Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New insights into the numerical solution of the Boltzmann transport equation for photons

This paper has been thought to describe a numerical algorithm, based on the expansion in orders of scattering, for solving the steady Boltzmann transport equation for photons, and to show some subsequent numerical results which have been obtained by developing an own Matlab® code. The spatial domain is assumed to be a rectangular-shaped container with air and a water phantom inside, albeit the method can be extended to arbitrarily shaped convex domains filled with some other heterogeneous material. High energy x-rays enter the domain through a small rectangle located on its upper face.
Inter-Rater Reliability of Scoring Systems for Abomasal Lesions in Quebec Veal Calves

Simple Summary Abomasal lesions are considered to be an important health issue in cattle, especially in milk-fed (or white) veal calves. Using a reliable scoring system to describe abomasal lesions can help in determining the possible risk factors in order to prevent this problem. The aim of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability of scoring systems used for abomasal lesions. Additionally, macroscopic lesions were compared with histological lesions. Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability of current scoring systems used to detect abomasal lesions in veal calves. In addition, macroscopic lesions were compared with corresponding histological lesions. For this, 76 abomasa were retrieved from veal calves in a slaughterhouse in Quebec and scored by four independent raters using current scoring systems. The localisations of the lesions were separated into pyloric, fundic, or torus pyloricus areas. Lesions were classified into three different types, i.e., erosions, ulcers, and scars. To estimate the inter-rater reliability, the coefficient type 1 of Gwet’s agreement and Fleiss κ were used for the presence or absence of a lesion, and the intra-class correlation coefficient was used for the number of lesions. All veal calves had at least one abomasal lesion detected. Most lesions were erosions, and most of them were located in the pyloric area. Overall, a poor to very good inter-rater agreement was seen for the pyloric area and the torus pyloricus regarding the presence or absence of a lesion (Fleiss κ: 0.00–0.34; Gwet’s AC1: 0.12–0.83), although a higher agreement was observed when combining all lesions in the pyloric area (Fleiss κ: 0.09–0.12; Gwet’s AC1: 0.43–0.93). For the fundic area, a poor to very good agreement was also observed (Fleiss κ: 0.17–0.70; Gwet’s AC1: 0.90–0.97). Regarding the inter-rater agreement for the number of lesions, a poor to moderate agreement was found (ICC: 0.11–0.73). When using the scoring system developed in the European Welfare Quality Protocol, a poor single random rater agreement (ICC: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.31–0.56) but acceptable average random rater agreement (ICC: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.64–0.83) was determined. Microscopic scar lesions were often mistaken as ulcers macroscopically. These results show that the scoring of abomasal lesions is challenging and highlight the need for a reliable scoring system. A fast, simple, and reliable scoring system would allow for large scale studies which investigate possible risk factors and hopefully help to prevent these lesions, which can compromise veal calves’ health and welfare.
Comparative Study of Four Correction Schemes of the ECMWF Surface Temperature Forecasts

The surface temperature outcomes of determined forecasts of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF) during the period from January 2007 to December 2010 are examined with rootmean -square error(RMSE) and the error is corrected by utilizing the methods of unitary linear regression,multiple linear regression,unitary bias-removed with unitary lead time forecast and bias-removed mean with multi-lead time forecasts,respectively.The results show that all of the four methods could considerably reduce the ECMWF forecast errors for multi-lead time forecasts,generally about 1°C.The forecast skill of the unitary linear regression is higher than that of two consensus forecast methods considering multi-lead time forecast outcomes for short-range forecast.While two kinds of consensus forecasts have higher and more stable forecast skills for medium-range forecast. The correction methods considering multi-lead time forecast outcomes could reduce the forecast error more stably especially when the error is large.
STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL INTERDEPENDENCES OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS IN EXTREME CONDITIONS

Investigations of the adaptation of living organisms/human body to various extreme factors are extremely important. Aim. To characterize and analyze the results of research of structural and functional interdependencies of organisms in extreme conditions. Methods. Comparative analysis of the registered biochemical, physiological characteristics of the body, mathematical modelling of underlying mechanisms on their basis, information and computer technologies. Results. Deviations of organisms’ functions during adaptation processes caused changes in some structures of organism. Significant role of quantitative and qualitative changes of the erythrocyte formation system in the reliability of organisms functioning in extreme conditions in highlands was confirmed. The changes in red and white blood cells reflected largely the relationships between the organisms’ reactivity and resistance. The dependences on degree of rarefaction of the air, mode of climbing, effects of athlete’s training, etc. were revealed. Adaptive hemolysis of erythrocytes, when the biologically active substances were released from blood cells and acted as messengers, were shown to be the triggers capable to change cell metabolism; they played significant roles in reliability of organisms functioning. The set of program models was developed. Results were applied successfully for training of athletes for high-altitude climbing. Conclusions. Results of the studies on the structural and functional interdependencies of organisms in extreme conditions were reviewed and analyzed. Results of mathematical modeling coincided with the results obtained in experiments and observations. In the process of adaptation to hypoxia human organism behaved likes an ultrastable system. Obtained results can be applied in practice.
Generating Defective Epoxy Drop Images for Die Attachment in Integrated Circuit Manufacturing via Enhanced Loss Function CycleGAN

