Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of Charge Carrier Dynamics of P3HT:PCBM Blend for Active Material Solar Cell Using Muon Spin Relaxation

Poly (3-hexylthiohene) (P3HT) has attracted much attention due to their chemical and thermal stability as well as their potential to be used as an active material in solar cells. Recently, bulk-heterojunction BHJ solar cell has been intensively developed due to its potential for high power conversion efficiency and low cost solar cells. Many studies have been done to understand the effect of PCBM to the morphology of the P3HT:PCBM blend and to performance of its solar cells. However, the clearly explanation about the effect of PCBM to the charge carrier dynamics in P3HT is not well understood yet. We have studied charge carrier dynamics in active material of solar cell P3HT:PCBM along and perpendicular to the chain by means of longitudinal field (LF) muon-spin-relaxation (μSR) method to elucidate the intra and inter-chain charge carrier in polymer hybrid P3HT:PCBM. We found the charge carrier transport changes from intra-chain to inter-chain diffusion. One dimensional intra-chain diffusion is observed in the samples at low temperatures below 10K, while three dimensional inter-chain is observed at high temperatures above 15K. This temperature is lower than that of P3HT only.
New Insights into Somatic Embryogenesis: LEAFY COTYLEDON1, BABY BOOM1 and WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX4 Are Epigenetically Regulated in Coffea canephora

Plant cells have the capacity to generate a new plant without egg fertilization by a process known as somatic embryogenesis (SE), in which differentiated somatic cells can form somatic embryos able to generate a functional plant. Although there have been advances in understanding the genetic basis of SE, the epigenetic mechanism that regulates this process is still unknown. Here, we show that the embryogenic development of Coffea canephora proceeds through a crosstalk between DNA methylation and histone modifications during the earliest embryogenic stages of SE. We found that low levels of DNA methylation, histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) and H3K27me3 change according to embryo development. Moreover, the expression of LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1) and BABY BOOM1 (BBM1) are only observed after SE induction, whereas WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX4 (WOX4) decreases its expression during embryo maturation. Using a pharmacological approach, it was found that 5-Azacytidine strongly inhibits the embryogenic response by decreasing both DNA methylation and gene expression of LEC1 and BBM1. Therefore, in order to know whether these genes were epigenetically regulated, we used Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. It was found that WOX4 is regulated by the repressive mark H3K9me2, while LEC1 and BBM1 are epigenetically regulated by H3K27me3. We conclude that epigenetic regulation plays an important role during somatic embryogenic development, and a molecular mechanism for SE is proposed.
An optimization approach to learning falling rule lists

A falling rule list is a probabilistic decision list for binary classification, consisting of a series of if-then rules with antecedents in the if clauses and probabilities of the desired outcome ("1") in the then clauses. Just as in a regular decision list, the order of rules in a falling rule list is important -- each example is classified by the first rule whose antecedent it satisfies. Unlike a regular decision list, a falling rule list requires the probabilities of the desired outcome ("1") to be monotonically decreasing down the list. We propose an optimization approach to learning falling rule lists and "softly" falling rule lists, along with Monte-Carlo search algorithms that use bounds on the optimal solution to prune the search space.
The effects of breath alcohol concentration on postural control

ABSTRACT Background: Two of the 3 standardized field sobriety tests that U.S. law enforcement uses at roadside checks have a postural equilibrium component to them. Those tests have been validated to detect impairment caused by blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of 0.08 g/dL or above. Many medical and traffic safety associations support a lower limit, and one state, Utah, has passed a law to lower the limit to 0.05 g/dL. Many studies have examined the effects of alcohol on postural control (of which postural equilibrium is a component), with a consensus emerging that impairment is usually found at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL. Most of these studies, however, had a relatively small number of subjects, usually between 10 and 30. The current study collected data from a much larger sample. Objective: The objective of this study was to provide additional evidence that posture control is negatively affected at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL or breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of 0.06 g/210 L. Method: This was a between-subjects study, with BrAC group as the independent variable (5 levels: 0.00, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10 g/210 L); 4 measures of postural control as the dependent variables; and age, height, and weight as the covariates. Posture control was measured with a force-sensing platform connected to a computer. The feet's center of pressure (CoP) on the platform was recorded and the corresponding movement of the body in the anterior–posterior and lateral planes was derived. Participants (N = 96) were randomly assigned to one of the BrAC groups. Positive BrAC groups were compared to the zero BrAC group. Data were examined with hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Adjusted for age, height, and weight, the main effect of lateral CoP with eyes open was not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant main effect of alcohol on anterior–posterior CoP excursion with eyes open and with eyes closed and lateral CoP excursion with eyes closed. For all 3 of those variables, only BrACs of 0.08 and 0.10 g/210 L produced differences against zero BrAC. Although the main effect of alcohol on Lateral CoP Excursion with eyes open was not statistically significant, the contrasts between 0 and 0.08 and 0 and 0.10 g/210L BrAC were in the hypothesized direction. Conclusion: The current study did not directly address the issue of whether the sobriety tests are sensitive to BrACs of 0.05 g/210 L or above; rather, it provides additional evidence that postural control, one of the components of those tests, is relatively unaffected by BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L. Additional research is needed on the diagnostic characteristics of the sobriety tests at BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L.
A novel mechanism of tandem activation of ryanodine receptors by cytosolic and SR luminal Ca2+ during excitation–contraction coupling in atrial myocytes

