Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stable Silicon Anode for Lithium Ion Battery through Covalent Bond Formation with Binder via Esterification.

Silicon (Si) is considered to be one of the most promising anode candidates for next-generation lithium ion batteries (LIBs), due to its high theoretical specific capacity and low discharge potential. However, its poor cyclability, caused by tremendous volume change during cycling, prevents commercial use of the Si anode. Herein, we demonstrate a high-performance Si anode produced via covalent bond formation between a commercially available Si nanopowder and a linear polymeric binder through an esterification reaction. For efficient ester bonding, polyacrylic acid, composed of -COOH group, is selected as the binder, Si is treated with piranha solution to produce abundant -OH group on its surface, and sodium hypophosphite is employed as a catalyst. The as-fabricated electrode exhibits excellent high rate capability and long cycle stability, delivering a high capacity of 1,500 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at a high current density of 1,000 mA g-1 by effectively restraining the susceptible sliding of the binder, stabilizing the SEI layer, preventing the electrode delamination, and suppressing the Si aggregation. Furthermore, a full cell is fabricated with as-fabricated Si as an anode and commercially available LiNi0.6Mn0. 2Co0.2O2 as a cathode, and its electrochemical properties are investigated for the possibility of practical use.
Online Signature Verification: State of the art

online or Dynamic signature verification (DSV) is one of the most acceptable, intuitive, fast and cost effective tool for user authentication. DSV uses some dynamics like speed, pressure, directions, stroke length and pen-ups/pen-downs to verify the signer's identity. The state of the art in DSV is presented in this paper. several approaches for DSV are compared and the most influential techniques in this field are highlighted. We concentrate on the relationship between the verification approach used (the nature of the classifier) and the type of features that are used to represent the signature.
Glycoform-resolved FcɣRIIIa affinity chromatography–mass spectrometry

ABSTRACT Determination of the impact of individual antibody glycoforms on FcɣRIIIa affinity, and consequently antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) previously required high purity glycoengineering. We hyphenated FcɣRIIIa affinity chromatography to mass spectrometry, which allowed direct affinity comparison of glycoforms of intact monoclonal antibodies. The approach enabled reproduction and refinement of known glycosylation effects, and insights on afucosylation pairing as well as on low-abundant, unstudied glycoforms. Our method greatly improves the understanding of individual glycoform structure–function relationships. Thus, it is highly relevant for assessing Fc-glycosylation critical quality attributes related to ADCC.
Comparative study on the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer between patients with different ovarian responses (a STROBE-compliant article)

Abstract There have been few studies on large-sample data of cleavage-stage embryo and blastocyst transfers. We compared the pregnancy outcomes of patients with different ovarian responses after the transfer of different numbers of embryos in different developmental stages. Patients were divided into 3 groups including low response group, medium response group, and high response group according to different ovarian responses. Patients in each group were further divided into 4 subgroups including group A: transfer of 1 D3 embryo, group B: transfer of 2 D3 embryos; group C: transfer of 1 D5 blastocyst; and group D: transfer of 2 D5 blastocysts. In low ovarian responders, the implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were significantly lower in the group A than in the groups B and C. In medium ovarian responders, the implantation rate was significantly higher, but the multiple pregnancy rate was significantly lower in the group C than in the group B. The multiple pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the group D than in the group C. In high ovarian responders, the implantation rate was significantly lower, but the multiple pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the group B than in group C. Based on the above results, the single blastocyst transfer is preferable for the patients with different ovarian responses.
Are We Approaching a Biological Limit to Human Longevity?

Until recently human longevity records continued to grow in history, with no indication of approaching a hypothetical longevity limit. Also, earlier studies found that age-specific death rates cease to increase at advanced ages (mortality plateau) suggesting the absence of fixed limit to longevity too. In this study we re-examine both claims with more recent and reliable data on supercentenarians (persons aged 110 years and over). We found that despite a dramatic historical increase in the number of supercentenarians, further growth of human longevity records in subsequent birth cohorts slowed down significantly and almost stopped for those born after 1879. We also found an exponential acceleration of age-specific death rates for persons older than 113 years in more recent data. Slowing down the historical progress in maximum reported age at death and accelerated growth of age-specific death rates after age 113 years in recent birth cohorts may indicate the need for more conservative estimates for future longevity records unless a scientific breakthrough in delaying aging would happen. The hypothesis of approaching a biological limit to human longevity has received some empirical support and it deserves further study and testing.
Oxygen Functionalized and Ni+x(x=2,3) Coordinated Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets with Long Life Deep-Trap States and its Direct Solar-light-driven Hydrogen Evolution Activity.

