Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ageing characteristics of polyethylene-modified asphalt binders blended with different compatibilisers

ABSTRACT In this study, virgin low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and recycled polyethylene (RPE) were blended with an asphalt binder in combination with compatibilizers such as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), Elvaloy, sulfur, and polyphosphoric acid (PPA): LDPE, LDPE + SBS + Sulfur, LDPE + Elvaloy, LDPE + Elvaloy + PPA, LDPE + sulfur, RPE, RPE + sulfur, and RPE + PPA. This study aimed to investigate (1) the distribution of PE in asphalt binder, (2) chemical changes in the binder due to the addition of compatibilizers, and (3) the ageing characteristics and their effects on the rheological and performance properties. Micrographs revealed that the LDPE dispersity improved with the addition of Elvaloy. The PE blends with sulfur met the target performance grade of PG76V-10. The PE blends with sulfur exhibited the highest fatigue life at low strain levels and degraded rapidly with an increase in strain level. The LDPE blends with Elvaloy experienced the least degradation in fatigue life with an increased strain level; this low ageing susceptibility was due to the lowest carbonyl (Ic=o) and sulfoxide (Is=o) index values.
Hydrogen peroxide treatment induces the transposition of an insertion sequence in Deinococcus radiopugnans DY59

Deinococcus radiopugnans DY59 (formerly Deinococcus swuensis DY59) is a radiation-resistant bacterium isolated from soil. From the 3.5 Mb genomic DNA sequence of strain DY59 (December 2014), 31 insertion sequence (IS) elements of six IS families including IS1, IS4, IS5, IS66, IS630, and IS701 and five unclassified IS elements were detected. Upon induction of oxidative stress with 80 and 100 mM H2O2, the unique ISs of the IS4 family member were actively translocated into a carotenoid biosynthesis gene phytoene desaturase (QR90_10400), resulting in non-pigment phenotypic selection. Therefore, these active transpositions of a specific IS family member were induced by oxidative stress at 80 and 100 mM H2O2. Furthermore, D. radiopugnans DY59 exhibited extremely higher MIC values against H2O2 treatment. To explain this phenomenon, qRT-PCR was conducted to assess the expression levels of catalase and three LysR family regulators. Our findings indicated that the ISDrpg2 and ISDrpg3 elements of the IS4 family were actively transposed into the phytoene desaturase gene by H2O2 treatment via replicative transposition. However, high H2O2 resistance did not originate from H2O2-induced expression of catalase and LysR family regulators.
Dielectric function for a material containing hyperspherical inclusions to O(c2): II. Method of images

We have developed the method of images for the solution of two hyperspheres in d dimensions in a uniform field in order to study the O(c2) coefficient κ in the dielectric constant of the medium. The method employs extensions of image theory for classical charges and dipoles for dielectric spheres, which produce novel line charge and line dipole densities. Numerical results for κ with arbitrary integer d are consistent with our previous paper I (this issue), and demonstrate that the image method shows superior convergence properties. Although computationally less convenient, the procedure is, in principle, calculable term–by–term and leads to useful analytic results in the weak scattering limit. This work also produces a simple algebraic approximation that is useful everywhere.
Efficacy of Oil and Photosensitizer against Frankliniella occidentalis in Greenhouse Sweet Pepper

