Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Free volume of electrospun organic-inorganic copolymers

Two series of amphiphilic, organic-inorganic graft copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PMMA-graft-PDMS), as well as poly(acrylonitrile) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PAN-graft-PDMS), were synthesized via conventional free radical copolymerization using the ―grafting through‖ technique. In both series the PDMS macromonomer content varied from 5 wt. % 25 wt. % and different graft lengths of 1000 g/mol and 5000 g/mol were used. A gradient elution profile was developed to monitor the removal of the unreacted PDMS macromonomer using hexane extraction. In the case of the PAN copolymer series, the gradient profile showed that as the PDMS content in the feed increased, more PAN-graft-PDMS molecules formed relative to homopolymer PAN. In the case of the PMMA copolymer series, mostly PMMA-graft-PDMS molecules were formed as the PDMS content in the feed increased. In the case of the PAN-graft-PDMS series, the PDMS content affected the crystallization behaviour of the PAN segments and lead to a decrease in crystallinity across the composition range as the PDMS content increased. It is shown that the synthesized graft copolymers can be electrospun to produce continuous nanofibers. The effects of polymer solution concentration, copolymer composition and tip-to-collector distance on the fiber morphology are discussed. The rapid stretching of the polymer jet, as well as the rapid solvent evaporation during the electrospinning process, resulted in highly complex nonequilibrium morphologies in the case of the electrospun PAN-graft-PDMS copolymers. The crystallization behaviour of the electrospun fibers of PAN-graftPDMS was shown to be different from the unprocessed precursor material. Surface oxidised MWCNTs were successfully incorporated and well dispersed into the graft copolymers via the electrospinning process to produce nanocomposite nanofibers. In the case of the PAN-graft-PDMS copolymer series, the presence of MWCNTs in the nanocomposite nanofibers enhanced the overall degree of crystallinity when compared to the unfilled nanofibers. For the first time positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) analysis was performed on the various complex graft copolymer compositions and their electrospun fiber analogues, as well as nanocomposites, to investigate the free volume properties of the various materials. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
Studies of Adaptive Radiation Using Model Microbial Systems

Adaptive radiation is a fundamental process in the evolution of biodiversity. The effects of seasonality, resource partitioning, and spatial heterogeneity have been examined experimentally using evolving populations of microbes. In all environmental conditions examined, ecological interactions have large effect on the likelihood and outcome of adaptive radiation. Adaptive radiation in seasonal environments can arise because of demographic trade‐offs and excretion of metabolites. Resource partitioning can occur even in the absence of temporal or spatial heterogeneity. Spatial heterogeneity arising via growth is sufficient to generate microenvironments and subsequent adaptive radiation. However, ecological interactions maintaining diversity can be sensitive to slight alterations of the environmental conditions. Laboratory populations of microbes are ideal model systems to test the factors essential for adaptive radiation.
Influence of Accelerated Aging on the Color Stability of Dental Zirconia

