Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advances and perspectives in the use of polymers in the environmental area: a specific case of PBS in bioremediation

Rbstract Biodegradable polymers (e.g. poly(butylene succinate) - PBS) have been used in several sectors such as the environmental area, especially in bioremediation, in biological processes for conversion of pollutants into inorganic compounds. In this study, the foresight methodology for the use of biodegradable polymers, including PBS, reveals a publication rate of approximately 8.74 articles and 30.63 patents per year, between 2005 and 2019. However, the application of PBS, specifically, is still restricted to the environmental area, with only 3.0% of the 1484 works from this period. The results showed a more significant number of papers on the PBS application for synthesis, characterization, and application in the areas of Chemistry, Physics, and Pharmacy. In the area of bioremediation, only three studies related to PBS were found, revealing the lack of research and development to increase the contribution in the area of environmental biopolymer, bioremediation, foresight methodology, poly(butylene
An Innovative Multiswath Jump Imaging Mode for Spaceborne SAR

The minimum antenna principle gives rise to the extremely complex engineering implementation and data processing of spaceborne high-resolution and wide-swath (HRWS) synthetic aperture radar (SAR). To address this problem, a multiswath jump SAR with sound range ambiguity performance is proposed in this letter, which continuously switches multiple radar signals with nonoverlapping spectrum to radiate different areas during the transmitting time. To further obtain high-resolution images, the echo signals are processed by the methods of range spectrum splicing and azimuth multichannel reconstruction. Besides, some simulation experiments are executed to verify the capability of HRWS imaging of multiswath jump SAR and the theoretical analysis.
Government late payments and firms survival. Evidence from the EU

Outstanding payments in commercial transactions, if delayed beyond the agreed period of time, can engender a range of negative externalities, exposing firms to severe liquidity risks. In this study we examine to what extent stricter regulations facing payment backlogs, brought about by the EU directive on Late Payment have affected firms performance. We focus on government-to-business activities and on the firms’ response to the introduction of these regulations. Our evidence suggests that, as a result of the directive, the firms’ exit rate has fallen relatively more in those sectors that sell a larger fraction of their output to the government. We document more pronounced effects in sectors with a large share of small firms and for countries characterized by longer payment delays. Further results show that the adoption of the directive has been associated with an increase in employment in those sectors more connected with the government. Taken together, our findings indicate that more discipline in government’s payment terms can have considerable effects on economic activity
Diffusion de l'enzyme de restriction EcoRV sur des molécules d'ADN etirées

De nombreuses proteines doivent localiser de courtes sequences-cibles sur de longues molecules d'ADN. Le temps necessaire a cette localisation est souvent beaucoup plus court que celui qui resulterait d'une diffusion 3D des proteines. Plusieurs mecanismes ont ete suggeres pour rendre compte de l'efficacite remarquable du processus de localisation (diffusion 1D le long de l'ADN, sauts.). Cependant, malgre les nombreuses etudes menees par des biochimistes depuis plus de vingt ans, en particulier sur les enzymes de restriction EcoRI et EcoRV, a ce jour aucune experience n'a pu trancher definitivement entre les differents mecanismes proposes. Au cours de cette these, nous sommes parvenus a observer en microscopie de fluorescence l'interaction entre une enzyme de restriction EcoRV individuelle et une molecule d'ADN. Pour cela, nous avons developpe une technique permettant d'etirer les molecules d'ADN au-dessus d'une surface, et nous avons couple les enzymes EcoRV a des nanocristaux semi-conducteurs, sondes tres fluorescentes non sujettes au photoblanchiment. Les enzymes ainsi marquees, toujours actives, sont detectables avec une resolution spatiale de l'ordre de 10 nm et une resolution temporelle de 20 ms. Nous avons observe de nombreux evenements d'association/dissociation d'enzymes sur les molecules d'ADN etirees. L'analyse de ces evenements nous a permis de mesurer la constante de dissociation des enzymes couplees, de mettre en evidence une diffusion facilitee d'EcoRV le long de l'ADN et d'estimer les caracteristiques de cette diffusion.
Effects of omega-3 on thyroid function tests in healthy volunteers

