Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contextualizing Concepts

The mathematics of quantum mechanics was developed to cope with problems arising in the description of (1) contextual interactions, and (2) the generation of new states with new properties when particles become entangled. Similar problems arise with concepts. This paper summarizes the rationale for and preliminary results of using a generalization of standard quantum mechanics based on the lattice formalism to describe the contextual manner in which concepts are evoked, used, and combined to generate meaning. Concepts are viewed not as fixed representations but dynamically ‘re-constructed’ entities generated on the fly through interaction between cognitive state and situation
The In Ovo Feeding Administration (Gallus Gallus)—An Emerging In Vivo Approach to Assess Bioactive Compounds with Potential Nutritional Benefits

In recent years, the in ovo feeding in fertilized broiler (Gallus gallus) eggs approach was further developed and currently is widely applied in the evaluation process of the effects of functional foods (primarily plant origin compounds) on the functionality of the intestinal brush border membrane, as well as potential prebiotic properties and interactions with the intestinal microbial populations. This review collates the information of potential nutrients and their effects on the mineral absorption, gut development, brush border membrane functionality, and immune system. In addition, the advantages and limitations of the in ovo feeding method in the assessment of potential prebiotic effects of plant origin compounds is discussed.
Synopsis of the SOFL Plant-Specific Gene Family

SUPPRESSOR OF PHYB-4#5 DOMINANT (sob5-D) was previously identified as a suppressor of the phyB-4 long-hypocotyl phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpression of SOB5 conferred dwarf phenotypes similar to those observed in plants containing elevated levels of cytokinin (CK) nucleotides and nucleosides. Two SOB-FIVE- LIKE (SOFL) proteins, AtSOFL1 and AtSOFL2, which are more similar at the protein level to each other than they are to SOB5, conferred similar phenotypes to the sob5-D mutant when overexpressed. We used protein sequences of founding SOFL gene family members to perform database searches and identified a total of 289 SOFL homologs in genomes of 89 angiosperm species. Phylogenetic analysis results implied that the SOFL gene family emerged during the expansion of angiosperms and later evolved into four distinct clades. Among the newly identified gene family members are four previously unreported Arabidopsis SOFLs. Multiple sequence alignment of the 289 SOFL protein sequences revealed two highly conserved domains; SOFL-A and SOFL-B. We used overexpression and site-directed mutagenesis studies to demonstrate that SOFL domains are necessary for SOB5 and AtSOFL1’s overexpression phenotypes. Examination of the subcellular localization patterns of founding Arabidopsis thaliana SOFLs suggested they may be localized in the cytoplasm and/or the nucleus. Overall, we report that SOFLs are a plant-specific gene family characterized by two conserved domains that are important for function.
The Role of Circulating Free DNA and MicroRNA in Non-Invasive Diagnosis of HBV- and HCV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third and the fifth leading cause of cancer related death worldwide in men and in women, respectively. HCC generally has a poor prognosis, with a very low 5-year overall survival, due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Early tumour detection and timely intervention are the best strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality in HCC patients. Histological evaluation of liver biopsies is the gold standard for cancer diagnosis, although it is an invasive, time-consuming and expensive procedure. Recently, the analysis of circulating free DNA (cfDNA) and RNA molecules released by tumour cells in body fluids, such as blood serum, saliva and urine, has attracted great interest for development of diagnostic assays based on circulating liver cancer molecular biomarkers. Such “liquid biopsies” have shown to be useful for the identification of specific molecular signatures in nucleic acids released by cancer cells, such as gene mutations and altered methylation of DNA as well as variations in the levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Body fluids analysis may represent a valuable strategy to monitor liver disease progression in subjects chronically infected with hepatitis viruses or cancer relapse in HCC treated patients. Several studies showed that qualitative and quantitative assays evaluating molecular profiles of circulating cell-free nucleic acids could be successfully employed for early diagnosis and therapeutic management of HCC patients. This review describes the state of art on the use of liquid biopsy for cancer driver gene mutations, deregulated DNA methylation as well as miRNA levels in HCC diagnosis.
Strength and Weibull Distribution of Alumina Strengthened Whiteware Bodies

