Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Data Driven Optimization of Energy Management in Residential Buildings with Energy Harvesting and Storage

This paper presents a battery-aware stochastic control framework for residential energy management systems (EMS) equipped with energy harvesting, that is, photovoltaic panels, and storage capabilities. The model and control rationale takes into account the dynamics of load, the weather, the weather forecast, the utility, and consumer preferences into a unified Markov decision process. The embedded optimization problem is formulated to determine the proportion of energy drawn from the battery and the grid to minimize a cost function capturing a user-defined tradeoff between battery degradation and financial expense by user preferences. Numerical results are based on real-world weather data for Golden, Colorado, and load traces. The results illustrate the ability of the system to limit battery degradation assessed using the Rain flow counting method for lithium ion batteries.
Recent Advances in Phenylboronic Acid-Based Gels with Potential for Self-Regulated Drug Delivery

Glucose-sensitive drug platforms are highly attractive in the field of self-regulated drug delivery. Drug carriers based on boronic acid (BA), especially phenylboronic acid (PBA), have been designed for glucose-sensitive self-regulated insulin delivery. The PBA-functionalized gels have attracted more interest in recent years. The cross-linked three-dimensional (3D) structure endows the glucose-sensitive gels with great physicochemical properties. The PBA-based platforms with cross-linked structures have found promising applications in self-regulated drug delivery systems. This article summarizes some recent attempts at the developments of PBA-mediated glucose-sensitive gels for self-regulated drug delivery. The PBA-based glucose-sensitive gels, including hydrogels, microgels, and nanogels, are expected to significantly promote the development of smart self-regulated drug delivery systems for diabetes therapy.
The Process of Innovation Diffusion and Adoption of Innovations in the Business Modelling for Travel Companies

The international practice among leading companies indicates that there is no successful development and sound company performance improvement, particularly, in tourism, without a proper strategy as a complex of measures tailored to achieve the set goal. Technology development in tourism represents a leading trend of the global economy, shaped by the restructuring of modern society. The Russian Federation public policy has a clear set economic goal in the tourism sector, which is to transform tourism as a competitive, innovative stable and profitable sector of national business. Tourism is characterised by a complicated relationship system between the providers and consumers of services, between travel companies and their competitors and between business partners. A travel company's activities in the market include finding a niche; tourism product development; determining the scope of services; refinement of pricing; expansion of promotion activities, research; ensuring investment; cooperation with other companies; government relations. Today, various methods and models are intensely adopted in the development of business management systems in tourism, which reflects the increased competitiveness of products in the tourism market. The paper discusses development models for travel companies, methods for solving optimisation problems of the regional territorial arrangement of tourism and hotel business and establishes the influence of external environment factors over the creation of a hotel operation.
The dietary intake of two groups of lactating women in Shanghai during the puerperium.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Lactation is a time of increased nutritional requirements for mothers, and inadequate nutrient intake may have a detrimental effect on a woman's nutritional status. To investigate the dietary intake of two groups of women in Shanghai during the traditional confinement period. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN Two groups of women (1) a community dwelling sample (n=92); (2) residents in a Maternity Care Centre (MCC) (n=30), kept a prospective dietary record which was complemented by photographing. This data collection was done on a single day on three occasions in the community group, and for three days on five occasions in the MCC one. The mean nutrient intakes of the two groups were compared at common time points to dietary reference intakes, and the food intake was compared to dietary guidelines. RESULTS Over half of this population had high body mass indices (BMIs) which reported that an excessive proportion of calories had come from fat intake. The mean intakes of sodium were higher than the recommended. Fruit, vegetable, bean, tuber, and milk intakes were lower than the recommendations. Over 70% of the women failed to meet the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for calcium. A notable proportion of all women failed to meet the EAR for vitamin C, thiamin, and riboflavin. Dietary fiber intakes were low, with a group mean intake value less than half the Adequate Intake (AI). CONCLUSIONS This study on dietary intakes indicates nutritional intake issues may exist among lactating women in Shanghai, particularly in community-dwelling women.
Assessing the Impact of Relational Governance on the Supply Chain Performances of Manufacturing Firms in Ghana

