Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Investigation and Understanding of the Intermittent Molten Bridge Phenomena and Mechanism of Contacts With Superlow Opening Speed

The molten bridge phenomena of gold-plated material at superlow opening speed conditions are studied by introducing our newly designed test rig. The typical waveforms in the contact voltage and contact force during opening are investigated under the load of 5/25 V at 0.2/0.5/1 A and the speed of 25~150 nm/s. It is demonstrated that the intermittent molten bridge phenomena are resulted from the competition of multitude contact a-spots for current distribution. Furthermore, the measured tension force during breaking closely correlates with the occurred molten bridge. Based on the capillary force model, surface analytical technique, thermal equilibrium principle, and the change in the bridge length and duration, the physical mechanism of the intermittent molten bridge under different load conditions is proposed.
RDA Workshop : New Approaches , Endpoints and Paradigms for RDAs of Mineral Elements Bioavailability Algorithms in Setting Recommended Dietary Allowances : Lessons from Iron , Applicationsto Zinc 1

In addition to determining the amounts of isolated nutrients required for physiological function and homeostatic control, setting Recommended Di etary Allowances requires a consideration of nutrient bioavailability from foods in common diets. Bioavail ability algorithms, or mathematical models to estimate nutrient bioavailability from different diets, have great appeal to help establish recommended intakes and identify beneficial dietary modifications. Accurate al gorithms are difficult to develop because of the chemi cal complexity of the food supply and the numerous interactions that affect the bioavailability of mineral elements. A combination of reductionist and holistic approaches is necessary to identify the effects of iso lated dietary components, and then to evaluate these effects in the complicated matrix of a whole diet. The most extensive development of bioavailability algo rithms for mineral nutrients has been for iron, and un derstanding the strengths and weaknesses of the iron algorithms may help in development of algorithms for other inorganic nutrients such as zinc. Examples are provided to indicate the possible revision of iron bio availability algorithms, the difficulty of verifying the iron bioavailability algorithms with iron status indices, and the possible development of zinc bioavailability al gorithms. Bioavailability must be considered in the context of the biological control of mineral absorption, utilization and excretion, which may outweigh the im portance of mineral bioavailability from diets in affluent countries with a varied and abundant food supply. While bioavailability algorithms may be helpful in esti mating the effects of dietary changes or recommenda tions, and in improving diets of populations with a high incidence of deficiency of the mineral, they are not as yet sufficiently developed and validated for setting quantitative recommendations for "bioavailable" min eral intake. J. Nutr. 126: 2345S-2353S, 1996.
PRÁCTICA Y DISEÑO SÍSMICO DE EDIFICIOS EN MÉXICO - CAMBIOS NECESARIOS

RESUMEN En este trabajo se hace una revision critica al Reglam ento de Construcciones del Distrito Federal del 2004 (RCDF) en su parte de diseno sismico, y se proponen alg unos cambios en los requisitos de diseno sismico para edificios, asi como procedimientos congrue ntes con investigaciones recientes, con el proposito de mejorarlo. Se propone mejorar la defini cion de espectros de diseno, asi como cambios en su empleo para lograr disenos mas transparent es y racionales. Se demuestra la necesidad de cambios en la normativa actual para evitar e l empleo de estructuras con insuficiente capacidad de deformacion lateral, tambien para que en el an alisis de estructuras se evite sobrestimar la rigidez lateral de estas, asi como para mejorar los pro cedimientos de diseno sismico de apendices y diafragmas en edificios. Palabras clave: diseno sismorresistente, espectros de diseno, conexiones en pre fabricados, rigidez lateral, aceleraciones horizontales de piso, diafragmas
A study of post-mortem degradation of teeth to advance forensic DNA analysis as a tool for human identification.

