Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Ag 3 PO 4 / GC 3 N 4 Composite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance for the Photodegradation of Diclofenac under Visible Light Irradiation

A new visible-light-driven heterojunction Ag3PO4/g-C3N4 was prepared by a simple deposition-precipitation method for the degradation analysis of diclofenac (DCF), a model drug component, under visible-light irradiation. The heterojunction photocatalysts were characterized by a suite of tools. The results revealed that the introduction of Ag3PO4 on the surface of g-C3N4 greatly promoted its stability and light absorption performance. In addition, the effects of the heterojunction mixing ratios were studied, when the molar ratio of Ag3PO4 to g-C3N4 in the composite was 30%, the as-prepared photocatalyst Ag3PO4/g-C3N4 (30%) possessed the best photocatalytic activity toward the photodegradation of DCF, and the optimal photocatalyst showed a DCF degradation rate of 0.453 min−1, which was almost 34.8 and 6.4 times higher than those of pure g-C3N4 (0.013 min−1) and Ag3PO4 (0.071 min−1) under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 400 nm). The trapping experimental results showed that h+, ·OH, and ·O2 were the main reactive oxygen species during the photocatalytic reaction. The improved performance of the composites was induced by the high charge separation efficiency of the photogeneration electron-hole pairs as well as the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) endowed in the Ag0 nanoparticles, and ultimately enhanced the DCF photodegradation.
Media Landscape in Twitter: A World of New Conventions and Political Diversity

We present a preliminary but groundbreaking study of the media landscape of Twitter. We use public data on whom follows who to uncover common behaviour in media consumption, the relationship between various classes of media, and the diversity of media content which social links may bring. Our analysis shows that there is a non-negligible amount of indirect media exposure, either through friends who follow particular media sources, or via retweeted messages. We show that the indirect media exposure expands the political diversity of news to which users are exposed to a surprising extent, increasing the range by between 60-98%. These results are valuable because they have not been readily available to traditional media, and they can help predict how we will read news, and how publishers will interact with us in the future.
Features are Also Important: Contributions of Featural and Configural Processing to Face Recognition

It has been suggested that face recognition is primarily based on configural information, with featural information playing little or no role. We investigated this idea by comparing the prototype effect for face prototypes that emphasized either featural or configural processing. In Experiment 1, participants showed a tendency to commit false alarms in response to nonstudied prototypes, and this tendency was equivalent for featural and configural prototypes. Experiment 2 replicated this finding, and provided support for the assumption that the two types of prototypes differed in terms of featural and configural processing: Face inversion eliminated the prototype effect for configural prototypes but not for featural prototypes. These results suggest that both featural and configural processing make important contributions to face recognition, and that their effects are dissociable.
Independent component analysis applied to electrogram classification during atrial fibrillation

Cardiac arrhythmia analysis is one important biomedical application of pattern recognition. We present a pattern recognition technique applied to the analysis of electrograms during atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia which has a high rate of incidence among the elderly. Besides being poorly tolerated, it greatly increases the risk of embolic stroke. We propose an algorithm based on independent component analysis for classifying multichannel electrograms from an ovine model of AF into one of four classes-normal sinus rhythm, atrial flutter, paroxysmal AF and chronic AF. The success rates achieved indicate great potential of the method in automated electrogram analysis and classification.
Effect of changes in pipe direction across surcharged manholes on dispersion and head loss.

From the water quality perspective, looking at a sewer system as a reactor whose effluent should be regulated in terms of water quality, solute tracer studies need to be undertaken to define the retention and spread of temporally varying concentrations. Focussing on a manhole, its aspects such as shape, ratio of pipe and manhole diameter, and pipe direction all affect the transport of the solute through the sewer system. The aim of this study is to quantify the magnitude and changes in dispersive fraction (y) used in the ADZ technique, and head loss coefficient (K) due to changes in pipe direction across a manhole. Under surcharge conditions, solute transport along plane angles such as 0°, 30°, 60° and 90°, of an inlet and an outlet pipes with/without benching was investigated for a range of surcharge and discharge. Additionally, the head losses due to such an angle were also measured. From data analysis, both the dispersive fraction and the head loss coefficient were properties of each plane angle. For example, at the angle of 300 -unbenched, the dispersive fraction was constant at approximately 0.7 and the head loss coefficient was constant at about 2.22. Moreover, these comprehensive processed data were beneficial to basic knowledge of solute mixing. First, the square root of the ratio of head loss and residence time, represented by energy dissipation, was found to be linear to flow rate. Hence, it might be used as a conversion of a head loss to residence time. Second, two cell ADZ technique was developed to enhance the travel time prediction of a downstream concentration profile. The two cell technique was able to predict the concentration profile very well, but due to difficulty in application, a single cell ADZ technique was more useful in general.
Association between breast feeding and asthma in 6 year old children: findings of a prospective birth cohort study

