Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When interlocutor’s face-language matching alters: An ERP study on face contexts and bilingual language control in mixed-language picture naming

The present study used event-related potentials (ERP) to examine Chinese-English bilinguals’ reactive and proactive language control as they performed mixed-language picture naming with face cues. All participants named pictures in Chinese (first language, L1) and English (second language, L2) across three sessions: a 25% face-language matched session, a baseline session without face cues, and a 75% face-language matched session. Behavioral analyses for reactive language control showed that the asymmetrical switch cost was larger for L2 than L1 in the 25% session and for L1 than L2 in the 75% session. ERP results revealed more negative N2 and LPC during L1 switching in 25% session but enhanced N2 during L2 switching in 75% session. Similar N2 and LPC effect was found during L1 and L2 switching in the baseline context. For proactive language control, the reversed language dominance and enhanced LPC amplitudes during L2 naming were consistent across the three sessions. Our findings suggest that reactive but not proactive language control is modulated by the ever-changing face contexts, which highlights the highly flexible bilingual control systems subserving nonlinguistic cues.
Solution of Redundant Muscle Forces in Human Locomotion with Multibody Dynamics and Optimization Tools

Abstract The analysis of human motion using inverse dynamics approaches allows for the evaluation of the muscle forces based on the knowledge of the kinematics of the human subject and the applied external forces. Owing to the redundant nature of the muscle arrangement, the system of equations available for the solution of the inverse dynamics problem has more unknown muscle forces than available equations. Therefore static optimization techniques are required to obtain a solution of the problem. Emphasizing applications to gait analysis and normal sports activities a whole-body, three-dimensional, biomechanical model of the human muscle-skeletal system is purposed to support the inverse dynamic analysis. In its current state of development, the biomechanical model includes a detailed description of the principal muscles of the locomotion apparatus for the lower limbs while net moments-of-force are used to represent the lumped muscle action about each other anatomical joint of the model. The muscles used in the biomechanical model include point-to-point and wrap-around muscles, depending in their nature and function, which results in a geometrically realistic muscle arrangement. A solution procedure for the redundant problem based on the static optimization is proposed here. Different types of objective functions representing the muscle forces, joint reaction forces, energy, or combinations of these are used in alternative. The muscle contraction dynamics is included in the optimization problem through the application of the Hill's muscle model. The methodology developed is applied to a case of gait analysis with normal cadence. The results obtained are discussed in face of the modeling assumptions used in the biomechanical model and muscle system representation.
Robust multivariable PI-controller for infinite dimensional systems

A robust multivariable controller is introduced for a class of distributed parameter systems. The system to be controlled is given as \dot{x} = Ax + Bu, y = Cx in a Banach space. The purpose of the control, which is based on the measurement y , is to stabilize and regulate the system so that y(t) \rightarrow y_{r}, as t \rightarrow \infty , where y r is a constant reference vector. Under the assumptions that operator A generates a holomorphic stable semigroup, B is linear and bounded, C is linear and A -bounded, and the input and output spaces are of the same dimension; a necessary and sufficient condition is found for the existence of a robust multivariable controller. This controller appears to be a multivariable PI-controller. Also, a simple necessary criterion for the existence of a decentralized controller is derived. The tuning of the controller is discussed and it is shown that the I-part of the controller can be tuned on the basis of step responses, without exact knowledge of the system's parameters. The presented theory is then used as an example to control the temperature profile of a bar, with the Dirichlet boundary conditions.
Single-cell protein activity analysis reveals a novel subpopulation of chondrocytes and the corresponding key master regulator proteins associated with anti-senescence and OA progression

