Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bismuthene on a SiC substrate: A candidate for a high-temperature quantum spin Hall material

Making a large-gap topological insulator Although of interest to basic research, topological insulators (TIs) have not yet lived up to their technological potential. This is partly because their protected surface-edge state usually lives within a narrow energy gap, with its exotic transport properties overwhelmed by the ordinary bulk material. Reis et al. show that a judicious choice of materials can make the gap wide enough for the topological properties to be apparent at room temperature. Numerical calculations indicate that a monolayer of Bismuth grown on SiC(0001) is a two-dimensional TI with a large energy gap. The researchers fabricated such a heterostructure and characterized it using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The size of the experimentally measured gap was consistent with the calculations. Science, this issue p. 287 Scanning tunneling spectroscopy indicates a large energy gap and conducting edge states, consistent with calculations. Quantum spin Hall materials hold the promise of revolutionary devices with dissipationless spin currents but have required cryogenic temperatures owing to small energy gaps. Here we show theoretically that a room-temperature regime with a large energy gap may be achievable within a paradigm that exploits the atomic spin-orbit coupling. The concept is based on a substrate-supported monolayer of a high–atomic number element and is experimentally realized as a bismuth honeycomb lattice on top of the insulating silicon carbide substrate SiC(0001). Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we detect a gap of ~0.8 electron volt and conductive edge states consistent with theory. Our combined theoretical and experimental results demonstrate a concept for a quantum spin Hall wide-gap scenario, where the chemical potential resides in the global system gap, ensuring robust edge conductance.
Soil bacterial community succession during long‐term ecosystem development

The physicochemical and biological gradients of soil and vegetative succession along the Franz Josef chronosequence in New Zealand were used to test whether bacterial communities show patterns of change associated with long‐term ecosystem development. Pyrosequencing was conducted on soil‐derived 16S rRNA genes at nine stages of ecosystem progression and retrogression, ranging in age from 60 to c. 120 000 years since glacial retreat. Bray–Curtis ordination indicated that the bacterial communities showed clear patterns of change that were closely aligned with ecosystem development, pedogenesis and vegetative succession (Mantel test; r = 0.58; P < 0.001). Eighty per cent (80%) of the explained variability in bacterial community structure was observed during the first c. 1000 years of development, when bacterial richness (Simpson's 1/D) declined from 130 to 30. The relatively high turnover of soil bacterial communities corresponded with an integrative ‘plant–microbial successional feedback’ model that predicts primarily negative feedbacks between plants and soil bacterial communities during progression and early pedogenesis. Positive feedbacks, similar to those of the plant community, could explain the long periods of community stability during later retrogressive stages of ecosystem development. This hypothesized model provides a consistent description linking belowground communities to ecosystem development and succession. The research, using deep sequencing technology, provides the first evidence for soil bacterial community change associated with the process of long‐term ecosystem development. How these bacterial community changes are linked to the processes of primary ecosystem succession is not known and needs further investigation.
Differential Immune Responses and Protective Efficacy Induced by Components of a Tuberculosis Polyprotein Vaccine, Mtb72F, Delivered as Naked DNA or Recombinant Protein1

Key Ags of Mycobacterium tuberculosis initially identified in the context of host responses in healthy purified protein derivative-positive donors and infected C57BL/6 mice were prioritized for the development of a subunit vaccine against tuberculosis. Our lead construct, Mtb72F, codes for a 72-kDa polyprotein genetically linked in tandem in the linear order Mtb32C-Mtb39-Mtb32N. Immunization of C57BL/6 mice with Mtb72F DNA resulted in the generation of IFN-γ responses directed against the first two components of the polyprotein and a strong CD8+ T cell response directed exclusively against Mtb32C. In contrast, immunization of mice with Mtb72F protein formulated in the adjuvant AS02A resulted in the elicitation of a moderate IFN-γ response and a weak CD8+ T cell response to Mtb32c. However, immunization with a formulation of Mtb72F protein in AS01B adjuvant generated a comprehensive and robust immune response, resulting in the elicitation of strong IFN-γ and Ab responses encompassing all three components of the polyprotein vaccine and a strong CD8+ response directed against the same Mtb32C epitope identified by DNA immunization. All three forms of Mtb72F immunization resulted in the protection of C57BL/6 mice against aerosol challenge with a virulent strain of M. tuberculosis. Most importantly, immunization of guinea pigs with Mtb72F, delivered either as DNA or as a rAg-based vaccine, resulted in prolonged survival (>1 year) after aerosol challenge with virulent M. tuberculosis comparable to bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunization. Mtb72F in AS02A formulation is currently in phase I clinical trial, making it the first recombinant tuberculosis vaccine to be tested in humans.
Template complex zonotopes for stability and invariant verification

