Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sulphated polysaccharides from seaweeds as potential entry inhibitors and vaccine adjuvants against SARS-CoV-2 RBD spike protein: a computational approach

The health pandemic (covid-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected, to date, over 233 million people and over 4.77 million deaths worldwide. Therefore, it is important to offer a wide understanding of the ability of potential antiviral biomolecules to combat this virus, which begins to develop new variants, potentially more transmissible and infectious. Sulphated polysaccharides (SPs) from seaweeds have been reported for their antiviral activity and their potential as vaccine adjuvants. However, their effect against SARS-CoV-2 remains very limited. In this study, seventeen ligands of SPs were screened for effective interaction with the domain (RBD) spike protein using a computational approach. The obtained results indicated that two PS ligands (Xylan sulphate and Heparin tetrasaccharide N-sulphated) effectively bind to the RBD protein and could efficiently inhibit viral entry. Overall, data support the potential importance of SPs against SARS-CoV-2 as entry inhibitors and vaccine adjuvants. Highlights Seventeen ligands of sulphated polysaccharides (SPs) were subjected to a molecular docking to assess their interaction with SARS-CoV-2 RBD spike protein; Two SP ligands showed an effective binding affinity to the RBD protein and could efficiently inhibit viral entry; One effective SP ligand (Xylan Sulphate) was predicted using ADMETox evaluation as good inhibitor; Effective candidates can have an importance against SARS-CoV-2 as entry inhibitors and vaccine adjuvants.
A rotational Raman study under non-thermal conditions in pulsed CO2–N2 and CO2–O2 glow discharges

This work employs in situ rotational Raman spectroscopy to study the effect of N2 and O2 addition to CO2 in pulsed glow discharges in the mbar range. The spatiotemporally resolved measurements are performed in CO2 and 25%, 50% and 75% of N2 or O2 admixture, in a 5–10 ms on-off cycle, 50 mA plasma current and 6.7 mbar total pressure. The rotational temperature profile is not affected by adding N2, ranging from 400 to 850 K from start to end of the discharge pulse, while the addition of O2 decreases the temperature at corresponding time points. Molecular number densities of CO2, CO, O2 and N2 are determined, showing the spatial homogeneity along the axis of the reactor and uniformity during the cycle. The measurements in the N2 containing mixtures show that CO2 conversion factor α increases from 0.15 to 0.33 when the content of N2 is increased from 0% to 75%, demonstrating the potential of N2 addition to enhance the vibrational pumping of CO2 and its beneficial effect on CO2 dissociation. Furthermore, the influence of admixtures on CO2 vibrations is examined by analysing the vibrationally averaged nuclear spin degeneracy. The difference between the fitted odd averaged degeneracy and the calculated odd degeneracy assuming thermal conditions increases with the addition of N2, demonstrating the growth of vibrational temperatures in CO2. On the other hand, the addition of O2 leads to a decrease of α, which might be attributed to quenched vibrations of CO2, and/or to the influence of the back reaction in the presence of O2.
Reducing the acquisition time in a single sensor passive millimetre wave (PMMW) imaging system utilizing compressive sensing

Single sensor passive millimetre wave (PMMW) imaging systems typically suffer from long acquisition times, which inhibit their utilization in some security applications (i.e. concealed weapons detection systems) where real time operation is required. This is inherent to the physical principle behind the system, where the achievable temperature resolution and the integration time are inversely proportional to each other. The longer the sensor can collect (and integrate) energy radiated by the scene at each position, the finer the temperature resolution becomes. Reducing the integration time without degrading the temperature resolution can be achieved by increasing the bandwidth of the radiometer, but this is possible only up to certain limits. We propose to reduce the acquisition time in such a single sensor, by combining the recent theory of compressive sensing with special sparse trajectories, designed to achieve the level of incoherence that the theory of compressive sensing requires to successfully recover the image. Another alternative proposal is to sample all the pixels in the scene, but for each pixel, the integration time is randomly selected from a pool of discrete possible values. The radiometric image is then reconstructed by combining the images obtained from the individual application of compressive sensing to each group of pixels having the same integration time. For demonstration purposes, a single pixel PMMW imaging simulator has been implemented in Matlab/Simulink, which includes a configurable radiometric scene generator. The paper presents results from simulated radiometric scenes at 140GHz acquired with the proposed sparse trajectories and recovered using compressive sensing. The results show that savings in acquisition times between 50% and 70% are possible while maintaining the required temperature resolution.
Legume Nitrogen Fixation and Symbioses in Low-Inputs Rainfed Rice Rotations

