Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arbitrary pole assignment using dynamic compensators based on linear function observers

In this study, we propose a class of dynamic compensators based on linear function observers which achieve arbitrary pole assignment of the closed loop. The construction procedure directly utilizes Wang's algorithm (1992, 1996) for the static output feedback pole assignment problem, and the same technique can be applied to dual observers also. As a result, assuming the structure of either observer, the sufficient condition of the compensator's order is naturally derived. The condition is more transparent than the one proposed by Rosenthal and Wang (1996), and it is shown that both give the same minimal order under some mild assumptions.
Investigation of Physochimechal and Biological Properties of Composite Sodium Alginate for Tissue Engineering

The current study involves synthesis of a composite films of sodium alginate (Alg), polyvinylalcohol and NanoGraphene oxide (GO) for tissue engineering applications. Solvent casting was used to make the polymeric composite films (Alg-Pva-Go), which may exhibit a synergic activity of the components for tissue repair. The influence of various GO concentrations on the films properties was also investigated. The scaffold has outstanding physicochemical and biological properties. The composite film's high swelling degree and contact angle reveals its high hydrophilicity, making it appropriate for tissue engineering. The antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus were studied. Furthermore, the antimicrobial test showed that the films composite was resistant to S. aureus. Seeding (AD-MSC) cells into the composite films exhibited an increase in cell adhesion and proliferation when compared to the Alginate and Polyvinylalcohol film in vitro experiments, indicating that the GO has a good influence on the films characteristics, which can utilization in tissue engineering applications.
The role of melatonin in plant growth and metabolism, and its interplay with nitric oxide and auxin in plants under different types of abiotic stress

Melatonin is a pleiotropic signaling molecule that reduces the adverse effects of abiotic stresses, and enhances the growth and physiological function of many plant species. Several recent studies have demonstrated the pivotal role of melatonin in plant functions, specifically its regulation of crop growth and yield. However, a comprehensive understanding of melatonin, which regulates crop growth and yield under abiotic stress conditions, is not yet available. This review focuses on the progress of research on the biosynthesis, distribution, and metabolism of melatonin, and its multiple complex functions in plants and its role in the mechanisms of metabolism regulation in plants grown under abiotic stresses. In this review, we focused on the pivotal role of melatonin in the enhancement of plant growth and regulation of crop yield, and elucidated its interactions with nitric oxide (NO) and auxin (IAA, indole-3-acetic acid) when plants are grown under various abiotic stresses. The present review revealed that the endogenousapplication of melatonin to plants, and its interactions with NO and IAA, enhanced plant growth and yield under various abiotic stresses. The interaction of melatonin with NO regulated plant morphophysiological and biochemical activities, mediated by the G protein-coupled receptor and synthesis genes. The interaction of melatonin with IAA enhanced plant growth and physiological function by increasing the levels of IAA, synthesis, and polar transport. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive review of the performance of melatonin under various abiotic stresses, and, therefore, further explicate the mechanisms that plant hormones use to regulate plant growth and yield under abiotic stresses.
A Case Study of the Cutoff Process and Latent Heating Effect in an Upper-Level Cold-Core Low during the Mei-Yu Season in East Asia

AbstractUsing observational data and model sensitivity test, the present study diagnosed the evolution of an upper-level trough over 2–7 May 1998 during the mei-yu season in East Asia, with a focus on the role of latent heating downstream from the trough on the cutoff process and the formation of the cold-core low (CCL). Compared with conceptual models based on dry dynamics, the formation process of this cutoff low (COL) was inconsistent with the model of migratory jet streak–trough interaction, but the evolution of the upper-level trough (including its narrowing and rotation of axis) and the scale of the resultant COL generally agreed with the theory of interaction between trough and mean westerly flow with anticyclonic background shear. East/southeast of the trough, active and persistent convection appeared and induced 1) divergent ageostrophic flow near the tropopause, 2) an increase in mid- to upper-level thickness due to effective heating, and 3) amplification of an upper-level ridge downstream. Thro.
Spin phases in disk- and ring-shaped quantum dots in a threading magnetic field

We considered the confinement of Ne interacting electrons in a two-dimensional disk shaped quantum dot (QD) and a one-dimensional quantum ring (QR) when an external magnetic field B perpendicular to the device plane is applied. The energy spectra of low-lying states of the nanodevices as functions of B and Ne were obtained by using an Hartree Fock approximation. Phase diagrams in the interaction versus magnetic field plane indicate a rich variety of ground states.
The application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a drug delivery vehicle in oral disease treatment

