Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermoelectric power generation: Peltier element versus thermoelectric generator

This paper presents a detailed comparison between Peltier elements (also called thermoelectric coolers (TEC)) and thermoelectric generators (TEG) for the usage as thermoelectric power generators. Whereas the former is normally known for cooling applications or heat pump uses, it can also be used as generator. Today, thermoelectric energy harvesting systems find more and more utilization, e.g. in wireless sensors or exhaust pipes. The efficiency of thermoelectric materials for the low temperature sector (between 0 °C and 200 °C) is actually not very high, but the costs for TEGs are. As TECs and TEGs consist of the same thermoelectric material for this temperature sector (Bi2Te3), the upcoming question is in which temperature range and under which conditions expensive TEGs can be replaced by cheap TECs. Therefore, in this contribution, TECs and TEGs are tested and compared under the same conditions.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Bakuchiol Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents

A series of bakuchiol derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-proliferative and the inhibitory activities on SMMC7721 cell line migration using PX-478 as a positive control. The results showed (S,E)-4-(7-methoxy-3,7-dimethyl-3-vinyloct-1-en-1-yl)phenol (10) to have the best activity among the tested compounds, which included PX-478. In addition, compound 10 showed greater inhibitory activity than that of bakuchiol in the transwell migration and invasion assays at every dose. In western blotting tests, compound 10 showed a promising ability to downregulate the expression of HIF-1α and its associated downstream proteins MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, this effect was dose-dependent and could represent a possible mechanism of action for the anticancer activity of compound 10.
In vivo loss-of-function screens identify KPNB1 as a new druggable oncogene in epithelial ovarian cancer

Significance The poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has not improved for several decades because of drug resistance to current anticancer drugs. Furthermore, few molecularly targeted agents are effective for EOC, likely because EOC has high tumor heterogeneity. Discovering new drug targets and mechanisms involved in the progression of EOC is therefore sorely needed. Our multiple CRISPR and RNAi-based in vivo loss-of-function screens have identified multiple new EOC candidate drug targets, including the druggable oncogene KPNB1, whose inhibition caused multiphased cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis. Ivermectin, a Food and Drug Administration-approved antiparasitic drug, exerts KPNB1-dependent antitumor effects and synergistically inhibits tumor growth in combination with paclitaxel, and therefore represents a new potential combinatorial therapy for EOC through drug repositioning. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a deadly cancer, and its prognosis has not been changed significantly during several decades. To seek new therapeutic targets for EOC, we performed an in vivo dropout screen in human tumor xenografts using a pooled shRNA library targeting thousands of druggable genes. Then, in follow-up studies, we performed a second screen using a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 library. These screens identified 10 high-confidence drug targets that included well-known oncogenes such as ERBB2 and RAF1, and novel oncogenes, notably KPNB1, which we investigated further. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition showed that KPNB1 exerts its antitumor effects through multiphase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. Mechanistically, proteomic studies revealed that KPNB1 acts as a master regulator of cell cycle-related proteins, including p21, p27, and APC/C. Clinically, EOC patients with higher expression levels of KPNB1 showed earlier recurrence and worse prognosis than those with lower expression levels of KPNB1. Interestingly, ivermectin, a Food and Drug Administration-approved antiparasitic drug, showed KPNB1-dependent antitumor effects on EOC, serving as an alternative therapeutic toward EOC patients through drug repositioning. Last, we found that the combination of ivermectin and paclitaxel produces a stronger antitumor effect on EOC both in vitro and in vivo than either drug alone. Our studies have thus identified a combinatorial therapy for EOC, in addition to a plethora of potential drug targets.
Short Block-length Codes for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications

This paper reviews the state of the art channel coding techniques for ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). The stringent requirements of URLLC services, such as ultra-high reliability and low latency, have made it the most challenging feature of the fifth generation (5G) mobile systems. The problem is even more challenging for the services beyond the 5G promise, such as tele-surgery and factory automation, which require latencies less than 1ms and failure rate as low as $10^{-9}$. The very low latency requirements of URLLC do not allow traditional approaches such as re-transmission to be used to increase the reliability. On the other hand, to guarantee the delay requirements, the block length needs to be small, so conventional channel codes, originally designed and optimised for moderate-to-long block-lengths, show notable deficiencies for short blocks. This paper provides an overview on channel coding techniques for short block lengths and compares them in terms of performance and complexity. Several important research directions are identified and discussed in more detail with several possible solutions.
Atomistic modeling of elastic and transport properties of carbon nanotubes

ATOMISTIC MODELING OF ELASTIC AND TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF CARBON NANOTUBES FERAS G. ALZUBI Center for Computational Nanoscience (CCN), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ball State University. A first principles atomistic calculation and analysis is used to conduct studies on the mechanical and electron transport properties of selected stretched single-wall carbon nanotube segments. The atomic forces, electron densities, current, voltage and total energies are calculated for these carbon nanotube segments using Atomistix’s Virtual NanoLab (VNL) and ToolKit (ATK), a software package for electronic structure calculations and molecular dynamics simulations of different molecular systems. Plots of electronic energy spectra, densities of states, force versus length, and current-voltage data, are presented as output results. The mechanical properties of these carbon nanotube segments under a maximum strain of 1% are studied. A speculative atomistic-level stress-strain approach is tried for calculating Young’s modulus for a single-wall carbon nanotube segment. The computed total energies are also used to extract the Young’s modulus value. Based on the results, the approach is found to work and we were able to calculate the mechanical parameters for single-wall carbon nanotube segments. The electrical conductance is obtained from the current-voltage curves for strained single-wall metallic carbon nanotube segments placed between copper contacts.
Geography, environment and organismal traits in the diversification of a major tropical herbaceous angiosperm radiation

The terrestrial bromeliads are a diverse group of plants native to the Americas. In this article, the distributions of 564 species are analysed to answer key questions about plant–environment interactions. Contrasting biological characteristics can explain the occurrence of different species in different climatic zones, and species native to arid zones appear to be particularly specialized. Species which are more tolerant of a range of climates tend to occur across larger geographical ranges, and closely related species in large genera tend to show differentiation in their climatic preferences.
Between Descriptors and Properties: Understanding the Ligand Efficiency Trends for G Protein-Coupled Receptor and Kinase Structure-Activity Data Sets

The chemical meaning of the ligand efficiency (LE) metrics is explained in this paper using a large G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and kinase structure-activity (IC50, Ki) data set. Although there is a controversy in the literature regarding both the mathematical validity and the performance of LE, it is in common use as an early estimator for drug optimization. Apparently, the numerous con arguments are not convincing enough. We show here for the first time that the main misunderstanding of the chemical meaning of LE is its interpretation as a molecular descriptor connected with a single molecule. Instead, LE should be interpreted as a statistical property. We show that the LE, which is designed as a regression of a binding property on the heavy atom count (HAC), is correlated to the reciprocal of the molecular weight because of Avogadro statistics. This indicates that the hyperbolic model of LE is basically a consequence of a nonbinding effect, an increase in the number of ligands that are available to a receptor for smaller molecules, and not a real increase in the binding potency for a single HAC as interpreted in the literature. Accordingly, we need to revisit and carefully reevaluate LE-based molecular comparisons.
A Robotic Skin for Collision Avoidance and Affective Touch Recognition

We describe a flexible robotic skin module that can measure proximity, contact and force, as well as algorithms for detecting obstacles, human hands, and affective touch gestures. The computational requirements of the proposed architecture are in line with the capabilities of a small microcontroller, allowing for a majority of the data to be processed colocated with the skin. The resulting system only communicates low-bandwidth information of interest, thereby solving challenges in routing high-bandwidth information and reducing the burden on a robot's central processing unit. We describe design and manufacturing of a 10.8 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times$ </tex-math></inline-formula> 10.8 cm<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^2$</tex-math></inline-formula> skin patch containing 64 sensors, classification results for six different affective touch gestures, and a method that allows the skin to differentiate between an approaching human hand and various obstacles.
A Human-Robot Cooperative Navigation Planner

