Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal conductivity enhancement of nanoparticles in distilled water

This paper provides an overview of the important physical phenomena necessary for the determination of effective thermal conductivity of nanofluid. Increase in the specific area as well as Brownian motion are supposed to be the most significant reasons for the anomalous enhancement in thermal conductivity of nanofluid. Usual heat transfer fluids with suspended ultra fine particles of nanometre size are named as nanofluids, which have opened a new dimension in heat transfer processes. This work presents the increase of thermal conductivity with temperatures for nanofluids with water as base fluid and particles of Al2O3 or CuO as suspension material. Transient hot-wire method is used for the measurement of thermal conductivity. Heat retaining time is introduced and estimated experimentally. The heat retaining time of 0.8% volume fraction of Al22O3 nanofluid increases up to 47.05% of the base fluid and 0.8% volume fraction of CuO nanofluid increases up to 61.7% of the base fluid. The results indicate an increase of enhancement of thermal conductivity with temperature found to be agreeing excellently with a wide range of different models as well as the data published in literature.
The role of early life nutrition in the establishment of gastrointestinal microbial composition and function

ABSTRACT The development of the human infant intestinal microbiota is a sequential process that begins in utero and continues during the first 2 to 3 years of life. Microbial composition and diversity are shaped by host genetics and multiple environmental factors, of which diet is a principal contributor. An understanding of this process is of clinical importance as the microbiota acquired in early life influence gastrointestinal, immune and neural development, and reduced microbial diversity or dysbiosis during infancy is associated with disorders in infancy and later childhood. The goal of this article was to review the published literature that used culture-independent methods to describe the development of the gastrointestinal microbiota in breast- and formula-fed human infants as well as the impact of prebiotic and probiotic addition to infant formula, and the addition of solid foods.
Health Communication Experiences of Emerging Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

In an effort to refine a model of clinical care identifying effective communication with health care providers (HCPs) as a key skill for successful transition to adult medical care, we explored the perspectives of emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) about factors that impact the quality and content of communication with their HCPs. Twenty emerging adults with T1D were interviewed about health communication experiences with their pediatric HCPs and their readiness for transition to adult diabetes care. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; three raters coded transcripts using conventional content analysis for broad themes. Five themes emerged from the data capturing factors that influence emerging adult–HCP communication: HCP interaction style, HCP consistency, HCP support for autonomy, parental involvement in medical care, and emerging adult comfort with disclosure. Most emerging adults had not discussed transition to adult diabetes care with their HCPs. Some expressed confidence in their ability to transition; others expressed anxiety about the transition process. Findings support the conceptual model of communication and inform clinical implications for working with emerging adults with T1D. Continuity of care should be prioritized with transition-age patients. In addition, HCPs should initiate conversations about engagement in risky behaviors and transition to adult medical care and ensure that emerging adults have time without parents to discuss these sensitive topics. Psychologists can enhance the transition process by facilitating effective patient–HCP communication and coaching both patients and HCPs to ask questions about risky behaviors and transition to adult medical care.
Laboratory Mice Are Frequently Colonized with Staphylococcus aureus and Mount a Systemic Immune Response—Note of Caution for In vivo Infection Experiments

Whether mice are an appropriate model for S. aureus infection and vaccination studies is a matter of debate, because they are not considered as natural hosts of S. aureus. We previously identified a mouse-adapted S. aureus strain, which caused infections in laboratory mice. This raised the question whether laboratory mice are commonly colonized with S. aureus and whether this might impact on infection experiments. Publicly available health reports from commercial vendors revealed that S. aureus colonization is rather frequent, with rates as high as 21% among specific-pathogen-free mice. In animal facilities, S. aureus was readily transmitted from parents to offspring, which became persistently colonized. Among 99 murine S. aureus isolates from Charles River Laboratories half belonged to the lineage CC88 (54.5%), followed by CC15, CC5, CC188, and CC8. A comparison of human and murine S. aureus isolates revealed features of host adaptation. In detail, murine strains lacked hlb-converting phages and superantigen-encoding mobile genetic elements, and were frequently ampicillin-sensitive. Moreover, murine CC88 isolates coagulated mouse plasma faster than human CC88 isolates. Importantly, S. aureus colonization clearly primed the murine immune system, inducing a systemic IgG response specific for numerous S. aureus proteins, including several vaccine candidates. Phospholipase C emerged as a promising test antigen for monitoring S. aureus colonization in laboratory mice. In conclusion, laboratory mice are natural hosts of S. aureus and therefore, could provide better infection models than previously assumed. Pre-exposure to the bacteria is a possible confounder in S. aureus infection and vaccination studies and should be monitored.
Engaging in Health Behaviors to Lower Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence

Purpose While post-treatment breast cancer survivors face up to twice the cancer risk of the general population, modifiable health behaviors may somewhat reduce this risk. We sought to better understand health behaviors that early stage breast cancer survivors engage in to reduce recurrence risk. Methods Data came from a cross-sectional multi-site survey of 186 early-stage breast cancer survivors who received genomic testing for breast cancer recurrence risk (Oncotype DX) during their clinical care. Study outcomes were meeting health behavior recommendations (daily fruit and vegetable intake, regular physical activity, and having a healthy body mass index (BMI)). Results Approximately three-quarters of survivors we surveyed believed the 3 behaviors might reduce their cancer risk but many did not engage in these behaviors for this purpose: 62% for BMI, 36% for fruit and vegetable consumption, and 37% for physical activity. Survivors with higher recurrence risk, as indicated by their genomic test results, were no more likely to meet any of the three health behavior recommendations. Adherence to health behavior recommendations was higher for women who were white, college-educated, and had higher incomes. Conclusions Many nonadherent breast cancer survivors wish to use these behavioral strategies to reduce their risk for recurrence, suggesting an important opportunity for intervention. Improving BMI, which has the largest association with cancer risk, is an especially promising target.
A Deep Insight Into the Degradation of 1.2-kV 4H-SiC mosfets Under Repetitive Unclamped Inductive Switching Stresses

In this paper, the long-term reliability of commercial 1.2-kV 4H-SiC <sc>mofset</sc>s under repetitive unclamped inductive switching stresses is evaluated experimentally. The degradation of device characteristics, including the threshold voltage <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{{\rm{th}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, drain leakage current <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{{\rm{dss}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and on-state resistance <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{{\rm{on}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, is observed after 80k avalanche cycles. The regular charge pumping (CP) measurements reveal that the failure mechanism characterized by the hot holes injection and trapping into the gate oxide above the channel and JFET region may occur during the aging experiments, which is further ascertained by the succeeding electrothermal simulations and should be responsible for the degradation of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{{\rm{th}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{{\rm{dss}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. After decapping the failed devices, the bond wires lift off due to thermal fatigue is discovered and regarded as the main reason for the degradation of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{{\rm{on}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. The poststress high-temperature treatment is also carried out as an approach to indirectly corroborate the aforementioned failure mechanisms. Moreover, the impact of different test conditions on the degradation rate of electrical characteristics is discussed to thereby find ways to relieve these degeneration phenomena.
Arginine Vasotocin Preprohormone Is Expressed in Surprising Regions of the Teleost Forebrain

Nonapeptides play a fundamental role in the regulation of social behavior, among numerous other functions. In particular, arginine vasopressin and its non-mammalian homolog, arginine vasotocin (AVT), have been implicated in regulating affiliative, reproductive, and aggressive behavior in many vertebrate species. Where these nonapeptides are synthesized in the brain has been studied extensively in most vertebrate lineages. While several hypothalamic and forebrain populations of vasopressinergic neurons have been described in amniotes, the consensus suggests that the expression of AVT in the brain of teleost fish is limited to the hypothalamus, specifically the preoptic area (POA) and the anterior tuberal nucleus (putative homolog of the mammalian ventromedial hypothalamus). However, as most studies in teleosts have focused on the POA, there may be an ascertainment bias. Here, we revisit the distribution of AVT preprohormone mRNA across the dorsal and ventral telencephalon of a highly social African cichlid fish. We first use in situ hybridization to map the distribution of AVT preprohormone mRNA across the telencephalon. We then use quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to assay AVT expression in the dorsomedial telencephalon, the putative homolog of the mammalian basolateral amygdala. We find evidence for AVT preprohormone mRNA in regions previously not associated with the expression of this nonapeptide, including the putative homologs of the mammalian extended amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, and septum. In addition, AVT preprohormone mRNA expression within the basolateral amygdala homolog differs across social contexts, suggesting a possible role in behavioral regulation. We conclude that the surprising presence of AVT preprohormone mRNA within dorsal and medial telencephalic regions warrants a closer examination of possible AVT synthesis locations in teleost fish, and that these may be more similar to what is observed in mammals and birds.
Parental DNA Methylation States Are Associated with Heterosis in Epigenetic Hybrids1[OPEN]

