Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal rejection of multiplicative noise via adaptive shrinkage of undecimated wavelet coefficients

In this paper speckle reduction is approached as a Wiener-like filtering performed in the wavelet domain by means of an adaptive shrinkage of the detail coefficients of an undecimated decomposition. The amplitude of each coefficient is divided by the variance ratio of the noisy coefficient to the noise-free one. All the above quantities are analytically calculated from the speckled image, the speckle variance, and the wavelet filters. On the test image Lenna corrupted by synthetic speckle, the proposed method outperforms Kuan's LLMMSE filtering by almost 3 dB SNR. Experiments carried out on true and synthetic speckled images demonstrate that the visual quality of the results is excellent in terms of both background smoothing and preservation of edge sharpness and textures. The absence of decimation in the wavelet decomposition avoids the typical ringing impairments produced by critically-subsampled wavelet-based denoising.
Leveraging Physiologically Based Modelling to Provide Insights on the Absorption of Paliperidone Extended-Release Formulation under Fed and Fasting Conditions

Paliperidone was approved by the US FDA in 2006 as an extended-release (ER) tablet (Invega®) for the once-daily treatment of schizophrenia. This osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system (OROS) offers advantages, such as the prevention of plasma concentration fluctuation and reduced dosing frequency. The administration of the ER after a high-fat/high-calorie meal leads to increased maximum plasma concentration and area under the curve values by 60% and 54%, respectively. Food has various effects on gastrointestinal (GI) physiology, including changed transit times, changed volumes, altered pH in different GI compartments, secretion of bile salts, and increased hepatic blood flow. This may affect solubility, the dissolution rate, absorption, and the pharmacokinetics. The aim of this study was to apply physiologically based absorption modeling (PBAM) to provide insights on paliperidone ER absorption under fed and fasting conditions. The PBAM adequately predicted absorption from the OROS formulation under both conditions. Absorption primarily occurs in the ascending colon and caecum. After a high-fat/high-calorie meal, absorption is increased through the jejunum, ileum, and colon due to either increased solubilization or the better efficiency of the OROS technology. PBAM-guided approaches can improve the understanding of branded drugs and thereby aid in guiding the development of generic formulations or formulation alternatives.
Oxidative Stress in Long-Term Exposure to Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Male Rats

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) serve as nanoparticles due to their size, and for that reason, when in contact with the biological system, they can have toxic effects. One of the main mechanisms responsible for nanotoxicity is oxidative stress resulting from the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, oxidative stress biomarkers are important tools for assessing MWCNTs toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in male rats. Our animal model studies of MWCNTs (diameter ~15–30 nm, length ~15–20 μm) include measurement of oxidative stress parameters in the body fluid and tissues of animals after long-term exposure. Rattus Norvegicus/Wistar male rats were administrated a single injection to the knee joint at three concentrations: 0.03 mg/mL, 0.25 mg/mL, and 0.5 mg/mL. The rats were euthanized 12 and 18 months post-exposure by drawing blood from the heart, and their liver and kidney tissues were removed. To evaluate toxicity, the enzymatic activity of total protein (TP), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione S–transferase (GST), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), nitric oxide (NO), and catalase (CAT) was measured and histopathological examination was conducted. Results in rat livers showed that TEAC level was decreased in rats receiving nanotubes at higher concentrations. Results in kidneys report that the level of NO showed higher concentration after long exposure, and results in animal serums showed lower levels of GSH in rats exposed to nanotubes at higher concentrations. The 18-month exposure also resulted in a statistically significant increase in GST activity in the group of rats exposed to nanotubes at higher concentrations compared to animals receiving MWCNTs at lower concentrations and compared to the control group. Therefore, an analysis of oxidative stress parameters can be a key indicator of the toxic potential of multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
Control of a surface of discontinuity in continuous thickness

Abstract This paper examines the control of an interface between a suspension of sedimenting particles in liquid and a bed of dense-packed particles at the bottom of the suspension. The problem arises in the operation of continuous thickeners (e.g. in mineral processing) and is here mathematically described by a first order inhomogeneous partial differential equation for the concentration C(x, t) of particles. The controlled variable is the height H* of the bed, and the control variables are the volume fluxes injected at the feed level and removed at the bed. A strategy to control the interface is devised, and control is confirmed and demonstrated by a series of numerical experiments.
APOGEE fiber development and FRD testing

