Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations in living mouse cochleae

Significance The remarkable sensitivity of mammalian hearing depends on auditory sensory outer hair cells, yet how these cells enhance the hearing sensitivity remains unclear. By measuring subnanometer vibrations directly from motile outer hair cells in living inner ear, we demonstrate that outer hair cells do not directly amplify the basilar membrane vibration by local feedback as commonly expected; instead, they actively vibrate the reticular lamina over a broad frequency range. The outer hair cell-driven reticular lamina vibration interacts with the basilar membrane traveling wave through the cochlear fluid, resulting in maximal vibrations at the best-frequency location, consequently enhancing hearing sensitivity. This finding advances our knowledge of mammalian hearing and may lead to strategies for restoring hearing in patients. It is commonly believed that the exceptional sensitivity of mammalian hearing depends on outer hair cells which generate forces for amplifying sound-induced basilar membrane vibrations, yet how cellular forces amplify vibrations is poorly understood. In this study, by measuring subnanometer vibrations directly from the reticular lamina at the apical ends of outer hair cells and from the basilar membrane using a custom-built heterodyne low-coherence interferometer, we demonstrate in living mouse cochleae that the sound-induced reticular lamina vibration is substantially larger than the basilar membrane vibration not only at the best frequency but surprisingly also at low frequencies. The phase relation of reticular lamina to basilar membrane vibration changes with frequency by up to 180 degrees from ∼135 degrees at low frequencies to ∼-45 degrees at the best frequency. The magnitude and phase differences between reticular lamina and basilar membrane vibrations are absent in postmortem cochleae. These results indicate that outer hair cells do not amplify the basilar membrane vibration directly through a local feedback as commonly expected; instead, they actively vibrate the reticular lamina over a broad frequency range. The outer hair cell-driven reticular lamina vibration collaboratively interacts with the basilar membrane traveling wave primarily through the cochlear fluid, which boosts peak responses at the best-frequency location and consequently enhances hearing sensitivity and frequency selectivity.
Extent and mechanisms of brominated and chlorinated flame retardant emissions associated with the treatment of waste electronics, furnishings and building materials

The work conducted in this thesis examines the potential for emissions of flame retardants (FRs) from a range of treated end-of-life materials during and following disposal. A series of standardised leaching experiments were developed and conducted to study FR leaching from a range of waste flame retarded products, including: textiles, EPS and XPS building insulation foams, cathode-ray tube plastics and polyurethane furniture foams (PUF). The leaching tests were conducted using a range of leaching fluids, with the view of simulating the characteristics of real landfill leachates. A number of different test parameters were examined, such as a variety of dissolved humic matter concentrations, landfill relevant pHs between 5.8 and 8.5, landfill relevant temperatures, the effect of agitation, contact durations and longer term cycles of periodic wetting and draining of waste. It is apparent from these experiments that despite the relatively hydrophobic physicochemical properties of brominated FRs (BFRs), they are able to leach from waste materials at substantial concentrations. Concentrations of ƩPBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in the leachate from the leaching experiments in this study ranged from 14,000 – 200,000 ng L-1, while concentrations of ƩHBCDD (hexabromocyclododecane) ranged from 170 ng L-1 – 13,000 ng L-1 in textile leaching experiments and from 13,000 ng L-1 – 4,200,000 ng L-1 in building insulation foam experiments. BFR leaching appears to be a second order process, whereby a period of initially intense dissolution of more labile BFR is followed by a slower stage corresponding to external diffusion of the soluble residue in the material. Tris (chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) is more readily soluble in water than the BFRs studied, and leaching of TCIPP from PUF appears to be a first order process. Concentrations of TCIPP in the leachate from the leaching experiments in this study ranged from 13 mg L-1 – 130 mg L-1. In serial batch leaching experiments, >95 % of TCIPP was depleted from the flexible PUF after the sixth batch (168 h total contact). Hence, leaching is potentially a very significant pathway for TCIPP emissions to the environment. A small survey of waste soft furnishings from a variety of UK domestic and office locations was also conducted, to help determine the total FR content entering the UK waste stream as a result of the disposal of soft furnishings. The predominant FR detected was TCIPP. Closed test chamber experiments investigating the effect of temperature on volatilisation of TCIPP from polyurethane foam were conducted. These experiments show volatilisation of TCIPP from PUF to increase exponentially with temperature and to constitute an additional potentially significant pathway for emissions from UK MSW landfills, with TCIPP emissions via volatilisation from landfilled PUF estimated to range between ~200 and ~3,800 tonnes yr-1.
Fat reduction in the formulation of frankfurter sausages using inulin and pectin

