Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein-based memristive nanodevices.

6 Memristors (memory resistors), represent the fourth fundamental two-terminal circuit element following the resistor, the capacitor, and the inductor. [ 1 , 2 ] Memristors have attracted much attention owing to their potential application in nanoelectronic memories, computer logic, neuromorphic computer architectures, and so on. [ 3–6 ] Williams et al. were the fi rst to demonstrate a solid-state memristive device based on a titanium dioxide thin fi lm, which was inserted between two Pt electrodes. [ 2 ] Thus far, various materials such as metal oxides, [ 7–10 ] chalcogenides, [ 11 ] amorphous silicon, [ 12–15 ] or carbon, [ 16 ] as well as polymer–nanoparticle composite materials [ 17 ] have been demonstrated to exhibit memristive phenomena. Many activities in life exhibit memory behavior. Substantial research has focused on biomolecules serving as computing elements, [ 18–20 ] and as such natural biomaterials may have the potential to be exploited as electronic memristors. Some types of proteins, especially redox proteins, have been shown to act as electronic materials when inserted between electrodes to achieve solid-state electron-transport junctions. [ 21–23 ] In this communication, protein-based bipolar memristive nanodevices in which proteins are embedded into the nanogaps are demonstrated. Several methods, such as mechanical break-junction techniques, [ 24 , 25 ] electromigration, [ 26–28 ] and shadow mask evaporation [ 29–31 ] have all been used to fabricate nanogaps; nanostructures that have metal-electrode pairs separated by a few nanometers that enable an electrical contact to target molecules. On-wire lithography (OWL), a chemistry-based nanofabrication technique, is a high-throughput method used to prepare nanogaps, affording control of feature sizes down to typical molecular dimensions. [ 32 , 33 ] This method relies on the template-directed synthesis of nanowires in an anodized aluminum oxide membrane by the electrochemical deposition of desired metal materials. The gap size is controlled by the thickness of a thin sacrifi cial layer of Ni,
Opposite effects of presynaptic 5‐HT3 receptor activation on spontaneous and action potential‐evoked GABA release at hippocampal synapses

5‐HT3 (serotonin type 3) receptors are targets of antiemetics, antipsychotics, and antidepressants and are believed to play a role in cognition. Nevertheless, contrasting results have been obtained with respect to their functions in the CNS and in the control of transmitter release. We used rat hippocampal neurons in single‐neuron microcultures to identify the roles of presynaptic 5‐HT3 receptors at central synapses. 5‐HT (10 μm) caused a transient > 10‐fold increase in the frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents without affecting amplitudes or kinetics. This effect was abolished by tropisetron (30 nm) and when Ca2+ channels were blocked by 100 μm Cd2+ it was mimicked and occluded when neurons were depolarized by 20 mm, but not 10 mm, K+. Thus, activation of presynaptic 5‐HT3 receptors increased spontaneous GABA release by causing depolarization and opening of voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels. In microculture neurons, 5‐HT transiently reduced action potential‐evoked inhibitory autaptic currents by > 50%; this effect was blocked by tropisetron and mimicked by 20 mm, but not 10 mm, K+. Miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents were not altered by 5‐HT. Excitatory autaptic currents were tonically reduced, an effect attenuated by 5‐HT1A antagonists. Thus, presynaptic 5‐HT3 receptors control GABA, but not glutamate, release and mediate opposite effects on spontaneous and action potential‐dependent release.
Distributed IPv6 addressing technique for mobile ad-hoc networks

Connecting to the Internet through the nodes of an ad-hoc network is very challenging and necessary. We studied a MANET topology in which all nodes in this MANET need to be connected to the Internet through a special node called the Internet Gateway. Traditional IPv6 Duplicate address Detection(DAD) process cannot be applied for this topology without any modification. In this paper, we propose a stateful IPv6 auto-configuration scheme that can replace DHCPv6 for ad-hoc networks. Our simulation shows that this scheme is lighter and faster than DHCPv6.
Learning Structural Features of Nodes in Large-Scale Networks for Link Prediction

