Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Biopolymer-Modified Concrete Systems for Disposal of Cathode Ray Tube Glass

Abstract Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from computer monitors and television sets, which contain significantly high percentage of lead (Pb) by weight, represent an enormous and growing hazardous waste problem in the United States and worldwide. As a result, new technologies are needed to cope with current CRT waste stream and increased hazard and build new markets for its recycled components, developing commercially viable concrete composites, as well as minimizing CRT disposal problems. In this study, commercially available biopolymers, such as xan-than gum, guar gum, and chitosan, were used to encapsulate CRT glass waste, reducing the Pb leachability. The biopolymers utilized contain a number of useful functional groups, such as carboxyl (xanthan), hydroxyl (guar), and amino groups (chitosan), which play important roles in binding and stabilizing Pb onto concrete structures. The use of biopolymers in concrete systems can create a stable interpenetrating cross-linking composite that will last for many years. Results from these new composites show 30% higher compressive strength than standard concrete and a sharp decrease in lead leachability from several thousand milligrams per liter initially to an amount of three-tenths milligrams per liter or lower values (much lower than the U.S. Environment Protection Agency standard for hazardous waste of 5 mg/L by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test), and for some of the composites leachability is below even the standard for drinking water. This efficient and cost-effective CRT–biopolymer-concrete composite is a new class of biopolymer-modified material that can potentially perform a significant role in relieving the current CRT issue.
Large omnidirectional band gaps in metallodielectric photonic crystals.

Using a finite-difference time-domain method, we study the band-structure and transmission properties of three-dimensional metallodielectric photonic crystals. The metallodielectric crystals are modeled as perfect electrical conducting objects embedded in dielectric media. We investigate two different lattice geometries: the face-centered-cubic (fcc) lattice and the diamond lattice. Partial gaps are predicted in the fcc lattice, in excellent agreement with recent experiments. Complete gaps are found in a diamond lattice of isolated metal spheres. The gaps appear between the second and third bands and their sizes can be larger than 60% when the radius of the spheres exceeds 21% of the cubic unit cell size. A possible fabrication scheme for this structure is proposed and transmission calculations are performed. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Effects of saponins on bile acids and plasma lipids in the rat

1. The effects of feeding isolated saponins on plasma lipid concentrations and on concentrations of biliary and faecal bile acids and neutral sterols were studied in the rat. 2. The animals were given one of four diets, i.e. a standard low-cholesterol synthetic diet, the diet+10 g saponins/kg, the diet+10 g cholesterol/kg, the diet+10 g cholesterol+10 g saponins/kg. 3. Saponins partially reversed the hypercholesterolaemia caused by the high-cholesterol diet and increased both the rate of bile acid secretion and the faecal excretion of bile acids and neutral sterols. The proportionate contribution of the primary bile acids (particularly chenodeoxycholic) to faecal excretion was also increased by saponins. 4. The results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that saponins act by inducing the adsorption of bile acids by dietary fibre.
*The Development of Organizational Social Capital: Attributes of Family Firms

We develop and extend social capital theory by exploring the creation of organizational social capital within a highly pervasive, yet often overlooked organizational form: family firms. We argue that family firms are unique in that, although they work as a single entity, at least two forms of social capital coexist: the family's and the firm's. We investigate mechanisms that link a family's social capital to the creation of the family firm's social capital and examine how factors underlying the family's social capital affect this creation. Moreover, we identify contingency dimensions that affect these relationships and the potential risks associated with family social capital. Finally, we suggest these insights are generalizable to several other types of organizations with similar characteristics. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2007.
Immunohistochemical and immunocytochemical findings associated with Marek’s disease virus in naturally infected laying hens

Abstract We compared immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of tissue sections of liver, kidney, spleen, lung, proventriculus, sciatic nerve, bursa of Fabricius, brain, heart, intestine and skin; immunocytochemical (ICC) staining of peripheral blood samples and touch preparations of liver, spleen and kidney of laying hens naturally infected with Marek’s disease (MD) virus. We used one hundred and fifty 5-17-week-old commercial hens. IHC and ICC staining were performed using polymer-based techniques. IHC staining exhibited mostly free immunopositive reactions in tumor cells and in the cytoplasm of the parenchymal cells of liver, kidney, spleen and bursa of Fabricius. In the sciatic nerve, severe reactions were observed in the cytoplasm of plasma and MD cells in the lymphoproliferative areas. Pronounced staining was found in the lymphoid cells in the medulla of intrafollicular regions in the bursa of Fabricius. Although immunostaining was observed in the liver and spleen touch preparations, there was no staining in the kidneys and peripheral blood cell samples. The presence of virus in the tissue and peripheral blood samples and in touch preparations was compared immunohistochemically and immunocytochemically. IHC and ICC techniques were helpful for diagnosis of MD. Peripheral blood samples are inappropriate for field conditions and natural infections.
Airway inflammation in aluminium potroom asthma

