Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lateral-Mode Vibration of Microcantilever-Based Sensors in Viscous Fluids Using Timoshenko Beam Theory

To more accurately model microcantilever resonant behavior in liquids and to improve lateral-mode sensor performance, a new model is developed to incorporate viscous fluid effects and Timoshenko beam effects (shear deformation, rotatory inertia). The model is motivated by studies showing that the most promising geometries for lateral-mode sensing are those for which Timoshenko effects are most pronounced. Analytical solutions for beam response due to harmonic tip force and electrothermal loadings are expressed in terms of total and bending displacements, which correspond to laser and piezoresistive readouts, respectively. The influence of shear deformation, rotatory inertia, fluid properties, and actuation/detection schemes on resonant frequencies (fres) and quality factors (Q) are examined, showing that Timoshenko beam effects may reduce fres and Q by up to 40% and 23%, respectively, but are negligible for width-tolength ratios of 1/10 and lower. Comparisons with measurements (in water) indicate that the model predicts the qualitative data trends, but underestimates the softening that occurs in stiffer specimens, indicating that support deformation becomes a factor. For thinner specimens, the model estimates Q quite well, but exceeds the observed values for thicker specimens, showing that the Stokes resistance model employed should be extended to include pressure effects for these geometries.
Enhanced fatigue property by suppressing surface cracking in a gradient nanostructured bearing steel

ABSTRACT A gradient nanostructured (GNS) surface layer was generated on an ultrahigh strength bearing steel (AISI 52100) by surface mechanical rolling treatment (SMRT). The initial martensite plates with cementite and retained austenite were transformed into nanograined martensite with a mean size of ∼24 nm at the topmost surface. Axial tension–compression fatigue tests showed that an enhanced fatigue property was achieved on the GNS sample due to the suppressed fatigue crack initiation at the surface. Effects from hardness, microstructure, and residual stress in the GNS surface layer were discussed in relation with the fatigue mechanism of the SMRT sample. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT IMPACT STATEMENT A gradient nanostructured surface layer was generated on an ultrahigh strength bearing steel, and significantly improved the fatigue property of the steel by suppressing surface crack initiation at lower stresses.
Vision in a Monkey without Striate Cortex: A Case Study

A rhesus monkey, Helen, from whom the striate cortex was almost totally removed, was studied intensively over a period of 8 years. During this time she regained an effective, though limited, degree of visually guided behaviour. The evidence suggests that while Helen suffered a permanent loss of ‘focal vision’ she retained (initially unexpressed) the capacity for ‘ambient vision’.
Analysis of Optimal Diagonal Loading for MPDR-Based Spatial Power Estimators in the Snapshot Deficient Regime

The minimum power distortionless response (MPDR) beamformer minimizes the output power while passing the look direction signal with unity gain. To alleviate the performance degradation caused by estimating the spatial correlation matrix with a relatively small number of snapshots of the received signal compared to the number of sensors, a regularization implemented via diagonal loading of the estimated correlation matrix is used. This paper presents a study for the optimal diagonal loading that minimizes the estimation mean square error (MSE) of two diagonally loaded MPDR beamformer-based spatial power estimators in the snapshot deficient regime. First, the asymptotic behavior of the power estimators for fixed diagonal loading is analyzed and the approximate characterization of their expectations is derived. Second, it is conjectured that because of the snapshot deficient sample support, the squared bias is the factor that primarily controls the optimal diagonal loading. Finally, the respective performances of the two power estimators are compared using MSE as the metric and it is shown that one outperforms the other. The analytical results are validated using simulation data.
Maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler velocimetry in pre-eclampsia in Southwestern Nigeria

Background Pre-eclampsia (PE) poses a serious challenge to maternal and fetal health in Africa. It is associated with hemodynamic changes that may affect the internal carotid/ophthalmic artery circulation with consequent neuro-ophthalmic manifestations. Ophthalmic artery Doppler (OAD) ultrasound is an important tool that can be used to detect hemodynamic changes in PE and monitor its severity. In this study, we evaluated hemodynamic changes on OAD ultrasound in the ophthalmic arteries of pre-eclamptic women and compared these with values in healthy pregnant women. Methods OAD parameters, such as, peak systolic velocity, peak diastolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, pulsatility index, and peak ratio, were measured on transorbital triplex ultrasound scan with a 7–10 MHz multifrequency linear transducer in 42 consenting pre-eclamptic patients and 41 pregnant controls matched for maternal age, gestational age, and parity at the Department of Radiology, University College Hospital, Ibadan. Univariate, bivariate, and receiver operating characteristic curve data analyses were performed. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results Mean resistivity index, pulsatility index, and peak systolic velocity were significantly lower in pre-eclamptic patients than in the controls. Mean peak diastolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and peak ratio were significantly higher in the pre-eclamptic group. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the resistivity index (sensitivity 75%, specificity 77.8%) could distinguish mild from severe PE while the peak ratio (sensitivity 90.5%, specificity 81.3%) could accurately detect PE. Conclusion OAD ultrasound can be used to monitor patients with PE for early detection of progression to severe forms before cerebral complications develop. OAD screening of patients at high risk for PE can also detect early changes of hemodynamic derangement.
Identification of P2Y receptor subtypes in human muller glial cells by physiology, single cell RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry.

