Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of A fl atoxin B 1-Lysine in Pig Serum and Plasma by Liquid Chromatography – Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a hepatocarcinogen produced by certain Aspergillus species growing on crops. After biotransformation in the liver, AFB1 generates several metabolites, one of which is AFB1 bound to lysine on serum albumin. AFB1-lysine (AFB1-lys) is a digest product of AFB1albumin and is considered a biomarker of exposure to AFB1 in humans and animals. The objectives of this paper were to evaluate the performance characteristics of a new analytical method for determination of AFB1-lys levels in pig serum, heparinized and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) plasma and to evaluate the interference of these anticoagulants in AFB1-lys quantification. Blank blood samples were obtained from eight crossbreed 91-day-old barrows fed AFB1-free diets. Pooled samples (n = 3) and individual samples of serum, EDTA and heparinized plasma collected from five pigs were enzymatically digested with pronase at 37°C for 4 h. AFB1-lys was isolated by solid-phase extraction and quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The analytical method was applied for determination of AFB1-lys in serum and EDTA plasma collected from five 49-day-old crossbreed barrows fed ad libitum diets containing 1.1mg of AFB1 per kg of feed during 7 days (three animals) or 42 days (two animals). Samples of heparinized plasma were only available from animals intoxicated for 42 days. All animals had lower levels of AFB1-lys in EDTA plasma samples (24.78–37.40 ng/mL), when compared to serum (49.32– 252.07 ng/mL) or heparinized plasma (176.81 and 264.24 ng/mL). EDTA did not interfere in AFB1-lys standard detection, but our findings suggest that EDTA should be avoided during blood collection since it affects the pronase activity in AFB1–albumin adduct digestion and, consequently, causes a reduction in the AFB1-lys levels. Hence, determination of AFB1-lys in serum and heparinized plasma is an approach to assess an individual’s exposure of swine to AFB1. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com 1 Journal of Analytical Toxicology Advance Access published December 15, 2016
Adaptation of foliage penetration radar to remove interference to in-band communication

Methods are described enabling low frequency ultra wide band foliage penetration (FOPEN) radar signals to be notched at the precise frequencies of conflict with in-band wireless services. The goal is that radar transmit power levels should be on par with environmental noise for receivers of these services, implying that no degradation of the services will be perceived.
Compositions of Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted from Melted Virgin and Waste Plastic Pellets

Abstract To characterize potential air pollution issues related to recycling facilities of waste plastics, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from melted virgin and waste plastics pellets were analyzed. In this study, laboratory experiments were performed to melt virgin and waste plastic pellets under various temperatures (150, 200, and 250 °C) and atmospheres (air and nitrogen [N2]). In the study presented here, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and the recycled waste plastic pellets were used. The VOCs generated from each plastic pellets were collected by Tenax/Carboxen adsorbent tubes and analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). The result showed the higher temperatures generated larger amounts of total VOCs (TVOCs). The VOCs emitted from the virgin plastic pellets likely originated from polymer degradation. Smaller TVOC emissions were observed in N2 atmosphere than in air atmosphere. In particular, larger amounts of the oxygenated compounds, which are generally hazardous and malodorous, were detected in air than in N2. In addition to the compounds originating from polymer degradation, the compounds originating from the plastic additives were also detected from LDPE and PS. Furthermore, various species of VOCs likely originating from contaminant inseparate polyvinyl chloride (PVC), food residues, cleaning agents, degreasers, and so on were detected from the waste plastic. Thus, melting waste plastics, as is conducted in recycling facilities, might generate larger amounts of potentially toxic compounds than producing virgin plastics.
Measuring Service Quality of Car Maintenance

The survey was based on SERVQUAL, a diagnostic tool developed in the 1980s, which measures service quality in terms of customer expectations and perceptions of service. This research paper focuses on the link between customer expectations and service quality. The survey results have provided information showing how the industry of car maintenance service can manage its service quality. The findings indicate that customers consistently rank 'reliability' as the most important service dimension.
Genetics in methanogens: transposon insertion mutagenesis of a Methanococcus maripaludis nifH gene

We designed a transposon insertion mutagenesis system for Methanococcus species and used it to make mutations in and around a nifH gene in Methanococcus maripaludis. The transposon Mudpur was constructed with a gene for puromycin resistance that is expressed and selectable in Methanococcus species. A 15.6-kb nifH region from M. maripaludis cloned in a lambda vector was used as a target for mutagenesis. A series of 19 independent Mudpur insertions spanning the cloned region were produced. Four mutagenized clones in and around nifH were introduced by transformation into M. maripaludis, where each was found to replace wild-type genomic DNA with the corresponding transposon-mutagenized DNA. Wild-type M. maripaludis and a transformant containing a Mudpur insertion upstream of nifH grew on N2 as a nitrogen source. Two transformants with insertions in nifH and one transformant with an insertion downstream of nifH did not grow on N2. The transposon insertion-gene replacement technique should be generally applicable in the methanococci for studying the effects of genetic manipulations in vivo.
Bio-inspired autonomous navigation system for logistics mobile robots with inertial AHRS

