Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanismbased role of the intestinal microbiota in gestational diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Metabolic disorders caused by intestinal microbial dysregulation are considered to be important causes of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Increasing evidence suggests that the diversity and composition of gut microbes are altered in disease states, yet the critical microbes and mechanisms of disease regulation remain unidentified. Methods PubMed® (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Embase® (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), the Web of Science™ (Clarivate™, Philadelphia, PA, USA), and the Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify articles published between 7 July 2012 and 7 July 2022 reporting on case–control and controlled studies that analyzed differences in enterobacteria between patients with GDM and healthy individuals. Information on the relative abundance of enterobacteria was collected for comparative diversity comparison, and enterobacterial differences were analyzed using random effects to calculate standardized mean differences at a p-value of 5%. Results A total of 22 studies were included in this review, involving a total of 965 GDM patients and 1,508 healthy control participants. Alpha diversity did not differ between the participant groups, but beta diversity was significantly different. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacteria, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. Qualitative analysis showed differences between the groups in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, Blautia, and Collinsella, but these differences were not statistically different. Conclusion Enterobacterial profiles were significantly different between the GDM and non-GDM populations. Alpha diversity in patients with GDM is similar to that in healthy people, but beta diversity is significantly different. Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratios were significantly increased in GDM, and this, as well as changes in the abundance of species of Blautia and Collinsella, may be responsible for changes in microbiota diversity. Although the results of our meta-analysis are encouraging, more well-conducted studies are needed to clarify the role of the gut microbiome in GDM. The systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/) as CRD42022357391.
Bioactive Metabolite Survey of Actinobacteria Showing Plant Growth Promoting Traits to Develop Novel Biofertilizers

The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has caused harmful impacts on the environment with the increase in economic burden. Biofertilizers are biological products containing living microorganisms capable of improving plant growth through eco-friendly mechanisms. In this work, three actinobacterial strains Streptomyces violaceoruber, Streptomyces coelicolor, and Kocuria rhizophila were characterized for multiple plant growth promoting (PGP) traits such as indole acetic acid production, phosphate solubilization, N2-fixation, and drought and salt tolerance. Then, these strains were investigated for their secreted and cellular metabolome, revealing a rich arsenal of bioactive molecules, including antibiotics and siderophores, with S. violaceoruber being the most prolific strain. Furthermore, the in vivo assays, performed on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), resulted in an improved germination index and the growth of seedlings from seeds treated with PGP actinobacteria, with a particular focus on S. violaceoruber cultures. In particular, this last strain, producing volatile organic compounds having antimicrobial activity, was able to modulate volatilome and exert control on the global DNA methylation of tomato seedlings. Thus, these results, confirming the efficacy of the selected actinobacteria strains in promoting plant growth and development by producing volatile and non-volatile bioactive molecules, can promote eco-friendly alternatives in sustainable agriculture.
Wavelet-based image coding using HVS characteristics

Wavelet transform is becoming increasingly important in image compression applications because of its flexibility in representing nonstationary signals. In wavelet-based compression, coding performance can be improved by exploiting human visual system characteristics. In this paper, we propose an algorithm, optimal in the weighted mean square sense, to quantize the wavelet coefficients. The proposed algorithm provides a superior coding performance.
ADVANCES IN THE MECHANICS OF AEROSOLS

Abstract : The document digests the literature on aerosol mechanics published between 1954 and 1959. On some problems--thermophoresis, diffusion-phoresis, inertial settling of particles at large Reynolds numbers, sound absorption by aerosols, gravitational coagulation--great successes have been achieved, on other problems--theory of sound coagulation, experimental study of coagulation in a turbulent flux--almost nothing has been done. So much new theoretical and experimental data has been collected in this area that the need arose for this book.
Design of Broadband 9×9 Butler Matrix and its Extension for Multibeam Application

In this brief, a broadband <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9\times9$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Butler Matrix (BM) and its extension for multibeam antenna array (MAA) application are presented. Based on the configuration of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3\times3$ </tex-math></inline-formula> beamforming network (BFN) comprised of three couplers and two 90° phase shifters, the topology of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9\times9$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BM is built, which can provide in-phase signals at output ports. And a broadband <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9\times9$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BM is implemented to verify the design by adopting broadband components. The results indicate that the designed broadband <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9\times9$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BM achieves equal power division and 9 uniformly distributed progressive phases (PPs) between output signals in a relative bandwidth of 40% when the 9 input ports are excited, respectively. And the fabricated <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9\times9$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BM is applied in MAA for producing 9 beams including a boresight beam. In addition, according to the design method of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$9\times9$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BM, the topology of the extended <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$27\times27$ </tex-math></inline-formula> BM is built and presented, which validates that an extended BM with higher order can be realized by the design method, and the extended BM can also provide in-phase signals at output ports.
Synthesis and properties of 3-(ethylthio)-9-methyl-6-(alkylthio)pyrazolo[1,5-d][1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-f][1,2,4]triazines

