Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Online Bin Packing with Predictions

Bin packing is a classic optimization problem with a wide range of applications from load balancing to supply chain management. In this work, we study the online variant of the problem, in which a sequence of items of various sizes must be placed into a minimum number of bins of uniform capacity. The online algorithm is enhanced with a (potentially erroneous) prediction concerning the frequency of item sizes in the sequence. We design and analyze online algorithms with efficient tradeoffs between the consistency (i.e., the competitive ratio assuming no prediction error) and the robustness (i.e., the competitive ratio under adversarial error), and whose performance degrades near-optimally as a function of the prediction error. This is the first theoretical and experimental study of online bin packing in the realistic setting of learnable predictions. Previous work addressed only extreme cases with respect to the prediction error, and relied on overly powerful and error-free oracles.
Suitability of vegetable oils as industrial lubricants

This paper reports on the application-relevant properties of sixteen commercially available vegetable oils tested without additives in accordance with established standards. Their performance was compared with each other and with that of mineral oil and synthetic esters. The basic characteristics of all the oils (density, viscosity, pour point, cloud point, flash point and fire point) were initially determined. A chemical analysis of the vegetable oils was carried out to determine the acid value, saponification and iodine numbers. Additionally, the oxidative stability of all the oils was tested. The tribological performance, lubrication, and wear protection of the oils were judged under abrasive as well as adhesive conditions. The comparative study of the test vegetable oils showed great differences in the properties of the oils. All the vegetable oils tested revealed weak points during testing, including rape seed and castor oils, which have established uses in industry. This study shows that certain vegetable oils, such as sesame oil and wheatgerm oil, may have potential for use in selected technical applications. The mineral oil and synthetic esters showed markedly superior performance when tested under adhesive conditions, but comparable behaviour to the other oils under abrasive conditions.
Quantitative Evaluation of Carbon Fiber Dispersion in Amorphous Calcium Silicate Hydrate-Based Contact-Hardening Composites

Carbon fiber dispersion has a substantial influence on the properties of amorphous calcium silicate hydrate-based contact-hardening composites. In this study, a mixture of carbon fiber and calcium silicate hydrate powder was compressed into solid composites at 40 MPa for one minute. The mechanical properties and electrical resistivity of the solid materials were measured, and the dispersion of carbon fibers was quantitatively evaluated by digital image processing technology. The Taipalu model was used to build the correlation between the electrical resistivity of the composites and the carbon fiber dispersion. The results of the electrical resistivity showed that the down threshold of carbon fiber content in the contact-hardening composites was 1.0 wt. % and the electrical resistivity was 30,000 Ω·cm. As the fiber content increased to 2.0 wt. %, the electrical resistivity dropped to 2550 Ω·cm, which was attributed to the increase in fiber dispersion uniformity in the solid composites, and the value of the fiber distribution coefficient reached a maximum value of 0.743. A subsequent decrease in the uniformity of the fiber dispersion was observed at a high fiber content. In addition, the carbon fiber content showed a slight influence on the fiber orientation in the contact-hardening composites.
Electrodissolution of Aluminum Electrodes in Electrocoagulation Processes

The electrodissolution of aluminum electrodes in aqueous solutions containing sulfate or chloride ions is studied in this work. The results obtained are important in order to obtain a better understanding of the electrocoagulation process, as the electrodissolution of the anode surface is its first step. It has been determined that both chemical and electrochemical dissolution play an important role in the aluminum generation. The chemical dissolution of aluminum is strongly influenced by the pH. Alkaline pHs increase the dissolution rate by orders of magnitude. Within the experimental conditions used, the supporting media does not seem to influence greatly the chemical dissolution process. The electrochemical dissolution process depends mainly on the specific electrical charge passed. Salinity does not significantly affect the electrodissolution rate. Good fittings between experimental and modeled data are obtained by modeling the system with a simple model based on two assumptions: a highly segregated .
Physical and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Fibre-Reinforced Cement–Glass Composite

In accordance with the principles of sustainable development, environmentally friendly, low-emission, and energy-intensive materials and technologies, as well as waste management, should be used. Concrete production is responsible for significant energy consumption and CO2 production; therefore, it is necessary to look for new solutions in which components are replaced by other materials, preferably recycled. A positive way is to use glass waste. In order to determine the effect of a significant glass cullet content on the properties of concrete, glass powder was used as a filler and 100% glass aggregate. The cement–glass composite has low tensile strength and brittle failure. In order to improve tensile strength, the effects of adding polypropylene fibres on the mechanical properties of the composite were investigated. With the addition of 300, 600, 900, 1200, and 1500 g/m3 of fibres, which corresponds to 0.0625%, 0.1250%, 0.1875%, 0.2500%, and 0.3125% of cement mass, respectively, flexural strength increased compared with the base sample by 4.1%, 8.2%, 14.3%, 20.4%, and 26.5%, respectively, while the increase in splitting strength was 35%, 45%, 115%, 135%, and 185%, respectively. Moreover, with the addition of fibres, a decrease in slump by 25.9%, 39.7%, 48.3%, 56.9%, and 65.5%, respectively, compared with the reference specimen was determined.
Dual Role of Interleukin-10 in Murine NZB/W F1 Lupus