Objective This study evaluated the influence of different aging times on the color stability of zirconia that is either veneered or not by ceramic. Materials and Methods Fifteen zirconia disks (3Y-TZP) were produced (12.0 mm in diameter and 1.0 mm-thick). Five disks (G1) did not receive veneering ceramic layer; 5 disks (G2) were veneered with 1.0 mm a ceramic layer and the other 5 disks (G3) were veneered with layer of 1.5 mm. The L*a*b* coordinates (T1) were measured with a spectrophotometer. The disks were subjected to an accelerated aging protocol for 1 hour (T2), 2 hours (T3) and 4 hours (T4). Measurements were made after each aging time. Differences in color (ΔE00), lightness (ΔL′), chroma (ΔC′), and hue (ΔH′) were calculated by CIEDE2000 color difference formula among standard-averages, aging times and thickness tested. For ΔE00, one-way ANOVA was performed for the G1 and two-way ANOVA for G2 and G3. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed for ΔL′, ΔC′, and ΔH′. Multiple comparisons were performed using Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Results For G1, statistical differences were found for lightness (ΔL′), chroma (ΔC′), and hue differences (ΔH′) (p = 0.0001), highlighting the major in chroma differences (ΔC′). Discrete color differences (ΔE00) were observed (0.95ΔE00) especially after 4 hours of aging (T4). For G2 and G3, statistical differences for ΔL′, ΔC′, and ΔH′ were found as a function of the thickness of the ceramic coating (p < 0.0001) and aging time (p = 0.02). Conclusions When 3Y-TZP was subjected to aging, discrete color differences were present. With exception of the G2, the color difference was less than 1. 25ΔE00, demonstrating that the zirconia maintained its colorimetric properties after aging protocol. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE After prolonged aging, discrete color changes can occur in zirconia, particularly when it is contact with the oral environment, as is the case of abutments and monolithic crowns. Thus, clinical and laboratory care should be taken to maintain surface integrity of zirconia, minimizing aging. (J Esthet Restor Dent 28:304–312, 2016)
Influence of GABA in the nucleus of the solitary tract on blood pressure in baroreceptor-denervated rats.

We have previously reported that inhibition of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in chronically sinoaortic baroreceptor-denervated (SAD) rats has no effect on blood pressure in contrast to the marked increase in blood pressure it elicits in baroreceptor-intact rats. This could result either from a lack of tonic excitatory input to this region or from overriding inhibition of NTS neurons involved in the control of blood pressure. The present study aimed to distinguish between these two possibilities by examining the changes in blood pressure elicited by injection of bicuculline (Bic), a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist, into the NTS of SAD and control rats. In chloralose-anesthetized baroreceptor-intact rats or acutely SAD rats, injection of 10 pmol Bic into the NTS elicited minimal changes in blood pressure. In contrast, in chronic SAD rats injection of Bic into the NTS elicited a large decrease in blood pressure. The maximal decrease in blood pressure elicited by Bic in chronic SAD rats was equivalent to the maximal decrease in blood pressure that could be evoked by direct excitation of the NTS withl-glutamate. These results suggest that the lack of a tonic role of the NTS in the regulation of blood pressure in chronic SAD rats is a result of maximal GABA-mediated inhibition of relevant NTS neurons.
Evaluation of coefficients to derive organ and effective doses from cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans: a Monte Carlo study

Regular imaging is used throughout image guided radiation therapy to improve treatment delivery. In order for treatment procedures to be optimized, the doses delivered by imaging exposures should be taken into account. CT dosimetry methods based on the CT dose index (CTDI), measured with a 100 mm long pencil ionization chamber (CTDI100) in standard phantoms, are not designed for cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging systems used in radiotherapy, therefore a modified version has been proposed for CBCT by the International Electrotechnical Commission (CTDIIEC). Monte Carlo simulations based on a Varian On-Board Imaging system were used to derive conversion coefficients that enable organ doses for ICRP reference phantoms to be determined from the CTDIIEC for different scan protocols and different beam widths (80–320) mm. A dose–width product calculated by multiplying the CTDIIEC by the width of the CBCT beam is proposed as a quantity that can be used for estimating effective dose. The variation in coefficients with CBCT beam width was studied. Coefficients to allow estimation of effective doses were derived, namely 0.0034 mSv (mGy cm)−1 for the head, 0.0252 mSv (mGy cm)−1 for the thorax, 0.0216 mSv (mGy cm)−1 for the abdomen and 0.0150 mSv (mGy cm)−1 for the pelvis, and these may be applicable more generally to other CBCT systems in radiotherapy. If data on effective doses are available, these can be used in making judgements on the contributions to patient dose from imaging, and thereby assist in optimization of the treatment regimes. The coefficients can also be employed in converting dosimetry data recorded in patient records into quantities relating directly to patient doses.
Danhong Huayu Koufuye Prevents Diabetic Retinopathy in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats via Antioxidation and Anti-Inflammation

