Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polyurethane foam behavior in mixed mode bending

Mixed mode four-point bending testing is performed on polyurethane foams. This paper presents only the results on the stress intensity factors (SIFs) obtained experimentally for a density of 325 kg/m3 , although tests were done for three foam densities. An asymmetric four-point bending setup was used for determining the critical SIFs in Mode I and Mode II, and discussions on the influence of the initial crack length on the SIF values are done. As initial crack length is increased the theoretical predictions give a better comparison to experimentally obtained results. Mode II testing is also performed on a polyurethane foam as a particular case of mixed-mode four-point testing. Crack initiation and propagation in Mode II depends on the geometrical parameters of the testing configuration. Numerical XFEM simulations are done in order to clarify the situations in which the crack doesn't propagate, and failure is produced in the region of supports. A combined experimental-XFEM analysis is recommended to fully understand the particularities of the behavior of cellular materials.
Cellular Analysis Of Hepg2 Cells On Gastrin Releasing Peptide (Grp) Nanostructure

Artificial juxtacrine stimulation arises from the covalent attachment of growth factors onto biomaterials. Incorporation of growth factors onto cell culture substrates has been found to enhance the functionality of cells in vitro. In this study, we describe how the immobilization of Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) enhances the viability of hepatocarcinoma cell line, HepG2 up to 4 days. The biomaterial for immobilization of GRP was prepared using indium tin oxide (ITO) sputtered on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (3-APTES) on ITO was covalently attached to GRP. Characterization of the substrates before and after immobilization of GRP was carried out using contact angle measurements, FTIR and AFM techniques. HepG2 cells were cultured on immobilized GRPSAM-ITO substrate for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours and compared to cell viability of soluble GRP under similar conditions. The cell viability on immobilized GRP-SAM-ITO after 48 hours was less than that of soluble GRP by 19%. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) production after 48 hours was significantly reduced by 44% for immobilized GRP when compared to that with soluble GRP. After 96 hours, cell viability increased and cytotoxicity decreased for HepG2 cells on GRP-SAM-ITO substrates, suggesting viability was successfully extended. A similar experiment (LDH assay) with immobilized epidermal growth facor (EGF), obtained by covalent attachment of EGF shows that the cell viability can be extended to 5 days. These data may provide insight towards the development of bioreactors for drug toxicity screening.
Characterization of a Time-Varying Medium by Ultrasonic Parameter Variations

Ultrasonic parameter variations were measured from a nonhomogeneous time-varying medium aiming to describe dynamic changes in the structure of the sample study by the relationship among ultrasonic parameters. The sample in study was an immiscible biphasic liquid mixture, which was emulsified and then monitored by ultrasound exposure in pulse echo mode during time of phases separation. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) techniques based in spectral analysis were employed to extract ultrasonic parameters from backscattering ultrasound echoes recorded in the interest region (ROI). The timeevolution of ultrasonic parameters estimated led to the identification of different changes in the ROI. These parameters let to understand about how together attenuation, the nonlinear parameter and are involved with property changes in the ROI. The was the best parameter to describe the behavior during the most emulsified state in the sample study. The attenuation coefficient and / allow to identify the time of emulsion break-up. Keywords-Emulsion, Backscattering, Nonlinear parameter, Spectral Analysis, Ultrasonic Parameter.
Defining Conservation Strategies with Historical Perspectives: a Case Study from a Degraded Oak Grassland Ecosystem

Abstract: The restoration of degraded ecosystems can be constrained by uncertainty over former conditions and the relevance of the past given recent changes. It can be difficult to differentiate among contrasting hypotheses about past ecosystem function, and restoration efforts can emphasize species reestablishment without integrating the ecological and cultural processes that once determined their occurrence. As a case study, we analyzed historical descriptions of an endangered oak grassland ecosystem in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, to determine former conditions and assess their validity for defining restoration targets. Twenty‐three documents described this ecosystem from 1790 to 1951. Comparison of early survey records with contemporary occurrences suggests habitat loss of >95%. The identity and former range of most native plant species were poorly described, but accounts of ecosystem structure revealed a diversity of floral communities that has been much simplified. Fire, most likely set by indigenous peoples, interacted with edaphic and topographic factors to create this structural diversity. European settlers intensively modified the ecosystem with grazing, cultivation, and introduced flora. These transformations partly explain the current high levels of plant invasion. Restoration must target the ecosystems' former structural diversity and the ecological and cultural processes that maintained it. Given the recent impacts of fire suppression, habitat loss, and plant invasion, however, land managers must balance the reestablishment of historical processes with their potential negative effects in sites with numerous at‐risk species. This ecosystem was, and remains, part of a culturally modified landscape, where human activity has maintained unforested areas for millennia but now promotes mostly exotic flora. Although pre‐European conditions cannot be fully restored, the historical data provided restoration insights unobtainable from current biological studies emphasizing the end point of long‐term ecological change.
Effect of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Reducing Bilirubin Levels in Hemolytic Disease of Newborn

