Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Penny-shaped Dugdale crack in a transversely isotropic medium and under axisymmetric loading

The present work is concerned with a penny-shaped crack embedded in a transversely isotropic medium and oriented in parallel with the isotropic plane of the latter. Three axisymmetric crack problems are investigated. In the first one, the upper and lower lips of the crack are subjected to a pair of annular opposite pressures. In the second and third problems, two opposite concentrated forces of the same magnitude are applied successively at the upper and lower crack lip centres and at any two points outside the crack and on the axis perpendicular to the crack. Using the basic idea underlying Dugdale's crack model, the extent of the plastic zone is analytically estimated in each of the three cases. In addition, the corresponding crack surface displacement is determined explicitly. Numerical examples are provided to discuss the effects of some geometrical and material parameters involved. Apart from their own usefulness in carrying out some simplified crack analyses, the results obtained in this work can in particular serve as benchmarks for computational fracture mechanics.
Phase-resolved measurements of ion dynamics with laser-induced fluorescence

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has become a standard diagnostic for ion temperature and ion drift measurements in plasmas. LIF is non-invasive and provides a high-spatial and a high-energy resolution. With the recent development of advanced laser systems LIF is more and more used to also detect perturbations of the ion-velocity distribution function (IVDF) and to get detailed information about the ion dynamics. This paper reports on a method to perform phase-resolved measurements of the IVDF in periodically perturbed plasmas. As an example LIF measurements during magnetic reconnection are discussed. The parallel component of the IVDF is measured with and without reconnection. If reconnection is driven, the ion temperature is found to be twice as high as without reconnection. The evolution of the IVDF during a reconnection cycle reveals strong variations of the ion temperature correlated with the reconnection drive.
A cell cycle–related lncRNA signature predicts the progression-free interval in papillary thyroid carcinoma

The cell cycle plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of cell cycle processes. Therefore, understanding cell cycle–related lncRNAs (CCR-lncRNAs) is crucial for determining the prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). RNA-seq and clinical data of PTC were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and CCR-lncRNAs were selected based on Pearson’s correlation coefficients. According to univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a five-CCR-lncRNA signature (FOXD2-AS1, LOC100507156, BSG-AS1, EGOT, and TMEM105) was established to predict the progression-free interval (PFI) in PTC. Kaplan–Meier survival, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve, and multivariate Cox regression analyses proved that the signature had a reliable prognostic capability. A nomogram consisting of the risk signature and clinical characteristics was constructed that effectively predicted the PFI in PTC. Functional enrichment analyses indicted that the signature was involved in cell cycle– and immune-related pathways. Furthermore, we also analyzed the correlation between the signature and immune cell infiltration. Finally, we verified the differential expression of CCR-lncRNAs in vitro using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overall, the newly developed prognostic risk signature based on five CCR-lncRNAs may become a marker for predicting the PFI in PTC.
A New Fragments-Based Tracking Algorithm Based on Meanshift and Kalman

Occlusion detection is a difficult traffic in the occlusion occurs, the existing system has been blocked based on the regional and multi-block area is not proportional relationship between the division. meanshift algorithm is more popular, the algorithm is robust root tracking algorithm. However, over-reliance on the law target color information, so when multiple moving objects, the color looks similar to when this method often leads to failure of the root trace, In this paper, the object tracking using block and used to predict the kalman filter to speed up the convergence rate of block meanshift. We introduce a new outlook weights, less affected by background sub-block effect on the target track and improve robustness.
Effective work function of Pt, Pd, and Re on atomic layer deposited HfO2

Platinum and Pd show a significant difference in work function on SiO2 and high-K materials (HfO2). The effective metal work functions for Pd, Pt, and Re on atomic layer deposited HfO2, which are different from the vacuum work function and important for device threshold voltage control, are measured by the C-V method. The difference is attributed to the dipoles at the metal/HfO2 interface, which is a result of charge transfer across the interface. Moreover, the extracted charge neutrality level and screening parameter are correlated with the phase development, film stoichiometry, and density of interface states at the metal/high-K interface.
Expression of Non-T Cell Activation Linker (NTAL) in Jurkat Cells Negatively Regulates TCR Signaling: Potential Role in Rheumatoid Arthritis

