Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Al(OH)3 addition on densification mechanism and properties of reaction-sintered mullite-corundum composite ceramics

ABSTRACT Mullite composite ceramics were fabricated by using mullite powder from waste coal gangue and Al(OH)3 as starting materials. The effects of sintering temperature and Al(OH)3 content on phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the ceramics were systematically investigated. Results show that the bulk density and flexural strength of composite ceramics increase as the temperature increases from 1480°C to 1560°C. The composite ceramics exhibit optimal performances with addition of 10 wt. % Al(OH)3 at 1560°C, a bulk density of 2.43 g/cm3 and a flexural strength of 124.28 MPa, respectively. Moreover, additional Al(OH)3 promotes a reaction between SiO2 and Al2O3 and forms more mullite phase. The increase in mullite content endows the composite ceramics with high mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscope images indicate that the mullite particles exhibit an interlocking structure, while the corundum phase is “pinned” within the mullite interlocking structure, contributing to the mechanical properties of composite ceramics.
Michael Acceptors as a Tool for Anticancer Drug Design

Interaction of antitumor drugs with cellular targets involves various types of chemical binding, of which covalent binding is one of important strategies in designing effective anticancer molecules. The anticancer compounds employing covalent binding, structurally diverse, belong to many chemical classes, including quinones, mustards, nitrosourea, alkylsulfonate, pyrrolo[l,4]benzodiazepines, and others. Most of these compounds contain, or acquire by cellular metabolism, electrophilic centers, and some are Michael acceptors in a broader sense. Recent evidences suggest that antineoplastic alkylating compounds bind directly to various cellular nucleophiles, thus lacking in a selectivity. Meanwhile, Michael acceptors can be structurally modified, so that they can react selectively with target nucleophiles or they can be converted into a selective Michael acceptors during metabolism. Moreover, we often meet these Michael acceptors in biochemical process of cellular respiration or in metabolisms of some drugs or xenobiotics. A group of representative natural cytotoxic compounds containing Michael acceptor are naphthoquinones such as menadione and shikonin analogues, cytotoxic quassinoids, sesquiterpenoid benzoquinones, and others. Mitomycin, meanwhile, is transformed by reductive activation into a conjugated dienone as a Michael acceptor. In this review, chemistry, cytotoxicity and antitumor action of anticancer agents containing Michael acceptors will be discussed in the respect of structure-activity relationship. More in-depth review will be given of the naphthazarin analogues. Also, cytotoxic terpenes such as ar-turmerone analogues, quassinoids, and others will be reviewed.
Social distance and face mask detector system exploiting transfer learning

As time advances, the use of deep learning-based object detection algorithms has also evolved leading to developments of new human-computer interactions, facilitating an exploration of various domains. Considering the automated process of detection, systems suitable for detecting violations are developed. One such applications is the social distancing and face mask detectors to control air-borne diseases. The objective of this research is to deploy transfer learning on object detection models for spotting violations in face masks and physical distance rules in real-time. The common drawbacks of existing models are low accuracy and inability to detect in real-time. The MobileNetV2 object detection model and YOLOv3 model with Euclidean distance measure have been used for detection of face mask and physical distancing. A proactive transfer learning approach is used to perform the functionality of face mask classification on the patterns obtained from the social distance detector model. On implementing the application on various surveillance footage, it was observed that the system could classify masked and unmasked faces and if social distancing was maintained or not with accuracies 99% and 94% respectively. The models exhibited high accuracy on testing and the system can be infused with the existing internet protocol (IP) cameras or surveillance systems for real-time surveillance of face masks and physical distancing rules effectively.
The Impact of Institutions on Multidimensional Poverty Reduction in Vietnam

For many years, poverty has been a problem in many developing countries in general and in Vietnam in particular. Studies assessing the impact of institutions on multidimensional poverty have only been applied in Vietnam since 2016. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of institutions on multidimensional poverty reduction in Vietnam using multilevel data at household and provincial levels in Vietnam. Institution is calculated from a survey of people's perceptions on three aspects (performance, quality of policy implementation, and service delivery by local governments) from 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam to advocate for effective and responsive governance. The results assert the positive impact of institutional efficiency on reducing multidimensional poverty using multilevel Probit models. The study also indicates that the impact of institutions on multidimensional poverty is different among localities, and for urban and high-income localities the institutions have a reverse impact.
A geometric approach to quantum state separation

