Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Design Criteria for Isolation Devices in Vibration Control

Vibration control and mitigation is an open issue in many engineering applications. Passive strategies was widely studied and applied in many contests, such as automotive, aerospatial, seismic and similar. One open question is how to choose opportunely devices parameters to optimize performances in vibration control. In case of isolators, whose the main scope is decoupling structural elements from the vibrating support, optimal parameters must satisfy both vibration reduction and displacement limitation. This paper is focused on the a multi-objective optimization criterion for linear viscous-elastic isolation devices, utilised for decreasing high vibration levels induced in mechanical and structural systems, by random loads. In engineering applications base isolator devices are adopted for reducing the acceleration level in the protected system and, consequently, the related damage and the failure probability in acceleration sensitive contents and equipment. However, since these devices act by absorbing a fraction of input energy, they can be subjected to excessive displacements, which can be unacceptable for real applications. Consequently, the mechanical characteristics of these devices must be selected by means of an optimum design criterion in order to attain a better performance control. The proposed criterion for the optimum design of the mechanical characteristics of the vibration control device is the minimization of a bi-dimensional objective function, which collects two antithetic measures: the first is the index of device efficiency in reducing the vibration level, whereas the second is related to system failure, here associated, as in common applications, to the first exceeding of a suitable response over a given admissible level. The multi-objective optimization will be carried out by means of a stochastic approach: in detail, the excitation acting at the support of the protected system will be assumed to be a stationary stochastic coloured process. The design variables of optimization problem, collected in the design vector (DV), are the device frequency and the damping ratio. As cases of study, two different problems will be analysed: the base isolation of a rigid mass and the tuned mass damper positioned on a MDoF structural system, subject to a base acceleration. 20
A transgenic Lef1/beta-catenin-dependent reporter is expressed in spatially restricted domains throughout zebrafish development.

The Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway plays multiple roles during embryonic development, only a few of which have been extensively characterized. Although domains of Wnt expression have been identified throughout embryogenesis, anatomical and molecular characterization of responding cells has been mostly unexplored. We have generated a transgenic zebrafish line that expresses a destabilized green fluorescent protein (GFP) variant under the control of a beta-catenin responsive promoter. Early zygotic expression of this transgene (TOPdGFP) mirrors known domains of Wnt signaling in the embryo. Loss of Lef1 activity results in decreased reporter expression and posterior defects, while loss of Tcf3 (Headless, Hdl) activity does not alter reporter expression, even though it results in loss of forebrain structures. In addition, ectopic Wnt1 expression can activate the reporter. In older embryos, we identify a number of transgene-expressing cell populations as novel sites of beta-catenin signaling. We conclude that our TOP-dGFP reporter line faithfully illustrates domains of beta-catenin activity and enables the identification of responsive cell populations.
The role of boundary organizations in co-management: examining the politics of knowledge integration in a marine protected area in Belize

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an increasingly popular tool for management of the marine commons. Effective governance is essential if MPAs are to achieve their objectives, yet many MPAs face conflicts and governance challenges, including lack of trust and knowledge integration between fishers, scientists, and policy makers. This paper considers the role of a boundary organization in facilitating knowledge integration in a co-managed MPA, the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve in Belize. Boundary organizations can play an important role in resource management, by bridging the science-policy divide, facilitating knowledge integration, and enabling communication in conditions of uncertainty. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Belize, the paper identifies four challenges for knowledge integration. First, actors have divergent perspectives on whether and how knowledge is being integrated. Second, actors disagree on resource conditions within the MPA and how these should be understood. Third, in order to maintain accountability with multiple actors, including fishers, government, and funders, the boundary organization has promoted the importance of different types of knowledge for different purposes (science and fishers’ knowledge), rather than the integration of these. Finally, a lack of trust and uneven power relations make it difficult to separate knowledge claims from political claims. However, even if knowledge integration proves difficult, boundary organizations may still play an important role by maintaining accountability, providing space for conflicting understandings to co-exist, and ultimately for governance institutions to evolve.
Persistent Low Level Epstein-Barr Virus DNAemia in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Background: Clinical observation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status has not documented in childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) sustaining long-term remission of malignant diseases. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the EBV status in children with various malignant diseases after they completed their treatments. Patients and Methods: Thirty consecutive children with various malignant diseases previously received treatment at the University of Tsukuba Hospital. Nine cases had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 10 had solid tumors, 4 had lymphoma, 4 had CNS tumors, and 3 had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). EBV DNA in 328 whole blood samples were monitored by real-time QPCR for all cases after treatment. Clinical records and laboratory data were also reviewed. Results: There were 6/30 (20%) cases with continuous detection of EBV DNA while there were 24/30 (80%) cases without continuous EBV DNA. EBV DNAemia was persistently observed in 4/9 (44.4%) cases with ALL and in 2/4 (50%) cases with lymphoma. Persistent EBV DNAemia can be observed for >5 years without any EBV associated symptoms or diseases. Conclusions: Childhood cancer survivors have persistent EBV DNAemia more frequently, which is thought to be observed in cases with ALL and lymphoma with higher tendency for >5 years after treatment. Persistent EBV DNAemia is frequent in CCSs aged 5–10 years. Any immunological alteration is speculative in a pathophysiology of persistent EBV DNAemia.
Identifying Different IS Outsourcing Client Types