Graphitic carbon nitride, a two-dimensional layered photocatalyst, coupled with transition metal oxides often shows promising photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. However, low surface area and poor charge separation largely hinder its photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, a Ni+x(x=2,3)/O-g-C3N4 photocatalysts with very high specific surface area (199m2/g) is prepared by thermal condensation and wet-impregnation methods. The O-functionalized and Ni+x(x=2,3) coordinated g-C3N4 exhibited 1664 µmoles/g of hydrogen evolution from water under direct solar light irradiation in 4h, which is 23 times higher than that of O-g-C3N4. This significant enhancement results from the combined effects of large surface area, the formation of long life deep-trap states, effective charge carrier separation and extended visible light absorption. The separation and transport behavior of charge carriers were investigated by photoluminescence, time-resolved photoluminescence, photocurrent, and Mott-Schottky measurements. Additionally, the interaction between Ni+x(x=2,3) and O-g-C3N4 was studied by XPS, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy. The Ni+x(x=2,3)/O-g-C3N4 photocatalyst showed remarkable reusability for over a period of two months (six cycles). This study may provide a path to simultaneously overcome the challenges of low surface area and poor charge separation in g-C3N4 based photocatalysts.
Driving scene-based driving errors in brain injury patients and their relevance to cognitive-perceptual function and functional activity level

Abstract Driving is an essential activity for community engagement in patients with brain injury. However, brain injury patients have cognitive-perceptual deficits and low independence in daily activities. The aims of this study were to identify the driving errors of brain injury patients and determine their relevance to cognitive-perception function and daily activity level. This study was conducted at a single rehabilitation hospital. Thirty-one brain injury patients were included in the study. The patients underwent a driving-scene-based simulator evaluation in the rehabilitation clinic. Driving errors were checked using automatic software. Perceptual ability was measured using Motor-free Visual Perceptual Test (MVPT) and Cognitive-perceptual Assessment for Driving (CPAD). A linear relationship was found between the driving aptitude score, steering wheel and judgment, simultaneous operation items, total score of road course test, and cognitive-perceptual functions and daily activity levels of the participants (P <.05). The general factors that affected driving errors included driving experience, age, part of the hemispheric affected, and presence of vascular injury (P <.05). In addition, the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) score and the CPAD score correlated with driving errors (P <.05). The total error score of the participants correlated with the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) score (P <.05). These findings suggest that driving experience and age have more influence on driving error than perceptual level due to brain damage. In addition, it was found that the basic level of daily living influences overall operating errors.
Pulmonary tuberculosis mimicking radiation pneumonitis in a patient with neck malignancy

Abstract Rationale: Primary or reactivation pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is frequent in immunocompromised patients such as those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, chronic renal failure, poorly controlled diabetes, and hematologic malignancy. Immune system of patients with solid-organ cancer can be also altered by malignancy itself or chemotherapy. However, information on the effect of radiation on patient's immunity is scarce. Herein, we present a case of pulmonary TB occurring in a radiation field that mimics focal radiation pneumonitis in a patient who has received curative chemoradiation therapy for neck malignancy. We also performed literature review to understand the impact of radiation therapy on patients’ immunity. Patient concern: A 56-year-old male patient visited our hospital with a palpable mass in the right supraclavicular fossa which was later confirmed as metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. After completion of concurrent chemoradiation therapy, a focal consolidation was developed in the right upper lobe apex where radiation was applied. The patient did not have any symptoms or signs of infectious disease. Diagnosis: Pulmonary TB was diagnosed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and culture of sputum. Intervention: Anti-TB medication was started. Outcome: The patient was tolerable to anti-TB medication and the size of TB lesion gradually decreased. Lesson: A suspicion of pulmonary TB should be given to patients with new infiltrates in radiation port due to impact of radiation therapy on local infection barriers and patients’ immune system.
Atypical chromatin structure of immune-related genes expressed in chicken erythrocytes.

The major biological role of red blood cells is to carry oxygen to the tissues in the body. However, another role of the erythroid cell is to participate in the immune response. Chicken mature erythrocytes express Toll-like receptors and several cytokines in response to immune stimulation. We previously reported the application of a biochemical fractionation protocol to isolate highly enriched transcribed DNA from chicken polychromatic erythrocytes. In conjunction with next-generation DNA, RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation-DNA sequencing and FAIRE sequencing, we identified the active chromosomal compartments and determined their structural signatures in relation to expression levels. Here, we present the detailed chromatin characteristics of erythroid genes participating in the innate immune response. Our studies revealed an atypical chromatin structure for several genes coding for toll-like receptors, interleukins and interferon regulatory factors. The body of these genes had nucleosome free regions intermingled with nucleosomes modified with H3K4me3 and H3K27ac, suggesting a dynamic unstable chromatin structure. We further show that human genes involved in cell identity have gene bodies with the same chromatin instability features as the chicken polychromatic erythrocyte genes participating in the innate immunity response.
On the Co-existence of Service and Opportunistic Grids