Recently complex zonotopes were introduced as an extension of real zonotopes to the complex domain, which could capture the eigenstructure nearly periodic linear impulsive systems for stability verification. However, adding more generators to complex zonotopes distorts positive invariance and consequently refining complex zonotopes in a verification procedure is not easy. Therefore, in this paper we introduce a more general set representation, called template complex zonotopes, where the generators are fixed a-priori by a template, but the bounds on the absolute values of their combining coefficients, called scaling factors, are treated as variables and can be algorithmically synthesized. This flexibility in scaling factors leads to a more systematic and significantly more efficient stability verification procedures in case of template complex zonotope. Furthermore, the second contribution of this paper is an application of template complex zonotopes to verification of linear invariance properties of another class of hybrid systems, namely linear switched systems with additive disturbance. Experiments on a number of benchmark examples demonstrate that our approach gives better or competitive results, compared to the state-of-the-art methods and tools for these problems.
Successful Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

We have previously found that a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction exists between pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (P-HSCs) and stromal cells. Based on this finding, we have recently found using chimerism-resistant mouse combinations that successful allogeneic (allo) BMT can be executed by recruiting donor bone marrow stromal cells. The strategies include donor bone grafts under the skin, injection of whole bone marrow cells (BMCs) including stromal cells via the portal vein (PV), and injection of whole BMCs directly into the bone marrow cavity (intra-bone marrow [IBM] injection). In this paper, we show how stromal cells play crucial roles in overcoming chimerism-resistant allo BMT.
Meat and milk intake in the rice-based Korean diet: impact on cancer and metabolic syndrome

Over a few decades, Korean diet has changed from traditional diet, mainly composed of rice and vegetables, to Westernised diet rich, in meat and milk, along with the economic development and globalisation. Increasing prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases such as cancer and metabolic syndrome (MetS) is becoming a heavy burden to society and requires further attention. In this review, the association of meat and milk consumption with cancer and MetS among Koreans was discussed. Previous meta-analyses showed that meat intake was positively associated with increased risk of cancers, especially colon, as well as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and that the intake of milk and dairy products was negatively associated with colorectal cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, based on studies conducted mostly in Western countries. In Korea and other Asian countries, the association of meat and milk intake with cancers were inconclusive and varied by types of cancers. Conversely, milk intake was negatively associated with MetS risk as reported in Western countries. The difference in results between Korea and Western countries might come from the differences in dietary patterns and study designs. Most Koreans still maintain traditional dietary pattern, although rapid change towards Westernised diet is underway among the younger age group. Randomised clinical trials or prospective cohort studies with consideration of combined effects of various dietary factors in Korea and other Asian countries are needed to elucidate the impact of meat and milk or related dietary patterns in their diet.
csrA Inhibits the Formation of Biofilms by Vibrio vulnificus

ABSTRACT PCR screening of the shellfish-borne pathogen Vibrio vulnificus revealed csrA-negative strains, and these strains formed increased biofilm compared to csrA-positive strains. Complementation in trans with csrA resulted in reduced biofilm formation, similar to that by csrA+ strains. Our results provide evidence that csrA inhibits biofilm formation in V. vulnificus.
Mild therapeutic hypothermia in patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing immediate percutaneous coronary intervention*

Objective:Mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) has been integrated into international resuscitation guidelines. In the majority of patients, sudden cardiac arrest is caused by myocardial infarction. This study investigated whether a combination of MTH with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is feasible, safe, and potentially beneficial in patients after cardiac arrest due to acute myocardial infarction. Design:Single-center observational study with a historical control group. Setting:University clinic. Patients:Thirty-three patients after cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation as initial rhythm and restoration of spontaneous circulation who remained unconscious at admission and presented with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Interventions:In 16 consecutive patients (2005–2006), MTH was initiated immediately after admission and continued during primary PCI. Seventeen consecutive patients who were treated in a similar 2-yr observation interval before implementation of MTH (2003–2004) served as a control group. Feasibility, safety, mortality, and neurologic outcome were documented. Measurements and Main Results:Initiation of MTH did not result in longer door-to-balloon times compared with the control group (82 vs. 85 mins), indicating that implementation of MTH did not delay the onset of primary PCI. Target temperature (32–34°C) in the MTH group was reached within 4 hrs, consistent with previous trials and suggesting that primary PCI did not affect the velocity of cooling. Despite a tendency to increased bleeding complications and infections, patients treated with MTH tended to have a lower mortality after 6 months (25% vs. 35%, p = .71) and an improved neurologic outcome as determined by a Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Scale score of 1 or 2 (69% vs. 47% in the control group, p = .30). Conclusions:MTH in combination with primary PCI is feasible and safe in patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest due to acute myocardial infarction. A combination of these therapeutic procedures should be strongly considered as standard therapy in patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to STEMI.
Special diabetes program for Indians: reliability and validity of brief measures of print literacy and numeracy.

