Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation de la densité spectrale de puissance d'un bruit gaussien basée sur le kurtosis des statistiques minimales

Nous presentons dans ce papier un estimateur de la variance d'un bruit blanc gaussien a partir des valeurs minimales de la transformee de Fourier a court terme d'un signal compose d'un signal quelconque noye dans un bruit a estimer. Le kurtosis des statistiques minimales dans le plan temps-frequence est utilise pour estimer la variance du bruit a partir de points ne contenant que du bruit.
scRNA-seq reveals ATPIF1 activity in control of T cell antitumor activity

ABSTRACT ATP synthase inhibitory factor 1 (ATPIF1) is a mitochondrial protein with an activity in inhibition of F1Fo-ATP synthase. ATPIF1 activity remains unknown in the control of immune activity of T cells. In this study, we identified ATPIF1 activity in the induction of CD8+ T cell function in tumor models through genetic approaches. ATPIF1 gene inactivation impaired the immune activities of CD8+ T cells leading to quick tumor growth (B16 melanoma and Lewis lung cancer) in ATPIF1-KO mice. The KO T cells exhibited a reduced activity in proliferation and IFN-γ secretion with metabolic reprogramming of increased glycolysis and decreased oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) after activation. T cell exhaustion was increased in the tumor infiltrating leukocytes (TILs) of KO mice as revealed by the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and confirmed by flow cytometry. In contrast, ATPIF1 overexpression in T cells increased expression of IFN-γ and Granzyme B, subset of central memory T cells in CAR-T cells, and survival rate of NALM-6 tumor-bearing mice. These data demonstrate that ATPIF1 deficiency led to tumor immune deficiency through induction of T cell exhaustion. ATPIF1 overexpression enhanced the T cell tumor immunity. Therefore, ATPIF1 is a potential molecular target in the modulation of antitumor immunity of CD8+ T cells in cancer immunotherapy. Induction of ATPIF1 activity may promote CAR-T activity in cancer therapy.
Loosely Coupled Systems of Innovation: Aligning BIM Adoption with Implementation in Dutch Construction

As an innovation, Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a key role in the digital transformation of construction industry. Whereas innovations affect and are affected by organizational behavior, they are better observed at a project level, as they are shaped by a network of various project actors. This study connects intra- (micro-) and inter-organizational (meso-) levels of BIM implementation. To explore the relation between BIM adoption drivers and BIM implementation in projects, three case studies are analyzed qualitatively through the theoretical lens of loosely coupled systems. The findings showed that although individual firms had strong external or internal BIM motivations and visions to adopt BIM innovation, the project networks rarely coordinated to support BIM implementation. Consequently, the project networks that were motivated by ‘internal’ BIM adoption drivers (e.g. quality assurance), implemented BIM collaboratively and flexibly. Contrariwise, networks of firms that adopted BIM simply to comply with ‘external’ demand (e.g. macroscopic market pressures or client demand), were rigid and competitive during BIM implementation and hindered knowledge transfer and innovation change management. Drawing upon the empirical data, other factors affecting BIM implementation and in need for further inter-organizational alignment were corporate compatibility, inter-firm knowledge mobility, and inter-firm power dynamics. The implication is the need for further alignment of visions about BIM innovation decision-making across firms to support effective BIM implementation in projects.
Analysis on the diffusion and mechanical properties of eucalyptus dried via supercritical carbon dioxide

Using the molecular dynamics software Materials Studio, a micro-level carbon dioxide – cellulose model was established to study the supercritical carbon dioxide drying of eucalyptus wood. The change of the primary components of the eucalyptus wood cellulose were also studied, by simulating various pressures, i.e., 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 Pa, and simulating a temperature of 323 K. Results showed that the diffusion coefficient of carbon dioxide decreases as the pressure increases, and it reaches the maximum at 20 Pa, which was confirmed by the number of hydrogen bonds in the carbon dioxide cellulose model. Combined with the comprehensive analysis of the mechanical parameters, the Poisson’s ratio γ and the ratio of bulk modulus to shear modulus (K/G) values of cellulose first increased and then decreased as the pressure increased, and the Young’s modulus increased as the pressure increased. From a microscopic point of view, the study shows that eucalyptus cellulose has good mechanical properties when dried by supercritical carbon dioxide under a pressure of 20 Pa. The simulation results of the dynamic model agreed well with the measured results, and the simulation results support the previous experimental data and the practical application results in production.
Implantable liquid metal-based flexible neural microelectrode array and its application in recovering animal locomotion functions

