Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PERFORMANCE OF MEMBRANES CROSSLINKED WITH GLUTARALDEHYDE IN PERVAPORATION SEPARATION

Chitosan membranes crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA) were prepared through a solution method, where the dry homogeneous chitosan membranes were immersed into the reaction solutions containing 1.25 x 10-3 wt. % of glutaraldehyde (GA). The extent of the crosslinking was controlled by varying the crosslinking time from 1 to 5 minutes. The prepared crosslinked membranes were used for pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol-water mixtures. The influence of feed composition on the separation characteristics has been investigated. The 2-minute-crosslinked-membrane yields the highest water concentrations in the permeate with moderate flux at 50 wt. % of isopropanol in the feed solution. The overall pervaporation results for the homogeneous and crosslinked membranes are compared in term of pervaporation separation index (PSI). The crosslinked membranes showed higher pervaporation separation index (PSI) than that of uncrosslinked membranes especially for isopropanol in feed solution below 78 wt. %.
Gene Selection and Clustering for Time-course and Dose-response Microarray Experiments Using Order-restricted Inference

We propose an algorithm for selecting and clustering genes according to their time-course or dose-response profiles using gene expression data. The proposed algorithm is based on the order-restricted inference methodology developed in statistics. We describe the methodology for time-course experiments although it is applicable to any ordered set of treatments. Candidate temporal profiles are defined in terms of inequalities among mean expression levels at the time points. The proposed algorithm selects genes when they meet a bootstrap-based criterion for statistical significance and assigns each selected gene to the best fitting candidate profile. We illustrate the methodology using data from a cDNA microarray experiment in which a breast cancer cell line was stimulated with estrogen for different time intervals. In this example, our method was able to identify several biologically interesting genes that previous analyses failed to reveal.
THE PECULIAR DISTRIBUTION OF CH3CN IN IRC +10216 SEEN BY ALMA

IRC +10216 is a circumstellar envelope around a carbon-rich evolved star which contains a large variety of molecules. According to interferometric observations, molecules are distributed either concentrated around the central star or as a hollow shell with a radius of ∼15″. We present ALMA Cycle 0 band 6 observations of the J = 14 – 13 rotational transition of CH3CN in IRC +10216, obtained with an angular resolution of 0. ″76 × 0. ″61. The bulk of the emission is distributed as a hollow shell located at just ∼2″ from the star, with a void of emission in the central region up to a radius of ∼1″. This spatial distribution is markedly different from those found to date in this source for other molecules. Our analysis indicates that methyl cyanide is not formed in either the stellar photosphere or far in the outer envelope, but at radial distances as short as 1″–2″, reaching a maximum abundance of ∼0.02 molecules cm−3 at 2″ from the star. Standard chemical models of IRC +10216 predict that the bulk of CH3CN molecules should be present at a radius of ∼15″ where other species such as polyyne radicals and cyanopolyynes are observed, with an additional inner component within 1″ from the star. The non-uniform structure of the circumstellar envelope and grain surface processes are discussed as possible causes of the peculiar distribution of methyl cyanide in IRC +10216.
Validation Study of the Composite Score to Identify Von Willebrand Disease in Children

Background:The diagnosis of type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD) presents a diagnostic challenge in children. In fact, 25% or more of children with VWD may be diagnosed only after they experience postoperative bleeding. We previously described a 4-variable composite score that has 92.5% sensitivity and 95% specificity for diagnosing VWD in children with known VWD when 2 of 4 criteria are positive: (1) Tosetto bleeding score ≥1; (2) family history of VWD; (3) personal history of iron deficiency anemia; and/or (4) positive James early bleeding score. The purpose of this study was to prospectively validate a composite score of ≥2 for identifying children with VWD. Procedure:Children without a previously diagnosed bleeding disorder presenting for hematology evaluation were enrolled. Sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive value of the composite score was determined. Results:A total of 193 subjects were enrolled from 12 participating centers were included in the analysis. Forty-seven children had type 1 VWD, including 11 with von Willebrand Ristocetin Cofactor (VWF):RCo <30 IU/dL, 14 subjects with a VWF:RCo 30 to 39 IU/dL, and 22 with a VWF:RCo 40 to 49 IU/dL. Including all 4 variables, a composite score of ≥2 had a sensitivity of 63.6% to 76.0%, specificity of 33.5% to 35.1%, negative predictive value of 76.9% to 93.8%, and positive predictive value of 5.5% to 25%. Conclusions:The negative predictive value of the composite score was robust, especially at lower VWF:RCo suggesting that VWD testing could be eliminated in nearly a third of children referred for VWD testing.
New Chances for Deep Linguistic Processing

