Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
l^{1} -optimal feedback controllers for MIMO discrete-time systems

The problem considered in this paper is the design of a closed-loop system consisting of a MIMO discrete-time plant and compensator in such a way that the system is internally stable and optimally tracks all persistent bounded inputs. The solution consists of two parts: first the calculation of the minimum value of the performance index (a weighted transfer function), which is done by solving a linear programming problem; and second, construction of the optimal transfer function by solving a set of linear equations. It is shown that, in general, the discrete-time problem will have a rational solution and thus appears to be of considerable practical significance.
Effects of Zinc Status on Expression of Zinc Transporters, Redox-Related Enzymes and Insulin-like Growth Factor in Asian Sea Bass Cells

Simple Summary This article is of special interest for understanding the detriments of zinc deficiency and the benefits of zinc supplementation for aquacultures of Asian sea bass. We found that altering extracellular zinc conditions significantly affected the expression of certain zinc transporters and zinc-binding proteins as well as intracellular free zinc levels in cells from Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer, SF cells). Interestingly, we detected no difference in the effects of organic compared to inorganic zinc supplements, when the same molar concentrations were added to the cultures. Moreover, changes in extracellular zinc conditions impacted on the expression of genes related to the redox balance and to growth hormone metabolism. Our data indicate that zinc deficiency induces a stress response in cells from Asian sea bass, which may be avoided when sufficient amounts of zinc are provided to the cells. We identified SF cells as a suitable model for studies to optimize zinc supplementation in the aquaculture of Asian sea bass. Abstract Since Asian sea bass is one of the economically most important fish, aquaculture conditions are constantly optimized. Evidence from feeding studies combined with the current understanding of the importance of zinc for growth and immune defense suggest that zinc supplementation may be a possible approach to optimize aquacultures of Asian sea bass. To investigate the effects of zinc deficiency and zinc supplementation, cells from Asian sea bass were incubated in culture medium with different zinc contents. The expression of genes, important for zinc homeostasis, redox metabolism, and growth hormones was analyzed using RT-PCR. Zinc deficiency induced the expression of certain zinc transporters (ZIP14, ZIP10, ZIP6, ZIP4, ZnT4, ZnT9) as well as of SOD1, IGF I and IGF II, while expression of ZnT1 and metallothionein (MT) was reduced. Zinc supplementation decreased the expression of ZIP10, while expression of ZnT1 and MT were elevated. No differences in the effects of zinc supplementation with zinc sulfate compared to supplementation with zinc amino acid complexes were observed. Thus, extracellular zinc conditions may govern the cellular zinc homeostasis, the redox metabolism and growth hormone expression in cells from Asian sea bass as reported for other fish species. Our data indicate that supplementing aquacultures with zinc may be recommended to avoid detriments of zinc deficiency.
Involvement of lncRNA TUG1 in HIV-1 Tat-Induced Astrocyte Senescence

HIV-1 infection in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy has been associated with premature aging. Among the various features of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders, astrocyte senescence has been surmised as a potential cause contributing to HIV-1-induced brain aging and neurocognitive impairments. Recently, lncRNAs have also been implicated to play essential roles in the onset of cellular senescence. Herein, using human primary astrocytes (HPAs), we investigated the role of lncRNA TUG1 in HIV-1 Tat-mediated onset of astrocyte senescence. We found that HPAs exposed to HIV-1 Tat resulted in significant upregulation of lncRNA TUG1 expression that was accompanied by elevated expression of p16 and p21, respectively. Additionally, HIV-1 Tat-exposed HPAs demonstrated increased expression of senescence-associated (SA) markers—SA-β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity and SA-heterochromatin foci—cell-cycle arrest, and increased production of reactive oxygen species and proinflammatory cytokines. Intriguingly, gene silencing of lncRNA TUG1 in HPAs also reversed HIV-1 Tat-induced upregulation of p21, p16, SA-β gal activity, cellular activation, and proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, increased expression of astrocytic p16 and p21, lncRNA TUG1, and proinflammatory cytokines were observed in the prefrontal cortices of HIV-1 transgenic rats, thereby suggesting the occurrence of senescence activation in vivo. Overall, our data indicate that HIV-1 Tat-induced astrocyte senescence involves the lncRNA TUG1 and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for dampening accelerated aging associated with HIV-1/HIV-1 proteins.
A field theoretical derivation of TLM

