Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A direct-drive solution for Hydrogen supplied all-electric airplane

This paper present a solution for traction motor in Ultra Light Motored (ULM) aircraft applications. A new All Electric Aircraft is here presented with a Hydrogen supplied fuel-cell system and a direct-drive configuration for traction motor. A reverse brushless solution with a distributed winding high pole-pair motor is presented for a 60kW continuous power solution. Materials and geometry have been analyzed with a goal of high torque density and high speed realization. Motor design key points and losses estimation in comparison with the experimental results will be presented.
End-to-End Quantum-like Language Models with Application to Question Answering

Language Modeling (LM) is a fundamental research topic in a range of areas. Recently, inspired by quantum theory, a novel Quantum Language Model (QLM) has been proposed for Information Retrieval (IR). In this paper, we aim to broaden the theoretical and practical basis of QLM. We develop a Neural Network based Quantum-like Language Model (NNQLM) and apply it to Question Answering. Specifically, based on word embeddings, we design a new density matrix, which represents a sentence (e.g., a question or an answer) and encodes a mixture of semantic subspaces. Such a density matrix, together with a joint representation of the question and the answer, can be integrated into neural network architectures (e.g., 2-dimensional convolutional neural networks). Experiments on the TREC-QA and WIKIQA datasets have verified the effectiveness of our proposed models.
Postural stability for taekwondo athletes with repetitive ankle sprains during a single-leg stance

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to investigate postural stability in such group of taekwondo athletes by measuring the center-of-pressure variables in both the injured limb and uninjured limb during a single-leg stance with eyes closed. [Subjects and Methods] The study includes eleven taekwondo athletes with repetitive ankle sprains (RASs) and eleven healthy taekwondo athletes (the controls) at the college level participating in taekwondo training sessions. For the controls, the “injured” limb was taken to be the left limb. [Results] The postural stability measured in both the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions using center-of-pressure variables was lower in the uninjured limb of the RAS group than in the control group during a single-leg stance with eyes closed. However, for the injured limb, there were no significant differences between the two groups. Furthermore, compared to the RAS group, the control group had higher stability in the injured limb than in the uninjured limb. [Conclusion] Individuals with RASs should ensure improvements in their proprioceptive and neuromuscular functions, as well as muscle strength, through an adequate period of rehabilitation to reduce the risk of re-injury.
Building balanced scorecard with SWOT analysis, and implementing “Sun Tzu’s The Art of Business Management Strategies” on QFD methodology

Conjoining the SWOT matrix with the balanced scorecard (BSC) makes a systematic and holistic strategic management system. The SWOT matrix clearly identifies the critical success factors that can be implemented into the identification of the different aspects toward the balanced scorecard. It is, therefore, a more structural approach in setting up the foundation of the balanced scorecard; instead of simply identifying the “key performance indicators” (KPI) via gut feeling or by brainstorming. The next step of the whole process is to make use of the quality function deployment (QFD) methodology with the balanced scorecard (BSC) attributes identified as the “Whats” on the vertical axis, and the major strategies of “The Art of Business Management” Sun Tzu’s as the horizontal “Hows” axis. The relationships are then studied in the body of the QFD matrix. Consideration is then given as to how the model presented can be customised to allow companies using this approach to develop and implement their corporate business strategic plan.
El Niño drought increased canopy turnover in Amazon forests.

Amazon droughts, including the 2015-2016 El Niño, may reduce forest net primary productivity and increase canopy tree mortality, thereby altering both the short- and the long-term net forest carbon balance. Given the broad extent of drought impacts, inventory plots or eddy flux towers may not capture regional variability in forest response to drought. We used multi-temporal airborne Lidar data and field measurements of coarse woody debris to estimate patterns of canopy turnover and associated carbon losses in intact and fragmented forests in the central Brazilian Amazon between 2013-2014 and 2014-2016. Average annualized canopy turnover rates increased by 65% during the drought period in both intact and fragmented forests. The average size and height of turnover events was similar for both time intervals, in contrast to expectations that the 2015-2016 El Niño drought would disproportionally affect large trees. Lidar-biomass relationships between canopy turnover and field measurements of coarse woody debris were modest (R2 ≈ 0.3), given similar coarse woody debris production and Lidar-derived changes in canopy volume from single tree and multiple branch fall events. Our findings suggest that El Niño conditions accelerated canopy turnover in central Amazon forests, increasing coarse woody debris production by 62% to 1.22 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in drought years .
Recombinant overexpression of camel hepcidin cDNA in Pichia pastoris: purification and characterization of the polyHis‐tagged peptide HepcD‐His

