Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Eicosanoid Degradation Mitigates Fibrosis of the Heart

Background: Organ fibrosis due to excessive production of extracellular matrix by resident fibroblasts is estimated to contribute to >45% of deaths in the Western world, including those due to cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. Here, we screened for small molecule inhibitors with a common ability to suppress activation of fibroblasts across organ systems. Methods: High-content imaging of cultured cardiac, pulmonary, and renal fibroblasts was used to identify nontoxic compounds that blocked induction of markers of activation in response to the profibrotic stimulus, transforming growth factor-β1. SW033291, which inhibits the eicosanoid-degrading enzyme, 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase, was chosen for follow-up studies with cultured adult rat ventricular fibroblasts and human cardiac fibroblasts (CF), and for evaluation in mouse models of cardiac fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction. Additional mechanistic studies were performed with CFs treated with exogenous eicosanoids. Results: Nine compounds, including SW033291, shared a common ability to suppress transforming growth factor-β1–mediated activation of cardiac, pulmonary, and renal fibroblasts. SW033291 dose-dependently inhibited transforming growth factor-β1–induced expression of activation markers (eg, α-smooth muscle actin and periostin) in adult rat ventricular fibroblasts and normal human CFs, and reduced contractile capacity of the cells. Remarkably, the 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase inhibitor also reversed constitutive activation of fibroblasts obtained from explanted hearts from patients with heart failure. SW033291 blocked cardiac fibrosis induced by angiotensin II infusion and ameliorated diastolic dysfunction in an alternative model of systemic hypertension driven by combined uninephrectomy and deoxycorticosterone acetate administration. Mechanistically, SW033291-mediated stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling was required for the compound to block CF activation. Of the 12 exogenous eicosanoids that were tested, only 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, which signals through the G protein-coupled receptor, GPR31, recapitulated the suppressive effects of SW033291 on CF activation. Conclusions: Inhibition of degradation of eicosanoids, arachidonic acid-derived fatty acids that signal through G protein-coupled receptors, is a potential therapeutic strategy for suppression of pathological organ fibrosis. In the heart, we propose that 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase inhibition triggers CF-derived autocrine/paracrine signaling by eicosanoids, including 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, to stimulate extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and block conversion of fibroblasts into activated cells that secrete excessive amounts of extracellular matrix and contribute to heart failure pathogenesis.
Single Electrochemical Impacts of
 Shewanella oneidensis
 MR‐1 Bacteria for Living Cells Adsorption onto a Polarized Ultramicroelectrode Surface

: Single electrochemical impacts of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Gram-negative electroactive bacteria onto ultramicroelectrode surfaces are reported and in-depth analysed. Chronoamperometry measurements recorded onto 10 µm-diameter Pt and 7 µm-diameter carbon fibre disk ultramicroelectrodes in a 20 mM potassium ferrocyanide aqueous solution in the presence of living bacteria show an electrostatic attraction of Shewanella cells onto the ultramicroelectrode surface polarized at +0.8 V vs Ag/AgCl. Single current step events analysis and atomic force microscopy experiments confirm the adsorption of living bacteria following-up the collision onto the ultramicroelectrode surface. The bacteria washing step before the chronoamperometry measurements leads to lower current step events related to the smaller size of the living cells. The electrostatic attraction of the negatively-charged bacteria onto the positively-charged ultramicroelectrode surface polarized at the oxidation potential of ferrocyanide is clearly demonstrated.
Impacts of Wireless on Robot Control: The Network Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Framework and Real-Life Comparisons

As many robot applications become more reliant on wireless communications, wireless network latency and reliability have a growing impact on robot control. This article proposes a network hardware-in-the-loop (N-HiL) simulation framework to evaluate the impacts of wireless on robot control more efficiently and accurately, and then improve the design by employing correlation analysis between communication and control performances. The N-HiL method provides communication and robot developers with more trustworthy network conditions, while the huge efforts and costs of building and testing the entire physical robot system in real life are eliminated. These benefits are showcased in two representative latency-sensitive applications: 1) safe multirobot coordination for mobile robots, and 2) human-motion-based teleoperation for manipulators. Moreover, we deliver a preliminary assessment of two new-generation wireless technologies, the Wi-Fi6 and 5G, for those applications, which has demonstrated the effectiveness of the N-HiL method as well as the attractiveness of the wireless technologies.
Yangsheng 養生 as ‘making a living’ in the Zhuangzi

