Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Histophilus somni: Antigenic and Genomic Changes Relevant to Bovine Respiratory Disease in Disease in North America: Knowledge Advances Using Genomic Testing The Immunology of Bovine Respiratory Disease: Recent Advancements

Histophilus somni is associated with several disease syndromes in cattle and plays an important role in the bovine respiratory disease complex. H somni isolates exhibit significant differences in terms of susceptibility to inactivation by normal serum corresponding to the general ability to cause clinical disease. Isolates possess a variety of virulence factors, and variation in virulence factor expression is well recognized and associated with antigenic differences. Sequencing of genes associated with known virulence factors has identified genetic variability between isolates. The antigenic and genomic differences represent significant challenges to the host immune system and are problematic for vaccine design. Respiratory Bacterial Microbiota in Cattle: From Development to Modulation to Enhance Respiratory Health is colonized by complex bacterial ecosys-tems also known as microbiotas. These microbiotas evolve and are shaped by numerous including maternal vaginal microbiota, parenteral antimicrobials, and stressful events. The resulting microbiota can be and enriched with known bacteria that can provide colonization resistance against bacterial pathogens or, on the contrary, with opportunistic pathogens that can predispose cattle to respiratory disease. The respiratory microbiota can be modulated by nonantimicrobial approaches to promote creating new potential strategies for prevention and treatment of bovine respiratory disease. This article provides insights into the management of bovine respiratory disease in high-risk cattle populations. Biocontainment strategies, re-cords, procurement, transport, arrival/receiving management, vaccination, and treatment protocols are discussed from practical and systems-thinking perspectives regarding their impact on health in high-risk cattle. treatment failures result from interactions between the host, path-ogen, environment, drug, and drug administrator. Investigating and ad-dressing the underlying causes of BRD treatment failures can improve clinical outcomes and animal welfare of future cases, improve morale of employees, reduce direct costs of dealing with BRD treatment failures, refine antimicrobial prescribing practices, and advance antimicrobial stewardship. This article discusses these interactions and provides guid-ance to veterinary practitioners on evaluating the success of treatment protocols.
Phagocytosis and self-destruction break down dendrites of Drosophila sensory neurons at distinct steps of Wallerian degeneration

Significance Mutations in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthesis pathway are associated with progressive neurodegeneration; neuronal injury causes rapid breakdown of damaged axons and dendrites. NAD+ reduction is thought to underlie both types of degeneration by inducing neuronal self-destruction. Here, we show that phagocytosis, instead of self-destruction, drives degeneration of Drosophila sensory dendrites in both injury and genetic NAD+ disruptions. Mechanistically, phagocytosis is induced earlier than self-destruction by these manipulations, as a result of phosphatidylserine exposure on the dendrite surface. In addition, injured dendrites exhibit unique calcium dynamics and only partially require the axon-death factor Axed for self-destruction. Thus, our results suggest important contributions of phagocytosis to NAD+-related neurodegenerative diseases and highlight the difference between dendrite and axon degeneration. After injury, severed dendrites and axons expose the “eat-me” signal phosphatidylserine (PS) on their surface while they break down. The degeneration of injured axons is controlled by a conserved Wallerian degeneration (WD) pathway, which is thought to activate neurite self-destruction through Sarm-mediated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) depletion. While neurite PS exposure is known to be affected by genetic manipulations of NAD+, how the WD pathway coordinates both neurite PS exposure and self-destruction and whether PS-induced phagocytosis contributes to neurite breakdown in vivo remain unknown. Here, we show that in Drosophila sensory dendrites, PS exposure and self-destruction are two sequential steps of WD resulting from Sarm activation. Surprisingly, phagocytosis is the main driver of dendrite degeneration induced by both genetic NAD+ disruptions and injury. However, unlike neuronal Nmnat loss, which triggers PS exposure only and results in phagocytosis-dependent dendrite degeneration, injury activates both PS exposure and self-destruction as two redundant means of dendrite degeneration. Furthermore, the axon-death factor Axed is only partially required for self-destruction of injured dendrites, acting in parallel with PS-induced phagocytosis. Lastly, injured dendrites exhibit a unique rhythmic calcium-flashing that correlates with WD. Therefore, both NAD+-related general mechanisms and dendrite-specific programs govern PS exposure and self-destruction in injury-induced dendrite degeneration in vivo.
Evaluating changes in catchment‐scale evapotranspiration after 50% strip‐thinning in a headwater catchment

