Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the role of PTEN in cholinergic neurons in glucose and energy homeostasis

Insulin resistance and insulin deficiency are key determinants of type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is manifested by attenuation of insulin signaling. A major insulin signaling pathway is mediated by phosphatidyl inositol kinase (PI3K), which is negatively regulated by phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN). Neuronal PI3K-mediated insulin action plays a critical role in the regulation of systemic insulin resistance. The dorsal ventral complex (DVC) is the control centre of vagal activity and utilizes acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, which is synthesized by the enzyme choline acetyl transferase (ChAT). To assess the role of PTEN in cholinergic neurons, we generated mice deficient of PTEN in these neurons using the cre-loxP system. These mice were protected against high fat diet-induced weight gain and glucose intolerance. They also had less inflammatory adipose tissue. Overall, PTEN deletion in the cholinergic neurons provides protection against diet-induced obesity and diabetes.
The Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale, the Knowledge in Dementia Scale, and the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Tool 2: Which Is the Best Tool to Measure Dementia Knowledge in Greece?

Background: Measuring dementia knowledge can be a valuable tool for assessing the effectiveness of dementia awareness activities, identifying the potential benefits of dementia training programs, and breaking down common myths and stereotypes about dementia. Objective: To compare the psychometric properties of three widely used dementia knowledge tools, the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Tool 2 (DKAT2-G), the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS-G), and the Knowledge in Dementia Scale (KIDE-G) in the Greek adult population. Methods: A convenience sample of 252 participants from the general population completed the survey online. Statistical analyses included Cronbach’s internal reliability, retest reliability, factor analysis, concurrent and construct validity, and floor and ceiling effects. Results: The DKAS-G had the most appropriate reliability levels (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.845; retest reliability = 0.921), whereas the DKAT2-G had satisfactory indexes (Cronbach’s α= 0.760; retest reliability = 0.630). The KIDE-G showed unsatisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s α= 0.419; retest reliability = 0.619). Construct validity was confirmed for all questionnaires, showing that all of them detected participants with pre-existing knowledge of dementia. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a four-factor model for the DKAS-G and proposed the removal of 5 items. Floor and ceiling effects were found for the DKAT2-G and the KIDE-G, mainly among those who had previously participated in dementia training. Conclusions: The DKAS-G was found to have the highest levels of reliability and validity. The results prove that the DKAS-G meets the requirements for measuring dementia knowledge and evaluating dementia training programs in health professionals, caregivers, and the general population.
Determination Method for Water Discharge of Tunnel Based on the Ecological Water Requirement of Vegetation

The large-quantity leakage of groundwater due to tunnel construction will result in the ecological destruction in the top area of mountain.Thus,to appropriately predicate the quantity of water that seeps out of tunnel is significant to the ecological balance.The ecology and agronomy with respect to the ecological water requirements of vegetation were introduced in this paper.Further,the maximum allowable groundwater level drawdown of the vegetation in the tunnel site was determined through investigation analysis.Then,combining the groundwater dynamics and the related empirical formula,the area and volume of dewatering funnel were obtained when the drawdown groundwater table reached the maximum value after seepage.Moreover,the allowable maximum amount of discharge was determined by the formula which expressed the relationship among the volume of dewatering funnel,water discharge and storativity.Comparing the numerical example with engineering practice,the calculated drainage standard is found close to the standard adopted in engineering practice when real geological and hydrogeological conditions are taken into consideration for the research area.The presented method can balance tunnel engineering construction and ecological groundwater environment,thereby offering reference to tunnel engineering construction.
Generative Zero-Shot Compound Fault Diagnosis Based on Semantic Alignment