Hepcidin, a liver‐expressed antimicrobial peptide, has been demonstrated to act as an iron regulatory hormone as well as to exert a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity. The aim of this work was the expression, as secreted peptide, purification, and characterization of a new recombinant polyHis‐tagged camel hepcidin (HepcD‐His) in yeast Pichia pastoris. The use of this eukaryotic expression system, for the production of HepcD‐His, having 6 histidine residues at its C terminus, was simpler and more efficient compared with the use of the prokaryotic system Escherichia coli. Indeed, a single purification step was required to isolate the soluble hepcidin with purity estimated more that 94% and a yield of 2.8 against 0.2 mg/L for the E coli system. Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight (TOF)/TOF mass spectrometry of the purified HepcD‐His showed 2 major peaks at m/z 4524.64 and 4634.56 corresponding to camel hepcidin with 39 and 40 amino acids. Evaluation of disulfide bond connectivity with the Ellman method showed an absence of free thiol groups, testifying that the 8 cysteine residues in the peptide are displayed, forming 4 disulfide bridges. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that camel hepcidin structure was significantly modified at high temperature of 90°C and returns to its original structure when incubation temperature drops back to 20°C. Interestingly, this peptide showed also a greater bactericidal activity, at low concentration of 9. 5μM, against E coli, than the synthetic analog DH3. Thus, the production, at a large scale, of the recombinant camel hepcidin, HepcD‐His, may be helpful for future therapeutic applications including bacterial infection diseases.
The effect of increased crystallization on the electrical properties of nylon-12

The dielectric properties of 30% crystalline dry Nylon-12 have been measured over the frequency range 10–105 Hz and temperature range 300–450 K, and the effect of its annealing at 423 K investigated both by dielectric measurement and differential scanning calorimetry. Annealing causes its crystallization to α phase, which increase the dc conductivity and decreases the contribution to orientation polarization, but does not alter the shape of the relaxation spectrum. The orientation polarization in Nylon-12 involves two processes, each of which occurs above the glass-transition temperature of Nylon-12, but only the spectra of the lowest temperature process could be clearly resolved. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Analysis and atomic simulation of electron structures and defects in ZnO nano-crystal for its optimal doping with Al

Electrical and structural properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) unit cell and aluminum doped ZnO (AZO) super cell have been studied using density functional theory (DFT) and SIESTA package. According to the calculation of the formation energies for vacancy of Zn and O, it is observed that vacancy of O atom in Zn-rich and vacancy of Zn in O-rich conditions are more probable and stable. For AZO structure, it has been acquired that Zn atom tends to be substituted by Al in Zn-rich and O-rich conditions and creates n-type semiconductor. Finally, the electron density of states (DOS) and defects energies for the structures have been investigated.
Evidence for the role of INSL3 on sperm production in boars by passive immunisation

