Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthetic Aptamer-Polymer Hybrid Constructs for Programmed Drug Delivery into Specific Target Cells

Viruses have evolved specialized mechanisms to efficiently transport nucleic acids and other biomolecules into specific host cells. They achieve this by performing a coordinated series of complex functions, resulting in delivery that is far more efficient than existing synthetic delivery mechanisms. Inspired by these natural systems, we describe a process for synthesizing chemically defined molecular constructs that likewise achieve targeted delivery through a series of coordinated functions. We employ an efficient “click chemistry” technique to synthesize aptamer-polymer hybrids (APHs), coupling cell-targeting aptamers to block copolymers that secure a therapeutic payload in an inactive state. Upon recognizing the targeted cell-surface marker, the APH enters the host cell via endocytosis, at which point the payload is triggered to be released into the cytoplasm. After visualizing this process with coumarin dye, we demonstrate targeted killing of tumor cells with doxorubicin. Importantly, this process can be generalized to yield APHs that specifically target different surface markers.
Gene finding with complex external information

The goal of gene finding is to locate genes, which are important segments of DNA encoding proteins. Programs solving this task are based on hidden Markov models (HMMs) capturing statistical features extracted from known genes, but often also incorporate hints about the correct gene structure extracted from experimental data. Existing gene finding programs can use such external information only in a limited way. Typically, they can process only simple hints describing a single part of the gene structure, because these are relatively easy to incorporate to standard HMM algorithms, but cannot cope with complex hints spanning multiple parts. We have developed an efficient algorithm able to process such complex hints. Our experiments show that this approach slightly increases the accuracy of gene prediction. We also prove that a more general class of hints leads to an NP-hard problem.
Stress-Strain Behavior and Statistical Continuous Damage Model of Cement Mortar under High Strain Rates

AbstractThe effects of strain rate on the dynamic stress-strain behavior of cement mortar were investigated in split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests; the resulting strain rates ranged from 20 to 280 s−1. A total of 39 specimens were subjected to static and dynamic axial compressive loadings. The results showed that cement mortar is a typical strain-rate dependent material. Both dynamic compressive strength and critical strain increased with strain-rate increases. However, there seemed to be no strain-rate effects on the initial elastic modulus of cement mortar. Based on the stress-strain curves of different strain rates, as well as the random statistical distribution hypothesis for strength, a dynamic damage constitutive model of cement model under compression was used. The relationships of the primary parameters for strain rate are also presented in this paper. The simulated stress-strain curves matched the experimental results well. The results showed that the strength of cement mortar obeyed a Wei.
Pathogenesis of upper airway occlusion during sleep.

REMMERS, J. E. , W. J. DEGROOT, E. K. SAUERLAND, AND A. M. ANCH. Pathogenesis of upper airww occlusion during . sleep. J. Appl. Physiol. : Respirat. Environ. Exercise Physiol. 44ftik 931-938, 1978. -Ten patients with daytime somnolence and obesity were found to have periodic airway occlusion (AO) during nocturnal sleep. The cyclical ventilatory pattern consisted of a series of regular inspiratory efforts against an occluded airway (occlusive phase) alternating with a period of regular breathing (ventilatory phase). Significant periods of central respiratory apnea were observed only in one case. The effects of pharyngeal intubation and pharyngeal pressure recordings showed that the locus of airway closure lay in the oropharynx. The genioglossal electromyogram (EMG) consistently revealed periodicity: low level activity at the onset of occlusion and prominent discharge at the instant of pharyngeal opening. In one case, this activity was closely related to pharyngeal patency, whereas in other cases there was considerable overlap between EMG values recorded during occluded and ventilatory phases. In these cases, the relationship of genioglossal discharge to pharyngeal pressure correlated with the presence or absence of pharyngeal occlusion. We speculate that genioglossal force act,s to open the oropharynx and that negative pharyngeal pressure promotes pharyngeal closure. The results are consistent with the idea that, once the pharvnx has collapsed, relative recruitment of genioglossal and inspiratory muscle act.ivity is such that the latter influence outstrips the former, so that pharyngeal transmural pressure increases more than genioglossal force. Pharyngeal opening occurs coincident with arousal and preferential activation of the genioglossus muscle of the tongue.
Commentary: A New Frontier but the Same Old Problem

