Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Impact of Dietary Fibers on Mycotoxin Bioaccessibility during In Vitro Biscuit Digestion and Metabolites Identification

Mycotoxins contamination is a real concern worldwide due to their high prevalence in foods and high toxicity; therefore, strategies that reduce their gastrointestinal bioaccessibility and absorption are of major relevance. The use of dietary fibers as binders of four mycotoxins (zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON), HT-2, and T-2 toxins) to reduce their bioaccessibility was investigated by in vitro digestion of biscuits enriched with fibers. K-carrageenan is a promising fiber to reduce the bioaccessibility of ZEA, obtaining values lower than 20%, while with pectin a higher reduction of DON, HT-2, and T-2 (50–88%) was achieved. Three metabolites of mycotoxins were detected, of which the most important was T-2-triol, which was detected at higher levels compared to T-2. This work has demonstrated the advantages of incorporating dietary fibers into a biscuit recipe to reduce the bioaccessibility of mycotoxins and to obtain healthier biscuits than when a conventional recipe is performed due to its high content of fiber.
Metamaterial Inspired Resonators as Microwave Sensors: A Review

Metamaterial-based devices show properties like negative magnetic permeability and negative electrical permittivity, which are not found naturally. Due to their extraordinary sensitivity to nearby perturbations, metamaterial structures have recently emerged as highly desirable and effective techniques of detection. Wide dynamic range, multi-functionality, and simple design and production are a few benefits of metamaterial-based structures. The sensitivity and limit of detection for sensors based on metamaterials can be enhanced by properly altering the device parameters. With the inclusion of microfluidics in metamaterial-based sensors, the sensitivity, selectivity, and detection limit can also be improved. In this review, we have focused on the various meta-surfaces employed for sensing purposes. We have provided a brief introduction to the principle and working of sensors based on meta-surfaces. The main content of the paper is a detailed review of metamaterial-inspired microwave sensor device applications in different fields. These fields include applications in biological sensing, chemical and fuel sensing, physical sensing (includes temperature, strain, displacement, and thickness measurement), and non-destructive techniques for structural health monitoring.
The Hegemonic Role of the United States in the U.S.-China Copyright Disputes

This paper examines the U.S. hegemonic role in imposing its copyright standards onto the Chinese, who hold fundamentally different cultural perceptions of copyright in terms of innovation, fair use, and the public domain. A thematic analysis of the transcripts of 45 in-depth interviews of the Chinese copyright holders and consumers via the theoretical lens of hegemony reveals the following. To obtain bigger market access and better protection of its intellectual property rights (IPR), the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has been coercive in universalizing its IPR standards and policies by establishing an internal interagency mechanism and an external network. The study suggests that both the United States and China need to adopt the golden mean to realize the goals of its respective copyright laws.
Bird behavior and mortality in relation to power lines in prairie habitats

Abstract : Research was conducted to determine the magnitude of avian mortality caused by power transmission lines in prairie habitats during the two spring and two fall migration periods between July 1980 and May 1982. Searches for dead birds were made at least twice weekly during each migration period. Study sites were selected to include 'worst-case' situations involving potentially large concentrations of birds. In total, 633 dead birds were found beneath 9.6 km of power lines. About 81% of the birds were found during fall migration. Removal of birds by scavengers was of minor, although local, importance, and observer error in finding birds was greatest in areas of dense vegetation. Total kill was estimated at 1,332 birds. Data were gathered on more than 7,000 bird flights observed in the vicinity of the power lines. Sixty-eight percent of the birds did not respond to the presence of the power lines. Flaring and climbing over the conductor or overhead ground wire occurred in about 25% of the flights. One hundred nine birds in 82 flocks were observed to collide with a power line. Of these birds, 87% flared to climb over the power line before colliding. The overhead ground wire was responsible for most deaths, as 102 of 109 birds collided with it. Whereas none of the mortality observed was considered to be biologically significant at the particular sites examined, the cumulative effect of mortality sustained from collisions with power lines may be important, particularly to populations of rare or endangered birds.
Finite‐horizon H∞ tracking control for discrete‐time linear systems