Many common insect pests have developed resistance against the pesticides currently available, to the point where pest and disease management has become extremely difficult and expensive, increasing pressure on agriculture and food production. There is an urgent need to explore and utilize alternatives. Due to their unique mode of action, photosensitizers may be able to control insect pests effectively, especially in combination with oil-based products, without the risk of resistance build-up. In this study, the efficacy of a mineral oil-based horticultural spray oil, PureSpray™ Green (PSG), and a sodium magnesium chlorophyllin photosensitizer formulation, SUN-D-06 PS, were evaluated and compared to a registered cyantraniliprole insecticide (as positive control) and a negative control against western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis. In detached leaf ingestion assays, PSG at high concentration was more effective than low concentration, causing >70% WFT mortality, whilst SUN-D-06 PS + PSG caused higher mortality than cyantraniliprole after five days of feeding. The same combination was as effective as cyantraniliprole in the contact assay. In greenhouse pepper, the photosensitizer decreased the WFT more than mineral oil applied alone, whilst a combination treatment of SUN-D-06 PS + PSG was most effective, decreasing the WFT population to fewer than four WFT per plant. SUN-D-06 PS + PSG shows promise as a sustainable, economical way of controlling WFT, with the potential to be incorporated into existing integrated pest (and disease) management (IPM) programs with ease.
Exploring Transfer Learning for Ventricular Tachycardia Electrophysiology Studies

Arrhythmogenic sites in post-ischemic ventricular tachycardia $(VT)$ are usually identified by looking for abnormal ventricular potentials $(AVPs)$ in intracardiac electrograms $(EGMs)$. Unfortunately, the accurate recognition of AVPs is a challenging problem for different reasons, including the intrinsic variability in the A $VP$ waveform. Given the high performance of deep neural networks in several scenarios, in this work, $we$ explored the use of transfer learning $(TL)$ for AVPs detection in intracardiac electrophysiology. A balanced set of 1504 bipolar intracardiac EGMs was collected from nine post-ischemic $VT$ patients. The time-frequency representation was generated for each $EGM$ by computing the synchrosqueezed wavelet transform to be used in the re-training of the convolutional neural network. The proposed approach allows obtaining high recognition results, above 90% for all the investigated performance indexes, demonstrating the effectiveness of deep learning in the recognition of AVPs in post-ischemic $VT$ EGMs and paving the way for its use in supporting clinicians in targeting arrhythmogenic sites. In addition, this study further confirms the efficacy of the $TL$ approach even in case of limited dataset sizes.
High contrast plasma mirror: spatial filtering and second harmonic generation at 1019 W cm−2

Recently, the use of plasma optics to improve temporal pulse contrast has had a remarkable impact on the field of high-power laser-solid density interaction physics. Opening an avenue to previously unachievable plasma density gradients in the high intensity focus, this advance has enabled researchers to investigate new regimes of harmonic generation and ion acceleration. Until now, however, plasma optics for fundamental laser reflection have been used in the sub-relativistic intensity regime (1015–1016 W cm−2) showing high reflectivity (∼70%) and good focusability. Therefore, the question remains as to whether plasma optics can be used for such applications in the relativistic intensity regime (>1018 W cm−2). Previous studies of plasma mirrors (PMs) indicate that, for 40 fs laser pulses, the reflectivity fluctuates by an order of magnitude and that focusability of the beam is lost as the intensity is increased above 5×1016 W cm−2. However, these experiments were performed using laser pulses with a contrast ratio of ∼107 to generate the reflecting surface. Here, we present results for PM operation using high contrast laser pulses resulting in a new regime of operation—the high contrast plasma mirror (HCPM). In this regime, pulses with contrast ratio >1010 are used to form the PM surface at >1019 W cm−2, displaying excellent spatial filtering, reflected near-field beam profile of the fundamental beam and reflectivities of 60±5%. Efficient second harmonic generation is also observed with exceptional beam quality suggesting that this may be a route to achieving the highest focusable harmonic intensities. Plasma optics therefore offer the opportunity to manipulate ultra-intense laser beams both spatially and temporally. They also allow for ultrafast frequency up-shifting without detrimental effects due to group velocity dispersion (GVD) or reduced focusability which frequently occur when nonlinear crystals are used for frequency conversion.
Electron Spectroscopy of Charge Exchange Effects in Low Energy Ion Scattering at Surfaces: Case Studies of Heavy Ions at Al Surface