Aims: To examine whether asthma induced by exposure to aluminium potroom emissions (potroom asthma) is associated with inflammatory changes in the airways. Methods: Bronchial biopsy specimens from 20 asthmatic workers (8 non-smokers and 12 smokers), 15 healthy workers (8 non-smokers and 7 smokers), and 10 non-exposed controls (all non-smokers) were analysed. Immunohistofluorescent staining was performed to identify mucosal total leucocytes (CD45+ leucocytes), neutrophils, and mast cells. Results: Median RBM thickness was significantly increased in both asthmatic workers (8.2 μm) and healthy workers (7.4 μm) compared to non-exposed controls (6.7 μm). Non-smoking asthmatic workers had significantly increased median density of lamina propria CD45+ leucocytes (1519 cells/mm2v 660 and 887 cells/mm2) and eosinophils (27 cells/mm2v 10 and 3 cells/mm2) and significantly increased concentrations of exhaled NO (18.1 ppb v 6.5 and 5.1 ppb) compared to non-smoking healthy workers and non-exposed controls. Leucocyte counts and exhaled NO concentrations varied with smoking habits and fewer leucocytes were observed in asthmatic smokers than in non-smokers Asthmatic smokers had significantly increased numbers of eosinophils in lamina propria compared to non-exposed controls (10 v 3 cells/mm2). Both eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic phenotypes of asthma were recognised in the potroom workers and signs of airway inflammation were also observed in healthy workers. Conclusions: Airway inflammation is a central feature of potroom asthma and exposure to potroom emissions induces pathological alterations similar to those described in other types of asthma. Cigarette smoking seems to affect the underlying mechanisms involved in asthma, as the cellular composition of airway mucosa appears different in asthmatic smokers and non-smokers.
A Psychophysiological Assessment of Operator Workload During Simulated Flight Missions

Previous research has indicated that components of the event-related potential (ERP) may be used to quantify the resource requirements of complex cognitive tasks. The present study was designed to explore the degree to which these results could be generalized to complex, real-world tasks. The study also examined the relations among performance-based, subjective, and psychophysiological measures of operator workload. Seven male volunteers, enrolled in an instrument flight rule (IFR) aviation course at the University of Illinois, participated in the study. The student pilots flew a series of IFR flight missions in a single-engine, fixed-based simulator. In dual-task conditions subjects were also required to discriminate between two tones differing in frequency and to make an occasional overt response. ERPs time-locked to the tones, subjective effort ratings, and overt performance measures were collected during two separate 45-min flights differing in difficulty. The difficult flight was associated with high subjective effort ratings, as well as increased deviations from the command altitude, heading, and glideslope. The P300 component of the ERP discriminated among levels of task difficulty, decreasing in amplitude with increased task demands. Within-flight demands were examined by dividing each flight into four segments: takeoff, straight and level flight, holding patterns, and landings. The amplitude of the P300 was negatively correlated with deviations from command headings across the flight segments. In sum, the findings provide preliminary evidence for the assertion that ERP components can be employed as metrics of resource allocation in complex, real-world environments.
A2BSE: Anonymous attribute based searchable encryption

Attribute Based Encryption (ABE) allows fine-grained access control along with data confidentiality. Anonymous Attribute Based Encryption (AABE) supports hiding the access control policies within ciphertext so that the receiver's information remains unknown to public. Keyword-based query search over encrypted storage has become a challenging research problem when (i) the search query should not reveal the user identity and (ii) the search procedure should be able to verify whether the access policy associated with cipher document matches with the user's access rights. In this paper, we present an anonymous attribute based searchable encryption (A2BSE) scheme that allows user to retrieve only a subset of documents, containing the keyword(s) that satisfies the user's search query and for which the user is having sufficient access rights. In A BSE scheme, the search operation does not reveal user's identity. The A2BSE scheme is secure under the selective ciphertext-policy with chosen plaintext attack and under the selective ciphertext-policy with chosen keyword attack. The A2BSE scheme is efficient in comparison to existing AABE schemes.
Nearly exact and highly efficient elastic-plastic homogenization and/or direct numerical simulation of low-mass metallic systems with architected cellular microstructures

