Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insights into the Antibacterial Mechanism of Action of Chelating Agents by Selective Deprivation of Iron, Manganese, and Zinc

Chelating agents are widely used in industry and consumer goods to control metal availability, with bacterial growth restriction as a secondary benefit for preservation. However, the antibacterial mechanism of action of chelants is largely unknown, particularly with respect to the impact on cellular metal concentrations. ABSTRACT Bacterial growth and proliferation can be restricted by limiting the availability of metal ions in their environment. Humans sequester iron, manganese, and zinc to help prevent infection by pathogens, a system termed nutritional immunity. Commercially used chelants have high binding affinities with a variety of metal ions, which may lead to antibacterial properties that mimic these innate immune processes. However, the modes of action of many of these chelating agents in bacterial growth inhibition and their selectivity in metal deprivation in cellulo remain ill-defined. We address this shortcoming by examining the effect of 11 chelators on Escherichia coli growth and their impact on the cellular concentration of five metals. The following four distinct effects were uncovered: (i) no apparent alteration in metal composition, (ii) depletion of manganese alongside reductions in iron and zinc levels, (iii) reduced zinc levels with a modest reduction in manganese, and (iv) reduced iron levels coupled with elevated manganese. These effects do not correlate with the absolute known chelant metal ion affinities in solution; however, for at least five chelators for which key data are available, they can be explained by differences in the relative affinity of chelants for each metal ion. The results reveal significant insights into the mechanism of growth inhibition by chelants, highlighting their potential as antibacterials and as tools to probe how bacteria tolerate selective metal deprivation. IMPORTANCE Chelating agents are widely used in industry and consumer goods to control metal availability, with bacterial growth restriction as a secondary benefit for preservation. However, the antibacterial mechanism of action of chelants is largely unknown, particularly with respect to the impact on cellular metal concentrations. The work presented here uncovers distinct metal starvation effects imposed by different chelants on the model Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. The chelators were studied both individually and in pairs, with the majority producing synergistic effects in combinations that maximize antibacterial hostility. The judicious selection of chelants based on contrasting cellular effects should enable reductions in the quantities of chelant required in numerous commercial products and presents opportunities to replace problematic chemistries with biodegradable alternatives.
THE FEEDING VALUE OF FODDER BEET (BETA VULGARIS VAR. CRASSA) VERSUS FODDER SORGHUM ABU SABEIN (SORGHUM BICOLOR L. MOENCH) UNDER SUDAN CONDITIONS

cross-bred (Frisian X Kenana) milking cows and their impact on feed intake, milk yield, milk composition and economics of feeding was examined. Neither milk yield (8.65Kg vrsus8.67) nor its composition [fat (3.55% versus3.45%), lactose (4.52% versus 4.56%) and solids-non fat(8.54% versus8.57%)] showed significant differences (p>0.05) between cows fed on beet and those fed on Abu 70. The nutritive value of beet forage was better than Abu70 in terms of low CF content, high amounts of NFE (carbohydrates), CP and ME. The feeding value of beet forage was by far superior to Abu 70 as reflected in the lower DM intake and equal or superior yields of milk by cows fed on beet without any adverse effects on milk quality. Feeding costs decreased significantly along the two seasons by > 30% when cows fed on fodder beet.
lncRNA prostate cancer-associated transcript 18 upregulates activating transcription factor 7 to prevent metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer via sponging miR-103a-3p

ABSTRACT Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) prostate cancer-associated transcript 18 (PCAT18) is a potential diagnostic target for adenocarcinoma. However, its role in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains largely unknown. Based on data from an online database, a significant decline in lncRNA PCAT18 was observed in patients with TNBC subtype compared to a population with normal breast tissue. Patients with TNBC with high PCAT18 levels presented good outcomes. Patients with TNBC with high PCAT18 had a lower rate of lymph node-positive metastasis than those with low PCAT18. PCAT18-upregulation inhibited, while PCAT18-downregulation promoted, migration and expression of matrix metalloproteinases 9/2 (MMP9/MMP2) and uridylyl phosphate adenosine (uPA) in TNBC cells. Activating transcription factor 7 (ATF7) was positively associated with PCAT18, and ATF7-inhibition abrogated the anti-migration effects of PCAT18 on TNBC cells. Mechanistically, miR-103a-3p directly targeted and inhibited ATF7 expression. PCAT18 competitively sponges miR-103a-3p, promoting the expression of ATF7. Exogenous PCAT18 was associated with lower incidence of lung metastasis followed by the upregulation of ATF7, which was prevented by the treatment of miR-103a-3p mimics. Collectively, PCAT18 was expressed at low levels in TNBC, and PCAT18 could sponge miR-103a-3p and promote ATF7 expression, resulting in prevention of TNBC metastasis. Thus, PCAT18 can serve as a predictive factor for patients with metastatic TNBC. Graphical Abstract
A design method of a compact cooled transmitted IR optical system

