Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultra Grain Refinement of Low C Steels by Accumulative Roll Bonding

Refinement of grain size is one of the biggest challenges to produce steels with improved combination of strength and toughness. Ultrafine structures are being produced world-wide on various materials, including low carbon steel, using different types of processes. However, the majority of these processes also exhibit severe limitations because they are generally restricted to small samples and are difficult to be implemented on an industrial scale. A promising technique for industrial implementation is the Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB), a process able to supply large samples, even in the laboratory scale. In this paper, warm intense straining (ε = 4) by ARB was applied to a plain low-C steel in order to develop ultrafine grains, aiming at sizes around 1-2 μm, suitable to maintain an adequate combination of strength and ductility. The effect of annealing conditions on the evolution of the work-hardened microstructure and the bonding behaviour after each pass were investigated. Orientation Imaging Microscopy was used to investigate the microstructure and give a quantitative assessment of high angle and low angle boundaries. It is showed that the frequency of high angle grain boundaries increases with the strain but the misorientation distribution remained far from that typical of a recrystallised material.
Differences in Health Symptoms among Residents Living Near Illegal Dump Sites in Los Laureles Canyon, Tijuana, Mexico: A Cross Sectional Survey

Living near landfills is a known health hazard prompting recognition of environmental injustice. The study aim was to compare self-reported symptoms of ill health among residents of four neighborhoods, living in haphazardly constructed settlements surrounded by illegal dumpsites in Tijuana, Mexico. One adult from each of 388 households located in Los Laureles Canyon were interviewed about demographics, health status, and symptoms. Distance from each residence to both the nearest dumpsite and the canyon bottom was assessed. The neighborhoods were selected from locations within the canyon, and varied with respect to proximity to dump sites. Residents of San Bernardo reported significantly higher frequencies of ill-health symptoms than the other neighborhoods, including extreme fatigue (OR 3.01 (95% CI 1.6–5.5)), skin problems/irritations (OR 2.73 (95% CI 1.3–5.9)), stomach discomfort (OR 2.47 (1.3–4.8)), eye irritation/tears (OR 2.02 (1.2–3.6)), and confusion/difficulty concentrating (OR 2.39 (1.2–4.8)). Proximity to dumpsites did not explain these results, that varied only slightly when adjusted for distance to nearest dumpsite or distance to the canyon bottom. Because San Bernardo has no paved roads, we hypothesize that dust and the toxicants it carries is a possible explanation for this difference. Studies are needed to further document this association and sources of toxicants.
Analysis of High Accuracy, Quantitative Proteomics Data in the MaxQB Database

MS-based proteomics generates rapidly increasing amounts of precise and quantitative information. Analysis of individual proteomic experiments has made great strides, but the crucial ability to compare and store information across different proteome measurements still presents many challenges. For example, it has been difficult to avoid contamination of databases with low quality peptide identifications, to control for the inflation in false positive identifications when combining data sets, and to integrate quantitative data. Although, for example, the contamination with low quality identifications has been addressed by joint analysis of deposited raw data in some public repositories, we reasoned that there should be a role for a database specifically designed for high resolution and quantitative data. Here we describe a novel database termed MaxQB that stores and displays collections of large proteomics projects and allows joint analysis and comparison. We demonstrate the analysis tools of MaxQB using proteome data of 11 different human cell lines and 28 mouse tissues. The database-wide false discovery rate is controlled by adjusting the project specific cutoff scores for the combined data sets. The 11 cell line proteomes together identify proteins expressed from more than half of all human genes. For each protein of interest, expression levels estimated by label-free quantification can be visualized across the cell lines. Similarly, the expression rank order and estimated amount of each protein within each proteome are plotted. We used MaxQB to calculate the signal reproducibility of the detected peptides for the same proteins across different proteomes. Spearman rank correlation between peptide intensity and detection probability of identified proteins was greater than 0.8 for 64% of the proteome, whereas a minority of proteins have negative correlation. This information can be used to pinpoint false protein identifications, independently of peptide database scores. The information contained in MaxQB, including high resolution fragment spectra, is accessible to the community via a user-friendly web interface at http://www.biochem. mpg.de/maxqb.
Cervical laminoforaminotomy for radiculopathy: Symptomatic and functional outcomes in a large cohort with long-term follow-up