As during other eras of American history, both the current debate and attempts to reform the health care system are fraught with vested interests and conflict among policy makers, consumers, the health and medical complex, insurers, and the business community. The process reflects both the strengths and the limitations of our democratic system, and demonstrates the factional battles that must be waged to attain fundamental social change in American society. Although racial justice is not the dominant issue, the parallels between the present congressional deliberations and polemics and the passage of civil rights legislation in the 1960s are inescapable. For one, a major goal is to codify the basic human right of health care for all, regardless of medical or socioeconomic condition—that is, universal health insurance. Second, although a general feeling exists among the public that considerable change is needed in our health care system, elected representatives cannot agree on an appropriate course of action.
Low HIV-testing rates and awareness of HIV infection among high-risk heterosexual STI clinic attendees in The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES Since 1999, HIV testing is routinely offered to all attendees of the sexually transmitted infections (STI) outpatient clinic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This study evaluates whether this more active HIV-testing policy increased uptake of HIV testing and awareness of an HIV-positive serostatus among heterosexual attendees. METHODS In addition to routine data collected at each STI consultation, data from half-yearly HIV surveys were used from 1994 to 2004. During each survey period, 1000 consecutive attendees are enrolled voluntary and anonymously for HIV testing and are interviewed on previous HIV testing and outcome. Trends in and predictors for uptake of HIV testing as offered during routine STI consultation were analysed by logistic regression. Trends in awareness of an HIV-positive serostatus as obtained from the anonymous HIV surveys were likewise analysed. RESULTS The percentage of heterosexual attendees opting for an HIV test during consultation increased from 13% in 1996 to 56% in 2004. However, the proportion of individuals aware of their HIV infection did not change over time and only a minority (19%) of the 108 attendees found HIV-positive in the anonymous surveys were aware of their HIV infection. Persons being or visiting a commercial sex worker, having a non-Dutch ethnicity, lacking health insurance and having an STI diagnosed were less likely to opt for an HIV test. CONCLUSIONS Although heterosexual attendees increased their uptake of HIV testing during STI consultation over time, uptake of testing by attendees at risk for HIV infection, such as those infected with an STI, remained low. As a result, the percentage of persons aware of their HIV infection remained low, posing a risk for their individual health and for ongoing HIV transmission. Current testing strategies, therefore, misses the group that most needs testing. Based on these results, 'opt-out' HIV testing is now the standard procedure at the Amsterdam STI clinic.
Constructing splits graphs

Phylogenetic trees correspond one-to-one to compatible systems of splits and so splits play an important role in theoretical and computational aspects of phylogeny. Whereas any tree reconstruction method can be thought of as producing a compatible system of splits, an increasing number of phylogenetic algorithms are available that compute split systems that are not necessarily compatible and, thus, cannot always be represented by a tree. Such methods include the split decomposition, Neighbor-Net, consensus networks, and the Z-closure method. A more general split system of this kind can be represented graphically by a so-called splits graph, which generalizes the concept of a phylogenetic tree. This paper addresses the problem of computing a splits graph for a given set of splits. We have implemented all presented algorithms in a new program called SplitsTree4.
Structure‐Property Relationships of Extruded Starch, 2 Extrusion Products from Native Starch

The supermolecular structure and morphology of extruded flat films from several native starch materials of A- and B-crystal type were investigated by wide-angle X-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy. The degree of crystallinity and crystallite dimensions of both the different starting materials and the extruded films were determined and a scheme of the lattice transformations resulting from extrusion was established. The conditions of structure formation of the extruded starch films were varied in relation to plasticizer composition and extruder zone temperatures. The mechanical properties and biodegradability of the films were also measured. The extruded starches crystallized in the VH polymorph with crystallinities between 33 and 41% and crystallite sizes of up to 35 nm. An increase in crystallite size was found for all starches (sometimes a doubling) with increasing extruder middle zone temperatures from 120 up to 210°C. For extruded potato and maize starches a steep rise in strength and modulus and a drop in elongation was observed above 190°C. Purified amylopectin from maize showed after extrusion the crystalline A-type and small amounts of B polymorph with small crystallites (up to 3 nm) and the best mechanical performance with strengths and moduli of about 20 MPa and 1 500 MPa, respectively, for the present extrusion conditions. Native starch films that include 20 to 30% plasticizer biodegrade rapidly in 25 d consuming 90% of the oxygen needed for complete degradation, as analyzed by the Sapromat test.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION OF CERIUM OXIDE ABRASIVES FOR CHEMICAL-MECHANICAL POLISHING OF GLASS