Navigation in human environments is a cooperative task and needs to be treated as it is. Humans concurrently assist and comply with each other. To achieve comparable efficiency, a robot needs to predict human trajectories and plan its own trajectory accordingly. We present a navigation planner that is able to plan such cooperative trajectories simultaneously respecting the robot's kinematic constraints and avoiding other non-human dynamic obstacles. Besides adapting the robot trajectory, the planner is also able to proactively propose co-navigation solutions especially in confined spaces.
The medication reconciliation process and classification of discrepancies: a systematic review.

AIMS Medication reconciliation is a part of the medication management process and facilitates improved patient safety during care transitions. The aims of the study were to evaluate how medication reconciliation has been conducted and how medication discrepancies have been classified. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and Web of Science (WOS), in accordance with the PRISMA statement up to April 2016. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they evaluated the types of medication discrepancy found through the medication reconciliation process and contained a classification system for discrepancies. Data were extracted by one author based on a predefined table, and 10% of included studies were verified by two authors. RESULTS Ninety-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Approximately one-third of included studies (n = 35, 36.8%) utilized a 'gold' standard medication list. The majority of studies (n = 57, 60%) used an empirical classification system and the number of classification terms ranged from 2 to 50 terms. Whilst we identified three taxonomies, only eight studies utilized these tools to categorize discrepancies, and 11.6% of included studies used different patient safety related terms rather than discrepancy to describe the disagreement between the medication lists. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that clear and consistent information on prevalence, types, causes and contributory factors of medication discrepancy are required to develop suitable strategies to reduce the risk of adverse consequences on patient safety. Therefore, to obtain that information, we need a well-designed taxonomy to be able to accurately measure, report and classify medication discrepancies in clinical practice.
Monitoring resistance of Cydia pomonella (L.) Spanish field populations to new chemical insecticides and the mechanisms involved.

BACKGROUND Widespread resistance of Cydia pomonella to organophosphates was demonstrated in populations from the Spanish Ebro Valley area which showed high levels of enzymatic detoxification. To determine the efficacy of new insecticides, neonate larval bioassays were carried out on 20 field codling moth populations collected from three different Spanish apple production areas. Synergist bioassays were performed to determine the enzymatic mechanisms involved. RESULTS The least active ingredients were methoxyfenozide, with 100% of the populations showing significantly lower mortality than the susceptible strain, and lambda-cyhalothrin, with very high resistance ratios (872.0 for the most resistant field population). Approximately 50% of the populations were resistant or tolerant to thiacloprid. By contrast, tebufenozide was very effective in all the field populations, as was chlorpyrifos-ethyl despite its widespread use during the last few years. Indoxacarb, spinosad and chlorantraniliprole also provided high efficacy, as did emamectin and spinetoram, which are not yet registered in Spain. CONCLUSION The resistant Spanish codling moth populations can be controlled using new reduced-risk insecticides. The use of synergists showed the importance of the concentration applied and the difficulty of interpreting results in field populations that show multiple resistance to different active ingredients. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
HIGH-TEMPERATURE STABILITY OF LAURITE AND Ru–Os–Ir ALLOY AND THEIR ROLE IN PGE FRACTIONATION IN MAFIC MAGMAS