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent senescence-related disease with substantial joint pain, loss of joint function, and cartilage degeneration. Because of the paucity of single-cell studies of OA and the gene dropout problem of single-cell RNA sequencing, it is difficult to acquire an in-depth understanding of the molecular characteristics of various chondrocyte clusters. Methods Here, we aimed to provide new insights into chondrocyte senescence and a rationale for the development of effective intervention strategies for OA by using published single-cell RNA-sequencing data sets and the metaVIPER algorithm (Virtual Inference of Protein activity by Enriched Regulon). This algorithm was employed to present a proteome catalog of 62,449 chondrocytes from the cartilage of healthy individuals and OA patients at single-cell resolution. Furthermore, histopathologic analysis was carried out in cartilage samples from clinical patients and experimental mouse models of OA to validate above results. Results We identified 16 protein-activity-based chondrocyte clusters as well as the underlying master regulators in each cluster. By assessing the enrichment score of each cluster in bulk RNA-sequencing data, followed by gene-set variation analysis, we preliminarily identified a novel subpopulation of chondrocytes (cluster 3). This clinically relevant cluster was predicted to be the main chondrocyte cluster responsible for maintaining cellular homeostasis and anti-senescence. Specifically, we uncovered a set of the key leading-edge proteins of cluster 3 by validating the robustness of the above results using another human chondrocyte single-cell RNA-sequencing data set, consisting of 24,675 chondrocytes. Furthermore, cartilage samples from clinical patients and experimental mouse models of OA were used to evaluate the expression patterns of these leading-edge proteins, and the results indicated that NDRG2, TSPYL2, JMJD6 and HMGB2 are closely associated with OA pathogenesis and might play critical roles in modulating cellular homeostasis and anti-senescence in chondrocytes. Conclusion Our study revealed a novel subpopulation of chondrocytes that are critical for anti-progression of OA and the corresponding master regulator proteins, which might serve as therapeutic targets in OA.
Enhanced detection of Taylorella equigenitalis by qPCR using ‘Dry’ swabs

Detection of Taylorella equigenitalis (CEMO) in the horse uses genital swabs. These swabs traditionally have been put in Amies charcoal transport medium for detection by culture but are also used for PCR. We determined the suitability of swabs without transport medium (Dry swabs) for CEMO PCR compared to swabs in Amies charcoal transport medium. The experiment was a factorial design using swab type and dilution of organism in culture suspensions, done in two parts. Simulated genital swabs were prepared in the laboratory by dipping in pairs into culture suspensions containing T. equigenitalis with or without other organisms, and then inserting them into a sleeve either with or without transport medium. In study 1, the difference in Ct value for the two swab types was compared. In study 2 genital swab material was then also added to culture suspensions and the swab types again compared. The swabs were tested by a validated quantitative PCR method. The Ct value of the PCR test was used as the measure for comparison, and the effect of variables assessed with linear regression. There was an 7.7% (6.5–8.9) higher mean Ct value of TM versus Dry swabs (P<0.001) overall. The Ct difference was more marked at higher dilutions. Addition of genital swab material had no effect on the Ct value. Dry swabs perform at least as well for PCR as swabs in Amies charcoal transport medium, especially when relatively low numbers of organism are present, and are advantageous for routine sampling when culture is not being used.
Modal analysis of different drivetrain configurations in electric vehicles

This paper presents a modal analysis of different drivetrain configurations in electric vehicles; 1) an in – wheel motor, 2) direct drive, and 3) an electric motor with a reduction gear and a differential gear. A specific simulation model was developed to analyze the vibrations while taking into account the traction motor, possible mechanical reduction gears, and the driveshaft, as well as a Rigid Ring Model (RRM) to describe the tire. On the basis of the simulation results, the frequency responses were calculated for each drivetrain configuration and also for a non-drive, free-rolling tire. The analyzed results show interesting differences between the different drivetrain configurations. However, most of the negative aspects can be compensated for if identified in the early design phase. For instance, the frequency response of the in-wheel motor configuration indicated that the vibrations that occur might cause negative effects in terms of driving comfort and wheel speed signal noise. The direct drive configuration has an additional mode at 24 Hz, and the differential configuration at 4 Hz. It is possible that these modes would resonate strongly if some drivetrain design parameters were poorly defined.
Development of a rapid reverse genetics system for feline coronavirus based on TAR cloning in yeast

