Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glycemic index and insulin index after a standard carbohydrate meal consumed with live kombucha: A randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover trial

Introduction Kombucha is a complex probiotic beverage made from fermented tea, yet despite extensive historical, anecdotal, and in-vivo evidence for its health benefits, no controlled trials have been published on its effect on humans. Methods We conducted a randomised placebo-controlled, cross-over study that examined the Glycemic Index (GI) and Insulin Index (II) responses after a standardised high-GI meal consumed with three different test beverages (soda water, diet lemonade soft drink and an unpasteurised kombucha) in 11 healthy adults. The study was prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (anzctr.org.au: 12620000460909). Soda water was used as the control beverage. GI or II values were calculated by expressing the 2-h blood glucose or insulin response as a percentage of the response produced by 50 g of glucose dissolved in water. Results There was no statistically significant difference in GI or II between the standard meal consumed with soda water (GI: 86 and II: 85) or diet soft drink (GI: 84 and II: 81, (p = 0.929 for GI and p = 0.374 for II). In contrast, when kombucha was consumed there was a clinically significant reduction in GI and II (GI: 68, p = 0.041 and II: 70, p = 0.041) compared to the meal consumed with soda water. Discussion These results suggest live kombucha can produce reductions in acute postprandial hyperglycemia. Further studies examining the mechanisms and potential therapeutic benefits of kombucha are warranted.
Adhesion promotes phase separation in mixed-lipid membranes

We investigate the interplay of domain formation and adhesion in mixed-lipid membranes. Giant unilamellar vesicles consisting of two- and three-component lipid mixtures are studied using confocal fluorescence microscopy. Upon driving the system towards the demixing transition, phase separation is invariably found to occur first in regions where membranes adhere to one another, despite identical lipid headgroups and negligible curvature effects. We propose a simple generic mechanism based on the suppression of thermal shape fluctuations to explain these observations. Our findings suggest novel possibilities by which biomembranes can create and utilize lateral lipid heterogeneities.
Effect of the durability of GCLs on Contaminants transfer through a composite liner exhibiting a hole in the geomembrane: A numerical approach

This study performs numerical simulations of flow rate and organic contaminant migration through a geosynthetic composite lining system (geomembrane GMB-geosynthetic clay liner GCL) using the GeoStudio program (Ctran/W in conjunction with Seep /W). The GMB is considered defective with a circular hole to account for the coupled phenomena of advection and diffusion. GCLs are considered virgin and suggested for cation exchange and thermal gradient to verify and check the effect of the internal modification and alteration of the GCL by its environment on contaminant transfer. The results are compared with contaminant transport through composite liners with virgin GCL to investigate and study the resistance durability of GCLs to face contaminant transfer transport. After the validation of the proposed model, there was good agreement between the simulated and experimental flow. The result of this study confirms that indeed the typically published diffusion coefficient values for both virgin and aged GCL used in the present study provide good predictions of contaminant migration and effluent concentration over time across the GMB-GCL composite liners
Effect of graphene oxide–iron oxide hybrid nanocomposite on the high-velocity impact performance of Kevlar fabrics impregnated with nanosilica/polyethylene glycol shear thickening fluid

In this paper, the influence of graphene oxide (GO) and GO–Fe3O4 hybrid nanocomposite (GFHN) as additives for nanosilica/polyethylene glycol shear thickening fluid (STF) was investigated on the fiber pull-out response and high-velocity impact performance of Kevlar fabrics. To fabricate GFHN nanofillers, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were linked onto the graphene oxide surfaces using the electrostatic self-assembly method. The GO sheets and GFHN nanofillers were separately incorporated into STF containing fumed silica nanoparticles and the Kevlar fabrics were impregnated with the obtained STF-GO and STF-GFHN nano-mixtures. The pull-out test results of the impregnated Kevlar fabric indicated that the STF-GO nano-mixture decreased while the STF-GFHN nano-mixture increased the friction between the yarns of the impregnated fabric. This was in correlation with the high-velocity impact test results in which the STF-GO nano-mixture deteriorated while the STF-GFHN nano-mixture considerably improved the high-velocity impact resistance of the impregnated Kevlar fabric. The Kevlar fabric impregnated with STF-GFHN nano-mixture containing 0.4 wt% GFHN nanofillers experienced the maximum pull-out force and impact energy absorption with 163% and 73% improvements, respectively, compared to the neat fabric.
Mechanisms of Resistance to Antibody–Drug Conjugates

