Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Docking Simulation Studies of Curcumin and Its Derivatives as Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 Inhibitors.

Objectives Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is a protein that plays a role in regulating the cell cycle and its overexpression contributes to uncontrolled cell proliferation. Inhibition of CDK2 is known to be a mechanism of action of various anti-cancer drugs. Curcumin is an active compound of Curcuma longa and it has been reported to inhibit the activity of cyclin D, cyclin E, CDK2, CDK4, and CDK6. This study aimed to design more active curcumin derivatives as anticancer drugs by targeting CDK2 through a molecular modeling approach. Materials and Methods The molecular modeling approach consists of receptor and ligand preparation, method validation, pharmacophore modeling, and docking simulation. Results The results of the molecular docking simulation show that the free bonding energy (ΔG) of curcumin and kurkumod 23 and 24 (the best modification of curcumin) are -7.80, -9.15, and -9.36 kcal/mol, respectively. The hydrogen interaction between kurkumod 23 and 24 with CDK occurred on Lys33 residue, which is considered a potential interaction site for CDK2 inhibitor compounds. Pharmacophore modeling showed that kurkumod 23 and 24 have pharmacophore-fit values of 45.20% and 47.26%, respectively. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that kurkumod 23 and 24 are the best and most potent modifications of curcumin as CDK2 antagonist, based on the interactions that occur between these two derivatives with amino acid residues from the CDK2 receptor.
Research on the Evaluation of Grid Operation Efficiency Analysis Based on SD-ANP-EWM

In order to realize the accurate management of power grid operation efficiency, the research on the dynamic evaluation model of power grid operation efficiency based on prediction and comprehensive evaluation methods is of great significance. This paper firstly constructs a system dynamics-based model for predicting the operational efficiency of grid investment schemes based on the mechanism and traditional path of generating grid operational efficiency, then establishes a comprehensive evaluation model for grid operational efficiency based on network hierarchy analysis and entropy weight method. The results show that the model proposed in this paper has a positive effect on the improvement of power grid operation and management.
Limited scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals

Not as deep As our climate warms, many species ranges are predicted to shift toward the warmer poles. Focusing solely on temperatures, however, ignores many factors that change across latitudes, such as the intensity of solar radiation. Muir et al. looked at global distributions of two groups of reef-building corals (see the Perspective by Kleypas). Most reef-building corals occur deep enough to be protected from surge. However, corals require sunlight to sustain their symbiotic photosynthetic algae. Because solar radiation is more limited farther away from the equator, future populations might be limited to more turbulent shallow waters. Science, this issue p. 1135; see also p. 1086 Solar irradiation during winter constrains how far coral reefs can spread sideways despite ocean warming. [Also see Perspective by Kleypas] An analysis of present-day global depth distributions of reef-building corals and underlying environmental drivers contradicts a commonly held belief that ocean warming will promote tropical coral expansion into temperate latitudes. Using a global data set of a major group of reef corals, we found that corals were confined to shallower depths at higher latitudes (up to 0.6 meters of predicted shallowing per additional degree of latitude). Latitudinal attenuation of the most important driver of this phenomenon—the dose of photosynthetically available radiation over winter—would severely constrain latitudinal coral range extension in response to ocean warming. Latitudinal gradients in species richness for the group also suggest that higher winter irradiance at depth in low latitudes allowed a deep-water fauna that was not viable at higher latitudes.
The Aerodynamic Effect of Biomimetic Pigeon Feathered Wing on a 1-DoF Flapping Mechanism

This study focused on designing a single-degree-of-freedom (1-DoF) mechanism emulating the wings of rock pigeons. Three wing models were created: one with REAL feathers from a pigeon, and the other two models with 3D-printed artificial remiges made using different strengths of material, PLA and PETG. Aerodynamic performance was assessed in a wind tunnel under both stationary (0 m/s) and cruising speed (16 m/s) with flapping frequencies from 3.0 to 6.0 Hz. The stiffness of remiges was examined through three-point bending tests. The artificial feathers made of PLA have greater rigidity than REAL feathers, while PETG, on the other hand, exhibits the weakest strength. At cruising speed, although the artificial feathers exhibit more noticeable feather splitting and more pronounced fluctuations in lift during the flapping process compared to REAL feathers due to the differences in weight and stiffness distribution, the PETG feathered wing showed the highest lift enhancement (28% of pigeon body weight), while the PLA feathered wing had high thrust but doubled drag, making them inefficient in cruising. The PETG feathered wing provided better propulsion efficiency than the REAL feathered wing. Despite their weight, artificial feathered wings outperformed REAL feathers in 1-DoF flapping motion. This study shows the potential for artificial feathers in improving the flight performance of Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FWMAVs).
Enhanced Localization Strategy for Magnetic Capsule Robot Using On-Board Nine-Axis IMU Through Incorporation of Alternating Magnetic Field

