Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poly(D-lactic acid) as a rheological modifier of poly(L-lactic acid): Shear and biaxial extensional flow behavior

The effect of addition of a small amount of poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) on the melt rheology of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was investigated. PDLA added to PLLA produces a stereocomplex which stays unmelted even above Tm of PLLA. Because of the imbalanced contents of component polymers, the stereocomplex does not grow into a large crystallite but rather acts as a crosslinking point of PLLA chains resulting in the apparent introduction of the long chain branching as well as in the apparent increase in molecular weight. Such changes in the molecular structure give rise to the change in the melt rheology depending on the content and the molecular weight of PDLA. The addition of low Mw PDLA significantly affects the shear rheology of PLLA melts while high Mw PDLA does not give such a significant effect. However, the addition of PDLA with high and low Mw’s gives a strong strain hardening character to PLLA melt even at a very low PDLA content.
Enhancing Antibody

Parenteral administration of Le and LBNF1 anti-Bf sera prolonged the MST of Bf grafts from 7.6 days to 16 and 14 days, respectively. IgG prepared from these sera were also biologically active but increased mean survival times to less than 13 days. Immersion of Bf grafts in anti-Bf whole serum or IgG also was effective in prolonging survival of Bf grafts. When two Bf grafts, one dipped in anti-Bf serum or IgG and the other undipped, were sutured on neonatal recipients, the dipped graft was enhanced in two-thirds of the trials while the undipped graft was rejected within control times. These results were interpreted to mean that enhancing antibodies were active peripherally either in the skin graft or its draining lymph node. Despite the use of isotopes, direct evidence for binding to the homograft was not obtained.
Exploring the Entrepreneurial Intentions of Women in the Context of Digital Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

The presence of women entrepreneurs in the digital marketplace revolutionizes the way we construct our understanding of entrepreneurship way back. Perhaps, this argument could lead to a better impression that entrepreneurship was once a male-dominated profession. This study was designed to generate a causal model on entrepreneurial intention among women entrepreneurs in the context of entrepreneurship, opportunity, alertness, and motivation. A mixed methods design, particularly an explanatory sequential approach, was utilized, and a total of 423 women digital entrepreneurs in the Davao Region participated in this research. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test the hypothesized causal model. Findings indicated that entrepreneurial motivation significantly influences alertness, opportunity, and intention; alertness influences opportunity, but entrepreneurial alertness and entrepreneurial opportunity have no significant influence on entrepreneurial intention. Generally, the hypothesized regression model described 67% of the aggregate variance in entrepreneurial intentions, which was statistically significant. The quantitative results were validated by the informants in the qualitative phase. As to the generated model, the informants concurred with the focal role of entrepreneurial motivation in women's entrepreneurial intentions. The emerging themes: personal will, entrepreneurial screening and seizing, social media presence, and stakeholder support substantiated the results in the model. This leads to connecting-merging-confirmation as the natural integration. Keywords: Entrepreneurial Intention; Entrepreneurial alertness; Entrepreneurial Opportunity; Entrepreneurial Motivation; Gender Empowerment.
Some topics in stochastic control

Some stochastic optimal control problems in a Hilbert space are formulated and solved. The controlled equations are abstract equations in a HIlbert space that can model stochastic partial differential equations and stochastic delay equations. Both linear and semilinear equations are considered where the cylindrical Brownian motion can occur as distributed, boundary, or at discrete points in the domain. For the linear equations, the cost is an ergodic, quadratic functional of the state and the control. An optimal linear feedback control is given explicitly. For the semilinear equations, the cost is an ergodic functional. Some results for the null controllability of a stochastic parabolic equation are given. A control problem for a finite dimension linear stochastic system with an arbitrary fractional Brownian motion and a quadratic cost functional is formulated and explicitly solved.
Suppression of vortex shedding from a pantograph head using vortex generator-type plasma actuators

