Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lightning Hazards to Aircraft and Launchers Direct Effects of Lightning on Aircraft Structure : Analysis of the Thermal , Electrical and Mechanical Constraints

E-mail: laurent.chemartin@onera.fr T his paper deals with the direct effects of lightning strike on aircraft structures. In a first part, the phenomenology of lightning arc attachment on aircraft is introduced. Some specific features of lightning arcs observed in flight or created in the laboratory are presented. Some recent developments and results from numerical simulations are shown. The shapes, the behaviors and other specific points are compared with experiments, in order to bring to light some explanations on the complex features of lightning arcs. The second section presents the direct effects of lightning on aircraft skins. Both thermal and mechanical constraints are introduced and illustrated with experimental and numerical results. The negative effects of the paint layer on the damaging of composite and metallic materials are illustrated. The last section is focused on the direct effects of lightning on fasteners. The main mechanisms occurring during sparking phenomena are presented.
A novel fast Kolmogorov's spline complex network for pattern detection

In this paper, we present a new fast specific complex-valued neural network, the fast Kolmogorov's Spline Complex Network (FKSCN), which might be advantageous especially in various tasks of pattern recognition. The proposed FKSCN uses cross correlation in the frequency domain between the input data and the input weights of neural networks. It is proved mathematically and practically that the number of computation steps required for the FKSCN is less than that needed by conventional Kolmogorov's Spline Complex Network (CKSCN). Simulation results using MATLAB confirm the theoretical computations.
Multiscale Residual Mixture of PCA: Dynamic Dictionaries for Optimal Basis Learning

In this paper we are interested in the problem of learning an over-complete basis and a methodology such that the reconstruction or inverse problem does not need optimization. We analyze the optimality of the presented approaches, their link to popular already known techniques s.a. Artificial Neural Networks,k-means or Oja's learning rule. Finally, we will see that one approach to reach the optimal dictionary is a factorial and hierarchical approach. The derived approach lead to a formulation of a Deep Oja Network. We present results on different tasks and present the resulting very efficient learning algorithm which brings a new vision on the training of deep nets. Finally, the theoretical work shows that deep frameworks are one way to efficiently have over-complete (combinatorially large) dictionary yet allowing easy reconstruction. We thus present the Deep Residual Oja Network (DRON). We demonstrate that a recursive deep approach working on the residuals allow exponential decrease of the error w.r. t. the depth.
Seminal Plasma Induces Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase (PTGS) 2 Expression in Immortalized Human Vaginal Cells: Involvement of Semen Prostaglandin E2 in PTGS2 Upregulation1

ABSTRACT Inflammation of the cervicovaginal mucosa is considered a risk factor for HIV infection in heterosexual transmission. In this context, seminal plasma (SP) may play an important role that is not limited to being the main carrier for the virions. It is known that SP induces an inflammatory reaction in the cervix called postcoital leukocytic reaction, which has been associated with promotion of fertility. The mechanisms by which SP triggers this reaction, however, have not been clearly established. Previously we reported the expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), also known as cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), in human vaginal cells in response to toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands and other proinflammatory stimuli. In this study, we demonstrate that SP induces transcriptional and translational increase of COX-2 expression in human vaginal cells and cervicovaginal tissue explants. Furthermore, SP potentiates vaginal PTGS2 expression induced by other proinflammatory stimulants, such as TLR ligands and a vaginal mucosal irritant (nonoxynol-9) in a synergistic manner. SP-induced PTGS2 expression is mediated by intracellular signaling pathways involving MAPKs and NF-κB. Using fractionation and functional analysis, seminal prostaglandin (PG)-E2 was identified as a one of the major factors in PTGS2 induction. Given the critical role of this PG-producing enzyme in mucosal inflammatory processes, the finding that SP induces and potentiates the expression of PTGS2 in cervicovaginal cells and tissues has mechanistic implications for the role of SP in fertility-associated mucosal leukocytic reaction and its potential HIV infection-enhancing effect.
Molecular Ecology of Pyrethroid Knockdown Resistance in Culex pipiens pallens Mosquitoes

Pyrethroid insecticides have been extensively used in China and worldwide for public health pest control. Accurate resistance monitoring is essential to guide the rational use of insecticides and resistance management. Here we examined the nucleotide diversity of the para-sodium channel gene, which confers knockdown resistance (kdr) in Culex pipiens pallens mosquitoes in China. The sequence analysis of the para-sodium channel gene identified L1014F and L1014S mutations. We developed and validated allele-specific PCR and the real-time TaqMan methods for resistance diagnosis. The real-time TaqMan method is more superior to the allele-specific PCR method as evidenced by higher amplification rate and better sensitivity and specificity. Significant positive correlation between kdr allele frequency and bioassay-based resistance phenotype demonstrates that the frequency of L1014F and L1014S mutations in the kdr gene can be used as a molecular marker for deltamethrin resistance monitoring in natural Cx. pipiens pallens populations in the East China region. The laboratory selection experiment found that L1014F mutation frequency, but not L1014S mutation, responded to deltamethrin selection, suggesting that the L1014F mutation is the key mutation conferring resistance to deltamethrin. High L1014F mutation frequency detected in six populations of Cx. pipens pallens suggests high prevalence of pyrethroid resistance in Eastern China, calling for further surveys to map the resistance in China and for investigating alternative mosquito control strategies.
Damage Identification in 2D Structures Through Static Response

