Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An improved artificial bee colony algorithm for vehicle routing problem with time windows: A real case in Dalian

This study has been motivated from a real western-style food delivery problem in Dalian city, China, which can be described as a vehicle routing problem with time windows. An integer linear model for the problem is developed, and an improved artificial bee colony algorithm, which possesses a new strategy called an adaptive strategy, a crossover operation, and a mutation operation, is proposed to solve the problem. Then, the effectiveness of the proposed improved artificial bee colony is first validated by some benchmark instances. Furthermore, results obtained on a real-case instance for western-style food delivery problem in Dalian city are also discussed. In this case, the results indicate that the improved artificial bee colony algorithm is a feasible method to solve the real vehicle routing problem with time windows such as western-style food delivery.
Two contradictory facades of N-acetylcysteine activity towards renal carcinoma cells

As a prescribed antioxidant, N-Acetylcysteine is used in treating disease and supportive care. However, N-acetylcysteine’s role in cancer therapy is controversial and needs to be investigated thoroughly. Presently, renal cell carcinoma is one of the most common forms of malignancy and needs new anti-cancer drugs with high efficacy and low side effect. Herein, we studied the effect of N-acetylcysteine on cell proliferation, oxidant stress, and apoptosis on human renal cell carcinoma cell line A498 and tried to understand the mechanisms driving these effects. The results show that N-acetylcysteine could enhance antioxidative activities against oxidative damage and suppress the expression of the directly apoptotic protein to inhibit apoptosis when used at low concentration (<10 mM), thereby protecting A498 cells. On the other hand, N-acetylcysteine induced oxidative stress, leading to mitochondria damage and directly activating apoptotic protein to induce apoptosis at high concentrations (>10 mM), thereby killing A498 cells. Therefore, N-acetylcysteine has two contradictory activities towards renal cell carcinoma cells.
The Tarantula Toxin ω-Avsp1a Specifically Inhibits Human CaV3.1 and CaV3.3 via the Extracellular S3-S4 Loop of the Domain 1 Voltage-Sensor

Inhibition of T-type calcium channels (CaV3) prevents development of diseases related to cardiovascular and nerve systems. Further, knockout animal studies have revealed that some diseases are mediated by specific subtypes of CaV3. However, subtype-specific CaV3 inhibitors for therapeutic purposes or for studying the physiological roles of CaV3 subtypes are missing. To bridge this gap, we employed our spider venom library and uncovered that Avicularia spec. (“Amazonas Purple”, Peru) tarantula venom inhibited specific T-type CaV channel subtypes. By using chromatographic and mass-spectrometric techniques, we isolated and sequenced the active toxin ω-Avsp1a, a C-terminally amidated 36 residue peptide with a molecular weight of 4224.91 Da, which comprised the major peak in the venom. Both native (4.1 μM) and synthetic ω-Avsp1a (10 μM) inhibited 90% of CaV3.1 and CaV3.3, but only 25% of CaV3.2 currents. In order to investigate the toxin binding site, we generated a range of chimeric channels from the less sensitive CaV3.2 and more sensitive CaV3.3. Our results suggest that domain-1 of CaV3.3 is important for the inhibitory effect of ω-Avsp1a on T-type calcium channels. Further studies revealed that a leucine of T-type calcium channels is crucial for the inhibitory effect of ω-Avsp1a.
Mesh‐free model for Hopf's bifurcation points in incompressible fluid flows problems

In this article, a new numerical model is proposed to detect numerically the Hopf bifurcation point of incompressible fluid flows problems. The concept of this model consists to propose a Hopf bifurcation indicator which is solved by a high order mesh free algorithm (HO‐MFA) using the moving least squares (MLS) approximation. This numerical model is based on a strong formulation of Navier–Stokes equations. This procedure allowed us to recover the results of the literature in 3D$$ 3D $$ using only a 2D$$ 2D $$ modelization for low Reynolds number. This new model is tested on the classical flow around a cylindrical obstacle and the backward‐facing step flow to show the advantage and ability of the proposed model to detect the bifurcation points and to determinate the flow periodicity.
STABILITY AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF DIHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID BASED ORGANOGELS IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEGETABLE OIL