We present an algorithm (LsNet2Vec) that, given a large-scale network (millions of nodes), embeds the structural features of node into a lower and fixed dimensions of vector in the set of real numbers. We experiment and evaluate our proposed approach with twelve datasets collected from SNAP. Results show that our model performs comparably with state-of-the-art methods, such as Katz method and Random Walk Restart method, in various experiment settings.
Study to evaluate the impact of heat treatment on water soluble vitamins in milk.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of domestic boiling practice on the contents of water soluble vitamins of loose milk and quantitative comparison of these vitamins in Ultra High Temperature (UHT) treated packaged milk with that of boiled loose milk. METHODS Loose milk samples were collected from various localities of Karachi city (Pakistan). These samples were boiled in simulated household conditions for 5, 10 and 15 minutes. Ultra High Temperature (UHT) treated packaged milk samples of various brands were obtained from the local market. The aliquots were analyzed for water-soluble vitamins using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technique. The mean values and standard deviations for data were computed and compared as well as level of variations were also determined. RESULTS Conventional boiling caused destruction of water soluble vitamins in milk i.e. vitamin 81 content in fresh milk decreased from 0.037 mg/100 g to 0.027 mg/100 g after 15 min boiling, whereas vitamin B2 from 0.115 to 0.084 mg/100 g, vitamin B3 0.062 to 0.044 mg/100 g, vitamin B6 0.025 to 0.019 mg/100 g and folic acid 3.38 to 2.40 microg/100 g. This accounted for a post-boiling decrease of about 27, 27, 29, 24 and 36% in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and folic acid respectively. The values for vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and folic acid determined in boiled milk were significantly lower than UHT treated packaged milk samples by 25.9, 75.0, 54.5, 63.16 and 38.1% respectively. CONCLUSION Conventional boiling caused drastic reduction in vitamin levels of loose milk samples. In comparison to this, UHT milk retained high levels of water soluble B-vitamins. Thus it could be envisaged that UHT treated milk provides better water soluble vitamins' nourishment than conventionally boiled milk (JPMA 60:909; 2010).
Environmental, Social, and Economic Impacts of Sustainability Certification in the Agricultural Sector – The Current State of Empirical Research

Various stakeholders involved with sustainability certification are interested in knowing whether certification really fulfills its promises. Business managers who have to determine what type of products to source, consumers who are concerned about making appropriate buying decisions for themselves and their families, producers who think about obtaining certification, and sustainability standard initiatives that themselves need arguments to support their certification programs. A recent study conducted by FiBL (Niggli et al 2011) reviewed the current state of empirical research on environmental, social, and economic impacts of sustainability certification in the agricultural sector. One result of the study was that a disproportionate number of research papers are on the impacts of organic standards in comparison to the other labels under investigation (Fairtrade, Sustainable Agriculture Standard certified by the Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, and Roundtable on Responsible Soy).
Firm-paid vs. worker-paid on-the-job training in Russia: Determinants and returns

In a restructuring economy on-the-job training plays important role not only in raising the general level of human capital but in retooling workers for the new sectors of economy. The amount of on-the-job training in Russia has however been unsatisfactorily low compared to other countries. Main objective of this paper is to study the incentives of firms and workers to invest into employee training in Russia. Utilizing the data from Russian Longitudinal Monitoring survey for years 1999–2003, we investigate the determinants of training financing with the particular emphasis on the role of labor market characteristics. We exploit heterogeneity in the structure of regional labor markets in Russia to investigate its effect on training outcomes. In line with existing theory, it is shown that imperfections of the labor market, such as higher regional labor market concentration, lower share of small businesses and higher unemployment create incentives for the firms to provide training to employees. Hence, increase in the efficiency of the labor market is likely to bring about further decrease in the amount of employee training in a private sector.
Learning Tensegrity Locomotion Using Open-Loop Control Signals and Coevolutionary Algorithms

Soft robots offer many advantages over traditional rigid robots. However, soft robots can be difficult to control with standard control methods. Fortunately, evolutionary algorithms can offer an elegant solution to this problem. Instead of creating controls to handle the intricate dynamics of these robots, we can simply evolve the controls using a simulation to provide an evaluation function. In this article, we show how such a control paradigm can be applied to an emerging field within soft robotics: robots based on tensegrity structures. We take the model of the Spherical Underactuated Planetary Exploration Robot ball (SUPERball), an icosahedron tensegrity robot under production at NASA Ames Research Center, develop a rolling locomotion algorithm, and study the learned behavior using an accurate model of the SUPERball simulated in the NASA Tensegrity Robotics Toolkit. We first present the historical-average fitness-shaping algorithm for coevolutionary algorithms to speed up learning while favoring robustness over optimality. Second, we use a distributed control approach by coevolving open-loop control signals for each controller. Being simple and distributed, open-loop controllers can be readily implemented on SUPERball hardware without the need for sensor information or precise coordination. We analyze signals of different complexities and frequencies. Among the learned policies, we take one of the best and use it to analyze different aspects of the rolling gait, such as lengths, tensions, and energy consumption. We also discuss the correlation between the signals controlling different parts of the tensegrity robot.
Forward-based AC/DC converter with quasi-active input current shaping technique