DNA methylation differences between isogenic parental lines can directly or indirectly trigger heterosis in Arabidopsis hybrids. Despite the importance and wide exploitation of heterosis in commercial crop breeding, the molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not completely understood. Recent studies have implicated changes in DNA methylation and small RNAs in hybrid performance; however, it remains unclear whether epigenetic changes are a cause or a consequence of heterosis. Here, we analyze a large panel of over 500 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) epigenetic hybrid plants (epiHybrids), which we derived from near-isogenic but epigenetically divergent parents. This proof-of-principle experimental system allowed us to quantify the contribution of parental methylation differences to heterosis. We measured traits such as leaf area, growth rate, flowering time, main stem branching, rosette branching, and final plant height and observed several strong positive and negative heterotic phenotypes among the epiHybrids. Using an epigenetic quantitative trait locus mapping approach, we were able to identify specific differentially methylated regions in the parental genomes that are associated with hybrid performance. Sequencing of methylomes, transcriptomes, and genomes of selected parent-epiHybrid combinations further showed that these parental differentially methylated regions most likely mediate the remodeling of methylation and transcriptional states at specific loci in the hybrids. Taken together, our data suggest that locus-specific epigenetic divergence between the parental lines can directly or indirectly trigger heterosis in Arabidopsis hybrids independent of genetic changes. These results add to a growing body of evidence that points to epigenetic factors as one of the key determinants of hybrid performance.
Retinal and Choroidal Thickness Changes after Single Anti-VEGF Injection in Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration: Ranibizumab vs Bevacizumab

Purpose To evaluate and compare the effects of single intravitreal injection of ranibizumab and bevacizumab on central retinal and choroidal thickness in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Forty eyes of 40 patients with neovascular AMD that underwent intravitreal injection of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGFs) were included. Patients were randomized into 2 groups: 20 eyes received ranibizumab and 20 eyes received bevacizumab injection. Central retinal and choroidal thicknesses of all eyes at baseline and 1 month postinjection scans were measured with Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Student t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the data. Results The mean central retinal thickness (CRT) showed significant decrease after single injection of ranibizumab (from 345.0 μm to 253.5 μm, p<0.01) and bevacizumab (from 329.5 μm to 251.0 μm, p<0.01) at the first month, respectively. There was no significant difference regarding the CRT change between groups (p = 0.39). The mean choroidal thickness decreased from 158.6 μm (115-317) to 155.5 μm (111-322) in the ranibizumab group and from 211.5 μm (143-284) to 201.5 μm (93-338) in bevacizumab group. The decrease was not significant between groups (p = 0.35). Conclusions Intravitreal injection of both ranibizumab and bevacizumab provided a significant decrease in CRT; however, the agents caused no significant change in choroidal thickness. Additionally, no difference between ranibizumab versus bevacizumab was observed related to macular edema inhibition.
Family Factors and Adolescent Problem Drinking in a High-Risk Urban Peruvian Neighborhood

ABSTRACT Background: Family relationships are widely recognized as playing a role in adolescent alcohol use. Although family relationships and parenting vary by culture, limited research has explored these relationships in Latin America. Objectives: We sought to determine which family factors are associated with adolescent alcohol use in Callao, Peru. Methods: Data come from a cross-sectional survey conducted in a public secondary school in Callao, Peru in 2007. A total of 180 11th grade students are included in the analysis. Our main outcome measure was problem drinking, defined as self-report of having ever consumed beer, wine, spirits, or hard alcohol to a point of drunkenness. Logistic regression was used to determine if odds of problem drinking varied by level of parental monitoring (knowledge of activities and whereabouts), positive family relationships, or family conflict, while controlling for demographic and peer variables. Results: Low levels of parental monitoring and low levels of positive family relationships were each associated with significantly higher odds of lifetime problem drinking in analyses adjusted for deviant peer affiliation along with sociodemographic variables (odds ratio (OR) = 4.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3–13.5; OR = 4.4; 95% CI: 1.5–13.0, respectively). Although family conflict was associated with elevated odds of lifetime problem drinking, this did not reach significance (adjusted OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 0.8–5.1). Conclusions/Importance: Interventions designed to prevent adolescent alcohol use in urban Peru may benefit from promoting positive family interactions and parental monitoring skills.
The gendered experiences of children in child-headed households in Swaziland

