Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunoinformatics Approach to Design a Multi-Epitope Nanovaccine against Leishmania Parasite: Elicitation of Cellular Immune Responses

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by an intracellular parasite of the genus Leishmania with different clinical manifestations that affect millions of people worldwide, while the visceral form may be fatal if left untreated. Since the available chemotherapeutic agents are not satisfactory, vaccination emerges as the most promising strategy for confronting leishmaniasis. In the present study, a reverse vaccinology approach was adopted to design a pipeline starting from proteome analysis of three different Leishmania species and ending with the selection of a pool of MHCI- and MHCII-binding epitopes. Epitopes from five parasite proteins were retrieved and fused to construct a multi-epitope chimeric protein, named LeishChim. Immunoinformatics analyses indicated that LeishChim was a stable, non-allergenic and immunogenic protein that could bind strongly onto MHCI and MHCII molecules, suggesting it as a potentially safe and effective vaccine candidate. Preclinical evaluation validated the in silico prediction, since the LeishChim protein, encapsulated simultaneously with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) into poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles, elicited specific cellular immune responses when administered to BALB/c mice. These were characterized by the development of memory CD4+ T cells, as well as IFNγ- and TNFα-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, supporting the potential of LeishChim as a vaccine candidate.
Cr/sup 3+//spl rarr/Nd/sup 3+/ energy transfer and Nd/sup 3+/ laser action studies of La/sub 3/Ga/sub 5/SiO/sub 14/:Cr/sup 3+/,Nd/sup 3+/ co-doped crystal

Energy transfer between Cr/sup 3+/ and Nd/sup 3+/ ions has been investigated in the 4.2-300-K temperature range by using steady-state and site-selective time-resolved laser spectroscopy. Radiative and nonradiative energy transfer has been studied from the time-resolved emission spectra and the donor fluorescence decays. The transfer efficiency was calculated as a function of temperature by using the Cr/sup 3+/ lifetimes of the single doped and co-doped samples. Laser experiments were carried out in a diffusive cavity by pumping a co-doped rod 54 mm long and 5 mm in diameter with xenon flashlamps. The laser spectral emission shows a complex structure which varies as a function of pump energy. The temporal evolution of the laser spectrum is discussed in terms of a simple four-level spectral rate-equation laser model which takes into account the existence of two main broad Nd/sup 3+/ site distributions with a large spectral overlap.
Antiobesity and Antioxidative Effect of Fermented Brown Rice Using In Vitro with In Vivo Caenorhabditis elegans Model

Naturally occurring phytochemicals from plants or grains are crucial in reducing various metabolic disorders. Bioactive phytonutrients are abundant in the Asian dietary staple, brown rice. This research evaluated the impact of lactic acid bacteria (LABs) bioconversion and fermentation on antioxidant and antiobesity activities and ferulic acid content in brown rice. The combination of bioconversion with Pediococcus acidilactici MNL5 among all LABs used showed a synergistic impact with 24 h of solid-state brown rice fermentation. The 24-h MNL5 fermented brown rice (FBR) demonstrated the most potent pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity (85.5 ± 1.25%) compared to raw brown rice (RBR) (54.4 ± 0.86%). The antioxidant potential of MNL5-FBR was also found to be highest in the DPPH assay (124.40 ± 2.40 mg Trolox Equiv./100 g, DW), ABTS assay (130.52 ± 2.32 mg Trolox Equiv./100 g, DW), and FRAP assay (116.16 ± 2.42 mg Trolox Equiv./100 g, DW). Based on higher antioxidant and antiobesity activities, samples were quantified for ferulic acid content using the HPLC-MS/MS approach. Furthermore, C. elegans supplementation with FBR showed enhanced life span and lipid reduction in fluorescence microscope analysis compared to the control. Our results indicate that the expression study using the C. elegans model (N2 and Daf-2 models) fat gene was conducted, showing a lowering of obesity ability in FBR-fed worms. Our study indicates that FBR has improved antioxidant and antiobesity actions, especially in MNL5-FBR, and can be employed to develop functional foods that combat obesity.
Impact of overnight information on MEM volatility prediction

Overnight return in stock market is one kind of information that can reflect the volatility of the corresponding financial instrument. However, some volatility estimators, either based on range-based or high-frequency data, do not include this information in their formulations. In this study, we investigate the impact of overnight return on Engle’s Multiplicative Error Model (MEM). Garman’s and Hansen’s whole-day-based estimators are studied to demonstrate the effects under minimum-variance situations. Besides, a general framework for incorporating overnight information is proposed and the results are discussed. Our findings demonstrate that overnight return gives a non-monotonic influence and it does contain useful information for predicting the CBOE volatility indexes under specific combinations.
A Large Field-of-View Focal Plane Array based on Zernike Freeform Surface

