Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved oxygen storage capacity of haemoglobin submicron particles by one-pot formulation

Abstract The coprecipitation–cross-linking–dissolution (CCD) technique for protein submicron particle fabrication was improved by omitting one preparation step using the macromolecular cross-linker, periodate-oxidized dextran (Odex, M.W. of 40 and 70 kDa). The coprecipitation and cross-linking of haemoglobin (Hb) were combined in one single step since the cross-linker is incorporated into the inorganic template, MnCO3, together with the protein. After removal of the MnCO3 templates by EDTA, the amount of entrapped Hb was 60 to 70% of the initial amount. This technique provides deformable Hb submicron particles (HbMP) with narrow size distribution between 800 and 1000 nm, uniform morphology and negative zeta-potential. More than 40% of Hb in the particles was able to carry oxygen over a storage period of 90 days. The results suggest that our new protein submicron particle fabrication technique minimizes the fabrication time and is very efficient and cost-effective.
Determining special features in the topography of paper with water marks at the micro­ and nanolevels

We have studied the surface structure of tamper-proof paper with positive and negative watermarks at different scales ‒ from a micrometer to a nanometer level, by using the methods of contact profilometry and atomic force microscopy. Experimental research has confirmed that the structural parameters of the tamper-proof paper's surface differ at regions with and without watermarks. The results of measurements by a contact profilometer have made it possible to trace a correlation between values of the profile's mean arithmetic deviation and the presence of watermarks. It was determined that the value for the profile's largest height does not depend on a measurement region, which could be related to the chaotic arrangement of fibers and particles of the filler in the paper bulk that protrude above the profile's line. By analyzing the value of the profile's mean arithmetic deviation obtained by using a method of atomic-force microscopy, it was found that for regions with negative watermarks it is larger than that for regions with positive watermarks. The dependence of the profile's largest height on measurement region is not clearly observed. This may be due to that the size of the examined region (3,000×3,000 nm) covers only part of the pulp fibers. Thus, the results of our analysis allow us to argue that both methods are suitable for estimating the characteristics of paper's surface, and determine the character of interaction between a given type of paper and printing inks during printing process. In particular, it has been established that the method of profilometry makes it possible to determine parameters of the paper's surface profile, formed in a certain way, while the atomic force microscopy method allows analysis of the morphology of its components, located at the surface (fibers, filler's particles, etc.). The availability of information on the structural properties of paper makes it possible to predict the quality of printing reproduction, specifically clearness of reproduction of thin guilloche lines on watermarks, which is relevant because it prevents flaws in printing products for special purposes.
Inline process monitoring method for geometrical characteristics in additive manufacturing

This method provides a suitable solution for monitoring an additive manufacturing process. The implementation is evaluated in a manufacturing machine of fused filament fabrication. The main parts of the work are the developing and integration of an adaptable 3D hardware platform, the pre-processing of captured layer point clouds and the developing of object point cloud stack. The result is sufficient to estimate the manufacture quality and complies requirements for an inline process control method.
ZnO Nanorods with High Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Activity under Solar Light Irradiation

ZnO nanorods (NRs) with an average length and diameter of 186 and 20 nm, respectively, were prepared through a mild solvothermal route and used as photocatalysts either as dispersed powder or immobilized on glass slides. The ZnO NRs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Dispersed ZnO NRs and, to a lesser extent, immobilized ZnO NRs were demonstrated to exhibit high photocatalytic activity under simulated sunlight of low intensity (5.5 mW/cm2) both for the degradation of the Orange II dye and for Escherichia coli bacterial decontamination (2.5-fold survival decrease after 180 min irradiation for immobilized NRs). SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence spectroscopy, and epifluorescence microscopy demonstrate that cell surface damages are responsible of bacterial inactivation. The immobilized ZnO NRs could be reused up to five times for bacterial decontamination at comparable efficiency and therefore have great potential for real environmental applications.
Breaking Barriers: Prospective Study of a Cohort of Advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients To Describe Their Survival and End-of-Life Palliative Care Requirements