With significant advantages in rapidly restoring the nerve function, electrical stimulation of nervous tissue is a crucial treatment of peripheral nerve injuries leading to common movement disorder. However, the currently available stimulating electrodes generally based on rigid conductive materials would cause a potential mechanical mismatch with soft neural tissues which thus reduces long-term effects of electrical stimulation. Here, we proposed and fabricated a flexible neural microelectrode array system based on the liquid metal GaIn alloy (75.5% Ga and 24.5% In by weight) and via printing approach. Such an alloy with a unique low melting point (10.35 °C) owns excellent electrical conductivity and high compliance, which are beneficial to serve as implantable flexible neural electrodes. The flexible neural microelectrode array embeds four liquid metal electrodes and stretchable interconnects in a PDMS membrane (500 µm in thickness) that possess a lower elastic modulus (1.055 MPa), which is similar to neural tissues with elastic moduli in the 0.1–1.5 MPa range. The electrical experiments indicate that the liquid metal interconnects could sustain over 7000 mechanical stretch cycles with resistance approximately staying at 4 Ω. Over the conceptual experiments on animal sciatic nerve electrical stimulation, the dead bullfrog implanted with flexible neural microelectrode array could even rhythmically contract and move its lower limbs under the electrical stimulations from the implant. This demonstrates a highly efficient way for quickly recovering biological nerve functions. Further, the good biocompatibility of the liquid metal material was justified via a series of biological experiments. This liquid metal modality for neural stimulation is expected to play important roles as biologic electrodes to overcome the fundamental mismatch in mechanics between biological tissues and electronic devices in the coming time.
Cyclical Efficiency vis-à-vis Market Conditions: A Case of Casablanca Stock Exchange

ABSTRACT:In the context of the Adaptive Market Hypothesis (AMH), market efficiency is bound to change in relation to market conditions. Current literature on the AMH in the Moroccan stock exchange does not show the linkage between changing efficiency and market conditions. To fill this vacuum, this study investigated whether market efficiency changed in a cyclical version over time; and evaluated the effect of market conditions on return predictability in the Casablanca Stock Exchange. This study applied two definitions of market condition, namely the up and down versus bull, bear and normal conditions. In addition, the 2007 global financial crisis and political atmosphere were examined as fundamental conditions influencing return predictability. To achieve the objectives of the study, we analyzed daily stock returns from January 1998 to February 2018. We tracked time-variation in market efficiency by employing both the linear and nonlinear testing tools ranging from ADF, KPSS, autocorrelation, variance ratio and the Brock, Dechert and Schieinkman (BDS) tests. These tests were implemented by using a rolling window approach to derive monthly measures of return predictability. Subsequently, the dummy regression model was used to evaluate the market condition effect on return predictability. First, we showed that the weak-form efficiency of the Moroccan stock market is adaptive through the descriptive statistics, unit root, stationarity, autocorrelation, variance ratio and BDS tests. In other words, return dependence, particularly the nonlinear dependence, interchanges with independence over time. Secondly, there is high predictability during the 2007/2008 financial crisis and low predictability during the tense political condition. In conclusion, we found that the Casablanca Stock Exchange exhibits time-varying efficiency and that financial crisis and political atmosphere (general election) constitute key conditions that contribute to market inefficiency. These findings conform to the postulation of AMH, and we recommend that the time-varying behavior and effect of market conditions be considered by market participants in their interaction with the stock market. This suggests that investors' trading strategies must be adaptive to suit changing conditions.
Evaluation of the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in the Patients of Kawasaki Disease Resistant to Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) Therapy

Background & Aims: Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology that is common in the pediatric patients. The primary therapeutic strategy includes aspirin and Intravenous Immunoglobulin. The present study aimed to investigate the Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in the patients with Kawasaki and its relationship with the resistance to IVIg therapy. Materials and Methods : The present study included the patients presenting to the Motahari Hospital, Urmia, Iran, whom diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and received IVIg during 2008-2019. The authors collected the data from the patients' medical records and re-assessed the patients' data for meeting the diagnostic criteria for Kawasaki. Afterward, the data of eligible patients entered the analysis. Results : The data from 460 patients were obtained and assessed for meeting the diagnostic criteria for Kawasaki. Of 460 patients, 241 met the eligibility criteria, and the data for other patients that meet exclusion criteria were excluded from the study. According to the results of our study, response to IVIg therapy had a significant relationship with the variables of blood and urinary leukocyte counts (p=0.013 and p=0.01, respectively). However, we didn’t find any significant relationship between the response to IVIg therapy and the variables of age, gender, NLR, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), serum albumin level, ALT, hemoglobin, platelet count, and the interval between onset of symptoms and treatment initiation. Conclusion : High blood leukocyte count along with low urinary leukocyte count can predict the response to IVIg treatment and subsequent prognosis in the patients affected by the Kawasaki disease. However, the NLR did not show clinical relevance.
Lipase from Fusarium solani: optimization of culture conditions, biochemical properties, and production

