Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Utilization of the Radon Transform for the Extraction of the Orientation of Linear Features in Binary Images

This paper considers the idea of using the Radon transform to extract the orientation features of lines in binary images. The Radon transform sends a line at a particular orientation in image space to a point in feature space. The ensuing set of points in feature space is called a sinogram. This computation is usually performed for a large group of angles (over the interval [0,179] degrees taken in integer increments in this paper). Therefore, linear features at specific orientations will be mapped to points having maximum value at particular angles. For angular spacing of at least 5 degrees, the peaks of the sinogram at the angles corresponding to the orientations of the lines will be clearly visible (in a bar plot of sinogram peaks) above sinogram values at other angles. The mapping from image space to feature space accomplished by the Radon transform which maps rectangular coordinates (x,y) to coordinates (range, angle) provides for the garnering of the orientation of the linear features in binary images. In particular, the coordinates (range, angle) in the sinogram allow for distinguishing between lines oriented at one angle versus lines oriented at another angle or angles. This particular property of the sinogram allows for the extraction of the orientation features of lines in an image.
Rural tourism recovery between two COVID-19 waves: the case of Portugal

ABSTRACT During the summer of 2020 intra-national mobility restrictions were lifted in most European countries, and domestic tourism partially cushioned the negative impacts of plunging international arrivals. Considering the perceived risk of crowding, low tourist density destinations were expected to benefit from shifts in tourists’ preferences. This paper shows that, in the case of Portugal, preference for tourism in rural areas increased substantially and those regions best positioned to offer rural accommodation experienced a stronger and lasting recovery of domestic demand.
A Numerical Study of Wave‐Driven Mean Flows and Setup Dynamics at a Coral Reef‐Lagoon System

Two-dimensional mean wave-driven flow and setup dynamics were investigated at a reef-lagoon system at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, using the numerical wave-flow model, SWASH. Phase-resolved numerical simulations of the wave and flow fields, validated with highly detailed field observations (including >10 sensors through the energetic surf zone), were used to quantify the main mechanisms that govern the mean momentum balances and resulting mean current and setup patterns, with particular attention to the role of nonlinear wave shapes. Momentum balances from the phase-resolved model indicated that onshore flows near the reef crest were primarily driven by the wave force (dominated by radiation stress gradients) due to intense breaking, whereas the flow over the reef flat and inside the lagoon and channels was primarily driven by a pressure gradient. Wave setup inside the lagoon was primarily controlled by the wave force and bottom stress. The bottom stress reduced the setup on the reef flat and inside the lagoon. Excluding the bottom stress contribution in the setup balance resulted in an over prediction of the wave-setup inside the lagoon by up to 200–370%. The bottom stress was found to be caused by the combined presence of onshore directed wave-driven currents and (nonlinear) waves. Exclusion of the bottom stress contribution from nonlinear wave shapes led to an over prediction of the setup inside the lagoon by approximately 20–40%. The inclusion of the nonlinear wave shape contribution to the bottom stress term was found to be particularly relevant in reef regions that experience a net onshore mass flux over the reef crest. measurements of waves, currents and water levels with simulations from an advanced computer model to understand the physical mechanisms that determine the current patterns and water level variations at a coral reef-lagoon system in Western Australia. Friction generated by the water moving over the rough reef structures was found to reduce the mean water levels inside the lagoon. This friction was explained by the combined presence of both waves and mean currents. Furthermore, near the reef crest, the waves peak and pitch forward before they break, and this nonlinear wave shape was found to enhance the friction from the bottom. This contribution from nonlinear wave shapes however, is generally not accurately described in larger-scale computer models and should be included in such computer models to provide more reliable simulations of the water motion in coral reefs.
Modulated Responses of East Asian Winter Climate to Anthropogenic Aerosols by Urban Cover in Eastern China

