Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Polystyrene Waste in Hydrocarbon Medium

The fast catalytic pyrolysis of polystyrene in the hydrocarbon medium (light and heavy cycle oil) over zeolite catalysts at 450–550 °C was investigated. The influence of reaction conditions (medium, temperature, vapor residence time, polystyrene concentration) on polymer conversion and product distribution was studied. It was found that the polymer conversion is close to 100%, while ethylbenzene, benzene, and toluene are the main products of its transformation. The maximum yield of ethylbenzene (80%) was achieved at 550 °C, vapor residence time 1–2 s, polystyrene concentration 10%, and heavy cycle oil as the medium. The influence of zeolite topology on product distribution was explored. The possible mechanism of polystyrene pyrolysis was proposed.
The Cognitive Aspect of Hope in the Semantic Space of Male Patients Dying of Cancer

The aim of this study is to characterize the cognitive aspect of the semantic space of hope in patients in the terminal stage of cancer. This was confirmed in the research on hope by C. R. Snyder and B. Schrank. Hope is of great importance in all the great world religions and belief systems, both as regards a personal God or impersonal deities. Hoping is a human capacity with varying affective, cognitive and behavioral dimensions. Psychological, pedagogical (particularly in the framework of special needs pedagogy and thanatological pedagogy) and theological reflection on hope can provide support for dying people. In order to conduct the research, the semantic differential research method was selected. The research technique employed was a therapeutic conversation, and the research tool was the B.L. Block’s DSN-3 test. The DSN-3 test allows one to assess hope in the semantic space in three aspects: cognitive, emotional and functional. For the purposes of this study, only the cognitive aspect was taken into account. The study was begun on 1 April 2010 and ended in the last days of December 2020. It included 110 male patients in the terminal stage of cancer. The youngest respondent was 19 years old and the oldest was 94 years old. The surveyed men most often perceived hope in the semantic space in the cognitive aspect as more true, wise, meaningful and real than false, stupid, meaningless and deceptive. Their attitude to hope was, therefore, more affirmative than negative. The research did not reveal the importance of the age of the respondents on the degree of affirmation/negation of hope in the cognitive aspect in the semantic space; however, men in the period of late maturity and professional activity expressed the lowest level of the affirmation of hope. It is worthwhile to conduct further research concerning hope in other aspects (especially emotional and functional) in the semantic space in order to use the obtained results to consider what to take into account when providing patients in the terminal stage of cancer with better personalized holistic care than before.
Ultraviolet-induced Bragg gratings in different core size ridge waveguides and birefringence control

A simple numerical method is developed to analyze changes in intrinsic birefringence of ridge waveguides with waveguide dimensions and UV irradiation. Experimentally, Bragg gratings were written on different core size ridge waveguides using the phase mask technique and ArF laser irradiation. By monitoring the shifts in Bragg wavelength with UV irradiation, the variation of the waveguide birefringence with waveguide dimension and UV processing is observed and quantified. The mechanism of the waveguide birefringence controlled with UV irradiation is verified both in the theoretical analysis and experiment.
Engineering Advanced Drug Delivery Systems for Dry Eye: A Review

Dry eye disease (DED) is a widespread and frequently reported multifactorial ocular disease that not only causes ocular discomfort but also damages the cornea and conjunctiva. At present, topical administration is the most common treatment modality for DED. Due to the existence of multiple biological barriers, instilled drugs generally exhibit short action times and poor penetration on the ocular surface. To resolve these issues, several advanced drug delivery systems have been proposed. This review discusses new dosage forms of drugs for the treatment of DED in terms of their characteristics and advantages. Innovative formulations that are currently available in the market and under clinical investigation are elaborated. Meanwhile, their deficiencies are discussed. It is envisioned that the flourishing of advanced drug delivery systems will lead to improved management of DED in the near future.
Validation of a Temperature-Feedback Controlled Automated Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy Device

Simple Summary Magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) is a promising nanotechnology-based treatment for cancer. Its widespread adoption is hampered by the imprecise control of tumor temperature during treatment and by a lack of automatic shutdown to avoid adverse events. Here, we verify the functionality and validate performance of an automated temperature controller, and the functionality of automated safety shutdowns. Experiments were performed ex vivo in liver tissue and in vivo in the brain of a healthy live research subject to demonstrate the potential for superior energy control with temperature stability using user-defined inputs, and real-time temperature monitoring for feedback. Performance of this device was validated against design criteria using FDA guidelines. It will be used to treat canine glioblastoma tumors in a future study. Abstract We present in vivo validation of an automated magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) device that uses real-time temperature input measured at the target to control tissue heating. MHT is a thermal therapy that uses heat generated by magnetic materials exposed to an alternating magnetic field. For temperature monitoring, we integrated a commercial fiber optic temperature probe containing four gallium arsenide (GaAs) temperature sensors. The controller device used temperature from the sensors as input to manage power to the magnetic field applicator. We developed a robust, multi-objective, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm to control the target thermal dose by modulating power delivered to the magnetic field applicator. The magnetic field applicator was a 20 cm diameter Maxwell-type induction coil powered by a 120 kW induction heating power supply operating at 160 kHz. Finite element (FE) simulations were performed to determine values of the PID gain factors prior to verification and validation trials. Ex vivo verification and validation were conducted in gel phantoms and sectioned bovine liver, respectively. In vivo validation of the controller was achieved in a canine research subject following infusion of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into the brain. In all cases, performance matched controller design criteria, while also achieving a thermal dose measured as cumulative equivalent minutes at 43 °C (CEM43) 60 ± 5 min within 30 min.
Antioxidant, Antifungal and Cytotoxic Impact of Acacia nilotica Bark Aqueous Extract