Most computational grids currently in production are either service grids or opportunistic grids. While a service grid provides high levels of quality of service, an opportunistic grid provides computing power only on a best-effort basis. Nevertheless, since opportunistic grids do not require resources to be fully dedicated to the grid, they tend to assemble larger numbers of resources. Moreover, these grids cater very well for the execution of the so-called embarrassingly parallel applications, a type of application that is frequently found in practice. In this paper we present an approach for supporting the co-existence of a service grid and an opportunistic grid on the same infrastructure. The advantages of this hybrid infrastructure are twofold: firstly, the co-existence allows idle resources belonging to the service grid to be used in an opportunistic way; secondly, the provision of an opportunistic grid allows shared resources to be added to the infrastructure, a feature that turns out to be very important for consortia in which many of the member institutions cannot afford the provision of dedicated resources. The proposed approach is currently being implemented in the context of the EELA2 project.
The Unsolved Puzzle of c-Rel in B Cell Lymphoma

Aberrant constitutive activation of Rel/NF-κB transcription factors is a hallmark of numerous cancers. Of the five Rel family members, c-Rel has the strongest direct links to tumorigenesis. c-Rel is the only member that can malignantly transform lymphoid cells in vitro. Furthermore, c-Rel is implicated in human B cell lymphoma through the frequent occurrence of REL gene locus gains and amplifications. In normal physiology, high c-Rel expression predominates in the hematopoietic lineage and a diverse range of stimuli can trigger enhanced expression and activation of c-Rel. Both expression and activation of c-Rel are tightly regulated on multiple levels, indicating the necessity to keep its functions under control. In this review we meta-analyze and integrate studies reporting gene locus aberrations to provide an overview on the frequency of REL gains in human B cell lymphoma subtypes, namely follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma, and classical Hodgkin lymphoma. We also summarize current knowledge on c-Rel expression and protein localization in these human B cell lymphomas and discuss the co-amplification of BCL11A with REL. In addition, we highlight and illustrate key pathways of c-Rel activation and regulation with a specific focus on B cell biology.
The influence of scuba diving experience on divers’ perceptions, and its implications for managing diving destinations

Scuba diving experience–which can include accumulated diving experience and familiarity with a diving location–is an important descriptor of diver specialisation and behaviour. Formulating and applying generalisations on scuba diving experience and its effects could assist the management of diving destinations around the world. This requires research that tests whether the influences of scuba diving experience are consistent across divers’ segments at different locations. The study assessed and compared the influence of scuba diving experience at two study areas in Italy and Mozambique. Scuba divers (N = 499) participated in a survey of diver segmentation, experience, and perceptions. The influence of diving experience on perceptions was determined using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Experienced divers provided positive self-assessments, were less satisfied with dive sites’ health and management, and viewed the impacts of scuba diving activities less critically than novice divers. Scuba diving experience exerted similar influences on divers, regardless of the study area. However, remarkable differences also emerged between the study areas. Therefore, the use of generalisations on scuba diving experience remains a delicate issue. Recommendations were formulated for the management of experienced scuba diving markets and for the use of generalisations on diving experience to manage diving destinations.
Sensitive and rapid detection of cholera toxin subunit B using magnetic frequency mixing detection

Cholera is a life-threatening disease caused by the cholera toxin (CT) as produced by some Vibrio cholerae serogroups. In this research we present a method which directly detects the toxin’s B subunit (CTB) in drinking water. For this purpose we performed a magnetic sandwich immunoassay inside a 3D immunofiltration column. We used two different commercially available antibodies to capture CTB and for binding to superparamagnetic beads. ELISA experiments were performed to select the antibody combination. The beads act as labels for the magnetic frequency mixing detection technique. We show that the limit of detection depends on the type of magnetic beads. A nonlinear Hill curve was fitted to the calibration measurements by means of a custom-written python software. We achieved a sensitive and rapid detection of CTB within a broad concentration range from 0.2 ng/ml to more than 700 ng/ml.
Aplicación de las ontologías para la representación del conocimiento

