Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variability in Chemical Composition and Digestibility of Twelve By-Product Feedstuffs Utilized in the California Dairy Industry1

ABSTRACT The objective of this descriptive study was to measure the amount of variability in the composition of 12 by-product feedstuffs commonly used in rations for lactating dairy cows in California. This study followed a prior descriptive study that was designed to provide the beginning of a nutrient database of by-product feedstuffs. Eleven of the by-product feedstuffs were from a single manufacturer source, with only soybean samples obtained from multiple sources. Samples of each by-product feedstuff were obtained from various locations in California and several locations outside the state. Variability in chemical composition and digestibility are discussed within each of the by-product feedstuff subgroups. Variation generally tended to be within acceptable ranges, although a wider variability was observed when sample numbers were smaller or the absolute value of the nutrient being measured was low.
TransDoubleU-Net: Dual Scale Swin Transformer With Dual Level Decoder for 3D Multimodal Brain Tumor Segmentation

Segmenting brain tumors in MR modalities is an important step in treatment planning. Recently, the majority of methods rely on Fully Convolutional Neural Networks (FCNNs) that have acceptable results for this task. Among various networks, the U-shaped architecture known as U-Net, has gained enormous success in medical image segmentation. However, absence of long-range association and the locality of convolutional layers in FCNNs can create issues in tumor segmentation with different tumor sizes. Due to the success of Transformers in natural language processing (NLP) as a result of using self-attention mechanism to model global information, some studies designed different variations of vision based U-Shaped Transformers. So, to get the effectiveness of U-Net we proposed TransDoubleU-Net which consists of double U-shaped nets for 3D MR Modality segmentation of brain images based on dual scale Swin Transformer for the encoder part and dual level decoder based on CNN and Transformers for better localization of features. The model’s core uses the shifted windows multi-head self-attention of Swin Transformer and skip connections to CNN based decoder. The outputs are evaluated on BraTS2019 and BraTS2020 datasets and showed promising results in segmentation.
Anti-Adhesive Resorbable Indomethacin/Bupivacaine-Eluting Nanofibers for Tendon Rupture Repair: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

The treatment and surgical repair of torn Achilles tendons seldom return the wounded tendon to its original elasticity and stiffness. This study explored the in vitro and in vivo simultaneous release of indomethacin and bupivacaine from electrospun polylactide–polyglycolide composite membranes for their capacity to repair torn Achilles tendons. These membranes were fabricated by mixing polylactide–polyglycolide/indomethacin, polylactide–polyglycolide/collagen, and polylactide–polyglycolide/bupivacaine with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol into sandwich-structured composites. Subsequently, the in vitro pharmaceutic release rates over 30 days were determined, and the in vivo release behavior and effectiveness of the loaded drugs were assessed using an animal surgical model. High concentrations of indomethacin and bupivacaine were released for over four weeks. The released pharmaceutics resulted in complete recovery of rat tendons, and the nanofibrous composite membranes exhibited exceptional mechanical strength. Additionally, the anti-adhesion capacity of the developed membrane was confirmed. Using the electrospinning technique developed in this study, we plan on manufacturing degradable composite membranes for tendon healing, which can deliver sustained pharmaceutical release and provide a collagenous habitat.
No Name, No Voice, Less Trust: Robot Group Identity Performance, Entitativity, and Trust Distribution

Human interactions with robot groups are more complex than interactions with individual robots. This is especially true for groups of robots that do not have humanlike 1-1 associations between bodies and identities, such as when multiple robots share a single identity. This is further complicated by the lack of direct observability of the relationship between body and identity, which may be inferred by users on the basis of various robot group identity performance strategies. Previous research on Deconstructed Trustee Theory has argued that this complexity is critical, as different perceived bodyidentity configurations may lead users to build and develop trust in distinct ways. In this paper, we thus investigate (n=94) the ways that different robot group identity performance strategies might influence the distribution of trust amongst robot group members, as well as the impact of these strategies on perceptions of robot group entitativity.
A novel base strain sensitivity measurement system with steady harmonic excitation

Considering the low accuracy and low eﬃciency of the traditional calibration method for base strain sensitivity of accelerometers, a novel base strain sensitivity calibration system with steady harmonic excitation is proposed. The required cantilever beam for calibration is driven by an electromagnetic exciter to generate a base strain varying in a steady harmonic pattern. By applying a Wheatstone bridge circuit, the generated strain with low distortion can be measured. The measurement system with a compensation function can automatically calibrate the base strain sensitivity. The amplitude linearity and frequency response characteristics of the base strain sensitivity in two accelerometers are obtained experimentally, and the uncertainty in the results is 2% ( 𝑘 = 2).
Efficient building damage assessment from post-disaster aerial video using lightweight deep learning models

