Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proton-Induced Nuclear Reactions in Silicon

Measurements of the energy deposited in silicon surface-barrier detectors as a result of proton-induced nuclear reactions were carried out at the Harvard Cyclotron for protons with incident energies ranging from 50 to 158 MeV and detectors with thicknesses of 2.5, 4.2, 24.1, 100, and 200 ¿m. The number of events in which a given threshold amount of energy is deposited in a 4.2 ¿m detector varied with incident proton energy in a manner similar to previous measurements of the proton-induced soft-error cross section. The number of events in which at least a threshold amount of energy was deposited in the detector fell off in a near exponential manner with increasing threshold energy. The data were found to be in reasonable agreement with a computer simulation model developed in our laboratory. The model is used to illustrate how the mass spectra of the residual nuclear fragments shifts towards lower masses with increasing recoil energy. Lighter recoils have longer ranges and a greater chance of leaving a microscopically thin sensitive volume element before coming to their end of range.
The relation between lower limb pooling and blood flow during orthostasis in the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome of adolescents.

OBJECTIVES Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is characterized by symptoms of lightheadedness, fatigue, and signs of edema, acrocyanosis, and exaggerated tachycardia within 10 minutes of upright posture. Our objective was to determine how vascular properties contribute to the pathophysiology of POTS in adolescents. STUDY DESIGN We compared 11 patients aged 13 to 18 years with 8 members of a control group, recording continuous heart rate and blood pressure and using strain-gauge plethysmography to measure forearm and calf blood flow and to estimate venous pressure while the subjects were supine. Calf blood flow and size change were measured during 70 degrees head-up tilt. RESULTS Resting calf venous pressure was higher in the POTS group compared with the control group. Resting resistance was decreased in both the forearm (15 +/- 2 vs 30 +/- 4) and calf (27 +/- 2 vs 42 +/- 5) in the POTS group. Calf blood flow 60 seconds after tilt increased from 1.9 +/- 0.4 mL/100 mL/min to 6.6 +/- 2.3 mL/100 mL/min in the POTS group but only by half in the control group. Flow remained elevated in the POTS group but decreased to 70% baseline in the control group. Calf volume increased twice as much in the POTS group compared with the control group over a shorter time (13 vs 30 minutes). CONCLUSIONS Lower resistance at baseline reflects a defect in arterial vasoconstriction in POTS, further exacerbated during upright posture.
Privacy-preserving Machine Learning in Cloud

Machine learning algorithms based on deep neural networks (NN) have achieved remarkable results and are being extensively used in different domains. On the other hand, with increasing growth of cloud services, several Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS) are offered where training and deploying machine learning models are performed on cloud providers' infrastructure. However, machine learning algorithms require access to raw data which is often privacy sensitive and can create potential security and privacy risks. To address this issue, we develop new techniques to provide solutions for applying deep neural network algorithms to the encrypted data. In this paper, we show that it is feasible and practical to train neural networks using encrypted data and to make encrypted predictions, and also return the predictions in an encrypted form. We demonstrate applicability of the proposed techniques and evaluate its performance. The empirical results show that it provides accurate privacy-preserving training and classification.
Effect of added dead-space on pulmonary ventilation during sub-maximal, steady-state exercise.

Six normal subjects exercised for 6 min at 30%, 50%, and 70% of their predicted Vo2max, with and without an added respiratory dead-space of 1,200 ml. The added dead-space caused a marked increase of V2/MVV15%, the values at the three work loads being, respectively: without dead-space, 20·4%, 30·1%, and 44·2%; and, with dead-space, 41·1%, 48·6%, and 68·7%. These increases of V2 were due mainly to increases of tidal volume, but ventilatory frequency increased also, the values being: without dead-space, 21·0, 25·5, and 30·4 breaths/min; and with dead-space 25·4, 28·4, and 33·9 breaths/min. At the highest work load the V2/VC ratio without dead-space was 44·0%, and with the dead-space 62·6%. Possible reasons for the breathing pattern adopted by the subjects are discussed.
Identification of citrullinated hsp90 isoforms as novel autoantigens in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease.

