Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Applications of Fluorescent Perylenediimide and Perylenemonoimide Dyes in Bioimaging, Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy

The emblematic perylenediimide (PDI) motif which was initially used as a simple dye has undergone incredible development in recent decades. The increasing power of synthetic organic chemistry has allowed it to decorate PDIs to achieve highly functional dyes. As these PDI derivatives combine thermal, chemical and photostability, with an additional high absorption coefficient and near-unity fluorescence quantum yield, they have been widely studied for applications in materials science, particularly in photovoltaics. Although PDIs have always been in the spotlight, their asymmetric counterparts, perylenemonoimide (PMI) analogues, are now experiencing a resurgence of interest with new efforts to create architectures with equally exciting properties. Namely, their exceptional fluorescence properties have recently been used to develop novel systems for applications in bioimaging, biosensing and photodynamic therapy. This review covers the state of the art in the synthesis, photophysical characterizations and recently reported applications demonstrating the versatility of these two sister PDI and PMI compounds. The objective is to show that after well-known applications in materials science, the emerging trends in the use of PDI- and PMI-based derivatives concern very specific biomedicinal applications including drug delivery, diagnostics and theranostics.
Quality control and data flow operations of SPHERE

ESO operates since April 2015 the new planet finder instrument SPHERE1 with three arms supported by a common path coronograph with extreme AO. Observing modes include dual band imaging, long slit spectroscopy, IFS and high contrast polarimetry. We report on the implementation of the SPHERE data flow and quality control system and on operational highlights in the first year of operations: This includes some unconventional parts of the SPHERE calibration plan like special rules for the selection of filters and the measures for an optimized calibration of the two polarimetric channels of the ZIMPOL arm. Finally we report on the significance of the SPHERE quality control system, its relation to the data reduction pipeline and which previously undocumented instrumental features have been revealed so far.
Effects of Cognitive Appraisals on Perceived Self-Efficacy and Distress during the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Empirical Analysis Based on Structural Equation Modeling

During the COVID-19 lockdown, individuals and households had to responsibly manage the difficulties and problems caused by the restrictions on their mobility, such as the interruptions to work schedules, insecure food supplies, and the procurement of services and health care. The perceptions of risk as well as the fear of disease were strongly linked to worry, defined as a sequence of thoughts that evoke negative emotions and elevated levels of anxiety and distress. This study evaluated how different cognitive appraisals of an individual’s sources of worry could influence their perceived self-efficacy and directly or indirectly moderate their perceived general distress. A sample of 544 participants completed a survey that included questions based on the generalized self-efficacy scale, the sources of concern during the epidemic, the cognitive appraisal scale in emergency, and perceived discomfort. Subsequently, a structural-equation-modeling (SEM) analysis was performed to test the moderating role of cognitive appraisals and perceived self-efficacy on participants’ overall distress during a lockdown. Overall, the model reported acceptable fit values and confirmed the hypotheses of the study. An individual’s worries activated either a dysfunctional threat appraisal, which prompted a fear-and-closure response that then increased their overall state of distress; or two other functional appraisals (i.e., adaptive or supportive) that contributed to significantly improving the individual’s self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy was shown to be associated with lower levels of perceived distress. For the purposes of prevention and distress containment, it would be appropriate to promote psycho-educational interventions that promote the adoption of appraisal strategies that are functional and beneficial for perceived self-efficacy.
Generalised Voronoi tessellation for generating microstructural finite element models with controllable grain‐size distributions and grain aspect ratios

A generalised Voronoi tessellation is proposed to create three‐dimensional microstructural finite element model, which can effectively reproduce the grain size distribution and grain aspect ratio obtained from experiments. This new approach consists of two steps. The first step generates the desired lognormal grain size distribution with a given average grain volume and standard deviation. The second step requires grouping meshed elements to create a specific grain aspect ratio, using the Voronoi generators from the first step. A new concept is introduced to describe the transition from the Poisson–Voronoi tessellation to the centroidal Voronoi tessellation. More importantly, instead of using the conventional way where the Voronoi cells are first generated and then meshed into finite elements, this new approach discretises the pre‐meshed specimen with the Voronoi generators. This new technique prevents the presence of high density mesh at the vertices of Voronoi cells, and can tessellate irregular geometry much more easily. Examples of microstructures with different size distributions, non‐equiaxed grains and complicated specimen geometries further demonstrate that the proposed approach can offer great flexibility to model various specimen geometries while keeping the process simple and efficient. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solving a class of combinatorial optimization problems with mixed evolutionary algorithm