This paper presents a forward converter with a quasi-active input current shaping (ICS) scheme. A high frequency pulsating voltage source derived from a cascaded dc/dc forward converter is added to serve as a magnetic switch and drive an inductor for input current shaping. As a result, the input power factor is improved due to the extended conduction angle of the conventional diode rectifier with large output capacitor. It eliminates the use of active switch and control circuit for power factor correction (PFC), which results in improved efficiency and lower cost. To achieve low harmonic content, the input inductor is designed to operate in discontinuous current mode (DCM). The new converter satisfies the input current harmonics regulation IEC61000-3-2 Class D and limits the dc bus capacitor voltage below 450V for universal line applications. In addition the added winding provides a direct power transfer path from the input to the load, which can improve the conversion efficiency. Operating principles, analysis, and simulation/experimental results of the proposed converter are presented.
Chromatin under mechanical stress: from single 30 nm fibers to single nucleosomes

About a decade ago, the elastic properties of a single chromatin fiber and, subsequently, those of a single nucleosome started to be explored using optical and magnetic tweezers. These techniques have allowed direct measurements of several essential physical parameters of individual nucleosomes and nucleosomal arrays, including the forces responsible for the maintenance of the structure of both the chromatin fiber and the individual nucleosomes, as well as the mechanism of their unwinding under mechanical stress. Experiments on the assembly of individual chromatin fibers have illustrated the complexity of the process and the key role of certain specific components. Nevertheless a substantial disparity exists in the data reported from various experiments. Chromatin, unlike naked DNA, is a system which is extremely sensitive to environmental conditions, and studies carried out under even slightly different conditions are difficult to compare directly. In this review we summarize the available data and their impact on our knowledge of both nucleosomal structure and the dynamics of nucleosome and chromatin fiber assembly and organization.
Information Systems Evaluation Management

The evaluation of IT and its business value have been the subjects of many academic and business discussions, as business managers, management consultants and researchers regularly question whether and how the contribution of IT to business performance can be evaluated effectively. Investments in IT are growing and business managers worry about the fact that the benefits of IT investment might not be as high as expected. This phenomenon is often called the IT investment paradox or the IT black hole: large sums are invested in IT that seem to be swallowed by a large black hole without rendering many returns. This text discusses these issues among others, through its presentation of contemporary research in the field of IS evaluation. It is an area of study that touches upon a variety of types of businesses ad organization - essentially all those who involve IT in their business practices.
Patent Examination Decisions and Strategic Trade Behavior

This paper examines whether strategic trade behavior can explain the fact that the US, Japanese and European Patent Offices Â– the USPTO, the JPO and the EPO Â– often make different decisions about whether to grant (or reject) a given patent application. We analyse this issue by considering whether examination decisions across the patent offices vary systematically by inventor nationality, patent quality and technology area using a matched sample of 33,305 non-PCT patent applications granted by the USPTO and subjected to examination decisions at the EPO and the JPO.
Potential of bismuth nanoparticles embedded in a glass matrix for spectral-selective thermo-optical devices

The optical transmission at a fixed visible wavelength of Bi nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric is known to show a sharp hysteretic evolution as a function of the temperature due to the reversible melting-solidification of the nanoparticles. In this work, we explore the temperature-dependent optical response of Bi nanoparticles embedded in a doped germanate glass (GeO2-Al2O3-Na2O) in a broad range from the visible to the near infrared. The transmission contrast induced by melting of the nanoparticles is shown to be strongly wavelength-dependent and evolves from positive to negative as the wavelength increases. This behaviour is well modelled using effective medium calculations, assuming that the nanoparticles size, shape, and distribution are unmodified upon melting, while their dielectric function turns from that of solid Bi to that of liquid Bi thus modifying markedly their optical response. These results open a route to the spectral tailoring of the thermo-optical response of Bi nanoparticles-based.
Convolutional Sparse Coding for Capturing High‐Speed Video Content

