Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical character of seismic viscoelasticity

Despite its broad use in seismology and geodesy, the physical significance of the “viscoelastic” model of Earth’s materials is still not well understood. Viscoelasticity is based on the concept of material memory, which implies either a departure from the classical physical framework of instantaneous interactions or presence of a rather specific type of internal variables within the medium. Nevertheless, such modifications are not needed, and the traditional mechanics successfully explains all “viscoelastic” effects in solids and fluids, including creep, wave attenuation, velocity dispersion, as well as many other phenomena. Viscoelasticity represents a phenomenological, quasi-static approximation to the full physical picture, which is only applicable to near-uniform media. Although this approximation is arguably sufficient in empirical materials science, it appears inadequate for seismic waves or oscillations of heterogeneous planetary bodies. “Memory” is not an inherent property of materials but only a time record of deformation for a given body. Contrary to what is often thought, the observed variations of material properties, such as the transitions from “unrelaxed” to “relaxed” moduli, are governed not by the time but by the thermodynamic conditions of deformation. Several important types of mechanical-energy dissipation cannot be accounted for by the material memory at all, for example: 1) wet porous rock can dissipate energy without macroscopic deformation, 2) fluid zones dissipate shear energy despite their shear moduli being equal zero, and 3) perfectly elastic rock also dissipates mechanical energy in spatially-heterogeneous environments. The quality factor (Q) is also hardly valid physically when viewed as a local property of the medium and related to viscoelastic moduli. Given the above ambiguities and limitations of the viscoelastic model, we recommend that rigorous physical approaches are used more often. These approaches explain the Earth’s anelasticity by well-defined physical factors, such as the solid and pore-fluid viscosity, thermoelastic and kinetic effects, and also the effects of structure and scattering. These factors operate at all time scales and conditions, which allows developing a unified and quantitative picture of seismic and geodetic anelasticity. Subject classification 04.06. 09. Seismology: Waves and wave analysis 04.06. 06. Seismology: Surveys, measurements, and monitoring 04.06. 99. Seismology: General or miscellaneous 05.05. 99. Mathematical geophysics: General or miscellaneous
Conservatism Scores of Banking and Manufacturing Sectors : A Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this research is to calculate and compare conservatism scores of banking and manufacturing sector firms listed in Borsa İstanbul (BİST) 100 index for the period between 2005 and 2017. The negative accrual measure was used in estimating unconditional conservatism, while the market-to-book ratio was used for estimating unconditional conservatism. According to the results, the conditional conservatism level of the two sectors is high and the conditional conservatism level of the banking sector is higher than the manufacturing sector. It is observed that the unconditional conservatism of both sectors is low but the manufacturing sector has tended to rise in recent years. Consequently, it is concluded that the conditional conservatism levels of the two sectors differ from each other significantly but the unconditional conservatism levels is not. In addition, the results indicated that the regulatory authority has a considerable effect on the banking sector unconditional conservatism level and the financial crisis period effect negative way the conditional conservatism level of both sectors.
Retinotopic-like maps of spatial sound in primary ‘visual’ cortex of blind human echolocators

The functional specializations of cortical sensory areas were traditionally viewed as being tied to specific modalities. A radically different emerging view is that the brain is organized by task rather than sensory modality, but it has not yet been shown that this applies to primary sensory cortices. Here, we report such evidence by showing that primary ‘visual’ cortex can be adapted to map spatial locations of sound in blind humans who regularly perceive space through sound echoes. Specifically, we objectively quantify the similarity between measured stimulus maps for sound eccentricity and predicted stimulus maps for visual eccentricity in primary ‘visual’ cortex (using a probabilistic atlas based on cortical anatomy) to find that stimulus maps for sound in expert echolocators are directly comparable to those for vision in sighted people. Furthermore, the degree of this similarity is positively related with echolocation ability. We also rule out explanations based on top-down modulation of brain activity—e.g. through imagery. This result is clear evidence that task-specific organization can extend even to primary sensory cortices, and in this way is pivotal in our reinterpretation of the functional organization of the human brain.
An integrated digital framework for the design, build and operation of fusion power plants