In integrated circuit manufacturing, defects in epoxy drops for die attachments are required to be identified during production. Modern identification techniques based on vision-based deep neural networks require the availability of a very large number of defect and non-defect epoxy drop images. In practice, however, very few defective epoxy drop images are available. This paper presents a generative adversarial network solution to generate synthesized defective epoxy drop images as a data augmentation approach so that vision-based deep neural networks can be trained or tested using such images. More specifically, the so-called CycleGAN variation of the generative adversarial network is used by enhancing its cycle consistency loss function with two other loss functions consisting of learned perceptual image patch similarity (LPIPS) and a structural similarity index metric (SSIM). The results obtained indicate that when using the enhanced loss function, the quality of synthesized defective epoxy drop images are improved by 59%, 12%, and 131% for the metrics of the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), universal image quality index (UQI), and visual information fidelity (VIF), respectively, compared to the CycleGAN standard loss function. A typical image classifier is used to show the improvement in the identification outcome when using the synthesized images generated by the developed data augmentation approach.
Stochastic approach to modeling the γ-ray variability of Fermi/LAT blazars

Abstract We studied the γ-ray variability of 13 blazars observed with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). These blazars were among the brightest ones monitored during the first 4 years of the Fermi sky survey. We modelled their γ-ray light curves with the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process or mixed OU process. The power spectral density (PSD) of the OU process is a zero-centered Lorentzian function, proportional to 1/fα with α changing at a characteristic time scale, τ0, from 0 (τ ≫ τ0) to 2 (τ ≪ τ0). The PSD of the mixed OU process has in addition an intermediate part with 0 < α < 2 between the long and short characteristic time scales. We show that the OU model provides a good description of the Fermi/LAT light curves of three blazars in our sample. For the first time we provide constraints on the characteristic γ-ray time scale of variability in two BL Lac sources, 3C 66A and PKS 2155-304. We find that the mixed OU process describes the light curves of the remaining 10 blazars better than the OU process. We infer that their Fermi/LAT PSD resemble power-law functions and constrain their PSD slopes.
Growth of laser initiated damage in fused silica at 355 nm

The damaged sites located on input and exit surface have been irradiated respectively with 355 nm pulse laser.After each shot,photograph of growth of the damaged site has been taken and the area of the damaged site has been measured.Experimental results show exponential growth in the lateral size of damage sites located on exit surface with shot number,whereas linear growth in the lateral site of damage sites located on input surface.
EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATE GAS SEPARATION USING RANUEHILSCH VORTEX TUBE

Through experimental investigation, this study is offering a closer look into the performance of the vortex tube energy separation and a better understanding of the effect of the vortex tube length, diameter and internal tapering angle on the energy separation. Also the study addresses the effect of inlet pressure on the performance of the vortex tube and the effect of different working fluids (Air, H2 and O2). The vortex tube is a thermal static tube that was discovered by the French scientist George Ranque in 1933 and it is used to separate compressed gas flow into two different streams: one stream is colder than the inlet flow while the other is hotter than the inlet flow. Although the device has been investigated by many researchers, no consensus has yet been reached regarding the underlying phenomenon. The current study is shedding light on the underlying phenomenon and is offering an analytical model to describe the energy separation in the vortex tube based on centrifugal forces. The study reports the Coefficient of Performance ( ) of the vortex tube considering the device as an air-conditioning device utilizing the cold outlet flow and as a heat pump utilizing the hot outlet flow.
Controllability of Linear Systems with Delays

可制御性(controllability)の 概念 は,R.E. Kalman に よって導入 され て以来(1)~(3),最近 の自動制御理 論 の 中心課題の ひとつ とな り,特 に,最 短時間問題 と関連 して多 くの研究 がお こなわれている(4)~(7). これ らの 研究の多 くは,操 作量 になんの拘束 もない系 を扱 って お り,拘 束 のあ る系 の可制御性に関す る研究は,ほ と んどお こなわれ ていない(8). こ の論文では,む だ時間 を含む線形系 に対 して可制御性の概念を定義 し,操 作 量に拘束の ない系 お よび拘束のあ る系に対 して,可 制 御条件 を与 える. 拘 束のあ る系に対 してえ られた結果 は,き わめ て一 般的な もので,特 別 な場合 として,常 微分方程式 で記 述 され る系,す なわ ち遅れを含 まない 系を も含んでい る.
Electrocortical Dynamics of Usual Walking and the Planning to Step over Obstacles in Parkinson’s Disease

