Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural Health Monitoring of Bonded Joints Using Carbon Nanotube Doped Adhesive Films

This work aims to analyze the sensing capability of bonded joints made with carbon nanotube doped adhesive film. Adhesives are doped by spraying an aqueous dispersion of carbon nanotubes with different contents of surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate). Several single lap shear and Mode-I fracture energy tes ts have been conducted and their electrical response has been measured. It has been observed that electrical resistance increases with mecha nical strain in SLS tests due to tunneling effect on CNT percolating networks. On Mode-I tests, it has been observed also an increase of electrical resistance with crack propagation along the bonding line. It is possible to see a clear correlation between electrical resistance and crack growth. In addition, a microstructural analysis has been carried out. It is noticed that carbon nanotubes are homogeneously dispersed along the adhesive film and the disaggregation effect of surfactant has been confirmed.
An empirical analysis of the volatility of the Japanese stock price index: a non-parametric approach

This paper presents an empirical analysis of stochastic features of volatility in the Japanese stock price index, or TOPIX, using high-frequency data sampled every 5 min. The process of TOPIX is modeled by a stochastic differential equation with the time-homogeneous drift and diffusion coefficients. To avoid the risk of misspecification for the volatility function, which is defined by the squared diffusion coefficient, the local polynomial model is applied to the data, and then produced the estimates of the volatility function together with their confidence intervals. The result of the estimation suggests that the volatility function shows similar patterns for one period, but drastically changes for another.
Spin‐seeding approach for diamond growth on large area silicon‐wafer substrates

The growth of polycrystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition requires a substrate pre‐treatment in order to achieve thin, high‐quality, and pore‐free diamond layers. Seeding the substrate by immersing it into a nanodiamond (ND) dispersion is most commonly used today, since it yields a high‐density seed layer (>1011 cm−2) and leads to a thin closed polycrystalline diamond film. Nevertheless, in a nanoelectronics fabrication facility it would be advantageous to use spinning for seeding the substrate as it is already well established for resist coating and spray etching. Additionally, each wafer would use a fresh and limited amount of seeding dispersion which will not be contaminated due to a certain number of immersion‐seeding runs. Therefore, we carried out a detailed study of the spin‐seeding technique in terms of seed density and its impact on diamond layer quality. Our work shows that by the spin‐seeding approach, homogeneous seed layers with a seeding density up to 5 × 1010 cm−2 can be obtained on both 100 and 200 mm silicon wafers using 5 and 20 mL of a colloidal dispersion, respectively. ND dispersed in water +10% (v/v) ethanol gave the best results in terms of seeding density and wetting of the substrate surface.
Self-calibration for a non-central catadioptric camera with approximate epipolar geometry

In spite of wide usage of catadioptric cameras, self-calibration for a non-central catadioptric camera remains very challenging work. In this paper, a novel self-calibration method for a non-central catadioptric camera is proposed. First, an approximate central projection is introduced. With a freely movable virtual viewpoint, the approximate central projection is able to compensate well the bias caused by the misalignment. Then a derived approximate epipolar geometry (AEG) for the non-central camera under the two-view case is given. Based on the AEG, a full self-calibration method using only two images is designed. Combined with an automatic initialization algorithm, the non-central catadioptric camera can be calibrated robustly without any manual intervention. Experiments on both synthetic data and real images verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Optimization and the Geometry of Numbers: Packing and Covering

There are a number of useful applications gradually arising out of the geometry of numbers. In this paper we give a brief survey of the fields of packing and covering, stating some results, and giving illustrations of methods of proof and approaches to the subject. We then mention and discuss a variety of applications, summarizing results and occasionally providing proofs. Our hope is to focus attention on optimization problems not in the main stream of current optimization theories.
Inherent enhancement of gain flatness and achievement of broad gain bandwidth in erbium-doped silica fiber amplifiers

We report new methods to inherently increase the flatness and bandwidth of erbium-doped silica fiber amplifiers from three perspectives: fiber design, pump-signal WDM coupler optimization, and amplifier structure. First, to achieve inherent control of the gain spectrum, a new type of composite fiber structure with an Er-doped core and a Sm-doped cladding ring is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Interaction of the optical field with the Sm-doped cladding to produce evanescent wave filtering is modeled, which provides an in-line control of gain fluctuation in the erbium-doped flier amplifier (EDFA) C band, 1530-1560 nm. Second, the effect of the spectral characteristics of WDM couplers over the L band of an EDFA is explored. A fused taper fiber coupler for a 1480-nm pump is optimized for signals in the wavelength range of 1570-1610 nm by measuring the small-signal gain, gain tilt, and noise figure in an L-band EDFA. Finally, a new all-fiber structure for a wide-band EDFA, where the L and C bands were coupled serially, is demonstrated with optimized pump-signal couplers. Further optimization of the new composite fiber structure and the transient effects in the serially coupled EDFAs are also discussed.
Two-point spectral correlations for the square billiard

