Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Friction Performance Optimization of Chemically Deposited Ni-P-W Coating Using Taguchi Method

The present study considers the friction behavior of chemically deposited Ni-P-W coatings and optimization of the coating process parameters for minimum friction using Taguchi method. The study is carried out by varying the combination of four coating process parameters, namely, concentration of nickel source, concentration of reducing agent, concentration of tungsten source, and annealing temperature. The friction tests are conducted in a plate-on-roller configuration by keeping the coated sample fixed against a rotating steel roller. The optimum combination of process parameters for minimum friction coefficient is obtained from the analysis of S/N ratio. Furthermore, a statistical analysis of variance reveals that the concentration of nickel source solution has the most significant influence in controlling friction characteristics of Ni-P-W coating. The surface morphology and composition of coatings are also studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersed x-ray analysis, and x-ray diffraction analysis.
The Response to Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) Administration in Boys with and Without Δ5-3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Deficiency1

ABSTRACT HCG3 stimulation of 5 endocrinologically normal boys was shown to cause a more prominent rise in testosterone than in the other testicular secretions, androstenediol, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and dihydrotestosterone. There was no apparent difference in the testicular secretory pattern between 1 to 10 yr of age. The effect of hCG on children was similar to that reported in adults. However, the androstenediol-to-testosterone ratio after hCG seemed to be even lower than the 1:4 ratio recorded in adults. Previous studies have indicated that testosterone secretion is normal in pubertal boys with seeming hereditary deficiency of Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (Δ5-3β-HSD), an enzyme necessary for testosterone biosynthesis. In 2 of 3 such cases we confirmed that plasma testosterone increased normally in response to short-term hCG stimulation. Nevertheless, the secretion of androstenediol was elevated relative to that of testosterone. The resultant uniformly abnormal ratio of plas.
Relationship Between Short‐Term Blood Pressure Variability and Subclinical Renal Damage in Essential Hypertensive Patients

The authors aimed to analyze the relationship between subclinical renal damage, defined as the presence of microalbuminuria or an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and short‐term blood pressure (BP) variability, assessed as average real variability (ARV), weighted standard deviation (SD) of 24‐hour BP, and SD of daytime and nighttime BP. A total of 328 hypertensive patients underwent 24‐hour ambulatory BP monitoring, 24‐hour albumin excretion rate determination, and eGFR calculation using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. ARV of 24‐hour systolic BP (SBP) was significantly higher in patients with subclinical renal damage (P=.001). This association held (P=.04) after adjustment for potential confounders. In patients with microalbuminuria, ARV of 24‐hour SBP, weighted SD of 24‐hour SBP, and SD of daytime SBP were also independently and inversely related to eGFR. These results seem to suggest that in essential hypertension, short‐term BP variability is independently associated with early renal abnormalities.
Exploring the concentration‐dependent actions of interferon‐τ on bovine neutrophils to understand the process of implantation

Interferon‐τ (IFNT) is a major cytokine produced by the ruminant trophoectoderm during the peri‐implantation period exerting immunomodulatory actions on various cells including neutrophils. The current in vitro study was undertaken to analyze the concentration‐dependent effects of IFNT on neutrophil gene dynamics to understand its possible role in implantation process. The neutrophils were isolated from the blood of heifers and were cultured subjecting them to different IFNT concentrations (1, 5, or 10 ng/mL). The gene‐expression patterns of different interferon‐stimulated genes, l‐selectin, CD31, CD11b, and progesterone‐induced blocking factor (PIBF) were analyzed by quantitative real‐time PCR. It was observed that at lower concentrations of IFNT, the IFI16, l‐selectin, ISG15, and PIBF were upregulated, whereas at higher concentrations the same were down regulated. At all the experimental concentrations, IFI44, OAS1, MX genes were significantly upregulated and CD31, CD11b were significantly downregulated. At lower concentrations of IFNT, the neutrophil activity with respect to chemoattraction is stimulated, whereas at higher concentrations the same is reduced. Hence, it can be concluded that IFNT exerts concentration‐dependent actions on neutrophil gene‐expression dynamics indicating a fine modulation of its activity depending upon the temporal variation in its destined functions ultimately leading to successful implantation.
A classical-map simulation of two-dimensional electron fluid: an extension of classical-map hypernetted-chain theory beyond the hypernetted-chain approximation

