Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complexity theory in axiomatic design

During the last couple of decades, the term complexity has been commonly found in use in many fields of science, sometimes as a measurable quantity with a rigorous but narrow definition and other times as merely an ad hoc label. With an emphasis on pragmatic engineering applications, this thesis investigates the complexity concept defined in axiomatic design theory to avoid vague use of the term ’complexity’ in engineering system design, to provide deeper insight into possible causes of complexity, and to develop a systematic approach to complexity reduction. The complexity concept in axiomatic design theory is defined as a measure of uncertainty in achieving a desired set of functional requirements. In this thesis, it is revisited to refine its definition. Four different types of complexity are identified in axiomatic design complexity theory: time-independent real complexity, timeindependent imaginary complexity, time-dependent combinatorial complexity and time-dependent periodic complexity. Time-independent real complexity is equivalent to the information content, which is a measure of a probability of achieving functional requirements. Time-independent imaginary complexity is defined as the uncertainty due to ignorance of the interactions between functional requirements and design parameters. Time-dependent complexity consists of combinatorial complexity and periodic complexity, depending on whether the uncertainty increases indefinitely or occasionally stops increasing at certain point and returns to the initial level of uncertainty. In this thesis, existing definitions for each of the types of complexity are further elaborated with a focus on time-dependent complexity. In particular, timedependent complexity is clearly defined using the concepts of time-varying system ranges and time-dependent sets of functional requirements. Clear definition of the complexity concept that properly addresses the causes of complexity leads to a systematic approach for complexity reduction. As techniques for reducing time-independent complexity are known within and beyond axiomatic design theory, this thesis focuses on dealing with time-dependent complexity. From the definition of time-dependent complexity, combinatorial complexity must be transformed into periodic complexity to prevent the uncertainty from growing unboundedly. Timedependence of complexity is attributed to two factors. One is a time-varying system
Laser-diode-pumped, electro-optically tunable Nd:MgO:LiNbO 3 microchip laser

We have demonstrated continuous-wave operation of a microchip laser fabricated from Nd:MgO:LiNbO3 and pumped by a laser diode. Incident pump power thresholds of 32 mW with slope efficiencies of 6.5% were observed. The microchip laser operated in the lowest-order transverse mode at all output powers up to and including the maximum output power of 13 mW. Application of an electric field transverse to the cavity axis permitted tuning of the oscillating cavity modes to be obtained at a rate of 8.9 MHz V−1 mm.
Artificial intelligence approach to predict the dynamic modulus of asphalt concrete mixtures

This paper develops an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model based on 96 experimental data to forecast the dynamic modulus of asphalt concrete mixtures. The accuracy of the models was assessed using numerous performance indexes such as the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and coefficient of determination (R2). In addition, this study applied the repeated K-Fold cross-validation technique with 10 folds on the training data set to make the simulation results more reliable and find a model with more general predictive power. According to the research findings, the ANN model accurately predicts the dynamic modulus |E*| of asphalt concrete mixtures. Furthermore, the ANN model could successfully predict the dynamic modulus |E*| of asphalt concrete mixtures with a remarkable R2 = 0.989.
Palmprint Based Biometric System: A Comparative Study on Discrete Cosine Transform Energy, Wavelet Transform Energy and SobelCode Methods

Palmprint based biometric identification has gradually attracted the attention of researchers due to its richness in amount of features. Palmprint contains geometry features, line features, point features, texture features and statistical features. In this paper, simple and effective methodology for palmprint based identification system is proposed. The right hand image is captured using a digital camera without pegging or illumination arrangements. The captured image is aligned using identified key points in the hand and the palmprint region is selected for enhancement and resizing. Different feature extraction methods, namely Discrete Cosine Transform energy features, Wavelet Transform energy features and SobelCode are applied to the resized image to obtain feature vectors. The extracted feature vectors are matched using similarity measurement and feed forward back propagation neural network. The proposed schemes are tested with hand images from 101 individuals.
Serum OPG and RANKL Levels as Risk Factors for the Development of Cardiovascular Calcifications in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients in Hemodialysis

Cardiovascular calcifications (CVC) are frequently observed in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and contribute to their cardiovascular mortality. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of osteoprotegerin (OPG)/Receptor Activator of NF-κΒ (RANK)/RANK ligand (RANKL) pathway in the development and evolution of CVCs in hemodialysis patients. In total, 80 hemodialysis patients were assessed for the presence of vascular (abdominal aorta and muscular arteries) calcifications and results were correlated to serum OPG and RANKL levels and the OPG/RANKL ratio. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors and mineral bone disease parameters were also estimated. The presence of VCs was also evaluated 5 years after the initiation of the study, and results were correlated to the initial serum OPG levels. Age, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease and OPG levels (p < 0.001) were associated with VCs, whereas RANKL levels were not. Multivariate analysis though revealed that only OPG levels were significantly associated with abdominal aorta calcifications (p = 0.026), but they were not correlated with the progression of VCs. Serum OPG levels are positively and independently associated with VCs in HD patients, but not with their progression. RANKL levels did not show any associations, whereas further studies are needed to establish the significance of OPG/RANKL ratio.
Fuzzy functions: a fuzzy extension of the category SET and some related categories

