Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes of Chinese Coastal Regions Induced by Land Reclamation as Revealed through TanDEM-X DEM and InSAR Analyses

Chinese coastal topography has changed significantly over the last two decades due to human actions such as the development of extensive land reclamation projects. Newly-reclaimed lands typically have low elevations (<10 m) and often experience severe ground subsidence. These conditions, combined with the more frequent occurrence of extreme sea-level events amplified by global climate change, lead to an increased risk of flooding of coastal regions. This work focuses on twelve Chinese coastal areas that underwent significant changes from 2000 to 2015 in their environments, correlated to relevant land reclamation projects. First, the ground changes between 2000 and 2015 were roughly computed by comparing the TanDEM-X and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation models of the investigated areas. These results indicate that six of the analyzed coastal zones have reclaimed more than 200 km2 of new lands from 2000 to 2015, with five of them in northern China. Second, we focused specifically on the city of Shanghai, and characterized the risk of flood in this area. To this purpose, two independent sets of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data collected at the X- and C-band through the COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) and the European Copernicus Sentinel-1 (S-1) sensors were exploited. We assumed that the still extreme seawater depth is chi-square distributed, and estimated the probability of waves overtopping the coast. We also evaluated the impact on the territory of potential extreme flood events by counting the number of very-coherent objects (at most anthropic, such as buildings and public infrastructures) that could be seriously affected by a flood. To forecast possible inundation patterns, we used the LISFLOOD-FP hydrodynamic model. Assuming that an extreme event destroyed a given sector of the coastline, we finally computed the extent of the flooded areas and quantified its impact in terms of coherent structures potentially damaged by the inundation. Experimental results showed that two coastline segments located in the southern districts of Shanghai, where the seawalls height is lower, had the highest probability of wave overtopping and the most significant density of coherent objects potentially subjected to severe flood impacts.
Influence of Pregnancy Stages on Thyroid Status and Blood Metabolites in Desert Ewes Raised under Range Conditions in West Kordufan State, Sudan

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the stages of pregnancy in two ecotypes of sheep, located in different grazing areas on thyroid status and certain blood metabolites. Eighty clinically healthy ewes (40 Hamari and 40 Kabashi ecotype) aged 2-5 years were used in the study. For each ecotype, the ewes were divided into four groups according to the reproductive status. Group (A): 10 ewes non-pregnant non-lactating (dry) served as the control. Group (B): 10 ewes in the early stage of pregnancy (first trimester). Group (C): 10 ewes in mid-stage of pregnancy (second trimester). Group (D): 10 ewes in the late stage of pregnancy (third trimester). Blood samples were used to measure serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), plasma glucose concentration and serum triglyceride levels. The study detected that Hamari ecotype was supplied with salt and minerals block during watering by its owners. The results showed that in both ecotypes, the serum TSH levels were significantly (P<0.05) higher during the early stage of pregnancy then, it decreased significantly (P<0.01) as the pregnancy advanced. While serum T4 levels were higher during the early stage of pregnancy, then it decreased significantly (P<0.01) during the late pregnancy in both ecotypes. Serum T3 level was significantly (P<0.001) higher in both ecotypes during early and mid-pregnancy, then declined to the lowest value during the late stage. The plasma glucose level was significantly (P<0.001) lower during mid and late pregnancy in both ecotypes. There was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in serum triglyceride level when pregnancy advanced in both ecotypes. Kabashi ecotype showed significantly higher serum triglyceride levels in the control group (P<0.001) during early pregnancy stage (P<0.01) and mid pregnancy stage (P<0.05) compared to the values of serum triglyceride levels in Hamari ecotypes. This study indicated that pregnancy altered thyroid status in both ecotypes, however, the influence of pregnancy on the thyroid status was less in the Hamary ecotype which supplemented by mineral and salt blocks. Therefore, supplementation with minerals during pregnancy might enhance the metabolic profile on the natural pasture grazing.
Gene Therapy Developments for Pompe Disease

