Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Receptor Sizes and Its Effect on Lightning Protection of Modern Wind Turbines

Wind turbine can be destroyed when not adequately protected by the receptor. According to recent research, the size of the receptor plays a very important role in its efficiency. The effect of receptor size has not been well considered in literature and standards. This paper investigates six receptor sizes (10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm and 35 mm receptor diameters), encompassing adopted sizes in literature. As the blade is rotated, the interception efficiency of various receptor sizes is evaluated on a modern wind turbine. The vertical tri-pole cloud charge model developed with finite element analysis is used to study the maximum electric field strength required for the initiation of upward leader from the blade surfaces. The interception efficiency of each receptor size is evaluated by comparing the maximum electric field strength. The results of the point of initiation of upward leader match well with those obtained by experimental measurements from lightning discharge attachments.
The Integral Membrane Protein Pom34p Functionally Links Nucleoporin Subcomplexes

Here we have examined the function of Pom34p, a novel membrane protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, localized to nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Membrane topology analysis revealed that Pom34p is a double-pass transmembrane protein with both the amino (N) and carboxy (C) termini positioned on the cytosolic/pore face. The network of genetic interactions between POM34 and genes encoding other nucleoporins was established and showed specific links between Pom34p function and Nup170p, Nup188p, Nup59p, Gle2p, Nup159p, and Nup82p. The transmembrane domains of Pom34p in addition to either the N- or C-terminal region were necessary for its function in different double mutants. We further characterized the pom34ΔN nup188Δ mutant and found it to be perturbed in both NPC structure and function. Mislocalization of a subset of nucleoporins harboring phenylalanine–glycine repeats was observed, and nuclear import capacity for the Kap104p and Kap121p pathways was inhibited. In contrast, the pom34Δ pom152Δ double mutant was viable at all temperatures and showed no such defects. Interestingly, POM152 overexpression suppressed the synthetic lethality of pom34Δ nup170Δ and pom34Δ nup59Δ mutants. We speculate that multiple integral membrane proteins, either within the nuclear pore domain or in the nuclear envelope, execute coordinated roles in NPC structure and function.
ON A SECOND-ORDER EXPANSION OF THE SINGULAR SUBSPACE DECOMPOSITION WITH APPLICATION TO THE TSVD SOLUTION SENSITIVITY TECHNICAL REPORT REF: TR-PA-13-22

We present a second-order expansion for singular subspace decomposition in the context of real matrices. Furthermore, we show that, when some particular assumptions are considered, the obtained results reduce to existing ones, namely those by Vaccaro [SIAM J. on Matrix Anal. and Appl. , 15(1994), pp. 661-671], or those by Zhengyuan [IEEE Trans. Signal Proc., 50(2002), pp. 2820-2830]. We make use of our results to study the second-order sensitivity of the TSVD solution to least-squares problems. Some numerical examples are provided to confirm the theoretical developments of this study.
Influence of adjuvants on murine immune responses against the C‐terminal 19 kDa fragment of Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein‐1 (MSP‐1)

The immunogenicity of a yeast‐expressed 19 kDa fragment of P vivax MSP‐1 in the presence of different adjuvant formulations was evaluated. ICR mice were immunized with the 19 kDa antigen, using Freund's, alum, and block copolymer P1005 in water‐in‐oil (W/O) or oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions with or without detoxified lipopolysaccharide (RaLPS) as adjuvants. Five weeks following immunization with the antigen, mice were boosted with asexual blood‐stage antigens. Three weeks after the last immunization with the 19 kDa antigen, mice from the Freund's group and most groups that received P1005 as adjuvant had higher total IgG titres than those that received alum as adjuvant or antigen alone. Antibody responses after the antigen immunization were predominantly of the IgG1 isotype, but mice in the Freund's and P1005 (W/O or O/W emulsion with or without RaLPS) groups also had high titres of IgG2a and IgG2b. Antibody titres against merozoites increased in all groups after the parasite antigen boost. IgG2a levels in the group that received antigen in P1005 plus RaLPS in the W/O emulsion were higher than those receiving Freund's, alum or the other copolymer adjuvants. The high IgG2a titres in this group were associated with reduced IL‐10 production.
ON THE SYMMETRY OF THE POWER LINE CHANNEL