Cropping systems with legumes play key roles in farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa. However, how commonly legume associations perform in low input-systems is not well-known. Here, we studied four legume species used in three systems in rotation with upland rice, i.e., groundnut monocropping, sorghum–cowpea intercropping, and velvet bean–crotalaria intercropping, in two fertilization managements on the previous rice, i.e., manure alone or complemented with mineral fertilization. Legume suitability was assessed using rhizobial and mycorrhizal colonization rates, plant biomass production, shoot N and P content, and biological N2 fixation based on their δ15N natural abundance. Shoot and root biomasses varied significantly between legume species and were positively correlated with nodule number (r = 0.49 and 0.74, p-value < 0.05 and <0.001, respectively) and the amount of fixed N (r = 0.73 and 0.50, p-value < 0.001 and <0.05, respectively). The proportion of plant N derived from N2 fixation also varied significantly between species, with a higher percentage for velvet bean (66%), compared to the other three species (50 to 60%). Legume roots were weakly colonized by AM fungi, with similar levels between species. Overall, fertilization management did not significantly impact legume biomass, symbioses, or N2 fixation, yet the organo-mineral fertilization significantly increased legume shoot P content. The lack of effect of mineral fertilization on N2 fixation and biomass could be due to other nutrient deficiencies (Ca, Mg, micronutrients), which can hamper symbioses with rhizobia and mycorrhizae.
A Systemic Framework for the Recovery of Flexible Production Systems

In this paper, the real-time failure-recovery of flexible production systems is considered. Initially, the problem is structured and formulated within a systemic framework, and then, a generic local-in-time, schedule-repair approach is proposed. The coloured timed Petri net formalism is used to represent, in a modular and compact way, the production system's discrete-event dynamics. In connection with this, an intelligent opportunistic recovery technique has been developed for obtaining, in real time, the recovery trajectory which conforms best to a chosen production strategy. The application of the approach is demonstrated by considering recovery cases in a batch-processing chemicals plant.
A biomimetic hyaluronic acid‐silk fibroin nanofiber scaffold promoting regeneration of transected urothelium

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the regulatory effect of hyaluronic acid (HA)—coating silk fibroin (SF) nanofibers during epithelialization of urinary tract for urethral regeneration. The obtained electrospun biomimetic tubular HA‐SF nanofiber scaffold is composed of a dense inner layer and a porous outer layer in order to mimic adhesion and cavernous layers of the native tissue, respectively. A thin layer of HA‐gel coating was fixed in the inner wall to provide SF nanofibers with a dense and smooth surface nano‐topography and higher hydrophilicity. Compared with pure SF nanofibers, HA‐SF nanofibers significantly promoted the adhesion, growth, and proliferation of primary urothelial cells, and up‐regulate the expression of uroplakin‐3 (terminal differentiation keratin protein in urothelium). Using the New Zealand male rabbit urethral injury model, the scaffold composed of tubular HA‐SF nanofibers could recruit lumen and myoepithelial cells from the adjacent area of the host, rapidly reconstructing the urothelial barrier in the wound area in order to keep the urinary tract unobstructed, thereby promoting luminal epithelialization, smooth muscle bundle structural remodeling, and capillary formation. Overall, the synergistic effects of nano‐topography and biophysical cues in a biomimetic scaffold design for effective endogenous regeneration.
Comparing vertical ground heat exchanger models

The main objective of this article is to establish a set of test cases for analytical verification and inter-model comparison of vertical ground heat exchanger (GHX) models used in building simulation programs. Several test cases are suggested. They range from steady-state heat rejection in a single borehole to varying hourly loads with relatively large yearly thermal imbalance in multiple borehole configurations. The usefulness of the proposed test cases is illustrated with different GHX models. This comparison exercise has shown that analytical one-dimensional (1D) models compare favourably well with three-dimensional (3D) models for relatively short-simulation periods, where axial effects are not significant. Cyclic heat rejection/collection tests proved to be useful to characterize the accuracy and the computational performance of different load aggregation algorithms. Finally, different spatial superposition methods have been compared for various bore field sizes and configurations and various loads.
A Novel Post-Quantum Blind Signature for Log System in Blockchain

