Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of Particle Alignment Using Silicone Oil Plasticizer and Its Effects on the Field-Dependent Properties of Magnetorheological Elastomers

The existing mold concept of fabricating magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) tends to encounter several flux issues due to magnetic flux losses inside the chamber. Therefore, this paper presents a new approach for enhancing particle alignment through MRE fabrication as a means to provide better rheological properties. A closed-loop mold, which is essentially a fully guided magnetic field inside the chamber, was designed in order to strengthen the magnetic flux during the curing process with the help of silicone oil (SO) plasticizers. The oil serves the purpose of softening the matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the surface morphology of the fabricated MRE samples. The field-dependent dynamic properties of the MREs were measured several ways using a rheometer, namely, strain sweep, frequency sweep, and magnetic field sweep. The analysis implied that the effectiveness of the MRE was associated with the use of the SO, and the closed-loop mold helped enhance the absolute modulus up to 0.8 MPa. The relative magnetorheological (MR) effects exhibited high values up to 646%. The high modulus properties offered by the MRE with SO are believed to be potentially useful in industry applications, particularly as vibration absorbers, which require a high range of stiffness.
VAP‐SCRN1 interaction regulates dynamic endoplasmic reticulum remodeling and presynaptic function

In neurons, the continuous and dynamic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network extends throughout the axon, and its dysfunction causes various axonopathies. However, it remains largely unknown how ER integrity and remodeling modulate presynaptic function in mammalian neurons. Here, we demonstrated that ER membrane receptors VAPA and VAPB are involved in modulating the synaptic vesicle (SV) cycle. VAP interacts with secernin‐1 (SCRN1) at the ER membrane via a single FFAT‐like motif. Similar to VAP, loss of SCRN1 or SCRN1‐VAP interactions resulted in impaired SV cycling. Consistently, SCRN1 or VAP depletion was accompanied by decreased action potential‐evoked Ca2+ responses. Additionally, we found that VAP‐SCRN1 interactions play an important role in maintaining ER continuity and dynamics, as well as presynaptic Ca2+ homeostasis. Based on these findings, we propose a model where the ER‐localized VAP‐SCRN1 interactions provide a novel control mechanism to tune ER remodeling and thereby modulate Ca2+ dynamics and SV cycling at presynaptic sites. These data provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling ER structure and dynamics, and highlight the relevance of ER function for SV cycling.
Outcomes of disease prevention and management interventions in food pantries and food banks: a scoping review

Objective Food insecurity affects millions of Americans and is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. Food insecure individuals often obtain food from food pantries/banks, prompting health researchers to implement disease prevention/management interventions at these sites. This review examined the existing peer-reviewed research on disease prevention/management interventions implemented in food pantries/banks. Design Scoping review. Data sources Databases searched included MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL and Cochrane. Search strategies included Medical Subject Headings and key terms, including food pantry, food bank, food shelf, food aid and related concepts. Eligibility criteria Studies were included if they described an intervention involving food pantries/banks where at least one biometric indicator was included as an outcome variable. Articles focused solely on the quality of foods distributed, the diet quality of food pantry/bank clients or government food aid programmes were excluded. Data extraction and synthesis Extracted data included publication details, intervention type, study design, participant characteristics, study outcomes, and barriers and facilitators of intervention implementation. Results A total of 3317 articles were assessed for eligibility. Six studies met the predefined inclusion criteria. The studies employed a range of intervention approaches to manage or prevent a number of chronic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and HIV. The studies examined a range of biometric outcomes, including body mass index, glycated haemoglobin and blood pressure. Information about the food pantries/banks where the interventions were conducted was lacking. The studies documented multiple barriers and facilitators related to costs, sustainability and organisational capacity. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first review to examine disease prevention and management interventions conducted in food pantries and food banks. Given the high number of households who obtain food from food pantries/banks and the chronic health conditions associated with food insecurity, this review highlights the need for more high-quality research in this setting.
Migration, Work, and Health: Lessons Learned from a Clinical Case Series in a Northern Italy Public Hospital

