Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aerostructural performance improvement in an unmanned long endurance aircraft using adaptive wing concept

This paper presents an analytical research study to improve the aerostructural performance of an unmanned medium altitude long endurance aircraft using the adaptive wing concept. Aerodynamic drag and wing root loads are minimized by optimal scheduling of multiple trailing edge flaps located on the wing. A trim optimization process is developed specifically for this purpose. The aeroelastic model is based on finite element formulation for the structure and doublet lattice method for the aerodynamics. A nonlinear numerical lifting line method is used, in combination with airfoil wind tunnel data, to estimate the induced and total drags. Results are presented for the current aircraft configuration and a more flexible proposed configuration, thereby providing an uncommon perspective on the effect of flexibility on the adaptive wing. For example, the benefits of optimal flap deployment turn out to be greater for the flexible aircraft than for the rigid one. It is hoped that this work and its insights will also aid the multidisciplinary design optimization of future aircraft.
Cellular signaling impacts upon GABAergic cortical interneuron development

The development and maturation of cortical GABAergic interneurons has been extensively studied, with much focus on nuclear regulation via transcription factors. While these seminal events are critical for the establishment of interneuron developmental milestones, recent studies on cellular signaling cascades have begun to elucidate some potential contributions of cell signaling during development. Here, we review studies underlying three broad signaling families, mTOR, MAPK, and Wnt/beta-catenin in cortical interneuron development. Notably, each pathway harbors signaling factors that regulate a breadth of interneuron developmental milestones and properties. Together, these events may work in conjunction with transcriptional mechanisms and other events to direct the complex diversity that emerges during cortical interneuron development and maturation.
Exposure to essential and non-essential trace elements and risks of congenital heart defects: A narrative review

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are congenital abnormalities involving the gross structures of the heart and large blood vessels. Environmental factors, genetic factors and their interactions may contribute to the pathogenesis of CHDs. Generally, trace elements can be classified into essential trace elements and non-essential trace elements. Essential trace elements such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), selenium (Se), and manganese (Mn) play important roles in human biological functions such as metabolic function, oxidative stress regulation, and embryonic development. Non-essential trace elements such as cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), nickle (Ni), barium (Ba), chromium (Cr) and mercury (Hg) are harmful to health even at low concentrations. Recent studies have revealed the potential involvement of these trace elements in the pathogenesis of CHDs. In this review, we summarized current studies exploring exposure to essential and non-essential trace elements and risks of CHDs, in order to provide further insights for the pathogenesis and prevention of CHDs.
A Class of Single- and Dual-Frequency Algorithms for Rain-Rate Profiling from a Spaceborne Radar. Part II: Tests from Airborne Radar Measurements

Abstract In Part I, four single-frequency (SF) algorithms and a dual-frequency (DF) algorithm for range profiling of the rain rate from a spaceborne radar were described and tested from numerical simulations. In Part II, performances of these algorithms are studied using data from a DF (X and Ka bands) near-nadir-pointing airborne radar. The data, gathered over ocean near Wallops Island in 1988, mimic future spaceborne radar measurements. Rain retrievals are performed for isolated and series of contiguous rain measurements within stratiform and convective rain regions overflown by the aircraft. General features and aspects specific to the experiment conditions are pointed out. The SF algorithms provide more or less scattered results according to their own sensitivities to uncorrected scaling errors. Improvement of the algorithms stability by constraining the total path-integrated attenuation from surface echo measurements is confirmed. The correlation between attenuation coefficients at both frequencies, .
The Regional Diagnosis of Onset and Demise of the Rainy Season over Tropical and Subtropical Australia

