Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relaxation wall: experimental limits to improving MPI spatial resolution by increasing nanoparticle core size

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a promising new tracer modality with zero attenuation in tissue, high contrast and sensitivity, and an excellent safety profile. However, the spatial resolution of MPI is currently around 1 mm in small animal scanners. Especially considering tradeoffs when scaling up MPI scanning systems to human size, this resolution needs to be improved for clinical applications such as angiography and brain perfusion. One method to improve spatial resolution is to increase the magnetic core size of the superparamagnetic nanoparticle tracers. The Langevin model of superparamagnetism predicts a cubic improvement of spatial resolution with magnetic core diameter. However, prior work has shown that the finite temporal response, or magnetic relaxation, of the tracer increases with magnetic core diameter and eventually leads to blurring in the MPI image. Here we perform the first wide ranging study of 5 core sizes between 18 and 32 nm with experimental quantification of the spatial resolution of each. Our results show that increasing magnetic relaxation with core size eventually opposes the expected Langevin behavior, causing spatial resolution to stop improving after 25 nm. Different MPI excitation strategies were experimentally investigated to mitigate the effect of magnetic relaxation. The results show that magnetic relaxation could not be fully mitigated for the larger core sizes and the cubic resolution improvement predicted by the Langevin was not achieved. This suggests that magnetic relaxation is a significant and unsolved barrier to achieving the high spatial resolutions predicted by the Langevin model for large core size superparamagnetic iron oxides.
Controlled and scalable torsional actuation of twisted nylon 6 fiber

Large-scale torsional actuation occurs in twisted fibers and yarns as a result of volume change induced electrochemically, thermally, photonically, and other means. A quantitative relationship between torsional actuation (stroke and torque) and volume change is here introduced. The analysis is based on experimental investigation of the effects of fiber diameter and inserted twist on the torsional stroke and torque measured when heating and cooling nylon 6 fibers over the temperature range of 26-62 degrees C. The results show that the torsional stroke depends only on the amount of twist inserted into the fiber and is independent of fiber diameter. The torque generated is larger in fibers with more inserted twist and with larger diameters. These results are successfully modeled using a single-helix approximation of the twisted fiber structure.
The spoilage yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii: Foe or friend?

Zygosaccharomyces bailii is a non‐Saccharomyces budding yeast known as one of the most aggressive food spoilage microorganisms, often isolated as a contaminant during wine fermentation, as well as from many acidic, high‐sugar and canned foods. The spoilage ability relies on the yeast's unique feature of tolerating the most common preservatives such as sulphite, dimethyl dicarbonate, acetic acid and sorbic acid. Therefore, many studies have focused on the description of this peculiar tolerance with the aim of developing preventative measures against Z. bailii food spoilage. These studies demonstrated the involvement of diverse molecular and physiological mechanisms in the yeast resistance, comprising detoxification of preservatives, adaptation of the cytoplasmic pH and modulation of the cell wall/membrane composition. At the same time, the described traits unveiled Z. bailii as a novel potential workhorse for industrial bioprocesses. Here we present the yeast Z. bailii starting from important aspects of its robustness and concluding with the exploitation of its potential in biotechnology. Overall, the article describes Z. bailii from different perspectives, converging in presenting it as one of the most interesting species of the Saccharomycotina subphylum. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Endophytic bacterial diversity in banana ‘Prata Anã’ (Musa spp.) roots