A vortex generator (VG) is one of the most successful devices used for suppression of ﬂow separation. A con-ventional VG is a passive control device, so that it may su ﬀ er from an inherent drag penalty. As an alternative, we use a dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator (PA) as a VG. Since few studies have been made on such a vortex generator-type plasma actuator (VG-PA), many questions still remain open, e.g., the e ﬀ ectiveness and the performance of the VG-PA for suppression of vortex shedding from a blu ﬀ body. In the present study, we experimentally evaluate the performance of the VG-PA by applying it to a pantograph head model of high-speed trains. The Reynolds number based on the freestream velocity and the width of the pantograph head model is 7200. The spanwise velocity induced by the VG-PA is about 33% of the freestream velocity. The ﬂow ﬁeld is measured by using particle image velocimetry. The present results show that the vortex shedding from a pantograph head model can signiﬁcantly be suppressed by the VG-PA, which amounts to about 60% reduction in the transverse velocity ﬂuctuations. It is also shown that a burst discharge control signiﬁcantly improves the control e ﬀ ect in the single-side conﬁguration, in which the vortex shedding is not much suppressed in the continuous mode.
Antigenic Determinants of Adenovirus Capsids

We have tested the two principal theories which explain the previous finding that small amounts of type-specific antibody to the adenovirus hexon can neutralize infectivity, whereas even large amounts of cross-reactive antibody do not. It has been suggested that the type-specific determinants are especially prominent in the virion. We have therefore measured the capacity of whole virus to bind appropriate antibodies, using a sensitive radioimmunoprecipitation (RIP) system. In fact, virions bound typespecific and cross-reactive antibodies impartially. Moreover, they bound both much less effectively than did free hexon or disrupted virus, suggesting that many of each kind of determinant are inaccessible in virions. It has been suggested that the type-specific determinants are confined to those hexons located next to the pentons, and that they are the targets for neutralizing antibody. We have therefore studied the antigenicity of peripentonal and nonamer hexons isolated from virions, and found that each possessed both kinds of determinants. Furthermore, these were present in the same proportions as in hexons purified from the soluble antigens in infected cells (“free hexons”). We conclude that the mechanism of neutralization by antibody is complicated, and that the type-specific determinants exposed on the virion must play a crucial role.
P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) - weak dipolar interactions provide the key to understanding allocrite recognition, binding, and transport

P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) is the first discovered mammalian member of the large family of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters. It facilitates the movement of compounds (called allocrites) across membranes, using the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis. Here, we review the thermodynamics of allocrite binding and the kinetics of ATP hydrolysis by ABCB1. In combination with our previous molecular dynamics simulations, these data lead to a new model for allocrite transport by ABCB1. In contrast to previous models, we take into account that the transporter was evolutionarily optimized to operate within a membrane, which dictates the nature of interactions. Hydrophobic interactions drive lipid-water partitioning of allocrites, the transport process’s first step. Weak dipolar interactions (including hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and π-cation interactions) drive allocrite recognition, binding, and transport by ABCB1 within the membrane. Increasing the lateral membrane packing density reduces allocrite partitioning but enhances dipolar interactions between allocrites and ABCB1. Allocrite flopping (or reorientation of the polar part towards the extracellular aqueous phase) occurs after hydrolysis of one ATP molecule and opening of ABCB1 at the extracellular side. Rebinding of ATP re-closes the transporter at the extracellular side and expels the potentially remaining allocrite into the membrane. The high sensitivity of the steady-state ATP hydrolysis rate to the nature and number of dipolar interactions, as well as to the dielectric constant of the membrane, points to a flopping process, which occurs to a large extent at the membrane-transporter interface. The proposed unidirectional ABCB1 transport cycle, driven by weak dipolar interactions, is consistent with membrane biophysics.
Construction of solutions of a two‐dimensional Riemann problem for a thin film model of a perfectly soluble antisurfactant solution