In research Works where fuzzy sets are used, mostly certain usual functions are taken as morphisms. On the other hand, the aim of this paper is to fuzzify the concept of a function itself. Namely, a certain class of L-relations F : X x Y -> L is distinguished which could be considered as fuzzy functions from an L-valued set (X,Ex) to an L-valued set (Y,Ey). We study basic properties of these functions, consider some properties of the corresponding category of L-valued sets and fuzzy functions as well as briefly describe some categories related to algebra and topology with fuzzy functions in the role of morphisms.
The influence of grains on the propagation and structure of C-type shock waves in interstellar molecular clouds

Gas–grain interactions can have important consequences for the physics and chemistry of shock waves propagating in molecular clouds. The grains can be both a source and a sink of molecules, and their inertia can modify the dynamics of the propagation of, in particular, C-type shock waves. The degree of charging of the grains, both in the pre-shock gas and in the shock wave itself, is a significant parameter. The population of interstellar grains extends from large molecules, which we represent by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, to much larger particles, composed of silicates and amorphous carbon material. The influence of the inertia of the grains on the dynamics of the flow is modelled in detail, and upper limits to the velocities of C-type shock waves are established. We find that collisions between charged and neutral grains, driven by ion–neutral drift in C-type shock waves, may lead to the shattering of a large fraction of the amorphous carbon material.
On driven, dissipative, energy-conserving magnetohydrodynamic equilibria

A cylindrically symmetric, electrically driven, dissipative, energy-conserving magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium model is considered. The high-magnetic-field Braginskii electron electrical resistivity η parallel to a constant axial magnetic field B and ion thermal conductivity ĸ perpendicular to B are included in an energy equation and in Ohm's law. The expressions for η and ĸ depend on number density and temperature, which are functions of radius that are obtained as part of the equilibrium solution. The model has plasma-confining solutions, by which are meant solutions characterized by the separation of the plasma into two regions separated by a relatively thin transition region that is an internal boundary layer across which temperature and current density vary rapidly. The inner region has a temperature, pressure and current density that are much larger than in the outer region. The number density and thermal conductivity attain their minimum values in the transition region. The model has an intrinsic value of β, about 6.6%, which must be exceeded in order that a plasma-confining solution exist. The model has an intrinsic length scale, which, for plasma-confining solutions, is a measure of the thickness of the transition region separating the inner and outer regions of plasma. A larger class of transport coefficients is modelled by artificially changing η and ĸ by changing the constant coefficients ηO and ĸO that occur in their expressions. Increasing ĸO transforms a state that does not exhibit confinement into one that does, improves the confinement in a state that already exhibits it, and leads to an increase in ĸ in the confined region of plasma. The improvement in confinement consists in a decrease in the thickness of the transition region. Decreasing ηO subject to certain constraints, also transforms a state that does not exhibit confinement into one that does, improves the confinement in a state that already exhibits it, and leads to a decrease in η in the confined region of plasma. Increasing ηO up to a critical point increases the current, temperature, and volume of the confined region of plasma, and causes the thickness of the transition region to increase. If ηO is increased beyond the critical point, a plasma-confining state cannot exist. In all cases it is found that an increase in ĸ and a decrease in η in the confined region of plasma are associated with an improvement in the confinement properties of the equilibrium state. If the pressure and temperature are given on the cylinder wall, the equilibrium bifurcates when the electric field decreases below a critical value. The equilibrium can bifurcate into a state that exhibits confinement and a state that does not.
Deep Laser Cooling of Thulium Atoms to Sub-µK Temperatures in Magneto-Optical Trap

Deep laser cooling of atoms, ions, and molecules facilitates the study of fundamental physics as well as applied research. In this work, we report on the narrow-line laser cooling of thulium atoms at the wavelength of 506.2nm with the natural linewidth of 7.8kHz, which widens the limits of atomic cloud parameters control. Temperatures of about 400nK, phase-space density of up to 3.5×10−4 and 2×106 number of trapped atoms were achieved. We have also demonstrated formation of double cloud structure in an optical lattice by adjusting parameters of the 506.2nm magneto-optical trap. These results can be used to improve experiments with BEC, atomic interferometers, and optical clocks.
Where is ‘the political’ in the journal Political Communication? On the hegemonic articulation of a disciplinary identity