In this paper, model‐free finite‐horizon H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ tracking control for discrete‐time linear systems is studied. By formulating an augmented system consisting of the considered linear system and the command generator system, an augmented time‐varying Riccati equation whose solutions can achieve the finite‐horizon H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ tracking control is derived. Then, a time‐varying Q‐function which contains the control input and disturbance input is designed. A time‐varying Q‐function‐based method is developed to learn the solutions of the finite‐horizon H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ tracking control problem without knowing the system model information nor any model identification methods. It is proved that the solutions of the time‐varying Q‐function‐based method converge to the optimal solutions of the augmented time‐varying Riccati equation. At last, simulation examples are provided to show the feasibility and advantages of the time‐varying Q‐function‐based method compared to the infinite‐horizon Q‐learning‐based H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ tracking control method.
Nature’s Eden? The Production and Effects of ‘Pristine’ Nature in the Galápagos Islands

Best known for inspiring Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, the Galápagos Islands are often referred to as an “evolutionary Eden” and celebrated as one of the world’s few remaining bastions of “pristine” nature. However, recent concerns of a crisis of overdevelopment prompted UNESCO to put the Galápagos on its list of World Heritage Sites “In Danger. ” In this paper, we interrogate the conception of pristine nature which undergirds the recent crisis discourse and argue that such understandings of nature are not in fact natural, but are social productions that reflect particular ways of understanding island space. We then explore the material and political effects of understandings of “pristine” nature by showing how they work to structure the tourism industry and investment in public infrastructure in ways that have created social inequalities as well as negative environmental impacts. We then briefly discuss measures taken so far to address the crisis situation, arguing that they would benefit from critical attention to the complexity of social-environmental relations in the Galápagos and a re-thinking of the nature of the islands.
Network Medicine: From Conceptual Frameworks to Applications and Future Trends

The intricate nature of biological processes is orchestrated by molecular interactions. The complexity of these interactions stems from the sheer number of components involved and their relationships. To overcome this complexity, network medicine adopts a holistic, integrative approach at multiple levels. The human interactome involves over 100,000 molecules, including proteins, RNAs, and metabolites, all interconnected by a network of connections. One challenge in understanding the human interactome is associating specific parts of this network with biological phenomena such as diseases, drug resistance, and other abnormalities. Although molecular measurements can quantitatively identify many altered molecules, making sense of these molecular changes within the broader network context is a formidable task. Notably, alterations in the human interactome often occur in closely connected regions of the network. By using prior biological knowledge and applying the context-specific molecular interplays, specific sub-networks can be extracted. These network modules can provide valuable insights into complex biological questions. Furthermore, a range of learning and graph-based methodologies are employed to deduce meaningful clinical outcomes in these modules. In this context, we present a comprehensive overview of the standard workflows utilized in network medicine, along with a discussion of its applications and future directions.
The experience of healthcare workers to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) implementation in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis

Background The effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis has been extensively documented. However, there are substantial gaps between the actual implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis and the ideal goal, especially in low-and middle-income countries. Healthcare workers play critical roles in the pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation, and they have more multi-level experiences about the barriers of pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation and how to facilitate it. However, the evidence aiming to synthesize their experiences is limited. Objective This study aims to aggregate the healthcare workers’ experiences of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis in low-and middle-income countries, and find the barriers, facilitators, and recommendations of pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation. Methods The ENTREQ (Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research) statement was used to guide the design and reporting of this qualitative meta-synthesis. A comprehensive search was conducted from inception of databases to 16th March 2023 in four databases: PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Embase, Web of Science. The quality appraisal was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. JBI’s meta-aggregation approach was used to guide the data extraction and synthesis, and the JBI ConQual approach was used to evaluate the evidence level of the synthesized findings. Results Fourteen articles with good methodological quality were included in this review. A total of 122 findings were extracted and 117 findings with credibility ratings of “unequivocal” or “equivocal” were included in this meta-synthesis. The eligible findings were aggregated into 13 new categories and subsequently developed into 3 synthesized findings: the barriers, facilitators, and recommendations of pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation in low-and middle-income countries. The overall ConQual score of all three synthesized findings was rated as “low. ” Conclusion This review aggregated the experience of health care workers implementing pre-exposure prophylaxis in low-and middle-income countries and we could focus on the following key points to promote the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis: improve knowledge about pre-exposure prophylaxis, create a supportive environment, address medication-related barriers, increase the human resources and financial investments, and diversify the providing models. Systematic review registration https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/PROSPERO/. The protocol of this review has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42023411604).
Shape-from-shading and light source estimation in humans