A method for numerically simulating quantum systems is proposed and applied to the two-dimensional electron fluid at T = 0. This method maps quantum systems onto classical ones in the spirit of the classical-map hypernetted-chain theory and performs simulations on the latter. The results of the simulations are free from the assumption of the hypernetted-chain approximation and the neglect of the bridge diagrams. A merit of this method is the applicability to systems with geometrical complexity and finite sizes including the cases at finite temperatures. Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations are performed corresponding to two previous proposals for the ‘quantum’ temperature and an improvement in the description of the diffraction effect. It is shown that one of these two proposals with the improved diffraction effect gives significantly better agreement with quantum Monte Carlo results reported previously for the range of 5≤rs≤40. These results may serve as the basis for the application of this method to finite non-periodic systems like quantum dots and systems at finite temperatures.
Determination of Sex from Adult Human Ribs

ABSTRACTWhen identifying unknown human remains, categorization by sex is critical. Highly dimorphic elements such as the pelvis and skull are often missing or damaged. This study investigates the existence of sexual dimorphism at gross and histological levels in human ribs. The sample consists of one mid-thoracic rib from each of 58 adults (31 females, 27 males, ages 25 to 50) from the skeletons excavated from the crypt (1729–1852 AO) of Christ Church in Spitalfields, East London, Great Britain. Funerary records of sex and age at death allow for exceptional control of these variables. Measurements include minimum and maximum rib diameter, total area and cortical area, as well as the histological variables of total osteon area and total haversian area. The gross measures of the rib reveal high degrees of sexual dimorphism (female: male, 75:100), while the histological measures show no statistically significant differences between the sexes. On the basis of gross morphological variables alone, males and fem.
Ion adsorption at a metallic electrode: an ab initio based simulation study

A method for parametrizing, from first principles density functional theory calculations, a model of the interactions between the ions in an ionic liquid and a metallic (electrode) surface is described. The interaction model includes the induction of dipoles on the ions of the liquid by their mutual interaction and the interaction with the electrode surface as well as the polarization of the metal by the ionic charges and dipoles (‘image’ interactions). The method is used to obtain a suitable interaction model for a system consisting of a LiCl liquid electrolyte and a solid aluminium electrode. The model is then used in simulations of this system for various values of the electrical potential applied to the electrode. The evolution of the liquid structure at the electrochemical interface with applied potential is followed and the capacitance of the electrochemical interface is measured. The electrolyte is found to exhibit a potential-driven phase transition which involves the commensurate ordering of the electrolyte ions with the electrode surface; this leads to a maximum in the differential capacitance as a function of applied potential. Away from the phase transition the capacitance was found to be independent of the applied potential.
Single Shared Assessment: The Limits to ‘Quick Fix’ Implementation

Joint working between health and social services has been a key focus of policy in recent years, albeit ‐ underneath the protocols and partnership agreements ‐ integrated processes have developed unevenly. A single shared assessment tool has been one of the concrete expressions of policy on the ground. This paper explores the implementation of the shared assessment process in Scotland. It discusses the broader policy agenda, before exploring the introduction of the shared assessment tool in a large urban authority. Based primarily on interviews with front‐line staff in health and social work and managers charged with delivering shared assessment, the paper suggests a lack of engagement on issues such as working cultures and equity of workloads, while some of the main reasons behind the implementation of shared assessment, such as overcoming duplication, have not generally materialised for staff. Overall, single shared assessment has been driven by process rather than by engagement with wider ideas about joint working, which has led to uneven and at times unwilling implementation.
A prospective study of the association between total sleep duration and incident hypertension

