Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In-Situ Growth and Characterization of Indium Tin Oxide Nanocrystal Rods

Indium tin oxide (ITO) nanocrystal rods were synthesized in-situ by a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method and electron beam evaporation technique. When the electron-beam gun bombarded indium oxide (In2O3) and tin oxide (SnO2) mixed sources, indium and tin droplets appeared and acted as catalysts. The nanocrystal rods were in-situ grown on the basis of the metal catalyst point. The nanorods have a single crystal structure. Its structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). During the evaporation, a chemical process was happened and an In2O3 and SnO2 solid solution was formed. The percentage of doped tin oxide was calculated by Vegard’s law to be 3.18%, which was in agreement with the mixture ratio of the experimental data. The single crystal rod had good semiconductor switch property and its threshold voltage of single rod was approximately 2.5 V which can be used as a micro switch device. The transmission rate of crystalline nanorods ITO film was over 90% in visible band and it was up to 95% in the blue green band as a result of the oxygen vacancy recombination luminescence.
The prevalence of discrimination across racial groups in contemporary America: Results from a nationally representative sample of adults

A large body of social science research is devoted to understanding the causes and correlates of discrimination. Comparatively less effort has been aimed at providing a general prevalence estimate of discrimination using a nationally representative sample. The current study is intended to offer such an estimate using a large sample of American respondents (N = 14,793) while also exploring perceptions regarding why respondents felt they were discriminated against. The results provide a broad estimate of self-reported discrimination experiences—an event that was only reported by about one-quarter of all sample members—across racial and ethnic categories.
Molecular Detection of Theileria annulata in Cattle from Different Regions of Punjab, Pakistan, by Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification and Polymerase Chain Reaction

Abstract Piroplasmosis is one of the most important diseases of livestock, constraining optimal production and leading to economic loss. This study was carried out to detect Theileria annulata by using 2 different molecular techniques: recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Blood samples were collected from 274 ticks infesting asymptomatic cattle from several counties in the Chakwal, Faisalabad, and Jhang districts of Punjab Province in Pakistan by using FTA cards. After extraction of genomic DNA, each sample was subjected to RPA optimized to amplify a 281-bp fragment of the Enolase gene for T. annulata. The specificity of the test was confirmed using positive DNA samples of related piroplasm species, whereas the analytical sensitivity was calculated using different serial dilutions of a long fragment of the same gene. The RPA results were positive for 48 (17.51%) of 274 samples. All 274 samples were screened using conventional PCR, and 21 (7.66%) samples were positive for T. annulata. All the samples that were RPA positive but PCR negative were sequenced, which confirmed the results of RPA. The highest positive rate was found in Chakwal district, followed by Faisalabad and Jhang districts. This study demonstrates the application of highly sensitive and specific rapid diagnostic methods for T. annulata to a regional screening program. This is the first report of tick-borne disease from Pakistan by using RPA.
Diabetes-specific Quality of Life After a Low-carbohydrate and Low-fat Dietary Intervention

Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of a 12-month weight loss intervention with either a low-carbohydrate or a low-fat diet on quality of life (QOL) among obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods Participants were enrolled in a randomized trial comparing a low-carbohydrate to a low-fat diet in type 2 diabetes. QOL was assessed with the Diabetes-39 questionnaire, which measures QOL within 5 distinct scales: anxiety and worry, diabetes control, energy and mobility, social burden, and sexual functioning. Repeated measures ANOVA compared change in QOL scales at baseline and 6 and 12 months. Results Forty-six participants completed all measures. Following 12 months, there was a significant reduction in the scores related to sexual function and energy and mobility, suggesting improvement in QOL related to these domains. These changes were not significantly different between dietary arms. Changes in weight, A1C, and dietary composition were not significantly correlated with changes in QOL. Conclusions Participants with diabetes have various options for weight loss. Dietary interventions with either low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets may lead to some improvements in QOL in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Transfusion-Transmitted Hepatitis E: NAT Screening of Blood Donations and Infectious Dose

