Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(ε-carprolactone) polymeric micelles with different tailored topological amphiphilies for doxorubicin (DOX) drug delivery

Three poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(e-carprolactone) (PEG–PCL) copolymers with different topologies but identical molar ratio between PEG to PCL were designed. These copolymers, namely, diblock (L-PEG–PCL), triblock (B-PEG–PCL), and star shaped (S-PEG–PCL) copolymers, were extensively characterized by 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) analyses. The effect of topology on crystallization was investigated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Results showed that the diblock copolymer possessed the highest crystallinity, followed by triblock and star shaped copolymers. Although the topology did not affect the self-assembly behavior of copolymers, the effects on size, size distribution, drug loading content, and drug release rate of the polymeric micelles were observed. The micelles self-assembled from linear diblock copolymer achieved higher cellular uptake and lower half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). These findings are favorable to establish the foundation to further design proper structure of amphiphilic copolymers as nanocarrier systems for efficient anticancer therapy.
Genome-wide analysis of BURP genes and identi cation of a BURP-V gene RcBURP4 in Rosachienesis

Lufeng Fu Qingdao Agricultural University Zhujun Zhang Qingdao Agricultural University Hai Wang Beijing Forestry University Xiaojuan Zhao Qingdao Agricultural University Lin Su Qingdao Agricultural University Lifang Geng Qingdao Agricultural University Yizeng Lu Shandong Provincial Center of Forest Tree Germplasm Resources Boqiang Tong Shandong Provincial Center of Forest Tree Germplasm Resources Qinghua Liu Qingdao Agricultural University Xinqiang Jiang (  jiangxinqiang8@163.com ) Qingdao Argricultural University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0727-3354
Pre-irradiation Grafting of Acrylic Acid and Sodium Styrene Sulfonate on Non-woven Polyethylene Fabric for Heavy Metal Removal

In present study acrylic acid (AAc) and sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) were grafted onto non-woven polyethylene fabric using pre-irradiation method and the grafted adsorbent is employed for Cr(III) and Pb(II) adsorption. After irradiation of the non-woven polyethylene fabrics with 50 kGy radiation dose the grafting reaction was carried out at 80o C with monomer solution consisted of 30% AAc, 10% SSS and 4% NaCl in water. A high graft yield of 270% was achieved. Fourier Transform Infrared, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Thermo-gravimetric Analysis were used to analyze the adsorbent. Pb (II) and Cr (III) adsorption from synthetic aqueous solution was attempted by the grafted adsorbent. Adsorption study was accomplished by changing the contact time, pH and initial metal ion concentration. Contact time 48 h and initial metal concentration 1000 ppm were found optimum for all the metal ions studied. pH 6.2 and 5 was observed best for Pb (II) and Cr(III) adsorption respectively. Kinetic adsorption data fitted better with pseudo-second-order equation than pseudo-first-order. Good correlation of experimental data with Langmuir isotherm model suggested monolayer adsorption. Langmuir equation showed that the maximum adsorption capacity for Pb (II) was 38.46 mg g-1 and Cr (III) was 111.11 mg g-1. Experiment on desorption of metal ions and reuse of the adsorbent depicted good results. Adsorbent also showed efficient adsorption of Cr(III) from real waste water. From all the findings it can be expected that the AAc-SSS grafted PE fabric can successfully eliminate Cr(III) and Pb(II) from industrial waste water.
Synthesis of hybrid nanocomposites of ZIF-8 with two-dimensional black phosphorus for photocatalysis

Zeolitic imidazolate framworks-8 (ZIF-8) and two-dimensional black phosphorus (BP) are frequently studied for their outstanding properties and wide applications. Therefore, integrating these two components into hybrid nanocomposites is conceivable to build a hybrid nanomaterial with enhanced or even new properties. In this paper, a novel hybrid nanocomposite of ZIF-8 with few-layer two-dimensional (FL-BP) (ZIF-8/BP) is prepared for the first time. The obtained ZIF-8/BP hybrid composites are composed of ZIF-8 nanoparticles uniformly distributed over the whole BP nanosheets. The in situ growth of ZIF-8 is attributed to FL-BP functionalized with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), whose pyrrolidone rings (CO) enhance the affinity between Zn ions and FL-BP, and in turn facilitate ZIF-8 in situ growth on the surface of BP. Furthermore, the obtained ZIF-8/BP hybrid nanocomposites demonstrate enhanced photocatalytic performance, for the highly efficient charge separation and transfer during photocatalytic reactions.
UE-to-Network Relay Model B Discovery in ProSe-Enabled LTE Networks