Background: Migrant workers (MWs) generally perform dangerous jobs and have reduced access to occupational health (OH) care, therefore being prone to developing occupational diseases (OD). The aim of the work is to describe a case series of MWs and report on related outcomes for OH professionals. Methods: A case series of 724 MWs, sent from January 2001 to June 2013 to a public OH unit for OD or fitness-for-work (FFW) evaluation, was entered in a dedicated database and elaborated for descriptive statistics with Microsoft Excel. Results: MWs were mostly (75%) men, with a mean age of 40. They came mainly from Morocco, Senegal, Albania, Romania, and Pakistan. Main sectors of employment were manufacturing, metal industry, services, construction. OD were found in 210 cases, main diagnoses being: Lumbar disc and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders (51%), contact dermatitis (15%), allergic asthma (8%), noise-induced hearing loss (7%), tumors (3%), psychiatric disorders (2%). Moreover, 136 FFW judgements were formulated, with some limitations/restrictions expressed. Finally, a relevant prevalence of some chronic non-occupational diseases was found. Conclusions: MWs in Italy may suffer from OH inequalities. Qualified public OH professionals and occupational physicians in workplaces should have a proactive role to concretely meet MWs’ health needs.
Prediction of Carbonation Progress in Concrete Containing Calcareous Fly Ash Co-Binder

According to the European Standards (EN 450-1, EN 206), it is not permissible to use calcareous fly ash as an additive to concrete. However, other standards (for example, the American and Canadian ones) allow the use of high-calcium fly ash (type C) in concrete. As a result of brown coal combustion, a large amount of this type of fly ash is produced, and considerations on their use in concrete are in progress. Research into the influence of high-calcium fly ash on concrete durability is fundamental for dealing with that issue. The aim of the present research was to develop a new model of carbonation over time, also including calcareous fly ash content in the binder. The self-terminating model of carbonation is new, and not developed by other authors. In the current research, the former simplest model (a function of w/c ratio and time) is expanded with the calcareous fly ash to cement ratio. The basis is a statistically planned experiment with a large scope of two material variables (w/c ratio and fly ash to cement ratio). The main measured property is the carbonation depth after exposure to 4% of CO2 concentration (according to CEN/TS 12390-12). The model of carbonation obtained from this experiment is an output of the paper. Also, the idea of developing similar models for concrete families as a tool for designing concrete cover thickness for reinforced elements is described in the paper.
Assessment of Indirect N2O Emission Factors from Agricultural River Networks Based on Long-term Study at High Temporal Resolution.

Assessment of indirect emission factors (EF5r) of nitrous oxide (N2O) from agricultural river networks remains challenging and results are uncertain due to limited data availability. This study compared two methods of assessing EF5r using data from long-term observations at high temporal resolution in a typical agricultural catchment in subtropical central China. The concentration method (Method 1) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 method (Method 2) were employed to evaluate the emission factor. EF5r estimated using Method 1 (i.e., EF5r1) was 0.000 77 ± 0.000 25 (0.000 38-0.000 97). EF5r calculated using Method 2 (i.e., EF5r2) was lower than EF5r1, with a mean value of 0.000 04 (0.000 015-0.000 12). Both EF5r1 and EF5r2 were significantly lower than the IPCC 2006 default value of 0.0025, suggesting that N2O emissions from China and world river networks may be grossly overestimated. A complex N2O production pathway and diffusion mechanism was responsible for transfer of N2O from sediment to river water and then to the atmosphere. These findings provide essential data for refining national greenhouse gas inventories and contribute evidence for downward revision of indirect emission factors adopted by the IPCC.
Incidence of cancer-associated thromboembolism in Japanese gastric and colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a single-institutional retrospective cohort analysis (Sapporo CAT study)