Insulin‐like factor 3 (INSL3), previously called relaxin‐like factor, is essential for foetal testis descent and has been implicated in sperm production in adult males. This study investigated the role of INSL3 in sperm production by examining the effect of neutralising INSL3 by passive immunisation on testicular function and sperm output in boars. Six male Duroc boars were randomly assigned to passive immunisation and control groups (n = 3 each). The immunisation group was intravenously injected with an IgG fraction of anti‐INSL3 antibody developed against the B domain of INSL3 at 2‐week intervals from 21‐40 weeks of age. The control group was treated with normal IgG in the same manner. Antibody administration reduced testis weight and caused a fourfold increase in the frequency of apoptotic germ cells, which was associated with upregulation of the pro‐apoptotic caspase 3 and BAX, and downregulation of the anti‐apoptotic XIAP and BCL2, and a substantial marked reduction in sperm concentration. Neutralising INSL3 delivered by passive immunisation reduced testis weight and sperm concentration by inducing germ cell apoptosis, suggesting that INSL3 acts as a germ cell survival/anti‐apoptotic factor in the maintenance of sperm production.
How to conduct a qualitative meta-analysis: Tailoring methods to enhance methodological integrity

Abstract Although qualitative research has long been of interest in the field of psychology, meta-analyses of qualitative literatures (sometimes called meta-syntheses) are still quite rare. Like quantitative meta-analyses, these methods function to aggregate findings and identify patterns across primary studies, but their aims, procedures, and methodological considerations may vary. Objective: This paper explains the function of qualitative meta-analyses and their methodological development. Recommendations have broad relevance but are framed with an eye toward their use in psychotherapy research. Rather than arguing for the adoption of any single meta-method, this paper advocates for considering how procedures can best be selected and adapted to enhance a meta-study’s methodological integrity. Method: Through the paper, recommendations are provided to help researchers identify procedures that can best serve their studies’ specific goals. Meta-analysts are encouraged to consider the methodological integrity of their studies in relation to central research processes, including identifying a set of primary research studies, transforming primary findings into initial units of data for a meta-analysis, developing categories or themes, and communicating findings. Conclusion: The paper provides guidance for researchers who desire to tailor meta-analytic methods to meet their particular goals while enhancing the rigor of their research. Clinical or methodological significance of this article: This article describes the function of meta-analytic methods in relation to various research goals, such as the development of theoretical models, comprehensive literature reviews, or methodological reviews. It encourages researchers to design and carry out studies in a manner that strengthens the methodological integrity of their work in relation to their specific goals.
Reconstructing Cloud-Contaminated Multispectral Images With Contextualized Autoencoder Neural Networks

The accurate reconstruction of areas obscured by clouds is among the most challenging topics for the remote sensing community since a significant percentage of images archived throughout the world are affected by cloud covers which make them not fully exploitable. The purpose of this paper is to propose new methods to recover missing data in multispectral images due to the presence of clouds by relying on a formulation based on an autoencoder (AE) neural network. We suppose that clouds are opaque and their detection is performed by dedicated algorithms. The AE in our methods aims at modeling the relationship between a given cloud-free image (source image) and a cloud-contaminated image (target image). In particular, two strategies are developed: the first one performs the mapping at a pixel level while the second one at a patch level to take profit from spatial contextual information. Moreover, in order to fix the problem of the hidden layer size, a new solution combining the minimum descriptive length criterion and a Pareto-like selection procedure is introduced. The results of experiments conducted on three different data sets are reported and discussed together with a comparison with reference techniques.
At the Edge

C. elegans is so important because it is the only creature whose neurons – all 302 – have been precisely mapped and labeled. This is basic to the neuro-physiological investigation that Haspel is conducting with a substantial grant from the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research. The green fluorescent image provided for BioScience is a scan captured during an undergraduate course Haspel teaches, Cell Biology and Imaging, visualizing inhibitory motoneu-rons along the ventral cord. Haspel also created the imaginative image above interpreting the essence of his research. " After all, we're working to find out how key biological components fit together, " he says, " how nature's gears mesh so that C. elegans can move. " Familiarly known to Assistant Professor of Biology Gal Haspel as C. elegans, two images of the minute worm Caenorhabditis elegans comprised the cover of the June 2014 issue of BioScience, which included the article co-authored by Haspel titled " Neurobiology of Caenorhabditis elegans Locomotion: Where Do We Stand? " One millimeter long at most, this tiny nematode is hugely important for increasing biological knowledge that could help humans recover from spinal cord injuries and other neurological damage.
The TLR3 Agonist Inhibit Drug Efflux and Sequentially Consolidates Low-Dose Cisplatin-Based Chemoimmunotherapy while Reducing Side Effects

