Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structured Waters Mediate Small Molecule Binding to G-Quadruplex Nucleic Acids

The role of G-quadruplexes in human cancers is increasingly well-defined. Accordingly, G-quadruplexes can be suitable drug targets and many small molecules have been identified to date as G-quadruplex binders, some using computer-based design methods and co-crystal structures. The role of bound water molecules in the crystal structures of G-quadruplex-small molecule complexes has been analyzed in this study, focusing on the water arrangements in several G-quadruplex ligand complexes. One is the complex between the tetrasubstituted naphthalene diimide compound MM41 and a human intramolecular telomeric DNA G-quadruplex, and the others are in substituted acridine bimolecular G-quadruplex complexes. Bridging water molecules form most of the hydrogen-bond contacts between ligands and DNA in the parallel G-quadruplex structures examined here. Clusters of structured water molecules play essential roles in mediating between ligand side chain groups/chromophore core and G-quadruplex. These clusters tend to be conserved between complex and native G-quadruplex structures, suggesting that they more generally serve as platforms for ligand binding, and should be taken into account in docking and in silico studies.
Microbes from Brine Systems with Fluctuating Salinity Can Thrive under Simulated Martian Chemical Conditions

The waters that were present on early Mars may have been habitable. Characterising environments analogous to these waters and investigating the viability of their microbes under simulated martian chemical conditions is key to developing hypotheses on this habitability and potential biosignature formation. In this study, we examined the viability of microbes from the Anderton Brine Springs (United Kingdom) under simulated martian chemistries designed to simulate the chemical conditions of water that may have existed during the Hesperian. Associated changes in the fluid chemistries were also tested using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The tested Hesperian fluid chemistries were shown to be habitable, supporting the growth of all of the Anderton Brine Spring isolates. However, inter and intra-generic variation was observed both in the ability of the isolates to tolerate more concentrated fluids and in their impact on the fluid chemistry. Therefore, whilst this study shows microbes from fluctuating brines can survive and grow in simulated martian water chemistry, further investigations are required to further define the potential habitability under past martian conditions.
Frovatriptan Succinate Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles: Formulation, Evaluation, Stability Study and Shelf Life Determination

Aims: The aim of the research work was to prepare and optimize the Frovatriptan Succinate (FVN) loaded solid lipid nanoparticles. Methods: SLNs were developed by solvent emulsification diffusion technique and evaluated for particle size, PDI, zeta potential, in-vitro drug release, and finally stability study was conducted for the detection of shelf life. Results: The optimized formulation exhibited particle size, PDI, and zeta potential 122.85±9.24 nm, 0.129 and -25.85 mV, respectively. In-vitro drug release study exhibited biphasic drug release pattern. Initially (in first two hrs) the drug was release in fast manor i.e. burst release (32.36±7.28 %). It might be due to the presence of drug on the surface of SLNs. After 2 hrs of study, the release pattern became sustained up to 24 hrs. The total amount of drug release in 24 h was found to be 91.29 ± 8.26%. Various kinetic models were applied to evaluate the release pattern of the drug form the formulation. Higuchi model was found to be the best fitted with the R2 value of 0.9482. The release mechanism was found to be the Fickian type with the release exponent (n) value of 0.4386. Finally, stability study was conducted. The formulation was found to be the stable under the studied conditions. The shelf life of the formulation was found to be 1.77 years. Conclusion: Finally, it could be concluded that, the SLNs are the suitable carrier for the delivery of FVN .
Comparison between Cervical Ureaplasma spp. Colonization and the Intensity of Inflammatory Mediators in the Amniotic Fluid Retrieved during Cesarean Delivery in Preterm Birth

We investigated whether cervical Ureaplasma spp. colonization affects the intensity of inflammatory mediators in amniotic fluid retrieved during cesarean delivery in singleton preterm birth. One hundred fifty-three cases in singleton preterm birth with 24–34 weeks’ gestation were enrolled. The intensities of seven inflammatory mediators (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and matrix metalloproteins (MMP)-8, MMP-9) of amniotic fluid were measured. We tested cervical swab specimens using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays to detect Ureaplasma spp. colonization. Histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) was diagnosed when acute inflammation was observed in any of the placental tissues. Mean gestational age at delivery and birth weight were 30.9 ± 2.4 weeks and 1567 ± 524 g, respectively. Cervical Ureaplasma spp. colonization was detected 78 cases. The incidence of HCA was 32.3% (43/133). Although the intensities of all inflammatory mediators were significantly different according to presence or absence of HCA, there were no significant differences according to cervical Ureaplasma spp. colonization. In all 43 cases with HCA and 90 cases without HCA, there were no significant differences between cervical Ureaplasma spp. colonization and the intensity of inflammatory mediators. Cervical Ureaplasma spp. colonization did not affect the intensity of inflammatory mediators in the amniotic fluid retrieved during cesarean delivery.
Nonlinear dynamic image-based visual servoing of a quadrotor

