Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heteroaggregation of Silver Nanoparticles with Clay Minerals in Aqueous System

ii Dedication.iv Acknowledgements.v Vita.vii List of Tables.xii List of Figures.xiii Chapter 1: Introduction.1 1.1 Background of Nanoparticles.1 1.1.1 Applications of Nanoparticles in Environmental Researches.2 1.1.2 Facts about Silver Nanoparticles.4 1.1.3 Fate of Silver Nanoparticles in Aqueous System.6 1.1.4 DLVO and non-DLVO interactions.8 1.2 Background of Clay Minerals.10 1.3 Heteroaggregation.12 1.4 Research Objectives.15 1.5 Dissertation Overview.16 1.6 References.17 1.7 Tables and Figures.28 Chapter 2: Heteroaggregation of Bare Silver Nanoparticles with Clay Minerals in Aquatic ix Systems.36 2.
The gut microbiome of kittens is affected by dietary protein:carbohydrate ratio and associated with blood metabolite and hormone concentrations

High-protein, low-carbohydrate (HPLC) diets are common in cats, but their effect on the gut microbiome has been ignored. The present study was conducted to test the effects of dietary protein:carbohydrate ratio on the gut microbiota of growing kittens. Male domestic shorthair kittens were raised by mothers fed moderate-protein, moderate-carbohydrate (MPMC; n 7) or HPLC (n 7) diets, and then weaned at 8 weeks onto the same diet. Fresh faeces were collected at 8, 12 and 16 weeks; DNA was extracted, followed by amplification of the V4–V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 384 588 sequences (average of 9374 per sample) were generated. Dual hierarchical clustering indicated distinct clustering based on the protein:carbohydrate ratio regardless of age. The protein:carbohydrate ratio affected faecal bacteria. Faecal Actinobacteria were greater (P< 0·05) and Fusobacteria were lower (P< 0·05) in MPMC-fed kittens. Faecal Clostridium, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Blautia and Eubacterium were greater (P< 0·05) in HPLC-fed kittens, while Dialister, Acidaminococcus, Bifidobacterium, Megasphaera and Mitsuokella were greater (P< 0·05) in MPMC-fed kittens. Principal component analysis of faecal bacteria and blood metabolites and hormones resulted in distinct clusters. Of particular interest was the clustering of blood TAG with faecal Clostridiaceae, Eubacteriaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Fusobacteriaceae and Lachnospiraceae; blood ghrelin with faecal Coriobacteriaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae and Veillonellaceae; and blood glucose, cholesterol and leptin with faecal Lactobacillaceae. The present results demonstrate that the protein:carbohydrate ratio affects the faecal microbiome, and highlight the associations between faecal microbes and circulating hormones and metabolites that may be important in terms of satiety and host metabolism.
Methodological Framework for World Health Organization Estimates of the Global Burden of Foodborne Disease

Background The Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) was established in 2007 by the World Health Organization to estimate the global burden of foodborne diseases (FBDs). This paper describes the methodological framework developed by FERG's Computational Task Force to transform epidemiological information into FBD burden estimates. Methods and Findings The global and regional burden of 31 FBDs was quantified, along with limited estimates for 5 other FBDs, using Disability-Adjusted Life Years in a hazard- and incidence-based approach. To accomplish this task, the following workflow was defined: outline of disease models and collection of epidemiological data; design and completion of a database template; development of an imputation model; identification of disability weights; probabilistic burden assessment; and estimating the proportion of the disease burden by each hazard that is attributable to exposure by food (i.e., source attribution). All computations were performed in R and the different functions were compiled in the R package 'FERG'. Traceability and transparency were ensured by sharing results and methods in an interactive way with all FERG members throughout the process. Conclusions We developed a comprehensive framework for estimating the global burden of FBDs, in which methodological simplicity and transparency were key elements. All the tools developed have been made available and can be translated into a user-friendly national toolkit for studying and monitoring food safety at the local level.
Ubiquinol treatment for TBI in male rats: Effects on mitochondrial integrity, injury severity, and neurometabolism

