Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SEMICONDUCTOR NANOWIRES AND NANOTUBES

▪ Abstract Semiconductor nanowires and nanotubes exhibit novel electronic and optical properties owing to their unique structural one-dimensionality and possible quantum confinement effects in two dimensions. With a broad selection of compositions and band structures, these one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures are considered to be the critical components in a wide range of potential nanoscale device applications. To fully exploit these one-dimensional nanostructures, current research has focused on rational synthetic control of one-dimensional nanoscale building blocks, novel properties characterization and device fabrication based on nanowire building blocks, and integration of nanowire elements into complex functional architectures. Significant progress has been made in a few short years. This review highlights the recent advances in the field, using work from this laboratory for illustration. The understanding of general nanocrystal growth mechanisms serves as the foundation for the rational sy.
Cold-Start Reinforcement Learning with Softmax Policy Gradient

Policy-gradient approaches to reinforcement learning have two common and undesirable overhead procedures, namely warm-start training and sample variance reduction. In this paper, we describe a reinforcement learning method based on a softmax value function that requires neither of these procedures. Our method combines the advantages of policy-gradient methods with the efficiency and simplicity of maximum-likelihood approaches. We apply this new cold-start reinforcement learning method in training sequence generation models for structured output prediction problems. Empirical evidence validates this method on automatic summarization and image captioning tasks.
Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Loquat leaf extract and its antibacterial activity

This paper reports a rapid and eco-friendly green method for synthesis of silver nanoparticles from silver nitrate solution using loquat leaf extract. Effect the amount of leaf extract, reaction time, silver nitrate concentration and temperature were investigated. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). UV-vis spectroscopy showed that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at 425 nm. The structural peaks in XRD pattern and average crystalline size around 18 nm clearly illustrates that AgNPs synthesized by our green method were nanocrystalline in nature with face centered cubic geometry. The antibacterial activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles showed effective inhibitory activity against water borne pathogens, Shegella and Listeria bacteria. Copyright © 2013 VBRI press.
Allergens with Protease Activity from House Dust Mites

Globally, house dust mites (HDM) are one of the main sources of allergens causing Type I allergy, which has a high risk of progressing into a severe disabling disease manifestation such as allergic asthma. The strong protease activities of a number of these allergens are thought to be involved in several steps of the pathophysiology of this allergic disease. It has been a common notion that protease activity may be one of the properties that confers allergenicity to proteins. In this review we summarize and discuss the roles of the different HDM proteases in the development of Type I allergy.
Distribution and diet of four species of carcharhinid shark in the Hawaiian Islands: evidence for resource partitioning and competitive exclusion

Competition and predation are both important in structuring the distribution of marine organisms; however, little is known about how competition and predation influence the distribution of elasmobranch fishes. We used data collected from shark control programs conducted between 1967 and 1980, throughout the Hawaiian island chain, to examine the distribution and dietary over- lap of the 4 most abundant carcharhinid sharks. Tiger sharks Galeorcerdo cuvier and Galapagos sharks Carcharhinus galapagensis were caught at all islands, but were more abundant in the north- western Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) than in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Gray reef sharks Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos and sandbar sharks Carcharhinus plumbeus showed an inverse rela- tionship in distribution, with sandbar sharks abundant in the MHI, but virtually absent throughout the NWHI, and gray reef sharks only sporadically found throughout the MHI, but abundant in the NWHI. Dietary overlap was high between gray reef and sandbar sharks, and between sandbar and Galapagos sharks. Tiger sharks had low dietary overlap with all other species, except for large Gala- pagos sharks. The data analyzed in our study support the hypothesis that interspecific competition influences the distribution of carcharhinid sharks throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago.
Rehabilitation of Scapular Muscle Balance