Objective Few data regarding the incidence of cancer-associated thromboembolism (TE) are available for Asian populations. We investigated the incidence of TE (TEi) and its risk factors among gastric and colorectal cancer (GCC) patients received chemotherapy in a daily practice setting. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting A single-institutional study that used data from Sapporo City General Hospital, Japan, on patients treated between January 2008 and May 2015. Participants Five hundred Japanese GCC patients who started chemotherapy from January 2008 to May 2015. Primary and secondary outcome measures TE was diagnosed by reviewing all the reports of contrast-enhanced CT performed during the follow-up period. All types of thrombosis detected by CT or additional imaging tests, such as venous TE, arterial TE and cerebral infarction, were defined as TE. Medical records of all identified patients were reviewed and potential risk factors for TE, including clinicopathological backgrounds, were collected. We defined the following patients as ‘active cancer’; patients with unresectable advanced GCC, cancer recurrence during or after completing adjuvant chemotherapy and/or presence of other malignant tumours. Results Of the 500 patients, 70 patients (14.0%) developed TE during the follow-up period. TEi was 9.2% and 17.3% in GCC patients, 18.1% and 3.5% in active and non-active cancer patients, and 24.0% and 12.9% in multiple and single primary, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that colorectal cancer (CRC) (OR 2.371; 95% CI 1.328 to 4.233), active cancer (OR 7.593; 95% CI 2.950 to 19.543) and multiple primary (OR 2.527; 95% CI 1.189 to 5.370) were independently associated with TEi. Conclusion TEi was 14.0% among Japanese GCC patients received chemotherapy, and was significantly higher among patients with CRC, active cancer and multiple primary than among those with gastric cancer, non-active cancer and single primary, respectively. Trial registration number UMIN000018912.
Highly Active Iminopyridyl Iron-Based Catalysts for the Polymerization of Isoprene

A series of iminopyridyl-based ligands, 6-[(Ar)N=C(R)]-2-C6H5N [(Ar = 2,6-Me2-C6H3, R = Me (L1); Ar = 2,6-iPr2-C6H3, R = Me (L2); Ar = 2,6-Me2-C6H3, R = H (L3); Ar = 2,6-iPr2-C6H3, R = H (L4); Ar = 3,5-(CF3)2-C6H3, R = Me (L5); Ar = C6F5, R = Me (L6)], and their corresponding iron (II) complexes were developed to investigate their application in the controlled coordinative polymerization of isoprene. The modulation of steric and electronic properties within this family of ligands/pre-catalysts has shown to influence the stereo-selectivity and activity of the polymerization of isoprene after activation. Upon activation with various co-catalysts such as AliBu3/[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4], AlEt3/[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] or MAO, the resulting catalysts produced polyisoprenes with an excellent conversion (>99% of 500–5000 equiv.) within less than 1 h (TOF > 500 h−1) and having a variety of stereo-/regio-regularities. The presence of electron-donating and withdrawing groups drastically impacted the activity and the stereoselectivity of the catalysts during the course of the polymerization of isoprene. When activated with AliBu3/[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4], the complexes {6-[(2,6-Me2-C6H3)N=C(Me)]-2-C6H5N}FeCl2 (C1) and {6-[(2,6-iPr2-C6H3)N=C(Me)]-2-C6H5N}FeCl2 (C2) exhibited moderate trans-1,4 selectivity (>67%) while the iron-based systems bearing related aldiminopyridyl ligands {6-[(2,6-Me2-C6H3)N=C(H)]-2-C6H5N}FeCl2 (C3) and {6-[(2,6-iPr2-C6H3)N=C(H)]-2-C6H5N}FeCl2 (C4) were found to afford significant cis-1,4 selectivity at low temperature (>86% at −40 °C). On the other hand, the ternary {6-[(3,5-(CF3)2-C6H3)N=C(Me)]-2-C6H5N}FeCl2 (C5) or {6-[(C6F5)N=C(Me)]-2-C6H5N}FeCl2 (C6)/AliBu3/[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] catalytic combinations showed exceptional activity for the polymerization of isoprene (TOF > 1,000,000 h−1), albeit providing less stereoselectivity.
Perception and Use of E-mail: A Case Study in Universiti Utara Malaysia