Experiments were performed to establish the stability limits and mineral – sulfide melt partitioning behavior of the platinum-group minerals laurite (Ru,Os,Ir)S2 and Ru–Os–Ir alloy as functions of temperature and sulfur fugacity. Ruthenium-doped experiments yielded laurite up to ~1275 °C at log f (S2) of −2.0, with laurite replaced by Ru alloy at higher temperature. Similar results were observed at log f (S2) of −2 and −1.3 for compositions doped with multiple PGE, except that Ru–Os–Ir alloy coexisted with laurite at T ≤ 1265°C. Laurite and alloy from these latter experiments were found to be Ru–Os–Ir-rich and Pt–Pd-poor, with grains of alloy containing more Os and Ir than laurite, and both phases becoming (Os + Ir)-rich with increasing f (S2). Concentrations of PGE in sulfide liquid saturated with laurite ± lloy were found to be: Ru: 1–13 wt%; Os and Ir: ≤ 0.6 wt%; Pt and Pd: 0.5–4 wt%. The finding that laurite and Ru–Os–Ir alloy are stable at chromian-spinel-based liquidus temperatures indicates that the commonly observed inclusion of these phases in chromian spinel can be interpreted as a primary magmatic texture. High solubilities for Ru in molten sulfide, combined with low intrinsic abundances of the PGE in igneous rocks, suggest that crystallization of laurite or Ru–Os–Ir alloy in the presence of immiscible sulfide liquid is unlikely. Thus, the extent to which PGE-bearing accessory minerals will affect the final distribution of the PGE within an igneous body may be strongly linked to when, or if, saturation in sulfide liquid occurs.
The potential role of aquaporin 1 on aristolochic acid I induced epithelial mesenchymal transition on HK‐2 cells

Aristolochic acid I (AA‐I), one of the main active components in Aristolochaia herbs, may induce aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). Renal interstitial fibrosis is one of the most typical features of AAN. To investigate the mechanism of Aristolochic acid I (AA‐I) −induced renal epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and determine the role of aquaporin‐1 (AQP1) in this process, we established an AA‐I‐induced EMT model in human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK‐2 cells). Morphological examination, MTT assay, and Western blot analysis were performed. Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and several EMT‐related proteins were detected, thereby suggesting the occurrence of AA‐I‐induced EMT. Two main pathways of transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) signaling, namely, Smad‐dependent and Smad‐independent signaling pathways, were also detected. The results showed that the TGF‐β / Smad‐independent signaling pathways (β‐catenin, Ras‐Raf‐Erk1/2 signaling pathways) were activated, and AQP1 expression was decreased during the AA‐I induced EMT on HK‐2 cells. With the presence of TGF‐β1 receptor inhibitor (LY364947) and Erk1/2 inhibitor (PD98059), AQP1 expression was altered by PD98059, suggested that AQP1 could be adjusted by Erk1/2 signaling. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of AA‐I on AQP1 was stronger than that of TGF‐β1, suggested that AQP1 may be an important target on AAN clinical therapy.
Low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation promotes osteoblast differentiation through hedgehog signaling

Low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been used as an adjunct to fracture healing therapies, but the mechanisms underlying its action are not known. We reported that sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling was activated in osteoblasts at the dynamic remodeling site of a bone fracture. Mechanical stimulation is a crucial factor in bone remodeling, and it is related to the primary cilia as a sensor of hedgehog signaling. Here we observed that LIPUS promoted callus formation in accord with Gli2‐positive cells after 14 days at the mouse femur fractured site compared with a control group. An immunofluorescence analysis showed that the numbers of primary cilia and cilia/osterix double‐positive osteoblasts were increased at the fracture site by LIPUS. LIPUS stimulated not only the number and the length of primary cilia, but also the levels of ciliated protein, Ift88 mRNA, and SHH, Gli1, and Gli2 in MC3T3‐E1 cells. Further experiments revealed that LIPUS stimulated osteogenic differentiation in the presence of smoothened agonist (SAG) treatment. These results indicate that LIPUS stimulates osteogenic differentiation and the maturation of osteoblasts by a primary cilium‐mediated activation of hedgehog signaling.
Effects of Incubation Temperature on the Expression of Sex-Related Genes in the Chinese Pond Turtle, Mauremys reevesii

