Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Water-Stable Electrospun Zein Fibers for Potential Drug Delivery

This paper reports the development of electrospun zein fibers with improved water stability and tensile strength for potential drug delivery. The low morphological stability in aqueous environment and poor mechanical properties in dry and wet states have restricted the applications of electrospun protein materials, though these materials possess a unique structure, special adsorption properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this study, the electrospun zein fibers were modified by non-toxic citric acid crosslinking catalyzed by NaOH. An up to 183% enhancement in dry tensile strength and an up to 448% improvement in wet tensile strength were generated. The cross-linked fibers were able to maintain their fibrous structure for 15 days in phosphate-buffered saline at 37°C. Moreover, those cross-linked electrospun zein fibers showed a potential in controlled drug delivery with a 58% drug-loading efficiency and a sustained profile drug release in artificial gastric juice.
Impact of Left Anterior Line on Left Atrial Appendage Contractility in Patients Who Underwent Catheter Ablation for Chronic Atrial Fibrillation

Left anterior line (LAL) has been used as a substitute for mitral isthmus line for catheter ablation of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it results in left anterolateral conduction delay and might affect left atrial (LA) contractility. We aimed to investigate whether LAL decreases LA appendage function.
Mitigating Congestion in a Power System and Role of FACTS Devices

Congestion management refers to avoiding or relieving congestion. In transmission lines, congestion management is one of the most important issues for the reliable operation of power system in the deregulated environment. Restructuring has brought considerable changes in all possible domains including electric supply industry. By virtue of restructuring, electricity has now become a commodity and has converted into a deregulated one. The traditional regulated power system has now become a competitive power market. In the present scenario, the real time transmission congestion is the operating condition in which the transfer capability to implement all the traded transactions simultaneously is not enough due to either some expected contingencies or market settlement. Thus, congestion is associated with one or more violations of the physical, operational, and policy constraints under which grids operate. Thus, congestion management is about managing the power transmission and distribution among valuable consumers priority-wise. Placement of FACTS (Flexible Alternating Current Transmission System) devices for generation rescheduling and load-shedding play a crucial role in congestion management. FACTS devices are used to enhance the maximum load ability of the transmission system. FACTS increases the flexibility of power system, makes it more controllable, and allows utilization of existing network closer to its thermal loading capacity without jeopardizing the stability. FACTS technology can boost the transfer capability in stability limited systems by 20–30%. As a result, more power can reach consumers with a shorter project implementation time and a lower investment cost. This review work unites the various publications on congestion management in past few decades.
Conformal relativity with hypercomplex variables

Majorana's arbitrary spin theory is considered in a hyperbolic complex representation. The underlying differential equation is embedded into the gauge field theories of Sachs and Carmeli. In particular, the approach of Sachs can serve as a unified theory of general relativity and electroweak interactions. The method is extended to conformal space with the intention to introduce the strong interaction. It is then possible to use the wave equation, operating on representation functions of the conformal group, to describe the dynamics of matter fields. The resulting gauge groups resemble closely the gauge symmetries of Glashow–Salam–Weinberg and the standard model.
Evidence for peer support in rehabilitation for individuals with acquired brain injury: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To systematically review the literature on evidence for the application of peer support in the rehabilitation of persons with acquired brain injury. DATA SOURCES PubMed, Embase.com, Ebsco/Cinahl, Ebsco/PsycInfo and Wiley/Cochrane Library were searched from inception up to 19 June 2015. STUDY SELECTION Randomized controlled trials were included describing participants with acquired brain injury in a rehabilitation setting and peer supporters who were specifically assigned to this role. DATA EXTRACTION Two independent reviewers assessed metho-dological quality using the PEDro scale. Cohen's kappa was calculated to assess agreement between the reviewers. DATA SYNTHESIS Two randomized controlled trials could be included, both focussing on patients with traumatic brain injury. The randomized controlled trials included a total of 126 participants with traumatic brain injury and 62 care-givers and suggest a positive influence of peer support for traumatic brain injury survivors and their caregivers in areas of social support, coping, behavioural control and physical quality of life. CONCLUSION The evidence for peer support is limited and restricted to traumatic brain injury. Randomized controlled trials on peer support for patients with other causes of acquired brain injury are lacking. It is important to gain more insight into the effects of peer support and the influence of patient and peer characteristics and the intervention protocol.
A high-performance low-power 2D 8/spl times/8 IDCT processor with asynchronous pipeline

This paper presents a high-performance low-power 2D IDCT processor for video applications. Based on multiply-accumulator architecture, the processor can meet the high-speed requirement of HDTV. To save power consumption, the processor employs asynchronous pipeline in which local clocks are enabled only when there is an operation to perform. Compared with conventional synchronous pipelined design, the proposed design exhibits an average power saving of 40%.
Overproduction of NlpE, a new outer membrane lipoprotein, suppresses the toxicity of periplasmic LacZ by activation of the Cpx signal transduction pathway

