Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of high pressure during the fabrication on the thermal and mechanical properties of amorphous Ni_60Nb_40 particle-reinforced Al-based metal matrix composites

Ni_60Nb_40 metallic glass particles, prepared by mechanical alloying, were used to fabricate Al–30 wt% Ni_60Nb_40 metal matrix composites (MMCs) at 823 K by sintering, hot pressing, and hot extrusion. The Ni_60Nb_40 reinforcements remained amorphous in all the MMCs fabricated by the different methods. Compression tests revealed that the Young’s modulus and yield strength of the MMCs produced by hot-pressing and hot-extrusion are higher than those for the sintered specimens. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) annealing of the as-produced MMCs at 913 K revealed there are severe interfacial reactions between the Al matrix and the Ni_60Nb_40 reinforcements. The DSC isotherms indicate that the Al matrix reacts faster with Ni_60Nb_40 in the hot-pressed and hot-extruded MMCs than it does in the sintered material.
Molecular definition of a major cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitope in the glycoprotein of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Analyses with segmental reassortants of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) RNA have shown that cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are induced by and recognize proteins encoded by the viral short segment, which specifies two virus structural proteins, glycoprotein (GP) and nucleoprotein (NP). Expression of cDNA copies of these genes in vaccinia virus vectors demonstrates that C57BL/6 (H2bb) mice mount significant CTL responses to both GP and NP. We have used LCMV-specific H2bb-restricted CTL clones and a family of serial C-terminal truncations of the LCMV GP expressed in vaccinia virus to map the precise specificities of the anti-GP clones. Of the 18 CTL clones studied, 1 recognizes NP and the other 17 recognize GP. The reactivities of 14 of the 17 anti-GP CTL clones against the deleted GP molecules have been fully characterized, and two clear patterns of anti-GP activity have emerged, defining at least two CTL epitopes. The first epitope, recognized by only two of the clones, lies within GP residues 1 to 218. The second is recognized by all 12 of the remaining clones and was mapped, by using the GP deletions, to a 22-amino-acid region comprising GP residues 272 to 293. A synthetic peptide representing this area sensitized uninfected syngeneic target cells to lysis both by bulk CTL obtained from the spleen after a primary immunization and by appropriate CTL clones. Two sets of criteria are available which are said to identify potential T-cell epitopes, one based on primary amino acid sequence and the second based on protein secondary structure. Neither of these predictive schemes would have identified region 272 to 293 as a CTL recognition motif, indicating that such programs are of limited usefulness as presently conceived. Analysis of the CTL clones shows clearly that all three families (anti-NP and anti-GP 1 to 218 and 272 to 293) direct efficient cross-reactive killing against a variety of serologically distinct strains of LCMV.
A Robust and Adaptive Algorithm for Real-time Muscle Activity Interval Detection using EMG Signals

Detection of Muscle Activity Interval plays a pivotal role in the design and implementation of real-time Myoelectric controlled devices and their applications. This paper presents an algorithm for real-time detection of onset/offset points in the muscles activity by employing adaptive threshold technique on the Correlation Coefficient of Taeger Kaiser Energy Operator using low cost hardware. Performance of the algorithm has also been evaluated through real-time tests carried out under various constrained scenarios and different signal to noise ratios, revealing very promising results with a maximum accuracy of 99.9% using medium or no external
Functional Gene Differences in Soil Microbial Communities from Conventional, Low-Input, and Organic Farmlands

ABSTRACT Various agriculture management practices may have distinct influences on soil microbial communities and their ecological functions. In this study, we utilized GeoChip, a high-throughput microarray-based technique containing approximately 28,000 probes for genes involved in nitrogen (N)/carbon (C)/sulfur (S)/phosphorus (P) cycles and other processes, to evaluate the potential functions of soil microbial communities under conventional (CT), low-input (LI), and organic (ORG) management systems at an agricultural research site in Michigan. Compared to CT, a high diversity of functional genes was observed in LI. The functional gene diversity in ORG did not differ significantly from that of either CT or LI. Abundances of genes encoding enzymes involved in C/N/P/S cycles were generally lower in CT than in LI or ORG, with the exceptions of genes in pathways for lignin degradation, methane generation/oxidation, and assimilatory N reduction, which all remained unchanged. Canonical correlation analysis showed that selected soil (bulk density, pH, cation exchange capacity, total C, C/N ratio, NO3 −, NH4 +, available phosphorus content, and available potassium content) and crop (seed and whole biomass) variables could explain 69.5% of the variation of soil microbial community composition. Also, significant correlations were observed between NO3 − concentration and denitrification genes, NH4 + concentration and ammonification genes, and N2O flux and denitrification genes, indicating a close linkage between soil N availability or process and associated functional genes.
Patient education and basic body awareness therapy in hip osteoarthritis – a qualitative study of patients’ movement learning experiences

