Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thickness of graphene oxide-based materials as a control parameter

Graphene oxide-based materials have been widely used for different applications, such as: biotechnology, electronics, and adsorption or separation technologies amongst other uses. In this study, graphite oxide (GrO), large graphene oxide (lGO) and small graphene oxide (sGO) were synthesized. Monolayer large graphene oxide (mlGO) was detected and isolated in this synthesis prior to lGO separation from GrO. A battery of techniques was applied to elucidate their physicochemical properties. Morphological results acquired by high resolution scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the flat and planar structures of these materials. Similar lateral dimensions were found for lGO and mlGO unlike sGO. However, based on atomic force microscopy studies, it was able to demonstrate that lGO presented thicker laminar structures than mlGO. Their crystallography evaluated by x-ray diffraction corroborated the results obtained by the atomic force microscopy studies, since mlGO displayed a diffractogram characteristic of highly exfoliated material. Additionally, Turbiscan experiments revealed a more significant impact from the thickness of these materials in contrast to their lateral dimensions in their colloidal stability properties in aqueous solution. Characterization results were correlated with the optical band gap obtained from the Tauc method of their UV-vis absorption spectra, which could be implemented to characterize in-line the production of these carbon materials to optoelectronic devices.
The developmental cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum ensures curing of a mycobacterial infection at both cell-autonomous level and by collaborative exclusion

During its life cycle, the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum alternates between a predatory amoeba and a facultative multicellular form. The single-celled amoeba is a well-established model system to study cell-autonomous mechanisms of phagocytosis and defence against intracellular bacterial pathogens, whereas the multicellular forms are arising as models to study the emergence of innate immune defence strategies. Importantly, during evolution, prokaryotes have also evolved their own strategies to resist predation. Considering these complex ecological relationships, we wondered whether D. discoideum cells infected with intracellular pathogenic mycobacteria would be able to undergo their developmental cycle and what would be the fate of the infection. We show that the combination of cell-autonomous mechanisms and the organisation into a multicellular organism leads to the efficient multistep-curing of a mycobacteria-infected population, thereby ensuring germ-free spores and progeny. Specifically, using a microfluidic device to trap single infected cells, we revealed that in the first curing phase, individual cells rely on three mechanisms to release intracellular bacteria: exocytic release, ejection and lytic release. The second phase occurs at the collective level, when remaining infected cells are excluded from the forming cell aggregates.
Dynamic Obstacle Detection Using Visually Informed Scan Matching

This paper presents a real-time dynamic obstacle detection algorithm using a scan matching method considering image information from a mobile robot equipped with a camera and a laser scanner. By combining image and laser scan data, we extract a scan segment corresponding to the dynamic obstacle. To complement the performance of scan matching, poor in dynamic environments, the extracted scan segment is temporarily removed. After obtaining a good robot position, the position of the dynamic obstacle is calculated based on the robot’s position. Through two experimental scenarios, the performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated.
The Study of Pressure-Based Technique for Target Acquisition in Pen User Interfaces

Pen pressure has enabled a new degree of freedom for interactions in pen-based user interfaces, which has been shown the potential in relevant studies [6-8]. In this paper, we present a new pressure-based technique called Pressure Cursor for target acquisitions, in particular for small targets. Pressure Cursor enhances target acquisition by employing pen pressure as a control variable to enlarge the cursor. Pressure Cursor uses quick-release in the final determination of selecting a target, being different from traditional pointing technique (clicking). This technique is especially helpful for small targets. We conducted a quantitative experiment to examine the performance of this technique and to reveal its significant benefits.
Tyre-force estimation by Kalman inverse filtering: applications to off-highway mining trucks

Kalman inverse filtering is used to develop a methodology for real-time estimation of forces acting at the interface between tyre and road on large off-highway mining trucks. The system model formulated is capable of estimating the three components of tyre-force at each wheel of the truck using a practical set of measurements and inputs. Good tracking is obtained by the estimated tyre-forces when compared with those simulated by an ADAMS virtual-truck model. A sensitivity analysis determines the susceptibility of the tyre-force estimates to uncertainties in the truck’s parameters.
A real-time speech-music discriminator

A real-time circuit is described which automatically discriminates between speech and music signals. An output of the circuit gives, by means of a fuzzy feature combiner, an estimate of the probability that the input is speech. The discriminator is tested (for both sexes) for various languages, such as English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, and Japanese, against various types of music, such as pop, opera, romantic, baroque, and various solo musical instruments. The discriminator is found to be extremely reliable, the false alarm probability (inferring speech while the input is music) being virtually zero.
Risk-Based Highway Design