We examined changes in catchment‐scale annual and seasonal evapotranspiration after 50% strip thinning, using runoff data from headwater catchments. The short‐term water balance (STWB) method between periods from 8 to 100 days was applied to the treated (KT) and control (KC) catchments. The estimated evapotranspiration during the pre‐ and post‐thinning periods were 840 and 910 and 780 and 860 mm/year in the catchments KT and KC, respectively. According to a paired catchment analysis of estimated evapotranspiration, monthly evapotranspiration increased from 3 to 20 mm from June to December, while it decreased from 7 to 31 mm from January to May. The estimated annual and monthly evapotranspiration was compatible with the values monitored in the plot‐scale interception, canopy transpiration, and ground surface evapotranspiration. Our findings showed that the decreases in evapotranspiration due to 50% thinning were similar or different in different methods of measurement when compared with thinning in the other catchments around the world. The STWB model can evaluate the effects of timber harvesting on changes in evapotranspiration (ET), including the reproduction of seasonal patterns of ET.
Chromophore-based nanophotonic network-on-chip and computing systems

Traditional CMOS faces many scaling challenges as feature sizes approach tens of nanometers. Despite advances in next-generation transistor designs and foundry processes, power efficiency and thermal budgets continue to dominate the performance envelope of current systems. This motivates researchers to look into alternative technologies. Molecular-scale computational devices such as chromophores are very promising. Chromophores are small molecules that absorb light at one wavelength and emit at a different wavelength with lower energy. They have such properties as low energy consumption and short latency. A pair of chromophores can use Resonance Energy Transfer (RET) to communicate with each other in near field. Simple RET logic circuits have been fabricated by patterning chromophores on DNA self-assembled grids. We explore the design space of using chromophores to perform optical computing in an systematic way: 1) explore the optical filtering function of single types of chromophores in power efficient photonic crossbars; 2) discuss how to further reduce power consumption of the crossbars by utilizing the underlying hardware properties and application communication patterns; 3) design more complex general purpose computing systems with resonance energy transfer between different types of chromophores on DNA grids. We make three primary contributions in this thesis. First, we use only the filter function of chromophores to design an on-chip interconnection network---molecular-scale Network-on-Chip (mNoC)---and evaluate its performance and power consumption. Second, we explore the power property of mNoC and optimize the NoC by introducing the concept of power topology--- unique characteristics where connectivity is dynamically controlled by the source power. Finally, we propose a chromophore-based optical logic element (OLE) as the basic computing unit for a larger general computing system.
A Dependable Automated People Mover System Modeled and Verified using Timed Automata: A Case Study

Automated People Movers (APM) are systems for passenger transport with fully automated operation and high frequency service. For this study we have used the system named Aeromovel installed in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Aeromovel is a non-conventional Automatic People Mover whose operation principle is based on pneumatics. This paper proposes the use, in a complementary way, of two analysis techniques, simulation and formal verification, in order to guarantee the desired behavior for an APM propulsion system composed by a centrifugal fan and ten (on-off and proportional) pneumatic valves driven by pneumatic pistons. This approach is based on the use of timed automata and UPPAAL model- checker. The more focused aspect is the modeling of the propulsion system associated at the distributed control system. Somesimulationand formal verificationresults are presented, consideringdesired behaviorpropertiesin orderto improve the system's dependability.
The Impact on Dietary Outcomes of Celebrities and Influencers in Marketing Unhealthy Foods to Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Celebrities, including influencers, are commonly used to market products that are high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) to children but the impact on dietary outcomes has been unclear. The primary aim of this study was to systematically review the literature and quantify the impact of celebrities in HFSS marketing on children’s dietary outcomes. We searched eight databases and included studies from all countries and languages published from 2009 until August 2021. Participants were defined as under 16 years, exposure was marketing for HFSS products with a celebrity, and the outcomes were dietary preference, purchasing behaviors, and consumption of HFSS products. We were able to conduct a meta-analysis for consumption outcomes. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria, of which three were included in the meta-analysis. Under experimental conditions, the use of celebrities in HFSS marketing compared to non-food marketing was found to significantly increase consumption of the marketed HFSS product by 56.4 kcals (p = 0.021). There was limited evidence on the impact on preference or purchase intentions and on the comparisons between use and non-use of celebrities and influencers.
An optimization framework to tackle challenging cargo accommodation tasks in space engineering

Quite a demanding task frequently arises in space engineering, when dealing with the cargo accommodation of modules and vehicles. The objective of this effort usually aims at maximizing the loaded cargo, or, at least, at meeting the logistic requirements posed by the space agencies. Complex accommodation rules are supposed to be taken into account, in compliance with strict balancing conditions and very tight operational restrictions. The context of the International Space Station (ISS) has paved the way for a relevant research and development activity, providing the company with a remarkable expertise in the field. CAST (Cargo Accommodation Support Tool) is a dedicated in-house software package (funded by the European Space Agency, ESA, and achieved by Thales Alenia Space), to carry out the whole loading of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). An ad hoc version, tailored to the Columbus (ISS attached laboratory) on-board stowage issue, has been further implemented and is to be used from now on. This article surveys the overall approach followed, highlighting the advantages of the methodology put forward, both in terms of solution quality and time saving, through an overview of the outcomes obtained to date. Insights on possible extensions to further space applications, especially in the perspective of the paramount challenges of the near future, are, in addition, presented.
Investigating Generative Neural-Network Models for Building Pest Insect Detectors in Sticky Trap Images for the Peruvian Horticulture

