Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
the Enhancement of Lung Allergic Responses Naturally Occurring T Regulatory Cells and JNK2 Regulates the Functional Plasticity of

Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR family–related protein (GITR)–mediated activation of JNK was shown to regulate the suppressive activity of CD4 + CD25 + naturally occurring T regulatory cells (nTregs) in wild-type (WT) hosts. In this study, CD4 + CD25 + T cells were shown to be capable of becoming pathogenic effector cells in sensitized and challenged CD8 2 / 2 recipient mice. Only GITR-expressing CD4 + CD25 + T cells, but neither GITR knocked-in CD4 + CD25 2 T cells nor GITR-silenced CD4 + CD25 + T cells, enhanced development of lung allergic responses. Inhibition of JNK in WT nTregs or nTregs from GITR 2 / 2 and JNK2 2 / 2 mice failed to enhance lung allergic responses in sensitized and challenged CD8 2 / 2 recipient mice. The failure to enhance responses was associated with increased bronchoalveolar lavage ﬂuid levels of IL-10 and TGF- b and decreased levels of IL-5, IL-6, and IL-13. In contrast, nTregs from JNK1 2 / 2 mice, similar to WT nTregs, were fully effective in enhancing responses. Thus, GITR stimulation of nTregs and signaling through JNK2, but not JNK1, triggered the loss of regulatory function while concomitantly gaining pathogenic CD4 + T effector cell function responsible for exacerbating asthma-like immunopathology. The Journal of Immunology , 2014, 193: 000–000.
Thin films in production with extended anisotropic kernels

Particles offer a convenient way of modeling fluid simulations, but ultimately the goal in photorealistic VFX is to extract a surface representing the fluid which looks true-to-life. A characteristic of dynamic fluid simulations is thin fluid sheets which are challenging to extract a surface from. Bumpy artifacts are frequently exposed in these features. Anisotropic smoothing kernels [Yu and Turk 2013] are a method to combat this, but they also present their own usability challenges. Similar ideas have been used before in the film industry [Museth et al. 2007]. This paper extends the anisotropic kernels technique to provide an automatic scaling correction feature so artists may work in normalized terms. We also use a metaball implicit function over smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) kernels to achieve smooth surfaces. With these extensions, artists can quickly create high quality surfaces with fewer particles.
From a Large

Soils contain a large and dynamic fraction of global terrestrial carbon stocks. The distribution of soil carbon (SC) with depth varies among ecosystems and land uses and is an important factor in calculating SC stocks and their vulnerabilities. Systematic analysis of SC depth distributions across databases of SC proﬁles has been challenging due to the heterogeneity of soil proﬁle measurements, which vary in depth sampling. Here, we ﬁt over 40,000 SC depth proﬁles to an exponential decline relationship with depth to determine SC concentration at the top of the mineral soil, minimum SC concentration at depth, and the characteristic “length” of SC concentration decline with depth. Fitting these parameters allowed proﬁle characteristics to be analyzed across a large and heterogeneous dataset. We then assessed the differences in these depth parameters across soil orders and land cover types and between soil proﬁles with or without a history of tillage, as represented by the presence of an Ap horizon. We found that historically tilled soils had more gradual decreases of SC with depth (greater e-folding depth or Z ∗ ), deeper SC proﬁles, lower SC concentrations at the top of the mineral soil, and lower total SC stocks integrated to 30 cm. The large database of proﬁles allowed these results to be conﬁrmed across different land cover types and spatial areas within the Continental United States, providing robust evidence for systematic impacts of historical tillage on SC stocks and depth distributions.
Making Encanto with USD: Rebuilding a Production Pipeline Working from Home

In 2017, Walt Disney Animation Studios began a transition towards Universal Scene Description (USD) as its primary data interchange format [Pixar 2016]. The design and roll out encompassed production on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Encanto”. In addition to the general challenge of revamping a production pipeline, the studio was fully remote for a majority of the deployment. Even though pipeline changes were extensively tested during development, exercising fundamental pipeline changes in production invariably uncovered many issues. As such, the undertaking required a significant amount of communication and coordination among software developers, technical directors, artists and show leadership.
On the Role of Teachers’ Acceptance, Continuance Intention and Self-Efficacy in the Use of Digital Technologies in Teaching Practices