OBJECTIVES Health literacy is associated with health knowledge, behavior, and outcomes. Availability of valid measures of health literacy that require minimal time and resources to administer may provide a valuable resource for researchers and healthcare providers. We investigated the psychometric properties of brief, written tests of two components of health literacy--print literacy and numeracy--among American Indians and Alaska Natives. DESIGN Secondary analysis of baseline data from the Special Diabetes Program for Indians Healthy Heart Project. SETTING Thirty health care programs participate in the project. They span 13 states and include Indian Health Service hospitals/clinics/service units as well as tribal and urban Indian health care programs. PARTICIPANTS 3,033 American Indian and Alaska Native adults with diabetes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Internal consistency was investigated for the print literacy items. Construct validity analyses examined the expected association of print literacy and numeracy with demographic characteristics and four measures of disease knowledge. RESULTS The print literacy items demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. Print literacy and numeracy were more limited among older people and those with lower income and education. Both measures were strong predictors of disease knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Results support the value of the brief tests of print literacy and numeracy, and represent the first examination of the performance of health literacy measures in the American Indian and Alaska Native population.
Periconceptional Undernutrition Alters Growth Trajectory and Metabolic and Endocrine Responses to Fasting in Late-Gestation Fetal Sheep

Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy can lead to impaired metabolic regulation in postnatal offspring. The extent to which such abnormalities are determined in early gestation, and may already be present in fetal life, is unknown. We studied the effect of periconceptional undernutrition on fetal growth and metabolism in late gestation. Ewes were either well fed throughout pregnancy (N) or undernourished to reduce ewe weight by 15% from 61 d before until 30 d after mating (UN). At 121 d, one cohort of ewes and their singleton fetuses (N, n = 10; UN, n = 10) were fasted for 72 h, given 25 g of glucose i.v. over 8 h, and refed. Fetal and placental weights were not different at 131 d. UN ewes had higher glucose, amino nitrogen, and Hb concentrations than N ewes. UN fetuses had higher glucose and lactate, and lower amino nitrogen and O2 concentrations and pH. UN ewes had higher insulin and lower IGF-I concentrations, and UN ewes and fetuses had higher placental lactogen concentrations. A second cohort (N, n = 8; UN, n = 10) were studied until term. Chest girth increment was reduced in UN fetuses until delivery, but birth weights were not significantly reduced. These findings suggest that fetal growth, metabolic and endocrine status, and placental function in late gestation are influenced by maternal nutrition in the periconceptional period, independent of fetal size. Metabolic and endocrine adaptations in the mother may mediate some of these effects. Such adaptations may allow continued fetal growth and survival in the face of a potentially adverse nutritional environment.
Tourist seasonality in Catalonia

Tourist seasonality is one of the main imbalances in the mass destinations. This article seeks to provide more information on seasonality through an analysis of the situation in Catalonia, the most important Spanish region with respect to international tourism. This work focuses on a specific inspection of the main empirical factors. To achieve this, the traditional model of tourism demand has been used primarily as a reference, before an empirical application of a dynamic panel data model of markets for the 2000–2014 period (specifically using the Generalised Method of Moments). Results reveal the significance of the inertial factor and the relevance of income and price factors as well as observable behavioural differentials for some of the main source markets. We believe that the results obtained may be interesting with respect to tourism policies.
Bicycling in Hamilton: Challenges Associated with Bicycling and Cyclists' Subjective Identities

In order to adequately design for and promote safe and regular use of the bicycle as a form of active transportation, researchers and policy-makers alike would benefit from the input of practiced bicyclists. These lay experts possess unique experiential knowledge of local routes, gaps in the network and the degree of comfort afforded by different types of infrastructure. Furthermore, these individuals are adept at commenting on subjectively valuable aspects of bicycling, which may assist in informing promotion and marketing of this activity. This research draws on the knowledge of lay experts who regularly bicycle in Hamilton, Ontario. The objectives of this research were to identify and understand the challenges associated with bicycling in Hamilton, and to explore the subjective identities of Hamilton’s cyclists. A thematic analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews was conducted and the following themes were identified and explored: an array of physical, structural and social deterrents to bicycling exist in Hamilton; and the identities of Hamilton’s cyclists are complex, locally rooted and multidimensional in nature. Using a critical lens, with the help of the Social Ecological Model of Health and Identity Theory, this study draws the following conclusions: cyclists are well-equipped to critically evaluate the urban spaces through which they travel; cyclists may play an important role in encouraging non-users to take up bicycling; and cyclists and auto drivers may benefit from collaborating over mutually beneficial goals. Furthermore, while many individuals who ride bicycles do identify themselves as “cyclists” this terminology can be contentious and the identity is heavily rooted in cyclists’ local context. Although this identity is primarily experienced individually, a sense of community does exist; and the identity often spans beyond the simple action of riding a bicycle.
Taking it personally: How to increase interorganizational knowledge sharing in a tourist district

