Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Laser polishing of additive manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy: a review

Abstract. Additive manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy has excellent comprehensive properties and has broad application prospects in the aerospace, biomedicine, and other fields. However, the fabricated components are too rough to use directly. So, a corresponding postprocess is needed urgently. The conventional finishing process cannot meet the requirements of green and efficient processing because of its time consumption, environmental pollution, and low productivity. Laser polishing, as a highly efficient and noncontact post-treatment technology, has attracted more and more attention in the polishing of additive manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy. The research of laser polishing of Ti6Al4V alloy in recent years has expatiated and includes laser polishing mechanisms, surface roughness and morphology, microstructure, mechanical properties, and finite element simulation analysis during laser polishing. Furthermore, the existing challenges of laser-polished Ti6Al4V alloy are summarized, and future development directions are proposed.
Review of pulse compression gratings for chirped pulse amplification system

Abstract. The ultrashort, ultrahigh intensity pulse laser has been fully developed in past three decades. Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system plays an important role in the generation of the ultrashort, ultrahigh intensity pulse laser. Pulse compression gratings (PCGs) are the key element of CPA system and determine the performance and lifetime of the whole system. We introduce the principle of CPA system and the performance requirements of PCGs. Then the development status of PCGs, including Au-coated grating, multilayer dielectric grating (MDG), and metal MDG, is fully reviewed. Finally, the development prospect of PCGs in the future is presented. Our study is helpful for comprehensive understanding of PCGs.
Gas Separation Membrane Materials: A Perspective

The membrane gas separation industry is 35 years old and growing at a significant rate. Development of higher selectivity and higher permeance membranes would result in faster growth. This paper will analyze the barriers that have inhibited the development of these membranes. We start by reviewing the lessons that can be drawn from the past 35 years of experience. We then review the needs and most promising research directions for new materials in current and future membrane applications.
Chapter 2 Tectonostratigraphy of the eastern part of the Oman Mountains

Abstract This chapter provides comprehensive descriptions of 52 numbered formations/rock units of the Southeastern Oman Mountains, based on available literature. The oldest eight siliciclastic and carbonate formations are positioned below the ‘Hercynian’ Unconformity. The overlying formation (9–16) mostly represent carbonates which accumulated in a passive margin platform setting during or after the opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. The passive margin slope and platform collapsed during the late Cretaceous because of the obduction of the Semail Ophiolite along with the deep marine Hawasina sedimentary rocks. The collapsing passive margin interval was recorded within the syn-obductional Aruma Group (17; Muti Formation). Above this formation are the allochthonous units (18–42) of the tectonically lower Hawasina deep-sea basin and the structurally overlying Semail Ophiolite. The former contains Permian to Upper Cretaceous formations, while the latter is Cenomanian in age. Above the allochthonous rocks, the Neo-autochthonous formations were deposited, starting with the post-obductional uppermost Cretaceous Aruma Group (43; Al-Khod Formation) until the Quaternary deposits (52). All these formations/rock units are depicted on an accompanying map and stratigraphic chart.
Experimental investigations on diesel engine using alumina nanoparticle fuel additive

Experimental work was done to examine the impact of diesel fuel with alumina nanoparticles on combustion characteristics, emissions and performance of diesel engine. Alumina nanoparticles were mixed with crude diesel in various weight fractions of 20, 30, and 40 mg/L. The engine tests showed that nano alumina addition of 40 ppm to pure diesel led to thermal efficiency enhancement up to 5.5% related to the pure diesel fuel. The average specific fuel consumption decrease about neat diesel fuel was found to be 3.5%, 4.5%, and 5.5% at dosing levels of 20, 30, and 40 ppm, respectively at full load. Emissions of smoke, HC, CO, and NOX were found to get diminished by about 17%, 25%, 30%, and 33%, respectively with 40 ppm nano-additive about diesel operation. The smaller size of nanoparticles produce fuel stability enhancement and prevents the fuel atomization problems and the clogging in fuel injectors. The increase of alumina nanoparticle percentage in diesel fuel produced the increases in cylinder pressure, cylinder temperature, heat release rate but the decreases in ignition delay and combustion duration were shown. The concentration of 40 ppm alumina nanoparticle is recommended for achieving the optimum improvements in the engine’s combustion, performance and emission characteristics.
Three-Dimensional Simulation on the Water Flow Field and Suspended Solids Concentration in the Rectangular Sedimentation Tank