Abstract Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with pain, dysfunction and reduced quality of life. Patient education (PE) followed by 12 weekly sessions of Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) was offered to patients with hip OA, aiming to strengthen their ability to move and act functionally in daily life. Aim: To explore how patients described their experiences and outcome from participating in PE and BBAT. Method: Individual, semi-structured interviews with five patients, aged 52-78 years, were performed after PE and BBAT at four and ten months. Interview data were analyzed by systematic text condensation. Results: Three main themes emerged. “Becoming motivated and involved” reflected experiences of encouragement and support from information given and communication with group members. In “Movement awareness learning” patients described becoming aware of and improving functional movement, alleviating symptoms and increasing daily functioning. “Movement and disease in a long-term perspective” reflected patientś experience of increased self-awareness and taking better care of themselves at 10 months after baseline. Practicing basic movement principles, they felt empowered to handle daily life challenges in more functional and energy-economical ways. Conclusion: PE followed by BBAT in groups may be beneficial to patients with hip OA, and provide lasting benefits regarding daily life function. Implications for Rehabilitation Insight into disease process and relationship to functional movement gained through patient education may empower patients with hip osteoarthritis in management of daily life Movement awareness and exploration of movement quality using principles from Basic Body Awareness Therapy was found to support patients in finding resources for functional movement, implemented in daily actions Movement strategies characterized by adjustment rather than force was experienced by the patients to support their general functioning, despite of prevailing hip pain Implementing group therapeutic factors (Yalom) in physiotherapy was found to strengthen patients’ motivation and belief in functional improvement
Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm via Bioinformatics Analysis

Background The aim of this study was to identify some key genes related to the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and gain more insights to the molecular mechanism of TAA. Material/Methods The expression profile of GSE9106 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The data contained 58 TAA peripheral blood samples and 36 normal peripheral blood samples. The differently expressed genes (DEGs) between the TAA samples and the normal samples were identified via limma package of R. Functional enrichment analysis of the DEGs were performed via the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). The differentially co-expressed genes in TAA samples compared to normal samples were identified via the DCGL package in R. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was constructed through the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Proteins (STARING) database and visualized by Cytoscape software. Results A total of 407 DEGs were obtained in TAA samples compared with normal samples. The DEGs were enriched in 29 Gene Ontology (GO) terms. There were 1,441 co-expression gene pairs that had significant changes in the co-expression status in TAA samples compared with normal samples and a differential co-expression network was constructed based on them. Moreover, a PPI network of the DEGs was constructed, containing 101 nodes. Conclusions Bioinformatics methods could identify significant biological processes and genes related to TAA. KRTDAP, BICD1, and genes in the OR family might play an important role in TAA.
The HAND1 frameshift A126FS mutation does not cause hypoplastic left heart syndrome in mice

Aims To test if a human Hand1 frame shift mutation identified in human samples is causative of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Methods and results HLHS is a poorly understood single ventricle congenital heart defect that affects two to three infants in every 10 000 live births. The aetiologies of HLHS are largely unknown. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor HAND1 is required for normal heart development. Interrogation of HAND1 sequence from fixed HLHS tissues identified a somatic frame-shift mutation at Alanine 126 (NP_004812.1 p.Ala126Profs13X defined as Hand1A126fs). Hand1A126fs creates a truncated HAND1 protein that predictively functions as dominant negative. To determine if this mutation is causative of HLHS, we engineered a conditional Hand1A126fs mouse allele. Activation of this allele with Nkx2.5Cre results in E14.5 lethality accompanied by cardiac outflow tract and intraventricular septum abnormalities. Using αMHC-Cre or Mef2CAHF-Cre to activate Hand1A126fs results in reduced phenotype and limited viability. Left ventricles of Hand1A126FS mutant mice are not hypoplastic. Conclusions Somatically acquired Hand1A126FS mutation is not causative of HLHS. Hand1A126FS mutation does exhibit embryonic lethal cardiac defects that reflect a dominant negative function supporting the critical role of Hand1 in cardiogenesis.
Effect of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway on apoptosis, migration, and invasion of transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma cells after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in rats

