Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of local bending in twin-wall pipes: comparison with measurements

Profiled pipes of thermoplastic materials have been used increasingly as underground conduit for transporting water and waste water. Pipes of different sizes (diameters ranging 450 mm to 2400 mm for High Density PolyEthylene Pipe) with a wide variety of wall geometries have been developed to obtain higher wall stiffness with less utilization of material. The shapes of those profiles often cause localized deformations which may govern the performance of the pipes. An investigation of the localized deformation (local bending) on two different profile-wall HDPE pipes is presented in this paper. Axisymmetric finite element analysis was used to study the profile responses under axisymmetric loading. A semi-analytical finite element method, based on axisymmetric idealization of the profile, was employed to study the profile behavior in a more realistic (biaxial) stress field expected for a pipe buried horizontally in the ground. The result of analysis was compared with those of fullscale test data reported in Dhar and Moore (2004) to explain some of the local deformations observed during the tests. The study revealed that a local bending governs the strains on some components of the pipe profiles. The mechanism of the local bending was different at the crown (top section) and the springline (mid level section) for the pipes under biaxial loading. The semi-analytical finite element analysis appeared successful in capturing the three-dimensional deformations.
What is the radiological definition of part-solid tumour in lung cancer?†

OBJECTIVES The method of evaluating ground glass opacity (GGO) on thin-section computed tomographic (CT) scans is an issue of debate in early lung cancer. The term 'part-solid tumour' is frequently misused, and there is no consensus for its definition. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted on 775 consecutive patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma of clinical stage IA between 2008 and 2013. Part-solid tumours (PSTs) having a ground glass component and consolidation were divided into two categories using the radiological criterion of a consolidation-to-tumour (C/T) ratio of 0.5. Lung cancers were classified into four groups: (i) pure ground glass nodule (pGGN) (C/T ratio = 0); (ii) ground glass-predominant PST (GP-PST) (0< C/T ratio < 0.5); (iii) consolidation-predominant PST (CP-PST) (0.5 ≤ C/T ratio < 1) and (iv) solid tumour (ST) (C/T ratio = 1). We investigated the clinicopathological features and prognoses of patients with GP-PST and CP-PST. RESULTS The incidence of lymphatic invasion was 0% in pGGN, 0.8% in GP-PST, 16.8% in CP-PST and 46.2% in ST ( P < 0.001). Among the PST lung cancers, predictors for lymphatic invasion were C/T ratio (OR 20.631, 2.755-154.508, P = 0.003) and tumour size (OR 3.228, 1.413-7.375, P = 0.005) in a multivariable analysis. The difference in recurrence-free survival between GP-PST and CP-PST was statistically significant [98.9 vs. 91.3% (5 years), P -value = 0.044]. CONCLUSIONS PST comprised two categories in terms of invasiveness and prognosis based on the radiological criteria of a C/T ratio of 0.5. Ground glass-predominant PST and consolidation-predominant PST should be distinguished, and strategies specific to each determined using these terminologies.
An RNA polymerase II-associated TFIIF-like complex is indispensable for SL RNA gene transcription in Trypanosoma brucei

Abstract Trypanosomes are protistan parasites that diverged early in evolution from most eukaryotes. Their streamlined genomes are packed with arrays of tandemly linked genes that are transcribed polycistronically by RNA polymerase (pol) II. Individual mRNAs are processed from pre-mRNA by spliced leader (SL) trans splicing and polyadenylation. While there is no strong evidence that general transcription factors are needed for transcription initiation at these gene arrays, a RNA pol II transcription pre-initiation complex (PIC) is formed on promoters of SLRNA genes, which encode the small nuclear SL RNA, the SL donor in trans splicing. The factors that form the PIC are extremely divergent orthologues of the small nuclear RNA-activating complex, TBP, TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIIH, TFIIE and Mediator. Here, we functionally characterized a heterodimeric complex of unannotated, nuclear proteins that interacts with RNA pol II and is essential for PIC formation, SL RNA synthesis in vivo, SLRNA transcription in vitro, and parasite viability. These functional attributes suggest that the factor represents TFIIF although the amino acid sequences are too divergent to firmly make this conclusion. This work strongly indicates that early-diverged trypanosomes have orthologues of each and every general transcription factor, requiring them for the synthesis of SL RNA.
Image-based 3D canopy reconstruction to determine potential productivity in complex multi-species crop systems

