Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simulation and quantitative assessment of homogeneous and inhomogeneous particle distributions in particulate metal matrix composites

Reinforcement distributions play an important role in various aspects of the processing and final mechanical behaviour of particulate metal matrix composites (PMMCs). Methods for quantifying spatial distribution in such materials are, however, poorly developed, particularly in relation to the range of particle size, shape and orientation that may be present in any one system. The present work investigates via computer simulations the influences of particle morphology, homogeneity and inhomogeneity on spatial distribution measurements obtained by finite‐body tessellation. Distribution inhomogeneity was simulated both by the segregation of particles away from specified regions within a microstructure and by generating point density peaks at random locations within a microstructure. Both isotropic and anisotropic inhomogeneous distributions were considered to simulate distribution patterns in PMMCs before and after mechanical working. It was found that the coefficient of variation of the mean near‐neighbour distance (COV(dmean)), derived from particle interfaces using finite‐body tessellation, was essentially independent of particle shape, size distribution, orientation and area fraction in homogeneous (random) distributions, but showed great sensitivity to inhomogeneity. Increased values of COV(dmean) were seen for both forms of inhomogeneous distributions considered here, with little influence of particle morphology. The COV(dmean) was also seen to be sensitive to anisotropic clustering, the presence of which was identified via nearest‐neighbour angles and cell orientations. Although generally formulated for PMMCs, the present results may be generalized to other systems containing low aspect ratio finite bodies of low to moderate area fraction.
Evolutionary Behavior Tree Approaches for Navigating Platform Games

Computer games are highly dynamic environments, where players are faced with a multitude of potentially unseen scenarios. In this paper, AI controllers are applied to the Mario AI benchmark platform, by using the grammatical evolution system to evolve behavior tree structures. These controllers are either evolved to both deal with navigation and reactiveness to elements of the game or used in conjunction with a dynamic A* approach. The results obtained highlight the applicability of behavior trees as representations for evolutionary computation and their flexibility for incorporation of diverse algorithms to deal with specific aspects of bot control in game environments.
Hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus

Despite surgical removal of tumors with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, early recurrence tends to occur, and overall survival (OS) periods remain extremely short. The role that hepatectomy may play in long-term survival for HCC with PVTT has not been established. The operative mortality of hepatectomy for HCC with PVTT has also not been reviewed. Hence, we reviewed recent literature to assess these parameters. The OS of patients who received hepatectomy in conjunction with multidisciplinary treatment tended to be superior to that of patients who did not. Multidisciplinary treatments included the following: preoperative radiotherapy on PVTT; preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE); subcutaneous administration of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and intra-arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with infusion chemotherapy in the affected hepatic artery; cisplatin, doxorubicin and 5-FU locally administered in the portal vein; and subcutaneous injection of IFN-α, adjuvant chemotherapy (5-FU + Adriamycin) administration via the portal vein with postoperative TACE, percutaneous isolated hepatic perfusion and hepatic artery infusion and/or portal vein chemotherapy. The highest reported rate of operative mortality was 9.3%. In conclusion, hepatectomy for patients affected by HCC with PVTT is safe, has low mortality and might prolong survival in conjunction with multidisciplinary treatment.
EMF exposure measurements on 4G/LTE mobile communication networks

This study reports preliminary results of a survey of the RF electromagnetic fields originating from Long-Term Evolution (LTE) base station antennas. Both indoor and outdoor measurements of LTE1800 and LTE2600 signals were conducted in a large urban area, around a number of LTE transmitters. The measured E-field exposure levels, extrapolated for maximum traffic load, were found to be well below the exposure limits recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for the general public. The results are in line with those of a few studies carried out recently in European countries.
Absence management and presenteeism : the pressures on employees to attend work and the impact of attendance on performance

