Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating Levels of Nesfatin-1 and Spexin in Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome during Growth Hormone Treatment and Dietary Intervention

Background: Despite observable improvement in the treatment outcomes of patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), adequate weight control is still a clinical problem. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the profiles of neuroendocrine peptides regulating appetite—mainly nesfatin-1 and spexin—in children with PWS undergoing growth hormone treatment and reduced energy intake. Methods: Twenty-five non-obese children (aged 2–12 years) with PWS and 30 healthy children of the same age following an unrestricted age-appropriate diet were examined. Serum concentrations of nesfatin-1, spexin, leptin, leptin receptor, total adiponectin, high molecular weight adiponectin, proinsulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and total and functional IGF-binding protein-3 concentrations were determined using immunoenzymatic methods. Results: The daily energy intake in children with PWS was lower by about 30% (p < 0.001) compared with the controls. Daily protein intake was similar in both groups, but carbohydrate and fat intakes were significantly lower in the patient group than the controls (p < 0.001). Similar values for nesfatin-1 in the PWS subgroup with BMI Z-score < −0.5 and the control group, while higher values in the PWS subgroup with BMI Z-score ≥ −0.5 (p < 0.001) were found. Spexin concentrations were significantly lower in both subgroups with PWS than the controls (p < 0.001; p = 0.005). Significant differences in the lipid profile between the PWS subgroups and the controls were also observed. Nesfatin-1 and leptin were positively related with BMI (p = 0.018; p = 0.001, respectively) and BMI Z-score (p = 0.031; p = 0.027, respectively) in the whole group with PWS. Both neuropeptides also correlated positively in these patients (p = 0.042). Conclusions: Altered profiles of anorexigenic peptides—especially nesfatin-1 and spexin—in non-obese children with Prader-Willi syndrome during growth hormone treatment and reduced energy intake were found. These differences may play a role in the etiology of metabolic disorders in Prader-Willi syndrome despite the applied therapy.
Continuum model for the vibration of multilayered graphene sheets

The vibration analysis of multilayered graphene sheets (MLGSs) using a continuum model is reported in this paper. An explicit formula is derived to predict the van der Waals (vdW) interaction between any two sheets of a MLGS. Based on the derived formula, a continuum-plate model is developed for the vibration of MLGSs. Our investigation indicates that the lowest natural frequency (classical natural frequency) of a MLGS for a given combination of $m$ and $n$ is independent of the vdW interaction, but that all of the other higher natural frequencies (resonant frequencies) are significantly dependent on this interaction. The mode shapes that are associated with the natural frequencies are investigated for double-layered and ten-layered graphene sheets. We find that the vibration modes that are associated with the classical natural frequency of all the sheets are in the same direction and have the same amplitude, whereas the vibration modes of the sheets that are associated with the resonant frequencies are different due to the influence of the vdW interaction. Thus various resonance modes can be obtained by varying the number of layers of a MLGS.
Circumstellar environments – III. M-supergiants

Les spectres des supergeantes M dans la region 7-100 μm de la base de donnees IRAS sont utilises pour explorer l'environnement circumstellaire de ces etoiles. L'etude statistique revele que la force des caracteristiques de l'emission spectrale produites par la poussiere de silicate circumstellaire dans l'infrarouge est correlee avec la temperature de surface et la luminosite mais pas avec les caracteristiques de pulsation des etoiles. Ces resultats suggerent que les pulsations radiales ne sont pas les causes principales de la perte de masse dans ces etoiles
Productivity and wages of firms using COVID‐19‐related support policies

This study uses original firm survey data on the use of support policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic linked with government statistics on Japanese firms and documents supported firms’ productivity and wages before the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that the firms that used support policies had lower productivity and wages long before the pandemic as compared to the firms that did not. Firms that used multiple policy measures and those that repeatedly used support policies tended to show additionally lower performance. The results suggest that firm support policies may have the side effect of preserving inherently inefficient firms and that such a problem may increase in severity as support policies become prolonged.
A Comprehensive Survey on Certificate-Less Authentication Schemes for Vehicular Ad hoc Networks in Intelligent Transportation Systems

Data transmission in intelligent transportation systems is being challenged by a variety of factors, such as open wireless communication channels, that pose problems related to security, anonymity, and privacy. To achieve secure data transmission, several authentication schemes are proposed by various researchers. The most predominant schemes are based on identity-based and public-key cryptography techniques. Due to limitations such as key escrow in identity-based cryptography and certificate management in public-key cryptography, certificate-less authentication schemes arrived to counter these challenges. This paper presents a comprehensive survey on the classification of various types of certificate-less authentication schemes and their features. The schemes are classified based on their type of authentication, the techniques used, the attacks they address, and their security requirements. This survey highlights the performance comparison of various authentication schemes and presents the gaps in them, thereby providing insights for the realization of intelligent transportation systems.
Evaluating Dermal Bone as a Novel Source of Endocrine Information in Ninespine and Threespine Stickleback Fish