Simple Summary Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are a growing class of therapies that aim to delivery therapy more efficiently, with fewer side effects, than conventional chemotherapy. ADCs are composed of an antibody linked to a chemotherapy payload, allowing targeted delivery of the chemotherapy. In the last decade, several antibody–drug conjugates have improved treatment options in breast cancer. However, patients usually progress on these agents, and more research is needed into why this resistance occurs. Given the complex structure of antibody-drug conjugates, resistance may be related to changes in antigen expression, ADC processing, and the chemotherapy payload. This paper reviews the literature on the mechanisms of resistance to antibody–drug conjugates including pre-clinical and clinical studies in breast cancer and other malignancies. This review includes information on ADCs that have been approved for use in breast cancer and ADCs in development that seek to overcome the proposed mechanisms of resistance to improve treatment options for patients. Abstract Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), with antibodies targeted against specific antigens linked to cytotoxic payloads, offer the opportunity for a more specific delivery of chemotherapy and other bioactive payloads to minimize side effects. First approved in the setting of HER2+ breast cancer, more recent ADCs have been developed for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and, most recently, hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. While antibody–drug conjugates have compared favorably against traditional chemotherapy in some settings, patients eventually progress on these therapies and require a change in treatment. Mechanisms to explain the resistance to ADCs are highly sought after, in hopes of developing next-line treatment options and expanding the therapeutic windows of existing therapies. These resistance mechanisms are categorized as follows: change in antigen expression, change in ADC processing and resistance, and efflux of the ADC payload. This paper reviews the recently published literature on these mechanisms as well as potential options to overcome these barriers.
APPLICATION OF STEREOLOGICAL METHODS TO STUDY THE WHITE MATTER AND MYELINATED FIBERS THEREIN OF RAT BRAIN

An efficient and unbiased stereological method was applied to estimate the white matter volume, the total volume, total length and mean diameter of the myelinated fibers in the white matter and the total volume of the myelin sheaths in the white matter of rat brain. The white matter volume was obtained with the Cavalieri principle. Four tissue blocks were sampled from the entire white matter in a uniform random fashion. The length density of the myelinated fibers in the white matter was obtained from the isotropic, uniform, random sections ensured by the isector. The volume density of the myelinated fibers in the white matter was estimated by point counting. The total length and the total volume of the myelinated fibers in the white matter were estimated by multiplying the white matter volume and the length density and the volume density of the myelinated fibers in the white matter, respectively. The size of nerve fibers was derived by measuring the profile diameter perpendicular to its longest axis. The results were satisfactory in the sense that the sampling variance introduced by the stereological estimation procedure was a minor fraction of the observed variance. The comparison of the white matter and the myelinated fibers in the white matter between rat brain and human brain was also made in the present study.
The teacher’s role for engagement in foraging and gardening activities in kindergarten

Abstract Early childhood education provides an important arena for fostering valuable habits and practices for sustainability. This paper contributes to understanding the educator’s role within early childhood environmental education in foraging and gardening practices. What pedagogical approaches does the teacher provide to foster the children’s participation, engagement, and learning in such activities? To investigate this question, we used a qualitative approach, including video and on-site interviews with kindergarten teachers during foraging or gardening activities. We also analyzed semi-structural interviews and collected field notes for in-depth views and reflections from the teachers. The qualitative data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The data analysis suggests three themes that exemplify hallmarks of the teacher’s role: (1) facilitating adventurous experience, (2) child-centered communication, and (3) building collective knowledge and skills. The implications for the future are discussed with respect to the kindergarten teacher’s pivotal function in supporting children as eco-citizens for sustainability. The data show that the kindergarten teachers’ over-arching role is to take leadership of fostering engagement and learning for everyone involved.
Design of a radiographic integrated test stand (RITS) based on a voltage adder, to drive a diode immersed in a high magnetic field

