Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 2.85-mm2 Wideband RF Transceiver in 40-nm CMOS for IoT Micro-Hub Applications

This paper presents a 2.85-mm2 0.4-6 GHz RF transceiver in 40-nm CMOS for low-cost and low-power IoT micro-hub applications. A single-path receiver (RX), an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL), and a digital transmitter (DTX) (including a digital power amplifier, DPA) are integrated. In the RX, to reduce the chip area and power consumption, an inductor-less capacitive-feedforward wideband LNA and a Gm-C filter-based dc offset cancellation (Gm-C-DCOC) technique are proposed. The RX achieves a noise figure (NF) of 1.3-4.9 dB over 0.4-6 GHz while consuming 31 mW. The measured average IIP3, in-band P1dB, and calibrated IIP2 of the receiver are 4.5 dBm, −13.8 dBm, and 67.5 dBm, respectively. In the ADPLL, a calibration-free retiming fractional frequency dividing (FFD) scheme based on a parasitic insensitive digital phase interpolator is adopted, for releasing the narrow loop bandwidth limitation and achieving better phase noise without active noise cancellation techniques. In the DTX design, a piecewise bias voltage (PBV) technique is proposed for the AM-AM linearization. It achieves a peak output power of 22.5 dBm at 840 MHz with a drain efficiency of 60.2%. The DPA can work in a high-power mode without PBV and a middle-power mode with PBV for modulation with different complexity. Thanks to PBV, the DTX achieves 5.9%, 5.3% EVM for 2MS/s 16-QAM and 64-QAM without digital pre-distortion (DPD), respectively. The designed broadband reconfigurable transceiver can support most of the common IoT protocols in most key metrics.
Solving Bilinear Inverse Problems using Deep Generative Priors

This paper proposes a new framework to handle the bilinear inverse problems (BIPs): recover $\boldsymbol{w}$, and $\boldsymbol{x}$ from the measurements of the form $\boldsymbol{y} = \mathcal{A}(\boldsymbol{w},\boldsymbol{x})$, where $\mathcal{A}$ is a bilinear operator. The recovery problem of the unknowns $\boldsymbol{w}$, and $\boldsymbol{x}$ can be formulated as a non-convex program. A general strategy is proposed to turn the ill-posed BIP to a relatively well-conditioned BIP by imposing a structural assumption that $\boldsymbol{w}$, and $\boldsymbol{x}$ are members of some classes $\mathcal{W}$, and $\mathcal{X}$, respectively, that are parameterized by unknown latent low-dimensional features. We learn functions mapping from the hidden feature space to the ambient space for each class using generative models. The resulting reduced search space of the solution enables a simple alternating gradient descent scheme to yield promising result in solving the non-convex BIP. To demonstrate the performance of our algorithm, we choose an important BIP; namely, blind image deblurring as a motivating application. We show through extensive experiments that this technique shows promising results in deblurring images of real datasets and is also robust to noise perturbations.
Topography of UV-Melanized Thalli of Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm

Lichens are unique extremophilic organisms due to their phenomenal resistance to adverse environmental factors, including ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Melanization plays a special role in the protection of lichens from UV-B stress. In the present study, we analyzed the binding of melanins with the components of cell walls of the mycobiont of the upper cortex in the melanized lichen thalli Lobaria pulmonaria. Using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, the morphological and nanomechanical characteristics of the melanized layer of mycobiont cells were visualized. Melanization of lichen thalli led to the smoothing of the surface relief and thickening of mycobiont cell walls, as well as the reduction in adhesion properties of the lichen thallus. Treatment of thalli with hydrolytic enzymes, especially chitinase and lichenase, enhanced the yield of melanin from melanized thalli and promoted the release of carbohydrates, while treatment with pectinase increased the release of carbohydrates and phenols. Our results suggest that melanin can firmly bind with hyphal cell wall carbohydrates, particularly chitin and 1,4-β-glucans, strengthening the melanized upper cortex of lichen thalli, and thereby it can contribute to lichen survival under UV stress.
Alleviate cascade with fault pair in interdependent smart grid: a communication view

Abstract Smart grid has brought an innovation of traditional power. Smart grid, which couples communication network with power network, tends to cascade because of the heterogeneous coupling. Some research works have focused on external network features to mitigate the cascade, such as vulnerability and reliability. These studies, however, put less attention to an internal fault and fail to grasp cascading details. In this paper, we propose a pairwise scheme to investigate fault propagation in an interdependent network. The interdependent network model is built to characterize the fault cascade. Then, we leverage fault pair and analyze the necessary condition of the cascade. To alleviate cascading, we resort to find the minimized node set with constraints from a communication perspective. Further, the heuristic DCDR algorithm is proposed to hold the necessary redundant node set to relieve cascade. Extensive experiments not only illustrate the effectiveness of our approach on networks with different parameters, but also highlight some important observations which may give more insight to interdependent networks.
Coleon U, Isolated from Plectranthus mutabilis Codd., Decreases P-Glycoprotein Activity Due to Mitochondrial Inhibition