ABSTRACT The story of the butcher Pao Ding is one of the best known from the Zhuangzi 莊子. The key concept in this story is yangsheng 養生. This has been understood as involving the preservation of life through various methods of cultivation. However, one insightful perspective has yet to be considered: work. This article sets the stage for understanding yangsheng in terms of work by appealing to Western and Eastern understandings thereof. It then locates the Zhuangzi in contemporary discourse on yangsheng showing that it rejects that concerned with regulating the senses in search of life and accepts that concerned with the activities constitutive of livelihoods. This article then analyzes the relationship between sheng 生 and xing 性 to show that yangsheng is best understood as ‘making a living’ that emerges in the process of individual and collective lives as they unfold in various contexts.
3-Way Doherty Power Amplifiers: Design Guidelines and MMIC Implementation at 28 GHz

This article presents the design strategy and the implementation of a three-way Doherty power amplifier (DPA3W) to enhance the efficiency at deep power back-off. Theoretical design equations are derived, based on which design charts are drawn to explore the available design space, accounting for practical constraints related to the available technology and selected application. The proposed design strategy is demonstrated by the design, fabrication and experimental characterization of a three-way multistage Doherty amplifier optimized for efficiency peaks at 6 and 12 dB back-off. The amplifier is realized on the WIN Semiconductors 150 nm GaN-SiC high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) monolithic process at 28 GHz, targeting 5G applications. The prototype achieves saturated output power in excess of 34 dBm and power added efficiency of the order of 15% from 6 to 12 dB back-off, demonstrating competitive performance and a good agreement between simulations and measurements, thus validating the approach.
3D EDGE DETECTION AND COMPARISON USING FOUR-CHANNEL IMAGES

Abstract. Point cloud segmentation, is a widespread field of research and it is useful in several research topics and applications such as 3D point cloud analysis, scene understanding, semantic segmentation etc. Architectural vector drawings constitute a valuable platform source for scientists and craftsmen while the production of such drawings is time-consuming because many of the creation steps are done manually. Detecting 3D edges in point clouds could provide useful information for the automation of the creation of 3D architectural vector drawings. Hence, a 3D edge detection method is proposed and evaluated with a proof-of-concept experiment and another one using a professional software. The scope of this effort is twofold, firstly the production of semantically enriched 3D dense point clouds exploiting four-channel images in order to detect 3D edges and secondly the comparison of the detected 3D edges with their corresponding edges in a textured 3D model. Comparing 3D edges in the early step of the 3D dense point cloud production and in the final step of 3D textured mesh, provides useful conclusions of the data used for the automatic creation of 3D drawings. Both of the experiments i.e., the proof-of-concept and using the professional SfM-MVS software were conducted using real world data of cultural heritage objects.
The Aharonow—Bohm Effect and the Reality of Wave Packets

The objective of this paper is to show that, instead of quantum probabilities, wave packets are physically real. First, Cartwright's recent argument for the reality of quantum probabilities is criticized. Then, the notion of ‘physically real’ is precisely defined and the difference between wave functions and quantum probabilities clarified. Being thus prepared, some strong reasons are discussed for considering the wave packet to be physically real. Finding the reasons inconclusive, I explain how the Aharonov—Bohm effect delivers the final punch. I conclude that wave packets are the quantum objects that underlie the indeterministic quantum processes and have the propensity of displaying probabilistic (or indeterministic) behavior.
A new approach for the computation of design shear force in reinforced concrete walls subjected to seismic loads

This paper investigates the dynamic shear amplification in reinforced concrete shear walls designed according to the seismic provisions of the current Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC‐2018). Shear walls with a high ductility level and different aspect ratios are examined to evaluate the design shear force calculated by using the dynamic amplification factor (βv) and overstrength factor (D) defined in TBEC‐2018. For this purpose, response spectrum analyses (RSAs) are first carried out on two‐dimensional cantilever shear walls with heights of 30, 45, and 60 m and with lengths of 1.5, 3, and 4.5 m in the plan. Then, a total of 198 nonlinear time history analyses (NLTHAs) are performed with real and simulated ground motions matched to the elastic design spectrum defined in TBEC‐2018. The comparison of the design shear forces obtained from RSA and the shear demands obtained from NLTHA along the heights of the walls reveals that the design shear forces calculated according to TBEC‐2018 may underestimate the actual shear demands from studied ground motions. Moreover, the applicability of the updates proposed to TBEC‐2018 for the design shear force and shear force diagram along the wall height in reinforced concrete shear wall‐frame systems to cantilever shear walls is also examined.
Shared control versus traded control in driving: a debate around automation pitfalls

