Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distributed Force Control of Deformable Mirrors

Large (>1m) deformable mirrors are attractive for adaptive optics on ground-based telescopes; the mirrors typically have hundreds or thousands of actuators. The use of force actuators instead of position actuators has the potential to significantly reduce total system cost. However, the use of force actuators results in many lightly-damped structural resonances within the desired bandwidth of the control system. We present a robust control approach for this problem and demonstrate its performance in simulation. First, we demonstrate that high-bandwidth active damping using velocity feedback from mirror sensors that are not quite collocated with the actuators can be robustly implemented, because at sufficiently high frequencies the structural dynamics enter an “acoustic” limit, where the half power bandwidth of a mode exceeds the modal spacing. This is important, because the system can be made less expensive using sensors placed in between actuators rather than collocated with each actuator. Introduction of active damping leads to a much easier problem for subsequent position control. It is known that a position control system in which each of the actuators is controlled using feedback from a collocated sensor can be made robustly stable. However, the resulting performance at high spatial frequencies is poor because there is no shared information between neighbouring actuators. In contrast, global control gives excellent performance but lacks robustness to model uncertainty. We introduce an innovative local control approach, which significantly improves the high spatial frequency performance without the robustness challenges associated with a global control approach. The overall approach is demonstrated to provide excellent command response suitable for an adaptive optics outer loop.
Simultaneous overexpression of enzymes of the lower part of glycolysis can enhance the fermentative capacity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Recombinant S. cerevisiae strains, with elevated levels of the enzymes of lower glycolysis (glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate mutase, phosphoglycerate kinase, enolase, pyruvate kinase, pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase) were physiologically characterized. During growth on glucose the enzyme levels in the recombinant strains (YHM4 and YHM7) were 1.1–3.4‐fold higher than in the host strain (CEN.PK.K45). The recombinant strains were grown in aerobic or anaerobic batch cultures on glucose or a mixture of glucose and galactose. The specific ethanol production rates in the recombinant strains were the same as for the host strain and the physiological behaviour of the recombinant strains and the host strain was similar. When the cellular demand for ATP was increased by means of glucose pulses (final concentrations of 3.9 g/l or 2.0 g/l, respectively) to aerobic chemostat cultures maintained at a dilution rate of 0.08/h, the specific carbon dioxide production rate (qCO2) of CEN.PK. K45 accelerated at 6×10−3 mmol/g/min2 during the first 15 min, whereas during the same time period the qCO2 of YHM7 accelerated twice as fast at 12×10−3 mmol/g/min2, indicating a higher fermentative capacity in the recombinant strain. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Relation Between Recurrence and Ergodicity Properties in Denumerable Markov Decision Chains

This paper studies two properties of the set of Markov chains induced by the deterministic policies in a Markov decision chain. These properties are called µ-uniform geometric ergodicity and µ-uniform geometric recurrence. µ-uniform ergodicity generalises a quasi-compactness condition. It can be interpreted as a strong version of stability, as it implies that the Markov chains generated by the deterministic stationary policies are uniformly stable. µ-uniform geometric recurrence can be shown to be equivalent to the simultaneous Doeblin condition, If µ is bounded. Both properties imply the existence of deterministic average and sensitive optimal policies. The second Key theorem in this paper shows the equivalence of µ-uniform geometric ergodicity and weak µ-uniform geometric recurrence under appropriate continuity conditions. In the literature numerous recurrence conditions have been used. The first Key theorem derives the relation between several of these conditions, which interestingly turn out to be equivalent in most cases.
Cryogenesis and soil formation along a bioclimate gradient in Arctic North America

