Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling of the Strain Rate Dependency of Polycarbonate’s Yield Stress: Evaluation of Four Constitutive Equations

The main focus of this paper is in evaluating four constitutive relations which model the strain rate dependency of polymers yield stress. Namely, the two-term power-law, the Ree-Eyring, the cooperative, and the newly modified-Eyring equations are used to fit tensile and compression yield stresses of polycarbonate, which are obtained from the literature. The four equations give good agreement with the experimental data. Despite using only three material constants, the modified-Eyring equation, which considers a strain rate-dependent activation volume, gives slightly worse fit than the three other equations. The two-term power-law and the cooperative equation predict a progressive increase in the strain rate sensitivity of the yield stress. Oppositely, the Ree-Eyring and the modified-Eyring equations show a clear transition between the low and high strain rate ranges. Namely, they predict a linear dependency of the yield stress in terms of the strain rate at the low strain rate range. Crossing a threshold strain rate, the yield stress sensitivity sharply increases as the strain rate increases. Hence, two different behaviors were observed though the four equations fit well the experimental data. More experimental data, mainly at the intermediate strain rate range, are needed to conclude which, of the two behaviors, is more appropriate for polymers.
Evaluating the Effect of an Educational Intervention for Nursing Managers on the Rate of Incidents Reported at University Hospitals of Iran

ABSTRACT In this semiexperimental study conducted at the university hospitals in an urban area of Iran, the number of reported incidents—as per the information from offices—was evaluated and recorded for the improvement of the quality of hospitals. Subsequently, an educational intervention was conducted for nursing managers. Three months later, the number of reported incidents was again evaluated and recorded. According to the results, the number of reported incidents increased in the hospitals after the educational intervention. The results of this study could be helpful for hospital personnel, especially nurses, to improve the culture of incident self-reporting.
Learning Anonymized Representations with Adversarial Neural Networks

Statistical methods protecting sensitive information or the identity of the data owner have become critical to ensure privacy of individuals as well as of organizations. This paper investigates anonymization methods based on representation learning and deep neural networks, and motivated by novel information theoretical bounds. We introduce a novel training objective for simultaneously training a predictor over target variables of interest (the regular labels) while preventing an intermediate representation to be predictive of the private labels. The architecture is based on three sub-networks: one going from input to representation, one from representation to predicted regular labels, and one from representation to predicted private labels. The training procedure aims at learning representations that preserve the relevant part of the information (about regular labels) while dismissing information about the private labels which correspond to the identity of a person. We demonstrate the success of this approach for two distinct classification versus anonymization tasks (handwritten digits and sentiment analysis).
Acculturation , nutrition , and health disparities in Latinos 1 – 4

Background: Latinos have become the largest minority group in the United States and will represent 25% of the US population by 2050. Latinos experience a disproportionate burden of poverty and poor health outcomes. Objectives: We critically examined the evidence for a link between acculturation and health disparities in Latinos with a focus on type 2 diabetes (T2D) and nutrition-related risk factors and illustrated how acculturation principles can help design a culturally appropriate T2D self-management intervention in Latinos. Design: Evidence presented in this article was drawn from 1) systematic reviews identified through PubMed searches, 2) backward searches that were based on articles cited, 3) experts in the field, and 4) the author’s personal files. Results: The preponderance of the evidence supported an association of acculturation with poor dietary quality and obesity. These associations appeared to be modified by several socioeconomic and demographic factors and were not always linear. The association between acculturation and T2D is unclear. Conclusions: Longitudinal studies and more sophisticated analytic approaches are needed to better understand if and how acculturation affects health-disparity outcomes in Latinos. Tailoring interventions to the acculturation level of individuals is likely to help reduce health disparities in Latinos. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93(suppl):1163S–7S.
Nonlinear/Non-Gaussian Time Series Prediction Based on RBF-HMM-GMM Model

In order to cope with the nonlinear and non-Gaussian time series, a RBF-HMM-GMM model, which is based on radial basis function (RBF) neural networks with the assumption of measurement noise being hidden Markov model (HMM) and the distribution of each hidden states being approximated by Gaussian mixture models (GMM), is proposed in this paper. In the proposed model, both the orders (numbers of nodes and inputs of RBF network, numbers of hidden states of HMM, numbers of Gaussian mixture component of GMM) and the parameters change over time. Firstly, a scheme for time series forecasts based on RBF-HMM-GMM model is proposed. Then an on-line prediction algorithm based on RBF-HMM-GMM model using sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods is developed. At last, the monthly West Texas Intermediate crude oil future price series are analyzed, and experimental results indicate that the RBF-HMM-GMM model is able to predict the time series accurately. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/telkomnika.v10i6. 1545 Full Text: PDF
The fission yeast heterochromatin protein Rik1 is required for telomere clustering during meiosis