As a key anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10 is crucial in preventing inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, in human and murine lupus, its role remains controversial. Our aim was to understand regulation and immunologic effects of IL-10 on different immune functions in the setting of lupus. This was explored in lupus-prone NZB/W F1 mice in vitro and vivo to understand IL-10 effects on individual immune cells as well as in the complex in vivo setting. We found pleiotropic IL-10 expression that largely increased with progressing lupus, while IL-10 receptor (IL-10R) levels remained relatively stable. In vitro experiments revealed pro- and anti-inflammatory IL-10 effects. Particularly, IL-10 decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and slowed B cell proliferation, thereby triggering plasma cell differentiation. The frequent co-expression of ICOS, IL-21 and cMAF suggests that IL-10-producing CD4 T cells are important B cell helpers in this context. In vitro and in vivo effects of IL-10 were not fully concordant. In vivo IL-10R blockade slightly accelerated clinical lupus manifestations and immune dysregulation. Altogether, our side-by-side in vitro and in vivo comparison of the influence of IL-10 on different aspects of immunity shows that IL-10 has dual effects. Our results further reveal that the overall outcome may depend on the interplay of different factors such as target cell, inflammatory and stimulatory microenvironment, disease model and state. A comprehensive understanding of such influences is important to exploit IL-10 as a therapeutic target.
miRNAs and Biomarkers in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: An Update

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the leading form of solid cancer and death affecting males between the ages of 20 and 40. Today, their surgical resection and chemotherapy are the treatments of first choice, even if sometimes this is not enough to save the lives of patients with TGCT. As seen for several tumors, the deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is also a key feature in TGCTs. miRNAs are small molecules of RNA with biological activity that are released into biological fluids by testicular cancer cells. Their presence, therefore, can be detected and monitored by considering miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers for TGCTs. The purpose of this review is to collect all the studies executed on miRNAs that have a potential role as biomarkers for testicular tumors.
Influence of Antiplatelet Agents on the Lipid Composition of Platelet Plasma Membrane: A Lipidomics Approach with Ticagrelor and Its Active Metabolite

Lipids contained in the plasma membrane of platelets play an important role in platelet function. Modifications in the lipid composition can fluidify or rigidify the environment around embedded receptors, in order to facilitate the access of the receptor by the drug. However, data concerning the lipid composition of platelet plasma membrane need to be updated. In addition, data on the impact of drugs on plasma membrane composition, in particular antiplatelet agents, remain sparse. After isolation of platelet plasma membrane, we assessed, using lipidomics, the effect of ticagrelor, a P2Y12 antagonist, and its active metabolite on the lipid composition of these plasma membranes. We describe the exact lipid composition of plasma membrane, including all sub-species. Ticagrelor and its active metabolite significantly increased cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine ether with short saturated acyl chains 16:0/16:0, and decreased phosphatidylcholine, suggesting overall rigidification of the membrane. Furthermore, ticagrelor and its active metabolite decreased some arachidonylated plasmalogens, suggesting a decrease in availability of arachidonic acid from the membrane phospholipids for synthesis of biologically active mediators. To conclude, ticagrelor and its active metabolite seem to influence the lipid environment of receptors embedded in the lipid bilayer and modify the behavior of the plasma membrane.
Eighty Years of Targeting Androgen Receptor Activity in Prostate Cancer: The Fight Goes on

Simple Summary Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men world-wide, with nearly 1.3 million new cases each year, and over the next twenty years the incidence and death rate are predicted to nearly double. For decades, this lethal disease has been more or less successfully treated using hormonal therapy, which has the ultimate aim of inhibiting androgen signalling. However, prostate tumours can evade such hormonal therapies in a number of different ways and therapy resistant disease, so-called castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is the major clinical problem. Somewhat counterintuitively, the androgen receptor remains a key therapy target in CRPC. Here, we explain why this is the case and summarise both new hormone therapy strategies and the recent advances in knowledge of androgen receptor structure and function that underpin them. Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men in the West, other than skin cancer, accounting for over a quarter of cancer diagnoses in US men. In a seminal paper from 1941, Huggins and Hodges demonstrated that prostate tumours and metastatic disease were sensitive to the presence or absence of androgenic hormones. The first hormonal therapy for PCa was thus castration. In the subsequent eighty years, targeting the androgen signalling axis, where possible using drugs rather than surgery, has been a mainstay in the treatment of advanced and metastatic disease. Androgens signal via the androgen receptor, a ligand-activated transcription factor, which is the direct target of many such drugs. In this review we discuss the role of the androgen receptor in PCa and how the combination of structural information and functional screenings is continuing to be used for the discovery of new drug to switch off the receptor or modify its function in cancer cells.
60–700 K CTAT and PTAT Temperature Sensors with 4H-SiC Schottky Diodes

