Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Dispiro-Indolinones with Anticancer Activity

Novel variously substituted thiohydantoin-based dispiro-indolinones were prepared using a regio- and diastereoselective synthetic route from 5-arylidene-2-thiohydantoins, isatines, and sarcosine. The obtained molecules were subsequently evaluated in vitro against the cancer cell lines LNCaP, PC3, HCTwt, and HCT(−/−). Several compounds demonstrated a relatively high cytotoxic activity vs. LNCaP cells (IC50 = 1.2–3.5 µM) and a reasonable selectivity index (SI = 3–10). Confocal microscopy revealed that the conjugate of propargyl-substituted dispiro-indolinone with the fluorescent dye Sulfo-Cy5-azide was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of HEK293 cells. P388-inoculated mice and HCT116-xenograft BALB/c nude mice were used to evaluate the anticancer activity of compound 29 in vivo. Particularly, the TGRI value for the P388 model was 93% at the final control timepoint. No mortality was registered among the population up to day 31 of the study. In the HCT116 xenograft model, the compound (170 mg/kg, i.p., o.d., 10 days) provided a T/C ratio close to 60% on day 8 after the treatment was completed. The therapeutic index—estimated as LD50/ED50—for compound 29 in mice was ≥2.5. Molecular docking studies were carried out to predict the possible binding modes of the examined molecules towards MDM2 as the feasible biological target. However, such a mechanism was not confirmed by Western blot data and, apparently, the synthesized compounds have a different mechanism of cytotoxic action.
An augmented Lagrangian approach to simulating yield stress fluid flows around a spherical gas bubble

We simulated the flow of a yield stress fluid around a gas bubble using an augmented Lagrange approach. The piecewise linear equal‐order finite elements for both the velocity and the pressure approximations proposed and analyzed by Latché and Vola in 2004 were applied. A mesh adaptive strategy based on this element‐pair choice was also proposed to render the yield surfaces of desired resolution. The corresponding numerical scheme was formulated for general Herschel–Bulkley fluids. Numerical results on Bingham fluid flows around a slowly rising spherical gas bubble were provided to validate the proposed algorithm. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Understanding the Global Drivers of Inflation: How Important are Oil Prices?

: This paper examines the global drivers of inflation in 55 countries over the 1970–2022 period. We estimate a Factor-Augmented Vector Autoregression model for each country and assess the importance of several global (demand, supply, and oil price) and domestic shocks. We report three main results. First, global shocks have explained about 26 percent of inflation variation in a typical economy. Oil price shocks accounted for only about 4 percent of inflation variation, but they had a statistically significant impact on inflation in three quarters of countries. Second, global shocks have become more important in driving inflation variation over time. The share of inflation variance caused by oil price shocks increased from 4 percent prior to 2000 to roughly 9 percent over the 2001–2022 period. They also accounted for some of the steep runup in inflation between mid-2021 and mid-2022. Finally, oil price shocks tended to contribute significantly more to inflation variation in advanced economies; countries with stronger global trade and financial linkages; commodity importers; net energy importers; countries without inflation-targeting regimes; and countries with pegged exchange rate regimes. Our headline results are robust to a wide range of exercises—including alternative measures of global factors and oil prices— and aggregation of countries.
Investigation of Phase Shifts Using AUC Diagrams: Application to Differential Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease and Essential Tremor

This study was motivated by the well-known problem of the differential diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor using the phase shift between the tremor signals in the antagonist muscles of patients. Different phase shifts are typical for different diseases; however, it remains unclear how this parameter can be used for clinical diagnosis. Neurophysiological papers have reported different estimations of the accuracy of this parameter, which varies from insufficient to 100%. To address this issue, we developed special types of area under the ROC curve (AUC) diagrams and used them to analyze the phase shift. Different phase estimations, including the Hilbert instantaneous phase and the cross-wavelet spectrum mean phase, were applied. The results of the investigation of the clinical data revealed several regularities with opposite directions in the phase shift of the electromyographic signals in patients with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. The detected regularities provide insights into the contradictory results reported in the literature. Moreover, the developed AUC diagrams show the potential for the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases related to the hyperkinetic movements of the extremities and the creation of high-accuracy methods of clinical diagnosis.
Relationships between Self-Efficacy, Job Instability, Decent Work, and Life Satisfaction in A Sample of Italian, Swiss, and Spanish Students