Absenteeism is an issue that has grown in importance over the past few years; however, little has been done to explore the impact of presenteeism on individual and organisational performance and well-being. This article is based on interviews collected in nine case study organisations in the UK. Two sector organisations (one private and one public) were studied to examine absence management and a conceptual model of presenteeism, with further illustration provided using data from the other seven case studies. This enabled a pattern of presenteeism to emerge, along with the contextual and individual factors which impact on it. In addition to previous research, we found that presenteeism is a complex ‘problem’ and that it is not a single one-dimensional construct, but is continually being shaped by individual and organisational factors. In addition, we found that performance and well-being are more closely related to the organisational reaction to presenteeism and absenteeism, rather than the act itself.
Acetylation of RelA at discrete sites regulates distinct nuclear functions of NF‐κB

The nuclear function of the heterodimeric NF‐κB transcription factor is regulated in part through reversible acetylation of its RelA subunit. We now demonstrate that the p300 and CBP acetyltransferases play a major role in the in vivo acetylation of RelA, principally targeting lysines 218, 221 and 310 for modification. Analysis of the functional properties of hypoacetylated RelA mutants containing lysine‐to‐arginine substitutions at these sites and of wild‐type RelA co‐expressed in the presence of a dominantly interfering mutant of p300 reveals that acetylation at lysine 221 in RelA enhances DNA binding and impairs assembly with IκBα. Conversely, acetylation of lysine 310 is required for full transcriptional activity of RelA in the absence of effects on DNA binding and IκBα assembly. Together, these findings highlight how site‐specific acetylation of RelA differentially regulates distinct biological activities of the NF‐κB transcription factor complex.
EFICÁCIA CARRAPATICIDA DE FORMULAÇÕES CONTENDO ÓLEO ESSENCIAL E HIDROLATO DE Rosmarinus officinalis

Introducao e objetivos: O Brasil possui o segundo maior rebanho de bovinos do mundo. Entretanto a pecuaria bovina sofre severas perdas economicas devido ao carrapato Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus1. A utilizacao de plantas medicinais e considerada uma alternativa a resistencia recorrente aos produtos quimicos carrapaticidas. Diante da necessidade de alternativas eficazes e com menores impactos ambientais o objetivo desse estudo foi desenvolver formulacoes de contato contendo o oleo essencial e o hidrolato da planta Alecrim-da-horta (Rosmarinus officinalis) e avaliar in vitro os efeitos em diferentes etapas do ciclo do carrapato. Metodologia: Para isso foram utilizadas concentracoes de 0.5, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 e 15.0% do oleo essencial e de 23.0% do hidrolato da mesma planta, incorporados nas formulacoes. Os carrapatos foram tratados com as formulacoes e avaliados os efeitos das mesmas sobre o indice de producao de ovos, a eclosao larval e a eficacia carrapaticida. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com produtos carrapaticidas comerciais2,3. Resultados e discussoes: Apos o 20o dia do tratamento as formulacoes contendo o oleo essencial apresentaram eficacia acaricida de 26.44 e 40.78%, nas concentracoes de 5.0 e 15.0%, respectivamente. A formulacao contendo o hidrolato apresentou 62.82% de eficacia. Os resultados demonstraram a atividade carrapaticida das formulacoes testadas quando comparadas com os produtos quimicos utilizados pelos produtores rurais. Conclusoes: Os resultados deste estudo destacam a eficacia acaricida obtida com a formulacao adicionada do hidrolato que e, em geral, descartado no processo de obtencao do oleo essencial. Entretanto, o hidrolato pode ser considerado uma alternativa ao controle do carrapato dos bovinos. Estudos in vivo devem ser realizados para validar a eficiencia das formulacoes em condicoes de campo. Agradecimentos: Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES).
Phacoemulsification under topical anesthesia : series of cases Facoemulsificação sob anestesia tópica : série de casos

