Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Larval zebrafish electrocardiography electrodynmaic modelling and sensor design

This thesis presents the first model of the electrical activity of the larval zebrafish heart as well as the design and fabrication of novel electrode arrays that were created to measure the electrocardiogram. The model consists of realistic 3D geometry of a 3 day’s post fertilisation zebrafish heart and body with a bidomain electrical model that uses the Fitzhugh-Nagumo equations as the ionic model. The model is able to replicate experimentally observed conduction velocities and action potentials by using region specific parameters and simulate electrocardiograms that are comparable to measurements. The electrode arrays are constructed from flexible polyimide films with gold microelectrodes. These devices have the potential to improve the measurement of the electrocardiogram for drug screening applications as an alternative to the use of micropipette electrodes. Gold plating and PEDOT:PSS coating techniques were applied to the devices to successfully reduce electrode impedance with the effectiveness of each technique categorised using impedance spectroscopy. The devices were tested \(in\) \(vivo\) with larval zebrafish with limited success and so \(in\) \(vitro\) tests were conducted using an artificial current source.
First report about ants associated with Diaphorina citri Kuwayama in Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia Swingle) in the Apatzingán Valley, Michoacán, México

Objective: To carry out taxonomic studies that determine which formicine species are associated with the cultivation of Mexican lime. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted in eight municipalities and 59 localities of the Apatzingán Valley region, Michoacán, Mexico, where Mexican lime (Citrus aurantiifolia Swingle) is produced. A randomized complete blocks design was used in the experiment, where each municipality represented a block. The repetitions were the number of collections, while the experimental unit was a lime sprout infested with Diaphorina citri and ants. The collections were direct and were made with an entomological aspirator. The values obtained were analyzed with the SAS University Edition software (2018). Results: The studied ants belong to the Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae, Pseudomyrmecinae, and Ponerinae subfamilies, which represent 15 genera and the same number of species. The subfamilies with the greatest presence in the eight municipalities were: Myrmicinae, Dolichoderinae, and Formicinae. The species with the highest impact were Paratrechina longicornis, Forelius mccooki, and Atta mexicana, while Cardiocondyla minutior and Odontomachus sp. had a lower impact. Study limitations/implications: Social insecurity in the eight municipalities and the new form of coexistence. Findings/Conclusions: The studied species prefer dry, warm, and disturbed sites
Luminescent properties of Pb-based (PbX) colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) in vacuum, on silicon and integrated with a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic integrated circuit (PIC)

In the rapidly evolving field of experimental quantum information processing, one important sub-field pursues a potentially scalable implementation that transports quantum information encoded in photons throughout “photonic circuits” fabricated in a silicon wafer. A key component is an efficient on-demand source of these single photons, and this dissertation aimed to assess the feasibility of one proposed realization of such a source by integrating few PbSe colloidal quantum dots (CQDs, demonstrated single photon emitters in nanoparticle form) into the mode volume of an optical microcavity designed to efficiently direct quantum dot emission into a silicon photonic circuit. Although no direct evidence of single photon emission was observed, results prompted a number of follow-up experiments and considerable theoretical modeling to understand this quantum dot, photonic circuit system. The methods of investigation included (1) temporally-, spectrally-, and spatially-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements of PbSe CQDs integrated into SOI PICs and relatable environments (solution, thick film, thin film), (2) temperature-dependent, air-exposure studies of PbSe CQD thick film PL, (3) development and application of kinetic and quantum mechanical cavity-coupled modeling that admit complete accounting of the photonic density of states, depolarization effects, and non-radiative decay, and (4) a photon coincidence test of single photon emission. The main findings of this work are: (1) while capture of cavity-enhanced PbSe CQD emission into a silicon photonic circuit was demonstrated, the overall photon generate rate is inadequate for any useful implementation, (2) the measured coupling rate can be modeled and explained in terms of
Incidence, Disease Course, and Medical Treatment of a Danish Population-Based Cohort of Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background and Aims. In very early-onset IBD patients (VEO-IBD), studies have shown an incidence ranging from 0.4 to 2.1/100,000, extensive disease location, and a corresponding difficult and debatable treatment. We therefore aimed to investigate the incidence and medical and surgical treatment of VEO-IBD in a well-defined Danish population-based cohort. Methods. All VEO-IBD patients, defined as an IBD diagnosis before 6 years of age, were included from the Capital Region and the Zealand Region in 2015-2020. Demographic and clinical data including medical and surgical treatment were systematically extracted from the patient files. Results. Forty VEO-IBD patients were identified, 11 diagnosed with CD, 23 UC, and 6 IBD-U. The incidence rate of VEO-IBD was 2.0/100,000 (95% CI 0.8-5.9). All VEO-IBD patients except one had extensive colonic involvement or pancolitis. A total of 34 (85.0%) and 23 (57.5%) of the VEO-IBD patients received immunomodulators and/or biologicals, respectively. The cumulative risks of receiving immunomodulators and/or biologicals after 1/3/5 years was 55.3%/86.8%/90.1% and 36.8%/45.9%/57.0%, respectively. During follow-up, six VEO-IBD patients (15.0%) were treated with vedolizumab—although off-label for this age group—as second-line biological therapy. Four patients (17.4%) with UC had a colectomy. Two colectomised patients were treated with vedolizumab. Conclusion. Our population-based study showed an incidence of VEO-IBD comparable with the incidence in other countries. The population were treated intensively with immunomodulators and biologicals—including off-label vedolizumab—and compared to other studies had the same risk of undergoing IBD-related surgeries.
Multi-field driven thermochromic films and preparation of multi-color patterns