Development of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) near-infrared spectrograph has motivated thorough investigation into the properties and performance of optical fibers. The fiber selected for APOGEE is a step index, multi-mode fiber, developed by PolyMicro, with a 120μm low OH, fused silica core, 25μm cladding, and 10μm buffer. The instrument design includes a 40 meter fiber run, connecting the spectrograph to the 2.5m Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescope, and an additional 2.5 meter fiber segment located within the instrument dewar, a vacuum-sealed, cryogenic environment. This light path is convoluted and includes many transitions and connections where the beam is susceptible irrevocable loss. To optimize the spectrograph performance it is necessary to minimize the losses incurred in the fiber system, especially those resulting in focal ratio degradation (FRD). The focus of this research has been to identify potential sources of loss and where applicable, select material components to minimize this effect. There is little previous documented work concerning the performance of optical fibers within this wavelength band (1.5-1.7μm). Consequently, the following includes comprehensive explanations of the APOGEE fiber system components, our experimental design and optical test bed set-up, beam alignment procedures, fiber terminating and polishing techniques, and results from our examination of FRD as correlated with source wavelength, fiber length and termination, and environmental conditions.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Etiology, Current Management, and Future Therapeutics

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder, typically characterized by anovulation, infertility, obesity, insulin resistance, and polycystic ovaries. Lifestyle or diet, environmental pollutants, genetics, gut dysbiosis, neuroendocrine alterations, and obesity are among the risk factors that predispose females to PCOS. These factors might contribute to upsurging metabolic syndrome by causing hyperinsulinemia, oxidative stress, hyperandrogenism, impaired folliculogenesis, and irregular menstrual cycles. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota may play a pathogenic role in the development of PCOS. The restoration of gut microbiota by probiotics, prebiotics, or a fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) might serve as an innovative, efficient, and noninvasive way to prevent and mitigate PCOS. This review deliberates on the variety of risk factors potentially involved in the etiology, prevalence, and modulation of PCOS, in addition to plausible therapeutic interventions, including miRNA therapy and the eubiosis of gut microbiota, that may help treat and manage PCOS.
3′-Demethoxy-6-O-Demethylisoguaiacin and Norisoguaiacin Nematocidal Lignans from Artemisia cina against Haemonchus contortus Infective Larvae

Artemisia cina is a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for parasitic diseases. This study describes the isolation and chemical characterization of anthelmintic compounds of A. cina against Haemonchus contortus infective larvae (L3) through lethal testing. Previously, three extracts—n-hexane (HexAc), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and methanol (MeOAc)—were evaluated at concentrations of 4 to 0.5 mg/mL, resulting in the HexAc extract with the greatest effect of 76.6% mortality of the larvae at 4 mg/mL. Then, this was chemically fractioned by polarity, obtaining seven fractions (C1F1–C1F7), and, when evaluated at concentrations from 2 to 0.25 mg/mL, the 2 mg/mL C1F5 fraction produced an effect against the nematode H. contortus of 100% mortality of the larvae. Thus, this fraction was fractionated again by column chromatography, obtaining twelve subfractions (C2F1–C2F12) which were evaluated from 1 to 0.125 mg/mL, with the C2F5 subfraction causing a nematicidal effect of 100% mortality. NMR analysis of one (1H, 13C and DEPT) and two dimensions (COSY, HSQC and HMBC) and mass spectrometry of this fraction allowed us to identify the mixture of 3′-demethoxy-6-O-demethylisoguaiacin and norisoguaiacin. Therefore, it can be assumed that the mixture of these compounds is responsible for the anthelmintic effect. These results indicate that A. cina containing anthelmintic compounds and might be used as an antiparasitic drug against H. contortus.
Evidence of lithic blade technology in southwest Madagascar

This rapid communication describes a lithic blade that was recently recovered during excavations in the Velondriake Marine Protected Area in southwest Madagascar. This represents the only recorded archaeological lithic blade recovered from southwest Madagascar. The blade was recovered in situ at a depth of 1.66 m, a deposit dating to between 750 and 1200BP at site G134, adjacent to the modern village of Antsaragnasoa. While similar in material choice (translucent-brown chert) and morphology (parallel-sided blade) to other lithics recovered at the northern sites of Ambohiposa and Lakaton ’ i Anja, it is significantly larger than other recorded lithics on Madagascar. More research is required but this finding suggests that lithic technology may have been more widespread on the island, particularly among coastal communities, than previously thought.
Distributed optical fibre Raman temperature sensor using a semiconductor light source and detector

The letter reports on the first experimental measurements of the temperature distribution along silica-based optical fibres using a semiconductor laser source and an avalanche photodiode detector. Previous results by the same authors demonstrated the first use of the Raman scattering technique, but used a less practical ion laser source and a photomultiplier detector.
Scaling up gas and electric cooking in low- and middle-income countries: climate threat or mitigation strategy with co-benefits?