A class of combinatorial optimization problems has the characteristic that problem space can be mapped into a set of permutations.A new method to solve the combinatorial optimization problems with mixed evolutionary algorithm based on natural scale enumerative system coding was proposed in this paper.Elitism strategy,one-point crossover and Gaussian mutation were used in the algorithm.An ingenious method for operation among big parameters was designed,which can avoid overflow and simplify the operation.Simulation results and analysis show that the new method is feasible,effective and all-purpose.
Study on an SRR-shaped left-handed material patch antenna

Left-handed material (LHM) is an artificial material. It has negative permittivity and negative permeability simultaneously and has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. This paper investigates a patch antenna based on SRR-shaped left-handed material by using the method of finite difference time domain (FDTD). A patch antenna based on SRR and notches is designed by employing the traditional construction method; the results show that there exists a wave resonance state at 7.67 GHz, where its refraction index is close to − 1. The effect has greatly enhanced the electromagnetic wave’s resonance intensity, and has improved the localized extent of the electromagnetic energy noticeably in such an LHM structure; besides, it can also enhance the radiation gain, broaden the frequency band, improve the impedance matching condition, and restrain the high harmonics.
A Comparison of Battery and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles for Clean Transportation

Burning fossil fuels for transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming, air pollution, and health problems. Research estimates that cars alone emit more than 300 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year due to the internal combustion engines that use fossil fuels. In contrast to fossil fuel vehicles, electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions. Therefore, countries around the world are making efforts to use electric vehicles instead of fossil fuels. Two of the available alternatives to internal-combustion engines are battery and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. This work investigates the basic functionalities and current advancements of battery and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. A comprehensive comparison of the benefits and drawbacks of each technology is provided, along with future forecasts for transportation.
A Theory for Electromagnetic Heat Conduction and a Numerical Model Based on Boltzmann Equation

Electric-magnetic-thermal couple arises in conductive materials when electric field or magnetic field is applied. The effect of the electric field and the magnetic field on heat conduction is considered , and a law of heat conduction for the electric-magnetic-thermal problem is suggested with the aid of the Boltzmann equation, a set of heat conduction equations are derived using energy equations, which include parabolic-type, hyperbolic-type and dual-phase-lag-type conduction equations. An example is given, and its numerical simulation shows that the electro-magnetic field has significant influence on temperature distribution of the conductive material.
Development and Characterization of Cultured Buttermilk Fortified with Spirulina plantensis and Its Physico-Chemical and Functional Characteristics

In recent years, there has been an unprecedented increase in the demand for fermented dairy products due to medical recommendations and lifestyle preferences. Cultured buttermilk, as an ancient fermented dairy beverage, is an appropriate product choice in this context. This study presents a novel cultured buttermilk formulated by fortification with high protein microalgae Spirulina platensis, thus making it valuable and attractive because of its antioxidant properties. The fermentation process, nutraceutical properties, and sensory characteristics of developed cultured buttermilk with various concentrations of Spirulina (0.25, 0.5, and 1%) were compared with the control sample (0% Spirulina buttermilk). Different concentrations of Spirulina in buttermilk result in a significant increase in chlorophyll and carotenoid content, boosting its antioxidant properties. The study also evaluated the prebiotic properties of Spirulina, thus, demonstrating its ability to promote a healthy digestive system. It was found that the addition of 0.25% Spirulina was able to ferment the product more quickly and retained the sensory acceptability of the finished product. The protein content, free radical scavenging activity, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and total phenolic content of 0.25% Spirulina-fortified buttermilk was 1.83%, 48.19%, 30.9 mg/g, 8.24 mg/g, and 4.21 mg/g GAE, respectively. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that cultured buttermilk with a high nutritional value and functional health benefits can be developed by fortification with 0.25% Spirulina as a natural ingredient.
Heterostructure engineering of quantum dots-in-a-well infrared photodetectors

Three of the most important characteristics of third-generation imaging systems are, highoperating temperature, multispectral operation, and large format arrays. The quantum dot infrared photodetector technology, owing to the three-dimensional confinement of carriers, the richness of the electronic spectra in quantum dots, and the mature III-V based fabrication technology, satisfy these requirements. This work focuses on quantum dots-in-a-well (DWELL) detectors in which InAs quantum dots are embedded in a compressively strained InGaAs-GaAs quantum well. Barriers separating two stacks of quantum dots can be GaAs, AlGaAs or a combination of different materials, with 'smart barriers'. Motivation for this work is to improve the understanding and the performance of DWELL detectors to achieve high temperature operation and high signal to noise ratio for these detectors for given wavelength requirements, at applied biases compatible with CMOS
Politics, Accountability, and Learning: Insights from the RISE Programme’s Political Economy Case Studies