Resumen La perspectiva de la construcción de ontologías, en un entorno tecnológico, permite abordar la problemática de la indización, recuperación y divulgación de la información depositada en internet, facilitando una gestión rápida, eficaz, pertinente y permanentemente actualizada de las necesidades a cubrir. La aplicación de ontologías terminológicas unifica la terminología de cada concepto y las relaciones entre ellos; y las ontologías de información unifican las estructuras de almacenamiento, de forma que pueden ser reutilizadas por varias aplicaciones informáticas con la misma fuente de información. El conocimiento documental tradicionalmente ha sido organizado a través de la clasificación de Dewey o la clasificación decimal universal y los encabezamientos de materia. Actualmente, más orientado a la recuperación, se utilizan descriptores de un lenguaje controlado con el soporte de un tesauro. Dichos modos de almacenamiento y recuperación de información han jugado un papel fundamental en el uso generalizado y estandarizado de sistemas documentales, permitiendo a los documentalistas tener unos modelos comunes y aceptados en la descripción y almacenamiento de información. Los conceptos se describen explícitamente para entender su significado, mediante acuerdos ontológicos. De este modo, un usuario que desee reutilizar una ontología desarrollada por otros puede conseguir la información de todos los conceptos que soporta, su taxonomía y los axiomas.
How to Increase Post-Thaw Semen Quality in Poor Freezing Stallions: Preliminary Results of the Promising Role of Seminal Plasma Added after Thawing

Simple Summary Approximately half of all stallions are considered poor freezers, which means that they produce ejaculate with poor cryopreservation tolerance. Although the quality of the frozen–thawed semen of poor freezing stallions is low, they can carry and transfer desirable traits to future generations via insemination. Therefore, increasing the post-thaw quality of cryopreserved semen from these stallions is an important step in efficient horse breeding. In this study, we aimed to find a way to increase the quality of cryopreserved semen from poor freezing stallions. We studied the effects of different seminal plasma (SP) additions on various functional parameters of spermatozoa. The results show that the addition of different types of seminal plasma positively affects motility and maintains the status of the plasma membrane of poor freezing stallions. Since the percentage of stallions with poor freezability is quite large, future research should target the discovery of specific seminal plasma components that could be used to increase the post-thaw quality of their spermatozoa. Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of two types of seminal plasma (SP) after thawing on the functional characteristics of frozen–thawed (F–T) spermatozoa of poor freezing stallions during prolonged incubation periods. Seminal plasma from stallions with 35–40% (standard seminal plasma, (S-SP)) and 60–70% (above standard seminal plasma, (A-SP)) progressively motile spermatozoa after thawing was used. The motility, kinematic parameters (Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis), distribution of spermatozoa into subpopulations, integrity (carboxyfluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide staining), and functionality (hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test) of the spermatozoa plasma membrane were evaluated after thawing (T0) and after 30 min (T30) of incubation at 37 °C. There was no effect of SP addition on spermatozoa motility, but there was a significant positive effect on the kinematic parameters at T0 and T30. The addition of SP significantly increased the percentage of spermatozoa in the fast subpopulation at T0 as well as at T30. Plasma membrane integrity was not affected by the treatment, but functionality significantly decreased by 5% compared to the control group when samples were incubated for 30 min with A-SP. In conclusion, generally, the post-thaw addition of seminal plasma positively affected the post-thaw quality of semen from poor freezing stallions.
A Micro-Level Compensation-Based Cost Model for Resource Allocation in a Fog Environment

Fog computing aims to support applications requiring low latency and high scalability by using resources at the edge level. In general, fog computing comprises several autonomous mobile or static devices that share their idle resources to run different services. The providers of these devices also need to be compensated based on their device usage. In any fog-based resource-allocation problem, both cost and performance need to be considered for generating an efficient resource-allocation plan. Estimating the cost of using fog devices prior to the resource allocation helps to minimize the cost and maximize the performance of the system. In the fog computing domain, recent research works have proposed various resource-allocation algorithms without considering the compensation to resource providers and the cost estimation of the fog resources. Moreover, the existing cost models in similar paradigms such as in the cloud are not suitable for fog environments as the scaling of different autonomous resources with heterogeneity and variety of offerings is much more complicated. To fill this gap, this study first proposes a micro-level compensation cost model and then proposes a new resource-allocation method based on the cost model, which benefits both providers and users. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm ensures better resource-allocation performance and lowers application processing costs when compared to the existing best-fit algorithm.
Liposomal Vitamin D3 as an Anti-aging Agent for the Skin

Vitamin D3 is an effective skin protective substance to prevent photoaging. Liposomes were used as a carrier to deliver vitamin D3 to improve the stability and to enhance the treatment effect of vitamin D3. The stability of vitamin D3 liposomes, average cumulative penetration, and retention of vitamin D3 in the skin were then evaluated and compared with free vitamin D3. Finally, the treatment effect of vitamin D3 liposomes in a rat photoaging model was appraised and Haematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining was used to assess the histology changes of the skin after vitamin D3 liposome treatment. The results indicated that liposomes could significantly improve the stability of vitamin D3. The average skin retention of vitamin D3 liposomes was 1.65 times that of the vitamin D3 solution. Vitamin D3 liposomes could repair the surface morphology of skin in the photoaging model and promote the production of new collagen fibers. Vitamin D3 liposomes as a potential skin care agent could significantly improve skin appearance and repair damage in the histology of photoaging.