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different concentrations of inulin and pectin as fat substitutes on the chemical composition, texture, and sensory acceptance of frankfurter sausages. Six treatments were evaluated to test fat replacement: control (T0); low fat control (T1); low fat with 15% inulin (T2); low fat with 30% inulin (T3); low fat with 7.5% inulin and 7.5% pectin (T4); and low fat with 15% inulin and 15% pectin (T5). The addition of fibers increased the yield (T3 and T5; 98.96%), and the color parameters were slightly reduced (T3). Moisture (61.14%) and ashes (6.96%) of sausages with inulin and pectin were higher (T5), while shear force, hardness, fracturability, gumminess, and chewiness (T3 and T5) were slightly lower than those of the control. The addition of inulin (T2) increased the sensory acceptance of the sausages (5.75). Fat can be replaced with inulin and pectin in frankfurter sausages to produce healthy and functional products.
The Domestication of the Amazon Tree Grape (Pourouma cecropiifolia) Under an Ecological Lens

Domestication studies traditionally focus on the differences in morphological characteristics between wild and domesticated populations that are under direct selection, the components of the domestication syndrome. Here, we consider that other aspects can be modified, because of the interdependence between plant characteristics and the forces of natural selection. We investigated the ongoing domestication of Pourouma cecropiifolia populations cultivated by the Ticuna people in Western Amazonia, using traditional and ecological approaches. We compared fruit characteristics between wild and domesticated populations to quantify the direct effects of domestication. To examine the characteristics that are not under direct selection and the correlated effects of human selection and natural selection, we investigated the differences in vegetative characteristics, changes in seed:fruit allometric relations and the relations of these characteristics with variation in environmental conditions summarized in a principal component analysis. Domestication generated great changes in fruit characteristics, as expected in fruit crops. The fruits of domesticated plants had 20× greater mass and twice as much edible pulp as wild fruits. The plant height:DBH ratio and wood density were, respectively, 42% and 22% smaller in domesticated populations, probably in response to greater luminosity and higher sand content of the cultivated landscapes. Seed:fruit allometry was modified by domestication: although domesticated plants have heavier seeds, the domesticated fruits have proportionally (46%) smaller seed mass compared to wild fruits. The high light availability and poor soils of cultivated landscapes may have contributed to seed mass reduction, while human selection promoted seed mass increase in correlation with fruit mass increase. These contrasting effects generated a proportionately smaller increase in seed mass in domesticated plants. In this study, it was not possible to clearly dissociate the environmental effects from the domestication effects in changes in morphological characteristics, because the environmental conditions were intensively modified by human management, showing that plant domestication is intrinsically related to landscape domestication. Our results suggest that evaluation of environmental conditions together with human selection on domesticated phenotypes provide a better understanding of the changes generated by domestication in plants.
Online inferential and textual processing by adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder during reading comprehension: Evidence from a probing method

ABSTRACT Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated that students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle particularly with grasping the implicit, inferential level of narratives that is crucial for story comprehension. However, these studies used offline tasks (i.e., after story presentation), used indirect measurements (e.g., identifying main ideas), and/or yielded inconclusive results using think-aloud techniques. Moreover, most studies were conducted with preschool or elementary school children with ADHD, using listening or televised story comprehension. In this study, we were interested in examining the spontaneous, immediate activation and/or suppression of forward-predictive inferences, backward-explanatory inferences, and inference-evoking textual information, as they occur online during reading comprehension by adolescents with ADHD. Method: Participants with and without ADHD read short narrative texts, each of which included a predictive sentence, a bridging sentence that referred back to the predictive sentence via actualization of the predicted event, and two intervening sentences positioned between the predictive and bridging sentences that introduced a temporary transition from the main (predictive) episode. Activation and suppression of inferential and/or textual information were assessed using naming times of word probes that were implied by the preceding text, explicitly mentioned in it, or neither when following control texts. In some cases, a true–false inferential or textual question followed the probe. Results: Naming facilitations were observed for the control but not for the ADHD group, in responding to inference probes that followed the predictive and bridging sentences, and to text probes that followed the predictive sentences. Participants with ADHD were accurate, albeit slower, than controls in answering the true–false questions. Conclusions: Adolescents with ADHD have difficulties in generating predictive and explanatory inferences and in retaining relevant textual information in working memory while reading, although they can answer questions after reading when texts are relatively short. These findings are discussed with regard to development of comprehension strategies for individuals with ADHD.
Prostaglandin E2-Induced COX-2 Expressions via EP2 and EP4 Signaling Pathways in Human LoVo Colon Cancer Cells