Over the years, there have been many challenges in supply chain management across the globe especially in the developing countries. There were challenges of quality control, risk management, finding right distributors to handle distribution, fragmented markets and many others. The most challenging issue in the supply chain management is the unpleasant relationship between the firms and their partners leading to many inconsistencies, uncertainties and losses in their operations and transactions leading to the assessment of both the direct and indirect impact of relational governance on supply chain performance of the manufacturing firms in Ghana. The study sought to assess the impact relational governance has directly and indirectly on supply chain performance. Data were collected and gathered through a survey questionnaire responded by 147 manufacturing firms in Ghana. The structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesis and also validate the results. Findings indicate that the relational governance has a positive effect on supply chain performance and at the same time has an indirect effect on supply chain performance through both information sharing and quality of information. The study provides a hard evidence that the higher levels of information sharing and quality of information can lead to enhanced effect of relational governance on supply chain performance. Keywords - Relational Governance, Information Sharing, Quality of Information, Supply Chain Performance, Manufacturing Firms. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-12-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2020
Transcriptomic Impact of IMA-08401, a Novel AHR Agonist Resembling Laquinimod, on Rat Liver

IMA-08401 (C2) is a novel aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonist and selective AHR modulator (SAHRM) that is structurally similar to laquinimod (LAQ). Both compounds are converted to the AHR-active metabolite DELAQ (IMA-06201) in vivo. SAHRMs have been proposed as therapeutic options for various autoimmune disorders. Clinical trials on LAQ have not reported any significant toxic outcomes and C2 has shown low toxicity in rats; however, their functional resemblance to the highly toxic AHR agonist 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) raises questions. Here, we characterize the hepatic transcriptomic changes induced by acute (single-dose) and subacute exposure (repeated dosing for 5 days followed by a 5-day recovery period) to C2 in Sprague-Dawley rats. Exposure to C2 leads to activation of the AHR, as shown by altered transcription of Cyp1a1. We identify a heightened response early after exposure that drops off by day 10. Acute exposure to C2 leads to changes to transcription of genes involved in antiviral and antibacterial responses, which highlights the immunomodulator effects of this AHR agonist. Subacute exposure causes an oxidative stress response in the liver, the consequences of which require further study on target tissues such as the CNS and immune system, both of which may be compromised in this patient population.
Increased Inflammation and Cardiometabolic Risk in Individuals with Low AMY1 Copy Numbers

Lower copy number variations (CNVs) in the salivary amylase gene (AMY1) have been associated with obesity and insulin resistance; however, the relationship between AMY1 and cardiometabolic risk has not been fully elucidated. Using gold-standard measures, we aimed to examine whether AMY1 CNVs are associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in an overweight or obese, otherwise healthy population. Fifty-seven adults (58% male) aged 31.17 ± 8.44 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 were included in the study. We measured AMY1 CNVs (qPCR); anthropometry (BMI; body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry); cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure, serum lipids by ELISA); insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinaemic–euglycaemic clamp), insulin secretion (intravenous glucose tolerance test), and serum inflammation markers (multiplex assays). Based on previous studies and median values, participants were divided into low (≤4) and high (>4) AMY1 CNV groups. Low AMY1 carriers (n = 29) had a higher fat mass (40.76 ± 12.11 versus 33.33 ± 8.50 kg, p = 0.009) and LDL-cholesterol (3.27 ± 0.80 versus 2.87 ± 0.69 mmol/L, p = 0.038), and higher serum levels of interleukin [IL]-6, IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) (all p < 0.05) compared with high AMY1 carriers (n = 28), but there were no differences in glycaemic measures, including insulin sensitivity or secretion (all p > 0.1). Except for MCP-1, the results remained significant in multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, and fat mass (all p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that low AMY1 CNVs are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk and inflammation, but not glucose metabolism, in overweight or obese adults.
Overview of the Manufacturing Methods of Solid Dispersion Technology for Improving the Solubility of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs and Application to Anticancer Drugs