This article is concerned with formulation of three‐dimensional thin film model for an antisurfactant solution and hence constructing unique global solution for a two‐dimensional Riemann problem for the corresponding reduced hyperbolic form. We develop six geometrically different structures of the solution using generalized characteristic analysis method while relaxing the restriction that only one planar elementary wave is developed at the interface of each initial discontinuity. We analyze the interactions of classical and nonclassical waves in detail to construct the global solution of the corresponding 2‐D Riemann problem. Further, we provide the expressions for strength, location, and propagation speed of delta shock wave at each interaction point. Moreover, we compare these solutions with the solutions of a one‐dimensional rotated initial value problem and prove that our solutions are globally unique.
Quartz Crystal Microbalance Odor Sensor Coated with Mixed-Thiol-Compound Sensing Film

The relationship between the sensing film material and odor sensor selectivity, as measured using quartz crystal microbalance, has been examined in previous studies. However, selectivity depends not only on the film material, but also on the structure of the sensing films. In the present study, the relationship between the structure of sensing film and the response characteristics observed during film is investigated. Thiol compounds with different molecular structures and atomic groups were mixed and used as sensing film materials. The mixing ratio was varied to produce different film structures. In addition, we demonstrated a new self-assembly method for making a sensing film with the desired specific response property, using the interaction between odor molecules and sensing film molecules due to their affinity. The experimental results indicate that the sensor response is influenced by the sensing film structure, and that sensors with specific response properties can be produced by controlling the film structure.
Light load analysis and topology morphing between full-/half-bridge DC-to-DC converter

ABSTRACT To retain high efficiency in a wide output voltage range and reduce the conduction and switching losses for a DC power supply, this work makes use of topology morphing between full- and half-bridge converters. The operation of the converter is better as a phase-shift modulated (PSM) full-bridge converter for a high output voltage and as the asymmetrical pulse-width modulated (APWM) half-bridge counterpart for a low output voltage. The light load operations of PSM full-bridge and APWM half-bridge DC converter are analysed in detail to account for the voltage gain variation as well as the switching and conduction losses. A suitable control algorithm is also proposed to facilitate smooth morphing transitions and eliminates the unwanted voltage and current overshoot. A laboratory converter circuit rated at outputs up to 60 V, 1.8 kW with 180 V input voltage is designed and built to verify the operation with topology morphing. The experimental results have demonstrated by adapting the PSM full-bridge DC converter to the APWM half-bridge DC converter at the low voltage range that the circuit efficiency can be effectively improved and enhanced 6% for the best.
Incoherent Scatter Correlation Function Measurements

Single-pulse and double-pulse methods for measuring the cross-correlation (two polarizations transmitted and received) or auto-correlation (one polarization only) function of the scattered signal are described. The statistical errors associated with various forms of multi-bit (no quantization errors in the sampling process), one-bit, and hybrid estimators of the correlation function are calculated and compared, both for large and small signal-to-noise ratios. Roughly speaking, when the signal correlation is small, the hybrid estimators require π/2 and the one-bit π2/4 times as many independent samples as the multi-bit estimators to achieve the same statistical accuracy, but this disadvantage is often more than compensated for by an increase in the effective sampling rate. When the correlation is 0.5 or more, there may be a substantial difference between estimators of the same class (multi-bit, for example). Systematic distortions of the correlation function and limitations on resolution associated with the finite receiver bandwidth and transmitted pulse length are calculated. The effect of a refractive index slightly less than unity is mentioned.
Effects of the Various Cooling Conditions on 1,064-nm nd:Yag Laser Treatment for Selective Photothermolysis

The purpose of this study was to find optimum treatment conditions for selective photothermolysis by evaluating internal–external heat distributions according to different cooling methods. The 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser was transmitted into a skin-mimicking phantom with different cooling conditions, and its minimum temperatures and sub-zero times were measured. The cooling methods were classified into a total of eight conditions composed of five cryogen spray cooling conditions and three air cooling conditions. Based on the experimental results, condition 2 was selected as the optimum cooling condition for selective photothermolysis obtained from the cryogen spray cooling method.
Comparison of Inhibitory Effects of Cinnamic Acid, β-Cyclodextrin, L-Cysteine, and Ascorbic Acid on Soluble and Membrane-Bound Polyphenol Oxidase in Peach Fruit