In this paper we introduce a novel strategy to robustly diagnose the onset and demise of the rainy season using daily observed rainfall over seven specific regions across Australia, as demarcated by the Natural Resource Management (NRM) of Australia. The methodology lies in developing an ensemble spread of the diagnosed onset/demise from randomly perturbing the observed daily timeseries of rainfall at synoptic scales to obtain a measure of the uncertainty of the diagnosis. Our results indicate that the spread of the ensemble in the diagnosis of the onset and demise dates of the rainy season is higher in the subtropical compared to the tropical regions. Secular change of earlier onset, later demise, longer length, and wetter season are also identified in many of these regions. The influence of PDO at decadal, ENSO, and Indian Ocean Dipole at interannual, and MJO at intraseasonal scales also reveal significant influence on the evolution of the rainy season over these regions in Australia. Most importantly, the co-variability of the onset date with the length of the season and seasonal rainfall anomaly of the season is highlighted as a valuable relationship that can be exploited for real time monitoring and providing an outlook of the forthcoming rainy season, which could serve some of the NRM regions.
Absorption and reduced scattering coefficients in epidermis and dermis from a Swedish cohort study

We present in vivo optical properties of skin tissue assessed using spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Data was collected in a sub-study of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS). Measurements were performed on 3,809 subjects, 50-65 years, on the volar side of the forearm with the PeriFlux 6000 EPOS system. The analysis consisted of an inverse Monte Carlo method where modeled spectra were non-linearly fitted to measured diffuse reflectance spectra at 0.4 and 1.2-mm source-detector fiber separations, respectively, between 475 and 850 nm. The model consisted of one epidermis layer with adaptable thickness and absorption caused by melanin, and two dermis layers. The upper dermis had a fixed thickness of 0.2 mm and the lower an infinite thickness. The absorption in the dermis layers depended on varying amounts of hemoglobin and its oxygen saturation. The reduced scattering coefficient, with three adaptable parameters, was equal in all layers in the model. Absorption coefficient in epidermis times epidermis thickness, reflecting the total amount of melanin, was 0.19±0.16 [-] at 570 nm with a significant difference between winter (0.12±0.10) and summer (0.26±0.19). Melanin absorption implies an average of 3.9% tissue fraction of melanosomes in epidermis. Absorption coefficient at the 570 nm isosbestic point was 0.19±0.11 mm-1 in the upper dermis layer and 0.10±0.05 mm-1 in the lower. The reduced scattering coefficient was 2.3±0.5 mm-1 at 570 nm. Average sampling depth for all wavelengths and both separations was 0.43±0.03 mm.
Additives screening for the formulation of solid lipid nanoparticles of alpha-mangostin

: The purpose of the study is to perform pre-formulation studies for alpha-mangostin ( α -mangostin) and screening of additives (such as solid lipids, emulsifiers and cryoprotectants) and their combinations (ratio of lipids, ratio of drug: lipid, ratio of emulsifier: co-emulsifier and concentration of cryoprotectant) used in the formulation of solid lipid nanoparticles of α -mangostin. This screening is essential for the formulation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNP) that provide small particle size and PDI, high entrapment efficiency and zeta potential. This screening offers a rationale for selecting additives and their concentrations for formulating optimized SLNP. Pre-formulation studies showed melting point of 181.5°C, partition coefficient of 0.359 and drug solubility of 0.3072, 0.4576, 0.4892 and 0.5782 mg/mL in 1.2, 6.8, 7.0 and 7.5 pH buffers respectively. Ultimately, the DSC thermogram defines the sharp endotherm of α -mangostin at 195.98°C. Hot melt homogenization followed by ultrasonication technique is used to develop solid lipid nanoparticles. Process parameters such as homogenization speed (15,000 rpm) and ultra sonication (6 minutes) was optimized based on particle size and PDI. The optimized formulation of SLNP of α -mangostin contain 1:2:0.5:0.5:5 ratio of Drug: Solid lipid (0.8:1.2 ratio of Stearic acid: Precriol ATO5): Poloxamer 407: Sodium taurocholate: Mannitol.
A Deterministic Method for Robust Estimation of Multivariate Location and Shape