This paper proposes a dynamic image-based visual servoing (IBVS) control law for a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a single fixed on-board camera facing downward. The motion control problem is to regulate the relative lateral position of the vehicle to a stationary target located on the ground. The control law is termed dynamic as it is based on the dynamics and kinematics of the vehicle. The proposed design uses a nonlinear input-dependent change of state coordinates and its error dynamics are proven to be locally exponentially stable with an estimate provided for the region of attraction. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate the method's ease of on-board implementation, performance, and robustness. The simulation and experimental results include a comparison with an established dynamic IBVS method. This comparison shows the proposed method can provide similar performance with the benefit of reduced complexity.
Stress release structures for actuator beams with a stress gradient

Stress release structures are introduced in fixed–fixed beams or membranes for releasing average stress. The influence of a stress gradient on the initial deformation of a fixed–fixed beam with stress release structures is studied in this paper. The objective is to obtain actuator beams that are insensitive to both the average stress and the stress gradient. The target application for the actuator beam in this study is a surface micromachined variable capacitor with a fixed electrode at the center of the beam. An analytical one-dimensional model is derived which predicts the initial deflection of a fixed–fixed beam with one stress release structure at any location and with two stress release structures, placed symmetrically with respect to the center of the beam at any location. The initial center deflection of the beam with one stress release structure was found from the analytical modeling to be zero for a specific set of parameters, but a negative deflection is always present for this specific configuration, leading to beams that touch the substrate at undesired positions, which implies non-functional devices. The configuration with the two symmetrically placed stress release structures can have zero initial center deflection, according to the analytical model, when the stress release structures are placed at a distance of a quarter of the beam length from the anchor points. Finite-element simulations are performed for both configurations and validate the theory. Deviations from the assumed model result in small initial center deflections, but can be compensated for by a little shift of the stress release structures. Experiments are performed for less ideal configurations with two stress release structures where they are shaped as round meanders. These structures do not fully release the stress and the center deflection therefore depends on the average stress to some extent, as demonstrated by finite element simulations. However, the location can be chosen such that there is an initial center deflection that is close to zero. These experiments are, therefore, in qualitative agreement with the analytical model.
Feasible development of soft-switched SIT inverter with load-adaptive frequency-tracking control scheme for induction heating

This paper describes the latest feasible developments of a voltage-source-type series-capacitor-commutated load-resonant high-frequency bridge inverter using static induction transistors (SITs) for industrial induction-heating and melting applications. A load-adaptive variable-frequency tuned controller, composed of a phase-locked loop integrated circuit (PLLIC) device, a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) power controller employing a phase-controlled AC/DC converter, and protective control schemes for overvoltage and/or overcurrent generation, is also demonstrated for this series resonant inverter. In addition to these, a short-circuit test of a high-power SIT incorporated into the bridge leg high-frequency series resonant inverter is carried out from a practical point of view and evaluated, in order to obtain important design data considering reliable switching characteristics of large-capacity SITs and to realize cost-effective protective circuits for SITs.
Mechanical stress related instabilities in silicon under metal coverage

Mechanical stress related instabilities in silicon bulk material under integrated circuit (IC) metallization are investigated. The test structures based on Wheatstone bridge configuration in which two out of four resistors were covered by wide aluminium stripes were fabricated especially for this purpose. Calculations based on the piezoresistance effect were utilized to estimate the mechanical stress in the silicon substrate. Also, finite element modeling (FEM) of the fabricated test structures has been performed. Both results, experimental and numerical, show that metallization involves an additional stress term. In the silicon buffer, The piezoresistance can influence the matching characteristics of ICs and also produce a time-drift of IC performance due to the time-drift of mechanical stress. Resistance mismatching of more than 1000 ppm was measured when the resistors were covered by aluminum. A covered resistance drift of 245 ppm due to aluminum plastic deformation was measured when heating tests mere applied. Finally, the simulation results for the prediction of the stress levels in silicon covered with metal lines of various widths are presented. For a 4 /spl mu/m-width aluminum line it was recognized a safe distance of 10 /spl mu/m.
Maximizing signal strength for OFDM inside buildings

Propagation inside buildings suffer from large shadowing and high multipath effects. This is a serious problem for wireless local area network (WLAN) systems. This paper shows that shadowing and path loss can be minimized by exploiting the multipath tolerance of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). This can be achieved by using multiple transmission antennas spread over the area of a WLAN cell. These antennas act as repeaters, transmitting and receiving the same signal at the same time. This decreases the average path loss, but increases the multipath delay spread. Using OFDM allows the advantage of reduced path loss to be utilized without detrimental effects of inter-symbol interference caused by the increased delay spread. The reduced path loss allows an increased system capacity, quality of service, or a decrease in intercellular interference in a cellular WLAN.
Strategizing as Practising: Strategic Learning as a Source of Connection