Recent experiments have adapted existing magnetically insulated induction voltage adders (Sabre, Hermes III) to drive a 10-MV diode immersed in magnetic fields as high as 50 T. In such a diode, an electron beam of tens of kiloamperes can be confined by the magnetic field to a diameter of about 1 mm, and when it strikes a high-Z anode, it can create a bremsstrahlung X-ray source intense enough to radiograph massive objects with high resolution. The radiographic integrated test stand (RITS) is an adder system designed specially to drive such diodes, and it will be used to develop and exploit them. As in other adder-based pulsers, such as Sabre, Hermes III, and Kalif-Helia, the induction cells have amorphous-iron cores, and the pulse-forming system consists of water dielectric pulselines and self-closing water switches that are pulse-charged from Marx-charged intermediate water capacitors through laser-triggered Rimfire switches. An oil prepulse switch in series with each pulseline is designed to reduce cathode prepulse to less than /spl plusmn/5 kV, and a means is provided to bias the cathode and avoid negative prepulse entirely. The RITS pulse-forming system consists of two modules. Each module has one Marx that charges two 3-MV intermediate stores, each of which charges three 7.8 /spl Omega/ pulselines, making six pulselines per module. The two modules in concert can supply 1.35-MV, 50-ns pulses to a 12-cell adder and thus drive a 16-MV diode with a single pulse. The 1,35-MV induction cells each have a single-point feed, from which a single, slotted azimuthal oil transmission line distributes energy uniformly around the cell. The modules can also be pulsed separately at different times, either to power two 8-MV adders that each drive one of two closely spaced cathodes immersed in a common magnetic field or to provide two separate pulses to a common six-cell adder and a single 8-MV diode; in these two-pulse modes, the spacing of the two 50-ns pulses may be chosen to be anything from a few hundred nanoseconds upward. The use of only one pulseline per cell has been shown to increase the extent to which the cell voltages can vary with the timing of closure of the water switches. This and all other functions of RITS have been simulated in detail, and a conservative electrical design has been developed. This will be illustrated, along with the conceptual design of a pulse sorting network that can couple two pulselines efficiently to one cell when the two RITS modules drive a common adder in two-pulse mode.
Charge injection at carbon nanotube-SiO2 interface

Most single-wall carbon nanotube field-effect transistors show significant hysteresis in their transfer characteristics between forward and reverse gate bias sweeps. It was proposed that the hysteresis is due to a dynamic charging process at the carbon nanotube-dielectric interface. We have studied the charge injection and subsequent discharging processes at the carbon nanotube-SiO2 interface using electrostatic force microscopy. It was observed that the water layer assists charge diffusion on the dielectric surface.
Adaptive growth technique of stiffener layout pattern for plate and shell structures to achieve minimum compliance

A new and effective generation method for the stiffener layout pattern for plate and shell structures to achieve minimum compliance, the so-called adaptive growth technique, is suggested in this paper. The method is based on the adaptive growth rule of branch systems in nature that branches grow and branch off automatically towards such directions that can improve the global functional performance, such as the maximum absorption of sunlight or water. It is expected that a plate or shell structure can achieve good mechanical performance if the stiffeners extend by obeying a similar adaptive growing and branching rule as branch systems in nature. The stiffeners, starting from the so-called seeds, grow and branch off towards the direction with the maximum effectiveness of the global mechanical performance, which is dependent on the design sensitivity of the current structure. During the growth process, the volume increment is controlled so as to make it possible to create new branches and to eliminate degenerate branches. The validity and effectiveness of the suggested method are confirmed by some typical stiffener layout design problems.
Fixed Site Sampling Versus Modified Fixed Site Sampling with a Random Sampling Component for Optimizing Early Detection Monitoring of Non-Native Fishes

Abstract - Standardized sampling of fishes is either probabilistic (i.e., random) or non-probabilistic (i.e., fixed), with each having advantages and disadvantages. Our study objective was to evaluate whether a fixed site-survey design for early detection monitoring of non-native fishes could be improved by modifying fixed site selection and adding random sampling. Results were largely similar but varied by evaluation metric; accumulation curves of species suggested that performance of the fixed survey design was 10% higher than the modified survey and also accumulated species significantly faster from 1 to 42 units of effort. Results indicated the fixed site survey previously took advantage of the patchiness in fish distribution, leaving little potential efficiency to gain using the modified survey design. We would like to emphasize that the modified survey design was effective, just not as effective as the fixed site survey, and could likely optimize early detection monitoring (EDM) for programs with less available fish data to draw observations from or if only random sampling was used for monitoring.
EIDLS: An Edge-Intelligence-Based Distributed Learning System Over Internet of Things

With the rapid development of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and the Internet of Things (IoT), increasing computing tasks are sinking to mobile edge networks, such as distributed learning systems. These systems benefit from the massive amounts of data and computing power on mobile devices and can learn qualified models on the premise of protecting user privacy. In fact, coordinating mobile devices to participate in computing is challenging. On the one hand, the heterogeneous performance of devices makes it difficult to guarantee computing efficiency. On the other hand, there are unreliable factors in the mobile network, which will destroy the stability of the distributed learning. Therefore, we design a three-layer framework called an edge-intelligence-based distributed learning system (EIDLS). Specifically, a novel multilayer perceptron-based device availability evaluation model is proposed to select devices with good performance. The evaluation model performs online learning and optimization according to the resources (CPU, battery, etc.) of devices. Meanwhile, we propose a dynamic trust evaluation algorithm to reduce the side effects of unreliable devices. The experimental results of some commonly used datasets validate that the proposed EIDLS dramatically minimizes the energy consumption and communication cost and improves the calculation accuracy and the stability of the system.
The Nature of the Lack of Uniqueness of Generalized Inverse Matrices

