Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Traffic Congestion Using Simulation Software

Traffic simulations are being increasingly utilized as transportation systems have become more complex and congested. However, most simulation models have limitations in overcapacity demand conditions. When traffic in a congested area "fills" the available roadway space additional traffic demand may never be allowed to enter the network. The intent of this paper is to explore one possible means to address the issue of unserved vehicles in overcapacity conditions using the VISSIM trip chain. The VISSIM trip chain feature is used for this analysis as it has the advantage of not eliminating a vehicle when congestion hinders its entrance onto a network, instead holding the vehicle until an acceptable gap exists on the entry link. A sample network is built to investigate the difference between standard traffic flow inputs and the trip chain method in overcapacity conditions. Also, simulations with different minimum space headway parameters in the priority rules are analyzed, allowing for an initial investigation into the sensitivity of the model to this parameter. Based on the analysis conducted it is concluded that, with appropriate calibrations, the trip chain feature in VISSIM is a potentially useful method to provide realistic modeling of various overcapacity conditions.
Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Poly (dimethylsiloxane) Membranes by Incorporating SiO2 Microspheres Generated Silver Nanoparticles

The nonspecific adsorption of proteins and bacteria on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) had been a serious concern in a wide range of applications, such as medical devices. In order to improve the anti-adhesive and antibacterial capability, bare silver nanoparticles (AgNPs, ~15 nm) were generated in-situ on their surface without extra reducing and stabilizing agents. The main reason for this was that the SiO2 microspheres that are covalent bonded to the bulked PDMS could not only generate AgNPs spontaneously but also insure that no AgNPs were released to the environment. Meanwhile, the thiol-group-functionalized SiO2 microspheres self-assembled on the surface of PDMS by thiol-vinyl click reaction without any impact on their biomedical applications. After the modification of SiO2 microspheres with AgNPs, the surface of PDMS showed a smaller water contact angle than before, and the adhesion and growth of E. coli and Bacillus subtilis were effectively inhibited. When the monolayer of SiO2 microspheres with AgNPs was assembled completely on the surface of PDMS, they present improved bacterial resistance performance (living bacteria, 0%). This approach offers an antibacterial and anti-adhesive surface bearing small and well-defined quantities of in-situ generated AgNPs, and it is a novel, green, simple, and low-cost technique to generate AgNPs on soft biomedical substrates.
DNA Methylation and Demethylation in Mammals*

Cell type-specific DNA methylation patterns are established during mammalian development and maintained in adult somatic cells. Understanding how these patterns of 5-methylcytosine are established and maintained requires the elucidation of mechanisms for both DNA methylation and demethylation. The enzymes involved in the de novo methylation of DNA and the maintenance of the resulting methylation patterns have been fairly well characterized. However, important remaining challenges are to understand how DNA methylation systems function in vivo and in the context of chromatin. In addition, the enzymes and mechanisms for demethylation remain to be elucidated. There is still no consensus as to how active enzymatic demethylation is achieved in mammalian cells, but recent studies implicate base excision repair for genome-wide DNA demethylation in germ cells and early embryos.
miR‐324‐5p protects against oxidative stress‐induced endothelial progenitor cell injury by targeting Mtfr1

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) belong to bone marrow‐derived myeloid progenitor cells that have strong proliferative ability. Dysregulation of miRNAs after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can result in EPCs injury, thus we hypothesize that correction of miRNA expression may contribute to the tolerance of EPCs against oxidative stress. The peripheral blood of healthy volunteers and patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was clinically collected. EPCs derived from peripheral blood were transfected by miR‐324‐5p mimic and simultaneously handled with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to inducing EPCs injury. At 24 hrs after the H2O2 treatment, cell viability, the uptake capacity on DiI‐Ac‐LDL, and carrying ability on FITC‐UEA‐l and multiplication capacity were analyzed. The mechanism process was carefully researched by valued the characteristics of the mitochondrion morphology, membrane potential, ATP levels, and the expressing of apoptosis pathways. Small RNA sequencing indicated that the expression level of miR‐324‐5p in peripheral blood EPCs of patients with STEMI was significantly lower compared with the healthy volunteers. The Mtfr1 has been confirmed as a targeted gene of miR‐324‐5p through miRTarBase software and western blot. The miR‐324‐5p mimic units could be contributed for the improvement of viability, the uptake capacity on DiI‐Ac‐LDL and carrying ability on FITC‐UEA‐l and multiplication capacity on oxidative stress‐injured EPCs. miR‐324‐5p could suppress mitochondrial fragmentation, promote membrane potential, and ATP levels, as well as protect against oxidative stress‐induced EPCs apoptosis. Our results suggested that miR‐324‐5p protects against oxidative stress‐induced EPCs injury by regulating Mtfr1.
A light-inducible organelle-targeting system for dynamically activating and inactivating signaling in budding yeast

