Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Physical Activity, Smoking, and Sleep on Telomere Length: A Systematic Review of Observational and Intervention Studies

Aging is a risk factor for several pathologies, restricting one’s health span, and promoting chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases), as well as cancer. Telomeres are regions of repetitive DNA located at chromosomal ends. Telomere length has been inversely associated with chronological age and has been considered, for a long time, a good biomarker of aging. Several lifestyle factors have been linked with telomere shortening or maintenance. However, the consistency of results is hampered by some methodological issues, including study design, sample size, measurement approaches, and population characteristics, among others. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review the current literature on the effects of three relevant lifestyle factors on telomere length in human adults: physical activity, smoking, and sleep. We conducted a qualitative systematic review of observational and intervention studies using the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The systematic literature search covered articles published in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases (from 2010 to 2020). A total of 1400 studies were identified; 83 were included after quality control. Although fewer sedentary activities, optimal sleep habits, and non- or ex-smoker status have been associated with less telomere shortening, several methodological issues were detected, including the need for more targeted interventions and standardized protocols to better understand how physical activity and sleep can impact telomere length and aging. We discuss the main findings and current limitations to gain more insights into the influence of these lifestyle factors on the healthy aging process.
Reproductive Technologies Used in Male Neo-Tropical Hystricomorphic Rodents

Simple Summary This paper is a literature review on the reproductive technologies used in male Neo-tropical hystricomorphic rodents. It is the first of two literature reviews to be completed in order to aid future experiments on the estrus synchronization and artificial insemination of the agouti (Dasyprocta leporina). To improve efficient reproduction, reproductive technologies are commonly used in domesticated animals; therefore, it is wise to explore the feasibility of their application on Neo-tropical rodents, an alternative meat source with the potential to aid in conservation and wildlife farming. However, there must first be a proper understanding of their reproductive anatomy, before reproductive technologies can be utilized. The penis of the agouti and the paca (Cuniculus paca), for example, were found to be covered in penile spines with two keratinized spines and two lateral penile cartilages on either side of the glans penis, unlike the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). Different methods can be used to collect semen from these animals and, based on the performed review, it has been shown that coconut water powder (ACP-123) is a good diluent for both the agouti and the paca, giving higher spermatozoa parameters compared with those obtained via electro ejaculation. Abstract This review, which is the first of two, focuses on the male reproductive anatomy and reproductive technologies used in Neo-tropical hystricomorphic rodents with the potential for domestication, which are the agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) and the paca (Cuniculus paca). We consider over seventy references spanning from 1965 to 2020, with the majority of work being done in the past twenty years. Knowledge of the reproductive tract and reproductive technologies is critical to the conservation and preservation of these species. Although all three animals had similarities in their anatomy, such as no overt scrotums and testes located intra-abdominally in the inguinal region, some had unique features—for example, the agouti and the paca had penile spines, and two lateral penile cartilages. High spermatogenic efficiency was noted in the agouti and the paca, making them good candidates for increasing their reproductive performance in conservation programs. A review of the literature has shown that there is increasing work taking place on the reproductive technologies used in these animals; however, a lot of work is still lacking, as, to the author’s knowledge, standard protocols and artificial insemination procedures are yet to be established.
Genetic Variation as a Possible Explanation for the Heterogeneity of Pain in Tendinopathy: What can we learn from other pain syndromes?

The mechanisms of pain in tendinopathy are unclear. Current theories implicate tendon structural changes, neovascularisation, inflammation or changes in central pain processing. As with other types of musculoskeletal pain, tendon pain has high interindividual variability, which could be attributed to genetic variation. Notably, the association between certain genetic polymorphisms and other pain syndromes is well established in the literature. Therefore, the investigation of the mechanisms of pain in tendinopathy could extend to include genetic variation as a possible explanation for the clinical features of tendon pain. This review summarises the current knowledge on genetic contributors to other pain syndromes and highlights findings that are relevant to chronic tendon pain. In particular, based on the current hypotheses on the possible sources of tendon pain, it focuses on findings that relate to genes that encode structural connective tissue components, inflammatory markers, ion channels and catecholamines and how they may relate to chronic tendon pain. In the absence of a definitive mechanism of tendon pain, an #0# ISSN (print): 2300-9705 | ISSN (online): 2353-2807 | DOI: 10.18276/cej.2021. 4-06
Challenges and Recent Advances in NK Cell-Targeted Immunotherapies in Solid Tumors

