Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous wave stimulation in semiconductor microcavities in the strong coupling limit

We describe recent continuous wave studies of stimulated polariton scattering in semiconductor microcavities, with emphasis on the variety of new physics which has been observed in the last few years. The ability to manipulate both exciton and photon properties, and how they interact together to form strongly coupled exciton-photon coupled modes, exciton polaritons, leads to a number of novel phenomena, previously unreported in bulk semiconductors or quantum wells. The unusual dispersion of the lower polariton branch, which allows energy and momentum conserving polariton-polariton parametric scattering under resonant excitation, is shown to be a key factor enabling much of the new physics. A classical theoretical treatment of the phenomena which draws parallels between the equivalent pictures of stimulated polariton scattering and those of a triply resonant optical parametric oscillator is discussed. Higher order parametric phenomena and the factors which control the threshold for stimulation are also described. The results obtained under resonant excitation are contrasted with phenomena which occur under conditions of non-resonant excitation. Prospects to achieve 'polariton lasing' under non-resonant excitation are discussed.
Quasiperiodic Pb monolayer on the fivefold i -Al-Pd-Mn surface: Structure and electronic properties

Lead is one of few elements that adopts a pseudomorphic structure when deposited on quasicrystalline substrates. We present a structural model of quasiperiodic Pb overlayers formed on the fivefold surface of an icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal at two different coverages close to saturation. The skeleton of the Pb monolayer is formed by a network of ``starfish'' (SF) clusters formed at the initial stages of Pb deposition, as studied in detail in our previous work [Ledieu et al., Phys. Rev. B 79, 165430 (2009)]. The atomic structure of the Pb monolayers can be represented as a decorated pentagonal Penrose P1 tiling. The structural models reproduce also the quasiperiodic superstructure of the layers observed in experimental scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images which is described by the $\ensuremath{\tau}$-scaled $\ensuremath{\tau}\text{P}1$ tiling ($\ensuremath{\tau}$ is the golden mean). The atomic structure underlying the observed $\ensuremath{\tau}$-scaled ``white flower'' motifs and the origin of irregular bright spots in STM images are discussed. The bright spots appear in the centers of the SF clusters centered at substrate sites occupied by Al atoms. The calculated electronic structure shows that the minimum in the density of states (pseudogap) at the Fermi level which is characteristic for the Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystals appears also in the local density of states of the adsorbed Pb monolayer. However, our analysis demonstrates that the formation of this pseudogap is not due to the quasiperiodic arrangement of the Pb atoms but to the strong hybridization of their orbitals with the substrate.
Design of FIR Digital Filters Without Transition-Band Fluctuations

This paper presents a new method for the design of finiteimpulse-response (FIR) digital filters without transition-band fluctuations. We derive a fluctuation-free condition from gradient constraints on the magnitude of transition-band responses. Incorporating the condition, we formulate a new peak-constrained least-squares (PCLS) design of FIR filters as an iterative quadratic programming (QP) problem. Each iteration of the algorithm uses a multiple-exchange technique for giving a QP problem with a small number of constraints. The new algorithm obtains PCLS filters free from transitionband fluctuations efficiently. Design examples are included to illustrate the proposed algorithm.
comparative evaluation of 2 cow-side meters and a milk test for the diagnosis of subclinical ketosis

Subclinical ketosis (SCK) is a metabolic disease of dairy cows that has significant economic effects on dairy farms due to its effect on reproductive performance, milk production, and future risk of disease. Subclinical ketosis has been defined as being present when serum β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) concentrations are >1.2 mmol/L. Currently there are 2 electronic hand- held meters marketed for cow-side determination of βHB levels. One meter, the Nova Vet Blood Ketone and Glucose Monitoring System, is a new veterinary specific entrant to the market, and no performance data on it exists. The other, Precision Xtra, is a human meter validated for use in cows. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic test performance of 2 different cow-side handheld meters and a milk βHB test to a reference laboratory testing method.
57.5 MHz observations of extended nonthermal sources in the galactic plane.