Abstract Objectives: To investigate the association between the duration of exclusive breast feeding and the development of asthma related outcomes in children at age 6 years. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Western Australia. Subjects: 2187 children ascertained through antenatal clinics at the major tertiary obstetric hospital in Perth and followed to age 6 years. Main outcome measures: Unconditional logistic regression to model the association between duration of exclusive breast feeding and outcomes related to asthma or atopy at 6 years of age, allowing for several important confounders: sex, gestational age, smoking in the household, and early childcare. Results: After adjustment for confounders, the introduction of milk other than breast milk before 4 months of age was a significant risk factor for all asthma and atopy related outcomes in children aged 6 years: asthma diagnosed by a doctor (odds ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.52); wheeze three or more times since 1 year of age (1.41, 1.14 to 1.76); wheeze in the past year (1.31, 1.05 to 1.64); sleep disturbance due to wheeze within the past year (1.42, 1.07 to 1.89); age when doctor diagnosed asthma (hazard ratio 1.22, 1.03 to 1.43); age at first wheeze (1.36, 1.17 to 1.59); and positive skin prick test reaction to at least one common aeroallergen (1.30, 1.04 to 1.61). Conclusion: A significant reduction in the risk of childhood asthma at age 6 years occurs if exclusive breast feeding is continued for at least the 4 months after birth. These findings are important for our understanding of the cause of childhood asthma and suggest that public health interventions to optimise breast feeding may help to reduce the community burden of childhood asthma and its associated traits. Key messages Asthma is the leading cause of admission to hospital in Australian children and its prevalence is increasing Whether breast feeding protects against asthma or atopy, or both, is controversial Asthma is a complex disease, and the relative risks between breast feeding and asthma or atopy are unlikely to be large; this suggests the need for investigation in a large prospective birth cohort with timely assessment of atopic outcomes and all relevant exposures Exclusive breast feeding for at least 4 months is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of asthma and atopy at age 6 years and with a significant delay in the age at onset of wheezing and asthma being diagnosed by a doctor Public health interventions to promote an increased duration of exclusive breast feeding may help to reduce the morbidity and prevalence of childhood asthma and atop
Antimicrobial peptides: an overview of a promising class of therapeutics

Antibiotic resistance is increasing at a rate that far exceeds the pace of new development of drugs. Antimicrobial peptides, both synthetic and from natural sources, have raised interest as pathogens become resistant against conventional antibiotics. Indeed, one of the major strengths of this class of molecules is their ability to kill multidrug-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides are relatively small (6 to 100 aminoacids), amphipathic molecules of variable length, sequence and structure with activity against a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, protozoa, yeast, fungi, viruses and even tumor cells. They usually act through relatively non-specific mechanisms resulting in membranolytic activity but they can also stimulate the innate immune response. Several peptides have already entered pre-clinical and clinical trials for the treatment of catheter site infections, cystic fibrosis, acne, wound healing and patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. We review the advantages of these molecules in clinical applications, their disadvantages including their low in vivo stability, high costs of production and the strategies for their discovery and optimization.
Micropulse diode laser trabeculoplasty (MDLT): A phase II clinical study with 12 months follow-up

Objective This pilot study evaluates the pressure lowering potential of subthreshold micropulse diode laser trabeculoplasty (MDLT) for a clinically meaningful duration in patients with medically uncontrolled open angle glaucoma (OAG). Design prospective interventional case series. Participants Thirty-two eyes of 20 consecutive patients with uncontrolled OAG (12 bilateral and 8 unilateral). Methods Confluent subthreshold laser applications over the inferior 180° of the anterior TM using an 810 nm diode laser in a micropulse operating mode. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured at baseline and at 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment. Flare was measured with a Kowa FM 500 flare-meter at baseline and at 3 hours, 1 day, 1 week, and 12 months post-treatment. After treatment, the patients were maintained on their pre-treatment drug regimen. Main outcome measures Criteria for treatment response were IOP reduction ≥3 mm Hg and IOP ≤21 mm Hg within the first week after MDLT. Eyes not complying to the above criteria during the follow-up were considered treatment failure. Mean IOP change and percentage of IOP reduction during the follow-up were calculated. Results One eye was analyzed for bilateral patients. A total of 20 eyes were thus included. Four eyes (20%) did not respond to treatment during the first week. One additional eye failed at the 6 month visit. The treatment was successful in 15 eyes (75%) at 12 months. The IOP was significantly lower throughout follow-up (p < 0.01). At 12 months, the mean percentage of IOP reduction in the 15 respondent eyes was 22.1% and 12 eyes (60%) had IOP reduction higher than 20%. During the first two postoperative days, one eye with pigmentary glaucoma experienced a significant increase of flare associated with an IOP spike (34 mm Hg) that was controlled with systemic drugs; afterwards it qualified as a respondent and completed the study. No increase of flare was found in any other patient. No peripheral anterior synechiae formed. Conclusions In this case series, MDLT was effective in reducing IOP in 75% of medically insufficiently controlled OAG eyes without significant complications. This justifies randomized clinical studies to compare MDLT with current IOP lowering strategies.
Photobiomodulation of pain and inflammation in microcrystalline arthropathies: experimental and clinical results.