iv Declaration . v Acknowledgements . vi Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 1.1 Scope of thesis . 14 1.2 References . 16 Chapter 2: Teeth as a source of DNA for forensic identification of human remains: A review . 21 Chapter 3: Dentine and cementum as sources of nuclear DNA for use in human identification . 31 Chapter 4: Targeted sampling of cementum for recovery of nuclear DNA from human teeth and the impact of common decontamination measures . 41 Chapter 5: Differential DNA preservation in post-mortem teeth and the implications for forensic and ancient DNA studies . 50 Abstract . 51
Concurrence of carotid body tumor and pheochromocytoma

In spite of a similar embryologic origin, the concurrence of carotid body tumor and pheochromocytoma is extremely rare; only three cases have been reported in the literature. Two additional cases with examination of catecholamine contents in the tumor tissue were reported and discussed with reference to the above three cases. Carotid body tumor and adrenal pheochromocytoma are easily distinguishable by their histologic features. In one of our two cases, extra‐adrenal retroperitoneal pheochromocytoma containing scanty chromaffin granules and negative adrenalin had a histologic picture similar to that of a retroperitoneal chemodectoma, which is incapable usually of catecholamine production. However, the extraordinarily high content of noradrenalin provided unquestionable evidence that it was a pheochromocytoma.
A saliency based noise reduction method for Digital TV

In this paper, we propose a content-aware noise reduction (NR) method for the Digital TV, which preserves image textures and edges. In the proposed method, noise is first reduced by a temporal recursive NR filter and then further suppressed by a spatial NR filter. To preserve the image texture, the saliency map which accurately represents edges in a noisy image is employed in the spatial filter. Experimental results show that the proposed method exhibits the better NR performance as compared with conventional methods.
Risk analysis of derailment induced by rail breaks - a probabilistic approach

In this paper, a model is developed to analyse the risk of derailment using a probabilistic approach. The process of rail defects leading to rail breaks and further to derailment is analysed while addressing the factors relating to rail maintenance. The risk of derailment is measured with the expected number of rail breaks multiplied by severity. To evaluate the risk, two models are developed to predict the rate of occurrence of rail defects and breaks. The hazard rate of thermit weld defects is predicted using a birth process with immigration. Imperfect inspections are modelled by employing a filtered non-homogeneous Poisson process. The performance and application of the proposed model are illustrated by an example. It is shown that the risk of derailment can be significantly reduced by more frequent inspections, and grinding can also reduce considerably the risk of derailment relevant to rolling contact fatigue
Ubiquitin‐proteasome‐dependent muscle proteolysis responds slowly to insulin release and refeeding in starved rats