Fault diagnosis of bearings plays a critical role in the predictive maintenance and health management of mechanical equipment. However, compound faults diagnosis of bearings remains a challenging task, because compound faults are coupled together by multiple single faults, which are difficult to decouple and identify. In addition, in industrial scenarios, collecting sufficient compound fault samples for model training is unrealistic. To address these issues, we propose a generative zero-shot compound fault diagnosis model based on semantic alignment. The model includes a semantic alignment module, feature extraction module, generative adversarial module, and classification module. First, we propose a feature extractor that combines channel and spatial attention mechanisms to extract fault features from the original vibration signals. Second, we designed a novel fault semantic construction method that combines interpretable priori fault semantics in time–frequency domain and hidden feature distribution alignment. Third, in the generative adversarial module, we combine supervised contrastive loss and comparator into the improved Wasserstein generative adversarial networks with gradient penalty (WGANs_GP) to learn the mapping relationship between fault semantics and fault features. Finally, we use the pseudocompound faults features generated by the generator to train a classifier for classifying ground-truth unseen compound fault. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified on a self-built bearing test bench, and the results show that the proposed model can achieve classification accuracy of 89.25% for compound faults under the condition of only using single-fault samples for training.
Prescriptive Grammar and Others: Which Is the Most Appropriate Paradigm for the Contemporary Learner and User of the English Language?

:- The objective of this study which is situated in comparative grammar is to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the three selected theories and types of English grammar: prescriptive, descriptive and Transformational Generative Grammars (TGG), for they have provoked controversies today with regard to the particular type that serves as an appropriate model for teaching and learning of the English Language. Certain sentence constructions which represent different paradigms by renowned linguists and grammarians constitute the source data of this work. These data enable the author to draw some conclusions. Adopting a framework-free approach to grammatical analysis, often associated with Haspelmath (2008) and Dryer (2006), each type of grammar is looked at closely without bias to deduce its strengths and weaknesses . On this basis, a synthesis of all the three grammars is provided to show their meeting points or otherwise. In order to obviate the dilemma of the choice of the suitable model to teach and learn, it is recommended that all the models play complementary roles, hence should be used and considered relevant. Therefore, none should be sarcastically branded old –fashioned or too complex. That is, both the teacher and the learner should be exposed to all.
The Tunable Rhenium Effect on the Creep Properties of a Nickel-Based Superalloy

Atomistic simulations on the creep of a nickel-based single-crystal superalloy are performed for examining whether the so-called rhenium effect can be tuned by changing the spatial distribution of rhenium in the nickel matrix phase. Results show that Rhenium dopants at {100} phase interfaces facilitate mobile partial dislocations, which intensify the creep, leading to a larger creep strain than that of a pure Ni/Ni3Al system containing no alloying dopants. If all the Re dopants in the matrix phase are far away from phase interfaces, a conventional retarding effect of Re can be observed. The current study implies a tunable Re effect on creep via dislocation triggering at the phase interfaces.
ECC-EXONUM-eVOTING: A Novel Signature-Based e-Voting Scheme Using Blockchain and Zero Knowledge Property

Traditional voting systems mainly comprise of paper polling, electronic ballot system (EVM), mechanical devices, etc., and demand the physical presence of the voters. In the new age of digitization, the electronic voting system has come up with a unique facility to cast votes from any discreet place. However, the e-voting system has to face several challenges regarding security and privacy. To overcome such obstructions, blockchain is introduced in e-voting applications that preserve anonymity, security, and consistency of voter-related information with the help of Merkle tree and hash digest. Hence, any discrepancy can immediately be detected whenever the hash values of the respective block have been modified and consequently, the whole block is discarded. In this research, a novel e-voting scheme is proposed following the decentralized service-oriented architecture of Exonum private blockchain, hybrid consensus algorithm, and Elliptic Curve Diffie-Helmen (ECDH) protocol to agree upon a secure session key among different participants. Moreover, the proposed scheme (ECC-EXONUM-eVOTING) employs a zero-knowledge protocol and is customized to work over idemix technologies with a blind signature scheme. Numerous well-known cryptographic attacks are analyzed formally using the probabilistic random oracle model and informally for validating the security strength of ECC-EXONUM-eVOTING. As a result, it is found that the proposed scheme is well-defended against all potential security concerns. Furthermore, the scheme is simulated using both Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) and Scyther tools to demonstrate the proposed scheme is not prone to any security attacks. Finally, it is concluded that the proposed scheme is well-suited for secure e-voting applications.
Influence of H2, CO, C3H6, and C7H8 as Reductants on DeNOx Behavior of Dual Monoliths for NOx Storage/Reduction Coupled with Selective Catalytic Reduction

