasubject variations in 24-h% retention. A mathematical model of aerosol deposition and mucociliary clearance was fitted to experimental clearance data. The model predicts a strong interdependence of mucus transport rates in the airways of the lung, which is verified by experimental data. Measured tracheal mucus transport rate varied between 1.7 and 8.1 mm min-1. The model predicts terminal airway transport rates between 1.4 and 20.2 μm min-1. Drugs or inhaled pollutants were shown to result in changes in the magnitude, variation and coordination of parameters of mucus transport within the lung.
We know who you followed last summer: inferring social link creation times in twitter

Understanding a network's temporal evolution appears to require multiple observations of the graph over time. These often expensive repeated crawls are only able to answer questions about what happened from observation to observation, and not what happened before or between network snapshots. Contrary to this picture, we propose a method for Twitter's social network that takes a single static snapshot of network edges and user account creation times to accurately infer when these edges were formed. This method can be exact in theory, and we demonstrate empirically for a large subset of Twitter relationships that it is accurate to within a few hours in practice. We study users who have a very large number of edges or who are recommended by Twitter. We examine the graph formed by these nearly 1,800 Twitter celebrities and their 862 million edges in detail, showing that a single static snapshot can give novel insights about Twitter's evolution. We conclude from this analysis that real-world events and changes to Twitter's interface for recommending users strongly influence network growth.
p120ctn Acts as an Inhibitory Regulator of Cadherin Function in Colon Carcinoma Cells

p120ctn binds to the cytoplasmic domain of cadherins but its role is poorly understood. Colo 205 cells grow as dispersed cells despite their normal expression of E-cadherin and catenins. However, in these cells we can induce typical E-cadherin–dependent aggregation by treatment with staurosporine or trypsin. These treatments concomitantly induce an electrophoretic mobility shift of p120ctn to a faster position. To investigate whether p120ctn plays a role in this cadherin reactivation process, we transfected Colo 205 cells with a series of p120ctn deletion constructs. Notably, expression of NH2-terminally deleted p120ctn induced aggregation. Similar effects were observed when these constructs were introduced into HT-29 cells. When a mutant N-cadherin lacking the p120ctn-binding site was introduced into Colo 205 cells, this molecule also induced cell aggregation, indicating that cadherins can function normally if they do not bind to p120ctn. These findings suggest that in Colo 205 cells, a signaling mechanism exists to modify a biochemical state of p120ctn and the modified p120ctn blocks the cadherin system. The NH2 terminus–deleted p120ctn appears to compete with the endogenous p120ctn to abolish the adhesion-blocking action.
Graphene for enhanced metal plasmonics

The experimental work undertook in this thesis looks to integrate technologies developedby the graphene and plasmonics communities, respectively, for the purpose of producingdevices of enhanced qualities to those of similar utility that have previously been produced.Furthermore, where possible, we look to offer disruptive innovation, by utilising coupledproperties that may offer unique possibilities for applications.A hybrid graphene-plasmonic waveguide modulator is fabricated and shown to operatesuccessfully at a standard telecommunications frequency. Different plasmonic-waveguidedesigns ? the basis for the modulator ? were produced to probe the coupling betweengraphene and the surface plasmon-polariton modes. A mode excitable at the edge ofthe waveguide was found to offer the best modulation, with a modulation depth of over0.03 dB ? m^? 1, induced by a moderate gating voltage of about 10 V.Topologically-protected darkness (zero reflection) was produced by particular engineeringof a plasmonic metamaterial. This allowed generation of a singularity in the ellipsometricphase (a particular parameter of light), allowing for measurements of mass sensitivityof ? 10 fg mm^? 2, with the possibility of improving this to ? 100 ag mm^? 2. Graphene wasemployed in a novel metrology tool to measure the sensitivity of this device.With respect to fundamental losses in plasmonics, one could find either find a new plasmonicmaterial or look to improve an existing one. Work was undertook with respect to this latteroption by attempting to preserve the otherwise excellent plasmonic properties of copper andsilver through a protective barrier of graphene. This was achieved and illustrated throughellipsometric measurements taken over various timescales. Fabrication of a dielectricloadedwaveguide on graphene-protected copper was then carried out, with operation ofthe waveguide proving successful, possibly opening the field of active graphene-protectedmetal plasmonics.
AOn ' Response Defect in Paraneoplastic Night Blindness With Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma

Response properties of rod and cone systems were assessed in a patient with an acquired form of night blindness associated with a metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma. The night blindness, a sensation of shimmering lights, and selective reductions in the amplitudes of both rod and cone electroretinographic (ERG) b-waves were present before and after chemotherapy, confirming that this disorder was a paraneoplastic consequence of the melanoma rather than a response to chemotherapy. During ERG testing with flashes of extended duration, the cone b-wave abnormality was found to be a predominant loss of the cone ERG "on" response with relative preservation of the "off" response, similar to that observed in patients with congenital stationary night blindness. An impairment in signal transmission specific for retinal "on" pathways may be a primary defect in both of these forirs of night blindness. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 33:477-483,1992
Interpolation and extrapolation using a high-resolution discrete Fourier transform

