Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Disc Surface Topography after Vapor Blasting on Wear of Sliding Pairs under Dry Sliding Conditions

Wear tests were performed using a ball-on-disc tribological tester. In this study, 42CrMo4 steel disc of hardness 40 HRC co-acted with 100Cr6 steel ball with hardness of 60 HRC. Disc surfaces were created using vapor blasting to obtain values of the Sq parameter close to 5 µm. However, other disc surface topography parameters varied. Dry friction tests were carried out. Wear levels of discs and balls were measured using a white light interferometer Talysurf CCI Lite. It was found that the surface topography had a significant impact on tribological properties under dry sliding conditions. The research also allowed to identify significant dependencies between surface topography parameters and wear.
Quality Evaluation of Thirteen Geographical Populations of Lycium chinense Using Quantitative Analysis of Nutrients and Bioactive Components

Lycium chinense Mill. is an important medicinal and edible perennial plant that has been developed as a popular vegetable and healthcare tea in southern China in recent years. In this study, we evaluated the nutritional quality of 13 different geographical L. chinense populations through a common-garden experiment. There were significant differences ( ) in active components and nutrient elements among the populations. Principal component and clustering analyses showed that populations in the central China showed better integrated quality than the other populations; populations in southern China also showed good prospects for further development, having special characteristics such as high contents of amino acids, total flavonoids, and chlorogenic acid. Moreover, all the populations had much higher contents than most vegetables of flavonoids and of the mineral elements Fe, Se, Mn, and K. These results provide important information required for the development of L. chinense germplasm resources and to ensure the sustainable utilization of L. chinense.
Colour appearance of room colours

Psychophysical experiments were conducted to investigate the colour appearance changes between small colour patches and real room colours. The results clearly showed that colours appear lighter and more colourful for room colours. A method based on CIECAM02 was developed to quantify the colour size effect. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2010
Scene classification of infrared images based on texture feature

Scene Classification refers to as assigning a physical scene into one of a set of predefined categories. Utilizing the method texture feature is good for providing the approach to classify scenes. Texture can be considered to be repeating patterns of local variation of pixel intensities. And texture analysis is important in many applications of computer image analysis for classification or segmentation of images based on local spatial variations of intensity. Texture describes the structural information of images, so it provides another data to classify comparing to the spectrum. Now, infrared thermal imagers are used in different kinds of fields. Since infrared images of the objects reflect their own thermal radiation, there are some shortcomings of infrared images: the poor contrast between the objectives and background, the effects of blurs edges, much noise and so on. Because of these shortcomings, it is difficult to extract to the texture feature of infrared images. In this paper we have developed an infrared image texture feature-based algorithm to classify scenes of infrared images. This paper researches texture extraction using Gabor wavelet transform. The transformation of Gabor has excellent capability in analysis the frequency and direction of the partial district. Gabor wavelets is chosen for its biological relevance and technical properties In the first place, after introducing the Gabor wavelet transform and the texture analysis methods, the infrared images are extracted texture feature by Gabor wavelet transform. It is utilized the multi-scale property of Gabor filter. In the second place, we take multi-dimensional means and standard deviation with different scales and directions as texture parameters. The last stage is classification of scene texture parameters with least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) algorithm. SVM is based on the principle of structural risk minimization (SRM). Compared with SVM, LS-SVM has overcome the shortcoming of higher computational burden by solving linear equations, and has been widely used in classification and nonlinear function estimation. Some experimental results are given in the end. The result shows that Gabor wavelet transform is successful to extract the texture feature of infrared image. Compared with other methods the method mentioned in this paper reduces the probability of recognition and enhances the robustness.
Korean Ginseng Berry Extract Enhances the Male Steroidogenesis Enzymes In Vitro and In Vivo