Metastasis is the most dangerous risk faced by patients with hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC). The expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been observed in several types of human cancers and regulates the efficacy of many therapies. Here, we show that treatment with various concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2; 0, 1, 5 or 10 μM) promotes the migration ability of the human LoVo colon cancer cell line. As demonstrated by mRNA and protein expression analyses, EP2 and EP4 are the major PGE2 receptors expressed on the LoVo cell membrane. The Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt cell survival pathway was upregulated by EP2 and EP4 activation. Following the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, β-catenin translocated into the nucleus and triggered COX2 transcription via LEF-1 and TCF-4 and its subsequent translation. COX2 expression correlated with the elevation in the migration ability of LoVo cells. The experimental evidence shows a possible mechanism by which PGE2 induces cancer cell migration and further suggests PGE2 to be a potential therapeutic target in colon cancer metastasis. On inhibition of PGE2, in order to determine the downstream pathway, the levels of PI3K/Akt pathway were suppressed and the β-catenin expression was also modulated. Inhibition of EP2 and EP4 shows that PGE2 induces protein expression of COX-2 through EP2 and EP4 receptors in LoVo colon cancer cells.
Nutritional Potential of Selected Insect Species Reared on the Island of Sumatra

Inhabitants of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are faced with the problem of insufficient food supplies and the consequent risk of undernourishment and health issues. Edible insects as a traditional and readily available food source could be part of the solution. The nutritional value of insects depends on many factors, e.g., species, developmental stage, sex, diet, and climatic conditions. However, edible insects bred in Sumatra for human consumption have never before been assessed with regard to their nutritional value. Our study involved analyses of crude protein, chitin, fat and selected fatty acid contents of giant mealworm larvae (Zophobas morio), larvae of the common mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and nymphs of the field cricket (Gryllus assimilis). Crude protein content in the samples ranged from 46% to 56%. Highest (35%) and lowest (31%) amounts of fat were recorded in giant mealworm larvae and larvae of the common mealworm, respectively. Chitin amounts ranged from 6% to 13%. Based on these values, which are comparable to those known from other food insects reared in different regions of the world, the edible species bred in Sumatra could become food sources with a potential to help stave off hunger and undernourishment.
A Comparative Study Of Polypropylene, Recron And Steel Fiber Reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composites

This study is investigate the response of conventional reinforced concrete and fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composites members on their flexural loaddeformation behavior, compressive strength and split tensile strength behavior of concrete. The behavior of flexural loaddeformation, split tensile strength and, compressive strength of conventional reinforced concrete member are briefly reviewed and compared with fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composites . Compatible deformations of reinforcement and matrix leads to low interfacial bond stress and prevent the composite disintegration by bond splitting and lower spalling. Furthermore flexural strength as well as crack deformation and widths in fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composites members are found effectively independent of interfacial bond properties due to the tensile deformation characteristics of the cementitious matrix.
Using critical realistic evaluation to support translation of research into clinical practice

Abstract A challenge that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face is the translation of research into clinical practice. While randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are often touted as the “gold standard” of efficacy research, much valuable information is lost through the process; RCTs by nature are designed to wash out individual client factors and contexts that might influence the outcome in order to present the “true” impact of the intervention. However, in the area of behavioural interventions, the interaction of client factors and contexts with the treatment agent can substantially influence the outcome. This paper provides an overview of the theoretical background and methods involved in critical realistic evaluation (CRE) and discusses its current and potential application to speech-language pathology. CRE is based on the premise that a behavioural intervention cannot be evaluated without considering the context in which it was provided. While the ways in which contextual aspects and treatment mechanisms interact may seem endless, CRE methodology attempts to operationalise them into hypotheses to be empirically tested. Research based on these principles has the potential to support clinical translation of research outcomes and reduce the costs of unsuccessful treatment attempts for SLPs, clients and the service provider.
Randomized comparison of intravenous procainamide vs. intravenous amiodarone for the acute treatment of tolerated wide QRS tachycardia: the PROCAMIO study