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has brought revolutionary changes in many spheres of life including the higher education sector, which has seen a major paradigm shift. The response to this has been in the form of switching to, or adopting the online teaching-learning methodologies for higher education in India. This study is a formal attempt to examine the influence of Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEU), attitude, and Facilitating Conditions (FC) on the Continuance Intention (CIU) of the teacher for the use of various digital technologies in teaching practices. With the deployment of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a base, we present a model with six different inter-related constructs. The data for empirical investigations is sourced from nearly 250 respondents. Data analysis is carried out in two steps: a) Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and b) path analysis with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Reliability Analysis (RA) is done using Cronbach’s Alpha test. Data analysis reveals that FC and PEU significantly affect CIU to use digital technologies, which affects the Actual Use (AU). Also, the role of Self-efficacy (SE) as a moderating variable between CIU and AU for digital technologies in the study has been found to be significant.
Decision-making style and victory in battle—Is there a relation?

Abstract Can decision-making styles impact victory and defeat in armed conflicts? To answer the question of whether decision-making styles are linked to the victories and defeats of individual tacticians, this study utilizes five general decision-making styles: Rational, Intuitive, Dependent, Avoidant and Spontaneous. The aim of this study is to examine whether one or several of the general decision-making styles (GDMS) have an impact on tactical outcomes in wargames. A total of 104 officers and academics participated in the study. The study’s foremost conclusion is that the Dependent style is significantly connected to defeat in the wargame’s dueling set up.
The role of the Embodiment Director in virtual reality film production

Abstract This paper proposes the role of an emerging job role within the virtual reality (VR) film production crew. This role we call the Embodiment Director, involves assisting the VR Film Director in the accomplishment of true immersive film experiences through the use of game engines and VR peripherals. The Embodiment Director will manage the inception of haptics and stimuli technologies that allow for the embodiment of humans within a virtual environment, and they must guarantee precise synchronicity between physical and virtual counterparts, while overseeing the safety use of software and hardware during the entire production process of the VR film experiences. This paper offers a contemporary review of the key creative roles within traditional and virtual film production, in order to generate a concise and valid argument for the role of the Embodiment Director supported by autoethnography.
Psychosocial issues in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A review and proposal of a model for evaluation and management in the Indian context

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a major public health challenge globally. Children with diabetes face unique challenges as the impact of the illness reaches far beyond the physical symptoms of the disease. Emotional distress and psychosocial impact on the quality of life of these children complicates the effective management of their disease, which can lead to long term complications. This paper provides an overview of the psychosocial issues in T1DM by reviewing existing literature and summarizing evidence-based interventions. Based on the current empirical literature, a model that takes various psychosocial issues into consideration is proposed in order to provide better care to children with diabetes.
The mediating–moderating model of inquiry-based learning and science self-efficacy: evidence from PISA 2015

ABSTRACT The relationship between inquiry-based learning and science self-efficacy was analysed using data from 57 countries and economics participating in the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This analysis generated a mediating–moderating model, which involved the mediating role of science interest and the moderating role of teacher support. The results indicated that (1) inquiry-based learning had a significant positive correlation with science self-efficacy; (2) science interest partially mediated the relationship between inquiry-based learning and science self-efficacy, with an indirect effect accounting for 20.1% of the total effect; and (3) teacher support moderated the direct effect positively while moderating the indirect effect negatively. These details of the link between inquiry-based learning and science self-efficacy provided theoretical guidance and practical support to improve the application of inquiry-based learning in science education.
Exploring occupations and well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in adults with and without inflammatory arthritis

ABSTRACT To decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus, public health officials in British Columbia, Canada ordered large-scale physical distancing requirements, leading to school and business closures, banning of large gatherings, and travel restrictions. These requirements shifted people’s occupational repertoires, with vulnerable populations (e.g., those with chronic health conditions) possibly being differentially impacted. To learn more about people’s occupational changes, we conducted a before-and-after study during the first wave of COVID-19 on occupations and well-being of adults with and without inflammatory arthritis (IA). We invited participants from a prior study to repeat selected measures to assess the impact of pandemic restrictions. Occupations, occupational balance, stress, life satisfaction, and physical and mental health were measured in participants during pre-pandemic (April 2019-March 12, 2020; Time 1) and phase one pandemic restrictions (March 16-May 19, 2020, Time 2). Of 143 adults from the pre-pandemic study, 71 agreed to participate in a Time 2 online survey. Six categories of occupation were identified at Time 1, using Personal Projects Analysis (a tool to explore and measure occupation). At Time 2, there was less variety in health-related occupations, along with a decrease in community-oriented occupations and an increase in occupations around the home. Occupations were characterized as having greater time adequacy at Time 2 than Time 1. Occupational balance and stress scores were higher at Time 2 in both groups, and mental health scores lower at Time 2 only in the healthy comparison group. These pre/post and between-group comparisons contribute to nuanced understandings of the impact of chronic illness and short-term societal disruptions on occupations and well-being.
Parental Handling, Family Functioning and Life event in Help Seeking and non Help seeking Adolescents

