Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PROSPECT-PMP+: Simultaneous Retrievals of Chlorophyll a and b, Carotenoids and Anthocyanins in the Leaf Optical Properties Model

The PROSPECT leaf optical radiative transfer models, including PROSPECT-MP, have addressed the contributions of multiple photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoids) to leaf optical properties, but photo-protective pigment (anthocyanins), another important indicator of vegetation physiological and ecological functions, has not been simultaneously combined within a leaf optical model. Here, we present a new calibration and validation of PROSPECT-MP+ that separates the contributions of multiple photosynthetic and photo-protective pigments to leaf spectrum in the 400–800 nm range using a new empirical dataset that contains multiple photosynthetic and photo-protective pigments (LOPEX_ZJU dataset). We first provide multiple distinct in vivo individual photosynthetic and photo-protective pigment absorption coefficients and leaf average refractive index of the leaf interior using the LOPEX_ZJU dataset. Then, we evaluate the capabilities of PROSPECT-MP+ for forward modelling of leaf directional hemispherical reflectance and transmittance spectra and for retrieval of pigment concentrations by model inversion. The main result of this study is that the absorption coefficients of chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, and anthocyanins display the physical principles of absorption spectra. Moreover, the validation result of this study demonstrates the potential of PROSPECT-MP+ for improving capabilities in remote sensing of leaf photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoids) and photo-protective pigment (anthocyanins).
Inflammation induces pro-NETotic neutrophils via TNFR2 signaling

Cytokines released during chronic inflammatory diseases induce pro-inflammatory properties in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). Here we show that in vitro cytokine treatment leads to the development of a subgroup of human PMN expressing CCR5, termed CCR5+ cytokine-induced PMN (CCR5+ cPMN). Auto/paracrine TNF signaling increases intracellular neutrophil elastase (ELANE) abundance and induces NETosis in CCR5+ cPMN. Triggering of CCR5 amplifies NETosis. Membranous TNF (mTNF) outside-in signaling induces the formation of reactive oxygen species, a known activator of NETosis. In vivo, we find an increased number of CCR5+ cPMN in the peripheral blood and inflamed lamina propria of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) but not Crohn’s disease (CD). Notably, failure of anti-TNF therapy is associated with higher frequencies of CCR5+ cPMN. In conclusion, we identify a phenotype of pro-NETotic, CCR5 positive PMN present in inflamed tissue in vivo and inducible in vitro. These cells may reflect an important component of tissue damage during chronic inflammation and could be of diagnostic value.
Dual Layer Scale Free Network Topology Synthesis

Comprehensive analysis that aim to better understand the topology of real world networks and development of algorithms that replicate their characteristics have been important research issues. Internet topology generators focus on generating synthetic graphs that attempt to imitate certain topological characteristics of the Internet at various levels. Although the accuracy of newly developed network protocols or algorithms do not depend on the underlying topology, the performance generally depends on the topology. As a result, network researchers have concentrated on generating representative synthetic topologies and widely utilize them to analyze the performance of their design in simulation or emulation environments. Topology generators typically represent the Internet topology as a graph composed of point-to-point links. In this dissertation, we focus on the multi-access links, i.e., link-layer networks that form the same collision domain between attached devices, as they should be considered to reflect the single hop connectivity of the devices attached to a subnetwork. While consideration of the multi-access links helps to better capture the underlying networks, this also introduces challenges in the generation of hypergraphs that accurately represent the Internet. In this dissertation, we discuss the implications of multi-access links on the synthetic network generation. Additionally, we analyze the large-scale characteristics of sampled Internet topology data sets ii and observe that, in addition to the commonly analyzed node degree distribution, the subnet size and the router interface distributions exhibit power-law characteristics. Based on findings from the measurement studies, we introduce Subnet Oriented Network Topology generation that incorporates the observed measures to produce 2-mode Internet topologies. In particular, generated topologies capture the 2-mode relation between layer-2 (i.e., subnet and interface distributions) and layer-3 (i.e., observed degree) that is missing from the current network generators that produce 1-mode graphs.
Thermal imaging of ear biometrics for authentication purposes

