Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Análise do Comportamento como uma Psicologia da Ciência

A psicologia da ciência é uma das disciplinas que integram a metaciência e visa elucidar a dimensão psicológica do fazer científico. Como um sistema teórico-metodológico na psicologia, a Análise do Comportamento ocupa uma posição periférica nos estudos psicológicos da ciência. Essa posição não parece se justificar pela ausência ou discussão incipiente da atividade científica no domínio analítico-comportamental. Considerando as contribuições da Análise do Comportamento ao exame da ciência, o objetivo deste trabalho é descrever os princípios de uma psicologia comportamentalista da ciência. Esses princípios são evidenciados cotejando-os com o objeto de estudo, os objetivos e as aplicações do campo da psicologia da ciência. A Análise do Comportamento, como disciplina psicológica metacientífica, pode contribuir com a investigação das variáveis controladoras do comportamento científico, podendo, com isso, fomentar o ensino de habilidades científicas, bem como aprimorar a produção e a avaliação da ciência. Mesmo circunscrita ao comportamento individual, uma psicologia da ciência analítico-comportamental pode dialogar com outras disciplinas metacientíficas, disponibilizando informações que podem elucidar aspectos filosóficos, históricos e sociológicos da ciência. Inversamente, interlocuções com essas áreas podem consolidar a proposta de uma psicologia comportamentalista da ciência, evidenciando os seus limites e descortinando outras possibilidades de estudo do fazer científico com base nos princípios e conceitos da Análise do Comportamento.Palavras-chave: Psicologia da ciência, comportamento do cientista, comportamentalismo radical, Análise do Comportamento, metaciência.
Amyloid-Beta Peptides and Activated Astroglia Impairs Proliferation of Nerve Growth Factor Releasing Cells In Vitro: Implication for Encapsulated Cell Biodelivery-Mediated AD Therapy

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment is constrained due to the inability of peripherally administered therapeutic molecules to cross the blood–brain barrier. Encapsulated cell biodelivery (ECB) devices, a tissue-targeted approach for local drug release, was previously optimized for human mature nerve growth factor (hmNGF) delivery in AD patients but was found to have reduced hmNGF release over time. To understand the reason behind reduced ECB efficacy, we exposed hmNGF-releasing cells (NGC0211) in vitro to human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI), Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), and AD patients. Subsequently, we exposed NGC0211 cells directly to AD-related factors like amyloid-β peptides (Aβ40/42) or activated astrocyte-conditioned medium (Aβ40/42/IL-1β/TNFα-treated) and evaluated biochemical stress markers, cell death indicators, cell proliferation marker (Ki67), and hmNGF release. We found that all patients’ CSF significantly reduced hmNGF release from NGC0211 cells in vitro. Aβ40/42, inflammatory molecules, and activated astrocytes significantly affected NGC0211 cell proliferation without altering hmNGF release or other parameters important for essential functions of the NGC0211 cells. Long-term constant cell proliferation within the ECB device is critically important to maintain a steady cell population needed for stable mNGF release. These data show hampered proliferation of NGC0211 cells, which may lead to a decline of the NGC0211 cell population in ECBs, thereby reducing hmNGF release. Our study highlights the need for future studies to strengthen ECB-mediated long-term drug delivery approaches.
Empirical Kinetic Modelling of the Effect of l-Ascorbic Acid on the Cu(II)-Induced Oxidation of Quercetin

This study aimed at investigating the effect of l-ascorbic acid on the Cu2+-induced oxidation of quercetin, within a pH range from 6.7 to 8.3 and temperatures varying from 53 to 87 °C. Initial examinations showed that quercetin degradation obeyed apparent first-order kinetics and it was significantly affected by temperature. Modelling of the effect of l-ascorbic acid by implementing response surface methodology suggested that l-ascorbic acid did not impact quercetin oxidation significantly (p < 0.05) and led to an empirical kinetic model based on temperature (T) and pH. Liquid chromatography–diode array–mass spectrometry analyses revealed the presence of typical quercetin degradation and oxidation products, including protocatechuic acid and 2-(hydroxybenzoyl)-2-hydroxybenzofuran-3(2H)-one. It was concluded that the formation of l-ascorbyl or other radicals (superoxide anion) may be involved in quercetin oxidation and this fact merits further attention to illuminate the possible beneficial or adverse nutritional consequences of such reactions in foods.
Melting Heat Transfer in Magnetohydrodynamic Carreau Fluid over a Thermally Stratified Parabolic Surface