OBJECTIVE Subsets of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develop extraarticular complications that include interstitial lung disease (ILD). Because standardized algorithms for identification of RA patients at risk of developing clinically significant ILD are lacking, the purpose of this study was to elucidate unique serologic markers of RA-associated ILD (RA-ILD). METHODS Sera from RA patients with ILD and from RA patients without ILD were used to immunoprecipitate citrullinated and uncitrullinated proteins derived from K562 cell extracts. Mass spectrometry was performed to facilitate identification of citrullinated proteins differentially immunoprecipitated by RA-ILD patient sera. These candidate proteins were then used as substrate antigens in custom enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for high-throughput screening of sera obtained from cohorts of patients with RA, RA-ILD mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). RESULTS Differential immunoprecipitation and subsequent mass spectrometric sequencing identified citrullinated Hsp90α and citrullinated Hsp90β as candidate autoantigens in patients with RA-ILD. ELISAs incorporating uncitrullinated and citrullinated isoforms of Hsp90 as substrate antigens demonstrated that sera from patients with RA-ILD preferentially recognized citrullinated versions of Hsp90 with moderate sensitivity (range 20-30%) and great specificity (>95%) relative to sera derived from patients with RA alone (without ILD), patients with MCTD, or patients with IPF. CONCLUSION These studies demonstrate the utility of a novel autoantigen discovery method based on differential immunoprecipitation of citrullinated protein extracts. Application of these techniques identified citrullinated versions of Hsp90α and Hsp90β as autoantibody targets distinguishing RA-ILD from RA without ILD, MCTD, and IPF, suggesting that anti-citrullinated Hsp90α/β autoantibodies may serve as effective biomarkers for the potentially devastating pulmonary manifestations of RA-ILD.
MICROHETEROGENEITY AND ALLOMORPHISM OF PROTEINS

Proteins purified by a variety of procedures have almost invariably shown heterogeneity when analyzed by isoelectric focusing. Multicomponent isoelectric spectra for homogeneous proteins have been a cause for concern and inevitably the analysis technique was questioned. With one or two exceptions, isoelectric focusing has not been proven to introduce heterogeneity into proteins. On the contrary, the use of this high-resolution equilibrium separation method has caused us to reexamine our criteria for protein homogeneity. A protein is usually defined by a particular function or property, though clearly this particular feature may be shared by several similar or even disparate proteins. One name may mean one protein but it may cover a group of proteins distinguishable by criteria not included in the original definition. I n the latter case, it would later be discovered that several molecular species were present and the “pure” protein would be said to be “heterogeneous. ” There are a wide variety of reasons why a protein might be heterogeneous. I will list some of them and then discuss the interpretation of isoelectric spectra of proteins in terms of these various categories of heterogeneity. Basically, the causes of protein heterogeneity are either synthetic or postsynthetic.
Hydrothermal synthesis of stable metallic 1T phase WS2 nanosheets for thermoelectric application

Two-dimensional materials have gained great attention as a promising thermoelectric (TE) material due to their unique density of state with confined electrons and holes. Here, we synthesized 1T phase tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanosheets with high TE performance via the hydrothermal method. Flexible WS2 nanosheets restacked thin films were fabricated by employing the vacuum filtration technique. The measured electrical conductivity was 45 S cm−1 with a Seebeck coefficient of +30 μV K–1 at room temperature, indicating a p-type characteristic. Furthermore, the TE performance could be further improved by thermal annealing treatment. It was found the electrical conductivity could be enhanced 2.7 times without sacrificing the Seebeck coefficient, resulting in the power factor of 9.40 μW m−1 K−2. Moreover, such 1T phase WS2 nanosheets possess high phase stability since the TE properties maintained constant at least half one year in the air atmosphere. Notably, other kinds of 1T phase transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) with excellent TE performance also could be imitated by using the procedure in this work. Finally, we believe a variety of materials based on 1T phase TMDCs nanosheets have great potential as candidate for future TE applications.
Review Article : Quality of Life and the Chronically Mentally Ill

chronically mentally ill in the US alone, and that their 1981 direct medical care cost was $7.4 billion, or 39% of the total mental health care costs (Frank, Lave & Goldman, 1988). There is no reason to suppose that chronic mental illness is not as prevalent elsewhere. These figures indicate the public health importance of chronic mental illness, and its economic importance to the health care planner. What they do not indicate are the effects of the illness
Pupillary responses to stimulus structure, colour and movement