Dihydroxystearic acid (DHSA) was obtained from epoxidation and hydroxylation of oleic acid from palm oil. Unlike monohydroxystearic acid, only a few publications described DHSA in the gelation of oils. This study aimed to investigate the stability and physical properties of DHSA organogels in different vegetable oils. Five vegetable oils; refined, bleached and deodourised palm olein (RBDPOo); refined, bleached and deodourised super olein (RBDSPOo); refined, bleached and deodourised palm kernel olein (RBDPKOo); medium-chain triglyceride (MCT); and soybean oil (SBO) were used to prepare DHSA organogels. The stability and critical gel concentration (CGC) of organogels were determined at concentrations of DHSA in the range of 0.2%-20.0% (w/w). DHSA organogels were characterised using a polarised light microscope, texture analyser and rheometer. DHSA organogel with RBDSPOo showed a more stable gel with the lowest CGC value at 9.9% than other oils. In microscopic characterisation, DHSA organogel with RBDPOo showed a high density of small needle-like crystals. The hardness and rheological measurements revealed that DHSA organogels with RBDPOo and RBDSPOo showed the highest elasticity, which is more than 10 000 Pa compared to other oils. However, all DHSA organogels were classified as soft gels and have the potential to be used in cosmetic products.
Does the “Platform Society” Mean the End of the “Network Society?” Reflections on Platforms and the Structure and Dynamics of Networks

Scholars and journalistic accounts have devoted growing interest to the centralizing trends characterizing platforms and the “platform society. ” They often oppose this model to the alleged openness, horizontality, and “equality” they attach to “networks. ” Such depictions seem willing to give up on a thorough consideration of network structure, which appears nowadays less fundamental to reflect on the digital world (and society) than it was 25 years ago. Or even question whether the network society model, as proposed by Castells, is unsuitable for describing contemporary society. In our opinion, the dichotomy opposing the (alleged) openness and egalitarian nature of networks (and of the network society), to the current centralization trends characterizing the platform society, as well as the subsequent assumption that networks are an outdated heuristic tool, derive from a misunderstanding of networks’ structure and dynamics. Scholars have shown that the structure of most complex networks can be defined as “scale-free,” following a power-law distribution. Complex networks, indeed, show the tendency for some nodes to become more interconnected than others (thus becoming “hubs”). In this, the understanding of network structure proposed in Castells (1996), contrary to the rhetoric considering networks intrinsically as “egalitarian,” is still a conceptual and analytical tool of the utmost importance for understanding the so-called “platform society. ” This paper focuses on networks, network models, and the network society, reviewing what was proposed in Castells (1996). We argue that the social and platform ecosystem we are witnessing today can be understood from the perspective of scale-free networks and is, indeed, consistent with the premises provided in 1996. When observing networks, we address both structure and agency, and both the macro (network morphology) and micro (networked individualism and sociability) levels
Naringenin upregulates GTPCH1/eNOS to ameliorate high glucose-induced retinal endothelial cell injury

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes, while retinal endothelial cell (REC) dysfunction is considered the primary pathological process of DR. Naringenin, a natural flavonoid compound, exhibits therapeutic potential against multiple types of endothelial cell injury. To the best of our knowledge, however, its effect on REC injury has not been previously investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of naringenin on high glucose (HG)-induced REC injury and assess the underlying mechanism. To establish a retinal injury model, human (H)RECs were treated with 30 mM glucose. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and TUNEL staining were used to assess the effects of naringenin on cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and concentration of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), the essential cofactor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), were measured using a ROS detection kit and ELISA, respectively. The transfection efficiency of HRECs with guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase-1 (GTPCH1) interfering plasmid was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The protein expression levels of Ki67, proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), eNOS and GTPCH1 were determined by western blot analysis. Compared with the HG-induced group alone, co-treatment with naringenin inhibited HG-induced HREC apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, increased expression levels of the proliferation-associated proteins Ki67 and PCNA and effectively decreased intracellular ROS levels. Furthermore, naringenin upregulated GTPCH1/eNOS signaling and promoted release of BH4. However, GTPCH1 knockdown partially reversed the ameliorative effect of naringenin on HG-induced HREC injury. In summary, the present study suggested that naringenin effectively inhibited HG-induced HREC apoptosis and intracellular oxidative stress, which may be associated with naringenin-mediated GTPCH1/eNOS upregulation.
Urocortin-1 Is Chondroprotective in Response to Acute Cartilage Injury via Modulation of Piezo1