The risk and importance of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis E virus (TT-HEV) infections by contaminated blood products is currently a controversial discussed topic in transfusion medicine. The infectious dose, in particular, remains an unknown quantity. In the present study, we illuminate and review this aspect seen from the viewpoint of a blood donation service with more than 2 years of experience in routine HEV blood donor screening. We systematically review the actual status of presently known cases of TT-HEV infections and available routine NAT-screening assays. The review of the literature revealed a significant variation regarding the infectious dose causing hepatitis E. We also present the outcome of six cases confronted with HEV-contaminated blood products, identified by routine HEV RNA screening of minipools using the highly sensitive RealStar HEV RT-PCR Kit (95% LOD: 4.7 IU/mL). Finally, the distribution of viral RNA in different blood components [plasma, red blood cell concentrate (RBC), platelet concentrates (PC)] was quantified using the first WHO international standard for HEV RNA for NAT-based assays. None of the six patients receiving an HEV-contaminated blood product from five different donors (donor 1: RBC, donor 2–5: APC) developed an acute hepatitis E infection, most likely due to low viral load in donor plasma (<100 IU/mL). Of note, the distribution of viral RNA in blood components depends on the plasma content of the component; nonetheless, HEV RNA could be detected in RBCs even when low viral plasma loads of 100–1,000 IU/mL are present. Comprehensive retrospective studies of TT-HEV infection offered further insights into the infectivity of HEV RNA-positive blood products. Minipool HEV NAT screening (96 samples) of blood donations should be adequate as a routine screening assay to identify high viremic donors and will cover at least a large part of viremic phases.
Growth inhibition of Candida albicans and other medically important yeasts by vaginal contraceptive products.

The antifungal effects of two commercially available spermicidal gels (Conceptrol, produced by Ortho Pharmaceutical, Raritan, N.J., and Koromex, produced by Schmid Laboratories, Little Falls, N.J.) as well as pure nonoxynol-9 and boric acid (both components of vaginal contraceptive products) were tested against 50 clinical yeast isolates by the agar dilution method. The formulated products exerted comparable dose-dependent inhibitory effects against all yeasts tested. A 3-fold dilution of the formulated spermicidal products inhibited 90% of the yeast strains tested. To determine if the antifungal effect was due to the spermicidal detergent nonoxynol-9, this compound was tested for antifungal activity but was completely ineffective against Candida albicans in concentrations up to 10%. Boric acid, present in at least one of the products (Koromex), inhibited representative yeasts at a concentration of 0.4%. The relationship of pH and oxygen tension to inhibition by the commercial spermicides was also investigated. The pH values tested ranged from 4 to 7 and had little effect on inhibition; anaerobiosis at pH 7 slightly reduced the inhibitory activity of Conceptrol gel.
Low prevalence of major depressive disorder in Taiwanese adults: possible explanations and implications

Background This study examined the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), and the correlations and co-morbid conditions associated with MDD, in the adult Taiwanese population, which a previous estimate in the 1980s had found to be at the lower end of the spectrum worldwide. Possible explanations for the reported low prevalence of MDD were evaluated. Method As part of a survey of common psychiatric disorders in a nationally representative sample of individuals aged ⩾18 years who were non-institutionalized civilians in Taiwan, a face-to-face interview using the paper version of the World Mental Health Survey of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI) was conducted between 2003 and 2005. Functional impairment and help-seeking behaviors were compared between Taiwanese subjects with MDD and their counterparts in the USA. Results Among the 10 135 respondents, the lifetime prevalence of MDD was 1.20% [standard error (s.e.)=0.2%]. Individuals who were divorced or widowed, aged ⩽40 years, and female were at increased risk, whereas rural residents were at lower risk for MDD. The proportion of MDD cases co-morbid with other psychiatric disorders in this study was much lower than in the US study. Only one-third of Taiwanese individuals with MDD sought help despite having twice the number of lost workdays compared with the US sample. Conclusions Despite the low prevalence of MDD in Taiwanese adults, the pattern of low help-seeking behavior and profound functional impairment indicates much room for improvement in the early detection of and intervention in major depression in this population.
Oral Biofilms from Symbiotic to Pathogenic Interactions and Associated Disease –Connection of Periodontitis and Rheumatic Arthritis by Peptidylarginine Deiminase

A wide range of bacterial species are harbored in the oral cavity, with the resulting complex network of interactions between the microbiome and host contributing to physiological as well as pathological conditions at both local and systemic levels. Bacterial communities inhabit the oral cavity as primary niches in a symbiotic manner and form dental biofilm in a stepwise process. However, excessive formation of biofilm in combination with a corresponding deregulated immune response leads to intra-oral diseases, such as dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Moreover, oral commensal bacteria, which are classified as so-called “pathobionts” according to a now widely accepted terminology, were recently shown to be present in extra-oral lesions with distinct bacterial species found to be involved in the onset of various pathophysiological conditions, including cancer, atherosclerosis, chronic infective endocarditis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The present review focuses on oral pathobionts as commensal and healthy members of oral biofilms that can turn into initiators of disease. We will shed light on the processes involved in dental biofilm formation and also provide an overview of the interactions of P. gingivalis, as one of the most prominent oral pathobionts, with host cells, including epithelial cells, phagocytes, and dental stem cells present in dental tissues. Notably, a previously unknown interaction of P. gingivalis bacteria with human stem cells that has impact on human immune response is discussed. In addition to this very specific interaction, the present review summarizes current knowledge regarding the immunomodulatory effect of P. gingivalis and other oral pathobionts, members of the oral microbiome, that pave the way for systemic and chronic diseases, thereby showing a link between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
DRG Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel 1.7 Is Upregulated in Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathy in Rats and in Humans with Neuropathic Pain