Video capture is limited by the trade‐off between spatial and temporal resolution: when capturing videos of high temporal resolution, the spatial resolution decreases due to bandwidth limitations in the capture system. Achieving both high spatial and temporal resolution is only possible with highly specialized and very expensive hardware, and even then the same basic trade‐off remains. The recent introduction of compressive sensing and sparse reconstruction techniques allows for the capture of single‐shot high‐speed video, by coding the temporal information in a single frame, and then reconstructing the full video sequence from this single‐coded image and a trained dictionary of image patches. In this paper, we first analyse this approach, and find insights that help improve the quality of the reconstructed videos. We then introduce a novel technique, based on convolutional sparse coding (CSC), and show how it outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art, patch‐based approach in terms of flexibility and efficiency, due to the convolutional nature of its filter banks. The key idea for CSC high‐speed video acquisition is extending the basic formulation by imposing an additional constraint in the temporal dimension, which enforces sparsity of the first‐order derivatives over time.
An aperture coupled stacked patch antenna with 50% bandwidth

Microstrip patches are an attractive type of antenna due to their low-cost, low-profile, conformability, and ease of manufacture. The aperture coupled configuration also provides the advantage of isolating spurious feed radiation by use of a common ground plane. The primary barrier to implementing these antennas in many applications, however, is their limited bandwidth-only of the order of a few percent for a typical patch radiator. A technique is presented which extends the operating bandwidth (defined as having a return loss of less than -10 dB) of the aperture coupled microstrip antenna to over 50%. Design considerations for the antenna are discussed, and geometrical aspects of an experimental design are given. Theoretical and measured results for the experimental design are presented and compared.
Review on Testosterone Delivery by Natural and Synthetic Nanoparticles

The loading efficacies of testosterone with polyamidoamine PAMAN-G3 and PAMAM-G4 and chitosan-15 and chitosan-100 kDa nanoparticles were compared in aqueous solution at pH 7.4. The results of multiple spectroscopic methods, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and molecular modeling were used to characterize the testosterone binding process to polymer nanoparticles. Structural analysis showed testosterone-polymer bindings occur via hydrophobic, H-bonding contacts. The binding affinity is testosterone-chitosan > testosterone-PAMAM. Transmission electron microscopy showed significant changes in carrier morphology with major changes in the diameter of the polymer aggregates as steroid loading occurred. Chitosan nanoparticles are more effective carriers than PAMAM dendrimers.
The gastrointestinal ecosystem: a precarious alliance among epithelium, immunity and microbiota

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a complex ecosystem generated by the alliance of GI epithelium, immune cells and resident microbiota. The three components of the GI ecosystem have co‐evolved such that each relies on the presence of the other two components to achieve its normal function and activity. Experimental systems such as cell culture, germ‐free animal models and intestinal isografts have demonstrated that each member of the GI ecosystem can follow a predetermined developmental pathway, even if isolated from the other components of the ecosystem. However, the presence of all three components is required for full physiological function. Genetic or functional alterations of any one component of this ecosystem can result in a broken alliance and subsequent GI pathology. A more detailed understanding of the interactions among microbiota, GI epithelium and the immune system should provide insight into multiple human disease states.
Strategies to capitalize on the organizational potential through collaborative networks

In response to the business environment dynamics, contemporary organizations develop their capabilities and potentials in order to become competitive. The new knowledge-based economy paradigm, the emergence of networks in the economy, technology and society, create a favorable environment for collaboration between organizations. Organizations can thus, through collaboration, capitalize to a greater extent on their individual potential and benefit from the synergistic effects arising from the common potential use within collaborative networks. In the economic context, collaboration between organizations has become a prerequisite for increasing competitiveness at the organizational, regional, national and international levels. Our research aims to identify and describe the main strategies for capitalizing on the individual organizational potentials, as well as on the common potentials through collaborative networks. Our approach starts with the premise that the strategies to capitalize on the organizational potential through collaboration are more resourceful. On the one hand, it is about the "natural" relationships arising from collaboration between organizations and, on the other hand, there are the strategies implemented and carried out by government agencies for capitalizing on the organizational potential through regional innovation systems. Our research approach focused on studying the effects of these strategies to capitalize on the organizational potential through collaborative networks.
Perinatal Safety: From Concept to Nursing Practice

Communication and teamwork problems are leading causes of documented preventable adverse outcomes in perinatal care. An essential component of perinatal safety is the organizational culture in which clinicians work. Clinicians' individual and collective authority to question the plan of care and take action to change the direction of a clinical situation in the patient's best interest can be viewed as their “agency for safety. ” However, collective agency for safety and commitment to support nurses in their role of advocacy is missing in many perinatal care settings. This article draws from Organizational Accident Theory, High Reliability Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism to describe the nurse's role in maintaining safety during labor and birth in acute care settings and suggests actions for supporting the perinatal nurse at individual, group, and systems levels to achieve maximum safety in perinatal care.