The central role of the ubiquitin‐proteasome system in the loss of skeletal muscle protein in many wasting conditions has been well established. However, it is unclear what factors are responsible for the suppression of this system during periods of protein gain. Thus, the aim of these studies was to examine the short‐term effects of insulin release and nutrients on skeletal muscle protein turnover in young rats starved for 48 h, and then infused intravenously with amino acids (AA), or fed an oral diet. Forty‐eight hours of starvation (i.e. prolonged starvation in young rats) decreased muscle protein synthesis and increased proteasome‐dependent proteolysis. Four‐hour AA infusion and 4 h of refeeding increased plasma insulin release and AA concentrations, and stimulated muscle protein synthesis, but had no effect on either total or proteasome‐dependent proteolysis, despite decreased plasma corticosterone concentrations. Both muscle proteasome‐dependent proteolysis and the rate of ubiquitination of muscle proteins were not suppressed until 10 h of refeeding. The temporal response of these two measurements correlated with the normalised expression of the 14‐kDa E2 (a critical enzyme in substrate ubiquitination in muscle) and the expression of the MSS1 subunit of the 19S regulatory complex of the 26S proteasome. In contrast, the starvation‐induced increase in mRNA levels for 20S proteasome subunits was normalised by refeeding within 24 h in muscle, and 6 h in jejunum, respectively. In conclusion, unlike protein synthesis, skeletal muscle proteasome‐dependent proteolysis is not acutely responsive in vivo to insulin, AA, and/or nutrient intake in refed starved rats. This suggests that distinct and perhaps independent mechanisms are responsible for the nutrient‐dependent regulation of protein synthesis and ubiquitin‐proteasome‐dependent proteolysis following a prolonged period of catabolism. Furthermore, factors other than the expression of ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway components appear to be responsible for the suppression of skeletal muscle proteasome‐dependent proteolysis by nutrition.
Activation of the Prefrontal Cortex Is Associated with Exertional Dyspnea in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Exertional dyspnea is the primary symptom that limits exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is unknown which activated brain area is associated with this symptom in COPD patients. Objectives: To investigate the activation of cortical areas associated with dyspnea during exercise in COPD patients. Methods: COPD patients (n = 10) and age-matched controls (n = 10) performed mild-intensity constant work rate cycle exercise (40% of their symptom-limited peak work rates) for 10 min, while cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation were measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Ventilatory responses (breathing pattern and pulmonary gas exchange) and Borg scale ratings of dyspnea and leg fatigue were measured during exercise. Three NIRS probes were placed over the prefrontal and temporoparietal cortical regions of the subjects’ heads. Changes in cortical oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb), deoxyhemoglobin (deoxy-Hb), and total hemoglobin (total Hb) concentrations from baseline recordings were measured. Increased oxy-Hb (oxygenation) was assumed to reflect cortical activation. Results: Oxy-Hb concentration was significantly increased in the prefrontal region during exercise in both groups but not in the temporoparietal regions. The change in prefrontal oxy-Hb concentration of COPD patients was not different from that of controls. Dyspnea scores were positively correlated with changes in oxy-Hb concentrations of the prefrontal regions in both groups. Multivariate analysis showed that oxy-Hb concentration in the prefrontal region was the best predictor of dyspnea in both groups. Conclusions: Exertional dyspnea was related to activation (oxygenation) of the prefrontal cortex in COPD patients and control subjects.
Analytical Modeling of a Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machine in a Flywheel

We develop an analytical model for a radial-flux external-rotor permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) without slots in the stator iron and with a shielding cylinder. The machine is part of an energy storage flywheel, to be used as the peak-power unit in a hybrid electric passenger bus. To reduce the induced no-load losses due to the high rotational speed of the flywheel, the slots in the stator are made not of iron but of a nonmagnetic plastic material. This results in an air gap winding with a stator yoke consisting of stacked circular laminations. The analytical model includes the effect of the winding distribution on the field, the fact that it is in the air gap, and the effect of the eddy-current reaction field of the shielding cylinder. The two-dimensional magnetic field is solved in six defined machine layers and useful machine quantities are derived directly from it, leading to the machine voltage equation. We built a prototype flywheel machine. The locked-rotor machine resistance and inductance predicted by the analytical model was compared with the experimentally determined values. The values showed good agreement, thereby validating the analytical model of the machine
ALMA IMAGING OF THE CO (6-5) LINE EMISSION IN NGC 7130

In this paper, we report our high-resolution (0.″20 × 0.″14 or ∼70 × 49 pc) observations of the CO(6-5) line emission, which probes warm and dense molecular gas, and the 434 μm dust continuum in the nuclear region of NGC 7130, obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). The CO line and dust continuum fluxes detected in our ALMA observations are 1230 ± 74 Jy km s−1 and 814 ± 52 mJy, respectively, which account for 100% and 51% of their total fluxes. We find that the CO(6-5) and dust emissions are generally spatially correlated, but their brightest peaks show an offset of ∼70 pc, suggesting that the gas and dust emissions may start decoupling at this physical scale. The brightest peak of the CO(6-5) emission does not spatially correspond to the radio continuum peak, which is likely dominated by an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This, together with our additional quantitative analysis, suggests that the heating contribution of the AGN to the CO(6-5) emission in NGC 7130 is negligible. The CO(6-5) and the extinction-corrected Pa-α maps display striking differences, suggestive of either a breakdown of the correlation between warm dense gas and star formation at linear scales of <100 pc or a large uncertainty in our extinction correction to the observed Pa-α image. Over a larger scale of ∼2.1 kpc, the double-lobed structure found in the CO(6-5) emission agrees well with the dust lanes in the optical/near-infrared images.
Static polarizabilities of single-wall carbon nanotubes.