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate total sleep duration as a potential risk factor for the development of hypertension after a mean of 2.6 years of follow‐up. The study participants comprised 1715 Korean adults aged 40 to 70 years. The participants were without hypertension at baseline (2005–2008) and during follow‐up (2008–2011) to determine the incident cases of hypertension. Based on a self‐reported questionnaire, the individuals were stratified according to total sleep duration (<6 hours, 6–7.9 hours, 8–9.9 hours, ≥10 hours). Hypertension was defined according to the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8) guidelines. After an average of 2.6 years of follow‐up, 164 (9.56%) participants developed hypertension. In multivariate adjusted models, the odds ratio for new‐onset hypertension was 1.71 (95% confidence interval, 1.01–2.89) in participants with a short sleep duration (<6 hours) compared with those who reported 6 to 7.9 hours of sleep. Long sleep duration (more than 8 hours) did not have any significant difference on incident hypertension. Among middle‐aged and elderly Korean adults, short sleepers were independently associated with a higher risk of developing hypertension.
Mechanism for ribonucleotide reductase inactivation by the anticancer drug gemcitabine

Gemcitabine (2′,2′‐difluoro‐2′‐deoxycytidine, dFdC) is a very promising anticancer drug, already approved for clinical use in three therapeutic indications. It is metabolized intracellularly to 5′‐diphosphate (dFdCDP), which is known to be a potent inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). Although several nucleotide analogs show in vitro capacity of RNR inactivation, none has shown the in vivo efficacy of dFdCDP. Accordingly, the experimental data suggests that its mechanism of inhibition is different from the other known RNR suicide inhibitors. Enzyme inhibition in the absence of reductive species leads to complete loss of the essential radical in subunit R2, and formation of a new nucleotide‐based radical. Interestingly, however, the presence of the reductants does not prevent inhibition—the radical is not lost but the targeted subunit of RNR becomes R1, which is inactivated possibly by alkylation. We have conducted a theoretical study, which led us to the first proposal of a possible mechanism for RNR inhibition by dFdCDP in the absence of reductants. This mechanism turned out to be very similar to the natural substrate reduction pathway and only deviates from the natural course after the formation of the well‐known disulphide bridge. This deviation is caused precisely by the F atom in the β‐face, only present in this inhibitor. The essential radical in R2 is lost, and so is the enzyme catalytic activity. The nucleotide‐based radical that constitutes the end product of our mechanism has been suggested in the literature as a possible candidate for the one detected experimentally. In fact, all experimental data available has been reproduced by the theoretical calculations performed here. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 25: 1286–1294, 2004
Using Adenovirus Armed Short Hairpin RNA Targeting Transforming Growth Factor &bgr;1 Inhibits Melanoma Growth and Metastasis in an Ex Vivo Animal Model

