Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zigzag magnetic order in the Kitaev spin-liquid candidate material 
RuBr3
 with a honeycomb lattice

The ruthenium halide $\alpha$-RuCl$_{3}$ is a promising candidate for a Kitaev spin liquid. However, the microscopic model describing $\alpha$-RuCl$_{3}$ is still debated partly because of a lack of analogue materials for $\alpha$-RuCl$_{3}$, which prevents tracking of electronic properties as functions of controlled interaction parameters. Here, we report a successful synthesis of RuBr$_{3}$. The material RuBr$_{3}$~possesses BiI$_3$-type structure (space group: $R\overline{3}$) where Ru$^{3+}$ form an ideal honeycomb lattice. Although RuBr$_{3}$ has a negative Weiss temperature, it undergoes a zigzag antiferromagnetic transition at $T_\mathrm{N}=34$ K, as does $\alpha$-RuCl$_{3}$. Our analyses indicate that the Kitaev and non-Kitaev interactions can be modified in ruthenium trihalides by changing the ligand sites, which provides a new platform for exploring Kitaev spin liquids.
Bright sources under the projection microscope: using an insulating crystal on a conductor as electron source

The development of bright sources is allowing technological break- throughs, especially in the field of microscopy. This requires a very ad- vanced control and understanding of the emission mechanisms. For bright electron sources, a projection microscope with a field emission tip provides an interference image that corresponds to a holographic recording. Image reconstruction can be performed digitally to form a "real" image of the object. However, interference images can only be obtained with a bright source that is small: often, an ultra-thin tip of tungsten whose radius of curvature is of the order of 10nm. The contrast and ultimate resolution of this image-projecting microscope depend only on the size of the apparent source. Thus, a projection microscope can be used to characterize source brightness: for example, analyzing the interference contrast enables the size of the source to be estimated. Ultra-thin W tips are not the only way to obtain bright sources: field emission can also be achieved by ap- plying voltages leading to a weak macroscopic electric field (< 1V/μm) to insulating micron crystals deposited on conductors with a large ra- dius of curvature (> 10μm). Moreover, analyzing the holograms reveals the source size, and the brightness of these new emitters equals that of traditional field emission sources.
Where Does the Heart Lie? A Multistage Process Model of Entrepreneurial Passion and Role Identity Management

With research on entrepreneurial passion booming, there is an increasing need to understand how and why that passion influences entrepreneurs' performance over time. To address this need, we develop a multistage process model, proposing that entrepreneurial passion type — harmonious or obsessive — explains how entrepreneurs modify their identity and reprioritize their roles as inventors, founders, and developers in response to feedback as the venture develops, thus giving rise to different patterns of role identity transition or persistence. The proposed feedback system advances our understanding of entrepreneurial passion by providing a dynamic view of the impact of passion and role identity management on overall entrepreneurial performance. We conclude by outlining the theoretical and practical implications of our multistage process model and by presenting an agenda for future research on entrepreneurial passion and role identity management.
Digital Economy Development and Haze Pollution: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Cities

The development of the digital economy radiates to national ecological protection and resource utilisation, holding the key to haze governance. Firstly, this paper examines whether the development of digital economy in China has a restraining effect on haze pollution. Secondly, the article verifies the robustness of the research results through the instrumental variable method and quasi-natural experiment. Finally, the paper examines the potential transmission channels of haze pollution affected by the digital economy. Results show the digital economy negatively affects urban haze pollution in China. Specifically, in resource-based, non-resource-based, eastern and large cities, the growth of the digital economy has an obvious repression on haze pollution. The establishment of the "national big data comprehensive experimental area" is conducive to the control of haze pollution. Finally, the results reveal that the development of the digital economy significantly reduces haze pollution through economic growth, industrial structure and foreign direct investment effects.
Size-Dependent Thermal Stability and Optical Properties of Ultra-Small Nanodiamonds Synthesized under High Pressure