The PhyB-PIF light-inducible dimerization system is used to achieve rapid, reversible, and titratable control of protein localization in budding yeast. This system can be used to dynamically activate or inactivate proteins of interest. It is used here to probe where and when Clb2 activity is required for nuclear fission and spindle stabilization.
Indoor tracking from multidimensional sensor data

Tracking the position of people or vehicles in large indoor settings with high accuracy is still a challenge despite the significant progress observed in indoor positioning technology in the last decade. To date, there is not a clearly dominant indoor positioning solution for general use, and challenges related to seamless indoor-outdoor positioning, reliable floor estimation and indoor maps are still needing more research. In this context, the IPIN 2016 conference is promoting a competition to evaluate a set of competing indoor positioning solutions in a realistic scenario. This paper describes the proposal of the UMINHO team and some of the obtained results.
A novel pig model capturing clinical symptoms of harlequin ichthyosis

the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits noncommercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com doi:10.1093/jmcb/mjz034 Journal of Molecular Cell Biology (2019), 11(12), 1027–1028 | 1027 Published online May 8, 2019
Nanoparticle-based assay for detection of S100P mRNA using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Abstract. The focus of this work is toward the development of a point-of-care (POC) handheld technology for the noninvasive early detection of salivary biomarkers. The initial of focus was the detection and quantification of S100 calcium-binding protein P (S100P) mRNA found in whole saliva for use as a potential biomarker for oral cancer. Specifically, a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based approach and assay were designed, developed, and tested for sensitive and rapid detection of S100P mRNA. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with oligonucleotides and malachite green isothiocyanate was then used as a Raman reporter molecule. The hybridization of S100P target to DNA-conjugated AuNPs in sandwich assay format in both free solution and a vertical flow chip (VFC) was confirmed using a handheld SERS system. The detection limit of the SERS-based assay in free solution was determined to be 1.1 nM, whereas on the VFC the detection limit was observed to be 10 nM. SERS-based VFCs were also used to quantify the S100P mRNA from saliva samples of oral cancer patients and a healthy group. The result indicated that the amount of S100P mRNA detected for the oral cancer patients is three times higher than that of a healthy group.
Organotypic Spinal Cord Slice Culture to Study Neural Stem/Progenitor Cell Microenvironment in the Injured Spinal Cord

The molecular microenvironment of the injured spinal cord does not support survival and differentiation of either grafted or endogenous NSCs, restricting the effectiveness of the NSC-based cell replacement strategy. Studying the biology of NSCs in in vivo usually requires a considerable amount of time and cost, and the complexity of the in vivo system makes it difficult to identify individual environmental factors. The present study sought to establish the organotypic spinal cord slice culture that closely mimics the in vivo environment. The cultured spinal cord slices preserved the cytoarchitecture consisting of neurons in the gray matter and interspersed glial cells. The majority of focally applied exogenous NSCs survived up to 4 weeks. Pre-exposure of the cultured slices to a hypoxic chamber markedly reduced the survival of seeded NSCs on the slices. Differentiation into mature neurons was severely limited in this co-culture system. Endogenous neural progenitor cells were marked by BrdU incorporation, and applying an inflammatory cytokine IL-1β significantly increased the extent of endogenous neural progenitors with the oligodendrocytic lineage. The present study shows that the organotypic spinal cord slice culture can be properly utilized to study molecular factors from the post-injury microenvironment affecting NSCs in the injured spinal cord.
Oil and Gas Production Optimization; Lost Potential due to Uncertainty

Abstract The information content in measurements of offshore oil and gas production is often low, and when a production model is fitted to such data, uncertainty may result. If production is optimized with an uncertain model, some potential production profit may be lost. The costs and risks of introducing additional excitation are typically large and cannot be justified unless the potential increase in profits are quantified. In previous work it is discussed how bootstrapping can be used to estimate uncertainty resulting from fitting production models to data with low information content. In this paper we propose how lost potential resulting from estimated uncertainty can be estimated using Monte-Carlo analysis. Based on a conservative formulation of the production optimization problem, a potential for production optimization in excess of 2% and lost potential due to the form of uncertainty considered in excess of 0.5% was identified using field data from a North Sea field.
Idle Oil Wells : Half Empty or Half Full ?