Background Strengthening exercises for the scapular muscles are used in the treatment of scapulothoracic dysfunction related to shoulder injury. In view of the intermuscular and intramuscular imbalances often established in these patients, exercises promoting lower trapezius (LT), middle trapezius (MT), and serratus anterior (SA) activation with minimal activity in the upper trapezius (UT) are recommended. Hypothesis Of 12 commonly used trapezius strengthening exercises, a selection can be performed for muscle balance rehabilitation, based on a low UT/LT, UT/MT, or UT/SA muscle ratio. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Electromyographic activity of the 3 trapezius parts and the SA was measured in 45 healthy subjects performing 12 commonly described scapular exercises, using surface electromyography. Results For each intramuscular trapezius ratio (UT/LT, UT/MT), 3 exercises were selected for restoration of muscle balance. The exercises side-lying external rotation, side-lying forward flexion, prone horizontal abduction with external rotation, and prone extension were found to be the most appropriate for intramuscular trapezius muscle balance rehabilitation. For the UT/SA ratio, none of the exercises met the criteria for optimal intermuscular balance restoration. Conclusion In cases of trapezius muscle imbalance, some exercises are preferable over others because of their low UT/LT and UT/MT ratios. Clinical Relevance In the selection of rehabilitation exercises, the clinician should have a preference for exercises with high activation of the LT and MT and low activity of the UT.
A Robust Image Steganography in

Steganography is the art and science information in an appropriate cover carrier like image, text, audio and video media. In this work the authors propose a new image based steganographic method for hiding information within the complex bit planes of the image. After slicing into bit planes the cover image is analyzed to extract the most complex planes in decreasing order based on their bit plane complexity. The complexity function next determines the complex noisy blocks of the chosen bit plane and finally pixel mapping method (PMM) has been used to embed secret bits into those regions of the bit plane. The novel approach of using pixel mapping method (PMM) in bit plane domain adaptively embeds data on most complex regions of image, provides high embedding capacity, better imperceptibility and resistance to steganalysis attack. Keywords—PMM (Pixel Mapping Method), Steganography, SSIM, KL-Divergence.
STUDY OF VARIATION OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CRUDE AND REFINED VEGETABLE OILS

The refining of vegetable oils for reduce the composition of oil is a complex procedure of multi-stages. With the grow-up of economy of refinery, it is very important the application of new technologies as the membrane process to improve of refining of vegetable oils. There are many advantages of membrane technology when compared with conventional process: low temperatures, minor waste energy and non-degradation of nutritional composites of oil. For the use of process with a good performance, the know of value and measurement of physical properties have fundamental importance. This work investigated the rheological behavior and the surface tension of the crude and refined oils of: canola, soybean and corn in the temperature range of 27oC to 40oC and palm oil in the temperature range of 40oC to 60oC, that is typical in membrane processing. The rheological measurements were obtained from the use of rheometers rotational with geometry of concentric cylinders and cone-plate by Brookfield (Rheometer DVIII +). Measurements of surface tension were carried out using a SensaDyne Tensiometer (Model QC6000). Rheograms were fitted according to the Ostwald-de-Waelle model or Power Law. It was found that the oils of canola, soybean and corn have Newtonian behavior for all temperatures studied and that its viscosity decreases with increasing temperature. The surface tension showed a decrease as a function of temperature in which the crude oils had a small deviation from this behavior.
Preliminary Investigation into a Potential Role for Myostatin and Its Receptor (ActRIIB) in Lean and Obese Horses and Ponies

Obesity is a widespread problem across the leisure population of horses and ponies in industrialised nations. Skeletal muscle is a major contributor to whole body resting energy requirements and communicates with other tissues through the secretion of myokines into the circulation. Myostatin, a myokine and negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass, has been implicated in obesity development in other species. This study evaluated gene and protein expression of myostatin and its receptor, ActRIIB in adipose tissues and skeletal muscles and serum myostatin concentrations in six lean and six obese animals to explore putative associations between these factors and obesity in horses and ponies. Myostatin mRNA expression was increased while ActRIIB mRNA was decreased in skeletal muscles of obese animals but these differences were absent at the protein level. Myostatin mRNA was increased in crest fat of obese animals but neither myostatin nor ActRIIB proteins were detected in this tissue. Mean circulating myostatin concentrations were significantly higher in obese than in lean groups; 4.98 ng/ml (±2.71) and 9.00 ng/ml (±2.04) for the lean and obese groups, respectively. In addition, there was a significant positive association between these levels and myostatin gene expression in skeletal muscles (average R2 = 0.58; p<0.05). Together, these results provide further basis for the speculation that myostatin and its receptor may play a role in obesity in horses and ponies.
Formulation and Evaluation of Modified release Bilayer Tablet of Paracetamol and Diclofenac sodium