Abstract – The “indoor” power line network is characterized by several branches and impendence mismatches that cause many reflections. In the present paper, we address the problem of determining the exact conditions under which the power line channel may be considered a symmetric channel, i.e. exhibiting the same frequency transfer function from either side. By using a new way of modeling the power line channel by means of transmission matrices [3], it is here shown for the first time that the power line channel is, indeed, a symmetric channel. Moreover, it is also shown that this property holds regardless of the topology of the link and that the only condition for symmetry is the requirement that the source and load impedances used to terminate the line be the same. The proposed approach implies the validity of the TEM approximation. It is possible to prove that this assumption is valid assuming correct mode excitation, which differs from conventional twisted pair. Interestingly, the transmission matrices approach allows us also to characterize easily in the frequency domain the effects of the multi-path nature of the power line channel [3].
Grain size of marine sediments in the environmental studies, from sampling to measuring and classifying. A critical review of the most used procedures

The knowledge of sediment texture is a main issue in the marine environmental research. Studies on sediment contamination, ecology of benthic communities, seismic studies, remote sensing surveys and beach nourishment are among the research areas which benefit of information on sediment grain size. In this review, the main methods used for sampling, measuring and classifying marine sediments are critically illustrated in order to highlight their strengths and weaknesses. From this revision it was deduced that it does not exists a single procedure, considered as the best one, to be applied in all the cases for obtaining reliable grain size data. This result can be achieved using as much as possible flexible strategies, and adopting the suitable sampling devices and analytical instruments based on the overall characteristics of the study area and the specific aim of the survey.
Evaluation of nepafenac in prevention of macular edema following cataract surgery in patients with diabetic retinopathy

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate nepafenac ophthalmic suspension 0.1% (Nevanac®; Alcon Research Ltd) in the prevention of macular edema following cataract surgery in diabetic retinopathy patients. Methods This was a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, vehicle-controlled study of 263 adult diabetic patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy requiring cataract surgery. Patients were randomized (1:1) to instill nepafenac or vehicle three times daily beginning 1 day prior to surgery through day 90. Efficacy included the percentage of patients who developed macular edema (≥30% increase in central subfield macular thickness from baseline) and the percentage of patients with decreases of more than five letters in best-corrected visual acuity from day 7 to 90. Results A significantly lower percentage of patients in the nepafenac group developed macular edema relative to patients in the vehicle group (3.2% versus 16.7%; P < 0.001). A significantly lower percentage of patients in the nepafenac group had best-corrected visual acuity decreases of more than five letters relative to patients in the vehicle group on day 30 (P < 0.001), day 60 (P = 0.002), and day 90 (P = 0.006). The mean central subfield macular thickness and mean percent change from baseline in macular volume were also significantly lower in the nepafenac group versus the vehicle group at days 14 through 90 (P ≤ 0.005). No safety issues or trends were identified when dosing was increased to 90 days that negatively impacted the favorable benefit/risk profile of nepafenac. Conclusion Nepafenac demonstrated statistically significant and clinically relevant advantages compared with vehicle in preventing macular edema and maintaining visual acuity in diabetic patients following cataract surgery. These advantages were seen at multiple time points over the course of the 90-day therapy period. There was no clinically relevant increase in risk from 90 days dosing compared with 14 days. Therefore, with a similar safety profile and benefit in preventing macular edema and maintaining vision, the risk/benefit to the diabetic patient undergoing cataract surgery appears to be positive.
Effects of glutamate receptor activation on NG2‐glia in the rat optic nerve