In atrial myocytes excitation–contraction coupling is strikingly different from ventricle because atrial myocytes lack a transverse tubule membrane system: Ca2+ release starts in the cell periphery and propagates towards the cell centre by Ca2+‐induced Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ store. The cytosolic Ca2+ sensitivity of the ryanodine receptor (RyRs) Ca2+ release channel is low and it is unclear how Ca2+ release can be activated in the interior of atrial cells. Simultaneous confocal imaging of cytosolic and intra‐SR calcium revealed a transient elevation of store Ca2+ that we termed ‘Ca2+ sensitization signal’. We propose a novel paradigm of atrial ECC that is based on tandem activation of the RyRs by cytosolic and luminal Ca2+ through a ‘fire–diffuse–uptake–fire’ (or FDUF) mechanism: Ca2+ uptake by SR Ca2+ pumps at the propagation front elevates Ca2+ inside the SR locally, leading to luminal RyR sensitization and lowering of the cytosolic Ca2+ activation threshold.
High-Frequency Irreversible Electroporation: Safety and Efficacy of Next-Generation Irreversible Electroporation Adjacent to Critical Hepatic Structures

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a nonthermal ablation modality employed to induce in situ tissue-cell death. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of a novel high-frequency IRE (H-FIRE) system to perform hepatic ablations across, or adjacent to, critical vascular and biliary structures. Using ultrasound guidance H-FIRE electrodes were placed across, or adjacent to, portal pedicels, hepatic veins, or the gall bladder in a porcine model. H-FIRE pulses were delivered (2250 V, 2-5-2 pulse configuration) in the absence of cardiac synchronization or intraoperative paralytics. Six hours after H-FIRE the liver was resected and analyzed. Nine ablations were performed in 3 separate experimental groups (major vessels straddled by electrodes, electrodes placed adjacent to major vessels, electrodes placed adjacent to gall bladder). Average ablation time was 290 ± 63 seconds. No electrocardiogram abnormalities or changes in vital signs were observed during H-FIRE. At necropsy, no vascular damage, coagulated-thermally desiccated blood vessels, or perforated biliary structures were noted. Histologically, H-FIRE demonstrated effective tissue ablation and uniform induction of apoptotic cell death in the parenchyma independent of vascular or biliary structure location. Detailed microscopic analysis revealed minor endothelial damage within areas subjected to H-FIRE, particularly in regions proximal to electrode insertion. These data indicate H-FIRE is a novel means to perform rapid, reproducible IRE in liver tissue while preserving gross vascular/biliary architecture. These characteristics raise the potential for long-term survival studies to test the viability of this technology toward clinical use to target tumors not amenable to thermal ablation or resection.
The 12 Item Social and Economic Conservatism Scale (SECS)

Recent years have seen a surge in psychological research on the relationship between political ideology (particularly conservatism) and cognition, affect, behaviour, and even biology. Despite this flurry of investigation, however, there is as yet no accepted, validated, and widely used multi-item scale of conservatism that is concise, that is modern in its conceptualisation, and that includes both social and economic conservatism subscales. In this paper the 12-Item Social and Economic Conservatism Scale (SECS) is proposed and validated to help fill this gap. The SECS is suggested to be an important and useful tool for researchers working in political psychology.
Inflammatory bowel disease in children 5 years of age and younger

