Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of the dielectric function of aqueous solutions of glucose and albumin by THz time-domain spectroscopy

We report a study of aqueous solutions of glucose and bovine serum albumin using THz time-domain spectroscopy. To describe the permittivity of the solutions of these substances, we use a simplified model being applicable in the frequency range of . On the assumption that most of the water molecules become bound at high concentrations of glucose and protein in the solution, the changes in water characteristics are investigated. To improve the reliability of the results, the measurements are performed by two independent methods: the method of attenuated total internal reflection and the transmission method. Combination of the results obtained by these two methods allows expanding the spectral range towards lower frequencies.
Bayesian longitudinal models for paediatric kidney transplant recipients

Chronic kidney disease is a progressive loss of renal function which results in the inability of the kidneys to properly filter waste from the blood. Renal function is usually estimated by the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which decreases with the worsening of the disease. Bayesian longitudinal models with covariates, random effects, serial correlation and measurement error are discussed to analyse the progression of eGFR in first transplanted children taken from a study in València, Spain.
On C*-algebras associated tos

Let P be a unital subsemigroup of a group G. We propose an approach to C∗-algebras associated to product systems over P . We call the C∗-algebra of a given product system E its covariance algebra and denote it by A×EP , where A is the coefficient C∗-algebra. We prove that our construction does not depend on the embedding P ↪→ G and that a representation of A×E P is faithful on the fixed-point algebra for the canonical coaction of G if and only if it is faithful on A. We compare this with other constructions in the setting of irreversible dynamical systems, such as Cuntz–Nica–Pimsner algebras, Fowler’s Cuntz–Pimsner algebra, semigroup C∗-algebras of Xin Li and Exel’s crossed products by interaction groups.
On Cantor sets and packing measures

For every doubling gauge g, we prove that there is a Cantor set of positive finite -measure, -measure, and -premeasure. Also, we show that every compact metric space of infinite -premeasure has a compact countable subset of infinite -premeasure. In addition, we obtain a class of uniform Cantor sets and prove that, for every set E in this class, there exists a countable set F, with , and a doubling gauge g such that has different positive finite -measure and -premeasure.
The QUARTIC Process Model to Support Serious Games Development for Contextualized Competence-Based Learning and Assessment

This chapter presents the QUARTIC process model for developing contextualized, competence-based educational games. Parallel streams of pedagogy and game development have been married to streamline the process of deriving appropriate educational games from client requirements. Furthermore, the authors describe two methodologies to improve the complementarity of the streams: one for building contextualised narrative, and one for describing competences applied in context. This increases the applicability of learning outcomes and allows the simultaneous assessment of learning while gaming. The work presented is a part of the European research project TARGET aimed at rapid competence development for knowledge workers.
A hot bubble at the centre of M81 ? (Research Note)

Context. Messier 81 has the nearest active nucleus with broad H emission. A detailed study of this galaxy’s centre is important for understanding the innermost structure of the AGN phenomenon. Aims. Our goal is to seek previously undetected structures using additional techniques to reanalyse a data cube obtained with the GMOS-IFU installed on the Gemini North telescope (Schnorr Muller et al. 2011, MNRAS, 413, 149). Methods. We analysed the data cube using techniques of noise reduction, spatial deconvolution, starlight subtraction, PCA tomography, and comparison with HST images. Results. We identified a hot bubble with T > 43 500 K that is associated with strong emission of [N II] 5755 A and a high [O I] 6300/H ratio; the bubble displays a bluish continuum, surrounded by a thin shell of H + [N II] emission. We also reinterpret the outflow found by Schnorr Muller et al. (2011), showing that the blueshifted cone nearly coincides with the radio jet, as expected. Conclusions. We interpret the hot bubble as having been caused by post starburst events that left one or more clusters of young stars, similar to the ones found at the centre of the Milky Way, such as the Arches and the IRS 16 clusters. Shocked structures from combined young stellar winds or supernova remnants are probably the cause of this hot gas and the low ionization emission.
Behavior study and robustness analysis of fractional controllers implemented using RLC cells

In this article, we study the behavior of the RLC cells for the four configurations that we presented earlier in [1]. An electric circuit is used in order to study the fractional behavior and the robustness of these RLC operators and compare their responses to the behavior of the fractance which is an ideal fractional operator [2]. This analysis is conducted for both natural and forced responses. In more details, the initial conditions of the capacitors and inductances are neglected in the first case and they are taken into consideration in the second one. The number of initial conditions is related to the number of RLC cells used. The robustness of all arrangements is analyzed by varying the unsteady parameter value which is represented by an inductance in the electrical circuit. This inductance represents a different variable parameter in each field of application. For example, in the hydropneumatic domain, this inductance refers to the mass of the vehicle as the mass has the main influence on the dynamics and the robustness when designing the active suspension [3]. A conclusion will sum up the results for all the four arrangements and a confirmation that the phase constancy and the robustness are present in both modes.
An Efficient Reverse Converter for the 4-Moduli Set{ 2~n- 1,2~n+ 1,2n,2~(2n-1)- 1}