ABSTRACT In this paper, multi-field driven thermochromic films (TCF) were successfully prepared firstly. The upper layer is polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film prepared by polymerisation-induced phase separation (PIPS), and the lower layer is thermochromic liquid crystal microcapsule film prepared by centrifugal spin-coating method. The effects of diluent content, liquid crystal content and spin coating speed on the electro-optical properties and morphology of the thermochromic films were investigated by three sets of experiments secondly. Finally, multi-field driven multi-colour patterns were successfully prepared by film formation on conductive glass and flexible conductive films. Thermal ageing tests proved that the thermochromic films possess better service life, which provides a possibility for the wide application of liquid crystal films. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Automatic restoration system for power distribution networks based on multi-agent systems

The advance on smart grid calls for the development and application of distributed intelligent control strategies based on open platforms that provides interoperability. The distributed control must be able to ensure reliable and secure operation of the power systems and enhance supply quality to consumers. The development of a multi-agent system for automatic restoration system (MARS) applied to a real power distribution network is presented. The agents of the MARS are embedded in external hardware to the intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and communicate with each other via standard Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents open protocols. To evaluate the MARS performance, a computer simulator was developed in Java to represent the distribution system. Experimental tests were performed in laboratory with the simulator integrated to the MARS via TCP/IP. The tests results have shown that the MARS was able to locate and isolate branches under permanent fault condition and restore healthy branches efficiently through a given switching sequence taking into account the system operational constraints. The proposed MARS has proved the effectiveness of distributed control scheme based on multi-agent system that runs independently of the current technologies of the IEDs of control and protection.
Robust, Asynchronous and Distributed Algorithms for Control and Estimation in Smart Grids

Starting from the second half of the XXth century, desire of energy independence, great climate changes and increasing pollution rate have driven a lot of governments to invest on technologies devoted to energetic development. As a consequence, the electric infrastructure is undergoing a deep renovation both from a production, a transmission as well as a distribution point of view. To face at the same time environmental and economical issues, many politics have decided to invest on the development and diffusion of technologies aimed at the energy production from renewable resources, e.g., photovoltaic and wind farms, hydroelectric and biomass. Particularly successful has been the development of small size generators in comparison with those of the classical production plants. These small devices can be easily deployed next to the consumers and interfaced with the network through electronic inverters, giving rise to a grid of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). Thanks to the widespread of these devices, the consumer may now be able to produce, manage and sell his own energy becoming himself a producer, alternatively a so called prosumer. It can be easily understood how the new economic figure of the prosumer could affect the deregulation of the energy market which would no more be dominated by huge producers and sellers. Conversely, it would be based on the synergy and equilibrium of a multitude of small producers/consumers. Such an energetic scenario clashes with the actual physic of the electric grid. Indeed, this had been thought and built according to a top-down energy flow, in which the energy, starting from the producers, reaches the consumers in an unidirectional way. Conversely, an electric grid scattered of prosumers would foreseen a bottom-up energy flow where the energy, starting from the lowest layer, consisting of the prosumers, would climb up the grid to be redirected as needed. To let the development of such a deregulated market, a cautious design and control of the power inverters is necessary. This thesis focuses on some essential aspects that must be taken care of during the engineering design and the optimal manage of this new type of power grid. Particular attention has been posed on the development of distributed strategies that need only a local exchange of information among the agents constituting the network. This class of techniques is particularly interesting for its scalability property and the possibility to be effectively applied to large scale systems such as power grids.
The Obesogenic and Glycemic Effect of Bariatric Surgery in a Family with a Melanocortin 4 Receptor Loss-of-Function Mutation