Abstract Investigation of the nature of chemomechanical polishing (CMP) for glass requires an in-depth knowledge of the influences of abrasive physical properties and slurry chemistry. In the present work, eight cerium oxide abrasives were used to polish fused silica on a polyurethane pad. Results from pre-polished surfaces re-polished in aqueous and non-aqueous suspensions and from corrosion testing of solutions recovered from abrasive suspensions were used to discern chemical, chemomechanical, and mechanical equivalents for each abrasive. Performance indices (i.eabrasive quality values) were generated from the equivalents and related to conventional polishing of lapped surfaces. Optimally performing abrasives were found to require a balance of equivalents (i.eset ratio) as dictated by inherent chemical activities, heat treatments, and milling. From solution chemistry testing, particle/workpiece attraction via surface charge was found to increase the chemomechanical effect. The CMP mechanism is concluded to be a chemical reaction at the particle/workpiece interface promoted primarily by mechanical interactions such as abrasion, with both cerium oxide and rare-earth oxyfluoride constituents promoting the reaction.
Preliminary data on pupal development, lifespan and fertility of Cynomya mortuorum (L., 1761) in Belgium (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract Background The calliphorid Cynomya mortuorum (L., 1761) is a species of forensic interest, present mainly in the Palaearctic Region. Nearly nothing is known about its life history. New information We provide here the first data regarding pupal weight evolution during the pupal stage, female fertility and life expectancy of the species. At 22°C under a variable regime of temperatures, the egg-to-adult development time was an average of 18.05 ± 0.72 and 18.47 ± 0.67 days for females and males, respectively, in the control group. The pupal stage represented 56.7% of the total development. The development time from egg to adult and the duration of the pupal stage were significantly longer for males than for females. The measurement of pupal weight at the start of the pupal period revealed that female pupae were significantly lighter than male pupae by nearly 20%. This difference between the sexes was also observed for the dry weight of adults. An average decrease of 8.75% was observed throughout the first 8 days of the pupal stage, after which most adults started to emerge. The tested females produced an average of 176.13 ± 66.62 eggs throughout the egg-laying period. The average lifespan after emergence was 12.10 ± 4.09 days for females and 12.60 ± 2.95 days for males, with a median of 12.50 days for both sexes.
Communication channel simulation tool based on geometrical and statistical model for macro cell environments

In this paper we present a simulation tool for macro cell environment based on geometrical and statistical representation of the scatterers and on the COST 259 directional channel model (DCM). This tool uses gaussianly distributed scatterers for each cluster. This distribution is naturally more realistic than the uniform distribution leading to time-of-arrival (TOA) and angle of arrival (AOA) distributions closer to experimental results. This geometrically based model simulates the TOA dispersion present in wide band channel models and the AOA dispersion necessary for systems that explore spatial diversity. This tool also incorporates the concept of line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and its birth and death as the mobile station (MS) moves in a cell, as well as the appearance and disappearance of additional clusters of scatterers. The output provided by this simulation tool is comprised of all the complex amplitudes, delays and angles of arrival of all multipath components associated with each cluster of scatterers. Mean attenuation and slow fading effects are also incorporated to the model and fast fading appears as a consequence of the multipath interference.
IT-Enabled Innovation and Improvisation in Canadian SMEs: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis

In this empirical paper, we investigate IT-enabled innovation and improvisation in SMEs that operate in turbulent market environments. Using the theoretical lens of the resource-based view of the firm and dynamic capabilities, we study IT resources, IT capabilities, and organizational agility in such SMEs. We conducted an online survey of Canadian SMEs and use an emerging analysis technique called Qualitative Comparative Analysis or QCA to provide rich insights into which configurations or combinations of IT systems, capabilities, and resources facilitate innovation and improvisation. We address the research question: What IT resource and capability configurations in IT-enabled SMEs result in high levels of innovation and improvisation? The results indicate how different combinations of organizational agility, IT leveraging capability, and IT resources can be used to achieve high levels of innovation and improvisation. Based on our findings, researchers and practitioners can gain insights about how to structure and configure IT systems, resources, and capabilities.
Completion of Computation of Improved Upper Bound on the Maximum Average Linear Hull Probabilty for Rijndael

This report presents the results from the completed computation of an algorithm introduced by the authors in [11] for evaluating the provable security of the AES (Rijndael) against linear cryptanalysis. This algorithm, later named KMT2, can in fact be applied to any SPN [8]. Preliminary results in [11] were based on 43% of total computation, estimated at 200,000 hours on our benchmark machine at the time, a Sun Ultra 5. After some delay, we obtained access to the necessary computational resources, and were able to run the algorithm to completion. In addition to the above, this report presents the results from the dual version of our algorithm (KMT2-DC) as applied to the AES.
Using cross correlations to investigate how chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) use conspecific gaze cues to extract and exploit information in a foraging competition