Implementing the neural mechanism of animal cognition in mobile robots control is a natural way to make the development of bio-inspired autonomous robots with more robust functionality. The neuroscience researches confirm that grid cells play a special role in animals' spatial navigation. This paper presents a design scheme that implements the continuous attractor neural network model of grid cells in mobile robots' navigation control with an attitude and heading reference systems (AHRS) sensor as self-motion sensing component. Based on the design, the autonomous mobile robots could work robustly and well in more flexible and unstructured environments.
Circulating and Disseminated Tumor Cells in the Clinical Management of Breast Cancer Patients: Unanswered Questions

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Although survival rates have improved with the use of new therapeutic agents, many issues remain unresolved and new predictive and prognostic factors are needed in clinical practice. Several studies have suggested a prognostic and predictive role for circulating and disseminated tumor cells in metastatic disease and adjuvant treatment. Because of recent technological advances, oncologists have gained a new perspective on this disease. Circulating tumor cells could be both a new tumor marker as well as a tool to gain novel insight into the natural history of this neoplastic disease.
Knowledge creation: Action research in e-learning teams

The present article analyses the research results of the effectiveness of a comparatively new but a widely studied learning method — action research — in e-learning project-based (PBL) group studies. The objective of the article is to identify the main principles of collaborative work in an e-learning environment: (1) what effect the students' involvement in the action research method which is based on creating personal knowledge via reflection has on acquiring the course, (2); how to measure and assess the students' creativity, (3); how collaboration within the group influences the development of interests. The methods of statistical and qualitative analysis as well as systemic content analysis of the students' work are used in the article. We propose this method as an effective tool for engineering education.
Experimental study of single loop sigma-delta and multi stage noise shaping (MASH) modulators for MEMS accelerometer

This paper presents a comparative study of two 4th order electromechanical sigma-delta modulators for a micromachined, capacitive accelerometer: 1) a multi-stage (MASH22) architecture and 2) a single loop (SD4) architecture. Both architectures share the common features that they improve the bandwidth, dynamic range and linearity of the MEMS sensor and provide a digital output, compared to an open loop sensor. The comparison was performed in terms of stability, noise shaping and parameter sensitivities due to fabrication tolerances. Both architectures were investigated by system level modelling (in Simulink) and hardware implementation using surface mount PCB technology. The results show that: a) both modulator architectures achieve the same noise floor level of −110dB, b) the 4th order MASH22 is unconditionally stable, while the SD4 is only conditionally stable, c) MASH22 achieves higher overload input level compared with the SD4, and d) the SD4 architecture confirms its immunity to sensing element parameter variations whereas the MASH22 performance is degraded in such a case.
Allelic Losses at 3p and 11p Are Detected in Both Epithelial and Stromal Components of Cervical Small-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

Microdissected epithelial and stromal cells from 15 cervical small-cell carcinoma patients and 9 healthy control subjects were assessed for loss of heterozygosity with polymorphic DNA markers at chromosomes 3p and 11p. Among malignant lesions assessed with 7 markers at 3p, 21 allelic losses were detected from 193 informative samples. Of losses, 20 were in epithelial and 1 was in normal-appearing stromal cells. Among losses in epithelial cells, 16 were from 44 samples informative for 3 markers within 3p21.2–p14.2 (0.36 loss/sample), whereas only 4 were from 54 samples informative for 4 markers outside the region (0.09 loss/sample), suggesting a “hot spot” of genetic alterations within 3p21.2–p14.2. Among malignant lesions assessed with 2 markers within 11p14–p12, 15 losses were seen in 52 informative samples. Of losses, 10 were in epithelial and 5 were in normal-appearing stromal cells. Of 10 epithelial samples showing losses within 11p14–p12, 8 also displayed losses within 3p 21.2–p14.2, suggesting a concurrent involvement of these loci in tumor development or progression. The five losses in stromal cells were in four cases that showed no loss in epithelial cells with same markers, suggesting that stromal cells might play initiative roles in tumor development.
Tibial lengthening over nails in children using modified Ender nails: preliminary results of a new treatment