Authentication is a much used measure in order to keep impostors from getting access to things or places that they are not supposed to get access to. Passwords/phrases, tokens, keys and the like have been used since ancient history, but also biometric features such as fingerprints, retina scans or even DNA have been applied. This thesis will look at the ear as a biometric feature, and how thermal images may improve the performance of such authentication systems. We look at thermal images, to see if they give better results than visible images. Thermal images have the advantage that they do not need light to give results, as they only capture heat radiation from the ears. This project however, was done in a standard enlightened environment to see if they could produce better results there as well. The experiment consists of 75 participants of both students and staff of Hogskolen i Gjovik. Each participant had 3 sessions with 5 images per session taking the total number of captures to 1125. Each capture produced 3 images (visible, grayscaled and colored).
Unsupervised Building Extraction from Multimodal Aerial Data Based on Accurate Vegetation Removal and Image Feature Consistency Constraint

Accurate building extraction from remotely sensed data is difficult to perform automatically because of the complex environments and the complex shapes, colours and textures of buildings. Supervised deep-learning-based methods offer a possible solution to solve this problem. However, these methods generally require many high-quality, manually labelled samples to obtain satisfactory test results, and their production is time and labour intensive. For multimodal data with sufficient information, extracting buildings accurately in as unsupervised a manner as possible. Combining remote sensing images and LiDAR point clouds for unsupervised building extraction is not a new idea, but existing methods often experience two problems: (1) the accuracy of vegetation detection is often not high, which leads to limited building extraction accuracy, and (2) they lack a proper mechanism to further refine the building masks. We propose two methods to address these problems, combining aerial images and aerial LiDAR point clouds. First, we improve two recently developed vegetation detection methods to generate accurate initial building masks. We then refine the building masks based on the image feature consistency constraint, which can replace inaccurate LiDAR-derived boundaries with accurate image-based boundaries, remove the remaining vegetation points and recover some missing building points. Our methods do not require manual parameter tuning or manual data labelling, but still exhibit a competitive performance compared to 29 methods: our methods exhibit accuracies higher than or comparable to 19 state-of-the-art methods (including 8 deep-learning-based methods and 11 unsupervised methods, and 9 of them combine remote sensing images and 3D data), and outperform the top 10 methods (4 of them combine remote sensing images and LiDAR data) evaluated using all three test areas of the Vaihingen dataset on the official website of the ISPRS Test Project on Urban Classification and 3D Building Reconstruction in average area quality. These comparative results verify that our unsupervised methods combining multisource data are very effective.
Application of Self-Assembly Nanoparticles Based on DVDMS for Fenton-Like Ion Delivery and Enhanced Sonodynamic Therapy

Upon harnessing low-intensity ultrasound to activate sonosensitizers, sonodynamic therapy (SDT) induces cancer cell death through the reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated pathway. Compared with photodynamic therapy (PDT), SDT possesses numerous advantages, including deeper tissue penetration, higher accuracy, fewer side effects, and better patient compliance. Sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS), a sonosensitizer approved by the FDA, has drawn abundant attention in clinical research, but there are some deficiencies. In order to further improve the efficiency of DVDMS, many studies have applied self-assembly nanotechnology to modify it. Furthermore, the combined applications of SDT/chemodynamic therapy (CDT) have become a research hotspot in tumor therapy. Therefore, we explored the self-assembly of nanoparticles based on DVDMS and copper to combine SDT and CDT. A cost-effective sonosensitizer was synthesized by dropping CuCl2 into the DVDMS solution with the assistance of PVP. The results revealed that the nanostructures could exert excellent treatment effects on tumor therapy and perform well for PET imaging, indicating the potential for cancer theranostics. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the nanoparticles have outstanding biocompatibility, higher ROS production efficiency, and antitumor efficacy. We believe this design can represent a simple approach to combining SDT and CDT with potential applications in clinical treatment and PET imaging.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Cerithidea tonkiniana (Mabille, 1887) in Guangxi, China

Abstract Cerithidea tonkiniana is an amphibious gastropod mollusk that lives in brackish water habitats. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Cerithidea tonkiniana collected from Guangxi, China was assembled for the first time based on the next generation sequencing. The length of this mitogenome is 15,617 base pair with a slightly biased AT content (63.1％). This circular genome contains 13 proterin-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis using the 10 Cerithioidea species showed that the C. tonkiniana is closely related with Cerithidea sinensis and Cerithidea obtuse, forming the Potamididae cluster.
Analysis of Factors Influencing on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Automobile LED Headlamp

