Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear scaling effects in the stiffness of soft cellular structures

For cellular structures with uniform geometry, cell size and distribution, made from a neo-Hookean material, we demonstrate experimentally that large stretching causes nonlinear scaling effects governed by the microstructural architecture and the large strains at the cell level, which are not predicted by the linear elastic theory. For this purpose, three honeycomb-like structures with uniform square cells in stacked distribution were designed, where the number of cells varied, while the material volume and the ratio between the thickness and the length of the cell walls were fixed. These structures were manufactured from silicone rubber and tested under large uniaxial tension in a bespoke test fixture. Optical strain measurements were used to assess the deformation by capturing both the global displacements of the structure and the local deformations in the form of a strain map. The experimental results showed that, under sufficiently large strains, there was an increase in the stiffness of the structure when the same volume of material was arranged as many small cells compared to when it was organized as fewer larger cells. Finite element simulations confirmed our experimental findings. This study sheds light upon the nonlinear elastic responses of cellular structures in large-strain deformations, which cannot be captured within the linear elasticity framework.
Recent advances in hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions by adsorptive methods

Chromium exists mainly in two forms in environmental matrices, namely, the hexavalent (Cr(vi)) and trivalent (Cr(iii)) chromium. While Cr(iii) is a micronutrient, Cr(vi) is a known carcinogen, and that warrants removal from environmental samples. Amongst the removal techniques reported in the literature, adsorption methods are viewed as superior to other methods because they use less chemicals; consequently, they are less toxic and easy to handle. Mitigation of chromium using adsorption methods has been achieved by exploiting the physical, chemical, and biological properties of Cr(vi) due to its dissolution tendencies in aqueous solutions. Many adsorbents, including synthetic polymers, activated carbons, biomass, graphene oxide, and nanoparticles as well as bioremediation, have been successfully applied in Cr(vi) remediation. Initially, adsorbents were used singly in their natural form, but recent literature shows that more composite materials are generated and applied. This review focused on the recent advances, insights, and project future directions for these adsorbents as well as compare and contrast the performances achieved by the mentioned adsorbents and their variants.
Draft Genome Sequence of Heavy Metal-Resistant Bacillus cereus NWUAB01

Bacillus cereus NWUAB01 was isolated from a gold-mining site in Vryburg, South Africa, for its multiple heavy metal resistance properties. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of B. cereus NWUAB01 obtained with Illumina sequencing. ABSTRACT Bacillus cereus NWUAB01 was isolated from a gold-mining site in Vryburg, South Africa, for its multiple heavy metal resistance properties. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of B. cereus NWUAB01 obtained with Illumina sequencing.
Preparation, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of green tea seed oil nanoemulsions by self‐emulsification method

Application of tea oil in food products has been gained more and more attention for its nutritional advantages and functional properties. This research fabricated green tea seed oil nanoemulsions by the self-emulsification method through variation of oil and surfactant composition. Finally, in vitro antibacterial assay and antioxidant properties were investigated. The results showed that the sizes could be regulated through surfactant content (5–15 wt%) and composition (HLB 10.72–13.93) from 16.44 ± 0.01 nm to 329 ± 4.74 nm. With the increase of the content of green tea seed oil, the DPPH and total antioxidant capacity of the nanoemulsions were gradually improved. Meanwhile, the antibacterial assay was enhanced as the content of green tea seed oil increased from 0.5 to 1.5%. The inhibition zone increased continually to 7.56 ± 0.40 mm and 6.85 ± 0.59 mm when 1.5% oil was provided. The results could provide a reference to essential oils in the design of functional food-grade ingredients.
Prevalence of binary-toxin genes (cdtA and cdtB) among clinical strains of Clostridium difficile isolated from diarrheal patients in Iran

Aim: In this study we investigated the prevalence of binary toxin genes, cdtA and cdtB, in clinical isolates of C. difficile from hospitalized patients with diarrhea. Background: C. difficile binary toxin (CDT) is an action-specific ADP-ribosyltransferase that is produced by some strains of C. difficile. Co-expression of this toxin with tcdA and tcdB can lead to more severe disease in CDI patients. Methods: Totally, 930 patients suspected of having CDI was included in this study. All samples were treated with methanol and cultured on selective C. difficile agar plates. The C. difficile isolates were further identified by PCR. Presence of tcdA, tcdB, cdtA, and cdtB genes among the strains were examined by PCR. Results: Analysis of the PCR results showed a prevalence of 85.2% (144/169) for toxigenic C. diffidile. Toxin genotyping of the strains for tcdA and tcdB genes revealed the toxin profiles of A+B+, A+B-, A-B+ accounting for 86.1% (124/144), 7.6% (11/144), 6.2% (9/144) among the strains, respectively. Totally, 12.4% (21/169) of the C. difficile strains were binary toxin-positive. cdtA-B+, cdtA+‏B‏+ and cdtA+B- were detected in 43% (9/21), 38% (8/21) and 19% (4/21) of the strains, respectively. Interestingly, 12% (3/25) of nontoxigenic C. difficile strains (tcdA-B-) had either cdtA+‏B‏+ or cdtA-B+ profiles. Conclusion: This is the first report for the prevalence of binary toxin genes in C. difficile strains isolated from Iran. Further studies are required to investigate the exact role of binary toxins in the pathogenesis of C. difficile particularly in patients with chronic diarrhea among Iranian populations.
Carotid arterial input function as an inverse problem in kinetic modeling of [18F]2-fluoro-2 deoxy-D-glucose(FDG)