The effects of feeding hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and propylene as reductants are analyzed in the combined NOx storage and reduction with selective catalytic reduction technology (NSR-SCR), with Pt–Ba/Al2O3 and Pt–Ba–Ce/Al2O3 monoliths as NSR catalysts, and Cu/BETA and Cu/SAPO-34 monoliths as SCR catalysts. Feed streams including CO2 and H2O mimic the real composition of the diesel engine exhaust. Also, the reaction temperature and reductant concentration are analyzed on NOx removal and product distribution at the converter outlet. H2 is the most efficient reductant at low temperature. The reducing capacity of CO is comparable to H2 from 300 °C and onward. Higher temperature (400 °C) is needed for propylene to be as effective reductant as H2 or CO due to the promotion of storage and reduction reaction. Benefits in dual NSR-SCR configurations are enhanced with H2 as reductant, due to higher internal generation of NH3 to be used in the SCR catalyst.
Association between feeding habits and severe - early childhood caries in children up to 24 month old

Abstract Introduction During the first two years of life children’s nutrition is mostly based on frequent, liquid and sweetened meals which can cause Severe-Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) development. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between dietary habits and S-ECC in children up to 24 month-old living in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods Cross-sectional study included representative sample of 192 children. Before dental examination of children, each parent/caregiver was interviewed about the basic info, socio-demographic characteristics and children's eating habits. The questionnaire was conducted as interview (“face to face”). Subjects were divided into two groups: the first group - children with S-ECC and the second group - caries free children. For statistical analysis and presentation of results SPSS 16.0 for Windows, MS Office Word and Microsoft Office Excel were used. Results In the study sample 34.9% of children were suffering from S-ECC. About 50% of children who were breast-fed at night after first tooth eruption had S-ECC. The use of baby bottle with milk or other sweetened content during bedtime and during the night was identified as significant caries risk factor (P <0.05). Conclusion Nighttime breastfeeding, use of bottle with milk during bedtime/nighttime or other sweetened content during night after eruption of first primary tooth were strongly associated with S-ECC in the examined children.
Multi-parametric flow cytometry staining procedure for analyzing tumor-infiltrating immune cells following oncolytic herpes simplex virus immunotherapy in intracranial glioblastoma

Multi-color flow cytometry is a standard laboratory protocol, which is regularly used to analyze tumor-infiltrating immune cell subsets. Oncolytic herpes simplex virus has shown promise in treating various types of cancers, including deadly glioblastoma. Intracranial/intratumoral treatment with oncolytic herpes simplex virus expressing interleukin 12, i.e., immunovirotherapy results in induction of anti-tumor immune responses and tumor infiltration of a variety of immune cells. Multi-color flow cytometry is employed to characterize immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we describe a step-by-step 11-color flow cytometry protocol to stain tumor-infiltrating immune cells in glioblastoma following oncolytic herpes virotherapy. We also describe a method to identify HSV-1 glycoprotein-B-specific CD8+ T cells using fluorochrome-conjugated major histocompatibility complex multimers. The multimers carry major histocompatibility peptide complexes, which have the ability to interact and bind to T cell receptors present on the surface of T cells; allowing identification of T cells (e.g., CD8+) reactive to a desired antigen. This multimer staining can be used in conjunction with the multi-parametric flow cytometry staining. Brain tumor quadrants are harvested, minced, enzymatically digested, immune cells are isolated by positive selection, single cells are counted and blocked for Fc receptors, cells are incubated with dye and/or color-conjugated antibodies, and flow cytrometry is performed using a BD LSRII flow cytometer. The protocol described herein is also applicable to stain immune cells in other mouse and human tumors or in any desired tissues.
Analysis of temperature and rainfall trends in Vaal-Harts irrigation scheme, South Africa

