Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bacillus VOCs in the Context of Biological Control

A contemporary agricultural production system relying on heavy usage of agrochemicals represents a questionable outlook for sustainable food supply in the future. The visible negative environmental impacts and unforeseen consequences to human and animal health have been requiring a shift towards the novel eco-friendly alternatives for chemical pesticides for a while now. Microbial-based biocontrol agents have shown a promising potential for plant disease management. The bacteria of the genus Bacillus have been among the most exploited microbial active components due to several highly efficient mechanisms of action against plant pathogens, as well as a palette of additional plant-beneficial mechanisms, together with their suitable properties for microbial biopesticide formulations. Among other bioactive metabolites, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been investigated for their biocontrol applications, exhibiting the main advantage of long-distance effect without the necessity for direct contact with plants or pathogens. The aim of this study is to give an overview of the state-of-the-art in the field of Bacillus-based VOCs, especially in terms of their antibacterial, antifungal, and nematicidal action as the main segments determining their potential for biocontrol applications in sustainable agriculture.
Post-operative analgesic efficacy of 0.25% ropivacaine with dexmedetomidine versus dexamethasone as an adjuvant in bilateral superficial cervical plexus block for thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia - A comparative randomized clinical study

Background and Aims: The bilateral superficial cervical plexus block (BSCPB) is efficacious for post-operative analgesia in thyroid surgeries. We assessed the analgesic efficacy of dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone administered as adjuvants with 0.25 percent ropivacaine in BSCPB for thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia with regard to the duration of analgesia, total amount of rescue analgesic requirement, changes in intra- and post-operative haemodynamic parameters, VAS scores, and adverse events, if any. Methods: A prospective double-blind trial was planned with 80 adults undergoing thyroidectomy, randomized into two equal groups and given BSCPB with 20 ml 0.25% ropivacaine with adjuvants as either dexmedetomidine 50μg (group A) or dexamethasone 4mg (group B), 10 ml on each side, after the induction of general anaesthesia. Post-operative pain was monitored using the visual analog scale and the duration of analgesia was measured by time to first rescue analgesia. Post-operative haemodynamics and any adverse events were recorded. Results: The mean duration of analgesia was slightly prolonged in group A but statistically non-significant as compared to group B (1037 ± 97 vs. 1004 ± 122 minutes; P0.18). The post-operative median VAS scores and vital parameters were relatively comparable for both groups (P > 0.05) for the first 24h. There was a significant reduction in the incidence of PONV (P < 0.05) in group B. Conclusion: Although dexamethasone offers a slight advantage of decreased incidence of PONV, BSCPB using ropivacaine with either dexmedetomidine or dexamethasone as an adjuvant imparted adequate analgesia with stable haemodynamics and may be used as a pre-emptive analgesic technique in thyroid surgeries.
Glycosylation and Lipidation Strategies: Approaches for Improving Antimicrobial Peptide Efficacy

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently gained attention as a viable solution for combatting antibiotic resistance due to their numerous advantages, including their broad-spectrum activity, low propensity for inducing resistance, and low cytotoxicity. Unfortunately, their clinical application is limited due to their short half-life and susceptibility to proteolytic cleavage by serum proteases. Indeed, several chemical strategies, such as peptide cyclization, N-methylation, PEGylation, glycosylation, and lipidation, are widely used for overcoming these issues. This review describes how lipidation and glycosylation are commonly used to increase AMPs’ efficacy and engineer novel AMP-based delivery systems. The glycosylation of AMPs, which involves the conjugation of sugar moieties such as glucose and N-acetyl galactosamine, modulates their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, improves their antimicrobial activity, and reduces their interaction with mammalian cells, thereby increasing selectivity toward bacterial membranes. In the same way, lipidation of AMPs, which involves the covalent addition of fatty acids, has a significant impact on their therapeutic index by influencing their physicochemical properties and interaction with bacterial and mammalian membranes. This review highlights the possibility of using glycosylation and lipidation strategies to increase the efficacy and activity of conventional AMPs.
The Hidden Geometry of Deformed Grids: Or, Why Space Syntax Works, When it Looks as Though it Shouldn't

