Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fatigue Crack Growth Model for Part-Through Flaws in Plates and Pipes

A fatigue crack growth the model is developed to evaluate the behavior of planar elliptic flaws in structural components under cyclic loadings. The model is applied to plates with cyclic tensile load and nuclear piping under cyclic pressure loading. It is found that small flaws in plates tend to grow to a fixed aspect ratio, b/a approx. 0.9 (b is the through thickness direction). The trend checks well with available experimental data. For an axial part-through flaw in piping there is no fixed aspect ratio for growth. However, the flaws in piping are found to grow to a definite axial length. An evaluaton is made of the applicability of th model to nuclear primary piping.
Mapping of HKT1;5 Gene in Barley Using GWAS Approach and Its Implication in Salt Tolerance Mechanism

Sodium (Na+) accumulation in the cytosol will result in ion homeostasis imbalance and toxicity of transpiring leaves. Studies of salinity tolerance in the diploid wheat ancestor Triticum monococcum showed that HKT1;5-like gene was a major gene in the QTL for salt tolerance, named Nax2. In the present study, we were interested in investigating the molecular mechanisms underpinning the role of the HKT1;5 gene in salt tolerance in barley (Hordeum vulgare). A USDA mini-core collection of 2,671 barley lines, part of a field trial was screened for salinity tolerance, and a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) was performed. Our results showed important SNPs that are correlated with salt tolerance that mapped to a region where HKT1;5 ion transporter located on chromosome four. Furthermore, sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) content analysis revealed that tolerant lines accumulate more sodium in roots and leaf sheaths, than in the sensitive ones. In contrast, sodium concentration was reduced in leaf blades of the tolerant lines under salt stress. In the absence of NaCl, the concentration of Na+ and K+ were the same in the roots, leaf sheaths and leaf blades between the tolerant and the sensitive lines. In order to study the molecular mechanism behind that, alleles of the HKT1;5 gene from five tolerant and five sensitive barley lines were cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis did not show the presence of any polymorphism that distinguishes between the tolerant and sensitive alleles. Our real-time RT-PCR experiments, showed that the expression of HKT1;5 gene in roots of the tolerant line was significantly induced after challenging the plants with salt stress. In contrast, in leaf sheaths the expression was decreased after salt treatment. In sensitive lines, there was no difference in the expression of HKT1;5 gene in leaf sheath under control and saline conditions, while a slight increase in the expression was observed in roots after salt treatment. These results provide stronger evidence that HKT1;5 gene in barley play a key role in withdrawing Na+ from the xylem and therefore reducing its transport to leaves. Given all that, these data support the hypothesis that HKT1;5 gene is responsible for Na+ unloading to the xylem and controlling its distribution in the shoots, which provide new insight into the understanding of this QTL for salinity tolerance in barley.
Dynamic Fiber-Optic Shape Sensing Using Fiber Segment Interferometry

Dynamic fiber-optic shape sensing, often also referred to as curvature or bend sensing, is demonstrated using fiber segment interferometry, where chains of fiber segments, separated by broadband Bragg grating reflectors, are interrogated using range-resolved interferometry. In this paper, the theory of interferometric curvature sensing using fiber segments is developed in detail, including techniques to infer lateral displacements from the measured differential strain data and methods for directional calibration of the sensor. A proof-of-concept experiment is performed, where four fiber strings, each containing four fiber segments of gauge length 20 cm each, are attached to the opposing sides of a flexible support structure and the resulting differential strain measurements are used to determine the lateral displacements of a 0.8 m cantilever test object in two dimensions. Dynamic tip displacement measurements at $ \mathbf{40}\;\mathbf{nm}\cdot \mathbf{Hz}^{-0.5}$ noise levels over a 21 kHz bandwidth demonstrate the suitability of this approach for highly sensitive and cost-effective fiber-optic lateral displacement or vibration measurements.
The role of microRNAs in endometriosis and associated reproductive conditions.

