Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyses of the Autism-associated Neuroligin-3 R451C Mutation in Human Neurons Reveals a Gain-of-Function Synaptic Mechanism

Mutations in many synaptic genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), suggesting that synaptic dysfunction is a key driver of ASD pathogenesis. Among these mutations, the R451C-substitution in the NLGN3 gene that encodes the postsynaptic adhesion molecule Neuroligin-3 is noteworthy because it was the first specific mutation linked to ASDs. In mice, the corresponding Nlgn3 R451C-knockin mutation recapitulates social interaction deficits of ASD patients and produces synaptic abnormalities, but the impact of the NLGN3 R451C-mutation on human neurons has not been investigated. Here, we generated human knock-in neurons with the NLGN3 R451C-mutation. Strikingly, analyses of NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons revealed that the R451C-mutation decreased NLGN3 protein levels but enhanced the strength of excitatory synapses without affecting inhibitory synapses. No significant cell death and endoplasmic reticulum stress were detected. Importantly, the augmentation of excitatory transmission was confirmed in vivo with human neurons transplanted into mouse forebrain. Using single-cell RNA-seq experiments with co-cultured excitatory and inhibitory NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons, we identified differentially expressed genes in relatively mature human neurons that corresponded to synaptic gene expression networks. Moreover, gene ontology and enrichment analyses revealed convergent gene networks associated with ASDs and other mental disorders. Our findings suggest that the NLGN3 R451C-mutation induces a gain-of-function enhancement in excitatory synaptic transmission that may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASDs.
Mapping the spatial distribution of stand age and aboveground biomass from Landsat time series analyses of forest cover loss in tropical dry forests

Spatial information on the timing of forest cover loss is important to identify and map stand age, which is a key factor driving the recovery of carbon pools and can also be used to estimate aboveground biomass (AGB) based on its relationship with stand age. Here, we estimated the spatial distribution of stand age and AGB of young forest (<20 years) in three types of tropical dry forest in the Yucatan peninsula using Landsat NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) time series from 2000 to 2020. We estimated AGB based on chronosequence data and compared these results to reference field data and estimations obtained from remote‐sensing studies. The overall and user accuracy of the age map was high (95.7–99.9% and 87.35–98.5% respectively). However, lower producer accuracy values (from 31.2 to 67.2%) suggest an underestimation of the extension of young forests. We found a greater extent of young forests in the semi‐deciduous and deciduous forests compared to the semi‐evergreen ones. Mean AGB estimated from stand age (53.1 Mg ha−1) was lower than that estimated from remote‐sensing studies (67.5 to 95.2 Mg ha−1). These results indicate that spatial information of forest age can be accurately assessed from Landsat time series, and that the combination of stand age with chronosequence data can reduce the overestimation of AGB of recovering forests commonly found in remotely sensed data.
A 60 GHz 14 dBm power amplifier with a transformer-based power combiner in 65 nm CMOS

A 52–61 GHz power amplifier (PA) is implemented in 65 nm bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The proposed PA employs a transformer-based power combiner to sum the output power from two unit PAs. Each unit PA uses transformer-coupled two-stage differential cascode topology. The differential cascode PA is able to increase the output power and ensure stability. The transformer-based passives enable a compact layout with the PA core area of only 0.3 mm2. The PA achieves a peak power gain of 10.2 dB with 3-dB bandwidth of 9 GHz. The measured saturated output power is 14.8 dBm with a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 7.2%. The reverse isolation is smaller than −33 dB from 25 to 65 GHz. The PA consumes a quiescent current of 143 mA from a 1.6 V supply.
A Machine Learning Framework for Olive Farms Profit Prediction

Agricultural systems are constantly stressed due to higher demands for products. Consequently, water resources consumed on irrigation are increased. In combination with the climatic change, those are major obstacles to maintaining sustainable development, especially in a semi-arid land. This paper presents an end-to-end Machine Learning framework for predicting the potential profit from olive farms. The objective is to estimate the optimal economic gain while preserving water resources on irrigation by considering various related factors such as climatic conditions, crop management practices, soil characteristics, and crop yield. The case study focuses on olive tree farms located on the Hellenic Island of Crete. Real data from the farms and the weather in the area will be used. The target is to build a framework that will preprocess input data, compare the results among a group of Machine Learning algorithms and propose the best-predicted value of economic profit. Various aspects during this process will be thoroughly examined such as the bias-variance tradeoff and the problem of overfitting, data transforms, feature engineering and selection, ensemble methods as well as pursuing optimal resampling towards better model accuracy. Results indicated that through data preprocessing and resampling, Machine Learning algorithms performance is enhanced. Ultimately, prediction accuracy and reliability are greatly improved compared to algorithms’ performances without the framework’s operation.
Ceramide Transfer Protein (CERT): An Overlooked Molecular Player in Cancer