The genetic diversity of endophytic bacteria in banana ‘Prata Anã’ roots was characterized. Two hundred and one endophytic bacteria were isolated, 151 of which were classified as Gram-positive and 50 as Gram-negative. No hypersensitivity response was observed in any of the isolates. The rep-PCR technique generated different molecular profiles for each primer set (REP, ERIC and BOX). Fifty readable loci were obtained and all of the fragments were polymorphic. Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) of the isolates based on cleavage with four restriction enzymes yielded 45 polymorphic bands and no monomorphic bands. PCR amplified the nifH gene in 24 isolates. 16S rDNA sequencing of the 201 bacterial isolates yielded 102 high-quality sequences. Sequence analyses revealed that the isolates were distributed among ten bacterial genera (Agrobacterium, Aneurinibacillus, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Lysinibacillus, Micrococcus, Paenibacillus, Rhizobium and Sporolactobacillus) and included 15 species. The greatest number of isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus. The bacteria identified in this study may be involved in promoting growth, phosphate solubilization, biological control and nitrogen fixation in bananas.
Prognosis of Patients with Cirrhosis and AKI Who Initiate RRT.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Literature on the prognosis of patients with cirrhosis who require RRT for AKI is sparse and is confounded by liver transplant eligibility. An update on outcomes in the nonlisted subgroup is needed. Our objective was to compare outcomes in this group between those diagnosed with hepatorenal syndrome and acute tubular necrosis, stratifying by liver transplant listing status. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Retrospective cohort study of patients with cirrhosis acutely initiated on hemodialysis or continuous RRT at five hospitals, including one liver transplant center. Multivariable regression and survival analysis were performed. RESULTS Four hundred seventy-two subjects were analyzed (341 not listed and 131 listed for liver transplant). Among nonlisted subjects, 15% (51 of 341) were alive at 6 months after initiating RRT. Median survival was 21 (interquartile range [IQR], 8, 70) days for those diagnosed with hepatorenal syndrome and 12 (IQR, 3, 43) days for those diagnosed with acute tubular necrosis (P=0.25). Among listed subjects, 48% (63 of 131) received a liver transplant. Median transplant-free survival was 15 (IQR, 5, 37) days for those diagnosed with hepatorenal syndrome and 14 (IQR, 4, 31) days for those diagnosed with acute tubular necrosis (P=0.60). When stratified by transplant listing, with adjusted Cox models we did not detect a difference in the risk of death between hepatorenal syndrome and acute tubular necrosis (hazard ratio [HR], 0.81; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.59 to 1.11, among those not listed; HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.44 to 1.19, among those listed). CONCLUSIONS Cause of AKI was not significantly associated with mortality in patients with cirrhosis who required RRT. Among those not listed for liver transplant, mortality rates were extremely high in patients both with hepatorenal syndrome and acute tubular necrosis. PODCAST This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2017_11_09_CJASNPodcast_18_1_A. mp3.
Biomechanics of Cantilevered Implant-Supported Prosthesis (Biomechanics in Implant Prosthodontics)

The peculiar characteristic of an implant-supported prosthesis is the fact that its fixation is given by the connection of an alloplastic material (the implant) to a living tissue (the bone). This fixation has been defined as rigid and clinically asymptomatic and must be maintained during functional loading (Albrektsson & Zarb, 1993). Under load, bone tissue will undergo a remodeling process, which ultimately influences the long-term function of a dental implant system (Meijer et al., 1993). Bone remodelling is a complex process that involves a sequence of chemicaland mechanical-mediated biologic events known as mechanotransduction (Duncan & Turner, 1995). Because the occlusal load will be transferred to the implants and subsequently to the bone, it is believed that the biomechanics of the implant-supported prosthesis play an important role in the longevity of the bone around dental implants (Skalak, 1985). It is commonly found in the literature that, for cantilevered implant supported mandibular prosthesis, stresses tend to be concentrated at the cortical bone on the disto-lingual aspect of the implant closest to the load (Meijer et al., 1993; Murphy et al., 1995; Rubo & Souza, 2008; Sertgoz & Guvener, 1996; Weinberg & Kruger, 1995). Many researchers have focused on the steps of force transfer to gain insight into the biomechanical effect of force directions, force magnitudes, prosthesis type, prosthesis material, implant design, number and distribution of supporting implants, bone density, and the mechanical properties of the bone-implant interface (Sahin & Cehreli, 2002). The resultant stresses should be kept below the failure stress limit of the materials involved (Frost, 1994; Skalak, 1985; Wiskott & Belser, 1999). Failures in dental implant prostheses have been correlated with biomechanical complications. Overloading factors may negatively influence implant longevity (Kim et al., 2005). According to Isidor (2006), although it has been stated that occlusal forces may be associated with the loss of oral implants, a causative relationship has never been convincingly demonstrated. The related mechanisms of these displacements are still not completely understood and studies about the influences of the several biomechanical factors are inconclusive (Rangert et al., 1989). Implant failure caused by overload has been classified as a dogma and as such should be abandoned (Carlsson, 2009). There are contradictory studies regarding bone loss in overload conditions. From those studies it can be inferred that
Performance Evaluation of AERMOD and CALPUFF Air Dispersion Models in Industrial Complex Area