Pompe disease is an inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). The most severe form is infantile-onset Pompe disease, presenting shortly after birth with symptoms of cardiomyopathy, respiratory failure and skeletal muscle weakness. Late-onset Pompe disease is characterized by a slower disease progression, primarily affecting skeletal muscles. Despite recent advancements in enzyme replacement therapy management several limitations remain using this therapeutic approach, including risks of immunogenicity complications, inability to penetrate CNS tissue, and the need for life-long therapy. The next wave of promising single therapy interventions involves gene therapies, which are entering into a clinical translational stage. Both adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors and lentiviral vector (LV)-mediated hematopoietic stem and progenitor (HSPC) gene therapy have the potential to provide effective therapy for this multisystemic disorder. Optimization of viral vector designs, providing tissue-specific expression and GAA protein modifications to enhance secretion and uptake has resulted in improved preclinical efficacy and safety data. In this review, we highlight gene therapy developments, in particular, AAV and LV HSPC-mediated gene therapy technologies, to potentially address all components of the neuromuscular associated Pompe disease pathology.
Event-Triggered Control and Proactive Defense for Cyber–Physical Systems

This article studies the attack detection problem of cyber–physical systems (CPSs) with the event-triggered (ET) mechanism. A switching-based moving-target defense (MTD) strategy is developed to detect malicious false-data-injection (FDI) attacks, which is characterized by the average dwell-time (ADT) property. Even if attacks may remain stealthy when the MTD mechanism is adopted, the impact of these stealthy attacks on the system performance is relatively small when the switching signal is unknown to the adversary. In order to reduce the cost of data transmission, an ET mechanism is added into the system. Furthermore, we prove that there exists a lower bound of the execution interval, which indicates that the Zeno phenomenon is excluded. Finally, numerical examples are employed to illustrate the effectiveness of the main results.
Electric Boiler Temperature Control Based on Fuzzy PID Algorithm

Firstly,we have designed a kind of fuzzy PID algorithm to control the temperature of electric boilers,directing at the temperature control characteristics of straight thermal type of electric boilers.In addition to that,the algorithm not only can overcome the disadvantage of traditional temperature control system that can't build complex system of mathematical model,but also has very strong robustness,good dynamic performance and steady precision.Then using Simulink condition of Matlab software to simulation analysis for the performance of temperature control system and the anti-interference ability.
Compact CPW-fed triple-band MIMO antenna for wireless body area network based on flexible liquid crystal polymer

A compact coplanar waveguide-fed triple-band multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna is designed based on flexible substrate named liquid crystal polymer in this work. The proposed antenna comprises two antenna elements placed side by side. By adding a double Y-shaped branch between two antenna elements, good isolation is achieved successfully, which is better than 21 dB. According to the measured results, it can operate bandwidth covering 2.263–2.925, 3.063–4.5 and 4.588–7.25 GHz, meeting the radio spectrum, including 5G, WLAN and WiMAX. Moreover, the proposed antenna also has virous suitable characteristics including envelope correlation coefficient (<0.01), diversity gain (>9.99), channel capacity loss (<0.4 bits/s/Hz), the difference of mean effective gain (<0.15 dB) and total active reflection coefficient (<−10 dB). The bending test and the effect of human body have also been analyzed. The actual measurement indicates that the presented MIMO antenna is desirable for integration in wearable 5G/WLAN/WiMAX devices.
Minimizing Update Makespan in SDNs Without TCAM Overhead

