Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Bamboo Nanoparticles in Kenaf Fiber Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites

In this study, bamboo nanoparticles in concentration ranges from 0–5% were incorporated along with woven/nonwoven kenaf fiber mat into unsaturated polyester and the developed composites were further characterized. Bamboo chips were subjected to ball milling process for the synthesis of nanoparticles with a particle size of 52.92 nm. The effect that the incorporation of nanoparticles had on various properties of reinforced composites was further observed. Due to the high surface area of nanoparticles, incorporation of 3% of nanofillers contributed towards strong bonding and better wettability with matrix, thus resulting in excellent mechanical properties and thermal characteristics in reinforced unsaturated polyester composites. Furthermore, mechanical characteristics of reinforced composites were deteriorated by the addition of a higher percentage of nanoparticles (>3%) due to agglomeration, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, ordered structural arrangement of woven kenaf textile fiber showed enhancement in interfacial adhesion and promoted superior mechanical strength in reinforced composites as compared with nonwoven composites.
Singular value decomposition on GPU using CUDA

Linear algebra algorithms are fundamental to many computing applications. Modern GPUs are suited for many general purpose processing tasks and have emerged as inexpensive high performance co-processors due to their tremendous computing power. In this paper, we present the implementation of singular value decomposition (SVD) of a dense matrix on GPU using the CUDA programming model. SVD is implemented using the twin steps of bidiagonalization followed by diagonalization. It has not been implemented on the GPU before. Bidiagonalization is implemented using a series of Householder transformations which map well to BLAS operations. Diagonalization is performed by applying the implicitly shifted QR algorithm. Our complete SVD implementation outperforms the MATLAB and Intel ®Math Kernel Library (MKL) LAPACK implementation significantly on the CPU. We show a speedup of upto 60 over the MATLAB implementation and upto 8 over the Intel MKL implementation on a Intel Dual Core 2.66GHz PC on NVIDIA GTX 280 for large matrices. We also give results for very large matrices on NVIDIA Tesla S1070.
Changing Conspiracy Beliefs through Rationality and Ridiculing

Conspiracy theory (CT) beliefs can be harmful. How is it possible to reduce them effectively? Three reduction strategies were tested in an online experiment using general and well-known CT beliefs on a comprehensive randomly assigned Hungarian sample (N = 813): exposing rational counter CT arguments, ridiculing those who hold CT beliefs, and empathizing with the targets of CT beliefs. Several relevant individual differences were measured. Rational and ridiculing arguments were effective in reducing CT, whereas empathizing with the targets of CTs had no effect. Individual differences played no role in CT reduction, but the perceived intelligence and competence of the individual who conveyed the CT belief-reduction information contributed to the success of the CT belief reduction. Rational arguments targeting the link between the object of belief and its characteristics appear to be an effective tool in fighting conspiracy theory beliefs.
Inferolateral AlloDerm Hammock for Implant Coverage in Breast Reconstruction

Purpose:Implant reconstruction is commonly performed to reconstruct mastectomy defects or to correct breast hypoplasia. We have been using an inferolateral AlloDerm hammock as an inferior extension of the pectoralis major muscle to provide a mechanical barrier between the implant and skin and to control implant position. Methods:The inferior border of the AlloDerm hammock is attached inferiorly to the rectus abdominis fascia and laterally to the serratus anterior fascia to create the borders of the implant pocket. The AlloDerm is then sewn to the pectoralis major muscle to enclose the implant. Results:The AlloDerm hammock was used in 43 patients and 67 breasts for immediate expander-implant reconstruction (10), immediate silicone implant reconstruction (30), delayed expander-implant reconstruction (4), and revisional implant reconstruction for capsular contracture following capsulectomy (23). The AlloDerm hammock allowed complete coverage of the implant and symmetric positioning of the inframammary fold. In delayed reconstructions with existing skin redundancy at the mastectomy site, inferior epigastric tissue was recruited and tissue expanders filled over 75% of the desired volume, thus decreasing the need for subsequent filling. Patients were overall satisfied with their results and had few complications. No capsular contracture, hematoma, or seroma was observed in 6 months to 3 years of follow-up. Conclusion:Implant reconstruction with an inferolateral AlloDerm hammock facilitates positioning of the implant in immediate or revisional breast reconstruction and simplifies expander-implant reconstruction. This safe technique is easy to learn and should be considered a viable option for breast reconstruction.
Distinct and Site-Specific Phosphorylation of the Retinoblastoma Protein at Serine 612 in Differentiated Cells

