Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensorless Control of Heat Inflow to a Thermal Display Using a Heat Inflow Observer

The acquisition of information on heat inflow is essential to the control of thermal displays and the rendering of thermal sensations. This paper addresses a method of estimating the amount of heat inflow without using a heat flow sensor and demonstrates sensorless heat inflow control using a Peltier device, which is often employed as a thermal device in thermal displays. Moreover, this paper introduces a method of identifying the thermal contact resistance of the device needed for the proposed observer. The observer estimates heat inflow by using information on electrical currents and temperatures. By using the observer instead of a heat flow sensor, which generally has a larger thermal capacity than a temperature sensor, an improvement in the response of a thermal device is expected. The applicability of the proposal is tested by experiments.
K‐Ras and microsatellite marker analysis of fine‐needle aspirates from intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas

Preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions is difficult despite the combination of cytomorphology, radiographic imaging characteristics, and fluid tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) represent a subset of preinvasive pancreatic cystic neoplasms and are associated with accumulated genetic mutations, especially K‐ras and tumor suppressor genes such as p53. Application of molecular techniques to cyst fluid obtained by endoscopic ultrasound guided fine‐needle aspiration (EUSFNA) may contribute to preoperative assessment.
Kinetic Study of Redox Processes of Chromium in Natural River Water

Chromium contamination in the area of the Radomka river basin in Poland has lead to significant environmental problems. Therefore, chromium redox transformations were investigated in the aquatic environment under conditions as close to natural as possible at intermediate pH and in the presence of original bottom sediment and dissolved oxygen. Reduction of Cr(VI) in the Radomka river water occurs at a low rate (t1/2 = 19 h). The rate of Cr(VI) reduction increased in the river water spiked by HA (t1/2 = 0.5 h), and Fe(II) (t1/2 = 2 min). The kinetics of Cr(VI) reduction by Fe(II) was dependent on the evolution of the forms of Cr(VI) and the competing Fe(II) oxidation reaction by dissolved oxygen. The reduction of Cr(VI) by humic acids appeared to be a significantly slower process than Fe(II) oxidation by O2. Chromium(III) present in the tanning liquor used and the aged solution of chromium sulphate was less prone to oxidation by MnO2 than Cr(III) introduced with chromium nitrate and sulphate solutions (7% and 10% conversion over 1 h in comparison with 55% and 32%, respectively). Chromium deposits in bottom sediment turned out to be resistant to oxidation by MnO2.
Metal removal rate of Thiobacillus thiooxidans without pre-secreted metabolite

Industrial microdevices are mostly manufactured by micromachining technology. Materials can be micromachined by various means, including mechanical, optical and chemical. The concerns of environmental impact and production costs are the inspirations behind one alternative method of micromachining, the use of bioleaching. The evaluation of a potential microorganism for the bioleaching machining technology is conducted in the current study. The dissolution of metals by the chemolithotrophic bacteria Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is based on the physical contact between the bacteria and their extracellular secreted metabolites and metals. Cell growth quality during the machining process is also an important issue. The specific metal removal rate is a key criterion to characterize any industrial machining process, defined here by the mass removed in milligrams from 1 cm2 of machined area in 1 h by a solution with a cellular concentration of 1 × 108 cells/ml. The authors find that the specific metal removal rates for copper, aluminum and nickel are 0.5 mg/h, 0.06 mg/h and 0.93 mg/h, respectively. metabolite, mainly sulfuric acid, which shows growth in the
3-D Numerical Analysis of Smith–Purcell-Based Terahertz Wave Radiation Excited by Effective Surface Plasmon

