Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Polymeric Membranes Under Large Deformations Using Fluid-Structure Coupling

The mechanical properties of Ogden material under biaxial deformation are obtained by using the bubble inflation technique. First, pressure inside the bubble and height at the hemispheric pole are recorded during bubble inflation experiment. Thereafter, Ogden's theory of hyperelasticity is employed to define the constitutive model of flat circular thermoplastic membranes (CTPMs) and nonlinear equilibrium equations of the inflation process are solved using finite difference method with deferred corrections. As a last step, a neuronal algorithm artificial neural network (ANN) model is employed to minimize the difference between calculated and measured parameters to determine material constants for Ogden model. This technique was successfully implemented for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), at typical thermoforming temperatures, 145°C. When solving for the bubble inflation, the recorded pressure is applied uniformly on the structure. During the process inflation, the pressure is not uniform inside the bubble, thus full gas dynamic equations need to be solved to get the appropriate nonuniform pressure to be applied on the structure. In order to simulate the inflation process accurately, computational fluid dynamics in a moving fluid domain as well as fluid structure interaction (FSI) algorithms need to be performed for accurate pressure prediction and fluid structure interface coupling. Fluid structure interaction solver is then required to couple the dynamic of the inflated gas to structure motion. Recent development has been performed for the simulation of gas dynamic in a moving domain using arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) techniques.
A MOLECULAR HYDROGEN NEBULA IN THE CENTRAL cD GALAXY OF THE PERSEUS CLUSTER

We report narrowband imaging of the 1–0 S(1) ro-vibrational transition of molecular hydrogen (H2) from NGC 1275, the central cD galaxy of the Perseus Cluster. We find that the H2 gas has a spatial morphology identical to the optical emission-line nebula associated with this galaxy, a total luminosity in H2 1–0 S(1) only an order of magnitude less than in Hα, and if the line-emitting gas is thermalized a mass (at ∼2000 K) that is over two orders of magnitude smaller than that of the optical emission-line nebula (at ∼10,000 K). The ratio in H2 1–0 S(1) to Hα+[N ii] line intensities spans a characteristic range of ∼0.02–0.08 throughout the nebula; the brighter inner nebula exhibits patches with (nearly) constant line ratios unrelated to individual filaments. Recent models proposed to explain the peculiar nebular spectrum from the optical to infrared invoke thermalized along with non-thermalized injection of energy from ionizing particles. The energy density of highly relativistic electrons inferred to cause inverse-Compton scattering of hard X-ray emission from the core of the Perseus Cluster decreases steeply beyond a central radius of ∼20 kpc, yet we do not find any changes in the average or range spanned by the H2 1–0 S(1) to Hα+[N ii] line ratio between the inner (≲20 kpc) and outer (∼20–50 kpc) nebulae. On the other hand, saturated conduction from the surrounding X-ray gas produces, in the absence of magnetic fields, a heat flux that is approximately constant throughout the nebula: the change in the line ratio with position would then reflect the ability of the X-ray gas to penetrate presumably magnetically threaded filaments at different locations.
Perturbation techniques in the problems of computational charged particle optics

Basing on perturbation technique, discussed are some urgent problems of computational charged particle optics including numerical evaluation of fringe fields and field perturbations caused by small deviation of the shape of electrodes from rotational or planar symmetry as well as aberrational analysis of charged particle beams in the most general tensor form. It is shown that perturbation technique, being combined with other numerical approaches such as the tau- variations method and generalized method of initial parameters variation, proves to be most promising for evaluation of mechanical tolerances and simulation of Coulomb repulsion effects and charged particles scattering upon a fine-structure grid.
Analysis of competing mechanisms in transitions between excited states in Er-doped integrated waveguides