Capsule robots have gained increasing prominence in gastroscopy for their diagnostic capabilities and noninvasive accessibility to narrow passages with reduced risks. Magnetic positioning plays a crucial role in mapping the trajectory of the capsule robot and targeting specific areas of interest. However, the current magnetic positioning technology is limited by challenges of incompatibility with external magnetic manipulation systems, power and size constraints, and reduced resolution caused by accumulated errors during attitude estimation. Here, we propose an enhanced localization strategy for magnetic capsule robots with an on-board nine-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) through the incorporation of an alternating magnetic field. Motion control of the capsule robot is achieved by an extracorporeal robotically manipulated permanent magnet, which also serves as a magnetic reference for determining the capsule robot’s relative position. An alternating magnetic field is applied using a single-axis Helmholtz coil to compensate for the accumulated error in the yaw angle of the IMU. A digital lock-in amplifier algorithm is employed to decouple the static magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet from the alternating magnetic fields. To improve the accuracy of attitude and position estimation, we introduce an improved magnetic dipole model, which is optimized through high-resolution spatial mapping of the magnetic field of the permanent magnet. Experimental results demonstrate that within a rectangular space of $100\times $ 100 mm, our proposed strategy achieves an average position error of 2.52 mm and an average angle error of 1.53°, meeting the accuracy requirements for clinical examinations.
Delving into the significance of the His289Tyr single-nucleotide polymorphism in the glutamate ionotropic receptor kainate-1 (Grik1) gene of a genetically audiogenic seizure model

Genetic abnormalities affecting glutamate receptors are central to excitatory overload-driven neuronal mechanisms that culminate in seizures, making them pivotal targets in epilepsy research. Increasingly used to advance this field, the genetically audiogenic seizure hamster from Salamanca (GASH/Sal) exhibits generalized seizures triggered by high-intensity acoustic stimulation and harbors significant genetic variants recently identified through whole-exome sequencing. Here, we addressed the influence of the missense single-nucleotide polymorphism (C9586732T, p.His289Tyr) in the glutamate receptor ionotropic kainate-1 (Grik1) gene and its implications for the GASH/Sal seizure susceptibility. Using a protein 3D structure prediction, we showed a potential effect of this sequence variation, located in the amino-terminal domain, on the stability and/or conformation of the kainate receptor subunit-1 protein (GluK1). We further employed a multi-technique approach, encompassing gene expression analysis (RT-qPCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry in bright-field and confocal fluorescence microscopy, to investigate critical seizure-associated brain regions in GASH/Sal animals under seizure-free conditions compared to matched wild-type controls. We detected disruptions in the transcriptional profile of the Grik1 gene within the audiogenic seizure-associated neuronal network. Alterations in GluK1 protein levels were also observed in various brain structures, accompanied by an unexpected lower molecular weight band in the inferior and superior colliculi. This correlated with substantial disparities in GluK1-immunolabeling distribution across multiple brain regions, including the cerebellum, hippocampus, subdivisions of the inferior and superior colliculi, and the prefrontal cortex. Notably, the diffuse immunolabeling accumulated within perikarya, axonal fibers and terminals, exhibiting a prominent concentration in proximity to the cell nucleus. This suggests potential disturbances in the GluK1-trafficking mechanism, which could subsequently affect glutamate synaptic transmission. Overall, our study sheds light on the genetic underpinnings of seizures and underscores the importance of investigating the molecular mechanisms behind synaptic dysfunction in epileptic neural networks, laying a crucial foundation for future research and therapeutic strategies targeting GluK1-containing kainate receptors.
Audio Super-Resolution With Robust Speech Representation Learning of Masked Autoencoder

This paper proposes Fre-Painter, a high-fidelity audio super-resolution system that utilizes robust speech representation learning with various masking strategies. Recently, masked autoencoders have been found to be beneficial in learning robust representations of audio for speech classification tasks. Following these studies, we leverage these representations and investigate several masking strategies for neural audio super-resolution. In this paper, we propose an upper-band masking strategy with the initialization of the mask token, which is simple but efficient for audio super-resolution. Furthermore, we propose a mix-ratio masking strategy that makes the model robust for input speech with various sampling rates. For practical applicability, we extend Fre-Painter to a text-to-speech system, which synthesizes high-resolution speech using low-resolution speech data. The experimental results demonstrate that Fre-Painter outperforms other neural audio super-resolution models.
Preliminary Investigation into Plant and Vegetation Types in Afforestation Region in Southern and Northern Mountains of Lanzhou City