Multidrug resistance in cancer is often mediated by P-glycoprotein. Natural compounds have been suggested as a fourth generation of P-glycoprotein inhibitors. Coleon U, isolated from Plectranthus mutabilis Codd. , was reported to modulate P-glycoprotein activity but the underlying mechanism has not yet been revealed. Therefore, the effects of Coleon U on cell viability, proliferation, and cell death induction were studied in a non-small-cell lung carcinoma model comprising sensitive and multidrug-resistant cells with P-glycoprotein overexpression. P-glycoprotein activity and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed by flow cytometry upon Coleon U, sodium-orthovanadate (an ATPase inhibitor), and verapamil (an ATPase stimulator) treatments. SwissADME was used to identify the pharmacokinetic properties of Coleon U, while P-glycoprotein expression was studied by immunofluorescence. Our results showed that Coleon U is not a P-glycoprotein substrate and is equally efficient in sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cells. A decrease in P-glycoprotein activity observed with Coleon U and verapamil after 72 h is antagonized in combination with sodium-orthovanadate. Coleon U induced a pronounced effect on mitochondrial membrane depolarization and showed a tendency to decrease P-glycoprotein expression. In conclusion, Coleon U-delayed effect on the decrease in P-glycoprotein activity is due to P-glycoprotein’s functioning dependence on ATP production in mitochondria.
Antimicrobial Efficacy of 7-Hydroxyflavone Derived from Amycolatopsis sp. HSN-02 and Its Biocontrol Potential on Cercospora Leaf Spot Disease in Tomato Plants

The actinomycete strain HSN-02 was isolated from the soil of a mining field in the Sandur region, Bellary, Karnataka, India. According to the morphological, cultural, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the strain HSN-02 was identified as Amycolatopsis sp. The antimicrobial activity strain HSN-02 presented stable and moderate inhibitory activity against human pathogens. In pot experiments in the greenhouse, the development of Cercospora leaf spot was markedly suppressed by treatment with the purified compound from the strain HSN-02, and the control efficacy was 45.04 ± 1.30% in Septoria lycopersici-infected tomato plants. A prominent compound was obtained from the fermentation broth of the strain HSN-02 using column chromatography and HPLC. The chemical structural analyses using UV, FTIR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR confirmed that the compound produced by the strain HSN-02 is 7-hydroxyflavone. This investigation showed the role which the actinomycete strain can play in controlling leaf spots caused by S. lycopersici to reduce treatments with chemical fungicides.
The last horned armadillos: phylogeny and decline of Peltephilidae (Xenarthra, Cingulata)

Peltephilidae (Xenarthra, Cingulata) is an ancient lineage of medium–large‐sized ‘armadillos’ from South America, characterized by chisel‐shaped molariforms, a U‐shaped dental arcade, and cephalic osteoderms modified into hornlike structures. Although the biochron of the group extends from the early Eocene to the Late Miocene, the most abundant and complete records come from the Early Miocene of Patagonia. Remains from the Late Miocene are very scarce, and the last records of the group are from the Chasicoan Stage (Tortonian). The only taxon known from this interval is Epipeltephilus kanti from the Arroyo Chasicó Formation (9.23 ± 0.09 Ma; Buenos Aires Province, Argentina), a species previously represented only by a few isolated osteoderms. Here we report new remains assigned to E. kanti from the Late Miocene of Loma de Las Tapias Formation (c. 9.0–7.8 Ma; San Juan Province, Argentina), including a hemimandible and several fixed and mobile osteoderms. These new specimens constitute the youngest record of Peltephilidae. The inclusion of E. kanti within Epipeltephilus and the monophyly of the genera Peltephilus and Epipeltephilus are corroborated for the first time through a cladistic analysis. The decline and eventual disappearance of this ‘armadillo’ group in the Late Miocene is chronologically coincident with the replacement of subtropical/tropical environments by more open and arid ones and with the proliferation of other large armadillos such as Vetelia, Macrochorobates, and Macroeuphractus.
Age- and Gender-Specific Diagnostic Value of the Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio for the Early Screening of Chronic Kidney Disease Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Males in Southeast China

