Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanoparticle-shelled bubbles for lightweight materials

Lightweight materials that are mechanically robust are of great interest in automotive, aerospace, and construction industries. However due to the nature of materials, it is challenging to obtain materials that have high strength, stiffness and toughness, and light weight simultaneously. One approach that tries to address this limitation is the use of composite materials containing hollow microparticles, also known as syntactic foams. The incorporation of hollow microparticles decreases the density of the material at the same time that increases its specific strength. Conventional methods of fabrication of hollow particles involving bulk reactions result in high heterogeneity in geometry as well as mechanical properties, and little or no control over the shell nanostructure. This variability in the structure and properties of the hollow microparticles adversely affects the macroscopic properties of the syntactic foams and hinders the understanding of the structure-property relationship. The use of microfluidics for the generation of shelled-bubbles addresses these limitations. This microfluidic technique, in contrast to bulk methods, is based on single droplet formation, allowing for the generation of highly uniform bubbles, and enabling the assembly of nanoparticles at the interface forming stable nanoparticle-shelled bubbles. Microfluidics allow a precise control over the geometry, nanostructure and properties of the shelled-bubbles, further enabling the functionalization of the shell surface to present amphiphilicity, or the modification of the shell structure with thermal processes to enhance their mechanical behavior. These versatile nanoparticle-shelled bubbles are optimal candidates to form hierarchically assembled lightweight composites with targeted mechanical properties. In composites, the precise control over the structure and properties of the fillers allows the determination of the structureproperty relationship, and enables a better understanding of the effect of the nanostructure on the macroscopic mechanical response. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering First Advisor Daeyeon Lee
Review: Capripoxvirus Diseases: Current Status and Opportunities for Control

Summary Lumpy skin disease, sheeppox and goatpox are high‐impact diseases of domestic ruminants with a devastating effect on cattle, sheep and goat farming industries in endemic regions. In this article, we review the current geographical distribution, economic impact of an outbreak, epidemiology, transmission and immunity of capripoxvirus. The special focus of the article is to scrutinize the use of currently available vaccines to investigate the resource needs and challenges that will have to be overcome to improve disease control and eradication, and progress on the development of safer and more effective vaccines. In addition, field evaluation of the efficacy of the vaccines and the genomic database available for poxviruses are discussed.
Dynamics Between Lodging Resistance and Chemical Contents in Japonica Rice During Grain Filling

The dynamics between lodging resistance and chemical component contents in culm and sheaths were analyzed using japonica rice varieties with different lodging resistance characteristics during grain filling. There were significant differences in the total amount of potassium (K), silicon (Si) and soluble sugars in culm and sheaths of rice. The difference in the total amount of Si was bigger than that of K or soluble sugars in different lodging resistant varieties. The physical strength and maximum bearing capacity of culms decreased continuously from grain filling to ripening stage, and the physical strength decreased rapidly at the dough stage. However, the total amount of K in culm and the Si content in culm and sheath gradually increased and exhibited an accumulation phenomenon whereas the contents and total amount of K and the total amount of Si in sheath decreased gradually and assumed an exporting sign. In addition to the total amount of K in culm at the full heading stage, the physical strength was positively and highly significantly correlated with the total amount of K and Si in culm during grain filling, and highly significantly with the total amount of soluble sugars in culm at the full heading and milky stages, with the total amount of Si and soluble sugars in sheath at the full heading stage and with the total amount of K in sheath at the full heading and milky stages, the physical strength was positively and highly significantly correlated with the maximum bearing capacity during grain filling stage.
Linkage Disequilibrium Estimation in Low Coverage High-Throughput Sequencing Data

High-throughput sequencing methods provide a cost-effective approach for genotyping and are commonly used in population genetics studies. A drawback of these methods, however, is that sequencing and genotyping errors can arise. High-throughput sequencing methods that multiplex a large number of individuals have provided a cost-effective approach for discovering genome-wide genetic variation in large populations. These sequencing methods are increasingly being utilized in population genetic studies across a diverse range of species. Two side-effects of these methods, however, are (1) sequencing errors and (2) heterozygous genotypes called as homozygous due to only one allele at a particular locus being sequenced, which occurs when the sequencing depth is insufficient. Both of these errors have a profound effect on the estimation of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and, if not taken into account, lead to inaccurate estimates. We developed a new likelihood method, GUS-LD, to estimate pairwise linkage disequilibrium using low coverage sequencing data that accounts for undercalled heterozygous genotypes and sequencing errors. Our findings show that accurate estimates were obtained using GUS-LD, whereas underestimation of LD results if no adjustment is made for the errors.
A Fresnel's Reflection Optical Fiber Sensor for Thermoset Polymer Cure Monitoring