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are being considered for use in the automobile headlamps for front side illumination in the place of halogen and xenon headlamp systems. Although LEDs provide larger service life and better power efficiency, they generate considerable amount of heat. It is desirable to develop an advanced cooling system to effectively dissipate heat generated for a stable, continuous and reliable LED operation. The objective of this investigation is to experimentally study the factors influencing the cooling performance of the air cooled heat sink model used in an automobile LED headlamp system. The cooling performance of the heat sink model under consideration was assessed by measuring temperature and thermal resistance at significant locations. The input power, fan output and ambient temperature were varied and corresponding effects were observed. The effect of power variation on illuminance was observed. In addition, a comparative study was carried out to determine the effects of forced and natural convection, which indicated the necessity of forced convection for effective cooling of an automobile LED system.
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Land Surface Albedo and Its Influencing Factors in the Qilian Mountains, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Land surface albedo directly determines the distribution of radiant energy between the surface and the atmosphere, and it is a key parameter affecting the energy balance on the land surface. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of land surface albedo and associated influencing factors in the Qilian Mountains (QM) have been rarely reported. By using the long-time series data products of MODIS shortwave albedo, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and snow cover with a spatial resolution of 0.05° from 2001 to 2020, this paper analyzes the temporal and spatial variations of land surface albedo in the QM over the past 20 years and its influencing factors. The analysis results show that the multi-year average surface albedo in the QM has obvious differences in spatial distribution: it increases with the altitude, and it is high in the west (at the west of 98° E) and low in the east. Meanwhile, the surface albedo has different distribution characteristics in different seasons: the spatial distribution of surface albedo is similar in spring and autumn; the areas with a high surface albedo in summer are significantly fewer than those in other seasons. Besides, in the past 20 years, the annual average surface albedo has shown a weak growth trend in the QM, with a change rate of 5 × 10−3/10a, and the minimum and maximum values were reached in 2001 and 2019, respectively. In addition, the annual variation of the surface albedo in the QM showed a “U” shape, with the largest variation in January and the smallest variation in August. The annual variation of surface albedo is significantly positively correlated with snow cover (r = 0.96) and significantly negatively correlated with NDVI (r = −0.91). Moreover, the interannual variation of the surface albedo in the QM is closely related to land surface cover and is greatly affected by snow cover. Spatially, the annual variation of surface albedo in most areas of the QM is dominated by the change of snow cover, and the increase of surface albedo in the middle area is consistent with the increase of snow cover, while the decrease of albedo in the edge area is related to the improvement of vegetation cover. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for studying the climate and environmental changes caused by changes in the surface of the QM and making ecological environment restoration strategies.
Impact of COVID-19, Political, and Financial Events on the Performance of Commercial Banking Sector

This paper employs a structural empirical model to gauge the possible effects of COVID-19, political and financial events on the returns and volatility of commercial banks. It observes that insured and run-prone uninsured depositors choose between differentiated commercial banks, which appears to be significantly impacted from the present pandemic, especially for the case of Pakistan’s commercial banking sector. The estimated volatility series for commercial banks is measured through the GARCH model, which explains the current financial and political distress for the case of shocks from COVID-19. We calibrate by Impulse Indicator Saturation (IIS) to detect the structural breaks formed by these events in the returns and volatility series of commercial banks. It is observed that the calibrated model possesses almost all financial events that have had a prominent impact on the returns and volatility series whereas two out of eighteen political events are unimpacted.
Small-Signal Stability of DC Current Flow Controller Integrated Meshed Multi-Terminal HVDC System

In this paper, the small-signal stability of a DC current flow controller (CFC) integrated meshed multi-terminal HVDC (MTDC) system is investigated with unique contributions: (1) The dynamics of a multi-line CFC, interconnected voltage- source converters (VSCs) and the DC transmission lines are considered in the small-signal modelling. (2) The switching effect of the capacitive components in the π-type DC transmission lines is identified. The comparative studies of modelling the DC transmission lines using π-type/T-type equivalent circuit are conducted. (3) The impact of the CFC on the AC side of the MTDC system is taken into account with analysis of the critical short-circuit ratio (CSCR) through root-locus analysis and participation factors. The relationship of the SCR with VSC outer-loop control and power transfer is analyzed. (4) The influence of the CFC control system/structural parameters on the small-signal stability of the entire system is investigated. The relationship of the CFC integration with the VSC outer-loop control is analyzed. The adjustment of single/multiple parameters for enhancing the system stability and a sequential parameter tuning approach for multiple parameters are explained. The effectiveness of the proposed method applied in different MTDC systems with CFC is verified. It would be useful for the configuration and parametric design of the CFC integrated meshed MTDC systems.
Research on Measurement Principle and Key Measuring Devices of Pressure Change Rate for Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brake of Commercial Vehicle Based on Poiseuille’s Law