We report the long-term response to bariatric surgery in a singular family of four adolescents with severe obesity (41–82 kg/m2), homozygous for the C271R loss-of-function mutation in the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), and three adults heterozygous for the same mutation. All patients had similar sociodemographic backgrounds and were followed for an average of 7 years. Three of the four homozygous patients regained their full weight (42–77 kg/m2), while the fourth lost weight but remained obese with a body mass index of 60 kg/m2. Weight regain was associated with relapse of most comorbidities, yet hyperglycemia did not relapse or was delayed. A1c levels were reduced in homozygous and heterozygous patients. The long-term follow-up data on this very unique genetic setting show that weight loss and amelioration of obesity following bariatric surgery require active MC4R signaling, while the improvement in glycemia is in part independent of weight loss. The study validates animal models and demonstrates the importance of biological signaling in the regulation of weight, even after bariatric surgery.
Crash behavior and optimization of double tubes with different cross section

Abstract Finite element analysis of double tubes under axial and oblique loads are presented in this paper. This study tested double tubes which consisted of an outer tube and an inner tube. The inner tube used varied, in terms of shape, including the form of a triangle, square, hexagon, and octagonal. The crash behavior of the four types of tubes are first investigated by nonlinear finite element analysis through ABAQUS. It is found that the octagonal tube has the best crashworthiness performance under axial impact regarding both specific energy absorption (SEA) and peak crushing force (PCF). Then, the variations in the loading angle were analyzed in the oblique test category for octagonal tubes with angular variations of 10°, 20°, and 30°. In addition, optimization design of the octagonal tube is performed by adopting multiobjective nueral network algorithm to achieve maximum SEA capacity and minimum TEA with and without considering load angle effect. It is found that the optimal designs of the octagonal tubes under different load angles.
A Resistivity Plate Loading Device for Assessing the Factors Affecting the Stiffness of a Cement-Stabilized Subgrade

The extent of mixing in the stabilization process and the control of the cement content (C) and water content (w) in the mixture are key to the outcome of the engineering performance of a cement-stabilized subgrade. Intelligent Compaction (IC) quality control has improved quality control and management practices during construction. Intelligent Compaction Measurement Values (ICMVs) selected to evaluate the stiffness properties of cement-stabilized soils do not directly relate to the stiffness properties of the cement-stabilized subgrade and do not consider w and C. Additional tests need to be conducted for calibration of ICMVs. In this study, our solution is the development of a resistivity plate loading test. The resistivity plate loading test features the flexibility in determining the soil stiffness, w, C, and other important factors, such as the time of test effect (hydration) (T) and dry density (ρd). To verify the accuracy of the testing method, laboratory experimental studies were conducted on cemented soils considering ρd, w, C, and T at different factor levels. Multiple response studies based on grey rational analysis (GRA) were conducted. Analysis of the input factors was performed, and their effects on the measured responses were quantified. According to the study, the ρ measured by the device was a powerful indicator of stiffness, ρd, w, C, and T, which showed that the device can be useful equipment for quality control and an advancement in the in situ testing technologies and test equipment. A statistical regression model based on the linear and linear plus interaction terms among the factors is proposed to predict the average responses.
Inhalation of 4% and 67% hydrogen ameliorates oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and necroptosis in a rat model of glycerol-induced acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the major complication of rhabdomyolysis (RM) clinically, which is usually mimicked by glycerol injection in basic research. Oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis are recognized to play important roles in development of this disease. Recently, numerous studies have reported the therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen (H2) on oxidative stress and inflammation-related diseases. Here, the effects of H2 against glycerol-induced AKI and the underlying mechanisms were explored in rats. Low (4%) and high (67%) concentrations of H2 were prepared using a self-made device to investigate the dose-response. After 72 hours of glycerol injection (8 mL/kg), we found that glycerol triggered oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions, and apoptotic events. These caused subsequent renal damage, evidenced by a significant reduction of antioxidases and up-regulation of the relevant damaged biomarkers. H2 inhalation reversed the above alterations and exerted renoprotective effects. Interestingly, for RM/AKI-related factors, no consistent dose-response benefits of H2 were observed. However, higher concentration of H2 inhalation improved histological and morphological changes better. This study suggests that H2 is a potential alternative therapy to prevent or minimize RM induced AKI possibly via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-necroptotic properties.
Space vector modulation for voltage-source inverters: a unified approach

This paper presents a unified approach of the space vector modulation for voltage-source inverters. To demonstrate the proposed unified approach, five fundamental inverters topologies are analyzed: single-phase full-bridge, three-phase three-wire, three-phase four-wire, three-phase four-leg and three-phase three-level inverters. Switching vectors, separation and boundary planes in the inverter output space as well as decomposition matrices and possible switching sequences are derived for each one of these inverters. Experimental results are shown to validate the proposed unified approach.
Cognitive Networks Extract Insights on COVID-19 Vaccines from English and Italian Popular Tweets: Anticipation, Logistics, Conspiracy and Loss of Trust