Agriculture is crucially dependent on the timely availability of adequate amount of water and a conducive climate. Temperature and rainfall patterns impact the availability of water for agricultural uses. Therefore, temperature and rainfall are twin important environmental factors in agricultural activities such as tillage, planting, irrigation and mechanization. The characteristics of the Vaal-Harts temperature data for year 1996 to 2010 and rainfall data for year 1983 to 2010 were examined in this study using statistical techniques. Basic statistical properties of the data were determined using the mean, variance, coefficient of variation and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Temperature and rainfall observations with the average of about 17.44 were used. The minimum and maximum temperatures recorded were 9.72 0 C and 23.52 0 C. The Coefficient of variation (CV) was found to be about 29.59. Variance is a measure of how far a set of numbers is spread out; and the variance of this set of observations is 26.625. The average yearly temperature increases insignificantly by a constant of about 0.117 (p = 0.163; 95% CI: -0.054 – 0.288), while rainfall shows decreasing trend annually which means that the dry season will be drier. The involvement of non-zero values in the serial correlation indicated the significance of the deterministic component in the data. The results of this analysis enhance our understanding of the characteristics of air temperature and rainfall in the study area for effective planning of farming operations.
Sedimentology of the Middle Siwalik Subgroup of Mohand Area, Dehra Dun Valley, India

The Middle Siwalik Subgroup of Mohand area (1800 m thick) is divided into three units: (1) sandstone-mudstone interval (340 m), (2) thickly bedded multi storied sandstone (1060 m), and (3) conglomerate-sandstone-mudstone interval (400 m). Three major facies are recognised, namely: conglomerate, sandstone, and mudstone facies. Sandstone is the dominant litho-facies and displays frequent erosional surfaces along which mud-clasts are present. The common sedimentary structure is trough and planar cross-stratification. Palaeo-flow measurements of trough cross-stratification show prominent modes in SE and NW directions. However, planar cross-stratification shows a high order of deviation in mean vector azimuth from trough cross-stratification. The fining-up in grain-size from erosional surface (Se facies) to mudstone (Fm facies) through trough and planar cross-stratified sandstone (St-Sp facies) and ripple drift laminated sandstone (Sr facies) has been recognised. The mudstone intervals are almost negligible, while mud-clasts and suspension load in the sandstone (channel facies) are high (to to 25%). The absence of mudstone unit in multi storied sandstone complex may be attributed to the extensive and frequent avulsion on the large braided alluvial fan. This study reveals that sedimentation pattern of multi storied complex is similar to that of modern radial fan of Kosi river.
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Pre-Summer Flood Period Precipitation of South China

Using the monthly precipitation data at 160 stations in China during the period of 1951-2000,16 stations are selected as representative stations in South China.Based on the analysis of seasonal variation of precipitation in South China,the interannual and interdecadal variations of the precipitation in the pre-summer flood period in South China are emphatically studied in this paper.It is found that:(1) The distribution of precipitation in South China is asymmetrical,the rainfall of the 16 stations are very difference.The most rainfall in the pre-summer flood period and annual are both happen in Heyuan.The least rainfall in the pre-summer flood period and annual are both happen in Baise;(2) There are four positive or negative abnormity centers in the pre-summer flood period in South of China,they are all locate Heyuan,Guilin,Beihai,Yangjiang.The most rain station of positive abnormity frequency center happens in Heyuan.The most station of positive(negative abnormity of precipitation is Heyuan(Guilin)). (3) The total rainfall tendency has change,but not obvious.The flood periods are in the beginning of 1950′s,in the middle of 1960′s and the beginning of 1980′s;the droughts periods are from the middle of 1950′s to the middle of 1960′s,and from the middle of 1980′s to the beginning of 1990′s;(4) The precipitation anomalies have 3,5,7,14 year periodic variations in the pre-summer flood period in South China;(5) The precipitation in the pre-flood period in South China is opposed to that of most areas of China.
Discriminative recovery for extending depth-of-field of digital fringe projection