In a dyadic informed forager task, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are known to exploit the knowledge of informed subordinates; however, the behavioral mechanisms they employ are unknown. It is tempting to interpret outcome measures, such as which individual obtained the food, in a cognitively richer way than the outcomes may justify. We employed a different approach from prior research, asking how chimpanzees compete by maneuvering around each other, whether they use gaze cues to acquire information from others, and what information they use in moment‐to‐moment decision‐making. We used cross correlations, which plot the correlation between two variables as a function of time, systematically to examine chimpanzee interactions in a series of dyadic informed forager contests. We used cross correlations as a “proof of concept” so as to determine whether the target actions were contingent on, or occurred in a time‐locked pattern relative to, the referent actions. A subordinate individual was given privileged knowledge of food location. As expected, an ignorant dominant followed the informed subordinate's movement in the enclosure. The dominant also followed the subordinate's gaze direction: after she looked at the subordinate, she was more likely to gaze toward this same direction within one second. In contrast, the subordinate only occasionally followed the dominant's movement and gaze. The dominant also changed her own direction of movement to converge on the location to which the subordinate directed her gaze and movement. Cross correlation proves an effective technique for charting contingencies in social interactions, an important step in understanding the use of cognition in natural situations. Am. J. Primatol. 76:932–941, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Virchow’s Triad Revisited: Abnormal Flow

Virchow rightly recognised that blood flow plays an important role in thrombosis. The roles of blood flow in haemostasis, and in arterial, intra-cardiac, and venous thrombosis are reviewed. In streamline (laminar) flow, shear stresses are maximal at the vessel wall, and affect endothelial cell morphology and function (e.g. secretion of NO, prostacyclin,t-PA and vWF). Platelets are also concentrated at the vessel wall (due to axial concentration of red cells)where they can be activated by high shear stresses and are well-placed to interact with vWF and subendothelium,resulting in platelet adhesion and the initial stages of haemostasis. On the other hand, increasing wall shear forces increase removal of thrombin and fibrin monomer, hence stasis (induced by internal or external pressure) is required to allow fibrin formation and secondary haemostasis. Atherogenesis occurs in areas of arterial flow separation,which promotes platelet, leucocyte, LDL and fibrinogen adhesion and wall infiltration. Rheological variables (e.g. wall shear stress, viscosity, haematocrit,fibrinogen, LDL) have been correlated with the extent of ultrasonic carotid intima-media thickening. Arterial thrombosis usually follows rupture of atherosclerotic plaques and intra-plaque haemorrhage: high intra-stenotic shear stresses may activate platelets,promoting the initial platelet-rich "white-head" of arterial thrombi, while low post-stenotic shear stresses may promote the subsequent, fibrin--and red cell-rich "red tail". Blood viscosity, platelet microemboli, and activated leucocytes may each reduce post-stenotic microcirculatory blood flow, promoting infarction. Such mechanisms may explain the associations of increased levels of blood and plasma viscosity, haematocrit, white cell count, fibrinogen and vWF with risk and outcome of myocardial, cerebral and limb infarction. Areas of recirculating blood flow under low shear stresses predispose to intracardiac thromboembolism(e.g. atrial fibrillation, in which elevated fibrin D-dimer levels are normalised after cardioversion) and venous thromboembolism (fibrin D-dimer levels are associated with most risk factors). There is good evidence that reduction of venous stasis in the legs reduces the risk of venous thromboembolism. There is increasing evidence that regular exercise and avoidance of immobility reduces the risk of both arterial and venous thrombosis and also has systemic antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects. So: "Go with the flow! "
Spatially resolved multicolor CsPbX3 nanowire heterojunctions via anion exchange

Significance Semiconductor heterojunction is a key building block in modern electronics and optoelectronics. The accurate control over the composition, band gap, energy level (band bending), and doping level is the foundation of ideal functional heterojunctions. We demonstrate highly spatially resolved heterojunctions in a type of semiconductor, halide perovskites, which show great potential in photovoltaic and solid-state lighting applications. We accomplish this through the combination of facile anion-exchange chemistry with nanofabrication techniques. The halide perovskite nanowire heterojunction provides an ideal platform for fundamental studies and technological applications. For example, multicolor lasers or LEDs could be made using such localized heterojunctions; quantitative interdiffusion and ion migration dynamics could be examined at elevated temperatures, etc. Halide perovskites are promising semiconductor materials for solution-processed optoelectronic devices. Their strong ionic bonding nature results in highly dynamic crystal lattices, inherently allowing rapid ion exchange at the solid–vapor and solid–liquid interface. Here, we show that the anion-exchange chemistry can be precisely controlled in single-crystalline halide perovskite nanomaterials when combined with nanofabrication techniques. We demonstrate spatially resolved multicolor CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I, or alloy of two halides) nanowire heterojunctions with a pixel size down to 500 nm with the photoluminescence tunable over the entire visible spectrum. In addition, the heterojunctions show distinct electronic states across the interface, as revealed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. These perovskite heterojunctions represent key building blocks for high-resolution multicolor displays beyond current state-of-the-art technology as well as high-density diode/transistor arrays.