Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dynamics of Embolism Repair in Xylem: In Vivo Visualizations Using High-Resolution Computed Tomography1[C][W][OA]

Water moves through plants under tension and in a thermodynamically metastable state, leaving the nonliving vessels that transport this water vulnerable to blockage by gas embolisms. Failure to reestablish flow in embolized vessels can lead to systemic loss of hydraulic conductivity and ultimately death. Most plants have developed a mechanism to restore vessel functionality by refilling embolized vessels, but the details of this process in vessel networks under tension have remained unclear for decades. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first in vivo visualization and quantification of the refilling process for any species using high-resolution x-ray computed tomography. Successful vessel refilling in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) was dependent on water influx from surrounding living tissue at a rate of 6 × 10−4 μm s−1, with individual droplets expanding over time, filling vessels, and forcing the dissolution of entrapped gas. Both filling and draining processes could be observed in the same vessel, indicating that successful refilling requires hydraulic isolation from tensions that would otherwise prevent embolism repair. Our study demonstrates that despite the presence of tensions in the bulk xylem, plants are able to restore hydraulic conductivity in the xylem.
Characterization of Spacecraft Materials Using Reflectance Spectroscopy

Materials interact with light in a unique manner due to their individual elemental composition. Elements emit different light energies that fall within the electromagnetic spectrum, therefore corresponding to a specified wavelength per element. The reflectance spectrum produced from common spacecraft materials can be used to assist with remote orbital debris material identification techniques and can be further related to debris albedo and size. Materials used in aerospace design, such as aluminum alloys, stainless steels, ceramics, silicone paints, and solar cells, have been substantially characterized using reflectance spectroscopic techniques. An Analytical Spectral Device (ASD) was utilized to perform characterization on various spacecraft and rocket body structures by producing a spectrum relatively unique to a material from its properties in response to light. The materials used as specimen for this investigation specifically belong to a Titan IIIC Transtage test article rocket body, stainless steel radar calibration spheres, and solar cells used to construct a Hughes/Boeing HS-376 spacecraft. The spectrum results of said materials are presented in the subsequent work to enhance current spectroscopic data of interest within aerospace and orbital debris communities.
Control Contraction Metrics: Convex and Intrinsic Criteria for Nonlinear Feedback Design

We introduce the concept of a control contraction metric, extending contraction analysis to constructive nonlinear control design. We derive sufficient conditions for exponential stabilizability of all trajectories of a nonlinear control system. The conditions have a simple geometrical interpretation, can be written as a convex feasibility problem, and are invariant under coordinate changes. We show that these conditions are necessary and sufficient for feedback linearizable systems and also derive novel convex criteria for exponential stabilization of a nonlinear submanifold of state space. We illustrate the benefits of convexity by constructing a controller for an unstable polynomial system that combines local optimality and global stability, using a metric found via sum-of-squares programming.
Two faces of drug therapy in cancer: drug-related lean tissue loss and its adverse consequences to survival and toxicity

Purpose of reviewA common feature of cancer patients is loss of lean tissue, specifically skeletal muscle, which may be the result of the tumor or a side-effect of chemotherapy or other drugs. Lean tissue loss in turn has important adverse implications for toxicity of antineoplastic therapy and, hence, cancer prognosis. Recent findingsContemporary cancer populations have heterogeneous proportions of lean tissue, regardless of body weight. Wasting of lean tissue during the cancer trajectory has been associated with tumor progression. Lean tissue depletion is an independent predictor of severe toxicity in patients treated with chemotherapeutic agents of diverse classes. Patients with lean tissue depletion behave as if overdosed and have toxicity of sufficient magnitude to require dose reductions, treatment delays or definitive termination of treatment. Muscle loss may occur due to a specific effect of a chemotherapy agent (i.e. sorafenib), androgen suppression therapy or other drugs (i.e. statins such as atorvastatin). SummaryLean tissue wasting occurs due to cancer progression and may be exacerbated by several drug classes. This loss of lean tissue is not proportional to changes in body weight and is prognostic of enhanced treatment toxicity and reduced survival.
Dynamic response of monolithic and sandwich structures subjected to impulsive and impact loadings

Monolithic and sandwich structures have been widely used as energy absorption structures in military and civil engineering. This article reviews theoretical analyses of monolithic beams and plates subjected to static loading, impulsive loading and impact by a mass systematically. Experimental data collected from the literatures are compared with these theoretical results. In addition, the critical impulses for the failure of the monolithic structures are also reviewed. Furthermore, sandwich structures under quasi-static, low-velocity impact, high-velocity impact and blast loading, as well as their failure modes, are also summarized. The research methodology involves experimental investigations, theoretical analyses and numerical simulations.
Penrose limits and spacetime singularities

