Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aristotle's Logic Computed by Parametric Probability and Linear Optimization

A new computational method is presented to implement the system of deductive logic described by Aristotle in Prior Analytics. Each Aristotelian problem is interpreted as a parametric probability network in which the premises give constraints on probabilities relating the problem's categorical terms (major, minor, and middle). Each probability expression from this network is evaluated to yield a linear function of the parameters in the probability model. By this approach the constraints specified as premises translate into linear equalities and inequalities involving a few real-valued variables. The problem's figure (schema) describes which specific probabilities are constrained, relative to those that are queried. Using linear optimization methods, the minimum and maximum feasible values of certain queried probabilities are computed, subject to the constraints given as premises. These computed solutions determine precisely which conclusions are necessary consequences of the premises. In this way, Aristotle's logical deductions can be accomplished by means of numerical computation.
A Microwave Displacement Sensor Based on SIW Double Reentrant Cavity with Ring Gaps

|In this study, a double reentrant cavity sensor (DRECS) loaded with ring gaps is proposed to characterize the displacement that the metal plate is inserted into the DRECS. The conventional substrate-parasitic-capacitance of DRECS in the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) con(cid:12)guration, which has no contribution to the sensitivity, is successfully eliminated by using a symmetric double reentrant cavity. The ring gaps are introduced in SIW DRECS to eﬀectively suppress the fringe electric (cid:12)eld around the post and enlarge the range of displacement measurements. Additionally, a displacement model, which is characterized by the quantitative relationship between the resonant frequency of DRECS and insertion depth inside DRECS, is theoretically established with the help of the electric (cid:12)eld distribution and the equivalent circuit of the DRECS. A prototype of the designed sensor is fabricated and measured. The sensor work at 1.5{3.1 GHz and the measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones from the displacement model. The measurement results indicate that the sensor has a displacement test range of 27 mm and Q -factor of over 150, and can achieve high sensitivity of 58 MHz/mm.
The burden of symptomatic patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria: a real-world study in Korea

Background/Aims Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) poses a considerable burden both on the quality of life (QoL) of individual patients and on healthcare systems. Real‑world data evaluating the disease burden of CSU are limited in this country. This study evaluated the disease burden and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) among symptomatic CSU patients. Methods This multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective, and cross-sectional study assessed CSU patients symptomatic for more than 6 months despite step-wise H1-antihistamine medications. Primary outcomes included Urticaria Activity Score over 7 days (UAS7) and Chronic Urticaria QoL scale (CU-QoL). Secondary outcomes included EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), association of disease activity with QoL, medications used for the past 6 months, and HRU. Results Five hundred patients with CSU were enrolled. Mean disease duration was 3.7 years. Based on UAS7, 22.2% of patients were in well-controlled status and 31.2%, 28.4%, and 18.2% of them had mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively. Mean CU-QoL and DLQI scores were 57.5 ± 29.7 and 10.2 ± 7.6, respectively, while the EQ-5D-5L utility score was 0.8 ± 0.2. H1-antihistamines were prescribed to 95% of patients, while omalizumab was prescribed to 33% of patients. Most patients (98%) had outpatient visits in the past 6 months. Negative correlations were noted between UAS7 and CU-QoL, EQ-5D-5L, EQ-5D-5L visual analog scale scores, but a positive correlation was noted with DLQI score (p < 0.001 for all). The number of outpatient department visits increased with disease activity (p = 0.001). Conclusions CSU affects QoL, leading to increased HRU, particularly in patients with severe disease.
Differential Effects of Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate (BMD) on the Distal Colon and Cecal Microbiota of Young Broiler Chickens

Antibiotics have been used extensively for growth promotion in poultry, along with other food production animals, as well as therapeutically to treat infectious diseases. However, with concerns over selection for drug antibiotic resistant bacteria the practice of using subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics is under increased scrutiny. Consequently, we assessed the impact of the commonly used antibiotic bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) on the gastrointestinal microbiota of chickens. For this we administered therapeutic doses of BMD as a feed additive and 16s rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to measure changes in taxonomic abundance on the distal colon and cecal microbiota of young broiler chickens. While BMD treatment was found to impact the abundance of selected taxa and overall beta diversity, significant changes were, in general, limited to the colon of the treated birds. Selected taxa at the phylum, class, and genus levels that were most impacted were identified. The composition of the cecum remained relatively stable in BMD-treated animals. As poultry production practices seek alternatives to growth promoting antibiotic feed additives, manipulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota holds promise. These results suggest that targeting the cecum may offer a means to promote changes to the microbiota that maximize the benefits for the hosts.
RAPD: Rapid and Participatory Application Development of Usable Systems During COVID19 Crisis