AbstractThe transforming growth factor &bgr; (TGF-&bgr;) is the key molecule implicated in impaired immune function in human patients with malignant melanoma. TGF-&bgr; can promote tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis in advanced stages of melanoma. Blocking these tumor-promoting effects of TGF-&bgr; provides a potentially important therapeutic strategy for the treatment of melanoma. In this study, we used an adenovirus-based shRNA expression system and successfully constructed Ad/TGF-&bgr;1-RNA interference (RNAi) which mediated the RNAi for TGF-&bgr;1 gene silencing. We examined the effects of TGF-&bgr;1 protein knockdown by RNAi on the growth and metastasis of melanoma in C57BL/6 mice induced by the B16F0 cell line. The TGF-&bgr;1 hairpin oligonucleotide was cloned into adenoviral vector. The resulting recombinant adenoviruses infected murine melanoma cell line, B16F0, and designated as B16F0/TGF-&bgr;1-RNAi cells. The blank adenoviral vector also infected B16F0 cells and designed as B16F0/vector-control cells served as a control. TGF-&bgr;1 expression was reduced in B16F0/TGF-&bgr;1-RNAi cells compared with B16F0 cells and B16F0/vector-control cells. Three million wild-type B16F0 cells, B16F0/vector-control cells, and B16F0/TGF-&bgr;1-RNAi cells were injected subcutaneously into the right flanks of adult female syngeneic mice C57BL/6. The tumor sizes were 756.09 (65.35), 798.48 (78.77), and 203.55 (24.56) mm3 at the 14th day in the mice receiving B16F0 cells, B16F0/vector-control cells, and B16F0/TGF&bgr;1-RNAi cells, respectively. The P value was less than 0.01 by 1-way analysis of variance. TGF-&bgr;1 knockdown in B16F0 cells enhanced the infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the tumor regions. C57BL/6 mice were evaluated for pulmonary metastasis after tail vein injection of 2 million B16F0 cells, B16F0/vector-control cells, and B16F0/TGF-&bgr;1-RNAi cells. The pulmonary metastasis also reduced significantly on days 14 day and 21 in mice injected with B16F0/TGF-&bgr;1-RNAi tumors. The blood vessel density of the tumors markedly reduced in B16F0/TGF-&bgr;1-RNAi tumors. Our results showed that Ad/TGF-&bgr;1-RNAi could induce silencing of the TGF-&bgr;1 gene effectively. Silencing of TGF-&bgr;1 expression in B16F0 cells by RNAi technology can inhibit the growth and metastasis of this tumor after being transplanted to C57BL/6 mice. This kind of adenoviral vector based on RNAi might be a promising vector for cancer therapy.
The Impact of Breast Implant Location on the Risk of Capsular Contraction

BackgroundAlthough many theories exist, the etiology of capsular contraction (CC) development is still not known. Anatomic location has been suggested as a possible risk factor, but rates of CC development vary between studies, often with conflicting results. This study examines the risk developing CC with subglandular compared to submuscular placement of the breast implant. MethodsA total of 1,283 studies were identified from December 2003 to December 2013 by PUBMED and MEDLINE searches and a manual search strategy. Two levels of screening resulted in 10 studies suitable for meta-analysis, providing data on a total of 17,520 breast implants. All statistical calculations were performed with Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.2. 7. ResultsRandom-effect (RE) pooled relative risk (RR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for capsular contraction. The risk of developing capsular contraction with subglandular implants was more than 2-fold increased compared to submuscular implants (RE RR 2.18; 95% CI 1.41–3.35; P = 0.0005). The trend was not examined with regards to subfascial placement compared to submuscular or subglandular because more studies are needed to determine this. ConclusionThis analysis demonstrated a more than 2-fold increase in the risk of capsular contraction with subglandular compared to submuscular breast implant location.Clinical Question: Risk
HMGB1‐induced angiogenesis in perforated disc cells of human temporomandibular joint

High mobility group 1 protein (HMGB1), a highly conserved nuclear DNA‐binding protein and inflammatory mediator, has been recently found to be involved in angiogenesis. Our previous study has demonstrated the elevation of HMGB1 in the tissue of perforated disc of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Here, we investigated a novel mediator of HMGB1 in regulating hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to mediate angiogenesis in perforated disc cells of TMJ. HMGB1 increased the expression of HIF‐1α and VEGF in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner in these cells. Moreover, immunofluorescence assay exhibits that the HIF‐1α were activated by HMGB1. In addition, HMGB1 activated extracellular signal‐related kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2), Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), but not P38 in these cells. Furthermore, both U0126 (ErK inhibitor) and SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) significantly suppressed the enhanced production of HIF‐1α and VEGF induced by HMGB1. Tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was significantly increased by exposure to conditioned medium derived from HMGB1‐stimulated perforated disc cells, while attenuated with pre‐treatment of inhibitors for VEGF, HIF‐1α, Erk and JNK, individually. Therefore, abundance of HMGB1 mediates activation of HIF‐1α in disc cells via Erk and JNK pathway and then, initiates VEGF secretion, thereby leading to disc angiogenesis and accelerating degenerative change of the perforated disc.
Insulin Resistance and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients With Mild and Severe Subclinical Hypothyroidism