Probabilistic quantum state transformations can be characterized by the degree of state separation they provide. This, in turn, sets limits on the success rate of these transformations. We consider optimum state separation of two known pure states in the general case where the known states have arbitrary a priori probabilities. The problem is formulated from a geometric perspective and shown to be equivalent to the problem of finding tangent curves within two families of conics that represent the unitarity constraints and the objective functions to be optimized, respectively. We present the corresponding analytical solutions in various forms. In the limit of perfect state separation, which is equivalent to unambiguous state discrimination, the solution exhibits a phenomenon analogous to a second order symmetry breaking phase transition. We also propose a linear optics implementation of separation which is based on the dual rail representation of qubits and single-photon multiport interferometry.
Preservation of Litchi Fruit with Nanosilver Composite Particles (Ag-NP) and Resistance against Peronophythora litchi

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is susceptible to infection by Peronophythora litchi post storage, which rapidly decreases the sensory and nutritional quality of the fruit. In this study, the effects of nanosilver (Ag-NP) solution treatment on the shelf life of litchi fruit and the inhibition of P. litchi were examined, and the underlying mechanisms were discussed. For investigations, we used one variety of litchi (‘Feizixiao’), dipping it in different concentrations of Ag-NP solution after harvesting. Meanwhile, we treated P. litchi with different concentrations of Ag-NP solution. According to the data analysis, litchi treated with 400 μg/mL Ag-NPs and stored at 4 °C had the highest health rate and the lowest browning index among all the samples. In the same trend, treatment with 400 μg/mL Ag-NPs produced the best results for anthocyanin content, total soluble solids content, and titratable acidity content. Additionally, according to the results of the inhibition test, 800 μg/mL Ag-NP solution had a 94.97% inhibition rate against P. litchi. Within 2–10 h following exposure to 400 μg/mL Ag-NP solution, the contents of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase in P. litchi gradually increased and peaked, followed by a gradual decline. At this time, the integrity of the cell membrane of P. litchi could be broken by Ag-NP solution, and the sporangia showed deformed germ tubes and abnormal shapes. Taken together, these results suggested that Ag-NP treatment inhibited respiration and P. litchi activity, which might attenuate litchi pericarp browning and prolong the shelf life of litchi. Accordingly, Ag-NPs could be used as an effective antistaling agent in litchi fruit and as an ecofriendly fungicide for the post-harvest control of litchi downy blight. This study provides new insights into the application of Ag-NP as an antistaling agent for fruit storage and as an ecofriendly fungicide.
Evolutionary trajectory of receptor binding specificity and promiscuity of the spike protein of SARS‐CoV‐2

SARS-CoV-2 infects cells by attachment to its receptor – the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Regardless of the wealth of structural data, little is known about the physicochemical mechanism of interactions of the viral spike (S) protein with ACE2 and how this mechanism has evolved during the pandemic. Here, we applied experimental and computational approaches to characterize the molecular interaction of S proteins from SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC). Data on kinetics, activation- and equilibrium thermodynamics of binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) from VOC with ACE2 as well as data from computational protein electrostatics revealed a profound remodeling of the physicochemical characteristics of the interaction during the evolution. Thus, as compared to RBDs from Wuhan strain and other VOC, Omicron RBD presented as a unique protein in terms of conformational dynamics and types of non-covalent forces driving the complex formation with ACE2. Viral evolution resulted in a restriction of the RBD structural dynamics, and a shift to a major role of polar forces for ACE2 binding. Further, we investigated how the reshaping of the physicochemical characteristics of interaction affect the binding specificity of S proteins. Data from various binding assays revealed that SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan and Omicron RBDs manifest capacity for promiscuous recognition of unrelated human proteins, but they harbor distinct reactivity patterns. These findings might contribute for mechanistic understanding of the viral tropism, and capacity to evade immune responses during evolution.
Salmonella Enteritidis Fatal Septicemia with Meningoencephalitis in a Tiger (Panthera tigris) Cub