The development of a commercial fusion power plant presents a unique set of challenges associated with the complexity of the systems, the integration of novel technologies, the likely diversity and distribution of the organizations involved, and the scale of resources required. These challenges are reviewed and compared to those for other complex engineering systems. A framework for creating a digital environment that integrates research, test, design and operational data is discussed and is based on combining the integrated nuclear digital environment (INDE), proposed recently for nuclear fission power plants, with the hierarchical pyramid of test and simulation used in the aerospace industry. The framework offers the opportunity to plan modelling strategies that allow large design domains to be explored prior to optimizing a detailed design for construction; and in this context, the relationship between measurements and predictions are explored. The use of the framework to guide the socio-technical activity associated with a distributed and collaborative design process is discussed together with its potential benefits and the technology gaps that need to be addressed in order to realize them. These benefits include shorter development times, reduced costs and improvements in credibility, operability, reliability and safety.
Changes in cortical motor outputs after a motor relapse of multiple sclerosis

Background Motor recovery following a multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse depends on mechanisms of tissue repair but also on the capacity of the central nervous system for compensating of permanent damage. Objectives We aimed to investigate changes in corticospinal plasticity and interhemispheric connections after a relapse of MS using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Methods Twenty healthy and 13 relapsing–remitting MS subjects with a first motor relapse were included. TMS mapping and ipsilateral silent period (iSP) were performed after relapse and at 6-month follow-up. Results Strength and dexterity of the paretic hand were impaired at baseline and improved over time. After relapse, mapamplitude and mapdensity were decreased for the ipsilesional-corticospinal tract (IL-CST) while expanded for the contralesional-CST (CL-CST). At follow-up, map parameters normalized for the CL-CST independently from recovery while the increase of outputs from the IL-CST was associated with straight and dexterity improvement. iSP measurements were impaired in MS irrespective of the phase of the disease. Prolonged iSPduration at baseline was associated with less dexterity recovery. Conclusions After a motor relapse, TMS mapping shows acute changes in corticospinal excitability and rearrangements of motor outputs. iSP is less influenced by the phase of disease but may better predict recovery, possibly reflecting the integrity of interhemispheric motor networks.
Alignment of a Fresnel-lens-based optical concentrator for photovoltaic solar energy harvesting

Abstract. Solar concentrators generate energy according to the amount of radiant flux that is converted into electrical energy using a solar cell. The optimal alignment of the solar cell and the aperture stop of the concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar system is a critical parameter for fabricating and manufacturing steps. We designed, developed, fabricated, and verified an optoelectronic system to test alignment of CPV solar system modules that is portable and robust to implement as a step in the assembly line. In addition to the components employed in systems previously, we implement an alignment module. It consists of a thin prism in four orientations in a plane normal to the optical axis of the unit under test and its control system. Its advantage is robustness against its positioning and orientation errors. Simulations and experimental results are presented.
Poisson image deconvolution by promoting hyper-Laplacian prior with generalized lp/lq regularization

Abstract. Poisson image deconvolution and denoising have received much attention in recent years. A key challenge of this problem is that the most effective prior might never exist. The purpose of our study is to investigate the characteristics of generalized lp / lq norm on the derivatives of nature images and to present an efficient method to promote hyper-Laplacian prior for the deconvolution of blurry and Poisson noisy images. We first analyze the mathematical characteristics of generalized lp / lq norm based on the Berkeley segmentation data set and implement deconvolution using generalized lp / lq norm for derivatives in high-frequency domain so as to enforce the preservation of strong edges. Then hyper-Laplacian prior is promoted for actual Poisson image deconvolution, which uses the estimated gradient information to penalize the small derivatives (often noise) and preserve large derivatives associated to image borders. Our preliminary experiments show that the proposed method can achieve higher image quality than state-of-the-art methods in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio and noise sensitivity.
Retinal vessel segmentation using dense U-net with multiscale inputs