PURPOSE Retinal Müller glial cells are known to express metabotropic P2Y receptors. The present study was conducted to identify certain subtypes of P2Y receptors in human Müller cells. METHODS The patch-clamp technique was used to measure increases of Ca(2+)-dependent K+ currents mediated by the activation of P2Y receptors in freshly isolated human Müller cells. Several P2 agonists were used. Subsequently, the cells were harvested into the patch pipette and a single cell RT-PCR was performed. Moreover, retinal tissue from organ donors was used for immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The electrophysiological data were consistent with the expression of P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, and P2Y6 receptor subtypes. RT-PCR revealed that mRNA for all these subtypes was present in Müller cells. However, the incidence of P2Y2 receptor mRNA was significantly lower than that of the other subtypes. Immunoreactivity for all four subtypes was found in retinal tissue, partly colocalized with immunoreactivity for vimentin. CONCLUSIONS The presented data obtained by different techniques revealed that human Müller cells express P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, and P2Y6 receptors. The specific roles of these receptor subtypes in retinal physiology and/or pathophysiology remain to be investigated in future studies.
A High-Resolution SNP Array-Based Linkage Map Anchors a New Domestic Cat Draft Genome Assembly and Provides Detailed Patterns of Recombination

High-resolution genetic and physical maps are invaluable tools for building accurate genome assemblies, and interpreting results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Previous genetic and physical maps anchored good quality draft assemblies of the domestic cat genome, enabling the discovery of numerous genes underlying hereditary disease and phenotypes of interest to the biomedical science and breeding communities. However, these maps lacked sufficient marker density to order thousands of shorter scaffolds in earlier assemblies, which instead relied heavily on comparative mapping with related species. A high-resolution map would aid in validating and ordering chromosome scaffolds from existing and new genome assemblies. Here, we describe a high-resolution genetic linkage map of the domestic cat genome based on genotyping 453 domestic cats from several multi-generational pedigrees on the Illumina 63K SNP array. The final maps include 58,055 SNP markers placed relative to 6637 markers with unique positions, distributed across all autosomes and the X chromosome. Our final sex-averaged maps span a total autosomal length of 4464 cM, the longest described linkage map for any mammal, confirming length estimates from a previous microsatellite-based map. The linkage map was used to order and orient the scaffolds from a substantially more contiguous domestic cat genome assembly (Felis catus v8.0), which incorporated ∼20 × coverage of Illumina fragment reads. The new genome assembly shows substantial improvements in contiguity, with a nearly fourfold increase in N50 scaffold size to 18 Mb. We use this map to report probable structural errors in previous maps and assemblies, and to describe features of the recombination landscape, including a massive (∼50 Mb) recombination desert (of virtually zero recombination) on the X chromosome that parallels a similar desert on the porcine X chromosome in both size and physical location.
MORPHOLOGY AND YIELD OF SOYBEAN GROWN ON ALLOPHANIC SOIL AS INFLUENCED BY SYNTHETIC ZEOLITE APPLICATION

Our objective was to assess the effect of synthetic zeolite application on morphology, yield and yield components of soybean grown on allophanic soils. A greenhouse experiment was carried out using three zeolite levels and three soils (two allophanic and one paddy) with two soybean cultivars. One determinate (Enrei, [MG] 1V) and indeterminate cultivar (Harosoy [MG] 11) were grown in pots on April 20 th and harvested on 15 th September at the Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan during 2007. Zeolite levels of 0, 20 and 40 (g) were used to determine the growth behavior of soybean cultivars. Different morphological parameters including grain yield were significantly affected by various zeolite levels and soil type. Maximum leaf area and plant height were obtained from 40 (g) zeolite applications with KnP and KyP allophanic soils. Harosoy grew taller than Enrei. Yield and yield contributing attributes were affected significantly by zeolite levels and soil type. Both cultivars gave highest grain yield at 20 (g) zeolite applications and thereafter, the grain yield declined. Application of 20 (g) zeolite applications favored most of the yield contributing characters that contributed maximum grain yield at this level of zeolite application. The allophanic soils gave similar trend of increase in both morphological and yield components parameters of soybean cultivars. A decrease in morphological and yield components were observed, when soybean were grown on a paddy soil with zero(g) zeolite application. Enrei cultivar out yielded Harosoy at all levels of zeolite application and soil type.
Biogeography and molecular diversity of coral symbionts in the genus Symbiodinium around the Arabian Peninsula

