Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A sequential LQG approach to nonlinear tracking problem

A new approach, named the sequential LQG solution for nonlinear and nonstationary systems tracking problem, has been proposed in the article. Proposed method for tracking of a desired reference trajectory uses a state space model of the multivariable nonlinear/nonstationary system. The method involves three steps. The first step is the design of nominal trajectory using the predictive control technique. The second step is the sequential linearization of the nonlinear system around the fixed operating points, chosen in accordance to the plant dynamics changes. The third step involves the choice of the weighting matrices in the classical LQG controller design for the sequence of linearized models. The feasibility of the proposed method has been demonstrated through its application to the control of aircraft, represented by the six-degree-of-freedom model around the prespecified nominal trajectory.
A novel array-type transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) system for accurate focusing on targeted brain regions

In this paper, we propose a new transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) system which uses multiple electrode arrays. Once a target location inside a human brain is selected, optimal injection current at each electrode is determined by solving a constrained optimization problem, of which the objective function is evaluated by 3D finite element method (FEM) adopting the superposition principle for enhanced computational efficiency. Simulation studies demonstrated that the proposed tDCS system enables more effective and accurate focusing on targeted brain areas than the conventional system.
Ultra-wideband compressed sensing radar based on pseudo random binary sequences

In this paper, the application of compressed sensing (CS) to pseudo random binary sequence (PRBS) radar is analyzed. We show that under the principles of CS theory, the sampling rate of the signal can be reduced without loss of resolution. CS theory is used to reconstruct the signal of an UWB PRBS radar system with a bandwidth of 20 GHz, when the radar signal is undersampled with a sample frequency lower than the Nyquist frequency. Finally, the performance of the reconstruction is evaluated under the presence of static and moving targets.
Medicinal Plants as Anti-Ulcer Agents

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is considered as one of the common diseases in the world. Treatment of peptic ulcer with synthetic drugs such as proton pump inhibitors, H2 receptor antagonists and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has shown adverse effects, relapses, drug interactions. Medicinal plants containing active chemical constituents are useful in prevention and treatment of various diseases. Literatures suggest that polyherbal formulations of medicinal plants are considered to be potential source for the treatment of ulcers. Combination of ayurvedic knowledge with modern medicine can produce better antiulcer drugs of natural origin from medicinal plants with fewer side effects. This study has presented the review of commonly used anti-ulcer plants which are used for the treatment or prevention of peptic ulcers and the other reported activities of these plants.
Evolution, motivation, and the mating/parenting trade–off

Abstract An evolutionary perspective on motivation implies an inverse relation between two motivational systems – one that regulates mate acquisition and the other that regulates parental care-giving. Study 1 (N = 2252) used correlational methods to test whether an inverse relation manifests at the level of chronic individual differences. Results revealed that short-term mating orientation (STMO) was inversely associated with a nurturant disposition toward children, but was positively associated with a protective disposition toward children. Studies 2 and 3 used experimental methods to test whether the inverse relation manifests at the level of temporary cognitive accessibility. Study 2 (N = 92) revealed that women (but not men) reported lower levels of STMO following an experimental procedure designed to activate the parental care motivational system. Conversely, results from Study 3 (n = 308) suggest that both men and women reported lower levels of tender emotional responses towards infants following an experimental procedure designed to activate the mate acquisition motivational system. Together, these results provide novel evidence bearing on the psychological manifestations of a mating/parenting trade-off, while also implicating additional variables that may affect the nature of these manifestations.
XRCC2 Is a Nuclear RAD51-like Protein Required for Damage-dependent RAD51 Focus Formation without the Need for ATP Binding*

The human XRCC2 gene was recently identified by its ability to complement a hamster cell line, irs1, which is sensitive to DNA-damaging agents and shows genetic instability. The XRCC2 protein is highly conserved in mammalian species and has structural features, including a putative ATP-binding domain (P-loop), consistent with membership of the RecA/RAD51 family of recombination-repair proteins. We show that a hybrid XRCC2-green fluorescent protein, which was found to be functional by complementation, localizes to the nucleus. We have established a functional link between XRCC2 and RAD51 by looking at damage-dependent RAD51 focus formation in the irs1 cell line. Little or no formation of RAD51 foci occurred in irs1. This effect was specific to the loss of XRCC2 because transfection of the gene into irs1 restored normal levels of focus formation. Surprisingly, XRCC2 genes carrying site-specific mutations in P-loop residues were found to be able to complement the XRCC2-deficient irs1 line for a number of different end points. We conclude that XRCC2 is important in the early stages of homologous recombination in mammalian cells to facilitate RAD51-dependent recombination repair but that it does not make use of ATP binding to promote this function.
Hemato-biochemical and immunotoxicological effects of low electromagnetic field and its interaction with lead acetate in mice