This study investigated the gender dynamics of living in child-headed households (CHHs) in a rural area in Swaziland that experiences high levels of drought, poverty and HIV and AIDS. Using a qualitative research methodology, the study examined ways in which children in CHHs meet their daily family needs and address their vulnerabilities according to their gender, focusing on the experiences of the children. The study sample consisted of 10 households, with 5 boy and 5 girl-headed households from the chiefdoms within the area. A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct interviews in the respondents’ own homes. The study focused on the gendered coping strategies used by the children to sustain their household welfare. Three factors were examined: leadership, food provision and education. The findings show that birth order conferred headship or leadership to the eldest sibling irrespective of their gender. Variations in the performance of the three factors, which were influenced by the gender of the household head, were observed. Generally, the children acted in accordance with their socio-cultural norms demanded in fulfilling the role of leadership and food provision. Boy-headed households become disadvantaged because of the boys’ reluctance to take tasks which would contravene traditional Swazi notions of masculinity. This was exacerbated by societal expectations of the independence of boys. Hegemonic masculinity puts boys at a disadvantage when societal expectations require them to enact their masculinity through independence, rather than by drawing on the support of their neighbours/family/social networks. However, girls conformed to traditional Swazi norms. Societal compassion with the vulnerability of girls produced sustainable social arrangements and fostered resilience in girl-headed households.
Intelligent core network for Tactile Internet system

Tactile Internet requires a round trip latency of 1ms, which considered being the main challenge with the system realization. Forced by recent development and capabilities of the fifth generation (5G) cellular system, the Tactile Internet will become a real. One way to overcome the 1ms latency is to employ a centralized controller in the core of the network with a global knowledge of the system together with, the concept of network function virtualization (NFV). This is the idea behind the software defined networking (SDN). This paper introduces a Tactile Internet system structure which employs SDN in the core of the cellular network and mobile edge computing (MEC) in multi-levels. The system is simulated over a reliable environment and introduces a round trip latency of orders of 1 ms. This can be interpreted by the reduction of intermediate nodes involved in the communication process.
Stool frequency is associated with gut microbiota composition

We read with great interest the two recent communications by Vandeputte et al 1 and Tigchelaar et al ,2 which reported an association between stool consistency and gut microbiota composition. Both studies focused on stool consistency, based on the Bristol Stool Scale (BSS) as the main trait, due to its reported correlation with colonic transit time (CTT) that is of clinical relevance for several GI conditions. However, stool frequency, another feature of human bowel function that is easy to measure and record, has also been shown to correlate with CTT,3 ,4 although to a lesser extent than stool form, and has not yet been investigated in relation to microbiota composition. We examined the association between gut microbiota and stool frequency in the Population-based Colonoscopy study, a general population-based cohort from Stockholm, Sweden, previously described in detail.5 Sixty-nine individuals (21 males and 48 females, aged 55.6±10.33) with available frozen faecal samples and daily recordings of defaecation …
Multi-Scale Dense Networks for Resource Efficient Image Classification

In this paper we investigate image classification with computational resource limits at test time. Two such settings are: 1. anytime classification, where the network's prediction for a test example is progressively updated, facilitating the output of a prediction at any time; and 2. budgeted batch classification, where a fixed amount of computation is available to classify a set of examples that can be spent unevenly across "easier" and "harder" inputs. In contrast to most prior work, such as the popular Viola and Jones algorithm, our approach is based on convolutional neural networks. We train multiple classifiers with varying resource demands, which we adaptively apply during test time. To maximally re-use computation between the classifiers, we incorporate them as early-exits into a single deep convolutional neural network and inter-connect them with dense connectivity. To facilitate high quality classification early on, we use a two-dimensional multi-scale network architecture that maintains coarse and fine level features all-throughout the network. Experiments on three image-classification tasks demonstrate that our framework substantially improves the existing state-of-the-art in both settings.
Ceramic and Ceramic Composite Materials with Improved Friction and Wear Properties

Dry friction and wear tests were performed with self-mated couples of SiC with 50 wt%TiC, SiC-TiB2, Si3N4 with 30 wt%TiN, Si3N4 with 5, 10 and 20 wt%BN and a binary carbo-nitride composite (Ti,Mo)(C,N) at room temperature and 40°C or 80°C. The results are compared with currently available SiC and Si3N4 materials. In a normal environment the examined ceramic composites used during these studies are able to form a lubricious oxide reaction layer or a film of an intrinsic solid lubricant on a hard substrate. The binary carbo-nitride composite had a wear coefficient smaller than 10−6 mm3 · N−1 ·m−1, sometimes smaller than 10−7 mm3 · N−1 · m−1, that was independent of temperature from ambient up to 800°C. At 22°C the addition of hexagonal BN reduced the friction of Si3N4. Simultaneously, the wear coefficient was independent of sliding velocity and below 10−6 mm3 · N−1 · m−1. Friction and wear increased with increasing temperature. The addition of TiC to SiC reduced friction and wear. At room temperature, Si3N4.