Background and Aims Intercropping systems contain two or more species simultaneously in close proximity. Due to contrasting features of the component crops, quantification of the light environment and photosynthetic productivity is extremely difficult. However it is an essential component of productivity. Here, a low‐tech but high‐resolution method is presented that can be applied to single‐ and multi‐species cropping systems to facilitate characterization of the light environment. Different row layouts of an intercrop consisting of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) and proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) have been used as an example and the new opportunities presented by this approach have been analysed. Methods Three‐dimensional plant reconstruction, based on stereo cameras, combined with ray tracing was implemented to explore the light environment within the Bambara groundnut‐proso millet intercropping system and associated monocrops. Gas exchange data were used to predict the total carbon gain of each component crop. Key Results The shading influence of the tall proso millet on the shorter Bambara groundnut results in a reduction in total canopy light interception and carbon gain. However, the increased leaf area index (LAI) of proso millet, higher photosynthetic potential due to the C4 pathway and sub‐optimal photosynthetic acclimation of Bambara groundnut to shade means that increasing the number of rows of millet will lead to greater light interception and carbon gain per unit ground area, despite Bambara groundnut intercepting more light per unit leaf area. Conclusions Three‐dimensional reconstruction combined with ray tracing provides a novel, accurate method of exploring the light environment within an intercrop that does not require difficult measurements of light interception and data‐intensive manual reconstruction, especially for such systems with inherently high spatial possibilities. It provides new opportunities for calculating potential productivity within multi‐species cropping systems, enables the quantification of dynamic physiological differences between crops grown as monoculture and those within intercrops, and enables the prediction of new productive combinations of previously untested crops.
Ultra‐low‐noise large‐bandwidth transimpedance amplifier

Equivalent input current noise and bandwidth are the most relevant parameters qualifying a low‐noise transimpedance amplifier. In the conventional topology consisting of an operational amplifier in a shunt‐shunt configuration, the equivalent input noise decreases as the feedback resistor (RF), which also sets the gain, increases. Unfortunately, as RF increases above a few MΩ, as it is required for obtaining high sensitivity, the bandwidth of the system is set by the parasitic capacitance of RF and reduces as RF increases. In this paper, we propose a new topology that allows overcoming this limitation by employing a large‐bandwidth voltage amplifier together with a proper modified feedback network for compensating the effect of the parasitic capacitance of the feedback resistance. We experimentally demonstrate, on a prototype circuit, that the proposed approach allows to obtain a bandwidth in excess of 100 kHz and an equivalent input noise of about 4 fA/ Hz , corresponding to the current noise of the 1 GΩ resistor that is part of the feedback network. The new approach allows obtaining larger bandwidth with respect to those obtained in previously proposed configurations with comparable background noise. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EFFECT OF INTEGRATED USE OF ORGANIC MANURES AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF RICE

The integrated use of organic and inorganic manures on the yield of rice was evaluated in a field experiment at Chakkanwali Reclamation Research Station, District Gujranwala, Pakistan during kharif 2012. The organic sources used were farmyard manure, poultry manure, rice straw, sesbania, compost and mung bean residues alone and in combinations with 50% of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF). Recommended dose of fertilizer (150-90-60 kg NPK/ha) and control treatments were also included in the experiment. The results showed that organic and inorganic manures in combination increased the plant height, fertile tillers per hill, number of grains per panicle, panicle length, number of panicles per hill, 1000-grain weight, biological yield, grain yield and harvest index. Maximum number of fertile tillers per plant (16.79), number of panicles per hill (8.41), 1000- grain weight (21.12 g), biological yield (10.19 t/ha), grain yield (4.47 t/ha) and harvest index (43.76%) were recorded from the plots receiving poultry manure @ 10 t/ha in combination with 50% of RDF. This was followed by 100% RDF. It is evident that yield of rice can be increase significantly with the combined use of organic manure with chemical fertilizers.
Examining cancer survivorship trajectories: Exploring the intersection between qualitative illness narratives and quantitative screening instruments