In recent decades, log system management has been widely studied for data security management. System abnormalities or illegal operations can be found in time by analyzing the log and provide evidence for intrusions. In order to ensure the integrity of the log in the current system, many researchers have designed it based on blockchain. However, the emerging blockchain is facing significant security challenges with the increment of quantum computers. An attacker equipped with a quantum computer can extract the user's private key from the public key to generate a forged signature, destroy the structure of the blockchain, and threaten the security of the log system. Thus, blind signature on the lattice in post-quantum blockchain brings new security features for log systems. In our paper, to address these, firstly, we propose a novel log system based on post-quantum blockchain that can resist quantum computing attacks. Secondly, we utilize a post-quantum blind signature on the lattice to ensure both security and blindness of log system, which makes the privacy of log information to a large extent. Lastly, we enhance the security level of lattice-based blind signature under the random oracle model, and the signature size grows slowly compared with others. We also implement our protocol and conduct an extensive analysis to prove the ideas. The results show that our scheme signature size edges up subtly compared with others with the improvement of security level.
Substructures and underground space

Abstract This paper gives a brief overview of the 43 papers that were submitted to the ‘Substructure and Underground Space’ theme of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment's (IAEG) 10th International Congress held in Nottingham, UK. The contributions within this theme are truly international, reflecting the global contribution that substructures make with respect to underground space. Papers within this theme have been submitted from 13 countries including Australia, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Nepal, the Netherlands, Turkey, the UK and the USA. The papers are diverse in nature, covering the many contributory facets that are encompassed within the theme. The papers discussed here include 13 papers that relate to tunnelling, two papers on piling, 20 papers on minimizing risks related to underground construction, nine papers on numerical modelling and three papers on laboratory testing. In all, more than 20 case studies were described, relating to a wide range of materials (from London Clay to red-bed soft rocks). Where appropriate the paper has been supplemented with additional information gathered during the question and answer sessions undertaken during the afternoon presentations.
Review of soft fluidic actuators: classification and materials modeling analysis

Soft actuators can be classified into five categories: tendon-driven actuators, electroactive polymers, shape-memory materials, soft fluidic actuators (SFAs), and hybrid actuators. The characteristics and potential challenges of each class are explained at the beginning of this review. Furthermore, recent advances especially focusing on SFAs are illustrated. There are already some impressive SFA designs to be found in the literature, constituting a fundamental basis for design and inspiration. The goal of this review is to address the latest innovative designs for SFAs and their challenges and improvements with respect to previous generations, and to help researchers to select appropriate materials for their application. We suggest seven influential designs: pneumatic artificial muscle, PneuNet, continuum arm, universal granular gripper, origami soft structure, vacuum-actuated muscle-inspired pneumatic, and hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic. The hybrid design of SFAs for improved functionality and shape controllability is also considered. Modeling SFAs, based on previous research, can be classified into three main groups: analytical methods, numerical methods, and model-free methods. We demonstrate the latest advances and potential challenges in each category. Regarding the fact that the performance of soft actuators is dependent on material selection, we then focus on the behaviors and mechanical properties of the various types of silicone that can be found in the SFA literature. For a better comparison of the different constitutive models of silicone materials proposed and tested in the literature, ABAQUS software is here employed to generate the engineering and true strain-stress data from the constitutive models, and compare them with standard uniaxial tensile test data based on ASTM412. Although the figures presented show that in a small range of stress–strain data, most of these models can predict the material model acceptably, few of them predict it accurately for large strain-stress values. Sensor technology integrated into SFAs is also being developed, and has the potential to increase controllability and observability by detecting a wide variety of data such as curvature, tactile contacts, produced force, and pressure values.
Enhancing teaching and learning : a leadership guide for school library media specialists

Leader and collaborator - these are the dual roles of every school library media specialist. The challenge is to remain proactive in shaping instruction while remaining responsive to your user's needs and requests. This thoroughly revised and expanded guide shows how to develop and implement an effective library media program by integrating it into the total education environment. Part One covers all aspects of the school environment: students, curriculum and instruction, principals, school district administrators, and the community. Part Two shows you how to use interaction and collaboration to make the school library media program integral to all of these communities. New to this edition are discussions of special education, high school-to-college transitions, shared school-public libraries, and more. Stressing the continued importance of literature and reading at the school library media center, Donham covers reading instruction, nonfiction reading collections, book discussion groups and literature circles, and accelerated reader programs. Recent developments in elementary school requirements are also addressed, including standards and benchmarks, assessment, data collection and analysis, policy-making, the No Child Left Behind. Act, and standards for school principals. The statistics and data have all been updated as have sections on the Web, media, motivation models, technologies and technological equipment, electronic resources, block scheduling, and more. Here are the new tools and strategies librarians and media specialists need to lead and collaborate effectively in their schools.
Application of the Pluripotent Stem Cells and Genomics in Cardiovascular Research—What We Have Learnt and Not Learnt until Now