Recent research has shown that self-efficacy has a positive relationship with life satisfaction and with the perception of access to decent work. On the other hand, a perception of instability regarding the profession is negatively correlated with these dimensions. Few authors have studied these constructs within the same research. Therefore, the aim of the study was to fill this gap in the literature by testing a structural equation model in which the perception of access to decent work could mediate between perceived self-efficacy in one’s training and life satisfaction, and between perceived instability of the profession and life satisfaction. Data was collected through an online research survey. Five hundred and seventeen university students (104 males and 413 females) aged between 18 and 30 years (M = 22.50; ds = 2.61) from three different countries participated: 181 were Italian, 173 were Swiss, and 163 were Spanish. The results only partially confirmed our model. The idea of finding a decent work mediates the relationship between perceived job instability and life satisfaction, but not between self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Perceived self-efficacy together with the idea of finding a decent work have a direct effect on life satisfaction. In career development, counselors must take into account what the perception of job instability entails for students, which may be demotivating and not allow future workers to imagine a decent job.
Magnetic vortex dynamics in the presence of pinning

We have measured the frequency f G of the gyrotropic mode of a magnetic vortex formed in individual soft ferromagnetic disks with diameters from 600 nm to 2 (cid:1) m. For low excitation amplitudes, we observe ﬂuc-tuations in f G as a function of applied magnetic ﬁeld. The relationship between the applied ﬁeld and the spatial displacement of the vortex core from the center of the disk indicates that the ﬂuctuations are due to a distribution of nanoscale defects that pin the vortex core, which has a diameter of (cid:3) 10 nm. In the limit of high excitation amplitude, the gyrotropic frequency is independent of ﬁeld, indicating that the core is depinned. In this limit f G = f ideal where f ideal is the frequency predicted by analytical models and micromagnetic simulations of ideal vortex behavior. We also ﬁnd both experimentally and in simulations that the average frequency shift (cid:4) (cid:2) f (cid:5) = (cid:4) f max − f ideal (cid:5) is independent of disk diameter. From this observation we argue that (cid:2) f for a particular ﬂuctuation is proportional to the interaction energy W P of the vortex core with a single nanoscale defect and estimate the average energy to be W P / e (cid:6) 2 eV for the defects in these sputtered permalloy ﬁlms.
Evaluation of a Natural Phytogenic Formulation as an Alternative to Pharmaceutical Zinc Oxide in the Diet of Weaned Piglets