Pupillary responses to stimuli which favour the preferential stimulation of neural mechanisms invoked in the detection of visual attributes such as colour, spatial structure, movement and light flux changes on the retina have been measured and compared. Pupil responses in a decrement m stimulus luminance (i.e., a flash of darkness), suggest that at least three components are involved in this response, their relative contribution being determined largely by stimulus size. contrast and presentation time. A comparison of pupil responses to gratings of equal and lower space‐averaged luminance shows that the amplitude of pupillary constriction at grating onset for the equal luminance condition is about twice that measured with similar gratings in the lower luminance condition. Pupillary responses to chromatic isoluminant gratings are in general of longer latency when compared to responses of similar amplitude elicited by achromatic gratings. Small pupillary constrictions elicited by the onset of coherent movement in dynamic, random dot patterns are also demonstrated under stimulus conditions which eliminate pupillary responses to sudden light flux changes on the retina. The results support an earlier hypothesis which suggests that the onset of sudden changes in neural activity in the visual cortex when a visual stimulus is presented to the eye causes an overall perturbation which weakens transiently the regulatory inhibitory input to the pupillomotor nucleus. This, in turn, results in a transient increase in the efferent parasympathetic innervation of the iris sphincter muscle and hence the observed constriction of the pupil. The characteristics of the pupillary response reflect the properties of the mechanisms and the number of neurones which participate in the detection of each simulus attribute.
Comparison of agar dilution and antibiotic gradient strip test with broth microdilution for susceptibility testing of swine Brachyspira species

Production-limiting diseases in swine caused by Brachyspira are characterized by mucohemorrhagic diarrhea (B. hyodysenteriae and “B. hampsonii”) or mild colitis (B. pilosicoli), while B. murdochii is often isolated from healthy pigs. Emergence of novel pathogenic Brachyspira species and strains with reduced susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobials has reinforced the need for standardized susceptibility testing. Two methods are currently used for Brachyspira susceptibility testing: agar dilution (AD) and broth microdilution (BMD). However, these tests have primarily been used for B. hyodysenteriae and rarely for B. pilosicoli. Information on the use of commercial susceptibility testing products such as antibiotic gradient strips is lacking. Our main objective was to validate and compare the susceptibility results, measured as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), of 6 antimicrobials for 4 Brachyspira species (B. hyodysenteriae, “B. hampsonii”, B. pilosicoli, and B. murdochii) by BMD and AD (tiamulin, valnemulin, lincomycin, tylosin, and carbadox) or antibiotic gradient strip (doxycycline) methods. In general, the results of a high percentage of all 4 Brachyspira species differed by ±1 log2 dilution or less by BMD and AD for tiamulin, valnemulin, lincomycin, and tylosin, and by BMD and antibiotic gradient strip for doxycycline. The carbadox MICs obtained by BMD were 1–5 doubling dilutions different than those obtained by AD. BMD for Brachyspira was quicker to perform with less ambiguous interpretation of results when compared with AD and antibiotic gradient strip methods, and the results confirm the utility of BMD in routine diagnostics.
The tamA gene of Aspergillus nidulans contains a putative zinc cluster motif which is not required for gene function

Expression of many nitrogen catabolic enzymes is controlled by nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans. Although the phenotypes of tamA mutants have implicated this gene in nitrogen regulation, its function is unknown. We have cloned the tamA gene by complementation of a new tamA allele. The tamA sequence shares significant homology with the UGA35/DAL81/DURL gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In vitro mutagenesis of sequences encoding a putative zinc cluster DNA binding domain indicated that this motif is not required for in vivo TamA function.
Seismic evidence for ultralow-velocity zones beneath Africa and

