pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
A composite hydrogel for brain tissue phantoms

Synthetic phantoms are valuable tools for training, research and development in traditional and computer aided surgery, but complex organs, such as the brain, are difficult to replicate. Here, we present the development of a new composite hydrogel capable of mimicking the mechanical response of brain tissue under loading. Our results demonstrate how the combination of two different hydrogels, whose synergistic interaction results in a highly tunable blend, produces a hybrid material that closely matches the strongly dynamic and non-linear response of brain tissue. The new synthetic material is inexpensive, simple to prepare, and its constitutive components are both widely available and biocompatible. Our investigation of the properties of this engineered tissue, using both small scale testing and life-sized brain phantoms, shows that it is suitable for reproducing the brain shift phenomenon and brain tissue response to indentation and palpation
Teaching empirical finance courses: A project on portfolio management

The aim of this article was to assess the use of a group-based project for an empirical finance type of course. It examines the outline of the project, the methodology the students are encouraged to follow and how the course is assessed. This approach enables the students to apply many of the techniques learnt on this course and other courses such as econometrics, to determine an optimal portfolio of assets given their view on the risks in the economy. The emphasis is on risk management through portfolio diversification and the use of a simple hedge strategy. The overall aim was to introduce the students to the basics of portfolio management, as many work in this industry for their industrial placements and when they graduate. The main contribution to the literature is through the analysis of an empirically based portfolio management project. The feedback from the students suggests they felt that they had learnt useful concepts and information, in an enjoyable exercise
Disentangling Goods, Labor, and Credit Market Frictions in Three European Economies

We build a flexible model with search frictions in three markets: credit, labor, and goods markets. We then apply this model (called CLG) to three different economies: a flexible, finance-driven economy (the UK), an economy with wage moderation (Germany), and an economy with structural rigidities (Spain). In these three countries, goods and credit market frictions play a dominant role in entry costs and account for 75% to 85% of the total entry costs. In the goods market, adverse supply shocks are amplified through their propagation to the demand side, as they also imply income losses for consumers. This adds up to, at most, an additional 15% to 25% to the impact of the shocks. Finally, the speed of matching in the goods market and the credit market accounts for a small fraction of unemployment: most variation in unemployment comes from the speed of matching in the labor market
Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease have elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 levels and a renal leak of phosphate

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and parathyroid hormone blood levels rise following progressive loss of renal function. Here we measured parameters of phosphate metabolism in 100 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in stage 1 or 2 of chronic kidney disease, 20 patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease, and 26 with type 2 diabetes. Twenty healthy volunteers served as controls. The mean levels of FGF23 were significantly (4-fold) higher in ADPKD compared to non-diabetic and diabetic patients, and healthy volunteers. Mean serum phosphate levels were significantly lower in ADPKD patients compared to non-diabetic and diabetic patients, and the healthy volunteers. The prevalence of hypophosphatemia was 38, 25, 27, and 5% in ADPKD, non-diabetic and diabetic patients, and healthy volunteers, respectively. The tubular maximum of phosphate reabsorption per glomerular filtration rate was lowest in ADPKD patients with a significantly high positive correlation with serum phosphate levels. Estimated glomerular filtration rates were approximately 100 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in all groups and parathyroid hormone and vitamin D metabolite levels were in the normal range. Thus, FGF23 was substantially elevated in ADPKD patients compared to other CKD patients matched for glomerular filtration rate, and was associated with increased renal phosphate excretion. The mechanism for this anomaly will require further study
Fingerprints of different interaction mechanisms on the collective modes in complex (dusty) plasmas

In this paper, we discuss the relations between the exact shape of interparticle interactions in complex (dusty) plasmas and the dispersion relation of the longitudinal collective mode. Several representative repulsive potentials, predicted previously theoretically, are chosen, and the corresponding dispersion relations are calculated using the quasi-crystalline approximation. Both weakly coupled and strongly coupled regimes are considered. It is shown that the long-wavelength portions of the dispersion curves can be sensitive to the long-range asymptote of the interaction potential. This can be used to discriminate between different interaction mechanisms operational in complex plasmas experimentally.\ud
Main requirements are briefly discussed
Human papillomavirus in oral squamous cells carcinoma in a population of 75 Brazilian patients

Purpose

In the present study, we investigated the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and viral types in 75 cases of oral squamous cells carcinoma from Brazil to obtain data that would contribute to a better understanding of the role of HPV in the pathogenesis of this tumor.

Materials and methods

DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue and amplified by polymerase chain reaction using a pair of primers designated PCO3+ and PCO4+ for the detection of a fragment of the human ?-globin gene, followed by polymerase chain reaction for the detection of HPV DNA using a pair of generic primers, GP5+ and GP6+. Viral typing was performed by dot blot hybridization.