Applications of passive millimeter waves (PMMWs), especially PMMW imaging and PMMW radar, are required in medicine, homeland security, communication, and space technology, but constrained by the limited field-of-view (Fo V) of focal plane array (FPA). In this paper, the influence of feed antenna tilt on antenna gain is investigated theoretically, and a forward free-form surface optimization method to expand FoV is proposed, thereby designing a wide-scan MMW focal plane array with a free-form surface reflector, which provides a high antenna gain of 46.5dB. The staggered placement of feed antennas achieves a 3dB effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) within a relatively large field of view, up to +/-18.7°. The FPA uses a paraboloid-based Zernike freeform reflector that optimizes the illumination of the far field region according to the feed pattern. In this way, we could improve the FoV and increase feed elements of the system without worrying about coupling efficiency between the focus field and single mode feed antenna.
ENphylo: A new method to model the distribution of extremely rare species

Species distribution models (SDMs) are a useful mean to understand how environmental variation influences species geographical distribution. SDMs are implemented by several different algorithms. Unfortunately, these algorithms consistently lose accuracy exactly when they are needed the most, that is with rare species, originating the so‐called rare‐species modelling paradox. Although approaches exist to tackle this problem, most notably by performing and then averaging a number of bivariate models, they are usually computationally intensive and were never shown to apply successfully to the rarest species (i.e. with less than 20 geographical occurrences). Here, we present a new algorithm, ENphylo, embedded in the readily‐available R package RRdtn, which couples Environmental Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) and phylogenetic imputation to model the distribution of rare species. Using the fossil record of 31 species of large mammals that lived during the late Pleistocene as the source data to sample from, we demonstrate ENphylo provides good SDM evaluation scores, with area under the curve and Sørensen Index both consistently above 0.75, True Skills Statistics above 0.4 and Boyce Index above 0.5 in most cases, when just 10 fossil occurrences are randomly drawn from their respective fossil records. ENphylo proved significantly more accurate than ENFA and the ensemble of bivariate models using Maxent, Generalized Linear Model and Random Forest algorithms. Intriguingly, we found that randomly drawing as little as 10 occurrence data points per species allows ENphylo to perform equally well as Maxent run using the entire fossil record of these same species and data. ENphylo provides a fast and accurate solution to perform species distribution modelling with rare species, which will help predicting their distribution in the light of climate change, and to delineate how rare extinct species reacted to past climatic variation.
Perturbation analysis of bistability and period doubling bifurcations in directly-modulated laser diodes

Resonance frequency shift, bistability, and period doubling bifurcations in directly modulated semiconductor lasers are accounted for by applying multiple scale expansions to the rate equations that take into account spontaneous emission and gain saturation. Explicit algebraic expressions of parameter ranges for resonance frequency shift, bistability, and period 2 and period 4 oscillations are derived, and they are compared with results of numerical calculations. Physical mechanisms of resonance frequency shift and period doubling bifurcations are also explained. >
Molecular Blueprinting by Word Processing

In this work, computer-assisted writing techniques for linear expressions of the structure of polycyclic molecules, branched molecules and clusters, based on formal languages, are tested. The techniques used only require the ability to process written texts, even just using a text editor, and one of the many available molecular drawing/optimization programs that accept input in the form of a SMILES string. A few specific syntactic operators acting on strings are characterized in terms of their effect on the corresponding structure, and although they are simply examples, they are already capable of producing non-trivial structures. The aim of this work is to encourage experiments that may lead to potentially interesting molecular schemata, in view of their symmetry and stereochemistry, as revealed by optimization, and to develop insight into the connection between formal expressions and structures. Given the simplicity and availability of the required tools, it can also be useful for education.
Performance Debugging and Tuning of Flash-X with Data Analysis Tools

State-of-the-art multiphysics simulations running on large scale leadership computing platforms have many variables contributing to their performance and scaling behavior. We recently encountered an interesting performance anomaly in Flash-X, a multiphysics multicomponent simulation software, when characterizing its performance behavior on several large-scale HPC platforms. The anomaly was tracked down to the interaction between the use of dynamic allocation of scratch data and data locality in the cache hierarchy. In this paper we present the details of unexpected performance variability of Flash-X, its extensive analysis using the performance measurement tool TAU to collect the data and Python data analysis libraries to explore the data, and our insights from this experience. In this process, we discovered and removed or mitigated two additional performance limiting bottlenecks for performance tuning.
Electromagnetic Vortex Radar Super-resolution Imaging Based on Deep Convolutional Network