Diamond properties down to the quantum-size region are still poorly understood. High-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) synthesis from chloroadamantane molecules allows precise control of nanodiamond size. Thermal stability and optical properties of nanodiamonds with sizes spanning range from <1 to 8 nm are investigated. It is shown that the existing hypothesis about enhanced thermal stability of nanodiamonds smaller than 2 nm is incorrect. The most striking feature in IR absorption of these samples is the appearance of an enhanced transmission band near the diamond Raman mode (1332 cm−1). Following the previously proposed explanation, we attribute this phenomenon to the Fano effect caused by resonance of the diamond Raman mode with continuum of conductive surface states. We assume that these surface states may be formed by reconstruction of broken bonds on the nanodiamond surfaces. This effect is also responsible for the observed asymmetry of Raman scattering peak. The mechanism of nanodiamond formation in HPHT synthesis is proposed, explaining peculiarities of their structure and properties.
Biomimetic design and fabrication of tissue engineered scaffolds using computer aided tissue engineering

The field of tissue engineering brings together the multidisciplinary research of life sciences and engineering to seek man-made substitutes for the regeneration of damaged tissue or organs. A key component in tissue engineering is the use of porous scaffolds to guide cells for attachment, proliferation and differentiation in the tissue regenerative process. Upon satisfactory in-vitro culture, this engineered living scaffold is implanted into the regeneration site of the patient to function as the tissue substitute. Conventional processing techniques for the fabrication of scaffolds often encounter difficulties in the precise control of the internal architecture, interconnectivity and distribution of pores within the scaffold. These challenges, along with the advances in biology, medicine, and information technology for tissue engineering applications, have led to the development of a new field of Computer Aided Tissue Engineering (CATE). CATE enables a systematic application of computer-aided technologies, i.e., computer-aided design (CAD), image processing, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and solid freeform fabrication (SFF) for modeling, designing, simulation, and manufacturing of biological tissue and organ substitutes. Through the use of CATE, the design of intricate three dimensional architecture of scaffold can be realized and these scaffolds can be fabricated with reproducible accuracy to assist biologists in studying complex tissue engineering problems. This thesis reports a research addressing some of the challenges in applying the CATE approach for the biomimetic design and freeform fabrication of tissue scaffolds. The major research accomplishments reported in this thesis include: (a) The development of a BioCAD modeling technique for the design and representation of patient specific 3D tissue models based on non-invasive medical image data. (b) The development of a biomimetic design approach for design of load bearing tissue scaffold subject to multiple biophysical, geometrical and manufacturing requirements. This includes the design of the unit cell micro-architecture based on tissue morphologies, unit cell characterization and evaluation of the mechanical and transport properties, and the use of unit cells as building block to design anatomic tissue scaffold replacements. (c) The development of a CAD based path planning procedure through a direct slicing algorithm which can convert a neutral ISO (International Standards Organization) standardized STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Data) formatted NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) geometric representation to a tool path instruction set for layered freeform fabrication. (d) The development of a novel Internal Architecture Design (IAD) approach for the mapping of characteristic patterns of the unit cell micro-architectures designed within the 3D scaffold. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Optimal Switching of Submodules in Modular Multilevel Converters

This paper offers an inventive switching algorithm for MMC staircase-based modulation strategies in MVDC and HVDC applications. We propose a simplified mathematical formulation of MMC modulation, in the format of Quadratic Optimization (QP), which uses submodules switching history to make a minimization compromise between the submodules switching frequencies, the submodules capacitor voltage ripples, and the arm(s) reference voltage tracking errors. Simulation results, at both normal and faulty conditions, highlight that the MMC submodules switching can be reduced to the limit of minimum switching frequency; thus, switching losses, size of submodules, and footprints could be significantly reduced.
Structural Health Assessment Using Only Noise-Contaminated Responses

