Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural engineering of gold thin films with channel cracks for ultrasensitive strain sensing

This work demonstrates that engineering of the connection channels in gold thin films is an effective way to alter its resistivity for improved sensitivity in strain sensors. We investigated the formation of channel cracks and explored the corresponding piezoresistive behavior. The developed strain sensor possessed GFs as high as 200 (e < 0.5%), 1000 (0.5% < e < 0.7%), and even greater than 5000 (0.7% < e < 1%), which are among the highest values reported thus far at such small deformation, and are promising in the applications of electronic skin, wearable sensors and health monitoring platforms.
FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF SELF MICRO EMULSIFYING SYSTEM OF CANDESARTAN CILEXETIL

The present work was aimed at formulating a SMEDDS (self‐microemulsifying drug delivery system) of candesartan cilexetil and evaluating its in vitro and in vivo potential. The solubility of candesartan cilexetil was determined in various vehicles. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were used to evaluate the microemulsification existence area, and the release rate of candesartan cilexetil was investigated using an in vitro dissolution test. SMEDDS formulations were tested for microemulsifying properties, and the resultant microemulsions were evaluated for various evaluation parameters. Formulation development and screening was done based on results obtained from phase diagrams and characteristics of resultant microemulsions. The optimized formulation was composed of Transcutol P as oil, Capryol 90 as surfactant and Plurol Oleique as co surfactant. The SMEDDS formulation showed complete release in 60 minutes . Thus, the study confirmed that the SMEDDS formulation can be used as a possible alternative to traditional oral formulations of Candesartan cilexetil to improve its bioavailability.
Reassortment between Swine H3N2 and 2009 Pandemic H1N1 in the United States Resulted in Influenza A Viruses with Diverse Genetic Constellations with Variable Virulence in Pigs

ABSTRACT Repeated spillovers of the H1N1 pandemic virus (H1N1pdm09) from humans to pigs resulted in substantial evolution of influenza A viruses infecting swine, contributing to the genetic and antigenic diversity of influenza A viruses (IAV) currently circulating in swine. The reassortment with endemic swine viruses and maintenance of some of the H1N1pdm09 internal genes resulted in the circulation of different genomic constellations in pigs. Here, we performed a whole-genome phylogenetic analysis of 368 IAV circulating in swine from 2009 to 2016 in the United States. We identified 44 different genotypes, with the most common genotype (32.33%) containing a clade IV-A HA gene, a 2002-lineage NA gene, an M-pdm09 gene, and remaining gene segments of triple reassortant internal gene (TRIG) origin. To understand how different genetic constellations may relate to viral fitness, we compared the pathogenesis and transmission in pigs of six representative genotypes. Although all six genotypes efficiently infected pigs, they resulted in different degrees of pathology and viral shedding. These results highlight the vast H3N2 genetic diversity circulating in U.S. swine after 2009. This diversity has important implications in the control of this disease by the swine industry, as well as a potential risk for public health if swine-adapted viruses with H1N1pdm09 genes have an increased risk to humans, as occurred in the 2011-2012 and 2016 human variant H3N2v cases associated with exhibition swine. IMPORTANCE People continue to spread the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (H1N1pdm09) IAV to pigs, allowing H1N1pdm09 to reassort with endemic swine IAV. In this study, we determined the 8 gene combinations of swine H3N2 IAV detected from 2009 to 2016. We identified 44 different genotypes of H3N2, the majority of which contained at least one H1N1pdm09 gene segment. We compared six representative genotypes of H3N2 in pigs. All six genotypes efficiently infected pigs, but they resulted in different degrees of lung damage and viral shedding. These results highlight the vast genetic diversity of H3N2 circulating in U.S. swine after 2009, with important implications for the control of IAV for the swine industry. Because H1N1pdm09 is also highly adapted to humans, these swine viruses pose a potential risk to public health if swine-adapted viruses with H1N1pdm09 genes also have an increased risk for human infection.
Bioinspired Soft Actuation System Using Shape Memory Alloys