A field theoretical foundation of the TLM method is presented in this paper. In the derivation of the condensed symmetric TLM node, the Method of Moments is applied to Maxwell's equations to obtain discretized field equations. It is shown that the traditional mapping between wave amplitudes and electric and magnetic field components incorporates serious problems. Therefore, a new mapping between the wave amplitudes and the electric and magnetic field components is introduced. Applying the new mapping to the discretized field equations, the fundamental equations of the three-dimensional TLM method with condensed symmetric node are derived from Maxwell's equations. >
Loss-cone-driven ion cyclotron waves in the magnetosphere

The theoretical properties of linear ion cyclotron waves propagating in the magnetosphere at arbitrary angles to the background magnetic field are explored. It is found that in some cases the linear wave growth of modes with oblique propagation can dominate that of the parallel propagating electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave. In particular, when the hot ring current protons have a loss cone and their temperature anisotropy A {equivalent to} T{sub {perpendicular}}/T{sub {parallel}} {minus} 1 is reduced, the parallel propagating EMIC wave becomes stable, while the obliquely propagating loss-cone-driven mode persists. The growth rate of the loss-cone-driven model depends strongly on the depth of the loss cone. Unlike the parallel propagating EMIC wave, it can be unstable with A = 0. Other conditions that favor the loss-cone-driven mode in comparison to the parallel mode are stronger background magnetic field, lower density of cold hydrogen, and a lower temperature for the hot anisotropic component of hydrogen. A simple analytical theory is presented which explains the scaling of the growth rate of the oblique mode with respect to various parameters. The loss-cone-driven mode is an electromagnetic mode which is preferentially nearly linearly polarized. It is nearly electrostatic in the sense that the wavemore » electric field is aligned with the perpendicular (to B{sub 0}) component of the wave vector k and k{sub {perpendicular}} > k{sub {parallel}}. Since the electric and magnetic wave fields are perpendicular to B{sub 0}, they would be difficult to distinguish from those of a linearly polarized parallel propagating electromagnetic wave with the same k{sub {parallel}}. « less
The Yamnaya Impact North of the Lower Danube: A Tale of Newcomers and Locals

This paper aims to provide an overview of the current understanding in Yamnaya burials from north of the Lower Danube, particularly focussing on their relationship with supposed local archaeological cultures/societies. Departing from a decades-long research history and latest archaeological finds from Romania, it addresses key research basics on the funerary archaeology of their kurgans and burials; their material culture and chronology; on steppe predecessors and Katakombnaya successors; and links with neighbouring regions as well as the wider southeast European context. Taking into account some reflections from latest ancient DNA revelations, there can be no doubt a substantial migration has taken place around 3000 BC, with Yamnaya populations originating from the Caspian-Pontic steppe pushing westwards. However already the question if such accounts for the term of ’Mass Migrations’ cannot be satisfactorily answered, as we are only about to begin to understand the demographics in this process. A further complication is trying to assess who is a newcomer and who is a local in an interaction scenario that lasts for c. 500 years. Identities are not fixed, may indeed transform, as previous newcomers soon turn into locals, while others are just visitors. Nevertheless, this well-researched region of geographical transition from lowland eastern Europe to the hillier parts of temperate Europe provides an ideal starting point to address such questions, being currently also at the heart of the intense discussion about what is identity in the context of the emerging relationship of Archaeology and Genetics.
Lattice theory of fracture and crack creep