Danhong Huayu Koufuye (DHK), a traditional Chinese prescription, is used to treat central retinal vein occlusion clinically. We previously reported that DHK prevented diabetic retinopathy (DR) in rats. Moreover, we found that it protected endothelial cells from hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis through antioxidation and anti-inflammation. Here, we investigated whether antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of DHK contributed to its therapeutic effect on DR in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic rats. DHK significantly blocked the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) and increased the thickness of the inner nuclear layer (INL), as well as suppressed the swelling of the ganglion cell layer (GCL) in diabetic retinas. DHK remarkably increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in plasma, and decreased serum level of nitric oxide (NO). Moreover, DHK markedly reduced the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Furthermore, DHK significantly downregulated protein expressions of VEGF and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and mRNA expression of ICAM-1 in retinas. These results suggest that the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of DHK may be important mechanisms involved in the protective effect of DHK on DR in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
Effect of prepartum intramammary treatment with pirlimycin hydrochloride on prevalence of early first-lactation mastitis in dairy heifers.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether prepartum intramammary treatment of dairy heifers with pirlimycin hydrochloride would reduce the prevalence of intramammary infection (IMI) and lower the somatic cell count (SCC) during early lactation or improve 305-day mature equivalent milk production. DESIGN Prospective clinical trial. ANIMALS 183 Holstein-Friesian heifers (663 quarters) from 2 dairy farms. PROCEDURE Heifers were assigned to treatment and control groups. Treated heifers received a single 50-mg dose of pirlimycin in each mammary quarter approximately 10 to 14 days prior to parturition. Prepartum mammary gland secretions and postpartum milk samples were collected for bacterial culture. Postpartum milk samples were also collected for determination of SCC or California mastitis testing and were tested for pirlimycin residues. Mature equivalent 305-day milk production data were recorded. RESULTS Treated heifers in herd A had a higher overall cure rate, higher cure rates for IMI caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) and Staphylococcus aureus, lower SCC, and lower prevalence of chronic IMI, compared with control heifers. Treated heifers in herd B had a higher overall cure rate and cure rate for IMI caused by CNS, compared with control heifers, but postpartum California mastitis test scores and prevalence of chronic IMI did not differ between groups. Mature equivalent 305-day milk production did not differ between herds or treatment groups. No pirlimycin residues were detected in postpartum milk samples. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that prepartum treatment of dairy heifers with pirlimycin may reduce the prevalence of early lactation IMI, particularly IMI caused by CNS, without causing pirlimycin residues in milk.
AN ANALYSIS OF OPERATING PHYSICIAN AND PATIENT RADIATION EXPOSURE DURING RADIAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTIES

&NA; The objective of this study was to evaluate radiation exposure levels in conjunction with operator dose implemented, patient vascular characteristics, and other technical angiographic parameters. In total, 756 radial coronary angioplasties were evaluated in a major metropolitan general hospital in Tabriz, Iran. The classification of coronary lesions was based on the ACC/AHA system. One interventional cardiologist performed all of the procedures using a single angiography unit. The mean kerma‐area product and mean cumulative dose for all cases was 5081 &mgr;Gy m2 and 814.44 mGy, respectively. Average times of 26.16 and 9.1 min were recorded for the overall procedure and fluoroscopy, respectively. A strong correlation was demonstrated between types of lesions, number of stents and vessels treated in relation to physician radiation exposure. It was determined that operator radiation exposure levels for percutaneous coronary interventions lesions (complex) were higher than that of simple and moderate lesions. In addition, operator radiation exposure levels increased with the treatment of more coronary vessels and implementation of additional stents.
Leptin alters metabolic rates before acquisition of its anorectic effect in developing neonatal mice.