Any matrix G which satisfies $AGA = A$ is a generalized inverse of A. Unless A is square and nonsingular, G is not unique. This paper presents two characterizations of the lack of uniqueness of G: (i) in terms of a relation among elements of G and (ii) in terms of any other generalized inverse of A. The first characterization provides results concerning the rank and symmetry of G; the latter characterization provides an alternate form for the general solution to the consistent equations ${\bf Ax} = {\bf y}$, i.e., as G varies over all matrices satisfying $AGA = A$ then ${\bf x} = {\bf Gy}$ generates all solutions to ${\bf Ax} = {\bf y}$ provided ${\bf y} \ne 0$.
Relaxation‐matched modeling of propagation through porous media, including fractal pore structure

The viscous and thermal dissipation of an acoustic wave propagating through a porous medium is shown to be characteristic of a relaxation process. Based on this interpretation, a new model for the complex density (dynamic permeability) and bulk modulus, which describe the viscous and thermal processes, respectively, is proposed. The model is based on approximating the relaxational characteristic, as opposed to previous models based on matching low‐ and high‐frequency asymptotic behavior. An advantage of the relaxation model is that one fewer parameter is required. The relaxation model is also simpler than the commonly used Zwikker/Kosten/Attenborough or Biot/Allard models, in the sense that it contains no Bessel or Kelvin functions, and is not a modified form of the solution for uniform, circular pores. And unlike the Delany/Bazley empirical equations, the relaxation model is physically realistic for all frequencies. Extension of the relaxation model to fractal pore surfaces is also discussed.
Full conserving dielectric function for plasmas at any degeneracy

Dielectric functions of an electron plasma are calculated for an electron gas in which number, momentum, and energy are conserved during electron-electron collisions. They are compared with others in the literature, revealing that, in general, that imposition of the conservation laws tends to make the full conserving dielectric response more similar to the random phase approximation dielectric response than without it. This is due to the fact that in the random phase approximation model all the conservation laws are also enforced. Our model is checked for other plasma degeneracies; concretely we consider partially degenerate plasmas and classical plasmas. The behaviour of the dielectric functions of these plasmas is similar to the degenerate one. Differences among dielectric functions are more significant than for the degenerate case, but it is mainly due to low relaxation time values. The most relevant issue for these plasmas is the fact that the consideration of energy conservation in the dielectric function is more important in these cases, because plasma temperature is significant.
Boundary control of a one-dimensional, linear thermoelastic rod

The problem of exactly controlling the state (displacement, stress, temperature) to zero through boundary control of either thermal or mechanical components is considered. The moment problem method is used to obtain controllability results. Sharp regularity results are obtained via the Carleson measure criterion of Ho, Russell, and Weiss. <<ETX>>
All‐sky imaging of meteor trails at 55.25 MHz with the first station of the Long Wavelength Array

A new capability for high‐sensitivity, all‐sky monitoring of VHF meteor trail reflections with the first station of the Long Wavelength Array, or “LWA1,” is described. LWA1 is a ∼100 m diameter HF/VHF array of 256 crossed‐dipole antennas with a unique transient buffer mode that allows it to monitor for meteor trails via all‐sky imaging with the same sensitivity as a single‐dish antenna ≳40m in diameter. To demonstrate this capability, we have used a 2 h observing run conducted in August 2012 aimed at detecting and characterizing meteor trail reflections of analog TV transmissions at 55.25 MHz. The analysis techniques described here allowed for a detection rate of ∼9500 trails per hour, including the detection of two meteor streams with radiants in the Aries/Perseus and Aquila/Hercules regions that were not previously reported in the literature. In addition, we have found a population of relatively long‐duration (∼1 to a few minutes), typically faint trails. These trails have implied horizontal speeds of 15–130 m s−1, with a typical speed of ∼30 m s−1. We have also used high‐resolution time series of the brightest trails to characterize decay times over a relatively large geographical area (10°×7° in longitude and latitude) and on short (∼5 min) time scales. Potential enhancements that could be enabled by the addition of more LWA stations are discussed.
Cavity Solitons in VCSEL Devices

We review advances on the experimental study of cavity solitons in VCSELs in the past decade. We emphasize on the design and fabrication of electrically or optically pumped broad-area VCSELs used for CSs formation and review different experimental configurations. Potential applications of CSs in the field of photonics are discussed, in particular the use of CSs for all-optical processing of information and for VCSELs characterization. Prospects on self-localization studies based on vertical cavity devices involving new physical mechanisms are also given.