Software development methods have been evolved to enable producing usable systems rapidly while considering all requirements. Several studies have focused on the need to balance between rapid development and capturing requirements related to user experience and business workflow. This balance has become more urging during COVID19 because many businesses want to quickly transfer to usable electronic systems that are accurate, efficient, easy to learn, satisfy users and support remote work. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework by integrating Rapid Application Development (RAD) method with Participatory Design (PD) method for enabling rapid production of usable systems. Both RAD and PD consist of design stages that can overlap and generate new phases where users participate in the design process and accelerate the production. Five usability tests are also added to the framework to validate the usability of the design at all stages. The Action Research method is used to assess the framework empirically in a context of an urgent need to an electronic system, and qualitative data analyses were conducted. The results show that the framework can be adopted by software companies because it satisfies the requirements of adopting software development methods. Also, the system developed using the framework is usable. The paper concludes that COVID19 affects software development by emphasizing rapid development while maintaining workflow. Also, using video conference for remote design assists in meeting users more frequently and in creating concise requirement documentation.
Toward quantum opto-mechanics in a gram-scale suspended mirror interferometer

A new generation of interferometric gravitational wave detectors, currently under construction, will closely approach the fundamental quantum limits of measurement, serving as a prominent example of quantum mechanics at the macroscale. Simultaneously, numerous experiments involving micro-mechanical oscillators are beginning to explore the quantum regime, with the help of optical cooling techniques. We discuss the approach to the quantum regime in a gram-scale opto-mechanical experiment, and in large-scale gravitational wave detectors. The gram-scale experiment is designed so that radiation pressure forces completely dominate the dynamics of the mechanical mirror suspensions. We review a series of optical trapping and cooling techniques that we have demonstrated using this apparatus. A variant of these techniques is applied to a gravitational wave interferometer — yielding an effective temperature of 1.4 microkelvin and a phonon occupation number of 234 in a kilogramscale oscillator. Then we analyze the displacement noise spectrum in the gram-scale system, which is currently limited by thermally driven fluctuations of the mirror suspensions. We identify methods for improving the suspension, in order to reveal the quantum fluctuations attributable to back-action of a displacement measurement. Finally, we propose a scheme for exploiting the opto-mechanical coupling in this system to generate optical entanglement. Thesis Supervisor: Nergis Mavalvala Title: Professor of Physics
Parasitism by the Tachinid Parasitoid Exorista japonica Leads to Suppression of Basal Metabolism and Activation of Immune Response in the Host Bombyx mori

Simple Summary The dipteran parasitoid Tachinidae are important biocontrol agents and some of them are pests in sericulture. We previously have demonstrated that tachinid parasitoid Exorista japonica parasitism causes pupation defects in Bombyx mori. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we performed transcriptome analysis of the fat body of B. mori parasitized by E. japonica. We found that the host basal metabolism was inhibited whereas the immune response was activated. These results indicate that the tachinid parasitoid perturbs the basal metabolism and activates the energetically costly immunity of the host, leading to the development arrest of the host. This study provides insights into how tachinid parasitoids modify host basal metabolism and immune response for the benefit of developing parasitoid larvae. Abstract The dipteran tachinid parasitoids are important biocontrol agents, and they must survive the harsh environment and rely on the resources of the host insect to complete their larval stage. We have previously demonstrated that the parasitism by the tachinid parasitoid Exorista japonica, a pest of the silkworm, causes pupation defects in Bombyx mori. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we performed transcriptome analysis of the fat body of B. mori parasitized by E. japonica. We identified 1361 differentially expressed genes, with 394 genes up-regulated and 967 genes down-regulated. The up-regulated genes were mainly associated with immune response, endocrine system and signal transduction, whereas the genes related to basal metabolism, including energy metabolism, transport and catabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were down-regulated, indicating that the host appeared to be in poor nutritional status but active in immune response. Moreover, by time-course gene expression analysis we found that genes related to amino acid synthesis, protein degradation and lipid metabolism in B. mori at later parasitization stages were inhibited. Antimicrobial peptides including Cecropin A, Gloverin and Moricin, and an immulectin, CTL11, were induced. These results indicate that the tachinid parasitoid perturbs the basal metabolism and induces the energetically costly immunity of the host, and thus leading to incomplete larval–pupal ecdysis of the host. This study provided insights into how tachinid parasitoids modify host basal metabolism and immune response for the benefit of developing parasitoid larvae.
Analytical Modeling of Potential Barrier for Charge Transfer in Pinned Photodiode CMOS Image Sensors

A potential barrier is one of the most common lag sources for charge transfer in pinned photodiode (PPD) CMOS image sensors (CISs). In this article, an analytical model of the potential barrier is proposed for the PPD combined with the transfer gate (TG). Through detailed electrostatic analysis of the PPD and TG, the potential barrier is analytically expressed as a function of the doping concentrations, TG voltage, spatial dimensions, and other physical parameters. The proposed model is validated by technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations, and the results show that the model data are in good agreement with the TCAD simulations in terms of the magnitude and location of the potential barrier. The model can be used for the design, simulation, and optimization of PPD-based pixels in CISs to improve the charge transfer efficiency (CTE) and reduce the image lag noise.
Human CO Model of Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease (CJD) Evaluates the Effect of Putative Drugs on Prion Accumulation