In order to meet the demand of miniaturization of multi-function EO sensor systems design, the compact infrared optical system is required. Based on the two present design method of compact cooled transmitted infrared optical system, the paper puts forward a new design idea: using the telephoto structure compress the overall length and re-imaging or multi-imaging reduce the radial diameter of optical system. A compact cooled transmitted infrared optical system, which focal length is 150mm (F#=2), is designed using this method. The cold aperture efficiency is 100% and the image quality is excellent, and the length is less than 120mm, the diameter of the first lens is less than 82mm.
A DCNN Geographic Object Extraction Method for National Geographic Condition Monitoring

In national geographic condition monitoring, there are such problems as fragmentation on distributions of ground objects, small plot area, lack of label data and high cost of sampling. On the basis of comprehensive analysis of the existing deep learning methods, by improving the model of LeNet5 and analyzing the perception field, this paper presents a DCNN method which can achieve pixel-level remote sensing classification by using scene classification methods for national geographic condition monitoring. The results indicate that the model generalizes well, and the Kappa coefficient reaches 0.967, which holds a great practical application value.
Micromechatronics in medicine

Micromechatronic systems integrate miniature precision mechanisms, actuators, sensors, and embedded control. They are suitable for application in the medical field particularly when miniaturization, reliability, and intimate interaction with the human body are required. Medical applications not only motivate the miniaturization of mechatronic systems, but also encourage the development of novel concepts and technologies for the integration of artificial and biological components into "hybrid" micromechatronic systems, thus giving origin to a new and intriguing field of research and application known as "biomechatronics". Micromechatronic devices can be exploited for acute intervention or for permanent (short- and long-term) implant in the human body. This paper presents many examples of both types of devices being developed in our laboratory, and discusses their associated open problems. Application fields include sensory substitution, internal organs substitution, neural prosthetics, and minimally invasive surgery. Most of the projects are performed in collaboration with other European research groups and industries and supported by programs by the European Union. The conclusion of our analysis is that medical applications of micromechatronics may have tremendous impact on the quality of medical care and may become a very attractive industrial market, provided that some critical technical problems are addressed and solved.
A comparison among different reduced‐size resonant microstrip patches

A numerical code has been developed for the full‐wave determination of the resonant frequencies and quality factors of microstrip patches with right‐angle corners of arbitrary shape. The code is based on the solution of an electric‐field integral equation (EFIE) by means of Galerkin's method in the spectral domain. The numerical code is used for the comparative analysis of microstrip patches of different shapes used as reduced‐size resonators and antennas. Out of the patches studied, the bilateral comb‐shaped patch and the meander‐shaped patch turn out to provide the largest size reduction for a given resonant frequency at the expense of showing at once the largest quality factors. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 29: 143–146, 2001.
Multiple Cylinder Extraction from Organized Point Clouds

Most man-made objects are composed of a few basic geometric primitives (GPs) such as spheres, cylinders, planes, ellipsoids, or cones. Thus, the object recognition problem can be considered as one of geometric primitives extraction. Among the different geometric primitives, cylinders are the most frequently used GPs in real-world scenes. Therefore, cylinder detection and extraction are of great importance in 3D computer vision. Despite the rapid progress of cylinder detection algorithms, there are still two open problems in this area. First, a robust strategy is needed for the initial sample selection component of the cylinder extraction module. Second, detecting multiple cylinders simultaneously has not yet been investigated in depth. In this paper, a robust solution is provided to address these problems. The proposed solution is divided into three sub-modules. The first sub-module is a fast and accurate normal vector estimation algorithm from raw depth images. With the estimation method, a closed-form solution is provided for computing the normal vector at each point. The second sub-module benefits from the maximally stable extremal regions (MSER) feature detector to simultaneously detect cylinders present in the scene. Finally, the detected cylinders are extracted using the proposed cylinder extraction algorithm. Quantitative and qualitative results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the baseline algorithms in each of the following areas: normal estimation, cylinder detection, and cylinder extraction.
Numerical Prediction of Panel Dent Resistance Incorporating Panel Forming Strains