Natural killer (NK) cell is a powerful malignant cells killer, providing rapid immune responses via direct cytotoxicity without the need of antigen processing and presentation. It plays an essential role in preventing early tumor, metastasis and minimal residual disease. Although adoptive NK therapies achieved great success in clinical trials against hematologic malignancies, their accumulation, activation, cytotoxic and immunoregulatory functions are severely impaired in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of solid tumors. Now with better understandings of the tumor evasive mechanisms from NK-mediated immunosurveillance, immunotherapies targeting the key molecules for NK cell dysfunction and exhaustion have been developed and tested in both preclinical and clinical studies. In this review, we introduce the challenges that NK cells encountered in solid tumor microenvironment (TME) and the therapeutic approaches to overcome these limitations, followed by an outline of the recent preclinical advances and the latest clinical outcomes of NK-based immunotherapies, as well as promising strategies to optimize current NK-targeted immunotherapies for solid tumors.
64.4: Invited Paper: Wireless Panel Architecture Using Lossless Uncompressed 60 GHz Transmissions

Wireless transmissions have dramatically improved panel placement and interconnection flexibility. In this paper we present a wireless panel architecture where the panel functionality partitioning can be optimized through the use of a 60 GHz high speed wireless link to deliver full fidelity, uncompressed and lossless video at consumer price points. SiBEAM's fully‐integrated all‐CMOS WirelessHD® chipsets enable this architecture via robust transmissions at data rates up to 4 Gbps.
Learning enhances encoding of time and temporal surprise in primary sensory cortex

Primary sensory cortex has long been believed to play a straightforward role in the initial processing of sensory information. Yet, the superficial layers of cortex overall are sparsely active, even during sensory stimulation; moreover, cortical activity is influenced by other modalities, task context, reward, and behavioral state. Our study demonstrates that reinforcement learning dramatically alters representations among longitudinally imaged neurons in superficial layers of mouse primary somatosensory cortex. Learning an object detection task recruits previously unresponsive neurons, enlarging the neuronal population sensitive to touch and behavioral choice. In contrast, cortical responses decrease upon repeated exposure to unrewarded stimuli. Moreover, training improved population encoding of the passage of time, and unexpected deviations in trial timing elicited even stronger responses than touch did. In conclusion, the superficial layers of sensory cortex exhibit a high degree of learning-dependent plasticity and are strongly modulated by non-sensory but behaviorally-relevant features, such as timing and surprise.
A Fault Injection Platform for Availability Evaluation of IA64 System

Availability is one of the key features for transaction processing systems. Fault injection is one of the important techniques to hasten availability tests. A fault injection platform is designed in this paper for IA64 system which is being widely used in transaction processing business. The fault injection platform is implemented using client/server mode and a series of fault injection tools are accomplished which covers CPU faults, memory faults, disk faults, IO faults, file system faults and system call boundary errors. A group of experiments on a typical IA64 server are described and performed, and the experiment results validate the effectiveness of the fault injection platform.
Determining aerodynamic coefficients from high speed video of a free-flying model in a shock tunnel

This paper describes the application of the free flight technique to determine the aerodynamic coefficients of a model for the flow conditions produced in a shock tunnel. Sting-based force measurement techniques either lack the required temporal response or are restricted to large complex models. Additionally the free flight technique removes the flow interference produced by the sting that is present for these other techniques. Shock tunnel test flows present two major challenges to the practical implementation of the free flight technique. These are the millisecond-order duration of the test flows and the spatial and temporal nonuniformity of these flows. These challenges are overcome by the combination of an ultra-high speed digital video camera to record the trajectory, with spatial and temporal mapping of the test flow conditions. Use of a lightweight model ensures sufficient motion during the test time. The technique is demonstrated using the simple case of drag measurement on a spherical model, free flown in a Mach 10 shock tunnel condition.
Features of Metabolic Support of Physical Performance in Highly Trained Cross-Country Skiers of Different Qualifications during Physical Activity at Maximum Load

