Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel Materials and Packaging for Thermoelectric Waste-Heat Recovery in Building and Transportation Systems

Thermoelectric recovery is promising for improved efficiency in a broad variety of combustion systems, but thermal interface resistances and the need for scalable and package-compatible thermoelectric materials is a major roadblock. We report progress on six different activities this year, which are all in support of the major goal of novel materials for thermoelectric waste-heat recovery: 1) Thermal interface resistance measurements for the growth interface, using through-wafer picosecond thermoreflectance. 2) Thermal interface resistance of films in contact with a variety of top-side metallizations (Ti, Ni, Al, Pd, Cr), including both the engagement factor of the nanotubes with the coating and the effective thermal contact resistance. 3) Total resistance measurements of CNT films considering varying CNT density and length and inclusion of polymer matrix. 4) CNT deposition on thermoelectric materials including SiGe and characterization of the resulting thermal properties. 5) Elastic modulus measurements captured using resonant frequency experiments on microfabricated cantilever structures and laser interferometry. 6) A sub-contract with the Wardle group at MIT yielding indentation-based measurements of the elastic modulus.
A System for estimating Spatio-Temporal Gait Parameters and Pelvis Kinematics

The estimation of the spatio-temporal Gait Parameters (GP) and Pelvis Kinematics (PK) is of primary importance in both physical activity monitoring and clinical contexts. It becomes ever more necessary to have low-cost and user-friendly tools that enable this type of analysis. In this work, we present a waist-worn system created with an inertial measurement units (IMU), comprising a 3D accelerometer and gyroscope, which uses an innovative Bluetooth 4.0 protocol communication system. The algorithm which permits the functioning is based on the interpretation of accelerations and angular rate of the body trunk (waist) in order to estimate the GP, such as: duration and length the step, and kinematics of the pelvis during straight-line walking, by using the same single sensor on the same location. The measurements obtained with this system (device-algorithms) were compared with a Gait Analysis Inertial Platform used in medical laboratories. Moreover, the system has been tested on healthy subjects, where obtained results have resulted comparable with the reference tables regarding the height, gender and age.
Retrospective Study of Prolonged Versus Intermittent Infusion Piperacillin-Tazobactam and Meropenem in Intensive Care Unit Patients at an Academic Medical Center

Background:Prolonged infusions of &bgr;-lactams are increasingly being utilized because of increased antimicrobial resistance and a lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline. Methods:A retrospective, observational study evaluated adult patients who received at least 72 hours of piperacillin-tazobactam or meropenem in a medical and surgical intensive care unit (ICU) at an academic medical center. In the first 6 months of the study, all patients received conventional intermittent dosing; in the second 6 months, all patients received these antibiotics by prolonged infusions. The main outcome comparisons between groups were duration of ventilator support, duration of ICU and hospital length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. Results:A total of 121 patients were included: 54 patients in the intermittent (67% piperacillin-tazobactam, 33% meropenem) and 67 patients in the prolonged group (81% piperacillin-tazobactam, 19% meropenem). The prolonged group demonstrated a significant decrease in ventilator days (−7.2 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], −12.4 to −2.4), ICU length of stay (−4.5 days; 95% CI, −8.3 to −1.4), and hospital length of stay (−8.5 days; 95% CI, −18.7 to −1.2) compared with the intermittent group. The risk of in-hospital mortality was 12.4% in the prolonged infusion group and 20.7% in the intermittent infusion group corresponding to an odds ratio of 0.54 (0.18-1.66). Conclusions:The results of this study show that the use of prolonged infusions of piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem could potentially improve clinical outcomes in critically ill populations. As antibiotic resistance continues to increase in gram-negative pathogens, these &bgr;-lactam dosing strategies will be important for appropriate treatment.
Preparation and Storage of Platelet Concentrates: II. STORAGE VARIABLES INFLUENCING PLATELET VIABILITY AND FUNCTION

