Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optical Logic Gates Based on Z-Shaped Silicon Waveguides at 1.55 μm

In the last ten years, silicon photonics has made considerable strides in terms of device functionality, performance, and circuit integration for a variety of practical uses, including communication, sensing, and information processing. In this work, we theoretically demonstrate a complete family of all-optical logic gates (AOLGs), including XOR, AND, OR, NOT, NOR, NAND, and XNOR, through finite-difference-time-domain simulations using compact silicon-on-silica optical waveguides that operate at 1.55 μm. Three slots, grouped in the shape of the letter Z, make up the suggested waveguide. The function of the target logic gates is based on constructive and destructive interferences that result from the phase difference experienced by the launched input optical beams. These gates are evaluated against the contrast ratio (CR) by investigating the impact of key operating parameters on this metric. The obtained results indicate that the proposed waveguide can realize AOLGs at a higher speed of 120 Gb/s with better CRs compared to other reported designs. This suggests that AOLGs could be realized in an affordable manner and with improved outcomes to enable the satisfaction of the current and future requirements of lightwave circuits and systems that critically rely on AOLGs as core building elements.
Design of high-gain, wideband antenna using microwave hyperbolic metasurface

In this work, we apply hyperbolic metasurfaces (HMSs) to design high-gain and wideband antennas. It is shown that HMSs formed by a single layer of split-ring resonators (SRRs) can be excited to generate highly directive beams. In particular, we suggest two types of the SRR-HMS: a capacitively loaded SRR (CLSRR)-HMS and a substrate-backed double SRR (DSRR)-HMS. Both configurations ensure that the periodicity of the structures is sufficiently small for satisfying the effective medium theory. For the antenna design, we propose a two-layer-stacked configuration for the 2.4 GHz frequency band based on the DSRR-HMS excited by a folded monopole. Measurement results confirm numerical simulations and demonstrate that an antenna gain of more than 5 dBi can be obtained for the frequency range of 2.1 - 2.6 GHz, with a maximum gain of 7.8 dBi at 2.4 GHz.
Online Feet Potential Fields for Quadruped Robots Navigation in Harsh Terrains

Quadruped robots have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their ability to navigate through challenging terrains. Among the various environments, agriculture fields are particularly difficult for legged robots, given the variability of soil types and conditions. To address this issue, this study proposes a novel navigation strategy that utilizes ground reaction forces to calculate online artificial potential fields, which are then applied to the robot’s feet to avoid low-traversability regions. The strategy also incorporates the net vector of the attractive potential field towards the goal and the repulsive field to avoid slippery regions, which dynamically adjusts the quadruped’s gait. A realistic simulation environment validates the proposed navigation framework with case studies on randomly generated terrains. A comprehensive comparison with baseline navigation methods is conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Docking Studies and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Potential Inhibitors from the Brown Seaweed Sargassum polycystum (Phaeophyceae) against PLpro of SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 disease is a major problem affecting human health all over the world. Consequently, researchers have been trying to find solutions to treat this pandemic-scale disease. Even if there are vaccines and approved drugs that could decrease the spread of this pandemic, multidisciplinary approaches are still needed to identify new small molecules as alternatives to combat COVID-19, especially those from nature. In this study, we employed computational approaches by screening 17 natural compounds from the tropical brown seaweed Sargassum polycystum known to have anti-viral properties that benefit human health. This study assessed some seaweed natural products that are bound to the PLpro of SARS-CoV-2. By employing pharmacophore and molecular docking, these natural compounds from S. polycystum showed remarkable scores for protein targets with competitive scores compared to X-ray crystallography ligands and well-known antiviral compounds. This study provides insightful information for advanced study and further in vitro examination and clinical investigation for drug development prospects of abundant yet underexploited tropical seaweeds.
Quetiapine Albumin Nanoparticles as an Efficacious Platform for Brain Deposition and Potentially Improved Antipsychotic Activity