Existing geometric design guides provide deterministic standards for design requirements primarily based on near worst-case scenarios and conservative percentile selection of design parameters. Probabilistic geometric design analysis has been advocated to represent realistically the randomness in design parameters and variables. Probabilistic techniques can provide a measure of the degree of deviation from design standards. Collision modification factors have been advocated as quantitative measures of the impact on safety associated with changes in road features or traffic control. Often, however, no collision modification factors exist in the literature to predict the safety impact of changing particular road features. An important example is sight distance restriction on horizontal curves. Many highways in British Columbia, Canada, are located in mountainous terrain where the additional cost of earthwork or land acquisition to accommodate lateral road expansion can be prohibitive. In this constrained environment, a typical trade-off arises between design requirements (e.g., adequate sight distance on a horizontal curve) and budgetary constraint. The resolution requires comparing the consequences of every alternative. In these cases, reliability analysis can be used to evaluate the risk of deviating from the design requirements. A decision-support tool was developed to compare the risk of different deviations from sight distance requirements. Two case studies were used to investigate the safety implications of sight distance limitation on road segments, the risk associated with deviation from standards, and risk variations among the road segments. The proposed road design is associated with relatively high risk of limited sight distance, and the risk levels associated with standard design requirements vary significantly.
Seventy-meter antenna performance predictions: GTD analysis compared with traditional ray-tracing methods

A comparative analysis was performed, using both the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (GTD) and traditional pathlength error analysis techniques, for predicting RF antenna gain performance and pointing corrections. The NASA/JPL 70 meter antenna with its shaped surface was analyzed for gravity loading over the range of elevation angles. Also analyzed were the effects of lateral and axial displacements of the subreflector. Significant differences were noted between the predictions of the two methods, in the effect of subreflector displacements, and in the optimal subreflector positions to focus a gravity-deformed main reflector. The results are of relevance to future design procedure.
Ionosphere-corrected range estimation in dual frequency global navigation satellite systems receivers

In global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs), the measurement of the satellite-receiver pseudorange requires the estimation of signal's delay. Because the accuracy of the latter affects significantly the accuracy of the final position, it is essential to consider the effect of various error sources. Ionosphere is commonly regarded as one of the most influential sources because of the fact that it can significantly delay the signal; therefore it is of paramount importance to mitigate its effects. In theory, a dual-frequency receiver can virtually eliminate the ionospheric effects if higher order effects are ignored. Although such an advantage has been widely recognised in the literature, the effect of the tracking error in the ionospheric correction and inherently on the range estimation is yet to be studied. In this study, the authors investigate the effect of tracking error on the ionosphere-corrected range in dual-frequency receivers and compare the performance of the traditional approach with least square (LS) and constrained LS methods, as well as with a new method for range estimation, proposed by the authors. The results showed that the traditional and LS methods perform well only under the restriction of zero tracking error, whereas the authors’ method has the best average performance.
A Novel Approach for Lung Lesion Segmentation Using Optimization Technique

Cancer is the most prevalent high-flown disease in all countries. In all cancer types, lung cancer is the most mortal disease. Millions of people were die every year because of lung cancer. Early recognition of disease plays a protuberant role in cancer patients. Accurate prophecy of this disease swells up the survival rate. But accurate detection of lung cancer is very critical with the existing systems and also time consuming. To conquer this difficulty the hybrid method is proposed. Accessibility of present technology has proved the way to explore the genes and its alliances in a variety of ailments like lung cancer. In this paper, a hybrid approach is proposed where genetic optimization algorithm is used for detection of cancer in CT images along with SVM classification combined with novel feature selection technique. This method assists the doctors to discern the lung nodules perfectly at early stages.
Legal consciousness and legal culture in the era of total digitalization

The paper analyses the change in ideas about law in the digitalization era. Noting the insufficient theoretical substantiation of attempts to impose on modern law any special characteristics arising from the widespread development of digital technologies, the authors admit that in the era of virtual reality, the laws of the digital virtual world begin to actively compete with the laws of nature. This entails a slight decrease in the role of law as a traditional regulator of social relationships. However, according to the authors, one should not artificially diminish the role of law even in the era of digitalization. In this regard, the paper discusses the main trends in the study of legal digitalization processes. The first trend is due to the need to promptly respond by legal means to the emergence of new areas of legal regulation caused by the widespread use of digital information technologies. The second trend assumes the expansion and rethinking of the subject and object of legal science within the context that new digital "participants" of legal relations born due to intelligent human activity emerge.
Moving towards agility; a way for UK manufacturing to go