Recent developments in deep linguistic processing give rise to renewed optimism concerning the practical applicability of advanced grammatical analysis. For HPSG parsing a breakthrough in efficiency was achieved through a new form of international collaboration that lead to improved combinations of methods in a rather systematic way. Yet efficiency is just one of the obstacles to the utilization of deep processing in real life applications. A novel approach to the exploitation of deep parsing offers a strategy for compensating the deficiency in coverage and robustness. Through a combination of deep and shallow processing, the robustness of shallow processing is preserved for information extraction applications that exploit parsing methods of different depth. The underlying strategy and the realized architecture also provide a basis for distributed collective research on novel combinations of processing methods including applications of hyper learning.
Preventing thermal degradation of PVC insulation by mixtures of cross‐linking agents and antioxidants

Poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC) wire and cable insulation has poor thermal stability, causing the plasticizer to separate from the PVC chain and produce an oily residue, lowering the tensile elongation at break and thus increasing brittleness. We have added 4 wt. % of three different types of cross-linking agents and antioxidants, as well as mixtures of both, to improve the thermal stability of the plasticizer and tensile properties of PVC after thermal exposure. We performed tensile tests, tribological tests, profilometry, scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and water absorption determination before and after thermal exposure at 136 ℃ for 1 week. After adding the agents, elongation at break increased by 10 to 20 % while the wear rate and water absorption were lower than for the control sample. Less voids are seen in the SEM images after adding these two kinds of agents. The thermal resistance of the PVC cable insulation is best enhanced by combinations of cross-linking agents and antioxidants.
Vibrational Coupling of Nearest Neighbors in 1-D Spin Crossover Polymers of Rigid Bridging Ligands. A Nuclear Inelastic Scattering and DFT Study

The nuclear inelastic scattering signatures of the low-spin centers of the methanosulphonate, tosylate, and perchlorate salts of the spin crossover polymer ([Fe(II)(4-amino-1,2,4-triazole)3]2+)n have been compared for the low-spin phase, for the mixed high-spin and low-spin phases, as well as for Zn(II) diluted samples. Within this series a change in the vibrational pattern in the 320–500 cm−1 region is observed. Significant shifts and decreasing intensity of bands at ~320 cm−1 and bands over 400 cm−1 are observed as the molar fraction of the low-spin (LS) centers decrease. Density functional theory calculations using Gaussian09 (B3LYP/CEP-31G) for pentameric, heptameric, and nonameric model molecules yielded the normal modes of several spin isomers: these include the all high-spin (HS) and the all low-spin (LS) configuration but also mixtures of LS and HS centers, with a special focus on those with LS centers in a HS matrix and vice versa. The calculations reproduce the observed spectral changes and show that they are caused by strain extorted on a LS Fe(II) center by its HS neighbors due to the rigid character of the bridging aminotriazole ligand. Additionally, the normal mode analysis of several spin isomers points towards a coupling of the vibrations of the iron centers of the same spin: the metal-ligand stretching modes of the all LS and the all HS spin isomers reveal a collective character: all centers of the same spin are involved in characteristic normal modes. For the isomers containing both LS and HS centers, the vibrational behavior corresponds to two different subsets (sublattices) the vibrational modes of which are not coupled. Finally, the calculation of nuclear inelastic scattering data of spin isomers containing a ca. 1:1 mixture of HS and LS Fe(II) points towards the formation of blocks of the same spin during the spin transition, rather than to alternate structures with a HS-LS-HS-LS-HS motif.
Cellular immune surveillance of central nervous system bypasses blood–brain barrier and blood–cerebrospinal–fluid barrier: Revealed with the New Marburg cerebrospinal–fluid model in healthy humans