A SiC Schottky dual-diode temperature-sensing element, suitable for both complementary variation of VF with absolute temperature (CTAT) and differential proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) sensors, is demonstrated over 60–700 K, currently the widest range reported. The structure’s layout places the two identical diodes in close, symmetrical proximity. A stable and high-barrier Schottky contact based on Ni, annealed at 750 °C, is used. XRD analysis evinced the even distribution of Ni2Si over the entire Schottky contact area. Forward measurements in the 60–700 K range indicate nearly identical characteristics for the dual-diodes, with only minor inhomogeneity. Our parallel diode (p-diode) model is used to parameterize experimental curves and evaluate sensing performances over this far-reaching domain. High sensitivity, upwards of 2.32 mV/K, is obtained, with satisfactory linearity (R2 reaching 99.80%) for the CTAT sensor, even down to 60 K. The PTAT differential version boasts increased linearity, up to 99.95%. The lower sensitivity is, in this case, compensated by using a high-performing, low-cost readout circuit, leading to a peak 14.91 mV/K, without influencing linearity.
Diffusional Electrotitration: Generation of pH Gradients over Arrays of Ultramicroelectrodes Detected by Fluorescence

Electrode reactions near the surface of planar platinum and gold ultramicroelectrodes in aqueous electrode solutions were visualized by fluorescence microscopy. Millisecond pulses of direct current (0.5-5 V dc) mused pH alterations in the vicinity of the electrodes and in the interelectrode gaps. These changes mused differences in the fluorescence intensity of fluorescein or of its dextran conjugate (MW 2×10 6 ), allowing visualization. Redox reactions at the electrodes created pH gradient patterns on a micrometer and submicrometer scale. It is possible to delay the diffusional dissipation of the electrogenerated «protonation clouds» by adding up to 30% (w/v) poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (MW 7.5×10 5 ). We used 50, 20, 10, and 3 μm wide electrode slips with either dc, pulsed dc, or dc-shifted ac (kHz-MHz) excitation. Steep pH gradients could be moved perpendicular to the electrode slip array. Traveling pH waves with speeds of about ∼1 mm/s could be generated. We have developed a numerical procedure for modeling the time-dependent concentration of electroactive species. The numerical pH patterns are in good agreement with the experimentally obtained ones. Electrotitration and its numerical modeling open new perspectives. Micro- and ultramicroelectrodes should and applications in analytical chemistry and biomedical research. Titration techniques within microcompartments may now be practicable. The visualization of cathodically driven electrodes is also useful for assessing the working state of microelectrode arrays
Middle East Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Diabetes: A Review

Diabetes is a global health problem, and the number of diabetic patients is in continuous rise. Conventional antidiabetic therapies are associated with high costs and limited efficiency. The use of traditional medicine and plant extracts to treat diabetes is gaining high popularity in many countries. Countries in the Middle East region have a long history of using herbal medicine to treat different diseases, including diabetes. In this review, we compiled and summarized all the in vivo and in vitro studies conducted for plants with potential antidiabetic activity in the Middle East region. Plants of the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are the most investigated. It is hoped that this review will contribute scientifically to evidence the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants as antidiabetic agents. Work has to be done to define tagetes, mechanism of action and the compound responsible for activity. In addition, safety and pharmacokinetic parameters should be investigated.
A Machine Learning Multi-Class Approach for Fall Detection Systems Based on Wearable Sensors with a Study on Sampling Rates Selection †

