Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vacuum-Assisted Block Freeze Concentration Studies in Cheese Whey and Its Potential in Lactose Recovery

Block freeze concentration (BFC) is considered an emerging technology which allows the acquiring of high quality organoleptic products, due to the low temperatures employed. In this study we have outlined how the vacuum-assisted BFC of whey was investigated. The effects of vacuum time, vacuum pressure, and the initial solids concentration in whey were studied. The results obtained show that the three variables significantly affect each of the following parameters analysed: solute yield (Y) and concentration index (CI). The best Y results were obtained at a pressure of 10 kPa, 7.5 °Bx, and 60 min. For CI parameter, the highest values were given at 10 kPa, 7.5 °Bx, and 20 min, respectively. In a second phase, by applying the conditions that provide higher solute yield to three different types of dairy whey, Y values of 70% or higher are reached in a single step, while that the CI of lactose are higher than those of soluble solids. Therefore, it is possible to recover, in a single step, at least 70% of the lactose contained in the initial whey samples. This suggests that vacuum-assisted BFC technology may be an interesting alternative for the recovery of lactose contained in whey.
Full Time or Part Time Reemployment: A Competing Risk Model With Frailties and Smooth Effects Using a Penalty Based Approach

The article discusses duration time models with multiple duration observations per individual and different competing events marking the end of a duration time. The dependence between two (or more) duration times observed for each individual is incorporated in a mixed model approach including frailty effects for each individual. The frailties are multivariate, with a separate component for each competing risk. As frailty distribution the article suggests a flexible and numerically handy mixture of gamma distributions. The model itself is based on the classical Cox approach by modeling the hazard functions. Instead of assuming proportional hazards, however, we allow covariate effects to vary functionally with time. The latter are fitted using penalized splines in combination with mixed models technology. The modeling exercise allows to analyze data on unemployment, where duration time is the length of an unemployment spell and the competing events are the different reasons for leaving the state of unemployment, for example, full time or half time reemployment, respectively. The R code to compute the competing risk model and some other useful functions along with documentation are available in the online supplements.
Integrative ATAC-seq and RNA-seq analyses of IPEC-J2 cells reveals porcine transcription and chromatin accessibility changes associated with Escherichia coli F18ac inhibited by Lactobacillus reuteri

Escherichia coli is the main cause of postweaning diarrhea in pigs, leading to economic loss. As a probiotic, Lactobacillus reuteri has been used to inhibit E. coli in clinical applications; however, its integrative interactions with hosts remain unclear, especially in pigs. Here, we found that L. reuteri effectively inhibited E. coli F18ac adhering to porcine IPEC-J2 cells, and explored the genome-wide transcription and chromatin accessibility landscapes of IPEC-J2 cells by RNA-seq and ATAC-seq. The results showed that some key signal transduction pathways, such as PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways, were enriched in the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between E. coli F18ac treatment with and without L. reuteri groups. However, we found less overlap between RNA-seq and ATAC-seq datasets; we speculated that this might be caused by histones modification through ChIP-qPCR detection. Furthermore, we identified the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton pathway and a number of candidate genes (ARHGEF12, EGFR, and DIAPH3) that might be associated with the inhibition of E. coli F18ac adherence to IPEC-J2 cells by L. reuteri. In conclusion, we provide a valuable dataset that can be used to seek potential porcine molecular markers of E. coli F18ac pathogenesis and L. reuteri antibacterial activity, and to guide the antibacterial application of L. reuteri.
Efficient image compression scheme based on differential coding