As strategy research has been exploring the dynamic, social and situated nature of the strategy process, so has the role of learning increasingly been recognised as a central feature of strategizing practice. This paper contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of strategizing practice by focusing on the strategic role of learning to integrate the multiple micro and macro forces affecting strategizing practice. In particular the analysis draws attention to the performative nature of practices which underpins their fluid and temporal character. By introducing the notion of practising, to capture this characteristic the focus is less on the reproduction and institutionalisation of practices and more on their multiple forms of representation as these are performed in action and interaction with others in the social context. The analysis of practising strategizing leads to a new conceptualisation of strategic learning as a context of strategizing practise and also positions strategic learning as a strategizing practice itself. It is argued that strategic learning is integral to strategizing practice due to its capacity to connect.
Evaluation of A16 Motorway Fog-Signaling System with Respect to Driving Behavior

On the A16 Motorway in the Netherlands, the Dutch Ministry of Transport implemented an automatic fog-signaling system to elicit safer driving behavior during fog. Along a road section 12 km (7.4 mi) long, 20 sensors were placed to continuously measure the visibility range. During fog, the system displays an explicit fog warning on overhead matrix signs together with a maximum speed limit that depends on the actual available visibility range. An evaluation study in terms of driving behavior was carried out for a period of more than 2 years. Continuous traffic measurements for individual vehicles were obtained via inductive loop detectors at six locations (four experimental and two control locations). Data on the local visibility conditions and on the messages displayed on the matrix signs were available on a 1-min basis. The results reveal that the system has a positive effect on speed choice in fog: on top of a lower mean speed caused by the reduced visibility, the system results in an additional decrease of speed of about 8 to 10 kph
Effect of Location of Centre of Mass of a Semi-Independently Suspended Automobile on Natural Frequencies

Suspension system of an automobile not only supports the body of the vehicle, engine and passengers but also absorbs shocks arising from the roughness of the road. Most of the present day cars are provided with independent suspension for the front wheels and conventional suspension for the rear wheels. Such a suspension system is referred in this paper as semi-independent suspension system. When the automobile is moving, the roughness of the road keeps giving excitations to the suspension system through tyres. The frequency of excitation is directly proportional to the velocity of the vehicle and inversely proportional to the distance between two undulations of the road. The knowledge of natural frequency is important because the designer would prefer to keep the lowest natural frequency much higher than the frequency of excitation. In this paper, an attempt is made to study the effect of centre of mass of the main body on the natural frequencies of the system.
Sex, amitosis, and evolvability in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila

Understanding the mechanisms that generate genetic variation, and thus contribute to the process of adaptation, is a major goal of evolutionary biology. Mutation and genetic exchange have been well studied as mechanisms to generate genetic variation. However, there are additional processes that may also generate substantial genetic variation in some populations and the extent to which these variation generating mechanisms are themselves shaped by natural selection is still an open question. Tetrahymena thermophila is a ciliate with an unusual mechanism of nuclear division, called amitosis, which can generate genetic variation among the asexual descendants of a newly produced sexual progeny. We hypothesize that amitosis thus increases the evolvability of newly produced sexual progeny relative to species that undergo mitosis. To test this hypothesis, we used experimental evolution and simulations to compare the rate of adaptation in T. thermophila populations founded by a single sexual progeny to parental populations that had not had sex in many generations. The populations founded by a sexual progeny adapted more quickly than parental populations in both laboratory populations and simulated populations. This suggests that the additional genetic variation generated by amitosis of a heterozygote can increase the rate of adaptation following sex and may help explain the evolutionary success of the unusual genetic architecture of Tetrahymena and ciliates more generally.
The Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Urban Properties in Tampa Due to Climate Change

Fast urbanization produces a large and growing population in coastal areas. However, the increasing rise in sea levels, one of the most impacts of global warming, makes coastal communities much more vulnerable to flooding than before. While most existing work focuses on understanding the large-scale impacts of sea-level rise, this paper investigates parcel-level property impacts, using a specific coastal city, Tampa, Florida, USA, as an empirical study. This research adopts a spatial-temporal analysis method to identify locations of flooded properties and their costs over a future period. A corrected sea-level rise model based on satellite altimeter data is first used to predict future global mean sea levels. Based on high-resolution LiDAR digital elevation data and property maps, properties to be flooded are identified to evaluate property damage cost. This empirical analysis provides deep understanding of potential flooding risks for individual properties with detailed spatial information, including residential, commercial, industrial, agriculture, and governmental buildings, at a fine spatial scale under three different levels of global warming. The flooded property maps not only help residents to choose location of their properties, but also enable local governments to prevent potential sea-level rising risks for better urban planning. Both spatial and temporal analyses can be easily applied by researchers or governments to other coastal cities for sea-level rise- and climate change-related urban planning and management.
Técnicas de Aprendizado por Reforço Aplicadas em Jogos Eletrônicos na Plataforma Geral do Unity