ABSTRACT A challenging problem for post-disaster emergency services is how to quickly and precisely acquire building damage with limited time and computation resources. With the development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and convolutional neural networks (CNN), using drone video and CNNs to determine the building damage has become one effective solution. In this research, we propose a stacked lightweight damage assessment model to overcome the current challenge in getting fast and precise post-disaster information based on aerial video datasets and artificial intelligence. Specifically, we developed an instance-level recognition building damage dataset based on aerial video. Then, we proposed a stacked lightweight ShuffleNet architecture that includes location and classification models to assess the building damage state. With regards to the location model, the lightweight network achieves a reduction in the model training time by approximately 37% and in the detection time by 44%, achieving similar location accuracy. As for the classification model, the trained model can achieve classification accuracy of approximately 83% for different damage levels by optimizing ShuffleNet. For post-disaster emergencies with limited time and computation resources, the proposed framework provides a valuable solution to better balance fast and precise building damage assessment.
INFLUENCE OF ACTUATOR MORPHOLOGY ON GRASPING PERFORMANCE OF SOFT ROBOTIC GRIPPERS IN AGRICULTURE: SIMULATION STUDY

Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) with tailored actuator morphology are extensively employed in precise agriculture for cultivating sensitive crops. This study investigates the impact of varying the geometrical parameters of the elastomer finger, specifically the rib pitch (P r ) and finger width (w f ), on the SPA bending variables, including deflection angle (Ø) and deflection along the X-and Y-axis. Sample SPAs were fabricated to validate Yeoh’s 3rd-order model. All designed molds used to cure the soft elastic finger (elastomer) were created on a 3D printer. Finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted by ANSYS to analyze the impact of each geometrical parameter individually and continuously varied along the longitudinal axis. The FEA results indicate a variation in the deflection angle from 13.01° to 108.50°. Furthermore, the deflection along the X-axis ranges from 0.85 mm to -213.54 mm, while the Y-axis varies from 32.55 mm to 148.45 mm. The study demonstrates that the geometrical parameters of the elastomer finger significantly influence SPA bending variables, with the rib pitch (P r ) exerting a greater impact on the deflection angle than the finger width (w f ). The deflection on the X-axis exceeds that on the Y-axis. The findings of this study can inform the design of SPAs with tailored actuator morphology and bending properties for precise agriculture applications.
Boosted carbon emissions from Amazon deforestation

Standing biomass is a major, often poorly quantified determinate of carbon losses from land clearing. We analyzed maps from the 2001–2007 PRODES deforestation time series with recent regional pre‐deforestation aboveground biomass estimates to calculate carbon emission trends for the Brazilian Amazon basin. Although the annual rate of deforestation has not changed significantly since the 1990s (ANOVA, p = 0.3), the aboveground biomass lost per unit of forest cleared increased from 2001 to 2007 (183 to 201 Mg C ha−1; slope of regression significant: p < 0.01). Remaining unprotected forests harbor significantly higher aboveground biomass still, averaging 231 Mg C ha−1. This difference is large enough that, even if the annual area deforested remains unchanged, future clearing will increase regional emissions by ∼0.04 Pg C yr−1 – a ∼25% increase over 2001–2007 annual carbon emissions. These results suggest increased climate risk from future deforestation, but highlight opportunities through reductions in deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).
The Early Endocytosis Gene PAL1 Contributes to Stress Tolerance and Hyphal Formation in Candida albicans

The endocytic and secretory pathways of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans are fundamental to various key cellular processes such as cell growth, cell wall integrity, protein secretion, hyphal formation, and pathogenesis. Our previous studies focused on several candidate genes involved in early endocytosis, including ENT2 and END3, that play crucial roles in such processes. However, much remains to be discovered about other endocytosis-related genes and their contributions toward Candida albicans secretion and virulence. In this study, we examined the functions of the early endocytosis gene PAL1 using a reverse genetics approach based on CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene deletion. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pal1 is a protein in the early coat complex involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis that is later internalized with the coat. The C. albicans pal1Δ/Δ null mutant demonstrated increased resistance to the antifungal agent caspofungin and the cell wall stressor Congo Red. In contrast, the null mutant was more sensitive to the antifungal drug fluconazole and low concentrations of SDS than the wild type (WT) and the re-integrant (KI). While pal1Δ/Δ can form hyphae and a biofilm, under some hyphal-inducing conditions, it was less able to demonstrate filamentous growth when compared to the WT and KI. The pal1Δ/Δ null mutant had no defect in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and there were no changes in virulence-related processes compared to controls. Our results suggest that PAL1 has a role in susceptibility to antifungal agents, cell wall integrity, and membrane stability related to early endocytosis.
Impact of money supply and macroeconomic indicators on foreign portfolio investment: Evidence from Vietnam