A new procedure for determining the prevalence of either excited-state absorption (ESA) or nonradiative cooperative energy transfer between erbium ions in transitions between excited states in Er-doped integrated waveguides is presented. These transitions are currently very attractive for the development of upconversion lasers. The procedure is based on the analysis of the dependence on the transition-originating mechanisms of the modulation transfer from the pump to the excited levels' population. The accuracy and validity range of the method are studied numerically using ordinary integrated structures. By using this procedure, the ratio of the contributions of the two competing mechanisms to the /sup 4/I/sub 13/2/ /spl rArr/ /sup 4/I/sub 9/2/ transition is determined from fluorescence measurements on a Er,Ti:LiNbO/sub 3/ sample excited by a 1480-nm pump. Moreover, new values of the excited-state pump-absorption cross section from level /sup 4/I/sub 13/2/, /spl sigma//sub 24/ (/spl ap/1480 nm) = 0.8 /spl times/ 10/sup -26/ m/sup 2/, and of the parameter associated with nonradiative cooperative energy transfer between Er/sup 3+/ ions, C/sub 22/ = 3 /spl times/ 10/sup -24/ m/sup 3/ s/spl middot//sup -1/, are reported.
Beta tACS

A growing body of research suggests that changes in both structural and functional connectivity in the ageing brain contribute to cognitive declines observed in later life. In recent years, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has garnered substantial research interest as a potential tool for the modulation of functional connectivity. Here, we report the findings from a double-blind crossover study that investigated the effects of dual-site beta tACS over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA) on the response inhibition performance of healthy older ( n =15, aged 61-79 years) and healthy younger ( n = 18, aged 18-34 years) adults. Two tACS conditions were administered in separate sessions: in-phase tACS, where electrical currents delivered to rIFG and preSMA have a 0° phase difference, and anti-phase tACS, where the currents have a 180° phase difference. In-phase tACS was found to significantly improve response inhibition of only younger individuals, with better inhibitory performance associated with stronger rIFG-preSMA functional connectivity. Anti-phase tACS did not result in any significant changes in response inhibition or functional connectivity for either age group. It was posited that these findings were due to the disparity of tACS-induced field strengths in the stimulated regions, inter-individual variability in the tACS-induced effects on rIFG-preSMA connectivity, and age-related brain atrophy. The current study sheds light on the complex nature of responses to non-invasive brain stimulation, which potentially contributes to the development of novel neuromodulation-based therapeutic interventions for the maintenance of cognitive function in older adults.
Analysis of prokaryotic genes in an impaired Great Lakes harbour reveals seasonal metabolic shifts and a previously undetected cyanobacterium

As primary drivers of organic matter re-mineralization and trophic carbon transfer, bacteria promote biogeochemical cycling and shape ecosystems globally. We studied bacterial communities spatially and seasonally in an impaired harbour of Lake Ontario by extracting and sequencing community DNA from water samples collected biweekly from different sites. Assembled contigs were annotated at the phylum level, and Cyanobacteria were further characterized at order and species levels. Actinobacteria were most abundant in early summer, while Cyanobacteria were dominant in mid-summer. Microcystis aeruginosa and Limnoraphis robusta were most abundant throughout the sampling period, expanding the documented diversity of Cyanobacteria in Hamilton Harbour. Functional annotations were performed using the MG-RAST pipeline and SEED database, revealing that genes for photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism and aromatic compound metabolism varied in relative abundances over the season, while phosphorus metabolism remained consistent, suggesting that these genes remain essential despite fluctuating environmental conditions and community succession. We observed seasonal shifts from anoxygenic to oxygenic phototrophy, and from ammonia assimilation to nitrogen fixation, coupled with decreasing heterotrophic bacteria and increasing cyanobacteria relative abundances. Our data contribute important insights into bacterial taxa and functional potentials in Hamilton Harbour, revealing seasonal and spatial dynamics that can be used to inform ongoing remediation efforts.
Filter-based models of suppression in retinal ganglion cells: comparison and generalization across species and stimuli