Abstract The existence of outliers in a data set and how to deal with them is an important problem in statistics. The minimum volume ellipsoid (MVE) estimator is a robust estimator of location and covariate structure; however its use has been limited because there are few computationally attractive methods. Determining the MVE consists of two parts—finding the subset of points to be used in the estimate and finding the ellipsoid that covers this set. This article addresses the first problem. Our method will also allow us to compute the minimum covariance determinant (MCD) estimator. The proposed method of subset selection is called the effective independence distribution (EID) method, which chooses the subset by minimizing determinants of matrices containing the data. This method is deterministic, yielding reproducible estimates of location and scatter for a given data set. The EID method of finding the MVE is applied to several regression data sets where the true estimate is known. Results show that the .
Lagrangian measurement of fluid-particle motion in an isotropic turbulent field

By means of an optical tracer-particle tracking method, measurements for Lagrangian characteristics of turbulence, including the mean-square value of lateral diffusion from a point source $\overline{Y^2}$, the r.m.s. value of fluctuating velocity v′, the velocity autocorrelation coefficient RL(τ), and the integral scale ΛL, were made in approximately isotropic turbulent flow behind a grid. Comparison of these Lagrangian data with the Eulerian integral scale Λf and the double velocity correlation coefficient f(r) led to the following results: (i) for a moderate turbulent Reynolds-number range of Reλ = 20 − 70, the ratio β(= ΛL/Λf) is within the values of 0.6 – 0.3, becoming lower as Reλ increases, and (ii) the distribution of RL against time lag τ is analogous to that of f against βr/v′. Further, it was confirmed by both theoretical analysis and experiments that the growth of $\overline{Y^2}(t)$ was weakened by the decay of turbulent energy, particularly so for long diffusion times.
The RNA-Seq data analysis shows how the ontogenesis defines aging

This paper presents a global statistical analysis of the RNA-Seq results of the entire Mus musculus genome. We explain aging by a gradual redistribution of limited resources between two major tasks of the organism: its self-sustenance based on the function of the housekeeping gene group (HG) and functional differentiation provided by the integrative gene group (IntG). All known disorders associated with aging are the result of a deficiency in the repair processes provided by the cellular infrastructure. Understanding exactly how this deficiency arises is our primary goal. Analysis of RNA production data of 35,630 genes, from which 5,101 were identified as HG genes, showed that RNA production levels in the HG and IntG genes had statistically significant differences (p-value <0.0001) throughout the entire observation period. In the reproductive period of life, which has the lowest actual mortality risk for Mus musculus, changes in the age dynamics of RNA production occur. The statistically significant dynamics of the decrease of RNA production in the HG group in contrast to the IntG group was determined (p-value = 0.0045). The trend toward significant shift in the HG/IntG ratio occurs after the end of the reproductive period, coinciding with the beginning of the mortality rate increase in Mus musculus indirectly supports our hypothesis. The results demonstrate a different orientation of the impact of ontogenesis regulatory mechanisms on the groups of genes representing cell infrastructures and their organismal functions, making the chosen direction promising for further research and understanding the mechanisms of aging.
Operational Space Technology for Global Vegetation Assessment

The main goal of global agriculture and the grain sector is to feed 6 billion people. Frequent droughts causing grain shortages, economic disturbances, famine, and losses of life limit the ability to fulfill this goal. To mitigate drought consequences requires a sound early warning system. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recently developed a new numerical method of drought detection and impact assessment from the NOAA operational environmental satellites. The method was tested during the past eight years, adjusted based on users' responses, validated against conventional data in 20 countries, including all major agricultural producers, and was accepted as a tool for the diagnosis of grain production. Now, drought can be detected 4–6 weeks earlier than before, outlined more accurately, and the impact on grain reduction can be predicted long in advance of harvest, which is most vital for global food security and trade. This paper addresses all these issues and also discusses E.
A Five Glutamine-Associated Signature Predicts Prognosis of Prostate Cancer and Links Glutamine Metabolism with Tumor Microenvironment