Results

Human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 18 (24%) of the 75 cases positive for the human ?-globin gene. No significant association was observed between HPV and age, sex, or anatomical location of the tumor. The most prevalent viral type was HPV-18 (77,8%).

Conclusion

The low frequency of detection of HPV DNA in oral epidermoid carcinomas suggests a possible participation of the virus in the development and progression of only a subgroup of these tumors
Thermal behaviour of zircon/zirconia-added chemically durable borosilicate porous glass

Macroporous alkali resistant glass has been developed by making additions of zirconia (ZrO2) and zircon (ZrSiO4) to the sodium borosilicate glass system SiO2–B2O3 Na2O. The glass was made using a traditional high temperature fusion process. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was carried out to identify the glass transition temperature (Tg) and crystallisation temperature (Tx). Based on these findings, controlled heat-treatments were implemented to separate the glass into two-phases; a silica-rich phase, and an alkali-rich borate phase. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify any crystal phases present in the asquenched and heat-treated glasses. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy also proved effective in investigating phase separation and crystallisation behaviour. After leaching, a silica-rich skeleton with an interconnected pore structure and a uniform pore distribution was observed. Pore characterisation was carried out using mercury porosimetry. The size and shape of the pores largely depended on the heattreatment temperature and time. ZrO2/ZrSiO4 additions increased the alkali resistance of the porous glass 3–4 times
Valuing travel time variability: Characteristics of the travel time distribution on an urban road

Fosgerau and Karlstrom [The value of reliability. Transportation Research Part B, Vol. 43 (8–9), pp. 813–820, 2010] presented a derivation of the value of travel time variability (VTTV) with a number of desirable properties. This definition of the VTTV depends on certain properties of
the distribution of random travel times that require empirical verification. This paper therefore provides a detailed empirical investigation of the distribution of travel times on an urban road. Applying a range of nonparametric statistical techniques to data giving minute-by-minute travel times for a congested urban road over a period of five months, we show that the standardized
travel time is roughly independent of the time of day as required by the theory. Except for the extreme right tail, a stable distribution seems to fit the data well. The  travel time distributions on consecutive links seem to share a common stability parameter such that the travel time distribution for a sequence of links is also a stable distribution. The parameters of the travel time distribution
for a sequence of links can then be derived analytically from the link level distributions.
Brief Report: Schema consistent misinformation effects in eyewitnesses with autism spectrum disorder

A number of studies have demonstrated schema-related misinformation effects in typical individuals, but no research to date has examined this with witnesses with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), despite their impaired ability to generate core elements that define everyday events. After witnessing slides depicting a bank robbery, 16 adults with ASD and 16 matched comparison individuals were exposed to post-event misinformation that was either schema typical or atypical. Consistent with previous work, the comparison group went onto report more schema typical misinformation than atypical misinformation. However, so too did the ASD group, suggesting that individuals with ASD do have understanding of the causal links between events, persons and actions, an important finding from both theoretical and applied perspectives
Effect of duplex treatments by plasma nitriding and triode sputtering on corrosion behaviour of 32CDV13 low alloy steel

This paper presents corrosion behaviour of duplex treated low alloy steel. Different kinds of samples were tested: non-treated, plasma nitrided, ZrBN-triode sputtered and ZrBN-duplex treated samples. The corrosion behaviour was evaluated by electrochemical techniques (corrosion potential and polarisation resistance evolutions versus immersion time, potentiodynamic curves). The corrosion tests were carried out in neutral aqueous saline solution (NaCl 30 g L−1), naturally aerated. The composition and the structure of layers were determined by EDS and XRD, respectively, while the morphology was observed by SEM.
Experimental results showed that the corrosion current density Icorr increased with decreasing white layer thickness in plasma nitrided specimens. The nitrides ε-Fe2 − 3N and γ′-Fe4N present in the white layer are nobler than the substrate but may promote, by galvanic effect, a localised corrosion through open porosity. The duplex treated specimens (nitriding+ZrBN coating) present better corrosion protection and enable to overcome the drawbacks of both techniques, mainly the porosity of the deposited films
Influence of temperature, UV-light wavelength and intensity on polypropylene photothermal oxidation

A criterion based on the energy absorbed by photosensitive species was proposed to describe the contribution of UV-light to the initiation of the polypropylene photothermal oxidation whatever the light source. The calculation of this energy was performed using the widely accepted quantum theory. The criterion was then introduced in two different types of analytical models commonly used to describe the combined effects of UV light and temperature on induction time, namely: the reciprocity law and kinetic model. The limitations of both types of analytical models were then investigated: the latter, derived from a realistic mechanistic scheme, was found to be much more relevant than the former, which is presumably valid in a restricted range of light intensities, essentially due to its empirical origin
Scaling the information processing demands of occupations