A Plackett-Burman factorial design with 15 experiments was conducted to evaluate the influence of seven factors on lipases production by Fusarium solani. The factors investigated were peptone, tryptone, yeast extract, calcium chloride, potassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, and copper sulphate. Five fixed variables (cotton oil, pH, temperature, agitation, and time) were maintained and as a response to the enzymatic activity. The concentration of tryptone, calcium chloride, and magnesium sulphate had a significant effect (p < 0.10) on lipase production and was studied consecutively through a complete DCCR (central rotational compound design), to optimize lipase production of the fungi F. solani. After optimization using DCCR, maximum lipolytic activities of 24.84 U/ml were obtained with the use of 10 g.L-1 tryptone, 3.50 g.L-1 calcium chloride and 0.50 g.L-1 magnesium sulfate, 1 g.L-1 potassium phosphate and 1% soybean oil. The statistical model showed a correlation of 85.67% with the experimental data. The biochemical characterization of lipase showed that the enzyme has a better performance at pH 7 at a temperature of 40 °C, where the statistical model had a correlation of 94.15% with the experimental data. In this way, lipases produced by F. solani have potential for application and use in biodiesel production.
Comparative analysis on the mechanical properties of mortise-tenon joints in heritage timber buildings with and without a ‘Que-Ti’ component

Three kinds of typical Chinese traditional mortise-tenon joints were tested. The effects of sparging on the deformation, hysteretic behavior, strength and stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation of the mortise-tenon joints were studied via low-cycle reversed loading tests with and without a ‘Que-Ti’ component. The results showed the following: the bearing capacity of the straight-tenon joint was the strongest, and the hysteretic loop of the through-tenon joint and half-tenon joint were asymmetric due to the asymmetry of the tenon form. The half-tenon joint was most likely to pull out the tenon, and the tenon pulling condition of the half-tenon joint can be effectively alleviated by adding a ‘Que-Ti’ component. From the perspective of energy consumption, it was found that the energy consumption capacity of the mortise-tenon joints after adding a ‘Que-Ti’ component was stronger than the joints without a ‘Que-Ti’ component. This shows that the ‘Que-Ti’ can be used as an effective component in terms of enhancing the mechanical properties of the mortise-tenon joints.
Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Roxb.) DC: A systematic review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology

Context: Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Roxb.) DC is a plant rich in essential oils, terpenes, coumarins, and alkaloids, among others, and has traditionally been used by tribal healers for decades. But as yet, there is no systematic and critical review on this plant to document the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of its isolated compounds. Aims: To systematically review reports about the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects and clinical trials of the plant. It also attempts to provide critical assessment of the existing knowledge and research gaps. Methods: Science Direct, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar were used to collect the relevant research performed on Z. rhetsa, and the discussed dataset finally included 48 articles. Results: The plant has been used traditionally to treat fever, pain, dysentery, cholera, eczema, and rheumatism, among others. Z. rhetsa was found to be abundant in terpenes, coumarins, lignans, alkaloids with broad pharmacological effects, including anti-photo aging, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antidiarrheal, anthelmintic activities. Studies also revealed its potential use as a food supplement rich in ALA and a functional ingredient in food as a spice. Most pharmacological studies were grounded on crude extracts of the plant, and there is a lack of evidence-based bioactivity-guided research to identify the bioactive compounds. Several research priorities have also been identified, which need to be addressed in the future. Conclusions: Overall, the review attempts to critically assess the existing knowledge and research gaps that can contribute toward improving the prospect of Z. rhetsa as a source of lead molecules in drug discovery.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Static and Dynamic Properties of Linear Polymer in a Crowded Environment

In this paper, we investigate the static and dynamic properties of linear polymer in the presence of obstacles. A Monte Carlo (MC) simulation method in two dimensions with a bond fluctuation model (BFM) was used to achieve this goal. To overcome the entropic barrier, we put the middle monomer of the polymer in the middle of the pore, which is placed between ordered and disordered obstacles. We probed the static properties of the polymer by calculating the mean square of the radius of gyration and the mean square end-to-end distance of the polymer, and we found that the scaling exponents of both the mean square end-to-end distance R 2 and the mean square radius of gyration R g 2 as a function of the polymer length N vary with the area fraction of crowding agents, ϕ . The dynamic properties have also been studied by exploring the translocation of the polymer. Our current research shows that the escape time τ increases as ϕ increases. Moreover, in the power-law relation of escape time τ as a function of polymer length N , the scaling exponent ( α ) changes with ϕ . Furthermore, the study has shown that the translocation of the polymer favors the disordered barriers.
Fabrication of novel PCL/PGS fibrous scaffold containing HA and GO through simultaneous electrospinning-electrospray technique