Additive manufacturing has enabled the fabrication of lightweight materials with intricate cellular architectures. These materials become interesting due to their properties which can be optimized upon the choice of the parent material and the topology of the architecture, making them appropriate for a wide range of applications including lightweight aerospace structures, energy absorption, thermal management, metamaterials, and bioscaffolds. In this paper we present, the simplest initial computational framework for the analysis, design, and topology optimization of low-mass metallic systems with architected cellular microstructures. A very efficient elasticplastic homogenization of a repetitive Representative Volume Element (RVE) of the micro-lattice is proposed. Each member of the cellular microstructure undergoing large elastic-plastic deformations is modeled using only one nonlinear three-dimensional (3D) beam element with 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) at each of the 2 nodes of the beam. The nonlinear coupling of axial, torsional, and bidirectional-bending deformations is considered for each 3D spatial beam element. The plastic-hinge method, with arbitrary locations of the hinges along the beam, is utilized to study the effect of plasticity. We derive an explicit expression for the tangent stiffness matrix of each member of the cellular microstructure, using a mixed variational principle in the updated Lagrangian co-rotational reference frame. To solve the incremental tangent stiffness equations, a newly proposed Newton Homotopy method is employed. In contrast to the Newton’s method and the Newton-Raphson iteration method which require the inversion of the Jacobian matrix, our 1 This paper is written in honor of Dr. Pedro Marçal, a true pioneer in Computational Mechanics, on the occasion of the celebration of his Lifetime Achievements at ICCES17, June 2017, in Madeira, Portugal 14 Jul 2017 19:09:55 PDT Version 3 Submitted to J. Mech. Mater. Struct. 2 Homotopy methods avoid inverting it. We have developed a code called CELLS/LIDS [CELLular Structures/Large Inelastic DeformationS] providing the capabilities to study the variation of the mechanical properties of the low-mass metallic cellular structures by changing their topology. Thus, due to the efficiency of this method we can employ it for topology optimization design, and for impact/energy absorption analyses.
Ig Cooperate to Reduce the Amount of Multiple RNA Surveillance Mechanisms

Random V(D)J junctions ensure that the diversity of the Ig primary repertoire is adapted to the vast heterogeneity of Ags. In two-thirds of cases, recombination between variable segments induces a frameshift in the open reading frame and generates a premature termination codon. In B cells harboring biallelic V(D)J rearrangement of Ig genes, transcription is known to occur on both the functional and nonfunctional alleles, generating considerable amounts of primary transcripts with out-of-frame V regions. In this study, we analyzed in cell lines and primary B cells the RNA surveillance of nonfunctional Ig k transcripts arising from nonproductive rearrangement. We demonstrated that splicing inhibition, nonsense-mediated decay and nonsense-altered splicing each have an individual partial effect that together associate into an efﬁcient surveillance machinery, downregulating nonfunctional Ig k mRNA. Moreover, we provide evidence that the RNA surveillance efﬁciency increases throughout B cell development. Whereas splicing inhibition remains constant in most cell lines, differences in nonsense-mediated decay and nonsense-altered splicing are responsible for the higher RNA surveillance observed in plasma cells. Altogether, these data show that nonfunctionally rearranged alleles are subjected to active transcription but that multiple RNA surveillance mechanisms eradicate up to 90% of out-of-frame Ig k mRNA. The Journal of Immunology , 2010, 184: 000–000.
Differential expression of the “C” and “T” alleles of the 5‐HT2A receptor gene in the temporal cortex of normal individuals and schizophrenics

A genetic association between schizophrenia and a silent C/T(102) polymorphism in the 5‐HT2A receptor gene (5‐HT2AR) has been previously reported; however, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unknown. Here we developed an improved quantitative assay for measurements of allele ratios, which revealed that the expression of allele “C” in the temporal cortex of normal heterozygous individuals was significantly lower than the expression of allele “T” (allele “C” to allele “T” ratio of ∼0.8, P < 0.0001). Confirming decreased expression of allele “C,” total levels of 5‐HT2AR mRNA and protein in normal individuals with the C/C genotype were lower than in individuals with the T/T genotype. Similarly to normal individuals, allele “C” to allele “T” ratio in heterozygous schizophrenics was reduced (∼0.8, P < 0001). This ratio was independent of neuroleptic treatment history. By contrast, total levels of 5‐HT2AR mRNA correlated inversely with neuroleptic free interval prior to death (r = −0.67, P < 0.001) suggesting a reversible neuroleptic effect. Total levels 5‐HT2AR mRNA in neuroleptic free (> 26 weeks) schizophrenics (n = 11) were significantly lower than in controls (P = 0.03). The data suggest that increased prevalence of allele “C” among schizophrenics may be due to intrinsically low expression of this allele, which may contribute to a deficit in 5‐HT2AR expression in some schizophrenics. Published 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mass coral bleaching due to unprecedented marine heatwave in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands)