Coral reefs rely on the symbiosis between scleractinian corals and intracellular, photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium making the assessment of symbiont diversity critical to our understanding of ecological resilience of these ecosystems. This study characterizes Symbiodinium diversity around the Arabian Peninsula, which contains some of the most thermally diverse and understudied reefs on Earth.
The Mechanisms of M-cell Differentiation

Intestinal M (microfold or membranous) cells are an enigmatic lineage of intestinal epithelial cells that initiate mucosal immune responses through the uptake and transcytosis of luminal antigens. Due to their rarity, the mechanisms of M-cell function and differentiation are poorly understood. To overcome this problem, experimental strategies to enrich for M-cells have been established. Transcriptome analyses have provided valuable insight, especially on the receptors for antigen uptake, and such studies have broadened our knowledge of M-cell function. In another line of investigation, we and others have begun to dissect the molecular pathways of M-cell differentiation. Among them, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) has been identified as an essential factor for M-cell differentiation. We have focused on the M-cell inducible activity of RANKL and have been able to observe temporal transitions during M-cell differentiation by using in vivo ectopic M-cell differentiation induced by exogenous RANKL treatment. We have found that the ets-family transcription factor Spi-B is essential for functional maturation of M cells. In the absence of Spi-B, the immune response to Salmonella Typhimurium is severely impaired, suggesting that M cells are important for maintaining intestinal homeostasis.
Microstructure, mechanical, and rheological properties of natural rubber/ethylene propylene diene monomer nanocomposites reinforced by multi‐wall carbon nanotubes

Nanocomposites based on natural rubber (NR)/ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)/multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been prepared in an internal and a two roll-mill mixer in two steps. The effect of carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and rubber composition were studied on microstructure, mechanical and rheological properties of the vulcanizated NR/EPDM/MWCNT nanocomposites. Ethylene propylene diene monomer grafted with maleic anhydride (EPDM-g-MAH) was prepared using a solution process. Grafting of maleic anhydride on EPDM confirmed by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The effects of compatibilizer (EPDM-g-MAH) and functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) on mechanical properties of NR/EPDM/MWCNT nanocomposites was investigated as well. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) results demonstrated the glass transition temperature (Tg) of nanocomposites were slowly enhanced with increasing the amount of MWCNTs. The microstructure of nanocomposites have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which showed that the observed MWCNTs were in both NR and EPDM phases. The rheological behavior has been evaluated by a rubber processing analyzer (RPA). The ozone resistance times of the nanocomposite samples indicated that by increasing the amount of MWCNTs ozone resistance was improved. POLYM. COMPOS. , 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Reactive Desorption of CO Hydrogenation Products under Cold Pre-stellar Core Conditions

The astronomical gas-phase detection of simple species and small organic molecules in cold pre-stellar cores, with abundances as high as ∼10−8–10−9 nH, contradicts the generally accepted idea that at 10 K, such species should be fully frozen out on grain surfaces. A physical or chemical mechanism that results in a net transfer from solid-state species into the gas phase offers a possible explanation. Reactive desorption, i.e., desorption following the exothermic formation of a species, is one of the options that has been proposed. In astronomical models, the fraction of molecules desorbed through this process is handled as a free parameter, as experimental studies quantifying the impact of exothermicity on desorption efficiencies are largely lacking. In this work, we present a detailed laboratory study with the goal of deriving an upper limit for the reactive desorption efficiency of species involved in the CO–H2CO–CH3OH solid-state hydrogenation reaction chain. The limit for the overall reactive desorption fraction is derived by precisely investigating the solid-state elemental carbon budget, using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy and the calibrated solid-state band-strength values for CO, H2CO and CH3OH. We find that for temperatures in the range of 10 to 14 K, an upper limit of 0.24 ± 0.02 for the overall elemental carbon loss upon CO conversion into CH3OH. This corresponds with an effective reaction desorption fraction of ≤0.07 per hydrogenation step, or ≤0.02 per H-atom induced reaction, assuming that H-atom addition and abstraction reactions equally contribute to the overall reactive desorption fraction along the hydrogenation sequence. The astronomical relevance of this finding is discussed.
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Chronic exposure to sub-lethal concentration of a glyphosate-based herbicide alters hormone profiles and affects reproduction of female Jundiá (Rhamdia quelen) Abstract This work was carried out to verify the effect of a glyphosate-based herbicide on Jundiá hormones (cortisol, 17␤-estradiol and testosterone), oocyte and swim-up fry production. Earthen ponds containing Jundiá females were contaminated with glyphosate (3.6 mg/L); blood samples were collected from eight females from each treatment immediately before, or at 1, 10, 20, 30 and 40 days following contamination. A typical post-stress rise in cortisol levels was observed at the 20th and 40th days following exposure to glyphosate. At the 40th day, 17␤-estradiol was decreased in the exposed females. A similar number of oocytes were stripped out from females from both groups; however, a lower number of viable swim-up fry were obtained from the herbicide exposed females, which also had a higher liver-somatic index (LSI). The results indicate that the presence of glyphosate in water was deleterious to Rhamdia quelen reproduction, altering steroid profiles and egg viability.
Cosmological parameters from complementary observations of the Universe