Leptin inhibits food intake and increases metabolic rates in adult mice. Neonatal mice need to maximize food intake and also maintain high thermoregulatory metabolic rates to optimize survival, suggesting that leptin may function differentially in neonatal versus adult animals. The efficacy of exogenous leptin to alter these two physiological functions during development was thus examined in C57BL/6J lean (+/+ or ob/+) and ob/ ob(leptin-deficient) mice. Intraperitoneal leptin administration (1 mg/kg body wt) to lean and ob/ obpups from 7 to 10 days of age did not affect milk intake, oxygen consumption, body weight, or epididymal fat pad weights. Intracerebroventricular injection of 1 μg leptin to 9-day-old pups also failed to influence milk intake or oxygen consumption. Because neither lean nor ob/ obpups responded to exogenous leptin, high endogenous plasma leptin concentrations per se in these lean mice do not explain their resistance to leptin. Leptin administered intracerebroventricularly also failed to alter milk/food intakes of 17-day-old pups but markedly increased oxygen consumption of these older mice. By 28 days of age, intracerebroventricular leptin inhibited food intake. The well-defined actions of leptin to reduce food intake and enhance metabolic rates do not develop synchronously. The ability of leptin to accelerate metabolic rates is acquired early in life and independent of its anorectic action, which may promote survival of neonates.
Impact of renal function on ischemic stroke and major bleeding rates in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients treated with warfarin or rivaroxaban: a retrospective cohort study using real-world evidence

Abstract Objectives: Renal dysfunction is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and is an independent predictor of stroke and systemic embolism. Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients with renal dysfunction may face a particularly high risk of thromboembolism and bleeding. The current retrospective cohort study was designed to assess the impact of renal function on ischemic stroke and major bleeding rates in NVAF patients in the real-world setting (outside a clinical trial). Methods: Medical claims and Electronic Health Records were retrieved retrospectively from Optum’s Integrated Claims–Clinical de-identified dataset from May 2011 to August 2014. Patients with NVAF treated with warfarin (2468) or rivaroxaban (1290) were selected. Each treatment cohort was stratified by baseline estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCl) levels. Confounding adjustments were made using inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Incidence rates and hazard ratios of ischemic stroke and major bleeding events were calculated for both cohorts. Results: Overall, patients treated with rivaroxaban had an ischemic stroke incidence rate of 1.9 per 100 person-years (PY) while patients treated with warfarin had a rate of 4.2 per 100 PY (HR = 0.41 [0.21–0.80], p = .009). Rivaroxaban patients with an eCrCl below 50 mL/min (N = 229) had an ischemic stroke rate of 0.8 per 100 PY, while the rate for the warfarin cohort (N = 647) was 6.0 per 100 PY (HR = 0.09 [0.01–0.72], p = .02). For the other renal function levels (i.e. eCrCl 50–80 and ≥80 mL/min) HRs indicated no statistically significant differences in ischemic stroke risks. Bleeding events did not differ significantly between cohorts stratified by renal function. Conclusions: Ischemic stroke rates were significantly lower in the overall NVAF population for rivaroxaban vs. warfarin users, including patients with eCrCl below 50 mL/min. For all renal function groups, major bleeding risks were not statistically different between treatment groups.
Character Shifts of Prey Species That Share Predators

This article uses several models to explore the potential indirect evolutionary interaction between two prey species that share one or more predator species. It asks how the antipredator adaptations of a focal prey species are likely to evolve following the introduction of a second prey species that shares one or more of the same predator species. The interactions are represented by differential equation models of homogeneous populations, and evolutionary change occurs in a single quantitative trait within each prey species. Models differ in assumptions about the number of predator types, the costs of antipredator traits, and in how predator and prey traits combine to determine a per capita capture rate. Parallel change in the antipredator characteristics of two species usually occurs when the general risk of predation is changed by the introduction of the second prey. This may be a parallel increase or decrease, depending on whether the ecological interaction is apparent competition or apparent mutualism. Divergence in trait values is most often associated with the presence of two or more distinct types of predators with some form of trade‐off in the prey’s ability to avoid different predators. Divergence may also occur with a single predator type, when two or more strategies exist for reducing predation risk. Convergence is a possible outcome when there are two or more predator types. Coevolution may also produce trait and population cycles in models, and the nature of character displacement is often changed markedly by such instability. The limited evidence for evolutionary indirect effects mediated by shared predation is reviewed. Possible reasons for the disparity between theory and observation are discussed.
Magnetic structures, magnetic domains and topological magnetic textures of magnetic materials

