Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic analysis of Ag nanoparticles embedded in glass

Structural and optical properties of Ag-glass nanocomposite, synthesized by the combined use of vacuum deposition method and subsequent thermal annealing have been studied using UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) along with Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. Ag-glass nanocomposites were synthesized by depositing Ag on glass slides and the resulting samples were annealed at various temperatures from 300°C to 550°C for 1 hour. The fingerprint feature of Ag nanoparticles formation i.e. the surface plasmon resonance peak is observed around 427 nm in absorption spectra of Ag-glass samples annealed at various temperatures, this confirms the formation of Ag nanoparticles in glass. The size of Ag nanoparticles has been found to increase with increase in annealing temperature. At an annealing temperature of 400°C the size of Ag nanoparticles comes out to be 4.6 nm which increases to a value of 10.0 nm at an annealing temperature of 550°C. TEM micrograph further confirms the formation of Ag nanoparticles of size 8 + 2 nm at an annealing temperature of 550°C. Further, analysis of UV-Visible absorption and reflection data indicates towards the increase in refractive index of Ag nanoparticles doped glasses. It has been established that with the insertion of Ag nanoparticles of size 8 + 2 in glass the refractive index of the resulting nanocomposite increases to a value of 1.96. The dispersion parameters such as single-oscillator energy Eo, and the dispersion energy Ed have been discussed in terms of the Wemple-DiDomenico single-oscillator model. Photoluminescence spectra of silver glass nanocomposite have been studied and observed spectroscopic features have been correlated with various transitions of silver ions. Such studies are vital for designing optical materials for example optical communication, photonic devices etc. Copyright © 2013 VBRI press.
Recent Advances in Impact Analysis Methods for Ex-post Impact Assessments of Agricultural Technology: Options for the CGIAR

• Objective: Review advances in impact analysis methods that can be used to improve the ex-post impact assessment of CGIAR technology adoption. Background for an afternoon of brainstorming with the SPIA team Highlight fundamental challenges faced in epIAs Review recent effort to address these challenges Propose some steps forward while acknowledging likely limitations • Focus is on impact of adoption of a technology on outcomes: This is different from studies focusing on impact of research expenditures on outcomes. Different also from analysis of determinants / barrier to adoption • Focus on the more technical/biological CGIAR technologies, such as seed varieties, vaccines, etc. (not management practices or policy)
Characterization of Whole Biomasses in Pyridine Based Ionic Liquid at Low Temperature by 31P NMR: An Approach to Quantitatively Measure Hydroxyl Groups in Biomass As Their Original Structures

In this study, the dissolution of biomass components – cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and two whole biomasses – switchgrass and poplar in a pyridine based ionic liquid at a low temperature – 50 °C has been examined, which will provide an opportunity to explore the original structures of biomass components. The following phosphitylation, and 31P NMR measurement could provide quantitative results for various hydroxyl groups, including aliphatic, condensed phenolic, guaiacyl phenolic, p-hydroxyl phenyl and carboxylic hydroxyl groups in the biomass components and whole biomass. By employing various biomass model compounds (glucose, cellotriose, and cellohexose), artificial mixtures of biomass components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin), and computational simulation for the assignments by using density functional theory (DFT) calculation in Gaussian, reliability and accuracy of this method have been examined as well, which indicated that this method is a reliable and accurate way to quantitatively characterize 5 different types of hydroxyl groups in biomass and its components.
Degrees of functional connectome abnormality in disorders of consciousness

Understanding the neuronal basis of disorders of consciousness can help improve the accuracy of their diagnosis, indicate potential targets for therapeutic interventions, and provide insights into the organization of normal conscious information processing. Measurements of brain activity have been used to find associations of the levels of consciousness with brain complexity, topological features of functional connectomes, and disruption of resting‐state networks. However, obtainment of a detailed picture of activity patterns underlying the vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and the minimally conscious state remains a work in progress. We here aimed at finding the aspects of fMRI‐based functional connectivity that differentiate these states from each other and from the normal condition. A group of 22 patients was studied (9 minimally conscious state and 13 vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome). Patients were shown to have reduced connectivity in most resting‐state networks and disrupted patterns of relative connection strengths as compared to healthy subjects. Differences between the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and the minimally conscious state were found in the patterns formed by a relatively small number of strongest positive correlations selected by thresholding. These differences were captured by measures of functional connectivity disruption that integrate area‐specific abnormalities over the whole brain. The results suggest that the strong positive correlations between the functional activities of specific brain areas observed in healthy individuals may be critical for consciousness and be an important target of disruption in disorders of consciousness.
Mechanosensing of Substrate Dimension and Migration State in Adherent Cells