Background: hemolytic disease of the newborn is an autoimmune haemolytic disease and caused by antibodies produced due to Rh and ABO incompatibilities. Neonatal jaundice is a common clinical problem encountered during the neonatal period. To avoid the associated neurological complications; exchange transfusion and phototherapy have been traditionally used. Aim of the work: was to assess the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulins in neonates with Rh and/or ABO incompatibility in reducing the duration of phototherapy and the need for exchange transfusion and hospital stay. Subjects and Methods: in this clinical intervention study 40 patients diagnosed with hemolytic disease of newborn were grouped into group A and B. All neonates were treated with standard protocol for phototherapy and exchange transfusion. Group A patients received only phototherapy. Group B patients received intravenous immunoglobulins in a dose of 0.5 gm/kg of body weight single dose and phototherapy. Exchange transfusion was given to the patients of both groups if the bilirubin rose by 0.5 mg/dl per hour. Results: there was a significant decrease of bilirubin level in group B [that received phototherapy plus Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG)] than group A [that received phototherapy only]. Hospital stay and duration of phototherapy decreased in group B than group A. Number of cases exchanged blood in group A was higher than cases of group B. Conclusion: addition of intravenous immunoglobulins for treatment of hemolytic disease of newborn significantly reduces bilirubin levels, duration of phototherapy, need for exchange transfusion and hospital stay.
Disclosure of carbon in embedded reserves in the oil and gas industry:Determinants and stock market valuation

Climate change put increasing pressure for environmental protection worldwide. Our study builds upon the rise in societal expectations regarding the environmental performance of corporations, which has certainly been spectacular in recent years. Such pressures by various stakeholders and society entail a greater scrutiny of corporate environmental practices. The aim of this paper is to assess the relevance for the stock markets of carbon emission data and the role of the quality of the governance, environmental performance and the media pressures on CO2 issues. Results based on a sample of US and Canadian firms in the Oil & gas industry are the following. The disclosure of embedded CO2 is positively related to analyst following and share price volatility, i.e., a reduction of information asymmetry. Concerning consequences on the stock market valuation of proven embedded reserves, results suggest that embedded CO2 reduces market value substantially. However, stock markets price proven reserves around 5 times the negative impact of CO2 included in these reserves. For firms with a good environmental performance, this negative relation between embedded CO2 and stock market value is increased, suggesting that disclosure on environmental issues allow market participants to better assess the negative impact of embedded CO2. We observe a substitution effect between environmental performance and embedded CO2 on their effect on the stock market valuation. A good environmental performance is value relevant after considering its negative valuation of embedded CO2.
THE PHANTOM MIDGE AND A COMPARISON OF METAPOPULATION STRUCTURES

Two sister species of Chaoborus exist in Europe. They are found in two distinct habitats that differ strongly in habitat persistence time. Chaoborus flavicans is found primarily in lakes inhabited by fish, whereas Chaoborus crystallinus is found exclusively in small ponds without fish. Chaoborus flavicans has evolved an adaptive response to predatory fish. In the presence of fish chemicals it can migrate vertically in the water column and can thus avoid predation. Chaoborus flavicans can therefore coexist with fish. Chaoborus crystallinus avoids oviposition into water bodies that are inhabited by fish and hence lives only in small fish-free ponds. These differences lead to several testable hypotheses: (1) The extinction risk of local populations of C. crystallinus is higher than that for C. flavicans. (2) C. crystallinus has a higher dispersal probability than C. flavicans. (3) The spatial population structure of each species differ. The results from a 3-yr population survey verified the first hypothesis .
Regulation of Transforming Growth Factor α Expression in a Growth Factor-Independent Cell Line

