Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead Elements in Chewing Sticks (Miswak) Using ICP-MS

Salvadorapersica (Miswak) is used in many parts of the world as a tool for the cleaning of teeth and general oral hygiene. This material is imported into the United Kingdom, from countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and is sold in ethnic shops. They are popular amongst members of certain ethnic communities. Very little is known about the trace elements content of chewing sticks and their possible impact on human health. Therefore, in the current study, a survey of trace elements composition of chewing sticks, sold in ethnic shops (in Leicester, Birmingham, Luton, London) and some Libyan cities was carried out using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). We determined the content of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in both the bark (which is often removed before chewing) and the flesh components of twigs fromSalvadorapersica. After cleaning, the samples were dried and digested using a microwave digester and the content of heavy metals analysed by ICP-MS. Concentrations of As, Cd and Pb were0.038, 0.15 and 2.18 (mg/kg, mean value) for the flesh and 0.11, 0.28 and 3.88 (mg/kg) for the bark, respectively. The content of As was found to be the lowest whereas the content Pb was highest for both the flesh and the bark components.Concentrations of these elements in the bark were significantly higher compared to the flesh. The precise reason for this is not clear although it could partly be due to air pollution or contact with soil. It is therefore recommended that users take extra care to fully remove the bark before using the chewing stick. Further studies are in progress to identify the role of environmental and processing conditions on the content of heavy metals in chewing sticks. Keyword: Miswak, Chewing sticks, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead.
Pressure Dependence of the Superconducting Transition Temperature of Magnesium Diboride

We studied the pressure and temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of the superconducting compound magnesium diboride (MgB2). The superconducting transition temperature decreases monotonically with pressure, being parabolic or linear, depending on samples. The rate of decrease under pressure is higher than in conventional superconductors. We discuss our results in terms of the semimetallic character of the electronic band structure of MgB2.
Role of trypsin-like cleavage at arginine 192 in the enzymatic and cytotonic activities of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin

Previous studies of cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin have suggested that proteolytic cleavage plays an important role in the expression of ADP-ribosyltransferase activity and toxicity. Specifically, several studies have implicated a trypsin-like cleavage at arginine 192, which lies within an exposed region subtended by a disulfide bond in the intact A subunit, in toxicity. To investigate the role of this modification in the enzymatic and cytotonic properties of heat-labile enterotoxin, the response of purified, recombinant A subunit to tryptic activation and the effect of substituting arginine 192 with glycine on the activities of the holotoxin were examined. The recombinant A subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin exhibited significant levels of ADP-ribosyltransferase activity that were only nominally increased (approximately twofold) by prior limited trypsinolysis. The enzymatic activity also did not appear to be affected by auto-ADP-ribosylation that occurs during the high-level synthesis of the recombinant A subunit in E. coli. A mutant form of the holotoxin containing the arginine 192-to-glycine substitution exhibited levels of cytotonic activity for CHO cells that were similar to that of the untreated, wild-type holotoxin but exhibited a marked delay in the ability to increase intracellular levels of cyclic AMP in Caco-2 cells. The results indicate that trypsin-like cleavage of the A subunit of E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin at arginine 192 is not requisite to the expression of enzymatic activity by the A subunit and further reveal that this modification, although it enhances the biological and enzymatic activities of the toxin, is not absolutely required for the enterotoxin to elicit cytotonic effects.
Surface Electric Field for Negative Corona Discharge in Atmospheric Pressure Air

The surface electric field (SEF) for the quasi-static negative corona discharge in atmospheric pressure air is investigated by the general fluid model which contains the continuity equations of electrons, positive ions, and negative ions coupled with Gauss' equation, considering the secondary electron emission. The SEF for the monopolar ion flow, which assumes that the whole interelectrode gap is filled with monopolar ions, is also investigated by the simplified model under the same boundary conditions at the anode. The results predict that the SEF remains constant at the onset value for both the negative corona plasma and the monopolar ion flow under a low corona current. With the increase of the corona current, the SEF is slightly strengthened for the negative corona plasma and significantly weakened for the monopolar ion flow in a wide range of conductor radii. The results for the monopolar ion flow are consistent with those deduced from the experimental data in the literature.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Acidophilic, Halotolerant, and Iron/Sulfur-Oxidizing Acidihalobacter prosperus DSM 14174 (Strain V6)

ABSTRACT The principal genomic features of Acidihalobacter prosperus DSM 14174 (strain V6) are presented here. This is a mesophilic, halotolerant, and iron/sulfur-oxidizing acidophile that was isolated from seawater at Vulcano, Italy. It has potential for use in biomining applications in regions where high salinity exists in the source water and ores.
R-S and S(-O)-R: alternative designs for neural networks.