This study aims to investigate the influence of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway on apoptosis, migration, and invasion of transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in rat models. A total of 80 rats were grouped into sham, TACE, Wnt‐C59, and TACE + Wnt‐C59 groups (n = 20). Ten days after model establishment, 10 rats in each group were executed to perform pathological examination and follow‐up experiment, and the remaining 10 rats in each group were reared to observe the survival condition. RT‐qPCR and Western blotting were applied to determine the expressions of Wnt1, β‐catenin, cyclin D1, c‐met, vimentin, E‐cadherin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). ELISA was performed to measure the serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) content of rats. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate cell apoptosis rate and transwell assay to examine cell migration and invasion. Compared with the TACE group, the Wnt‐C59 and TACE + Wnt‐C59 groups showed increased apoptosis and survival time (the TACE + Wnt‐C59 group > the Wnt‐C59 group). Compared with the sham group, the TACE + Wnt‐C59 groups showed decreased cancer tissue weight and expressions of Wnt1, β‐catenin, cyclin D1, vimentin, c‐met, and VEGF, but increased E‐cadherin expression. Compared with the TACE group, the Wnt‐C59 and TACE + Wnt‐C59 groups showed decreased AFP level, migration, and invasion (the TACE + Wnt‐C59 group < the Wnt‐C59 group). These findings indicate inhibition of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway improves therapeutic effect on TACE via suppressing migration, invasion, and promoting apoptosis of transplanted HCC cells in rats.
Computer Vision based System for Apple Detection in Crops

: In recent times there has been an increasing need to improve apple production competitiveness. The automatic estimation of the crop yield or the automatic collection may contribute to this improvement. This article proposes a simple and efﬁcient approach to automatically detect the apples present on a given set of images. We tested the proposed algorithm on several images taken on many different apple crops under natural lighting conditions. The proposed method has two main steps. First we implement a classiﬁcation step in which each pixel is classiﬁed as part of an apple (positive pixel) or as part of the background (negative pixel). Then, a second step explore the morphology of the set of positive pixels, to detect the most likely conﬁguration of circular structures. We compare the performance of methods such as: Support Vector Machine, k-Nearest Neighbor and a basic Decision Tree on the classiﬁcation step. A database with 266 high resolution images was created and made publicly available. This database was manually labeled and we provide for each image, a label (positive or negative) for each pixel, plus the location of the center of each apple.
A cross-sectional observational study comparing foot and ankle characteristics in people with stroke and healthy controls

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and compare foot and ankle characteristics in people with stroke and healthy controls; and between stroke fallers and non-fallers. Methods: Participants were recruited from community groups and completed standardized tests assessing sensation, foot posture, foot function, ankle dorsiflexion and first metatarsal phalangeal joint range of motion (1st MPJ ROM), hallux valgus presence and severity. Results: Twenty-three stroke participants (mean age 75.09 ± 7.57 years; 12 fallers) and 16 controls (mean age 73.44 ± 8.35 years) took part. Within the stroke group, reduced 1st MPJ sensation (p = 0.016) and 1st MPJ ROM (p = 0.025) were observed in the affected foot in comparison to the non-affected foot; no other differences were apparent. Pooled data (for both feet) was used to explore between stroke/control (n = 78 feet) and stroke faller/non-faller (n = 46 feet) group differences. In comparison to the control group, stroke participants exhibited reduced sensation of the 1st MPJ (p = 0.020), higher Foot Posture Index scores (indicating greater foot pronation, p = 0.008) and reduced foot function (p = 0.003). Stroke fallers exhibited significantly greater foot pronation in comparison to non-fallers (p = 0.027). Conclusions: Results indicated differences in foot and ankle characteristics post stroke in comparison to healthy controls. These changes may negatively impact functional ability and the ability to preserve balance. Further research is warranted to explore the influence of foot problems on balance ability and falls in people with stroke. Implications for Rehabilitation Foot problems are common post stroke. As foot problems have been linked to increased fall risk among the general population we recommend that it would be beneficial to include foot and ankle assessments or a referral to a podiatrist for people with stroke who report foot problems. Further research is needed to explore if we can improve functional performance post stroke and reduce fall risk if treatment or prevention of foot problems can be included in stroke rehabilitation.
Laser-induced solution synthesis and deposition: A generic method to make metal chalcogenide nanotubes at high rate with high consistency

This article reports a new processing method for manufacturing nanotubes and possibly other nano entities with consistency at high rate. We show that this method can be applied for a wide range of materials, as demonstrated by a variety of metal chalcogenides. The proposed novel laser-induced solution synthesis and deposition method is a quantum jump for improving the consistency and manufacturing rate of chemical bath deposition and electroless deposition. We demonstrate the generic nature of this method by synthesizing nanocrystals of a number of arbitrarily selected metal chalcogenides, that is, tin oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide and zinc sulfide, and depositing each of them in an ion-track polymer membrane for making uniform nanotubes. The mechanism of the tube formation is discussed. High consistency, fast growth rate, scalability and the ability of laser patterning are observed. Moreover, high-resolution transmission electron microcopy images indicate that the nanotubes made by this method, as demonstrated in SnO2, are coalesced by monodisperse ultrafine nanoparticles.
Mammography Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries After Elimination of Cost Sharing