The sources that appear in absorption against the nonthermal galactic background in the present radio-continuum maps of two fields in the galactic plane are identified as H II regions. Three extended sources that are observed in emission are classified as SNRs on the basis of derived spectral index values. The objects are G8.7-0.1, which is the extended component of the W30 region, G18.1-0.2, and G19.96-0.18; this last is noted to have a flat radio spectrum and a filled-center morphology, and is suggested to be a Crab-like SNR. 35 references.
Implementation of a cascaded HOG-based pedestrian detector

In this paper, we present our implementation of a cascaded Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) based pedestrian detector. Most human detection algorithms can be implemented as a cascade of classifiers to decrease computation time while maintaining approximately the same performance. Although cascaded versions of Dalal and Triggs's HOG detector already exist, we aim to provide a more detailed explanation of an implementation than is currently available. We also use Asymmetric Boosting instead of Adaboost to train the cascade stages. We show that this reduces the number of weak classifiers needed per stage. We present the results of our detector on the INRIA pedestrian detection dataset and compare them to Dalal and Triggs's results.
The implementation of the bayesian paradigm

Routine implementation of the Bayesian paradigm requires an efficient approach to the calculation and display of posterior or predictive distributions for given likelihood and prior specifi- cations. In this paper we shall review some of the analytic and numerical approaches currently available, describing in detail a numerical integration strategy based on Gaussian quadrature, and an associated strategy for the reconstruction and display of distributions based on spline techniques.
Intelligent identification of pavement cracks based on PSA-Net

The identification of pavement cracks is critical for ensuring road safety. Currently, manual crack detection is quite time-consuming. To address this issue, automated pavement crack-detecting technology is required. However, automatic pavement crack recognition remains challenging, owing to the intensity heterogeneity of cracks and the complexity of the backdrop, e.g., low contrast of damages and backdrop may have shadows with comparable intensity. Motivated by breakthroughs in deep learning, we present a new network architecture combining the feature pyramid with the attention mechanism (PSA-Net). In a feature pyramid, the network integrates spatial information and underlying features for crack detection. During the training process, it improves the accuracy of automatic road crack recognition by nested sample weighting to equalize the loss caused by simple and complex samples. To verify the effectiveness of the suggested technique, we used a dataset of real road cracks to test it with different crack detection methods.
Desired Compensation Adaptive Robust Control

A desired compensation adaptive robust control (DCARC) approach is proposed for nonlinear systems having both parametric uncertainties and uncertain nonlinearities. DCARC of nonlinear systems transformable to a normal form is first solved. A DCARC backstepping design is then developed to overcome the design difficulties associated with unmatched model uncertainties. The proposed DCARC has the unique feature that the adaptive model compensation part depends on the reference trajectory and parameter estimates only. Such a structure has several implementation advantages. First, the regressor in the model compensation part can be calculated off-line and on-line computation time may be reduced. Second, the interaction between the parameter adaptation and the robust control law is minimized, which may facilitate the controller gain tuning process considerably. Third, the effect of measurement noise is minimized since the regressor does not depend on actual measurements. As a result, a fast adaptation rate may be chosen in implementation to speed up the transient response and to improve overall tracking performance. These claims have been verified in the comparative experimental studies for the control of robot manipulators.
Reducing Literature Screening Workload With Machine Learning

Abstract. In our era of accelerated accumulation of knowledge, the manual screening of literature for eligibility is increasingly becoming too labor-intensive for summarizing the current state of knowledge in a timely manner. Recent advances in machine learning and natural language processing promise to reduce the screening workload by automatically detecting unseen references with a high probability of inclusion. As a variety of tools have been developed, the current review provides an overview of their characteristics and performance. A systematic search in various databases yielded 488 eligible reports, revealing 15 tools for screening automation that differed in methodology, features, and accessibility. For the review on the performance of screening tools, 21 studies could be included. In comparison to sampling records randomly, active screening with prioritization approximately halves the screening workload. However, a comparison of tools under equal or at least similar conditions is needed to derive clear recommendations.
The effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on inflammatory cytokines and adipokines in adults: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis

Background and aims Many studies have investigated the effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on inflammatory cytokines and adipokines. However, the results of these studies are not consistent. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to comprehensively evaluate the effect of CLA supplementation on inflammatory cytokines and adipokines. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of CLA supplementation on C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), adiponectin, and leptin, published up to March 2022, were identified through PubMed, SCOPUS, and ISI Web of Science databases. A random-effects model was used to calculate weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for 42 studies that included 1,109 participants. Results Findings from 42 studies with 58 arms indicated that CLA supplementation significantly decreased IL-6 and TNF-α levels and also slightly increased CRP levels. However, adiponectin and leptin levels did not change after CLA supplementation. A subgroup analysis found that CLA supplementation reduced adiponectin and leptin in women. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that CLA supplementation increased CRP levels and decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Therefore, it seems that CLA can have both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory roles. Systematic review registration https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/prospero/, identifier (CRD42022331110).
Iron metabolism in colorectal cancer