At lower frequency regime, altering the surface structure modifies the characteristics of propagating effective surface plasmons (ESPs), particularly their interaction with light. Movement of an electron beam in the proximity of the surface of a structured metallic grating excite these ESPs, which due to existence of a velocity phase match, they are able to emit terahertz (THz) waves known as Smith-Purcell (SP) radiation. By introducing a femtosecond perturbation (a single electron bunch), the important characteristics of a desired grating are revealed. Through our 3-D investigations, we find the incoherent THz radiation frequency span, and moreover we confirm that the frequency of the ESP is always less than the minimum SP frequency. Additionally, we find that the maximum of signal amplitude is distributed around 90°, only if the grating width is comparable to the longest SP wavelength. Also we learned that by increasing the grating length, the magnitude and spectral resolution of the radiation increases too. In order to study the coherent (superradiant) radiation, we use a train of electron bunches with variable bunch-to-bunch distances, and we calculate the radiation angle of the coherent SP signal. Simulations on the generation of SP radiation at THz frequencies are performed with the help of the 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) finite integral (FI) method, in which the results agree very well with previously reported 2-D simulations.
The antileishmanial activity of xanthohumol is mediated by mitochondrial inhibition

SUMMARY Xanthohumol (Xan) is a natural constituent of human nutrition. Little is known about its actions on leishmanial parasites and their mitochondria as putative target. Therefore, we determined the antileishmanial activity of Xan and resveratrol (Res, as alternative compound with antileishmanial activity) with respect to mitochondria in Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes/amastigotes (LaP/LaA) in comparison with their activity in peritoneal macrophages from mouse (PMM) and macrophage cell line J774A.1 (J774). Mechanistic studies were conducted in Leishmania tarentolae promastigotes (LtP) and mitochondrial fractions isolated from LtP. Xan and Res demonstrated antileishmanial activity in LaA [half inhibitory concentration (IC50): Xan 7 µ m, Res 14 µ m]; while they had less influence on the viability of PMM (IC50: Xan 70 µ m, Res >438 µ m). In contrast to Res, Xan strongly inhibited oxygen consumption in Leishmania (LtP) but not in J774 cells. This was based on the inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transfer complex II/III by Xan, which was less pronounced with Res. Neither Xan nor Res increased mitochondrial superoxide release in LtP, while both decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential in LtP. Bioenergetic studies showed that LtP mitochondria have no spare respiratory capacity in contrast to mitochondria in J774 cells and can therefore much less adapt to stress by mitochondrial inhibitors, such as Xan. These data show that Xan may have antileishmanial activity, which is mediated by mitochondrial inhibition.
Mr. Simpático: Dean Reed, Pop Culture, and the Cold War in Chile

This article reveals the complexities of Latin America’s Cold War experience by examining the process by which North American rock and roll singer Dean Reed became a polarizing figure in Chile. It argues that Reed became part of an international cultural movement that was not simply the product of United States-Soviet competition, but a more complex convergence of various political and cultural movements from across the Americas and beyond. In doing so, it provides a vivid example of rock and roll, a product of United States and European popular culture industries, being appropriated for anti-capitalist purposes in the midst of the Cold War. El artículo revela las complejidades de la Guerra Fría en América Latina con un análisis de la transformación de Dean Reed, un cantante estadounidense de rock and roll, en una figura polarizada en Chile. En la investigación afirmó que Reed se volvió parte de un movimiento cultural internacional que era más que un producto de competencia entre la Unión Soviética y los EEUU; este movimiento se formaba por la compleja convergencia de movimientos políticos y culturales locales y mundiales. De esta manera, la investigación revela un ejemplo en el que el rock and roll, un producto de la industria de cultura popular de los EEUU y Europa, fue apropiado para propósitos anti-capitalistas durante la Guerra Fría.
Uniformity Evaluation of Lattice Spacing of 28Si Single Crystals

