Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical analysis for stability of soil structure

The shear failure of ceremented soil is the ultimate form of deterioration of mechanical property induced by the structural damage of soil mass． Based on the principle of equivalent strain the equation of damage evolution for ceremented soil are obtained with the Duncan－Chang Model describing nonlinear elasticity and analyzed with the data of triaxial shear test． The ratio between limit damage variable and maximal damage variable under the normally applied limit state of bearing capacity is defined as the safety factor of soil structure and analytical method of sliding surface is given． Application example is shown with the case．
Unusual Traumatic Midthoracic Spondyloptosis and Its Surgical Management: Case Report

Posttraumatic spondyloptosis develops as a result of complete subluxation of the vertebral bodies and causes complete transection of the spinal cord. Severe trauma-related spondyloptosis of the upper-mid thoracic region is a rare form of spinal trauma. Traumatic midthoracic spondyloptosis is quite rare, and radiology plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. Surgical reconstruction and stabilization are required for early mobilization and rehabilitation of patients with this injury. Here, we report the clinical features, radiographic findings, and management of an unusual case of traumatic midthoracic spondyloptosis that showed complete spinal cord transection and was operated.
Interaction of PKC and NOS in signal transduction of microvascular hyperpermeability.

Our previous studies have shown that inflammatory mediators increase microvascular permeability through a phospholipase C-nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-guanylate cyclase cascade. The aim of this study is to delineate in more detail the signaling pathway leading to microvascular hyperpermeability. Endothelial cytosolic calcium and the apparent permeability coefficient of albumin ( P a) were measured in isolated and perfused coronary venules. Histamine stimulated a rapid increase in cytosolic calcium followed by a transient elevation in P a. The NOS inhibitor N G-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA) and the guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor KT-5823 abolished the hyperpermeability but did not affect the calcium response to histamine. Similarly, the calcium ionophore ionomycin produced a calcium spike preceding venular hyperpermeability. Blockage of the NOS-PKG cascade inhibited the increase in P a, whereas the endothelial calcium was still elevated on administration of ionomycin. Furthermore, the relationship between protein kinase C (PKC) and the calcium-NOS-PKG pathway in modulation of venular permeability was investigated. Stimulation of PKC with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) dramatically increased basal P a without significantly changing the cytosolic calcium level. The selective PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide abolished the effect of PMA but did not alter the effect of histamines on P a. In contrast, both l-NMMA and KT-5823 were able to greatly attenuate the increase in P a caused by PMA. These results suggest that 1) elevation of endothelial cytosolic calcium is an early signaling event preceding nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in the transduction of endothelial hyperpermeability, and 2) activation of PKC may alter the endothelial barrier function partially through the modulation of NO production.
The Vip3Ag4 Insecticidal Protoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis Adopts A Tetrameric Configuration That Is Maintained on Proteolysis

The Vip3 proteins produced during vegetative growth by strains of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis show insecticidal activity against lepidopteran insects with a mechanism of action that may involve pore formation and apoptosis. These proteins are promising supplements to our arsenal of insecticidal proteins, but the molecular details of their activity are not understood. As a first step in the structural characterisation of these proteins, we have analysed their secondary structure and resolved the surface topology of a tetrameric complex of the Vip3Ag4 protein by transmission electron microscopy. Sites sensitive to proteolysis by trypsin are identified and the trypsin-cleaved protein appears to retain a similar structure as an octomeric complex comprising four copies each of the ~65 kDa and ~21 kDa products of proteolysis. This processed form of the toxin may represent the active toxin. The quality and monodispersity of the protein produced in this study make Vip3Ag4 a candidate for more detailed structural analysis using cryo-electron microscopy.
The Dimensions of Indexing