This work discusses studies of electron emissions during the interaction of low energy (in the keV energy range and below) singly charged ions with Aluminum surfaces. Analysis of the spectra provides insight into the electronic excitation processes and the dynamics of the interaction of the projectiles with the surface excitation. The work is primarily focused on the clarification of the role of electron promotion in charge exchange processes that occur during the cascade of atomic collisions. The work highlights the importance of the solid environment and of electron correlation in the understanding of charge exchange and energy deposition in ion-solids interactions.
A statistical genetic investigation of psychiatric resilience

ABSTRACT Background: Although trauma exposure (TE) is a transdiagnostic risk factor for many psychiatric disorders, not everyone who experiences TE develops a psychiatric disorder. Resilience may explain this heterogeneity; thus, it is critical to understand the etiologic underpinnings of resilience. Objective: The present study sought to examine the genetic underpinnings of psychiatric resilience using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA), and polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses. Method: Participants were 6,634 trauma exposed college students attending a diverse, public university in the Mid Atlantic. GWAS and GCTA analyses were conducted, and using GWAS summary statistics from large genetic consortia, PRS analyses examined the shared genetic risk between resilience and various phenotypes. Results: Results demonstrate that nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) met the suggestive of significance threshold, heritability estimates for resilience were non-significant, and that there is genetic overlap between resilience and AD, as well as resilience and PTSD. Conclusion: Mixed findings from the present study suggest additional research to elucidate the etiological underpinnings of resilience, ideally with larger samples less biased by variables such as heterogeneity (i.e. clinical vs. population based) and population stratification. Genetic investigations of resilience have the potential to elucidate the molecular bases of stress-related psychopathology, suggesting new avenues for prevention and intervention efforts. HIGHLIGHTS Resilience may explain the heterogeneity in outcomes following trauma exposure; thus, it is critical to understand the etiologic underpinnings of resilience. The present study sought to examine the genetic underpinnings of psychiatric resilience using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA), and polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses. Results demonstrated shared genetic overlap between resilience and Alcohol Dependence, as well as resilience and PTSD. Genetic investigations of resilience have the potential to elucidate the molecular bases of stress-related psychopathology, suggesting new avenues for prevention and intervention efforts.
Automated Soft Pressure Sensor Array-Based Sea Lamprey Detection Using Machine Learning

Sea lamprey, a destructive invasive species in the Great Lakes in North America, is among very few fishes that rely on oral suction during migration and spawning. Recently, soft pressure sensors have been proposed to detect the attachment of sea lamprey as part of the monitoring and control effort. However, human decision is still required for the recognition of patterns in the measured signals. In this article, a novel automated soft pressure sensor array-based sea lamprey detection framework is proposed using object detection convolutional neural networks. First, the resistance measurements of the pressure sensor array are converted to mappings of relative change in resistance. These mappings typically show two different types of patterns under lamprey attachment: a high-pressure circular pattern corresponding to the mouth rim compressed against the sensor (“compression” pattern), and a low-pressure blob corresponding to the partial vacuum region of the sucking mouth (“suction” pattern). Three types of object detection algorithms, single-shot detector (SSD), RetinaNet, and YOLOv5s, are applied to the dataset of measurements collected in the presence of sea lamprey attachment, and the comparison of their performance shows that YOLOv5s model achieves the highest mean average precision (mAP) and the fastest inference speed. Furthermore, to improve the accuracy of the prediction model and reduce the false positive (FP) rate due to the sensor’s memory effect, a filter branch with different detection thresholds for the compression and suction patterns, respectively, is added to the original machine-learning algorithm. The trained model is validated and used to automatically detect sea lamprey attachments and locate the suction area on the sensor in real time.
Fallopian tubal histogenesis of ovarian endometriosis—A study of folate receptor-alpha expression

