Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Finite element modeling and experimental characterization of crosstalk in 1-D CMUT arrays

Crosstalk is the coupling of energy between the elements of an ultrasonic transducer array. This coupling degrades the performance of transducers in applications such as medical imaging and therapeutics. In this paper, we present an experimental demonstration of guided interface waves in capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). We compare the experimental results to finite element calculations using a commercial package (LS-DYNA) for a 1-D CMUT array operating in the conventional and collapsed modes. An element in the middle of the array was excited with a unipolar voltage pulse, and the displacements were measured using a laser interferometer along the center line of the array elements immersed in soybean oil. We repeated the measurements for an identical CMUT array covered with a 4.5-mum polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) layer. The main crosstalk mechanism is the dispersive guided modes propagating in the fluid-solid interface. Although the transmitter element had a center frequency of 5.8 MHz with a 130% fractional bandwidth in the conventional operation, the dispersive guided mode was observed with the maximum amplitude at a frequency of 2.1 MHz, and had a cut-off frequency of 4 MHz. In the collapsed operation, the dispersive guided mode was observed with the maximum amplitude at a frequency of 4.0 MHz, and had a cut-off frequency of 10 MHz. Crosstalk level was lower in the collapsed operation (-39 dB) than in the conventional operation (-24.4 dB). The coverage of the PDMS did not significantly affect the crosstalk level, but reduced the phase velocity for both operation modes. Lamb wave modes, A0 and S0, were also observed with crosstalk levels of -40 dB and -65 dB, respectively. We observed excellent agreement between the finite element and the experimental results
Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma: distinct features in a large Brazilian cohort.

OBJECTIVE Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc) is an infrequent SSc variant characterized by visceral and immunological manifestations of SSc in the absence of clinically detectable skin involvement. We sought to delineate the characteristics of ssSSc in a cohort of Brazilian patients and contrast them with those in the literature. METHODS SSc patients seen at two academic medical centres in Brazil were retrospectively analysed. Patients were classified as ssSSc if they presented with RP, positive ANAs and at least one visceral involvement typical of SSc in the absence of skin thickening. Demographics, clinical and laboratory data were obtained by chart review. Literature review was performed by searching available original studies up until June 2012. RESULTS Among the 947 consecutive patients with SSc, 79 (8.3%) were classified as ssSSc. Oesophagus was the most frequently affected organ (83.1%), followed by pulmonary involvement (63.2%). Compared with the limited cutaneous form of SSc, telangiectasia was the only variable significantly different after multivariate logistic regression analyses (odds ratio 0.46; 95% CI 0.27, 0.81). Compared with the diffuse cutaneous form of SSc, multivariate analyses revealed that ssSSc patients were less likely to be male (odds ratio 0.15; 95% CI 0.04, 0.57), have digital ulcers (odds ratio 0.26; 95% CI 0.13, 0.51) or anti-Scl70 antibodies (odds ratio 0.19; 95% CI 0.07, 0.55) and less frequently treated with CYC (odds ratio 0.23; 95% CI 0.12, 0.43). These features were comparable to those in the published literature. CONCLUSION In this series, patients with ssSSc had a relatively mild disease with good prognosis.
Beauty in the eye of expert and nonexpert beholders : A study in the appraisal of art

In this study, professional art experts and nonexperts with an active interest in art rated sets of 10-20 slides of artworks made available by young artists. Each set was rated on bipolar scales, including not original-original; absence of crafts-manship-craftsmanship; and poor quality-good quality. Intraclass coefficients R i for these three scales were . 17, . 21, and . 22 for experts and . 19, . 08, and . 16 for nonexperts, respectively. There was a significant agreement between experts and nonexperts with respect to originality, but no agreement with respect to craftsmanship and quality. The correlation between originality and quality was significantly (p <.01) higher for experts (r.88) than for nonexperts (r=.40). Thus, experts seem to attach much more value to originality in determining aesthetic quality than nonexperts.
Molecular simulation of water in carbon nanotubes.