The RISE (Research on Improving Systems of Education) Programme political economy team focused on “adoption” (PET-A) examines the political conditions required to put learning at the center of an education system. This work stream has produced 12 historical case studies and three synthesis papers which draw on this rich material. This paper is part of the latter effort and offers a comparative analysis across five of the countries with RISE Country Research Teams (Ethiopia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Vietnam), as well as additional case studies focusing on Chile and Peru. Building on the RISE systems framework (Pritchett, 2015), our political economy analysis incorporates issues of competing interests, power, and political strategy. We focus on the promoters and blockers of learning-oriented education reform and their respective powers and strategies to parse out the political contestations that are endemic to the reform processes that impact system coherence around learning. In this paper, we present a binding constraints framework to explore what a politics for learning might look like and examine areas of intervention that present critical bottlenecks impeding a country’s ability to deliver learning outcomes which, if addressed, pose the potential for large impact relative to other constraints. We draw upon the PET-A country case studies to include analysis of different factions and reform champions within government, including but not limited to the executive office (president/prime minister), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, competing ministries, decentralized government levels, and local leaders. In doing, we elucidate how politics permeate nearly all accountability relationships in education systems and the likelihood that any given program will positively impact learning.
Synergistic Effect of Sophora japonica and Glycyrrhiza glabra Flavonoid-Rich Fractions on Wound Healing: In Vivo and Molecular Docking Studies

Glycyrrhiza glabra and Sophora japonica (Fabaceae) are well-known medicinal plants with valuable secondary metabolites and pharmacological properties. The flavonoid-rich fractions of G. glabra roots and S. japonica leaves were prepared using Diaion column chromatography, and the confirmation of flavonoid richness was confirmed using UPLC-ESI-MS profiling and total phenolics and flavonoids assays. UPLC-ESI-MS profiling of the flavonoid-rich fraction of G. glabra roots and S. japonica leaves resulted in the tentative identification of 32 and 23 compounds, respectively. Additionally, the wound healing potential of topical preparations of each fraction, individually and in combination (1:1) ointment and gel preparations, were investigated in vivo, supported by histopathological examinations and biomarker evaluations, as well as molecular docking studies for the major constituents. The topical application of G. glabra ointment and gel, S. japonica ointment and gel and combination preparations significantly increase the wound healing rate and the reduction of oxidative stress in the wound area via MDA reduction and the elevation of reduced GSH and SOD levels as compared to the wound and Nolaver®-treated groups. The molecular docking study revealed that that major compounds in G. glabra and S. japonica can efficiently bind to the active sites of three proteins related to wound healing: glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3-β), matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Consequently, G. glabra roots and S. japonica leaves may be a rich source of bioactive metabolites with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.
Extensible bioacoustical analysis software: Two examples

Two extensible software tools for bioacoustical analysis have been developed by the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Each tool provides a framework for sound visualization and analysis, supporting both manual selection and automatic detection of acoustic events in arbitrarily long recordings, manual annotation and automatic measurement of properties of these events, and management of the created acoustic metadata. The acoustic events of interest might include animal vocalizations and/or anthropogenic sounds. Simple examples of measurable event properties include duration, total energy, and spectrum. More advanced measurements might classify sounds according to the species or individuals that produced them, or estimate the location of a vocalizing animal. Both software tools can be extended in various ways, including the addition of new detectors and measurements. It has been found that this extensibility adds great value to the tools by allowing them to be readily ad.
Examination of the PCICE Method in the Nearly Incompressible, as well as Strictly Incompressible, Limits