Abstract Herein, poly(caprolactone)/poly (glycerol sebacate) (PCL/PGS) fibrous structures incorporating hydroxyapatite (HA) and graphene oxide (GO) nanofillers were prepared through two procedures, including electrospinning and simultaneous electrospinning/electrospray procedures. Accordingly, introducing nanofillers into the structures through the simultaneous method led to improving the mechanical strength from 3.69 to 4.95 MPa. The electrospray nanofillers caused improvement of the amorphous regions (up to 83.4%) and increased the degradation rate. Furthermore, the filler-filled electrospun/electrospray sample illustrated the highest cell viability of 94.81 ± 0.5%. The results implied that the simultaneous procedure is promising for fabricating filler-loaded membranes as bone tissue scaffolds. Graphical Abstract
UHF partial discharge localisation method in substation based on dimension-reduced RSSI fingerprint

Ultra-high frequency (UHF) technique is chosen for partial discharge (PD) detection due to its excellent anti-interference and stability. The existing UHF PD localisation methods are mainly based on time-difference technique, that suffer high hardware cost due to the high sampling rate requirement. The wireless UHF sensors together with the scene analysis methods, i.e. received signal strength indicator (RSSI) fingerprint, provide us a low hardware cost and high environmental adaptability solution for PD localisation in substation. The proposed PD localisation method here is divided into two stages. In the offline stage, the RSSI fingerprint map is established by site survey. In the online stage, the position of PD source is estimated by a probabilistic approach. To reduce the influence of noise, the RSSI fingerprints are transformed to a low-dimensional subspace, while the most of redundant noise is discarded. Furthermore, the PD heterogeneity and interference in the offline stage are also discussed and solved by normalisation and clustering algorithm, respectively. A filed test is performed and the results indicate that the mean localisation error is 1.87 m and 82.6% localisation errors are <;3 m. The workload in the offline stage is also reduced ~50%.
One-pot treatment with maleic anhydride vs. the interfacial compatibility of polycaprolactone-microcrystalline cellulose composites

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is an eco-friendly and biodegradable synthetic polyester encouraged by various government authorities. These biodegradable bioplastics and lignocellulose composites have attracted people’s attention. Usually, neat PCL has poor interfacial compatibility with potential reinforcing particles and poor mechanical properties, which limit its application. The drawbacks can be effectively solved with maleic anhydride (MA) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). In this study, PCL composites were prepared by the one-pot synthesis method. The roughness of the PCL-MA/MCC film was reduced 66.7%, the contact angle (CA) reached a maximum of 87.5°, and its tensile strength was effectively improved by 77.8%. The thermodynamic properties of PCL-MA were similar to PCL. In contrast to PCL, the thermodynamic properties of PCL-MA were minimally affected, and the main chain structure of PCL was not broken despite the formation of new chemical groups. Its interfacial compatibility and mechanical properties were effectively improved.
Benchmark systems for small signal stability analysis and control

This report documents the work of the IEEE PES Task Force (TF) on Benchmark Systems for Stability Controls. The following sections present the objectives of the TF, the guidelines used to select the benchmarks, a brief description of each benchmark system so the reader can select the most suitable system for the intended application, the input data and results for each benchmark system, and a set of conclusions. Detailed descriptions of each system are also presented in the Appendices to this report and in the website1 created by this Task Force to share the data and simulation results related to the benchmark systems.
Semantic interdisciplinary evaluation of image captioning models

Abstract In our day-to-day life, synchronizing vision and language aspects plays a crucial role in solving various real-time challenges. Image captioning is one of them, and it aims to recognise objects, activities, and their relationships in order to provide a syntactically and semantically correct visual description. There are existing works of image captioning in various directions, such as news, fashion, art, and medical domains. The core architectural idea of image captioning is based on merging CNN, RNN, and transformer models. In practice, there are many conceivable combinations, and brute forcing all of them would take a long time. As we know, there is no work on interpreting image captioning models across various usecases. In this research article, we examine and analyze different image captioning models used across various domains, and multiple insights are extracted to determine the best combinational architecture for a new application without ignoring contextual semantics. We examined numerous designs and determined that LSTM is best for image captioning across several domains.
A case for weakening the Church-Turing Thesis

We conclude from Godel's Theorem VII of his seminal 1931 paper that every recursive function f(x1,x2) is representable in the first-order Peano Arithmetic PA by a formula (F(x1,x2,x3)) which is algorithmically verifi- able, but not algorithmically computable, if we assume that the negation of a universally quantified formula of the first-order predicate calculus is always indicative of the existence of a counter-example under the stan- dard interpretation of PA. We conclude that the standard postulation of the Church-Turing Thesis does not hold if we define a number-theoretic formula as effectively computable if, and only if, it is algorithmically ver- ifiable; and needs to be replaced by a weaker postulation of the Thesis as an equivalence. Keywords Algorithmic computability, algorithmic verifiability, Aristotle's particu- larisation, Church-Turing Thesis, effective computability, first-order, Godel �-function, Peano Arithmetic PA, standard interpretation, Tarski, uniform method.