Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photon-induced near field electron microscopy

Ultrafast electron microscopy in the space and time domains utilizes a pulsed electron probe to directly map structural dynamics of nanomaterials initiated by an optical pump pulse, in imaging, di raction, spectroscopy, and their combinations. It has demonstrated its capability in the studies of phase transitions, mechanical vibrations, and chemical reactions. Moreover, electrons can directly interact with photons via the near eld component of light scattering by nanostructures, and either gain or lose light quanta discretely in energy. By energetically selecting those electrons that exchanged photon energies, we can map this photon-electron interaction, and the technique is termed photon-induced near eld electron microscopy (PINEM). Here, we give an account of the theoretical understanding of PINEM. Experimentally, nanostructures such as a sphere, cylinder, strip, and triangle have been investigated. Theoretically, time-dependent Schrodinger and Dirac equations for an electron under light are directly solved to obtain analytical solutions. The interaction probability is expressed by the mechanical work done by an optical wave on a traveling electron, which can be evaluated analytically by the near eld components of the Rayleigh scattering for small spheres and thin cylinders, and numerically by the discrete dipole approximation for other geometries. Application in visualization of plasmon elds is discussed.
Effect of an educational program based on cognitive behavioral techniques on fear of childbirth and the birth process

Abstract Objective: This study determined the effect of an educational program based on cognitive behavioral techniques (CBT) provided for pregnant women to address their fear of childbirth. Methods: This study was conducted experimentally using pretest–posttest and a control group. A total of 111 Turkish pregnant women were recruited with 52 in the intervention group and 59 in the control group. The intervention group attended the educational program on coping with childbirth fears based on CBT, which took 3 weeks over six sessions. The Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire, version-A (W-DEQ-A) was administered to both groups as the posttest. The researchers monitored the pregnant women’s labor and delivery and the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Birth Process Evaluation Form were completed. Results: The post-education W-DEQ-A score was 63.5 in the control group and 39.4 in the intervention group (p < .001). Their labor pain was lower, the second stage of labor was shorter and birth was more satisfactory for the intervention group than for the control group (p < .05). The CBT-based educational program and pain severity during childbirth were the significant predictors of satisfaction with childbirth (β = 0.354; β = –0.324, respectively; p < .05 for all). Conclusions: The CBT-based educational program on coping with childbirth fears reduced pregnant women's fear of childbirth and positively affected their birth experience.
Fish bioconcentration studies with column‐generated analyte concentrations of highly hydrophobic organic chemicals

The performance of aqueous exposure bioconcentration fish tests according to Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) guideline 305 requires the possibility of preparing stable aqueous concentrations of the test substances. For highly hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs; octanol–water partition coefficient [log KOW] > 5), testing via aqueous exposure may become increasingly difficult. A solid‐phase desorption dosing system was developed to generate stable concentrations of HOCs without using solubilizing agents. The system was tested with hexachlorobenzene (HCB), o‐terphenyl (oTP), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 153, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA) (log KOW 5.5–7.8) in 2 flow‐through fish tests with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The analysis of the test media applied during the bioconcentration factor (BCF) studies showed that stable analyte concentrations of the 4 HOCs were maintained in the test system over an uptake period of 8 wk. Bioconcentration factors (L kg−1 wet wt) were estimated for HCB (BCF 35 589), oTP (BCF 12 040), and PCB 153 (BCF 18 539) based on total water concentrations. No bioconcentration could be determined for DBA, probably because of the rapid metabolism of the test item. The solid‐phase desorption dosing system is suitable to provide stable aqueous concentrations of HOCs required to determine the bioconcentration in fish and represents a viable alternative to the use of solubilizing agents for the preparation of test solutions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:906–916. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
Effect of coal gangue/carbon black/multiwall carbon nanotubes hybrid fillers on the properties of natural rubber composites

