Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probing the interaction between niobium pentoxide nanoparticles and serum albumin proteins by Spectroscopic approaches

Abstract Nanoparticles (NPs) can directly or indirectly enter into the body because of their small size; then they tend to alter the conformation and function of proteins upon interaction with them. Thus, it is crucial to understand the impact of NPs in a biological medium. Recently, niobium pentoxide nanoparticles (Nb2O5 NPs) are finding increasing applications in the biological system, for example, bone tissue and dental material, matrix for biosensing of proteins, etc. In all such applications, the Nb2O5 NP interacts with proteins and other biomolecules. Hence, the study of such interactions is of considerable importance. Here in this work, we present the impact of Nb2O5 NP on the structure, stability and activity of blood proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA) by means of various spectroscopic approaches. Steady-state fluorescence studies indicated that intrinsic fluorescence intensities of both serum albumin proteins got quenched upon their interaction with NP. The nature of the quenching was elucidated by time-resolved fluorescence and absorption measurements. Using circular dichroism (CD) and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS), the structural perturbations of the protein molecules after interaction with NP were investigated. Moreover, the role of temperature on protein stability upon complexation with NP was also explored. In addition, the effect of NP on protein functionality was probed by esterase-like activity assays. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Comparison between preoperative chemoradiotherapy and lateral pelvic lymph node dissection in clinical T3 low rectal cancer without enlarged lateral lymph nodes

The standard strategy for clinical T3 rectal cancer without enlarged lateral lymph nodes is preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) in Western countries and TME with bilateral lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND) in Japan. This study compared surgical, pathological and oncological results of these two strategies.
A COMPARISON STUDY OF SOME COMBINED CLASSIFIERS

ABSTRACT In this article we consider two methods for combining a number of individual classifiers in order to construct more effective classification rules. The effectiveness of these methods, as measured by a comparison of their misclassification error rates with those of the individual classifiers, is assessed via a number of examples that involve simulated data. We also compare the results to those of two existing combining procedures.
Multiscale adjoint design sensitivity analysis of atomistic-continuum dynamic systems using bridging scale decomposition

To obtain design sensitivity in molecular dynamics (MD), finite differencing is impractical from the viewpoint of efficiency and accuracy since MD problems could include highly nonlinear design parameters and generally require a lot of computation time. In this paper, using a bridging scale decomposition method, we develop a multiscale adjoint design sensitivity analysis (DSA) method for the coarse-scale performance of atomistic-continuum dynamic systems considering fine scale effects. Due to the decomposition of total solution into fine and coarse scales using a mass-weighted projection operator that possesses the orthogonal property of complimentary projector to mass matrix, each scale can be independently considered in both response and sensitivity analyses. To reduce computing costs, using a generalized Langevin equation and a lattice mechanics, the fine scale MD region is confined locally while the coarse-scale finite element analysis is utilized in the whole domain. The multiscale adjoint sensitivity includes only explicitly design-dependent terms together with the original and adjoint responses so that one additional time integration process is sufficient to evaluate the design sensitivity. Numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy of the developed DSA method for various design variables in coarse and fine scales.
Breathing pattern and pulmonary gas exchange in elderly patients with and without left ventricular dysfunction—modification with exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation and prognostic value

Aims In elderly patients with and without left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) we compared ventilatory parameters from before to after exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (exCR) and assessed their prognostic value for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Methods and Results Patients aged [≥]65 years with acute or chronic coronary syndromes (ACS, CCS) without cardiac surgery who participated in a multicentre study on effectiveness of exCR from seven European countries were included. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was performed before, at termination of exCR and at 12 months follow-up. Ventilation (VE), breathing frequency (BF), tidal volume (VT) and end-expiratory carbon dioxide pressure (PETCO2) were measured at rest, at first ventilatory threshold and peak exercise. In 818 patients, age was 72.5{+/-}5.4 years, 21.9% were women, 79.8% had ACS, and 151 (18%) had LVD. NYHA functional class was not different between LVD and noLVD (86% NYHA I in each group). Compared to noLVD, in LVD resting VE was increased 8%, resting BF 6%, peak VE, peak VT, and peak PETCO2 reduced by 6%, 8%, and 5%, respectively, and VE/VVCO2 slope increased by 11%. From before to after exCR, resting VE decreased and peak PETCO2 increased significantly more in LVD compared to noLVD. In LVD, higher resting BF, higher nadir VE/VCO2, and lower peak PETCO2 at baseline were associated with MACE Conclusions In elderly patients with ischemic LVD, exaggerated resting ventilation and impaired pulmonary gas exchange during exercise was related to worse outcomes. ExCR was associated with an improvement of abnormal breathing patterns and gas exchange parameters.
Using natural language processing to study homelessness longitudinally with electronic health record data subject to irregular observations