Donahoe, Palmer, and Burgos continue to press their excellent case for neural network modeling as a part of behavior analysis. They suggest, but do not say, that the analogies between connectionist architectures and the traditions of associationism and S-O-R psychology, as well as notions such as the strengthening of stimulus–response bonds, are a necessary evil, due to the need to rely upon the biological basis of long-term potentiation (LTP). Activationist neural networks, currently under development in our laboratory,1 rely upon the biological basis of in vitro reinforcement (IVR) (Stein, this issue; Stein, Xue, & Belluzzi, 1993, 1994)2 and have few if any analogies to any sort of associationism. These facts underlie the present commentary. Of two initial reactions noted here, the first concerns dialogue: Although Donahoe, Burgos, and Palmer (1993) analyzed the data of Stein et al. (1993) substantially differently than the original authors did themselves, Donahoe et al. (this issue, pp. 196–197) make that difference entirely clear, prompting an important dialogue to be joined (Stein, this issue). The second issue concerns terminology. Donahoe et al. (1993, as well as Donahoe &
Model Based Fault Detection and Isolation for Electric Scooter

The focus of this paper is to apply the fault detection and isolation (FDI) method based on the bond graph (BG) to the electric scooter system. The FDI approach utilizes the concept of analytical redundancy relations (ARRs), which are derived from a BG model with a specific causal relationship. This method is suitable for a variety of types of faults. Simulation in MATLAB/Simulink is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method for multiple types of faults that may occur in the electric scooter.
Extensions to the C programming language for enhanced fault detection

The acceptance of the C programming language by academia and industry is partially responsible for the ‘software crisis’. The simple, trusting semantics of C mask many common faults, such as range violations, which would be detected and reported at run‐time by programs coded in a robust language such as Ada. Ada is a registered trademark of the U.S. Government (Ada Joint Program Office) This needlessly complicates the debugging of C programs. Although the assert macro lets programmers add run‐time consistency checks to their programs, the number of instantiations of this macro needed to make a C program robust makes it highly unlikely that any programmer could correctly perform the task. We make some unobtrusive extensions to the C language which support the efficient detection of faults at run‐time without reducing the readability of the source code. Examples of the extensions are automatic checking of error codes returned by library routines, constrained subtypes and detection of references to uninitialized and/or non‐existent array elements.
Multilayer array antennas with integrated frequency selective surfaces conformal to a circular cylindrical surface

In this paper, we present the analysis of periodic arrays on cylindrical surfaces using open-ended waveguide radiators loaded with radomes and frequency selective surfaces (FSS). The multilayer structure can be used to obtain a filtering behavior by properly choosing the radomes and the size of the FSS apertures. The effect of the gradual cutoff properties of the cylindrical waves is also addressed and the design of a number of filtering structures including one or two FSS is presented.
Leukotriene receptor antagonist therapy

Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) are a new class of drugs for asthma treatment, available in tablet form. Their unique mechanism of action results in a combination of both bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory effects. While their optimal place in asthma management is still under review, LTRA represent an important advance in asthma pharmacotherapy.
Enabling Technologies Incorporating Optical Tandem Single Sideband for Optical-Wireless Integrated Access Networks

In this paper, we investigate the level of crosstalk for simultaneous delivery of wired and wireless signals using optical tandem single sideband (OTSSB) transport in an optical-wireless integrated access network. Our results show that the placement of the wired data is crucial to minimize crosstalk resulting from the nonlinear optical frontend. We also propose passive interfaces for the optical-wireless integrated networks incorporating OTSSB. The performance of the interfaces is evaluated in a full-duplex experiment for simultaneous delivery of wired and wireless signals.
Leaky ryanodine receptors cause delayed afterdepolarizations and ventricular arrhythmias.

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is an inherited arrhythmogenic disease characterized by the absence of structural heart disease, syncope, and sudden cardiac death.1 Typically, acceleration of the heart rate during physical exercise or emotional distress provokes an increasing number of ventricular premature complexes followed by runs of bidirectional or polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT). During clinical testing, about 30–50% of the patients will reproducibly develop VT following exercise testing or catecholamine injection.1,2 The ECG morphology of ventricular tachyarrhythmias observed in patients with CPVT resembles that of VTs commonly described in digitalis toxicity (which is associated with cellular calcium overload), and in metabolic disturbances as seen in severe HF (which is associated with high adrenergic tone). 3 In conditions of cytoplasmic Ca2+ overload or enhanced β-adrenergic signalling, cardiac myocytes exhibit greater ectopic activity. It has therefore been suggested that arrhythmias in CPVT are mediated by triggered activity and delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs), which are defined as oscillations in the membrane potential of the cardiac myocyte after repolarization of an action potential has been completed.1 The most common, autosomal-dominant form of CPVT is caused by genetic mutations in the gene encoding the cardiac ryanodine receptor ( RyR2 ), the principal intracellular Ca2+ release channel involved in excitation-contraction coupling.4 Although experimental studies have provided evidence that mutant RyR2 channels can give rise to DADs in isolated cardiomyocytes,5 the study by Paavola et al . 6 demonstrates DADs in monophasic action potential (MAP) recordings for the first time in CPVT patients with RyR2 mutations. In contrast to conventional electrode catheter recordings, MAP recordings provide precise information not only about the local activation time, but also about the entire repolarization time course. Electrophysiological data for the occurrence of DADs in patients with CPVT have been scarce in the literature, with … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 713 798 4261; fax: +1 713 798 3475. E-mail address : wehrens{at}bcm.edu
Poultry Femoral Head Separation and Necrosis: A Review

