Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrothermally grown nanostructured WO3 films and their electrochromic characteristics

We report the synthesis of nanostructured tungsten trioxide (WO3) films and their electrochromic characteristics. Plate-like monoclinic WO3 nanostructures were grown directly on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrates by a simple and low-cost crystal-seed-assisted hydrothermal method. The growth mechanism of the film is investigated. HRTEM analysis reveals the single crystalline quality of the WO3 nanostructure. The film exhibits tunable transmittance modulation under different voltages and repetitive cycling between the clear and blue states has no deleterious effect on its electrochromic performance after 3000 cycles. The electrochromic device composed of the WO3 film has high electrochromic stability, colour contrast and reasonable switching response with a colouration efficiency of 38.2 cm2 C−1 at 632.8 nm.
Word length, sentence length and frequency: Zipf revisited

This paper examines data from English, Swedish and German in order to find a theoretical distribution that describes the observed relation between word length and frequency. In Swedish and English, most word tokens consist of three letters only, while shorter or longer words occur less frequently. We found that the equation with the general form fexp = a * Lb * cL (a variant of the so-called gamma distribution) approximates the observed frequencies reasonably well. This formula incorporates both the fact that the number of possible words increases with word length, and the fact that longer words tend to be avoided, presumably because they are uneconomic. To our knowledge this formula has not been proposed to describe word frequency data. We examined frequency distributions of word length in Swedish and English, and explored different variants of the equation by systematically varying the a, b and c parameters. Subsequently, we also applied the formula to the frequency distribution of sentence length in English, and found an almost perfect fit for a corpus consisting of different text genres. Moreover, the data showed that the formula can be used to distinguish between different kinds of text genres. (Less)
Non‐identical monozygotic twins, intermediate twin types, zygosity testing, and the non‐random nature of monozygotic twinning: A review

Monozygotic twins (MZ) are rarely absolutely “identical. ” This review discusses the types of genetic/epigenetic and prenatal environmental post‐zygotic mechanisms that cause discordance within such twin pairs. Some of these mechanisms—ranging from heterokaryotypia to skewed X‐chromosome inactivation—may cause extreme discordance, but these extremes are merely the more emphatic examples of discordance that, to some degree, underlies the majority of MZ twin pairs. Because of the entrenched misconception that MZ twins are necessarily identical, many MZ twin pairs are mistakenly designated as dizygotic (DZ). Clinical benefits to accurate zygosity determination include correct solid organ transplantation matching, if one twin requires donation for a non‐genetically mediated disease; the opportunity of preventive management for disorders that do not manifest synchronously; and better counseling to parents regarding their individually unique, and often psychologically puzzling, twin offspring. In twin pairs with complex and confusing biological origins, more detailed zygosity testing may be required. For example, intermediate trigametic and tetragametic chimeric dizygotic twins are reviewed, some of whom are, nevertheless, monochorionic (MC). Because of inter‐fetal vascular anastomoses in MC twins, genetic results from blood samples may not accurately reflect discordance in solid organs. Previously, it was thought that MZ twinning was some sort of embryological fluke. However, familial monozygotic twinning is more common than suggested by the literature. Seven new families are presented in an accompanying paper. Despite the difficulties and dangers of twin pregnancy (especially so for MC twins), human twinning persists, and continues to both challenge and fascinate parents, clinicians and geneticists. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fetal Circulation During Epidural Analgesia for Cesarean Section

Fetal blood flow was examined during epidural analgesia in six women with uncomplicated pregnancies undergoing elective caesarean section. A non-invasive, ultrasonic technique was used to measure blood flow in the fetal descending aorta and intra-abdominal part of the umbilical vein before induction of analgesia with etidocaine and bupivacaine and 15 and 30 minutes afterwards. No appreciable change in fetal blood flow was observed.
Injectable and biodegradable sugar beet pectin/gelatin hydrogels for biomedical applications

Abstract Injectable hydrogels have advantages over pre-formed hydrogels in biomedical applications. In our previous study, we showed usefulness of sugar beet pectin (SBP) as an injectable gel material. However, the in vivo biodegradability of the gels was low because animals lack suitable hydrolytic enzymes of SBP. In this study we developed SBP-based injectable gels with higher in vivo biodegradability than the previous SBP gels by incorporating biodegradable gelatin into the latter. An aqueous solution with dissolved SBP and gelatin rapidly (< 1 min) formed gels through a horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidative coupling reaction between feruloyl moieties on the SBP molecules and phenolic moieties on the gelatin molecules. Gelation time and mechanical properties of the gels were tunable by adjusting the polymer concentrations. The gels containing doxorubicin, an anti-cancer drug, successfully suppressed the growth of a solid tumor created by subcutaneous injection of mouse melanoma B16F1 cells into nude mice. These results indicate that injectable and biodegradable SBP/gelatin gels are useful in biomedical applications.
Technological Advances in the Treatment of Trauma