The retinoblastoma susceptibility protein (pRB) is a phosphoprotein that regulates cell cycle progression at the G1/S transition. In quiescent and early G1 cells, pRB predominantly exists in the active hypophosphorylated form. The cyclin/cyclin-dependent protein kinase complexes phosphorylate pRB at the late G1 phase to inactivate pRB. This event leads to the dissociation and activation of E2F family transcriptional factors. At least 12 serine/threonine residues in pRB are phosphorylated in vivo. Although there have been many reports describing bulk phosphorylation of pRB, detail research describing the function of each phosphorylation site remains unknown. Besides its G1/S inhibitory function, pRB is involved in differentiation, prevention of cell death and control of tissue fate. To uncover the function of phosphorylation of pRB in various cellular conditions, we have been investigating phosphorylation of each serine/threonine residue in pRB with site-specific phospho-serine/threonine antibodies. Here we demonstrate that pRB is specifically phosphorylated at Ser612 in differentiated cells in a known kinase-independent manner. We also found that pRB phosphorylated at Ser612 still associates with E2F-1 and tightly binds to nuclear structures including chromatin. Moreover, expression of the Ser612Ala mutant pRB failed to induce differentiation. The findings suggest that phosphorylation of Ser612 provides a distinct function that differs from the function of phosphorylation of other serine/threonine residues in pRB.
Outcomes of cancer therapy administered to treatment-naïve lung cancer patients in the intensive care unit

Objectives: Therapy outcomes for newly diagnosed, critically ill lung cancer patients have seldom been evaluated. This study evaluated therapy outcomes for treatment-naïve lung cancer patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: Patients were excluded if they had previously received lung cancer treatment, such as systemic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, or surgical lung resection before ICU admission. The therapeutic strategies for the treatment-naïve patients were determined while they were in the ICU. The patients' demographic data, clinical outcomes, and treatment-related toxicities were analyzed. Results: Newly diagnosed lung cancer patients (n = 72) who did not receive any anticancer treatment before ICU admission were included. Most patients had locally advanced disease, and 61 (84.7%) required intensive care due to cancer-related events. In the ICU, 24 (33.3%) patients received chemotherapy, 24 (33.3%) received epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy and 24 (33.3%) received best supportive care (BSC). Patients receiving chemotherapy or EGFR-TKIs in the ICU demonstrated better ICU (p = 0.011) and in-hospital (p = 0.034) survival than those receiving BSC only. Among patients requiring mechanical ventilation, those receiving chemotherapy had higher weaning rates than those receiving EGFR-TKIs or BSC (p = 0.002). In multivariate analysis, receipt of chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.443; p = 0.083) and mechanical ventilation (HR, 0.270; p = 0.022) were significantly associated with longer ICU survival after adjusting for clinical factors. Conclusions: Anticancer therapy in the ICU might provide better short-term ICU survival for treatment-naïve, critically ill lung cancer patients.
Hedgehog Related Protein Expression in Breast Cancer: Gli-2 Is Associated with Poor Overall Survival

