Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Creating a Microenvironment to Give Wings to Dental Pulp Regeneration—Bioactive Scaffolds

Dental pulp and periapical diseases make patients suffer from acute pain and economic loss. Although root canal therapies, as demonstrated through evidence-based medicine, can relieve symptoms and are commonly employed by dentists, it is still difficult to fully restore a dental pulp’s nutrition, sensory, and immune-regulation functions. In recent years, researchers have made significant progress in tissue engineering to regenerate dental pulp in a desired microenvironment. With breakthroughs in regenerative medicine and material science, bioactive scaffolds play a pivotal role in creating a suitable microenvironment for cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation, following dental restoration and regeneration. This article focuses on current challenges and novel perspectives about bioactive scaffolds in creating a microenvironment to promote dental pulp regeneration. We hope our readers will gain a deeper understanding and new inspiration of dental pulp regeneration through our summary.
COMBILOSE: A novel lactose-based co-processed excipient for direct compression

Lactose is the commonly used diluent in the manufacturing of tablets dosage form. However, the poor flowability and compressibility of lactose limit its use as direct compressible filler binder. In this research work, composite excipient COMBILOSE was developed as directly compressible filler binder by coprocessing technique. Lactose monohydrate was co-processed with maltose monohydrate and maize starch by co-freezing and co-drying technique. Physical blends of lactose monohydrate and maize starch were prepared in ratio of 20:1. Prepared physical blends were dispersed in 5% w/v, 10% w/v, and 15% w/v aqueous solutions of maltose monohydrate. Dispersions were subjected to co-freezing followed by co-drying. Microfine granules of COMBILOSE were obtained by comminution and sifting of the dried composites. The developed composite excipients were evaluated for various excipient functionalities. The results of studies showed that coprocessing of lactose monohydrate with maize starch and maltose monohydrate can improve flowability and tabletability. COMBILOSE containing 10% w/v of maltose monohydrate showed better dilution potential and reduced lubricant sensitivity. Improvement in compressibility was observed, which could be due to pre-gelatinization of maize starch during development process. In conclusion, a blend of lactose monohydrate and maize starch in a ratio of 20:1 when processed with 10% of maltose monohydrate could provide good compressibility and better dilution potential with a reduced lubricant sensitivity.
Hydrodynamics of locomotion in the squid Loligo pealei

Potential flow analysis, including unsteady effects, has been applied to live swimming squid, Loligo pealei. Squid were modelled as slender, axisymmetric bodies. High-speed video records, recorded at frame rates of 125 to 250 Hz, provided time-varying body outlines which were digitized automatically. Axisymmetric renderings of these body outlines and the real motion of the squid were used as the input of the potential flow analysis. Axial and lateral inviscid fluid forces simply due to the flow past the squid body were calculated from pressures coefficients obtained from the unsteady Bernoulli equation. Lateral forces were found to play virtually no role in determining muscle stresses in squid jet propulsion. Axial pressure forces were also found to be small in comparison to both net force (based on the observed whole body kinematics) and estimations of skin friction. These findings demonstrate the effects of the highly adapted shape of squid with regard to hydrodynamics. The work suggests that skin friction and working fluid intake are the most significant sources of drag on a swimming squid.
Toxoplasma gondii and Schistosoma mansoni Synergize to Promote Hepatocyte Dysfunction Associated with High Levels of Plasma TNF-α and Early Death in C57BL/6 Mice