Given the availability of empirically supported practices for addressing posttraumatic stress disorder and other forms of trauma-related distress, the development and implementation of new technology to deliver these treatments is exciting. Technological innovations in this literature aim to expand availability of empirically based intervention, increase treatment adherence and acceptability, and overcome barriers commonly encountered with conventional trauma-focused treatment. Much of the current research on these technological developments consists of brief reviews and case studies of the separate therapy modalities. Although this work serves to document the appeal and utility of these innovations, it does not provide comprehensive information about the host of options available. To that end, the three general categories of technological advances in trauma therapy (i.e., videoconferencing, e-Health, virtual reality) are reviewed here, including information regarding their empirical support and suggestions for future research and clinical practice.
Compatibility reactions on solid medium and interstrain inhibition in Ustilago maydis.

HE fungus Ustilago m q d i s is the cause of boil smut disease of corn. Although Tthe complete sexual cycle of the fungus requires the host, rapid vegetative growth on artificial medium is easily obtained. With the work of PERKINS (1 949) and the extensive investigations of HOLLIDAY (1961a) U. may& has been established as a useful tool for genetical research. Since it is also a plant pathogen it may aid in the investigation of the genetics of pathogenicity. The symptoms of the corn smut disease, gall formation and brandspore formation, are the result of the mating of two haploid strains within the host. Mating is under the control of two gene loci, a and b. There are only two a alleles but perhaps as many as 25 b alleles. Only strains with different alleles at both loci will mate; such combinations are termed “compatible”, and the a and b loci are called incompatibility loci. As early as 1932, SLEUMER and later BOWMAN (1946) and ROWELL (1955) described what they consider a mating reaction on artificial medium. They observed fusion of compatible haploid cells under a microscope; the resultant fusion product, however, developed no further. Also in 1932, BAUCH described a macroscopic indication of mating. Two compatible strains, when spotted one upon the other on malt agar, became covered with a heavy mycelial growth. Incompatible combinations and individual haploids remained yeast-like, the usual growth pattern on artificial medium. In the present paper the reaction BAUCH described is called plate mating. Some of the internal and external restrictions on plate mating are defined. A second interaction on agar called interstrain inhibition is also described; the inheritance of this inhibition is considered in detail. It is the first reported instance of extrachromosomal inheritance in U. maydis. Both plate mating and interstrain inhibition provide information on the development of the fungus in corn.
The Right Version of ‘the Right Kind of Solution to the Wrong Kind of Reason Problem’

In a recent article in Utilitas, Gerald Lang suggests a solution to the so-called ‘wrong kind of reason problem’ (WKR problem) for the buck-passing account of value. In two separate replies to Lang, Jonas Olson and John Brunero, respectively, point out serious problems with Lang's suggestion, and at least Olson concludes that the solution Lang opts for is of the wrong kind for solving the WKR problem. I argue that while both Olson and Brunero have indeed identified considerable flaws in Lang's suggestion for a solution to the WKR problem, they have not provided sufficient grounds for dismissing the kind of solution that Lang proposes. I show how a version of this kind of solution can be formulated so as to avoid both Olson's and Brunero's objections. I also raise some worries concerning an alternative solution to the WKR problem suggested by Sven Danielsson and Jonas Olson.
Integration of Global Signaling Pathways, cAMP-PKA, MAPK and TOR in the Regulation of FLO11