Efficient and consistent update of the network routing rules is a challenging task that significantly affects the performance, correctness, and security of Software-Defined Networks (SDN). In this work, we consider the problem of minimizing the makespan of updating the routing rules in SDNs, while guaranteeing three crucial consistency requirements: (1) WayPoint Enforcement, (2) Loop Freedom, and (3) Conflict Freedom. This problem is known to be NP-hard, and thus we focus on designing approximate algorithms that run in polynomial time without incurring TCAM storage overhead. To compute consistent rule-update schedules, we propose two algorithms, called <italic>TimeX</italic> and <italic>RMS</italic>. <italic>TimeX</italic> employs the solution of a linear program (LP) to address the makespan minimization goal systematically. <italic>RMS</italic> is an LP-independent heuristic that provides higher scalability. We demonstrate and utilize a property of rule-updates, called reversibility, to reduce the makespan in RMS. Extensive simulations show that our algorithms reduce the makespan by 2% to 18% and attain a 4.9<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times$ </tex-math></inline-formula> speedup compared to previous studies. Moreover, Mininet experiments reveal that the proposed algorithms can mitigate the transient congestion caused by conflicting flows.
Proof-of-Concept and Advancement of the CellFlux Concept

The CellFlux storage system is a new concept for reducing the costs of medium to high temperature thermal energy storage. Initially designed for solar thermal power plants, the concept is suitable for industrial processes and power to heat applications as well. This paper gives first results of a new pilot scale plant set up at DLR in Stuttgart as a proof of concept. Experimental results are used for the validation of a simplified model. The model is apllied to calculate pareto optimal storage configurations in terms of necessary storage mass and exergetic efficiency, suitable for two types of solar thermal power plants. Particularly for applications having larger temperature differences, high exergetic efficiencies at low costs for the storage material can be achieved.
PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF POLYSACCHARIDES CONTENT FOR SELECTION OF HIGH QUALITY PLANTING MATERIALS: Eurycoma longifolia

Provenance trial of Eurycoma longifolia is currently being carried out in order to provide necessary information for breeding strategies, which is crucially needed for the production of high quality planting materials. Assessment of polysaccharides content in the root part of the plant is taken among the important characteristics in the selection of the best provenance. Polysaccharides compound is chosen as bioactive marker due to the non-toxicity nature of the compound and potential pharmacological properties possessed. Polysaccharides compound of the root part is extracted by using water extract procedure from nine selected provenances (Johor, Melaka, Pahang A, Pahang B, Pahang D, Perak, Pulau Pinang, Selangor and Terengganu) of E. longifolia collected throughout forest reserves of Peninsular Malaysia. The analysis of the actual weight of the compound is conducted using phenol-sulfuric acid method by UV-VIS and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is used for the detection of structural components of the polysaccharides compound. The assessment showed that polysaccharides content in the root part of Terengganu provenance significantly has the highest with 1.06 % actual weight of polysaccharides (out of 30 g extracted dry roots). Meanwhile, there are four provenances showed undetectable range of polysaccharide content which were Melaka, Pahang A, Pulau Pinang and Selangor. In a nutshell, based on the preliminary assessment of polysaccharide content alone, Terengganu provenance has the potential to be declared among the best provenances that has high quality. The provenance trial also has taken into considerations several important parameters such as the growth performances variation and the tolerance of the plants to pests and diseases besides the phytochemical screening. Provenance trial of E. longifolia is still ongoing, data for various parameters are still being collected, and thus it is still too early to derive a conclusion of which is the best provenance.
MiR-218-5p Affects Subcutaneous Adipogenesis by Targeting ACSL1, a Novel Candidate for Pig Fat Deposition