Digital fringe projection (DFP) measurement technology has been widely used in research and industry due to its characteristics of fast measurement speed and easy implementation. However, when measuring objects with large surface undulations, the depth of field limitations of the camera and projector will cause part of the object to be measured to be in a state of defocus, which will reduce the measurement accuracy. This paper presents a novel method to discriminate the portion of an image that is defocused due to depth-of-field limitations and to eliminate the error caused by defocus in the phase diagram. The proposed approach first discriminates the defocused pixels in the image based on the modulation information, and then recovers the defocused regions by the information fusion method. The information fusion fixes the erroneous phase information by fusing the valid phase of the neighboring focused region with the phase of the defocused region obtained through kernel density estimation by means of the Kalman filter algorithm. Simulation and experimental results show that this method can effectively eliminate the errors caused by the depth-of-field limitation in the phase map, and can feasibly extend the depth of field of the digital fringe projection system without projecting additional images.
Eclatement tourbillonnaire dans le sillage turbulent d'un véhicule générique

La these est une contribution a l’etude des tourbillons longitudinaux qui se developpent sur la lunette arriere des vehicules automobiles, dans l’idee de provoquer leur eclatement afin de reduire la trainee aerodynamique. On concoit tout d’abord un systeme d’acquisition denomme A-SPIV, permettant de reconstruire le champ moyen de vitesse 3D d’un sillage turbulent a partir de plans stereo-PIV acquis par translation du systeme cameras-laser, sans qu’il soit necessaire de le recalibrer. En complement, on propose une methode de reconstruction de la pression moyenne reposant sur les donnees A-SPIV et sur une mesure de la pression parietale. L’ensemble forme un nouveau protocole experimental, valide dans le sillage d’un corps d’Ahmed 25° et dont les resultats a haut Reynolds sont compares a la litterature existante. L'analyse topologique des tourbillons longitudinaux suggere l’existence d’un eclatement tourbillonnaire spontane dans le sillage proche, malgre l’absence de point de stagnation. On demontre formellement l’existence de cet eclatement par deux criteres theoriques qui considerent ce phenomene, soit comme la consequence d’une reorganisation de la vorticite, soit comme la resultante d’une accumulation, en un point critique, d’ondes inertielles se propageant le long du tourbillon. Les analyses sous-jacentes sont menees dans un repere cylindrique attache a l’axe tourbillonnaire et predisent une meme position d’eclatement, en bon accord avec la position singuliere issue des mesures A-SPIV. La these se conclut par une analyse de stabilite globale de l'ecoulement moyen qui suggere un lien possible entre l’eclatement et une instabilite globale de l’ecoulement tourbillonnaire.
Experimental Study of Lunar Rover Wheel's Motion Performance on Korean Lunar Soil Simulant

Lunar rover plays an important role in lunar exploration. Especially, performance of rover wheel related to interaction with lunar soil is of great importance when it comes to optimization of rover’s configuration. In this study, in order to investigate the motion performance of lunar rover’s wheel on Korean Lunar Soil Simulant (KLS-1), a single wheel testbed was developed and used to carry out a series of experiments with two kinds of wheel with grousers and without grousers which were used to perform the experiments. Wheel traction performance was evaluated by using traction parameters such as drawbar pull, torque and sinkage correlated with slip ratio. The results showed that the single wheel testbed was suitable for evaluation of the performance of wheel and rover wheel with grousers which was likely to have higher traction performance than that without grousers in Korean Lunar soil simulant. The experimental results could be utilized in verification of the optimum wheel design and effectiveness of wheel traction for Korean lunar rover.