Summary. Factors affecting the viability and function of stored platelet concentrates have been investigated in a blood component programme. It was found that platelets could be maintained for up to 72 h without bacterial contamination under the following conditions: (1) surgical skin preparation at venipuncture site; (2) blood collection in CPD or ACD anticoagulant in a closed bag system; (3) centrifugation of PRP at 3000 g for 20 min; (4) storage in Fenwal PL‐146, Cutter CL‐2383, or McGaw plastic bags; (5) resuspension of the platelet pellet in 70 ml residual plasma; (6) storage at 22± 2°; and (7) constant gentle mixing throughout storage. Platelet viability as determined by recovery and survival is largely maintained, as is platelet function measured by template bleeding time. Both viability and function of concentrated platelets stored at 4° are severely compromised.
Interventions for waterpipe smoking cessation.

BACKGROUND Waterpipe smoking is a traditional method of tobacco use, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, but its use is now spreading throughout Europe and North America. It is smoked socially, often being shared between friends or family at home, or in dedicated bars and cafes that provide waterpipes to patrons. Because the smoke passes through a reservoir of water, waterpipe tobacco smoking is perceived as being less lethal than other methods of tobacco use. At least in some cultures, women and girls are more likely to use a waterpipe than to use other forms of tobacco, and it is popular among younger smokers. Accumulating evidence suggests that waterpipe smoking may be as addictive as other forms of tobacco use, and may carry similar or greater risks to health. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of tobacco cessation interventions for waterpipe users. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Review Group specialized register, in June 2007. We also searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO, using variant terms and spellings ('waterpipe' or 'narghile' or 'arghile' or 'shisha' or 'goza' or 'narkeela' or 'hookah' or 'hubble bubble'). We searched for trials, published or unpublished, in any language, and especially in regions where waterpipe use is widespread. We have also used our own existing bibliography, compiled from conducting an earlier exhaustive review of the literature on waterpipe smoking. SELECTION CRITERIA We sought randomized, quasi-randomized or cluster-randomized controlled trials of smoking cessation interventions for waterpipe smokers of any age or gender. The primary outcome of interest was abstinence from tobacco use, preferably sustained and biochemically verified, for at least six months from the start of the intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Each author intended to extract data and assess trial quality independently by standard Cochrane Collaboration methodologies, but no eligible trials were identified. MAIN RESULTS We found no completed intervention trials targeting waterpipe smokers. A pilot randomized controlled trial by the authors of this review is underway, and will be reported in future updates. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Epidemiological and observational evidence suggests that waterpipe use is growing in popularity worldwide. It is widely and erroneously perceived to be less lethal than other forms of tobacco use. Women, girls, and young people are more likely to take up waterpipe smoking, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. More research is needed on its addictive properties, and on the associated health risks, both for users and exposed non-smokers. Evidence-based information about waterpipe's addictive and harmful properties should be developed and disseminated in order to deglamourise and denormalise its use. High quality randomized trials are needed to guide treatment of waterpipe smoking.
Design of Modified Three Stage SharpenedCIC Filter for Decimation

This paper presents the design of Sharpened three stage CIC filter for decimation. The proposed decimation filter has Cascaded-Integrator Comb filter as first stage, Sharpened Cascaded-Integrator Comb filter as second and third stage. The CIC filter at first stage operates at input sampling rate, sharpened second stage operates at lower rate as compared to first stage and sharpened third stage operates at lower rate as compared to first as well as second stage. The sharpened second and third stage leads to improvement in pass-band droop and better stop-band alias rejection. Further the reduction of sampling rate at each stage provides many additional benefits like better power efficiency, reduced hardware requirements, reduced cost and better speed. The proposed filter is designed and simulated in MATLAB-Simulink environment. The simulation results and their comparison shows that the proposed decimation filter has improved pass-band droop and better stop-band alias rejection than the existing structures.
Histatin 1 Enhances Cell Adhesion to Titanium in an Implant Integration Model