Indexing of documents is an important strategy intended to make the literature more readily available to the user. Here we describe several dimensions of indexing that are important if indexing is to be optimal. These dimensions are coverage, predictability, and transparency. MeSH terms and text words are compared in MEDLINE in regard to these dimensions. Part of our analysis consists in applying AdaBoost with decisions trees as the weak learners to estimate how reliably index terms are being assigned and how complex the criteria are by which they are being assigned. Our conclusions are that MeSH terms are more predictable and more transparent than text words.
Analysis of hybrid woven fabrics with Shape Memory Alloys wires embedded

Until recently, Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) were predominantly developed for applications in the biomedical and engineering industry, and only a limited number of applications in textiles are known. Fabrics made of natural fibres (e.g. cotton, flax and their mixtures) present many advantages, such as wearing comfort, but they are subject to creasing. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of compensating for this disadvantage by using SMAs to create aesthetic low crease flax/cotton fabrics. Body Temperature SMAs (BT SMA) that regain their (straight) form when they are subject to human body temperature were used for this purpose. Clothing and bed sheeting are potential applications of these hybrid structures, which become wrinkle-free when they are exposed to the heat of the body, a hair dryer or that generated by an electrical current. The materials selected to achieve this purpose were the following: (1) textile yarns (e.g. single cotton or flax/cotton yarns, two-fold flax yarns and two types of loop fancy yarns) and (2) BT SMA wires of 300 µm diameter. A power weaving loom and a hand-weaving shuttle loom were used to embed the SMA wires, and four types of hybrid fabrics were produced. The thickness, wrinkle recovery, dimensional stability as well as the cohesion of the SMA wires in the woven fabric were tested. All the tests were performed before and after a washing cycle for both the hybrid and reference fabrics. An increase in thickness was noticed after washing, and the recovery time after crushing varied according to the type of fabric. The slippage of SMA wires from the fabrics was noticed for all the samples, which was dependent on the type of yarns used, their linear density and the weaving process.
Role of maxi-K+ channels in endothelin-induced vasoconstriction of mesenteric and submucosal arterioles.

The action of endothelin in small intestinal resistance vessels of the guinea pig was studied by examining submucosal arteriole vasoactivity in vitro and electrical properties of mesenteric arteriole smooth muscle cells. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) constricted submucosal arterioles with a half-maximal effective concentration of 170 pM. ET-3 caused detectable constriction with a minimum of 20 nM. The ET-1 response was prolonged, with a time to 90% relaxation of 41 ± 2.8 min after washout. The ETA antagonist BQ-123 (200 nM) decreased the sensitivity to ET-1 ∼40-fold. Arterioles preconstricted with prostaglandin F2α did not relax when superfused with ET-1, ET-3, or an ETB agonist, IRL-1620, and pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N G-monomethyl-l-arginine was ineffective in countering ET-1-induced constriction, indicating the absence of functional ETBreceptors. Resting membrane potential in isolated cells was characterized by transient hyperpolarizing spikes (THs). ET-1 (20 nM) increased TH frequency and caused the emergence of a larger amplitude population. Under voltage clamp, spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs) were seen that reversed at the K+ equilibrium potential. ET-1 increased STOC frequency and amplitude. Iberiotoxin (IBTX; 200 nM), a maxi-K+ channel antagonist, blocked the ET-1-induced THs and reduced STOC activity. IBTX or tetraethylammonium increased the rate and extent of ET-1-induced arteriole constriction. We suggest that ET-1-induced vasoactivity of ileal resistance arterioles involves ETA receptor-mediated early activation of maxi-K+ channels that serves to counter strong constriction.
Protein, not adenosine or adenine nucleotides, mediates platelet decrease in endothelial permeability.