Background:We examined mammography use before and after Medicare eliminated cost sharing for screening mammography in January 2011. Methods:Using National Health Interview Survey data, we examined changes in mammography use between 2010 and 2013 among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65–74 years. Logistic regression and predictive margins were used to examine changes in use after adjusting for covariates. Results:In 2013, 74.7% of women reported a mammogram within 2 years, a 3.5 percentage point increase (95% confidence interval, −0.3, 7.2) compared with 2010. Increases occurred among women aged 65–69 years, unmarried women, and women with usual sources of care and 2–5 physician visits in the prior year. After adjustment, mammography use increased in 2013 versus 2010 (74.8% vs. 71.3%, P=0.039). Interactions between year and income, insurance, race, or ethnicity were not significant. Conclusions:There was a modest increase in mammography use from 2010 to 2013 among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65–74 years, possibly consistent with an effect of eliminating Medicare cost sharing during this time. Findings suggest that eliminating cost sharing might increase use of recommended screening services.
Agent-based trust models for service provider selection in service-oriented environments

In the past twenty years, the multi-agent technology has been widely employed for developing agent-based systems. Currently, agent-based service-oriented applications have been widely applied in many complex domains such as e-markets, grid computing, e-governments and service-oriented software systems, across Internet and organizations. In this kind of service-oriented multi-agent systems, service providers (agents) and service consumers (agents) are autonomous entities and can enter and leave environments freely. How to select the most suitable service providers according to the requested services from consumers in such an open and dynamic environment is a very challenging issue. The objectives of this thesis include (1) studying the challenging issues of trustbased service provider selection, (2) investigating the current approaches of trust models for service provider selection in general service-oriented multi-agent systems, and (3) developing new solutions for service provider selection to overcome several limitations in current approaches. In this thesis, two trust models are proposed and developed. One is a Priority-based Trust (PBTrust) model for single service provider selection. The other is a Group Service Trust (GTrust) model for group service providers selection when a complex service requests multiple service providers. The designing purpose of the PBTrust model is to help service consumers in multiagent systems to select the most suitable single service providers. To deal with the provider selection problem, firstly the PBTrust model uses a rich context service description to represent service requests by confederating different attributes of a service and uses priority values to distinguish the importance of these attributes. This feature allows more objective evaluations on both required services and providers’ reputations. Moreover, the PBTrust model uses a relatively easy way to describe the different attributes of a service. Finally, the PBTrust model introduces the concept of experience weight which can avoid subjective and cheating references.
Detecting Community Kernels in Large Social Networks

In many social networks, there exist two types of users that exhibit different influence and different behavior. For instance, statistics have shown that less than 1% of the Twitter users (e.g. entertainers, politicians, writers) produce 50% of its content, while the others (e.g. fans, followers, readers) have much less influence and completely different social behavior. In this paper, we define and explore a novel problem called community kernel detection in order to uncover the hidden community structure in large social networks. We discover that influential users pay closer attention to those who are more similar to them, which leads to a natural partition into different community kernels. We propose Greedy and We BA, two efficient algorithms for finding community kernels in large social networks. Greedy is based on maximum cardinality search, while We BA formalizes the problem in an optimization framework. We conduct experiments on three large social networks: Twitter, Wikipedia, and Coauthor, which show that We BA achieves an average 15%-50% performance improvement over the other state-of-the-art algorithms, and We BA is on average 6-2,000 times faster in detecting community kernels.
Architected Lattices with High Stiffness and Toughness via Multicore–Shell 3D Printing

The ability to create architected materials that possess both high stiffness and toughness remains an elusive goal, since these properties are often mutually exclusive. Natural materials, such as bone, overcome such limitations by combining different toughening mechanisms across multiple length scales. Here, a new method for creating architected lattices composed of core–shell struts that are both stiff and tough is reported. Specifically, these lattices contain orthotropic struts with flexible epoxy core–brittle epoxy shell motifs in the absence and presence of an elastomeric silicone interfacial layer, which are fabricated by a multicore–shell, 3D printing technique. It is found that architected lattices produced with a flexible core‐elastomeric interface‐brittle shell motif exhibit both high stiffness and toughness.