A 3D computational fluid dynamics model for describing the water flow and suspended solids (SS) concentration distribution in a rectangular sedimentation tank is presented. The interfacial momentum transfer, buoyant forces, and the effect of sediment-induced density currents are considered. A convection-diffusion equation, which is extended to incorporate the sedimentation of activated sludge in the field of gravity, governed the mass transfer in the clarifier. The double-exponential law is used to describe the dependence of the settling velocity on the concentration. The results show that during the dynamic settling process of the sludge, the mud surface rose slowly, and a period of time later, the mud surface kept stability and reached dynamic equilibrium in the tank. The distribution of velocity along the z axis in the rectangular tank is not uniform, and the surface return flow is found. The turbulent kinetic energy is larger and dropped drastically in the inlet zone, while in the settling zone the tu.
The Effects of Smartphone Spectatorship on Attention, Arousal, Engagement, and Comprehension

The popularity of watching movies and videos on handheld devices is rising, yet little attention has been paid to its impact on viewer behaviour. Smartphone spectatorship is characterized by the small handheld screen as well as the viewing environment where various unrelated stimuli can occur, providing possible distractions from viewing. Previous research suggests that screen size, handheld control, and external stimuli can affect viewing experience; however, no prior studies have combined these factors or applied them for the specific case of smartphones. In the present study, we compared smartphone and large-screen viewing of feature films in the presence and absence of external distractors. Using a combination of eye tracking, electrodermal activity measures, self-reports, and recollection accuracy tests, we measured smartphone-accustomed viewers’ attention, arousal, engagement, and comprehension. The results revealed the impact of viewing conditions on eye movements, gaze dispersion, electrodermal activity, self-reports of engagement, as well as comprehension. These findings show that smartphone viewing is more effective when there are no distractions, and smartphone viewers are more likely to be affected by external stimuli. In addition, watching large stationary screens in designated viewing environments increases engagement with a movie.
A New Brominated Norsesquiterpene Glycoside From the Rhizomes of Acorus tatarinowii Schott

A new brominated norsesquiterpene glycoside, acoruside (1), has been isolated from the rhizomes of Acorus tatarinowii Schott, together with 8 known compounds (2-9). Their structures were elucidated mainly based on 1-dimensional (1D) and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by comparing its experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. The in vitro tests indicated that at 10 µM, compounds 2, 3, and 4 aggravated serum deprivation injuries of PC12 cells, compound 2 aggravated rotenone-induced injuries of PC12 cells, and compounds 3 and 4 aggravated the oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced injuries of PC12 cells.
Non-contrast and portal venous phase computed tomography in breast cancer hepatic metastases: comparison of tumor measurements and impact on response assessment

Background For many common malignancies, including breast cancer, evaluation for metastatic disease using multiphase computed tomography (CT) has fallen out of favor and been replaced by studies performed only in the portal venous phase. However, differences in tumor vascularity could produce differences in appearance on post-contrast imaging. Purpose To assess non-contrast phase and portal venous phase computed tomography in detection and measurement of hepatic metastases from breast carcinoma. Materials and Methods A total of 75 CT scans from 52 breast cancer patients were independently assessed by three body imagers for lesion presence, number and size. Readers randomly assessed portal venous phase or combined phase images at one session with cross-over reads performed four to six weeks later. Results In the 58% of cases where index lesions measured larger on combined phase, the mean difference in lesion size was 5.7 mm. In this group, combined phase reads demonstrated an 8.4 mm increase in sum of largest diameters, and a mean percentage sum of largest diameters increase of 19% compared to portal venous phase-only reads. Conclusion Addition of non-contrast phase images results in increased index lesion size in most patients with hepatic metastases from breast cancer. If only the portal venous phase is utilized, there is potential for incorrectly diagnosing disease progression on follow-up due to underestimation of lesion size.
Antimicrobial Activity of Securamines From the Bryozoan Securiflustra securifrons

Natural products and their derivatives have served as powerful therapeutics against pathogenic microorganisms and are the mainstay of our currently available treatment options to combat infections. As part of our ongoing search for antimicrobial natural products from marine organisms, one fraction prepared from the Arctic marine bryozoan Securiflustra securifrons was found to be active against the human pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus agalactiae (gr. B). Chemical investigation of the fraction revealed that it contained several variants of the highly modified secondary metabolites known as securamines. The securamines are alkaloids sharing a common isoprene-histamine-tryptamine backbone. In this study, we describe the antimicrobial activities of securamine C, E, and H – J (4, 5, and 1-3) and the attempt to deconvolute the mode of action of 1.
Utility of manual fractional anisotropy measurements in the management of patients with Parkinson disease: a feasibility study with a 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging system