Aims Intravenous procainamide and amiodarone are drugs of choice for well-tolerated ventricular tachycardia. However, the choice between them, even according to Guidelines, is unclear. We performed a multicentre randomized open-labelled study to determine the safety and efficacy of intravenous procainamide and amiodarone for the acute treatment of tolerated wide QRS complex (probably ventricular) tachycardia. Methods and results Patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenous procainamide (10 mg/kg/20 min) or amiodarone (5 mg/kg/20 min). The primary endpoint was the incidence of major predefined cardiac adverse events within 40 min after infusion initiation. Of 74 patients included, 62 could be analysed. The primary endpoint occurred in 3 of 33 (9%) procainamide and 12 of 29 (41%) amiodarone patients (odd ratio, OR = 0.1; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.03–0.6; P = 0.006). Tachycardia terminated within 40 min in 22 (67%) procainamide and 11 (38%) amiodarone patients (OR = 3.3; 95% CI 1.2–9.3; P = 0.026). In the following 24 h, adverse events occurred in 18% procainamide and 31% amiodarone patients (OR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.15–1.61; P: 0.24). Among 49 patients with structural heart disease, the primary endpoint was less common in procainamide patients (3 [11%] vs. 10 [43%]; OR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.04–0.73, P = 0.017). Conclusions This study compares for the first time in a randomized design intravenous procainamide and amiodarone for the treatment of the acute episode of sustained monomorphic well-tolerated (probably) ventricular tachycardia. Procainamide therapy was associated with less major cardiac adverse events and a higher proportion of tachycardia termination within 40 min.
Potential of novel dextran oligosaccharides as prebiotics for obesity management through in vitro experimentation

The energy-salvaging capacity of the gut microbiota from dietary ingredients has been proposed as a contributing factor for the development of obesity. This knowledge generated interest in the use of non-digestible dietary ingredients such as prebiotics to manipulate host energy homeostasis. In the present study, the in vitro response of obese human faecal microbiota to novel oligosaccharides was investigated. Dextrans of various molecular weights and degrees of branching were fermented with the faecal microbiota of healthy obese adults in pH-controlled batch cultures. Changes in bacterial populations were monitored using fluorescent in situ hybridisation and SCFA concentrations were analysed by HPLC. The rate of gas production and total volume of gas produced were also determined. In general, the novel dextrans and inulin increased the counts of bifidobacteria. Some of the dextrans were able to alter the composition of the obese human microbiota by increasing the counts of Bacteroides–Prevotella and decreasing those of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Ruminococcus bromii/R. flavefaciens. Considerable increases in SCFA concentrations were observed in response to all substrates. Gas production rates were similar during the fermentation of all dextrans, but significantly lower than those during the fermentation of inulin. Lower total gas production and shorter time to attain maximal gas production were observed during the fermentation of the linear 1 kDa dextran than during the fermentation of the other dextrans. The efficacy of bifidobacteria to ferment dextrans relied on the molecular weight and not on the degree of branching. In conclusion, there are no differences in the profiles between the obese and lean human faecal fermentations of dextrans.
An All-Nanocrystal Biosensing System for In Vitro Detection of STAT3 Oligonucleotides

Lanthanide-doped nanocrystals have shown great promise in bio-detection due to their outstanding luminescent properties, including large Stokes shift and sharp emission bands. Herein, we describe an in vitro detection of STAT3 by using an all-nanocrystal biosensing system that takes advantage of inter-particle energy transfer between two types of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals. We investigate the effect of nanocrystal size on the sensing performance and find that smaller nanocrystals offer a lower detection limit and larger dynamic range. As STAT3 is identified as an oncogene aberrantly activated and expressed in malignant transformation and tumorigenesis, our study thus holds promise for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
An adaptive automatically tuning intrusion detection system

An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a security layer to detect ongoing intrusive activities in computer systems and networks. Current IDS have two main problems: The first problem is that typically so many alarms are generated as to overwhelm the system operator, many of these being false alarms. The second problem is that continuous tuning of the intrusion detection model is required in order to maintain sufficient performance due to the dynamically changing nature of the monitored system. This manual tuning process relies on the system operators to work out the updated tuning solution and to integrate it into the detection model. In this article, we present an automatically tuning intrusion detection system, which controls the number of alarms output to the system operator and tunes the detection model on the fly according to feedback provided by the system operator when false predictions are identified. This system adapts its behavior (i) by throttling the volume of alarms output to the operator in response to the ability of the operator to respond to these alarms, and (ii) by deciding how aggressively the detection model should be tuned based on the accuracy of earlier predictions. We evaluated our system using the KDDCup'99 intrusion detection dataset. Our results show that an adaptive, automatically tuning intrustion detection system will be both practical and efficient.