The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, responds to various environmental cues by invoking specific adaptive mechanisms for their survival. Under nitrogen limitation, S. cerevisiae undergoes a dimorphic filamentous transition called pseudohyphae, which helps the cell to forage for nutrients and reach an environment conducive for growth. This transition is governed by a complex network of signaling pathways, namely cAMP-PKA, MAPK and TOR, which controls the transcriptional activation of FLO11, a flocculin gene that encodes a cell wall protein. However, little is known about how these pathways co-ordinate to govern the conversion of nutritional availability into gene expression. Here, we have analyzed an integrative network comprised of cAMP-PKA, MAPK and TOR pathways with respect to the availability of nitrogen source using experimental and steady state modeling approach. Our experiments demonstrate that the steady state expression of FLO11 was bistable over a range of inducing ammonium sulphate concentration based on the preculturing condition. We also show that yeast switched from FLO11 expression to accumulation of trehalose, a STRE response controlled by a transcriptional activator Msn2/4, with decrease in the inducing concentration to complete starvation. Steady state analysis of the integrative network revealed the relationship between the environment, signaling cascades and the expression of FLO11. We demonstrate that the double negative feedback loop in TOR pathway can elicit a bistable response, to differentiate between vegetative growth, filamentous growth and STRE response. Negative feedback on TOR pathway function to restrict the expression of FLO11 under nitrogen starved condition and also with re-addition of nitrogen to starved cells. In general, we show that these global signaling pathways respond with specific sensitivity to regulate the expression of FLO11 under nitrogen limitation. The holistic steady state modeling approach of the integrative network revealed how the global signaling pathways could differentiate between multiple phenotypes.
Female genital mutilation and the unborn female child in southwest Nigeria

Female genital mutilation, despite efforts to abolish it, is still widely practised in Nigeria. The risk of female genital mutilation to a female child in southwest Nigeria was investigated by interviewing 430 consecutive pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of Wesley Guild Hospital Ilesa, Nigeria between July 2001 to October 2001. The results show that 60% of the pregnant women studied had a type of genital mutilation. The decision to mutilate a female child is taken before she is born. Seventy-four (17.2%) of the women and 146 (34%) of their husbands would circumcise their female child. The decision to circumcise a female child is made between the husband and wife but the final decision comes mainly from the husband. Because the majority of the women (58.4%) were yet to decide whether or not to circumcise their female children, they could sway the decision either way before the husband makes up his mind. Therefore, every effort should be taken to involve men in the struggle to eradicate this unwholesome practice.
The many species of humanity Milford

Naming new human species may seem to be a harmless endeavor, of little interest to all but a few specialists playing out the consequences of different evolutionary explanations of phyletic variation, but it has significant implications in how humanity is viewed because studies of race and human evolution are inexorably linked. When essentialist approaches are used to interpret variation in the past as taxonomic rather than populational, as increasingly has been the case, it serves to underscore a typological view of modern human variation. In terms of how they are treated in analysis, there often seems to be no difference between the species, subspecies, or paleodemes of the past and the populations or races whose interrelationships and demographic history are discussed today. This is not inconsequential because both history and current practice shows that science, especially anthropology, is not isolated from society.
Expanded spatial extent of the Medieval Climate Anomaly revealed in lake‐sediment records across the boreal region in northwest Ontario

Multi‐decadal to centennial‐scale shifts in effective moisture over the past two millennia are inferred from sedimentary records from six lakes spanning a ~250 km region in northwest Ontario. This is the first regional application of a technique developed to reconstruct drought from drainage lakes (open lakes with surface outlets). This regional network of proxy drought records is based on individual within‐lake calibration models developed using diatom assemblages collected from surface sediments across a water‐depth gradient. Analysis of diatom assemblages from sediment cores collected close to the near‐shore ecological boundary between benthic and planktonic diatom taxa indicated this boundary shifted over time in all lakes. These shifts are largely dependent on climate‐driven influences, and can provide a sensitive record of past drought. Our lake‐sediment records indicate two periods of synchronous signals, suggesting a common large‐scale climate forcing. The first is a period of prolonged aridity during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, c. 900‐1400 CE). Documentation of aridity across this region expands the known spatial extent of the MCA megadrought into a region that historically has not experienced extreme droughts such as those in central and western north America. The second synchronous period is the recent signal of the past ~100 years, which indicates a change to higher effective moisture that may be related to anthropogenic forcing on climate. This approach has the potential to fill regional gaps, where many previous paleo‐lake depth methods (based on deeper centrally located cores) were relatively insensitive. By filling regional gaps, a better understanding of past spatial patterns in drought can be used to assess the sensitivity and realism of climate model projections of future climate change. This type of data is especially important for validating high spatial resolution, regional climate models.
The value of serum and tissular expression of CA 125 antigen, in evaluation of the response to second line chemotherapy for the relapsed ovarian carcinoma.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to compare the predicted value of the blood levels variations of CA 125 antigen and the imunohistochemical expression of CA 125, with imagistic criteria (The Response Evaluation Criteran in Solid Tumor--RECIST) regarding the survival estimation of female patients with relapsed ovarian carcinoma which undergo to second line chemotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHOD We included in this study 40 female patients diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma in the Oncology Clinic of the Emergency County Hospital Craiova, in a period of two years (from 2000 to 2002), which have fulfilled the following criteria: ovarian carcinoma IC-IV stage, according to FIGO system, first line treatment represented by the association between paclitaxel and a platinum salt, refractory or recurrent disease, indications for beginning the second line chemotherapy represented by topotecan or paclitaxel and carboplatin. The serial CA 125 antigen was determined in all patients before starting the chemotherapy and after each two sequences of chemotherapy, and the imunohistochemical expression of CA 125 was evaluated from surgery extracts before the second line chemotherapy (11 cases). The imagistic evaluation of the treatment response was done after 4 sequences of chemotherapy. RESULTS All patients had measurable disease according to RECIST criteria and had high values (at least double) of the CA 125 antigen blood level at the time of diagnosis. The imunohistochemically expression of CA 125 was correlated in most cases with the blood level of CA 125. The evaluation criterion of the CA 125 antigen has been shown to be more efficient in estimation the survival rate compared with the RECIST system. In a various analysis, which included numerous potential prognostic factors, only the variation of blood levels of these antigen and the free disease interval from the finalization of the first line chemotherapy have been identified as predictive factors of survival, while the other variables, including the RECIST criteria, had no impact on the prognosis regarding the survival. CONCLUSIONS The response evaluation criteria based on the blood levels variations of CA 125 antigen are a better instrument for the estimation of the compared prognosis with the RECIST criteria, for patients on second line chemotherapy for relapsed ovarian carcinoma.
Curcumin inhibits MPA-induced secretion of VEGF from T47-D human breast cancer cells