Pest insects are a problem in horticulture, so early detection is key for their con-trol. Sticky traps are an inexpensive way to obtain insect samples in crops, but identifying them manually is a time-consuming task. Building computational models to identify insect species in sticky trap images is therefore highly desirable. However, this is a challenging task due to the difﬁculty in getting size-able sets of training images. In this paper, we studied the usefulness of three neural network generative models to synthesize pest insect images (DCGAN, WGAN, and VAE) for augmenting the training set and thus facilitate the induction of insect detector models. Experiments with images of seven species of pest insects of the Peruvian horticulture showed that the WGAN and VAE models are able to learn to generate images of such species. It was also found that the synthesized images can help to induce YOLOv5 detectors with significant gains in detection performance compared to not using synthesized data. A demo app that integrates the detector models can be accessed through the URL https://bit.ly/3uXW0Ee . The repository of the project is available at https://github.com/weirdfish23/pest-insects-GAN
The financing of uncertain future investments

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of two important financing sources, debt and cash, on a firm’s investment decisions and explores the intertemporal impact of this financing on future investment volatility. Design/methodology/approach This paper first reports our results using ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation and then employ an instrumental variable (IV) strategy which addresses potential endogeneity that arises from future investment volatility on current capital structure and cash levels. Findings This paper finds firms with low levels of debt or high levels of cash experience higher future investment volatility, and the probability of large future investment increases with high cash levels. This study’s findings are economically important; for example, a one-standard-deviation increase from the mean of debt ratio implies an approximate 7.8% decrease in future investment volatility; and a one-standard-deviation increase from the mean of a firm’s cash level leads to a 47% increase in the probability of a large investment in the next year. Originality/value The findings of this study help firms understand the impact of their present financing decisions on the plausibility of their future investments. This paper contributes to the literature by making both novel and confirmatory findings. This paper was structured to include confirmatory findings for two reasons. First, this paper uses different methods to construct investment volatility and the related investment spike. Second, and more importantly, the hypotheses are interrelated and communicate how firms plan for and execute against uncertain future investments. Growth options are ephemeral, and the hypotheses structure provides a guideline for how a firm finances future growth options.
TURTLE with MAD input (Trace Unlimited Rays Through Lumped Elements) -- A computer program for simulating charged particle beam transport systems and DECAY TURTLE including decay calculations

TURTLE is a computer program useful for determining many characteristics of a particle beam once an initial design has been achieved, Charged particle beams are usually designed by adjusting various beam line parameters to obtain desired values of certain elements of a transfer or beam matrix. Such beam line parameters may describe certain magnetic fields and their gradients, lengths and shapes of magnets, spacings between magnetic elements, or the initial beam accepted into the system. For such purposes one typically employs a matrix multiplication and fitting program such as TRANSPORT. TURTLE is designed to be used after TRANSPORT. For convenience of the user, the input formats of the two programs have been made compatible. The use of TURTLE should be restricted to beams with small phase space. The lumped element approximation, described below, precludes the inclusion of the effect of conventional local geometric aberrations (due to large phase space) or fourth and higher order. A reading of the discussion below will indicate clearly the exact uses and limitations of the approach taken in TURTLE.
Coordinated control for path-following of an autonomous four in-wheel motor drive electric vehicle

Coordination of Active Front Steering (AFS) and Direct Yaw Moment Control (DYC) has been widely used for non-autonomous vehicle lateral stability control. Recently, some researchers used it (AFS/DYC) for path-following of autonomous vehicles. However, current controllers are not robust enough with respect to uncertainties and different road conditions to guarantee lateral stability of Autonomous Four In-wheel Motor Drive Electric Vehicles. Thus, a coordinated control is proposed to address this issue. In this paper, a two-layer hierarchical control strategy is utilized. In the upper-layer, a self-tunable super-twisting sliding mode control is utilized to deal with parametric uncertainties, and a Model Predictive Control (MPC) is used in order to allocate the control action to each AFS and DYC. Parametric uncertainties of tires’ cornering stiffness, vehicle mass and moment of inertia are considered. Simulations with different road conditions for path-following scenario have been conducted in MATLAB/Simulink. An autonomous vehicle equipped with Four In-wheel Motor and two degrees of freedom vehicle dynamics model is used in this study. In the end, the performance of the proposed controller is compared with the MPC controller. Simulation results reveal that the proposed controller provides better path-following in comparison with the MPC controller.
Dynamic Manipulation Inspired by Handling Mechanism of Pizza Master