The traditional maximum dose density chemotherapy renders the tumor patients not only the tumor remission but the chemotherapy resistance and more adverse side effects. According to the widely positive expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients (n = 166), we here provided an alternative strategy involved the orderly treatment of TLR3 agonist polyinosine–polycytidylic acid (PIC) and low-dose cisplatin. The optimal dose of cisplatin, the novel role of PIC and the side effects of the combined chemotherapy were determined in vitro and in distinct human tumor models in vivo. The results in vitro indicated that preculture with PIC downregulated drug transporters (e.g., P-gp and MRP-1) and increased the cytoplasmic residence of cisplatin, and dramatically strengthened the low-dose cisplatin-induced cell death in TLR3- and caspase-3–dependent manner. Meanwhile, the spleen immunocytes were activated but the immunosuppressive cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) were dampened. These findings were confirmed in human tumor models in vivo. Pretreatment with PIC promoted the low-dose cisplatin residence for tumor regression with decreased myeloid-suppressive cells (MDSC), tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) and CAFs, and alleviated adverse side effects in the OSCC model, which was further enhanced by the Cetuximab safely. This strategy also repressed the progression of melanoma and lymphoma. Moreover, TLR3 negatively manipulated the inflammation-related long noncoding RNA lnc-IL7R, which was upregulated during this chemotherapy. Knockdown of lnc-IL7R improved the chemotherapy sensitivity. Overall, this study provided preclinically new instructions for the PIC/cisplatin utilization to target tumor microenvironment and strengthen the low-dose cisplatin-based chemotherapy with reduced side effects. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(6); 1068–79. ©2017 AACR.
Protein synthesis in splanchnic tissues of sheep offered two levels of intake

Protein synthesis rates were measured in liver and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) sections of fattening sheep offered lucerne (Medicago sativa) pellets at either 1.25 or 2 times energy maintenance. The measurement technique involved a large dose of [l-13C]valine over 60 min. Animals on the higher intake had a larger mass of liver protein (143 ν. 100 g, P = 0.02), similar fractional synthesis rates (ks; 22.5 ν. 22.1%/d, not significant) and greater absolute amounts of protein synthesis (32 ν. 23 g/d; P = 0.016) compared with those on the smaller amount of ration. The ks values and RNA: protein in the GIT sections also tended to increase with food intake. Estimated total GIT protein synthesis was approximately three-fold that in liver and probably constituted 25–35% of whole body synthesis. All splanchnic tissues measured had lower translational efficiencies (g protein synthesized/d per g total RNA) than reported for milk-fed and newly-weaned lambs and this may relate to the decline in the rate of protein deposition as lambs progress to the fattening condition.
Patient demographic and surgical characteristics in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a description of registries from six countries

Objective Findings from individual anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) registry studies are impactful, but how various registries from different countries compare with different patient populations and surgical techniques has not been described. We sought to describe six ACLR registry cohorts to understand variation across countries. Methods Five European registries and one US registry participated. For each registry, all primary ACLR registered between registry establishment through 31December 2014 were identified. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, proportions, medians and IQRs. Revision incidence rates following primary ACLR were computed. Results 101 125 ACLR were included: 21 820 in Denmark, 300 in Luxembourg, 17 556 in Norway, 30 422 in Sweden, 2972 in the UK and 28 055 in the US. In all six cohorts, males (range: 56.8%–72.4%) and soccer injuries (range: 14.1%–42.3%) were most common. European countries mostly used autografts (range: 93.7%–99.7%); allograft was most common in the US (39.9%). Interference screw was the most frequent femoral fixation in Luxembourg and the US (84.8% and 42.9%), and suspensory fixation was more frequent in the other countries (range: 43.9%–75.5%). Interference was the most frequent tibial fixation type in all six cohorts (range: 64.8%–98.2%). Three-year cumulative revision probabilities ranged from 2.8% to 3.7%. Conclusions Similarities in patient demographics and injury activity were observed between all cohorts of ACLR. However, graft and fixation choices differed. Revision rates were low. This work, including >100 000 ACLR, is the most comprehensive international description of contemporary practice to date.
Impaired Gut Epithelial Tight Junction Expression in Hemodialysis Patients Complicated with Intradialytic Hypotension