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) hold promise as safer and more effective medication delivery vehicles for treating oral disorders. As the drug’s delivery system, MSNs adapt to effectively combine with a variety of medications to get over systemic toxicity and low solubility issues. MSNs, which operate as a common nanoplatform for the co-delivery of several compounds, increase therapy effectiveness and show promise in the fight against antibiotic resistance. MSNs offer a noninvasive and biocompatible platform for delivery that produces long-acting release by responding to minute stimuli in the cellular environmen. MSN-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of periodontitis, cancer, dentin hypersensitivity, and dental cavities have recently been developed as a result of recent unparalleled advancements. The applications of MSNs to be embellished by oral therapeutic agents in stomatology are discussed in this paper.
Modeling the Syntax of the song of the Great Reed Warbler Faculty of Engineering, LTH

The song of many songbirds can be thought of as consisting of variable sequences of a finite set of syllables. A common approach in understanding the structure of these songs is to model the syllable sequences with a Markov Model. The Markov Model can either allow one-to-one (Markov Chain), many-to-many (Hidden Markov Model) or many-to-one (Partially Observed Markov Model) state to syllable mappings. In this project the song of the Great Reed Warbler is being studied in terms of the syllable sequences (strophes) being generated. It is shown that the Markov chain captures a lot of the structure in the song in the sense that it to large degree reproduces the syllable distributions at a specific position in the song that were observed in data. The repetition distribution for some syllable classes was consistent with that of a Markov chain while other syllable classes were better modeled by allowing the self-transition probability to be adapted as the syllable class is repeated more and more. Still some other syllable classes did not have their repetition distributions accurately captured by these two alternatives.
Protective effects of Descurainia sophia seeds extract and its fractions on pulmonary edema by untargeted urine and serum metabolomics strategy

Background: Descurainia sophia seeds (DS) is a herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating lung diseases. We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of DS and five of its fractions upon pulmonary edema (PE) through metabolomics analysis (MA) of urine and serum samples of rats. Methods: A PE model was established by intrathoracic injection of carrageenan. Rats were pretreated with DS extract or its five fractions (polysaccharides (DS-Pol); oligosaccharides (DS-Oli); flavonoid glycosides (DS-FG); flavonoid aglycone (DS-FA); fat oil fraction (DS-FO)) for seven consecutive days. Forty-eight hours after carrageenan injection, lung tissues were subjected to histopathology. MA of urine and serum was done by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, respectively. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis were operated for the MA of rats and potential biomarkers related to treatment. Heatmaps and metabolic networks were constructed to explore how DS and its five fractions act against PE. Results: DS and its five fractions could all attenuate pathologic lung injury to different degrees, and DS-Oli, DS-FG, and DS-FO had a more potent effect compared with DS-Pol and DS-FA. DS-Oli, DS-FG, DS-FA, and DS-FO could regulate the metabolic profiles of PE rats, but DS-Pol was less potent. According to MA, the five fractions could improve PE to some degree due to their anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and renoprotective activities by mediating the metabolism of taurine, tryptophan, and arachidonic acid. However, DS-Oli, DS-FG, and DS-FO had more important roles in edema-fluid reabsorption, and reduction of vascular leakage through regulating the metabolism of phenylalanine, sphingolipid and bile acid. Finally, heatmaps and hierarchical clustering analysis indicated DS-Oli, DS-FG, and DS-FO to be more efficacious than DS-Pol or DS-FA against PE. The five fractions of DS had a synergistic effect on PE from different aspects, thereby constituting the entire efficacy of DS. DS-Oli, DS-FG, or DS-FO could be used as an alternative to DS. Conclusion: MA combined with use of DS and its fractions provided novel insights into the mechanism of action of TCM.
Native T1 is predictive of cardiovascular death/heart failure events and all-cause mortality irrespective of the patient’s volume status

Background Native T1 has become a pivotal parameter of tissue composition that is assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). It characterizes diseased myocardium and can be used for prognosis estimation. Recent publications have shown that native T1 is influenced by short-term fluctuations of volume status due to hydration or hemodialysis. Methods Patients from a prospective BioCVI all-comers clinical CMR registry were included, and native T1 and plasma volume status (PVS) were determined according to Hakim’s formula as surrogate markers of patient volume status. The primary endpoint was defined as combined endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure events, the secondary endpoint was defined as all-cause mortality. Results A total of 2,047 patients were included since April 2017 [median (IQR); age 63 (52–72) years, 33% female]. There was a significant although weak influence of PVS on native T1 (β = 0.11, p < 0.0001). Patients with volume expansion (PVS > −13%) showed significantly higher values for tissue markers than non-volume-overloaded patients [PVS ≤ −13%; median (IQR); native T1 1,130 (1,095–1,170) vs. 1,123 (1,086–1,166) ms, p < 0.003; and T2 39 (37–40) vs. 38 (36–40) ms, p < 0.0001]. In Cox regression analysis both native T1 and PVS were independently predictive of the primary endpoint and all-cause mortality. Conclusion Despite a weak effect of PVS on native T1, its predictive power was not affected in a large, all-comers cohort.
Proximity and Tactile Sensor Combining Multiple ToF Sensors and a Self‐Capacitance Proximity and Tactile Sensor