In this document, we expand previous analytical models to offer a more complete representation of Model B direct discovery protocol used for Proximity Services (ProSe) User Equipment (UE) relay functionality, called UE-to-Network Relay. Using these models, we can obtain performance metrics such as the average time a given Remote UE takes to discover a Relay UE, and we can examine the sensitivity of the discovery performance to various input parameters such as the number of Remote UEs, the number of Relay UEs, and the discovery message transmission rate. We use ns-3 system-level simulations to validate our analytical model and we demonstrate the performance of the UE-to-Network Relay discovery protocol for different values of the discovery message transmission probability, which is a system parameter that the UE can use to throttle its discovery message transmission rate to reduce the probability of collisions.
Uncertainty in Intermodal and Synchromodal Transport: Review and Future Research Directions

Long-haul continental freight flows still heavily rely on unimodal road transport. Intermodal transport, combining road transport with other transport modes, has the potential to have lower operating costs and to be more environmentally sustainable. However, road transport benefits from its better flexibility and adaptability to sudden disruptions and uncertainties. To facilitate a modal shift towards intermodal transport, it is crucial to improve its resilience (i.e., capability to resist and recover from sudden disruptions). Synchromodality is an extension of intermodality in which decisions on modal choice and routing are not predefined long in advance but are taken based on real-time information and may provide a step in that direction. The conducted literature review investigates how uncertainty can be handled in intermodal and synchromodal freight transport networks. The literature is classified based on the planning level, which is either strategic, tactical or operational. The main focus is on the studied types of uncertainty and the proposed solution approaches. This work contributes to the research field by reviewing the literature on intermodal and synchromodal transport with uncertainty, presenting measures to mitigate the effects of uncertainty and proposing future research directions.
Bactericidal surfaces: An emerging 21st-century ultra-precision manufacturing and materials puzzle

Progress made by materials scientists in recent years has greatly helped the field of ultra-precision manufacturing. Ranging from healthcare to electronics components, phenomena such as twinning, dislocation nucleation, and high-pressure phase transformation have helped to exploit plasticity across a wide range of metallic and semiconductor materials. One current problem at the forefront of the healthcare sector that can benefit from these advances is that of bacterial infections in implanted prosthetic devices. The treatment of implant infections is often complicated by the growth of bacterial biofilms on implant surfaces, which form a barrier that effectively protects the infecting organisms from host immune defenses and exogenous antibiotics. Further surgery is usually required to disrupt the biofilm, or to remove the implant altogether to permit antibiotics to clear the infection, incurring considerable cost and healthcare burdens. In this review, we focus on elucidating aspects of bactericidal surfaces inspired by the biological world to inform the design of implant surface treatments that will suppress bacterial colonization. Alongside manufacturing and materials related challenges, the review identifies the most promising natural bactericidal surfaces and provides representative models of their structure, highlighting the importance of the critical slope presented by these surfaces. The scalable production of these complex hierarchical structures on freeform metallic implant surfaces has remained a scientific challenge to date and, as identified by this review, is one of the many 21st-century puzzles to be addressed by the field of applied physics.
On clustering uncertain and structured data with Wasserstein barycenters and a geodesic criterion for the number of clusters

Clustering schemes for uncertain and structured data are considered relying on the notion of Wasserstein barycenters, accompanied by appropriate clustering indices based on the intrinsic geometry of the Wasserstein space. Such type of clustering approaches are highly appreciated in many fields where the observational/experimental error is significant or the data nature is more complex and the traditional learning algorithms are not applicable or effective to treat. Under this perspective, each observation is identified by an appropriate probability measure and the proposed clustering schemes rely on discrimination criteria that utilize the geometric structure of the space of probability measures through core techniques from the optimal transport theory. The advantages and capabilities of the proposed approach and the geodesic criterion performance are illustrated through a simulation study and the implementation in two different applications: (a) clustering eurozone countries’ bond yield curves and (b) classifying satellite images to certain land uses categories.
Material Basis and Mechanism of Chansu Injection for COVID-19 Treatment Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Technology