The increasing anthropogenic aerosols (AAs) over East Asia have caused significant regional climate responses, but the role of urban land-use changes which occur simultaneously, in altering these AA-induced changes, is not well understood. Here, the modulation of the AAs’ effect on the East Asian winter (November–January) climate by the urban cover in eastern China was investigated using the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1 coupled with the Community Land Model version 4. Results show that the winter sulfate aerosol burden is higher from central eastern China to southern Japan in the case with the presence of urban cover than in the case without it, resulting from urban-induced circulation changes. Such aerosol changes markedly increase the cloud fraction and precipitation over northern China and the adjacent ocean to the east, especially convection activities around southern Japan. This leads to a cooling effect near the surface over northern China and in the mid-upper troposphere to the east due to aerosol direct and indirect effects. The resulting circulation responses act to shift the mid-tropospheric East Asian trough southward and the upper-level East Asian westerly jet-stream as well, further supporting the surface changes. These winter climate responses to the urban-modulated aerosols can largely offset or even reverse those to the AAs forcing without the urban cover in the model, especially in northern East Asia. This study highlights the need to consider the modulating role of urban land-use changes in assessing the AAs’ climatic effect over East Asia and other regions.
Relationship between somatic build and kinematic indices of underwater undulatory swimming performed by young male swimmers

ABSTRACT The study aim was establishing relationships between somatic build and kinematic indices describing underwater undulatory swimming (UUS). In a group of 47 young male swimmers (age = 17.2 ± 1.01, FINA points per 100 freestyle = 553 ± 94), anthropometric measurements were conducted. UUS was recorded through an underwater window. Movement modelling and its kinematic analysis were conducted using the SkillSpector. Velocity (vCOM), frequency (f), movement amplitude (A), distance per cycle (DPC) and product (IAf) were determined. Anthropometric variable reduction was performed using principal component analysis (PCA). Then, a correlation matrix was created containing distinguished components and kinematic variables (p < 0.05). Intra-group variance was explained by 9 components (i.e. 90%), concerning indices of body size, adiposity and limb proportions. Few, weak relationships between principle components and kinematic indicators of UUS were proven. However, no component was found as related to vCOM. Simultaneously, all kinematic variables (f, A, DPC, IAf) had influence on velocity, creating medium to strong correlations. Influence of swimmers’ somatic structure on UUS efficacy was small. Correct UUS technique was the main factor influencing effectiveness regarding the tested manner of movement. Therefore, an inseparable element of training young swimmers should be UUS technique exercises.
Kinematic design of linkage-based haptic interfaces for medical applications: a review

A haptic interface recreates haptic feedback from virtual environments or haptic teleoperation systems that engages the user’s sense of touch. High-fidelity haptic feedback is critical to the safety and success of any interaction with human beings. Such interactions can be seen in haptic systems utilized in medical fields, such as for surgical training, robotic tele-surgery, and tele-rehabilitation, which require appropriate haptic interface design and control. In order to recreate high-fidelity soft and stiff contact experiences for the user in the intended application, different designs strike different trade-offs between the desirable characteristics of an interface, such as back-drivability, low apparent inertia and low friction for the best perception of small reflected forces, large intrinsic stiffness and force feedback capability for the best perception of large reflected forces, a large-enough workspace for exploring the remote or virtual environment, and the uniformity of haptic feedback and its adequate sensitivity over the workspace. Meeting all of the requirements simultaneously is impossible, and different application-driven compromises need to be made. This paper reviews how various kinematic designs have helped address these trade-offs in desired specifications. First, we investigate the required characteristics of linkage-based haptic interfaces and inevitable trade-offs between them. Then, we study the state of the art in the kinematic design of haptic interfaces and their advantages and limitations. In all sections, we consider the applications of the intended haptic interfaces in medical scenarios. Non-linkage-based haptic interfaces are also shortly discussed to show the broad range of haptic technologies in the area. The potentials of kinematic redundancy to address the design trade-offs are introduced. Current challenges and future directions of haptic interface designs for medical applications are shortly discussed, which is finally followed by the conclusion.
Weather affects post‐fire recovery of sagebrush‐steppe communities and model transferability among sites