[1] In arctic tundra, cryoturbation resulting from frost heave, cracking, and other cryogenic processes produces patterned ground such as nonsorted circles, stripes, nonsorted polygons, and earth hummocks. We studied cryogenic structures and morphological properties of soils associated with patterned-ground features along a bioclimate gradient in Arctic Alaska and Canada from north (subzone A) to south (subzone E). Most of these soils have strongly developed cryogenic features, including warped and broken horizons, and organic matter moved into the upper permafrost. The expression of cryoturbation generally increases with the gradient southward. Soil color reflects the lithology of the soil, weathering, and accumulation of organic matter. The organic horizons form around the circles, and gleyed matrix with redoximorphic features develop in the lower active layers due to saturation above the permafrost. Cryostructure development depends more on hydrology controlled by microtopography than position along the gradient. The cryostructures form due to freeze-thaw cycles and ice lens formation, which include granular, platy, lenticular, reticulate, suspended (ataxitic), ice lens, and ice wedges. On the surface, the density of nonsorted circles reached their maximum in subzones C and D. However, once the vegetation cover was removed, the nonsorted pattern grounds reached their optimum stage and become closed packed in subzone E. Frost heave decreases in the south as the vegetation changes from tussocks to shrub tundra. Cryogenesis is the controlling factor in patterned ground formation resulting in cryoturbated soil profiles, cryostructures, and carbon sequestration in arctic tundra soils.
Increased formaldehyde in jet engine exhaust with changes to JP-8, lower temperature, and lower humidity irritates eyes and respiratory tract.

BACKGROUND Formaldehyde (FA) in exhaust from F-4 aircraft with low smoke combustor(LSC) J79 engines has been reported to be of sufficient concentration to cause irritation. It has also been noted that eye and respiratory irritation became more frequent and severe after the fuel was changed from JP-4 to JP-8. The present sturdy investigated the effect of jet fuel and power setting on formaldehyde concentrations in the exhaust. We also investigated the exposure to formaldehyde among pilots and flight line personnel. METHODS The exhaust from LSC J79 engines using different types of fuel (JP-8 and JP-4) was sampled 50 m behind the engine at different power settings in July (summer season in Japan) and February (winter season ). It was also sampled at 75% power settings using JP-8 in July. RESULTS At an idle power setting, the FA concentration was higher in the exhaust of engines using JP-8 (1.31 ppm in July and 2.78 ppm in February) than in engines using JP-4 (0.95 ppm in July and 1.84 ppm in February). The FA concentration increased as both ambient temperature and relative humility decreased in the sampling atmosphere. The FA concentration of JP-8 fuel at an idle power setting (65%) was higher than that at a 71.5% power setting (1.32 ppm and 0.86 ppm, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The FA concentrations in LSCJ79 engine exhaust varies depending on the type of fuel, engine power settings, and ambient air conditions. A high FA concentration at ground level due to a change in the fuel type, low temperature, and humidity, causes frequent severe eye respiratory irritation.
Differential effects of hormone therapy on serotonin, vascular function and mood in the KEEPS

Abstract Background Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is modulated by sex steroid hormones and affects vascular function and mood. In the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Cognitive and Affective Ancillary Study (KEEPS-Cog), women randomized to oral conjugated equine estrogens (oCEE) showed greater benefit on affective mood states than women randomized to transdermal 17β-estradiol (tE2) or placebo (PL). This study examined the effect of these treatments on the platelet content of 5-HT as a surrogate measure of 5-HT synthesis and uptake in the brain. Methods The following were measured in a subset (n = 79) of women enrolled in KEEPS-Cog: 5-HT by ELISA, carotid intima-medial thickness (CIMT) by ultrasound, endothelial function by reactive hyperemic index (RHI), and self-reported symptoms of affective mood states by the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. Results Mean platelet content of 5-HT increased by 107.0%, 84.5% and 39.8%, in tE2, oCEE and PL groups, respectively. Platelet 5-HT positively correlated with estrone in the oCEE group and with 17β- estradiol in the tE2 group. Platelet 5-HT showed a positive association with RHI, but not CIMT, in the PL and oCEE groups. Reduction in mood scores for depression-dejection and anger-hostility was associated with elevations in platelet 5-HT only in the oCEE group (r = −0.5, p = 0.02). Conclusions Effects of oCEE compared to tE2 on RHI and mood may be related to mechanisms involving platelet, and perhaps neuronal, uptake and release of 5-HT and reflect conversion of estrone to bioavailable 17β-estradiol in platelets and the brain.
Gut Microbiota Promote Angiotensin II–Induced Arterial Hypertension and Vascular Dysfunction