The paper presents a novel optical sensor that can perform real-time measurements of the degree of cure of an epoxy resin used as a matrix in fiber reinforced polymer composites. This sensor is based on the Fresnel's reflection at the end of an optical fiber. An increase in the degree of cure induces a corresponding increase in the density of the resin and therefore an increase in the measured reflected light intensity. The response of this optical sensor is shown to be in agreement with a well-established method, namely the Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). In addition, a calibration method for the optical sensor in service is proposed. This calibration takes advantage of the heating phase of the epoxy resin at the beginning of the process. Due to its low intrusivity, this sensor can be easily embedded into a composite material to monitor the resin cure in-situ.
Viewpoints on Corruption What Would Common People Say ?

Corruption has been a hazardous problem in public administrations. On the other hand, what the truster know about it, how common people perceive the kind of crime is very much neglected by theoretical investigations. Here we try to build a conjecture as an initial pathway to view corruption as the particular knowledge owned by regular citizen. We begin the investigation from the dominance of public utterances as a source of knowledge. Then metaphor mapping as a method to understand the idea of embodied knowledge is examined to help building our conjecture on the idea of common knowledge about corruption.
Query Optimization Techniques Utilizing Path Indexes in Object-Oriented Database Systems

We propose query optimization techniques that fully utilize the advantages of path indexes in object-oriented database systems. Although path indexes provide an eecient access to complex objects, little research has been done on query optimization that fully utilize path indexes. We rst devise a generalized index intersection technique, adapted to the structure of the path index extended from conventional indexes, for utilizing multiple (path) indexes to access each class in a query. We then propose the query graph reduction algorithm that replaces the classes in the query graph with path index scans; we call the resultant query graph reduced query graph (RQG). We nally present the search algorithm that nds the least-cost evaluation plan from RQG based on a cost model. Proposed query optimization techniques enhance database performance by using path indexes instead of direct accesses to data in the evaluating queries.
Full-Duplex Massive MIMO Relaying Systems With Low-Resolution ADCs

This paper considers a multipair amplify-and-forward massive MIMO relaying system with low-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) at both the relay and destinations. The channel state information (CSI) at the relay is obtained via pilot training, which is then utilized to perform simple maximum-ratio combining/maximum-ratio transmission processing by the relay. Also, it is assumed that the destinations use statistical CSI to decode the transmitted signals. Exact and approximated closed-form expressions for the achievable sum rate are presented, which enable the efficient evaluation of the impact of key system parameters on the system performance. In addition, optimal relay power allocation scheme is studied, and power scaling law is characterized. It is found that, with only low-resolution ADCs at the relay, increasing the number of relay antennas is an effective method to compensate for the rate loss caused by coarse quantization. However, it becomes ineffective to handle the detrimental effect of low-resolution ADCs at the destination. Moreover, it is shown that deploying massive relay antenna arrays can still bring significant power savings, i.e., the transmit power of each source can be cut down proportional to $1/M$ to maintain a constant rate, where $M$ is the number of relay antennas.
The Occurrence of Zearalenone in South Korean Feedstuffs between 2009 and 2016

Mycotoxins produced by Fusarium plant pathogen species have harmful effects on humans and livestock by natural contamination in food and feed. Zearalenone, one of the well-known Fusarium mycotoxins, causes hyperestrogenism and toxicosis resulting in reproductive dysfunction in animals. This study investigated the occurrence of zearalenone in feedstuffs (compound feeds, feed ingredients) between 2009 and 2016 in South Korea to obtain information on zearalenone contamination in feeds for management. A total of 653 animal feed samples (494 compound feeds, 159 feed ingredients) produced domestically were sampled five times from 2009 to 2016 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) from feed factories in South Korea. The levels of zearalenone were analyzed every year by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after pretreatment with an immunoaffinity column showing limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1–3 μg/kg and 0.3–8 μg/kg, respectively. Four feed samples out of 494 compound feeds exceeded the EU and South Korea commission regulations over the eight-year test period, and no feed ingredients exceeded the guidelines.
Extinction Thresholds and Metapopulation Persistence in Dynamic Landscapes