Future labor forces are anticipated to include collaborative robots that work alongside humans in the same environment. Proximity and tactile sensors are among the most important devices for collaborative robots to operate safely. In this paper, we propose a proximity and tactile sensor for a collaborative robot that combines multiple time‐of‐flight (ToF) sensors and a self‐capacitating proximity and tactile sensor. ToF sensors can detect the distance to an object and have a long measurement range. However, at close distances, their detection accuracy deteriorates, and blind spots may likely not be detected. Conversely, the self‐capacitance proximity and tactile sensor detect objects within the blind spots of ToF sensors and contact conditions because the sensor can detect an object before and after contact, being highly sensitive in the proximity range. In the proposed sensor, the electrodes of the self‐capacitance are enlarged, and multiple ToF sensors are used to expand the measurement range and reduce blind spots. A prototype sensor was seamlessly able to measure objects from approximately 400 mm to contact conditions. In addition, the robot arm with the prototype sensor could be controlled in real time using the measured data of the sensor. Therefore, we believe that the proposed sensor can be potentially used as a proximity and tactile sensor for collaborative robots. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Parallel trajectories in the discovery of the SCN‐OVLT and pituitary portal pathways: Legacies of Geoffrey Harris

A map of central nervous system organization based on vascular networks provides a layer of organization distinct from familiar neural networks or connectomes. As a well‐established example, the capillary networks of the pituitary portal system enable a route for small amounts of neurochemical signals to reach local targets by traveling along specialized pathways, thereby avoiding dilution in the systemic circulation. The first evidence of such a pathway in the brain came from anatomical studies identifying a portal pathway linking the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Almost a century later, we demonstrated a vascular portal pathway that joined the capillary beds of the suprachiasmatic nucleus and a circumventricular organ, the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, in a mouse brain. For each of these portal pathways, the anatomical findings opened many new lines of inquiry, including the determination of the direction of flow of information, the identity of the signal that flowed along this pathway, and the function of the signals that linked the two regions. Here, we review landmark steps to these discoveries and highlight the experiments that reveal the significance of portal pathways and more generally, the implications of morphologically distinct nuclei sharing capillary beds.
The Far-Infrared Spectrum of Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon and the 21, 27, and 33 Micron Features in Carbon-rich Proto-Planetary Nebulae

We report laboratory emission spectra of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (HAC) in the wavelength range 19 μm < λ < 120 μm (525-83 cm-1) at temperatures between 300°C and 500°C. These spectra show emission features at 21, 27, and ≈33 μm (475, 370, and 303 cm-1) that can be identified with similar bands in the far-infrared spectra of extreme carbon stars, proto-planetary nebulae, and planetary nebulae. It is suggested that HAC is present in these objects but that the chemical composition of this material depends on the evolutionary state. We also detect a number of broad features at wavelengths longer than 40 μm, attributable to chemical groups in HAC. A strong feature is observed at ≈60 μm (165 cm-1) in laboratory spectra and may be present in spectra of the carbon-rich planetary nebula CPD -56°8032. We briefly discuss the nature of the chemical groups responsible for the appearance of these features.
Reciprocal exchange orientation to organization, challenge stressor and construal level: Three-way interaction effects on voice behavior

This study extends our understanding of voice behavior by considering a more complete set of reciprocity antecedents. We add employees-organization reciprocal exchange orientation (EO REO) into the antecedent of voice behavior and clarify the boundary condition by examining the joint moderating role of challenge stressors and construal level. The presence of challenge stressors represents a positive work environment, thus employees with a strong EO REO are likely to reciprocate with voice. However, such stressors also lead employees to focus on how to deal with the current challenges, which only aligns with employees who have a low construal level mindset and prefer to think about the details of the job at hand. Hence, we hypothesized that the positive relationship between EO REO and voice behavior in the face of challenge stressors was more likely to exist for employees whose construal level is low rather than high. We collected data from 237 employee-supervisor matched dyads in study 1 and 225 employee-supervisor matched dyads in study 2. These two studies offered support for the three-way interaction hypothesis. Our studies further voice by extending the antecedent and delineating the boundary condition of challenge stressors and construal level.
ERβ1 Sensitizes and ERβ2 Desensitizes ERα-Positive Breast Cancer Cells to the Inhibitory Effects of Tamoxifen, Fulvestrant and Their Combination with All-Trans Retinoic Acid