NG2‐glia are a substantial population of cells in the central nervous system (CNS) that can be identified by their specific expression of the NG2 chondroitin sulphate (CSPG). NG2‐glia can generate oligodendrocytes, but it is unlikely this is their only function; indeed, they may be multipotent neural stem cells. Moreover, NG2‐glia are a highly reactive cell type and a major function is to help form the axon growth inhibitory glial scar in response to CNS injury. The factors that regulate these diverse behaviours of NG2‐glia are not fully resolved, but NG2‐glia express receptors to the neurotransmitter glutamate, which has known potent effects on other glia. Here, we have examined the actions of glutamate receptor activation on NG2‐glia in the rat optic nerve, a typical CNS white matter tract that does not contain neuronal cell bodies. Glutamate induces an increase in [Ca2+]i in immuno‐identified NG2‐glia in situ and in vitro. In addition, we examined the effects of glutamate receptor activation in vivo by focal injection of the glutamate receptor agonist kainate into the optic nerve; saline was injected in controls. Changes in glial and axonal function were determined at 7 days post injection (dpi), by immunohistochemistry and electrophysiological measurement of the compound action potential (CAP). Injection of kainate resulted in a highly localized ‘injury response’ in NG2‐glia, marked by dense labelling for NG2 at the lesion site, as compared to astrocytes, which displayed a more extensive reactive astrogliosis. Furthermore, injection of kainate resulted in an axonal conduction block. These glial and axonal changes were not observed following injection of saline vehicle. In addition, we provide evidence that endogenous glutamate induces calcium‐dependent phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK1/2), which may provide a potential mechanism by which glutamate‐mediated changes in raised intracellular calcium could regulate the observed gliosis. The results provide evidence that activation of AMPA‐kainate type ionotropic glutamate receptors evoke raised calcium in NG2‐glia and induces an injury response in NG2‐glia.
Plasticity in thermal tolerance has limited potential to buffer ectotherms from global warming

Global warming is increasing the overheating risk for many organisms, though the potential for plasticity in thermal tolerance to mitigate this risk is largely unknown. In part, this shortcoming stems from a lack of knowledge about global and taxonomic patterns of variation in tolerance plasticity. To address this critical issue, we test leading hypotheses for broad-scale variation in ectotherm tolerance plasticity using a dataset that includes vertebrate and invertebrate taxa from terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. Contrary to expectation, plasticity in heat tolerance was unrelated to latitude or thermal seasonality. However, plasticity in cold tolerance is associated with thermal seasonality in some habitat types. In addition, aquatic taxa have approximately twice the plasticity of terrestrial taxa. Based on the observed patterns of variation in tolerance plasticity, we propose that limited potential for behavioural plasticity (i.e. behavioural thermoregulation) favours the evolution of greater plasticity in physiological traits, consistent with the ‘Bogert effect’. Finally, we find that all ectotherms have relatively low acclimation in thermal tolerance and demonstrate that overheating risk will be minimally reduced by acclimation in even the most plastic groups. Our analysis indicates that behavioural and evolutionary mechanisms will be critical in allowing ectotherms to buffer themselves from extreme temperatures.
Correlation Decay in Random Decision Networks

We consider a decision network on an undirected graph in which each node corresponds to a decision variable, and each node and edge of the graph is associated with a reward function whose value depends only on the variables of the corresponding nodes. The goal is to construct a decision vector which maximizes the total reward. This decision problem encompasses a variety of models, including maximum-likelihood inference in graphical models (Markov Random Fields), combinatorial optimization on graphs, economic team theory and statistical physics. The network is endowed with a probabilistic structure in which costs are sampled from a distribution. Our aim is to identify sufficient conditions to guarantee average-case polynomiality of the underlying optimization problem. We construct a new decentralized algorithm called Cavity Expansion and establish its theoretical performance for a variety of models. Specifically, for certain classes of models we prove that our algorithm is able to find near optimal solutions with high probability in a decentralized way. The success of the algorithm is based on the network exhibiting a correlation decay (long-range independence) property. Our results have the following surprising implications in the area of average case complexity of algorithms. Finding the largest independent (stable) set of a graph is a well known NP-hard optimization problem for which no polynomial time approximation scheme is possible even for graphs with largest connectivity equal to three, unless P=NP. We show that the closely related maximum weighted independent set problem for the same class of graphs admits a PTAS when the weights are i.i. d. with the exponential distribution. Namely, randomization of the reward function turns an NP-hard problem into a tractable one.
Interaction of enhancer-binding protein EBP1 (NF-kappa B) with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 enhancer