Light source estimation is very important for the interpretation of shape-fromshading by humans. We used a range of methods to characterise the way in which the type, and position of the light source can influence observers’ performance in shape-from-shading tasks. Firstly, we used classification images to discover people’s priors for light source position using noise only stimuli. This cue-free approach uncovered the weakness of the light-from-above prior. We also examined the effect of varying the light source elevation on the perceived shape of isotropic and anisotropic surfaces, the impacts of lighting ambiguities on shape-from-shading and, finally, the interpretation of shadow regions. We found that lighting priors are weighted by the visual system in a way that is inversely proportional to the strength of lighting cues in the stimuli, revealing that knowledge about the light source position is critical to perceiving shapefrom- shading. Where ambiguous cues to lighting direction are present human vision seems to favour local cues over distal ones. We also showed that perceived surface shape varies with light elevation only in so far as elevation alters contrast. Finally we show that human vision does not treat shadows in the same way as objects.
ANGPTL2+cancer-associated fibroblasts and SPP1+macrophages are metastasis accelerators of colorectal cancer

Background Liver metastasis (LM) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in CRC patients, whereas the associated mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, it is urgently needed to deeply explore novel metastasis accelerators and therapeutic targets of LM-CRC. Methods The bulk RNA sequencing data and clinicopathological information of CRC patients were enrolled from the TCGA and GEO databases. The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets of CRC were collected from and analyzed in the Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub (TISCH) database. The infiltration levels of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and macrophages in CRC tissues were estimated by multiple immune deconvolution algorithms. The prognostic values of genes were identified by the Kaplan-Meier curve with a log-rank test. GSEA analysis was carried out to annotate the significantly enriched gene sets. The biological functions of cells were experimentally verified. Results In the present study, hundreds of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected in LM-CRC compared to primary CRC, and these DEGs were significantly associated with the regulation of endopeptidase activity, blood coagulation, and metabolic processes. Then, SPP1, CAV1, ANGPTL2, and COLEC11 were identified as the characteristic DEGs of LM-CRC, and higher expression levels of SPP1 and ANGPTL2 were significantly associated with worse clinical outcomes of CRC patients. In addition, ANGPTL2 and SPP1 mainly distributed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of CRC tissues. Subsequent scRNA-seq analysis demonstrated that ANGPTL2 and SPP1 were markedly enriched in the CAFs and macrophages of CRC tissues, respectively. Moreover, we identified the significantly enriched gene sets in LM-CRC, especially those in the SPP1+macrophages and ANGPTL2+CAFs, such as the HALLMARK_EPITHELIAL_MESENCHYMAL_TRANSITION and the HALLMARK_COMPLEMENT. Finally, our in vitro experiments proved that ANGPTL2+CAFs and SPP1+macrophages promote the metastasis of CRC cells. Conclusion Our study selected four characteristic genes of LM-CRC and identified ANGPTL2+CAFs and SPP1+macrophages subtypes as metastasis accelerators of CRC which provided a potential therapeutic target for LM-CRC.
Fractional Control of a Class of Underdamped Fractional Systems with Time Delay—Application to a Teleoperated Robot with a Flexible Link

This work addresses the robust control of processes of the form G(s)=K·e−τ·s/(1+T·sλ) with 1<λ≤2. A new method for tuning fractional-order PI and PD controllers is developed. The stability is assessed based on the frequency domain tuning of the regulators to control such delayed fractional-order underdamped processes. In order to analyze the closed-loop stability and robustness, the new concept of Robust High-Frequency Condition is introduced. The analysis based on that demonstrates that each controller has a different region of feasible frequency specifications, and, in all cases, they depend on their fractional integral or derivative actions. Finally, an application example, the position control of a teleoperated manipulator with a flexible link, is presented. Simulations and experiments illustrate that the region of feasible frequency specifications defined at low and high frequencies allows us to obtain robust controllers that fulfill frequency requirements.
Thermal Dispersion in a Fracture‐Matrix System With Application to Geothermal Energy Extraction

We studied thermal dispersion in a fracture walled by a porous and permeable rock matrix, where the fluid flow and heat transport are coupled across the interface between these media. The reduced order model of the advective‐dispersive heat transport in the fracture‐matrix system is resulted from the Reynolds decomposition. The model allows the calculations of the upscaled dispersion and advection terms. A simple scaling relation is developed to estimate heat extraction from geothermal fracture‐matrix systems. It was shown that the extracted heat is inversely proportional to the height of the matrix squared. Our finding also revealed that the dimensionless extracted heat is weakly dependent on fracture Peclet number and matrix Darcy number and is threefold the matrix dimensionless thermal diffusion time. In the analysis presented, we assumed a homogenous system. The heterogeneity caused by a variation in fracture and rock matrix properties (such as porosity, permeability, thickness, and aperture) adds more complexity. Including these complexities in the determination of the thermal dispersion with the coupled fracture‐matrix approach needs further investigation. However, the developed model, along with the findings of this study, provides valuable insight into the physics of thermal energy extraction from fractured geothermal reservoirs and can be used for testing the underlying hypotheses in real‐field applications.
Development and evaluation of a magnetorheological fluid-based clutch with hybrid excitation