ABSTRACT Critical scholars have long critiqued the circumscribed theoretical boundaries of political communication research in its dominant disciplinary identity. This identity is usually attributed to the hegemonic authority of a functionalist paradigm of political communication anchored in the use of positivist epistemologies and quantitative methods. This article revisits these old debates from a post-foundational discourse theoretical perspective, drawing on arguments about the ontological implications of ‘the political’ to examine political communication’s hegemonic disciplinary form. The primarily theoretical argument is supported by an elementary empirical method that examines how the signifiers ‘ontology’ and ‘the political,’ and theorists associated with that vocabulary, are cited in a 24-year archive of articles from the journal Political Communication which we frame as a proxy for the dominant disciplinary identity. We argue that the relative invisibility of an otherwise influential political ontology literature in the journal supports our argument about the lack of theoretical pluralism in political communication research and suggests the enduring authority of a dominant disciplinary habitus that, even when it recognizes paradigmatic differences, sees methodological virtue as the guarantee of scholarly rigour. We end by reflecting on the politics of how different (inter)disciplinary identities are articulated in communication studies.
Detection, Quantification and Molecular Characterization of Fowl Adenoviruses Circulating in Ecuadorian Chicken Flocks during 2019–2021

Simple Summary Viral diseases cause high economic losses in poultry. One of them is IBH (inclusion body hepatitis) and HHS (hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome) associated with fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs), a virus that spreads rapidly by feces. Thus, the aim of the present study was to detect, quantify, and identify the genotypes of FAdVs that are circulating in the chicken commercial flocks and could be responsible for outbreaks of hepatic diseases. The study showed the presence of genotypes FAdV-2/D2, FAdV-6/E1, FAdV-8a/E2, and FAdV-11/D3 of FAdV, all of them related to IBH and HHS. These results showed that in commercial birds with enteric problems, FAdV is circulating, pointing to the need for revising biosecurity programs and considering FAdV as being disseminated by feces and causing IBH and HHS. Abstract Fowl adenoviruses are a group of pathogens that cause large economic losses worldwide in the poultry industry, in addition to producing a wide range of diseases, such as IBH, HHS, and enteric and respiratory diseases. The objective of this study was to quantify, identify, and molecularly characterize the types of FAdV circulating in commercial poultry farms (broilers, breeders, and layers) in Ecuador from 2019 to 2021. Molecular characterization was performed by PCR, quantification by qPCR, and subsequent sequencing for each positive sample. The results indicated that the FAdV genotypes circulating in our country are FAdV-2/D2, FAdV-6/E1, FAdV-8a/E2, and FAdV-11/D3; the samples were grouped into different groups that contain sequences that were obtained from countries in Africa, Asia, and America, and that are found in birds at different ages, since early age where can cause different clinical signs, such as diarrhea, ruffled feathers and dwarfism. Therefore, these results indicate that several genotypes of the virus are circulating in commercial poultry flocks, suggesting that biosecurity measures on farms should be improved, in addition to carrying out new or improved vaccination plans.
Wafer acceptance test structures for characterization of thermoelectric materials’ thermal conductivity of thermopile sensors

Thermopile sensors have a wide range of applications in consumer and industry. Thermopile is the key component of thermopile sensors, and thermal conductivity is a basic thermal parameter of thermopile. Extracting the thermal conductivity of thermoelectric materials in thermopile sensors is of great importance. In this work, wafer acceptable test structures that fabricated along with thermopile sensors are presented. They could guarantee the measured materials are identical to those used in thermopile sensors. The test results are consistent with the reported values, and the validity of structures is verified. This method has the advantages of on-line extraction over a wide temperature range, and simultaneous extraction of thermal conductivity of connecting wire.
Tomography of fluctuating biological interfaces using defocusing microscopy

We show that a bright-field defocused microscope is effectively a phase-contrast microscope, but with advantages over the conventional one and maintaining the same optical resolution. In a multilayered transparent object, the height amplitude (static and dynamic) of each interface can be measured separately with nanometer sensitivity. By scanning the position of the objective focal plane in relation to the surfaces of a red blood cell, we obtain quantitative information on height fluctuations from each surface individually, which can be analyzed with our model of a defocused microscope and compared with theoretical models.
Establishing a Pulmonary Nodule Clinic Service for Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer – Review of International Options and Considerations for Greece