Embedded zerotree (EZW) and Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees (SPIHT) coding, introduced by J.M. Shapiro and Amir Said, are very effective and being used in many fields widely. In this study, brief explanation of the principles of SPIHT was first provided, and then, some improvement of SPIHT algorithm according to experiments was introduced. 1) For redundancy among the coefficients in the wavelet region, we propose differential method to reduce it during coding. 2) Meanwhile, based on characteristic of the coefficients' distribution in subband, we adjust sorting pass and optimize differential coding, in order to reduce the redundancy coding in each subband. 3) The image coding result, calculated by certain threshold, shows that through differential coding, the rate of compression get higher, and the quality of reconstructed image have been get raised greatly, when bpp (bit per pixel)=0.5, PSNR (Peak Signal to Noise Ratio) of reconstructed image exceeds that of standard SPIHT by 0.2~0.4db.
Estimation of Multivariate Regression

Let $(X,Y)$ be a random vector whose first component takes on values in a measurable space $({\mathfrak{X}},{\mathfrak{A}},\mu )$ with measure $\mu$, and let Y be a real-valued random variable. Let $$ f(x)={\bf E}\{Y\mid X=x\} $$ be the regression function of Y on X. We consider the problem of estimating $f(x)$ by observations of n independent copies of $(X,Y)$ given $f\in{\bf F}$, where ${\bf F}$ is an a priori known set with specified metric characteristics such as $\varepsilon$-entropy or Kolmogorov widths.
Compression of rotation images based on the wavelet transform

A scheme for compression of rotation images is proposed. First, we take a wavelet transform to decompose an image using a biorthogonal filter bank. Second, according to Shannon's rate distortion theory, an interband vector quantisation (VQ) is developed, with the exception that if gain is below a threshold, it is simply considered as a zero vector. Third, Huffman encoding is applied to vectors, and scalar quantisation is applied to the low passed signal at the coarsest level. Finally, rate-distortion performance tests for rotation images and Lena image are performed.
An Ingestible Pill With CMOS Fluorescence Sensor Array, Bi-Directional Wireless Interface and Packaged Optics for in-Vivo Bio-Molecular Sensing

The article presents for the first time a pill-based ingestible electronics with CMOS integrated multiplexed fluorescence bio-molecular sensor arrays, bi-directional wireless communication and packaged optics in a FDA-approved capsule for in-vivo bio-molecular sensing. The silicon chip integrates both the sensor array, and the ultra-low-power (ULP) wireless system that allows offloading sensor computing to an external base station that can reconfigure the sensor measurement time, and its dynamic range, allowing optimized high sensitivity measurement under low power consumption. The integrated receiver achieves −59 dBm receiver sensitivity dissipating 121 µW of power. The integrated transmitter operates in a dual mode FSK/OOK delivering −15 dBm of power. The 15-pixel fluorescence sensor array follows an electronic-optic co-design methodology and integrates the nano-optical filters with integrated sub-wavelength metal layers that achieves high extinction ratio (39 dB), thereby eliminating the need for bulky external optical filters. The chip integrates photo-detection circuitry and on-chip 10-bit digitation, and achieves measured sensitivity of 1.6 attomoles of fluorescence labels on surface, and between 100 pM to 1 nM of target DNA detection limit per pixel. The complete package includes a CMOS fluorescent sensor chip with integrated filter, a prototyped UV LED and optical waveguide, functionalized bioslip, off-chip power management and Tx/Rx antenna that fits in a standard FDA approved capsule size 000.
SERPIN-Derived Small Peptide (SP16) as a Potential Therapeutic Agent against HIV-Induced Inflammatory Molecules and Viral Replication in Cells of the Central Nervous System