7.1. Water Structure in Carbon Nanotubes 5020 7.2. Radial, Axial, and Total Water Density 5023 7.3. Hydrogen Bonds 5024 7.4. Filling Carbon Nanotubes with Water 5025 7.5. Dipole Moment 5026 7.6. Proton Transport in Water 5027 7.7. Transport Properties 5027 8. Driven Flow 5029 9. Charged Carbon Nanotubes 5029 10. Polarizable Carbon Nanotubes 5030 11. Selective Partitioning 5030 12. Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes 5031 13. Conclusions 5031 14. Acknowledgments 5031 15. References 5031
Non-Muslim Views about Islam and Muslims in Malaysia: An Empirical Study

Abstract: Based upon sample survey and interviews, this study attempts to find out the views of Malaysian non-Muslims about Islam and Muslims in Malaysia. Such a study is warranted because of the plural nature of Malaysian society whose stability depends upon harmonious relations between various ethnic and religious groups The survey sample is composed of various educated segments, professionals and university students. The study found that majority of non-Muslims hold positive opinion about their counterpart in Malaysia which augurs well for the stability of the country. Nevertheless, there exists a good number of people holding a negative opinion about Islam and Muslims implying, therefore, the need for more concerted efforts about improving the image of Islam and Muslims in Malaysia.
Why Regular Gamblers Don't Quit

This article examines the phenomenon of persistence at gambling by relating regular participation to the social structure in which that behavior occurs. Using qualitative data developed during a study of three naturally occurring gambling groups and implicit knowledge drawn from 28 years of personal experience, I apply sociological perspectives to a subject that traditionally has been examined from either an economic or a psychological viewpoint. An analysis of the data revealed that a significant sustaining mechanism of gambling persistence could be located in the binding social arrangements that have developed among the players. A delineation of these arrangements provides a basis for comprehending regular gamblers' commitment to maintain participation in the social world of gambling, despite financial loss. An awareness of the social rewards derived from sustained gambling is essential in developing an understanding of the root causes of excessive gambling.
Channeling identification: How perceived regulatory focus moderates the influence of organizational and professional identification on professional employees’ diagnosis and treatment behaviors

We suggest that organizational and professional identification are two sources of motivation that can be channeled in similar or different directions based on perceived organizational and professional regulatory focus. Specifically, we hypothesize and find that both types of identification-based motivation are channeled toward diagnosis behaviors when professionals think their coworkers and colleagues value a promotion focus, and they are channeled toward treatment behaviors when professionals think their coworkers and colleagues value a prevention focus. Our results advance research on social identification by helping to explain how and when organizational and professional identification influence work performance, and also advance the organizational literature on professions by introducing diagnosis and treatment as two theory-derived types of in-role performance for professional employees.
The Link between Student Identity, Attributions, and Self-Esteem among Adult, Returning Students

This study investigates the relationships between causal attributions, student identity, and self-esteem among a sample of adult students who were returning to college to complete a degree after a break of at least three semesters. Leaving college was conceptualized as a “failure” in the sense that the student had failed to complete a degree when previously enrolled, and returning to school was conceptualized as an achievement event or “success” A “hedonistic bias” was found in the way students explained leaving school, that is, they denied responsibility for leaving, explaining their departures with primarily external causes. Although external causes for returning were also more numerous, there was a tendency for internal reasons to increase from the time of leaving to the time the student returned to school. The student identity was related to many aspects of self-esteem, but internal attributions were not related to self-esteem. Internal causal attributions were not related to the student identity, but “activity-oriented” attributions were related to occupational status, suggesting a connection between the occupational identity and attribution processes. The findings are discussed in the context of attribution theory and self-presentation theory.
Further evidence for the decay K+ -->pi+nu(nu).

Additional evidence for the rare kaon decay K+-->pi+nu(nu) has been found in a new data set with comparable sensitivity to the previously reported result. One new event was observed in the pion momentum region examined, 211<P<229 MeV/c, bringing the total for the combined data set to two. Including all data taken, the backgrounds were estimated to contribute 0.15+/-0.05 events. The branching ratio is B(K+-->pi+nu(nu)) = 1.57(+1.75)(-0.82)x10(-10).
Magnetic resonance imaging measurement of gray matter volume reductions in HIV dementia.