T lymphocytes are key players in adaptive immune responses through the recognition of peptide antigens through the T Cell Receptor (TCR). After TCR engagement, a signaling cascade is activated, leading to T cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation into effector cells. Delicate control of activation signals coupled to the TCR is needed to avoid uncontrolled immune responses involving T cells. It has been previously shown that mice deficient in the expression of the adaptor NTAL (Non-T cell activation linker), a molecule structurally and evolutionarily related to the transmembrane adaptor LAT (Linker for the Activation of T cells), develop an autoimmune syndrome characterized by the presence of autoantibodies and enlarged spleens. In the present work we intended to deepen investigation into the negative regulatory functions of the NTAL adaptor in T cells and its potential relationship with autoimmune disorders. For this purpose, in this work we used Jurkat cells as a T cell model, and we lentivirally transfected them to express the NTAL adaptor in order to analyze the effect on intracellular signals associated with the TCR. In addition, we analyzed the expression of NTAL in primary CD4+ T cells from healthy donors and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. Our results showed that NTAL expression in Jurkat cells decreased calcium fluxes and PLC-γ1 activation upon stimulation through the TCR complex. Moreover, we showed that NTAL was also expressed in activated human CD4+ T cells, and that the increase of its expression was reduced in CD4+ T cells from RA patients. Our results, together with previous reports, suggest a relevant role for the NTAL adaptor as a negative regulator of early intracellular TCR signaling, with a potential implication in RA.
Maintenance of continental boundary-layer shear through counter-gradient vorticity flux in a barotropic model

The use of a classical eddy parametrization in the analysis of continental boundary currents leads to the diffusion of momentum and relative vorticity and fails to recognize that the relevant eddies are dominated by the conservation of potential vorticity, which in turn may produce an increase in the mean relative vorticity. To illustrate this effect, we examine a non-inflected barotropic shear flow destabilized by the cross-steam variation in the bottom topògraphy of a continental slope. The finiteamplitude evolution of the waves is analysed in a simple model with a step-like bottom topography and with a piecewise-uniform potential vorticity distribution. The increase in maximum mean vorticity is computed for various values of the Rossby number and the topographic elevation, and it is suggested that a similar effect, taking into account the isopycnal topography as well as the isobaths, could maintain the large inshore shear of the Gulf Stream. Cross-shelf transport of different water ‘types’ (i.e. potential vorticity and passive tracers) are also computed and suggested to be pertinent to the more realistic oceanic problem involving baroclinic effects. The numerical calculation employs the well-known method of contour dynamics, and the Green's function appropriate for the step-like topography is derived.
A Multivariate Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity Model With Time-Varying Correlations

In this article we propose a new multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (MGARCH) model with time-varying correlations. We adopt the vech representation based on the conditional variances and the conditional correlations. Whereas each conditional-variance term is assumed to follow a univariate GARCH formulation, the conditional-correlation matrix is postulated to follow an autoregressive moving average type of analog. Our new model retains the intuition and interpretation of the univariate GARCH model and yet satisfies the positive-definite condition as found in the constant-correlation and Baba–Engle–Kraft–Kroner models. We report some Monte Carlo results on the finite-sample distributions of the maximum likelihood estimate of the varying-correlation MGARCH model. The new model is applied to some real data sets.
Signal distortion in nonlinear feedback systems

This paper reports on some properties of the solutions to the functional equation $s_{2}(t) = \varphi[{\bf C}s_{2}(t) + s_{1}(t)],$ where ϕ is a nonlinear function, the operator C is a convolution, and s 1 is a known function belonging to a prescribed Banach space. The equation plays a central role in the theory of signal transmission through a general physical system containing linear time-invariant elements and a single time-variable nonlinear element. In particular we establish conditions under which s 2 (t) is the fixed point of a contraction mapping of the Banach space into itself and we discuss some consequences of this result. As a direct application, we consider the range of validity of two simple cascade flow graphs (i.e., flow graphs without feedback loops) for approximately determining the signal distortion in nonlinear feedback systems when the distortion is small. Our discussion is not restricted to specific types of nonlinear characteristics
Support vector regression with digital band pass filtering for the quantitative analysis of near‐infrared spectra

This paper proposes a novel calibration technique based on combining support vector regression with a digital band pass (DBP) filter for the quantitative analysis of near‐infrared spectra. The efficacy of the proposed method is investigated and validated in the determination of glucose from near‐infrared spectra of a mixture composed of urea, triacetin and glucose. In this paper, the DBP filtering was implemented as a pre‐processing technique in the frequency domain as a Gaussian band pass filter and in the time domain as a Chebyshev filter. The grid‐search optimization method was used to optimize the filter parameters. The results demonstrate that utilization of the optimized DBP filters as a pre‐processing technique improved the performance of the predictive models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical Resistant Strains of Enterococci and Their Correlation to Reduced Susceptibility to Biocides: Phenotypic and Genotypic Analysis of Macrolides, Lincosamides, and Streptogramins