OBJECTIVE This article presents the results of laser therapy in crystal (hydroxyapatite, calcium pyrophosphate, and urates) deposition-induced arthritis in rats and the clinical applications in humans. BACKGROUND DATA Microcrystalline arthropathies are prevalent among geriatric patients, who are more vulnerable to the side effects of drugs. The effectiveness of laser therapy for pain relief, free of side effects, has been reported in painful conditions. METHODS Two milligrams of each of the above-mentioned crystals was injected in both joints of the back limbs in three groups of rats; these groups were then treated with laser irradiation. Three other groups received no treatment after the injections. We determined the plasmatic levels of inflammatory markers (fibrinogen, prostaglandin E2, and TNF(alpha)), tissues (prostaglandin E(2)) and conducted anatomopathological studies. Twenty-five patients with acute gout arthritis were randomized into two groups and treated over 5 days: group A, diclofenac 75 mg orally, twice a day; and group B, laser irradiation once a day. Forty-nine patients with knee chronic pyrophosphate arthropathy were randomized into two groups and treated over 21 days; group A, diclofenac 50 mg orally, twice a day; and group B, laser irradiation once a day. Thirty patients with shoulder chronic hydroxyapatite arthropathy were randomized into two groups and treated over 21 days; group A, diclofenac 50 mg orally, twice a day; and group B, laser irradiation once a day. RESULTS Fibrinogen, prostaglandin E(2), and TNF(alpha) concentrations in the rats injected with crystals and treated with laser decreased significantly as compared with the groups injected with crystals without treatment. Both laser therapy and diclofenac achieved rapid pain relief in patients with acute gouty arthritis without significant differences in efficacy. Laser therapy was more effective than diclofenac in patients with chronic pyrophosphate arthropathy and in patients with chronic apatite deposition disease. CONCLUSION Laser therapy represents an effective treatment in the therapeutic arsenal of microcrystalline arthropathies.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Myelosuppression Induced by Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background. Myelosuppression is one of the major side effects of chemo- and radiotherapy in cancer patients and there are no effective interventions to prevent it currently. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) may be helpful due to its multidrug targets. Objectives. This study was designed to evaluate effectiveness of CHM on preventing patients from experiencing myelosuppression by chemo- or radiotherapy. Search Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved from seven different databases from the date of database creation to April 2014. We assessed all included studies using Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 5.1. 0 and performed statistical analysis using RevMan 5.2. 1. Results. Eight RCTs were included (818 patients). Pooled data showed that increase of white blood cells (WBCs) is higher with CHM plus chemotherapy/radiotherapy than with chemotherapy/radiotherapy only. Both CHM compared to placebo and CHM combined with chemotherapy/radiotherapy compared to chemotherapy/radiotherapy lacked significant differences in the peripheral platelets, red blood cells (RBCs), and hemoglobin changes. Conclusions. Our results demonstrated that CHM significantly protected peripheral blood WBCs from a decrease caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. There were no significant protective effects on peripheral RBCs, hemoglobin, or platelets, which may be related to low quality and small sample of included studies.
INTER-QUARK POTENTIALS IN BARYONS AND MULTI-QUARK SYSTEMS IN QCD

We perform the first studies of various inter-quark potentials in SU(3)c lattice QCD. From the accurate lattice calculation for more than 300 different patterns of three-quark (3Q) systems, we find that the static 3Q potential V3Q is well described by Y-Ansatz, i.e., the Coulomb plus Y-type linear potential. Quark confinement mechanism in baryons is also investigated in maximally-Abelian projected QCD. We next study the multi-quark potentials VnQ (n = 4,5) in SU(3)c lattice QCD, and find that they are well described by the one-gluon-exchange Coulomb plus multi-Y type linear potential, which supports the flux-tube picture even for the multi-quarks. Finally, we study the heavy-heavy-light quark (QQq) potential both in lattice QCD and in a lattice-QCD-based quark model.
A Network Algorithm for Performing Fisher's Exact Test in r × c Contingency Tables