Despite widespread temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles, it is still unclear how the molecular network responds to temperature variation and drives the sexual fate. Profiling of sex-related genes is the first step in understanding the sex determination system in reptiles. In this study, we cloned the full-length coding sequences of Cyp19a1, Foxl2, Rspo1, Sf1, and Sox9 in an Asian freshwater turtle (Mauremys reevesii) with TSD and identified the expression patterns of these genes and Dmrt1 at different incubation temperatures to understand their roles in urogenital development. Our results showed that Cyp19a1, Foxl2, and Rspo1 were expressed in the adrenal-kidney-gonadal complex at a high level in females, while Sf1 and Dmrt1 were highly expressed in males. In addition, Foxl2 and Rspo1 showed sex-dimorphic expression in the presumed early thermosensitive period (TSP), Dmrt1 was upregulated at the beginning of the presumed TSP, and Sox9 did not show sex-dimorphic expression until the end of the presumed TSP. These results suggest that Foxl2 and Rspo1 are probably upstream genes involved in female sex determination and that Dmrt1 may be a key factor in male sex determination. Therefore, our study provides a solid foundation for further investigations on the molecular mechanism underlying sex determination in M. reevesii.
Mixture of time‐dependent growth models with an application to blue swimmer crab length‐frequency data

Understanding how aquatic species grow is fundamental in fisheries because stock assessment often relies on growth dependent statistical models. Length‐frequency‐based methods become important when more applicable data for growth model estimation are either not available or very expensive. In this article, we develop a new framework for growth estimation from length‐frequency data using a generalized von Bertalanffy growth model (VBGM) framework that allows for time‐dependent covariates to be incorporated. A finite mixture of normal distributions is used to model the length‐frequency cohorts of each month with the means constrained to follow a VBGM. The variances of the finite mixture components are constrained to be a function of mean length, reducing the number of parameters and allowing for an estimate of the variance at any length. To optimize the likelihood, we use a minorization–maximization (MM) algorithm with a Nelder–Mead sub‐step. This work was motivated by the decline in catches of the blue swimmer crab (BSC) (Portunus armatus) off the east coast of Queensland, Australia. We test the method with a simulation study and then apply it to the BSC fishery data.
ADS-5102 (Amantadine) Extended-Release Capsules for Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s Disease (EASE LID 2 Study): Interim Results of an Open-Label Safety Study

Background: Medical treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an unmet need. ADS-5102 (amantadine) extended-release capsules is being developed for the treatment of LID in patients with PD. Objective: Evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of 274 mg ADS-5102 for LID in PD. Methods: In an ongoing, open-label safety study (NCT02202551), PD patients with LID received 274 mg of ADS-5102 once daily at bedtime. Patients were recruited from previous ADS-5102 trials. In addition, patients were enrolled who were ineligible for previous ADS-5102 trials due to previous implantation of deep-brain stimulation (DBS) devices. The primary outcome measure was safety assessed through adverse events (AEs). Efficacy was assessed using the Movement Disorder Society–Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), Part IV and its subparts. Results: For this interim analysis, 223 patients received ADS-5102 for a mean duration of 348 (SD 182) days. The most common AEs included falls (25.1%), visual hallucinations (19.3%), peripheral edema (13.0%), and constipation (12.6%). Overall, 32 patients (14.3%) discontinued due to an AE. In patients receiving placebo in previous studies, the mean MDS-UPDRS, Part IV scores decreased by 3.4 points from baseline (n = 78) to week 8 and remained stable through week 64 (n = 21). In patients receiving ADS-5102 in previous studies, the mean baseline (n = 61) MDS-UPDRS, Part IV score was low due to the response to ADS-5102 in previous studies and remained stable through week 64 (total of 88 weeks; n = 21). The effect was primarily due to reduction in item 4.2 (functional impact of dyskinesia) and item 4.4 (functional impact of motor fluctuations). Conclusions: ADS-5102 was generally well tolerated in all groups, including DBS patients, and the safety profile was consistent with previous controlled studies. Long-term durability and tolerability were shown from the double-blind studies through participation in the open-label study up to 88 weeks.