OBJECTIVES:Clinicians are becoming increasingly aware that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can affect all age groups, although it has not been well described in infants and young children. Our aim was to evaluate early onset IBD in patients 5 yr of age and younger.METHODS:Medical records of patients diagnosed with early onset IBD at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia between 1977 and 2000 were reviewed. Patients were divided into three categories: those with Crohn's disease (CD), those with ulcerative colitis (UC), and those with indeterminant colitis (IC). RESULTS:A total of 82 patients fulfilled the criteria. In 12 patients (15%), the IBD diagnosis was changed during the course of illness. At the end of the follow-up period, linear growth failure was present in 10 of 35 (29%) children with CD, one of 30 (3%) with UC, and three of 17 (18%) with IC. Failure to thrive was a frequent presenting symptom in children with CD (44%) and IC (39%), whereas in all four patients with UC and failure to thrive the diagnosis was subsequently changed to CD or IC. A high proportion of patients with CD had large bowel (89%), and perianal (34%) disease. None of the tested patients were positive for anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody (ASCA), and 10 tested positive for perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (three of five patients with CD, five of seven with UC, and two of three with IC). CONCLUSIONS:Failure to thrive, at the time of presentation, is indicative of a final diagnosis of CD or IC, not UC. Linear growth failure is a common finding in patients with early onset CD. A high proportion of patients with CD have failure to thrive, colonic, and perianal disease. The IBD serology panel is of limited clinical relevance in providing definitive diagnostic information in this pediatric population.
XML document-grammar comparison: related problems and applications

XML document comparison is becoming an ever more popular research issue due to the increasingly abundant use of XML. Likewise, a growing interest fosters the development of XML grammar matching and comparison, due to the proliferation of heterogeneous XML data sources, particularly on the Web. Nonetheless, the process of comparing XML documents with XML grammars, i.e., XML document and grammar similarity evaluation, has not yet received the attention it deserves. In this paper, we provide an overview on existing research related to XML document/grammar comparison, presenting the background and discussing the various techniques related to the problem. We also discuss some prominent application domains, ranging over document classification and clustering, document transformation, grammar evolution, selective dissemination of XML information, XML querying, as well as alert filtering in intrusion detection systems and Web Services matching and communications.
Aetiology of recurrent miscarriage and the role of adjuvant treatment in its management: a retrospective cohort review

Abstract We conducted a retrospective review into the role of commonly prescribed conventional adjuvant treatments in improving live birth rates after recurrent miscarriage (RM). Data from 301 couples attending the RM clinic in two Tertiary teaching hospitals were analysed with their live birth rate following a further pregnancy and a prevalence of conditions investigated in RM being the main outcomes measured. We found that 26% of women had explained RM and 74% had unexplained RM. Adjuvant versus conservative management did not improve the live birth rates in those with unexplained RM (68.4% vs. 76.6%, respectively; p = .28). The prevalence of anti-phospholipid syndrome, inherited thrombophilia, thyroid disease, parental karyotype abnormalities and structural uterine abnormalities were 7.4%, 4.5%, 6.6%, 2.9% and 6.6%, respectively. In conclusion, empirical adjuvant treatment for the management of women with unexplained RM does not appear to offer any benefit as they have a good prognosis with early pregnancy support alone. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Does the adjuvant treatment in the management of unexplained recurrent miscarriage (RM) improve successful pregnancy outcomes? High-quality data regarding the management and outcomes of RM is very limited, with many clinicians prescribing adjuvant treatments for unexplained RM with very little good quality evidence of their benefit or risk. What do the results of this study add? We carried out a retrospective cohort study of all patients attending a recurrent miscarriage clinic over a two-year period at specialist clinics in two tertiary referral centres to evaluate the prevalence of associated diseases, the treatments given and the outcomes in subsequent pregnancies. This study will help clinicians counsel their patients about management options in RM and help them reassure their patients that the prognosis with conservative management alone is good. This will help to avoid any unnecessary use of adjuvant treatment and its associated risks and cost. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study demonstrates that adjuvant treatments in unexplained RM have no significant benefit on future live birth rates. Despite this finding, high quality, prospective, randomised controlled trials looking at both adverse outcomes and benefits of adjuvant treatment in RM are needed.
An Adaptive Peer Selection Scheme with Dynamic Network Condition Awareness

Locality-based peer selection paradigms have been proposed recently based on cooperation between peer-to-peer (P2P) service providers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and end users in order to achieve efficient resource utilization by P2P traffic. Based on this cooperation between different stakeholders, we introduce a more advanced paradigm with adaptive peer selection that takes into account traffic dynamics in the operational network. Specifically, peers associated with low path utilization as measured by the ISP are selected in order to reduce the probability of network congestion. This approach not only improves real-time P2P service assurance but also optimizes the overall use of network resources. Our simulations based on the GEANT network topology and real traffic traces show that the proposed adaptive peer selection scheme achieves significant improvement in utilizing bandwidth resources as compared to static locality-based approaches.
Internet of Things: Existing protocols and technological challenges in security

Internet of Things (IoT) is the future reflection of internet based smart objects which are interconnected to each other and capable of pre processing raw data and taking decisions on their own. Surge in the research and application of IoT based objects has triggered the development of new IoT specific protocols and at the same time it has created various security challenges. The colossal size of the IoT network and resource constraint nature of IoT nodes has made the design and implementation of security policies for IoT network a cumbersome task as compared to the traditional networking. This paper presents an effort to describe the IoT protocol stack and some of the most commonly used protocols and comparison of it from security aspect. Also the paper attempts to present various challenges related to security from aspect of protocols, network and device.
Low Cross-Sex Genetic Correlation in Carotenoid-Based Plumage Traits in the Blue Tit Nestlings (Cyanistes caeruleus)