The purpose of this study was to provide additional validity evidence for a model of person–environment fit based on polychronicity, stimulus load, and information processing capacities. In this line of research the confluence of polychronicity and information processing (e.g., the ability of individuals to process stimuli from the environment along five dimensions of information load, interpersonal load, change load, time structure, and activity structure) is applied to the occupational environment. Using magnitude estimation scaling, college students in the United States and Portugal rated 42 occupations across five information processing demand characteristics. Results indicated that occupations could be differentiated by the information load conditions, thus producing a profile of information processing demand characteristics unique to each of the occupations tested. Additional findings provided evidence for the validity of the scaled occupational values; ratings differed reliably across Holland categories, were fairly consistent across the two cultural groups, and showed expected relationships with salary and educational level
A comparison of Finite Elements for Nonlinear Beams: The absolute nodal coordinate and geometrically exact formulations

Two of the most popular finite element formulations for solving nonlinear beams are the absolute nodal coordinate and the geometrically exact approaches. Both can be applied to problems with very large deformations and strains, but they differ substantially at the continuous and the discrete levels. In addition, implementation and run-time computational costs also vary significantly. In the current work, we summarize the main features of the two formulations, highlighting their differences and similarities, and perform numerical benchmarks to assess their accuracy and robustness. The article concludes with recommendations for the choice of one formulation over the other
Including hardware/software co-design in the ASSERT model driven engineering process.

Abstract. The ASSERT project de?ned new software engineering methods and tools for the development of critical embedded real-time systems in the space domain. The ASSERT model-driven engineering process was one of the achievements of the project and is based on the concept of property- preserving model transformations. The key element of this process is that non-functional properties of the software system must be preserved during model transformations. Properties preservation is carried out through model transformations compliant with the Ravenscar Pro?le and provides a formal basis to the process. In this way, the so-called Ravenscar Computational Model is central to the whole ASSERT process. This paper describes the work done in the HWSWCO study, whose main objective has been to address the integration of the Hardware/Software co-design phase in the ASSERT process. In order to do that, non-functional properties of the software system must also be preserved during hardware synthesis. Keywords : Ada 2005, Ravenscar pro?le, Hardware/Software co-design, real- time systems, high-integrity systems, OR
Brown trout thermal niche and climate change: expected changes in the distribution of cold-water fish in central Spain

This paper addresses the determination of the realized thermal niche and the effects of climate change on the range distribution of two brown trout populations inhabiting two streams in the Duero River basin (Iberian Peninsula) at the edge of the natural distribution area of this species. For reaching these goals, new methodological developments were applied to improve reliability of forecasts. Water temperature data were collected using 11 thermographs located along the altitudinal gradient, and they were used to model the relationship between stream temperature and air temperature along the river continuum. Trout abundance was studied using electrofishing at 37 sites to determine the current distribution. The RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 change scenarios adopted by the International Panel of Climate Change for its Fifth Assessment Report were used for simulations and local downscaling in this study. We found more reliable results using the daily mean stream temperature than maximum daily temperature and their respective seven days moving-average to determine the distribution thresholds. Thereby, the observed limits of the summer distribution of brown trout were linked to thresholds between 18.1ºC and 18.7ºC. These temperatures characterise a realised thermal niche narrower than the physiological thermal range. In the most unfavourable climate change scenario, the thermal habitat loss of brown trout increased to 38% (Cega stream) and 11% (Pirón stream) in the upstream direction at the end of the century; however, at the Cega stream, the range reduction could reach 56% due to the effect of a ?warm-window? opening in the piedmont reach
Asymptotic stability of a two species chemotaxis system with non-diffusive chemoattractant

ABSTRACT\ud
\ud
We study the behavior of two biological populations “u” and “v” attracted by the same chemical substance whose behavior is described in terms of second order parabolic equations. The model considers a logistic growth of the species and the interactions between them are relegated to the  chemoattractant production.\ud
\ud
\ud
The system is completed with a third equation modeling the evolution of chemical. We assume that the chemical “w” is a non-diffusive substance and satisfies an ODE, more precisely, ⎧\ud
⎪⎨\ud
⎪⎩\ud
ut = u −∇· �\ud
uχ1(w)∇w\ud
�\ud
+ μ1u(1 − u), x ∈ Ω, t > 0,\ud
vt = v −∇· �\ud
vχ2(w)∇w\ud
�\ud
+ μ2v(1 − v), x ∈ Ω, t > 0,\ud
wt = h(u,v,w), x ∈ Ω, t > 0,\ud
under appropriate boundary and initial conditions in an n-dimensional open and bounded domain Ω. We consider the cases of positive chemo-sensitivities, not necessarily constant elements. The chemical production function h increases as the concentration of the species “u” and “v” increases. We first study the global existence and uniform boundedness of the solutions by using an iterative approach. The asymptotic stability of the homogeneous steady state is a consequence of the growth of h, χi and the size of μi. Finally, some\ud
examples of the theoretical results are presented for particular functions h and χi
An improved assembly and annotation of the melon (Cucumis melo L.) reference genome