ABSTRACT Aberrant transcriptional regulation of transforming growth factor α (TGFα) appears to be an important contributor to the malignant phenotype and the growth factor independence with which malignancy is frequently associated. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for dysregulation of TGFα expression in the malignant phenotype. In this paper, we report on TGFα promoter regulation in the highly malignant growth factor-independent cell line HCT116. The HCT116 cell line expresses TGFα and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) but is not growth inhibited by antibodies to EGFR or TGFα. However, constitutive expression of TGFα antisense RNA in the HCT116 cell line resulted in the isolation of clones with markedly reduced TGFα mRNA and which were dependent on exogenous growth factors for proliferation. We hypothesized that if TGFα autocrine activation is the major stimulator of TGFα expression in this cell line, TGFα promoter activity should be reduced in the antisense TGFα clones in the absence of exogenous growth factor. This was the case. Moreover, transcriptional activation of the TGFα promoter was restored in an antisense-TGFα-mRNA-expressing clone which had reverted to a growth factor-independent phenotype. Using this model system, we were able to identify a 25-bp element within the TGFα promoter which conferred TGFα autoregulation to the TGFα promoter in the HCT116 cell line. In the TGFα-antisense-RNA-expressing clones, this element was activated by exogenous EGF. This 25-bp sequence contained no consensus sequences of known transcription factors so that the TGFα or EGF regulatory element within this 25-bp sequence represents a unique element. Further characterization of this 25-bp DNA sequence by deletion analysis revealed that regulation of TGFα promoter activity by this sequence is complex, as both repressors and activators bind in this region, but the overall expression of the activators is pivotal in determining the level of response to EGF or TGFα stimulation. The specific nuclear proteins binding to this region are also regulated in an autocrine-TGFα-dependent fashion and by exogenous EGF in EGF-deprived TGFα antisense clone 33. This regulation is identical to that seen in the growth factor-dependent cell line FET, which requires exogenous EGF for optimal growth. Moreover, the time response of the stimulation oftrans-acting factor binding by EGF suggests that the effect is directly due to growth factor and not mediated by changes in growth state. We conclude that this element appears to represent the major positive regulator of TGFα expression in the growth factor-independent HCT116 cell line and may represent the major site of transcriptional dysregulation of TGFα promoter activity in the growth factor-independent phenotype.
Social influences on intergroup transfer by pine voles (Microtus pinetorum)

Selection to obtain mating opportunities is hypothesized to be a major factor in dispersal. Thus, if individuals move to another group or switch nests to maximize their reproductive opportunities, they should move to groups or sites where they minimize competition for resources or mates and where they can find potential mates. We examined movement of pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) in an orchard habitat. Males dispersed later than females, but the two sexes showed similar patterns of movement with respect to conspecifics. Males and females immigrated to territories that contained some opposite-sex conspecifics; they also immigrated to territories without same-sex conspecifics. The latter suggests that they may avoid competitors and move to territories where an opening exists. When female breeders were removed from a social group, a replacement female arrived and began to breed relatively rapidly. In control groups where breeding females were not removed, no replacement females appeared. These results sugg.
Comparision on Low-Noise Neural Signal Amplifiers and Design of Current Mirror OTA for EEG

In an endless effort for developing new assistive technologies to treat neural disorders, neural interface technology has seen tremendous progress. For designing analog front-end in neural interface system, the Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) design for low frequency neural signals is still a challenging task. Specific design requirements for neural LNA require a decent understanding of various topologies used for its implementation. This paper discusses standard design parameters and their desirable values for LNA design. A comparison of System-level architecture: Open loop and Closed-Loop topologies are also presented. A summary of various strategies is explained based on the improvement in design for low power, low noise and area. The current mirror OTA with capacitive feedback topology is simulated using 0. 18μm technology node using BSIM3V3 MOS Transistor Model from Cadence. Using gm/Id methodology for selection the operating point the transistors, a low noise and low power amplifier design has been obtained.
Discovering Rational Heuristics for Risky Choice

For computationally limited agents such as humans, perfectly rational decision-making is almost always out of reach. Instead, people may rely on computationally frugal heuristics that usually yield good outcomes. Although previous research has identified many such heuristics, discovering good heuristics and predicting when they will be used remains challenging. Here, we present a machine learning method that identifies the best heuristics to use in any given situation. To demonstrate the generalizability and accuracy of our method, we compare the strategies it discovers against those used by people across a wide range of multi-alternative risky choice environments in a behavioral experiment that is an order of magnitude larger than any previous experiments of its type. Our method rediscovered known heuristics, identifying them as rational strategies for specific environments, and discovered novel heuristics that had been previously overlooked. Our results show that people adapt their decision strategies to the structure of the environment and generally make good use of their limited cognitive resources, although they tend to collect too little information and their strategy choices do not always fully exploit the structure of the environment.
Plug-in Electric Vehicles – State of Technology and Market Perspectives

Transportation sector is contributing in great percentage (23%) to GHG emission in EU countries. In order to reach EU 202020 targets significant efforts to reduce vehicles ́ exhausting gases have been made. Plug-in vehicles are foreseen as a part of solution, as it is expected that their share in GHG emission will be decreased below 10% in 2050. In the paper, an overview of plug-in vehicles technologies is presented. All systems are classified and details of electric power processing units are given. Special attention is placed to market perspectives of presented solutions. A review of present state in plug-in passenger cars production and prediction for coming years are given.
Dynamic Resource Allocation Using Virtual Machines and Parallel Data Processing in the Cloud