Background Diffusion tensor imaging has emerged as a promising tool for quantitative analysis of neuronal damage in Parkinson disease, with potential value for diagnostic and prognostic evaluation. Purpose The aim of this study was to examine Parkinson disease-associated alterations in specific brain regions revealed by diffusion tensor imaging and how such alterations correlate with clinical variables. Material and Methods Diffusion tensor imaging was performed on 42 Parkinson disease patients and 20 healthy controls with a 1.5-T scanner. Manual fractional anisotropy measurements were performed for the ventral, intermediate, and dorsal portions of the substantia nigra, as well as for the cerebral peduncles, putamen, thalamus, and supplementary motor area. The correlation analysis between these measurements and the clinical variables was performed using χ2 variance and multiple linear regression. Results Compared to healthy controls, Parkinson disease patients had significantly reduced fractional anisotropy values in the substantia nigra (P < .05). Some fractional anisotropy measurements in the substantia nigra correlated inversely with duration of Parkinson disease and Parkinson disease severity scores. Reduced fractional anisotropy values in the substantia nigra were also correlated inversely with age variable. fractional anisotropy values obtained for the right and left putamen varied significantly between males and females in both groups. Conclusion Manual fractional anisotropy measurements in the substantia nigra were confirmed to be feasible with a 1.5-T scanner. Diffusion tensor imaging data can be used as a reliable biomarker of Parkinson disease that can be used to support diagnosis, prognosis, and progression/treatment monitoring.
Evaluation of the occurrence of pathogenic free‐living amoeba and bacteria in 20 public indoor swimming pool facilities

Recently, indoor swimming pool activities have increased to promote health‐enhancing physical activities, which require establishing suitable protocols for disinfection and water quality control. Normally, the assessment of the microbial quality of the water in the pools only considers the presence of different bacteria. However, other less frequent but more resistant pathogens, such as free‐living amoebas (FLA), are not contemplated in both existing recommendation and research activities. FLA represent a relevant human health risk, not only due to their pathogenicity but also due to the ability to act as vehicles of other pathogens, such as bacteria. Therefore, this work aimed to study the physicochemical characteristics and the occurrence of potentially pathogenic FLA and bacteria in water samples from 20 public indoor swimming facilities in Northern Portugal. Our results showed that some swimming pools presented levels of pH, free chlorine, and conductivity out of the recommended limits. Pathogenic FLA species were detected in two of the facilities under study, where we also report the presence of both, FLA and pathogenic bacteria. Our findings evidence the need to assess the occurrence of FLA and their existence in the same environmental niche as pathogenic bacteria in swimming pool facilities worldwide and to establish recommendations to safeguard the health of the users.
Ratios between circulating myeloid cells and lymphocytes are associated with mortality in severe COVID-19 patients

Abstract Recent studies indicate that host immune responses are dysregulated with either myeloid cell compartment or lymphocyte composition being disturbed in COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection on the composition of circulating immune cells in severe COVID-19 patients. In this retrospective single-center cohort, 71 out of 87 COVID-19 patients admitted to the intense care unit for oxygen treatment were included in this study. Demographics, clinical features, comorbidities, and laboratory findings were collected on admission. Out of the 71 patients, 5 died from COVID-19. Compared with survived patients, deceased patients showed higher blood cell counts of neutrophils and monocytes but lower cell counts of lymphocytes. Intriguingly, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and basophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (BLR) were markedly higher in deceased patients compared to survived patients. Furthermore, the lymphocyte counts were negatively correlated with D-dimer levels, while the ratios between myeloid cells and lymphocyte (NLR, MLR, and BLR) were positively correlated with D-dimer levels. Our findings revealed that the ratios between myeloid cells and lymphocytes were highly correlated with coagulation status and patient mortality in severe COVID-19.
Is Vision C interchangeable with the modified Westergren method for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate?

Abstract Objectives As one of the most widely used tests, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a measurement of sedimentation reaction in blood samples. Although the recommended method for ESR measurement is the Westergren method, this method has some disadvantages in comparison with automated ESR systems. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to compare Vision C with the Westergren method. Methods The Vision C automated ESR system and the modified Westergren method were compared using K3EDTA-containing tubes and citrated blood tubes from randomly selected 100 patients. Precision, bias, and interference calculations were performed. Results The mean difference between the Vision C (room temperature) and the modified Westergren method was 22.8 ± 26.6 mm/h (95% CI for the mean was 17.50–28.08 mm/h). The mean difference between the Vision C (18 °C) and the modified Westergren method was 27.4 ± 30.6 mm/h (95% CI for the mean was 21.3–33.5 mm/h). The calculated regression analysis equation was “y= 0.263 + 1.053x” and “y= −0.530 + 0.851x” for the Vision C (room temperature) and the Vision C (18 °C), respectively. The imprecision values ranged at 7.55–17.09%. According to our external quality control results, bias was 11.11 and 9.66 for the low- and high-level samples, respectively. Conclusions The Vision C automated ESR system has a comparable analytical performance with the modified Westergren method. The Vision C automated system may be utilized in ESR measurements with quality control evaluations. Nevertheless, temperature correction using Manley’s monogram causes an important negative bias and should be taken into consideration during the evaluation of the Vision C results.
Testing and evaluation of cold-start emissions from a gasoline engine in RDE test at two different ambient temperatures