A common objection to the space syntax analysis of cities is that even in its own terms the technique of using a nonuniform line representation of space and analysing it by measures that are essentially topological ignores too much geometric and metric detail to be credible. In this paper it is argued that far from ignoring geometric and metric properties the ‘line graph’ internalises them into its structure of the graph and in doing so allows the graph analysis to pick up the nonlocal, or extrinsic, properties of spaces that are critical to the movement dynamics through which a city evolves its essential structures. Nonlocal properties are those which are defined by the relation of elements to all others in the system, rather than those which are intrinsic to the element itself. The method also leads to a powerful analysis of urban structures because cities are essentially nonlocal systems.
Artificial Intelligence in Food Safety: A Decade Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have been powerful solutions used to improve food yield, quality, and nutrition, increase safety and traceability while decreasing resource consumption, and eliminate food waste. Compared with several qualitative reviews on AI in food safety, we conducted an in-depth quantitative and systematic review based on the Core Collection database of WoS (Web of Science). To discover the historical trajectory and identify future trends, we analysed the literature concerning AI technologies in food safety from 2012 to 2022 by CiteSpace. In this review, we used bibliometric methods to describe the development of AI in food safety, including performance analysis, science mapping, and network analysis by CiteSpace. Among the 1855 selected articles, China and the United States contributed the most literature, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences released the largest number of relevant articles. Among all the journals in this field, PLoS ONE and Computers and Electronics in Agriculture ranked first and second in terms of annual publications and co-citation frequency. The present character, hot spots, and future research trends of AI technologies in food safety research were determined. Furthermore, based on our analyses, we provide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with the big picture of research on AI in food safety across the whole process, from precision agriculture to precision nutrition, through 28 enlightening articles.
Cyclovirobuxine D inhibits growth and progression of non-small cell lung cancer cells by suppressing the KIF11-CDC25C-CDK1-CyclinB1 G2/M phase transition regulatory network and the NFκB/JNK signaling pathway

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common pathological subtype of lung cancer and is associated with low 5-year overall survival rates. Therefore, novel and effective chemotherapeutic drugs are urgently required for improving the survival outcomes of patients with lung cancer. Cyclovirobuxine D (CVB-D) is a natural steroidal alkaloid, used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Several studies have also demonstrated the antitumor effects of CVB-D. Therefore, in the present study, the therapeutic effects of CVB-D in lung cancer and the underlying mechanisms were investigated using the in vivo xenograft model of NSCLC in nude mice and in vitro experiments with the NSCLC cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses of RNA-sequencing data, and cell-based functional assays demonstrated that CVB-D treatment significantly inhibited in vitro and in vivo NSCLC cell proliferation, survival, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and G2/M phase cell cycle. CVB-D exerted its antitumor effects by inhibiting the KIF11-CDK1-CDC25C-cyclinB1 G2/M phase transition regulatory oncogenic network and the NF-κB/JNK signaling pathway. CVB-D treatment significantly reduced the sizes and weights and malignancy of xenograft NSCLC tumors in the nude mice. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that CVB-D inhibited the growth and progression of NSCLC cells by inhibiting the KIF11-CDK1-CDC25C-CyclinB1 G2/M phase transition regulatory network and the NF-κB/JNK signaling pathway. Therefore, CVB-D is a promising drug for the treatment of NSCLC patients.
Spherical aberration and modulation transfer function

The fundamental problem of the modulation transfer function(MTF) from the viewpoint of the lens designer is to find relation between the MTF and the geometrical aberrations. Let it be required to develop the spherical aberration into a polynomial expansion. The incoherent point spread function(PSF) of the optical imaging system is derived from the diffraction integral in the presence of aberrations. The optical transfer function(OTF) is the Fourier transform of the PSF, and the modulus of the OTF is the MTF. The relation between the spherical aberration and the MTF is denoted by numerical integration method. The normalized MTF is numerically calculated for various amounts of spherical aberration. A comparison is made between the MTF of the corrected spherical aberration using the optimum design for the minimum root mean square(RMS) wavefront aberration and those for the minimum peak-to-valley(P-V) wave front aberration.
Co-Detection of EBV and Human Polyomavirus JCPyV in a Case of AIDS-Related Multifocal Primary Central Nervous System Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

The human neurotropic Polyomavirus JCPyV is the widespread opportunistic causative pathogen of the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; however, it has also been implicated in the oncogenesis of several types of cancers. It causes brain tumors when intracerebrally inoculated into rodents, and genomic sequences of different strains and expression of the viral protein large T-Antigen have been detected in a wide variety of glial brain tumors and CNS lymphomas. Here, we present a case of an AIDS-related multifocal primary CNS lymphoma in which JCPyV genomic sequences of the three regions of JCPyV and expression of T-Antigen were detected by PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. No capsid proteins were detected, ruling out active JCPyV replication. Sequencing of the control region revealed that Mad-4 was the strain of JCPyV present in tumor cells. In addition, expression of viral proteins LMP and EBNA-1 from another ubiquitous oncogenic virus, Epstein–Barr, was also detected in the same lymphocytic neoplastic cells, co-localizing with JCPyV T-Antigen, suggesting a potential collaboration between these two viruses in the process of malignant transformation of B-lymphocytes, which are the site of latency and reactivation for both viruses.
Passively mode-locked diode-pumped surface-emitting semiconductor lasers