In this paper, we theoretically analyzed the effects of non-uniform heat source/sink on the magnetohydrodynamic dissipative flow of a Carreau fluid towards a thermally stratified melting surface of the paraboloid of revolution. Exponential heat source along with the temperature dependent thermal conductivity and viscosity are taken into account. The representing differential conditions are changed into an arrangement of non-straight coupled ODE’s and solved by employing the R-K with shooting system. Numerical arrangements are obtained from the flow, temperature profiles of various parametric values and after that domino effect are exhibited graphically and also a friction factor and local Sherwood number of various physical parameters are demonstrated graphically and in tabular form. Boosting values of the Weissenberg number increase both the velocity and thermal profiles of Carreau fluid. Rising values of velocity power law index parameter depreciate both the flow and local Sherwood number.
The climate regionalization in China for 1981-2010

The scheme of climate regionalization in China was conducted by the classification criteria of temperature zone, arid/humid region and climatic sub-region, and the variables used in the criteria were calculated as mean values of the 30 years by using the daily meteorological data of 658 stations from 1981 to 2010. In the classification criteria, the temperature zones were classified by the general guideline of the days with daily temperature steady above 10℃, and the secondary guideline of January mean temperature, or by their referenced variables including the accumulated temperature with daily temperature steady above 10℃ and annual minimum temperature, respectively. The arid/humid regions were classified by the annual aridity index and annual precipitation amount in turn. The climatic sub-regions were classified by the July mean temperature. The result shows that China can be divided into 12 temperature zones, 24 arid/humid regions and 56 climatic sub-regions. Compared with the climate regionalization scheme for the period of 1951- 1980, several boundaries of temperature zones in eastern China shifted northward in 1981-2010 due to the climate warming. The east part of the northern boundary of warm temperate zone shifted more than 1.0° at a maximum. On average, the east part of the northern boundary of north subtropical zone shifted 1.0°. The middle part of the northern boundary of mid-subtropical zone shifted 2.0° at a maximum. The west part of the northern boundary of south subtropical zone shifted 0.5°-2.0°. In West China, the shift of temperature zone was not significant in horizontal due to the vertical landform. However, the plateau sub-cold zone was shrunk while the plateau temperate zone was enlarged in the Tibetan Plateau. Because precipitation decreased in North China, southeastern part of Northeast China and eastern part of Northwest China, the boundary of the semi-arid and sub-humid region in Northern China shifted eastward and southward, and in which, the boundary between 36°-41°N shifted 0.5°-2.5°at longitude. Moreover, the climate in the most of arid regions and semi-arid regions in Hexi Corridor, Xinjiang and the Tibetan Plateau changed to be more humid.
Some Consequences of a Simple Approach for Constructing a Theory of a Relativistic Fermi Gas

It is shown how to build a simple but exact theory of a relativistic Fermi gas at 0 ˚K, which is based in a recently reported analytic formula for the energies of a relativistic spin-0 particle in a box. A white dwarf star is then simulated as a sphere filled with a relativistic Fermi gas. The Chandrasekhar mass limit is simply obtained using this model. We then discuss, using the proposed approach to relativistic quantum mechanics, how the interplay between the special theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity determines the stability of the matter.
Diffraction from twisted nanowires: helicity revealed by anisotropy