The static electric polarizability tensor of single-wall carbon nanotubes is calculated within the random-phase approximation using a simple tight-binding model and a classical correction to include local fields. We find that the polarizability for constant fields parallel to the cylindrical axis is highly dependent on the details of the tube`s electronic structure. In contrast, the polarizability for fields perpendicular to the axis only depends on the tube radius. The relative magnitudes of these two quantities suggests that under the application of a randomly oriented electric field, nanotubes acquire dipole moments pointing mainly along their axes, with the size of the dipole inversely proportional to the square of the minimum direct band gap.
Investigating ADHD Treatment Trajectories: Listening to Families' Stories About Medication Use

Objective: Policymakers, federal agencies, and researchers have called for more in-depth investigation of contextual mechanisms that may explain differences in medication use among youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: We conducted qualitative interviews with 28 families from varied socioeconomic and racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds regarding diagnostic and treatment trajectories for their children with symptoms consistent with ADHD, with a particular focus on whether and how medication use became a part of the trajectory. Results: Four longitudinal patterns of help-seeking trajectories emerged: (1) a pattern characterized by delay to diagnosis, common among youths with complicated clinical and/or environmental pictures or primarily inattentive ADHD symptoms; (2) an initial nonmedication treatment pattern in which parents at first chose to use other modalities of treatment; (3) a reluctant receipt of an ADHD diagnosis and/or treatment pattern, mainly seen among the low-income, Spanish-speaking families; and (4) a rapid engagement in medication use pattern, characterized by directed movement to and maintenance of medication use. These patterns resulted from a dynamic interplay of explanatory models regarding the cause, course, and cure of a child's problems; the influence of extended social networks; and factors previously examined in medical utilization models. Additional themes included (1) parents' need for more information about ADHD, (2) families' desire for additional mental health and school services making medications less necessary, and (3) the importance of cultural sensitivity and a longitudinal relationship between the caregiver and clinician to enhance communication between families and clinicians. Conclusions: These findings deserve further study in a larger, more diverse sample.
Nonorganic Visual Loss in Children

NOVL in children is a relatively common problem for the comprehensive ophthalmologist. Although the etiology and pathophysiology of NOVL are variable, rare cases are because of physical or sexual abuse. Clinical tests can make the diagnosis of NOVL, and nonorganic is our preferred terminology for NOVL. Clinicians should be careful to establish a normal eye examination and prove that the vision is better than claimed before labeling a patient with NOVL. Rarely, the clinical examination is insufficient to establish the diagnosis of NOVL and electrophysiology may be helpful. Reassurance is generally all that is necessary for most children with NOVL, but some patients might benefit from formal psychiatric evaluation. The possibility of nonorganic overlay should also be considered in children with NOVL, and the combination of organic and NOVL is relatively common.
Significance of eosinophils in diagnosing Hashimoto's thyroiditis on fine-needle aspiration cytology.