E-mail has grown out to become as one of the most successful and frequently used computer applications since it was invented. It can be used to communicate faster, easier, and at a lower cost with everyone all over the world. Besides providing flexibility and improving the quality of communication, researchers acknowledged that there are many problems faced by e-mail users, namely repeating emails, spam e-mails, huge size attachment files, and insufficient storage size. A case study was conducted to investigate on Universiti Utara Malaysia staff’s perception and use of e-mail in order to improve the e-mail service provided to them. This paper discusses the findings from the study, which involves 958 staff. There were five phases involved in this study, which are instrument design, sampling, pilot study, data collection for real survey, and analysis. Self-administered questionnaires were used to gather the data, while descriptive statistical analysis was used for data analysis. The findings of the study reveal that UUM staff appreciate the e-mail service. However, they faced problems such as limited storage size and overwhelming number of e-mails. They believed that the UUM e-mail system is being abused as observed from the repeating advertisements and news sent to them. The output of this study can be used as a guideline by the UUM management in revising its e-mail policy so as to improve the quality of its e-mail service.
Functional Characterization of a Drought-Responsive Invertase Inhibitor from Maize (Zea mays L.)

Invertases (INVs) play essential roles in plant growth in response to environmental cues. Previous work showed that plant invertases can be post-translationally regulated by small protein inhibitors (INVINHs). Here, this study characterizes a proteinaceous inhibitor of INVs in maize (Zm-INVINH4). A functional analysis of the recombinant Zm-INVINH4 protein revealed that it inhibited both cell wall and vacuolar invertase activities from maize leaves. A Zm-INVINH4::green fluorescent protein fusion experiment indicated that this protein localized in the apoplast. Transcript analysis showed that Zm-INVINH4 is specifically expressed in maize sink tissues, such as the base part of the leaves and young kernels. Moreover, drought stress perturbation significantly induced Zm-INVINH4 expression, which was accompanied with a decrease of cell wall invertase (CWI) activities and an increase of sucrose accumulation in both base parts of the leaves 2 to 7 days after pollinated kernels. In summary, the results support the hypothesis that INV-related sink growth in response to drought treatment is (partially) caused by a silencing of INV activity via drought-induced induction of Zm-INVINH4 protein.
Bacterial Inactivation on Concrete Plates Loaded with Modified TiO2 Photocatalysts under Visible Light Irradiation

The antibacterial activity of concrete plates loaded with various titania photocatalysts was investigated. The target in bacteria testing was Escherichia coli K12. The presence of photocatalysts in the concrete matrix at a dose of 10 wt. % improved the antibacterial properties, which became significant depending on the type of the added photocatalyst. Total inactivation of E. coli irradiated under artificial solar light was observed on the concrete plates loaded with the following photocatalysts: TiO2/N,CMeOH-300, TiO2/N,CEtOH-100, TiO2/N,CisoPrOH-100 and TiO2/N-300. The modified Hom disinfection kinetic model was found as a best-fit model for the obtained results. The presence of nitrogen and carbon in the photocatalysts structure, as well as crystallite size, surface area and porosity, contributed to the increase of antibacterial properties of concrete plates.
Megalencephaly syndromes associated with mutations of core components of the PI3K‐AKT–MTOR pathway: PIK3CA, PIK3R2, AKT3, and MTOR