For intelligence brakes in the electronic pneumatic brake system of commercial vehicles, the pressure change rate is used as the key control parameter and evaluation index. This can improve the brake safety, stability, and ride comfort of the vehicle. The real-time detection of the brake pressure change rate for commercial vehicles is the premise for realizing the accurate control of brake pressure change rate. Based on Poiseuille’s law, an efficient measurement method of brake pressure change rate is proposed for commercial vehicles, and a new measuring device with an isothermal container and laminar flow resistance tube as the core components is designed. Through thermal insulation performance tests, flow resistance tests and measurement accuracy tests, combined with simulations, the effects of structural parameters and copper wire filling density on the performance of the isothermal container are analyzed, and these key parameters are optimized to improve the thermal insulation performance. A tubular laminar flow resistance tube composed of 304 stainless steel capillaries in parallel is designed. The influence mechanism of core parameters such as the number, radius, and length of laminar flow channels on its performance is studied, and the optimal parameter array is selected to optimize its performance. The experimental platform for measuring brake pressure change rate is constructed. By comparing the measurement curve of brake pressure change rate under simulation and experiment, the correctness and effectiveness of the pressure change rate measurement principle and the key components for electronically controlled pneumatic brakes of commercial vehicles are verified to meet engineering requirements.
CO2 Electroreduction over Metallic Oxide, Carbon-Based, and Molecular Catalysts: A Mini-Review of the Current Advances

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is one of the most challenging targets of current energy research. Multi-electron reduction with proton-coupled reactions is more thermodynamically favorable, leading to diverse product distribution. This requires the design of stable electroactive materials having selective product generation and low overpotentials. In this review, we have explored different CO2RR electrocatalysts in the gas phase and H-cell configurations. Five groups of electrocatalysts ranging from metals and metal oxide, single atom, carbon-based, porphyrins, covalent, metal–organic frameworks, and phthalocyanines-based electrocatalysts have been reviewed. Finally, conclusions and prospects have been elaborated.
Lessons from the collaborative innovation networks seminar

This paper describes lessons learned from teaching a distributed virtual course on collaborative innovation networks (COINs) over the last 12 years at five different sites located in four different time zones. The course teaches students how to leverage virtual collaborative creativity in the internet age by making best use of email, social media, and the web. In this paper we extend six principles of teamwork by Richard Hackman (2011) to the virtual realm.
Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus/Mammaliicoccus from Retail Ground Meat: Identification of Broad Genetic Diversity in Fosfomycin Resistance Gene fosB

Staphylococcus is a major bacterial species that contaminates retail meat products. The objective of this study was to clarify the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and genetic determinants of Staphylococcus/Mammaliicoccus species in retail ground meat in Japan. From a total of 146 retail ground meat samples (chicken, pork, mixed beef/pork) purchased during a 5-month period, 10 S. aureus and 112 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CoNS)/Mammaliicoccus comprising 20 species were recovered. S. aureus isolates were classified into five genetic types, i.e., coa-IIa/ST5, coa-VIc/ST352 (CC97), coa-VIIb/ST398, coa-Xa/ST15, and coa-XIc/ST9, which were all related to those of livestock-associated clones. All the staphylococcal isolates were mecA-negative and mostly susceptible to all the antimicrobials tested, except for ampicillin among S. aureus (resistance proportion; 50%). Among CoNS, the fosfomycin resistance gene fosB was prevalent (30/112; 26.8%), primarily in S. capitis, S. warneri, and S. saprophyticus. Phylogenetic analysis of fosB revealed the presence of seven clusters, showing broad diversity with 65–81% identity among different clusters. In the CoNS isolates from ground meat samples, fosB was assigned into three clusters, and S. saprophyticus harbored the most divergent fosB with three genetic groups. These findings suggested the circulation of multiple fosB-carrying plasmids among some CoNS species.
Error analysis of standard wave-front reconstruction based on spatial light modulator

The invention of spatial light modulator (SLM) promotes the development of aspheric surface test. SLM has the advantage of real-time and low-cost in comparison with the etching computer-generated hologram(CGH) plate. The pixel-structure of SLM, which includes the pixel pitch, gray-level number and black matrix, has great significance on the reconstructed wave-front quality. In this paper, the effects of SLM pixel pitch, gray-level number and black matrix are analyzed by Fresnel diffraction theory and computer simulation. In the simulation, a concave spherical wave-front with a radius of 1000 mm is generated by the SLM with different pixel pitch, gray-level numbers and aperture ratios, respectively. The results show that the quality of the reconstructed wave-front gets poorer as the pixel pitch increases, the gray-level number decreases or the aperture ratio reduces. This work can guide the selection of the SLM in the aspheric surface test.