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), there is significant secondary damage to cerebral tissue from increased free radicals and impaired mitochondrial function. This imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the effectiveness of cellular antioxidant defenses is termed oxidative stress. Often there are insufficient antioxidants to scavenge ROS, leading to alterations in cerebral structure and function. Attenuating oxidative stress following a TBI by administering an antioxidant may decrease secondary brain injury, and currently many drugs and supplements are being investigated. We explored an over‐the‐counter supplement called ubiquinol (reduced form of coenzyme Q10), a potent antioxidant naturally produced in brain mitochondria. We administered intra‐arterial ubiquinol to rats to determine if it would reduce mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and severity of a contusive TBI. Adult male F344 rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) Saline‐TBI, (2) ubiquinol 30 minutes before TBI (UB‐PreTBI), or (3) ubiquinol 30 minutes after TBI (UB‐PostTBI). We found when ubiquinol was administered before or after TBI, rats had an acute reduction in brain mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and two serum biomarkers of TBI severity, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase‐L1 (UCH‐L1). However, in vivo neurometabolic assessment with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy did not show attenuated injury‐induced changes. These findings are the first to show that ubiquinol preserves mitochondria and reduces cellular injury severity after TBI, and support further study of ubiquinol as a promising adjunct therapy for TBI.
A Feature Computation Tree Model to Specify Requirements and Reuse

A large subset of requirements for complex systems, services and product lines is traditionally specified by hierarchical structures of features. Features are usually gathered and represented in the form of a feature tree. The feature tree is a structural model. It represents mainly composition and specialization relations between features and does not provide the possibility to specify requirements in the form of ordering relations defined on functional features. Use case scenarios are usually employed for specification of the ordering relations. However, use case scenarios comprise isolated sequences of features, and therefore they may be inconsistent and even may contradict each other and the feature tree. Moreover, some use case scenarios defining relations on features may be incomplete. In order to support consistent specification of requirements, we suggest using a pair of related models: a feature tree model and a feature computation tree model. The pair of such related feature tree models provides the basis for the method of consistency checks of requirements. It introduces a united view on the system’s behavior at the stage of requirement specification and facilitates specification of forbidden sequences and construction complete sequences from incomplete ones. It allows designers to precisely specify the desired reuse and to find that a certain sort of reuse is not possible. Understanding already at the stage of requirements engineering that a subsystem cannot be reused without modification saves effort and money spent on development. The proposed method and models are explained using a case study of design of a system for electronic cards production.
Posttraumatic Tibiofibular Synostosis After Treatment of Distal Tibiofibular Fractures in Children

Introduction: Posttraumatic pediatric distal tibiofibular synostosis is a rare complication following fracture. This is a retrospective, multicenter case series of synostosis of distal tibiofibular fractures in children. The purpose was to evaluate the incidence and pattern of posttraumatic distal tibiofibular synostosis in children. Methods: Of the 604 pediatric distal tibiofibular fractures, 20 patients (3.3%) with synostosis after treatment of distal tibiofibular fractures were identified at 3 tertiary referral centers. There were 12 boys and 8 girls, with a mean age of 8.4±2.0 years (range, 3.7 to 11.5 y) at the time of injury. Medical records were reviewed, and serial radiographs were analyzed to determine fracture configuration, pattern of synostosis, and changes in the relative positions of the proximal and distal tibial and fibular physes and in the alignment of the ankle. Results: The time from the occurrence of fracture until the recognition of the synostosis ranged from 2 to 6 months (mean, 2.8 mo). The most common fracture configuration was oblique tibial fracture combined with comminuted fibular fracture. There were 12 focal types and 8 extensive types. The proximal tibiofibular distance was decreased in 13 patients. Proximal migration of the distal fibular physis developed in all cases. Five patients exhibited ankle valgus of 10 degrees or greater with moderate or severe distal fibular shortening. Eight patients were symptomatic after synostosis and 12 patients were asymptomatic. Conclusions: We identified 2 patterns of synostosis after the treatment of pediatric distal tibiofibular fracture: focal and extensive. The focal type was more prevalent than the extensive type, which was more likely to occur due to high-energy injury. When a tibiofibular cross-union develops, it creates growth abnormalities that warrant observation and potential treatment, as it may lead to progressive deformity or ankle pain. Level of Evidence: Level IV.
Online Convex Optimization with Stochastic Constraints