Megalencephaly (MEG) is a developmental abnormality of brain growth characterized by early onset, often progressive, brain overgrowth. Focal forms of megalencephaly associated with cortical dysplasia, such as hemimegalencephaly and focal cortical dysplasia, are common causes of focal intractable epilepsy in children. The increasing use of high throughput sequencing methods, including high depth sequencing to more accurately detect and quantify mosaic mutations, has allowed us to identify the molecular etiologies of many MEG syndromes, including most notably the PI3K‐AKT‐MTOR related MEG disorders. Thorough molecular and clinical characterization of affected individuals further allow us to derive preliminary genotype–phenotype correlations depending on the gene, mutation, level of mosaicism, and tissue distribution. Our review of published data on these disorders so far shows that mildly activating variants (that are typically constitutional or germline) are associated with diffuse megalencephaly with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder; moderately activating variants (that are typically high‐level mosaic) are associated with megalencephaly with pigmentary abnormalities of the skin; and strongly activating variants (that are usually very low‐level mosaic) are associated with focal brain malformations including hemimegalencephaly and focal cortical dysplasia. Accurate molecular diagnosis of these disorders is undoubtedly crucial to more optimally treat children with these disorders using PI3K‐AKT–MTOR pathway inhibitors.
Using Ensemble Machine Learning Methods for Predicting Risk of Readmission for Heart Failure

Recently, researchers have been applying many new machine learning techniques for predicting the risk of readmission for heart failure. Combining such techniques through ensemble schemes holds a promise to further harness predictive performance of the resulting models. To that end, we examined two ensemble schemes and applied them to a real world dataset obtained from the EMR systems for 36,245 patients from 117 hospitals across the United States over five years. Both the ensemble schemes provided similar discriminative ability (AUC: 0.70, F1-score: 0.58) that was at least equal to or better than the base models that used a single machine learning method. The clinical impact of the models using decision curve analysis showed that at a threshold predicted probability of 0.40, the ensemble models offered 20% net benefit over the treat-all and treat-none strategies.
Integrin-Mediated TGFβ Activation Modulates the Tumour Microenvironment

TGFβ (transforming growth factor-beta) is a pleotropic cytokine with contrasting effects in cancer. In normal tissue and early tumours, TGFβ acts as a tumour suppressor, limiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, these effects are eventually abrogated by the loss or inactivation of downstream signalling within the TGFβ pathway, and in established tumours, TGFβ then acts as a tumour promotor through multiple mechanisms including inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), promoting formation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and increasing angiogenesis. TGFβ is secrereted as a large latent complex and is embedded in the extracellular matrix or held on the surface of cells and must be activated before mediating its multiple functions. Thus, whilst TGFβ is abundant in the tumour microenvironment (TME), its functionality is regulated by local activation. The αv-integrins are major activators of latent-TGFβ. The potential benefits of manipulating the immune TME have been highlighted by the clinical success of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in a number of solid tumour types. TGFβ is a potent suppressor of T-cell-mediated immune surveillance and a key cause of resistance to checkpoint inhibitors. Therefore, as certain integrins locally activate TGFβ, they are likely to have a role in the immunosuppressive TME, although this remains to be confirmed. In this review, we discussed the role of TGFβ in cancer, the role of integrins in activating TGFβ in the TME, and the potential benefits of targeting integrins to augment immunotherapies.
A physical activity intervention to prevent cognitive decline after stroke: Secondary results from the Life After Stroke study, an 18-month randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of individualized regular coaching and exercise on post-stroke cognitive and emotional function. METHODS The Life After STroke (LAST) study investigated the differences between intervention and care-as-usual between 3 and 21 months post-stroke. Outcome measures were the Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and adherence to the intervention. RESULTS Of the 362 patients included in the study, 177 were assigned to the intervention. The mean age was 71.7 (SD 11.3) years and 39.5% were female. The adjusted mean difference between groups for TMT A was 8.54 (CI 0.7-16.3), p = 0.032, for TMT B 8.6 (CI -16.5 to 33.6), p = 0.50, for MMSE -0.1 (CI -0.8 to 0. 6), p = 0.77, for HADS A -0.2 (CI -0.9 to 0.5), p = 0.56 and for HADS D -0.1 (CI -0.7 to 0.5), p = 0.76). A higher level of adherence to the intervention was significantly associated with increased MMSE (B = 0.030 (CI 0.005-0.055), p = 0.020) Conclusion: No clinically relevant effects on cognitive or emotional function were found of individualized regular coaching for physical activity and exercise. However, increased adherence to the intervention was associated with improved cognitive function.