The present study was carried out to investigate the potential effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) and lead acetate on some hemato-biochemical, immune and pathologic variables in mice. A total 120 female mice were equally divided into eight groups. Gp. 1 kept as control. Gp. 2 exposed to EMF of 2 millitesla intensity and 50 Hz frequency (4h/day) for 30 days. Gps. 3, 4 and 5 were administered lead acetate orally at various doses (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg BW) for 30 days. The last 3 groups (6, 7 and 8) were exposed to EMF- lead combination for the same period. EMF- exposure, for 4h/day during 30 consecutive days, induced a significant increase in the erythrogram, leukogram and platelet counts, compared to control. Anemia, leucopenia, neutropenia, lymphopenia and monocytopenia were recorded with oral administration of lead acetate at various doses. The severity of changes was dose related. The phagocytosis % and phagocytic index were significantly (P<0.05) increased in mice exposed to EMF for 30 days (gp.2) but decreased in those given high doses of lead acetate. However, the immune parameters were insignificantly changed in groups 3, 7 and 8. Comparing to unexposed mice, significant variations in biochemical parameters (glucose, enzymes, and protein profiles) were noticed. Lead-EMF combination had synergistic effect on some previous parameters, whereas mice given the highest dose of lead with EMF aggravated hematobiochemical and pathological findings. We concluded that the combined EMF and lead acetate- exposure produced severe changes in the hemato-biochemical and immune parameters which were both real and inconsistent.
Effects of cigarette smoking cessation on breastfeeding duration.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to use data from controlled trials to examine whether smoking cessation increases breastfeeding duration. Correlational studies have confirmed associations between smoking status and breastfeeding duration, but whether smoking cessation increases breastfeeding duration has not been established. METHODS Participants (N = 158) were smokers at the start of prenatal care who participated in controlled trials on smoking cessation. Women were assigned to either an incentive-based intervention wherein they earned vouchers exchangeable for retail items by abstaining from smoking or a control condition where they received comparable vouchers independent of smoking status. Treatments were provided antepartum through 12-week postpartum. Maternal reports of breastfeeding collected at 2-, 4-, 8-, 12-, and 24-week postpartum were compared between treatment conditions. Whether women were exclusively breastfeeding was not investigated. RESULTS The incentive-based treatment significantly increased breastfeeding duration compared with rates observed among women receiving the control treatment, with significant differences between treatment conditions observed at 8-week (41% vs. 26%; odds ratio [OR] = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.3-5.6, p = .01) and 12-week (35% vs. 17%; OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.5-7.6, p = .002) postpartum. No significant treatment effects on breastfeeding were observed at other assessments. Changes in smoking status mediated the effects of treatment condition on breastfeeding duration. CONCLUSIONS These results provide evidence from controlled studies that smoking cessation increases breastfeeding duration, which, to our knowledge, has not been previously reported.
Effect of probiotics on intestinal mucosal immunity and ultrastructure of cecal tonsils of chickens

Abstract Sixty chickens were randomly divided into two groups to determine the effect of oral administration of probiotics on the intestinal mucosal immune response and ultrastructure of cecal tonsils. The first group (control) was fed with a basic diet without antibiotic or probiotics. The second group was fed with the same diet as the control, except they received drinking water with probiotics (4×109 cfu per chicken and day) from posthatch to day 3 of age. The probiotic preparation was composed of Bacillus subtilis Bs964, Candida utilis BKM-Y74 and Lactobacillus acidophilus LH1F. Intestinal fluid, Peyer's Patch and cecal tonsils were taken at day 1, 4, 7, 10 and 18 after administration of probiotics. The results showed: (i) Compared to the control, probiotics enhanced the content of following items: immunglobulin (Ig)A in the intestinal fluid at day 7 (p < 0.01), the IgG-forming cells at day 10 (p < 0.05), IgM-forming cells in the Peyer's Patch at day 7 (p < 0.05), IgA-forming cells at day 7–10 (p < 0.05), IgG-forming cells at day 7 (p < 0.05) and IgM-forming cells in cecal tonsils diffuse area at day 4–7 (p < 0.05). (ii) T lymphocytes in cecal tonsils were enhanced at day 7 (p < 0.01) after orally fed with probiotics. (iii) The density of microvilli and length of cecal tonsils increased after probiotics were administrated at day 3. With chicken ageing, the efficiency of probiotics would decrease. These results suggested that probiotcs enhance intestinal mucosal immunity of chicken at the early age.
Increased adhesive properties of platelets in sickle cell disease: roles for αIIbβ3‐mediated ligand binding, diminished cAMP signalling and increased phosphodiesterase 3A activity