To address the question of how the murine host responds to a prototypic type 1 cytokine inducer while concurrently undergoing a helminth-induced type 2 cytokine response, C57BL/6 strain animals with patent schistosomiasis mansoni were orally infected with the cystogenic Toxoplasma gondii strain ME49. Schistosoma mansoni infection resulted in a significantly higher mortality rate when mice were subsequently orally infected with ME49, and these animals displayed a defective IFN-γ and NO response relative to animals infected with T. gondii alone. Plasma levels of TNF-α and aspartate transaminase in double-infected mice were greatly elevated relative to mice infected with either parasite alone. Consistent with the latter observation, these animals exhibited severe liver pathology, with regions of coagulative necrosis and hepatocyte vacuolization unapparent in mice carrying either infection alone. Interestingly, mean egg granuloma size was ∼50% of that in mice with S. mansoni infection alone. The exacerbated liver pathology in coinfected mice did not appear to be a result of uncontrolled tachyzoite replication, because both parasite-specific RT-PCR analysis and immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a low number of tachyzoites in the liver. We hypothesize that mortality in these animals results from the high level of systemic TNF-α, which mediates a severe liver pathology culminating in death of the animal.
Valence band offset of InN∕AlN heterojunctions measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to measure the valence band offset of the InN/BaTiO3 heterojunction. It is found that a type-I band alignment forms at the interface. The valence band offset (VBO) and conduction band offset (CBO) are determined to be 2.25 ± 0.09 and 0.15 ± 0.09 eV, respectively. The experimental VBO data is well consistent with the value that comes from transitivity rule. The accurate determination of VBO and CBO is important for use of semiconductor/ferrroelectric heterojunction multifunctional devices.
CMOS Compatible Low Power Consumption Ferroelectric Synapse for Neuromorphic Computing

With the development of bioelectronics, brain-inspired artificial synapses become more and more important. To simulate artificial synapse, a HfAlO ferroelectric tunnel junction (FTJ) was fabricated, which can simulate short-term synaptic plasticity for neuromorphic computing. The devices realize the synaptic function with low power consumption of about 7.15 aJ per synaptic event. Moreover, to explore the effect of oxygen defects on ferroelectric properties of HfAlO-based device, the first-principle analysis was further carried out. These results pave the way of hafnium-based ferroelectric synaptic devices.
LYAPUNOV BASED STABILITY ANALYSIS OF A THREE-TIME SCALE MODEL FOR A HELICOPTER ON A PLATFORM1

Abstract An asymptotical stability analysis is conducted using Lyapunov stability methods to construct a composite Lyapunov function candidate in a step-by-step way extending the procedures defined in [Kokotovic et al., 1986] for the two-time-scale singular perturbation problems, to the three-time-scale singular perturbation problem of a Radio/Control helicopter on a platform.
Motor and sensory adaptation following auditory perturbation of /s/ production

Studies of motor adaptation have provided valuable insights into the role of auditory and orosensory feedback in speech production. While perturbations to the structure of the vocal tract (e.g., pseudopalate), which alter both orosensory and auditory feedback, have been used to investigate the production of a range of consonants and vowels, studies of short‐term speech adaptation utilizing purely auditory feedback manipulations (e.g., spectral shifting) have been mostly limited to investigations of vowel production. These studies have revealed that motor plans underlying vowel production are flexible, and that subjects will readily alter their motor output in order to achieve auditory perceptual targets. In the present study, we have extended this work by spectrally shifting the acoustic signal for the sibilant /s/ during the production of short /s/‐initial words. Evidence of motor adaptation was observed following a brief, intensive period of practice under altered auditory conditions, indicating a role .
Building catastrophes: networks designed to fail by avalanche-like breakdown

We present a simple method for constructing networks designed to fail catastrophically due to an avalanche-like breakdown. Our method simulates an avalanche in reverse, building a network designed to fail by avalanche-like breakdown. Some restrictions are imposed on the output flow rates of the nodes. An expression for the critical output flow rate of a node is derived. Nodes in the network are considered to have failed when their output flow rate exceeds this value. Two cases are considered: networks where total flow in the network increases with network size; and networks where the total flow is constant. We also consider networks in which nodes have weighted output flow rates. The topology of the generated networks is studied, and it is seen that networks that are almost homogeneous in node degree may still fail catastrophically. Finally we present some possible extensions to the method.
Distance-dependent noise measurements in scanning force microscopy