In healthy human brain/spinal cord, blood capillaries and venules are locked differently with junctions and basement membrane (blood–brain barrier, blood–venule barrier). In choroid plexus, epithelial tight junctions and basement membrane lock blood‐cerebrospinal‐fluid (CSF) barrier. Lymphocytic cell data, quantified with multicolour flow‐cytometry or immuno‐cytochemical methods in sample pairs of lumbar CSF, ventrictricular CSF and peripheral venous blood, are taken from references; similarly, data of thoracic duct chyle and blood sample pairs. Through three circumventricular organs (median eminence, organum vasculosum lamina terminalis, area postrema), 15–30 μl blood are pressed by blood pressure through fenestrated capillaries, matrix/basement membrane spaces and ependyma cell lacks into ventricular/suboccipital CSF to generate CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD3+HLA‐DR+, CD16+56+3– NK, CD19+3– B subsets; some B, few NK cells adhere in circumventricular organs. Into lumbar CSF, 10–15 μl thoracic chyle with five lymphocyte subsets (without CD3+HLA‐DR+ cells) reflux, when CSF drains out with to‐and‐fro movements of chyle/CSF along nerve roots. Lymphocytes in lumbar CSF represent a mixture of blood and lymph lymphocytic cells with similar HLA‐DR+CD3+ cell counts in ventricular and lumbar CSF, higher CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ subsets in lumbar CSF, and few NK and B cells due to absorption in circumventricular organs. The Marburg CSF Model reflects origin and turnover of lymphatic cells in CSF realistically; the model differs from ligand‐multistep processes of activated lymphocytes through blood–brain‐, blood–venule‐, and blood–CSF‐barriers; because transfer of inactivated native lymphocytes through the barriers is not found with healthy humans, although described so in literature. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Maximum Velocity as an Index of Contractility in Cardiac Muscle: A CRITICAL EVALUATION

The use of maximum velocity of shortening (Vmax) as an index of contractility has been based on the assumption that Vmax of muscle fibers is equivalent to Vmax of the contractile element. It is shown here that such equivalence applies to the two-element model of skeletal muscle but not to three-element models of cardiac muscle. Analysis of published data in terms of the Voigt and Maxwell three-element models shows that the Vmax of the contractile element, unlike that of the muscle fibers, is not independent of fiber length but increases at least 50% for a 25% increase of fiber length. Moreover, Vmax of the contractile element is seen to be even more highly dependent on fiber length when correction is made for the nonuniform contribution of levels of active state to the force-velocity curves giving rise to Vmax of the contractile element. It appears that in cardiac muscle an inotropic shift of Vmax of the contractile element cannot be distinguished from a shift due to change in fiber length, thus invalidating it as an index of contractility.
Chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils from three ecotypes of Zataria multiflora

Background: Zataria multiflora Boiss. is a traditional and popular spice in Iran. The effects of 3 ecotypes (ECTPs) of Z. multiflora essential oils (EOs) against most common causes of food-borne and nosocomial infections were evaluated. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activities of the EOs were examined by broth microdilution method as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The chemical compositions of the EOs from 3 ECTPs of Z. multiflora have been analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: Analysis of the EOs indicated that 3 chemotypes were present in Z. multiflora, including carvacrol, thymol-carvacrol, and linalool, whereas previous studies have only found carvacrol and thymol. Inhibition studies showed that the tested EOs entirely inhibited the growth of yeasts at concentrations of less than 1 μL/mL. Moreover, the oils exhibited significant bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at concentrations ranging from 0.12 to 8 μL/mL. Conclusion: These results suggest that the EOs from Z. multiflora should be investigated further for possible use in antimicrobial products and food preservatives.
An overview of early investigational therapies for chemoresistant ovarian cancer

