Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electromechanical Investigation of Low Dimensional Nanomaterials for NEMS Applications

Electromechanical Investigation of Low Dimensional Nanomaterials for NEMS Applications By HaoLu Successful operation of Nano-ElectroMechanical Systems (NEMS) critically depends on their working environment and component materials' electromechanical properties. It is equally important that ambient or liquid environment to be seriously considered for NEMS to work as high sensitivity sensors with commercial viabilities. Firstly, to understand interaction between NEMS oscillator and fluid, transfer function of suspended gold nanowire NEMS devices in fluid was calculated. It was found that NEMS's resonance frequency decreased and energy dissipation increased, which constrained its sensitivity. Sensitivity limit ofNEMS oscillators was also considered in a statistical framework. Subsequently, suspended gold nanowire NEMS devices were magnetomotively actuated in vacuum and liquid. Secondly, electromechanical properties of gold nanowires were carefully studied and the observed size effect was found to agree with theory, which predicted small changes of electromechanical property compared with bulk gold materials. Finally, it is well recognized that continuous development of new NEMS devices demands novel materials. Mechanical properties of new two-dimensional hexagonal Boron Nitride films with a few atomic layers were studied. Outlook of utilizing ultrathin BN films in next generation NEMS devices was discussed.
Adaptive and Reliable Multi-Path Transmission in Wireless Sensor Networks using Forward Error Correction and Feedback

Providing end-to-end reliability for data transmission is a major challenge for energy-constrained and bandwidth-limited wireless sensor networks. To meet this challenge, attempts have been made using a multi-path transmission mechanism that encodes an information bitstream using forward error correction (FEC), and sends the obtained packets over a number of paths to the destination. Algorithms that, given the paths statistics (e.g., failure probability and energy cost of data transmission over the paths), find the number of channel packets and their transmission paths that optimize the reliability-energy cost tradeoff have been proposed. Once a transmission strategy is obtained, all packets are transmitted regardless of the actual state of the wireless links, which may result in energy and bandwidth losses due to unnecessary transmissions. This can be more severe when arbitrary transmission strategies have to be used due, for example, to the unavailability of paths statistics at the source node, which is the case in many practical applications. In this paper, we propose a hybrid FEC-feedback mechanism. The feedback scheme is used to send ACK packets from the sink to the source node when the information bitstream is actually recovered. We then derive a measure of the expected energy cost of data transmission for the hybrid mechanism. Simulation results show that, on average, the hybrid mechanism consumes up to about 44% less energy than the FEC-based mechanism for the transmission of a bitstream with the same reliability constraint. The energy savings of the hybrid mechanism are even higher when arbitrary transmission strategies have to be used.
High Ozone (O3) Affects the Fitness Associated with the Microbial Composition and Abundance of Q Biotype Bemisia tabaci

Ozone (O3) affects the fitness of an insect, such as its development, reproduction and protection against fungal pathogens, but the mechanism by which it does so remains unclear. Here, we compared the fitness (i.e., the growth and development time, reproduction and protection against Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) of Q biotype whiteflies fumigated under hO3 (280 ± 20 ppb) and control O3 (50 ± 10 ppb) concentrations. Moreover, we determined that gene expression was related to development, reproduction and immunity to B. bassiana and examined the abundance and composition of bacteria and fungi inside of the body and on the surface of the Q biotype whitefly. We observed a significantly enhanced number of eggs that were laid by a female, shortened developmental time, prolonged adult lifespan, decreased weight of one eclosion, and reduced immunity to B. bassiana in whiteflies under hO3, but hO3 did not significantly affect the expression of genes related to development, reproduction and immunity. However, hO3 obviously changed the composition of the bacterial communities inside of the body and on the surface of the whiteflies, significantly reducing Rickettsia and enhancing Candidatus_Cardinium. Similarly, hO3 significantly enhanced Thysanophora penicillioides from the Trichocomaceae family and reduced Dothideomycetes (at the class level) inside of the body. Furthermore, positive correlations were found between the abundance of Candidatus_Cardinium and the female whitefly ratio and the fecundity of a single female, and positive correlations were found between the abundance of Rickettsia and the weight of adult whiteflies just after eclosion and immunity to B. bassiana. We conclude that hO3 enhances whitefly development and reproduction but impairs immunity to B. bassiana, and our results also suggest that the changes to the microbial environments inside of the body and on the surface could be crucial factors that alter whitefly fitness under hO3.
Factors regulating bone remodeling processes in aseptic implant loosening