Background The gut microbiome is essential for physiological host responses and development of immune functions. The impact of gut microbiota on blood pressure and systemic vascular function, processes that are determined by immune cell function, is unknown. Methods and Results Unchallenged germ‐free mice (GF) had a dampened systemic T helper cell type 1 skewing compared to conventionally raised (CONV‐R) mice. Colonization of GF mice with regular gut microbiota induced lymphoid mRNA transcription of T‐box expression in T cells and resulted in mild endothelial dysfunction. Compared to CONV‐R mice, angiotensin II (AngII; 1 mg/kg per day for 7 days) infused GF mice showed reduced reactive oxygen species formation in the vasculature, attenuated vascular mRNA expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NADPH oxidase subunit Nox2, as well as a reduced upregulation of retinoic‐acid receptor‐related orphan receptor gamma t (Rorγt), the signature transcription factor for interleukin (IL)‐17 synthesis. This resulted in an attenuated vascular leukocyte adhesion, less infiltration of Ly6G+ neutrophils and Ly6C+ monocytes into the aortic vessel wall, protection from kidney inflammation, as well as endothelial dysfunction and attenuation of blood pressure increase in response to AngII. Importantly, cardiac inflammation, fibrosis and systolic dysfunction were attenuated in GF mice, indicating systemic protection from cardiovascular inflammatory stress induced by AngII. Conclusion Gut microbiota facilitate AngII‐induced vascular dysfunction and hypertension, at least in part, by supporting an MCP‐1/IL‐17 driven vascular immune cell infiltration and inflammation.
Public Health Goal for TETRACHLOROETHYLENE In Drinking Water Prepared

Environmental Assessment) and the faculty members of the University of California with whom the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment contracted through the University of California Office of the President for their peer reviews of the public health goal documents, and gratefully acknowledge the comments received from all interested parties. This Public Health Goal (PHG) technical support document provides information on health effects from contaminants in drinking water. PHGs are developed for chemical contaminants based on the best available toxicological data in the scientific literature. These documents and the analyses contained in them provide estimates of the levels of contaminants in drinking water that would pose no significant health risk to individuals consuming the water on a daily basis over a lifetime. (OEHHA) to perform risk assessments and adopt PHGs for contaminants in drinking water based exclusively on public health considerations. Section 116365 specifies that the PHG is to be based exclusively on public health considerations without regard to cost impacts. The Act requires that PHGs be set in accordance with the following criteria: 1. PHGs for acutely toxic substances shall be set at levels at which no known or anticipated adverse effects on health will occur, with an adequate margin of safety. 2. PHGs for carcinogens or other substances which can cause chronic disease shall be based upon currently available data and shall be set at levels which OEHHA has determined do not pose any significant risk to health. 3. To the extent the information is available, OEHHA shall consider possible synergistic effects resulting from exposure to two or more contaminants. 4. OEHHA shall consider the existence of groups in the population that are more susceptible to adverse effects of the contaminants than a normal healthy adult. 5. OEHHA shall consider the contaminant exposure and body burden levels that alter physiological function or structure in a manner that may significantly increase the risk of illness. 6. In cases of insufficient data to determine a level of no anticipated risk, OEHHA shall set the PHG at a level that is protective of public health with an adequate margin of safety. 7. In cases where scientific evidence demonstrates that a safe dose-response threshold for a contaminant exists, then the PHG should be set at that threshold. 8. The PHG may be set at zero if necessary to satisfy the requirements listed above. 9. OEHHA shall consider exposure to contaminants in media …
Eugenol Induces Phenotypic Alterations and Increases the Oxidative Burst in Cryptococcus