The medicative plants were copiously applied in the healing of health complications. Traditionally implemented, medicative-worthy Acacia nilotica (Fabaceae family), is applied globe-wide in customary healing practices. Here, we have tried to unravel the antioxidant, fungicidal, antibacterial and cytotoxic trait of A. nilotica bark aqueous extract. Phyto-content testing revealed presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, phenols, carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids. The antioxidant efficacies were 39.12 µg/ml (for DPPH assay) and 42.64 µg/ml (for NO assay) as IC50 ranges, respectively. The bark aqueous extract manifested fungicidal impact on all the screened fungal strains with the highest inhibitory zone against A. fumigatus (19.5 ± 0.45 mm). The MTT assay of bark aqueous extract registered a dose-related cytotoxic impression with 39.05 µg/ml (IC50 outcome). Hence, it emphasizes strongly that A. nilotica bark aqueous extract is a prospective therapeutic source and it is indispensable to further scrutinize its therapeutic and curative properties.
Microwave Corona Breakdown in rf Devices

The main physical properties of microwave corona breakdown in gases in the pres- ence of inhomogeneous electric flelds are investigated using numerical calculations of the conti- nuity equation for the density of free electrons. In particular, the interplay between difiusion and attachment in redistributing electrons from high fleld regions to low fleld regions and the concomitant efiect on the breakdown threshold is studied for difierent examples of the varia- tion of the electric fleld strength. The results give a clear physical picture of the dependence of breakdown electric fleld on pressure with two complementary limits; a high pressure limit with a localized breakdown plasma conflned to the high fleld region and a low pressure limit determined by the properties of the low fleld region only and a breakdown plasma extending over the entire volume of the rf device. A comparison between results for the critical microwave breakdown fleld as obtained by numerical calculations and experimental results in a microwave cavity show very good agreement.
Qualia Role-Based Quantity Relation Extraction for Solving Algebra Story Problems

A qualia role-based entity-dependency graph (EDG) is proposed to represent and extract quantity relations for solving algebra story problems stated in Chinese. Traditional neural solvers use end-to-end models to translate problem texts into math expressions, which lack quantity relation acquisition in sophisticated scenarios. To address the problem, the proposed method leverages EDG to represent quantity relations hidden in qualia roles of math objects. Algorithms were designed for EDG generation and quantity relation extraction for solving algebra story problems. Experimental result shows that the proposed method achieved an average accuracy of 82.2% on quantity relation extraction compared to 74.5% of baseline method. Another prompt learning result shows a 5% increase obtained in problem solving by injecting the extracted quantity relations into the baseline neural solvers
Semiconductor quantum point contact fabricated by lithography with an atomic force microscope

We report on the experimental realization of a quantum point contact in a semiconductor heterostructure by lithography with an atomic force microscope (AFM). A thin, homogeneous titanium film on top of the chip surface was patterned by local anodic oxidation, induced by a current applied to an n-doped AFM tip. We demonstrate that self-aligned gate structures in the sub-micron regime can be fabricated with this technique.
Predicting Modifiers of Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Craniofacial Development