AERMOD and CALPUFF air dispersion models were evaluated for their performance in predicting nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Maptaphut industrial area in Thailand. Emission data were obtained from 292 point sources in the study domain. Modeled results were compared with those measured data from 10 receptor sites. Evaluation of model performance was carried out by using statistical analysis. Overall results revealed that AERMOD provided more accurate results than CALPUFF model for both NO2 and SO2 predictions. As for the highest value, results from robust highest concentration analysis indicated that AERMOD had better performance in predicting extreme high-end concentration than CALPUFF.
Alzheimer dementia characterized by amyloid angiopathy and large amyloid core type senile plaques in the APP 692 Ala → Gly mutation

Mutations at codons 717 and 670/671 in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) are rare genetic causes of familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A mutation at codon 693 of APP has also been described as the genetic defect in hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type (HCHWA-D). We have reported a APP692Ala→ Gly (Flemish) mutation as a cause of intracerebral hemorrhage and presenile dementia diagnosed as probable AD in a Dutch family. We now describe the post-mortem examination of two demented patients with the APP692 mutation. The neuropathological findings support the diagnosis of AD. Leptomeningial and parenchymal vessels showed extensive deposition of Aβ amyloid protein. Numerous senile plaques consisted of large Aβ amyloid cores, often measuring more than 30 μ m in diameter and were surrounded by a fine meshwork of dystrophic neurites. In addition, there were a large number of paired helical filaments in pyramidal neurons and dystrophic neurites. Our findings show that the APP692 mutation leads to morphological abnormalities that are similar to AD, but the morphology of senile plaques is clearly P. Cras (�) · C. Ceuterick · J. J. Martin Laboratory of Neuropathology, Born-Bunge Foundation, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium e-mail; cras@uia.ua. ac.be, Tel. : 32-3-820-2604, Fax: 32-3-820-2248 L. Hendriks · C. Van Broeckhoven Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology (VIB), Born Bunge Foundation, Department of Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium S. Z. Stefanko · J. M. Kros Department of Pathology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands F. van Harskamp Department of Neurology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands F. van Harskamp · C. M. van Duijn · A. Hofman Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands distinct from that described in sporadic and chromosome 14-linked AD patients, in patients with APP717 mutations causing familial, presenile AD and in patients with the APP693 mutation causing HCHWA-D.
In Situ Observation of Plastic Foaming under Static Condition, Extensional Flow and Shear Flow

