Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uma Arquitetura de Rede Neural com Auxílio da Nuvem para Dispositivos Computacionalmente Limitados

A execução de redes neurais profundas (Deep Neural Networks – DNNs) pode ser inviável em dispositivos de baixo poder computacional. Este trabalho propõe um modelo de rede neural otimizado para esses dispositivos, ao custo de uma menor acurácia, mas auxiliado por uma DNN na nuvem caso a inferência não atinja um determinado valor de confiança. Experimentos com dígitos escritos à mão mostram que o modelo ocupa baixa quantidade de memória, além de possuir tempo de treinamento e de inferência menores quando comparado a uma DNN conhecida. Adicionalmente, a estratégia de realizar a inferência local antes de consultar a nuvem reduziu o tempo médio de inferência em pelo menos quatro vezes, com uma acurácia de 96%.
High Thermal Stability and Low Dielectric Constant of BCB Modified Silicone Resins

Based on the excellent physical properties and flexible molecular modifiability, modified silicone resins have received favorable attention in the field of microelectronics, and recently a number of modified silicone resins have appeared while few breakthroughs have been made in low dielectric constant (low-k) materials field due to the limitations of structure or the curing process. In this work, functional silicone resin with different BCB contents was prepared with two monomers. The resins showed low dielectric constant (k = 2.77 at 10 MHz) and thermal stability (T5% = 495.0 °C) after curing. Significant performance changes were observed with the increase in BCB structural units, and the functional silicone obtained does not require melting and dissolution during processing because of good fluidity at room temperature. Moreover, the mechanical properties of silicone resins can be also controlled by adjusting the BCB content. The obtained silicone resins could be potentially used in the field of electronic packaging materials.
Convergence of IoT and Cognitive Radio Networks: A Survey of Applications, Techniques, and Challenges

Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) have been proposed as a solution to the problem of spectrum scarcity in wireless communication systems. CRNs allow for dynamic spectrum access by secondary users, who can opportunistically use the spectrum when it is not being utilized by primary users. The integration of CRNs with the Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to bring significant benefits to both wireless communication systems and IoT applications. Spectrum sensing is a crucial component of CRNs, as it enables the secondary users to detect the presence of primary users and opportunistically use the available spectrum. Routing is another important aspect of CRN IOT-based systems, as it enables efficient communication between the devices. Traditional routing protocols may not be suitable for CRN IOT-based systems, due to the dynamic nature of the available spectrum. In this survey paper, we explore the recent research and developments in CRN IOT-based systems, including the architecture, key technologies, and potential applications. Mainly, we will focus on the key aspects of spectrum sensing and routing in CRNs integrated with the IoT. Hence, we review the sensing and routing protocols and discuss their performance in different scenarios. We will also discuss the challenges and future research directions in this field. Overall, this survey aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in IOT-based CRNs and to highlight the potential of this technology for addressing the growing demands of wireless communication and IoT applications.
Impact of Applied Voltage on Threshold Voltage Instability in Active Load Thin-Film a-IGZO Inverters

This work presents an analysis and modeling of the electrical stress effects caused by different voltages on a logic inverter device circuit based on thin-film transistor (TFT) technology. The study includes the characterization of single indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) TFTs and inverters with an active load configuration to investigate the behavior of their threshold voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {TH}}{)}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> under various bias voltages. Additionally, an analytical model is used to quantify the impact of electrical stress on the trapping parameters of the dielectric–semiconductor interface. The model demonstrates that the charged trapped concentration increases exponentially with the applied voltage bias, resulting in a significant initial shift in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {TH}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Importantly, this analytical model allows the assessment of the electrical stress effect on TFT-based circuits. The findings can inform the determination of a maximum applied voltage bias based on the desired threshold voltage. Furthermore, the model facilitates the estimation of circuit reliability and lifetime by considering the polarization time under different applied voltage bias conditions.
Modern Neural Network Technologies Text-to-Image