As residue number system needs the moduli set with big dynamic range,a new four-moduli set and its high efficient residue to binary converter are proposed. The proposed algorithm uses the moduli set { 2n-1,2n+ 1,2n,22n-1-1} which consists of four briefness modules and the dynamic range is up to 5n-1 bits. Efficient reverse converters for the proposed moduli sets based on new Chinese remainder theorem 2( New CRT-Ⅱ) are presented. Due to the simple multiplicative inverses of the moduli set,The proposed converter architectures are adder-based and they can be efficiently pipelined. Experiments results indicate that the new reverse converter has superior areatime complexity in comparison with the reverse converters for several other using the 5n-1bits dynamic range moduli set.
Transformation of Buddhist Mandalas into a Virtual Reality Installation

abstract:Technology can translocate traditional art into interactive, immersive experiences. At the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the authors transformed Tibetan Buddhist mandalas into a 3D virtual reality mandala installation. Furthering this project, they externalized an analog of the meditative experience by recording electroencephalograms that dynamically modulated the visual scene. The use of neurofeedback allowed fluctuations in the alpha power to drive the intensity of the fog obscuring the mandala. This aimed to give a sense of clearing the fog with one's mind in a meditation-like state. The collaboration demonstrated how technology intended for scientific use may be adapted to an artistic installation that enriches the visitor experience.
Improvement of the quasi-continuous-wave lasing properties in organic semiconductor lasers using oxygen as triplet quencher

We demonstrate quasi-continuous-wave lasing in solvent-free liquid organic semiconductor distributed feedback lasers based on a blend containing a liquid 9-(2-ethylhexyl)carbazole host doped with a blue-emitting heptafluorene derivative. The liquid gain medium is bubbled with either oxygen or nitrogen in order to investigate the role of a triplet quencher such as molecular oxygen on the quasi-continuous-wave lasing properties of organic semiconductor lasers. The oxygenated laser device exhibits a low threshold of 2 μJ cm−2, which is lower than that measured in the nitrogenated device and is independent of the repetition rate in a range between 0.01 and 4 MHz.
Analytical Infrared Delta-Four-Stream Adding Method from Invariance Principle

AbstractThe single-layer solutions using a four-stream discrete ordinates method (DOM) in infrared radiative transfer (IRT) have been obtained. Two types of thermal source assumptions—Planck function exponential and linear dependence on optical depth—are considered. To calculate the IRT in multiple layers with a vertically inhomogeneous atmosphere, an analytical adding algorithm has been developed by applying the infrared invariance principle. The derived adding algorithm of the delta-four-stream DOM (δ-4DDA) can be simplified to work for the delta-two-stream DOM (δ-2DDA). The accuracy for monochromatic emissivity is investigated for both δ-2DDA and δ-4DDA. The relative error for the downward emissivity can be as high as 15% for δ-2DDA, while the error is bounded by 2% for δ-4DDA. By incorporating δ-4DDA into a radiation model with gaseous transmission, δ-4DDA is much more accurate than δ-2DDA. Also, δ-4DDA is much more efficient, since it is an analytical method. The computing time of δ-4DDA is about one-.
Analytical elastoplastic solutions to supporting rock masses of circular tunnels under asymmetric load

Considering the behaviors of strength reduction and volume dilatancy of rock materials,the approximate analytical solutions to calculating the extent of the plastic zone,stress field and displacement field in rock masses of circular tunnels are proposed. The elastic-softening-residual plastic triple linear stress-strain model and the Mohr-Coulumb failure criterion are involved. The analytical solutions are valid when the plastic zone is comparatively large and the lateral pressure coefficients 1≤λ3. These solutions are very close to the results calculated by the finite element method,which can be used for the simple elastoplastic analysis of the circular openings instead of the finite element method.
Space-time trajectory approach in nuclear relativistic Coulomb excitation and its recoil correction

We implement a space-time trajectory approach to study the relativistic Coulomb excitation of the giant dipole resonance and double giant dipole resonance in nuclei. The results of calculation are compared with some experimental results (~700MeV). Besides that we will extend the space-time trajectory approach to the intermediate and low energy Coulomb excitation by including recoil effects which start to become significant at this range of energy.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of a Linear Structural Relationship with Replication