Traditional blowing agents (e.g., hydrochlorofluorocarbons) in plastic foaming processes has been phasing out due to environmental regulations. Plastic foaming industry is forced to employ greener alternatives (e.g., carbon dioxide, nitrogen), but their foaming processes are technologically challenging. Moreover, to improve the competitiveness of the foaming industry, it is imperative to develop a new generation of value-added plastic foams with cell structures that can be tailored to different applications. In this context, the objective of this thesis is to achieve a thorough understanding on cell nucleation and growth phenomena that determine cell structures in plastic foaming processes. The core research strategy is to develop innovative visualization systems to capture and study these phenomena. A system with accurate heating and cooling control has been developed to observe and study crystallization-induced foaming behaviors of polymers under static conditions. The cell nucleation and initial growth behavior of polymers blown with different blowing agents (nitrogen, argon and helium, and carbon dioxide-nitrogen mixtures) have also been investigated in great detail. Furthermore, two innovative systems have been developed to simulate the dynamic conditions in industrial foaming processes: one system captures a foaming process under an easily adjustable and uniform extensional strain in a high temperature and pressure environment, while the other achieves the same target, but with shear strain. Using these systems, the extensional and shear effects on bubble nucleation and initial growth processes has been investigated independently in an isolated manner, which has never been achieved previously. The effectiveness of cell nucleating agents has also been evaluated under dynamic conditions, which have led to the identification of new foaming mechanisms based on polymer-chain alignment and generation of microvoids under stress. Knowledge generated from these researches and the wide range of future studies made possible by the visualization systems will be valuable to the development of innovative plastic foaming technologies and foams. %%%%PhD
Regulation of the nucleosome unwrapping rate controls DNA accessibility

Eukaryotic genomes are repetitively wrapped into nucleosomes that then regulate access of transcription and DNA repair complexes to DNA. The mechanisms that regulate extrinsic protein interactions within nucleosomes are unresolved. We demonstrate that modulation of the nucleosome unwrapping rate regulates protein binding within nucleosomes. Histone H3 acetyl-lysine 56 [H3(K56ac)] and DNA sequence within the nucleosome entry-exit region additively influence nucleosomal DNA accessibility by increasing the unwrapping rate without impacting rewrapping. These combined epigenetic and genetic factors influence transcription factor (TF) occupancy within the nucleosome by at least one order of magnitude and enhance nucleosome disassembly by the DNA mismatch repair complex, hMSH2–hMSH6. Our results combined with the observation that ∼30% of Saccharomyces cerevisiae TF-binding sites reside in the nucleosome entry–exit region suggest that modulation of nucleosome unwrapping is a mechanism for regulating transcription and DNA repair.
Dibutyltin‐induced alterations of interleukin 1beta secretion from human immune cells

Dibutyltin (DBT) is used to stabilize polyvinyl chloride plastics (including pipes that distribute drinking water) and as a de‐worming agent in poultry. DBT is found in human blood, and DBT exposures alter the secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma from lymphocytes. Interleukin (IL)‐1β is a proinflammatory cytokine that regulates cellular growth, tissue restoration and immune response regulation. IL‐1β plays a role in increasing invasiveness of certain tumors. This study reveals that exposures to DBT (24 h, 48 h and 6 days) modify the secretion of IL‐1β from increasingly reconstituted preparations of human immune cells (highly enriched human natural killer cells, monocyte‐depleted [MD] peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs], PBMCs, granulocytes and a preparation combining both PBMCs and granulocytes). DBT altered IL‐1β secretion from all cell preparations. Higher concentrations of DBT (5 and 2.5 μm) decreased the secretion of IL‐1β, while lower concentrations of DBT (0.1 and 0.05 μm) increased the secretion of IL‐1β. Selected signaling pathways were examined in MD‐PBMCs to determine if they play a role in DBT‐induced elevations of IL‐1β secretion. Pathways examined were IL‐1β converting enzyme (caspase 1), mitogen‐activated protein kinases and nuclear factor kappa B. Caspase 1 and mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways appear to be utilized by DBT in increasing IL‐1β secretion. These results indicate that DBT alters IL‐1β secretion from human immune cells in an ex. vivo system utilizing several IL‐1β regulating signaling pathways. Thus, DBT may have the potential to alter IL‐1β secretion in an in vivo system. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perception-Based Tactile Soft Keyboard for the Touchscreen of Tablets