Summary form only given.We believe we demonstrate the first passively mode-locked surface-emitting semiconductor laser, using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). We obtained 5-ps pulses with 15.3-mW average power and 2.5-GHz repetition rate or 12-ps pulses at 1.8 GHz with 40 mW. We anticipate that even multiwatt average powers should be achievable with our concept; more than 0.5 W has been demonstrated with a similar device in continuous wave operation. This potential arises from the fact that optically pumped semiconductor vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers, in contrast to edge-emitting semiconductor lasers, allow one to scale up the mode area in order to generate a high average power and high pulse energy, while the external cavity enforces a diffraction-limited output. Multi-GHz repetition rates without Q-switching instabilities are possible. In addition, the broad amplification bandwidth should be sufficient for pulse durations in the subpicosecond regime.
Amplitude and Phase Wavelet Maps for the Detection of Cracks in Geared Systems

Abstract The newly developed wavelet transform enables one to look at the evolution in time of a signal's frequency content. This property makes it very suitable for the detection of vibration transients generated by developing localised faults in gear trains. Recent applications of the wavelet technique have focused on the use of the amplitude map only. In this study, both the amplitude and phase maps of the wavelet transform are used in conjunction to assess the condition of an instrumented gear test rig. The phase wavelet map is found to display distinctive features in the presence of a cracked tooth. Another key finding is that the amplitude wavelet map of the residual vibration signal offers a better indicator to the presence of faults than the map of the actual signal. A new polar representation is also introduced that makes pinpointing the precise location of a crack an easy task. The cases studied include a healthy gear, one with a simulated fatigue crack, and one with a simulated chipped tooth.
Reflective based learning for nursing ethical competency during clinical practices

Background A combination of theoretical and practical approaches is required to learn and acquire ethical competencies in caring. Occasionally, reflection on practical action differs from theoretical learning. In the context of reflective learning, issues such as ethical values can be discussed since they evoke conflict among nursing students. Aim To identify ethical conflicts encountered by nursing students during clinical placements and to determine their cooperation strategies. Research design Qualitative study with a content analysis according to Elo and Kinglas framework. Participants and research context Students enrolled in a nursing program at a Spanish university aged between 22 and 35, mainly women. Methodology The study includes 134 ethical reflections from nursing students in the last year of the nursing program, written during their clinical practices in a variety of learning environments. The research team analyzed the reflections using an inductive content analysis method. Ethical considerations Ethical permission was obtained by the management center according to Law 3/2028, and all the participants accepted to participate through the informed consent form. Findings Three main categories emerged from the analysis of the ethical reflections: (1) evaluation of professional performance and patient care; (2) the student as the protagonist of the dilemma; (3) student coping. Student dilemmas and concerns are related to ignorance, student-patient communication, mistakes made and self-confidence. Some situations conflict with the autonomy of patients and their rights, and can contribute to stressful situations for patients. Stress factors include hospital routines, which the patient cannot modify, and asymmetric relationships with staff, which encourage passivity. Conclusion All ethical problems detected by the students begin with the professional-patient relationship, including issues related to bad news, errors or malpractice. Reflection on the ethical values of nursing, both in the classroom and in clinical practices, allows students to develop a greater ethical awareness of care, enhancing their decision-making skills in ethical dilemmas.
RIG-I Promotes Tumorigenesis and Confers Radioresistance of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Regulating DUSP6

We investigated the expression and biological function of retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Materials and methods: An immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 86 pairs of tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples of patients with ESCC. We generated RIG-I-overexpressing ESCC cell lines KYSE70 and KYSE450, and RIG-I- knockdown cell lines KYSE150 and KYSE510. Cell viability, migration and invasion, radioresistance, DNA damage, and cell cycle were evaluated using CCK-8, wound-healing and transwell assay, colony formation, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the differential gene expression between controls and RIG-I knockdown. Tumor growth and radioresistance were assessed in nude mice using xenograft models. RIG-I expression was higher in ESCC tissues compared with that in matched non-tumor tissues. RIG-I overexpressing cells had a higher proliferation rate than RIG-I knockdown cells. Moreover, the knockdown of RIG-I slowed migration and invasion rates, whereas the overexpression of RIG-I accelerated migration and invasion rates. RIG-I overexpression induced radioresistance and G2/M phase arrest and reduced DNA damage after exposure to ionizing radiations compared with controls; however, it silenced the RIG-I enhanced radiosensitivity and DNA damage, and reduced the G2/M phase arrest. RNA sequencing revealed that the downstream genes DUSP6 and RIG-I had the same biological function; silencing DUSP6 can reduce the radioresistance caused by the overexpression of RIG-I. RIG-I knockdown depleted tumor growth in vivo, and radiation exposure effectively delayed the growth of xenograft tumors compared with the control group. RIG-I enhances the progression and radioresistance of ESCC; therefore, it may be a new potential target for ESCC-targeted therapy.
A Bayesian Time-Course Model for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data