Abstract Background and Aim: Consensus has been reached on the need to integrate palliative care in the follow-up examinations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. We analyzed the survival from the initiation of follow-up by a palliative home care team (PHCT) and described the needs and end-of-life process. Setting and Design: This study was a prospective observational cohort study of advanced COPD patients referred to a PHCT. Sociodemographic variables, survival from the start date of follow-up using the Kaplan–Meier model, health resource consumption, perceived quality of life, main symptomatology, opioid use, and advanced care planning (ACP) were analyzed. Results: Sixty patients were included. The median survival was 8.3 months. Forty-two patients died at the end of the study (85% at home or in palliative care units). The most frequent cause of death was respiratory failure in 39 patients (93%), with 29 of these patients requiring sedation (69%). Dyspnea at rest, with an average of 5 (standard deviation [SD] 2) points, was the main symptom. Fifty-five patients (91%) required opioids for symptom control. The median score in the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire was 72 (SD 13). The mean number of visits by the home team was 7 (SD 6.5). The mean number of admissions during the monitoring period was 1.5 (SD 0.15). Conclusions: The characteristics of the cohort appear suitable for a PHCT. The follow-up care provided by our multidisciplinary unit decreased the number of hospitalizations, favored the development of ACP, and enabled death at home or in palliative care units.
Plant Primary Metabolism Regulated by Nitrogen Contributes to Plant–Pathogen Interactions

Nitrogen contributes to plant defense responses by the regulation of plant primary metabolism during plant-pathogen interactions. Based on biochemical, physiological, bioinformatic and transcriptome approaches, we investigated how different nitrogen forms (ammonium vs. nitrate) regulate the physiological response of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC) infection. The metabolic profile revealed that nitrate-grown plants accumulated more organic acids, while ammonium-grown plants accumulated more amino acids; FOC infection significantly increased levels of both amino acids and organic acids in the roots of ammonium-grown plants. Transcriptome analysis showed that genes related to carbon metabolism were mostly up-regulated in plants grown with nitrate, whereas in ammonium-grown plants the up-regulated genes were mostly those that were related to primary nitrogen metabolism. Root FOC colonization and disease incidence were positively correlated with levels of root amino acids and negatively correlated with levels of root organic acids. In conclusion, organic acid metabolism and expression of related genes increased under nitrate, whereas ammonium increased the level of amino acids and expression of related genes; these altered levels of organic acids and amino acids resulted in different tolerances to FOC infection depending on the nitrogen forms supplied.
Inertial migration of a rigid sphere in plane Poiseuille flow as a test of dissipative particle dynamics simulations.

After reviewing and organizing the literature on the problem of inertial cross-stream migration of rigid spheres in various geometries including tubes and channels, we use Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) simulations to study the simplest case of migration of a single neutrally or non-neutrally buoyant sphere with diameter 20% of the gap in plane Poiseuille flow and assess the potential and limitations of DPD simulations for this and similar problems. We find that the neutrally buoyant sphere lags by up to 6% behind the surrounding fluid and is focused at a position around 50% of the distance between the channel center and the wall. With Re increasing from around 100 to 500, the sphere migrates closer to the channel center. With flow driven by gravity, a much denser non-neutrally buoyant sphere leads the surrounding fluid and is focused at a position closer to the wall, around 60% the distance from the channel center to the wall, in qualitative agreement with previous work. The lower values of the Schmidt number Sc in DPD simulations relative to real fluids, due to the relatively large diffusivity of DPD beads, are shown to not significantly affect the consistency of our DPD results with literature results although they make results noisy at low Re (i.e., ≲ 50). However, the increase in Ma and Wi with increasing Re leads to compressible flow effects and in some cases viscoelastic effects at high Re depending on the DPD parameters chosen. Even for optimally chosen parameters, we require Re ≲ 500 to avoid strong compressibility effects. Thus, the relative simplicity of the DPD method for complex fluid flows is offset by the need to control the effects of unphysically high values of other parameters, such as Ma and Wi, which seriously limits the range of conditions under which DPD simulations give valid results in fluid transport problems.
Regulator of Calcineurin 1 helps coordinate whole‐body metabolism and thermogenesis

Increasing non‐shivering thermogenesis (NST), which expends calories as heat rather than storing them as fat, is championed as an effective way to combat obesity and metabolic disease. Innate mechanisms constraining the capacity for NST present a fundamental limitation to this approach, yet are not well understood. Here, we provide evidence that Regulator of Calcineurin 1 (RCAN1), a feedback inhibitor of the calcium‐activated protein phosphatase calcineurin (CN), acts to suppress two distinctly different mechanisms of non‐shivering thermogenesis (NST): one involving the activation of UCP1 expression in white adipose tissue, the other mediated by sarcolipin (SLN) in skeletal muscle. UCP1 generates heat at the expense of reducing ATP production, whereas SLN increases ATP consumption to generate heat. Gene expression profiles demonstrate a high correlation between Rcan1 expression and metabolic syndrome. On an evolutionary timescale, in the context of limited food resources, systemic suppression of prolonged NST by RCAN1 might have been beneficial; however, in the face of caloric abundance, RCAN1‐mediated suppression of these adaptive avenues of energy expenditure may now contribute to the growing epidemic of obesity.
Control of nongenetic heterogeneity in growth rate and stress tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by cyclic AMP-regulated transcription factors