Iron, as one of the essential trace elements in the human body, is involved in a wide range of critical biochemical reactions and physiological processes, including the maintenance of the normal cell cycle, mitochondrial function, nucleotide metabolism, and immune response. In this context, iron is naturally associated with cancer occurrence. Cellular iron deficiency can induce apoptosis, however, iron can also engage in potentially harmful reactions that produce free radicals because of its capacity to gain and lose electrons. Studies suggest that dietary iron, particularly heme iron, may be one of the leading causes of colorectal cancer (CRC). Moreover, patients with CRC have abnormal iron absorption, storage, utilization, and exportation. Therefore, iron is crucial for the development and progression of CRC. Elaborating on the alterations in iron metabolism during the onset and advancement of CRC would help to further explain the role and mechanism of iron inside the body. Thus, we reviewed the alterations in numerous iron metabolism-related molecules and their roles in CRC, which may provide new clues between iron metabolism and CRC.
Inhibition Kinetics and Theoretical Studies on Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl. Dual Inhibitors of α-Glucosidase and α-Amylase

Compounds from Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl. were previously reported for inhibitory activities of amylase and glucosidase enzymatic action on starch as a preliminary study toward the establishment of a management strategy against postprandial hyperglycemia, however, the inhibitory kinetics and molecular interaction of these compounds were never established. A study was thus designed to establish the inhibitory kinetics and in silico molecular interaction of α-glucosidase and α-amylase with Z. chalybeum metabolites based on Lineweaver–Burk/Dixon plot analyses and using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software, respectively. Skimmianine (5), Norchelerythrine (6), 6-Acetonyldihydrochelerythrine (7), and 6-Hydroxy-N-methyldecarine (8) alkaloids showed mixed inhibition against both α-glucosidase and α-amylase with comparable Ki to the reference acarbose (p > 0.05) on amylase but significantly higher activity than acarbose on α-glucosidase. One phenolic 2,3-Epoxy-6,7-methylenedioxyconiferol (10) showed a competitive mode of inhibition both on amylase and glucosidase which were comparable (p > 0.05) to the activity of acarbose. The other compounds analyzed and displayed varied modes of inhibition between noncompetitive and uncompetitive with moderate inhibition constants included chaylbemide A (1), chalybeate B (2) and chalybemide C (3), fagaramide (4), ailanthoidol (9), and sesame (11). The important residues of the proteins α-glucosidase and α-amylase were found to have exceptional binding affinities and significant interactions through molecular docking studies. The binding affinities were observed in the range of −9.4 to −13.8 and −8.0 to −12.6 relative to the acarbose affinities at −17.6 and −20.5 kcal/mol on α-amylase and α-glucosidase residue, respectively. H-bonding, π-H, and ionic interactions were noted on variable amino acid residues on both enzymes. The study thus provides the basic information validating the application of extracts of Z. chalybeum in the management of postprandial hyperglycemia. Additionally, the molecular binding mechanism discovered in this study could be useful for optimizing and designing new molecular analogs as pharmacological agents against diabetes.
Microbiota, Oxidative Stress, and Skin Cancer: An Unexpected Triangle

Mounting evidence indicates that the microbiota, the unique combination of micro-organisms residing in a specific environment, plays an essential role in the development of a wide range of human diseases, including skin cancer. Moreover, a persistent imbalance of microbial community, named dysbiosis, can also be associated with oxidative stress, a well-known emerging force involved in the pathogenesis of several human diseases, including cutaneous malignancies. Although their interplay has been somewhat suggested, the connection between microbiota, oxidative stress, and skin cancer is a largely unexplored field. In the present review, we discuss the current knowledge on these topics, suggesting potential therapeutic strategies.
Relationship between the Mediterranean diet and risk of hepatic fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A cross-sectional analysis of the RaNCD cohort

