Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound, ions and combined modalities for increased local tumour cell death in radiation therapy

In this thesis, new approaches to improve tumour therapy for patients with inoperable, radiationand chemoresistant tumours were in focus. Ultrasound and ionising radiation, especially accelerated ions, are both non-invasive agents that have high precision and deep penetration in tissues, enabling increased dose to the tumour while sparing the normal tissues. The first aim was to investigate cell survival and various cell responses of non-thermal ultrasound, both as a single treatment or in combination with radiation or a chemotherapeutic agent, and the second aim was to investigate the effects of accelerated ions. Treatment of solid tumours using focused high-intensity ultrasound for thermal ablation has been initiated. In the present study lower intensities of ultrasound, not inducing thermal increase but inducing cavitation and production of free radicals were used for investigation of cellular effects. Cells were exposed to 1 MHz continuous mode ultrasound at varying intensities, either alone or in combination with Xor γradiation, or the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. Intensity-dependent clonogenic cell survival and induction of apoptosis were seen in five different human solid tumour cell lines (lung carcinoma, cervical carcinoma, two gliomas, and melanoma). The variation in ultrasound sensitivity was very small compared to the large variation after photon radiation. Both in a rodent (lung fibroblast) and a human solid tumour (lung carcinoma) cell line synergistic effects after combined exposures to ultrasound and radiation was found. Also, ultrasound enhanced the effect of cisplatin, induced intensity-dependent increase in instant cytolysis, induction in DNA damage, cells with increased membrane permeability and aberrant morphology. In radiation therapy the dominating modality is external therapy with photons or electrons. Accelerated protons and carbon ions have improved the treatment of inoperable and radioresistant tumours. Other charged particles and radiation qualities may further optimise the treatment. Therefore we investigated the effects of accelerated boron ions at four different linear energy transfer (LET) in a human solid tumor cell line (melanoma). The clonogenic cell survival decreased with increasing LET. Boron irradiation induced higher levels of apoptosis compared to photons at all time points studied although no clear LET-dependence due to the complex time-dependent response pattern. Even intermediate LETs were effective in increasing cell killing, apoptosis, cell cycle delay and reducing DSB rejoining. Both ultrasound and boron ions were effective in tumour cell elimination. By combining different treatment modalities cell killing was further enhanced due to interacting sublethal damage. This finding, in combination with the minimal variation in sensitivity among human solid tumour cell lines after ion and ultrasound irradiation, suggests some new avenues for treating heterogeneous tumours with varying radiationand chemoresistance.
Surface Charge of a Nanoparticle Interacting with a Flat Substrate

Electrostatic interactions between two charged dielectric objects highly depend on their surface charge. Most existing studies assume constant surface charge densities between the two interacting objects regardless of the separation distance between them. The surface charge of a spherical silica nanoparticle interacting with a flat silica plate is investigated numerically as a function of the separation distance normalized with the electrical double layer thickness (κh), pH, and background salt concentration. The numerical model employs Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations for ionic mass transport and considers surface charge regulation in the presence of multiple ionic species. Relatively weak interactions between the nanoparticle and the plate are observed for κh ≫ 1, resulting in uniform surface charge densities. Because of curvature, the surface charge density of the nanoparticle is higher than that of the plate. Strong interactions are observed for κh ≤ 1, leading to spatially nonuniform surface charge de.
A model to develop small and medium enterprise sector in Sri Lanka: subcontracting linkages in the Sri Lankan garment industry

Subcontracting is recently one of the most important features of industrial networks and industrial development. There are few studies in the area of subcontracting in garment industry in Sri Lanka. Jayaweera and Dias (1989) have only analyzed nature of subcontracting activities in the Sri Lankan garment industry. They however only focused on the impact on women. The proposed paper investigates the main characteristics of subcontracting activities and the nature of subcontracting linkages in garment industry in Sri Lanka in which subcontracting challenges will be identifies. We use data from field survey of garment firms in Sri Lanka in 2011. Field survey was conducted by the researchers and final year undergraduate students of department of Economics, Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo. In addition, case studies were conducted to get a deep understanding about subcontracting activities in the sector. Sri Lanka Journal of Advanced Social Studies, 2013; Vol 3(1); Page 54-75 DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.4038/sljass.v3i1. 7128
Reflections on the Significance of DNA Methylation in Living Organisms: from Bacteria to Humans