Genetically identical cells exhibit extensive phenotypic variation even under constant and benign conditions. This so-called nongenetic heterogeneity has important clinical implications: within tumors and microbial infections, cells show nongenetic heterogeneity in growth rate and in susceptibility to drugs or stress. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, shows a similar form of nongenetic heterogeneity in which growth rate correlates positively with susceptibility to acute heat stress at the single-cell level. Using genetic and chemical perturbations, combined with high-throughput single-cell assays of yeast growth and gene expression, we show here that heterogeneity in intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels acting through the conserved Ras/cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway and its target transcription factors, Msn2 and Msn4, underlies this nongenetic heterogeneity. Lower levels of cAMP correspond to slower growth, as shown by direct comparison of cAMP concentration in subpopulations enriched for slower vs. faster growing cells. Concordantly, an endogenous reporter of this pathway’s activity correlates with growth in individual cells. The paralogs Msn2 and Msn4 differ in their roles in nongenetic heterogeneity in a way that demonstrates slow growth and stress tolerance are not inevitably linked. Heterogeneity in growth rate requires each, whereas only Msn2 is required for heterogeneity in expression of Tsl1, a subunit of trehalose synthase that contributes to acute-stress tolerance. Perturbing nongenetic heterogeneity by mutating genes in this pathway, or by culturing wild-type cells with the cell-permeable cAMP analog 8-bromo-cAMP or the PKA inhibitor H89, significantly impacts survival of acute heat stress. Perturbations that increase intracellular cAMP levels reduce the slower-growing subpopulation and increase susceptibility to acute heat stress, whereas PKA inhibition slows growth and decreases susceptibility to acute heat stress. Loss of Msn2 reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the correlation in individual cells between growth rate and acute-stress survival, suggesting a major role for the Msn2 pathway in nongenetic heterogeneity but also a residual benefit of slow growth. Our results shed light on the genetic control of nongenetic heterogeneity and suggest a possible means of defeating bet-hedging pathogens or tumor cells by making them more uniformly susceptible to treatment.
Compositional Reservoir Simulation Using (T,V) Variables-Based Flash Calculation

Summary Phase equilibrium calculation is at the heart of compositional reservoir simulation. The conventional example is the isothermal isobaric flash (T,P) which must be solved in every grid-block at each iteration during simulation. This is conventionally solved through the repeated use of stability analysis and phase-split calculation. To accurately represent the fluid properties it is useful to use an equation of state. Most compositional reservoir simulations use the cubic equations of state (SRK or PR). More advanced equations of state which, for example, take account of association are attractive alternatives (e.g. CPA or PC-SAFT) for some simulations. Each of these models are functions for the Helmholtz energy with the natural variables (T,V,n), using the conventional flash framework it is necessary to solve the equation for volume (at a given pressure) at each iteration. Though simple for the cubic equations of state this is a more significant issue when using advanced equations of state where the association equations must also be solved iteratively at each volume iteration. This increase in computational cost is one reason that the more advanced equations of state are not yet in common use. An alternative framework to solve the isothermal isobaric flash problem is possible. Instead of solving the equation of state for volume at each iteration the pressure of the phases is matched only at the final equilibrium point. This allows for the natural variables, (T,V,n), of the equation of state to be used to co-solve the equation of state with the equilibrium equations. Using this framework means that the equation of state does not need to be solved for volume at each iteration. This means that the more complex equations of state are only marginally more computationally expensive than the simple cubics. In this work we will present a method to solve the (T,P) flash problem using the natural variables of the equation of state, (T,V,n). The resulting framework will be used in a multiphase, compositional, 3D reservoir simulator and demonstrated using a number of examples. The computational cost of the proposed method will be compared with the conventional method for solving the (T,P) flash problem when solving the same simulation problem.
User satisfaction analysis for service-now application

A good application system can be seen from the user’s satisfaction. Service-Now is an application used by the service desk division at PT Aero System Indonesia for the needs of customer reports. Many employees face obstacles in operational service-now, so the resulting report is not optimal. In this study will measure the level of user satisfaction on the service-now application. The study was conducted by taking a survey involving 32 staff in the service desk division as respondents. An approach the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) is used to analyse the data. The results of analysis show ease of use, completeness of a function or feature, and timely enough to satisfy the user. Meanwhile, quality of information needs to be increased in service-now applications to improve user satisfaction.
Expression of novel proteins by polyomaviruses and recent advances in the structural and functional features of agnoprotein of JC virus, BK virus, and simian virus 40