Eugenol is a phenolic compound and the main constituent of the essential oil of clove India. Although there are reports of some pharmacological effects of eugenol, this study is the first that proposes to evaluate the antifungal effects of this phenol against both Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans cells. The effect of eugenol against yeast cells was analyzed for drug susceptibility, alterations in cell diameter, capsule properties, amounts of ergosterol, oxidative burst, and thermodynamics data. Data demonstrated that there is no interaction between eugenol and fluconazole and amphotericin B. Eugenol reduced the cell diameter and the capsule size, increased cell surface/volume, changed positively the cell surface charge of cryptococcal cells. We also verified increased levels of reactive oxygen species without activation of antioxidant enzymes, leading to increased lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and reduction of lysosomal integrity in cryptococcal cells. Additionally, the results showed that there is no significant molecular interaction between eugenol and C. neoformans. Morphological alterations, changes of cellular superficial charges and oxidative stress play an important role in antifungal activity of eugenol against C. gattii and C. neoformans that could be used as an auxiliary treatment to cutaneous cryptococcosis.
Universal representations: The missing link between faces, text, planktons, and cat breeds

With the advent of large labelled datasets and high-capacity models, the performance of machine vision systems has been improving rapidly. However, the technology has still major limitations, starting from the fact that different vision problems are still solved by different models, trained from scratch or fine-tuned on the target data. The human visual system, in stark contrast, learns a universal representation for vision in the early life of an individual. This representation works well for an enormous variety of vision problems, with little or no change, with the major advantage of requiring little training data to solve any of them.
A Facile Synthesis of 3-Substituted 9H-Pyrido[3,4-b]indol-1(2H)-one Derivatives from 3-Substituted β-Carbolines

A mild and efficient two-step synthesis of 3-substituted β-carbolinone derivatives from 3-substituted β-carboline in good yields is described. A possible reaction mechanism for the formation of the skeleton of β-carbolin-1-one is proposed. The structures of these compounds were established by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis, as well as X-ray crystallographic analysis of 4-2 and 6-2.
The Role of the P2X7 Receptor in Infectious Diseases

ATP is an extracellular signal for the immune system, particularly during an inflammatory response. It is sensed by the P2X7 receptor, the expression of which is upregulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. Activation of the P2X7 receptor opens a cation-specific channel that alters the ionic environment of the cell, activating several pathways, including (i) the inflammasome, leading to production of IL-1β and IL-18; (ii) the stress-activated protein kinase pathway, resulting in apoptosis; (iii) the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, leading to generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates; and (iv) phospholipase D, stimulating phagosome-lysosome fusion. The P2X7 receptor can initiate host mechanisms to remove pathogens, most particularly those that parasitise macrophages. At the same time, the P2X7 receptor may be subverted by pathogens to modulate host responses. Moreover, recent genetic studies have demonstrated significant associations between susceptibility or resistance to parasites and bacteria, and loss-of-function or gain-of-function polymorphisms in the P2X7 receptor, underscoring its importance in infectious disease.
Comparison of quasistatic to impact mechanical properties of multiwall carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites

We report the quasistatic tensile and impact penetration properties (falling dart test) of injection-molded polycarbonate samples, as a function of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) concentration (0.0–2.5%). The MWNT were incorporated by dilution of a commercial MWNT/polycarbonate masterbatch. The stiffness and quasistatic yield strength of the composites increased approximately linearly with MWNT concentration in all measurements. The energy absorbed in fracture was, however, a negative function of the MWNT concentration, and exhibited different dependencies in quasistatic and impact tests. Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) showed that the dispersion of the MWNT was similar at all concentrations. The negative effects on energy absorption are attributed to agglomerates remaining in the samples, which were observed in optical microscopy and SAXS. Overall, there was a good correspondence between static and dynamic energy absorption.
A Systematic, Updated Review on the Antidepressant Agomelatine Focusing on its Melatonergic Modulation