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) contains information about social determinants of health (SDoH) such as homelessness. Much of this information is contained in clinical notes and can be extracted using natural language processing (NLP). This data can provide valuable information for researchers and policymakers studying long-term housing outcomes for individuals with a history of homelessness. However, studying homelessness longitudinally in the EHR is challenging due to irregular observation times. In this work, we applied an NLP system to extract housing status for a cohort of patients in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) over a three-year period. We then applied inverse intensity weighting to adjust for the irregularity of observations, which was used generalized estimating equations to estimate the probability of unstable housing each day after entering a VA housing assistance program. Our methods generate unique insights into the long-term outcomes of individuals with a history of homelessness and demonstrate the potential for using EHR data for research and policymaking.
Effect of different quilting techniques on seroma formation after breast surgery: retrospective study

Abstract Background Quilting, a technique in which skin flaps are sutured to the underlying muscle, reduces seroma after mastectomy and/or axillary lymph node dissection. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different quilting techniques on the formation of clinically significant seroma. Methods This was a retrospective study including patients undergoing mastectomy and/or axillary lymph node dissection. Four breast surgeons applied the quilting technique based on their own discretion. Technique 1 was performed using Stratafix in 5–7 rows placed at 2–3 cm distance. Technique 2 was performed using Vicryl 2–0 in 4–8 rows placed at 1.5–2 cm distance. Technique 3 was performed using Vicryl 0/1 in 3 rows placed at 3–4 cm distance. Technique 4 was performed using Vicryl 0 in 4–5 rows placed at 1.5 cm distance. The primary outcome was clinically significant seroma. Results A total of 445 patients were included. Clinically significant seroma incidence was 4.1 per cent (six of 147) for technique 1, which was significantly lower than that for the other techniques (25.0 per cent (29 of 116), 29.4 per cent (32 of 109), and 33 per cent (24 of 73) for techniques 2, 3, and 4 (P < 0.001) respectively). The duration of surgery was not significantly longer for technique 1 compared with the other three techniques. The length of hospital stay, number of additional visits to the outpatient clinic, and reoperations did not differ significantly between the four techniques. Conclusion Quilting using Stratafix and placing 5–7 rows with 2–3 cm distance between the stitches associates with low clinically significant seroma incidence without adverse effects.
Psychophysical pain encoding in the cingulate cortex predicts responsiveness of electrical stimulation

Background: The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an important role in the cognitive and emotional processing of pain. Prior studies have used deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat chronic pain, but results have been inconsistent. This may be due to network adaptation over time and variable causes of chronic pain. Identifying patient-specific pain network features may be necessary to determine patient candidacy for DBS. Hypothesis: Cingulate stimulation would increase patients' hot pain thresholds if non-stimulation 70-150 Hz activity encoded psychophysical pain responses. Methods: In this study, four patients who underwent intracranial monitoring for epilepsy monitoring participated in a pain task. They placed their hand on a device capable of eliciting thermal pain for five seconds and rated their pain. We used these results to determine the individual's thermal pain threshold with and without electrical stimulation. Two different types of generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLME) were employed to assess the neural representations underlying binary and graded pain psychophysics. Results: The pain threshold for each patient was determined from the psychometric probability density function. Two patients had a higher pain threshold with stimulation than without, while the other two patients had no difference. We also evaluated the relationship between neural activity and pain responses. We found that patients who responded to stimulation had specific time windows where high-frequency activity was associated with increased pain ratings. Conclusion: Stimulation of cingulate regions with increased pain-related neural activity was more effective at modulating pain perception than stimulating non-responsive areas. Personalized evaluation of neural activity biomarkers could help identify the best target for stimulation and predict its effectiveness in future studies evaluating DBS.
Rate of charging of spherical particles by monopolar ions in electric fields

This paper presents a numerical algorithm to simulate the charging dynamics of high-resistivity spherical particles by the ionic bombardment in an electric field. The algorithm is based on solving the Poisson equation, governing the electric field distribution, and the differential equation expressing the charge conservation law. The Poisson equation is solved be means of the finite-element method using the triangular discretization and the first of interpolation. The finite-volume method (in a version called the donor-cell method) is used to handle the charge conservation equation. Results of simulation are also presented and they illustrate the effect of different parameters on the charging dynamics. For high-conductivity particles, the charging rate is practically identical to that given by the Pauthernier formula. Charging of high-resistivity particles leads to more complicated solutions and is much slower.
Reactive molecular-beam epitaxy of GaN layers directly on 6H–SiC(0001)