We investigate the two-point correlations in the quantum spectrum of the square billiard. This system is unusual in that the degeneracy of the energy levels increases in the semiclassical limit in such a way that the average level separation is not given by the inverse of the mean density of states. Hence, for example, the standard level spacings distribution does not tend to the Poissonian limit expected for integrable systems. In this paper we calculate the leading-order asymptotic form of a degeneracy-weighted two-point correlation function using a combination of probabilistic techniques and classical number theory. The result exhibits number-theoretical fluctuations about a mean which is a sum of two terms: one having the usual (constant) Poissonian form and the second representing a small correction which decays as the inverse of the correlation distance. This is confirmed by numerical computations.
GBT MULTIWAVELENGTH SURVEY OF THE GALACTIC CENTER REGION

We describe the results of a radio continuum survey of the central 4◦×1◦ with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope (GBT) at wavelengths of 3.5, 6, 20, and 90 cm. The 3.5 and 6 cm surveys are the most sensitive and highest resolution single dish surveys made of the central degrees of our Galaxy. We present catalogs of compact and extended sources in the central four degrees of our Galaxy, including detailed spectral index studies of all sources. The analysis covers star-forming regions such as Sgr B and Sgr C where we find evidence of a mixture of thermal and nonthermal emission. The analysis quantifies the relative contribution of thermal and nonthermal processes to the radio continuum flux density toward the GC region. In the central 4◦×1◦ of the GC, the thermal and nonthermal flux fractions for all compact and diffuse sources are 28%/72% at 3.5 cm and 19%/81% at 6 cm. The total flux densities from these sources are 783± 52 Jy and 1063± 93 Jy at 3.5 and 6 cm, respectively, excluding the contribution of Galactic synchrotron emission. Subject headings: Galaxy: center — surveys — radio continuum: general
Mechanisms of Action of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. However, its pathophysiological mechanism is complicated, and currently, it has no FDA-approved pharmacological therapies. In recent years, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has attracted increasing attention in the treatment of hepatic diseases. MSCs are multipotent stromal cells that originated from mesoderm mesenchyme, which have self-renewal and multipotent differentiation capability. Recent experiments and studies have found that MSCs have the latent capacity to be used for MAFLD treatment. MSCs have the potential to differentiate into hepatocytes, which could be induced into hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) with liver-specific morphology and function under appropriate conditions to promote liver tissue regeneration. They can also reduce liver tissue injury and reverse the development of MAFLD by regulating immune response, antifibrotic activities, and lipid metabolism. Moreover, several advantages are attributed to MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-exosomes), such as targeted delivery, reliable reparability, and poor immunogenicity. After entering the target cells, MSC-exosomes help regulate cell function and signal transduction; thus, it is expected to become an emerging treatment for MAFLD. In this review, we comprehensively discussed the roles of MSCs in MAFLD, main signaling pathways of MSCs that affect MAFLD, and mechanisms of MSC-exosomes on MAFLD.
Enhanced Proper Orthogonal Decomposition for the Modal Analysis of Homogeneous Structures

Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is studied in an effort to increase its applicability as a modal analysis tool. A modification is proposed to make better use of spatial resolution and to accommodate arbitrary spacing in the discretization. The theory for this modification is rooted in the discrete approximation of the integral orthogonality condition for continuous normal modes. The modified POD is applied to a finite element beam and an experimental beam sensed with accelerometers, and the resulting proper orthogonal modes (POMs) are compared to the theoretical modes of the beam. The POMs are used as a basis for decomposing the signal ensemble into proper modal coordinates. The proper modal coordinates are used to evaluate the POMs and to match modes with modal frequencies and damping.
Generation of isolated attosecond pulses by spatial shaping of a femtosecond laser beam

We present a new method for generating isolated attosecond pulses via high-order harmonic generation in gases. It relies on using collective effects to achieve transient phase-matching which provides both a high efficiency and a strong temporal confinement under specific conditions. By controlling the spatial shape of the fundamental beam and the geometry of the laser–gas interaction, this transient phase matching leads to the generation of isolated broadband attosecond pulses with long driving pulses (10–20 fs) even without controlling their carrier envelope phase. Such laser pulses are becoming available at high energy levels and our approach offers a route to increase the energy of isolated attosecond pulses by orders of magnitude as compared to existing sources.
A DATABASE FOR PERSIAN MUSIC