The uniformity of the lattice spacing of silicon crystals was evaluated by the self-referenced lattice comparator with a resolution of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3\times 10^{\mathrm {\mathbf {-9}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Lattice strain measurements were performed for the sample 10.5 cut from <sup>28</sup>Si ingot (Avo28), which was used to determine the Avogadro constant. The mapping results for samples 4.R1, XINT, and 9.R1 performed in the previous works have also been re-evaluated. The 4.R1 in the seed side of the ingot and the XINT in the middle of the ingot have small distribution of lattice spacing. The standard deviations of the lattice spacing distribution for the 4.R1 and XINT were <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4.8\times 10^{\mathrm {\mathbf {-9}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5.5\times 10^{\mathrm {\mathbf {-9}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, respectively. In contrast, the 9.R1 and the 10.5 samples cut from the tail side of the ingot have a larger distribution of lattice spacing. These lattice spacing distributions in the ingot are consistent with the impurity distribution in the ingot.
Skull and brain of a 300-million-year-old chimaeroid fish revealed by synchrotron holotomography

Living cartilaginous fishes, or chondrichthyans, include numerous elasmobranch (sharks and rays) species but only few chimaeroid (ratfish) species. The early history of chimaeroids, or holocephalans, and the modalities of their divergence from elasmobranchs are much debated. During Carboniferous times, 358–300 million years (Myr) ago, they underwent a remarkable evolutionary radiation, with some odd and poorly understood forms, including the enigmatic iniopterygians that were known until now from poorly informative flattened impressions. Here, we report iniopterygian skulls found preserved in 3 dimensions in ≈300-Myr-old concretions from Oklahoma and Kansas. The study was performed by using conventional X-ray microtomography (μCT), as well as absorption-based synchrotron microtomography (SR-μCT) [Tafforeau P, et al. (2006) Applications of X-ray synchrotron microtomography for non-destructive 3D studies of paleontological specimens. Appl Phys A 83:95–202] and a new holotomographic approach [Guigay P, Langer M, Boistel R, Cloetens P (2007) Mixed transfer function and transport of intensity approach for phase retrieval in the Fresnel region. Opt Lett 32:1617–1619], which revealed their peculiar anatomy. Iniopterygians also share unique characters with living chimaeroids, suggesting that the key chimaeroid skull features were already established 300 Myr ago. Moreover, SR-μCT of an articulated skull revealed a strikingly brain-shaped structure inside the endocranial cavity, which seems to be an exceptional case of soft-tissue mineralization of the brain, presumably as a result of microbially induced postmortem phosphatization. This was imaged with exceptional accuracy by using holotomography, which demonstrates its great potential to image preserved soft parts in dense fossils.
Arousal and inhibition of human NK cells

Summary: NK cells express receptors for polymorphic MHC class I molecules that inhibit killing of potential target cells bearing appropriate class I allotypes. Here we review the membrane receptors on human NK cells that are known to initiate cell‐mediated cytotoxicity and demonstrate regulation of these responses by the killer cell inhibitory (KIR) receptors.
Chlamydia ( Chlamydophila ) pneumoniae in animals : a review

An important discovery in the last couple of years is that humans are not the only natural hosts with which C. pneumoniae is the primary cause for the disease. Successively, the C. pneumoniae strain was isolated from horses, koala bears affected by ocular and genital infection, Australian and African frogs, from a Tanzanian chameleon, a green sea turtle living in the Cayman Islands, an iguana, puff adders and a Burmese python. All of the animals in which the C. pneumoniae was confirmed, were suffering from some form of illness that is also typical in humans when affected by this chlamydial species. All strains also showed a high similarity with the human C. pneumoniae strain (up to 100%).
Vertical rectus surgery for Knapp class II superior oblique muscle paresis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of treating Knapp class II superior oblique muscle palsy with 7-mm nasal transposition of the ipsilateral inferior rectus muscle combined with recession of the contralateral inferior rectus muscle when the primary position hypertropia is 10 prism diopters (PD) or less. METHOD A retrospective review of 8 consecutive patients with superior oblique muscle paresis who had nasal transposition of the inferior rectus muscle in the paretic eye and recession of the inferior rectus muscle in the nonparetic eye. Ocular motility, including objective and subjective torsion, were evaluated before and after surgery. RESULTS The mean (SD) preoperative hypertropia was 5 PD (1.5) and 13.1 (3.6) PD in the primary position and downgaze, respectively. After surgery the mean (SD) hypertropia was 1.25 (1.0) and 3.25 (1.3) PD in the primary position and downgaze, respectively. The mean (SD) subjective excyclotropia decreased from 6.6 degrees (1.3 degrees) preoperatively to 0.5 degrees (0.9 degrees) after surgery, and there was a mean (SD) objective decrease in the excyclotorsion of the paretic eye by 7.8 degrees (1.4 degrees). All patients were diplopic before surgery and asymptomatic after surgery. CONCLUSION Treatment with 7-mm nasal transposition of the ipsilateral inferior rectus muscle combined with recession of the contralateral inferior rectus muscle can effectively treat Knapp class II superior oblique muscle palsy when the primary position hypertropia is 10 PD or less.
Verbal fluency patterns in amnestic mild cognitive impairment are characteristic of Alzheimer's type dementia