Simple Summary Salmonellosis is an infectious bacterial disease, which causes moderate to severe gastrointestinal manifestations or severe syndromes, including septicemia and death. The presence of Salmonella spp. in captive exotic felids is generally asymptomatic in adults that may act as environmental carriers and shedders of the bacterium. This case report describes the occurrence of fatal septicemia with meningoencephalitis in a Panthera tigris cub caused by Salmonella Enteritidis. The fragility of the perinatal period (e.g., inadequate management and poor parental care) and a possible immunocompromised state of the infected cub may have favored the systemic spread of the infection and the colonization of the central nervous system. This case highlights the importance of thoroughly investigating the causes of perinatal mortality in captive felids, both for animal health protection and for potential zoonotic implications. Abstract A 15-day-old, female, captive Panthera tigris cub was hospitalized after developing severe hyperthermia, depression, and lack of appetite. The clinical condition rapidly worsened, and the tiger cub died in 72 h after the onset of neurological symptoms, septic shock, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. The postmortem main gross findings consisted of a severe and diffuse bilateral fibrino-suppurative meningoencephalitis and ventriculitis, mild fibrinous and sero-hemorrhagic polyserositis and cystitis, severe pulmonary edema, and hemorrhages. Microscopically, the meninges, ependyma, and choroid plexuses were diffusely expanded by abundant infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages, with multifocal fibrinous exudation. Histiocytic interstitial pneumonia, fibrinous and neutrophilic polyserositis, and pyelocystitis were also observed. Vascular thrombosis with multifocal vasculitis and vascular necrosis were frequently observed. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures performed on the brain, lungs, intestine, kidneys, and in pericardial effusion reported the presence of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis. Environmental and nutritional contamination were identified as putative sources of infections. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of Salmonella Enteritidis septicemia with meningoencephalitis in a tiger cub, which highlights the need to further investigate the cause of acute perinatal death to reduce the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.
The DLC Coating on 316L Stainless Steel Stochastic Voronoi Tessellation Structures Obtained by Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing for Potential Biomedical Applications

The DLC coating of samples produced by additive manufacturing with complex shapes is a challenge but also shows the possibility of obtaining a diffusive barrier for biomedical applications. In this study, stochastic porous structures based on Voronoi tessellation were fabricated using binder jetting technology from 316L SS powder and modified using DLC coating. The DLC coating was deposited using the RF PACVD technology. The chamber pressure was 40 Pa with a methane gas flow rate of 60 sccm. The negative bias voltage was 700 V. The deposition time was 5 min. Dimensional analysis was performed using optical microscopy. Surface morphology and topography were evaluated using SEM and confocal microscopy. Raman spectroscopy was used to examine the chemical structure of DLC coating. Finally, the HR TEM was used to evaluate the physicochemical characterization of the DLC coating. The interconnected complex spatial network of the Voronoi structure was accurately duplicated by the binder jetting technology. The obtained substrates were characterized by high roughness (Ra = 6.43 µm). Moreover, the results indicated that the conditions of the RF PACVD process allow for the deposition of the continuous and tightened DLC coating with a thickness from 30 nm to 230 nm and defined the content of Cr2O3 and SiO2.
Regulatory Role of ECM Biophysical Signals in Cell and Nuclear Mechanics: A Bibliometric and Visualized Study

Bibliographic and visualization tools can be used to reveal information from a massive amount of literature data. A bibliographic search of original articles published in English in the Web of Science Core Collection (2013–2022) using the terms extracellular matrix (ECM), cell mechanics, and nuclear mechanics. We conducted a bibliometric analysis upon which we reviewed their focus, summarized present research, and identified trends in academic research using the Bibliometrix package in R Software and CiteSpace software. In this study, we examined the current state of collaborative research on the regulatory role of ECM biophysical signals in cell and nuclear mechanics. We also examined the top 20 authors to gauge their influence. An analysis of dual maps was also used to reveal the connections among several disciplines. Moreover, the historical direct citation network revealed how the content of such research changed over time. Furthermore, disciplinary burst analysis has highlighted the evolution of ECM biophysical signals in cell and nuclear mechanics studies over the past few years, while keyword density visualization has been used to pinpoint research hotspots. Researchers can utilize these results as a guide to explore topics or concentrate on a particular area of study.
Porous silicon composite silver dendrite irregular nanoparticles with high SERS performance

Three-dimensional plasmonic nanodetection substrates can be used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with high sensitivity, good spectral uniformity, and reproducibility. An electrolyte was prepared and electric field applied to synthesize silver nanodendrites on a p-type porous silicon substrate. After electrochemical polishing and ultrasonic crushing, final porous silicon–silver dendrite composite particles were obtained. Using rhodamine 6G as the probe molecule, the detection limit was 10^−12 M. Compared with the original solid-state substrate, the detection sensitivity was higher. This study provided a promising SERS platform for chemical and biomolecular detection. Graphical abstract Electrochemical synthesis of SERS detection substrates in AgNO_3 and DMF modified HF-containing electrolytes, and ultrasonic fragmentation to obtain porous silicon/silver dendrite composite particles. Schematic diagram showing the preparation method of porous Si/Ag nanodendritic composites and the principle of SERS enhancement. SEM image and Raman detection image of the composite particles.
An integrated home energy management system by the load aggregator in a microgrid using the internet of things infrastructure