The helical nature of twisted nanowires is studied by simulated X-ray diffraction. It is shown that this helicity is revealed by the anisotropy, which can be both an elastic anisotropy, through the warping displacement generated by torsion, or a shape anisotropy of the cross section. To support the analytical calculations, based on the kinematic theory of diffraction by helices, atomistic simulations of copper nanowires are performed.
A preliminary soil security assessment of agricultural land in middle‐eastern China

Sustainable management of agricultural land requires not only an accurate assessment of the biophysical status of the soil but also estimates of the social and economic aspects of the soil. This paper focuses on soil security mapping of an approximately 80 000 km2 agricultural area in middle‐eastern China. We examined a digital soil assessment framework in mapping soil security and its five dimensions (capability, condition, capital, connectivity and codification) using digital soil maps and environmental variables. The main objective is to improve the understanding of soil protection in agricultural practices. Soil and environmental variables were coded as indicator values based on their functions, and three averaging models were used to integrate the indicators for soil security mapping. Results show that agricultural land in the study area currently has a high potential to achieve the crop production function, while there is still lack of sufficient social connectivity. Most of agricultural land has been properly protected by the public policy. More than half of the agricultural land has high security for cropping, while there is no unsecured soil. In general, most of the agricultural lands have already been well developed for cropping. The low soil security mainly contributes to the lack of proper connection to the soil. The findings suggest that digital soil security assessment is highly recommended for guiding sustainable development of agricultural land, because it could provide the knowledge of factors affecting soil security from complex multifaceted dimensions, and potential solutions to make agriculture soil more secure.
Battery Pack State of Health Prediction Based on the Electric Vehicle Management Platform Data

In electric vehicle technologies, the state of health prediction and safety assessment of battery packs are key issues to be solved. In this paper, the battery system data collected on the electric vehicle data management platform is used to model the corresponding state of health of the electric vehicle during charging and discharging processes. The increment in capacity in the same voltage range is used as the battery state of health indicator. In order to improve the modeling accuracy, the influence of ambient temperature on the capacity performance of the battery pack is considered. A temperature correction coefficient is added to the battery state of health model. Finally, a double exponential function is used to describe the process of battery health decline. Additionally, for the case where the amount of data is relatively small, model migration is also applied in the method. Particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to calibrate the model parameters. Based on the migration battery pack model and parameter identification method, the proposed method can obtain accurate battery pack SOH prediction result. The method is simple and easy to perform on the electric vehicle data management platform.
Chronic Idiopathic Constipation in Adults: A Review on Current Guidelines and Emerging Treatment Options

Abstract Chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) is a common functional bowel disorder characterized by difficult, infrequent, and/or incomplete defecation. It has a great impact on the quality of life and on health care system and represents a heavy economic burden. The diagnosis is based on symptoms, classified by the Rome IV criteria. The aim of this review was to evaluate the current therapeutic guidelines for adult CIC and highlight new emerging treatments. In detail, European, French, Spanish and Korean guidelines have been identified and compared. Osmotic laxatives, and in particular polyethylene glycol, represent the first-line therapeutic approach. Stimulant laxatives are recommended as a second-line therapy. Pelvic floor rehabilitation is recommended in patients with ano-rectal dyssynergia. In patients who fail to improve with pharmacological therapies sacral nerve stimulation is considered as last chance before surgery. Surgical approach has however limited indications in selected cases. Inertia coli refractory to any approach and obstructed defecation are two subtypes which can benefit from surgery. Among emerging agents, prucalopride, a prokinetic agent, is recommended as a second-line treatment in refractory CIC patients. In addition, the secretagogues linaclotide and plecanatide and the bile acid transported inhibitor elobixibat can be effective in patients not responsive to a second-line therapeutic regimen, although they are not worldwide commercially available.
Ultra-Fast Block Copolymers for Sub-5 nm Lithographic Patterning