BACKGROUND microRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Recent research has shown that miRNAs and their target mRNAs are differentially expressed in endometriosis and other disorders of the female reproductive system. Since miRNAs control a broad spectrum of normal and pathological cellular functions, they may play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of these disorders. METHODS A systematic review was undertaken of the published literature on; (i) the expression and functions of miRNAs in mammalian female reproductive tissues with a focus on endometriosis and the malignancies and fertility disorders related to this disease; and (ii) the potential roles played by validated mRNA targets of endometriosis-associated miRNAs. The current understanding of the biology of miRNAs is overviewed and the potential diagnostic and therapeutic potential of miRNAs in endometriosis is highlighted. RESULTS The differential expression of miRNAs in endometriosis, and the putative molecular pathways constituted by their targets, suggests that miRNAs may play an important role in endometriotic lesion development. Models for miRNA regulatory functions in endometriosis are presented, including those associated with hypoxia, inflammation, tissue repair, TGFbeta-regulated pathways, cell growth, cell proliferation, apoptosis, extracellular matrix remodelling and angiogenesis. In addition, specific miRNAs which may be associated with malignant progression and subfertility in endometriosis are discussed. CONCLUSIONS miRNAs appear to be potent regulators of gene expression in endometriosis and its associated reproductive disorders, raising the prospect of using miRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic tools in endometriosis.
Power consumption optimization for small-cell networks under QoS constraints

The rise of data traffic is a main trend in today's mobile networks but increases the power consumption as a price. In this paper, we aim to optimize the power consumption of downlink multi-user small-cell networks (SCNs) taking the quality of service (QoS) requirements of all the users into account. First we use semi-definite relaxation technique to transform the power consumption optimization problem into a convex problem, then obtain the optimal solution and insights on the interplay of the design parameters like the number of users, the number of antennas and the QoS value by using toolbox CVX. Simulation results show that our optimization is effective. Moreover, we show that the power consumption can be further reduced by applying antenna selection algorithm when the number of antennas is larger than the number of users per small-cell access point.
Positive autoregulation and repression of transactivation are key regulatory features of the Candida glabrata Pdr1 transcription factor

Resistance to azole drugs, the major clinical antifungal compounds, is most commonly due to gain‐of‐function (GOF) substitution mutations in a gene called PDR1 in the fungal pathogen Candida glabrata. PDR1 encodes a zinc cluster‐containing transcription factor. GOF forms of Pdr1 drive high level expression of downstream target gene expression with accompanying azole resistance. PDR1 has two homologous genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, called ScPDR1 and ScPDR3. This study provides evidence that the PDR1 gene in C. glabrata represents a blend of the properties found in the two S. cerevisiae genes. We demonstrated that GOF Pdr1 derivatives are overproduced at the protein level and less stable than the wild‐type protein. Overproduction of wild‐type Pdr1 increased target gene expression but to a lesser extent than GOF derivatives. Site‐directed mutagenesis of Pdr1 binding sites in the PDR1 promoter provided clear demonstration that autoregulation of PDR1 is required for its normal function. An internal deletion mutant of Pdr1 lacking its central regulatory domain behaved as a hyperactive transcription factor that was lethal unless conditionally expressed. A full understanding of the regulation of Pdr1 will provide a new avenue of interfering with azole resistance in C. glabrata.
Unboundedness problems for languages of vector addition systems

A vector addition system (VAS) with an initial and a final marking and transition labels induces a language. In part because the reachability problem in VAS remains far from being well-understood, it is difficult to devise decision procedures for such languages. This is especially true for checking properties that state the existence of infinitely many words of a particular shape. Informally, we call these \emph{unboundedness properties}. We present a simple set of axioms for predicates that can express unboundedness properties. Our main result is that such a predicate is decidable for VAS languages as soon as it is decidable for regular languages. Among other results, this allows us to show decidability of (i)~separability by bounded regular languages, (ii)~unboundedness of occurring factors from a language $K$ with mild conditions on $K$, and (iii)~universality of the set of factors.
Identifying antecedents of virtual team collaboration