This study was undertaken to screen periprosthetic tissues (PPTs) under specified conditions for a series of molecular components and describe them in bone remodeling processes within aseptic loosening. PPT samples were obtained from patients undergoing revision surgery of endoprostheses (n = 24) and synovial tissues from patients with OA (control) (n = 18), patients with any form of inflammatory arthritides were excluded. Tissue samples were examined via microbiology, histology (H&E, TRAP), immunohistochemistry (CD68/anti‐S100a4), quantitative real‐time PCR (ALP, COL1A1, cathepsin K, M‐CSF, MMP13, OPG, RANK, RANKL, TNF‐α, and TRAP) and an endotoxin‐assay. PPT samples contained a variety of cellular components and stained positive for TRAP (56%), CD68 (100%), and S100a4 (100%). Wear debris were found in cells staining positive for CD68 and S100a4. In PPTs significantly higher ALP, COL1A1, MMP‐13, RANK, RANKL, and TRAP expression were found along with a significantly higher RANKL/OPG ratio and a significantly lower OPG expression. No significant difference was observed for M‐CSF, TNF‐α, cathepsin K, and endotoxin levels. In conclusion we found osteogenic proteins (ALP, COL1A1), a proteolytic enzyme (MMP‐13), markers for osteoclast differentiation (RANK, RANKL), and osteoclast activity (TRAP) to be increased in PPT, whereas OPG expression decreased significantly in comparison to control. We present data about a large series of molecular components in PPT and describe novel and key findings about their expression levels in regards to aseptic implant loosening. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:248–257, 2017.
A dynamic call admission policy with precision QoS guarantee using stochastic control for mobile wireless networks

Call admission control is one of the key elements in ensuring the quality of serivce in mobile wireless networks. The traditional trunk reservation policy and its numerous variants give preferential treatment to the handoff calls over new arrivals by reserving a number of radio channels exclusively for handoffs. Such schemes, however, cannot adapt to changes in traffic pattern due to the static nature. This paper introduces a novel stable dynamic call admission control mechanism (SDCA), which can maximize the radio channel utilization subject to a predetermined bound on the call dropping probability. The novelties of the proposed mechanism are: 1) it is adaptive to wide range of system parameters and traffic conditions due to its dynamic nature; 2) the control is stable under overloading traffic conditions, thus can effectively deal with sudden traffic surges; 3) the admission policy is stochastic, thus spreading new arrivals evenly over a control period, and resulting in more effective and accurate control; and 4) the model takes into account the effects of limited channel capacity and time dependence on the call dropping probability, and the influences from nearest and next-nearest neighboring cells, which greatly improve the control precision. In addition, we introduce local control algorithms based on strictly local estimations of the needed traffic parameters, without requiring the status information exchange among different cells, which makes it very appealing in actual implementation. Most of the computational complexities lie in off-line precalculations, except for the nonlinear equation of the acceptance ratio, in which a coarse-grain numerical integration is shown to be sufficient for stochastic control. Extensive simulation results show that our scheme steadily satisfies the hard constraint on call dropping probability while maintaining a high channel throughput.
Development of Protective Autoimmunity by Immunization with a Neural-Derived Peptide Is Ineffective in Severe Spinal Cord Injury