Abstract A major question in human-automation interaction is whether tasks should be traded or shared between human and automation. This work presents reflections—which have evolved through classroom debates between the authors over the past 10 years—on these two forms of human-automation interaction, with a focus on the automated driving domain. As in the lectures, we start with a historically informed survey of six pitfalls of automation: (1) Loss of situation and mode awareness, (2) Deskilling, (3) Unbalanced mental workload, (4) Behavioural adaptation, (5) Misuse, and (6) Disuse. Next, one of the authors explains why he believes that haptic shared control may remedy the pitfalls. Next, another author rebuts these arguments, arguing that traded control is the most promising way to improve road safety. This article ends with a common ground, explaining that shared and traded control outperform each other at medium and low environmental complexity, respectively. Practitioner summary: Designers of automation systems will have to consider whether humans and automation should perform tasks alternately or simultaneously. The present article provides an in-depth reflection on this dilemma, which may prove insightful and help guide design. Abbreviations: ACC: Adaptive Cruise Control: A system that can automatically maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front; AEB: Advanced Emergency Braking (also known as Autonomous Emergency Braking): A system that automatically brakes to a full stop in an emergency situation; AES: Automated Evasive Steering: A system that automatically steers the car back into safety in an emergency situation; ISA: Intelligent Speed Adaptation: A system that can limit engine power automatically so that the driving speed does not exceed a safe or allowed speed.
Applications of extreme value statistics in physics

We present a descriptive review of physical problems dealing with extreme values in several fields of physics. We consider different physical situations involving random variables that are correlated or not, and study the statistics of extremal variables, which is relevant for situations where height fluctuations, catastrophic events such as material failure, or power outrage occur. We describe the general theory and relate the cumulative limit distributions that can be accessible in experiments to microscopic models. In many cases however, the random variables are correlated, in interface problems for example, and the characteristics of the interaction are revealed in the asymptotic behavior of the limit distribution.
A mixed spectrum analysis of a microstrip disk resonator

Abstract-The radiation properties of a microstrip disk resonator excited by a cylindrical line probe is investigated analytically. A mixed spectrum eigenwave expansion is employed to describe the electromagnetic fields below and above the microstrip resonator. A voltage gap generator model is used to take into account the excitation of the radiation structure. An integral equation is obtained on the semi-infinite cylinder encircling the microstrip disk with the unknown term being the vertical component of the aperture electric field. The integral equation is solved by applying an iterative procedure, where the magneticwalls solution is employed as the initial approximation. Then, the input impedance of the microstrip disk is determined by computing the total current at the feeding point. Radiation patterns are also computed and presented.
Accurate Field‐Effect Mobility and Threshold Voltage Estimation for Thin‐Film Transistors with Gate‐Voltage‐Dependent Mobility in Linear Region

The measurement of mobility and threshold voltage in thin‐film transistors (TFTs) in which the mobility is a function of gate voltage or carrier density is usually done inaccurately. Herein, accurate mobility calculations within the framework of the gradual channel approximation are described. Conventionally, the derivative of drain current with respect to gate voltage is often used to calculate mobilities in the linear region. This procedure often leads to errors when the mobility is not constant. Using a first‐order finite difference‐based calculations, it is shown how the correct field‐effect mobility can be extracted. The corrected mobility can be smaller than the conventionally calculated field‐effect mobility by up to a factor of 2. It is also shown that the corrected field‐effect mobility is identical to the average mobility. A threshold voltage that is independent of gate voltage value and suitable for disordered semiconductors is used for more accurate mobility calculations. The mobility and threshold voltage calculations are illustrated with experimental data from multiple TFTs with indium gallium zinc oxide, zinc tin oxide, and molybdenum disulfide channel layers.
APPLICATION OF FOURIER OPTICS FOR DETECTING DEFLECTIONS OF INFRARED-SENSING MICROCANTILEVER ARRAYS

This article presents the theory and experimental results of an optical imaging technique that simultaneously measures the deflections of a focal plane array of bimaterial microcantilevers that are used as thermomechanical infrared sensors. Based on Fourier optics, this technique is used for infrared vision of room-temperature objects with a noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD) in the range of 2-5 K. Efforts are currently underway to improve the NETD to the range of 30-50 mK.
Midgap states in a‐Si:H and a‐SiGe:H p‐i‐n solar cells and Schottky junctions by capacitance techniques

The midgap density of states (MGDOS) in a‐SiGe:H alloys is investigated by capacitance measurements on p‐i‐n solar cells. Past work on thick a‐Si:H Schottky barriers is extended to thin a‐SiGe:H p‐i‐n cells. Four methods of determining the MGDOS from the measured capacitance are described, and each is applied to two p‐i‐n devices having 0% and 62% Ge in the i layers, respectively. The first method involves fitting an equivalent circuit model to the measured admittance. Close agreement is found over a wide range of temperature and frequency. The single junction model is shown to apply equally well to p‐i‐n and Schottky diodes, justifying the neglect of the n‐i junction and thin doped layers in the p‐i‐n admittance analysis. A second method determines g0 from the limiting capacitance at high temperature. The third and fourth methods extract g0 from the dependence of capacitance on voltage bias. One of these is novel, presented here for the first time. Thus, a unique feature of this study is the application .
Comparison of Glycosylated Haemoglobin, Blood Pressure, and Anthropometric Measurements Depending on Gender and Bodyweight State in Adolescents