Background: The efficacy and safety of cervical laminoforaminotomy (FOR) in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy has been demonstrated in several series with follow-up less than a decade. However, there is little data analyzing the relative effectiveness of FOR for radiculopathy due to soft disc versus osteophyte disease. In the present study, we review our experience with FOR in a single-center cohort, with long-term follow-up. Methods: We examined the charts of patients who underwent 1085 FORs between 1990 and 2009. A cohort of these patients participated in a telephone interview designed to assess improvement in symptoms and function. Results: A total of 338 interviews were completed with a mean follow-up of 10 years. Approximately 90% of interviewees reported improved pain, weakness, or function following FOR. Ninety-three percent of patients were able to return to work after FOR. The overall complication rate was 3.3%, and the rate of recurrent radiculopathy requiring surgery was 6.2%. Soft disc subtypes compared to osteophyte disease by operative report were associated with improved symptoms (P < 0.05). The operative report of these pathologic subtypes was associated with the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) interpretation (P < 0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that FOR is a highly effective surgical treatment for cervical radiculopathy with a low incidence of complications. Radiculopathy due to soft disc subtypes may be associated with a better prognosis compared to osteophyte disease, although osteophyte disease remains an excellent indication for FOR.
Acupuncture Enhances the Synaptic Dopamine Availability to Improve Motor Function in a Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is caused by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and the depletion of striatal dopamine (DA). Acupuncture, as an alternative therapy for PD, has beneficial effects in both PD patients and PD animal models, although the underlying mechanisms therein remain uncertain. The present study investigated whether acupuncture treatment affected dopamine neurotransmission in a PD mouse model using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). We found that acupuncture treatment at acupoint GB34 improved motor function with accompanying dopaminergic neuron protection against MPTP but did not restore striatal dopamine depletion. Instead, acupuncture treatment increased dopamine release that in turn, may lead to the enhancement of dopamine availability in the synaptic cleft. Moreover, acupuncture treatment mitigated MPTP-induced abnormal postsynaptic changes, suggesting that acupuncture treatment may increase postsynaptic dopamine neurotransmission and facilitate the normalization of basal ganglia activity. These results suggest that the acupuncture-induced enhancement of synaptic dopamine availability may play a critical role in motor function improvement against MPTP.
Vascular Smooth Muscle Sirtuin-1 Protects Against Diet-Induced Aortic Stiffness

Arterial stiffness, a major cardiovascular risk factor, develops within 2 months in mice fed a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diet, serving as a model of human metabolic syndrome, and it is associated with activation of proinflammatory and oxidant pathways in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells. Sirtuin-1 (SirT1) is an NAD+-dependent deacetylase regulated by the cellular metabolic status. Our goal was to study the effects of VSM SirT1 on arterial stiffness in the context of diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Overnight fasting acutely decreased arterial stiffness, measured in vivo by pulse wave velocity, in mice fed HFHS for 2 or 8 months, but not in mice lacking SirT1 in VSM (SMKO). Similarly, VSM-specific genetic SirT1 overexpression (SMTG) prevented pulse wave velocity increases induced by HFHS feeding, during 8 months. Administration of resveratrol or S17834, 2 polyphenolic compounds known to activate SirT1, prevented HFHS-induced arterial stiffness and were mimicked by global SirT1 overexpression (SirT1 bacterial artificial chromosome overexpressor), without evident metabolic improvements. In addition, HFHS-induced pulse wave velocity increases were reversed by 1-week treatment with a specific, small molecule SirT1 activator (SRT1720). These beneficial effects of pharmacological or genetic SirT1 activation, against HFHS-induced arterial stiffness, were associated with a decrease in nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF&kgr;B) activation and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and p47phox protein expressions, in aorta and VSM cells. In conclusion, VSM SirT1 activation decreases arterial stiffness in the setting of obesity by stimulating anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways in the aorta. SirT1 activators may represent a novel therapeutic approach to prevent arterial stiffness and associated cardiovascular complications in overweight/obese individuals with metabolic syndrome.
The Microbial Metabolite Butyrate Induces Expression of Th1-Associated Factors in CD4+ T Cells