The neural correlates of locomotion impairments observed in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are not fully understood. We investigated whether people with PD present distinct brain electrocortical activity during usual walking and the approach phase of obstacle avoidance when compared to healthy individuals. Fifteen people with PD and fourteen older adults walked overground in two conditions: usual walking and obstacle crossing. Scalp electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded using a mobile 64-channel EEG system. Independent components were clustered using a k-means clustering algorithm. Outcome measures included absolute power in several frequency bands and alpha/beta ratio. During the usual walk, people with PD presented a greater alpha/beta ratio in the left sensorimotor cortex than healthy individuals. While approaching obstacles, both groups reduced alpha and beta power in the premotor and right sensorimotor cortices (balance demand) and increased gamma power in the primary visual cortex (visual demand). Only people with PD reduced alpha power and alpha/beta ratio in the left sensorimotor cortex when approaching obstacles. These findings suggest that PD affects the cortical control of usual walking, leading to a greater proportion of low-frequency (alpha) neuronal firing in the sensorimotor cortex. Moreover, the planning for obstacle avoidance changes the electrocortical dynamics associated with increased balance and visual demands. People with PD rely on increased sensorimotor integration to modulate locomotion.
Integrated Weed Management with Calotropis gigantea Leaf Extract in Cotton

Field experiments were conducted during 2012 and 2013, at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University) to study the effect of pre-emergence application of Calotropis gigantea leaf extract spray on weed control in cotton. The weed management practices consisted of Calotropis gigantea leaf extract spray at three concentrations (10%, 20%, and 30%) chemical weed control (Pendimethlin @ 1.0 kg ha-1 ), power weeder weeding (PW at twice) and manual weeding (hand weeding twice) in combination. The results revealed that hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS and pendimethalin at 1.0 kg ha -1 followed by one hand weeding at 40 DAS resulted in effective control of all the weeds and recorded higher seed cotton yield. Among the leaf extracts spray, pre-emergence application of Calotropis gigantea at 30 % concentration followed by hand weeding at 40 DAS recorded lower weed density and dry weight and increased the yield in irrigated cotton compared to lower concentration of Calotropis gigantea leaf extracts and un weeded control.
Morphological and Physicochemical Properties of Macrocrystalline Talc from Argentine

A detailed petrographical, mineralogical, morphological, geochemical and physicochemical characterization of talc from an Argentinean ore is presented. This deposit is located in the San Juan province at the foothills of the Andes. Characterization was performed on rock and milled talc using different techniques including polarized light microscopy, transmission electron and scanning microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), chemical analyses, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size determination by laser diffraction, thermogravimetry analysis, and colorimetry. A mineral sample contains approximately 80 wt% talc. Associated minerals such as carbonates as veins and chlorite interlaminated with talc were detected. Carbonates are calcite, dolomite and magnesite, as was corroborated by FTIR. Morphology and crystallinity were assessed by XRD data, obtaining a morphological index of 0.79 which indicates the macrocrystalline character. Crystalline habits of associated minerals were recognized by SEM, detecting their constitutive elements by EDX. Talc color parameters are L* = 82.76, a* = −1.50, and b* = 5.38. The slight yellowing could be attributed to chlorite or traces of Fe oxides. Although the whiteness index (62.12) impedes its commercialization as a high-priced mineral, this kind of talc can be used as an additive for polymers, since it would offer a high reinforcing effect (improvement of mechanical properties).
Profiling and Pairing Catchments and Hydrological Models With Latent Factor Model

Hydrological models are simplified representations of catchments. Finding an appropriate model instance (i.e., a combination of structure and parameter values) for a given catchment is a fundamental problem in hydrological modeling. This study develops a latent factor‐based machine learning method to learn to predict the pairwise association between the behavioral characteristics under climate forcing of a catchment and a hydrological model instance. The underlying assumption is that the behaviors of catchments and model instances can be sufficiently well characterized by sets of latent factors that allow accurate prediction of the associations between observed and modeled behaviors. In this study, the proposed method was applied to learn the latent factor vectors (which are numerical values) of 2,649 catchments worldwide and over 1,000,000 model instances from their pairwise associations (i.e., similarities between observed and simulated catchment behaviors). The model instances were created using 36 conceptual model structures or modeling software, and the their parameter values were randomly sampled. The results show that the learned latent factor vectors are able to accurately characterize the associations between catchments and hydrological model instances. The latent factor vector of a “new” catchment (not seen by the training procedures) can be estimated by running a small number of randomly sampled model instances, from which well‐fitting model instances created using different conceptual models can be recommended. The recommended instances can be of comparable quality to those derived using a calibration algorithm, and the method is useful for catchments outside the regions from which the latent factor vectors of the model instances were derived.
Mechanical performance and failure modes of self-piercing riveted joints between AA6061 and solution-treated TC4 alloy