The main objective of this research work is to develop a stable formulation of a NASAID drugs an immediate release layer of Paracetamol and sustain release layer of Diclofenac sodium are combine to the bilayer and evaluate their pre-compression and post-compression parameters A bilayer tablet comprises first layer formulated for instant release of the paracetamol from a dissolving tablet and a second layer formulated for sustain release Diclofenac sodium from a bilayer tablet The formulation was initiated with preparing granules of both the drug individually by wet granulation method and then then they were compressed to prepare bilayer tablet. The compressed bilayer tablets were evaluated for weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, in-vitro drug release using USP dissolution apparatus and interaction study by DSC. The optimized Formulation table of formulations F5 formulation was found to be acceptable because it release drug up to 82.11 % of drug release for bilayer Tablet and this batch passed all the evaluation parameters.
BDNF Binds Its Pro-Peptide with High Affinity and the Common Val66Met Polymorphism Attenuates the Interaction

Most growth factors are initially synthesized as precursors then cleaved into bioactive mature domains and pro-domains, but the biological roles of pro-domains are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the pro-domain (or pro-peptide) of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes neuronal survival, differentiation and synaptic plasticity. The BDNF pro-peptide is a post-processing product of the precursor BDNF. Using surface plasmon resonance and biochemical experiments, we first demonstrated that the BDNF pro-peptide binds to mature BDNF with high affinity, but not other neurotrophins. This interaction was more enhanced at acidic pH than at neutral pH, suggesting that the binding is significant in intracellular compartments such as trafficking vesicles rather than the extracellular space. The common Val66Met BDNF polymorphism results in a valine instead of a methionine in the pro-domain, which affects human brain functions and the activity-dependent secretion of BDNF. We investigated the influence of this variation on the interaction between BDNF and the pro-peptide. Interestingly, the Val66Met polymorphism stabilized the heterodimeric complex of BDNF and its pro-peptide. Furthermore, compared with the Val-containing pro-peptide, the complex with the Met-type pro-peptide was more stable at both acidic and neutral pH, suggesting that the Val66Met BDNF polymorphism forms a more stable complex. A computational modeling provided an interpretation to the role of the Val66Met mutation in the interaction of BDNF and its pro-peptide. Lastly, we performed electrophysiological experiments, which indicated that the BDNF pro-peptide, when pre-incubated with BDNF, attenuated the ability of BDNF to inhibit hippocampal long-term depression (LTD), suggesting a possibility that the BDNF pro-peptide may interact directly with BDNF and thereby inhibit its availability. It was previously reported that the BDNF pro-domain exerts a chaperone-like function and assists the folding of the BDNF protein. However, our results suggest a new role for the BDNF pro-domain (or pro-peptide) following proteolytic cleave of precursor BDNF, and provide insight into the Val66Met polymorphism.
Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits platelet signalling pathways triggered by both proteolytic and non-proteolytic agonists