We give a covariant characterization of the Penrose plane wave limit: the plane wave profile matrix A(u) is the restriction of the null geodesic deviation matrix (curvature tensor) of the original spacetime metric to the null geodesic, evaluated in a comoving frame. We also consider the Penrose limits of spacetime singularities and show that for a large class of black hole, cosmological and null singularities (of Szekeres–Iyer 'power-law type'), including those of the FRW and Schwarzschild metrics, the result is a singular homogeneous plane wave with profile A(u) ~ u−2, the scale invariance of the latter reflecting the power-law behaviour of the singularities.
Using statistical moments as invariants for eye detection

In this paper we address the problem of eye detection in greyscale images. We represent face image using topographic labels to alleviate detection under severe lighting condition. The regions in topographic image are then described using regional invariant moments. The employed moments are invariant to similarity transform. This enables the proposed eye detection method to work under head movement. In detection phase we first provide a candidate list of points with pit label in topographic image. Image at neighbourhood of each pair of pit points are compared with eyes model using their corresponding feature vectors. Using a Bayesian classifier we detect the pair of points with the descriptors most similarity to the eyes. The result of experiments confirms the capability of proposed method for detecting eyes in face images.
Fibrillin-1 Interactions with Heparin

Fibrillin-1 assembly into microfibrils and elastic fiber formation involves interactions with glycosaminoglycans. We have used BIAcore technology to investigate fibrillin-1 interactions with heparin and with heparin saccharides that are analogous to S-domains of heparan sulfate. We have identified four high affinity heparin-binding sites on fibrillin-1, localized three of these sites, and defined their binding kinetics. Heparin binding to the fibrillin-1 N terminus has particularly rapid kinetics. Hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate did not interact significantly with fibrillin-1. Heparin saccharides with more than 12 monosaccharide units bound strongly to all four fibrillin-1 sites. Heparin did not inhibit fibrillin-1 N- and C-terminal interactions or RGD-dependent cell attachment, but heparin and MAGP-1 competed for binding to the fibrillin-1 N terminus, and heparin and tropoelastin competed for binding to a central fibrillin-1 sequence. By regulating these key interactions, heparin can profoundly influence microfibril and elastic fiber assembly.
The genome of Methanosarcina mazei: evidence for lateral gene transfer between bacteria and archaea.

The Archaeon Methanosarcina mazei and related species are of great ecological importance as they are the only organisms fermenting acetate, methylamines and methanol to methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia (in case of methylamines). Since acetate is the precursor of 60% of the methane produced on earth these organisms contribute significantly to the production of this greenhouse gas, e.g. in rice paddies. The 4,096,345 base pairs circular chromosome of M. mazei is more than twice as large as the genomes of the methanogenic Archaea currently completely sequenced (Bult et al., 1996; Smith et al., 1997). 3,371 open reading frames (ORFs) were identified. Based on currently available sequence data 376 of these ORFs are Methanosarcina-specific and 1,043 ORFs find their closest homologue in the bacterial domain. 544 of these ORFs reach significant similarity values only in the bacterial domain. They include 56 of the 102 transposases, and proteins involved in gluconeogenesis, proline biosynthesis, transport processes, DNA-repair, environmental sensing, gene regulation, and stress response. Striking examples are the occurrence of the bacterial GroEL/GroES chaperone system and the presence of tetrahydrofolate-dependent enzymes. These findings might indicate that lateral gene transfer has played an important evolutionary role in forging the physiology of this metabolically versatile methanogen.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Job Emotional Requirements in Job Attitudes and Behavior

A recent focus on understanding emotions in organizations has resulted in increased attention to the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a type of intelligence that helps individuals to perceive, assimilate, understand, and manage emotions (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). The aim of this study is to understand the role of EI on individual attitudinal and performance outcomes. Specifically, this paper argues that EI may be an important determinant of employee job satisfaction, turnover intention, and performance. Further, these effects are expected to be most pronounced in job functions with higher emotional requirements. Data collected from 278 law enforcement and healthcare employees provide no support for these propositions. These findings, their implications, and potential future studies are discussed.
Structure of the Yeast Vacuolar ATPase*

The subunit architecture of the yeast vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) was analyzed by single particle transmission electron microscopy and electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry. A three-dimensional model of the intact V-ATPase was calculated from two-dimensional projections of the complex at a resolution of 25 Å. Images of yeast V-ATPase decorated with monoclonal antibodies against subunits A, E, and G position subunit A within the pseudo-hexagonal arrangement in the V1, the N terminus of subunit G in the V1-V0 interface, and the C terminus of subunit E at the top of the V1 domain. ESI tandem mass spectrometry of yeast V1-ATPase showed that subunits E and G are most easily lost in collision-induced dissociation, consistent with a peripheral location of the subunits. An atomic model of the yeast V-ATPase was generated by fitting of the available x-ray crystal structures into the electron microscopy-derived electron density map. The resulting atomic model of the yeast vacuolar ATPase serves as a framework to help understand the role the peripheral stalk subunits are playing in the regulation of the ATP hydrolysis driven proton pumping activity of the vacuolar ATPase.
Arterial smooth muscle cell proteoglycans synthesized in the presence of glucosamine demonstrate reduced binding to LDL.