OBJECTIVE The authors recently reported smaller basal ganglia volumes for patients with HIV-associated dementia than for HIV-infected patients without dementia and a seronegative comparison group. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether HIV dementia is associated with volume reductions in other brain regions. METHOD The authors measured volumes of CSF and gray and white tissue on cranial magnetic resonance images from homosexual men who were 1) infected with HIV with HIV-associated dementia complex, 2) infected with HIV without dementia, and 3) HIV seronegative. RESULTS Results suggest that loss of white matter occurs with HIV infection and is more severe in HIV-positive patients with dementia than in those without dementia. There was some generalized volume reduction in gray matter in HIV-positive demented patients, although group differences did not reach significance when adjusted for age. Volume of posterior cortex, however, was significantly smaller among HIV-positive patients with dementia than in either remaining group. There were no significant differences between HIV-positive nondemented patients and HIV-negative subjects in these regions. CONCLUSIONS In conjunction with findings from previous research, the authors conclude that HIV dementia is associated with specific gray matter volume reduction in basal ganglia and posterior cortex, as well as with generalized volume reduction of white matter.
Paternal Age and Numerical Chromosome Abnormalities in Human Spermatozoa

This study explores the relationship between numerical chromosome abnormalities in sperm and age in healthy men. We performed FISH in the spermatozoa of 10 donors from the general population: 5 men younger than 40 years of age and 5 fertile men older than 60 years of age. For each chromosome, 1,000 sperm nuclei were analyzed, with a total of 15,000 sperm nuclei for each donor. We used a single sperm sample per donor, thus minimizing intra-donor variability and optimizing consistent analysis. FISH with a TelVysion assay, which provides data on aneuploidy of 19 chromosomes, was used in order to gain a more genome-wide perspective of the level of aneuploidy. Aneuploidy and diploidy rates observed in the younger and older groups were compared. There were no significant differences in the incidence of autosomal disomy, sex chromosome disomy, total chromosome disomy, diploidy, nor total numerical abnormalities between younger and older men. This work confirms that aneuploidy of the sex chromosomes is more common than that of autosomes and that this does not change with age. Our results suggest that some probe combinations have a tendency to indicate higher levels of diploidy, thus potentially affecting FISH results and highlighting the limitations of FISH.
Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis among Health Care Workers in High Burden Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Twenty-two high burden countries contributed to the majority of worldwide tuberculosis cases in 2015. Health care workers are at high risk of acquiring tuberculosis through occupational exposure. Objective To estimate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among health care workers in high burden countries. Methods Databases including MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL (Ovid) and ISI Web of Science (Thompson-Reuters), and grey literature were searched for English language records on relevant medical subject headings (MeSH) terms of LTBI and health care providers. Literature was systematically reviewed using EPPI-Reviewer4 software. Prevalence and incidence of LTBI and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Pooled prevalence of LTBI and 95% CI were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis models and heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. Sub-group analysis was conducted to assess the cause of heterogeneity. Results A total of 990 records were identified. Of those, 18 studies from only 7 high burden countries representing 10,078 subjects were included. Tuberculin skin test results were available for 9,545 participants. The pooled prevalence of LTBI was 47% (95% CI 34% to 60%, I2 = 99.6%). In subgroup analyses according to the country of the study, the pooled prevalence of LTBI was lowest in Brazil (37%) and highest in South Africa (64%). The pooled prevalence of LTBI among medical and nursing students was 26% (95% CI 6% to 46%, I2 = 99.3%) while the prevalence among all types of health care workers was 57% (95% CI 44% to 70%, I2 = 99.1%). Incidence of LTBI was available for health care workers in four countries. The cumulative incidence ranged from 2.8% in Brazilian medical students to 38% among all types of health care workers in South Africa. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that there is a high burden of LTBI among health care workers in high burden countries. Adequate infection control measures are warranted to prevent and control transmission in health care settings.
Cultural diversity in global innovation teams: Linking effects of cultural diversity to the innovation process