Cellular adhesion is essential for successful integration of dental implants. Rapid soft tissue integration is important to create a seal around the implant and prevent infections, which commonly cause implant failure and can result in bone loss. In addition, soft tissue management is important to obtain good dental aesthetics. We previously demonstrated that the salivary peptide histatin 1 (Hst1) causes a more than 2-fold increase in the ability of human adherent cells to attach and spread on a glass surface. Cells treated with Hst1 attached more rapidly and firmly to the substrate and to each other. In the current study, we examine the potential application of Hst1 for promotion of dental implant integration. Our results show that Hst1 enhances the attachment and spreading of soft tissue cell types (oral epithelial cells and fibroblasts) to titanium (Ti) and hydroxyapatite (HAP), biomaterials that have found wide applications as implant material in dentistry and orthopedics. For improved visualization of cell adhesion to Ti, we developed a novel technique that uses sputtering to deposit a thin, transparent layer of Ti onto glass slides. This approach allows detailed, high-resolution analysis of cell adherence to Ti in real time. Furthermore, our results suggest that Hst1 has no negative effects on cell survival. Given its natural occurrence in the oral cavity, Hst1 could be an attractive agent for clinical application. Importantly, even though Hst1 is specific for saliva of humans and higher primates, it stimulated the attachment and spreading of canine cells, paving the way for preclinical studies in canine models.
Double‐balloon endoscopy is safe and effective for the diagnosis and treatment of small‐bowel disorders: Prospective multicenter study carried out by expert and non‐expert endoscopists in Japan

Double‐balloon endoscopy (DBE) has enabled direct, detailed examination of the entire small bowel with interventional capabilities. Although its usefulness is recognized, efficacy and safety have not been extensively evaluated by prospective multicenter studies. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of DBE carried out by expert and non‐expert endoscopists, a prospective, multicenter study was conducted in five university hospitals and a general hospital in Japan.
Medical Cost Savings for Web-Based Wellness Program Participants from Employers Engaged in Health Promotion Activities

Purpose. Assess whether an insurer-provided Web-based wellness program results in cost and utilization improvements. Design. Quasi-experimental, pre-post, treatment-comparison design. Variables of interest were participation rates; medical, professional, and pharmacy expenditures; inpatient admissions; emergency room visits; and preventive service utilization. Setting. Six hundred forty-three employer-based wellness programs in Pennsylvania. Subjects. Forty-seven employers engaged in the Web-based wellness program and 596 employers who were not engaged. The engaged employer group included 10,463 wellness participants; an equal number of matched nonparticipant employees were identified from employers who were not engaged. Intervention. Web-based wellness program features were added to an on-site program in 2004. The program was followed through 2007. Measures. Outcomes were calculated using health insurance enrollment and claims history. Analysis. Participating employees were compared to nonparticipants using generalized linear mixed models to study changes in costs and utilization. Results. During the 2003 baseline year, engaged employers had greater costs, greater chronic disease prevalence, and greater hospitalization. Costs of program participants showed a lower rate of increase in 2004, and then dropped below those of the nonparticipants for the duration of the study. Between 2003 and 2007, the increase in medical expenditures of the participant group was significantly less than that of the nonparticipant group (31% vs. 46%, p < .01). In addition, the participant group showed a lower increase in professional service expenditures (p = .02) and greater utilization of preventive services (p < .01). Conclusions. Web-based insurer-provided wellness programs may decrease health care costs and encourage preventive service utilization. (Am J Health Promot 2011;25[4]:272–280.)
A Cross-Docking Study on Matrix Metalloproteinase Family.