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) is incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disease. The treatment in human is cell based models for prion disease. An induced pluripotent stem cell based models of human cerebral organ has shown to cure CJD prions. This model has new screening methodology for drug induced candidates in certain genetic background. Using anti-prion disease, first ever model was screened for drug induced patients. Pentason polysulfate delayed methodology along with prophylactic has been a remedy for treatment. These are the first regenerative treatment that can concur results for CJD.
Time Dependent Analysis of B0 →ρ0ρ0 Decays

The BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e{sup +}e{sup -} collider is located at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. It has been gathering data on the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance from 2000 until 2007 with the primary objective of studying CP violation in B-meson decays. In this thesis they provide a theoretical overview of how CP violation arises in the context of the Standard Model, why B decays are relevant, and how BABAR gathers the necessary data. Specifically, they present the analysis of B{sup 0} {yields} {rho}{sup 0}{rho}{sup 0} decays in a sample of 465 x 10{sup 6} {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B}. They measure the corresponding branching fraction {Beta} = (0.92 {+-} 0.32(stat.) {+-} 0.14(syst.)) x 10{sup -6} and the longitudinal polarization fraction f{sub L} = 0.75{sub -0.14}{sup +0.11}(stat.) {+-} 0.04(syst.). The evidence for the B{sup 0} {yields} {rho}{sup 0}{rho}{sup 0} signal has a significance of 3.1 standard deviations ({sigma}), when the systematic uncertainties are included. There is insufficient evidence for B decays into similar modes and the corresponding upper limits are determined to be {Beta}{sub {rho}{sup 0}f{sub 0}} < 0.34 x 10{sup -6}, {Beta}{sub f{sub 0}f{sub 0}} < 0.16 x 10{sup -6}, {Beta}{sub {rho}{sup 0}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}} < 8.7 x 10{supmore » -6}, B{sub {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}} < 21.1 x 10{sup -6} at the 90% Confidence Level (CL). They also investigate the proper-time dependence of the longitudinal component in the decay and measure the Cp-violating coefficients S{sub L} = 0.3 {+-} 0.7(stat.) {+-} 0.2(syst.) and C{sub L} = 0.2 {+-} 0.8(stat.) {+-} 0.3(syst.). By combining these results with other measurements from the B {yields} {rho}{rho} processes and performing an Isospin Analysis, they are able to restrict the unitarity angle {alpha} as well as its uncertainty due to penguin contributions, {Delta}{alpha}. Namely, {alpha} = (92.4{sub -6.5}{sup +6.0}){sup o} with -1.8{sup o} < {Delta}{alpha} < 6.7{sup o} at 1{sigma} CL. « less
Mobile phones at borders: logics of deterrence and survival in the Mediterranean Sea and Sonoran Desert

ABSTRACT Migrant death rates at international borders have risen sharply since the 1980s. Through archival research, we analyze the European Union’s and the United States’ international border infrastructures to illuminate how technological developments may have contributed to this spike in death rates. Based on an analysis of archival materials, we show how the mobile phone has emerged as an inadvertent identification technology at two border sites – the Mediterranean Sea and the Sonoran Desert – and how this technology supports survival in increasingly dangerous border-crossing experiences while also leading to death, detention, and deportation. We find that mobile phones have become identification technologies central to both migrants’ survival and border infrastructures’ attempts to deter cross-border mobility with profound consequences for human life and agency. We conclude with suggestions for future work to investigate reshaping border infrastructures in ways that do not rely on the galvanizing power of false and dangerous narratives of a symbolic Other.
Associations of the Lipidome with Ageing, Cognitive Decline and Exercise Behaviours

One of the most recognisable features of ageing is a decline in brain health and cognitive dysfunction, which is associated with perturbations to regular lipid homeostasis. Although ageing is the largest risk factor for several neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, a loss in cognitive function is commonly observed in adults over the age of 65. Despite the prevalence of normal age-related cognitive decline, there is a lack of effective methods to improve the health of the ageing brain. In light of this, exercise has shown promise for positively influencing neurocognitive health and associated lipid profiles. This review summarises age-related changes in several lipid classes that are found in the brain, including fatty acyls, glycerolipids, phospholipids, sphingolipids and sterols, and explores the consequences of age-associated pathological cognitive decline on these lipid classes. Evidence of the positive effects of exercise on the affected lipid profiles are also discussed to highlight the potential for exercise to be used therapeutically to mitigate age-related changes to lipid metabolism and prevent cognitive decline in later life.
Spatial separation of sound sources