The dichotomy of excitation and suppression is one of the canonical mechanisms explaining the complexity of the neural activity. Computational models of the interplay of excitation and suppression in single neurons aim at investigating how this interaction affects a neuron’s spiking responses and shapes, for example, the encoding of sensory stimuli. Here, we compare the performance of three filter-based stimulus-encoding models in predicting retinal ganglion cell responses recorded from axolotl, mouse, and marmoset retina to different types of temporally varying visual stimuli. Suppression in these models is implemented via subtractive or divisive interactions of stimulus filters or by a response-driven feedback module. For the majority of ganglion cells, the subtractive and divisive models perform similarly and outperform the feedback model as well as a linear-nonlinear (LN) model with no suppression. Comparison between the subtractive and the divisive model depended on cell type, species, and stimulus components, with the divisive model generalizing best across temporal stimulus frequencies and visual contrast and the subtractive model capturing in particular responses for slow temporal stimulus dynamics and for slow axolotl cells. Overall, we conclude that the divisive and subtractive models are well suited for capturing interactions of excitation and suppression in ganglion cells and emphasize different temporal regimes of these interactions.
Porcine and human aortic valve endothelial and interstitial cell isolation and characterization

Background Calcific aortic valve stenosis is defined by pathological changes in the aortic valve and their predominant cell types: valvular interstitial (VICs) and endothelial cells (VECs). Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this disease is a prerequisite to identify potential pharmacological treatment strategies. In this study, we present a unique aortic valve cell isolation technique to acquire specific human and porcine cell populations and compared VICs and VECs of these species with each other for the first time. Methods and Results Aortic valve cells were isolated from human explants from patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement or porcine valvular tissue. Pure VEC and VIC populations could be verified by gene expression analysis and immunofluorescence staining showing a highly significant upregulation of endothelial markers in VECs and mesenchymal markers in VICs, respectively. Further analysis and comparison of cells in in vitro experiments revealed that endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition could be induced in hVECs, leading to significant increase of mesenchymal markers. In vitro calcification experiments of VICs induced by osteogenic medium or pro-calcifying medium demonstrated a pronounced calcification marker expression and visible calcific deposition in Alizarin red staining in both species. Conclusion This study aims to initiate a first step towards standardization of a reproducible isolation technique for pure human and porcine VEC and VIC populations. Comparison of human and porcine aortic valve cells demonstrated that porcine cells might serve as an alternative cellular model system, in settings, where human tissues are difficult to obtain. Statements and Declarations The authors declare no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
An example of a simple quasi-universal function in the class ε 2 of the Grzegorczyk hierarchy

We give an example of a quasi-universal function in the class ε 2 of the Grzegorczyk hierarchy. This function is of very simple structure and does not contain an explicit enumeration of any Turing machine. As a corollary we obtain a simple basis over superposition in the class ε 2.
DYNAMICS OF THE PHASE BEHAVIOR OF A POLYMER BLEND UNDER SHEAR FLOW

We study the dynamics of the phase behavior of a polymer blend in the presence of shear flow. By adopting a two fluid picture and using a generalization of the concept of material derivative, we construct kinetic equations that describe the phase behavior of polymer blends in the presence of external flow. A phenomenological form for the shear modulus for the blend is proposed. The study indicates that a nonlinear dependence of the shear modulus of the blend on the volume fraction of one of the species is crucial for a shift in the stability line to be induced by shear flow.
Study of Liquid Crystal Alignment Formed Using Slit Coater

Liquid-crystal (LC)-coated substrates with a planar LC alignment can be fabricated by UV irradiation during LC coating using a slit coater. The alignment transition from a planar alignment to a vertical alignment was caused by UV irradiation after LC coating when a certain UV-curable additive was doped with the nematic LC. These results are applicable to the development of a novel fabrication technology for printable LC devices.
Reduced GS domain serine/threonine requirements of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva mutant type I BMP receptor ACVR1 in the zebrafish