Electromagnetic (EM) vortex radar utilizes EM waves carrying different orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes to reconstruct the target's profiles, which has been demonstrated by theory and experiment. However, due to the Bessel amplitude interference term, the resolution performance cannot be further improved. In this paper, the super-resolution imaging method based on deep convolutional network is developed for EM vortex radar. Simulation experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. This work can benefit the development of OAM-based radar super-resolution imaging technology and the applications in realistic scenario.
UHPLC-MS Phytochemical Profiling and Insight into Bioactivity of Rabelera holostea (Greater Stitchwort) Extract

Rabelera holostea (L.) M. T. Sharples & E. A. Tripp (Greater Stitchwort), formerly known as Stellaria holostea L. , is widespread in the warm temperate areas of Europe and Western Asia, the Caucasus region, as well as in some countries of North Africa. Nowadays it is considered as a weed, but earlier it was often used raw in salads or for the treatment of various inflammatory disorders. The goal of this study was to determine the constituents of the methanol extract of R. holostea aerial parts and its biological potential in terms of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Until now, the constituents and biological activities of this plant were not reported in detail. A comprehensive phytochemical profiling of the extract has shown that phenolic acids, such as ferulic, chlorogenic, and p-coumaric acid, flavonoids and flavonoid glucosides, such as chrysoeriol, rutin, and naringin, are the most abundant compounds. The antioxidant activity of R. holostea extract towards DPPH and ABTS radicals, but also the total antioxidant capacity and the inhibition of lipid peroxidation were moderate. The antimicrobial potential was pronounced mostly towards some fungi such as F. oxysporum (MIC 1.25 mg/mL), whereas the capacity of R. holostea to affect the growth of bacteria was much less pronounced. R. holostea extract was most inclined to anti-inflammatory activity. At a concentration of 50 µg/mL, it significantly inhibited both cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) by 71.24% and 72.83%, respectively. Molecular docking studies indicated that chlorogenic acid and chrysoeriol are the main contributors to COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activity.
Anti-Arthritic and Anti-Cancer Activities of Polyphenols: A Review of the Most Recent In Vitro Assays

Polyphenols have gained widespread attention as they are effective in the prevention and management of various diseases, including cancer diseases (CD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They are natural organic substances present in fruits, vegetables, and spices. Polyphenols interact with various kinds of receptors and membranes. They modulate different signal cascades and interact with the enzymes responsible for CD and RA. These interactions involve cellular machinery, from cell membranes to major nuclear components, and provide information on their beneficial effects on health. These actions provide evidence for their pharmaceutical exploitation in the treatment of CD and RA. In this review, we discuss different pathways, modulated by polyphenols, which are involved in CD and RA. A search of the most recent relevant publications was carried out with the following criteria: publication date, 2012–2022; language, English; study design, in vitro; and the investigation of polyphenols present in extra virgin olive, grapes, and spices in the context of RA and CD, including, when available, the underlying molecular mechanisms. This review is valuable for clarifying the mechanisms of polyphenols targeting the pathways of senescence and leading to the development of CD and RA treatments. Herein, we focus on research reports that emphasize antioxidant properties.
Effects of Additional Plyometric Training on the Jump Performance of Elite Male Handball Players: A Systematic Review

Handball is one of the most popular team sports around the world that has become physically very demanding, related to both competitions and daily training sessions. Optimal training programs are necessary to improve performance, especially when taking into account the frequency of jump shots (vertical jumps) and handball feints (changes of directions) during daily training. The main objective of the present study is to review the available literature systematically, and to determine what are the effects of additional plyometric training on handball players’ vertical jump abilities. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, six studies were selected after a systematic search through four digital databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. The available scientific articles show that plyometric training alone or in combination with standard handball training, lasting at least six weeks, and including two training sessions per week, contributes to improving the performance of elite- or national-level handball players. Plyometric training is recommended to improve performance, as well as to maintain explosive strength parameters during the season.
Classifying Changes in Amputee Gait following Physiotherapy Using Machine Learning and Continuous Inertial Sensor Signals

Wearable sensors allow for the objective analysis of gait and motion both in and outside the clinical setting. However, it remains a challenge to apply such systems to highly diverse patient populations, including individuals with lower-limb amputations (LLA) that present with unique gait deviations and rehabilitation goals. This paper presents the development of a novel method using continuous gyroscope data from a single inertial sensor for person-specific classification of gait changes from a physiotherapist-led gait training session. Gyroscope data at the thigh were collected using a wearable gait analysis system for five LLA before, during, and after completing a gait training session. Data from able-bodied participants receiving no intervention were also collected. Models using dynamic time warping (DTW) and Euclidean distance in combination with the nearest neighbor classifier were applied to the gyroscope data to classify the pre- and post-training gait. The model achieved an accuracy of 98.65% ± 0.69 (Euclidean) and 98.98% ± 0.83 (DTW) on pre-training and 95.45% ± 6.20 (Euclidean) and 94.18% ± 5.77 (DTW) on post-training data across the participants whose gait changed significantly during their session. This study provides preliminary evidence that continuous angular velocity data from a single gyroscope could be used to assess changes in amputee gait. This supports future research and the development of wearable gait analysis and feedback systems that are adaptable to a broad range of mobility impairments.
Uniformly convergent hybrid numerical scheme for singularly perturbed turning point problems with delay