BACKGROUND Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contribute to various physiological and pathophysiological processes. An imbalance in MMP activity causes pathological conditions including inflammatory diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Each MMP member has many 3D structures available; therefore, selecting one structure for virtual screening becomes challenging. METHODS In this study, we used the cross-docking approach to rank the available MMP structures for their probable successful performance in virtual screening. To determine structures that would offer best average RMSD (root mean square deviation), we performed cross-docking studies on 123 holo (protein-ligand) structures of seven MMP enzyme groups (MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-12, and MMP-13). RESULTS MMP enzymes with more flexible residues had fewer structures with RMSD < 2.0 A. Further, same resolution and binding affinities, difference in ligand size, and chemotype of the co-crystalized ligand were parameters that could greatly affect the corresponding cross-dock results and the calculated average RMSD for the structures. Four of the six best MMP-12 receptors, which were identified using the average RMSD metric, had the highest EF1% (emrichment factor) in the retrospective enrichment study. CONCLUSION According to the enrichment results, structures with lower average RMSD have a high probability of being appropriate candidates. These study findings will help in receptor selection for an MMP virtual screening protocol and lead to better enrichment of MMP inhibitors.
Overview on Multi-Channel Communications in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we focus on multi-channel MAC protocols specifically designed for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The use of multiple channels helps overcome interferences and thus enhance the overall network performance. In order to establish channel and slot allocation to enable simultaneous transmissions, many protocols have been proposed in the literature. Some of them are based on a TDMA approach which offers a more deterministic behavior but requires a strict synchronization, while others are based on CSMA/CA which is an asynchronous medium access algorithm that suffers from collisions due to its probabilistic behavior. Different classifications have been proposed in previous survey papers depending on the periodicity of channel switching, on whether they are centralized or distributed, synchronized or asynchronous, etc. In this paper, we present a survey of the different techniques used in WSNs and that are applicable on the IEEE 802.15. 4 standard. We detail some of the most popular protocols and discuss their advantages and weaknesses. We conclude the paper with an open discussion concerning future research directions.
Enzyme-responsive snap-top covered silica nanocontainers.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles, capable of storing a payload of small molecules and releasing it following specific catalytic activation by an esterase, have been designed and fabricated. The storage and release of the payload is controlled by the presence of [2]rotaxanes, which consist of tri(ethylene glycol) chains threaded by α-cyclodextrin tori, located on the surfaces of the nanoparticles and terminated by a large stoppering group. These modified silica nanoparticles are capable of encapsulating guest molecules when the [2]rotaxanes are present. The bulky stoppers, which serve to hold the tori in place, are stable under physiological conditions but are cleaved by the catalytic action of an enzyme, causing dethreading of the tori and release of the guest molecules from the pores of the nanoparticles. These snap-top covered silica nanocontainers (SCSNs) are prepared by a modular synthetic method, in which the stoppering unit, incorporated in the final step of the synthesis, may be changed at will to target the response of the system to any of a number of hydrolytic enzymes. Here, the design, synthesis, and operation of model SCSNs that open in the presence of porcine liver esterase (PLE) are reported. The empty pores of the silica nanoparticles were loaded with luminescent dye molecules (rhodamine B), and stoppering units that incorporate adamantyl ester moieties were then attached in the presence of α-cyclodextrin using the copper-catalyzed azide−alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), closing the SCSNs. The release of rhodamine-B from the pores of the SCSN, following PLE-mediated hydrolysis of the stoppers, was monitored using fluorescence spectroscopy.
Morphology Tailoring of Sulfonic Acid Functionalized Organosilica Nanohybrids for the Synthesis of Biomass-Derived Alkyl Levulinates.

Morphology evolution of sulfonic acid functionalized organosilica nanohybrids (Si(Et)Si-Pr/ArSO3 H) with a 1D tubular structure (inner diameter of ca. 5 nm), a 2D hexagonal mesostructure (pore diameter of ca. 5 nm), and a 3D hollow spherical structure (shell thickness of 2-3 nm and inner diameter of ca. 15 nm) was successfully realized through P123-templated sol-gel cocondensation strategies and fine-tuning of the acidity followed by aging or a hydrothermal treatment. The Si(Et)Si-Pr/ArSO3 H nanohybrids were applied in synthesis of alkyl levulinates from the esterification of levulinic acid and ethanolysis of furfural alcohol. Hollow spherical Si(Et)Si-Pr/ArSO3 H and hexagonal mesoporous analogues exhibited the highest and lowest catalytic activity, respectively, among three types of nanohybrids; additionally, the activity was influenced by the -SO3 H loading. The activity differences are explained in terms of different Brønsted acid and textural properties, reactant/product diffusion, and mass transfer rate, as well as accessibility of -SO3 H sites to the reactant molecules. The reusability of the nanohybrids was also evaluated.
Hydrogen in N-methylacetamide: positions and dynamics of the hydrogen atoms using neutron scattering.

