Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Silver-Containing Materials Based on Various Forms of Bacterial Cellulose: Synthesis, Structure, and Biological Activity

Sustained interest in the use of renewable resources for the production of medical materials has stimulated research on bacterial cellulose (BC) and nanocomposites based on it. New Ag-containing nanocomposites were obtained by modifying various forms of BC with Ag nanoparticles prepared by metal–vapor synthesis (MVS). Bacterial cellulose was obtained in the form of films (BCF) and spherical BC beads (SBCB) by the Gluconacetobacter hansenii GH-1/2008 strain under static and dynamic conditions. The Ag nanoparticles synthesized in 2-propanol were incorporated into the polymer matrix using metal-containing organosol. MVS is based on the interaction of extremely reactive atomic metals formed by evaporation in vacuum at a pressure of 10−2 Pa with organic substances during their co-condensation on the cooled walls of a reaction vessel. The composition, structure, and electronic state of the metal in the materials were characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM, SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Since antimicrobial activity is largely determined by the surface composition, much attention was paid to studying its properties by XPS, a surface-sensitive method, at a sampling depth about 10 nm. C 1s and O 1s spectra were analyzed self-consistently. XPS C 1s spectra of the original and Ag-containing celluloses showed an increase in the intensity of the C-C/C-H groups in the latter, which are associated with carbon shell surrounding metal in Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The size effect observed in Ag 3d spectra evidenced on a large proportion of silver nanoparticles with a size of less than 3 nm in the near-surface region. Ag NPs in the BC films and spherical beads were mainly in the zerovalent state. BC-based nanocomposites with Ag nanoparticles exhibited antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli bacteria and Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger fungi. It was found that AgNPs/SBCB nanocomposites are more active than Ag NPs/BCF samples, especially against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger fungi. These results increase the possibility of their medical application.
Italian Cross-Cultural Adaptation of a Knowledge Assessment Tool (IBD-KID2) for Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background: For children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), understanding their condition may lead to better outcomes. Knowledge assessment is imperative to identify where education may be required. An IBD knowledge assessment tool (IBD-KID2) is available in English; the aim of this study was to translate IBD-KID2 in to Italian and assess its validity/reliability among children with IBD. Methods: IBD-KID2 has fifteen items, scoring one point per correct answer. IBD-KID2 items were assessed for cultural comprehension/relevance by Italian gastroenterologists using a content validity index; those items with a maximum score proportion <0.78 were reviewed. IBD-KID2 was then translated using ‘forward–backward’ process and reviewed for content/meaning. A prospective study among Italian children with IBD enabled score comparisons with established populations (z test), and reliability was assessed using test–retest completion (Pearson correlation (r), paired t-test). Results: Twenty-five children participated: 16 (64%) male, mean age 14.9 years (SD2.4), Crohn’s disease 13 (52%). The mean IBD-KID2 score was 8.8 (SD2.8), with no association with independent variables. Test–retest showed strong correlation between scores (r = 0.78, p < 0.001), with no mean difference (p = 0.39). Comparison with other pediatric IBD populations (NZ/Australia/Canada) showed no score difference (p = 0.62, CI −0.9 to 1.5). Conclusions: The translation of IBD-KID2 to Italian used a rigorous methodology. Scores showed the translated tool has equivalence and generalizability to Italian children with IBD.
A Functional Yeast-Based Screen Identifies the Host Microtubule Cytoskeleton as a Target of Numerous Chlamydia pneumoniae Proteins

Bacterial pathogens have evolved intricate ways to manipulate the host to support infection. Here, we systematically assessed the importance of the microtubule cytoskeleton for infection by Chlamydiae, which are obligate intracellular bacteria that are of great importance for human health. The elimination of microtubules in human HEp-2 cells prior to C. pneumoniae infection profoundly attenuated the infection efficiency, demonstrating the need for microtubules for the early infection processes. To identify microtubule-modulating C. pneumoniae proteins, a screen in the model yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was performed. Unexpectedly, among 116 selected chlamydial proteins, more than 10%, namely, 13 proteins, massively altered the yeast interphase microtubule cytoskeleton. With two exceptions, these proteins were predicted to be inclusion membrane proteins. As proof of principle, we selected the conserved CPn0443 protein, which caused massive microtubule instability in yeast, for further analysis. CPn0443 bound and bundled microtubules in vitro and co-localized partially with microtubules in vivo in yeast and human cells. Furthermore, CPn0443-transfected U2OS cells had a significantly reduced infection rate by C. pneumoniae EBs. Thus, our yeast screen identified numerous proteins encoded using the highly reduced C. pneumoniae genome that modulated microtubule dynamics. Hijacking of the host microtubule cytoskeleton must be a vital part of chlamydial infection.
Time domain sputtering characteristics of the microstrip antenna with EBG structure