A quasianalytic solution for the atomic displacements of a discrete two‐dimensional lattice containing a crack is obtained. We assume that the force laws are linear up to a critical displacement when the bond snaps, which is the basic assumption of the lattice static approximation. When compared to the classic Griffith continuum description, new results are: (i) a predicted and observable lattice trapping of the crack, (ii) difficulties with the interpretations of the crystal surface energy in a cleavage experiment, and (iii) a predicted characteristic crack creep phenomenon under external constant stress. The present theory shows how two separate ``surface energies'' are inferred from the stress to open and to close a crack, and on our model these energies differ from one another by a large factor of 5.7. The thermodynamic ``surface energy'' is not related to either of these quantities. Experimental verification of the lattice trapping of cracks is thought to be most readily and directly obtained by obse.
Using deep learning to predict tumor mutational burden from scans of H&E-stained multicenter slides of lung squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract. Purpose A high tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a promising biomarker for identifying lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) patients who are more likely to benefit from risky but potentially highly beneficial immunotherapy, but it is not available in most clinics. It has been shown that it is possible to predict TMB from standard-of-care cancer histology slides using deep learning for various cancer sites. Our goal is to build a model that can do this specifically for lung SqCC and to validate it on a held-out test set from centers on which the model was not trained. Approach We obtained scans of diagnostic slides from 50 lung SqCC patients, with one slide per-patient, from 35 different centers. We held out 20 slides from 15 centers for testing and used the rest for training and validation, ensuring that no center was represented in more than one set. Using transfer learning, we explored several neural network architectures and training parameters to choose an optimal model. Results Using the training and validation sets, we found the optimal model to be VGG16. The per-patient AUC for this model on the held-out test set was 0.65, with an accuracy of 65%, true positive rate of 77%, and true negative rate of 43%. Conclusions A deep learning model can predict TMB from scans of H&E-stained slides of lung SqCC resections on an independent test set containing images only from centers on which the model was not trained. With further development and external validation, such a system can act as an alternative to traditional genetic sequencing for patients with SqCC; this will help physicians determine, with more accuracy, whether patients should be given immunotherapy. This will more effectively give access to immunotherapy drugs to those who need them and help spare others the toxicities associated with them.
Impact of Aeolus wind lidar observations on the representation of the West African monsoon circulation in the ECMWF and DWD forecasting systems

Aeolus is the first satellite mission to acquire vertical profiles of horizontal line‐of‐sight winds globally and thus fills an important gap in the Global Observing System, most notably in the Tropics. This study explores the impact of this dataset on analyses and forecasts from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), focusing specifically on the West African Monsoon (WAM) circulation during the boreal summers of 2019 and 2020. The WAM is notoriously challenging to forecast and is characterized by prominent and robust large‐scale circulation features such as the African Easterly Jet North (AEJ‐North) and Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ). Assimilating Aeolus generally improves the prediction of zonal winds in both forecasting systems, especially for lead times above 24 h. These improvements are related to systematic differences in the representation of the two jets, with the AEJ‐North weakened at its southern flank in the western Sahel in the ECMWF analysis, while no obvious systematic differences are seen in the DWD analysis. In addition, the TEJ core is weakened in the ECMWF analysis and strengthened on its southern edge in the DWD analysis. The regions where the influence of Aeolus on the analysis is greatest correspond to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) region for ECMWF and generally the upper troposphere for DWD. In addition, we show the presence of an altitude‐ and orbit‐dependent bias in the Rayleigh‐clear channel, which causes the zonal winds to speed up and slow down diurnally. Applying a temperature‐dependent bias correction to this channel contributes to a more accurate representation of the diurnal cycle and improved prediction of the WAM winds. These improvements are encouraging for future investigations of the influence of Aeolus data on African Easterly Waves and associated Mesoscale Convective Systems.
A Modified Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm with Pheromone Mutations for Dynamic Travelling Salesman Problem