This paper considers online convex optimization (OCO) with stochastic constraints, which generalizes Zinkevich's OCO over a known simple fixed set by introducing multiple stochastic functional constraints that are i.i. d. generated at each round and are disclosed to the decision maker only after the decision is made. This formulation arises naturally when decisions are restricted by stochastic environments or deterministic environments with noisy observations. It also includes many important problems as special cases, such as OCO with long term constraints, stochastic constrained convex optimization, and deterministic constrained convex optimization. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a new algorithm that achieves $O(\sqrt{T})$ expected regret and constraint violations and $O(\sqrt{T}\log(T))$ high probability regret and constraint violations. Experiments on a real-world data center scheduling problem further verify the performance of the new algorithm.
Massive dysregulation of genes involved in cell signaling and placental development in cloned cattle conceptus and maternal endometrium

Significance Cloning cattle by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is an agriculturally important technology and is also used as a model system for the study of mammalian development. The SCNT process is inefficient, typically yielding fewer than 10% live offspring. The majority of losses are the result of embryonic death, failure of the implantation process, and development of a defective placenta. A critical period is the implantation window, when survival of the conceptus depends on factors including genetics, epigenetics, and the communication between conceptus and the endometrium. Our study of gene expression in cloned conceptuses and endometrial tissues during the periimplantation period enhances understanding of the mechanisms that lead to pregnancy failure in SCNT cloning. The results have wide implications for cloning of other mammals. A major unresolved issue in the cloning of mammals by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the mechanism by which the process fails after embryos are transferred to the uterus of recipients before or during the implantation window. We investigated this problem by using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to compare the transcriptomes in cattle conceptuses produced by SCNT and artificial insemination (AI) at day (d) 18 (preimplantation) and d 34 (postimplantation) of gestation. In addition, endometrium was profiled to identify the communication pathways that might be affected by the presence of a cloned conceptus, ultimately leading to mortality before or during the implantation window. At d 18, the effects on the transcriptome associated with SCNT were massive, involving more than 5,000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Among them are 121 genes that have embryonic lethal phenotypes in mice, cause defects in trophoblast and placental development, and/or affect conceptus survival in mice. In endometria at d 18, <0.4% of expressed genes were affected by the presence of a cloned conceptus, whereas at d 34, ∼36% and <0.7% of genes were differentially expressed in intercaruncular and caruncular tissues, respectively. Functional analysis of DEGs in placental and endometrial tissues suggests a major disruption of signaling between the cloned conceptus and the endometrium, particularly the intercaruncular tissue. Our results support a “bottleneck” model for cloned conceptus survival during the periimplantation period determined by gene expression levels in extraembryonic tissues and the endometrial response to altered signaling from clones.
Abundance of Drug Transporters in the Human Kidney Cortex as Quantified by Quantitative Targeted Proteomics