SUMMARY Femoral head separation (FHS) is a degenerative skeletal problem in fast-growing poultry wherein the growth plate of the proximal femur separates from its articular cartilage. At its early phase, FHS may remain asymptomatic but lead to epiphyseal breakage, infection, and femoral head necrosis (FHN). Healthy femoral head is viewed as a positive trait for genetic selection. However, the etiology of FHS is poorly understood for use in noninvasive diagnosis and genetic selection. Focal cell death and atrophic changes are likely associated with separation of tissues and necrotic changes. Fibrotic thickening of the articular surface can also impair free movement of the proximal epiphysis in the acetabulum, leading to FHS, under strain. The major limitation to understanding the pathophysiology of FHN is the lack of suitable experimental models and biomarkers to diagnose the problem. In this review, we discuss the possible etiologic factors, anatomic features of the chicken femoral head, biomarkers, and molecular mechanisms relevant to FHN.
Fluid movement along the coronal two-thirds of root fillings placed by three different gutta-percha techniques.

AIM To compare fluid movement (FM) along the coronal two-thirds of gutta percha/sealer root fillings placed by three different techniques. METHODOLOGY Three groups consisting of the roots of mandibular incisors were instrumented and obturated by cold lateral compaction (LC), warm vertical compaction (VC) or the single-cone technique (SC), using RoekoSeal Automix (RSA) as the sealer. The apical 4 mm of each root filling was removed, and FM along the remaining 7 mm of the root filling was measured. RESULTS The VC group displayed more FM than the other two groups (P = 0.023). No significant difference in FM was found between the LC and SC groups (P = 0.629). CONCLUSIONS The coronal two-thirds of the VC root fillings did not prevent FM when RSA sealer was used.
Computation of 3-D form-closure grasps

We address the problems of computing form-closure regions as well as computing optimal fingertip locations yielding n-finger form-closure grasps of three-dimensional (3-D) objects. Given grip points of k fingers not in form-closure, we propose a sufficient and necessary condition for the n-k fingers to achieve an n-finger form-closure grasp. Based on the condition, it is demonstrated that the problem of computing form-closure regions can be formulated as an existence problem of a solution for a set of inequalities. A sufficient condition is also proposed to simplify the computation of form-closure regions. As to searching for optimal fingertip locations, we transform the problem to a nonlinear programming problem subject to a set of constraints arising from that sufficient and necessary condition. Furthermore, a performance index is defined by measuring the distance between the center of mass of the grasped object and the center of the contact points. Finally, we have implemented the approach proposed and verified its efficiency by several numerical examples.
Effects of lags on human operator transfer functions with head-coupled systems.

The effects of operator learning and target velocity on head tracking performance with and without lags has been studied. Five lags (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 ms) between head movement and target image movement, and three target velocities (2, 3.5, 5 degrees.s-1 r.m.s.) were investigated with eight male subjects and band-limited random target motions. Head tracking transfer functions, tracking error spectra, mean radial tracking error, and subjective difficulty ratings were obtained. Head tracking performance was significantly degraded by lags greater than, or equal to, 40 ms (in addition to a system lag of 40 ms). Both the input-correlated tracking error and the uncorrelated tracking error increased with increasing lag. No significant improvement in head tracking performance was found through practice with an 80-ms lag. As the lag increased, operators increased their gains at frequencies above about 0.5 Hz and reduced their phase lags at low frequencies (about 0.1 Hz) but failed to fully compensate for the increased display lag. The increased human operator gain was associated with increased operator phase lag at higher frequencies (above 0.5 Hz). To improve head tracking performance in the presence of lags, a lag compensation technique is needed to prevent undesirable changes in tracking strategy.
Structure and function of the conserved 690 hairpin in Escherichia coli 16 S ribosomal RNA. III. Functional analysis of the 690 loop.