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is an algorithm based on Meta-heuristics and swarm intelligence, taking inspiration from the exploring behavior of social insects like ants. Some very challenging optimization problems, like the vehicle routing problem, have been solved by Ant colony optimization. But, the Standard ACO algorithm has problems like trapping in local optimum. This paper discusses an improved version of the ACO algorithm, known as Modified ACO (M-ACO). The main motivation of the proposed algorithm is to use pheromone mutation techniques, such as swap and random, in dynamic environments, to overcome the problems of standard ACO and solve the Travelling Salesman Problem, which is a well-known NP-hard problem. Mutation allows better searching and exploring in other areas, for better results. Also, the exploitation is increased that uses local information to search local regions more intensively for finding minimum distance and increasing the rate of convergence. Evaporation-based Ant colony optimization (E-ACO) framework and population-based ant colony optimization (P-ACO) framework are the two groups into which the algorithms under study are separated. Both frameworks are evaluated on dynamic environments produced using TSPLIB base instances and updated for pheromone values using mutation technique. Experiments and Statistical tests were conducted on the TSPLIB datasets such as pr439 and lin318, in dynamic environments and on comparing ACO with M-ACO and P-ACO, better results were obtained for M-ACO and P-ACO. Metrics like offline have been considered to measure algorithm performance and behavior.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Rutin–Hydroxypropyl β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes Embedded in Xanthan Gum-Based (HPMC-g-AMPS) Hydrogels for Oral Controlled Drug Delivery

Oxidants play a significant role in causing oxidative stress in the body, which contributes to the development of diseases. Rutin—a powerful antioxidant—may be useful in the prevention and treatment of various diseases by scavenging oxidants and reducing oxidative stress. However, low solubility and oral bioavailability have restricted its use. Due to the hydrophobic nature of rutin, it cannot be easily loaded inside hydrogels. Therefore, first rutin inclusion complexes (RIC) with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-βCD) were prepared to improve its solubility, followed by incorporation into xanthan gum-based (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-grafted-2-acrylamido -2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid) hydrogels for controlled drug release in order to improve the bioavailability. Rutin inclusion complexes and hydrogels were validated by FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, and DSC. The highest swelling ratio and drug release occurred at pH 1.2 (28% swelling ratio and 70% drug release) versus pH 7.4 (22% swelling ratio, 65% drug release) after 48 h. Hydrogels showed high porosity (94%) and biodegradation (9% in 1 week in phosphate buffer saline). Moreover, in vitro antioxidative and antibacterial studies (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli) confirmed the antioxidative and antibacterial potential of the developed hydrogels.
Numerical studies on the propagation of sudden impulses in the dipole magnetosphere

This paper presents a time-dependent numerical experiment when the dayside magnetopause is perturbed by sudden impulses in the solar wind. Magnetic and electric fields in a three-dimensional dipole model are investigated. Arrival timing over various locations is examined in the linear wave approximation. It is found that the propagation of the leading wavefronts undergoes significant refraction owing to the inhomogeneity of dipolar geometry. Compressional and transverse waves become differentiated in travel paths and arrival times near the polar ionospheric region. Our results also suggest that wave energy density becomes larger in the plasmasphere than in the outer magnetosphere. We discuss in detail how the plasmasphere affects the propagation of initial impulses.
How does spatial cognitive style affect indoor fire evacuation wayfinding in mobile virtual reality?

ABSTRACT In emergency situations such as fire evacuation, indoor wayfinding is a complex and challenging task that is closely related to spatial cognition and spatial ability. This study discusses the indoor wayfinding ability of evacuees from the perspective of spatial cognitive style. Spatial cognitive style can be divided into: landmark, route, survey (ordered from low to high). We measured the spatial cognitive style of participants, created a realistic virtual scene with a LiDAR scanner, and finally captured real behavior data using mobile virtual reality. The results show that people with a survey style can better extract information from an evacuation map and use it correctly, and they have a stronger sense of direction and cognition of the evacuation scene. People with a route or landmark style rely more on evacuation signs and following others to find their way and are more likely to lose their way in an emergency. These findings are helpful to explain the differences in wayfinding strategies and escape results of people in a fire evacuation.
X-ray emission from the Carina Nebula and the associated early stars