This thesis presents a numerical method of predicting both static and dynamic denting phenomena in automotive body panels. The finite element method is used as a predictive tool to assess panel performance prior to production of tooling. A custom software package has been developed to transform existing finite element forming models into “ready-to-run” finite element denting models, minimising the effort required to perform dent simulations. Over 50 multi-step finite element models were performed. Each of these models simulated the forming, springback and subsequent denting of either 1.05mm thick AA5754, or 0.81mm, 0.93mm or 1.00mm thick AA6111 aluminum sheet Experimental validation of dent predictions using this method has shown that the trends in both static and dynamic dent resistance have been captured quite well. These validation studies demonstrated the sensitivity of the results to various parameters such as panel thickness, pre-strain, curvature and thickness, as well as numerical formulation parameters. It has been determined that it is particularly important to use forming data within the denting models for accurate results to be obtained.
UDATS: A system for measuring nearshore processes

Acquiring high frequency oceanographic data on waveheight, current structure and suspended concentration over a long (one to four month) deployment presents special problems not readily addressed with 'off the shelf" systems. A system, developed over the past three years, to digitize, telemeter and record nearshore data from pressure sensors, electromagnetic flow meters and transmissometers is described along with techniques used to deploy and recover it. Some references to field experiments where the system has been used are included along with a discussion of its limitations and possibilities for future development.
Integration of Microseismic-Fracture-Mapping Results With Numerical Fracture Network Production Modeling in the Barnett Shale

This paper presents the results of integrating microseismic fracture mapping with numerical production modeling of fracture networks in the Barnett shale. Microseismic fracture mapping has shown that hydraulic fracture treatments create large-scale fracture networks in the Barnett shale 1-2 . In this paper an approach is presented, where the fracture network measured with microseismic mapping is approximated with a numerical production simulator that discretely models the network structure in both vertical and horizontal wells. The work includes a production history match of a vertical Barnett shale well, where the microseismic mapping results were directly used to approximate a fracture network in the reservoir simulator, resulting in an estimate of effective fracture network length, average fracture conductivity and effective drainage area. In addition, a parametric study for horizontal wells is presented to show how fracture network size and density, fracture conductivity, matrix permeability and gaps in the network affect well productivity. Simulations on the effect of fracture face damage along the network, the effect of non-darcy flow in the network, and tapered fracture network conductivity that decreases away from the well are also included. The numerical model was also used to simulate how a pressure buildup test would appear based on given fracture network properties, which could be a useful diagnostic to evaluate the effectiveness of the fracture network. The results of this work illustrate how different fracture network characteristics impact well performance, which is critical for improving future horizontal well completion and fracturing strategies in the Barnett shale. This could include optimizing the number of fracture stages along the lateral, length of the lateral, treatment sizes, and perforation strategies as well as enhancing fracture network conductivity and the effectiveness of re-fracture treatments. The work also shows how microseismic mapping results can be integrated with production modeling, thereby providing a tool for more realistic infill drilling and well placement studies in the Barnett shale or similar types of reservoirs.
Allowable Bending Fatigue Stress of Rails

Allowable bending fatigue stress is an important input for rail section design because of the nature of repeated loading on railways. The majority of rail failures have their origin in fatigue. In the American Railroad Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), there is only a fatigue test under the name of rolling load test for bonded joints; there are no fatigue tests for parent rail and welded joints. With respect to bonded joints, there is no known railroad or transit agency that uses plain bonded joints as an alternative to either flash butt weld (FBW) or alumino thermite weld (ATW) joints. A rail or weld should be able to resist at least 2 million stress cycle repetitions without developing any cracks. In this paper, allowable bending fatigue stress is formulated analytically with the nominal stress method (S-N). Marin’s six modification factors are applied to the laboratory-determined fatigue limit to account for surface conditions, size, load, temperature, reliability, and shape. Then, Goodman’s mean stress correction factor is applied to account for mean tensile stress in the rail. A brief literature review on the modification factors is included. The allowable bending fatigue stress is calculated and validated theoretically, then compared with the recommended AREMA value. Finally, the current AREMA formula and its recommended value for allowable bending fatigue stress are discussed.
Gaming in Elliptic Geometry

An interesting way to explore curved spaces is to play games governed by the rules of non-Euclidean geometries. However, modeling tools and game engines are developed with Euclidean geometry in mind. This paper addresses the problem of porting a game from Euclidean to elliptic geometry. We consider primarily the geometric calculations and the transformation pipeline
How the Two Wireless Networks Can Be Different: WSNS and VANETS