A novel nondestructive Structural Health Assessment (SHA) technique, known as the Generalized Iterative Least-Squares Extended Kalman Filter with Unknown Input (GILS-EKF-UI) method, is being developed at the University of Arizona. The procedure can detect defects in new, deteriorated or rehabilitated existing structures or just after large natural or manmade events. Most SI-based SHA approaches use excitation and response information to identify a structure. Excitation information is not available in most cases. It could be noise-contaminated and the SI concept may not be applicable. For large complicated real structures, it may not be possible to measure responses at all dynamic degrees of freedom and they always contain noise. Addressing all the issues, the GILS-EKF-UI method is being developed and is presented here.
Chondroitin sulfates enhances the barrier function of basement membrane assembled by heparan sulfates

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are ubiquitously expressed polysaccharides attached to proteoglycans, but their functions in the retina are poorly understood. Here we generated conditional knockouts of biosynthetic enzymes for heparan sulfate (HS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) in retinal progenitor cells. We showed that ablation of HS polymerase Ext1 did not affect initial progression of retinal angiogenesis, but it disrupted the pruning of blood vessels and establishment of arterioles and venules. In the absence of retinal HS, blood vessels were also vulnerable to high oxygen tension in early postnatal stages, which can be rescued by exogenous VEGF, consistent with the role of retinal HS in the fine-tuning of VEGF signaling. Furthermore, we observed that the retinal inner limiting membrane (ILM) was disrupted by deletion of Ext1 in a timing specific manner, suggesting that retinal HS is required for the assembly but not the maintenance of the ILM. Lastly, we showed that further deletion of C4st1, a CS sulfation enzyme, did not affect the assembly of the ILM, but aggravated the ILM permeability when combined with Ext1 deletion. These results demonstrated an important role of CS and HS in establishing the barrier function of basement membrane.
‘I am not an animal’: Vikram Balagopal’s psychologisation of Hanuman in Simian

ABSTRACT This article discusses Vikram Balagopal’s mythological Indian graphic narrative Simian (2014), which is a retelling of particular episodes from the Ramayana from Hanuman’s point of view. The essay claims that Balagopal’s portrayal of Hanuman as a gelada baboon strips him of devotional/religious signifiers and allows readers to see him as a secular figure. The graphic narrative portrays this popular Hindu god as a heavily psychologised figure grappling with the ramifications of his special abilities, and questioning his liminal identity in the face of derogatory classifications by human beings. This representation is in opposition to the co-optation of Hanuman as a hyper-masculine warrior by an aggressive, resurgent Hindu nationalist movement. Simian also uses a reflective Hanuman to critique Ramayana’s anthropocentricism and gender and caste biases. It thus places itself into a long tradition of interrogative and subversive retellings of the Ramayana.
Inferring trends in pollinator distributions across the Neotropics from publicly available data remains challenging despite mobilization efforts

Aggregated species occurrence data are increasingly accessible through public databases for the analysis of temporal trends in the geographic distributions of species. However, biases in these data present challenges for statistical inference. We assessed potential biases in data available through GBIF on the occurrences of four flower‐visiting taxa: bees (Anthophila), hoverflies (Syrphidae), leaf‐nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) and hummingbirds (Trochilidae). We also assessed whether and to what extent data mobilization efforts improved our ability to estimate trends in species' distributions.
Effect of Porcine Whole Blood Protein Hydrolysate on Slow-Twitch Muscle Fiber Expression and Mitochondrial Biogenesis via the AMPK/SIRT1 Pathway