Introduction: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fourth commonest cause of female cancer death in the developed world. Although progress in treatment has improved survival, ∼ 80% of patients with advanced EOC will experience a recurrence and eventually will become resistant to chemotherapy. The aim of treatment for chemoresistant EOC has traditionally been limited to palliation of symptoms but the recent introduction of new therapies targeting molecular pathways is beginning to demonstrate improvements in disease control. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of early investigational drugs for the treatment of ‘platinum-resistant’ EOC. The article is based on English peer-reviewed articles located on MEDLINE and related abstracts presented at major international meetings. Expert opinion: Drugs targeting several pathways are increasingly used to treat ‘platinum-resistant’ EOC. Currently, drugs targeting the angiogenesis pathway have been shown to significantly improve patient outcome. Studies are also being undertaken with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), targeting the DNA repair pathway as it is possible that the benefits seen with these agents in ‘platinum-sensitive’ disease will apply to those with ‘platinum-resistant’ disease. The discovery of predictive biomarkers that identify patients which benefit from these targeted therapies is paramount to the success of these treatments in the future.
Strategies for name recognition in automatic directory assistance systems

Recognition of large numbers of different names is the central problem in automatic directory assistance services and many other applications for spoken language dialogue systems. This paper investigates a methodology of stochastically combining N-best lists retrieved from multiple user utterances with the telephone database as an additional knowledge source. This strategy is used in a prototype of a fully automated directory information system which is designed to cover a whole country. After the city has been selected, the user is asked to spell and say the name of the desired person and if necessary also the first name and street. The number of active database entries is reduced in every turn until only a single database entry is left. Results for different recognition strategies are presented on a real-life data collection for databases of various sizes with up to 1 million entries (city of Berlin). The experiments show that a substantial part of all simple requests can be automated with the strategy presented (>80% correctly recognized, 10% rejected).
A Multiobjective Approach for the Heuristic Optimization of Compactness and Homogeneity in the Optimal Zoning

This paper presents a multiobjective methodology for optimal zoning design (OZ), based on the grouping of geographic data with characteristics of territorial aggregation. The two objectives considered are the minimization of the geometric compactness on the geographical location of the data and the homogeneity of any of the descriptive variables. Since this problem is NP hard [1], our proposal provides an approximate solution taking into account properties of partitioning algorithms and design restrictions for territorial space. Approximate solutions are generated through the set of optimum values (Maxima) and the corresponding minimals (dual Minima) [2] of the bi-objective function using Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) [3] and the Pareto order defined over this set of values. The results obtained by our proposed approach constitute good solutions and are generated in a reasonably low computational time.
Structure from Motion via Two-State Pipeline of Extended Kalman Filters

We introduce a novel approach to on-line structure from motion, using a pipelined pair of extended Kalman filters to improve accuracy with a minimal increase in computational cost. The two filters, a leading and a following filter, run concurrently on the same measurements in a synchronized producer-consumer fashion, but offset from each other in time. The leading filter estimates structure and motion using all of the available measurements from an optical flow based 2D tracker, passing the best 3D feature estimates, covariances, and associated measurements to the following filter, which runs several steps behind. This pipelined arrangement introduces a degree of noncausal behavior, effectively giving the following filter the benefit of decisions and estimates made several steps ahead. This means that the following filter works with only the best features, and can begin full 3D estimation from the very start of the respective 2D tracks. We demonstrate a reduction of more than 50% in mean reprojection errors using this approach on real data.
A serum metabolomics‐driven approach predicts orange juice consumption and its impact on oxidative stress and inflammation in subjects from the BIONAOS study