There has been considerable interest in controlling polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity to prevent enzymatic browning in foods. However, studies on inhibitions of different forms of PPO are very limited. Thus, this study focuses on the effects of cinnamic acid, β-cyclodextrin, L-cysteine, and ascorbic acid on soluble PPO (sPPO) and membrane-bound PPO (mPPO) in peach fruit. The activity of partially purified sPPO was 3.17 times higher than that of mPPO. However, mPPO was shown to be more stable than sPPO in the presence of inhibitors with different concentrations (i.e., 1, 3, 5 mM); activation of mPPO was found by 5 mM L-cysteine. Both sPPO and mPPO inhibitions were PPO substrate-dependent. Ascorbic acid showed the highest inhibitory effect on both sPPO and mPPO with all studied inhibitors and substrates. The inhibition of 1 mM ascorbic acid on sPPO and mPPO reached 95.42 ± 0.07% and 65.60 ± 1.16%, respectively. β-Cyclodextrin had a direct inhibitory effect only on sPPO, while the other three inhibitors had direct effects on both sPPO and mPPO. Cinnamic acid exhibited a non-competitive inhibition on sPPO and mPPO, with L-cysteine showing the same, though on sPPO. The inhibition of studied inhibitors on sPPO and mPPO is highly related to the substrate environment, type, and concentration of inhibitors. This study provides a basis for the further prevention of peach fruit browning from the perspective of different enzyme forms.
The stellar population in the core of M15

The inner core of the globular cluster M15 within approximately 2 sec of the geometrical center has been explored with high-resolution images taken through several broad-band UV filter with the Faint Object Camera (FOC) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Approximately 210 stars in this region down to a 5 sigma detection limit of m(sub 220) = 21.5 were reliably identified and located on a UV - U color magnitude diagram for the first time. A majority of stars (about 70% of the total) observed this way lie above the expected main-sequence turn-off of this cluster and below the sparsely populated horizontal branch. The extension of the main sequence above the turn-off separates this population in two roughly equal components situated to the right and left of this line. Most of the former must be classical blue stragglers while the rest belong to a new, as yet unidentified, population of very blue stars. Possibilities include, but are not restricted to, well-mixed single stars, subdwarfs, and helium white dwarfs. Similar objects are also found just outside the core out to approximately 6 sec from the center, but the brighter, presumably more massive ones, are sharply confined to the core itself. The measured excess of bright blue stars and the relative deficiency of bright red giants in the core are consistent with the blue inward color gradient measured from the ground and imply that dynamical evolution can significantly affect the stellar population in the very dense central regions of a high-concentration globular cluster like M15.
Searching for the short timescale variations in the lightcurve of minor planet 1689 Floris-Jan in 1999 and 2002

CCD imaging photometric observations were carried out with Cousins filters in 1999 ( I filter) and 2002 ( R filter) on eight nights in order to search for the intrinsic short-period oscillations in the lightcurve of the slowly rotating minor planet 1689 Floris-Jan. The principal objective of the observations is to perform independent verification or rejection of the short-period oscillations in the lightcurve reported by Pych ([CITE], A&A, 343, L75). Observations made in 1999 and 2002 (this work) do not show any short-period sine-like oscillation. The observations were taken at relatively large airmass conditions and the atmospheric effects introduced large point to point scatter in some data sets in 1999 and 2002. Further observations and a detailed frequency (period) analysis of the short timescale lightcurve variations of this asteroid are strongly encouraged during the next oppositions: the next one will be in March 2005.
A CRIAÇÃO DE CONFIANÇA ATRAVÉS DE INTERFACES DIGITAIS