Background Ovary is a common organ site involved by endometriosis. We previously found that fallopian tube may contribute to the histogenesis of ovarian endometriosis. The finding was novel and requires further studies. We addressed this issue by examining a differentially expressed gene folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) and its protein (FRA) in this study. Results A total of 144 tissue samples were studied. These included 32-paired tubal-endometrial-ovarian endometriosis samples (n = 96), 18 samples of ovarian endometriosis without corresponding fallopian tube or endometrium, and 30 ovarian tissue samples with ovarian surface epithelia but without endometriosis. Multiple comparisons among groups of ovarian endometriosis, normal fallopian tube and benign endometrium were performed. FOLR1 was highly expressed in the epithelia of fallopian tube and ovarian endometriosis, with paired endometrial samples showing a significantly lower level of expression. Similar differential studies for FRA protein were performed through Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The expression of folate receptor alpha at both mRNA and protein levels in the tissues (fallopian tube or ovarian endometriosis vs. the endometrium) were significantly different (p < 0.001). All ovarian surface mesothelial epithelia showed negative expression of FRA by IHC. Conclusion The results further support that the fallopian tube may contribute to the development of ovarian endometriosis. Understanding the tubal contribution to ovarian endometriosis should ultimately contribute to ongoing investigative efforts aimed at identifying alternative ways to prevent and treat endometriosis. High level of FRA expression in the fallopian tube and endometriosis might be considered as potential tissue sites for targeted therapy.
Associating brain imaging phenotypes and genetic risk factors via a hypergraph based netNMF method

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a severe neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no effective treatment. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early disease that may progress to AD. The effective diagnosis of AD and MCI in the early stage has important clinical significance. Methods To this end, this paper proposed a hypergraph-based netNMF (HG-netNMF) algorithm for integrating structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) of AD and MCI with corresponding gene expression profiles. Results Hypergraph regularization assumes that regions of interest (ROIs) and genes were located on a non-linear low-dimensional manifold and can capture the inherent prevalence of two modalities of data and mined high-order correlation features of the two data. Further, this paper used the HG-netNMF algorithm to construct a brain structure connection network and a protein interaction network (PPI) with potential role relationships, mine the risk (ROI) and key genes of both, and conduct a series of bioinformatics analyses. Conclusion Finally, this paper used the risk ROI and key genes of the AD and MCI groups to construct diagnostic models. The AUC of the AD group and MCI group were 0.8 and 0.797, respectively.
Studies of the Virgo cluster. VI. Morphological and kinematical structure of the Virgo cluster

The structure of the Virgo cluster is analyzed on the basis of the positions, Hubble types, and radial velocities of 1277 Virgo cluster galaxies. The surface distribution of galaxies is considered according to type, and is discussed using maps, isopleths, strip counts, and radial-density distributions. It is found that the Virgo cluster shows pronounced double structure. The main concentration has a large velocity dispersion and is made up predominantly of early-type galaxies, while the secondary concentration has a much smaller velocity dispersion and contains late types. There is a strong spatial segregation of the Hubble types, the early-type galaxies being more concentrated toward the cluster center. There is significant substructure in the cluster core. The irregularity of the Virgo cluster in both configuration and velocity space shows that the core and the envelope are still forming, and hence that the cluster is young. 85 references.
Piezoelectric deformable mirror technologies for astronomy at IOE, CAS

Institute of Optics & Electronics (IOE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has more than 30 years’ experience on piezoelectric deformable mirror (DM) technologies research and developing since early 1980s. Several DMs of IOE have been used in many different application systems. A brief history of piezoelectric DMs development in IOE and several recently achievements, and the main characters, performance and test results of the DMs for astronomy will be presented in this paper. 1) High-order DM. DM prototype with 913-element for 4m telescope has been fabricated and tested in laboratory. 2) Adaptive Secondary Mirror (ASM). A 73-element ASM prototype with 12 microns stroke for 1.8m telescope has been fabricated. It will be installed onto the 1.8m telescope with a compact adaptive optics (AO) system. 3) Small spacing DM. A 6mm spacing 127-element DM based on the same construction with the High-order DM has been used in AO system of 1m New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST) in Yunnan Observatories. Higher density (3mm spacing) DM based on a novel construction has being developed. In 2012, the novel DM prototype with 100-element was fabricated and tested carefully in laboratory. Beside, a 6mm spacing 151-element DM based on the novel construction has being fabricated for the solar AO system.
On the connection coefficients and recurrence relations arising from expansions in series of Laguerre polynomials

