Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time dependence of effective slip on textured hydrophobic surfaces

In this paper, we present results on water flow past randomly textured hydrophobic surfaces with relatively large surface features of the order of 50 µm. Direct shear stress measurements are made on these surfaces in a channel configuration. The measurements indicate that the flow rates required to maintain a shear stress value vary substantially with water immersion time. At small times after filling the channel with water, the flow rates are up to 30% higher compared with the reference hydrophilic surface. With time, the flow rate gradually decreases and in a few hours reaches a value that is nearly the same as the hydrophilic case. Calculations of the effective slip lengths indicate that it varies from about 50 µm at small times to nearly zero or “no slip” after a few hours. Large effective slip lengths on such hydrophobic surfaces are known to be caused by trapped air pockets in the crevices of the surface. In order to understand the time dependent effective slip length, direct visualization of trapped air pockets is made in stationary water using the principle of total internal reflection of light at the water-air interface of the air pockets. These visualizations indicate that the number of bright spots corresponding to the air pockets decreases with time. This type of gradual disappearance of the trapped air pockets is possibly the reason for the decrease in effective slip length with time in the flow experiments. From the practical point of usage of such surfaces to reduce pressure drop, say, in microchannels, this time scale of the order of 1 h for the reduction in slip length would be very crucial. It would ultimately decide the time over which the surface can usefully provide pressure drop reductions. ©2009 American Institute of Physics
MagnetoSperm: A microrobot that navigates using weak magnetic fields

In this work, a propulsion system similar in motion to a sperm-cell is investigated. This system consists of a structure resembling a sperm-cell with a magnetic head and a flexible tail of 42 μm and 280 μm in length, respectively. The thickness, length, and width of this structure are 5.2 μm, 322 μm, and 42 μm, respectively. The magnetic head includes a 200 nm-thick cobalt-nickel layer. The cobalt-nickel layer provides a dipole moment and allows the flexible structure to align along oscillating weak (less than 5mT) magnetic field lines, and hence generates a propulsion thrust force that overcomes the drag force. The frequency response of this system shows that the propulsion mechanism allows for swimming at an average speed of 158 ± 32 μm/s at alternating weak magnetic field of 45 Hz. In addition, we experimentally demonstrate controlled steering of the flexible structure towards reference positions.
The feature of the Breit-Wigner-Fano Raman line in DNA-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes

Breit-Wigner-Fano (BWF) Raman line in DNA-wrapped single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was investigated. For as-produced HiPco SWNT bundles, the asymmetric profile of BWF line is clearly observed with an excitation energy of 2.33eV. The asymmetric feature almost disappears in isolated HiPco SWNTs by DNA wrapping in aqueous solution. Such a significant change provides evidence that the asymmetric feature of BWF line is attributed to the bundling effect of SWNTs. In addition, the asymmetric feature of BWF line strongly appears even when the DNA-wrapped SWNTs are exposed to air. This means that the rebundling in the DNA-wrapped SWNTs can occur due to drying.
Supplementary Material: Additional Details on Simulation and Predictive Models S1 Initialization of the simulation model

The model is initialized with a random number of susceptible individuals, drawn from the uniform distribution [250,000, 1,250,00]. The susceptible individuals are then randomly assigned according to the age groups 0-4, 512, 13-17, 18-29, 30-49, 50-64, 65-74, and 75+ according to the U.S. age-distribution (respectively, 6.0%, 10.0%, 6.4%, 16.3%, 25.7%, 19.2%, 9.6%, and 6.9%) [1]. A number of infectious individuals, determined based on a random draw from the discrete-uniform (1, 5), are imported to Infectious compartments according to a Multinominal distribution with probabilities equal to the U.S. age distribution.
Unsupervised Extrinsic Parameters Calibration for Multi-beam LIDARs

In this paper we present a technique of unsupervised extrinsic parameters calibration for a multi-beam LIDAR scanner. The proposed method decomposes extrinsic parameter calibration procedure into two parts: computing rotation matrix caused by pitch angle and roll angle through ground plane estimation; computing rotation matrix caused by navigation angle through matching pole-like obstacles in a series of poses. Experiment results demonstrate the efficacy of the calibration technique.
Physical activity trajectories at older age and all-cause mortality: A cohort study