Synopsis Monitoring the physiology of small aquatic and marine teleost fish presents challenges. Blood samples, often the first choice for endocrinologists, can be difficult or even impossible to obtain and alternative matrices currently used for hormone analyses do not occur in fishes (e.g., hair, feathers etc.) or are not easily collected from small aquatic organisms (e.g., urine and feces). Some teleosts, however, have enlarged bony dermal elements that possibly accumulate and store steroid hormones in physiological relevant concentrations. Both threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) have a series of external, lateral bony plates, dorsal spines, and a pair of pelvic spines attached to the pelvic girdle. We investigated if cortisol, the primary circulating glucocorticoid in teleosts, could be extracted from stickleback dermal bone and quantified using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA). We successfully validated a cortisol EIA for dermal bone extracts, determined that cortisol was detectable in both species, and found that dermal bone cortisol levels significantly correlated with cortisol levels in whole body homogenate. Ninespine stickleback had significantly higher dermal bone cortisol concentrations than threespine stickleback and female threespine stickleback tended to have over twice the mean dermal bone cortisol concentration than males. Because both stickleback species are widely used for ecotoxicological studies, using dermal bone as a source of endocrine information, while leaving the body for contaminant, genomic, histological, and stable isotope analyses, could be a powerful and parsimonious tool. Further investigation and physiological validations are necessary to fully understand the utility of this new sample matrix.
Radio detection of historical supernovae and H II regions in M83

Des cartes VLA a 6 et 20 cm de la galaxie M83 revelent la presence de sources thermiques et de sources non thermiques situees principalement le long des bords internes des bras spiraux optiques. On propose l'association des radiosources non thermiques a des supernovae et celle des sources thermiques a des regions HII optiques. On presente et on discute une «courbe de lumiere radio» composite pour les supernovae et les jeunes restes de supernovae d'âge connu
Magnetic properties and microstructure of L10-FePt/AlN perpendicular nanocomposite films

Based on interfacial manipulation of a MgO (100) substrate and non-magnetic AlN compound, L10-FePt/AlN perpendicular nanocomposite films were designed and prepared. Systematic studies on magnetic properties and microstructure of the films show that the MgO substrate controls crystal orientation of the FePt lattice and induces perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). The AlN compound helps to control the island growth mode and acts as isolators of FePt islands to pin the sites of FePt domains, resulting in manipulation of coercivity and magnetic exchange interaction of the films. Moreover, PMA of the film was optimized by appropriately decreasing film thickness or increasing substrate temperature.
Molecular mechanisms of TGFβ-mediated EMT of retinal pigment epithelium in subretinal fibrosis of age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly, affecting the macula of the retina and resulting in vision loss. There are two types of AMD, wet and dry, both of which cause visual impairment. Wet AMD is called neovascular AMD (nAMD) and is characterized by the formation of choroidal neovascular vessels (CNVs) in the macula. nAMD can be treated with intravitreal injections of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, which help improve vision. However, approximately half the patients do not achieve satisfactory results. Subretinal fibrosis often develops late in nAMD, leading to irreversible photoreceptor degeneration and contributing to visual loss. Currently, no treatment exists for subretinal fibrosis, and the molecular mechanisms of fibrous tissue formation following neovascular lesions remain unclear. In this review, we describe the clinical features and molecular mechanisms of macular fibrosis secondary to nAMD. Myofibroblasts play an essential role in the development of fibrosis. This review summarizes the latest findings on the clinical features and cellular and molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of subretinal fibrosis in nAMD and discusses the potential therapeutic strategies to control subretinal fibrosis in the future.
Alignment of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in bulk epoxy composites via electric field

We demonstrate the alignment of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in bulk epoxy matrices by application of external electric field. The composites were prepared by a macro-layer-by-layer method; UV light was used to rapidly polymerize the epoxy and preserve the aligned nanotube network. The nanotube alignment generated strong anisotropy in the composite’s properties. The composite’s storage modulus was increased by ∼50%, and the electrical conductivity was improved by four orders of magnitude in the direction of nanotube alignment. Compared to pristine nanotubes, amine functionalized nanotubes showed enhanced storage modulus but reduced electrical conductivty. The enhanced modulus for amine functionalized nanotubes is an artifact of their enhanced compatibility with the epoxy, while their reduced conductivity may result from the shortening of the nanotube length during functionalization. In addition to the rapid alignment of nanotubes parallel to the field direction, we also report a tendency for lateral agglo.
Semiclassical Description of Electronic Excitation Population Transfer in a Model Photosynthetic System