Telomeres share the ability to silence nearby transcription with heterochromatin, but the requirement of heterochromatin proteins for most telomere functions is unknown. The fission yeast Rik1 protein is required for heterochromatin formation at centromeres and the mating-type locus, as it recruits the Clr4 histone methyltransferase, whose modification of histone H3 triggers binding by Swi6, a conserved protein involved in spreading of heterochromatin. Here, we demonstrate that Rik1 and Clr4, but not Swi6, are required along with the telomere protein Taz1 for crucial chromosome movements during meiosis. However, Rik1 is dispensable for the protective roles of telomeres in preventing chromosome end-fusion. Thus, a Swi6-independent heterochromatin function distinct from that at centromeres and the mating-type locus operates at telomeres during sexual differentiation.
OCT4 Expression Enhances Features of Cancer Stem Cells in a Mouse Model of Breast Cancer

The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis proposes that CSCs are responsible for metastasis and disease recurrence. Therefore, targeting CSCs has the potential to significantly improve outcomes for cancer patients. The OCT4 transcription factor gene is a master gene that plays a key role in the self-renewal and pluripotency of stem cells. In this study, we introduced an OCT4 reporting vector into 4T1 mouse breast cancer cells and sorted OCT4 high and OCT4 low cell populations. We then determined whether OCT4 expression is associated with maintenance and expansion of CSCs. We found that OCT4high 4T1 cells have an increased ability to form tumorsphere and a high expression of stem cell markers such as Sca-1, CD133, CD34, and ALDH1, when compared with OCT4low 4T1 cells. In addition, OCT4high 4T1 cells have greater tumorigenic potential in vivo. These findings suggest that OCT4 expression may be a useful target for stem cell-specific cancer therapy.
Report on the National Eye Institute Audacious Goals Initiative: Replacement of Retinal Ganglion Cells from Endogenous Cell Sources

This report emerges from a workshop convened by the National Eye Institute (NEI) as part of the “Audacious Goals Initiative” (AGI). The workshop addressed the replacement of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from exogenous and endogenous sources, and sought to identify the gaps in our knowledge and barriers to progress in devising cellular replacement therapies for diseases where RGCs die. Here, we briefly review relevant literature regarding common diseases associated with RGC death, the genesis of RGCs in vivo, strategies for generating transplantable RGCs in vitro, and potential endogenous cellular sources to regenerate these cells. These topics provided the clinical and scientific context for the discussion among the workshop participants and are relevant to efforts that may lead to therapeutic approaches for replacing RGCs. This report also summarizes the content of the workshop discussion, which focused on: (1) cell sources for RGC replacement and regeneration, (2) optimizing integration, survival, and synaptogenesis of new RGCs, and (3) approaches for assessing the outcomes of RGC replacement therapies. We conclude this report with a summary of recommendations, based on the workshop discussions, which may guide vision scientists seeking to develop therapies for replacing RGCs in humans.
Dynamically Scheduled High-level Synthesis

High-level synthesis (HLS) tools almost universally generate statically scheduled datapaths. Static scheduling implies that circuits out of HLS tools have a hard time exploiting parallelism in code with potential memory dependencies, with control-dependent dependencies in inner loops, or where performance is limited by long latency control decisions. The situation is essentially the same as in computer architecture between Very-Long Instruction Word (VLIW) processors and dynamically scheduled superscalar processors; the former display the best performance per cost in highly regular embedded applications, but general purpose, irregular, and control-dominated computing tasks require the runtime flexibility of dynamic scheduling. In this work, we show that high-level synthesis of dynamically scheduled circuits is perfectly feasible by describing the implementation of a prototype synthesizer which generates a particular form of latency-insensitive synchronous circuits. Compared to a commercial HLS tool, the result is a different trade-off between performance and circuit complexity, much as superscalar processors represent a different trade-off compared to VLIW processors: in demanding applications, the performance is very significantly improved at an affordable cost. We here demonstrate only the first steps towards more performant high-level synthesis tools adapted to emerging FPGA applications and the demands of computing in broader application domains.
MTOR inhibition reversed drug resistance after combination radiation with erlotinib in lung adenocarcinoma