The local stiffness reduction produced by cracks change the static and dynamic behavior of the structural ele- ments and, by examining this change, crack position and magnitude can be identified. This paper presents a methodology which aim is the detection, location and quantification of the damage through the values of vertical displacements, pro- duced by static loads. With the purpose of establishing the precision of the results obtained in planar structures, numerical simulations were made, analyzing them with the Finite Element Method. Furthermore, two techniques for the detection and damage location are presented. The first one is related to the displacement variation in a damaged structure in relation to the same structure without damage. The second technique is based on the elastic curvature which is computed by means of the Finite Differences Method. The techniques presented are versatile tools, of easy application at work, for structural damage identification.
An extended-state observer based system of brushless DC motor using fuzzy logic

Brushless DC (BLDC) motors are widely used in vehicles because of its superior performance. The load disturbances in a BLDC have great influence on system performance. Some complex algorithms were proposed to overcome the deficiency are difficult to implement on a single DSP chip but they are not easy to implement. To solve the problem, an extended-state observer was used to obtain the estimate signals for speed feedback signal and its differential, as well as estimated signal for load disturbance. A functional design of FPGA in a brushless DC motor system based on FPGA and DSP was completed by using modular design method. The simulation and experiment results show that the proposed control method can enhance the performances of the servo system in rapidity, control accuracy, adaptability and robustness.
Parasympathetic nervous system and heart failure: pathophysiology and potential implications for therapy.

Abundant evidence links sympathetic nervous system activation to outcomes of patients with heart failure (HF). 1 In contrast, parasympathetic activation has complex cardiovascular effects that are only beginning to be recognized. In particular, the pathophysiological roles of normal and disordered parasympathetic innervation in patients with HF are not understood as comprehensively.2–5 In the present article, we review cardiovascular responses to parasympathetic activation, address the modulating factors that can affect parasympathetic function, discuss the role of the vagus nerve in ventricular dysfunction, and consider how activation of the parasympathetic nervous system may have important therapeutic implications for patients with congestive HF. The parasympathetic nervous system originates from medial medullary sites (nucleus ambiguous, nucleus tractus solitarius, and dorsal motor nucleus) and is modulated by the hypothalamus. Vagal efferents extend from the medulla to postganglionic nerves that innervate the atria via ganglia located in cardiac fat pads with neurotransmission that is modulated via nicotinic receptors. Postganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic cholinergic nerves then affect cardiac muscarinic receptors (the Figure). 6–8 Figure. Parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation of the heart: anatomy. Efferent fiber (vagus) comprises A-beta, A-delta, and unmyelinated C fibers. Reproduced from Martini FH. Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology . 8th ed. 2006. Chapter 20, by permission of Pearson Education, Inc Prentice Hall, copyright © 2006. Vagus nerve afferent activation, originating peripherally, can modulate efferent sympathetic and parasympathetic function centrally and at the level of the baroreceptor. Efferent vagus nerve activation can have tonic and basal effects that inhibit sympathetic activation and release of norepinephrine at the presynaptic level. Acetylcholine release from parasympathetic nerve terminals will activate ganglionic nicotinic receptors that in turn activate muscarinic receptors at the cellular level. Cardiovascular effects include heart rate reduction by inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system and by direct hyperpolarization of sinus nodal cells. Parasympathetic activation …
Growth, vibrational, optical, dielectric, thermal and third order NLO single crystal of manganese(II) hydrogen maleate tetrahydrate

ABSTRACT A nonlinear optical crystal of manganese(II) hydrogen maleate tetrahydrate (MHMT) is grown by slow evaporation technique at room temperature. The unit cell parameters of MHMT are confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. A comprehensive FTIR and Raman spectral data of MHMT single crystal is presented. The UV-Vis-NIR spectrum is recorded from which the energy gap is evaluated confirms the possibility of charge transfer within the molecule. The gradual decomposition of the grown crystal by applying heat and hence the thermal stability is studied by means of TGA. The variation of dielectric constant (ε r ) and dielectric loss (tanδ) with frequency for temperatures 40–120 °C are studied. The electrical conductivity of MHMT crystal indicates the presence of mobile charge carriers in the crystal. Third-order nonlinear response is obtained using Z-scan technique with a He–Ne laser (632.8 nm). NLO parameters such as nonlinear absorption coefficient and third-order susceptibility are determined, which confirm that the crystal is a prospective candidate for applications in non-linear optics.
Composition pathway in Fe–Cu–Ni alloy during coarsening