Nearly three billion people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) rely on polluting fuels, resulting in millions of avoidable deaths annually. Polluting fuels also emit short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs). Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and grid-based electricity are scalable alternatives to polluting fuels but have raised climate and health concerns. Here, we compare emissions and climate impacts of a business-as-usual household cooking fuel trajectory to four large-scale transitions to gas and/or grid electricity in 77 LMICs. We account for upstream and end-use emissions from gas and electric cooking, assuming electrical grids evolve according to the 2022 World Energy Outlook’s ‘Stated Policies’ Scenario. We input the emissions into a reduced-complexity climate model to estimate radiative forcing and temperature changes associated with each scenario. We find full transitions to LPG and/or electricity decrease emissions from both well-mixed GHG and SLCFs, resulting in a roughly 5 millikelvin global temperature reduction by 2040. Transitions to LPG and/or electricity also reduce annual emissions of PM2.5 by over 6 Mt (99%) by 2040, which would substantially lower health risks from household air pollution. Full transitions to LPG or grid electricity in LMICs improve climate impacts over BAU trajectories.
Powering internet-of-things from ambient energy: a review

Internet-of-thing (IoT) is an assembly of devices that collect and share data with other devices and communicate via the internet. This massive network of devices, generates and communicates data and is the key to the value in IoT, allowing access to raw information, gaining insight, and making an intelligent decisions. Today, there are billions of IoT devices such as sensors and actuators deployed. Many of these applications are easy to connect, but those tucked away in hard-to-access spots will need to harvest ambient energy. Therefore, the aim is to create devices that are self-report in real-time. Efforts are underway to install a self-powered unit in IoT devices that can generate sufficient power from environmental conditions such as light, vibration, and heat. In this review paper, we discuss the recent progress made in materials and device development in power- and, storage units, and power management relevant for IoT applications. This review paper will give a comprehensive overview for new researchers entering the field of IoT and a collection of challenges as well as perspectives for people already working in this field.
Semiparametric Efficiency Bounds in Dynamic Non-Linear Systems under Elliptical Symmetry

We analyze semiparametric efficient estimation of non-linear simultaneous equation models in a time series context and derive a semiparametric efficiency bound for estimation of the parameters when the errors are i.i. d. from an unknown elliptically symmetric density. We derive the bound in the case of errors that are elliptically symmetric conditional on predetermined variables. Copyright Royal Economic Society 2007
Analysis of Flow Conditions in Freejet Experiments for Studying Airfoil Self-Noise

A new set of mean wall pressure data has been collected on a controlled diffusion airfoil at a chord Reynolds number of 1.2 £ £105 in a freejet anechoic wind tunnel. Comparisons of the experimental data with Reynoldsaveraged Navier‐ Stokes (RANS) simulationsin freeairshow signie cant e owe eld and pressure loading differences, indicatingsubstantialjetinterferenceeffects.Toanalyzetheseeffects,asystematicRANS-basedcomputationale uid dynamicsstudyoftheexperimentale owconditionshasbeencarriedout,whichquantie esthestrongine uenceofthe e nite jet (nozzle) width on the aerodynamic loading and e ow characteristics. When the jet width is not sufe ciently large compared to the frontal wetted area of the airfoil, the airfoil pressure distribution is found to be closer to the distribution on a cascade than that of an isolated proe le. The airfoil lift is signie cantly reduced. Accounting for the actual wind-tunnel setup recovers the wall pressure distribution on the airfoil without further empirical angle-of-attack corrections. These jet interference effects could be responsible for the discrepancies among some earlier experimental and computational studies of airfoil self-noise. They should be accounted for in future noise computations to ensure that the experimental e ow conditions are simulated accurately.
Pancreatic Secretory Trypsin Inhibitor (SPINK1) Gene Mutation in Patients with Acute Alcohol Pancreatitis (AAP) Compared to Healthy Controls and Heavy Alcohol Users without Pancreatitis

Only 3–5% of heavy alcohol users develop acute alcohol pancreatitis (AAP). This suggests that additional triggers are required to initiate the inflammatory process. Genetic susceptibility contributes to the development of AAP, and SPINK1 mutation is a documented risk factor. We investigated the prevalence of the SPINK1(N34S) mutation in patients with AAP compared to heavy alcohol users who had never suffered an episode of pancreatitis. Blood samples for the mutational analysis from patients with first episode (n = 60) and recurrent AAP (n = 43) and from heavy alcohol users without a history of AAP (n = 98) as well as from a control population (n = 1914) were obtained. SPINK1 mutation was found in 8.7% of the patients with AAP. The prevalence was significantly lower in healthy controls (3.4%, OR 2.72; 1.32–5.64) and very low in alcoholics without pancreatitis (1.0%, OR 9.29; 1.15–74.74). In a comparison adjusted for potential cofounders between AAP patients and alcoholics, SPINK1 was found to be an independent marker for AAP. The prevalence of the SPINK1 mutation is overrepresented in AAP patients and very low in alcoholics without pancreatitis. This finding may play a role in understanding the variable susceptibility to AAP found in heavy alcohol users.
Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway in sensory neurons mediates remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia via transient receptor potential ankyrin 1