Quetiapine (QP) is a second-generation short-acting antipsychotic drug extensively metabolized in the liver, producing pharmacologically inactive metabolites and leading to diminished bioavailability. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an intravenous QP albumin nanoparticles (NPs) system for improving QP antipsychotic activity and brain targeting. QP-loaded albumin NPs were prepared by the desolvation method. The fabricated NPs were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency (EE%), and in vitro drug release. In vivo pharmacokinetics and biodistribution in rats were studied. In addition, the antipsychotic activity of the optimized platform was also investigated. Human serum albumin (HSA) concentration, pH, and stirring time were modulated to optimize QP albumin NPs with a particle size of 103.54 ± 2.36 nm and a QP EE% of 96.32 ± 3.98%. In addition, the intravenous administration of QP albumin NPs facilitated QP brain targeting with a 4.9-fold increase in targeting efficiency compared to the oral QP solution. The QP albumin NPs improved the QP antipsychotic activity, indicated by suppressing rats’ hypermobility and reducing the QP’s extrapyramidal side effects. The obtained results proposed that intravenous QP- NPs could improve QP brain targeting and its antipsychotic efficiency.
Subject-Independent EEG Emotion Recognition Based on Genetically Optimized Projection Dictionary Pair Learning

One of the primary challenges in Electroencephalogram (EEG) emotion recognition lies in developing models that can effectively generalize to new unseen subjects, considering the significant variability in EEG signals across individuals. To address the issue of subject-specific features, a suitable approach is to employ projection dictionary learning, which enables the identification of emotion-relevant features across different subjects. To accomplish the objective of pattern representation and discrimination for subject-independent EEG emotion recognition, we utilized the fast and efficient projection dictionary pair learning (PDPL) technique. PDPL involves the joint use of a synthesis dictionary and an analysis dictionary to enhance the representation of features. Additionally, to optimize the parameters of PDPL, which depend on experience, we applied the genetic algorithm (GA) to obtain the optimal solution for the model. We validated the effectiveness of our algorithm using leave-one-subject-out cross validation on three EEG emotion databases: SEED, MPED, and GAMEEMO. Our approach outperformed traditional machine learning methods, achieving an average accuracy of 69.89% on the SEED database, 24.11% on the MPED database, 64.34% for the two-class GAMEEMO, and 49.01% for the four-class GAMEEMO. These results highlight the potential of subject-independent EEG emotion recognition algorithms in the development of intelligent systems capable of recognizing and responding to human emotions in real-world scenarios.
The Virome of Babaco (Vasconcellea × heilbornii) Expands to Include New Members of the Rhabdoviridae and Bromoviridae

Babaco (Vasconcellea × heilbornii) is a subtropical species in the Caricaceae family. The plant is native to Ecuador and represents an important crop for hundreds of families. The objective of this study was to characterize, at the genomic level, two new babaco viruses identified by high-throughput sequencing. The viruses, an ilarvirus and a nucleorhabdovirus, were found in a symptomatic babaco plant from a commercial nursery in the Azuay province of Ecuador. The tripartite genome of the new ilarvirus, provisionally named babaco ilarvirus 1 (BabIV-1), is related to subgroup 3 ilarviruses, including apple mosaic virus, apple necrotic mosaic virus, and prunus necrotic ringspot virus as the closest relatives. The genome of the nucleorhabdovirus, provisionally named babaco nucleorhabdovirus 1 (BabRV-1), showed the closest relation with joa yellow blotch-associated virus and potato yellow dwarf nucleorhabdovirus. Molecular-based detection methods found BabIV-1 and BabRV-1 in 21% and 36%, respectively, of plants surveyed in a commercial babaco nursery, highlighting the importance of enforcing virus testing and nursery certification programs for babaco.
Low-Voltage LDO Regulator Based on Native MOS Transistor with Improved PSR and Fast Response

