Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Passivity-Based Nonlinear Admittance Control With Application to Powered Upper-Limb Control Under Unknown Environmental Interactions

This paper presents an admittance controller based on the passivity theory for a powered upper-limb exoskeleton robot, which is governed by the nonlinear equation of motion. Passivity allows us to include a human operator and environmental interaction in the control loop. The robot interacts with the human operator via force/torque (F/T) sensor and interacts with the environment mainly via end-effectors. Although the environmental interaction cannot be detected by any sensors (hence unknown), passivity allows us to have natural interaction. An analysis shows that the behavior of the actual system mimics that of a nominal model as the control gain goes to infinity, which implies that the proposed approach is an admittance controller. However, because the control gain cannot grow infinitely in practice, the performance limitation according to the achievable control gain is also analyzed. The result of this analysis indicates that the performance in the sense of infinite norm increases linearly with the control gain. In the experiments, the proposed properties were verified using 1-DoF testbench, and an actual powered upper-limb exoskeleton was used to lift and maneuver the unknown payload.
Category Classification Methods Reflecting Item Search Behaviors on Online Shopping Sites

Internet searching continues to grow as a critically useful tool for obtaining daily information. When the desired information cannot be obtained from the entered query, we are presented with two options: query change: modifying the keyword given as a query; page transition: browsing a further page of the search result. When the desired result is obtained, we have the following option: page access: opening the page and obtaining the necessary information. Users repeat this operation and terminate the search session when they are satisfied. In this paper, we propose a model that seeks the information of users' searching behavior, as well as an analysis method for their search histories on online shopping sites. To compare individual user search histories, we introduce both query change and page access completion rates, which are calculated for each point in the session, and then cluster the sessions. The item categories are classified based on the probability distribution that the session belongs to each cluster. As a category classification result, we found item categories that effectively recommend related items or queries.
Regularisation and P-splines in generalised linear models

P-splines regression is a flexible smoothing tool in which the starting point is a highly parameterised model and overfitting is prevented by introducing a penalty function. A common form of the penalty term is obtained by taking a prespecified order of differences of adjacent coefficients. This paper deals with a data-driven choice of the differencing order, as such allowing for the fit to adapt automatically to the (unknown) degree of smoothness of the underlying function. The selection procedure is based on Akaike's information criterion. The study is carried out in a broad framework of generalised linear and generalised additive models. We provide the necessary theoretical support for the selection procedure, and investigate its performance via simulations. We illustrate the use of such a selection procedure on some real data examples. The discussed examples include generalised normal, binomial and Poisson regression models.
Coping with Oxidative Stress in Reproductive Pathophysiology and Assisted Reproduction: Melatonin as an Emerging Therapeutical Tool

Infertility is an increasing global public health concern with socio-psychological implications for affected couples. Remarkable advances in reproductive medicine have led to successful treatments such as assisted reproductive techniques (ART). However, the search for new therapeutic tools to improve ART success rates has become a research hotspot. In the last few years, pineal indolamine melatonin has been investigated for its powerful antioxidant properties and its role in reproductive physiology. It is considered a promising therapeutical agent to counteract the detrimental effects associated with oxidative stress in fertility treatments. The aim of the present narrative review was to summarize the current state of the art on the importance of melatonin in reproductive physiology and to provide a critical evaluation of the data available encompassing basic, translational and clinical studies on its potential use in ART to improve fertility success rates.
No-Reference Quality Assessment of Contrast-Distorted Images using Contrast Enhancement