Despite the success of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) increasing the survival rate in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, low levels of viremia persist in the brain of patients leading to glia (microglia and astrocytes)-induced neuroinflammation and consequently, the reactivation of HIV and neuronal injury. Here, we tested the therapeutic efficacy of a Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1 (LRP-1) agonistic small peptide drug (SP16) in attenuating HIV replication and the secretion of inflammatory molecules in brain reservoirs. SP16 was developed by Serpin Pharma and is derived from the pentapeptide sequence of the serine protease inhibitor alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT). The SP16 peptide sequence was subsequently modified to improve the stability, bioavailability, efficacy, and binding to LRP-1; a scavenger regulatory receptor that internalizes ligands to induce anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and pro-survival signals. Using glial cells infected with HIV, we showed that: (i) SP16 attenuated viral-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules; and (ii) SP16 attenuated viral replication. Using an artificial 3D blood-brain barrier (BBB) system, we showed that: (i) SP16 was transported across the BBB; and (ii) restored the permeability of the BBB compromised by HIV. Mechanistically, we showed that SP16 interaction with LRP-1 and binding lead to: (i) down-regulation in the expression levels of nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB); and (ii) up-regulation in the expression levels of Akt. Using an in vivo mouse model, we showed that SP16 was transported across the BBB after intranasal delivery, while animals infected with EcoHIV undergo a reduction in (i) viral replication and (ii) viral secreted inflammatory molecules, after exposure to SP16 and antiretrovirals. Overall, these studies confirm a therapeutic response of SP16 against HIV-associated inflammatory effects in the brain.
Development, religious affiliation, and social context: Substance use disorders in Puerto Rican transitional age youth

Introduction Transitional age youth (i. e., ages 16–24; TAY) use higher levels of substances than any age group in the United States. Understanding what factors increase substance use during TAY could suggest novel targets for prevention/intervention. Studies suggest that religious affiliation is inversely associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). However, the association of religious affiliation and SUD, including the role of gender and social context, has not been studied in TAY of Puerto Rican ethnicity. Methods Using data from N = 2,004 TAY of Puerto Rican ethnicity across two social contexts—Puerto Rico (PR) and the South Bronx, NY (SBx)—we tested the association of religious identity (Catholic, Non-Catholic Christian, Other/Mixed, and no religious affiliation, or “None”), and four SUD outcomes (alcohol use disorder, tobacco use disorder, illicit SUD, and any SUD). Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between religious identity and SUDs, then we tested for interaction by social context and gender. Result Half the sample identified as female; 30, 44, and 25% were 15–20, 21–24, and 25–29 years of age, respectively; 28% of the sample received public assistance. There was a statistically significant difference between sites for public assistance (22 and 33% in SBx/PR, respectively; p < 0.001); 29% of the sample endorsed None (38 and 21% in SBx/PR, respectively.) Compared to None, identifying as Catholic was associated with reduced risk of illicit SUD (OR = 0.51, p = 0.02), and identifying as Non-Catholic Christian with reduced risk for any SUD (OR = 0.68, p = 0.04). Additionally, in PR but not SBx, being Catholic or Non-Catholic Christian was protective for illicit SUD when compared to None (OR = 0.13 and 0.34, respectively). We found no evidence of an interaction between religious affiliation and gender. Discussion The percentage of PR TAY who endorse no affiliation is higher than the general PR population, reflective of increasing religious non-affiliation among TAY across cultures. Critically, TAY with no religious affiliation are twice as likely as Catholics to have illicit SUD, and 1.5 times as likely as Non-Catholic Christians to have any SUD. Endorsing no affiliation is more adverse for illicit SUD in PR than the SBx, underscoring the importance of social context.
A simplified two sample sequential t-Test

Current formulations of the two-sample sequential t-test have the practical disadvantage that they require sophisticated computational procedures for their implementation. A simplified two-sample sequential t-test, based on the fixed-sample t-test is proposed and its properties investigated Using Monte Carlo simulation, the decision boundaries are approximated as are the distributions of the sample sizes required to make a decision under different alternative hypotheses. Truncated gamma densities are used to fit the distributions of the sample size and a simple relation is given for the calculation of the expected sample size and its variance for a class of alternative hypotheses. The proposed test is shown to be a closed test and the relative efficiency of this test to the fixed sample t-test is examined. It is found that there is a saving in sample size of between 10% and 43% using this sequential test. The usefulness of this test is illustrated using data arising from a problem in medical research.
Effect of circular-cell approximation on the forward-link BER performance of a power-controlled CDMA system