Skeletal muscle is a heterogeneous tissue composed of a variety of functionally different fiber types. Slow-twitch type I muscle fibers are rich with mitochondria, and mitochondrial biogenesis promotes a shift towards more slow fibers. Leucine, a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), regulates slow-twitch muscle fiber expression and mitochondrial function. The BCAA content is increased in porcine whole-blood protein hydrolysates (PWBPH) but the effect of PWBPH on muscle fiber type conversion is unknown. Supplementation with PWBPH (250 and 500 mg/kg for 5 weeks) increased time to exhaustion in the forced swimming test and the mass of the quadriceps femoris muscle but decreased the levels of blood markers of exercise-induced fatigue. PWBPH also promoted fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fiber conversion, elevated the levels of mitochondrial biogenesis markers (SIRT1, p-AMPK, PGC-1α, NRF1 and TFAM) and increased succinate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase activities in ICR mice. Similarly, PWBPH induced markers of slow-twitch muscle fibers and mitochondrial biogenesis in C2C12 myotubes. Moreover, AMPK and SIRT1 inhibition blocked the PWBPH-induced muscle fiber type conversion in C2C12 myotubes. These results indicate that PWBPH enhances exercise performance by promoting slow-twitch muscle fiber expression and mitochondrial function via the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway.
Web User Opinions as an Information Source. What Impact on Cinema Attendances?

Digital communication technologies such as the Internet intensify and accelerate the phenomenon of information diffusion by social exchange. The aim of this paper is to assess whether product introduction strategies should be modified in the light of this phenomenon. We conducted an empirical analysis on the movie market to compare the ability of web user opinions with classic indicators such as the mass media and critics to predict box-office takings. The results show that all three variables influence movie attendances. Promotion of a movie has no influence on web user opinions, but critics are influenced negatively for low-budget movies and positively for large-budget movies. Critic and web user advice merges only for large-budget movies.
Map-Matching-Based Localization Using Camera and Low-Cost GPS for Lane-Level Accuracy

For self-driving systems or autonomous vehicles (AVs), accurate lane-level localization is a important for performing complex driving maneuvers. Classical GNSS-based methods are usually not accurate enough to have lane-level localization to support the AV’s maneuvers. LiDAR-based localization can provide accurate localization. However, the price of LiDARs is still one of the big issues preventing this kind of solution from becoming wide-spread commodity. Therefore, in this work, we propose a low-cost solution for lane-level localization using a vision-based system and a low-cost GPS to achieve high precision lane-level localization. Experiments in real-world and real-time demonstrate that the proposed method achieves good lane-level localization accuracy, outperforming solutions based on only GPS.
Three Mw ≥ 4.7 Earthquakes Within the Changning (China) Shale Gas Field Ruptured Shallow Faults Intersecting With Hydraulic Fracturing Wells

From 2017 to 2019, three destructive earthquakes (27 January 2017 Mw 4.7, 16 December 2018 Mw 5.2, and 3 January 2019 Mw 4.8) occurred in the Changning shale gas field in the southwest Sichuan Basin, China. Previous seismological studies attributed these events to hydraulic fracturing (HF), but were unable to identify the causative seismogenic faults and their slip behaviors. Here, we use Sentinel‐1 synthetic aperture radar data to measure surface deformation triggered by the three events and conduct geodetic inversions to characterize their rupture models. The resulting coseismic interferograms show prominent surface deformation with the maximum line‐of‐sight displacements of up to 4 cm. The inversion results show that all three earthquakes mainly ruptured sedimentary formations above the shale gas bed, in the upper 3 km of the crust, with slip magnitudes ranging from 8.5 to 15 cm, and stress drops ranging from ∼1.8 to ∼3.3 MPa. Their source faults intersect with horizontal HF wells, but do not root in the crystalline basement. Combined with the reported difficulty of increasing HF operation pressures prior to the three events, we argue that they were most likely induced by direct injection of pressurized fluids into the fault zones. Crustal deformation patterns inferred from regional topography and GPS velocities highlight that the Changning field is located within a triple junction region near the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau with large deformation gradients; such conditions are not only favorable to the development of critically stressed faults, but also facilitate the occurrence of at least moderate magnitude earthquakes.
Miniaturized and Selective Half-Mode Substrate Integrated Waveguide Bandpass Filter Using Hilbert Fractal for Sub-6 GHz 5G Applications