We report an improved assembly (v3.6.1) of the melon (Cucumis melo L.) genome and a new genome annotation (v4.0). The optical mapping approach allowed correcting the order and the orientation of 21 previous scaffolds and permitted to correctly define the gap-size extension along the 12 pseudomolecules. A new comprehensive annotation was also built in order to update the previous annotation v3.5.1, released more than six years ago. Using an integrative annotation pipeline, based on exhaustive RNA-Seq collections and ad-hoc transposable element annotation, we identified 29,980 protein-coding loci. Compared to the previous version, the v4.0 annotation improved gene models in terms of completeness of gene structure, UTR regions definition, intron-exon junctions and reduction of fragmented genes. More than 8,000 new genes were identified, one third of them being well supported by RNA-Seq data. To make all the new resources easily exploitable and completely available for the scientific community, a redesigned Melonomics genomic platform was released at http://melonomics.net. The resources produced in this work considerably increase the reliability of the melon genome assembly and resolution of the gene models paving the way for further studies in melon and related species
Biocompatibility of chemoenzymatically derived dextran-acrylate hydrogels

The biocompatibility of chemoenzymatically generated dextran-acrylate hydrogels has been evaluated in vitro, using human foreskin fibroblasts, and in vivo, by subcutaneous and intramuscular implantation in Wistar rats for up to 40 days. In vitro tests show that hydrogel extracts only minimally reduced (<10%) the mitochondrial metabolic activity of fibroblasts. Direct contact of the hydrogels with cells induced a cellular proliferation inhibition index (CPII) of 50-80%, compared with a control, whereas through indirect contact, the CPII values were <16%, suggesting that the high CPII values achieved in the direct assay test were likely due to mechanical stress or limitations in oxygen diffusion. Hence, the hydrogels were noncytotoxic. Moreover, cell-material interaction studies show that these hydrogels were nonadhesive. Finally, histologic evaluation of tissue response to subcutaneous and intramuscular implants showed acceptable levels of biocompatibility, as characterized by a normal cellular response and the absence of necrosis of the surrounding tissues of the implant. In the first 10 days, the foreign-body reaction in the intramuscular implantation was more severe than in subcutaneous implantation, becoming identical after 30 days. In both cases, dextran hydrogels did not show signs of degradation 6 weeks postimplantation and were surrounded by a thin fibrous capsule and some macrophages and giant cells. This response is typical with a number of nondegradable biocompatible materials. These results indicate that dextran hydrogels are biocompatible, and may have suitable applications as implantable long-term peptide/protein delivery systems or scaffolds for tissue engineering. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 68A: 584-596, 2004http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.2010
Simulating quantum-optical phenomena with cold atoms in optical lattices

We propose a scheme involving cold atoms trapped in optical lattices to
observe different phenomena traditionally linked to quantum-optical systems.
The basic idea consists of connecting the trapped atomic state to a non-trapped
state through a Raman scheme. The coupling between these two types of atoms
(trapped and free) turns out to be similar to that describing light-matter
interaction within the rotating-wave approximation, the role of matter and
photons being played by the trapped and free atoms, respectively. We explain in
particular how to observe phenomena arising from the collective spontaneous
emission of atomic and harmonic oscillator samples such as superradiance and
directional emission. We also show how the same setup can simulate Bose-Hubbard
Hamiltonians with extended hopping as well as Ising models with long-range
interactions. We believe that this system can be realized with state of the art
technology
Extra Dimensions, Isosinglet Charged Leptons and Neutrino Factories

Isosinglet fermions naturally arise in a variety of extensions of the
Standard Model, in particular in models with extra dimensions. In this paper,
we study the effect of the addition of a new isosinglet charged lepton to the
standard spectrum, with special emphasis on implications for neutrino
asymmetries to be measured at future neutrino factories. Lepton flavour
violation in neutral current and lepton universality constraints are
extensively discussed. We show that new physics effects in $\nu_e-\nu_{\mu}$ CP
asymmetries are significantly enhanced due to leptonic maximal mixings but
still too small to give a signature at future neutrino factories. A signal for
CP asymmetries in $\nu_{\mu}-\nu_{\tau}$ channel due to new physics could be
observed at $1-3 \sigma$ if lepton flavour violating $\tau$ decays are seen in
a very close future in B-factories like BELLE experiment.Comment: 30 page