Post-traumatic OA (PTOA) is often triggered by injurious, high-impact loading events which result in rapid, excessive chondrocyte cell death and a phenotypic shift in residual cells toward a more catabolic state. As such, the identification of a disease-modifying OA drug (DMOAD) that can protect chondrocytes from death following impact injury, and thereby prevent cartilage degradation and progression to PTOA, would offer a novel intervention. We have previously shown that urocortin-1 (Ucn) is an essential endogenous pro-survival factor that protects chondrocytes from OA-associated pro-apoptotic stimuli. Here, using a drop tower PTOA-induction model, we demonstrate the extent of Ucn’s chondroprotective role in cartilage explants exposed to excessive impact load. Using pathway-specific agonists and antagonists, we show that Ucn acts to block load-induced intracellular calcium accumulation through blockade of the non-selective cation channel Piezo1 rather than TRPV4. This protective effect is mediated primarily through the Ucn receptor CRF-R1 rather than CRF-R2. Crucially, we demonstrate that the chondroprotective effect of Ucn is maintained whether it is applied pre-impact or post-impact, highlighting the potential of Ucn as a novel DMOAD for the prevention of injurious impact overload-induced PTOA.
The Impact of an After-School Physical Activity Program on Children’s Physical Activity and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation Study

Introduction: This study evaluated the impact of the Build Our Kids’ Success (BOKS) after-school program on children’s physical activity (PA) and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Program leaders, children, and their parents were recruited from after-school programs in Nova Scotia, Canada, that delivered BOKS programming in Fall 2020. After participating, Grade 4–6 children (n = 14) completed the Physical Literacy Assessment for Youth Self (PLAYself), Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), and 5 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Information System (PROMIS) scales. Children (n = 7), parents (n = 5), and program leaders (n = 3) completed interviews, which were analyzed for themes inductively. Results: The average PAQ-C score was 2.70 ± 0.48, PLAYself was 68.23 ± 13.12, and PACES was 4.22 ± 0.59 (mean ± SD). NIH PROMIS scores were below standard means (cognitive function, family relationships) or within normal limits (peer relationships, positive affect, and life satisfaction). A thematic analysis of interviews revealed that children’s PA levels were impacted by the pandemic and that BOKS positively impacted children’s physical well-being and integrated well with school-based activities. Conclusions: Participation in BOKS provided an overall positive experience and may have mitigated COVID-19-related declines in PA in well-being. The results of this evaluation can inform future physically-active after-school programming.
A FIREWALL-ADVERSARIAL TESTING APPROACH FOR SOFTWARE DEFINED NETWORKS

Software Defined Networks (SDN) recently evolves to give more roles to software in network control and management. It is feared that such significant roles may risk those networks in terms of reliability and security. As a new architecture, thorough testing and evaluation should take place to ensure that those networks are robust and reliable. In this paper, we focused on testing firewall modules built on top of SDN. We modeled typical interactions between those modules and the network based on flow and firewall rules. We believe that, in future, all security controls including firewalls should be deployed as software services, created in real time, as instances and deployed without any human intervention. This paper describes also an approach that generates synthetic attacks that can target SDNs using an Adversarial approach. It can be used to create models that test SDNs to detect different attack variations. It is based on the most recent OpenFlow models/algorithms and it utilizes similarity with known attack patterns to identify attacks. Such synthesized variations of at-tack signatures are shown to attack SDNs using adversarial approaches.
Design of a wearable device for conditional neuromodulation of the pudendal nerve