A formula expressing the Laguerre coefficients of a general-order derivative of an infinitely differentiable function in terms of its original coefficients is proved, and a formula expressing explicitly the derivatives of Laguerre polynomials of any degree and for any order as a linear combination of suitable Laguerre polynomials is deduced. A formula for the Laguerre coefficients of the moments of one single Laguerre polynomial of certain degree is given. Formulae for the Laguerre coefficients of the moments of a general-order derivative of an infinitely differentiable function in terms of its Laguerre coefficients are also obtained. A simple approach in order to build and solve recursively for the connection coefficients between Jacobi–Laguerre and Hermite–Laguerre polynomials is described. An explicit formula for these coefficients between Jacobi and Laguerre polynomials is given, of which the ultra-spherical polynomials of the first and second kinds and Legendre polynomials are important special cases. An analytical formula for the connection coefficients between Hermite and Laguerre polynomials is also obtained.
Theorem of the Maximin and Applications to Bayesian Zero-Sum Games

Consider a family of zero-sum games indexed by a parameter that determines each player’s payoff function and feasible strategies. Our first main result characterizes continuity assumptions on the payoffs and the constraint correspondence such that the equilibrium value and strategies depend continuously and upper hemicontinuously (respectively) on the parameter. This characterization uses two topologies in order to overcome a topological tension that arises when players’ strategy sets are infinite-dimensional. Our second main result is an application to Bayesian zero-sum games in which each player’s information is viewed as a parameter. We model each player’s information as a sub-σ-field, so that it determines her feasible strategies: those that are measurable with respect to the player’s information. We thereby characterize conditions under which the equilibrium value and strategies depend continuously and upper hemicontinuously (respectively) on each player’s information.
Karst thermal reservoir tracer test and seepage characteristics analysis in Niutuozhen geothermal field in Xiong’an New Area

The carbonate rock karst thermal reservoir in the Niutuozhen geothermal field is a high-quality geothermal resource with significant development potential. However, due to the strong heterogeneity of karst thermal reservoirs, the connectivity between recharge and production wells is hard to determine, which seriously restricts the sustainable development of the Niutuozhen geothermal field. Therefore, this study revealed the hydraulic connection between the recharge and production well through the tracer test, quantitatively characterized the seepage characteristics of the reservoir combined with the numerical simulation, and proposed the deployment of the recharge well. The results show that the total recovery rate of the tracer is 0.42%, indicating that there are a small number of communication channels with a good hydraulic connection between the recharge and production well in the experimental area, and the recharge will not cause thermal breakthrough within a short time period. The velocity of recharge water can reach 359 m/d at the fastest, and the directions of dominant channels are concentrated in the NW, N, and E directions centered on the recharge well, this is consistent with the characteristics of regional fractures, recharge wells should be avoided to deployed in those directions. The results provide effective information for the prediction of the thermal breakthrough time and the accurate establishment of the thermal reservoir model in the Niutuozhen geothermal field, also provide a scientific basis for the sustainable utilization of the carbonate karst thermal reservoir geothermal resources.
Minimum aberration and model robustness for two‐level fractional factorial designs

The performance of minimum aberration two‐level fractional factorial designs is studied under two criteria of model robustness. Simple sufficient conditions for a design to dominate another design with respect to each of these two criteria are derived. It is also shown that a minimum aberration design of resolution III or higher maximizes the number of two‐factor interactions which are not aliases of main effects and, subject to that condition, minimizes the sum of squares of the sizes of alias sets of two‐factor interactions. This roughly says that minimum aberration designs tend to make the sizes of the alias sets very uniform. It follows that minimum aberration is a good surrogate for the two criteria of model robustness that are studied here. Examples are given to show that minimum aberration designs are indeed highly efficient.