The LamB-LacZ-PhoA tripartite fusion protein is secreted to the periplasm, where it exerts a toxicity of unknown origin during high-level synthesis in the presence of the inducer maltose, a phenotype referred to as maltose sensitivity. We selected multicopy suppressors of this toxicity that allow growth of the tripartite fusion strains in the presence of maltose. Mapping and subclone analysis of the suppressor locus identified a previously uncharacterized chromosomal region at 4.7 min that is responsible for suppression. DNA sequence analysis revealed a new gene with the potential to code for a protein of 236 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 25,829 Da. The gene product contains an amino-terminal signal sequence to direct the protein for secretion and a consensus lipoprotein modification sequence. As predicted from the sequence, the suppressor protein is labeled with [3H]palmitate and is localized to the outer membrane. Accordingly, the gene has been named nlpE (for new lipoprotein E). Increased expression of NlpE suppresses the maltose sensitivity of tripartite fusion strains and also the extracytoplasmic toxicities conferred by a mutant outer membrane protein, LamBA23D. Suppression occurs by activation of the Cpx two-component signal transduction pathway. This pathway controls the expression of the periplasmic protease DegP and other factors that can combat certain types of extracytoplasmic stress.
Interpretation Bias for Heart Sensations in Congenital Heart Disease and its Relation to Quality of Life

Background: Previous studies have shown that patients with congenital heart disease (ConHD) report a diminished health-related quality of life. Purpose: This study examines the mechanisms by which ConHD affects health-related quality of life. We hypothesize that (1) the relation between trait anxiety and quality of life is mediated by a negative interpretation bias for heart sensations, specifically in ConHD, and that (2) the relation between trait anxiety and interpretation bias is mediated by state anxiety. Method: Sixty-six patients with ConHD and 50 healthy participants read a vignette about a person experiencing ambiguous heart-related sensations. Interpretation bias to these sensations was assessed with the Implicit Models of Illness Questionnaire. Participants completed Spielberger trait and state anxiety questionnaires and the physical subscales of a quality-of-life questionnaire. Results: Path-analysis demonstrated that interpretation bias mediated the relation between trait anxiety and daily functioning. However, trait anxiety and interpretation bias were less influential with respect to gross motor functioning. Moreover, state anxiety mediated the relation between trait anxiety and interpretation bias. Conclusion: These results suggest that patients with ConHD who display both elevated levels of trait and state anxiety exhibit the most pronounced negative interpretation bias for heart sensations and in turn diminished daily functioning.
Specific nanotoxicity of graphene oxide during zebrafish embryogenesis

Abstract Graphene oxide (GO) has shown great potential for biological, medical, energy and electronic applications. As a consequence of these diverse applications, GO release into the ecosystem is inevitable; however, the corresponding risks are largely unknown, particularly with respect to the critical period of embryogenesis. This study revealed that GO adhered to and enveloped the chorion of zebrafish embryos mainly via hydroxyl group interactions, blocked the pore canals of the chorionic membrane, and caused marked hypoxia and hatching delay. Furthermore, GO spontaneously penetrated the chorion, entered the embryo via endocytosis, damaged the mitochondria and primarily translocated to the eye, heart and yolk sac regions, which are involved in the circulatory system of zebrafish. In these organs, GO induced excessive generation of reactive oxygen species and increased oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis. Graphene oxide also induced developmental malformation of the eye, cardiac/yolk sac edema, tail flexure and heart rate reduction. In contrast to the common dose-effect relationships of nanoparticles, the adverse effects of GO on heart rate and tail/spinal cord flexure increased and then decreased as the GO concentration increased. These findings emphasize the specific adverse effects of GO on embryogenesis and highlight the potential ecological and health risks of GO.
Effects of Nicorandil in Neuroprotective Activation of PI3K/AKT Pathways in a Cellular Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Nicorandil, an ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel opener, is known to have protective effects on ischemic injury in heart and brain. One of the most important protective mechanisms is the anti-apoptotic effect on cardiomyocytes and neurons. This study explored the anti-apoptotic effect of nicorandil against neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells overexpressing the Swedish mutant APP (APPsw) and the possible mechanisms involved. We used SH-SY5Y cells transiently transfected with APPsw as a cellular model of Alzheimer's disease. Cells were treated with nicorandil (0.1, 0.5, 1 mM) for 24 h with and without glibenclamide (10 μM), a KATP channel inhibitor. The cells were then collected for MTT, apoptosis assay, and Western blot. In addition, we also investigated the potential involvement of the PI3K/Akt pathway in nicorandil-mediated neuroprotection of APPsw cells. Our results showed that nicorandil dose-dependently increased cell viability and reduced the rate of apoptosis as measured by MTT assay and annexin V/PI staining. Western blot showed that nicorandil could upregulate Bcl-2 levels and downregulate Bax and caspase-3 expression. Further studies showed that nicorandil increased the levels of phospho-Akt and upregulated element-binding protein activity by PI3K activation. Applying a PI3K inhibitor, LY294002 blocked the protection. All these findings suggest that nicorandil might be a potential treatment option for Alzheimer's disease.
Issues Arising from the Rapid Growth of Mainland Chinese Visitors to Hong Kong: Implications for Tourism Marketing