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are generated by the bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers, promote expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Potential therapeutic value of SCFAs has been recently highlighted in the experimental models of T cell-mediated autoimmunity and allergic inflammation. These studies suggest that physiological intestinal concentrations of SCFAs within the millimolar range are crucial for dampening inflammation-mediated processes. Here, we describe opposing effects of SCFAs on T cell-mediated immune responses. In accordance with published data, lower butyrate concentrations facilitated differentiation of Tregs in vitro and in vivo under steady-state conditions. In contrast, higher concentrations of butyrate induced expression of the transcription factor T-bet in all investigated T cell subsets resulting in IFN-γ-producing Tregs or conventional T cells. This effect was mediated by the inhibition of histone deacetylase activity and was independent of SCFA-receptors FFA2 and FFA3 as well as of Na+-coupled SCFA transporter Slc5a8. Importantly, while butyrate was not able to induce the generation of Tregs in the absence of TGF-β1, the expression of T-bet and IFN-γ was triggered upon stimulation of CD4+ T cells with this SCFA alone. Moreover, the treatment of germ-free mice with butyrate enhanced the expression of T-bet and IFN-γ during acute colitis. Our data reveal that, depending on its concentration and immunological milieu, butyrate may exert either beneficial or detrimental effects on the mucosal immune system.
Threshold tracking techniques in the study of human peripheral nerve

Conventional electrophysiological tests of nerve function focus on the number of conducting fibers and their conduction velocity. These tests are sensitive to the integrity of the myelin sheath, but provide little information about the axonal membrane. Threshold tracking techniques, in contrast, test nerve excitability, which depends on the membrane properties of the axons at the site of stimulation. These methods are sensitive to membrane potential, and to changes in membrane potential caused by activation of ion channels and electrogenic ion pumps, including those under the myelin sheath. This review describes the range of threshold tracking techniques that have been developed for the study of human nerves in vivo: resting threshold is compared with the threshold altered by a change in environment (e.g., ischemia), by a preceding single impulse (e.g., refractoriness, superexcitability) or impulse train, or by a subthreshold current (e.g., threshold electrotonus). Few clinical studies have been reported so far, mainly in diabetic neuropathy and motor neuron disease. Threshold measurements seem well suited for studies of metabolic and toxic neuropathies but insensitive to demyelination. Until suitable equipment becomes more widely available, their full potential is unlikely to be realized. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 21: 137–158, 1998
Marketplace or Reseller?

Intermediaries can choose between functioning as a marketplace in which suppliers sell their products directly to buyers or as a reseller by purchasing products from suppliers and selling them to buyers. We model this as a decision between whether control rights over a noncontractible decision variable the choice of some marketing activity are better held by suppliers the marketplace mode or by the intermediary the reseller mode. Whether the marketplace or the reseller mode is preferred depends on whether independent suppliers or the intermediary have more important information relevant to the optimal tailoring of marketing activities for each specific product. We show that this trade-off is shifted toward the reseller mode when marketing activities create spillovers across products and when network effects lead to unfavorable expectations about supplier participation. If the reseller has a variable cost advantage respectively, disadvantage relative to the marketplace, then the trade-off is shifted toward the marketplace for long-tail respectively, short-tail products. We thus provide a theory of which products an intermediary should offer in each mode. We also provide some empirical evidence that supports our main results. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi. org/10.1287/mnsc.2014. 2042 . This paper was accepted by Bruno Cassiman, business strategy.
Impact of interconnect multiple-patterning variability on SRAMs