Despite the experience with IS outsourcing for decades, numerous outsourcing arrangements fail in practice. Likely reasons for such failures can be ascribed to divergent expectations and an inappropriate governance of the outsourcing relationship. The objective of this paper is to explore different types of outsourcing relationships and their configuration depending on the underlying expectations of outsourcing clients. Based on survey responses from 268 outsourcing clients, the data was analyzed with an exploratory factor analysis revealing four main outsourcing motives. These factors were used as distinguishing variables in a subsequent cluster analysis revealing four distinct outsourcing client types: business-efficiency clients, cost-conscious clients, strategists, and IT-excellence and reliability-oriented clients. These types were characterized along their underlying outsourcing motives and attributes that form each type. The findings call for a more differentiated view on outsourcing relationships. The paper concludes with implications for outsourcing clients and vendors and an outlook on future research.
Neutrophil deformability in patients with sepsis, septic shock, and adult respiratory distress syndrome

Objective To investigate the deformability of morphologically active and passive neutrophils in patients with sepsis (SP), septic shock (SS), and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Design Prospective, observational study. Setting A university hospital intensive care unit and research laboratory. Patients Six patients with sepsis, six patients with septic shock, and six patients with ARDS. Eight healthy volunteers and eight ventilated but noninfected patients served as controls. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Morphologically passive and active neutrophil deformability as defined by the micropipette method was significantly decreased in patients with SP, SS, and ARDS associated with sepsis as compared with both control groups. Neutrophils from SS and ARDS patients were significantly more rigid as compared with neutrophils from SP patients but they did not differ from each other. The percentage of activated neutrophils was significantly higher in SP, SS, and ARDS patients. Increased passive neutrophil rigidity was significantly attenuated after coincubation with cytochalasin D. Tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and interleukin-1&bgr; serum levels were significantly higher in SP, SS, and ARDS patients. Conclusions The entire neutrophil population is less deformable in SP, SS, and ARDS patients. The decreased deformability of passive neutrophils suggests that a direct mechanism involving actin polymerization, distinct from cell activation, is involved. These observations may be important in the mechanism of impaired vascular flow in patients with sepsis.
2 Baculovirus Biopesticides

Baculoviruses are a large group of double-stranded DNA viruses (almost 1000 species have been described); the majority have been isolated from a few insect orders: Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera. Viral genome ranges in size from 80 to 200 kb. Individual baculoviruses usually have a narrow host range limited to a few closely related species. The most widely studied baculovirus is the Autographa californica nuclepolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Baculoviruses are arthropod viruses well known due to their potential as agents of biological control of pests in agriculture and forestry. They are also widely used as expression vectors in biotechnology. The family Baculoviridae contains diverse members and in the past the classification was based on virus morphology. It was divided into two genera: the Nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPVs) and the Granulovirus (GVs). Recently, this division was challenged (Jehle et al., 2006) because the comparison of 29 fully sequenced baculoviral genomes indicated that virus phylogeny followed more closely the classification of the hosts than the virion morphological traits, but the traditional division into two genera is still widely used. Baculoviruses infect arthropods and they do not replicate in vertebrates, plants and microorganisms. Although they do not replicate, they may, under special conditions, enter animal cells. This unexpected property made them a valuable tool in the last few years for studies of transient expression of foreign genes under vertebrate promoters introduced into baculovirus genome (Boyce and Bucher, 1996; Kost et al., 2005). The circular DNA genome of AcMNPV is surrounded by a small basic protein which neutralizes the negative charge of the DNA. This structure is protected by proteins forming a nucleocapsid. Virions consist of one or more nucleocapsids embedded in a membranous envelope. Two morphologically distinct, but genetically identical, viral forms are produced at different times post-infection: • Budded virus particles (BV) which serve for the transmission of the virus to other tissues of the caterpillar body. • Occlusion bodies (OB) which are responsible for the survival of the virus in the environment and the spread of the virus from insect to insect.
Bunina bodies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Bunina bodies, which are small eosinophilic intraneuronal inclusions in the remaining lower motor neurons, are generally considered to be a specific pathologic hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). One year before a publication by Bunina, van Reeth et al. described similar intracytoplasmic inclusions in the anterior horn cells in a patient with Pick's dementia with atypical ALS. At present, only two proteins have been shown to be present in Bunina bodies, one is cystatin C and the other is transferrin. Bunina bodies consist of amorphous electron‐dense material surrounded by tubular and vesicular structures on electron microscopy. Although the nature and significance of Bunina bodies in ALS are not yet clear, the bodies may be abnormal accumulations of unknown proteinous materials.
Serological response to the P fimbriae of uropathogenic Escherichia coli in pyelonephritis