The present paper proposes a novel miniaturized and selective half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) bandpass filter (BPF) using Hilbert fractal geometry. A non-uniform horizontal periodical DGS (HPDGS) is introduced in the ground plane to miniaturize it further and obtain wide and steep outband rejection to enhance the filter's performance. A three-pole bandpass filter (BPF) with a center frequency of 3.5 GHz is simulated, analyzed and designed on a low-cost substrate FR-4 (εr = 4.4). The filter becomes small, shows the low insertion loss of 1.1 dB and return losses of more than 16 dB, and is appropriate for operation from 3.38 to 4.20 GHz spectrum considered for the lower band fifth-generation (5G).
An Expert-Supervised Registration Method for Multiparameter Description of the Knee Joint Using Serial Imaging

As knee osteoarthritis is a disease of the entire joint, our pathophysiological understanding could be improved by the characterization of the relationships among the knee components. Diverse quantitative parameters can be characterized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). However, a lack of methods for the coordinated measurement of multiple parameters hinders global analyses. This study aimed to design an expert-supervised registration method to facilitate multiparameter description using complementary image sets obtained by serial imaging. The method is based on three-dimensional tissue models positioned in the image sets of interest using manually placed attraction points. Two datasets, with 10 knees CT-scanned twice and 10 knees imaged by CT and MRI were used to assess the method when registering the distal femur and proximal tibia. The median interoperator registration errors, quantified using the mean absolute distance and Dice index, were ≤0.45 mm and ≥0.96 unit, respectively. These values differed by less than 0.1 mm and 0.005 units compared to the errors obtained with gold standard methods. In conclusion, an expert-supervised registration method was introduced. Its capacity to register the distal femur and proximal tibia supports further developments for multiparameter description of healthy and osteoarthritic knee joints, among other applications.
Identification of a Pm4 Allele as a Powdery Mildew Resistance Gene in Wheat Line Xiaomaomai

Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is one of the most destructive foliar diseases of wheat. In this study, we combined the bulked segregant RNA sequencing (BSR-seq) and comparative genomics analysis to localize the powdery mildew resistance gene in Chinese landrace Xiaomaomai. Genetic analysis of F1 plants from a crossing of Xiaomaomai × Lumai23 and the derived F2 population suggests that a single recessive gene, designated as pmXMM, confers the resistance in this germplasm. A genetic linkage map was constructed using the newly developed SNP markers and pmXMM was mapped to the distal end of chromosome 2AL. The two flanking markers 2AL15 and 2AL34 were closely linked to pmXMM at the genetic distance of 3.9 cM and 1.4 cM, respectively. Using the diagnostic primers of Pm4, we confirmed that Xiaomaomai carries a Pm4 allele and the gene function was further validated by the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). In addition, we systematically analyzed pmXMM in comparison with the other Pm4 alleles. The results suggest that pmXMM is identical to Pm4d and Pm4e at sequence level. Pm4b is also not different from Pm4c according to their genome/amino acid sequences. Only a few nucleotide variances were detected between pmXMM and Pm4a/b, which indicate the haplotype variation of the Pm4 gene.
What Stories Do We Tell About the Critters Involved with CRISPR-Cas? Examining Scientists’ Reflections on Multispecies Relationships in Gene Editing Research

ABSTRACT Scientists researching xenotransplantation and mosquito-focused gene drives are claiming breakthroughs in their fields due to the gene editing technology CRISPR-Cas. When speaking about these applications, scientists narrate them as tools to save human lives. Through this focus on human health, the critters who are edited and intimately involved remain obscured. To bring these creatures into the conversation, I engage with scientists in both fields and provide a space for them to reflect upon their research practices with non-human animals. Through this, scientists’ stories start to deviate from the focus of human health. Their narrations shift as they draw upon a broader range of repertoires incorporating environmental concerns and experiences of affect. My findings build upon feminist science studies by contributing more nuanced narrations of multispecies relationships in gene editing research. I advocate that cultivating space for diverse stories to emerge from researchers working with CRISPR-Cas can produce avenues for response-ability.