As a centre enzyme in fatty acid activation, acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1) plays an important role in body lipid homeostasis. However, the functions of ACSL1 in the subcutaneous adipogenesis of pigs are largely unknown. In the present study, we found that the expression of ACSL1 significantly increased during the process of porcine preadipocyte differentiation. Moreover, silencing of ACSL1 in preadipocytes decreased levels of triglyceride and adipogenic-related markers, including FABP4, APOE, and FASN (p < 0.01), and simultaneously increased levels of lipolytic-related markers, such as ATGL and HSL (p < 0.05). Conversely, overexpression of ACSL1 in preadipocytes increased levels of triglyceride and FABP4, APOE, and FASN (p < 0.01), and reduced levels of ATGL and HSL (p < 0.05). Luciferase reporter assays revealed that ACSL1 is a target of miR-218-5p, which can reduce the mRNA and protein levels of ACSL1 by directly binding the 3′ untranslated region of ACSL1. Furthermore, miR-218-5p has an inhibition role in porcine preadipocyte differentiation by suppressing ACSL1 expression. Taken together, these data provide insights into the mechanism of the miR-218-5p/ACSL1 axis in regulating subcutaneous fat deposition of pigs.
A Balanced Arthroscopic Debridement of the Inner Layer of the Knee Retinaculum Increases the Tibiofemoral Joint Space Width

Introduction Traditional techniques can enlarge the medial tibiofemoral joint space width (JSW) for meniscal repairs, but a remnant ligament laxity may be developed. Alternatively, the debridement of the inner retinaculum layer may result in a balanced JSW without causing extra-ligament damage (retinaculum layers II and collateral ligament). Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether a concentric arthroscopic debridement of the inner retinaculum layer increases the tibiofemoral JSW in patients with meniscal injuries. Secondarily, we determine whether the increase in JSW is symmetrical between compartments and describe the rate of complications and patient satisfaction. Method Twenty middle-aged (15 male and five female) patients diagnosed with acute meniscal injury aged 36 ± 12 years were enrolled. The patients were submitted to an arthroscopic debridement of the inner layer of the knee retinaculum for both the medial and lateral compartments. The tibiofemoral JSW was measured intra-articularly using a custom instrument. A two-way ANOVA for repeated measures was used to compare the JSW. A Bland–Altman analysis and test-retest analysis were performed. Results The JSW increased following the debridement of the inner retinaculum layer, for both the medial and lateral compartments (p < 0.001). No complications were identified, and the patients were satisfied with the intervention. The minimal detectable change and bias of the custom instrument were 0.06 mm and 0.02 mm, respectively. Conclusion The debridement allows a clinically important (>1 mm) symmetric tibiofemoral JSW enlargement. The technique suggests favoring the diagnosis of meniscus injuries and manipulating arthroscopic instruments without secondary complications after one year.
Commercial Gold Complexes Supported on Functionalised Carbon Materials as Efficient Catalysts for the Direct Oxidation of Ethane to Acetic Acid

The single-pot efficient oxidation of ethane to acetic acid catalysed by Au(I) or Au(III) compounds, chlorotriphenylphosphinegold(I) (1), chlorotrimethylphosphinegold(I) (2), 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidenegold(I) chloride (3), dichloro(2-pyridinecarboxylato)gold(III) (4), homogenous and supported on different carbon materials: activated carbon (AC), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon xerogel (CX), oxidised with nitric acid followed by treatment with NaOH (-ox-Na), is reported. The reactions were performed in water/acetonitrile. The materials were selective for the production of acetic acid, with no trace of by-products being detected. The best homogenous catalysts were complexes 2 and 3 which showed the highest ethane conversion and an acetic acid yield of ca. 21%, followed by 4 and 1. The heterogenised materials showed much better activity than the homogenous counterparts, with acetic acid yields up to 41.4% for 4@CNT-ox-Na, and remarkable selectivity (with acetic acid being the only product detected). The heterogenised catalysts with the best results were reused up to five cycles, with no significant loss of activity, and maintaining high selectivity for acetic acid. 4@CNT-ox-Na showed not only the best catalytic activity but also the best stability during the recycling runs.
Design of robust H_2/H_∞ states observer for networked control systems with short time-delay