Introduction Reverse genetics has become an indispensable tool to gain insight into the pathogenesis of viruses and the development of vaccines. The yeast-based synthetic genomics platform has demonstrated the novel capabilities to genetically reconstruct different viruses. Methods In this study, a transformation-associated recombination (TAR) system in yeast was used to rapidly rescue different strains of feline infectious peritonitis virus, which causes a deadly disease of cats for which there is no effective vaccine. Results and discussion Using this system, the viruses could be rescued rapidly and stably without multiple cloning steps. Considering its speed and ease of manipulation in virus genome assembly, the reverse genetics system developed in this study will facilitate the research of the feline coronaviruses pathogenetic mechanism and the vaccine development.
Observability Reduction of Piecewise-affine Hybrid Systems

We present necessary conditions for observability of piecewise-affine hybrid systems. We also propose an ob- servability reduction algorithm for transforming a piecewise- affine hybrid system to a hybrid system of possibly smaller dimension which satisfies the formulated necessary condition for observability. I. INTRODUCTION In this paper we present necessary conditions for observ- ability of piecewise-affine systems (abbreviated as PAHSs) and a dimensionality reduction procedure, based on this necessary condition. A PAHS is a hybrid systems, continuous dynamics of which is determined by affine control systems, the reset maps are affine and the guards are polyhedral sets. The definition of PAHS adopted in this paper is essentialy the same as in (7), except that we allow the continuous state-space to be also a polyhedron as opposed to a polytope. Contribution of the paper The contribution of the paper can be summarized as follows.
On the disturbed motion of a plane vortex sheet

A formal solution to the initial value problem for a plane vortex sheet in an inviscid fluid is obtained by transform methods. The eigenvalue problem is investigated and the stability criterion determined. This criterion is found to be in agreement with that obtained previously by Landau (1944), Hatanaka (1949), and Pai (1954), all of whom had included spurious eigenvalues in their analyses. It is also established that supersonic disturbances may be unstable; related investigations in hydrodynamic stability have conjectured on this possibility, but the vortex sheet appears to afford the first definite example. Finally, an asymptotic approximation is developed for the displacement of a vortex sheet following a suddenly imposed, spatially periodic velocity.
Generation of anomalous flows near the bow shock by its interaction with interplanetary discontinuities

Two-dimensional hybrid simulations using a curvilinear coordinate system are carried out to study the interaction of the Earth's bow shock (BS) with an interplanetary directional discontinuity. In particular, plasma flow patterns are examined. In the interaction of the bow shock with an interplanetary tangential discontinuity (TD), a bulge of magnetic field and plasma may be present near the intersection between the fronts of the BS and the TD. The bulge expands to the upstream and is embedded in the solar wind. High magnetic field and ion density are present in the boundary regions of the bulge, and the temperature in the bulge is significantly higher than that in the ambient solar wind. A core of low density and sometimes low field is present inside the bulge. The flow speed changes from supersonic in the solar wind to subsonic throughout the bulge. A strong sunward deflection in flow velocity is present both in the bulge and in the magnetosheath behind the bulge. The presence of such hot anomalous flows depends on the direction and symmetry condition of the upstream motional electric field. The formation of the bulge and the associated anomalous flows is found to be mainly due to (1) the reflected ions which are focused to TD under the proper electric field conditions, (2) the unbalanced pressure associated with the geometry change and reformation of the BS which causes the expansion of downstream and the sunward motion of ions, or (3) the occurrence of magnetic reconnection in the current sheet. In the interaction of the BS with an interplanetary rotational discontinuity (RD), the flow may be deflected sunward by the magnetic tension force associated with the resulting rotational discontinuities and slow shocks in the magnetosheath. It is suggested that the observed anomalous flow events upstream of the bow shock may be due to the BS/TD interaction, and both BS/RD and BS/TD interactions may generate strong sunward flow deflections in the magnetosheath.
Cylindrically symmetric Fresnel lens for high concentration photovoltaic

High concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) utilizes point-focus cost-effective plastic Fresnel lens. And a millimeter-sized Ill-V compound multi-junction solar cell is placed underneath focusing optics which can achieve cell efficiency potential of up to 40.7 %. The advantage of HCPV makes less solar cell area and higher efficiency; however, the acceptance angle of HCPV is about ±1°, which is very small and the mechanical tracking of the sun is necessary. In order to reduce the power consumption and the angle tracking error of tracking systems, a light collector model with larger acceptance angle is designed with ZEMAX®. In this model, the original radially symmetric Fresnel lens of HCPV is replaced by cylindrically symmetric Fresnel lens and a parabolic reflective surface. Light is collected in two dimensions separately. And a couple of lenses and a light pipe are added before the solar cell chip in order to collect more light when sun light deviates from incident angle of 00. An acceptance angle of ±10° is achieved with GCR 400.
Orbital angular momentum in radio: Measurement methods

Novel measurement and approximation methodologies for studying orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in radio beams, i.e., electromagnetic beam modes having helical phase fronts, are presented. We show that OAM modes can be unambiguously determined by measuring two electric field components at one point, or one electric field component at two points.
The Effect of Addition Potassium Permanganate on Bond Strength of Hot-Dip Galvanized Plain Bars with Cement Paste

In this paper, the effect of gradually increasing amounts of KMnO4 (10−4, 10−3, 10−2 mol·L−1) in cement paste on the bond strength of a plain hot-dip galvanized steel bar was evaluated. The open-circuit potential of HDG samples in cement paste with various additions of MnO4− was monitored in order to follow a transfer of zinc from activity to passivity. Furthermore, the influence of the addition of these anions on the physicochemical properties of normal-strength concrete or cement paste was evaluated by means of hydration heat measurements, X-ray diffraction analysis, and compressive strength. The effective concentration of MnO4− anions prevents the corrosion of the coating with hydrogen evolution and ensures that the bond strength is not reduced by their action, which was determined to be 10−3 mol·L−1. Lower additions of MnO4− anions (10−4 mol·L−1) are ineffective in this respect. On the other hand, higher additions of MnO4− anions (10−2 mol·L−1), although they ensure the corrosion of the coating in fresh concrete without hydrogen evolution, but affect the hydration process of the cement paste that was demonstrated by slight water separation.
Analysis of vertically propagating convectively coupled equatorial waves using observations and a non‐hydrostatic Boussinesq model on the equatorial beta‐plane

A non‐hydrostatic model on the equatorial beta‐plane is solved for the most basic solutions of vertically and zonally propagating internal plane waves. Solutions tilt in the vertical and propagate upward, with buoyancy as a principal restoring force. Results indicate that when frequency is of the same order of magnitude as a reduced buoyancy frequency, the shallow‐water model equivalent depth depends on frequency. One consequence of this dependence is that Kelvin waves become dispersive at high frequencies. In a complementary observational analysis, linear regression and a space‐time wavelet spectrum analysis of observed convectively coupled mixed Rossby gravity (MRG) waves are applied to estimate vertical wavelengths that are consistent with the strongest signals associated with observed convectively coupled waves at specific zonal wave numbers and frequencies. Substitution of these dispersion parameters into the model yields theoretical structures characterized by vertical and horizontal wavenumbers and frequencies similar to those observed in the lower and middle troposphere. These model solutions demonstrate that the Coriolis terms associated with the horizontal component of the earth's angular momentum explain substantial meridional tilts and phase shifts between quantities associated with observed convectively coupled waves, especially proximate to the surface of the Earth. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Synthesis and characterization of one-dimensional CdSe nanostructures