Abstract An exact test of significance of the hypothesis that the row and column effects are independent in an r × c contingency table can be executed in principle by generalizing Fisher's exact treatment of the 2 × 2 contingency table. Each table in a conditional reference set of r × c tables with fixed marginal sums is assigned a generalized hypergeometric probability. The significance level is then computed by summing the probabilities of all tables that are no larger (on the probability scale) than the observed table. However, the computational effort required to generate all r × c contingency tables with fixed marginal sums severely limits the use of Fisher's exact test. A novel technique that considerably extends the bounds of computational feasibility of the exact test is proposed here. The problem is transformed into one of identifying all paths through a directed acyclic network that equal or exceed a fixed length. Some interesting new optimization theorems are developed in the process. The numer.
Patterning the Cone Mosaic Array in Zebrafish Retina Requires Specification of Ultraviolet-Sensitive Cones

Cone photoreceptors in teleost fish are organized in precise, crystalline arrays in the epithelial plane of the retina. In zebrafish, four distinct morphological/spectral cone types occupy specific, invariant positions within a regular lattice. The cone lattice is aligned orthogonal and parallel to circumference of the retinal hemisphere: it emerges as cones generated in a germinal zone at the retinal periphery are incorporated as single-cell columns into the cone lattice. Genetic disruption of the transcription factor Tbx2b eliminates most of the cone subtype maximally sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths and also perturbs the long-range organization of the cone lattice. In the tbx2b mutant, the other three cone types (red, green, and blue cones) are specified in the correct proportion, differentiate normally, and acquire normal, planar polarized adhesive interactions mediated by Crumbs 2a and Crumbs 2b. Quantitative image analysis of cell adjacency revealed that the cones in the tbx2b mutant primarily have two nearest neighbors and align in single-cell-wide column fragments that are separated by rod photoreceptors. Some UV cones differentiate at the dorsal retinal margin in the tbx2b mutant, although they are severely dysmorphic and are eventually eliminated. Incorporating loss of UV cones during formation of cone columns at the margin into our previously published mathematical model of zebrafish cone mosaic formation (which uses bidirectional interactions between planar cell polarity proteins and anisotropic mechanical stresses in the plane of the retinal epithelium to generate regular columns of cones parallel to the margin) reproduces many features of the pattern disruptions seen in the tbx2b mutant.
Illustration watermarking: an object-based approach for digital images

For most applications common watermarking techniques usually spread the data to embed over the entire media, since distributing the watermark information promises an improvement in regard to security aspects, data hiding capacity or rather robustness in terms of redundancy. Distribution is controlled by a a visual or psychoacoustical model that takes limitations of the Human Visual System (HVS) and syntactical information about the signal characteristics into account. Therefore in most cases syntactical and not semantical aspects determine embedding. In our paper we introduce an approach for object based annotation watermarking which respects semantical characteristics of digital images, referred to as model for illustration watermarking. By applying a user-assisted segmentation process regions, representing semantical objects within the image, are identified and prepared for embedding. Providing robustness to typical image processing operations like cropping, scaling, compression and rotation, the proposed technique is applicable for binding additional illustrative information to selected objects within the medium. Moreover we identify the requirements of object based watermarking in consideration of imperceptibility, as well as watermark payload, and present first experimental test results.
CoQ10 Augments Rosuvastatin Neuroprotective Effect in a Model of Global Ischemia via Inhibition of NF-κB/JNK3/Bax and Activation of Akt/FOXO3A/Bim Cues

Statins were reported to lower the Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) content upon their inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase enzyme and both are known to possess neuroprotective potentials; therefore, the aim is to assess the possible use of CoQ10 as an adds-on therapy to rosuvastatin to improve its effect using global I/R model. Rats were allocated into sham, I/R, rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg), CoQ10 (10 mg/kg) and their combination. Drugs were administered orally for 7 days before I/R. Pretreatment with rosuvastatin and/or CoQ10 inhibited the hippocampal content of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, and boosted glutathione and superoxide dismutase. They also opposed the upregulation of gp91phox, and p47phox subunits of NADPH oxidase. Meanwhile, both agents reduced content/expression of TNF-α, iNOS, NF-κBp65, ICAM-1, and MPO. Besides, all regimens abated cytochrome c, caspase-3 and Bax, but increased Bcl-2 in favor of cell survival. On the molecular level, they increased p-Akt and its downstream target p-FOXO3A, with the inhibition of the nuclear content of FOXO3A to downregulate the expression of Bim, a pro-apoptotic gene. Additionally, both treatments downregulate the JNK3/c-Jun signaling pathway. The effect of the combination regimen overrides that of either treatment alone. These effects were reflected on the alleviation of the hippocampal damage in CA1 region inflicted by I/R. Together, these findings accentuate the neuroprotective potentials of both treatments against global I/R by virtue of their rigorous multi-pronged actions, including suppression of hippocampal oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis with the involvement of the Akt/FOXO3A/Bim and JNK3/c-Jun/Bax signaling pathways. The study also nominates CoQ10 as an adds-on therapy with statins.