Recently, Fleming’s group observed direct evidence that the electronic excitation energy (and population) transfers coherently rather than through incoherent hopping motions in the Fenna−Mathews−Olson pigment−protein complex. Ishizaki and Fleming further developed a hierarchy equation approach to describe this excitation population transfer dynamics in a model photosynthetic system. Here, we treat this same model system via the linearized approximation to the semiclassical (SC) initial value representation (IVR) for time correlation functions, in combination with the Meyer−Miller−Stock−Thoss model for the electronic degrees of freedom. Our approach is able to describe the long-lived quantum coherent dynamics, in excellent agreement with Ishizaki−Fleming’s results. Moreover, the advantage of the linearlized SC-IVR approach is that it can be applied to any molecular model for which classical MD simulations are feasible, all the way up to a full all-atom MD simulation, while at the same time treating the ele.
Optimal Allocation of Components in k-out-of-R Parallel Modules Systems

In this note using the notion of node criticality in Boland, Proschan, and Tong [2] and modular decompositions of coherent systems, we obtain algorithms and guidelines for allocating components in a k-out-of-R parallel modules system to maximize the system reliability. An illustrative example is given to compare a special case of our results with the previous result for series-parallel systems due to El-Neweihi, Proschan, and Sethuraman [5].
Functionality Versus Sustainability for PLA in MEX 3D Printing: The Impact of Generic Process Control Factors on Flexural Response and Energy Efficiency

Process sustainability vs. mechanical strength is a strong market-driven claim in Material Extrusion (MEX) Additive Manufacturing (AM). Especially for the most popular polymer, Polylactic Acid (PLA), the concurrent achievement of these opposing goals may become a puzzle, especially since MEX 3D-printing offers a variety of process parameters. Herein, multi-objective optimization of material deployment, 3D printing flexural response, and energy consumption in MEX AM with PLA is introduced. To evaluate the impact of the most important generic and device-independent control parameters on these responses, the Robust Design theory was employed. Raster Deposition Angle (RDA), Layer Thickness (LT), Infill Density (ID), Nozzle Temperature (NT), Bed Temperature (BT), and Printing Speed (PS) were selected to compile a five-level orthogonal array. A total of 25 experimental runs with five specimen replicas each accumulated 135 experiments. Analysis of variances and reduced quadratic regression models (RQRM) were used to decompose the impact of each parameter on the responses. The ID, RDA, and LT were ranked first in impact on printing time, material weight, flexural strength, and energy consumption, respectively. The RQRM predictive models were experimentally validated and hold significant technological merit, for the proper adjustment of process control parameters per the MEX 3D-printing case.
Structured Nyquist Correlation Reconstruction for DOA Estimation With Sparse Arrays

Sparse arrays are known to achieve an increased number of degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation, where an augmented virtual uniform array calculated from the correlations of sub-Nyquist spatial samples is processed to retrieve the angles unambiguously. Nevertheless, the geometry of the derived virtual array is dominated by the specific physical array configurations, as well as the deviation caused by the practical unforeseen circumstances such as detection malfunction and missing data, resulting in a quite sensitive model for virtual array signal processing. In this paper, we propose a novel sparse array DOA estimation algorithm via structured correlation reconstruction, where the Nyquist spatial filling is implemented on the physical array with a compressed transformation related to its equivalent filled array to guarantee the general applicability. While the unknown correlations located in the whole rows and columns of the augmented covariance matrix lead to the fact that strong incoherence property is no longer satisfied for matrix completion, the structural information is introduced as a priori to formulate the structured correlation reconstruction problem for matrix reconstruction. As such, the reconstructed covariance matrix can be effectively processed with full utilization of the achievable DOFs from the virtual array, but with a more flexible constraint on the array configuration. The described estimation problem is theoretically analyzed by deriving the corresponding Cramér-Rao bound (CRB). Moreover, we compare the derived CRB with the performance of the virtual array interpolation-based algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in terms of DOFs, resolution, and estimation accuracy.
My neighbors made me do it: an exploration of a neighborhood network model of activism