Abstract: Soft robotics requires technologies that are capable of generating forces even though the bodies are composed of very light, flexible and soft elements. A soft actuation mechanism was developed in this work, taking inspiration from the arm of the Octopus vulgaris , specifically from the muscular hydrostat which represents its constitutive muscular structure. On the basis of the authors’ previous works on shape memory alloy (SMA) springs used as soft actuators, a specific arrangement of such SMA springs is presented, which is combined with a flexible braided sleeve featuring a conical shape and a motor-driven cable. This robot arm is able to perform tasks in water such as grasping, multi-bending gestures, shortening and elongation along its longitudinal axis. The whole structure of the arm is described in detail and experimental results on workspace, bending and grasping capabilities and generated forces are presented. Moreover, this paper demonstrates that it is possible to realize a self-contained octopus-like robotic arm with no rigid parts, highly adaptable and suitable to be mounted on underwater vehicles. Its softness allows interaction with all types of objects with very low risks of damage and limited safety issues, while at the same time producing relatively high forces when necessary.
A Study of Exoskeleton Walking Aids Device

Among the disabled people, patients with lower limb disability account for a large proportion. In order to help these patients to restore walking ability, a kind of walking aids device is required which can simulate the normal gait of humans. In this paper a kind of exoskeleton device is shown which has three freedoms of hip joint, knee joint and ankle joint. Firstly, the 3D model of this device will be built in pro/e, some kinematic and dynamics analysis based on D-H method and lagrangian method will be calculated. Secondly, a virtual prototype will be built in ADAMS to get the gait trajectory. Finally, use ADAMS and MATLAB to complete the feedback control of walking device.
Development and Validation of an UPLC-MS/MS Method for Pharmacokinetic Comparison of Five Alkaloids from JinQi Jiangtang Tablets and Its Monarch Drug Coptidis Rhizoma

JinQi Jiangtang (JQJT) tablets, a Chinese patent medicine approved by the State Food and Drug Administration, are composed of Coptidis Rhizoma, Astragali Radix, and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, and have a significant effect on diabetes. Coptidis Rhizoma is monarch drug in the prescription. The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the pharmacokinetics of multiple ingredients from JQJT tablets and Coptidis Rhizoma extract (CRE) following oral administration in rats. Five alkaloids: coptisine chloride, epiberberine chloride, berberine chloride, jatrorrhizine chloride, and palmatine chloride, were simultaneously determined in rat plasma using established and validated ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Significant pharmacokinetic differences were observed for the five alkaloids after a single administration of CRE and JQJT tablets. Compared with CRE, the Cmax values of palmatine chloride and jatrorrhizine chloride were decreased significantly, the AUC0–t values of four alkaloids (all except jatrorrhizine chloride) were notably decreased, and the mean residence times of all five alkaloids were significantly decreased after administration of JQJT tablets. The results indicated that the absorption characteristics of the five alkaloids from Coptidis Rhizoma would be influenced by the compatibility of Astragali Radix or Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from JQJT tablets, such that absorption was inhibited and elimination was accelerated. In conclusion, the developed strategy was suitable for the comparison of five alkaloids from JinQi Jiangtang tablets and its monarch drug, which could be valuable for compatibility studies of traditional Chinese medicines.
Using Differential Privacy to Efficiently Mitigate Side Channels in Distributed Analytics

Distributed analytics systems enable users to efficiently perform computations over large distributed data sets. Recently, systems have been proposed that can additionally protect the data's privacy by keeping it encrypted even in memory and by performing the computations using trusted execution environments (TEEs). This approach has the potential to make it much safer to outsource analytics jobs to an untrusted cloud platform or to distribute it across multiple parties. TEEs, however, suffer from side channels, such as timing, memory access patterns, and message sizes that weaken their privacy guarantees. Existing privacy-preserving analytics systems only address a subset of these channels, such as memory access patterns, while largely neglecting size and timing. Moreover, previous attempts to close size and timing channels suffer from high performance costs, impracticality, or a lack of rigorous privacy guarantees. In this paper, we present an approach to mitigating timing and size side channels in analytics based on differential privacy that is both dramatically more efficient than the state-of-the-art while offering principled privacy assurances. We also sketch a design for a new analytics system we are developing called Hermetic that aims to be the first to mitigate the four most critical digital side channels simultaneously. Our preliminary evaluation demonstrates the potential benefits of our method.
Two-dimensional periodic structures: Investigation, application and methods for solving problems of diffraction of electromagnetic waves