Objective: Recent clinical trials show that women who receive combined estrogen and progestin hormone therapy (HT) have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who receive estrogen alone or placebo. We have shown that progestins stimulate expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent angiogenic factor, in human breast cancer cells that express the progesterone receptors and mutant p53 protein. Because increased levels of VEGF promote tumor progression, compounds that prevent progestin-induced expression of VEGF could be clinically useful. The objective of this study was to examine whether the polyphenol compound curcumin has the capacity to block progestin-induced secretion of VEGF from T47-D human breast cancer cells. Design: The estrogen and progesterone receptor containing T47-D human breast cancer cells was exposed to 10 nM progesterone or synthetic progestins and varying concentrations of curcumin to determine whether curcumin blocks progestin-dependent production of VEGF from tumor cells. Results: Curcumin (0.001-10 &mgr;M for 18 h) reduced medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA)-induced secretion of VEGF from T47-D cells in a dose-dependent manner. Secretion of VEGF from cells treated with progesterone or progestins other than MPA was unaffected by curcumin. Conclusions: MPA is the most widely used progestin in HT. Curcumin may therefore provide a clinically useful tool for the suppression of MPA-induced elaboration of VEGF by tumor cells. We propose therefore that clinical trials to assess the beneficial effects of curcumin in postmenopausal women are warranted.
Fasting Hyperbilirubinemia and Its Relationship to Free Fatty Acids and Triglycerides in the Horse 1

Abstract Bilirubinemia was studied in eight horses fasted for 5 days and then refed for 5 days. In six healthy horses bilirubin rose from 1.3 ± 0.4 mg/dl (mean ± SD) in fed horses to reach a plateau of 5.3 ± 1.4 mg/dl between 64 and 136 hr of starvation. This was almost entirely due to an increase in the unconjugated bilirubin fraction. On refeeding, serum bilirubin fell to prestarvation concentrations within 2 days. Scleral icterus lagged behind changes in serum bilirubin. There was a strong positive correlation between serum bilirubin and free fatty acids, R 2 = 0.79. This correlation was not improved when differences in serum albumin were considered, so changes in the affinity of albumin for bilirubin are probably not responsible for fasting hyperbilirubinemia. Including serum triglycerides in the regression equation improved its predictive value, R 2 = 0.91. Free fatty acids may influence bilirubin metabolism as a result of competition between free fatty acids and bilirubin for binding to ligandin.
Document-based approach to improve the accuracy of pairwise comparison in evaluating information retrieval systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to have more accurate results in comparing performance of the paired information retrieval (IR) systems with reference to the current method, which is based on the mean effectiveness scores of the systems across a set of identified topics/queries. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the proposed approach, instead of the classic method of using a set of topic scores, the documents level scores are considered as the evaluation unit. These document scores are the defined document’s weight, which play the role of the mean average precision (MAP) score of the systems as a significance test’s statics. The experiments were conducted using the TREC 9 Web track collection. Findings – The p-values generated through the two types of significance tests, namely the Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney show that by using the document level scores as an evaluation unit, the difference between IR systems is more significant compared with utilizing topic scores. O.