We investigate the quality of GaN layers directly grown on 6H–SiC(0001) substrates by reactive molecular-beam epitaxy. Despite a pure three-dimensional nucleation, step-flow growth is achieved by in situ adjusting conditions such that the (2×2) reconstruction observed during growth is maximized in intensity. The resulting surface morphology exhibits large terraces separated by mono- and multiatomic steps, and is clearly superior to that obtained by plasma-assisted growth. Furthermore, the structural and optical properties of these layers are comparable to those of layers grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy.
Observation of the decay of 292 116

We present the observation of the first decay event of the new nuclide {sup 292}116 in the running experiment on the synthesis of Z=116 nuclei in the reaction {sup 248}Cm+{sup 48}Ca. The experiment is in progress at FLNR, JINR, Dubna.
Integrability in two-dimensional gravity

In this thesis, we study gravity and supergravity systems that become completely integrable in two dimensions. Including Einstein gravity, these systems are theories that upon dimensional reduction to three dimensions assume the form of a non-linear σ-model for the matter part, with target manifold a coset space G/K. Starting from Einstein gravity and focusing on the class of stationary axisymmetric solutions, we study the linear system (Lax pair) associated with the non-linear field equations of vacuum gravity as formulated by Belinski Zakharov (BZ) and BreitenlohnerMaison (BM). The existence of the linear system exhibits the integrability of the two-dimensional system and is amenable to inverse scattering methods as shown in two different approaches by BZ and BM. The infinite dimensional symmetry associated with the two-dimensional equations gives rise to the so-called Geroch group. The BM approach allows for a direct implementation of the Geroch group and the generation of physically interesting solutions in the soliton sector in a manifestly group theoretic way. For this reason, it is expected to apply to a broader set of coset models. Throughout this work, we concentrate on this approach and extend it to STU supergravity, where appropriate technical modifications were required in the BM solution generation algorithm. Based on these modifications, we also discuss a generalization to other set-ups. We test the applicability of the BM inverse scattering method by explicitly constructing the Kerr-NUT solution of Einstein gravity and within STU supergravity, the four-charge black hole solution of Cvetic and Youm as well as the singly rotating JMaRT solution.
Low-cost vector Doppler system utilizing diffraction-grating transducers

Vector Doppler instruments can measure absolute velocity independently of the orientation of its probe to the velocity vector. Presented here is an implementation of vector Doppler that utilizes P(VDF/TrFE) diffraction-grating transducers and is designed for low cost and easy use. Proof of the concept is demonstrated by experiment.
Approximations to the mean surface of Mars and Mars atmosphere using Mariner 9 occultations.

The occultations of the Mariner 9 spacecraft yielded two sets of radial measurements. One set was the measurements to the occulting features, and the other set was inferred distances from the mass center of the planet to an arbitrary pressure level (6.1 mb). The latter was estimated from the occultation refraction profile and appropriate approximations. In this paper both sets of radii are approximated by mathematical figures using least squares techniques.
Molecular identification of phenylalanine ammonia lyase-encoding genes EfPALs and EfPAL2-interacting transcription factors in Euryale ferox

Flavonoids are one of the most important secondary metabolites in plants, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first rate-limiting enzyme for their biosynthesis. However, detailed information on the regulation of PAL in plants is still little. In this study, PAL in E. ferox was identified and functionally analyzed, and its upstream regulatory network was investigated. Through genome-wide identification, we obtained 12 putative PAL genes from E. ferox. Phylogenetic tree and synteny analysis revealed that PAL in E. ferox was expanded and mostly preserved. Subsequently, enzyme activity assays demonstrated that EfPAL1 and EfPAL2 both catalyzed the production of cinnamic acid from phenylalanine only, with EfPAL2 exhibiting a superior enzyme activity. Overexpression of EfPAL1 and EfPAL2 in Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively, both enhanced the biosynthesis of flavonoids. Furthermore, two transcription factors, EfZAT11 and EfHY5, were identified by yeast one-hybrid library assays as binding to the promoter of EfPAL2, and further luciferase (LUC) activity analysis indicated that EfZAT11 promoted the expression of EfPAL2, while EfHY5 repressed the expression of EfPAL2. These results suggested that EfZAT11 and EfHY5 positively and negatively regulate flavonoid biosynthesis, respectively. Subcellular localization revealed that EfZAT11 and EfHY5 were localized in the nucleus. Our findings clarified the key EfPAL1 and EfPAL2 of flavonoid biosynthesis in E. ferox and established the upstream regulatory network of EfPAL2, which would provide novel information for the study of flavonoid biosynthesis mechanism.
Speckle-based measurement of the light scattering by red blood cells in vivo