This work reports neutron diffraction and incoherent neutron scattering experiments on N-methylacetamide (NMA), which can be considered the model building block for the peptide linkage of polypeptides and proteins. Using the neutron data, we have been able to associate the onset of a striking negative thermal expansion (NTE) along the a-axis with a dynamical transition around 230 K, consistent with our calorimetric experiments. Observation of the NTE raises the question of possible proton transfer in NMA, which, from our data alone, still cannot be settled. We can only speculate that intermolecular repulsive forces increase as the O.H distance decreases upon cooling, and that around 230 K the lattice relaxes without observation of an actual proton transfer. However, the existence of a nonharmonic potential, reflected by the behavior of the phonon vibrations together with the observation of NTE, could be justified by the "vibrational" polaron theory in which a dynamic localization of the vibrational energy is created by coupling an internal molecular mode to a lattice phonon. More generally, this work shows that neutron powder diffraction techniques can be very powerful for investigating structural deformations in small peptide systems.
Brain levels of high‐energy phosphate metabolites and executive function in geriatric depression

Depression in late life has been associated with difficulties in cognitive processing, particularly in the domains of executive function, processing speed and memory, and increases the risk of developing dementia suggesting a neurodegenerative phenotype. Mitochondrial dysfunction is frequently an early event in neurodegenerative illnesses and may be operative in patients with late life depression. Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) allows for the quantification of bioenergetic molecules produced by mitochondria.
Homocysteine Thiolactone-Induced Hyperhomocysteinemia Does Not Alter Concentrations of Cholesterol and SREBP-2 Target Gene mRNAs in Rats

The present rat study was conducted to test whether hyper-homocysteinemia induced by dietary homocysteine (Hcy) alters the cholesterol concentration in plasma and tissue and the gene expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake. Therefore, rats were fed 100 or 200 mg Hcy per kilogram body mass per day (Hcy100 group and Hcy200 group, respectively) as dl-homocysteine thiolactone, or an Hcy-free diet, which served as control, over 14 days. Rats from the Hcy100 group and the Hcy200 group had higher plasma Hcy concentrations (34.4 ± 4.6 and 69.4 ± 11.5 μM, respectively) than rats fed an Hcy-free diet (9.5 ± 1.7 μM). The concentration of Hcy in liver was 2.6 and 3.8 times higher, and in small intestine was 2.6 and 5.1 times higher, in the Hcy100 group and the Hcy200 group, respectively, than in control rats (P < 0.05). The concentrations of cholesterol in plasma, lipoproteins, liver, and small intestine and the relative mRNA concentrations of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP-2), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor in liver and small intestine were not influenced by dl-homocysteine thiolactone supplementation. In conclusion, in view of the experimental conditions used here, increased plasma and tissue concentrations of Hcy do not alter cholesterol metabolism of liver and intestine.
Evolution of Translation Surfaces in Euclidean 3-Space

Geometry and kinematics have been intimately connected in their historical evolution and, although it is currently les s fashionable, the further development of such connections is crucial to many computer-aided design and manufacturing. In this paper, the evolution of the translation surfaces and their generating curves in E 3 are investigated. Integrability conditions of the Gauss-Weingarten equations are obtained. Kinematics of moving frame fields as sociated to these surfaces are described. The evolution equations of the Christoffel symbols, the second fundamental quantities and Gauss-Codazzi equations for the motion are established. Thus, the evolution equations of the curvatures in terms of their intrinsic geom etric formulas are derived. Two examples of translation surfaces and their motions are considered and plotted.