Despite the critical role individual workers play in delivering tourism products and services, there is a dearth of empirical information about “personal” factors that influence inter-organizational knowledge sharing in relation to tourist destinations. This study fills this knowledge gap by exploring personal factors that influence inter-organizational knowledge sharing, by empirically examining the personal experiences of individuals working for various organizations in the Bomun Tourism Complex, the oldest national tourist district in Gyeongju, South Korea. The results of our preliminary survey showed that Bomun Tourism Complex employees tend to interact with others in the same type of business and in private meetings as opposed to in more public or industry-wide meetings, with wide variation in the level of actual interaction. In-depth interviews then focused on three personal factors we had identified in an extensive literature review: personal attitude, competence, and embeddedness. Based on the results, three practical implications to increase inter-organizational knowledge sharing were offered: educating people about the substantial benefits of interorganizational knowledge sharing, finding ways to promote community spirit within the cluster, increasing various types of interactions and meetings, and activating the mediating role of destination management organizations.
T he proportional Shapley value and an application

We introduce a non linear weighted Shapley value for cooperative games with transferable utility, in which the weights are endogenously given by the players’ stand-alone worths. We call it the proportional Shapley value since it distributes the Harsanyi dividend (Harsanyi, 1959) of all coalitions in proportion to the stand-alone worths of its members. We show that this value recommends an appealing payoff distribution in a land production economy introduced in Shapley and Shubik (1967). Although the proportional Shapley value does not satisfy the classical axioms of linearity and consistency (Hart and Mas-Colell, 1989), the main results provide comparable axiomatic characterizations of our value and the Shapley value by means of weak versions of these two axioms. Moreover, our value inherits several well-known properties of the weighted Shapley values.
Enhanced sludge reduction in septic tanks by increasing temperature

Septic tanks in most developing countries are constructed without drainage trenches or leaching fields to treat toilet wastewater and /or grey water. Due to the short hydraulic retention time, effluents of these septic tanks are still highly polluted, and there is usually high accumulation of septic tank sludge or septage containing high levels of organics and pathogens that requires frequent desludging and subsequent treatment. This study aimed to reduce sludge accumulation in septic tanks by increasing temperatures of the septic tank content. An experimental study employing two laboratory-scale septic tanks fed with diluted septage and operating at temperatures of 40 and 30°C was conducted. At steady-state conditions, there were more methanogenic activities occurring in the sludge layer of the septic tank operating at the temperature of 40°C, resulting in less total volatile solids (TVS) or sludge accumulation and more methane (CH4) production than in the unit operating at 30°C. Molecular analysis found more abundance and diversity of methanogenic microorganisms in the septic tank sludge operating at 40°C than at 30°C. The reduced TVS accumulation in the 40°C septic tank would lengthen the period of septage removal, resulting in a cost-saving in desluging and septage treatment. Cost-benefit analysis of increasing temperatures in septic tanks was discussed.
Atypical fibrous histiocytoma of the skin and subcutis in childhood and adolescence

The authors have observed 15 examples of a distinctive fibrohistiocytic lesion in children and adolescents which they chose to designate as “atypical fibrous histiocytoma” (AFH). Patient ages ranged from 1 to 19 years (mean 9.3 yr.). Only two cases were encountered in the first year of life, but 7 were seen in children under the age of 10 yr. The anatomic distribution of AFH showed a tendency for a truncal origin (66%), and none was located in the skin of the face, neck, or scalp. Tumor sizes ranged from 1 to 3 cm, and one‐third were 2 cm or greater in maximum dimension. Histologically, AFH was characterized by a multinodular, dermal or dermal‐subcuticular proliferation of spindle cells, with tapered, cytologically bland nuclei. However, nucleocytoplasmic ratios were increased when compared with those of normal fibroblasts. Nuclear chromatin was dispersed or vesicular; nucleoli were seen in a minority of cases, but mitotic activity was regularly present. Admixed giant cells were present but infrequent, cellularity was dense, and a storiform growth pattern was consistently seen. Mean followup in this group of cases averaged 75 mo. Seven patients (47%) had tumor recurrences after initial excision; in two of these, tissue margins had been free of involvement. The authors conclude that AFH of childhood is analogous to a lesion that has previously been reported as “benign fibrous histiocytoma” in adults. Complete excision and regular postoperative surveillance are recommended for these tumors.