Abstract. A color fundus image is an image of the inner wall of the eyeball taken with a fundus camera. Doctors can observe retinal vessel changes in the image, and these changes can be used to diagnose many serious diseases such as atherosclerosis, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Automated segmentation of retinal vessels can facilitate more efficient diagnosis of these diseases. We propose an improved U-net architecture to segment retinal vessels. Multiscale input layer and dense block are introduced into the conventional U-net, so that the network can make use of richer spatial context information. The proposed method is evaluated on the public dataset DRIVE, achieving 0.8199 in sensitivity and 0.9561 in accuracy. Especially for thin blood vessels, which are difficult to detect because of their low contrast with the background pixels, the segmentation results have been improved.
Differential Release of Exocytosis Marker Dyes Indicates Stimulation-Dependent Regulation of Synaptic Activity

There is a general consensus that synaptic vesicular release by a full collapse process is the primary machinery of synaptic transmission. However, competing view suggests that synaptic vesicular release operates via a kiss-and-run mechanism. By monitoring the release dynamics of a synaptic vesicular marker, FM1-43 from individual synapses in hippocampal neurons, we found evidence that the release of synaptic vesicle was delayed by several seconds after the start of field stimulation. This phenomenon was associated with modified opening kinetics of fusion pores. Detailed analysis revealed that some synapses were completely inactive for a few seconds after stimulation, despite immediate calcium influx. This delay in vesicular release was modulated by various stimulation protocols and different frequencies, indicating an activity-dependent regulation mechanism for neurotransmitter exocytosis. Staurosporine, a drug known to induce “kiss-and-run” exocytosis, increased the proportion of delayed synapses as well as the delay duration, while fluoxetine acted contrarily. Besides being a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, it directly enhanced vesicle mobilization and reduced synaptic fatigue. Exocytosis was never delayed, when it was monitored with pH-sensitive probes, synaptopHlourin and αSyt-CypHerE5 antibody, indicating an instantaneous formation of a fusion pore that allowed rapid equilibration of vesicular lumenal pH but prevented FM1-43 release because of its slow dissociation from the inner vesicular membrane. Our observations suggest that synapses operate via a sequential “kiss-and-run” and “full-collapse” exocytosis mechanism. The initially narrow vesicular pore allows the equilibration of intravesicular pH which then progresses toward full fusion, causing FM1-43 release.
Current Trends for Improving Safety of Stereotactic Brain Biopsies: Advanced Optical Methods for Vessel Avoidance and Tumor Detection

Stereotactic brain needle biopsies are indicated for deep-seated or multiple brain lesions and for patients with poor prognosis in whom the risks of resection outweigh the potential outcome benefits. The main goal of such procedures is not to improve the resection extent but to safely acquire viable tissue representative of the lesion for further comprehensive histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular analyses. Herein, we review advanced optical techniques for improvement of safety and efficacy of stereotactic needle biopsy procedures. These technologies are aimed at three main areas of improvement: (1) avoidance of vessel injury, (2) guidance for biopsy acquisition of the viable diagnostic tissue, and (3) methods for rapid intraoperative assessment of stereotactic biopsy specimens. The recent technological developments in stereotactic biopsy probe design include the incorporation of fluorescence imaging, spectroscopy, and label-free imaging techniques. The future advancements of stereotactic biopsy procedures in neuro-oncology include the incorporation of optical probes for real-time vessel detection along and around the biopsy needle trajectory and in vivo confirmation of the diagnostic tumor tissue prior to sample acquisition.
A JAR of Chirps: The Gymnotiform Chirp Can Function as Both a Communication Signal and a Jamming Avoidance Response