The changes in the thermal noise spectrum of a scanning-force-microscope cantilever upon approach of the tip to the sample were used to investigate the interactions between the cantilever and the sample. The investigation of thermal noise is the natural choice for dynamic measurements with little disturbance of the sample. In particular, the small amplitudes involved ensure linear dynamic response. It is possible to discriminate between viscous coupling, elastic coupling and changes in the effective mass. The technique is versatile in terms of substrates and environments. Hydrodynamic long-range interactions depending on the sample, the geometry and the ambient medium are observed. The dependence of hydrodynamic interaction on various parameters such as the viscosity and the density of the medium is described. For sufficiently soft surfaces, the method is sensitive to viscoelastic properties of the surface. For example, the viscous coupling to the surface is strongly increased when the surface is covered with a swollen `polymer brush'.
Performance Analysis of Induction Motor Fed by Two-Level Inverter and Multi Level Inverter

This paper presents a comparative study to evaluate the performance characteristics of induction motor fed by a conventional two-level inverter and a multi-level inverter. Multi-level inverters are developed recently to overcome the drawbacks of two-level inverters. However, their topologies consist of large number of power switches. As a result, developed topologies are investigated to reduce the number of power switches. In this paper, a five-level H-bridge inverter with reduced count of switches has been presented. It consists of H-bridge and two auxiliary bi-directional switches. Both drives are simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment to evaluate the induction motor performance. Sinusoidal pulse width modulation technique is used to control both inverters. The total harmonic distortion of motor voltage and current waveforms in both drives are investigated and compared. Also, the motor torque and speed curves in both drives are compared and evaluated. Simulation results enhances the improved impact of proposed multi-level inverter on electrical grid over two-level inverter. However, they approximately have the same impact on motor performance.
Differential Systems with Strongly Indefinite Variational Structure

Abstract The Euler-Lagrange equations of Lagrangians with a strongly indefinite quadratic part are studied by means of the direct min-max method of Benci and Rabinowitz. The simplest case is a system of two coupled semilinear Poisson equations. Using an analytic framework of a suitable family of products of fractional Sobolev spaces existence results are obtained for all nonlinearities with subcritical growth rates.
A new Bayesian lasso and ridge regression with a practically meaningful parameterization and a simple weakly informative prior

Bayesian lasso mimics the regular lasso penalty by placing a double‐exponential prior on the regression coefficients. It automatically provides integrated interval estimates that the regular lasso does not do. Bayesian lasso has found many applications from genetics and genomics to text categorization to traffic safety. The difficulty in specifying a sensible prior for the rate of the double exponential distribution for a particular application, however, is a significant barrier for the wider use of this methodology. This paper proposes a new Bayesian lasso formulation. Instead of using the rate of the double exponential distribution, the new formulation uses a standardized total effect size as the parameter that determines the level of shrinkage with several significant advantages. First, an informative prior is more effectively constructed and understood for this practically meaningful parameter. Second, a weakly informative prior for this new parameter is derived, which allows a practicing statistician to carry out the analysis in an automated way when an informative prior is difficult to elucidate. Third, it is more flexible in modelling prior distributions. A parallel new formulation for Bayesian ridge regression is also provided. A simple and efficient Stan implementation is supplied that can be readily used.
Hyperbolic Householder algorithms for factoring structured matrices

Efficient algorithms for computing triangular decompositions of Hermitian matrices with small displacement rank using hyperbolic Householder matrices are derived. These algorithms can be both vectorized and parallelized. Implementations along with performance results on an Alliant FX/80, Cray X-MP/48, and Cray-2 are discussed. The use of Householder-type transformations is shown to improve performance for problems with nontrivial displacement ranks. In special cases, the general algorithm reduces to the well-known Schur algorithm for factoring Toeplitz matrices and Elden’s algorithm for solvig structured regularization problems. It gives a Householder formulation to the class of algorithms based on hyperbolic rotations studied by Kailath, Lev-Ari, Chun, and their colleagues for Hermitian matrices with small displacement structure. In addition, an extension to the efficient factorization of indefinite systems is described.
ILLUSIONS ABOUT UNCERTAINTY*