This paper discusses state-of-the-art graphical text-to-image neural networks and methods for text-to-image conversion, analyzing the results achieved and samples created to date for text-to-image conversion tasks. Ways of applying neural network approaches to text-to-image transformation for environmental monitoring, infrastructure and medical data analysis tasks are proposed. In this paper the results of neural network generation and its correlation with the user input linguistic constructions of text queries are reviewed, and the typical flaws and artifacts typical of the neural network generated images are identified and classified. The rapid development of neural network technologies in this field could have a significant impact on society, the professional market and the media, which makes the task of studying neural network images and identifying them among other graphic content particularly relevant.
Small curvature particle flow for nonlinear filters

We derive five new particle flow algorithms for nonlinear filters based on the small curvature approximation inspired by fluid dynamics. We find it extremely interesting that this physically motivated approximation generalizes two of our previous exact flow algorithms, namely incompressible flow and Gaussian flow. We derive a new algorithm to compute the inverse of the sum of two linear differential operators using a second homotopy, similar to Feynman's perturbation theory for quantum electrodynamics as well as Gromov's h-principle.
Novel Bone Void Filling Cement Compositions Based on Shell Nacre and Siloxane Methacrylate Resin: Development and Characterization

Shell nacre from Pinctada species has been extensively researched for managing bone defects. However, there is a gap in the research regarding using shell nacre powder as a cement with improved biological and physicochemical properties. To address this, bone void filling cement was formulated by incorporating shell nacre powder and an organically modified ceramic resin (ormocer). The shell nacre powder was specifically processed from the shells of Pinctada fucata and analysed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy, confirming the presence of organic constituents and inorganic aragonite. Trace element analysis confirmed the eligibility of shell nacre powder for biomedical applications. Next, the ormocer SNLSM2 was synthesized through a modified sol–gel method. FTIR, Raman, TGA, and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed the presence of a ladder-structured siloxane backbone and methacrylate side chain. To develop chemical curable composite shell nacre cement (SNC), different amounts of shell nacre (24%, 48%, and 72%) were added to the SNLSM2 resin, and the impact on the physicochemical properties of the cement was studied. Among the compositions, SNC 72 exhibited significantly lower linear polymerization shrinkage (0.4%) and higher compressive (>100 MPa) and flexural strength (>35 MPa). SNC 72 was radiopaque, and the exotherm generated during the cement curing was minimal. Cytotoxicity studies with L929 cells revealed the non-cytotoxic nature of the cement. Overall, the findings of this study prove that the shell nacre cement is a promising candidate for managing bone voids.
Performance Evaluation of BD Phoenix and MicroScan WalkAway Plus for Determination of Fosfomycin Susceptibility in Enterobacterales

Background: Fosfomycin is an old bactericidal drug that has gained increasing interest in the last decade for its potential use in multi-drug resistant gram-negative infections. However, evidence on fosfomycin susceptibility testing reports a poor correlation between commercial methods vs. reference agar dilution (AD) for Enterobacterales (EB). The study aimed at assessing the performance of two automated systems for the determination of fosfomycin susceptibility in EB clinical isolates. Methods: Fosfomycin susceptibility testing results of two collections of 100 non-duplicate clinical EB strains obtained using two different platforms (BD Phoenix and MicroScan WalkAway Plus) were compared with those obtained by AD. Categorical agreement (CA), major error (ME) and very major error (VME) rates were calculated. Results: BD Phoenix exhibited a 6.9% rate of false-resistant results and achieved a CA of 69%, whereas MicroScan WalkAway Plus achieved 3.7% of false-resistant results and 72% of CA. Both automated systems showed poor detection of resistant isolates, with 49.1% and 56.2% of false-susceptible results for BD Phoenix and Microscan WalkAway Plus, respectively. Conclusions: Overall, agar dilution remains the most suitable method for routine laboratory antimicrobial susceptibility testing of fosfomycin on Enterobacterales strains, given the poor performance of automated systems. The application of both automated systems, in the clinical laboratories reporting of fosfomycin, should be reviewed in light of the accuracy results falling below the acceptable threshold.
Robust consensus of multi‐agent systems with multiplicative uncertainties and its application in time synchronization