Altered climate, including weather extremes, can cause major shifts in vegetative recovery after disturbances. Predictive models that can identify the separate and combined temporal effects of disturbance and weather on plant communities and that are transferable among sites are needed to guide vul-nerability assessments and management interventions. We asked how functional group abundance responded to time since ﬁ re and antecedent weather, if long-term vegetation trajectories were better explained by initial post- ﬁ re weather conditions or by general ﬁ ve-year antecedent weather, and if weather effects helped predict post- ﬁ re vegetation abundances at a new site. We parameterized models using a 30-yr vegetation monitoring dataset from burned and unburned areas of the Orchard Training Area (OCTC) of southern Idaho, USA, and monthly PRISM data, and assessed model transferability on an independent dataset from the well-sampled Soda wild ﬁ re area along the Idaho/Oregon border. Sagebrush density increased with lower mean air temperature of the coldest month and slightly increased with higher mean air temperature of the hottest month, and with higher maximum January – June precipitation. Perennial grass cover increased in relation to higher precipitation, measured annually in the ﬁ rst four years after ﬁ re and/or in September – November the year of ﬁ re. Annual grass increased in relation to higher March – May precipitation in the year after ﬁ re, but not with September – November precipitation in the year of ﬁ re. Initial post- ﬁ re weather conditions explained 1% more variation in sagebrush density than recent antecedent 5-yr weather did but did not explain additional variation in perennial or annual grass cover. Inclusion of weather variables increased transferability of models for predicting perennial and annual grass cover from the OCTC to the Soda wild ﬁ re regardless of the time period in which weather was considered. In contrast, inclusion of weather variables did not affect transferability of the forecasts of post- ﬁ re sagebrush density from the OCTC to the Soda site. Although model transferability may be improved by including weather covariates when predicting post- ﬁ re vegetation recovery, predictions may be surprisingly unaffected by the temporal windows in which coarse-scale gridded weather data are considered.
A 9.38-bit, 422nW, high linear SAR-ADC for wireless implantable system

In wireless implantable systems (WIS) low power consumption and linearity are the most prominent performance metrics in data acquisition systems. successive approximation register-analog to digital converter (SAR-ADC) is used for data processing in WIS. In this research work, a 10-bit low power high linear SAR-ADC has been designed for WIS. The proposed SAR-ADC architecture is designed using the sample and hold (S/H) circuit consisting of a bootstrap circuit with a dummy switch. This SAR-ADC has a dynamic latch comparator, a split capacitance digital to analog converter (SC-DAC) with mismatch calibration, and a SAR using D-flipflop. This architecture is designed in 45 nm CMOS technology. This ADC reduces non-linearity errors and improve the output voltage swing due to the usage of a clock booster and dummy switch in the sample and hold. The calculated outcomes of the proposed SAR ADC display that with on-chip calibration an ENOB of 9.38 (bits), spurious free distortion ratio (SFDR) of 58.621 dB, and ± 0.2 LSB DNL and ± 0.4LSB INL after calibration.
Blue sensitizing dyes: synthesis, spectroscopy, and performance in photographic emulsions

The synthesis is given of 12 mostly unsymmetrical monomethine cyanine dyes containing the pyridine and/or the benzothiazole moiety. Dye structures were determined from mass spectrometric and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. In addition to providing structure information, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry also proved an efficient method to test ionic homogeneity, and the NMR spectra provided additional information about the electron distribution in the dyes. The compounds were further characterized by elemental analysis, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Finally, we tested the performance of the dyes as blue sensitizers in photographic T-grain emulsions (sensitivity increase and contrast).
The effect of ball characteristics on head acceleration during purposeful heading in male and female youth football players

ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to explore the effects of different ball types and characteristics on head acceleration during purposeful heading in youth football players. Methods: Experienced male and female players (n = 61) aged between 12–17 years completed heading trials with 4 different balls (Ball 1 mass 192 grams (g), pressure 5.0 pounds per square inch (psi); Ball 2 432 g, 5.0 psi; Ball 3 255 g, 5.0 psi; Ball 4 430 g, 10.5 psi) whilst wearing a head-mounted accelerometer and gyroscope. Balls 1, 2 and 4 were size 5 balls; Ball 3 was a size 4 ball. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance and post-hoc univariate analyses revealed a statistically significant difference between ball type and head acceleration during heading for both linear acceleration (adjusted R2 = 0.68; F = 140.90; p = <0.001) and angular velocity (adjusted R2 = 0.28; F = 26.52; p = <0.001). Ball 1 (lightest size 5 ball) and Ball 3 (size 4 ball) demonstrated linear head accelerations up to 59% lower (p = <0.01) when compared with Ball 4 (size 5 regulated match ball). Discussion: Head acceleration during purposeful heading is influenced by changes to ball pressure, ball size and/or ball mass. Changing ball characteristics, particularly in youth football training when heading is being taught, should be an easy strategy to implement.
Applications of Prostate Cancer Proteomics: A Review

Publication date: April 2021 changes in prostate cancer (Felici et al., 2012; Wyatt et al., 2014; Iglesias-Gato et al., 2016; Yuan et al., 2016). Nevertheless, the discoveries into the genetic environment of PCa are yet to have a major effect on the clinical care of PCa patients. Furthermore, these methods cannot detect all molecular alterations that affect the tumour outcome (Ylipaa et al., 2015). Methodologies for proteome-wide quantitative profiling have the ability to reveal previously identified molecular linkages between genotype and phenotype and to promote the discovery of reliable prognostic biomarkers or effective drug targets for enhanced PCa treatment (Mann et al., 2013; Iglesias-Gato et al., 2016). Understanding molecular events in cancer requires thorough investigation of the proteome (Boja and Rodriguez, 2014). In recent decades, mass spectrometric methods have enabled high throughput analysis of clinical patient samples (Schubert et al., 2017). A significant development for global protein quantification was the incorporation of isobaric tags, which made it possible to measure proteins globally through several samples in a single experiment (Pappireddi et al., 2019). Classification of diseases according to their molecular characteristics has helped to manage other types of cancer (e.g., breast cancer), and it is expected that this might be feasible for PCa with the help of novel proteomics approaches. This review is the result of a systematic Google Scholar literature search to retrieve thirty primary research articles related to prostate cancer proteomics disease mechanisms. Research conducted over the past four years has been reviewed, summarised, and critically evaluated. The aim of this literature review is to compare and contrast existing proteomics approaches in both clinical and research settings. INTRODUCTION Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common men’s cancers worldwide. According to the Office for National Statistics (2019) cancer registration report, PCa was the most common cancer in men in the UK with over 40,000 cases diagnosed in 2017 alone. The current methods of determining the correct therapy for a patient diagnosed with PCa depend almost entirely on Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels, histopathological features, diagnostic imaging, and clinical assessment of the severity of the disease (Jadvar et al., 2020). Recent developments in genomic technology have changed our perception of complex molecular, genetic, metabolomic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic remodelling in PCa. Extensive genomic and transcriptomic analysis has been used to investigate driver mutations and expressional Applications of Prostate Cancer Proteomics: A Review
Entropy–Entropy Compensation between the Protein, Ligand, and Solvent Degrees of Freedom Fine-Tunes Affinity in Ligand Binding to Galectin-3C