Tibial lengthening over nails, using modified Ender nails, was performed in nine children whose mean age at surgery was 12.8 years. The prerequisite for using this technique was the absence of axial malalignment and an indication for tibial lengthening only. Lengthening was not performed in one case due to the development of a compartment syndrome after the tibial osteotomy. Breakage of one interlocking screw without loss of alignment or length was observed in one case. Superficial pin tract infections were observed in two cases. An average of 4.1 cm (range 3–4.5 cm) lengthening of the tibia was achieved in eight of the nine cases. The modified Ender nails used permitted locking at both ends after achieving the desired distraction and permitted early removal of the external fixator. The advantage of this technique is that it permits early removal of the fixator and thus decreases the incidence of fixator related problems and facilitates early rehabilitation.
A posteriori diagnostics of the impact of observations on the AROME‐France convective‐scale data assimilation system

AROME‐France is an operational convective‐scale numerical weather prediction system which uses a 3D‐Var assimilation scheme in order to determine its initial conditions. In addition to conventional and satellite observations, regional high‐resolution observations are assimilated, such as screen‐level observations, total zenith delays from ground‐based GPS stations and radar measurements (radial winds and reflectivities). The impact of the various observation types on AROME‐France analyses is assessed using an a posteriori diagnostic, the reduction of the estimation error variance. This diagnostic, estimated using a randomization technique, allows one to investigate observation impact depending on the control variable field, model levels, date, analysis time, and spatial scales considered. This highlights the importance of screen‐level observations (2 m temperature and relative humidity, 10 m wind) for the lowest layers, of aircraft measurements for temperature and wind field analyses and of radar observations for wind and specific humidity in middle and high troposphere. Only the last mentioned observations appear to be informative regarding the horizontal length‐scale below 200 km, while all observations are mostly informative for length‐scales above 200 km. The results from two diagnostics, namely the variance reduction and the Degrees of Freedom for Signal (DFS), are compared and found to be largely similar. The variance reduction appears to be an interesting diagnostic to improve the understanding of how observations are used.
Intestinal helminths of man: the interpretation of egg counts

Of the 39 most common helminth parasites of man listed by Peters & Gilles (1977), 30 may be detected and often diagnosed by finding their eggs or larvae in the faeces of infected people. The preferred habitat of many of these helminths is the alimentary tract itself and the continual flow of material through the food tube provides a simple, passive and reliable means of transport and eventual exit from the host for the reproductive stages of a worm. Helminth eggs are generally less than 150 μm in diameter and although individually comprise a small material investment by the adult worm in the propagation of the species, the chances of infecting a host are so slim (though this may be a teleological inference) that adult worms are often highly fecund: a female Ascaris lumbricoides is estimated to release daily into the intestine approximately 200,000 eggs (WHO, 1967). Yet numbers should not always be equated with great substance or bulk – an equally important determinant of the chances of finding an egg in faeces: assuming a spherical diameter of 60 μm and a specific gravity of 1·2 (Sawitz, 1942) then a female Ascaris is estimated to produce only about 25 mg of eggs each day, which is 0·01% of a moderate daily output of 250 g of faeces.
Fluctuations thermiques - un outil pour étudier les fluides simples et binaires à l’échelle du micron.

Les transitions de phase pres d'un point critique - dites du second ordre - sont un sujet toujours d'actualite en raison des nombreux phenomenes critiques interessants tels que la force de Casimir critique, les problemes de confinements ou les phenomenes hors d'equilibre suivant une trempe au point critique. Cette these vise a etudier experimentalement certains phenomenes engendres pres d'un point critique. La these est divisee en deux axes : le premier consiste a developper plusieurs systemes experimentaux qui permettront de mesurer essentiellement la viscosite, par l'intermediaire des fluctuations thermiques a l'echelle micrometrique. Le deuxieme axe consiste a trouver et caracteriser des melanges binaires presentant une transition de phase du second ordre dans lesquelles on souhaite faire des mesures. Les enjeux de ces systemes experimentaux sont d'avoir une regulation en temperature precise, une sonde de mesure sensible aux fluctuations thermiques et/ou a des forces de l'ordre du pN, et un echantillon fiable et reproductible presentant un point critique accessible experimentalement. Nous avons ainsi monte a partir d'un microscope a force atomique (AFM) deja present au laboratoire, un systeme de mesure de viscosite a sonde AFM fibree. Malgre sa faible efficacite en terme de sonde de mesure metrologique, nous avons pu decrire et developper un modele de couplage de modes de vibration permettant de comprendre la mecanique de microleviers AFM fibres. J'ai egalement developpe au laboratoire la mesure de microscopie dynamique differentielle qui permet de faire des mesures a sondes multiples contrairement au premier montage. J'ai discute de la precision de la mesure dans le cadre de notre objectif d'etude des fluctuations critiques. En ce qui concerne l'echantillon de mesure, nous avons etudie plusieurs melanges binaires que nous avons caracterises par des methodes classiques de turbidite et diffusion statique de la lumiere. Cette caracterisation nous a permis de connaitre les melanges binaires pour les utiliser dans un troisieme systeme de mesure : billes micrometriques piegees dans des pinces optiques deja monte au laboratoire. Nous y avons rajoute un systeme de regulation thermique fait maison pour etre exploite avec les contraintes de la pince optique. Ces tests ont fait apparaitre un phenomene inattendu d'oscillations de transition de phase induites par laser. Nous avons developpe un modele pour les decrire. Enfin, des experiences preliminaires - toujours avec les pinces optiques dans les melanges binaires - nous ont permis d'observer qualitativement des effets de l'approche au point critique par des mesures de viscosite et d'interaction type force de Casimir critique.
Novel therapies for coeliac disease