Enterococci are troublesome nosocomial, opportunistic Gram-positive cocci bacteria showing enhanced resistance to many commonly used antibiotics. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and genetic basis of antibiotic resistance to macrolides, lincosamides, and streptogramins (MLS) in Enterococci, as well as the correlation between MLS resistance and biocide resistance. From 913 clinical isolates collected from King Khalid Hospital, Hail, Saudi Arabia, 131 isolates were identified as Enterococci spp. The susceptibility of the clinical enterococcal isolates to several MLS antibiotics was determined, and the resistance phenotype was detected by the triple disk method. The MLS-involved resistance genes were screened in the resistant isolates. The current results showed high resistance rates to MLS antibiotics, and the constitutive resistance to all MLS (cMLS) was the most prevalent phenotype, observed in 76.8% of resistant isolates. By screening the MLS resistance-encoding genes in the resistant isolates, the erythromycin ribosome methylase (erm) genes that are responsible for methylation of bacterial 23S rRNA were the most detected genes, in particular, ermB. The ereA esterase-encoding gene was the most detected MLS modifying-encoding genes, more than lnuA (adenylation) and mphC (phosphorylation). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of commonly used biocides were detected in resistant isolates and correlated with the MICs of MLS antibiotics. The present findings showed a significant correlation between MLS resistance and reduced susceptibility to biocides. In compliance with the high incidence of the efflux-encoding genes, especially mefA and mefE genes in the tolerant isolates with higher MICs to both MLS antibiotics and biocides, the efflux of resistant isolates was quantified, and there was a significant increase in the efflux of resistant isolates with higher MICs as compared to those with lower MICs. This could explain the crucial role of efflux in developing cross-resistance to both MLS antibiotics and biocides.
A central limit theorem with applications in regression analysis

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Computation of flow around wings based on the Euler equations

Inviscid transonic flows containing either strong shock waves or complex vortex structure call for the Euler equations as a realistic model. We present here a computational procedure, termed WINGA2, for solving the Euler equations for transonic flow around aircraft upon a 0–0 mesh generated by transfinite interpolation. An explicit time-marching finite-volume technique solves the flow equations and features a non-reflecting far-field boundary condition and an internal mechanism for temporal damping together with a model for artificial viscosity. The method's convergence to a steady state is studied, and results computed on the CYBER 205 vector processor are presented. The Euler equation model is found to predict the existence of a tip vortex created by flow separating from the downstream region of the tip of the ONERA M6 wing where the radius of curvature approaches zero.
Numerical Laplace transformation methods for integrating linear parabolic partial differential equations

Numerical Laplace Transformation Methods for Integrating Linear Parabolic Partial Differential Equations E. NGOUNDA Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematical Sciences University of Stellenbosch Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, South Africa Thesis: MSc (Mathematical Sciences) January 2009 In recent years the Laplace inversion method has emerged as a viable alter- native method for the numerical solution of PDEs. Effective methods for the numerical inversion are based on the approximation of the Bromwich integral. In this thesis, a numerical study is undertaken to compare the efficiency of the Laplace inversion method with more conventional time integrator methods. Particularly, we consider the method-of-lines based on MATLAB’s ODE15s and the Crank-Nicolson method. Our studies include an introductory chapter on the Laplace inversion method. Then we proceed with spectral methods for the space discretization where we introduce the interpolation polynomial and the concept of a differentiation matrix to approximate derivatives of a function. Next, formulas of the numer- ical differentiation formulas (NDFs) implemented in ODE15s, as well as the well-known second order Crank-Nicolson method, are derived. In the Laplace method, to compute the Bromwich integral, we use the trapezoidal rule over a hyperbolic contour. Enhancement to the computational efficiency of these methods include the LU as well as the Hessenberg decompositions. In order to compare the three methods, we consider two criteria: The number of linear system solves per unit of accuracy and the CPU time per unit of accuracy. The numerical results demonstrate that the new method, i.e., the Laplace inversion method, is accurate to an exponential order of con- vergence compared to the linear convergence rate of the ODE15s and the Crank-Nicolson methods. This exponential convergence leads to high accu- racy with only a few linear system solves. Similarly, in terms of computational
A Bond Graph Approach to the Analysis of Prosthesis for a Partially Impaired Hand