We present an iterative nonparametric approach to spectral estimation that is particularly suitable for estimation of line spectra. This approach minimizes a cost function derived from Bayes' theorem. The method is suitable for line spectra since a "long tailed" distribution is used to model the prior distribution of spectral amplitudes. Since the data themselves are used as constraints, phase information can also be recovered and used to extend the data outside the original window. The objective function is formulated in terms of hyperparameters that control the degree of fit and spectral resolution. Noise rejection can also be achieved by truncating the number of iterations. Spectral resolution and extrapolation length are controlled by a single parameter. When this parameter is large compared with the spectral powers, the algorithm leads to zero extrapolation of the data, and the estimated Fourier transform yields the periodogram. When the data are sampled at a constant rate, the algorithm uses one Levinson recursion per iteration. For irregular sampling, the algorithm uses one Cholesky decomposition per iteration. The performance of the algorithm is illustrated with three different problems that arise in geophysical data: (1) harmonic retrieval from a time series contaminated with noise; (2) linear event detection from a finite aperture array of receivers, (3) interpolation/extrapolation of gapped data. The performance of the algorithm as a spectral estimator is tested with the Kay and Marple (1981) data set.
Plugfest 2009: Global interoperability in Telerobotics and telemedicine

Despite the great diversity of teleoperator designs and applications, their underlying control systems have many similarities. These similarities can be exploited to enable inter-operability between heterogeneous systems. We have developed a network data specification, the Interoperable Telerobotics Protocol, that can be used for Internet based control of a wide range of teleoperators. In this work we test interoperable telerobotics on the global Internet, focusing on the telesurgery application domain. Fourteen globally dispersed telerobotic master and slave systems were connected in thirty trials in one twenty four hour period. Users performed common manipulation tasks to demonstrate effective master-slave operation. With twenty eight (93%) successful, unique connections the results show a high potential for standardizing telerobotic operation. Furthermore, new paradigms for telesurgical operation and training are presented, including a networked surgery trainer and upper-limb exoskeleton control of micro-manipulators.
Asymmetric LSH (ALSH) for Sublinear Time Maximum Inner Product Search (MIPS)

We present the first provably sublinear time algorithm for approximate \emph{Maximum Inner Product Search} (MIPS). Our proposal is also the first hashing algorithm for searching with (un-normalized) inner product as the underlying similarity measure. Finding hashing schemes for MIPS was considered hard. We formally show that the existing Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) framework is insufficient for solving MIPS, and then we extend the existing LSH framework to allow asymmetric hashing schemes. Our proposal is based on an interesting mathematical phenomenon in which inner products, after independent asymmetric transformations, can be converted into the problem of approximate near neighbor search. This key observation makes efficient sublinear hashing scheme for MIPS possible. In the extended asymmetric LSH (ALSH) framework, we provide an explicit construction of provably fast hashing scheme for MIPS. The proposed construction and the extended LSH framework could be of independent theoretical interest. Our proposed algorithm is simple and easy to implement. We evaluate the method, for retrieving inner products, in the collaborative filtering task of item recommendations on Netflix and Movielens datasets.
Molecular modeling of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) analogs: relevance to transepithelial transport.

PURPOSE The aim of this research is to model the effect of methylation on hydrogen bonding ability, surface area, polar surface area, volume, lipophilicity, charge, and cross-sectional diameters of a series of mono-, di-, and tri- methyl substituted analogs of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) and compare these parameters to in vitro transport properties across Caco-2 monolayers. METHODS Molecular modeling was used to investigate the structural parameters that may influence the transport properties of RGD and its methyl analogs at pH 7.4. Log P was experimentally determined using a potentiometric method and compared to cLogP. Transport studies were carried out using Caco-2 cell monolayers. RESULTS Parameters such as polar and total surface area, volume, and Log P were found to vary with both the number and the sites of methyl substitution on the RGD molecule. The calculated as well as the experimental Log P values were found to be less than minus 2. The calculated maximum cross-sectional diameters ranged from 9 to 12 A. No detectable transport was noted. CONCLUSIONS Results of our study indicate that in the design considerations for the development of new peptidomimetic RGD analogs with enhanced oral bioavailability, an important parameter to consider is the three dimensional conformation of the peptides which influences their hydrogen bonding ability, polarity and molecular geometry.
A derivation system for security protocols and its logical formalization

Many authentication and key exchange protocols are built using an accepted set of standard concepts such as Diffie-Hellman key exchange, nonces to avoid replay, certificates from an accepted authority, and encrypted or signed messages. We introduce a basic framework for deriving security protocols from such simple components. As a case study, we examine the structure of a family of key exchange protocols that includes station-to-station (STS), ISO-9798-3, just fast keying (JFK), IKE and related protocols, deriving all members of the family from two basic protocols using a small set of refinements and protocol transformations. As initial steps toward associating logical derivations with protocol derivations, we extend a previous security protocol logic with preconditions and temporal assertions. Using this logic, we prove the security properties of the standard signature based challenge-response protocol and the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol. The ISO-9798-3 protocol is then proved correct by composing the correctness proofs of these two simple protocols.
Low-level laser therapy decreases renal interstitial fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). BACKGROUND DATA Regardless of the etiology, CKD involves progressive widespread tissue fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and loss of kidney function. This process also occurs in kidney allograft. At present, effective therapies for this condition are lacking. We investigated the effects of LLLT on the interstitial fibrosis that occurs after experimental UUO in rats. METHODS The occluded kidney of half of the 32 Wistar rats that underwent UUO received a single intraoperative dose of LLLT (AlGaAs laser, 780 nm, 22.5 J/cm(2), 30 mW, 0.75 W/cm(2), 30 sec on each of nine points). After 14 days, renal fibrosis was assessed by Sirius red staining under polarized light. Immunohistochemical analyses quantitated the renal tissue cells that expressed fibroblast (FSP-1) and myofibroblast (α-SMA) markers. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to determine the mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and Smad3. RESULTS The UUO and LLLT animals had less fibrosis than the UUO animals, as well having decreased expression inflammatory and pro-fibrotic markers. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, we showed that LLLT had a protective effect regarding renal interstitial fibrosis. It is conceivable that by attenuating inflammation, LLLT can prevent tubular activation and transdifferentiation, which are the two processes that mainly drive the renal fibrosis of the UUO model.