No-reference image quality assessment (NR-IQA) aims to measure the image quality without reference image. However, contrast distortion has been overlooked in the current research of NR-IQA. In this paper, we propose a very simple but effective metric for predicting quality of contrast-altered images based on the fact that a high-contrast image is often more similar to its contrast enhanced image. Specifically, we first generate an enhanced image through histogram equalization. We then calculate the similarity of the original image and the enhanced one by using structural-similarity index (SSIM) as the first feature. Further, we calculate the histogram based entropy and cross entropy between the original image and the enhanced one respectively, to gain a sum of 4 features. Finally, we learn a regression module to fuse the aforementioned 5 features for inferring the quality score. Experiments on four publicly available databases validate the superiority and efficiency of the proposed technique.
Computational Drug Repurposing Approach to Identify Novel Inhibitors of ILK Protein for Treatment of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose Esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) is a deadly malignant tumor characterized by an overall 5-year survival rate below 20%, with China accounting for approximately 50% of all cases worldwide. Our previous studies have demonstrated that high integrin-linked kinase (ILK) expression plays a key role in development and progression of ESCC both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we employed the drug repurposing approach to identify a novel FDA-approved anticancer inhibitor against ILK-induced tumorigenesis and progression. Methods We screened the ZINC15 database and predicted the molecular docking ability among FDA-approved and publicly available drugs to ILK and then performed computational docking and visual inspection analyses of the top 10 ranked drugs. Two computer-based virtual screened drugs were evaluated in vitro for their ability to directly bind purified ILK by surface plasmon resonance. Cytotoxicity of the two candidate drugs was validated in vitro using CCK-8 and LDH assays. Results We initially selected the top 10 compounds, based on their minimum binding energy to the ILK crystal, after molecular docking and subjected them to further screening. Taking the binding energy of −10 kcal/mol as the threshold, we selected two drugs, namely, nilotinib and teniposide, for the wet-lab experiment. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) revealed that nilotinib and teniposide had equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) values of 6.410E − 6 and 1.793E − 6, respectively, which were lower than 2.643E − 6 observed in ILK-IN-3 used as the positive control. The IC50 values for nilotinib and teniposide in ESCC cell lines were 40 μM and 200–400 nM, respectively. Results of the CCK-8 assay demonstrated that both nilotinib and teniposide significantly inhibited proliferation of cells (P < 0.01). LDH results revealed that both drugs significantly suppressed the rate of cell death (P < 0.01). Conclusion The drug repositioning procedure can effectively identify new therapeutic tools for ESCC. Our findings suggest that nilotinib and teniposide are efficacious inhibitors of ILK and thus have potential to target ILK-mediated signaling pathways for management of ESCC.
A Personal Conversation Assistant Based on Seq2seq with Word2vec Cognitive Map

WeChat is one of social network applications that connects people widely. Huge data is generated when users conduct conversations, which can be used to enhance their lives. This paper will describe how this data is collected, how to develop a personalized chatbot using personal conversation records. Our system will have a cognitive map based on the word2vec model, which is used to learn and store the relationship of each word that appears in the chatting records. Each word will be mapped to a continuous high dimensional vector space. Then we will adopt the sequence-to-sequence framework (seq2seq) to learn the chatting styles from all pairs of chatting sentences. Meanwhile, we will replace the traditional one-hot embedding layer with our word2vec embedding layer in the seq2seq model. Furthermore, we trained an autoencoder of seq2seq architecture to learn the vector representation of each sentence, then we can evaluate the cosine similarity between model generated response and the pre-existing response in test set, and we can also display the distance with principal component analysis (PCA) projection. As a result, our word2vec embedded seq2seq model significantly outperforms the one-hot embedded one.
Subthreshold Micropulse Laser for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Review

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is one of the main causes of visual impairment in patients of working age. DME occurs in 4% of patients at all stages of diabetic retinopathy. Using a subthreshold micropulse laser is an alternative or adjuvant treatment of DME. Micropulse technology demonstrates a high safety profile by selectively targeting the retinal pigment epithelium. There are no standardized protocols for micropulse treatment, however, a 577 nm laser application over the entire macula using a 200 μm retinal spot, 200 ms pulse duration, 400 mW power, and 5% duty cycle is a cost-effective, noninvasive, and safe therapy in mild and moderate macular edemas with retinal thickness below 400 μm. Micropulse lasers, as an addition to the current gold-standard treatment for DME, i.e., anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), stabilize the anatomic and functional retinal parameters 3 months after the procedure and reduce the number of required injections per year. This paper discusses the published literature on the safety and application of subthreshold micropulse lasers in DME and compares them with intravitreal anti-VEGF or steroid therapies and conventional grid laser photocoagulation. Only English peer-reviewed articles reporting research within the years 2010–2022 were included.
The Calcineurin-Drp1-Mediated Mitochondrial Fragmentation is Aligned with the Differentiation of c-Kit Cardiac Progenitor Cells

Objective The heart contains a pool of c-kit+ progenitor cells which is believed to be able to rege-nerate. The differentiation of these progenitor cells is reliant on different physiological cues. Unraveling the underlying signals to direct differentiation of progenitor cells will be beneficial in controlling progenitor cell fate. In this regard, the role of the mitochondria in mediating cardiac progenitor cell fate remains unclear. Specifically, the association between changes in mitochondrial morphology with the differentiation status of c-kit+ CPCs remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the relationship between mitochondrial morphology and the differentiation status of c-kit+ progenitor cells. Methods and Results c-kit+ CPCs were isolated from 2-month-old male wild-type FVB mice. To activate differentiation, CPCs were incubated in α-minimal essential medium containing 10 nM dexamethasone for up to 7 days. To inhibit Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation, either 10 μM or 50 μM mdivi-1 was administered once at Day 0 and again at Day 2 of differentiation. To inhibit calcineurin, either 1 μM or 5 μM ciclosporin-A (CsA) was administered once at Day 0 and again at Day 2 of differentiation. Dexamethasone-induced differentiation of c-kit+ progenitor cells is aligned with fragmentation of the mitochondria via a calcineurin-Drp1 pathway. Pharmacologically inhibiting mitochondrial fragmentation retains the undifferentiated state of the c-kit+ progenitor cells. Conclusions The findings from this study provide an alternative view of the role of mitochondrial fusion-fission in the differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells and the potential of pharmacologically manipulating the mitochondria to direct progenitor cell fate.
Transport properties of V–VI semiconducting thermoelectric BiSbTe alloy thin films and their application to micromodule Peltier devices