This collection of essays by leading researchers in the way humans form judgements of uncertainty and risk is dominated by an interest in the role of 'heuristics' in the assessment of uncertainty and, in particular, with the 'biases' which the use of such heuristics can induce in these assessments. The basic theme is philosophically and psychologically intriguing. Mathematicians and statisticians often use simplifications in calculations which give results sufficiently accurate for the task at hand. Such expedients are often more than mere computational conveniences. They become necessities when we lack the capacity to derive exact solutions even when hooked up to the latest technology. The use of such techniques of approximation in scientific work is accompanied, of course, by serious efforts to determine the conditions when the approximations are good or bad. Both poisson and normal distributions can approximate binomial distributions; but they perform well under different circumstances. It is important to keep control over the application of such techniques to avoid excessive bias in estimates made with their aid. I have been alluding to techniques for cutting corners in calculation which are deliberately instituted to provide good if not exact estimates where exact estimates are too costly or not feasible at all. It is entertainable, however, that the intuitive reasoner cuts corners in his deliberations using techniques acquired by nature or nurture in a manner beyond the control of the reasoner or those involved in his upbringing. And one might conjecture that such techniques are acquired to deal with tasks whose exact solutions would tax the abilities of the intuitive reasoner. If that is the case, it is to be expected that these techniques should enable the intuitive reasoner to perform well at tasks of computation and ratiocination ordinarily demanded of her or him especially if survival value were a contributory explanatory factor in accounting for the acquisition of the rule. On the other hand, it is also to be expected that sometimes such techniques should lead to error and, indeed, should do so even when the computational capacities needed to obtain a more accurate result are available to the agent. Because the use of the techniques are part of the agent's unreflective repertoire of reasoning practices, she or he exercises no critical control over their use and so relies on them without a moment's thought even in contexts where they go badly wrong.
Laboratory microwave spectrum of the cyclic C3D radical

The rotational spectral lines of the cyclic C3D radical in the 2B2 electronic ground state are detected in the laboratory. The radical is produced by discharging a gaseous mixture of C2D2, Co, and He, and the spectrum is observed in the 148-360 GHz region. The molecular constants including hyperfine coupling constants due to the D nucleus are determined by the least-squares analysis from 52 observed line frequencies. The frequencies of several low-N transitions needed for future radioastronomical observations are calculated from the molecular constants. 21 refs.
Remote Sensing for Agricultural Water Management in Jordan

This study shows how remote sensing methods are used to support and provide means for improving agricultural water management (AWM) in Jordan through detailed mapping of irrigated areas and irrigation water consumption (IWC). Digital processing and classification methods were applied on multi-temporal data of Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 to derive maps of irrigated areas for the period 2017–2019. Different relationships were developed between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the crop coefficient (Kc) to map evapotranspiration (ET). Using ground data, ET maps were transferred to IWC for the whole country. Spatial analysis was then used to delineate hotspots where shifts between ET and groundwater abstraction were observed. Results showed that the applied remote sensing methods provided accurate maps of irrigated areas. The NDVI-Kc relationships were significant, with coefficients of determination (R2) ranging from 0.89 to 0.93. Subsequently, the ET estimates from the NDVI-Kc relationships were in agreement with remotely sensed ET modeled by SEBAL (NSE = 0.89). In the context of Jordan, results showed that irrigated areas in the country reached 98 thousand ha in 2019, with 64% of this area located in the highlands. The main irrigated crops were vegetables (55%) and fruit trees and olives (40%). The total IWC reached 702 MCM in 2019, constituting 56% of the total water consumption in Jordan, with 375 MCM of this amount being pumped from groundwater, while reported abstraction was only 235 MCM. The study identified the hotspots where illegal abstraction or incorrect metering of groundwater existed. Furthermore, it emphasized the roles of remote sensing in AWM, as it provided updated figures on groundwater abstraction and forecasts for future IWC, which would reach 986 MCM in 2050. Therefore, the approach of ET and IWC mapping would be highly recommended to map ET and to provide estimates of present and future IWC.
Acoustic correlates of non‐modal phonation in telephone speech