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from four patients with pyelonephritis were characterized by their O:K serotype, hemolysin production, mannose-resistant hemagglutination, and the serotype of the P fimbriae. These P fimbriae were serotyped with specific monoclonal antibodies. Serum samples from the patients were analyzed for the presence of specific antibodies to the P fimbriae. In all cases antifimbrial antibodies were found, strongly suggesting that these P fimbriae are expressed in vivo. However, the antibodies in the patient sera were not able to inhibit the mannose-resistant hemagglutination. This finding suggests that these antibodies react with the fimbrial components and not with the minor components which are responsible for adhesion.
The metabolism of indomethacin in man.

In contrast to earlier reports, indomethacin- 14 C has been found to undergo extensive O-demethylation and N-deacylation in man. Isotope dilution analyses for unchanged indomethacin, its desmethyl, desbenzoyl and desmethyl-desbenzoyl metabolites and their respective conjugates revealed that unchanged drug (free plus conjugated forms) constituted the major species present only in the earliest plasma and urine samples. The respective time courses of appearances in plasma and of urinary excretion of indomethacin and its metabolites suggest that demethylatien followed by deacylation constitutes the major pathway for catabolism in man and direct deacylation a miner one. Fecal excretion of radioactivity was variable ranging from 21 to 42% of the dose through four days but was invariably comprised predominantly of the two demethylated metabolites (>90%), almost entirely in their unconjugated forms. Material balance considerations and absorption kinetics preclude reabsorption of significant levels of unchanged indomethacin, suggesting a virtual absence of enterohepatic recycling in man. Kinetic analysis is consistent with the concept of at least two nonsampleable tissue pools for indomethacin and its conjugate(s) ; one with a half-life equal to that for the plasma pool, and a second of considerably longer half-life, providing a reservoir for regeneration of free indomethacin. The present findings indicate that the results of earlier clinical studies based upon nonspecific isotope or fluorescence methodology are subject to considerable reinterpretation.
Compact TSV modeling for low power application

Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology is one of the most critical and enabling technologies for 3-D integration. Compared with conventional I/O structures, such as flip-chips, metal bumps, and wire-bonding, TSV technologies result in reduction of interconnect length, wire parasitics, propagation delay, and power consumption. Therefore, a compact model for a TSV is proposed based on electromagnetic simulations. The proposed model enables direct extraction of the TSV resistance, self-inductance, oxide capacitance, and parasitic elements due to the finite substrate resistivity. The model's compactness and compatibility with SPICE simulations allows the fast investigation of a TSV impact on a 3-D circuit performance. The parameters' values of the proposed wide-band TSV model are fitted to the simulated S-parameters up to 100 GHz with an error less than 5%.
Constructing Piecewise Linear 2-Knot Complements

The groups of high dimensional knots have been characterized by Kervaire [7], but there is still no general description of all 2-knot groups. Kervaire identified a large class of groups that are natural candidates to serve as 2-knot groups and proved that each of these groups is the group of the complement of a smooth 2-sphere in a homotopy 4-sphere. Freedman’s solution to the 4-dimensional Poincare conjecture implies that the groups Kervaire identified are the groups of locally flat topological 2-knots, but it is not known whether all of them are groups of piecewise linear (PL) 2-knots in S. The best result is due to Levine [9], who observed that the Andrews-Curtis conjecture can be used to show that all the groups identified by Kervaire are groups of PL 2-knots in S. In this note we outline a new proof of Levine’s theorem. The proof given here is entirely 4-dimensional; the Kirby calculus of links is used to give an explicit picture of the 2-knot and its complement. By contrast, the usual proof of Levine’s theorem involves constructing a 5dimensional ball pair whose boundary is the knot. Our proof leads to a piecewise linear knot with one nonlocally flat point. It is clear from the construction that the link of the exceptional vertex is a ribbon link. The proof in this paper is based on a recent construction of Lickorish [10].
Detection of toxigenic strains of Bacillus cereus in milk and dairy products through polymerase chain reaction.