Periodic structures are widely used in different areas of science and technology, forming the grounds for various types of devices [1]. In the microwave range diffraction gratings are used as polarizers, frequency-selective surfaces, quasi-optical beam splitters, protective masking materials that are transparent to electromagnetic waves. Periodic structures are slow-wave structures in electronic devices and in accelerators. An optical grating is the main element of spectrometers.
Visual acuity in ray-finned fishes correlates with eye size and habitat

ABSTRACT Visual acuity (the ability to resolve spatial detail) is highly variable across fishes. However, little is known about the evolutionary pressures underlying this variation. We reviewed published literature to create an acuity database for 159 species of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). Within a subset of those species for which we had phylogenetic information and anatomically measured acuity data (n=81), we examined relationships between acuity and both morphological (eye size and body size) and ecological (light level, water turbidity, habitat spatial complexity and diet) variables. Acuity was significantly correlated with eye size (P<0.001); a weaker correlation with body size occurred via a correlation between eye and body size (P<0.001). Acuity decreased as light level decreased and turbidity increased; however, these decreases resulted from fishes in dark or murky environments having smaller eyes and bodies than those in bright or clear environments. We also found significantly lower acuity in horizon-dominated habitats than in featureless or complex habitats. Higher acuity in featureless habitats is likely due to species having absolutely larger eyes and bodies in that environment, though eye size relative to body size is not significantly different from that in complex environments. Controlling for relative eye size, we found that species in complex environments have even higher acuity than predicted. We found no relationship between visual acuity and diet. Our results show that eye size is a primary factor underlying variation in fish acuity. We additionally show that habitat type is an important ecological factor that correlates with acuity in certain species. Summary: Examination of how visual acuity in ray-finned fishes correlates with morphological and ecological factors shows that both eye size and habitat type are strong predictors of acuity in this group.
Accuracy and sensitivity of four‐dimensional dose calculation to systematic motion variability in stereotatic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for lung cancer

The dynamic movement of radiation beam in real‐time tumor tracking may cause overdosing to critical organs surrounding the target. The primary objective of this study was to verify the accuracy of the 4D planning module incorporated in CyberKnife treatment planning system. The secondary objective was to evaluate the error that may occur in the case of a systematic change of motion pattern. Measurements were made using a rigid thorax phantom. Target motion was simulated with two waveforms (sin and cos4) of different amplitude and frequency. Inversely optimized dose distributions were calculated in the CyberKnife treatment planning system using the 4D Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm. Each plan was delivered to the phantom assuming (1) reproducible target motion, and (2) systematic change of target motion pattern. The accuracy of 4D dose calculation algorithm was assessed using GAFCHROMIC EBT2 films based on 5%/3 mm γ criteria. Treatment plans were considered acceptable if the percentage of pixels passing the 5%/3 mm γ criteria was greater than 90%. The mean percentages of pixels passing were 95% for the target and 91% for the static off‐target structure, respectively, with reproducible target motion. When systematic changes of the motion pattern were introduced during treatment delivery, the mean percentages of pixels passing decreased significantly in the off‐target films (48%; p < 0.05), but did not change significantly in the target films (92%; p=0.324) compared to results of reproducible target motion. These results suggest that the accuracy of 4D dose calculation, particularly in off‐target stationary structure, is strongly tied to the reproducibility of target motion and that the solutions of 4D planning do not reflect the clinical nature of nonreproducible target motion generally. PACS numbers: 87.53. Ly, 87.55. km
A Case Study of the Challenges of Cyber Forensics Analysis of Digital Evidence in a Child Pornography Trial