The combination of pyrazole and 1,2,4-triazole fragments in one structure makes it possible to achieve some success in creating potential biologically active compounds. Various factors contribute to this process. Among them, we can note the significant possibilities of chemical transformation involving these cycles, the simplicity, and reliability of methods, the creation of molecules with a certain level of bioavailability and the ability to influence a number of biochemical processes. Taking into account the presented facts, the creation of new compounds in a number of pyrazolo-triazole condensed systems is scientifically attractive with endowed features of practical significance and relevance. The aim of the work was to identify optimal conditions for the production of 3-(ethylthio)-9-methyl-6-(alkylthio)pyrazolo[1,5-d][1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-f][1,2,4]triazines and to study the properties of the target reaction products. Materials and methods. The chemical part of the work involved the step-by-step creation of target reaction products in the form of 3-(ethylthio)-9-methyl-6-(alkylthio)pyrazolo[1,5-d][1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-f][1,2,4]triazines. The first stage was aimed at conducting the interaction of diethyloxalate with acetone with the participation of sodium methylate in a methanol medium. Ethyl-2,4-dioxopentanoate was used in the conversion process to 3-methylpyrazole-5-carbohydrazide with the participation of hydrazine hydrate. Further modification of the molecule consisted of the gradual formation of the structure of 4-amino-5-(3-methylpyrazol-5-yl)-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol. The next step involved the synthesis of 3-ethylthio-5-(3-methylpyrazol-5-yl)-1,2,4-triazole-4-amine. Further conversion included the production of potassium 3-ethylthio-9-methylpyrazolo[1,5-d][1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-f][1,2,4]triazine-6-thiolate and its S-alkyl derivatives along the triazine fragment. Cyclooxygenase-2, lanosterol-14α-demethylase and receptor tyrosine kinase were selected as model enzymes for docking, the crystal structure of which was loaded from the Protein Data Bank. Results. The synthesis of 3-(ethylthio)-9-methyl-6-(alkylthio)-pyrazolo[1,5-d][1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-f][1,2,4]triazines were carried out and the optimal conditions for the production of these substances were determined. The structure of the chemical transformation products was proved and the results of the study of the main physical properties were recorded. The results of virtual studies provided an opportunity to substantiate the prospects of the selected chemical transformation vector, which ultimately made it possible to determine the biological potential of the obtained compounds. Conclusions. Based on the results of the study, information was obtained that gives a certain idea of the possible level of influence of synthesized compounds on the activity of lanosterol-14α-demethylase, which makes it advisable to further search for substances with fungistatic and fungicidal effects.
Sentiment Analysis of Multilingual Tweets on Cash Waqf

The practice of waqf is usually focused on a building or piece of land. Many donors end up not being able to afford the assets to participate in the Waqf. Cash waqf allows people of all backgrounds to engage in long-term charitable work. This study aims to analyze the sentiment generated from the social media ‘Twitter’ application regarding cash waqf. The technique employed is sentiment analysis of secondary data consisting of 330 tweets. The results showed that positive sentiment was the highest result with a percentage of 53%, followed by neutral sentiment at 32.1%, and negative sentiment at 14.8%. The good (positive) sentiment is the opinion of Twitter users who tweet about cash waqf topics by being positive and tend to be optimistic in responding to the existence of cash waqf and supporting the development of cash waqf. While the negative sentiment is the opinion of Twitter users who tend to express criticism in reviewing developments related to cash waqf. According to the findings, the majority of individuals are more pleased about the existence of cash waqf. As a result, increasing the number of scientific literature publications in indexed journals of cash waqf is necessary to maintain this favorable view.
A Cloud Simulation Model for Evaluating Automatic Ceilometer Systems

Abstract A cloud simulation model that is based on a Monte Carlo method was developed for testing and designing automatic ceilometer systems. With this model, cloud plan views and profile views an generated for several different cloud layers. The statistical properties of the cloud layers are controlled by a number of parameters. The influence of these control parameters on the generated plan and profile views are described and illustrated. The model allows a wide variety of realistic cloud conditions to be simulated and has been implemented in the form of a computer program. This computer program is currently being used to investigate the performance of various designs of automatic ceilometer systems in regard to determining true cloud amounts and ceiling heights.
The first fabricated dual-band uncooled infrared microbolometer detector with a tunable micro-mirror structure