Background There is accumulating evidence pointing to uremia-induced impairment of the intestinal epithelial barrier structure in advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. In this study, the impact of intradialytic hypotension on intestinal barrier integrity is being explored. Methods Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of 4 types of tight junction (TJ) proteins such as occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), claudin-1, and claudin-4, in colonic samples of a group of patients receiving segmental colectomy. Five patients with nondialysis CKD (group 2), 5 HD patients with intradialytic hypotension (group 3), and 5 non-CKD subjects (group 1) were examined. Results Both patients' groups 2 and 3 demonstrated significantly reduced expression of occludin as compared to group 1 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, resp.). Except for claudin-4, expression of all markers of TJ proteins was significantly reduced in patients' group 3 as compared to control (p < 0.01). In addition, decreased expressions of claudin-1 and ZO-1 were also more pronounced in group 3 when compared to group 2. Conclusions This study extends the earlier finding by demonstrating that dialysis-related hypotension caused even marked depletion of the key protein constituents of the epithelial TJ.
On distance-based formation control: A nonlinear mapping approach and its applications

This paper introduces a novel decentralized distance-based formation controller for multi-agent systems by imposing constraints on inter-agent distance errors. Using a Nonlinear Mapping Technique (NMT) for dealing with the distance errors constraints, the problems of connectivity maintenance and collision avoidance between neighboring agents are handled. Furthermore, the proposed control scheme increases formation robustness and prevents convergence of the formation to incorrect shapes when external effects such as disturbances exist. Using Lyapunov based analysis the results are proved for both single and double integrator agent models where the target formation is minimally and infinitesimally rigid in 2-D or 3-D space.
Environmentally Friendly Production of Pulp and Paper

Preface. 1 Introduction. 1.1 Superior Operating Procedures. 1.2 Process Modifications. 1.3 Process Redesign. 1.4 Recycling. References. 2 Overview of Pulp and Papermaking Processes. 2.1 Raw Material Preparation and Handling. 2.2 Pulp Manufacturing. 2.3 Pulp Washing and Screening. 2.4 Pulp Bleaching. 2.5 Stock Preparation. 2.6 Papermaking. 2.7 Chemical Recovery. References. 3 Environmental Issues of the Pulp and Paper Industry. 3.1 Effluent Toxicity. 3.2 Air Emissions. References. 4 Emissions from Pulp and Papermaking. 4.1 Kraft Pulping. 4.2 Sulfite Pulping. 4.3 Mechanical Pulping. 4.4 Recycled Fiber Processing. 4.5 Papermaking. References. 5 Cleaner Production Measures in Pulp and Paper Making. 5.1 Kraft Pulping. 5.2 Sulfite Pulping. 5.3 Mechanical and Chemimechanical Pulping. 5.4 Recycled Paper Processing. 5.5 Papermaking. References. 6 Recent Developments in Cleaner Production. 6.1 Use of Cooking Catalyst. 6.2 Organo Solvent Pulping. 6.3 Black Liquor Gasification. 6.4 Removal of Chelating Agents. 6.5 Energy-Efficient Thermomechanical Pulping Processes. 6.6 Recovery of Boiler Ash and Carbon Dioxide Gas to Produce Recycled Mineral Fillers. 6.7 Impulse Technology for Dewatering of Paper. 6.8 Condebelt Process. 6.9 Internal Heat Pumps. 6.10 Total Site Integration Tools. 6.11 Wastewater Treatment for Water Recovery and Reuse. 6.12 Biotechnologies for Cleaner Paper Production. References. Glossary and Abbreviations. Subject Index.