Perfunctory case analysis, lack of evidence validation, and an inability or unwillingness to present understandable analysis reports adversely affect the outcome course of legal trials reliant on digital evidence. These issues have serious consequences for defendants facing heavy penalties or imprisonment yet expect their defence counsel to have clear understanding of the evidence. Poorly reasoned, validated and presented digital evidence can result in conviction of the innocent as well as acquittal of the guilty. A possession of child pornography Case Study highlights the issues that appear to plague case analysis and presentation of digital evidence relied on in these odious crimes; crimes increasingly consuming the time, resources and expertise of law enforcement and the legal fraternity. The necessity to raise the standard and formalise examinations of digital evidence used in child pornography seems timely. The case study shows how structured analysis and presentation processes can enhance examinations. The case study emphasises the urgency to integrate vigorous validation processes into cyber forensics examinations to meet acceptable standard of cyber forensics examinations. The processes proposed in this Case Study enhance clarity in case management and ensure digital evidence is correctly analysed, contextualised and validated. This will benefit the examiner preparing the case evidence and help legal teams better understand the technical complexities involved.
Shifts in disease dynamics in a tropical amphibian assemblage are not due to pathogen attenuation

Resistance is not futile The fungal disease chytridiomycosis has wreaked havoc on amphibians worldwide. The disease is caused by the organism Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and was first identified in the late 1990s. Voyles et al. revisited protected areas in Panama where catastrophic amphibian losses were recorded a decade ago (see the Perspective by Collins). Although disease theory predicts that epidemics should result in reduced pathogenicity, they found no evidence for such a reduction. Despite this, the amphibian community is displaying signs of recovery—including some species presumed extinct after the outbreak. Increased host resistance may be responsible for this recovery. Science, this issue p. 1517; see also p. 1458 Host resistance may be responsible for recovery of amphibians in Panama 10 years after a lethal outbreak of chytridiomycosis. Infectious diseases rarely end in extinction. Yet the mechanisms that explain how epidemics subside are difficult to pinpoint. We investigated host-pathogen interactions after the emergence of a lethal fungal pathogen in a tropical amphibian assemblage. Some amphibian host species are recovering, but the pathogen is still present and is as pathogenic today as it was almost a decade ago. In addition, some species have defenses that are more effective now than they were before the epidemic. These results suggest that host recoveries are not caused by pathogen attenuation and may be due to shifts in host responses. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying disease transitions, which are increasingly important to understand in an era of emerging infectious diseases and unprecedented global pandemics.
A New Parallel CODEC Technique for CDMA NoCs

Code division multiple access (CDMA) network-on-chip (NoC) has been proposed for many-core systems due to its data transfer parallelism over communication channels. Consequently, coder–decoder (CODEC) module, which greatly impacts the performance of CDMA NoCs, attracted growing attention in recent years. In this paper, we propose a new parallel CODEC technique for CDMA NoCs. In general, by using a few simple logic circuits with small penalties in area and power, our new parallel (NPC) CODEC can execute the encoding/decoding process in parallel and thus reduce the data transfer latency. To reveal the benefits of our method for on-chip communication, we apply our NPC to CDMA NoCs and perform extensive experiments. From the results, we can find that our method outperforms existing parallel CODECs, such as Walsh-based parallel CODEC (WPC) and overloaded parallel CODEC (OPC). Specifically, it improves the critical point of communication latency (7.3% over WPC and 13.5% over OPC), reduces packet latency jitter by about 17.3% (against WPC) and 71.6% (against OPC), and improves energy efficiency by up to 41.2% (against WPC) and 59.2% (against OPC).
Living Organisms Author Their Read-Write Genomes in Evolution