This paper presents the first fabricated dual-band uncooled resistive infrared thermal microbolometer implemented with a resistive microbolometer and a tunable micro-mirror structure. Tunable reflective micro-mirrors are suspended underneath the suspended resistive microbolometers having a 35 μm pixel pitch, and they are switched between two positions by the application of an electrostatic force for obtaining different responses in two wavelength infrared atmospheric windows, namely the 3-5 and 8-14 μm, by tuning the optical tunable resonant cavity. This approach allows assessing the actual temperature of the viewed scene by comparing the responses of the detector in these two wavelength infrared atmospheric windows. The absorption coefficients of the detector are simulated by using the Cascaded Transmission Line (CTL) model, and the sacrificial layer thicknesses are optimized to obtain maximum absorption from these two wavelength regions. The absorption coefficients obtained from the measurements are in correspondence with the simulations. The responsivity measurements results shows that the absorption is decreased in an amount of 17.9 % in the 3-5 μm spectral band, while the absorption is increased in an amount of 8.5 % in the 8-14 μm spectral band, depending on the micro-mirror position. These initial results are promising for the dual-band detection using uncooled infrared microbolometer detectors.
A circular patch antenna for radio LAN's

A TM/sub 02/-mode circular patch antenna for the application of radio LANs is reported. An experimental prototype operating at 5.2 GHz is designed and tested. The antenna pattern is omnidirectional in azimuth and has a notch in the normal direction. A 3.3% bandwidth of VSWR /spl les/2 and 4.2-dB antenna gain were measured. Experimental results agree well with theoretical predictions.
Exhaustive k-nearest-neighbour subspace clustering

Cluster analysis is an important technique of explorative data mining. It refers to a collection of statistical methods for learning the structure of data by solely exploring pairwise distances or similarities. Often meaningful structures are not detectable in these high-dimensional feature spaces. Relevant features can be obfuscated by noise from irrelevant measurements. These observations led to the design of subspace clustering algorithms, which can identify clusters that originate from different subsets of features. Hunting for clusters in arbitrary subspaces is intractable due to the infinite search space spanned by all feature combinations. In this work, we present a subspace clustering algorithm that can be applied for exhaustively screening all feature combinations of small- or medium-sized datasets (approximately 30 features). Based on a robustness analysis via subsampling we are able to identify a set of stable candidate subspace cluster solutions.
Noninvasive Methods to Detect Reactive Oxygen Species as a Proxy of Seed Quality

ROS homeostasis is crucial to maintain radical levels in a dynamic equilibrium within physiological ranges. Therefore, ROS quantification in seeds with different germination performance may represent a useful tool to predict the efficiency of common methods to enhance seed vigor, such as priming treatments, which are still largely empirical. In the present study, ROS levels were investigated in an experimental system composed of hydroprimed and heat-shocked seeds, thus comparing materials with improved or damaged germination potential. A preliminary phenotypic analysis of germination parameters and seedling growth allowed the selection of the best-per-forming priming protocols for species like soybean, tomato, and wheat, having relevant agroeconomic value. ROS levels were quantified by using two noninvasive assays, namely dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX-1). qRT-PCR was used to assess the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in ROS production (respiratory burst oxidase homolog family, RBOH) and scavenging (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidases). The correlation analyses between ROS levels and gene expression data suggest a possible use of these indicators as noninvasive approaches to evaluate seed quality. These findings are relevant given the centrality of seed quality for crop production and the potential of seed priming in sustainable agricultural practices.
Analysis of mode propagation in optical waveguide devices by Fourier expansion

A general method for calculating the solution of the scalar wave equation for the field propagating through integrated optical devices is presented. The method is capable of a three-dimensional description and of treating problems with reflected waves. It consists of dividing the device into a series of sections of axially uniform waveguides. The modes in each section are found by expansion of the field in a two-dimensional Fourier series and solving the associated matrix eigenvalue problem. Propagation is then described by relating the mode amplitudes of each section to the previous one. The amplitudes are related by a matrix that is the product of the eigenvector matrices of the two sections. The method is illustrated by the analysis of an adiabatic mode transformer, the coupling of light from a semiconductor laser through free space to a waveguide, and the propagation through an adiabatic 3 dB coupler and Y branch. >
Carmichael numbers and a new primality test