Background The hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is known to play a critical role in various malignancies, but its clinicopathologic role in breast cancer is yet to be established. Methods Tissue microarray blocks from 334 cases of breast cancer were prepared. The expression of six Hh signaling proteins including sonic hedgehog (Shh), patched (Ptch), smoothened (Smo), and the glioma-associated oncogene (Gli)-1, Gli-2, and Gli-3 were analyzed immunohistochemically. Results The expression of Hh signaling proteins was significantly correlated with some prognostic factors including the correlation of lymph node metastasis with the expression of Shh (p=0.001) and Ptch (p=0.064), the correlation of the stages with Shh and Gli-3 expression (p=0.007 and p=0.024, respectively), the correlation of the nuclear grade with the Smo (p=0.004) and Gli-3 (p=0.000), and the correlation of the histologic grade with the Ptch (p=0.016), Smo (p=0.007), and Gli-3 (p=0.000). The Shh, Ptch, Smo, Gli-1, and Gli-2 expression was significantly different between the phenotypes (p=0.000, p=0.001, p=0.004, p=0.039, and p=0.031, respectively). Gli-2 expression was correlated with a worse overall survival outcome (p=0.012). Conclusions Hh pathway activation is correlated with a more aggressive clinical behavior in breast carcinomas. The comparison of phenotypes suggested that the Hh pathway may be a useful therapeutic target for breast carcinoma. Patients with Gli-2 expression had a significantly lower overall survival rate and, therefore, it showed promise as a prognostic marker.
Hydraulic Conductivity of the Permeable Asphalt Pavement – Laboratory vs In Situ Test

Permeable asphalt pavements (PAP) are a key measure for mitigating the climate change effects in urban areas. Cities are becoming increasingly dense and have large areas of waterproofing due to the excessive construction of buildings and highways that prevent the rainwater drainage into the soil. Recently, the PAP study with a double layer porous asphalt (DLPA) has been an alternative to the use of a porous asphalt single layer (PA), with recognized advantages in increasing water infiltration and, consequently, in decreasing surface runoff. It was developed in field a PAP of small dimensions to assess its capacity to respond to floods. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity (K) of the DLPA applied on the PAP, both in laboratory conditions and in field conditions, and verify the representativeness of the laboratory results in relation to the results obtained in situ. In laboratory terms, the LCS permeameter was used, which evaluates the vertical and horizontal hydraulic conductivity, both in specimens produced in the laboratory and in cores extracted in situ. In the field, the LCS permeameter and the falling head permeameter were used to measure the hydraulic conductivity and the relative hydraulic conductivity (HC), respectively. The laboratory tests were performed according to Standards EN 12697-19 and NLT 327 and the in situ tests according to Standards EN 12697-40 and NLT 327. It was verified that the specimens produced in the laboratory of the two porous layers showed values of K (vertical and horizontal) lower than those obtained in the field cores, both for the individual layers PA and for the DLPA. Thus, it was found that the study in controlled environment differs in terms of results. This divergence justified the need to perform a field study in order to perceive the actual performance of the PAP surface layer. This study was characterized by the values of K (m/s) and HC (s−1), from which it was not possible to obtain a relation. From this study it was concluded that the measuring methods of the hydraulic conductivity in the laboratory were close to the behaviour of the same in situ, however its evaluation under real conditions is always essential.
Differential Involvement of Th1 and Th17 in Pathogenic Autoimmune Processes Triggered by Different TLR Ligands

The interaction between TLRs and their cognate ligands triggers both the innate and adaptive immune systems, and thus can play a pivotal role in the defense against pathogen invasion. This work investigates the differentiation of naive CD4 cells into Th1 or Th17 phenotypes in mice treated with different TLR ligands. We use a model system in which naive transgenic cells specific to hen egg lysozyme are adoptively transferred into recipients that express hen egg lysozyme in the lens of the eye. The transferred naive T cells induce ocular inflammation only in recipients treated with TLR ligands. Treatment with LPS preferentially stimulated IL-17 production, whereas CpG oligodeoxynucleotide and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid primarily stimulated Th1 cells. Peptidoglycan stimulated the two Th subpopulations equally. The preferential induction of Th1 or Th17 by the four ligands was detected in the spleen (where a major portion of the adoptively transferred cells homed) and in the eyes, where activated Th cells initiate inflammation. Analysis of the cytokines present in recipient mice suggests that Th1 induction is elicited by IL-12 and/or IFN-α, whereas Th17 generation is preferentially mediated by IL-6. Importantly, we show in this article that treatment with LPS selectively promoted in the recipient mice the generation of IL-6–producing activated B cells. An inverse correlation was found between the level of regulatory T cells and severity of inflammation induced by the donor cells. Taken together, our data show that specific TLR ligands differentially activate the immune system as evidenced by the generation of distinct Th phenotypes from naive CD4 cells.
On the complexity of real functions