Epigenetics refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression which occur without a change in DNA sequence and DNA methylation constitutes one of the most important causative components of this regulation. Unlike DNA mutations, changes in DNA methylation can be influenced by the environmental factors, they are stable at the time scale of an individual and present different levels of heritability. Efficient resistance systems against phage infections in bacteria take advantage of methylation mechanisms and these defence systems became invaluable tools in biotechnological applications. An evolutionary pattern of genome methylation guides us for a better understanding of specific functions in diverse organisms. In human diseases, in contrast to mutations which typically occur at a wide range of sites, aberrant methylation of specific promoter regions is a consistent feature of cancer. Thus, the determination of these circulating methylation epigenotypes is quite advantageous in terms of reflecting the early stages of carcinogenesis and predetermining the future cancer type. In this commentary, we aim to provide an overview of the concepts and molecular mechanisms related with the methylation in living organisms. Understanding how methylation dynamically contributes to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic life forms holds much promise for perceiving the value of epigenetic processes in evolutionary and clinical practice.
The scenario of two-dimensional instabilities of the cylinder wake under EHD forcing: A linear stability analysis

We propose to study the stability properties of an air flow wake forced by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuator, which is a type of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) actuator. These actuators add momentum to the flow around a cylinder in regions close to the wall and, in our case, are symmetrically disposed near the boundary layer separation point. Since the forcing frequencies, typical of DBD, are much higher than the natural shedding frequency of the flow, we will be considering the forcing actuation as stationary. In the first part, the flow around a circular cylinder modified by EHD actuators will be experimentally studied by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV). In the second part, the EHD actuators have been numerically implemented as a boundary condition on the cylinder surface. Using this boundary condition, the computationally obtained base flow is then compared with the experimental one in order to relate the control parameters from both methodologies. After validating the obtained agreement, we study the Hopf bifurcation that appears once the flow starts the vortex shedding through experimental and computational approaches. For the base flow derived from experimentally obtained snapshots, we monitor the evolution of the velocity amplitude oscillations. As to the computationally obtained base flow, its stability is analyzed by solving a global eigenvalue problem obtained from the linearized Navier–Stokes equations. Finally, the critical parameters obtained from both approaches are compared.
ANXA5 Gene: An Insilco approach for SNP analysis associated with RPL

Miscarriage is the most familiar pregnancy obstacle affecting up to 15% of all clinically recognized pregnancies. Annexin A5 gene is a well-recognized predisposition factor for recurrent spontaneous abortion. Annexin A5 is both Ca2+ and phospholipids binding protein that is localized at the surface of the placental syncytiotrophoblast layer and performs a vital role in anticoagulant function in the maternal blood at the inter villous space. It has been recently shown that polymorphisms in the promoter region of the annexin A5 gene (ANXA5) are significantly associated with RPL. The present study focuses on the comprehensive analysis of the functional and structural impact of all known SNPs of ANXA5 gene by using computational approaches. Comprehensive analysis was performed to filter the most probable mutation that might be associated with RSA. It resulted in identification of SNPs which are most deleterious and disease associated. The study reveals that these two rs111418524, rs41278081 SNPs have more significant effect on structure and function of the protein.
Effect of Urea Super Granule on Growth and Yield of Wheat

A field experiment was carried out at Agronomy Field, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh during the period from November 2009 to March 2010 with a view to finding out the effect of appropriate dose of USG on growth and yield of wheat. Six levels of nitrogen (T 0 , T 1 , T 2 , T 3 , T 4 and T 5 ) were applied as treatments for growth and yield of wheat var. Bijoy for this study. Among the application of USG, treatment T 5 produced the superior results on morpho-physiological and growth characters of wheat except number of non sterile spikelet where USG treatment T 2 performs the best (1.82). As results, T 5 produced the highest plant height (95.77 cm), number of total tiller hill-1 (4.96), no. of effective tiller (4.13), no of non effective tiller (1.00), number of total spikelet (20.22), no of spikelet spile -1 (10.92), sterile spieklet (18.70), no of grains spike -1 (46.27), 1000-grain yield (51.39 g), grain yield (2.42 t ha -1 ) and straw yield (4.06 tha -1 ). DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/jesnr.v4i2. 10164 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 4(2): 143-146, 2011
Magnetism and spin transport in rare-earth-rich epitaxial terbium and europium iron garnet films

Rare-earth iron garnet thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) have recently attracted a great deal of attention for spintronic applications. Thulium iron garnet (TmIG) has been successfully grown and TmIG/Pt heterostructures have been characterized. However, TmIG is not the only rare-earth iron garnet that can be grown with PMA. We report the growth, magnetic, and spintronic properties of epitaxial terbium iron garnet (TbIG) and europium iron garnet (EuIG) thin films with PMA. Reciprocal space mapping shows the films are lattice matched to the substrate without strain relaxation, even for films up to 56 nm thick. The lattice strain and magnetostriction coefficient produce PMA in certain cases. TbIG grows on (111) gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) with PMA due to the in-plane compressive strain, whereas TbIG on (111) substituted GGG (SGGG) is in tension and has an in-plane easy axis. EuIG grows with PMA on (100) and (111) GGG substrates, which facilitates the investigation of spintronic properties as a function of orientation. Both garnets have excess rare earth, which is believed to occupy Fe octahedral sites and in the case of TbIG is associated with an increase in the compensation temperature to 330 K, higher than the bulk value. Anomalous Hall effect (AHE) measurements of Pt/EuIG Hall crosses show that the spin mixing conductance of Pt/ (111) and (100) EuIG is similar. AHE measurements of Pt/TbIG Hall crosses reveal a sign change in the AHE amplitude at the compensation point analogous to all-metallic systems.
Perioperative Depression in Older Patients after Hip Fracture