DSA lithography is a chemical assisted patterning approach, which has attracted a great deal of interest due to its potential high resolution and low cost. Researchers around the world discovered some sub-5 nm high resolution DSA materials, and all these materials required high annealing temperature or long annealing time. In this study, we design and synthesize some PS-typed and PMMA-typed fluoro-containing BCPs. The finest half pitch of these BCPs is less than 5 nm. And the thermal annealing time of PS-typed BCPs is optimized to 1 min, which has been the highest assembly speed for sub-5 nm nanopatterning. The self-assembly speed of PMMA-typed BCPs is much slower than the PS-typed. We further exhibit that ordered nanopatterns are assembled to appear straight 10 nm lines in the silicon template.
Dipole glass in chromium-substituted bismuth pyrostannate

To establish the existence of dipole glass in the chromium-substituted bismuth pyrostannate solid solutions, the frequency and temperature dependences of the permittivity have been measured in the temperature range of 300–750 K. The field and dynamic dependences of polarization in the temperature range of 80–550 K have been determined. Using the Raman scattering spectra, the absence of inversion center has been established. The maximum of electrical resistance has been found in the vicinity of the dipole moment freezing point. The carrier type has been determined from the thermopower data. The polarization relaxation is shown to be nonexponential. The experimental data are explained within the model of dipole glass in the α- phase and the model of charged crystalline domain walls with the electron-polarization relaxation mechanism above the α–β structural transition.
Warm constant-roll inflation in brane-world cosmology

In this paper, we study a constant-roll inflationary model in the context of brane-world cosmology caused by a quintessence scalar field for warm inflation with a constant dissipative parameter [Formula: see text]. We determine the analytical solution for the Friedmann equation coupled to the equation of motion of the scalar field. The evolution of the primordial scalar and tensor perturbations is also studied using the modified Langevin equation. To check the viability of the model, we use numerical approaches and plot some figures. Our results for the scalar spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio show good consistency with observations.
Effects of injectable trace minerals on reproductive performance of beef heifers in adequate trace mineral status

ABSTRACT Red Angus–based, May-born heifers (n = 799) at 2 locations (Maddux Ranches, Wauneta, NE) were used to evaluate an injectable trace mineral on reproductive performance. Following October weaning, heifers were backgrounded in a feedlot until reaching a BW of 295 kg and then moved to native range at location 1 (n = 125) or location 2 (n = 286) in early March. Additional heifers (n = 388) grazed corn residue with cows, weaned in April, and were backgrounded until reaching 295 kg and then transported to locations 1 and 2 by early June. Free-choice mineral was available at both locations. Initial liver mineral status before treatment (n = 22; 307 kg) was adequate and not different (P > 0.26) among winter locations (copper = 146 μg/g, manganese = 9.22 μg/g, selenium = 1.54 μg/g, and zinc = 115 μg/g). Heifers were synchronized with a 14-d controlled internal drug-release (CIDR) timed-AI protocol and injected with a trace mineral (5 mL, Multimin 90; MM, n = 399) or not (CON, n = 400) at CIDR insertion. Bulls were with heifers on range 60 d following AI. The proportion of heifers pregnant within the first 21 d was not different (P = 0.32; 69 vs. 62 ± 3%; CON vs. MM) nor were those pregnant within 33 d (P = 0.57; 86 vs. 77 ± 2%; CON vs. MM) or overall pregnancy rates (P = 0.38; 95 vs. 93 ± 1%; CON vs. MM). Injectable trace mineral 33 d before AI did not influence reproductive performance in heifers with adequate trace mineral status.
Hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes with integrated aquaporin Z

We report on the preparation of hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes with aquaporin Z immobilized on the outer surface of the separation layer. Three ultrafiltration supports (polymeric, nanocomposite and reinforced) were evaluated in terms of their effect on the separation properties of membranes with AqpZ. Surface characterization showed that AqpZ-reconstituted proteoliposomes were successfully integrated with the polyamide matrix leading to permeate flux enhancement of up to 2.5 times. The membranes were also evaluated in terms of salt and organic matter removal. Reinforced ultrafiltration support allowed for the most effective integration between the polyamide layer and proteoliposomes giving the highest figure of merit – an aggregate metric of membrane performance that includes water permeability, selectivity and resistance to fouling.
Responses of Four Citrus Plants to Phytophthora-Induced Root Rot