The introduction of Multiple Patterning (MP) in sub-32nm technology nodes may pose severe variability problems in wire resistance and capacitance of IC circuits. In this paper we evaluate the impact of this variability on the performance of SRAM cell arrays based on the 10nm technology node, for a relevant range of process variation assumptions. The MP options we consider are the triple Litho-Etch (LE3) and the Self Aligned Double Patterning (SADP), together with Single Patterning Extreme-UV (EUV). In addition to the analysis of the worst-case variability scenario and the impact on SRAM performance, we propose an analytical formula for the estimation of SRAM read time penalty, using the RC variation of the bit line and the array size as input parameters. This formula, verified with SPICE simulations, allows a fast extraction of the statistical distribution of the read time penalty, using the Monte-Carlo method. Results on each patterning option are presented and compared.
Beyond Algorithms: An HCI Perspective on Recommender Systems

: The accuracy of recommendations made by an online Recommender System (RS) is mostly dependent on the underlying collaborative filtering algorithm. However, the ultimate effectiveness of an RS is dependent on factors that go beyond the quality of the algorithm. The goal of an RS is to introduce users to items that might interest them, and convince users to sample those items. What design elements of an RS enable the system to achieve this goal? To answer this question, we examined the quality of recommendations from and the usability of three book RS (Amazon.com, RatingZone & Sleeper) and three movie RS (Amazon.com, MovieCritic, Reel.com). Our findings indicate that from a user’s perspective, an effective recommender system inspires trust in the system; has system logic that is at least somewhat transparent; points users towards new, not-yet-experienced items; provides details about recommended items, including pictures and community ratings; and finally, provides ways to refine recommendations by including or excluding particular genres. Users expressed willingness to provide more input to the system in return for more effective recommendations.
Complex Dynamics of Superior Multibrots

is a constant. This Fractal is particularly interesting, with beautiful shapes and lots of spirals. In this paper we have presented different characteristics of Multibrot function using superior iterates. Further, different properties like trajectories, fixed point, its complex dynamics and its behavior towards Julia set are also discussed in the paper. Keywordsdynamics, Multibrot. where n and c is a constant. The complex dynamics of Multibrot function, generally known as Multibrot fractal, is a modification of the classic Mandelbrot and Julia sets. The Multibrot (Julia) type is particularly interesting, with beautiful shapes and lots of spirals. In this paper we have presented different characteristics of Multibrot function using superior iterates and generated the superior Multibrot fractal. Further, different properties like trajectories, fixed point, its complex dynamics and its behaviour towards Julia set are also discussed in the paper.
The protective effects of zinc in lead-induced testicular and epididymal toxicity in Wistar rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of zinc (Zn) in preventing lead (Pb)-induced reproductive toxicity in Wistar rats. The rats were divided into four groups, namely, control group, Pb group, Zn group, and Pb + Zn group. Animals were exposed to Pb (819 mg of Pb/L) or Zn (71 mg of Zn/L) or both through drinking water for 65 days. Rats exposed to Pb showed decreased weights of testes and accessory sex organs. Significant decrease in the testicular daily sperm production, epididymal sperm count, motility, viability, and number of hypoosmotic tail coiled sperm was observed in Pb-exposed rats. Testicular 3β- and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity levels and circulatory testosterone levels were also decreased significantly in Pb-exposed rats. A significant increase in the lipid peroxidation products with a significant decrease in the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were observed in the testes and epididymis of Pb-exposed rats. Moreover, the testicular architecture showed lumens devoid of sperm in Pb-exposed rats. Supplementation of Zn mitigated Pb-induced oxidative stress and restored the spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis in Pb-exposed rats. In conclusion, cotreatment of Zn is effective for recovering suppressed spermatogenesis, steroidogenesis, elevated oxidative status, and histological damage in the testis of rats treated with Pb.
Anticipation and Choice Heuristics in the Dynamic Consumption of Pain Relief