The weakly electric gymnotiform fish produce a rhythmic electric organ discharge (EOD) used for communication and active electrolocation. The EOD frequency is entrained to a medullary pacemaker nucleus. During communication and exploration, this rate can be modulated by a pre-pacemaker network, resulting in specific patterns of rate modulation, including stereotyped communication signals and dynamic interactions with conspecifics known as a Jamming Avoidance Response (JAR). One well-known stereotyped signal is the chirp, a brief upward frequency sweep usually lasting less than 500 ms. The abrupt change in frequency has dramatic effects on phase precession between two signalers. We report here on chirping in Brachyhypopmus cf. sullivani, Microsternarchus cf. bilineatus Lineage C, and Steatogenys cf. elegans during conspecific playback experiments. Microsternarchus also exhibits two behaviors that include chirp-like extreme frequency modulations, EOD interruptions with hushing silence and tumultuous rises, and these are described in terms of receiver impact. These behaviors all have substantial impact on interference caused by conspecifics and may be a component of the JAR in some species. Chirps are widely used in electronic communications systems, sonar, and other man-made active sensing systems. The brevity of the chirp, and the phase disruption it causes, makes chirps effective as attention-grabbing or readiness signals. This conforms to the varied assigned functions across gymnotiforms, including pre-combat aggressive or submissive signals or during courtship and mating. The specific behavioral contexts of chirp expression vary across species, but the physical structure of the chirp makes it extremely salient to conspecifics. Chirps may be expected in a wide range of behavioral contexts where their function depends on being noticeable and salient. Further, in pulse gymnotiforms, the chirp is well structured to comprise a robust jamming signal to a conspecific receiver if specifically timed to the receiver’s EOD cycle. Microsternarchus and Steatogenys exploit this feature and include chirps in dynamic jamming avoidance behaviors. This may be an evolutionary re-use of a circuitry for a specific signal in another context.
Fmr1-Deficiency Impacts Body Composition, Skeleton, and Bone Microstructure in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability, hyperactivity, and autism. FXS is due to the silencing of the X-linked FMR1 gene. Murine models of FXS, knock-out (KO) for the murine homolog Fmr1, have been generated, exhibiting CNS-related behavioral, and neuronal anomalies reminiscent of the human phenotypes. As a reflection of the almost ubiquitous expression of the FMR1 gene, FXS is also accompanied by physical abnormalities. This suggests that the FMR1-deficiency could impact skeletal ontogenesis. In the present study, we highlight that Fmr1-KO mice display changes in body composition with an increase in body weight, likely due to both increase of skeleton length and muscular mass along with reduced visceral adiposity. We also show that, while Fmr1-deficiency has no overt impact on cortical bone mineral density (BMD), cortical thickness was increased, and cortical eccentricity was decreased in the femurs from Fmr1-KO mice as compared to controls. Also, trabecular pore volume was reduced and trabecular thickness distribution was shifted toward higher ranges in Fmr1-KO femurs. Finally, we show that Fmr1-KO mice display increased physical activity. Although the precise molecular signaling mechanism that produces these skeletal and bone microstructure changes remains to be determined, our study warrants further investigation on the impact of FMR1-deficiency on whole-body composition, as well as skeletal and bone architecture.
Soluble Covalent Organic Polymer for the Flexible Electrode of Supercapacitors

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged promising potentials for the fabrication of flexible supercapacitors. Numerous efforts are devoting to the promotion of processability of COFs and broaden their applications in practical devices. Herein we have developed a fully conjugated two-dimensional manganese based COF material (termed as COFBTC-Mn) with nitrogen coordinated metal centers. The unique structures of COFBTC-Mn endow it with high solubility via an in-situ exfoliation pathway and the capability to adsorb onto carbon-based matrix by electrostatic force. COFBTC-Mn demonstrated superior processability, reliability and repeatability for the fabrication of flexible electrodes of supercapacitors. Besides, superior to the electrodes based on traditional insoluble COFs, our as-prepared flexible electrodes exhibited a specific capacitance as high as 325 F g-1 with the current density of 0.2 A g-1 and excellent stability after charge/discharge cycles.
Quantum Blue Reduces the Severity of Woody Breast Myopathy via Modulation of Oxygen Homeostasis-Related Genes in Broiler Chickens