Models of metapopulations have focused on the effects of extinction and colonization rate upon metapopulation persistence and dynamics, assuming static landscapes wherein patches are neither created nor go extinct. However, for species living in ephemeral (patchy) habitats, landscapes are highly dynamic rather than static. In this article, we develop a lattice metapopulation model, of the patch occupancy type, based on interacting particle systems that incorporate explicitly both metapopulation and patch dynamics. Under this scenario, we study the effects of different regimes of patch dynamics upon metapopulation persistence. We analyze the lattice behavior by numerical simulations and a mean field approximation (MF). We show that metapopulation persistence and extinction are strongly influenced by the rate at which the landscape changes, in addition to the amount of habitat destroyed. We derive MF analytical expressions for extinction thresholds related to landscape properties such as habitat suitability and patch average lifetime. Using numerical simulations, we also show how these thresholds are quantitatively overestimated by the MF equations, although the qualitative behavior of the spatial model is well explained by the MF when the array of habitat patches is dynamic or static but connected in space and time. The implications for conservation are also discussed.
Hydroxyurea therapy for sickle cell anemia

Introduction: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a severe, inherited hemoglobin disorder affecting 100,000 persons in the US and millions worldwide. Hydroxyurea, a once daily oral medication, has emerged as the primary disease-modifying therapy for SCA. The accumulated body of evidence over 30 years demonstrates that hydroxyurea is a safe and effective therapy for SCA, but hydroxyurea remains underutilized for a variety of reasons. Areas covered: In this review, we summarize the available evidence regarding the pharmacology, clinical, and laboratory benefits, and safety of hydroxyurea therapy for the treatment of SCA. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader a comprehensive understanding of hydroxyurea and to reinforce the fact that hydroxyurea is a safe and effective medication for the treatment of SCA. Expert opinion: In our opinion, hydroxyurea therapy should be considered standard-of-care for SCA, representing an essential component of patient management. Early initiation and broader use of hydroxyurea will alter the natural history of SCA, so affected children can live longer and healthier lives. In addition, hydroxyurea use should be extended to low-resource settings such as sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden of SCA and the need for hydroxyurea is arguably the greatest.
Using Blockchains for Agent-based Auctions

From the article: "To extend the lifetime of products, an agent is connected to the product. This agent has several roles. It depends on the phase of the lifecycle what these roles will be. One of the roles in the usage or recycling phase is to negotiate for buying spare parts in case a part of the product is broken. The same agent can also decide to offer spare parts to other agents to reuse working parts of a broken product. To accomplish this idea, a marketplace for agents has to be set up, where the auctions can take place. To support this concept, blockchain technology has been used. Blockchains are a new type of technology, known from bitcoins, but there are other cases where blockchains can be used. Blockchain is known for its decentralisation, transparency and for making trustful transactions. In this paper the working of different types of blockchains will be briefly explained and determined if they can be useful for online auctions by agents. A prototype of the marketplace using blockchains has been built. "
Modeling Game Avatar Synergy and Opposition through Embedding in Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games have received increasing worldwide popularity recently. In such games, players compete in teams against each other by controlling selected game avatars, each of which is designed with different strengths and weaknesses. Intuitively, putting together game avatars that complement each other (synergy) and suppress those of opponents (opposition) would result in a stronger team. In-depth understanding of synergy and opposition relationships among game avatars benefits player in making decisions in game avatar drafting and gaining better prediction of match events. However, due to intricate design and complex interactions between game avatars, thorough understanding of their relationships is not a trivial task. In this paper, we propose a latent variable model, namely Game Avatar Embedding (GAE), to learn avatars' numerical representations which encode synergy and opposition relationships between pairs of avatars. The merits of our model are twofold: (1) the captured synergy and opposition relationships are sensible to experienced human players' perception; (2) the learned numerical representations of game avatars allow many important downstream tasks, such as similar avatar search, match outcome prediction, and avatar pick recommender. To our best knowledge, no previous model is able to simultaneously support both features. Our quantitative and qualitative evaluations on real match data from three commercial MOBA games illustrate the benefits of our model.
Prevention of cognitive impairment: scientific guidance and windows of opportunity