The behavior of adherent cells is known to be affected by both chemical signals and physical cues in the extracellular environment, including substrate topography and rigidity. The process of sensing physical features and converting them to intracellular signals is believed to rely on the formation of adhesion structures and the generation of actomyosin-based traction forces. Equally important is signaling in the reverse direction, as internal cellular activities regulate mechanical output to the extracellular environment. This thesis explores how substrate dimension and migration state are monitored by adherent cells and how they affect cell behavior. By micropatterning soft hydrogels, I am able to simultaneously control cell size, shape, and migration as well as measure mechanical output. I find that migrating NIH 3T3 fibroblasts use traction forces to differentiate between one-dimensional lines and two-dimensional surfaces. Furthermore, oncogene-transformed fibroblasts, which generate disorganized traction forces, are unable to sense a change in substrate dimension. Additionally, I show that stationary cells confined to micropatterned islands exhibit significantly increased traction forces, less dynamic focal adhesions, and altered protein phosphorylation patterns compared to cells migrating freely. These results suggest that migration state itself can act as an input to control both mechanical and signaling behavior in adherent cells. Microtubules are involved in this migration-dependent regulation of traction forces, as migrating and stationary cells
A simple and effective attack against an authenticaion protocol for RFID systems

Authentication protocol is of great importance to ensure the security and privacy of users for RFID systems. In this paper, a lightweight authentication protocol for RFID systems was reviewed and a simple and effective attack was found. To launch the attack, an attacker only needs a rogue reader and sends a number of random values to a target tag. Then the tag will go on updating its state until it cannot be recognized by its server. Subsequently, the attacker repeats the attack to other tags, and he will paralyze the RFID system eventually. Finally, a countermeasure to fix the flaw was presented.
Sources of Evidence for Implicit Argument Resolution

Traditionally, semantic role labelling systems have focused on searching the fillers of those explicit roles appearing within sentence boundaries. However, when the participants of a predicate are implicit and can not be found inside sentence boundaries, this approach obtains incomplete predicative structures with null arguments. Previous research facing this task have coincided in identifying the implicit argument filling as a special case of anaphora or coreference resolution. In this work, we review a number of theories that model the behaviour of discourse coreference and propose some adaptations to capture evidence for the implicit argument resolution task. We empirically demonstrate that exploiting such evidence our system outperforms previous approaches evaluated on the SemEval-2010 task 10 dataset. We complete our study identifying those cases that traditional coreference theories can not cover.
Spironolactone-induced degradation of the TFIIH core complex XPB subunit suppresses NF-&kgr;B and AP-1 signalling

Aims Spironolactone (SPL) improves endothelial dysfunction and survival in heart failure. Immune modulation, including poorly understood mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)-independent effects of SPL might contribute to these benefits and possibly be useful in other inflammatory cardiovascular diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension. Methods and results Using human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293) expressing specific nuclear receptors, SPL suppressed NF-κB and AP-1 reporter activity independent of MR and other recognized nuclear receptor partners. NF-κB and AP-1 DNA binding were not affected by SPL and protein synthesis blockade did not interfere with SPL-induced suppression of inflammatory signalling. In contrast, proteasome blockade to inhibit degradation of xeroderma pigmentosum group B complementing protein (XPB), a subunit of the general transcription factor TFIIH, or XPB overexpression both prevented SPL-mediated suppression of inflammation. Similar to HEK 293 cells, a proteasome inhibitor blocked XPB loss and SPL suppression of AP-1 induced target genes in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). Unlike SPL, eplerenone (EPL) did not cause XPB degradation and failed to similarly suppress inflammatory signalling. SPL combined with siRNA XPB knockdown further reduced XPB protein levels and had the greatest effect on PAEC inflammatory gene transcription. Using chromatin-immunoprecipitation, PAEC target gene susceptibility to SPL was associated with low basal RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) occupancy and TNFα-induced RNAPII and XPB recruitment. XP patient-derived fibroblasts carrying an N-terminal but not C-terminal XPB mutations were insensitive to both SPL-mediated XPB degradation and TNFα-induced target gene suppression. Importantly, SPL treatment decreased whole lung XPB protein levels in a monocrotaline rat model of pulmonary hypertension and reduced inflammatory markers in an observational cohort of PAH patients. Conclusion SPL has important anti-inflammatory effects independent of aldosterone and MR, not shared with EPL. Drug-induced, proteasome-dependent XPB degradation may be a useful therapeutic approach in cardiovascular diseases driven by inflammation.
Elastic-plastic analysis for wet multidisc brake during repeated braking