Polyomavirus family consists of a highly diverse group of small DNA viruses. The founding family member (MPyV) was first discovered in the newborn mouse in the late 1950s, which induces solid tumors in a wide variety of tissue types that are the epithelial and mesenchymal origin. Later, other family members were also isolated from a number of mammalian, avian and fish species. Some of these viruses significantly contributed to our current understanding of the fundamentals of modern biology such as transcription, replication, splicing, RNA editing, and cell transformation. After the discovery of first two human polyomaviruses (JC virus [JCV] and BK virus [BKV]) in the early 1970s, there has been a rapid expansion in the number of human polyomaviruses in recent years due to the availability of the new technologies and brought the present number to 14. Some of the human polyomaviruses cause considerably serious human diseases, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, polyomavirus‐associated nephropathy, Merkel cell carcinoma, and trichodysplasia spinulosa. Emerging evidence suggests that the expression of the polyomavirus genome is more complex than previously thought. In addition to encoding universally expressed regulatory and structural proteins (LT‐Ag, Sm t‐Ag, VP1, VP2, and VP3), some polyomaviruses express additional virus‐specific regulatory proteins and microRNAs. This review summarizes the recent advances in polyomavirus genome expression with respect to the new viral proteins and microRNAs other than the universally expressed ones. In addition, a special emphasis is devoted to the recent structural and functional discoveries in the field of polyomavirus agnoprotein which is expressed only by JCV, BKV, and simian virus 40 genomes.
Identificando a Relação Virtual Entre Empresas Explorando Reações de Usuários no Facebook

We live today in a highly competitive world in many areas, including the business world. Thus, strategic business partnerships are important for a business to succeed, especially for those exposed to a dynamic and uncertain market. Therefore, this study aims to identify expressive virtual relationships between companies that are generated spontaneously by users in social media. To this end, a business similarity model based on common spontaneous reactions of users in social media, particularly Facebook, is proposed, as well as a new algorithm for detecting business communities within the proposed model. To demonstrate the proposed methodology, the study uses more than 280 million user reactions on Facebook about companies in Curitiba, Brazil. Exploring these data and the proposed methodology, this study shows the possibility to identify non-trivial relations between companies, which may enable the development of new mechanisms for recommending strategic business partnerships for entrepreneurs and business owners.
Pelatihan dan Pemotivasian Terhadap Pengembangan Karir Karyawan

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana Pengaruh Pelatihan danPemotivasian Terhadap Pengembangan Karir Karyawan. Metode pengumpulandata diolah melalui penyebaran kuesioner, wawancara terhadap responden dandata internal dari pihak Personalia PT. Indokarlo Perkasa. Responden dalampenelitian ini adalah karyawan Departemen Produksi Extruded Shift B sebanyak46 Orang.Analisis data menggunakan statistik korelasi, regresi, determinasi dantesting hipotesis.Hasil penelitian menunjukan hubungan antara Pelatihan danPemotivasian secara simultan dengan Pengembangan Karir Karyawan adalah kuatdan positif dengan koefisien korelasi (r) = 0,603. Analisis test-hipotesis diperolehnilai F hitung = 12,303 > F tabel = 3,21. Hal ini menunjukan terdapat hubunganyang signifikan antara Pelatihan dan Pemotivasian terhadap Pengembangan KarirKaryawan
The genotoxic effects of fruit extract of Crataegus oxyacantha (hawthorn) in mice

ABSTRACT Crataegus oxyacantha L. (Rosaceae) is a medicinal plant with a long history of use in European, Chinese, and American. The majority of pharmacological activities associated with fruit extracts of C. oxyacantha L. are related to cardio-stimulant properties utilized in the treatment of atherosclerosis, hypertension with myocardic insufficiency, angina pectoris, cardiac rhythm alterations, and heart failure. Some other therapeutic uses for renal calculi, dyspnea, as well as a diuretic, sedative, and anxiolytic were also reported. Due to the beneficial potential of C. oxyacantha fruits extract but evidence in vitro of genetic toxicity, the aim of the present study was to examine the genotoxic potential of plant extract in vivo in mice. The extract was administered orally, daily by gavage at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight for seven days. Data demonstrated that C. oxyacantha extract did not markedly induce DNA damage in leukocytes and bone marrow cells by the comet assay; however, the extract produced a significant rise in micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) at all tested doses in a non-dose dependent manner as evidenced by the micronucleus test. The PCE/normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) ratio indicated no significant cytotoxicity. Under our experimental conditions, C. oxyacantha fruits extract exhibited weak clastogenic and/or aneugenic effects in bone marrow cells of male mice, confirming our previous in vitro findings that this plant extract induced genotoxicity suggesting that prolonged or high dose use needs to be undertaken with caution.