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome and safety of phacoemulsification performed under topical anesthesiain cases with several complexities. Methods: Cases performed under topical anesthesia from january 2009 to april 2011 were analyzed. Variables analyzed included patients age, sex, race, systemic diseases, eyes comorbidities, type of cataract, visual acuity before and after the surgery, complications, number of conversions to peribulbar anesthesia and IOL power. Patients with uncompleted data were excluded from analysis. Results: A total of 111 eyes were analyzed; only cases with ocular comorbidities were statistically significant (p=0,004). Conclusion: the data analysis suggests that phacoemulsification performed under topical anesthesia is safeand effective in cases of different complexities.
Persistence of the cardio‐inhibitory response to brain stem ischaemia after destruction of the area postrema and the dorsal vagal nuclei

1. In anaesthetized cats, in which the carotid arterial bifurcation had been denervated and the spinal cord transected at the cervical level, reversible bradycardia mediated by the vagus nerves was elicited by temporary arrest of the cranial circulation. Methoxamine was infused intravenously to maintain peripheral vascular resistance, and artificial ventilation was given to avert systemic asphyxia.
Cholinergic control of the cerebral vasculature in humans

• Cerebral autoregulation maintains cerebral perfusion relatively constant in the face of slow changes in arterial pressure, but is less effective against more rapid changes (i.e. functions as a ‘high‐pass’ filter). • While thought to be maintained mainly through myogenic adjustments to changes in transmural pressure, recent work has highlighted a possibility of active autonomic involvement in cerebral autoregulation. • In this study we examined the cerebrovascular effects of cholinergic blockade on nine healthy volunteers during the application of oscillatory lower body pressure at six frequencies from 0.03 to 0.08 Hz. • Cholinergic blockade impaired autoregulation at frequencies above 0.04 Hz, suggesting a role for active cholinergic vasodilatation in the maintenance of cerebral perfusion.
The biochemistry of programmed cell death

Programmed cell death (PCD) is involved in the removal of superfluous and damaged cells in most organ systems. The induction phase of PCD or apoptosis is characterized by an extreme heterogeneity of potential PCD‐triggering signal transduction pathways. During the subsequent effector phase, the numerous PCD‐indueing stimuli converge into a few stereotypical pathways and cells pass a point of no return, thus becoming irreversibly committed to death. It is only during the successive degradation phase that vital structures and functions are destroyed, giving rise to the full‐blown phenotype of PCD. Evidence is accumulating that cytoplasmic structures, including mitochondria, participate in the critical effector stage and that alterations commonly considered to define PCD (apoptotic morphology of the nucleus and regular, oligonucleosomal chromatin fragmentation) have to be ascribed to the late degradation phase. The decision as to whether a cell will undergo PCD or not may be expected to be regulated by “switches” that, once activated, trigger self‐am‐ plificatory metabolic pathways. One of these switches may reside in a perturbation of mitochondrial function. Thus, a decrease in mitochondrial transmem‐ brane potential, followed by mitochondrial uncoupling and generation of reactive oxygen species, precedes nuclear alterations. It appears that molecules that participate in apoptotic decisionmaking also exert functions that are vital for normal cell proliferation and intermediate metabolism. —Kroemer, G. , Petit, P., Zamzami, N. , Vayssière, J.‐L. , Mignotte, B. The biochemistry of programmed cell death. FASEB J. 9, 1277‐1287 (1995)
A Survey on Image Segmentation Techniques

: In general for certain applications such as image compression, image aquistion, image watermarking or image recognition the entire image cannot be processed because they are all impractical and inefficient. So,to overcome this disadvantage the image segmentation is used which its efficient techniques. Segmentation is the method which subdivides the image into regular or uniform regions. Also then segmentation is divided into two forms namely non-contextual and contextual techniques. And so this survey describes the different types of image segmentation methods and prescribes its uses.
Hyperlocal Home Location Identification of Twitter Profiles