We establish a new connection between the two most common traditions in the theory of real computation, the Blum-Shub-Smale model and the computable analysis approach. We then use the connection to develop a notion of computability and complexity of functions over the reals that can be viewed as an extension of both models. We argue that this notion is very natural when one tries to determine just how difficult a certain function is for a very rich class of functions.
Differing DNA Methylation Patterns and Gene Mutation Frequencies in Colorectal Carcinomas from Middle Eastern Countries

Purpose: The epidemiology of colorectal carcinoma is well known to differ among countries but the molecular characteristics are usually assumed to be similar. International differences in molecular pathology have not been studied extensively but have implications for the management of patients in different countries and of immigrant patients. Experimental Design: We evaluated the CpG island methylator phenotype pathway characterized by concordant methylation of gene promoters that often silences transcription of the genes, the microsatellite instability pathway, and K-ras and p53 gene status in 247 colorectal carcinomas from the three selected Middle Eastern countries of Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey. Results: Colorectal carcinoma from Egypt had the lowest frequencies of methylation. In multinomial logistic regression analysis, Jordanian colorectal carcinoma more frequently had methylation involving the p16 tumor suppressor gene (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-10.6; P = 0.023) and MINT31 locus (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-5.1; P = 0.041). The K-ras proto-oncogene was more frequently mutated in colorectal carcinoma from Turkey (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-6.7; P = 0.016), but p53 overexpression was more common in both Jordanian and Turkish colorectal carcinoma than in Egyptian cases (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-5.5; P = 0.019; and odds ratio, 3.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-7.1; P = 0.0003, respectively). The findings in Turkish colorectal carcinoma were most similar to those reported for Western cases. Conclusions: Colorectal carcinoma from Middle Eastern countries have differing gene methylation patterns and mutation frequencies that indicate dissimilar molecular pathogenesis, probably reflecting different environmental exposures. These molecular differences could affect prevention strategies, therapeutic efficacy, and transferability of clinical trial results.
Length of Residence in the United States is Associated With a Higher Prevalence of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Immigrants: A Contemporary Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey

Background Cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors including hypertension, overweight/obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia are high among United States ethnic minorities, and the immigrant population continues to burgeon. Methods and Results Hypothesizing that acculturation (length of residence) would be associated with a higher prevalence of CMR factors, the authors analyzed data on 54, 984 US immigrants in the 2010–2014 National Health Interview Surveys. The main predictor was length of residence. The outcomes were hypertension, overweight/obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. The authors used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between length of US residence and these CMR factors. The mean (SE) age of the patients was 43 (0.12) years and half were women. Participants residing in the United States for ≥10 years were more likely to have health insurance than those with <10 years of residence (70% versus 54%, P<0.001). After adjusting for region of birth, poverty income ratio, age, and sex, immigrants residing in the United States for ≥10 years were more likely to be overweight/obese (odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.10–1.29), diabetic (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.17–1.73), and hypertensive (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05–1.32) than those residing in the United States for <10 years. Conclusions In an ethnically diverse sample of US immigrants, acculturation was associated with CMR factors. Culturally tailored public health strategies should be developed in US immigrant populations to reduce CMR.
How Trust in Social Dilemmas Evolves with Age