O objetivo do presente trabalho é investigar o desempenho de agentes jogadores baseados em aprendizado por reforço mais especificamente, nos algoritmos Q-Learning e Deep Q-Networks (DQN) por meio da plataforma Unity. Para tanto, os autores implementam nela agentes jogadores de Basic e GridWorld que são treinados segundo tais algoritmos. A fim de avaliar o desempenho desses agentes, foi efetuada uma análise comparativa entre eles e os melhores agentes jogadores desses jogos disponibilizados na plataforma Unity, os quais são baseados nas técnicas de aprendizagem Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) e Soft Actor-Critic (SAC).
Sense of coherence, general self-efficacy and health
behaviors in women after mastectomy

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between the sense of coherence, general self-efficacy and health behaviors in women after mastectomy. Method: 62 post-mastectomy female members of the “Amazonka” association in Szczecin and Piła completed The Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29), The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), The Health Behavior Inventory (IZZ), the Personal Values List (LWO) and a self-designed questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics package. Results: Statistically significant, positive correlations were observed between sense of coherence and health behaviors, and sense of coherence and positive mental attitude. Perceived support from family/friends was linked to health behaviors. There were significant positive correlations between general self-efficacy, health behaviors and positive mental attitude. No links were found between the value attributed to health and manifested health behaviors in women after mastectomy. Conclusions: The sense of coherence and general self-efficacy were significantly related to health behaviors in women after mastectomy. mastectomy; sense of coherence; general self-efficacy
State-of-the-Art Research on Chemiresistive Gas Sensors in Korea: Emphasis on the Achievements of the Research Labs of Professors Hyoun Woo Kim and Sang Sub Kim

This review presents the results of cutting-edge research on chemiresistive gas sensors in Korea with a focus on the research activities of the laboratories of Professors Sang Sub Kim and Hyoun Woo Kim. The advances in the synthesis techniques and various strategies to enhance the gas-sensing performances of metal-oxide-, sulfide-, and polymer-based nanomaterials are described. In particular, the gas-sensing characteristics of different types of sensors reported in recent years, including core–shell, self-heated, irradiated, flexible, Si-based, glass, and metal–organic framework sensors, have been reviewed. The most crucial achievements include the optimization of shell thickness in core–shell gas sensors, decrease in applied voltage in self-heated gas sensors to less than 5 V, optimization of irradiation dose to achieve the highest response to gases, and the design of selective and highly flexible gas sensors-based WS2 nanosheets. The underlying sensing mechanisms are discussed in detail. In summary, this review provides an overview of the chemiresistive gas-sensing research activities led by the corresponding authors of this manuscript.
Use of Off-ASTM Class F Fly Ash and Waste Limestone Powder in Mortar Mixtures Containing Waste Glass Sand

Developing sustainable concrete with less ordinary Portland cement is a growing issue in the construction industry. Incorporating industrial by-products (such as fly ash or slag) or municipal solid wastes (such as waste glass or recycled concrete aggregate) into the concrete becomes an effective way to reduce the consumption of natural sources and carbon dioxide emission if a proper mix design is provided. The present study examines the influence of the combined use of off-ASTM Class F fly ash (FFA) and waste limestone powder (LSP) on flowability, compressive strength, and expansion characteristics of mortar mixtures containing waste glass sand (WGS). FFA and LSP were used as cement replacement while WGS was used as partial reactive siliceous river sand replacement. Material variables included different WGS replacement ratios (25%, 50%, and 75%) with river sand, LSP contents (25%, 50%, and 75%), FFA contents (15%, 30%, and 45%), and different combinations of FFA-LSP (15–10%, 15–15%, 15–30%, and 15–35%). It is shown that the single use of FFA or LSP reduces both compressive strength and flowability of mortar mixture as its replacement level increases. However, mixtures combined with FFA and LSP provide higher or comparable strength to the single LSP or FFA mixture. For the expansion characteristics due to alkali-silica reaction, the single-use of more than 30% FFA or 75% LSP has less than 0.1% expansion, which is a non-reactive aggregate criterion based on the C1260/C1567 when the test period is extended to 56 days. Moreover, the combination of FFA and LSP has a considerable reduction in expansion rate compared to the single FFA or LSP mixture.