The objective of this study was to investigate three kinds of filler with completely different morphology on mechanical properties of natural rubber (NR). Coal gangue (CG) are derived from natural deposits are composed principally by illite and quartz. CG, carbon black (CB), and multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) were used as hybrid fillers in NR. CNTs were dispersed into NR latex by ultrasonic irradiation and then the mixed latex were coagulated to obtain the CNTs/NR masterbatch, then mechanical mixing method was employed to prepare the CG/CB/CNTs/NR composites. The addition of CG, CB, and CNTs to NR was varied with the total filler loading fixed at 35 phr. The mechanical properties of NR composites were studied in terms of tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results showed that the tensile strength and modulus 300% (M300) of all hybrid samples were higher than the composites only loaded CG; and the highest tensile strength of NR loaded with hybrid fillers achieved at sample of loading amount of CG 17.5, CB 15.5, and CNTs 2 phr, whose M300 and elongation at break was obviously higher than that of only CB loaded NR composites; The inclusion CG improves the tensile strength of NR without the sacrifice of its extensibility, while CB and CNTs brings together the enhancement in the ultimate strength and the reduction in the extensibility. DMA results revealed that the existence of CG can improve the dispersion of CB and CNTs in NR matrix. POLYM. COMPOS. , 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Anti-PD-1 and Anti-CTLA-4 Therapies in Cancer: Mechanisms of Action, Efficacy, and Limitations

Melanoma, a skin cancer associated with high mortality rates, is highly radio- and chemotherapy resistant but can also be very immunogenic. These circumstances have led to a recent surge in research into therapies aiming to boost anti-tumor immune responses in cancer patients. Among these immunotherapies, neutralizing antibodies targeting the immune checkpoints T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) are being hailed as particularly successful. These antibodies have resulted in dramatic improvements in disease outcome and are now clinically approved in many countries. However, the majority of advanced stage melanoma patients do not respond or will relapse, and the hunt for the “magic bullet” to treat the disease continues. This review examines the mechanisms of action and the limitations of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 antibodies which are the two types of checkpoint inhibitors currently available to patients and further explores the future avenues of their use in melanoma and other cancers.
Health information seeking on the Internet: The role of involvement in searching for and assessing online health information

ABSTRACT This study focuses on how young people with differing levels of involvement seek and evaluate information about the human papillomavirus online. The results, which are drawn from an experiment and a self-administered survey, suggest that compared to people with a low level of involvement, people with a high level of involvement engage in more information search activity. The results also indicate that those with a high level of involvement in a given subject place a higher value on a website’s message features than on its structural features. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Cold Mix Design of Semi Dense Bituminous Concrete

There is an increasing trend for using cold mix design with bitumen emulsion all over the world because of several advantages such as elimination of heating of binder and aggregate while producing mixes, this helps in protection of environment and energy conservation. In the present study, the main objective is to study the behaviour and effect of pre compaction curing on grade-2 semi dense bituminous concrete (SDBC-2) mix using bituminous emulsions treated mixtures (BETM) by Modifiefid Marshall Method of mix design. The specimen were prepared with and without filler.Comparasion was made in terms of dry and wet Marshall Stability, Marshall Flow, Volumetric properties and Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) on Modified Marshall specimen prepared by cold mix method for SDBC-2 mix. In the present investigation it was found that for mixes with and without filler the Volumetric properties, dry and wet Marshall Stability, Marshall Flow and ITS. Based on this present study it has been found that mix with cement and hydrated lime as filler each 2% both showed better results compared to mix with no filler. It has been seen that mix with 2% cement as filler showed better results compared to hydrated lime and there was no much difference in the properties for six and eight days cured specimen and hence could be concluded that six days curing period can be taken as optimum.
Gallbladder papillary neoplasms share pathological features with intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct

Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) has been widely recognized. However, the knowledge of intracystic papillary neoplasm of the gallbladder (IPNG) including papillary adenoma and adenocarcinoma is not well defined. In this study, we compared the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features between 32 IPNG cases and 32 IPNB cases. IPNG-1 (low-high grade dysplasia) exhibited an earlier onset age, smaller tumor size and lower level of CK20 expression compared to IPNG-2 (invasive carcinoma). Histologically, pancreaticobiliary and intestinal subtype accounted for nearly half of IPNG or IPNB (44.4% and 48.1% vs. 44.0% and 44.0%), respectively. Immunohistochemically, 88.9% of IPNG and 92.0% of IPNB cases were positive for MUC1, and 96.3% and 92.0% for CK7, respectively. CDX2 and MUC2 were more highly expressed in the intestinal subtype than in other subtypes. CK20 expression increased in parallel with tumor progression. In addition, 53.1% of IPNG cases and 68.6% of IPNB cases exhibited invasive carcinoma, and showed significant survival advantages to conventional gallbladder adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, respectively. In conclusion, papillary adenoma and adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder can be recognized as different pathological stages of IPNG, and they share pathological features with IPNB.
Determinants of poor sleep quality in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and hypertension in Singapore

Abstract Aim The objective of this study was to assess determinants of poor sleep quality which is an under-diagnosed and under-treated problem in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Background Poor sleep quality is linked to decreased quality of life, increased morbidity and mortality. Poor sleep quality is common in the elderly population with associated cardiometabolic risk factors such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Methods This is a cross-sectional study undertaken in the primary healthcare setting (Singhealth Polyclinics-Outram) in Singapore. Singaporeans aged 65 years and above who had at least one of the three cardiometabolic risk factors (diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia) were identified. Responders’ sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire and were divided into those with good quality sleep and those with poor quality sleep, based on the PSQI score. Information on demographics, co-morbidities and lifestyle practices were collected. Descriptive and multivariate analyses of determinants of poor sleep were determined. Findings There were 199 responders (response rate 88.1%). Nocturia (adjusted prevalence rate ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval 1.06–2.26) was found to be associated with an increased risk of poor sleep quality in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. Nocturia, a prevalent problem in the Asian elderly population, has been found to be associated with poor sleep quality in our study. Hence, it is imperative to identify and treat patients with nocturia to improve sleep quality among them.
Emissions of Greenhouse Gases from a Typical Chinese Swine Farrowing Barn

Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from animal feeding operations to the atmosphere are of environmental importance and concerns because of their impact on global warming. Gaseous concentrations and emission rates (ERs) of animal facilities can be affected by the animal production stages, animal species, dietary nutrition, housing types, manure handling schemes, and environmental conditions. This article reports ERs of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) for a typical, naturally ventilated 24-crate swine farrowing barn located in suburban Beijing, China, that was monitored over one-year period. The measurements were made at bi-monthly intervals (i.e., six measurement episodes total), with each measurement episode covering three consecutive days. Gaseous concentrations were monitored at bi-hourly intervals throughout each 3-day measurement episode. The ventilation rate of the barn was estimated using the CO2 mass balance method. The GHG concentrations and ERs of the farrowing barn showed diurnal and seasonal variations. Specifically, the concentrations (monthly mean ±SD, mg m-3) ranged from 2.3 (±0.3) to 9.3 (±2) for CH4, from 0.6 (±0.02) to 1.2 (±0.16) for N2O, and from 1,370 (±163) to 11,100 (±950) for CO2, with the higher levels occurring in January and the lower levels in July. The specific ER ranged from 95.2 to 261.8 mg h-1 pig-1 for CH4, from 6.4 to 12.9 mg h-1 pig-1 for N2O, and from 122.9 to 127.3 g h-1 pig-1 for CO2. On the basis of per animal unit (1 AU = 500 kg live body mass), the average daily ERs of the farrowing barn were 9.6 ±3.6 g AU-1 d-1 for CH4, 0.54 ±0.15 g AU-1 d-1 for N2O, and 7.5±0.1 kg AU-1 d-1 for CO2. Results of the GHG ERs from this study differ markedly from the limited literature data collected primarily under European production systems and conditions. Results of the current study provide some baseline data on GHG ERs for swine farrowing operations, thus contributing to development or improvement of GHG emission inventory under the Chinese livestock production conditions.
Biochemical and Computational Insights on a Novel Acid-Resistant and Thermal-Stable Glucose 1-Dehydrogenase