Purpose The clinical efficacy of Chansu injection for COVID-19 treatment has been confirmed. Its mechanism of action remains unclear. We used network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to explore the potential material basis and mechanism of action of Chansu injection for COVID-19. Methods The main components of Chansu injection were determined using HPLC. The PharmMapper, SwissTargetPrediction, SEA, and TCMID databases were used to screen for the active ingredients and therapeutic targets of Chansu injection, while the OMIM and GeneCards Suite databases were used to search for COVID-19-related targets. The STRING database was used for protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction and topological analysis, while DAVID was used for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. The main active compounds of Chansu injection were docked with 3CL protease, ACE2, RdRp, and spike protein. Results The three Chansu injection compounds were identified using HPLC. A total of 236 drug-related targets and 16,611 disease-related targets were identified, and 77 common targets were determined through mapping. The PPI mapping results revealed that 16 core targets were obtained through topological analysis and screening. Furthermore, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the PI3K and JAK-STAT signaling pathways are the major pathways. The molecular docking results suggest that the three Chansu injection components have high binding energies to the S protein. Conclusions The potential mechanism of Chansu injection for COVID-19 involves multiple targets and pathways, thereby providing a scientific basis for its clinical application and further research.
3D centrifuge and numerical modelling of lateral responses of a vertical loaded pile group to twin stacked tunnels

Abstract Tunnel excavations inevitably induce stress release and soil movement, which may affect the safety and serviceability of nearby existing pile foundations. The effects of tunnel construction on existing piles have been extensively investigated, but little attention was paid to lateral responses of piled foundations to tunnelling. In this study, a series of three-dimensional centrifuge model tests and numerical simulations using an advanced hypoplastic soil model were carried out to investigate the response of an existing vertically loaded 2 × 2 pile group in lateral direction due to advancement of twin stacked tunnels in dry sand. In each test, twin tunnelling was simulated three-dimensionally one after the other, with the first tunnel excavated near the mid-depth of the pile shaft and the second either next to the toe of the pile group (test ST) or below but to one side of the pile group (test SB). In addition, influences of tunnel depths and locations with respect to pile group response are investigated. The most significant lateral movement of the pile cap induced after the twin tunnelling in each test. The induced bending moment and pile deflection can be critical on completion of twin tunnels in test ST. In spite of being vertically loaded pile group, the twin tunnelling caused lateral forces (shearing forces to the pile group) in each test. The calculation charts have revealed that the tunnel depth and location relative to the pile group significantly influence induced pile cap lateral displacement and pile head bending moment.
Polarization Modulation Instability in Dispersion-Engineered Photonic Crystal Fibers

Generation of widely spaced polarization modulation instability (PMI) sidebands in a wide collection of photonic crystal fibers (PCF), including liquid-filled PCFs, is reported. The contribution of chromatic dispersion and birefringence to the net linear phase mismatch of PMI is investigated in all-normal dispersion PCFs and in PCFs with one (or two) zero dispersion wavelengths. Large frequency shift sidebands are demonstrated experimentally. Suitable fabrication parameters for air-filled and liquid-filled PCFs are proposed as guidelines for the development of dual-wavelength light sources based on PMI.
Sugar, vitamin C, and polyphenols in commercial apple beverages and their effects on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro

The concentrations of sugar, vitamin C, and polyphenols, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of commercial apple beverage products in Singapore, were not known. The concentrations of vitamin C, total polyphenol content, and specific polyphenols, quercetin, and catechin of commercial apple beverages were determined using their respective high-performance liquid chromatography – ultraviolet detection methods. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay and in vitro studies were conducted to examine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. The apple beverages (n=17) exhibited significant antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging assay, inhibition of cellular F2-isoprostanes and lipid hydroperoxide formation) and anti-inflammatory (inhibition of cellular leukotriene B4 formation and myeloperoxidase activity) capacity, which were found to be associated with vitamin C (10.35±1.18g/ 100g), total polyphenols (9.9±1.2mg GAE/ 100g), catechin (1.60±0.10mg/ 100g), and quercetin (0.46±0.09mg/ 100g) concentrations in the beverages. A separate simulation experiment demonstrated that antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity were augmented by increasing vitamin C, total and specific polyphenol concentrations.
Easy Accommodation of Different Oxidation States in Iridium Oxide Nanoparticles with Different Hydration Degree as Water Oxidation Electrocatalysts

In this paper, we present a comprehensive study on low hydration Ir/IrO2 electrodes, made of an Ir core and an IrO2 shell, that are designed and synthesized with an innovative, green approach, in order to have a higher surface/bulk ratio of Ir–O active centers. Three materials with different hydration degrees have been deeply investigated in terms of structure and microstructure by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and synchrotron radiation techniques such as high-resolution (HR) and pair distribution function (PDF) quality X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and for what concerns their electrochemical properties by means of cyclic voltammetry and steady-state I/E curves. The activity of these materials is compared and discussed in the light of our most recent results on hydrous IrOx. The main conclusion of this study is that the Ir core is noninteracting with the IrOx shell, the latter being able to easily accommodate Ir in different oxidation states, as pr.
Modelling pattern interestingness in comparative music corpus analysis