Social scientists have allocated a great deal of time to trying to understand the determinants of civic/political engagement. They, along with physicists, have also shown some interest in social networks, some in the question of the association between such networks and civic/political engagement. This paper builds on this work by exploring the extent to which the association between one’s neighborhood network and the chance that one has taken part in a march, boycott, or demonstration varies by gender. We did several types of analyses. Initially, we used conditional probabilities to explore the relationship between neighborhood network and the chance that one has taken part in a march, boycott, or demonstration. After pointing out the problems with these conditional probabilities, we conducted logistic regression on a data set of 1897 females and 1521 males from the United States. We found that males whose neighbors give them a sense of community had about one and a half times the odds of having taken part in a march, boycott, or demonstration over the previous twelve months compared to males whose neighbors do not give them such a sense. For females, there appeared to be no such association between neighborhood network and the chance of having taken part in a march, boycott, or demonstration.
Direct radiocarbon dating of prehistoric cave paintings by accelerator mass spectrometry

Advances in radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry now make it possible to date prehistoric cave paintings by sampling the pigment itself instead of relying on dates derived from miscellaneous prehistoric remains recovered in the vicinity of the paintings. Presented below are some radiocarbon dates obtained at the 'Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement' for charcoal used in the execution of prehistoric paintings decorating two French caves: Cosquer and Chauvet. The presentation of the dates will be preceded by a short discussion of the experimental procedure used in our laboratory (pigment sampling, chemical treatment, etc). The ages obtained so far have shown that the art of cave painting appeared early in the Upper Palaeolithic period, much earlier than previously believed. The high artistic quality of the earliest paintings underlines the importance of absolute chronology in any attempt to study the evolution of prehistoric art.
Evolution of Raindrop Spectra with Collision-Induced Breakup

Abstract A numerical model was set up to study the evolution of raindrop spectra by collision-induced breakup as measured in the laboratory. The main conclusion is that drops with diameters larger than 2-3 mm, failing in a population of smaller drops typical of natural rain, break up in comparatively short times (1–5 min in rainfalls of 100 mm h−1). The presence of large drops (4–6 mm) in (cold) rain produced by the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen mechanism through melting of ice particles can be attributed to the short time available for large drops to break up in sufficient numbers during the time of fall after melting. Large drops are scarce in (steady-state) warm rain because they break up in collisions and rarely reach diameters larger than 2.5 mm. Hence, the standard notion of a critical diameter of 5–6 mm which raindrops are supposed to reach before breakup due to aerodynamic instability is no longer acceptable.
AN OPTIMALITY CRITERION FOR AGGREGATING A SET OF TIME SERIES IN A COMPOSITE INDEX

Linear combination is a common feature of most methods designed to aggregate a set of time series into a composite index. In this paper the principal components approach is utilized by means of spectral techniques to improve the variance explained by the first principal component. The optimality criterion resorts to the alignment of the elements of the vector time series.
144 °C operation of 1.3 μm InGaAsP vertical cavity lasers on GaAs substrates

We report lasing at temperatures as high as 144 °C in long‐wavelength InGaAsP vertical cavity lasers. The devices are optically pumped and employ a novel cavity design using GaAs/AlAs quarter‐wavelength stacks for one mirror. The characteristic temperature T0 of the device increases from 42 K at room temperature to 81 K at temperatures above 80 °C as the gain peak moves into resonance with the longer wavelength cavity mode.
Event-Triggered Adaptive Security Path Following Control for Unmanned Ground Vehicles Under Sensor Attacks

This paper is concerned with the event-triggered adaptive security control (ET-ASC) for the path following of networked unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) subject to sensor attacks. Firstly, a security model is well established to capture the dynamics of path following control of UGVs under sensor attacks. Then, the ET-ASC with respect to correction signal is proposed to mitigate the effects of such sensor attacks. In what follows, two theorems, which include both input to state stability (ISS) criterion and controller design method, are carefully derived for the path following control of UGVs under the proposed ET-ASC scheme. The advantage of the proposed ET-ASC scheme lies in that it can actively amend the sensor attacks in an adaptive way and exclude Zeno phenomenon naturally. At last, a verification simulation experiment are conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed ET-ASC method.
Chained aggregation of singular systems

Extends the notion of aggregation to singular systems (sE-A). Necessary and sufficient conditions for complete aggregability are given which reduce in the state-space case, E=I, to Aoki's conditions. A geometric quotient-space analysis is given which uses a new result on the pencil induced in the quotient space by a regular matrix pencil. A generalized chained aggregation algorithm is used to put the system into a Hessenberg form which provides a reduced-order model for the output dynamics. It is shown that, as in the state-space situation, chained aggregation corresponds to removal of the unobservable subspace. It is also pointed out that the usual state-space chained aggregation algorithm is very efficient and numerically unstable. Specializing the singular system chained aggregation algorithm to the state-space case yields a better and more streamlined approach. >