Protective autoimmunity (PA) is a physiological response to central nervous system trauma that has demonstrated to promote neuroprotection after spinal cord injury (SCI). To reach its beneficial effect, PA should be boosted by immunizing with neural constituents or neural-derived peptides such as A91. Immunizing with A91 has shown to promote neuroprotection after SCI and its use has proven to be feasible in a clinical setting. The broad applications of neural-derived peptides make it important to determine the main features of this anti-A91 response. For this purpose, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a spinal cord contusion (SCC; moderate or severe) or a spinal cord transection (SCT; complete or incomplete). Immediately after injury, animals were immunized with PBS or A91. Motor recovery, T cell-specific response against A91 and the levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) released by A91-specific T (TA91) cells were evaluated. Rats with moderate SCC, presented a better motor recovery after A91 immunization. Animals with moderate SCC or incomplete SCT showed significant T cell proliferation against A91 that was characterized chiefly by the predominant production of IL-4 and the release of BDNF. In contrast, immunization with A91 did not promote a better motor recovery in animals with severe SCC or complete SCT. In fact, T cell proliferation against A91 was diminished in these animals. The present results suggest that the effective development of PA and, consequently, the beneficial effects of immunizing with A91 significantly depend on the severity of SCI. This could mainly be attributed to the lack of TA91 cells which predominantly showed to have a Th2 phenotype capable of producing BDNF, further promoting neuroprotection.
Estrus synchronization with lower dose of PGF2 alpha and subsequent fertility in subestrous buffalo.

Two experiments were conducted to determine luteal regression, estrous response and fertility in buffalo receiving cloprostenol via 2 routes of administration. In Experiment 1, cyclic buffalo (n = 10) were assigned to 2 equal groups receiving either 500 micrograms i.m. cloprostenol (Estrumate, ICI) or 125 micrograms cloprostenol injected intravulvosubmucosal (ivsm) ipsilateral to the side of the corpus luteum (CL) on Day 11 of an induced estrous cycle. Serum progesterone (P4) concentrations were evaluated immediately before treatment and at 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h after PGF2 alpha administration. The decline in serum P4 concentrations was significantly different (P < 0.05) between groups up to 48 hrs after treatment. However, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed for the interval from treatment to the onset of estrus (94.9 +/- 10.7 vs 96.0 +/- 15.9 h) for 500 or 125 micrograms of cloprostenol groups, respectively. In Experiment 2, multiparous, lactating subestrous buffaloes (n = 137) were treated either with 125 micrograms ivsm cloprostenol or 500 micrograms i.m. cloprostenol (n = 28 vs 33, respectively) during peak breeding (September-February) or low breeding (March-August) season (n = 37 vs 39, respectively). Buffalo observed in estrus were inseminated twice with frozen-thawed semen at 12 and 22 h after the onset of estrus. Buffalo that failed to exhibit estrus were given a second equal dose of cloprostenol at an 11-d interval and underwent fixed-time insemination at 72 and 96 h. The interval to the onset of estrus was 85.0 +/- 4.4 vs 73.2 +/- 2.6 h during peak breeding and 96.1 +/- 2.6 vs 92.1 +/- 3.8 h during the low breeding season for buffalo treated with 125 and 500 micrograms cloprostenol, respectively. These intervals were different (P < 0.05) between seasons but not between treatments in the same season. Conception rates of 47.8 vs 53.1% during peak breeding and 23.5 vs 25.6% during low breeding season were also different (P < 0.05) between seasons but not between the treatments in the same season for buffalo treated with 125 and 500 micrograms cloprostenol, respectively. These results indicated that 125 micrograms ivsm and 500 micrograms i.m. cloprostenol were equally effective for synchronizing estrus in subestrous buffalo. No negative effect of a lower dose of cloprostenol was observed on estrus synchrony and subsequent fertility; however, season of treatment had a significant effect on conception rates.
Omnivory in lacertid lizards: adaptive evolution or constraint?