In computational pattern discovery, pattern evaluation measures select or rank patterns according to their potential interestingness in a given analysis task. Many measures have been proposed to accommodate different pattern types and properties. This paper presents a method and case study employing measures for frequent, characteristic, associative, contrasting, dependent, and significant patterns to model pattern interestingness in a reference analysis, Frances Densmore's study of Teton Sioux songs. Results suggest that interesting changes from older to more recent Sioux songs according to Densmore's analysis are best captured by contrast, dependency, and significance measures.
Exploring the meaning of usable security - a literature review

Purpose For decades, literature has reported on the perceived conflict between usability and security. This mutual trade-off needs to be considered and addressed whenever security products are developed. Achieving well-balanced levels of both is a precondition for sufficient security as users tend to reject unusable solutions. To assess it correctly, usability should be evaluated in the context of security. This paper aims to identify and describe universally applicable and solution-independent factors that affect the perceived usability of security mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach The selected methodology was a systematic literature review during which multiple database resources were queried. Application of predefined selection criteria led to the creation of a bibliography before backward snowballing was applied to minimize the risk of missing material of importance. All 70 included publications were then analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings The study resulted in the identification of 14 themes and 30 associated subthemes representing aspects with reported influence on perceived usability in the context of security. While some of them were only mentioned sparsely, the most prominent and thus presumably most significant ones were: simplicity, information and support, task completion time, error rates and error management. Originality/value The identified novel themes can increase knowledge about factors that influence usability. This can be useful for different groups: end users may be empowered to choose appropriate solutions more consciously, developers may be able to avoid common usability pitfalls when designing new products and system administrators may benefit from a better understanding of how to configure solutions and how to educate users efficiently.
Filter Clogging Issues in Sterile Filtration

Final filtration with a 0.2-μm filter is considered one of the simplest unit operations. Because it is the last step in the process, however, it is a critical step for successful manufacturing. Filter clogging can occur primarily because of molecular aggregation and can result in deterioration of product quality and longer processing times and thus, loss of plant capacity. This article is the 11th in the "Elements of Biopharmaceutical Production" series. It presents a case study Investigating the root cause of failures in sterile filtration by evaluating the effects and interactions of four operating parameters: hold temperature, concentration, hold time, and pH. It is shown that the use of statistical modeling can be effective in solving such problems.
Listening to Our Students while Teaching Composition in the Community College

ABSTRACT We, as community college English teachers, have the opportunity to empower students who have been subjected to years of top-down, teacher-directed education. We have the obligation to make them critical thinkers, improving their chances of being thoughtful and successful adults. It all begins with the way we teach writing and the respect we have for our students – and scholarship-as valued parts of the writing class.
Validating the Neurodevelopmental Domain of Neurodevelopmental Ecological Screening Tool: An Ecological Screener for Use With 3-5 Year-Old Children Impacted by Poverty and Homelessness

The Neurodevelopmental Ecological Screening Tool (NEST) is a new instrument to screen children for developmental challenges. This article describes the validation of the NEST neurodevelopmental domain. Data were collected from a nationwide purposely restricted sample of caregivers of children aged 3–5 years (n = 231) living in poverty and experiencing homelessness. We used Rasch-based Rating Scale Models to select items with good fit. Cronbach’s alpha was used to measure the internal consistency validity of the entire neurodevelopmental domain. Construct validity and dimensional structure were obtained using confirmatory factor analysis. Interclass correlations were used to measure the test–retest reliability of the subdomains. Neurodevelopmental Ecological Screening Tool scores were compared to results on clinician-administered gold standard measures for a subsample (n = 48). The neurodevelopmental domain score represents a single overarching risk construct with some variance attributable to distinct developmental constructs and validly and reliably identifies a child’s level of developmental risk.
Electrophysiological Correlates of Virtual-Reality Applications in the Rehabilitation Setting: New Perspectives for Stroke Patients

Here we reviewed the last evidence on the application of electroencephalography (EEG) as a non-invasive and portable neuroimaging method useful to extract hallmarks of neuroplasticity induced by virtual reality (VR) rehabilitation approaches in stroke patients. In the neurorehabilitation context, VR training has been used extensively to hamper the effects of motor treatments on the stroke’s brain. The concept underlying VR therapy is to improve brain plasticity by engaging users in multisensory training. In this narrative review, we present the key concepts of VR protocols applied to the rehabilitation of stroke patients and critically discuss challenges of EEG signal when applied as endophenotype to extract neurophysiological markers. When VR technology was applied to magnify the effects of treatments on motor recovery, significant EEG-related neural improvements were detected in the primary motor circuit either in terms of power spectral density or as time-frequency domains.