A whiteware body composition containing 30% alumina was investigated to study the effects of milling and sieving raw materials on bending strength and Weibull distribution of fired bodies. Test bars were formed by slip casting into a rectangular shape (10b×5b×70mm) and fired at 1350°C for 1h in a reducing atmosphere. Mean bending strength of the fired specimens increased with milling time, almost proportionally to time. Weibull modulus, however, decreased with milling time, because of a small amount of coarse grains which remained in the slip even after long milling. Removing the coarse grains in the slip through a finer sieve resulted in increased strength and higher Weibull modulus. It was found that quartz grains included in the raw feldspar were more effective as fracture sources than feldspar itself. A mean bending strength of 240MPa and Weibull modulus of 21 were obtained from the slip milled for 24h and sieved through 350mesh.
Specific 1,25(OH)2D3-mediated regulation of transcellular calcium transport in Caco-2 cells.

Calcium transport in the apical-to-basolateral (A-to-B) or B-to-A direction was examined in cells treated with 10 nM 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[1,25(OH)2D3, calcitriol] for up to 72 h. Net A-to-B calcium transport was positive at all time points and increased from 0.14 ± 0.06 to 0.50 ± 0.01 nmol ⋅ well-1 ⋅ min-1after 72 h of calcitriol treatment. Neither phenol red transport nor transepithelial electrical resistance was altered by calcitriol treatment, suggesting that the increase in net A-to-B calcium transport was not due to paracellular movement. Neither 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 nor 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (100 nM, 48 h) alters basal or calcitriol-stimulated A-to-B calcium transport. Treatment with the calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine (50 μM) reduced calcitriol-stimulated A-to-B Ca transport by 56%. The transcription inhibitor actinomycin D inhibited calcitriol-regulated A-to-B calcium transport as well as calbindin D9kand 24-hydroxylase mRNA accumulation. These data demonstrate that calcitriol-mediated A-to-B calcium transport in Caco-2 cells is a specific, transcellular process that requires transcriptional events normally mediated through the vitamin D receptor.
Evidence for peroxynitrite as a signaling molecule in flow-dependent activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase.

The c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), also known as stress-activated protein kinase, is a mitogen-activated protein kinase that determines cell survival in response to environmental stress. Activation of JNK involves redox-sensitive mechanisms and physiological stimuli such as shear stress, the dragging force generated by blood flow over the endothelium. Laminar shear stress has antiatherogenic properties and controls structure and function of endothelial cells by mechanisms including production of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide ([Formula: see text]). Here we show that both NO and [Formula: see text] are required for activation of JNK by shear stress in endothelial cells. The present study also demonstrates that exposure of endothelial cells to shear stress increases tyrosine nitration, a marker of reactive nitrogen species formation. Furthermore, inhibitors or scavengers of NO, [Formula: see text], or reactive nitrogen species prevented shear-dependent increase in tyrosine nitration and activation of JNK. Peroxynitrite alone, added to cells as a bolus or generated over 60 min by 3-morpholinosydnonimine, also activates JNK. These results suggest that reactive nitrogen species, in this case most likely peroxynitrite, act as signaling molecules in the mechanoactivation of JNK.
Cure Cycle Optimization of Rapidly Cured Out-Of-Autoclave Composites