Simple Summary Post-weaning diarrhea in piglets is caused by intestinal dysbiosis, characterized as an undesirable disruption of the physiological intestinal microbiota, which is associated with several stress factors, such as the isolation of piglets from sows, the adaptation to new environment and morphological changes in the intestine due to the transition from milk to solid feed intake. Pharmaceutical zinc oxide has been effectively used to alleviate these effects. However, since the dietary supplementation with pharmaceutical doses of zinc oxide (ZnO) in weaning pigs has been recently phased out in EU, this study aimed to determine the effect of a natural phytogenic formulation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and faecal microbiota composition and metabolic activity. Dietary inclusion of the natural phytogenic formulation significantly increased piglet performance and nutrient digestibility and reduced the E. coli and C. perfringens counts as well as the molar ratios of branched chain volatile fatty acids in faeces. In summary, the results of this study indicate that the tested natural phytogenic formulation could be considered as an effective alternative to pharmaceutical doses of ZnO to alleviate the challenges commonly occurring after weaning. Abstract A natural phytogenic formulation (NPF) was tested as an alternative to pharmaceutical zinc oxide (ZnO) in weaned piglets with respect to growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility and faecal microbiota composition and metabolic activity. Two dietary NPF levels (NPF: 1000 and 2000 mg/kg diet) were compared to a positive control (ZnO: 3000 mg ZnO/kg diet) and a negative control (CON: no added ZnO or NPF) using 84 weaned piglets from 29 d to 78 d (days of age). Feed conversion ratio was improved (p < 0.05) in ZnO and NPF piglets were compared to CON at 50 d. Dry matter, organic matter and crude protein (p < 0.05) digestibility was improved in NPF piglets compared to CON at 57 d. Compared to CON, NPF inclusion reduced E. coli (p < 0.05) and increased C. leptum subgroup (p < 0.01) at 57 d and 78 d, and reduced C. perfringens subgroup (p < 0.05; at 78 d). The ZnO reduced (p < 0.001) E. coli and C. perfringens subgroup (p < 0.01) compared to CON at 78 d. Moreover, ZnO and NPF reduced molar ratios of branched chain volatile fatty acids (p < 0.05) compared to CON, while NPF also increased butyric acid (p < 0.05) at 78 d. In conclusion, the NPF appeared to be a promising alternative to pharmaceutical doses of ZnO.
Acute Stress Regulates Sex-Related Molecular Responses in the Human Jejunal Mucosa: Implications for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder linked to intestinal barrier dysfunction and life stress. We have previously reported that female sex per se determines an increased susceptibility to intestinal barrier dysfunction after cold pain stress (CPS). We aimed to identify sex-related molecular differences in response to CPS in healthy subjects to understand the origin of sex bias predominance in IBS. In 13 healthy males and 21 females, two consecutive jejunal biopsies were obtained using Watson’s capsule, at baseline, and ninety minutes after CPS. Total mucosal RNA and protein were isolated from jejunal biopsies. Expression of genes related to epithelial barrier (CLDN1, CLDN2, OCLN, ZO-1, and ZO-3), mast cell (MC) activation (TPSAB1, SERPINA1), and the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) were analyzed using RT-qPCR. NR3C1, ZO-1 and OCLN protein expression were evaluated through immunohistochemistry and western blot, and mucosal inflammation through MC, lymphocyte, and eosinophil numbering. Autonomic, hormonal, and psychological responses to CPS were monitored. We found an increase in jejunal MCs, a reduced CLDN1 and OCLN expression, and an increased CLDN2 and SERPINA1 expression 90 min after CPS. We also found a significant decrease in ZO-1, OCLN, and NR3C1 gene expression, and a decrease in OCLN protein expression only in females, when compared to males. CPS induced a significant increase in blood pressure, plasma cortisol and ACTH, and subjective stress perception in all participants. Specific and independent sex-related molecular responses in epithelial barrier regulation are unraveled by acute stress in the jejunum of healthy subjects and may partially explain female predominance in IBS.
Pectin Extraction from Residues of the Cocoa Fruit (Theobroma cacao L.) by Different Organic Acids: A Comparative Study

Ecuador is the world’s fifth largest cocoa producer, generating hundreds of tons of residues from this fruit annually. This research generates value from the residual (cocoa pod husk) by using it as raw material to obtain pectin, which is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Extraction of three different organic acids with GRAS status (safe for use), the citric, malic and fumaric acids, was studied. In addition, two other factors, temperature (70–90 °C) and extraction time (60–90 min), were explored in a central composite design of experiments. We determined the conditions of the experiments where the best yields were garnered for citric acid, malic acid and fumaric acid, along with a ~86 min extraction time. The temperature did not show a significant influence on the yield. The pectin obtained under optimal conditions was characterised, showing the similarity with commercial pectin. However, the equivalent weight and esterification degree of the pectin obtained with fumaric acid led us to classify it as having a high equivalent weight and a low degree of esterification. In these regards, it differed significantly from the other two acids, perhaps due to the limited solubility of fumaric acid.
Self-Emulsifying Micellization of Crude Extracts from Apple (Malus domestica cv. Anna), Plum (Prunus domestica cv. Satsuma), and Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Fruits