A system dynamics approach, based on bond graphs, is presented for the analysis of prosthetic devices for a partially impaired hand. The partial impairment implies that the hand has lost one or more fingers but retains the ability of its remaining natural fingers. It is shown that the existing natural joints can be used for the actuation of prosthetic finger joints and enable performance of tasks that would not have been possible otherwise. This is a challenging task as motion has to be transmitted from the remaining natural joints to the prosthetic joints. The joint axes move with respect to each other during performance of tasks and do not have any fixed relative orientation. In this work, basic concepts for the actuation of the prosthesis required for such tasks are developed systematically. Based on these concepts, Bowden cable based joint actuation mechanisms for transmission of motion from natural joints to corresponding prosthetic joints are presented and analyzed. The analysis of dynamics of the resulting under-actuated prosthesis with joint actuation mechanism is based on bond graph models that are systematically developed. Using these models, system equations are derived and numerical simulations performed for the analysis. One- and two-joint actuated prototypes of the prosthesis have been presented and effectively demonstrate the proposed concepts.
A novel approach to analyze the association characteristics between post-spliced introns and their corresponding mRNA

Studies have shown that post-spliced introns promote cell survival when nutrients are scarce, and intron loss/gain can influence many stages of mRNA metabolism. However, few approaches are currently available to study the correlation between intron sequences and their corresponding mature mRNA sequences. Here, based on the results of the improved Smith-Waterman local alignment-based algorithm method (SW method) and binding free energy weighted local alignment algorithm method (BFE method), the optimal matched segments between introns and their corresponding mature mRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) and their relative matching frequency (RF) distributions were obtained. The results showed that although the distributions of relative matching frequencies on mRNAs obtained by the BFE method were similar to the SW method, the interaction intensity in 5’and 3’untranslated regions (UTRs) regions was weaker than the SW method. The RF distributions in the exon-exon junction regions were comparable, the effects of long and short introns on mRNA and on the five functional sites with BFE method were similar to the SW method. However, the interaction intensity in 5’and 3’UTR regions with BFE method was weaker than with SW method. Although the matching rate and length distribution shape of the optimal matched fragment were consistent with the SW method, an increase in length was observed. The matching rates and the length of the optimal matched fragments were mainly in the range of 60%–80% and 20-30bp, respectively. Although we found that there were still matching preferences in the 5’and 3’UTR regions of the mRNAs with BFE, the matching intensities were significantly lower than the matching intensities between introns and their corresponding mRNAs with SW method. Overall, our findings suggest that the interaction between introns and mRNAs results from synergism among different types of sequences during the evolutionary process.
Collaboration: The key to managing discipline in South African schools

South African schools are faced with an arguably insurmountable problem as a culture of indiscipline continually increases in schools. Despite being undeterred by the legal framework that guides stakeholders in the discipline crisis in schools, indiscipline in schools has soared to critical levels. Scant literature exists on how stakeholders collaborate in managing discipline in schools. The research reported on here was guided by the primary research question: How do stakeholders collaborate in managing discipline in schools? As such, in this article we explore how stakeholders collaborate in managing discipline in schools. Through purposive sampling, 16 participants from 4 secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal were chosen to take part in semi-structured interviews. The sample of participants comprised school management team members (SMT); the principal, 1 head of department, 1 post-level 1 educator and 1 school governing body (SGB) member from 4 schools in the iLembe education district. Themes that emerged from the data include that implementation of the school code of conduct as one of the most effective strategies in managing discipline in schools. The inclusion of stakeholders such as the local community, the Community Police Forum, the South African Police Services and the Department of Social Development in the successful management of learner discipline surfaced as an important theme. Furthermore, participants asserted that a whole-school approach to the implementation of the code of conduct was successful in managing discipline. The participants revealed that the collaboration of stakeholders in schools was very important for the smooth running of the school, including the management of discipline.
Theory of unequally-spaced arrays

Although recently unequally-spaced arrays have been shown to be useful, the theory has not been fully developed, except for the use of matrices, computers, or the perturbation method. This paper presents a new approach to the unequally-spaced array problem. It is based on the use of Poisson's sum formula and the introduction of a new function, the "source position function. " By appropriate transformation, the original radiation pattern is converted into a series of integrals, each of which is equivalent to the radiation from a continuous source distribution whose amplitude and phase distribution clearly exhibit the effects of the unequal spacings. By this method, it is possible to design unequally-spaced arrays which produce a desired radiation pattern. This method is effective in treating arrays of a large number of elements, and unequally-spaced arrays on a curved surface. Three examples are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the method. The problem of sidelobe reduction for the array of uniform amplitude, which was attacked by Harrington, is treated by our method. A numerical example is shown for 25-db sidelobe level. Also, the problem of secondary beam suppression is attacked with the use of the Anger function. The interesting problem of azimuthal frequency scanning by means of an unequally-spaced circular array is also shown, using the method of stationary phase.