A new algorithm which correctly identifies every positive integer tested as being either prime or composite is considered. In fact, the first one hundred Carmichael numbers were tested and each one resulted composite as expected. It is well known that other primality tests exist that can also identify Carmichael numbers as composites, but the given algorithm seems to work without any exception. Yet, it is not a practical test for large integers since the operations required to verify such numbers are not feasible from a computational point of view.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) Glycolic Extract Protects Liver Mitochondria from Oxidative Damage and Prevents Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity

Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) is an aromatic culinary herb. Native to the Mediterranean region, it is currently cultivated worldwide. In addition to its use as a condiment in food preparation and in teas, rosemary has been widely employed in folk medicine and cosmetics. Several beneficial effects have been described for rosemary, including antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Here, we investigated the mechanisms accounting for the antioxidant activity of the glycolic extract of R. officinalis (Ro) in isolated rat liver mitochondria (RLM) under oxidative stress conditions. We also investigated its protective effect against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo. A crude extract was obtained by fractionated percolation, using propylene glycol as a solvent due to its polarity and cosmeceutical compatibility. The quantification of substances with recognized antioxidant action revealed the presence of phenols and flavonoids. Dereplication studies carried out through LC-MS/MS and GC-MS, supported by The Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform, annotated several phenolic compounds, confirming the previous observation. In accordance, Ro decreased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) elicited by Fe2+ or t-BOOH and inhibited the lipid peroxidation of mitochondrial membranes in a concentration-dependent manner in RLM. Such an effect was also observed in liposomes as membrane models. Ro also prevented the oxidation of mitochondrial protein thiol groups and reduced glutathione (GSH). In model systems, Ro exhibited a potent scavenger activity toward 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and superoxide anions. It also demonstrated an Fe2+ chelating activity. Moreover, Ro did not exhibit cytotoxicity or dissipate the mitochondrial membrane potential (∆Ψ) in rat liver fibroblasts (BRL3A cells). To evaluate whether such antioxidant protective activity observed in vitro could also be achieved in vivo, a well-established model of hepatotoxicity induced by acute exposure to acetaminophen (AAP) was used. This model depletes GSH and promotes oxidative-stress-mediated tissue damage. The treatment of rats with 0.05% Ro, administered intraperitoneally for four days, resulted in inhibition of AAP-induced lipid peroxidation of the liver and the prevention of hepatotoxicity, maintaining alanine and aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST) levels equal to those of the normal, non-treated rats. Together, these findings highlight the potent antioxidant activity of rosemary, which is able to protect mitochondria from oxidative damage in vitro, and effects such as the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects observed in vivo.
MEASUREMENT OF NEW ENERGETIC PARAMETERS FOR THE OBJECTIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF AN OPERA HOUSE

Abstract Following a rigorous approach to the energetic analysis of sound fields, the measurement of new quantities for the physical description of the behavior of sound in enclosed spaces has been carried out inside an Italian opera house. A first set of measures has been performed during the steady state, allowing the study of the new discovered property calledsound intensity polarization , which accounts for the amount of energy oscillating thorugh the measurement point. Then, in order to accomplish a complete statistical study of the transient field behaviour, the full set of quantities involved in the energy continuity equation (total sound energy density and intensity) has been obtained by means of the extension of the classical Schroeder's method to the quantities depending also on the air particle velocity solution of the wave equation. Finally, two newly defined field indicators, accounting for the local amount of sound energy radiation and the balance between the potential and kinetic parts of the total sound energy density, have been investigated.
Nanotechnology in combating biofilm: A smart and promising therapeutic strategy

Since the birth of civilization, people have recognized that infectious microbes cause serious and often fatal diseases in humans. One of the most dangerous characteristics of microorganisms is their propensity to form biofilms. It is linked to the development of long-lasting infections and more severe illness. An obstacle to eliminating such intricate structures is their resistance to the drugs now utilized in clinical practice (biofilms). Finding new compounds with anti-biofilm effect is, thus, essential. Infections caused by bacterial biofilms are something that nanotechnology has lately shown promise in treating. More and more studies are being conducted to determine whether nanoparticles (NPs) are useful in the fight against bacterial infections. While there have been a small number of clinical trials, there have been several in vitro outcomes examining the effects of antimicrobial NPs. Nanotechnology provides secure delivery platforms for targeted treatments to combat the wide range of microbial infections caused by biofilms. The increase in pharmaceuticals’ bioactive potential is one of the many ways in which nanotechnology has been applied to drug delivery. The current research details the utilization of several nanoparticles in the targeted medication delivery strategy for managing microbial biofilms, including metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, liposomes, micro-, and nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, and polymeric nanoparticles. Our understanding of how these nanosystems aid in the fight against biofilms has been expanded through their use.