This paper discusses a dynamic manipulation of an object on a plate attached at the tip of manipulator, where the basic concept is inspired by a handling mechanism of pizza master. Both the position and the orientation of object are dynamically controlled by the plate. The main driving force for manipulating the object is produced by the combination of inertial and frictional forces generated by one rotational and one translational motion of the plate. We first discuss how to make motions of object for three degrees of freedom on the plate. We then show that it is guaranteed to achieve an arbitrary set of desired position and orientation of object by the proposed manipulation scheme. Finally, we show a couple of experiments for confirming the basic idea by using a high-speed manipulator with an assistance of vision.
Possibility of arterial spin labeling perfusion magnetic resonance imaging sequences with steroid therapy for Tolosa-Hunt syndrome: A case report and review of literature

Background: The diagnostic criteria for Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) were updated in 2013 in the 3rd Edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. It is now possible to diagnose THS based on the presence of granulomatous inflammation demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without confirmation by biopsy. No previous study has reported the use of arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion MRI for diagnosing THS. Here, we report a case of THS in which ASL was used in the initial identification and to monitor therapeutic response following steroid therapy. Case Description: An 86-year-old man was complaining chiefly of the left orbital pain, as well as occipital pain, nausea, epiphora, and diplopia. Neurologically, his eye movements showed left adduction disorder and palsy of the right cranial nerve III. Magnetic resonance angiography revealed no abnormality in the left internal carotid artery. Contrast-enhanced MRI showed a region of slightly high signal in the left cavernous sinus. ASL was obtained using pCASL (TR/TE, 9000/98. 48 ms; postlabeling delay: 1525 ms; axial plane) revealed hyperperfusion from the intercavernous sinus to the vicinity of the left cavernous sinus due to a local increase in cerebral blood flow. The symptoms disappeared on day 62 of the treatment and he was in complete remission. Follow-up ASL was performed every other month showed reduced perfusion as the symptoms improved and confirmed the absence of a tumor over the follow-up period. Conclusion: This simple technique will play an important role in confirming no recurrence after steroid therapy treatment.
Backstepping control for gear transmission servo systems with unknown partially nonsymmetric deadzone nonlinearity

This paper deals with the output tracking control of gear transmission servo (GTS) systems in the presence of deadzone nonlinearity with nonsymmetric beak points and unknown parameters. A novel differentiable deadzone model with nonsymmetric break points is put forward, which greatly facilitates the control design for a class of mechanical systems in the presence of deadzone nonlinearity. A new smooth backstepping controller, based on the newly-developed model, is proposed for the nominal system. Then, guaranteed robust steady-state performance of the closed-loop system with parametric uncertainties is derived by using Lyapunov analysis for the perturbed nonlinear systems. Simulations are carried out to validate the proposed algorithm and analysis in this paper.
Bulk Aerosol Trace Element Concentrations and Deposition Fluxes During the U.S. GEOTRACES GP15 Pacific Meridional Transect

Atmospheric deposition of aerosols transported from the continents is an important source of nutrient and pollutant trace elements (TEs) to the surface ocean. During the U.S. GEOTRACES GP15 Pacific Meridional Transect between Alaska and Tahiti (September–November 2018), aerosol samples were collected over the North Pacific and equatorial Pacific and analyzed for a suite of TEs, including Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. Sampling coincided with the annual minimum in dust transport from Asia, providing an opportunity to quantify aerosol TE concentrations and deposition during the low dust season. Nevertheless, peak concentrations of “crustal” TEs measured at ∼40–50°N (∼145 pmol/m3 Fe) were associated with transport from northern Asia, with lower concentrations (36 ± 14 pmol/m3 Fe) over the equatorial Pacific. Relative to crustal abundances, equatorial Pacific aerosols typically had higher TE enrichment factors than North Pacific aerosols. In contrast, aerosol V was more enriched over the North Pacific, presumably due to greater supply to this region from oil combustion products. Bulk deposition velocity (Vbulk) was calculated along the transect using the surface ocean decay inventory of the naturally occurring radionuclide, 7Be, and aerosol 7Be activity. Deposition velocities were significantly higher (4,570 ± 1,146 m/d) within the Intertropical Convergence Zone than elsewhere (1,764 ± 261 m/d) due to aerosol scavenging by intense rainfall. Daily deposition fluxes to the central Pacific during the low dust season were calculated using Vbulk and aerosol TE concentration data, with Fe fluxes ranging from 19 to 258 nmol/m2/d.