In some bird species, both adult and juvenile individuals are often brightly coloured. It has been commonly assumed that identical plumage colouration present in both sexes results from strong intersexual genetic correlations in colour-related traits. Here, we aimed at testing this hypothesis in juvenile individuals and looked at genetic parameters describing carotenoid-based colouration of blue tit nestlings in a wild population. To separate genetic and environmental sources of phenotypic variation we performed a cross-fostering experiment. Our analyses confirmed the existence of sexual dichromatism in blue tit nestlings and revealed a significant, although low, genetic component of carotenoid-based colouration. However, genetic effects are expressed differently across sexes as indicated by low cross-sex genetic correlations (rmf). Thus our results do not support the prediction of generally high rmf and suggest that intersexual constraints on the evolution of colouration traits may be weaker than expected. We hypothesise that observed patterns of genetic correlations result from sex-specific selective pressures acting on nestling plumage colouration.
Near‐Infrared Plasmonic 2D Semimetals for Applications in Communication and Biology

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has many applications which require meeting specific wavelength windows. The most prominent examples are photothermal therapy in biology, matched to the biological window (650–1350 nm), and communication relying on photodetection in optoelectronics, matched to the communication window (1260–1675 nm). However, for the classic noble metals (Au, Ag), tuning LSPRs from visible region to these two windows is still a demanding task due to their intrinsic limitations on charge density and dielectric function. Here, the discovery of near‐infrared biological and communication window‐matched plasmonic properties of semimetal TiS2 nanosheets (NSs) is reported for the first time. Developed synthesis procedures allow fine‐tuning width and thickness of single‐crystal TiS2 NSs. During characterization a new and intensive absorption peak in the 1000–1400 nm range is observed from both TiS2 NS colloid solutions and films. This peak is attributed to LSPR due to its dependence on particle shape and on the refractive index of solvents. The superiority of such LSPRs is demonstrated in both, biological and optical applications: excitation at 808 and 980 nm generates a ≈50 °C photothermal temperature rise, while excitation at 1310 nm results in two‐times enhanced photocurrents of PbS photodetectors compared to untreated devices.
Cardiac macrophages promote diastolic dysfunction

Macrophages populate the healthy myocardium and, depending on their phenotype, may contribute to tissue homeostasis or disease. Their origin and role in diastolic dysfunction, a hallmark of cardiac aging and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, remain unclear. Here we show that cardiac macrophages expand in humans and mice with diastolic dysfunction, which in mice was induced by either hypertension or advanced age. A higher murine myocardial macrophage density results from monocyte recruitment and increased hematopoiesis in bone marrow and spleen. In humans, we observed a parallel constellation of hematopoietic activation: circulating myeloid cells are more frequent, and splenic 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging signal correlates with echocardiographic indices of diastolic dysfunction. While diastolic dysfunction develops, cardiac macrophages produce IL-10, activate fibroblasts, and stimulate collagen deposition, leading to impaired myocardial relaxation and increased myocardial stiffness. Deletion of IL-10 in macrophages improves diastolic function. These data imply expansion and phenotypic changes of cardiac macrophages as therapeutic targets for cardiac fibrosis leading to diastolic dysfunction.
Silver nanoparticles Clinacanthus Nutans leaves extract induced apoptosis towards oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate apoptotic activity of silver nanoparticle Clinacanthus nutans (AgNps-CN) towards HSC-4 cell lines (oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines). Methods: Methods involved were MTT assay (cytotoxic activity), morphological cells analysis, flow cytometry and cell cycle analysis and western blot. Results: MTT assay revealed IC50 concentration was 1.61 µg/mL, 3T3-L1 cell lines were used to determine whether AgNps-CN is cytotoxic to normal cells. At the highest concentration (3 µg/mL), no cytotoxic activity has been observed. Flow cytometry assay revealed AgNps-CN caused apoptosis effects towards HSC-4 cell lines with significant changes were observed at G1 phase when compared with untreated cells. Morphological cells analysis revealed that most of the cells exhibit apoptosis characteristics rather than necrosis. Protein study revealed that ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 increased mainly due to down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression. Conclusion: AgNps-CN have shown potential in inhibiting HSC-4 cell lines. IC50 was low compared to few studies involving biosynthesized of silver nanoparticles. Apoptosis effects were shown towards HSC-4 cell lines by the increased in Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio. Further study such as PCR or in vivo studies are required.