By means of the robust control theory, an approach to design H_2/H_∞ states observer for networked control systems with short time-delay under white noise is proposed without changing the structure of the systems. The effect of short random time-delay to the systems is regarded as the unknown bounded uncertain disturbance. The robustness of H_∞ norm from the estimated outputs of states observer to the unknown bounded uncertain disturbance is proved in details. The performance value of H_2norm from the estimated output to white noise and the observer gain matrix are given. Finally, the simulation results show that the method is effective.
The Environmental Effects of the Innovative Ejectors Plant Technology for the Eco-Friendly Sediment Management in Harbors

A sediment bypassing plant based on innovative jet pump, ejectors, has been tested in the first-of-a-kind demo application at the harbor of Cervia (Italy, Northern Adriatic Sea). The ejector is a jet pump aimed to reduce sediment accumulation in navigation channels and coastal areas. Herein we present results of the first study assessing the potential ecological effects of the ejectors plant. Sediment characteristics, benthic, and fish assemblages before and after the plant activation have been analyzed in the putatively impacted (the sediment removal and discharge) areas and four control locations, one time before and two times after plant activation. Ejectors plant operation resulted in a reduction of the mud and organic matter content in the sediment, as well as in changes in shell debris amount in the impacted areas. Abundance and species richness of benthic macroinvertebrates, initially reduced in the impacted areas, probably due to the previous repeated dredging, returned to higher values during demo plant continuous operation. Higher diversity of fish fauna was observed in the study area during plant operation period. Observed dynamics of the ecological status of the marine habitat suggest that an ejectors plant could represent an eco-friendly solution alternative to dredging operations to solve harbor siltation problems.
Prevalence and Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity among Adults in Poland: A 2019/2020 Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

Detailed characteristics of the weight status of the population is necessary for the effective prevention of health disorders, e.g., through personalized nutrition education. This study aimed to characterize weight status and identify sociodemographic factors associated with overweight/obesity in a representative sample of adult inhabitants of Poland. This cross-sectional study was carried out from July 2019 to February 2020 on a representative nationwide sample of individuals aged 18+ in Poland. The study consisted of two parts: questionnaire survey and anthropometric measurements. The body mass index was calculated. Data on 1831 adults (50.3% females; mean age 51.7 ± 19.9 years) were included in this analysis. The prevalence of overweight was 42.2% (52.4% among males and 32.0% among females). Of the 1831 participants, 16.4% were obese (16.5% of males and 16.2% of females). Out of 11 factors analyzed in this study, only 5 were significantly associated with overweight/obesity. Males, older participants, occupationally active individuals, those living in rural areas and individuals with at least one chronic disease had greater odds of overweight/obesity. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults in Poland. This is the most up-to-date representative study on nutritional status carried out before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oncogenic Mutation BRAF V600E Changes Phenotypic Behavior of THLE-2 Liver Cells through Alteration of Gene Expression

The accumulation of mutations in cancer driver genes, such as tumor suppressors or proto-oncogenes, affects cellular homeostasis. Disturbances in the mechanism controlling proliferation cause significant augmentation of cell growth and division due to the loss of sensitivity to the regulatory signals. Nowadays, an increasing number of cases of liver cancer are observed worldwide. Data provided by the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) have indicated many alterations within gene sequences, whose roles in tumor development are not well understood. A comprehensive analysis of liver cancer (virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma) samples has identified new and rare mutations in B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF) in Japanese HCC patients, as well as BRAF V600E mutations in French HCC patients. However, their function in liver cancer has never been investigated. Here, using functional analysis and next generation sequencing, we demonstrate the tumorigenic effect of BRAF V600E on hepatocytes (THLE-2 cell line). Moreover, we identified genes such as BMP6, CXCL11, IL1B, TBX21, RSAD2, MMP10, and SERPIND1, which are possibly regulated by the BRAF V600E-mediated, mitogen-activated protein kinases/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathway. Through several functional assays, we demonstrate that BRAF L537M, D594A, and E648G mutations alone are not pathogenic in liver cancer. The investigation of genome mutations and the determination of their impact on cellular processes and functions is crucial to unraveling the molecular mechanisms of liver cancer development.