Background/Objective: The greatest anthropometric and physiological changes occur during adolescence. Assessment of growth patterns is necessary to prevent future health risks. Aims: To describe the values of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, triceps skinfold, and abdominal circumference according to gender and age (between 12 and 17 years), as well as explore the differences between body weight conditions. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out, including 4130 adolescents between 12 and 17 years old. SBP and DBP, HbA1c, triceps skinfold, and abdominal circumference were evaluated. Results: Significant differences were observed between males and females for HbA1c (p < 0.001), SBP (p < 0.001), triceps curl (p < 0.001), and abdominal circumference (p < 0.001), independently of the age group. Regardless of gender and age groups, significant differences were observed between overweight/obese and normal-weight adolescents in SBP (p < 0.001), DBP (p < 0.001 to 0.009), triceps skinfold (p < 0.001), and abdominal perimeter (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings revealed higher SBP, DBP, triceps skinfold, and abdominal circumference in overweight/obese adolescents compared to normal-weight adolescents in both genders.
Situating Slums in Hegemonic Urban Discourse: A Historiography of English-Language Architecture and Planning Journals

Over recent years, the political critique of the characterization of slums has progressively developed within hegemonic urban planning discourse. In planning history, however, the emergence of slums remains associated with the narrative and geographies of underdevelopment in the context of modernization theory. To deconstruct this narrative and thus contribute to the decolonization of planning discourse, this paper undertakes a historiographic analysis of English-language journal publications dealing with different forms of subaltern urbanism. I show how the concept of “slums” has progressively broadened in meaning to encompass an ever-larger array of derogatory concepts, and that the term “slum” is limited to certain geographical hotspots, thereby contributing to geopolitical biases and knowledge gaps. Through the content analysis of publications, I am able to outline a historical periodization of hegemonic planning themes and proposals addressing slums in diverse geographies, along with critical views on their underlying perspectives.
In situ evidence for interplanetary magnetic field induced tail twisting associated with relative displacement of conjugate auroral features

[1] We provide in situ evidence for a twisted near-Earth tail configuration that is responsible for the time sequence of conjugate auroral features associated with relative interhemispheric displacement during a weak substorm, as reported by Motoba et al. (2010). We analyzed the magnetic field data observed using four Cluster satellites in the vicinity of 11–14 RE central downtail, in close conjunction with the Iceland-Syowa conjugate optical auroral features. Interestingly, we found that the variations in the magnetic field y component (By) at all satellites correlated moderately well with the variations in the time-shifted interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angle (θCA). The correlation coefficients (0.56 ∼ 0.61) between the By field at Cluster and IMF θCA peaked at a time delay of 52 ± 1 min from the dayside magnetopause, probably corresponding to the time scale for the reconfiguration of the IMF θCA related By field in the near-Earth tail. The IMF θCA related By variation at Cluster, regarded as a manifestation of the twisting magnetotail configuration, also roughly coincided with the relative magnetic local time displacement of nightside conjugate auroral forms. These results provide strong evidence that the reconfiguration (twisting) process of the near-Earth tail on a relatively longer time scale controls the nightside conjugate auroral locations in both ionospheres.
Navigating the seven challenges of taxonomic reference databases in metabarcoding analyses

Assessment of biodiversity using metabarcoding data, such as from bulk or environmental DNA sampling, is becoming increasingly relevant in ecology, biodiversity sciences and monitoring. Thereby, the taxonomic identification of species from their DNA sequences relies strongly on reference databases that link genetic sequences to taxonomic names. These databases vary in completeness and availability, depending on the taxonomic group studied and the genetic region targeted. The incompleteness of reference databases is an important argument to explain the nondetection by metabarcoding of species supposedly present. However, there exist further and generally overlooked problems with reference databases that can lead to false or inaccurate inferences of taxonomic assignment. Here, we synthesize all possible problems inherent to reference databases. In particular, we identify a complete, mutually nonexclusive list of seven classes of challenges when it comes to selecting, developing and using a reference database for taxonomic assignment. These are: (i) mislabelling, (ii) sequencing errors, (iii) sequence conflict, (iv) taxonomic conflict, (v) low taxonomic resolution, (vi) missing taxa and (vii) missing intraspecific variants. For each problem identified, we provide a description of possible consequences on the taxonomic assignment process. We illustrate the respective problem with examples taken from the literature or obtained by quantitative analyses of public databases, such as GenBank or BOLD. Finally, we discuss possible solutions to the identified problems and how to navigate them. Only by raising users' awareness of the limitations of metabarcoding data and DNA reference databases will adequate interpretations of these data be achieved.