Objective: To present an updated, comprehensive review on clinical and pre-clinical studies on agomelatine. Method: A MEDLINE, Psycinfo and Web of Science search (1966-May 2009) was performed using the following keywords: agomelatine, melatonin, S20098, efficacy, safety, adverse effect, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Alzheimer, ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder (PD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders and mood disorder. Study collection and data extraction: All articles in English identified by the data sources were evaluated. Randomized, controlled clinical trials involving humans were prioritized in the review. The physiological bases of melatonergic transmission were also examined to deepen the clinical comprehension of agomelatine’ melatonergic modulation. Data synthesis: Agomelatine, a melatonergic analogue drug acting as MT1/MT2 agonist and 5-HT2C antagonist, has been reported to be an effective antidepressant therapy. Conclusions: Although a bias in properly assessing the “sleep core” of depression may still exist with current screening instruments, therefore making difficult to compare agomelatine’ efficacy to other antidepressant ones, comparative studies showed agomelatine to be an intriguing option for depression and, potentially, for other therapeutic targets as well.
Self-Perceptions, Motivation, and Adjustment in Children with Learning Disabilities

This study examined the self-perceptions, motivational orientations, and classroom adjustment of children with learning disabilities (LD), matched-IQ non-LD, randomly selected non-LD, and low achieving children. Elementary-age children (N= 148; 37 from each group) completed domain-specific measures of their self-concepts, perceptions of control, and motivation. Teachers rated children on motivational and competence indices and classroom behavioral adjustment. Comparisons among groups indicated that children with LD were lower in perceived cognitive competence and academic self-regulation relative to the nondisabled control groups, but were comparable to the low achieving children. Children with LD were most likely to perceive academic outcomes as controlled by powerful others. No group differences were found for general self-perceptions of control or competence. Teacher ratings of children with LD were more discrepant from those of comparison groups than were self-ratings of children with LD. The results suggest the need for matched-IQ and low achieving control groups in research on children with LD. The origin and role of both environmental inputs and self-perceptions in the adjustment of students with LD are discussed.
Dietary patterns and endometrial cancer: a meta-analysis

Previous studies have attempted to assess the relation between different dietary patterns and the risk of endometrial cancer (EC); however, a consistent perspective has not been established to date. Therefore, we carried out this meta-analysis to evaluate the associations between dietary patterns and the risk of EC. The most common dietary patterns with high loadings of foods and/or nutrients were selected. A total of 27 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the present meta-analysis. There was evidence of a decreased risk of EC in the highest compared with the lowest categories of healthy dietary pattern [odds ratio (OR)=0.74; confidence interval (CI): 0.62–0.88; P=0.008]. An increased risk of EC was shown for the highest compared with the lowest category of a western-style dietary pattern (OR=1.37; CI: 1.15–1.64; P=0.0005). No significant association with the risk of EC was found in the highest compared with the lowest category of alcohol-drinking pattern (OR=0.98; CI: 0.73–1.30; P=0.87). The results of this meta-analysis indicate that some dietary patterns may be associated with the risk of EC.
The Effect of University Endowment Growth on Giving: Is There Evidence of Crowding Out?

In the late 1990's, the average university endowment has experienced extraordinary growth. This paper investigates the effects of this growth on donations. In particular, the paper focuses on whether or not donations by particular kinds of donors are "crowded out" by endowment growth. A simple model of donor behavior is developed which takes account of the multiple objectives of those donors, and concludes that different types of donors are more or less responsive to endowment growth. These models are then tested using data provided by the Council on Aid to Education on a wide range of colleges and universities. Cross sectional work on the 1999 data is supplemented by fixed-effects analysis using a panel from the early 1980's to 1997. The results suggest that in the very recent period there has been some crowding out and that this effect is most pronounced among particular categories of donors.