Micellar microemulsions are thermodynamically stable self-emulsifying systems that have been used to successfully improve the low oral bioavailability of several bioactive phytochemicals, such as antioxidant polyphenols. However, most studies have reported the micellization of single-compounds or purified chemical fractions; thus, the stability, phytochemical-loading efficiency, and bioactivity of complex crude extracts remain largely unexplored. In this study, we evaluated the effects of micellar emulsification of tropical apple (Malus domestica cv. Anna), plum (Prunus domestica cv. Satsuma), and guava (Psidium guajava L.) extracts regarding particle size and stability, polyphenol-loading efficiency, antioxidant capacity, and cytotoxic activity in human and murine cells. Simple food-grade extraction protocols were implemented to obtain apple, plum, and guava extracts. Total polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity (DPPH) were determined in the fruit extracts, and their polyphenol profile was further characterized by liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD). The dried extracts were mixed into a food-grade, self-emulsifying system, and their cytotoxicity in human and murine cell lines was compared. Our research showed that complex fruit matrixes were successfully emulsified into thermodynamically stable polysorbate-based nanometric micelles with uniform size distribution and consistent pH stability, with potential applications in food and biomedical industries.
Implant Survival in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature

Background: The aim of this systematic review and case reports was to evaluate osseointegration and implant survival rate in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: The paper screening process was conducted on electronic databases in order to identify clinical studies concerning the study topic. The literature data were evaluated for eligibility and studies were included for the qualitative synthesis. The case report concerned a male subject affected by renal disorders, a candidate for full arch immediate loading procedure. Results: The article screening process reported a total of 54 manuscripts and one paper identified through the manual search. At the end of the review process, a total of 45 articles were excluded while nine manuscripts were included for the descriptive synthesis. No significant complications or events were present during the intraoperative/post-operative phases. The clinical course reported no significant inflammation or symptoms. At follow-up, the rehabilitation was found to be functionally and aesthetically integrated with no complications, probing, or bone resorption. Conclusions: The available evidence supports the clinical efficacy of the early implant placement protocol. Present findings indicate that the early implant placement protocol results in implant outcomes similar to immediate and delayed placement protocols and a superior stability of peri-implant hard tissue compared with immediate implant placement.
A Cross-Sectional Study on Cognitive Vulnerability Patterns in Dental Anxiety: The Italian Validation of the Dental Fear Maintenance Questionnaire (DFMQ)

Dental anxiety is a crucial problem for dentistry because it may represent a significant risk to oral health. Within the framework of the Cognitive Vulnerability Model (CVM), which sheds light on the cognitive vulnerability patterns that may cause dental anxiety, this study aimed to assess the psychometric characteristics of the Italian version of the Dental Fear Maintenance Questionnaire (DFMQ). The DFMQ is a 32-item questionnaire that assesses four cognitive vulnerability patterns, i.e., dangerousness, disgust, unpredictability, and uncontrollability. In a sample of 200 dental patients who had accessed public-university-hospital dental surgery, this study assessed the model fit of the DFMQ and different types of validity (i.e., predictive, convergent, construct, and discriminant validity). In addition, potential differences between DFMQ dimensions were assessed based on gender (men vs. women) and age ranges. All indicators of cognitive vulnerability were significantly associated with high dental anxiety when each variable was included independently. In contrast, when the DFMQ subscales were considered together, only unpredictability and uncontrollability were found to be associated with high dental anxiety. Women had higher scores for unpredictability, uncontrollability, and general dangerousness than men. In addition, older patients had higher scores for some vulnerability cognitive patterns than younger patients. This study provides Italian dentists and researchers with a valid questionnaire to assess cognitive factors associated with dental anxiety.
On differentiable functions

2. In this note, we intend to give a more detailed description of Eap. We prove the following THEOREM. The set Eap gives rise to a set of nonoverlapping and nonabutting open sub-intervals {/ 0 . Thus, each point of Eap is a limiting point of the set. I.e., EapQE'ap. Moreover, for each point P<E.CEaPl it is always possible for us to construct a largest open sub-interval Ip relative to the space [a, b] such that it contains P as its interior point and has its two end points belonging to the set E'ap, 1 and such that all of its interior points are the points of CEap. Thus, Eap is void in each IP, since £« j jC£^ , Hence, we see that, corresponding to the set
A Wireless Acoustic Emission Sensor System with ACMD-IGWO-XGBoost Algorithm for Living Tree Moisture Content Diagnosis