There are hundreds of thousands of oil and gas wells across North America that are not currently producing oil or gas. Many of these wells have not been permanently decommissioned to meet environmental standards for permanent closure, but left in a inactive state that enables the well to be more easily reactivated. Some of the wells have been temporarily inactive for more than sixty years which begs the question of whether these wells are inactive because of the option value of reactivation or because of the hefty cost of complying with environmental regulations for permanent closure. The goal of this paper is to determine what changes in prices, technology or policy would be needed to see an increase in reactivated or decommissioned wells. Historical data of production decisions from 84 thousand wells and expected recoverable reserves from 47 thousand pools are used to estimate a dynamic discrete choice model of operating state. The estimated structural model then allows us to examine what conditions might push any of the inactive wells out of the hysteresis in which they reside. Jel–Classification: C61, Q32, Q41
Ultrasonic Guide with Acoustic Feedback for Visually Challenged

The world is constantly advancing with technologica l progress in many areas; however advancements to a ssist the lives of the visually impaired have been limited. Many researche rs have proposed various technologies to improve th e mobility of visually challenged people. But each technology has its own drawbacks. So the visually impaired people are stil l not comfortable in navigating in unknown environment. This project presents the development of a wearable obstacle detection and nav igation system for assisting the visually challenged people. The system aims at increasing the mobility of these individuals. This system is designed to give feedback not only when the obstacle is present in a single direction but also when it is present in an y of the two major directions. Also, it gives buzzer output when obstacle is present in all major directions. An ultrasonic sensor module has been used to identify the obstacles. The direction of the obstacle and naviga tion is conveyed to the user as an audio output usi ng voice module and the distance of the obstacle is displayed on an LCD display for partially blind people. Evaluation tests were performed to test the system parameters. Further analysis on obstacle detection based on different directions as well as different ypes of obstacles, comparative analysis between cane and the System was performed in order to gauge the effectiveness and the accurac y of the approach. KeywordsUltrasonic Guide, Acoustic Feedback, Navi gation, Obstacle Detection
Copper and zinc ions govern the trans‐directed dimerization of APP family members in multiple ways

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its homologs amyloid precursor‐like protein 1 (APLP1) and APLP2 have central physiological functions in transcellular adhesion that depend on copper and zinc mediated trans‐directed dimerization of the extracellular domains E1 and E2. Copper binds to three distinct sites in APP, one in the copper binding (CuBD) and growth factor‐like (GFLD) domains each within E1, and one in the E2 domain. For APLP1 and APLP2, metal binding has so far only been shown for the E2 domain. Zinc binding has been reported for all APP family members to a unique site in the E2 domain and an additional site essential for APLP1 E2 domain trans‐dimerization. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, co‐immunoprecipitation, and in vitro bead aggregation assays, we show that copper promotes cis‐ as well as trans‐directed dimerization of APLP1 and APLP2, similar as reported previously for APP. Furthermore, we report a APP‐specific zinc binding site with nanomolar affinity located in the E1 domain, whereas no binding of zinc to the individual subdomains GFLD or CuBD was detected. Zinc binding did not affect the cis‐ but trans‐dimerization of APP and APLP1. Furthermore, zinc binding inhibited copper‐induced trans‐directed dimerization of APP. Together, we identified a high‐affinity APP‐specific zinc binding site in the E1 domain and revealed contrasting cis‐ and trans‐directed dimerization properties of APP, APLP1, and APLP2 in dependence on zinc and copper ions. Consequently, changes in metal ion homeostasis, as reported in the context of synaptic activity and neurodegenerative diseases, appear as key modulators of homo‐ and heterotypic trans‐cellular APP/APLPs complexes.
Three-Way Interaction Effect of Job Insecurity, Job Embeddedness and Career Stage on Life Satisfaction in A Digital Era

Along with the severe global employment challenges caused by the rapid rise of digital technologies, the job insecurity (JI)–life satisfaction (LS) association has attracted increasing attention. However, there is still a dearth of studies investigating the crucial boundary conditions of JI–LS relationships in non-Western contexts. To fill this gap, we choose China, the world’s largest emerging economy, which is undergoing a radical digital transformation, as our research setting. Building on the conservation of resource (COR) theory, we focus on exploring two critical buffers of the JI–LS mechanism, of which job embeddedness (JE) characterizes a significant psychological resource and career stage embodies the time dynamics of this model. Data were collected from a sample of 317 Chinese media organization employees and were analyzed by the moderated hierarchical multiple regression approach. Our results show that JI is negatively related to LS and this relationship becomes stronger when employees have low JE (vs. high). Further, this two-way interaction is moderated by career stage; the impact of JI on LS is (1) stronger only for mid–late career stage employees who experienced low JE, and (2) weaker also only for mid–late career stage employees who experienced high JE. This study enriches the existing body of knowledge on the JI–LS model by highlighting the three-way interaction effect of JI, a critical psychological resource (i.e., JE), and time effect (i.e., career stage) on LS; it implies that older people with a certain amount of career experience and resource accumulation may perceive the effect of JI on LS differently than younger people.
Affective temperaments and their relationships with life events in bipolar patients and siblings: a controlled study