ABSTRACT A two-tissue reversible compartment model is solved by Laplace transform method for kinetic modelling of [18F]2-fluoro-2deoxy-D-glucose, in order to quantify amyloid in positron emission tomography image. A reverse engineer technic is applied to determine the input function (Ca(t)) that represents the time course of tracer concentration arterial blood. Ca(t) is obtained by nonlinear regression and non-invasively from the time–activity curve in a carotid volume of interest. After calculating a convolution integral, the analytical solution is completely described.
Reference DNA barcodes and other mitochondrial markers for identifying Caribbean Octocorals

Abstract DNA barcoding is a useful tool for documenting the diversity of metazoans. The most commonly used barcode markers, 16S and COI, are not considered suitable for species identification within some "basal" phyla of metazoans. Nevertheless metabarcoding studies of bulk mixed samples commonly use these markers and may obtain sequences for "basal" phyla. We sequenced mitochondrial DNA fragments of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal RNA (16S), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 2 (16S-ND2), 6 (ND6-ND3) and 4L (ND4L-MSH) for 27 species of Caribbean octocorals to create a reference barcode dataset and to compare the utility of COI and 16S to other markers more typically used for octocorals. The most common genera (Erythropodium, Ellisella, Briareum, Plexaurella, Muriceopsis and Pterogorgia) were effectively distinguished by small differences (5 or more substitutions or indels) in COI and 16S sequences. Gorgonia and Antillogorgia were effectively distinguished from each other by unique haplotypes, but the small genetic differences make distance approaches ineffective for these taxa. Plexaura, Pseudoplexaura and Eunicea were indistinguishable from each other but were generally effectively distinguished from other genera, further supporting the idea that these genera have undergone a rapid endemic radiation in the Caribbean.
Père David’s deer gut microbiome changes across captive and translocated populations: Implications for conservation

The gut microbial composition and function are shaped by different factors (e.g., host diet and phylogeny). Gut microbes play an important role in host nutrition and development. The gut microbiome may be used to evaluate the host potential environmental adaptation. In this study, we focused on the coevolution of the gut microbiome of captive and translocated Père David's deer populations (Elaphurus davidianus; Chinese: Père David's deer). To address this, we used several different macro‐ and micro‐ecological approaches (landscape ecology, nutritional methods, microscopy, isotopic analysis, and metagenomics). In this long‐term study (2011–2014), we observed some dissimilarities in gut microbiome community and function between the captive and wild/translocated Dafeng Père David's deer populations. These differences might link microbiome composition with deer diet within a given season. The proportion of genes coding for putative enzymes (endoglucanase, beta‐glucosidase, and cellulose 1,4‐beta‐cellobiosidase) involved in cellulose digestion in the gut microbiome of the captive populations was higher than that of the translocated population, possibly because of the high proportion of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the plants most consumed by the captive populations. However, the two enzymes (natA and natB) involved in sodium transport system were enriched in the gut microbiome in translocated population, possibly because of their high salt diet (e.g., Spartina alterniflora). Thus, our results suggested that Père David's deer gut microorganisms potentially coevolved with host diet, and reflected the local adaptation of translocated population in the new environment (e.g., new dietary plants: Spartina alterniflora). A current problem for Père David's deer conservation is the saturation of captive populations. Given that the putative evolutionary adaptation of Père David's deer gut microbiome and its possible applications in conservation, the large area of wetlands along the Yellow Sea dominated by S. alterniflora might be the major translocation region in the future.
Narrowly Confined and Glomerulus-Specific Onset Latencies of Odor-Evoked Calcium Transients in the Juxtaglomerular Cells of the Mouse Main Olfactory Bulb