Human EBP1, isolated from HeLa cells, binds to a 10-base-pair (bp) sequence in cellular and viral enhancers that is also recognized by the inducible transcription factor NF-kappa B. Here we describe the interaction of purified EBP1 with the 10-bp repeated sequence that is responsive to signals which activate T cells and which form part of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) enhancer. DNase I footprinting indicates that both 10-bp sites on the same molecule, located between -80 and -105 on the HIV-1 long terminal repeat, can be occupied by EBP1, while dimethyl sulfate protection and methylation interference experiments indicate which purine bases are in contact with the protein. The presence of bases which exhibit increased rates of dimethyl sulfate-induced methylation in the presence of EBP1 indicate that interaction of EBP1 with its recognition site is accompanied by distortion of the DNA double helix. Supporting this conclusion is the observation that the polyamine spermidine dramatically increases EBP1 binding to its cognate site on the DNA. Studies with human T cells (Jurkat) and nucleotide stimulation data suggest that EBP1 is the activated form of NF-kappa B in these cells.
A mitochondrial DNA minisatellite reveals the postglacial history of jack pine (Pinus banksiana), a broad‐range North American conifer

Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) is a broadly distributed North American conifer and its current range was covered by the Laurentian ice sheet during the last glacial maximum. To infer about the history and postglacial colonization of this boreal species, range‐wide genetic variation was assessed using a new and highly variable minisatellite‐like marker of the mitochondrial genome. Among the 543 trees analysed, 14 distinct haplotypes were detected, which corresponded to different repeat numbers of the 32‐nucleotide minisatellite‐like motif. Several haplotypes were rare with limited distribution, suggesting recent mutation events during the Holocene. At the population level, an average of 2.6 haplotypes and a mean haplotype diversity (H) of 0.328 were estimated. Population subdivision of genetic diversity was quite high with GST and RST values of 0.569 and 0.472, respectively. Spatial analyses identified three relatively homogeneous groups of populations presumably representative of genetically distinct glacial populations, one west and one east of the Appalachian Mountains in the United States and a third one presumably on the unglaciated northeastern coastal area in Canada. These results indicate the significant role of the northern part of the US Appalachian Mountains as a factor of vicariance during the ice age. A fourth distinct group of populations was observed in central Québec where the continental glacier retreated last. It included populations harbouring haplotypes present into the three previous groups, and it had higher level of haplotype diversity per population (H = 0.548) and lower population differentiation (GST = 0.265), which indicates a zone of suture or secondary contact between the migration fronts of the three glacial populations. Introgression from Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm. was apparent in one western population from Alberta. Altogether, these results indicate that the mitochondrial DNA variation of jack pine is geographically highly structured and it correlates well with large‐scale patterns emerging from recent phylogeographical studies of other tree boreal species in North America.
A Bayesian method to quantifying chemical composition using NMR: Application to porous media systems

This paper describes a Bayesian approach for inferring the chemical composition of liquids in porous media obtained using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The model analyzes NMR data automatically in the time domain, eliminating the operator dependence of a conventional spectroscopy approach. The technique is demonstrated and validated experimentally on both pure liquids and liquids imbibed in porous media systems, which are of significant interest in heterogeneous catalysis research. We discuss the challenges and practical solutions of parameter estimation in both systems. The proposed Bayesian NMR approach is shown to be more accurate and robust than a conventional spectroscopy approach, particularly for signals with a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and a short life time.
Refinement of the MHC Risk Map in a Scandinavian Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Population