Personalized regenerative medicine and biomedical research have been galvanized and revolutionized by human pluripotent stem cells in combination with recent advances in genomics, artificial intelligence, and genome engineering. More recently, we have witnessed the unprecedented breakthrough life-saving translation of mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 to contain the global pandemic and the investment in billions of US dollars in space exploration projects and the blooming space-tourism industry fueled by the latest reusable space vessels. Now, it is time to examine where the translation of pluripotent stem cell research stands currently, which has been touted for more than the last two decades to cure and treat millions of patients with severe debilitating degenerative diseases and tissue injuries. This review attempts to highlight the accomplishments of pluripotent stem cell research together with cutting-edge genomics and genome editing tools and, also, the promises that have still not been transformed into clinical applications, with cardiovascular research as a case example. This review also brings to our attention the scientific and socioeconomic challenges that need to be effectively addressed to see the full potential of pluripotent stem cells at the clinical bedside.
An Integrated Saliency Model with Guidance of Eye Movement in Natural Scene Classification

Nature Scene classification is a fundamental problem in image understanding. Human can recognize the scene instantly after only a glance. This is mainly because that our visual attention is easily attracted by the salient objects in scene. And these objects are always representative in the natural scene. It is unclear how humans achieve rapid scene categorization. But this kind of high-level cognitive behavior can be reflected by the eye movement. To identify this ability, we propose a model with the guidance of eye movement. It combines the bag of words (BOW) and spatial pyramid matching (SPM) methods to train and test our model on support vector machine (SVM). The eye movement experiments were employed to validate our model. We found that the subjects could recognize the scenes correctly even if given only a few saliency patches with less than one second. These results suggest that the eye tracking saliency patches play an important role for human scene categorization.
Vocational Curriculum for Australian Service Industries: Standardised Learning for Diverse Service Environments?

The debate over the adequacy of competency-based training (CBT) to meet the needs of service industries is far from over. In Australia, the national training package qualifications (which are CBT based) are well entrenched, with competency elements growing like bacteria on a buffet. Developed by industry for industry, this framework appears to have had little impact on training practices in the workplace. Enterprise training is not linked to the National Training Framework (Smith, Oczkowski, Noble, & Macklin, 2002). In colleges, atomistic customer service outcomes delivered in standardised, context-free conditions do little to meet the needs of service industries, tourism and hospitality in particular. Sociocultural approaches point to the context embeddedness of workplace learning, including the diversity of social interactions within the organisation and with customers. The industry is also a dynamic one, with ongoing changes to the tourism product (which includes service) to meet increasingly sophisticated expectations. Customers, including international visitors whose contribution is one of the country's largest sources of foreign income exchange, are looking for unique and culturally authentic experiences. Curriculum reform is an urgent priority if vocational training in colleges and workplaces is going to meet the emerging needs of this competitive services sector.
The Role of Acupuncture in Treating Perimenopausal Insomnia: An Overview and Quality Assessment of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Objective To summarize and critically assess the reliability of the methodological quality and outcome measures from systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) and provide an overall verdict about the therapeutic value of acupuncture for perimenopausal insomnia (PMI). Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature search for SRs/MAs of seven major databases (English and Chinese). For each included review, the methodological quality was appraised according to the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the evidence quality was classified on the basis of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), and reporting quality was evaluated complying with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2009 (PRISMA-2009). Veritas plots were used to quantify the quality of included SRs/MAs. Results Nine SRs/MAs were deemed eligible for the present overview. Considering the assessment of results from the AMSTAR-2 checklist, the methodological quality of one SR/MA was considered low, and the remaining eight were critically low. Major methodological deficiencies were concentrated on item 2 (the lack of protocol and/or registration information), item 7 (the lack of a list of excluded studies), and item 10 (the lack of reports on funding sources for individual studies included in the SRs/MAs). For the GRADE system, of the 25 outcomes, only three (12%) were rated as moderate-quality, while the remaining 22 were rated between low- and very low-quality. The PRISMA-2009 statement indicated three major reporting quality limitations in most SRs/MAs, namely: 1) only search terms without specific retrieval strategy; 2) incomplete descriptions for study characteristics, particularly the specific dosage and frequency of interventions in treatment/control groups; and 3) inadequate investigation and explanation of the source of high heterogeneity among original randomized control trials included. According to Veritas plots, quality rank scores of included SRs/MAs ranged from 3.3 to 8.3, with an average score of 6.4 ± 1.7. Conclusion Acupuncture appears to be beneficial for PMI management, but the quality of evidence is weakened by the unsatisfactory quality of both SRs/MAs and original trials included.