Evolutionary variations generating phenotypic adaptations and novel taxa resulted from complex cellular activities altering genome content and expression: (i) Symbiogenetic cell mergers producing the mitochondrion-bearing ancestor of eukaryotes and chloroplast-bearing ancestors of photosynthetic eukaryotes; (ii) interspecific hybridizations and genome doublings generating new species and adaptive radiations of higher plants and animals; and, (iii) interspecific horizontal DNA transfer encoding virtually all of the cellular functions between organisms and their viruses in all domains of life. Consequently, assuming that evolutionary processes occur in isolated genomes of individual species has become an unrealistic abstraction. Adaptive variations also involved natural genetic engineering of mobile DNA elements to rewire regulatory networks. In the most highly evolved organisms, biological complexity scales with “non-coding” DNA content more closely than with protein-coding capacity. Coincidentally, we have learned how so-called “non-coding” RNAs that are rich in repetitive mobile DNA sequences are key regulators of complex phenotypes. Both biotic and abiotic ecological challenges serve as triggers for episodes of elevated genome change. The intersections of cell activities, biosphere interactions, horizontal DNA transfers, and non-random Read-Write genome modifications by natural genetic engineering provide a rich molecular and biological foundation for understanding how ecological disruptions can stimulate productive, often abrupt, evolutionary transformations.
Efficient Onthe-Fly Cycle Collection

A reference counting garbage collector cannot reclaim unre achable cyclic structures of objects. Therefore, reference counti ng collectors either use a backup tracing collector seldom, or employ a cycle collector to reclaim cyclic structures. Recently, the first on-the-fly cycle collector, that may run concurrently with program thr eads, was presented by Bacon and Rajan [3]. This demonstrated the a bility to run on-the-fly reference counting without resorting t o an auxiliary tracing collector. In this paper, we present an improved on-the-fly cycle collec tor by combining techniques developed in that paper with the sliding views collectors. The resulting collector gains two adv antages. First, it improves over the efficiency of the original collec tor significantly, making the cycle collection solution usable in p ractice. Second, it eliminates the termination problem that appeare d in the original algorithm. There, a rare race may delay the reclama tion of an unreachable cyclic structure forever. The new cycle co ll t r guarantees reclamation of all unreachable cyclic structur es.
Proton MR spectroscopy of lesion evolution in multiple sclerosis: Steady‐state metabolism and its relationship to conventional imaging

Although MRI assessment of white matter lesions is essential for the clinical management of multiple sclerosis, the processes leading to the formation of lesions and underlying their subsequent MRI appearance are incompletely understood. We used proton MR spectroscopy to study the evolution of N‐acetyl‐aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and myo‐inositol (mI) in pre‐lesional tissue, persistent and transient new lesions, as well as in chronic lesions, and related the results to quantitative MRI measures of T1‐hypointensity and T2‐volume. Within 10 patients with relapsing‐remitting course, there were 180 regions‐of‐interest consisting of up to seven semi‐annual follow‐ups of normal‐appearing white matter (NAWM, n = 10), pre‐lesional tissue giving rise to acute lesions which resolved (n = 3) or persisted (n = 3), and of moderately (n = 9) and severely hypointense (n = 6) chronic lesions. Compared with NAWM, pre‐lesional tissue had higher Cr and Cho, while compared with lesions, pre‐lesional tissue had higher NAA. Resolving acute lesions showed similar NAA levels pre‐ and post‐formation, suggesting no long‐term axonal damage. In chronic lesions, there was an increase in mI, suggesting accumulating astrogliosis. Lesion volume was a better predictor of axonal health than T1‐hypointensity, with lesions larger than 1.5 cm3 uniformly exhibiting very low (<4.5 millimolar) NAA concentrations. A positive correlation between longitudinal changes in Cho and in lesion volume in moderately hypointense lesions implied that lesion size is mediated by chronic inflammation. These and other results are integrated in a discussion on the steady‐state metabolism of lesion evolution in multiple sclerosis, viewed in the context of conventional MRI measures. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4047–4063, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.