ABSTRACT The rapid growth of mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong has made economic contributions but also created various concerns and conflicts within the destination. As Hong Kong is at the forefront of mainland Chinese visitors’ destinations, what happens in the city could serve as good reference for other destinations that would like to welcome more Chinese visitors. This study used a quantitative survey method to analyze the local community’s attitude toward mainland Chinese visitors. A telephone survey was carried out to gauge Hong Kong residents’ view towards visitors in general and mainland Chinese visitors in particular. Implications for travel and tourism marketing are drawn.
Can evolution of sexual dimorphism be triggered by developmental temperatures?

Genetic prerequisites for the evolution of sexual dimorphism, sex‐specific heritabilities and low or negative genetic correlations between homologous traits in males and females are rarely found. However, sexual dimorphism is evolving rapidly following environmental change, suggesting that sexual dimorphism and its genetic background could be environmentally sensitive. Yet few studies have explored the sensitivity of the genetic background of sexual dimorphism on environmental variation. In this study, on Drosophila melanogaster, we used a large nested full‐sib–half‐sib breeding design where families were split into four different developmental temperatures: two constant temperature treatments of 25 and 30 °C and two cycling temperatures with means of 25 and 30 °C, respectively. After emergence, we tested heat shock tolerance of adult flies. We found that sexual dimorphism was strongly affected by temperature during development. Moreover, we found that female heritability was significantly lower in flies developing at hot temperature and more so under hot and cycling temperatures. Interestingly, most of the genetic variation for heat shock tolerance was orthogonal (i.e. noncorrelated) between sexes, allowing independent evolution of heat shock tolerance in males and females. These findings give support to the hypothesis that the evolution of sexual dimorphism can be influenced by the environments experienced during development.
Surgery alone or surgery with a combination radiation or chemoradiation for management of patients with bulky‐stage IB2 cervical carcinoma

The management of stage IB2 cervical carcinoma remains controversial. This retrospective review evaluates 47 IB2 cervical carcinoma patients treated with surgery alone (S), surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy (SR), or surgery plus postoperative chemoradiation (SRC). Median progression-free interval (PFI) was 70.3 months for the SR group (n = 21), 73.3 months for the SRC group (n = 15), and 33.5 months for the S group (n = 11). The survival rate was 76% for the SR group, 87% for the SRC group, and 55% for the S group. Overall 5-year survival rate for the three groups was 75%. Median follow-up for the patient population was 61.3 months. The number of the patient and the nonrandomized nature of this study preclude any definitive conclusions, but interestingly, the SRC and SR groups exhibited a substantially better PFI and overall survival compared to the S group. Selection bias does not appear to be a factor since patients in SR or SRC group were at greater risk for recurrence (eg, higher incidence of deep stromal invasion, parametrial involvement) than patients in the S group; yet, they still experienced superior PFI and overall survival. Further studies comparing postoperative irradiation and chemoradiation with these patients in a randomized phase 3 trial may be warranted.
Discovering complex mapping expressions with the TUPELO data mapping system

Overcoming data heterogeneity is a long standing problem in the database [3] and artificial intelligence [9] research communities. A general framework for data sharing between autonomous systems must account for differences in the representation, structure, and interpretation of data. These differences arise naturally in the development and evolution of independently created and maintained systems. Data mapping is at the heart of solutions for bridging this heterogeneity and has a wide variety of manifestations, e.g., schema matching [11] and mapping [8] in database systems, ontology alignment on the semantic web [4], and model matching in generic model management [10]. In general, each of these mapping notions take data structured under a source schema and translate that data into the structure of a target schema. The general Data Mapping Problem is defined as follows:
Taxation and Welfare Policy in Globalizing Economies