TC4 titanium alloy and AA6061 aluminum alloy are widely used in the transportation industry because of their excellent mechanical properties and lightweight. In this work, the TC4 titanium alloy was solution heat treated between 800 °C and 990 °C for 1 h, and water cooled to room temperature. The riveting and tensile tests at room temperature were conducted to evaluate the joint performance. The tensile strength and failure morphology were used to discuss the mechanical performance of joints. Solution heat treatment significantly improves the elongation, mechanical performance, and hardness of TC4 titanium alloy. Compared with the as-received material, the elongation of the treated TC4 titanium alloy is increased by 13% at the solution temperature of 900 °C, the tensile strength was added by 175 MPa at 930 °C, and the hardness was significantly increased. The optimal performance of the TC4 titanium alloy can be obtained at 930 °C. The tensile strength of the joint with the TC4 alloy solution heat treated at 930 °C is the highest of all joints. When the TC4 alloy was solution treated between 800 °C and 850 °C, the rivets were pulled from the AA6061. While at 900 °C and 930 °C, the AA6061 sheet was broken at the rivet. At 960 °C and 990 °C, the TC4 sheet was broken near the rivet. The crack size of TC4 titanium alloy gradually decreases from the rivet outward, and the crack spreads around the rivet. Severe friction can be found, which causes the peeling of the lower plate AA6061 alloy. The breaks of TC4 alloys were the plastic broken. The failure morphology of the TC4 alloy sheet is different under different solution heat treatment temperatures.
Testing the Anticancer Effect of Matcha Using Zebrafish as an Animal Model

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients show the poorest prognosis and survival and the highest metastasis prevalence among all breast cancer subtypes. Matcha has recently been associated with multiple health benefits, and in vitro studies showed the potential effect of matcha in inhibiting cancer development and metastasis. We aimed to determine the safe, non-toxic dose of matcha suitable for zebrafish and to investigate the anticancer effect of matcha on the metastasis and growth of human TBNC cells using a zebrafish xenograft model. Wild-type AB zebrafish were used to conduct multiple general toxicity assessments, including developmental, neuromuscular, and cardiovascular toxicities. The safe, non-toxic concentration of matcha was determined to be 50 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL. Afterward, the zebrafish xenograft model was successfully established for MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. The tumor size and metastasis of the injected cancer cells were traced through CM-Dil red fluorescent dye. Upon exposure to matcha at the safe doses, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 showed a trend toward reduction in tumor size in a dose-dependent manner, indicated by quantified fluorescence. Matcha also visibly suppressed metastasis of cancer cells in the zebrafish body. Our results point to a potential dose-dependent anticancer effect of matcha on TNBC cells; however, more extended observation periods after xenotransplantation are required to confirm the long-term anticancer effect of matcha on tumor growth and metastasis.
Pre-Ride Biomarkers and Endurance Horse Welfare: Analyzing the Impact of the Elimination of Superoxide Dismutase, δ-Aminolevulinic-Dehydratase, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances, Iron, and Serum Amyloid A Levels in Elite 160 km Endurance Rides

Simple Summary Endurance riding is a physiologically highly demanding equestrian sport for riders and athletes. The sport has strict vet controls; depending on the distance, between three and seven vet checks are performed to ensure that only healthy horses remain in the competition. Longer distances and higher physiological demands for the horse increase the risk of elimination due to lameness or metabolic reasons. Our study focuses on identifying a blood parameter—the enzyme superoxide dismutase—in order to maybe implement a blood test in the future to withdraw horses at risk of lameness before equestrian endurance events. The study population was still relatively small; therefore, further studies are necessary to validate the findings. We also measured a new parameter (ALAD) for the first time, although the results were not convincing. Abstract High elimination rates and concerns for horse welfare are important issues in endurance riding. Improved understanding of the causes of elimination could increase completion rates in this sport. We have identified pre-ride laboratory risk factors that enable an assessment of potential elimination before the ride. A longitudinal cohort study was performed among 49 healthy horses competing in the 160 km endurance ride at the 2016 World Championship of Endurance Riding in Samorin/Slovakia. Blood samples were taken before the event. For statistical evaluation, horses were categorized into three groups: finishers, lame horses, and metabolically eliminated horses. Risk factors were calculated for each group using multinominal logistic regression. δ-Aminolevulinic-dehydratase (ALAD), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), iron, and serum amyloid A (SAA) were measured and did not show an impact on the race outcome, but elevated pre-ride superoxide dismutase (SOD) was shown to have an effect on lameness elimination (p = 0.011). It might serve as an indicator for withdrawing horses at risk of later elimination before endurance rides, ultimately resulting in lower elimination rates and an increase in overall horse welfare.