The plants and vegetation types of the environmental afforestation project regions in the northern and southern mountains of Lanzhou were investigated.The results indicate that the vegetation types are relatively abundant,including 185 species which can be divided into 56 families;the growth status of the plants is good;the plant communities tend to be diversifying and their stability increase.According to plant community-ecology principle,the afforestation regions can be divided into 9 zones,including 2 natural plant zones and 7 planted zones.Considering present situations,it is better to plant mixed forests,strengthen the forest stability and its ability to resist plant diseases and insect pests,and simultaneously to promote forest's renewing by artificial measures.
Sport Mega-Event Hosting and Environmental Concern: From Sydney to Rio

This paper examines the extent to which the proclamation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that Olympic Games hosting can improve the environmental capacity of the host nation holds. It singles out the post-event environmental concern exhibited by the population of the host country as the most important indicator and proceeds towards examining how successive host nations have performed in relation to that. The intervening variable of the global environmental crisis is put under the microscope and as a result the general conclusion suggests that environmental concern is much more tied to the general socio-economic predicament that the host country finds itself to be in the post-event phase than the successful hosting of green Games.
Major factors for the effectiveness of apical endodontic microsurgery: a systematic review

Introduction: Apical endodontic microsurgery is a technique developed by the evolution of traditional apical endodontic surgery approaches and technologies. This enhancement was possible since the introduction of equipment like cone beam computed tomography, microscope, ultrasonic instruments, and biocompatibility root-end material filling, increasing the predictability and long-term success rates and survival of teeth. Objective: It explored and developed the main factors for the effectiveness of apical endodontic microsurgery. Methods: The PRISMA Platform systematic review rules were followed. The search was carried out from October to December 2023 in the Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument and the risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane instrument. Results and Conclusion: A total of 118 articles were found, 43 articles were evaluated in full and 36 were included and developed in the present systematic review study. Considering the Cochrane tool for risk of bias, the overall assessment resulted in 28 studies with a high risk of bias and 21 studies that did not meet GRADE and AMSTAR-2. Most studies did not show homogeneity in their results, with X2=57.5%<50%. It was concluded that the success of apical endodontic surgery in terms of healing existing periapical pathology, together with a good long-term prognosis, depends on correct diagnosis and planning, as well as the association of surgical techniques, well-executed protocols, and biocompatible materials. The apical endodontic microsurgical approach is predictable and has a high success rate, which resulted from the introduction of cone beam computed tomography, microscope, ultrasonic instruments, and materials such as MTA and bioceramics for retro-fillings.
Research stories on Twitter

This paper aims to study what type of research seems to interest the users of a social network platform and then complement the data with data from an open catalogue for research, exemplifying with Twitter and Open Alex. The basic idea is to get an overview of the stories the platform content tells during three months regarding topics, disciplines, and open access status. The findings suggest that the picture look very different between the approaches to map the topics, especially when looking at the articles most mentioned compared to the ones that are most retweeted. The study mainly highlights the methodological opportunities of combining text analysis and link relationships to explore the content and public interest in academic research.
Evaluation of Various Diagnostic Strategies for Bacterial Vaginosis, Including a New Approach Based on MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common dysbiosis of unclear etiology but with potential consequences representing a public health problem. The diagnostic strategies vary widely. The Amsel criteria and Nugent score have obvious limitations, while molecular biology techniques are expensive and not yet widespread. We set out to evaluate different diagnostic strategies from vaginal samples using (1) a combination of abnormal vaginal discharge and vaginal pH > 4.5; (2) the Amsel-like criteria (replacing the “whiff test” with “malodorous discharge”); (3) the Nugent score; (4) the molecular quantification of Fannyhessea vaginae and Gardnerella vaginalis (qPCR); (5) and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (we also refer to it as “VAGI-TOF”). Overall, 54/129 patients (42%) were diagnosed with BV using the combination of vaginal discharge and pH, 46/118 (39%) using the Amsel-like criteria, 31/130 (24%) using qPCR, 32/130 (25%) using “VAGI-TOF”, and 23/84 (27%) using the Nugent score (not including the 26 (31%) with intermediate flora). Of the 84 women for whom the five diagnostic strategies were performed, the diagnosis of BV was considered for 38% using the combination of vaginal discharge and pH, 34.5% using the Amsel-like criteria, 27% using the Nugent score, 25% using qPCR, and 25% using “VAGI-TOF”. When qPCR was considered as the reference, the sensitivity rate for BV was 76.2% for the combination of vaginal discharge and pH, 90.5% for the Amsel-like criteria, 95.2% for the Nugent score, and 90.5% for “VAGI-TOF”, while the specificity rates were 74.6%, 84.1%, 95.3%, and 95.3%, respectively. When the Nugent score was considered as the reference, the sensitivity for BV was 69.6% for the combination of vaginal discharge and pH, 82.6% for the Amsel-like criteria, 87% for qPCR, and 78.7% for “VAGI-TOF”, while the specificity rates were 80%, 94.3%, 100%, and 97.1%, respectively. Overall, the use of qPCR and “VAGI-TOF” provided a consistent diagnosis of BV, followed by the Nugent score. If qPCR seems tedious and for some costly, “VAGI-TOF” could be an inexpensive, practical, and less time-consuming alternative.
Integration of properties of virtual reality, artificial neural networks, and artificial intelligence in the automation of software tests: A review