Background Genetic variants within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) represent the strongest genetic susceptibility factors for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Identifying the causal variants within this genetic complex represents a major challenge due to strong linkage disequilibrium and an overall high physical density of candidate variants. We aimed to refine the MHC association in a geographically restricted PSC patient panel. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 365 PSC cases and 368 healthy controls of Scandinavian ancestry were included in the study. We incorporated data from HLA typing (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB3, -DRB1, -DQB1) and single nucleotide polymorphisms across the MHC (n = 18,644; genotyped and imputed) alongside previously suggested PSC risk determinants in the MHC, i.e. amino acid variation of DRβ, a MICA microsatellite polymorphism and HLA-C and HLA-B according to their ligand properties for killer immunoglobulin-like receptors. Breakdowns of the association signal by unconditional and conditional logistic regression analyses demarcated multiple PSC associated MHC haplotypes, and for eight of these classical HLA class I and II alleles represented the strongest association. A novel independent risk locus was detected near NOTCH4 in the HLA class III region, tagged by rs116212904 (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.32 [1.80, 3.00], P = 1.35×10−11). Conclusions/Significance Our study shows that classical HLA class I and II alleles, predominantly at HLA-B and HLA-DRB1, are the main risk factors for PSC in the MHC. In addition, the present assessments demonstrated for the first time an association near NOTCH4 in the HLA class III region.
Temporal Pyramid Pooling-Based Convolutional Neural Network for Action Recognition

Encouraged by the success of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in image classification, recently much effort is spent on applying the CNNs to the video-based action recognition problems. One challenge is that a video contains a varying number of frames, which is incompatible to the standard input format of the CNNs. Existing methods handle this issue either by directly sampling a fixed number of frames or bypassing this issue by introducing a 3D convolutional layer, which conducts convolution in spatial-temporal domain. In this paper, we propose a novel network structure, which allows an arbitrary number of frames as the network input. The key to our solution is to introduce a module consisting of an encoding layer and a temporal pyramid pooling layer. The encoding layer maps the activation from the previous layers to a feature vector suitable for pooling, whereas the temporal pyramid pooling layer converts multiple frame-level activations into a fixed-length video-level representation. In addition, we adopt a feature concatenation layer that combines the appearance and motion information. Compared with the frame sampling strategy, our method avoids the risk of missing any important frames. Compared with the 3D convolutional method, which requires a huge video data set for network training, our model can be learned on a small target data set because we can leverage the off-the-shelf image-level CNN for model parameter initialization. Experiments on three challenging data sets, Hollywood2, HMDB51, and UCF101 demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed network.
Bipolarity and the relational division

A fuzzy bipolar relation is a relation defined by a fuzzy bipolar condition, which could be interpreted as an association of a constraint and a wish. In this context, the extension of the relational division operation to bipolarity is studied in this paper. Firstly, we define a bipolar division when the involved relations are crisp. Then, we define, from the semantic point of view, several forms of bipolar division when the involved relations are defined by fuzzy bipolar conditions. These forms of division can be related to the general model of fuzzy bipolar division introduced by Bosc and Pivert.
The Impact of iPad Applications on Learning Motivation among Preschoolers in Jordan

Existing research on iPads for preschoolers has mainly focused on improving literacy, but there are conflicting findings on broader impacts. This study explores iPad apps' influence on motivating creative thinking, with an experiment involving 51 kindergarten students. Results showed a significant improvement in creative thinking motivation in the experimental group. Collaborative engagement in a play-based learning environment was encouraged by iPad apps, highlighting their potential for enhancing creative learning. The app quality was a key factor in usage, influencing children's interest in developing creative thinking skills