Protein expression of renal uptake and efflux transporters was quantified by quantitative targeted proteomics using the surrogate peptide approach. Renal uptake transporters assessed in this study included organic anion transporters (OAT1–OAT4), organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2), organic/carnitine cation transporters (OCTN1 and OCTN2), and sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2); efflux transporters included P-glycoprotein, breast cancer resistance protein, multidrug resistance proteins (MRP2 and MRP4), and multidrug and toxin extrusion proteins (MATE1 and MATE2-K). Total membrane was isolated from the cortex of human kidneys (N = 41). The isolated membranes were digested by trypsin and the digest was subjected to liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The mean expression of surrogate peptides was as follows (given with the standard deviation, in picomoles per milligram of total membrane protein): OAT1 (5.3 ± 1.9), OAT2 (0.9 ± 0.3), OAT3 (3.5 ± 1.6), OAT4 (0.5 ± 0.2), OCT2 (7.4 ± 2.8), OCTN1 (1.3 ± 0.6), OCTN2 (0.6 ± 0.2), P-glycoprotein (2.1 ± 0.8), MRP2 (1.4 ± 0.6), MRP4 (0.9 ± 0.6), MATE1 (5.1 ± 2.3), and SGLT2 (3.7 ± 1.8). Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and MATE2-K proteins were detectable but were below the lower limit of quantification. Interestingly, the protein expression of OAT1 and OAT3 was significantly correlated (r > 0.8). A significant correlation was also observed between expression of multiple other drug transporters, such as OATs/OCT2 or OCTN1/OCTN2, and SGLT2/OCTNs, OCT, OATs, and MRP2. These renal transporter data should be useful in deriving in vitro to in vivo scaling factors to accurately predict renal clearance and kidney epithelial cell exposure to drugs or their metabolites.
Selective Plasma Exchange for the Removal of Pemphigus Autoantibodies, Fibrinogen, and Factor XIII in Pemphigus Vulgaris

Pemphigus vulgaris is a serious autoimmune skin disorder associated with desmoglein 1 and 3. Selective plasma exchange (SePE) for pemphigus vulgaris remains unknown. We investigated the removal characteristics of pemphigus autoantibodies, immunoglobulins, and fibrinogen in three cases. When the mean processed volume for SePE was 1.2 plasma volumes, the mean percent reduction was 50.7% for desmoglein 1, 48.9% for desmoglein 3, 50.3% for IgG, 29.8% for IgA, 1.9% for IgM, and 17.6% for fibrinogen. In one case, the percent reduction after four sessions of SePE within eight days was 87.0% for desmoglein 1, 85.1% for desmoglein 3, 76.6% for IgG, 53.5% for IgA, 7.9% for IgM, 41.6% for fibrinogen, and 31.4% for factor XIII. SePE can effectively remove pemphigus autoantibodies and retain coagulation factors, e.g. factor XIII and fibrinogen. In severe cases, SePE can be useful and safe for induction therapy.
Health Gains and Financial Protection Provided by the Ethiopian Mental Health Strategy: an Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Abstract Background: Mental and neurological (MN) health care has long been neglected in low-income settings. This paper estimates health and non-health impacts of fully publicly financed care for selected key interventions in the National Mental Health Strategy in Ethiopia for depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and epilepsy. Methods: A methodology of extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) is applied to MN health care in Ethiopia. The impact of providing a package of selected MN interventions free of charge in Ethiopia is estimated for: epilepsy (75% coverage, phenobarbital), depression (30% coverage, fluoxetine, cognitive therapy and proactive case management), bipolar affective disorder (50% coverage, valproate and psychosocial therapy) and schizophrenia (75% coverage, haloperidol plus psychosocial treatment). Multiple outcomes are estimated and disaggregated across wealth quintiles: (1) healthy-life-years (HALYs) gained; (2) household out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures averted; (3) expected financial risk protection (FRP); and (4) productivity impact. Results: The MN package is expected to cost US$177 million and gain 155,000 HALYs (epilepsy US$37m and 64,500 HALYs; depression US$65m and 61,300 HALYs; bipolar disorder US$44m and 20,300 HALYs; and schizophrenia US$31m and 8,900 HALYs) annually. The health benefits would be concentrated among the poorest groups for all interventions. Universal public finance averts little household OOP expenditures and provides minimal FRP because of the low current utilization of these MN services in Ethiopia. In addition, economic benefits of US$ 51 million annually are expected from depression treatment in Ethiopia as a result of productivity gains, equivalent to 78% of the investment cost. Conclusions: The total MN package in Ethiopia is estimated to cost equivalent to US$1.8 per capita and yields large progressive health benefits. The expected productivity gain is substantially higher than the expected FRP. The ECEA approach seems to fit well with the current policy challenges and captures important equity concerns of scaling up MN programmes.
Time course effect of lipopolysaccharide on Toll-like receptors expression and steroidogenesis in the Chinese goose ovary.