Blind source separation is a promising technique for the identification, localization, and ranking of sound sources. The aim of this dissertation is to offer methods for separating incoherent sound sources which may overlap in both the space and frequency domains by exploiting spatial information. This is found of interest in acoustical applications involving the identification and ranking of sound sources stemming from different physical origins. The fundamental principle of all proposed methods proceeds in two steps, the first one being reminiscent to source reconstruction (e.g. as in near-field acoustical holography) and the second one to blind source separation. Specifically, the source mixture is first expanded into a linear combination of spatial basis functions whose coefficients are set by backpropagating the pressures measured by an array of microphones to the source domain. This leads to a formulation similar, but no identical, to blind source separation. In the second step, these coefficients are blindly separated into uncorrelated latent variables, assigned to incoherent “virtual sources”. These are shown to be defined up to an arbitrary rotation. A unique set of sound sources is finally recovered by searching for that rotation (conjugate gradient descent in the Stiefel manifold of unitary matrices) which minimizes some spatial criteria, such as spatial variance, spatial entropy, or spatial orthogonality. This results in the proposal of three separation criteria coined “least spatial variance”, “least spatial entropy”, and “spatial decorrelation”, respectively. Meanwhile, the condition under which classical decorrelation (principal component analysis) can solve the problem is deduced in a rigorous way. The same concept of spatial entropy, which is central to the dissertation, is also exploited in defining a new criterion, the entropic L-curve, dedicated to determining the number of active sound sources on the source domain of interest. The idea consists in considering the number of sources that achieves the best compromise between a low spatial entropy (as expected from compact sources) and a low statistical entropy (as expected from a low residual error).
Evaluation of Color Matching Ability of a Single Shaded Resin Composite Versus a Single Translucency Resin Composite With Different Teeth Shades

Aim: This in-vitro study digitally evaluates the color matching ability of a single-shaded resin composite and a single-translucency resin composite system placed in teeth with three different teeth shades at two different cavity depths, and to compare both of them to a multi-shaded resin composite system. Methods: 90 extracted sound teeth were selected and their shade was recorded. Teeth were divided according to their shade into three groups (S 1 ,S 2 and S 3 ). In each group, Class V cavities were prepared at 0.5 mm depth (Subgroup D 1 ) for half of the teeth, while cavities in the other half were adjusted at 1.5 mm depth (Subgroup D 2 ). Each subgroup was further divided into three classes according to the restorative material placed in the prepared cavities (M 1 , M 2 and M 3 ). Shade was recorded after placement and ΔE was calculated. Results: Single-shaded resin composite (M 1 ) recorded the significant lowest ΔE values wih S 1 followed by S 2 and S 3 respectively (P ≤ 0.05). Multi-shaded resin composite (M 3 ), generally showed the best results with the three teeth shades compared to the other two materials. No significant differences were found at both cavity depths for all groups (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The single-shaded resin composite showed more acceptable color matching at lighter teeth shades than at darker teeth shades. Multi-shaded resin composite showed superior color matching ability at the three different teeth shades. The selected cavity depths had no siginificant effect on the color matching ability of the different resin composite materials used. strength and longevity, and better esthetic properties (2) . A nano-hybrid-composite with prepolymerized fillers with five “cloud shades” that cover the full VITA color range of natural teeth. Cloud shades cover more than one VITA shade, because the shade of these universal restorations is influenced by the color of the
Inflammatory Markers for Predicting Ischemic Stroke Outcome: Review Article

Background: In developed countries, stroke is the third leading cause of mortality and the leading cause of lifelong disability. Chronic inflammation, oxidative and nitrosative damage to the immune, metabolic and cellular systems and, neurotoxicity therefore has a role in acute ischemic stroke (IS). It may be possible to employ various biomarkers simultaneously to forecast the occurrence and prognosis of IS. When inflammation subsides after a stroke, it accelerates tissue repair and neurodegenerative processes, which are known to expand the ischemic lesion. Post-stroke inflammation has a substantial impact on a patient's capacity to recover from the disease, and novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic treatments are urgently needed. Objective: An overview of the role of inflammation in stroke pathology is provided in the following review. Stroke patients' prognosis can be better predicted by using biomarkers of inflammation. Material and methods: These databases were searched for articles published in English in 3 data bases [PubMed – Google scholar - Science direct] and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) had been used such as [Ischemic stroke OR Neuroinflammation AND Stroke outcome] and in peer-reviewed articles between Jun 2001 and November 2021; a 20-year date range was selected. Documents in a language apart from English have been excluded as sources for interpretation Conclusion: Clearly, inflammation is a major contributor to stroke pathogenesis. Inflammation plays a dual role during an ischemic stroke, showing both positive and detrimental effects depending on the stage of the disease. Stroke prognostication is hampered by the absence of sensitive and speedy blood tests for diagnosis.