Platelets and platelet-conditioned medium (PCM) decrease endothelial protein permeability in vitro. Adenosine and a >100-kDa protein have previously been implicated as the soluble factors released from platelets that decrease endothelial permeability. The objective of this study was to further investigate the role of adenosine in this platelet response. Measurements of adenosine and its precursor adenine nucleotides by high-performance liquid chromatography were correlated with the assessment of permeability by125I-labeled albumin clearance and electrical resistance across endothelial cell monolayers derived from the bovine pulmonary artery. PCM contained micromolar concentrations of AMP, ADP, and ATP, but adenosine was below detectable levels (≤0.1 μM). Adenosine deaminase, an enzyme that converts adenosine to inactive inosine, or an adenosine-receptor antagonist did not block the platelet- or PCM-mediated decrease in endothelial permeability. A <3-kDa fraction of PCM that contained micromolar concentrations of AMP and ADP did not affect endothelial permeability, whereas a >3-kDa fraction that contained much reduced levels of AMP and ADP significantly decreased permeability. This activity of PCM was sensitive to insoluble trypsin. This study rules out adenosine and adenine nucleotides as primary factors in the platelet-induced decrease in endothelial permeability and suggests that the active factor is a protein.
Circadian blood pressure and heart rate rhythms in mice.

The circadian pattern of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) was measured in C57BL mice with carotid arterial catheters. Cardiovascular parameters were recorded continuously with a computerized monitoring system at a sampling rate of 100 Hz. The tethered animals were healthy, showing stabilized drinking and eating patterns within 2 days of surgery and little loss of body weight. Analysis of the 24-h pattern of MAP and HR was conducted using data from 3-6 consecutive days of recording. A daily rhythm of MAP was evident in all mice, with group mean dark and light values of 101.4 ± 7.3 and 93.1 ± 2.9 mmHg, respectively. The group mean waveform was bimodal, with peak values evident early and late in the dark period, and a trough during the middle of the light period. The phase of maximum and minimum values showed low within-group variance. Mean heart rate was greater at night than during the day (561.9 ± 22.7 vs. 530.3 ± 22.3 beats/min). Peak values generally occurred at dark onset, and minimum values during the middle of both the dark and the light periods. We conclude that it is possible to perform measurements of circadian cardiovascular parameters in the mouse, providing new avenues for the investigation of genetic models.
Deltamethrin toxicity and impaired swimming behavior of two backswimmer species

Backswimmers (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Notonectidae) are insect predators in a wide variety of freshwater habitats. These insects are well known through their role as mosquito biocontrol agents, their ability to prey on immature fishes and frogs, and because they are often the first to colonize aquatic habitats. As a consequence, these predators may face intended or unintended insecticide exposures that may lead to death or to impairment of essential behaviors (e.g., swimming and position in the water column). The toxicity of deltamethrin (a type II pyrethroid insecticide stressor) and the swimming activity of the backswimmers Buenoa tarsalis and Martarega bentoi were evaluated. Concentration–mortality and survival bioassays were conducted with the insecticide, which were compared with controls without deltamethrin. Deltamethrin was 26‐fold more toxic to B. tarsalis (median lethal concentration [LC50] = 4.0 ng a.i./L) than to M. bentoi (LC50 = 102.5 ng a.i./L). The pattern of occupation of B. tarsalis, but not of M. bentoi, in the water column was also disrupted, and B. tarsalis was forced to stay near the water surface longer with exposure to deltamethrin. Thus, based on the findings, B. tarsalis was less resilient to deltamethrin exposure compared with M. bentoi, and the efficacy of swimming‐dependent processes might be negatively affected (e.g., prey catching, partner encounter, and antipredator behaviors) for B. tarsalis under deltamethrin exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1235–1242. © 2016 SETAC
Gene-targeted mice reveal importance of L-selectin-dependent rolling for neutrophil adhesion.