Background : Worldwide 10 to 20% of Children and Adolescent experience Mental Disorders and of concern today. Youth under stress have ADHD, Conduct problems, Learning disorders and at higher risk for Depression. They at times define problems due to harsh or rude parental handling or parental pressure on studies, demand on better performance at school. Objectives : This study was designed to asses parental handling , family functioning and life event in help seeking and non help seeking adolescent and to correlate them in development of psychopathology in both the groups. Method: The study was a case control study in which all consecutive cases of Adolescents attending the department were taken as help seeking and controls were taken from the community by cluster sampling method that constitute non help seeking. The sample size consisted of 105 Help Seeking and 112 Non Help seeking subjects. Those who were mentally challenged, psychotic and suffering from co-morbid debilitating medical illness were excluded. After Initial clinical history and examination, informed consent was taken from participants in both the study groups. Participants then were administered with a semi structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic profile, Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ), Parental handling questionnaire (Malhotra S), Family Assessment Device and Adolescent Life event scale (ALESS). This study was approved by the ethics committee of Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh. Results : Results observed was analyzed using SPSS 16, and Excel. The study sample was comprised of, 42 (40%) male, 63(60%) female in help seeking group whereas in non help seeking, male are 60 (53.6%) and female 52 (46.4%). Most of the cases in both the study groups belonged to nuclear family and from rural background. The adolescent life event stress score was statistically greater in help seeking (t 3.34, p <.001) when compared with non help seeking group. It had been observed that adolescent who had greater ALESS score, were positively correlated with SDQ-difficulty score (p <0.05). In parental handling, higher ‘control’ than ‘care’ was positively correlated with SDQ difficulty score. In the old adolescent, higher care was statistically negatively correlated with SDQ difficulty score . Conclusion : This study had shown that Life event stress in help seeking adolescents were significantly high and associated with psychological problems in them. Also, greater ‘control’ than ‘care’ by parent was a risk factor for development of psychological problems.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Sensitizing social data science

How can social science contribute to data science? The paper responds by presenting a new model for disciplinary integration based on conceiving subjects and objects of the research as well as methods as co-participants in shaping research design and questions. Identified with the notion of participative epistemology, this model is exemplified through the presentation of an on-going social data science project combining ethnographic, computational and inferential approaches to analyse career data of thousands IT industry analysts. By focusing on the project’s research design and pilot application of a descriptive approach to test the framework in preparation to the full-scale analysis, we contribute to digital sociology debate by showing how social science - and the sociology of scientific knowledge in particular - can sensitise data science from within, thus surpassing divisive attempts as well as scholarship that conceives social science as offering an ‘external’ contribution to data science.
A new model of on‐chip inductors on ferrite film using KB‐FDSMN neural network

A new model of on‐chip planar inductors on ferrite film is developed by virtue of the knowledge‐based frequency‐dependent space‐mapping neural network (KB‐FDSMN). A modified π‐equivalent circuit is used to construct the KB‐FDSMN model for improving reliability in the model generalization. This new model makes use of empirical formulas to quickly estimate some circuit parameters for reducing the number of independent variables, whereas a three‐layer neural network is trained for the desirable accuracy and used to compute the rest of circuit parameters. This new approach provides an efficient scheme to model the on‐chip magnetic film inductors. In comparison with the conventional neural network model and the standalone modified π‐equivalent model, this new KB‐FDSMN model can map the input–output relationships with fewer hidden neurons yet better accuracy and higher reliability in the model generalization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2010.
Driving Techniques for GaN Power HEMTs