: The main enabling technology for cloud computing is virtualization which generalize the physical infrastructure and makes it easy to use and manage. Virtualization is used to allocate resources based on their needs and also supports green computing concept. Parallel data processing has emerged to be one of the killer applications for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) clouds. The processing frameworks which are currently used have been designed for static, homogeneous cluster setups and disregard the particular nature of a cloud. The allocated compute resources may be inadequate for big parts of the submitted job and unnecessarily increase processing time and cost. In this paper we are applying the concept of “SKEWNESS” to measure the unevenness in the multi-dimensional resource utilization of a server. By minimizing skewness, we can combine different types of workloads and improve the overall utilization of server resources and discuss the opportunities and challenges for efficient parallel data processing in clouds using “NEPHELE’S ARCHITECTURE” . Nephel’s architecture offers efficient parallel data processing in clouds. It is the first data processing framework for the dynamic resource allocation offered by today’s IaaS clouds for both, task scheduling and execution
Comparação de critérios de seleção para precocidade de crescimento em bovinos da raça Guzerá

The aim of this study was to compare the selection criteria based on the average daily gain (ADG) and days to achieve 160 kg (D160) on pre-weaning of Guzerat cattle. Database on weight gains provided by the Brazilian Association of Zebu Cattle Breeders (ABCZ) was used. The estimated genetic parameters and breeding values was obtained by the Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method, using a uni-trait animal model, with equations of mixed models. The model included the fixed effect of contemporary group, genetic additive direct and permanent environment, as random effects, beyond the residual error. The means for D160 and ADG were 270.5 days and 642.3 g, respectively. Spearman's correlations for pre-weaning ADG and D160 (D160P), and ADG and D160P corrected for contemporary group effect (D160Pc), were equal to 0.92 and 0.94, respectively. The selection for D160P would favor sires that produced superior and less variable progenies. The correction of D160 to the contemporary group effect made this trait more efficient to identify more uniform sires. Sires classification changed according to the adopted selection criterion, ADG or D160P, mainly at the end points, where animals should be selected and rejected.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROBLEM OF VESSEL LENGTH DETERMINATION IN WOODY DICOTYLEDONS

A NUMBER of general statements as to the length of vessels in dicotyledonous trees will be found in the literature, but analysis usually shows the experimental basis upon which they are founded to be somewhat meagre and uncertain. In the course of the studies on wood anatomy which have been in progress during the last few years in the Botany Department in Leeds, injection experiments with Indian ink suspensions have frequently given indications of considerable vessel lengths. The observations have also directed particular attention to the very marked difference in length which appears to exist between the vessels of ring and diffuse porous types of wood. Dr Bruno Huber (I935) has recently pointed out that the conclusion reached in Leeds that the vessel lengths are much greater in ring porous types is in good agreement with his own observations upon the greater velocity of movement of water in these types also; his conclusion is based upon his experiments on the speed of propagation along the wood of a higher temperature from a point of local application on the surface of the wood. In the Leeds work the tree types with great vessel lengths have been found to be ones in which the resumption of cambial activity spreads extremely rapidly down the tree once it has been initiated in the buds, and a causal connexion between these two phenomena has been suggested (Priestley et al. I933). Vhilst these injection experiments seem to place the great difference in vessel length between ring and diffuse porous types beyond all doubt, it was however noted in every case that the injection had apparently not reached the end of the vessel. So long as this is the case, there must remain some doubt as to the exact significance of this difference in the length of the injection, and the present report embodies the results of further investigations of the problem from two distinct angles.
Change of water vapor exchange properties of 3 tree species under drought

The water vapor exchange properties of Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. , Quercus mongolica Fish. et Turcz. and Acer mono Maxim. at the relative water content of soil (RWCS) of 100%, 70%, 50% and 30% were studied by analysis of water loss, transpiration, water use efficiency (WUE) and stomatal conductance. Seedlings did cost a lot of water during the growing season, and the total water loss of each kind of seedling decreased differently under low RWCS conditions. The dynamics of water loss for 3 species under different RWCS were different. At RWCS of 100%, F. mandshurica and A. mono had higher average leaf transpiration rate than that of Q. mongolica, respectively. Leaf diurnal transpiration of 3 species decreased considerably at RWCS of 30%. But the diurnal WUE was not sensitive to the change of RWCS for these species. Only the average stomatal conductance of A. mono changed significantly under lower RWCS. The implication of these results was that tree species adapted to lower RWCS by changing its water vapor exchange properties, and it would be possible to decrease water loss from forests by selecting proper tree species.
Extrapair paternity in Mediterranean blue tits: socioecological factors and the opportunity for sexual selection

This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (grant CGL2010-21933-C02-01) and Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha and European Social Fund (grant POIC10-0269-7632). V.G. N. enjoyed a predoctoral fellowship from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and European Social Fund.