Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combined Therapy of Low-Dose Angiotensin Receptor–Neprilysin Inhibitor and Sodium–Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor Prevents Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction in Rodent Model with Minimal Adverse Effects

Although cancer-therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is a critical issue in clinical practice, there is a glaring lack of evidence regarding cardiotoxicity management. To determine an effective and suitable dosage of treatment using angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI) with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), we adopted a clinically relevant rodent model with doxorubicin, which would mimic cardiac dysfunction in CTRCD patients. After the oral administration of drugs (vehicle, SGLT2i, ARNI, Low-ARNI/SGLT2i, ARNI/SGLT2i), several physiologic parameters, including hemodynamic change, cardiac function, and histopathology, were evaluated. Bulk RNA-sequencing was performed to obtain insights into the molecular basis of a mouse heart response to Low-ARNI/SGLT2i treatment. For the first time, we report that the addition of low-dose ARNI with SGLT2i resulted in greater benefits than ARNI, SGLT2i alone or ARNI/SGLT2i combination in survival rate, cardiac function, hemodynamic change, and kidney function against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway. Low-dose ARNI with SGLT2i combination treatment would be practically beneficial for improving cardiac functions against doxorubicin-induced heart failure with minimal adverse effects. Our findings suggest the Low-ARNI/SGLT2i combination as a feasible novel strategy in managing CTRCD patients.
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) Exposure in Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Tanzania

Simple Summary Infectious zoonotic diseases that cause infertility and abortion, such as Q fever, negatively impact the growing dairy sector in low- and middle-income countries and represent a risk of spillover of disease into human populations. A cross-sectional study was conducted in smallholder dairy cattle in six regions of Tanzania, between July 2019 and October 2020, to determine the prevalence and the risk factors associated with Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) exposure. A total of 2049 dairy cattle blood samples were collected and tested for antibodies to C. burnetii. The overall seroprevalence was 3.9%. The final logistic mixed effects regression model showed extensive feeding management and low precipitation as factors associated with Q fever seropositivity. The findings indicate that C. burnetii is circulating at relatively low levels among smallholder dairy cattle across the major dairy producing regions in Tanzania. Control efforts could focus on extensive management systems from areas with relatively low precipitation or during the dry season to further reduce the risk of C. burnetii exposure. Moreover, concerted efforts to carry out active surveillance employing a “One Health” approach to understand the epidemiology and its impact in animal production and human health are recommended. Abstract Q fever is a zoonotic disease, resulting from infection with Coxiella burnetii. Infection in cattle can cause abortion and infertility, however, there is little epidemiological information regarding the disease in dairy cattle in Tanzania. Between July 2019 and October 2020, a serosurvey was conducted in six high dairy producing regions of Tanzania. Cattle sera were tested for antibodies to C. burnetii using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A mixed effect logistic regression model identified risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. A total of 79 out of 2049 dairy cattle tested positive with an overall seroprevalence of 3.9% (95% CI 3.06–4.78) across the six regions with the highest seroprevalence in Tanga region (8.21%, 95% CI 6.0–10.89). Risk factors associated with seropositivity included: extensive feeding management (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.25–3.77), and low precipitation below 1000 mm (OR 2.76, 95% 1.37–7.21). The disease seroprevalence is relatively low in the high dairy cattle producing regions of Tanzania. Due to the zoonotic potential of the disease, future efforts should employ a “One Health” approach to understand the epidemiology, and for interdisciplinary control to reduce the impacts on animal and human health.
Flavan-3-ols and Cardiometabolic Health: First Ever Dietary Bioactive Guideline

ABSTRACT Guideline recommendation for a plant bioactive such as flavan-3-ols is a departure from previous recommendations because it is not based on deficiencies but rather improvement in health outcomes. Nevertheless, there is a rapidly growing body of clinical data reflecting benefits of flavan-3-ol intake that outweigh potential harms. Thus, the objective of the Expert Panel was to develop an intake recommendation for flavan-3-ols and cardiometabolic outcomes to inform multiple stakeholders including clinicians, policymakers, public health entities, and consumers. Guideline development followed the process set forth by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which includes use of the Evidence to Decision Framework. Studies informing this guideline (157 randomized controlled trials and 15 cohort studies) were previously reviewed in a recently published systematic review and meta-analysis. Quality and strength-of-evidence along with risk-of-bias in reporting was reviewed. In drafting the guideline, data assessments and opinions by authoritative scientific bodies providing guidance on the safety of flavan-3-ols were considered. Moderate evidence supporting cardiometabolic protection resulting from flavan-3-ol intake in the range of 400–600 mg/d was supported in the literature. Further, increasing consumption of dietary flavan-3-ols can help improve blood pressure, cholesterol concentrations, and blood sugar. Strength of evidence was strongest for some biomarkers (i.e., systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and insulin/glucose dynamics). It should be noted that this is a food-based guideline and not a recommendation for flavan-3-ol supplements. This guideline was based on beneficial effects observed across a range of disease biomarkers and endpoints. Although a comprehensive assessment of available data has been reviewed, evidence gaps identified herein can inform scientists in guiding future randomized clinical trials.
Whole-Genome Analysis of Starmerella bacillaris CC-PT4 against MRSA, a Non-Saccharomyces Yeast Isolated from Grape