Approximately 40% of new chemical entities (NCEs), including anticancer drugs, have been reported as poorly water-soluble compounds. Anticancer drugs are classified into biologic drugs (monoclonal antibodies) and small molecule drugs (nonbiologic anticancer drugs) based on effectiveness and safety profile. Biologic drugs are administered by intravenous (IV) injection due to their large molecular weight, while small molecule drugs are preferentially administered by gastrointestinal route. Even though IV injection is the fastest route of administration and ensures complete bioavailability, this route of administration causes patient inconvenience to visit a hospital for anticancer treatments. In addition, IV administration can cause several side effects such as severe hypersensitivity, myelosuppression, neutropenia, and neurotoxicity. Oral administration is the preferred route for drug delivery due to several advantages such as low cost, pain avoidance, and safety. The main problem of NCEs is a limited aqueous solubility, resulting in poor absorption and low bioavailability. Therefore, improving oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs is a great challenge in the development of pharmaceutical dosage forms. Several methods such as solid dispersion, complexation, lipid-based systems, micronization, nanonization, and co-crystals were developed to improve the solubility of hydrophobic drugs. Recently, solid dispersion is one of the most widely used and successful techniques in formulation development. This review mainly discusses classification, methods for preparation of solid dispersions, and use of solid dispersion for improving solubility of poorly soluble anticancer drugs.
A Novel Framework for Enhancing QoS of Big Data

The dire increase in number of devices connected to the internet is making inherent growth in creation of data. The use of data science in research is creating opportunities for better business analytics and generation of future trends. The data is growing with ever increasing rate and the exponential growth of data is creating opportunities for utilizing the same in process of analysis. The techniques and technology in place is not able to cater the needs of growing data on the Internet. The research work presented here provides a novel framework for improving the performance and management of big data clusters. The research proposed provides a detailed aspect how big data can be handled in the respective domains. The prime aim of this research is to formulate and implement an algorithm by testing with different data sets which can make the process of mining and handling big data easy in the organizations. The framework provides optimized results as compared to traditional systems.
A Review of Critical Research Areas under Information Diffusion in Social Networks

An online social network is a network where people exchange their ideas or opinions. Exchange of ideas between users leads to spread of information at a larger scale in the social networks. This spread of information is also called information diffusion. This work is dedicated to identifying research areas under the umbrella of Information Diffusion. The objective of this work is to present an extensive review of such areas, identify the existing research gaps and explore future directions of work. The review also identifies the methodologies, features and aspects studied in the current literature and proposes the optimal feature set to improve performance. This review will enable researchers to quickly identify the research areas, the current gaps and steer them into the possible future directions associated with them.
Evaluation of platelet function in essential thrombocythemia under different analytical conditions

Abstract Background. Studies of platelet aggregation (PA) in essential thrombocythemia (ET) reported contrasting results, likely due to differences in analytical conditions. Objective. We investigated platelet aggregation using different techniques and analytical conditions. Patients and Methods. PA was studied by light-transmission aggregometry (LTA) in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and impedance aggregometry in PRP and whole blood (WB). ADP, collagen, thrombin receptor activating peptide (TRAP-14) and adrenaline were used as agonists. Since ET patients (n = 41) were on treatment with aspirin (100 mg/d), healthy controls (n = 29) were given aspirin (100 mg/d) for 5 days before testing: therefore, thromboxane A2-independent PA was tested in all subjects. Blood samples were collected in citrate (C) [low Ca2+] or lepirudin (L) [physiological Ca2+]; platelet count was adjusted to 250 x 109/L in a set of C-PRP (adjusted C-PRP) and left unmodified in the other samples. Results. Results of PA in 17 ET patients who were poor responders to aspirin (high serum thromboxane B2 levels) were not included in the analysis. With LTA, PA in ET was lower than in controls in adjusted C-PRP and normal in native C-PRP and L-PRP. With impedance aggregometry, PA in L-PRP and L-WB tended to be higher in ET than in controls. Platelet serotonin and ADP contents were reduced in ET. The percentages of circulating platelets expressing P-selectin and platelet-leukocyte hetero-aggregates were higher in ET. Conclusions. Analytical conditions dramatically affect in vitro PA of ET patients, which appears defective under the least physiological conditions and normal/supranormal under conditions that are closer to the physiological.
Evolving views on cognition in animal vocal communication: Contributions from scream research