SUMMARY Maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters of a linear structural relationship when repeated observations are available is considered. The maximum likelihood estimate of the slope parameter is found to be a root of a fourth-degree polynomial and to be consistent as the number of replicates increases. The asymptotic variances and covariances of the estimates of the parameters are obtained through simplified formulae.
Real-Time Analysis of SARS-CoV-2-Induced Cytolysis Reveals Distinct Variant-Specific Replication Profiles

The continuous evolution of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with enhanced immune evasion capacity suggests the entire population is and will continue to be potentially vulnerable to infection despite pre-existing immunity. The ability of each new variant to evade host humoral immunity is the focus of intense research across the globe. Each variant may also harbor unique replication capabilities relevant for disease and transmission. Here we demonstrate the utility of a new approach to assessing viral replication kinetics using Real Time Cell Analysis (RTCA). Virus induced cell death is measured in real time by the detection of electrical impedance through cell monolayers. Using this system, we quantified replication kinetics of five clinically important viral variants; USA WA1/2020 (an A1 ancestral lineage isolate), Delta, and Omicron subvariants BA.1, BA.4, and BA.5. We identified multiple kinetic measures that proved useful in variant replication comparisons including time (in hours) to the maximum rate of cell death at each log10 viral dilution and the slope at the maximum rate of cell death. We found that WA1/2020 and Delta were the most rapid but in distinct ways. While WA1/2020 induced cell death most rapidly after inoculation, Delta was slightly slower to reach cell death, it appeared to kill cells faster once cytotoxic effects began. Interestingly, BA.1, showed substantially reduced replication kinetics relative to all other variants. Together, these data show that real time analysis of cell death is a robust method to assess replicative capacity of any given SARS-CoV-2 variant rapidly and quantitatively, which may be useful in assessment of newly emerging variants.
Frames, Designs, and Spherical Codes in Quantum Information Theory

Frame theory offers a lens through which to view a large portion of quantum information theory, providing an organizational principle to those topics in its purview. In this thesis, I cut a trail from foundational questions to practical applications, from the origin of the quantum probability rule to quantum cryptography, by way of a standard quantum measurement helpful in quantum tomography and representation of quantum theory. Before embarking, preparations are undertaken by outlining the relevant aspects of frame theory, particularly the characterization of generalized orthonormal bases in terms of physical quantum measurements, as well as several aesthetically appealing families of measurements, each possessing a high degree of symmetry. Much more than just elegant, though, these quantum measurements are found to be useful in many aspects of quantum information theory. I first consider the foundational question of justifying the quantum probability rule, showing that putting a probability valuation on generalized quantum measurements leads directly to the Born rule. Moreover, for qubits, the case neglected in the traditional formulation of Gleason’s theorem, a symmetric three-outcome measurement called the trine is sufficient to impel the desired form. Keeping with foundational questions, I then turn to the problem of establishing a symmetric measurement capable of effortlessly rendering quantum theory in terms of classical probability theory. Numerical results provide an almost utterly convincing amount of evidence for this, justifying the subsequent study of its use in quantum tomography and detailed account of the properties of the reduction to probabilistic terms. Saving perhaps the most exciting topic for last, I make use of these aesthetic ensembles in the applied field of quantum cryptography. A large class of streamlined key distribution protocols may be cut from the cloth of these ensembles, and their symmetry affords them improved tolerance to eavesdropping over the traditionallystudied schemes. Because the ability to put quantum key distribution protocols into practice is essentially right around the corner, I conclude by examining the prospects for implementing the new protocols in free space and their ability to boost the operating signal intensity, currently a major obstacle in the development of practical schemes.
High-efficiency imaging through scattering media in noisy environments via sparse image reconstruction

Abstract. High-efficiency imaging through highly scattering media is urgently desired for various applications. Imaging speed and imaging quality, which determine the imaging efficiency, are two inevitable indices for any optical imaging area. Based on random walk analysis in statistical optics, the elements in a transmission matrix (TM) actually obey Gaussian distribution. Instead of dealing with large amounts of data contained in TM and speckle pattern, imaging can be achieved with only a small number of the data via sparse representation. We make a detailed mathematical analysis of the elements-distribution of the TM of a scattering imaging system and study the imaging method of sparse image reconstruction (SIR). More specifically, we focus on analyzing the optimum sampling rates for the imaging of different structures of targets, which significantly influences both imaging speed and imaging quality. Results show that the optimum sampling rate exists in any noise-level environment if a target can be sparsely represented, and by searching for the optimum sampling rate, it can effectively balance the imaging quality and the imaging speed, which can maximize the imaging efficiency. This work is helpful for practical applications of imaging through highly scattering media with the SIR method.
Global and regional climate in 2015