Starmerella bacillaris is often isolated from environments associated with grape and winemaking. S. bacillaris has many beneficial properties, including the ability to improve the flavor of wine, the production of beneficial metabolites, and the ability to biocontrol. S. bacillaris CC-PT4 (CGMCC No. 23573) was isolated from grape and can inhibit methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and adaptability to harsh environments. In this paper, the whole genome of S. bacillaris CC-PT4 was sequenced and bioinformatics analyses were performed. The S. bacillaris CC-PT4 genome was finally assembled into five scaffolds with a genome size of 9.45 Mb and a GC content of 39.5%. It was predicted that the strain contained 4150 protein-coding genes, of which two genes encoded killer toxin and one gene encoded lysostaphin. It also contains genes encoding F1F0-ATPases, Na(+)/H(+) antiporter, cation/H(+) antiporter, ATP-dependent bile acid permease, major facilitator superfamily (MFS) antiporters, and stress response protein, which help S. bacillaris CC-PT4 adapt to bile, acid, and other stressful environments. Proteins related to flocculation and adhesion have also been identified in the S. bacillaris CC-PT4 genome. Predicted by antiSMASH, two secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters were found, and the synthesized metabolites may have antimicrobial effects. Furthermore, S. bacillaris CC-PT4 carried genes associated with pathogenicity and drug resistance. Overall, the whole genome sequencing and analysis of S. bacillaris CC-PT4 in this study provide valuable information for understanding the biological characteristics and further development of this strain.
Monocular correspondence detection for symmetrical objects by template matching

We describe a possibility to reconstruct 3-D information from a single view of an 3-D bilateral symmetric object. The symmetry assumption allows us to obtain a " second view" from a different viewpoint by a simple reflection of the monocular image. Therefore we have to solve the correspondence problem in a special case where known feature-based or area-based binocular approaches fail. In principle our approach is based on a frequency domain template matching of the features on the epipolar lines. During a training period our system " learns" the assignment of correspondence models to image features. The object shape is interpolated when no template matches to the image features. This fact is an important advantage of this methodology because no " real world" image holds the symmetry assumption perfectly. To simplify the training process we used single views on human faces (e. g. passport photos) but our system is trainable on any other kind of objects.
Compensation of temperature effects in quartz crystal microbalance measurements

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is a very powerful method for in situ monitoring of thin film growth processes. However, especially at high temperatures, QCM is very sensitive to already minor temperature changes during the measurement. Here, a method for compensating the temperature effects on the QCM is introduced. In this method, the baseline drift during the growth is calculated using a function obtained by fitting the signal measured before and after the growth. The present method is compared with the earlier published reference crystal method where two closely spaced quartz crystals are used, one being protected against film growth and thus serving as a reference crystal for compensating the temperature effects on the measurement crystal. Both methods were tested with TiO2 and Al2O3 atomic layer deposition processes and the temperature effect was successfully compensated. The differences between these methods are discussed.
Mapping the cultural elements that support and inhibit music teachers’ sociomusical identities in Chile

Sociomusical identities determine the social positions of individuals based on traditions and historical backgrounds, deriving from the reciprocal interchange of cultural elements within social groups. This study aimed to identify the cultural elements that support and inhibit the sociomusical identities of music teachers in Chile. Because the country is exceptionally long and narrow, it was possible to examine the distinctive features of the sociomusical identities of teachers in its four geographical zones. Thirty school music teachers took part in semi-structured interviews, in which they shared their professional stories in terms of their social position and transcultural processes. The researchers took a humanistic standpoint, employing a multiple-case study design in which boundaries of time, space, and place formed the basis of the analysis of teachers’ stories. The findings reveal that sociomusical identities are supported and inhibited by elements of the national education system. Furthermore, music teaching is informed by music teachers’ personal interests, which in turn reflect their sociomusical identities resulting from their pedagogical knowledge, teaching experience, and the environmental conditions of their particular milieu. The implications are that country-wide generalizations about music pedagogy should be avoided, as each geographical zone has its own particular issues.
Biangular Coordinates Redux: Discovering a New Kind of Geometry