This article first gives a brief review of magnetic structures, magnetic domains and topological magnetic textures and their relations. On the one hand, the magnetic domains are determined by the magnetic structures, the intrinsic magnetic properties and the micro-structural factors of a material. On the other hand, the magnetic domains could control the magnetization and demagnetization processes and also the technical magnetic properties of a material. Topology is found to have a close relation with physical properties of material. Recent interest has focused on topological magnetic textures, such as vortex, bubble, meron, skyrmion, and it has been found that the topological behaviors of these topological textures are closely related with magnetic properties of a material. Then this article introduces recent advances in magnetic structures, magnetic domains and topological magnetic textures, from views of the size effect, defects and interfaces. Finally, this article reviews briefly some results of investigation on the relations between microstructures, magnetic domains and magnetic properties of rare-earth permanent magnetic thin films, the topological magnetic textures and their dynamic behaviors of exchange coupled nanodisks. It has been concluded from the reviews on the literature that the investigation on anisotropic exchange-coupled rare-earth permanent magnets with high performance benefits the high efficient utilization of rare-earth resources. One could achieve optimal magnetic properties through magnetic domain engineering by adjusting the microstructures of magnetic materials. The concepts of topology is applied to various research fields, while the contributions from topological behaviors to physical properties are discovered in different materials. The researches on magnetic domains, topological magnetic ground state and excitation states and their dynamic behaviors are very important for a better understanding of quantum topological phase transitions and other topological relevant phenomena. It can be quite helpful for understanding the correlation between different topological states and their relationship with magnetic properties of a material, and also it will definitely contribute to the applications in various fields of magnetic materials.
Stick-Weaving: Innovative Behavior in Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)

Some captive cotton-top tamarins spontaneously weave sticks in the mesh of their enclosures so that the stick is lodged between two mesh openings. Sticks are broken from natural branches placed in the enclosures and often modified by biting them in the center before weaving through the mesh. To investigate this further, we systematically surveyed all animals in our colony and found that all successful stick-weaving tamarins were descendants from only 2 of the 16 breeding groups contributing to the colony membership at the time of surveying or were the mates of these descendants, suggesting stick-weaving is a socially learned behavior. Successful stick-weavers were presented with pipe cleaners, soda straws, and wooden dowels to see if they would generalize stick-weaving to novel objects. Seven of 10 animals successfully wove with straws or pipe cleaners, showing that they could generalize the behavior to objects that were physically different but had the same affordances as the sticks. Data from a father-daughter pair suggest a form of coaching. Innovative behavior is needed for the emergence of culture with subsequent social transmission. Although innovative behavior in primates is mainly associated with foraging and is more likely to occur among males, stick-weaving has no obvious reward and appeared equally in both sexes. Stick-weaving behavior and its probable social transmission across generations suggest the possibility of cultural traditions emerging in this species.
Proving Equivalence Between Imperative and MapReduce Implementations Using Program Transformations

Distributed programs are often formulated in popular functional frameworks like MapReduce, Spark and Thrill, but writing efficient algorithms for such frameworks is usually a non-trivial task. As the costs of running faulty algorithms at scale can be severe, it is highly desirable to verify their correctness. We propose to employ existing imperative reference implementations as specifications for MapReduce implementations. To this end, we present a novel verification approach in which equivalence between an imperative and a MapReduce implementation is established by a series of program transformations. In this paper, we present how the equivalence framework can be used to prove equivalence between an imperative implementation of the PageRank algorithm and its MapReduce variant. The eight individual transformation steps are individually presented and explained.