Background: Remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia (RIH) refers to a state of hyperalgesia or aggravated pre-existing pain after remifentanil exposure. There has been considerable interest in understanding and preventing RIH. However, the mechanisms responsible for RIH are still not completely understood. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a classic innate immune receptor, has been detected in sensory neurons and participates in various nociceptive conditions, whereas its role in RIH remains unclear. Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) always serves as a nociceptive channel, whereas its role in RIH has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to determine whether the TLR4 signaling pathway in sensory neurons engaged in the development of RIH and the possible involvement of TRPA1 during this process. Methods: A rat model of remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia (RIH) was established, which presented decreased paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) and paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL). The mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR4, phosphorylated NF-κB, and TRPA1 in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) from RIH model were analyzed by real-time PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence. The TLR4 antagonist TAK-242 and the TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031 were applied to determine the role of sensory neuron TLR4 signaling and TRPA1 in RIH. Results: Compared with control, PWMT and PWTL were significantly decreased in RIH model. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression of TLR4 and TRPA1 in DRG were upregulated after remifentanil exposure together with increased NF-κB phosphorylation. TLR4 antagonist TAK-242 mitigated mechanical pain in RIH together with downregulated expression of TLR4, phosphorylated NF-κB, and TRPA1 in DRG neurons. In addition, TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031 also alleviated mechanical pain and decreased TRPA1 expression in RIH without affecting TLR4 signaling in DRG. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggested that activation of TLR4 signaling pathway engaged in the development of RIH by regulating TRPA1 in DRG neurons. Blocking TLR4 and TRPA1 might serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for RIH.
Gossypium hirsutum gene of unknown function Gohir.A03G007700.1 encodes a potential VAN3-binding protein with a phosphoinositide-binding site

A gene of unknown function, Gohir.A03G007700. 1 (gene ID: Gohir.A03G007700_UTX-TM1_v2.1; transcript ID: Gohir.A03G007700.1_UTX-TM1_v2.1), identified in Gossypium hirsutum was studied using bioinformatic analyses of the sequence and structure of its encoded protein. Results from domain prediction, conserved residues and structure comparison indicate the encoded plant-specific protein (UniProt A0A1U8N485) is part of the VAN3-binding protein family with a conserved phosphoinositide-binding site. Homology comparison suggests functional similarity with Arabidopsis FORKED-like FL5 and 6, which localize to the Golgi apparatus and are linked to vein development and leaf size phenotypes.
The Instability of a Forced Standing Wave in a Viscous Stratified Fluid: A Laboratory Analogue of .the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation

Abstract An experiment is described in which a standing internal wave is forced at the lower boundary of an annulus of salt-stratified water. At sufficiently large forcing amplitudes, the wave motion generates a strong mean azimuthal circulation which itself exhibits a long-period oscillation. Theoretical calculations, based on the wave-driven theory of the quasi-biennial oscillation of the tropical stratosphere (with suitable modifications), are performed and compared with the experimental results. Agreement is good and the study thus provides substantial confirmation of the fundamental principles of the theory.
A vector quantization approach for room transfer function classification

A vector quantization (VQ) technique for room acoustics applications is described. Such an approach allows classification of all possible room transfer functions (RTFs) corresponding to different source/receiver positions into discrete and representative frequency response patterns. Results are presented for simulated tests in three rectangular enclosures, for which the optimum number of such patterns (centroids) is estimated. The performance of the proposed method is also assessed by deconvolution which indicates the degree of similarity between all classified RTFs and their corresponding centroids. The VQ technique achieved the required classification in all tested cases. Typically, 256 centroids were required for a medium-sized room, resulting in approximate reduction of 20:1 over all possible RTF measurements inside such an enclosure. The VQ performance was better for central source positions than for the corner positions. In all cases RTF smoothing could be observed after deconvolution by the inverse of the centroid's spectrum, indicating that the VQ technique is suitable for dereverberation applications. <<ETX>>
Convolutional unitary or orthogonal recurrent neural networks

Recurrent neural networks are extremely powerful yet hard to train. One of their issues is the vanishing gradient problem, whereby propagation of training signals may be exponentially attenuated, freezing training. Use of orthogonal or unitary matrices, whose powers neither explode nor decay, has been proposed to mitigate this issue, but their computational expense has hindered their use. Here we show that in the specific case of convolutional RNNs, we can define a convolutional exponential and that this operation transforms antisymmetric or anti-Hermitian convolution kernels into orthogonal or unitary convolution kernels. We explicitly derive FFT-based algorithms to compute the kernels and their derivatives. The computational complexity of parametrizing this subspace of orthogonal transformations is thus the same as the networks' iteration.