This article first studies the robust consensus problem of discrete‐time single‐integrator multi‐agent systems (MASs) with multiplicative uncertainties in switching networks. Under the assumption that the uncertainty is polynomially decaying, we prove that the consensus of the MAS can be achieved by adopting the decaying gain protocol if the switching network is uniformly strongly connected (USC). The convergence rate is quantified in terms of the decay rate of uncertainties. Then, we use the consensus conclusion studying the convergence analysis problem of a typical time synchronization algorithm (the LSTS algorithm proposed in Tian [IEEE Trans Automat Contr. 2017;62(10):5445–5450]) in wireless sensor networks. We prove that the LSTS algorithm can still achieve the bounded time synchronization even if the switching network is USC, a more general topology condition compared with existing convergence results in Tian (IEEE Trans Automat Contr. 2017;62(10):5445–5450). Simulation results are given to verify the correctness of both the consensus conclusion for MASs and convergence conclusion for LSTS algorithm.
Growth performance of broiler chicken fed diet with single cell protein

The present study was designed to study the effect of single cell protein (SCP) on growth performances in broiler chicken. Day old chicks (600) were distributed in six groups and each group was consisting of four replicates with 25 birds in each. Soybean meal was replaced by SCP at the level of 0 (control), 2% (T1), 4% (T2), 6% (T3), 8% (T4) and 10% (T5). Total duration of the trial was 42 days. There was decrease in body weight, feed intake, performance index and increase in FCR with higher inclusion level but at the 2% level, the results were comparable with control. Dressing%, breast yield% and abdominal fat% decreased as the replacement of the soybean meal increased. However, hot carcass weight%, neck%, wing%, drumstick%, thigh%, back% showed no difference. Hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, ALT and AST level decreased significantly as the inclusion level increases but the level of uric acid increased. It can be concluded that SCP with 2% replacement of the soybean meal can be included in the commercial broiler ration without any adverse effect.
An Adaptive Memristor-Programming Neurodynamic Approach to Nonsmooth Nonconvex Optimization Problems

This article introduces an adaptive memristor-programming neurodynamic approach (AMPNA) to tackle optimization problems that are nonconvex and nonsmooth with inequality and equality constraints. In the circumstance that requiring neither estimating penalty parameters, nor the coerciveness of inequality constraints, the state of the AMPNA can go into the feasible region from any initial points within a finite amount of time and ultimately converge to the critical point set of the aforementioned optimization problem. Differ from the existing neurodynamic approach (NA), AMPNA has superiority in using memristor. On the one hand, with regard to power consumption, AMPNA makes the most of memristor’s unconventional characteristics to execute within the flux-charge realm. Compared with conventional NA executing within the voltage-current realm, AMPNA executes within the flux-charge realm and consumes power only in the analog transient. Once the analog transient is complete, all voltages, currents and powers in the AMPNA disappear. On the other hand, in terms of result storage, since the memristor has the ability to calculate and save information at the same physical location, the AMPNA no longer needs additional memories, and can implement the calculation scheme by the principle of in-memory computation. Therefore, the AMPNA presented in this article has significant advantages in reducing power consumption and storage space. Finally, AMPNA’s optimization capacity and exceptional performance are confirmed through numerical simulations.
Three‐dimensional fundamental solution for unsaturated transversely isotropic half‐space under surface time‐harmonic load