Knowledge of user's location provides valuable information that can be used to build region-specific models (e.g. language used in a particular region and map-based visualisations of social media posts). Determining a user's home location presents a challenge. Current approaches make use of geo-located tweets or textual cues but are often only able to predict location to a coarse level of granularity (e.g. city level), while many applications require finer-grained (hyperlocal) predictions. A novel approach for hyperlocal home location identification, based on clustering of geo-located tweets, is presented. A gold-standard data set for home location identification is developed by making use of indicative phrases in geo-located tweets. We find that the cluster-based approaches outperform current techniques for hyperlocal location prediction.
The efficacy of pad placement for electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation/flutter: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES Electrical cardioversion is commonly used to treat patients with atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter to restore normal sinus rhythm. There has been considerable debate as to whether the electrode placement affects the efficacy of electrical cardioversion. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of anteroposterior (A-P) versus anterolateral (A-L) electrode placement to restore normal sinus rhythm. METHODS A search of eight electronic databases, including Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane was completed. Grey literature (hand-searching, Google, and SCOPUS) searching was also conducted. Studies were included if they were controlled clinical trials comparing the effectiveness of A-P versus A-L pad placement to restore normal sinus rhythm in adult patients with atrial fibrillation and flutter. Two independent reviewers judged study relevance, inclusion, and quality (e.g., risk of bias). Individual and pooled statistics were calculated as relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity (I(2) ) was reported. RESULTS From 788 citations, 13 studies were included; seven involved monophasic, five involved biphasic, and one analyzed both waveform devices. The included studies tended to report cumulative success rates to restoring normal sinus rhythm after one to five sequential shocks of increasing energy; the number of shocks and energy used differed among studies. The risk of bias of the studies was "unclear. " After the first shock, pad placement was not associated with an increased likelihood of restoring normal sinus rhythm (RR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.73 to 1.06); however, heterogeneity was high (I(2) = 63%). Subgroup comparisons revealed that the A-L position was more effective (RR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.59 to 1.00) at restoring normal sinus rhythm when using biphasic shocks (comparison p = 0.04). Overall, the pooled results failed to identify a difference between A-P and A-L pad placement in restoring normal sinus rhythm at any time (RR = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.95 to 1.05); however, heterogeneity was high (I(2) = 61%). No significant subgroup differences were found. Side effects were reported in only three studies. CONCLUSIONS The published literature is restricted to persistent atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, pad placement varied, and energy levels used were lower than currently recommended; however, the accumulated evidence suggests that electrical pad placement is not a critically important factor in successful cardioversion in atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF/AFL). A trial is urgently needed in recent-onset atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter patients using biphasic devices and high energy levels to resolve the debate.
Feeding site of the spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) on sugarcane

The sugarcane spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata (Stal) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) is a pest of mechanically-harvested sugarcane in Brazil, when trash burning is not performed. To better understand the differences in feeding behavior of adults and nymphs of this pest and the subsequent disorders that arise, stylet penetration through fixation, staining and sectioning was investigated. Nymphs cause a "physiological disorder" damaging the tracheary system of the roots, slowing or preventing water and nutrient flow, with phloem and xylem dehydration. Nymphs insert their stylets through the epidermis, crossing the cortex, endodermis and pericycle before reaching the vascular cylinder, where they feed in the sieve-tube elements of the primary phloem. In contrast, adults feed on leaves, causing "sugarcane burn", and reducing plant photosynthesis. Adults introduce the stylets into the leaf blade through the stomata, passing the chlorophyll-bearing parenchyma cells before reaching the metaxylem in the vascular bundles.
IMPLICAÇÕES DO AMBIENTE SOBRE O RENDIMENTO DE GRÃOS EM AVEIA E SUAS INFLUÊNCIAS SOBRE ESTIMATIVAS DE PARÂMETROS GENÉTICOS