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) represents a high-risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is characterized by a selective decline in episodic memory. Although by definition aMCI is not associated with impaired verbal fluency performance, we examined relative differences between fluency tasks because AD is characterized by poorer semantic than phonemic fluency. Phonemic and semantic fluency trials were administered to 46 healthy controls, 33 patients with aMCI, and 33 patients with AD. Results revealed a progressive advantage (controls > aMCI > AD) in semantic, relative to phonemic fluency. Difference scores between tasks distinguished each group from the others with medium to large effect sizes (d) ranging from 0.49 to 1.07. Semantic fluency relies more on semantic associations between category exemplars than does phonemic fluency. This aMCI fluency pattern reflects degradation of semantic networks demonstrating that initial neuropathology may extend beyond known early changes in hippocampal regions. (JINS, 2006, 12, 570–574.)The data were collected in accordance with the guidelines of the Helsinki Declaration and approved by the Research Ethics and Scientific Review Committee of Baycrest Centre. This is an original submission. Portions of these data were presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, February 2005, St. Louis, Missouri. There is no conflict of interest.
Extrusion Rates and Hearing Results in Ossicular Reconstruction

OBJECTIVES: To examine hearing results, extrusion rates, and factors likely to affect outcome in patients who underwent ossicular chain reconstruction with Plasti-Pore and hydroxylapatite total ossicular replacement prostheses (TORPs) and partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORPs). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective chart review was used. Subjects were 1210 consecutive tympanoplasties with or without mastoidectomy that involved ossicular reconstruction with TORPs (n = 560) or PORPs (n = 650) performed in a tertiary referral neurotologic private practice. Only 20% of the cases were primary surgeries, with the majority planned second stage or revision procedures. RESULTS: Average last postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was 19.2 dB with closure of the ABG to within 20 dB in 62.9%. Hearing results were better for cases who had not had previous surgery, in those with a diagnosis other than chronic otitis media, when a cartilage graft was used, and for Plasti-Pore rather than hydroxylapatite. Extrusion was known to occur in 4%. CONCLUSION: After more than 25 years of use in our clinic, Plasti-Pore ossicular replacement pros-theses continue to provide reliable hearing results with a low rate of extrusion.
Lipoic Acid Improves Nerve Blood Flow, Reduces Oxidative Stress, and Improves Distal Nerve Conduction in Experimental Diabetic Neuropathy