Most human birth defects are phenotypically variable even when they share a common genetic basis. Our understanding of the mechanisms of this variation is limited, but they are thought to be due to complex gene-environment interactions. Loss of the transcription factor Gata3 associates with the highly variable human birth defects HDR syndrome and microsomia, and can lead to disruption of the neural crest-derived facial skeleton. We have demonstrated that zebrafish gata3 mutants model the variability seen in humans, with genetic background and candidate pathways modifying the resulting phenotype. In this study, we sought to use an unbiased bioinformatic approach to identify environmental modifiers of gata3 mutant craniofacial phenotypes. The LINCs L1000 dataset identifies chemicals that generate differential gene expression that either positively or negatively correlates with an input gene list. These chemicals are predicted to worsen or lessen the mutant phenotype, respectively. We performed RNA-seq on neural crest cells isolated from zebrafish across control, Gata3 loss-of-function, and Gata3 rescue groups. Differential expression analyses revealed 551 potential targets of gata3. We queried the LINCs database with the 100 most upregulated and 100 most downregulated genes. We tested the top eight available chemicals predicted to worsen the mutant phenotype and the top eight predicted to lessen the phenotype. Of these, we found that vinblastine, a microtubule inhibitor, and clofibric acid, a PPAR-alpha agonist, did indeed worsen the gata3 phenotype. The Topoisomerase II and RNA-pol II inhibitors daunorubicin and triptolide, respectively, lessened the phenotype. GO analysis identified Wnt signaling and RNA polymerase function as being enriched in our RNA-seq data, consistent with the mechanism of action of some of the chemicals. Our study illustrates multiple potential pathways for Gata3 function, and demonstrates a systematic, unbiased process to identify modifiers of genotype-phenotype correlations.
Streaming Dilated Convolution Engine

Convolution is one of the most critical operations in various application domains and its computation should combine high performance with energy efficiency. This requirement is critical both for standard convolution and for its other spatial variants, such as dilated, strided, or transposed convolutions. In this work, we focus on the design of a streaming convolution engine, called LazyDCstream, that is tuned for dilated convolution. LazyDCstream utilizes a sliding-window architecture for input data reuse and leverages the already-known decomposition of dilated convolution to: (a) maximize window buffer sharing and (b) enable “lazy” data movement that keeps data transfers per clock cycle as few as possible, and, most importantly, independent of the dilation rate. These two architectural features reduce the power consumption relative to efficient streaming convolution engines without introducing any throughput or area penalty.
Classification Approach for Attention Assessment via Singular Spectrum Analysis Based on Single-Channel Electroencephalograms

Attention refers to the human psychological ability to focus on doing an activity. The attention assessment plays an important role in diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this paper, the attention assessment is performed via a classification approach. First, the single-channel electroencephalograms (EEGs) are acquired from various participants when they perform various activities. Then, fast Fourier transform (FFT) is applied to the acquired EEGs, and the high-frequency components are discarded for performing denoising. Next, empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is applied to remove the underlying trend of the signals. In order to extract more features, singular spectrum analysis (SSA) is employed to increase the total number of the components. Finally, some typical models such as the random forest-based classifier, the support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier, and the back-propagation (BP) neural network-based classifier are used for performing the classifications. Here, the percentages of the classification accuracies are employed as the attention scores. The computer numerical simulation results show that our proposed method yields a higher classification performance compared to the traditional methods without performing the EMD and SSA.
Extended Control With Hybrid Gaze-BCI for Multi-Robot System Under Hands-Occupied Dual-Tasking

Currently there still remains a critical need of human involvements for multi-robot system (MRS) to successfully perform their missions in real-world applications, and the hand-controller has been commonly used for the operator to input MRS control commands. However, in more challenging scenarios involving concurrent MRS control and system monitoring tasks, where the operator’s both hands are busy, the hand-controller alone is inadequate for effective human-MRS interaction. To this end, our study takes a first step toward a multimodal interface by extending the hand-controller with a hands-free input based on gaze and brain-computer interface (BCI), i.e., a hybrid gaze-BCI. Specifically, the velocity control function is still designated to the hand-controller that excels at inputting continuous velocity commands for MRS, while the formation control function is realized with a more intuitive hybrid gaze-BCI, rather than with the hand-controller via a less natural mapping. In a dual-task experimental paradigm that simulated the hands-occupied manipulation condition in real-world applications, operators achieved improved performance for controlling simulated MRS (average formation inputting accuracy increases 3%, average finishing time decreases 5 s), reduced cognitive load (average reaction time for secondary task decreases 0.32 s) and perceived workload (average rating score decreases 15.84) with the hand-controller extended by the hybrid gaze-BCI, over those with the hand-controller alone. These findings reveal the potential of the hands-free hybrid gaze-BCI to extend the traditional manual MRS input devices for creating a more operator-friendly interface, in challenging hands-occupied dual-tasking scenarios.
Heavy Metal and Metalloid Contamination in Food and Emerging Technologies for Its Detection

Heavy metal and metalloid poisoning in the environment and food has piqued the public’s interest since it poses significant hazards to the ecological system and human health. In food, several metals, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), tin (Sn), manganese (Mn), and aluminium (Al), and metalloids, including arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and selenium (Se), pose a severe threat to human health. It is of utmost importance to detect even minute quantities of these toxic elements and this must be efficiently determined to understand their risk. Several traditional and advanced technologies, including atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), spectrofluorimetry, inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, e-tongues, electrochemical aptasensors, Raman spectroscopy, and fluorescence sensors, among other techniques, have proven highly beneficial in quantifying even the minute concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids in food and dietary supplements. Hence, this review aims to understand the toxicity of these metals and metalloids in food and to shed light on the emerging technologies for their detection.
A visible–near infrared range photonic crystal made up of Si nanopillars