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare human genetic condition characterized by altered skeletal development and extra-skeletal bone formation. All cases of FOP are caused by mutations in the type I BMP receptor gene ACVR1 that result in over-activation of the BMP signaling pathway. Activation of the wild-type ACVR1 kinase requires assembly of a tetrameric type I and II BMP receptor complex followed by phosphorylation of the ACVR1 GS domain by type II BMP receptors. Previous studies showed that the FOP mutant ACVR1-R206H requires type II BMP receptors and presumptive GS domain phosphorylation for over-active signaling. Structural modeling of the FOP-ACVR1 mutant kinase domain supports that FOP mutations alter the conformation of the GS domain, but it is unclear how this leads to overactive signaling. Here we show using a developing zebrafish embryo BMP signaling assay that the FOP mutant receptors ACVR1-R206H and -G328R have reduced requirements for GS domain phosphorylation sites to signal compared to wild-type ACVR1. Further, ligandindependent and ligand-dependent signaling through the FOP ACVR1 receptors have distinct GS domain phosphorylation site requirements. Moreover, ACVR1-G328 showed increased GS domain serine/threonine requirements for ligand-independent signaling compared to ACVR1-R206H, whereas it exhibited reduced serine/threonine requirements for ligand-dependent signaling. Remarkably, while ACVR1-R206H does not require the type I BMP receptor partner, Bmpr1, to signal, a ligand-dependent GS domain mutant of ACVR1-R206H could signal independently of Bmpr1 only when Bmp7 ligand was overexpressed. Of note, unlike human ACVR1-R206H, the zebrafish paralog Acvr1l-R203H does not show increased signaling activity. However, in domain-swapping studies the human kinase domain, but not the human GS domain, was sufficient to confer overactive signaling to the Acvr1l-R203H receptor. Together these results reflect the importance of GS domain activation and kinase domain functions in regulating ACVR1 signaling and identify mechanisms of reduced regulatory constraints conferred by FOP mutations.
Space Analysis of School Violence in the Educational Setting of Peru, 2019

Background: Schools are increasingly experiencing physical, psychological, and sexual violence, which impacts students’ academic achievement and physical and emotional health. Our objective was to identify regional prevalence rates, average prevalence by aggressor type, and provincial spatial conglomerates with higher rates for each type of school violence reported in educational settings in Peru during 2019. Methods: An analysis was made of 12,132 cases reported through Peru’s Specialized School Violence System (SíseVe). The Moran indices were calculated using provincial prevalence rates to identify conglomerates with high prevalence. Results: In the coast region, the Department of Tacna reported the highest prevalence rates for physical (99.7) and psychological (107); the Department of Amazonas, which is in the jungle, reported the highest prevalence rate for sexual violence (74.6), with teachers in public schools accounting for the majority of sexual assaults against students (56%). Conclusions: Sexual violence predominated in the jungle zone, with a significant percentage of teachers participating in violence with sexual connotations. Physical and psychological violence prevailed in the coastal region.
Appearance Manipulationin Spatial Augmented Reality using Image Differences

Rapidly emerging augmented reality technologies enable us to virtually alter appearance of objects and materials in a fast and efficient way. The state-of-the-art research shows that the human visual system has a poor ability to invert the optical processes in the scene and rather relies on images cues and spatial distribution of luminance to perceive appearance attributes, such as gloss and translucency. For this reason, we hypothesize that it is possible to alter gloss and translucency appearance by projecting an image onto the original to mimic the luminance distribution characteristic of the target appearance. To demonstrate feasibility of this approach, we use pairs of physically-based renderings of glossy and matte, and translucent and opaque materials, respectively; we calculate a compensation image – a luminance difference between them, and subsequently, we demonstrate that by algebraic addition of luminance, an image of matte object can appear glossy, and an image of opaque object can appear translucent, when respective compensation images are projected onto them. Furthermore, we introduce a novel method to increase apparent opacity of translucent materials. Finally, we propose a future direction, which could enable nearly real-time appearance manipulation.
Informative prior distribution applied to linseed for the estimation of genetic parameters using a small sample size

Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate a procedure for the elicitation of informative prior distribution, compared with non-informative prior distribution, in a small sample size, using 14 traits of three linseed (Linum usitatissimum) genotypes in seven sowing seasons. The values of the hyperparameters regulate the informativeness of the prior distribution; therefore, for each season, the hyperparameters to be used in the next season were calculated. The two prior distributions, non-informative and informative, were compared by the length of the credible interval and variance of the posterior distribution. In general, when the informative prior distribution is adopted, the genetic parameters present a shorter length of the credible interval and more precise estimates. The mechanism for informative prior elicitation using previous information from breeding programs is efficient for the estimation of genetic parameters, including heritability and genetic variance, even when the sample size is small. In genetic evaluation, the use of informative prior distribution is better than that of non-informative distribution for a small sample size. In general, the results of the informative prior distributions are indicative that the genetic values of the first sowing season are greater for the following traits: cycle length, plant height, and number of non-grained capsules and of productive branches.
A Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning Approach to Control Legged Mobile Manipulators

: Recent years have seen a Cambrian explosion of robotic systems yield-1 ing ever more capable and affordable systems, with quadrupedal robotic platforms 2 emerging as a commercially-viable base to perform a wide variety of tasks across 3 uneven terrain. Augmenting these with a robotic arm allows the possibility of even 4 more complex interactions. At the same time, there has been a growing body of 5 research into using deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for embodied agent navi-6 gation and object manipulation, which promises a more sample-efficient, flexible, 7 and robust approach to learning such policies than existing classical methods. Re-8 cent works have shown a functional approach for learning a joint base and arm 9 policy with DRL but have not yet demonstrated how the result can be used in 10 downstream tasks. In this work, we investigate the problem of learning an ob-11 ject manipulation and navigation policy for a quadrupedal robot with a mounted 12 robotic arm - specifically, we address the problem of fetching stationary and mov-13 ing objects autonomously (“playing fetch” with the robot dog). Our method con-14 sists of (a) a low-level policy that moves the base and arm and (b) a high-level 15 policy that generates the commands for the low-level policy. The low-level policy 16 is jointly learned for both the arm and the base which generates joint torques for 17 directional commands. The high-level policy is task-specific, translates the ball 18 position to directional commands for the low-level policy, and deals with accel-19 eration/deceleration and stability. We demonstrate that our high-level policy can 20 outperform a tuned Proportional-Derivative (PD) controller. 21
Covalent Immobilisation of an Aspergillus niger Derived Endo-1,4-β-Mannanase, Man26A, on Glutaraldehyde-Activated Chitosan Nanoparticles for the Effective Production of Prebiotic MOS from Soybean Meal

An Aspergillus niger endo-1,4-β-mannanase, Man26A, was confirmed by FTIR and XRD to be immobilised on glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan nanoparticles via covalent bonding. The immobilisation (%) and activity yields (%) were 82.25% and 20.75%, respectively. The biochemical properties (pH, temperature optima, and stability) were then comparatively evaluated for both the free and immobilised Man26A. The optimal activity of Man26A shifted to a lower pH after immobilisation (pH 2.0–3.0, from pH 5 for the free enzyme), with the optimum temperature remaining unchanged (60 °C). The two enzymes exhibited identical thermal stability, maintaining 100% activity for the first 6 h at 55 °C. Substrate-specific kinetic analysis showed that the two enzymes had similar affinities towards locust bean gum (LBG) with varied Vmax values. In contrast, they showed various affinities towards soybean meal (SBM) and similar Vmax values. The immobilised enzyme was then employed in the enhancement of the functional feed/prebiotic properties of SBM from poultry feed, increasing mannooligosaccharides (MOS) quantities. The SBM main hydrolysis products were mannobiose (M2) and mannose (M1). The SBM-produced sugars could be utilised as a carbon source by probiotic bacteria; Streptococcus thermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The results indicate that the immobilised enzyme has the potential for use in the sustainable and cost-effective production of prebiotic MOS from agricultural biomass.