An analytical solution of unsaturated poroelastic transversely isotropic (TI) half‐space under surface time‐harmonic load with consideration of compressibility, viscous and inertial coupling of soil skeleton, pore‐water and pore‐air, as well as the capillary pressure is investigated in this paper. Firstly, the governing equations of unsaturated TI soil are established in cylindrical coordinate system. Then, the displacement function and operator theory are introduced to decouple the general solution. Secondly, Fourier expansion and Hankel transform are applied to the circumferential and radial coordinates, and the integral general solutions of soil skeleton displacement, pore‐water displacement and pressure, pore‐air displacement and pressure, and the total stress components are derived in the transformed domain. Combined with boundary conditions and continuity conditions, the fundamental solution of unsaturated TI half‐space is obtained. Finally, the proposed solution is verified by benchmarking with two existing solutions. The influence of the TI parameters, vibration frequency and the degree of saturation on the dynamic response of unsaturated poroelastic half‐space is investigated.
The Relationship between Telomere Length and Nucleoplasmic Bridges and Severity of Disease in Prostate Cancer Patients

Simple Summary Telomeres are essential to prevent telomere end fusions that cause the formation of dicentric chromosomes and nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) which in turn induce chromosomal instability, cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we show that telomere length (TL) is reduced and NPBs are increased in prostate cancer (PC) cases and the incidence of these adverse genomic insults is further elevated with increased severity of disease. NPBs and TL in white blood cells may have clinical utility to identify and triage PC cases who may be at risk of serious disease. More studies are required to confirm our observations and to explore mechanistic differences in the role of telomeres in NPB formation in PC cases relative to healthy controls. Abstract Telomeres are repetitive nucleotide (TTAGGG) sequences that stabilize the chromosome ends and play an important role in the prevention of cancer initiation and progression. Nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) are formed when chromatids remain joined together during mitotic anaphase either due to mis-repair of DNA breaks or due to chromatid end fusion as a result of telomere loss or telomere dysfunction. We tested the hypotheses that (i) telomere length (TL) is shorter in prostate cancer (PC) patients relative to healthy age-matched individuals, (ii) TL differs in different stages of PC and (iii) shorter TL is significantly correlated with NPBs formation in PC cases. TL was measured in whole blood by well-established quantitative PCR method and the frequency of NPBs was measured in lymphocytes using cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMNcyt) assay. Our results indicate that TL is shorter and NPBs are increased in PC patients relative to age-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, TL was significantly shorter (p = 0.03) in patients with a Gleason score more than 7 and there was also a significant trend of decreasing TL across all three stages (p trend = 0.01; Gleason score <7, 7 and >7). Furthermore, TL was significantly inversely correlated with NPB frequency in PC patients (r = −0.316; p = 0.001) but not in controls (r = 0.163; p = 0.06) and their relationships became stronger with higher Gleason scores. More studies are required that can confirm our observations and explore mechanistic differences in the role of telomeres in NPB formation in PC cases relative to non-cancer cases.
Influence of Cobalt Source, Folic Acid, and Rumen-Protected Methionine on Performance, Metabolism, and Liver Tissue One-Carbon Metabolism Biomarkers in Peripartal Holstein Cows