KS waveforms recorded at distances of about 110 o are extremely useful to constrain seismic velocity structure at the base of the mantle. $KS waves near this distance develop a com- plicated interference pattern with the phases SPaKS and $KP,& We report anomalous behavior of this interference in a number of recordings of deep earthquakes beneath South America from sta- tions in Europe and Africa. We model these data with two-dimensional dome-like structures at the base of the mantle which extend laterally by a few hundred kilometers and in which the shear velocity is up to 30% lower than in the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM). The spatial extent of these structures, their position with respect to the SKS core exit points, and their seismic characteristics can not be uniquely determined. However, the presence of a dipping or a concaved upper interface is a key attribute of successful models. Models that invoke flat layers are insuffi- ciently complex to explain the most erratic waveform behavior. The most anomalous data corre- spond to sampling regions at the base of the mantle beneath the East African Rift and beneath the Iceland, where possibly, whole mantle upwellings form.
Effects of Deprivation Level on Humans' Self-Control for Food Reinforcers

Deprivation level was manipulated in fourteen food- and water-deprived adult human females to examine its effects on self-control for food (choice of larger, more delayed access to apple juice over smaller, less delayed access to apple juice). Each subject was exposed to two treatments: (1) Consumption of a 500 g tomato soup preload just prior to self-control testing and (2) no soup preload. When subjects had consumed soup, they reported significantly less hunger and showed significantly more self-control as compared to when not having consumed soup. Additionally, when subjects had consumed soup, self-control decreased as a function of session time. Subjects who reported that they were currently dieting drank significantly less juice when they had previously consumed soup than when they do not previously consumed soup. Together, the results indicate that when subjects are more deprived they may be less able to wait for food reinforcers (i.e., show less self-control). Such behaviour may be adaptive in situations in which energy is needed to survive periods of food scarcity.
Primary care continuity and location of death for those with cancer.

BACKGROUND Continuity of primary care is known to be associated with both improved processes and outcomes of care. Despite continuity being a desired attribute of end-of-life care and despite the desire by most patients with cancer to die at home, there has been no health services research examining this relationship. AIM To examine the association between family physician continuity of care and the location of death for patients with cancer. DESIGN OF STUDY A retrospective population-based study involving secondary data analysis of four linked administrative health databases spanning 6 years of information (1992-1997). SETTING Nova Scotia, Canada Participants: All those who died of cancer from 1992 to 1997 and had made at least three ambulatory visits to a family physician. METHODS The relationship of provider continuity of care and an out-of-hospital death was examined using logistic regression. RESULTS Out-of-hospital deaths accounted for 31.6% of the 9714 deaths in the study population. The mean provider continuity of care was 0.78 (standard deviation [SD] 0.22). Those who died out-of-hospital had a greater odds of having received high provider continuity (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22, 1.93) when compared to those who died in-hospital. There appears to be a modification of this effect by gender with a significant association found for males and not for females. The trends in the point estimates are, however, similar for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates an association between family physician continuity of care and the location of death for those with advanced cancer. Such continuity should be fostered in the development of models of integrated service delivery for end-of-life care.
Gold nanoparticle imaging and radiotherapy of brain tumors in mice.