The purpose of our study was to identify the features of metabolic regulation in highly trained cross-country skiers of different qualifications at different stages of the maximum load test. We examined 124 highly trained cross-country skiers (male, ages 17–24). The group consisted of two subgroups based on their competition performance: 61 nonelite athletes (Group I) and 63 elite athletes (group II), who were current members of the national team of the Komi Republic and Russia. The bicycle ergometer test was performed by using the OxyconPro system (Erich Jaeger, Hoechberg, Germany). All the examined athletes performed the exercise test on a cycle ergometer “until exhaustion”. The results of our research indicate that the studied groups of athletes with high, but different levels of sports qualifications are a convenient model for studying the molecular mechanisms of adaptation to physical loads of maximum intensity. Athletes of higher qualifications reveal additional adaptive mechanisms of metabolic regulation, which is manifested in the independence of serum lactate indicators under conditions of submaximal and maximum power from maximal oxygen uptake, and they have an NO-dependent mechanism for regulating lactate levels during aerobic exercise, including work at the anaerobic threshold.
Designing a Multi Echelon Flexible Logistics Network Using Co-Evolutionary Immune-Particle Swarm Optimization with Penetrated Hyper-Mutation (COIPSO-PHM)

The strategic design and operation of outbound logistics network in an automotive manufacturing supply chain is directly related with the competitive strategy adopted by the firm. We discuss here an outbound logistics network model with four echelons and flexible delivery modes by incorporating cross-dock facility in the network. The paper aims to achieve a minimum total logistics cost for flexible delivery modes adopted in the network. The mathematical model is formulated as a mixed integer programming model and solved by using a hybrid algorithm named co-evolutionary immune-particle swarm optimization with penetrated hyper-mutation (COIPSO-PHM). The proposed model is combinatorial in nature owing to varying problem instances. The proposed solution methodology is tested on a sample data set mimicking the real life situation and the results are found to be satisfactory.
Design and Analysis of Halbach Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors Based on FEM Models

This paper studies the application of Halbach array in optimal design of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM). First, the paper demonstrates the intrinsic sinusoidal magnetic field and one-side magnetic shielding effect produced by Halbach array in FEM. Afterward, a serious of Halbach motor models based on different segment numbers per pole are established combined with Ansoft. Next, the waveform and harmonic contents of air-gap flux density are analysed. Then, the relationship between the segment numbers per pole and cogging torque are explored. Finally, the power-angle curves for coreless/core rotors are contrasted. The above results explain why and how Halbach array can be applied in PMSM design to reduce harmonic components for air-gap flux density, increase power density and decrease moment of inertia.
Environmental applications and risks of nanomaterials: An introduction to CREST publications during 2018–2021

Abstract Nanomaterials (NMs) possess many unique properties that are increasingly used in environmental applications. Twenty-six articles in Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (CREST) from 2018 to 2021were identified that enhance our understanding and provide insight about future research directions with NMs in the environment. The first section focuses on environmental applications of NMs, including sensors to detect contaminants and environmental conditions, novel membrane materials to treat water and wastewater, and nano-enabled remediation of contaminants by adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and/or disinfection. The second section reports on risks and the fate of NMs in the environment, including mechanisms and models of environmental transport, the role of nanoscale heterogeneities on particle attachment, and contaminant associations and ecotoxicity. The final section discusses research pertaining to emerging applications and ecotoxicity associated with nanosulfur and nanoplastics. This virtual article collection demonstrates that recent nanotechnology advances show great promise for addressing many critical challenges in environmental science and technology. However, many of these studies have been conducted under highly idealized laboratory conditions and still need to be upscaled. Caution is warranted and new approaches are still needed to detect and control the mobility of NMs, and to quantify potential impacts on ecosystems under realistic field conditions. Graphical abstract
Electrostatic micro-actuator with a pre-charged series capacitor: modeling, design, and demonstration

As a powerful method to reduce actuation voltage in an electrostatic micro-actuator, we propose and investigate an electrostatic micro-actuator with a pre-charged series capacitor. In contrast to a conventional electrostatic actuator, the injected pre-charges into the series capacitor can freely modulate the pull-in voltage of the proposed actuator even after the completion of fabrication. The static characteristics of the proposed actuator were investigated by first developing analytical models based on a parallel-plate capacitor model. We then successfully designed and demonstrated a micro-switch with a pre-charged series capacitor. The pull-in voltage of the fabricated micro-switch was reduced from 65.4 to 0.6 V when pre-charged with 46.3 V. The on-resistance of the fabricated micro-switch was almost the same as the initial one, even when the device was pre-charged, which was demonstrated for the first time. All results from the analytical models, finite element method simulations, and measurements were in good agreement with deviations of less than 10%. This work can be favorably adapted to electrostatic micro-switches which need a low actuation voltage without noticeable degradation of performance.
Research of Crop Production System Based on the CPS Framework