Purpose – Virtual teams are comprised of members who are located in more than one physical location. This team trait has fostered extensive use of a variety of forms of computer‐mediated communication that enable geographically dispersed members to coordinate their individual efforts and inputs. Perhaps even more important, however, is the reality that virtual teams need to effectively collaborate to harness their full performance capabilities in order to compete in the highly competitive environments of contemporary organizations. This paper seeks to address the topic of virtual team collaboration from a “back door” perspective by identifying conditions that need to be present in order for it to effectively occur.Design/methodology/approach – This paper looks at how the depth of relationships, trust, and shared understandings among the team members feed into a team's collaborative ability, based on a thorough review of the literature. It also examines the interrelationships among these factors while sugg.
Computationally Inferred Genealogical Networks Uncover Long-Term Trends in Assortative Mating

Genealogical networks, also known as family trees or population pedigrees, are commonly studied by genealogists wanting to know about their ancestry, but they also provide a valuable resource for disciplines such as digital demography, genetics, and computational social science. These networks are typically constructed by hand through a very time-consuming process, which requires comparing large numbers of historical records manually. We develop computational methods for automatically inferring large-scale genealogical networks. A comparison with human-constructed networks attests to the accuracy of the proposed methods. To demonstrate the applicability of the inferred large-scale genealogical networks, we present a longitudinal analysis on the mating patterns observed in a network. This analysis shows a consistent tendency of people choosing a spouse with a similar socioeconomic status, a phenomenon known as assortative mating. Interestingly, we do not observe this tendency to consistently decrease (nor increase) over our study period of 150 years.
Physicochemical Characterization of Mitragyna speciosa Alkaloid Extract and Mitragynine using In Vitro High Throughput Assays.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE Mitragynine, a major active alkaloid of Mitragyna speciosa, acts as an agonist on µ-opioid receptors, producing effects similar to morphine and other opioids. It has been traditionally utilized to alleviate opiate withdrawal symptoms. Besides consideration about potency and selectivity, a good drug must possess a suitable pharmacokinetic profile, with suitable absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADME-Tox) profile, in order to have a high chance of success in clinical trials. MATERIAL AND METHOD The purity of mitragynine in a Mitragyna speciosa alkaloid extract (MSAE) was determined using Ultra-Fast Liquid Chromatography (UFLC). In vitro high throughput ADMETox studies such as aqueous solubility, plasma protein binding, metabolic stability, permeability and cytotoxicity tests were carried out to analyze the physicochemical properties of MSAE and mitragynine. The UFLC quantification revealed that the purity of mitragynine in the MSAE was 40.9%. RESULTS MSAE and mitragynine are highly soluble in aqueous solution at pH 4.0 but less soluble at pH 7.4. A parallel artificial membrane permeability assay demonstrated that it is extensively absorbed through the semi-permeable membrane at pH 7.4 but very poorly at pH 4.0. Both are relatively highly bound to plasma proteins (> 85 % bound) and are metabolically stable to liver microsomes (> 84 % remained unchanged). In comparison to MSAE, mitragynine showed higher cytotoxicity against WRL 68, HepG2 and Clone 9 hepatocytes after 72 h treatment. CONCLUSION The obtained ADME and cytotoxicity data demonstrated that both MSAE and mitragynine have poor bioavailability and have the potential to be significantly cytotoxic.
Modeling the hematocrit distribution in microcirculatory networks: A quantitative evaluation of a phase separation model