Objective To investigate the effects of mTOR inhibition on drug resistance in lung adenocarcinoma after combined radiation and erlotinib therapy. Results Combined radiation and erlotinib therapy produced clear radiosensitization effects both in vitro and in vivo; however, tumor cells remained drug resistant. Additionally, combined radiation and erlotinib therapy significantly increased p-AKT and p-P70 levels. After mTOR inhibition, the number of surviving cells significantly decreased compared with that before inhibition, and the in vivo growth curve was significantly reduced. Methods The effects of combined radiation and erlotinib therapy on tumor inhibition and drug resistance were evaluated by in vitro survival curves in PC9 lung adenocarcinoma cell line and in vivo growth curves in nude mouse xenograft tumor model respectively. The association between tumor drug resistance and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K-AKT-mTOR) pathway was measured by western blot, assessing the changes in protein kinase B (AKT), phosphor-AKT (p-AKT), P70, and p-P70 protein levels. MTOR was inhibited using everolimus, and changes in AKT, p-AKT, P70, and p-P70 levels were observed. Furthermore, changes in in vitro survival curves, and in vivo growth curves before and after mTOR inhibition were evaluated to confirm its effects on drug resistance in lung adenocarcinoma after combined radiation and TKI therapy. Conclusion mTOR was associated with drug resistance in lung adenocarcinoma after radiation combined with TKI, and MTOR inhibition reversed drug resistance in lung adenocarcinoma after combined radiation and TKI therapy.
ear of silicon surfaces in MEMS

High levels of friction and wear are problems which currently limit the development of sliding microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) – devices which would otherwise offer significant technological advancement. The current paper focuses on the wear of MEMS silicon surfaces, and specifically looks at the effect of environment and surface preparation on wear behaviour. Included in the study is the assessment of two self-replenishing lubrication mechanisms; namely liquid and vapour phase lubrication. All tests were carried out using a tribometer which operated and measured friction and wear under conditions representative of MEMS. It is shown that friction and wear behaviour depend strongly on subtle changes of the silicon surfaces prior to testing. Greatest wear was measured when the surfaces were tested immediately after plasmacleaning, while subsequent exposure to ambient air for 15 h reduced wear to negligible levels. Exposure of plasma-cleaned surfaces to water-saturated argon prior to testing prevented wear to a limited extent. Based on this, and TOF-SIMS analysis, it is suggested that the observed wear reduction after exposure to air is caused by tiny amounts of lubricious long chain hydrocarbon contaminants present in ambient air. Tests carried out with the specimens submerged in a liquid bath show that the presence of liquid water reduces friction and wear, but only if specimens have been plasma-cleaned beforehand. This behaviour is tentatively attributed to the hydrophilic nature of plasma treated silicon, reducing the corrosive action of water. When hexadecane or 1-pentanol was used as a liquid lubricant, friction was minimal, and wear was undetectable under all sliding conditions. This was the case even though the contact operated in the mixed lubrication regime, suggesting a boundary film is formed on the silicon surfaces by both of these
Concentrations of MDPV in rat striatum correlate with the psychostimulant effect

3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone or MDPV is a synthetic cathinone with psychostimulant properties more potent than cocaine. We quantified this drug in the striatum after subcutaneous administration to rats. MDPV reached the brain around 5 min after its administration and peaked at 20–25 min later. The elimination half-life in the striatum (61 min) correlates with the decrease in the psychostimulant effect after 60 min. Around 11% of the administered dose reached the striatum and, considering a homogeneous brain distribution, we determined that around 86% of the plasma MDPV is distributed to the brain. MDPV induced a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity, rearing behaviour and stereotypies, all prevented by haloperidol. A plot of locomotor activity or stereotypies versus MDPV striatal concentrations over time showed a direct relationship between factors. No free MDPV metabolites were detected in plasma, at any time, but hydrolysis with glucuronidase allowed us to identify mainly three metabolites, one of them for the first time in rat plasma. The present results contribute to evidence that MDPV induces hyperlocomotion mainly through a dopamine-dependent mechanism. Good correlation between behavioural effects and striatal levels of MDPV leads us to conclude that its psychostimulant effect is mainly due to a striatal distribution of the substance. The present research provides useful information on the pharmacokinetics of MDPV, and can help design new experiments with kinetics data as well as provide a better understanding of the effects of MDPV in humans and its potential interactions.
Minimum phase PFC boost converter

A minimum phase PFC boost converter is proposed in this paper. The proposed PFC boost converter shows the minimum phase nature due to the complete removal of the right half plane zero (RHP) unlike the conventional PFC boost and boost derived converters. Due to the complete removal of the RHP zero the proposed minimum phase PFC boost converter is capable of supplying heavy load current requirement unlike the conventional boost PFC or boost derived PFC where load current is limited in the presence of RHP zero. The minimum phase nature of the proposed PFC boost converter makes the design of controller (for both voltage loop and current loop) simple. Detailed steady state and transient analysis is performed to show the merits of the proposed converter. Simulation and experimental results are shown to validate the proposed minimum phase PFC boost converter.
Elimination of Harmonic Force and Torque in Active Magnetic Bearing Systems with Repetitive Control and Notch Filters