Whilst high pro‐coagulant activity is reported in sickle cell disease (SCD), the precise role of platelets (PLTs) in SCD inflammatory and vaso‐occlusive processes is unclear. Adhesion of PLTs from healthy controls (CON), SCD individuals (SCD) and SCD patients on hydroxycarbamide (SCDHC) to fibrinogen (FB) was compared using static adhesion assays. PLT adhesion molecules and intraplatelet cyclic adenosine monophosphate (icAMP) were observed by flow cytometry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. SCD‐PLTs demonstrated significantly greater adhesion than CON‐PLTs to FB. Participation of the αIIbβ3‐integrin in SCD‐PLT adhesion was implicated by increased αIIbβ3 activation and data showing that an αIIbβ3‐function‐inhibiting antibody significantly diminished SCD‐PLT adhesion to FB. Platelet activation was potentated by reductions in icAMP; cAMP levels were decreased in SCD‐PLTs, being comparable to those of thrombin‐stimulated CON‐PLTs. Furthermore, SCD‐PLT adhesion to FB was significantly reduced by cilostazol, an inhibitor of cAMP‐hydrolyzing phosphodiesterase 3A (PDE3A). Both αIIbβ3‐integrin activation and icAMP correlated significantly with fetal haemoglobin in SCD. Accordingly, hydroxycarbamide therapy was associated with lower PLT adhesion and higher icAMP. SCD‐PLTs may be capable of adhering to proteins encountered on the inflamed vascular wall and, potentially, participate in vaso‐occlusive processes. Hydroxycarbamide and, speculatively, nitric oxide donor or cyclic‐nucleotide‐targeted therapies may aid in the reversal of PLT adhesive properties in SCD.
Atomic scale study of superlow friction between hydrogenated diamond surfaces

Strong attractive interaction between two clean diamond (001) slabs turns repulsive upon the hydrogenation of surfaces. This repulsive interaction serves as if a boundary lubricant and prevents the sliding surfaces from being closer to each other even under high normal forces. As a result, calculated lateral force variation generated during sliding has small magnitude under high constant loading forces. Superlow friction observed earlier between diamondlike carbon-coated surfaces can be understood by the steady repulsive interaction between sliding surfaces, as well as strong and stiff carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds which do not favor energy dissipation. In ambient conditions, the steady repulsive interaction is, however, destroyed by oxygen atoms which chemically modify those stiff surface bonds.
Bergmann’s Rule and Body Size in Mammals

Aim: To describe the geographical pattern of mean body size of the non-volant mammals of the Nearctic and Neotropics and evaluate the influence of five environmental variables that are likely to affect body size gradients. Location: The Western Hemisphere. Methods: We calculated mean body size (average log mass) values in 110 × 110 km cells covering the continental Nearctic and Neotropics. We also generated cell averages for mean annual temperature, range in elevation, their interaction, actual evapotranspiration, and the global vegetation index and its coefficient of variation. Associations between mean body size and environmental variables were tested with simple correlations and ordinary least squares multiple regression, complemented with spatial autocorrelation analyses and split-line regression. We evaluated the relative support for each multiple-regression model using AIC. Results: Mean body size increases to the north in the Nearctic and is negatively correlated with temperature. In contrast, across the Neotropics mammals are largest in the tropical and subtropical lowlands and smaller in the Andes, generating a positive correlation with temperature. Finally, body size and temperature are nonlinearly related in both regions, and split-line linear regression found temperature thresholds marking clear shifts in these relationships (Nearctic 10.9 °C; Neotropics 12.6 °C). The increase in body sizes with decreasing temperature is strongest in the northern Nearctic, whereas a decrease in body size in mountains dominates the body size gradients in the warmer parts of both regions. Main conclusions: We confirm previous work finding strong broad-scale Bergmann trends in cold macroclimates but not in warmer areas. For the latter regions (i.e. the southern Nearctic and the Neotropics), our analyses also suggest that both local and broad-scale patterns of mammal body size variation are influenced in part by the strong mesoscale climatic gradients existing in mountainous areas. A likely explanation is that reduced habitat sizes in mountains limit the presence of larger-sized mammals.
Exploring the nonlinear interaction effects of technology and market on firm performance in emerging biotechnology industry

Technology pull and market push are two key factors driving the emerging industry to success. Although there are some precious studies focusing on the interaction effects of technology and market on firm performance, most of which are conceptual, the empirical researches are few and almost linear. So the nonlinear empirical results are lack, especially in emerging industry. The objective of this study is to explore the nonlinear effects of technology and market on firm performance in the emerging biotechnology industry by using BP neural network. Based on a sample of 43 global top sales biotechnology firms, the results show that the interaction effects of technology and market actually affect firm performance in a nonlinear way, which is in the form of a U shape, i.e., the interaction effect is detrimental to firm performance until a threshold level is reached and then the effect becomes contributory thereafter. The paper concludes with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications of the finding.
Molecular Interactions between the Specialist Herbivore Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera, Sphigidae) and Its Natural Host Nicotiana attenuata. VIII. An Unbiased GCxGC-ToFMS Analysis of the Plant's Elicited Volatile Emissions[W][OA]