Approaching the 21st century, manufacturing success and survival are becoming more and more difficult to ensure. The world is facing dramatic forms of change at an accelerated rate in almost all fields of interest, especially manufacturing. UK manufacturing as a main player in the world of industrial competition is totally involved in the new criteria and has a careful look at its rivals that have taken the competitive advantage for a while. Although not intentionally, but potentially UK manufacturing is concerned with the new arriving era, and feels the importance of these new concerns. Change and the ability to implement change quickly enough has been seen as the main inhibitor of business objectives in studying UK manufacturing industry. Moving towards agility is becoming a main alternative for most prevailing efforts in managing the manufacturing companies in order to gain or maintain the competitive advantage. In this paper, agile manufacturing as a new paradigm, UK manufacturing in this relation and the developed model for achieving agility are discussed.
Clinically observed deletions in SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 affect protein stability and its ability to inhibit translation

Nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) is a major pathogenicity factor of SARS-CoV-2. It inhibits host-cell translation, primarily through a direct interaction between its C-terminal domain and the mRNA entry channel of the 40S small ribosomal subunit, with an N-terminal β-barrel domain fine-tuning the inhibition and promoting selective translation of viral mRNA. SARS-CoV-2 nsp1 is a target of recurring deletions, some of which are associated with altered COVID-19 disease progression. To provide the biochemical basis for this, it is essential to characterize the efficiency of translational inhibition by the said protein variants. Here, we use an in vitro translation system to investigate the translation inhibition capacity of a series of clinically observed Nsp1 deletion variants. We find that a frequently observed deletion of residues 79-89 destabilized the N-terminal domain (NTD) and severely reduced the capacity of Nsp1 to inhibit translation. Interestingly, shorter deletions in the same region have been reported to effect the type I interferon response but did not affect translation inhibition, indicating a possible translation-independent role of the Nsp1 NTD in interferon response modulation. Taken together, our data provide a mechanistic basis for understanding how deletions in Nsp1 influence SARS-CoV-2 induction of interferon response and COVID-19 progression.
Biophysical Stimulation in Athletes’ Joint Degeneration: A Narrative Review

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent degenerative joint disease and the main cause of pain and disability in elderly people. OA currently represents a significant social health problem, since it affects 250 million individuals worldwide, mainly adults aged over 65. Although OA is a multifactorial disease, depending on both genetic and environmental factors, it is reported that joint degeneration has a higher prevalence in former athletes. Repetitive impact and loading, joint overuse and recurrent injuries followed by a rapid return to the sport might explain athletes’ predisposition to joint articular degeneration. In recent years, however, big efforts have been made to improve the prevention and management of sports injuries and to speed up the athletes’ return-to-sport. Biophysics is the study of biological processes and systems using physics-based methods or based on physical principles. Clinical biophysics has recently evolved as a medical branch that investigates the relationship between the human body and non-ionizing physical energy. A physical stimulus triggers a biological response by regulating specific intracellular pathways, thus acting as a drug. Preclinical and clinical trials have shown positive effects of biophysical stimulation on articular cartilage, subchondral bone and synovia. This review aims to assess the role of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in the prevention and treatment of joint degeneration in athletes.
Co-detection of the measles vaccine and wild-type virus by real-time PCR: public health laboratory protocol