The in-band radar cross section(RCS)of the microstrip antenna can be reduced efficiently by adding electromagnetic band gap(EBG)structure to the antenna,which makes targets hardly be identified.To recognize the targets with low RCS,the bi-static time domain scattering characteristics and the frequency domain RCS of the antenna is studied.The time domain sputtering characteristics of the microstrip antenna with EBG structure is studied by parallel FDTD algorithm.The formation mechanism of the time scattering waveform of the antenna is analyzed.Thereby,although the microstrip antenna with EBG has low RCS in frequency domain and exhibits stealth characteristic,the field amplitude of the time domain scattering waveform is very large at the beginning,and becomes lower after a period of time.It is called the time domain sputtering characteristic in this paper.
Open Ocean Momentum Flux Measurements in Moderate to Strong Winds

Abstract Measurements of the momentum flux were made by the Reynolds flux and dissipation methods on a deep water stable tower operated by the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, A modified Gill propeller-vane anemometer was used to measure the velocity. Drag coefficients from 196 Reynolds flux measurements agree well with those reported in Smith (1980) based on independent observations at the same site. Based on 192 runs, a comparison of the dissipation and Reynolds flux results shows excellent agreement on average, for wind speeds from 4 to 20 m s−1. The much more extensive dissipation data set (1086 h from the tower and 505 h from the weathership PAPA, CCGS Quadra) was used to investigate the dependence of the drag coefficient on wind speed, fetch and stability. The drag coefficient reduced to 10 m height and neutral conditions (CDN), is independent of stability and fetch (for fetch/height ≳800) but increases with wind speed above 10 m s−1. Some time series of the momentum flux and drag coefficient are .
Ellipsoidal Restriction and Generalized Ridge Estimation

Consider the linear regression model In term of the approximate multicollinearity of matrix X, paper constrains the regression coefficient β and obtains generalized ridge estimation of the linear model's parameter under the ellipsoidal restriction. Then discusses its properties, such as biased property, and MDE - superiority comparisons between generalized ridge estimation and generalized least squares estimation.
Refractory Properties of Cochlear Implant-Induced Spiking in Auditory Nerve Fibers are Dependent on Location of Stimulation and Voltage-Gated Channel Type Distribution

Background Experimental work has demonstrated that auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) of cats cannot fully respond to high rates of electrical stimulation, thus reducing the information transfer to the brain. Miller et al. (2001) have shown that a limiting factor of the reduced spike information transfer can be attributed to the neuron’s refractory period. A computational model of a node of Ranvier of the ANF (Negm and Bruce, 2008) suggested that low-threshold potassium (KLT) and hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation (HCN) channels (Yi et al., 2010) might be responsible for a larger refractory period (Negm and Bruce, in prep.). Methods We extend that work with a simulation study taking into account ANF morphology (Woo et al., 2010) to consider the differential spiking activity as a function of 1) the location of electrical stimulation and 2) nodal channel composition at important locations along the ANF. Specifically, we test three ANF models variants: A) only fast Nav and delayed-rectifier Kv at all nodes, B) with the addition of KLT & HCN channels (Yi et al., 2010) at the first peripheral node and on the nodes of Ranvier neighboring the soma and C) by expanding the distribution of KLT channels to all nodes (Bortone et al., 2006). Results In general, we observed the absolute refractory period of model C to be the greatest followed by model B, then by model A. Models B and C contrasted with model A by having a greater probability of spike initiation at the location of stimulation. Model A did not show a strong relative refractory period at its peripheral nodes. We argue that the washout of the relative refractory period in this region was dependent on the low correlation between the location of the stimulating electrode and the location of spike initiation. Conclusion Preliminary results indicate that model C is most consistent with the published physiological data. In addition to the KLT & HCN channels of model C, other ion channel types may be necessary to explain all aspects of refractory behavior observed in vivo. This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Discovery Grant #261736).
RBNet: An Ultrafast Rendering-Based Architecture for Railway Defect Segmentation

Inspection of railway defects is crucial for the safe and efficient operation of trains. Recent advancements in convolutional neural networks have led to the development of many effective detection and segmentation algorithms; however, these algorithms often struggle to balance efficiency and precision. In this article, we present a rendering-based fully convolutional network that generates segmentation results through a coarse-to-fine approach. This allows our framework to make full use of low-level features while minimizing the number of parameters. In addition, our network generates segmentation results from multiple scales of the feature map and uses residual connections to improve low-level feature detection. To improve training, we propose a novel method that augments the dataset by cutting and pasting the images and the corresponding ground-truth labels horizontally. Our results show that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art image segmentation methods with a higher frame rate and better performance.
Surface segmentation on countersink using point cloud