BACKGROUND Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in those areas of the world where iodine levels are sufficient. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can accurately diagnose this lesion in most of the patients. However, a small percentage of cases may be missed due to inherent limitations of this procedure. Therefore, cytologic clues to increase sensitivity of diagnosis need to be searched for. AIMS To assess whether an eosinophilic infiltration of the thyroid gland has a higher association with HT than colloid goiter. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was a case-control study. Smears obtained by FNAC of 50 case, each of HT (which served as cases) and colloid goiter (which served as controls) were observed. The number of eosinophils and neutrophils per high-power field (HPF) was counted in all the smears. The eosinophil-neutrophil ratio in the smears, diagnosed as HT, was then compared with that of colloid goiter using unpaired t-test. RESULTS Smears diagnosed as HT was found to have a significantly higher eosinophil-neutrophil ratio than smears diagnosed as colloid goiter (P value 0.0001). CONCLUSION Eosinophilic infiltration of the thyroid gland has higher association with Hashimoto thyroiditis.
A Confirmatory Study of Rating Scale Category Effectiveness for the Coaching Efficacy Scale

This study extended validity evidence for measures of coaching efficacy derived from the Coaching Efficacy Scale (CES) by testing the rating scale categorizations suggested in previous research. Previous research provided evidence for the effectiveness of a four-category (4-CAT) structure for high school and collegiate sports coaches; it also suggested that a five-category (5-CAT) structure may be effective for youth sports coaches, because they may be more likely to endorse categories on the lower end of the scale. Coaches of youth sports (N = 492) responded to the CES items with a 5-CAT structure. Across rating scale category effectiveness guidelines, 32 of 34 evidences (94%) provided support for this structure. Data were condensed to a 4-CAT structure by collapsing responses in Category 1 (CAT-1) and Category 2 (CAT-2). Across rating scale category effectiveness guidelines, 25 of 26 evidences (96%) provided support for this structure. Findings provided confirmatory, cross-validation evidence for both the 5-CAT and 4-CAT structures. For empirical, theoretical, and practical reasons, the authors concluded that the 4-CAT structure was preferable to the 5-CAT when CES items are used to measure coaching efficacy. This conclusion is based on the findings of this confirmatory study and the more exploratory findings of Myers, Wolfe, and Feltz (2005).
An Evaluation of the Value of Group Education in Recently Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetic patients have a 12% to 25% lifetime risk of developing foot complications leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of group education in improving patient awareness of foot care. The authors evaluated the effect of group size and areas in which knowledge seemed to be most affected. Patients attending a 2-hour teaching session between November 2005 and March 2006 were recruited. Patients filled in an 18-part questionnaire before and after the teaching session to assess knowledge. Fifty-nine patients recently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or foot complications were recruited for 7 sessions. Analysis of the data showed a statistically significant improvement in foot care knowledge after the teaching session compared with before (69% to 85%,P < .001). Patients in the smaller group (n< 10) had significantly higher scores compared with the bigger groups (n> 10;P < .025). These data show the benefit of group education about foot care for patients with diabetes. Smaller groups benefited more than larger ones did, which could be attributed to the sizes allowing for better interaction between the tutor and patient. As patient knowledge is variable from individual to individual, smaller teaching sessions may allow patients to address specific concerns.
Tools for anti‐inflammatory drug design: In vitro models of leukocyte migration

Inhibiting leukocyte recruitment is now a major focus in the design of novel anti‐inflammatory drugs. Following the identification of lead compounds from conventional high‐throughput screens using appropriate receptors or enzymes, it is important to validate the action of the compounds in a suitable in vitro model of leukocyte migration. Here, we review a range of different experimental approaches to modelling leukocyte migration, and identify the multi‐well filter migration assay as the best compromise between the amount of resources required to screen multiple compounds and the amount of information gained about the effects of the compounds on cell movement behavior. However, there are pitfalls in the interpretation of data obtained using the multi‐well filter migration assay, which arise from the imperfect correlation between the number of cells undergoing migration and the inhibitory activity of the test substances. We examine a number of such pitfalls and provide practical approaches to mitigate these problems as far as possible. We recommend a general strategy for screening inhibitors of cell migration using in vitro functional assays. While being more resource intensive than surrogate measures such as calcium flux, functional approaches nevertheless provide superior correlations with anti‐inflammatory activity in vivo. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 24, No. 3, 276–298, 2004