This article presents some of the events of 2015, placing them in the long‐term climate context. 2015 was the warmest year on record at the surface of the earth. A strong El Niño, comparable in strength to the 1997/1998 El Niño, developed during the year and affected weather in many places. Heat waves affected large areas of Europe throughout the summer, and there were deadly heat waves in India and Pakistan in May and June. December in the UK was record warm and record wet.
Transcritical Transitions In SwirlingQuasi-columnar Flows

Complete mathematical similarity between nonlinear transcritical transitions in swirled flows and transonic phenomena in compressible gas dynamics is established. It is shown that transition of base supercritical columnar swirling flow to another subcritical columnar swirling flow is governed by an equation identical to that of the shock waves formation in gases. It is proven that under some assumptions transition follows the scenario suggested by Benjamin [1]. The presented study is based on the nonlinear wave theory of swirled flows developed by Leibovich [7]. The results are established through a rigorous mathematical analysis and provide a solid theoretical understanding of the wave dynamics of axisymmetric swirling flows. The unsteady wave analysis suggests a consistent explanation of the mechanism leading to the axisymmetric vortex breakdown phenomenon in high-Reynolds swirling flows.
Stabilization of discrete-time linear systems with quantization and arbitrary packet losses

In this paper, we mainly focus on the stabilization problem of discrete-time linear systems with both quantized input feedback and arbitrary packet losses. The coarsest quantization strategy is analyzed in detail to guarantee the asymptotic stability of the system. If the coarsest quantizer is logarithmic, the necessary and sufficient conditions to asymptotically stabilize such system are converted into some algebraic Riccati equations and then into some LMIs. Then the infimum of the quantization density for the logarithmic quantizer over all packet loss dependent Lyapunov functions is obtained according to these LMIs. In addition, we also prove that the sector bound approach for the logarithmic quantizer is still valid for the system with arbitrary packet losses. The problem of asymptotic stability can be converted into a robust control problem with sector bound uncertainties. The robust stability of the uncertain system is formulated into some LMIs. Finally, an example is given to show the effectiveness of the results obtained in this paper.
Neimark-Sacker bifurcations in a host-parasitoid system with a host refuge

In this work, the effect of a host refuge on a host-parasitoid inter- action is investigated. The model is built upon a modi ed Nicholson-Bailey system by assuming that in each generation a constant proportion of the host is free from parasitism. We derive a sucient condition based on the model parameters for both populations to coexist. We prove that it is possible for the system to undergo a supercritical and then a subcritical Neimark-Sacker bifurcation or for the system only to exhibit a supercritical Neimark-Sacker bifurcation. It is illustrated numerically that a constant proportion of host refuge can stabilize the host-parasitoid interaction.
Safety assessment of the process Steinbeis PolyVert, based on the Vacunite (EREMA Basic and Polymetrix SSP V‐LeaN) technology, used to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials

Abstract The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Steinbeis PolyVert (EU register number RECYC280), which uses the VACUNITE (EREMA Basic and Polymetrix SSP V‐leaN) technology. The input consists of hot caustic washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes, mainly originating from collected post‐consumer PET containers, with no more than 5% PET from non‐food consumer applications. The flakes are pre‐decontaminated in a first ■■■■■ ■■■■■ at high ■■■■■ under vacuum before being extruded, pelletised and crystallised. The pellets are then ■■■■■ and submitted to solid‐state polycondensation (SSP) in two parallel ■■■■■ reactor lines at high ■■■■■ under ■■■■■ and ■■■■■. Having examined the challenge test provided, the Panel concluded that step 2 (■■■■■ reactor) and steps 4 and 5 (■■■■■ and SSP) are critical for determining the decontamination efficiency of the process. The operating parameters to control the performance are temperature, pressure and residence time for steps 2, 4 and 5 as well as the gas velocity for steps 4 and 5. It was demonstrated that this recycling process is able to ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below the conservatively modelled migration of 0.1 μg/kg food. Therefore, the Panel concluded that the recycled PET obtained from this process is not of safety concern, when used at up to 100% for the manufacture of materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs, including drinking water, for long‐term storage at room temperature, with or without hotfill. Articles made of this recycled PET are not intended to be used in microwave and conventional ovens and such uses are not covered by this evaluation.
Developmental exposure to the pesticide malathion enhances expression of Prdm12, a regulator of nociceptor development, in Xenopus laevis

The transcription factor Prdm12 exerts important influences on the development of nociceptors, peripheral touch and pain-sensing neurons, and has been implicated in human pain sensation disorders. We examined the consequences of exposing developing Xenopus laevis embryos to the commonly used pesticide malathion on Prdm12 expression. Using qPCR and western blot analysis we observed that malathion treatment for the first six days of tadpole development significantly increased both prdm12 mRNA levels and Prdm12 protein levels compared to controls. Consequently, early exposure to this pesticide has potential to alter nociceptor development.