Background Despite evidence supporting the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on hepatic steatosis in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the relationship of the MedDiet with hepatic fibrosis is as yet unclear. The aim of the present study was to explore this association in Iranian adults with NAFLD. Methods This cross-sectional study included 3,325 subjects with NAFLD from the Ravansar Noncommunicable Disease (RaNCD) cohort. Dietary intake data were collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The MedDiet score was computed based on a nine-point scale constructed by Trichopoulou et al. Fatty liver index (FLI) and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index were used to predict hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in the population. Multivariate regression models were applied to determine associations. Results Subjects in the highest tertile of MedDiet score had a higher platelet and a lower weight, total cholesterol (TC), LDL-c, and FLI than those in the lowest tertile (p-value < 0.05). Adherence to the MedDiet was associated with a 7.48 (95%CI: 5.376 to 9.603; p-value: 0.001) × 103/μl; −0.417 (95%CI: −0.819 to −0.014; p-value: 0.042) kg, −2.505 (95%CI: −3.835 to −1.175; p-value: 0.001) mg/dl; and −1.93 (95%CI: −2.803 to −1.061; p-value: 0.001) mg/dl change in platelet, weight, TC, and LDL-c for each SD increase in the score, respectively. A significant linear trend was observed in odds of hepatic fibrosis across the tertiles of the MedDiet score (P-trend: 0.008). This linear trend was attenuated but remained significant after the adjustment of the relevant confounders (P-trend: 0.032). Adherence to the MedDiet was independently associated with about 16% lower odds of having hepatic fibrosis in patients with NAFLD for each SD increase in the score. Conclusion Adherence to the MedDiet characterized by a high intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fish was associated with a lower risk of having hepatic fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Further studies are required to elucidate the causal relationship of observed association in individuals of all ages, ethnicities, and etiologies of hepatic steatosis.
Vortex merger in rotating stratified flows

This paper describes the interaction of symmetric vortices in a three-dimensional quasi-geostrophic fluid. The initial vortices are taken to be uniform-potential-vorticity ellipsoids, of height 2h and width 2R, and with centres at (±d/2; 0, 0), embedded within a background flow having constant background rotational and buoyancy frequencies, f/2 and N respectively. This problem was previously studied by von Hardenburg et al. (2000), who determined the dimensionless critical merger distance d/R as a function of the height-to-width aspect ratio h/R (scaled by f/N). Their study, however, was limited to small to moderate values of h/R, as it was anticipated that merger at large h/R would reduce to that for two columnar two-dimensional vortices, i.e. d/R ≈ 3.31. Here, it is shown that no such two-dimensional limit exists; merger is found to occur at any aspect ratio, with d ∼ h for h/R [Gt ] 1. New results are also found for small to moderate values of h/R. In particular, our numerical simulations reveal that asymmetric merger is predominant, despite the initial conditions, if one includes a small amount of random noise. For small to moderate h/R, decreasing the initial separation distance d first results in a weak exchange of material, with one vortex growing at the expense of the other. As d decreases further, this exchange increases and leads to two dominant but strongly asymmetric vortices. Finally, for yet smaller d, rapid merger into a single dominant vortex occurs – in effect the initial vortices exchange nearly all of their material with one another in a nearly symmetrical fashion.
BMSAD: behavior feature and multi-scenario-based Sybil attack detection method in vehicular networks

Vehicular networks improve traffic safety and efficiency by wireless communications among vehicles and infrastructures. However, security has always been a challenge to vehicular networks, which may cause severe harm to the intelligent transportation systems. Sybil attack is considered as a serious security threat to vehicular networks since the attacker can disseminate false messages with multiple forged identities. In this paper, we designed a behavior feature and multi-scenario-based Sybil attack detection method, named BMSAD in vehicular networks. In BMSAD, we propose solutions for two scenarios: normal traffic and traffic congestion. A node is allowed to verify the authenticity of another node by estimating their geographic distance based on received signal strength, and compare them to its claimed localizations. Then we design long- and short-term pattern to analyze the similarity of vehicles’ behavior features and trajectory for Sybil nodes detection, which act as the second line of defense in normal traffic scenario. At last, the Sybil nodes of the traffic congestion scenario are detected by logical inference based on kinematics theory. And experiment results demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves high detection rate and low false positive rate.
Inula viscosa ameliorates acetic acid induced ulcerative colitis in rats

ABSTRACT Increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress contribute to the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis (UC). Inula viscosa is a plant with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the effect of an ethanolic extract of I. viscosa on an experimental UC model created using acetic acid. Rats were divided into four groups of eight: group 1, control; group 2, 3% acetic acid group; group 3, 100 mg/kg sulfasalazine + 3% acetic acid group; group 4, 400 mg/kg I. viscosa + 3% acetic acid. I. viscosa and sulfasalazine were administered by oral gavage and 3% acetic acid was administered per rectum. We found that I. viscosa treatment decreased colon malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1 beta and nuclear factor kappa B levels; it increased reduced glutathione, nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2, heme oxygenase-1 and kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 levels and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity. Group 1 colon exhibited normal histological structure. Slight inflammatory cell infiltration and edema and insignificant slight erosion in crypts were detected in colon tissues of group 4. We found that I. viscosa reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, which was protective against UC by inducing the Nrf-2/Keap-1/HO-1 pathway in the colon.