We use observational data on the large scale structure (LSS) of the Universe measured over a wide range of scales from sub-galactic up to horizon scale and on the cosmic microwave background anisotropies to determine cosmological parameters within the class of adiabatic inflationary models. We show that a mixed dark matter model with cosmological constant ($\Lambda$MDM model) with parameters
Trends of overweight and obesity, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Czech schoolchildren: HBSC study

Background: The decline of physical activity (PA) and the increased prevalence of overweight and obese children have been discussed worldwide. This study assessed the trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity, PA and sedentary behaviour in Czech school-aged children. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire from the Czech Republic was administered in cycles in 2002, 2006 and 2010 under the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study. In the study, 14 219 children aged 11–15 years participated. Results: In comparison with 2002, there is a significant increase (P < 0.01) of obese and overweight boys in 2010. The same trend has been recorded in girls, except those in the 13-year-old group. There has been a significant decline (P < 0.05) in meeting PA recommendations in 11-year-old girls and boys and in 13-year-old girls when comparing the 2006 and 2002 data. In 2010, we found a non-significant increase or stagnation of the share of children meeting the PA recommendation compared with 2006. We found an increasing length of sedentary time for children. There were significant associations between>2 h being spent sitting by a TV or PC and consuming fruit and vegetables (negative associations) or sweets and sweetened lemonades (positive associations). Conclusions: An increasing percentage of obese or overweight children, increased sedentary time and a decline or stagnation of the proportion of children meeting recommendations for PA were found among Czech schoolchildren. Future research should evaluate PA recommendations with respect to gender, age and effective intervention approach to reduce the obesity incidence in childhood.
Sound-Symbolism is Disrupted in Dyslexia: Implications for the Role of Cross-Modal Abstraction Processes

Research into sound-symbolism has shown that people can consistently associate certain pseudo-words with certain referents; for instance, pseudo-words with rounded vowels and sonorant consonants are linked to round shapes, while pseudowords with unrounded vowels and obstruents (with a noncontinuous airflow), are associated with sharp shapes. Such sound-symbolic associations have been proposed to arise from cross-modal abstraction processes. Here we assess the link between sound-symbolism and cross-modal abstraction by testing dyslexic individuals’ ability to make sound-symbolic associations. Dyslexic individuals are known to have deficiencies in cross-modal processing. We find that dyslexic individuals are impaired in their ability to make sound-symbolic associations relative to the controls. Our results shed light on the cognitive underpinnings of sound-symbolism by providing novel evidence for the role —and disruptability— of cross-modal abstraction processes in sound-symbolic effects.
Successfully Dating Rock Art in Southern Africa Using Improved Sampling Methods and New Characterization and Pretreatment Protocols

Abstract Worldwide, dating rock art is difficult to achieve because of the frequent lack of datable material and the difficulty of removing contamination from samples. Our research aimed to select the paints that would be the most likely to be successfully radiocarbon dated and to estimate the quantity of paint needed depending on the nature of the paint and the weathering and alteration products associated with it. To achieve this aim, a two-step sampling strategy, coupled with a multi-instrument characterization (including SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy analysis) and a modified acid-base-acid (ABA) pretreatment, was created. In total, 41 samples were dated from 14 sites in three separate regions of southern Africa. These novel protocols ensure that the 14C chronology produced was robust and could also be subsequently applied to different regions with possible variations in paint preparation, geology, weathering conditions, and contaminants.
Methodological approaches to study dietary patterns in relation to risk of coronary heart disease and stroke

Dietary pattern analysis, which reflects the complexity of dietary intake, has received considerable attention by nutritional epidemiology. For a long time, two general approaches have been used to define these summary variables in observational studies. The exploratory approach is based only on the data of the study, whereas the hypothesis-oriented approach constructs pattern variables based on scientific evidence available before the study. Recently, a new statistical method, reduced rank regression, was applied to nutritional epidemiology that is exploratory by nature, but can use scientific evidence by focusing on disease-related dietary components or biomarkers. Several studies, both observational and clinical, suggest that dietary patterns may predict the risk of CHD and stroke. In the present review, we describe the results of these studies and the available evidence regarding the relationships between dietary patterns and risk of CVD and we discuss limitations and strengths of the statistical methods used toextract dietary patterns.