Abstract In order to better reflect the actual ecological performance of vehicles in traffic conditions, both the emission standards and the applied emission tests are being developed, for example by considering exhaust emissions for a cold engine start. This article presents the research results on the impact of ambient temperature during the cold start of a gasoline engine in road emission tests. The Real Driving Emissions (RDE) tests apply to passenger cars that meet the Euro 6 emissions norm and they are complementary to their type approval tests. A portable emissions measurement system was used to record the engine and vehicle operating parameters, as well as to measure the exhaust emissions during tests. This allowed for parameters such as engine load, engine speed and vehicle speed to be monitored. The cold start conditions for two different temperatures (8°C and 25°C) were compared in detail. Moreover, the engine operating parameters, exhaust concentration values and road emissions for the 300 s time interval, were compared. The summary of the article presents the share of a passenger car’s cold start phase for each exhaust compound in the urban part of the test and in the entire Real Driving Emissions test depending on the ambient temperature.
Completely Monotone Multinomial Mittag-Leffler Type Functions and Diffusion Equations with Multiple Time-Derivatives

The multinomial Mittag-Leffler function plays a crucial role in the study of multi-term time-fractional evolution equations. In this work we establish basic properties of the Prabhakar type generalization of this function with the main emphasis on complete monotonicity. As particular examples, the relaxation functions for equations with multiple time-derivatives in the so-called “natural” and “modified” forms are studied in detail and useful estimates are derived. The obtained results extend known properties of the classical Mittag-Leffler function. The main tools used in this work are Laplace transform and Bernstein functions’ technique.
UV-B exposure and exogenous hydrogen peroxide application leads to cross-tolerance toward drought in Nicotiana tabacum L

Acclimation of plants to water deficit involves biochemical and physiological adjustments. Here, we studied how UV-B exposure and exogenously applied hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) potentiates drought tolerance in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Separate and combined applications for 14 days of 1.75 kJ m−2 day−1 UV-B radiation and 0.2 mM H2O2 were assessed. Both factors, individually and combined, resulted in inhibition of growth. Furthermore, the combined treatment led to the most compacted plants. UV-B- and UV-B+H2O2-treated plants increased total antioxidant capacity and foliar epidermal flavonol content. H2O2- and UV-B+H2O2-pre-treated plants showed cross-tolerance to a subsequent 7-day drought treatment. Plant responses to the pre-treatment were notably different: i) H2O2 increased the activity of catalase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase and peroxidase activities, and ii) the combined treatment induced epidermal flavonols which were key to drought tolerance. We report synergistic effects of UV-B and H2O2 on transcription accumulation of UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8, NAC DOMAIN PROTEIN 13 (NAC13), and BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR 1 (BES1). Our data demonstrate a pre-treatment-dependent response to drought for NAC13, BES1 and CHALCONE SYNTHASE transcript accumulation. This study highlights the potential of combining UV-B and H2O2 to improve drought tolerance which could become a useful tool to reduce water use.
Multiple metabolic signals including AMPK and PKA regulate glucose-stimulated double strand break resection in yeast

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are cytotoxic lesions repaired by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR), with 5’ strand resection being the committed step in transition from NHEJ to HR. We previously discovered that gal1 yeast, which cannot metabolize galactose, were unable to perform efficient 5’ resection even though DSBs were formed. Adding glucose or restoring GAL1 restored resection, suggesting that carbon source metabolism signals to DSB repair. Here we demonstrate that any fermentable carbon source, including raffinose, can stimulate resection and that the stimulatory effect of glucose was associated with decreased, not increased, cellular ATP. The effect was cell cycle dependent and did not occur in G1, while glucose augmented the G2/M checkpoint arrest even in cells deficient in resection. AMP-activated protein kinase pathway mutants showed only low basal resection despite glucose addition but had normal checkpoint arrest, indicating a primary role for Snf1 specifically in glucose-stimulated resection. The metabolic inputs to resection were multifactorial, however, with loss of the transcriptional repressor Mig1 leading to increased basal resection, three distinct patterns of deficiency with loss of the protein kinase A catalytic subunits, Tpk1, Tpk2 andTpk3, and a resection delay in yeast lacking the lysine demethylase Rph1 that helped separate early and late phase responses to glucose. These results reveal multiple interrelated metabolic signals that optimize DSB resection efficiency while independently amplifying the G2/M checkpoint response.