After spinal cord injury, the normal functions of the lower urinary tract may be disrupted. Namely, incontinence and concurrent voiding problems may ensue. The troublesome side effects of the drugs, infection due to catheterisation, and the costs and risks associated with more invasive treatments indicate the need for alternative forms of treatment. The pudendal nerve neuromodulation may provide such an alternative. The unique aspect of this technique is that depending on the stimulus frequency it may result in micturition-like or continence-like reflexes. Also, the stimulus current can be applied trans-rectally, meaning that a minimally-invasive wearable solution may be developed. The major limitation of such a solution is the high level of the required stimulus current to activate the nerve trans-rectally. The efficacy of the trans-rectal neuromodulation of the pudendal may be increased by only applying the stimulus when needed, when employed to tackle incontinence. The electromyogram signal from the external anal sphincter may be used to detect the onset of hyper-reflexive contractions of the bladder. The ability of recording this signal can be readily incorporated in the neuromodulation device due to the proximity of the structures. However, the recording electrodes should be designed for an efficacious and chronic recording. Thus, the main objective of this thesis was to design and optimise the neuromodulation and recording electrodes on the said device. A volume conductor model of such a device in situ was developed and used in tandem with a double layer cable model of nerve fibres to minimise the stimulus current. It was demonstrated that a considerable reduction in the stimulus current may be achieved even when the variations of the nerve trajectory in different individuals are considered. Using computational models and experimental measurements, a recording assembly was identified for an efficacious recording of the electromyogram from the external anal sphincter.
Influence of concrete cracking on ingress and reinforcement corrosion

Reinforced concrete is known to crack due to restrained hygral/thermal shrinkage, various expansive reactions, and the application of mechanical load. In particular, load-induced cracks are unavoidable in reinforced concrete structures as concrete cracking is required to engage the tensile capacity of the embedded steel. Cracks provide a path of least resistance for transport of moisture, chlorides, and various other deleterious substances, which may affect durability and structural performance. Cracks, reaching the depth of the steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete structures, have been shown to allow rapid depassivation of reinforcement and corrosion initiation in some cases. The goal of this work is to investigate the possibility of a link between cracking behavior of concrete and subsequent transport of moisture and chloride ions through the cracked material. Furthermore, the influence cracking has on the initiation of reinforcement corrosion was investigated as part of this Ph.D. study. The cracking behavior was investigated using several experimental methods applied to the wedge splitting test specimen geometry. Two mixture designs were utilized, one ordinary concrete and one steel fiber reinforced concrete, in order to have mixtures with distinctly different fracture properties and cracking behaviors. Fracture properties were determined using the wedge splitting test specimen by performing inverse analysis of measured load-crack opening displacement response. Cracking behavior was investigated by impregnating cracked specimens with a fluorescent epoxy and making plane and thin sections. Moisture ingress was measured for the cracked specimens using non-destructive x-ray equipment, which detects variations in density caused by moisture entering concrete pores and cracks. By repeating measurements over time, the moisture front was tracked in cracked wedge splitting test specimens. Chloride ingress was measured through destructive testing after exposing several similarly mechanically loaded specimens to chloride contaminated water for various periods of time. The samples were split after exposure and the ingress front of chloride ions was detected by spraying the surface with silver nitrate. Comparisons of the cracking and ingress behaviors indicate only a portion of the crack length readily allows ingress of water. A portion of the crack, near the crack tip, restricts ingress of water. To assess the influence of cracking on corrosion of reinforcement, an instrumented rebar was developed as part of the Ph.D. project. The instrumented rebar, which were cast into three point bending beam specimens, assess the aggressivity of the local environment towards corrosion of the steel reinforcement. Results indicated the length along the instrumented rebar where active corrosion was thermodynamically favored increased with
Four Transmission Patterns Traditional Ecological Knowledge (Tek) Cerekang People