The last four decades have seen major advances in the study of the cognitive bases of animal vocal communication. The conceptual delineation of senders and receivers has led to a focus on the cognitive processes involved in call production and usage, and those concerning call perception. We review selected relevant literature and discuss how recent thought—specifically, the recognition of a distinction between acoustic variation within versus between call types—expands focus from two to four key questions, specifically, the identification of factors that influence: (1) the usage of different call types, (2) the particular acoustic structure of a vocalization, (3) receivers’ responses to different call types, and (4) receivers’ responses to acoustic variation within a call type. We present the findings of a case study examining the relationship between emotional arousal and the acoustics of scream classes of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and discuss how the findings relate to broader issues in animal vocal communication and cognition. Screams are phylogenetically widespread, generally highly emotional, and in some taxa, convey complex information about social interactions, making them a promising subject for future research addressing contemporary questions in the field.
Molecular Analysis of HLA-G in Women with High-Risk Pregnancy and Their Partners with Regard to Possible Complications

The understanding of the molecular and biochemical characteristics of the human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is important because of the diverse influence of this antigen’s polymorphisms on the course of a pregnancy. The aim of our study was to assess how the variation of the HLA-G allele and the HLA-G 14-bp ins/del polymorphism influence predisposition to a complicated pregnancy. The clinical material consisted of parental pairs with complicated pregnancies (210 women; 190 men). The control group included parental pairs without complications during pregnancy (89 women; 86 men). The study involved isolation of genome DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes, sequencing, and analysis of the 14-bp ins/del polymorphism in the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of the HLA-G gene based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The most common HLA-G allele in the group of women with complicated pregnancies was the HLA-G 10101 allele. There were no statistically significant differences in the frequencies of the 14-bp ins/del polymorphism in the 3′UTR of the HLA-G gene between the groups. Our results suggest that the risk of complications in pregnancy is influenced by the HLA-G 10101, HLA-G 10108, and HLA-G 10106 alleles and is not influenced by the 14-bp ins/del polymorphism in the 3′UTR of the HLA-G gene.
Metformin treatment improves the spatial memory of aged mice in an APOE genotype–dependent manner

Aging and apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) can increase the risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are highly susceptible to cognitive dysfunction. Recent research has indicated that metformin, a prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, may affect cognitive function; however, findings regarding its efficacy are largely controversial. The current study reported that a 5‐mo metformin administration (300 mg/kg/d) starting at 13 mo old improved the spatial memory of ApoE3‐target replacement (TR) mice, not ApoE4‐TR mice. It found that in aged ApoE3‐TR mice, metformin treatment, at a molecular level, inhibited AMPK activity, increased insulin signaling, and activated mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, resulting in an enhanced expression of postsynaptic proteins; but the response of the neuronal AMPK activity and insulin signaling to metformin was blunt in aged ApoE4‐TR mice. Meanwhile, metformin treatment also increased the phosphorylation of tau in both ApoE3‐TR and ApoE4‐TR mice, implying that metformin may have side effects in human. These findings suggest that metformin can improve the cognitive performance of aged mice in an APOE genotype–dependent manner, which provides empirical insights into the clinical value of metformin for ApoE4‐ and age‐related AD prevention and treatment. —Zhang, J., Lin, Y. , Dai, X. , Fang, W. , Wu, X. , Chen, X. Metformin treatment improves the spatial memory of aged mice in an APOE genotype–dependent manner. FASEB J. 33, 7748–7757 (2019). www.fasebj. org
Atg14 protects the intestinal epithelium from TNF-triggered villus atrophy