Abstract Objective This article examines the associations of quantitatively refined trajectories of adjustment to cancer survivorship determined by previously published qualitative narrative analysis. Method Patients completed measures of cancer-related worry (Cancer Related Worries Scale), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), posttraumatic growth (Benefit Finding Scale), and open-ended survey questions 6, 12, and 18 months postdiagnosis of head and neck, esophageal, gastric, or colorectal cancer. Previously published narrative analysis revealed five distinct survivorship “paths,” which were combined into four paths in the present article: Moving On, Seeing the World Differently, Taking One Day at a Time, and Never the Same. To determine the association of qualitatively determined paths with quantitatively assessed adjustment (i.e., Cancer Related Worries Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Benefit Finding Scale), we used linear multilevel modeling to regress the adjustment variables on time, path, the time-by-path interaction, and relevant covariates (age, stage, cancer site, ethnicity, and Deyo score). Results There was a significant main effect of path on cancer worry, depression, and posttraumatic growth (p < 0.02 for all). Patients in the Moving On group reported consistently low worry, depression, and growth compared to the other groups. Patients in the Seeing the World Differently and Taking One Day at a Time paths both reported moderate worry and depression; but those in the Seeing the World Differently path reported the highest posttraumatic growth, whereas patients in the Taking One Day at a Time path reported little growth. Finally, patients in the Never the Same path reported the highest worry and depression but lowest posttraumatic growth. Significance of results This longitudinal study reinforces the notion that cancer survivorship is not a one-size-fits-all experience nor a dichotomized experience of “distress” or “no distress. ” Additionally, this hypothesis-generating study suggests future directions for potential self-report measures to help clinicians identify cancer survivors’ trajectory to develop a more patient-centered survivorship care plan.
A Novel Treatment of Acne Keloidalis Nuchae by Long-Pulsed Alexandrite Laser

BACKGROUND Acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) is a dermatological condition characterized by follicular-based papules and pustules that later form hypertrophic or keloid-like scars. Laser-assisted hair reduction such as 810-nm diode laser and 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser have been used for treating AKN with promising results. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of alexandrite laser in the treatment of different lesions of AKN. METHODS Seventeen male patients with AKN received 6 sessions of 755-nm alexandrite laser. Papule and pustule count, keloidal plaque size, pliability, tenderness, and itching were assessed at the fourth session and 4 weeks after the sixth session. Patient satisfaction and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire were performed at the end of treatment. Patients were followed up for 3 months after the final treatment. RESULTS There was a significant decrease in the mean papule, pustule count, keloidal plaque size, and pliability at the fourth and sixth laser sessions when compared with baseline. Reduction of the hair density in the treated area is the only complication observed, which was accepted by the patients because of its reversible course. There was a statistically significantly higher percentage of improvement in the early lesions (papulopustular) compared with late (keloidal plaque) lesions. By the end of laser sessions, DLQI scores were significantly reduced. Temporary hair loss was noted in 4 patients in the treated sites. No lesional recurrence was detected in the follow-up period. CONCLUSION Using 755-nm alexandrite laser for treatment of AKN is a safe and effective procedure with low recurrence rates. Alexandrite laser can significantly improve the quality of life of those patients suffering from this disfiguring chronic disorder.
Prediction of esophageal stricture in patients given locoregional triamcinolone injections immediately after endoscopic submucosal dissection

Esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) to resect widespread lesions has increased the incidence of strictures, and some patients develop strictures despite receiving prophylactic locoregional triamcinolone injections. The present study evaluated the predictive factors for esophageal stricture formation in patients given prophylactic triamcinolone injections after ESD.
Engineering a functional three-dimensional human cardiac tissue model for drug toxicity screening

Cardiotoxicity is one of the major reasons for clinical drug attrition. In vitro tissue models that can provide efficient and accurate drug toxicity screening are highly desired for preclinical drug development and personalized therapy. Here, we report the fabrication and characterization of a human cardiac tissue model for high throughput drug toxicity studies. Cardiac tissues were fabricated via cellular self-assembly of human transgene-free induced pluripotent stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes in pre-fabricated polydimethylsiloxane molds. The formed tissue constructs expressed cardiomyocyte-specific proteins, exhibited robust production of extracellular matrix components such as laminin, collagen and fibronectin, aligned sarcomeric organization, and stable spontaneous contractions for up to 2 months. Functional characterization revealed that the cardiac cells cultured in 3D tissues exhibited higher contraction speed and rate, and displayed a significantly different drug response compared to cells cultured in age-matched 2D monolayer. A panel of clinically relevant compounds including antibiotic, antidiabetic and anticancer drugs were tested in this study. Compared to conventional viability assays, our functional contractility-based assays were more sensitive in predicting drug-induced cardiotoxic effects, demonstrating good concordance with clinical observations. Thus, our 3D cardiac tissue model shows great potential to be used for early safety evaluation in drug development and drug efficiency testing for personalized therapy.
The Impact of Text Messaging on Medication Adherence and Exercise Among Postmyocardial Infarction Patients: Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Background Adherence to evidence-based therapies such as medications and exercise remains poor among patients after a myocardial infarction (MI). Text message reminders have been shown to improve rates of adherence to medication and exercise, but the existing studies have been of short duration. Objective Two single-center randomized controlled pilot trials were conducted to evaluate the impact of text message reminders over 12 months on adherence to cardiac medications and exercise among patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation after hospitalization for MI. Methods In the medication adherence trial, 34 patients were randomized to receive usual care alone or usual care plus daily text message reminders delivered at the time of day at which medications were to be taken. In the exercise adherence trial, 50 patients were randomized to receive usual care alone or usual care plus 4 daily text messages reminding them to exercise as directed. Results The text message reminders led to a mean 14.2 percentage point improvement in self-reported medication adherence over usual care (P<.001, 95% CI 7-21). In the exercise trial, text message reminders resulted in an additional 4.2 days (P=.001, 95% CI 1.9-6.4) and 4.0 hours (P<.001, 95% CI 2.4-5.6) of exercise per month over usual care and a nonsignificant increase of 1.2 metabolic equivalents (METS; P=.06) in exercise capacity as assessed by a BRUCE protocol at 12 months. Conclusions Text message reminders significantly increased adherence to medication and exercise among post-MI patients receiving care in a structured cardiac rehabilitation program. This technology represents a simple and scalable method to ensure consistent use of evidence-based cardiovascular therapies. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02783287; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02783287 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6sBnvNb05)
Some factors affecting the power spectra of surface electromyograms in isometric contractions