Due to the dual cofactor specificity, glucose 1-dehydrogenase (GDH) has been considered as a promising alternative for coenzyme regeneration in biocatalysis. To mine for potential GDHs for practical applications, several genes encoding for GDH had been heterogeneously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) for primary screening. Of all the candidates, GDH from Bacillus sp. ZJ (BzGDH) was one of the most robust enzymes. BzGDH was then purified to homogeneity by immobilized metal affinity chromatography and characterized biochemically. It displayed maximum activity at 45 °C and pH 9.0, and was stable at temperatures below 50 °C. BzGDH also exhibited a broad pH stability, especially in the acidic region, which could maintain around 80% of its initial activity at the pH range of 4.0–8.5 after incubating for 1 hour. Molecular dynamics simulation was conducted for better understanding the stability feature of BzGDH against the structural context. The in-silico simulation shows that BzGDH is stable and can maintain its overall structure against heat during the simulation at 323 K, which is consistent with the biochemical studies. In brief, the robust stability of BzGDH made it an attractive participant for cofactor regeneration on practical applications, especially for the catalysis implemented in acidic pH and high temperature.
A Systematic Comparison of Deep Learning Architectures in an Autonomous Vehicle

Self-driving technology is advancing rapidly, largely due to recent developments in deep learning algorithms. To date, however, there has been no systematic comparison of how different deep learning architectures perform at such tasks, or an attempt to determine a correlation between classification performance and performance in an actual vehicle. Here, we introduce the first controlled comparison of seven contemporary deep-learning architectures in an end-to-end autonomous driving task. We use a simple and affordable platform consisting of of an off-the-shelf, remotely operated vehicle, a GPU equipped computer and an indoor foam-rubber racetrack. We compare a fully-connected network, a 2-layer CNN, AlexNet, VGG-16, Inception-V3, ResNet-26, and LSTM and report the number of laps they are able to successfully complete without crashing while traversing an indoor racetrack under identical testing conditions. Based on these tests, AlexNet completed the most laps without crashing out of all networks, and ResNet-26 is the most 'efficient' architecture examined, with respect to the number of laps completed relative to the number of parameters. We also observe whether spatial, color, or temporal features - or some combination - are more important for such tasks. Finally, we show that validation loss/accuracy is not sufficiently indicative of the model's performance even when employed in a real vehicle with a simple task, emphasizing the need for greater accessibility to research platforms within the self-driving community.
Ethylene Propylene Rubber and Crosslinked Polyethylene as Insulations for 90°C Rated Medium Voltage Cables

Abstract Amorphous ethylene propylene rubber insulated power cables are expected to be more stable under high temperature conditions than crystalline crosslinked polyethylene insulated cables. The properties of amorphous EP rubbers are little affected by temperature from −30 to 150°C; those of crystalline XLPE fall off as temperature exceeds the melting point (around 100°C) of the crystalline regions. Probably reinforced amorphous EP rubber insulated cables are expected to be more stable in wet locations than unfilled XLPE insulated cables. They do not fail by the formation of water trees as the primary mechanism, since the bonds between filler and polymer are stronger than the forces responsible for water trees forming in XLPE cables in service. The reinforcing effect of fillers in EP rubber makes questionable any extrapolation from high stress treeing studies of unreinforced PE, XLPE, or EP polymers. For the longest possible life in wet locations insulation should be protected by a water impermeable met.
Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer Nanocomposites: Density and Hardness Correlations with Flammability Performance

Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers enhanced with nanoparticles are formulated as new ablative thermal protection materials. Flammability tests have been performed for a polymer enhanced with three different nanoparticle additives: chemically modified montmorillonite organoclays, carbon nanofibers, and multiwall carbon nanotubes. Increased nanoadditive weight loading results in enhancing mechanical integrity during flame exposure. This paper studies the hardness and density of each nanocomposite formulation. Correlations between these two physical properties and the flammability performance are found to be weak when compared across nanoadditives.
Structural Characterization of a Rhamnogalacturonan I Domain from Ginseng and Its Inhibitory Effect on Galectin-3

A rhamnogalacturonan I domain, named RG-I-3A, was prepared from ginseng pectin by pectinase digestion and chromatography separation. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that it was mainly composed of galacturonic acid, rhamnose, galactose, and arabinose in a molar ratio of 32.5:11.2:31.9:16.5, with a molecular weight of 50 kDa. Partial acid hydrolysis, monoclonal antibody detection, and NMR spectra analysis suggested RG-I-3A was composed of →4)-α-GalpA-(1→2)-α-Rhap-(1→disaccharide repeating units as backbone, with β-1,4-galactan, α-1,5-arabinan, AG-I, and AG-II side chains substituted via the O-4 of Rhap. Galectin-3-mediated hemagglutination and biolayer interferometry assay indicated that RG-I-3A had inhibitory activity on galectin-3. These findings suggest the potential use of this ginseng RG-I domain as a galectin-3 inhibitor in drug development applications.
Complex karyotype in patients with mantle cell lymphoma predicts inferior survival and poor response to intensive induction therapy

Risk stratification of newly diagnosed patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) primarily is based on the MCL International Prognostic Index (MIPI) and Ki‐67 proliferative index. Single‐center studies have reported inferior outcomes in patients with a complex karyotype (CK), but this remains an area of controversy.
Physicochemical Properties, Biological Activity, Health Benefits, and General Limitations of Aged Black Garlic: A Review

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used as a medicinal food since ancient times. However, some people are reluctant to ingest raw garlic due to its unpleasant odor and taste. Therefore, many types of garlic preparations have been developed to reduce these attributes without losing biological functions. Aged black garlic (ABG) is a garlic preparation with a sweet and sour taste and no strong odor. It has recently been introduced to Asian markets as a functional food. Extensive in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that ABG has a variety of biological functions such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-allergic, cardioprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. Recent studies have compared the biological activity and function of ABG to those of raw garlic. ABG shows lower anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulation, immunomodulatory, and anti-allergic effects compared to raw garlic. This paper reviews the physicochemical properties, biological activity, health benefits, adverse effects, and general limitations of ABG.
Dose-response curve to soil applied herbicides and susceptibility evaluation of different amaranthus species using model identity

Greenhouse studies were conducted in 2008-2009 with the objective of adjusting dose-response curves of the main soil-applied herbicides currently used in cotton for the control of Amaranthus viridis, A. hybridus, A. spinosus, A. lividus, as well as comparing susceptibility among different species, using the identity test models. Thirty six individual experiments were simultaneously carried out in greenhouse, in a sandy clay loam soil (21% clay, 2.36% OM) combining increasing doses of the herbicides alachlor, clomazone, diuron, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, prometryn, S-metolachlor, and trifluralin applied to each species. Dose-response curves were adjusted for visual weed control at 28 days after herbicide application and doses required for 80% (C80) and 95% (C95) control were calculated. All herbicides, except clomazone and trifluralin, provided efficient control of most Amaranthus species, but substantial differences in susceptibility to herbicides were found. In general, A. lividus was the least sensitive species, whereas A. spinosus demonstrated the highest sensitivity to herbicides. Alachlor, diuron, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, S-metolachlor, and prometryn are efficient alternatives to control Amaranthus spp. in a range of doses that are currently lower than those recommended to cotton.