In this paper, a low-voltage low-dropout analog regulator (ALDO) based on a native n-channel MOS transistor is proposed. Application of the native transistor with the threshold voltage close to zero allows elimination of the charge pump in low-voltage regulators using the pass element in a common drain configuration. Such a native pass transistor configuration allows simplification of regulator design and improved performance, with supply voltages below 1 V, compared to commonly used regulators with p-channel MOS transistors. In the presented design of ALDO regulator in 180 nm CMOS X-FAB technology, an output voltage of 0.7 V was achieved with an output current of 10 mA and a supply voltage of 0.8 V. Simulation results show that despite the low supply voltage, output voltage spikes do not exceed 70 mV at the worst technology corner when output current transients from 100 µA to 10 mA. Under such conditions, stable operation and power supply rejection PSR = 35 dB were achieved with an output capacitance of 0–500 pF. The proposed regulator allows to push the limit of ALDO regulator applications to voltages below 1 V with only slight degradation of its performance.
Influence of magnetic field alignment and defect concentration on nitrogen-vacancy polarization in diamond

We present a quantitative, systematic study of the polarization of the Zeeman magnetic sublevels of the NV-defect in diamond as a function of magnetic field alignment relative to the NV-defect axis. The orientation dependence of NV-polarization in the lab frame is accounted for by a Wigner rotation of a constant defect frame polarization. We also find that the NV-defect level polarizations vary with the P1 defect concentration, and that the polarization of the ms = 0 state with optical pumping decreases from 46% to 36% in samples as P1 concentrations vary from 20 ppm to 100 ppm, respectively.
Fast sampling of Gaussian Markov random fields

This paper demonstrates how Gaussian Markov random fields (conditional autoregressions) can be sampled quickly by using numerical techniques for sparse matrices. The algorithm is general and efficient, and expands easily to various forms for conditional simulation and evaluation of normalization constants. We demonstrate its use by constructing efficient block updates in Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for disease mapping.
Study on the Mechanism of Influencing Adolescents’ Willingness to Participate in Ice Sports

Background: Ice sports are an effective means to promote the physical health of adolescents, and the willingness to participate in ice sports is the basis of adolescents’ awareness of their participation in ice sports and an important prerequisite for their participation. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms influencing adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice sports. Methods: Using the stimulus-organism-response theoretical framework, the motivation-opportunity-ability model, and the technology acceptance model, a theoretical model of the influencing mechanisms of adolescents’ participation in ice sports was constructed. A total of 3419 secondary school students were surveyed, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, the mechanisms influencing adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice sports and the moderating role of perceived riskiness and perceived ease of use are proposed and tested. Results: The study found that participation motivation, participation ability, perceived usefulness, and perceived risk all have significant effects on adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice sports. The degree of influence in descending order is as follows: ability to participate, perceived usefulness, motivation to participate, and perceived risk. Perceived risk plays a mediating role in the process of motivation to participate and ability to participate influencing willingness to participate. Perceived ease of use plays a mediating role in the process of motivation to participate influencing perceived usefulness. Conclusions: This study provides a systematic understanding of the mechanisms that influence adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice sports. The findings provide valuable insights into the subject of adolescents’ ice sport participation and can inform the development of strategies to increase participation in these activities. Future research should deepen the investigation of the patterns of willingness to participate in ice sports behavior among adolescents, which is important for promoting the sustainable development of ice sports, improving the health of adolescents, and advancing the construction of a healthy China, a healthy world, and global health.
Colloidal Silver Nanoparticles Obtained via Radiolysis: Synthesis Optimization and Antibacterial Properties