Background A physically active lifestyle is recognized as a precondition of healthy aging. However, the majority of studies exploring its association with mortality in cohorts of adults used single-time physical activity (PA) estimate, which do not consider its dynamic nature with changes that occur with aging. The aim of the present study is to explore the presence of different PA trajectories in a population-based cohort and their association with mortality. Methods We used data of the population-based cohort study CARLA and included 1041 older adults (45–83 years at baseline) with self-reported physical activity at baseline (2002–2006), first follow-up (2007–2010) and second follow-up (2013). Trajectories were identified using growth mixture modelling. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between trajectories of PA and all-cause mortality during ~6 years since the second follow-up after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle factors and comorbidities and after correction for classification error. In a sensitivity analysis we weighted the models to account for selection bias during follow-up. As a further sensitivity analysis, we excluded the first year of follow-up to account for reverse causation. Results Three PA trajectories (categorized as consistently low, consistently moderate, and high at baseline but strongly decreasing PA across time) were identified, and 121 deaths due to all causes occurred. Compared with participants who had consistently low PA-levels throughout the follow-up period, participants who maintained moderate PA-levels were at a lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.49; 95%CI, 0.30–0.70). Participants with high PA-levels at baseline but strongly decreasing PA across time, had similar mortality risk compared to the participants with consistently low PA-levels (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97; 95%CI, 0.50–1.80). The effects were strengthened in the analysis weighted for selection bias. Conclusions Our results suggest that, compared to those who had consistently low PA levels, those who maintained a moderate level of PA showed a protective effect in terms of their mortality risk but not those who displayed a decline from high PA levels.
Diverse Microvirus Genomes Identified in the Stomach of a Sharp-Spined Notothen (Trematomus pennellii) from the Ross Sea (East Antarctica)

Sharp-spined notothen (Trematomus pennellii) is an icefish endemic to the southern ocean. From the stomach of an individual, we identified the genomes of 51 microviruses (family Microviridae). The major capsid proteins of most of these share the closest similarities to those identified in other marine organisms. ABSTRACT Sharp-spined notothen (Trematomus pennellii) is an icefish endemic to the southern ocean. From the stomach of an individual, we identified the genomes of 51 microviruses (family Microviridae). The major capsid proteins of most of these share the closest similarities to those identified in other marine organisms.
Finite difference time-domain model of light scattering from retinal photoreceptors

Functional ultra high resolution optical coherence tomography (fUHROCT) was used to non-invasively probe the functional response of retinal photoreceptors. Using this technique, time dependent changes in light reflectivity of the retinal photoreceptor layer were measured after external white light stimulation. The causes of the observed changes are currently not known. To better understand the observed reflectivity signals, we have developed a computational model based on the Finite-Difference Time-Domain method to simulate light scattering from retinal neurons. Preliminary simulation results suggest that cell dynamics and cell volume changes are the likely causes of the observed signals.
Dissolving microneedles for effective and painless intradermal drug delivery in various skin conditions: A systematic review

Intra‐ and transdermal administration of substances via percutaneous injection is effective but considered painful, and inconvenient in addition to bringing forth biohazardous waste material. In contrast to injection, topical drug application, which includes ointments, creams and lotions, increases the local drug load. Moreover, it has reduced side effects compared to systemic administration. However, the epidermis poses a barrier to high molecular weight substances, limiting the delivery efficiency. Dissolving microneedles (DMN) are hydrophilic, mostly polymer‐based constructs that are capable of skin penetration and were developed to provide painless and direct dermal drug delivery. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of the available clinical evidence for the use of DMN to treat various skin conditions. According to the PRISMA statement, a systematic search for articles on the use of DMN for dermatological indications was conducted on three different databases (Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane library). Only human clinical trials were considered. Qualitative assessment was done by two separate reviewers using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB 2) and Chambers' criteria assessment tools. The search yielded 1090 articles. After deduplication and removal of ineligible records, 889 records were screened on title and abstract. Full text screening was done for 18 articles and ultimately 17 articles were included of which 15 were randomized controlled trials and two were case series. The quality assessment showed that the majority of included studies had low to no risk of bias. Clinical data supports that DMN are an excellent, effective, and pain free drug delivery method for multiple dermatological disorders including skin aging, hyperpigmentation, psoriasis, warts, and keloids by supplying a painless and effective vehicle for intradermal/intralesional drug administration. Microneedle technology provides a promising non‐ to minimally‐invasive alternative to percutaneous injection.
Effectiveness of health-promoting lifestyle training on mental well-being, vitality, and quality of life of elderly with diabetes