Supplements play a pivotal role in medicine especially fish consumption or supplementation with omega 3. Omega-3 and thyroid hormones are important in keeping some essential body functions working normally and alterations of thyroid hormones levels can result in many pathological states. Our study aimed to investigate whether omega-3 supplementation (1000 mg/day for 2 months given orally) would affect thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone in healthy volunteers with normal thyroid status. Normal thyroid status of the experimental group was well defined by serum levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and by thyroid-stimulating hormone. Thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) levels were increased insignificantly in treated volunteers compared to the same volunteers before consumption of omega-3 (2.20 ± 0.37 to 2.23 ± 0.39 and 89.87 ± 9.93 to 90.98 ± 11.85 nmol/L, respectively). On the other hand, thyroid-stimulating hormone significantly increased after 2 months of omega-3 consumption (1.46 ± 0.47 to 1.68 ± 0.39 μIu/L). In conclusion, supplementation of omega-3 in the present study did not significantly modify either T3 or T4 and bodyweight in healthy volunteers. These data reinforce recommendations that indicate consumption of omega-3 is considered safe as far as thyroid function is concerned in healthy human volunteers. These findings advocate continued investigation of omega-3 for more than 2 months and higher dose to confirm its safety.
Linking neural and clinical measures of glaucoma with diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI)

Abstract Purpose To link optic nerve (ON) structural integrity to clinical markers of glaucoma using advanced, semi-automated diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) tractography methods in human glaucoma patients. Methods We characterized optic neuropathy in patients with unilateral advanced-stage glaucoma (n = 6) using probabilistic DWI tractography and compared their results to those in healthy controls (n=6). Results We successfully identified the ONs of glaucoma patients based on DWI in all patients and confirmed that the degree of reduced structural integrity of the ONs determined using DWI correlated with clinical markers of glaucoma severity. Specifically, we found reduced fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of structural integrity, in the ONs of eyes with advanced, as compared to mild, glaucoma (F(1,10) = 55.474, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, by comparing the ratios of ON FA in glaucoma patients to those of healthy controls (n = 6), we determined that this difference was beyond that expected from normal anatomical variation (F(1,9) = 20.276, p < 0. 005). Finally, we linked the DWI-measures of neural integrity to standard clinical glaucoma measures. ON vertical cup-to-disc ratio (vCD) predicted ON FA (F(1,10) = 11.061, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.66), retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) predicted ON FA (F(1,10) = 11.477, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.63) and ON FA predicted perceptual deficits (visual field index [VFI]) (F(1,10) = 15.308, p < 0.005, R2 = 0.52). Conclusion We provide semi-automated methods to detect glaucoma-related structural changes using DWI and confirm that they correlate with clinical measures of glaucoma.
Overview of Oceanic Eddies in Indonesia Seas Based on the Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Surface Height

One of the complexities of the ocean currents in the territorial waters of Indonesia is oceanic eddies form. Ocean eddy is one of the very crucial phenomena in the ocean due to its circulation and connection with the chemical and biological aspects in the water column. This study aimed to observe the distribution of oceanic eddies associated with the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Sea Surface Height (SSH) with the Automatic Eddy Detection (AED) method. The analysis included distribution and types correlated with seasons. The results showed that eddies occur in all regions in the Indonesian Seas except the Java Sea. In general, the occurrence of eddies every month does not differ significantly for both Ocean Cyclonic Eddies (OCE) and Ocean Anticyclonic Eddies (OAE). The total oceanic eddies in a year are around 1,149 events. A minimum radius of the ocean eddies found was about 5.08 km, and a maximum was around 386.76 km. Furthermore, the occurrence of OCE is mostly in locations that are almost the same as OAE. Both types of eddy are mostly in locations with the boundary of temperatures and the boundary of SSH. Several eddies exist every month and mostly change or move into other areas. Eddies in Indonesia seas are influenced by differences of SST and different SSH that form ocean currents. World Scientific News 147 (2020) 166-178 -167
Evidence for Protein Kinase C-Mediated Activation of Rho- Kinase in a Porcine Model of Coronary Artery Spasm