While trust and trustworthiness provide a fundamental foundation for human relationships, little is known about how trusting and trustworthy behavior in social dilemmas is related to age and aging. A few papers use data from surveys such as the World Values Survey to address a potential connection between trust and age. In this chapter, we will mainly focus on trusting and trustworthy behavior elicited with the use of the seminal trust game (Berg et al., 1995) and with games implementing a similar incentivized interaction structure. The results suggest that trust and trustworthiness increase with young age until adolescence. Trustworthiness reaches the level of adults at an earlier age (at around 15-16 years of age) than trusting behavior (around adulthood). Survey results differ from incentivized experiments when it comes to a potential development of trust in adulthood. The former indicate a steady rise in trust levels at a small rate when becoming older, whereas the latter show a decline, starting at an age of about 60 years.
Unexpected Corrosion of Aluminized Steel Pipes in Limestone Backfill

1) Aluminized steel Type 2 (AST2), ASTM A929, has a ~50 um thick coating with outer and inner layers of commercially pure Al and Al-Fe intermetallic respectively. AST2 culvert and drainage pipes are required to have long service life (e.g. 75 yr) in natural soil and water environments; premature pipe failures incur heavy repair and replacement costs. Performance has been adequate in many service conditions, but unexpected early corrosion of AST2 pipes has been recently observed in some Florida inland locations. A recent event with loss of the coating and local penetration of the substrate, after only ~3 years of service was associated with the use of calcium carbonate-rich (limestone) backfill. Water in contact with limestone and allowed to equilibrate with CO2 in the atmosphere (open system) tends to develop a near neutral pH, compatible with a stable passive film on Al, so experiments were conducted to determine if the aggressive conditions took place otherwise. Simulated field fresh water conditions were created, where water in a limestone filled cell was constantly replenished at a slow rate (representing rainwater), while the pH and conductivity were monitored. Under these conditions, a high, steady state pH > 9 developed that was aggressive to the aluminum passive film. The higher pH was ascribed to the dissolution of limestone in slowly flowing water that is not given enough time for equilibration with atmospheric CO2 (approaching a closed system). Electrochemical impedance measurements indicated the onset of severe corrosion early in the exposure, confirmed by metallographic and SEM observation of loss of coating in extracted AST2 specimens. The Al-Fe intermetallic was much less attacked. The corrosion rate decreased later as a thick corrosion product layer formed. Corrosion mechanisms are discussed. These findings merit consideration in updating specifications for the installation and use of backfill materials for aluminized steel culvert pipes.
A generalized flow for multi-class and binary classification tasks: An Azure ML approach

The constant growth in the present day real-world databases pose computational challenges for a single computer. Cloud-based platforms, on the other hand, are capable of handling large volumes of information manipulation tasks, thereby necessitating their use for large real-world data set computations. This work focuses on creating a novel Generalized Flow within the cloud-based computing platform: Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio (MAMLS) that accepts multi-class and binary classification data sets alike and processes them to maximize the overall classification accuracy. First, each data set is split into training and testing data sets, respectively. Then, linear and nonlinear classification model parameters are estimated using the training data set. Data dimensionality reduction is then performed to maximize classification accuracy. For multi-class data sets, data-centric information is used to further improve overall classification accuracy by reducing the multi-class classification to a series of hierarchical binary classification tasks. Finally, the performance of optimized classification model thus achieved is evaluated and scored on the testing data set. The classification characteristics of the proposed flow are comparatively evaluated on 3 public data sets and a local data set with respect to existing state-of-the-art methods. On the 3 public data sets, the proposed flow achieves 78-97.5% classification accuracy. Also, the local data set, created using the information regarding presence of Diabetic Retinopathy lesions in fundus images, results in 85.3-95.7% average classification accuracy, which is higher than the existing methods. Thus, the proposed generalized flow can be useful for a wide range of application-oriented "big data sets".