The Cerekang people are indigenous peoples holding local wisdom who have a knowledge system about forest and river conservation and the use of natural resources. How this community transmits traditional ecological traditional (TEK) so that they can survive until now is the main question that will be answered in this paper. The theory used to answer this question is the theory of cultural transmission developed by Mesoudi (2008). Data collection was carried out in two ways, namely the library method and the field method. The results show that facing socio-ecological changes, the Cerekang people carry out a transmission strategy that can be formulated in four patterns, namely (1) The process of transmitting ancestral messages takes place vertically and horizontally, from parents to children; (b) the transmission process takes place orally and daily practical experience; (c) the main actors of transmission are parents, traditional stakeholders, and peer groups; and (d) transmission channels mainly through spoken language, imitation, and manner of dress. However, in the current era of information disclosure, to complete the above pattern, it is important to formulate a model of TEK transmission in the form of developing contextual learning materials from an early age.
Positioning five-star hotels in city destinations: The case of Istanbul, Turkey

Destinations and hotel businesses take advantage of many benefits of the online world. Extensive qualitative (review texts) and quantitative (review scores and room rates) data sources enable them to assess their positions through the eyes of their customers. The aim of this study is to propose a method focusing on customer reviews and rates in order to help hotel businesses with assessment of their positioning strategies. The dataset included a selection of five-star hotels in Istanbul, a city destination of Turkey. Room rates and the findings from a thematic narrative analysis of TripAdvisor reviews from a cognitive and experiential perspective were combined to create a position map. The findings extend traditional classification systems and reveal three competitive groups of five-star hotels with specific attributes in a city destination. Other findings offer some insight for hotel and destination managers, enabling them to evaluate the performance of positioning strategies of five-star hotels in the market.
Optimization of the Wake-Up Scheduling Using a Hybrid of Memetic and Tabu Search Algorithms for 3D-Wireless Sensor Networks

Computation of an optimal coverage and connectivity aware wake-up schedule of sensor nodes is a fundamental research issue in a 3D-Wireless Sensor Networks. Most of the existing metaheuristic-based wake-up scheduling schemes do not make sure optimal solution and occasionally smacked in local minima. This paper propose a hybrid metaheuristic-based wake-up scheduling scheme (Memtic-Tabu-based-WS) where best feature of memtic algorithm and Tabu Search algorithm is combined. The proposed scheme has considered four parameters such as energy consumption, coverage, connectivity, and optimal size of schedule list. Performance comparison of the proposed Memtic-Tabu-based-WS scheme is performed in different network scenario and compared with three well-known state-of-art schemes in terms of coverage ratio, active sensor nodes and fitness value. The result analysis validate the superiority of the proposed scheme over the existing schemes with better coverage ratio and derivation of the optimal wake-up schedule.
A Highly Reliable Ferroelectric Memory Technology with SrBi Ta O -Based Material and Metal Covering Cell Structure

A multilevel metal process-based highly reliable ferroelectric memory (FeRAM) has been developed. Highly reliable characteristics have been attained by two techniques. One is a newly developed ferroelectric material with mixed superlattice crystal of SrBi (Ta ,Nb ) O and Bi (Ta ,Nb )O , which provides an elevated remnant polarization while keeping a low coercive voltage. The other is a metal covering memory cell structure which makes the use of plasma silicon nitride (p-SiN) passivation possible without reduction of the ferroelectric thin film by a hydrogen plasma during p-SiN deposition, which results in no degradation of the characteristics of cell capacitors. The FeRAM cell capacitors with the above newly developed ferroelectric mate- rial and metal covering structure have been fabricated by using a 0.6- double level metal process. The fabricated cell capacitors show highly reliable characteristics such as the ensured retention of data written at a low voltage of 2.4 V and humidity resistance for 10 y under a high temperature of 70 C, which is promising for commercialization of FeRAM and its embedded LSIs.