Based on the development trend of crop production in our country, put forward a crop production system based on the Cyber Physical System (CPS) framework. On this basis, according to crop production decentralized and heterogeneous characteristics, further discusses the crop production system modeling based on the CPS and method and technology about task coordination.In this paper, the research work provide key technical support to improve the crop production in the process of dynamic, real-time information perception and efficient organization and distribution control, and realizes automatic system of collaborative services.
Lipreading Architecture Based on Multiple Convolutional Neural Networks for Sentence-Level Visual Speech Recognition

In visual speech recognition (VSR), speech is transcribed using only visual information to interpret tongue and teeth movements. Recently, deep learning has shown outstanding performance in VSR, with accuracy exceeding that of lipreaders on benchmark datasets. However, several problems still exist when using VSR systems. A major challenge is the distinction of words with similar pronunciation, called homophones; these lead to word ambiguity. Another technical limitation of traditional VSR systems is that visual information does not provide sufficient data for learning words such as “a”, “an”, “eight”, and “bin” because their lengths are shorter than 0.02 s. This report proposes a novel lipreading architecture that combines three different convolutional neural networks (CNNs; a 3D CNN, a densely connected 3D CNN, and a multi-layer feature fusion 3D CNN), which are followed by a two-layer bi-directional gated recurrent unit. The entire network was trained using connectionist temporal classification. The results of the standard automatic speech recognition evaluation metrics show that the proposed architecture reduced the character and word error rates of the baseline model by 5.681% and 11.282%, respectively, for the unseen-speaker dataset. Our proposed architecture exhibits improved performance even when visual ambiguity arises, thereby increasing VSR reliability for practical applications.
Targeting Estrogens and Various Estrogen-Related Receptors against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers: A Perspective

Simple Summary Exogenous and endogenous estrogens and associated receptors modulate signaling pathways with biochemical events implicated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) manifestation. The diversity of biochemical interactions initiated by estrogens is rigorous, regulated via distinct estrogen-associated receptors. While estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) is overexpressed in 60–80% of NSCLCs irrespective of gender, the recognition of transmembrane G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) creates several interfaces of estrogen-interception-driven aggressive NSCLC manifestation. There is still room for understanding the crux of ER–EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) interactions considering the recent clinical trials revealing a synergistic anti-NSCLC response. With such insights, this manuscript presents a comprehensive discussion on the sequential biochemical events in estrogen-activated cell signaling pathways in NSCLC complications with a focus on the ER/GPER/EGFR/ERR regulatory mechanism alongside the NSCLC treating anti-estrogen targeted therapies. Abstract Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) account for ~85% of lung cancer cases worldwide. Mammalian lungs are exposed to both endogenous and exogenous estrogens. The expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) in lung cancer cells has evoked the necessity to evaluate the role of estrogens in the disease progression. Estrogens, specifically 17β-estradiol, promote maturation of several tissue types including lungs. Recent epidemiologic data indicate that women have a higher risk of lung adenocarcinoma, a type of NSCLC, when compared to men, independent of smoking status. Besides ERs, pulmonary tissues both in healthy physiology and in NSCLCs also express G-protein-coupled ERs (GPERs), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRs), estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) and orphan nuclear receptors. Premenopausal females between the ages of 15 and 50 years synthesize a large contingent of estrogens and are at a greater risk of developing NSCLCs. Estrogen—ER/GPER/EGFR/ERR—mediated activation of various cell signaling molecules regulates NSCLC cell proliferation, survival and apoptosis. This article sheds light on the most recent achievements in the elucidation of sequential biochemical events in estrogen-activated cell signaling pathways involved in NSCLC severity with insight into the mechanism of regulation by ERs/GPERs/EGFRs/ERRs. It further discusses the success of anti-estrogen therapies against NSCLCs.
Sensorless control of PMSM drive with state and load torque estimation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain a fully sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive control algorithm used for robot arm drive with load recognition. The paper shows how to use an extended Kalman filter (EKF) instead of sensors of the mechanical quantities as well as how to adapt the model of the PMSM to the filter procedures and aims at the real time application in the field‐oriented control (FOC) structure of the high‐dynamic drive.Design/methodology/approach – The synthesis of the control system is based on the method of the FOC, theory of the EKF and object description in the form of state equation with suitable choice of state vector. The adequate connection of these three methodologies is a core of the approach to design. First, the control algorithm was tested by means of simulation method then the real laboratory plant was built and investigated.Findings – Owing to task‐oriented formulation of the PMSM model, adequate organization of the EKF procedures and suitable .