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of health-promoting lifestyle (HPL) training on the mental well-being, vitality, and quality of life (QoL) of the elderly with diabetes. This was a quasi-experimental study based on a pre-test–post-test design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population consisted of all elderly with diabetes who were members of the Diabetes Association of Ahvaz in 2021, of whom 40 elderlies were selected as the sample through the convenience sampling method. The participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The participants in the experimental group attended eight 90-min sessions of HPL training. The data were statistically analyzed using the multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-17. The mean ± SD of the post-test scores of mental well-being, vitality, and QoL was 39.90 ± 4.80, 23.00 ± 3.31, and 35.00 ± 6.13 in the experimental group and 33.85 ± 4.81, 17.80 ± 3.15, and 29.15 ± 4.67 in the control group. The post-test results revealed a significant difference between the two groups in all of these three variables, as the HPL training significantly improved the mental well-being, vitality, and QoL of participants in the experimental group. Health professionals are recommended to apply HPL training, along with other training and therapeutic methods, to improve the health-related characteristics of such patients.
A nationwide online survey of current trends in microsurgical practice among Japanese plastic surgeons

Dear sir, Various microsurgical techniques have been developed since the introduction of free-tissue transfer (Tamai, 2009). However, information regarding the current practice trends remains limited. Acquiring basic microsurgical skills is often based on personal experiences or conventional wisdom (Fan et al., 2015). Thus, it is probable that the trends may vary largely with time and place, and even among surgeons, depending on the situation and expertise field. A nationwide online survey via Google Forms was conducted among Japanese microsurgeons between July and August 2020 in order to achieve general and objective descriptions of the current clinical trends. Participants were recruited using a snowball sampling method: each participant was requested to forward a survey invitation email to other potent plastic surgeons (Biernacki & Waldorf, 1981). The participants' surgical preferences focusing on microvascular anastomosis were surveyed using multiple-choice questions. Three hundred and thirty-nine plastic surgeons provided valid responses (Figure 1). Multivariate analyses revealed various associations between expertise field, years of practice, and surgical preferences. Among them, a distinct contrast was observed between the fields of head and neck reconstruction and finger replantation: standing posture (odds ratio, 2.50/0.12), larger suture size (coefficient,
Accounting for the Breit interaction in relativistic effective core potential calculations of actinides

The accuracy of accounting for the Breit effects in calculations of atoms and molecules in the framework of the two-component relativistic effective core potential (RECP) formalism is analysed theoretically and illustrated in calculations. Contributions of the Breit interaction between different core and valence shells are studied in the framework of the four-component SCF approximation for uranium and plutonium. It is shown that two-electron Breit effects between valence electrons can be neglected for the calculation of valence energies in systems containing actinides with ‘chemical accuracy’ (1 kcal mol−1 or 350 cm−1), whereas large core–core and core–valence Breit contributions can be efficiently described by one-electron RECP operators. Different versions of generalized RECPs with the Breit interaction taken into account are constructed for uranium and plutonium and compared for accuracy with the corresponding all-electron four-component calculations.
Human pharmacokinetics prediction with an in vitro–in vivo correction factor approach and in vitro drug-drug interaction profile of bictegravir, a potent integrase-strand transfer inhibitor component in approved biktarvy® for the treatment of HIV-1 infection

Abstract Bictegravir (BIC) is a potent small-molecule integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (INSTI) and a component of Biktarvy®, a single-tablet combination regimen that is currently approved for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. The in vitro properties, pharmacokinetics (PK), and drug-drug interaction (DDI) profile of BIC were characterised in vitro and in vivo. BIC is a weakly acidic, ionisable, lipophilic, highly plasma protein-bound BCS class 2 molecule, which makes it difficult to predict human PK using standard methods. Its systemic plasma clearance is low, and the volume of distribution is approximately the volume of extracellular water in nonclinical species. BIC metabolism is predominantly mediated by cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP) 3A and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1. BIC shows a low potential to perpetrate clinically meaningful DDIs via known drug metabolising enzymes or transporters. The human PK of BIC was predicted using a combination of bioavailability and volume of distribution scaled from nonclinical species and a modified in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC) correction for clearance. Phase 1 studies in healthy subjects largely bore out the prediction and supported the methods used. The approach presented herein could be useful for other drug molecules where standard projections are not sufficiently accurate.
Fabrication and characterization of the Fizeau interferometer testbed