Most mobile devices equipped with touchscreens provide on-screen soft keyboard as an input method. However, many users are experiencing discomfort due to lack of physical feedback that causes slow typing speed and error-prone typing, as compared to the physical keyboard. To solve the problem, a platform-independent haptic soft keyboard suitable for tablet-sized touchscreens was proposed and developed. The platform-independent haptic soft keyboard was verified on both Android and Windows. In addition, a psychophysical experiment has been conducted to find an optimal strength of key click feedback on touchscreens, and the perception result was applied for making uniform tactile forces on touchscreens. The developed haptic soft keyboard can be easily integrated with existing tablets by putting the least amount of effort. The evaluation results confirm platform independency, fast tactile key click feedback, and uniform tactile force distribution on touchscreen with using only two piezoelectric actuators. The proposed system was developed on a commercial tablet (Mu Pad) that has dual platforms (Android and Windows).
Spectrum of lymphomas across different drug treatment groups in rheumatoid arthritis: a European registries collaborative project

Background Lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of malignant diseases with highly variable prognosis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a twofold increased risk of both Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). It is unknown whether treatment with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) affect the risk of specific lymphoma subtypes. Methods Patients never exposed to (bionaïve) or ever treated with bDMARDs from 12 European biologic registers were followed prospectively for the occurrence of first ever histologically confirmed lymphoma. Patients were considered exposed to a bDMARD after having received the first dose. Lymphomas were attributed to the most recently received bDMARD. Results Among 124 997 patients (mean age 59 years; 73.7% female), 533 lymphomas were reported. Of these, 9.5% were HL, 83.8% B-cell NHL and 6.8% T-cell NHL. No cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma were observed. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most frequent B-cell NHL subtype (55.8% of all B-cell NHLs). The subtype distributions were similar between bionaïve patients and those treated with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). For other bDMARDs, the numbers of cases were too small to draw any conclusions. Patients with RA developed more DLBCLs and less chronic lymphocytic leukaemia compared with the general population. Conclusion This large collaborative analysis of European registries has successfully collated subtype information on 533 lymphomas. While the subtype distribution differs between RA and the general population, there was no evidence of any modification of the distribution of lymphoma subtypes in patients with RA treated with TNFi compared with bionaïve patients.
The Relationship between Motivational Climate with Self-Determination of Iran's Elite Volleyball Players

The aim of this study to determine the relationship between motivational climate and selfdetermination of elite volleyball players in Iran. This is descriptive – correlation and the field study . Statistical population are all players in men's volleyball league in Iran. According to the Morgan sampling table, 150 samples were investigated. To collect information, we applied motivational climate Questionnaire (PMCSQ) and sport motivation scale (SMS). The data analysis methods were descriptive statistics and multivariate regression was used to investigate the relationship between variables. Results showed that the motivational climate is significantly associated with self-determination (p<0.05). In general, motivational climate is the
HIF1α regulates single differentiated glioma cell dedifferentiation to stem-like cell phenotypes with high tumorigenic potential under hypoxia

The standard treatment for Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is surgical resection and subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Surgical resection of GBM is typically restricted because of its invasive growth, which results in residual tumor cells including glioma stem cells (GSCs) and differentiated cells. Recurrence has been previously thought to occur as a result of these GSCs, and hypoxic microenvironment maintains the GSCs stemness also plays an important role. Summarizing traditional studies and we find many researchers ignored the influence of hypoxia on differentiated cells. We hypothesized that the residual differentiated cells may be dedifferentiated to GSC-like cells under hypoxia and play a crucial role in the rapid, high-frequency recurrence of GBM. Therefore, isolated CD133–CD15–NESTIN– cells were prepared as single-cell culture and treated with hypoxia. More than 95% of the surviving single differentiated CD133–CD15–NESTIN– cell dedifferentiated into tumorigenic CD133+CD15+NESTIN+ GSCs, and this process was regulated by hypoxia inducible factor-1α. Moreover, the serum also played an important role in this dedifferentiation. These findings challenge the traditional glioma cell heterogeneity model, cell division model and glioma malignancy development model. Our study also highlights the mechanism of GBM recurrence and the importance of anti-hypoxia therapy. In addition to GSCs, residual differentiated tumor cells also substantially contribute to treatment resistance and the rapid, high recurrence of GBM.