The complete automation of software tests has been considered to be an unattainable goal. This article discusses the potential to achieve this goal with recent discoveries and innovations in the areas of virtual reality (VR), artificial neural networks (ANNs), and artificial intelligence (AI). In this study, a theoretical proposal is described to integrate the properties of each of these areas using a process of automation of software tests. This process is based on a classification and description of the properties after consulting the literature, interviews, and dialogs with specialists from Australia, the United States, Germany, and Colombia. In addition to the experiences of the researchers, the construction of two tools is proposed: (1) a robot to design and apply functional tests, and (2) a virtual machine to identify errors in the logical structure of the code. Both tools are expected to replace human factors; the advantage is that the first tool identifies procedural flaws and the second errors of operation.
Survival of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) in the Environment

Simple Summary This review summarizes the available information on the ex-vivo survival of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), the cause of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in pigs. We highlight the possible role of different fomites and environmental sources in indirect transmission of this virus to susceptible hosts. The number of studies on this topic is limited but fomites (porous, non-porous, and liquid), insects, people, and pork meat have been studied, mostly under experimental conditions. Abstract Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most economically important diseases of swine, with losses due to poor reproductive performance and high piglet and growing pig mortality. Transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) may occur by both direct and indirect routes; the latter includes exposure to PRRSV-contaminated fomites, aerosols, and arthropod vectors. This review has collected available data on the ex-vivo environmental stability and persistence of PRRSV in an effort to highlight important sources of the virus and to determine the role of environmental conditions on the stability of the virus, especially temperature. The ex-vivo settings include fomites (solid, porous, and liquid fomites), insects, people, and pork meat, as well as the role of environmental conditions on the stability of the virus, especially temperature.
Revisiting the two rhythm generators for respiration in lampreys

In lampreys, respiration consists of a fast and a slow rhythm. This study was aimed at characterizing both anatomically and physiologically the brainstem regions involved in generating the two rhythms. The fast rhythm generator has been located by us and others in the rostral hindbrain, rostro-lateral to the trigeminal motor nucleus. More recently, this was challenged by researchers reporting that the fast rhythm generator was located more rostrally and dorsomedially, in a region corresponding to the mesencephalic locomotor region. These contradictory observations made us re-examine the location of the fast rhythm generator using anatomical lesions and physiological recordings. We now confirm that the fast respiratory rhythm generator is in the rostro-lateral hindbrain as originally described. The slow rhythm generator has received less attention. Previous studies suggested that it was composed of bilateral, interconnected rhythm generating regions located in the caudal hindbrain, with ascending projections to the fast rhythm generator. We used anatomical and physiological approaches to locate neurons that could be part of this slow rhythm generator. Combinations of unilateral injections of anatomical tracers, one in the fast rhythm generator area and another in the lateral tegmentum of the caudal hindbrain, were performed to label candidate neurons on the non-injected side of the lateral tegmentum. We found a population of neurons extending from the facial to the caudal vagal motor nuclei, with no clear clustering in the cell distribution. We examined the effects of stimulating different portions of the labeled population on the respiratory activity. The rostro-caudal extent of the population was arbitrarily divided in three portions that were each stimulated electrically or chemically. Stimulation of either of the three sites triggered bursts of discharge characteristic of the slow rhythm, whereas inactivating any of them stopped the slow rhythm. Substance P injected locally in the lateral tegmentum accelerated the slow respiratory rhythm in a caudal hindbrain preparation. Our results show that the fast respiratory rhythm generator consists mostly of a population of neurons rostro-lateral to the trigeminal motor nucleus, whereas the slow rhythm generator is distributed in the lateral tegmentum of the caudal hindbrain.
Development, Optimization, and Application of ML based Modeling of Printed VO2 RF Switch

This paper proposes a globally optimized behavioral modeling algorithm using cascaded feed-forward neural network in conjugation with Particle Swarm optimization (PSO) for fully printed V$O_{2}$ based RF switches. The proposed model makes use of varied set of operating conditions (geometric dimensions and operating temperature) over a frequency range of 0.01 to 33 GHz. The modeling algorithm enables flexibility in selecting the optimized hyperparameters such as number of neurons in each hidden layer, and activation function at each layer. The developed model is tested for both interpolation and frequency extrapolation cases up to 40 GHz to establish the validity and robustness of the modeling algorithm. An excellent agreement between the measured and the modeled performance over a broad frequency range demonstrates a good generalization capability and successful model development strategy. The proposed model is then evaluated within a commercial circuit simulator (Keysight’s ADS) to demonstrate usefulness in RF circuit design.