The Fizeau Interferometer Testbed (FIT) is a ground-based system that will be used for the development and testing of technologies relevant to Stellar Imager (SI) and other sparse aperture/Fizeau imaging interferometer mission concepts. The testbed will utilize image-based wavefront sensing and control to co-phase and maintain closed-loop control over a Sparse Aperture Array (SAA) consisting of spherical mirror elements. The SAA is a re-configurable assembly baselined to incorporate between seven (initially) and thirty 12.5mm diameter (R = 4000mm) mirror elements. In this paper we describe the fabrication, alignment, and initial calibration of the phase I (7 primary elements) FIT hardware and discuss various factors impacting the performance and stability of the testbed.
Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals the biocontrol mechanism of Bacillus velezensis E68 against Fusarium graminearum DAOMC 180378, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight

Fusarium graminearum is the causal agent of Fusarium Head Blight, a serious disease affecting grain crops worldwide. Biological control involves the use of microorganisms to combat plant pathogens such as F. graminearum. Strains of Bacillus velezensis are common biological control candidates for use against F. graminearum and other plant pathogens, as they can secrete antifungal secondary metabolites. Here we study the interaction between B. velezensis E68 and F. graminearum DAOMC 180378 by employing a dual RNA-seq approach to assess the transcriptional changes in both organisms. In dual culture, B. velezensis up-regulated genes related to sporulation and phosphate stress and down-regulated genes related to secondary metabolism, biofilm formation and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. F. graminearum up-regulated genes encoding for killer protein 4-like proteins and genes relating to heavy metal tolerance, and down-regulated genes relating to trichothecene biosynthesis and phenol metabolism. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction between a biocontrol bacterium and a phytopathogenic fungus.
IBM Thinkpad radiation testing and recovery during EUROMIR missions

This paper presents the results of an experiment, conducted on-board the Russian MIR Space Station during a joint Russian and European mission, EUROMIR '94. A commercially available IBM ThinkPad 750C was evaluated by running a software system which monitored the notebook's behaviour and counted the number of single event upsets. The used software system and ground verification tests are also presented. Finally, another software system, able to ruggedize normal personal computers for usage in space, is described.
BAYESIAN ANALYSIS OF FINITE MIXTURES OF WEIBULL DISTRIBUTIONS

ABSTRACT The paper considers Bayesian inference for finite mixtures of Weibull distributions. Despite their importance and flexibility in modeling, exact inference procedures for mixtures of Weibull distributions have not been considered before. The new methods are based on the hierarchical representation of Weibull mixtures, and computational implementation are organized around Gibbs sampling with data augmentation. The approach is illustrated using two- and three-component Weibull mixtures for the Hang-Seng stock price index.
Novel analytical tools reveal that local synchronization of cilia coincides with tissue-scale metachronal waves in zebrafish multiciliated epithelia

Motile cilia are hair-like cell extensions that beat periodically to generate fluid flow along various epithelial tissues within the body. In dense multiciliated carpets, cilia were shown to exhibit a remarkable coordination of their beat in the form of traveling metachronal waves, a phenomenon which supposedly enhances fluid transport. Yet, how cilia coordinate their regular beat in multiciliated epithelia to move fluids remains insufficiently understood, particularly due to lack of rigorous quantification. We combine experiments, novel analysis tools, and theory to address this knowledge gap. To investigate collective dynamics of cilia, we studied zebrafish multiciliated epithelia in the nose and the brain. We focused mainly on the zebrafish nose, due to its conserved properties with other ciliated tissues and its superior accessibility for non-invasive imaging. We revealed that cilia are synchronized only locally and that the size of local synchronization domains increases with the viscosity of the surrounding medium. Even though synchronization is local only, we observed global patterns of traveling metachronal waves across the zebrafish multiciliated epithelium. Intriguingly, these global wave direction patterns are conserved across individual fish, but different for left and right noses, unveiling a chiral asymmetry of metachronal coordination. To understand the implications of synchronization for fluid pumping, we used a computational model of a regular array of cilia. We found that local metachronal synchronization prevents steric collisions, i.e., cilia colliding with each other, and improves fluid pumping in dense cilia carpets, but hardly affects the direction of fluid flow. In conclusion, we show that local synchronization together with tissue-scale cilia alignment coincide and generate metachronal wave patterns in multiciliated epithelia, which enhance their physiological function of fluid pumping.