This article presents the development and control of a hybrid excitation magnetorheological (MR) fluid clutch with improved magnetic cores. The clutch adopts a hybrid excitation design with coils and permanent magnets. To obtain an increased torque, an improved magnetic core shape of the permanent magnet is adopted in the clutch. Furthermore, simulation is used to test the magnetic field in the fluid gaps. Then, a prototype is manufactured, and a test bed is built. Experiments prove that the designed hybrid excitation MR clutch has an improved torque. In order to achieve accurate torque output, a genetic algorithm (GA) optimized fuzzy proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller is presented and compared with the other two controllers, and the effectiveness is verified by simulations and experiments. It turns out that the proposed GA optimized fuzzy PID controller is effective in improving the torque tracking accuracy and can be used for torque control of MR clutches.
Innovating the Communication Pedagogy: An Application of Flipped Classroom Technique in Communication Education

As students try to make sense of their college experience and the value of attaining a degree post-pandemic, educators are grappling with finding new methods to re-engage students in the classroom using a range of modalities. This case study explored student reactions to flipped classroom learning experiences, and possible relationship between the flipped classroom technique and academic performance in communication education. As a student-centric pedagogical method, the flipped classroom can offer a promising remedy for student disengagement, and the findings of this study provide supporting evidence for this conclusion. Students characterized flipped classroom as a very favorable learning experience as it 1) motivated and engaged them in the course, 2) encouraged them to make creative connections across course topics, 3) provided a self-paced, flexible learning environment, and 4) facilitated an authentic experience with the course material for deeper learning. Additionally, the quantitative analysis suggested that flipped classroom may have connections to students’ academic performance in a human communication and technology course. The findings are discussed within the framework of engagement theory, and pedagogical implications are advanced for future practices of flipped classroom within communication pedagogy, particularly as a tool to address increasing student disengagement after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spatial scale influences the distribution of viral diversity in the eukaryotic virome of the mosquito Culex pipiens

Abstract Our knowledge of the diversity of eukaryotic viruses has recently undergone a massive expansion. This diversity could influence host physiology through yet unknown phenomena of potential interest to the fields of health and food production. However, the assembly processes of this diversity remain elusive in the eukaryotic viromes of terrestrial animals. This situation hinders hypothesis-driven tests of virome influence on host physiology. Here, we compare taxonomic diversity between different spatial scales in the eukaryotic virome of the mosquito Culex pipiens. This mosquito is a vector of human pathogens worldwide. The experimental design involved sampling in five countries in Africa and Europe around the Mediterranean Sea and large mosquito numbers to ensure a thorough exploration of virus diversity. A group of viruses was found in all countries. This core group represented a relatively large and diverse fraction of the virome. However, certain core viruses were not shared by all host individuals in a given country, and their infection rates fluctuated between countries and years. Moreover, the distribution of coinfections in individual mosquitoes suggested random co-occurrence of those core viruses. Our results also suggested differences in viromes depending on geography, with viromes tending to cluster depending on the continent. Thus, our results unveil that the overlap in taxonomic diversity can decrease with spatial scale in the eukaryotic virome of C. pipiens. Furthermore, our results show that integrating contrasted spatial scales allows us to identify assembly patterns in the mosquito virome. Such patterns can guide future studies of virome influence on mosquito physiology.
Globalization and Innovation： Development Factors in Subnational Governments in Mexico： The Case of the State of San Luis Potosi

The main idea of this paper is that the role of the local governments as decision makers, as well as policies generators, has been discussed in recent years under different subjects, considering that the trendy practices and the participation of different governmental and non-governmental actors are the cause of development in some matters related to the design and implementation of successful public policies. These new forms—also known as innovation—are shown in the re-design of the administrative structures, the interactive networks with citizens and the change of the institutional frames of government into a new context generating collaborating programs, involving diverse areas, working, designing, and implementing policies which involve multiple actors, shared responsibilities, and searching for local development under innovative strategies. For that reason, this paper’s objective is to try to understand how local governments are generating new forms of working, taking as main innovation reference the participation of diverse actors and the learning processes generated through these experiences. It analyzes from a qualitative perspective four successful Mexican local cases considered as good practices.