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect experienced by cancer patients receiving treatment with paclitaxel. The voltage-gated sodium channel 1.7 (Nav1.7) plays an important role in multiple preclinical models of neuropathic pain and in inherited human pain phenotypes, and its gene expression is increased in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) of paclitaxel-treated rats. Hence, the potential of change in the expression and function of Nav1.7 protein in DRGs from male rats with paclitaxel-related CIPN and from male and female humans with cancer-related neuropathic pain was tested here. Double immunofluorescence in CIPN rats showed that Nav1.7 was upregulated in small DRG neuron somata, especially those also expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and in central processes of these cells in the superficial spinal dorsal horn. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in rat DRG neurons revealed that paclitaxel induced an enhancement of ProTx II (a selective Nav1.7 channel blocker)-sensitive sodium currents. Bath-applied ProTx II suppressed spontaneous action potentials in DRG neurons occurring in rats with CIPN, while intrathecal injection of ProTx II significantly attenuated behavioral signs of CIPN. Complementarily, DRG neurons isolated from segments where patients had a history of neuropathic pain also showed electrophysiological and immunofluorescence results indicating an increased expression of Nav1.7 associated with spontaneous activity. Nav1.7 was also colocalized in human cells expressing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and CGRP. Furthermore, ProTx II decreased firing frequency in human DRGs with spontaneous action potentials. This study suggests that Nav1.7 may provide a potential new target for the treatment of neuropathic pain, including chemotherapy (paclitaxel)-induced neuropathic pain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This work demonstrates that the expression and function of the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 are increased in a preclinical model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), the most common treatment-limiting side effect of all the most common anticancer therapies. This is key as gain-of-function mutations in human Nav1.7 recapitulate both the distribution and pain percept as shown by CIPN patients. This work also shows that Nav1.7 is increased in human DRG neurons only in dermatomes where patients are experiencing acquired neuropathic pain symptoms. This work therefore has major translational impact, indicating an important novel therapeutic avenue for neuropathic pain as a class.
Lessons for major system change: centralization of stroke services in two metropolitan areas of England

Objectives Our aim was to identify the factors influencing the selection of a model of acute stroke service centralization to create fewer high-volume specialist units in two metropolitan areas of England (London and Greater Manchester). It considers the reasons why services were more fully centralized in London than in Greater Manchester. Methods In both areas, we analysed 316 documents and conducted 45 interviews with people leading transformation, service user organizations, providers and commissioners. Inductive and deductive analyses were used to compare the processes underpinning change in each area, with reference to propositions for achieving major system change taken from a realist review of the existing literature (the Best framework), which we critique and develop further. Results In London, system leadership was used to overcome resistance to centralization and align stakeholders to implement a centralized service model. In Greater Manchester, programme leaders relied on achieving change by consensus and, lacking decision-making authority over providers, accommodated rather than challenged resistance by implementing a less radical transformation of services. Conclusions A combination of system (top-down) and distributed (bottom-up) leadership is important in enabling change. System leadership provides the political authority required to coordinate stakeholders and to capitalize on clinical leadership by aligning it with transformation goals. Policy makers should examine how the structures of system authority, with performance management and financial levers, can be employed to coordinate transformation by aligning the disparate interests of providers and commissioners.
Exploring the Emotion of Disgust: Differences in Smelling and Feeling

Disgust evolved to motivate humans away from disease cues and may heighten discernment of these cues. Disease cues are often best perceived through our sense of smell, however very few studies have examined how eliciting disgust influences smell intensity or valence. In two novel experiments we investigated how domains of disgust induction influence odor perception. In experiment 1 participants (n = 90) were randomly allocated to one of two kinds of Disgust Induction (DI): Pathogen (DI-P), Moral (DI-M) or a Control (DI-C), followed by an evaluation of three affectively distinct odors (disgust-related, neutral, liked). Using a modified procedure in experiment 2, participants (n = 70) were again randomly assigned to one of the three disgust induction conditions, but here they evaluated one (disgust-related) odor during disgust induction. In experiment 2 we also measured feelings of disgust and anger. In experiment 1, surprisingly, we found overall ratings of odor disgust were lower in the DI-P compared to other groups, whereas in experiment 2, odor disgust was higher in the DI-P versus the DI-M/DI-C conditions, which also differed from each other. We also found that whereas feelings of disgust were higher in DI-P, in contrast, anger was higher for those individuals in the DI-M condition. These findings suggest that compared to a Control condition, inducing state Pathogen and Moral disgust lead to higher perceived odor disgust, whereas feelings of disgust/anger yield divergent effects. The work here also demonstrates that methodologies utilizing odor perception (disgust) can be a useful addition to measuring changes in state disgust.
Optimal diagnostic thresholds for diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension with a ‘sit-to-stand test’