China is one of the largest citrus producers in Asia, where Phytophthora parasitica infection has become the major threat in sustaining long term citrus production. The proposed study examined the effects of P. parasitica on Citrus junos, C. limon, C. tangerina and Poncirus trifoliata to evaluate the resisted rootstock to Phytophthora root rot. P. parasitica infection notably decreased plant growth, root morphology and activities of pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs) in C. limon and C. tangerina. Root β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase and phenylalanine ammonialyase activities significantly increased in C. junos and P. trifoliata after infection with P. parasitica. P. parasitica infection notably decreased root salicylic acid concentrations in C. limon, C. tangerina and P. trifoliata, while increasing it in C. junos. An opposite trend was observed in root jasmonic acid levels after infection with P. parasitica, relative to root salicylic acid. Root nitric oxide and calmodulin concentrations were significantly increased in P. parasitica-infected C. junos, C. tangerina and P. trifoliata, while C. limon exhibited a decrease. These results demonstrated that citrus species like C. junos and P. trifoliata displayed a much higher resistance to Phytophthora-induced root rot, and C. limon and C. tangerina showed a comparatively lower degree of resistance.
PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NITRENDIPINE LOADED GRAFTED COPOLYMER MICROSPHERES: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Objectives: Developing countries like India suffers mostly from cardiovascular problems and kidney failure. An antihypertensive drug is mainly used to avoid the cardiovascular problems and kidney failure. Nitrendipine is a calcium antagonist widely used in the treatment of hypertension. The bioavailability of drug, when administered orally, is low. Sustained drug delivery systems are using microspheres emerging as an effective method to increase the bioavailability of the drug. The current work involves the encapsulation of nitrendipine - acrylamide grafted chitosan which helps to overcome poor solubility and hydrophobic nature of the nitrendipine. This will enhance the drug dissolution and reduce the side effects of the antihypertensive drug.Methods: By emulsion cross-linking method, grafted copolymers were prepared. The physicochemical interactions between the drug and grafted copolymer were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results: Encapsulated drug and grafted copolymer were characterized by FTIR to understand the chemical interactions and to identify the functional groups present. Morphology and particle size of the grafted copolymer with drug and without drug were assessed by SEM. DSC was used to identify the melting endotherms of a drug, copolymer cross-linked microspheres, and drug encapsulated microspheres.Conclusion: Thus, the drug encapsulated grafted copolymer increases the hydrophilic character and thereby making the polymers feasible for functioning as drug carriers for sustained drug delivery system.
Aqueous Humor Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1α in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Objectives: This study investigated the contribution of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) angiogenic mediators in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Aqueous humor specimens taken during cataract surgery in 7 cases of intermediate stage (nonexudative) AMD and 7 cases of late stage (exudative) AMD were evaluated using chemiluminescent immunoassay testing in this prospective case-control study. Mediator levels were compared with the normal reference values of 7 patients without any disease other than cataract. Results: The groups were similar in terms of age and gender (p>0.05). The aqueous humor levels of VEGF in both the intermediate AMD (median: 224.3 pg/mL, range: 44.8–380.4 pg/mL) and late-stage AMD (median: 108.7 pg/mL, range: 61.9-223.5 pg/mL) patients were similar to those of the control group (median: 121.1 pg/mL, range: 24.9–156.6 pg/mL) (p=0.256). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the SDF-1α concentrations between the intermediate AMD (median: 160.9 pg/mL, range 130–166.3 pg/mL), late AMD (median: 161 pg/mL, range: 154.1.9–171.6 pg/mL), and control group values (median: 161 pg/mL, range: 155.2–219 pg/mL) (p=0.763). Conclusion: The aqueous humor levels of VEGF and SDF-1α were within the normal range in patients with intermediate and late-stage AMD.