Feeding specializations such as herbivory are an often cited example of convergent and adaptive evolution. However, some groups such as lizards appear constrained in the evolution of morphological specializations associated with specialized diets. Here we examine whether the inclusion of plant matter into the diet of omnivorous lacertid lizards has resulted in morphological specializations and whether these specializations reflect biomechanical compromises as expected if omnivores are constrained by functional trade‐offs. We examined external head shape, skull shape, tooth structure, intestinal tract length and bite performance as previous studies have suggested correlations between the inclusion of plants into the diet and these traits. Our data show that omnivorous lacertid lizards possess modifications of these traits that allow them to successfully exploit plant material as a food source. Conversely, few indications of a compromise phenotype could be detected, suggesting that the evolution towards herbivory is only mildly constrained by functional trade‐offs.
Phase II Trial of Continuous Infusion Carboplatin, 5-Fluorouracil, and Radiotherapy for Localized Cancer of the Esophagus

The aim of this study was to determine the toxicity, response rate, failure-free survival, and overall survival in a treatment program comprising continuous infusion carboplatin, short in-fusion 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and radiotherapy for localized carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus. To be eligible, patients were required to have Karnofsky performance status greater than or equal to 60, adequate organ function, and have received no prior therapy. Planned radiation dose was 50 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks. 5-FU was to be administered commencing days 1 and 29 of radiotherapy, and given at a dose of 1 g/m2/d for 4 days as a continuous infusion. Carboplatin was to commence on day 1 of radiotherapy and be given throughout the period of radiation as a continuous infusion. The starting dose of carboplatin was 28 mg/m2/d. The protocol specified a 25% dose reduction of carboplatin if more than two of the first six patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). DLT was defined as grade IV neutropenia lasting more than 7 days, grade IV thrombocytopenia, or any grade IV nonhematologic toxicity. All 23 patients in the study received protocol radio-therapy, except one who was given an extra 10 Gy. Seven patients received carboplatin at 28 mg/m2/d and 16 received 21 mg/m2/d. Hematologic DLTs were experienced by all of the seven patients receiving the higher dose. No patients in the low-dose group experienced hematologic DLTs, and only 2 of 16 ceased chemotherapy early because of myelosuppression. Three patients in the low-dose group experienced grade IV esophagitis but were able to complete protocol radiotherapy. Apart from esophagitis, nonhematologic toxicity was generally moderate or mild. Six patients had thrombosis complicating the central venous catheters. Endoscopy was performed in 21 patients (91%), with an overall complete response rate of 65% (CI: 43–84%) for the whole group or 71% (CI: 48–89%) for the endoscopically evaluated group. Estimated median failure-free survival time was 8.9 months (CI: 7.1–12.9), and estimated median overall survival time was 21.4 months (CI: 9.6 –35.4). Carboplatin at 21 mg/m2/d as a continuous infusion may be given safely in combination with short infusional 5-FU and radiotherapy for localized carcinoma of the esophagus. This combination has resulted in response data comparable to that of larger studies of cisplatin-containing regimens and warrants further study, ideally in a phase III randomized controlled trial.
DHA Serum Levels Were Significantly Higher in Celiac Disease Patients Compared to Healthy Controls and Were Unrelated to Depression

Objectives Celiac disease (CD), a genetically predisposed intolerance for gluten, is associated with an increased risk of major depressive disorder (MDD). We investigated whether dietary intake and serum levels of the essential n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) found in fatty fish play a role in this association. Methods Cross-sectional study in 71 adult CD patients and 31 healthy volunteers, matched on age, gender and level of education, who were not using n-3 PUFA supplements. Dietary intake, as assessed using a 203-item food frequency questionnaire, and serum levels of EPA and DHA were compared in analyses of covariance, adjusting for potential confounders. Serum PUFA were determined using gas chromatography. Results Mean serum DHA was significantly higher in CD patients (1.72 mass%) than controls (1.28 mass%) after multivariable adjustment (mean diff. 0.45 mass%; 95% CI: 0.22–0.68; p = 0.001). The mean intake of EPA plus DHA did not differ between CD patients and controls after multivariable adjustment (0.15 and 0.22 g/d, respectively; p = 0.10). There were no significant differences in intake or serum levels of EPA and DHA between any of the CD patient groups (never depressed, current MDD, minor/partially remitted MDD, remitted MDD) and controls. Conclusions Patients on a long term gluten-free diet had similar intakes of EPA plus DHA compared to controls. Contrary to expectations, DHA serum levels were significantly higher in CD patients compared to healthy controls and were unrelated to MDD status.
4-dimensional locally CAT(0)-manifolds with no Riemannian smoothings