Summary Biangular coordinates specify a point on the plane by two angles giving the intersection of two rays emanating from two fixed poles. This is a dual of Cartesian coordinates wherein a point on the plane is described by two distances. Biangular coordinates, first written about in 1803 in France, were subsequently studied in Britain at the end of the 19th century. Contemporary students will enjoy plotting biangular relations and discovering patterns in families of relations. The mathematical shapes which are given by biangular relations include standard shapes like lines, circles, hyperbolae and also unusual curves like.
Method of self‐similar approximations

A new method is suggested to approximately find out the limit for a sequence of functions when solely several first terms of a sequence are known. The method seems to be very useful for those complicated problems of mathematical physics, statistical mechanics, and field theory in which, because of technical difficulties, one is able to calculate, using some iteration procedure or perturbation scheme, only several first approximations for quantities of interest. As an illustration, the quartic oscillator is considered, and it is shown that invoking only the terms of a perturbation theory up to the second order, the ground‐state energy is defined with an accuracy of 0.1% for all values of the anharmonicity parameter, from zero up to infinity.
A custom CMOS imager for multi-beam laser scanning microscopy and an improvement of scanning speed

Multi-beam laser scanning confocal microscopy with a 256 × 256-pixel custom CMOS imager performing focal-plane pinhole effect, in which any rotating disk is not required, is demonstrated. A specimen is illuminated by 32 × 32 diffraction limited light spots whose wavelength and pitch are 532nm and 8.4 μm, respectively. The spot array is generated by a microlens array, which is scanned by two-dimensional piezo actuator according to the scanning of the image sensor. The frame rate of the prototype is 0.17 Hz, which is limited by the actuator. The confocal effect has been confirmed by comparing the axial resolution in the confocal imaging mode with that of the normal imaging mode. The axial resolution in the confocal mode measured by the full width at half maximum (FWHM) for a planar mirror was 8.9 μm, which is showed that the confocality has been achieved with the proposed CMOS image sensor. The focal-plane pinhole effect in the confocal microscopy with the proposed CMOS imager has been demonstrated at low frame rate. An improvement of the scanning speed and a CMOS imager with photo-sensitivity modulation pixels suitable for high-speed scanning are also discussed.
Tutorial teaching assistants in the classroom: Similar teaching behaviors are supported by varied beliefs about teaching and learning

As part of a long-term program to develop effective, research-based professional development programs for physics graduate student teaching assistants TAs, we first identify their current classroom practices and why they engage in these practices. In this paper, we identify a set of teaching practices we call “focusing on indicators,” which occurs when TAs use signs such as key words or diagrams as evidence that students understand the target idea; these indicators are more superficial than a detailed explanation. Our primary finding is that although the three TAs discussed here share a common behavior, the beliefs and motivations that underlie this behavior vary. We argue that TA professional development focused on changing these TAs’ focus-on-indicator behavior is unlikely to be effective. Instead, responsive TA professional development will need to address the TAs’ beliefs that guide the observed classroom behavior.
A classical view of quantum entanglement

This Master’s Thesis addresses the question of what is quantum entanglement. This question is of importance for engineering and information theory because of the possibility of quantum computing. Key to the answer of this question is the debate between Einstein and Bohr relating to this subject. Throughout this thesis the view of Einstein is given special and only consideration. It is appropriate to examine this view 100 years after Einstein’s famous papers that have laid the foundation and given the principles for this debate. The thesis examines the key experiments by the Aspect and Zeilinger groups that purport to give a decision against Einstein and shows that existing results are far from conclusive. Some of the discussions are built on known criticisms of the Aspect and Zeilinger experiments some are new, in particularly those relating to the classical information theory of Shannon. The Pan et al. realization [1] of the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) Gedankenexperiment is approached here with classical methods. The quantum mechanical model for the GHZ Gedankenexperiment that was realized by Pan et al. is generally accepted and it is commonly assumed that classical objective local theories can not explain the experiment. Pan et al. have presented a local realistic model and have shown that it does not suffice to explain their experiments. However, in this thesis it is shown that a modified local realistic model based on instruction sets can reproduce the experimental results reported by Pan et al. with a statistically smaller error than the predictions of the quantum mechanical model presented by Pan et al. As a consequence, these experimental results can not be used to prove quantum nonlocality. In addition to the modified local realistic model an objective local model based on time and setting dependent equipment parameters is also presented. This model confirms a fortiori that the Pan et al. realization of the GHZ Gedankenexperiment can not be used to exclude all classes of objective local models. Therefore the Pan et al. realization of the GHZ Gedankenexperiment can not be used to prove the completeness of quantum mechanics or the existence of nonlocalities.
The Utility of Nonparametric Transformations for Imputation of Survey Data