Aim: Depression in patients after hip fracture has adverse effects on patient outcomes. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of perioperative depression and the risk factors which predispose patients undergoing emergency hip surgery to perioperative depression. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in hip fracture survivors in an orthogeriatric unit in Western Australia, from 2005 to 2008. Patients were categorized as depressed if Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score was five or above. Linear regression was used to analyze the association between age and GDS. Modifying effect of dementia was examined using likelihood ratio test. Results: Depression was present in 18.3% of 1127 patients within two weeks after hip fracture. Mean age was 81.2 years. Prevalence of perioperative depression was highest in the old-old (24.1%) and in patients with pre-existing dementia (64.8%). Advancing age, prefracture institutionalization, use of gait aids, poor physical status, and dementia were associated with higher GDS scores, but not gender or perioperative delirium. The association between increasing depressive symptoms and advancing age was significant in patients without dementia but not in patients with dementia. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms were common during perioperative care for emergency hip surgery. Depression was highly prevalent in patients with dementia after hip fracture regardless of their age. Pre-morbid patient factors may help to identify those patients at risk for depression and should be addressed to optimize rehabilitation participation and outcomes.
The Diffusion of Modern Manufacturing Practices: Evidence from the Retail-Apparel Sectors

As in many industries, firms in the apparel industry exhibit substantial heterogeneity in the adoption of "modern manufacturing" practices. Based on detailed business-unit level data, we show that this heterogeneity can be explained firm inputs. We show that the interaction between these explanatory factors means that complementarities between inputs may emerge over time rather than all at once as is often assumed in other studies of complementarities.
The role of professional identity in patterns of use of multiple‐choice assessment tools

This article uses the notion of professional identity within the framework of actor network theory to understand didactic practices within three faculties in an institution of higher education. The study is based on a series of interviews with lecturers in each faculty and diaries of their didactic practices. The article focuses on the use of a multiple‐choice assessment tool available on a virtual learning environment and on the lecturers' attitudes towards it. The data suggest that the prevalent epistemic culture in a faculty's community of practice plays a significant role in the choices made by lecturers as far as their actual use of the tool is concerned. The lecturers' professional identity is also a substantial element in shaping their attitude towards the tool.
EFEK LAMA STIMULASI DAN TEGANGAN LISTRIK TERHADAP KOMPOSISI KIMIA, KUALITAS FISIK, DAN SENSORI DAGING AYAM PETELUR AFKIR EFFECT OF THE ELECTRICAL STIMULATION LENGTH AND VOLTAGES ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, PHYSICAL QUALITY AND SENSORY OF CULLED LAYER CHICKEN MEAT

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the electrical stimulation length and voltages on chemical composition, physical quality and sensory of the meat of culled layer chicken. The study used a Completely Randomized Design of 3 x 4 factorial arrangement with six replications in each combination. Seventy-two samples of culled layer chicken were divided into 3 groups with length of stimulation of 0, 1 and 2 minutes and 4 groups of electrical stimulation voltages of 60, 75 and 90 volt and control. There were significant interactions effect between stimulation length and voltages on meat physical quality, such as pH, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, tenderness and meat protein. Electrical stimulation of 2 minutes with 90 volt improved physical quality, compared with other combinations. Stimulation length and electrical voltage significantly increased meat sensory quality, including meat tenderness, color, aroma and texture.
Conjoint Analysis and MDS Approach to Brand Improvement of an Aerosol Product

Consumers decide which aerosol product to purchase depending upon its different features or attributes. The importance that consumers give to each attribute, however, differs from one consumer to another. The ability to identify the importance of different attributes of aerosols from the consumers’ perspective is essential for improving an existing brand or launching a completely new brand of aerosol. The purpose of this study is to identify feasible offerings of aerosols from a company’s point of view and the positioning of a comparatively new brand of room air freshener among all other existing brands in the capital city of Bihar (Patna) in India. The study makes use of conjoint analysis and the multidimensional scaling technique to identify (a) the attributes of the room air freshener and their corresponding levels from the consumers’ perspective, (b) the importance of each attribute of the room air freshener and its contribution in influencing the consumers’ purchase decision, (c) the best and the worst combinations of attributes and their levels from the consumers’ point of view, and (d) the potential opportunities for the new brand of room air freshener in the perceptual map of the consumers’ mind.
Initial Transient Response of the Winter Polar Stratospheric Vortex to Idealized Equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in the NCAR WACCM