Thin semiconducting thermoelectric films with narrow energy band gaps are considered to be very promising for future microdevice applications (sensors and generators). The polycrystalline BiSbTe alloys (V–VI semiconductors) are examples. In this report, the detailed temperature dependence of electrical resistivity [ρ(T)], n- and p-type carrier concentration [n(T) and p(T)], and Hall mobility [μ(T)] of n-type Bi2Te3, p-type Sb2Te3, and p-type (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 (x=0.73 and 0.77) alloy films prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are presented in the range of 100–500 K. From the room temperature measurement of the Seebeck coefficient (α), the values of α for Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, and (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 with x=0.73 and 0.77 are found to be −220, +110, +240, and +210 μV/K, respectively, which are optimal in these types of film materials. The carrier concentration of these films at 300 K is found to be around (1019–1020) cm−3. The ρ(T) data show an exponential increase with increasing temperature irrespective of.
Ion acceleration by femtosecond laser pulses in small multispecies targets

Ion acceleration by ultrashort intense femtosecond laser pulses (∼4×1019W∕cm2, ∼30fs) in small targets of uniform chemical composition of two ion species (protons and carbon C4+ ions) is studied theoretically via a particle-in-cell code with two spatial and three velocity components. Energy spectra of accelerated ions, the number and divergence of fast protons, are compared for various target shapes (cylinder, flat foil, curved foil) and density profiles. Dips and peaks are observed in proton energy spectra due to mutual interaction between two ion species. The simulations demonstrate that maximum energy of fast protons depends on the efficiency of laser absorption and the cross section of the hot electron cloud behind the target. A rear-side plasma density ramp can substantially decrease the energy of fast ions and simultaneously enhance their number. These results are compared with analytical estimates and with previously published experiments.
On the spectral energy distributions of blazars

The multifrequency spectral properties of complete samples of three kinds of blazars observed with the Rosat position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) in pointed mode are investigated: radio selected BL Lacs (RBLs); X-ray selected BL Lacs (XBLs); and flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). Their spectral energy distributions are compared. The bolometric luminosities and peak emission frequencies of each source are estimated by fitting parabolic functions to the individual rest frame spectra of the power per decade. The shape of the optical to X-ray continua is described, and it is found that the continua of XBLs are convex while those of FSRQs are concave.
On simple radical difference families

For q a prime power and k odd (even), we define a (q,k,1) difference family to be radical if each base block is a coset of the kth roots of unity in the multiplicative group of GF(q) (the union of a coset of the (k − 1)th roots of unity in the multiplicative group of GF(q) with zero). Such a family will be denoted by RDF. The main result on this subject is a theorem dated 1972 by R.M. Wilson; it is a sufficient condition for the existence of a (q,k, 1)-RDF for any k. We improve this result by replacing Wilson's condition with another sufficient but weaker condition, which is proved to be necessary at least for k ⩽ 7. As a consequence, we get new difference families and hence new Steiner 2-designs. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Investigation of fatty acid profiles in some economically important fish species living in Atatürk Dam Lake, Adıyaman, Türkiye

This study aims to deter-mine the fatty acid profile of 10 fish species (Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782), Chondrostoma regi-um (Heckel, 1843), Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758), Carassius auratus (Linnae-us, 1758), Alburnus sellal (Heckel, 1843), Planiliza abu (Heckel, 1843), Capoeta trutta (Heckel, 1843), Arabibarbus grypus (Heck-el, 1843), Mastacembelus mastacembelus (Banks & Solander 1794) ) caught from Atatürk Dam Lake, sold by fishermen and con-sumed by local people. Ac-cordingly, the fish species identification was made and the individuals belonging to the determined species were randomly selected and mus-cle tissue was taken from each sample for fatty acid analysis and put into tubes. Extraction of fats from muscle tissue was carried out using a chloroform-methanol solvent mixture. The methylation process of fatty acids was carried out using the TS EN ISO 12966:2 method. Analyzes were performed with Ther-mo brand Trace GC model GC with FID (Flame Ion De-tector) detector. A 60 m HP-88 column was used in the analysis. It has been deter-mined that 10 fish species contain a total of 26 differ-ent fatty acids. Palmitic acid is the major fatty acid among saturated fatty acids (SFA). Palmitic acid values vary between 18.31 % and 25.51 %. It was determined the most in C. carpio and the lowest in C. auratus. Among the mono unsaturat-ed fatty acids (MUFA), ole-ic acid is the major fatty ac-id and was found between 12.70 % and 29.77 %. It was detected at most in A. sellal with a rate of 29.77 % and in P. abu with a minimum rate of 12.70 %. Of the pol-yunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid is seen as the major fat-ty acid. It was detected at most in C. trutta with a rate of 14.24 %, and at a mini-mum in C. carpio with a rate of 0.62 %.
VIBRATION AND BUCKLING OF COMPOSITE THIN-WALLED BEAMS WITH SHEAR DEFORMABILITY