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties are gaining increasing interest in fighting multidrug-resistant bacteria. Herein, we describe the synthesis of AgNPs, stabilized by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), with high purity and homogeneous sizes, using radiolysis. Solvated electrons and reducing radicals are induced from solvent radiolysis and no other chemical reducing agents are needed to reduce the metal ions. Another advantage of this method is that it leads to sterile colloidal suspensions, which can be directly used for medical applications. We systematically investigated the effect of the silver salt precursor on the optical properties, particle size, and morphology of the resulting colloidal AgNPs. With Ag2SO4 precursor, the AgNPs displayed a narrow size distribution (20 ± 2 nm). In contrast, AgNO3 and AgClO4 precursors lead to inhomogeneous AgNPs of various shapes. Moreover, the optimized AgNPs synthesized from Ag2SO4 were stable upon storage in water and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and were very effective in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) at a concentration of 0.6 μg·mL−1 while completely eradicating it at a concentration of 5.6 μg·mL−1. When compared with other AgNPs prepared by other strategies, the remarkable bactericidal ability against S. aureus of the AgNPs produced here opens up new perspectives for further applications in medicine, cosmetics, the food industry, or in elaborating antibacterial surfaces and other devices.
1 TITLE : Why Are Alzheimer ’ s Disease Patients Unaware of their Memory Deficits ? 2

37 Anosognosia, or the lack of awareness of one’s own impairment, is frequent for memory 38 deficits in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although often related to frontal dysfunctions, the 39 neural mechanisms of anosognosia remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that anosognosia 40 in AD may result from a failure in the error-monitoring system, thus preventing patients from 41 being aware of and learning from their own errors. We therefore investigated the event-related 42 potentials evoked by erroneous responses during a memory task in two groups of amyloid 43 positive individuals who had only subjective memory complaints at study entry: 1) those who 44 progressed to AD; and 2) those who remained cognitively normal after five years of follow-up. 45 Our findings revealed direct evidence of a failure in the error-monitoring system at early stages 46 of AD, suggesting that it may be the critical neural substrate of anosognosia in this 47 neurodegenerative disorder. 48
Arginine-Rich Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Mediated Transduction of Mouse Nasal Cells with FOXP3 Protein Alleviates Allergic Rhinitis

Intranasal corticosteroids are effective medications against allergic rhinitis (AR). However, mucociliary clearance promptly eliminates these drugs from the nasal cavity and delays their onset of action. Therefore, a faster, longer-lasting therapeutic effect on the nasal mucosa is required to enhance the efficacy of AR management. Our previous study showed that polyarginine, a cell-penetrating peptide, can deliver cargo to nasal cells; moreover, polyarginine-mediated cell-nonspecific protein transduction into the nasal epithelium exhibited high transfection efficiency with minimal cytotoxicity. In this study, poly-arginine-fused forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) protein, the “master transcriptional regulator” of regulatory T cells (Tregs), was administered into the bilateral nasal cavities of the ovalbumin (OVA)-immunoglobulin E mouse model of AR. The effects of these proteins on AR following OVA administration were investigated using histopathological, nasal symptom, flow cytometry, and cytokine dot blot analyses. Polyarginine-mediated FOXP3 protein transduction induced Treg-like cell generation in the nasal epithelium and allergen tolerance. Overall, this study proposes FOXP3 activation-mediated Treg induction as a novel and potential therapeutic strategy for AR, providing a potential alternative to conventional intranasal drug application for nasal drug delivery.
Development of Yorkshire Terrier Dentition