Reasons for switching over from a wired network to a wireless network are many. To name a few - sharing internet access along with the files and printers, playing games, always on, no more messy wires required and the list goes on. For a more mobile solution where a user needs to access network resources on the move then radio technology is the only logical choice. The number of people using their mobile devices to access online news and other information on a daily basis is rising sharply. According to a report issued by marketing research firm comScore, the number of people who used their mobile devices every day increased from 10.8 million to 22.4 million between Jan 2008 and Jan 2009.
An experimental investigation of a reluctance electrical drive with bulk superconducting elements in the rotor at temperature below 20 K

This work is devoted to experimental investigation of a reluctance motor for which the rotor contains bulk superconducting elements to provide different permeabilities along the pole axes and in perpendicular direction. Three materials are under consideration - YBCO monocrystal plates, BSCCO foliate material and the bulk MgB2 plates. A comparative analysis of an output performance of the motor is done at the temperature below 20 K to define the best material with the ratio "cost-quality".
Discussion on a Comparative Study Among FFS Rules

Remaining Strength Factor (RSF) approach in Part 5 of API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 is an assessment method for a cylindrical component with a local metal loss based on surface correction factors. Also, reference stress solutions that are applied in the Failure Assessment Diagram (FAD) method for a cylindrical component with a crack-like flaw are provided in Annex D using surface correction factors. In the p-M diagram method that has been recently developed, reference stress solution for local metal loss evaluation in a cylindrical component is derived using bulging factors, which are similar but not identical to the surface correction factors used in API 579-1/ASME FFS-1. This paper describes the results of a comparative study among the RSF approach, reference stress solutions for the FAD method, and the p-M diagram method, in terms of plastic collapse evaluation of a cylindrical component. These results were compared with the FEA and experimental results to confirm how those estimated stresses could be validated. The results of the study also contain proposals for prospective modifications of API 579-1/ASME FFS-1.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
ALE-FEM for Two-Phase Flows With Heat and Mass Transfer in Microchannels

A numerical method is described to study two-phase flows for single and multiple bubbles with phase change. The fluid flow equations are based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation (ALE) and the Finite Element Method (FEM), creating a new two-phase method with an improved model for the liquid-gas interface in microchannels. A successful adaptive mesh update procedure is also described for effective management of the mesh at the two-phase interface to remove, add and repair surface elements, since the computational mesh nodes move according to the flow. The Lagrangian description explicitly defines the two-phase interface position by a set of interconnected nodes which ensures a sharp representation of the boundary, including the role of the surface tension. The methodology proposed for computing the curvature leads to accurate results with moderate programming effort and computational cost and it can also be applied to different configurations with an explicit description of the interface. Such a methodology can be employed to study accurately many problems such as oil extraction and refinement in the petroleum area, design of refrigeration systems, modelling of biological systems and efficient cooling of electronics for computational purposes, being the latter the aim of this research. The obtained numerical results will be described, therefore proving the capability of the proposed new methodology.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
An Antiwindup Approach to Enlarging Domain of Attraction for Linear Systems Subject to Actuator Saturation

This note considers linear systems subject to actuator satura- tion. An antiwindup technique is used to enlarge the domain of attraction of the closed-loop system under an a priori designed linear dynamic feed- back law. The design of the antiwindup compensation gain is formulated and solved as an iterative optimization problem with LMI constraints. Nu- merical examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design technique.
A State‐of‐the‐Art Review of Optimal Reservoir Control for Managing Conflicting Demands in a Changing World

The state of the art for optimal water reservoir operations is rapidly evolving, driven by emerging societal challenges. Changing values for balancing environmental resources, multisectoral human system pressures, and more frequent climate extremes are increasing the complexity of operational decision making. Today, reservoir operations benefit from technological advances, including improved monitoring and forecasting systems as well as increasing computational power. Past research in this area has largely focused on improving solution algorithms within the limits of the available computational power, using simplified problem formulations that can misrepresent important systemic complexities and intersectoral interactions. In this study, we review the recent literature focusing on how the operation design problem is formulated, rather than solved, to address existing challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. This paper contributes a comprehensive classification of over 300 studies published over the last years into distinctive categories depending on the adopted problem formulation, which clarifies consolidated methodological approaches and emerging trends. Our analysis also suggests that control policy design methods may benefit from broadening the types of information that is used to condition operational decisions, and from using emulation modeling to identify low‐order, computationally efficient surrogate models capturing realistic representations of river basin systems' complexity in order to isolate key decision‐relevant processes. These advances in reservoir operations hold significant promise for better addressing the challenges of conflicting human pressures and a changing world, which is particularly important, given the renewed interest in dam construction globally.