AIM To test intravenously injected gold nanoparticles for x-ray imaging and radiotherapy enhancement of large, imminently lethal, intracerebral malignant gliomas. MATERIALS & METHODS Gold nanoparticles approximately 11 nm in size were injected intravenously and brains imaged using microcomputed tomography. A total of 15 h after an intravenous dose of 4 g Au/kg was administered, brains were irradiated with 30 Gy 100 kVp x-rays. RESULTS Gold uptake gave a 19:1 tumor to normal brain ratio with 1.5% w/w gold in tumor, calculated to increase local radiation dose by approximately 300%. Mice receiving gold and radiation (30 Gy) demonstrated 50% long term (>1 year) tumor-free survival, whereas all mice receiving radiation only died. CONCLUSION Intravenously injected gold nanoparticles cross the blood-tumor barrier, but are largely blocked by the normal blood-brain barrier, enabling high-resolution computed tomography tumor imaging. Gold radiation enhancement significantly improved long-term survival compared with radiotherapy alone. This approach holds promise to improve therapy of human brain tumors and other cancers.
Determination of relative fiber orientation in heart muscle: Methodological problems

Knowledge of the muscle pattern in the heart is important to understanding cardiac contraction and propagation of the electrical stimulus. Most work on this pattern has been carried out by blunt gross dissection, whereby fiber bundles are easily visible on the peeled heart wall. However, it has never been shown, to our knowledge, that the orientation of macroscopic fiber bundles seen in a peeled heart corresponds to that of the constituent myofibers (muscle cells). For this purpose, one needs to carry out a three‐dimensional microscopic reconstruction within a documented macroscopic reference frame. To draw valid conclusions in such a coordinated macroscopic and microscopic study, one must estimate the (slice) angle between the long axis of a muscle cell and the plane of section. Otherwise any alleged differences between the macroscopic and microscopic orientations may be just an artifact of sectioning. In this study we have shown that, provided the images of the myofibers meet simple criteria, one can be reasonably confident that the potential error incurred by sectioning is small. On this basis, we demonstrated that while there is a general correspondence between the macroscopic fiber and the microscopic myofiber orientations, there are significant differences in detail.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Peer Academic Support Programs in South African Higher Education Institutions: A Case of One University in the Eastern Cape Province

Abstract The high failure and retention rates at universities despite peer academic support programs has necessitated the need for the present study to investigate how monitoring and evaluation is carried out to support the facilitators of these programs. The study adopted a qualitative approach, collecting data from a sample of 12 participants made up of program coordinators and peer academic facilitators. The results indicate that there is monitoring and evaluation of these programs by program coordinators and peer facilitators. This is achieved through observation during sessions, unannounced visits and support to facilitators. However, the structures and mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation are not strong enough to enhance effective implementation of the programs. It is concluded that although there are good peer academic support programs at this university under study, there is need for rigorous monitoring and evaluation as well as support by more qualified personnel.
Severe intestinal obstruction on induced smooth muscle-specific ablation of the transcription factor SRF in adult mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS SRF (Serum Response Factor), a widely expressed transcription factor, controls expression of mitogen-responsive and muscle-specific genes, thereby regulating the contractile actin microfilament. Genetic Srf deletion studies showed SRF to be indispensable for in vivo skeletal and cardiac muscle cell development. We now investigated for the first time in vivo SRF functions in smooth muscle cells of adult mice. METHODS We conditionally deleted a floxed Srf allele (Srf(flex1)) in adult mice by inducible activation of the CreER(T2) recombinase expressed specifically in smooth muscle cells. Tamoxifen-induced CreER(T2) activity stimulated deletion of exon 1 coding sequences of Srf(flex1), thereby abolishing full-length SRF protein expression in adult smooth muscle cells of the analyzed organs: colon, bladder, and stomach. RESULTS Smooth muscle cell-specific ablation of full-length SRF protein in adult mice showed impaired contraction of intestinal smooth muscle, resulting in defective peristalsis. Mutant mice died within 2 weeks of tamoxifen treatment, displaying clear symptoms of ileus paralyticus. Cultured primary SRF-deficient colon smooth muscle cells were viable, but displayed drastic structural alterations and elevated senescence, paralleled by degeneration of the actin microfilament and impaired expression of smooth muscle-specific genes. CONCLUSIONS SRF plays a vital role in the contractile activity and cytoskeletal architecture of adult smooth muscle cells and is therefore essential for physiologic functions of the gastrointestinal tract in vivo. Our mouse genetic model may resemble features of human chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.