Non‐modal phonation conveys both linguistic and paralinguistic information, and is distinguished by acoustic source and filter features. Detecting non‐modal phonation in speech requires reliable F0 analysis, a problem for telephone‐band speech, where F0 analysis frequently fails. An approach is demonstrated to the detection of creaky phonation in telephone speech based on robust F0 and spectral analysis. The F0 analysis relies on an autocorrelation algorithm applied to the inverse‐filtered speech signal and succeeds in regions of non‐modal phonation where the non‐filtered F0 analysis typically fails. In addition to the extracted F0 values, spectral amplitude is measured at the first two harmonics (H1, H2) and the first three formants (A1, A2, A3). F0 and spectral tilt are measured from 300 samples of modal and creaky voice vowels, selected from Switchboard telephone speech using auditory and visual criteria. Results show successful F0 detection in creaky voice regions, with distinctive low F0, and statist.
An Analysis of Single and Double Generator Thermodynamic Formalisms for the Macroscopic Description of Complex Fluids

Several seemingly distinct formalisms have been developed recently as an alternative to the modern conventional approach (based on balance equations) for describing the mechanics and thermodynamics of complex fluids under dynamical conditions. Two of these approaches for isolated thermodynamic systems are the single generator Bracket Formalism and the more recent GENERIC Formalism incorporating a second generating functional. The interrelationships between these two alternate approaches are examined on an abstract level and direct connections are determined for some specific examples of fluid systems: a compressible, nonisothermal, isotropic fluid, an arbitrary fluid with an unspecified internal variable, and a chemically reactive fluid system. In so doing, new physical insight is obtained regarding the thermodynamic origins of key elements of each formalism. For purely macroscopic systems, it is shown that the GENERIC degeneracy condition on the dissipative metric matrix ensures global energy conservation, produces a symmetric metric matrix, and allows this matrix to be split into purely thermodynamic and kinematical components for systems with linear dissipation. The last realization leads to the natural driving forces expressed in bracket form being constrained Volterra derivatives of the entropy functional with respect to the system variables. The use of this concept in the Bracket Formalism provides a symmetric, bilinear dissipation bracket without the need for an explicit energy correction term.
Adaptive Hybrid Framework for Multiscale Void Inspection of Chip Resistor Solder Joints

During reflow soldering, voids inevitably emerge inside the solder joints of chip resistors, which will influence the reliability of the electronic device. In this article, an adaptive hybrid framework is proposed for multiscale void inspection of chip resistor solder joints. First, an adaptive partition scheme is proposed to adaptively divide the image of the chip resistor solder joint into two regions, which correspond to the solder beneath the chip resistor body (Region 1) and the solder fillet (Region 2). Then, the voids in the two regions are separately inspected by two proposed adaptive inspection methods. One is that the multiscale convolution with adaptive circular kernels (MC-ACKs), guided filtering, and thresholding segmentation is proposed to inspect the voids in Region 1. The other is that an improved active contour model (ACM) is proposed to inspect the voids in Region 2, which incorporates the gray adaptive strategy and shape prior (SP) of the void. Finally, the shape factor and average gray strategy are utilized for void fine inspection of the chip resistor solder joint. Experimental results indicate that the proposed framework is superior to some existing methods, with an inspection performance of 0.9069 average Dice coefficient, 0.9907 F1 score, and 98.51% accuracy at a reasonable inspection speed.