Abstract Odor information is transmitted from olfactory sensory neurons to principal neurons at the glomeruli of the olfactory bulb. The intraglomerular neuronal circuit also includes hundreds of interneurons referred to as juxtaglomerular (JG) cells. Stimulus selectivity is well correlated among many JG cells that are associated with the same glomerulus, consistent with their highly homogeneous sensory inputs. However, much less is known about the temporal aspects of their activity, including the temporal coordination of their odor-evoked responses. As many JG cells within a glomerular module respond to the same stimulus, the extent to which their activity is temporally aligned will affect the temporal profile of their population inhibitory inputs. Using random-access high-speed two-photon microscopy, we recorded the odor-evoked calcium transients of mouse JG cells and compared the onset latency and rise time among neurons putatively associated with the same and different glomeruli. Whereas the overall onset latencies of odor-evoked transients were distributed across a ∼150 ms time window, those from cells putatively associated with the same glomerulus were confined to a much narrower window of several tens of milliseconds. This result suggests that onset latency primarily depends on the associated glomerulus. We also observed glomerular specificity in the rise time. The glomerulus-specific temporal pattern of odor-evoked activity implies that the temporal patterns of inputs from the intraglomerular circuit are unique to individual glomerulus–odor pairs, which may contribute to efficient shaping of the temporal pattern of activity in the principal neurons.
Targeted Drug Delivery and Image-Guided Therapy of Heterogeneous Ovarian Cancer Using HER2-Targeted Theranostic Nanoparticles

Cancer heterogeneity and drug resistance limit the efficacy of cancer therapy. To address this issue, we have developed an integrated treatment protocol for effective treatment of heterogeneous ovarian cancer. Methods: An amphiphilic polymer coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle was conjugated with near infrared dye labeled HER2 affibody and chemotherapy drug cisplatin. The effects of the theranostic nanoparticle on targeted drug delivery, therapeutic efficacy, non-invasive magnetic resonance image (MRI)-guided therapy, and optical imaging detection of therapy resistant tumors were examined in an orthotopic human ovarian cancer xenograft model with highly heterogeneous levels of HER2 expression. Results: We found that systemic delivery of HER2-targeted magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles carrying cisplatin significantly inhibited the growth of primary tumor and peritoneal and lung metastases in the ovarian cancer xenograft model in nude mice. Differential delivery of theranostic nanoparticles into individual tumors with heterogeneous levels of HER2 expression and various responses to therapy were detectable by MRI. We further found a stronger therapeutic response in metastatic tumors compared to primary tumors, likely due to a higher level of HER2 expression and a larger number of proliferating cells in metastatic tumor cells. Relatively long-time retention of iron oxide nanoparticles in tumor tissues allowed interrogating the relationship between nanoparticle drug delivery and the presence of resistant residual tumors by in vivo molecular imaging and histological analysis of the tumor tissues. Following therapy, most of the remaining tumors were small, primary tumors that had low levels of HER2 expression and nanoparticle drug accumulation, thereby explaining their lack of therapeutic response. However, a few residual tumors had HER2-expressing tumor cells and detectable nanoparticle drug delivery but failed to respond, suggesting additional intrinsic resistant mechanisms. Nanoparticle retention in the small residual tumors, nevertheless, produced optical signals for detection by spectroscopic imaging. Conclusion: The inability to completely excise peritoneal metastatic tumors by debulking surgery as well as resistance to chemotherapy are the major clinical challenges for ovarian cancer treatment. This targeted cancer therapy has the potential for the development of effective treatment for metastatic ovarian cancer.
The Effect of Humidity on Reducing Forming Voltage in Conductive-Bridge Random Access Memory With an Alloy Electrode

This letter investigates Au<sub>30</sub>Ag<sub>70</sub> (alloy electrode)/SiO<sub>2</sub>/TiN conductive-bridge random access memory (CBRAM) to verify the influence of ambient conditions on forming voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{V}_{\textsf {F}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and the location of galvanic reaction. Previous literature demonstrates that the galvanic reaction in CBRAM with an alloy electrode results in a lower <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{V}_{\textsf {F}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. In this work, a higher environmental H<sub>2</sub>O concentration results in a decrease in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{V}_{\textsf {F}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. From this change in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{V}_{\textsf {F}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, we infer that environmental H<sub>2</sub>O concentration influences the amount of galvanic reaction. Moreover, we verify the location of the galvanic reaction by varying electrode thickness. Finally, we propose a physical model to explain our observations.
Resilience and its Predictors among the Parents of Children with Cancer: A Descriptive-Correlational Study