This dissertation consists of three indipendent papers covering the role of international economic integration for domestic public finance. In the first paper, I analyze the role of newspaper reporting about economic integration for the formation of individual attitudes towards unemployment insurance. In the second paper, I estimate the effect of international labor mobility on the structure of personal income taxation. In the third paper I model how economic integration interacts with public policies in shaping individual decisions about educational and labor market participation.
Rosiglitazone reduces fatty acid translocase and increases AMPK in skeletal muscle in aged rats: a possible mechanism to prevent high-fat-induced insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND As an agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), rosiglitazone can prevent acute fatty acid-induced insulin resistance in rats, however, the precise mechanisms by which rosiglitazone alleviates insulin resistance induced by high-fat diet need to be further investigated. METHODS Wistar rats aged 23-24 weeks were divided into three groups: (1) aged control group (OC), (2) high-fat diet (HF) group and (3) high-fat diet plus rosiglitazone maleate tablets (HF + Rosi) treatment group (n = 20 in each group). Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by conscious hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique. mRNA levels of fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36), AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1), AMPKα2 and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) of rat skeletal muscle were determined using real-time PCR, while muscle carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1β) was determined using semi-quantitative PCR. Protein expression levels of FAT/CD36, AMPK phosphorylation (reflecting AMPK activity), P-ACC (inversely related with ACC activity) and muscle CPT-1M in rat skeletal muscles were measured using Western blotting. RESULTS Aged rats fed by diet rich in fat for more than 8 weeks led to significant increases of plasma lipids, skeletal muscle intramuscular triglyceride and long-chain fatty acyl-CoA (LCACoA) compared to aged rats fed by normal chow diet (OC) (P < 0.05), which might correlate with the lower (reduced by 42.4%) whole body insulin sensitivity in HF rats. FAT/CD36 protein concentrations and mRNA levels increased in untreated HF aged rats (P < 0.01) and high-fat diet induced a significant decrease in P-AMPK, P-ACC, CPT-1M protein concentrations and AMPKα2 and CPT-1β mRNA levels in rat skeletal muscles (P < 0.05). No change in AMPKα1 mRNA levels was observed in the HF group. CONCLUSION High-fat diet in aged rats results in a lipid accumulation and subsequent insulin resistance, while rosiglitazone can alleviate the insulin resistance by reducing fatty acid uptake as well as enhancing lipometabolism.
Ruminal Transcriptomic Analysis of Grass-Fed and Grain-Fed Angus Beef Cattle

Beef represents a major diet component and one of the major sources of protein in human. The beef industry in the United States is currently undergoing changes and is facing increased demands especially for natural grass-fed beef. The grass-fed beef obtained their nutrients directly from pastures, which contained limited assimilable energy but abundant amount of fiber. On the contrary, the grain-fed steers received a grain-based regime that served as an efficient source of high-digestible energy. Lately, ruminant animals have been accused to be a substantial contributor for the green house effect. Therefore, the concerns from environmentalism, animal welfare and public health have driven consumers to choose grass-fed beef. Rumen is one of the key workshops to digest forage constituting a critical step to supply enough nutrients for animals’ growth and production. We hypothesize that rumen may function differently in grass- and grain-fed regimes. The objective of this study was to find the differentially expressed genes in the ruminal wall of grass-fed and grain-fed steers, and then explore the potential biopathways. In this study, the RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) method was used to measure the gene expression level in the ruminal wall. The total number of reads per sample ranged from 24,697,373 to 36,714,704. The analysis detected 342 differentially expressed genes between ruminal wall samples of animals raised under different regimens. The Fisher’s exact test performed in the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software found 16 significant molecular networks. Additionally, 13 significantly enriched pathways were identified, most of which were related to cell development and biosynthesis. Our analysis demonstrated that most of the pathways enriched with the differentially expressed genes were related to cell development and biosynthesis. Our results provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms resulting in the phenotype difference between grass-fed and grain-fed cattle.
Trust‐Preferred Securities and Insurer Financing Decisions

We analyze insurance holding company (IHC) issuance of trustâ€ preferred securities (TPS) from 1994 to 2013. We find that larger and more financially levered IHCs issued TPS in 1996 and 1997, as well as those that obtained financial strength ratings from A.M. Best. Abnormal stock price returns are positively related to financial distress costs, growth opportunities, and tax burden, but negatively related to size. Consistent with the pecking order theory, intent to use TPS proceeds to retire debt is positively related to abnormal stock returns, whereas intent to use proceeds to retire preferred equity is negatively related to abnormal stock returns.
Multi-level Information Representation Based LOD Streaming for Urban Navigation

Streaming of 3D data sets is a key technology for remote rendering and visualization of huge and complex geometrical models like large scale city models. Even with high speed network it is still difficult to share the 3D information of a city scene among different users. In our work, we have devised a new data representation mechanism and transmission scheme to render the 3D models with less content and less computational cost. Our approach uses light weight building geometry and multi-level textured LOD representation to transmit data via streaming. In addition, we suggest a technique for rendering with selective LODs by emphasizing the regions of interest (ROIs) depending on the importance of the building for a specific user. The LOD distribution is updated over the ROI as the gaze point of the viewer moves over the model surfaces. Preliminary tests and evaluations reveal the feasibility of our method to be extended to large scale mobile applications.