Out-of-autoclave prepreg typically needs a long cure cycle to guarantee good properties as the result of low processing pressure applied. It is essential to reduce the manufacturing time, achieve real cost reduction, and take full advantage of out-of-autoclave process. The focus of this paper is to reduce the cure cycle time and production cost while maintaining high laminate quality. A rapidly cured out-of-autoclave resin and relative prepreg were independently developed. To determine a suitable rapid cure procedure for the developed prepreg, the effect of heating rate, initial cure temperature, dwelling time, and post-cure time on the final laminate quality were evaluated and the factors were then optimized. As a result, a rapid cure procedure was determined. The results showed that the resin infiltration could be completed at the end of the initial cure stage and no obvious void could be seen in the laminate at this time. The laminate could achieve good internal quality using the optimized cure procedure. The mechanical test results showed that the laminates had a fiber volume fraction of 59–60% with a final glass transition temperature of 205 °C and excellent mechanical strength especially the flexural properties.
Chapter 16 Agroforestry Adoption By Smallholders

Agroforestry is a joint forest production system whereby land, labor, and capital inputs are combined to produce trees and agricultural crops (and/or livestock) on the same unit of land. Although existing for centuries (maybe millennia) as an array of traditional land use practices in the tropics, agroforestry emerged in the late 1970s as a modern, improved tropical land use system suitable for scientific study, replete with its own international research center, the International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and journal, Agroforestry Systems. During the 199Os, interest in agroforestry in temperate regions increased rapidly when the scientific community discovered the complex land management systems developed by rural landowners in North America and Europe, including forest farming, alley cropping, shelterbelts, riparian buffers, and silvopastural systems (Lassoie and Buck 1999). Despite some impressive scientific and technological advances, agroforestry rural development efforts in the 1980s and 1990s were frequently unsuccessful (Nair 1996). Although agroforestry projects failed for a number of different reasons, one common factor was the inadequate attention given to socioeconomics in the development of systems and projects (Current et al. 1995). Beginning in the mid-1990s, agroforestry leaders argued for increased emphasis on research to understand the agroforestry adoption decision process (Mercer and Miller 1998, Sanchez 1995). For example, former Director General of ICRAF, Pedro Sanchez (1995: 24), stated that “the need to develop predictive understanding of how farm households make decisions regarding land use is as essential as developing a predictive understanding of the competition between tree and crop roots. ”
Mining fuzzy association rules in databases

Data mining is the discovery of previously unknown, potentially useful and hidden knowledge in databases. In this paper, we concentrate on the discovery of association rules. Many algorithms have been proposed to find association rules in databases with binary attributes. We introduce the fuzzy association rules of the form, 'If X is A then Y is B', to deal with quantitative attributes. X, Y are set of attributes and A, B are fuzzy sets which describe X and Y respectively. Using the fuzzy set concept, the discovered rules are more understandable to human. Moreover, fuzzy sets handle numerical values better than existing methods because fuzzy sets soften the effect of sharp boundaries.
Quantitative Studies of Thermal Shock in Ceramics Based on a Novel Test Technique

LBL-11572 Preprint Submitted to the Journal of the American Ceramic Society QUANTITATIVE STUDIES OF THERMAL SHOCK IN CERAMICS BASED ON A NOVEL TEST TECHNIQUE K.T. Faber, M.D. Huang, and A.G. Evans May 1981 TWO-WEEK lOAN COPY This is a library irculating Copy which may be borrowed for two weeks. for a personal retention copy, call Tech. Info. Diu is ion, Ext. 6782 Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract W-7405-ENG-48
Burden of Serious Fungal Infections in Jordan