The lack of a proper database has been a major obstacle for the analysis of Non-Western music. To pave the way for research on Eastern music and particularly on Persian music, we have decided to create a database for the Persian music on the Santur instrument. This database consists of single notes and melodies from two Santurs, a 9-bridge and an 11-bridge. The database will be used to construct and analyse the Dastgàh, which are the Persian music scales. This database is tailored to music processing tasks such as note and scale recognition and identification of the melody. Furthermore, it will assist in the analysis of acoustical properties of the Santur. This paper describes its construction, as well as initial analysis re-sults.
Exploring the Key Elements of Sustainable Design from a Social Responsibility Perspective: A Case Study of Fast Fashion Consumers’ Evaluation of Green Projects

With the growing global awareness of sustainable development, the impact of “fast fashion” on the environment has drawn much attention. This study investigated 365 fast fashion consumers with higher-than-average spending on fast fashion garments in Taiwan and analyzed the data with the analytic network process. From the perspective of social responsibility theory, the triple bottom line framework, and the concept of cradle-to-cradle, this study conducted in-depth interviews with 10 experts in the field of clothing. Based on the results, this study constructed a model with 4 core dimensions and 12 key criteria of sustainable clothing design, with the enterprise, design, and consumer sides as the decision-making options. Moreover, it was found that consumers believe that the first decision-making key that affects sustainable design is the enterprise side, and the most important green item that affects sustainable design is “cherishing”. The findings of this study can provide an important reference standard for sustainable design in the apparel industry.
Vacuolar Processing Enzymes in Plant Programmed Cell Death and Autophagy

Vacuolar processing enzymes (VPEs) are plant cysteine proteases that are subjected to autoactivation in an acidic pH. It is presumed that VPEs, by activating other vacuolar hydrolases, are in control of tonoplast rupture during programmed cell death (PCD). Involvement of VPEs has been indicated in various types of plant PCD related to development, senescence, and environmental stress responses. Another pathway induced during such processes is autophagy, which leads to the degradation of cellular components and metabolite salvage, and it is presumed that VPEs may be involved in the degradation of autophagic bodies during plant autophagy. As both PCD and autophagy occur under similar conditions, research on the relationship between them is needed, and VPEs, as key vacuolar proteases, seem to be an important factor to consider. They may even constitute a potential point of crosstalk between cell death and autophagy in plant cells. This review describes new insights into the role of VPEs in plant PCD, with an emphasis on evidence and hypotheses on the interconnections between autophagy and cell death, and indicates several new research opportunities.
A locally weighted linear ridge regression framework for spatial interpolation of monthly precipitation over an orographically complex area

This article aimed to investigate the potential of using three large‐scale precipitation products (PPs), including TRMM, ERA5‐Land, and MSWEP, and two land surface characteristics, including NDVI and Land Surface Temperature (LST), to improve the accuracy of an elevation‐based spatial non‐stationary, Locally Weighted Linear Regression (LWLR) method. A two‐step approach consisting of downscaling and merging was proposed and assessed across an orographically complex region in Iran to construct monthly precipitation maps for the 2001–2015 period. In the first step, three large‐scale PPs were downscaled to 1 km spatial resolution via the Area To Point Kriging (ATPK) method to address the spatial resolution discrepancy between the coarse pixels of PPs and pointwise gauge data. In the second step, five regression models with different combinations of predictors were developed and compared with the benchmark precipitation‐elevation regression model. The L2 regularization method was adopted to overcome the potential multicollinearity issue. The proposed framework could successfully diagnose the multicollinearity issues and dynamically estimate the regularization parameter in space and time. We utilized the holdout method to validate and compare the developed models, in which 50% of gauges were used for fitting the regression functions, and the remaining gauges were assigned to the validation dataset. The validation results showed that the overall monthly accuracy of the benchmark univariate elevation‐based model was improved where the MAE metric was decreased by 16.5%, and CC and KGE were increased by 3.4 and 5.8%, respectively. Also, the rBias was enhanced from −5.72 to 1.24%. Mean monthly precipitation maps of the 2001–2015 period generated by the model with the best combination of predictors and the benchmark model displayed the same spatial pattern consistent with the topography. Further analysis under different validation scenarios revealed that the contribution of PPs and auxiliary variables is the greatest when the training gauge network is sparse. Also, the developed multivariate model has a higher extrapolation ability and is more robust than the benchmark model.
Expression of a Salt-Tolerant Pseudolysin in Yeast for Efficient Protein Hydrolysis under High-Salt Conditions