Smart technologies enable the significant participation of consumers in demand-side management programs. In this paper, the management of electrical energy consumption for a set of residential houses in a microgrid by a load aggregator for a 24-h planning horizon is studied. In this study, consumption management programs are implemented on controllable equipment by sending binary codes by the load aggregator via the internet of things (IoT) infrastructure to residential sockets. To increase the level of customer convenience and provide more flexibility for consumers to participate in demand response programs, a parameter called the value of lost load (VOLL) has been introduced. According to the results, in addition to no need to use the energy management system for each residential house, only by moving shiftable loads to off-peak hours, 18.34% of energy consumption costs are saved daily. Also, from the load aggregator’s viewpoint for every 10% change in status from normal to the scheduled priority, there is a reduction of about 3.4% in the consumer’s peak-load cost. If solar arrays and storage resources are used, more than 18% of the total consumption cost can be saved.
Estimation of Rayleigh flat channel coefficients using deep learning

Channel estimation is a significant prerequisite in wireless communication, especially where the multipath radio propagation incurs significant fading in a noisy environment. In such a scenario, Rayleigh fading model is traditionally adopted to represent the communication channel. In this article, a new method of getting the Rayleigh flat channel coefficients using deep learning is presented. Here, we presume that the channel state and the corresponding channel coefficients remain constant in a given communication context which depends on the locations of transmitter/receiver, time of the day and the communication environment. When the context changes, the channel state also changes and the corresponding coefficients switch to the respective matching values. Thus the channel coefficients can have several possible realizations or classes. In our scheme, the deep learning network, after training, acts as a classifier to detect the class or the context of the channel state and based on that determines the corresponding channel coefficients. In our proposed method, the percentage reduction in the percentage error is about 26% of that of its nearest competitor when the channel SNR is 10 dB.
Complex tangents of real surfaces in complex surfaces

Introduction. In this paper we study the complex tangents of real surfaces in complex surfaces. More precisely, let M be a closed real surface, i.e., a smooth, compact, two-dimensional manifold without boundary. Given an immersion resp. embedding n: M / of M into a complex surface /(a complex manifold of dimension two), we consider the question to what extent can one simplify the structure of the set of complex tangents of n by a regular homotopy (resp. isotopy) of immersions (resp. embeddings). Recall that a point p e M is called a complex tangent of n if the tangent space n,(TpM) is a complex linear subspace (a complex line) in Ttp)’. The immersion is totally real at every point that is not a complex tangent. An immersion without complex tangents is said to be totally real. When M is orientable and we choose an orientation on M, then every complex tangent p of n is either positive or negative, depending on whether the orientation on n,(TpM) induced from TpM by n, agrees or disagrees with the canonical orientation of n,(TpM) as a complex line. Recall that a regular homotopy is a family of immersions nt: M /, [0, 1], such that nt and all its derivatives depend continuously on the parameter t. Immersions no and nl are regularly homotopic if there exists a regular homotopy connecting no to n 1. If all immersions in the family nt are embeddings, we call nt an isotopy of embeddings. Thom’s transversality theorem (see [1] or [2]) implies that a generic immersion n: M ’ only has isolated complex tangents, and its double points are transverse self-intersections (normal crossings) that avoid the complex tangents of n. In this paper we shall only study immersions satisfying these properties, and we will not mention this again. It is well known that one cannot change the complex tangents arbitrarily by a regular homotopy since their number, counted with suitable algebraic multiplicities, is an invariant I(n) of the regular homotopy class of the immersion, called the index of n (Chern and Spanier [10-1, Eliashberg and Harlamov [24], Webster [33], and Forstneri [16]). Before proceeding, we must recall the definition of I(n). First, we recall from [16] and [33] the index I(p; n) Z of an isolated complex tangent of n. Let U be a small disc neighborhood of p in M. In suitable local holomorphic coordinates (z, w) on ///near n(p), the surface n(U) is a graph w f(z) ofa smooth complex functionf defined near the origin in C, with re(p) corresponding
A Novel Concurrent Dual Band Matching Network for Complex to Real Impedance Matching for RF Applications

A novel and simple technique to match Frequency Dependent Complex Loads (FDCLs) to real source impedance at any two arbitrary frequencies is presented. The proposed structure consists of stubs and two 50 Ohms series transmission lines, making it easy to fabricate. This arrangement allows concurrent operability. It has the versatility to transform all types of complex loads at any frequency ratio, which may not be possible with other conventional techniques. In this brief, the limitations of single section transmission line to transform FDCLs to two complex conjugate loads (CCLs) at two frequencies is thoroughly studied. In the proposed scheme, an L-section is used to match the complex load to source impedance at one frequency; and another section consisting of a transmission line and a combination of open-short stub is used to match the load at other frequency. Three prototype matching networks for frequency ratios 6.5, 2.3 and 1.583 are designed and implemented on ROGERS RO4003 substrate having dielectric constant of 3.38 and substrate height of 20 mils. The simulated and the measured results are in a good accordance.