Objective: To estimate the burden of fungal infections in Jordan for the first time. Material and Methods: Population data was from UN 2011 statistics and TB cases from WHO in 2012. Fewer than 100 patients with HIV were recorded in Jordan in 2013. Approximately 100 renal transplants and eight liver transplants are performed annually. There were 12,233 major surgical procedures in Jordan in 2013, of which 5.3% were major abdominal surgeries; candidemia was estimated in 5% of the population based on other countries, with 33% occurring in the ICU. Candida peritonitis/intra-abdominal candidiasis was estimated to affect 50% of the number of ICU candidemia cases. No adult asthma rates have been recorded for Jordan, so the rate from the Holy Land (8.54% clinical asthma) from To et al. has been used. There are an estimated 49,607 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in Jordan, with 64% symptomatic, 25% Gold stage 3% or 4%, and 7% (3472) are assumed to be admitted to hospital each year. No cystic fibrosis cases have been recorded. Literature searches on fungal infections revealed few data and no prevalence data on fungal keratitis or tinea capitis, even though tinea capitis comprised 34% of patients with dermatophytoses in Jordan. Results: Jordan has 6.3 million inhabitants (65% adults, 6% are >60 years old). The current burden of serious fungal infections in Jordan was estimated to affect ~119,000 patients (1.9%), not including any cutaneous fungal infections. Candidemia was estimated at 316 cases and invasive aspergillosis in leukemia, transplant, and COPD patients at 84 cases. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis prevalence was estimated to affect 36 post-TB patients, and 175 in total. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS) prevalence in adults with asthma were estimated at 8900 and 11,748 patients. Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis was estimated to affect 97,804 patients, using a 6% rate among women 15–50 years of age. Conclusion: Based on local data and literature estimates of the frequency of mycoses in susceptible populations, at least 1.9% of Jordanians have some form of serious fungal disease.
MDM4 expression as an indicator of TP53 reactivation by combined targeting of MDM2 and MDM4 in cancer cells without TP53 mutation

MDM2 and MDM4, a structurally related MDM2 homolog, negatively regulates expression and functions of TP53 tumor suppressor gene. To explore the precise expression patterns and function of MDM2 and MDM4 in wild-type (wt) TP53 cancer cells, we analyzed 11 various cancer cell lines with wt TP53. All cell lines exhibited deregulated expression of MDM2 and MDM4, and were divided into two distinct types; the one expressing high levels of MDM4 and another expressing low levels of MDM4. The low MDM4 type expressed higher MDM2 levels than the high MDM4 type. In cells with high MDM4 expression, knockdown of MDM4 or MDM2 reactivated TP53, and simultaneous knockdown of MDM2 and MDM4 synergistically reactivated TP53. In contrast, in cells with low MDM4 expression, knockdown of only MDM2 reactivated TP53. These results suggest that both MDM2 and MDM4 are closely involved in TP53 inactivation in cancer cells with high MDM4 expression, whereas only MDM2, and not MDM4, is a regulator of TP53 in cells with low MDM4 expression. MDM4 expression in wt TP53-tumors is a potential indicator for TP53 reactivation cancer therapy by simultaneous targeting of MDM4 and MDM2. Specific knockdown of MDM2 and MDM4 might be applicable for TP53 restoration therapy.
Land use change has stronger effects on functional diversity than taxonomic diversity in tropical Andean hummingbirds

Abstract Land use change modifies the environment at multiple spatial scales, and is a main driver of species declines and deterioration of ecosystem services. However, most of the research on the effects of land use change has focused on taxonomic diversity, while functional diversity, an important predictor of ecosystem services, is often neglected. We explored how local and landscape scale characteristics influence functional and taxonomic diversity of hummingbirds in the Andes Mountains in southern Ecuador. Data was collected in six landscapes along a land use gradient, from an almost intact landscape to one dominated by cattle pastures. We used point counts to sample hummingbirds from 2011 to 2012 to assessed how local factors (i.e., vegetation structure, flowering plants richness, nectar availability) and landscape factors (i.e., landscape heterogeneity, native vegetation cover) influenced taxonomic and functional diversity. Then, we analyzed environment – trait relationships (RLQ test) to explore how different hummingbird functional traits influenced species responses to these factors. Taxonomic and functional diversity of hummingbirds were positively associated with landscape heterogeneity but only functional diversity was positively related to native vegetation coverage. We found a weak response of taxonomic and functional diversity to land use change at the local scale. Environment‐trait associations showed that body mass of hummingbirds likely influenced species sensitivity to land use change. In conclusion, landscape heterogeneity created by land use change can positively influence hummingbird taxonomic and functional diversity; however, a reduction of native vegetation cover could decrease functional diversity. Given that functional diversity can mediate ecosystem services, the conservation of native vegetation cover could play a key role in the maintenance of hummingbird pollination services in the tropical Andes. Moreover, there are particular functional traits, such as body mass, that increase a species sensitivity to land use change.
Role of steroid hormones in Trichinella spiralis infection among voles.