It has not been determined whether L-selectin-mediated rolling can promote leukocyte adhesion in vivo independent of P- and E-selectin. We used intravital microscopy of E- and P-selectin double-mutant mice (E-/P-) stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-α for 6-8 h to investigate the importance of L-selectin-dependent rolling in cremaster muscle venules. Rolling leukocyte flux in E-/P- mice was 9 ± 2 cells/min compared with 77 ± 17 cells/min in wild-type (WT) mice. Pretreatment with the L-selectin monoclonal antibody MEL-14 significantly reduced rolling in both E-/P- (by 89%) and WT mice (by 79%). L-selectin-dependent rolling in E-/P- mice resulted in leukocyte adhesion comparable to that seen in WT mice. MEL-14 pretreatment of E-/P- mice reduced leukocyte adhesion by 50%. The majority (∼80%) of intravascular leukocytes in both WT and E-/P- mice were neutrophils. We conclude that L-selectin can mediate rolling that results in sufficient leukocyte recruitment to account for the robust inflammatory response seen in E-/P- mice at later times.
Influence of Tool Path Orientation on the Surface Roughness when End Ball Milling Rounded Surfaces

Paper deals with relationships affecting surface roughness in three dimensional milling. Because of definite curvature of the machined surface, three milling strategies based on single direction have been examined in end ball milling process. Research is based on fragmentation of the definite surface curvature into form of the patches being machined. Patches have been set through normal vectors and related axes of motion of the end ball milling cutters. Surface quality has been identified under influence of cutting speed, feed rate and side step of milling cutters. Simple geometrical models of the resultant cusp height are compared with the measured data.
Error-correcting Bacon-Shor code with continuous measurement of noncommuting operators

Author(s): Atalaya, Juan; Bahrami, Mohammad; Pryadko, Leonid P; Korotkov, Alexander N | Abstract: We analyze the operation of a four-qubit Bacon-Shor code with simultaneous continuous measurement of non-commuting gauge operators. The error syndrome in this case is monitored via time-averaged cross-correlators of the output signals. We find the logical error rate for several models of decoherence, and also find the termination rate for this quantum error detecting code. The code operation is comparable to that based on projective measurements when the collapse timescale due to continuous measurements is an order of magnitude less than the time period between the projective measurements. An advantage of the continuous-measurement implementation is the absence of time-dependence in the code operation, with passive continuous monitoring of the error syndrome.
A Flexible Proof Format for SMT: a Proposal

The standard input format for Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) solvers has now reached its second version and integrates many of the features useful for users to interact with their favourite SMT solver. However, although many SMT solvers do output proofs, no standardised proof format exists. We, here, propose for discussion at the PxTP Workshop a generic proof format in the SMT-LIB philosophy that is flexible enough to be easily recast for any SMT solver. The format is configurable so that the proof can be provided by the solver at the desired level of detail.
Failed rib region prediction in a human body model during crash events with precrash braking

ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study is 2-fold. We used a validated human body finite element model to study the predicted chest injury (focusing on rib fracture as a function of element strain) based on varying levels of simulated precrash braking. Furthermore, we compare deterministic and probabilistic methods of rib injury prediction in the computational model. Methods: The Global Human Body Models Consortium (GHBMC) M50-O model was gravity settled in the driver position of a generic interior equipped with an advanced 3-point belt and airbag. Twelve cases were investigated with permutations for failure, precrash braking system, and crash severity. The severities used were median (17 kph), severe (34 kph), and New Car Assessment Program (NCAP; 56.4 kph). Cases with failure enabled removed rib cortical bone elements once 1.8% effective plastic strain was exceeded. Alternatively, a probabilistic framework found in the literature was used to predict rib failure. Both the probabilistic and deterministic methods take into consideration location (anterior, lateral, and posterior). The deterministic method is based on a rubric that defines failed rib regions dependent on a threshold for contiguous failed elements. The probabilistic method depends on age-based strain and failure functions. Results: Kinematics between both methods were similar (peak max deviation: ΔXhead = 17 mm; ΔZhead = 4 mm; ΔXthorax = 5 mm; ΔZthorax = 1 mm). Seat belt forces at the time of probabilistic failed region initiation were lower than those at deterministic failed region initiation. The probabilistic method for rib fracture predicted more failed regions in the rib (an analog for fracture) than the deterministic method in all but 1 case where they were equal. The failed region patterns between models are similar; however, there are differences that arise due to stress reduced from element elimination that cause probabilistic failed regions to continue to rise after no deterministic failed region would be predicted. Conclusions: Both the probabilistic and deterministic methods indicate similar trends with regards to the effect of precrash braking; however, there are tradeoffs. The deterministic failed region method is more spatially sensitive to failure and is more sensitive to belt loads. The probabilistic failed region method allows for increased capability in postprocessing with respect to age. The probabilistic failed region method predicted more failed regions than the deterministic failed region method due to force distribution differences.
Cooperative communication with joint optimization of cluster size and resource allocation in wireless sensor networks