Fifty nine samples of raw milk, 60 samples of pasteurized milk, 24 cream, 39 butter, 27 curd, 19 peda, 21 paneer and 20 skim milk powder samples were analyzed for the presence of different Bacillus species and a total of 182 isolates were obtained. The isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis (51), Bacillus megaterium (39), Bacillus cereus (28), Bacillus licheniformis (32), Bacillus coagulans (7), Bacillus sphaericus (8), Bacillus pumilus (9) and Bacillus circulans (8). All the 28 Bacillus cereus isolates obtained in the study were subjected to polymerase chain reaction amplification for the presence of 365 nucleotides and all the isolates formed a distinct PCR product of 365 bp, which confirmed that these isolates were Bacillus cereus. Only 2 out of 28 Bacillus cereus isolates were found to be enterotoxigenic. One isolate harboured all the five genes of B, B’, L1, L2 and ET of the HBL-ET complex whereas the other isolate contained B, L1, L2 and ET genes and the B’ component was missing. Both the toxigenic strains of Bacillus cereus produced similar discontinuous haemolysis pattern on blood agar and cytotoxic effect on Vero cell line.
Signal Model-Based Fault Coding for Diagnostics and Prognostics of Analog Electronic Circuits

Analog circuits have been extensively used in industrial systems, and their failure may make the systems work abnormally and even cause accidents. In order to monitor their status, detect faults, and predict their failure early, this study proposes a signal model-based fault coding to monitor the circuit response after being stimulated to perform a fault diagnosis without training a large amount of sample data and fault classifiers. Manifold features extracted from circuit responses are associated with a fault-indicating curve in the feature space, in which a group of fault bases are uniformly and continuously distributed along with gradual deviation from the nominal value of one critical component. These bases can be deployed in a factory setting but used during field operation. Fault coding is converted to a novel optimization problem, and the optimized solution forms a fault code representing fault class, suitable for realizing fault detection, and isolation for different components. A fault indicator based on comparison between fault codes can describe performance degradation trends. To improve the prediction accuracy, historical degradation data are collected and considered as a priori exemplars, and a novel exemplar-based conditional particle filter is proposed to track a degradation process for the prediction of remaining useful performance. Case studies on two analog filter circuits demonstrate that the proposed method achieves relatively high fault diagnosis and prognosis accuracy. The main advantages of our study are two-fold: first, the high diagnostic accuracy can still be obtained even if there is no large amount of training data; second, the prognostic effect remains relatively stable whenever triggering prognosis module.
Preparation and Evaluation of Floating Risedronate Sodium–Gelucire® 43/01 Formulations

Single and multi-unit floating matrices of risedronate sodium were prepared using Gelucire® 43/01 by melt solidification and melt granulation technique, respectively. The controlled release floating matrices were evaluated for in vitro and in vivo floating ability and in vitro drug release. Effect of aging on Gelucire® 43/01 was evaluated by hot stage microscopy (HSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in vitro floating ability, and in vitro drug release. Multi-unit system obtained has shown initial burst release, which was suppressed in single unit system. Both single- as well as multi-unit systems showed increase in rate of drug release on aging due to changes in the properties of the Gelucire® 43/01. Multi-unit matrices obtained by melt granulation were relatively easier for scale up and advantageous if the initial burst release does not cause any significant clinical adversity.
Cone beam CT-based set-up strategies with and without rotational correction for stereotactic body radiation therapy in the liver

Abstract Background: Accurate patient positioning is crucial in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) due to a high dose regimen. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is often used for patient positioning based on radio-opaque markers. We compared six CBCT-based set-up strategies with or without rotational correction. Material and methods: Twenty-nine patients with three implanted markers received 3-6 fraction liver SBRT. The markers were delineated on the mid-ventilation phase of a 4D-planning-CT. One pretreatment CBCT was acquired per fraction. Set-up strategy 1 used only translational correction based on manual marker match between the CBCT and planning CT. Set-up strategy 2 used automatic 6 degrees-of-freedom registration of the vertebrae closest to the target. The 3D marker trajectories were also extracted from the projections and the mean position of each marker was calculated and used for set-up strategies 3–6. Translational correction only was used for strategy 3. Translational and rotational corrections were used for strategies 4–6 with the rotation being either vertebrae based (strategy 4), or marker based and constrained to ±3° (strategy 5) or unconstrained (strategy 6). The resulting set-up error was calculated as the 3D root-mean-square set-up error of the three markers. The set-up error of the spinal cord was calculated for all strategies. Results: The bony anatomy set-up (2) had the largest set-up error (5.8 mm). The marker-based set-up with unconstrained rotations (6) had the smallest set-up error (0.8 mm) but the largest spinal cord set-up error (12.1 mm). The marker-based set-up with translational correction only (3) or with bony anatomy rotational correction (4) had equivalent set-up error (1.3 mm) but rotational correction reduced the spinal cord set-up error from 4.1 mm to 3.5 mm. Conclusions: Marker-based set-up was substantially better than bony-anatomy set-up. Rotational correction may improve the set-up, but further investigations are required to determine the optimal correction strategy.