Protease biocatalysis in a high-salt environment is very attractive for applications in the detergent industry, the production of diagnostic kits, and traditional food fermentation. However, high-salt conditions can reduce protease activity or even inactivate enzymes. Herein, in order to explore new protease sources, we expressed a salt-tolerant pseudolysin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa SWJSS3 isolated from deep-sea mud in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After optimizing the concentration of ion cofactors in yeast peptone dextrose (YPD) medium, the proteolytic activity in the supernatant was 2.41 times more than that in the control group when supplemented with 5 mM CaCl2 and 0.4 mM ZnCl2. The extracellular proteolytic activity of pseudolysin reached 258.95 U/mL with optimized expression cassettes. In addition, the S. cerevisiae expression system increased the salt tolerance of pseudolysin to sodium chloride (NaCl)and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the recombinant pseudolysin retained 15.19% activity when stored in 3 M NaCl for 7 days. The recombinant pseudolysin was able to efficiently degrade the β-conglycinin from low-denatured soy protein isolates and glycinin from high-denatured soy protein isolates under high temperatures (60 °C) and high-salt (3 M NaCl) conditions. Our study provides a salt-tolerant recombinant protease with promising applications in protein hydrolysis under high-salt conditions.
On the transient behavior of the m/m/m/m loss model

We develop an asymptotic technique for analyzing the transient behavior of queues and other stochastic models. As an example we consider the Erlang loss model which is the M/M/m/m queue. Asymptotic expansions are constructed for systems with a large number of servers and a large arrival rate that is O(m). We give formulas for the probability p n(t) that n servers are occupied at time t. We treat several cases of initial conditions and several regions in the (n, t) plane. Our approach is based on applying the ray method to a scaled form of the forward Kolmogorov equation which describes the time evolution of p n(t).
Shallow‐water reverberation due to sediment volume inhomogeneities

This is a model of shallow‐water reverberation due to sediment volume inhomogeneities. The scatterers are three‐dimensional sound speed and density variabilities in the sediment. A first‐order perturbation approximation is adopted assuming the sediment variabilities are small quantities. Within the applicable range of that approximation, this formalism is exact. It is found that the strength of the scattered field or reverberation strength can be expressed as the coupling between the incident and scattered normal modes. The mode coupling coefficient is found to be the same as the scattering coefficient sampled at relevant modal angles. In the development of the formulation, no empirical scattering function is involved. Also found is a dispersion factor associated with each mode in the mean reverberation curve corresponding to the spreading of the source pulse for each mode. Numerical examples are given for typical shallow‐water environments.
Biomimetic torene shells

The genome inside the eukaryotic cells is guarded by a unique shell structure, called the nuclear envelope (NE), made of lipid membranes. This structure has an ultra torus topology with thousands of torus-shaped holes that imparts the structure a high flexural stiffness. Inspired from this biological design, here we present a novel “torene” architecture to design lightweight shell structures with ultra-stiffness for engineering applications. We perform finite element analyses on classic benchmark problems to investigate the mechanics of torene shells. This study reveals that the torene shells can achieve one order of magnitude or higher flexural stiffness than traditional shells with the same amount of material. This novel geometric strategy opens new avenues to exploit additive manufacturing to design lightweight shell structures for extreme mechanical environments.
Primary bovine CD4+ T cells rapidly reprogram metabolism to meet energetic demands during activation

T lymphocytes undergo a metabolic reprogramming from predominantly oxidative phosphorylation in the resting state to aerobic glycolysis in an activated state. Efforts aimed at understanding T cell metabolism have concentrated primarily on humans and mice, however T cell metabolism in large animals, such as cattle and pigs, has yet to be examined in detail. Food production animals have been selected for maximal growth at minimal cost. Understanding the link between immunity and metabolism would be beneficial to producers in improving health status and longevity of their herd. As large animals can serve as alternative models in translational research, understanding species-specific immunometabolism is critical. Here, we characterized the metabolic processes in bovine CD4+ cells by interrogating mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis using the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer. We show that bovine CD4+ cells tend to have lower basal oxygen consumption rates (OCR) as well as lower extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) compared to mouse CD4+ T cells. Despite this, bovine CD4+ cells have an increased metabolic potential, % spare respiratory capacity, and % glycolytic reserve in comparison to mouse CD4+ T cells. Bovine CD4+ cells do not have as pronounced a mitochondrial or glycolytic response in comparison to the mouse CD4+ cells, but would be capable of rapidly modifying their cellular metabolism in the event of environmental stressors.