Sphingolipids are a class of essential lipids implicated in constructing cellular membranes and regulating nearly all cellular functions. Sphingolipid metabolic network is centered with the ceramide–sphingomyelin axis. Ceramide is well-recognized as a pro-apoptotic signal; while sphingomyelin, as the most abundant type of sphingolipids, is required for cell growth. Therefore, the balance between these two sphingolipids can be critical for cancer cell survival and functioning. Ceramide transfer protein (CERT) dictates the ratio of ceramide to sphingomyelin within the cell. It is the only lipid transfer protein that specifically delivers ceramide from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus, where ceramide serves as the substrate for sphingomyelin synthesis. In the past two decades, an increasing body of evidence has suggested a critical role of CERT in cancer, but much more intensive efforts are required to draw a definite conclusion. Herein, we review all research findings of CERT, focusing on its molecular structure, cellular functions and implications in cancer. This comprehensive review of CERT will help to better understand the molecular mechanism of cancer and inspire to identify novel druggable targets.
Different techniques for real time estimation of an induction motor rotor resistance in sensorless direct torque control for electric vehicle

Four different techniques for rotor resistance estimation in sensorless direct torque control (DTC) are studied and compared. Since the input voltage contains harmonics, many available techniques cannot be applied in the DTC. Three of the four above-mentioned techniques are the generalization of the previous methods. The fourth technique is a new one, which is applied by the authors. The speed of motor is estimated based on the governing equations of the induction motor and DTC. The resistance is estimated above rated speeds, which were required in electric vehicles (EVs). Although the four techniques enable to estimate the rotor resistance in real time, the new technique and TE (torque-error) method have some advantages over two other techniques.
Emergent Phenomena and Multiorganizational Coordination in Disasters: Lessons from the Research Literature

Research on emergent behavior and response coordination has been a significant feature of the disaster studies literature. Through a detailed review of past and recent sociological research, the following paper summarizes what is known about multiorganizational coordination. After defining what we mean by emergence and coordination, a brief discussion follows about the process by which literature was selected for this review. The article then highlights the importance of coordination for response operations, explains why it is often problematic, and provides recommendations to improve multiorganizational collaboration in disasters. The article concludes with implications for the theory and practice of emergency management.
Propagation delay model of a current driven RC chain for an optimized design

This work presents models which evaluate the propagation delay of an RC chain driven by a step input current generator. Starting from a rule of thumb model, involving network parameter values, three different approximations have been devised. The approximated models are quite simple and can be adopted in finding the number of stages after which repeaters can be introduced. In particular, one of the models can be used to optimize the propagation delay when inserting repeaters in a chain of transmission gates. Results from the new approach were compared with the traditional one with optimization by Spice simulation using a 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. The optimization based on the proposed model shows both a lower propagation delay and the need for a smaller number of repeaters compared with the traditional approach, hence, lower power consumption and silicon area.
Design and Optimization of Printed Antennas for Wireless Powering

The aim of present research was design and optimization of printed spiral inductor coils as the antennas for wireless powering. Power transfer was limited to some milliwatts over several centimeters with mega Hertz range frequency for low power consumer products like desktop accessories or packaging. Generally, the efficiency of power transferring through printed antennas is less than conventional coils because of some characteristics of conductive inks and printing processes. In this thesis, design and optimization of printed antennas based on printing limits was considering. Geometrical parameters of spiral antennas and the effect of them on inductive powering were reviewed. Three layouts for screen printing of the antennas were represented: Preliminary layout for practical tests on fine line printing and dimensional characteristics of antennas; Comparative layout for comparison between electromagnetic characteristics of antennas; and a Final layout for using in wireless powering. Two types of mesh screens and three types of conductive silver inks were applied for printing the samples on PET substrates. Characterization of printed samples was done by application of a network analyzer based on reflection method in frequency range of 100 Hz to 40 MHz. The magnitude and phase angle of impedance spectrum were plotted and the inductance, resistance, and parasitic capacitance were calculated based on equivalent RLC model. The first resonance frequency of most of antennas was included in the frequency range of measurement. The phase angle did not exceed 90° in all of the samples. The resonance frequency improved extremely by increasing the track width and decreasing the number of turns. Application of different inks could significantly change the impedance value. The measurements showed that the proximity effect losses could be more effective than skin effect in printed samples. Also, by increasing the track length or turn numbers, the parasitic capacitance and inductance could be increased. The results represented that the quality factor could be a problematic factor for comparison between different geometries. Figure-of-merit was applied for comparison between different antennas based on overall area of the antennas. The overall area was substituted with ink area to represent the ratio of efficiency to ink consumption. The FOM of printed antennas in present research was relatively less than PCB antennas that could be caused by high resistive losses of conductive inks. Finally, the functionality of printed antennas was represented by a demonstrator. Also, a concept for software workflow for the design of printed antennas was represented.
Influence of Isolation Gap Size on the Collapse Performance of Seismically Base-Isolated Buildings