Glutamine has been recognized as an important amino acid that provide a variety of intermediate products to fuel biosynthesis. Glutamine metabolism participates in the progression of the tumor via various mechanisms. However, glutamine-metabolism-associated signatures and its significance in prostate cancer are still unclear. In this current study, we identified five genes associated with glutamine metabolism by univariate and Lasso regression analysis and constructed a model to predict the biochemical recurrence free survival (BCRFS) of PCa. Further validation of the prognostic risk model demonstrated a good efficacy in predicting the BCRFS in PCa patients. Interestingly, based on the CIBERSORTx, ssGSEA and ESTIMATE algorithms predictions, we noticed a distinct immune cell infiltration and immune pathway pattern in the prediction of the two risk groups stratified by the risk model. Drug sensitivity prediction revealed that patients in the high-risk group were more suitable for chemotherapy. Last but not least, glutamine deprivation significantly inhibited cell growth in GLUL or ASNS knock down prostate cancer cell lines. Therefore, we proposed a novel prognostic model by using glutamine metabolism genes for PCa patients and identified potential mechanism of PCa progression through glutamine-related tumor microenvironment remodeling.
The Limits of Human Rights Discourse within Sovereign Territory: Examining US Refugee Policy Formation

Human rights denote universality, moral normativity, and the international community. Citizenship rights, meanwhile, denote particularity, collective identity, and sovereign territory. Yet some argue that human rights are realized only through the nation-state. Refugee resettlement allows introspection into the tensions between the human and the citizen, as the “refugee” embodies the transition from internationally governed refugee camps to national political communities. This study examines rights discourse surrounding the US Refugee Act as a crucial moment of policy formation and how policy discourse made sense of human rights approaching US borders. I argue that human rights discourse in US policy brings refugees to the door but abandons them as soon as they enter the sovereign space. There, US policy discourse materializes not citizenship rights but neoliberal citizenship. Refugee resettlement reveals the limits of human rights and the contradictory ways that the market and the state encroach on the neoliberal constitution of citizenship.
Oxytocin receptors in the Magel2 mouse model of autism: Specific region, age, sex and oxytocin treatment effects

The neurohormone oxytocin (OXT) has been implicated in the regulation of social behavior and is intensively investigated as a potential therapeutic treatment in neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social deficits. In the Magel2-knockout (KO) mouse, a model of Schaaf-Yang Syndrome, an early postnatal administration of OXT rescued autistic-like behavior and cognition at adulthood, making this model relevant for understanding the actions of OXT in (re)programming postnatal brain development. The oxytocin receptor (OXTR), the main brain target of OXT, was dysregulated in the hippocampus of Magel2-KO adult males, and normalized upon OXT treatment at birth. Here we have analyzed male and female Magel2-KO brains at postnatal day 8 (P8) and at postnatal day 90 (P90), investigating age, genotype and OXT treatment effects on OXTR levels in several regions of the brain. We found that, at P8, male and female Magel2-KOs displayed a widespread, substantial, down-regulation of OXTR levels compared to wild type (WT) animals. Most intriguingly, the postnatal OXT treatment did not affect Magel2-KO OXTR levels at P8 and, consistently, did not rescue the ultrasonic vocalization deficits observed at this age. On the contrary, the postnatal OXT treatment reduced OXTR levels at P90 in male Magel2-KO in a region-specific way, restoring normal OXTR levels in regions where the Magel2-KO OXTR was upregulated (central amygdala, hippocampus and piriform cortex). Interestingly, Magel2-KO females, previously shown to lack the social deficits observed in Magel2-KO males, were characterized by a different trend in receptor expression compared to males; as a result, the dimorphic expression of OXTR observed in WT animals, with higher OXTR expression observed in females, was abolished in Magel2-KO mice. In conclusion, our data indicate that in Magel2-KO mice, OXTRs undergo region-specific modifications related to age, sex and postnatal OXT treatment. These results are instrumental to design precisely-timed OXT-based therapeutic strategies that, by acting at specific brain regions, could modify the outcome of social deficits in Schaaf-Yang Syndrome patients.
Regenerative Potential of Hydroxyapatite-Based Ceramic Biomaterial on Mandibular Cortical Bone: An In Vivo Study