Purpose Testosterone hormonal replacement is the most commonly prescribed solution for men with reproductive issues; however, this treatment has various drawbacks. Hence, the identification of a natural product that promotes steroidogenesis is urgently needed. Ginseng is a popular traditional medicine. This study aimed to investigate steroidogenic effects of Korean ginseng berry extract (GBE; Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods In vitro model, mouse Leydig cells were treated with varying concentrations of GBE, and the levels of steroidogenesis-related genes and proteins and testosterone were measured using western blotting, qRT-PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Similarly, in an in vivo model using lipopolysaccharide-injected C57BL/6J mice, expression of steroidogenesis-related genes and proteins and testosterone levels were analyzed. Additionally, sleep deprivation was used to simulate common life stressors related to late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) and the natural effects of aging. Mice were fed sham or GBE before being subjected to paradoxical sleep deprivation. Results In vitro, GBE induced steroidogenic effects by increasing the levels of enzymes associated with steroidogenesis, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR), CYP11A1, and CYP17A1. In vivo, GBE significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenic enzymes. Furthermore, the synthetic testosterone levels in mouse Leydig cell supernatants and blood sera were increased. In the sleep deprivation study, mice fed GBE showed increased testosterone production and survival under such stressful conditions. Conclusions GBE increased mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenesis-related enzymes STAR, CYP11A1, and CYP17A1. These key enzymes induced the increased production of testosterone both in vivo and in vitro. Thus, GBE might be a promising therapeutic or additive nutritional agent for improving men’s health by increasing steroidogenesis or improving LOH.
Mechanical Assist Device-Assisted Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The Use of Impella Versus Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as an Emerging Frontier in Revascularization in Cardiogenic Shock

The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) procedure aids in the provision of prolonged cardiopulmonary support, whereas the Impella device (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) is a ventricular assist device that maintains circulation by pumping blood into the aorta from the left ventricle. Blood is circulated in parallel with the heart by Impella. It draws blood straight into the aorta from the left ventricle, hence preserving the physiological flow. ECMO bypasses the left atrium and the left ventricle, and the end consequence is a non-physiological flow. In this article, we conducted a detailed analysis of various publications in the literature and examined various modalities pertaining to the use of ECMO and Impella for cardiogenic shocks, such as efficacy, clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, device-related complications, and limitations. The Impella completely unloads the left ventricle, thereby significantly reducing the effort of the heart. Comparatively, ECMO only stabilizes a patient with cardiogenic shock for a short stretch of time and does not lessen the efforts of the left ventricle ("unload" it). In the acute setting, both devices reduced left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and provided adequate hemodynamic support. By comparing patients on Impella to those receiving ECMO, it was found that patients on Impella were associated with better clinical results, quicker recovery, limited complications, and reduced healthcare costs; however, there is a lack of conclusive studies performed demonstrating the reduction in long-term mortality rates. Considering the effectiveness of given modalities and taking into account the various studies described in the literature, Impella has reported better clinical outcomes although more clinical trials are needed for establishing the effectiveness of these interventional approaches in revascularization in cardiogenic shock.
Effect of temperature on the stability of dielectric elastomers

Dielectric elastomer (DE) is a kind of electroactive polymer material, capable of large deformation up to 380%. However, under conservative operating conditions, DE is susceptible to instability with a small deformation due to various modes of failure, including electrical breakdown, electromechanical instability (EMI), loss of tension and rupture by stretch. This paper proposes a free energy model in the thermodynamic system of DE involving thermoelastic strain energy, electric energy and purely thermal contribution energy to obtain the stability conditions of all failure modes. The numerical results indicate that the increase in temperature can markedly contribute to improving the entropy production, the actuation stress and the critical nominal electric field of the DE. The increase in temperature could modify the failure modes of loss of tension and the EMI, which consequently enhances the stability of DE. Simultaneously, estimations on the maximal energy to be converted can be made from the theoretical formulation of the stability states. These conclusions may guide the exploration for high-performance DE materials under thermo, mechanical and electrical loads.
Fast and Sensitive Detection of Soil-Borne Cereal Mosaic Virus in Leaf Crude Extract of Durum Wheat

Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus (SBCMV) is a furovirus with rigid rod-shaped particles containing an ssRNA genome, transmitted by Polymyxa graminis Led. , a plasmodiophorid that can persist in soil for up to 20 years. SBCMV was reported on common and durum wheat and it can cause yield losses of up to 70%. Detection protocols currently available are costly and time-consuming (real-time PCR) or have limited sensitivity (ELISA). To facilitate an efficient investigation of the real dispersal of SBCMV, it is necessary to develop a new detection tool with the following characteristics: no extraction steps, very fast results, and high sensitivity to allow pooling of a large number of samples. In the present work, we have developed a reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) protocol with such characteristics, and we have compared it with real-time PCR. Our results show that the sensitivity of LAMP and real-time PCR on cDNA and RT-LAMP on crude extracts are comparable, with the obvious advantage that RT-LAMP produces results in minutes rather than hours. This paves the way for extensive field surveys, leading to a better knowledge of the impact of this virus on wheat health and yield.
Use of Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation by Newtonian Relaxation and Latent-Heat Forcing to Improve a Mesoscale-Model Precipitation Forecast: A Case Study