This study examines the relationship between money supply, macroeconomic indicators, and foreign portfolio investment in Vietnam. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model and Stata 17 software to analyze quarterly data from Q1/2007 to Q4/2022, the analysis reveals strong and enduring correlations. An increase in money supply and economic growth positively influences foreign portfolio investment, with the money supply from the previous quarters significantly impacting foreign portfolio investment (P-value &lt; 0.01). However, foreign exchange rates and foreign direct investment negatively affect foreign portfolio investment. Three macroeconomic indicators show significance at 1% and 5%, where gross domestic product positively affects foreign portfolio investment, while foreign exchange rates and foreign direct investment have detrimental impacts. The findings indicate that a 1% increase in gross domestic product leads to a USD 50.426 million increase in foreign portfolio investment, while a USD 1 million increase in foreign direct investment results in a USD 0.025 million decrease. Foreign exchange rates significantly affect foreign portfolio investment, with the potential for reduction through VND devaluation or an increase in the VND/USD exchange rate due to government adjustments. Definitive conclusions about external debt, interest rates, and inflation require additional data and research. The study’s R-squared value is 0.2738, with an adjusted R-squared of 0.1813, explaining 27.38% of future changes in Vietnam’s foreign portfolio investment. These findings have important implications for policymakers, suggesting that expanding the money supply and implementing suitable interest rate policies could enhance foreign portfolio investment attractiveness in the nearest term. AcknowledgmentThe author would like to thank the board of editors and the anonymous reviewers for their time and suggestions, which were most helpful in improving this article.
Universal Design in Playground Environments: A Place‐Based Evaluation of Amenities, Use, and Physical Activity

Abstract This study compares three playground environments for the impact of Universal Design on playground use and the physical activity levels of users. While Universal Design principles are increasingly used in playground design, most prior work has focused on their roles for people with disabilities. This study explores Universal Design impacts on all users regardless of their age or disability status, applying a case‐comparison methodology with one case playground (built with Universal Design principles) and two comparison playgrounds (built without Universal Design principles) that are comparable in other conditions. Using a modified System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities tool that enables location‐specific recordings of momentary environmental observation data, this study compares use and physical activity in playground environments. User location and characteristics were recorded on a plan map of the park and the playground. The data were collected from 70 randomized observation periods per park (210 total for the three parks) recording 12,520 total users. Results showed that while the total user counts were similar across the three parks, the Universal Design playground showed 82% more users than in the mean of the comparison playgrounds. The study also applied methodologies serving to evaluate the place‐based effects of park elements on the intensity of park use and physical activity. The playground areas produced 46% of park use, with the highest percentages of active use (29.2%) in the parks as a whole demonstrating the contribution playground environments make to overall park use and physical activity.
Grassland intactness outcompetes species as a more efficient surrogate in conservation design

Mapped representations of species−habitat relationships often underlie approaches to prioritize area‐based conservation strategies to meet conservation goals for biodiversity. Generally a single surrogate species is used to inform conservation design, with the assumption that conservation actions for an appropriately selected species will confer benefits to a broader community of organisms. Emerging conservation frameworks across western North America are now relying on derived measures of intactness from remotely sensed vegetation data, wholly independent from species data. Understanding the efficacy of species‐agnostic planning approaches is a critical step to ensuring the robustness of emerging conservation designs. We developed an approach to quantify ‘strength of surrogacy’, by applying prioritization algorithms to previously developed species models, and measuring their coverage provided to a broader wildlife community. We used this inference to test the relative surrogacy among a suite of species models used for conservation targeting in the endangered grasslands of the Northern Sagebrush Steppe, where careful planning can help stem the loss of private grazing lands to cultivation. In this test, we also derived a simpler surrogate of intact rangelands without species data for conservation targeting, along with a measure of combined migration representative of key areas for connectivity. Our measure of intactness vastly outperformed any species model as a surrogate for conservation, followed by that of combined migration, highlighting the efficacy of strategies that target large and intact rangeland cores for wildlife conservation and restoration efforts.
Design of a 60 GHz Slot Filtenna Array Using Gap Waveguide Feed Network

In this letter, a three-stage high-efficiency filtenna using the gap waveguide (GWG) technology is first proposed for 60 GHz applications. It is based on the bandpass filter theory to seamlessly integrate the high-order mode GWG cavity and the slot antenna, so that good filtering response and compact structure can be easily obtained. Besides, the TE220 mode groove GWG cavity, differentially excited by the dual-slot structure, is implemented to feed 2 × 2 slot antenna elements, which not only enhances the symmetry of the radiation patterns but also lessens the complexity of the feed system. To demonstrate the design principle, a 2×8 millimeter-wave (MMW) slot filtenna array is simulated and manufactured. Simulation outcomes exhibit a reasonable level of concurrence with the measurements obtained. The fabricated filtenna array illustrates that a measured gain of greater than 14.7 dBi, together with a maximum efficiency of up to 89.2%, can be obtained from 59.5 to 60.5 GHz. Also, its radiation suppression level can achieve 26.3 dB in both upper and lower stopbands.
Antifungal activity of bioactive compounds produced by the endophyte Bacillus velezensis NC318 against the soil borne pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc

In a previous study, the endophytic Bacillus velezensis NC318 was isolated from the rhizo-sphere of date palm and showed strong antifungal activity against the soil-borne plant pathogenic fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc, the causal agent of Southern blight. The potential of the Bacillus genus in the inhibition of plant pathogens is mainly due to the production of certain bioactive compounds. In the present study, secondary metabolites extracted from the cell-free supernatant of strain NC318 showed strong antifungal activity on the mycelial growth and germination of S. rolfsii sclerotia in vitro . With 50 µl of bioactive compounds crude extracts, the mycelial growth inhibition rate was 97% and any germination of sclerotia was reported. Chemical analysis of the secondary metabolite crude extracts performed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS), revealed that the secreted bioactive compounds belonged to the family of li-popeptides (iturin, fengycin, surfactin), polyketides (bacillaene, macrolactin, difficidin and bacilysin) and siderophores (bacillibactin). These results provide a better understanding of the biocontrol mechanism of the bacteria strain B. velezensis NC318 against the soil fungal pathogens, especially S. rolfsii root rot.
Comprehensive Kinematic Model of a Tendon-Driven Wearable Tremor Suppression Device

Wearable devices can suppress or reduce hand tremor motion associated with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Tendon-driven transmission systems have been proposed as a way to decrease the size and weight of these devices; however, they have complex control system requirements due to their substantially nonlinear behavior. To address this issue, this study focused on the development of a comprehensive kinematic model of a wearable tremor suppression glove that more accurately calculates the tendon displacement during hand motion. The novelty lies in the identification of the threshold bending angle for each joint at which the driven tendon touches the arc of the joint. The derived kinematic model of the glove was verified by both simulation and benchtop experiments, and the proposed model was validated during single-joint and multijoint hand movements. The kinematic model shows a mean 2-D correlation coefficient of 0.96 $\boldsymbol{\pm }$ 0.01 with the experimental data. Compared to the Euclidean norm model presented in the literature, it presents an average 83% improvement (a 4%–96% reduction in root mean square errors depending on the joint), which is most significant for increasing tendon displacements.
Bistatic SAR: Imagery & Image Products.

While typical SAR imaging employs a co-located (monostatic) RADAR transmitter and receiver, bistatic SAR imaging separates the transmitter and receiver locations. The transmitter and receiver geometry determines if the scattered signal is back scatter, forward scatter, or side scatter. The monostatic SAR image is backscatter. Therefore, depending on the transmitter/receiver collection geometry, the captured imagery may be quite different that that sensed at the monostatic SAR. This document presents imagery and image products formed from captured signals during the validation stage of the bistatic SAR research. Image quality and image characteristics are discussed first. Then image products such as two-color multi-view (2CMV) and coherent change detection (CCD) are presented.
Exploitation of 3D Georeferenced Datasets in a GIS

F. Leymarie, "Exploitation of 3D Georeferenced Datasets in a GIS", Proc. International Workshop on "HPCN Exploitation of Multimedia Databases", Ispra, Italy, European Commission - JRC, no EUR 17349 EN, pp.10-29. Keynote speaker. March 1997
Hierarchical Optimal Control for Sulfidation Process in Non-Ferrous Metallurgy CPS

Industrial cyber-physical system (ICPS) features the deep integration of the digital model and the industrial physical system, which enables the model-driven techniques to model the state of the industrial physical system. However, the complex reaction mechanism and equipment structure impose challenges to achieving precise decision-making and accurate control in sulfidation process (SfP) in non-ferrous metallurgy CPS. To address this issue, a hierarchical optimal control method is proposed for SfP under the framework of ICPS. Specifically, in order to solve the difficulties of accurately modeling of SfP, a multi-reactor cascade model is established by analyzing the mechanism of reactions and the structure of equipment. In order to realize the optimal control of SfP, an optimization model of SfP is constructed by proposing a quantitative description of copper-arsenic separation innovatively, and the optimal set values of metal ions concentration in cascade reactors are obtained by global optimization in the upper layer of the hierarchical optimal control strategy. After that, the optimal set values are tracked by means of model predictive control in the lower layer. Finally, the proposed method is compared with some state-of-the-art methods, and the key indicators, including copper removal efficiency and arsenic removal efficiency of the proposed method, are superior to the comparative methods.