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate insulin resistance in patients with mild and severe subclinical hypothyroidism (SH), and to explore the relationship between insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors. Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 27 women with severe SH (body mass index BMI, 28.35/3.92 kg/m 2 ), 25 women with mild SH (BMI, 27.13/3.16 kg/m 2 ), and 22 healthy women (BMI, 27.365/2.92 kg/m 2 ). The mean systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and high-sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) levels were higher in patients with severe SH than patients with mild SH and control subjects. The mean fasting insulin level, TSH level, LDL-C, and hs-CRP was higher in patients with mild SH than the control group. However, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and HOMA-IR were similar between patients with mild SH and those in the control group. In patients with severe SH, HOMA-IR was positively associated with TSH, total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglyceride, hs-CRP, and diastolic blood pressure but negatively associated with HDL-C. There was no correlation between HOMA-IR and waist circumference, W/H ratio, fT3, fT4, and systolic blood pressure in patients with severe SH. In patients with mild SH, HOMA-IR was positively correlated with TSH and hs-CRP, but there was no correlation between HOMA-IR and other parameters. Conclusion: We conclude that severe SH was associated with increased insulin resistance and increased cardiovascular risk factors such as lipid abnormalities, hypertension, and hs-CRP. Our data also suggest that insulin resistance may play a role in mediating the effects of severe SH on diastolic blood pressure, lipid abnormalities, and low-grade inflammation. Mild SH is associated only with early insulin resistance, LDL-C, and low-grade inflammation.
WebProp: Web interface for ab initio calculation of molecular one‐electron properties

This note describes the features and implementation issues of WebProp, a web‐based interface for evaluating ab initio quality one‐electron properties. The interface code is written in HTML and Python, while the backend is handled using Python and our indigenously developed code INDPROP for property evaluation. A novel feature of this setup is that it provides a simple interface for computing first principle one‐electron properties of small to medium sized molecules. To facilitate computation of otherwise expensive calculations on large molecular systems, we employ the Molecular Tailoring Approach (MTA) developed in our laboratory to obtain the density matrix (DM). This DM is then employed for computing the one‐electron properties of these systems. The backend transparently handles jobs submitted by the user and runs them either on a single machine or over a grid of compute nodes. The results of the calculations, which include the summary and the files necessary for visualization of one‐electron properties, are e‐mailed to the user. The user can either directly use the data or visualize it using visualization tools such as UNIVIS‐2000 or Drishti. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2008
A Theoretical and Experimental Approach of Fuzzy Adaptive Motion Control for Wheeled Autonomous Nonholonomic Vehicles

A new fuzzy adaptive control is applied to solve a problem of motion control of nonholonomic vehicles with two independent wheels actuated by a differential drive. The major objective of this work is to obtain a motion control system by using a new fuzzy inference mechanism where the Lyapunov stability can be ensured. In particular the parameters of the kinematical control law are obtained using a fuzzy mechanism, where the properties of the fuzzy maps have been established to have the stability above. Due to the nonlinear map of the intelligent fuzzy inference mechanism (i.e., fuzzy rules and value of the rule), the parameters above are not constant, but, time after time, based on empirical fuzzy rules, they are updated in function of the values of the tracking errors. Since the fuzzy maps are adjusted based on the control performances, the parameters updating ensures a robustness and fast convergence of the tracking errors. Also, since the vehicle dynamics and kinematics can be completely unknown, dynamical and kinematical adaptive controllers have been added. The proposed fuzzy controller has been implemented for a real nonholonomic electrical vehicle. Therefore, system robustness and stability performance are verified through simulations and experimental studies.