Summary Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a component of green tea, inhibits human platelet aggregation and cytosolic [Ca2+]cincreases more strongly when these processes are induced by thrombin than by the non-proteolytic thrombin receptor activating peptide (TRAP), thromboxane mimetic U46619, or fluoroaluminate. In line with the previously demonstrated EGCG anti-proteolytic activity, a marked inhibition on aggregation is obtained by pre-incubation of thrombin with EGCG prior to addition to cellular suspension. The catechin also reduces cellular Ca2+ influx following thapsigargin-induced calcium emptying of endoplasmic reticulum, and the agonist-promoted cellular protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Both tyrosine kinases Syk and Lyn, immuno-precipitated from stimulated platelets, are greatly inhibited upon cellular pre-incubation with EGCG, which also inhibits the in vitro auto-phosphorylation and exogenous activity of these two enzymes purified from rat spleen. Both thrombin-induced aggregation and [Ca2+]c increase are reduced in platelets from rats that drank green tea solutions. It is concluded that EGCG inhibits platelet activation, by hindering the thrombin proteolytic activity, and by reducing the agonist-induced [Ca2+]cincrease through inhibition of Syk and Lyn activities.
Assessing levels of knowledge on the principles of pain management during post-graduate education of physicians in Poland.

UNLABELLED Treating chronic pain forms an integral part of patient care where a doctor's level of expertise is important for ensuring an adequately pain-free life. The aim of the study, therefore, was to assess the level of knowledge in pain management among doctors during their post-graduate education; some of whom were already qualified in various branches of medical specialisation. MATERIALS AND METHODS A survey was performed on doctors undergoing post-graduate training unrelated to the treatment of pain at the Post-Graduate Education Centre at the Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, Poland. The questionnaire comprised of demographic and factual sections, the latter consisting of nine multiple choice questions on symptomatology and pharmacology of pain, including opioid treatment and neuropathic pain. RESULTS From the 271 respondents, 203 (74.9%) filled in the questionnaire properly, of whom 131 (64.5%) were female. The mean age was 35.5 years (SD=6.3). The average number of correct replies received were 5.75 or 63.9%, (SD=0.51); of the total of 9 questions set, correct answers were seen most frequently for questions No. 2 and question No. 4 (83.7 and 78.3%, respectively). Only 7 fully correct sets of answers were recorded. CONCLUSIONS Significant shortcomings in knowledge about pain management were therefore observed from the sample of doctors' taken in the presented study. It is suggested that alternative/modified methods of education are required to address this issue, especially for doctors who do not have to deal with pain on a daily basis.
Excessive anterior cervical muscle tone affects hyoid bone kinetics during swallowing in healthy individuals

Purpose This study aimed to determine whether excessive neck muscle tone affects hyoid bone kinetics during swallowing using videofluorography (VF) in an unnatural posture in healthy individuals. Subjects and methods Subjects were 28 healthy adults (12 men, 16 women; mean age, 39.75±9.50 years) without any history or present complaints of swallowing disorders. We first established the participant’s posture a reclining wheelchair that was adjusted to a 30-degree angle with the headrest (without excessive neck muscle tone) or without headrest (with excessive neck muscle tone), used an electromyogram above the mylohyoid muscle to represent the suprahyoid muscles and above the sternohyoid muscle to represent the infrahyoid muscles to confirm neck muscle tone, and then conducted VF of swallowing measurements. Videofluorographic images were obtained when 5 mL of 50% (w/v) barium sulfate was being swallowed, and hyoid bone coordinate (the resting position and the elevated position), extent of horizontal and vertical hyoid bone elevation, as well as duration and velocity of hyoid bone elevation were evaluated (x-axis and y-axis coordinates for the resting position of hyoid bone are referred to as Xr and Yr, respectively; those for the elevated hyoid bone position induced during swallowing are referred to as Xs and Ys, respectively). Results In the resting position of the hyoid bone, the Yr coordinates in those with excessive neck muscle tone were significantly lower than in those without excessive neck muscle tone. Vertical hyoid bone elevation and hyoid bone elevation velocity were significantly higher with excessive neck muscle tone than without excessive neck muscle tone, whereas horizontal elevation showed no significant differences. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the generation of neck muscle tone due to inappropriate posture may encourage hyoid depression and increase the extent of hyoid bone elevation, thereby increasing the risk of aspiration.
Deterministic vs Probabilistic Burst Predictionof Wound Composite Pressure Vessel

This paper shows the analysis of a wound composite pressure vessel submitted to high pressure hydrogen. A CDM model has been developed which describes phenomena such as different types of damage, residual strains and viscosity. Two different versions of this model have been tested, a deterministic one and a probabilistic one where fiber ruptures are modeled following a stochastic rupture law
Double-blind study for evaluation of complete dentures made by two techniques with and without face-bow.