Simple Summary Several problems, particularly in smaller breed dogs, have been associated with tooth development, e.g., over-crowding, missing teeth, and persistent deciduous teeth (where a juvenile tooth remains in the mouth at the same time as its permanent counterpart). This opportunistic study of 61 Yorkshire terrier puppies aimed to determine the average age of deciduous tooth loss and permanent tooth eruption, the incidence of persistent deciduous teeth, and potential influencing factors such as body weight. The age at which deciduous teeth were lost, and permanent teeth erupted, varied according to body weight; dogs weighing less than 3 kg lost their deciduous teeth and gained their permanent teeth later than dogs weighing more than 3 kg. The sequence of tooth loss and eruption (i.e., incisors first followed by canines, premolars, and then molars) was disrupted in dogs < 3 kg. Persistent deciduous teeth were common, affecting 69% of puppies. Those with lower body weights (<3 kg) had greater proportions and were more likely to require surgical extractions by a veterinarian. This study highlights the importance of regular checks by a veterinary professional during the active phases of tooth development. Abstract The development of dentition in dogs has been associated with several problems including tooth over-crowding, missing permanent dentition, and persistent deciduous teeth (PDT). Information on dentition development in different breeds is lacking. This study of 61 Yorkshire terriers aimed to determine the (i) average age at deciduous tooth exfoliation, (ii) average age at permanent tooth eruption, (iii) PDT incidence, and influencing factors such as body weight. The ages of exfoliation of deciduous teeth and eruption of permanent dentition were influenced by body weight and tooth type. These dentition changes tended to occur later in dogs ≤ 3 kg versus dogs > 5 kg. Generally, incisors were exfoliated first, followed by premolars and then canines. At a body weight of 4.5 kg, the middle of the data range, the estimated age at loss of deciduous teeth (with 95% confidence intervals) was 21.9 (21.1, 22.9) weeks for incisors, 26.1 (24.9, 27.4) weeks for canines, and 23.9 (22.9, 24.9) weeks for premolar. The estimated age at eruption of permanent dentition was 22.3 (21.6, 23.0) weeks for incisors, 23.8 (23.0, 24.6) weeks for canines, 24.7 (24.0, 25.5) weeks for premolars, and 26.4 (25.5, 27.3) for molar teeth. However, this sequence was disrupted in dogs ≤ 3 kg. Yorkshire terriers had a high incidence of PDT. At a body weight of 4.5 kg, the estimated proportion of PDT was: incisors 0.86% (0.32, 2.31), canines 15.62% (7.62, 29.37) and premolars 3.57% (1.62, 7.66). Canines constituted the most frequently retained tooth type, with 89.1% retained in dogs ≤ 3 kg compared to 12.0% in dogs > 5 kg. This information will enable veterinarians to provide personalised advice regarding the oral care requirements for Yorkshire terriers and highlights the need to regularly monitor this breed between the ages of two and seven months, during the active phases of tooth development.
Variable Damping Actuator Using an Electromagnetic Brake for Impedance Modulation in Physical Human-Robot Interaction

Compliance actuation systems are efficient and safe, drawing attention to their development. However, compliance has caused bandwidth loss, instability, and mechanical vibration in robotic systems. Variable physical damping was introduced to address these issues. This paper presents a technique for obtaining variable damping properties using an electromagnetic brake. The relationship mapping of the voltage and the braking torque is studied and applied to the variable damping concept. A new model is proposed to demonstrate the actuation system performance gained by introducing physical damping. The experimental setup comprises an electromagnetic brake and a motor with an integrated controller for speed control and torque feedback. The motor provides the motion, while the electromagnetic brake replicates the damping through a friction mechanism. The variable damping concept was evaluated experimentally using a 1-degree-of-freedom rotational system. Experimental results show that the proposed concept can generate the desired mechanical damping with a high degree of fidelity.
Bacillus cabrialesii: Five Years of Research on a Novel Species of Biological Control and Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria

Bacillus cabrialesii is a novel bacterial species isolated from wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) plants in the Yaqui Valley, Mexico, by our research team. Over years of research studying this strain at the cutting-edge level, it has shown different mechanisms of action. B. cabrialesii is strongly reported as a plant-growth-promoting bacterium and a biological control agent on wheat crops. Knowing this, B. cabrialesii has been brought from lab to field as part of a bacterial consortium, not to mention that there are ongoing investigations into formulating a cost-effective bioinoculant to increase the yield and/or quality of wheat. Moreover, studies of this novel species as a biocontrol agent in other crops (pepper, tomato, cucumber, and potato) are being carried out, with preliminary results that make B. cabrialesii a promising biological control agent, inhibiting the growth of phytopathogens. However, research into this bacterium has not only been reported in our country; there are many studies around the world in which promising native Bacillus strains end up being identified as B. cabrialesii, which reaffirms the fact that this bacterial species can promote plant growth and combat phytopathogens, showing great agrobiotechnological potential.