The incidence of woody breast (WB) is increasing on a global scale representing a significant welfare problem and economic burden to the poultry industry and for which there is no effective treatment due to its unknown etiology. In this study, using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) coupled with iSTAT portable clinical analyzer, we provide evidence that the circulatory- and breast muscle-oxygen homeostasis is dysregulated [low oxygen and hemoglobin (HB) levels] in chickens with WB myopathy compared to healthy counterparts. Molecular analysis showed that blood HB subunit Mu (HBM), Zeta (HBZ), and hephaestin (HEPH) expression were significantly down regulated; however, the expression of the subunit rho of HB beta (HBBR) was upregulated in chicken with WB compared to healthy counterparts. The breast muscle HBBR, HBE, HBZ, and hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase 2 (PHD2) mRNA abundances were significantly down regulated in WB-affected compared to normal birds. The expression of HIF-1α at mRNA and protein levels was significantly induced in breasts of WB-affected compared to unaffected birds confirming a local hypoxic status. The phosphorylated levels of the upstream mediators AKT at Ser473 site, mTOR at Ser2481 site, and PI3K P85 at Tyr458 site, as well as their mRNA levels were significantly increased in breasts of WB-affected birds. In attempt to identify a nutritional strategy to reduce WB incidence, male broiler chicks (Cobb 500, n = 576) were randomly distributed into 48 floor pens and subjected to six treatments (12 birds/pen; 8 pens/treatment): a nutrient adequate control group (PC), the PC supplemented with 0.3% myo-inositol (PC + MI), a negative control (NC) deficient in available P and Ca by 0.15 and 0.16%, respectively, the NC fed with quantum blue (QB) at 500 (NC + 500 FTU), 1,000 (NC + 1,000 FTU), or 2,000 FTU/kg of feed (NC + 2,000 FTU). Although QB-enriched diets did not affect growth performances (FCR and FE), it did reduce the severity of WB by 5% compared to the PC diet. This effect is mediated by reversing the expression profile of oxygen homeostasis-related genes; i.e., significant down regulation of HBBR and upregulation of HBM, HBZ, and HEPH in blood, as well as a significant upregulation of HBA1, HBBR, HBE, HBZ, and PHD2 in breast muscle compared to the positive control.
Technological Competence Is a Pre-condition for Effective Implementation of Virtual Reality Head Mounted Displays in Human Neuroscience: A Technological Review and Meta-Analysis

Immersive virtual reality (VR) emerges as a promising research and clinical tool. However, several studies suggest that VR induced adverse symptoms and effects (VRISE) may undermine the health and safety standards, and the reliability of the scientific results. In the current literature review, the technical reasons for the adverse symptomatology are investigated to provide suggestions and technological knowledge for the implementation of VR head-mounted display (HMD) systems in cognitive neuroscience. The technological systematic literature indicated features pertinent to display, sound, motion tracking, navigation, ergonomic interactions, user experience, and computer hardware that should be considered by the researchers. Subsequently, a meta-analysis of 44 neuroscientific or neuropsychological studies involving VR HMD systems was performed. The meta-analysis of the VR studies demonstrated that new generation HMDs induced significantly less VRISE and marginally fewer dropouts. Importantly, the commercial versions of the new generation HMDs with ergonomic interactions had zero incidents of adverse symptomatology and dropouts. HMDs equivalent to or greater than the commercial versions of contemporary HMDs accompanied with ergonomic interactions are suitable for implementation in cognitive neuroscience. In conclusion, researchers' technological competency, along with meticulous methods and reports pertinent to software, hardware, and VRISE, are paramount to ensure the health and safety standards and the reliability of neuroscientific results.