Vinte cultivares de aveia foram avaliados para rendimento de graos e caracteres de importância agronomica na safra agricola de 2001 em treze locais dos estados do Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo e Minas Gerais. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: a) estudar o comportamento dos genotipos em ambientes favoraveis e desfavoraveis em presenca e ausencia de aplicacao de fungicida, b) observar a influencia dos ambientes sobre estimativas de correlacao fenotipica e dissimilaridade genetica, c) fornecer subsidios aos programas de melhoramento para a realizacao de hibridacoes dirigidas com o maximo de variabilidade genetica e; d) identificar que tipo de ambiente e mais efetivo para a expressao do potencial genetico da cultura da aveia. A significância para os fatores principais de genotipos (G), fungicida (F), locais (L) e para as interacoes G x F, G x L, F x L e G x F x L em ambientes favoraveis e desfavoraveis indicaram comportamento diferencial de genotipos frente as variacoes de ambiente e a aplicacao de fungicida. As condicoes de ambiente favoraveis possibilitaram maior expressao do potencial genetico e maior diferenciacao entre genotipos em relacao aos ambientes desfavoraveis. As estimativas de correlacao e dissimilaridade genetica foram influenciadas pelo ambiente de cultivo e pela aplicacao de fungicida, indicando que a escolha de genotipos superiores atraves da selecao indireta e a selecao de genitores, com base em suas distâncias, devem ser feitas em condicoes especificas de ambiente.
Subalternity and Aesthetic Education in the Thought of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

At the end of her short story ‘Douloti the Bountiful’, the Bengali writer Mahasweta Devi presents us with a scene of pedagogy. The protagonist of the story is a young tribal woman named Douloti, whose body is ravaged by venereal disease after being forced into prostitution to repay her father’s loan. After failing to get treatment at a hospital for her medical condition, Douloti collapses on a large temporary map of India that a local village schoolmaster has drawn in the clay courtyard near the school in preparation for independence. As the narrator puts it, ‘Filling the entire Indian peninsula from the oceans to the Himalayas, here lies bonded labor spreadeagled, kamiya-whore, Douloti Nagesia’s tormented corpse, putrified with venereal disease, having vomited up all the blood in her dessicated lungs’. As a counterpoint to the schoolteacher’s lesson in India’s political geography, and the promise of a national independence to come that the map symbolises, the harrowing appearance of Douloti’s diseased body on the schoolteacher’s map of India raises important questions about the limitations of India’s national independence for tribal groups who remain socially and economically subordinate to the elite landowning class.
Frequency of Decreased Susceptibility and Resistance to Echinocandins among Fluconazole-Resistant Bloodstream Isolates of Candida glabrata

ABSTRACT The echinocandin class of antifungal agents is considered to be the first-line treatment of bloodstream infections (BSI) due to Candida glabrata. Recent reports of BSI due to strains of C. glabrata resistant to both fluconazole and the echinocandins are of concern and prompted us to review the experience of two large surveillance programs, the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program for the years 2006 through 2010 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention population-based surveillance conducted in 2008 to 2010. The in vitro susceptibilities of 1,669 BSI isolates of C. glabrata to fluconazole, voriconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin were determined by CLSI broth microdilution methods. Fluconazole MICs of ≥64 μg/ml were considered resistant. Strains for which anidulafungin and caspofungin MICs were ≥0.5 μg/ml and for which micafungin MICs were ≥0.25 μg/ml were considered resistant. A total of 162 isolates (9.7%) were resistant to fluconazole, of which 98.8% were nonsusceptible to voriconazole (MIC > 0.5 μg/ml) and 9.3%, 9.3%, and 8.0% were resistant to anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, respectively. There were 18 fluconazole-resistant isolates that were resistant to one or more of the echinocandins (11.1% of all fluconazole-resistant isolates), all of which contained an acquired mutation in fks1 or fks2. By comparison, there were no echinocandin-resistant strains detected among 110 fluconazole-resistant isolates of C. glabrata tested in 2001 to 2004. These data document the broad emergence of coresistance over time to both azoles and echinocandins in clinical isolates of C. glabrata.