Treating wounds in Nicotiana attenuata leaves with Manduca sexta oral secretions (W+OS) mimics most changes elicited by M. sexta herbivory, but an unbiased analysis of the effect of the different OS constituents on volatile emissions is lacking. We used two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight (GCxGC-ToF) mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistics to parse volatiles into regulatory patterns. Volatiles released by wounding alone and by the alkalinity of OS were assessed by applying a buffer known to mimic the pH-mediated changes of OS elicitation (pectin methyl esterase activation and methanol release). The activities of fatty acid amino acid conjugates, well-known elicitors of antiherbivore defenses, and of 2-hydroxyoctadecatrienoic acid, a newly discovered signal in OS, were determined. Approximately 400 analytes were detected after deconvolution and alignment of GCxGC data; 35 volatiles were significantly regulated upon W+OS. Two-thirds of these were specifically regulated by OS, being either amplified (most terpenoids and certain hexenylesters) or strongly repressed (many short-chain alcohols and some aromatic and hexenylester derivatives). Fatty acid amino acid conjugates played a central role in this pattern of regulation, since they induced the emission of half of OS-elicited volatiles and inhibited the production of almost all OS-repressed volatiles; 2-hydroxyoctadecatrienoic acid influenced emission of trans-α-bergamotene, while other unknown OS constituents amplified hexenylester production. We conclude that the complex bouquet of herbivory-elicited volatiles results from the complex modulations of the wound response by diverse cues found in OS. This work also underscores the value of ultra-high-resolution GCxGC-ToF analysis combined with the nontargeted mining of the resulting data.
Comprehensive and Scalable Appraisals of Contemporary Documents

This book chapter describes problems related to contemporary document analyses. Contemporary documents contain multiple digital objects of different type. These digital objects have to be extracted from document containers, represented as data structures, and described by features suitable for comparing digital objects. In many archival and machine learning applications, documents are compared by using multiple metrics, checked for integrity and authenticity, and grouped based on similarity. The objective of our book chapter is to describe methodologies for contemporary document processing, visual exploration, grouping and integrity verification, as well as to include computational scalability challenges and solutions.
A hybrid DF and CF scheme with adaptive power allocation for half-duplex relay channel

The relay scheme and the corresponding rate performance are considered for a half-duplex relay channel in which the source can only transmit information with fixed power. As different relay strategies result in different rate performance, we first present a decision criterion for selecting between Decode-and-Forward (DF) and Compress-and-Forward (CF) strategies by thoroughly analyzing their achievable rate. Based on the analysis result, the maximum of the DF rate and CF rate can be achieved by strategy selection procedure. To further obtain a larger rate, we put forward a hybrid DF-CF scheme in which the strategy selection between DF and CF is combined with active relay power allocation efficiently. It is shown that the concave envelope of the maximum of DF rate and CF rate is achievable via our new developed hybrid scheme. For the convenience of implementation, we also present a suboptimal setting for the hybrid DF-CF scheme. Numerical results show that the suboptimal setting can achieve a rate approaching the maximal rate.
Algae as promising organisms for environment and health

Algae like other plants produce a variety of remarkable compounds collectivity refereed to as secondary metabolites they are synthesized by these organisms at the end of the growth phase and/or due to metabolic alterations induced by environmental stress conditions. Carotenoids, phenolic compounds, phycobiliprotein pigments, polysaccharides and unsaturated fatty acids are same of the algal natural products which were reported to have variable biological activities, including antioxidant activity, anticancer activity, antimicroabial activity against bacteria-virus-algae-fungi, organic fertilizer and bioremediation potentials.
A Lack of Amyloid β Plaques Despite Persistent Accumulation of Amyloid β in Axons of Long‐Term Survivors of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, TBI induces AD‐like amyloid β (Aβ) plaque pathology within days of injury potentially resulting from massive accumulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in damaged axons. Here, progression of Aβ accumulation was examined using brain tissue from 23 cases with post‐TBI survival of up to 3 years. Even years after injury, widespread axonal pathology was consistently observed and was accompanied by intra‐axonal co‐accumulations of APP with its cleavage enzymes, beta‐site APP cleaving enzyme and presenilin‐1 and their product, Aβ. However, in marked contrast to the plaque pathology noted in short‐term cases post TBI, virtually no Aβ plaques were found in long‐term survivors. A potential mechanism for Aβ plaque regression was suggested by the post‐injury accumulation of an Aβ degrading enzyme, neprilysin. These findings fail to support the premise that progressive plaque pathology after TBI ultimately results in AD.