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) is the treatment of choice for early-stage estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-positive breast cancer (BC). However, almost 40% of tamoxifen-treated cases display no response or a partial response to AET, thus increasing the need for new treatment options and strong predictors of the therapeutic response of patients at high risk of relapse. In addition to ERα, BC research has focused on ERβ1 and ERβ2 (isoforms of ERβ), the second ER isotype. At present, the impact of ERβ isoforms on ERα-positive BC prognosis and treatment remains elusive. In the present study, we established clones of MCF7 cells constitutively expressing human ERβ1 or ERβ2 and investigated their role in the response of MCF7 cells to antiestrogens [4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHΤ) and fulvestrant (ICI182,780)] and retinoids [all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)]. We show that, compared to MCF7 cells, MCF7-ERβ1 and MCF7-ERβ2 cells were sensitized and desensitized, respectively, to the antiproliferative effect of the antiestrogens, ATRA and their combination and to the cytocidal effect of the combination of OHT and ATRA. Analysis of the global transcriptional changes upon OHT–ATRA combinatorial treatment revealed uniquely regulated genes associated with anticancer effects in MCF7-ERβ1 cells and cancer-promoting effects in MCF7-ERβ2 cells. Our data are favorable to ERβ1 being a marker of responsiveness and ERβ2 being a marker of resistance of MCF7 cells to antiestrogens alone and in combination with ATRA.
Surface-emitting microlaser combining two-dimensional photonic crystal membrane and vertical Bragg mirror

We report on the design and fabrication of heterogeneous and compact surface-emitting microlasers, optically pumped and operating at 1. 5μm at room-temperature. A very low threshold, below 15μW, is achieved. The devices consists of a top two-dimensional InP photonic crystal slab, including four InAsP quantum wells, a SiO2 bonding layer, and a bottom high index contrast Si∕SiO2 Bragg mirror deposited on a Si wafer. The graphitelike photonic crystal lattice is tailored for vertical emission. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the Bragg reflector can strongly enhance the quality factor of the photonic crystal resonant mode, leading to a drastic decrease of the lasing threshold.
A viscoelastic alginate-based hydrogel network coordinated with spermidine for periodontal ligament regeneration

Abstract Periodontitis can cause irreversible defects in the periodontal ligament (PDL), the regeneration of which is the major obstacle to the clinical treatment of periodontitis. Implanting hydrogel for releasing anti-inflammatory drugs is a promising treatment to promote PDL regeneration. However, existing hydrogel systems fail to mimic the typical viscoelastic feature of native periodontium, which may have been shown as an important role in tissue regeneration. Meanwhile, the synergistic benefits of mechanical cues and biochemical agents for PDL regeneration remain elusive. In this study, we developed a bi-crosslinking viscoelastic hydrogel (Alg-PBA/Spd) by integrating phenylboronic acid-modified alginate with anti-inflammatory agent (spermidine) through borate ester and B–N coordination bonds, where spermidine will be released with the degradation of the hydrogel. Alg-PBA/Spd hydrogel is biocompatible, injectable and can quickly adapt to complex periodontal structures due to the dynamic crosslinking. We demonstrated in rat models that the viscoelastic Alg-PBA/Spd hydrogel significantly promotes the deposition of periodontal collagen and accelerates the repair of periodontal damage. Our results suggest that the viscoelastic Alg-PBA/Spd hydrogel would be a promising mechano-biochemically synergistic treatment for periodontal regeneration.
Machine learning: how to get more out of HEP data and the Higgs Boson Machine Learning Challenge

Multivariate techniques using machine learning algorithms have become an integral part in many High Energy Physics (HEP) data analyses. The article shows the gain in physics reach of the physics experiments due to the adaptation of machine learning techniques. Rapid development in the field of machine learning in the last years is a challenge for the HEP community. The open competition for machine learning experts “Higgs Boson Machine Learning Challenge” shows, that the modern techniques developed outside HEP can significantly improve the analysis of data from HEP experiments and improve the sensitivity of searches for new particles and processes.
Boundary-Layer Transition across a Stratocumulus Cloud Edge in a Coastal Zone

Abstract We examine the lateral transition from a stratocumulus-covered boundary layer to a clear-sky convective boundary layer during onshore flow in a coastal environment, using both mobile sodar observations and a numerical model. During four observation periods, the vertically averaged wind speed increases by roughly a factor of 2 within 5 km of the cloud edge, and the boundary-layer-averaged wind direction backs 40°–60°. The numerical predictions, driven by horizontal heat flux differences between cloudy- and clear-sky regions, agree quantitatively with both the observed wind speedup near the cloud edge and the observed boundary-layer growth, but the wind direction backing is underpredicted. In both observations and predictions, the surface wind speed maximum moves inland with time, whereas the boundary-layer-averaged wind speed maximum remains at the cloud edge. At the cloud edge, a predicted subsidence maximum coincides with an observed dip in boundary-layer depth. In the clear-sky region, concomit.