To reveal the mechanism and evolution laws of the braking performance declining from heat load in the repeated braking applied for wet multidisc brake, a finite element analysis was carried out by using the bidirectional thermal-structure coupling method. Based on the fundamental principles of the energy conservation and virtual work principle, the elemental equations between temperature and heat load, and deformation displacement and load with heat transferring boundary conditions and heat–structure interaction were derived. Taking a steel disk in the brake for example, the deformation state of its elements, and the starting time, the location, the severity, and evolution laws of the plastic deformation were analyzed and demonstrated by using dimensionless stress distribution contours. The area in contact along the interface and the ratio of the element numbers to produce plastic deformation to the total element numbers on the steel disk were described by contact ratio and plasticity ratio, respectively. Moreover, the results under the repeated braking case were compared with that under the lasting braking case, which indicates that the influence of the temperature load on the performance declining of the repeated braking case is much lower than one of the lasting braking case, and the temperature is lower than 40 K and the plasticity ratio is smaller than 0.35 after the braking time is longer than 350 s. The conducted finite element analyses provided the theoretical fundamentals for the design and the application of the brake in the heavy type of trucks.
Engineering Nanostructured Electrode Composites as High Performance Anode Materials - for Lithium Ion Batteries

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Preparing for the future: a review of tools and strategies to support autonomous goal setting for children and youth with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract Purpose: Despite recognized benefits, current clinical practice rarely includes direct input from children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in setting rehabilitation goals. This study reviews tools and evidence-based strategies to assist with autonomous goal settings for children and youth with ASD. Method: This study included two components: (1) A scoping review of existing tools and strategies to assist with autonomous goal setting in individuals with ASD and (2) a chart review of inter-disciplinary service plan goals for children and youth with ASD. Results: Eleven data sources, evaluating five different tools to assist with autonomous goal setting for children and youth with ASD, were found. Three themes emerged from the integration of the scoping review and chart review, which are discussed in the paper: (1) generalizability of findings, (2) adaptations to support participation and (3) practice implications. Conclusions: Children and youth with ASD can participate in setting rehabilitation goals, but few tools to support their participation have been evaluated, and those tools that do exist do not align well with current services foci. Visual aids appear to be one effective support, but further research on effective strategies for meaningful engagement in autonomous goal setting for children and youth with ASD is warranted. Implications for rehabilitation Persons with ASD are less self-determined than their peers. Input into one’s own rehabilitation goals and priorities is an important component of self-determination. Few tools exist to help engage children and youth with ASD in setting their own rehabilitation goals. An increased focus on identifying, developing and evaluating effective tools and strategies to facilitate engagement of children and youth with ASD in setting their own rehabilitation goals is warranted.
The structure and properties of cellulose acetate materials: A comparative study on electrospun membranes and casted films

Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes and films were fabricated, respectively, by electrospinning and solvent casting. A systematic analysis of structure and properties was made to compare the differences between nanotexture and casting texture. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis were used to characterize the morphology, inner structure and thermal behavior of electrospun CA membrane, casted CA film as well as original CA powder. In addition, the pore size distribution and surface hydrophilicity of electrospun membrane and casted film were tested. It was found that the nanotexture produced by electrospinning process had a significant effect on the structure and properties of CA materials. The pore size distribution of electrospun membrane was more uniform, although the mean pore size was larger. In addition, the electrospun CA membrane possessed higher crystallinity and better thermal stability, compared with casted CA film. The results also showed that the electrospun membrane gave a contact angle of 127.2° and was observably more hydrophobic than the casted film, reporting a contact angle of approximately 74.4°.
Hypofractionated whole breast radiotherapy: current perspectives

Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is an important part of breast cancer management but the dose and fractionation schedules used are variable. A total of 50 Gy in 25 daily fractions delivered over 5 weeks is often considered the “standard” adjuvant RT prescription. Hypofractionated regimes such as 42.5 Gy in 16 daily fractions or 40 Gy in 15 daily fractions following breast-conserving surgery have proven to be equally effective and achieve similar or better cosmetic and normal tissue outcomes for both invasive and in situ diseases and when treating the regional nodes. Hypofractionation is more convenient for patients and less costly. However, certain patients at higher risk of RT late effects may benefit from a less intense, even more extended fractionation schedule. This review describes the indications for whole breast hypofractionated adjuvant RT for patients with breast cancer following breast-conserving surgery and proposes that hypofractionation should be the new “standard” for adjuvant breast cancer RT.
Comparison of chronic mixture toxicity of nickel‐zinc‐copper and nickel‐zinc‐copper‐cadmium mixtures between Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata

Although aquatic organisms in the environment are exposed to mixtures of metals, risk assessment for metals is most commonly performed on a metal‐by‐metal basis. To increase the knowledge about chronic mixture effects, the authors investigated whether metal mixture effects are dependent on the biological species, mixture composition, and metal concentration ratio. The authors evaluated the effects of quaternary Ni‐Zn‐Cu‐Cd and ternary Ni‐Zn‐Cu mixtures on 48‐h algal growth rate (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and 7‐d daphnid reproduction (Ceriodaphnia dubia) using a ray design. Single metals were 3‐fold to 42‐fold more toxic for C. dubia than for P. subcapitata, based on the 50% effective concentration expressed as free metal activity, the range representing different metals. Statistical analysis of mixture effects showed that the ternary and quaternary mixture effects were antagonistic on algal growth relative to the concentration addition (CA) model, when the analysis was based on dissolved concentrations and on free metal ion activities. Using the independent action (IA) model, mixture effects in both rays were statistically noninteractive for algal growth when the analysis was based on dissolved concentrations; however, the interactions shifted toward antagonism when based on free ion activities. The ternary Ni‐Zn‐Cu mixture acted antagonistically on daphnid reproduction relative to both reference models, either expressed as free ion activities or dissolved concentrations. When Cd was added to the mixture, however, the mixture effects shifted toward noninteractivity for daphnids. The metal concentration ratio did not significantly influence the magnitude of observed antagonistic effects. Regardless of statistical interactions observed, based on the present study, CA and in most instances also IA can serve as a protective model for ternary Ni‐Zn‐Cu and quaternary Ni‐Zn‐Cu‐Cd toxicity to both species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1056–1066. © 2016 SETAC
Improved Decoding Algorithm of Bit-Interleaved Coded Modulation for LDPC Code

Bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM), which has been proven to be powerful when applied in low-density parity-check (LDPC) sum-product algorithm (SPA) decoder, is a bandwidth efficient coding scheme. However, the BICM-SPA decoder does not take the statistical dependencies between bits from the same L-ary modulated symbol into account so that it cannot converge to the maximum a-posteriori (MAP) decoding algorithm. In this paper, an improved SPA decoding algorithm for the LDPC code, which combines decoding and demodulation, is proposed. The proposed decoding algorithm, referred to as the BICM-ISPA, is based on generalized distributive law and derived from the generalized symbol SPA under certain rational assumptions. And the BICM-ISPA can asymptotically converge to the MAP decoding solution algorithm. Simulation results show that the BICM-ISPA decoder jointly optimizes the decoding error performance and the computational complexity of the LDPC code over the additive white Gaussian noise channel. Compared with the BICM-SPA decoder, the advantage of the BICM-ISPA is quite significant with a large modulation size and in the scenario where Gray mapping cannot be used.
Robust Sensor-Orientation-Independent Feature Selection for Animal Activity Recognition on Collar Tags

Fundamental challenges faced by real-time animal activity recognition include variation in motion data due to changing sensor orientations, numerous features, and energy and processing constraints of animal tags. This paper aims at finding small optimal feature sets that are lightweight and robust to the sensor's orientation. Our approach comprises four main steps. First, 3D feature vectors are selected since they are theoretically independent of orientation. Second, the least interesting features are suppressed to speed up computation and increase robustness against overfitting. Third, the features are further selected through an embedded method, which selects features through simultaneous feature selection and classification. Finally, feature sets are optimized through 10-fold cross-validation. We collected real-world data through multiple sensors around the neck of five goats. The results show that activities can be accurately recognized using only accelerometer data and a few lightweight features. Additionally, we show that the performance is robust to sensor orientation and position. A simple Naive Bayes classifier using only a single feature achieved an accuracy of 94 % with our empirical dataset. Moreover, our optimal feature set yielded an average of 94 % accuracy when applied with six other classifiers. This work supports embedded, real-time, energy-efficient, and robust activity recognition for animals.