Simple Summary Vitamin B12 is produced by ruminal microbes, and dietary Co is essential in this process, ultimately residing at the center of the corrin ring of the vitamin. Together with folate, vitamin B12 participates in the remethylation of homocysteine to generate methionine. Several studies with dairy cows have highlighted the positive effect of supplementing Co above current estimated requirements on the ruminal synthesis of vitamin B12. Studies with dairy cows have yielded inconsistent results in terms of lactation performance both in early- and mid-lactation phases. Despite this, it was clearly demonstrated that concentrations of Co and vitamin B12 in the liver rise markedly after calving when periparturient Holstein cows are fed supplemental Co. We sought to assess if Co source, folic acid, and rumen-protected methionine (RPM) fed in various combinations around parturition have an impact on performance and one-carbon metabolism in the liver. Despite a lack of effect on performance, feeding ruminally available folic acid with an experimental source of Co and RPM had the strongest effect on the activity of hepatic methionine adenosyltransferase, which produces the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine. Thus, these nutrients may impact methyl-group-requiring reactions in the liver during the transition period. Abstract Vitamin B12 plays a role in the remethylation of homocysteine to Met, which then serves as a substrate for Met adenosyltransferase (MAT) to synthesize S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). We investigated effects of feeding two cobalt sources [Co-glucoheptonate (CoPro) or CoPectin, Zinpro Corp.], an experimental ruminally-available source of folic acid (FOA), and rumen-protected Met (RPM) on performance and hepatic one-carbon metabolism in peripartal Holstein cows. From −30 to 30 d around calving, 72 multiparous cows were randomly allocated to: CoPro, CoPro + FOA, CoPectin + FOA, or CoPectin + FOA + RPM. The Co treatments delivered 1 mg Co/kg of DM (CoPro or CoPectin), each FOA group received 50 mg/d FOA, and RPM was fed at 0.09% of DM intake (DMI). Milk yield and DMI were not affected. Compared with other groups, the percentage of milk protein was greater after the second week of lactation in CoPectin + FOA + RPM. Compared with CoPro or CoPro + FOA, feeding CoPectin + FOA or CoPectin + FOA + RPM led to a greater activity of MAT at 7 to 15 d postcalving. For betaine–homocysteine S-methyltransferase, CoPro together with CoPectin + FOA + RPM cows had greater activity at 7 and 15 d than CoPro + FOA. Overall, supplying FOA with CoPectin or CoPectin plus RPM may enhance S-adenosylmethionine synthesis via MAT in the liver after parturition. As such, these nutrients may impact methylation reactions and liver function.
EPs® 7630 Stimulates Tissue Repair Mechanisms and Modifies Tight Junction Protein Expression in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

Airway epithelium repair after infection consists of wound repair, re-synthesis of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and tight junction proteins. In humans, EPs® 7630 obtained from Pelargonium sidoides roots reduces the severity and duration of acute respiratory tract infections. The effect of EPs® 7630 on tissue repair of rhinovirus-16 (RV-16) infected and control human airway epithelial cells was assessed for: (i) epithelial cell proliferation by manual cell counts, (ii) epithelial wound repair by “scratch assay”, (iii) ECM composition by Western-blotting and cell-based ELISA, and (iv) epithelial tight junction proteins by Western-blotting. EPs® 7630 stimulated cell proliferation through cAMP, CREB, and p38 MAPK. EPs® 7630 significantly improved wound repair. Pro-inflammatory collagen type-I expression was reduced by EPs® 7630, while fibronectin was increased. Virus-binding tight junction proteins desmoglein2, desmocollin2, ZO-1, claudin1, and claudin4 were downregulated by EPs® 7630. The RV16-induced shift of the ECM towards the pro-inflammatory type was prevented by EPs® 7630. Most of the effects of EPs® 7630 on tissue repair and regeneration were sensitive to inhibition of cAMP-induced signaling. The data suggest that EPs® 7630-dependent modification of epithelial cell metabolism and function might underlie the faster recovery time from viral infections, as reported by others in clinical studies.
Role of corporate social responsibility on firm performance in emerging economy: The mediating role of access to finance and business model innovation

Abstract The aim of this study is to perform the impacts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on the firms’ performance (FP). These investigations also provide the mediating role of access to finance (AF) as well as business model innovation (BMI) using the relationship of CSR and FP. This study principally follows quantitative method. The smart use of the PLS SEM to investigate the data of the SMEs in Vietnam in 2020. The findings of this work indicate an important and positive effect of CSR on FP using the AF and BMI mediated in this relation. The study brings a mechanism by which corporate social responsibility results in firm performance: SMEs with improved CSR practices will be better positioned for AF and BMI those translating into improved competitiveness for improved firm performance in a sustainable direction. The originality of this study is to provide the comprehensive CSR practices based on the financial representations of SMEs in the developing countries. Moreover, this study shows a rare work that establishes a relationship between the financial SMEs performance and CSR practices in Vietnam through the financial and business model innovation as mediation, particularly that favors revisionist view of CSR in the current context of Vietnam. The objective of this work is to provide the important implications for business practitioners and managerial level of SMEs with respect to increase in CSR awareness as well as the importance of CSR long-term strategic planning in their corporate focus strategy.