Objective To evaluate the potential diagnostic value of the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) in screening for early kidney injury in a physically examined population from Southeast China. Methods A total of 13,250 candidates were selected. Urinary ACR values <30, 30–300, and >300 mg/g were utilized as positive cut-off points to denote normal proteinuria, microalbuminuria, and macroalbuminuria, respectively. Results Age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waistline, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly different among the three groups. eGFR was negatively correlated with the levels of sCr, BUN, and UA in the microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria groups. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in CKD stage between the normal and abnormal urine ACR groups. Meanwhile, for the 20–40 years patients, the eGFR, sCr and BUN showed no significant difference between microalbuminuria group compared with the normal proteinuria group; in contrast, for the 41–60 years and >61 years patients, eGFR, sCr, BUN and UA were all markedly increase in microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria group in comparison with the normal proteinuria group. Finally, for the 41–60 males, only eGFR significantly decreased in microalbuminuria group compared with the normal proteinuria group, while for the 41–60 females, only UA showed no significant difference between microalbuminuria group and normal proteinuria group. On the other hand, for the >61 males, eGFR, sCr and BUN all significantly changed between microalbuminuria group and normal proteinuria group, while for the >61 females, eGFR, sCr and BUN all showed no significant difference between microalbuminuria group and normal proteinuria group, as well as microalbuminuria group and macroalbuminuria group. Conclusion We proposed using the urinary ACR for the screening of physically examined patients, especially among the elderly males. This approach would assist in the early diagnosis and treatment of renal damage.
Modelling the contact-line dynamics of an evaporating drop

We study the evolution of a thin, axisymmetric, partially wetting drop as it evaporates. The effects of viscous dissipation, capillarity, slip, gravity, surface-tension gradients, and contact-angle hysteresis are taken into account in the regime in which the transport of vapour is dominated by diffusion. We find a criterion for when the contact-set radius close to extinction evolves as the square-root of the time remaining until extinction - the famous d2-law. However, for a sufficiently large rate of evaporation, our analysis predicts that a 'd13/7-law' is more appropriate. We also determine how each of the physical effects in our model influences the evolution of the drop and hence its extinction time. Our asymptotic results are validated by comparison with numerical simulations. We then revisit our model for the vapour phase and take kinetic effects into account through a linear constitutive law that states that the mass flux through the drop surface is proportional to the difference between the vapour concentration in equilibrium and that at the interface. We perform a local analysis near the contact line to investigate the way in which kinetic effects regularize the mass- flux singularity at the contact line. The problem is further analysed via a matched asymptotic analysis in the physically relevant regime in which the kinetic timescale is much smaller than the diffusive one. We find that the effect of kinetics is limited to an inner region near the contact line, in which kinetic effects enter at leading order and cause the vapour concentration at the free surface to deviate from its equilibrium value. We also derive an explicit expression for the mass flux through the free surface of the drop.
Analysis of Device-to-Device Communication System in the Presence of Multiple Co-Channel Interference

In this paper, analysis of outage, channel capacity and symbol error rate (SER) analysis of Device-to-Device (D2D) communication systems is presented. The received signals of D2D communication system are affected by multiple co-channel interferers. The channel gain powers are considered to follow Gamma distribution. An expression for probability density function (PDF) expression of the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) is presented. Based on expression of the PDF, the expressions for the outage, channel capacity and symbol error rate (SER) are presented. The performance of D2D communication system is then numerically analyzed and discussed under various conditions of channel fading and interference.
Application of SHAP for Explainable Machine Learning on Age-Based Subgrouping Mammography Questionnaire Data for Positive Mammography Prediction and Risk Factor Identification

Mammography is considered the gold standard for breast cancer screening. Multiple risk factors that affect breast cancer development have been identified; however, there is an ongoing debate regarding the significance of these factors. Machine learning (ML) models and Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) methodology can rank risk factors and provide explanatory model results. This study used ML algorithms with SHAP to analyze the risk factors between two different age groups and evaluate the impact of each factor in predicting positive mammography. The ML model was built using data from the risk factor questionnaires of women participating in a breast cancer screening program from 2017 to 2021. Three ML models, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) logistic regression, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and random forest (RF), were applied. RF generated the best performance. The SHAP values were then applied to the RF model for further analysis. The model identified age at menarche, education level, parity, breast self-examination, and BMI as the top five significant risk factors affecting mammography outcomes. The differences between age groups ranked by reproductive lifespan and BMI were higher in the younger and older age groups, respectively. The use of SHAP frameworks allows us to understand the relationships between risk factors and generate individualized risk factor rankings. This study provides avenues for further research and individualized medicine.
Gender Roles, Sexual Cognitions, and History of Victimization: A Preliminary Model of Reporting Behavior among College Students