Global innovation teams receive an increasing importance in internationalizing firms. This study researches the effects of cultural diversity on team and innovation performance. Our qualitative and longitudinal study focuses on the effects through diversity of cultural values and of communication style within global innovation teams. From 105 interviews in five innovation teams at three different points in time, respectively stages of the innovation process, we develop a model containing several new assumptions. We find that diversity in context, time, and power distance play are strongly influential on the performance of global teams. Particularly, the feasibility stage is most strongly affected by cultural diversity.
7 From Body to Knowledge: Perception and Cognition in Khwe-||Ani and Ts'ixa

Studies in the semantic fields of perception and cognition have led to the postulation of linguistic universals regarding the hierarchy of the verbs of perception and their extensions into the realm of cognition. Primacy of the visual domain has been claimed across all cultures and languages of the world; however, more recent research has challenged this view. The Khoeid (formerly Central Khoisan or Khoe) language Khwe-||Ani seems to contradict the postulated hierarchy of the senses with vision at the top. This chapter discusses the cognitive extensions of mũũ , ‘see’, koḿ , ‘hear’ and ||am perceive food’ (‘taste’, ‘smell’, ‘touch’) in order to postulate a conclusive hypothesis on how body action and subsequent perception cognized and transformed into knowledge. The data discussed in the chapter support Hirosi Nakagawa’s |Gui-||Gana findings, suggesting that a basic meaning ‘perceive food’ for ||am may be more widespread within the Khoeid family. Keywords:body action; cognition; Khwe-||Ani; knowledge; sensory perception; smell; taste; touch; Ts'ixa
Linear Contextual Bandits with Global Constraints and Objective

We consider the linear contextual bandit problem with global convex constraints and a concave objective function. In each round, the outcome of pulling an arm is a vector, that depends linearly on the context of that arm. The global constraints require the average of these vectors to lie in a certain convex set. The objective is a concave function of this average vector. This problem turns out to be a common generalization of classic linear contextual bandits (linContextual) [Auer 2003], bandits with concave rewards and convex knapsacks (BwCR) [Agrawal, Devanur 2014], and the online stochastic convex programming (OSCP) problem [Agrawal, Devanur 2015]. We present algorithms with near-optimal regret bounds for this problem. Our bounds compare favorably to results on the unstructured version of the problem [Agrawal et al. 2015, Badanidiyuru et al. 2014] where the relation between the contexts and the outcomes could be arbitrary, but the algorithm only competes against a fixed set of policies.
An Inrush Mitigation Technique of Load Transformers for the Series Voltage Sag Compensator

Survey results suggest that 92% of interruption at industrial facilities is voltage sag related. The voltage sag compensator, based on a transformer-coupled series-connected voltage-source inverter, is among the most cost-effective solution against voltage sags. When voltage sags happen, the transformers, which are often installed in front of critical loads for electrical isolation, are exposed to the disfigured voltages and a dc offset will occur in its flux linkage. When the compensator restores the load voltage, the flux linkage will be driven to the level of magnetic saturation and severe inrush current occurs. The compensator is likely to be interrupted because of its own overcurrent protection, and eventually, the compensation fails, and the critical loads are interrupted by the voltage sag. This paper proposes an inrush current mitigation technique together with a state-feedback controller for the voltage sag compensator. The operation principles of the proposed method are specifically presented, and experiments are provided to validate the proposed approach.
Candidatus Methanogranum caenicola: a Novel Methanogen from the Anaerobic Digested Sludge, and Proposal of Methanomassiliicoccaceae fam. nov. and Methanomassiliicoccales ord. nov., for a Methanogenic Lineage of the Class Thermoplasmata