Abstract Early diagnosis of lung cancer in pulmonary nodules identified by computed tomography (CT) may be critical in reducing the epidemiological burden of the disease, particularly in countries where such a burden is considerably high and risk factors for lung cancer very prevalent. The establishment and operation of pulmonary nodule clinics (PNCs), ie, multidisciplinary services that watch and evaluate nodules found through deliberate screening efforts or as incidental findings, is increasingly becoming a key tool to implement such early-intervention, cancer-risk management policies elsewhere in the world. This review aims to research and present in a structured manner findings from published sources on options and considerations for setting up a PNC in a country such as Greece. These refer to the type of services a PNC would provide to optimize diagnosis of suspect pulmonary nodules, its structure and organization, including processes, human resources and technology infrastructure, its target audience, ie, who would be eligible to use its services, and the expected outcomes of its operation, in terms of a set of key performance indicators. Our review also revealed critical key success factors that should be considered when designing the introduction of a PNC in a health care setting, including optimal referral pathways, aligned clinical decision making and patient preferences and participation/empowerment. Our findings may inform health care systems with a high lung cancer burden and no available PNC service on options and considerations before introducing such a service in their respective settings.
Supt16 Haploinsufficiency Impairs PI3K/AKT/mTOR/Autophagy Pathway in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived Neural Stem Cells

The maintenance of neural stem cells (NSCs) plays a critical role in neurodevelopment and has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, the underlying mechanisms linking defective human neural stem cell self-renewal to NDDs remain undetermined. Our previous study found that Supt16 haploinsufficiency causes cognitive and social behavior deficits by disrupting the stemness maintenance of NSCs in mice. However, its effects and underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated in human neural stem cells (hNSCs). Here, we generated Supt16+/− induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and induced them into hNSCs. The results revealed that Supt16 heterozygous hNSCs exhibit impaired proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and increased apoptosis. As the RNA-seq analysis showed, Supt16 haploinsufficiency inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, leading to rising autophagy, and further resulted in the dysregulated expression of multiple proteins related to cell proliferation and apoptotic process. Furthermore, the suppression of Supt16 heterozygous hNSC self-renewal caused by autophagy activation could be rescued by MHY1485 treatment or reproduced in rapamycin-treated hNSCs. Thus, our results showed that Supt16 was essential for hNSC self-renewal and its haploinsufficiency led to cell cycle arrest, impaired cell proliferation, and increased apoptosis of hNSCs by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/autophagy pathway. These provided a new insight to understand the causality between the Supt16 heterozygous NSCs and NDDs in humans.
Fucoidan in Pharmaceutical Formulations: A Comprehensive Review for Smart Drug Delivery Systems

Fucoidan is a heterogeneous group of polysaccharides isolated from marine organisms, including brown algae and marine invertebrates. The physicochemical characteristics and potential bioactivities of fucoidan have attracted substantial interest in pharmaceutical industries in the past few decades. These polysaccharides are characterized by possessing sulfate ester groups that impart negatively charged surfaces, low/high molecular weight, and water solubility. In addition, various promising bioactivities have been reported, such as antitumor, immunomodulatory, and antiviral effects. Hence, the formulation of fucoidan has been investigated in the past few years in diverse pharmaceutical dosage forms to be able to reach their site of action effectively. Moreover, they can act as carriers for various drugs in value-added drug delivery systems. The current work highlights the attractive biopharmaceutical properties of fucoidan being formulated in oral, inhalable, topical, injectable, and other advanced formulations treating life-quality-affecting diseases. Therefore, the present work points out the current status of fucoidan pharmaceutical formulations for future research transferring their application from in vitro and in vivo studies to clinical application and market availability.
Anthocyanin Content and Fusarium Mycotoxins in Pigmented Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. spp. aestivum): An Open Field Evaluation

Twelve Triticum aestivum L. spp. aestivum varieties with pigmented grain, namely one red, six purple, three blue, and two black, were grown in open fields over two consecutive years and screened to investigate their risk to the accumulation of multiple Fusarium-related mycotoxins. Deoxynivalenol (DON) and its modified forms DON3Glc, 3Ac-DON, 15Ac-DON, and T-2, HT-2, ZEN, and Enniatin B were quantified by means of UHPLC-MS/MS, along with 14 different cyanidin, petunidin, delphinidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and malvidin glycosides. A significant strong influence effect of the harvesting year (p = 0.0002) was noticed for DON content, which was more than doubled between harvesting years growing seasons (mean of 3746 µg kg−1 vs. 1463 µg kg−1). In addition, a striking influence of varieties with different grain colour on DON content (p < 0.0001) emerged in combination with the harvesting year (year×colour, p = 0.0091), with blue grains being more contaminated (mean of 5352 µg kg−1) and red grain being less contaminated (mean of 715 µg kg−1). The trend was maintained between the two harvesting years despite the highly variable absolute mycotoxin content. Varieties accumulating anthocyanins in the pericarp (purple coloration) had significantly lower DON content compared to those in which aleurone was involved (blue coloration).