Trunk water has an important influence on the metabolism and ecological balance of living trees, which affects the vegetation growth and moisture cycle of the whole forest ecosystem. The accurate and real-time measurement of moisture content (MC) is of vital guiding meaning to living tree cultivation and forest management. In this paper, a water content diagnosis system based on a wireless acoustic emission sensor network (WASN) was designed and implemented with the aim of the nondestructive detection of water content in living wood trunks. Firstly, the acoustic emission (AE) signal of the trunk epidermis was sampled at high speed; then, its characteristic parameters were calculated and transmitted wirelessly to the gateway. Furthermore, the optimal characteristic wavelet sequence was decomposed by the adaptive chirp mode decomposition (ACMD), and the improved grey wolf optimizer (IGWO) optimization XGBoost established the MC prediction model, which was improved by the multi-strategy joint optimization. Finally, field monitoring was carried out on Robinia Pseudoacacia, Photinia serrulata, Pinus massoniana and Toona sinensis. The average diagnostic accuracy reached 96.75%, which shows that the diagnosis system has excellent applicability in different working conditions.
Studying Students Studying Calculus: A Look at the Lives of Minority Mathematics Students in College.

Being invited to give this inaugural Dolciani Lecture is a special honor for me because I had the opportunity to sit in on some of Mary Dolciani's courses at Hunter College while I was a high school student, many years ago. I am frequently reminded of Professor Dolciani when I see her books as I do often in classrooms throughout the United States. Tonight I would like to describe the evolution of a project that I developed some 15 years ago at the University of California, Berkeley. Let me begin by stating the problem that we were addressing, namely, the rate of failure of Black and Hispanic students in calculus. Calculus was then, and remains today, a major barrier for minority students seeking to enter careers that depend in an essential way on mathematics.
Material selection considerations for coaxial, ferrimagnetic-based nonlinear transmission lines

The growing need for solid-state high power microwave sources has renewed interest in nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs). This article focuses specifically on ferrimagnetic-based NLTLs in a coaxial geometry. Achieved peak powers exceed 30 MW at 30 kV incident voltage with rf power reaching 4.8 MW peak and pulse lengths ranging from 1–5 ns. The presented NLTL operates in S-band with the capability to tune the center frequency of oscillation over the entire 2–4 GHz band and bandwidths of approximately 30%, placing the NLTL into the ultra-wideband–mesoband category of microwave sources. Several nonlinear materials were tested and the relationship between NLTL performance and material parameters is discussed. In particular, the importance of the material's ferromagnetic resonance linewidth and its relationship to microwave generation is highlighted. For a specific nonlinear material, it is shown that an optimum relation between incident pulse magnitude and static bias magnitude exists. By varying the nonlinear material's bias magnetic field, active delay control was demonstrated.
Dependence of mid‐latitude hydromagnetic energy spectra on solar wind speed and interplanetary magnetic field direction

Relationships are examined between interplanetary parameters and local daytime geomagnetic energy (at Pittsburg, New Hampshire; L ∼3.5) in three period bands. Ground-based magnetometer data, for 336 hours during July and August 1975, are studied when good interplanetary data coverage was available from instruments on the Imp J spacecraft. Multiple linear regression analyses show that the most important interplanetary parameter controlling ground hourly magnetic energy (in the period range 60–240 s) is the solar wind speed. Multiple linear regression analyses further show that hourly magnetic energy in the 30- to 60-s period range is controlled by the solar wind speed and the interplanetary magnetic field direction. The velocity dependence supports the idea of wave production at the magnetopause via the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. These waves are later observed as magnetic pulsations (30–240 s) on the ground. The interplanetary magnetic field direction dependence supports the idea that waves produced at or near the earth's bow shock are later observed on the ground as magnetic pulsations in the shortest period band (30–60 s).