The aim of this article was to compare complete dentures made by two techniques: with and without face-bow. Five edentulous subjects were selected and each one received two pairs of complete dentures. Dentures were made from duplicated casts and each one followed different techniques. One technique used face-bow and artificial teeth. Teeth were set using individualized wax ridges as guides. The other technique used an articulator, which avoids face-bow and teeth were set by the cast-analysis method. The number of occlusal contacts in centric relation and excursive movements were registered, as well as the opinion of patients regarding denture bearing during oral functions. Both groups presented balanced dentures, but the technique that avoids face-bow presented better results regarding to esthetics, comfort and stability. Balanced occlusion was provided even without face-bow and could be an alternative to obtain adequate complete dentures.
A kinetic model for Ca treatment of Al-killed steels using FactSage macro processing

A kinetic model was developed to investigate the evolution of inclusions during the Ca treatment of Al-killed steels. Evolutions of steel chemistry and inclusion composition in Al-killed Ca-treated steels from previous experimental works were accurately predicted using the current kinetic model. The model was widely used to predict the evolution of inclusions during the Ca treatment of Al-killed steels with varying concentrations of Al, S, O and Ca. During the Ca injection of Al-killed steels, a large number of CaS and CaO inclusions are transiently generated in the Ca-rich zone due to the excessive Ca. Al2O3 inclusions are gradually modified to calcium aluminates in the bulk steel with the addition of Ca. The superfluous Ca or S may lead to the formation of solid CaS in the liquid steel.
Association of circulating high-sensitivity C-reactive protein with late recurrence after ischemic stroke

We investigated the association between serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and stroke recurrence events in a cohort of patients with acute ischemic stroke (IS). We prospectively studied 286 patients with acute IS who were admitted within 24 h after the onset of symptoms. Serum levels of hs-CRP, and National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) were measured at admission. The primary endpoint was stroke recurrence 1 year after stroke onset. We used logistic regression models to assess the relationship between hs-CRP levels and the risk of recurrent stroke. In multivariable models, hs-CRP levels were associated with an increased risk of an NIHSS greater than 6 [odds ratio=1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.05–1.48; P=0.021]. Among the participants, stroke recurrence was found in 48 (16.8%) cases. In multivariate analyses, the third and fourth quartiles of hs-CRP were significantly associated with stroke recurrence during the observation period compared with the first quartile group (P<0.01). In addition, the hs-CRP level in the highest quartile was associated with a higher risk of stroke recurrence (odds ratio=2.75; 95% CI=1.62–3.92; P=0.006). Hs-CRP (area under the curve=0.71; 95% CI=0.64–0.79) improved the ability of the NIHSS score to diagnose stroke recurrence (area under the curve of the combined model 0.78; 95% CI=0.73–0.84; P<0.01). Serum levels of hs-CRP at admission predicted the future stroke recurrence in patients with IS.
Recent advances in understanding how rod-like bacteria stably maintain their cell shapes

Cell shape and cell volume are important for many bacterial functions. In recent years, we have seen a range of experimental and theoretical work that led to a better understanding of the determinants of cell shape and size. The roles of different molecular machineries for cell-wall expansion have been detailed and partially redefined, mechanical forces have been shown to influence cell shape, and new connections between metabolism and cell shape have been proposed. Yet the fundamental determinants of the different cellular dimensions remain to be identified. Here, we highlight some of the recent developments and focus on the determinants of rod-like cell shape and size in the well-studied model organisms Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.