Objective: This study aimed to identify optimal blood pressure cut-offs to diagnose orthostatic hypotension during a sit-to-stand manoeuvre. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients and healthy controls from the Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center. Blood pressure was measured while supine, seated and standing. Blood pressure changes were calculated from supine-to-standing and seated-to-standing. Orthostatic hypotension was diagnosed on the basis of a supine-to-standing SBP drop at least 20 mmHg or a DBP drop at least 10 mmHg. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves identified optimal sit-to-stand cut-offs. Results: Amongst the 831 individuals, more had systolic orthostatic hypotension [n = 354 (43%)] than diastolic orthostatic hypotension [n = 305 (37%)] during lying-to-standing. The ROC curves had good characteristics [SBP area under curve = 0.916 (95% confidence interval: 0.896–0.936), P < 0.001; DBP area under curve = 0.930 (95% confidence interval: 0.909–0.950), P < 0.001]. A sit-to stand SBP drop at least 15 mmHg had optimal test characteristics (sensitivity = 80.2%; specificity = 88.9%; positive predictive value = 84.2%; negative predictive value = 85.8%), as did a DBP drop at least 7 mmHg (sensitivity = 87.2%; specificity = 87.2%; positive predictive value = 80.1%; negative predictive value = 92.0%). Conclusions: A sit-to-stand manoeuvre with lower diagnostic cut-offs for orthostatic hypotension provides a simple screening test for orthostatic hypotension in situations wherein a supine-to-standing manoeuvre cannot be easily performed. Our analysis suggests that a SBP drop at least 15 mmHg or a DBP drop at least 7 mmHg best optimizes sensitivity and specificity of this sit-to-stand test.
Synchronous Disease Kinetics in a Murine Model for Enterohemorrhagic E. coli Infection Using Food-Borne Inoculation

Upon colonization of the intestinal epithelium, the attaching and effacing (AE) pathogen Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) effaces microvilli and forms pedestal-like structures beneath the adherent bacterium. The production of one of its virulence factors, the phage-encoded Shiga toxin (Stx) results in systemic disease, including the development of renal failure. Although EHEC does not productively infect conventional mice, EHEC infection can be modeled in mice utilizing a derivative of the natural murine AE pathogen Citrobacter rodentium (CR). Gavage of mice with CR(ΦStx2dact), a C. rodentium lysogenized by a phage encoding an Stx variant with high potency in mice, features AE lesion formation on intestinal epithelium and Stx-mediated systemic disease, including renal damage. This model is somewhat limited by mouse-to-mouse variation in the course of disease, with the time to severe morbidity (and required euthanasia) varying by as many as 5 days, a feature that limits pathological analysis at defined stages of disease. In the current study, we altered and optimized the preparation, dose, and mode of delivery of CR(ΦStx2dact), using food-borne route of infection to generate highly synchronous disease model. We found that food-borne inoculation of as few as 3 × 104 CR(ΦStx2dact) resulted in productive colonization and severe systemic disease. Upon inoculation of 1 × 108 bacteria, the majority of infected animals suffered weight loss beginning 5 days post-infection and all required euthanasia on day 6 or 7. This enhanced murine model for EHEC infection should facilitate characterization of the pathology associated with specific phases of Stx-mediated disease.
The importance of interfilamentary barrier resistance in YBCO coated conductor to minimize ac losses

YBCO coated superconducting tapes can be optimized to minimize the ac loss in aggressive magnetic field and frequency environments typical of synchronous generator armature windings and air core transformers. Optimized conductors can be realized by creating a multifilamentary structure incorporating high barrier resistance that allows a practical twist pitch to minimize coupling losses. Barrier electrical resistance is being characterized and several methods for creating high barrier resistance in multifilamentary YBCO tapes by practical material processing methods are being explored. The tradeoff between barrier resistance and twist pitch to minimize ac loss is discussed for power applications. Design limitations due to the twist requirement in generator and transformer windings are discussed for the multifilament YBCO tape.
Microwave absorption properties of graphite flakes-phenolic resin composite

In the present investigation, microwave absorption properties of a conductor back single layer designed on graphite flakes (GF)-novolac phenolic resin (NPR) composites is studied. The complex permittivity of the developed composite enhance for higher GF percentages. The reflection loss(RL) measured using E8362C VNA shows a maximum RL values -25 dB at 9.8 GHz for 7 wt. % composition with -10 dB bandwidth of 0.3 GHz. The developed composites are being light weight and cost effective shows potential to be used as dielectric absorber.