The ovary of Chinese goose is easily infected by microorganisms because of the mating behaviour in water, which causes decreased laying performance. This study investigated the time course effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the steroidogenesis and mRNA expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a class of key pattern recognition receptor, in the breeding goose ovary. The laying geese were treated intravenously with LPS for 0, 6, 12, 24 and 36 h, and all birds were slaughtered approximately 8 h after oviposition. The expression levels of TLRs in the white and yellowish follicles, and granulosa and theca layers of hierarchical follicles were examined by real-time PCR. All 10 members of avian TLR family were differentially expressed among the different follicular tissues. Moreover, at 24 and 36 h after LPS treatment, the hierarchical follicle morphological structure was altered, but the expression levels of TLRs were still higher than the control. Furthermore, during LPS treatment period, the expression pattern of TLRs 2A and 4 genes was similar to that of TLR15 in the white follicles, TLRs 1B, 5 and 15 in the yellowish follicles, TLRs 7 and 15 in the granulosa layer, and TLRs 1A, 2B, 3, 7 and 15 in the theca layer, which had a negative correlation with the kinetics of plasma P4 and E2 concentrations. In conclusion, the mechanism by which pathogen infection inhibited goose follicular growth and further decreased egg production may involve a gradually enhanced inflammatory response and reduced endocrine function. This may be due to stimulated TLRs in the ovary.
Improvement in mechanical properties of recycled GF prepreg with CNT reinforced composites using a spray coating method

Dispersion and shape of nanoparticles, as well as interfacial conditions, add significantly to difficulties in composite manufacture. In the work reported here, an innovative method of recycling composites using out-of-date prepreg was investigated in which the carbon nanotube (CNT) on the prepreg was optimally coated. Nanocomposites utilizing the out-of-date prepreg were coated with CNT and fabricated by a sheet molding method. CNT nanofillers were observed to be uniformly dispersed on epoxy prepreg by spray coating. The mechanical and interfacial properties of these CNT coated nanocomposites were improved over those of more conventionally manufactured carbon fiber/epoxy composites. The CNT nanofillers were embedded at the epoxy and fiber interface, as a result of etching of the epoxy prepreg surface by a CNT dispersion solution which enhanced interfacial reactivity.
A New Public-Key Cryptosystem and its Applications

We propose in this paper a new public-key crypto-system, called the non-linear knapsack cryptosystem. The security of this system is based on the NP-completeness of the non-linear knapsack problem. We extend the system into secret sharing and access control. That is, an encrypted message can be decrypted only when all members of a group agree to do so with their secret sub-keys. The secret sharing here is equivalent to access control, which establishes multiple identities. That is, when the verifier challenges the prover with encrypted messages with public sub-keys, the prover can prove multiple identities using the secret sub-keys. Some experimental results are given, which demonstrate the efficiency of our system.
Disfluencies signal reference to novel objects for adults but not children

Abstract Speech disfluencies can guide the ways in which listeners interpret spoken language. Here, we examined whether three-year-olds, five-year-olds, and adults use filled pauses to anticipate that a speaker is likely to refer to a novel object. Across three experiments, participants were presented with pairs of novel and familiar objects and heard a speaker refer to one of the objects using a fluent (“Look at the ball/lep! ”) or disfluent (“Look at thee uh ball/lep! ”) expression. The salience of the speaker's unfamiliarity with the novel referents, and the way in which the speaker referred to the novel referents (i.e., a noun vs. a description) varied across experiments. Three- and five-year-olds successfully identified familiar and novel targets, but only adults’ looking patterns reflected increased looks to novel objects in the presence of a disfluency. Together, these findings demonstrate that adults, but not young children, use filled pauses to anticipate reference to novel objects.