An instant-evolution experiment was performed on the eight nucleotides comprising the loop region of the 690 hairpin in Escherichia coli 16 S ribosomal RNA. Positions 690 to 697 were randomly mutated and 101 unique functional mutants were isolated, sequenced and analyzed for function in vivo. Non-random nucleotide distributions were observed at each of the mutated positions except 693 and 694. Nucleotide identity significantly affected ribosome function at positions 690, 695, 696 and 697. Pyrimidines were absent at position 696 in the instant-evolution pool as were C at position 691 and G at position 697. A highly significant covariation was observed between nucleotides 690 and 697. No functional double mutants at positions 691 and 696 were obtained from the instant-evolution pool. In our NMR structure of the 690 loop, both the G690.U697 and G691.A696 form sheared hydrogen-bonded mismatches. To further examine the functional constraints between these paired nucleotides, one set of site-directed mutations was constructed at positions 690:697 and another set was constructed at positions 691:696. Functional analysis of the site-directed mutants is consistent with our instant-evolution findings and revealed constraints on the placement of specific functional groups observed in the NMR structure. Ten instant-evolution mutants were isolated that are more functional than the wild-type. Hyperactivity in these mutants correlates with a single mutation at position 693.
Middle School Students' Mathematics Knowledge Retention: Online or Face-to-Face Environments

Educators seek to develop students’ mathematical knowledge retention to increase student efficacy in follow-on classwork, improvement of test scores, attainment of standards, and preparation for careers. Interactive visuals, feedback during problem solving, and incorporation of higher-order thinking skills are known to increase retention, but a comparison of online and face-to-face learning regarding knowledge retention has not been fully explored. The current study tested 38 Caucasian eighth grade students for knowledge retention on ten mathematical topics they had learned in sixth grade during either online or faceto-face conditions. After two years, students were given the same posttest as in 6 grade over the 10 units of which five had been learned online and five face-to-face. Scores for long-term gain scores showed no significant differences between online or face-to-face learning conditions. A TOST calculation was used to show equivalence of middle school student long-term learning across online and face-to-face conditions in mathematics in this study within the limits of the test. The interactive nature of each condition contributed to strong mathematical understanding, which led to the retention being equivalent for both conditions.
Health care system and situation of nurses and midwives . Against the race to the bottom

Health care system in Poland is usually viewed as insufficiently functioning. The Polish hospitals for a long time struggled with the problem of constant debts as they tried to provide medical services within not sufficient budget. The changes in the health care system cannot be viewed simply as an effect of the austerity policies, since their history is far longer. However there are visible similarities in the policies introduced into Polish health care system, which are based on the New Public Management policies and establish further cost reductions, usually in cost of workforce. For last 20 years the health care system workers made many attempts to introduce the knowledge about their working conditions and wages into the public debate. The occupational group that significantly highlighted the connection between working conditions, wages and the quality of care were the nurses and midwives. They organized their own trade union, which uniquely combines the agenda of quality of care with militant actions. The aim of the article is to analyse the forms of protests taken up by Polish nurses and midwives and their trade union, in the context of the specifics of care work. Therefore the changes in health care system can be viewed from the gender relation perspective, an approach with a long tradition in case of nurses and midwives work of Ehrenreich (1978), Gordon (2006), Isaksen (2009), Priegert Coulter (1993), Roberts i Group (1995), Walby 1994), White (1990). It enables better understanding of forms of protest organized with strong regard to care for patients and the quality of health care services, which is an effect of deeply internalized ideas and values of care work, in connection to notions of woman’s protectiveness.
Asymmetric PWM Control Scheme During Hold-Up Time for  $LLC$ Resonant Converter

To narrow down the switching-frequency-variation range of an LLC resonant converter, asymmetric pulsewidth modulation (APWM) of the hold-up time is proposed. During the hold-up time, the modulation method of an LLC resonant converter is changed from frequency modulation (FM) to APWM. Since the LLC resonant converter achieves a higher gain with APWM than it does with FM at the same switching frequency, the switching-frequency-variation range is reduced. Therefore, an optimal design of the magnetic components is possible, resulting in a high efficiency under normal operation and a high power density. The proposed control scheme is applied to an 85-W LLC resonant converter.
A Model-Based Approach To Attention and Sensory Integration in Postural Control of Older Adults

We conducted a dual-task experiment that involved information processing (IP) tasks concurrent with postural perturbations to explore the interaction between attention and sensory integration in postural control in young and older adults. Data were fit to a postural control model incorporating sensory integration and the influence of attention. This model hypothesizes that the cognitive processing and integration of sensory inputs for balance requires time, and that attention influences this processing time, as well as sensory selection by facilitating specific sensory channels. Differences in the time delay of the postural control model were found for age and IP task, suggesting enhanced vulnerability of balance processes in older adults to interference from interfering cognitive IP tasks