Abstract Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a new technique for studying the workings of the active human brain. During an fMRI experiment, a sequence of magnetic resonance images is acquired while the subject performs specific behavioral tasks. Changes in the measured signal can be used to identify and characterize the brain activity resulting from task performance. The data obtained from an fMRI experiment are a realization of a complex spatiotemporal process with many sources of variation, both biological and technological. This article describes a nonlinear Bayesian hierarchical model for fMRI data and presents inferential methods that enable investigators to directly target their scientific questions of interest, many of which are inaccessible to current methods. The article describes optimization and posterior sampling techniques to fit the model, both of which must be applied many thousands of times for a single dataset. The model is used to analyze data from a psychological experiment and to test a specific prediction of a cognitive theory.
Diagnosing hot electron production by short pulse, high intensity lasers using photonuclear reactions

Solid targets irradiated with 1019 W/cm2 or greater of 1 μm light in picosecond pulses are found to be radioactive. The strongest activities observed are the result of photonuclear reactions in which an energetic photon excites the nucleus sufficiently to produce particle emission leaving a radioactive daughter. The photoreaction cross sections are known for a wide range of nuclei and provide a quantitative measure of the photon flux produced in the target. Both the delayed daughter activities and measurements of the prompt particles emitted in the reaction can be used as diagnostics. Examples of these techniques applied in diagnosing experiments at the Nova laser facility adapted to generate petawatt pulses using chirped pulse amplification will be presented. These results will be compared with bremsstrahlung photon spectra calculated using electron spectra measured in a magnetic spectrograph.
PtSi Schottky-barrier infared focal plane arrays

PtSi Schottky-barrier (SB) FPAs have been developed for ground-based thermal imaging and spaceborne remote sensing applications, making the best possible use of its process compatibility with Si LSIs. The FPAs for mid wavelength IR thermal imaging are large format 2D arrays with several array sizes up to 1040 X 1040. An original readout architecture called the Charge Sweep Device has contributed to enhancing their sensitivities, and our state-of-the-art technology has reached a level which realizes FPAs with NETDs of the order of 30 mK. Extending the SB FPA technology to the short wavelength IR spectral region has made it possible to exploit spaceborne remote sensing applications. The space-grade performance and reliability have been demonstrated with a 4096 element and 2100 element linear FPAs.
Optimized Range-Free Localization Scheme Using Autonomous Groups Particles Swarm Optimization for Anisotropic Wireless Sensor Networks

Location information is a required concern for localization-based service application in the field of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Distance Vector-Hop (DV-Hop) algorithm as the most typical range-free localization scheme is more suitable for large-scaled WSNs. Its localization performance is good in even distributed networks. However, it demonstrated extremely poor accuracy under anisotropic networks, which is an urgent problem that need to be addressed. Accordingly, an optimized DV-Hop localization algorithm is put forward in this study with considering several anisotropic factors. Accumulated hop size error and collinearity are two main reasons that led to low accuracy and poor stability. Hence, hop size error of anchors is reduced by introducing distance gap based on anchors. Besides, weighted least square method is adopted to replace the least square method to against anisotropic factors caused by irregular radio patterns. Moreover, an Autonomous Groups Particles Swarm Optimization (AGPSO) is employed to further optimize the obtained coordinate in the first round. It developed a novel method to determine localization coverage. The localization coverage is also added to be one evaluation metric in our study, which makes up for the lack of this evaluation indicator in most of the studies. Simulation results display good localization accuracy and strong stability under anisotropic networks. In addition, it also concluded that metaheuristic optimization algorithm and weighted least square method are more suitable to conquer anisotropic factor. It briefly points out a new direction for the future research work in the localization area under anisotropic networks.
Atomic force microscope chamber for in situ studies of ice

To investigate the surface morphologies of biological systems in a controlled gaseous environment (e.g., the temperature, humidity and composition), most commercial atomic force microscopes require modification. We have designed a double-jacketed environmental chamber specifically for a Nanoscope IIIa (Digital Instruments, Santa Barbara, CA) force microscope. We use cold nitrogen and thermoelectric devices to control the temperature in the chamber; the nitrogen simultaneously serves to create an inert environment. We have also designed a temperature controlled sample stage utilizing thermoelectric devices for fine temperature regulation. A variation of this sample stage allows us to image samples in fluids at cold temperatures with an O-ringless configuration. The relative humidity within the chamber is also measured with commercially available relative humidity sensors. We investigate the surface morphology of ice Ih in its pure phase and shall extend the study to ice in the presence of biological molecu.