In rare cases vaccination with the measles virus vaccine genotype A (MeVA) may cause a vaccine reaction with clinical signs similar to infection with wild-type measles virus (MeVwt). Rapid differentiation between MeVA and MeVwt infection is important for taking adequate public health measures. Recently, a few MeVA real-time reverse-transcription quantitative PCR methods (RT-qPCRs) were described that can distinguish between MeVA and MeVwt. However, detection of MeVA does in theory not exclude infection with MeVwt. In the present study, we established a protocol for determination of co-infections with MeVA and MeVwt. To this end, MeVA RT-qPCRs were used in combination with the routine measles virus (MeV) RT-qPCR, and the results suggested that the differences between the RT-qPCR Ct values (delta Ct, ∆Ct) could be used as criteria. Subsequently, we tested samples from vaccine-associated measles cases that were confirmed by genotyping. In addition, experimental mixtures of MeVA and MeVwt were tested in different concentrations. All tested MeVA clinical samples had ∆Ct ≤3.6. The results of experimental mixtures showed a mean ∆Ct ≤2.8 for genotype A alone and >3.2 when combined with either genotype B3 or D8. The results of a receiver operator characteristic analysis indicated that the optimum ∆Ct for use as a cut-off value was 3.5, while with ∆Ct values of 2.9 and 3.7 sensitivity and specificity were respectively 1.00. Thus, ∆Ct could be used to exclude the presence of MeVwt if MeVA is detected and ∆Ct is <2.9, while ∆Ct >3.7 were highly suggestive of co-infection and ≥2.9 ∆Ct <3.7 warranted additional confirmation, such as next-generation sequencing. This RT-qPCR-based protocol could be used for the exclusion of infection with MeVwt in cases with vaccine-associated measles reaction, crucial for the timely implementation of public health prevention and control measures.
Method for absorption of acid gases

The invention relates to a method for absorbing acid gases such as CO According to the present invention, acid gases are absorbed from the gas mixture by making into contact with a liquid that is a very high concentration of amino acid or salt thereof dissolved in a gas mixture the precipitate formed. Contact is made at the appropriate column to column or slurry process of the type without a filler.
Quantifying the perceived safety of cyclists in Dublin

In recent years, cycling has been recognised by policy makers and practitioners as a sustainable alternative to motorised travel. However, a lack of perceived safety associated with cycling may have inhibited its growth as a popular mode of transportation in urban environments. A questionnaire-based survey, conducted in Dublin city, found cyclists to perceive cycling in the city as less safe than driving. The survey responses were analysed in an ordered logistic regression framework to identify the determinants of their perceived safety in order to recommend possible policy interventions for improvement of these perceptions. A cyclist safety index is also proposed, which allows the perceptions of cyclists relative to driving to be quantified for consideration in transport network design and adaptation for cyclists.
Harmonic evaluation of Benmore converter station when operated as a group connected unit

Three-phase harmonic measurements of a group connected generator-HVDC power converter unit were recently carried out at the Benmore end of the New Zealand HVDC link. This paper describes the test measurement procedures, the set up and configuration of the CHART instrumentation and presents the results which include measured waveforms and their harmonic contents in sequence components for a range of DC line currents. Dynamic simulation accurately predicts the harmonic current contents. The generator harmonic impedances are estimated from the measured and simulated terminal voltages and currents. The generator harmonic ratings for direct connections are also investigated.
Contrastive Interlanguage Analysis of Modal Auxiliary Verb Usage by Japanese Learners of English in Argumentative Essays

This research argues that in writing Japanese non-native English speakers use English modal auxiliary verbs in a way that significantly differs from how native English-speaking students/teachers use them from two different perspectives: frequency of use and verb phrase structures (VPS) where modal verbs can occur. To this hypothesis, the use of nine central modals ( can , could , may , might , shall , should , will , would , and must ) by Japanese learners was compared with that by native English-speaking students and native English-speaking teachers respectively. This comparison was carried out using the International Corpus Network of Asian Leaners of English, which is one of the largest freely-available corpora of Asian learners’ English. Frequency analysis revealed Japanese college students’ overuse of can , should , and must as well as underuse of will and would as compared to native English speakers. VPS analysis revealed that Japanese students and native English-speakers shared different preferences for VPSs. Japanese students infrequently used the modals in the progressive and perfect aspect relative to native English-speakers. Overall findings suggest that teaching materials or language teachers should explain other modality items so that learners can have a wide range of lexical items to reflect their feelings more accurately, and should not teach them in exactly the same way because depending on the modals, preferences for VPSs were different.
Tolerance Control for the Inner Open-Switch Faults of a T-Type Three-Level Rectifier

The T-type topology is a three-level topology that has an advantage in terms of its number of switching device and its efficiency when compared to the neutral-point clamped (NPC)-type topology. With the recent increase in the usage of the T-type topology, the interest in its reliability has also increased. Therefore, a tolerance control for a T-type rectifier is necessary to improve the reliability of applications when an open-switch fault occurs. NPC-type rectifiers cannot eliminate input current distortion completely. However, the T-type rectifier is able to restore distorted current. In this paper, a tolerance control for the Sx2 and Sx3 open-switch faults of a T-type rectifier is proposed where it is advantageous in terms of efficiency when compared with other tolerance controls. The performance of the proposed tolerance control is verified through simulation and experimental results.