ABSTRACT Regulation of intestinal epithelial turnover is a key component of villus maintenance in the intestine. The balance of cell turnover can be perturbed by various extrinsic factors including the cytokine TNF, a cell signaling protein that mediates both proliferative and cytotoxic outcomes. Under conditions of infection and damage, defects in autophagy are associated with TNF-mediated cell death and tissue damage in the intestinal epithelium. However, a direct role of autophagy within the context of enterocyte cell death during homeostasis is lacking. Here, we generated mice lacking ATG14 (autophagy related 14) within the intestinal epithelium [Atg14f/f Vil1-Cre (VC)+]. These mice developed spontaneous villus loss and intestinal epithelial cell death within the small intestine. Based on marker studies, the increased cell death in these mice was due to apoptosis. Atg14f/f VC+ intestinal epithelial cells demonstrated sensitivity to TNF-triggered apoptosis. Correspondingly, both TNF blocking antibody and genetic deletion of Tnfrsf1a/Tnfr1 rescued villus loss and cell death phenotype in Atg14f/f VC+ mice. Lastly, we identified a similar pattern of spontaneous villus atrophy and cell death when Rb1cc1/Fip200 was conditionally deleted from the intestinal epithelium (Rb1cc1f/f VC+). Overall, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that factors that control entry into the autophagy pathway are also required during homeostasis to prevent TNF triggered death in the intestine. Abbreviations: ANOVA: analysis of variance; Atg14: autophagy related 14; Atg16l1: autophagy related 16-like 1 (S. cerevisiae); Atg5: autophagy related 5; cCASP3: cleaved CASP3/caspase-3; cCASP8: cleaved CASP8/caspase-8; CHX: cycloheximide; EdU: 5-ethynyl-2´-deoxyuridine thymidine; f/f: flox/flox; H&E: hematoxylin and eosin; MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; Nec-1: necrostatin-1; Rb1cc1/Fip200: RB1-inducible coiled-coil 1; Ripk1: receptor (TNFRSF)-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1; Ripk3: receptor (TNFRSF)-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3; Tnfrsf1a/Tnfr1: tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 1a; Tnf/ Tnfsf1a: tumor necrosis factor; VC: Vil1/villin 1-Cre
Impacts of Emissions of C2‐C5 Alkanes From the U.S. Oil and Gas Sector on Ozone and Other Secondary Species

Inside many U.S. oil and gas‐producing regions, the oil and gas sector dominates local anthropogenic emission fluxes of C2‐C5 alkanes. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the impact of these emissions on secondary species production over the continental United States using the GEOS‐Chem model. Oil‐ and gas‐producing areas in the central United States show the highest summertime surface ozone (O3) enhancements due to oil and gas C2‐C5 alkane emissions. The Colorado Front Range is the most impacted 8‐hr O3 non‐attainment area in the United States with 3‐hr daytime instantaneous O3 enhancements >4 ppb. From three selected non‐attainment areas, the Colorado Front Range has (1) the lowest monthly mean VOC reactivity (1.5 s−1); (2) the highest percent contribution of oil and gas sources (52%) to calculated VOC reactivity; and (3) the largest relative increases in PAN (peroxyacetyl nitrate), PPN (peroxypropionyl nitrate), and >C4 alkyl nitrates. Enhanced abundances of PAN, PPN, and >C4 alkyl nitrates have the potential to perturb remote O3 production through increased NOx export to remote regions via PAN chemistry. Globally, simulated C2‐C5 alkane emissions from the U.S. oil and gas sector contribute 0.5 Tg (~0.17%) to the tropospheric O3 burden with a ~0.27% contribution in the Northern Hemisphere.