In this work the microstructure evolution for a two phase Fe–Cu–Ni ternary alloy is studied in order to understand the kinetic composition paths during coarsening of precipitates. We have employed a quantitative phase-field model utilizing the CALPHAD database to simulate the temporal evolution of a multi-particle system in a two-dimensional domain. The paths for the far-field matrix and for precipitate average compositions obtained from simulation are found to be rectilinear. The trends are compared with the corresponding sharp interface theory, in the context of an additional degree of freedom for determining the interface compositions due to the Gibbs–Thomson effect in a ternary alloy.
Motion Segmentation using Visual and Bio-mechanical Features

Nowadays, egocentric wearable devices are continuously increasing their widespread among both the academic community and the general public. For this reason, methods capable of automatically segment the video based on the recorder motion patterns are gaining attention. These devices present the unique opportunity of both high quality video recordings and multimodal sensors readings. Significant efforts have been made in either analyzing the video stream recorded by these devices or the bio-mechanical sensor information. So far, the integration between these two realities has not been fully addressed, and the real capabilities of these devices are not yet exploited. In this paper, we present a solution to segment a video sequence into motion activities by introducing a novel data fusion technique based on the covariance of visual and bio-mechanical features. The experimental results are promising and show that the proposed integration strategy outperforms the results achieved focusing solely on a single source.
Transparent Meta-Analysis of Prospective Memory and Aging

Prospective memory (ProM) refers to our ability to become aware of a previously formed plan at the right time and place. After two decades of research on prospective memory and aging, narrative reviews and summaries have arrived at widely different conclusions. One view is that prospective memory shows large age declines, larger than age declines on retrospective memory (RetM). Another view is that prospective memory is an exception to age declines and remains invariant across the adult lifespan. The present meta-analysis of over twenty years of research settles this controversy. It shows that prospective memory declines with aging and that the magnitude of age decline varies by prospective memory subdomain (vigilance, prospective memory proper, habitual prospective memory) as well as test setting (laboratory, natural). Moreover, this meta-analysis demonstrates that previous claims of no age declines in prospective memory are artifacts of methodological and conceptual issues afflicting prior research including widespread ceiling effects, low statistical power, age confounds, and failure to distinguish between various subdomains of prospective memory (e.g., vigilance and prospective memory proper).
The Evolution of Shopping Center Research: A Review and Analysis

Retail research has evolved over the past sixty years. Christaller's early work on central place theory, with its simplistic combination of range and threshold has been advanced to include complex consumer shopping patterns and retailer behavior in agglomerated retail centers. Hotelling's seminal research on competition in a spatial duopoly has been realized in the form of comparison shopping in regional shopping centers. The research that has followed Christaller and Hotelling has been as wide as it has been deep, including literature in geography, economics, finance, marketing, and real estate. In combination, the many extensions of central place theory and retail agglomeration economics have clearly enhanced the understanding of both retailer and consumer behavior. In addition to these two broad areas of shopping center research, two more narrowly focused areas of research have emerged. The most recent focus in the literature has been on the positive effects large anchor tenants have on smaller non-anchor tenant sales. These positive effects are referred to as retail demand externalities. Exploring the theoretical basis for the valuation of shopping centers has been another area of interest to researchers. The primary focus of this literature is based in the valuation of current and expected lease contracts.
Multichannel adaptive enhancement of the electrogastrogram

The electrogastric signal can be measured cutaneously on the abdomen. This is harmless to patients and volunteers. However, the poor quality of the cutaneous measurements necessitates signal enhancements. Hence, an adaptive multichannel signal enhancing system is proposed. The mu -vector least-mean-square algorithm is applied to adjust the weights of the adaptive filters in the system. A detailed description and a performance analysis of the system is given. The proposed system allows the respiratory artifact, the electrode-skin noise, some motion artifacts, and the electrocardiography to be efficiently reduced whole the characteristics of the relevant signal are less affected. <<ETX>>
Field localization and enhancement of phase-locked second- and third-order harmonic generation in absorbing semiconductor cavities

We predict and experimentally observe the enhancement by three orders of magnitude of phase mismatched second and third harmonic generation in a GaAs cavity at 650 and 433 nm, respectively, well above the absorption edge. Phase locking between the pump and the harmonics changes the effective dispersion of the medium and inhibits absorption. Despite hostile conditions the harmonics resonate inside the cavity and become amplified leading to relatively large conversion efficiencies. Field localization thus plays a pivotal role despite the presence of absorption, and ushers in a new class of semiconductor-based devices in the visible and uv ranges.
Comparing Two Action Planning Approaches for Color Learning on a Mobile Robot