SCOPE To identify biomarkers of orange juice (OJ) consumption containing different doses of polyphenols and to determine its impact on oxidative stress and inflammation using an untargeted metabolomics analysis. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty subjects aged 22-63 years from the BIONAOS study consumed a normal-polyphenol OJ (NPJ) or a high-polyphenol OJ (HPJ) (299 or 745 mg/L, respectively) for 12 weeks in a randomized, parallel, double-blind study. UHPLC-MS, univariate and multivariate statistical analysis and ROC curves were used to design biomarkers of consumption in serum. We propose betonicine, stachydrine, methyl glucopyranoside (alpha+beta), dihydroferulic acid and galactonate as a new metabolic signature to distinguish the intake of OJ with a different polyphenol content. Changes in metabolites related to OJ, oxidative stress and inflammation were observed. After HPJ consumption, the serum levels of hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HODE+13-HODE) and dihydroxyoctadecanoic acid (12,13-DiHOME and 9,10-DiHOME) decreased, whereas levels of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) increased. 5-HETE increased after the NPJ intervention exclusively. CONCLUSION We designed a new panel of biomarkers to differentiate the intake of OJs containing different doses of polyphenols. On the other hand, the consumption of an OJ with a high content of flavanones improved oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers.
On the Convergence of the Products of Firmly Nonexpansive Mappings

Consider a finite collection of firmly nonexpansive self-mappings on a Hilbert space whose fixed-point sets intersect. It is shown that, in the finite-dimensional case, any iteration of mappings drawn from this collection converges. This resolves, for the finite-dimensional case at least, a popular conjecture concerning the convergence of the successive projection method. In the infinite-dimensional case, it is shown that if the mappings are drawn according to a certain order, called the quasi-cyclic order, then the iteration converges weakly in a sense. The quasi-cyclic order may be viewed as an extension of the well-known cyclic order in which the lengths of the cycles are permitted to grow without bound.
Equality-Test and If-Then-Else Algebras: Axiomatization and Specification

An equality-test algebra has a two-element Boolean sort and an equality-test operation $eq_s $ for each non-Boolean sort s, where $eq_s (x,y)$ equals TRUE if $x = y$ and FALSE otherwise. An if-then-else algebra is an equality-test algebra with the if-then-else operations $[\_,\_,\_]_s $ adjoined: $[b,x,y]_s $ equals x if $b = \text{TRUE}$ and y if $b = \text{FALSE}$. A finite set of axioms for the conditional-equational (i.e., quasi-equational) theory of equality-test algebras is given. A finite axiomatization of the equational theory of if-then-else algebras is also given, and it is shown that this also serves as a basis for the conditional-equational theory of if-then-else algebras. Finite bases for the equational theories of several classes of algebras closely related to if-then-else algebras were previously known. The power of conditional and equational specifications of equality-test and if-then-else data types are investigated, and the following results, among others, are obtained. (i) Every equalit.
Capturing the Complexity of Hair Motion

Modeling the highly inelastic interactions inside hair, and between the hair and the character body, is a determinant feature for achieving realistic hair animation. However, the extremely large number of hair strands has so far prevented animators from handling these interactions. It is also unclear if they should be treated at the level of individual hair strands. This paper proposes an approach to handle these interactions, based on a new clustering paradigm. The high friction forces between neighboring hair strands, yielding a high motion coherence, is simulated by clustering these strands into an anisotropic viscous volume representing a hair wisp. All other interactions between hair strands are approximated at the wisp level, thanks to an anisotropic behavior that allows pairs of wisps to interpenetrate or to collide depending on their relative orientations. The wisps also offer the necessary structure to efficiently simulate the collisions with the character body. The model results in visually realistic animations, where complex wisp interactions capture both continuities and discontinuities easily observed in thick, long hair.
The influence of hysteresis voltage on single event transients in a 65nm CMOS high speed comparator

Hysteresis in a comparator improves the input noise immunity, but can also cause analogue single event transients (ASETs) to be captured. For example, compared to a hysteresis-free comparator, a comparator with a hysteresis voltage of 8 mV, takes an additional 40 ns to recover. As the requirement for noise immunity increases, the vulnerability of a comparator with hysteresis to ASETs worsens. The reliability also worsens for higher sampling frequencies and lower differential input voltage amplitudes. This paper investigates the trade-off between noise immunity and reliability in a 65nm CMOS comparator.