We construct examples of 4-dimensional manifolds M supporting a locally CAT(0)metric, whose universal covers Q M satisfy Hruska’s isolated flats condition, and contain 2-dimensional flats F with the property that @1F S S ,! S S @1 Q M are nontrivial knots. As a consequence, we obtain that the group 1.M/ cannot be isomorphic to the fundamental group of any compact Riemannian manifold of nonpositive sectional curvature. In particular, if K is any compact locally CAT(0)-manifold, then M K is a locally CAT(0)-manifold which does not support any Riemannian metric of nonpositive sectional curvature.
The clinical features of severe community-acquired pneumonia presenting as septic shock. Norasept II Study Investigators.

PURPOSE The purpose of this article was to determine the outcome, clinical and prognostic features, and microbiology of a large group of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) presenting in septic shock. MATERIALS AND METHODS The placebo limb of the Norasept II database was examined. Data were collected on patients in septic shock with a diagnosis of CAP who presented to a participating site from home. RESULTS One hundred and forty-eight patients met the study criteria. The 28-day survival was 53%. One hundred and four pathogens were isolated from 77 (52%) patients with 24 (16%) patients having polymicrobial infections. The most common pathogen was Streptococcus pneumoniae (19%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (18%), Haemophilus influenzae (14%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (11%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7%). Infection with P aeruginosa or Acinetobacter species carried a very high mortality (82%). The only clinical variables recorded in the database that could identify patients with pseudomonas or acinetobacter infection was a history of alcohol abuse. Comorbidities were present in 74% of patients, involving predominantly the cardiorespiratory system. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated APACHE II score and serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentration to be significant independent predictors of mortality. Patients with pseudomonas or acinetobacter infection had significantly higher IL-6 levels and significantly lower tumor necrosis factor alpha levels when compared with the rest of the cohort of patients. CONCLUSION A diverse spectrum of both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens were implicated in patients with CAP presenting in septic shock, necessitating broad spectrum empiric antimicrobial coverage. This coverage should include antipseudomonal activity, particularly in alcoholic patients. Severity of illness (APACHE II score) and IL-6 levels were important prognostic factors. Infection with P aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species carried a very high mortality.
Role of Abl Kinase and the Wave2 Signaling Complex in HIV-1 Entry at a Post-Hemifusion Step

Entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) commences with binding of the envelope glycoprotein (Env) to the receptor CD4, and one of two coreceptors, CXCR4 or CCR5. Env-mediated signaling through coreceptor results in Gαq-mediated Rac activation and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements necessary for fusion. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate Rac and regulate its downstream protein effectors. In this study we show that Env-induced Rac activation is mediated by the Rac GEF Tiam-1, which associates with the adaptor protein IRSp53 to link Rac to the Wave2 complex. Rac and the tyrosine kinase Abl then activate the Wave2 complex and promote Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization. Env-mediated cell-cell fusion, virus-cell fusion and HIV-1 infection are dependent on Tiam-1, Abl, IRSp53, Wave2, and Arp3 as shown by attenuation of fusion and infection in cells expressing siRNA targeted to these signaling components. HIV-1 Env-dependent cell-cell fusion, virus-cell fusion and infection were also inhibited by Abl kinase inhibitors, imatinib, nilotinib, and dasatinib. Treatment of cells with Abl kinase inhibitors did not affect cell viability or surface expression of CD4 and CCR5. Similar results with inhibitors and siRNAs were obtained when Env-dependent cell-cell fusion, virus-cell fusion or infection was measured, and when cell lines or primary cells were the target. Using membrane curving agents and fluorescence microscopy, we showed that inhibition of Abl kinase activity arrests fusion at the hemifusion (lipid mixing) step, suggesting a role for Abl-mediated actin remodeling in pore formation and expansion. These results suggest a potential utility of Abl kinase inhibitors to treat HIV-1 infected patients.