One of the challenges in the application of GaN power HEMTs is designing the gate driver for optimal performance of the transistors. GaN transistors can switch much faster than silicon (Si) devices and require more precise control on timing. Controlling the ringing oscillation during each switching transient is essential for improved efficiency and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). In this thesis, two driving techniques are examined. A dynamic gate drive technique is examined for driving cascode GaN devices in a flyback converter using a custom gate driver originally designed for silicon power MOSFETs. A reduction in conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) of 6dB at 80 MHz is observed. Optimal deadtime is investigated for a class D audio output stage utilizing GaN enhancement HEMTs using commercial gate drivers. Experimental results suggest that a proper selection of deadtime can minimize the losses, EMI, and total harmonic distortion (THD) of the amplifier.
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors prevent NSAID enteropathy independently of effects on TNF- a release OF NONSTEROIDAL

Phosphodiesterase inhibitors prevent NSAID enteropathy independently of effects on TNF- a release. Am. J. Physiol. Liver Physiol. 40): G847–G854, 1999. —Although the ability of nonsteriodal anti-inﬂammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to injure the small intestine has been well established in humans and animals, the mechanism involved in this type of injury has yet to be elucidated. The cytokine tumor necrosis factor- a (TNF- a ) has recently been demonstrated to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of NSAID-induced gastric damage. We therefore assessed the possibility that TNF- a is similarly involved in the pathogenesis of NSAID-induced small intestinal injury. Administration of multiple doses ( n 5 4) of diclofenac, but not a single dose, resulted in profound macroscopic damage in the intestine and signiﬁcantly increased levels of TNF- a in intestinal tissue and bile. Pretreatment of rats with a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, pentoxifylline, theophylline, or rolipram, signiﬁcantly attenuated the macroscopic intestinal ulceration produced by diclofenac administration. However, inhibition of TNF- a release with thalidomide or immunoneutralization with a polyclonal antibody directed against TNF- a failed to afford any protection. These results suggest that the cytokine TNF- a does not play a critical role in NSAID-induced small intestinal injury. Therefore, phosphodiesterase inhibitors mediate their protective effect through a mechanism independent of TNF- a synthesis inhibition. HPLC with a 5-µm C 18 analytical column (HP Spherisorb ODS2, 250 3 4 mm, Hewlett-Packard). All analyses were performed at ambient temperature and at a ﬂow rate of 1 ml/min. Diclofenac and mefenamic acid were measured at a detection wavelength of 275 nm and had retention times of 6 and 9 min, respectively. Concentration of diclofenac was determined by interpolation from calibration curves. Diclofenac calibration curves were constructed by addition of appropriate volumes of stock (100 µg/ml in methanol) or diluted stock solutions to yield ﬁnal concentrations of 1.0–100 µg/ml.
Investigation of reconfigurable antennas by foldable, e-textile tessellations: Modeling and experimentation

Physical deformation mechanisms are emerging as compelling and simple ways to adapt wave propagation properties of antenna arrays in contrast to digital steering approaches acting on topologically fixed antennas. Concepts of physical reconfigurability also enable exceptional capabilities such as deployable and morphing antenna arrays that serve multiple functions and permit compact transport with ease. Yet, the emergent concepts lack broad understanding of effective approaches to integrate conformal, electrically conductive architectures with high-compliance foldable frameworks. To explore this essential interface where electrical demands and mechanical requirements may conflict, this research studies e-textile-based reconfigurable antenna arrays that conform to adaptable topologies by origami-inspired tessellations. The e-textiles leverage embroidered conductive threads along frameworks established on origami tessellations to permit large compliance at folding edges as needed while retaining the desired electromagnetic wave propagation characteristics. Computational modeling is used to guide experimental fabrications and validations. It is found that e-textile origami antenna arrays permit significant adaptation of wave radiation while maintaining the required mechanical robustness under folding sequences. These findings may motivate future concepts for reconfigurable antennas established upon physical deformation processes.Physical deformation mechanisms are emerging as compelling and simple ways to adapt wave propagation properties of antenna arrays in contrast to digital steering approaches acting on topologically fixed antennas. Concepts of physical reconfigurability also enable exceptional capabilities such as deployable and morphing antenna arrays that serve multiple functions and permit compact transport with ease. Yet, the emergent concepts lack broad understanding of effective approaches to integrate conformal, electrically conductive architectures with high-compliance foldable frameworks. To explore this essential interface where electrical demands and mechanical requirements may conflict, this research studies e-textile-based reconfigurable antenna arrays that conform to adaptable topologies by origami-inspired tessellations. The e-textiles leverage embroidered conductive threads along frameworks established on origami tessellations to permit large compliance at folding edges as needed while retaining the desired .