New Einstein observations of the Carina Nebula show the extent of the diffuse X-ray nebula to be 1.1 deg E-W by 0.7 deg N-S. The diffuse X-ray emission is generally associated with optically bright regions, but the correlation is not exact. Emission is strongest from regions bordering the apparently overlying dust lane, indicating an interaction between the energetic material of the optical nebula and the region containing the dust. The diffuse X-rays are from hot gas with temperatures of about 10 million K, and electron densities of 0.1-1/cu cm. The energy to heat this gas probably comes from strong stellar winds of the early stars embedded in the nebula. X-rays from 15 O and W-R stars in the Carina OBI association have been detected. Data are consistent with the hypothesis that X-ray luminosity is equal to about 2.0 x 10 to the -7th of bolometric luminosity for all O stars in this region with remarkably little scatter. X-ray emission from the three W-R stars observed is significantly different. In particular, the WN6 star, HD 93162, has an X-ray luminosity equal to about 2.0 x 10 to the -6th of bolometer luminosity, a factor of 30 higher than for two other W-R stars in this nebula, and perhaps the highest X-ray luminosity/bolometric luminosity of any W-R star for which X-ray observations have been made.
Three-dimensional target recognition using the phase information from a Fourier transform profilometer

We propose a new technique for three-dimensional (3D) target recognition using the phase information from a Fourier transform profilometer (FTP). Instead of cross-correlating the 3D target/nontargets-induced distorted grating patterns or the associated phase differences directly, the phase information are rather utilized to synthesize two complex harmonic functions, spatial frequency distributions of which are proportional to the computed profilometric phase maps of the target and the nontargets and hence to respective shape information. These complex harmonic functions due to the target and the nontargets are cross-correlated to produce highest correlation peak at the target location and almost no correlation peak for others. The feasibility of the technique is demonstrated by detailed simulations and experiments showing an excellent discrimination capability for 3D target recognition.
Impacts of Utensil Conditions on Consumer Perception and Acceptance of Food Samples Evaluated under In-Home Testing during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sensory professionals are looking for alternative ways to conduct laboratory sensory testing, especially central location testing (CLT), during the COVID-19 pandemic. One way could be conducting CLTs at home (i.e., in-home testing). It is questionable whether food samples under in-home testing should be presented in uniform utensils, as it does so under laboratory sensory testing. This study aimed to determine whether utensil conditions could affect consumer perception and acceptance of food samples evaluated under in-home testing. Sixty-eight participants (40 females and 28 males) prepared chicken-flavored ramen noodle samples and evaluated them for attribute perception and acceptance, under two utensil conditions, using either their utensils (“Personal”) or uniform utensils provided (“Uniform”). Participants also rated their liking of forks/spoons, bowls, and eating environments, respectively, and attentiveness to sensory evaluation under each utensil condition. Results of the in-home testing showed that participants liked ramen noodle samples and their flavors under the “Personal” condition significantly more than under the “Uniform” condition. Ramen noodle samples evaluated under the “Uniform” condition were significantly higher in terms of saltiness than those evaluated under the “Personal” condition. Participants liked forks/spoons, bowls, and eating environments used under the “Personal” condition significantly more than those used under the “Uniform” condition. While overall likings of ramen noodle samples, evaluated under the “Personal” condition, significantly increased with an increase in hedonic ratings of forks/spoons or bowls, such significant correlations were not observed under the “Uniform” condition. In other words, providing uniform utensils (forks, spoons, and bowls) to participants in the in-home testing can reduce the influences of utensils on consumer likings of ramen noodle samples evaluated at home. In conclusion, this study suggests that sensory professionals should consider providing uniform utensils when they want to focus solely on consumer perception and acceptance of food samples by minimizing influences of environmental contexts, especially utensils, in the “in-home” testing.