Males are generally more susceptible to parasite infection than females. This sex difference may reflect the suppressive effects of testosterone and enhancing effects of estradiol on immune function. This study characterized the role of circulating steroid hormones in sex differences after infection with the nematode Trichinella spiralis. Because testosterone suppresses immune function and because polygynous males have higher circulating testosterone concentrations than monogamous males, sex differences in parasite burden were hypothesized to be exaggerated among polygynous meadow voles compared with monogamous prairie voles. As predicted, sex differences in response to T. spiralis infection were increased among meadow voles; males had higher worm numbers than females. Male and female prairie voles had equivalent parasite burden. Overall, prairie voles had higher worm numbers than meadow voles. Contrary to our initial prediction, differences in circulating estradiol concentrations in females, testosterone concentrations in males, and corticosterone concentrations in both sexes were not related to the observed variation in T. spiralisinfection. Taken together, these data suggest that not all sex differences in parasite infection are mediated by circulating steroid hormones and that adaptive-functional explanations may provide new insight into the causes of variation in parasite infection.
Ratcheting Strain and Microstructure Evolution of AZ31B Magnesium Alloy under a Tensile-Tensile Cyclic Loading

In this paper, studies were conducted to investigate the deformation behavior and microstructure change in a hot-rolled AZ31B magnesium alloy during a tensile-tensile cyclic loading. The relationship between ratcheting effect and microstructure change was discussed. The ratcheting effect in the material during current tensile-tensile fatigue loading exceeds the material’s fatigue limit and the development of ratcheting strain in the material experienced three stages: initial sharp increase stage (Stage I); steady stage (Stage II); and final abrupt increase stage (Stage III). Microstructure changes in Stage I and Stage II are mainly caused by activation of basal slip system. The Extra Geometrically Necessary Dislocations (GNDs) were also calculated to discuss the relationship between the dislocation caused by the basal slip system and the ratcheting strain during the cyclic loading. In Stage III, both the basal slip and the {11−20} twins are found active during the crack propagation. The fatigue crack initiation in the AZ31B magnesium alloy is found due to the basal slip and the {11−20} tensile twins.
Reassessing biases and other uncertainties in sea surface temperature observations measured in situ since 1850: 1. Measurement and sampling uncertainties

[1] New estimates of measurement and sampling uncertainties of gridded in situ sea surface temperature anomalies are calculated for 1850 to 2006. The measurement uncertainties account for correlations between errors in observations made by the same ship or buoy due, for example, to miscalibration of the thermometer. Correlations between the errors increase the estimated uncertainties on grid box averages. In grid boxes where there are many observations from only a few ships or drifting buoys, this increase can be large. The correlations also increase uncertainties of regional, hemispheric, and global averages above and beyond the increase arising solely from the inflation of the grid box uncertainties. This is due to correlations in the errors between grid boxes visited by the same ship or drifting buoy. At times when reliable estimates can be made, the uncertainties in global average, Southern Hemisphere, and tropical sea surface temperature anomalies are between 2 and 3 times as large as when calculated assuming the errors are uncorrelated. Uncertainties of Northern Hemisphere averages are approximately double. A new estimate is also made of sampling uncertainties. They are largest in regions of high sea surface temperature variability such as the western boundary currents and along the northern boundary of the Southern Ocean. The sampling uncertainties are generally smaller in the tropics and in the ocean gyres.