The class Thermoplasmata harbors huge uncultured archaeal lineages at the order level, so-called Groups E2 and E3. A novel archaeon Kjm51a affiliated with Group E2 was enriched from anaerobic sludge in the present study. Clone library analysis of the archaeal 16S rRNA and mcrA genes confirmed a unique archaeal population in the enrichment culture. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny revealed that the enriched archaeon Kjm51a formed a distinct cluster within Group E2 in the class Thermoplasmata together with Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis B10T and environmental clone sequences derived from anaerobic digesters, bovine rumen, and landfill leachate. Archaeon Kjm51a showed 87.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to the closest cultured species, M. luminyensis B10T, indicating that archaeon Kjm51a might be phylogenetically novel at least at the genus level. In fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, archaeon Kjm51a was observed as coccoid cells completely corresponding to the archaeal cells detected, although bacterial rod cells still coexisted. The growth of archaeon Kjm51a was dependent on the presence of methanol and yeast extract, and hydrogen and methane were produced in the enrichment culture. The addition of 2-bromo ethanesulfonate to the enrichment culture completely inhibited methane production and increased hydrogen concentration, which suggested that archaeon Kjm51a is a methanol-reducing hydrogenotrophic methanogen. Taken together, we propose the provisional taxonomic assignment, named Candidatus Methanogranum caenicola, for the enriched archaeon Kjm51a belonging to Group E2. We also propose to place the methanogenic lineage of the class Thermoplasmata in a novel order, Methanomassiliicoccales ord. nov.
Buparlisib, a PI3K inhibitor, demonstrates acceptable tolerability and preliminary activity in a phase I trial of patients with advanced leukemias

Phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase (PI3K) signaling plays a crucial role in oncogene‐mediated tumor growth and proliferation. Buparlisib (BKM120) is an oral pan‐class I PI3K inhibitor. This phase I study was conducted to determine the dose limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of BKM120 in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory acute leukemias. Fourteen pts (12 acute myeloid leukemia, 1 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and 1 mixed phenotype leukemia) were enrolled. Twelve pts received BKM‐120 80 mg/day and two 100 mg/day. The MTD was 80 mg/day. Of the 14 patients treated, the best response was stable disease in one patient that lasted 82 days. The median survival for all patients was 75 days (range 10–568). Three patients with a 3q26 chromosome abnormality had a significantly improved median survival of 360 days (range 278–568) as compared to a median survival of 57 days (range, 10–125) among the 11 other patients. The most frequent drug‐related toxicities included confusion, mucositis, dysphagia, and fatigue. Western blot profiling revealed a decrease in p‐pS6K/total pS6K in 5/7 (71%) available patient samples with a mean quantitative inhibition of 65% (range, 32–100%) and a decrease in p‐FOXO3/total FOXO3 in 4/6 (67%) samples with a mean quantitative inhibition of 93% (range, 89–100%). BKM120 administered at 80 mg/day showed modest efficacy and was tolerable in advanced acute leukemias. Am. J. Hematol. 92:7–11, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Can speech-evoked Auditory Brainstem Response become a useful tool in clinical practice?

PURPOSE To discuss the clinical applicability of the speech-evoked Auditory Brainstem Response (speech-evoked ABR) to help identifying auditory processing disorders. METHODS We analyzed the records of 27 children and adolescents, aged between seven and 15, who presented abnormal speech-evoked ABR. Then, the data from the behavioral auditory processing evaluation of these individuals were surveyed. RESULTS It was observed that, among the 27 children with abnormal speech-evoked ABR, 23 also had auditory processing disorders. Therefore, from this sample, an 85.15% probability of observing abnormal behavioral assessment of auditory processing in a child who presented abnormal speech-evoked ABR was obtained. CONCLUSION It is argued that the speech-evoked ABR can be used in clinical practice as an important aid tool in the diagnosis of auditory processing disorder, because, in this study, an abnormal speech-evoked ABR usually represented a deficit in the results of behavioral assessment of auditory processing. Thus, it can be used to obtain information about the perception of speech sounds in children under seven years or with challenging behavioral assessment.