A major challenge to the deployment of mobile robots in a wide range of tasks is the ability to function autonomously, learning appropriate models for environmental features and adapting these models in response to environmental changes. Such autonomous operation is feasible iff the robot is able to plan an appropriate action sequence. In this paper, we focus on the task of color modeling/learning, and present two algorithms that enable a mobile robot to plan action sequences that facilitate color learning. We propose a long-term action-selection approach that maximizes color learning opportunities while minimizing localization errors over an entire action sequence, and compare it with a greedy/heuristic action-selection approach that plans incrementally, to maximize the utility based on the current state information. We show that long-term action-selection provides a more principled solution that requires minimal human supervision. All algorithms are fully implemented and tested on the Sony AIBO robots.
The Impact of Phenocopy on the Genetic Analysis of Complex Traits

A consistent debate is ongoing on genome-wide association studies (GWAs). A key point is the capability to identify low-penetrance variations across the human genome. Among the phenomena reducing the power of these analyses, phenocopy level (PE) hampers very seriously the investigation of complex diseases, as well known in neurological disorders, cancer, and likely of primary importance in human ageing. PE seems to be the norm, rather than the exception, especially when considering the role of epigenetics and environmental factors towards phenotype. Despite some attempts, no recognized solution has been proposed, particularly to estimate the effects of phenocopies on the study planning or its analysis design. We present a simulation, where we attempt to define more precisely how phenocopy impacts on different analytical methods under different scenarios. With our approach the critical role of phenocopy emerges, and the more the PE level increases the more the initial difficulty in detecting gene-gene interactions is amplified. In particular, our results show that strong main effects are not hampered by the presence of an increasing amount of phenocopy in the study sample, despite progressively reducing the significance of the association, if the study is sufficiently powered. On the opposite, when purely epistatic effects are simulated, the capability of identifying the association depends on several parameters, such as the strength of the interaction between the polymorphic variants, the penetrance of the polymorphism and the alleles (minor or major) which produce the combined effect and their frequency in the population. We conclude that the neglect of the possible presence of phenocopies in complex traits heavily affects the analysis of their genetic data.
The Chinchilla Research Resource Database: resource for an otolaryngology disease model

The long-tailed chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) is an established animal model for diseases of the inner and middle ear, among others. In particular, chinchilla is commonly used to study diseases involving viral and bacterial pathogens and polymicrobial infections of the upper respiratory tract and the ear, such as otitis media. The value of the chinchilla as a model for human diseases prompted the sequencing of its genome in 2012 and the more recent development of the Chinchilla Research Resource Database (http://crrd.mcw.edu) to provide investigators with easy access to relevant datasets and software tools to enhance their research. The Chinchilla Research Resource Database contains a complete catalog of genes for chinchilla and, for comparative purposes, human. Chinchilla genes can be viewed in the context of their genomic scaffold positions using the JBrowse genome browser. In contrast to the corresponding records at NCBI, individual gene reports at CRRD include functional annotations for Disease, Gene Ontology (GO) Biological Process, GO Molecular Function, GO Cellular Component and Pathway assigned to chinchilla genes based on annotations from the corresponding human orthologs. Data can be retrieved via keyword and gene-specific searches. Lists of genes with similar functional attributes can be assembled by leveraging the hierarchical structure of the Disease, GO and Pathway vocabularies through the Ontology Search and Browser tool. Such lists can then be further analyzed for commonalities using the Gene Annotator (GA) Tool. All data in the Chinchilla Research Resource Database is freely accessible and downloadable via the CRRD FTP site or using the download functions available in the search and analysis tools. The Chinchilla Research Resource Database is a rich resource for researchers using, or considering the use of, chinchilla as a model for human disease. Database URL: http://crrd.mcw. edu
Neutrophil integrin affinity regulation in adhesion, migration, and bacterial clearance

During an infection, neutrophils are the first immune cells to arrive armed to clear the invading pathogen. In order to do so, neutrophils need to transmigrate from the peripheral blood through the endothelial layer toward the site of inflammation. This process is in most cases dependent on integrins, adhesion molecules present on all immune cells. These molecules are functionally regulated by “inside-out” signaling, where stimulus-induced signaling pathways act on the intracellular integrin tail to regulate the activity of the receptor on the outside. Both a change in conformation (affinity) and clustering (avidity/valency) of the receptors occurs and many factors have been linked to regulation of integrins on neutrophils. Control of integrin conformation and clustering is of pivotal importance for proper cell adhesion, migration, and bacterial clearance. Recently, gelsolin was found to be involved in β1-integrin affinity regulation and cell adhesion. Here, I summarize the role of neutrophil integrin regulation in the essential steps to reach the site of inflammation and clearance of bacterial pathogens.