Abstract The Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model has been used in a study of special static- and dynamic-initialization techniques that improve a very-short-range forecast of the heavy convective rainfall that occurred in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas during 9–10 May 1979, the SESAME IV study period. In this study, the model is initialized during the precipitation event. Two types of four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) procedures are used in the dynamic-initialization experiments in order to incorporate data during a 12-hour preforecast period. With the first type, FDDA by Newtonian relaxation is used to incorporate sounding data during the preforecast period. With the second FDDA procedure, radar-based precipitation-rate estimates and hourly raingage data are used to define a three-dimensional latent-heating rate field that contributes to the diabatic heating term in the model's thermodynamic equation during the preforecast period. This latent-heating specification procedure is also employed in static-ini.
Parasitism Shifts the Effects of Native Soil Microbes on the Growth of the Invasive Plant Alternanthera philoxeroides

Soil microbes play an important role in plant invasion, and parasitic plants regulate the growth of invasive plants. However, the mechanisms by which parasitic plants regulate the effects of soil microbes on invasive plants have not been investigated. Here, we used the invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides and the holoparasitic plant Cuscuta grovonii to test whether and how C. grovonii parasitism shifts the effect of native soil microbes on the growth of A. philoxeroides. In a factorial setup, A. philoxeroides was grown in pots with the presence versus absence of parasitism and the presence versus absence of native soil microbes. The findings showed that native soil microbes increased the biomass and clonal growth of A. philoxeroides only in the absence of a parasite, whereas parasitism decreased the biomass and clonal growth of A. philoxeroides only in the presence of soil microbes. In addition, the presence of soil microbes increased the deleterious effects of the parasite on A. philoxeroides. These results indicate that parasitism can shift the effects of native soil microbes on the growth of the invasive plant A. philoxeroides. Our results enrich the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the success of plant invasion.
Introduction to Nb-Based SQUID Sensors

The superconducting quantum interference device (SQ UID) is a highly sensitive detector for magnetic flux or any quantity that can be efficiently converted into flux. Comprehensive overviews of the fundamentals, techno logy and applications of SQUIDs and SQUID systems are found in the literature (for example [1-6]). In this paper, a short introduction into the basic function of a SQUID, its operation, and its design for magnetic field and current sensing is given. An extended version o f this paper will appear in the forthcoming book “Josephson Junctions: History, Devices, and Ap plications” edited by E. L. Wolf, G. B. Arnold, M. A. Gurvitch, and J. F. Zasadzinski (Pan Stanford Publishing). Due to the focus of this book on Nb-based devices, the large field of d evices with high critical temperature (high-Tc SQUIDs) will not be considered here.
Effect of photon irradiation on structure of yttria-doped zirconia thin films grown on semiconductor substrates

Structural changes and atomic-scale interfacial phenomena induced by room temperature ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on yttria-doped zirconia (YDZ) thin films grown on semiconductor substrates have been investigated in detail. Interfacial layer formation, film densification, and changes in crystallinity were observed in films grown on Si, while there was minimal difference in films grown on Ge. No significant grain growth and phase transformation were observed, suggesting that cation related kinetics remains unperturbed under UV exposure. The formation of interfacial layers thicker than room temperature self-limiting thickness suggests that effective local field for oxygen vacancies inside the YDZ film was affected by photon illumination.
THE EFFECT OF CEREBRAL LATERALIZATION ON PSYCHOMOTOR PERFORMANCE IN SEDENTARY YOUTH

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of cerebral lateralization on psychomotor performance in sedentary youth. Our study was designed according to ex post facto experimental design. The manipulative effect of lateralization on psychomotor traits as an unmanipulated independent variable has been investigated. The study involved 60 sedentary male subjects in the 15-18 age group. Lateralization tests and psychomotor performance tests were applied to the subjects within the scope of this study. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS 22.0 program. After the normality and homogeneity test, the Kruskal Wallis test was applied to analyze the fark between multiple groups (the flatness and distortions of the data that do not show normal distribution were evaluated and those in the range of +/- 2.00 points were assumed to show normal distribution). Values were presented as mean and standard deviation and examined at a significance level of 0.05. According to the results obtained, it is said that while it creates a significant fark in some tests, it does not have a significant effect in some tests. Therefore, the hand preference of sedentary individuals is to be determined on psychomotor performance tests by participants who used the dominant right hand, dominant left hand and both hands no significant farks were seen between participants who used the dominant right hand, dominant left hand, and both hands. However, in the evaluation of reaction and attention test data, it can be said that dominant right-handers perform better than dominant left-handed individuals. At the same time, according to the comparisons between both hand users and dominant left-hand users, it can be said that there is a significant fark in favor of both hand users.
The Strigolactone Pathway Is a Target for Modifying Crop Shoot Architecture and Yield