Falls are dangerous for the elderly, often causing serious injuries especially when the fallen person stays on the ground for a long time without assistance. This paper extends our previous work on the development of a Fall Detection System (FDS) using an inertial measurement unit worn at the waist. Data come from SisFall, a publicly available dataset containing records of Activities of Daily Living and falls. We first applied a preprocessing and a feature extraction stage before using five Machine Learning algorithms, allowing us to compare them. Ensemble learning algorithms such as Random Forest and Gradient Boosting have the best performance, with a Sensitivity and Specificity both close to 99%. Our contribution is: a multi-class classification approach for fall detection combined with a study of the effect of the sensors’ sampling rate on the performance of the FDS. Our multi-class classification approach splits the fall into three phases: pre-fall, impact, post-fall. The extension to a multi-class problem is not trivial and we present a well-performing solution. We experimented sampling rates between 1 and 200 Hz. The results show that, while high sampling rates tend to improve performance, a sampling rate of 50 Hz is generally sufficient for an accurate detection.
Tentative Peptide‒Lipid Bilayer Models Elucidating Molecular Behaviors and Interactions Driving Passive Cellular Uptake of Collagen-Derived Small Peptides

Collagen contains hydroxyproline (Hyp), which is a unique amino acid. Three collagen-derived small peptides (Gly-Pro-Hyp, Pro-Hyp, and Gly-Hyp) interacting across a lipid bilayer (POPC model membrane) for cellular uptakes of these collagen-derived small peptides were studied using accelerated molecular dynamics simulation. The ligands were investigated for their binding modes, hydrogen bonds in each coordinate frame, and mean square displacement (MSD) in the Z direction. The lipid bilayers were evaluated for mass and electron density profiles of the lipid molecules, surface area of the head groups, and root mean square deviation (RMSD). The simulation results show that hydrogen bonding between the small collagen peptides and plasma membrane plays a significant role in their internalization. The translocation of the small collagen peptides across the cell membranes was shown. Pro-Hyp laterally condensed the membrane, resulting in an increase in the bilayer thickness and rigidity. Perception regarding molecular behaviors of collagen-derived peptides within the cell membrane, including their interactions, provides the novel design of specific bioactive collagen peptides for their applications.
Proposal of the Annotation of Phosphorylated Amino Acids and Peptides Using Biological and Chemical Codes

Phosphorylation represents one of the most important modifications of amino acids, peptides, and proteins. By modifying the latter, it is useful in improving the functional properties of foods. Although all these substances are broadly annotated in internet databases, there is no unified code for their annotation. The present publication aims to describe a simple code for the annotation of phosphopeptide sequences. The proposed code describes the location of phosphate residues in amino acid side chains (including new rules of atom numbering in amino acids) and the diversity of phosphate residues (e.g., di- and triphosphate residues and phosphate amidation). This article also includes translating the proposed biological code into SMILES, being the most commonly used chemical code. Finally, it discusses possible errors associated with applying the proposed code and in the resulting SMILES representations of phosphopeptides. The proposed code can be extended to describe other modifications in the future.
Expression of Thomsen–Friedenreich Antigen in Colorectal Cancer and Association with Microsatellite Instability

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a molecular phenotype due to a deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR). In colorectal cancer (CRC), dMMR/MSI is associated with several clinical and histopathological features, influences prognosis, and is a predictive factor of response to therapy. In daily practice, dMMR/MSI profiles are identified by immunohistochemistry and/or multiplex PCR. The Thomsen–Friedenreich (TF) antigen was previously found to be a potential single marker to identify MSI-high gastric cancers. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to disclose a possible association between TF expression and MSI status in CRC. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between TF expression and other clinicopathological features, including patient survival. We evaluated the expression of the TF antigen in a cohort of 25 MSI-high and 71 microsatellite stable (MSS) CRCs. No association was observed between the expression of the TF antigen and MSI-high status in CRC. The survival analysis revealed that patients with MSI-high CRC showed improved survival when the TF antigen was expressed. This finding holds promise as it indicates the potential use of the TF antigen as a biomarker of better prognosis in MSI-high CRCs that should be validated in an independent and larger CRC cohort.
The Effect of Stacking Sequence and Ply Orientation on the Mechanical Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fibre (PALF)/Carbon Hybrid Laminate Composites

In this paper, the effects of stacking sequence and ply orientation on the mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF)/carbon hybrid laminate composites were investigated. The hybrid laminates were fabricated using a vacuum infusion technique in which the stacking sequences and ply orientations were varied, which were divided into the categories of cross-ply symmetric, angle-ply symmetric, and symmetric quasi-isotropic. The results of tensile and flexural tests showed that the laminate with interior carbon plies and ply orientation [0°, 90°] exhibited the highest tensile strength (187.67 MPa) and modulus (5.23 GPa). However, the highest flexural strength (289.46 MPa) and modulus (4.82 GPa) were recorded for the laminate with exterior carbon plies and the same ply orientation. The fracture behaviour of the laminates was determined by using scanning electron microscopy, and the results showed that failure usually initiated at the weakest PALF layer. The failure modes included fibre pull-out, fibre breaking, matrix crack, debonding, and delamination.