Theoretical models are essential tools for studying microcirculatory function. Recently, the validity of a well‐established phase separation model was questioned and it was claimed that it produces problematically low hematocrit predictions and lack of red cells in small diameter vessels. We conducted a quantitative evaluation of this phase separation model to establish common ground for future research.
Cognitive Style and Mobile E-Learning in Emergent Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Disorders for Millennial Undergraduate Medical Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Electronic learning (e-learning) through mobile technology represents a novel way to teach emergent otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery (ORL-HNS) disorders to undergraduate medical students. Whether a cognitive style of education combined with learning modules can impact learning outcomes and satisfaction in millennial medical students is unknown. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the impact of cognitive styles and learning modules using mobile e-learning on knowledge gain, competence gain, and satisfaction for emergent ORL-HNS disorders. Methods This randomized controlled trial included 60 undergraduate medical students who were novices in ORL-HNS at an academic teaching hospital. The cognitive style of the participants was assessed using the group embedded figures test. The students were randomly assigned (1:1) to a novel interactive multimedia (IM) group and conventional Microsoft PowerPoint show (PPS) group matched by age, sex, and cognitive style. The content for the gamified IM module was derived from and corresponded to the textbook-based learning material of the PPS module (video lectures). The participants were unblinded and used fully automated courseware containing the IM or PPS module on a 7-inch tablet for 100 min. Knowledge and competence were assessed using multiple-choice questions and multimedia situation tests, respectively. Each participant also rated their global satisfaction. Results All of the participants (median age 23 years, range 22-26 years; 36 males and 24 females) received the intended intervention after randomization. Overall, the participants had significant gains in knowledge (median 50%, interquartile range [IQR]=17%-80%, P<.001) and competence (median 13%, IQR=0%-33%, P=.006). There were no significant differences in knowledge gain (40%, IQR=13%-76% vs 60%, IQR=20%-100%, P=.42) and competence gain (0%, IQR= −21% to 38% vs 25%, IQR=0%-33%, P=.16) between the IM and PPS groups. However, the IM group had a higher satisfaction score (8, IQR=6-9 vs 6, IQR=4-7, P=.01) compared with the PPS group. Using Friedman’s two-way nonparametric analysis of variance, cognitive styles (field-independent, field-intermediate, or field-dependent classification) and learning modules (IM or PPS) had significant effects on both knowledge gain (both adjusted P<.001) and satisfaction (both adjusted P<.001). Conclusions Mobile e-learning is an effective modality to improve knowledge of emergent ORL-HNS in millennial undergraduate medical students. Our findings suggest the necessity of developing various modules for undergraduate medical students with different cognitive styles. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02971735; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02971735 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6waoOpCEV)
Association between Age and Changes in Heart Rate Variability after Hemodialysis in Patients with Diabetes

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) represents changes in the time between successive heart beats, and it has been used to assess the autonomic nervous system. Previous studies have reported autonomic dysfunction in diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD), however, no studies have evaluated the effects of age on changes in HRV in these patients. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of age on changes in HRV in diabetic HD patients. Methods: We enrolled 84 diabetic patients receiving maintenance HD. HRV was measured before and after HD to assess changes in HRV (ΔHRV). The patients were divided into two groups based on their age (65 years< or ≥65 years). Results: Compared to the patients aged <65 years, those aged ≥65 years had a higher high frequency (HF) % (p = 0.032) before HD. The patients aged <65 years had a significant increase in very low frequency, low frequency (LF), and HF after HD. The patients aged ≥65 years had a significant increase in LF, but a significant decrease in HF% after HD. There was a significant interaction between age and change of HF% (p = 0.023) after HD. After multivariate adjustments for clinical, biochemical data and medications, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, hemoglobin, and hemoglobin were associated with ΔLF, whereas cerebrovascular disease, systolic blood pressure, and fasting glucose were associated with ΔHF% in patients aged ≥65 years. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated significant changes in HRV after HD in diabetic patients. In the patients aged ≥65 years, LF was increased, whereas HF% was decreased significantly after HD. Among the HRV parameters, age had an interaction with the change of HF%.
Stress softening in carbon black‐reinforced vulcanizates. Strain rate and temperature effects