Simple Summary Plants have developed the remarkable ability to sense their environment and modify their growth to suit changing conditions. This ability is integral for their survival and is facilitated by a range of plant hormones. Strigolactones (SLs) are one type of hormone that play an important role in plant growth response, where they are a key regulator of lateral branching. When growing conditions become poor, the production of SL increases, which reduces the number of branches a plant can make. Although this response may increase a plant’s chances of survival in the wild, it can have the unwanted effect of decreasing crop yield as the number of seed heads on a plant becomes reduced. It has been discovered that natural variations in the SL hormone pathway have been responsible for yield increases in staple crop varieties, such as rice and maize. We propose that new knowledge of the SL pathway and its effect on crop development can be applied using new technologies to develop crop lines with varied SL function, which may aid us in improving crop shoot architecture and yield across varying environments. Abstract Due to their sessile nature, plants have developed the ability to adapt their architecture in response to their environment. Branching is an integral component of plant architecture, where hormonal signals tightly regulate bud outgrowth. Strigolactones (SLs), being a novel class of phytohormone, are known to play a key role in branching decisions, where they act as a negative regulator of bud outgrowth. They can achieve this by modulating polar auxin transport to interrupt auxin canalisation, and independently of auxin by acting directly within buds by promoting the key branching inhibitor TEOSINTE BRANCHED1. Buds will grow out in optimal conditions; however, when conditions are sub-optimal, SL levels increase to restrict branching. This can be a problem in agricultural applications, as reductions in branching can have deleterious effects on crop yield. Variations in promoter elements of key SL-related genes, such as IDEAL PLANT ARCHITECTURE1, have been identified to promote a phenotype with enhanced yield performance. In this review we highlight how this knowledge can be applied using new technologies to develop new genetic variants for improving crop shoot architecture and yield.
Stereoselective Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activities of Tetrafunctional Diterpene Steviol Derivatives

A new family of diterpene-type aminotriol derivatives has been synthesised from stevioside in a stereoselective manner. The key intermediate spiro-epoxide was prepared through the methyl ester of the allilyc diol derived from steviol. The oxirane ring was opened with primary and secondary amines, providing a versatile library of aminotriols. The corresponding primary aminotriol was formed by palladium-catalysed hydrogenation, and an N,O-heterocyclic compound was synthesised in a regioselective reaction. All new compounds were characterised by 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques and HRMS measurements. In our in vitro investigations, we found that the aromatic N-substituted derivatives exhibited high inhibition of cell growth on human cancer cell lines (HeLa, SiHa, A2780, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). The antiproliferative activities were assayed by the MTT method. Furthermore, the introduction of an additional hydroxy group slightly increased the biological activity. The drug-likeness of the compounds was assessed by in silico and experimental physicochemical characterisations, completed by kinetic aqueous solubility and in vitro intestinal-specific parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA-GI) measurements.
Unpacking Detrimental Effects of Network Externalities on Privacy Invasion, Communication Overload and Mobile App Discontinued Intentions: A Cognition-Affect-Conation Perspective

Recently, mobile apps are rapidly emerging as an important information instrument, with the potential to boost convenience and efficiency in everyday life. The adoption of mobile apps can exert a positive influence on individuals, but also lead to adverse perceptions in different ways. The crucial issue arising is what motivates people’s discontinued use of such services. Furthermore, the roles of communication overload and privacy invasion between network externalities and discontinued use intentions have not been thoroughly examined. The primary objective of this article is to investigate if negative network externalities may result in privacy invasion, communication overload and discontinued intentions, and how the underlying mechanism operates. This current research collected and evaluated data from 696 mobile app users utilizing the structural equation model (SEM) technique. The findings demonstrate that perceived critical mass and perceived complementarity positively affect the privacy invasion of mobile app users. Particularly, it was discovered that privacy invasion and communication overload mediate the association between network externalities and mobile app discontinued use intentions. This article may not only enrich the ongoing contemporary critical discussion on new information technology usage, but also offer significant theoretical and practical implications for mobile app researchers and practitioners.