Reconstruction of bone defects and maintaining the continuity of the mandible is still a challenge in the maxillofacial surgery. Nowadays, the biomedical research within bone defect treatment is focussed on the therapy of using innovative biomaterials with specific characteristics consisting of the body’s own substances. Hydroxyapatite ceramic scaffolds have fully acceptable phase compositions, microstructures and compressive strengths for their use in regenerative medicine. The innovative hydroxyapatite ceramics used by us were prepared using the tape-casting method, which allows variation in the shape of samples after packing hydroxyapatite paste to 3D-printed plastic form. The purpose of our qualitative study was to evaluate the regenerative potential of the innovative ceramic biomaterial prepared using this method in the therapy of the cortical bone of the lower jaw in four mature pigs. The mandible bone defects were evaluated after different periods of time (after 3, 4, 5 and 6 months) and compared with the control sample (healthy cortical bone from the opposite side of the mandible). The results of the morphological, clinical and radiological investigation and hardness examination confirmed the positive regenerative potential of ceramic implants after treatment of the mandible bone defects in the porcine mandible model.
A Histologic, Histomorphometric, and Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Anorganic Bovine Bone and Injectable Biphasic Calcium Phosphate in Humans: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Following trauma, chronic periapical process, or tooth extraction, a large loss of bone volume is noticed during the healing process. To facilitate the placement of dental implants, various surgical procedures are used for an optimal alveolar ridge profile, while maintaining adequate bone dimensions. The main aim of this study was to determine the healing ability (histologically and immunohistologically) of alveolar bone defects during augmentation with two different biomaterials: injectable biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) and anorganic bovine bone (ABB). Thirty-eight subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The first group received the tested bone substitute biomaterial (BSB), i.e., BCP (maxresorb inject®), and the second group received an alternative to the gold standard, i.e., ABB (Bio-Oss®). The histopathological, histomorphometric, and immunohistochemical analyses gave comparable results for these bone substitute materials in terms of newly formed bone: (BCP: 39.91 ± 8.49%, ABB: 41.73 ± 13.99%), residual biomaterial (BCP: 28.61 ± 11.38%, ABB: 31.72 ± 15.52%), and soft tissue (BCP: 31.49 ± 11.09%, ABB: 26.54 ± 7.25%), with no significant difference found between the groups (p < 0.05, t-test), proving that BCP is equally suitable and successful for alveolar bone regeneration.
Cognitive diagnosis and algorithmic cultural analysis of fourth-grade Yi students’ mathematical skills in China: A case study of several primary schools in Puge county, Liangshan prefecture

The Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture is the largest area in China inhabited by the Yi people, and the original Yi characteristics and culture are well maintained. The Yi also have a high degree of ethnic and cultural intermingling with Tibetans, Han and other ethnic groups. The level of mathematical abilities directly determines the quality of mathematical learning of Yi students. Primary four is the stage of “concrete operations,” and is a critical point in the development of mathematical symbolic awareness. In this study, the geographical location of the school and the financial income of the township in which the school is located were used as the basis for sampling, and the DINA model was used to diagnose the mathematical ability of fourth grade students in three rural Yi primary schools in Puge County. The study found that there was individual variability in the mathematical abilities of fourth grade Yi students, with 21 different types of cognitive error patterns identified, the main ones being five. In addition, the state of knowledge of fourth grade Yi students in arithmetic revealed that their overall level of mathematical ability was low, showing a lag, with none of the knowledge attributes of arithmetic being fully mastered. Cultural differences between the Chinese and Yi languages contribute to the difficulties that Yi students have in learning mathematical operations, including differences in understanding the place value system, zero, decimal expressions, and differences in the perception of multiplication and division. The above research can inform the implementation of targeted remediation for teaching and learning.