Atherosclerosis is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetes, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Retention of atherogenic lipoproteins by vascular proteoglycans is thought to play a key role in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. High glucose levels cause a variety of diabetic complications by several mechanisms, including upregulation of the hexosamine pathway. Glucosamine, a component of the hexosamine pathway, is a precursor for the synthesis of glycosaminoglycan components of proteoglycans. This study evaluated whether high glucose or glucosamine supplementation of vascular smooth muscle cells would increase proteoglycan synthesis, leading to increased lipoprotein retention. Aortic smooth muscle cells were exposed to physiologic (5.6 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose levels, such as seen in diabetes, or to glucosamine (12 mM). Extracellular proteoglycans were characterized by sulfate incorporation, molecular sieve chromatography, and SDS-PAGE. LDL interactions were assessed by affinity chromatography and gel mobility shift assay. Proteoglycans synthesized in the presence of high glucose demonstrated no differences in size, sulfate incorporation, or LDL binding affinity compared with proteoglycans synthesized under physiological glucose conditions. However, proteoglycans synthesized in the presence of glucosamine had smaller glycosaminoglycan chains than control proteoglycans with a corresponding decrease in lipoprotein retention.Thus, glucose and glucosamine have different effects on proteoglycan biosynthesis and different effects on lipoprotein retention.
Prosthetic Valvular Endocarditis: A 12‐Year Review

A retrospective examination was made of a total of 48 patients with infected prosthetic cardiac valves implanted in 1,236 patients during 1960-1972. Survival rate of the valvular infections was 40%. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors which aided or decreased patient survival and to develop a program of treatment with antimicrobial agents. Numerous antimicrobics and a variety of dosage schedules were used. Of 19 surviving patients, medical treatment alone was effective in 14, despite the continued presence of a valvular prosthesis. Reoperation was successful in five of nine patients. Lifelong chemoprophylactic or suppressive therapy was shown to be unnecessary to prevent relapse in 12 survivors. Prompt surgical replacement is indicated if antimicrobial therapy fails to eradicate infection of a prosthetic valve. A more systematic approach to antimicrobial therapy should improve survival of medically treated infections. Recommendations are made for prevention and treatment of prosthetic valvular endocarditis.
End‐Tidal Pco2 Measurements Sampled at the Distal and Proximal Ends of the Endotracheal Tube in Infants and Children

To determine whether the site of gas sampling affects end-tidal gas measurements in pediatric patients, end-tidal Pco2 was measured continuously from the distal and proximal ends of the endotracheal tube in 60 infants and children ventilated with an Air-Shields Ventimeter and a partial rehreathing circuit. These data were compared with simultaneous arterial Pco2 measurements. In infants and children weighing >12 kg, both distal and proximal end-tidal Pco2 values approximated arterial Pco2 measurements. In infants and children weighing <12 kg, however, only distal end-tidal Pco2 measurements approximated arterial Pco2 measurements. It is concluded that in infants and children weighing <12 kg, accurate end-tidal measurements can be obtained only from the distal end of the endotracheal tube.
Borrowing Constraints and the Returns to Schooling

To a large degree, the expansion of student aid programs to potential college students over the past 25 years in the United States has been based on the presumption that borrowing constraints present an obstacle to obtaining a college education. Economists and sociologists studying schooling choices have found empirical support for college subsidies in the well-documented, large positive correlation between family income and schooling attainment. This correlation has been widely interpreted as evidence of credit constraints. Recently, however, Cameron, and Heckman (1998, 2000), Keane and Wolpin (1999), and Shea (1999) have questioned whether borrowing constraints plays any role on college choices. Over the last 30 years, a separate literature in economics has aimed at estimating measured returns to schooling purged of various biases. One potential source of bias arises when students have differential access to sources of credit for educational investments. The connection between credit access and returns to schooling-first articulated by Becker (1972)- has been recently explored by Lang (1993) and Card (1995a, 2000). Lang and Card term this bias discount rate bias,' and argue it can help explain anomalously high instrumental variables estimates of returns to schooling documented by a multitude of empirical researchers. This argument implicitly suggests borrowing constraints are important for schooling decisions. Our paper attempts to integrate and reconcile these two literatures. Building on the seminal work of Willis and Rosen (1979), we develop a framework that allows us to study schooling determinants and returns together. Identification of the effect of borrowing constraints arises from the fact that foregone earnings-the indirect costs of school-and the direct costs of schooling affect borrowing constrained persons differently from unconstrained individuals. We apply this idea using least-squares, instrumental variables regression, and a structural economic model to measure the extent of borrowing constraints on schooling choices. Because returns to schooling and quantity of schooling are jointly determined, the structural approach allows us to explore the importance of credit market constraints on schooling choices once the influences of ability and relative wages are parceled out. This type of experiment cannot be done in standard models of schooling-attainment. None of these methods produces evidence of borrowing constraints.
RBFOX2 Promotes Protein 4.1R Exon 16 Selection via U1 snRNP Recruitment