Objective— We have recently demonstrated that protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho-kinase play important roles in coronary vasospasm in a porcine model. However, it remains to be examined whether there is an interaction between the two molecules to cause the spasm. Methods and Results— A segment of left porcine coronary artery was chronically treated with IL-1β–bound microbeads in vivo. Two weeks after the operation, phorbol ester caused coronary spasm in vivo and coronary hypercontractions in vitro at the IL-1β–treated segment; both were significantly inhibited by hydroxyfasudil, a specific Rho-kinase inhibitor. Guanosine 5′-[γ-thio]triphosphate (GTPγS), which activates Rho with a resultant activation of Rho-kinase, enhanced Ca2+ sensitization of permeabilized vascular smooth muscle cells, which were resistant to the blockade of PKC by calphostin C. The GTPγS-induced Ca2+ sensitization was greater in the spastic segment than in the control segment. Western blot analysis revealed that only PKCδ isoform was acti.
ORP1L, ORP1S, and ORP2: Lipid Sensors and Transporters

Lipid transfer proteins are crucial for intracellular cholesterol trafficking at sites of membrane contact. In the OSBP/ORPs (oxysterol binding protein and OSBP-related proteins) family of lipid transfer proteins, ORP1L, ORP1S and ORP2 play important roles in cholesterol transport. ORP1L is an endosome/lysosome-anchored cholesterol sensor which may also move cholesterol bidirectionally at the interface between the endoplasmic reticulum and the endosome/lysosome. ORP2 delivers cholesterol to the plasma membrane, driven by PI(4,5)P2 hydrolysis. ORP1S may also transport cholesterol to the plasma membrane, although it is unclear if phosphoinositides are involved. The source of cholesterol delivered to the plasma membrane by ORP1S and ORP2 remains unclear. This review summarises the roles of these proteins in maintaining cellular cholesterol homeostasis and in human disease.
Transfer of Endothelial Progenitor and Bone Marrow Cells Influences Atherosclerotic Plaque Size and Composition in Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice

Objectives— Recent clinical trials use cell therapy with bone marrow (BM) cells or endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) for ischemic syndromes. We explored the effect of BM cell– or spleen cell–derived EPC transfer on plaque size and stability markers in the apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE KO) mouse model. Methods and Results— ApoE KO mice aged 10 weeks served as recipients. Labeled BM cells and spleen cell–derived EPCs from age-matched apoE KO mice were injected intravenously to 2 groups of recipient mice each. Additional mice served as controls receiving saline. Both protocols were repeated 3 times at 2 weekly intervals. On killing, plaque size and character were studied, lipid profile analyzed, and serum and aortic cytokines assayed. Spleen cell–derived cells contained a significantly larger number of endothelial cell precursors. Labeled EPCs and BM cells were found abundantly in the spleens, yet also in the lesions of the recipient mice. Aortic sinus lesion size was significantly increased in mice rece.
The impact of digestion and gut bioavailability, in vitro, on the polyphenolic associated activity of cooked culinary herbs