Sexual cognitions that flow from gender roles and previous history of victimization are strong predictors of sexual assault victimization. Because these cognitions reside within the individual themselves, we hypothesized that these same cognitions will also be predictors of subsequent reporting behavior to formal campus supports. An online self-report survey for assessing student awareness and perception of sexual safety was administered in a random stratified sample of college students (N = 98; 78% female). Participants were shown a hypothetical vignette involving a quid pro quo sexual harassment incident involving a student and were asked to rate their likelihood of making a formal report if this happened to them. Controlling for Type 1 error rates, a backward-chunk-wise elimination procedure was used to build a regression model involving nine predictors grouped into five categories: (1) conformity to traditional gender roles; (2) rape myth acceptance beliefs; (3) token resistance; (4) sexual assertiveness; and (5) prior history of victimization. Three of the five categories remained in the model after a sequential process of eliminating non-significant predictors. Specifically, lower agreement with token resistance beliefs, stronger sexual assertiveness, and not being a victim in the past increased the likelihood of respondents stating they would initiate a formal report. When predicting reporting behavior among the general college student sample, sexual cognitions related to token resistance beliefs and sexual assertiveness appear to be more robust predictors compared to conformity to traditional gender roles alone. Programming activities could consider targeting these attitudes as opposed to broad aspects of traditional gender roles. Future studies should test this model in a confirmatory manner to determine its reliability in subsequent samples, in addition to the potential role of toxic masculinity attitudes.
Analyzing Gender-Related Factors Toward the Purchase Intention of Male Skincare Products in Indonesia

Male skincare products are growing in Indonesia along with the metrosexual phenomenon. However, Indonesian culture is not completely ready for metrosexual behavior and more Indonesian men do not identify themselves as metrosexuals, and yet still use skincare, at least facial wash. This study seeks to investigate gender-related constructs influencing the purchase intention of male skincare products. The exogenous variables in this research are the need for product gender congruence, purchase secrecy, and product attributes (focusing on packaging design and the “For Men” label only). 112 respondents who meet the criteria of 17 years and above, use skincare – at least facial wash, and care for their appearance but do not associate themselves with metrosexuals, are included in the analysis. PLS-SEM is employed in this study and the results support all the hypotheses tested.
Exploring the Mechanisms of Well-Being Occurrence Among Event Tourists: Mixed Empirical Evidence from Positive Psychology

Introduction This study explores the well-being dimensional components of event tourists and their identification processes in validating the well-being occurrence mechanism of event tourism and the correlation between the well-being of event tourists and the frequency and length of event tourism. Methods This study adopted a sequential mixed-methods design that followed a pragmatic paradigm through a photo interview with event tourists and festival travel organizers (N=16). The qualitative research method provided evidence to explore the framework of content and dimensional identification of event tourists’ well-being according to Seligman’s PERMA model. The quantitative research phase (N=475) focused on identifying and validating the PERMA model in the event tourist well-being dimension through descriptive statistical analysis and validated factor analysis, followed by a one-way analysis of covariance to explore the effects of the frequency and endurance of FSE tourism. Results The results show quantitative differences in the well-being dimensions and framework presentation of the PERMA model (Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, and Achievement). R (relationship) and A (achievement) are identified and validated as dimensions of well-being outcomes for event tourists, while single-day or short trips of 2–3 days were most significant for event tourists’ perceived well-being. Conclusion This study provides an empirical argument, thus providing an empirical argument for uncovering the deeper influencing and exhibiting factors of the PERMA theoretical framework and a research paradigm for PERMA theory in more tourism behaviors and psychology. Second, this study provides an in-depth explanation of the five dimensions of well-being in the PERMA model. The findings show the salience of the relationship and achievement in FSE tourism well-being, providing theoretical insight into existing studies integrating positive psychology models for in-depth tourism well-being research.
Metal Nanomaterials and Hydrolytic Enzyme-Based Formulations for Improved Antifungal Activity

Active research of metal-containing compounds and enzymes as effective antifungal agents is currently being conducted due to the growing antifungal resistance problem. Metals are attracting special attention due to the wide variety of ligands that can be used for them, including chemically synthesized and naturally obtained variants as a result of the so-called “green synthesis”. The main mechanism of the antifungal action of metals is the triggering of the generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Further action of ROS on various biomolecules is nonspecific. Various hydrolytic enzymes (glucanases and proteases), in turn, exhibit antifungal properties by affecting the structural elements of fungal cells (cell walls, membranes), fungal quorum sensing molecules, fungal own protective agents (mycotoxins and antibiotics), and proteins responsible for the adhesion and formation of stable, highly concentrated populations in the form of biofilms. A wide substrate range of enzymes allows the use of various mechanisms of their antifungal actions. In this review, we discuss the prospects of combining two different types of antifungal agents (metals and enzymes) against mycelial fungi and yeast cells. Special attention is paid to the possible influence of metals on the activity of the enzymes and the possible effects of proteins on the antifungal activity of metal-containing compounds.