In the present work, we consider a class of singularly perturbed turning point problems with delay for their numerical solution. Due to the presence of a delay, there occurs an interior layer in the solution along with twin boundary layers (SIAM J. Appl. Math. 42(3): 502–530). Some a priori estimates are given on the exact solution and its derivatives. A numerical technique composed of hybrid finite difference scheme on a layer-adapted Shishkin mesh is proposed. We establish the consistency, stability and convergence of the proposed technique. To validate the theoretical predictions, we present some numerical illustrations. The proposed scheme is proved to have an almost second-order convergence rate, uniform with respect to the perturbation parameter ε.
Monitoring Trust Status During Fog Level Data Analysis of the Sesnor Network

This paper proposes an optimized Fog-based trust approach prevent third-party interference by establishing a trust The relationship between sensors and cloud service providers in a multisensor system. Behavioral trust between nodes is established at the sensor network level. In the fog layer node and object data. The latter's more in-depth data analysis allows us to monitor the trust state of the entire network, detect data attacks, and recover from misidentified nodes. Smokers can be set as trusted third parties. Experimental results show that the proposed trust mechanism is has the advantages of reducing power consumption, ensuring the trust status of edge nodes and the entire network, detecting hidden data attacks, and recovering nodes.
Identification of Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers and Druggable Targets among 205 Antioxidant Genes in 21 Different Tumor Types via Data-Mining

(1) Background: Oxidative stress is crucial in carcinogenesis and the response of tumors to treatment. Antioxidant genes are important determinants of resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We hypothesized that genes involved in the oxidative stress response may be valuable as prognostic biomarkers for the survival of cancer patients and as druggable targets. (2) Methods: We mined the KM Plotter and TCGA Timer2.0 Cistrome databases and investigated 205 antioxidant genes in 21 different tumor types within the context of this investigation. (3) Results: Of 4347 calculations with Kaplan–Meier statistics, 84 revealed statistically significant correlations between high gene expression and worse overall survival (p < 0.05; false discovery rate ≤ 5%). The tumor types for which antioxidant gene expression was most frequently correlated with worse overall survival were renal clear cell carcinoma, renal papillary cell carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Seventeen genes were clearly overexpressed in tumors compared to their corresponding normal tissues (p < 0.001), possibly qualifying them as druggable targets (i.e., ALOX5, ALOX5AP, EPHX4, G6PD, GLRX3, GSS, PDIA4, PDIA6, PRDX1, SELENOH, SELENON, STIP1, TXNDC9, TXNDC12, TXNL1, TXNL4A, and TXNRD1). (4) Conclusions: We concluded that a sub-set of antioxidant genes might serve as prognostic biomarkers for overall survival and as druggable targets. Renal and liver tumors may be the most suitable entities for this approach.
Solutions of the hydromagnetic equation with magnetic null points: uniform-resistivity case

A general class of solutions is found for the resistive hydromagnetic equation. The results are applied to the case of a prescribed stagnation point flow. It is shown that general solutions with magnetic null points exist. Scaling laws for the length and the width of the current sheet of the solutions are given for the general case. It is shown that the length of the current sheet increases with magnetic Reynolds number unless the outflow boundary conditions prevent the sheet length from growing. The latter would result in the appearance of boundary layers in the outflow region.
ON THE ASYMMETRY OF THE MIDDLE-LATITUDE CIRCUMPOLAR CURRENT

Abstract Evidence is presented that the circumpolar current of temperature latitudes often is not symmetric about the earth's axis of rotation. This asymmetry, which varies with time, is frequently so large that the “zonal index” no longer represents the true features of the current. Simple methods are developed to measure the asymmetry in terms of a circulation pole about which the current is symmetric, and to compute a representative circulation index. The detailed discussion of a typical example, supplemented by a summary of several other cases, establishes the following: periods of large asymmetry average about a week in duration and occur in the colder season, preferably during the “high-index” stage of a poleward index trend ; at such times the circumpolar current attains maximum strength, concentrated in a narrow zone, and resembles the classical high-index pattern ; the intensity of disturbances superimposed on the current falls to minimum values; for all large displacements of the circulation pol.