O exponencial avanço das plataformas digitais focadas em conectar e intermediar a oferta e a demanda gera necessidades de criar produtos digitais capazes de fomentar a confiança entre indivíduos desconhecidos. Para isto, as plataformas estão recorrendo a recursos de interface que possam auxiliar neste processo. Este artigo tem o objetivo avaliar como as plataformas digitais estão gerenciando as interações e estimulando a confiança entre compradores e vendedores. Para isto, foram analisados os recursos utilizados pelo Mercado Livre e pelo Olx em suas páginas de apresentação da oferta, e como estes recursos estão distribuídos e focados em auxiliar a tomada de decisão do comprador. Ao final, é possível notar as diretrizes claras adotadas em cada uma destas plataformas, e como as decisões de negócio e diferentes modelos de monetização estão diretamente conectadas com os recursos disponíveis na interface.
Speechreading supplemented with frequency‐selective sound‐pressure information

The benefit of supplementing speechreading with frequency‐selective sound‐pressure information was studied by auditorily presenting this information to normal‐hearing listeners. The sound‐pressure levels in one or two frequency bands of the speech signal with center frequencies of 500, 1600, and 3160 Hz, respectively, and with 1‐ or 1/3‐ oct bandwidth were used to amplitude‐modulate pure‐tone carriers with frequencies equal to the center frequencies of the filter bands. Short sentences were presented to 18 normal‐hearing listeners under the conditions of speechreading‐only and speechreading combined with the sound‐pressure information. The mean number of correctly perceived syllables increased from 22.8% for speechreading‐only to 65.7% when sound‐pressure information was supplied in a single 1‐oct band at 500 Hz and to 86.7% with two 1‐oct bands at 500 and 3160 Hz, respectively. The latter signal scored only 26.7% correct syllables without accompanying visual information.
The Implications of COVID-19 Infection on Hematologic Parameters and Coagulation Activity: A Review

Wuhan, China, substantially is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019. Coronavirus, the confounder virus, a zoonotic in origin was the causative agent of the disseminated disease worldwide. Structural similarities and convergence points were demonstrated between the coronavirus, SARS, and MERS viruses. Aberrantly, a subset of patients developed a serious acute respiratory distress syndrome or diffuse alveolar injury whereas the rest of the patients encountered mild or no symptoms. The pathological clinical laboratory findings are not only critical in the diagnosis of the COVID-19 infection, on the contrary, but they are also crucial in the prognostic predictions about disease prognosis and therapeutic response. This review aims to give some historical context for the pandemic, demonstrate the laboratory's important role in the screening of COVID-19 infection, and review the current phase of biomarker examination in COVID-19 infection, focusing on markers derived directly from the hematological laboratory, reflecting the implications of COVID-19 on the hematological system and coagulation pathways. In conclusion, there is a direct significant correlation between infection severity, the death rate in COVID-19 patients, and the low number of either WBCs or a high number of WBCs with a low number of lymphocytes.
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying IL-33-Mediated Inflammation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a cytokine defined by its pleiotropic function, acting either as a typical extracellular cytokine or as a nuclear transcription factor. IL-33 and its receptor, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2), interact with both innate and adaptive immunity and are considered critical regulators of inflammatory disorders. The IL-33/ST2 axis is involved in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis; on the basis of their role as pro- or anti-inflammatory mediators of first-line innate immunity, their expression is of great importance in regard to mucosal defenses. Mucosal immunity commonly presents an imbalance in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This review summarizes the main cellular and molecular aspects of IL-33 and ST2, mainly focusing on the current evidence of the pro- and anti-inflammatory effects of the IL-33/ST2 axis in the course of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying the association of IL-33/ST2 signaling in IBD pathogenesis. Although IL-33 modulates and impacts the development, course, and recurrence of the inflammatory response, the exact role of this molecule is elusive, and it seems to be associated with the subtype of the disease or the disease stage. Unraveling of IL-33/ST2-mediated mechanisms involved in IBD pathology shows great potential for clinical application as therapeutic targets in IBD treatment.