Culinary herbs, the use of which has increased significantly in the last decade, are known to possess health promoting properties, which are attributed mainly to their polyphenols. However, despite the fact that such herbs undergo some form of cooking prior to consumption, there is a paucity of data concerning the effects of cooking on their properties. Furthermore, little is known of the disposition of these polyphenols following digestion and absorption, and thus it is not known whether these herbs have the potential to be significant contributors of dietary polyphenols at amounts used domestically. Thus the aim of this study was to investigate: the impact of cooking processes on the polyphenolic antioxidant activity (AA) of parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme; the impact of digestion in vitro on the AA of the herbs post cooking; the role of the gut on the AA of these herbs using the Caco-2 model of intestinal transport; and whether the AA of these herbs, contributes to their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Results showed that cooking significantly increased the AA of these herbs. AA was further enhanced following in vitro digestion with rosmarinic acid identified as the predominant polyphenol. Polyphenolic activity was detected post absorption in vitro but, possibly due to the dilute nature of the samples used, individual polyphenols were not identified. Anti-inflammatory activity of the herbs investigated was significantly associated with their AA. However, there was no association between AA and the anti-microbial activity of aqueous extracts of herbs. Some oil extracts possessed anti-microbial activity, which was enhanced by cooking. In conclusion, this study suggests that the culinary herbs investigated have the potential to contribute to dietary polyphenol intake and thus their health promoting properties. However, the biological significance of this contribution in vivo is yet to be established.
PLUM and HATS: Helping to detect children with hearing loss from otitis media

Children are born ready to learn. How their brain develops is strongly affected by their early experiences with other people and the world around them. There is good evidence on the importance of the first thousand days on lifetime outcomes (Moore et al, 2017). It is also clear that chronic stressors in early childhood can have cumulative lifetime effects on learning and health. Even one chronic condition in early childhood reduces a child’s readiness for school (Bell et al, 2016). Language differences associated with socioeconomic status have been documented as early as 18 months (Fernald et al, 2013). The NSW first 2000 days framework reported that about 42% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are at risk of developmental delay at school entry (NSW Health, 2019).
Influence of Posture on Cardiac Output and Minute Ventilation During Exercise

In four normal subjects, cardiac output, oxygen uptake, and ventilatory volume were compared on 8 occasions at rest and on 20 occasions during exercise in the recumbent and sitting postures. The oxygen uptake was not significantly different in the two postures either at rest or at equal external work loads. In the sitting posture during exercise, the cardiac index was approximately 12 per cent and stroke index 19 per cent lower than in the supine posture. Ventilation was signifi cantly higher because of an increase in respir atory frequency.
A Network Intelligence Architecture for Efficient VNF Lifecycle Management

Network softwarization paradigms such as SDN and NFV provide network operators with advantages in terms of scalability, cost and resource efficiency, as well as flexibility. However, in order to fully reap these benefits and cope with new challenges regarding the heterogeneity of user demands and an ever-growing service landscape, management and operation of such networks requires a high degree of automation that ensures fast and proactive decision making. With the recent success of machine learning (ML) across numerous domains, a shift from traditional rule-based policies towards ML-based approaches in the context of network management is taking place. Although many individual contributions cover use cases such as predicting various network characteristics or optimizing the configuration of components, a fully integrated architecture for achieving Network Intelligence is still missing. Hence, in this work, we propose such an architecture that combines the capabilities of softwarized networks with ML-based management. The contribution of this article is threefold: first, we present the proposed architecture alongside its components. Second, we implement a proof-of-concept version of all components in our OpenStack-based testbed. Finally, we demonstrate in a case study regarding VNF resource prediction how the proposed architecture can be used to generate realistic data sets to train and evaluate ML-based models for this task.
Nutritional factors supporting the immune response in animals

The immune system in animals and in humans as well, is a “specific network of specialized organs, tissues and cells” and different intrinsic biochemical substances that protect the host organism against invasions and unfavourable effects of pathogenic microorganisms. It plays the essential role in maintaining the resistance to disease. It is also known that some groups of specific nutrients can affect, positively or negatively the immune response of animals. In present review some connections between nutrition and immune response will be discussed.
A Wide-Beam Antenna for Wide-Angle Scanning Linear Phased Arrays