Abstract. Sollid LM, Khosla C. (Institute of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Departments of Chemistry,Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA) Novel therapies for coeliac disease (Symposium). J Intern Med 2011; 269: 604–613.
Light-intensity activity attenuates functional decline in older cancer survivors.

UNLABELLED While moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activities (MVPA) confer the greatest health benefits, evidence suggests that light-intensity activities are also beneficial, particularly for older adults and individuals with moderate to severe comorbidities. PURPOSE To examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between light-intensity activity and physical function in older cancer survivors at increased risk for age- and treatment-related comorbidities, including accelerated functional decline. METHODS The analysis included data from 641 breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors (54% female) age 65 yr and older who participated in a 1-yr home-based diet and exercise intervention designed to reduce the rate of physical function decline. ANCOVA was used to compare means of physical function across levels of PA intensity (low-light [LLPA]: 1.5-2.0 METs; high-light [HLPA]: 2.1-2.9 METs; MVPA: ≥3.0 METs). RESULTS In cross-sectional analyses, increasing tertiles of light-intensity activity were associated with higher scores for all three measures of physical function (all P values <0.005), after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, comorbidity, symptoms, and MVPA. Associations were stronger for HLPA than for LLPA. Compared with survivors who had decreased MVPA or maintained stable MVPA and HLPA at the postintervention follow-up, those who had increased HLPA, but had decreased MVPA or maintained stable MVPA, reported higher physical function scores (LS means [95% confidence interval]: SF-36 Physical Function Subscale: -5.58 [-7.96 to -3.20] vs -2.54 [-5.83 to 0.75], P = 0.14; Basic Lower Extremity Function: -2.00 [-3.45 to -0.55] vs 0.28 [-1.72 to 2.28], P = 0.07; Advanced Lower Extremity Function: -2.58 [-4.00 to -1.15] vs 0.44 [-1.52 to 2.40], P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that increasing light-intensity activities, especially HLPA, may be a viable approach to reducing the rate of physical function decline in individuals who are unable or reluctant to initiate or maintain adequate levels of moderate-intensity activities.
A highly K(+)-selective phenylaza-[18]crown-6-lariat-ether-based fluoroionophore and its application in the sensing of K+ ions with an optical sensor film and in cells.

Herein, we report the synthesis of two phenylaza-[18]crown-6 lariat ethers with a coumarin fluorophore (1 and 2) and we reveal that compound 1 is an excellent probe for K(+) ions under simulated physiological conditions. The presence of a 2-methoxyethoxy lariat group at the ortho position of the anilino moiety is crucial to the substantially increased stability of compounds 1 and 2 over their lariat-free phenylaza-[18]crown-6 ether analogues. Probe 1 shows a high K(+)/Na(+) selectivity and a 2.5-fold fluorescence enhancement was observed in the presence of 100 mM K(+) ions. A fluorescent membrane sensor, which was prepared by incorporating probe 1 into a hydrogel, showed a fully reversible response, a response time of 150 s, and a signal change of 7.8% per 1 mM K(+) within the range 1-10 mM K(+). The membrane was easily fabricated (only a single sensing layer on a solid polyester support), yet no leaching was observed. Moreover, compound 1 rapidly permeated into cells, was cytocompatible, and was suitable for the fluorescent imaging of K(+) ions on both the extracellular and intracellular levels.
Optical microfabrication of highly reflective volume Bragg gratings

An approach for fabricating wide-bandwidth and highly reflective Bragg grating structures with the technique of holographic photopolymerization of a liquid crystal (LC) polymer composite is presented. The key to this fabrication method that distinguishes it from previous methods is the use of a nonreactive solvent, acetone, to dissolve the photoinitiator and coinitiator in an acrylate monomer/LC mixture. The addition of acetone results in the creation of controllable periodic voids inside the thin film after the acetone evaporates. Peak reflectivity as high as 80% and a broad reflection bandwidth of 80nm were observed in the reflection gratings formed with acetone present in the starting mixture. It was estimated from a fit to the experimental data that the resulting index mismatch was approximately 0.2; consistent with the presence of air voids. It is determined that tunable wavelength, diffraction efficiency, and bandwidth of reflection notches can be achieved by backfilling with fluids of different ref.