Context: As a common debilitating illness, cancer is among the leading causes of child mortality in developed and developing countries. Cancer diagnosis for children is considerably stressful for their parents. Resilience is a key factor behind effective coping with cancer-related problems. This study evaluated resilience and its predictors among the parents of children with cancer. Aim: This study evaluated resilience and its predictors among the parents of children with cancer. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2017 on 400 parents of children with cancer in Tabriz Children's Hospital, Iran. Methods: A demographic questionnaire and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to collect the data. Parents were conveniently recruited from Tabriz Children's Hospital. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows program (v. 16) via descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: The mean score of parents' resilience was 66.83 ± 14.28. Fathers obtained significantly higher resilience scores than mothers (P < 0.001). The predictors of parents' resilience were financial status, parents' gender, fathers' employment status, and children's gender. Conclusion: The parents of cancer-afflicted children, particularly their mothers, have low resilience and therefore may be at risk for different physical and mental health problems. Health-care providers need to identify at-risk parents and provide them with greater psychological and educational support.
High‐throughput screening of aqueous biphasic systems with ionic liquids as additives for extraction and purification of enveloped virus‐like particles

Due to their unique properties, virus‐like particles (VLPs) have been portrayed as a promising high‐value biopharmaceutical in VLP‐based vaccination and cancer therapy. Nevertheless, due to limited physical and economical capabilities of the current downstream processing of VLPs, their production is still difficult and seen as a major problem that needs to be tackled. In this work, high‐throughput screening on a liquid handling station (LHS) has been implemented for efficient selection of adequate polymer‐salt aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) for extraction and purification of enveloped Hepatitis C virus pseudoparticles (HCVpp). The effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular weight and salt type (citrate, sulfate, and phosphate) was first evaluated. Furthermore, to optimize extraction parameters, the effect of pH and tie‐line lengths (TLL) was also addressed. For the most promising ABS and extraction conditions, the addition of ten ionic liquids (ILs) as adjuvants was investigated. Insights on the chemical features of ILs that impact HCV‐VLPs partitioning are highlighted. Finally, the potential of studied ABS containing ILs as adjuvants in the extraction and purification of VLPs from cell culture supernatants was addressed. The 100% extraction efficiency of VLPs in the PEG‐rich phase was achieved, and VLP purity was increased compared to the system without IL. In conclusion, these promising results show that ILs can be very effective in modulating the phase properties of polymer‐salt ABS, achieving high HCV‐VLP purification.
Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life among Jordanian Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Objective This study is aimed at determining factors associated with the quality of life among Jordanian diabetic patients with foot ulcers. Methods 144 consecutive patients with diabetic foot ulcers aged ≥ 18 years who were attending the diabetic foot clinic at a diabetes-specialized center were included in this study. Health-related quality of life was assessed using two self-administered questionnaires: Diabetic Foot Scale-Short Form (DFS-SF) and Short Form-8 (SF-8). Results Patients with diabetic foot ulcer had low mean DFS-SF score and low mean scores on physical and mental component summary scales (PCS8 and MCS8). Males had significantly higher DFS-SF score indicating better health-related quality of life than females (P value 0.038). A patient with stressful life events had significantly lower health-related quality of life using DFS-SF scale and SF-8 summary scales. Patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and patients with obesity had lower DFS-SF and PCS8 quality of life. Conclusion Patients with diabetic foot ulcer had low quality of life. Female gender, obesity, presence of PVD, and stressful life events were the most important factors associated with lower quality of life in patients with diabetic foot ulcer.
Trophic niche breadth of pond zooplankton species using stable isotope analysis and the relationship with the abiotic and biotic factors

Zooplankton species have different feeding habits, but the diversity of their food resources and the factors governing them are still largely unknown. We here estimated the differences in the trophic niche breadths of dominant zooplankton species in ponds, using stable isotopes. To understand the differences in trophic niches of different zooplankton species, we measured the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios and calculated the nearest-neighbour distance (NND), and standard deviation of NND (SDNND) of the bi-plot space of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in pond zooplankton. We tested the relationship between the NND/SDNND and environmental factors, as well as the zooplankton biomass, using generalized linear models (GLMs). For cladocerans, including Bosmina, Ceriodaphnia and Daphnia, the NNDs were significantly correlated with the biomass, pond morphology (volume and depth), total phosphorous (TP) and fish presence. For copepod species, including Eodiaptomus and cyclopoids, NNDs were significantly correlated with pond morphology, TP and fish presence, but not with biomass. In GLMs of SDNND, significant correlated factors were less than those for NND, and for some species, pond morphology and TP were significantly correlated with SDNND. Here, we found that the NND and SDNND of zooplankton species were related to various factors, including their biomass, predator presence, pond size and water quality. For cladocerans, biomass may be supported by trophic niche breadth, probably because of the consequences of resource competition. Also, predation and ecosystem size may influence trophic niche breadth due to changes in zooplankton behaviours.