Stress softening of carbon black-reinforced butadiene-styrene rubber was studied as a function of the rate and temperature of the original tensile deformation. To a good approximation, stress softening depends on the product of the extension rate and a temperature function which is analytically well represented by the familiar Williams-Landel-Ferry relationship. When the elongation of the original deformation is also varied, a good correlation is obtained between stress softening and the maximum stress attained in the original extension, irrespective of the particular combination of strain, strain rate and temperature used to achieve this stress. Variables which tend to increase the stiffness of the vulcanizate, such as increased degree of crosslinking or carbon black chain structure, also increase stress softening; dilution by plasticizers decreases it. Prestressing at high strain rates and low temperatures affects the stress–strain curve of the softened vulcanizates beyond the elongation of the original extension. Connections are established between stress softening and viscoelastic and failure behavior. The evidence presented favors the contribution of several mechanisms to the general phenomenon of stress softening. These are thixotropy of transient filler structures, network chain rupture, and breakage of “permanent” filler structure. The latter appears to be most important at high strain rates, low temperatures, and with highly reticulated “structure” blacks.
Application of Ultrafast Papanicolaou Stain to Body Fluid Cytology

OBJECTIVE To investigate the applicability of the Ultrafast Papanicolaou stain to the cytology of fluids and to compare it with other methods. STUDY DESIGN Over a 30-month period, 528 unfixed fluids (462 serous effusions, 48 pelvic washings, 16 cyst fluids and 2 bile duct drain fluids) were mixed thoroughly and centrifuged. Two Swedish-style air-dried smears were made and stained with Diff-Quik (Mercedes Medical, Inc., Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A.) and Ultrafast Papanicolaou stain (Richard Allan Scientific, Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.A.), and the remaining sediment was fixed in CytoRich Red (TriPath Imaging, Inc., Burlington, North Carolina, U.S.A.), centrifuged onto a 17.5-mm circle with a Hettich cytocentrifuge and stained by the Papanicolaou method. RESULTS For the 115 malignant fluids, Ultrafast Papanicolaou stain was the preferred method in the 94 non-hematopoietic malignant fluids, Diff-Quik was the preferred method in the 9 hematopoietic malignancies, and CytoRich Red was the preferred preparation in 8 bloody effusions containing rare cancer cells and 4 malignant pelvic washings. The diagnostic turnaround time of smears stained by Ultrafast Papanicolaou stain was < 15 minutes, fast enough for intraoperative consultations. CONCLUSION It seems that Ultrafast Papanicolaou stain improves the resolution of cytoplasmic and nuclear details of nonhematopoietic cells in body fluids. However, to detect cancer in all types of fluids, Diff-Quik and CytoRich preparations are also required. We now examine three slides per fluid sample, one slide by each of the three techniques.
Tailoring the actuation of ionic polymer–metal composites

Ionic polymer–metal composites (IPMCs) are biomimetic actuators and sensors. A typical IPMC consists of a thin perfluorinated ionomer membrane, with noble metal electrodes plated on both faces, and neutralized with the necessary amount of cations. A cantilevered strip of IPMC responds to an electric stimulus by generating large bending motions and, conversely, produces an electric potential upon sudden bending deformations. IPMCs have been considered for potential applications in artificial muscles, robotic systems, and biomedical devices. By examining the underpinning mechanisms responsible for the actuation and the factors that affect IPMC’s performance, novel methods to tailor its electro-mechanical response to obtain optimized actuation activities are developed and presented in this paper. By introducing various monovalent or multivalent single cations and cation combinations, diverse actuation behaviors can be obtained and optimal actuation activities can be identified. The experimental measurements show good agreement with the results obtained using the nano-scaled, physics-based model that was introduced by the first author to predict the actuation of IPMCs qualitatively and quantitatively. The bending motion of IPMCs can also be tailored by modifying the time variation of the applied direct or alternating current. We have discovered that the Nafion-based IPMC’s initial motion towards the anode can be controlled and ultimately eliminated by applying a linearly increasing electric potential at a suitable rate. For Flemion-based IPMCs, the tip displacement towards the anode is always linearly related to the cation charge accumulation at the cathode. These results have significant bearing on verifying various IPMC actuation models.