Molecular recognition is fundamental to biological signaling. A central question is how individual interactions between molecular moieties affect the thermodynamics of ligand binding to proteins and how these effects might propagate beyond the immediate neighborhood of the binding site. Here, we investigate this question by introducing minor changes in ligand structure and characterizing the effects of these on ligand affinity to the carbohydrate recognition domain of galectin-3, using a combination of isothermal titration calorimetry, X-ray crystallography, NMR relaxation, and computational approaches including molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and grid inhomogeneous solvation theory (GIST). We studied a congeneric series of ligands with a fluorophenyl-triazole moiety, where the fluorine substituent varies between the ortho, meta, and para positions (denoted O, M, and P). The M and P ligands have similar affinities, whereas the O ligand has 3-fold lower affinity, reflecting differences in binding enthalpy and entropy. The results reveal surprising differences in conformational and solvation entropy among the three complexes. NMR backbone order parameters show that the O-bound protein has reduced conformational entropy compared to the M and P complexes. By contrast, the bound ligand is more flexible in the O complex, as determined by 19F NMR relaxation, ensemble-refined X-ray diffraction data, and MD simulations. Furthermore, GIST calculations indicate that the O-bound complex has less unfavorable solvation entropy compared to the other two complexes. Thus, the results indicate compensatory effects from ligand conformational entropy and water entropy, on the one hand, and protein conformational entropy, on the other hand. Taken together, these different contributions amount to entropy–entropy compensation among the system components involved in ligand binding to a target protein.
Comparative Analyses Reveal Peroxidases Play Important Roles in Soybean Tolerance to Aluminum Toxicity

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is an important barrier to soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. ) production in acid soils. However, little is known about the genes underlying Al tolerance in soybean. We aim to find the key candidate genes and investigate their roles in soybean tolerance to Al toxicity in this study. Comparative transcriptome analyses of the Al-tolerant (KF) and Al-sensitive (GF) soybean varieties under control and Al stress at 6, 12, and 24 h were investigated. A total of 1411 genes showed specific up-regulation in KF or more up-regulation in KF than in GF by Al stress, which were significantly enriched in the GO terms of peroxidase (POD) activity, transporter activity (including the known Al tolerance-related ABC transporter, ALMT, and MATE), and four families of transcription factors (AP2, C3H4, MYB, WRKY). The expression levels of seven POD genes were up-regulated by Al stress for at least one time point in KF. The H2O2 pretreatment significantly improved Al tolerance of KF, which is likely due to increased POD activity induced by H2O2. Our results suggest that PODs play important roles in soybean tolerance to Al toxicity. We also propose a list of candidate genes for Al tolerance in KF, which would provide valuable insights into the Al tolerance mechanisms in soybean.
Study on Extraction Process of Resveratrol in Polygonum cuspidatum

ObjectiveTo study the optimum extraction process of resveratrol in Polygonum cuspidatum. Methods①The optimum extraction process was investigated by orthogonal design and the index of the method was the contents of resveratrol. ②The technology of macroporous adsorptive resin and chromatography was used in the separation and purification of resveratrol by HPLC.ResultsThe optimum condition of ethanol extraction:10 times amount of 90% ethanol and extracted 2 times,1 hour one time.The purity of the product was gained by the technology of resin AB-8 adsorption and silica column chromatography purification.ConclusionThe optimum extraction process can direct production.
Perceptions and Resistance to Accept Smart Clothing: Moderating Effect of Consumer Innovativeness

Despite positive expectations from different organizations, smart clothing has not spread to the public. This study surveyed 320 adults to identify multiple obstacles arising from the adoption of smart clothing. As a result, perceived risks and unavailability of smart clothes, which are innovative products, have increased innovation resistance to smart clothes. On the other hand, smart clothing improvement expectations have been shown to lower innovation resistance to smart clothing. This suggests that interest and goodwill in a particular technology or function have significant impact on consumers’ willingness to accept it. Next, we validated the moderating effect of consumer characteristics in the relationship between innovative characteristics of smart clothing and innovation resistance. As a result, consumers’ fashion innovativeness has been shown to play a role in strengthening innovation resistance to smart clothing that is affordable. It can be inferred that the more fashion-conscious consumers are, the more burdened they are to continue to purchase relatively expensive smart clothes as the trend changes. In conclusion, to spread smart clothing, it is necessary to decrease the consumers’ perceived risk and improve the performance, durability, and availability of smart clothing.