In order to investigate the variations in the EMG power spectra, the power spectra of the bipolar surface EMG of the biceps brachii were obtained for the frequency range from 6 to 192 Hz by the autocorrelation and its Fourier transformation technique. The EMG power spectra of the biceps brachii showed relatively definite pattern with some intra- and inter-individual variations. The difference in the EMG power spectra between the right and left biceps brachii was not larger than the inter-individual variation. No systematic variation was observed in the EMG power spectra either with the contraction level or with the muscle length. It was concluded that the power spectra of the bipolar surface EMG of a muscle show relatively definite pattern irrespective of subjects, right- or left-side, contraction level and muscle length at least for normal biceps brachii if constant electrode condition is maintained.
NullHop: A Flexible Convolutional Neural Network Accelerator Based on Sparse Representations of Feature Maps

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become the dominant neural network architecture for solving many state-of-the-art (SOA) visual processing tasks. Even though graphical processing units are most often used in training and deploying CNNs, their power efficiency is less than 10 GOp/s/W for single-frame runtime inference. We propose a flexible and efficient CNN accelerator architecture called NullHop that implements SOA CNNs useful for low-power and low-latency application scenarios. NullHop exploits the sparsity of neuron activations in CNNs to accelerate the computation and reduce memory requirements. The flexible architecture allows high utilization of available computing resources across kernel sizes ranging from $1\times 1$ to $7\times 7$ . NullHop can process up to 128 input and 128 output feature maps per layer in a single pass. We implemented the proposed architecture on a Xilinx Zynq field-programmable gate array (FPGA) platform and presented the results showing how our implementation reduces external memory transfers and compute time in five different CNNs ranging from small ones up to the widely known large VGG16 and VGG19 CNNs. Postsynthesis simulations using Mentor Modelsim in a 28-nm process with a clock frequency of 500 MHz show that the VGG19 network achieves over 450 GOp/s. By exploiting sparsity, NullHop achieves an efficiency of 368%, maintains over 98% utilization of the multiply–accumulate units, and achieves a power efficiency of over 3 TOp/s/W in a core area of 6.3 mm2. As further proof of NullHop’s usability, we interfaced its FPGA implementation with a neuromorphic event camera for real-time interactive demonstrations.
On Optimal Inference in the Linear IV Model

This paper considers tests and confidence sets (CS's) concerning the coefficient on the endogenous variable in the linear IV regression model with homoskedastic normal errors and one right-hand side endogenous variable. The paper derives a finite-sample lower bound function for the probability that a CS constructed using a two-sided invariant similar test has infinite length and shows numerically that the conditional likelihood ratio (CLR) CS of Moreira (2003) is not always very close to this lower bound function. This implies that the CLR test is not always very close to the two-sided asymptotically-efficient (AE) power envelope for invariant similar tests of Andrews, Moreira, and Stock (2006) (AMS). On the other hand, the paper establishes the finite-sample optimality of the CLR test when the correlation between the structural and reduced-form errors, or between the two reduced-form errors, goes to 1 or -1 and other parameters are held constant, where optimality means achievement of the two-sided AE power envelope of AMS. These results cover the full range of (non-zero) IV strength. The paper investigates in detail scenarios in which the CLR test is not on the two-sided AE power envelope of AMS. Also, the paper shows via theory and numerical work that the CLR test is close to having greatest average power, where the average is over a grid of concentration parameter values and over pairs alternative hypothesis values of the parameter of interest, uniformly over pairs of alternative hypothesis values and uniformly over the correlation between the structural and reduced-form errors.