The exact probability density function (PDF) for mobile distance from its own base station is derived for computing the forward-link performance of a Rayleigh-faded direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) cellular system with power control. Comparison with the commonly used 'circular-cell approximation' shows that the approximation gives more than 42% of error in the calculation of the variance of the mobile distance for a typical power control exponent of 4. Results also show that the previous approximation could under-estimate the forward-link capacity by more than 30%. Additionally, this newly derived PDF can also be used for arbitrary regular cell shapes by substituting their respective parameters.
Sliding mode control of Lur'e nonlinear switched systems under dynamic schedule protocol

ABSTRACT In this work, the sliding mode control (SMC) problem is investigated for a class of Lur'e nonlinear switched systems subject to finite channels constraints, which may lead to data collision. To solve this phenomenon, the Weighted Try-Once-Discard (WTOD) protocol is proposed on the sensor-to-controller (S/C) channels to regulate which one sensor node is permitted to send data via the communication network at each instant. A key issue of this work is how to integrate the WTOD protocol into the design of observer and the sliding mode controller for the switched systems. To this end, a token-dependent observer is constructed to estimate the unmeasured states, and then an observer-based SMC law is properly designed. Moreover, by constructing a Lur'e-type Lyapunov function interconnected with a cone-bounded nonlinearity, some sufficient conditions are established such that the reachability with a sliding domain around the specified sliding surface is achieved, meanwhile, the exponential stability of the resultant closed-loop switched systems is guaranteed. Finally, some numerical simulation results are provided.
Current Advances in Lipid Nanosystems Intended for Topical and Transdermal Drug Delivery Applications

Skin delivery is an exciting and challenging field. It is a promising approach for effective drug delivery due to its ease of administration, ease of handling, high flexibility, controlled release, prolonged therapeutic effect, adaptability, and many other advantages. The main associated challenge, however, is low skin permeability. The skin is a healthy barrier that serves as the body’s primary defence mechanism against foreign particles. New advances in skin delivery (both topical and transdermal) depend on overcoming the challenges associated with drug molecule permeation and skin irritation. These limitations can be overcome by employing new approaches such as lipid nanosystems. Due to their advantages (such as easy scaling, low cost, and remarkable stability) these systems have attracted interest from the scientific community. However, for a successful formulation, several factors including particle size, surface charge, components, etc. have to be understood and controlled. This review provided a brief overview of the structure of the skin as well as the different pathways of nanoparticle penetration. In addition, the main factors influencing the penetration of nanoparticles have been highlighted. Applications of lipid nanosystems for dermal and transdermal delivery, as well as regulatory aspects, were critically discussed.
Effect of quantization on video compression

The intra (I) or inter (P-forward prediction) frame in the given video sequence are compressed in wavelet domain. The intra frames are wavelet transformed with three levels, coded and quantized using SPIHT (Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Tree) and run-length coding. The inter frames of video sequence are wavelet transformed with three levels and encoded by forward prediction from the preceding wavelet transform and SPIHT decoded frames. Multi-resolution motion estimation and compensation is done in wavelet domain. Motion vectors so produced are coded using zero tree motion vector coder. Motion compensated wavelet coefficients are quantized and coded using SPIHT and run-length coder. The video decoder is an exact reverse of the video encoder.
Sinusoidal disturbance rejection in chaotic planar oscillators

The main goal of this paper is to design a compensator able to restore the nominal behavior of a planar system, which is rendered chaotic by an unmeasurable sinusoidal disturbance input. To reach such a goal, some instruments, taken from algebraic geometry, are used to estimate the unmeasurable disturbance from the time derivatives of the output of the system and of the control input. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
How to use participatory design to develop an eHealth intervention to reduce preprocedural stress and anxiety among children visiting the hospital: The Hospital Hero app multi-study and pilot report