One-dimensional (1D) CdSe nanostructures, including nanowires, nanotubes, nanorods, nanobelts, and even nanostructures resembling saws and tree branches, have been synthesized by sublimation of CdSe powders under various experimental conditions. These 1D CdSe nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy observations, and Raman spectroscopy. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed the chemical stoichiometry of the CdSe nanostructures. It was found that the geometrical morphologies of the CdSe 1D nanostructures were significantly influenced by the synthetic parameters. Raman spectra of CdSe nanowires show an upward shift of the 2LO phonon peak.
GPS Zenith Total Delay Estimation in the Mediterranean Area for Climatological and Meteorological Applications

Abstract A ground network of global positioning system (GPS) receivers is a powerful source of continuous integrated precipitable water vapor (IPWV) data that can be suitable for weather prediction and climate studies. The technical features of two different GPS data analysis strategies, one for climatological and the other for meteorological applications, are thoroughly described together with the achieved accuracy of the related atmospheric products. The Centro di Geodesia Spaziale (CGS) of the Italian Space Agency in Matera, Italy, has been processing, since January 1999, GPS data from a network covering the central Mediterranean area, providing GPS postprocessed zenith total delay (ZTD) with a latency of 15 days, suitable for climate applications only. In June 2001 a near-real-time (NRT) datastream was set up to deliver, on an hourly basis and with 1 h, 45 min latency, GPS ZTD useful for assimilation into numerical weather prediction models. The GPS internal validation of the postprocessed ZTD perform.
Geometry of higher-rank numerical ranges

We consider geometric aspects of higher-rank numerical ranges for arbitrary N × N matrices. Of particular interest is the issue of convexity and a possible extension of the Toeplitz–Hausdorff Theorem. We derive a number of reductions and obtain partial results for the general problem. We also conduct graphical and computational experiments. Added in proof: Following acceptance of this paper, our subject has developed rapidly. First, Hugo Woerdeman established convexity of the higher-rank numerical ranges by combining Proposition 2.4 and Theorem 2.12 with the theory of algebraic Riccati equations. See Woerdeman, H. , 2007, The higher rank numerical range is convex, Linear and Multilinear Algebra, to appear. Subsequently Chi-Kwong Li and Nung-Sing Sze followed a different approach that not only yields convexity but also provides important additional insights. See Li, C. -K. and Sze, N. -S. , 2007, Canonical forms, higher rank numerical ranges, totally isotropic subspaces, and matrix equations, preprint. See also Li, C. -K. , Poon, Y. -T. , and Sze, N. -S. , 2007, Condition for the higher rank numerical range to be non-empty, preprint.
Double-stage glass transition in a metallic glass

Glass-transition region is still a somewhat ``dark area'' in the field of materials science. In order to shed more light on this phenomenon, the glass-transition behavior was studied in a ${\text{Zr}}_{55}{\text{Cu}}_{30}{\text{Al}}_{10}{\text{Ni}}_{5}$ glassy alloy by monitoring its specific-heat capacity measured using a differential scanning calorimeter during heating in a step-scan mode. This reduces the influence of kinetic effects which shield the transition. It is suggested that two types of relaxation (likely related to the diffusivities of different alloying elements Cu and Ni on the one hand as well as Zr and Al on the other hand) take place and compete in the glass-transition region.
Thermo-kinetically controlled pattern selection

Through a combination of asymptotic and numerical approaches we investigate bifurcation and pattern formation for a free boundary model related to a rapid crystallization of amorphous films and to the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (solid combustion). The unifying feature of these diverse physical phenomena is the existence of a uniformly propagating wave of phase transition whose stability is controlled by the balance between the energy production at the interface and the energy dissipation into the medium. For the propagation on a two-dimensional strip with thermally insulated edges, we develop a multi-scale weakly-nonlinear analysis that results in a system of ordinary differential equations for the slowly varying amplitudes. We identify a nonlinear parameter which is responsible for the pattern selection, and utilize the amplitude system for predicting the evolving patterns. The pattern selection is confirmed by direct numerical simulations on the free boundary problem. Some numerical results on strongly nonlinear regimes are also presented.