AbstractPerpetual winter simulations using the NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) are conducted to document the differences of the initial transient response of the boreal winter Northern Hemisphere stratospheric polar vortex to central (CPW) and eastern Pacific warming (EPW) events. Idealized patches of positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are superimposed onto a climatological SST field to mimic canonical CPW and EPW forcings. A 20-member ensemble was created by varying initial atmospheric conditions for both CPW and EPW cases. In the ensemble average, the vortex weakens under both CPW and EPW forcing, indicated by a negative zonal mean zonal wind tendency. This tendency is mainly tied to changes in the eddy-driven mean meridional circulation (MMC). A negative anomaly in the eddy momentum flux convergence also plays a secondary role in the weakening. The vortex response, however, differs dramatically among individual ensemble members. A few ensemble members exhibit initial.
Acute and Subacute Toxicity Studies on Vetiver Oil in Rats

The Vetiver plant,Vetiveria zizanioides linn. [Gramineae], is widely known from ancient ages. The vetiver oil is native of India. The medicinal and commercial importance of the oil has been known since ancient days. In the present study, an experimental approach is applied to vetiver oil to elicit toxic responses over an exposure period of 90 days. Since no data are available in this regard, it was thought worthwhile to undertake acute and subacute toxicity studies in male and female rats. Acute toxicity determination indicated that vetiver oil has LD50 values of 2985.38 mg/kg. The drug is practically non-toxic at oral doses. To carry out the subacute toxicity studies, the oil was administered to rats for 45 and 90 days, and the blood samples drawn from animals were subjected to full biochemical and hematological investigations. It was found that prolonged exposure of rats to vetiver oil exerted a mild hematotoxic effect and may alter lipid metabolism.
Age, Life-Satisfaction, and Relative Income: Insights from the UK and Germany

We first confirm previous results with the German Socio-Economic Panel by Layard et al. (2010), and obtain strong negative effects of comparison income. However, when we split the sample by age, we find quite different results for reference income. The effects on life- satisfaction are positive and significant for those under 45, consistent with Hirschman’s (1973) ‘tunnel effect’, and only negative (and larger than in the full sample) for those over 45, when relative deprivation dominates. Thus for young respondents, reference income’s signalling role, indicating potential future prospects, can outweigh relative deprivation effects. Own-income effects are also larger for the older sample, and of greater magnitude than the comparison income effect. In East Germany the reference income effects are insignificant for all. With data from the British Household Panel Survey, we confirm standard results when encompassing all ages, but reference income loses significance in both age groups, and most surprisingly, even own income becomes insignificant for those over 45, while education has significant negative effects.
Development and Implementation of a Collaborative Mental Health Care Program in a Primary Care Setting: The Ottawa Share Program

This article presents the results of a needs assessment of family physicians and residents concerning the provision of mental health care and an implementation evaluation of a multidisciplinary mental health service demonstration project, linking 2 family practices with mental health services of a general hospital. Family physicians and residents reported that collaborative mental health care provision would enhance but not replace their management of patients with mental health problems. The implementation evaluation found that collaborative care provided by a multidisciplinary mental health team co-located with family physicians was accepted by patients and valued by family physicians. Because of a shortage of family physicians, few patients from the mental health system who lacked family physicians were able to gain access to primary care through this project.
Price Stability as a Target for Monetary Policy: Defining and Maintaining Price Stability

This paper discusses how price stability can be defined and how price stability can be maintained in practice. Some lessons for the Eurosystem are also considered. With regard to defining price stability, the choice between price-level stability and low (including zero) inflation and the decisions about the price index, the quantitative target and the role of output stabilization are examined. With regard to maintaining price stability, three main alternatives are considered, namely a commitment to a simple instrument rule (like a Taylor rule), forecast targeting (like inflation-forecast targeting) and intermediate targeting (like money-growth targeting). A simple instrument rule does not provide a substitute for a systematic framework for monetary policy decisions. Such a framework is instead provided by forecast targeting. Forecast targeting can incorporate judgmental adjustments, extra-model information, and different indicators (including indicators of risks to price stability'). By extending mean forecast targeting to distribution forecast targeting, nonlinearity, nonadditive uncertainty and model uncertainty can be incorporated. Eurosystem arguments in favor of its money-growth indicator and against inflation-forecast targeting are scrutinized and found unconvincing.