The pounding of retaining walls forms a potential risk of degrading the performance of seismically base-isolated buildings subjected to strong, especially near-fault, earthquake ground motions. Incremental dynamic analysis is employed to generate the so-called gap graph, in which two characteristic gap sizes of a base-isolated building are related with the isolation period of the building and the strengthof the superstructure. Thegapgraph canbe usedto evaluate the required gap size for a base-isolated building to have certain collapse performance. By means of gap graphs, the interdependent relations of gap size with other important factors that influence the seismic performance of the base-isolated building are examined. In particular, the results show that near-fault pulse-like ground motions are likely to impose much higher demand for the isolation gap than far-field ones.
Life Cycle Impact Assessment of Recycled Aggregate Concrete, Geopolymer Concrete, and Recycled Aggregate-Based Geopolymer Concrete

This study presents a life cycle impact assessment of OPC concrete, recycled aggregate concrete, geopolymer concrete, and recycled aggregate-based geopolymer concrete by using the mid-point approach of the CML 2001 impact-assessment method. The life cycle impact assessment was carried out using OpenLCA software with nine different impact categories, such as global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential, photochemical oxidant formation, human toxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, and freshwater and terrestrial aquatic ecotoxicity potential. Subsequently, a contribution analysis was conducted for all nine impact categories. The analysis showed that using geopolymer concrete in place of OPC concrete can reduce global warming potential by up to 53.7%. Further, the use of geopolymer concrete represents the reduction of acidification potential and photochemical oxidant formation in the impact categories, along with climate change. However, the potential impacts of marine aquatic ecotoxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, human toxicity, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential, and terrestrial aquatic ecotoxicity potential were increased using geopolymer concrete. The increase in these impacts was due to the presence of alkaline activators such as sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. The use of recycled aggregates in both OPC concrete and geopolymer concrete reduces all the environmental impacts.
Off-The-Grid Variational Sparse Spike Recovery: Methods and Algorithms

Gridless sparse spike reconstruction is a rather new research field with significant results for the super-resolution problem, where we want to retrieve fine-scale details from a noisy and filtered acquisition. To tackle this problem, we are interested in optimisation under some prior, typically the sparsity i.e., the source is composed of spikes. Following the seminal work on the generalised LASSO for measures called the Beurling-Lasso (BLASSO), we will give a review on the chief theoretical and numerical breakthrough of the off-the-grid inverse problem, as we illustrate its usefulness to the super-resolution problem in Single Molecule Localisation Microscopy (SMLM) through new reconstruction metrics and tests on synthetic and real SMLM data we performed for this review.
An Integrated Model of Waste Management Behavior

This study examines the antecedents of recycling and composting intentions in the context of an integrated waste management behavior model. This model incorporates a wide variety of important factors from previous research on environmental behavior. The theory of planned behavior provides a theoretical framework to integrate these factors. The model was tested using both recycling and composting data from a sample of more than 700 individuals. Overall, the results suggest that this model fits the data well, helping to explain intentions to engage in recycling and composting.
Loss mechanisms in single-mode fiber tapers

The onset of transmission loss in four single-mode tapers is shown to coincide with the taper slope exceeding the critical slope angle at which fundamental mode cutoff occurs. This implies that the primary loss mechanism in single-mode fiber tapers is cutoff of the fundamental mode from the core. A secondary loss mechanism of coupling to the modes of a coaxial outer waveguide is also observed and modeled. Implications for fused fiber couplers are discussed.
Hysteresis and eddy currents compensation in current transformers