Countersink quality detection using point cloud is an effective way to detect defect of countersink with high precision of point cloud. This paper proposes an algorithm for segmenting surface of countersink using point cloud. For features of countersink and requirement for Countersink quality detection, this algorithm based on normal vector estimation and smoothing operator. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can be considered as an accuracy, precision, and real-time approach for point cloud segmentation with inevitable disturbances in terms of the segmentation quality and CPU time.
ADWICE: Advanced Diagnosis and Warning System for Aircraft Icing Environments

Abstract This paper describes the design of the Advanced Diagnosis and Warning System for Aircraft Icing Environments (ADWICE) and presents results for two different icing weather situations with typical icing conditions. ADWICE has been in development since 1998 through the joint cooperation of the Institute for Atmospheric Physics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the German Weather Service (DWD), and the Institute for Meteorology and Climatology of the University of Hannover (IMUK). ADWICE uses information from different data sources in order to identify atmospheric environments that are potentially hazardous for aircraft icing. Forecast data from the operational Local Model (LM) of the DWD, with a horizontal grid spacing of 7 km covering the domain of central Europe, are combined with radar data and routine weather observations from the surface station network for this purpose. Algorithms developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) that take into account different weather scen.
Testing the Validity and Structure of the Data Envelopment Analysis

This research aims to take efficiency as a black box between input and output, or a property of the process, and suggest an alternative way to evaluate the validity of Data Enveloping Analysis (DEA) scores. Over the last ten years, DEA has become a commonly used measure of efficiency of processes. It is offered as a non-parametric method of output oriented optimization, which is solved without any assumption under the restriction of the convexity with metric input and output measurements. Alternatively, output models like Cobb-Douglas or advanced econometric models are valid under several assumptions, and efficiency requires a significance test. Similar processes with the same input level exhibit a different level of output due to efficiency. This means that output is a function of input and efficiency. The present study models the DEA scores of an education efficiency research study by applying path analysis. Efficiency is found as moderator variable instead the expectation of mediation effect of an educational input-output process. The findings and interpretation of the structure depend on the data and its coverage, which do not lead to generalization of the efficiency concept. However, the main insight of the method is to consider real processes, not simulated model data. The purposed method enables the statistical testing of calculated DEA efficiency scores. Processes might be updated through the structured interpretation of how efficiency affects the output.
Video Capsule Endoscopy Plays an Important Role in the Management of Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by a transmural inflammation that may involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. An evaluation of small bowel involvement, allowing recognition of disease extent and severity, is important for disease management. Current guidelines recommend the use of capsule endoscopy (CE) as a first-line diagnosis method for suspected small bowel CD. CE has an essential role in monitoring disease activity in established CD patients, as it can assess response to treatment and identify high-risk patients for disease exacerbation and post-operative relapse. Moreover, several studies have shown that CE is the best tool to assess mucosal healing as part of the treat-to-target strategy in CD patients. The PillCam Crohn’s capsule is a novel pan-enteric capsule which enables visualization of the whole gastrointestinal tract. It is useful to monitor pan-enteric disease activity, mucosal healing and accordingly allows for the prediction of relapse and response using a single procedure. In addition, the integration of artificial intelligence algorithms has showed improved accuracy rates for automatic ulcer detection and the ability to shorten reading times. In this review, we summarize the main indications and virtue for using CE for the evaluation of CD, as well as its implementation in clinical practice.
Negotiating frame disputes in teacher discourse: vignettes of accountability and opportunities for learning

ABSTRACT The on-the-job collaborative discourse of teachers is said to offer promising insights into the implicit processes of teacher learning and socialisation (Lefstein et al. 2020). Building on existing theory and research, this article examines diagnostic frame disputes in teachers’ discussions that involve the negotiation of contradictions between external expectations and teachers’ own frames of reference. This phenomenon is illustrated using two purposively-sampled vignettes, drawn from video data generated in two Malaysian secondary schools in 2019. In both vignettes, teachers work to reconcile the discrepancies between how student learning problems are framed by external accountability measures, as well as how the teachers interpret those problems locally, leading to disputes about how to frame those problems. The analysis presents an empirical illustration of how teachers negotiate situated meaning, shedding light on how they interpret and respond to accountability pressures on their practice. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Hybrid Semi-Supervised Learning for Rotating Machinery Fault Diagnosis Based on Grouped Pseudo Labeling and Consistency Regularization