In this letter, a wide-beam (at two main planes) antenna is proposed. To broaden the 3 dB beamwidth of the original antenna, a pair of parasitic patches with metallic vias is creatively arranged on either side of the original radiation patches. Based on the proposed antenna element, two linear phased arrays are fabricated and measured. Measured results reveal that the wide-angle scanning capability of both H-plane and E-plane arrays can be obtained. The scanning beam of the former can cover territories ranging from −90° to 90°, with gain loss within 3 dB (8 GHz–11 GHz). The scanning beam of the latter can cover territories ranging from −70° to 70°, with gain loss of 3–5 dB (8 GHz–10 GHz).
A review on conventional and molecular breeding approaches for exploring mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance in wheat

Wheat is one of the primary foods for more than 40 countries and for over 35% of the global population. The increased temperature during reproductive phase known as heat stress has emerged as a serious problem. Constant or transitory high temperatures may affect the plant growth and development which may lead to diverse morphological, physiological and biochemical changes in plants ultimately decrease in yield. Every 1°C rise in temperature above 28°C during grain filling, results in yield reduction by 3-4 %. To combat, the breeding for crops with enhanced heat tolerance is of pivotal importance to ensure global food security. The understanding of the mechanisms of the heat tolerance at the reproductive stage is the prerequisite for inducing toreance in wheat in particular. During recent past, a lot of information has been generated on classical as well as molecular breeding approaches. The present review aims to summarize those published data to give an insight into the underlying mechanism of heat stress tolerance in wheat.
Community Energy Cooperation With the Presence of Cheating Behaviors

This article investigates the energy cooperation between photovoltaic prosumers and community energy storage (CES) to improve community energy efficiency. The optimal energy sharing profiles between prosumers and CES are firstly derived by solving the energy optimization problem minimizing social energy cost. To guarantee the incentives for prosumers and CES to participate in the energy cooperation, a Nash bargaining based benefits sharing model is presented to determine the energy sharing payments. Two implementation modes, i.e., Data-Centric and Prosumers-to-CES mode, are developed to protect privacy for both prosumers and CES. Cheating behaviors in benefits sharing, the critical yet challenging matter, are analyzed; a cheating equilibrium based solution is proposed and achieved by a relaxation algorithm for a stable cooperation. In addition, the alternating direction method of multipliers with adaptive parameter selection is introduced to solve the formulated problems in a distributed way. Numerical simulation tests show the efficiency of the novel models.
Defining the transcriptional and post-transcriptional landscapes of Mycobacterium smegmatis in aerobic growth and oxygen limitation

The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to infect, proliferate, and survive during long periods in the human lungs largely depends on the rigorous control of gene expression. Transcriptome-wide analyses are key to understanding gene regulation on a global scale. Here, we combine 5’-end-directed libraries with RNAseq expression libraries to gain insight into the transcriptome organization and post-transcriptional mRNA cleavage landscape in mycobacteria during log phase growth and under hypoxia, a physiologically relevant stress condition. Using the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis, we identified 6,090 transcription start sites (TSSs) with high confidence during log phase growth, of which 67% were categorized as primary TSSs for annotated genes, and the remaining were classified as internal, antisense or orphan, according to their genomic context. Interestingly, over 25% of the RNA transcripts lack a leader sequence, and of the coding sequences that do have leaders, 53% lack a strong consensus Shine-Dalgarno site. This indicates that like M. tuberculosis, M. smegmatis can initiate translation through multiple mechanisms. Our approach also allowed us to identify over 3,000 RNA cleavage sites, which occur at a novel sequence motif. The cleavage sites show a positional bias toward mRNA regulatory regions, highlighting the importance of post-transcriptional regulation in gene expression. We show that in low oxygen, a condition associated with the host environment during infection, mycobacteria change their transcriptomic profiles and endonucleolytic RNA cleavage is markedly reduced, suggesting a mechanistic explanation for previous reports of increased mRNA half-lives in response to stress. In addition, a number of TSSs were triggered in hypoxia, 56 of which contain the binding motif for the sigma factor SigF in their promoter regions. This suggests that SigF makes direct contributions to transcriptomic remodeling in hypoxia-challenged mycobacteria. Our results show that M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis share a large number of similarities at the transcriptomic level, suggesting that similar regulatory mechanisms govern both species.