Abstract Background Temperamental dysregulation may constitute the link between predisposing genetic factors and affective disorders. Aims Evaluate affective temperaments in bipolar patients, healthy siblings and controls, and address the relationship between affective temperaments and recent life events in these groups. Methods Sixty bipolar patients, 60 patients’ siblings and 60 controls were recruited. Assessment of life events in the last 6 months was performed using the Paykel’s interview for recent life events. The Arabic version of Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego – Auto-questionnaire was used to evaluate affective temperaments. Results Bipolar patients and siblings showed higher scores in cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments compared to controls. There were no significant differences in scores of irritable and anxious temperaments between the three groups. There was a strong relationship between anxious/cyclothymic temperaments and the high number of recent life events in bipolar patients and siblings. Contrary to bipolar patients and siblings, the number of recent life events in controls was not related to any dimension of affective temperament. Conclusions Cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments were associated with bipolarity in patients and they could be characteristic traits of healthy siblings. Anxious/cyclothymic temperament might at least partially explain the high number of recent life events in bipolar patients and in siblings.
The Stability and Dynamics of Localized Spot Patterns in the Two-Dimensional Gray-Scott Model

The dynamics and stability of multi-spot patterns to the Gray-Scott (GS) reaction-diffusion model in a two-dimensional domain is studied in the singularly perturbed limit of small diffusivity $\epsilon$ of one of the two solution components. A hybrid asymptotic-numerical approach based on combining the method of matched asymptotic expansions with the detailed numerical study of certain eigenvalue problems is used to predict the dynamical behavior and instability mechanisms of multi-spot quasi-equilibrium patterns for the GS model in the limit $\epsilon\to 0$. A differential algebraic ODE system for the collective coordinates $S_j$ and ${\mathbf x}_j$ for $j=1,. ,k$ is derived, which characterizes the slow dynamics of a spot pattern. Instabilities of the multi-spot pattern due to the three distinct mechanisms of spot self-replication, spot oscillation, and spot annihilation, are studied by first deriving certain associated eigenvalue problems by using singular perturbation techniques. From a numerical computation of the spectrum of these eigenvalue problems, phase diagrams representing in the GS parameter space corresponding to the onset of spot instabilities are obtained for various simple spatial configurations of multi-spot patterns. In addition, it is shown that there is a wide parameter range where a spot instability can be triggered only as a result of the intrinsic slow motion of the collection of spots. The hybrid asymptotic-numerical results for spot dynamics and spot instabilities are validated from full numerical results computed from the GS model for various spatial configurations of spots.
Solar-powered synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide and water

The synthesis of hydrocarbons via electroreduction of CO2 is an attractive approach to store energy generated from intermittent renewable sources of electricity (e.g., solar) through formation of the high-energy C–C and C–H bonds of reduced carbon compounds (1, 2). Establishment of such processes also represents a critical step toward the sustainable production of carbon-based commodity chemicals and energy-rich liquid fuels from nonpetroleum resources (3). Despite the promise that such strategies hold, facilitating the rapid, selective, and efficient electrosynthesis of multicarbon products from CO2 is an inherently difficult proposition. Part of the challenge stems from the fact that CO2 reduction half-reactions that generate value-added C1 and multicarbon products take place within a narrow potential window that is less than 0.5 V wide (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Equilibrium potentials for reductive and oxidative half-reactions relevant to the synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight. Electron and proton equivalents generated via water oxidation at the anode of an EC can be utilized for fuel-forming cathodic processes to generate hydrogen gas or a broad array of reduced carbon products. Promoting the efficient and selective formation of hydrocarbons of high value and utility requires a highly integrated approach in which electrocatalysts, electrolytes, cell parameters, and light-harvesting assemblies are optimized to work together. As a result of the reaction landscape illustrated in Fig. 1, it is virtually impossible to target a given CO2 reduction product based purely on thermodynamic considerations. For instance, electrochemical reduction of CO2 to ethylene occurs at 0.08 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Accordingly, any electrochemical process that targets this product must be run at a potential at which production of other species such as ethane ( E° = 0.14 V) and methane ( E° = 0.17 V) is also thermodynamically feasible. Moreover, kinetics associated … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: joelr{at}udel.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1