Harmonic force and torque, which are caused by rotor imbalance and sensor runout, are the dominant disturbances in active magnetic bearing (AMB) systems. To eliminate the harmonic force and torque, a novel control method based on repetitive control and notch filters is proposed. Firstly, the dynamics of a four radial degrees of freedom AMB system is described, and the AMB model can be described in terms of the translational and rotational motions, respectively. Next, a closed-loop generalized notch filter is utilized to identify the synchronous displacement resulting from the rotor imbalance, and a feed-forward compensation of the synchronous force and torque related to the AMB displacement stiffness is formulated by using the identified synchronous displacement. Then, a plug-in repetitive controller is designed to track the synchronous feed-forward compensation adaptively and to suppress the harmonic vibrations due to the sensor runout. Finally, the proposed control method is verified by simulations and experiments. The control algorithm is insensitive to the parameter variations of the power amplifiers and can precisely suppress the harmonic force and torque. Its practicality stems from its low computational load.
Programming of Plant Leaf Senescence with Temporal and Inter-Organellar Coordination of Transcriptome in Arabidopsis1[OPEN]

RNA-seq analysis of total and small RNAs throughout the lifespan of Arabidopsis leaves revealed that leaf senescence proceeds with tight temporal and distinctive inter-organellar coordination of transcriptomes. Plant leaves, harvesting light energy and fixing CO2, are a major source of foods on the earth. Leaves undergo developmental and physiological shifts during their lifespan, ending with senescence and death. We characterized the key regulatory features of the leaf transcriptome during aging by analyzing total- and small-RNA transcriptomes throughout the lifespan of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves at multidimensions, including age, RNA-type, and organelle. Intriguingly, senescing leaves showed more coordinated temporal changes in transcriptomes than growing leaves, with sophisticated regulatory networks comprising transcription factors and diverse small regulatory RNAs. The chloroplast transcriptome, but not the mitochondrial transcriptome, showed major changes during leaf aging, with a strongly shared expression pattern of nuclear transcripts encoding chloroplast-targeted proteins. Thus, unlike animal aging, leaf senescence proceeds with tight temporal and distinct interorganellar coordination of various transcriptomes that would be critical for the highly regulated degeneration and nutrient recycling contributing to plant fitness and productivity.
Toward the holodeck: integrating graphics, sound, character and story

We describe an initial prototype of a holodeck- like environment that we have created for the Mission Rehearsal Exercise Project. The goal of the project is to create an experience learning system where the participants are immersed in an environment where they can encounter the sights, sounds, and circumstances of real-world scenarios. Virtual humans act as characters and coaches in an interactive story with pedagogical goals.
Software reuse through a novel representation that supports factorization

Software reuse has received more attention in recent years. However, very often, we still need to re-design and re-develop parts of software, ranging from small to very large size (we shall call them software factors) that have been developed before, for the development of new software systems. These software factors do not fall into any existing implementation constructs. The problem that prevents the reuse of these software factors is the lack of a representation that can represent them separately and compose them together to form a software system. The paper proposes a novel software representation, called the software event net (the SE net), to address the problem. The SE net is based on the high level Petri net with some modification and extension for the specification of events produced in software systems. It applies implicit invocation software architecture in representing a software factor.
The Influence of Sporulation Conditions on the Spore Coat Protein Composition of Bacillus subtilis Spores

Spores are of high interest to the food and health sectors because of their extreme resistance to harsh conditions, especially against heat. Earlier research has shown that spores prepared on solid agar plates have a higher heat resistance than those prepared under a liquid medium condition. It has also been shown that the more mature a spore is, the higher is its heat resistance most likely mediated, at least in part, by the progressive cross-linking of coat proteins. The current study for the first time assesses, at the proteomic level, the effect of two commonly used sporulation conditions on spore protein presence. 14N spores prepared on solid Schaeffer’s-glucose (SG) agar plates and 15N metabolically labeled spores prepared in shake flasks containing 3-(N-morpholino) propane sulfonic acid (MOPS) buffered defined liquid medium differ in their coat protein composition as revealed by LC-FT-MS/MS analyses. The former condition mimics the industrial settings while the latter conditions mimic the routine laboratory environment wherein spores are developed. As seen previously in many studies, the spores prepared on the solid agar plates show a higher thermal resistance than the spores prepared under liquid culture conditions. The 14N:15N isotopic ratio of the 1:1 mixture of the spore suspensions exposes that most of the identified inner coat and crust proteins are significantly more abundant while most of the outer coat proteins are significantly less abundant for the spores prepared on solid SG agar plates relative to the spores prepared in the liquid MOPS buffered defined medium. Sporulation condition-specific differences and variation in isotopic ratios between the tryptic peptides of expected cross-linked proteins suggest that the coat protein cross-linking may also be condition specific. Since the core dipicolinic acid content is found to be similar in both the spore populations, it appears that the difference in wet heat resistance is connected to the differences in the coat protein composition and assembly. Corroborating the proteomic analyses, electron microscopy analyses show a significantly thinner outer coat layer of the spores cultured on the solid agar medium.