ABSTRACT The erythroid differentiation-specific splicing switch of protein 4.1R exon 16, which encodes a spectrin/actin-binding peptide critical for erythrocyte membrane stability, is modulated by the differentiation-induced splicing factor RBFOX2. We have now characterized the mechanism by which RBFOX2 regulates exon 16 splicing through the downstream intronic element UGCAUG. Exon 16 possesses a weak 5′ splice site (GAG/GTTTGT), which when strengthened to a consensus sequence (GAG/GTAAGT) leads to near-total exon 16 inclusion. Impaired RBFOX2 binding reduces exon 16 inclusion in the context of the native weak 5′ splice site, but not the engineered strong 5′ splice site, implying that RBFOX2 achieves its effect by promoting utilization of the weak 5′ splice site. We further demonstrate that RBFOX2 increases U1 snRNP recruitment to the weak 5′ splice site through direct interaction between its C-terminal domain (CTD) and the zinc finger region of U1C and that the CTD is required for the effect of RBFOX2 on exon 16 splicing. Our data suggest a novel mechanism for exon 16 5′ splice site activation in which the binding of RBFOX2 to downstream intronic splicing enhancers stabilizes the pre-mRNA–U1 snRNP complex through interactions with U1C.
Repetitive Implementation of Material Value Conservation and its Effects on the Mechanical Properties of Plastic Recycling Products

Impurity and contaminated waste of flexible plastic packaging will not be viable as raw materials for secondary recycling. This problem could be avoided by repetitive implementation of material value conservation through material purity protection since the product design activities up to the end of packaging life cycle. This paradigm also creates new sequential life cycles of products rather than once when only virgin materials were used as raw materials. With repetitive implementation of material value conservation and serial testing in a polymer laboratory, a type of virgin plastic pellet recycled up to the 8th stage of secondary recycling, and then the mechanical properties of materials tested according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. This research revealed that flexible plastic packaging materials that managed by Material Value Conservation (MVC) implementations were suitable for secondary recycling in producing the viable quality of recycled plastic pellets in mechanical properties measures, and leverage the potential of virgin plastic pellets utilization. Because of MVC implementations protected the purity of materials intensively, and then increased the value of recycled plastic pellets as raw materials for the new life cycle of plastic products.
Apoptotic markers in semen of infertile men: Association with cigarette smoking.

OBJECTIVES (i) To examine the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of DNA damage in semen from infertile men. (ii) To assess the effects of smoking on apoptotic markers and seminal parameters among infertile men. (iii) To assess the correlation of apoptosis with conventional semen parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was carried out on 70 men with idiopathic infertility, divided into two groups: thirty infertile non smokers and forty infertile smokers. In addition to 60 fertile men (30 non smokers and 30 smokers) as control group. Each subject provided semen for analysis of parameters, determination of % of DNA fragmentation, s-Fas, caspase-3 activity levels and cotinine levels. RESULTS The results revealed that infertile men, particularly smokers have significantly lower semen variables and significantly higher levels of apoptotic variables (% of DNA fragmentation, s-Fas and caspase-3 activity) in addition to cotinine. CONCLUSIONS The present findings provide additional evidence supporting the importance of the evaluation of apoptotic markers to test male infertility particularly among smokers.
Performance Degradation of GaN HEMTs Under Accelerated Power Cycling Tests

In this paper, performance degradations of enhancement mode (E-mode) gallium nitride (GaN) high-electronmobility-transistors (HEMTs) under accelerated power cycling tests are presented. For this purpose, a DC power cycling setup is designed to accelerate the aging process in a realistic manner. In order to evaluate the aging-related parameter shifts and corresponding precursors, electrical parameters are periodically monitored through a high-end curve tracer. Both the cascode device and p-GaN gate GaN devices are evaluated during these tests. In the experimental results, it is observed that the onstate resistance gradually increases in both devices. Meanwhile, the threshold voltage of the p-GaN gate GaN device gradually increases over the aging cycles and a remarkable variation in the transfer characteristics is observed. At the end of the tests, failure analyses are conducted on both devices. The cascode GaN devices show both short and open circuit failure modes, and a weak point in the drain-side bond wires is detected. For the p-GaN gate GaN device, the electrical parameter shifts indicate a possible gate degradation after the device is aged.