2014 marked the sixth and most widespread mass bleaching event reported in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, home to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), the world’s second largest marine reserve. This event was associated with an unusual basin-scale warming in the North Pacific Ocean, with an unprecedented peak intensity of around 20°C-weeks of cumulative heat stress at Lisianksi Island. In situ bleaching surveys and satellite data were used to evaluate the relative importance of potential drivers of bleaching patterns in 2014, assess the subsequent morality and its effects on coral communities and 3D complexity, test for signs of regional acclimation, and investigate long-term change in heat stress in PMNM. Surveys conducted at four island/atoll (French Frigate Shoals, Lisianski Island, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and Midway Atoll) showed that in 2014, percent bleaching varied considerably between islands/atolls and habitats (back reef/fore reef and depth), and was up to 91% in shallow habitats at Lisianski. The percent bleaching during the 2014 event was best explained by a combination of duration of heat stress measured by Coral Reef Watch’s satellite Degree Heating Week, relative community susceptibility (bleaching susceptibility score of each taxon * the taxon’s abundance relative to the total number of colonies), depth and region. Mean coral cover at permanent Lisianski monitoring sites decreased by 68% due to severe losses of Montipora dilatata complex, resulting in rapid reductions in habitat complexity. Spatial distribution of the 2014 bleaching was significantly different from the 2002 and 2004 bleaching events likely due to a combination of differences in heat stress and local acclimatization. Historical satellite data demonstrated heat stress in 2014 was unlike any previous event and that the exposure of corals to the bleaching-level heat stress has increased significantly in the northern PMNM since 1982, highlighting the increasing threat of climate change to reefs.
Reduced-order Washout Controllers Stabilizing Uncertain Equilibrium Points

We consider a local stabilization problem of an uncertain equilibrium point existed in a nonlinear continuous-time system by a finite-dimensional dynamical state feedback controller. In previous research, it is investigated that steady-state blocking zeros of the stabilizing controller play an important role. Such a controller is called a washout controller. In this paper, we develop a design method for reduced-order washout controllers whose order is less than the plant's order. Additionally, we also consider a local stabilization problem of an uncertain fixed point of a given discrete-time system.
Radio-echo sounding and ice volume estimates of western Nordenskiöld Land glaciers, Svalbard

Abstract As part of ongoing work to obtain a reliable estimate of the total ice volume of Svalbard glaciers and their potential contribution to sea-level rise, we present here volume calculations, with detailed error estimates, for ten glaciers on western Nordenskiöld Land, central Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The volume estimates are based upon a dense net of GPR-retrieved ice thickness data collected over several field campaigns spanning the period 1999-2012. The total area and volume of the ensemble are 116.06 ± 4.53 km2 and 10.439 ±0.373 km3, respectively, while the individual areas, volumes and average ice thickness lie within 2.6-50.4 km2, 0.08-5.54 km3 and 29-108 m, respectively. Volume/area scaling relationships overestimate the total volume of these glaciers by up to 35% with respect to our calculation. On the basis of the pattern of scattering in the radargrams, we also analyse the hydrothermal structure of these glaciers. Nine of the ten are polythermal, while only one is entirely cold.
Laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal carcinoma: complications and management in 132 consecutive patients.

AIM To analyze the clinical manifestations and risk factors of complications in laparoscopic low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer patients. METHODS A series of 132 consecutive patients who received laparoscopic LAR for rectal cancer in our center were included. The etiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of rectal cancer were studied among the patients with surgery-related complications using both univariate and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS No conversion to open surgery was observed and 5 cases converted to hand-assisted laparoscopic operation. The overall morbidity rate was 20.5%. Complications occurred during the operation in 7 patients (5.3%), within 30 postoperative days in 24 patients (18.2%), and within 3 mo in 2 patients (1.5%). The most significant complications were anastomotic leakage (9.1%) and anastomotic hemorrhage (5.3%). Size and location of tumor, pathological staging and preoperative nutrition were significant factors associated with LAR complications, while gender, age and pathological type showed no relevance. Binary logistics regression showed that the size and location of tumor, and pathological staging were independent factors of laparoscopic LAR. All the complications were treated during their onset of clinical manifestations by interventional or conservative therapy. CONCLUSION Anastomotic leakage is a major complication in laparoscopic LAR. The complications may be associated with tumor size and site, and pathological stage. Interventional therapies are of value in the management of laparoscopic LAR complications.
Innovating responsibly in ICT for ageing:drivers, obstacles and implementation

Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is a nascent concept, promoted actively by the European Union and other policy makers around the world. Hitherto, this concept has been associated primarily with publicly funded activities but given the considerable proportion of research and innovation that is undertaken in the private sector, RRI will be rendered irrelevant unless it is adopted by industry. This paper introduces a private sector perspective of RRI, specifically that of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, working in the field of healthy ageing. Drawing upon empirical data from 30 in-depth interviews with key industry representatives from across Europe, it explores: (a) the level of awareness of RRI; (b) the drivers and obstacles influencing its implementation; and (c) the factors deemed vital for facilitation of RRI in industry. The findings paint a varied picture, including significant concerns about adoption of RRI in an industry environment where the economic implications of all activities must be considered carefully. However, some companies have found their own ways to balance financial and altruistic goals, suggesting that there is both a willingness and a place for an RRI-type governance framework within the private sector.