Abstract Missing values present a prevalent problem in the analysis of establishment survey data. Multivariate imputation algorithms (which are used to fill in missing observations) tend to have the common limitation that imputations for continuous variables are sampled from Gaussian distributions. This limitation is addressed here through the use of robust marginal transformations. Specifically, kernel-density and empirical distribution-type transformations are discussed and are shown to have favorable properties when used for imputation of complex survey data. Although such techniques have wide applicability (i.e., they may be easily applied in conjunction with a wide array of imputation techniques), the proposed methodology is applied here with an algorithm for imputation in the USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey. Data analysis and simulation results are used to illustrate the specific advantages of the robust methods when compared to the fully parametric techniques and to other relevant techniques such as predictive mean matching. To summarize, transformations based upon parametric densities are shown to distort several data characteristics in circumstances where the parametric model is ill fit; however, no circumstances are found in which the transformations based upon parametric models outperform the nonparametric transformations. As a result, the transformation based upon the empirical distribution (which is the most computationally efficient) is recommended over the other transformation procedures in practice.
The Pulsation of EE Camelopardalis

EE Cam is a previously little-studied δ Scuti pulsator with amplitudes between those of the HADS (high-amplitude δ Scuti star) group and average low-amplitude pulsators. Since the size of stellar rotation determines both which pulsation modes are selected by the star as well as their amplitudes, this star offers a great opportunity to examine the astrophysical connections. Extensive photometric measurements covering several months were carried out. Fifteen significant pulsation frequencies were extracted. The dominant mode at 4.934 cycles day-1 was identified as a radial mode by examining the phase shifts at different wavelengths. Medium-dispersion spectra yielded a v sin i value of 40 ± 3 km s-1. This shows that EE Cam belongs to the important transition region between HADSs and normal δ Scuti stars.
Silicon-Containing Spin-on Underlayer Material for Step and Flash Nanoimprint Lithography

Nanoimprint lithography is a newly developed patterning method that employs a hard template for the patterning of structures at micro- and nanometer scales. This technique has many advantages such as cost reduction, high resolution, low line edge roughness (LER), and easy operation. However, resist peeling, defects, low degree of planarization, and low throughput issues present challenges that must be resolved in order to mass produce advanced nanometer-scale devices. In this study, the new approach of using a silicon-containing spin-on hard mask underlayer material with high adhesion by reacting methacrylate groups of the underlayer to the acrylate groups of resist material during ultraviolet irradiation was demonstrated to obtain the excellent patterning dimensional accuracy and increase the process latitudes. The performance of this process is evaluated by using step and flash imprint lithography. The obtained high adhesion between the underlayer and resist material was found to lead a silicon-containing underlayer material to excellent patterning dimensional accuracy and 80 nm straight profiles. We expect that the silicon-containing a spin-on hard mask material under organic resist will be one of the most promising materials in the next generation of nanoimprint lithography.
Nonstorm time dynamics of electron radiation belts observed by the Van Allen Probes

Storm time electron radiation belt dynamics have been widely investigated for many years. Here we present a rarely reported nonstorm time event of electron radiation belt evolution observed by the Van Allen Probes during 21–24 February 2013. Within 2 days, a new belt centering around L=5.8 formed and gradually merged with the original outer belt, with the enhancement of relativistic electron fluxes by a factor of up to 50. Strong chorus waves (with power spectral density up to 10−4nT2/Hz) occurred in the region L>5. Taking into account the local acceleration driven by these chorus waves, the two‐dimensional STEERB can approximately reproduce the observed energy spectrums at the center of the new belt. These results clearly illustrate the complexity of electron radiation belt behaviors and the importance of chorus‐driven local acceleration even during the nonstorm times.
Infrared imaging using carbon nanotube-based detector

Using carbon nanotubes (CNT), high performance infrared detectors have been developed. Since the CNTs have extraordinary optoelectronics properties due to its unique one dimensional geometry and structure, the CNT based infrared detectors have extremely low dark current, low noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD), short response time, and high dynamic range. Most importantly, it can detect 3-5 um middle-wave infrared (MWIR) at room temperature. This unique feature can significantly reduce the size and weight of a MWIR imaging system by eliminating a cryogenic cooling system. However, there are two major difficulties that impede the application of CNT based IR detectors for imaging systems. First, the small diameter of the CNTs results in low fill factor. Secondly, it is difficult to fabricate large scale of detector array for high resolution focal plane due to the limitations on the efficiency and cost of the manufacturing. In this paper, a new CNT based IR imaging system will be presented. Integrating the CNT detectors with photonic crystal resonant cavity, the fill factor of the CNT based IR sensor can reach as high as 0.91. Furthermore, using the compressive sensing technology, a high resolution imaging can be achieved by CNT based IR detectors. The experimental testing results show that the new imaging system can achieve the superb performance enabled by CNT based IR detectors, and, at the same time, overcame its difficulties to achieve high resolution and efficient imaging.