In the paper a digital technique for improving the accuracy of instrument current transformers is presented. Since the exciting current can be considered as the main error source, its evaluation can allow the compensation of its detrimental effects to be obtained. The exciting current required by the transformer in every kind of steady state operation can be determined by simply acquiring the secondary current, provided that the examined CT has been preliminarily identified. A simple scalar model for the CTs magnetic core, taking into account saturation as well as hysteresis and eddy currents phenomena, has been implemented in a software compensation routine. This allows us to improve the accuracy in the reproduction of the primary current, in the case of both sinusoidal and distorted current waveforms (provided that DC components are not present). Many experimental tests, under different practical situations, have been performed. The results clearly show that the proposed technique is able to significantly reduce, in comparison with traditional methods, the errors introduced by current transformers.
Vulnerability of Controller Area Network to Schedule-Based Attacks

The secure functioning of automotive systems is vital to the safety of their passengers and other roadway users. One of the critical functions for safety is the controller area network (CAN), which interconnects the safety-critical electronic control units (ECUs) in the majority of ground vehicles. Unfortunately CAN is known to be vulnerable to several attacks. One such attack is the bus-off attack, which can be used to cause a victim ECU to disconnect itself from the CAN bus and, subsequently, for an attacker to masquerade as that ECU. A limitation of the bus-off attack is that it requires the attacker to achieve tight synchronization between the transmission of the victim and the attacker's injected message. In this paper, we introduce a schedule-based attack framework for the CAN bus-off attack that uses the real-time schedule of the CAN bus to predict more attack opportunities than previously known. We describe a ranking method for an attacker to select and optimize its attack injections with respect to criteria such as attack success rate, bus perturbation, or attack latency. The results show that vulnerabilities of the CAN bus can be enhanced by schedule-based attacks.
The QOSMOS Study: Pharmacist-Led Multicentered Observational Study on Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis

Health-related quality of life is frequently included in patient-reported outcomes aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis, but recent data about Italian patients are missing. A multicenter observational and cross-sectional study was performed by students of hospital pharmacy to update existing data on quality of life and to correlate it with the pharmacological and medical history of patients. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the MS-QoL54 questionnaire, and the pharmacist collected patients’ characteristics, medical and pharmacological history, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Three hundred and forty-nine patients with multiple sclerosis were recruited from 16 centers between May 2018 and June 2019 (median age = 44.1 years; 68.9% women). The composite indexes of physical and mental well-being showed direct correlation with each other (R = 0.826; p < 0.001), and EDSS disability was an independent negative predictor of both indexes (R2 = 35.08% p < 0.001 and R2 = 15.74% p < 0.001, respectively). A trend of association between Physical Health Composite Score and different classes of oral disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) was observed. Our study found a decrease in QoL correlated with teriflunomide, which deserves further investigation. This experience demonstrates that joint action between scientific society and students association can be successful in conducting a no-profit multicenter observational study in a real-world setting.
Relationship between Internet Competency and Academic Achievement of Science Students in Bachelor Level

This paper was aimed to answer whether there is relationship between internet competency (IC) and academic achievement (AA) among science students in bachelor level with various combination of subjects (PCM, PMCs and CBZ). This was a correlation study with prediction and analytical research. A total of 254 science students in bachelor level of final year were drawn randomly from the four chosen colleges giving representation to three different combinations- PCM, CBZ and PMCs. One college under each type: Private Aided College, Private Unaided College, Government College and Mysore University Constituent College. One of chosen using convenience sampling technique. The IC questionnaire prepared by the researcher employed to assess IC in total and component wise. The data analyzed using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression. The findings indicated that component of information search significantly and negatively correlated with AA of science students in bachelor level with different combination of subjects (PMCs, PCM, and CBZ). Further results showed that in total there was no significant positive relationship between IC and AA of Science Students in Bachelor Level.
Complex rotating vector method for smooth torque control of a saturated switched reluctance motor

This paper describes novel complex rotating vector methods for calculating the air gap torque of a switched reluctance motor (SRM). These vector methods are used to derive a number of insightful methods for improving the smoothness of the SRM's air gap torque. The development covers both unsaturated as well as saturated SRMs. Theoretical methods are developed, alternative implementations of such rotating vector methods are described and experimental results are included on a commercial, unsaturated SRM and on a commercial, saturated SRM with asymmetry. The results verify the capability of the proposed vector methods.