Cognitive impairment of later life is an important medical and public health challenge. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of persons with dementia will continue to increase, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. An important public health challenge relates to the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. Specifically, is it possible to maintain cognitive vitality or prevent or slow cognitive decline? In this opinion‐based piece, I review United States‐based guidance statements for maintenance of cognition and select single and multidomain trials designed to preserve cognitive function. Guidance statements now recommend that we treat or prevent cardiovascular risks in hopes of preventing cognitive impairment or decline. I discuss potential gaps between guidance statements and interventional studies, and provide comments on where windows of opportunity may exist to close potential gaps in our quest to maintain cognitive vitality.
Plasma viscosity regulates capillary perfusion during extreme hemodilution in hamster skinfold model.

Effect of increasing blood viscosity during extreme hemodilution on capillary perfusion and tissue oxygenation was investigated in the awake hamster skinfold model. Two isovolemic hemodilution steps were performed with 6% Dextran 70 [molecular weight (MW) = 70,000] until systemic hematocrit (Hct) was reduced by 65%. A third step reduced Hct by 75% and was performed with the same solution [low viscosity (LV)] or a high-molecular-weight 6% Dextran 500 solution [MW = 500,000, high viscosity (HV)]. Final plasma viscosities were 1.4 and 2.2 cP (baseline of 1.2 cP). Hct was reduced to 11.2 ± 1.1% from 46.2 ± 1.5% for LV and to 11.9 ± 0.7% from 47.3 ± 2.1% for HV. HV produced a greater mean arterial blood pressure than LV. Functional capillary density (FCD) was substantially higher after HV (85 ± 12%) vs. LV (38 ± 30%) vs. baseline (100%). [Formula: see text] levels measured with Pd-porphyrin phosphorescence microscopy were not statistically changed from baseline until after the third hemodilution step. Wall shear rate (WSR) decreased in arterioles and venules after LV and only in arterioles after HV. Wall shear stress (WSR × plasma viscosity) was substantially higher after HV vs. LV. Increased mean arterial pressure and shear stress-dependent release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor are possible mechanisms that improved arteriolar and venular blood flow and FCD after HV vs. LV exchange protocols.
Channelopathies Heart rate-dependent variability of cardiac events in type 2 congenital long-QT syndrome

Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cardiovascular Center, 5-7-1, Fujishiro-dai, Suita, Osaka 565-8565, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; and Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Cardiovascular Center, 5-7-1, Fujishiro-dai, Suita, Osaka 565-8565, Japan
Capsaicin-Sensitive Sensory Nerves Are Necessary for the Protective Effect of Ghrelin in Cerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Rats

Ghrelin was shown to exhibit protective and therapeutic effect in the gut. Aim of the study was to investigate the role of sensory nerves (SN) in the protective effect of ghrelin in acute pancreatitis (AP). Studies were performed on male Wistar rats or isolated pancreatic acinar cells. After capsaicin deactivation of sensory nerves (CDSN) or treatment with saline, rats were pretreated intraperitoneally with ghrelin or saline. In those rats, AP was induced by cerulein or pancreases were used for isolation of pancreatic acinar cells. Pancreatic acinar cells were incubated in cerulein-free or cerulein containing solution. In rats with intact SN, pretreatment with ghrelin led to a reversal of the cerulein-induced increase in pancreatic weight, plasma activity of lipase and plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). These effects were associated with an increase in plasma interleukin-4 concentration and reduction in histological signs of pancreatic damage. CDSN tended to increase the severity of AP and abolished the protective effect of ghrelin. Exposure of pancreatic acinar cells to cerulein led to increase in cellular expression of mRNA for TNF-α and cellular synthesis of this cytokine. Pretreatment with ghrelin reduced this alteration, but this effect was only observed in acinar cells obtained from rats with intact SN. Moreover, CDSN inhibited the cerulein- and ghrelin-induced increase in gene expression and synthesis of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in those cells. Ghrelin exhibits the protective effect in cerulein-induced AP on the organ and pancreatic acinar cell level. Sensory nerves ablation abolishes this effect.