Cluster-based wireless sensor network is considered in this paper. In wireless sensor network, every node wants to send data to a certain gateway node, or command node in case of military sensor network. Cluster-based communication enables effective power control, while the power budget of wireless sensor nodes is limited. In the conventional clustering algorithm, there is the cluster header node which has comparatively large capacity. However, in most cases, every node has the same power budget and all nodes behave symmetrically. It is necessary to design cluster based on this equivalent node condition. In this paper, we design optimal cluster size based on the outage probability under Rayleigh fading channel. A node who wants to send data to the gateway node adaptively constructs a cluster based on joint power minimization problem of cluster size and resource allocation. After making the cluster, the header node can cooperatively send packets with the member nodes of its cluster. This optimized cluster design shows outstanding power reduction compared to conventional clustering algorithm in which cluster header node directly transmits to the gateway node.
RETRACTED: Modified Modeling Fracture Toughness of Functionally Graded Steels in Crack Divider Configuration

Fracture toughness of functionally graded steels in crack divider configuration has been modeled. By utilizing plain carbon and austenitic stainless steel slices with different heights and arrangements as electroslag remelting electrodes, functionally graded steels were produced. The fracture toughness of the functionally graded steels in crack divider configuration was found to depend on the type, volume fraction, and position of containing phases. According to the area under stress-strain curve of each layer in the functionally graded composites, a mathematical model has been presented to predict fracture toughness of functionally graded steels using the rule of mixtures. There is a good agreement between experimental results and those acquired from the analytical model. Also a modification method has been proposed for better predicting the fracture toughness of the composites. The modification was performed so that the position of each layer could be contributed to the modeling. The results show that a.
JNK2 up-regulates hypoxia-inducible factors and contributes to hypoxia-induced erythropoiesis and pulmonary hypertension

The hypoxic response is a stress response triggered by low oxygen tension. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play a prominent role in the pathobiology of hypoxia-associated conditions, including pulmonary hypertension (PH) and polycythemia. The c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), a stress-activated protein kinase that consists of two ubiquitously expressed isoforms, JNK1 and JNK2, and a tissue-specific isoform, JNK3, has been shown to be activated by hypoxia. However, the physiological role of JNK1 and JNK2 in the hypoxic response remains elusive. Here, using genetic knockout cells and/or mice, we show that JNK2, but not JNK1, up-regulates the expression of HIF-1α and HIF-2α and contributes to hypoxia-induced PH and polycythemia. Knockout or silencing of JNK2, but not JNK1, prevented the accumulation of HIF-1α in hypoxia-treated cells. Loss of JNK2 resulted in a decrease in HIF-1α and HIF-2α mRNA levels under resting conditions and in response to hypoxia. Consequently, hypoxia-treated Jnk2−/− mice had reduced erythropoiesis and were less prone to polycythemia because of decreased expression of the HIF target gene erythropoietin (Epo). Jnk2−/− mice were also protected from hypoxia-induced PH, as indicated by lower right ventricular systolic pressure, a process that depends on HIF. Taken together, our results suggest that JNK2 is a positive regulator of HIFs and therefore may contribute to HIF-dependent pathologies.