We studied a two-dimensional square lattice of Si nanopillars (SQLN) perspective for applications in waveguides. Reflection spectra of SQLN with the period of 270 nm were studied for different surrounding media, namely air and water. SQLN is shown to display photonic band gap (PBG) behavior in the visible–infrared spectral range. The energy positions and widths of the experimentally observed reflection bands are found to be in agreement with calculated PBG.
PPAR Signaling Maintains Metabolic Homeostasis under Hypothermia in Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)

Aplodinotus grunniens, known as freshwater drum, is a kind of eurythermal freshwater fish that is widely distributed in North America. In 2019, our research group reached a milestone on its artificial breeding and cultivation and have investigated its physiological adaption to the environment, providing a breakthrough and prospects for aquaculture. However, its adaptability and metabolic homeostasis to hypothermia is not fully understood. In this experiment, cold stress was conducted at 18 °C (LT18) and 10 °C (LT10) with 25 °C as control (Con) for 8 days to explore the effects of short-term hypothermia on the physiology and metabolism of freshwater drum. From the results, the level of free essential amino acids in LT18 and LT10 decreased significantly after 2 days cold stress compared with Con. Furthermore, plasma total triglyceride (TG) content and lipase (LPS) activity were decreased at LT10 for 2d. With RNA-seq in the liver, metabolic-related signaling, especially amino acid synthesis and lipid metabolism, was inhibited by hypothermia. Specifically, the PPAR signaling pathway is correlated with the inhibition of lipid and amino acid metabolism induced by hypothermia. These data confirmed that PPAR signaling maintains lipid and amino acid metabolic homeostasis during cold stress. These results give a theoretical foundation for hypothermia resistance in the area of metabolic homeostasis for freshwater drum.
Very-Low-Frequency Magnetoelectric Antennas for Portable Underwater Communication: Theory and Experiment

Finding an efficient way for underwater communication with a portable antenna at very low frequency (VLF 3–30 kHz) is challenging since the conventional electrical antennas require the size to be larger than 1/10 of the wavelength. Recently, acoustically driven antennas were proposed to realize portable VLF communication in air but lack the demonstration in a lossy environment. Here, we reported the first VLF underwater communication system based on a pair of acoustically actuated magnetoelectric (ME) antennas with small size of 10 cm in length. A theoretical analysis of reflection and radiation performance of the ME antenna was conducted, where the electromechanical resonance (EMR) frequency and effective magnetic dipole moment were estimated, and a near-field coupling model of a pair of ME antennas was further established. The results of theoretical predictions and finite element model (FEM) simulations were then compared with experimental measurements and their differences were discussed. A prototype of underwater communication system based on the ME antenna pair was finally presented, where a binary digital modulation with a bit rate of 100 b/s has been demonstrated, confirming the feasibility of ME antennas for portable underwater communication.
Predator escape behaviour in threatened marsupials

Escaping from predators is fundamental for the survival of any prey species. Australian fauna within the ‘critical weight range’ (CWR; 35 g–5.5 kg) are vulnerable to introduced eutherian predators. The absence of co‐evolution between native marsupials and these novel predators may suggest that their antipredator behaviour towards the hunting strategies of these predators is inappropriate or ineffective. We quantified the escape behaviour of eight CWR marsupial taxa (three quadrupedal bandicoots and five bipedal macropods) to determine if differences in how they escape from predators indicate their ability to respond appropriately and effectively to introduced predators. Animals were filmed escaping through a runway and 20 measures relating to their gait, speed and path characteristics were recorded. These were reduced to four dimensions using multidimensional scaling (MDS): MDS1 linear speed versus agility, MDS2 acceleration style, MDS3 reactivity and MDS4 gait characteristics. We found a strong link between the phylogenetic relatedness of species and their use of linear speed or agility when fleeing (phylogenetic heritability, h2 = 0.96). Bipedal macropod species used straight‐line, fast escapes, which may be suited to escape pursuit predators. The quadrupedal bandicoots had an overall slower escape but were more likely to use sudden changes of direction, which can be successful if pursued by a larger, less mobile predator or where there is sufficient vegetation cover to obstruct pursuit. Repeated exposure increased linear speed (MDS1) and hastened the timing of acceleration (MDS2). The phylogenetic signal for escape speed/straightness suggests specific escape tactics may be constrained by morphology, although animals increased the intensity of their response after repeated exposure, suggesting training could enhance effective antipredator responses.
Asymptotics for the minimum covariance determinant estimator

Consistency is shown for the minimum covariance determinant (MCD) estimators of multivariate location and scale and asymptotic normality is shown for the former. The proofs are made possible by showing a separating ellipsoid property for the MCD subset of observations. An analogous property is shown for the MCD subset computed from the population distribution.