In this paper, a theoretical model is developed for the dynamic analysis of composite thin-walled beams with open or closed cross-sections. The present model incorporates, in a full form, the shear flexibility (bending and warping shear) as well as a state of initial stresses. This allows to study the free vibration and buckling problems in a unified fashion. An analytical solution of the developed equations is obtained for the case of simply supported thin-walled beams. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the importance of the shear flexibility on the vibration and buckling behavior of the considered structures.
The Role of Academic Institutions in Supporting Citizen Science: A Case of Minna de Honkoku

Open science is a new research paradigm in which "openness" of scientific data, processes, and output is emphasized for potential innovations. This paper focuses on "citizen science," which constitutes an important part of open science movements. Although citizen science enables large-scale data collection and processing with the help of a number of citizen volunteers, conducting a successful citizen science project is often beyond the capacity of a small group of researchers. We will examine what types of support can be effective for successful citizen science projects, based on our experience with Minna de Honkoku, a citizen science project in the field of historical seismology. Minna de Honkoku collaborates with citizens by inviting them to transcribe a large number of historical earthquake records. As of March 2018, 4.3 million characters, written in old Japanese, have been transcribed by over 3,000 registered users. The analysis of the development process of our project suggests that in order to promote open science projects, academic institutions need to provide support for software development and public relations.
The evolution of the Fram Strait sea ice volume export decomposed by age: estimating with parameter-optimized sea ice-ocean model outputs

Sea ice export through the Fram Strait is crucial in the dynamic evolution of Arctic sea ice and can further modulate Arctic sea ice mass balance as well as the ocean thermohaline circulation. In this study, based on outputs from a parameter-optimized and fully physical ocean–sea ice coupled model and sea ice age observation, we estimate sea ice volume (SIV) flux and its age evolution via the Fram Strait. The estimate of mean annual SIV flux is about 1605 ± 315 km3 yr−1 without a significant trend for 1979–2021. Combining with sea ice age data, the variation of the sea ice age and its corresponding SIV flux are obtained for 1984–2020. The SIV flux of 1st-year ice significantly increases as expected, but it still contributes very little to the total flux in the 2010s with a proportion of 3.5%. SIV fluxes of different ages in multi-year ice present diverse variations. The proportions of 2nd-year ice and 3rd-year ice in the annual SIV flux show an extreme increase from 6.8% and 25.0% in the 1980s to 49.0% and 38.8% in the 2010s, respectively, while the proportions of 4th-year ice and 5th-year and older (5+ year) ice significantly decrease from 22.8% and 45.0% in the 1980s to 7.1% and 1.6% in the 2010s, respectively. Meanwhile, the prevailing age of annual volume export via Fram Strait shifts from 4th-year and 5+ year ice to 2nd-year and 3rd-year ice around 2007/2008. It is worth noticing that the variation in Fram Strait ice export modulates the variation in Arctic SIV prior to 2008, but the reverse is true after 2008, indicating a decreasing influence of Fram Strait SIV export on Artic SIV variability with decreasing sea ice age. The results are beneficial to promote the understanding of the evolution of Fram Strait SIV export under the warming Arctic.
Multimodal Attention-Based Fusion Model for Context-Aware Emotion Recognition

: Human Emotion Recognition is an exciting topic that has been attracting many researchers for a lengthy time. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in exploiting contextual information on emotion recognition. Some previous explorations in psychology show that emotional perception is impacted by facial expressions, as well as contextual information from the scene, such as human activities, interactions, and body poses. Those explorations initialize a trend in computer vision in exploring the critical role of contexts, by considering them as modalities to infer predicted emotion along with facial expressions. However, the contextual information has not been fully exploited. The scene emotion created by the surrounding environment, can shape how people perceive emotion. Besides, additive fusion in multimodal training fashion is not practical, because the contributions of each modality are not equal to the final prediction. The purpose of this paper was to contribute to this growing area of research, by exploring the effectiveness of the emotional scene gist in the input image, to infer the emotional state of the primary target. The emotional scene gist includes emotion, emotional feelings, and actions or events that directly trigger emotional reactions in the input image. We also present an attention-based fusion network, to combine multimodal features based on their impacts on the target emotional state. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, through a significant improvement on the EMOTIC dataset.