Monitoring social discourse about COVID-19 vaccines is key to understanding how large populations perceive vaccination campaigns. This work reconstructs how popular and trending posts framed semantically and emotionally COVID-19 vaccines on Twitter. We achieve this by merging natural language processing, cognitive network science and AI-based image analysis. We focus on 4765 unique popular tweets in English or Italian about COVID-19 vaccines between December 2020 and March 2021. One popular English tweet contained in our data set was liked around 495,000 times, highlighting how popular tweets could cognitively affect large parts of the population. We investigate both text and multimedia content in tweets and build a cognitive network of syntactic/semantic associations in messages, including emotional cues and pictures. This network representation indicates how online users linked ideas in social discourse and framed vaccines along specific semantic/emotional content. The English semantic frame of “vaccine” was highly polarised between trust/anticipation (towards the vaccine as a scientific asset saving lives) and anger/sadness (mentioning critical issues with dose administering). Semantic associations with “vaccine,” “hoax” and conspiratorial jargon indicated the persistence of conspiracy theories and vaccines in extremely popular English posts. Interestingly, these were absent in Italian messages. Popular tweets with images of people wearing face masks used language that lacked the trust and joy found in tweets showing people with no masks. This difference indicates a negative effect attributed to face-covering in social discourse. Behavioural analysis revealed a tendency for users to share content eliciting joy, sadness and disgust and to like sad messages less. Both patterns indicate an interplay between emotions and content diffusion beyond sentiment. After its suspension in mid-March 2021, “AstraZeneca” was associated with trustful language driven by experts. After the deaths of a small number of vaccinated people in mid-March, popular Italian tweets framed “vaccine” by crucially replacing earlier levels of trust with deep sadness. Our results stress how cognitive networks and innovative multimedia processing open new ways for reconstructing online perceptions about vaccines and trust.
Influence of Er:YAG laser irradiation settings on dentin‐adhesive interfacial ultramorphology and dentin bond strength

This study evaluated the effects of Erbium‐doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser settings and dentin bonding agents on ultramorphological characteristics of resin–laser–irradiated dentin interfaces and dentin bond strength (BS) of these adhesive systems. Additionally, dentin depth affected by Er:YAG laser irradiations was measured. The experiments were performed on occlusal dentin surfaces of third molars that were flattened with 600‐grit SiC sandpaper. Treated‐dentin with laser settings (250 mJ/4 Hz and 160 mJ/10 Hz) were the experimental groups, while SiC abraded dentin was the control. These three dentin treatments and three adhesives (two self‐etchings and one etch‐&‐rinse adhesive) formed nine groups for the ultramorphology of laser‐ablated dentin‐adhesives interfacial analysis, using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). For BS (n = 8), the same nine groups were tested with addition of the two evaluation times (24 h after sample preparation or 1 year). The depths of Er:YAG laser effects into the dentin were measured using a TEM (n = 10). Ablated‐dentin depth and BS data were analyzed by one‐ and three‐way ANOVA, respectively, and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Hybrid layer formation was only observed for controls, while for laser‐treated dentin, adhesives were bonded to dentin with resin tags formation. Laser settings reduced the BS for all adhesives at 24 h, while at 1 year, etch‐&‐rinse adhesive presented the highest BS, regardless treatment (control or laser settings). Dentin depth affected by laser settings was similar. The laser irradiation altered the bonding mechanism of the adhesives to dentin and reduced the BS for self‐etching adhesives. Etch‐&‐rinse adhesive yielded the highest BS at 1 year. Laser settings similarly affected the dentin in depth.
The Bias Toward Single-Unit Turns in Conversation

ABSTRACT Sacks, Schegloff, and Jefferson argued that the rules for turn taking for conversation involve a confluence of pressures that bias turn size toward single turn constructional units (TCUs), which leads to an empirical prediction that turns are more likely to be composed of single (vs. multiple) TCUs. We directly test and confirm this “single-TCU bias” by using conversation analysis, corpus linguistics, and Bayesian statistics to assess the conversational subcorpus of the British National Corpus (BNC-C), which contains 475,509 turns of talk. Our results confirm this bias, showing that 67% of turns are composed of single TCUs; we discuss why this estimate is conservative. The mean word length for single-TCU turns was 4.5 (SD = 3.4), compared to 19.9 (SD = 22.6) for multi-TCU turns. Our findings reinforce the ideas that the natural habitat for an accountable social action is the single TCU (vs. the turn), and that interaction is fundamentally organized (i.e., both produced and understood) on an action-by-action basis, which is a TCU-by-TCU basis. Data are in British English.