Applying semi-supervised learning (SSL) methods, such as pseudo labeling and consistency regularization, to rotating machinery fault diagnosis alleviates the difficulty of obtaining a large amount of labeled data in industrial practice. The low accuracy of teacher models initially trained with limited labeled samples, however, often affects the performance of pseudo-labeling methods. Besides, when the existing consistency regularization methods are applied to vibration signals, there is also the problem that the label information may be damaged due to the difficulty in interpreting the 1-D data augmentation (DA) tool. To address these obstacles, a novel two-stage hybrid SSL method based on grouped pseudo labeling and consistency regularization is developed to generalize mechanical fault diagnosis ability under limited labeled samples. In the first stage, inspired by the label coherence among samples at similar acquisition times, the proposed method fed signal samples with similar acquisition times into the teacher network in groups. Then, the obtained predicted labels are averaged, and a threshold evaluates the validity of the obtained averaged pseudo labels. In the second stage, mixed labeled and remaining grouped unlabeled samples are fed into the student model for supervised and consistency regularization training. In addition, compared with traditional consistency regularization algorithms using mean square error (MSE) metric to estimate label information consistency between the original and related augmented samples, the trace of the covariance matrix is introduced to realize estimating the label information consistency among multiple unlabeled samples in a group. Experiments verify that the proposed hybrid SSL method steadily improves the fault diagnosis accuracy of two gearboxes with fewer labeled samples to nearly 100%.
Sensitivity-enhanced and noise-reduced surface plasmon resonance sensing with microwell chips

In this paper, we study a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with a microwell chip that is aimed at improving the sensitivity and reducing the noise. We present both theoretical simulations and experimental results obtained for the proposed structure. In comparison to most SPR sensors that use planar gold films, this proposed well structure enables a sensitivity enhancement of 128%. By confining the surface plasmon wave (SPW) within the well, we are able to reduce the noise by more than twice. The increased sensitivity and lower noise makes our proposed novel microwell chip suitable for small molecule or trace amount detection.
A Method of Image Correction Based on the Standard Checkerboard Grids

Images collected by CCD camera,there is usually some distortion.This paper presents a method to calibrate the distortion images.Calibration algorithm uses the standard checkerboard grids.Establish the lookup table use of affine transformation rules for feature points of the regular distribution of the image surface.Find and analyze the feature points,calculate the deformation,and then fix.The measuring results show this method is effective for improving the quality of image correction and very high practicability.
The influence of climate warming on flowering phenology in relation to historical annual and seasonal temperatures and plant functional traits

Climate warming has the potential to influence plant flowering phenology which in turn can have broader ecological consequences. Herbarium collections offer a source of historical plant data that makes possible the ability to document and better understand how warming climate can influence long-term shifts in flowering phenology. We examined the influence of annual, winter, and spring temperatures on the flowering phenology of herbarium specimens for 36 species collected from 1884–2015. We then compared the response to warming between native and non-native, woody and herbaceous, dry and fleshy fruit, and spring vs summer blooming species. Across all species, plants flowered 2.26 days earlier per 1 °C increase in annual average temperatures and 2.93 days earlier per 1 °C increase in spring onset average temperatures. Winter temperatures did not significantly influence flowering phenology. The relationship of temperature and flowering phenology was not significantly different between native and non-native species. Woody species flowered earlier than herbaceous species only in response to increasing annual temperatures. There was no difference in the phenological response between species with dry fruits and those fleshy fruits for any of the temperature periods. Spring blooming species exhibited a significantly greater phenological response to warming yearly average temperatures than summer blooming species. Although herbarium specimens can reveal climate change impacts on phenology, it is also evident that the phenological responses to warming vary greatly among species due to differences in functional traits such as those considered here, as well as other factors.
Dynamical analysis of a class of hepatitis C virus infection models with application of optimal control

In this paper, we deal with the problem of optimal control of a deterministic model of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the first part of our analysis, a mathematical modeling of HCV dynamics which can be controlled by antiretroviral therapy as fixed controls has been presented and analyzed which incorporates two mechanisms: infection by free virions and the direct cell-to-cell transmission. Basic reproduction number is calculated and the existence and stability of equilibria are investigated. In the second part, the optimal control problem representing drug treatment strategies of the model is explored considering control parameters as time-dependent in order to minimize not only the population of infected cells but also the associated costs. At the end of the paper, the impact of combination of the strategies in the control of HCV and their effectiveness are compared by numerical simulation.