The conservative-form, pressure-based PCICE numerical method (Martineau and Berry, 2004) (Berry, 2006), recently developed for computing transient fluid flows of all speeds from very low to very high (with strong shocks), is simplified and generalized. Though the method automatically treats a continuous transition of compressibility, three distinct, limiting compressibility regimes are formally defined for purposes of discussion and comparison with traditional methods – the strictly incompressible limit, the nearly incompressible limit, and the f ully compressible limit. The PCICE method’s behavior is examined in each limiting regime. In the strictly incompressible limit the PCICE algorithm reduces to the traditional MAC-type method with velocity divergence driving the pressure Poisson equation. In the nearly incompressible limit the PCICE algorithm is found to reduce to a generalization of traditional incompressible methods, i.e. to one in which not only the velocity divergence effect, but also the density gradient effect is included as a driving function in the pressure Poisson equation. This nearly incompressible regime has received little attention, and it appears that in the past, strictly incompressible methods may have been conveniently applied to flows in this regime at the expense of ignoring a potentially important coupling mechanism. This could be significant in manymore » important flows; for example, in natural convection flows resulting from high heat flux. In the f ully compressible limit or regime, the algorithm is found to reduce to an expression equivalent to density-based methods for high-speed flow. « less
An algorithm for the analysis of scattering by arbitrary shape conducting bodies in the resonance region

A new version of an algorithm for the choice of the integral equation (ACIE) is presented. This algorithm is to be used when one wants to analyze the scattering from an arbitrarily shaped perfectly conducting object in the resonance region, for a given frequency band. The ACIE chooses between the EFIE (electric field integral equation) and the CFIE (combined field integral equation) according to the stability of the EFIE matrix in each frequency. The CFIE is used for resonant frequencies because it leads to lower CPU times when compared with other equations with unique solution in the resonance region. A comparison of the new version of the ACIE with the old version and with other procedures show that it has the advantage of taking less CPU time than others that are automatic, and taking a similar time to another that is nonautomatic. The numerical solutions from the several procedures do not differ greatly. <<ETX>>
The Inertia Force of Insect-Like Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle

We used the method of theoretical modeling and simulation to study how changes in wing kinematics influence the production of inertia forces and moments in flapping flight. We examined 153 separate sets of kinematic patterns that differed with respect to stroke amplitude, mid-stroke angle of attack, acceleration and deceleration duration of flip rotation and acceleration and deceleration duration of azimuthal rotation. For each pattern, we also calculated mean stroke- or quarter - averaged values of the inertia forces and force moments. The results of the analysis may be divided into three main point: (i) The insect wing’s chordwise inertia is much higher than its spanwise inertia--higher by an order of magnitude; (ii) The influence of inertia moment of azimuthal rotation is much higher than that of inertia moment of flip rotation, so the inertia moment of flip rotation can be ignored; (iii) Consider the flapping motion is approximate symmetrical if the stroke is symmetrical and the flapping motion is absolute symmetrical if the stroke and the flip is both symmetrical, then the inertia force can be ignored.
Short-wavelength instabilities of waves in rotating stratified fluids

Standing and propagating plane waves in a rigidly rotating stably stratified fluid are considered. Based on a WKB analysis, it is shown numerically that almost all of them are unstable with respect to three-dimensional short-wavelength perturbations. The waves whose wavenumber vector is parallel to the axis of rotation and stratification are stabilized as the Brunt-Vaisala frequency N (normalized by the angular velocity of rigid rotation) increases, whereas the inclined waves are unstable at any N. These instabilities are caused by parametric resonances of low order (first and second) and the instability growth rate is determined theoretically, when the wave amplitude is small.
Spin-bus concept of spin quantum computing

We present a spin-bus concept of quantum computing where an electron spin S=1/2 acts as a bus qubit connected to a finite number N of nuclear spins I=1/2 serving as client qubits. Spin-bus clusters are considered as local processing units and may be interconnected with other spin-bus clusters via electron-electron coupling in a scaled up version. Here we lay the ground for the basic functional unit with long qubit registers, provide the theory and experimental verification of correlated qubit states, and demonstrate the Deutsch algorithm. Experiments were performed on a qubyte plus one nuclear spin in a solid state system.
The role of health-related quality of life in improving cancer outcomes

In 1948, the World Health Organization defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. ” This perspective emphasizes that health goes beyond merely being free from illness, encompassing numerous aspects of an individual’s well-being [1]. With the ongoing evolution of oncology and the promising potential of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) to enhance cancer patient outcomes, an exceptional opportunity for improving health emerges. Despite significant progress in grasping disease progression and treatment efficacy, an urgent need persists in harnessing HRQoL’s power [2]. Actively gathering “non-clinical” information from cancer survivors during various stages of diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship allows health-care professionals to obtain crucial insights into factors affecting patient outcomes [3]. Employing this approach, clinicians can more effectively customize treatments to address individual patient requirements, ultimately boosting the overall QoL for those with cancer. Consequently, it is essential to acknowledge HRQoL’s significance and capitalize on these factors’ opportunities for advancement.