OBJECTIVE To determine whether lipoic acid (LA) will reduce oxidative stress in diabetic peripheral nerves and improve neuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used the model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy (SDN) and evaluated the efficacy of LA supplementation in improving nerve blood flow (NBF), electrophysiology, and indexes of oxidative stress in peripheral nerves affected by SDN, at 1 month after onset of diabetes and in age-matched control rats. LA, in doses of 20, 50, and 100 mg/kg, was administered intraperitoneally five times per week after onset of diabetes. RESULTS NBF in SDN was reduced by 50% LA did not affect the NBF of normal nerves but improved that of SDN in a dose-dependent manner. After 1 month of treatment, LA-supplemented rats (100 mg/kg) exhibited normal NBF. The most sensitive and reliable indicator of oxidative stress was reduction in reduced glutathione, which was significantly reduced in streptozotocin-induced diabetic and alpha-tocopherol-deficient nerves; it was improved in a dose-dependent manner in LA-supplemented rats. The conduction velocity of the digital nerve was reduced in SDN and was significantly improved by LA. CONCLUSIONS These studies suggest that LA improves SDN, in significant part by reducing the effects of oxidative stress. The drug may have potential in the treatment of human diabetic neuropathy.
The role of religious coping in adjustment to cancer

This study tested a model of adjustment to cancer in which social support, disease impact, and religious coping were hypothesized to have an impact on adjustment to cancer that was mediated by self‐efficacy. Two hundred and ninety‐two people with cancer completed questionnaires. Three analyses were undertaken: first, the structure of the Religious Problem Solving Scale was assessed by a factor analysis in which two factors emerged, Deferring–Collaborative and Self‐Directing; second, the resulting factors' relationships to outcome measures were assessed through correlational and regression analyses; third, a mediated model of coping was tested with self‐efficacy as a mediating variable between religious coping and adjustment. The Deferring–Collaborative factor had positive relationships with most of the variables and was partially mediated by self‐efficacy. The results indicate that religious coping has no relationship to quality of life, a positive relationship with adjustment, and was more important in this study than available social support. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isolation and molecular cloning of a fast-growing strain of human hepatitis A virus from its double-stranded replicative form

A fast-growing strain of human hepatitis A virus was selected and characterized. The virus has the unusual property of developing a strong cytopathic effect in tissue culture in 7 to 10 days. Sequences of the viral genome were cloned into recombinant plasmids with the double-stranded replicative form as a template for the reverse transcription of cDNA. Restriction analysis and direct sequencing indicate that this strain is different from that described by Ticehurst et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80:5885-5889, 1983) in the region that presumptively codes for the major capsid protein VP1, but both isolates have conserved large areas of homology in the untranslated 5'-terminal sequences of the genome.
Midterm Effects of Fluid Resuscitation Strategies in an Experimental Model of Lung Contusion and Hemorrhagic Shock

ABSTRACT Background: This study compared three different fluid resuscitation strategies in terms of respiratory tolerance and hemodynamic efficacy in a pig model of blunt chest trauma with lung contusion and controlled hemorrhagic shock. We hypothesized that the choice of fluid resuscitation strategy (type and amount of fluids) may impact differently contused lungs in terms of extravascular lung water (EVLW) 20 h after trauma. Methods: Anesthetized female pigs (n = 5/group) received five bolt shots to the right thoracic cage and allowed to hemorrhage for 30 min, with 25 to 30 mL/kg of blood loss. Pigs were randomly assigned to resuscitation groups that maintained a minimum mean arterial blood pressure of 70 mmHg with one of three methods: normal saline (NS), unrestricted normal saline; NOREPI, low-volume normal saline with norepinephrine; or HS-HES, hypertonic saline with hydroxyethyl starch. Control pigs were anesthetized, but received no injury or treatment. After 20 h, animals were killed to measure EVLW by gravimetry. Results: Fluid loading was significantly different in each group. All three treatment groups had higher EVLW than controls. Moderate, bilateral pulmonary edema was observed in the NS and HS-HES groups. The three treatment groups showed similar reductions in oxygenation. Static pulmonary compliance was diminished in the NS and HS-HES groups, but compliance was similar in NOREPI and control groups. The NOREPI group had pathological lactate levels. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the impact of fluid resuscitation on contused lungs. Twenty hours after the trauma, all three resuscitation approaches showed modest clinical consequences, with moderate lung edema and reduced compliance in response to the infused volume.