Background Medical procedures can cause considerable stress and anxiety among children. Current interventions mainly diminish stress and anxiety during procedures, while stress and anxiety often build up at home. Moreover, interventions often focus on either distraction or preparation. eHealth can combine multiple strategies and provide a low-cost solution that can be used outside the hospital. Objective To develop an eHealth solution to diminish preprocedural stress and anxiety, and to evaluate the app on use, usability and user experience in practice. We also aimed to gain in-depth insights in children's and caregivers' opinions and experiences to inform future improvements. Methods This is a multi-study report on the development (Study 1) and evaluation (Study 2) of a first version of the developed app. In study 1 we adopted a participatory design approach in which children's experiences were central to the design process. We performed an experience journey session with stakeholders (n = 13) to map the child's outpatient journey, identify pains and gains, and formulate the desired experience journey. Iterative development and testing with children (n = 8) and caregivers (n = 6) resulted in a working prototype. The prototype was tested with children, resulting in a first version of the Hospital Hero app. The app was evaluated on use, user-experience and usability during an eight-week pilot study in practice (Study 2). We triangulated data from online interviews with children and caregivers (n = 21) and online questionnaires (n = 46). Results Multiple stress and anxiety experience touchpoints were identified. The Hospital Hero app supports children in their hospital journey by facilitating preparation at home and providing distraction at the hospital. The pilot study showed that the app was evaluated positively on usability and user-experience and is considered feasible. Qualitative data showed five themes: (1) user-friendliness, (2) coherence and power of storytelling, (3) motivation and reward, (4) fit with real hospital journey, (5) procedural comfort. Discussion Using participatory design, we developed a child-centered solution that supports children in the entire hospital journey and may diminish preprocedural stress and anxiety. Future efforts should create a more tailored journey, define an optimal engagement window and formulate implementation strategies.
Design Trade-Off Between Torque Density and Power Factor in Surface-Mounted PM Vernier Machines Through Closed-Form Per-Unit Equations

Benefited from flux modulation effects, surface-mounted permanent magnet vernier machines (SPMVMs) present the high-torque low-speed properties, which can become the potential candidates for direct-drive applications. However, their power factor is inferior to conventional PM machines due to the large inductance caused by parasitic no-working harmonics. This paper is devoted to propose some design considerations of SPMVMs to make a good compromise between torque density and power factor. Via constructing closed-from per-unit equations, the cross-coupling influences of slot/pole combinations and normalized geometric variables on machine performances are revealed. It is found that there is a tradeoff between torque density and power factor. The high magnet thickness to air-gap length ratio is beneficial to decrease inductance, while the flux modulation effect under the large equivalent air-gap length would be impaired. Moreover, the pole-pair ratio, i.e., the PM pole-pair to armature winding pole-pair, should be carefully selected, where the SPMVMs with high pole-pair ratio have the relatively high magnetic loading owing to the strong flux modulation effects, whereas they suffer from the low power factor due to serious harmonic leakage inductance. In particular, taking the end-winding length into consideration, the high torque advantages of high pole-pair ratio SPMVMs under the same copper losses can be well performed with high length-radius ratio. Combined with the analysis, the preferable selections of critical parameters to satisfy various technical indexes are determined. Then, the general design approach is proposed, and two design examples are built and compared. Meanwhile, finite element analysis (FEA) and prototype experiments are carried out to verify the feasibility.
Force-free magnetic-field structures and their role in solar activity.

Magnetic-field structures in solar active regions are expected to be substantially force-free. A method is proposed for calculating such structures by numerical methods. The method is applied to the study of the magnetic-field pattern associated with a sunspot of one polarity surrounded by a magnetic region of opposite polarity when the sunspot rotates with respect to the surrounding region. Rotation introduces a toroidal component of magnetic field, and the associated pressure leads to inflation of the magnetic field pattern. If the differential rotation exceeds about 180 deg, the force-free magnetic field has energy greater than that of an open magnetic-field configuration with the same photospheric boundary conditions. It is concluded that, beyond this point, the force-free field structure is metastable and can be converted into an open field structure by an explosive MHD instability.