Humans frequently need to allocate resources across multiple time-steps. Economic theory proposes that subjects do so according to a stable set of intertemporal preferences, but the computational demands of such decisions encourage the use of formally less competent heuristics. Few empirical studies have examined dynamic resource allocation decisions systematically. Here we conducted an experiment involving the dynamic consumption over approximately 15 minutes of a limited budget of relief from moderately painful stimuli. We had previously elicited the participants’ time preferences for the same painful stimuli in one-off choices, allowing us to assess self-consistency. Participants exhibited three characteristic behaviors: saving relief until the end, spreading relief across time, and early spending, of which the last was markedly less prominent. The likelihood that behavior was heuristic rather than normative is suggested by the weak correspondence between one-off and dynamic choices. We show that the consumption choices are consistent with a combination of simple heuristics involving early-spending, spreading or saving of relief until the end, with subjects predominantly exhibiting the last two.
Pediatric and Neonatal Interfacility Transport: Results From a National Consensus Conference

The practice of pediatric/neonatal interfacility transport continues to expand. Transport teams have evolved into mobile ICUs capable of delivering state-of-the-art critical care during pediatric and neonatal transport. The most recent document regarding the practice of pediatric/neonatal transport is more than a decade old. The following article details changes in the practice of interfacility transport over the past decade and expresses the consensus views of leaders in the field of transport medicine, including the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Transport Medicine.
The constituent equations of piezoelectric heterogeneous bimorphs

The electromechanical characteristics of a heterogeneous piezoelectric bender subjected to various electrical and mechanical boundary conditions are discussed based on the results of the free bender analysis. The mechanical boundary conditions considered are: a mechanical moment at the end of the bender, a force applied perpendicularly to the tip of the bender, and a uniform load applied over the entire length of the bender. The constituent equations of the bender under these electromechanical influences are derived by calculating the internal energy assuming thermodynamic equilibrium. <<ETX>>
Association of posttraumatic stress disorder with reduced in vivo norepinephrine transporter availability in the locus coeruleus.

IMPORTANCE Animal data suggest that chronic stress is associated with a reduction in norepinephrine transporter (NET) availability in the locus coeruleus. However, it is unclear whether such models are relevant to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been linked to noradrenergic dysfunction in humans. OBJECTIVES To use positron emission tomography and the radioligand [11C]methylreboxetine to examine in vivo NET availability in the locus coeruleus in the following 3 groups of individuals: healthy adults (HC group), adults exposed to trauma who did not develop PTSD (TC group), and adults exposed to trauma who developed PTSD (PTSD group) and to evaluate the relationship between NET availability in the locus coeruleus and a contemporary phenotypic model of PTSD symptoms. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional positron emission tomography study under resting conditions at academic and Veterans Affairs medical centers among 56 individuals in the following 3 study groups: HC (n = 18), TC (n = 16), and PTSD (n = 22). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The [11C]methylreboxetine-binding potential of NET availability in the locus coeruleus and the severity of PTSD symptoms assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. RESULTS The PTSD group had significantly lower NET availability than the HC group (41% lower, Cohen d = 1.07). NET availability did not differ significantly between the TC and HC groups (31% difference, Cohen d = 0.79) or between the TC and PTSD groups (15% difference, Cohen d = 0.28). In the PTSD group, NET availability in the locus coeruleus was independently positively associated with the severity of anxious arousal (ie, hypervigilance) symptoms (r = 0.52) but not with any of the other PTSD symptom clusters. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These results suggest that PTSD is associated with significantly reduced NET availability in the locus coeruleus and that greater NET availability in this brain region is associated with increased severity of anxious arousal symptoms in individuals with PTSD.