Optical spectroscopy approach, using non-coherent light sources, has become an important tool for non-invasive analysis in vivo. It is based on the assumption that biochemical characteristics of biological system can be determined through the optical coefficients of blood and tissue particles. Thus, in the framework of this approach, the major concern is to express the obtained optical signals in terms the optical coefficients of the single particle of blood or tissue. However, since the light propagation in tissue is dominated by the multiple-scattering component, a direct measurement of single scattering characteristics turns to be a very difficult task. Practically, only the relative changes of absorption and scattering coefficients are measured. We suggested to adopt the dynamic light scattering (DLS) or speckle technique for the determination of the light scattering coefficients of the red blood cells under stasis conditions in vivo. We assumed that under zero flow conditions the RBC movement is driven mostly by the Brownian motion. It was shown, that under appropriate measurement geometry, the measured optical signal can be decomposed into a few major components. The most dominant components are ascribed to the single backscattering and forward scattering coefficients of the red blood cells. In-vitro and in vivo experimental tests have shown a good correspondence between the theoretically estimated and experientially measured results. The obtained results indicate that the DLS technique can be adopted for the determination of blood particles scattering characteristics in addition to the movement and effective viscosity parameters measurement in vivo.
Cowpea Constraints and Breeding in Europe

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ) is a legume with a constant rate of cultivation in Southern European countries. Consumer demand for cowpea worldwide is rising due to its nutritional content, while Europe is constantly attempting to reduce the deficit in the production of pulses and invest in new, healthy food market products. Although the climatic conditions that prevail in Europe are not so harsh in terms of heat and drought as in the tropical climates where cowpea is mainly cultivated, cowpea confronts with a plethora of abiotic and biotic stresses and yield-limiting factors in Southern European countries. In this paper, we summarize the main constraints for cowpea cultivation in Europe and the breeding methods that have been or can be used. A special mention is made of the availability plant genetic resources (PGRs) and their potential for breeding purposes, aiming to promote more sustainable cropping systems as climatic shifts become more frequent and fiercer, and environmental degradation expands worldwide.
Dissolution of Lysozyme Amyloid Fibrils Using Magnetic Nanoparticles in an Alternating Magnetic Field: Design of an Effective Treatment for Cutaneous Amyloidosis

The purpose of this study was to apply functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for the treatment of amyloidosis, a disease characterized by the accumulation of aberrant protein forms with an insoluble amyloid structure. The dissolution and clearance of these extremely stable fibrils from lesions is very complicated. For this purpose, we examined the possibility of using magnetic nanoparticles that generate heat in an external alternating magnetic field with a frequency of 3.5 MHz. As a convenient model system, we used lysozyme fibrils. For the quantification of fibrillar status, we used Thioflavin T and Congo red, specific dyes which change their spectroscopic properties upon binding with the cross-beta structure of fibrils. We found that by using fluorescence, and polarization microscopy, as well as absorption spectrophotometry, the amyloid-like fibrils can be almost completely dissolved. The obtained results suggest that the application of magnetic nanoparticles could be a possible therapeutic intervention in cutaneous amyloidosis.
Genetic architecture for skeletal muscle glycolytic potential in Chinese Erhualian pigs revealed by a genome-wide association study using 1.4M SNP array

Introduction: Muscle glycolytic potential (GP) is a key factor affecting multiple meat quality traits. It is calculated based on the contents of residual glycogen and glucose (RG), glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), and lactate (LAT) contents in muscle. However, the genetic mechanism of glycolytic metabolism in skeletal muscle of pigs remains poorly understood. With a history of more than 400 years and some unique characteristics, the Erhualian pig is called the “giant panda” (very precious) in the world’s pig species by Chinese animal husbandry. Methods: Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 1.4M single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) chips for longissimus RG, G6P, LAT, and GP levels in 301 purebred Erhualian pigs. Results: We found that the average GP value of Erhualian was unusually low (68.09 μmol/g), but the variation was large (10.4–112.7 μmol/g). The SNP-based heritability estimates for the four traits ranged from 0.16–0.32. In total, our GWAS revealed 31 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), including eight for RG, nine for G6P, nine for LAT, five for GP. Of these loci, eight were genome-wide significant (p < 3.8 × 10−7), and six loci were common to two or three traits. Multiple promising candidate genes such as FTO, MINPP1, RIPOR2, SCL8A3, LIFR and SRGAP1 were identified. The genotype combinations of the five GP-associated SNPs also showed significant effect on other meat quality traits. Discussion: These results not only provide insights into the genetic architecture of GP related traits in Erhualian, but also are useful for pig breeding programs involving this breed.